Hong Kong: Student health assessment unveiled

The Department of Health today announced the key findings of its Student Health Service's annual health assessment in the 2022-23 school year.



The department provides a free annual health assessment service for primary and secondary school students which includes physical examinations; screenings for health problems related to growth, nutrition, vision, hearing, scoliosis, psychosocial health and behaviour; individual counselling as well as health education and vaccination.

Students found to have health problems will be referred to Special Assessment Centre (SAC) under the Student Health Service, specialist clinics of the Hospital Authority or other appropriate organisations for further assessment or management.

A total of 233,000 primary students and 97,000 secondary students attended the Student Health Service Centres (SHSCs) for annual health assessment services in the 2022-23 school year.

The annual health assessment revealed a deterioration of students' vision in recent years, especially among lower grade primary students.

The percentage of Primary One students who wore corrective lenses remained stable at 11% from the 2015-16 school year to 2019-20, but increased to 15% in 2020-21 and remained level till 2022-23. The overall percentage of primary and secondary school students who required a referral to the optometry service for further visual assessment slightly dropped to 13% in 2022-23.

The data also revealed that the detection rates of being overweight, including obesity, among primary and secondary school students remained elevated in 2022-23.

Prior to the COVID-19 epidemic, the rates among the two groups of students were about 17.4% and 19.9% for the 2018-19 school year. The detection rates increased to 20.6% and 22.1% in 2021-22 and slightly dropped to 19.5% and 20.5% in 2022-23.

The department noted that during the COVID-19 epidemic, class suspension, online classes, decreased outdoor physical activity, together with increased screen time, all imposed higher risks of overweight/obesity and deteriorated vision.

The health assessment also revealed that the percentage of students requiring a referral to the SAC, specialist clinics or other organisations for psychosocial and behavioural problems had increased from 1.1% in the 2018-19 school year to 1.8% in 2022-23.

The self-administered questionnaire collected from students attending the SHSCs in the 2022-23 school year found that 2.8% and 1.3% of all students had planned to commit suicide or attempted suicide in the past 12 months, with a higher percentage of 3.7% and 1.6% among secondary students.

Healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and clinical psychologists in the SHSCs and SACs have paid additional attention to students' emotions and mental health needs, and provided individual health counselling and advice to them.

The department noted that while some student annual health assessment services were earlier suspended due to the COVID-19 epidemic, 12 SHSCs have resumed the services for all grades of primary and secondary students during the 2023-24 school year. Students are urged to enrol in the annual health assessment.

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This story has been published on: 2024-01-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Workers around China return to respective posts after New Year holiday

Xinhua) 08:17, January 03, 2024

Workers assemble tractors in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Zhang Yixi/Xinhua)

Workers are busy at the construction site of an expressway bridge in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Xiong Pingxiang/Xinhua)

A family doctor measures a villager's blood pressure in Gangbian Village of Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Luo Jinglai/Xinhua)

A staff member gestures as a car passes an expressway toll gate in east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Long Wei/Xinhua)

Workers are busy at a smart production line in a tech company in Ruichang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Wei Dongsheng/Xinhua)

A worker performs a welding task at a workshop in Qingzhou City, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Wang Jilin/Xinhua)

A medical worker tends a newborn baby at a hospital in Yuping Dong Autonomous County of Tongren City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Hu Panxue/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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This photo shows the apartment belonging to the Hamas movement targeted by an Israeli drone strike in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 2, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Hamas announced a freeze on ceasefire negotiations with Israel after the faction's deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed Tuesday evening in an Israeli attack in Lebanon, a Palestinian source told Xinhua.

"We have informed the brothers in Qatar and Egypt of the freezing of negotiations," the source said on condition of anonymity. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The source added that Hamas, at war with Israel, rejected any talks about reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid escalated Israeli aggression and "assassination schemes" against Palestinian leaders.

Earlier, a Hamas source told Xinhua that several aides of al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas politburo, were also killed in the Israeli attack targeting a Hamas office in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

In a statement, Hamas confirmed that seven of its members were slain in the Israeli attack, slamming it as a "barbaric and heinous" terrorist act, a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, and an expansion of Israeli aggression against Palestine and its people.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said the attack was a serious assault on the Lebanese people, security, and sovereignty.

"This crime will never pass without response and punishment," it said in a statement, warning that the attack signaled "a dangerous development" in the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident, but Israeli media, citing senior officials, said that the country was on high alert against "a significant retaliation" by Hamas or its Iranian-backed ally, Hezbollah, including the launching of precision weapons at Israeli cities.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, both in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario," IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a briefing to reporters.

Iran on Tuesday condemned Israel's "despicable" move of assassinating al-Arouri, as well as two commanders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, in the drone strike in Beirut.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also strongly condemned the Israeli attack that rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

"The explosion is a new Israeli crime aimed at inevitably dragging Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation, following the daily ongoing assaults in the south, resulting in a significant number of martyrs and wounded individuals," Mikati said in a statement.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Hamas leaders in Palestinian territories and beyond, particularly al-Arouri, who was accused by Israel of directly being responsible for the "Al-Aqsa Storm" attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Al-Arouri, 57, is considered one of the prominent Hamas leaders, and a founder of the al-Qassam Brigades and its cells in the West Bank.

He was imprisoned in Israel for more than 18 years and was deported by Israeli authorities from Palestinian territories upon his last release in 2010. In the same year, he was elected as a Hamas politburo member.

Al-Arouri became the No. 2 in the top Hamas leadership body in 2017.
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Texas is free to place a ban on emergency abortions despite federal guidance by President Joe Bidens administration demanding otherwise. After the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade, Bidens team in 2022 pushed for federal guidance to be followed to protect abortion access in life-threatening or health-saving situations, arguing emergency abortions must be allowed under the same 1986 law that forces hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment for anyone who arrives at the emergency room. Texas filed a lawsuit against the federal government, which a district judge sided with in 2022 to uphold Texas total ban. The United States Department of Health and Human Services appealed the decision, which brought the issue to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year. On Tuesday, a pair of appeals court judges appointed by Donald Trump, and a third appointed by George W. Bush, ruled unanimously to uphold the district courts decision that gives Texas the power to enforce a total ban.

Read it at CNN

Read more at The Daily Beast.
For pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky, her most recent creation has a personality. Its particular, stubborn and judgmental. In other words, its quintessential Chicago.

Daisies, a Midwestern pasta restaurant in Logan Square, debuted its newest pastry Tuesday morning  the Chicago-style croissant. The dish, which features a charred Vienna beef hot dog wrapped in a croissant, is a collaboration with The Wieners Circle, a hot dog stand in Lincoln Park known for its viral insults and profanities.

The $8.50 croissant is also stuffed with yellow mustard, diced onions, celery salt and bright green relish. On top, theres poppy seeds and a garnish of a cherry tomato, pickle and sport pepper. Omilinskys nicknamed the creation a glamour weenie or a grown-up pigs in a blanket.

The promotional videos for the pastry, which racked up thousands of likes on Instagram, showcase the foul-mouthed charm of Wieners Circle. At one point Poochie Jackson, the chief insult artist, contemplates whether she wants to sample Omilinskys little dried up roll or big ass croissant. What the restuarant really needs though, she says, is a hot dog  its definitely not vegan. And dont ask if you can put ketchup on it.

Wieners Circle is Chicago. People come and visit and its like you gotta go there, Omilinsky said, adding that the attention has been overwhelming. Its been cool to see how excited people get for a hot dog.

The partnership seemed perfect for social media virality at its inception. It all started with an Instagram direct message, Omilinsky said. She asked Wieners Circle if theyd want to be part of Daisies monthly crossover croissant series, where they feature recipes inspired by other eateries, and they agreed right away. They settled on a Chicago dog for inspiration.

Past partnerships included pizzeria Paulie Gees, Filipino restaurant and bakery Kasama and GGs Chicken Shop.

Ragen Eggert, social media manager at the hot dog stand, said she was skeptical about the recipe when Omilinsky reached out about the collaboration. I didnt see the vision. I was like what the hell is she talking about, a Chicago-style croissant, she joked. But when she tasted it, Eggert said it came to life.

It was really good. The croissant is perfect. The dog is perfect, she said. Everything goes so well together. I didnt expect it to be as good as it was.

Everything the Weiners Circle does is iconic, Eggert said, so she isnt surprised by the support. But they arent serving subpar food, Eggert noted. She said they also worked hard so the promotional videos would come out well.

We could literally do the bare minimum and people, literally, they love it, she said.

The Chicago-style croissant is available for the rest of January during breakfast and lunch cafe service at Daisies, 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave., which starts at 7 a.m. Omilinsky said theyve ordered lots of cases of hot dogs and butter to prepare.

Daisies is also the first restaurant in Chicago to receive a Michelin Green Star, recognizing its sustainable practices. Chef and owner Joe Frillmans menu includes fresh produce from his brothers 30-acre farm, highlighting his goal to source locally and minimize its carbon footprint.

Everybody who hasnt gotten a Chicago-style croissant needs to get their a down to Daisies and get them one, Eggert said.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
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Photo taken in New York, the United States, on Jan. 2, 2024 shows a screen displaying the web page of the Office of the President of Harvard University. [Photo/Xinhua]

Harvard Corporation confirmed on Tuesday it has accepted Harvard President Claudine Gay's resignation "with overarching consideration in mind."

"These past several months have seen Harvard and higher education face a series of sustained and unprecedented challenges. In the face of escalating controversy and conflict, President Gay and the Fellows have sought to be guided by the best interests of the institution whose future progress and well-being we are together committed to uphold," said Harvard Corporation in a statement.

Gay said in a statement earlier Tuesday that "It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president."

"This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries," she said.

"But, after consultation with members of the corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual," Gay said.

Gay's half-year tenure was the shortest in Harvard's history. She has been under pressure for weeks for her congressional testimony about antisemitism on campus and the claims that she failed to properly cite sources in her academic papers.

"At a time when strife and division are so prevalent in our nation and our world, embracing and advancing that mission -- in a spirit of common purpose -- has never been more important," said Harvard Corporation.

Harvard Corporation also confirmed that Alan Garber, the university's provost and chief academic officer, has agreed to serve as interim president until a new leader for Harvard is identified and takes office.

According to Harvard Corporation, Gay will return to the Harvard faculty, where she has served as a professor of government since 2006.
Howard Carter examines the innermost coffin belonging to Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1925. On January 3, 1924, two years after rediscovering the tomb of King Tut in Egypt, Carter and his workers found the stone sarcophagus that contained the gold coffin and mummy of the boy king. File Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Jan. 3 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1777, the Continental Army commanded by Gen. George Washington defeated the British at Princeton, N.J.

In 1870, construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, designed by German immigrant John Augustus Roebling, begins.

File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

In 1924, two years after rediscovering the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt, Howard Carter and his workers found the stone sarcophagus that contained the gold coffin and mummy of the boy king. Carter said at the time that he believed that "almost every square yard of floor space contains a king's ransom" in the tomb.

Missy LeHand, secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, sorts through the morning mail at the White House in response to an appeal to donate dimes to fight infantile paralysis as a way of celebrating the president's birthday -- the first "March of Dimes" campaign. The March of Dines was established January 3, 1938. File Photo by Library of Congress

In 1933, Minnie Craig becomes the first female speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives. Craig was the first woman to hold a speakership in the United States.

In 1938, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the March of Dimes, a non-profit that began with an appeal for dimes to fight polio. After polio was effectively eliminated in the United States, the organization changed its mission to provide health and wellness for moms and babies.

On January 3, 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel Castro announced he was a communist and on January 3, 1962, Castro is excommunicated by Pope John XXIII. UPI File Photo

In 1944, USMC fighter ace Pappy Boyington is shot down over the Pacific by Japanese pilot Masajiro Kawato.

In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States.

On January 3, 1990, deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega left his refuge in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City and surrendered to U.S. troops. File Photo courtesy of EPA

In 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel Castro announced he was a communist.

In 1962, Cuban leader Fidel Castro was excommunicated by Pope John XXIII.

On January 3, 1969, police in Newark, N.J., confiscated a shipment of the John Lennon-Yoko Ono album Two Virgins because the cover photo, featuring full frontal nudity, violated pornography laws. UPI File Photo

In 1967, Jack Ruby, who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the assumed assassin of President John F. Kennedy, died of cancer in Dallas.

In 1969, police in Newark, N.J., confiscated a shipment of the John Lennon-Yoko Ono album Two Virgins because the cover photo, featuring full frontal nudity, violated pornography laws.

Police tackle Jack Ruby after the nightclub owner shot alleged John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement of the Dallas police station on November 24, 1963. On January 3, 1967, Ruby died of cancer in Dallas. Photo by Frank Johnston/UPI

In 1990, deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega left his refuge in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City and surrendered to U.S. troops. He was taken to Florida to face narcotics trafficking charges.

In 1993, U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the START II treaty reducing strategic nuclear arsenals by two-thirds.

File Photo by Martin Jeong/UPI

In 2004, a Flash Airline Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff in Egypt, killing 148 people.

In 2006, Jack Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist, agreed to plead guilty to fraud, public corruption and tax evasion charges, and to testify against politicians and former colleagues.

In 2009, the Genesis block, the first block of the blockchain of the decentralized payment system Bitcoin, was established by Satoshi Nakamoto.

In 2015, the Boko Haram militant group began a series of attacks on the northeastern Nigerian town of Baga lasting five days. Local media said at least 100 people died, though some reports put the death toll closer to 2,000.

In 2020, a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad. The U.S. military accused him of developing plans to attack U.S. diplomats and service members in the Middle East.

In 2022, British-born Sikh Capt. Harpreet Chandi of the British armed forces became the first woman of color to complete a solo expedition of Antarctica.
How about Vice President Vivek Ramaswamy?

Though not a single voter has cast a ballot for the 2024 presidential nominations yet, surely it's not too soon to start the speculation about Donald Trump's pick as running mate.

For starters, the general election is heading toward a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, but there's basically no one in American politics who thinks Trump will repeat his vice presidential pick from 2016 (when he won) and 2020 (when he lost). That would be Mike Pence, cast out of Trump world after refusing to disrupt the Electoral College count that put Biden in the White House in 2021.

In our new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, when we asked Trump supporters to name their choice for the No. 2 spot, it was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who finished first, at 14%.

Sorry, folks. That's almost certainly not going to happen, given the fractured relations between the two after DeSantis emerged for a time as the most likely alternative to Trump. The former president rewarded DeSantis with the derisive nickname "DeSanctimonious." (There are also constitutional complications from having both members of a ticket come from the same state.)

Dec 6, 2023; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy during a break in the fourth Republican Presidential Primary Debate presented by NewsNation at the Frank Moody Music Building University of Alabama on Dec. 6, 2023.

Then there's Ramaswamy, volunteered by 10%. The entrepreneur and political newcomer has done the most of any in the field to emulate and defend Trump in the GOP debates that the former president has declined to join. Most recently, he has vowed to remove his name from any state ballot that bumps Trump.

Unlike those first two, file Ramaswamy's name under "not impossible."

Note that, if elected, he wouldn't be the first Asian-American to serve as vice president; that status belongs to the current officeholder, Kamala Harris. But he would be the first person since Henry Wallace, Franklin Roosevelt's second vice president, to be elected No. 2 before he had won election to any other office.

(Trump seems unlikely to think of that as a bar. He is the most recent president to win the top job without ever having held elective office himself.)

Another pick that doesn't seem impossible is Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor appointed by Trump as U.N. ambassador in his administration. In her campaign challenging him for the 2024 nomination, she has tried to navigate a line between criticizing Trump but not so much that his supporters might refuse to back her, now or later.

In our poll, 7% proposed her name.

Well behind at 2% was Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now an independent presidential candidate. If chosen, it would be the first time a close member of that storied Democratic family appeared on the Republican line as a candidate. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and populist provocateur Tucker Carlson were at 1%.

Not to overstate the groundswell: That means six respondents named her; five chose him.

The poll of 438 Trump voters, taken by landline and cellphone Dec. 26-29, has a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points.

Most of those surveyed seem ready to leave the decision up to Trump. A 55% majority didn't have an opinion about it or declined to tell us what it was. Maybe later.

More: Who would Trump choose as vice president? Here's a list of potential candidates

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump supporters suggest DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Haley as running mates
The death toll of a Russian strike against Kyiv on Dec. 29 has risen to 30 as another person died in the hospital, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported on Jan. 3.

Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack against multiple regions of Ukraine on Dec. 29, killing over 50 people and wounding over 160. Some 29 people were injured in the capital alone.

Ukrainian air defense downed 114 of the 158 Russian missiles and drones launched at the country, according to the Air Force.

Russia carried out another large-scale attack on Jan. 2, launching almost 100 missiles and 35 drones, killing at least five people and injuring at least 130.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down all of the drones, as well as 72 missiles.

Moscow began intensifying its attacks against Ukraine's cities and critical infrastructure as the temperatures dropped, echoing its strategy from last year.

Read also: Russia launches largest air attack on Ukraine since start of full-scale war

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
FILE - Protesters march in the street as lightning flashes in the distance in Ferguson, Mo., Aug. 20, 2014, following the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teen, in the St. Louis suburb on Aug. 9. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2024, a St. Louis-based public interest law firm announced that the city of Florissant, Mo., will pay nearly $3 million to settle a so-called debtor's prison lawsuit that accused Florissant and six other St. Louis suburbs of violating the constitutional rights of residents by jailing them and forcing them to pay fines and fees amounting to millions of dollars. Florissant was among several St. Louis County cities whose policing and court practices fell under scrutiny after the fatal police shooting of Brown. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

ST. LOUIS (AP)  A Missouri city will pay nearly $3 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of violating the constitutional rights of residents by jailing them and forcing them to pay fines and fees amounting to millions of dollars, often for minor traffic violations.

The $2.9 million settlement with the St. Louis suburb of Florissant was approved by a federal judge on Tuesday and announced Wednesday by ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis-based public interest law firm. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2016.

Florissant was among several St. Louis County cities whose policing and court practices were scrutinized after the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. Brown, a Black 18-year-old, was killed by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014.

Wilson was not charged, but the shooting led to months of protests and prompted a Department of Justice investigation. The federal agency in 2015 accused Ferguson of racially biased policing and using excessive fines and court fees. A year later, Ferguson and the Justice Department reached an agreement that required sweeping reforms.

Funds from the Florissant settlement will be distributed among more than 85,000 people who were jailed or fined between Oct. 31, 2011, and Feb. 1, 2023. The settlement requires Florissant to forgive unpaid fees from traffic violations between Oct. 31, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2019, and to take other steps, including ensuring the right to an attorney for anyone brought before a municipal judge.

The Associated Press left telephone messages with the Florissant mayors office. Florissant, with 52,000 residents, is the largest city in St. Louis County.

Allison Nelson, now 32, said she was jailed twice in Florissant because she couldnt afford to pay traffic fines.

To hold money over someones head like that, especially with me being as young as I was  that was crazy to me, Nelson said in a news release from ArchCity Defenders.

Florissant joins the Missouri cities of Jennings, Normandy, Edmundson, Maplewood and St. Ann in settling similar class-action lawsuits. ArchCity Defenders said the six settlements combined have amounted to $16 million in damages. A lawsuit is still pending against the city of Ferguson.
A Mississippi woman with a contagious laugh and sweet sweet smile died after a car she was in collided with a deer, a family member said.

The deer smashed through the windshield of a Nissan Maxima traveling on U.S. Route 61 in Claiborne County on Jan. 2 at about 5:20 a.m., according to a Mississippi Highway Patrol news release. Amanda Taylor, 23, from Jackson, was killed in the wreck, state troopers said.

Before crashing through the windshield, the deer was hit by a Chevrolet Cavalier, according to state troopers.

The two drivers involved in the crash were not injured, state troopers said.

When Taylor died, her younger sister, Alexis Juliana Taylor, wrote on Facebook that she couldnt believe she had to write a tribute post for her.

I lost my heart on this day, Alexis wrote.

She recalled how much she wanted to grow up to be like her sister, saying Amanda kept her on a straight path and most definitely was loved by EVERY single person. Amandas contagious laugh and sweet sweet smile were just a few of the things Alexis said she would miss.

(Youre) forever on my mind in my heart and in my soul, my soul cries out to you forever i love you, Alexis said.

Kaylin Jackson, wrote on Facebook that she was shocked to hear the news of her friends death after they just celebrated the 23-year-olds birthday about a week prior. Taylor was always so genuine and down to earth, Jackson said.

You lit up any room you walked in, Jackson wrote. Im going to miss our long convos, heartfelt hugs and no matter what you always told me you loved me.

Matthew Alford, who wrote on Facebook that he knew Taylor through training her at Target, said he realized from the first day he met her that they would become friends. He posted photos and videos of them hanging out and eating together, which he said he would miss.

Thank you for all the laughs, encouragement, & being an awesome friend & welcoming me into the family, Alford wrote. Your smile could light up a room.

Claiborne County is about 60 miles southwest of Jackson.

17-year-old cheerleader who lit up every room dies in New Years crash, family says

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Anita Bradford

A Deltona city commissioner has resigned, citing a health condition that has affected her speech and kept her from attending in-person meetings since October.

Anita Bradford, who had less than a year left on her second term on the City Commission, submitted her letter of resignation Friday, she told The News-Journal on Tuesday.

Although she had not attended meetings in person, Bradford had participated in meetings remotely, using Zoom and a messenger to type her comments and questions.

Bradford said she wrestled with the decision to resign but ultimately concluded a replacement commissioner would be in a better position to help steer a city manager search and a strategic planning exercise.

Bradford: New financial disclosure forms not a factor

Bradford said her decision to resign has nothing to do with Form 6, a new requirement of city elected officials to disclose more detailed finances, including net worth, that has caused dozens of other commissioners and council members to resign statewide in the last month.

The new requirement, enacted by the Legislature last year, was cited by two Daytona Beach Shores council members whose resignations went into effect last week. And Orange City Council members William O'Connor and Casandra Jones have both resigned citing the invasiveness of the Form 6 questionnaire.

Bradford was first elected to Deltona's District 2 seat in 2016 by a 64-36 margin over Thomas Stauffenberg. Bradford was then reelected in 2020 when her only opponent, now-Mayor Santiago Avila Jr., dropped out before qualifying.

"My focus when I got elected to the City Commission was to bring jobs to Deltona so our residents could eat, sleep and work in Deltona," she said.

Citing the arrival of a hulking Amazon distribution center, two new hospitals in her district and other expansions of manufacturing and industrial jobs, Bradford said she believes the quality of life for Deltona residents has improved.

Who fills the vacancy on the Deltona City Commission?

In a news release, the city announced her resignation was effective immediately, giving the City Commission until Jan. 29 to fill the vacancy she leaves.

District 2 covers northwestern Deltona. Any resident interested in filling the rest of Bradford's term, through the Nov. 5 election, can send a resume or letter of interest to the City Clerk's Office, 2345 Providence Blvd., 2nd Floor, Deltona, FL 32725, or by email to jraftery@deltona.gov.

The deadline to apply is noon, Jan. 22.

The remaining six commissioners are required by law to vote to fill the vacancy within 30 days.

Sudden Resignations: Deltona commissioners react to departure of city manager, deputy manager

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Deltona residents can apply to fill vacancy on City Commission
Michigan state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D) is running to succeed retiring Rep. Dan Kildee (D) in the Great Lake States 8th Congressional District.

In a statement announcing her campaign, McDonald Rivet lauded Kildee, who has represented Michigan in Congress for roughly a decade, and said shes ready to continue his work of bringing jobs and our fair share home to #MI08.

But this wont be easy in one of the most competitive districts in the country, she added.

Kildee announced in November that he wont seek reelection in 2024, saying a cancer diagnosis prompted a reassessment of his career.

The nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report rated the district as lean Democratic before Kildees retirement announcement, but has since moved the rating to a toss-up. The seat was a noted Republican target even before the change.

Cook analyst David Wasserman said Kildees exit deals a significant blow to Democrats, because Kidlee had proven appeal in a blue-collar district thats trended right.

The National Republican Congressional Committee knocked McDonald Rivet after her announcement, arguing shes chosen to align herself with extreme Michigan Democrats and slimy lobbyists throughout her entire career and dismissing her as nothing more than a career politician who is out-of-touch with the voters of Michigan, according to a statement from spokesperson Mike Marinella.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
CONCORD  New Hampshire Democrats gathered in front of the State House Tuesday to "make a statement" they're not done fighting for gun violence prevention bills, despite facing a Republican-controlled Legislature.

Sen. Debra Altschiller of Stratham, Sen. Donavan Fenton of Keene and Rep. David Meuse of Portsmouth spoke about a slate of gun bills filed in the House and Senate that would establish a red flag law, give suicidal people the option for a voluntary waiver of their rights to purchase a gun and create a waiting period for gun purchases. Fenton also announced his bill to prohibit individuals from bringing firearms to school campuses.

The bills come after the fatal shooting of security guard Bradley Haas at the New Hampshire Hospital in Concord in November, and the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, in October, when 18 people died.

What are the New Hampshire gun bills?

New Hampshire state Rep. David Meuse, D-Portsmouth, speaks in support of gun legislation in front of the New Hampshire State House Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

Bipartisan support has been announced for Bradleys Law, a House bill co-sponsored by Meuse and Republican Rep. Terry Roy that would require serious mental health information to be reported to the federal background check system for firearm purchases. The legislation was named for Haas. The man who shot him had previously been a patient at the state psychiatric hospital where Haas was killed.

Senate Bill 360 would allow court orders to temporarily restrict a persons access to firearms if they are believed to be at risk of hurting themselves or others. These are often known as red flag laws, and 19 states currently have them or similar measures in place.

House Democrats are also filing a bill concerning repealing limited liability, which would allow individuals to sue gun and ammunition manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition. New Hampshire is home to large gun manufacturers, employing thousands in the state.

Other bills would require all gun sales to go through a licensed dealer with a background check, impose a three-day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm with the goal of preventing suicides, and establish a voluntary do-not-sell list for people who believe they are at risk for suicide.

Why Democrats are filing gun bills now

Gun violence prevent advocates attend a press conference in support of gun legislation in front of the New Hampshire State House Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

Democrats are filing these bills despite a Legislature controlled by Republican majorities and a Republican governor. Last year, similar bills to repeal limited liability and institute waiting periods were defeated.

The time to start addressing these issues was yesterday. It was last year," Altschiller said. "It was the day after the murders in Columbine. Aurora. Sandy Hook. Las Vegas, Nevada. The time was before the number of suicides in New Hampshire put us in the top five of the nation. The time to address these issues was before the shooter at the Concord Hospital got ahold of a murder weapon. Or the time is right now. We cant wait any longer."

Meuse said bipartisan support of Bradleys Law, especially from Republicans he described as some of the biggest Second Amendment advocates, is a positive sign. Meuse added he, Altschiller and Fenton are committed to advancing gun violence prevention bills even without GOP support.

We have work to do, and were committed to doing that work regardless of the composition of the Legislature, Meuse said.

Meuse said 2024 being an election year is not a major factor in the timing of the bills, stating the urgency to prevent gun violence is the driving force.

Will Republicans support gun bills?

State Republicans have signaled a willingness to support Bradleys Law, but have not voiced support for the other gun-related bills.

I think that what I've read about that bill makes sense, well consider it obviously if it passes the House, which it looks it will, it has bipartisan support, Senate President Jeb Bradley said. We should be reporting mental health issues. I dont think theres too much disagreement about that.

But other bills appear less likely to pass. SB 360, the red flag legislation, for example, is strongly opposed by Republican lawmakers.

The problem with red flag laws is that if you lose your constitutional rights for whatever reason, its very hard to get them back," Bradley said. "And its also too easy for people to file complaints that may or may not be justified. And the third thing is weve seen red flag laws in other states not working. So, yeah, thats a nonstarter.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who vetoed Altschiller's red flag bill in 2020, did not immediately respond to a request for comments on the 2024 bills.

Editor's note: State Sen. Debra Altschiller is the wife of Howard Altschiller, executive editor of Seacoast Media Group.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH Dems push gun laws against Republican majority in 2024
Attorney Alan Dershowitz demanded Tuesday that all the names associated with his former client Jeffrey Epstein be released, arguing that he has done nothing wrong.

The reason I wanted everything put out and I dont think the judge put everything out; I think she was selective in what she put out, and thats unfair. I want everything out, every document, every piece of paper, half-truths or lies, Dershowitz said on NewsNations On Balance with Leland Vittert.

And I wanted them out for personal reasons, because I know that they would prove what Ive said from day one that I did nothing wrong, he added.

A federal judge in New York last month ordered the identities of more than 150 people mentioned in court documents related to the crimes of Epstein to be released. Speculation has since swirled over who could be included on the list as associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Dershowitz, an attorney and longtime friend of Epstein, maintained he has nothing to hide in connection to the anticipated release of the names. He noted that Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, said last year that she may have been mistaken in her allegations that Epstein trafficked her to Dershowitz.

And the woman who accused me later admitted that she may have misidentified me, confused me with someone else, so I wanted everything out right from the beginning, because I have nothing to hide, he said.

But there are some people who may be ashamed of the fact that they hung out with Epstein, but remember a lot of people hung out with Epstein before he was convicted  presidents of Harvard, deans, Nobel-quality scientists. He was very well thought of in the beginning, he continued. None of us knew.

Dershowitz, a professor at Harvard Law School, represented former President Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020.

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Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said he would declare a border emergency on the first day of his presidency in a Wednesday op-ed for The Des Moines (Iowa) Register.

On day one of my presidency, I will declare a national emergency and shut down all illegal entries, the Florida governor wrote. Phony asylum claims aimed at bypassing proper immigration processes will no longer be entertained.

I will end the abuse of parole authority being used to usher in thousands of illegal immigrants monthly. And I will fully empower Border Patrol and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport those with no legitimate right to be here, DeSantis continued.

DeSantis also took shots at President Biden and former President Trump over their handling of border policy.

This crisis has reached unprecedented levels under President Joe Biden, who has failed to fulfill his constitutional oath to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, DeSantis said. Biden would not have been able to get away with letting in 8 million illegal aliens if we had a border wall  something Donald Trump promised, but failed to deliver.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has expressed that negotiators are making their way closer to a long-contested deal on the border that could also pave the way for Ukraine aid.

Were making progress. Were closer than we have been, but this is a very difficult issue and theres still different issues to be overcome with, Schumer told reporters after opening the Senate for the second half of the 118th Congress.

Everyones going to have to give something to get this done. No one can just get his or her own way, Schumer said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump's legal strategy in the 2020 election interference case has primarily focused on delaying the March trial until after the November presidential election, but recent court filings reveal a new strategy: aiming to absolve Trump of responsibility for the attack on the Capitol and portray him as a victim of disinformation and government overreach, according to CNN.

His most recent filings indicate that during his trial, Trumps lawyers plan to employ a new defense by highlighting individuals in the federal government whom the former president perceives as biased against him, pointing to foreign influence and emphasizing election disinformation that contributed to his belief that the 2020 election was stolen, the publication reported.

Trumps lawyers are taking a belt and suspenders approach to his cases, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Salon. They know their best defense is procedural: that is, delay until after the November election. But they also want to put on a substantive defense.

The ex-presidents legal team has already requested a judges permission to grant him access to additional government documents, including classified information from his administration. He believes these documents would support his argument that the election result couldnt be trusted, according to CNN.

The Office cannot blame President Trump for public discord and distrust of the 2020 election results while refusing to turn over evidence that foreign actors stoked the very same flames that the Office identifies as inculpatory in the indictment, his lawyers wrote.

Even though multiple investigations have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, Trump and his allies continued to spread baseless claims. Now, his lawyers are presenting an argument that evidence of covert foreign disinformation campaigns tied to the 2020 election supports the defense argument that Trump and others acted in good faith even if specific reports were later deemed inaccurate.

Pointing to a foreign action by Russia's foreign intelligence service, Trump's legal team emphasized the December 2020 hack of SolarWinds, which compromised data in several federal agencies. They asserted that this attack prompted reasonable concerns about the election's integrity and the potential for technical penetrations of election infrastructure.

The SolarWinds hack has not been linked to election systems and officials have consistently discovered no indications of widespread election fraud, CNN reported.

Another tactic Trumps legal team has employed includes understanding how various investigative agencies within the federal government examined his actions following the 2020 election.

His legal team would use this approach to highlight that Trump only faced charges after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel in November 2022. Undermining the prosecution by pointing to politics could be an opportunity to help Trump before a jury, CNN reported.

The trial court will likely find that allegations of foreign influence, disinformation and biased prosecutors and other government officials will mostly "confuse" the jury and are evidently "not relevant" to Trump's state of mind, Bennett Gershman, a former New York prosecutor and law professor at Pace University, told Salon. This is particularly true given that he was repeatedly and strongly advised by insiders close to him that he lost the election.

Its a desperate and distracting effort to throw all sorts of wild and irrational claims against the wall and hope that something sticks, Gershman said. In legal circles, its mockingly referred to as the shotgun or kitchen sink defense.

First, its unlikely that the trial judge will allow any of these claims to be presented, he added. It's important to recall that Trump's lawyers litigated stolen election claims in over 60 courtrooms and lost every one of them.

Its difficult to see how these new allegations  which appear to have been invented out of nothing but wild speculation  are based on any credible or reliable facts, Gershman said.

There is also the danger that this information might be misused by the defense to try to get the jury, or even one juror, to engage in what in legal terminology is called "jury nullification, he explained. It is improper for a lawyer to try to get jurors to disregard or nullify the law and the facts and conclude, without any evidence, that Trump was a victim of an insidious political plot to rob him of the election.

Election fraud requires prosecutors to prove that Trump knew he lost the election, and that he intended to overturn the results anyway, Rahmani explained. If Trump reasonably believed that disinformation and foreign influences were unlawfully interfering with the 2020 election and that his actions were part of an investigation into the results, this could serve as a defense against fraud.

If Trump wants to claim that he was a victim of a disinformation campaign that made him believe he won despite massive evidence to the contrary, he probably would have to testify, which he will never do, Gershman said.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

The defense also will have to support these allegations with a foundation of concrete evidence, which they probably lack, he continued. And again, they will not be allowed to convince the jury to disregard the facts and the law to somehow find that Trump was a victim of a nefarious plot by foreign officials in tandem with a hodgepodge of government officials to steal the election from Trump.

Its quite ironic that Trump was helped to his election in 2016 by Russias disinformation campaign, Gershman said.

Trump's legal team has raised concerns about potential "political bias" among the intelligence community and law enforcement witnesses in the trial. Despite this, some of Trump's former Cabinet members, including then-Attorney General Bill Barr, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and top intelligence officials, may be called to testify against him, according to CNN. Many of them remained vocal that there was no indication of widespread fraud after the election.

The bias and selective prosecution are weaker arguments, but the defense is throwing every argument they can out there to see what sticks, Rahmani said.
The process behind removing the Confederate monument in Springfield Park is being questioned.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

On Tuesday, some Jacksonville City Council members brought their concerns to the citys top lawyer in a public meeting. They said the problem is with the process, not the monuments.

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And even after questions were answered, many on the council still arent satisfied.

I think we made our point and I think we prevent this from happening again and we need to move forward understanding, City Council President Ron Salem said.

Salem called for the meeting. He immediately began raising questions after the release of the 17-page Office of General Counsel Opinion passed out by the mayors office.

Related Story: Jacksonville City Council to question city attorney over Confederate monument removal

I want to see the final opinion, he said it could change a little bit, I want to see the final opinion, not a draft, Salem said.

The Citys General Council Michael Fackler answered dozens of questions from council members. Many asked about the use of private funding for the removal saying the $187,000 should have gone through the city council.

The other big question: Could Mayor Deegan do this again and remove another historic structure if she wanted to?

Facklers short answer to that is yes, as long as the action wouldnt violate specific code.

There is a possibility it could occur again but there are plenty of ways to restrict this of what we found to be authority of the mayor.

Related Story: Final Confederate monument in Jacksonville comes down in Springfield Park

Council President Salem said Mayor Deegans action should concern all council members.

But Council Member Matt Carlucci believes there wasnt any overreach by Mayor Deegan.

When asked if there were any concerns.

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Ive been concerned with the inactivity of this council for five years, Carlucci said. The council had five years to do something with this and in that instance, they kept saying wait, wait, wait. You know what wait means? Never, so someone had to take leadership.

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Donald Trump has filed an appeal against a decision to disqualify him from the 2024 presidential primary election ballot in Maine, accusing a top state official of bias against the Republican frontrunner.

Maines Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had concluded that the former presidents incendiary words to a Capitol Hill crowd in January 2021, and false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, amounted to "insurrection" against the federal government.

The Supreme Court is still expected to weigh in on the decision by Ms Bellows, and a similar finding by judges in Colorado a week earlier. But prior to its likely intervention, the Trump campaign appealed to the Maine Superior Court.

The appeal demanded that Trump be reinstated on the March 5 primary ballot in Maine, accusing the Democratic Ms Bellows of abusing her position and relying on "untrustworthy evidence".

"The secretary should have recused herself due to her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by a documented history of prior statements prejudging the issue presented," his lawyers wrote.

Lawyers for the former president have disputed that he engaged in insurrection and argued that his remarks to supporters on the day of the deadly January 2021 riot in Congress were protected by his right to free speech.

Ms Bellows insisted: "This is part of the process. I have confidence in my decision and confidence in the rule of law.

This is Maine's process and it's really important that first and foremost every single one of us who serves in government uphold the constitution and the laws of the state."

Trump's critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him in several states.

None had succeeded until a 4-3 majority of Colorado's seven top justices ruled against Trump last month. It was the first time that the Civil War insurrection provision in the US constitution had been invoked to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

Colorado is reliably Democratic so the ruling wont sway the 2024 election. But Trump earned one of Maine's four Electoral College votes in 2020.

The use of the insurrection clause in the US constitution is one of several election-related cases likely to end up with the Supreme Court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices nominated by Trump.

The Republican has been indicted in both a federal case and in Georgia for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, but he has not been charged with insurrection related to the January 6 riot.

He leads opinion polls by a large margin in the race for the Republican nomination as he seeks a rematch against President Joe Biden.
Early voting for District 2 runoff election begins Wednesday

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Early voting for the January 2024 City of El Paso Runoff Election begins on Wednesday, Jan. 3 and ends on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

The ballot for this election will include an unexpired term for City of El Paso, District 2.

Veronica Vero Carbajal and Josh Acevedo are the two candidates that received the most votes as no candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes during the December 2023 City of El

Paso Special Election.

There is a total of four early voting locations for the convenience of voters and hours of operation vary by location.

Voters can locate sites by clicking Find My Nearest Early Voting Location or by entering their zip code on the Early Voting Locations page on the El Paso County Elections Departments website: Early Voting Locations  El Paso County, TX Elections | El Paso County Elections Department (epcountyvotes.com).

The County Elections Department encourages voters to be prepared before heading to the polls by checking/viewing the following:

Voters may vote a regular ballot by providing one of the seven forms of acceptable photo identification or by completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the voting place and providing one of the supporting documents.

For a list of acceptable photo identifications or supporting documents, click here: Identification Required for Voting  El Paso County, TX Elections | El Paso County Elections Department (epcountyvotes.com)

If a voter requested a ballot by mail and later decides to vote at the voting place, the voter must surrender their ballot by mail in order to vote in person.

If a voter does not surrender their ballot, a provisional ballot will be offered to the voter, according to the County Elections Department.

Voters with questions can call the County Elections Departments office at (915) 546-2154 or email at epelections@epcounty.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
(This Jan. 3 story has been corrected to change the dateline to Ecuador from Colombia)

By Yury Garcia

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa said on Wednesday he seeking to hold a referendum on imposing tighter security measures in the South American country, where violence and crime have spiraled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Noboa, a former legislator and the son of a prominent businessman, took office in November on pledges to reduce violence and create jobs via urgent legislative reforms.

In a nationally televised message on Wednesday, Noboa said he had submitted draft questions for the referendum in a letter to the Constitutional Court, which will have 20 days to respond.

The referendum would seek approval from voters on lengthening prison sentences for serious crimes like homicide and arms trafficking, among others, as well for Ecuador's military to eradicate international criminal groups operating in the country, according to Noboa's letter to the court.

Ecuador is facing rising violence - including in prisons where hundred have been killed in recent years - which officials attribute to drug-trafficking gangs amid deep financial troubles and high migration figures.

"This consultation has three clear objectives; one the intervention of the armed forces in the fight against crime; two ... support from the justice system so that those convicted of organized crime serve longer sentences," Noboa said.

The third objective would help boost the economy if approved, Noboa said, referring to a proposed question that would seek the green light to open casinos and similar businesses in Ecuador.

Casinos were closed in Ecuador by former leftist President Rafael Correa, whose protege Noboa beat to win the presidency last year.

"It's possible to combat crime, to have a justice system that responds with harsher and firmer penalties and, above all, create new jobs for Ecuador - we must all contribute to move the country forward," Noboa said.

(Reporting by Yury Garcia; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Sir Ed Davey has claimed that he was deeply misled by Post Office bosses on the Horizon scandal while serving as the postal affairs minister.

The politician, who is now the leader of the Liberal Democrats, claimed that Post Office executives tried to prevent him meeting campaigners when he was in office between 2010 and 2012.

Between 1999 and 2015, more than 700 postmasters were prosecuted after faulty accounting software, called Horizon, made it appear money that was missing from their sites.

Sir Ed expressed regret for not doing more while in post and criticised senior executives for still dragging their feet in the current inquiry into what happened.

The scandal is the subject of a new ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, based on the true story of the sub-postmaster Alan Bates campaigning for justice for fellow postal workers.

When Mr Bates, who is played by Toby Jones in the series, approached Sir Ed in 2010, the MP told him that he did not believe a meeting would serve any useful purpose.

He met Mr Bates in October of that year, in the same month as holding three separate meetings with Post Office executives.

I regret not doing more

Appearing on Times Radio on Wednesday, Sir Ed said: I regret not doing more. I feel, to be honest with you  I was deeply misled by Post Office executives.

The Liberal Democrat leader added that there were definitely attempts to stop me meeting them and I regret that we didnt do more.

But we were clearly misled, I think that ministers from all political parties were misled by the Post Office executives.

Sir Ed admitted that he had not yet seen any of the new ITV drama, but committed to watching it and called on other ministers to do so.

He said of Post Office executives: Now theyre dragging their feet, theyre not bringing forward evidence to the inquiry and that is just outrageous given that there are postal masters getting older, some are even passing away sadly.

Election campaigning begins

His comments came as the Liberal Democrats kicked off their election campaigning for 2024 in Guildford, Surrey, as the party continues its battle for traditionally Conservative-held Blue Wall seats.

Sir Ed arrived to a meeting with local campaigners in a van advertising Ed Daveys Tory Removals, as he described the Liberal Democrats as the Blue Walls premium Conservative MP unseating service.

He called for the general election to be held on May 8, telling activists: Britain cant wait for the change we need. People are fed up of waiting.

Speaking to The Telegraph afterwards, Sir Ed said that the party was focusing on a growing geography of Blue Wall seats, from Surrey through to Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and the South West.

Our area where were going to be fighting is expanding, and its quite exciting.

The Liberal Democrats set out their election pledges, including ending raw sewage discharges in rivers and reducing NHS wait times by increasing the number of GPs and investment in social care.

Sir Ed said: Keeping people in hospital unnecessarily because you havent got social care is incredibly expensive and inefficient and the Conservatives just become the leaders of the world in wasting money.

Theyve wasted so much money and you can go back to the PPE and all the scandals around that, the bounce back loan system, which was all that fraud.

I mean, Ive never known a Government so incompetent, and that applies to their management of the health service.

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It's common sense: Political candidates shouldnt be allowed to run for two (or more) offices at the same time. But that didnt stop California Assemblymember Vince Fong from putting his name on the March primary ballot twice  first for reelection to the Assembly and then for the congressional seat recently vacated by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield).

Last week, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled that, despite common sense, Fong can remain in both races because the state law that prohibits candidates from running for more than one office at the same election is outdated.

Read more: Editorial: When politicians quit early, it leaves voters on the hook

Although California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has said her office will appeal the decision, the next logical decision is for the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to update state law and make it crystal clear for future elections that candidates can run for only one office at a time.

For good reason. Allowing people to seek multiple offices at once can confuse voters and undermine confidence in the election system. A person can hold one office at a time, so if a candidate wins in more than one race, the community would go without representation until a special election can be scheduled to fill the unoccupied seat. And special elections are expensive for taxpayers and tend to have very low voter turnout , which is not ideal for a healthy democracy.

Read more: Editorial: Kevin McCarthy quits Congress. It's poetic justice for the Trump apologist

One candidate running for one office appeared to be settled law in California. However, in 2010, California voters changed the states primary system, eliminating party nominations in favor of the top-two system in which the two leading vote-getters regardless of party compete in the November runoff.

The state did not update the language of the election code to reflect the change. Judge Shelleyanne W.L. Chang said that the law barring people from running for more than one office applies only to the old primary system, and therefore Fong is free to appear on the March 5 ballot twice.

Read more: Opinion: 2024 will be the biggest voting year in world history. Can democracy survive it?

Still, Chang wrote , the ruling may result in voter confusion and the disenfranchisement of voters if Fong is ultimately elected for both offices but does not retain one. She continued that it somewhat defies common sense to find the law permits a candidate to run for two offices during the same election but said she was compelled to interpret the law as written by the Legislature.

Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) said she intends to introduce a bill to clear up this mess. There may be special circumstances when a candidate could be allowed to make a last-minute change to the office he or she is running for, but no candidate should be allowed to run for two seats at once, Carrillo said in a statement . This should be a simple bipartisan fix to the election code, and the sooner lawmakers clarify the rule, the better.

Of course, this could have been avoided if McCarthy hadnt announced his resignation so late. The former speaker, who was ousted from the leadership role he coveted after just nine months in the position, announced in early December that he was stepping down at the end of the month. That left little time for candidates to make a decision to run for the now-open seat.

Fong, who once worked as McCarthys district director, initially declined to enter the race and instead filed to run for reelection to his 32nd Assembly District seat. Days later, after another would-be front-runner, state Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) bowed out, Fong changed his mind and filed papers to run for McCarthys 20th Congressional District seat. By that point, the deadline to withdraw from the Assembly race had passed; Fong is the only candidate on the ballot for that seat, which means he is guaranteed to win reelection.

Weber, the states chief elections official, decided Fong was ineligible for the congressional race because he was already running for the Assembly. While state GOP leaders decried Fongs removal as political, Webers decision was reasonable. California has little to gain from allowing a free-for-all system that lets candidates run for as many offices as theyd like. Voters deserve common-sense election laws.

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.
FILE PHOTO: Protest to demand the release of people detained during the state of emergency decreed by the government to curb gang violence, ahead of the Miss Universe gala to be held in San Salvador

FILE PHOTO: Protest to demand the release of people detained during the state of emergency decreed by the government to curb gang violence, ahead of the Miss Universe gala to be held in San Salvador

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - The number of homicides in El Salvador dropped nearly 70% during 2023, the Central American country's security authorities said on Wednesday, crediting a prolonged state of emergency declared by the government of President Nayib Bukele to fight crime gangs.

Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said 154 murders were committed last year, down from 495 the year before.

That implies a homicide rate of 2.4 per every 100,000 people, which Villatoro said was the lowest in the Americas apart from Canada.

More than 1,000 people were killed in El Salvador in 2021 and 2020, and over 2,000 in 2019, according to official data.

Bukele's crackdown has been broadly popular with Salvadorans weary of years of gang violence, extortion and drug dealing.

But human rights groups have said the crackdown has included abuses such as torture, deaths in custody and arbitrary detentions.

The state of emergency declared in early 2022 allows police to swiftly arrest and jail suspected gang members, while suspending their right to a lawyer and court approval of preliminary detention.

Since it went into effect, security forces have arrested nearly 75,000 suspected gang members and released 7,000, according to official data.

Human rights groups have reported 190 deaths and over 5,000 abuses related to the crackdown.

The Central American University's (UCA) Observatory of Human Rights have in the past criticized official data, saying violent deaths are "highly underreported" and government figures "not truthful."

The data does not include suspected gang members who become casualties of confrontations with security officials, nor people who die in state custody.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Utah State Auditor John Dougall speaks during the Utah Republican Party convention at Utah Valley University in Orem on April 22, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

This story will be updated.

Two Republican candidates and one Democrat have filed with the state, as others signal their interest, to run for Utahs now-open 3rd Congressional District following Rep. John Curtis late entrance in the states U.S. Senate race.

Curtis has represented the district  which includes the Wasatch Front from Provo to Sandy and nearly all of eastern Utah  since his election in 2017 to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of former Rep. Jason Chaffetz.

Vying for the congressmans seat are a number of former 3rd District candidates, state lawmakers and political newcomers.

Curtis will not endorse any candidate to replace him, he told the Deseret News.

Im pleased at the names I hear that are going to run. I think the district is going to see a very good race with really good people in it, Curtis said. And I will be staying neutral because I think its incumbent on them to make their case about why it should be them.

Heres who has already filed to run for the seat.

Republican candidates

Rod Bird Jr. is the mayor of Roosevelt. He was formerly a candidate for U.S. Senate but filed with the state to run for the 3rd District instead. Before becoming mayor in 2017, Bird founded Paragon Oilfield Products.

Stewart Peay is the former chair of the Utah County Republican Party. He is a partner at a Salt Lake City-based law firm specializing in commercial litigation and previously served for 12 years in the Utah Army National Guard.

Case Lawrence is the founder and former CEO of Sky Zone, a trampoline park franchisor based in Provo. He teaches entrepreneurship at Brigham Young Universitys Marriott School of Business.

Chris Herrod is a mortgage loan officer with a long history in the 3rd District. He ran against Curtis in 2017, 2018 and 2022. He served in the state House from 2007 to 2012.

Mike Kennedy is a state senator representing Utah County. He announced an exploratory committee for a 3rd District bid last month. He ran an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in 2018 after six years in the Utah House.

John Frugal Dougall is the Utah state auditor and served for 10 years as a state lawmaker before that. He announced Jan. 2 he will not be seeking reelection.

Kathryn Dahlin is a former legislative assistant to former Sen. Bob Bennett and a Republican state delegate.

Zac Wilson is chairman of Utah Young Republicans and works at a Salt Lake City-based private equity firm.

Lucky Bovo ran unsuccessfully for Draper City Council in 2023 and for the Libertarian Party nomination for U.S. Senate in 2022. He is a professional pilot.

Clayton B. Hunsaker

Rod Bird Jr., the mayor of Roosevelt in eastern Utah, discusses his decision to run for Utahs 3rd Congressional District during an interview in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Democratic candidates

Glenn Wright is a former member of the Summit County Council. His background includes six years in the U.S. Air Force, three decades as a manager in an insurance company and several positions in the Utah Democratic Party.

When do candidates need to file by?

To qualify for Utah primary and general election ballots in 2024, candidates must complete paperwork with the lieutenant governors office during the states filing period, which is Jan. 2-8.

The nominating conventions for both the Utah Republican Party and the Utah Democratic Party will be April 27. If candidates select the option during the filing process, they may also gather 7,000 signatures from registered voters in the district to qualify for a primary election.

The 2024 primary election in Utah will be held on June 25, followed by the general election on Nov. 5, 2024.
An elementary school principal appeared in court after North Carolina police said he sexually assaulted a child at school.

Daniel McInnis, 43, faces a felony charge of statutory sex offense, the Burlington Police Department said in a Dec. 29 news release.

The charge stems from an encounter that was reported to police Dec. 8 concerning misconduct with a student on school property, police said.

After several weeks of investigation, police said they arrested McInnis and booked him into the Alamance County Detention Center on Dec. 29.

When McInnis appeared in court Jan 2, officials accused him of taking a child out of a classroom and sexually assaulting the student during school hours, WGHP reported.

At the hearing, the court lowered his bond from $500,000 to $250,000. Records show he is no longer being held in the county detention center.

McClatchy News could not locate the public defender representing McInnis.

We are shocked and saddened by the allegations presented today in court regarding Mr. McInnis, a spokesperson for the Alamance-Burlington School System said in a statement shared with McClatchy News. We hold our staff to the highest standards and trust that they use best practices when interacting with students at all times.

The school said in the statement it couldnt comment on ongoing legal matters.

Any misconduct with minors, in any form, is unacceptable, the spokesperson said. Our commitment is to alleged victims first and foremost. We encourage any student or family who ever feels unsafe or uncomfortable to immediately report it so we can take swift action.

McInnis has been suspended with pay since Dec. 11, the school said. In 2012, he was promoted to principal of Eastlawn, where he makes $114,851 each year.

The school added in its statement on the day of McInnis arrest that the alleged actions of one individual should not reflect poorly on the many dedicated staff and administrators who work tirelessly to educate, nurture and support our students each day.

Two other officials in the school system have been charged with sex crimes against students within the last year, McClatchy News reported. Both worked at Southern Alamance Middle School.

Burlington Police said it hadnt received other reports of misconduct as of Dec. 29.

Counselors are available to speak with members of the school community, the school said.

Alamance County is about 60 miles northwest of Raleigh.

If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.

High school football player was found dead before state title game. Now, arrest made

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Federal regulations do not require emergency rooms to perform life-saving abortions if it would run afoul of state law, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

After the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent hospitals guidance, reminding them of their obligation to offer stabilizing care, including medically necessary abortions, under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

When a state law prohibits abortion and does not include an exception for the life of the pregnant person  or draws the exception more narrowly than EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition  that state law is preempted, the guidance said.

Texas sued, saying this was tantamount to a nationwide mandate that every hospital and emergency-room physician perform abortions. Several anti-abortion medical associations joined the lawsuit as well.

Since summer 2022, all abortions have been banned in Texas, except to save the life of the pregnant patient. But doctors, and their patients with medically complex pregnancies, have struggled with implementing the medical exception, reportedly delaying or denying abortion care rather than risk up to life in prison and the loss of their license.

At a hearing in November, a lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice said that while Texas law might not prohibit medically necessary abortions, the guidance was intended to ensure that the care is offered when it is required under the statute.

Individuals [are] presenting to emergency rooms, suffering from these emergency medical conditions, McKaye Neumeister said. Right now, HHS cant ensure that the hospitals are following their obligations in offering the care thats required.

In August 2022, a federal district judge in Lubbock agreed with Texas, saying this guidance amounted to a new interpretation of EMTALA and granting a temporary injunction that was later extended. The 5th Circuit heard arguments in November, and the judges seemed prepared to uphold the injunction.

Judge Leslie Southwick said there were several extraordinary things, it seems to me, about this guidance, and said it seemed HHS was trying to use EMTALA to expand abortion access in Texas to include broader categories of things, mental health or whatever else HHS would say an abortion is required for.

Tuesdays ruling, authored by Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt, said the court decline[d] to expand the scope of EMTALA.

We agree with the district court that EMTALA does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child, Englehardt wrote. EMTALA does not mandate medical treatments, let alone abortion care, nor does it preempt Texas law.
FILE - The Boehringer Ingelheim facility on Monday, April 25, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. The facility was the site of a shooting that caused $12,800 in property damage on Jan. 1, 2024.

An employee who was being administratively disciplined at one of Athens largest medical manufacturing facilities is in jail on charges that he unloaded a barrage of gunfire on the facility on New Years Day.

Athens-Clarke police charged Zachariah Martin Best, 27, with trespassing and felony damage to property after police said the shooting caused an estimated $12,800 in damage. No one was injured in the shooting, which occurred about 5:30 a.m. at Boehringer Ingelheim on Olympic Drive.

Best provided police an address on Gaines School Road in Athens. However, at the jail he also provided an address in Martinez, Georgia near Augusta.

The plant manufactures animal health products including vaccines that are sold throughout the world, according to its website. The site reports that about 440 people are employed at the Athens plant, which is currently being enlarged.

Police were summoned to the facility shortly before noon Monday when a construction superintendent found numerous bullet holes in the new construction area. Numerous windows were shot along with doors and walls, according to the report.

Father killed: Son charged with murder in neglect death of father in Oconee County

Police examined the roadway from where they believed the suspect fired his gun and recovered 17 shell casings.

Security video revealed a black Toyota Tacoma arrive and a man attempt to scan his way through the entrance gate, but his code was declined and he was denied access, police said. However, the scan attempt aided police in identifying the shooter as Best, according to the report.

The officer said it was explained to him that Best was on administrative leave, but facility security was uncertain about the details except that it was for work-related reasons. Best allegedly made comments at the workplace that made other employees feel uncomfortable enough to report what they heard, according to the report.

The officer reported he attempted to locate Best that day, but was unable to find him. Jail records show he was arrested on Tuesday. He remains in jail pending a bond hearing in Athens-Clarke County Magistrates Court.

On his LinkedIn page, Best noted that he graduated the University of Georgia College of Engineering and that he was employed as a planner at Boehringer Ingelheim.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Employee at Athens vaccine plant charged in gun attack on the building
An emergency medical technician known for her love and compassion was killed by a vehicle while helping others in a separate car crash in Alabama, a Mississippi Emergency Medical Service group said.

While returning from a medical call in Mobile, an ASAP EMS ambulance from Mississippi made a stop to provide aid in a car crash on Dec. 30, according to a Mobile Police Department news release. A car had rear-ended a vehicle towing a trailer in the wreck, police said.

Another driver, later identified as 35-year-old Michael Thomas, then struck one of the vehicle drivers and Mary Katie Pipkins, one of the EMS responders, according to the department. The 30-year-old EMT was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The driver who was hit had non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The emergency transport group Pipkins was a part of, ASAP EMS of Mississippi, said in a Dec. 31 letter that Pipkins was a beautiful soul, as well as an amazing friend and colleague. She consistently raised the bar for EMS standards, the company said, and served as an inspiration to her fellow coworkers.

Her love and compassion knew no bounds, the groups operations manager Rusty Hembree wrote in the letter.

Several EMS groups across the country, including in Missouri and Louisiana, posted in remembrance of Pipkins on Facebook. Plains Community Ambulance from Montana urged people to be more careful when driving by first responders, calling Pipkins death absolutely preventable.

Pipkins death was the ultimate sacrifice, City of Conway Springs EMS from Kansas wrote in a Facebook tribute to the EMT. Her commitment to helping people and giving compassionate care would be a part of her legacy, the organization said.

She will be remembered as a hero, and her service to the community will never be forgotten, Conway Springs EMS said in the post.

Thomas, the suspected driver, was arrested and charged with manslaughter, assault and DUI, police said. He also was arrested four previous times for DUI since 2010, according to Mobile County jail records, per AL.coms report.

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The names of scores of people tied to Jeffrey Epstein are expected to be made public today. And explosions at an event honoring an Iranian general who was killed in a U.S. airstrike left more than 100 people dead.

Hey, it's Spencer and Julius, filling in for Laura today. Lets get into the news:

 But first, keep your key fob in a coffee can. It'll help prevent your car from being stolen.

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Names on the 'Epstein list' expected to be released

The names of nearly 200 friends, associates, victims and opponents of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein will begin to be released Wednesday, a senior court official told USA TODAY. The list of names, which is believed to include top figures in entertainment, politics and business, were culled from hundreds of sealed court filings about Epstein, the accused sex trafficker who hanged himself inside a jail cell in 2019. A raft of prominent figures, including former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and Britain's Prince Andrew have been linked to Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was convicted in 2022 of sex-trafficking girls for Epstein. Here's the latest.

In this July 2, 2020, file photo, Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a news conference in New York.

More than 100 dead after explosions in Iran

At least 103 people were killed and 140 wounded after explosions erupted at an event honoring an Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020, state-run media in Iran reported Wednesday. A senior official did not say who could be behind the attack amid wider tensions in the Mideast over Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The blasts struck an event marking the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, who died in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020.

An image grab from a video released by state-run Iran Press news agency on January 3, 2024 shows a police vehicle surrounded by the crowd near the site where explosions struck a crowd in the southern Iranian city of Kerman.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

What everyone's talking about

New year, new laws

As the clock struck midnight Sunday, several new state laws took effect across the nation. Some might show up in your paycheck: More than 20 states increased the minimum wage. As the 2024 election cycle heats up, other new laws address issues central to voters, such as guns, health care for women and the LGBTQ+ community, and book bans. Here are some laws that took effect Jan. 1 and what to know about them.

A break from the news

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Epstein list, deadly Iran blast, new state laws: Wednesday's news
Madison businessman Eric Hovde officially entered the U.S. Senate race Tuesday, launching a challenge to unseat Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November.

The 59-year-old multimillionaire has the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to get Republicans elected to the Senate.

Scott Mayer, a Franklin businessman, is also seriously considering a run and waiting for Hovde to make a move. Mayer said he hired about 20 staff, but later backtracked. Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. will also decide whether to run in the coming weeks.

This isn't the first time Hovde has run to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate. He competed in the Republican primary for the seat in 2012 but was defeated by former Gov. Tommy Thompson.

Here's what to know about Hovde's profession, education and political background:

More: Eric Hovde will challenge Democrat Tammy Baldwin for Senate, NRSC chair says

What is Eric Hovde's real estate business?

Hovde is the CEO of Hovde Properties, a real estate development company founded by his grandfather in 1933.

The company's portfolio includes buildings in Janesville, Waunakee, Milwaukee, Racine and Madison, with apartments, office and retail space.

Eric Hovde, left, the chairman and CEO of California-based Sunwest Bank, appears in an Old West-themed ad for the company.

What are Eric Hovde's banking businesses?

The Hovdes have three banking companies, including H Bancorp, of which Eric is CEO and chairman. The bank holding company "acquires and operates community banks throughout the United States," according to its website.

Hovde is also the CEO of Sunwest Bank, which has locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho and Utah.

What is Eric Hovde's charity?

Hovde's charity is featured prominently on his campaign website. He and his brother started the Hovde Foundation in 1998 to support research to find a cure for multiple sclerosis.

A 2012 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article noted Hovde himself was diagnosed with MS in 1991.

The charity expanded into building homes for children in countries like Mexico and Kenya, according to its website. It has also provided grants to Wisconsin organizations like the Clean Lakes Alliance, the River Food Pantry and the Madison Reading Project.

Eric Hovde's 60-second video on YouTube comes with the accompanying text: "Governor Evers, you extended the lockdown for our state until May 26. Many citizens are confused by your extension, and I have a few questions to help us understand."

What are Eric Hovde's political views?

Hovde's campaign website shows his top issues are tackling inflation and national debt, immigration at the southern border, foreign policy and health care reform.

"Our country is facing enormous challenges. Our economy, our health care, crime and open borders. Everything is going in the wrong direction. All Washington does is divide us and talk about who's to blame, and nothing gets done. That's not the country that I know and love," Hovde said in his first campaign video.

In 2020, Hovde aired a TV ad criticizing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eric Hovde officially launches his campaign to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin at an event Tuesday, February 20, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. Hovde previously ran for Senate in 2012 but finished a close second to former Wisconsin Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson in the primary.

In his 2012 campaign, he opposed abortion and expressed support for overturning Roe v. Wade. He also called for repealing the Affordable Care Act. That issue has reentered the debate in the 2024 presidential cycle, after former President Donald Trump said he was "seriously looking at alternatives."

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this fall that Hovde has missed voting in 17 of 30 elections in the past decade.

Where does Eric Hovde live?

The answer to that question has already become one of Democrats' main lines of attack against Hovde.

Mayer, his potential Republican opponent, also told the Journal Sentinel he doesn't know "that Wisconsin voters are keen on having a Wisconsin senator that lives in California."

His company's website says Hovde resides in Madison and is married with two children. He owns a house along Lake Mendota.

But in 2018, Hovde paid nearly $7 million to purchase an estate in Laguna Beach, California. His business impact in the state earned him a place on a list of most influential people in Orange County.

When the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asked Hovde this spring whether he spends more time in California or Wisconsin, he said he was born, raised, has a home and owns a business in Wisconsin.

More: Bice: Eric Hovde may run for Senate in Wisconsin, but he's living large in Laguna Beach, California

Hovde had lived in Washington, D.C., for 24 years before returning to Wisconsin in 2011 and launching his first Senate bid, a point of criticism among other Republicans in the primary.

Real estate records show Hovde and his wife transferred ownership of a D.C. home to a trust headed by Hovde's brother and longtime business partner, Steven Hovde, in August.

How did Democrats respond to Hovde's announcement?

Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Arik Wolk said in a statement that "California bank owner Eric Hovde is running for Senate to impose his self-serving agenda, putting ultra rich people like himself ahead of middle-class Wisconsinites."

Senate Majority PAC spokeswoman Hannah Menchhoff called Hovde an "out of touch hedge fund manager whos built his career catering to millionaires and billionaires" whose campaign "does nothing but kickstart what will inevitably become another brutal battle to the MAGA extreme."

How much did Eric Hovde spend on his first campaign?

Hovde raised and spent $6.3 million in his 2012 primary campaign. Over 90% of that money came from his own pocket, with most of the other contributions coming from individuals.

Eric Hovde appeared in 2016 as the Milwaukee County Republican Party hosted a Presidential Dinner at Serb Hall in Milwaukee.

Hovde also weighed a race against Baldwin in 2018 but backed off, and briefly considered a run for governor in 2022.

What has Eric Hovde said about Tammy Baldwin?

In a 2012 interview with The Hill, Hovde said he "fundamentally (disagrees) with Tammy on almost everything."

"Her philosophy has its roots in Marxism, communism, socialism, extreme liberalism  she calls it progressivism  versus mine, which is rooted in free-market conservatism," he said.

The Baldwin campaign pushed back, saying she worked across party lines on issues like protecting manufacturing jobs.

Where did Eric Hovde go to school?

Hovde attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with degrees in economics and international relations, according to a bio on his company's website.

Who is in Hovde's family?

Hovde's campaign website says he and his wife, Sharon, have two grown daughters and three grandchildren.

Hovde's father, Donald, served in the Reagan administration as undersecretary of Housing and Urban Development.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who is Eric Hovde? What to know about Tammy Baldwin's Republican challenger.
BRAINTREE  Minutes after taking the oath of office as the town's third mayor and the first woman to hold the office, Erin Joyce identified the first major test for her administration.

Joyce said early projections show she must come up with upwards of about $10 million in new revenues or spending cuts to balance the town's next annual budget, which begins July 1. That's more than 6% of the current $160.4 million budget. She said the deficit is due to "fairly negotiated" salary increases for town workers and higher special education costs.

Joyce said the town's financial problems have been growing in recent years, pointing to the use of more than $4 million from the town's free cash reserve to balance the current town budget.

"It's time to fix it, and that starts today," Joyce said.

Joyce, 42, was sworn in by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll during a ceremony at town hall Tuesday night. Other newly elected members of the town government also took the oath of office, including all nine town councilors and three new members of the school committee.

The mayor said she would work with the school committee and School Superintendent James Lee in the coming months to address budget issues.

Mayor Erin Joyce is sworn in by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll as Joyce's husband, Michael, holds the family Bible on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at town hall.

Joyce said she would try to find the money in the current town budget to hire an economic development professional to work with the mayor's office and the planning department. She said the town's growth has been sluggish recently.

"Our town has struggled to find the right fit for development," said Joyce, a former chair of the town's planning board.

Joyce plans to develop more housing

Joyce said she would work with the administration of Gov. Maura Healey and Driscoll to develop new housing, especially affordable, senior and workforce housing.

"We want that housing to be the right fit for Braintree," she said.

Joyce's husband, Michael, held a family Bible during the swearing-in. Also attending the ceremony were their three children: Gavin, Finn and Pearson. Her parents, Rocco and Pat Venezia, of Canandaigua, New York, were in the audience as well.

Pat Venezia said she and Rocco are proud of their daughter.

Newly elected Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce receives a hug from a resident after her swearing in at town hall Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

"Erin was always a very driven, smart child," he mother said. "I knew she would one day go above and beyond in some capacity. I do believe she has been called to service."

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch offered his support during remarks at the ceremony. State Sens. Walter Timilty, D-Milton, and John Keenan, D-Quincy, were in attendance. State Rep. Mark Cusack, D-Braintree, served as the master of ceremonies.

Outgoing Mayor Charles Kokoros and former Mayor Joseph Sullivan were in the audience along with Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch.

Joyce names office staff

Joyce named her administrative team during her speech.

Kara Nyman will be Joyce's chief of staff beginning Jan. 16. Nyman is the assistant town administrator in Holbrook. She is a former spokesman for the Norfolk County Sheriff's Department.

Nyman spent 4 years as a Rockland selectman and nine months on the Hanover Planning Board. She has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in public administration from Suffolk University.

She was a candidate for state representative in the 5th Plymouth District in 2016, a seat that had been held by her late father, Robert, and her mother, Rhonda.

"She will be a great addition to our team," Joyce told the town council.

Audrey Andronico, who had been Joyce's campaign manager, will be assistant to the mayor. Kate Naughton, who had worked in Kokoros' administration, will remain as director of constituent affairs.

Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce poses for photos with young residents at her swearing-in ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at town hall.

Town council reorganizes, elects Ryan president

After the inaugural, the town council held its reorganization meeting and elected Councilor-at-Large Charles Ryan council president for the next two years.

Ryan has been on the council since its inception 16 years ago and is its last remaining original member. He had been a selectman and a water and sewer commissioner in the old form of government. This will be Ryan's third term as council president.

He said dealing with the town's finances will be his top priority.

"It's going to be a tough fiscal year and we will have to work together to come up with the best budget we can for the people of Braintree," Ryan said in an interview after the meeting.

More: When Rachel and her family needed help, Lend a Hand was there

Councilor-at-Large David Ringius was elected council vice president.

The town council has two new members: District 4 Town Councilor Ann Quilty and District 6 Town Councilor Peter Morin.

Joyce gave councilors copies of the book "Strong Towns: A Bottom Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity" by Charles Marohn Jr. In the book, Marohn argues that prosperous towns are built by incremental small actions at the local level. Like Joyce, Marohn is an engineer.

The school committee  which includes new members Joseph Fogarty, Rachel Horak and Justin Rollo  will reorganize at its meeting Monday night. Joyce also serves on the school committee.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New Braintree Mayor Erin Joyce takes office
Robot sapper MV-4 handed over to Ukraine by the Estonian Rescue Association in 2023

Estonians were far less generous toward Ukraine by the end of 2023 as charitable donations dropped five times compared to the beginning of the year, reported Estonian public broadcaster ERR.

Private individuals, companies, and organizations in Estonia collectively contributed over 3 million euros ($3.29 million USD) to Ukrainian charitable organizations in 2023.

Read also: Estonia becomes 10th country to sign declaration of support for Ukraine's NATO membership

Donations in support of the largest Ukrainian humanitarian organizations were particularly high in the first few months.

The six largest Estonian organizations received almost 1,790,000 euros ($1.96 million) in donations in the first three months of 2023. Over the last three months, this figure was almost five times smaller, amounting to 320,000 euros ($350,000).

Read also: Estonia insists on clear path for Ukraines NATO membership

The Volunteer Rescue Association collected the most donations throughout the year, totaling 1,266,713 euros ($1.39 million). Most of this amount, almost 1,100,000 euros ($1.21 million), was for the MV-4 demining robot provided to Ukraine. Excluding this substantial contribution, the Volunteer Rescue Association raised 101,000 euros ($111,000).

Another organization that raised over 1 million euros was Glory to Ukraine. Before a scandal involving its former CEO, Glory to Ukraine was the largest organization collecting funds to aid Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine raised 342,293 euros ($375,160) in donations in March, followed by 52,569 euros ($57,620) in April and 18,453 euros ($20,225) in May. Over the last three months, the organization averaged 5,760 euros ($6,315) per month in fundraising.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- Ethiopia said its deal with Somaliland to gain access to the Red Sea enables the government to make an in-depth assessment of whether it would grant recognition to the breakaway region of Somalia.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Addis Ababa on Wednesday published additional details on X of the memorandum of understanding signed on Jan. 1 with Somaliland. The deal will grant Ethiopia a 50-year lease to establish a naval base and commercial maritime services on the strategically important Gulf of Aden. In exchange, Somaliland gets a stake in Ethiopian Airlines.

Somalia is the United Nations-recognized owner of Somaliland, and the regions tie-up with Ethiopia has sparked concern it could further inflame tensions in the Horn of Africa.

Thousands of Somali residents gathered at a stadium in Mogadishu, the capital, on Wednesday to express their frustrations. One banner read, we would prefer to die defending our territorial integrity rather than be threatened by Ethiopia, which is landlocked by nature.

In a diplomatic briefing note, Somalias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Ethiopias unilateral actions constituted a direct encroachment on its sovereignty, and effectively violated established international norms and standards.

We call on the Ethiopian prime minister to rescind the Jan. 1, 2024 unlawful agreement he made with a regional authority within the sovereign state of Somalia, it said. Given the gravity of the situation and its serious implications for international peace and security, we urge international partners to condemn Ethiopias actions and ensure it complies with international law, it said.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a bloc of East African nations, expressed concern. IGAD is diligently monitoring the situation and recognizes the potential implications for regional stability, Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said in a statement.

Ethiopia voiced its surprise at the response to the agreement, which is cast as a way to resolve its need to secure access to the sea through peaceful means, and denied that it had transgressed any laws.

The position announced by the government is strongly rooted in a desire to not engage in a war with any one, to ensure that the options pursued are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders and expresses Ethiopias readiness to share its endowments, it said.

Ethiopia also argued that there had been no complaints raised when Somaliland signed agreements with other countries. In recent years, Dubai state-controlled DP World Ltd. has taken over operating the breakaway regions port of Berbera.

--With assistance from Mohamed Sheikh Nor and Mike Cohen.

(Updates with comment from Somalias foreign affairs ministry from fifth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The EU announced on Jan. 3 that it was adding Alrosa, Russia's largest diamond producer, to its sanctions list. The company's CEO Pavel Marinychev was also sanctioned.

The move was connected to the larger EU effort to crack down on the export of Russian diamonds, said the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell. Measures to ban the trade of Russian diamonds, including those processed or refined in third-party countries, was instituted as part of the 12th round of EU sanctions against Russia adopted on Dec. 18.

Russia is the world's largest diamond producer, earning around $4 billion from the diamond trade last year. Alrosa, partly owned by the Russian state, comprises 90% of Russia's diamond production and is the largest diamond-mining company in the world.

In the document detailing the sanctions against Alrosa and its CEO, the EU said that the company is "involved in an economic sector providing a substantial source of revenue" for Russia and "has a long-standing partnership with the Russian Armed Forces."

The company was sanctioned by the U.S., the largest market for diamond imports in the world, in April 2022. An investigation by the Kyiv Independent in October 2023 found that Alrosa nonetheless continued to sell diamonds to the West, including to the U.S. market, and even was able to increase its profits in 2023.

Read also: That diamond ring? It may have helped pay for Russias war

The new EU measures to crack down on Russia's use of third-party countries to obfuscate the true origin of Russian diamonds may be complicated by corresponding actions from diamond sellers to bypass sanctions.

The U.S. sanctions against Alrosa initially impacted the Russian diamond market, particularly concerning direct exports to the EU and the U.S., but trade with other markets, namely the UAE, increased.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A former rock musician was arrested Tuesday and charged with murderin connection with the disappearance of his girlfriend after human remains were found in a Northern California park, authorities said.

Ex-musician Theobald Theo Lengyel, 54, was arrested in connection to the homicide of Alice Alix Kamakaokalani Herrmann, authorities announced Tuesday, after the unidentified remains were discovered in a wooded area in Tinley Regional Park in Berkeley.

Alice Alix Herrmann, 61, was reported missing last month.

Alice Alix Herrmann, 61, was reported missing last month.

Herrmann, a 61-year-old resident of Capitola, was last seen in nearby Santa Cruz on Dec. 3. She was reported missing by her relatives after she missed a flight to Hawaii on Dec. 12, the Capitola Police Department said in a Dec. 26 press release. In Wednesdays court filing, the offense date is listed as Dec. 5.

Hermann, a competitive paddler and member of the Santa Cruz Outrigger Canoe team, had participated in a morning paddling practice on Dec. 3, according to a Facebook post by the Northern California Outrigger Canoe Association. Authorities said Hermanns SUV had been found parked in front of Lengyels house in El Cerrito, and that they had found evidence indicating that she was the victim of a homicide.

Lengyel, also known as Mylo Stone, was a former saxophonist and a founding member of the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle. He had been named a primary person of interest early in the investigation and had not been cooperating with investigators, the El Cerrito Police Department said in a Dec. 18 statement.

At the time, authorities asked residents who frequented regional parks and open spaces to be on the lookout for anything suspicious that could provide information related to Herrmanns disappearance.

Herrmanns parents were folk musicians, and she had composed a round for a popular New Years song sung every year by the San Francisco Folk Music Club, a member of the club said on its Facebook page.

Friends of Herrmann described her as a sweet and trusting soul and a warm, loving human with an adventurous spirit, noting that she traveled the world to compete in outrigger races.

Herrmann was last seen on Dec. 3.

Herrmann was last seen on Dec. 3.

In a 2015 interview shared by Loudwire, former Mr. Bungle musician Trevor Dunn said the band had unanimously decided to go on without [Lengyel] because he wasnt growing with the rest of the band and we were running out of things for him to do. He got pissed off and I havent heard from him since.

The Capitola Police Department said formal identification of the remains is pending DNA confirmation. The Santa Cruz County Coroners Office told HuffPost the results are still pending.

Lengyel is also charged with felony burglary and felony auto theft for unlawful taking or driving a vehicle.

Lengyel is being held without bail in Santa Cruz County, according to the sheriff and online jail records. An arraignment is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-866-331-9474 or text loveis to 22522 for the National Dating Abuse Helpline.

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LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Georgianne Anderegg, former Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles' mother, submitted a letter to Tippecanoe Superior 5 Judge Randy Williams on Dec. 27, asking the judge to consider Coles' "clean record" when he sentences Coles at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 22.

"I wanted to write to you and give you some facts that seem to be falling through the cracks with everything that has been happening," Anderegg wrote.

"I cannot speak to any of the charges, as I do not live in Lafayette and I have not witnessed any wrong doing," Coles' mother wrote. "But what I can say is that my daughter has always been very ambitious and hard working.

"I cannot believe that Taletha would intentionally break the law," Anderegg wrote.

Coles pleaded guilty on Nov. 9 to four of 42 indictments. The remaining 38 indictments will be dismissed at sentencing, according to the plea agreement.

Coles pleaded guilty to tax exemption fraud, a Class B misdemeanor, admitting she used the township's tax exemption to avoid paying sales taxes on personal purchases from Menards. She pleaded guilty to conflict of interest, a Level 6 felony, for selling her personal property to the township. This purchase netted Coles $4,437.45 in personal income, according to the amount listed in restitution.

She also pleaded guilty to two indictments of official misconduct for a variety of allegations she misused her elected office during 2021 and 2022.

"She may have believed that she had more freedom of what should could do, in her position," Anderegg wrote. "If that was the case, I don't think that she tried to take advantage of her position. She just had big hopes and ideas for what she felt could be accomplished."

The Indiana State Board of Accounts recently published its report of Coles' three-plus years in office that indicated she misused more than $138,000 of taxpayer money.

More: State Board of Accounts says ex-trustee misused $138K of taxpayer money

Anderegg wrote about her daughter's dreams and vision for her time in office.

"When she was elected for this position, Taletha was thrilled," Anderegg wrote. "She had such wonderful plans to improve the community and help those in need. She took great pride in improving the appearance of the cemetery and wanted to do a good job."

Coles often blamed the township board and the media for repeated requests to inspect public documents pertaining to her use of taxpayer money, claiming in public posts that they were out to get her.

"(I) have been under attack since I took office," she stated in an October 2022 plea on GoFundMe in an attempt to raise $10,000 for her legal defense. "It's been a political coo (sic) that I thought would go away due to it being so childish I thought people would see though all the BS but it's only gotten worse and now I'm fighting for my freedom and life."

The GoFundMe account was removed within days with only one $20 donation. Just days before she left office, Coles used $10,000 of taxpayer money to "replenishment for continued representation."

Prosecutors indicated at the Nov. 9 hearing that the $10,000 will be part of their request for restitution, which will be discussed during a 10:30 a.m. Jan. 12 hearing to sort through how much Coles might have to repay to taxpayers.

More: Fairfield Township trustee's crowd-funding account removed

More: Trustee Taletha Coles paid $10K to attorney with taxpayer money

"She mentioned several times and had great concern of those that she felt were against her and did not want to give her a chance to show what she could do," Andereggs wrote to the court.

"Taletha has never been in trouble a day in her life," Coles' mother wrote. "She was a good student in school and always gives 110% towards everything she does. She does not sugar coat anything and maybe that rubbed people the wrong way, expecting her to bend to their way of thinking. I know it has been a difficult journey for her and that this is far from what she was expecting her job to be.

"I understand that you will be giving your verdict for what punishment she is going to face, for the charges against her. But I hope that you will take into consideration her clean record with the law prior to these accusations against her."

Anderegg's letter is the first submitted in support of Coles, but two former township workers submitted letters asking Williams to reject Coles' guilty pleas.

More: Former employees urge judge to reject ex-trustee Coles' plea agreement

Former township employee Kelli Stump wrote, "I urge you to reject Coles plea agreement to ensure that she is held accountable for the full extent of her actions. The community deserves justice, and rejecting the plea agreement will send a clear message that such behavior by elected officials will not be tolerated.

" Ms. Coles engaged in a pattern of theft, stealing local tax dollars intended for poor relief and spent it on herself. Coles literally stole money from the poor," Stump wrote. "Her actions cannot be minimized because she stole from over 70,000 victims for almost four years."

Former township employee Teresa Meyers was named Employee of the Year by the Indiana Township Association. She, too, urged Williams to reject Coles' plea.

"I firmly believe that public officials should uphold the highest standards of integrity and accountability. As such, I am urging you to consider rejecting any plea deal Ms. Coles may present," Meyers wrote. "Her actions should be met with appropriate consequences, specifically in relation to the Corrupt Business Influence level 5 felony.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette-area trustee's mother writes judge asking for leniency
WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD)  A former Secret Service agent and West Michigan-based security expert says people should remember cover and concealment if they find themselves in an active shooter situation inside a store.

Two people were shot and injured at a Wyoming Walmart on New Years Eve. Police said the retailer was full of people as shots rang out near the checkout lane.

This is a brazen public attack, Wyoming Police Lt. Andrew Koeller told News 8 the night of the shooting.

Police said two suspects wearing masks got into a confrontation with another man inside the store. It is believed to have been a targeted incident. At least 10 shots were fired, hospitalizing that man with a gunshot wound.

An innocent woman at the checkout line, who police said had nothing to do with the situation, was also shot and hospitalized.

Police: 2 injured in brazen Wyoming Walmart shooting

Police said on New Years Eve they were looking for two suspects, but its unclear if they still are. When News 8 asked Wyoming Police Wednesday if the search is ongoing, they said they arent yet prepared to give an update on the case.

Jason Russell is the president of Secure Environment Consulting and a former Secret Service agent. His group, located in Cascade Township, performs vulnerability assessments for school districts across the state, including Grand Rapids Public Schools. Nearly half of its clients are businesses, Russell said.

We look at their physical security, Russell said. We look at their policies, their procedures. Its a holistic approach to see what gaps or weaknesses they might have and then try to provide them with recommendations on how to fix anything they may be doing wrong or missing.

Russell encouraged retailers to perform critical incident and de-escalation training for their employees annually. He added that with high employee turnover in the retail industry, businesses should consider recording their training or doing it online.

If employees see an argument escalating, Russell said they should move other customers outside or to another area of the store as quickly as possible. He suggested being proactive if a situation is taking a turn for the worse.

If its dangerous and you feel there could be some violence, you certainly want to reach out to law enforcement as quickly as possible, Russell said.

We hit the deck: Shoppers describe shooting at Wyoming Walmart

If workers cant tell whether the situation is dangerous, Russell said non-verbal signs can give them a better idea.

Is somebody reaching in their pockets? Russell said. Are they doing what we call weapon checking, are they trying to feel around in areas of their waistband where they might have a gun?

Customers should also leave the area immediately if they see a fight starting nearby, Russell said.

Often times when we see something happening, we dont think its going to turn into anything because we cant possibly believe that it would, he said. Then when it does, we hadnt taken advantage of the opportunity of time to get away.

Its important to remember cover and concealment if shots are fired and you cant get out of the store safely, Russell said.

Cover is something that would stop a bullet, Russell explained. In a store, that might be the shelves or the racks.

Concealment wont stop a bullet, but it would hide you, he continued. That might be a clothing rack or something you can hide behind that would limit your visibility.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
After the air-raid warning was issued in Dnipro Oblast, explosions were reported in the city of Dnipro.

Source: Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster; Air Force of Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: At 14:00 (Kyiv time), an air-raid warning was issued in Dnipro Oblast. After that, the Air Force reported "a missile danger for Dnipro".

The all-clear was given at 14:35 (Kyiv time).

Later, the East Air Command reported that at 14:20 (Kyiv time) their unit had destroyed a Kh-59 guided missile.

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People stay next to destroyed cars after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Iran says bomb blasts at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 103 people and wounded 188 others. | Tasnim News Agency via Associated Press

Two bombs exploded in Iran Wednesday at a commemoration for a top military general and reportedly killed at least 95 people and wounded at least 171 people.

The commemoration was for Qassem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran, and the explosions took place minutes apart as a procession of people was on its way there to commemorate the four-year anniversary of General Soleimanis assassination by the United States, The New York Times reported.

The deputy governor of Kerman called the incident a terrorist attack, according to The Washington Post. Authorities believe the death toll could climb higher.

A terrible sound was heard there, despite all the security and safety measures. We are still investigating, Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman Red Crescent Society, told state television, per Reuters.

It was the deadliest attack in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and while no one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosions, Irans leaders vowed to punish those responsible, per The Associated Press.

This image, provided by Maxar Technologies, shows an overview of the martyrs cemetery in Kerman, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 before, according to Iranian authorities, twin bomb blasts killed at least 103 people at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020. | Satellite image 2023 Maxar Technologies via Associated Press

Who was Qassem Suleimani?

Qassem Soleimani was the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force and was killed by a U.S. drone in 2020, per AP News.

He was known as Irans shadow commander and was considered the mastermind of Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria, CNN reported.

Soleimani also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assads government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests, per AP.

Soleimani became more widely known after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the U.S. government called for him to be killed over his help in arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. troops, per AP.
People fight their way through the snowstorm in Kristiansand, Norway, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Temperatures below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) continued to be recorded in the Nordic region with a 25-year-old record for January night being recorded in the Swedish Arctic as a cold spell continued to grip the Nordic region. (Tor Erik Schroder/NTB Scanpix via AP)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Europe experienced stark weather contrasts on Wednesday, with extreme cold and snowstorms disrupting transportation and closing schools in Scandinavia while strong winds and heavy rain in western Europe caused flooding and at least one death.

Temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Nordic region for a second day in a row Wednesday. In Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to minus 43.6 C (minus 46.5 F), the lowest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years, Sweden's TT news agency reported.

Extremely cold temperatures, snow and gale-force winds disrupted transportation throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.

Police across most of Denmark urged motorists to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.

The wave of cold air from Siberia and the Arctic region has also swept down over western Russia, with temperatures in Moscow and other areas plummeting to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 F), well below the average temperature for early January.

Officials in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other areas have issued orange weather warnings, cautioning residents against possible health risks.

Mild but wet and windy conditions prevailed further south, where a storm wreaked havoc in parts of western Europe.

In Britain, a driver died after a tree fell on his car in western England. Gloucestershire Police said the man died in the incident near the town of Kemble on Tuesday afternoon.

The storm, which has been named Henk by the official weather services of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, has caused power cuts, transport troubles, property damage and disruption across the U.K.

More than 300 flood warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, while 10,000 homes remained without power. A severe flood alert, meaning a danger to life, was announced for the River Nene in Northampton in central England. Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at the nearby Billing Aquadrome.

The U.K.s rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the Wednesday morning commute into work.

The strongest gales in the U.K. were recorded on the Isle of Wight, just off the coast in southern England, where wind speeds reached 94 miles per hour (151 kilometers per hour).

In the Netherlands, police near the city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the country. The country's water authority said a small section of a dike that regulates water levels was washed away Wednesday afternoon. The water was flowing into the already swollen river Maas near the city of Maastricht. Owners of a number of houseboats were being evacuated as a precaution.

In France, heavy rains have pummeled the northern Pas-de-Calais and Nord regions since Sunday, forcing the evacuation of about 200 people and knocking out power to 10,000 households, according to local authorities.

Roadways in the town of Blendecques turned into waterways, and authorities warned residents in the areas under flood alert Wednesday to restrict their movements until water levels subside.

Hundreds of emergency workers from around France mobilized to rescue people from inundated homes and clear roads, and reinforcements of personnel and equipment came from Czechia, Slovakia, and the already-drenched Netherlands. Powerful pumps were brought in to divert up to 60,000 cubic meters of water from the worst hit towns toward the English Channel and lower water levels around the Aa River delta, the regional prefecture said in a statement.

The national weather service maintained flood and wind warnings Thursday for several regions across northern France and its borders with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, with more rains forecast along with winds up to 100 kph.

Parts of Germany were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by more rain falling in the worst-affected northwestern state of Lower Saxony.

___

Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Mike Corder in Amsterdam, Pan Pylas in London, Jari Tanner in Helsinki and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The FBI and multiple local law enforcement agencies in central Oregon are investigating a threat made against schools on social media that have since been discredited, officials say.

A generic social media post with a picture of a rifle and a warning for kids to avoid school caused a stir in central Oregon after it was recently circulated around the internet, the Madras Police Department said. The post was nonspecific and did not mention any schools or school districts by name.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, have investigated the social media post and determined that it is not a credible threat, the Madras Police Department said. These types of social media posts often originate outside of our region or area, as did this one.

Extremely dangerous: 19 arrested in Portland street takeover mission

Madras Police said that the social media post originated in Portland and ultimately reached multiple Oregon school districts. The FBI was among the agencies investigating the origin of the message, the Gilliam County Sheriffs Office said.

At this time there are no threats of violence towards Gilliam County Schools, the sheriffs office said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Biden administration cannot enforce federal guidance instructing doctors to provide abortion care in medical emergencies, no matter state law.

The suit, brought by the state of Texas in 2022, argues that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot cite the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) in its guidance that medical providers must provide abortion care in life-saving situations.

The HHS guidance, written just after the Supreme Courts 2022 abortion decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, said that medical providers must both provide care when a patient cannot afford it and provide abortion care when the life of the patient is at risk.

The appellate court ruled that only the first provision, regarding patients who cannot afford care, is relevant for federal guidance.

The question before the court is whether EMTALA, according to HHSs Guidance, mandates physicians to provide abortions when that is the necessary stabilizing treatment for an emergency medical condition. It does not. We therefore decline to expand the scope of EMTALA, Judge Kurt Engelhardt wrote in the unanimous ruling.

Engelhardt ruled that the 1986 law does not specify any medical procedures, making the abortion-focused aspect of the guidance unfounded.

A federal judge in Texas first blocked the Biden administration guidance in 2022, with the appeals court upholding that ruling Tuesday.

HHS launched an investigation into two hospitals in Kansas and Missouri in May over allegations that they violated the guidance.

The Biden administration also cited the EMTALA in a challenge to Idahos strict abortion restrictions in November. Idaho similarly argued that the EMTALA does not regard abortion. The states ban is under appeal.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) on Wednesday renewed his call for Senate colleagues to expel embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) after federal prosecutors filed a superseding indictment newly alleging that Menendez accepted race car tickets and other gifts in exchange for helping Qatar.

Now, accused of selling his honor and our nation for a $24,000 watch. Accused as a foreign agent for *two* nations. How much more before we finally expel @SenatorMenendez, Fetterman posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Federal prosecutors allege that Menendezs co-defendant, New Jersey developer Fred Daibes, offered the senator his pick of luxury watches worth as much as $23,990 while he was seeking an investment from an investment company with ties to the government of Qatar.

Prosecutors say Daibes later sent Menendez an update on a proposed Senate resolution supportive of Qatar, and Menendez then sent a message to the Qatari investor who would be meeting with Daibes urging for a favorable and mutually beneficial agreement with his friend.

After the Qatari company entered into a joint venture with a company controlled by Daibes, it caused four tickets for the Formula One Grand Prix race in Miami to be provided to a relative of Menendez, prosecutors say.

Adam Fee, a lawyer for Menendez, dismissed the allegations as a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents.

Federal prosecutors accused Menendez in a superseding indictment filed in October of conspiring to act as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt.

At that time, Fetterman called on the Senate to vote on a resolution to expel Menendez.

Sen. Menendez should not be a U.S. Senator. He should have been gone long ago. It is time for every one of my colleagues in the Senate to join me in expelling Senator Menendez, he said in a statement.

Despite the charges, Menendez has continued to attend classified national security briefings.

Senate Democrats have privately discussed among themselves whether the New Jersey senator should be barred from attending such briefings in the future.

Menendez has consistently maintained his innocence and insisted the allegations are not proof of criminal wrongdoing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling in Texas that allows the state to ban emergency abortions, saying the current federal statute in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) does not preempt the state law that outlaws the procedure.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the conservative-majority appeals court said the US Department of Human Health Services (HHS) erred in their interpretation of the EMTALA when the agency issued guidance in May 2023 to all hospitals participating in Medicare.

The decision is a blow to abortion rights activists in Texas who have been fighting to expand abortion access in the state.

The HHSs guidance told hospitals they were obligated under EMTALA to offer stabilizing care to patients who need emergency care and that the federal statute overrode any anti-abortion state laws that did not include exceptions that met EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition.

However, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged the guidance saying no part of the law authorised the federal government to compel healthcare providers to perform abortions.

The Fifth Circuit agreed with Mr Paxton and the district court, adding, EMTALA does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (AP)

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, Texas enacted a strict anti-abortion law that criminalises nearly all abortions before a fetal heartbeat is detectable except in some vaguely-described situations.

However, due to the laws unspecific nature, doctors have been unable to confidently provide the necessary care for pregnant patients who seemingly meet the laws exceptions. Last month, Mr Paxton sent letters threatening legal action to hospitals where Kate Cox, a woman seeking a medically necessary abortion, could have obtained care.

The HHSs guidance, issued shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, was an attempt to persuade states to allow for medically necessary abortions to continue in order to prevent death or health risks.

Under the 1986 law, EMTALA, hospitals that receive federal funding must treat or stabilise a patient regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. However, the law does not explicitly mandate which medical treatments are necessary.

The Fifth Circuit said the HHSs guidance goes beyond EMTALA by mandating abortion.

Deeply disturbing ruling from the 5th Circuit. Hospitals and doctors should not have their hands tied when attempting to provide life-saving care for their patients. This cruelty, spearheaded by AG Paxton, puts women in life-threatening danger. https://t.co/vaxJ6zMmUI  Rochelle Garza (@RochelleMGarza) January 2, 2024

Rochelle Garza, the President of the Texas Civil Rights Project and current Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General, called the ruling deeply disturbing.

Hospitals and doctors should not have their hands tied when attempting to provide life-saving care for their patients. This cruelty, spearheaded by AG Paxton, puts women in life-threatening danger, Ms Garza wrote on X.
A homeowner was arrested after being accused of killing a 71-year-old man, California police said.

On Jan. 1, officers responded to a property in Landers after receiving a medical aid call. They found the homeowner, later identified as William Durst, 54, of Santa Monica, and Jeffrey Cull, the 71-year-old man who lived at the property, according to a Jan. 2 news release by San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department.

Cull was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

After investigating, officers learned Durst had gone to his property and attempted to force Cull to leave, officials said. Cull refused so the two started arguing, officials said.

Durst is then accused of spraying Cull with bear spray and putting him in a chokehold, the sheriffs office said.

Cull lost consciousness and died from his injury, officials said.

Durst was arrested and booked into the Morongo Basin jail on a murder charge, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 909-890-4904.

Landers is about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.

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Miami Dolphins Tyreek Hill left practice Wednesday upon news that firefighters responded to a fire at his Southwest Ranches, Fla., home. No one was hurt and everyone was safely evacuated form the house. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Firefighters on Wednesday afternoon extinguished a blaze at the $6 million mansion of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill in Southwest Ranches, Fla. Everyone was out of the home safely.

According to the Dolphins, Hill left practice upon word of the fire. Wearing a boot because of an injury, Hill soon arrived at the home and stood outside, watching with his wife and mother as firefighters worked.

Smoke was seen billowing from the home on Berkshire Court in a video posted on X.

LIVE: Firefighters are battling a fire at the home of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. https://t.co/REsouw0KYd https://t.co/nXWtoxM4dv WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 3, 2024

The response was upgraded to a two-alarm fire as firefighters from three departments were trying to find the source of the fire.

Firefighters on the home's roof were told to get down, and more firefighters were expected to respond, according to WSVN-Ch. 7 News.

"I think that would be difficult not just for my teammates, but anyone in general," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said at Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla. when the team learned of the fire.

"To be going through what Tyreek is going through right now, I think the main thing is his family is safe, his loved ones are good and he's good as well." he said at Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Property records show the home was assessed at $5,987,080 in 2023. It sold for $6,900,000 May 6, 2022.
MIAMI - Investigators said Thursday that a child playing with a lighter has been preliminarily determined as the cause of a blaze that damaged the luxury Southwest Ranches home of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Firefighters were called to the upscale neighborhood in the 16000 block of Berkshire Court shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday. When they arrived, they found smoke and flames coming from the multi-story house.

Fire engulfs home of Dolphins player Tyreek Hill

Images from Chopper 4 showed firefighters on the roof of the mansion, punching holes on the roof to better fight the blaze.

Heavy black and white smoke was spewing from the mansion.

Several fire engines and crews got to the scene shortly before 2 p.m.

When firefighters arrived, everyone who was inside the home was standing outside.

It is not clear what may have started the blaze. Hill, who was at Dolphins practice at the time, left and headed home.

The Dolphins said everyone was safe and out of the house.

Cause of fire revealed

"I don't know what to do! I need help," exclaimed a person inside Dolphins Receiver Tyreek Hill's burning home. "I need for you to exit the building! Exit the building," a 911 operator said.

"Should I put water in there?" The caller asked. "No, I need for you to get everyone outside. I need for you guys to get to safety," the operator said.

On Thursday, Davie Fire Marshall Robert Taylor said the cause of the fire was "accidental and caused by a child playing with a lighter within a bedroom.

Hill did not make it to practice Thursday, but he's on the minds of his teammates.

"First thing that goes through my mind is hope everyone's okay and everything goes well," said Dolphins Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith.

Rebecca Johnson is with Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue's Fire Prevention unit. They run a countywide youth fire safety program. She stresses the importance of talking to kids, educating them about the dangers of fire.

"If a kid sees a parent using a lighter or matches, they think it's okay, especially the smaller ones. They learn from imitating. So they don't think it's a danger using matches or a lighter until it's too late," Johnson said.

The Dolphins practice Friday afternoon. There's no word yet if Hill will be there as the team prepares for their game Sunday night against the Bills.

Dolphins player was at practice when fire began

CBS News Miami spoke to Hill's agent who confirmed Hill, his family and pets were OK following the blaze.

"We saw the family. When he got here, he hugged his family, he hugged his wife. It's just overall devastating seeing all the fire and the smoke and everything," said Sandra Garcia, a fan who showed up to the scene.

Drew Rosenhaus, Hill's agent said, "It was limited to one room. So, of course, there will be other damage, but Tyreek is going to be back with his teammates. He obviously raced over to make sure everyone is okay, but everything is under control right now."

Images from Chopper 4 showed Hill standing in the driveway of his home, along with family members. He was wearing a leg brace that reached up to his left knee.

It took firefighters about 45 minutes to put out the blaze. Investigators will look into the cause of the fire.

As word got out about the fire, fans rushed to the scene to check in on Hill and his loved ones.

"Pretty sad, he is my favorite player and it's devastating," said Anthony Candelario.

The fire left a gaping hole in the roof of the home with substantial smoke and water damage inside.

Investigators confirmed to CBS News Miami Thursday that the fire was caused by a child playing with some type of lighter in a bedroom of the home.



"The investigation identified that the fire was an accidental and was caused by a child playing with a lighter within a bedroom where the fire started," said Robert Taylor, fire marshal with Davie Fire Rescue. "Fortunately, all occupants of the home were able to evacuate safely, and there were no injuries."

It was not immediately clear if the child lived at the home or was visiting.

Hill joined the Dolphins recently

Hill's mansion was built in 2007 and has 9,326-square-feet of indoor living space on a 2.28 acres plot, according to property records.

Hill was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins for the start of the 2022 season and agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension that included $72.2 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday evening for a chance to win the AFC East and start playoffs at home.

"He appreciates everyone's support that's reached out to him. He's going to be fine physically, obviously mentally this is challenging anytime you have a fire at your home as you can imagine, but Tyreek  he's going to be okay," said Rosenhaus.

Rosenhaus says Hill is expecting to play Sunday.

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Several firefighters responded to reports of an oven fire at a local business early Wednesday morning.

>>Classes canceled today for Clark County school district due to bus driver shortages

Miami Valley Fire District firefighters were dispatched around 2:50 a.m. on initial reports of a business at the 200 block of Mound Avenue.

The Miami Valley Fire District wrote on social media that crews responded to an oven fire.

They are asking people to avoid Mound Avenue near Second Street while firefighters investigate.
Relatives stand in front of the courthouse in Adiyaman, south-east Turkey, holding up pictures of their children who were killed in last February's earthquake. The first major trial in connection with last February's devastating earthquakes begins in south-eastern Turkey on Wednesday. Mirjam Schmitt/dpa

The first major trial in connection with the devastating earthquakes that rocked Turkey last February began on Wednesday in the south-eastern city of Adiyaman.

A hotel owner and 10 other defendants are on trial for the collapse of the four-star Grand Isias Hotel and the deaths of 72 people.

Experts contend the building had major construction defects.

Among the victims were 26 children from Northern Cyprus who had travelled to Turkey for a school volleyball tournament.

Parents of the victims journeyed to Adiyaman for the trial. They tearfully held up signs with pictures of their dead children in front of the court.

"Everyone who built the Grand Isias Hotel is guilty," said Rusen Karakaya, who lost her 14-year-old daughter. She said she will not rest until those responsible, from the builder to those who issued the permits, are held accountable.

Public prosecutors accuses the defendants of deliberately causing death by negligence. They face two decades behind bars if convicted.

Five of them, including the hotel owner, are in custody.

They were not present at the first day of the trial, but were connected to the courtroom via video link.

A separate investigation is under way to determine whether the state authorities who issued the permits bear any responsibility.

On February 6, a 7.7-magnitude quake struck south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria in the morning, followed by 7.6-magnitude quake in the afternoon of the same day. According to government figures, around 50,800 people lost their lives in Turkey alone.

A general view of the remains of the Isias Hotel in Adiyaman. The hotel was collapsed in the earthquake on 6 February 2023. 72 people lost their lives, including girls and boys from a school volleyball team in Cyprus. A hotel owner and ten other defendants are on trial in Adiyaman in southern Turkey. Mirjam Schmitt/dpa

A general view of the remains of the Isias Hotel in Adiyaman. The hotel was collapsed in the earthquake on 6 February 2023. 72 people lost their lives, including girls and boys from a school volleyball team in Cyprus. A hotel owner and ten other defendants are on trial in Adiyaman in southern Turkey. Mirjam Schmitt/dpa
An offshore wind project in New England that is expected to be the U.S.s first large-scale offshore wind farm has delivered power to the electric grid for the first time.

The Vineyard Wind project  located off the coast of Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts  sent power to the New England grid during initial testing.

When it is completed, the project is expected to have 62 wind turbines that generate enough power for more than 400,000 homes in the state of Massachusetts.

The first power just came from one turbine, though developers say five of the turbines are slated to be up and running early this year.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy (D), in a written statement, described the initial power delivery as a historic moment for the American offshore wind industry, in a written statement.

As we look ahead, Massachusetts is on a path toward energy independence thanks to our nation-leading work to stand up the offshore wind industry, she said.

The Biden administration has sought to bolster offshore wind  setting the goal of getting enough power from offshore wind energy to power 10 million homes by 2030.

However the offshore wind industry has seen multiple recent cancellations as high costs create setbacks.

On Wednesday, BP and Equinor announced that they were canceling plans that would provide offshore wind power to New York.

Projects that had been planned off the coast of New Jersey were also canceled last year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The first storm of the year is bringing morning showers and snow to the Southland Wednesday but isnt expected to stick around for long.

The cold storm, which should peak around rush hour in the Los Angeles area, is expected to bring between 0.25 and 0.75 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

The quick-moving system is the first in a series of storms expected to impact Southern California this week.

The National Weather Service provided this outlook for the upcoming storms.

Its going to exit rather quickly, KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said. There is a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon but I anticipate sunshine.

The system picked up speed as it arrived over Southern California, which mostly impacted the mountain forecast.

Yesterday we were talking about 3 to 6 inches of snow in our mountain communities, Henry said. Now we are going to cut those numbers in half. The reason for that is that the system has gained speed and will move through quicker.

Radar imagery shows moisture arriving in Southern California at around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2024. (KTLA)

Winter weather advisories, which were initially issued through Thursday morning, will now expire Wednesday evening.

Caltrans is warning of potential closures on the Grapevine Wednesday morning due to low snow elevations. Travelers were urged to avoid the area, especially between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m.

The storm is also bringing dangerous surf conditions along the California coast.

The National Weather Service provided this outlook for the upcoming storms. (NWSLA)

The largest surf is expected to arrive late Wednesday into Thursday and then return Saturday and Sunday.

Los Angeles County can expect waves between 5 and 8 feet, according to the Weather Service.

Beachgoers were urged to stay off the rock jetties and swim near lifeguards due to dangerous rip currents.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The new year is looking to be a tumultuous one for U.S. security, with ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, growing unrest in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific, and an upcoming presidential election that may stir domestic strife.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in its Homeland Threat Assessment for 2024 released in September, predicted a slew of issues staring down the country.

Those include terrorism both foreign and domestic, adversaries targeting critical infrastructure, an aggressive China and an election cycle that will be a key event for possible violence and foreign influence targeting our election infrastructure, processes, and personnel.

Here are five major threats to U.S. security to watch closely in 2024.

Expansion of Israel-Hamas war

The fight between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has shown no sign of slowing down since the Palestinian terrorist group first attacked the country Oct. 7, triggering a brutal Israeli air and ground campaign in retaliation.

Gazas health ministry estimates more than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7  more than two-thirds of them women and children. The human toll has enraged nearby Arab nations including Iran, Lebanon, and Houthis in Yemen  and upped pressure from the West to scale back the war.

The conflict several times has threatened to tip into a wider war that engulfs the Middle East, most recently with an attack on a Hamas office in Lebanon that killed a senior leader of the group Tuesday.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called it a new Israeli crime that aims to drag Lebanon into a new phase in confrontations.

In the Red Sea, escalating Houthi attacks on cargo ships  at least 17 so far  have disrupted key global shipping routes and stoked fears that the United States could get pulled into a larger conflict.

Washington late last year assembled a multinational naval coalition to offer protection to shipping vessels traveling through the region, but President Biden has stressed he wants to avoid direct military confrontation with the Houthis.

That changed Sunday, when U.S. Navy forces sunk three Houthi boats that attacked a container ship, killing all crew on the vessels.

U.S. forces also continue to come under attack at outposts in Iraq and Syria, with dozens of rocket or drone attacks aimed at American troops in response to Washingtons support for Israel in its war against Hamas.

Conflict over Taiwan

Even after a high-profile meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, tensions continue to simmer over the self-governing island of Taiwan, which China hopes to bring it under its control.

Those tensions have spiked ahead of the Jan. 13 Taiwanese presidential and parliamentary election, which the United States is watching closely.

While Washington ostensibly recognizes Beijings One China policy, it provides major support to Taipei and is legally bound to provide the island with weapons and equipment to defend itself.

Under Xi, China has steadily increased pressure on Taiwan via intense war games and other military activity around the island. The U.S., in turn, has increased its naval transits through the Taiwan Strait, which China maintains that it controls.

Biden on several occasions has also said that Washington would defend Taipei should Beijing seek military conflict.

The tit-for-tat reached a crescendo in August 2022, when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan, prompting a retaliation from China that included a massive military exercise, firing missiles over the island, and cutting official military communication channels with the Pentagon.

The communication channels have since been restored, but Xi has only doubled down on his ambitions on Taiwan.

The reunification of the motherland is a historical inevitability, Xi said in his New Years address Sunday.

Expansion of Russia-Ukraine war

Washington continues to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of equipment and military expertise in its fight with Russia, but U.S. public support for the war has frayed in the past year  and Russian President Vladimir Putin stands to benefit.

Russian messaging has focused on justifying its aggression, seeking to reduce US domestic support for Kyiv, and encouraging divisions among the diverse set of global partners that are helping Ukraine, according to DHS.

Malicious cyber activity targeting the United States has increased since the beginning of the RussiaUkraine conflict, and DHS expects that to continue as the war drags on.

ProRussia cyber criminal groups, such as Killnet, collaborate to conduct distributed denialof service (DDoS) attacks and other potentially disruptive attacks against US government systems and our transportation and healthcare sectors, according to the threat assessment report.

Moscow has also started the new year with an intense bombardment campaign against Ukraine, most recently hammering Kyiv with missiles and drones Tuesday morning.

The large-scale attack, which included several other cities and about 100 missiles, killed at least five people and injured nearly 130 others and is part of a deadly aerial tit-for-tat between the two countries.

The latest air campaign has already threatened to pull in NATO, when a Russian missile Friday breached member Polands airspace, according to the Polish military.

Earlier that same day, the United States and Poland scrambled F-16 fighter jets to counter a long-range Russian aircraft, Polands Armed Forces Operational Command wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Domestic extremist group attacks

Attacks on the homeland by domestic extremist groups have been on the rise in the last several years, spurred on by political strife, conspiracy theories, overseas wars and other tensions.

Several attacks widely reported in the last few years include the May 2022, racially-motivated killing of 10 people in Buffalo, N.Y., all of whom were Black. And in 2018, an attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 people dead.

Over the last 10 years, domestic terrorism-related investigations have grown by 357 percent, according to a March assessment by the Government Accountability Office.

DHS assessed that the next year will continue to see a high threat of violence from individuals radicalized in the United States, marked by lone offenders or small group attacks that occur with little warning.

These actors will continue to be inspired and motivated by a mix of conspiracy theories; personalized grievances; and enduring racial, ethnic, religious, and anti-government ideologies, often shared online, according to the threat assessment report.

Since January 2022, domestic violent extremists have conducted three fatal attacks in the United States, resulting in 21 deaths, as well as multiple nonlethal attacks. U.S. law enforcement has disrupted more than six other plots during that time.

During the same period, only one individual conducted an attack inspired by a foreign terrorist organization.

Outside election interference

In the 2020 presidential election, national security officials had to contend with a slew of concerns  potential cyberattacks targeting voting infrastructure, threats against poll workers and officials, outside foreign influence and other actors looking to undermine confidence in the election outcome.

Many of these concerns still persist this time around, according to DHS.

We expect the 2024 election cycle will be a key event for possible violence and foreign influence targeting our election infrastructure, processes, and personnel, states the DHS Homeland Threat Assessment report.

Microsoft, in a November threat assessment, warned that the 2024 election may be the first presidential election during which multiple authoritarian actors simultaneously attempt to interfere with and influence an election outcome.

National security experts have for years warned that foreign governments, mainly Russia, China and Iran, seek to destabilize the United States via its elections.

That was on full display in 2016, when Russia tried to interfere by hacking into Democratic emails and releasing them, a move meant to tip the election toward Donald Trump, the eventual president. Moscow also scanned state voter registration systems seeking vulnerabilities.

Four years later, Iranian hackers obtained voter data and used it to send deceptive emails. And in 2022, hackers linked to Russia, Iran and China multiple times breached election infrastructure and spread misinformation.

Those incidents are only likely to ramp up as the November election nears, according to DHS.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Florida appeals court has ruled in favor of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, preventing him from being deposed in connection to a lawsuit arising from a tragic high-speed crash in 2018 that claimed the lives of a Tesla driver and passenger.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal overturned a prior decision by a Broward County circuit judge, which had mandated Musks deposition regarding a phone conversation with James Riley. Rileys son, Barrett Riley, was behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S during the fatal incident, where the vehicle was reportedly traveling at 116 mph.

The passenger, Edgar Monserratt Martinez, also lost his life in the crash. Following the incident, a lawsuit was filed by James Riley, who alleged that a Tesla technician had disabled software intended to limit the cars top speed to 85 mph.

According to the ruling issued on Wednesday, Musk had reached out to James Riley to express condolences after the crash. During the conversation, Riley claimed that Musk indicated Tesla would need to review and revise policies related to disabling speed limitations on cars. The court disclosed that Musk and Riley had further exchanged emails on the matter.

The appeals court justified its decision to shield Musk from deposition by invoking the apex doctrine, a legal principle that typically spares high-ranking government and corporate officials from testifying in cases where information can be obtained through alternative means. The court noted that Musks unique personal knowledge might only involve recalling the phone conversation.

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The only arguably unique, personal knowledge Mr. Musk may have is whether or not he remembers the phone conversation, the ruling stated. It emphasized that Musk had already provided sworn testimony twice, attesting to his lack of recollection regarding any statements made during the phone call about the speed limiter.

The ruling, written by Judge Dorian Damoorgian and supported by Judges Spencer Levine and Burton Conner, concluded by asserting that forcing Musk to undergo deposition would only serve to harass and burden Tesla and disrupt Musks responsibilities as CEO, affecting consumers, stockholders, employees, and other essential activities tied to his position.

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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A new Florida bill would require certain businesses to accept cash for many transactions.

The bill, SB 106, was proposed by Sen. Shevrin D. Jones, a Democrat whose district covers part of Miami-Dade county.

If passed, any business selling a tangible good or service to a person physically at the business must accept cash if it would accept other forms of payment for the purchase. Businesses would also be prohibited from charging a fee or placing any conditions on accepting cash.

The bill would not apply to internet sales or sales done by phone, mail or other electronic transactions. It would also not apply to parking facilities owned by municipalities or parking facilities that accept electronic funds transfers.

Florida lawmaker files bill curtailing stand your ground law

SB 106 also excludes businesses providing services by accountants, architects, attorneys, engineers, financial advisers, insurance agents, interior designers, software developers, or management and other consultants, not including services provided by licensed medical or allied health care practitioners.

The bill does not apply to single transactions over $5,000 and businesses would still be allowed to refuse to accept large bills over $20 or refuse cash believed to be counterfeit.

Any business violating the law would be fined $2,500 for a first offense, up to $5,000 for a second offense and up to $10,000 for a third or subsequent offense.

If passed, the law would go into effect on July 1.

The bill currently sits in the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
An appeals court this month will hear arguments in a long-running battle pitting the Publix supermarket chain and insurers against a state agency and doctors over rules for dispensing medications to injured workers.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The case involves whether workers compensation insurers should be required to reimburse physicians who dispense medications to people injured on the job. Publix and the insurers say drugs should be dispensed at pharmacies.

While the issue might appear esoteric to the public, it has drawn interest from major insurance and medical groups.

Publix, which self-insures its huge workforce, and six insurance companies have been backed in the case by the Florida Insurance Council and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. On the other side, the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, and the Florida Orthopaedic Society intervened to support the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Publix and the insurers went to the 1st District Court of Appeal in April after Administrative Law Judge Darren Schwartz upheld proposed rules issued by the Department of Financial Services, which oversees the workers compensation system.

The proposed rules, issued in December 2022 after more than two years of wrangling about the issue, said physicians and other types of healthcare providers, such as physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners, could dispense medications to workers compensation patients.

While many physicians dispense medications to other types of patients, the workers compensation system gives insurers the power to authorize treatment for injured workers. Publix and the insurers contend that the Department of Financial Services overstepped its legal authority in the proposed rules and that medications for workers compensation patients can only be dispensed by pharmacies.

A dispensing practitioner is neither pharmacy nor pharmacist, Publix and the insurers said in a July brief. To conclude otherwise is to simply ignore the plain language of the statute, which is precisely what the department did by implementing the challenged rules.

But the department, in an August brief, disputed the arguments and cited a law that gives injured workers free, full, and absolute choice in the selection of the pharmacy or pharmacist dispensing and filling prescriptions for medicines. Also, it said insurers would still have the power to sign off on the doctors who treat injured workers and medications.

The rules do not change anything about the right of the employer/carrier to choose the doctor who treats the injured worker or determine what treatment is authorized because the employer/carrier still authorizes (or does not authorize) the medication, the department brief said. The rules simply confirm for billing and reimbursement that Florida law does not permit the employer/carrier to interfere with an injured workers right to choose where to obtain their medication.

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In a friend-of-the-court brief filed in August, the Florida Insurance Council and the American Property and Casualty Insurance Association contended that physician dispensing of medication can drive up costs and pose health risks.

Circumventing the checks provided by a pharmacist reviewing contraindications and/or dosages removes a valuable safety net provided by pharmacies to injured workers, the insurance industry groups said. There is an increased risk of adverse medical outcomes when a practitioner, who is typically not the injured workers primary doctor, dispenses medication without a second check by a pharmacist for potential drug interactions.

But the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, the Florida Orthopaedic Society, and another intervenor, Prescription Partners, LLC, argued in a brief that there is no evidentiary basis for any finding by the appeals court on such issues. Also, they said issues about cost and safety are policy decisions that should be made by the Legislature.

The question of whether the physician-dispensing of medication is a wise policy decision is outside this courts authority in this proceeding, and must be taken before the Legislature, the branch of government tasked with making such policy decisions, the intervenors brief said.

A three-judge panel of the appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments on Jan. 16.

The insurers in the case are Normandy Insurance Co., Zenith Insurance Co., Bridgefield Employers Insurance Co., Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Co., BusinessFirst Insurance Co., and RetailFirst Insurance Co.

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A Florida hospital system announced the first Central Florida babies born in 2024.

HCA Florida Healthcare and its care teams said two babies were delivered on New Years Day.

Santiago Alexander, the son of Laura and Santiago of Haines City, was born at 4:56 a.m. Monday at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital.

He weighed 5 pounds and 12 ounces.

Read: Halifax Health has welcomed its first baby of 2024

Amar, son of Yulissa and Shawn from Orlando, was born at 8:46 p.m. Monday at UCF Lake Nona Hospital.

He weighed 6 pounds and 15 ounces.

The babies received special HCA Florida Healthcare onesies to celebrate their birthdays.

Read: See the 1st babies to be born in Central Florida in 2024

HCA Florida Healthcare has over 650 sites for care statewide, including innovative hospitals and treatment centers.

It also focuses on giving back to the community and employs teams to support families at every stage of their lives, including their childrens births.

Credit: Brevard Health First/HCA Florida Healthcare

Baby boy Milo Philip was born at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.

To celebrate Milos birth, the Central Florida Diaper Bank donated a years supply of diapers, about 3,600, to the family.

Baby boy Jose Umahag IV was born at AdventHealth Waterman at 12:08 a.m.

Baby girl Remi was born at 11:20 a.m. on New Years Day at the Birthing Center at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

Baby girl Remi was born at 11:20 a.m. on New Years Day at the Birthing Center at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

Santiago Alexander, the son of Laura and Santiago of Haines City, was born at 4:56 a.m. Monday at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital.

Santiago Alexander, the son of Laura and Santiago of Haines City, was born at 4:56 a.m. Monday at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital.

Santiago Alexander, the son of Laura and Santiago of Haines City, was born at 4:56 a.m. Monday at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital.

Amar, son of Yulissa and Shawn from Orlando, was born at 8:46 p.m. Monday at UCF Lake Nona Hospital.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge welcomes over 16 mln passengers in 2023

Xinhua) 08:20, January 03, 2024

The first batch of tourists visiting the eastern artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge pose for a photo in south China, Dec. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

GUANGZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 16.3 million inbound and outbound passengers and 3.26 million vehicles passed through Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in 2023, 1.29 times and 3.8 times that of 2019, respectively, official data shows.

Tour groups drove the main passenger flow last year via the bridge, the longest bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing in the world, according to the bridge's border inspection station on Tuesday.

Data shows that in 2023, more than 45,000 mainland tour groups traveled to and from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Macao SAR via the bridge. In the meantime, residents in Hong Kong and Macao paid a record high of almost 10 million visits to the mainland via the bridge.

In 2023, the highest single-day passenger flow via the bridge reached 115,000, hitting a new high since the bridge entered into operation, noted a staffer at the station.

The 55-km HZMB links China's Hong Kong SAR, the city of Zhuhai in the southern Guangdong Province, and Macao SAR. It has brought tremendous opportunities and benefits to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Igor Trifonov, a convicted criminal and the former head of the Yekaterinburg branch of Russia's Interior Ministry, was killed fighting in Ukraine, Russian state-controlled media Kommersant wrote on Jan. 3, citing Trifonov's lawyer.

Trifonov, who served as the head of the Yekaterinburg branch of Russia's Interior Ministry from 2011-2017, was convicted on bribery and weapons charges in 2022. He was then sentenced to nine years and four months in prison.

Local media reported that Trifonov wanted to prove his innocence and fight for Russia, and eventually was able to secure a contract with the Russian military at the end of 2023.

Trifonov was killed shortly after arriving at the front, the report said, without providing further details on how he was killed.

In 2022, Russian authorities allowed the Wagner mercenary group to recruit prisoners in Russian jails, a practice which has since been taken up by Russia's Defense Ministry. As per the contracts signed to enlist, convicts are usually offered an official pardon in exchange for the completion of military service.

The U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in October 2023 that Russia mostly continues to rely heavily on so-called "Storm-Z" units, staffed by both convicts and regular troops on disciplinary charges, for local offensive operations in Ukraine.

Such units are often used as cannon fodder and suffer high casualties.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russias latest large-scale air attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv kill 5, injure 130

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
JONES, Okla. (KFOR)  A former Jones assistant city clerk is accused of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars while on the job.

An arrest warrant has now been issued for Pamela Lucas.

Woman arrested after leading Edmond police on chase in school maintenance truck

On Valentines Day in 2019, court papers show another assistant clerk saw a man pay Lucas in cash for a police citation. The next day, the clerk called and asked the man for his receipt.

The court documents explain that two receipts were issued. One to the man for $835 and one to the city for $350.

The assistant clerk told city clerk, Tammy Wallace, about the situation and Lucas was fired days later.

Thats when the town of Jones got the Oklahoma State Auditor involved.

We found that $59,000 were posted as received but not deposited in the cities bank account. This was a little alarming, said Cindy Byrd, the state auditor.

Enthusiasts prep for upcoming Eagle Watch events

According to investigators, two years after she was let go, Lucas confessed to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation during a voluntary interview. In that interview she told agents unfortunately, I did it.

The documents further show in the interview, Lucas admitted to taking between $100 and $500 two to three times per week, spending the stolen money at the casino for stress relief.

A year later, Lucas allegedly confessed to OSBI again.

This time, she said she was unsure if she deposited money from the city to her bank accounts. However, more questions remain.

According to the State Auditors findings between January 2016 and December 2019, town deposits were short. Of the nearly $60,000 of unposted payments, $38,000 happened while Lucas was employed, the other $21,000 happened after Lucas was fired.

My official recommendation would be that there are questions unanswered here that are still unanswered about this $21,000 and there needs to more investigation as to where this money went, said Byrd.

Peace of mind: New app wants to bridge gap between people and police

The town of Jones released a statement late Tuesday afternoon saying they have new precautions put in place and are working with law enforcement on the situation.

Their full release is below.

OSBI is hosting a press conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. to talk further on the investigation. News 4 will be there.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
A Kentucky official who barred two LGBT+ men from obtaining a marriage licence has been ordered by a federal judge to pay them $260,084 in legal fees and expenses in their lawsuit against her.

Kim Davis first began denying same-sex couples marriage licences in 2015, shortly after the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples could marry. The two men, David Ermold and David Moore, were one of the couples Ms Davis refused.

They subsequently filed a lawsuit against her in July of that year. US District Judge David L Bunning issued the ruling awarding the couple $246,026 in attorney fees and $14,058 in expenses.

Ms Davis must also pay the couple $100,000 damages, a jury determined in September, following a three-day trial. Its thought that attorneys for the former country clerk will appeal the decision.

Ms Davis spent time in jail in 2015 after she began refusing to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, a decision she tried to justify through her religious beliefs. She previously said that issuing the licences would violate Gods definition of marriage.

Judge Bunning, who also ordered Ms Davis to spend time in jail, said he would not release her until she began issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples. He warned her staff that if they did not follow suit, they, too, would be subjected to jail time.

Following the US Supreme Court ruling, the Kentucky state legislature passed a law removing the names of county clerks from marriage licences.
Former NATO chief James Stavridis urged the Biden administration to move toward a more aggressive response to the attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

What I think the White House is going to be grappling with today, in addition to what you and I have just discussed, is how to respond to these pirate attacks at sea, these Houthi rebels  you can call them Iranian pirates if you want, Stavridis told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday.

The Houthi rebels have launched several attacks on merchant ships and vessels since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. Stavridis said the rebels are effectively shutting down the Red Sea, where 15 percent of the worlds supply chain travels.

The United States, along with several allies, warned Houthi rebels against further attacks on ships in the Red Sea, labeling the recent attacks as illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing.

The White House, I think, is going to have to move toward a response thats more aggressive against the Houthis ashore. That means going after an Iranian proxy that is going to inflate tension, he said.

Stavridiss warning came after the U.S. sank three small Houthi boats early Sunday following another attack. He said the sinking was an entirely appropriate response, but to really get the attention of Tehran, its going to require strikes ashore against Houthi land infrastructure, fuel depots, docks.

The former NATO chief, who has warned of escalation between the U.S. and Iran since October, said he thinks that chances of a regional war are increasing.

At least 73 people were killed and another 170 were injured Wednesday in Iran during a ceremony marking the death of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by the U.S. in 2020. Stavridis said it does not feel like an Israeli operation and would guess it could be the work of the Islamic State or even internal resistance but at this time there are number of explanations.

It just doesnt feel like the Israelis to me, but its all part of this larger fabric of violence thats spreading across the region, and simply the fact that that explosion occurred, when you add to it whats happening in the Red Sea with the  Iranian-backed piracy, add that to whats happening ashore in Gaza, of course, the attacks on U.S. forces, Stavridis said.

I have to say that the chances of a wider regional war feel to me like theyre ticking up from maybe 10 to 15 percent two months ago to something like 25 to 30 percent now. Thats very uncomfortable, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
As federal officials considered how the government should respond to an emerging pandemic in 2020, Francis Collins recalled last year, "we weren't really considering the consequences" of extreme measures such as business shutdowns, school closures, and stay-at-home orders. It was a startling admission from Collins, who played a major role in those conversations as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Collins, whose July 2023 comments recently attracted online attention, confessed that "public health people" made a "really unfortunate" mistake by ignoring the devastating side effects of the interventions they believed were necessary to curtail COVID-19 transmission. That mistake carries important lessons not just for future responses to communicable diseases but also for a wide range of public policies that inflict harm in the name of saving lives.

Collins, who ran the NIH from 2009 to 2021, was speaking at a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, conference sponsored by Braver Angels, an organization that aims to "bridge the political divide" by encouraging civil discussion between people with different ideologies and partisan allegiances. During a session with Wilk Wilkinson, a Minnesota trucking manager and podcast host who is sharply critical of the political reaction to COVID-19, Collins tried to explain the perspective of the scientists who shaped that response.

"If you're a public health person," he said, "you have this very narrow view of what the right decision is, and that is something that will save a life. [It] doesn't matter what else happens."

That seemingly noble impulse, Collins noted, encouraged public health specialists to overlook the unintended but foreseeable costs of the policies they recommended. "You attach infinite value to stopping the disease and saving a life," he said. "You attach a zero value to whether this actually totally disrupts people's lives, ruins the economy, and has many kids kept out of school in a way that they never might quite recover from."

The folly of attaching "infinite value" to a life saved by government regulation should be obvious. Economists and regulators, after all, routinely and rightly seek to balance the costs of new rules against their expected benefits, a calculation that entails estimating the "value of a statistical life."

If that value were infinite, it would justify any policy that promises to save lives, regardless of the cost. A universal speed limit of 25 miles per hour (or, more ambitiously, a ban on automobiles) would reduce traffic deaths, for example, but at a cost that few of us would consider acceptable.

During the pandemic, the wisdom of weighing costs against benefits was not just forgotten but explicitly repudiated. Andrew Cuomo, then New York's governor, insisted that the goal was to "save lives, period, whatever it costs," because "we're not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable."

Although Collins portrays that attitude as characteristic of "public health people," there were dissenters even among experts who fell into that category. In October 2020, for example, three epidemiologistsHarvard's Martin Kulldorff, Oxford's Sunetra Gupta, and Stanford's Jay Bhattacharyaissued the Great Barrington Declaration, which recommended taking steps to protect people who were especially vulnerable to COVID-19 while allowing "those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally."

At the Braver Angels conference, Collins described Kulldorff et al. as "very distinguished." He was less respectful in an October 2020 email to White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci, saying "this proposal from the three fringe epidemiologists" demanded "a quick and devastating published take down of its premises."

During his exchange with Wilkinson, Collins explained that he was "deeply troubled" by the Great Barrington Declaration, which he viewed as reckless. "I regret that I used some terminology that I probably shouldn't," he said.

Collins also regrets that he and his colleagues paid insufficient attention to the "collateral damage" caused by restrictions on social, economic, and educational activity. "We probably needed to have that conversation more effectively," he said. Better late than never.

 Copyright 2024 by Creators Syndicate Inc.

The post Former NIH Director: Ignoring 'Collateral Damage' Inflicted by COVID-19 Policies Was 'Really Unfortunate' appeared first on Reason.com.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  A Montgomery County woman was taken into custody in Georgia Tuesday after being indicted last year following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Medicaid Fraud Control Division.

According to the TBI, after a referral from Adult Protective Services, special agents launched an investigation into an allegation that a certified nurse aide working at a Clarksville care facility failed to properly use a lift while trying to move a patient in March 2022. As a result, the resident  identified by officials as Patricia Oliver  fell and was seriously injured, ultimately leading to her death.

Georgia fugitive arrested in Mt. Juliet after traffic stop

Authorities said they determined Takesha Tucker was the nurse aide responsible for the incident.

In March 2023, the TBI said the Montgomery County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging Tucker with one count of criminally negligent homicide and one count of aggravated abuse of an elderly adult, so a warrant was issued for her arrest.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

About 10 months later, on Tuesday, Jan. 2, officials said Tucker was arrested during a Georgia traffic stop by the Kennesaw Police Department.

The 44-year-old was reportedly booked into the Cobb County Detention Facility, pending extradition back to Montgomery County.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Former Utah County Republican Party Chairman Stewart Peay announced his bid to represent Utahs 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday evening.

Peay is looking to replace outgoing Rep. John Curtis, who has held the seat since 2017. Peays announcement came on the coattails of the news that Curtis will run for the U.S. Senate for the seat currently held by Sen. Mitt Romney.

Former state Rep. Chris Herrod told the Deseret News in early December that he intended to run if Curtis decided to vie for the senate seat. State Sen. Mike Kennedy said hes formed an exploratory committee, as has founder and former CEO of CircusTrix Case Lawrence, according to KSL.com.

Others who have expressed interest in Curtis seat include Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr. and John Frugal Dougall. Other potential candidates include conservative activist Carolyn Phippen, Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner and former 2nd District candidate Bruce Hough.

Related

Peay is a lawyer who specializes in commercial litigation at a private firm. He served 12 years in the Utah Army National Guard including a yearlong tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The challenges that our country faces, both at home and abroad, must be dealt with now, Peay said in a press release. The Utah values on which I was raised  where hard work is rewarded and families are respected  need to be protected from Biden, Bernie and big government bureaucracy that seeks to change the character of a nation that has inspired generations.

Utahs 3rd Congressional District covers swaths of southern and eastern Utah. It includes the cities of Provo, Sandy and Orem.

In the press release, Peay cited his experience as chairman of the Utah County Republican Party saying that Peay and his team carried out a successful convention and led the charge in Utah County to take back CD-4 from Democrat control.

As a longtime resident of this district and lifelong resident of Utah, we embody true American principles better than any district in this country, Peay said. Now more than ever, we need conservative leadership in Congress to ensure American strength and independence, individual liberty and middle class prosperity.
Latvian president Edgars Rinkevics identified the construction of a fortified eastern border with Belarus and Russia as one of the country's top priorities, he told LTV TV, reported Delfi.

The eastern border requires the strengthening of military infrastructure, as the fence is intended to prevent hybrid threats and may not be sufficient to protect the country from more serious military threats.

112 kilometers of fencing were constructed in dry areas along the Latvia-Belarus border in 2023.

Read also: Latvia to deport 1,213 Russian citizens who did not apply for residency

In 2024, the country plans to enhance the infrastructure along the fence and complete work on sections in state waters, where a 33.5-kilometer patrol zone will be established.

Deforestation has already begun in these areas, allowing for accelerated fence construction. The fencing in these sections is expected to be completed by July of 2024.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A founding member of a 1980s California-based experimental band was arrested Tuesday in connection to the slaying of his girlfriend who disappeared early last month.

Theobald "Theo" Lengyel, 54, who once performed with the band Mr. Bungle, was booked into the Santa Cruz County jail on a first-degree murder charge in connection to the suspected death of 61-year-old Alice "Alyx" Kamakaokalani, the Capitola Police Department reported.

Kamakaokalani, who lived in Capitola  a small, seaside town in Santa Cruz County was last seen on Dec. 3, 2023, prompting a missing person investigation nine days later, police Chief Andrew Dally told USA TODAY Wednesday.

Theobold "Theo" Lengyel, 54, who once performed with the band Mr. Bungle, was booked into the Santa Cruz County jail on a murder charge ion Jan. 2, 2023, in connection to the death of 61-year-old Alice "Alyx" Kamakaokalani, the Capitola Police Department reported. Kamakaokalani, who lived in Capitola  a small, seaside town in Santa Cruz was last seen on Dec. 3, 2023, prompting a missing person investiga

Dally said his agency, with assistance from the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office, arrested Lengyel Tuesday after an investigation led detectives in a wooded area within Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley where they discovered human remains.

Capitola is about 80 miles south of Berkeley, a city in Alameda County located in San Francisco's Bay Area.

Police did not say how the person died or where they believe they were killed, but said they believe the unidentified remains were Kamakaokalani's.

The identification of the human remains and their cause of death is pending DNA confirmation from the Contra County Coroners Office, police reported.

Jackson Mahomes sexual battery case: Prosecutors ask judge to dismiss several charges against Jackson Mahomes

'It became clear foul play was involved'

It was not immediately known who reported her missing but Capitola police, in conjunction with the El Cerrito Police Department, initiated an investigation into her disappearance on Dec. 12

Following a weeks-long investigation, "it became clear that foul play was involved, leading to the identification" of Lengyel as a suspect, Dally said.

Wisconsin domestic slaying: Ex-boyfriend of missing St. Louis woman admits to her murder after Wisconsin arrest: Police

Motive not immediately known

Dally did not elaborate and police have not released a motive in the killing.

Santa County Sheriff's Office records show Lengyel remained jailed without bond on Wednesday.

It was not immediately known if he had obtained an attorney.

Police said the case remained open and under investigation.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mr. Bungle founding member Theo Lengyel arrested on murder charge
KAMPALA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least two soldiers and a civilian were killed after a Ugandan military helicopter en route for operations against Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) crashed in Uganda's western district of Ntoroko on Tuesday, a military spokesperson said.

Felix Kulayigye, Uganda's defense spokesperson, said in a statement issued in the national capital of Kampala late Tuesday that two army crew members of the rank of lieutenant and a civilian whose house was crashed into by the Mi-28 gunship died in the general areas of Karugutu, Ntoroko District, at about 2:00 p.m. local time.

"The crew died (as) heroes as they participated in the struggle to pacify our western frontier of the dreadful ADF terrorists," said Kulayigye.

The Ugandan and DRC military are fighting ADF rebels in eastern DRC, with operations involving air force attack planes, helicopters, and ground troops.

"Experts shall investigate the details of the accident. Identities of the crew shall be made available after informing the next of kin. We commiserate with their families at this very difficult moment," said Kulayigye.

The military said in an earlier statement that the crash was purely accidental. 
NEW YORK  Longtime Fox News host Sean Hannity has left New York for Florida.

The 62-year-old pundit announced Tuesday he was broadcasting from [his] new home, the great free state of Florida.

Hannity, a Long Island native who started at Fox News in 1996, cited warm weather, the lack of a state income tax, law and order, and more freedom as reasons for his decampment.

While Hannity didnt say exactly where his show is now based, he reportedly purchased a $5.3 million townhouse in Palm Beach  very close to former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate  in 2021.

The right-wing pundit shares a close relationship Trump, which includes advocating for him on TV and radio as well as joining him on the campaign trail.

However, Hannity admitted in a sworn deposition that he knew conspiracy theories being pushed by Fox News about rigged voting machines, which they claimed led to Trumps defeat in the 2020 presidential election, were untrue. The network paid nearly $900 million to settle a lawsuit with one of the technology companies it falsely blamed and currently still faces litigation with another.

Palm Springs is a conservative stronghold in South Florida. Right-wing broadcaster Rush Limbaugh lived there until his 2021 death. Former Fox News boss Roger Ailes also died there in 2017.

The Weather Channel forecasted a Wednesday high of 43 degrees in Midtown, where Fox News is headquartered. The mercury meanwhile hit 72 in South Florida Wednesday.
France is committed to producing more weapons in Ukraine, not just donating or purchasing them.

Source: French Ambassador Gael Veyssiere in an interview on Franceinfo

Quote: "French support for the supply of military equipment is, of course, continuing. It will gradually change its nature, as the goal is to produce more weapons in Ukraine, rather than proceeding solely through donations or purchases."

Details: After assuring that Paris' support for Kyiv in the supply of military equipment will continue, Veyssiere added that it will take some time to transition from one strategy to another.

"What's more, this vision is supported politically, notably by (Foreign Minister) Catherine Colonna, who regularly visits Ukraine, having already made five visits to the country," Veyssiere said.

Veyssiere said that the foreign minister's visit to Ukraine is currently being prepared, answering the question of whether French President Emmanuel Macron plans to visit his counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We are currently working on the sixth visit of Catherine Colonna, which will take place in the next few days. I can't tell you the date yet, but it will be in the next few days. And, of course, we are also working on other visits. The most important thing is to demonstrate France's closeness and solidarity on a daily basis," Veyssiere said.

Background:

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HOPKINTON  A 19-year-old Franklin woman died Tuesday afternoon after a single-car crash on Interstate 495 in Hopkinton.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the 1:10 p.m. crash, according to a Massachusetts State Police press release. Authorities later identified the victim as Allison Kane.

The crash occurred on I-495 northbound near mile marker 55.2, police said. When troopers arrived, they found a 2012 Nissan Altima on fire in the center median, according to the release.

The Hopkinton Fire Department extinguished the fire and found Kane inside the vehicle.

Emergency workers remained at the scene until about 6 p.m.

The crash is being investigated by the state police's collision analysis and reconstruction unit and crime scene services, as well as detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's office, MassDOT and the state Medical Examiner's office.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Franklin woman, 19, dies in single-car crash on I-495 in Hopkinton
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Health departments around West Michigan are offering free radon test kits in January, which is National Radon Action Month.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, can seep into old and new homes alike through cracks in the foundation and walls. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and kills about 21,000 people annually. You cannot see, smell or taste radon, so you must use a test kit to find it.

Health officials say homes should be tested every two to three years.

The kit is easy to use. Simply hang a filter inside your house for a few days and then send it in a self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope for testing, Kent County Health Department supervising sanitarian Russell Flewelling explained in a statement.

The kit will head off to a lab, which will deliver your results.

Online: EGLE Michiagn indoor radon results map

You can get a free testing kit  on per household  from the Kent County Health Department during regular business hours at:

The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department is handing out kits at 311 E. Alcott Street in Kalamazoo.

The Berrien County Health Department is giving out test kits at:

The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has test kits at each of its county offices:

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A dense fog has moved into the Kansas City area Wednesday morning, bringing the chanced for slick roads across in the metro.

The National Weather Service in Kansas City has issued a dense fog advisory that will remain in effect until noon for the Kansas City metro, as well as portions of east-central and northeast Kansas and north-central, northwest and west-central Missouri.

Hazardous driving conditions are possible due to low visibilities.

With temperatures below freezing, freezing fog and a visibility of .25 of a mile were being reported at Kansas City International Airport, which has the airport code of MCI.

The Missouri State Highway Patrols Troop A posted a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing foggy conditions in the Kansas City area and asking if drivers had their lights on.

Current driving conditions in parts of Troop A #fog #mowx

Are your lights really on?!?

Do this  to be sure! pic.twitter.com/Iu1mwwMZfH  MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) January 3, 2024

Visibilities should begin to improve late Wednesday morning, although low, gray clouds may linger through the afternoon and evening, the weather service said in its forecast discussion.

Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 30s to lower 40s on Wednesday and Thursday. The temperature is normally 39 degrees this time of year in Kansas City.

Brewing winter storm systems threaten to bring snow to the Kansas City area in the coming days.

The first chance of snow will come at the end of the work week as a storm system enters the Kansas City area Friday. The wintry precipitation will begin as rain and then transition into a light snow as cooler air moves in Friday night into Saturday.

Accumulations of both rain and snow are expected to be light, with a 90% chance of less than one inch of snow, the weather service said. The snow, however, could cause slick spots on area highways and create periods of lower visibility.

A second winter storm system is expected early next week in the central United States. The system is expected to arrive in the Kansas City area on Monday and leave on Tuesday, the weather service said.

This storm could begin with rain, followed by a rain and snow mix before it switches over to all snow, according to the weather service.

Accumulating snow is possible, however uncertainty remains to the amount. Conditions are not expected to be favorable for sleet or freezing rain to develop, but that could change in the coming days, the weather service said.

The weather service suggested people to monitor forecasts over the coming days.
France's Foreign Ministry commented on a Dec. 30 strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, saying at a press briefing on Jan. 3 that Russia, as the aggressor in the war, bears responsibility for civilian casualties on its own soil.

Moscow blamed Ukraine for the strike, claiming 24 people were killed and over 100 others were injured. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

"There is an aggressor state, Russia, which is carrying out a strategy of terror by deliberately striking essential civilian infrastructure, in violation of international humanitarian law, and an attacked state, Ukraine, which is acting in self-defense, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter," a representative of the French Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 3.

"Russia can put an end to this conflict and the human tragedies that accompany it, for which it bears full responsibility. To do this, it must withdraw all of its troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. This is the essential condition for restoring lasting peace and preserving an international order based on law."

The Dec. 30 strike on Belgorod, about 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, took place the day after Russia launched the largest air attack against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, reportedly killing over 5o people and wounding another 170.

Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces had carried out an alleged targeted attack against civilians in Belgorod and called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. However, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, Belgorod was hit by "several rockets and cluster parts from downed Vilkha missiles."

Several Ukrainian media outlets reported, citing anonymous sources in Ukraine's special services, that Ukrainian forces had launched an attack on military facilities in Belgorod in response to Russia's Dec. 29 massive attack on Ukraine.

Debris from the used weapons fell in the city center "due to the unprofessional actions of the Russian air defense," according to the sources.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify any of the claims above. Kyiv generally does not comment on reports of attacks and explosions on Russian soil.

During the Russia-initiated emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, U.S. official John Kelley said that "ordinary Russian civilians are also bearing the brunt of the Kremlin's brutal war."

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Jan. 1 vowed to intensify attacks on Ukraine in retaliation for the strike on Belgorod. Putin also claimed that Russia avoids attacking civilians, although each country's track record says the exact opposite.

Russia attacked Ukraine with at least 500 missiles and drones in just five days, killing and injuring dozens of civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 2.

Read also: Im in shock: Russias mass attack on Kyiv shatters lives and dreams

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Fresno businessman Kyle Kirkland announces he will run for the 20th Congressional District held by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Kirkland released the following statement:

I am excited by this opportunity to run for Congress and intend to work relentlessly for the privilege to represent the 20th District in Washington. My years of business experience have given me the tools and knowledge to address the high cost of living, the border crisis, irresponsible government, and the other issues that matter to Valley families. Ive spent the last decade giving back to our community, and Id be honored to continue that service and bring results-oriented change to Congress.

Kirkland says he is the President and owner of Club One Casino in Fresno, Chair of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, President of the California Gaming Association, and former owner and Chairman of Steinway Musical Instruments.

McCarthy announced his resignation in December.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com.
Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Akan Rakhmetullin (3rd R), France's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nicolas de Riviere (4th R), and permanent representatives to the United Nations of the five new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council attend a flag installation ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, on Jan. 2, 2024. Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia began their roles as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia began their roles as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

Their two-year term officially commenced on Monday. However, Tuesday is the first working day of the council for 2024, following the Christmas and New Year holiday break.

A flag installation ceremony was held to mark the start of their responsibilities.

The five newly elected members have replaced the non-permanent members of Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates for the 2024-2025 period.

The Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, Nicolas de Riviere, who has taken over the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of January, welcomed the news members to the Security Council.

"Sitting in the Security Council is both an honor and responsibility, especially at a time when regional crises are multiplying, particularly the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. We are looking forward to working with you for the two coming years, to implement the mandate of this council, preserving international peace and security, and to defend multilateralism respectful of the values of the UN Charter," the Security Council president said.

Guyana's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carloyn Rodrigues-Birkett, promised that Guyana will be one of the "leading voices" in the council to ensure that peace and security are maintained across the world.

The Security Council has 15 members, five of which -- Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States -- are permanent ones. The 10 non-permanent seats of the council are allocated by geographic region, with five replaced each year.

The Security Council is considered to be the most powerful body of the United Nations. The council, which is tasked to maintain international peace and security, can make legally binding decisions and has the power to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force against states. 

Guyana's permanent representative to the United Nations Carloyn Rodrigues-Birkett speaks at a flag installation ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, on Jan. 2, 2024. Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia began their roles as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Xie E)
The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that it was engaged in "intense fighting" in Khan Younis. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Gaza's Health Ministry on Wednesday said the death toll amid Israel's war with Hamas continued to climb as the Israeli military confirmed it was intensifying its attack in Khan Younis.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 128 people had been killed and 261 injured in the past 24 hours bringing the total death toll from Israeli military action in the Palestinian enclave to 22,313.

A total of 57,296 since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, the Hamas-run agency wrote in a post on social media

News of the steadily mounting human cost came as the Israel Defense Forces said it was engaged in fierce battles with Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Its forces were continuing "intense fighting and deepening the attack," the IDF said on X.

Smoke billows over Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza strip during Israeli bombardment on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 128 people had been killed and 261 injured in the past 24 hours bringing the total death toll from Israeli military action in the Palestinian enclave to 22,313. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI

In one incident, infantry of the Givatay Brigade Combat Team called in an airstrike that killed a Hamas fighter attempting to attach a bomb to an IDF tank, and three other militants nearby.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization condemned Israeli airstrikes that the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says killed at least five civilians Tuesday at the city's Al-Amal Hospital where thousands of displaced people are sheltering and badly damaged a PRCS training facility in the complex.

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he deplored Tuesday's "unconscionable" Israeli airstrikes on the Al-Amal Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis in which five civilians were killed. File Photo by World Health Organization/X

Saying he deplored the "unconscionable" attacks, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a post on X that hospitals, ambulances, health workers, and those seeking medical care must be protected, at all times, under international humanitarian law.

"My WHO and U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs colleagues undertook a mission to the facilities, where they witnessed extensive damage and displacement of civilians."

Ghebreyesus said many of the 14,000 people sheltering at the hospital had fled since the attacks and those left behind were "extremely fearful for their safety" and making plans to leave.

"Today's bombardments are unconscionable. Gaza's health system is already on its knees, with health and aid workers continuously stymied in their efforts to save lives due to the hostilities."

In Israel, ministers on the far-right of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition hit back at U.S. criticism of their controversial calls for Palestinians to be re-settled overseas, telling Washington to stay out of Israel's affairs and doubling down on their message.

"Really appreciate the United States of America but with all due respect we are not another star on the American flag," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X.

"The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: The migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the residents of the enclave to return home and live in security and protect the IDF soldiers."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism Party, reiterated his claim that "voluntary emigration of Gaza Arabs and their absorption in other countries" was a humanitarian solution supported by "more than 70% of the Israeli public today."

"A small country like ours cannot afford a reality where four minutes away from our communities there is a hotbed of hatred and terrorism, where two million people wake up every morning with aspiration for the destruction of the State of Israel and with a desire to slaughter and rape and murder Jews wherever they are," Smotrich wrote in a statement.

"We are required to rethink and share [ideas] with our friends in the international community that will bring peace, security and prosperity to all the peoples of the region," he says.

On Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called out both cabinet members condemning their comments as "inflammatory and irresponsible" rhetoric.

"We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the government of Israel, including by the prime minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government," Miller said in a statement.
A humanitarian crisis is growing In Gaza, amid shortages of food and clean water - Abed Zagout/Anadolu/Getty Images

Gazans could be relocated to Congo at the end of Israels war against Hamas under a voluntary migration scheme.

Benjamin Netanyahus government is reportedly conducting secret talks in which he is seeking to have Congo and other nations accept thousands of immigrants.

Congo will be willing to take in migrants, and were in talks with others, a senior source in the security cabinet told news site Zman Israel.

The news report said that Gazan migration was becoming the leading policy of the government as a solution to the conflict.

In Gaza, a humanitarian crisis is growing amid shortages of supplies, including food and clean water. What will happen to the enclave at the end of the fighting remains unclear.

Gazan migration is becoming the leading policy of Benjamin Netanyahus government, according to one report - Saleh Salem/REUTERS

Congo has high levels of inequality and 52.5 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Mr Netanyahu told a Likud faction meeting last week that he was working towards facilitating the voluntary migration of Gazans.

Our problem is [finding] countries that are willing to absorb Gazans, and we are working on it, the prime minister said.

The comments were made in response to Danny Danon, a member of the Israeli Knesset, who claimed that the world is already discussing the possibilities of voluntary immigration.

The far-Right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties, led by Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, have voiced their support.

Backers for migration have emerged from Mr Netanyahus Likud party.

Gila Gamliel, the intelligence minister for Likud, said the Gaza problem is not just our problem - Artur Widak/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Gila Gamliel, the intelligence minister, told Zman Israel on Tuesday that voluntary migration is the best and most realistic programme for the day after the fighting ends.

Ms Gamliel said during a conference held in the Knesset that, at the end of the war, Hamas rule will collapse, leaving the population entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.

World should support humanitarian emigration

The Gaza problem is not just our problem, she said. The world should support humanitarian emigration because thats the only solution I know.

The international community, including the United States, has rejected the possibility of the expulsion of Gazans.

Responding to the US criticism of the proposal to relocate Gazans, Mr Ben-Gvir said: The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the [Israeli] residents of the envelope to return home and live in security and will protect the IDF [Israel] soldiers.

Provocative declarations

On Wednesday, France condemned the calls for Gazans to emigrate so Jewish settlers can return.

France condemns the comments of Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the French foreign ministry said.

We call on Israel to refrain from such provocative declarations, which are irresponsible and fuel tensions.

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.
General Sir Frank Kitson, who has died aged 97, won two Military Crosses during his service in Kenya and Malaya, and went on to serve in Cyprus, Oman and Ulster; he was regarded as one of the most capable and controversial soldiers of his generation, and his expertise in counter-insurgency operations was probably unrivalled.

Frank Edward Kitson was born in London on December 15 1926 and educated at Stowe. His father, Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Kitson, had captained the battleship Rodney, and in choosing to go into the Army rather than the Navy, Frank broke a father-to-son tradition of more than 200 years.

Kitson joined the Rifle Brigade in 1945 and, after 18 months in England, went to BAOR for the next seven years. He was then posted to Kenya during the Emergency. He had seen a photograph of Jomo Kenyatta, who was supposed to be the Mau Mau leader, dressed in an animal skin and carrying a spear  and so, as he said later, he had a distorted picture of the rebellion from the start.

Kitson, left, attempts to arrange a ceasefire with Turkish Cypriot leaders in 1968 - AP

He had read about the massacre at Lari, and the Mau Mau, in his mind, were associated with all that was foul and terrible in primitive savagery. The British, who had ruled the colony for half a century, he was to write later, had dispelled the fears that formerly came from raiders, slavers and disease, but the fear of magic was still a powerful force and the witch-doctors sat in the middle of a web of superstition that bound the whole tribe to an unseen world of spirits, omens, curses and blood.

Official estimates of the number of Mau Mau terrorists put the total at between 10-15,000, with no central authority but separate spheres of influence in Mount Kenya, the Aberdares, and around Nairobi. Kitson, as a District Military Intelligence Officer, was allotted the District of Kiambu and attached to the Special Branch of the police there.

He had no training in intelligence gathering, no language other than English, and three assistants, one of whom was part-time, to help him. His hours were so irregular that he found it impossible to live with the Army and rented an old mud-and-wattle house.

Kitson in 1980, having been appointed KCB - PA/Alamy

A year later, he was promoted to major and became Provincial Military Intelligence Officer for the Nairobi Area, in command of some 20 officers and sergeants and about 200 loyal Africans and former terrorists. Considerable success was achieved by collecting information on the enemys habits, supply systems, weapons and organisations, and turning round terrorists to form pseudo-gangs to exploit the intelligence. Kitson was awarded the first of his MCs in 1955.

He moved to Malaya in 1957 and commanded S Company 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade, which had an operational role covering 600 square miles of jungle, swamp and rubber plantations in the state of Johore. During this period, he and his men virtually eliminated two Communist Party groups. He was awarded a Bar to his MC; the citation paid tribute to the almost uncanny skill with which he conducted these operations.

In June 1958, six months after returning from Malaya, Kitson moved to the Military Operations branch of the War Office. When the Sultan of Oman called for military assistance in dealing with a campaign by disaffected rebel tribesmen, he played a leading role in formulating the plan which led to the successful assault on the 10,000ft-high Jebel Akhdar and the crushing of the rebellion.

Kitson, right, in 1983 with Queen Elizabeth II and, l-r, Lieutenant-General Edward Burgess and Major-General Patrick Palmer - PA/Alamy

After a year instructing at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, in 1962 Kitson rejoined his unit in Cyprus as second-in-command. Renamed 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade, it was closely involved in peace-keeping operations between the warring Greek and Turkish factions. For some weeks before his battalion returned to England, he was principal intelligence staff officer to Major-General Michael Carver, the Force Commander.

He worked at the MoD for two years before returning to Cyprus in 1967, taking command of the 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets, part of the United Nations Force. In 1969 he was awarded a Defence Fellowship and took up residence at University College, Oxford.

Promoted to brigadier, he took command of 39th Air Portable Infantry Brigade in Belfast in 1970. He took a firm grip on the divided city, taking down the barricades and sending his men into the former no-go areas. He was appointed CBE for gallantry. In retirement, he gave evidence to the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday.

With the scenes at Saltley Coke Depot in the Midlands during the pit strike in 1972 fresh in peoples minds, his book, Low Intensity Operations, alarmed some Labour MPs, who feared that his philosophies could lead to the involvement of troops in industrial situations and provide a blueprint for the suppression by the Army of internal dissent in Britain.

Kitson is briefed at British HQ in Beirut in 1983 by Col Gordon Ferguson - Don Mell/AP

After serving as Commandant of the School of Infantry, Warminster, in 1976 he became GOC 2nd Armoured Division. He was then Commandant of the Staff College before being appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief UK Land Forces and Inspector-General, TA. He was C-in-C UK Land Forces from 1982 to 1985, when he retired from the Army.

Kitson was short in stature and sometimes rather brusque in manner, but his formidable personality and sardonic sense of humour impressed all who came into contact with him. He had a penetrating mind and delighted in demolishing time-honoured military shibboleths.

He was ADC General to the Queen from 1983 to 1985, Colonel Commandant 2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets from 1979 to 1987 and Honorary Colonel Oxford University OTC (1982-1987). Knighted in 1980 and appointed GBE in 1985, he became a Deputy Lieutenant of Devon in 1989.

Kitson published Gangs and Counter-gangs (1960), Low Intensity Operations: Subversion, Insurgency and Peacekeeping (1971), Bunch of Five (1977), Prince Rupert: Admiral and General-at-sea (1998), and Old Ironsides: The Military Biography of Oliver Cromwell (2004).

He married, in 1962, Elizabeth Spencer. She survives him with their three daughters.

General Sir Frank Kitson, born December 15 1926, died January 2 2024

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Shops are closed during a general strike in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority announced a general strike for 03 January in protest against the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri in Beirut the previous day. Mamoun Wazwaz/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Following the killing of top Hamas leader in Lebanon, schools, universities, banks, restaurants and government offices in the West Bank were closed on Wednesday due to a general strike.

The Israeli army was also continuing its raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm city in the north-western West Bank.

Demonstrations and confrontations with Israel's army in the Palestinian territory were called for Wednesday afternoon according to Israeli media reports. The military reportedly carried out raids in several locations there overnight.

The deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, Saleh al-Aruri, was killed in an explosion in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday evening. This makes him the highest-ranking Hamas leader to have been deliberately killed during the Gaza war.

Suspicions quickly arose that this could be a targeted killing - possibly by Israel's army or on Israel's behalf. Israel's military did not comment on the reports when asked. Following the suspected drone strike, Palestinians protested on Tuesday evening in Al-Aruri's home village of Arura, north of Ramallah, as well as in Ramallah itself.

Al-Aruri's mother and sister told the Qatar-based TV channel Al Jazeera that they had been expecting his killing for a long time.

During a raid in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank, the army said it had arrested six wanted Palestinians and questioned dozens more. Terrorists had hurled explosive devices at the soldiers, the army said. It responded with a drone attack.

The operation was still ongoing on Wednesday afternoon. Soldiers detained four wanted suspects in Kalkia. According to Palestinian reports, three people were injured by gunfire there. The army also confiscated military equipment in both locations, it added.

It was initially unclear whether the military operations were connected to the killing of al-Aruri. The army regularly carries out raids in the West Bank, even more so since the start of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre on October 7.

According to Israeli security forces, 2,570 suspects have been arrested there since then, 1,300 of whom have links to Hamas.

Shops are closed during a general strike in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority announced a general strike for 03 January in protest against the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri in Beirut the previous day. Mamoun Wazwaz/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Scott McSpadden and Tanya Momot were jailed for the first time last month despite having 60 convictions for theft between them - TRIANGLE NEWS

Shoplifters have no excuse to steal because the UKs benefits system is so generous, the policing minister has said.

Amid a record rise in shoplifting that has been linked to the cost of living, Chris Philp said that was no excuse at all for people to turn to crime given the Government spending well over 100 billion on the benefits system.

In an interview with Sky News he said: We have a very generous benefits system. We are spending well over 100 billion a year on working age benefits. They went up by 10 per cent in April this year. They are going up by another six or seven per cent in April.

The national minimum wage is going to go up by 10 per cent. There is no excuse at all for any criminal activity including shoplifting.

His comments come after a prolific shoplifting couple with more than 60 convictions for theft have been jailed for the first time after terrorising the market town of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.

Scott McSpadden and Tanya Momot, who are already banned from entering shops together, stole hundreds of pounds worth of alcohol and hair straighteners from two major stores. They have now been jailed for a total of 44 weeks.

Retailers say that shoplifting is now so widespread that it is adding 6p to every store transaction by customers owing to the cost of the 1 billion stolen each year and the extra 700 million being spent by retailers on security measures.

Police will only send an officer to investigate shop lifting if there has been a threat of violence - TRIANGLE NEWS

The Office for National Statistics data shows that the rate of increase in shoplifting is accelerating every quarter. In the three months to June, there were 105,230 cases recorded by police  equivalent to 1,200 a day, the highest on record.

It is more than double the rate during the pandemic, when it fell to 54,125 in the first quarter of 2020/21. It is even higher than the last peak for shoplifting in the first quarter of 2018/19 when there were 98,606 offences.

Katy Bourne, the police and crime commissioner for Sussex and national lead on business crime, said some police forces had failed to take shoplifting as seriously as they should.

Thats why this type of crime has been allowed to proliferate and get worse because people think they can get away with it, she said.

Even while shoplifting has increased, the proportion of offences resulting in a charge has fallen to just 14 per cent, down from 29.7 per cent five years ago.

No fear of arrest

In recent years, police forces have stopped attending reports of routine shop theft, and will only send an officer to investigate if there has been a threat of violence against a member of staff.

Even if shoplifters are caught, a change in the law in 2014 means those charged with the theft of goods below 200 no longer have to attend court, and often escape with a small fine or out of court disposal.

As a result many shopkeepers claim they have been left at the mercy of persistent thieves who act with virtual impunity without fear of arrest.

Under an agreement announced last October, police will attend shoplifting incidents if there is violence against a store worker, a suspected thief is detained or officers are needed to secure evidence. Police chiefs said it was not realistic for officers to respond to every shoplifting incident

The police action plan will instead encourage retailers to send in CCTV pictures of all shoplifting suspects which officers will check against the police national databases 20 million images using facial recognition technology.

Ministers claim this will exponentially increase the chances of catching shoplifters and identifying prolific offenders who will be specially targeted.

They are also looking to check images against the passport database of more than 50 million people which is currently only used for identifying high harm suspects in crimes like murder.

Police chiefs have pledged to follow up on any evidence that could reasonably lead to catch perpetrators. Hotspot patrols will be stepped up in the areas hardest hit by shoplifting.

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A woman takes photos of the flooding of the Glan in Altenglan-Patersbach in the morning. Harald Tittel/dpa

German experts are urging a reassessment of flood protection strategies as the situation in parts of the country remained critical on Wednesday.

"In the course of climate change, where flood processes will change, we will certainly see other types of floods in future," said Ralf Merz, hydrologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Halle.He made his comments on Deutschlandfunk radio on Wednesday morning.

"Such long flood events will certainly occur more often," he said.

Thousands of volunteers have been working across Germany for days. The states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are particularly affected.

The German Weather Service (DWD) predicted heavy rainfall in Lower Saxony until Thursday and in Thuringia until Friday.

After a night of heavy rain and strong winds, the flood situation in parts of Lower Saxony and Bremen is critical on Wednesday.

Many rivers are still reporting level 3, which means that there is a risk of major flooding, an overview by the Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation showed.

Much of the damage could have been avoided, said Merz, the hydrologist. Consideration should be given to whether the current flood defences still work, he said.

"Maybe what we have learnt from the past is not always a good measure for the future."

He pointed out, for example, that there are now far fewer natural floodplains. Merz acknowledged that "we will never have 100% flood protection. It is not financially or technically feasible and the landscape cannot be retrofitted."

An aerial view taken by a drone shows a flooded farm. According to the forecasts of the German Weather Service (DWD), heavy rain is expected to continue, so the situation remains tense. Sina Schuldt/dpa
BRASILIA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promulgated the 2024 Budgetary Guidelines Law on Sunday, which calls for a zero primary deficit target in public spending.

The law was published in Tuesday's edition of the Government Gazette, outlining the framework for the year's budget, including revenue forecasts and limits on public spending.

Brazil's public spending has recorded successive primary deficits since 2014.

The law also establishes guidelines for legislative amendments and imposes a cap on the 2024 Electoral Fund.

The president vetoed a legislative timetable set by Congress to implement amendments that seek to increase the congressional body's say over public spending. He also vetoed superfluous expenses that were included as budget items. 
JAKARTA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway (HSR), the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, carried a total of 220,227 passengers in 576 trips during a 12-day year-end holiday from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2, an official said Wednesday.

Eva Chairunisa, General Manager Corporate Secretary of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia (KCIC), said in a press release that the number is 33 percent higher than that from early December till the start of the holiday season.

"In general, the average daily passengers during the Christmas and New Year holiday reached 19,000 to 20,000," Chairunisa said, adding that the highest number of departures occurred on Dec. 26 with 21,188 passengers, followed by Dec. 23 with 21,151 passengers.

The Chinese-built HSR, locally called Whoosh, began its commercial operation in October 2023. Since then up to Dec. 26, the HSR had handled over 1 million passenger trips. With a design speed of 350 km per hour, it connects Jakarta's Halim station to Tegalluar station in Indonesia's fourth largest city Bandung, West Java province.

Chairunisa said the increase in passenger numbers was driven by increasing demand from people who wanted to try Whoosh to enjoy their year-end holidays. The increase in demand was then met by adding schedules of up to 48 trips per day by the PT KCIC. Despite the surge in passengers, all trips ran smoothly without significant obstacles and unwanted events, she added.

The HSR has made Bandung easily accessible from Jakarta, offering more options for travelers, commuters and families living apart, as well as boosting local tourism and unleashing new opportunities.

"This success is the result of cooperation and collaboration of all parties in providing the best service to passengers. Going forward, we will continue to improve the quality of service so that Whoosh remains people's favorite mode of transportation," she said. 
WASHINGTON  Pushing to make border security a central issue in 2024, Speaker Mike Johnson and dozens of House Republicans headed to the southern border in Texas on Wednesday to draw attention to record migrant crossings and bash the Biden administrations enforcement of immigration laws.

"Last month alone, we saw the most illegal crossings in recorded history. It is an unmitigated disaster, a catastrophe. And what's more tragic is that it's a disaster of the president's own design," Johnson, R-La., said at a news conference in Eagle Pass, Texas, where he was flanked by more than 60 GOP lawmakers.

The town has become a symbol of the need for immigration reform after images of hundreds of migrants amassing at the border circulated in the media.

"Under President Biden, America has laid out a welcome mat to illegal immigrants, smugglers and cartels," the speaker continued. "He is responsible for the grave threat to our national security and our nation's sovereignty that these policies have created."

Image: Mike Johnson (Eric Gay / AP)

The visit comes as House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said Wednesday that his panel will officially begin its effort next week to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for failing to secure the border  though there's no guarantee Republicans will have enough votes to impeach him on the floor.

Green said the first impeachment hearing, titled Havoc in the Heartland: How Secretary Mayorkas Failed Leadership Has Impacted the States, will take place on Jan. 10, the same week lawmakers return from their holiday break.

"The greatest domestic threat to the national security and the safety of the American people is Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas," Green said in Eagle Pass. "He, through his policies, has defied and subverted the laws passed by the United States Congress. He has defied multiple court orders. He has lied numerous times to the United States Congress. ... He has broken his oath to defend this country."

The chairmans decision to press forward with impeachment follows the panel's nearly yearlong investigation into Mayorkas and the border, culminating in a fifth and final interim report released on Dec. 21.

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, one of Donald Trumps most loyal allies on Capitol Hill, had unsuccessfully pushed to impeach Mayorkas multiple times. On Nov. 13, the House voted to refer her latest impeachment resolution against Mayorkas to the Homeland Security panel.

Mia Ehrenberg, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, slammed the GOP's impeachment push as a "baseless political exercise" and "a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities."

Addressing the developments Wednesday on MSNBCs Morning Joe, Mayorkas pointed to his meetings on Capitol Hill with a bipartisan group of senators trying to secure a deal to fix the immigration system. And Mayorkas said he and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador last week to discuss ways to address rampant migration due to things like climate change and political instability  what he called a regional problem that is challenging our entire hemisphere.

Mayorkas also called on Congress to pass Bidens $106 billion supplemental package that includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, as well as border security funding. House Republicans, however, insist they wont approve any foreign aid without tough border and immigration policies, with Johnson saying Wednesday that any Biden national security supplemental measure "better begin by defending Americas national security" on the border.

More border patrol agents, more asylum officers, more immigration judges, more investment in technology to battle the scourge of fentanyl, Mayorkas said on MSNBC. We are focused on fixing the challenge, on fixing the problem. We are focused on solutions.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates knocked Johnson for traveling to the border rather than staying in Washington and helping to support the Senate border talks. Bates also took aim at Republicans for pushing for budget cuts last year that would have impacted border security.

Immigrants wait to be processed at a U.S. Border Patrol transit center after they crossed the border from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2023. (Francois Picard / AFP - Getty Images)

Actions speak louder than words, Bates said in a statement. House Republicans anti-border security record is defined by attempting to cut Customs and Border Protection personnel, opposing President Bidens record-breaking border security funding, and refusing to take up the Presidents supplemental funding request.

The back-and-forth over the border comes as U.S. Customs and Border Protection is experiencing record migrant border crossings. CBP encountered roughly 300,000 migrants at the southwest border in December, a record high, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials. Last month, CBP also saw the highest daily crossings on record at the southwest border, at times eclipsing 12,000 per day.

However, officials said the number of crossings often fluctuates. And on Monday, CBP said it encountered fewer than 500 migrants in the Del Rio sector of Texas, which includes Eagle Pass. Those lower figures came as the Biden administration announced it was reopening four ports of entry at the southern border, including at Eagle Pass, that had been closed due to the record influx of migrants.

On Wednesday at Eagle Pass, some Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Andy Biggs of Arizona, began issuing a new warning: If Biden doesn't shut down the border, Republicans will shut down the government this month.

"None of us want to shut down the government," Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, a former mayor and former Trump administration official, said at Eagle Pass. "But we all recognize the fact that every single penny that we are giving to Homeland Security at this point that is not being used to secure our border, that is not being used to increase our national security ... is hurting our national security, hurting our best interests and killing our economy and local governments."

With Election Day now 10 months away and control of the White House, the Senate and the House all at stake, Johnson made it clear he views the border as a major political liability for Biden and the Democrats.

"The longer we wait, the longer we delay the closure and security of this border, the greater the crisis and the problem," Johnson told reporters at the border.

"In large measure because of this issue, I do think that we're going to have a change in the White House," he said. "I think we're going to have a Republican president. I think we're going to win the Senate, and we're going to expand the majority in the House."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, who served as the Armys 32nd chief of staff from 1991 to 1995 and oversaw pivotal post-Cold War transformations, died Jan. 2 at the age of 86, according to the Association of the U.S. Army.

Sullivan, who began his Army career as an armor lieutenant in 1959, is the only person in modern Army history to have served simultaneously as the services chief of staff and acting Army secretary. President Bill Clinton tapped Sullivan as the acting secretary of the Army for a three month period in 1993 after the last person holding that post, John W. Shannon, was caught shoplifting from the base exchange at Fort Myer, Virginia.

Asked about the experience in a 2002 oral history interview, Sullivan quipped that life was very easy because I didnt have a secretary of the Army between me and the secretary of defense.

Born on Sept. 25, 1937, the Quincy, Massachusetts, native served two tours in Vietnam  one as a combat advisor in the wars early stages in 1962  and commanded both the 3rd Armored Divisions 1st Brigade and the 1st Infantry Division during the 1980s. Before taking the reins as chief in 1991, Sullivan was the Army G-3 and the services vice chief of staff.

Gen. Gordon Sullivan, seen in his official photo as the Army's 32nd Chief of Staff. (Army)

His tenure as chief was marked by significant troop cuts  a 600,000 soldier reduction in the years following Desert Storm  and political controversy over gender integration and the introduction of the Dont Ask Dont Tell policy that permitted closeted gays and lesbians to serve in the military. Sullivan, who opposed women in combat arms units, told interviewers in 2002 that in retrospect, he believed the Army did not to a very good job of executing gender-integrated training policies. Amid these other efforts, the Sullivan-era Army also deployed soldiers for contingency operations in Somalia, Haiti, Rwanda and the Balkans.

After retiring from the Army in 1995, Sullivan remained involved with the military community. He became the president and chief executive of the Association of the U.S. Army in 1998, holding the post until 2016. The retired four-star was the chairman of the Army Historical Foundations board during its campaign to establish the National Museum of the U.S. Army, which opened in 2020 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He also served as the board president of his alma mater  Norwich University.

Pfc. Wesley Adams, Spc. Michael Adams, Spc. Grant Vonmoss, and Sgt. 1st Class Marc Westenbarger, an armor tank crew from C Company, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, pose for a photograph with retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, the 32nd Chief of Staff, during the inaugural Sullivan Cup precision tank gunnery competition May 10, 2012 held at Fort Benning, Ga. (Sgt. Brandon Bednarek/Army)

Sullivan also led a Center for Naval Analyses advisory board that oversaw a 2007 report on the threat that climate change poses to U.S. national security.

But despite his myriad achievements, Sullivan long was haunted by the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu and the 19 soldiers killed there  despite his lack of direct operational control.

I think about Mogadishu a lot. I ask myself if I could have done anything to prevent the events of 3-4 October 1993, he told his 2002 interviewers during the final taping of what became a 300-plus page oral history. I expect I will continue to do so for the rest of my life  the great unknown to me was whether I could have taken a more assertive stance, which would have  changed events before they happened.

In spite of any lingering regret, Sullivan  whose name adorns the Armys top tank crew competition, the Sullivan Cup  continued with his transformation of the Army, which included widespread development of new soldier-level technology designed to reduce fratricide and increase battlefield awareness.

It is tough to get beat up and to go back into the fight. But that is what you get paid for, he concluded in his 2002 interviews. That is what people expect of you  just to keep fighting, be human, acknowledge your own failings and the fact that you are not omnipotent.

Sullivan was preceded in death by his wife, Miriam Gay Loftus, who also hailed from Quincy. He had three children: John, Mark and Elizabeth.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misttated the division in which Sullivan completed his brigade command.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders claims a Biden administration policy allowing abortion access for members of the military has led to the resignation of a senior Natural State military commander.

In a letter addressed to President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Sanders said the recent resignation of Col. Dillion R. Patterson from his Arkansas Air National Guard command was due to the policy.

US to begin 2024 with smallest military in over 80 years

On Oct. 20, 2022, the Department of Defense implemented a policy permitting service members to be absent for non-covered reproductive health care including procedures like abortion. The policy includes coverage for travel and transportation expenses for service members or their dependents in some circumstances.

Sanders said this policy led to Patterson choosing between military service or adhering to his sincerely held religious beliefs against abortion.

U.S. Air Force Col. Dillon R. Patterson salutes 188th Wing members during the change of command ceremony at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, June 11, 2023. Col. Patterson assumed command as the 17th wing commander, following Col. Jeremiah Gentry. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Emmanuel Gutierrez)

The governor continued to point out that the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that overturned 1973s Roe v. Wade pushed the decision on abortion access to individual states. After that ruling, Arkansas was among many states that passed laws prohibiting abortion except if medically necessary for the life of the mother, Sanders said.

Tuberville releasing hold on hundreds of military promotions

Abortion is itself a barbaric practice. But it is apparently not enough for this administration that abortion be available in some states and regulated in others, Sanders wrote. Thus, the Defense Department must now apparently sacrifice lifelong personnels leadership in the name of military readinessa laughable paradox if it were not so deeply offensive and damaging.

She ended the letter calling for the administration to Rescind this policy immediately.

Patterson resigned on Dec. 18, 2023 from command of the 188th Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith after he assumed it on June 11, 2023. Sanders letter stated he resigned after 22 years of service.

The DoD policy has been in the news recently as conservative Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) held up 450 senior military promotions for in protest of the policy, finally relenting in December after 10 months.

House GOP battles stretch out consideration of defense bill

House Republicans had tried to create a provision blocking the DoD policy in the December National Defense Authorization Act. They ultimately removed the provision during negotiations in order for the act to pass.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Russian forces struck the village of Novotiahynka in Kherson Oblast, killing an elderly woman, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Jan. 3.

Earlier the same day, Russian shelling killed one person in the town Sadove near Kherson, according to Prokudin. The residents body was reportedly found under the rubble of his destroyed house.

Novotiahynka lies some 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson, just across the Dnipro River from the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast.

Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated Kherson and other regional settlements on the rivers west bank in the fall 2022 counteroffensive.

Russian troops were pushed to the river's east bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian deaths as well as large-scale destruction of homes and infrastructure.

Prokudin reported previously on Jan. 3 that a woman had been injured in earlier Russian attacks on the oblast.

Read also: Under deadly attacks, Kherson fights to keep life going 1 year after liberation

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Russian strikes against Mykolaiv Oblast on Jan. 3 wounded five people, including a 15-year-old girl, the regional governor Vitalii Kim said on national television.

At around 5:45 p.m. local time, three Russian S-300 missiles hit Snihurivka, around 60 kilometers east of Mykolaiv, according to Kim.

The attack reportedly injured a woman, two male security guards of a warehouse with humanitarian aid, and the teenage girl.

She is in severe condition, and we are now transporting her to the city, Kim added.

Earlier the same day, Ivan Kukhta, the head of the Snihurivkas military administration, said several explosions were heard at an enterprise on the towns outskirts.

He didnt provide any details on the nature of the affected enterprise.

On the morning of Jan. 3, Russian troops shelled Ochakiv and Kutsurub on the Black Sea coast, wounding an elderly woman, Kim said on TV.

Mykolaiv Oblast is regularly targeted by Russian strikes due to its proximity to the front lines.

Russia has intensified its attacks against civilian and port infrastructure in southern Ukraine following Moscows withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Read also: Exploring Ukraines most important battles of 2023

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Wichitas Olive Ann Beech was known as the First Lady of Aviation, and she received a lot of accolades in her long life as co-founder of Beech Aircraft.

Theres one tribute, however, no one expected, including her family.

A hotel in Grand Forks, N.D., has been named for her.

The Olive Ann Hotel is a five-story modern hotel with an aviation theme and plenty of touches reminiscent of Beech, who lived from 1903 to 1993, that her family says shed likely approve.

It was amazing, said Jennifer Pitt, Beechs granddaughter. I mean, truly. Theyve done an outstanding job in every way.

Her first reaction, however, was shock.

Then it was like, Why? 

Wichitas Olive Ann Beech was known as the First Lady of Aviation. Now, shes had a hotel in Grand Forks, N.D., named after her. Courtesy photo

Sadie Gardner, president of 322 Hospitality Group, explained that the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks was the starting point.

We really wanted to connect the university with the downtown community, Gardner said.

Around the same time, she said she met several female graduates from the schools aerospace program, and they decided they wanted to focus on females in aviation.

Just the perseverance that it would have taken a female, just everything she succeeded in in her lifetime was incredible, Gardner said.

She said she learned more about other women in aviation after her team had already decided on Beech.

We had already decided that Olive Anns story needs to be told, Gardner said.

She said Beech lived through the Depression, World War II, decades of change and was a female in a male-dominated industry throughout.

Beech never wavered . . . from who she was, Gardner said. That was something that I personally respected about her.

She spoke to Beech successor Textron Aviation early on.

Pitt offered photos from throughout her grandmothers life, which now fill built-in bookshelves at the hotel.

Beechs famous Oleg Cassini-inspired Beech Blue is visible throughout the hotel as are the florals she loved.

Gardner said Beech always was very proper  white gloves, fur coats.

She said the hotel has marble and brass traditional tones just for that richness that is reminiscent of Beech.

The new Olive Ann Hotel in Grand Forks, N.D., is a tribute to the First Lady of Aviation, Olive Ann Beech. The honor surprised even her family. Courtesy photo

Gardner and others, including the hotels interior designer, researched Beech and felt like the hotel brought her to life, in a sense.

There are other vintage and aviation touches such as rotary telephones and alarm clocks that are altimeter clocks.

Again, just like a throwback a little bit to history, Gardner said.

Her staff toured Textron, and Textron executives and Pitt flew up for the grand opening.

How its all come together is pretty incredible, Gardner said. It has been a nice group effort.

Project architect Andrew Budke of JLG architects said the hotel is in the heart of downtown Grand Forks and is a companion building to the 1917 building that adjoins it.

That original building is very iconic, its very striking, and it has a very traditional style, Budke said. Some might even describe it as masculine. Its very neoclassical.

He said the addition is more feminine.

Beechs daughter, Mary Lynn Oliver, said a hotel being named for her mother is a rather unusual thing, but shes appreciative.

Well, I think its a lovely tribute, and I think she would probably think the same.

Pitt said its all a little surreal, and she noted that her grandmother was a humble woman.

She didnt think she was anything special.

Pitt called the tribute an honor, as did her mother.

Jennifer Pitt pictured with some of her grandmother Olive Ann Beechs photos at the new Olive Ann Hotel in Grand Forks, N.D. Pitt supplied some of the photos the hotel features. Courtesy photo

Were going to go on road trip this summer for fun, Oliver said of visiting the hotel.

They couldnt have done a better job, I dont think, Pitt said. I cant wait to stay.
Part 2 of a two-part series

Rev. Timothy McDonald, the pastor at First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta, remembers being approached in a grocery store parking lot ahead of the fall 2022 elections.

The two people who walked up to him were working for Fair Fight and New Georgia Project, voter-advocacy groups founded by Stacey Abrams that had helped significantly increase turnout among Black voters in the state.

It was that kind of excitement that was out there, McDonald said about get-out-the-vote efforts in Georgia.

In the past decade, an increasing number of voter-registration and voter-education groups have worked in Georgia to increase participation by minority voters.

From left, Rev. Dr. Gregory Eason, First Lady Linda Eason, Cheryl Lowery, Deitra Johnson, Sgt. James Hall and a student from Clark Atlanta University at a student voter registration event in Atlanta.

Groups like Georgia Stand Up, ProGeorgia and the ones McDonald encountered set up voter-registration tables and voter drives in communities across the state, went door-to-door to register people, organized rallies and hosted events with food trucks, music and dancing.

Voter rolls also grew in 2016 after Georgia started automatically registering people to vote when they got drivers licenses. An influx of people moving to the state expanded the voter rolls further. By 2020, the number of Black voters in the state had increased by about 130,000 people, with a quarter of those attributed to the population increase. Black residents now make up nearly 30% of registered voters in Georgia.

As Democratic groups poured money into voter efforts, turnout in the state increased enough to help turn Georgia blue in the 2020 presidential election for the first time since 1992. Two Democrats also won U.S. Senate runoff elections in January 2021, and one of them, Rev. Raphael Warnock, won reelection in 2022.

A swing state in the Deep South

The success of Black organizers in Georgia raises the question of whether similar efforts also could yield results in other Deep South states like Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, where voter turnout is at a historic low.

About a third of residents in Georgia and Louisiana, and 38% of Mississippians are Black. In Georgia, Black voter turnout was 31.8% in the fall 2022 elections, a low turnout compared to 2018. But in Louisianas general election this November, turnout among Black voters was even lower at about 18%.

Theres no reason why [Louisiana or Mississippi] cant replicate what Georgia did, said Gerald Griggs, president of the Georgia NAACP.

Still, according to University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock, a Democratic candidate in the Deep South needs what he describes as a 30-30 election  one in which Black residents account for 30% of all votes cast and the Democratic candidate earns 30% of the white vote.

Three organizers from When We All Vote at a voter registration table.

Voting advocates in Louisiana say they face widespread apathy among Black residents, many of whom have lost hope that their voices will be heard. Louisiana also lacks the influx of residents from other states that the Atlanta-area has seen and is not a political swing state like Georgia, where voter groups can attract millions of dollars in outside funds.

Churches play important role

Lisa Baker, community relations specialist for Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta, and McDonald, the pastor at First Iconium Baptist Church, believe churches are a great place to encourage more Black people to vote.

The church historically has been the place where you knew where we would be, Baker said.

Under McDonalds direction, about 600 faith leaders across Georgia attended a Zoom call last fall to discuss the U.S. Senate election and organize efforts like voter-registration tables and voter drives.

Baker, who has served as her churchs voting coordinator for more than 15 years, participated in these efforts and went door-to-door in her neighborhood to register voters.

I sometimes would think and wonder, If I had not stopped at their door, would they really have taken the initiative to go and to do it? Baker said.

When We All Vote voter registration table set up on church campus.

Baker helped assemble the voter-registration, -education and -mobilization team at her church to set up voter-registration tables for each service and any time outside groups visited the church campus.

Her church also played short messages, including one from Sen. Warnock, during several services with information on how to register and calls to vote early.

McDonald said his church also emphasized early voting, and during his services, he had one simple message for his members: We can make history. Lets do it.

McDonalds church has about 1,500 members, and he estimates their voter turnout was above 95%. He feels the mobilization efforts in Georgia were successful because there was such large-scale organization.

It was the first time weve had this kind of coordination in a long time to be honest, McDonald said.

Every church was important, he added. I dont care if you had 1,000 members or if you had 100 members.

Stacey Abrams helped turn tide

Black registration and mobilization efforts in Georgia were at first largely focused on voting rights activist Stacey Abrams 2018 run for Georgia governor, though Abrams civic engagement efforts began years earlier.

Abrams narrowly lost in the 2018 gubernatorial election to Republican Brian Kemp. Despite Abrams loss, the tight margin in that election proved to many that a Democrat could win in Georgia.

Focus then turned to the 2020 presidential election and the Senate races in 2021 and 2022, when Warnock defeated Republican Herschel Walker in a tight runoff.

Abrams also ran for governor in 2022 but once again lost to Kemp, this time by a larger margin of 7.5 points. Voter turnout in the 2022 election was slightly lower than the 2018 election despite a larger population, suggesting voter-registration and -mobilization efforts may be leveling off.

Griggs, of Georgias NAACP, stressed the importance of tapping into the common experiences and issues of Black churches and communities, like housing inequities and educational disparities, and tying that to political power.

He called it a reverse Southern strategy. The Southern strategy was the name for an approach used in the 1960s to turn out white voters by appealing to racism against African Americans.

Griggs also emphasized a need to change the conversation in urban and rural communities, saying that the rural message should focus on empowering Black farmers and agriculture.

You have to meet people where they are with the issues that are on the kitchen table, Griggs said.

Replicating GOTV efforts in other states

NAACP ground efforts stretched across Georgia and included planning votercades  motorcades to promote voting  setting up tables at college fairs, organizing tables at community events like the Atlanta Greek Picnic and having parties to the polls, which Griggs described as similar to giant school homecoming events with bands, DJs and food.

One thing that African Americans and people of color understand is how to party with a purpose, he said.

Griggs suggests that activists in Louisiana organize similar events with freebies that may draw in potential voters, like Mardi Gras beads and gumbo.

Still, Georgia has one key component Louisiana lacks  the Atlanta metropolitan area, an economic magnet that has five times as many residents as New Orleans and its suburbs.

During the four years between 2016 and 2020, Atlanta added 301,000 voters, accounting for the majority of the increase in the state. Georgia also boasts larger Hispanic and Asian populations than other Deep South states, and Bullock, the UGA political science professor, said the white voter population in Atlanta is also becoming increasingly Democratic as more people move there from other areas of the country.

Theyre not kind of caught up in some of the Southern history of Black versus white, so it makes them more inclined, probably, to vote Democratic, Bullock said.

Bullock also noted that Louisianas population is fairly stagnant and said it will be difficult to increase turnout with no growth. Migration data shows the states largest population centers lost roughly 317,000 residents between 2005 and 2020.

But Georgias voting activists say other states should still follow their lead.

People will join, McDonald, the Atlanta pastor, said. Theyve just never been asked.

Griggs said voting groups in Georgia recognized the lack of Black voter turnout as an untapped resource, and he said it could only take a few organizations coming together to achieve similar results elsewhere. Georgia didnt turn blue, he said. Georgia turned Black.

This article originally appeared on Gonzales Weekly Citizen: Deep South states consider Georgia voter registration efforts as model
One of the United Kingdom's largest oil refineries has extended a loan facility with the arm of an oil company founded and part-owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch, the Guardian reported on Jan. 2.

Recently filed accounts reveal that oil refinery owner Essar Oil UK extended a $500m payment facility" to Litasco, the oil trading division of Moscow-based Lukoil. The agreement effectively comes into force as a line of credit allowing Essar to buy fuel and pay later.

Litasco is wholly owned by Lukoil, whose founder, Russian oligarch Vagit Alekperov, was placed under sanctions by the UK in April 2022. Alekperov previously stepped down as a director of Lukoil shortly after he was placed under sanction but remains an 8.5% shareholder.

Lukoil is under sanctions in the U.S. but not in the U.K. or EU. Litasco is not under sanctions in any of the jurisdictions, having succeeded in a High Court decision that determined that Alekperov did not exert direct control over the company.

The two-year agreement between Essar Oil UK and Litasco was slated to initially conclude in May 2023, but has been extended to June 2024. According to financial records, $320 million of the total $500 million is slated for reimbursement within the next 12 months.

A close associate to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Alekperov has been frequently pictured with Putin. In the days leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Alekperov was among a large group of oligarchs summoned to the Kremlin in late February 2022. The oligarch's personal wealth has previously been estimated to be $20 billion.

Despite the efforts of Western government to implement sanctions on companies and oligarchs accused of supporting Russia's invasion, many continue to take to lawsuits to halt attempts to seize assets.



Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russias latest large-scale air attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv kills 5, injures 130

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  The Gulfport Police Department is searching for a missing 74-year-old woman.

Constance Schantz left her home on Monday afternoon to meet someone in St. Petersburg, but she didnt show up, according to police.

Police described her as 503 tall and weighing approximately 125 lbs. She has shoulder length gray hair.

Constance Schantz, 74. (Gulfport Police Department)

Schantz was driving a 2017 Toyota Highlander with a Delaware plate that reads 12714.

Police believe she may be lost, as she is known to have some lapse in memory. Anyone who sees or hears from her is asked to contact Det. Crowson at 727-893-1043.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Activists hold up signs outside U.S. Supreme Court during a gun-control rally on November 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

After a string of domestic violence-related shootings over the holidays, a gun safety group underscored the need for the Supreme Court to uphold a federal law in a case concerning domestic abusers ability to possess firearms.

The group, Everytown for Gun Safety, sent out a release on Tuesday highlighting a series of fatal shootings stemming from domestic violence across the country.

In New York, a police sergeant shot and killed his wife and two sons before taking his own life over the holiday weekend. In Chicago, on 31 December a woman was fatally shot by a man whom she had a protective order against, ABC7 reported. In Baltimore, a woman was shot by her boyfriend in a parking garage on New Years Day, according to CBS News.

Although not mentioned by Everytown, in Dover, Massachusetts a married couple and their daughter were found dead in their luxurious mansion on 28 December. Investigators later found that the father shot his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself.

Everytowns release stated, Gun violence and domestic violence are inextricably linked. The gun safety group then turned to United States v Rahimi, which the nations highest court heard arguments for in November.

The case centres on the constitutionality of a federal law that prohibits a person who is subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a gun.

Currently, 32 states have laws on the books that prohibit firearm possession by individuals under a domestic violence restraining order and 22 states have laws that require individuals subject to a domestic violence restraining order to surrender their firearms, Everytown wrote, if the Supreme Court sides with abusers over survivors, each of these state-level laws could also be put on the chopping block.

This year all eyes are on the Supreme Court to overturn the Fifth Circuits deadly decision and protect domestic violence survivors, the group added.

In 2019, a court forced Zackey Rahimi to relinquish his gun after his then-girlfriend obtained a two-year restraining order against him; despite the courts ruling, Rahimi was involved in five separate shootings across a two-month period.

He was charged with violating the federal restraining order gun law, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to prison. However, Rahimi then argued that the law infringed on his Second Amendment rights. Although the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals initially upheld the courts decision, after the Bruen decision, the Fifth Circuit reversed its ruling.

After hearing oral arguments, the justices seemed inclined to uphold the federal law banning firearms from identified dangerous individuals. The decision is expected in late June.
BERLIN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- German consumers will feel the impact of higher energy prices in 2024, said the CEO of German energy supplier E.ON on Tuesday. This development is fueled by government measures to stabilize the national budget, Leonhard Birnbaum said.

That electricity and gas "may become more expensive again from 2024" after recent price reductions is "not good news for consumers," Birnbaum told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

"These are politically induced surcharges that all suppliers will have to pass on to gas and electricity customers," said Birnbaum.

Compared to before the energy crisis in 2021, wholesale electricity prices were still twice as high, at 100 euros (110 U.S. dollars) per megawatt hour. "I don't expect prices to fall back to 2021 levels," Birnbaum said.

After a decisive Constitutional Court ruling against the reallocation of COVID-19 relief funds for climate measures in November, the German government cut 5.5 billion euros in subsidies for electricity grid operators. It also raised the CO2 price for gas from 30 to 45 euros per ton.

The ruling was "fundamentally a great opportunity for politicians and society to rethink spending and priorities," said Birnbaum, adding that Germany should invest much more in the country's future. "The only way to maintain our prosperity is through innovation."

Following concerns over a gas shortage last winter, the E.ON CEO believes that Germany is "much better prepared" this time, with gas storage facilities "well filled." However, should there be an escalation in the situation in the Middle East, "that would have an impact on all energy markets," he warned. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollar) 
(Bloomberg) -- An armed man was arrested early Tuesday after breaking in to the Colorado Supreme Court before it opened, firing a weapon, holding a security guard at gunpoint and starting a small fire, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Colorado State Patrol said a preliminary investigation showed a high probability the break-in wasnt related to earlier threats against the justices, who ruled last month to bar former President Donald Trump from the Republican primary ballot in the state.

The Denver Police Department identified the suspect as Brandon Olsen, 44. No hometown was provided.

According a state patrol press release, the suspect was involved in a car accident near the Ralph L. Carr Judicial Center in downtown Denver shortly after 1 a.m., allegedly pointed his gun at the other driver and then shot out a window of the courthouse.

He held an unarmed court security guard at gunpoint, took his keys and fired additional shots inside the building, causing significant and extensive damage, the state patrol said. A separate press release from Denver police said the man went to the seventh floor and started a fire in a stairwell.

The blaze was contained by the buildings sprinkler system, but its my understanding that water damage was extensive, Jon Sarche, spokesman for the Colorado Judicial Department, said in an email.

Investigators are treating this incident seriously, but at this time, it is believed that this is not associated with previous threats to the Colorado Supreme Court Justices, the state patrol said.

The building is located near the state capitol.

(Updates with suspect identity, details on damage)

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard has spoken out for the first time since her release from prison for the murder of her abusive mother.

Blanchard, now 32, was paroled last week  eight and a half years after she persuaded her then-boyfriend to kill her mother Clauddine Dee Dee Blanchard in a desperate bid to be free of her.

For years, her mother had forced her to pretend that she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses.

Following her release from prison, Blanchard shared two videos on her Instagram about her New Years Eve plans and her upcoming projects.

Hey everyone, this is Gypsy, she said in a video posted on New Years Eve. Im finally free!

She added that she was celebrating the day with her dad, stepmom and her husband, Ryan Scott Anderson, 37, whom she reportedly married in 2022 while in prison.

Were looking to ring in the New Year together, and its gonna be really awesome to have some family time after so long, she said in a separate video.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard , now 32 (@gypsyrose_a_blanchard / Instagram)

The 32-year-old also promoted her new documentary series premiering on 5 January and her e-book: Released: Confessions on the Eve of Freedom.

Its not a rehashing of everything that happened. Its more of my reflection of everything that I have learned and experienced in the last eight and a half years, she said of the book.

Blanchard was convicted of second-degree murder in 2016 for her role in her mothers stabbing death.

Prosecutors said Clauddine had Munchausen syndrome by proxy  a psychological disorder where parents fabricate their childs illness, according to the National Institutes of Health  and subjected her daughter to unnecessary medical treatments over two decades.

Blanchard testified in court that her mother had falsely claimed that she suffered from conditions like leukemia and muscular dystrophy. She said in an interview with Dr Phil in 2017 that her mother also shaved her head and forced her to eat through a feeding tube.

In 2015, Blanchard and her boyfriend at the time, Nicholas Godejohn, plotted to kill Claudine, prosecutors said, leading Godejohn to stab her at least 17 times at her home in Springfield, Missouri. Blanchard hid in a bathroom during the assault.

Following the assault, Godejohn and Blanchard then reportedly stole money from Claudine, before travelling to Wisconsin by bus.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard with her mother (KTVT)

Authorities were alerted to a post on Claudines Facebook page which read: That B*** is dead!

Officers responded to her home and her body was found on 14 June 2015.

While Blanchards community was initially concerned about the daughters disappearance, Blanchard and Godejohn were later arrested and charged with murder.

Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, while Godejohn was eventually found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for murder and 25 years for armed criminal action.

In a recent interview with People published on the day of her release, Blanchard opened up about whats next in her future. She told the outlet that shes remaining focused on her loved ones, including her new husband  a special education teacher she met in 2020 after he sent her letters while in prison.

In July 2022, the couple tied the knot during a small ceremony at the Missouri correctional facility.

My husband Ryan has been an emotional backbone for the last three years, she said. We met when the pandemic was really, really strong and I had a lot of emotional ups and downs because of Covid.

She also told TMZ that she wants to meet pop star Taylor Swift.
DE QUEEN, Ark.  A woman who made international headlines for plotting to kill her abusive mother years ago was spotted in Arkansas this weekend.

For most of her life, Gypsy Rose Blanchards mother claimed Gypsy was ill or dying from one disease or another. She made her take medications and underwent unnecessary surgeries.

Finally free: Gypsy Rose Blanchard has busy first week after release

Blanchard then spent several years in prison after she admitted to asking her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn to kill her mother.

After seven years, she was released from prison on Dec. 28. Just a few days later, she was spotted in De Queen, Arkansas.

What was she doing here of all places? Jose Benitez said. We would never expect her to pass through a small town.

Benitez was at Burger King in De Queen when he said he noticed a woman who looked very similar to Blanchard.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard out of prison years after persuading boyfriend to kill her abusive mother

He said he was unsure, as he watched her and her husband order and then take a seat.

I was shaking, my heart was beating really fast, Benitez said. I eventually got the courage, and I was like you know what, Im going to do it.

Benitez said he then walked up to the couple.

I was like. Excuse me, by any chance are you Gypsy Rose? She was like, Yeah, I am, and I let a loud, Oh my god, like I feel like I scared the people who were in the restaurant, he said.

Very sweet ending: Gypsy Rose Blanchards attorney speaks after her release from prison

Benitez said the couple was passing through the town on their way to Louisiana and had stopped for some food.

He explained that he has been following Blanchards story for years and that meeting her was something he was hoping would happen.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Nikki Haleys presidential campaign announced Wednesday that the former United Nations ambassador and GOP rival to former President Trump hauled in $24 million in the most recent fundraising quarter.

Haleys campaign said 83,900 new donors contributed to her between October and December, and that she ended the final fundraising quarter of 2023 with $14.5 million in the bank.

Overall, 180,000 people have donated to her campaign since Haley launched her White House bid, and she has raked in $50 million between all three of her campaign committees.

Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another key rival for Haley, have not yet announced their campaign hauls for the final fundraising quarter of 2023. The quarter ended Dec. 31; candidates have until Jan. 31 to file their campaign finance reports.

During the third quarter of fundraising, Haleys campaign took in more than $11 million between all three of her campaign committees, while DeSantis raised $15 million, including $13.5 million from his campaign itself.

However, DeSantis could only use $5 million of that during the primary, and Haley had $9.1 million ready to use in the primary.

By comparison, Trumps campaign raked in more than triple what DeSantis and Haley brought in during the third quarter, raising $45 million and having a whopping $37.5 million in the bank  nearly all of which could be used in the primary.

Haleys latest fundraising haul comes as Republicans are looking to narrow the field, with Trump still leading her and DeSantis in early-state polling and national surveys alike.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Happy New Year to all!

Nikki Haley gave a bad answer to an easy question: What caused the Civil War?

She replied with a word salad on freedom and the role of government while failing to mention the word slavery at all.

We dont need to dwell on why it was a bad answer. The Civil War is a complicated topic, but the simple truth is it wouldnt have occurred but for the issue of slavery.

I think she messed up for three interrelated reasons: She thought the question was a gotcha and overthought how to respond; she was relying on muscle memory from her days in South Carolina; and, last, because she was campaigning in New Hampshirethe Live Free or Die stateand she was trying to cater to what she thought were the audiences libertarian tendencies.

The timing was unfortunate. The gaffe occurred in the middle of the slowest of slow news weeks, providing the political class something to talk about as Haley was trying to convince Republican primary voters shes the only candidate who can beat both Donald Trump, the runaway GOP frontrunner, and Joe Biden. Rather than build on her recent momentum, she was forced to spend days explaining herself. (Disclosure: I know Haley through my wife, who worked as her speechwriter at the U.N.)

But the flubwhich I think was fairly minorstood out for another reason. Such missteps are rare for the most disciplined candidate in the race. More significantly, by obviously trying to cater to what the audienceand the questionerwanted to hear, rather than just say what she believes, she fed the perception that she is nothing more than a politician.

And politician has become a dirty word in American politics, particularly on the right.

Of course, this is an old story. Many politicians have claimed their chief qualification for office is that theyre not a politician. Before Donald Trump won as a dealmaking businessman, that schtick was tried by Ross Perot, Mitt Romney, Carly Fiorina, Steve Forbes, Herman Cain, Wendell Willkie, and Herbert Hoover (who also ran as the Great Engineer). Andrew Jackson and Dwight Eisenhower ran as outsider military men.

But the rights obsessions today are qualitatively different. Drunk on anti-establishment, anti-deep state rhetoric that borders on the paranoid, many on the right see being a good politician as a form of collaboration with the enemy. Some even think that wins should be achieved through raw will, not through compromise (a weird sentiment for those who celebrate what a great dealmaker Trump is).

Its a strange form of cognitive dissonance. Americans want effective politicians, but we dont like truth in labeling. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were the two most effective politicians of my lifetime. But Reagan largely succeeded in avoiding the label, while Clintons political skills seemed to reflect a character deficiency. Still, say what you will of either man, they both understood that politics is about pursuing the politically possible by persuading voters, winning electionsnot just for themselves but for their partiesand advancing policy goals through an inherently political process.

Nikki Haley is a good politician. She was the only politician who worked for the Trump administration to leave it with her reputation and popularity enhanced. I dont like everything shes done to maintain her viability as a presidential candidate among the various GOP factions and the broader electorate, but its hard to question the political skill she has long displayed. Her slavery gaffe stands out because she emerged as a top contender in the chaotic GOP debates.

While her slavery gaffe is glaring because shes not gaffe-prone, even her reflexive avoidance in talking about slavery is a vestige of her past political success. The South Carolina GOP is full of people who cling to lost cause and war between the states views of the Civil War. She had to navigate those waters as a daughter of Indian immigrants. Thats why the idea that her slavery stumble gaffe betrayed hidden racism is so lame. Appointing Tim Scott, the first African American senator from South Carolina, as she did in 2012 is not the act of a closet neo-Confederate. Recall that she didnt have the power to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds on her own in 2015. She had to persuade a lot of politicians and constituents passionately opposed to the idea. Haleys success then was driven by conviction, but it was only possible because shes a good politician. Grown-ups shouldnt hold that against her.

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
GOP presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley said Wednesday she had assumed it was a given that the Civil War was about slavery when giving her controversial answer on the topic last week.

What I should have said immediately was that the Civil War was about slavery, but I just assumed that that was a given, and I went on and said it was also about the role of government and about the rights of people economically, socially and otherwise, Haley said in a Fox News interview Wednesday.

The former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor faced backlash for her answer to a voters question on what the Civil War was fought over, during a town hall even in New Hampshire.

Well, dont come with an easy question, right, Haley said at the time. I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldnt do.

The voter then criticized her answer and said it was astonishing that in 2023 she did not mention slavery when discussing the cause of the Civil War.

What do you want me to say about slavery? she asked.

Fellow GOP primary candidate Ron DeSantis went after Haley over her answer last week.

The minute that she faces any type of scrutiny, she tends to cave. And I think that thats what you saw yesterday, he said Dec. 30. Its not that difficult to identify and acknowledge the role slavery played in the Civil War.

Youre going to get asked a lot of tough questions. Thats just the nature of this business, he continued. And I think that she shows time and time again that when the lights get hot, that she wilts under pressure, and that was a good example last night.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Lower Hudson Valley is a unique region, home to so many distinct towns and neighborhoods and lots of history. If you haven't lived or worked here, it's hard to understand all the connections. Sure, the Lower Hudson includes the suburbs, but it's way more than the suburbs.

As journalists who zig-zag across this region and talk about it incessantly, we get it.

The Journal News and lohud.com strive to cover what's most important to people of the region  from the opening and closing of restaurants to the rise of so many new apartment towers to the best high school sports rivalries. A big part of what we do remains "watchdog journalism," or holding public officials and institutions accountable. We hope that our journalism will have an impact, and it often does.

The journalism world has gone through fundamental changes over the last two decades, especially at the local and regional level. We can't cover nearly as much ground as we once did, but our journalists know the Lower Hudson and strive to make a difference.

Here are some examples of how our work made a difference in 2023.

Westchester County Legislator Christopher Johnson, D-Yonkers, the board majority leader, bought a $770,000 house outside of his legislative district in June 2022, just six months into his third term.

County legislator resigns after 'Tax Watch' investigation

David McKay Wilson, The Journal News/lohud's veteran "Tax Watch" columnist, had a big 2023, showing his deep journalistic connections across the region.

Wilson revealed that Westchester County legislator Christopher Johnson, a rising star in Democratic politics, had moved out of the Yonkers district he represented, while trying to cover it up. Wilson also reported that Johnson rented his "affordable" condominium within his district, violating Yonkers' regulations. An investigation by the Yonkers Inspector General, spurred by Wilson's reports, backed the findings. Our Diana Dombrowski also reported the lengths to which Johnson went to cover up his move. After the Board of Legislators began formally investigating Johnson's residency problems, Johnson resigned.

Westchester Board of Legilslators Chair Vedat Gashi, D-Yorktown, is seeking re-election in the 4th District, which comprises the towns of New Castle, and parts of Somers, Yorktown, and Ossining.

Legislative chair faces NYC investigation

Soon after Wilson reported on Chris Johnson, he reported that Vedat Gashi, the Democratic chair of the Westchester Board of Legislators, had purchased an "affordable" co-op in 2015 on Manhattan's Upper West and had used the apartment as an investment property. Residents of the co-op, which comes with a 75% property tax break, are required to maintain their primary residence there, but Gashi's primary residence is in Yorktown. New York Citys Department of Housing Preservation and Development began an investigation.

School district removes teacher from classroom after report

Wilson reported that a teacher had resigned from Walter Panas High School in the Lakeland school district after being accused of sexually abusing a former student  and that the teacher had just started a new job in the Monroe-Woodbury school district in Orange County. But Monroe-Woodbury removed the teacher, Alex Mendoza, from the classroom as soon as Wilson informed them that the former student's lawsuit described years of alleged abuse, including in a teacher's office and the Panas parking lot. Then Mendoza resigned again. State legislators then called on the state to do more to keep teachers accused of sexual abuse out of classrooms. As a result, state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa told Wilson she would support legislation giving her department more power to suspend the teaching licenses of educators accused of sexual misconduct and violence.

Real estate developer Louis R. Cappelli is pictured on the empty lot at the old White Plains Mall along Hamilton Avenue, Oct. 11, 2022.

Westchester Democratic committee relents, files disclosure report

Wilson reported that the Westchester Democratic Committee had given a game-changing $60,000 gift to a candidate in the Democratic primary for New Rochelle mayor. But the committee didn't plan to file a disclosure report saying who donated the cash until after the primary  a violation of state election law. Sure enough, the party relented, disclosing that it had received $100,000 in donations from one of the region's major developers, Louis Cappelli, and five executives from his companies. The candidate who got the money, eventual mayoral winner Yadira Ramos-Herbert, would have been $1,000 in the red otherwise.

Mamaroneck Village Manager Jerry Barberio, is pictured in his office in the village of Mamaroneck, March 14, 2023

Mamaroneck board acts in public session after breaking Open Meetings Law

Standing up for the state's Open Meetings Law, Wilson reported that the Mamaroneck Village Board voted in private on a four-year contract extension for Village Manager Jerry Barberio, breaking the law. The deal would make Barberio Westchester's highest paid village manager, with his pay rising from $243,700 to $273,000. Soon after, a Mamaroneck resident sued the village to invalidate the contract. The Village Board relented and approved the contract extension in public session.

Yonkers City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Yonkers mayor, has $2,170 in unpaid tickets she owes the city.

Yonkers pol pays parking tickets but loses race

Wilson reported that a Yonkers councilwoman seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor had 16 outstanding parking tickets and owed the city $2,170. Corazon Pineda-Isaac, who was campaigning on lowering the city's speed limit, had run up parking fines and violations totaling $6,295 since 2014. She soon paid off her debts, after winning concessions, but lost her race.

Graffiti is plastered on the spillway of the Lake Isle Dam.

Progress finally made toward repairing Lake Isle dam

Back in 2020, Wilson reported that the Lake Island dam on the Eastchester/New Rochelle border had received virtually no maintenance in 40 years and was in terrible shape, presenting a serious threat to hundreds of homes in New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and the Bronx. His coverage jump-started joint efforts by the state and county, along with a $2.6 million federal grant, to study the design needs of the dam. A study released in April 2023 said repairs could cost $11 million.

Developer Bill Catucci in the dining room of the mansion at Fieldstone Manor, which can be rented for event space, in Yorktown Nov. 7, 2023. Catucci lives in the former Vanderbilt mansion and later, Franciscan High School; and has turned parts of it into rental housing and an event space. Single family homes are also being developed on the property.

Yorktown development changes course, dropping event space

In late 2023, Wilson reported that a prominent Yorktown developer, Bill Catucci, had created seven apartments and an event space for weddings and other things in a sprawling, old mansion. But Catucci, a buddy of Yorktown Supervisor Tom Diana, never sought or received a special permit for the event space or certificates of occupancy for the apartments. He also failed to meet the town's requirements for affordable housing. Because of Wilson's reporting, and before his article even appeared, the event space was dropped and tenants of the apartments had to move out so the electrical system could be upgraded. And Catucci will have to offer two apartments at affordable rates.

The Mount Vernon police and court complex across from City Hall on July 17, 2019.

Court victories in Mount Vernon, Herkimer over police records

In 2020, New York repealed Section 50-a of the states Civil Rights Law, which had effectively been used to shield police discipline records from public view. Since then, the USA Today Network-New York has been pushing local police departments to release their records, and, in some cases, suing departments that failed to comply with the law and hand over their documents. Gannett, the Networks parent organization, sued the Herkimer Police Department, in the Mohawk Valley, in 2021, and the Mount Vernon Police Department in 2022  and saw victories in both cases in 2023. Reporting on the Herkimer files by the Times Telegram found that officers had discharged a weapon inside police headquarters and used a Taser on a pregnant woman.

Andre Lyons, his wife, Abigail Santana, Pierre Claude, and his wife, Katherine Martinez are parents of students at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel. The parents are speaking out after several high school students produced a a series of TikTok videos with racist language and threats of gun violence. They were photographed March 1, 2023 outside Carmel High School before a forum for parents and faculty.

Report provides details of racist videos left out by Carmel school district

After the Carmel school district notified the community about racist TikTok videos posted by students  but did not describe the threatening nature of the videos  education reporter Diana Dombrowski obtained the videos and reported what parents wanted to know. The videos depicted a shooting at the Carmel middle school and made direct, violent threats against Black students. Some parents said they would not have sent their kids to school had they known what they videos showed. A far more serious community discussion quickly ensued about the videos and how the school community would respond.

Mount Vernon City Hall on April 1, 2021.

Mount Vernon council rethinks law clouding transparency

Asher Stockler reported that the Mount Vernon City Council unanimously passed an ordinance declaring their council chambers and the rotunda areas within City Hall to be "nonpublic" and restricting the public from recording officials on city-owned property without prior consent. Stockler quoted several open government advocates saying that the ordinance was clearly unconstitutional. Hours after Stockler's article posted, the City Council said it would revisit the local law and make changes.

This Lime Kiln Elementary water fountain is turned off; bottled water station is seen in the background. All 13 East Ramapo schools and the school's administration building received a "failing" rating for non-functioning water outlets, taps for drinking/cooking in a state-mandated Building Condition Survey presented to the East Ramapo school board by CSARCH on June 20, 2023.

Report on East Ramapo water leads to promise of action

Nancy Cutler reported that every school building in the the long-troubled East Ramapo school district had failed a mandated safety survey, in part because drinking water had been turned off for seven years due to lead contamination. National media picked up the story, drawn to the comparison to Flint, Michigan's water crisis. Within weeks, the state Education Department confirmed that East Ramapo would finally fix the water problem within a year, as part of a massive building repair project. Cutler will be watching to see if and when the work gets done.

Spring Valley High School students gather around 7:40 a.m. just before the first bell Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023.

Spring Valley mayor backtracks on removing staff

Nancy Cutler and Steve Lieberman reported that the mayor of Spring Valley had, without explanation, removed the Spring Valley police chief and a School Resource Officer from Spring Valley High School. Shortly after their article posted, the chief was reinstalled and the SRO was returned to campus, to the cheers of students who see the police officer as a role model in a community where police are often not seen as friendly.

Sleepy Hollow police Lt. Stephen Dougherty being sworn in by then-Mayor Ken Wray after his promotion from sergeant on Jan. 21, 2020, as Chief Anthony Bueti looks on

Sleepy Hollow officer demoted after investigation

Weeks after Jonathan Bandler reported that a Sleepy Hollow police lieutenant was under investigation for allegedly groping a colleague's wife, the officer was demoted to sergeant. The village did not make its findings public, but Bandler obtained a letter from a lawyer who conducted the investigation that concluded that Stephen Dougherty's conduct was "unprofessional and reflects poorly on the Sleepy Hollow Police Department." The mayor then issued a brief statement confirming the demotion.

Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh.

Hospitals backpedal on medical debt lawsuits

A USA TODAY Network investigation by reporter David Robinson found a group of 17 hospitals and health systems sued about 1,600 New Yorkers to collect medical debts totaling $9 million since early 2022, despite a push to end the controversial practice. When questioned about the lawsuits listed in court records, some hospital systems denied they filed lawsuits or pointed to the charity care they deliver each year. Others said they were phasing out the practice of suing patients over medical debt. One health system, WMC Health, also appeared to have halted its debt lawsuits following USA TODAY Network reporting in 2019 on its connections to a debt-collection law firm under federal investigation.

The Marcos, a Greek style quesadilla with gyro meat, kasseri cheese, sauteed peppers and onions; and served with spicy feta on the side, at Pappous Greek Kitchen in Yorktown Heights Oct. 26, 2023.

'Best Thing I Ate' feature produces big boost to business

Food and Dining reporter Jeanne Muchnick does a weekly "Best Thing I Ate" feature that is super-popular on lohud and @lohud_food on Instagram. But it can be hard to evaluate the impact of her coverage. The good people at Pappous Greek Kitchen in Yorktown Heights, though, helped do it for us. After Muchnick featured their Greek quesadilla with gyro meat as her Best Thing one week, owner Rui Cunha wrote Muchnick that their business was up more than 50%. The number of bottles of Sangria they sold went from about 400 in a week to almost 750 bottles, with lots of holiday pre-orders. "The power of Jeanne Muchnick and the press is real," Cunha wrote.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Journal News/lohud reporting that made a difference in 2023
Secretary-General of Lebanon's Iran-allied Hezbollah movement Hassan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the predominantly Shia Muslim Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Marwan Naamani/dpa

The killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was a "blatant Israeli attack" on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, the secretary general of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Wednesday.

"Should the enemy [Israel] think of waging a war on Lebanon, we will not abide by any rules," Nasrallah said in a speech via video link during a rally to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani by a US drone in Iraq in 2020.

He reiterated that the assassination of al-Arouri will not pass without punishment.

"Until now, we are fighting on the front with precise calculations. If the enemy launches a war on Lebanon, our fighting will be without ceilings, limits, rules and controls ... Whoever thinks about war with us will regret it, as war with us is very, very costly," he said.

He added that Israel tried to project "an image of victory through the killing of al Arouri."

Against the backdrop of al-Arouri's killing, Nasrallah's speech was eagerly awaited.

Al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, was killed in an explosion in Lebanon's capital on Tuesday evening. Hamas blamed Israel. When asked, the Israeli army did not want to comment on the killing.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, there has been repeated shelling between Hezbollah and the Israeli military on the Lebanese-Israeli border. There have been deaths on both sides.
Secretary of pro-Iranian Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah addresses supporters through a televised speech to mark the 4th anniversary of the assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy head of Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi militia, and Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleiman in Beirut southern suburb. Marwan Naamnai/dpa

The killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was a "blatant Israeli attack" on the southern suburbs of Beirut, the secretary general of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Wednesday in a closely-watched address.

"Should the enemy [Israel] think of waging a war on Lebanon, we will not abide by any rules," Nasrallah said in a speech via video link during a rally to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani by a US drone in Iraq in 2020.

He reiterated that the assassination of al-Arouri would not pass without punishment.

"Until now, we are fighting on the front with precise calculations. If the enemy launches a war on Lebanon, our fighting will be without ceilings, limits, rules and controls... Whoever thinks about war with us will regret it, as war with us is very, very costly," he said.

He added that Israel tried to project "an image of victory through the killing of al-Arouri."

Al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, was killed in an explosion in Lebanon's capital on Tuesday evening. Hamas blamed Israel. When asked, the Israeli army refused to comment on the killing.

Israel sees al-Arouri as the mastermind behind attacks in the West Bank.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, there has been repeated shelling between Hezbollah and the Israeli military on the Lebanese-Israeli border. There have been deaths on both sides and fears are growing that the Gaza conflict could escalate.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said it was concerned about the security situation in the country.

The UN mission, which has been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978, called on all parties to cease their fire and urged restraint.

The Lebanese government said it was in talks with Hezbollah to avoid an escalation after the killing in in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah.

According to Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah and is also supported by Iran, a total of seven people died, including two leaders from Hamas' armed wing.

Hezbollah staged at least three attacks on Israeli posts near the Lebanese border on Wednesday, triggering retaliatory shelling on southern Lebanon, Lebanese security sources and the Israeli army said.

The Israeli army also said they attacked terrorists in Lebanon and Hezbollahs terrorist infrastructure.

Hezbollah said they attacked several Israeli posts near the Lebanese border. The group also mourned the loss of two additional members, raising the death toll among Hezbollah's fighters to 142 since October 7.

Following the killing of al-Arouri, the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, hinted at Israel's involvement, according to a report.

"Any Arab mother should know that if their son was a partner to the slaughter of October 7, his blood is [on his own hands]," the Jerusalem Post quoted Barnea as saying during the funeral of the former Mossad chief Zvi Zamir on Wednesday.

The paper saw Barnea's comments as a "clear indication" of Israeli involvement in the targeted killing in Beirut of al-Arouri, but Barnea did not mention him by name.

Iran said that the killing would have consequences and blamed the United States for the rising tensions. Tehran also blamed its arch-enemy Israel for the alleged attack.

"The malicious activities of the terror machinery of this [Israeli] regime in other countries are a real threat to peace and security," Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote on the platform X.

Following the killing, schools, universities, banks, restaurants and government offices in the West Bank were closed on Wednesday due to a general strike.

As the situation at the border escalates, Germany's Foreign Office called on citizens to leave Lebanon as quickly as possible.

Germans who are still in the country should register on the crisis preparedness list and leave the country "as quickly as possible," the ministry wrote on X. "An escalation on the border between Israel and Lebanon cannot be ruled out," it said after a meeting of the German government's crisis management team.

Meanwhile, as Israeli attacks on Gaza continue, at least 128 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said.

Around 261 other people were injured in a total of 10 attacks, the health authorities said.

Since the beginning of the war almost three months ago, a total of 22,313 people have been killed and 57,296 others injured, the authority said.

The figures cannot be independently verified. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and armed members of terrorist organizations.

The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations on October 7. Roughly 1,200 people were murdered and 240 were taken hostage in southern Israel.

The destroyed Hamas' office that was attacked by Israel on 02 January killing Palestinian leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others pictured from shattered glass in Beirut southern suburb. Marwan Naamnai/dpa

A Lebanese man checks his destroyed car following an Israeli attack on Hamas' office on 02 January, killing Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others in Beirut southern suburb. Marwan Naamnai/dpa

Lebanese forensics work on collecting evidence from the destroyed office of Hamas which was attacked by Israel on 02 January, killing Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others in Beirut southern suburb. Marwan Naamnai/dpa
Police in Uttar Pradesh detained a Christian, along with a guest, for praying in his own house on New Years Eve in Maharajganj district yesterday.

Pastor Raj Kishore along with some of his friends had gathered in his own house for New Years Eve in Sonbarasa village on December 31, when the Kothibari police reached his house around 11 pm and detained him and a friend at the complaint of a neighbour.

The police detained him along with Raj Kumar alleging he was carrying out forced conversion in his house.

Pyare Lal, a Christian leader from Uttar Pradesh, told Christian Today that he spoke to the Station Head Officer (SHO) today morning.

The SHO told me that he booked Kishore and Kumar under the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences), 107 (breach of peace or disturb public tranquillity), 116 (provides for the power of the Magistrate to take immediate measures for the execution of bond..), informed Lal.

Raj Kishore and Kumar were presented before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate today (1 January 2024) and were subsequently released. The case against them would go on.

Raj Kishores wife Bhagwanti denied the allegation of any kind of conversion taking place in her house.

Speaking to an unidentified source associated with the family, who narrated the incident to Christian Today, Bhagwanti said that her husband, herself, and some acquaintances were sitting and praying peacefully in her house when the police at the false complaint of someone detained her husband.

Due to the rivalry of one of our neighbours, the police have taken my husband Raj Kishore and a guest in our house to the police station on false charges without registering any complaint, said Bhagwanti in her application.

While the family was worshipping and praying in the house, 5 to 6 policemen entered the home; disrupting their personal peaceful prayer time, they began to make videos of their worship. When the host objected to the video shoot, the men hurled curses at them and left.

Police soon returned to detain Raj Kishore and Raj Kumar, and without investigating the matter or giving any chance to them to defend themselves, arrested them and took them to the police station.

Appealing to the fundamental right to religious freedom given in Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, Bhagwanti told the source that they have the right to worship whom they want to, and read religious scriptures of whatever religion they want to.

She was happy that Kishore and Kumar were let go by the SDM today and that she had her husband back home on the first day of the New Year.



Originally published by Christian Today India
Hezbollahs leader Hassan Nasrallah said the alleged Israeli assassination of a top Hamas official in a Beirut suburb Tuesday would not go unanswered.

On Wednesday, Nasrallah addressed the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, the No. 3 member of Hamass political and military leadership, during a major speech marking the four-year anniversary of the death of Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian commander who was killed in a U.S. strike in Baghdad in 2020.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah will not be quiet about [it]  without any response or paucity of action on the battlefield, in remarks translated from Arabic by Sky News.

Israel has not taken responsibility for al-Arouris killing, but Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told NBC News the death of a top Hamas official in Beirut did not implicate Lebanon or Hezbollah in Israels larger war against Hamas.

Israel has not taken responsibility for this attack. But whoever did it, it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state. It was not an attack even on Hezbollah, the terrorist organization, Regev said. Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded strikes and counterstrikes nearly every day across the border between Israel and Lebanon since Oct. 7, following Hamass shocking terrorist attack on Israel that triggered a wider war by Israel against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Still, the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is considered restrained in comparison with a larger war that could take place, between Israels large military and Hezbollahs deep reserve of fighters and weaponry.

The U.S. has sought to keep a lid on fighting in the Middle East as Israel prosecutes its war against Hamas, even as tensions and attacks occur in multiple theaters throughout the region.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The crime rate in Fresno was down in 2023, matching a decline nationally, statistics show.

The number of intentional homicides in Fresno fell to 35, which was down 43.3% from the previous year and less than half the grim high of 74 in 2021 and 2020, numbers from the Fresno Police Department show.

The number of shootings also declined to 359 last year, according to Fresno police, from 449 the previous year, a drop of about 20%.

The decreases in homicides and shootings had the added benefit of freeing up Fresno police to investigate more thoroughly, Fresno Chief Paco Balderrama said.

When your clearance goes up, justice is being executed, he said Friday during a news conference flanked by Mayor Jerry Dyer. Theres no need for a retaliation shooting, and it really helps us all the way across.

Stats for killings, rapes, robberies in Fresno

The 34 killings the city recorded through Friday had all been cleared by detectives. Balderrama said arrests had been made in all of those cases and charges had been filed by the Fresno County District Attorneys Office in each.

The citys 35th homicide, a stabbing, came on Sunday. Police have not announced an arrest in that case.

Fresno police cleared 83% of intentional homicides in 2022 and 73% the year before. They cleared 38% of the murders in 2020, their numbers show.

The number of rapes reported in 2023 declined by 18.8%, as did the number of robberies, which fell by 8.3%.

Commercial burglaries were down by 44.2% while 25.1% fewer homes were burglarized in 2023.

Both Balderrama and Dyer noted non-police violence prevention plays a part in crime reduction, pointing to groups like Advance Peace and the Boys and Girls Club.

Crime doesnt increase or decease simply by the efforts of the police department, Dyer said. It really is about the community.

The drop in crimes locally and nationally fly in the face of the perception, according to a recent Gallup poll that said 77% of Americans said they believed crime was worse nationally than the prior year. A majority (55%) said the same thing about their local area

More Fresno officers

Fresno Police Department reached 859 sworn officers in 2023, which Balderrama credited for the decline in crime when he spoke on Friday. Thats 278 more officers hired since Balderrama was hired in 2021.

Scholarly research does not necessarily agree with that take. Some studies find no correlation between police spending and a decrease in violent crime.

But crime has declined nationally with major cities reporting declines among the highest on record, according to nationally recognized analyst and independent criminologist Jeff Asher, who analyzed statistics from 175 agencies with public data.

The intentional homicide rate was down 13% nationally.

Seven of the eight crimes tracked by the FBI in the Uniform Crime Report trended down this year nationally, he wrote. Only car theft was up.

The quarterly data in particular suggests 2023 featured one of the lowest rates of violent crime in the United States in more than 50 years, Asher wrote.
Students and staff in the Highlands School District are honoring their fallen police chief a year after his death.

Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire was shot and killed in the line of duty on Jan. 2, 2022, while pursuing a wanted subject  exactly four years after he was sworn into the role.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> He made the ultimate sacrifice: Brackenridge police chief Justin McIntire killed in shooting

Now, the Highlands School District is honoring him by making Jan. 3 Chief McIntire Day.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> Highlands School District names Jan. 3 Chief McIntire Day in honor of fallen police chief

McIntire was a 1994 graduate of Highlands High School before serving his community as the Brackenridge police chief.

He was always at the buildings, obviously he was a parent in the district. He was present, even though we have our school police officers. He made it a point to visit our buildings all the time as well, said superintendent Monique Mawhinney.

School buses adorned with black ribbons dropped off students wearing blue on their shirts, their shoes, and even their hair.

We support the police 100%. Were always here to support anything they do, and we thank them and appreciate them, said Dawn Howells, Highlands Elementary School secretary.

Howells grandchildren -- 4th grader Brantley, and his younger sister, Bayley, wore special Chief McIntire shirts for the first time on Wednesday.

They have the officer kneeling in front of the cross and the flag. My daughter made those special just for today to honor him, Howells said.

Mawhinney said McIntires father is a longtime employee of the Highlands School District.

Lee, who is an amazing man, is one of our security officers. Hes been here for a very long time. We want to honor him as well, Mawhinney said.

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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.), the No. 3 Republican leader in the House, endorsed former President Trump in his 2024 White House bid Wednesday.

Emmers endorsement means all of the top five members of House GOP leadership  Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La.), House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson (N.C.)  have endorsed the former president in the 2024 GOP primary.

Democrats have made clear they will use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them. Its time for Republicans to unite behind our partys clear frontrunner, which is why I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President, Emmer said in a statement posted Wednesday to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Emmer had previously indicated in an interview with The Hill last year that he might not endorse a candidate in the primary.

But after Scalise endorsed Trump on Tuesday, Emmer was the lone member of House GOP leadership who had not voiced support for Trump, which some political operatives and commentators had noted.

Trump and Emmer have far from a cozy relationship.

When Emmer ran for Speaker in a bid to replace ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October, Trump publicly campaigned against him, releasing a scathing statement calling the majority whip a Globalist RINO and saying voting for him would be a tragic mistake. Emmer is also the only one of the top five GOP leaders who did not vote to object to certifying Electoral College results from the 2020 election, a position Trump advocated.

There are less than two weeks before the Iowa Republican caucuses, the first nominating contest in the 2024 GOP primary, where Trump is dominating in the polls.

Updated at 8:48 a.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A pastor in Sri Lanka was granted bail on Wednesday (Jan. 3) after being jailed since Dec. 1 on a charge of outraging religious feelings for comments in a sermon that appeared online, sources said.

Authorities arrested Pastor Jerome Fernando, senior overseer of The Glorious Church in Colombo, after a court had ordered officials to abstain from arresting him. He was reportedly released on a cash bail of 500,000 rupees (US$1,540) and two personal bails of 10 million rupees (US$30,810) each and banned from leaving the country.

A Christian leader in Sri Lanka said many churches issued statements standing in solidarity with Pastor Fernando and demanding his release.

We stand in solidarity, because today it is he, tomorrow it could be us as well, the leader said on condition of anonymity.

He asserted that authorities and religious leaders are gradually turning attitudes of Sri Lankans against the Christian community.

Things are happening slowly, and we dont know what is going to happen in the long run, he said. The unfortunate part is that the church is not ready for such an assault.

The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) on Dec. 2 expressed grave concern over increasing intolerance and violations of freedom of expression in a press statement on the pastors arrest.

In the charges against Pastor Fernando, Sri Lanka authorities had stated that his actions violated Sri Lankas International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights Act, which is based on an ICCPR agreement that is designed to protect rights rather than be used to restrict them.

Authorities arrested the pastor based in part on Section 3(1) of Sri Lankas ICCPR Act 56 of 2007, which states, No person shall propagate war or advocate national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.

The NCEASL statement said officials had used Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act without thoroughly assessing if expressions truly incite violence or discrimination.

The ICCPR Act has often been invoked to protect religions or beliefs against criticism or perceived insult, rather than prioritizing the protection of human rights and shielding vulnerable groups from incitement to violence, the group stated.

The NCEASL appealed to authorities to withdraw charges against Pastor Fernando and urged them to promote an amicable environment where individuals have the freedom of expression befitting a democracy.

Pastor Fernando was charged with outraging the religious feelings of any class of persons under Section 291B of Penal Code and under Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act 56 of 2007.

Controversial Video

A video of Pastor Fernandos Sunday sermon of April 30 went viral on social media in May, prompting accusations that in his message he had offended religious sentiments of the Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic communities.

Some media outlets stated that the pastor said in his sermon that Buddha had been looking for Jesus, which led to the uproar among Buddhists.

In mid-May, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered the Central Intelligence Department (CID) to launch immediate investigation into the complaints. Wickremesinghe reportedly pointed out to Advisor on National Security Sagala Ratnayake that such statements could kindle religious conflicts.

The New Buddhist Front (Nawa Bikshu Peramuna) and the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) filed a complaint with the CID seeking Pastor Fernandos arrest. A group including Buddhist leader Elle Gunawansa Thero and several others filed a petition requesting that the Supreme Court take legal action against Pastor Fernando and order the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest him.

Pastor Fernando filed a petition in the Supreme Court on May 26 seeking prevention of his arrest, saying was advised that his sermon did not constitute any offense. He further noted that Article 10 of the Sri Lanka constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

In his petition, he also apologized to Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic clergy and all whose religious feelings may have been hurt, and later his parents on Aug. 18 apologized for his remarks.

Pastor Fernando and his family managed to flee the country two days before the Colombo Fort Magistrates Court ordered a ban on his foreign travel. In response to his departure, the Court of Appeal on Nov. 17 reportedly ordered the CIDs Cyber Crime Investigation Division to record Pastor Fernandos statement within 48 hours of his return and ordered the CID to abstain from arresting him.

Fernando returned to the island country on Nov. 29 with the understanding that he would not be arrested, and on the following day he reported to the CID office to record his statement. Authorities told him to return the next day (Dec.1), and he was arrested a few hours after his arrival to the CID office.

Pastor Fernando was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrates Court on the same day, and the court ordered his remand until Dec. 13, which was extended to Dec. 27, and on Dec. 27 it was further extended to Jan. 3.

 2023 Morning Star News. Articles/photos may be reprinted with credit to Morning Star News. https://morningstarnews.org. Morning Star News is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that relies solely on contributions to offer original news reports of persecuted Christians. By providing reliable news on the suffering church, Morning Star News mission is to empower those in the free world to help and to encourage persecuted Christians that they are not forgotten or alone.
House Republicans will initiate a series of impeachment hearings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas next week, holding the first of four hearings before marking up a resolution that would boot him from office.

The House Homeland Security Committee on Jan. 10 will review what it dubs the havoc in the heartland, a look at how migration has impacted the Midwest.

The hearing is the culmination of a months-long review of Mayorkass leadership at the border, one that committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) kicked off with a July press conference alleging the secretary had displayed dereliction of duty in how hes handled the border.

The announcement of the hearing, first reported by Punchbowl News, also aligns with a House GOP trip to the border Wednesday, Speaker Mike Johnsons (R-La.) first as leader of his conference.

Impeaching Mayorkas has been a rallying cry for the right flank of the party  with one lawmaker introducing a resolution to remove him from office as soon as the GOP overtook the House last January.

But the issue has lingered as Republicans were scattershot over which Biden official to impeach, largely shifting their focus to impeaching President Biden himself.

A November effort from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to force a vote on a Mayorkas impeachment revived the issue.

Our investigation made clear that this crisis finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability, Green, the Homeland chair, said in a statement.

The bipartisan House vote in November to refer articles of impeachment to my Committee only served to highlight the importance of our taking up the impeachment processwhich is what we will begin doing next Wednesday.

Green said in an interview on Fox News last month that articles of impeachment for Mayorkas have already been drafted and would be marked up at the end of the process.

During an appearance on MSNBC on Wednesday, Mayorkas said he will cooperate with the inquiry but stressed all the other ways he is remaining focused on his job, including negotiating with the Senate on an immigration package the GOP argues must include restrictions on asylum.

I joined the bipartisan group of senators to work on a legislative solution to a broken immigration system. I was on the Hill yesterday to provide technical advice in those ongoing negotiations. Before I headed to the Hill, I was in the office working on solutions. After my visit to the Hill, I was back in my office, working on solutions, Mayorkas said.

While some Republicans such as Green have claimed Mayorkas is derelict in his duty to manage the border, its not clear that is an impeachable offense or even a legal term outside its use in the military.

Republicans have also claimed Mayorkas has violated the law, failing to meet the standards of the Secure Fence Act, which defines operational control of the border as a status in which not a single person or piece of contraband improperly enters the country.

But no Homeland Security secretary has met that standard of perfection, something Mayorkas has pointed out as the GOP has grilled him on the law.

I use a lens of reasonableness in defining operational control. Are we maximizing the resources we have to deliver the most effective results? And under that definition, we are doing so very much to gain operational control, Mayorkas said, touting the resources sent to the border.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  A group of House republicans are headed to the southern border.

The Biden administration says it is still committed to working on a solution with Congress as some cities in the U.S. are dealing with an influx of migrants.

About 60 House republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson are starting their 2024 with a visit to the southern border to hear from border patrol agents about the influx of migrants.

Texas Republican Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne is one of the republicans on the trip and she says the Biden administration needs to take action.

Weve got nearly 90% of the people here who would apply for asylum that dont qualify and yet what the Biden administration is doing is allowing them in, she said.

Border officials are overwhelmed by the flood of migrants, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is sending people by plane or bus to other major cities, like New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams says they are struggling.

Were dealing with a bully right now and everything is on the table that conforms with the law, he said.

The White House has asked for more money for the affected cities.

They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border, said President Joe Biden.

But aid is stalled in Congress, as senators are still negotiating a deal. House republicans want to see a full border package.

It has to be a border security package first and foremost before we look abroad or overseas, said Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla).

The Biden administration called out House republicans for choosing to go home for the holidays and says they should be willing to work on meaningful reform.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., led more than 60 House Republicans to Eagle Pass, Texas, to tour the southern border on Wednesday as they seek to dial up pressure on the White House and Democrats over the migrant crisis at the border.

Speaking in the border town, Johnson blamed President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats for the surge in migrant crossings, as he pushed Republicans hardline border and immigration policy proposals.

Its a disaster of the presidents own design, Johnson said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, flanked by GOP lawmakers. The administration has done next to nothing to protect the border but weve all seen with our eyes, they have opened the border wide to the entire world.

Johnson continued to push for a sweeping GOP border policy bill passed last year  referred to as H.R. 2  and called it a necessary ingredient to addressing the crisis at the border.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks while standing with Republican members of Congress, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

The White House derided the trip and shifted the blame towards House Republicans instead, saying the onus is on them to take up Bidens proposed immigration reform policies. That includes his supplemental request that provides foreign aid along with additional border security.

House Republicans have obstructed his reform proposal and consistently voted against his unprecedented border security funding year after year, hamstringing our border security in the name of extreme, partisan demands, Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement.

Ongoing fight: Biden brawl with Texas over razor wire on the border reaches Supreme Court

House Republicans tour of the border also comes after Johnson sent a letter to the president last month, urging him to take immediate executive action to address the border. He implored the president to end a policy allowing migrants to be released on parole without court dates and to resume construction of the border wall.

The president can and should act now. This doesnt require legislation, it requires leadership. Despite the White Houses claim, he has all the authority he needs right now under existing federal law to stop this madness, Johnson said. He is responsible for the grave threat to our national security.

The trip highlights how House Republicans plan to make the crisis at the border a focal point in the new year. The House Homeland Security Committee plans to begin formal impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas with a hearing on Jan. 10. Mayorkas has long been a target of GOP lawmakers who have called for his impeachment, blaming him for the rise in migrant crossings.

The greatest domestic threat to the national security and the safety of the American people is Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., chair of the Homeland Security Committee, said at the news conference.

Mia Ehrenberg, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, dismissed the impeachment efforts as a baseless political exercise and is a harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities.

Along with the tour of the border and border patrol facilities, House Republicans were briefed on the issue by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and met with local law enforcement and officials in the area.

The delegation joined Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, whose district stretches across nearly 800 miles of the Texas-Mexico border and includes Eagle Pass. Gonzales, who has broken with his party in the past, has become increasingly outspoken about Biden's border policies as tens of thousands of migrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border between ports of entry in Eagle Pass.

We are united in making sure House Republicans' top priority is securing this border and that shows by us being here, Gonzales said at the news conference.

The community is also the site of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's controversial buoy barrier in the Rio Grande and one of many spots along the border where the Texas National Guard has deployed reams of concertina wire on the river banks. Critics have called the buoys inhumane and say they pose a danger to public safety.

Johnson praised Abbott for his actions on the border and said House Republicans stand with him and that resolve.

House Republicans made the trip down to the southern border the same time as Senate negotiators attempt to strike a deal on tying border policy changes to critical foreign aid assistance to U.S. allies including Ukraine and Israel. Those talks have progressed slowly and it is unclear when or if a deal will come through.

Johnson and GOP lawmakers have pushed for as much of H.R. 2 to be included in whatever final package comes out of the Senate negotiations, arguing that all of the bill's strict provisions must be passed into law together.

The time to act on (H.R. 2) is yesterday. It certainly needs to happen, Johnson said, calling the House GOPs position very clear.

Contributing: Lauren Villagran

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, center left, and Texas Department of Public Safety chief Steve McCraw, center right, lead a group of Republican members of Congress during a tour of the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House GOP slam Biden and Democrats in trip to U.S.-Mexico border
Explosions in Sevastopol on the evening of January 2

Explosions rocked temporarily occupied Sevastopol and its suburbs in the evening of Jan. 2, reported Radio Libertys Krym.Realii citing its own correspondent and the Krymsky Veter (Crimean wind) Telegram channel.

Explosions in Sevastopol were so powerful that they rattled windows, the Krym.Realii correspondent said. Local telegram channels reported that the explosion was heard in all districts.

Read also: Two Russian warships flee occupied Feodosia after Ukrainian attack destroys landing ship Novocherkassk

Two pillars of smoke were seen over Sevastopol following two "powerful explosions." Windows were blown out by the explosions in one of the neighborhoods, reported a subscriber to the Telegram channel.

Two explosions were heard in the village of Kacha, while Russian air defense was heard in the village of Orlivka, Krymsky Veter reported.

Two powerful explosions were heard from Sevastopol from the village of Zuya. Subscribers reported that "houses were shaking" in Bakhchisarai.

Read also: Liberation of Crimea could shield Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa from Russian attacks  ISW

The channel suggests that the Belbek airfield could have been targeted.

A missile was eliminated over the water area, claimed Mykhailo Razvozhaiev, the Kremlin-appointed governor of Sevastopol.

In addition to the explosions in Crimea, the Russian Federation reported a rocket attack in the Belgorod region on the same evening.

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
A French-owned, Malta-flagged container ship became the latest target of an attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia on Tuesday. Three missiles were fired at the ship from Yemen, but it was not hit, according to the Ambrey Analytics maritime security firm . Ambrey declined to name the vessel targeted during the incident.

The attack occurred around 10 p.m. local time and took place about 15 miles southwest of Mocha, Yemen, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The explosions were observed about one to five nautical miles from the ship according to the Royal Navys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

https://twitter.com/uk_mto/status/1742291883412341189?s=46\u0026t=WGR8ATVuYlDW934sMHUUhQ

There was no official response from the Houthis. The Pentagon is aware of the reports of the attack but had no further comment, a Pentagon spokesman told The War Zone.

The vessel was traveling to Alexandria, Egypt at the time of the attack and the ships master was overheard calling for assistance from a coalition warship, according to Ambrey.

The ship was bound for Alexandria, Egypt, when it came under attack. (Google Earth image)

After the ships crew saw the explosions, another vessel reported seeing a small boat within a mile of the location.

It was advised to treat this boat with caution as it may have been used to assist the targeting, Ambrey stated.

This latest incident comes two days after U.S. Navy helicopters were fired upon by Houthi raiding craft while responding to a distress call from a cargo ship. The helicopters fired back, sinking the boats and killing 10 Houthi fighters. Just hours before that engagement, USS Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles during an assault on the Maersk Hangzhou, which was struck by a weapon while traveling in the Southern Red Sea, according to U.S. Central Command. You can read more about this series of events in our initial reporting here .

https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1741259817602429357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1741259817602429357%7Ctwgr%5E9c4fcf1e91b1e5134a8cc4b9d399942bfcfe939e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fafter-u-s-navy-helicopters-sink-houthi-boats-are-strikes-next

In the wake of the Dec. 30 attack on the Maersk Hangzhou, the Maersk shipping company on Tuesday said it was pausing all transits through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden "until further notice."

"An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation," Maersk said in a statement. "In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope. The latest information is available on our diversion and contingency plans page."

Amid the growing tension in the region, Iran on Monday said it sent the destroyer Alborz into the Red Sea.

"Since 2009, Iranian warships have been operating in open waters to secure shipping lines, fight against pirates and carry out other missions," the official Iranian FARS news outlet reported . "The warship, overhauled and equipped with state-of-the-art systems, joined the Iranian Navy's fleet in 2019. The flotilla's arrival in the Red Sea comes amid rising tensions following Yemens retaliatory attacks on Israeli-owned and -bound vessels in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

https://twitter.com/EnglishFars/status/1742128640131830174

As the Alborz was entering the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy announced that the Ford carrier group would making a scheduled return to its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, after two months in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Pentagon first announced the Ford carrier group was headed to the region on Oct. 8 in the wake of the deadly Hamas surprise attack on Israel.

The redeployment was scheduled so that the strike group can "prepare for future deployments," according to U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. The Ford was expected to head home soon after two deployment extensions for the carrier's first major cruise.

https://twitter.com/USNavyEurope/status/1741859241269297276

Earlier on Tuesday, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, presented combat medals to the crew of the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Carney. Cooper also presented the entire crew with Combat Action Ribbons. The awards were for the crew's actions Dec. 16, when they shot down 14 Houthi drones in the Red Sea .

https://twitter.com/us5thfleet/status/1742177396801860095?s=46\u0026t=WGR8ATVuYlDW934sMHUUhQ

While these attacks continue, there has still been no kinetic response on Houthi facilities in Yemen.

The Sunday Times reported that the U.K. is readying a series of air strikes alongside the U.S. and possibly other European countries. It claimed that the U.S. and the U.K. would make a joint statement warning the Houthis to stop their attacks or face a kinetic response. That would serve as a final warning before strikes are ordered, the publication reported, however, no such statement was issued.

As we reported previously , the U.S. is "discussing all kinds of different strike packages against the Houthis, including radar facilities and installations, a U.S. military official told The War Zone Dec. 21.

Meanwhile, the status of the newly formed Operation Prosperity Guardian , a multi-nation effort to bolster maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, remains in flux.

As we reported Sunday : "while small convoy operations appear to have occurred, there have no large multinational combined operations that have been observed. With multiple partners that are sending ships not being willing to put their vessels under U.S. control, the exact amount of coordination, and what ships each country is willing to provide security for, remains unclear."

We will continue to monitor this tense situation and will provide updates when warranted, especially if there is any kind of kinetic response on Houthi facilities in response to the ongoing attacks.

Update 11:37 PM Eastern -

In a statement released on Twitter, CENTCOM said the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) into the southern Red Sea. Multiple ships reported their impact into the surrounding water. This was the 24th attack against merchant shipping in that area since Nov. 19.

It happened around the same time the crew of the French-owned container ship reported seeing explosions in the water, but it is unclear whether this is the same incident. We've reached out to CENTCOM to find out and we will update this story if any additional details are provided.

https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1742389041725886957?s=20

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Thousands of new homes will be coming to the Conway, SC area.

The Conway City Council unanimously approved on final reading an annexation plan at its first meeting of 2024, Jan. 2.

About 1,800 acres of land separated into eight different tracts will be annexed into the city as part of a land development plan called Warden Station, according to the city councils meeting packet. The property sits between Pitch Landing Road and Harper Road, running along Highway 701 South.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

More than 3,300 homes will be built as part of the development, including 1,380 single-family detached homes, 1,018 townhomes and 920 multifamily units, according to the city council meeting packet for the Jan. 2, 2024 session.

The Warden Station plan, prepared by attorney Robert Guyton and G3 Engineering & Surveying, projected that one-fifth of the project would be finished within five years of approval and an additional fifth completed expected done after an additional five years. Neither Guyton or G3 Engineering could be reached for comment before publication.

The project is being led by BRD Land & Investment, a Fort Mill, S.C.-based firm specializing in large-scale single-family and multifamily developments. The firm has projects throughout North and South Carolina, its other active project in the Palmetto State is a 639 lot development in Vance, SC.

BRD Land & Investment did not return a request for comment before publication.
A massive fire at an abandoned school building sent flames and smoke soaring into the air in Tacoma Wednesday morning as crews continue to battle the flames.

Its the third fire in as many days at an abandoned building.

The corner of Howe Street and Division Lane was blocked off along with several other roads and intersections around Gault Middle School because of the massive response to the fire.

When KIRO 7 arrived our cameras saw several sections of the building burning including the main entry. Flames shooting out of the roof, beams inside collapsing, and a fire chief told us that they expect fire crews to be there for most of the day.

Charisse Tregoning lives near the school and was out early Wednesday filming the flames with her cell phone.

Its very sad, I mean my whole family went to that school. Its been a staple of this neighborhood before they closed it, she said.

Tregoning admits she had to see the massive fire herself, a school her family has known for generations, as it went up in flames.

Its just been an eyesore and its just really really sad, Tregoning said.

They sure did a fine job, they hit every corner  this whole things burning man! said Joe Schaeffer, who lives within a few blocks of the school and was out with his son watching it burn.

Schaeffer said since it closed in 2009, there have been many fires at the school, a fact confirmed by fire personnel to KIRO 7.

He believes people who were inside the vacant school sparked the fire, which started around 4:15 a.m., according to the incident commander.

They finally did it, Schaeffer said, referencing whoever he believes may have set the fire.

We do know that this building has had a history of being very porous and people making unauthorized entry into the building. We dont know that at this time, but theres a high probability, said Battalion Chief Todd Magliocca of the Tacoma Fire Department.

Magliocca was the incident commander at the middle school fire scene. He said that the last big fire may have happened in 2020, but he said all the previous fires were nothing like what happened Wednesday morning, with flames burning through nearly every section of the school.

He also said firefighters have used the building for training in the past, but on Wednesday, it was too dangerous to go in; it was so bad crews could only watch it burn at one point.

We actually let that burn through and once the roof perforated we were able to apply water, said Magliocca.

This is the third fire at a vacant building that Ive covered in as many days.

Tacoma schools said on its website that this building was slated for demolition. The fire may speed up that process.

There were several hoses working on the fire for most of the early morning pounding the roof with water, expecting some of it to collapse so they can put water on the fire that is burning inside this building.

The battalion chief admitted they are going to let it burn at times so openings would allow them greater access to pour more water on the flames.

Magliocca also said there is a danger of the building collapsing so they have so they have closed off several streets in the area. They are advising people to avoid it in general.

Firefighters remain on scene of a large commercial structure fire at 1115 E. Division Lane, the former Gault Middle School. Crews arrived to find heavy flames and smoke showing from the vacant structure at 4:13 am. pic.twitter.com/1tPjS5YZmR  Tacoma Fire (@TacomaFire) January 3, 2024

Another day another fire @ an abandoned building - this time in Tacoma @ Gault Middle School - story @ Noon @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/jf0WLdAjQg  Ranji Sinha (@RanjiTVNews) January 3, 2024








Changes have arrived to rooftop solar in Idaho, whether its proponents like it or not.

Idaho Power, on the heels of gaining approval to raise its base electricity rates, got the green light from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to overhaul its method of compensating households with rooftop solar panels for the excess energy they generate and send back to the grid.

The policy, called net metering, allowed customers to receive credits on their utility bills equivalent to retail electricity rates when they produced more energy than they needed. For every kilowatt hour of solar energy sent to the grid, the customer received a kilowatt-hour credit, helping offset the initial costs of installing a solar system and making it a more viable investment.

But the latest ruling, effective Monday, lowers that rate, known as the export credit rate, and replaces what is known as net monthly billing for real-time net billing, which Idaho Power says would better measure customers reliance on the grid.

Residential and small general-service on-site generation systems installed before Dec. 20, 2019, are grandfathered in and not affected by the changes. The legacy status was also granted to commercial, industrial and irrigation systems as of Dec. 1, 2020.

That means Idaho Power customers who were already generating solar energy by those dates will get to keep the higher rates for about 25 years, which is the standard lifespan of a solar power system.

Sun Driven Solar installs solar panels on the roof of a Nampa home in November 2022.

While the adjustments most commonly apply to rooftop solar, they affect other methods of on-site energy generation like windmills, geothermal and small hydro projects, a spokesperson for the company previously told the Idaho Statesman.

The move comes despite some objections from homeowners with rooftop solar, environmental groups and businesses that sell and install solar equipment.

According to a final order posted Friday by the commission, the agency received 846 public comments on the case, with 49% opposing any change to the compensation structure and 46% opposing a switch from net monthly billing to real-time net billing, a core tenet of the application Idaho Power first filed in May.

The commissioners are saying the voices and expertise of thousands of Idahoans and small businesses are not as important as the voice of the states largest monopoly utility, said Alex McKinley, co-owner of Empowered Solar in Boise, in a Tuesday news release from the Sierra Club, a nationwide environmental organization.

McKinley, who has a masters degree in renewable energy, previously told the Statesman that the changes to net metering could discourage customers from investing in solar, making them more reliant on other forms of energy.

The new, lower payment amounts

Retail rates for homeowners were previously between 8 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, depending on the amount of energy used.

In the filing, Idaho Power looked to shift energy valuation to on-peak and off-peak times, with varying rates for each, but for an average annual rate of nearly 6 cents. It also proposed updating the rates each year.

On-peak would cover the summer months, from June 15 through Sept. 15, on Monday through Saturday from 3 to 11 p.m., excluding holidays, at a rate of 20.42 cents. The eight-hour window is when Idaho Power says it experiences its highest demand.





All other hours are defined as off-peak, at a rate of 4.91 cents.

The commission eventually approved an average annual rate of 6.2 cents instead, Idaho Power spokesperson Jordan Rodriguez told the Statesman, with on-peak times adjusted to June 1 through Sept. 30 at a rate of 17 cents and off-peak at a rate of 4.8 cents.

If the companys proposal was approved as filed, the monthly bill for the average residential customer with rooftop solar would go up by about $12, he previously said. But because the rates the commission approved had been modified since the application, that amount has changed slightly. Rodriguez couldnt immediately answer by how much the change would now cost the typical homeowner with rooftop solar.

The overall reduction in compensation stems from the rising popularity of solar systems. Idaho Power argued that previous pricing overcompensated customers with solar at the expense of those without. About 12,000 customers, or 2% of the companys roughly 600,000 customer base, participate in on-site generation.

Were trying to achieve a fair and accurate valuation of customers exported energy, Rodriguez previously said by phone.

Coming to that determination has been years in the making.

Brad Heusinkveld, an energy policy associate with the Idaho Conservation League, told the Statesman that the uncertainty around net metering rates has slowed investments from some of the biggest solar customers.

One change approved in the order stands to benefit those customers. The order raises an eligibility cap that prevented customers in the commercial, industrial or irrigation category from installing a solar array of more than 100 kilowatts. Now, those customers can generate up to 100% of their demand.

 ... Think commercial generators, rooftop for big-box stores and big irrigators. What they want is certainty, Heusinkveld said by phone. They need to be sure that their investment will pay off.

The league had filed a petition early to intervene in the case, indicating that it had a stake in the outcome. Micron, the city of Boise, the Idaho Irrigation Pumpers Association, Vote Solar, IdaHydro and Clean Energy Opportunities for Idaho also filed to intervene.

Better return for panels facing west

The restructuring to on-peak and off-peak times is slated to favor west-facing panels over south-facing panels, according to Lisa Young, director of the Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club. Thats because the proposed export credit rate is more than two times higher during the summer in the later part of the day, as the sun sets in the west.

Its very clear now that the west side is going to be the best side to install, Young previously told the Statesman by phone. If your system is facing west, youre going to be able to capture more and export more power during that time of day and get more money for it.

Whats unclear is how many customers will be able to take full advantage of the on-peak rates.

The solar energy generated on hot summer nights may be more useful to those producing it, as people make dinner and run their air conditioning and farmers water their crops.

Young said Tuesday that she worries the lower rates and added complexity to the compensation structure will discourage Idahoans from investing in clean energy. Shes also concerned that the order gave Idaho Power a path to adjust the rates on an annual basis. She noted that, in prior cases, the company had valued customer-generated solar power as low as nearly 2 cents per kilowatt-hour.

They have their sights set on a much lower rate, Young said by phone.

The changes approved by the commission were based on a study it had asked Idaho Power to produce on the value of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar power.

Various environmental organizations and solar companies argued upon its release that it undervalued customer-generated solar and sought to protect the companys interests in owning and profiting from the renewable energy source. So they commissioned their own report, seeking to provide an independent analysis of Idaho Powers study.

It was produced by Crossborder Energy, a Berkeley, California, consulting company for the energy industry. The report concluded that excess power from on-site generation was worth significantly more than Idaho Power had valued it at.

But the commissions final order concluded that until state or federal legislation mandates a quantifiable environmental cost or addition to the companys rates, it did not believe it was appropriate to include any associated environmental benefits in calculating the export credit rate.

Young hopes that may change in the future.

Were pretty disappointed with the outcome, she said. The commission essentially approved what Idaho Power had proposed, but with a few minor tweaks.

Idaho Power customers to see rate increase in January. See how much more you might pay

New-style, 6-reactor nuclear plant in Idaho is terminated, unbuilt. This is what happened

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A Wisconsin man is facing criminal punishment after being accused of verbally attacking a bank teller last month.

Jail records from the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department show that 44-year-old James DeFazio was charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in connection to an alleged outburst at a Meijer supermarket on Dec. 30.

DeFazio appeared in court on Tuesday, and a prosecutor argued that he should be given a $300 cash bail due to his criminal past  a request that was granted. He was on probation before the incident and could see his probation revoked. A Kenosha County assistant district attorney also called for him to be prohibited from Meijer and US Banks.

James DeFazio was charged with disorderly conduct concerning an incident at Meijer last month. (Photos:Kenosha County Sheriffs Department/Getty Images)

Officials said DeFazio wanted to withdraw money from the bank inside the grocery store, according to a complaint viewed by the Kenosha County Eye, a local news outlet. When the teller asked to see identification, DeFazio became frustrated, saying, Hurry up and give me my f**king money.

According to the report, the teller instructed DeFazio to use the ATM instead, leading him to ask another employee for help, but they refused. He allegedly knocked over the items off the counter, tossed his wallet, and demanded to get it back. However, due to the heightened tension, the teller told him the police would get it for him.

Hes accused of continuing to hurl profanities in addition to racial slurs at the teller, including the N-word multiple times. He also called the teller a pu**y a** b**ch and c**k sucker. The incident garnered attention from the other shoppers and staff.

The responding officer overheard DeFazio shouting, Shut the f**k up, upon arriving at the scene, the Kenosha County Eye reported. The officer was informed of DeFazios alleged actions by a loss prevention employee, who was looking at the incident through the security camera. The employee claimed he also saw DeFazio causing commotion inside the establishment.

DeFazio has been charged for similar incidents, one of which was captured on an off-duty officers body camera. Last July, an off-duty cop working as a security guard asked him to put his phone away inside a movie theater, which caused a heated encounter, according to the outlet. DeFazio reportedly started cursing at the officer and was ordered to leave the establishment. While doing so, he threw a cup and pushed the officer, the complaint states.

In response, the officer reportedly discharged his pepper spray, and DeFazios family tried to de-escalate the situation by getting him to exit the movie theater. On his way out, he allegedly knocked things over and broke a door, resulting in thousands in damages.
Schools in China's quake-hit Qinghai resume offline classes

Xinhua) 08:23, January 03, 2024

Students sing before class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

XINING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- All 371 schools in northwest China's earthquake-affected Qinghai Province have resumed offline teaching, bringing 126,300 students back to classrooms, the provincial department of education said on Tuesday.

Students are attending classes not only at their original school sites but also in temporary resettlements and makeshift houses equipped with necessary facilities including heaters.

Schools will continue to enhance campus security, standardize teaching routines, and support students through psychological counseling and safety education, according to the education department.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan in Gansu Province on Dec. 18, leaving more than 150 people dead in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai Province.

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows prefabricated classrooms on the playground at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Students attend a music class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Students attend a class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Students attend a class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Students are pictured on their way to attend a flag-raising ceremony at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Ziqi)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows prefabricated classrooms on the playground at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

Students attend a class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
In a joint press statement released on December 28, prominent figures and political commentators, including Apoorvanand, John Dayal, ASR Mary Scaria SCJM, AC Michael, Minakshi Singh and Shabnam Hashmi, addressed the paradoxical journey of the Christian community in India through 2023.

The statement reflects on the challenges faced, ranging from church burnings and killings to the unexpected commendation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Christian religious leaders for his contributions to the welfare of the Christian community during Christmas celebrations at his residence.

The year commenced with disturbing incidents in Imphal, marked by church burnings and the killing of Christians, prompting the Christian community, including Bishops and clergy, to plead with the Prime Minister to visit Manipur. However, the plea seemingly went unanswered, shifting the responsibility to the Home Minister and the states Chief minister, who faced public allegations of negligence in addressing the communal crimes and human tragedy in the region.

Despite Supreme Court intervention and the involvement of the Chief Justice of India, the only significant action taken was the burial of Kuki-Zo-Hmar people in Imphal hospitals. Approximately 50,000 individuals from these communities continue to endure harsh conditions in refugee camps run by various church groups. Human rights activist Harsh Mander emphasised the persistent human disaster, particularly affecting women, and children, with issues such as unemployment, malnourishment and the rule of private armies in the hills.

The press statement extended beyond Manipur, addressing the widespread persecution of the Christian community across the country. Allegations of hate from nationalist religious leadership and government actions aiming to starve the community out of existence were raised, including the withdrawal of FCRA from numerous churches and NGOs. The statement also highlighted the incarceration of nearly 100 pastors and ordinary individuals in Uttar Pradesh under charges of illegal conversions.

But it is not about Manipur alone. The persecution of the community is rampant, hate towards it from the highest quarters of nationalist religious leadership as deep as it can be. The government seems keen to starve it out of existence by withdrawing the FCRAs of a vast number of churches and its NGOs, and using the investigating agencies against Cardinals and Bishops, Pastors, and lay people. In UP for instance, nearly 100 pastors and even ordinary men and women are in jail under charges of illegal conversions when all they were doing was celebrating birthdays or conducting Sunday prayers, the release stated.

International and national human rights bodies, including the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, criticised India for its treatment of religious minorities, reporting an alarming rate of two incidents of persecution per day against Christians and Muslims in the country.

The figures in the statement emphasised the duty of the Prime Minister to embrace the nations religious minorities and invite their leaders to function during significant religious days. They also called for reciprocal respect, urging Bishops and Cardinals to felicitate political leaders.

The statement concluded by extending Christmas and New Year greetings to the nation, while urging everyone not to forget the plight of their brothers and sisters who suffer due to government impunity and the actions of political elements with little regard for constitutional principles.



Originally published by Christian Today India
A New Jersey imam has died after he was shot outside a Newark mosque on Wednesday morning.

The shooting occurred near Masjid Muhammad-Newark at the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue around 6:15 a.m., where a gunman confronted the spiritual leader after pre-dawn (Fajr) prayers.

The victim was rushed to University Hospital in critical condition, police said. He was later identified as Imam Hassan Sharif. Sharif was also a Transportation Security Officer at Newark Liberty International Airport.

At the hospital, Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, said Sharif was shot twice in a parking lot and was undergoing surgery. However, he announced around 2:30 p.m. that Sharif had died from his injuries.

The imam was also attacked at gunpoint several months ago but managed to wrestle the gun away, Shareef said. That suspect was not caught, and its unclear if the incidents are related, he added.

The shooting comes in the wake of a significant increase in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in the U.S. following the resumption of conflict between Israel and Hamas.

However, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said there were no indications the shooting was a bias crime or domestic terrorism.

My office is in direct communication with the Essex County Prosecutors Office as they work with the Newark Police Department to identify the person or persons responsible for this act of violence, Platkin said in a statement. At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our state.

Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice, Platkin said.

As of Wednesday evening, no suspect information or motive had been released. During a press conference, officials confirmed the shooter was still at large and announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

We dont yet know all the details, but here is what we do know: Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka added. None of us has to know the details about this shooting to condemn it. Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never OK  no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act.

The Council on American-Islamic RelationsNew Jersey urged the public to come forward to assist the investigation.

Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police, Dina Sayedahmed, communications manager at CAIR-NJ, said in a statement. As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy designated January as the states official Muslim Heritage Month last year.

At a time when the Muslim community is concerned by an increase of bias incidents and crimes, I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship, Murphy said after Wednesdays shooting.
A New Jersey imam has died after he was shot outside a Newark mosque on Wednesday morning.

The shooting occurred near Masjid Muhammad-Newark at the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue around 6:15 a.m. Where a gunman confronted the spiritual leader after morning prayers.

The victim was rushed to University Hospital in critical condition, police said. He was later identified as Imam Hassan Sharif.

At the hospital, Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, told northjersey.com that Sharif was shot twice in a parking lot and was undergoing surgery. However, he announced around 2:30 p.m. that Sharif had died from his injuries.

The imam was also attacked at gunpoint several months ago but wrestled the gun away, Shareef said. That suspect was not caught, and its unclear if the incidents are related, Shareef added.

Its unknown if anyone was inside Clara Mohammad School-Newark, a K-12 Islamic school that is attached to the building, at the time of the shooting. No other injuries were reported.

The shooting comes in the wake of a significant increase in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in the U.S. following the resumption of conflict between Israel and Hamas.

No suspect information or motive has been released.

However, New Jersey attorney general Matthew Platkin said there were no indications the shooting was a bias crime.

My office is in direct communication with the Essex County Prosecutors Office as they work with the Newark Police Department to identify the person or persons responsible for this act of violence, Platkin said in a statement. At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our state.

Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice, Platkin said.

The Council on American-Islamic RelationsNew Jersey urged the public to come forward to assist the investigation.

We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam. Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police, Dina Sayedahmed, communications manager at CAIR-NJ, said in a statement.

As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry.

Gov. Phil Murphy designated January as the states official Muslim Heritage Month last year.

At a time when the Muslim community is concerned by an increase of bias incidents and crimes, I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship, Murphy said after Wednesdays shooting.

Sharif was also a Transportation Security Officer at Newark Liberty International Airport

-------
This September, I met a young mother living in a migrant shelter in Tijuana, Mexico. She fled Russia with her daughter and traveled for months, landing in Tijuana to seek asylum in San Diego  the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. They lived in a simple but welcoming shelter for families of Muslim faith fleeing war and conflict.

Thinking about my own daughter of the same age, I choked back tears as she shared how they were coping: We are good. I now have a place for my daughter to play and sleep. Here we have food and are finally safe.

This mother is among the hundreds of thousands of migrants awaiting asylum proceedings in Mexico. But members of Congress want to turn away asylum seekers like her. On Dec. 6, Senate Republicans blocked President Bidens emergency supplemental budget request, including billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, the Indo-Pacific, and border enforcement.

Republicans response tied the supplemental budget to concessions on border policy, including restrictions on asylum. For weeks now, a bipartisan group of Senators has been negotiating a deal that would drastically change U.S. immigration and asylum law.

No matter where we are from, we should be alarmed by these attempts to radically and permanently alter our immigration system  all while using asylum seekers as bargaining chips.

People fleeing persecution, violence, war, and human rights violations, like the mother I met in Mexico, have the right to seek asylum in the U.S. This right is embodied in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the U.S. 1980 Refugee Act stating that the United States will not remove non-citizens on U.S. soil who fear return to their country due to likely loss of life or freedom for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political belief, or membership in a particular social group.

Impeding this right will not only put migrants in danger, it will cost some their lives. It will also disproportionately impact those who are already marginalized globally, especially Black, Brown and Indigenous people.

Immigration is a personal issue for many in Washington state, where 30% of residents are immigrants themselves or have at least one parent who is an immigrant. Furthermore, immigrants fuel our economy  Washington state ranked 6th in the nation in a study comparing the economic impact of foreign-born populations.

This isnt a distant crisis only affecting border communities near Mexico. Over the past year, nearly 500 asylum seekers including dozens of children and pregnant women, primarily from Angola, Venezuela, and Congo, have found refuge at the Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila. Reporting in 2019 found that Benton and Franklin counties welcomed more than 3,500 refugees over the past three decades. When President Trump slashed the amount of refugees permitted to enter the U.S., Tri-Cities governments boldly voted to keep their doors open for refugees to resettle in the region.

These immigrants are precisely the asylum seekers who would be turned away if Congress accepts the anti-immigrant concessions on the table.

Lawmakers holding the supplemental budget hostage claim these concessions will protect our border and uphold national security. My trip to Tijuana was part of an immigration workshop hosted by the Truman National Security Project. Our delegation to the border made clear: we have a moral and legal obligation to protect vulnerable people seeking asylum in the U.S. In fact, the right to seek asylum is supported by nearly 74% of Americans.

After significant delays, Senate negotiators are working swiftly to find a deal that would deliver vital aid to countries like Ukraine, punting the vote to 2024. Meanwhile, the world is watching while vulnerable migrants hang in the balance. As President Zelensky warned, When the free world hesitates, thats when dictatorships celebrate.

I urge Washington states Congressional delegation to reject any proposal that would take away the right to seek asylum. We must stop using immigrants, like the mother and child I met in Tijuana, as bargaining chips in political deal-making. We must save asylum.

Michele Frix is a Richland High School graduate, and member of the Truman National Security Project  a national network promoting progressive national security solutions and policies for a more humane immigration system. She is also the executive vice president of a foundation based in Washington state.
Members of the Jackson City Council have shared their top priorities in Jackson they would like to see addressed in 2024.

Members of the Jackson City Council have shared their top priorities in Jackson they would like to see addressed in 2024.

Each of the council members said they would like to see more roads improved and repaved in 2024. The city's perennial problem with potholes was brought up by each council member.

"We got to get more asphalt in the ground, in the right place and do it professionally so we don't have to fix it again six months from now," said Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote. "It's not just in my ward, it's all the wards. We've got terminal potholes everywhere."

Council members also discussed a major elephant in the room: the upcoming vote on a new garbage contract in April 2024. Members said they would not like to see what happened in April 2023  the city's trash crisis which saw garbage piling up on the streets of Jackson for 17 days  happen again in 2024.

"My first goal is to establish a standardized waste collection contract, eliminating unnecessary bickering among municipal leadership," said Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay said she would like to see a long-term garbage contract figured out "without all the flame-throwing."

The one-year emergency contract with garbage collection company Richard's Disposal Inc. expires at the end of March. After that, residents will look to the council to see if they can make a decision on which company will receive a long-term contract. If not, Jackson residents should be prepared for another trash crisis.

Below are priorities individual council members told us they think need to be addressed in the year ahead:

Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote

Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote, who represents northwest Jackson, said he would like to see the city and the council figure out the "various legal entanglements that the city is bogged down in."

Specifically, he would like more action from the city's legal department about two lawsuits with garbage company Richard's Disposal that sued the city after being denied a long-term garbage pick-up contract in April. Now, the company is suing the city again in an effort to block the new request for proposals that was issued by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in November.

Foote said the city's Office of the City Attorney, headed up by Catoria Martin, needs to take action to get the lawsuit dismissed, something that has been discussed by the council at previous meetings. Foote said some council members question whether the city's legal department is working in the best interest of the council.

"The city council seems to have an adversarial relationship with the city's legal department," he said. "But the city's legal department is supposed to work for the governing authorities. And none of us really feel like that's a relationship where they are working for us. We constantly feel like they are being confrontational with the city council, instead of giving us legal counsel."

At the council's Dec. 19 meeting, members went into an executive session to discuss the possibility of the council hiring their own attorney, but no decision was made on the matter.

Lastly, Foote aims to tackle the issue of abandoned properties in the city, calling it a "terrible situation that needs attention."

"The Secretary State has title to 2,431 properties in Jackson that have been turned over to them for lack of property tax payments for over two years," Foote said. "I have visited with the secretary of state's office and they understand the seriousness of the issue but they are not set up to be a landlord."

Though he emphasized the seriousness of the issue, Foote was at a loss for the best solution to the problem, especially because it exceeds the financial capacity for the city to fix it long term.

"It will require critical thinking to get our arms around these issues," he said.

Ward 2 Councilwoman and Council Vice President Angelique Lee

Ward 2 Councilwoman and Council Vice President Angelique Lee would like to see an increase of programs between community and business partners in 2024, who would work together to "keep our areas free of debris, trash and illegally dumped bulky items.

As with other council members, Lee is also aiming to reduce violent crimes and bring on harsher penalties for criminals. There should be an increase in extracurricular programs for the city's youth, Lee said, which would help them deter from choosing crime.

Lee also wants clean safe drinking water and less raw sewage breaks for residents, two issues the council has consistently heard from residents about in 2023. All seven members of the council recently abstained from voting on increasing the city's water rates in 2024. The rates did not require council approval and will be raised this year.

"I do understand the importance of raising our water rates, and I understand that we need to pay into the enterprise to have a sustainable functioning system that we can eventually turn back over to the city," Lee said. "I understand all of that. But I just can't in good conscious vote to raise rates for my people who have not been getting water sometimes out of the tap and sometimes not clean water. So just that extra pressure imposed on them (raising the water rates), I will not be voting for it."

Lastly, she said she would like 2024 to see "a cohesive council that prioritizes the citizens over self."

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes

Fixing the city's crime and homicide problem is the main goal for Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who represents northwest Jackson.

Jackson's Chief of Police Joseph Wade recently reported the city had its 108th homicide of the year on Dec. 22. This is a welcomed decrease compared to 2022, when the city saw 135 homicide deaths, and 2021, when the city saw a record-setting 155 homicide deaths and the highest per capita murder rate in the nation of about 100 deaths per 100,000 people.

Stokes said the issue needs to continue to be tackled not only for safety reasons, but also it will help with economic development and to "rid the fear that has taken over Jackson."

"One of the reasons why so many businesses and people are leaving Jackson is because people are afraid, can't sit on their porch any longer, can't come out at night," Stokes said. "We need to eliminate the fear that has taken over this city."

More police officers are needed and "any fat" the council can find in the city's budget should be put toward more positions within the Jackson Police Department, Stokes said.

"It will help stabilize the city for people who want to live here and businesses who want to come here. You want to make sure that citizens in this city feel safe," he said. "There's plenty of issues we can talk about, but it's about safety. People deserve to be safe."

Stokes also said the city should focus on getting rid of pawn shops and gun shops in Jackson, which he called "avenues for crime."

Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell

In 2024, Grizzell said he is committed to fostering more private-public partnerships for Ward 4 parks such as Grove Park and Buddy Butts Park.

Grizzell has brought up issues that plague Grove Park for years, but little improvement has been made due to the staff shortages in the city's Department of Parks and Recreation. There are also limited resources in the department's budget, making it hard to service all of the city's 57 parks equally. The department also does not have an official leader since former director Ison Harris resigned in September.

"These (private-public) partnerships will not only ensure these green spaces receive the care they deserve, but will also contribute to the overall quality of life for Ward 4 residents," Grizzell said. "By securing additional resources, we can work towards providing amenities and maintenance levels comparable to those in other parts of our city."

Ward 4 is another area of Jackson that has suffered with the issue of blight and abandoned properties. Grizzell said he will continue to work with the city's planning department to address these properties. Furthermore, he said he plans on bringing the issue to Ward 4's neighborhood associations, which in turn will "help create stronger more cohesive communities that actively contribute to the betterment of our ward."

Lastly, Grizzell said in 2024 he is focused on building up the middle-class in northwest, west and southwest Jackson.

"This involved a multifaceted approach, including improving schools, enhancing transportation services, cleaning up public spaces and promoting local commerce," he said.

Working with local businesses can help with this, Grizzell said. Specifically, he wants to help by facilitating better practices for permitting, so businesses can more easily open shop.

Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley

A big goal for Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley is conquering blight and abandoned properties, which are common throughout neighborhoods in all of Jackson, but especially in west and south Jackson.

Hartley has been at the forefront of trying to figure out how the city can work with the state and other stakeholders to secure funds to try to get a hold on abandoned properties. He floated the idea of putting together some sort of legislative task force of community leaders to talk with state legislators about the matter.

"Aggressively going after the property owners if that's a possibility and getting any funding we can from the state so we can get some sort of maintenance program," Hartley said, adding more responsibility is needed on the state level to help with abandoned properties.

Like Stokes, Hartley is also concerned with the possibility that crime will continue to grip Jackson in 2024. He suggested broadcasting public service announcements in an effort "spread a message" for the public.

"I think we need to start going directly to the public. I'm talking commercials and just a message to remind people to not make a permanent decision over something minor, think it through," Hartley said. "The more that message gets out and resonates, then perhaps we would have a chance of slowing our crime numbers."

Ward 6 Councilman and Council President Aaron Banks

In 2024, Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, who represents South Jackson, wants to ensure there is enough funding for the Jackson Police Department and Jackson Fire Department. He also wants to make sure both departments' have competitive pay to attract and retain officers and firefighters.

In the summer of 2023, firefighters in the JFD went on strike demanding a "significant" pay raise. Fifty-nine firefighters called out sick in protest one week. The council, with Banks at the helm as Council President after being elected to the position in July, was able to find enough money in the budget for raises for JFD, as well as for JPD.

Banks said he plans on making sure there is enough money set aside in the budget "to clean this city up and keep it clean." He said he would like to create a department of beautification within the city that focuses solely on beautification.

Banks is in agreement with his fellow council members that repaving the city's streets needs to be made an urgent matter in 2024.

"(Let's) Make sure that the money is available to pave streets, pave streets, pave streets and pave streets," Banks said. "Although, we set aside the money it is incumbent upon the mayor and the directors to execute according to the budget he sets."

Lastly, Banks said he wants to create an ordinance that will disallow city workers from taking home city vehicles. This is a way to ensure savings by workers not having to spend extra dollars on gas and "other frivolous spending that does not equal real results that citizens see," Banks said.

Banks tried to bring the ordinance up at previous council meetings, but it was taken off the agenda due to City Attorney Martin saying it may be illegal for the council to direct what workers can and can't do. Banks has countered by saying city property and expenses, such as vehicles, is the responsibility of the council.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay

A new, downtown Eudora Welty Library tops Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay's 2024 goals. Lindsay represents east Jackson.

The city's flagship library has been closed since June due to maintenance problems in the building. In September, the city announced plans to demolish the library and sell it to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, who want to use the land to build a green-space. Lindsay has vocally been a big supporter of the project.

At the council's Dec. 19 meeting, Lindsay, along with four other council members, approved the transfer of the Eudora Welty Library building and property to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

"It is going to be an amazing front door to the two museums, which is a huge, huge draw to the City of Jackson and the state of Mississippi," Lindsay said at the meeting.

She said the city should consider looking into reusing an existing building for the new library, instead of building a new one.

Lindsay also said she would like to see street and drainage improvements in Ward 7, as well as improvements to parks such as Belhaven Park, Laurel Street Park and Belhaven Heights Park.

"I'm anxious for a parks director to be appointed so we can address issues in our parks throughout my ward," Lindsay said.

The city has been without a permanent director overseeing the Department of Parks and Recreation since September after Ison Harris resigned from the job.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS City Council share priorities for 2024
Nicaraguan authorities have detained two senior Catholic priests, escalating tensions between the state and the Catholic Church. The priests, identified as Carlos Aviles and Hector Treminio, are closely associated with the countrys top Catholic leader.

Their arrest brings the total number of clergymen detained last week to at least six, Reuters reported Saturday.

Aviles, serving as the second-highest ranking cleric in the Archdiocese of Managua, and Treminio, the treasurer, were reportedly detained for publicly praying for jailed Bishop Rolando Alvarez, according to the newswire.

Alvarez, a vocal critic of President Daniel Ortega, was sentenced earlier this year to a 26-year prison term on charges of treason. He had condemned the governments response to mass protests in 2018.

Over the past few years, Ortegas administration has increasingly targeted members of the Catholic Church, citing reasons such as treasonous behavior or other alleged crimes.

Nicaraguan Bishop Silvio Baez, who is in exile in Florida, has called for the immediate release of the detained priests.

Martha Patricia Molina, an exiled Nicaraguan researcher, reports that the number of bishops, priests and seminarians imprisoned in Nicaragua now stands at nine.

The arrest of Aviles and Treminio, following their prayers for Bishop Alvarez, indicates a pattern of arrests targeting those who publicly support the jailed bishop.

This pattern was further evidenced by the Dec. 20 arrest of Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega of the Diocese of Siuna, along with two seminarians, Alester Saenz and Tony Palacio, according to Vatican News. Bishop Moras arrest, like those of Aviles and Treminio, was linked to his public prayers for Bishop Alvarez during a homily.

An ideology in Nicaragua portrays President Ortega as being anointed by God  for sacred Nicaragua.

A trend of persecution started in Nicaragua after protests against reforms to the public pension system in April 2018. The protests came after about a decade of deteriorating economic conditions in the country. Protesters, mostly students, demanded democratic reforms and that Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, step down as they established a dictatorship marked by nepotism and repression.

During the initial days of the 2018 protests, Ortega requested that the Catholic Church act as a mediator. But his administration also began using brutal force against protesters and later on, Catholic clergy.

Catholic clergy aided and provided sanctuary to protesters and voiced support for the right to protest peacefully. But as a result, Ortega used his government and supporters to persecute clergy, worshipers and various Catholic organizations.

Hundreds of people died in the protests in 2018.



Originally published by The Christian Post
There will be an increased police presence at a school in Lynn on Wednesday after two teenagers were shot to death last week during the holiday break.

In a letter to the Lynn Public Schools community, Superintendent Evonne S. Alvarez said a uniformed officer will be present when Lynn Classical is in session and that education leaders are exploring staffing options to assign a full-time School Resource Officer after a 16-year-old boy and 19-year-old man were killed in the area of 10 Camden Street on Dec. 27 in what police called a targeted attack.

Saveth Kul said his son, 19-year-old Kyle Mel, was a student at Lynn Classical High School and aspired to be a rapper.

He was a really good son, Kul said of Kyle. He listened to his mom and dad. He did good. He helped people.

The Lynn Public School district also confirmed that the 16-year-old killed is also a student in the citys public school system. His name has not yet been released.

The priority of the Lynn Police Department is the safety of the Lynn community. We acknowledge with you the pain and anxiety caused by the senseless acts of violence that occurred these past few days, Alvarez wrote in a letter released Tuesday. The families of these young men will never be the same, and the grief that they are experiencing is shared by their friends and the school community where they were students.

Students in Lynn are returning to school on Wednesday for the first time since classes were dismissed for the Christmas and New Years break.

Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy said last week that the teens were targeted, while Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson called the gun violence devastating, infuriating, and utterly unacceptable.

HAPPENING TODAY: There will be an increased police presence at Lynn Classical High School following two shootings involving teens in the city last week. The Superintendent says school leaders are considering making an SRO a permanent position to ensure safety. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/9cQHBbEoeq  Kelly Sullivan (@ksullivannews) January 3, 2024

Alvarez is vowing more security and support for students moving forward in the wake of the tragedy.

We are working diligently to coordinate an increased police presence when schools reopen on Wednesday so that students, faculty, and staff can feel safe in a learning environment, Alvarez explained.

Alvarez also made it known that the Lynn Police Departments Gang Unit and the Drug Task Force have been proactively working with representatives from the Massachusetts State Police, FBI, ATF, and DEA to prioritize investigations, patrols, and suppression of gang-related activity in the city.

About 24 hours before the double shooting on Dec. 27, three other people were wounded in a triple shooting at a nearby shopping plaza.

No arrests have been announced in connection with the shootings.

Investigations into both incidents remain ongoing.

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.

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FILE PHOTO: The eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, gestures during a televised debate at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia's vote watchdog ruled on Thursday the president's son - the leading candidate's running mate in coming elections - had broken rules during his campaign, a breach that one expert said could leave him facing a reprimand but not disqualification.

Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is seeking to become vice-president in the vote scheduled for Feb. 14, denied any wrongdoing.

The watchdog, known by the abbreviation Bawaslu, said 36-year-old Gibran had violated a Jakarta gubernatorial regulation when he handed out free milk to people at a public "car-free day" in December.

A 2016 Jakarta gubernatorial order bars "events for the interests of political parties" during car-free days, when vehicles are banned from major thoroughfares as part of an environmental push.

The watchdog said it did not have the power to penalise him itself for breaking an order imposed by authorities in the capital. Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Bawaslu made the announcement a day after calling Gibran in for hours of questioning. He later told reporters his actions had not had any links to any political party.

Titi Anggraini, an analyst from the Association of Elections and Democracy, told Reuters the most Gibran could face would be a reprimand for what was considered a light violation.

She said the watchdog did have the power to reprimand Gibran directly for breaching other regulations that required him to seek permission for campaigning at the car-free day. But that sanction would also fall short of a disqualification.

President Joko Widodo's eldest son is running with presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, the current defence minister.

Most polls suggest the pair command a solid lead over rival presidential candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo - though there has been an uptick in popularity for Anies, and two surveys in December by independent pollsters had him overtaking Ganjar.

Gibran's candidacy has been divisive because it was only allowed after the constitutional court ruled a minimum age requirement of 40 for candidates need not apply in all cases.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto and Ananda Teresia; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Andrew Heavens)
Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider Offers a Deeper Understanding of God's Different Names in the Bible, Unveiling the Lord's True Essence to Readers NEWS PROVIDED BY

Charisma Media

Jan. 2, 2024



LAKE MARY, Fla., Jan. 2, 2024 /Christian Newswire/ -- Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider explores God's different prophetic and symbolic names in the Bible, which hold the keys to discovering Gods will and character. In his newest book, To Know Him By Name, Rabbi Schneider guides readers toward a deeper intimacy with God through understanding, offering a pathway to encounter the Lord's blessings. (ISBN: 978-1-63641-220-7).



"Knowing the names and titles of God as revealed in the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament, is much more than an intellectual exercise," Schneider notes. "By understanding them, we don't just learn interesting information; we discover who God truly is and who He desires to be for us."



Schneider also believes that, "By coming to know God's names and titles, you will actually come to better know Him. We cannot see God with our physical eyes, but we can know Him through His self-revelation."



Schneider encourages readers to not only learn the names of God, but also to declare them, trust them, and depend on them, so that readers may grow in their faith, and in turn experience greater victory in their lives.



"When God reveals Himself to us through His names and titles, He doesn't do it just so we will know them; He does it so we can lay hold of and respond to them," Schneider explains. "For example, when the Lord revealed Himself as Yahweh Yireh, which means 'the Lord our Provider' or 'the Lord Will Provide,' it was so we would respond to that name in faith."



There is power and purpose behind the names of God in the Bible.



To Know Him By Name, published by Charisma Media, releases on January 2, 2024. To learn more about this book from Rabbi Schneider, please visit MyCharismaShop.com, or wherever books are sold.



Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider is the host of the popular TV and radio broadcast Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Rabbi Schneider's teaching is straightforward, authentic, and revelational. The anointing on his ministry carries an eternal weight of glory that the Father uses to transform the souls of His elect. Rabbi Schneider is the leader of the international movement TakingTheRainbowBack.com and the author of several books, including Rivers of Revelation, The Book of Revelation Decoded, Messianic Prophecy Revealed, and Awakening to Messiah.



Keep in touch with Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider



Website: discoveringthejewishjesus.com



Facebook: @rabbischneider



Twitter: @RabbiSchneider



YouTube: @RabbiSchneider



Instagram: @discoveringthejewishjesus



To interview Rabbi Schneider or for a review copy, please contact media@charismamedia.com.



Title: To Know Him By Name: Discover the Power and Promises Revealed in the Hebrew

Names and Titles of God | Retail: US $22.99 | Release Date: January 2, 2024 | ISBN-13: 978-1-63641-220-7 | E-Book ISBN: 978-1-63641-221-4 | Binding: Casebound | Size: 5.5" x 8.25" x .6" | Page Count: 240 | Hometown: Cleveland, OH | BISAC: RELIGION/Christian Living/Spiritual Growth, RELIGION/Christian Living/Personal Growth, RELIGION/Christian Living/Inspirational



To interview Rabbi Schneider or for a review copy, please contact media@charismamedia.com.



SOURCE Charisma Media



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A senior Hamas official was reportedly killed in a strike Tuesday in Lebanons capital city, putting Israel on high alert should the conflict in the region widen.

According to local news channels, Israel carried out a bombing that killed Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chief of the political bureau for the Palestinian militant group in Beirut. The Hamas official is the highest-ranked member killed in the ongoing war between Israel and the group in Gaza.

The State Department listed al-Arouri as a terrorist and offered a $5 million reward for information about him, according to The Associated Press.

Despite the win for Israel in taking out the official, Hamas leaders have been quickly supplanted in the past. Theres also the question of how the Israeli bombing in an area where Iran-backed Hezbollah is strong could affect current fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had promised retaliation in the past for all forms of Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in his country, the AP reported. However, Nasrallah has seemed reluctant thus far to escalate the fighting.

Israeli officials have not provided comment on the bombing that killed al-Arouri. However, military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said we are on high readiness for any scenario.

Hezbollah said the strike was a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance, per the AP.

We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment, the group said.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Israel's army says it is prepared for any scenario after the assassination of the deputy leader of Hamas in a strike in Beirut  a killing which has stoked fear of an escalation of the war in Gaza.

While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the drone attack that killed Saleh al-Arouri it called it a "surgical strike against the Hamas leadership". The assassination is a further sign that the nearly three-month war between Israel and Hamas is spreading across the region, drawing in the occupied West Bank, Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, and even Red Sea shipping lanes with container ships between targeting by the Yemen-based Houthis.

Arouri, 57, is the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel began its offensive against Hamas in response to a deadly rampage into Israeli towns on 7 October that killed 1,200 people and saw another 240 people taken hostage. Hamas ally Hezbollah said it was an assault on Lebanese sovereignty.

The Iran-backed, heavily-armed Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the Gaza war began. More than 100 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel. Hezbollah is the largest political and military force in Lebanon and has ministers in the country's government, with fears that a response to the killing of al-Arouri could push Israel's war in Gaza into a wider regional conflict.

"The IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defence and offence," spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari told a briefing. "The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas," he added. Israel had long accused al-Arouri of orchestrating attacks on its citizens

Israeli government adviser Mark Regev also stopped short of confirming Israel had carried out the attack, but he told MSNBC: "Whoever did it, it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state.

"It was not an attack even on Hezbollah, the terrorist organisation... Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership. Whoever did this has a gripe with Hamas. That is very clear."

Hezbollah says it has its "finger on the trigger" in response to the killing of al-Arouri. Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is due to make a speech in Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Previously he had warned Israel against carrying out assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a "severe reaction". However, Hezbollah has so far steered clear of increasing its clashes with Israel on the Lebanese border, despite the increasing death toll inside Gaza.

Since the Hamas attack on 7 October Israeli bombardments have laid waste to much of Gaza. Health officials in the Hamas-run territory say more than 22,000 people have killed. Gaza's 2.3 million residents are also engulfed in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute, crammed into shrinking areas in the hope they are safe and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the occupied West Bank to condemn al-Arouri's killing, chanting, "Revenge, revenge".

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said al-Arouri's killing would "ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers..."

Shortly before al-Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal for Gaza.

He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed "a complete cessation" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.

Following al-Arouri's killing, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has said it us deeply concerned about the possibility of an escalation "that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the border".

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
There can be no genuine peace in the Middle East until the Arab states abandon the policy of hostility to Israel and show by deeds and words readiness to accept Israels right to exist, Abba Eban, Israels ambassador to the United States, told the Overseas Writers Club in Washington in 1955. Sixty-six years later, Dani Dayan, the Israeli consul general in New York, wrote in The New York Times, The day Palestinians accept Israels right to exist as the legitimate homeland of the Jewish people, a real peace process will begin. Through the intervening years of wars, invasions, occupation, peace processes, and treaties, Israels right to exist has stubbornly endured. Just last month, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that denying Israels right to exist is a form of antisemitism. The phrase and its long history compels us to ask: What does it mean for a nation to exist, and who judges its right to do so?

Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey said recently that Israel is the only state in the world whose fundamental right to exist, within any borders at all, is openly denied by other states. But Israel is the only nation with a right to exist, as the phrase is not commonly attached to any other country. And thats the tell: This is not a legal concept, but a political one, available for broad interpretation and rhetorical weaponization.



The right to exist as a nation is, as the Palestinian scholar Edward Said once wearily dismissed it, a formula hitherto unknown in international or customary law. Rights pertain to individuals, not countries. And universal rights cant, by definition, belong to some peoples and not others. Its one of the great ironies, then, of the Israel-Palestine conflict that Israel seems untouchable by international law as it actually existsit suffers no sanctions for routine violations of Geneva Convention prohibitions against settlements in the occupied West Bankbut is so fulsomely protected by a statute of international law that is basically made up.

However intensely Israel feels under threat, its right to exist is meaningless as a matter of law. Its realest meaning is as a flexible piece of political rhetoric. One consistency in its use over the years is that Israels right to exist is always invoked negatively, as a thing someone somewhere denies or wont accept. Its most typically used to characterize Arab and Palestinian intransigence or dogmatism. After Israels resounding victory in the 1967 Six-Day War against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, Egypts foreign minister told the press in obvious exasperation:

Perhaps we have not said this loudly enough or plainly enough.... That this document [the Egyptian-Israeli Armistice Agreement of 1949] would guarantee the right of Israel to exist is self-evident. We do know Israel exists, we have signed a piece of paper. We did not sign it with shadows.

Palestine Liberation Organization President Yasir Arafat sounded a similar note in 1988, after an official statement that the Palestinian National Council accepted the existence of Israel as a state in the region. The PNC accepted two states, a Palestinian state and a Jewish state, Israel, Arafat said. Is that clear enough?

Apparently, it was not. The specific meaning of the phrase relies a lot on things unsaid or implied: Both the nature of the supposed refusal and the implication that denying Israels right to exist means denying Jews. It also depends a lot on the dependent clauses that come after that word: as a state, in peace and security, or as a Jewish state?

In 1993, as a precondition of the Oslo peace negotiations, the PLO recognized the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security, a declaration based on the 1967 U.N. Joint Resolution 242 that affirms every Middle Eastern nations right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force. As the peace process collapsed, and Israeli politics moved sharply to the right, the countrys parliament passed its so-called Nation-State Law, which declared that the exercise of the right to national self-determination in the State of Israel is exclusive to the Jewish people. The goalposts of existence had moved considerably. Now Israels right to national self-determinationits national right to exist, if you likeseemed to explicitly reject Palestines. How could Palestinians accept this right without denying their own?

In a column in October, The New York Times Bret Stephens wrote of activists (many of them Jews) protesting Israels latest bombardment of Gaza: Anti-occupation is opposition to Israels right to exist in any form. Here, the right to exist is used to insinuate that those critical of Israels policies in Gaza are antisemitic. That is the rhetorical trap that Israels right to exist has always set for the countrys critics: On the one hand, reject Israels right to exist, and risk being accused of rejecting Jews human rights to exist; on the other, accept Israels right to exist and risk accepting whatever interpretation a future audience will choose to make of the phrases ever-changing meaning.

Questions of existence are typically left to theologians and philosophers, for good reasonpinning treaty obligations on issues of metaphysics is a recipe for confusion. So what can we say with honesty? Israel has no right to exist because no nation does; only people do. Israelis exist; so do Palestinians. They all have a right to exist but only because they are human beings. And there is no justice in securing your own right to exist by denying it to others.
Israeli authorities have reportedly been engaged in secret talks with Congo to resettle Palestinians from Gaza in the Central African country. Thats according to The Times of Israel, which cites its Hebrew-language sister site Zman Israel to report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition is looking at the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as other countries for the voluntary resettlement plan. Congo will be willing to take in migrants, and were in talks with others, an unnamed source in the security cabinet is quoted as saying. Saudi Arabia has also reportedly been floated as an option. The news comes after the U.S. State Department on Tuesday singled out two far-right Israeli ministers whove been pushing to resettle Palestinians outside Gaza, blasting their inflammatory and irresponsible rhetoric. While Netanyahus office has not officially said it had plans to resettle Palestinians, the prime minister reportedly told a meeting last Monday that work is underway to facilitate voluntary migration of Palestinians to other countries.

Read it at The Times of Israel

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Israel is carrying out a significant shift in its military operation in the Gaza Strip nearly three months into its war to defeat Hamas, as the Biden administration presses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government to scale down its campaign.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced this week its decision to withdraw and rotate out military units, reportedly amounting to five brigades or several thousand troops, after steadily ramping up its operations in Gaza since Hamass brutal attack against Israel on Oct. 7.

President Biden has staunchly supported Israels right to wage war against Hamas, but the United States has increased pressure on Israel to shift to a more targeted campaign, taking measures to protect civilian life and ease the humanitarian crisis for nearly two million people.

The move follows Israels statements in recent weeks that it would move to a lower-intensity phase of the conflict focused on targeted raids, compared with a sweeping aerial and ground assault aimed at destroying Hamas military tunnels, rocket launchers, weapons caches and command posts.

The Israeli attacks have also wrought immense suffering on the civilian population in the narrow strip of land, killing some 22,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

I would say it reflects military logic and necessity, said Seth Frantzman, an adjunct fellow in Israel with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, describing the shifting campaign.

Hamas has been partly defeated, and it makes sense that you would want to have some of these soldiers returning home, to their families, or for the economy.

Other units rotating out are primarily involved in training, Frantzman explained, and will go back to preparing forces for what is expected to be a war that will last months, if not years.

Corey Feldman, an American Israeli reservist who spent two months fighting in Gaza, said when his company was released a few weeks ago, his commander said in no uncertain terms that the unit would be back to duty in 2024.

It wasnt ambiguous, he said. War sucks. War is not a good thing or a fun thing, not a thing that anyone asks for or desires. But sometimes its a necessary thing. And this is a fight for our homeland and a fight to keep our family safe. And so theres no price that we wont pay.

While Biden has increased public warnings to Israel over the Palestinian death toll and postwar occupation of Gaza, he has refused growing calls within his party to condition U.S. military assistance to Israel on the conduct of the war.

Last month, he signed off on two weapons sales that skirted congressional approval and have opened him up to criticism, particularly among a growing swath of Democrats demanding a cease-fire.

Unnecessarily bypassing Congress means keeping the American people in the dark. We need a public explanation of the rationale behind this decision  the second such decision this month, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Saturday.

Barbara Bodine, a former ambassador to Yemen and director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, called it extraordinary that Biden had twice used presidential authority to send weapons to Israel.

But despite the criticism from the left, lawmakers are likely to follow through on Bidens national security supplemental request for Israel  more than $10 billion  when they return from the holiday recess.

Bodine warned that the Biden administrations stance alongside Israel  when even allies such as Germany, France and the U.K. have called for a cease-fire  is going to impact U.S. influence on other global conflicts.

We are more isolated on a much more consequential issue than we have been before, and thats squandering the international support, even wobbly on the edges, that we had with Ukraine. This is going to have major consequences, she said.

Bodine said Israels decision to announce a withdrawal of troops was likely urged on by a lot of pressure from the [the U.S.] and others but largely reflects the changing nature of the battlefield and the strain on the Israeli economy.

An analysis by the Institute for the Study of War said that about 23 out of Hamass 30 battalions  a force ranging between hundreds to 1,000 fighters each  have been degraded, but that it likely maintains a deep bench of experienced military commanders.

Israel claims it has defeated almost all of the Hamas battalions in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and most of the ones in the central Gaza Strip, Frantzman said, which means there isnt necessarily a lot more to defeat except the remnants of Hamas in the south.

He said that makes it possible for Israel to transition into a lower-intensity conflict as it settles on a strategy for the next phase of the war.

Frantzman recently toured northern Gaza alongside the IDFs so-called ghost unit, which combines special forces, infantry, combat engineers, drones and tanks.

It was clear that whats important now is all these kind of pinpoint raids and trying to find all this Hamas infrastructure, like tunnels, or to neutralize threats when they emerge, he said. You want to make sure you have drones in the air, make sure you can identify a [Hamas fighter] as fast as possible, otherwise theyll vanish back into the urban landscape, I think thats the real challenge.

While Hamass main military capabilities are centered in Gaza, it also supports terrorist attacks in the West Bank, with its political leadership spread out across the Middle East.

Israel has killed a number of top Hamas commanders, including Saleh al-Arouri, who was reportedly assassinated Tuesday in Beirut by an Israeli drone. However, Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7 attack, remains at large in the strip.

Michael Koplow, chief policy officer with the Israel Policy Forum, called reports of Arouris death a huge deal and a blow to Hamass financing and logistical operations in the West Bank.

After Sinwar, he would have been the most important Hamas leader for Israel to eliminate in order to handicap the group, he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Israel is also still working to restart negotiations to release more than 100 people Hamas is holding hostage  including men and women, young to elderly, and IDF soldiers  that were kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7.

An initial deal at the end of November saw the return of more than 100 hostages to Israel in exchange for a weeklong pause in fighting, a scaling up of humanitarian deliveries to Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Axios reported Monday that Israel rejected a proposal by Hamas for a months-long pause in fighting in exchange for more hostages but said the offer showed the U.S.-designated terrorist group was ready to engage in negotiations.

Theres a big question mark about whether or not the campaign to pressure Hamas to release more hostages has been successful, Frantzman said. Especially if the case is that the campaign becomes less intense, then how will Hamas be pressured to release hostages?

He added that theres little pressure in Israeli society to end military operations.

People are very united, I think, in terms of the war efforts as long as they think somethings being accomplished, he said.

Hamas still has thousands of fighters, and has lots of terrorist infrastructure, and the hostages have not been returned.

 Updated at 9:56 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
TEL AVIV, IsraelOn Tuesday night, the eve of the fourth anniversary of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimanis assassination in Baghdad, Iraq, another key player in Irans resistance network died in a mysterious blast. In a Hezbollah-dominated suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and at least six other members of the Palestinian terrorist organization were killed in an alleged Israeli drone strike.* The region is now bracing for the prospect of a severe retaliation by Hezbollah from Lebanon, including the possible use of long-range missiles to target central Israel. But this latest escalation follows months of attacks on Israel, from multiple fronts.

We are in a multi-arena war, we are being attacked from seven different sectors, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the countrys parliament last week, referring to military activity out of Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran.

Map created by Joe Schueller.

In Gaza, the primary focus of Israels war effort, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continues to push deeper into the northern part of the Strip. But rockets fired from Jabalia into Israel at midnight on New Years Eve made clear that the insurgency in the north has only just begun. Southern Gazawhere senior Hamas leaders are believed to be hiding among the civilian population in densely populated Khan Yunisposes an even greater strategic challenge to Israeli officials, who have vowed to see their initial goal of dismantling the terrorist groups foothold in the enclave through.

We will end this campaign when Hamas does not function as a governing body, and certainly not as a military framework, Gallant told troops at the frontline in Gaza on Tuesday. At the same time, unfortunately, there are other threats, the first and most prominent of which is what is happening in the north, he added, referring to Lebanese Hezbollah.

Continued rocket and missile attacks by Hezbollah have inflicted massive damage on communities along Israels northern border with Lebanon, forcing some 86,000 people from their homes. But the cross-border exchanges are just a small taste of the Lebanese groups firepower. Thanks to its Iranian patrons, Hezbollah now boasts an arsenal of roughly 150,000 rockets and missiles, including sophisticated precision-guided munitions.

To combat this threat, Israeli officials have threatened Hezbollah with preemptive military action if it doesnt withdraw its forces north. If the world doesnt get Hezbollah away from the border, Israel will do it, War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said last month.

The U.S., meanwhile, is pushing for a diplomatic solution. American and French envoys arrived in the region this week in an apparent effort to pressure Lebanon to enforce the 2006 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought about the end of the Second Lebanon War by requiring Hezbollah to move its forces north. The resolution has never been implemented by either the Lebanese armed forces or United Nations peacekeepers.

Israel says very clearly that it demands the implementation of 1701, and if this doesnt happen, it will go to war, Eyal Zisser, a professor of Middle Eastern and African studies at Tel Aviv University, told The Dispatch. What the United States is trying to do is convince Hezbollah to withdraw from the border.

If Hezbollah doesnt pull back, Israel will find itself in the uncomfortable position of deciding whether to establish a security buffer on its side of the borderpermanently displacing its own border communitiesor to push the Iranian-backed terrorists back through a potentially costly military campaign.

86,000 Israelis have left their homes, and those people are not willing to come back to their homes unless they can be given some sort of security, said Jonathan Spyer, a Jerusalem-based analyst and director of research at the Middle East Forum. Its almost inconceivable that Hezbollah would agree to withdraw from the border or north of the Litani river in a diplomatic contextwhich means, at a certain point, Israel will be faced with a choice between accepting the reality in which 86,000 Israelis have become refugees in their own country or acting militarily. Theres a real dilemma there.

In an effort to restore deterrence against Hezbollahs key backer, Israel has also sought to target Iran directly. Last week, an alleged Israeli airstrike in Damascus, Syria, killed Razi Mousavi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds force. In addition to coordinating Irans support to militant groups in Syria, Mousavi is believed to have played a key role in funneling weapons to Lebanese Hezbollahwhich mourned the death of a dear brother following the strike. An IRGC spokesman vowed to take direct action against Israel to avenge the commanders death.

The alleged Israeli killing marks a significant escalation, said Assaf Orion, a brigadier general in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reserves and defense strategist. The Iranian proxy system is mostly built on the premise that Iran doesnt want to fight directly. It prefers to wage its wars by other peoples hands and from other peoples lands, he told The Dispatch. In striking Mousavi, Israel actually said, Were not going after your proxies alone.

The U.S., itself the target of some 115 attacks by Irans network of militias in Syria and Iraq since October 7, has taken a markedly different approach. Instead of targeting the high-ranking Iranian officials responsible for arming and training the perpetratorsas the Trump administration did with Suleimani in January 2020 the Biden administration has opted to strike the local militants themselves.

Last week, the U.S. conducted airstrikes against three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollahan Iranian-affiliated Shiite militant group responsible for a drone attack that injured three American troops on Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq earlier in the day. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called the strikes necessary and proportionate, yet the targeting of U.S. interests in the Middle East continues. Explosive drones were reportedly intercepted near Erbil airport on Sunday and Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the region, the U.S. has endeavored to prevent the Iranian-backed Houthis targeting of merchant vessels from escalating into an international conflict. In the early hours of Sunday morning, a container ship traversing the Red Sea issued its second distress call in 24 hours. The Maersk Hangzhou, which Saturday night was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile, once again came under attack by Yemens Houthi rebels. The Iranian-backed pirates shot at and attempted to board the merchant vessel before opening fire at responding U.S. Navy helicopters, which in turn sank three of the four Houthi boats, killing their crews.

The incident marked the Houthis 24th attack on international shipping since November 19, as the group defies U.S.-led efforts to escort commercial ships through the busy waterway and prevent disruptions to the global economy. Despite ostensibly targeting Israel in response to the war in Gaza, the Yemeni group has gone after ships with multinational owners, crews, and flags. The Maersk Hangzhou is Denmark-owned and Singapore-flagged.

The Houthis targeting of ships is pretty much indiscriminate. They hit everything. And this couldnt have been done without Iranian armament, Orion said. In general, Iran is a great fan of bottleneck waterways, where it can try to choke international shipping, commerce, or any other economic interests in order to advance its own goals.

To keep the flow of shipping going, the White House last month announced the creation of a multinational naval force to protect the crucial waterway, including Bahrain, Canada, France, and others. But as Houthi assaults continue, some companies are unwilling to take the risk, opting to take the longer, costlier route around Africas southern tip instead. Shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk announced it would suspend movement through the Red Sea until further notice after two assaults on its container vessel.

But after U.S. forces came under attack over the weekend, the Pentagon is reportedly preparing to launch an airstrike campaign along with its allies to target the Houthis more directly. To Spyer, punishing the perpetrators of the maritime assaults has a better chance of reestablishing deterrence than simply patrolling the waterway.

If America and its allies wanted to hit back at the Houthis, theres lots of things you could hit. The question is one of political will. And my impression is that the U.S. administration just desperately doesnt want to get into a situation where they are basically challenging Iran and its assets in the Middle East, Spyer said. It will be interpreted by the Houthis and their patrons as weakness, and the attacks will continue.

And its a trend that extends across multiple theaters, where Iran is betting on a risk-averse U.S. and distracted Israel. The Iranians have figured out that the United States desperately wants to avoid confrontation, and Israels busy in the midst of a very demanding military campaign in Gaza, Spyer added. Both of those facts open up a space to maneuver for Iran.

Israel is trying to deny it that space. In allegedly striking al-Arouri, a close ally of Iran and Hezbollah, the IDF seems to be signaling its resolve to the Islamic Republic and its proxy network.

Israel sent a message to all terror allies of Iran that no matter where they hide, they will never be secure, Richard Goldberg, a former National Security Council official and senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Dispatch. Whether Hamas leaders reside in Qatar, Turkey, Lebanon, or another country, they should assume their days are numbered. Hezbollahs leadership must also factor this escalation into the groups next move.

Correction, January 3, 2024: A previous version of this article stated that Saleh al-Arouri and seven other members of Hamas were killed in Tuesdays strike. Saleh al-Arouri and six additional Hamas members were killed, bringing the total death toll to seven.

Read more at The Dispatch

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli hostage Sahar Baruch was killed last month during a rescue attempt by special forces in Gaza, the Israeli military said on Wednesday, without giving details.

Hamas said on Dec. 8 that a hostage it named as Sa'ar Baruch, had been killed during an attempted rescue operation.

"At this point, it is not possible to determine the circumstances of Sahar's death, and it is not known whether he was murdered by Hamas or killed by our forces' fire," the military said in a statement.

Baruch was among the 240 hostages seized by Hamas gunmen when they stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7.

More than 100 have since been released under agreements brokered by Qatar and other countries and one hostage was rescued by Israeli forces.

At least 123 remain in Gaza, of whom at least 23 have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's comments identifying the West as Russia's "enemy" suggest a Kremlin narrative aimed at convincing Western nations to betray Ukraine in future negotiations with Russia, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Jan. 2 report.

Putin said on Jan. 1 that Ukraine by itself is not an enemy" of Russia, claiming that Western countries who wish to destroy Russian sovereignty are the true enemies and that Ukraine has already been "completely destroyed."

According to the ISW, these statements show that Putin sees the war against Ukraine as a war between Russia and the West, rather than a direct attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Putins framing ... indicates that he does not intend to negotiate in good faith with Ukraine and is setting information conditions aimed at convincing the West to betray Ukraine through negotiations," the ISW said.

Politico reported on Dec. 27 that U.S. and European officials are quietly shifting their strategy from helping Ukraine attain a military victory to improving Ukraine's position in future negotiations.

Putin hopes to exploit "any wavering in Western support for Ukraine," the ISW said.

The New York Times reported on Dec. 23 that Russia would be open to a ceasefire if Ukraine would concede all the territories that Russia currently illegally occupies. These conditions violate both President Volodymyr Zelensky's 1o-point peace formula and the wishes of the vast majority of Ukrainians.

By "falsely framing Ukraine as pawn without agency," Putin is able to "mask his expansionist and maximalist goals," the ISW said.

The ISW's analysts warned that Putin is not willing to negotiate with Ukraine as an independent actor, and is only interested in "negotiations" with the West about Ukraine's position within Russia's sphere.

"Any Western commitment to negotiations about Ukraine's future that bypass Ukraine will signal to Russia that it can impose its will upon countries that it deems to be in its sphere of influence  even countries beyond Ukraine," the ISW said.

Putin's rhetoric also aims to justify the heavy losses Russia continues to incur on the battlefield. Erasing Ukraine from the narrative of the war and claiming an existential threat from the West obfuscates Russia's role as aggressor and its sole responsibility for prolonging the conflict.

Read also: Exploring Ukraines most important battles of 2023

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
In an effort to curb youth violence, a curfew for those under the age of 18 in Jackson has been approved by the Jackson City Council.

On weekdays, the curfew will be from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., while on weekends it will be from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m, according to Jackson's Code of Ordinances.

The ordinance also mandates that students must be in school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the school year. Students found in violation will be subject to youth court laws, the ordinance states.

A parent who's child is found breaking the curfew will receive a written warning for the offense. After that, it will increase $25 for each subsequent offense  $25 for the first, $50 for the second, and so on.

The curfew will go into effect in 30 days on Feb. 2 and remain in effect until Jan. 1, 2025.

Council goals for 2024: Improved roads, reduced crime, quality trash pick-up. See goals Jackson council has for 2024

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes proposed the new ordinance during the council's Wednesday meeting.

"We need to save these children. Too many of our children are involved in criminal activity. Too many are involved in being out 'til 1, 2 3 or 4 in the morning. Too many of our children are not going to school and they should be in school. We need to save our children," Stokes said after the meeting.

Stokes said the curfew will help cut down youth murders in the city, as well as help deter minors from becoming criminals.

These are the exceptions to the curfew ordinance:

Any time a minor is accompanied by an adult.

When accompanied by an adult authorized by a parent for a designated period and definite purpose, and within a designated space.

If the minor is on an errand for a parent, the curfew is extended until 12:30 a.m.

If the minor is legally employed.

Until 12:30 a.m., if the minor is on property directly adjacent to their home.

When returning home by a direct route and within 30 minutes of the termination of a school, religious or voluntary activity.

In the case of reasonable necessity, if that necessity has been communicated to Jackson Police Department by the minors parents.

When a minor, with parental consent, is traveling through the city via interstate.

Multiple community organizations and leaders came out in support of the curfew as a way to curb youth violence, which as seen an increase in the city.

See council's decision on water rates: Council abstains on raising water rates. Henifin still plans to move forward. What to know

James Hopkins, founder and CEO of local organization Reset Jackson, said he was in favor of the curfew because it would put more accountability on parents. He also said the city needs to "up the antes" with harsher penalties for those committing crimes.

James Hopkins, Reset Jackson founder and CEO, speaks in favor of a curfew for children under the age of 18 during the Jackson City Council meeting at Jackson City Hall in Jackson on Wednesday. The curfew was unanimously approved.

"If you're held accountable, if there are penalties for allowing your child to do whatever they want to do, then you're more likely to tighten up the grip on them," Hopkins said. "We know we can't stop it (youth violence), we can slow it down. If we do nothing, it's going to fester, it's going to grow, it's going to increase."

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba also spoke on the proposed curfew. While he leaned in favor of instating the curfew, the mayor also questioned if the city has the proper tools for the curfew to be meaningful and bring about change.

"What we've experienced in the past when we've enacted curfews is a police department that interacts with young people, detains them, often times tries to take them to a detention center which does not have the capacity to hold them, (and then) they are returned to the same homes that they walked out of in the first place," Lumumba said. "But that doesn't mean that a curfew in and of itself isn't necessarily a negative idea."

Jackson had a temporary curfew in 2021 due to a surge in violent crime.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba discusses the curfew proposal during the Jackson City Council meeting at Jackson City Hall in Jackson on Wednesday. The council approved a curfew for children under the age of 18.

Lumumba recommended to the council curfew centers, an idea he got from the Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore introduced a curfew over the summer.

"The curfew centers are not jail. It is not a detention center. It is not only a place that prepares our children for the criminal justice system," Lumumba said. "It is a center that has social work professionals there, that have people that when they (children) are taken to those centers, they can deal with the underlying challenges that led them on the streets in the first place."

New Parks and Recreation director approved

A new director of Jackson's Department of Parks and Recreation has been named.

Abram Muhammad, who was formerly the deputy director within the department, was unanimously approved by the Jackson City Council during their Wednesday meeting. The room was filled with Muhammad's friends, family and colleagues as he was confirmed.

Dr. Abram Muhammad walks out of the Jackson City Council meeting with his wife, Tracy, after being approved as the new director of the city's Department of Parks & Recreation during the meeting at Jackson City Hall in Jackson on Wednesday.

"What I can assure you council, citizens, all who are watching, that every time my feet are blessed to hit the floor, it will hit the floor with service in mind," Muhammad said. "I will always be honest, everybody knows my motto: I'm going to always be six and twelve, straight up and down, what you see is what you get. I'm not going to lie to you."

"I will not bring embarrassment upon myself, my family, this administration or this city," he continued. "I welcome any challenges, any uphill roads that may be brought to me...And I promise you, I will always, always, always see it through."

Muhammad was nominated by Lumumba, who commended Muhammad for being "community oriented" and working to include youth programs within the parks and rec department.

Park rangers: Jackson City Council considers option for securing city parks. See what it is

"It is my pleasure to present someone who has committed themselves to this effort of working to not only make facilities sufficient, but to have programming which truly speaks to and engages young people," Lumumba said.

The position was up for grabs after Ison Harris resigned. Harris worked as director for eight years.

Though a director has been found for parks and rec, the city has yet to find a much-needed director of the Department of Public Works. The position has been vacant since September after the man nominated, Khalid Woods, resigned for the second time.

City, Council continue attorney debate

Council members continued to discuss the possibility of hiring their own attorney, instead of using City Attorney Catoria Martin and her office.

A nearly two-hour closed session was held by council members to discuss the option of hiring an attorney, but no decision was made, according to Ward 6 Councilman and Council President Aaron Banks.

"It's still tabled," Banks said.

The council's quest for a new attorney sparked at the end of 2023 after multiple council members felt they weren't being represented fairly by Martin and her office.

Specifically, in the city's lawsuits with garbage company Richard's Disposal, who is suing due to being denied a long-term contract last April. Richard's is also suing in an effort to block the city's latest request for proposals for trash pick-up for 2024. Council members have asked Martin to request the judge to dismiss the lawsuits, but they are still ongoing.

Got story ideas? Email Charlie Drape at Cdrape@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson curfew approved by city council
Antonio Jose Melean Reyes (29, Jacksonville) pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

According to his plea agreement, on May 15, 2021, Reyes attempted to smuggle 3 firearms and 57 rounds of ammunition from Jacksonville to Venezuela.

Reyes reportedly concealed the firearms and ammunition in a futon that he attempted to mail using a freight forwarding service. Employees from the freight service observed the firearms during a routine x-ray of the parcel carrying the futon and contacted law enforcement.

On May 22, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents reportedly seized the 3 firearms, which included a Glock 17 pistol and 2 Smith and Wesson M&P 15 rifles.

The Glock pistol and one of the Smith and Wesson rifles had obliterated serial numbers. Forensic technicians at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) restored the obliterated serial numbers, which allowed ATF agents to trace the firearms to a subject in Jacksonville. The shipping documents also included Reyess phone number and address.

Following Reyess arrest on unrelated state charges on August 11, 2023, federal agents from ATF, HSI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched Reyess cellphone and found conversations between Reyes and another individual discussing trafficking firearms to Venezuela.

From Reyess phone, agents also learned Reyes and others were involved in a murder-for-hire plot. Between July 12 and August 9, 2023, Reyes and others surveilled two intended victims to murder them based on a $60,000 debt. Reyes and others followed the two victims to various locations around Jacksonville, including outside their homes.

Reyes attempted to hire a hitman for $15,000, but federal agents prevented any murder from occurring by arresting Reyes on a criminal complaint.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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An artist's rendering shows the Jake Roberson Memorial Splash Park planned for Wampler Park, 1818 Main Ave. W. The goal is to have the venue operational by spring.

MASSILLON  The city's plan for a memorial splash pad is moving along as the design for the effort has been finalized.

The proposed Jake Roberson Memorial Splash Park is planned for Wampler Park, 1818 Main Ave. W, and the goal is to have the facility operational by spring.

Big move: Splash park switch: Massillon proposes relocation to Wampler Park

"We're all-in on this project with a hope of being ready to go on Memorial Day," said Massillon Parks & Recreation Department Director Steve Pedro.

Safety-Service Director Barb Sylvester said last week that she's passing the reins of the splash pad effort to incoming Mayor Jamie Slutz and Director Renee Baker, who are receptive to the project.

Here are five things to know about the splash park effort:

What makes Wampler Park a workable venue for a splash pad?

The park has 19 acres and adequate restrooms, Pedro said. Restrooms are to be upgraded as part of the project. Ample parking, a playground and pavilion also have made Wampler attractive.

What is the estimated size of the splash area?

The facility should total about 8,000 square feet.

When will construction on the splash pad start?

Bids for the project are expected to be received in early 2024 with work to begin not long after that process.

How much does the project cost?

The estimated price tag is $1.1 million. State grants and private donations make up the bulk of funding. The Roberson family has made a $100,000 donation toward the project. In addition, $300,000 has been set aside via American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Sharon Roberson holds a photo of her son, Jake Roberson, which was taken during his senior year at Washington High School. He was a 2005 graduate.

Who is Jake Roberson?

Jake Roberson was a springboard diver who graduated in 2005 from Washington High School, earning a scholarship to Drexel University, and later landed a spot as a team diver at Sea World. He drowned in 2017 while living in California.

The notion for a splash park came during a memorial service in the spring 2017 at the high school, when former Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry suggested to the Roberson family that a splash park in Massillon would be a positive and long-lasting way to memorialize Jake.

Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Massillon moving to build Jake Roberson Splash Park by spring of 2024
Five people were killed when a Japan Airlines plane carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an earthquake relief aircraft and burst into flames on landing at Tokyos Haneda airport on Tuesday.

All 379 people on JAL flight 516, including eight children under the age of two, were safely evacuated from the passenger plane, according to the airline, but there were fatalities on the second aircraft, operated by the Japan Coast Guard.

The Airbus A350-900 aircraft ignited after flying into Haneda from the northern Japanese city of Sapporo at 5:46 p.m. local time (3:46 a.m. ET). Video showed a huge fireball erupt as the plane ignited, leaving a fiery trail down the runway.

Five crew members died on the second aircraft, a De Havilland Canada DHC-8, according to Japans transport minister, Tetsuo Saito. Public broadcaster NHK said the planes captain was in a critical condition.

Japan Airlines said four of its passengers were taken to hospitals but the airline has not received any additional reports of injuries, the airlines Senior Vice President Noriyuki Aoki said in a press conference Tuesday evening.

Daytime aerial photos show the burned out wreckage of the Japan Airlines plane at Haneda airport on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. - Kyodo News/AP

Japan Airlines is taking part in the investigation to determine who is responsible for the deadly crash, its senior vice president of corporate safety and security Tadayuki Tsutsumi told reporters. The French aviation agency is also sending its own investigators to Tokyo to probe the collision as part of the investigation team opened by Japan Transport Safety Board, it said in a statement.

In a later statement, Japan Airlines said its crew had been cleared to land by air traffic control before the collision. Audio from LiveATC.net appears to detail the crew reading back a clearance order for runway 34, saying cleared to land 34 right.

According to interviews with the operating crew, they acknowledged and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control, and then proceeded with the approach and landing procedures, Japan Airlines said.

The statement said that after landing, the Japan Air Lines Airbus A350 collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and caught fire.

After the blaze broke out, the plane was seen at a standstill with people using emergency slides to flee the inferno as firefighters tried to battle the growing flames. More than 100 fire trucks were dispatched in response to the accident, NHK reports.

All people on board the passenger plane were said to have been quickly evacuated. - From X

Big bang

Guy Maestre, originally from France, was on board an adjacent plane at the time of the accident on Tuesday and describes hearing a big bang.

I was hoping everyone was going to be safe, Maestre, who had been visiting Japan from Philadelphia, told CNN, adding that it was shocking to see.

I was in another plane in the window seat  we were getting ready to take off and we heard a big bang.

We looked from our windows and saw a huge trail of flames running down the runway.

Flames got higher and higher then we saw fire trucks go by the runway.

Mika Yamake had been on her way to the airport to meet her husband, who was on board the JAL plane, when news of the accident broke.

I didnt realize it was such a big incident until I saw images on the news, she told CNN. At first it was just reports of smoke, but then I saw images of flames and I felt more worried. I only realized my husband was on that plane when he called me.

He called me from inside and told me he saw smoke coming out. I was relieved he was safe. He just came out with his mobile phone. He had to leave everything else behind.

Mikas husband, Satoshi Yamake, told CNN when the flight landed that he initially didnt feel anything out of the ordinary.

We landed normally, didnt feel a shock or anything, Yamake told CNN at Haneda airport after he was evacuated from the crash.

He added that he saw a fire shortly before an announcement was made to evacuate the plane.

But then we saw fire coming out of the engines and I found it strange. Just as I was thinking why the fire was burning for so long, an announcement came and said we probably hit something on the runway and we have to now evacuate the plane, Yamake said. We could smell some smoke but passengers were not panicking a lot.

He said he was not really scared.

Since we have landed already, I was thinking the plane probably wont explode by this point. We should be fine as long as everyone gets off the plane in an orderly manner.

A Japan Coast Guard spokesman told CNN that its aircraft had been headed from Haneda airport to an airbase in Niigata prefecture to help with relief efforts following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake on Monday.

Flight 516 had been heading inbound to Haneda from Sapporos New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido prefecture. The airline said it was carrying a total of 367 passengers, including eight infants, plus 12 crew members.

The majority of departures from Haneda Airport are now canceled and its unclear when flight services will resume, NHK reports.

CNNs Eric Cheung, Pete Muntean, Lauren Koenig contributed to this article

This story has been updated.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Airbus A350 that caught fire in Tokyo used carbon-fiber composites that are less heat-resistant than metal.

The accident on Tuesday is likely to be seen as a test case for the lightweight materials' use in aviation.

However, the materials "weren't going to change the overall outcome of this," one expert said.

The fuselage and wings of the crashed Japan Airlines Airbus A350 were made using a carbon-composite material that's likely to receive renewed attention in the aftermath of Tuesday's fiery accident.

Experts have remarked on the material of the plane's construction in discussing the spread of the fire  but have not so far suggested it worsened the disaster.

In the accident, the landing Japan Airlines plane hit a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft that was on the same runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.

Video showed a massive fire burning as it headed down the runway and came to a stop.

Japan Airlines Flight 516 in flames as it lands at Tokyo Haneda Airport on January 2, 2023, in a video from the public broadcaster NHK News. NHK News

Remarkably, all 379 people on board the A350 survived despite flames engulfing the aircraft. Five of the six people on the smaller Coast Guard aircraft were killed. The exact circumstances of the accident are still unknown.

In a statement on Tuesday, Airbus said it was sending a team of specialists to help Japanese authorities to help investigate the accident. The A350's use of carbon-fiber materials may well be one of the factors discussed in the probe.

Passenger airliners have conventionally been built primarily from metals like aluminum, steel and titanium.

But engineers have increased the proportion of more lightweight  and thus more fuel-efficient  carbon composite materials, Dr Sonya Brown, a senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales told The Guardian.

Those used in the Airbus A350's wing and fuselage are known as carbon fiber reinforced polymers, or CFRPs, per The Guardian.

Industry new site Simple Flying last year called the material's light weight a "game changer" for the Airbus A350. It's also used in the Boeing 787.

Airbus says that the A350's airframe uses composites, alongside titanium and aluminum alloys, "to create a lighter and more cost-efficient aircraft, while increasing resistance to corrosion and reducing maintenance."

The company also says that the carbon-fiber skin "is more 'burn through' resistant than a metallic equivalent."

In Tuesday's accident, the material quickly caught attention from expert onlookers, with former CNN Aviation Editor Jon Ostrower remarking on X: "This is really something."

This is really something. Look at how the A350s structure is reacting to fire. We havent seen anything like this with carbon fiber since the B-2 crash in Guam in 2008  and the first time

in modern commercial aviation. pic.twitter.com/ygzV64RYVc  Jon Ostrower (@jonostrower) January 2, 2024

Safety consultant Jon Cox told the Associated Press that "this is the most catastrophic composite-airplane fire that I can think of."

He added: "On the other hand, that fuselage protected [passengers] from a really horrific fire  it did not burn through for some period of time and let everybody get out."

Brown, speaking to The Guardian, agreed that the materials used would impact the fire performance of the craft. "While we don't know the specifics of the resins used in the plane in this incident, they will lose their structural capability, their sense of thickness, at a lower temperature than aluminum," she said.

But she said that while the carbon-fiber composites "will change the performance of the fire," they "weren't going to change the overall outcome of this."

"Carbon fiber composites might start to lose some of their stiffness at about 200 degrees, while aluminum will melt at about 700 degrees," she said.

"But the fire we saw on that fuselage will have had temperatures above 1000 degrees Celsius," Brown continued  making the difference relatively insignificant.

She said the plane's wing construction likely contained firewalls  sections of material that are less easily combustible  that will have slowed the blaze's progress.

The aircraft will also have used much of its fuel before it landed, reducing the risk of an explosion, she said.

Graham Braithwaite, an expert on flight safety at Cranfield University in the UK, told Business Insider's Tom Porter that strong crew training and other aspects of the aircraft's design likely helped the passengers evacuate safely, even as the fuselage burned.

"This is an example of a plane evacuation gone well," he said.

He also pointed to the design of the A350 cabin, which has well-marked exits and uses fire-resistant materials where possible. The resulting evacuation "also speaks to the durability of modern aircraft, and how well designed they are," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Aftershocks continued to jolt Japan on Wednesday as the death toll from a series of strong earthquakes rose to at least 64.

Earlier, Japans prime minister Fumio Kishida said rescuers were in a battle against time as the toll continued to rise.

A magnitude of 7.6 jolted Japan on Monday afternoon damaging buildings and roads, which also prompted the country to issue tsunami warnings along the coast. The tsunami warnings were later lifted on early Tuesday morning.

More than 300 people are reportedly injured and 20 of them are in serious condition.

Rescue teams struggled in freezing temperatures on Tuesday to reach isolated areas where many people are feared trapped under toppled buildings.

The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time, the prime minister said during an emergency disaster meeting.

Nearly 31,800 people are in shelters at the moment as tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed.

Key Points

Japan experienced more than 400 tremors until Wednesday morning

Survivors face freezing rain, threat of landslides

Severed road connections make it difficult to reach survivors with aid

Desperate calls for help from survivors 40 hours after earthquake

Aerial photographs show scale of devastation after Japan earthquake

12:54 , Chris Stevenson

We are pausing our live coverage for now. Thanks for reading. Our latest report is here.

Drone footage shows devastating aftermath of deadly Japan earthquakes

12:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Hundreds still trapped under rubble

11:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Days after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble.

By 8am today, nearly 130 requests for the rescue of people trapped under collapsed structures had been recorded, according to the Japan Times.

In Suzu alone, more than 72 rescue requests remained pending.

In the areas of Noto, Anamizu, and Nanao, a total of over 60 people were isolated and cut off from any aid.

It has been over 40 hours since the earthquake and there continue to be many reports of people who need rescue, prime minister Fumio Kishida said this morning.

We must keep in mind that this is a race against time and continue to put all our labour into rescue efforts, with life-saving as our top priority.

The likelihood of survival significantly drops after 72 hours following an earthquake.

Aerial photos capture capsized boats in the Suzu city harbour in the aftermath of 7.6-magnitude earthquake

10:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The aerial photos show capsized boats in the harbour of the city of Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture on 3 January 2024, after a major 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture on New Years Day.

Japanese rescuers scrambled to search for survivors on 3 January as authorities warned of landslides and heavy rain after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 64 people.

(AFP via Getty Images)

(EPA)

(AFP via Getty Images)

Reverse fault responsible for 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Japan

10:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The fault responsible for the devastating earthquake in Japan on New Years Day might extend approximately 150 kilometres beneath the Noto peninsula, a government panel of experts revealed yesterday.

They indicated that aftershocks are expected to persist for the time being.

The panel said that the magnitude-7.6 earthquake was likely triggered by a reverse fault  which is characterised by the upward displacement of the upper hanging wall away from the footwall.

The USGS website defines reverse fault as a dip-slip fault in which the upper block, above the fault plane, moves up and over the lower block.

This type of faulting is common in areas of compression, it says, such as regions where one plate is being subducted under another as in Japan.

The area of tectonic activity has been expanding in and around the region, they said.

Japan earthquake: Passengers run for cover as train station shakes and water pours through ceiling

09:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Seismology experts caught off guard over intensity of 1 January earthquake

08:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Seismology experts warned of potent aftershocks in the days ahead as they grappled with understanding the factors behind the New Years Day magnitude-7.6 earthquake in the Noto region of Ishikawa prefecture.

Junichi Nakajima, a professor of seismology at Tokyo Institute of Technology told the Japan Times that it was extremely large for a land-based quake.

Generally speaking, an earthquake swarm does not produce a quake with a magnitude over 6. To be honest, I am surprised because this means a fault moved over a wide area, he said.

The Noto peninsula has experienced occasional strong jolts over the past three years, although experts say that none have approached the magnitude of the one on 1 January.

Naoshi Hirata, professor emeritus of seismology at the University of Tokyo who also chairs the governments Earthquake Research Committee said: I cannot make a conclusive statement until I peruse the detailed data because the focus is close (to other large quakes in the region), he said. But I believe this was the biggest in this latest spate of seismic activity.

He said that the magnitude of the earthquake on 1 January exceeded that of both the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake and the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, which resulted in approximately 6,400 casualties.

Terrifying moment Japan earthquake leaves car passengers petrified

07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Japan experienced more than 400 tremors until Wednesday morning

07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), more than 400 aftershocks have struck the region as of this morning.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake on New Years Day was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, with officials warning these could continue for up to a week.

Some regions in the Noto peninsula, the epicentre of the initial quake, remain cut off due to damaged roads, landslides and large fires.

To secure the route there, we are to mobilise all the means of transport, not only on the ground but also by aerial and marine transport. We have been making an effort to transfer goods, supplies and personnel there since last night, prime minister Fumio Kishida said.

Survivors provided with water and blankets as search dogs join rescue teams

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Rescue agency officials are distributing water, blankets, food and other supplies today to the survivors of the massive earthquake in Ishikawa.

In some of the earthquake-hit regions, power, water and cell phone service were still down.

Hardly any of the homes are standing. They are either partially or totally destroyed, said Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of Suzu city.

Search dogs have also joined the rescue efforts besides firefighters and the military. Dozens of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble.

Watch: Twitch streamer catches moment powerful earthquake strikes Japan

06:12 , Maroosha Muzaffar

ICYMI: Japans nuclear power plants unscathed from earthquake

05:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Japans nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan coast remained largely unscathed from the New Years Day earthquake that struck the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.

Despite the 7.6 magnitude quake triggering tsunami warnings  that were later lifted  and evacuations in nine prefectures, Japan Times reported, that the incident could renew public concerns about the safety of nuclear power in an earthquake-prone country.

Survivors share heartwrenching stories after quake destroyed their homes

05:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Yasuhiro Kano, a resident of Suzus Horyu district, evacuated his mother in time just as his house was collapsing.

His two-story home was destroyed in the earthquake. Since New Years Day, he has moved to two shelters but now worries about food and rescue.

At first I thought the shaking was the usual 4 or 5 on the Japanese seismic scale, but soon the vertical shaking came, and the house collapsed, the 50-year-old told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

My house has completely collapsed. I dont know what will happen now. I dont even know how long it will take to recover. I have nothing but anxiety, he added.

A British tourist visiting Japan, Emma Ward, told BBC that the quake hit without warning. She was on a ski holiday with her group and as the massive tremor struck the region, she took shelter under a table in the cafe.

The worst part during the earthquake was not knowing how intense it was going to become. Its a very frightening experience.

World leaders offer support to Japan after devastating earthquake kills 62

05:23 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The United States, the UK and Canada offered support to Japan after the major earthquake that has so far killed 62 people.

Joe Biden said in a statement that the United States will provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.

British prime minister Rishi Sunak said: We stand ready to support Japan and are monitoring developments closely.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said on X/Twitter: My thoughts are with the people of Japan following the devastating earthquake. To Japan, our partner and friend: Canada is standing with you, ready to extend a helping hand.

French president Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Japan, saying that the country can count on Frances support. Solidarity with Japan which must overcome the consequences of strong earthquakes.

We share the immense pain of the victims families.

Dear @kishida230, you can count on the support and help of France.

Drone footage shows devastating aftermath of deadly Japan earthquakes

05:09 , Maroosha Muzaffar

In Photos: Devastating earthquake kills 62 and injures over 300 in Japan

04:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

(AP)

(AFP via Getty Images)

(EPA)

Severed road connections make it difficult to reach survivors with aid

04:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

There are significant difficulties in accessing the northern Noto peninsula in Japan  the worst-hit quake region  due to severed road connections to Wajima and Suzu, local media reported.

The Ishikawa prefectures Noto peninsula was most severely hit in the 7.6-magnitude devastating earthquake.

Roads leading to Noto Airport in Wajima are inaccessible, with extensive cracks exceeding 10 centimetres in depth and over 10 metres in length on the runways, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported.

In response, officials are now planning to use sea routes to transport relief supplies to the survivors and rescue teams.

Aerial photographs show scale of devastation after Japan earthquake

04:20 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Japanese rescue officials shared the first images on Tuesday showing the scale of devastation in the hard-to-reach areas worst hit by a massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake that triggered tsunami warnings across the region on New Years Day.

The powerful quake struck the northern Ishikawa prefecture on Japans main central island of Honshu on Monday, prompting thousands of people in coastal regions to flee to higher ground as tsunami waves hit the western coast.

More:

Aerial photographs show scale of devastation after Japan earthquake

'Almost no houses are standing' in quake-hit towns

03:57 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Mayor Masuhiro Izumiya reported a grim scene in the coastal city of Suzu, stating that almost no houses are standing.

He revealed that approximately 90 per cent of the towns houses are either entirely or nearly destroyed and described the situation as truly catastrophic.

The 7.6-magnitude quake jolted Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu. The prefectures Noto peninsula was most severely hit and many buildings were flattened especially in the towns of Wajima and Suzu among others.

According to a report from the Japanese government last year, there has been a consistent rise in the frequency of earthquakes in the Noto peninsula region since 2018.

Desperate calls for help from survivors 40 hours after earthquake

03:40 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Prime minister Fumio Kishida revealed that more people are in need of help many hours after the devastating earthquake struck the region.

More than 40 hours have passed since the disaster. We have received a lot of information about people in need of rescue and there are people waiting for help, he said today after an emergency taskforce meeting.

Rescue efforts are being made by the local authorities, police, firefighters and other operational units, while the number of personnel and rescue dogs is enhanced.

However, we ask you to remain fully mindful that we are in a race against time and to continue to do your utmost to save lives, putting peoples lives first.

Survivors face freezing rain, threat of landslides

03:31 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Survivors of the massive earthquake are now battling freezing rain and threats of landslides, authorities said.

Heavy rains are forecast in the quake-hit region today giving rise to fears of landslides.

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida urged his government to ensure that the survivors had access to basic amenities including electricity and water.

Please do everything in your power to rescue as many people as possible, while keeping in mind that this is also a battle against time, Mr Kishida said yesterday during a disaster response meeting.

03:26 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Good morning and welcome to the Independents liveblog on Japans devastating earthquake in which 62 people have died. Several aftershocks were triggered after the strong 7.5 magnitude quake in the region and 300 are reportedly injured. Tens of thousands of homes in Japan were flattened in the earthquake and thousands are in shelters at the moment. In this blog, well provide you with the latest on the situation on ground:
The Japan Transport Safety Board and Tokyo Police began investigations Wednesday into the deadly collision between a Coast Guard plane and a JAL passenger plane. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The Japan Transport Ministry said on Wednesday that a Coast Guard plane that collided with the Japan Airlines plane on Tuesday did not have permission to enter the runway, according to flight control communications.

Toshiyuki Onuma, senior deputy director general of Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau, said no one could find clear evidence of the Coast Guard plane receiving clearance despite its pilot's insistence that he did receive it.

"There was nothing that can be regarded as permission to enter the runway [for the Coast Guard plane] in the transcript of the communications," Onuma said in a news briefing.

The collision on the runway of the two planes where the Coast Guard plane was attempting to take off while the passenger jet was landing killed five Coast Guard members. The pilot survived.

A Coast Guard official at the same news briefing admitted that there appeared to be a conflict between what its pilot was saying and the communications data. The official added the Coast Guard would cooperate with investigations by the Japan Transport Safety Board and police.

Japan's Transport Safety Board said it had the flight and voice recorders of the Coast Guard plane but was still looking for the components of the passenger plane which burst into flames on the runway.Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

An air traffic controller told the Coast Guard aircraft right before the crash on Tuesday afternoon, "Please drive on the ground to the runway stop position C5."

The Coast Guard aircraft responded: "We are heading to the runway stop position C5."

A domestic terminal are seen crowded for change procedures and to head for their hometown with travelers at Tokyo International Airport in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI

The ministry said that was the last communication with Coast Guard aircraft until the crash where it entered the runway.

The air traffic communication will be part of the Japan Transport Safety Board investigation, which launched on Wednesday.

The agency said it had inspected the scene of the incident at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport and had the flight and voice recorders of the Coast Guard plane but was still looking for the components of the passenger plane which burst into flames on the runway.

Safety board officials said the investigation will focus on the instructions given by air traffic controllers to pilots before the crash.

"We cannot give a clear answer at this time as to why they collided," said Takuya Fujiwara, an aviation accident investigator. "We will investigate what we can and finalize our report."

Meanwhile, JAL officials told reporters that they understood the JAL Airbus A350 "had received permission to land."

The Metropolitan Police in Tokyo also inspected the scene as part of its own probe in connection with the charge of suspicion of professional negligence.

Five of the six Coast Guard crew members, who were delivering relief goods to the earthquake-affected area of Ishikawa, were killed in the crash. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members, though, managed to escape with serious injury from the JAL carrier.
WASHINGTON - The Jeffrey Epstein list is soon to surface.

Hundreds of sealed court filings about Epstein, the accused sex trafficker who hanged himself inside a jail cell in 2019, are expected to include the names of prominent people like Prince Andrew and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Clinton has not been accused of anything illegal. One of Epstein's victims said in court papers that she met the ex-president on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean; Clinton has denied ever visiting the island.

What is the Epstein list?

The "list" is expected to include more than 150 names found in court documents, which could illuminate which prominent figures continued to associate with Epstein and his former girlfriend and convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwellafter he was convicted in 2008 in Palm Beach, Florida, of procuring sex from a minor. The sealed documents were part of a defamation lawsuit brought by one of their accusers, Virginia Giuffre.

A number of boldfaced names have been linked to Epstein since federal agents arrested the hedge fund manager on sex trafficking charges in July 2019, including billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. A Gates spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the two met only for philanthropic purposes, which he regrets. Summers has said through a spokesman that he "deeply regrets," mixing with Epstein.

No one besides Epstein and Maxwell has been accused of criminal wrongdoing in the case.Political analyst Charlotte Clymer said the release of the names would only be worrying "if our nation's leaders and political media attempt to downplay the Epstein list and cover-up any crimes against innocents."

"When it comes to matters of sexual abuse and human trafficking, transparency is always a good thing," said Clymer, a Democrat.

Giuffre claimed that, while she was a teenager, Epstein and Maxwell pressured her into sexual encounters with powerful men, including Prince Andrew. Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement with Andrew, who denied her allegations. She also made accusations against prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz, but dropped them in late 2022.

Epstein killed himself by hanging while awaiting trial at a federal detention center in Manhattan.

Maxwell, the jet-setting socialite turned convicted sex trafficker, is serving a 20-year federal prison for helping financier Epstein sexually abuse underage girls,

No allegations against Clinton

Giuffre did not accuse Clinton of wrongdoing; she said she met the former president on Epstein's private Caribbean island.

In a 2019 statement, Clinton's office said the former president "knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York."

It also said that Clinton did fly on Epstein's airplane, but he has "not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade."

Epstein also knew Donald Trump well before he became president; there is no indication that Trump's name is in the documents.

In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine, Ive known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. Hes a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.

The unsealing

U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ruled last month that there was no legal justification for continuing to conceal the names of more than 150 "John and Jane Does" listed in the filings.

Preska ordered the unsealing of documents after Jan. 1. The release could take place anytime in the coming days or weeks.

Top names in politics, the arts and business

Over the years, some names have floated out.

Epstein's former pilot, Larry Visoski, testified in 2021 that Clinton and Trump had flown on Epstein's private plane. Other prominent passengers included Prince Andrew, violinist Itzhak Perlman, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, the late Ohio Sen. John Glenn and actor Kevin Spacey, he said.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jeffrey Epstein's list is coming out. Who will be named?
The embattled mother of convicted Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley wants to block three witnesses from testifying at her upcoming, historic trial, arguing what they saw on Nov. 30, 2021, is "so gruesome and appalling" that it could unfairly prejudice the jury.

But more than that, her lawyer argues, it's irrelevant to the mother's case.

In a new court filing, Jennifer Crumbley is asking a judge to exclude the "excruciatingly painful testimony" of three eyewitnesses who saw and survived the horror of her son's crimes:

A teacher who locked eyes with the gunman before he opened fire on her, shooting her in the arm, just 6 inches from her heart.

An assistant principal who gave mouth-to-mouth to a dying teenage boy who had been shot in the back of the head, telling him she loved him and to hang on, though the boy would not make it.

A student who was stuck in a bathroom with the shooter, frantically texting his family as he heard the gunman shoot his final victim, who was ordered to his knees before being shot execution-style.

Jennifer Crumbley makes her way into the Oakland County Courtroom of Judge Cheryl Matthews on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.

'The factual evidence is so devastating, gruesome, and appalling'

"The factual evidence is so devastating, gruesome, and appalling that its admission would certainly inflame the passions of a jury," Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer, Shannon Smith, argues in a Tuesday filing, maintaining the details of the shooting itself should stay out of her client's trial.

That's because, Smith argues, what went on inside the school that day has nothing to do with the elements of the crime that the mother is accused of.

Rather, the defense maintains, the mom's case is about what happened before the shooting, not during or after. It's about how the Crumbleys behaved as parents, whether their actions or inactions led to four children dying, and whether they could have prevented this.

Jennifer and James Crumbley, the first parents in America charged in a mass school shooting, are scheduled to go to trial Jan. 23 on involuntary manslaughter charges for their alleged roles in the deaths of Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17. All were killed by their son, who also injured seven others during the mass shooting, including a teacher.

Prosecutors allege the parents, who will have separate trials, ignored a troubled son who was spiraling out of control, but instead of getting him help they bought him a gun  the same one he used in the massacre. They are also accused of failing to notify school officials about that gun when given the opportunity.

Ethan Crumbley, who pleaded guilty to all his crimes, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole last month, telling the judge to give the victims the justice they want, and that he hopes to be a better person in the future.

Meanwhile, his mother's lawyer argues that if the shooter were going to trial on murder charges, then it would be appropriate for the eyewitnesses to testify about the horror and pain they experienced.

But that's not what's happening, Smith protests.

"The case is unusual considering that the shooter pled guilty as an adult and has been sentenced to life without parole. Mrs. Crumbley clearly did not commit the actual shootings or act of terrorism, and there is no evidence to suggest she knew about any of the specifics of the shooters plans. It would be confusing and misleading to have witnesses testify about the details of those events," Smith writes, stressing Jennifer Crumbley does not plan to contest any of the pain or suffering her son caused.

'Mrs. Crumbley is anxious'

"There is no evidence that suggests Mrs. Crumbley had any knowledge of the shooters plans, how he planned to execute those plans, and the horrors of the events that unfolded," Smith writes, later noting:

"Mrs. Crumbley is anxious for her upcoming trial  knowing the community and victims deserve whatever semblance of closure conclusion of these legal proceedings can bring."

While it has not yet been decided who will go to trial first  the mom or the dad  lawyers for both parents have long argued that the only issues to be decided in these cases are these:

Were the Crumbleys grossly negligent in contributing to the deaths of four students? And/or, did they have a legal duty to protect others from their son?

The defense says no. The prosecution says yes.

"The duty owed here is to prevent the community from their son intentionally harming somebody when they knew he was preoccupied with violent material, that he had access to a gun, he could use it when he wanted to and he was disturbed," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald has previously argued in court. "It's a parental duty. It goes far beyond careless. It's gross negligence."

The witnesses who have Jennifer Crumbley on edge

While the defense cannot predict what the prosecution's witnesses will say at trial, earlier court proceedings offer some insight, specifically last summer's four-day-long Miller hearing, which ended with the judge concluding that Ethan Crumbley qualified for a life-without-parole sentence, which he ultimately got.

The Free Press covered that hearing. Here is some of the testimony that Jennifer Crumbley wants excluded from her trial:

Assistant Principal Kristy Gibson-Marshall broke down in tears as she recalled how she tried to save Tate Myres life in the hallway, where she found him lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.

It was crushing. I had to help him. I had to save him, for his mom, said Gibson-Marshall, who wept on the stand.

I just kept talking to him. I told him that I love him, that I needed him to hang with me, said Gibson-Marshall, whose testimony brought many to tears in the courtroom, including reporters. He was blue. When I was giving him breaths, he was getting white, so I kept giving him the breaths. It felt like forever.

Gibson-Marshall stayed with Myre until police and paramedics arrived, and told them to keep giving him breaths.

The blood still haunts her.

It was all over me, she said It took me months to get the taste of blood out of my mouth.

Gibson-Marshall also encountered Crumbley during his rampage that day. She saw him from a distance. He had a gun and she walked toward him. She realized it was Crumbley, whom she has known since he was in elementary school.

It couldnt be Ethan. He wouldnt do that, she recalled thinking.

And so I talked to him. I said, Are you OK, whats going on? "

Crumbley didnt respond. He kept walking, so she tended to the student on the ground  Tate Myre.

Gibson-Marshall was in the hallway when Crumbley eventually surrendered after exiting a bathroom, where he shot his final victim.

He came out with his hands up and he was on his knees, she said, noting police were trying to figure out who he was. He didnt answer. I said, His name is Ethan. 

'HELP,' 'GUN,' 'IM HIDING IN THE BATHROOM'

Oxford student Keegan Gregory was walking down the hallway and stopped to use the bathroom when the shooting started. He didn't believe it was a gun at first, and didn't know what to think until he peeked out and saw people running.

Shocked, he went back into the bathroom, where he encountered Shilling, a student whom he had never met. Gregory entered a stall and squatted on the toilet, noting that Shilling told him to do that so no one would see his feet. Shilling did the same.

Both stayed quiet as they used their phones. Gregory texted his family in a group chat.

HELP, GUN, IM HIDING IN THE BATHROOM, OMG.

Gregorys dad texted back, telling his son to stay down, stay quiet and stay calm.

Im terrified, Gregory wrote.

At one point, Shilling devised a plan to escape. Gregory testified Shilling mouthed and signaled to him that when they heard gunshots get farther away, they were going to run.

But before they knew it, the shooter was in the bathroom. Gregory alerted his family. His dad told him to stay down and not engage, We love you.

Then the shooter kicked in the door of the bathroom stall and stared at us, Gregory testified, noting Crumbley then left the stall.

He said he and Shilling werent sure if Crumbley was still in the bathroom, so Shilling at first tried to use his phone to look for feet, then bent over and mouthed to Gregory that he was there.

We just stayed quiet, he said.

At some point, Gregory testified, the shooter came back into the stall and told Shilling to come out. Gregory said he was still crouching on the toilet and then heard an extremely loud shot.

The shooter then came back into the stall and motioned for Gregory to come out, he said.

At some point, Gregory recalled looking at the shooter and saying "Please."

"I was scared, he said.

"He had the gun at his side. He signaled me to go over by Justins body," he recalled.

He saw Justins body in a pool of blood around his head  a sight that prompted his next move. He bolted.

"I ran behind his back behind the door," Gregory testified. "I think when I saw his body, I realized that if I stayed, I was gonna die.

"I just kept running as fast as I could," he said. "I couldn't breathe. I was hyperventilating."

'Do you know how hard it is to heal from something like this?'

Teacher Molly Darnell was in her office going about her normal school day when chaos erupted on Nov. 30, 2021. She noticed a rush of students run past her door. At first, she assumed there had been a fight, so she tried to call the office and it went to voicemail. She then ran outside into the hallway and saw students exiting a door.

Then an announcement came over the intercom. The school was headed into a lockdown

Darnell shut her office door and went to get a door security device, which works like a barrier to keep anyone from getting inside. But as she did that, she noticed some movement outside the glass window to one side of her door.

Darnell said she locked eyes with someone in the hallway wearing a mask. She didn't recognize the eyes. But then she saw a gun raising up toward her, and she jumped to the right. She heard three shots.

Then came that burning sensation, like someone scalded her with hot water, and she noticed her cardigan was ripped. She then barricaded the door with a cabinet and security device, crouched behind a filing cabinet and texted her husband: "I love you. Active shooter."

Darnell was shot in her arm that day, just inches from her heart.

He was aiming to kill me, testified Darnell, who has since left her job at Oxford High, stressing: "Do you know how hard it is to heal from something like this?"

Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer called all this testimony "obviously monumental."

"It is undeniably unforgettable, sickening, and invokes only the strongest of emotion," Smith writes.

Still, she argues, it's "unfairly prejudicial."

But the prosecution has long argued that the Crumbleys, more than anyone else, could have prevented the massacre had they informed school officials about the gun they had bought their son as an early Christmas present that year, just four days before the shooting.

According to courtroom testimony, the Crumbleys were summoned to the school on the morning before the shooting about a troubling drawing their son had made on a math worksheet. He had drawn a gun, a bleeding body, and the words: "The Thoughts won't stop, help me."

The parents never informed the school that their son had access to a gun. Rather, they promised to get him help in the coming days, and asked whether he could be returned to class because they had to go back to work.

The Crumbleys went back to their jobs. Ethan went back to class.

Two hours later, he emerged from a bathroom and opened fire.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jennifer Crumbley wants 3 school shooting witnesses excluded from her trial
An imam has died after being shot outside his mosque in Newark, New Jersey, after early morning prayers on Wednesday, according to law enforcement. The incident was reported in the parking lot outside the Masjid Muhammad Newark mosque at around 6:15 a.m, and officials said the victim, Imam Hassan Sharif, was then rushed to University Hospital, where he died from his injuries at about 2:20 p.m. While northjersey.com reported that the motive for the shooting remains unknown, Imam Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, said Sharif had previously been attacked at gunpoint outside the mosque several months ago, but he managed to take the gun away from the suspect, who fled and was never caught. Shareef told the outlet that Sharif had served at the Newark mosque for three or four years and was a former boxer. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stated that there was no current evidence suggesting the shooting was a hate crime. At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our state, he said. Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.

Read it at northjersey.com

Read more at The Daily Beast.
An imam has died after he was shot outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey.

The shooting occurred Wednesday morning near the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue.

First responders rushed the imam to University Hospital, where he was received in critical condition.

The imam, identified as Hassan Sharif, died from his wounds on Wednesday afternoon, according to NBC News.

No further details on the suspect or the motive in the shooting have been made available, but officials have not found evidence that bias against Muslims motivated the attack.

This investigation is ongoing, but at this time we do not have any information suggesting the crime was motivated by bias, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Plotkin said in a statement. Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.

Mr Sharif had been attacked several months prior in another incident. He had reportedly been held at gun point at the mosque but managed to wrestle the pistol out of his attackers hand. The suspect then fled the scene, but was never caught, according to Wahy-ud Deen Shareef, convener of the Council of Imams in New Jersey, who spoke to the Bergen Record.

The imam had worked with the Transport Security Administration since 2006, according to the TSA, which released a statement in response to his death.

We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers, a TSA spokesperson said in a statement.

CAIR-NJ, the New Jersey arm of the Council for American Islamic Relations, issued a statement calling on the public to come forward with any information regarding the shooting.

We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam, the group said in the statement released prior to his death.

It called Mr Sharif a beacon of leadership in his community.

As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious, especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry, CAIR said.

CAIR reports that incidents of anti-Muslim bigotry have increased by more than 170 per cent since the Hamas terror attack on 7 October that sparked Israels ongoing military action in Gaza.

CAIR said it received 2,171 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate over the last two months, which represents a 172% increase over same period in 2022.

On Thursday, the charity announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot the imam.
Jewish Americans appear to remain strongly behind President Biden in his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas even as he bleeds support from some other groups.

The administrations response has drawn criticism from some segments of the public and led to concern that it could hurt his standing in the polls for the November election, especially with young voters and Arab Americans.

But polls have shown that Jewish Americans, who largely consider themselves Democrats, overwhelmingly back Bidens handling of the war in his support for Israels right to self-defense and condemnation of the Oct. 7 attack and antisemitism.

There could not be a stronger leader more aligned with the interests of the Jewish community than President Joe Biden, said Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

He has not only stood by Israel in his unequivocal condemnation of terror, support of Israels security and its right to self-defense, but he has also pledged that he supports the American Jewish community as it faces this rising scourge of hate, she continued.

Biden has found himself in a difficult situation politically as the war has raged on, as voters express strong feelings for both the Israeli and Palestinian causes.

A New York Times/Siena College poll found only 33 percent of voters approved of Bidens handling of the war. The results of the poll reveal conflicting sentiments among those who disapprove, with a third saying Biden has been too supportive of Israel and almost the same amount saying he has been too supportive of the Palestinians.

An NBC News poll from November found just half of Democrats approve of Bidens handling of the war, while 70 percent of voters age 18 to 34 disapprove.

But Jewish voters have been an exception, giving the president high marks for his navigation of the war and fight against antisemitism, which has seen a sharp rise since the war began.

A poll from the nonpartisan Jewish Electorate Institute found in November that nearly three-quarters of Jewish voters support Bidens handling of the war. An age gap in support still exists, but a slight majority of the youngest Jewish voters said they support his handling.

Soifer said the way Biden has handled the conflict will only solidify what is already a strong base of support for him among Jewish voters. More than 7 in 10 Jewish voters backed Biden in the 2020 election.

Biden has repeatedly condemned antisemitism throughout his administration and especially since war broke out, pledging to confront it at every turn. He has also denounced Islamophobia.

His administration had previously taken steps to address antisemitism before the war started, launching a national strategy to fight antisemitism in May.

Biden has also more recently navigated the task of supporting Israels right to self-defense while also pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on how the country has carried out the war.

Forty-four percent of Jewish American voters said they are more likely to vote for Biden because of his support for Israel, according to a poll released last month by the Democratic Majority for Israel.

Tali DeGroot, national political director of the advocacy group J Street, which supports the two-state solution, said the administration is balancing well the need for Israel to respond to the Oct. 7 attack while pushing for Israel to do everything in its power to protect civilians in Gaza amid a rising death toll.

Soifer and DeGroot said that while they do not expect the war to be a deciding factor for Jewish voters over kitchen-table issues all Americans vote on, they acknowledge it could energize them further.

I think the events of the last couple months will inspire folks to want to reelect the president, DeGroot said. Theres so much on the line, including foreign policy and domestic issues.

But other polling has exposed a rift among Democratic voters in how they view the state of Israel and its handling of its war with Hamas. The Times/Siena poll released last month found 31 percent of Democrats said they sympathized with Israel, while 34 percent said their sympathies lie with Palestinians. Sixteen percent said their sympathies lie with both.

Some have argued this rift is making Jewish voters less comfortable in the party.

The divide between Jews, the Democrats, is not new, said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic strategist. Its been going on for a while. The more observant community left the Democrats a long time ago and now other people are starting to get the message, which is theyre not welcome unless they conform to a particular point of view.

That divide is most evident between progressive Democrats and the establishment flank of the party. In November, 22 House Democrats joined their colleagues to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian American serving in Congress, over her rhetoric about Israel. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the country, delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor condemning rising antisemitism.

Arguably the most high-profile instance of Democratic divisions came last month on a vote on a GOP-led resolution denouncing antisemitism. The resolution passed with bipartisan support, but 92 Democrats voted present and 13 voted against.

Opponents pointed to the resolutions statement considering anti-Zionism to be antisemitism, arguing this conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism.

But Democratic strategists said a shift has occurred within the party on Israel.

Democratic strategist Jon Reinish said the divide had been simmering before Oct. 7, but bipartisan support for Israel used to be uniform. He said the election of members of the Squad, some of the most progressive members of Congress, replaced Democrats who had been more steadfastly behind Israel.

Tensions have boiled over on numerous college campuses around the country, with some liberal-leaning student groups protesting Israels actions in the war in ways some critics have argued lean into antisemitism.

The presidents of three universities also faced backlash following testimony they gave to Congress last month in which they did not directly state if calling for the genocide of Jews constitutes bullying and harassment on campus.

The House approved a bipartisan resolution denouncing their testimony, but Democrats were split, with 84 in favor and 125 opposed.

The Jewish Electorate Institute poll found Jewish voters trust Biden much more than Trump to fight antisemitism by 38 points, but only trust congressional Democrats more than Republicans by 14 points.

Reinish said progressives criticism of Israel in the past had been mostly focused on objecting strenuously to Israels policies.

This seems far more sweeping, and it has gone far beyond objecting to national security questions or funding, or certain Israeli ultraconservative government policies, he said.

But Reinish noted the party is not as divided as it may appear, saying the sharpest critics of Israel in Congress represent a fringe view in the Democratic Party. He said these members, including Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), receive outsized attention because of social media and activities on college campuses, but their views are not as widespread.

I think reports of the Democratic Party being really truly fractured on this issue are overblown, and I think the data bears that out, Reinish said. If you get off Twitter and you get out of Washington, you see more uniformity.

Democrats are skeptical any split will drive Jewish voters toward Republicans, especially with Trump receiving a small number of Jewish votes in 2020 and having low support from them in polls.

But Reinish said the divide could lead to some progressive members facing serious primary challenges this year.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who voted against the antisemitism resolution, is facing a primary challenge from George Latimer, a Westchester County executive. Latimer has criticized some of Bowmans statements on the war.

Similarly, a moderate Democrat who nearly defeated Omar in the 2022 primary is running against her this year.

I think all eyes are going to be on, Do these members lose their primaries on this issue? Reinish said. And if you see that they do, I think thats going to send a big message.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Jimmy Kimmel slammed Aaron Rodgers after the New York Jets quarterback claimed the late night host was potentially connected to the names of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged associates on Tuesday. Hundreds of pages of documents containing names of people connected to Epstein were made public late Wednesday, and Kimmel's name wasn't in the released documents.

What did Aaron Rodgers say?

While discussing the impending release of the list of Epstein's alleged victims and associates, Rodgers speculated during an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday that "a lot of people including Jimmy Kimmel are hoping it doesn't come out."

"If that list comes out, I will definitely be popping some sort of bottle," he added.

Jimmy Kimmel is responding to Aaron Rodgers after the Jets quarterback claimed Kimmel and others are

In response, Kimmel called out Rodgers on social media and appeared to threaten legal action hours later.

"For the record, I've not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any 'list' other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can't seem to distinguish from reality," Kimmel said on X. "Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court."

Rodgers, who played less than a handful of snaps for the Jets this season before an Achilles injury, has yet to respond.

Meanwhile, McAfee tried to diffuse the conflict between the two during his show on Wednesday.

"I can see exactly why Jimmy Kimmel felt the way he felt, especially with his position," he said. "But I think Aaron was just trying to talk s---. Now, did it go too far? A lot of people  Jimmy Kimmel certainly said that was the case."

"We apologize for being part of it," he added.

The back-and-forth between the TV host and starting QB goes back to 2021 when Kimmel criticized Rodgers for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine after the then-Green Bay Packers signal caller misled the public by saying he was "immunized" against the virus.

And last year, Kimmel poked fun at Rodgers after he suggested on the "Pat McAfee Show" that the increased discussion over UFO sightings could be a distraction from Epstein's client list.

"Needless to say, all this UFO talk has the tin foil hatters going wild, including whack-Packer Aaron Rodgers," Kimmel said before showing a clip of Rodgers' comments.

"It may be time to revisit that concussion protocol, Aaron," Kimmel said.

A judge ruled in mid-December that the list could be unsealed, but delayed the release until January to give those involved time to appeal their listing.

More than 100 names were made public as part of a settled civil lawsuit against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell  who was found guilty of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls for at least a decade  brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused Maxwell of recruiting her for abuse. Over 900 pages of mostly unredacted documents were released and much of the information has been previously reported. Many of those whose names are mentioned are not accused of any wrongdoing.

Cara Tabachnick contributed to this report.

Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein court documents name accusers, world leaders and Hollywood stars

Houthi militia defies U.S. warning with 25th Red Sea attack

New "48 Hours" episode on the suspicious death of Megan Parra
A dozen nations on Wednesday issued a joint warning to the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, demanding that they cease attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea . The warning, however, does not specify what actions will be taken should these attacks continue. There have been 24 since Nov. 19, according to U.S. Central Command .

We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews " the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom demanded in the joint statement published by the White House Wednesday. "The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the regions critical waterways. We remain committed to the international rules-based order and are determined to hold malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks."

https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1742608009690517581?s=20

Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing. There is no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels . Attacks on vessels, including commercial vessels, using unmanned aerial vehicles , small boats , and missiles , including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such vessels, are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the worlds most critical waterways," the warning stated.

While the warning does not lay out the next steps, as we noted previously , The Sunday Times reported that the U.K. is readying a series of air strikes alongside the U.S. and possibly other European countries. The joint statement, which the Sunday Times said would be released in hours, not days, would serve as a final warning before strikes are ordered.

Warships from the U.S., U.K. and France have already shot down many Houthi missiles and drone s heading towards shipping in the southern Red Sea region. U.S. Navy helicopters have also sunk Houthi boats that opened fire on them.

https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/1741572056926572574

As we reported previously , the U.S. is "discussing all kinds of different strike packages against the Houthis, including radar facilities and installations, a U.S. military official told The War Zone Dec. 21. The official told us on Wednesday that those options have been delivered by CENTCOM to the Pentagon and are still awaiting further orders.

It remains unclear what role, if any, the newly formed Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) would have in this effort. OPG is a multi-nation effort to protect Red Sea shipping created under the command of the existing Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Task Force 153 .

We have reached out to the Pentagon and White House National Security Council for answers about what responses are on the table and will update this story with any information provided.

The Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The Houthis have said they are standing up for "our brothers in the Gaza Strip."

https://twitter.com/M_N_Albukhaiti/status/1742523055232913849

This is a developing story. We will provide updates as new information comes to light.

Update 5:09 PM Eastern -

A senior Biden administration official told reporters, including from The War Zone, that todays joint warning was the last such message to be delivered to the Houthis.

I'm not gonna get into rules of engagement or any anticipatory further action, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to address operational details. I would just say that I would not anticipate another warning. This statement speaks very much for itself. And we have acted defensively. And again, I think it's a very clear warning. We're gonna let the statement stand for itself. And I'm just not going to get ahead of the process from here.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A criminal court judge rejected the request to move Cleotha Abstons upcoming trial out of Shelby County during a court hearing Wednesday.

The hearing was in reference to a trial scheduled for April 8 for an alleged rape involving Alicia Franklin that happened a year before Abston is accused of kidnapping and killing Eliza Fletcher.

Cleotha Abstons attorney seeks to move trial out of Memphis, citing toxic public reaction

Abstons attorney, Juni Ganguli, says the judges decision did not come as a surprise and that he does not believe his client will get a fair trial because it has been a much-publicized case.

It was expected, but we still have to try because you cant just roll over. You still have to try and get what you can, Ganguli said.

Ganguli told the judge that the court of public opinion has him looking for a change of venue and ultimately jurors from outside the area.

This is due to some of the comments that he says have been expressed against his client: Mr. Abston is sick. He deserves death. Death penalty. Nothing other than death. I hope hes prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Ganguli said, quoting some of the comments made about Abston.

What we know about kidnapping suspect Cleotha Abston

But Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman argued the crime Abston is accused of committing happened in Shelby County, therefore those here should decide his fate.

I know we have a very diverse community racially, ethnically views and everything else, Hagerman said. So we are able to get fair and impartial jurors here. Good faith in our citizens of Shelby County.

Memphis prosecutors seek death penalty against man charged with kidnapping and killing teacher

The state and the defense agree that both sides want a fair trial. But the change of venue was ultimately denied.

I firmly believe he can be tried fairly by a jury in Shelby County, Judge Lee Coffee said.

Abston is being held on more than $2 million bond in protective custody and is facing a long list of charges.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
A Rapides Parish judge has denied a new trial for a convicted rapist and also has denied a bid to reconsider his 10-year sentence.

A Rapides Parish judge has denied a new trial for a convicted rapist and also has denied a bid to reconsider his 10-year sentence.

Antonio Demetrius Jones, 49, was convicted by a Rapides Parish jury on two counts of third-degree rape Nov. 17, 2022.

The victim, who testified against him, was acting Jan. 13, 2021, as an informant for the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office when Jones forced her to perform oral sex on him twice while she tried to buy meth from him.

The victim was wired to record video and audio, which Jones missed when he searched her. But the equipment wasn't able to relay what was happening in real time to detectives who were stationed outside Jones' Texas Avenue house.

The victim reported what happened after leaving the home, and Jones was arrested later the same day.

During the trial, jurors watched the video of the rapes. Some had difficulty watching it because of its graphic content. One covered her eyes at times, while another looked away as the victim repeatedly tried to refuse Jones and asked him to stop.

Jones' attorney, Phillip Robinson, had asked for a mistrial because he said multiple jurors didn't watch the video. Ninth Judicial District Court Judge Chris Hazel, who presided over the trial, denied that.

Robinson filed a motion seeking a new trial after Jones' conviction.

Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Brian Cespiva also filed a motion to have Jones' sentence reconsidered, saying the 10 years he received "deprecates the seriousness of the defendant's crime."

Cespiva had asked Hazel to sentence Jones to the maximum, 25 years, and to have the sentences served consecutively, meaning Jones would have been sentenced to 50 years. Without giving his reasons, Hazel sentenced Jones to two 10-year sentences to be served concurrently.

Testimony, verdict in same day: Alexandria man found guilty of raping Rapides Sheriff Office confidential informant

'Failed to protect her': Informant sues Rapides Sheriff's Office over rapes after testifying she didn't blame agency

Hazel rotated to the court's civil division after Jones' trial, leaving the new motions in the hands of Judge Patricia Koch.

The defense motion for a new trial alleged that a civil lawsuit filed by the victim after Jones' trial should be viewed as new evidence in the case. During her testimony, the victim said she never was pressured to be an informant, didn't blame the sheriff's office for what happened to her and that she had no plans to sue.

The lawsuit was filed less than two months after Jones' conviction. It alleges that the woman was coerced into acting as a confidential informant.

Online Rapides Parish Clerk of Court records show it was continued without any new dates in June.

Koch issued her decisions in one ruling Dec. 29. In denying the motion for a new trial, she wrote that the lawsuit didn't provide any new evidence, "only claims or allegations of the victim of her perceived injuries."

Koch also denied the prosecution's request to reconsider the sentence. She wrote that the record reveals "an adequate factual basis for its imposition of the defendant's sentences."

Jones, who is serving time with the Louisiana Department of Corrections in the case, has appealed his conviction to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles. The court had sent the matter back to the district court in April until the motions were resolved.

He also still faces a felony charge of distribution of meth, a charge stemming from the Jan. 13, 2021, incident. There are no court dates in that case currently.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Judge denies 2 motions in rape case of Rapides Sheriff informant
A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday dismissed a wrongful death claim brought as part of a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and two men accused of assaulting U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick during the Capitol riot.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Sicknicks longtime partner, Sandra Garza, lacked standing to bring such a claim against Trump and defendants Julian Khater and George Tanios because she was not Sicknicks spouse and did not meet the legal definition of being his domestic partner.

[Garzas] contention that a domestic partnership was established simply by Officer Sicknick having identified Garza as his domestic partner in his will finds no basis in the plain text of the statute, Mehta wrote. Garza therefore cannot recover the damages she personally seeks under the Act.

Mark S. Zaid, one of the attorneys representing Garza, said in a statement: We are pleased to see that our lawsuit in pursuit of justice for the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, has been permitted to continue. We are now considering our next step options, to include deposing former President Trump."

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. (Courtesy Sicknick family)

Garzas civil suit, which she filed last year, remains active and will be allowed to continue on the remaining claim  that Trump, Khater and Tanios joined a civil conspiracy to interfere with civil rights. She is seeking $10 million in damages from each defendant.

Khater, who admitted to spraying Sicknick with a chemical irritant during the riot, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting officers in 2022 and was sentenced to 80 months in prison. Tanios, who admitted to purchasing the spray, pleaded guilty to two lesser misdemeanor counts and was sentenced to time served.

A medical examiner said that Sicknick, who died a day after the Capitol riot, suffered two strokes at the base of the brain stem caused by a blood clot.

The autopsy, which found Sicknick died of natural causes, found no evidence that he suffered an allergic reaction to chemical irritants and no evidence of either external or internal injuries.

Trump is facing a series of legal challenges related to his alleged role in the Capitol riot.

A federal appeals court last month rejected the former president's efforts to dismiss civil claims seeking to hold him to account for the riot on the basis of presidential immunity.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Terry Goddard, former Arizona attorney general, speaks during a Dark Money news conference on Aug. 22, 2022, at the Outlier Center in Phoenix.

Between Christmas and New Years, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge gave the voters of Arizona the gift of  light.

For now.

Judge Timothy Ryan turned away a lawsuit filed by Arizonas Republican House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen that hoped to block an anti-dark money law that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2022.

Proposition 211, the Voters Right to Know Act, says that a person or organization that spends $50,000 on a statewide campaign or $25,000 on a local campaign must disclose the origin of any contribution over $5,000.

It doesnt prevent any person or organization from donating money. It just requires them to own up to it. And for good reason.

Money talks. Let's see who it speaks for

During an election season, like the one coming up, personal endorsements tell us a thing or two about an issue or a politician.

But endorsements are just words. And you know what they say: Money talks and 

The support a candidate gets in the form of cold hard cash tells us a LOT more. And knowing who doles out that money is exactly the kind of information voters deserve to have.

Yet for years, Arizonas Republican-controlled Legislature has failed to pass a law shining a light on dark money, the kind of anonymous donations to campaigns that can sway an election.

Federal lawsuit would protect dark money

The latest judges decision could be appealed.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, which will enforce the disclosures, all have stood firmly behind the citizens initiative.

Toma and Petersen, part of a long line of GOP opponents, would prefer to keep us from knowing the names of their favorite fat cats.

Arizona acted against dark money: Nation should, too

Likewise, the fat cats would prefer to remain in the shadows.

That is why a group called Americans for Prosperity has filed a federal lawsuit, also aimed at protecting the identity of each and every Daddy Warbucks.

Disclosure is not 'governmental doxing'

The attorneys for this group say requiring individuals or groups to own up to their monetary support violates free speech rights and amounts to governmental doxing.

They got the vernacular right, but they got the meaning dead wrong. Doxing is slang for maliciously posting information about a person on the internet without consent.

Dark money groups arent like the average Joes who state anonymous opinions online.

They are 1-percenters trying to influence the outcome of elections  with money. There is nothing malicious about requiring such individuals or groups to identify themselves.

What is malicious, however, is allowing such power brokers to operate in secret.

I cannot imagine why any politician from any political party would support that.

Wait  yes, I can.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

For more opinions content, please subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Dark money' won't remain in the dark, for now, in Arizona
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Casey Howell, 27, is one of two deputies handcuffed after they injured at least two prisoners.

One of two former Lee County deputies convicted of pouring hot water on at least three inmates has had his probation adjusted as he prepares to move to New York after he appealed the court in December.

Casey Howell, 27, was originally placed on probation Oct. 2 for one year and ordered no contact with victims Yunier Graveran-Gonzalez, 26, formerly of Cape Coral, and Rickey Rumph, 57, of Fort Myers.

Graveran-Gonzalez was booked Feb. 2 and released April 4 on charges of fraud and loitering. He reached an agreement with the state on Nov. 3, where he enrolled in a pretrial diversion and was placed on supervised release.

Rumph was charged with assault and battery on a person 65 or older. He was booked Sept. 12, 2022, and pleaded no contest July 6. He was sentenced to 364 days with credit for time served, court records indicate.

A mother's reaction: 'You can't change the world, but you can change one prison': Mother reacts to son's abuse

Throughout their investigation, authorities determined Howell injured Graveran-Gonzalez Rumph.

According to court documents, Rumph's injuries included redness and irritation to his upper body, while Graveran-Gonzalez showed signs of extreme redness and irritation, coupled with pin-sized pustules that developed into what appeared to be blisters.

Howell admitted throwing hot water on Rumph and Graveran-Gonzalez after they kicked on the cell door and window, the report says.

Lee County Judge Josephine Gagliardi on Tuesday OK'd a revised probation of 11 months and 29 days and has approved of Howell moving to New York and reporting by mail to his probation officer.

The order comes after Howell on Dec. 4 filed a motion seeking the adjusted probation. As grounds, according to court documents, Howell said he expects to have a child in March and move to New York with his wife and family.

Howell was one of two former Lee County deputies arrested and charged with producing first- and second-degree burns on at least three Lee County inmates last year.

Court records indicate that the charges against Howell and Enzo Finamore, 25, were downgraded from felony offenses to misdemeanor cases on March 10.

Finamore was charged with injuring Keith Lamza, 44, formerly a transient Fort Myers man. Lamza's injuries included redness and discoloration to his right palm, which appeared to be healing. He was housed at the Lee County Sheriff's Office Core facility when the injury occurred.

He was placed on six months of probation. Court records indicate he hasn't appealed the court's ruling.

Carolyn Sammis, Lamza's mother, said her son moved to Pennsylvania in September and is living off Social Security.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said they removed hot water dispensers from the officers in the wing and added cameras at the location.

They also added a supervisor to observe the unit directly. Both deputies were placed on administrative leave and later terminated after separate internal affairs investigations.

Sammis in October told this news organization she's hopeful Lamza's case will spark change.

"You can't change the world, but you can change one prison," Sammis said at the time.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Probation adjusted for former Lee County deputy who injured inmates
A federal judge has ruled in favor of a Texas-based conservative group in a lawsuit over its effort to lodge more than 364,000 challenges to Georgia voters eligibility.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, the same jurist who upheld states new congressional and legislative district maps last week, declared Tuesday that True the Votes actions did not constitute illegal voter intimidation as alleged by Fair Fight Action, the voting rights group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams.

True the Vote filed challenges in December 2020 ahead of two runoff elections that vaulted Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock into the U.S. Senate, claiming the affected voters appeared to be ineligible to vote because of changes in residency. Local elections offices rejected most of the challenges.

Jones found that the groups actions did not rise to the level of violating the Voting Rights Act.

This decision is monumental, said Jake Evans, lead attorney for True the Vote in the case. It vindicates True the Vote in totality and establishes that eligibility challenges under Section 230 (of the federal law) are a proper method to ensure voter rolls are accurate.

But other portions of Jones ruling criticized the organizations process for challenging voters.

As the federal court weighed the evidence presented about True the Votes tactics in the 2021 runoff elections, it did not hold back its criticisms of the Texas groups methods, said Cianti Stewart-Reid, Fair Fights executive director. To the contrary, the 145-page opinion expressly states the court in no way is condoning (True the Votes) actions in facilitating a mass number of seemingly frivolous challenges. 

A sweeping overhaul of state election law the General Assembly passed in 2021 after the Senate runoffs and after the lawsuit was filed allows individuals to file an unlimited number of voter eligibility challenges.
Junior doctors are not hellbent on strikes but may keep walking out, their union leaders have said.

As junior doctors embarked on the longest strike in NHS history, the British Medical Association (BMA) said further walkouts could not be ruled out.

Its leaders said strikes were the only thing that the Government understands and the only reason that talks between the sides had been considered.

Pay talks between the BMAs junior doctors committee and the Government broke down after an offer averaging 3 per cent, on top of a pay award of 8.8 per cent.

Asked whether the Government intended to enter talks with the union, the Health Secretary on Wednesday said: It is up to them to call off strikes. They picked this week, which we all know if one of the busiest weeks for the NHS with coronavirus, flu and norovirus increasing.

A junior doctor on the picket line at St Thomas Hospital in London on Wednesday - GEOFF PUGH FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Victoria Atkins said: They picked this week and were very concerned about the impact it will have  not just during this industrial action, but the consequences it will have for consultants and other clinicians picking up the slack.

It will have a huge impact and my ask of the BMA JDC is to call of the strikes and get back around the negotiating table so we can find a fair and reasonable settlement.

She said junior doctors in the first year of their careers had already seen a 10.3 per cent pay increase, averaging at 8.8 per cent across all juniors.

We have already moved when it comes to reflecting pressures on doctors at the beginning of their careers. But we cannot continue these negotiations if we have this strike action hanging over the whole of the NHS and over patients.

NHS chiefs say the six-day strike, which started at 7am on Wednesday, has decimated plans to cut NHS waiting lists and has put safety at risk.

The walkouts mean almost all routine care has been stopped, with consultants drafted in to do the work of junior doctors, who make up around half the medical workforce.

Despite pleas from health officials, the union agreed no national exemptions to protect key services such as urgent cancer treatment and maternity care.

Under existing protocols, junior doctors could be recalled to work in the event of a major incident, but officials fear agreement would be slow to reach.

Dr Vivek Trivedi, the co-chairman of the BMA junior doctors committee, said members were prepared to strike again depending on what the Government does or fails to do next.

He said: The notion that were hellbent on calling strikes and all we want to do is call strikes is not what we want. What we want is to negotiate an offer we can put to our members and for our members to accept it.

Dr Trivedi said he did not expect any discussions until the current strike ends, saying he hoped resolution could be reached at that point.

He said: As soon as our strike action finishes we will be asking the Government to get back round the table, which as weve seen from what they have been saying so far, they should be very willing to do very rapidly.

If the Government stall, or they dont come to the table, or they make excuses, or they try to push things down the line without any clear reason as to why that is happening and then we will be led by our members.

In the past when those kinds of actions have been displayed by the Government, our members have wanted us to call for further strike action. I hope that we dont have to go there, but I cant rule it out.

Dr Robert Laurenson, the co-chairman of the BMAs junior doctors committee, says the strikes are necessary - GEOFF PUGH FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Health chiefs said the six-day strike could not have come at a worse time, with pressure on services mounting after Christmas.

Health experts have urged those who are frail and vulnerable to take particular care as Britain battles the aftermath of Storm Henk, with flooding expected to continue for days.

They expressed deep concern about the risks posed to the elderly, raising fears that those in need of help would not come forward during the strikes.

Dr Robert Laurenson, the co-chairman of the junior doctors committee, said the strikes were necessary because they are the only thing that the Government understands with regards to being able to work with a workforce.

Speaking from a picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London, he said: The only reason the Government will even entertain talks with us is because we have strike action.

The Health Secretary said she was very concerned about the impact of the strikes, adding: My ask of the BMA junior doctors committee is to call off the strikes and get back around the negotiating table so we can find a fair and reasonable settlement.

She said junior doctors in the first year of their careers had already seen a 10.3 per cent pay increase, averaging at 8.8 per cent across all juniors.

We have already moved when it comes to reflecting pressures on doctors at the beginning of their careers, she added. But we cannot continue these negotiations if we have this strike action hanging over the whole of the NHS and over patients.

Dr Laurenson said the BMA was happy to negotiate anytime, anywhere, adding: Im happy to negotiate right now. Ill walk down to Westminster, Ill sit down with Victoria Atkins if she wants to sit down with us, but she doesnt. Shes pushed us out of the negotiation room.

Acas, the conciliation service, said it remains in contact with all parties involved. Susan Clews, its chief executive, said: They are aware of the value that third-party assistance can bring, and that we have a team of experts who are well prepared and ready to help with the dispute.

As the strikes unfolded, MPs criticised the stance being taken by the BMA. Sir Liam Fox, a former Tory cabinet minister said: As a former NHS doctor, it makes me sad and angry to see doctors involved in action which I believe to be unethical and unforgivable, given the harm being done to patients and the NHS itself.

Paul Bristow, a Tory from the Commons health committee, said the actions from the BMA were unthinkable and would put lives at risk.

The BMA Junior Doctor Leadership cant keep holding the country to ransom. It is an act of cruelty to make patients pay the price for their exorbitant 35 per cent pay demands, he said.

Steve Brine, the Tory chairman of the Commons health select committee, told Times Radio that the unions pay demand for a 35 per cent increase. was totally undeliverable and accused striking medics of holding the NHS to ransom for six days.

Hospitals exceptionally busy

Emergency departments across England were under pressure just hours into the doctors strikes, with many warning of significant delays.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent has told people to help keep our emergency department free and only attend A&E if they have an immediate life-threatening need.

Mark Mould, chief operating officer at University Hospitals Dorset said: We are exceptionally busy in accident & emergency & despite our teams hard work, patients visiting may experience longer waits.Please only attend A&E if it is an emergency.

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said: Our emergency department is already very busy and is likely to remain busy over the next several days with the Junior Doctors strike (which runs to Jan 9).

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust asked patients to try to keep emergency departments less busy.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust said patients should only attend if its a genuine, life-threatening emergency.

Gloucester Hospitals Trust said: A&E in Gloucester is very busy today with sick patients who need specialist care. If its not a life-threatening condition or serious injury, follow our Click or Call First advice.

The A&E at Cheltenham General Hospital has closed for the week due to strikes. Please keep A&E at Gloucester clear for life threatening conditions & serious injuries, the hospital said.

Meanwhile a message from Royal Preston Hospital warns: Our Emergency Department at Royal Preston Hospital is currently really busy which is leading to long waits  we are doing everything we can to see and treat patients as quickly as possible  please bear with us.

Barnsley Hospital Foundation trust warned that there would be significant delays in the Emergency Department as patients will be seen according to their immediate needs.

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Beethoven? Black! Mozart? Black! William Shakespeare? Undoubtedly black, without question. Henry VIII was black, too  although the jury remains out on Abraham Lincoln. This scene from an episode of Louis Therouxs Weird Weekends is now more than 20 years old, but in some ways it might as well be 200.

As always with Therouxs documentaries, he is visiting people whose beliefs and lifestyles put them well outside the realms of normality. In this case, members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a religious movement that claims that African Americans are not only the descendents of the biblical Hebrews but are also responsible for practically every major invention and moment of progress in human history.

Theroux reacts with trademark gentle incredulity; and it is this that so dates the episode. Now, something the BBC might have ridiculed even in 1999, seems to be becoming the stated belief of a growing number of academics, historians and public intellectuals.

There has been an explosion in a historical propaganda masquerading as official history. No coincidence that it is often aimed at young people. One recent childrens history book, Black In Time, included the Roman emperor Septimius Severus in a list of awesome black Britons  even though he was neither black, nor British, but a North African of Romano-Carthaginian descent who happened to live in Britain for a few years. Another book goes further, claiming that Stonehenge was built when Britain was a black country. Luton council has included the pyramids of Giza in a timeline of black history for school children.

Such claims arent just false but reductive; if the word black is used to refer to anything non-white, it erases a host of histories and experiences in the process. Talk about cultural appropriation.

Junk history sometimes leads to embarrassing mistakes, as when a BBC plaque commemorating Beachy Head Lady as the first black Briton had to be removed after new DNA evidence suggested the ancient skeleton actually came from the East Mediterranean. You almost wonder who or what will be next; surely the Black Prince comes ready-made with a moniker?

What makes this trend for inventing or misassigning historical figures so odd is that there is documentary evidence for black British history pre-Windrush. One of the most intriguing figures in early modern England was John Blanke, a black trumpeter at the court of Henry VIII, who is believed to have arrived with Catherine of Aragon.

His presence tells us much about the movement of people, diplomacy, music and race. When genuine examples like this exist, its intellectually insulting to lie to future generations about the druids being early Rastafarians or whatever. But part of the reason Blanke is so interesting is precisely because there are so few comparable examples.

It is said that when America sneezes, Britain catches a cold, and the insistence on seeing all history through a politicised, BLM-style lens is one example. Junk history isnt just divisive. It often accompanies calls for specific policies, such as reparations or open-door migration, often defended on the basis that Britain has always been a nation of immigrants. Its inevitable that the politics of today will inform how we tell the stories of yesterday, but the further those narratives get from objective reality, the more dangerous it is for us all.

January cries out for a drink

If only denying reality were an option in January  hands-down winner of the years most miserable month. All made worse by Dry January. Its logic is clear; December is a month of excess which must therefore give way to 31 days of Puritanism.

However, two problems present themselves. First, if any month requires the soothing ministrations of the occasional alcoholic drink, it is January. Whether a nip of sloe gin from a hip flask on a rainy walk or beating the gloom with a catch-up pint in a cosy pub corner after the chaos of Christmas, January is in fact the single month least appropriate for eschewing alcohol.

Second  and most appropriately, given the quasi-evangelistic tones in which participants will mention Dry January  there is a theological problem. The 12 days of Christmas in fact last until January 6 and, historically, the feast of Christmas doesnt end until Candlemas on February 2, so the whole of January arguably counts as a feast. The medieval church understood people needed a bit of cheering up at this time of year, unlike Gwyneth Paltrow, Dr Gillian McKeith or whichever reincarnation of Cotton Mather runs the NHS live well advice programme.

This isnt to say we must do Monsoon January. My mother  who drinks only occasionally, and in moderation  turns 69 this week and Im convinced the fact that most people assume she has either a hideous portrait in the attic or a dedicated team of plastic surgeons is in part down to this healthy relationship with alcohol.

For those desperate for a period of genuine abstinence, there is a better precedent  Lent. Many forget that Sundays and feast days are considered exempt from Lenten discipline; so all in all a much healthier, more realistic model for resetting your relationship with alcohol than an entire enforced month of continued rainy, boozeless misery.

This year Lent begins on February 14. So why not forgo your Valentines Day glass of fizz and support your local pub this January instead?

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Kane Brown is a highly successful country music artist from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He rose to fame through social media, particularly by sharing cover songs on platforms like Facebook. Born on October 21, 1993, in Georgia, before relocating to Tennessee, Brown had a tough childhood riddled with frequent moves and financial struggles. It was also marked by a complicated, mostly non-existent relationship with a father who was not present and a mother left to raise a son on her own. Here is everything to know about Kane Browns parents Tabatha Brown and his father whose name is unknown.

Kane Browns Rise to Stardom and Current Career

Brown started his career humbly by uploading covers of other country music artists music on social media. His breakthrough came when his cover of George Straits Check Yes or No went viral on Facebook in 2015. This exposure helped him gain a massive following and eventually led to a record deal. His self-titled debut album, released in 2016, included hits like Used to Love You Sober and What Ifs featuring Lauren Alaina, which topped country music charts.

Kane Browns music is known for blending traditional country with elements of pop and R&B, appealing to a wide audience beyond just country music fans. Hes been recognized for his smooth voice, relatable lyrics and catchy melodies. His success continued with subsequent albums like Experiment (2018) and Mixtape Vol. 1 (2020), further solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the country music scene.

Apart from his music, Brown is also known for being open about his personal life, including his multiracial heritage and the challenges he faced growing up. Brown is the son of a white mother and a Black, part-Cherokee father. The authenticity and connection he has with fans have contributed to his widespread popularity in the music industry.

Who Are Kane Browns Parents?

Kane Browns family background is quite interesting. His mother, Tabatha Brown, raised him as a single parent for much of his life. Kane has often spoken publicly about his close relationship with his mom and credits her with being a significant influence and support in his life, especially during the challenging times they faced.

Regarding his father, theres less information available publicly. Kane Brown has mentioned that his father is of part Cherokee descent and was not present for much of his upbringing. This is because Browns father was incarcerated in 1996 when Brown was just three years old and has remained in prison since then. This meant Brown and his sister Heidi Swafford were raised in a single-parent household.

Brown believed he was fully white or just simply did not perceive race until he was around seven or eight, as he did not grow up with his Black father. It was not until he faced racism in school that he found out that he was biracial. The racist comments and slurs he would receive bothered him for a while and even led him to getting into trouble.

Brown told People in 2018, I thought I was full white, which honestly, I cant even really say because I didnt see colors. I found out that I was biracial and I still wasnt thinking anything of it, but then I started getting called the N-word. I didnt even know what it meant, and thats when it started affecting me. I got in fights over it when I was little.

He told People that he gained thick skin as he got older and he was able to let go of the anger and channel everything into music. However, he found himself going through the same experience again after entering the realm of country music. Luckily, Browns success led him to the same revelation that those derogatory words do not matter.

Now you can call me whatever you want. It just brushes off of me, Brown told People.

Tabatha Brown

Tabatha Brown has been in her sons life since the beginning, and for that reason, the two have a very close relationship. She was married to Kane Browns father for an unknown period of time until he was incarcerated in 1996. Since then, Tabatha, with the help of her mother and sister, struggled to find work, provide shelter for her children and raise them all at once. Kate Marin for The Netline wrote that Kane spent some time in his life sleeping in cars as his mother moved around looking for work.

An additional struggle at home was with Kane Brown and his abusive step-father. Marin wrote that Kane shared in his song Learning that his abusive step-father physically assaulted him so badly once when he was six that it was almost fatal. This is when Kanes grandmother who worked in law enforcement put the abusive man in jail.

Despite all the hardship he and his family went through, Kane praises his mother and the other female family members who raised him for never burdening him with the struggles they faced. He told CMT that he was happy to get to honor these women in the music video for his song Good as You.

I was raised with strong women around me. My mom worked multiple jobs and my nana truly was a sheriff in my town, Brown told CMT. To be able to honor them is incredible because no matter how much we struggled, my mom and nana never let me see it. They sheltered me from any problems and I appreciate them for that.

Kane has made a point to use his success to ensure his mother is well taken care of and does not have to struggle in the ways she used to. Goodness Ezebuiro for Buzz Nigeria wrote that Kane bought his mother Tabatha a car and a new apartment for her birthday one year. Additionally, Ezebuiro wrote he paid for his mothers insurance for a year.

Kane Browns Father

For much of his career, nothing was known about Kane Browns Father. Kane mostly focused on celebrating his mothers role in his life and his journey to success. However, Kane eventually revealed to the world that he grew up without his father, as he was incarcerated when Kane was just three years old. Growing up without his father deeply affected him, until he learned to accept his family dynamic.

Kane told Pop Culture in 2019 that he has formed a relationship with his father and frequently visits him in prison. He has gotten the opportunity to learn about his father late into his life and has even created a cordial relationship with him. Hes a drummer, which I didnt even know, Brown said. He brags about me and talks about how good he is on the drums. I always joke with him and say that Im going to hire him when he gets out.

Kane Brown as a Father

Kane Brown and his wife Katelyn Jae are the parents of two daughters, Kingsley and Kodi. Brown, according to Pop Culture in 2019, shared before the arrival of his first-born that he was looking forward to being the father he never had. Im excited. You know, me and my wife are in it together, and I get to be the dad that I never really had. The now dad of two has defied what he knew of male parental figures, exemplifying commitment to his children.
Two Republican state lawmakers are suing to bring Kansas one step closer to calling a U.S. constitutional convention  a long-time goal of many conservatives.

Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, and Rep. Mike Murphy, a Sylvia Republican, filed a federal lawsuit in December alleging the Kansas Legislatures GOP leaders wrongly declared two resolutions calling a convention had failed last year.

The U.S. Constitution allows for a constitutional convention if the legislatures of two thirds of the states  currently 34  call for one. Conservatives have long sought such a convention to deliver more power to the states. According to Convention of States, the primary organization working toward a convention, 19 states have passed resolutions calling for a convention.

A convention has long been seen as a long shot, with critics warning a gathering could open the door to legal chaos. While individual states often call for conventions limited to specific issues, concern exists the scope could quickly expand into other subjects.

The Kansas House and Senate held votes on the resolutions but they failed because the Kansas Constitution requires a two-thirds majority to call a convention. A resolution calling for fiscal restraints on the federal government earned 74 votes in the House and a resolution calling for limits on the federal government earned 22 votes in the Senate.

Thompson and Murphys lawsuit argues the state constitutions two-thirds requirement flies in the face of the federal constitution.

Neither state law nor state constitutions can enact processes or standards for the exercise of Article V authority in addition to or apart from those derived from federal law, the lawsuit said, referring to the article of the U.S. Constitution that outlines procedure for calling a convention.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, and Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, are named as defendants in the suit because they declared the resolutions failed.

While I support the Convention of States, I also swore an oath to uphold the Kansas Constitution, Hawkins said in a statement. Theres an interesting legal question here and thats something the courts will have to sort out.

Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat who opposes a convention of states, said such a convention would hold broad risks for protections in the U.S. Constitutions Bill of Rights. The two-thirds majority requirement, Carmichael said, has long allowed legislative leadership to claim they support the concept without ever pushing to see it pass.

That convention has the possibility to overturn a number of rights that we have, particularly under the Bill of Rights, and make some dramatic changes in the organization, if you will, even of our republic, Carmichael said.

Kansas two-thirds requirement for the convention has previously been a point of contention. In 2021 Masterson told reporters he intended to declare the convention of states passed if it reached a simple majority. The move would have triggered a lawsuit but lawmakers ultimately voted to send the proposal back to committee rather than accept or reject it that year.

When lawmakers debated the policy last year, Masterson did not opt to declare it passed. But Thompson and Murphys lawsuit means the issue will now be litigated.

The lawsuit is about resolving a longstanding question about whether the Kansas Constitution can require a higher threshold of votes to adopt measures envisioned by Article V of the United States Constitution, including the Convention of States, Masterson spokesperson Mike Pirner said in a statement.
In the coming days, we hope to learn more details about the circumstances of a police pursuit in Kansas City that ended with the death of two motorists.

By Wednesday morning, little was known about the two people that were killed in an early morning head-on collision on northbound Interstate 435 at Missouri 210. We should learn the name of the victims later in the week, Kansas City Police Department spokeswoman Alayna Gonzalez told us.

What about the officers involved? We asked department officials the names of and how many officers participated in the deadly chase but this information was not provided. The number was unknown Tuesday, according to Gonzalez.

We also wanted to know if Police Chief Stacey Graves would make a public statement. KCPD announced she would hold a press conference Wednesday, but not specifically about the chase.

The public has the right to know the officers involved. Based on the limited info given to us Tuesday, we shouldnt hold our breath on learning their identities.

Kansas Citians deserve a very public accounting of how the chase proceeded and its conclusion. In all likelihood, the deadly pursuit ended with the death of an innocent motorist as well as an alleged armed robber.

In most cases involving a deadly chase or a fatal police shooting here, the Kansas City Police Department usually closes rank. Were not accusing any officer of wrongdoing in this case  its simply too early to conclude that. But radio silence should no longer be the norm with policing in this city.

When police initiate a pursuit that ends in a wreck, a tight-lipped approach is not conducive to repairing or establishing trust with the community. Remember, Graves has stated transparency is a goal for the department.

Its also fair to question if officers chasing after an armed robbery suspect driving a black Dodge Challenger followed the departments policy for pursuits.

Was there clear and immediate danger?

The policy states: an officer is restricted by policy from initiating a vehicle pursuit for a serious traffic violation, DUI or stolen auto unless the suspect vehicle or occupant(s) has been involved in a dangerous felony or where the suspect vehicle or its occupant(s) presents a clear and immediate danger to the safety of others.

At least for now, police appear to have followed protocol but important details remain murky at best.

Yes, investigations of these sorts take time. All involved are afforded due process. But that shouldnt preclude Graves from telling the public who the officers involved were, their years of service and rank.

Its not uncommon for law enforcement officials elsewhere to routinely name officers involved in police pursuits or violent confrontations with criminal suspects. Baltimore, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are some examples. Here, that is not often the case, and it must change in the new year.

The pursuit in question ended about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when officers responded to the scene of a fatal car wreck on northbound I-435 at Missouri 210, according to police.

The driver of a black Dodge Challenger drove the wrong way on the interstate, according to police. He was suspected of committing a string of armed robberies early Tuesday in the Northland. The fleeing driver crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Equinox crossover SUV, police said.

Both motorists were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Officers pursued the Challenger until the driver drove the wrong way on the interstate, police said. Per department policy, officers cant pursue a vehicle against the flow of traffic on a divided highway unless approved by a higher-ups, or if the driver of the vehicle being pursued is fleeing to avoid a felony arrest.

Timeline of 3 alleged robberies, crash

Police terminated the pursuit when the driver decided to drive into oncoming lanes of traffic, Gonzalez told The Star earlier in the day. The pursuit was terminated prior to an accident occurring.

An investigation will determine whether that is true.

The first armed robbery occurred around 2:30 a.m. at the Phillips 66 Minit Mart at 9901 NE Barry Road in Kansas City, North, police said.

About an hour later, a victim at the Shell gas station at 5401 NW 64th Street in Kansas City, North, was robbed at gunpoint by a man, according to police.

The third armed robbery occurred shortly after 4:10 a.m. at the Pilot Travel Center at 8801 NE Birmingham Road in Kansas City, North.

Police quickly identified and located the Dodge Challenger allegedly used in each of the robberies and a pursuit ensued, police said. From there, the driver headed south in the northbound lanes of I-435 and crashed into the crossover SUV near Missouri 210, according to police.

As of Wednesday morning, that was all the police would tell us. But the public deserves more on the officers involved in this deadly chase. We await the release of this information.
Nashs death certificate noted that she battled the disease for years and also cited acute renal failure as a condition that may have contributed to her passing last month.

Keisha Nash died of alcoholic liver disease last month after reportedly dealing with the ailment for years.

According to People, the actress, who was Forest Whitakers ex-wife, died in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, and a copy of her death certificate later confirmed the cause of death. She was buried on Dec. 20.

True Whitaker, Nashs 25-year-old daughter with the Godfather of Harlem star, is listed as the informant of her mothers death on the certificate, which also cites acute renal failure as a severe condition that may have a contributing factor.

This 2014 photo shows actor/filmmaker Forest Whitaker (left) and Keisha Nash Whitaker, his wife at the time, attending the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

The former couple are also parents to a 27-year-old daughter, Sonnet.

On Dec. 7, True posted an Instagram Story, writing, Goodbye mommy. I love you 4ever and beyond in a caption over a black-and-white photo of her mother.

The most beautiful woman in the world  thank you for teaching me every single thing I know, she added. Ill see you in my dreams and Ill feel you in my heart.

True also shared a picture of her mother, with lyrics from A Song For You by late soul great Donny Hathaway playing over the image, People reported.

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Nash was also a former model and creator of the luxury cosmetics line Kissable Couture.

She and Whitaker met on set when she was cast to play his characters girlfriend in the 1994 film, Blown Away. He proposed the following year, and the pair wed in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1996.

In December 2018, the Academy Award winner filed for divorce from Nash after 22 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

In addition to their daughters, Whitaker is a father to an older son named Ocean, 33, and Nash has Autumn, 32, both from previous relationships, People reported.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter.

The post Keisha Nash, Forest Whitakers former wife, died of alcoholic liver disease, reports say appeared first on TheGrio.
The Kentucky Capitol was evacuated after the Secretary of States Office received a bomb threat via email Wednesday morning, officials confirmed.

The threat was sent out to multiple secretaries of state across the country as a mass email, according to Michon Lindstrom, a spokesperson for Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.

While the email did not mention specific secretaries, it did state directly that bombs had been placed in state capitols.

In a copy of the email provided by Adams office, the person making the threat emailed people associated with 20 different states.

I placed multiple explosives inside of your State Capitol. The explsoives (sic) are well hidden inside and they will go off in a few hours .I will make sure you all end up dead, they wrote.

Gov. Andy Beshear posted on X that Kentucky State Police ordered the evacuation.

While everyone is safe, KSP has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of States Office. We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country, Beshear wrote.

Kentucky is not alone in evacuating its capitol. Other states  including Georgia, Michigan and Connecticut among others  evacuated on Wednesday as well in response to emails. Kentucky State Police confirmed that Mississippi also received a threat.

Lindstrom told the Herald-Leader that Kentucky State Police gave the all clear for staff and to the public to return to the capitol around noon.

KSP said the incident was still under investigation Wednesday afternoon.
The Kentucky Capitol is seen, April 7, 2021, in Frankfort, Ky. Kentucky Democrats took their legal fight to the state's highest court on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, in challenging Republican-drawn boundaries for state House and congressional districts. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Multiple state capitol buildings across the country have reopened after they were evacuated Wednesday morning following a series of bomb threats.

The warnings were sent via email to the offices of several secretaries of state.

In Kentucky, state legislators were evacuated one day after the start of their legislative session, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

It appeared that state officials received the same email that was distributed to other secretaries of state. The email reportedly stated that bombs had been placed in state capitols throughout the US, though the contents of the message have not been revealed by authorities.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a statement calling the threats a hoax.

The agency said it had no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, adding that it would be working with state and local partners to investigate the incident.

The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk, the agency concluded. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.

In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Gov Andy Beshear, confirmed that everyone inside the building was safe but noted that Kentucky State Police had ordered the evacuation of all individuals. He later announced that the building had reopened following a sweep of the premises.

He said the agency is aware of similar threats made to other officers across the country. Michigan, Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, Minnesota, Hawaii, Maine and Montana also issued evacuations at their state capitols or government buildings on Wednesday morning.

However, its not clear how many state offices received the threats. State capitols in Montana, Hawaii, Connecticut, Georgia and Mississippi had reopened by Wednesday afternoon, while Michigans will remain closed for the remainder of Wednesday.

Mr Beshear added: We thank our first responders for their quick response and we will provide more updates. Kentucky lawmakers began their legislative session on Tuesday January 2, as did lawmakers in Mississippi.

In Connecticut, the state capitol in Hartford was briefly shut for an inspection and then reopened after officials determined the building to be safe, according to the Greenwich Time. Lawmakers were not in session when the threat was received. The Connecticut Capitol is currently undergoing a $54m renovation project.

The newspaper reported that the state is working with federal partners to investigate the matter.
By Jack Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung remained hospitalised in intensive care on Wednesday, a day after a knife attack on him shocked political leaders who were vying for the upper hand in a major election three months away.

Surgeons operated on Lee for more than two hours late on Tuesday to repair a major blood vessel in his neck that was sliced when an assailant lunged and stabbed him with a knife.

"The act of terror against Chairman Lee Jae-myung was clearly a challenge against democracy and a threat against democracy," Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ik-pyo said at a party leadership council meeting.

He urged a speedy investigation and tougher security for high-profile political figures, echoing renewed questions about the safety on campaign trails in a country with a history of political violence despite tight restrictions on gun ownership.

Jin Jeong-hwa, a party supporter who was a witness at the scene of the stabbing, said the incident clearly showed the need for stronger and professional security protection for political leaders, not simply police who are deployed to monitor.

"People like opposition leaders really need a dedicated security detail," Jin said in an interview with Reuters. He added it was clear from his experience at political events that Lee was very much exposed to personal safety threats.

Lee, a tough talking progressive who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election, had been rallying the party to retain the parliamentary majority it holds against President Yoon Suk Yeol's conservatives.

South Korea holds a pivotal election on April 10 where the conservatives will try to win back a majority for the first time since 2016 and help Yoon's pro-business policies including tax cuts, deregulation and social reforms.

The attack against Lee, which unfolded quickly but was widely captured in footage of the outdoors public event, shocked his party and his rivals alike, who condemned all violence against political figures.

Yoon again condemned the attack as "terror" and said: "It is an enemy of liberal democracy," according to his office. He wished Lee a speedy recovery, it said.

Lee was airlifted from Busan, where the attack occurred, to Seoul on Tuesday where he received surgery to reconstruct the jugular vein that pumps blood from the head back to the heart and insert a tube to support the damaged vessel.

He was conscious and recovering in the intensive care unit, party officials said.

The suspect, who was quickly subdued by party members and police officers at the scene, was a man born in 1957 from the central region who may have been in Busan for days, planning the attack with an 18-cm (7-inch) camping knife, police and news reports said.

He remains in police custody. The police have not commented on the detail of the investigation including a possible motive.

Investigators searched the suspect's home and office in the city of Asan, more than 300 km (186 miles) from the site of the attack, Yonhap news reported.

The leader of the conservative People Power Party scaled back scheduled public events, and both parties urged members to refrain from comments that could inflame voters as Lee recuperates.

Lee lost to Yoon by less than 1% point of votes, the narrowest margin, in a bitterly fought presidential election and has since faced bribery allegations stemming from a development project when he was mayor of a city near Seoul. He denies wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Jack Kim, Ju-min Park, Jihyun Jeon and Daewoung Kim; Editing by Sonali Paul)
NATO approved Kyivs request to hold an emergency meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council in response to Russia's recent large-scale strikes against Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Jan. 3.

The news comes after Russia attacked Ukraine with at least 500 missiles and drones in just five days, killing and injuring dozens of civilians.

One of the key topics of the councils upcoming emergency meeting will be strengthening Ukraine's air defense, Kuleba said on X (formerly Twitter).

The minister called NATOs agreement to hold the meeting an important sign of Euro-Atlantic unity in the face of Russian terror escalation.

He didn't specify when and where the meeting would take place.

NATO established the council during the Vilnius summit in July as part of the efforts to enable closer coordination between Kyiv and the alliance.

In the latest mass attack against Ukraine, Russia launched at least 99 missiles early on Jan. 2, targeting Kyiv, the surrounding region, and Kharkiv. Five people were killed, and 130 more suffered injuries, including children, according to Ukrainian authorities.

On Dec. 29, Russia launched the largest air attack against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

The attack killed 53 people and wounded another 170 countrywide, according to the latest update by Ukraines State Emergency Service.

Read also: Im in shock: Russias mass attack on Kyiv shatters lives and dreams

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Hunting or trapping without a license made up the bulk of citations issued by Kentucky game wardens in 2022, state data requested by the Herald-Leader through the Open Records Act shows.

Still, other offenses were routinely reported, such as illegally taking game with prohibited hunting practices or hunting on someones land without their permission. Additionally, while its long been the rule you can hunt and fish on your own property without needing a license, that changed in 2023 if you own less than 5 acres of land.

Hunting remains a popular pastime in Kentucky, both for traditional game like deer and for larger animals like the states restored elk population. To help you enjoy the commonwealths great outdoors and avoid citations, here a look at the most common hunting offenses and how to avoid them.

What hunting and fishing citations are issued the most in KY?

Hunting or trapping without a license is the most-issued citation by Kentucky conservation officers. Heres a look at the other top offenses, according to Kentuckys Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources:

Hunting or trapping without landowners permission

Illegal take of game

Taking more game than the bag limit

Failure to tag or check game

Records provided to the Herald-Leader by Kentucky State Police bear that out. A spreadsheet compiled and provided by the law enforcement agency offers a look at citations issued for hunting, trapping and fishing related offenses in 2022.

Out of the 500 citations recorded for that year, more than 400 violations were hunting or trapping without license or the proper permit.

Illegal take of game  which includes using prohibited hunting methods  was the next largest violation category at 95 violations, followed by hunting or fishing on someone elses land without the owners permission, for which there were 28 violations.

This woodland creature was once hunted to extinction in Kentucky, now it flourishes

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife conservation officers, commonly called game wardens, are responsible for enforcing the states hunting and fishing laws.

If you violate one of the laws, you could face fines or ultimately lose your license. Kentucky also has reciprocity with several neighboring states, which means you could have your hunting or fishing license seized there, as well.

Who is exempt from hunting licenses in Kentucky?

Generally speaking, whether youre a resident of Kentucky or from elsewhere, you need a license to hunt or fish in the Bluegrass State.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources lists some exemptions, however:

Resident and nonresident children under the age of 16 may fish without a license.

Resident and nonresident hunters under the age of 12 are not required to purchase hunting licenses or permits, except in a few cases.

Resident owners of 5 or more acres of farmland, their spouse and dependent children hunting or fishing on their land. This also applies to tenants residing on the land, their spouses and dependent children. To be a tenant, a person must live and work on the farm.

Those who serve in the military who are on furlough of more than three days. They must still carry proper identification and papers proving their furlough status.

Residents or nonresidents participating in a field trial authorized by the department are exempt from license requirements if game is not taken.

Hunters eligible to participate in the Free Youth Hunting and Trapping Week or Free Youth Deer Hunting Weekend, and adults who accompany a youth hunter, but are not hunting themselves, are not required to have a license or permit during these seasons.

Persons fishing on the first Saturday and Sunday in June during Free Fishing Days are not required to have a license or permit.

Persons fishing within the boundaries of Mammoth Cave National Park.

How to avoid being cited for hunting violations in KY

According to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife conservation officer James Brace, its common for people to believe they can get away with hunting or fishing without a license. That said, the rules are in place to preserve populations for future generations to enjoy, Brace said.

The agencys programs are largely paid for by license sales and other user fees. Without them, the agency says it would not be able to provide the programs many Kentuckians enjoy, from stocking fish in public waters to hunting opportunities.

Brace recommends enthusiasts consult the states hunting and fishing guides for in-depth information about licensing and permits, including the cost. Hunting and fishing licenses can be purchased online through the departments website or at a variety of outdoor stores, like Cabelas or Walmart, Brace said.

If you need help understanding Kentuckys hunting and trapping laws, the department can take your call at 800-858-1549 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Do you have a question about the great outdoors in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Let us know via the Know Your Kentucky form below or email us at ask@herald-leader.com.
Firefighters work at the site of a warehouse destroyed by Russia in Kyiv

One more person has died in hospital as a result of Russia's massive attack on Kyiv on Dec. 29, taking the death toll to 30 people, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported.

The local authorities called the Russian attack the largest in terms of casualties in the capital since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Read also: Russian attack kills 21 in Kyiv, highest civilian death toll in single attack on capital

Russia massively attacked Ukraine with kamikaze drones in the evening of Dec. 28, and with missiles from the early hours of Dec. 29.

During the attack, residential buildings were damaged in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv, and a fire broke out in garages, a business center, and warehouses. Eight victims were rescued from the rubble.

Read also: Scores injured & hospitalized as 3 high-rise apartments ablaze after Russian missile attack on Kyiv

Russia attacked Ukraine with almost every missile and attack drone in its arsenal overnight on Dec. 29, triggering air raid alerts and causing explosions across the country.

Ukraine managed to destroy 114 of the 158 missiles that Russia launched at Ukrainian cities located far behind the front lines.

Russia targeted kindergartens, maternity hospitals, shopping malls, and residential buildings in cities in every area of the country.

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
From December 28 to January 6, intensified anti-sabotage security measures are in place in the Kyiv Oblast

Police officers at checkpoints in Kyiv Oblast are purposefully avoiding making checks on men for potential mobilization, the oblasts police head, Anatolii Shchadylo, said on Facebook on Jan. 2.

Shchadylo refuted claims of summonses being distributed at checkpoints, calling the information false.

Read also: Ukraines mobilization campaign at risk of being discredited  military analyst

Law enforcement officers at checkpoints are strictly performing "police functions," following Resolution No. 1455 of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers of Dec. 29, 2021, he said.

"They provide security measures by strengthening control over the movement of citizens, vehicles, cargo, etc.," Shchadylo said.

Measures related to mobilization, including pre-trial investigations and administrative detentions, are carried out by the police based on Resolution No. 1487 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Dec. 30, 2022, he said.

Read also: Cabinet submits bill to strengthen penalties for military offenses

"And only upon the appeals of the regional territorial recruitment centers (TRCs)," Shchadylo said.

Kyiv Oblast TRCs earlier reported that the police and the commandant's office were tasked with searching for draft evaders at checkpoints. They claim to cooperate with the police and act exclusively within the framework of the current legislation.

Counter-sabotage and security measures are being intensified in Kyiv Oblast from Dec. 28 to Jan. 6, with more checkpoints being deployed during this period, Kyiv Regional Governor Ruslan Kravchenko reported on Telegram on Dec. 28.

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
Vyshneve, a suburb of Kyiv, suffered the highest number of damaged apartment buildings from the massive Russian missile attack on Tuesday, Jan. 2, announced the Kyiv Regional State Administration.

At least 39 homes, 14 apartment buildings, two educational institutions, 90 cars, storage facilities, churches, and several businesses were damaged in the Russian assault. The regional rehabilitation center was also damaged.

Read also: Russian missiles kill 4, injure 92 across Ukraine in latest massive Russian strike, Zelenskyy says

Assistance is currently being extended to over 700 residents of these damaged buildings. Power engineers have restored electricity to all residents, bringing light back to 184,000 families.

Two residents were killed in the attack, while 16 people were injured, including a child.

Read also: Scores injured & hospitalized as 3 high-rise apartments ablaze after Russian missile attack on Kyiv

Russia carried out another massive attack on Ukraine overnight on Jan. 1-2. Ukraine managed to eliminate all 35 drones used in the first wave, while several missiles

The invaders launched a new massive missile attack on Ukraine in several waves on the night of Jan. 2. Russia used more than 130 means of destruction: 35 Shahed drones at night, and 99 rockets in the morning, including X-101/X-555/X-55 from Tu-95 bombers, Kinzhal ballistic missiles from MiG-31Ks, Kalibr missiles from the sea, and Iskander-type missiles - M/S-300/S-400 from the north.

Ukraines Air Defense and Defense Forces destroyed all 35 Shaheds and 72 out of 99 missiles, including all 10 Kinzhals, all three Kalibrs, and 59 out of 70 X-101/X-555/X-55 missiles.

Read also: At least one dead, 20 injured in Kharkiv after another massive Russian missile attack overnight

At least five people were killed in Russias terrorist attack, with more than 130 injured.

The Russian attack resulted in numerous fires and destruction in nine of ten districts in the capital. Fires broke out in several residential buildings. A high-rise building in Solomyanskyi district of Kyiv was the most significantly affected. An 86-year-old woman and one other person were killed, and at least 49 people were injured.

The attack caused power and water outages, with DTEK later confirming that power had been restored for 250,000 Kyivans.

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
As more migrants arrive in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, cities and villages in Lake County have begun to pass ordinances to regulate the unscheduled buses chartered from Texas to the Chicago metropolitan area.

More than 24,000 migrants, some seeking asylum, have been transported to Chicago from the southern border since August of 2022. Newcomers must check-in at specified landing sites in Chicago between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A recent Chicago ordinance allows the city to sue rogue bus operators dropping off migrants outside of the set hours and locations.

In Lake County, the cities of Waukegan, North Chicago and Highwood  and villages of Grayslake and Buffalo Grove  approved ordinances Tuesday to regulate unscheduled migrant buses at their respective council meetings.

The ordinances require the bus companies to apply for permits with the municipality prior to the arrival date, and outlines set days and times for bus arrivals. Some municipalities also require a manifest of the passengers on the bus. Various fine amounts will be imposed for not following the ordinances.

Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park, has mixed feelings about cities regulating the buses carrying migrants.

On one hand, she said its a good thing because it ensures more safety and security for the new arrivals. However, Ortiz is concerned ordinances and restrictions on drop-offs could cause the bus companies to act more recklessly.

Its a good thing, but I think its like a double-edged sword, she said. (The bus drivers) are like, If all these cities pass these ordinances, why cant we just cross the state line and drop them off anywhere, like the southern part of the state?

Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor said the ordinance is for the safety of the bus passengers, after reports of migrants being dropped off late at night at various locations.

Across the suburban area, we have had instances where passengers have been dropped on the sides of the road, like Route 57 down by Kankakee and elsewhere, Taylor said during Tuesdays meeting. Thats not appropriate.

The mayor said the regulations are within the villages scope as the primary authority over the streets of Grayslake, adding that the village has no bus terminals or stations, nor the ability to house people in any temporary fashion.

The approved ordinance will help the village prepare for potential passengers arriving in Grayslake and make the appropriate arrangements for travel to Chicago, according to the mayor.

The Grayslake ordinance requires all chartered buses with one-way passengers to apply for a permit at least seven days prior to the drop-off date. All drivers must maintain insurance, and a list of passengers must be provided to the village beforehand. Passengers can only disembark from the bus during the designated hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, at designated drop-off locations.

Midnight drop-off

After a bus from Texas brought 39 migrants to the Waukegan Metra train station just after midnight on Dec. 21 with no plan for the passengers once they arrived, Mayor Ann Taylor and other officials began a process to legislate regulations for the bus companies.

I believe this is just inhumane to do to people, she said Monday. You were dropping people off without proper clothing, without proper accommodations, or anything like that. Theres no notification to us theres a bus coming.

Taylor, her staff and the citys corporation counsel began crafting work on an ordinance to regulate unscheduled buses, trains or airplanes arriving in Waukegan, which the City Council unanimously approved Tuesday.

A plane landed in Rockford carrying 355 migrants at around 1 a.m. Sunday. Waukegan National Airport accommodates international travelers.

Had Metra not informed Waukegan officials a bus was arriving at the station on Dec. 21, Taylor said it was likely the migrant passengers would have waited outside in the cold until the station opened at 4 a.m.

Since city officials were warned, she said a plan was put in place. It involved an escort of Waukegan police officers and a bus company the city hired to transport the migrants from Waukegan to the Chicago processing center.

Had we not known about it, they would have been dropped off at the Metra station, Taylor said. Those kind of temperatures without adequate clothing, I hate to think what might have happened. I dont think thats the way people should be treated.

As the city was preparing its ordinance for approval at Tuesdays meeting, a second group of migrants arrived Friday at the Waukegan railroad station. Taylor said they had a handler with tickets to put them on a train to the city. It was not perfect, but a better situation, she said.

Waukegans ordinance requires any unscheduled transporter of people to give the chief of police an application five days before arrival containing a manifest of the passengers, a plan for their care and contact information for those involved. They must arrive between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The ordinance allows Waukegan officials to impose a fine of between $25 and $750 a day per passenger, as well as impound the bus or plane. For the Dec. 21 incident, the fine could have been as high as $29,250 per day, officials said.

Kelley Gandurski, an attorney with corporation counsel Elrod Friedman, said the purpose of the ordinance is to hold the transporters accountable, and make sure the passengers arrive at the Chicago processing center where resources are available.

This ordinance does not punish the passengers on the bus, Gandurski said. It targets the bus companies who are making money  lots of money  off of these transports, and trying to skirt around the law by placing these passengers in peril.

Waukegan Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, said she wants the migrants treated well, but municipalities need help from the state and federal governments. She believes Washington needs to take the lead, and not let Texas Gov. Greg Abbott send people to Waukegan at his whim.

This is a debacle, Florian said. Until the federal government gets a handle on this, this is what were left with and its on our backs to figure out what were going to do. Its ridiculous the federal government is not stepping up and solving this problem.

A little more than an hour before Waukegan approved its legislation controlling unscheduled bus traffic related to the current migrant crisis, the North Chicago City Council unanimously approved a similar ordinance.

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. said the legislation allows his city to have, some control over what would otherwise be a totally uncontrollable situation. The goal is holding transport companies accountable, he said.

This ordinance allows the City to protect the interests of the community while at (the) same time expedite meeting the health, legal and shelter needs of the migrants, Rockingham said in a text.

chilles@chicagotribune.com
Wildlife officials in Queensland, Australia, said they are investigating after an angler reported a large crocodile jumped into his small boat. Photo by dMz/Pixabay.com

Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in Queensland, Australia, are investigating a report of a large crocodile that jumped out of the water and into an angler's boat.

The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said a man was fishing in his tin boat at Jane Creek, near St. Helen's Beach in an area north of Mackay, when he spotted a crocodile nearby.

"The man said he had been fishing around four hours and when he saw the large crocodile approaching the boat, he moved to the back of the vessel and started the engine," Senior Wildlife Officer Jane Burns said in a news release. "The crocodile swum under the tinnie, then turned and launched itself up and into the vessel with its jaws wide open."

Burns said the angler jumped over the crocodile to haul in his anchor, and the reptile fell back into the water when it attempted to pivot its body.

The officer said the large croc bent the rails of the boat as it fell.

"The fisherman went to the boat ramp at Black Rock Creek. He told us he had never seen such a large crocodile behaving that way in the region before," Burns said.

Burns said officials are posting warning signs in the area and will attempt to locate the crocodile and monitor its behavior.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Metro police arrested a man nearly 20 years after police filed a warrant for his arrest on sexual assault charges involving a minor, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.

Metro police arrested Eduardo Minas, 60, on Friday, Dec. 29, records said. A Metro police officer signed a warrant for Minas arrest in October 2006, more than 17 years ago.

Minas faces charges of sexual assault where the victim is under the age of 16, and statutory sexual seduction, documents said. It was unclear from records what led police to Minas on Friday.

In September 2006, a person reported to police about the alleged abuse involving the minor, documents said. The minors age was redacted in court documents, but the charge indicates they were under 16 at the time.

During an interview with police, the minor said Minas raped her twice, documents said.

In 2006, police attempted to find Minas at his place of employment but were unsuccessful, they said. Minas also quit his position as police began their investigation, documents said.

Minas remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center as of Tuesday where he was being held without bail.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Stable growth to be focus of policy support

08:27, January 03, 2024 By Liu Zhihua ( China Daily

Experts emphasize need to boost market confidence, stimulate demand in 2024

China is expected to step up policy support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and advanced manufacturing in a more precise manner, while also paying more attention to prevent industry regulatory measures from constraining economic vitality, experts said.

Their comments came after Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs, emphasized the importance of introducing more policies that will help stabilize expectations, growth and employment, as well as the need to "cautiously release contractive and restrictive policies", to create favorable conditions for development.

In an article published on Tuesday in People's Daily, Han called for more efforts to pursue progress while ensuring stability, consolidate stability through progress and establish the new before abolishing the old, as requested by the annual tone-setting Central Economic Work Conference, which was held in December.

Experts called on the government to further prioritize economic growth and enhance policy coordination, to avoid causing potential risks when it is defusing existing risks and promoting a growth model transition and structural adjustment.

They said that fiscal policies should amplify the positive effects of government investment on boosting market confidence and stimulating aggregate demand in a bid to anchor the momentum of economic recovery.

Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said, "China is at a critical moment of growth momentum transition, and it is important to avoid disturbing economic stability and weakening expectations."

"To be specific, China should further put economic growth at the core place so that measures to defuse risks will not cause unintentional new risks, and the country will have time to solve existing problems amid continuous economic development," Luo said.

It is important for the nation to better coordinate fiscal and monetary policies, as well as economic and noneconomic policies, to prevent some restrictive noneconomic policies  including those on industrial regulation and environmental protection  from offsetting the positive effect of economic policies, he said.

The annual work conference of the Ministry of Finance, which was held in late December, affirmed that China would implement a moderately expansionary fiscal policy in 2024 while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of fiscal governance.

Experts said the country will continue to allow the budgeted fiscal deficit rate to exceed 3 percent and issue around 4 trillion yuan ($560.6 billion) of special-purpose local government bonds in 2024  a key funding source of infrastructure investment that usually is not included in the fiscal deficit.

Lou Jiwei, chairman of the Global Asset Management Forum and former finance minister, said that China should maintain the fiscal deficit rate at around 3.8 percent in 2024 and spend the increased fiscal funds mainly on smaller enterprises, rather than on public investment.

When addressing the annual convention of the China Wealth Management 50 Forum in December in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, he said the increase in fiscal deficits should be mainly used to provide temporary subsidies on rent, utilities and employment for downstream enterprises in the manufacturing industry and small and micro-sized companies.

In addition, China needs to continue to carry out tax cuts and fee reductions for small and microsized enterprises, and local governments can "moderately" increase their fiscal deficits to repay government debt owed to construction companies, thereby improving government credibility, boosting market confidence and expanding private investment, he said.

In recent years, China has been stepping up efforts to accelerate the construction of a modernized industrial system, support expansion of domestic demand and implement the strategy for invigorating the country through science and education.

Chang Haizhong, executive director of corporates at ratings agency Fitch Bohua, said he expects China's fiscal policy in 2024 to be more positively expansionary, with increased expenditures tilted toward major national strategic projects and people's livelihood.

"The intensity of fiscal tax cuts and fee reductions will likely be higher than in 2023. It is expected that incremental policies will be introduced, and technological innovation and the manufacturing industry, which are given priority support, will benefit the most," Chang said.

Industries with overcapacity will likely face pressure with the deepening of supply-side structural reforms and will have limited access to tax cuts and fee reductions, he added.

Luo, with Yuekai Securities, said that China is expected to further promote consumption-driven economic growth, facilitate high-tech industry development and seek breakthroughs in key areas and core technologies.

Beijing Yisheng Biotechnology Co, an innovative medicine developer, praised government support for innovation-oriented enterprises. Since its establishment more than two years ago, the company has received more than 10 million yuan in local government funds, including 1.5 million yuan for the construction of a research and development center in the Chinese capital.

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(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas police arrested a woman Wednesday who they said burglarized a home belonging to a professor killed in the mass shooting at UNLV.

Naoko Takemaru, 69, was an associate professor of Japanese Studies. She was one of three professors killed in the Dec. 6 shooting on UNLVs campus.

On Dec. 26, 2023, at around 1 p.m., one of Takemarus neighbors reported a burglary at a residence in the 3900 block of Deer Haven Court. The neighbor told police they saw a woman entering the home and taking items from the home to a nearby vehicle.

The neighbor said the woman, whose face was covered, got into a car with two men who also had their faces covered, documents said.

Police said they found open cabinets and medicine cabinets throughout the home, documents said.

Investigators identified Bianca Hernandez, 30, as the suspect in the burglary. Detectives learned she made posts online that showed intent to sell the property taken during the burglary, police said in a news release.

Bianca Hernandez, 30, faces several charges in connection to a December burglary. (KLAS)

Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took Hernandez into custody on Jan. 2. She faces charges of residential burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and two counts of buying/possessing/receiving stolen property.

She was being held at the Clark County Detention Center. Her next court appearance was scheduled for Jan. 4.

Anyone with any information about this incident is urged to contact the Southeast Patrol

Investigations Section by phone at 702-828-8242, or by email at SEACPD@lvmpd.com.

To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or on their website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A judge had ordered the man accused of shooting a gun from a Las Vegas Strip hotel more than 70 times not to have a firearm before he allegedly flooded his hotel room and locked a dog in a bathroom, all because he was upset over his divorce, according to documents obtained Tuesday by 8 News Now Investigators.

Jon Letzkus, 45, of Oregon, faces 73 criminal counts including gun charges and destruction of property, records showed. Seventy-one charges are for discharging a weapon in a prohibited area.

On Sunday morning, police received reports of several gunshots fired from a tower at The Signature at MGM Grand near Koval Lane and Harmon Avenue.

The shooting began just before 6 a.m., witnesses told Metro police. The noise was so loud, one witness described them as explosions, documents said. Letzkus allegedly fired indiscriminately into the air and toward Flamingo Road, police said.

A photo of Jon Letzkus, 45, provided while Las Vegas Metro police were searching for him on Dec. 31, 2023. (LVMPD/KLAS)

Police located the room where the gunshots were coming from and evacuated nearby rooms. Police entered the room, finding it flooded with a dog locked in a bathroom, they said. An item in the room had Letzkus name on it.

Police later located Letzkus at a restaurant on the MGM property and arrested him.

Letzkus told police he was upset about his recent divorce, documents said. He said someone had knocked on his door early that morning.

Jon said he believed if he opened the door to the people, they would throw him off the balcony to kill him, documents said. Jon explained he began placing heavy furniture from the room in front of the door [to] stop security from entering the room.

Letzkus told police around the same time, water began pouring into his room, documents said. He then attempted to get the attention of the [sic] police officers by firing from his room.

Jon was asked how many rounds he shot, and he stated it was so many he could not remember, documents said.

Video surveillance showed Letzkus running up and down a stairwell and leaving behind ammunition, police said. At one point, Letzkus was able to blend in with the crowd of people to walk past officers posted in the area, police said.

A representative from MGM told police the damage from Letzkus was estimated to be more than $100,000 police said.

A judge issued a temporary protection order for Letzkus on Dec. 21, police said, prohibiting him from owning firearms.

Letzkus did not appear for his initial appearance Monday for a medical reason. He was due in court on Wednesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
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More strikes could be on the way for thousands of California state scientists now that theyve rejected Gov. Gavin Newsoms final wage hike proposal.

CalHR, Newsoms representative at the bargaining table, presented its last, best and final offer to the California Association of Professional Scientists the week before Christmas. The raises presented in the final offer mirror those proposed last February  an offer that the unions membership voted down by a healthy margin.

On Dec. 21, CAPS members again said no, marking only the second time a state employee union has rejected a last, best and final offer, also known as an LBFO. The first time was nearly 15 years ago when the states prison guard union rejected a final offer under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Negotiations that started three years ago will now leak into a budget season in which Newsoms administration faces a historic deficit, currently projected at $68 billion.

CAPS President Jacqueline Tkac did not immediately respond to request for comment.

CalHR spokesperson Camille Travis said the state is disappointed that CAPS rejected its final offer and further negotiations have been suspended.

In these uncertain economic times, an agreement would achieve important gains for both the State and the employees, she wrote.

What happens next depends largely on CalHR and the Legislature, according to Christiana Dominguez, CAPSs lead legal counsel.

Under the Ralph C. Dills Act, when the state presents a union with its last, best and final offer, the union can either take it all or leave it all  no more negotiating. CalHR can then choose to implement any or all provisions of the offer. Until that point, state scientists are still in limbo.

CalHR could say that theyre implementing raises, but when CAPS would actually get those raises depends largely on the Legislature, Dominguez said. The Legislature is still going to need to approve anything with a price tag.

Dominguez points out that there are other provisions in the LBFO that dont cost money, which CalHR could choose to implement as soon as it wants to.

There arent a lot of precedential decisions to point to here, Dominguez said.

Travis wrote that CalHR will be in communication with CAPS about next steps.

Also muddying the waters is a pending case before the Public Employment Relations Board.

PERB is still mulling over CalHRs formal protest to the historic three-day strike CAPS staged in November. The board issued a complaint to CAPS that still needs to be resolved.

But Dominguez argues that any future labor actions are most certainly legal now that the state has issued, and the scientists have rejected, its final offer. (She strongly disagrees with CalHRs assertion that the November strikes were premature.)

If I were CalHR now, I would imagine that Id have a much harder time justifying that any strike activity from this point onward would be unlawful, Dominguez said.

CalHR was grasping for straws in November. There arent any straws left now.

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STAUNTON  The former home of Table 44 and Mrs. Liptrap's will see life again as a restaurant when Latin Soul opens Saturday, Jan. 6. Mrs. Liptrap's closed in September after being open just six months.

Bessy Peralta has worked in the restaurant industry since arriving in the United States from El Salvador in 2002. She has worked all levels of restaurants, from bussing tables to kitchen staff to serving to management. She and her fiance, Jeff Coffey, have been looking for an opportunity to open their own restaurant and decided this was the chance. Coffey is an Army veteran and comes from a family tradition of military service.

"I love everything," she said. "I love to talk to the people and I love to be in the kitchen too."

The name Latin Soul comes from a combination of her roots in Central America and Coffey's African-American heritage.

Among the menu items are shrimp and grits, pupusas, taquitos Hondrenos, chicken fried steak, meatloaf, carne asada, burgers, Torta Mexicana, chicken strips, and Mexican street tacos. They also plan to serve breakfast, including eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, grits, and various omelets. There are also salads, sides and desserts.

"We have a little bit of everything" Peralta said. "So that everybody who comes they can find something to eat in our place."

They will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week to start. Peralta said she wants to see how business is and what days are slow before setting permanent hours, but will eventually scale back from seven days a week to include at least one day off. Once they have their ABC license, hours may change also. Peralta said they would like to have some special events like live music and karaoke eventually.

"We are just excited," Peralta said. "Since I moved to Virginia I have felt really welcome in Staunton. I am so happy to be here and I have a great feeling about this."

 Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton restaurant Latin Soul opening Saturday at former Table 44 location
Latvia's Administrative District Court has granted asylum to a Russian citizen who fought on the side of Ukraine, the Latvian outlet Delfi reported on Jan. 2, overturning a Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office (PMLP) decision, which denied him the status last August.

The man, who was born in Latvia but has lived in Ukraine since 1997, applied for refugee status in 2022 after being denied Ukrainian citizenship.

Read also: Latvia gifts Ukraine $1 million in seized drunk-driving cars

He joined the Donbas battalion as a volunteer in 2014 where he suffered a concussion, and injuries to his spine and knee. He did not advertise his participation in the war, fearing exposure to Russian security services.

His personal belongings, including his Russian passport, were burned during a shelling. In 2021 he began collecting documents for refugee status in Ukraine

After the start of the full-scale invasion, he traveled with his wife and children through Poland to Latvia and tried to apply for asylum. However, the PMLP turned him down because they could not prove that he was a member of a volunteer unit and that he was wanted by the Russian authorities.

Read also: Latvia urges EU to halt ammo sales to non-conflict nations for timely Ukraine support

The man appealed to the courts, saying that despite his citizenship, he had no desire to maintain ties with Russia. He also claimed to have been a member of the Right Sector, which is considered an extremist group in Russia.

The court ruled in his favor, finding no negative information that would prevent him from obtaining refugee status.

At least 1,213 citizens of Russia who do not meet the requirements of a recent immigration law and failed to apply for a residence permit will be deported from Latvia, the Directorate for Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia has announced, as reported by Delfi.

In September 2022, Riga amended the Migration Law to require Russian passport holders with permanent residence in Latvia to pass a language test within one year. The changes affected about 25,000 Russians living in the country.

On Sept. 25, Latvian police announced that they would fine drivers whose cars had stickers reading "I am Russian" or other slogans or inscriptions expressing support for or glorifying Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
An administrative district court in Latvia ordered to grant asylum to a Russian citizen who fought for Ukraine in 2014, the Delfi news outlet reported on Jan. 2.

A number of Russian citizens have sought asylum in the Baltic country on the grounds that they oppose Moscow's war against Ukraine.

The man applied for refugee status or alternative status in Latvia in 2022, but the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs denied his request in August, Delfi wrote.

The Russian citizen was reportedly born in Latvia and had lived in Ukraine since 1997, but, according to him, he could not obtain Ukrainian citizenship.

The man reportedly joined the Donbas Battalion in 2014, spending a month and a half at the front. During his deployment, he suffered a concussion and injuries to his spine and knee, Delfi said.

After the EuroMaidan Revolution ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine in early 2014 by occupying Crimea and initiating hostilities in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

The Donbas Batallion was founded to fight Russian proxy forces in Donetsk Oblast. Initially an independent unit, it was later fully integrated into Ukraine's National Guard.

The man avoided speaking publicly about his participation in hostilities so as not to attract the attention of Russian intelligence services, Delfi reported.

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The Ukrainian state simplified in 2019 the acquisition of citizenship for foreign nationals and stateless persons who fought for Ukraine. The law waived the requirement of living on the country's territory continuously for five years and to speak the Ukrainian language.

Foreigners applying for a Ukrainian passport must nevertheless renounce their original citizenship, as Ukraine does not recognize multiple citizenships.

Between March 1, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2023, 970 Russian citizens and 120 Belarusians were granted Ukrainian citizenship on various grounds.

When the man tried to obtain Ukrainian citizenship before the start of the full-scale invasion, he was allegedly told by Ukrainian authorities to go to the Russian consular department in occupied Crimea to "settle all formalities."

Fearing for his life, the Russian citizen did not go to the occupied peninsula.

According to Delfi, the man's Russian passport was destroyed during shelling. In 2021, he began collecting documents to obtain refugee status in Ukraine as the only means to obtain Ukrainian citizenship without presenting a passport.

Following the start of the full-scale invasion, the man, along with his wife and children, traveled to Latvia via Poland seeking asylum, Delfi wrote.

He was initially denied the request by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, which pointed to a lack of evidence of serving in a Ukrainian volunteer unit.

The Russian citizen then appealed to the court, who backed his case. Latvian judges noted that the man lost the desire to maintain ties with Russia. The court also said that he was a member of the Ukrainian nationalist political group Right Sector, which is branded as extremist in Russia, thus creating an additional threat for him.

Latvia's State Security Service also did not uncover any information that would prevent the man from obtaining refugee status, Delfi said.

Read also: Putin threatens Latvia with consequences over Russian minority policies

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Bipartisan legislation by Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff and North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer was signed into law as part of the latest National Defense Authorization Act.

According to a release from Ossoffs office, the Military Families Mental Health Services Act, now law, will broaden access to counseling and mental health services for both military service members and their families.

Additionally, the law will waive out-of-pocket expenses for active-duty military families on TRICARE for the first three outpatient mental health visits each year, providing a better ability to receive treatment.

Our bipartisan law will expand free access to counseling and mental health services for military families, who make great sacrifices for our nation, endure great stress in so doing, and deserve nothing less than the care they need when they need it, Ossoff said in a statement.

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As previously reported by Channel 2 Action News, there are roughly 63,414 active military personnel in Georgia, with 79,363 dependents.

All of them would be able to participate in mental health treatment, if needed, under the provisions of the newly passed legislation.

The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported there was a big increase in veteran suicides, shown for the transition from 2020 to 2021.

The increase in Veteran suicides seen in 2021, compared to 2020, was particularly seen in women Veterans, for whom there was a 24.1% increase in the age-adjusted suicide rate, compared to an increase of 6.3% among male Veterans, the report said.

In 2021, the VA said suicide was the 13th leading cause of death for veterans overall with 6,392 suicide deaths that year. It was the second leading cause of death for veterans younger than 45 years old, according to the VA.

The same data said there were 46,412 suicides by U.S. adults in 2021, meaning veterans alone accounted for almost 14%. Of those suicide deaths, 226 were in Georgia, the VA said, up from 2020 by more than 40. In 2020, 183 Georgia veterans committed suicide, according to the VA.

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A Lexington state senator has filed a bill in the 2024 General Assembly that would require a plan for the implementation of artificial intelligence in the states public school and post secondary systems, and monitor the impact.

The Kentucky bill, Senate Bill 52, sponsored by state Sen. Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington, would establish an Artificial Intelligence in Kentuckys Schools project supervised by the Kentucky Department of Education.

The term artificial intelligence means a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments, according to the U.S. Department of State website.

If the bill became law, the Kentucky Department of Education would by July 1 be required to establish recommended initial guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in school administration, instruction and classroom management, academic standards, school and local board policies, and teacher preparation programs.

The bill also would require training in AI for teachers, school administrators and school board members.

The legislation would also align and monitor the states postsecondary institutions efforts on artificial intelligence.

We are on the brink of a technological renaissance with Artificial Intelligence, Thomas told the Herald-Leader Wednesday.

He said he filed the bill to ensure the state navigates this new frontier with the foresight, responsibility and ethical consideration it demands.

The legislation intends to embrace innovation while putting safeguards in place to protect residents rights, privacy and well-being as AI becomes part of everyday life, he said.

We must be stewards of this powerful technology. That begins with legislation that protects, empowers and prepares Kentucky for a future where technology serves all of us both equally and justly, Thomas said.

Republican lawmakers did not immediately comment Wednesday. Kentucky Department of Education officials dont have a comment on Senate Bill 52 at this time, said spokesman Joe Ragusa.

The University of Kentucky has formed a new committee to look at the impact of artificial intelligence and tools like ChatGPT on higher education, officials said last year.

This is a developing story and may be updated.
Ed Crutchfield, who took charge of Charlotte-based First Union and forged a national banking powerhouse while also championing the citys growth, died Tuesday at age 82.

In 15 years as CEO of a bank that is now part of Wells Fargo, Crutchfield made more than 80 acquisitions to create the nations No. 6 bank by the time he retired in 2001.

Wells Fargo is based in San Francisco and has some 230,000 employees nationwide. Its largest employment hub is in the Charlotte area, where it employs more than 27,000 people. Much of that is a legacy of Crutchfields construction of First Union.

The late Ed Crutchfield built First Union into a banking giant. A look at his career

He was my best friend and a fantastic dad and a hero to me, his son, Elliott Crutchfield told The Charlotte Observer Tuesday night. On a broader basis, I can tell you from inside the house, he gave it all he had for the bank and by extension Charlotte.

And I can tell you he took significant steps to make sure the bank was headquartered here (in Charlotte) when others had some other ideas. It was important to him that that be the case.

Ed Crutchfield died peacefully at his home in Vero Beach, Fla., after a battle with dementia, his son said.

Former First Union CEO Ed Crutchfield has died at age 82. He built the Charlotte-based bank into a powerhouse, while also championing the city it called home.

Competing and collaborating in Charlotte

One of Charlottes leading businessmen in the last quarter of the 20th century, Crutchfield built a major bank headquarters in the city, and  despite a professional rivalry  was a frequent partner of then-Bank of America CEO Hugh McColl when it came to Charlottes civic growth.

McColl told the Observer Wednesday that he and Crutchfield competed intensely in trying to gobble up banks around the nation, with each winning their share. First Union snapped up Atlantic Bank in Florida just as McColl was in discussions with them, while NationsBank, as McColls company was then known, won Boatmens Bancshares in St. Louis, for example.

It was quite competitive, McColl said. We chased each other around the country buying companies.

That competition turned to collaboration, though, when it came to building up Charlotte. The two would back each others projects, whether it be supporting the symphony, Johnson C. Smith University or any of the dozens of other efforts.

Everyone thinks we were enemies, but that wasnt really true, McColl said. We both ran our companies and got along fine on civic matters. And we both disliked Wachovia intensely.

Crutchfield retired earlier than expected at age 59 to successfully fight lymphoma, turning the company over to his hand-picked successor, Ken Thompson. First Union later merged with Winston-Salems Wachovia and was bought by Wells Fargo after the bank nearly collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis.

Some of Crutchfields deals were duds. But he was often praised in Charlotte for helping the city become a major banking center and particularly for developing much of the southern half of uptown.

Ed Crutchfield has been tremendously admired by the banking community, not just in North Carolina, but across the country, because he didnt just sit on the sidelines and watch the parade go by. He was a drum major, Thad Woodard, head of the N.C. Bankers Association, said when Crutchfield retired.

Ed Crutchfield NC ties

Born in Detroit, Crutchfield was raised in Albemarle in Stanly County, about an hour east of Charlotte. His mother was a school teacher and his father worked as an FBI agent, lawyer and county judge, his son said.

After graduating from Davidson College and the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, Crutchfield joined First Union as a bond trader at age 23.

He rose quickly through the ranks, becoming president in 1973 and CEO in 1984, succeeding Cliff Cameron.

Crutchfield would spend much of his career buying banks. Soon after taking charge, he merged First Union with Greensboro-based Northwestern Financial Corp.

It was the biggest bank merger in state history at the time and formed North Carolinas second-largest bank.

His dealmaking days were full of colorful stories that earned him the nickname Fast Eddie from Wall Street analysts, some of whom fretted about his expensive purchases.

One of his dogs, Bud, became a good-luck charm after barely surviving being hit by a car in 1995 while Crutchfield awaited news on a bid for First Fidelity Bancorp. First Union bought the Newark, N.J., bank for $5.4 billion  the biggest U.S. bank acquisition at the time.

In 1997, the dealmaker bragged about the technique he used to buy Signet Banking Corp. of Richmond, Va., another key acquisition.

To get the banks management to sell, he said, I just kept stacking billion-dollar bills on the table.

Ed Crutchfield, who was chairman of First Union when he was photographed Oct. 19, 2000, spoke about his battle with cancer, and his decision to retire from the bank early.

Wall Street style in Charlotte

In the coming year, he would make even more deals, ultimately expanding First Union from Connecticut to Key West, Florida, and into new business lines.

Crutchfield paid $19.8 billion for Philadelphias last big bank, CoreStates Financial, in 1998. He set a new record for the most expensive deal in U.S. banking history. The same year he also spent $2.1 billion on a consumer finance company, The Money Store.

He also built a Wall Street-style capital markets business at First Union, recruiting investment bankers, many from the Northeast, to the Queen City.

Some of these deals would have their pitfalls.

He paid a high price for CoreStates and when Crutchfield moved quickly to integrate operations the rapid pace spawned computer glitches that sent customers fleeing. A revenue shortfall at CoreStates and an accounting change at the Money Store led to lower earnings estimates that soured the companys reputation on Wall Street in the late 1990s.

In 2000, Crutchfield at age 59 was diagnosed with lymphoma and handed his CEO title to Thompson, who quickly restructured the company and improved customer service. Crutchfield went through chemotherapy and beat the disease, but gave up his chairman post in March 2001, leaving behind the bank he forged.

Thompson merged First Union with Winston-Salems Wachovia in 2001 and kept the smaller companys more-respected name.

To me the biggest thrill has been seeing the company start when nobody was giving us a plugged nickel for our chances, and at least as of today, pulling it off, Crutchfield told the Observer in an interview before his retirement. Thats been a kick.

Ed Crutchfield, CEO of First Union, photographed at One First Union in Charlotte Feb. 9, 1999. The longtime bank executive took charge of Charlotte-based First Union and forged a national banking powerhouse while championing the citys growth.

Ed Crutchfields civic involvement

Although known for his hard-charging ways, Crutchfield once said an admonishment from his mother, Katherine, encouraged him to develop a warm workplace for his thousands of employees. He once made news when he banned voicemail at the company to encourage human contact.

In 1996, he married Barbara Massa, First Unions former director of corporate communications. He had two grown children. He was divorced from his first wife, Nancy.

Besides his banking accomplishments, Crutchfield also was known for being part of The Group  a handful of businessmen who once helped shape Charlotte.

Although he was a fierce competitor with McColl, Crutchfield collaborated with him and other business leaders on community projects.

I believe the last 20 years of focus on developing the uptown area of Charlotte has been appropriate, he said in a 2003 letter to the Observer. However, it is my belief that Charlotte-Mecklenburg should now shift its priority, focus and dollars in a major way to the issues of education and human services for young people.

In the late 1980s, he played a quiet but influential role during a campaign to diversify Charlottes then all-white country clubs.

In 1997, when five Mecklenburg County commissioners moved to cut funding to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council because of objections to gay characters and themes in a play, he got involved to diversify the board.

Like McColl, Crutchfield also left his mark by molding the citys skyline. In 1988, the bank opened its 42-story headquarters tower on South College Street.

Although known for his hard-charging ways, Ed Crutchfield once said an admonishment from his mother, Katherine, encouraged him to develop a warm workplace for his thousands of employees at First Union. Hes seen here in a 1998 file photo in front of the banks new building.

The Green park on South Tryon that hides an underground parking garage also was part of his vision. A proposed tower that would have topped McColls 60-story headquarters, however, never materialized.

While he always knew that his major responsibility was looking out for First Union and its shareholders, he also understands the health of this community and the vitality of this community are good for business, the late Mecklenburg County Commissioners Chairman Parks Helms once told the Observer.

In his retirement, Crutchfield spent time in Charlotte, Florida and the N.C. mountains. He enjoyed flyfishing with his wife and spending time with his grandchildren.

Observer editors Taylor Batten and Adam Bell, and former Observer reporters Rick Rothacker, Hannah Lang and Austin Weinstein, and Observer archives, contributed to this report.

Editors note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the professional background of Crutchfields father.
Need a caffeine fix?

Rhode Island is full of coffee shops  beyond the beloved Dunkin'  where you can get a cup of joe as well as hang out or sit down to do some work. In fact, Providence was named one of the best coffee cities in the country, in part because of how many coffee shops the city has.

The Providence Journal recently put it to readers in an unscientific poll. First, we asked readers to nominate places to include in the poll on our Instagram page @ProJoEats, which we then compiled into a true poll asking people to vote for their favorite.

Hundreds of votes later, we've narrowed it down to the top seven reader picks for coffee shops to cozy up at.

First place: Ceremony

Ceremony Cafe in College Hill.

Ceremony, 406 Brook St. in Providence, first launched as a tea house, but has since rebranded as a cafe that will impress even the staunchest coffee drinkers. This airy spot in College Hill, founded by Chinese immigrant Michelle Cheng, is filled with beauty, from the decor to the pottery for sale to the drink menu. On the menu, you'll find all the coffee house regulars, but we would be remiss to not suggest trying one of the matcha lattes or teas on the menu. And don't forget to pick up an Asian pastry.

Ceremony: The teahouse, reimagined

Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1emMuXLBOd/

Located in the Smith Hill neighborhood, Rise n' Shine, 97 Holden St., is a space designed for gathering and chatting over a warm drink. On the first floor of a historic carriage house, this spot is meant to be a home away from home, but with better coffee  it's all locally roasted  and beautiful latte art. It's the perfect spot to warm up on an otherwise dreary day.

Third place: Coffee Exchange

The Coffee Exchange on Wickenden Street is a popular place for a hot brew as well as meeting friends in Fox Point.

Serving sustainable coffee since 1984, Coffee Exchange, 207 Wickenden St., got its foothold in the Providence coffee scene right at the time coffee shops were becoming a mainstream concept in the United States. At first, they didn't even sell brewed coffee  just coffee beans, and coffee and tea paraphernalia  but when they got their hands on an old espresso machine all that changed. Forty years later, they're still going strong and still a favorite.

Fourth place: The Nook Coffee House

Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwoFw94Lsl1/

This cozy spot in East Greenwich is cozy as can be. The Nook Coffee House, 307 Main St., is all about good coffee, community and coziness. Get your coffee here or check on the draft kombucha on tap. They source many of their ingredients locally, such as New Harvest Coffee Roasters for their coffee beans and their bagels from Providence Bagels.

Fifth place: Borealis Coffee Company

Borealis Coffee Company, in Pawtucket, has opened a coffee house along the East Bay Bike Path in a former train depot at 250 Bullocks Point Ave., East Providence.

Having moved to Rhode Island from Alaska, owner and head roaster Brian Dwiggins at Borealis Coffee Company has a real appreciation for a warm cup of coffee on short, cold winter days. When he came to the Ocean State, he started roasting coffee like the coffee he drank growing up. And then, other people started asking for some too. Now, Borealis has two locations 250 Bullocks Point Ave, Riverside and 500 Wood Street, Unit 113, Bristol.

Sixth Place: Seven Stars Bakery

Seven Stars Bakery opened its fifth bakery in the former Olga's Cup and Saucer on Point Street in Providence.

A Rhode Island institution, Seven Stars Bakery has five locations spread out across the state so that everyone can get their fix. The baked goods are incredible, and the coffee is taken just as seriously.

Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmgoafDLo0v/

Established in 1996, Felicia's Coffee has been satisfying coffee lovers in East Greenwich for a long time. The coffee shop, 5757 Post Road., is a casual spot to get a drink and a chance to catch your breath. They also have an incredible dessert menu, even making our food editor Gail Ciampa's list of best places to get a zeppole.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The 7 best coffee spots in RI to cozy up at, according to readers
The busy holiday travel season may be over but now aviation officials are facing some new turbulence.

The federal government could run out of transportation funding in less than three weeks and that means there could be more disruptions.

Currently, there are almost 11,000 air traffic controllers nationwide. They guide pilots during takeoff and landing and manage planes coming into and out of the airspace.

But if the federal government runs of money on January 19, their jobs would be in a holding pattern.

The idea that you would expect them to go do that stressful, demanding job to sit in those towers and in those centers, not getting paid with that added stress is unacceptable, said Sec. Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Department of Transportation.

Theres also a shortage of these workers. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg wants to hire 1,800 new controllers this year alone. But he warns a shutdown would ground those efforts.

ALSO READ: Daycare staffing shortage Charlotte leaves parents scrambling

We need to be doing more, not less with hiring controllers with training them, and with the technology and equipment that they need to do their job, said Buttigieg.

Airlines are raising concerns too. Airlines For America (A4A), which represents some of the major carriers, sent a letter to federal transportation officials about staffing challenges during the holidays. In it, A4As President wants ...all possible steps be taken to avert additional staffing triggers, particularly in high volume centers.

Back in December, aviation officials told us safety is a priority.

We will make sure that safety is always above efficiency so if there is a shortage of air traffic controllers, we would reduce traffic to accommodate and to make sure everyone is traveling safely, Michael Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Air traffic controllers also often work long hours leading to fatigue for many workers. The FAA recently launched a new board to identify possible risks and come up with solutions.

Transportation isnt the only agency at risk if theres shutdown. Military construction, veterans affairs, housing and the energy department would be affected too. The rest of the federal government remain funded until February 2.

VIDEO: Daycare staffing shortage Charlotte leaves parents scrambling
The dog looked too skinny to just be another off-leash pup running ahead of her owner. Emma Hicks approached her gently. The closer she got, the more she realized that something was very wrong.

I saw her paws were bleeding, Hicks told McClatchy News in a phone interview. I knew she was probably a lost dog.

It was Dec. 29 and chilly, but Elephant Rock Trail was a hike Hicks had done many times before in all kinds of weather. Home for the holidays, the business student thought it was a good day for the 6  mile trek not far from her parents house in Bountiful, Utah, about 10 miles north of Salt Lake City. She was nearly at the top when she saw the German Wirehaired Pointer.

I called my mom immediately, said Hicks.

Back in town, a man had been looking for his hunting dog Jane for 12 days. She had been in the yard and suddenly disappeared. He figured she got spooked by deer that are known to sometimes fight dogs. As the days wore on, and below-freezing temperatures lingered, things looked more and more grim.

Whats worse, Bountiful is rife with coyotes and mountain lions  not exactly a lone dogs friends. His pleas ended up in a local Facebook group.

Hicks knew dogs well having always had them herself. Within moments, she won the canines trust and set off down the trail. At first, the dog ran ahead, but then, she began running into the trees. So as not to lose her, Hicks turned her fanny pack into a leash and fastened it to the dogs neck. The two walked down, but soon, Hicks noticed the dog kept stopping.

She must be so, so tired, Hicks thought to herself. She realized shed have to carry her. There was still a mile left of the trail, but it was the only way.

Some passersby on the trail helped Hicks get the dog onto her shoulders. Holding the pup like a 40-pound shawl, she continued down.

Hicks family had been online looking for the owner of the dog when her sister found a Facebook post looking for Jane the German Wirehaired Pointer.

Hicks was nearing the bottom when she heard her phone ring. She picked up.

I cant believe you found my dog, said a mans voice on the other end of the call.

A short time later, back at her parents house, Hicks watched Jane climb to her feet, her tail wagging excitedly, at the sound of her owners voice at the door.

Twelve days, Hicks said the man said with amazement while holding Janes tired, furry face in his hands. It was a reunion to remember.

She was the nicest dog Id ever met, Hicks said. She had been fighting to stay alive and get back to her family.

Dog plunges 300 feet off cliff into ocean, Oregon officials say. Video shows the rescue

Dog who loves to soak up attention was surrendered to Florida rescue. He needs a home

Dog went missing while owner was deployed overseas. Then came a joyful reunion in SC
State legislatures across the United States have introduced over 400 bills to limit transgender Americans rights. Many of these bills sponsors, such as the Christian nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, cite Christian values as well as the values of the other Abrahamic faiths  Judaism and Islam  to justify their anti-trans positions.

The Alliance Defending Freedom claims that Christians, Jews and Muslims view gender as binary and defined only by biology, though these religions diverse followers actually hold a range of views on LGBTQ+ issues. Historically, these religions were often more accepting of varied gender identities before colonialism imposed binary gender as a universal concept.

Religious values from multiple traditions have supported transgender identity. As a scholar of Buddhism and gender, I know that several Buddhist texts treat gender as fluid. One such text is the Lotus Sutra, one of the most popular Buddhist scriptures in East Asia. Its core message is that everyone, no matter their gender or status, has the potential to become a Buddha.

The Lotus Sutra conveys its message of universal Buddhahood in several stories that depict transformations between male and female bodies. For example, a dragon girl instantly transforms into the masculine body of a Buddha, proving that female bodies are not barriers to awakening.

Elsewhere, the Lotus Sutra describes how the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, known as Guanyin in Mandarin and Kannon in Japanese, takes on male or female forms depending on the needs of the audience.

The dragon girls gender transformation

To understand the story of the dragon girl, it is important to understand how Buddhas bodies were defined as masculine in early Buddhism. Most people are familiar with the historical figure Siddhartha Gautama as the Buddha, but Buddhists believe that several Buddhas, or enlightened teachers, have been born throughout history. All of these Buddhas are said to possess 32 marks that distinguished their bodies from regular bodies.

One of these marks was a sheathed penis, which meant that Buddha bodies were male by definition. In addition, Buddhist texts identified five roles, including Buddha, that were off-limits to women.

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddhas disciple, Shariputra, refers to these limitations when he rejects the idea that the dragon girl could quickly attain Buddhahood:

You suppose that in this short time you have been able to attain the unsurpassed way. But this is difficult to believe. Why? Because the female body is soiled and defiled, not a vessel for the Law. How could you attain the unsurpassed bodhi?  Moreover, a woman is subject to the five obstacles. First, she cannot become a Brahma heavenly king. Second, she cannot become the king Shakra. Third, she cannot become a Mara demon king. Fourth, she cannot become a wheel-turning sage king. Fifth, she cannot become a Buddha. How then could your female body attain Buddhahood so quickly?

However, the dragon girl proves Shariputra wrong by instantly attaining Buddhahood, transforming her young, female, nonhuman body into the male body of a Buddha. Women in premodern East Asia found inspiration in the dragon girls story because it showed that their own female bodies were not barriers to enlightenment.

This scroll from the Devadatta chapter of the Lotus Sutra depicts the 8-year-old daughter of the Dragon King emerging from her palace beneath the sea to offer a precious, radiant jewel to the Buddha on Eagle Peak. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The bodhisattvas gender fluidity

Another inspiration from the Lotus Sutra can be found in the Chapter of Universal Salvation, which focuses on the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara. A bodhisattva is an advanced spiritual being who postpones enlightenment to help people in the world.

According to this chapter, Avalokiteshvara will adopt any form to save people. Avalokiteshvara can become a monk, nun, layman, laywoman, rich man, rich mans wife, young boy, young girl, human or nonhuman, depending on the audiences needs.

In China, this passage provided scriptural support for Avalokiteshvaras perceived transformation from a male to female figure. Indian Buddhist texts described Avalokiteshvara as male, but in China people came to see Avalokiteshvara as female.

Though scholars have not found one single explanation for this transformation, the Lotus Sutra passage offers justification for Avalokiteshvaras gender fluidity. Images of Avalokiteshvara from China, Japan and Korea can depict the bodhisattva as masculine, feminine or androgynous.

The Lotus Sutra and transgender inspiration

Due to the Lotus Sutra, Avalokiteshvara has become an inspiration and icon for transgender, gender-fluid and nonbinary people in and beyond East Asia. At Japans Shozenji Temple, head nun Soshuku Shibatani, who underwent gender reassignment surgery, has said, The Kannon Bodhisattva has no gender identity, using Avalokiteshvaras Japanese name.

A blog post from Taiwan quotes from the Lotus Sutra in describing Avalokiteshvara as a nonbinary figure who transcends any single gender identity.

However, Avalokiteshvaras role as a transgender icon is not universally accepted. Another Taiwanese blogger reported that a friend of theirs argued with their description of the bodhisattva as transgender. In April 2022, an Avalokiteshvara statue in The Burrell Collection in Glasgow, Scotland, labeled as a transgender icon, resulted in protests. The anti-trans group For Women Scotland argued that the label unnecessarily politicized the statue.

Despite these objections, more and more people have found inspiration in Avalokiteshvara as a transgender, nonbinary or gender-fluid figure. Just as the Lotus Sutras story of the dragon girl inspired Buddhist women in premodern East Asia, Avalokiteshvaras gender fluidity offers inspiration to people today.

MJ Posani, an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee, contributed to the research for this article.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

It was written by: Megan Bryson, University of Tennessee.

Read more:


Maine Republican Party chair Joel Stetkis endured a car crash interview with CNN on Tuesday where he repeatedly refused to offer any explanation as to why he objects to Donald Trump being removed from the states GOP primary ballot.

The Pine Tree State is scheduled to vote on who it wants as the Republican nominee to challenge President Joe Biden on Super Tuesday on 5 March.

But, currently, Mr Trump is out of the running in the state.

Maines secretary of state Shenna Bellows ruled on 28 December that Mr Trump would be blocked from the ballot in her state, as he has been in Colorado, under Section Three of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits anyone who has violated their oath of office by engaging in an insurrection from running for office.

Maine Republicans reacted angrily to Ms Bellows decision and immediately vowed to challenge it, as has the Trump campaign, which filed its appeal on Tuesday.

But when asked repeatedly by CNN anchor Boris Sanchez to explain the specific legal basis for his objection to the secretary of states ruling, Mr Stetkis was unable to provide an answer  other than to claim the move was anti-democratic in principle.

Speaking to the networks News Central show from his home in Augusta via Skype, Mr Stetkis said: I think the simplest way we can put this really is you know, weve got an unelected bureaucrat who likes to pretend that shes a lawyer, and shes literally taking away the voters choices in Maine.

You know, here in Maine and across the country, regardless of you know whether they like Donald Trump or not, you know, Bellows is wrong on so many levels, and its getting to the point of really being embarrassing.

Pushed by Mr Sanchez  who remained patient and amused throughout  to elaborate on the precise nature of his opposition, Mr Stetkis insisted: Her decision process was just wrong.

Pressed again, he added: Well, this has so much more to do with the, you know, the suppression of the vote as opposed to Donald Trump. We would  we would oppose this decision, regardless of what Republican [was running].

Asked by Mr Sanchez why he considered Ms Bellows ruling arbitrary, Mr Stetkis continued: Were just opposed to her taking away the rights of the voters to be able to choose the leader that they want to vote for or not.

Boris Sanchez interviews Joel Stetkis on CNNs News Central (CNN)

Eventually wearying of the anchors persistence, the state GOP chair fell back to arguing: No matter how many times, no matter how youre asked, her decision is completely wrong.

He even added that numerous conservative lawyers had already given plenty of legal argument on why shes wrong, implying that it was therefore unnecessary for him to do so.

Finally relenting, Mr Sanchez wrapped up the segment, pointing out that the GOP chair had failed to offer any reasoning for his argument.

I think theres a legal argument to be made. It doesnt seem like you have articulated the exact legal argument and the flaw that you see in her decision, the CNN anchor said.

Nevertheless, Joel, were grateful to have you and get your perspective. Thank you so much for being with us. And happy new year.

In announcing her verdict on Mr Trumps candidacy last week, Ms Bellows wrote: I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.

I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.

She has since reported receiving threatening communications from voters loyal to Mr Trump.
In 2023, Maine became the first U.S. state to partially decriminalize prostitution. It's unlikely to be the last. And sex-worker rights activists are concerned.

By criminalizing prostitution customers but not sex workers, Maine's law may seem like a step in the right direction. But it threatens to derail momentum for full decriminalization, while recreating many of full prohibition's harms.

It also represents a paternalistic philosophical premise: that sex workers are all victims and their consent to sexual activity islike a minor'sirrelevant. And this premise is used to justify all sorts of bad programs and policies, including drastically ramping up penalties for people who pay for sex.

Orwellian "Equality"

The new Maine law removed criminal penalties for selling sex under certain circumstances, while keeping in place a ban on buying sex and other activities surrounding prostitution. It also rechristened prostitution as commercial sexual exploitation.

This has long been known as the Swedish model or Nordic model of sex work law after Sweden implemented it in 1999 and Norway and Iceland in the 2000s. It's also referred to as the "End Demand" strategya term cribbed from 1980s Drug War plans to "end demand" for illegal drugs by shifting law enforcement focus from drug dealers to people buying drugs (and we all know how that worked out). Its lodestar is ramping up penalties for prostitution customers, whom prohibitionists still refer to using the old-timey slang "johns," and devoting lots of law enforcement attention to "john stings" in which undercover cops pose as women selling sexual services.

In an Orwellian twist, U.S. activists have been trying to rebrand it the "Equality Model"an egregious misnomer, considering that the whole point of this model is that those selling sex (largely women) and those paying for it (largely men) should be treated differently under the law.

The underlying premise of the "Equality Model" is that no one consents to paid sex; that they're all victims, and thus shouldn't be penalized for their part in such transactions. In turn, anyone paying for sexeven with someone who seems to be consentingis a perpetrator who should be criminalized harshly. Likewise, anyone who abets prostitution should be treated as a sex trafficker, even when the person being "prostituted" is ostensibly a consenting adult.

Nordic/End Demand/Equality Model advocates reject the term sex worker in favor of terms like prostituted women or sex trade survivorsphrases that remove all agency from those engaged in selling sex. Their whole premise infantilizes sex workers and, by extension, women, since a majority of sex workers are women.

Maggie McNeill wrote the ultimate essay on this more than 10 years ago. "The 'Swedish model' posits that paying for sex is a form of male violence against women," McNeill noted. "This is why only the act of payment is de jure prohibited: the woman is legally defined as being unable to give valid consent, just as an adolescent girl is in the crime of statutory rape. The man is thus defined as morally superior to the woman; he is criminally culpable for his decisions, but she is not. In one case, a 17-year-old boy (a legal minor in Sweden) was convicted under the law, thus establishing that in the area of sex, adult women are less competent than male children."

Coming Soon to a State Near You?

We will not stop until the Equality Model is understood and implemented nationwide. Are you with us? #STSC #FullDecrimHurtsEveryone #EqualityModel #NordicModel pic.twitter.com/7wT202cJzG  Sex Trade Survivor Caucus (@STSCaucus) December 24, 2023

I talked to Kaytlin Bailey, founder of Old Prosa nonprofit media organization dedicated to elevating sex worker storieslate last month about what political trends were on her group's radar for 2024. Bailey said the biggest one is the push in the U.S. to pass Nordic/End Demand/Equality Model prostitution laws, which she and other sex worker rights activists know will make their work more difficult and less safe by criminalizing clients and people whom sex workers live and work with.

There's no doubt that the political profile of such policies has been rising.

Maine may be the only state to pass a Nordic Model bill last year, but at least two additional statesMassachusetts and New Yorkconsidered them.

Last year also saw big new grants available for people pushing the "Equality Model," new symposiums on its implementation and enforcement, and applause for it from old school feminist entities like Ms. Magazine.

Making Men Who Pay for Sex Pay



One of the biggest dangers of the Nordic model push in the U.S. is that places will take the pro-carceral part of itin which prostitution customers are serious criminals who deserve steeper penaltiesto heart while ignoring the parts that at least provide sex workers some relief from prosecution. We're already seeing this take effect in several states.

Texas made soliciting paid sex a felony in 2022. Last year, several states, including Oklahoma and Tennessee, considered measures to do the same. A bill to this effect was introduced in Delaware just last month.

Montana last year raised possible penalties for patronizing prostitution from a maximum of $1,000 and/or five years in prison to a maximum of $5,000 and/or 10 years in prison.

Montana also created a mandatory minimum of two years (and a possible sentence of up to 20 years) for "sex trafficking," which it defines as any third-party involvement in prostitution, regardless of whether the person being paid for sex was a consenting adult. Driving a sex worker to meet a customer is now "sex trafficking." So is renting a place to a sex worker, or benefiting in any way financially from prostitutionopening up landlords and motels to sex trafficking charges if they don't kick sex workers out.

Why This Will Catch On

"End Demand" policies are catnip to a certain sort of politician. They have a pro-woman veneer without being radical departures from the status quo.

They defy easy left/right labels and provide opportunities for bipartisan legislative efforts.

They can be framed as a way to get tough on crime, or as a type of criminal justice reform.

"End Demand" activists have even started co-opting the language of racial justice and social justice for their efforts. See, for instance, the prohibitionist group Rights4Girls tweeting about how prostitution customers are mostly white men exploiting marginalized women.

A growing number of jurisdictions are recognizing that their sex buyers are predominantly white men who are often purchasing access to marginalized women & girls. Normalizing the sex trade ignores this inequitable reality. #EndDemand pic.twitter.com/SshxPtNjQ8  rights4girls (@rights4girls) December 18, 2023

People who don't pay close attention may genuinely think that they're doing a good thing by implementing the "Equality Model."

But they would be wrong.

 And Why It Shouldn't

Advocates of asymmetrical criminalization say it's beneficial for people selling sex, but a wealth of evidence suggests otherwise. Because no matter what you call it, this model keeps prostitution a black marketwhich means most of the things that make prostitution dangerous remain intact.

Under "partial decriminalization" like Maine's, it's still illegal for sex workers to work together, to work in safe locations, or to employ people to help keep them safe. Their work is still policed, only now it's deemed for their own good. They still can't advertise openly. They still face reluctance from clientsperhaps more than everto submit to screening procedures. And because some segment of law-abiding or risk-averse people are going to be turned off by a criminalized system in a way they might not be under decriminalization, the pool of prostitution customers is tilted toward people who might be riskier in a number of ways.

Being a black market also makes things more risky for prostitution customers, police targeting notwithstanding.

Louder for the people in the back: End Demand laws that criminalize the client but not the SWer give clients a dangerous upper-hand in the negotiating process because they are the only ones taking a legal risk.  Old Pros Decriminalizing SW (@oldprosonline) July 21, 2023

And it still means that cops are going to waste a lot of time and resourcesand invade a lot of privacygoing after people for private, consensual sex acts.

"The conflation of adult consensual behavior with exploitation is a direct attack on the bodily autonomy of adults and assumes that sex workers in Maine are not competent enough to make informed decisions about their own private choices," Melissa Sontag Broudo, co-director of the SOAR Institute, testified to the Maine judiciary committee last year. "Additionally, criminalizing the purchase of sex misdirects law enforcement resources towards consensual interactions, further limiting resources available to address exploitation and trafficking."

Evidence from countries that have implemented Nordic-style policies suggests they're not what it's cracked up to be.

One study published in 2023 found that liberalizing prostitution laws led to lower rape rates overall, while passing stricter prohibitions led to increases in rape rates. Implementation of the Nordic Model was associated with the biggest increase.

Research on the Nordic Model in various European countries has found it failed to decrease the prevalence of prostitution,

Here's a massive 2021 report detailing "the impact of passing and implementing Nordic Model legislation on sex workers' lives and working conditions." The researchers found "sex workers still face high levels of policing, and often remain criminalized under third party or organizing laws. Because policing of the buyer involves policing and surveillance of the sex trade and the transaction of commercial sex, sellers of sexual services still experiencing policing and its associated harms."

The philosophical underpinnings of the Nordic/End Demand/Equality Model also leave room for institutionalizing a lot of conservative/rad-fem nonsense about sex, power, porn, gender relations, and more. For instance, at the Villanova University Law School's 2023 symposium on sexual exploitation, "Tricia Gant discussed her work in the sex buyer accountability program a 10-week diversionary program for sex buyers which encourages them to engage in reflective interviews and discussions of loneliness, trauma, porn, and the harms of commercial sexual exploitation," per a blog post about the event.

Why Full Decriminalization Should Be the Ultimate Goal

Sex workers and human rights activists around the world say the real way forward is full decriminalizationremoving criminal penalties for both buying and selling sex. In the United States, we've seen small but encouraging signs that this idea is catching on, including decriminalization legislation introduced last year in Hawaii, New York, and Vermont.

Full decriminalization should be the ultimate goal. But in places where that's not feasible yet, there are other policies that can make a positive difference, and we've seen some momentum around a few of these as well.

Rhode Island and a number of other states have been debating immunity bills, which can provide sex workers immunity from prostitution prosecution when they report crimes against them or others.

New York, California, and Dallas have ended "loitering for prostitution" or "manifesting prostitution" policies, which let cops harass and arrest anyone they deem likely to be a sex worker, even when that person is just standing around. The California and New York reforms came from state lawmakers. In Dallas, the county Criminal Court of Appeals struck down the law in response to a legal challenge.

And, in some places, prosecutors have vowed not to prosecute prostitution cases. It's not an ideal situation, since it leaves things up to the discretion of individual actors and political whims. But it's better than nothing, and certainly beats the trend toward increased sex stings we've seen in many places.

End Demand for Fake Progress

The growing profile of the "Equality Model" threatens to stall all this progress.

For one thing, a lot of people will be confused. For instance, Maine's law was described by many publications as a measure to decriminalize prostitution. People who don't read closely may not realize that End Demand policies don't actually do that.

And even those who do read closely may not realize that this isn't what's generally meant by decriminalization. They might think that it's what sex worker rights organizations and groups like the United Nations, Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union, the World Health Organization, and Human Rights Watch have been pushing for, when what all of these entities have advocated is full decriminalization of prostitution.

Meanwhile, the movement to fully decriminalize sex workto champion "rights, not rescue," as the slogan goesnow has to spend a lot of time and effort educating people about the "Equality Model" and explaining the difference between their agenda and this one. It adds another layer of work and complication to their organizing, education, and lobbying efforts.

It looks like one of the biggest challenges for sex worker rights, sexual freedom, and civil liberties advocates in 2024 will be not letting "Equality Model" shenanigans eat up any momentum available for reforming prostitution laws the right way.

The post Maine's Bad Prostitution Law Could Be Coming Soon to Your State appeared first on Reason.com.
SAN DIEGO  Homebuying  its a pillar of the American dream. But is the vision out of reach?

For many young adults in California, its become a forbidden holy grail.

In fact, the age of most first-time homebuyers in the Golden State is now almost a decade older compared to the 1980s. Thats according to a recent University of California, Berkeley study which examines Californias sliding homeownership ladder.

The simple truth is: homebuying has become a later life experience for California residents. As of 2021, the majority of people in the Golden State dont own a home until the age of 49. Researchers say it is the biggest delay represented in the age of buyers across America.

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Why is that?

Researchers explained that the ability to afford a home, as opposed to the desire to own one, accounts for most of Californias homeownership gap when compared to the rest of the country.

While the typical timing of life cycle milestones such as marriage and childbearing can also influence rates of homeownership, most of the gap follows from residents financial ability to afford a home in the state, the research paper noted while explaining why homeownership seems to be out of reach in the Golden State.

Researchers estimated the difference in financial ability to afford a home accounts for 55.6% of the observed difference in homeownership rates between residents of California and the rest of the U.S. (ages 2575).

(Terner Center for Housing Innovation UC Berkeley)

This comes as median U.S. home values have almost doubled in the past 10 years, with median household incomes only increasing by about 13.5%.

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A look at the decline

Based on this study, 43.5% of people aged 2575 were homeowners in 2021. This was down from 49.8% in 2000.

The decline was even more pronounced for younger Californians aged 3545, an age range when many people in other states become homeowners, the research paper noted.

For that group, the study shows the share that owned a home declined from 49.5 % to 39.7%, which is almost 10 percentage points in just 20 years.

(Terner Center for Housing Innovation UC Berkeley)

This study also indicates an especially noticeable decline in homeownership rates for Black and Hispanic residents over the past 40 years.

For some groups, such as Black and Hispanic/Latine people, the drop in homeownership since 1980 is particularly pronounced, compounding the challenges historically facing these groups from a legacy of systemically discriminatory policies, such as redlining, exclusionary zoning, and a lack of access to financing, the research paper noted.

(Terner Center for Housing Innovation UC Berkeley)

(Terner Center for Housing Innovation UC Berkeley)

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The researchers suggested that a slower housing price growth in the state would have helped homebuyers.

Had housing prices in California risen from 2000 to 2021 in line with those in the rest of the country, about half (48%) of Californias decline in homeownership rate over the period could have been averted, the research paper noted.

The following major data sources were used to conduct this study: the Decennial Census, the American Community Survey (ACS), and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Each had its own strengths and weaknesses for understanding trends in homeownership, according to the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, UC Berkeley.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A man faces multiple charges after he allegedly stole an airplane from the North Las Vegas Airport and flew it to California, according to North Las Vegas police.

On Dec. 30 around 2 p.m., police said a 2020 Kitfox fixed wing single-engine type aircraft was stolen from the North Las Vegas Airport.

Police said that the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Damian Zukaitis, stole the plane and flew to an area near the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

Zukaitis landed on a roadway outside of the airport, where he was contacted by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office. Police said at the time, SBCSO did not know that Zukaitis had stolen the airplane.

At some point during the interaction with the SBCSO, Zukaitis fled into a desert area. SBCSO eventually caught and arrested Zukaitis.

Zukaitis was booked into the BCSO  Barstow Station on charges of possession of a stolen airplane and transporting stolen property across state lines. Additional charges related to the crimes in Nevada are pending.

Police said that on Dec. 27, 28, and 29, there were reports of airplanes that had attempted to be broken into at the NLV airport. Investigators believe that Zukaitis was responsible for those incidents as well, according to North Las Vegas police.

North Las Vegas police said the motive is still under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Police arrested a man suspected of kidnapping a man at gunpoint in Northwest, D.C. in December. They were still searching for another man believed to be involved.

Three suspects approached a man on Dec. 26 at about 4:23 a.m. in the 500 block of New York Ave., NE. They pulled out handguns and demanded the victims keys before ordering him into their car. The suspects drove the victim around and took property from him.

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The two suspects let the victim out and fled the scene. Police have since recovered the vehicle.

On Jan. 2, the Metropolitan Police Department announced that 25-year-old Winston Timoteo was arrested and charged with armed kidnapping.

The other suspect is seen below.

(Courtesy of the Metropolitan Police Department)

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or text the departments tip line at 50411. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  An arrest has been made in a triple shooting that occurred in Orange Mound in December, police say.

Tom Golden, 53, is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, employment of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, and convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

According to Memphis Police, on December 16 around 2:10 a.m., officers responded to a shooting call at 1428 Airways Boulevard. Three men were found shot.

At that time, police said two of the male victims were taken to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.

Golden was also one of the men shot. He was taken to Regional One Hospital in non-critical condition.

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Violent Crime Unit Investigators say the three men were hanging out on Airways Boulevard when one of them got into an argument with Golden. Golden reportedly got upset because the man was making derogatory remarks about his car.

That is when Golden left the scene before returning and shooting both of the men several times. Reports state that one of the men was able to grab and hold Golden until police arrived.

One of the victims said he believed that Golden shot himself while they were wrestling over the gun.

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The other male victim stated he was not involved in the disagreement between Golden and the other man and that he did not know why Golden shot him.

Both male victims were able to positively identify Golden in a six-person photographic lineup as the man responsible for shooting them.

Tom Golden is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday morning.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Court cases stemming from several deadly incidents in and around Central Kentucky have ended with guilty pleas this month, while defendants in other major criminal cases have received their prison sentences.

Decembers court developments include a man sentenced to prison time for the deadly shooting of a father in 2021, plus progress in the case of a teenager involved in a 2022 homicide that left a 26-year-old dead.

Here are some updates for court cases covered by the Herald-Leader.

Lexington man charged with murder of a father sentenced

A Lexington murder suspect arrested in June 2022 in connection to a 2021 killing on Main Street was sentenced to 20 years in prison this month.

Robert Michael Okorley, a 41-year-old Lexington man, pleaded guilty to amended charges of second-degree manslaughter, first-degree wanton endangerment, being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and second-degree assault in November. He was sentenced by Fayette Circuit Judge Lucy VanMeter on Dec. 14.

He originally faced charges of murder, two counts of attempted murder, being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, assault and criminal mischief.

The murder charge was reduced and an additional charge of attempted murder and criminal mischief were dismissed. Okorley was ordered to pay $2,592 in restitution.

Okorley was arrested seven months after 32-year-old Jesse Jimenez was fatally wounded and another person was injured in the shooting on Nov. 5, 2021.

The shooting stemmed from a physical altercation between Okorley and another person, according to court documents. After the altercation ended, Okorley pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot the man, ultimately hitting and killing Jimenez, records say.

During his sentencing proceedings, Jimenezs 11-year-old daughter gave a victim impact statement where she remembered her dad as a good listener, comforter and provider.

All I see now is the image of his grave, the daughter said. I never thought I would have to go to a cemetery just to see my dad. I didnt get enough time with him, and it wasnt his time.

The mothers of Jimenezs children also spoke at the sentencing hearing. Okorley did not offer a statement and was silently remanded to custody.

Teen pleads guilty in deadly Lexington shooting

A teen accused of shooting and killing a man in September 2022 pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of 26-year-old Juan Mondono-Fonesca as a result of a domestic incident.

Fredy Mendoza, 18, pleaded guilty Dec. 4 to second-degree manslaughter and possession of a handgun of a minor, according to court documents.

On Sept. 2, 2022, officers with the Lexington Police Department were called to the 2200 block of Devonport Drive, near the intersection of Alexandria Drive and Versailles Road where they located Fonesca suffering a gunshot wound. He later died at a local hospital, police said.

Mendoza was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, and was indicted on both charges in April 2023, according to court documents. It was the third time he was charged with possessing a handgun as a minor. He had prior convictions on that offense in January 2020 and December 2021, according to court documents.

He faces 10 years in prison for the manslaughter charge, and one year for possessing a gun as a minor. Restitution will be determined at sentencing, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 1.

1 of 2 suspects sentenced for womans death

One co-defendant arrested in connection with the death of a 56-year-old woman in Lexingtons Masterson Station has been sentenced to 26 years in prison, according to court documents.

Dalton Clay Carpenter, a 22-year-old Paris resident, pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with physical evidence, theft by unlawful taking and fraudulent use of a credit card in November.

Carpenter and former girlfriend Jessica Hoskins were charged in the death of Sabel Jallow, who was found in her Majestic View Walk home in September 2020, according to Lexington police.

Hoskins, also 22, was charged with vehicle theft. Her case is still pending, according to court records. Investigators believe Hoskins and Carpenter were in a fight with Jallow when Carpenter caused traumatic injuries to Jallow, killing her, according to the Lexington Police Department. Jallow was Hoskins contracted guardian, according to the Clay County Sheriffs Office.

Hoskins has a status hearing scheduled for Jan. 26, according to court documents.

In addition to his prison sentence, Carpenter is ordered to pay $12,243 in restitution.

Man charged with federal crimes of selling sake IDs sentenced

A man convicted of selling fake Social Security cards in Central Kentucky will serve three years in prison after he was sentenced earlier this month.

Tomas Leal-Paez was convicted on charges of possession of a counterfeit permanent resident card and a counterfeit Social Security card. A sentence of three years was imposed for each charge, but they were ordered to run concurrently, meaning at the same time. He was sentenced on Dec. 11.

He pleaded guilty in federal court in September.

Leal-Paez was formerly indicted on four counts of the same charges in June. Leal-Paez sold fake IDs, fake drivers licenses and green cards to undocumented immigrants, primarily from Mexico, according to an affidavit filed into court records.

His plea agreement references two transactions in Madison and Fayette counties where Leal-Paez sold permanent resident cards and Social Security cards to confidential informants in January and April.

Federal investigators had tracked Leal-Paez since 2019 after they arrested his family member for using the fake documents to obtain employment. Some identification cards were purchased in 2016  three years before the investigation began, according to court documents.

Over the course of four years, the FBI used the family member to text, call and set up meetings to exchange documents for money with Leal-Paez, whose true identity was unknown to investigators at the time.
The identity of a man found dead at Rocky Hollow Park in Clay County on Friday, Dec. 22, has been released by authorities.

On Friday around 8:15 a.m., Clay County Parks and Recreation employee found a mans body near a roadway at Rocky Hollow Park, located at 14812 Old Quarry Road, Excelsior Springs, Sarah Boyd, spokesperson for the Clay County Sheriffs Office said.

The man has been identified as Gildardo H. Carvaja, 53, a resident of Gardner, Kansas, police said.

A suspect, Elena Delcarmen Flores, 48, has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse, according to the sheriffs office.

According to the sheriffs office, Flores is believed to have fled to Mexico. Authorities are working with federal law enforcement to locate her, Boyd said.

Kansas woman charged with murder and abandonment of a mans body in Clay Co. is on the run
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A man was hospitalized after a multi-vehicle crash in Lancaster County Tuesday evening.

An 80-year-old man from Lititz suffered life-threatening injuries after the three-vehicle crash and was rushed to the hospital, Northern Lancaster Regional Police said in a news release.

The Lititz man was heading south on Lititz Pike when he tried to take a left hand turn onto Millport Road east but ended up in the path of 2011 Kia Optima being driven by a 27-year-old from Lancaster. After the crash, a 2020 Ford F-150 pickup truck was also hit, but the driver was not hurt.

Police say that the Kia driver may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the crash, but the investigation is ongoing.

Lititz Fire Company, EMS assisted Northern Lancaster Regional Police at the crash scene.

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Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact them at 717-733-0965.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo.  Homicide detectives with the St. Louis County Police Departments Crimes Against Persons unit are investigating a fatal shooting in Moline Acres.

The police department reports that Daijon Miller, 28, died in the shooting.

According to Sgt. Tracy Panus, a county police spokeswoman, Moline Acres police were called to the 2400 block of Chambers Road shortly after 6:40 p.m. for a shooting.

Police found Miller suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives claim the shooting happened at another location and the victim drove himself to Chambers Road.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210. If you wish to remain anonymous or are interested in a cash reward, call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
A man sought in a Nov. 10 homicide in Biloxi surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, according to police.

Eddie Demetrius Baker, 29, was arrested on an active homicide warrant on Wednesday after turning himself in at the Biloxi Police Department. He was accompanied by his attorney.

Baker was wanted on a homicide warrant issued by Harrison County Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain in connection with a Nov. 10 shooting in Biloxi.

According to police, Biloxi officers arrived at the 500 block of Esters Boulevard in Biloxi at 11:21 p.m. on Nov. 10 after receiving a call that gunshots were fired in the area.

Upon arrival, officers say they followed a blood trail and found a man  later identified as 31-year-old Marcus Moore  who had been shot and killed.

Another suspect in the shooting, Tymos Carter, was arrested Dec. 12 at his home in Hattiesburg by Hattiesburg police and U.S. Marshals. Carter was taken to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Baker is also being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center without bond, pending an initial appearance.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A man was arrested on New Years Day in connection to the shooting death of a 64-year-old woman in central Utah.

Matthew Juliano, 39, was booked Monday into the Carbon County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, felony discharge of a firearm and misdemeanor drug possession, a probable cause affidavit filed in 7th District Court shows.

According to investigators, Juliano called 911 several times requesting an officers help at a home in Helper, a town located roughly 100 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

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When officers encountered Juliano, he was behaving erratically, telling the officers to walk into an unlit bedroom, the affidavit states.

When police asked Juliano if he had hurt someone, he nodded in the affirmative. Juliano also had blood on his pants, investigators said.

The officers placed Juliano in handcuffs before entering the dark bedroom, the affidavit states. Inside, they found a 64-year-old woman dead, lying on the bed with a gunshot wound to her face.

The womans name has not been released. No one else was in the home.

The officers arrested Juliano and booked him into the Carbon County Jail. During the booking process, suspected fentanyl pills were found in Julianos clothing, the affidavit states.

Juliano is being held without bail.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
A Pennsylvania man once the target of a murder-for-hire plot allegedly orchestrated by his first wife was arrested in Las Vegas after authorities discovered the body of his current wife inside their home on New Years Day.

Arthur Guty was having breakfast at the Mardi Gras Casino when he was taken into custody by metropolitan police on Tuesday, WTAE reported. He had $100,000 on him at the time and police believe he was preparing to flee.

He was on his way, we believe, out of the country with a significant amount of cash and was going to avoid, or try to avoid, any responsibility for what happened here, said Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele.

Guty is facing charges of criminal homicide and aggravated assault in connection with the death of his second wife, Nicole Zambrano, who was last seen alive on Dec. 24. Her coworkers at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, located in Farmington Penn., reported her missing a few days later after she had missed several shifts at work.

During a welfare check at her home on Friday, authorities were unable to make contact with Zambrano and opened an investigation into her disappearance.

Through the course of the investigation, we received more tips, followed up on all of those, Uniontown police Lt. Thomas Kolencik said. With the help of some forensic evidence and some technology, we were able to ascertain a search warrant for the home (Monday), where we found our victim deceased.

Kolencik added that she suffered a gunshot wound to a vital part of the body. Authorities believe shed been dead for several days when she was found.

Investigators homed in on Guty as a suspect after he provided conflicting stories about his missing wife.

First, Miss Zambrano was in Richmond with a friend, in Florida with Mr. Guty to see his father and a dentist, and also in Richmond, Virginia to meet with Mr. Guty eventually at the Grand Canyon, Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele told WPXI.

Guty, who is currently awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania, was himself once the target of a deadly scheme. In 2019, his ex-wife, Roxanne Guty, tried to hire someone to kill him in exchange for half of his life insurance policy. She entered a no contest plea to misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person in February 2021, Law & Crime reported, and served 20 months probation.
Days after an Ohio man went missing, his family began receiving disturbing messages from his cellphone, according to police.

Michael Robinson, 53, left his Euclid home on Dec. 31 to go to a New Years Eve party, but he hasnt been seen since, Euclid Police Department said in a Jan. 3 news release.

Investigators dialed Robinsons phone and the call was answered, but the voice on the other end wasnt his, police said. An unidentified man spoke to police, telling them he found the blood-splattered phone in the parking lot of a gas station in neighboring East Cleveland, investigators said.

Michael Robinson.

A short time later, Robinsons family started receiving texts from his phone number saying he had been kidnapped and is being held captive somewhere in the Terrace Tower Apartments, police said.

Robinson left home in his 2003 black Ford Ranger pickup truck, license plate number KCH9474, which was last seen in East Cleveland, police said.

He is described as 61 tall and weighing about 215 pounds, police said, adding that he was wearing a black hoodie and dark blue jeans and boots when he disappeared.

McClatchy News has reached out to the Euclid Police Department for more details.

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A Marksville woman has been sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding her former employer.

A Marksville woman has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing from her former employer.

Kayla Lachney, also known as Kayla Vead, was sentenced Dec. 22 by U.S. District Judge Dee Drell to the three years and three years of probation after serving her time. She also was ordered to pay restitution of $388,946.82 to the Rapides Council on Aging.

The non-profit agency with headquarters on Chester Street in Alexandria provides home care for senior citizens, as well as meals and some assistance through various programs.

Lachney, 41, was the bookkeeper for the agency since about July 2018. But officials alleged she was writing checks that went into her personal bank accounts instead of to Rapides Council vendors.

A nine-count indictment issued against her in September 2022 alleged she also committed bankruptcy fraud while stealing funds from the agency. A news release from the U.S. District Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana issued Wednesday stated that Lachney issued one council check to herself on Sept. 11, 2019, for $4,700.

Another check was issued in August 2020 to Lachney for $1,800, it reads. In all, she wrote more than 170 checks to herself from the agency's account between January 2019 and December 2021, reads the indictment.

The checks were in addition to her regular paychecks, reads the news release.

"During her three-year scheme, Lachney wrongfully obtained over $100,000 each year on average and used those funds to establish businesses such as Southern Sass Closet and Kays Bridal Boutique," reads the release.

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The indictment also accused Lachney of using the non-profit's credit card for unauthorized transactions and of paying her and her spouse's cellphone bills with agency funds

She must report to prison by Jan. 31, according to online court records.

Lachney pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud July 20. The remaining seven counts in the indictment against her were dropped.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Marksville woman gets prison for thefts from Rapides Council on Aging
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was accused in a second superseding indictment Tuesday of accepting gifts from the Qatari government and for helping a New Jersey real estate developer obtain millions in investment funds from the Gulf country, adding to the former Senate Foreign Relations chairmans legal woes.

The allegations add to the four criminal charges filed in September and October against the longtime New Jersey lawmaker. Menendez was charged with bribery, fraud, extortion and acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt, with the new accusations adding the involvement of Qatar.

Prosecutors previously alleged that the senator accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold in exchange for political favors for three New Jersey businessmen and interests in Egypt. Tuesdays superseding indictment adds that Menendez also made statements praising the Qatari government in an effort to secure a multimillion dollar deal for the real estate developer.

The new indictment does not add additional charges. Menendezs wife, Nadine Arslanian, and the three businessman also face criminal charges related to the scheme.

The accusations in the superseding indictment claim Menendez introduced real estate developer Fred Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family in order to encourage a multimillion dollar investment deal for Daibes.

Menendez also released a press statement praising the country and instructed Daibes to send the statement to his Qatari contacts in an effort prosecutors characterize as exerting political influence.

The press release in question, published in August 2021, lauded the Qatari government for assisting the processing of Afghan refugees attempting to enter the U.S. after the U.S. withdrawal.

Representatives of the Qatari government later provided a Menendez family member with multiple tickets to a Formula One race, and Daibes gifted him at least two gold bars worth about $100,000 after he received the Qatari investment, prosecutors alleged.

The senator previously pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing to the September and October charges. The Hill has reached out to his office for comment.

The allegations leveled against me are just that: allegations, Menendez said in September. I recognized that this will be the biggest fight yet. But as I have stated through this whole process, I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jerseys senior senator.

Menendez, who stepped down from his role as Senate Foreign Relations chairman after he was first indicted, has rejected growing calls for his resignation and now faces a tough reelection battle in 2024. The incumbent faces strong primary challenges from New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy and Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).

An internal Kim campaign poll last month found the congressman with a 23-point lead over Murphy, and Menendez with just 3 percent support.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An updated federal indictment was filed against Sen. Bob Menendez on Tuesday alleging that he accepted payments from notable North Jersey developer Fred Daibes in exchange for using his power and influence to help Daibes with a business deal in Qatar.

The updated indictment alleges that the now-infamous gold bars found in Menendezs Englewood Cliffs home were payment for helping Daibes get a Qatari investment company with ties to that countrys government to invest in a Daibes property by doing things that were viewed as favorable to the government of Qatar.

In June 2021, Menendez allegedly introduced Daibes to an investor who was a member of the Qatari royal family and the principal of the firm, who then negotiated a multimillion-dollar investment in one of Daibes' New Jersey real estate properties.

According to the federal indictment, Sen. Bob Menendez allegedly made public statements supporting Qatar and after attending a private event hosted by the Qatari government, developer Fred Daibes sent Menendez a picture of a luxury watch website.

During those negotiations, Menendez allegedly made public statements supporting the government of Qatar, and after attending a private event in Manhattan hosted by the Qatari government, Daibes sent Menendez a picture of a luxury watch website with models priced up to $23,990 and asked, How about one of these, before messaging the senator again two days later about a Senate resolution in support of Qatar.

While the Qatari firm was considering that potential investment, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar, the indictment says.

Story continues below photo gallery.

Menendez would give statements to Daibes so he could share them with the Qatari investor and a Qatari government official associated with the investment firm, the indictment says.

For instance, on Aug. 21, 2021, Menendez used an encrypted messaging app to send Daibes the text of a press release in which Menendez praised the government of Qatar, and several minutes later used the app to text Daibes, You might want to send to them. I am just about to release, the indictment says.

In a press release dated Aug. 21, 2021, on Menendezs website, he indeed praised Qatars efforts to help house Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants, refugees and other at-risk groups seeking refuge in the United States.

I am grateful to see our friends and allies in Qatar be moral exemplars by accepting Afghans ultimately seeking safe haven in the U.S. after being forced to escape for their lives, Menendez said in the release.

Adam Fee, an attorney for Menendez, said the new allegations stink of desperation.

Despite what theyve touted in press releases, the government does not have the proof to back up any of the old or new allegations against Senator Menendez, Fee said in a statement. What they have instead is a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a senator and his constituents or foreign officials.

Fee went on to say Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with and that those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot.

Daibes' lawyer declined to comment.

Formula One Grand Prix tickets

The indictment also alleges that after an October 2021 trip to Qatar and Egypt with his wife and co-defendant Nadine Arslanian Menendez, the senator was picked up from the airport by Daibes driver, and that he later searched online for how much is one kilo of gold worth.

In addition, in May 2022 and again in 2023, a close relative of Arslanian received tickets to the 2022 Formula One Grand Prix in Miami from a Qatari official.

According to the indictment, after Daibes and the Qatari investment company entered a business agreement, Menendez, Arslanian and Daibes had dinner together in Edgewater. Later that night, Menendez allegedly searched for one kilo gold price.

More: Future of massive North Jersey towers uncertain amid toxic cleanup, Menendez investigation

A letter filed by Damian Williams with the U.S. Attorney's Office says the updated indictment does not add any new charges but rather "expands the timeframe of the bribery and extortion conspiracy to include 2023 and provides additional factual detail."

Superfund site in Edgewater

The deal between the Qatari investment company and Daibes that is mentioned in the indictment appears to be centered on the Quanta Resources Superfund site in Edgewater, where Daibes had grand plans to build one of the largest and tallest retail complexes in New Jersey.

Daibes bought three plots of land more than a decade ago that make up the property  a toxic site in a onetime industrial hub that is now surrounded by high-end condominiums and shops with spectacular views of the Hudson River and Manhattan.

Drone image of the office building at 125 River Road alongside the Quanta Superfund site in Edgewater on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

He paid $42.25 million for the land, and the latest plans called for four towers climbing 720 feet high with 2,000 residential units, a parking garage and a clubhouse, according to a permit filed with the state.

But the site was extremely contaminated, having been home to a coal-tar manufacturing plant and a waste oil disposal facility for more than a century.

The property has sat barren for years as cleanup efforts by Honeywell, which inherited the liability for the property, moved along slowly.

Manhattan, NY  October 18, 2023 -- Fred Daibes, involved in the bribery case involving Senator Robert Menendez exits the Federal Courthouse in lower Manhattan for a hearing on corruption charges.

The cleanup experienced a setback when NorthJersey.com reported that high levels of pollutants were being emitted during the cleanup, raising concerns among nearby residents. Honeywell erected large structures on the site to contain the fumes.

The delays caused Daibes' onetime partner on the site  Hongkun USA, a global real estate company  to pull out of the deal, said a letter from a Daibes lawyer to a judge in December.

Drone image of thee Quanta Superfund site on River road in Edgewater on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.

The letter asked the judge to allow Daibes  awaiting sentencing in a separate bank charge case  to visit Qatar to pitch another investor, Heritage Advisors of London, an investment management firm founded by Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani of Qatar.

The investment firm subsequently bought a 23.7% share of the Quanta site and adjoining properties for $45 million, records show.

The site is still not ready for development. A $163 million plan by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up pollution that seeped from the property into the Hudson River was unveiled in July but is likely years away from starting.

The rest of the charges

Menendez was first indicted in this case last fall and faces corruption charges, brought by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three businessmen in exchange for helping them enrich themselves and trying to get them out of trouble, said an indictment initially unsealed on Sept. 22 in New York.

The senior senator and the other four defendants  his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and businessmen Wael Hana, Daibes and Jose Uribe  have all entered not guilty pleas.

More: This cast of characters has been linked to the Sen. Menendez investigation

The indictment alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Menendez and his wife engaged in a corrupt relationship with Hana, Uribe and Daibes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for Menendez using his power and influence to protect, to enrich those businessmen and to benefit the government of Egypt even as he sat as chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Bribes allegedly included cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low- or no-show job and a Mercedes-Benz  much of which is detailed in photographs in the 50-page indictment.

Menendez is up for reelection this fall, and to secure his spot on the ballot, he will need to win the primary on June 4, likely around the time of closing arguments in the case if the trial date stands.

Rep. Andy Kim and first lady Tammy Murphy have announced that they will run in the Democratic primary for the seat.

In December, Menendez's attorneys requested that his trial be delayed by two months  from May 6 until July, after the primary election in which his Senate seat will be on the ballot  because of the amount of discovery submitted by the government, but the request was denied.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Sen. Bob Menendez faces charge he helped Qatar for payments
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday said that Sen. Bob Menendezs (D-NJ) alleged bribery scheme was even more brazen than previously thought. In addition to accusing the Democratic senator of shilling for a new country, a superseding indictment alleges that Menendez continued to participate in the purported bribery scheme long after FBI agents first approached him in the investigation.

Manhattan federal prosecutors tacked on 15 paragraphs of new allegations in which they say that Menendez agreed to use his position as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to benefit the government of Qatar as part of an alleged scheme involving a New Jersey real estate developer and political fundraiser.

The updated indictment also accused Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, of engaging in a cover up after federal agents first executed search warrants on Menendezs home in June 2022.

The new allegations come in a superseding indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. The document does not add any new charges; Menendez faces one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, and one count of conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent.

In the previous two iterations of his indictment, prosecutors cast Menendez as abusing his position to benefit Egypt. A cast of three New Jersey characters  meat market magnate Wael Hana, disbarred insurance broker Jose Uribe, and aforementioned real estate developer Fred Daibes  were all accused in the indictments of supplying Menendez with bribes in exchange for various official acts, many of which purportedly benefitted Cairo.

Now, prosecutors lay out a scheme in which Menendez allegedly agreed to use his influential position within the Senate to praise the Qatari government and work to pass a resolution supporting Doha. Prosecutors say that Menendez worked to receive material benefit by helping Daibes court Qatari officials for millions of dollars in investment from a fund with ties to the Gulf monarchy.

Daibes, prosecutors said, then supplied Menendez with gold bars, and suggested pricey wristwatches to the senator.

Prosecutors said that the Qatar scheme began in 2021, as Daibes sought investment for a New Jersey real estate project. In June of that year, the indictment says, Menendez introduced Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family who was also a principal of the unnamed investment fund.

From there, prosecutors say, the fund began to consider whether to invest in Daibes real estate project. Menendez  then chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee  began to roll out multiple statements lavishing praise on Qatar. In one August 2021 statement mentioned by prosecutors, Menendez lauded Qatar as moral exemplars because the country accepted Afghan refugees.

Menendez made sure that both Daibes and Qatari officials knew about that statement, prosecutors said. He allegedly sent Daibes the text of the release, and told him to send it to the royal family member.

The New Jersey Democrat kept up his contacts with Qatari officials, prosecutors said. He traveled to the Gulf state in October 2021. Upon his return, Daibes driver picked him and his wife up from the airport. Per the indictment, Menendez entered how much is one kilo of gold worth into an online search engine the next day.

But the Qatari investors had yet to commit, prosecutors said. The next month, it was Daibes who sent Menendez an update on a proposed Senate resolution that prosecutors characterized as supportive of Qatar. Before Daibes traveled to London to meet with the royal family member in January 2022, Menendez allegedly texted both of them that he hoped the meeting would result in the favorable and mutually beneficial agreement that you have been both engaged in discussing.

But per the indictment, it wasnt until months later, in May 2022, that Qatari investors agreed to sign a letter of intent committing to enter into a joint venture with a company controlled by Daibes as part of the real estate investment. Daibes gave Menendez a gold bar afterwards, prosecutors said; an unnamed Qatari official gave a close relative of Menendezs wife Formula One tickets.

By then, federal investigators were bearing down. FBI agents approached Menendez and the three New Jersey businessmen in June 2022 with search warrants. But per the superseding indictment, that didnt stop the scheme: the Qatari firm formally entered into the joint venture with Daibes in 2023. Prosecutors said that Menendez continued to receive things of value from the Qatari investment firm, but only specified four more Formula One tickets that his wifes relative received, allegedly in May 2023.

After the searches, prosecutors say that Menendez and his wife sought to cover up the scheme.

Prosecutors had previously accused Menendez of taking money from Wael Hana, the Egypt-born New Jersey businessman, in exchange for acts benefitting Cairo. TPM reported in September that Menendez worked to release a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt which the Senate had placed over the case of April Corley, an American roller skater who was seeking compensation from Cairo after being strafed by an Egyptian military helicopter while on vacation.

Menendez and Arslanian allegedly tried to cover up that instance of purported bribery by refunding Hana. A Halal meat important company Hana controlled had allegedly helped Arslanian as part of the scheme by paying off part of her mortgage; Menendez and his wife allegedly sent Hanas attorney a check for $23,568 after the searches with a handwritten memo line that described the payment as for Full payment of Wael Hana loan.

Prosecutors said that the mortgage payment was never intended to be a loan.

Menendez has denied the charges against him and is pleading not guilty. A spokesman for the senator did not immediately return TPMs request for comment.
The Scoop

The board of the startup news organization The Messenger weighed shutting the publication down at a meeting on Friday, after learning that the company is on track to run out of cash at the end of January.

The New York Times earlier reported Wednesday that The Messenger, launched last May as a politically centrist, wide-ranging bid for big web traffic and advertising dollars, is laying off nearly two dozen staffers out of a total of around 300.

Four people briefed on the meeting told Semafor that on Friday, The Messenger summoned its board members to a meeting to debate the future of the news organization. Founder Jimmy Finkelstein and the companys board discussed the dire state of the companys finances: At the time, the organization only had enough money to last several more weeks, and would need to make steep cuts and secure additional funding to survive. Two people with knowledge of the details of the meeting also told Semafor that The Messenger could shut down altogether, and that Finkelstein had also expressed a willingness to sell the organization.

A spokesperson for The Messenger rejected the notion that it was in immediate peril, saying that the company had already secured investment as part of our second raise, and so the notion of us discussing closure is beyond absurd. The spokesperson did not elaborate on the source of The Messengers additional funding.

On Wednesday, The Messenger announced instead that it would implement layoffs following the Times report that its cash reserves were dwindling. The companys president Richard Beckman also announced in a LinkedIn post this week that he was leaving the organization at the end of the month.

Maxs view

The Messenger launched last year, aiming to win over online news consumers with a rapid and voluminous publishing pace, scoops, and a rigidly nonpartisan ideological orientation. It has lived up to some of its initial promises, breaking stories about New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Jeffrey Epstein, and the 2024 presidential campaign. It has also succeeded in quickly building an online audience largely from scratch: Finkelstein announced internally at the end of last year that the publication exceeded 77 million page views in November.

But as the publications cash flow problems suggest, it has struggled to translate those audience metrics into business success. The Messenger has quickly burned through much of the $50 million it raised last year, and is now scrambling to secure a buyer or additional funding. While Beckman clashed with staff and garnered negative media coverage, his abrupt exit coupled with the departure of Chief Revenue Officer Mia Libby last fall also do not bode well for the companys ability to generate revenue to keep it afloat. Beckman told The New York Times last year that he planned to generate $100 million in revenue this year primarily through advertising and events, though The Messenger has held just one event since launching in May. Wednesdays cuts are also an acknowledgement that it fell well short of its plan to have 550 journalists this year.

In the meantime, The Messenger is now heading into an election year with deep cuts to its political reporting staff, and has slashed reporters and editors from other key verticals that had helped it quickly build an audience.

Notable

There have been some editorial tensions within The Messenger over political bias and its coverage of former President Donald Trump. Semafor reported last month that during Donald Trumps civil fraud trial in New York in November, there was a back-and-forth over how prominently to display stories about his indictment on the publications homepage.

The Messenger has pursued an audience growth strategy that has largely tried to avoid having a point of view in favor of chasing traffic. If you understand that platforms come and go, and that your primary responsibility is to provide your reader with interesting, engaging, and accessible information regardless of where they happen to be, then you will always be one step ahead of those forces that are beyond your control, Chief Growth Officer Neetzan Zimmerman told Semafor in an email last year.
FILE - New York Mets' Ronny Mauricio flips his bat after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in New York. Monny Mauricio tore his right ACL during a Dominican Winter League game and will need surgery, an injury that will sideline him for a significant part of the 2024 season.(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  New York Mets infield prospect Ronny Mauricio will miss most or all of the 2024 season following surgery to repair a torn right ACL.

Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek operated Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the team said Wednesday. New York said the typical return to play from the surgery is eight-to-12 months.

The 22-year-old Mauricio, who made his major league debut Sept. 1, was hurt while playing for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League on Dec. 10. Mauricio was on first base and started for second in what appeared to be a stolen base attempt, then stopped, fell and grabbed his right knee. He walked gingerly off the field.

Mauricio hit .248 with two homers, nine RBIs, seven steals and a .643 OPS for the Mets in September after batting .292 with 23 homers, 71 RBIs and 24 steals for Triple-A Syracuse. The switch-hitter was batting .433 (13 for 40) in seven games for Licey this offseason.

Mauricio was expected to compete in spring training for regular playing time at second base, third base or both. He made 21 starts at second for the Mets last season and five at third.

Fellow youngsters Brett Baty and Mark Vientos remain likely to compete for the third base job this spring. New York can play versatile Jeff McNeil at second, which would open room in the outfield. The team also signed veteran utility infielder Joey Wendle this offseason.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Speaking at a diplomatic seminar in Lisbon organised by Portugal's foreign ministry, Borrell said that "the seeds of hate are being sown."

"If this tragedy doesnt end soon, I fear that all of the Middle East will see itself engulfed in flames," he added.

His stark warning comes a day after Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas official and the organisation's second-in-command, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination, but an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that whoever was responsible had executed a "surgical strike against the Hamas leadership."

The assassination of al-Arouri, one of the founders of Hamas military wing, on Lebanese soil presents a significant threat of regional escalation that could pull in the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, who are Tehran-backed allies of Hamas.

Brewing tensions in the Red Sea are also stoking fears of a regional escalation. A raft of attacks on commercial vessels by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group, which controls a part of Yemen, has prompted the US to deploy a naval mission to the region.

The US Navy killed 10 Houthi militants as they attempted to sabotage a Danish-operated ship on Monday. Iran has responded by moving a warship into the Red Sea, heightening fears of a further escalation.

'No unanimous position weakens EU'

During Wednesday's keynote speech, Borrell also lamented that the European Union had not been able to unanimously agree on calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. More than 20,000 people are expected to have lost their lives in the conflict that erupted following Hamas' deadly attack on Israel on 7 October.

We have not been able within the European Council to come to a unanimous position calling for a ceasefire," Borrell explained. "On the contrary, we have limited ourselves to a bare-bones agreement, calling for humanitarian pauses and an increase in aid for victims.

There is no unanimous solution or position, and that weakens us (the EU)," he added.

A UN General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza voted on in December secured the backing of a majority of the EU's 27 member states. Austria and the Czech Republic, both staunch allies of Israel, were the only countries to vote against the resolution and have consistently expressed fears that a joint EU call for a ceasefire would undermine Israeli efforts to eradicate Hamas.

The persistence of the war has seen countries gravitating towards calls for further restraint, with a major shift in rhetoric seen by EU nations such as France. Other nations including Belgium, Spain, and Ireland have been vocal advocates of a ceasefire in Gaza from the early stages of the conflict.

Borrell has previously suggested that a series of permanent pauses in hostilities should "evolve" into a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Comparing the European bloc's firm stance and solid support to Kyiv following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Borrell warned that the accusation of Europe's double standards was "taking on form."

"The clear and firm European position on the war in Ukraine is not shared by many countries in the world, who immediately accuse us of having principles that are geometrically unaligned - what they call double standards," he said.

"And I think that unless we close our eyes and our ears, it's difficult not to face up to this contradiction," he added.

Borrell also stated that the fact that EU countries are having to consistently call on Israel to respect international humanitarian law in its assault on the Gaza Strip suggests that it is not acting within the boundaries of the law.
Helicopter pilots from the Ukrainian Armed Forces dropped sweets for a little girl on the Kupiansk front in Kharkiv Oblast who would always wave to them as they flew by.

Artem, the helicopter commander of the 16th Army Aviation Brigade, shared this story in a video broadcast during the national joint 24/7 newscast.

According to Artem, every time they flew on a combat mission, the girl would run out of her house onto the porch and wave to them.

"When we were working on the Kupiansk front, during our flights to the combat zone, wed always see this little girl whod come out whatever time of the day it was and wave to us, which was really nice," says Artem.

During the holidays, while on their latest flight, the pilots packed some sweet treats as a present for the girl and dropped the package from the helicopter.

The pilots captured this moment on video, and you can see the girl running out of her damaged house, greeting the Ukrainian pilots, and running over to the package they dropped.

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Some local residents who went to Erie-area gyms for exercise classes on the morning of Nov. 30 returned to their vehicles after working out to find their purses and other valuables gone.

In some cases, the vehicles were unlocked. In others, vehicle windows were smashed out to get at the contents inside, according to investigators.

Over the next two days, the stolen driver's license of one of the victims was used to cash checks that were stolen from an Ohio woman and forged at various Marquette Savings Bank branches in the Erie region, Millcreek Township police reported.

Three out-of-state residents are now facing a host of criminal charges in the theft and fraud spree that investigators believe is part of a nationwide scheme that has circulated for years.

Millcreek police late last week filed charges including multiple felony counts of forgery, access device fraud and receiving stolen property against Steven X. Ferguson, 29, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Nancy L. Hedrick, 62, whose last known address was in Kent, Ohio; and Kimberly A. Marienau, 37, of Trevor, Wisconsin. The three also face misdemeanor counts of theft from a motor vehicle for their accused roles in what investigators said was a crime spree similar to the "Felony Lane Gang" scheme that has plagued communities across the country.

Ferguson additionally faces misdemeanor counts of possessing an instrument of crime and criminal mischief, according to court documents.

The three suspects, who remained at large Wednesday, are accused by Millcreek police of stealing items after breaking into vehicles parked at iRock Fitness, 2312 W. 15th St., and Fit Plus, 2421 Asbury Road, on the morning of Nov. 30.

The Pennsylvania State Police in Girard are investigating similar break-ins of vehicles parked at Erie Fitness Academy on Edinboro Road in McKean Township that same morning, but those crimes remain under investigation with no charges filed as of Wednesday, an agency official reported.

Millcreek Township police have charged three out-of-state residents in a rash of thefts from vehicles at local gyms and in the cashing of forged checks in a crime spree they say is similar to the "Felony Lane Gang" scheme circulating the country.

Nationwide scam hits locally

The Felony Lane Gang scheme is believed to have originated in Florida more than a decade ago and has circulated throughout the country. According to official reports and news media articles, the scam follows a similar pattern: Suspects target vehicles driven by women who leave their vehicles outside of businesses including health clubs, particularly at times when the clubs have scheduled exercise classes.

The vehicles are broken into and valuables including checks and credit cards are stolen. The cards are used to make purchases or obtain cash, and women are recruited to impersonate a victim so a victim's stolen driver's license can be used to cash stolen checks.

In one recent case, four Florida men were sentenced in October in Albany, New York, to federal prison terms after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and other offenses. Authorities accused the four of being involved in the scheme between 2015 and 2020, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of New York reported.

FBI: Felony Lane Gang has been terrorizing moms across US for years

The case against Ferguson, Hedrick and Marienau is believed to be the first time locally that suspects were charged in a Felony Lane Gang-type scheme. Erie police said similar crimes occurred in the city about a year ago, but those cases remain under investigation and no one was charged.

The break-ins at iRock Fitness and Fit Plus were reported between 5:40 a.m. and 6:40 a.m. on Nov. 30. One of the victims reported seeing a white sport-utility vehicle in her gym's parking lot when she arrived for a fitness class, investigators wrote in criminal complaints.

Police would locate surveillance video from a restaurant off Interchange Road in Millcreek that showed a white Jeep Grand Cherokee arriving at the restaurant shortly after 7 a.m. on Nov. 30 and a person discarding purses in a dumpster. Purses belonging to two of the victims from iRock Fitness were later recovered from the dumpster, investigators wrote in the affidavit of probable cause filed with Hedrick's criminal complaint.

Minutes after the Jeep was seen at the restaurant, the same vehicle pulled into the parking lot at Erie Fitness Academy and a suspect was seen looking through vehicles before using a window punch tool to break a vehicle window and steal a purse, according to the affidavit. Other video then showed the suspect vehicle arrive at a parking lot at another location on Route 99 in McKean, where a suspect exited the vehicle and removed a shield that obscured the license plate registration, the investigator wrote.

A total of six vehicle windows were shattered at the two Millcreek gyms, causing about $2,800 in damages, and the six victims lost over $4,000 in stolen property that included purses, wallets, money, passports, driver's licenses and credit cards, according to information in the affidavit.

Cashing stolen checks

On the afternoon of Dec. 1, a day after the vehicle break-ins, Millcreek police said a white Jeep Grand Cherokee went to four Marquette Savings Bank branches in and around Erie and used the driver's license of one of the victims of the gym thefts to cash six forged checks totaling $17,790. The next day, the vehicle arrived at a Marquette Savings Bank branch in Conneaut Lake, where a forged check was cashed for $3,500, according to information in the affidavit.

Police learned that all of the forged checks were stolen from a woman in Fremont, Ohio, who reported that her purse was stolen from her vehicle while she was at a Jazzercise class in Fremont on Dec. 1. The woman said she had seen a suspect fleeing in a white Jeep Grand Cherokee, the investigator wrote in the affidavit.

Working with authorities in Ohio and Michigan, Millcreek police received information that led them to identify Ferguson as one of the suspects in the local vehicle break-ins, according to information in the affidavit.

On Dec. 18, authorities in Michigan reported that a vehicle was recovered by officers after police were sent to investigate a reported theft at a Jazzercise. The suspects fled the scene but got into a motor vehicle accident before abandoning the vehicle, and evidence recovered from the vehicle included items believed to be connected to the Erie thefts, investigators reported.

Millcreek police said they developed additional information in the investigation that led them to identify Hedrick and Marienau as suspects in the local crimes.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Millcreek police charge 3 in thefts from vehicles at gyms, check fraud
It will take up to five years to clear the mines from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov after the end of active hostilities.

Source: Dmytro Pletenchuk, Captain, 3rd Class, and a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Details: Pletenchuk was asked how long it would take to remove the mines that have been dropped into the Black Sea by the Russians so far if a miracle happened and Russia stopped dropping mines. This was his response.

Quote: "We are planning this large-scale special operation to clear the mines from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. As of now, a headquarters has been set up, and the operation itself is being planned.

[In the active phase of the operation], the demining of primarily maritime communication routes and trade routes will take 3-5 months, but the global demining operation will take 3-5 years.

And unfortunately, after that, there will still be work to be done in the Black Sea, given that we are even coming across weapons from the First and Second World Wars. So we regret to say that given the extent to which the waters have been mined by the Russian Federation, this work will continue after [the active phase of] the operation."

Details: Regarding the current situation in the Black Sea, Pletenchuk noted that Russia has generally reduced the intensity of its mining. This is primarily due to the counteraction by Ukraines Defence and Security Forces. He said the Ukrainian Navy is operating as usual: waiting, monitoring, and periodically conducting mine clearance activities.

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When Japan Airlines flight 516 touched down at Tokyos Haneda airport carrying hundreds of people on Tuesday it erupted into a terrifying fireball.

The Airbus A350 passenger plane had collided with a coast guard aircraft on the runway  killing five people  and the crew had just minutes to ensure all passengers were evacuated before flames consumed the entire plane.

As smoke rapidly filled the cabin, flight attendants used megaphones to calm and corral anxious passengers, who escaped through three exits on emergency slides.

All 379 people on JAL flight 516, including eight children under the age of two, were safely evacuated  a feat that surprised aviation experts and has been described as miraculous by some on board.

I heard an explosion about 10 minutes after everyone and I got off the plane, 28-year-old passenger Tsubasa Sawada told Reuters. I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late.

Japan Airlines said four of its passengers were taken to hospital, but the worst injury reported was that one person sustained bruising.

Five of the six crew members died on the second aircraft, a De Havilland Canada DHC-8, according to Japans transport minister, Tetsuo Saito. Public broadcaster NHK said the planes captain was in a critical condition.

Japan Airlines is taking part in the investigation to determine who is responsible for the deadly crash, its senior vice president of corporate safety and security, Tadayuki Tsutsumi, told reporters.

The Japan Airlines plane is gutted by fire on a runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024. - STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images

The airline said its crew had been cleared to land by air traffic control before the collision. Audio from LiveATC.net appears to detail the crew reading back a clearance order for runway 34, saying cleared to land 34 right.

An official written transcript of communications between air traffic controllers and the two planes involved, released on Wednesday, shows that air traffic control gave the JAL passenger plane permission to land on Runway C at 5:43:26 p.m. local time (3:43:26 a.m. ET).

However, the transcript does not show clear takeoff approval for the coast guard plane, instead, telling it to taxi to holding point at 5:45:11 p.m. (3:45:11 a.m. ET).

In a press conference Wednesday, Japans minister of land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism, Tetsuo Saito, told reporters that the next step in the investigation will be to listen to the audio recording of the conversation between the pilot and flight control tower.

In a briefing following the conference, officials from the Japan Transportation Safety Board (JTSB) said they had retrieved the flight and voice recorders of the coast guard aircraft. However, they added that they were still looking for those of the JAL plane.

A JTBS official told reporters that the air traffic controller cleared the Japan Airlines plane to land on runway C and instructed the coast guard aircraft to hold point.

Passengers onboard the Airbus A350 and witnesses to the collision described terror giving way to relief as it became clear everyone onboard survived.

I really thought I was going to die, Sawada said, according to Reuters.

Runway incursions, as this is classed, are rare but can be catastrophic, said Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UKs Cranfield University.

Guy Maestre, originally from France, was on board an adjacent plane at the time of the incident and described hearing a big bang.

I was in another plane in the window seat  we were getting ready to take off and we heard a big bang. We looked from our windows and saw a huge trail of flames running down the runway, Maestre, who had been visiting Japan from Philadelphia, told CNN.

Flames got higher and higher then we saw fire trucks go by the runway.

I was hoping everyone was going to be safe, he said, adding that it was shocking to see.

Despite the horrific images broadcasting the fiery crash, passenger Satoshi Yamake told CNN that people inside the plane were not panicking.

When the flight landed, Yamake said he initially didnt feel anything out of the ordinary.

We landed normally, didnt feel a shock or anything, Yamake said at Haneda airport after he was evacuated from the crash.

He added that he saw a fire shortly before an announcement was made to evacuate the plane.

This aerial photo show the burn-out Japan Airlines plane at Haneda airport on January 3, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. - Kyodo News/AP

The burn-out Japanese coast guard aircraft is seen at Haneda airport on January 3, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. - Kyodo News/AP

But then we saw fire coming out of the engines and I found it strange. Just as I was thinking why the fire was burning for so long, an announcement came and said we probably hit something on the runway and we have to now evacuate the plane, Yamake said. We could smell some smoke but passengers were not panicking a lot.

He said he was not really scared.

Since we have landed already, I was thinking the plane probably wont explode by this point. We should be fine as long as everyone gets off the plane in an orderly manner.

The crew of Flight 516 have been praised for their speedy and cool-headed reactions that saved hundreds of lives.

Japan Airlines said the cabin crew used megaphones to direct passengers to safety after the planes inflight announcement system malfunctioned.

Reports from inside the plane say flight attendants urged people to remain calm and within seconds of the plane coming to a standstill, were able to deploy the escape chutes and usher passengers off.

Its too soon to comment on the specifics of the incident, but whats clear is that the crew performed in an exemplary fashion, said Steven Erhlich, chair of PilotsTogether  a charity set up in the pandemic to support crew.

He cited the fact that the passengers on the flight evacuated without taking their carry-on bags with them, which helped save lives.

Any delay in evacuation could have been catastrophic, all for the sake of a laptop or carry-on bag. This incident could have been far worse if passengers hadnt heeded the warnings to leave their belongings behind, he said.

Yamakes wife, Mika, told CNN her husband came out with his mobile phone. He had to leave everything else behind.

He called me from inside and told me he saw smoke coming out. I was relieved he was safe, she said.

CNNs Julia Buckley, Sophie Jeong, Teele Rebane, Mayumi Maruyama and Eric Cheung contributed reporting.

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A 36-year-old mortuary worker is accused of stealing $300 from a dead persons wallet in Oregon, officials said.

The person was found dead during a welfare check at about 12:30 a.m. Dec. 30 at their home in Lakeside, the Coos County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

A deputy called a mortuary and removed some items, including money, from the persons home for safekeeping until their family could retrieve them, authorities said.

However, the deputy later realized $300 was missing from the persons wallet when he was processing their belongings, authorities said.

Authorities began investigating and learned the mortuary worker took the money from the wallet, deputies said.

The man returned $200 of the money but told deputies hed already given $100 to a friend, authorities said.

He was arrested on charges of burglary and theft.

Lakeside is about 100 miles southwest of Eugene.

Mans house keys were held for ransom in outlandish Florida extortion case, cops say

Men steal over $200,000 worth of high-value items from Home Depot, Lowes, feds say

Body found in SUV two weeks after it was towed sets off search for killer, police say
Police officers in northern Utah found a 17-year-old Chinese exchange student freezing but unharmed in a mountainous area Sunday after he was reported missing days earlier in what they described as a cyber kidnapping.

Kai Zhuang was reported missing Thursday after his parents in China contacted his high school, saying they received photos of their son along with a request for ransom, the Riverdale Police Department said in a news release.

Kai Zhuang was discovered alive but very cold and scared inside a tent in a mountainous area near Brigham City, according to the Riverdale Police Department.

Kai Zhuang was discovered alive but very cold and scared inside a tent in a mountainous area near Brigham City, according to the Riverdale Police Department.

According to police, Zhuang was found alive but very cold and scared inside a tent with nothing but a heat blanket and sleeping bag to keep him warm and a limited supply of food and water.

Police said Zhuangs host family in Riverdale, in the Ogden area, told detectives they heard him in the house on Thursday morning and were unaware he had gone missing.

Zhuangs family in China gave detectives a photo of what appeared to be their son being held captive and in danger, police said.

Zhuangs family told investigators they transferred $80,000 to bank accounts in China after receiving several threats from the alleged kidnappers.

A joint investigation with Riverdale police, the FBI, the U.S. embassy in China and Chinese officials found that Zhuang was possibly a victim of a criminal trend known as cyber-kidnapping.

Surveillance footage and bank records revealed that Zhuang had purchased camping equipment on Dec. 20, police said.

His bank records and phone location indicated he visited the Brigham City Canyon area, about 25 miles north of Ogden, where police suspected Zhuang was setting up camp. Police said they feared he would freeze overnight.

Kai Zhuang was tracked to a tent pitched in a mountainous area about 25 miles from his host family's home in Riverdale.

Kai Zhuang was tracked to a tent pitched in a mountainous area about 25 miles from his host family's home in Riverdale.

Zhuang was found inside a tent in a wooded area along with several phones believed to have been used to carry out the cyber-kidnapping, police said.

Relieved to have been found, Zhuang asked officers for a warm cheeseburger and to speak to his family in China to let them know he was safe, police said.

According to police, Zhuangs case mirrors other cyber-kidnapping cases in the U.S. that have targeted exchange students.

Police said extortionists will contact foreign students,tell them to isolate themselves and convince them to take photos to make it appear they are being held captive.

The victims comply out of fear that their families will be harmed if they dont comply with the cyber-kidnappers, police said.

The criminals convince the victim to send the photos to their family in a demand for a ransom. They may also monitor their victim through a video call, such as FaceTime or Skype, and then send the photos and voice recordings to convince the family their loved one is in danger, police said.

Marie-Helen Maras, director of the Center for Cybercrime Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the BBC that there have been several cases of Chinese exchange students being coerced into staging their abduction to extort money from their family.

The Chinese embassy in Washington has advised Chinese citizens living in the U.S. to be aware of virtual kidnapping and other forms of online fraud, an embassy spokesperson told The Guardian.

Related...
Modestos list of most-missed businesses may grow after seven local stores and restaurants shut their doors for good this year.

The Modesto Bee combed through Biz Beat coverage published in the past year to reflect on which businesses opened in 2023 and remember what the region lost.

From a furniture store to fine dining, heres what left Modesto in 2023.

What closed in Modesto in 2023?

Linda Medlin and Diana Berchtold ate lunch at the A&W restaurant in Modesto, Calif., Friday Nov. 17, 2023. Both Modesto natives started coming to the A&W with their families when they were kids.

A&W, 1404 G St., served its last root beer in a frosted mug in November after 66 years of business in Modesto.

The drive-in burger joint was forced to close after an Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuit claimed that the property didnt have any posted or dedicated disabled parking spots.

A&W was known for its big burgers, roller-skating carhops and American Graffiti-era ambience.

Als Furniture on McHenry Avenue in Modesto, Calif. is closing after 55 years in business.

Als Furniture, 6340 McHenry Ave., sold quality home furnishings with personal customer service for 55 years.

The store  situated about as far north on McHenry Avenue as you can go and still be within Modesto city limits  closed in April after owner Kerry Walker, the daughter-in-law of store founders Al and Jan Walker, decided to retire.

Als Furniture strived to follow Al Walkers motto: Id rather explain the price once than apologize for the quality forever.

Chef Tye Bauer inside Bauers Downtown Gastropub at 822 9th Street in Modesto, Calif.

Bauers Downtown Gastropub, 822 9th St., was sold in January when Modesto chef Tye Bauer decided to downsize.

The restaurant operated for four years, serving dishes such as the Lambo lamb burger, Octavian nachos and Dirty South fried chicken sandwich.

Bauers Downtown Gastropub was purchased by the owners of Sazon Por Tradicion in Riverbank. Its now called Bauers by Sazon Por Tradicion and features a menu that merges Bauers original cuisine with offerings from Sazon Por Tradicion.

Another Modesto restaurant owned by Bauer, Bauers 66 1/2 Skillet & Grill in McHenry Village, has since closed. Bauhaus Tapas Lounge on Downey Avenue, which Bauer still owns, remains open.

Bed Bath & Beyond has declared bankruptcy and is closing all of its stores including its Modesto, Calif., location pictured Thursday, May 4, 2023.

Bed Bath & Beyond closed more than 1,500 locations including its store at 3900 Sisk Road, by June after filing for bankruptcy.

The Modesto store sold home decor, furniture and other home supplies for 24 years.

Bed Bath & Beyond later relaunched as an online-only brand under Overstock.com ownership.

Chefs of New York in Modesto, Calif., Friday, July 27, 2023.

Chefs of New York, 918 13th St., went dark in June with no comment from longtime owner Vinny Altadonna.

The Italian restaurants front windows were plastered with Notice to Pay Rent or Quit flyers dating June 1 to 30.

Chefs of New York was known for its generous dishes and gregarious owner, The Modesto Bee previously reported.

Ralstons Goat in Modesto, Calif., Friday, July 29, 2023.

Ralstons Goat, 1001 10th St., closed in July after nearly eight years of bringing brunch, music, nightlife and more to Modesto.

Longtime operator Mike Shelton sold the business to former Copper Rhino owner and current CR2 owner Les Knoll, who reopened it as The Goat Bar and Grill in October.

The name Ralstons Goat was a reference to one of Modestos founders, banker William Ralston, and a rejected city motto, Nobodys got Modestos goat.

Sisters Melisa Alcaraz and Joana Alcaraz, right, eat lunch with friend Alicia Rubio at the Farmacy restaruant on 10th Street in Modesto, Calif., on Thursday, July 8, 2021.

The Farmacy, 907 10th St., closed abruptly in May due to circumstances beyond (its) control after three years of serving vegan and plant-based food in Modesto.

At the time, owner Erin Doran said her decision to sell was based in part on difficulty staffing the back of house, explaining that she could not find enough vegan chefs to be able extend the eaterys hours and operations.

The space is now occupied by Tandoori Flame, which has a 70-plus item menu  about half of which is vegetarian.

Former Modesto Bee reporter Marijke Rowland contributed to this story.

What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.
Republican Rep. Jason White of West won the election on Tuesday to become the new speaker of the House of Representatives, ushering in a new chapter of political power at the Mississippi State Capitol.

The 122-member chamber unanimously elected White by acclamation, and he was the only person nominated for speaker. His election to one of the most powerful positions in state government was not a surprise, but it still represents a shift in legislative politics.

I look forward to working with all of you for the betterment of Mississippi, White said in a speech to the House on Tuesday. Many of us here, we see things from very different perspectives, different viewpoints. But I also know we love this state and want to do whats best, whats right for her people.

White, 50, was first elected to the House in 2011 as a Democrat, but he quickly switched to the Republican Party the following year. He represents portions of Attala, Carroll, Holmes and Leake counties and previously led the House Rules Committee and the House Management Committee.

The new speaker replaces Philip Gunn, a Republican from Clinton, who announced last year that he would not seek another term for his House seat. White was one of Gunns top lieutenants and most trusted advisers over the past three terms.

The speaker is not a statewide office position, but it carries power and influence similar to a statewide post. The speaker appoints committee leaders in the House and helps drive policy decisions during a legislative session.

One of the largest questions looming over the 2024 legislative session and now White, who represents a rural district, is if he will openly push for the Republican-dominated chamber to consider expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act to the working poor who do not have health insurance.

White has expressed in blunt terms that the states Republicans have not had a frank and open discussion about Medicaid expansion.

In his speech to the House members on Tuesday, White told his colleagues to keep an open mind when examining Mississippis health care system, whose rural hospitals have consistently eliminated services and raised alarm bells on their long-term survival.

Still, the new speaker stopped short of backing a specific proposal for addressing the health care crisis. He did, however, appear to get out in front of some anti-expansion rhetoric.

We need to find ways to ensure that the folks who are working have some basic level of health care that keeps them in the workforce and out of the emergency room, White said. Im not talking about a government handout. Im talking about provider-led solutions that the state will foster and facilitate.

Other policy priorities the speaker outlined were changing portions of Mississippis public school funding formula, generally reducing government spending, and reforming the way the Legislature writes the state budget. He vowed to allow members the chance to read each and every budget bill before they were asked to vote on them  a standard practice in the Capitol for the past several years.

Whites address to the House chamber represents a notable break from the past 12 years of Gunns speakership, who became notorious for his tight grip on legislative decisions and using his power to ram legislation through the Capitol.

Now, its time to be here, White said. What does that mean? That means working with your colleagues in the House both within your caucus and across the aisle. That means considering ideas and positions you may not have considered or thought through before.

The Democratic members did not put a candidate forward for speaker or contest Whites nomination, and many Democrats stood on Tuesday for an extended ovation following Whites speech.

Rep. Robert Johnson III, a Democrat from Natchez who is expected to become the House Minority Leader, told Mississippi Today that he believes the Democratic caucus will have a good working relationship with White, though Johnson still has questions about some of Whites policy proposals.

Jason has always been open and honest, Johnson said. Im encouraged, and I think well work well together.

The House on Tuesday also elected Rep. Manly Barton, a Republican from Moss Point, to serve as the speaker pro tempore, who presides over the House when the speaker is absent and often serves as a key advisor to the speaker.

Barton was first elected to the House in 2011 and sworn into office in 2012. He represents portions of George and Jackson counties and previously chaired the House Local and Private Committee.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
As the 37th anniversary nears of the first time Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed nationally, the MLK Commission of Florida in Gainesville is gearing up to celebrate its 40th year of honoring and commemorating the legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The highlight of King Celebration 2024 in Gainesville will be the 39th annual Hall of Fame Gala at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center Gainesville, 1714 SW 34th St.

The theme of King Celebration 2024 will be King Commission: 40 Years of Legacy.

King Celebration 2024 will feature new twists that include the gala being held at the Hilton for the first time, said Rodney Long, founder and president of the King Commission.

We want to bring more of a gala feeling to it, said Long, who will be recognized as the newest member of the commissions hall of fame during the gala.

King Celebration 2024 also will feature a walk down memory lane event, and floats, bands and others will be a part of the annual King Celebration commemorative march for the first time to make it more of a parade, Long said.

The march/parade will begin at noon Jan. 15 at the Bo Diddley Downtown Community Plaza, 111 E. University Ave., and end at Citizens Field on Waldo Road. Those attending are encouraged to park early at Citizens Field and take advantage of the free shuttle bus service that will once again be provided by the city of Gainesville, Long said.

We want people to use the free shuttle bus service so they can just leave from Citizens Field and go home after the parade festivities, Long said.

Parade festivities on Jan. 15, the national MLK Holiday, will end with the National Holiday Celebration beginning at 1 p.m. at Citizens Field with a feature performance by Little Jake and The Soul Searchers Band, the spoken word and more.

Long will join King, who was the first inductee into the hall of fame named in his honor, and other notable local leaders and community activists such as the late Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Wright Sr., who pastored historic Mount Carmel Baptist Church for more than 40 years and who also served as president of the Alachua County NAACP during separate stints for almost 20 years; the late Charles Chestnut III, who recently died after owning and operating Chestnut Funeral Home that was established in 1914 in Gainesville; Rosa B. Williams, co-founder and chair of the Black on Black Crime Task Force; and dozens of others who are featured in a photo display in the King Memorial Gardens in front of City Hall at 200 E. University Ave. in downtown Gainesville.

I have had people jokingly say to me that it has taken 40 years for the King Commission to recognize what Ive done as a community servant, Long said. But when you are a servant of the community, you dont do what you do for the recognition. However, I am honored and humbled to be inducted into the hall of fame. When you are a public servant, you do what you do to serve others.

King Holiday: Gainesville events to celebrate life of MLK, commemorate Rosewood Massacre centennial

Long said he began his civic involvement in 1978 as co-owner of Music Express of Gainesville and W.O.N.E. radio station. He would go on to organize community events such as the Musical Affair Homecoming event that used to take place following the annual University of Florida Homecoming Parade and the All-American Sport-A-Thon for youth in the community.

He also organized the first King Commemorative March while attending UF in 1982. It began at the Plaza of Americas on UFs campus and ended at the downtown community plaza.

Rodney Long speaks during the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration event at Bo Diddley Plaza on January 21, 2019. Long, founder and president of the MLK Commission of Florida Inc., will be inducted into the commission's hall of fame on Sunday. [Lauren Bacho/Staff Photographer] (Credit: Lauren Bacho, [Lauren Bacho/Gainesville Sun])

The King Memorial Celebration Committee, which grew into the King Commission, was established after a request to the Gainesville City Commission by Long in December of 1984 with the goal to build a memorial to honor King and to coordinate events with local groups and organizations to celebrate Kings legacy, Long said.

Long has also served as executive director of the Alachua County NAACP from 1983-87, became the first elected single-member district commissioner on the Gainesville City Commission in 1988, and in 2000 became the first Black person to serve on both the Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission after being elected to the county commission.

The common thread shared between all of those inducted into the King Commissions Hall of Fame is that all of them have given unselfishly of themselves to better the community without any need to be recognized, Long said.

Community leaders and residents march on E. University Avenue in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., during the King Celebration 2017 National Holiday Kick-Off event. Rob C. Witzel / The Gainesville Sun (Credit: Rob Witzel, The Gainesville Sun)

The keynote speaker at this years hall of fame gala will be Justice Alexander, a senior at Eastside High School who is this years Edna M. Hart Keeper of the Dream Scholarship recipient, Long said.

What is ironic is that she won a spelling bee we had as part of King Celebration activities when she was younger and said then that one of her goals was to win the Keeper of the Dream Scholarship, and she has seen her dream become reality, Long said.

Her speech will shed light on her journey through her young life and give honor to Kings legacy, Alexander said.

I want to give them a glimpse of my story and the circumstances I overcame, she said. I want to acknowledge the opportunities Dr. King and other civil rights leaders worked so hard to provide for us.

The scholarship has awarded close to $500,000 since its inception in 1982, when Carla Davis received $500 as recipient of the scholarship. It is named in honor of the late Hart, who was a longtime teacher and reading specialist in several schools in Alachua County for more than 40 years, Long said. He noted that last years recipient, Makayla Flanders, an Eastside graduate, was awarded $10,000.

All of our scholarship recipients have been excellent students who love serving others and giving back to the community, Long said.

King Celebration events will also include:

+ Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., Remembering Martin and Coretta Program at DaySpring Baptist Church at 1945 NE Eighth Ave.

+ Jan. 10 at 7 p.m., town hall symposium billed as King Commission: 40 Years of Legacy Panel Discussion featuring former hall of fame and scholarship recipients at DaySpring.

+ Jan. 12 at 6 p.m., third annual Stephan P. Mickle Jazz Concert in honor of the late U.S. District Court Judge Stephan P. Mickle at the Bo Diddley Downtown Community Plaza at 111 E. University Ave.

+ Jan. 13 at 7 p.m., Star Center Theatre and King Commission present Walk Dont Ride: A Celebration of the Fight for Freedom and Equality at the theater at 11 NE 23rd Ave. Free tickets available through: https://starcenter.ticketleap.com or by calling 352-376-2442.

For more information about these and other events to be held during King Celebration 2024, visit www.martinlutherkingcommission.org.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville to once again celebrate MLK National Holiday with events
The American Legion Post 74 announced Evan Porges as the 2023 Citizen of the Year award. In addition, they created two new awards  Veteran of the Year and Community Service Hero of the Year  given to Birgit Fladager and Chris Guptill.

Beginning in 1949, the American Legion Post 74 has given its Citizen of the Year award to highlight community members and their achievements in the community.

Evan Porges is a full-time philanthropist and community volunteer. He formally served as president of the Gallo Center for the Arts, Del Rio Country Club and Stanislaus Presidents Club. Porges also graduated from Arizona State University and was awarded an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Stanislaus State.

Porges has assisted with many organizations in Modesto, including: the State Theater, the Center for Human Services, Modesto Police Departments Crime Stoppers and Stanislaus Community Foundation.

He and his father, Norm Porges, recently created the Profit With Purpose program to help nonprofits.

VETERAN OF THE YEAR

Birgit Fladager was awarded 2023 Veteran of the Year. She served as Stanislaus County District Attorney for 17 years before she retired. In this position, she assisted with the creation of a family justice center, a fire investigation unit and a human trafficking task force.

Prior to her work as the district attorney, Fladager served with the U.S. Navy as a Judge Advocate Officer from 1986-1990.

She is a former President of the California District Attorneys Association and currently is involved with the Modesto Rotary Club.

COMMUNITY SERVICE HERO OF THE YEAR

Chris Guptill was awarded the 2023 Community Service Hero of the Year. Guptill is a Modesto Virtual Academy Teacher at Peterson Education Center.

Guptill founded Operation 9-2-99 in 2014 which has hosted cleanup events at the Tuolumne River and Dry Creek with over 5,000 volunteers. Guptill also serves as the chair of the Tuolumne River Regional Park Citizens Advisory Committee and co-chairs the Outdoor Recreation Alliance.

The award recipients will be honored at the American Legion Post 74 dinner on Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Stanislaus Veterans Center. For tickets call 916-662-4352
Grower Dino del Carlo holds tomatoes from his familys farm in Stockton, Calif., during the fall 2022 harvest. Some tomato farmers and distributors are pushing to scrap a cross-border agreement regarding produce grown in Mexico. San Antonio's NatureSweet, whose growing operations are in Mexico, is worried about the impact. Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle file photo NatureSweet employs more than 6,000 people. In this photo provided by the company, a worker is seen on one of its farms in Northern Mexico. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet products are distributed under brand names such as Glorys, Cherubs, Constellation, Comets and Twilights. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet products are distributed under brand names such as Glorys, Cherubs, Constellation, Comets and Twilights. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet products are distributed under brand names such as Glorys, Cherubs, Constellation, Comets and Twilights. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet products are distributed under brand names such as Glorys, Cherubs, Constellation, Comets and Twilights. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet employs more than 6,000 people. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet employs more than 6,000 people. Courtesy of NatureSweet NatureSweet employs more than 6,000 people. Courtesy of NatureSweet

A coalition of U.S. tomato farmers and distributors is pushing to scrap a cross-border agreement they say has failed to stop Mexican producers from gutting their business  and to replace the trade pact with a stiff tariff.

San Antonio-based NatureSweet isnt among them.

The producer, which grows tomatoes and other vegetables in Mexico for distribution across the U.S., says such a move would be a disaster  both for its business and consumers.

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On one side are growers represented by the Florida Tomato Exchange, which is imploring the U.S. Department of Commerce to end the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement that sets a minimum price and other requirements for imported tomatoes. The trade group contends the agreement has failed to stop Mexican growers from dumping tomatoes  selling them for less than their costs to grow them  and undercutting the domestic industry.

As a result, Mexicos share of the U.S. market has ballooned to 70% from 20% since the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, took effect in 1994, according to the Tomato Exchange. Meanwhile, U.S. growers portion has shrunk to 30% from 80% during that period.

American tomato growers have been in distress for a long time in the face of unfair trade practices from Mexico, said Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Tomato Exchange.

NatureSweets side

On the other side are companies like NatureSweet, which grows tomatoes and other vegetables in Mexico and sells them through retailers across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

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They argue that they are providing the produce customers want, such as vine-ripened tomatoes, in a climate that is favorable to producing more varieties at lower costs. Quashing the suspension agreement would mean most Mexican producers would have to pay a 20.91% tariff on tomato imports, which could lead them to raise prices, lay off workers and reduce the varieties they grow. It could also spark a trade war.

Its going to impact consumers. Its going to impact jobs. Its going to impact communities across the U.S., said Skip Hulett, vice president and general counsel at NatureSweet.

Hundreds of lawmakers, businesses, and produce and restaurant associations have weighed in, penning letters to the Department of Commerce to voice their support or opposition to terminating the agreement.

Local supporters of keeping the agreement include Mayor Ron Nirenberg, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Greater: SATX, the regions economic development organization. The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also supports it, saying that ending the agreement could harm businesses and consumers and the department has not found major violations of the deal.

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Growers expect a decision soon, but the Commerce Department did not respond to an inquiry about when that could happen.

In some ways this could be existential, Hulett said.

History of the deal

Its the latest twist in a saga stretching back more than two decades.

After domestic growers accused their Mexican counterparts of selling tomatoes at unfair prices, the Commerce Department investigated a handful of Mexican producers and moved to impose anti-dumping duties of 19.6%. The suspension agreement of 1996 set a minimum price for tomatoes in exchange for the department suspending its investigation and not levying the duties.

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The agreement has been revised multiple times since then, most recently in 2019.

Commerce examined the practices of several producers in Mexico  Bioparques de Occidente, S.A. de C.V., Ceuta Produce, S.A. de C.V. and Negocio Agricola San Enrique, S.A. de C.V.  and found that tomatoes were being or were likely to be sold in the U.S. at prices below the floor price. It said the average rate of dumping was 20.91% less than that value, which would be what most growers would pay if the department decides to end the agreement, Schadler said.

NatureSweets tomatoes are certainly not being dumped into the U.S. market, Hulett said, and the company is facing what he called collateral damage in the tomato feud.

The privately held company prides itself on how it treats its more than 6,000 employees. Executives have said they focus on guaranteeing a decent income, working conditions and educational opportunities, including raising pay, building bathrooms and cafeterias, instituting a year-round growing cycle and voluntary overtime and offering degree programs.

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NatureSweets tomatoes are distributed under brand names such as Cherubs, Glorys, Constellation, Comets and Twilights. The company, with sales of over a half billion dollars, also grows peppers and cucumbers.

If the (Florida Tomato Exchange) gets their way, we will be subject to a tariff for high quality premium tomatoes simply for being grown in Mexico, notwithstanding the fact we provide high-paying, year-round quality jobs both in Mexico and in the U.S. and vine ripe premium tomatoes consumers have grown to love, Hulett said.

But the tomato exchange is eager to see what it called the loopholes that have always been a problem closed.

Pushing up prices

A study by a professor at Arizona State University and Badger Metrics LLC suggests that if all Mexican imports were removed, retail tomato prices could rise by an average of 52% and grocers could lose nearly $7.53 billion in revenue. It also would mean a reduction in economic activity of $4.53 billion and the loss of 32,011 jobs in Texas and a loss of $3.39 billion and 22,712 jobs in Arizona, author Timothy Richards wrote.

If imports fell by 25%, prices could rise by an average 13%, the study indicates.

Tomatoes imported from Mexico generate economic value far beyond their retail value, and support jobs, businesses and tax revenue in local communities throughout the U.S., Richards wrote.

But the Tomato Exchanges Schadler said a total elimination of Mexican imports would never happen and thats not what his group wants.

From May 2019 to September 2019, when anti-dumping duties were in effect before the latest iteration of the suspension agreement was reached, imports fell by 6% compared with the same period in 2018, according to the trade group, which cited data collected by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

They make (it) sound as if the state of Texas will face dire economic consequences if this agreements ends. Its all nonsense, but unfortunately it works in scaring people, Schadler said.
At least six state capitols across the country received bomb threats early Wednesday morning, prompting evacuations and lockdowns, though no dangerous items were immediately discovered.

Evacuations and lockdowns were reported at state capitols in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Connecticut and Michigan due to apparent bomb threats. Its not clear whether or how the incidents might be connected.

The FBI said in a statement to The Hill that it was aware of the multiple threats, urging members of the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.

The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention, the agency said in a statement.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the Kentucky State Police (KSP) was investigating a threat and had evacuated the state capitol in Frankfort.

While everyone is safe, KSP has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of States Office, Beshear posted. We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country.

Michon Lindstrom, a spokesperson for Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, said in a statement that a threat was sent to secretaries of state across the country as a mass email. Lindstrom said the building was evacuated between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. local time before reopening at noon.

The threat did not specifically mention certain secretaries, but Lindstrom told the The Lexington Herald-Leader that the email said bombs had been placed in state capitol buildings.

Another threat was reported at the Georgia state capitol, according to Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol. Delayed opening until the all clear is given, Sterling posted on X. Avoid the area for now.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety later said a search was conducted, and an all-clear was given.

The department said an a statement it determined the bomb threat was not credible and was a hoax email sent to an employee Wednesday morning. The building opened just before 9 a.m. local time.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bailey Martin confirmed a lockdown was underway Wednesday morning in Jackson due to a bomb threat sent to the state capitol building, according to multiple local news outlets. According to a statement posted on the Legislature site, standard emergency procedures were being followed.

Martin said in a statement to The Hill that the department concluded that there was no threat of explosives found in the building after a search.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has successfully cleared the Mississippi State Capitol. The building was thoroughly searched, and no explosives or suspicious equipment were found, Martin said. This is an ongoing investigation and there is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings.

Sgt. Jay Nelson of the Montana Highway Patrol (MTP) confirmed that a bomb threat targeting the Montana state capitol was received at 8:30 a.m. MTP troopers evacuated the building and the explosive detection K9 team swept the building.

A reporter for the Helena Independent Record posted on X that staff at the state capitol had been evacuated to nearby state buildings.

A sweep was completed and no credible threat was found, the Montana Department of Administration General Services said, adding the building had reopened to the public.

The Hill has reached out to Secretary of State Christi Jacobsens office for more information.

Connecticut State Capitol Police Lt. Gregory Wimble told The Hill that the state capitol was forced to evacuate just before 8 a.m. Wednesday morning after numerous employees received an email warning them about a bomb threat in the building. He said officers and an explosive-detecting dog were sent in to search the building and found nothing suspicious.

He said the building was cleared shortly before 10 a.m. and that officials will be working with state, local and federal partners to investigate the incident.

In Michigan, State Police said the state capitol building in Lansing would be closed for the rest of the day as a result of a bomb threat, according to a social media post. Police said an email was sent to a general account for the state capitol at about 7:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

It also said it was aware of similar threats sent around the country. Police said that they determined there was no threat but that the building will remain closed.

Updated at 4:05 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Law enforcement vehicles are deployed at the Mississippi State Capitol after a bomb threat was received in Jackson

(Reuters) -A spate of bomb threats on Wednesday morning forced the brief evacuations of U.S. statehouses across the country, according to the FBI and state officials, but they were later determined to be hoaxes.

Local officials reported that threats were made to the state capitols in Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi and Montana. Police swept the buildings but there were no reports of any explosives or suspicious equipment found by Wednesday afternoon.

Even though there was no indication of a "credible threat," the FBI said in a statement that it "takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk."

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety earlier on Wednesday said the "threat has now been cleared." Montana's Department of Administration General Services said "the threat was found to not be credible" and that the statehouse had reopened to the public.

Connecticut's statehouse was briefly closed before reopening after police determined the threat to be a hoax, the Middletown Press reported.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in a statement that "everyone was safe" and that the state Capitol had been evacuated while police investigated.

"We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country," his statement said. Police said it was safe for people to return to the capitol, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams said.

The Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper said an email containing a bomb threat was sent to multiple secretaries of state, including Adams.

Michigan State Police said the statehouse in Lansing would remain closed for the rest of the day out of "an abundance of caution" after an emailed bomb threat was received at about 7:45 a.m.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Salad. Quinoa. Lots of things in bowls. It's a new year, new you, right?

Bravo. We celebrate those positive changes that will keep your ticker ticking. So will your friends and family.

But as the saying goes, all things in moderation, including moderation.

When you need a break from all the beans, greens and lean proteins, bacon will be there for you. Always salty, sometimes smoky or sweet, we collectively love this stuff so much that the average American consumes about 18 pounds of it yearly  roughly the weight of a car tire  according to Texas A&M AgriLife.

It may seem like the Era of Peak Bacon is a thing of the past, when so-called "bacon mania" took social media streams by Category 5 storm a decade ago. It was the time of the Bacon Explosion and KFC's Double Down.

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While our Instagram feeds may not be filled with chicken-fried bacon strips these days, our bellies sure are. According to statista.com, the number of Americans who identify as bacon eaters has risen steadily since 2011, and that number is projected to grow again this year.

When those 10,000 steps are done and your cheat day rolls around, we're here for you. This week, we list 10 San Antonio restaurants serving dishes where bacon is the star. Some are over-the-top, some are modest, all are delicious.

The Bad Ass Bacon at The Winchester features thick-sliced bacon lacquered with a Bulleit bourbon glaze along with pretzel sticks. Paul Stephen/Staff

Bad Ass Bacon at The Winchester: Belly up to an order of pork belly served like steak at this Alamo Heights tribute to British pub grub. The dish features three slabs of thick-cut bacon served on a bulky wooden cutting board along with a steak knife and a side of fluffy pretzel sticks. Slice in and take a bite. You'll find luscious ribbons of juicy meat and crisp fat lacquered with a spicy-sweet glaze made from Bulleit Bourbon and red pepper flakes. Pair it with a pour of that same spirit for a boozy bacon bliss ride.

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The Winchester, 5148 Broadway, 210-721-7762, winchester-pub.com

The Bacon-Fried Rice at Sushihana has earned many loyal fans. Staff file photo

Bacon Fried Rice at Sushihana: Sushihana has been one of the city's favorite spots for sushi since it opened in 2003, but that doesn't mean it can't serve a proper pork feast as well. The bacon fried rice has commanded a legion of followers since it debuted at this Castle Hills restaurant about a decade ago. Laced with oodles of crisp applewood-smoked bacon and just enough spring onion to provide bite, the rice in this addictive order delivers grains that are perfectly coated in porky pleasure.

Sushihana, 1810 NW Military Highway, 210-340-7808, sushihanasan.com

The Banana Foster Pain Perdue at Cured is topped with sticky-and-sweet praline bacon. Staff file photo

Banana Foster Pain Perdue at Cured: Brunch means bacon, and at this popular Pearl spot, that bacon is served New Orleans style. Sticky-sweet praline bacon adds texture and salt to the Pain Perdue  better known as French toast in these parts  balanced with ripe bananas, all of that swimming in a brown butter caramel sauce. The bacon is available on its own or in several other brunch configurations, and it's one of the many reasons owner Steve McHugh has become one of the city's most lauded chefs with  count 'em  six James Beard Award nominations.

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Cured, 306 Pearl Parkway, Suite 101 at the Pearl, 210-314-3929, curedatpearl.com

EAT THE BEST: Mike Sutters Top 25 Restaurants in San Antonio

The BBLT at The Dogfather features a bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with tomato, arugula, avocado ranch dressing and bacon bits. Paul Stephen/Staff

BBLT at The Dogfather: Here's an offer you can't refuse: a bacon-wrapped hot dog topped in peppery arugula, tomato slices, creamy avocado ranch dressing and, you guessed it, even more bacon. Bacon is all over the menu at this mobster-themed hot dog spot, but the BBLT is the only menu item to double down on salty swine. The flavors are at once familiar with the soul of a BLT, but the arugula and avocado ranch give it more attitude than that comforting classic. And there's tons of texture here as well, with the bacon wrapped around the frank retaining an impressive crispiness.

The Dogfather, (two locations) 6211 San Pedro Ave., 210-481-4272; 13032 Nacogdoches Road, Suite 201, 210-375-3002, sadogfather.com

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A generous pile of sweet-and-spicy millionaire bacon elevates the B.L.T. sandwich at Esquire Tavern. Paul Stephen/Staff

B.L.T. at Esquire Tavern: The exact origins of internet-darling, buzz-food "millionaire's bacon" are steeped in sweet and spicy intrigue, but there's no mystery about this sandwich. The complex blend of flavors accenting the generous heap of thick-cut millionaire's bacon, joined by lettuce, tomato and a housemade aioli on sourdough, make this sandwich stand out among San Antonio's many BLTs. It's an appropriate old-timey complement to the oldest bar on the River Walk.

Esquire Tavern, 155 E. Commerce St., 210-222-2521, esquiretavern-sa.com

Brunch at NOLA Brunch & Beignets in San Antonio includes cafe au lait, beignets and the NOLA Brunch Plate, with scrambled eggs, grits, fried green tomatoes and praline bacon. Mike Sutter/Staff file photo

Boodreauxs Clothesline Bacon at Lucy Coopers Ice House: Even if it makes your cardiologist cringe, there's no way this dish won't bring a grin to your face. Literally thick slices of bacon dangling by clips on a miniature clothesline, this showy order is a calling card for the fun and playful spirit of Lucy Cooper's. And it tastes good, to boot. The smoky bacon is prepared with a tongue-tingling blend of whiskey, brown sugar and spices, and it's served with a bowl of peach marmalade as a dipping sauce for an extra kiss of sweetness from chef and owner Braunda Smith.

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Lucy Coopers Ice House, (three locations) 16080 San Pedro Ave., 210-462-1894; 8403 Texas 151, Suite 101, 210-236-8959; 1515 Kuehler Ave., New Braunfels, 830-837-5172, lucycoopers.com

The Cheesy Bacon Ranch Phries at Malik's Philly Phamous Cheesesteaks is more of a meal than an appetizer. Staff file photo

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Phries at Maliks Philly Phamous Cheesesteaks: This is not a side dish to go along with a cheesesteak at owner, former Spurs player and Philadelphia native Malik Rose's pair of food trucks. It's an entree all to itself, a crisp tangle of fries topped with a comically generous bath of ranch dressing, cheese and crisp bacon bits. Don't even try to eat it with your hands. This is a fork-and-knife version of loaded fries. You'll probably need a few extra napkins, but it'll be worth it.

Maliks Philly Phamous Cheesesteaks, (two locations) 2301 San Pedro Ave. at The Rose Bush, 210-621-8908; 12002 O'Connor Road, (no phone), maliksphillysphamous.com

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The Elvis is a signature sandwich at PB&J with Tay, made with sliced bananas and bacon. Staff file photo

The Elvis at PB&J with Tay: Not necessarily fit for a king, but absolutely fit for The King, The Elvis has become a staple sandwich across the South since it was popularized by Elvis Presley, who allegedly plowed through mountains of the things. At Olmos Park restaurant PB&J with Tay, owner Jeremiah Burns stays true to Presley's tastes, serving peanut butter, banana and crisp slices of bacon between two slices of toasted bread.

PB&J with Tay, 5335 McCullough Ave., 210-518-8299, pbjwithtay.com

A loaded breakfast taco called the Ralph at Georgias Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio includes bacon, potatoes, chorizo, beans and cheese. Mike Sutter/Staff

The Ralph breakfast taco at Georgias Mexican Restaurant: This early-morning diner on the Southwest Side near Palo Alto College specializes in overstuffed breakfast tacos named for the guys who ordered them first. Meet Ralph, one of the best breakfast tacos in all of San Antonio. Hes a big guy who loves bacon, but theres room in his heart for potatoes, chorizo, beans and cheese, all on a fluffy homemade flour tortilla. Tacos on a first-name basis, served by people who take the trouble to learn yours.

Georgias Mexican Restaurant, 2214 Palo Alto Road, 210-923-9313, Facebook: Georgias Mexican Restaurant

The Praline Bacon at NOLA Brunch & Beignets has become a signature offering at the restaurant. Mike Sutter/Staff file photo

Praline Bacon at NOLA Brunch & Beignets: Praline bacon, in all its candied pecan perfection, is one of those things that's so good we have to include it twice on this list. And when you order the NOLA Brunch Plate at this popular spot near the St. Mary's Strip, you'll see why. Noted chef Pieter Sypesteyn crowns this platter of eggs, grits and fried green tomatoes with strips of sweet and salty porcine bliss that will leave you craving more.

NOLA Brunch & Beignets, 720 E. Mistletoe, 210-957-1086, eatatnola.com
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A Multnomah County woman received two years of supervised probation after bringing a dyed, barely-responsive kitten to a local veterinarian in early December.

On Tuesday, a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge found Elizabeth Zurcher-Wood guilty of one misdemeanor charge of animal abuse in the second degree. In addition to her probation, she was sentenced to the six days she had already spent in jail since her arrest.

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Zurcher-Wood also agreed to surrender the kitten to Multnomah County Animal Services, along with her chihuahua that was seized by authorities. The woman will be banned from possessing or owning domestic animals for the next five years.

Court documents revealed that Zurcher-Wood brought the hot pink kitten to the DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital on Dec. 10, 2023. Doctors alleged the animal was severely hypoglycemic, hypothermic, in shock and barely responsive.

According to the veterinarian, Zurcher-Wood told them the kitten had diarrhea that she cleaned with a mix of Windex, Spic and Span, and rubbing alcohol. The doctor alleged that the woman had a Windex bottle with her during the hospital visit, and the kitten was still soaked in the solution.

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Veterinarians suspected that the mix of chemicals made the kitten hypothermic, and Zurcher-Wood seemed unaware that they were toxic to the animal.

Later on Dec. 21, court documents show that the Deluxe Inn Motel manager contacted Portland police to have Zurcher-Wood evicted from her residence. When authorities arrived, they saw the pink kitten and a black chihuahua in a stroller. One officer said they saw burn marks on the kittens head.

The animal was surrendered to the Oregon Humane Society before being placed in a foster home. Zurcher-Wood was arrested that same day.

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KOIN 6 previously reported that she was being held in police custody due to a probation violation in connection to a case from 2021.

That August, Zurcher-Wood was arrested and accused of attempting to kidnap a 6-year-old boy. Officials also said the woman threatened his family with weapons and used racial slurs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A message etched into an ancient sphinx has proven to be, well, sphinx-like. The mysterious inscription has long been an enigma, puzzling scholars for over a century.

But now, its finally been deciphered, revealing a brief, but unusual poem, according to a study published Dec. 30 in the journal Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry.

Dating to the third century, the bronze sphinx statue originated from Dacia, a Roman province that largely corresponds to modern-day Romania.

Taking the form of a winged lion, the sphinx was perceived by the original creators and users of the artifact as a representation of a mythical deity that they honored and worshiped, Peter Revesz, the study author and professor at the University of Nebraska, told McClatchy News.

After being discovered in the 19th century, the statue was stolen from a European count sometime around 1848, Revesz said.

While it was never recovered, a detailed drawing of the sphinx remained. In the drawing, the inscription  composed of a handful of characters  can be seen on the base of the statue.

For decades, scholars examined the drawing, attempting to decode the inscription. However, they were unsuccessful, perhaps because  in an unusual break from ancient norms  it reads from right to left.

The characters may seem mysterious at first, Revesz said, but once the mirroring is noticed, the characters become easily recognizable as Greek alphabet letters, a few of them being in a more archaic form.

After examining ancient alphabets, Revesz determined the message to be a proto-Hungarian poem written with Greek letters.

Translated into English, it reads: Lo, behold, worship: here is the holy lion, which can be perceived as a command to venerate the sphinx.

The decoded poem is noteworthy because the sphinx cult was not part of the mainstream ancient Roman mythology which features the Roman gods and goddesses that many people today are familiar with, Revesz said.

It is unique that this sphinx statue provides some record of a minority religion within the Roman empire, for which records are much scarcer, Revesz added.

Depictions of the deity first cropped up in Egypt and parts of the Middle East in the third century B.C. and were later found throughout the broader Mediterranean world, according to the Oxford Classical Dictionary.

The text is also abnormal as it is written as a metric poem, whereas most inscriptions at the time were written in prose.

By using these poetic features, the scribe chose a specific text that was also carefully and artfully constructed, Revesz said.

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It had already been a long afternoon when Mike Sullivan dipped into 60-degree water  his 16th dive of the day  searching for the vehicle of a woman who disappeared 12 years ago.

That chilly dive proved to be fruitful.

At about 14 feet deep, Sullivan, who owns and operates the volunteer search team Sunshine State Sonar, found a red 2004 Ford Freestar containing human remains and with the Florida tag J36-8ZE.

The license plate belongs to the missing woman, Sandra Lemire.

While the remains have not been identified, the Orlando Police Department confirmed to the Sentinel on Tuesday that the car found in a retention pond along I-4 near Disney World is linked to Lemire. Her family released a statement to the Orlando Sentinels television partner Spectrum News 13 indicating they believe the remains are hers.

Lemire left her Orlando home in 2012 to meet a man at a restaurant in Kissimmee and vanished. Her disappearance, which was deemed suspicious after eight months with no sign of her or her car, caused great anguish for her loved ones.

In 2022, Sunshine State Sonar picked up her case to try to find her car. On Sunday, it succeeded, and the location of the discovery suggests Lemires death may have been an accident.

As soon as his sonar technology identified a van in the water, Sullivan called Lemires son Timothy, who was a young boy when his mother vanished.

We were all very emotional, Sullivan said. We were on a boat and we panned to the sonar screen, I remember telling him, We are above your mother.

As soon as I got to the plate I remember doing one big swipe, Sullivan continued. It seemed like forever for all that silt to clear, but as soon as I saw the J and the three, I just knew we found her.

The Sentinels attempt to reach her family was met with a request for privacy.

OPD said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is working on identifying the remains that were located in the vehicle and the Florida Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation.

Orange County and Osceola County Sheriffs Office deputies assisted in the response.

Sullivan credits the successful search to a tip shared by OPD two weeks ago that informed her family of the location of the last tower her cell phone pinged.

Prior to that, Sullivan said they had searched about 110 bodies of water with no results.

That [tip] gave us something to go on, he said. We found out she was not heading towards her home. The vehicle was heading toward Tampa. Thats what led us to the area.

arabines@orlandosentinel.com
The first batch of documents unsealed in a settled lawsuit involving the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released Wednesday evening  containing important names but little in the way of new information.

The 40 exhibits  hundreds of pages  released Wednesday night by a federal court in New York City include the names of former U.S. presidents, a member of British royalty and other high-profile figures, most of which have previously been reported. But it is likely to be only the first stage of the public revealing of documents expected to make the names of more than 150 people public. The rest are expected on a rolling basis, a spokesman for the court said.

They are part of the civil defamation lawsuit first filed in 2015 against British socialite and Epstein confidant Ghislaine Maxwell by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who said she was a victim of sex trafficking and abuse. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein.

According to a transcript of her deposition, Giuffre said at different times that she was directed to have sex with Prince Andrew, another prince, the unnamed owner of a large hotel chain and Glenn Dubin, a billionaire hedge fund manager.

A request for a response from Prince Andrew was not immediately returned Wednesday night. He has strenuously denied the claim previously. A spokesperson for Dubin in 2019 and again Wednesday said he "strongly den[ies] these allegations" and described them as unsubstantiated statements.

Former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump also were mentioned in depositions by Maxwell and one of the girls she hired for Epstein, neither of which includes allegations of wrongdoing.

In a 2016 deposition from the woman who said she was hired by Maxwell and took a photo with Prince Andrew, in which, she said, he placed his hand on her chest, Johanna Sjoberg said Epstein once spoke about Clinton, who is not accused of wrongdoing.

He said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls, the deposition reads. There is no mention of wrongdoing in the document, and the questioning moves on. Sjoberg said she had never met Clinton and never saw him on Epsteins island.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Clinton referred to a statement from 2019 that said he had not spoken to Epstein in over a decade and was unaware of any criminal activity at that time.

Trump's name also appears in the deposition by Sjoberg, which includes no allegations of wrongdoing.

She recounted that when Epsteins plane would have to land in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Jeffrey said, Great, well call up Trump and go to a casino, she said in her deposition. Sjoberg also said she never gave Trump a massage.

Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. He has previously said he had not been in touch with Epstein for 15 years before his death.

The depositions allege that Epstein, who had a private plane and island in the Caribbean, among other properties, was associated with powerful people in politics and even royalty, referring to two princes.

Clinton flew on Epsteins planes numerous times, flight records made public in 2019 show.

In a deposition, Maxwell said Clinton had dined on Epsteins plane, but she denied he ever visited Epsteins Caribbean Island, Little St. James. She said allegations that Clinton had had a meal on Epsteins island were 100% false.

Trump was also found to have flown on one of Epsteins planes at least once, and video emerged in July 2019 of Epstein and Trump partying together at Trumps Florida mansion in the early 1990s.

In 2019, Trump said he had not communicated with Epstein in 15 years and was not a fan of his.

Jeffrey Epstein (Rick Friedman / Corbis via Getty Images file)

In the newly unredacted filings, attorneys for Giuffre reveal that at some point during his deposition, Epstein invoked his Fifth Amendment right rather than answer a question about his former attorney Alan Dershowitz. It is not known what question prompted that response from Epstein.

Dershowitz did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has strenuously denied any involvement with underage girls. He has said he was looking forward to the document release to help clear his name.

In her deposition, Sjoberg said she had also met singer Michael Jackson at Epsteins home in Palm Beach, Florida, but did not massage him. She also said she met magician David Copperfield at a dinner at Epsteins. She recounted that there was another woman at dinner who looked very young and wondered whether it was possible she was in high school, according to the documents.

Sjoberg said Copperfield did magic tricks at the dinner, and he questioned me if I was aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls, the deposition reads. Asked whether Copperfield described any specifics, Sjoberg said no.

Copperfield did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.

Epstein killed himself in a New York City jail cell in 2019 as he faced serious federal charges. Since then, there have been public conspiracy theories about the case and those he interacted with.

The public interest must still be served in learning more about the scale and scope of Epsteins racket to further the important goal of shutting down sex trafficking wherever it exists and holding more to account, Giuffres attorney, Sigrid McCawley, said Wednesday evening. The unsealing of these documents gets us closer to that goal.

U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska last month ordered the materials to be released after Jan. 1. However, she delayed whether to release documents associated with those who have objected to the disclosure of their names until later, the spokesman said.

In one case, an attorney for J. Doe 107 asked Preska on Dec. 20 for clarification of whether his clients name would be unsealed. The attorney said his client lives in a culturally conservative country outside the U.S. and is in fear of her name being released. Preska asked for information supporting her claim.

Epstein was facing multiple sex trafficking charges when he hanged himself in a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 as a trove of incriminating material had just been unsealed in court.

A Justice Department report last June uncovered a cascade of misconduct, negligence and errors by Metropolitan Correctional Center employees that created the conditions allowing Epstein, 66, to take his own life, and it found no evidence to contradict the official conclusion that he died by suicide.

The circumstances surrounding Epsteins death had propelled a slew of online conspiracy theories, some amplified by conservative commentators and prominent Republican officials, including Trump.

Giuffre alleged that Epstein sexually abused her and that Maxwell and Epstein directed her to have sex with other men from 2000 to 2002, starting when she was 17. The case, which Giuffre brought after Maxwell accused her of lying when she said Maxwell and Epstein had exploited and abused her, was eventually settled out of court in 2017.

An email in the documents released Wednesday appeared to show Epstein telling Maxwell in January 2015 to offer "a reward" to any of Giuffre's friends or acquaintances who could help disprove Giuffres allegations.

In 2022, Giuffre also settled a high-profile lawsuit out of court against Britains Prince Andrew. Andrew has denied the allegations and has said he has no recollection of ever having met Giuffre.

A year after Epsteins death, Maxwell, the daughter of the late British publishing magnate Robert Maxwell, was arrested on charges connecting her with the recruitment of teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. At trial, Maxwells accusers provided graphic accounts of how they say she groomed them to have sex with Epstein or pressured them into massages, in which she sometimes groped them herself. She was convicted of five federal sex trafficking charges and sentenced in June 2022 to 20 years behind bars.

Maxwell, 62, who is in a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida, filed an appeal of the verdict, claiming prosecutors used her as a scapegoat.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Thailand set to permanently waive visa for Chinese visitors

08:29, January 03, 2024 By Yang Wanli ( China Daily

Thailand will permanently waive visa requirements for Chinese tourists starting on March 1, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced on Tuesday after a Cabinet meeting in Bangkok.

Thailand had previously granted a temporary visa waiver for visitors from China and Kazakhstan, which is set to expire on Feb 29.

After negotiations with related Chinese authorities, the Thai government has now opted to adopt a permanent visa-free policy for Chinese tourists starting on March 1, Srettha said at a news conference following the Cabinet meeting.

"This will not only boost Thailand's tourism industry but also signify further improvement in the friendly relations between the two countries," he added.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin confirmed that authorities on the two sides are in close communication regarding the matter and China looks forward to the arrangement's early implementation.

"The further strengthening of people-to-people exchanges and the mutual visa exemption policy (once implemented) will conform to the fundamental interests of both peoples," Wang told reporters at a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

Tourism plays a crucial role in Thailand's economy, with 28 million foreign tourist arrivals recorded last year, including about 4.4 million visitors from Malaysia, and 3.4 million from China.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese nationals comprised the biggest group of foreign tourists to Thailand, with 10 million visits each year.

Thailand now plans a 3.5-trillion-baht ($102 billion) boost for its economy via the tourism sector in 2024, aiming to establish the nation as an all-season tourist destination.

During the Tourism Authority of Thailand's recent promotion activity targeting the Chinese market, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Thai minister of tourism and sports, said that China has been a key source market for Thailand and has had a significant impact on the Thai economy.

"The Thai government is committed to providing high-quality tourism experiences for Chinese tourists. Our strategies include the development of new attractions in tandem with the promotion of Thai soft powers and meaningful travel experiences," she said.

"Equally important is the safety measures to ensure that Chinese tourists can enjoy peace of mind throughout their travels in Thailand," she added.

Mo Jingxi in Beijing contributed to this story.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Sheriff Javier Salazar, center right, and other Bexar County Sheriffs officers, walk away after briefing the news media at the scene where an 18-wheeler was searched on the 2000 block of South General McMullen in San Antonio, Friday, July 1, 2022. A deputy constable was flagged down on Friday afternoon by a concerned citizen, who saw people getting out of a semi-truck near an apartment complex and was worried about a possible smuggling incident, Salazar said. Officials on the scene concluded that it was a misunderstanding and the 14 people jumping out of the truck were part of a work crew for a demolition cleanup company based in California.
The U.S. government is currently auctioning off a 175-foot-long, aluminum-hulled offshore support vessel named Nomad. The ship, which was first built around a decade ago, going up for sale is curious and plans to divest it do not appear to have been previously announced. Originally part of the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office's Ghost Fleet Overlord program and then turned over to the U.S. Navy , Nomad had been in use since the late 2010s as a testbed for future large uncrewed surface vessels.

The U.S. General Services Administration quietly listed Nomad on its auction website on December 29, just before the New Year's weekend. The auction closes on January 12 and, at the time of writing, the top bid was $500,100.

A picture of Nomad's main superstructure from the auction listing. GSA

A view of Nomad's stern. GSA

A stock picture of Nomad as it looked in 2022. USN

No mention is made in the listing about Nomad's past as an experimental uncrewed surface vessel (USV) with semi-autonomous capabilities, and there is no indication that the ship retains any of that functionality. As seen below, the only electronics of note in the information GSA provides about the ship are a Marine Technologies Dynamic Positioning System (which is expressly noted to be an unclassified piece of equipment) and various commercial radios, radars, other navigation aids, and transponders.

GSA

A view of Nomad's bridge. GSA

There is also a mention in the auction listing that the ship's three Cummins QSM-11 marine diesel generator sets, each rated at 200 kilowatts, have "partial automation to allow emergency startup of generators in the event of brown/black out events and autonomous start/stop of generators during high power consumption events."

"Any law enforcement/military equipment that appears in a photo will be removed by the government prior to the sale," the listing notes. "These items include gun mounts, blue lights, sirens and specialized radios and their mounts."

The pictures GSA provides of Nomad for the auction show that a large antenna dome that had previously been fitted behind the main superstructure has been removed. The ship also has a mast onto which various radars, other sensors, and antennas had been installed in the past, but which has now been more or less stripped clean.

A picture of Nomad included in the auction listing showing the mount where the large antenna dome had been installed, at right, as well as the largely bare mast. GSA

A picture of Nomad sailing in the Pacific in 2022 with the antenna dome fitted and the mast festooned with radars, sensors, and other equipment. USN

Nomad also has a large open rear deck, which has been used in the past to accommodate various containerized mission spaces and other equipment. Offshore support vessels like this are typically used to help move personnel and cargo to and from oil and gas platforms, and to perform similar logistics functions in intercoastal areas.

A view of Nomad's large open rear deck from the auction listing. Note also that whatever is moored behind the ship has been blacked out. GSA

The auction listing has pictures that also show living spaces, including a galley and toilet, inside Nomad. Even in its uncrewed configuration, around six individuals were typically onboard the ship to be able to monitor its systems, perform immediate repairs, and otherwise take control if necessary.

GSA

GSA

GSA

"Hull, mechanical and electrical and systems should be tested/repaired prior to vessel operation. Electrical systems were not energized and mechanical systems were not rotated during the inspection used to prepare the boat or equipment offered for sale," GSA's listing adds about the general state of the ship. "Repairs may be required to make operational."

Nomad's propulsion system, including its four Cummins QSK-50 marine diesel engines, is said to be functional and a "large number of spare parts" is included in the auction. GSA says the ship is currently sitting pierside at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California.

A view of part of Nomad's propulsion system. GSA

GSA

Why Nomad is being auctioned off now is unclear. The Navy's most recent publicly-available shipbuilding plan, which was released last spring , said the service expected to have four so-called Overlord USVs in its inventory by the end of the 2024 Fiscal Year. There are three other known Overlord USVs, Ranger, Mariner, and Vanguard , the last of which has yet to be delivered. There are no currently known plans to acquire another similar test vessel.

The War Zone has reached out to the Navy for more information.

It is worth noting that Nomad, which Morgan City, Louisiana-headquartered Swiftships originally built in the mid-2010s as a traditional offshore support vessel named Riley Claire , was the only USV with this general design in the Navy's inventory.

A low-quality image of the Riley Claire before its full transformation into Nomad. USN

The two other large USV testbeds the Navy currently has, Ranger and Mariner , have similar, if not identical underlying designs from shipbuilder Gulf Craft , which is based in Franklin, Louisiana. Leidos is currently the prime contractor and systems integrator supporting those vessels for the Navy. Vanguard is a design from Austal USA , with L3Harris Technologies overseeing its modification into a USV.

Ranger, in the background, and Mariner, in the foreground, sail together in the Pacific in 2023. USN

The Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) first acquired Nomad, along with Ranger, in the late 2010s as part of the Ghost Fleet Overlord program. SCO, in cooperation with the Navy, used those vessels as testbeds to explore and refine concepts of operations relating to future large USVs.

Ranger, seen in the foreground, sails alongside Nomad. USN

In 2020, Nomad made a 4,421 nautical mile-long voyage from the Gulf Coast of the United States to the West Coast via the Panama Canal . Though the ship required "manned assistance" to get through the Canal, the Navy said that the ship had been operating in an autonomous mode for 98 percent of the trip .

https://twitter.com/WarshipCam/status/1394860439138357251

Nomad and Ranger, as well as the smaller Seahawk and Sea Hunter medium USVs, all took part in the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in 2022. This represented a notable inclusion of uncrewed capabilities into that year's iteration of this large-scale multi-national exercise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY_jvbEOh5E

The year before, Ranger had also demonstrated its ability to act as an uncrewed stand-off weapons platform with the launch of a multi-purpose SM-6 missile from a containerized launch system mounted on its rear deck.

https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1433852377870839808

Since then, the Navy has said it has been continuing to use Nomad, Ranger, and Vanguard to support ongoing research and development and test and evaluation work in support of plans to acquire purpose-built large USVs in the future.

https://twitter.com/WarshipCam/status/1641096585877520385

That being said, Nomad was notably absent from the Navy's Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One (USVDIV-1) major trip to the Pacific region last year. Ranger and Mariner, as well as the smaller Seahawk and Sea Hunter medium USVs, made stops in Japan, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and finally Australia. Those four uncrewed ships then took part in Exercise Autonomous Warrior 2023 with the Royal Australian Navy.

Ranger, in the background, along with the Seahawk medium USV, in Sydney Harbor ahead of Exercise Autonomous Warrior 2023. USN

The Navy is still looking to start buying new large USVs in the 2025 Fiscal Year. The service wants to have contracts in place for the construction of at least nine of the drone ships by Fiscal Year 2028. There has been pushback from Congress in the past over concerns about unproven uncrewed technologies. However, legislators green-lit the Navy's requested $117.4 million in funding to start laying the groundwork for large USV procurement in the 2024 Fiscal Year in the latest annual defense policy bill, or National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). President Joe Biden signed the Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA into law in December .

The [capabilities development document] is being developed right now to deliver in 2023," now-fired Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday had said at a press conference at the Navy Leagues annual Sea Air Space symposium in April 2023, according to USNI News . "That actually lays out the specific requirements for LUSV."

In addition to the USVs assigned to USVDIV-1, the Navy is already actively testing and evaluating various smaller uncrewed vessels , including armed types , in real-world operational contexts in the Middle East. You can read more about these efforts, which are being led by a unit called Task Force 59, here .

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1730172497805394249

In February 2023, the Navy also commissioned the Spearhead class expeditionary fast transport USNS Apalachicola in service. Significant autonomous capabilities were tested aboard this ship before its delivery, and it retains much of that functionality, but there are no plans currently to utilize the vessel in an uncrewed mode.

"By the middle of this century  up to 40 percent of the fleet will be unmanned," Navy Capt. Scot Searles, the service's Program Manager for Unmanned Maritime Systems also said at least year's Sea Air Space conference, according to USNI News . "Theres a clear demand signal to develop and field it and it has to be affordable. Thats the thing that weve got to key on now, when its [in] this nascent stage of development, make it affordable, lethal, scalable, and connected."

Whatever the Navy's reason for auctioning off Nomad now might be, the ship has been an important part of the service's work toward an increasingly uncrewed feature. For anyone interested in being part of this vessel's next chapter, and has the resources to do so, there's still another week or so to place a bid.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled against Union County parents who claimed a Charlotte private school expelled their children after they raised questions about an alleged move away from a traditional, apolitical education.

Doug and Nicole Turpin claimed Charlotte Latin School retaliated against them for wanting to know more about the schools operations. The appellate decision by a three-judge panel on Tuesday, which the Turpins intend to appeal, upheld an October 2022 trial court ruling favoring the school in the case around an agreement between Charlotte Latin School and parents.

Judge Carolyn Thompson wrote in the opinion the Turpins failed in their efforts to make a case for breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, negligent infliction of emotional distress, defamation, or negligent retention or supervision. The other members of the bipartisan three-judge panel, John Arrowood and Julie Flood, concurred with Thompsons opinion.

The couple said until the 2020-2021 school year Charlotte Latin provided the traditional, apolitical education they expected when enrolling their children in school, according to the ruling, which was first reported by the Carolina Journal.

The Turpins initial April 2022 lawsuit alleged Charlotte Latin expelled their children  both middle school students  after the parents began asking questions about the schools direction.

The key argument in the case hinged around a Charlotte Latin School clause in its enrollment agreement that reserves the right to discontinue enrollment if it concludes that the actions of a parent/guardian make that a relationship impossible or seriously interfere(s) with the schools mission.

Parents objected to school changes amid George Floyd protests

Judge Thompson said in the opinion the Turpins allegations against Charlotte Latin School make clear that a positive, collaborative working relationship between the School and plaintiffs was not capable of being accomplished.

Indeed, the animosity between plaintiffs and defendants can be observed in just the second paragraph of plaintiffs complaint, wherein plaintiffs assert that the schools actions were an example of what has come to be known in American society as cancel culture, Thompson wrote.

The Turpins said they were concerned with several strategic decisions Charlotte Latin made after the George Floyd protests in 2020. The couple wanted to question school officials about the impact of changes in the school curriculum they observed. They pointed to a letter sent to Charlotte Latin parents in June 2020 that suggested the school had allegedly moved toward a curriculum, culture, and focus associated with a political agenda, according to the brief.

During the 2020-2021 school year, the Turpins and other parents who became concerned with changes in the curriculum, reading materials and classroom policies formed a group called Refocus Latin to address issues with the school.

Being a parent isnt easy. Parents have a rightor, at the very least, a needto understand what their children are exposed to, whether by their friends, the media, or their teachers, lawyers for the Turpins wrote in a brief filed in August. This is a case about two parents needing an answer to that question.

In a statement obtained by The Charlotte Ledger, the Turpins indicated they would challenge the ruling.

We are extremely disappointed with the Court of Appeals decision. Even more, we are incredibly concerned about the bad precedent the decision sets for private school parents and children statewide, the statement said. Private school students must not be expelled from school when parents communicate their concerns about the curriculum and culture of the school or about their childs health and safety.

The lawyer for the Turpins, Chris Edwards of the law firm Ward and Smith, argued the school unfairly targeted the family.

It may be a nonprofit business, but this is a business, not a public school, Edwards said. So, the Turpins are the schools consumers, and it has an obligation to deal with them in good faith.

Charlotte Latin had right to terminate agreement with parents

Thompson, however, concluded the Turpins went beyond wanting to just meet with Charlotte Latin School leaders about curriculum and direction.

(The Turpins) then devote two additional pages of their complaint to assail Latins political agenda and note that they ultimately request(ed) the opportunity to meet with the Board  in hopes of beginning a dialogue about the need for better transparency with parents regarding curriculum and the need for consistency with Latins Mission and Core Values, as well as Latins promise of a traditional and apolitical education, Thompson wrote.

Thompson said that Charlotte Latin could legally terminate its relationship with the Turpins because the agreement did not allow parents to continuously assail the culture and curriculum of the school, with which they no longer agreed.

Thompson concluded Charlotte Latin was empowered to terminate its relationship with the Turpins at its discretion because the parents had made their relationship with Latin impossible or substantially interfered with its mission.
A North Carolina travel agent is accused of stealing over $25,000 from people he booked on an Alaskan cruise that he later claimed had been canceled.

Eric Johnson, owner of Statesville-based Carolina Blue Tours, allegedly ended up going on the cruise himself and kept peoples money for his personal use, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said Wednesday in announcing felony charges against the 43-year-old Statesville man.

Johnson told The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday that he reimbursed everyone for the cruise. He referred further questions to his lawyer, Matthew Benton, who didnt return an email requesting comment.

Johnson was charged this week with six counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense, Campbell said in a news release. He is free on $6,000 secured bond.

How did authorities find out?

The case dates to late July, when an 83-year-old woman filed a fraud report claiming that she and other residents had been scammed out of their cruise, according to the sheriffs office news release.

The victim reported that exactly one day before her scheduled departure date, the owner of the travel agency canceled the trip due to personal reasons and would not issue an immediate refund, Campbell said in the release.

Sheriffs investigators identified more victims during the five-month investigation, Campbell said. Deputies also obtained search warrants for Johnsons financial records and his companys account history with Royal Caribbean, the cruise line that hosted the Alaskan cruise, the sheriff said.

Those records showed that funds were transferred from Johnsons business account into his personal accounts and that he allegedly paid for personal trips from his business account, according to the news release.

Agents account history

A review of Johnsons account history with Royal Caribbean shows he allegedly failed to book reservations for all of the victims who paid for the cruise, Campbell said.

In fact, it was determined that Johnson had personally attended the cruise after informing all of the victims that the cruise had been canceled, Campbell said.

Johnson also is accused of filing a fake dispute with his financial institution in which he denied taking a personal trip to New York, Campbell said. Johnson received about $4,000 as a result of the fraudulent dispute, the sheriff said.

Low BBB rating

Carolina Blue Tours has a D+ rating by the Better Business Bureau.

The low rating was given because of a failure to reply to a customer complaint, according to the BBB website.

The website doesnt detail the nature of the complaint but also says the business has not been accredited by the BBB.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  During a time of despair, comes even more loss as the home of one of the UNLV professors who was killed in last months mass shooting was burglarized.

Las Vegas Metropolitan police released a report on the incident and neighbors told 8 News Now they caught the thieves in the act.

Burglars target Las Vegas home of UNLV professor killed in mass shooting

These people, these opportunists know that the house is vacant, April Reyes said.

She and her husband Mario had been neighbors with late UNLV professor Naoko Takemaru for years.

April shared pictures of what a police report revealed when officers found open medicine cabinets throughout the home.

These girls come out with backpacks, a duffle bag, and a box full of papers out the front door as if it was their home, April shared.

Neighbors and police confirmed that the woman jumped into a black SUV with two masked men.

Neighbors were yelling at her like what are you doing? Why are you taking her stuff she was just fixated on walking towards the car, April recalled.

Unfortunately, the Reyes family said this wasnt the only time their late neighbors house had been burglarized.

I called 911 three times because there was a lot of activity that wasnt supposed to be happening in the middle of the night with someone in her house with flashlights, April said.

Out of nowhere you have all these things happening and the fact that someone died in a tragic way and then to have this happen. Its not right, Mario Reyes added.

While Metro has yet to confirm any additional burglaries, neighbors shared with 8 News Now that some of the suspects involved had been arrested.

Police noted that they have since secured Takemuras property.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto reflected on working inside the U.S. Capitol the day rioters descended on the building as Congress certified the 2020 election.

Cortez Masto was on the floor of the U.S. Senate when armed protesters breached the building. The senator was about to give a speech about the validity of the election.

Three years later, the Nevada senator, who voters re-elected in 2022, said democracy remains on the minds of Americans.

That played out in my re-election, thats one of the reasons why I got re-elected and it wasnt just Democrats it was just people, Americans, Cortez Masto said. I dont care if youre Democrat, Republican, Independent, man, woman, it was this visceral emotion that people have about that and they want to protect, rightfully so, our democracy.

After the Capitol breach, Cortez Masto shared photos of the aftermath, showing her disheveled and looted office.

The events of Jan. 6 led to former President Donald Trumps second impeachment. Cortez Masto and seven Republicans voted Trump guilty.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, shared this photo of the destruction inside the U.S. Capitol. (KLAS)

Six Nevada Republicans who submitted fake electoral certificates claiming Trump won the 2020 election have pleaded not guilty to the state charges filed against them.

Late last year, a Clark County grand jury indicted the group on charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument, stemming from the submission of the documents in 2020. Both charges are felonies.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
California lawmakers face all sorts of political brushfires as they return to work Wednesday  the budget shortfall is huge, crime is on the minds of constituents, and voters start casting ballots in a month.

Assembly members and senators come back to a $68 billion budget gap while trying to look as attractive as possible ahead of the March 5 primary election. Voters will start receiving their mail-in ballots in about a month.

Democrats now have huge majorities in the Legislature. But theyre going to have to endure Republican attacks around crime, drugs and cost of living issues. And Gov. Gavin Newsoms priorities, and what to many seems a shifting political philosophy, will undergird everything.

Here are five story lines that will affect lawmakers arriving at the Capitol for another year.

An enormous budget gap

The budget will be top of mind for lawmakers, who will be involved in fixing a growing budget problem caused by a late-2023 tax revenue shortfall.

Assembly and Senate budget leaders in December told The Sacramento Bee everything is on the table to address the lack of funds, including spending cuts and dipping into reserves.

Newsom will unveil his budget proposal by Jan. 10. After that, his administration will begin negotiating a financial plan with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego.

In addition to developing budget solutions, lawmakers must tailor their bills and political expectations to fit a leaner year. Republicans have already been pushing belt-tightening, urging Democrats to pull back on priorities such as expanding Medi-Cal and providing reparations for Black descendants of slaves.

But Democrats are hoping to avoid cutting funds for social services and schools.

The 2024 election

Many lawmakers, especially Assembly members, will be on the 2024 ballot.

That means every vote and public statement will be subject to a special amount of scrutiny as opponents hunt for campaign ad material. Even 2023 decisions could pop up as voters begin to return ballots.

Election concerns likely factored into Democrats decision to back a bill from Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, adding child sex trafficking to the states three strikes list. The controversial policy increases prison sentences for those repeatedly convicted of felonies.

The need to attract Republicans in purple districts likely motivated two Central Valley Democrats, Marie Alvarado-Gil of Jackson and Jasmeet Bains of Delano, to vote against a Newsom plan last year to hold oil companies accountable for high gasoline prices.

A handful of longtime lawmakers are also in their last year in the Legislature as they term out or pursue local or national offices, leaving their seats open.

In Sacramento, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty is running for mayor, creating a competitive race to represent the city in the Capitol.

Assembly and Senate leadership shakeups

Both legislative bodies will have new leaders for most of the year. That brings a shift in priorities and committee assignments, which could spark fresh policy-making approaches.

Rivas took charge of the Assembly on June 30, after a bitter and extended leadership battle with outgoing Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood. But he began his tenure late in the legislative year, after budget negotiations and before a month-long summer recess.

January will mark the true start of his speakership, although he began making significant leadership and committee chair changes in November. Perhaps most significantly, the powerful Assembly Appropriations and Budget committees will get new chairs for the first time in years.

In the Senate, Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, will succeed termed-out Pro Tem Atkins on Feb. 5 after a quick and amicable leadership transition. McGuire will have more involvement in the budget and legislative priority-setting than Rivas initially did, but it remains to be seen whether he plans to make major Senate-side committee changes.

GOP pressure on crime and drugs

Republicans have little power in a Legislature dominated by a Democratic supermajority, but GOP lawmakers managed to exert some influence over crime and drug policy in 2023.

In the spring, former Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, ended up holding a special hearing for fentanyl-related legislation after Republicans publicly pressured him.

Bills to increase penalties for drug-related crimes did not get out of the committee, but the hearing and appearances from families who had lost loved ones to fentanyl overdoses were notable.

The success of Groves child sex trafficking bill also stirred controversy in the Capitol, and it could spur similar bills adding new three-strikes crimes.

This year, Newsom already announced he plans to push legislation to curb xylazine trafficking and use, an indication he sees the importance of being proactive on the issue. Xylazine is a strong sedative often mixed with fentanyl.

Rivas creation of an Assembly Select Committee on Retail Theft further shows Democrats desire to address crime before Republicans use it to hit them.

Newsoms shifting politics and priorities

Newsom in 2023 made it crystal-clear that he intends to seek a place on the national political stage, which appeared to affect his political decision-making and will continue to do so moving forward.

He created a political action committee to support Democratic causes, took a tour of Republican states and debated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on national television. Newsom continues to deny he is seeking the presidency in 2024, but his actions suggest a future bid.

This may have motivated the governor to take a more cautious approach when it came to bill-signings. In September, he vetoed a bill that would have required judges to take parents acceptance of their childrens gender identities into consideration when negotiating custody arrangements.

He also declined to sign bills that would have given unemployment pay to striking workers and workplace protections to domestic employees.

Newsom likes to remind reporters he leaves office in about three years. This, and his future ambitions, will inevitably be on his mind as he enters 2024.
Bombasta is a South Texas barrio big band aims to combine "horn-driven cumbia rhythms [with] politically-charged lyric." Roseann Garcia

The headlining act at San Antonio's New Year's Eve celebration took the opportunity to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.

"From the frontera to Palestine, none of us are free until we're all free," Bombasta frontman Roberto Livar was captured saying onstage at the Arneson River Theatre.

The barrio big band from South Texas played alongside DJ Joaquin Muerte and Vanita Leo on the riverside stage as part of CelebrateSA, the city's official New Year's Eve bash that took place in three downtown locations.

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"It shouldn't be controversial to call for a cease-fire," Livar said. "We shouldn't wait months to call for a cease-fire."

Livar is a longtime advocate for social justice causes  both publicly and behind the scenes  and recently posted a photo on social media from a protest he attended against violence in Gaza.

He didnt plan to speak out at CelebrateSA but, when he got onstage, it felt like the right opportunity to use his platform, he said.



Where politicians fail, artists can succeed, he told the Express-News. Ive been very disappointed in city leadership.

Livar's New Year's Eve comments come as Mayor Ron Nirenberg faces criticism for declining to end San Antonio's friendship city status with Tel Aviv.
Firefighters on Wednesday worked to extinguish a 2-alarm fire at the Florida mansion belonging to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, WSVN reported. Tyreek has been in communication with his family. Everyone is out of the house and safe at this time. He has also left practice to deal with the situation, the Miami Dolphins said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

Read it at WSVN

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Hospitals across the country said their services were under immense pressure as the junior doctors strikes began - iSTOCK

The NHS has told patients to look after yourself as the doctors union refused pleas from hospitals to let junior doctors cross picket lines.

Several hospitals declared critical incidents, with warnings that services were under immense pressure during the first day of a six-day walkout by junior doctors.

On Wednesday night, it emerged that hospitals pleaded with the British Medical Association (BMA) to allow junior doctors to cross picket lines on safety grounds, only to be rebuffed. More than 20 requests are understood to have been made so far.

The union accused hospitals of trying to recall striking doctors for work on safety grounds without providing the requisite information that attempts to find all other sources of staffing had been exhausted.

NHS leaders urged people to take responsibility for your own health as services struggled to cope with mounting pressures on the first day of the longest NHS strike in history.

Dozens more hospitals called on patients to help keep our emergency department free for genuine and immediate emergencies.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust told the public to do your bit  a campaign slogan used during the Covid pandemic.

We need your help, it wrote on social media. Please #DoYourBit and keep our local emergency departments free for serious and life-threatening emergencies only.

Junior doctors have began a six-day walkout at hospitals across England - Ian Forsyth

Local NHS leaders in Herefordshire and West Essex, as well health officials in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, said patients could help themselves by picking up a few medicines while youre shopping so that you can look after very minor illnesses or injuries yourself.

They said people can buy basic essentials like paracetamol, ibuprofen, plasters, antiseptic cream, allergy medicine and indigestion remedies from pharmacies and supermarkets for less than the cost of a prescription.

University Hospitals Sussex urged the public to take responsibility for your own health and wellness, while Dr John Byrne, south-west Londons medical director, said: Please look after yourselves, check on vulnerable friends and relatives and, if you do need us, think about the most appropriate service to use.

Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS medical director, said: We know hospitals are already experiencing significant demand with other NHS services also under immense pressure  and although staff are doing the very best for patients with extensive preparations in place, there is no denying the NHS has started the year in a very difficult position.

This latest round of strike action will not only have an impact on this week but will have an ongoing effect on the weeks and months ahead, as we struggle to recover services and cope with heavy demand.

Emergency departments warned of significant disruption at the start of the longest strike in NHS history.

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS trust declared a critical incident on Wednesday, saying its A&E unit was full.

The trust said that we need every possible space to treat patients with life threatening conditions and injuries, saying any case that was not an emergency would be redirected elsewhere.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation trust said it had declared an internal incident which began before the strike was under way.

A spokesman said extremely high demand for our services meant all efforts were being focused on maintaining safe staffing and generating bed capacity. The trust said striking junior doctors had not been recalled.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust also confirmed a critical incident, which had said was in place before the strike started, but was not helped by the walkouts.

Under agreed strike protocols, striking workers can be asked to return to work if safety is compromised.

In a letter to Amanda Pritchard, the head of the NHS, the chairman of the BMAs council said a number of NHS trusts had failed to provide evidence to back up their assertions that they lacked consultants to cover the shifts.

The union also said the fact that some requests were dated last Friday suggested little to no effort had been made in finding alternative solutions. It declined to provide details of any of the trusts that made the requests.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent has told people to help keep our emergency department free and only attend A&E if they have an immediate life-threatening need.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said patients faced waits in A&E of up to 11 hours because of how busy they were, while Nottinghamshire Healthcare Services declared a critical incident after strikes across hospitals in the county.

Junior doctors on a picket line at St Thomas Hospital, London - Geoff Pugh

An NHS spokesman said: The NHS has a robust process in place for seeking derogations from the BMA to prioritise the safety of our patients and this has involved providing strong evidence where the most challenged systems need support.

Nationally, we will continue to support local medical directors and other clinicians as they work hard to deliver the safest possible services for patients.

Given this period of industrial action coincides with the most difficult time of year for the NHS, it is to be expected that more senior medical leaders will ask their colleagues for allowances to be made to ensure safe levels of cover.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: We urge the BMA junior doctors committee to call off their strikes so we can find a fair and reasonable solution and so we can all get back to focusing on patients and their care.

NHS staff continue to work hard to prioritise emergency treatment, neonatal care, maternity, and trauma, and to ensure patients who have waited the longest for elective care and cancer surgery are prioritised.

Patient safety is paramount, and NHS England works with providers, professional bodies, trade unions and other bodies to agree safe levels of cover in advance of strike action.

Junior doctors are striking until 7am on Jan 9 and are asking for a pay rise of 35 per cent.

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.
Nigel Lythgoe, a former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer, is facing another sexual assault lawsuit, just days after former Idol judge Paul Abdul made similar accusations against him.

The suit, obtained Tuesday by multiplemediaoutlets, was filed at the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles by two women identified only as Jane Does. The women accused Lythgoe of sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, negligence, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The plaintiffs were reportedly contestants on All American Girl, a single-season ABC reality show from 2003 that Lythgoe produced.

The lawsuit notes that filming for the show occurred in Los Angeles between January and May 2003, during which time Lythgoe  reportedly referred in the filing as John Roe N.L.  allegedly made unwanted sexual advances after a wrap party.

The plaintiffs say Lythgoe took an unusual interest in one of them and insisted that she ride in his car to go back to the studio where everyone else was going for an afterparty. The other woman allegedly followed to ensure her colleague was not left alone.

The former Idol producer allegedly took the women to his home and pulled his sweater over one of the womens heads, attempting to kiss her and pushing her body close to his. He allegedly pinned the other woman against a grand piano when his first advance was rejected.

Lythgoe is alleged to have pushed himself against [the second womans] body, and forced his mouth and tongue onto her despite her numerous statements telling him not to and attempts to pull her face away from his. Lythgoe also allegedly groped the women on the set of the show.

Representatives for Lythgoe did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

Three women have now accused former

Three women have now accused former "American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault.

Abdul, who was one of the original Idol judges from 2002 to 2009, claimed in her own lawsuit last week that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her during the shows early seasons and once more during her 2013-2016 tenure on Dance. Lythgoe denied her claims.

To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement, he said in a statement. For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear  and entirely platonic  friends and colleagues.

While Paulas history of erratic behavior is well known, I cant pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue, Lythgoe went on. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.

Abdul sued prior to Sundays expiration of the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which permits civil suits on claims that would otherwise be dismissed due to the statute of limitations. However, Tuesdays plaintiffs filed suit after the expiration of the Accountability Act, which means they may have waited too long under Californias standard 10-year statute of limitations.

Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website.

Related...
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks to supporters during a Town hall event on December 12, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire Credit - Sophie ParkGetty Images

This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox.

Every four years, as White House wannabes make their final push into lead-off Iowa, all of the sage strategists who can be found nursing drinks at the Des Moines Marriotts bar are tending to the same anxiety: Does their contender have enough runway to launch, or did the campaign perhaps peak too soon?

The answer is often disappointing, and this years Jan. 15 caucuses are shaping up to be no exception for most of the field. For every Cinderella-like story for the likes of Mike Huckabee in 2008 or Rick Santorum four years later, there is a Michele Bachmann or Rick Perry, who both flashed brightly but briefly, only to flame out. Surges are easy to hallucinate, but the real late-breaking Big Mo is tough to pull off. Even then, it mightnt matter; going back almost a half-century to 1976, only four winners of competitive Iowa GOP caucuses have become the Republicans nominee.

Already, Republican campaigns have spent almost $105 million on ads in the state, according to tracking from the independent firm AdImpact. That is one out of every three dollars spent on political ads this cycle among White House hopefuls nationwide. Yet the focus of the barrage of ad spending has narrowed to a single candidate: Nikki Haley, who has climbed from low single-digits in Iowa to a legitimate second-place contender. Her goal is to emerge from the caucus as the most viable alternative to a third nomination of Donald Trump, setting her up for a stronger finish in New Hampshire, where shes been nothing short of a rocket since late summer. Soon after will be the South Carolina primary, where her baked-in advantage as a former Governor is not to be ignored.

Heading into the final two weeks of the costliest contest in Iowa caucus history, Haley is the undisputed champion on the local airwaves, where there is no avoiding almost 350,000 cumulative political ads and counting. She and her allies have scheduled a massive $4.6 million in advertising before the caucus, according to AdImpact. The Trump campaign, by contrast, has a little less than $1 million on the books and his super PACs are dark. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose bubble seems to deflate a little more with every week, has about $1.7 million booked before the caucuses through his campaign and two (sometimes-rival) super PACs.

(Tech bro Vivek Ramaswamy has canceled his remaining Iowa ad buys after $1.8 million in spending there has failed to move the needle, spending he later called idiotic and laughable for its lack of data-driven results. Christie, who never found Iowa a particularly ripe place for his tough-talking East Coast brashness, is looking to make his stand in New Hampshire, a state where he finished in sixth place when he ran eight years ago and dropped out the next day. Christies boosters insist that unlike eight years ago, Granite Staters are leaving his town halls committed to backing him.)

Four years ago, when Iowa last hosted a caucus with just one competitive raceTrump was assumed to win re-nomination in 2020 so Iowa didnt rack up spending on the GOP sidethe Democrats spent a whopping $70 million on ads. That sum, twice what was in play ahead of the 2016 caucuses that were competitive on both sides of the aisle, included roughly a quarter from billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who saw negligible help on his way to a 1% finish.

By the time we finally get to this Election Day, theres a very good chance that total ad spending on the White House race alone will top $2.7 billion nationally, according to one estimate. Across all races, the sum could soar to $10.2 billion nationally.

The old cliche in Iowa is that you win by spending time in small klatches with caucusgoers and visiting all 99 counties on a retail-heavy schedule. Evangelical Christians, too, have long held major swayespecially their leaders who often sign on as advisers to the campaigns. Yet despite Iowas reputation as a place where anyone with a conservative message can break through without vaults of cash, that mightnt be the case any longer.

To be sure, Haleys late-hour dominance on the air may not fundamentally change the race. In the states where she is beating most other contenders, shes still mightily down. Trump has about a 30-point advantage at this point in Iowa and South Carolina polling, and is up more than 20 points in New Hampshire. Haley seems stuck in single-digits in Nevada, which frankly has not been atop her priorities because it comes in the window between New Hampshire and her Waterloothe one at home in South Carolina, not the one in Iowas Black Hawk County.

Iowa has a reputation for being notoriously tricky to poll, given the caucuses decidedly non-democratic nature of forcing folks to publicly announce their picks in front of their neighbors at a specific time and place. Still, no contender with a double-digit lead at this point has ever lost the caucuses, according to a Des Moines Register analysis.

Then theres this reality in all four early-nominating states: Trump, at least for now, seems to be facing criticism solely from former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He alone seems to have the spine to go directly at Trump. Much of Haleys ad buy is meant to criticize DeSantis or to introduce herself to Iowans. The same goes for DeSantis, who is training his attention at Haley. Only 3% of the negative ads in Iowa have laid a hand on Trump all cycle, according to an AdImpact analysis.

This is the problem with my three colleagues, Christie said at last months debate that Trump skipped. They're afraid to offend Donald Trump. As they were that night, they appear to remain so, by and large.

But theres a reason Haley, who served as the U.N. Ambassador during the Trump administration, and DeSantis, who was an early favorite of Trump backers looking for an alternative before they actually met the Florida Governor, are muting their criticism: Christies anti-Trump strategy hasnt worked. He failed to qualify for next weeks debate in Des Moines. If you go after the party don, youd best not miss. (Ramaswamy, too, failed to make the cut for a night that will be DeSantis and Haley going one-on-one as Trump and Ramaswamy hold separate alternative programs.)

Yet time is running out for either Haley or DeSantis. Both went heavily to Iowa, known to reward those who show up. Two weeks isnt a ton of time to make up her considerable deficitagain, if the polls are to be believed. Should the polls be off again, maybe the Haley-DeSantis skirmish on the airwaves could be decisive. Their media buyers sure think so and dont mind their commissions, either.

The airwaves, however, are clogged with the ads from those supporting Haley and DeSantis  two East Coast Guvs trying to convince heartland caucusgoers that theyre a better fit for their values than the thrice-married New York billionaire, even if they wont make the comparison that bluntly. Tricky Nikki and too lame to lead, too weak to win have been the insults hurled across the narrow ditch that separates the pair compared to their differences with Biden.

Neither is likely to overtake Trump based on this gutter chase. A ticket out of Des Moines and into Manchester, N.H., might be the real prize and sufficient to justify the investments in the state. But this has all of the makings of a 2016 deja vu, with the potential Trump alternatives all spending too long deciding who should be the last one of them standing. At some point, winners know how to punch up and through and stay there. Thats the momentum the Svengalis assembled at the Des Moines Marriott bar are chasing. Some of their clients, however, insist on continuing to swipe laterally, at best. It could deliver Trump the nomination and the nuclear launch codes once more.

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Write to Philip Elliott at philip.elliott@time.com.
Nikki Haley is reporting her strongest fundraising quarter so far as the former governor and ambassador storms into January ascendant in polling, money and attention.

The Haley campaign reported on Wednesday that it had taken in a stunning $24m in contributions in the final quarter of 2023. The total, campaign officials said in a press release, was more than double any previous quarters fundraising sum.

Her impressive haul is indicative of one thing: She is heading into the beginning of primary and caucus season with serious momentum behind her campaign, and may very well now be the Republican with the most credible chance of dethroning Donald Trump as the frontrunner for her partys nomination. Mr Trump remains far ahead of Ms Haley in national polling of the Republican field, but has seen his former representative to the UN close the gap in New Hampshire. She has simultaneously pulled ahead of Ron DeSantis in some Iowa polling, too.

Now, her campaign faces the prospect of delivering an embarrassing rout to Mr DeSantis in the first-in-the-nation contest in Iowa this month; such a victory would propel her into the second state, New Hampshire, with a winners mentality (even if she remains far behind Mr Trump).

Her Q4 fundraising haul is actually only a few million more than the haul Mr DeSantis drew in the immediate wake of his much-hyped campaign announcement last year. The Florida governor, however, has sagged in polling since his entrance into the race and faces continued criticism for robotic-seeming interactions with voters. Her fundraising also lags far behind Mr Trumps Q3 total, though donations to his aligned Save America PAC are also contributing to the former presidents legal defence fund.

Officials with the Trump and DeSantis campaigns have yet to announce their respective Q4 totals.

Next week, Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis are set for a one-on-one debate in Iowa, five days ahead of the caucuses. The two are understood to be battling for second place in the state, while frontrunner Donald Trump continues to refuse to even participate in the traditional practice of debating his opponents live, on camera. Next weeks matchup will be the first debate solely between the two would-be runners-up; CNNs polling and fundraising benchmarks for participation in the contest have excluded lower-performing challengers Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Iowa polling, while sparse, has indicated that Ms Haley is rising in support there too; such a dynamic is devastating news for Mr DeSantis, who had poured much of his campaigns focus and resources into the state while his rival did the same in New Hampshire. He remains the only 2024 Republican candidate (so far) to complete the Full Grassley  a tour of Iowas 99 counties named after the states senior Republican senator. He also enjoys the endorsement of Kim Reynolds, Iowas governor; Ms Haley, in contrast, has won the support of New Hampshires Gov Chris Sununu.

A statement from the Haley campaign on Thursday touting the news of her surge in donations tried to ice Mr DeSantis out of the conversation entirely, suggesting that the collapse in support for his campaign was more pronounced than statewide polling has yet indicated.

This is a two-person race between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, stated Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney in the press release. Nikki is the only Trump alternative with the voter support, the operation, and the resources to go the distance. Our momentum continues to build as we head into 2024.
In a Fox News interview with Harris Faulkner on Wednesday, 2024 GOP candidate Nikki Haley was asked again about her recent viral response on the campaign trail to a question about the causes of the Civil War in which she omitted mentioning slavery. When the questioner said he found it astonishing that Haley hadnt used the word slavery at any point in her answer, she asked, What do you want me to say about slavery? The former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor told Faulkner, Really, the media is the only one that has talked about this issue, to which Faulkner responded: No, thats actually not true. Haley went on to insist in the exchange with Faulkner that not one person on the ground in New Hampshire or Iowa are talking about it. Haley had been asked the question about the Civil War by a voter at a town hall in New Hampshire.

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Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has the support of a lone member of Congress, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.  for now. But theres a small crop of lawmakers quietly rooting for Haley, including Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who has attended at least one event in Iowa with the former governor.

Bacons wife Angie chairs the Nebraska arm of the coalition Women for Nikki in their home state. Her Reagan-like philosophy best matches mine, the congressman told Semafor, but he admitted hes trying to not be decisive in doling out endorsements.

Kadias view

The muted fist pumps for Haley are a reminder of how much Donald Trump still controls the partys base: Politicians across the ideological spectrum have been reluctant to back anyone else while hes the obvious frontrunner.

Just last month, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., whos facing a tough reelection bid, was caught on audio privately supporting Haley in front of constituents before telling reporters he wont be making any official endorsements.

None of this has dismayed her congressional ally Norman, who predicts more members are primed to raise their hands for Haley if she performs well in the early contests and Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie drop out of the race.

They will [endorse] after she becomes the clear favorite to take on Trump which she is in the process of doing!! he texted.
An imam was shot and killed in front of his Newark, N.J., mosque early Wednesday, local police confirmed.

The shooting occurred at about 6:15 a.m. outside the Masjid Muhammad mosque, just after the 6 a.m. morning prayer.

The imam, Hassan Sharif, was transported to a local hospital where he later died, the Newark Department of Public Safety confirmed.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin (D) said the early investigation has found no signs that the shooting was motivated by bias or domestic terrorism.

While we would orderly ordinarily not go public with this type of information so early in our process, we know and I know, that in light of global events and with a rise in bias directed at many communities were experiencing across our state, but particularly the Muslim community, there are many in New Jersey right now who are feeling a heightened sense of fear or anxiety at the news of this slaying, Platkin said at a press conference.

Information on a suspect or motive was not released.

Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage remembered Sharif as a community leader and ally of local law enforcement.

He was a committed advocate who protested against gun violence continuously. He supported the city and all of its efforts helping to keep our city safe, and it is with a deep loss that the city will mourn his absence, he said. Lets keep his family in our prayers.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) reiterated his commitment to supporting the Muslim community in a statement earlier Wednesday.

At a time when the Muslim community is concerned by an increase of bias incidents and crimes, I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship, he said.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement calling on the community for help.

We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam. spokesperson Dina Sayedahmed said. Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police.

This story was updated at 5:17 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A caravan of 50 vehicles filled with people protesting the war in Gaza blocked Airport Way outside the Portland International Airport at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, preventing travelers from reaching their terminals by car for several hours.

Port of Portland Police responded to the scene but made no arrests during the demonstration. No flights were delayed as a result of the demonstration, causing some of those stuck in traffic to exit their vehicles and attempt to reach their terminals by walking along Airport Way, KGW reported.

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The Portland International airport, which is operated by Port of Portland, issued a statement about the incident on social media at 5:01 p.m., after protesters cleared the road at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Hello, travelers headed to PDX, the airport wrote on social media. A protest caused a temporary roadblock on Airport Way. Were working to minimize the impact on your journey. The Port Police have cleared the roadblock and are working to reroute shuttle buses and traffic. Your safety and smooth travel are our top priorities. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

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Port of Portland said that the protesters violated Oregon law by intentionally impeding traffic and barricading a public roadway. However, the agencys spokesperson Kara Hansen told KOIN 6 News that the agency helped passengers attempting to get to the airport by foot during the demonstration.

In order to balance support of free speech activity with the unique safety, security and accessibility needs of the airport, PDX routinely works with protest organizers to identify various locations where groups can picket during set hours to ensure safety and minimize the impact on travelers, Hansen said. While organizers of this protest had not requested a permit, Port of Portland police worked with partners to reroute traffic and have buses available to assist those attempting to reach the airport on foot while traffic was temporarily disrupted.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
District 10 Councilmember Marc Whyte, right, confers with Mayor Ron Nirenberg during a City Council special session in Council Chambers on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

City Councilman Marc Whyte, charged with driving while intoxicated on Friday, has hired the San Antonio attorney who helped keep Whytes District 10 predecessor out of jail after he drunkenly crashed into a car and fled the scene in late 2022.

Whyte retained David Christian as his criminal defense attorney. The Northeast Side councilman said Christian  whos also defending KSAT reporter John Paul Barajas after his arrest on a DUI charge in November  has been a friend for a while.

Whytes arraignment is set for Jan. 30, according to court records.

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Whyte, 43, was arrested shortly after 11 p.m. Friday. An officer with the San Antonio Police Departments DWI unit pulled Whyte over after seeing him driving erratically in the eastbound lanes of the Northeast Loop 410 access road just south of San Antonio International Airport. According to a police affidavit, Whyte told an officer hed consumed three beers that night.

He refused to take a breathalyzer test or allow his blood drawn to be drawn to determine his blood alcohol level, the affidavit states. Police obtained a warrant from a magistrate judge ordering Whyte to comply, and a nurse drew his blood at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, records show.

The sample has been sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety lab in Austin for analysis. Its unclear when DPS will deliver the test result.

Whytes predecessor in District 10, Clayton Perry, drank 14 alcoholic beverages in four hours at the Evil Olive on the North Side on Nov. 6, 2022, and then crashed his Jeep Wrangler Rubicon into a Honda Civic and fled the scene, according to police. However, Christian said in a court hearing last year that wasnt true, that Perry bought rounds for other patrons at the bar and only drank half of the 14 drinks.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the City Council swiftly reprimanded Perry. The week after the hit-and-run incident, the council cast a 9-0 vote of no confidence, and Nirenberg stripped Perry of his committee assignments.

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Perry took a council-approved leave of absence, returning to office about two months after the incident.

Its unclear how City Council will handle the allegation against Whyte, if at all.

I spoke with Councilman Whyte and appreciate his willingness to immediately acknowledge his behavior, but his actions cannot be condoned, Nirenberg said in a statement. Representatives of the public should be held to a higher standard and a further course of action will be determined once more details of the case come to light.

On Saturday, the councilman released a statement in which he said hed never driven when he felt intoxicated, and that he hadnt believed he was intoxicated Friday night.

He expanded on his comments in an interview with the Express-News on Tuesday.

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I did have drinks that day, and so I should not have driven home, Whyte said. Nobody that has even one drink, in my opinion, should get behind the wheel of a car. And so I take full responsibility for that and have to now deal with with the consequences of my actions.

Whyte is a business-law attorney who ran unsuccessfully for the Texas House as a Republican in 2018. He won the District 10 seat by a landslide vote in May and took office in June.

Hes the lone social and fiscal conservative on City Council.

Several former District 10 councilmen rallied behind Whyte after lobbying Perry to step down in light of the charges against him. Perry had served three two-year terms on council.

Making the rounds

Whyte was traveling 80 mph in a 65-mph zone and was drifting between lanes without signaling, the officer who pulled him over wrote in an affidavit. Whyte smelled strongly of alcohol, his eyes were glassy and red, and he swayed back and forth after getting out of his car, the affidavit says.

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When the officer asked if he had been drinking, Whyte replied, I had a beer, according to the affidavit.

The councilman then said hed had one drink at El Mirasol restaurant on Northwest Military Highway and a second at Myrons Prime Steakhouse next door, the affidavit states. Whyte later told the officer he stopped for a drink at the nearby Thirsty Horse Saloon, too.

Whyte also said he was sober, according to the affidavit.

At least two City Council members saw Whyte at El Mirasol.

District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda was with him at the restaurant, said her chief of staff, Victor Landa. But she did not go with him to the steakhouse or the Thirsty Horse Saloon  she was home by 9:30 p.m, he added.

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Landa said she was with Whyte and several other people at El Mirasol, without identifying others in the party.

District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur said in a statement that she ran into Councilman Whyte at El Mirasol on Friday before leaving to host my staff holiday dinner at my home.

Im aware of the allegations but was not in a position to confirm or deny the claims, she said.

Whyte declined to say with whom he socialized Friday night.

The group was seven or eight at one point, and then a few at another and then a few at the other, he said.

He was arrested and booked on a charge of DWI first offense, a misdemeanor. He was released from the Bexar County Jail early Saturday after posting bail, set at $2,000.

'Guy that made a mistake'

Whyte said he hoped other council members and District 10 residents see this as a guy that made a mistake.

Mike Gallagher, president of the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance, is one of several past councilmen who rallied behind Whyte and urged Perry to step down. He said he hoped City Council doesnt act too quickly before finding out all the details of this incident.

On Saturday, Gallagher said Whyte had just returned from a very long trip in Australia, and so theres probably a lot more details to this matter than we know about.

Whyte confirmed he had been on a family trip in Australia, adding that hed been very, very tired after returning to San Antonio. He said he landed in Houston at 10:30 a.m. that Friday.

After speaking with Whyte and other past council members, Gallagher said on Tuesday, We are in full support of Marc and hope that everything goes well and smoothly for him and for his staff.

Gallagher said hes concerned about the possibility of Whyte being stripped of his committee assignments or reprimanded by council. Whyte serves on City Councils audit, economic and workforce development, and public safety committees.

Theres certainly a clear difference between the two events that weve been examining, Gallagher said, comparing the allegation against Whyte to the case against Perry.

But not everyone is as forgiving.

Lon Jett IV, vice president of the Citizens on Alert Sierra North neighborhood association in District 10, said the group is disgusted by Whytes behavior and disappointed to have a second council member accused of drunken driving.

We all believed in him, thats why we elected him, Jett said. We thought it would be totally different from Councilman Perry.

Jett ran unsuccessfully for District 10 councilman in 2017. Though he voted for Whyte and has been pleased with his performance on council, Jett said the association wants the council to remove him from office in light of his DWI arrest. Jett said he will run for the seat if that happens.
Shawn Michael Pivonka, 37, was charged with murder Tuesday. Police say Pivonka shot and killed his girlfriends tenant in a landlord dispute. Gabriella Ybarra

A San Antonio landlords boyfriend was arrested Tuesday after he was accused of killing his girlfriends tenant last month.

David Martin Beck, 41, died at a home in the 1000 block of West Huisache Avenue on Dec. 14.

Shawn Michael Pivonka, 37, was charged with murder Tuesday. Bail has not been posted yet.

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Police said the landlord of the home had tried to evict Beck from the property, but Beck submitted an appeal and won. That morning, Beck was set to serve the landlord his appeal papers.

READ MORE: Councilman Marc Whyte lawyers up for DWI case

The landlord was obviously upset about it and the landlords boyfriend got into the mix, said Sgt. Washington Moscoso with the San Antonio Police Department.

Moscoso said Pivonka confronted Beck about the dispute and it escalated. Pivonka, who was armed, made a fist and swung toward Beck, who also was armed, Moscoso said. At some point, Pivonka shot Beck, killing him, according to police.

Pivonka remained at the scene until police arrived. However, police were unable to arrest him until they received cellphone and surveillance footage showing that he was the shooter, Moscoso said.

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NEW YORK  A Brooklyn housing cop was cleared of NYPD disciplinary charges that he used a racial slur when he stated at a vigil for a man fatally shot by police that he would have shot the man himself.

A Police Department trial judge found Officer Jamarr Burnett not guilty of making the comment overheard by Motique Graves, whose brother Malik Tyquarn Graves, 33, died in a fusillade of police bullets when he allegedly pointed a gun at a group of officers on June 2, 2020.

The judge in the case said that while there was evidence the comment was made, there was no clear evidence Burnett made it.

The NYPD trial judges not guilty verdict was approved in October by Police Commissioner Edward Caban, and only recently became public. The case against Burnett was brought by the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

Malik Tyquarn Graves, 33, was killed June 2, 2020, by police in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Graves sister, Motique Graves, testified that she heard Burnett say I would have shot that little n myself on June 4, 2020, two days after her brother died.

The heartbroken sister testified at the One Police Plaza trial room that the ugly comment she heard at an outdoor vigil by the Van Dyke Houses on Blake Avenue in Brownsville led her and her friend to wonder aloud why the cops couldnt let them mourn in peace.

Ms. Graves was upset at the comment, turned back to the officer, and said Excuse me?' according to NYPD departmental trial papers. Somebody came and pulled her away, and a higher-ranking officer came and removed (Burnett) from the scene.

Graves cousin Shauntay Watkins was walking behind her and testified at the departmental trial that she also heard the comment.

Watkins reported the statement to the CCRB, which investigated and charged Burnett with using offensive language. Investigators also charged Burnett with making an untruthful statement when, while being questioned seven months later about the exchange, he said he didnt recall the incident.

The two women never got Burnetts name or shield number when they heard the comment. The CCRB charged Burnett based on their descriptions, which were backed by New York City Housing Authority surveillance camera footage.

The offensive comment was made two days after Malik Graves was gunned down by police during a tense standoff on Rochester Avenue and Dean Street in Crown Heights just outside the Kingsborough Houses.

Malik Graves had just shot and wounded another man when police arrived, cops said. During a confrontation, officers ordered him to drop his gun.

Graves ignored the instruction and raised his pistol at the officers as if he was going to fire, then-NYPD Chief of Department Terrence Monahan told reporters at the time.

He had a gun in his hand. They saw it, Monahan said. The officers gave orders for the male to drop the weapon. We hear the officers for over a minute  Hes moving his hands, hes getting up. Hes gonna go. Hes gonna go. Please drop the gun! Please drop the gun!

Roughly 10 cops were at the scene. Officers fired 62 shots and hit Graves a dozen times, killing him.

Relatives called the amount of force used to stop Graves overkill.

Both Motique Graves and her cousin testified at the departmental trial and identified Burnett as the cop who said the derogatory statement.

But NYPD Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Trials Jeff Adler, the judge in the case, determined the two women pinned the comment on the wrong cop, according to his findings filed with the department on May 5.

While the surveillance footage showed the two women confronting a group of officers around the time of the vigil, there was no audio, so it was unclear at the trial what was said.

The footage also disproved some of the statements made by Graves and her cousin, who identified another cop in the video clip  not Burnett  as the officer who made the statements.

At issue is not so much whether an offensive comment was directed at Ms. Graves by one of the officers, but rather, whether the credible evidence has proven that (Burnett) was, in fact, the officer who actually made the remark, Adler said.

Although Ms. Graves identified (Burnett) in court as the officer who made the offending comment, I was not persuaded as to her reliability as a witness.

Officer Burnett, who is Black, came across as earnest as he insisted that he would not use the word n as alleged here, Adler said.

Burnett, a 10-year NYPD veteran, testified that he didnt remember the interaction, records show. He noted he worked 12-hour tours for a 13-day stretch during that time, at the height of the 2020 George Floyd protests in the city.

The officer also stated that as an African American male he would not use the word n and that his dad, a former police officer with the NYPD, taught him better than that, Adler said.

Additionally, records show, Burnett claimed he didnt recall anything about Maliks death  even though he was the neighborhood coordination officer for Public Service Area 2, the police command for the public housing area where the shooting occurred.

CCRB Executive Director Jonathan Darche disputed Adlers findings, noting that Burnett never denied making the slur.

This case is another example of why the NYPD should not have final disciplinary authority, Darche said. There is video of Officer Burnett at the event interacting with the civilians in question. The civilians unwaveringly identified Officer Burnett as the officer responsible.

Darche also questioned Burnetts testimony.

Despite this taking place outside a memorial for a man who was killed by NYPD officers two days prior, Officer Burnett claimed he had no recollection of the entire event, Darche said. He never denied saying the phrase, yet that was enough for NYPD to disregard the allegations.

Emails and calls to Burnett and his attorney John Tynan were not immediately returned.

When reached by phone, Motique Graves declined to comment on Adlers decision. The Graves family has an ongoing wrongful death suit against the NYPD and the city in Brooklyn Federal Court.

_____
An NYPD cop is facing criminal charges for sharing a suspects credit card number with bumbling buddies who tried but failed to use the digits on a Starbucks run, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.

Lunch on me guys! Officer Andy Urrutia allegedly boasted in a text message chain with his friends after sharing an arrested womans credit card number, expiration date and security code back on March 23.

Urrutia, 23, also sent photos of the credit card, which was among the womans seized belongings while she was being held at the 52nd Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx.

Try it, the cop wrote. You are all welcome.

Urrutias benevolence at the unsuspecting womans expense drew rave reviews from his friends, particularly one buddy named Lemon who joked Probably got overdraft fees cause they broke.

Another friend wrote About to run it up at Starbucks.

But the card number was declined by a Starbucks barista. Urrutias friends tried to run the card four times before giving up, according to court records.

When the arrestee learned her card was used and declined while it was sitting in an NYPD stationhouse, she reported the fraud to authorities.

It didnt take the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau long to track the crime down to Urrutia, who was taken into custody early Tuesday after finishing a midnight shift.

When he got off they were waiting for him in the upper lot of the 52nd Precinct stationhouse, an NYPD source said. He was taking pictures of victims and perps IDs and credit cards and sending them to friends who made charges.

Cops and prosecutors were investigating if Urrutia had shared any other suspects credit card numbers with his friends, sources said.

Investigators charged Urrutia with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, petty larceny, official misconduct, attempted identity theft and unlawful possession of personal identification. He was suspended from the force following his arrest.

A Bronx Criminal Court judge ordered him released without bail. Hes due back in court Feb. 6.

The woman who owned the card had been arrested three days before Urrutia sent the digits to his friends, prosecutors note.

Urrutia, who has only been with the NYPD for a year, was working when the woman was arrested but it wasnt immediately disclosed if he handled her arrest.

A call to Urrutias attorney was not immediately returned Wednesday.

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EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo.  The Clay County Sheriffs Office has identified a Gardner, Kansas, man who was found dead across state lines in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

Officials said 53-year-old Gildardo H. Carvajal was found dead in Rocky Hollow Park in Excelsior Springs on Dec. 22.

Court docs: Woman tried to cover up mans death, dump body in Clay County

Charging documents released last week say parks employees found the man in a culvert, partially wrapped in trash bags, with trauma to his head and face.

Prosecutors have charged Elena Del Carmen Flores with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse in Carvajals death.

Elena Delcarmen Flores has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.

The Clay County Sheriffs Office initially struggled to identify the man, even releasing a photo of the victims tattoo to the public.

Charging documents say detectives first went looking for Flores in an attempt to contact members of Carvajals family.

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One person at the home said Flores was the victims girlfriend, and Flores told her she had to go to Mexico for a family emergency, court records say.

The woman also said she heard a noise or scream on Dec. 20 or Dec. 21. When she went into Flores bedroom, she saw her with a bat, court records say. The witness said Carvajal wasnt moving.

Clay County deputies searched surveillance cameras in Excelsior Springs and Kearney. They allegedly located Flores vehicle at a Kearney gas station on Dec. 21. Court records say the video shows what appears to be a large shiny material like a trash bag in the back seat.

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The Clay County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help in locating Flores.

Officials said she lives in Gardner, Kansas, but they believe she has fled to Mexico and is no longer in the Kansas City area.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
The Mexican officials said Wednesday that they had successfully rescued 31 migrants, most believed to be Venezueans, who had been kidnapped over the weekend as they traveled by bus towards the U.S. border.

Mexican officials did not provide details of the rescue, nor did they identify the criminal group behind the kidnapping, but Jesus Ramirez Cuevas, spokesman for the Mexican presidency, announced the rescue and said the migrants were safe and undergoing a medical exam.

Thanks to the coordinated effort of the Government of Tamaulipas [state], the FGE [State Attorney Generals Office], Sedena [Secretary of National Defense], National Guard and the SSPYC [Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection], all 31 migrants that were kidnapped on December 30, 2023 were rescued, Ramirez Cuevas, said through his X account.

Five of the 31 initially abducted were rescued Monday night by members of the National Guard, after two of their kidnappers abandoned the car in which they were transporting the migrants in the bordering state of Tamaulipas, the Security Ministry said in a press release. The rest were rescued later.

According to local press reports, the group of immigrants, which included women and children, were traveling by bus from Reynosa to the border town of Matamoros when they were forced to stop by armed men  believed by authorities to be members of local drug and human trafficking cartels.

Some were traveling to Brownsville Texas, where they had appointments with immigration officials to go over their asylum petitions. Officials said the lions share of the group was made by Venezuelans, but among them there were also Colombian, Honduran and Mexican nationals.

The abduction took place at a time when the U.S. officials are dealing with a growing number of people attempting to enter into the United States through the southern border. According to a CBS article published last week, the number of migrants processed at the border reached the record level of 300,000 per month in December.

But reaching the border is fraught with danger for immigrants, who risk being extorted by corrupt officials and victimized by criminal gangs as they make their way throughout Central America and Mexico.

The Mexican government reported that more than 2,100 immigrants were kidnapped by smuggling gangs and drug cartels in 2022 as criminal organizations attempted to turn the massive wave of immigrants moving into the country into a lucrative side business.

In one case reported by the Miami Herald last year, a Venezuelan national was kidnapped while traveling by bus near Matamoros by men pretending to be Mexican officials, who took them them to a hostage house where other previously kidnapped migrants were being held.

There were people who had been there for two weeks, others had been there for months, said the migrant, who identified himself as Jose. The one who was there the longest had been there for four months.

Some of the passengers were tortured by the kidnappers, he added.

Jose was later released after his father agreed to pay via Western Union a ransom amounting to about $900, a small fortune for his impoverished family.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A man has been arrested after being accused of a rape from over two years ago on the far west side of the city.

According to Franklin County court documents, Brent Copley is charged with one count of first-degree rape of a victim under the age of 13. Copley, 49, was arrested Tuesday after a five-week investigation.

Prior to the arrest, the Franklin County Sheriffs Office Communications Center received a call on Nov. 30 reporting an alleged sexual assault. The caller said the incident happened two years ago in Prairie Township along the far west side of Columbus.

One critical after hit-skip on Columbus highway

On Dec. 11, investigators interviewed the victim at the Nationwide Childrens Hospital Child Assessment Center, where she reported that at the age of 12, Copley forced her to have sex. The victim stated that the assault took place between Dec. 28 and Dec. 30 of 2021, and that Copley told her he would kill her if she told anyone about the incident.

Copley, who is also facing charges of drug possession from a separate incident in 2023, was issued a $500,000 bond in Franklin County Municipal Court. He also pleaded guilty in municipal court to domestic violence in 2013, criminal mischief in 2019 and controlled substance possession in 2021.

The court has scheduled a preliminary hearing for Copley on Jan. 12.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  The federal student aid application is now available, and with some significant changes for the 2024-2025 year.

The U.S. Department of Education announced its soft launch of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on Sunday, opening the application for short periods of time and pausing it for maintenance and updates. Federal Student Aid posted on X hours before the application launch that there were minor issues affecting user experience that it hoped to resolve during the soft launch.

The delayed rollout, which typically happens in October, is due to a slew of law changes impacting contribution calculations, grant eligibility and the application process itself. During the soft launch, no student information will be shared with schools or states until the end of January.

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The federal FAFSA deadline is June 30, 2025, but to qualify for aid from the state of Ohio, students must complete the form by Oct. 1, 2024. Many colleges and universities use FAFSA information to determine eligibility for scholarships and grants; institutions financial aid offices will have details and additional forms to submit, if required.

The changes beginning with the 2024-25 application cycle are the last of a series of revisions to the process under the FAFSA Simplification Act, first passed by Congress in the 2020-2021 budget. Previous changes include the elimination of eligibility restrictions related to selective service registration and drug convictions, an updated definition of cost of attendance, and allowing incarcerated individuals to qualify for Pell Grants.

A new student aid calculator

Most significantly, the 2024-25 FAFSA is the first that uses the Student Aid Index instead of Expected Family Contribution for determining award eligibility and expands qualifications for maximum Pell Grant awards. Anyone required to fill out information on a students form will be considered a contributor.

FAFSA uses three equations to calculate an applicants Student Aid Index, depending on if theyre a dependent student, an independent student without dependents, or an independent student with dependents  as determined by tax filings. The calculations are a series of factors that add, or subtract, to an applicants expected ability to pay for education and are explained in detail in the Federal Student Aid draft SAI guide.

Columbus City Council restructures for 2024: Heres what to know

The Student Aid Index is not a dollar amount but is used by colleges and universities to determine aid eligibility.

Unlike the Expected Family Contribution, the Student Aid Index does not consider whether a students family has other children in college. It can also be a negative value, with a minimum value of -1,500 instead of 0 and a maximum of 999,999.

A students caregiver may not be considered a contributor to their education for purposes of determining aid eligibility. Under the new application, contributors include the student, their spouse, biological or adoptive parents or their parents spouse. Grandparents, foster parents, stepparents or legal guardians arent considered contributors unless they have legally adopted the student.

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Federal Student Aid has released an updated calculator to estimate how much aid a student may be eligible for.

Less paperwork but more online steps

Many of the definition modifications align FAFSA more closely with tax filings  which, beginning with the 2024-25 application, will be pulled directly from the IRS instead of needing to be submitted by the applicant. Students and their contributors must individually consent to the IRS transfer to be eligible for federal student aid, even if their contributors dont have a social security number, didnt file taxes the previous year, or filed outside the U.S.

With the IRS taking over the lions share of financial data needed, what was last year an 103-question process has been whittled down to as few as 18 questions for some students.

Starting this year, all contributors will be required to create an FSA ID to complete a students FAFSA. You can create an FSA ID on StudentAid.gov with your name, date of birth and social security number; contributors without a social security number are still required to create an FSA ID.

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Once listed as a contributor, contributors will be able to complete their respective portions of a students FAFSA from their own account.

Students will also be able to list up to 20 colleges on their FAFSA if submitting online; if submitting a PDF, theyre limited to 10 colleges.

Expanded Pell Grant eligibility

The Department of Education estimates that 22,500 more Ohioans will be eligible this year for the Federal Pell Grant, available to low-income undergraduate students and some postgraduate students. Another 46,000 Ohioans will likely be eligible for the maximum Pell Grant award, which is not repaid.

Pell Grant eligibility will be based on the Student Aid Index and is tied to federal poverty guidelines. Eligibility for the maximum Pell Grant award depends on whether the student is dependent or independent and is as follows:

For all students, if SAI is between -1,500 and 0 or if applicant (or parent) is not required to file federal income tax return

For dependent students, if any of the following apply: Parent is single with an adjusted gross income up to 225% of the federal poverty level Parent is not single and adjusted gross income is up to 175% FPL

For independent students, if any of the following apply: Is a single parent and adjusted gross income is up to 225% Is not a single parent and adjusted gross income is up to 175%



The 2023 federal poverty line for a family of four is $30,000.

For students who dont qualify for the maximum award, Pell Grant amounts are calculated by subtracting the Student Aid Index from the maximum award amount. The 2024-25 maximum Pell Grant amount has not been announced. The 2023-24 maximum amount was $7,395.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The Oklahoma City Police Department is looking into a deadly shooting from December 26, 2023.

According to OKCPD, officers responded to the area of NW 50th and Willow Cliff Rd. around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26. Upon arrival, police found a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road.

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Authorities discovered 20-year-old Gabriel Garcia shot inside the car. He was transported to a local hospital where he died five days later.

Officials say this may be a drug-related shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Sukh Kaur says she believes San Antonio is a compassionate city, open to anyone with the heart to get here. Jessica Phelps Sukh Kaur Sukh Kaur, District 1 San Antonio City Councilwoman, takes a tour of the MRC in September. Courtesy/Sukh Kaur Notes of gratitude from immigrants who have passed through the MRC are posted. Courtesy/Sukh Kaur

I was 3 when my family and I immigrated from India to the United States.

My family fled our home after the Delhi riots, in which Sikhs were removed from their homes and killed, began in 1984. My family hid in our neighbor's home.

The United States represented all that we did not have, especially freedom and opportunity. We will never forget the day my parents passed their civics test and we became U.S. citizens. It's been 30 years, and we remain grateful every day.

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In September, my team and I toured the Migrant Resource Center, or MRC, which is in District 1. We wanted to see for ourselves the process and the experience of refugees receiving services. And we were trying to understand the challenges faced by the staff.

The day we visited, the shelter was at capacity.

I kept thinking, How bad could the living conditions be for families with young children to drop everything and embark on a three-month journey to make it here?

I heard the all too-familiar stories of families fleeing violence in their home countries.

Seeing the gratitude from refugees being handed a fresh pair of clothes and a warm meal was heartwarming. Visiting a prayer room where messages left by other refugees shared hope and inspiration for future visitors was touching.

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America is a proud nation of immigrants, enshrined in the Constitution and referenced by former President Ronald Reagan in his farewell speech as "the shining city upon a hill."

And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here, Reagan said.

I believe San Antonio is that compassionate city, open to anyone with the heart to get here. However, Ive been dismayed at the anger and hate by some aimed at asylum-seekers passing through the MRC. I know thats not who we are as a community. San Antonio is a city strengthened by our diversity, not weakened by it.

This is not to say we shouldnt take appropriate measures to support residents and businesses impacted by the asylum-seekers at the MRC. When the MRC is at capacity, the refugees who dont have travel arrangements are seeking shelter behind businesses along San Pedro Avenue, causing an increase in loitering and trash.

Its clear that our immigration system is broken and has been for many years. Congress must act and, at the very least, pass an emergency aid package that would provide much-needed funding for Catholic Charities and the city of San Antonio to support safe passage to the final destinations for these immigrants.

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In the interim, the city has increased trash pickup and police patrols in the immediate area and placed a tent on the MRC campus to provide additional shelter from inclement weather.

During a recent trip to visit my family in Washington, D.C., I met Reina, a woman from Honduras who spent months finding her way to the U.S. to escape violence and reconnect with her brother in Washington. She spent one day at San Antonio's MRC.
Power outages and heating disruptions were reported in several towns of Russias Kursk Oblast by the regional Governor Roman Starovoit on Telegram on Jan. 3 following reports of a drone attack.

A power surge and water pressure spike caused a heating pipe to burst, leaving 17 apartment buildings in Zheleznogorsk without heat. Efforts are underway to restore power to the damaged substation using backup systems, Russian authorities said.

Read also: Russian city of Belgorod declares air raid alert three times, authorities report 1 killed, 4 hurt

Meanwhile, one person was killed and 11 others were injured in an alleged Ukrainian Vilkha multiple launch rocket system attack, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed on Telegram the same day.

Six Tochka-U missiles and six Vilkha rockets were reportedly intercepted over the oblast, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Earlier, explosions rang out and air raid alerts were declared three times in the Russian city of Belgorod on Jan. 2, with Gladkov later claiming one person had died and four had been injured as a result of a Ukrainian rocket attack.

Read also: Houses were shaking after powerful explosions rock Sevastopol and area overnight

Explosions also rocked the Russian border city of Belgorod on Dec. 30. Governor Gladkov claimed that the regional center had come under fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

He provided no evidence to support the claim. Later, photos of what appeared to be debris from S-300 air defense missiles allegedly found at the impact sites began circulating on social media.

Ukrainian media, citing a source in the special services, reported that the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces had launched a missile attack on military facilities in Belgorod, but that due to "the unprofessional actions of the Russian air defense" and "planned provocations, debris from downed Russian air defense missiles had fallen in the downtown.

The Russian authorities claimed that 24 people had been killed.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Former US President Donald Trump arrives at the New York State Supreme Court during the civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization, in New York City on December 7, 2023.

Hello OnPolitics readers! Voters havent picked the 2024 Republican and Democratic presidential nominees yet. That doesnt mean its too soon to start speculating about GOP frontrunner Donald Trump's potential running mate.

Trump/Pence 2024? Its not likely Trump will choose to run alongside his former vice president, Mike Pence. Pence was cast out of Trump world after refusing to disrupt the Electoral College count that put Biden in the White House in 2021.

Who will Trump pick? In our new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, when we asked Trump supporters to name their choice for the No. 2 spot, it was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who finished first, at 14%, USA TODAYs Susan Page reports.

Dont place your bets on a Trump and DeSantis ticket yet, given the fractured relations between the two after DeSantis emerged for a time as the most likely alternative to Trump. There are also constitutional complications from having both members of a ticket come from the same state.

What about Vice President Vivek Ramaswamy? Then there's Ramaswamy, volunteered by 10%. The entrepreneur and political newcomer has done the most of any in the field to emulate and defend Trump in the GOP debates that the former president has declined to join.

Dear Mr. Trump: Your backers have some ideas for a running mate. You won't like them all.

Stay in the know on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

In 2024, votes will be cast on issues and races that will set Americas direction for the coming years. The USA TODAY Network has everything you need to know to make the best choices for yourself and your family at the ballot box. Check out our voting guide on the candidates running for president and where they stand on the important issues facing the nation.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron DeSantis? Vivek Ramaswamy? Who will Donald Trump choose as VP?
Powerball lottery tickets are displayed Oct. 4, 2023, in Surfside, Fla. Someone in Michigan has won an $842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Years Day since the games start in 1992. | Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press

The 2024 Utah legislative session will commence in a few days, but already we have heard one idea that, if passed, would be among the worst public policy moves imaginable.

Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, is talking about changing the Utah Constitution to allow a state lottery. Her stated reason would be to raise enough money to reduce property tax rates, which have risen in recent years along with property values.

Its a terrible idea.

Birkeland keeps saying Utah is missing out on $200 million in revenue each year because people here drive to Idaho, Wyoming or Arizona to buy lottery tickets. That claim needs a bit of context.

A 2022 statistical report by the state tax commission said state residents were charged a collective $2.3 billion in residential property tax in 2021, with another $909 million charged to commercial property owners. Even if it were a credible figure, $200 million would hardly dent this amount. But its even less significant than that, considering only a portion of the $200 million spent on lottery tickets would be taxed.

Thats a tiny piece of revenue to chase in exchange for a wholesale degradation of the way state government interacts with its citizens.

Government derives its power to tax from the collective will of the people, who send their elected representatives to the state Legislature. Those representatives choose programs or needs to fund based on their judgment as to what is best for the people, and, by implication, the people agree to sacrifice a portion of their money for the good of society.

But states that decide to use lotteries to help fund government change that equation. Rather than sacrificing for the common good, people are lured with the false promise of striking it rich, and by the equally false promise of getting government services essentially for free.

In a recent piece for The Washington Post, author Jonathan D. Cohen demonstrated how state governments, worried about revenues, try to lure vulnerable residents into gambling on the lottery through advertisements, even though the odds are stacked against them.

These (ad) campaigns often feature children, painting the lottery not as a game of chance but as a civic good for the future of the state, Cohen wrote. Of course, these ads never acknowledge the actual percentage of lottery dollars that feeds into state coffers (28.6% nationally in 2021), neither do they show lottery revenue as a percentage of states total income (roughly 1% to 2% per year). But lottery commissions do not need to worry about misleading voters about gamblings contributions to government. Their mission is only to convince people to buy more tickets.

And those ads are exempted from the federal trade commissions truth-in-advertising laws.

Billboards on the side of the highway featuring a 10-figure payout place the prospect of a massive prize in players heads, and they do the rest, Cohen said. Even those who rarely or never buy tickets see eye-popping sums and are tempted to imagine a life of wealth.

Most of the people who respond by purchasing tickets earn low incomes and can least afford to lose their money. An investigation by the Howard Center of Investigative Journalism found that stores that sell (lottery) tickets are disproportionately clustered in lower-income communities in every state. In some states, these patterns also exist in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

A Bankrate.com survey concluded that people earning less than $30,000 spend 13% of their annual income on lottery tickets, while those earning more than $80,000 spend only 1%.

A lottery, then, would lure poor people with the false promise of riches, while the wealthy benefit the most. Not only is that unfair, its cruel.

But even the promises of state revenue often fall short. Or, as education writer Valerie Strauss wrote in a different Washington Post piece, in state after state, where lotteries send millions of dollars to public education, schools are still starved.

In Utah, the largest share of property taxes is administered by county governments. Birkeland said she wants to reduce property taxes to help seniors on fixed incomes. Counties already have circuit breaker laws that offer discounts to elderly and low-income residents.

But if she really wants to help seniors, she should look for ways to help them directly, not through indirect schemes that hurt poor people and offer false promises.

Only Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah remain free from the madness of lotteries, and only Utah and Hawaii remain free from the scourge of any type of gambling.

For the good of the nations fastest-growing state and strongest economy, we hope this always remains so.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  An employee at an Oregon mortuary has been arrested after admitting to stealing money from a deceased person, the Coos County Sheriffs Office said.

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According to officials, an out-of-state relative of a Lakeside, Oregon resident called on the Sheriffs Office to conduct a welfare check at their home on Saturday, Dec. 30. Deputy Shawn Starr arrived at the residence just after midnight, when he found that the homeowner was deceased.

CCSO reported that Starr removed some of the individuals belongings for safekeeping, before calling a local mortuary to collect the body per agency policy. Later, as the deputy processed the homeowners belongings, the agency said he noticed that $300 was missing from their wallet.

Starr reported the missing cash to his supervisor, who launched an investigation into the theft. According to Coos County officials, mortuary worker Kyle Robertson then admitted to stealing the money.

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The Sheriffs Office said Robertson returned $200, but he had already given the remaining $100 to a friend that he owed.

The 36-year-old man was arrested on charges of first-degree burglary and second-degree theft. Hes now being held at the Coos County Jail.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  After a Lane County circuit court judge denied PacifiCorps motion to dismiss negligence and gross negligence claims in December, a Willamette Valley winery is hoping to send a message of accountability to utility companies and lawmakers after the devastating Labor Day fires in 2020.

Brigadoon Vineyards LLC filed their lawsuit in June 2023 as the case now moves forward on the negligence charges against Pacific Power and its parent company PacifiCorp.

The winery argues that it is a victim of the Oregon Labor Day fires in Santiam, Echo Mountain, Archie Creek Complex, 242, and South Obenchain in 2020 as a result of PacifiCorps electrical system failures  leading to smoke particles tainting the winerys grapes, damaging wine production, and sales, the suit alleges.

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According to court documents, Brigadoon Vineyards says PacifiCorp did not shut off power despite warnings from the National Weather Service and Oregon officials that a historic red-flag-warning weather event would occur, producing catastrophic winds in excess of 50 mph, and hot dry air that was likely to cause electrical system failures that would cause dangerous fires.

Brigadoon Vineyards furthers that they were unable to sell its wines to the public at the regular price, or not at all, and claims they lost retail shelf spaces and suffered reputational damage, according to court documents, which note it will take five to seven years to rebuild its lost shelf space after the fires.

The company is one of several wineries, including Willamette Valley Vineyards, suing PacifiCorp for damages from the Labor Day fires.

Our grapes were just in the process of ripening at that time. And so many of the growers in the wineries were not able to use significant amount of fruit that they had grown, said Jim Bernau, founder and CEO of Willamette Valley Vineyards.

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The lawsuit alleges PacifiCorp refused to turn off its power for one reason, and one reason only: PacifiCorp wanted to sell electricity and avoid costs associated with shutting off power, thereby maximizing money to upstream its profits to its out-of-state parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Energy. PacifiCorp chose profits over safety.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that PacifiCorp failed to maintain vegetation that could fall onto electrical lines in red flag warning events that could ignite fires.

In favor of PacifiCorp, Judge Velure granted a motion from the utility company to dismiss an inverse condemnation claim  an action brought by landowners against governments to recover damages when property is taken, explained Robert Julian of Baker & Hostetler, an attorney representing Brigadoon Vineyards LLC.

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In a statement, PacifiCorp said, Recent rulings in cases related to litigation brought by Oregon wineries were favorable to PacifiCorp, rejecting key pillars of Plaintiffs claims. For example, in the Brigadoon case, the Court recognized that California-style inverse condemnation has no place in Oregon. Unsurprisingly, the Courts in other cases expressed significant doubts about the strength of Plaintiffs claims. Whether these cases are ultimately dismissed by a Court or rejected by a jury, the wineries smoke damage claims are baseless.

PacifiCorp went on to say that its ability to provide essential services is being threatened by spurious lawsuits like these and excessive wildfire damages pursued by out-of-state plaintiff attorneys who have a substantial financial stake in these outcomes.

The company added, With respect to the settlement agreements in Douglas County, PacifiCorp has resolved and will continue to resolve all reasonable claims.

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Julian says dozens of other wineries are signing up to file complaints against the utility company.

I think this is not going to be a close call, in my mind, and no wonder that the wineries are calling us day by day trying to sign up, Julian said.

Following this case, he says there should be several rules put in place for Oregon utility companies and government agencies.

When a government official  indeed, the state fire chief for the whole state  tells the utility that theres a high danger theyre going to start fires unless they turn off the power, the utility should listen to that and do it or theyre going to end up paying double damages or punitive damages on the basis of their willfulness, Julian said.

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He added, When you get those high winds on the ridges, and you havent replaced your old equipment, you got to turn off the power, whether or not the fire chief tells you to do so.

Julian furthered, It boggles the mind that they had an opportunity to turn off the power and didnt do it.

Moving forward, he says the legislature in Oregon should authorize enough money and compel the state agencies to investigate the cause of the fire and issue the report within six months. The only reports we have in the 2020 fires are in Douglas County. Theyre not a single report in northern Oregon.

PacifiCorp was previously deemed negligent in the wildfires, due to the companys failure to cut down power lines during the windstorm beforehand, when in June of 2023, a Multnomah County jury awarded more than $90 million to 17 victims of the incident that ended in nine deaths and 1,875 square miles of devastated land  and PacifiCorp could owe more to others who are eligible for punitive damages.

Those involved in the suits say theyre hopeful to work with PacifiCorp on an outcome that helps everyone.

(We) are encouraged by their most recent actions to make the community whole, Bernau said.

If these cases do move forward to trial rather than settlements, attorneys say those will likely be slated for early 2025.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has condemned Russian attacks on Ukraine and called for an immediate end to the war in a statement released on Jan. 2.

The appeal was made by the current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Trade of Malta, Jan Borg, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.

Read also: Kyiv suburb Vyshneve bore brunt of Russian attack  2 dead, 700+ in need, 184,000 lost power

"The new year has depressingly begun in the same way that the last one ended," the message reads.

Death and destruction have stolen the lives of women, men, boys and girls and destroyed essential infrastructure. Every day, it is civilians who consistently pay the price in this terrible conflict. They should never be the victims of deadly drone and missile attacks.

Read also: Kyiv downs more than 60 Russian cruise missiles and 10 Kinzhal ballistic missiles in barbaric attack

The Organization also called for an immediate end to the "unrelenting violence that does nothing but propagate a vicious cycle of misery and suffering."

Russia launched a new massive attack on Ukraine in several waves on Jan. 2. The aggressor used more than 130 munitions overall: 35 Shahed drones at night and 99 missiles in the morning.

Ukraine's air defense and defense forces destroyed all the attack UAVs and 72 missiles: all 10 Kinzhals, all three Kalibrs, and 59 X-101/X-555/X-55 missiles.

The attack killed five people in Ukraine and injured more than 130.

The Russian military launched the largest number of missiles and drones on Jan. 2 at Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Some 52 people were hurt in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Six of them were children, the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office reported. One person was killed. The city came under fire from ballistic missiles.

Read also:

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Bujar Osmani, Chairperson-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Ian Borg, Malta's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, and Helga Maria Schmid, Secretary General of the OSCE, have condemned Russia's large-scale air attacks on Ukraine.

Source: joint statement by the OSCE heads

Quote: "The new year has depressingly begun in the same way that the last one ended. Death and destruction have stolen the lives of women, men, boys and girls and destroyed essential infrastructure.

Every day, it is civilians who consistently pay the price in this terrible conflict. They should never be the victims of deadly drone and missile attacks."

Details: The statement said OSCE leaders condemned "these ongoing attacks in the strongest possible terms" and called for "an immediate end to the unrelenting violence that does nothing but propagate a vicious cycle of misery and suffering".

"We call for this war to end now," the statement added.

Previously:

On 2 January, Russia launched 99 missiles of various types towards Ukraine, 72 of which were destroyed. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, noted that the Russians had attacked civilian and critical infrastructure, industrial and military facilities. They mainly targeted the Ukrainian capital.

Background:

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A grand jury has decided not to indict two Osceola County deputy sheriffs in the death of Jayden Baez, the 20-year-old gunned down in a Target parking lot as deputies tried to stop an alleged shoplifting, State Attorney Andrew Bain announced Tuesday.

This is a tragic situation that has affected many families, individuals, law enforcement members and our community, said Bain, who announced a new policy in September for grand juries to review officer-involved shootings. As with any case in the criminal justice system, the facts must be proven in a courtroom and beyond a reasonable doubt. We hope our community and everyone involved feels confident the grand jury reached a reasonable and impartial decision.

The decision comes nearly two years after a deadly encounter in April 2022 that drew widespread attention for the way a seemingly minor crime led to bloodshed.

The incident unfolded as Baezs companions returned to his car with about $46 in stolen pizza and Pokemon cards. The deputies who converged in the parking lot in unmarked vehicles had been practicing dynamic vehicle takedowns nearby as part of a training exercise, according to a federal lawsuit filed by Baezs family against the Osceola County Sheriffs Office. They fired when Baez attempted to drive away.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez refused to identify the officers, citing a state law intended to protect the privacy of victims, but the lawsuit identified deputies Scott Koffinas and Ramy Yacoub as firing the fatal bullets.

Baez was killed while two companions, Michael Gomez and Joseph Lowe, were injured by gunfire, with Lowe losing a finger after being shot in both hands as they were raised. A fourth passenger, who was a minor at the time of the shooting, survived unscathed.

Though the grand jury decided not to charge Koffinas and Yacoub for their roles in the shooting, the saga is far from over, said Mark NeJame, whose Orlando-based law firm is representing Baezs family along with the survivors. Bain said in his announcement that the jury may have more to say about the policies and procedures deputies following during the confrontation.

We are ecstatic to hear that this grand jury by this presentment has said it aint over yet, NeJame said. We hope that they end up highlighting some of the various deficiencies.

NeJame said neither he nor the family ever expected the deputies to be charged. Its almost impossible to get an indictment against law enforcement.

The final grand jury report is expected to be released in the next few months, Bain said.

The biggest thing that was also part of the policy that we put in place was that the grand jury got to weigh in on the incident that happened, Bain said. Next, he said, Theyll be able to present their findings and investigations to you all on ways that they believe that law enforcement can help preserve lives and what we can do as a community to prevent the loss of life from incidents like this.

Lopez has consistently backed the actions of his deputies, saying they were justified in all their actions.

But use-of-force experts interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel in the wake of the shooting were appalled by deputies actions, questioning whether it was appropriate to perform vehicle takedowns in response to a petty theft, a misdemeanor.

The only video of the incident was taken by a Target surveillance camera overlooking the parking lot. Deputies at the scene were not equipped with body or in-car dashboard cameras.

NeJame has long accused the Sheriffs Office of mishandling the shoplifting incident and its aftermath, and the familys lawsuit accuses Lopez of fostering an agency-wide culture of escalating minor criminal offenses into violent and deadly scenes.

NeJame also accused Lopez of enabling a cover-up, pointing to the deputies reports on the incident all being filed on the same day at the same time more than a week after the shooting. The attorney sent letters to state and federal officials calling for an investigation, and WFTV-Channel 9 later reported the U.S. Department of Justice opened a probe into the matter.

The investigation into the Target shooting was initially led by State Attorney Monique Worrell after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded its review but was later taken over by Bain after she was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In May, NeJame publicly announced Worrell was investigating allegations of corruption at the Sheriffs Office related to the shooting, something Worrells office declined to confirm at the time. Worrell revealed the existence of the investigation to the Daily Beast following her ouster.

At the September press conference announcing the convening of the grand jury, Bain said the public corruption case was ongoing, though he added that evidence of those allegations would not be considered by the grand jury.

The status of that probe is unclear.
Migrants walk the Rio Grande by Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News A Texas National Guardsman stands at his post along the concertina wire lined banks of the Rio Grande south of Eagle Pass, Texas, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper helps migrants who breached a concertina wire barrier along the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, Thursday, July 20, 2023. Through Operation Lone Star, Texas has lined the banks of the river with concertina wire in an effort to keep migrants from entering the U.S. through the state. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss out a ruling that bars border agents from cutting or moving Texas-owned razor wire along the Rio Grande, arguing the wire is endangering migrants.

The petition is the latest in an ongoing dispute over a key piece of Gov. Greg Abbotts border security initiative, which has now sparked a slew of court battles testing the bounds of the states attempts to wade into immigration enforcement long left solely to the federal government.

The Department of Justice on Tuesday filed an appeal with the high court, arguing last months ruling by a three-judge panel of the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals inverts the Supremacy Clause by requiring federal law to yield to Texas law.

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If accepted, the courts rationale would leave the United States at the mercy of States that could seek to force the federal government to conform the implementation of federal immigration law to varying state-law regimes, the brief says.

Attorney General Ken Paxton in October sued to stop Border Patrol agents from tampering with the wire, arguing they have no authority to damage or seize state property that is not on federal land and that their actions are thwarting state border operations.

The appeals court granted a request by Texas to stop federal agents from damaging, destroying, or otherwise interfering with the roughly 29 miles of state-owned wire near Eagle Pass. It includes an exception for agents to cut or move the wire to respond to medical emergencies.

The DOJ argues the ruling not only is legally erroneous, but also has serious on-the-ground consequences that warrant this Courts intervention.

Even with an exception for medical emergencies, the ruling could endanger migrants on the banks of the river, the brief says, as it can take 10 to 30 minutes to cut through the dense layers of razor wire.

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By the time a medical emergency is apparent, it may be too late to render life-saving aid, the brief says.

The Biden administration is also suing to force Abbott to remove a string of buoys the state deployed in the Rio Grande last year. And the DOJ last week threatened to sue if Texas moves forward with legislation empowering state officials to remove people from the U.S. who they suspect of being in the country illegally.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay's resignation following weeks of conservative outcry and intense scrutiny is an attack on Black leaders and particularly Black women, civil rights activists say.

Gay resigned Tuesday after weeks of outrage and criticism over her responses to antisemitism on campus and accusations of plagiarism. She was the first Black woman to head the Ivy League school and had the shortest tenure of a Harvard president in the institution's history.

Despite the widespread outcry, Harvard's governing board along with hundreds of alumni and faculty had rallied behind her and advocated for her retention. Her Tuesday resignation letter, and a statement from Harvard's board, described her experience of the backlash as being subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus, according to Politico.

What Claudine Gay sent to the Harvard community via email at 1:29PM ET. Subject was "Personal News" #Harvard pic.twitter.com/bfccNUsIh3  Julio Ricardo Varela (@julito77) January 2, 2024

The sustained pressure campaign came amid a broader nationwide conservative effort to thwart campus diversity initiatives meant to bolster support for underrepresented students, and the Supreme Court's 2023 decision to ban race-conscious admissions only added to the political right's push to tank diversity programming. Critics of the outcry against Gay have argued that the conservative alumni, donors and lawmakers fueling the backlash are out to accomplish the same thing.

Janai Nelson, the director-counsel and president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, criticized the scrutiny of the college leader leading up to her resignation, writing on X that the attacks against Claudine Gay have been unrelenting & the biases unmasked.

Her resignation on the heels of Liz Magills set dangerous precedent in the academy for political witch hunts, Nelson wrote on X, referring to the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, who in December stepped down amid outrage over her performance at a House hearing investigating how college leaders were responding to antisemitism on their campuses. The project isnt to thwart hate but to foment it thru vicious takedowns. This protects no one.

Attacks against Claudine Gay have been unrelenting & the biases unmasked. Her resignation on the heels of Liz Magill's set dangerous precedent in the academy for political witch hunts. The project isn't to thwart hate but to foment it thru vicious takedowns. This protects no one. https://t.co/0SpkC6z1SK  Janai Nelson (@JNelsonLDF) January 2, 2024

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, a supporter of Gay, called her resignation an assault on the health, strength and future of diversity, equity and inclusion.

He also directly called out on Tuesday one of Gay's critics, Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager and Harvard alum who had led calls for her to step down and suggested she was only elevated to the position because of her race. Ackman penned an open letter to the university criticizing Gay's failure to condemn the deadly October Hamas attacks on Israel in her initial statement and used his platform on X, formerly Twitter, to further critique the former college leader.

President Gays resignation is about more than a person or a single incident, Sharpton said in a statement. This is an attack on every Black woman in this country whos put a crack in the glass ceiling  Most of all, this was the result of Bill Ackmans relentless campaign against President Gay, not because of her leadership or credentials but because he felt she was a DEI hire.

Those sentiments toward DEI are held by other conservatives, including GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who wrote on X Tuesday that it was a thinly veiled exercise in race & gender when they selected Claudine Gay to lead Harvard.

Heres a radical idea for the future: select leadership based on *merit.* Its a great approach, actually, Ramaswamy wrote following Gay's resignation.

Harvards President Claudine Gay just resignedbetter late than never. Back in 2006, I was one of 3 students appointed to the advisory board to select Harvards new President in 2007 after Larry Summers was forced to resign after his supposedly misogynistic comments (which  Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 2, 2024

Ackman, for his part, pushed back on the criticism lobbed his way, writing on X Tuesday that President Gay resigned because she lost the confidence of the University at large due to her actions and inactions and other failures of leadership."

"Gay resigned because it was untenable for her to remain President of Harvard due to her failings of leadership, he added.

What did I say about @Harvard President Gay that has to do with money?



President Gay resigned because she lost the confidence of the University at large due to her actions and inactions and other failures of leadership.



Other than elevating concerns about Gay that were held by  Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) January 2, 2024

Sharpton said that his civil rights organization, the National Action Network, is planning to hold a protest outside of Ackman's office in New York for Thursday.

If he doesnt think Black Americans belong in the C-Suite, the Ivy League, or any other hallowed halls, well make ourselves at home outside his office, the reverend said.

Last month, Morehouse College President David Thomas lambasted Ackman for comments on X that claimed Harvard's presidential search committee "would not consider a candidate who did not meet the DEI offices criteria.

Mr. Ackman and others are right to call attention to issues of antisemitism at his alma mater where he attended as a Jewish student, Thomas said in a LinkedIn post. To turn the question to the legitimacy of President Gays selection because she is a black woman is a dog whistle we have heard before: black and female, equal not qualified. We must call it out.

PEN America expressed similar concerns last month about the risk of "undue" influence in higher education after Magill stepped down.

We should not hold university leaders to impossible standards, nor reward combative approaches by campus constituencies that overlook the genuine challenges involved, said Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America, in a December statement. We hope that this development does not serve as an invitation for politicians or donors to try to exert undue control over our higher education institutions.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who spearheaded the charge against Gay, Magill and MIT president Sally Kornbluth over their testimonies at the House hearing, declared Gay's resignation a victory.

"TWO DOWN," Stefanik, N.Y., wrote in a post to X. "Harvard knows that this long-overdue forced resignation of the antisemitic plagiarist president is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history,"





TWO DOWN. @Harvard knows that this long overdue forced resignation of the antisemitic plagiarist president is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.https://t.co/ZJLxrHw1Zd  Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 2, 2024

During the December congressional hearing, Stefanik questioned the then-three university leaders on whether "calling for the genocide of Jews" violates their schools' rules prohibiting bullying and harassment.

Gay answered that it "depends on the context" and said, "Antisemitic rhetoric, when it crosses into conduct, it amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation."

"That is actionable conduct," Gay continued, "and we do take action."

While Republicans and far-right activists erupted over Gay's testimony, critics of the outrage, including the former executive director of Harvard Hillel, have argued that right-wing forces are weaponizing antisemitism in an effort to further their attacks on higher education and provide cover for Israel's "deeply unpopular policies with regard to Palestine," according to Common Dreams.

Far-right activist Christopher Rufo and conservative news outlets further fueled the backlash by reporting and amplifying allegations of plagiarism against Gay.

"On December 12, in a statement backing Gay as president, the Corporation acknowledged findings of improper citation," The Harvard Crimson, the university's student newspaper, reported last week. "The statement also indicated Gay would make corrections to two articles, which she submitted on December 14. One week later, Harvard announced Gay would also submit corrections to her dissertation."

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Gay, whose tenure as Harvard's president lasted six months, wrote that she decided to step down "after consultation with members" of the Harvard Corporation.

David Austin Walsh, a historian and postdoctoral associate at the Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism, wrote in response to Gay's resignation that while he has "no particular love for Claudine Gay... this is a major victory for reactionary donors and the far-right's campaign to dismantle American higher education."

I have no particular love for Claudine Gay, but this is a *major* victory for reactionary donors and the far right's campaign to dismantle American higher education. https://t.co/iMZWoeGLKP  David Austin Walsh (@DavidAstinWalsh) January 2, 2024

Others echoed that sentiment, arguing that Gay's decision to step down would embolden the right and have reverberating effects on U.S. higher education.

"Claudine Gay didn't do herself any favors," wrote Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch, "but I'll say what I said when Penn's Magill resigned: This will be used by the very worst people to make higher education worse, not better. It will be used to cut funding, end diversity, stifle academic freedom."
A Pennsylvania representative proposed a bill to make standardized tests online instead of in-person at schools across the Commonwealth.

Standardized tests are given to students between grade 3-12. with the goal to measure student achievement, gauge proficiency and assist in identifying areas students near more support and instruction in, the proposal said.

In the proposal, Representative Paul Friel said the months-long lag between standardized tests being taken and the final assessment data being available means the usefulness of the results has largely expired. Friel said this wastes taxpayer dollars and the schools energy and time on a process that fails to serve our students.

The proposed legislation would require schools to give standardized tests online, with the scores of those tests required to be reported back to the school districts within ten business days.

Paper testing would still be available for students with Individualized Education Plans and those learning English as needed, the proposal said.

Friel said his bill also includes appropriate funding for schools that would need to purchase technological devices and broadband services to administer the online test.

Online standardized tests are faster to grade, cost-effective, and most students are already familiar with computer technology and devices in their daily lives. Please join me in supporting this legislation to decrease test costs and increase efficiency for Pennsylvania public schools. Friel said in the proposal.

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PARCHMENT, Mich. (WOOD)  Parchments library is encouraging residents to learn more about the state through the Great Michigan Read program.

Every two years, the program picks a book to connect Michigan residents by deepening readers understanding of our state, our society, and our humanity, Parchment Community Library said in a Wednesday release.

This year, the library has chosen Firekeepers Daughter by Angeline Boulley. According to her website, Boulley is the daughter of a firekeeper herself and grew up in Bahweting in Sault Ste. Marie and now lives in Southwest Michigan. She explains a firekeeper is someone who strikes ceremonial fires at spiritual activities in the tribal community and ensures protocols are followed, while providing cultural teachings through stories told around the fire.

Firekeepers Daughter follows Daunis Fontaine, a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, as her family faces a tragedy.

Why did KDL order 850 copies of the same book?

The Great Michigan Read program will kick off on Jan. 8 with a launch party from 4 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Library patrons can pick up a readers guide and bookmark, and enter to win a free copy of the book.

Later this month on Jan. 27, Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians nation citizen Madalene Big Bear will give a presentation on Potawatomi food traditions. The presentation will start at 10:30 a.m.

On Feb. 12, the final day of Great Michigan Read, there will be a book discussion at 6 p.m.

For more information, go to parchmentlibrary.org.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Bezalel Smotrich, then Israel's Minister of Transportation, speaks at a press conference on "Channel 12". Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich told Israel's Army Radio on 31 December that if Israel does the right thing, there will be an exodus of Palestinians "and we will live in the Gaza Strip." Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

The French Foreign Ministry has condemned statements from far-right members of Israel's government on the possible expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

"We call on Israel to refrain from such provocative statements, which are irresponsible and fuel tensions," it said in Paris on Wednesday.

Forced resettlement of population groups is a serious violation of international law.

"It is not up to the Israeli government to decide where Palestinians should live on their land," the ministry explained. "The future of Gaza and its residents will lie in a united Palestinian state living in peace and security alongside Israel."

The far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the equally far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had spoken out in favour of an Israeli resettlement of the Gaza Strip after the war against Hamas.

Ben-Gvir said on Monday that the war was an opportunity to promote the "resettlement of Gaza Strip residents." Smotrich told Israel's Army Radio on Sunday that if Israel proceeds correctly, there will be an exodus of Palestinians "and we will live in the Gaza Strip."

French President Emmanuel Macron had already labelled the statements on the forced resettlement of Gaza residents as unacceptable in a telephone conversation with Benny Gantz, minister in Israel's war Cabinet, the Elysee Palace announced on Tuesday evening.

Resettling Palestinians out of Gaza would be in direct contrast to the two-state solution which has been discussed for years.
The first two weeks of 2024 are boasting more rain potential for the Alamo City than all of December 2023.

A more active weather period is in the forecast through the middle of next week. This is more in line with a typical El Nino winter, which tends to mean wetter and cooler conditions than average.

We had some rain Tuesday, at least a half-inch in many parts of San Antonio, and now we are eyeing two more systems that are bringing even better rain chances to the region. The next one will arrive Friday, and then another just a few days later on Monday.

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Projected cumulative rainfall totals for the systems look promising, ranging from at least a half-inch to more than an inch in the Hill Country and San Antonio, to rising above 2 inches farther east, near Houston.

Cumulative rainfall totals over the next seven days will top an inch along the Interstate 35 corridor and more than 2 inches in East Texas. Pivotal

Looking back at last month, gauges at San Antonio International Airport, the citys official climate observation site, recorded only a little more than an inch of rain, which was below our typical December rainfall of 2 inches. The highest amount of rain fell during a storm on Christmas Eve, which produced 0.71 inch.

This was the eighth month in a row that had below-average precipitation. When you look back at the data for the year, you can distinctly see how the record heat, which really kicked in around mid-June with the first of 75 days of triple-digit temperatures, exacerbated the rainfall deficit in the second half of the year.

Wednesdays forecast and beyond

Thick clouds and some patchy fog will hang around behind Tuesdays storm system. Slow but gradual clearing is expected later in the day as high atmospheric pressure builds overhead. Clouds will clear from southwest to northeast. Locations along and north of Interstate 10 will be the last to clear, and thats where temperatures will be the coolest. Forecast highs will range from the 60s in the south to the 50s in the north.

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South and Central Texas will see decreasing cloud cover Wednesday in the afternoon and early evening. Pivotal

As for Thursday, it will be quiet and seasonable for early January. Morning temperatures will be in the 30s and 40s while high temperatures will climb to near our climate-normal for Jan. 4 of 63 degrees. Breezy south to southeast winds of 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as strong as 30 mph, will be ahead of our next rain maker.

Clouds will increase Thursday night as rain begins to fall west of San Antonio around midnight. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will likely arise during the morning commute and then subside by the evening commute home. This next storm, which will originate from the Pacific, will bring little to no change in our temperatures.

Temperatures will be seasonable in San Antonio through the weekend, but a warm-up is expected ahead of our third storm system in 10 days. WeatherBell

Finally, the third round of rain is expected to come on Monday with a strong cold front. Ahead of the front, temperatures will be warm with afternoon highs in the upper 60s and low 70s  but behind it, temps will fall with blustery north winds.
(Photo : Image by DJI-Agras/Pixabay )



Reports say that the air defense system at al-Asad Airbase knocked out and shot down drones targeting personnel in the bases. The Al-Asad Airbase is one of the biggest and oldest bases in Iraq. The US and Coalition troops use it for staging areas for operations in the region, reported CNN.

The base is located at the Anbar province, where Isis was very active in the western side of Iraq from 2014 and 2017.

Attacks by Iran

One rocket shot was shot down over Bagdhad, said the spokesperson for the US-Coalition forces, Wayne Marotto. He wrote in a tweet, "The missile landed close to the BDSC without any injuries or property damage. The attack is being investigated.", noted KDRV.

Attacks by anti-US forces have caused casualties, including civilians. The Biden administration wants Iran to go back for talks. However, Iran has held firm and refuses to abided by any agreements.

Marotto added that every attack on the Iraqis and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is intentional, which targets the authority of their institutions. The assault on Iraq is to undermine rule of law and national sovereignty cited Times of Israel.

Who sent the drones?

Intelligence has not pinpointed who carried out the stealthy attack with drones or the singular rocket attack directed at the BDSC.

Read also: US Navy Warns Foreign Ships in the Persian Gulf to Keep Distance or Face the Consequences

One year ago, the Al-Asad air base was struck by Iranian missiles in retribution for the US-sponsored assassination of the Revolutionary Guard commander, Qasem Soleimani. The killing strike was done when the general was near the Baghdad airport.

US withdrawal

Last April, the US indicated that it had intentions to leave the country, according to a joint statement from representatives of the US and Iraq. One of the reasons why the US is moving out is the end of the ISIS threat. Another reason cited is that local security forces are ready for the transition.

However, some US commanders have voiced their concerns if the US leaves the country. Some of these concerns include increased difficulty in monitoring the activities of terrorists and the loss of a convenient staging ground. There are also fears of the return of ISIS when the US withdrawal is complete, leaving Iraq vulnerable to ISIS and other Islamic insurgents.

Stationed in the country are 2,500 troops that are part of the international coalition Operation Inherent Resolve, made up of nations as a coalition to combat the forces of ISIS and defeat the organization. At some point, the ISIS Caliphate had been dominant in parts of Iraq and Syria.

Despite situations like the Iraqi drones shot down, most of the troops are not engaged in combat but are deployed for training and advisory tasks. The withdrawal of troops will allow for the redeployment of any remaining forces in the Middle Eastern country, added the joint US-Iraq statement.

Related article: US Ship Fires Warning Shots at 13 Armed Iranians After "Agressive" Boat Attacks




Alternative Facts

Before Christmas, the Southern New Jersey town of Bridgeton was best known for hosting the state's first zoo  but now, an artificial intelligence-generated news report about a murder that never happened may have put it on the map for all the wrong reasons.

In a Facebook post, Bridgeton police said that a since-deleted article on the news aggregation site NewsBreak about a Christmas Day murder in the town is "entirely false."

"Nothing even similar to this story occurred on or around Christmas, or even in recent memory for the area they described," the Bridgeton Police Department's post explains. "The article does not have an author and states at the bottom, 'This post includes content assisted by AI tools. This content was assisted by AI and may contain errors. Please verify critical information with trusted sources.'"

Cite Your Sources

While it's common for AI-generated articles to include disclaimers similar to the one BPD called out, Futurism was not able to independently verify the contents of the article because it has been summarily deleted from NewsBreak and is not archived anywhere online that we were able to find.

We have reached out to the site to ask if the article was a contributor original, which the site does publish a la Medium, or if it had been written elsewhere. That said, we're not too optimistic about a response, considering that NJ.com said in its own reporting about the AI incident that NewsBreak had not responded to its request for comment.

Ultimately, the slipperiness of this faux article's sourcing speaks to the heart of AI-generated content. Instead of revolutionizing media  or anything else, for that matter  outlet owners who insist on using generative AI instead of human writers have done little more than sow discord in an institution that's already infamously mistrusted by the public.

Media was already in a very sorry state before ChatGPT dropped in late 2022, but with a full year of AI madness behind us, it seems like nobody in charge has learned anything from the many mistakes made with the technology.

More on AI "articles": 80 Percent of Americans Think Presenting AI Content as Human-Made Should Be Illegal
UPDATE:

A 68-year-old woman reported missing has been found safe.

Dayton Police Department posted on social media that Charlene Roberts was been located and is safe.

Further information was not available.

>> Endangered Missing Child Advisory issued for Lima teen

INITIAL REPORT:

Dayton Police Department is asking for the publics help in finding a Dayton woman.

Charlene Roberts, 68, was last seen on Dec. 28 after picking up a man from a Greyhound Station.

Roberts is diabetic and needs medication, according to police.

She may drive a brown 2003 Chevrolet Impala with Ohio license plate JZW7533.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dayton Police Department at (937) 333-COPS (937-333-2677) or Crime Stoppers at (937) 222-STOP or on the web at miamivalleycrimestoppers.com.
A Mercer County man was arrested Tuesday after firing shots at officers and barricading himself inside a home for hours, according to the Harrodsburg Police Department.

Carl Isham, 52, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, resisting arrest and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, according to court documents.

Cpl. Jarrod Duncan with Harrodsburg police said officers responded to the Mooreland Avenue area in the Blue Ridge Subdivision Tuesday for a report of a domestic incident between Isham and a woman. When police arrived, they spoke to the woman and she told officers everything was fine.

Immediately after the woman said everything was OK, Isham emerged from behind her and fired 10 to 11 shots towards the officers, Duncan said. The officers were uninjured and fled for cover.

Isham barricaded himself inside the home, starting a standoff that lasted roughly four to six hours, according to Duncan. The woman was inside the home when the standoff started, but she got out unharmed pretty quickly, Duncan said.

The Kentucky State Police hostage negotiation team responded to the scene and talked the suspect out of the home without further incident, Duncan said.

Ishams arrest citation said officers deployed less-lethal rounds on Isham, hitting him in the ribs. He resisted arrest and it took three officers to get him into handcuffs, his citation read. Ishams online court file doesnt list a bond amount.

WKYT, the Herald-Leaders reporting partner, said the FBI was seen at the location of the incident.
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGCPD) charged a man for killing his friend who was reported missing in April 2023.

PGCPD said Parrish Goode, 23, is being charged with first and second-degree murder along with other related charges for shooting and killing Damion Myers, 20.

US Geological Survey measures magnitude 2.3 earthquake in the DMV

Officers responded to a home in the 12000 block of Nevin Ln. in Fort Washington on April 15, 2023, after a family member reported Myers missing.

Myers family said they had not seen or heard from him since April 14, 2023, when he tried to get a ride from Goode.

During the following week, PGCPD started uncovering evidence of Myers disappearance. Police said that he had been shot and killed inside Goodes car, but investigators never found his remains.

Hagerstown refines goals in final year of 5-year strategic plan

PGCPD filed an arrest warrant for Goode on Dec. 21, 2023, based on the totality of the evidence during their investigation.

Goode was taken into custody on Dec. 27, 2023, when he admitted to shooting Myers and trashing his body somewhere in Fort Washington.

Police were still investigating the motive behind the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call (301) 516-2512 or submit a tip online.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Police are searching for a man wanted in connection with a deadly shooting in Fall River last year.

Tajon Saxon, 26, is wanted on charges of murder, carrying a loaded illegal firearm, and carrying and illegal firearm in connection with the death of Diamonte Odom.

In addition to the arrest warrant, Saxon was also added to the Massachusett State Polices Most Wanted List.

Odom, 23, was found lying on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the head when officers responded to County Street around 10:45 p.m. on May 13. He was transported to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The gun used in the murder has yet to be found.

In addition to Saxon, three others were recently indicted on charges in connection to the murder after a long-term grand jury investigation.

Quanif Johnson, 26, was recently indicted on charges of murder, carrying a loaded illegal firearm, carrying an illegal firearm, trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a Class B drug, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding Device, unlawful possession of a machine gun and unlawful possession of ammunition. He is currently in custody in Rhode Island on charges connected to another homicide. He will be brought to Massachusetts at a later date.

Dioni Tavarez-Leonirio, 25, was indicted on a charge of accessory to murder-after the fact. He was arraigned in Fall River Superior Court on December 22, where bail was set at $5,000 cash.

Devin Alves, 18, was also recently indicted in connection to the ongoing investigation on charges of trafficking fentanyl, trafficking cocaine and two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition. He was arraigned in Fall River Superior Court Wednesday and held on $7,500 cash bail.

Saxon is described as a Black man around 510 and 160 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Saxon has used the alias Jameel Carr in the past, according to Massachusetts State Police. Authorities say he has ties to Fall River, Rhode Island and New York.

Saxon is also wanted on a default warrant in connection to the May 2021 Fall River double-homicide of Jovaughn Mills and Miguel Sanjurjo.

Because Saxon may be armed and dangerous, please do not approach him if located. Instead, call 911 or the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (1-800-527-8873) immediately.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Migrants arriving in New York City are now being redirected to New Jersey train stations, circumventing Mayor Eric Adams' recently implemented charter busing restrictions due to the surge in arrivals.

The mayor's order, implemented last week, restricts buses from arriving in the city between 8:30 a.m. and noon on weekdays, with severe consequences for non-compliance, as per USA Today.

Texas Governor Exposes Surge to Democrat Cities

In the midst of a larger trend of heightened migration from the southern border, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has disclosed that approximately 100,000 migrants have been relocated to cities governed by Democrats across the country as part of Operation Lone Star.

In response to the executive order, bus operators appear to have found a workaround by dropping off migrants at train stations in New Jersey, particularly at Secaucus Junction. Mayor Michael Gonnelli of Secaucus expressed concern, stating that the bus operators seem to be exploiting a "loophole" to circumvent the requirements of Mayor Adams' order.

According to Gonnelli, the unexpected consequences could potentially be attributed to the stringent measures implemented by Mayor Adams. In a recent development, the chief of staff for Adams has called on critics to redirect their concerns towards Governor Abbott of Texas.

The chief of staff emphasized that if the buses arranged by Governor Abbott were to be accepted, it would inevitably lead to delays for the migrants. The New Jersey State Police have officially confirmed that similar incidents have taken place at various train stations across the state.

Based to a recent social media post by Jersey City's emergency management agency, approximately 397 migrants have reportedly arrived at multiple transit stations across the state. These stations include Secaucus, Fanwood, Edison, and Trenton. The influx of migrants began on Saturday, as stated in the agency's post, according to NBC New York.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Signals Russia's Readiness in Entering Talks for Future of Ukraine

NJ Governor Addresses Migrant Surge

While Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey has not directly commented on the surge in migrant drop-offs, his office stated that they are closely coordinating with federal and local officials to address the situation. The New York City Comptroller Brad Lander commented on the situation, highlighting that Chicago's similar executive order had not significantly impacted the influx of migrants to the city.

In response to the unfolding situation, Mayor Adams emphasized the need for a coordinated response during a virtual news conference last Wednesday. He stressed the importance of preventing buses from arriving without warning at any hour, emphasizing the risks to both the migrants and the city's ability to provide orderly assistance.

Despite these efforts, Governor Abbott of Texas seemingly defied Adams' order, with another busload of migrants scheduled to arrive just as the Times Square ball dropped on New Year's Eve. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by both New York City and other municipalities in managing the surge of migrants resulting from the broader immigration crisis.

As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how local, state, and federal authorities will collaborate to address the complex and multifaceted challenges posed by the increasing flow of migrants into major urban centers, Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: Texas Sends Plane Carrying Migrants From El Paso to Chicago After City Cracks Down on Buses
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas Metropolitan police released a photo of a man Wednesday morning who they said is a suspect in a deadly stabbing.

Police are trying to find 43-year-old Isias Ruiz-Figeroa who is wanted for open murder. Metro police believe he is unhoused and in Las Vegas.

LVMPD is trying to locate Isaias Ruiz-Figerao. They say he is a suspect in a Nov. 11, 2023 homicide. (Credit: LVMPD)

The stabbing occurred on Nov. 11, 2023, just before 2 a.m. in the 400 block of Harvard Street near Decatur Boulevard and U.S. 95 and left one man dead. Police said the investigation indicates the victim, Anthony Alcala, 33, was at a home with his girlfriend when her ex-boyfriend entered the home and stabbed him.

Las Vegas family searches for answers days after man killed in stabbing

Anyone with information on Ruiz-Figeroas whereabouts is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521, or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com, or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The Polish farmers' association Oszukana Wies (Deceived Village) has announced that they will resume their blockade of the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint on the Ukrainian border starting from 4 January.

Source: Roman Kondrow, leader of the organisation, in a comment to the Polish news agency PAP; European Pravda

Quote: "We have not received written confirmation that our demands will be met, so we are continuing our protest."

Background:

Polish Agriculture Minister Czesaw Siekierski visited Medyka yesterday and assured the farmers that their demands would be met. However, Kondrow said he had not received an assurance in writing.

Kondrow has vowed that the protest will be tougher this time  only one lorry per hour will be allowed through.

The Polish farmers are demanding that the government provide subsidies for maize and liquidity loans for farmers and keep the agricultural tax at last year's level.

Farmers from Oszukana Wies began blocking the Medyka border crossing on 23 November this year.

On 24 December, they announced that they were suspending their protest until early January and might not resume it if their demands were met.

At the end of December, the governments of Ukraine and Poland agreed on an action plan for unblocking the border.

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Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called on Jan. 3 for the provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine and tighter sanctions against Russia in response to a recent mass strike against Ukrainian cities.

Russian forces launched nearly 100 missiles and 35 drones against Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, and Kharkiv on Jan. 2, killing five people and injuring 130, including children.

"We should respond to the latest onslaught on Ukraine in language that (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin understands," the Polish foreign minister wrote on the social media platform X.

Sikorski said that Ukraine's allies should respond "by tightening sanctions so that he (Putin) cannot make new weapons with smuggled components and by giving Kyiv long-range missiles that will enable it to take out launch sites and command centers."

As Poland shares a border with Ukraine, concerns are mounting that mass strikes against Ukrainian territory may threaten Polish security as well.

Warsaw said that during an earlier attack on Dec. 29, a Russian missile briefly entered Polish airspace, which Moscow denied. The Polish Air Force scrambled its jet fighters during the Jan. 2 strike.

Read also: Most of 2,500 foreign components Ukraine found in Russian weapons come from US (GRAPHS)

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova voiced a similar position to Sikroski in a comment on social media on Jan. 2.

Slovakia's head of state said that the "best way to ensure Moscow's aggression does not continue into another year is to provide Ukraine with the means needed to defend itself."

This position stands in contrast to the policies of the current Slovak government of Robert Fico, who halted arms supplies to Ukraine from the Slovak military stocks.

Several other Western officials denounced the latest Russian mass attack against Ukraine. Josep Borrell, the EU's chief diplomat, said that "Russia will be held to account for its war crimes."

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink commented that Putin only "strengthened the resolve of Ukrainians to defend their freedom" by the recent strike.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russias latest large-scale air attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv kills 5, injures 130

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu says Nikki Haley has gone from 38 points down in the Republican primary to just eight points behind front-runner former President Donald Trump.

Its really a one-on-one race, said Sununu. So now folks have an option -- an opportunity.

Haley sought to make the most of that opportunity Wednesday, making three stops in Southern New Hampshire. At a packed town hall meeting in a Kingston bar, Haley made her pitch, noting her small-town roots, her mothers success as a business owner, and her own background as an accountant. Haley also listed candidates from the past who underestimated her.

Is that true of Donald Trump?

Polls still show the former President leading in New Hampshire -- but Haley seems to be surging -- and seems destined for at least a second-place finish. Her swing through New Hampshire this week served to not only solidify current support but to persuade voters she is the only viable alternative to Donald Trump.

It may be a hard sell.

Im still a Trumper, said Matthew Albion, who attended the Kingston event. But I like what Im hearing in there.

This will be Albions first time voting in a presidential primary -- and hes excited.

Though I dont know if theyre (the Haley campaign) going to be. Im probably still going to vote for Trump.

But it seems many walked away from the town meeting impressed with Haley.

One thing, shes an accountant, said Mark LaRochelle. Shes going to balance the budget.

Sarah Larson liked Haleys experience as UN Ambassador during the Trump years.

She brought up a lot of good points that I agree with, she said.

As for the Democratic primary in New Hampshire -- its virtually a non-event. Though the results could potentially send shockwaves through Washington.

Joe Biden isnt on the ballot -- because he regards South Carolinas primary, where he got a big boost in 2020 -- as the nations first.

Thus, the President will be counting on a strong write-in vote for a win over numerous lesser-known candidates, including Marianne Williamson and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips. If that write-in vote doesnt score a big win for Biden, his campaign could be in more trouble than polls suggest it seems to be.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that President Biden has accelerated the rate of decay of U.S. deterrence.

President Biden has allowed such [an] accelerated rate of decay of our deterrence that we had built up in the four years that President Trump and I were serving, has really done the American people a disservice, and it is dangerous. Pompeo said Tuesday in an interview on Fox News.

Its dangerous not only for the Israelis, and for folks in the Middle East, but its dangerous for folks here in the United States of America as well, Pompeo continued. A wide-open southern border, and a North Korean leader, a Chinese leader, a Russian leader who dont think that the United States will stand up and defend its most sacred values, is a place that is a very dangerous country here at home as well.

A senior Hamas official was reportedly killed in a strike Tuesday in Lebanons capital city, putting Israel on high alert should the conflict in the region widen.

According to local news channels, Israel carried out a bombing that killed Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chief of the political bureau for the Palestinian militant group in Beirut. The Hamas official is the highest-ranked member killed in the ongoing war between Israel and the group in Gaza.

Theres also the question of how the Israeli bombing in an area where Iran-backed Hezbollah is strong could affect current fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had promised retaliation in the past for all forms of Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in his country, The Associated Press reported, but Nasrallah has seemed reluctant thus far to escalate the fighting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

This remote and tranquil Smith River cuts its way through the remote backcountry of the Little Belt Mountains. The stunning canyon scenery, quiet streamside campgrounds, wildlife and excellent trout fishing attract thousands of floaters each year to a four-day experience that matches any other river expedition in North America, making it a a uniquely Montana experience that most Montanans have on their bucket list.

But getting a permit to float the Smith entails more than simply filling out an application. Since the early 1990s permits to float the Smith have been issued by lottery. The chance of landing a permit is roughly one in 10.

"Last year we had 14,496 applicants and we had 1,470 people draw permits," said Colin Maas, Recreation Manager for the Smith River through Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Each float permit entitles a recipient to bring up to 15 people along on the 59-mile section of river between Camp Baker northwest of White Sulpher Springs and Eden Bridge, south of Ulm where the Smith flows into the Missouri River. Most groups are much smaller, averaging between four and five people. Maas said that in 2023 roughly 6,256 people made the four-day float, along with another 100 or more river rangers making trips to patrol and maintain the campsites.

"That was our second highest use weve ever had," Maas said of 2023. "That goes back to the early 1980s when the department started doing annual reports."

The Smith River Management Act passed by the Montana State Legislature in 1989 directed Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to allow compatible public land uses along the river's corridor while maintaining the natural scenic beauty and solitude of the Smith River.

River campsites are separated outside of immediate viewing distance and the number of floating permits is limited to a specific number on any given day.

We do try the manage the river to give people some sense of solitude," said Maas.

This year both the permitting process and the regulations guiding floaters have change significantly. Applications for Smith River float permits opened on January 2 and will continue through February 15. They can be accessed through the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks website at www.fwp.mt.gov.

The biggest experiential change coming in the year ahead is that from this day forward all floaters will be required to pack out all their human waste. FWP will be removing all the pit toilets that once donned the backcountry camping sites. Its an extension of the "pack it in - pack it out" principal that now reaches down to the poop you and your guests generate during a four-day trip.

Removal of the pit toilets will not only help reduce impacts to natural and cultural resources, but also allow more time for the river rangers to focus on other duties, such as public safety and recreation ecology projects like noxious weed control and stabilizing erosion at boat camp landings, Maas said.

Were probably the last river in the United States river system you can do multi-day trips on that still provide the pit toilets," he added. "Other rivers in the west have been requiring human-waste pack out for many, many years."

FWP is now requiring all floaters to pack a hard-sided toilet as part of their gear. There are a variety of acceptable options, everything from an old ammo can or a five-gallon bucket with a screw-top lid, to a $1,000 stainless steel portable toilet system specifically designed for rafting expeditions. The department has an informational website that lists acceptable backcountry toilet options.

One option that is not being accepted are human waste disposal bags. These are now common among backcountry hikers and rafting enthusiasts all across the country. Most consist of inner and exterior zip-lock pouches with zip ties, toilet paper and antiseptic wipes. They are frequently referred to as wag bags, which are disposable after a hiker or floater has left the trail.

Getting rid of the "wag bags" from thousands of Smith River floaters is the concern that turned FWP officials away from their use.

"Were talking thousands of these things a week," Maas noted. "We didnt want people putting them in a dumpster and having the waste company coming in and dumping a whole dumpster full of these things into the back of their truck.

Instead, FWP has invested in a sanitary waste disposal system called at "SCAT Machine" (Sanitizing Containers with Alternative Technology) available to all floaters at the Eden Bridge take-out point.

One of the two SCAT machines (Sanitizing Containers with Alternative Technology) available for Smith River floaters to use at the Eden Bridge take-out point.

"Theyre like large industrial dishwashers," Maas said of a dishwasher no one would ever want to use. "When people get to the SCAT machines theyll hit an activate button and the machine runs through a three-second rinse cycle, then it unlocks the door. You pull the door down and it opens up the hopper. You set your toilet down on the door of the hopper and strap it down. You take the lid off your toilet and put in the back of the SCAT machine and then you close it. The machine flips your toilet upside-down and then it goes over the top of a high-pressure spraying wand that runs through about a 40-gallon cycle where it washes and rinses out your toilet. It takes about two- or three-minutes and then the door unlocks, and youre done."

The waste is then periodically hauled away and treated in a way similar to how port-a-poddy waste is treated, in a much more eco-friendly and sustainable fashion.

Dealing with human poop is not the only big change at Smith River State Park. FWP has enacted several changes to the application process, changes meant to both add clarity to the process and to increase the chances of long waiting applicants to secure a float permit.

2024 will be the first year in which applicants can buy bonus points along with their Smith River Permit applications. A bonus point is essentially an extra chance you can purchase for the permit drawing. These points accumulate year after year if you are unsuccessful in the drawing.

If your lottery application doesn't hit this year your chances will keep accumulating year after year with each additional bonus point you purchase. The end goal is that long frustrated applicants will eventually accumulate enough bonus points that their float permit applications stand a far better chance of success.

Rafts, boats and canoes are readied at the Camp Baker boat ramp for the multi-day Smith River float. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

"The changes this year were put into place by HB 846 which told the department that we shall implement a bonus point system," Maas explained. "Basically, we mirrored if off our hunting bonus points. HB 846 also put a cap that no more than 10% of the permits that are sold or issued can go to non-residents. Non-residents are now capped at 10% of the total available Smith River float permits."

Residents can purchase a bonus point for $5 in addition to the regular $15 application fee. Nonresidents can purchase one for $50. The bonus point is applied to your application the year it is purchased. You can apply for a permit through FWPs online licensing system. For more information on bonus points, click here.

FWP has also shortened the window in which permits to float the Smith River are required. The change is an acknowledgement that by mid-summer low water flows make the Smith nearly impossible to float at all, and that many people were paying for applications they had no realistic possibility of using.

Whats happened over the past several years is that people will fill up everything in the drawing from April 1 through just about the end of August," Maas said. "The Smith has a short float-season window, and a lot of those permits will just go unused. People will cancel just because of the weather or (stream flows) or a combination of both."

Weve shortened the window for the application period so its only going be from April 1 through August 15," he added. You used to be able to see April 1 through Oct. 31st. Now when applicants go to apply theyll only see April 1 through August 15th.

"We decided to shorten that window up because of the fact that a lot of those permits are just kind of throw-aways. People would apply for dates in September and October and late August, but there really was no reason to apply for those dates because sometimes theres not enough water to even float it."

Floaters will also be limited to a single launch day option, where in the past they were given a second and third alternative. Once again, the change is an acknowledgement of the unlikelihood that any second or third option would actually lead to an additional float opportunity.

"The way the random lottery is conducted, it looks at all first launch day choices firs," Maas explained. "Once the system does that pretty much everything is filled up from April 1 through the middle of August. Those second and third launch-day choices kind of gave people a false sense of having more opportunities than they really did. It didnt really make sense any longer to have second and third launch day choice."

Moonlit cliffs overlooking the Merganser campground on the Smith River. The Smith River State Park recreational corridor is a 59-mile stretch requiring a float permit that starts at Camp Baker located near White Sulphur Springs and finishes at Eden. The corridor is managed cooperatively by Montana Fish Wild Life and Parks and the US Forest Service.

During the occasional good water year, additional float opportunities on the Smith River come up during the fall shoulder season. Intrepid floaters willing to brave the Smith past the middle of August do not need to obtain a permit through the lottery system, but must still register and pay their fees at the Camp Baker put-in site.

We never close the river due to low flows," said Maas. "If somebody wants to push it and they want to throw down a raft at 100 cfs (Cubic Feet per Second) we dont try to physically stop them or tell them they cant do it. Its just kind of at your own risk."

"Once the typically float season is over, usually in late July, we put Camp Baker on self registration," he added. "We have a metal box there and people can pull out a zip-lock bag that has a registration form and boat tags, maps and instructions on how to self-register, pay their fees and pick their boat camps. You can just drive down to Camp Baker, self-register and put yourself on the river. You dont need to draw a permit in the lottery drawing for those shoulder seasons when theres opportunities."

No matter the complexities of obtaining a Smith River float permit, the beauty and serenity of this river is a not-to-be-missed experience.

This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Smith River floaters must pack out human waste under new regulations
Iran has denied demands from the United States and the United Kingdom's demands that it cease its backing of Houthi rebel strikes on Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea as its military sent a warship to the strategic commerce route.

On Monday, January 1, the Alborz destroyer, which is part of the Iranian navy's 94th flotilla, reached the Red Sea after passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.

During their meeting, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), lauded the rebel forces' actions against "Zionist aggression" and met with Mohammed Abdulsalam, spokesman for the Houthi movement.

The US military announced on Sunday, December 31, that its helicopters had destroyed three Houthi ships and killed ten militants following an altercation in the middle of the Red Sea. This further heightens tensions between the two countries. The Houthis, backed by Iran, are eager to show their support for Hamas during the current conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Supporting 'Palestinian Resistance Movements'

In the most recent of over 20 assaults, Houthi ships targeted a Maersk shipping firm commercial ship, prompting some shipping companies to entirely avoid the Red Sea route.

If the Houthis do not stop attacking Israeli-linked commercial ships, the UK and the US are thinking of formally warning them that they will target military sites in Yemen along the Red Sea coast, as reported by The Guardian.

For more than three weeks, the Houthis have been attacking the Red Sea. They have threatened to keep attacking until Israel lets full humanitarian relief supplies into Gaza.

In the case that Washington was to invade Yemen, the head of the Houthi militia in Yemen, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, has already threatened that his troops would assault American warships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.

British foreign minister David Cameron phoned his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday to inform him that Tehran was partially to blame for the strikes, hours before a high-level conference between Iran and the Houthis was scheduled to take place.

"Palestinian resistance movements" have Tehran's full support, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, who also said that there was no basis to charge Iran. He went on to criticize Cameron's involvement. He added, "Iran proudly announces that it supports Palestinian resistance movements for the liberation of their land."

See Also: US Sinks Houthi Boats After Red Sea Attack, 10 Rebels Reportedly Killed

Countering Houthis' Attacks

The Houthis have little chance of defeating the US fleet despite Iranian backing. The militias have taken over parts of Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, and the crucial port of Hodeidah, but the government of Yemen, which is headquartered in the south and has Saudi support and United Nations recognition, is opposed to the assaults on ships.

Last month, the US launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational force to safeguard the sea routes.

The UK is the only Western nation that has sent ships, even if several others have sent a small number of sailors. Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates refrained from making public announcements about their coalition membership, perhaps because of the political concerns associated with being seen as supporting Israel.

See Also: US Destroys 12 Houthi-Launched Drones, Five Missiles Over Red Sea in Middle East
Ministry: China is committed to sound ties with US

08:30, January 03, 2024 By Mo Jingxi ( China Daily

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday reiterated China's commitment to a stable, sound and sustainable relationship with the United States, saying that the two countries can help each other succeed and prosper together as history has shown.

In remarks on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations, which was observed on Monday, a ministry spokesperson said that China's US policy is consistent and clear, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

"This is the experience we have gained from the course of China-US ties over the years and the right way for the two countries to get along with each other," the spokesperson said, adding that it is also consistent with the trend of the times and serves the common interests of both sides.

The past 45 years has seen bilateral trade surging from less than $2.5 billion in 1979 to close to $760 billion in 2022; two-way investment increasing from almost zero to over $260 billion; and the setting up of 284 pairs of sister provinces, states and cities. The two countries have also carried out useful cooperation on various international and regional hotspot and global issues.

"History shows that the growth of China-US relations not only contributes to the good of the two peoples but also to world peace, stability and development," said the spokesperson.

Noting that the summit meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco has pointed the way forward for bilateral relations, the spokesperson expressed China's willingness to join hands with the US to steer their relations in the right direction to the benefit of both countries and the world at large.

Smears opposed

In another development, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Tuesday strongly hit back at claims of "attacks on freedom of the press" in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, saying that any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong affairs in the name of "freedom of the press" is doomed to fail.

Speaking of a recent statement from the "Media Freedom Coalition" signed by the US, the United Kingdom and other countries, Wang said China is strongly opposed to certain countries' smears about the Hong Kong SAR's freedom of the press, attacks on the SAR's legitimate law enforcement and their support for anti-China, destabilizing activists such as Jimmy Lai.

The spokesman said the cases of WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden have shown to the world that these countries don't care about the freedom of the press at all once it involves their own interests.

"Waving the banner of 'freedom of the press' to make groundless accusations on Hong Kong affairs, they only exposed their discontent with Hong Kong's thriving development and attempt to maintain their past privileges and influence in Hong Kong. However, all of these attempts are in vain," Wang said.

According to the spokesman, it is a fact that any unbiased person cannot deny that there are more international media outlets and journalists in Hong Kong today compared with before the Hong Kong national security law took effect in 2020.

"We urge relevant countries to face squarely the fact that Hong Kong has returned to the motherland and abandon their colonial mentality," Wang added.

[email protected]

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Earlier Tuesday, an explosion shook a southern suburb of Damascus in a Hezbollah stronghold.

But neither the nature of the explosion nor the perpetrators were readily available, according to the Associated Press.

Since then, the media wing of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group confirmed reports that senior Hamas official Saleh Arouri was killed in an explosion in a southern Beirut suburb. Arouri is reportedly one of the founders of Hamas' military wing and was in charge of their presence in the West Bank.

He was a target for elimination by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even before the October 7 assault on Southern Israel was carried out by Hamas. Lebanon's National News Agency said the blast that killed Arouri was responsible for the death of four individuals and was carried out via an Israel drone strike.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the blast killed four people and was carried out by an Israeli drone. The attack follows months of concentrated small-arms fire between Israeli troops and members of Hezbollah along Lebanon's southern border. Hezbollah had reported that its fighters attacked several military posts that sit along the border with Israel prior to the drone strike.

What Is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is a Shia Islamist political and militant organization founded in 1985 and is a key figure in the ongoing Iran-Israel proxy war. The last time that Hezbollah engaged Israel in sustained fighting was in 2006.

In October, Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qasseem reportedly said that his group would not sit on the sidelines in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, going further to say that Hezbollah would be "fully ready" to fight.

"The behind-the-scenes calls with us by great powers, Arab countries, envoys of the United Nations, directly and indirectly telling us not to interfere will have no effect," he told supporters.

Today, an Israeli court rejected a proposed overhaul of the system introduced by Netanyahu's far-right government. The move prompted criticism from military and security forces. The proposed amendment to Israel's Basic Law, which passed in July, would limit the Supreme Court's ability to block decisions deemed "unreasonable" by officials.

The Supreme Court has ruled 8-7 that the amendment is unconstitutional and has ordered its removal.
Just last week, Friday, December 29th, 2023, before ringing in the New Year, South Africa launched a case, via the United Nations top court, against Israel accusing the country of conducting genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza.

It was recently reported in an article by the Associated Press that, according to South Africa, the magnitude of death, destruction, and humanitarian crisis in Gaza from the Israeli military campaign against Hamas meets the threshold of genocide under international law". South Africa also pointed to the country's "indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants" and asked the court to issue an interim order for Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza immediately.

Normally, Israel disregards cases against it referring to them as "unfair and biased". However, Eylon Levy, an official from the Prime Minister's office stated, "The state of Israel will before the International Court of Justice at the Hague to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel". In another statement pulled from the local newspaper titled Yediot Aharonot, national security advisor Tazchi Hanegbi opined that "the Jewish people know more than any other what genocide is". In another statement to the Associated Press Barak Medinalaw, a professor at the Hebrew University Of Jerusalem, simply said "Israel can't afford to ignore this".

It is unclear as to how this case will be handled by the ICJ (International Court Of Justice) but Israel appears to be conducting business as usual. They've stated that "more than 8,000 militants" have been eliminated and placed the resulting civilian casualties on Hamas reiterating that the militants insert themselves in residential areas, as well as schools and hospitals. According to Reuters, "Lawyers representing South Africa are preparing for the hearing scheduled on January 11th and 12th".

The statement comes from Clayson Monyela, a spokesperson for South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation who created a post regarding the case on X.

HNGN previously reported on the legal steps that South Africa is taking where Lior Haiat, the spokesperson for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Forbes the claim "lacks both a factual and a legal basis, and constitutes a despicable and contemptuous exploitation of the Court." Haiat went on to accuse South Africa of "cooperating with a terrorist organization that is calling for the destruction of the State of Israel," and called on the ICJ and international community to reject the case.
A former Labour MP has revealed she was ready to smother her dying husband with a pillow to help ease his pain.

Dame Joan Ruddock, the former chairwoman of CND, made the stark admission as part of an emotional appeal for the legalisation of assisted dying.

She said her husband Frank Doran  another former MP  had been suffering from end-stage bowel cancer in 2017 but she was struggling to get him pain-relieving medication the night before he died.

She needed a doctor to administer an injection but had been told a medic might not be available.

There and then I resolved that if a doctor did not come before 1am, I would end Franks life, she said in a submission to MPs.

I cursed myself for not using the liquid morphine when Frank could still swallow. Now my only option was a pillow over his head.

I feared he might struggle but I got the pillow ready.

Just after midnight a doctor arrived. He said there was no need as Frank was sleeping peacefully.

I told him once the drug wore off the groaning would start again and I couldnt allow his suffering to continue. He reluctantly gave the injection. Frank died seven hours later.

Dame Joan has called for a free vote on assisted dying following her husband's death - WPA POOL/GETTY

On Wednesday Dame Joan called for a free vote in the Commons to legalise assisted dying  saying that 80 per cent of the public agree with a change in the law.

Her intervention comes just weeks after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would back legalisation.

Pressure to change the law has been rising since Dame Esther Rantzen revealed at the end of last year that she was considering travelling to Dignitas in Switzerland to end her life.

Other prominent figures, including Baroness Bakewell, Dame Prue Leith and actress Susan Hampshire, have also spoken up to demand legalisation.

Dame Joan was Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford from 1987, and was married to Mr Doran, the Labour MP for Aberdeen North. They both retired in 2015 and the pair endured a year of him living with colon cancer before he died aged 68 in October 2017.

The Commons health select committee is investigating the issue of assisted dying, and it was to this inquiry that she made her submission.

I did not leave his side

Franks diagnosis was late but we were ever hopeful that he would survive, she said.

We had always spoken openly about death and promised each other help with the dying process should it be needed. It was a very happy marriage.

I loved him deeply and was determined to support him and didnt leave his side during the gruelling hours of chemotherapy at our local hospital.

He gradually weakened and she became a full-time carer after doctors said he was too weak to endure further treatment.

She said her husband had begged her to ensure he died at home, not in an institution.

Some days later I heard a desperate cry, Dame Joan recalled. Frank was in the bathroom where I saw the toilet, the floor and his lower body covered in excrement.

It was a pitiful sight, and he was absolutely mortified. He said simply I cant go on living like this.

After holding his shaking skeletal frame under the shower and getting him back to bed I broached the question of whether he wanted help to die. He grunted incoherently.

Dame Joan was left in charge of administering morphine orally at prescribed intervals.

We had a deeply emotional conversation about how happy we had made each other and how wonderful our lives had been, she said.

I asked if there was anything he would have wanted to do before he died or people he wanted to see  he replied John Lennon and then he lapsed into silence and when I asked him to tell me his thoughts he drifted off to a restless sleep.

I felt sure he wanted me to end it for him but was holding back for fear of the consequences for me.

She went on: The next day he started to speak but the words were a jumble. He tried several times in immense distress.

The nightmare continued for a few days, the morphine dose was increased, and he became comatose and groaning in agony. I couldnt bear to see him suffering any longer.

When nurses came, I asked if they could do something more. One said it was normal and nature would take its course. I said I couldnt accept that. They eventually agreed and ordered a drug to be injected at the next visit.

But the drug only lasted for five hours and no one would be available to administer it in the evening, she said.

Treatment not sufficient to remove physical suffering

Eventually, an out-of-hours doctor said she would see what she would do  and that is why a doctor arrived to administer the drug when Dame Joan was on the point of ending her husbands life.

In Franks case the treatment was not sufficient to remove physical suffering and no care could remove the anguish of the mental and emotional suffering, she said.

I do not believe we need to accept suffering when a condition cannot be treated, and death is inevitable. A person of sound mind should be able to ask to end their life in these circumstances.

In our case we would probably have asked for release one month before Frank actually died. This would have enabled us to part lovingly and peacefully conscious that we were together.

By not having this choice we both suffered, and we used up a huge amount of NHS resource that could have been better deployed elsewhere.

Last night Dame Joan said: There should be a vote in the Commons and it should be a free vote.

Around 80 per cent of people in the country support assisted dying. MPs should take note of that. That is what the country wants and they should do what the country wants.

She added: I think there will be a vote in the Commons before Keir becomes PM. But if there is not one before the general election then certainly I would urge Keir Starmer to allow there to be a free vote on the issue.

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PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - A record 520,000 migrants crossed the treacherous jungle between Colombia and Panama known as the Darien Gap in 2023, more than double the number reported the year before, according to government figures seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The migrants who made the journey that marks the start of the dangerous trek north from South America to the United States last year were mostly from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti and China, according to the numbers from Panama's migration agency.

Around a quarter of the migrants were minors, said Samira Gozaine, who heads the agency.

"This is a national security problem," she told reporters at a government event. "Unfortunately, we do not have a quick solution to solve it."

Since Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo took office in 2019, the number of migrants transiting the Darien has skyrocketed, leading authorities to call for international aid.

The situation has been driven, in part, by a sharp increase in Venezuelans fleeing the protracted economic and social collapse of the once-prosperous oil nation. In recent years, more than seven million Venezuelans have fled their country, according to UN figures.

Those who cross the Darien risk violence, sexual abuse, human trafficking and disease. In September, Reuters reported that African migrants heading to the United States are flying to Nicaragua to bypass the dangers of the Darien Gap.

The number of migrants from China making the risky trek has jumped, partly as COVID lockdowns there slowed the economy and as it became more difficult for Chinese nationals to obtain U.S. visas.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Diego Ore and Sonali Paul)
Ukraine has brought back more than 200 of its military and civilians from Russian captivity.

Source: President Zelenskyy on social media, PoW Coordination Headquarters; Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights

Quote: "Our people are home. Today, we brought back over 200 warriors and civilians from Russian captivity  soldiers, sergeants and officers. [They are members of] the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Navy, and Border Guards. Some of the defenders fought in Mariupol and at Azovstal.

Thank you to everyone who, despite all the difficulties, brings our people home. Thank you to our defenders. We are making every effort to bring back all of our people who are still in Russian captivity."

Details: Ukraines PoW Coordination Headquarters notes that this is the largest prisoner swap during the full-scale invasion so far.

230 Ukrainian defenders are coming home. Among them are 130 soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 14 from the Territorial Defence and 14 from the Navy); 55 from the National Guard; 38 from the State Border Guard Service; one from the National Police, and six civilians who were illegally imprisoned.

Some of those brought back (182 people) had official prisoner of war status confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross, and some (48) were Ukrainian servicemen who had been considered missing and had the status of a "person on a search list".

Most of those released are men (225); five are women. There are 213 privates and non-commissioned officers and eleven officers.

Quote: "A female combat medic from the 36th [Marine] Brigade has come back to Ukraine after gruelling months of captivity. While in captivity, she spoke Ukrainian on principle. The Russians staged a mock exchange for her several times, but they brought her back to the place of detention every time.

Seven defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island; a musician in a military orchestra; a servicewoman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who was imprisoned by the Russians while on maternity leave; National Guardsmen who were captured while performing their duties at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant; a civilian lecturer from the Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University [in occupied Luhansk], and defenders of Mariupol will finally see their families and friends."

In addition: The aggressor country's Ministry of Defence reports that on 3 January, "as a result of a complex negotiation process, 248 Russian servicemen were brought back from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime".

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Russian soldiers return from captivity was made possible by humanitarian mediation by the UAE.

Background: The prisoner swap had long been blocked by Russia.

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Its a safe bet that Richard Tice is not a fan of the late US president, Ronald Reagan. Political strategists still regard his famous 1984 political advert, Its morning in America, with its teeth-grinding, unrelenting sunny optimism, as the masterstroke that assured his landslide re-election.

There are no such sunlit uplands for Tice. The Reform UK leader seems to have chosen instead to try to scare us into voting for his party, warning of the direst consequences for the nation unless voters turn en masse to the Right-wing insurgents. Uncontrolled immigration, a flatlining economy, a job-destroying adherence to net zero, a craven failure to rid ourselves of EU regulation Tices evocation of a post-apocalyptic landscape worthy of a Cormac McCarthy novel was unencumbered by a happier alternative scenario, even if Reform sweep to power in 2024: Everythings awful  vote for us.

Yet the backdrop of his New Year press conference today seemed to hint at Tices desire to emulate the insurgency of one prominent American politician who rode to success by playing on voters discontent with the political consensus. Lets Make Britain Great has an almost-but-not-quite familiarity, different enough from Donald Trumps slogan to offer plausible deniability of any aspiration to emulate the former president, while establishing in voters minds that that is precisely the partys  and Tices  intent.

Recent briefings by Reform UK suggest that it aims to switch its traditional target from the Conservatives, from whose voters it has heretofore recruited most of it support, to Keir Starmers Labour, and indeed todays event made liberal use of the catchy word, Starmergeddon, aimed at warning us that Labour will be just as bad a calamity for the nation as Rishi Sunaks Conservatives have been.

But by the end of the press conference, far more time had been spent on attacking Sunak and his Government than on Labour, perhaps a recognition that far too few sub-editors in what used to be called Fleet Street will be bothered to use Starmergeddon in their headlines.

Yet the message that the two main parties are as bad as each other has been a regular  and unsuccessful  message by smaller parties since the days of the old Liberal Party. It is hardly innovative when it comes to party politicking, though perhaps Tice sees the lack of public excitement surrounding a likely Labour victory as an opportunity that hasnt been available before now.

It was perhaps a mistake to invite the partys Wellingborough by-election candidate, Ben Habib, to share the podium with Tice. Habib became visibly angry when recounting the fact that the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Protocol that preceded it had been imposed on Northern Ireland without a shot being fired. Given the provinces history, arent we supposed to welcome this new way of doing politics there?

There was no show of Reforms biggest name, Nigel Farage, and you could almost feel the sense of disappointment in the room when Tice confirmed that he was in an unknown location still recovering from his ordeal in the Australian jungle, having come third in Im a Celebrity.

No Farage, only scant criticism of Labour, and a clumsy attempt to exploit Northern Ireland politics left the main news story as Tices promise that, come the general election, his party would be represented in every single constituency contest in Britain. That will worry the Conservatives far more than Labour. Which confirms that, however much liberty Tice takes with Starmers name, it is Rishi Sunak, not the Labour leader, who remains his primary target.

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.
NEW YORK  A trove of documents is expected to start hitting the docket imminently in Manhattan federal court, potentially revealing the identities of high-profile Jeffrey Epstein associates years after the disgraced financiers death, a judge wrote Wednesday. Among those who may be included in todays release are former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew.

The batch of court filings, expected to remove redactions on almost 150 names, may lift the veil on powerful John Does in the multimillionaire predators orbit who managed to avoid detection and public scrutiny in the wake of damning allegations he trafficked teenage girls for sex for decades. Along with Epstein-linked associates and alleged accomplices, the identities of several victims are expected to be made public.

Judge Loretta Preska ordered the documents unsealing last month in a settled lawsuit against Epsteins convicted former right-hand, Ghislaine Maxwell, brought by Virginia Giuffre, one of the first women to accuse them of abuse. Preska allowed victims to request their continued anonymity.

In a Wednesday filing shortly before 2 p.m., the judge said lawyers would begin uploading the paperwork later today.

Clinton, 77, whose affiliation with Epstein is already public knowledge, is expected to feature in the document dump. Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing. He came up several times in the years-old litigation, with Giuffre seeking to depose him, claiming shed seen him on Epsteins private island in the Caribbean, where the Brooklyn-born financier committed much of his abuse.

Clintons lawyers recently told ABC News he was never on the island and that his inclusion on private flight logs included in evidence at Maxwells trial documented trips to other locations. Donald Trumps name was also featured on the flight logs.

Epsteins pal Prince Andrews name may also come up. He settled a sexual abuse lawsuit brought by Giuffre, whos now 40, in February 2022, which accused him of raping her when she was 17.

The disgraced British royal was pictured with his arm around a teenage Giuffres waist in an infamous photograph taken at Maxwells London townhouse in the early 2000s, which he previously claimed was doctored. His settlement with Giuffre, which did not require an admission of wrongdoing, was reportedly in the ballpark of $16 million.

Epstein hanged himself at age 66 on Aug. 10, 2019, in the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. A report in June blamed his death on the negligence, misconduct and outright job performance failures of federal Bureau of Prisons staff, who left him unattended in his cell with excess prison linens despite a recent suicide attempt.

Maxwell, 62, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022. Testimony during her trial revealed how the socialite instructed teen victims as young as 14 on how to pleasure Epstein and sometimes joined in the abuse.

_____
Religion is likely to play a big role in voters choices in the 2024 presidential election  much as it did in previous years. Despite an overall shift away from participation in organized religion in the U.S. populace, religious rhetoric in the political arena has intensified.

In the 2016 race, evangelical voters contributed, in part, to Republican nominee Donald Trumps victory. Those Americans who identified as weekly churchgoers not only showed up at the polls in large numbers, but more than 55% of them supported Trump. His capture of 66% of the white evangelical vote also tipped the scales in his favor against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Evangelical support for Trump continued to be strong in the 2020 presidential election. However, Joe Biden drew fellow Catholics to his camp and convinced some evangelicals, as well, to vote in his favor. Biden received public endorsement from 1,600 Catholic, mainline Protestant and evangelical faith leaders.

Im a historian and a religious studies scholar who recently published a book exploring the role of religion in political movements such as anti-abortion campaigns. Historical evidence can help identify trends that will likely influence the mix of religion and politics in the year ahead.

From my perspective, three key trends are likely to show up in 2024. In particular, the run-up to the elections seems poised to feature intensified end-times rhetoric, more claims of divine support and relative silence from the evangelical community on the rise in Christian nationalism.

1. End-times rhetoric

End-times rhetoric has long played a prominent role in American politics. In 2016, as presidential candidate Clinton told The New York Times, As Ive told people, Im the the last thing standing between you and the apocalypse. Three years before, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had warned, We have a couple of years to turn the country around or we go off the cliff to oblivion.

Indeed, American leaders have rallied adherents through apocalyptic rhetoric since the inception of the country. Ever since Puritan John Winthrop first called America a city on the hill  meaning a shining example for the world to follow  the threat of losing that divinely appointed status has consistently been employed by presidential candidates.

John F. Kennedy employed that exact image of the city on the hill in a 1961 speech on the cusp of his inauguration, claiming that  with Gods help  valor, integrity, dedication and wisdom would define his administration.

Part of Ronald Reagans rise to fame included A Time for Choosing, a speech in which he nominated Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater and warned, We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. In his farewell address 25 years later, Reagan also revived the city on the hill image while lauding U.S. freedoms.

Faith leaders pray over U.S. President Donald Trump during a Evangelicals for Trump campaign event held at the King Jesus International Ministry on Jan. 3, 2020, in Miami. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

In a late 2022 announcement of his presidential election bid, Trump asserted the blood-soaked streets of our once great cities are cesspools of violent crimes, drawing on apocalyptic imagery, in reference to drug-smuggling and illegal immigration. By March 2023, at the annual gathering of the Conservative Political Action Conference, he predicted that if they [Democrats] win, we no longer have a country.

Biden has likewise drawn on the image of final battles. In a speech at Philadelphias Independence Hall on Sept. 1, 2022, he said that he and his supporters are in a battle for the soul of this nation.

2. Divine mandate

Since the establishment of the republic, many U.S. political leaders have claimed a divine mandate. God, they asserted, guided the founding of the countrys democratic institutions, ranging from popular elections to the Constitutions balance of powers.

George Washington, for example, claimed in a June 1788 letter to his secretary of war, Benjamin Lincoln, that the finger of Providence has so manifestly pointed to the founding of the United States. The previous year, Benjamin Franklin gave a speech to the Constitutional Convention in which he noted: God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his aid?

By 1954, in the middle of the Cold War, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill adding under God to the Pledge of Allegiance, a reassertion of Washingtons earlier claim.

Scholars have long documented how those in power employ claims of divine authority to legitimize their role in a host of different countries. Recently, some U.S. politicians and public commentators have shifted to claiming divine authority for anti-democratic actions.

Doug Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator at the time, prayed right before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that those seeking to seize the power would do so providentially.

The claim by conservative radio celebrity Eric Metaxas that the insurrection was Gods battle even more than our battle defined the event as divinely inspired. This kind of assertion by such influential voices intensifies the commitments of those seeking to undermine democratic electoral processes.

Regardless of the outcome of the 2024 election, the switch from historical claims of divine authority for democracy to divine authority to challenge democracy is already obvious and apparent.

3. White supremacy and Christian nationalism

In the U.S., religious and racial identities have been intertwined from the countrys inception. Although also expressed in more subtle and systemic forms, during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, white supremacists made the most explicit claims of divine favor on the part of white people in general and people of Nordic descent in particular.

They promoted Nazi ideology and developed new organizations that repackaged similar philosophies while drawing on religious claims.

The overtly white supremacist and virulently antisemitic Christian Identity movement, a North American new religious movement that gained popularity in the 1980s among organized white supremacist groups, claimed that people of color, who they deemed mud races, were created by God as inferior. They also asserted that the religious covenant  between God and people  spelled out in the Bible applied only to people of European descent.

Likewise, the unapologetically white supremacist alt-right movement that coalesced in 2010 around the philosophies of biological racism and the belief in the superiority of white peoples around the world have likewise mixed overt white supremacy with religious doctrines.

This close connection between religious claims and white supremacy among overtly racist organizations has shown up in mainline political arenas as well. In this case, the trend is one of omission. Evangelical leaders have consistently failed to condemn or disassociate themselves from leaders with overt white supremacy connections.

When given an opportunity to condemn white supremacists during the first 2020 presidential debate, Trump instead addressed the Proud Boys, a violent white supremacist group, by saying, Stand back and stand ready. His decision to hire staff like white nationalist Steve Bannon during his first presidential campaign and to dine with white supremacist Nick Fuentes in November 2022 continued that pattern.

Appeals to white supremacy have also surfaced in the current Congress. In spring of 2023, 26 members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee refused to sign a letter denouncing white supremacy.

It remains to be seen whether these trends will continue in their current forms, transition to new ones or be displaced by rhetorical strategies as yet unimagined. What is most certain is that religion and politics will continue to interact.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

It was written by: Tobin Miller Shearer, University of Montana.

Read more:


SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  After announcing last year that he wouldnt look to run for Mitt Romneys soon-to-be vacated U.S. Senate seat, Utah Rep. John Curtis entered the race on Tuesday.

His campaign confirmed to ABC4 that the congressman from Utahs Third District will be running for Romneys seat in November. He is scheduled for a live interview on ABC4 at noon Wednesday, when he will officially announce his candidacy.

Brent Hatch, son of late Sen. Orrin Hatch, announces candidacy for fathers former seat

In October, Curtis wrote an op-ed saying he wouldnt look to succeed Romney. Roughly a month later, however, he announced that he was inspired to explore a possible campaign after hearing an outpouring of support from Utahns.

Curtis has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017. He is now part of a crowded field of Republican candidates vying for the Senate seat.

Among the competition is the son of former U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, who served for four decades prior to Romney. His son, Brent Orrin Hatch, also announced his candidacy on Tuesday.

Others in the race include Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, State Delegate Tyrone Jensen, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs and Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Medication abortion accounts for more than half of all abortions in the United States. The Associated Press reports two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol as the most common.

A research letter published by JAMA Internal Medicine and obtained by the AP looked at requests for these pills from people who weren't pregnant and sought them through Aid Access, a European online telemedicine service that prescribes them for future and immediate use. Aid Access received approximately 48,400 requests from the U.S. for supposed "advance provision" between September 2021 through April 2023.

The New York Times reported 147,112 requests were from women seeking to terminate existing pregnancies. Demand reached its highest point after news leaked in May 2022 that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Dr. Abigal Aiken, associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin alongside a colleague said in a letter to the Associated Press, "People are looking at looming threats to reproductive health access, looming threats to their reproductive rights, and potentially thinking to themselves: 'How can I prepare for this?' Or 'how can I get around this or get out ahead of this'?"

According to Wired, most doctors in the U.S. do not let patients order abortion pills before they're pregnant. "It's definitely something that's never been standard practice here," revealed Dr. Aiken. Her study proves that demand for these medications requested by women who weren't even pregnant yet spiked when news came to light that reproductive health care access was under threat.

Why Does This Matter?

Because in 2024, the U.S. will face its next big test for reproductive rights when the US Supreme Court hears a case challenging access to mifepristone. Should the court side with anti-abortion activists who originally filed the case against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, medication abortion access would become at risk nationwide. Considering the potential change and harm it could cause, it's plausible that even more women will start loading up on the medication. Abortion rejectionists oppose advance provision and claim abortion medication is dangerous while abortion right supporters say prescribing it in case of eventual necessity increases access and reinforces that the pills are safe, as many studies have shown.

"This is a way of taking back some control," Dr. Aiken expressed. "Of being in control of your own reproductive destiny."
WARNING: Video may be disturbing to watch for some viewers

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Las Vegas Police Metropolitan Police Department has released a new body camera video of the deadly shooting at UNLV. Its more than two hours of footage with the majority of it blurred.

8 News Now visited the campus to see the building where three lives were lost.

Las Vegas police release dramatic video from UNLV shooting

The Las Vegas Police Metropolitan Police Department has released a new body camera video of the deadly shooting at UNLV. (KLAS)

Tense moments as new bodycam video shows officers getting students and staff out of UNLVs Beam Hall.

Police could be heard shouting in the video, Victims coming down!

Blaring alarms can also be heard in the video as officers make their way through the building. Rushing to the upper floor and clearing rooms.

UNLV employee reacts to body camera footage of polices response to campus shooting

Kick the door! Ready? Go! Go! Video shows officers hitting a door and then busting through drywall searching for the gunman who shot four professors, killing three of them.

Later in the video, officers can be heard yelling all clear. Several minutes later in the video, gunshots are heard.

On Jan. 2, 2024, signs remained on the doors at UNLVs Beam Hall indicating the building is closed for repairs following a campus shooting on Dec. 6, 2023. (KLAS)

Get out! Video shows Las Vegas police ordering UNLV shooter out of building

The video then showed officers making their way out of the building.

One officer in the video asked, Where was the main suspect found, I think we got him right here, I think hes right here.

Responding UNLV officers shot and killed the shooter later identified as 67-year-old Anthony Polito.

8 News Now went to the area where bodycam video shows the shooter was killed just a few feet away from the entrance of Beam Hall. Signs are still on the doors indicating the building is closed for repairs.

On Jan. 2, 2024, signs remained on the doors at UNLVs Beam Hall indicating the building is closed for repairs following a campus shooting on Dec. 6, 2023. (KLAS)

The majority of the buildings on campus are back open except for Beam Hall. The spring semester at UNLV is scheduled to start on Jan. 16.

Students Kenyon Surney and Madyson Sorenson told 8 News Nows Ozzy Mora that they need resources from inside Beam Hall.

Im still trying to figure out life right now, figure out where I belong, said Surney. The business building, its currently closed and I cant get in there, I cant speak to anyone.

The Las Vegas Police Metropolitan Police Department has released a new body camera video of the deadly shooting that took place on Dec. 6, 2023, at UNLV. (KLAS)

UNLV released a statement about the repairs.

The safety and security of the UNLV community is our highest priority. The university continues to make repairs to buildings on the Maryland Parkway campus following Decembers incident, and repairs will continue through winter break as we work to prepare the campus for the start of the spring semester on Jan. 16. UNLV is also reviewing security infrastructure and practices at all of our campus to ensure the continued safety of our students, employees, and visitors.

8 News Now asked both Surney and Sorenson if they feel safe coming back to campus.

Honestly no not really, I feel like Im really on edge, said Sorenson.

Both said they hope UNLV will consider making the campus and closed campus so students will feel a sense of safety and comfort.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
It seems that Israel is finally opening up to the idea of a two-state solution to its conflict with Palestineso long as the second state is on a completely different continent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right coalition has been secretly speaking with the Democratic Republic of Congo about resettling thousands of Palestinians in the African nation, the Israeli outlet Zman Israel reported Wednesday.

Congo will be willing to take in migrants, and were in talks with others, a senior source in the security Cabinet, speaking anonymously, said.

Netanyahu and his allies floated the idea of sending Palestinians elsewhere last week, but the idea has been vehemently rejected by the international community. Moreover, Congo is unlikely to have the resources necessary to take care of such a massive influx of displaced people. More than half of the countrys population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Food Programme.



Israeli officials have made it increasingly clear in recent days that their plan is to completely eliminate Palestine. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that a way to solve the war was to encourage the voluntary migration of Gazas residents to countries that will agree to take in the refugees.

Separately, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told reporters Monday that the war was an opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.

The U.S. State Department slammed the officials comments as inflammatory and irresponsible.

We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately, department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

But it seems that Smotrich and Ben Gvirs statements do reflect the policy of the Israeli government. Nearly all of the 2.3 million people living in the Gaza Strip have been displaced due to Israels unrelenting bombardment of the region. Palestinians were forced to flee to designated safe zones, only for Israel to bomb those areas, as well.

South Africa asked the International Court of Justice on December 29 for an urgent order declaring that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in its nearly three-month assault on the Gaza Strip. More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority women and children. Some organizations, such as the nonprofit Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, put the death toll at nearly 30,000.
The city of Philadelphia made history on Tuesday, January 2 after it swore in its 100th mayor, a Black woman named Cherelle Parker.

Parker is the first female and first Black woman to hold the post, succeeding Jim Kenney after winning the mayoral election last November.

Sources told PBS Philly affiliate WHYY that Parker was sworn in privately on Monday (January 1) ahead of Tuesday's public formal inauguration to close a potential gap in governance, without further elaborating on the matter.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia schools safety chief Kevin Bethel was also sworn in as the city's new police commissioner, and fire commissioner Adam Thiel was named the city's next managing director.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Parker released an action plan for the first 100 days of her administration, further saying that she would declare a public security emergency.

Read Also: New York Workers Get Increased Minimum Wage Across the State

Who is Cherelle Parker?

Little was known about Parker's childhood but revealed in her inauguration speech that she came from a single-mother background and was the first person in her family to finish college.

Her career began at the age of 17 when she won a high school oration contest. The prize for the win was a trip to Senegal and Morocco, as well as an internship with Philadelphia City Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco, whom she would go on to work for around 15 years.

In 2005, Parker became the youngest African American woman elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing northwest Philadelphia for 10 years. During her time there, she worked to increase funding to Philly's public schools, cap increases on property taxes, fight payday lenders, and strengthen the cases of victims of sexual violence.

Related Article: Philadelphia: Man Faces Assault, Murder Charges After Shooting 2 Cops
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley have each qualified for the CNN GOP primary debate in Iowa next week.



Meanwhile, former President Donald J Trump will do his own thing yet again and instead will participate in a Fox News town hall that will air at the same time. This is the latest in a string of incidents where Donald Trump has opted out of debating other Republicans who are vying to lead the GOP to the White House.



The first GOP debate on CNN is scheduled to air at 9 pm EST on January 10. Former New Jersey governor and one-time Trump ally Chris Christie failed to qualify for CNN's debate, nor did biotech businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Neither of them reached the 10 percent polling threshold in three national or Iowa polls, including one conducted by CNN.



Ramaswamy criticized CNN in a post on X on Tuesday, naming a handful of its anchors and commentators and previewing the GOP debate as "the most boring in modern history."

Ramaswamy said that he would be holding a counterprogramming event instead, to be hosted by influential media personality Tim Pool.

The Hill is reporting that this move comes as Nikki Haley appears to be making some momentum in the New Hampshire polls, though Trump is still leading in the state. Recently, the former president was removed from the ballots in Colorado and Maine, respectively.

But What About Donald Trump?

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has gone on record stating that removing Trump from any ballot plays into his base's belief that he is a victim of an overreaching, big government cabal that wishes to suppress his voice, and theirs by proxy.

Ratified after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment states that US officials who take an oath to uphold the Constitution are disqualified from holding office if they are involved with or give comfort to insurrectionists.

However, the Constitution does not spell out how to enforce the ban, and the vague phrasing has led to questions about whether it even applies to the presidency.
Russia has ramped up its missile attacks against Ukraine, launching its biggest barrages of the war.

It may have a specific motive: to deplete Ukraine's limited stocks of Patriot air-defense ammo.

Ukraine gets some of its Patriot ammo from the US  where Congress blocking further supplies.

Russia's recent, huge missile barrage on Ukraine has caused widespread destruction  but may have a more specific aim, too.

As well as trying to destroy the targets of its strikes, Russia is likely trying to get Ukraine to expend precious ammunition for its Patriot air-defense systems, an expert told Business Insider.

Without the protection the Patriot systems afford, Russia will be able to do far more damage, with less fear of its strikes failing.

The timing is particularly apt, as Congress approving further aid could limit Ukraine's ability to get more Patriot ammo.

Dr Jade McGlynn, a Russian politics researcher and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that depleting Patriot and other missile stocks is "clearly part of" Russia's strategy.

"The Patriots are certainly the focus of Russian propaganda coverage domestically," she noted. She also said other factors were likely driving Russia's decisions.

The idea was also put forward by Yaroslav Trofimov, The Wall Street Journal chief foreign-affairs correspondent.

He said Russia's was looking to run down Ukrainian stocks of Patriot missiles in the hope of then being able to destroy the batteries which launch them. They would be much harder to replace.

Trofimov said another type of surface-to-air missile, the NASAMS, was a target as well.

Ukraine has been given five Patriot missile batteries from the US, Germany, and the Netherlands.

They can track 100 targets from 60 miles away and have been credited with destroying many Russian missiles  including a model that Russia said was unstoppable  as well Russian aircraft.

US soldiers prepare a Patriot missile to fire during an exercise in Qatar in March 2015. US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman

Ukraine said in December that it was due to receive more Patriot systems from Western countries, including one from Germany.

But it did not give details on where the others would come from, and one likely donor  the US  is unable to give more aid without approval from Congress.

Senate Republicans have blocked requests from President Joe Biden for further funding, saying that they will only approve it if their demands for funding for the US southern border are met first.

That caused Secretary of State Antony Blinken to warn last month that "We are nearly out of money that we need, and we're nearly out of time."

McGlynn said that development in Congress explains why Russia waited until late December to start its large barrages.

"It was unclear why Russia waited so long for these infrastructure strikes compared to last year," she said, noting that in 2022 the attacks began around October.

"But it makes sense in the context of the lack of US approval for defence aid to Ukraine."

Trofimov also said Russia wanted to take advantage of the dynamics in Congress.

Keir Giles, Russia analyst at the think tank Chatham House, was more skeptical when talking to Business Insider.

He said Russia was probably running the missile campaign on its own timeframe, and knew "there's going to be a limited amount of supply from overseas, whatever happens with or without the US tap being turned off."

But he said the lack of guaranteed US support does make the situation much more difficult for Ukraine, forcing tough decisions on when to use its defenses.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A 30-year-old man was found dead inside an aircraft engine at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah.

The Salt Lake City Police Department told local media on Tuesday (January 2) that the man was last seen alive on Monday (January 1) after he accessed the airport's deicing pad and crawled into a plane engine. A store manager inside the airport reported a disturbance involving a passenger on the secured side of the terminal.

Investigators determined that the man left through an emergency exit door and accessed the airport's ramp area.

The identity of the man and his cause of death remained unknown. Police added that the incident did not impact the airport's overall operation and that no further information was being released at this time.

Read Also: Philadelphia Swears In Cherelle Parker-The City's First Female, Black Mayor

Man in the Engine

Later that morning, police and airport workers found the man unconscious inside a wing-mounted engine of an occupied commercial aircraft on the deicing pad, but the engines were not running at the time.

First responders removed the man from the engine intake cowling. Despite life-saving efforts, emergency crews declared him dead on the scene.

Meanwhile, Delta Airlines told Fox News Digital that the incident happened in one of their planes, an Airbus A220-100 traveling from Salt Lake to San Francisco.

Delta said the flight was forced to return to the gate and canceled. The airline said its customers impacted by the cancellation were rebooked on other flights.

"As nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and people, Delta is fully cooperating with all aviation authority and law enforcement investigations," a Delta spokesperson said.

Related Article: Utah: Gas Leak at Mormon Church Results in Roughly 50 Cases of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Semafor Signals

Insights from The Kyiv Post, Foreign Policy, and The New York Times

NEWS

Russia and Ukraine announced Wednesday they have each released hundreds of prisoners captured during the war, marking the largest swap of its kind since the Russian invasion nearly two years ago.

The deal, which was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, constituted 234 Russian prisoners of war and 230 Ukrainians, including soldiers from the battles of Snake Island and the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, which have become symbols of Ukrainian resistance.

The deal marks the resumption of prisoner exchanges, which had been on hold since the summer, leading some Ukrainian officials to warn that Russia had lost interest in exchanging prisoners of war.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Prisoner exchanges have become a rare arena for Russia-Ukraine talks

Sources: The Kyiv Post, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy

Moscow and Kyiv have swapped hostages dozens of times during the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have said while more than 2,500 of its troops have been freed so far, more than 30,000 remain captive in Russia. The exchanges are one of the few issues that Russia and Ukraine are still negotiating on through diplomatic backchannels, The Washington Post reported. The talks have largely taken place bilaterally, but the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have also stepped in to help. The Gulf states role as neutral mediators may become all the more important when the time comes for more substantive talks, an analyst wrote in Foreign Policy.

The UAE walks a fine line as a U.S. ally with close ties to Russia

Sources: The New York Times, TASS, The Wall Street Journal

The Emirati government will view the prisoner exchange as another positive outcome of its decision not to take sides between Kyiv and Moscow. The UAEs Ministry of Foreign Affairs said their strong friendly relations with both countries were key in negotiating the deal. The UAE, which has long depended on the U.S. for security, has deepened its ties to Russia since the start of the war. During a visit in December, Vladimir Putin said that relations between the two countries were at an all-time high. The UAE has also become one of the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, which buys it at discounted prices, and is a key foreign hub for Russian banks and investors.
Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of prisoners Wednesday in a deal reportedly brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 230 Ukrainians were returned in the prisoner swap, including 213 soldiers and sergeants, 11 officers and six civilians.

Russia received 248 soldiers from Ukraine as part of the deal, according to state-run media outlet TASS.

Russias Defense Ministry said the deal was brokered by the UAE, but there was no immediate comment from the Middle Eastern nation about the swap.

Ukraine and Russia have negotiated prisoner releases dozens of times during their almost two-year war, releasing hundreds of personnel.

Last year, Qatar also helped free four Ukrainian children who were taken into Russia.

The swap comes as Russia continues to hammer Ukraine with airstrikes, targeting military infrastructure in deadly missile and drone attacks.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Russians at TOT plan to "passportize" the Internet

Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) continue to force passportization of locals by creating additional restrictions for those who refuse a Russian passport, Ukraines National Resistance Center (NRC) reported on Jan. 2.

Mandatory passport verification of internet users is the newest method of forced passportization and control over locals.

Read also: Russians add pressure on Ukrainians in occupied territory to take enemy passports  NRC

Internet operators now require passport information based on a Russian passport for anyone who wishes to go online.

This measure is aimed not only at the forced passportization of residents in the TOT, but also at strengthening control, the NRC said. Russians have created and actively maintain a database of residents disloyal to Russia.

Russians used explosions at the Donbas Palace hotel to intensify forced passportization in Donetsk, the NRC reported on Jan. 1.

Read also: Russia prepares new lists of Ukrainian children for deportation, says NRC

Before the New Year, Russian police conducted a series of raids in villages in temporarily occupied Kherson Oblast for preventive conversations with those refusing a Russian passport.

Russian occupation authorities officially made Ukrainian citizens foreigners as of Jan. 1, 2024 and will begin their deportation, mayor of temporarily occupied Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said in late November.

Russians are conducting forced passportization in all occupied territories of Ukraine to make it impossible for residents to live normally without a Russian passport.

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Consequences of Russia's attack on Kharkiv on January 2

The casualty count has risen from 52 to 62, with one woman confirmed dead in the aftermath of Russia's assault on Kharkiv on Jan. 2, Regional Military Administration head, Oleh Synehubov, reported on Jan. 3.

Six children are among the victims, with four currently receiving medical aid.

Read also: At least one dead, 20 injured in Kharkiv after another massive Russian missile attack overnight

28 people were hospitalized, with two remaining in critical condition.

Dozens of buildings in the city center suffered extensive damage in the attack, including the popular 5-star Palace Hotel.

While Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov initially mentioned the strike was from Russian Kinzhal ballistic missiles, police later clarified that Russian Iskander cruise missiles were used.

Read also: Russian missiles kill 4, injure 92 across Ukraine in latest massive Russian strike, Zelenskyy says

Russia launched a second attack in the evening, destroying a school and targeting a residential area with S-300 missiles.

Russian missile attack on Ukraine on January 2: Details

Read also: Scores injured & hospitalized as 3 high-rise apartments ablaze after Russian missile attack on Kyiv

Russia attacked Ukraine with 99 missiles in the morning. Ukrainian Air Defense Forces destroyed 72 of them, including all 10 Kinzhal missiles. Over 60 missiles were shot down in Kyiv Oblast.

Debris from the intercepted missiles destroyed seven high-rise apartments in the capital, killing at least five civilians. An elderly woman was killed after debris hit her apartment in the Solomyansky district. At least 130 more were injured.

Fatalities and injuries were also reported in Kyiv Oblast.

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Russian attacks against Ukraine killed three and injured at least four people over the past day, regional authorities said on Jan. 3.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a Russian artillery strike killed a 54-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman in the town of Plavni, about 50 kilometers south of the city of Zaporizhzhia, Governor Yurii Malashko said. A 76-year-old woman was also injured in the town of Orikhiv, which was hit by two Russian airstrikes.

In Donetsk Oblast, a 16-year old boy suffered several injuries after Russian forces fired artillery at the town of Hirnyk, the regional prosecutor's office reported. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces attacked more than 15 settlements in addition to the strike on the city of Kharkiv late on Jan. 2, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. A 65-year-old woman was injured after a Russian attack on the city of Vovchansk.

Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast killed an elderly man in the town of Sadove, about 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Kherson, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. He reported previously on Jan. 3 that a woman had been injured in earlier Russian attacks on the oblast.

Russian forces also attack Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv oblasts, causing damage but no casualties.

The attacks came after Russia launched at least 99 missiles on the morning of Jan. 2, targeting Kyiv, the surrounding region, and Kharkiv. According to the Air Force, Ukraine's air defenses shot down 72 Russian missiles, along with all of the 35 Shahed drones launched earlier in the night.

The attack killed a total of five people and injured another 130 nationwide as of 8 p.m. local time, the State Emergency Service reported.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russias latest large-scale air attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv kill 5, injure 130

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During the shelling of Kharkiv on the evening of Tuesday, January 2, one of the Russian missiles hit the school building

In yet another Russian war crime, a Russian rocket hit a school in Kharkiv on the evening of Jan. 2, reported Suspilne.

Read also: Russian bombs hit residential building, severely damaging it, injuring woman in southern Ukraine

The impact caused a portion of the two-story building in Kharkivs Osnovyanskyi district to collapse.

The explosion left a 10-meter-deep crater, which quickly filled with water. Rescuers believe that the rocket damaged the underground water supply, Suspilne wrote.

Windows were broken in at least three private homes nearby.

The invaders launched a new massive missile attack on Ukraine in several waves on the night of Jan. 2. Russia used more than 130 means of destruction: 35 Shahed drones at night, and 99 rockets in the morning.

At least one person was killed in Kharkiv and 52 injured, including six children, after Russia attacked the city with Kinzhal ballistic missiles, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutors Office reported.

Read also: 1 civilian dead in Kharkiv as number of injured jumps to 41 following Russian Kinzhal missile attack

Explosions rocked Kharkiv again in the evening of the same day. The Air Force warned about the probable use of ballistic weapons in the city.

A rocket hit a residential area in the attack. Preliminary information suggests it was a Russian C-300 missile.

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A Russian missile strike against Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 3 killed one civilian and injured another, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Russian forces began intensifying shelling and ground attacks against the front-line town in October 2023, forcing many of its inhabitants to leave.

At around 11 a.m., Russia launched four missiles against the town, aiming at a residential building, Filashkin said.

A 51-year-old man died on the spot, and a 50-year-old woman was hospitalized with injuries, according to the governor.

Lying at the doorstep of occupied Donetsk, heavily fortified Avdiivka stood on the front lines since 2014.

It is now one of the eastern front's main flashpoints as Russian forces seek to encircle the town. While achieving some territorial advances, Moscow's troops have repeatedly suffered heavy losses in this campaign.

Read also: Ukraine holds back Russian assault on Avdiivka as long winter battle looms

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The Russians attacked the village of Novotiahynka in Kherson Oblast in the afternoon, killing an elderly woman.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "Novotiahynka came under fire from the Russian occupation forces."

Details: Prokudin said a woman aged about 82 suffered fatal injuries as a result of the attack.

Background: Before that, Russia hit the village of Sadove with artillery at about 11:10 (Kyiv time). One of the shells hit a residential building, and a local resident died under the rubble.

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Explosions are reported in Kharkiv, as the Russians are conducting attacks on the city on the evening of 2 January.

Source: Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv; Oleh Syniehubov, the Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration; Ukraine's Air Force on Telegram

Details: Syniehubov and Terekhov reported that the Russians were striking the city. Local residents are urged to stay in shelters.

The Air Force stressed that a missile is flying towards Kharkiv. The air-raid warning was also issued in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Terekhov later clarified that there was a strike in the city.

Quote: "There's another strike near a residential building. The windows were smashed, and information about the casualties is being clarified. This is another terrorist attack on Kharkiv and an attempt to intimidate civilians."

Background:

Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that on the morning of 2 January, the Russians launched 99 missiles of various types at Ukraine, 72 of which were destroyed, including 10 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles.

There were three strikes in Kharkiv, and one of the missiles hit the main gas pipeline, causing a massive explosion. A total of 41 residential buildings were damaged.

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Pope Francis commenced the New Year by emphasizing the condemnation of violence against women in a homily of a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on the day the Roman Catholic Church marks the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy Mother of God, which is also the Church's World Day of Peace. Francis has underscored the pivotal role that women play as role models for peace.

The Pope has consistently made appeals in the past for an end to the brutality, however, this is the first time he addresses the vicious killing of 22-year-old university student Giulia Cecchettin in November.

Cecchettin disappeared November 11 when she and ex-boyfriend, Filippo Turetta went shopping for her graduation outfit. The couple mysteriously vanished, but a few days later CCTV footage was released showing Turetta, 22, beating his former girlfriend in a car park close to her home in Vigonovo, near Venice. Her body was later found at the bottom of a ditch.

What Has The Response Been?

Italian lawmakers unanimously supported a series of measures to combat violence against women, following the recent killing that reignited a nationwide discussion on the issue.

According to Italy's interior ministry as reported by BBC, data shows 106 women were killed in Italy last year, and 55 of them allegedly by a partner or ex-partner. Ecumenical News claimed the killing has triggered country-wide protests prompting calls for lessons on how to respect girls become a part of school cirriculum starting at kindergarten level.

Pope Francis spoke to the country amidst heightened emotions and decree for national soul-searching on how to shed a deep-rooted culture of male chauvinism that has often led to femicide. Reuters relayed a crucial quote from the Pope's speech. He said, "Every society needs to accept the gift that is woman, every woman: to respect, defend and esteem women, in the knowledge that whosoever harms a single woman profanes God, who was born of a woman."

"The world, too, needs to look to mothers and to women in order to find peace, to emerge from the spiral of violence and hatred, and once more see things with genuinely human eyes and hearts," he continued.
The Biden Administration petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday asking for the court to intervene after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked it from destroying razor wire fencing that Texas had installed along its border with Mexico as an attempt to discourage illegal border crossings.

According to Reuters, it was on Dec.19 that the 5th Circuit found that a federal judge had been wrong to rule that the U.S. government was immune from a lawsuit brought on by Texas claiming a federal policy of removing the fencing was illegal. The ruling prohibits Border Patrol agents from cutting or moving the controversial fencing as litigation plays out. CNN announced that the Justice Department filed an emergency application, asking the Supreme Court to overturn that decision.

NBC News reported Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar's statement in a court filing upholding that Border Patrol agents do have the authority under federal law to access private land at the border and that the state of Texas has no basis to derail them from carrying out their duties.

"Like other law-enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents operating under difficult circumstances at the border must make context-dependent, sometimes split-second decisions about how to enforce federal immigration laws while maintaining public safety," Prelogar wrote.

"But the injunction prohibits agents from passing through or moving physical obstacles erected by the state that prevent access to the very border they are charged with patrolling and the individuals they are charged with apprehending and inspecting," she added.

The Biden administration further reiterated Preologar's statements by claiming the razor-wire actually prevents agents from reaching migrants to provide medical assistance if needed to those who have already crossed the border into the U.S. This brings Biden into conflict with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and his immigration enforcement plan, called Operation Lone Star. Abbot's plan includes busing thousands of migrants to Democratic-led cities and arresting migrants on trespassing charges. The state of Texas had also previously placed buoys in the Rio Grande to help prevent the illegal crossings. This ultimately prompted the Biden administration to move forth with filing a lawsuit.

Lower courts ordered that the buoys be removed.
Former United States President Donald Trump appeals Maine's decision to remove his name from the state's 2024 ballot over alleged insurrection.

The Republican businessman's legal move came Tuesday after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows barred him from the ballot. That decision was made over the former president's role in the Capitol Hill siege on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump Appeals Maine's Ballot Disqualification Ruling

In a similar case in Colorado, Trump was expected to ask the country's Supreme Court to rule on his eligibility to return to the presidency. That state's high court was the first to rule that the Republican was ineligible to hold public office due to his actions.

The latest development where Trump appeals to the Maine Supreme Court involves the former president declaring that Bellows had no jurisdiction. He is also asking the secretary of state to be required to place the former president's name on the Mar. 5 primary ballot, as per the Associated Press.

The former president's appeal argues that the Maine secretary of state abused her discretion and decided by relying on "untrustworthy evidence." In the appeal, Trump's attorneys argued that Bellows ought to have recused herself due to her prejudice against the Republican businessman, which they claimed was evident from a record of prior statements.

In a statement, Bellows reiterated on Tuesday that her ruling on Trump's eligibility for the 2024 ballot in her state was on pause pending the outcome of the appeal. She said it is part of the process, adding that she has confidence in her decision and the rule of law.

On that same day, Trump was also expected to appeal a similar ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court directly to the nation's highest court. The latter has never decided on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Colorado's ruling that it applied to the former president was the first time in history that the provision was used to bar a presidential candidate from the ballot.

Read Also: Maine Joins Colorado in Banning Donald Trump From State Ballot Over Insurrection Case

Former President's Role in Capitol Insurrection

Trump's campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said Bellows went outside her authority with her ruling. He argued that the Maine secretary of state completely ignored the Constitution when she "summarily decided to remove President Trump's name from the ballot," according to The Hill.

Colorado and Maine have been the only states to take the extraordinary step of removing Trump's name from the 2024 ballot. However, plaintiffs in other states have filed more than two dozen challenges under the 14th Amendment to the former president's candidacy nationwide.

The Supreme Court would ultimately have the final say in the matter and determine whether or not states will be able to remove the former president's name from their ballots. Following Bellows' decision, Trump called her a "biased decision maker."

In his appeal, the former president said that he had met all requirements that the Maine Legislature set forth by submitting his petition and consent as required by the statute. He argued that he is entitled to have his name placed on the Republican primary ballot in the state, said CNN.

Related Article: U.S. Prosecuters Urge Federal Appeals Court to Reject Trump Immunity Claim
(Photo : Win McNamee/Getty Images)

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is hit with new charges concerning an alleged years-long corruption scheme.

Sen. Bob Menendez from New Jersey is facing a slew of new allegations amid his controversial Qatar foreign agent case, where he is accused of taking part in a years-long corruption scheme.

Federal prosecutors allege that the Democratic lawmaker accepted race car tickets and other gifts from Qatar. The accusations make the Gulf nation the second foreign country that the New Jersey official has supposedly helped while he was in office.

Bob Mendez Faces New Charges

On Tuesday, a superseding indictment against Menendez was made public where prosecutors also allege that the senator's bribery and extortion scheme continued into 2023. This was a year longer than they had initially claimed.

The new allegations include that the New Jersey senator accepted payments from one of his co-conspirators, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes. This was in exchange for using his influence to help the latter obtain millions of dollars from an investment fund tied to Qatar. Furthermore, prosecutors claim that Menendez took steps to help the foreign nation.

Menendez, his wife, Nadine Menendez, Daibes, and two other New Jersey businessmen were all indicted as part of a bribery scheme last year. As per CNN, all of the individuals in the case have pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them.

On top of the bribery charges, the senator is facing accusations of acting as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt. He allegedly took steps to help the country in exchange for one of the defendants obtaining a monopoly on a Halal export business.

The latest indictment charges against Menendez allege that he introduced Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family and principal of the Qatari Investment Company. While the Qatari investment fund was weighing an investment, the senator made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar.

Prosecutors claim that Menendez provided Daibes with statements so the latter could share them with the Qatari Investor and a Qatari government official associated with the Qatari Investment Company.

Read Also: Sen. Bob Menendez Pleads Not Guilty to Foreign Agent Charge

Years-Long Corruption Scheme

According to the New York Times, the new indictment against the 70-year-old senator broadens the United States government's allegations that he used his position as the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to convey benefits to foreign governments.

Menendez allegedly tried to repay tens of thousands of dollars' worth of bribes in December 2022 that had come in the form of payments for a home mortgage and toward a Mercedes-Benz convertible. The senator and his wife allegedly created documentation describing the original bribes as loans they were repaying.

On the other hand, Daibes had been planning to construct a major high-rise residential project at 115 River Road in Edgewater, New Jersey. However, that particular project lost its financing after getting bogged down in a delayed environmental cleanup.

The developments come after a federal judge in New York last year rejected Menendez's attempt to delay his criminal trial until July. The Democrat had sought a two-month delay to account for what his lawyers described as voluminous evidence that needed more time to examine, said ABC News.

Related Article: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced in Secret for His Role in U.S. Capitol Riot
Chinese FM spokesperson's remarks on 45th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations

Xinhua) 08:30, January 03, 2024

BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday made remarks on the 45th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations.

The year 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. On Jan. 1, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden exchanged letters of congratulations on this occasion, the spokesperson said.

The establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations is a consequential event in the history of both China-U.S. ties and international relations. For 45 years, China-U.S. relations have weathered winds and rains and come a long way, the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, bilateral trade surged from less than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 1979 to close to 760 billion dollars in 2022; two-way investment increased from almost zero to over 260 billion dollars; and 284 pairs of sister provinces, states and cities were set up.

The two countries have also carried out cooperation on various international and regional hotspots and global issues. "History shows that the growth of China-U.S. relations not only contributes to the good of the two peoples but also to world peace, stability and development," said the spokesperson.

China's U.S. policy is consistent and clear, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, said the spokesperson. "This is the experience we have gained from the course of China-U.S. ties over the years and the right way for the two countries to get along with each other. It is consistent with the trend of the times and serves the common interests of both sides."

"One country's success is an opportunity for the other. The two sides can help each other succeed and prosper together," added the spokesperson.

The spokesperson said that China is committed to a stable, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relationship.

At the summit meeting in San Francisco, President Xi and President Biden reached over 20 deliverables in such areas as political affairs and foreign policy, trade and finance, people-to-people exchange, global governance, and military and security. "They fostered a future-oriented San Francisco vision, which points the way forward for bilateral relations," said the spokesperson.

China is ready to work with the United States to faithfully implement the important common understandings and outcomes reached at the summit meeting, jointly develop a right perception, manage disagreements effectively, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, shoulder responsibilities as major countries, and promote people-to-people exchanges so as to steer the relationship in the right direction to the benefit of both countries and the world at large, the spokesperson said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
British police said in a news release that a woman has been convicted of murder for the killing of her fiance after she allegedly mowed him down with a car and dragged him 500 feet in a deadly "game of chicken."

The suspect, 23-year-old Alice Wood, supposedly ran over her fiance, 24-year-old Ryan Watson, as witnesses watched the horrific scene. Cheshire Police said that the incident occurred after the couple argued while attending a charity party in May 2022.

Deadly Game of Chicken

At the time, it was believed that Wood accused Watson of flirting with another woman while he was at the party they attended. In a statement, Detective Inspector Nigel Parr said that Wood used her car as a weapon while under the influence of alcohol to drive into her fiance deliberately.

Parr noted that the suspect continued to drive even after she had knocked Watson down with her vehicle. As per CBS News, the detective inspector argued that Wood knew what she had done but has since refused to take accountability for her actions.

The suspect has denied the accusations against her and said that Watson's death had been a "tragic accident." Surveillance footage that police released showed Wood repeatedly driving the car at her fiance until he was caught underneath the hood of the vehicle.

The party that the couple attended was on May 6, 2022, and they were captured on video talking and drinking alcohol. The British woman had driven her fiance's car home from the party at around 11:00 p.m. that evening.

After Wood got behind the wheel of her car, a Ford Fiesta, law enforcement personnel reported that witnesses heard "shouting, doors slamming, and a car engine revving." Video footage showed Wood's car approaching Watson twice until he was dragged underneath the vehicle.

Read Also: Brianna Ghey Murder: Two England Teens Convicted in Fatal Stabbing of Transgender Girl

Mowing Down the Victim

The guilty verdict against Wood comes after a three-week trial at Chester Crown Court in Cheshire. The suspect, a university student, was said to have asked someone to "Please phone an ambulance, I think I've run over my boyfriend," according to the New York Post.

Following the incident, paramedics who arrived at the scene after being called pronounced Watson dead on the spot. When law enforcement officers later arrested Wood, she said, "It's fine, I deserve it."

Watson's grieving family issued a statement where they expressed their gratitude that justice had been served. They added that they were "proud" of all the victim had accomplished in his 24 years.

Watson's mother, 44-year-old Lisa, read out a statement after the verdict was handed to Wood, where she said that she was living in a nightmare. She noted that her son had such a big personality, describing him as a bubbly, fun-loving, caring person with a heart of gold.

She continued to say that she could not possibly imagine how scared her son was shortly before his death. She said that the one that Watson trusted the most was the person who took his life in such a violent way, according to Yahoo News.

Related Article: Gunman in Prague Shooting Identified, More Details Revealed
(Photo : SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

U.S. Capitol Police arrested an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who was found to have been carrying a brick, a knife, and a machete and showed "strange behavior."

Capitol police arrested an illegal immigrant from Venezuela after he was found to be carrying a brick, a knife, and a machete outside of the building and showed "strange behavior."

The individual was identified as 23-year-old Jose Leonardo Marquez, previously released from custody by federal border authorities. Due to his recent actions, US Capitol Police took him into custody on the afternoon of Dec. 26 after he illegally entered the country.

Capitol Police Arrest Illegal Immigrant Carrying Machete

A press release from the USCP noted that an officer observed Marquez's "strange behavior" and approached him to check the situation. The law enforcement personnel talked with the individual and noticed a brick inside his pocket. The illegal immigrant tossed the item to the site as requested by the officer.

After the individual complied with the police officer's request, he also took out a knife and placed it on a ledge at the Capitol building. According to Fox News, authorities later said that the observant officer also noticed a handle under the man's clothing.

He then proceeded to call for backup as he drew his gun and ordered Marquez to put his hands up in the air. Officials later found a machete on his person and immediately arrested the illegal immigrant.

Law enforcement authorities then charged the illegal immigrant with carrying a dangerous weapon and possession of a prohibited weapon. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that Marquez entered the country through El Paso, Texas, on an unknown date and was arrested on Aug. 21, 2022.

The agency said that border patrol released him from custody "due to a lack of detention capacity" and enrolled him in the tracking program known as "Alternatives to Detention." Marquez later reported to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., on Oct. 5, 2023.

Read Also: California Boy Charged With Murder After Fatally Shooting Fellow 10-Year-Old With Father's Gun

Migrant Crisis in the US

Marquez is among an untold number of people who have illegally entered the United States and were once arrested and released but later found to have committed crimes. The list of recent ICE ERO removals includes a Chilean military officer who was wanted for kidnapping and murder, a Brazilian fugitive who was wanted for rape, and Guatemalans wanted for murder and rape, according to The Center Square.

The situation comes as United States President Joe Biden is weighing major changes to US immigration policy following the new year's celebrations. The Democrat is looking at toughening border enforcement and addressing an issue that has emerged as one of his biggest political vulnerabilities.

The president has been facing exceptionally high levels of migration at the southern border with Mexico as Republicans continue their criticism of Biden's response to the crisis. On Wednesday, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

The meeting was held to conduct talks to limit the number of migrants reaching the US southwestern border. Furthermore, a bipartisan group of Senate lawmakers has been engaged in talks with the White House over a border deal that would provide aid to Israel and Ukraine, according to The Guardian.

Related Article: Sen Bon Menendez Faces New Allegations Amid His Controversial Qatar Foreign Agent Case
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court authorized Texas to ban emergency abortions even though the US Department of Health and Human Services says a federal statute takes priority over state laws prohibiting the procedure.

The federal guidance requires emergency room doctors to perform abortions if necessary to stabilize emergency room patients.

Court Allows Texas to Ban Emergency Abortions

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals endorsed a lower court's decision that supported Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Judge Leslie Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee, and Trump appointees Kurt Engelhardt and Cory Wilson heard the appeal.

"The Texas plaintiffs argument that medical treatment is historically subject to police power of the States, not to be superseded unless that was the clear and manifest purpose of Congress, is convincing," Engelhardt wrote.

On Tuesday evening, spokespeople for the Justice Department and the Texas attorney general did not promptly respond to requests for comment.

In July 2022, the Biden administration issued guidance declaring that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (Emtala), a federal statute that governs emergency rooms, permits abortion when necessary to stabilize a patient with a medical emergency, even in states where it is illegal.

The US Supreme Court's historic Roe v. Wade decision, which had secured a national right to abortion since 1973, was reversed shortly after the guidelines were released.

Texas and the organizations filed a lawsuit against the state's right to prohibit abortion. A judge in a lower court agreed in August 2022, ruling that the Texas abortion ban "fills that void" by allowing limited exceptions to save the mother's life or, in certain situations, to prevent serious bodily harm.

Engelhardt agreed that Emtala should also include a requirement to deliver an unborn child, and it was up to doctors to balance the medical needs of the mother and fetus while complying with any state abortion laws. He wrote that the law does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child.

The ruling affirmed a lower court's order that prevented the government from implementing the guidelines against members of two anti-abortion physician societies nationwide as well as from enforcing them in Texas.

Furthermore, the ruling by the federal court was made one month after the highest state court in Texas denied the request of a lady seeking an emergency abortion due to her non-viable pregnancy. The court was currently considering a separate lawsuit by 22 women about the scope of the emergency medical exception to Texas's abortion ban.

A federal judge reached the opposite conclusion in a similar case in Idaho last year, blocking that state's abortion ban after finding it conflicted with Emtala. The ninth US circuit court of appeals is expected to hear the state's appeal of that ruling later this month.

Read Also: Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean, Wife Rochelle Announces Divorce After 12 Years of Marriage

Kate Cox's Abortion Case

Following her discovery that her unborn child has multiple health problems, including a spinal abnormality and the deadly chromosomal condition trisomy 18, Kate Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two small children, filed a lawsuit in December to get an abortion.

According to court filings, the doctors informed Cox and her husband that there was virtually no chance that their baby would survive to birth. Furthermore, the doctor explained that continuing her pregnancy would put Cox's life at risk and would probably jeopardize her future fertility.

However, Cox was unable to obtain an abortion in Texas due to the state's strict laws prohibiting the procedure. She fled her home state to obtain an abortion after Texas's top court ruled that she could not terminate her non-viable pregnancy.

Related Article: Pregnant Texas Woman Asks Judge to Grant Abortion Access After Lethal Fetal Diagnosis




NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of our sun emitting a powerful solar flare, peaking at 4:55 p.m. EST on Dec. 31, 2023.

Our solar system's star recorded The burst of energy as the strongest solar flare since 2017. These events are powerful energy explosions that can impact radio communications, electric power grids, and navigation signals and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

Powerful Solar Flare

The recent flare was classified as an X5.0 burst, where X-class denotes the most intense flares while the number next to the letter provides more information about its strength. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center provided more details about the solar flare.

The burst came from the same sun region that produced an X.2.8 solar flare on Dec. 14, 2023. The latest burst was also the largest one to be observed since Sept. 10, 2017, when an X8.2 explosion was recorded, as per SciTechDaily.

While low in confidence, modeling of the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) related to this event determined the possibility of proximity shock influences near Earth as early as Jan. 2, 2024. It also noted that a G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storming watch valid Jan. 2 is in place in response.

Scientists describe solar flares as sudden and intense bursts of radiation that emanate from the sun's surface, typically near its sunspots. These events result from the release of magnetic energy stored in our star's atmosphere.

This energy heats the solar material to tens of millions of degrees, which causes it to emit gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation. Solar flares are classified into three categories based on their strength: C-class, M-class, and X-class.

The New Year's Eve solar flare is expected to reach our planet today and it could trigger a geomagnetic storm. According to Space, the energy burst was ejected into space and is the most powerful solar flare during the current solar cycle, which began in Dec. 2019.

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Peak Solar Activity

During the peak of the sun's activity during its previous solar cycle, an X45 flare was seen erupting in 2003, which was the most powerful solar flare ever recorded. On the other hand, both B-class and C-class solar flares are too weak to affect people on Earth noticeably.

The current solar activity aligns with scientists' predictions that our sun will continue to be particularly active as it goes through its 11-year cycle. As the solar maximum draws near, more flares, CMEs, and subsequent geomagnetic storms are expected throughout the year.

Scientists need to conduct continuous monitoring and advanced modeling because these are crucial to providing timely alerts about the potential impacts of solar flares on our technological infrastructure. Furthermore, while the full impact of the latest CME remains to be seen, experts urge preparedness for potentially minor disruptions shortly, said India Today.

Astronomers also predict a solar maximum to hit sometime this year, and the peak is expected to be a powerful one if last year's intense solar activity is any indication.

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NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced that his migrant busing crackdown will soon include trains and airplanes. He said that this latest effort is a message to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been sending migrants to New York and other cities.

On December 27, 2023, Adams confirmed that he would start restricting the flow of migrants carried by charter buses. This legislation specifically applies to buses contracted by the state of Texas.

Now, Eric Adams wants to expand this restriction so that they can also monitor and limit migrants carried by trains and airplanes. Here's what the NYC leader said.

Eric Adams' Migrant Busing Crackdown To Include Trains, Airplanes

According to The New York Post's latest report, Eric Adams plans to include airplanes and trains in his migrant busing crackdown as he limits asylum seekers being sent to the Big Apple.

"We want to send the right message to bus operators - 'You should not participate in the actions of Governor Abbott,'" said Adams on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

He promised that they would use everything within their powers to make sure that they could stop migrants that are also being sent via trains and airplanes.

Aside from this, he also bashed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, saying that New York City is dealing with a person "who just wants to disrupt."

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About NYC Migrant Busing Crackdown

Politico recently reported that the migrant busing restriction of NYC applies only between 8:00 a.m. and noon on weekdays. This legislation also requires buses to announce their arrival 32 hours in advance.

Eric Adams' administration confirmed the migrant busing crackdown after three cities pressed the White House, as well as the federal government, to provide more migrant aid.

This is because they are having a hard time as they claim that migrants cause the economic and government burden of feeding, housing, and educating thousands of asylum seekers.

Previously, the Adams administration complained that New York City was receiving almost 4,000 migrants each week. Based on statistics, over 161,000 asylum seekers already entered NYC ever since the migrant crisis began in 2022.

As of writing, New York City is estimated to be accommodating around 68,000 asylum seekers. Right now, Eric Adams hasn't shared specific details regarding the expansion of his migrant busing crackdown.

It is still unclear if the requirements imposed by the legislation for buses carrying asylum seekers will also apply to trains and airplanes.

Related Article: Eric Adams Unveils Executive Order Restricting Texas Busing of Migrants to New York City
Nigel Lythgoe, the producer behind 'American Idol' and 'So You Think You Can Dance' has faced his second sexual assault lawsuit from the contestants of 'All American Girl' in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Lythgoe was also sued by Paula Abdul, who had worked as a judge on both shows.

Lythgoe Faces Second Sexual Assault Lawsuit

In the new lawsuit, Lythgoe faces allegations from two women identified as Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.L. The two were contestants on 'All American Girl,' a competition show aired on ABC in 2003.

According to Variety, the producer allegedly brought the women to a house after the show's wrap party and made sexual moves on both of them. One of them alleges that he pulled his sweater over her head and tried to kiss her, while the other accuses him of pinning her against a grand piano and forcing his tongue onto her face as she tried to pull away.

The lawsuit claimed that Lythgoe walked around the set during the taping of the show and touched and swatted the contestants' butts.

In the lawsuit, Lythgoe was only identified as John Roe N.L., and the show was only recognized by its initials, A.A.G. TMZ initially identified the defendant.

Lythgoe's representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Furthermore, the new lawsuit stated that one of the plaintiffs, Jane Doe K.G., was born in November 1997, which was likely an error because the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act only applies to adult victims. Back then, Jane would only be five years old at the time of the assault.

The lawsuit alleges intentional infliction of mental distress, negligence, sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, and gender violence.

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Abdul Files Lawsuit Against Lythgoe

On Friday, Abdul filed a lawsuit against Lythgoe and claimed that he groped and kissed her in an elevator about 20 years ago. Years later, Lythgoe asked her to come to his house and tried to grope her again while she was sitting on his couch.

On Saturday, Lythgoe said in a statement, "For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear - and entirely platonic - friends and colleagues." He claimed that Abdul's allegations were false and deeply offensive.

Both lawsuits were filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which established a one-year window to file lawsuits that would otherwise be too old under the statute of limitations. The window closed on December 31.

The new lawsuit was filed on January 2, but Abdul's first lawsuit was filed on December 29. The plaintiffs' attorney, Mike Arias, did not immediately respond to a question regarding the timeliness of the lawsuit.

Related Article: Charlie Sheen Assaulted by Female Neighbor Inside Malibu Home


(Photo : AFP via Getty Images)

A Palestinian man on a wheelchair is pushed on a street under the rain at a makeshift camp housing displaced Palestinians, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas, on January 2, 2024.

The United States condemned the controversial remarks made by two Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who advocated for the emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and the return of Jewish settlers to the embattled territory.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller categorically rejected these statements, labeling them as inflammatory and irresponsible, as per Voice of America.

US Denounces Israeli Ministers' Gaza Resettlement

Miller reiterated the long-held US position that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain so. He emphasized that the United States does not support the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza, making it clear that the territory should be under Palestinian control without the influence of Hamas or any other terror groups.

The firebrand national security minister, Ben Gvir, had proposed a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza's residents, stating that it would be a morally just option. However, the Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not officially announced any plans for the eviction of Gazans or the return of Jewish settlers to the territory, despite the ongoing conflict since October 7.

The recent remarks by Ben Gvir were closely followed by Finance Minister Smotrich, who also called for the return of settlers to Gaza. He suggested that Israel should encourage the approximately 2.4 million Palestinians in the territory to leave. These comments come in the wake of the bloodiest Gaza war triggered by Hamas attacks on Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,140 individuals, many of them civilians.

The United Nations reports that, as a result of the relentless bombardment and ground offensive by Israel, 85 percent of the people in Gaza have been internally displaced. Human rights advocates in the United States are now urging President Joe Biden to end his administration's perceived complicity in Israeli rights abuses, particularly in light of these calls to push Palestinians out of Gaza, according to News18.

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Israeli Voluntary Migration Raises War Crime Concerns

Critics argue that forced displacement of civilians, as suggested by Israeli officials, would constitute a war crime under international law and potentially lead to ethnic cleansing. Rasha Mubarak, a Palestinian American organizer, highlights the contradiction between calling it voluntary migration while bombing homes and starving the population.

The United States, while opposing any forced or enduring displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, has been accused of providing continued military aid and diplomatic support to Israel, thereby contributing to the conflict. Despite the growing pressure to prevent further atrocities and violations of international law, some experts argue that the US has not effectively used its leverage to influence Israel's actions.

As the conflict continues to escalate, renewed pressure mounts on the Biden administration to take decisive action. Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called on the administration to repudiate the Israeli ministers' words and recognize the Israeli government's plan for ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

While the United States has stated its opposition to forced displacement, advocates argue that more must be done to prevent Israel's actions from making displacement inevitable. The Biden administration is urged to use its influence and leverage over Israel to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ensure the basic needs of the Palestinian population are met.

In the midst of this ongoing conflict, the international community waits to see if the United States will take bolder steps toward holding Israel accountable and promoting a just and sustainable solution for both Israelis and Palestinians, Al Jazeera reported.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has commissioned an inquiry into why Cabinet documents from 2003 on Australia's involvement in the United States-led Iraq invasion remain classified.

The move comes after the National Archives of Australia released records from 2003 on Monday, which were expected to shed light on why John Howard's government committed Australian troops to the invasion, as per ABC News.

Albanese Orders Probe Into Missing Iraq War Documents

However, the documents did not reveal any formal submissions made to the Cabinet and only showed that Howard made oral reports. On December 19, 2023, additional documents that had not been forwarded to the archives were discovered, and Albanese has ordered an investigation to determine why these were not submitted.

Denis Richardson, former director-general of security for Australia, will conduct the independent review, and Albanese expects him to present his findings within the next two weeks. Albanese insisted that Australians have a right to know the decision-making process that led Howard to commit Australian forces to the US-led invasion. The extra documents that were found are believed to contain national security committee submissions and will be reviewed for their suitability for release.

Albanese stated that Australians have a right to know what led to the decision to go to war, as Australian lives were lost during the conflict. He also noted that some of the reasons given at the time for going to war, such as the alleged weapons of mass destruction held by Iraq, were incorrect.

The 2003 cabinet files were submitted to the archives in 2020 by Scott Morrison's Liberal government after a 20-year secrecy provision expired. At the time, the 2003 Labor opposition, led by Simon Crean, did not support Howard's decision to join the US-led coalition, according to The Guardian.

Read Also: Biden Administration Looks to Supreme Court in Texas Razor-Wire Border Dispute

Australia's Iraq War Remains Secret

In response to the failure to forward the 78 documents, including files about Australia's decision to join the invasion, Albanese ordered an investigation into its cause. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet attributes the botched transfer to administrative oversights and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The government announced that it would consider taking further action to improve transparency and that all documentation should be released to the public, barring any risks to national security.

The US-led invasion of Iraq began on March 19, 2003, with the aim of disarming weapons of mass destruction, ending Saddam Hussein's support of terrorism, and freeing the Iraqi people. The Australian government warned of a "real and unacceptable threat to international peace and security" posed by weapons of mass destruction.

However, it was later revealed that any such weapons held by Iraq had been destroyed years earlier. The conflict led to the deaths of over 200,000 Iraqi citizens, and its legality and justification have been questioned by many. The 2003 invasion sparked some of the largest protests in Australia since the Vietnam War, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to protest against the war, The Examiner reported.

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Missing Florida woman Sandra Lemire's family finally discovered her remains over the weekend, ending an agonizing wait of almost 12 long years.

According to her family, Sandra Lemire's family discovered her body inside a minivan submerged in a retention pond off an interstate highway, as per CBS News.

Missing Florida Woman's Remains Found in Pond

Sunshine State Sonar, a volunteer-based search and recovery team that specializes in sonar and underwater technology, helped with the discovery. Tim Lemire, Jr., Sandra's son, expressed gratitude to the team, saying that he was still processing the life-changing news.

Sandra Lemire, a mother-of-three, was 47 when she went missing in May 2012 after going on a date with a man she had met online. Despite the investigators ruling out the man as a suspect, the case eventually went cold.

Last Sunday, divers from Sunshine State Sonar discovered the missing woman's red minivan, located in a retention pond at the Walt Disney World exit on Interstate 4. They found her remains and some of her personal belongings in the back of the vehicle.

Tim Lemire, Jr., was a teenager when his mother vanished, and the boy's father, Sandra's ex-husband Timothy Lemire, shared how his son endured immense hardship throughout this tragedy. Speaking to WSVN News, Lemire said that the boy went through hell over this. On May 8, 2012, Sandra left her grandmother's home near John Young Parkway in Orlando, Florida, driving her red minivan.

Mike Sullivan, one of the divers who helped find Sandra's remains, said that for the past year and a half, he and his team had been actively searching for the missing mother. He admitted that he was the least optimistic about this case compared to the other cases he was pursuing.

Two weeks ago, Sullivan received new information from detectives at the Orlando Police Department about the location of Sandra's last known cell phone activity before losing contact. Drawing up a map that covered new search areas, the team finally zeroed in on a retention pond along State Road 417 and Interstate 4 near Disney's World Drive.

It was there that Sullivan spotted the missing woman's red minivan with the Florida license plate number J36-8ZE. Recalling the moment of discovery, Sullivan said he was hyperventilating, feeling stressed out as he donned his dive gear, including a wetsuit, and plunged into the pond. Once he verified the discovery, Sullivan made a video call to Sandra's son, Tim, to share the news of the breakthrough in his mother's cold case, according to Daily Mail.

Read Also: 'Cyber-Kidnapping:' Missing Utah Foreign Exchange Student Found Safe in Tent in Mountains

Sandra Lemire's Tragic Accident Under Investigation

Authorities are currently investigating the cause and manner of Sandra's death, which they believe resulted from a car accident. The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating her death. The Orlando Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Orange County Sheriff's Office, and Osceola County Sheriff's Office assisted Sullivan's team in retrieving the vehicle from the murky waters.

Sullivan's team shared a statement on social media, highlighting their discovery of the submerged minivan and expressing their belief that they had finally found Sandra Lemire.

Tim Lemire, Jr., shared the news of his mother's discovery on social media just hours before New Year's Eve arrived. He posted pictures and shared that Sandra had been submerged for 12 long years.

He wrote that they found her bones in the back of the van and added that his mother would be coming home soon. Tim thanked Mike at Sunshine State Sonar for his tireless dedication to bringing closure to his family and recognizing him as the driving force behind this breakthrough. Tim plans on donating to Mike's page, stating that Mike is a true hero and an angel.

Meanwhile, the divers from Sunshine State Sonar believed that they had discovered the remains of Sandra Lemire while diving in a small retention pond near the Disney World exit on Interstate 4 in Kissimmee, Florida. She had disappeared in May 2012, and the group had been searching for her in 63 bodies of water over the past year and a half.

In a statement on social media, they said that a tip from an Orlando Police Department detective about the location of a cellphone tower that last received a call from Lemire's phone helped them narrow the search to the retention pond. Their team confirmed the discovery of a minivan submerged in 14 feet of water, and promptly suited up and dove on the vehicle to confirm the license plate, Independent reported.

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Russia started 2024 with aerial barrages against Ukraine as the war between the two countries continued.

The Kremlin's missile attacks made huge headlines, especially after reports confirmed that the Russian military launched its largest bombardment since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022.

Many global leaders are focused on the damages caused by Russia's missile attacks in Ukraine. Deaths of civilians and injuries are also usually the ones on the daily news.

However, experts warned that Russia's worsening aerial barrages could have other motives aside from killing targets and destroying structures. They claim that the Kremlin could be using missile attacks as bait to target Ukraine's Patriot rockets.

Russia's Aerial Barrages Could Just Be Bait

Numerous experts warned that Russia could be launching aerial barrages for other reasons aside from killing Ukrainian targets and causing destruction.

They said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his soldiers could be baiting Kyiv into using all their Patriot air defense systems. Once Ukraine runs out of Patriot missiles, experts warned that it will no longer be able to protect or deal damage to Russia.

One of the experts who believe in this possible plan of Russia is Dr. Jade McGlynn, a Russian politics researcher. McGlynn is also a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

She claimed that depleting Ukraine's Patriot air-defense missiles is clearly a part of Russia's strategy in the ongoing invasion.

"The Patriots are certainly the focus of Russian propaganda coverage domestically," said Dr. McGlynn via Business Insider.

Read Also: Friendly-Fire: Russian Village Accidentally Bombarded by Kremlin as All-Out Assault Against Ukraine Continues

What Ukraine Can Do

Patriot missiles are critical for Ukraine to fend off invading Russian forces. These missiles can track 100 targets from 60 miles away.

They have been credited for taking down numerous Russian missiles, such as a model that Kremlin claims to be unstoppable. Aside from missiles, Patriot rockets can also take down Russian aircraft.

If Ukraine wants to prevent Russia from completing its invasion, then it needs to ensure that its Patriot missiles will not run out. The U.S. and other countries are helping Kyiv do so.

BBC recently reported that Japan confirmed sending Patriot air defense missiles to the U.S., which could allow the White House to send its own stockpile to Ukraine.

Related Article: Russia Launches Largest Aerial Attack, Claims Ukraine; Over 120 Missiles Allegedly Fired
Neighborhood diplomacy sees benefits for all

08:34, January 03, 2024 By Zhang Yunbi ( China Daily

People hold the national flags of China and Vietnam to welcome the arrival of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, in Hanoi on Tuesday. [FENG YONGBIN/CHINA DAILY]

China's open, transparent approach gives strong impetus to cooperation

Editor's note: Head-of-state diplomacy leads the way in which China pursues peaceful development and advances the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China Daily presents a series of stories about interactions between China and the rest of the world, recollecting the country's diplomatic endeavors led by President Xi Jinping over the year.

China valuing its neighbors is not an empty slogan, as President Xi Jinping met with leaders or senior officials from neighboring Asian countries in each of the 12 months of the past year.

Beijing's great focus on its neighbors could also be seen in the fact that two of Xi's four trips abroad last year were to neighboring countries  to Russia in March and to Vietnam in December.

China's neighborhood diplomacy has secured more opportunities in the post-pandemic era to spur mutually beneficial pragmatic cooperation and economic growth with Asian countries in the past year, observers said.

As a host nation, China greeted a number of leaders from neighboring countries at bilateral, international and regional-level events, giving a strong impetus to bilateral and regional cooperation.

Vice-Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said at a seminar last year that head-of-state diplomacy "plays an irreplaceable, leading role" and "navigates and charts China's relations with its neighbors".

China is now the largest trading partner of 18 neighboring countries, according to the Foreign Ministry.

In 2022, the total annual amount of commodity imports and exports between China and its neighboring countries exceeded $2.17 trillion.

Xu Liping, a senior researcher on Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China's neighborhood diplomacy policy "is open, transparent and could stand the test of history".

"Beijing is action-oriented and fully sincere in developing its friendly relations with its neighbors", and its clear policy gesture and emphasis on neighborhood diplomacy could help minimize misjudgment and misunderstanding and advance political mutual trust, he added.

Last year also marked the 10th anniversary of Xi proposing the landmark concept that guides the nation's neighborhood diplomacy  "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness".

When celebrating this concept in October, Xi and senior Chinese diplomats highlighted Beijing's fresh pledge to jointly advance Asia's modernization with neighbors and to build on "Asian values" featuring peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration.

Beijing also issued a policy paper titled "Outlook on China's Foreign Policy on its Neighborhood in the New Era", the first official document focused on elaborating China's neighborhood diplomacy policy.

Acting on the concept of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness", China has played a key part in maintaining peace and stability in Asia, and in the last year, it worked on constructively mediating a temporary cease-fire in Myanmar and promoting a political settlement to the Afghanistan issue.

China has also contributed to the latest progress in China-Japan-Republic of Korea trilateral cooperation and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, experts noted.

Zhang Jie, a veteran researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said this evolving concept helps China and neighboring countries direct more focus on development, so they could reach more consensuses.

"Also, it is extremely relevant to global pursuits for openness, inclusiveness, connectivity and common prosperity," she added.

Bearing fruit

More than 10 years ago, Kazakhstan and Indonesia  China's close neighbors by land and sea  witnessed President Xi for his first time put forward the initiative to co-build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, respectively, in September and November of 2013.

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and China's joint efforts to build the Belt and Road with its neighbors yielded new fruit.

Yasiru Ranaraja, director and co-founder of Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka, an international development organization in Sri Lanka, said, "In the last 10 years, the redirection of investments under the BRI, which included Hambantota Port, Colombo Port City and Colombo Port, is a testament to the visionary leadership not only for Sri Lanka but also for regional development."

"The critical infrastructure assets constructed under the BRI are expected to drive long-term economic growth," he added.

In October, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway  China and Indonesia's BRI flagship project  went into operation, making the Southeast Asian country the second in the world to have a high-speed railway, with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang said in a local media opinion piece last month that he is pleased to hear that the number of tourists in and around Bandung has risen rapidly, and retail stores have emerged around several high-speed rail stations, boosting the incomes and employment of local people.

Stressing that Asia is the region with the greatest economic dynamism and potential in the world today, Lu said, "We will never allow Cold War thinking, bloc-based confrontation and external interference to undermine the hard-won development environment in Asia, and we must always put the future of Asia's long-term stability in our own hands."

In recent years, neighbors such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Mongolia and Malaysia have each signed up to building a bilateral community of shared future with China, and observers have taken the number of such countries as a key indicator for evaluating China's mutual trust with its partners.

Vietnam joined this group during Xi's state visit in December, as it agreed to work with China to build a community of shared future that carries strategic significance.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters last month that this "marks the full coverage" of building a community of shared future between China and Indochina Peninsula countries and "is another important step in promoting the building of a global community of shared future".

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that in the future, China will "deepen its friendship, cooperation and integration of interests with neighboring countries" and carry forward Asian values, providing a fresh boost to the region's unity, openness and progress.

"We are ready to deliver more benefits to neighboring countries through Chinese modernization, jointly advance the modernization drive in Asia, and build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, amicable and harmonious Asian home with other countries in the region," Mao said at a news conference last week.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
On Tuesday, two explosions detonated minutes apart killed at least 103 people, and wounded 188 others at a commemoration for a prominent Iranian general who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2020.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack but Iranian state media called it "terroristic," according to the Associated Press. The blasts took place in a city called Kerman, which is approximately 510 miles southeast of Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Israel has attacked Iran on several instances, most recently over its nuclear program, and has conducted targeted assassinations as well. However, there have been no incidents on historic record in which Israel has carried out attacks of this nature.

General Qassem Soleimani was the head of the Revolutionary Guard's even more elite Quds Force. The explosions occurred near his gravesite, according to state-sponsored media.

Footage shows the second explosion occurred 15 minutes after the first, a tactic used by militants in Iraq and Afghanistan and is used to target first responders and inflict even more casualties.

Though facts are still trickling in, Iran has supported Hamas and Hezbollah and is alleged to be supporting the Houthi rebels of Yemen as well. Soleimani was accused by the United States of giving Iraqi combatants access to roadside bombs with the ability to penetrate U.S. armor, which made him a celebrity in Iran.

But Who Was Soleimani?

His death was carried out by a drone strike authorized by the Trump administration.

He is said to be responsible for propping up the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad when the Arab Spring of 2011 threatened his administration. He was a veteran of the Iran/Iraq war of the 1980s and ascended through the Revolutionary Guard's Quds Forces.

Analysts believe he was responsible for most of Iran's clandestine military actions abroad, as well.

In 2020, a stampede at his funeral resulted in the deaths of 56 people while more than 200 others were injured in a procession of thousands of well-wishers and onlookers.

HNGN.com will keep an eye on this breaking story and update our readership as further details become available.
United States intelligence agencies believe that the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza was used by the Hamas militant group and another Palestinian squad fighting Israel to run their forces and hold hostages.

However, according to a US official who spoke on Tuesday, January 2, citing declassified US intelligence, the groups mostly fled the facility days before Israeli forces arrived.

Al Shifa Hospital as Command Center

In a report by Reuters, a senior US official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that the facility served as a command center for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas in their conflicts with Israel.

American intelligence services have been tight-lipped about the data that supported their assessment. The New York Times was the first to report their conclusions. On the other hand, the US government has independently verified the information, said the official.

Hamas allegedly utilized Al Shifa, a site that Israel had seized previously in the conflict in Gaza. The medical facility was invaded by Israeli forces in November 2023.

Worries about the safety of the people and patients within the hospital had heightened after it was attacked. Within the last month, the enclave's primary health center's emergency room was compared by the World Health Organization to a "bloodbath."

The US official said the American administration held the belief that Hamas used the hospital complex and the locations beneath it for command and control operations, weapon storage, and hostage holding.

The source stated that the US spy agencies learned that Hamas members had mostly fled the location in the days before Israel's assault, destroying papers and equipment in the process.

See Also: Israel Expects Hezbollah Response After Killing Senior Hamas Leader in Beirut

Israeli Operations in the Medical Facility

Some patients were still inside the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City as Israeli tanks marched on it in mid-November 2023. While Hamas denied the accusation, Israel said the facility was located on top of tunnels that housed the headquarters of the terrorist group.

While the Israeli report was largely accurate in stating that captives were kept in or under the facility, the New York Times stated that when Hamas departed, the hostages seemed to have been relocated.

According to John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the White House, the hospital was being used as a safe haven by Hamas militants last November, who were putting the lives of patients and medical personnel in danger by taking cover there.

He said at the time, "We have our own intelligence that convinces us that Hamas was using Al Shifa as a command and control node, and most likely as well as a storage facility."

See Also: US Condemns Israeli Minister's Plan for Palestinians To Emigrate From Gaza
Woodforest National Bank, headquartered in The Woodlands, collected more than $200 million in service charges and fees in 2022, accounting for 26% of the bank's operating revenue that year. SVN | J. Beard Real Estate  Greater Houston

Millions of Americans were surprised by overdraft fees in 2022, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, even as many major banks moved to reduce or eliminate the charges.

More than a quarter of consumers surveyed said that someone in their household had been charged an overdraft fee or nonsufficient funds fee within the past year, and of those, only 22% were expecting to be charged; 43% were surprised. An overdraft fee is levied when a bank temporarily covers a payment from an account in which there wasnt enough money; a nonsufficient funds or NSF fee is charged when the bank doesnt make the temporary loan.

Our research finds that American families are paying fees they do not expect, even when they have access to cheaper forms of credit, said Rohit Chopra, the bureaus director, in a statement.

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The CFPB, created in 2011 to protect consumers, launched an initiative in 2022 targeting junk fees levied by banks and financial institutions. The bureau says those charges undermine competition in the financial industry and exploit consumers.

In announcing the initiative, it noted that other kinds of companies also charge inflated and back-end fees to Americans who arent expecting them, as when a hotel advertises a nightly rate but neglects to mention an additional resort fee, for example.

This new fee economy distorts our free market system by concealing the true price of products from the competitive process, the bureau said.

In the financial sector, the CFPB has focused on junk fees such as nonsufficient fund fees, surprise depositor fees (when you deposit a check that bounces) and surprise overdraft fees, which it describes as fees charged when consumers reasonably expected they had enough money in their account to cover a charge at the time the bank authorizes it.

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Sometimes, of course, consumers are surprised by overdraft fees because they werent keeping an eye on their account balances. But consumer advocates, along with the CFPB, say this isnt necessarily the case. If a bank processes a debit out of order, for example, a customer can end up getting hit with multiple overdraft charges even if they are scrupulously tracking their spending.

One example of a bank that engages in such unintelligible processes, as CFPB puts it, is Woodforest National Bank, headquartered in The Woodlands. In 2022, Woodforest collected a total of $207 million in service charges and fees, accounting for 26% of its operating revenue, including $134 million from overdrafts. The bank has the following fine print in its account disclosures: We may determine, at our discretion, the order that we process and post credit and debit items.

Consumer advocates have long decried such practices, noting that overdraft fees and the like disproportionately affect Black and Latino Americans, lower-income households and younger consumers, in some cases triggering a cascade of penalties that can put a bank customer in a deep financial hole. The new CFPB report found that just 10% of households with more than $175,000 in income had incurred an overdraft or NSF fee in the previous year, compared with 34% of households making less than $65,000.

These insurmountable bank fees leave lasting, generational impacts on the families we serve, said Eric Goodie, senior vice president of the Houston Area Urban League, noting that most of the nonprofits clients have a household income of under $65,000 a year.

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In recent years, pressure from the CFPB, other consumer advocates and consumers themselves has made an impression on U.S. banks.

In 2023, a CFPB analysis found that nearly two-thirds of midsize and large banks, those with more than $10 billion in assets, have eliminated NSF fees altogether, and a number of the nations largest consumer banks voluntarily announced plans to rein in overdraft fees. In 2022, for example, Citibank said it would get rid of overdraft fees, Bank of America reduced its overdraft fee to $10 from $35, and PNC Bank debuted a service called Low Cash Mode, which alerts users if their balance is running low and limits overdraft fees to one per day.

These policy changes are having a measurable impact, according to the CFPB. In 2019, banks collected a total of $12 billion in overdraft and nonsufficient funds fees; in 2022, that had dropped to $7.7 billion.

More can be done, Goodie said. The Houston Area Urban League has been offering financial literacy classes for about five years, and collaborating with the citys Bank On Houston initiative, which partners with 38 banks to offer safe, affordable accounts that are accessible to Houstonians.

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A woman gets a smudged eagle feather waved over her shoulder as Woolsey Walking Sky during the cedar ceremony during the fifth year anniversary remembrance ceremony and dedication of the Warrior Spirit sculpture at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2023 in Santa Fe. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Veronica Mata, center, and other family members of the victims of the Uvalde shooting protest for the Texas legislature to take up a bill to limit the age for purchasing AR-15 style weapons in Austin on May 8, 2023. For Mata, teaching kindergarten in Uvalde after her daughter was among the 19 students who were fatally shot at Robb Elementary School became a year of grieving for her own child while trying to keep 20 others safe. Eric Gay/Associated Press Gladys Castillon embraces her 11-year-old daughter Kaitlyn Martinez as they watch high school, junior high and elementary students participate in a National Walkout to protest gun violence at the Town Square in Uvalde on April 5, 2023. Kaitlyn was a fourth-grader at Robb Elementary last May, where 19 other fourth-graders and two teachers were killed. Sam Owens/Staff photographer Caitlyne Gonzales listens to a TikTok video while sitting her best friend Jackie Cazares grave at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Uvalde on April 19, 2023. Gonzales regularly visits the cemetery to spend time with her former schoolmates, including two of her best friends Jackie Cazares and Eliahna Torres, who were killed in the Robb Elementary massacre. Sam Owens/Staff photographer After paying their respects, Uvalde High School graduating seniors take a photo by a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 22, 2023. It was the last day of classes for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. Wednesday is the first-year anniversary of the Robb Elementary school massacre where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos entered the school and murdered 19 school children and two teachers. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Texas will spend $1.1 billion to harden schools and hire more officers to shoot gun-wielding attackers over the next two years, and lawmakers have proposed adding another $800 million to minimize massacres.

Republican leaders and lawmakers soundly rejected the pleas for stricter gun laws from parents whove lost children in school shootings. So, in classic gunslinger fashion, Texas ruling party prefers reacting rather than preventing massacres.

After 573 school shootings between 2013 and 2021, research shows significant financial consequences for communities. If the screams of Uvaldes children did not refocus conservatives minds, would an economic argument make a difference?

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Shootings have almost become cliche. A disaffected young person, usually a student or former student, obtains a semi-automatic, high-velocity rifle with a high-capacity magazine filled with military-grade ammunition. The shooter then kills as many schoolchildren as possible before law enforcement arrives.

The financial costs pile up quickly. Initially, there are the first responders, including police, paramedics and coroners, followed by expensive investigations by local, state and national authorities.

Since most kids wont return to a school where theyve suffered trauma, the building must go. Replacing Robb Elementary School will cost the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District $60 million.

Nor can we ignore the costs to families, either in medical bills or funerals. Mourning relatives will miss work, lose jobs, abuse substances and never economically recover.

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Nationally, several studies have calculated gun violences economic impact as ranging from $229 billion to $557 billion. While gun control advocates financed much of the research, the calculations are the best weve got since Congress banned federal funding for gun violence research between 1996 and 2019.

Recent research shows that school shootings slow economic activity and reduce home values, professors at four universities, including Texas A&M, showed.

Reductions in local economic activity harm communities in multiple ways, by reducing job prospects, by reducing the tax base for key services (including those designed to prevent such tragedies) and by generally reducing the quality of life for constituents, according to How Fatal School Shootings Impact Community Economic Activity, a paper published by SSRN, the Social Science Research Network.

Home values dropped 6.5% in the year following a school shooting, researchers found, with prices slowly recovering afterward. Perhaps more intriguing is the differing economic impact depending on the communitys politics.

In liberal-leaning counties, school shootings cause a 1.5% drop in grocery spending over the subsequent six months. Cigarette purchases drop 13% in conservative-leaning counties, and purchases of junk food decrease slightly.

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Researchers who focused on Texas school shootings between 1992 and 2018 found surviving students skip school and repeat grades more. A 2022 National Bureau of Economic Research paper also found that students were less likely to graduate high school or attend college. Their lifelong earnings are below their peers.

Trying to lock a shooter outside a building or prepositioning a guard to shoot them first does not stop the tragedy or its aftershocks. We need to keep troubled kids from acquiring weapons in the first place.

Id never considered the economic dimension of school shootings until Glenn Wilkerson, president of the Ark Group, brought it to my attention. The retired Houston pastor focuses on keeping all children safe, including those at risk of committing violence.

Researchers say most young shooters do not have a mental illness, defined as a measurable medical condition. Instead, most are experiencing low self-esteem and acute emotional distress triggered by domestic abuse, bullying or social isolation.

Wilkerson and other experts argue that instead of paying for more guns in schools, the state should train teachers and counselors to identify tell-tale behaviors. Then, give school staff the time and authority to give students and their parents the attention necessary to prevent a crisis.

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Any Texas teacher will tell you they do not have enough time to give their students the personalized attention they need. After a decade of budget cuts and low pay, public schools struggle to reach minimum staffing, let alone intervene with a troubled student.

Last year, the state had a $30 billion budget surplus, and while the Republicans who control every branch of government came up with money for more locks and guns, Gov. Greg Abbott refused to fund teachers adequately.

The GOP also refused to raise the age to buy an assault rifle to 21 from 18.

This is where I would typically remind conservatives to support the economy, job creators and workforce. But they only listen to the gun lobby and those who think dead children are a small price for maximal gun rights.
Saiorse Ronan and Paul Mescal in 'Foe' Amazon Studios

Here are the major being released in theaters and on streaming this week.

'American Fiction'

In this sharp satire, Jeffrey Wright plays a struggling Black literary writer who decides to cash in and write a novel that panders to negative Black stereotypes. Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Adam Brody and Leslie Uggams co-star.

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Rated R. Opens Friday at Regal Greenway Grand Palace 24, Houston; Alamo Drafthouse, Katy.

'Eat With a Palestinian'

An evening of food and film with a free potluck followed by "5 Broken Cameras," a documentary about life in a Palestinian village from Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, who are Palestinian and Israeli respectively. Admission to the film is $10.

Unrated. 6 p.m. Friday at 14 Pews, Houston.

'Fallen Leaves'

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Acclaimed Cannes Jury Prize-winning Finnish film about the lives of two people who meet in a Helsinki karaoke bar.

Unrated. Opens Friday at Regal Greenway Grand Palace 24, Houston.

'Foe'

Saiorse Ronan and Paul Mescal (Aftersun," "All of Us Strangers") star in this speculative fiction as a couple living in a remote area who find their solitude interrupted by a stranger. It is directed by Garth Davis, who made the moving 2016 film "Lion."

Rated R. Begins streaming Friday on Prime.

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'Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project'

Documentary chronicling the life of poet and activist Nikki Giovanni.

Unrated. Airs 8 p.m. Jan. 8 on HBO; begins streaming Jan. 8 on HBO Max.

Himesh Patel and Daniel Levy in 'Good Grief' Netflix/Courtesy of Netflix

'Good Grief'

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"Schitt's Creek" star Dan Levy directs, co-writes and stars in a drama in which a man, whose husband recently died, finds solace with friends on a trip to Paris. Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel co-star.

Rated R. Begins streaming Friday on Netflix.

'Night Swim'

There have been haunted houses and haunted hotels, but haunted swimming pools? That's the premise of this horror-thriller starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon.

Rated PG-13. Opens Friday throughout Houston.

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'Noryang: Deadly Sea'

War drama from South Korea that is set in the 16th century.

Unrated. Opens Friday at AMC Loews Fountains 18, Stafford.

'Orlando: My Political Biography'

Paul Preciado's lauded documentary is a personal manifesto told through reenactments of Virginia Woolf's "Orlando: A Biography."

Unrated. Screens 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

'Rewind'

Drama from the Philippines in which a man finds a way to rewind time after the death of his wife.

Unrated. Opens Friday at AMC Gulf Pointe 30, Houston.



'Shining for One Thing'

Drama from China in which a young man and a young woman relive their high school years.

Unrated. Opens Friday at AMC Gulf Pointe 30, Houston; AMC Loews Fountains 18, Stafford.

'Some Other Woman'

What happens when a woman, who has been taken on a tropical getaway by her husband, stumbles across a strange woman. Ashley Greene, Rick Fox and Tom Shelton star.
The Canary opened on Dec. 29 at 963 Judiway St. Courtesy of the Canary

A neighborhood bar and grill, three years in the making, debuted over the weekend in the Oak Forest area.

The Canary, a bright yellow building with a front deck and patio at 963 Judiway, is now open Tuesday through Sunday, with an grand-opening party coming this spring or summer to unveil a kitchen and backyard pool.

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"I'd like it to be your casual neighborhood hangout that people can just have a great cocktail or hang out on the patio," owner Kristen Genoway said.

This is the first business for Genoway and owners Juan Quintanilla and Kevin Nguyen. The trio are industry veterans who have worked at different Houston bars together over the past 20 years. They stumbled across an old bungalow they saw as perfect for their neighborhood bar idea.

They tore down the home under their contractor's advice and built a new two-story building, keeping the existing pool in the backyard. However, starting construction in 2020 meant there were delays in permitting that would set back the project.

The Canary has a pool that will open in warmer months and is currently serving drinks from its full service bar. Courtesy of the Canary

In 2023, they were able to hold pop-ups on their front deck, with music and drinks, where they introduced themselves to area residents. Genoway said the community has been supportive of the business as they get up and running.

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"It's nice knowing (the neighborhood is) super excited and have continuously expressed their support on it," Genoway said.

Customers will be welcome to swim after the grand opening, which will also introduce an in-house kitchen. It will eventually provide bar food, with plans for steak nights and kitchen takeovers with a rotating list of chefs.

For now, food options are being provided with on-site food trucks such as Toledo's Tacos. The full-service bar has a variety of house cocktails going for $13, classic cocktails for $12 and an array of beers and wines. Bottle service is available.
All 51 elementary schools in Fort Bend ISD will have an armed security officer on duty Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, when students return from the winter break, the district said in a Tuesday statement. Juhi Varma

Students returning from winter break Thursday will see armed security officers at all 51 campuses, a new development for elementary school students, the district said in a Tuesday statement.

The change allows the district to fulfill the requirements of House Bill 3, which mandates that school districts provide at least one armed security officer at every campus during school hours.

Following Novembers successful voter-approval tax rate election, the Fort Bend ISD board of trustees during its December meeting authorized $2.5 million to support districtwide security guard services.

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The security officers are highly trained, dedicated professionals who will not only provide security but also serve as role models and mentors, building positive relationships with our students and staff, Fort Bend ISD Police Chief David Rider said in an emailed statement.

Police department officers were already stationed at middle and high schools.

The elementary security officers are not new hires but supplied through district contractors, said district spokesperson Sherry Williams.

Primarily because of a shortage of law enforcement personnel in the local hiring pool, it was not feasible to hire the number of people needed to supply each elementary school with its own officer, Williams said.

The district has contracted with vendors to provide a licensed, armed and uniformed security guard at a cost of approximately $33,000 per school year, per guard, she said.

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Representatives from some Houston-area school districts said during the summer budget season that they would have a hard time staffing every campus with security officers. Some school boards, including Spring Branch ISD, voted to request exceptions from complying with the new law.
Claire Goodman is a senior reporter for the Houston Chronicle, covering the Katy area.

She also produces the Katy Insider newsletter, which sends every Monday and Wednesday.

Claire can be reached at claire.goodman@houstonchronicle.com.
Judge Frank Aguilar is shown in the Harris County 228th District Criminal Court during a hearing in the case of former Houston Police officer Gerald Goines Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

The bench in the 228th District Court remains in the hands of fill-in jurists after the weekend arrest of Judge Frank Aguilar in Galveston.

Despite the arrest, charges against the longtime lawyer and second-term judge are pending a decision by the Galveston County District Attorneys Office. If the charges are filed, the judge could be suspended.

Who is Judge Frank Aguilar?

Aguilar, 66, was elected in November 2018 to serve as the judge of the 228th District Court.

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The 2018 election marked his first attempt in Harris County to run for his office. He was among the wave of Democratic judges who assumed benches in the Harris County criminal courthouse at 1201 Franklin.

MORE COURT NEWS: Southern Baptist Convention settles lawsuit against former judge Paul Pressler.

Aguilar was first licensed to practice law in 1985 after graduating from the University of Texas, bar records show. He went on to work as a probable cause magistrate setting bail on cases soon after the arrest of Harris County defendants. He continued work as a defense attorney.

His Republican opponent in the 2018 race, the incumbent Marc Carter, hailed him as having the smartest campaign for raising and spending no money. He never made a campaign website.

Aguilar won his re-election bid in 2022 as law enforcement unions and crime victim advocates urged voters to oust him and other Democratic jurists.

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What is Aguilar accused of?

Police in Galveston arrested Aguilar on Sunday morning, Dec. 31, after a party at his property along the bay. Aguilar, who was allegedly intoxicated, is accused of hitting a woman repeatedly and held his foot to her neck, according to court records.

Officers arrested Aguilar on suspicion of assault. As of Wednesday, prosecutors have not accepted charges against him. The judge said on Tuesday he had not hired an attorney.

Aguilar, while working as a probable cause magistrate, was previously accused of domestic violence against his girlfriend in 2010 but a jury acquitted him later that year. He was charged in 1976 with driving while intoxicated, court records show.

What happens next for the judge?

Aguilar remains the 228th District Court judge but is expected to not preside over the court for the remainder of the week by his own choice, according to court officials.

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The State Commission of Judicial Conduct can suspend a judge but only following an indictment or when misdemeanor charges are filed for offenses involving official misconduct or crimes involving moral turpitude.

An arrest does not trigger the review.

Judges have been suspended in the past following arrests or indictments. In 2022, after a grand jury indicted Criminal Court at Law No. 16 Judge Darrell Jordan on a misdemeanor, the commission suspended him. The commission lifted the suspension after Fort Bend County prosecutors dismissed Jordans charges.

What notable cases has Aguilar presided over?

One of the most notable cases in Aguilars court has not gone to trial.

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Gerald Goines, a former Houston police officer, is charged with murder and other offenses linked to the Harding Street raid in January 2019 that left two civilians dead and several police officers injured.

A hearing is scheduled in February to sort through an outstanding motion and other matters. The charges against Goines were filed later in 2019 and have been pending for more than four years in the court.
The man, who is not being named, was dining on Jan. 5 at a restaurant in southwest Houston when Eric Eugene Washington, 30, entered the restaurant and tried to rob customers, prosecutors said. On Scene Media

A Harris County grand jury has declined charges against a man who fatally shot a man robbing customers in 2023, according to the district attorneys office.

The man, who is not being named, was dining Jan. 5 last year at a restaurant in southwest Houston when Eric Eugene Washington, 30, entered the restaurant and tried to rob customers, prosecutors said. Security video caught the shooting.

MORE ON THIS CASE: Houston activists say customer went overboard by repeatedly shooting taqueria robber

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Washington was wearing a mask and gloves and pointed what was later determined to be a plastic gun at customers and employees, demanding money.

When Washington turned to walk toward the front door, a customer pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times from behind.

Video of the shooting appears to show the man shoot Washington, who lurches forward before collapsing on the ground. The customer then moves toward Washington, shooting at him several more times while hes lying face down on the ground.

Police said the shooter collected stolen money from Washingtons body and returned it to the customers who had been robbed. First responders pronounced Washington dead at the scene.

Customers, including the man who allegedly shot Washington, all left the scene before officers arrived, police said. Only employees and the owner remained. But the man later met and talked with detectives.
Nikki Haley has the endorsement of the mayor of Council Bluffs.

The Republican presidential candidate touted Mayor Matt Walsh's endorsement in a news release Tuesday afternoon, along with Mills County Attorney DeShawne Bird-Sell and former State Rep. Mary Ann Hanusa.

"These prominent conservative leaders and seasoned caucus organizers will be critical in the final days leading up to January 15," Haley's campaign said in the release.

The release said Walsh "has consistently worked to improve the quality of life and attractiveness of Council Bluffs."

The release quotes Iowa adviser Hooff Cooksey, who was Gov. Kim Reynold's campaign manager in 2018, as saying Haley has momentum going into the caucuses.

Nikkis message is resonating with Iowans because they are hungry for a new generational conservative leader, Cooksey said.
US Bank brought holiday joy to the children at Children's Square by donating nearly 50 teddy bears as part of a broader regional donation of stuffed animals.

The cuddly companions were distributed for the holidays among the children benefiting from the diverse array of services provided by Children's Square, including emergency shelter care, residential treatment for children and adolescents, and support for foster and adoptive families, according to a news release.

The contribution was made using donations toward US Bank's 34th Annual Teddy Bear Open House held at the branch on 421 West Broadway in Council Bluffs. At this annual event, members of the Council Bluffs Chamber and US Bank customers gathered to contributing teddy bears.

The culmination of this charitable endeavor took place in mid-December as US Bank representatives dismantled the Teddy Bear Tree, made up of several hundred bears. The bears were then distributed to various agencies across western Iowa for children.

"We are immensely thankful to US Bank for their generosity in providing nearly 50 teddy bears to Children's Square," Phil Taylor, chief administrative officer of Children's Square, said in a release. "These bears will undoubtedly bring joy and radiant smiles to the faces of the children in our care."
Southwest Iowa cattle producers, including 4-H and FFA members, are invited to attend a calving clinic Jan. 23 at St. Peters Catholic Church Parish Hall in Defiance.

In addition to classroom style learning, attendees also will have the opportunity for hands-on practice with delivering calves and dealing with dystocia cases utilizing a life-sized model cow and calf from the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, according to a news release.

Iowa State University Extension beef specialist Erika Lundy-Woolfolk said in the release that the educational program will offer valuable information about the basics about the birthing process, newborn calf care, and cow nutritional impacts.

Using the model, we can place the calf in various positions so that participants must work to correct those undesirable positions before delivering the calf," she said. "The session also provides a great opportunity to share questions and experiences with speakers and fellow cattle producers."

In addition to Lundy-Woolfolk, presenters are Randie Culbertson, ISU extension cow-calf specialist; Lynn Geoffroy, postdoc research associate with ISU VDPAM; and Brandi Huddle of the Shelby Vet Clinic in Shelby. The event is organized and hosted by Crawford and Shelby ISU extension offices.

The workshop begins at 6 p.m. and runs approximately three hours. A light supper will be served. Thanks to the generous support of the Crawford County and Shelby County Cattlemen there is no cost to participants.

Advance registration by Jan. 19 is required to ensure adequate meal and space needs. Register by calling Crawford County Extension at 712-263-4697 or Shelby County Extension at 712-755-3104 or by emailing sellner1@iastate.edu.
Patrick Gilson was recently honored for his commitment and service to veterans in southwest Iowa.

Mark Stockstell, director of Fremont County Veterans Affairs, recognized Gilson during the Dec. 27 meeting of the Fremont County Board of Supervisors.

Stockstell highlighted Gilsons achievement and dedication as a volunteer.

The Iowa Association of County Commissioners and Veteran Services Officers have recognized Patrick Gilson for his 15 years of service, he said. We realize that its been more than 15 years, and I believe its very important that the state is now recognizing these types of efforts by individuals.

Stockstell said that Gilson provides oversight and guidance in matters concerning the budget and services for veterans in Fremont County.

The key challenge we face is outreachhow to connect with eligible individuals and ensure they receive the services they deserve, Stockstell said. Pat has been an integral part of this effort for many years, and I am thrilled to recognize him today. His commitment goes beyond serving our country; he is dedicated to serving our veterans, and thats truly special.

Gilson expressed his gratitude for the recognition.

The outreach is a significant aspect, and it requires a symbiotic relationship with the board of supervisors to help us achieve our goals within the countys budget constraints, Gibson sad. I appreciate working with good supervisors. Thank you.

Gilson, who farms east of Hamburg, has deep roots in the military, with his father having served in the U.S. Air Force. A Hamburg native, Gilson also served in the Air Force.

After returning home, he got involved with the American Legion Post 128 in Sidney and Hamburg Post 156. Gilson was the commander of the Sidney post for several years.

"When it came my time to serve, I served during Panama and Desert Storm as a survival equipment specialist," Gilson said. "I came back home to farm and got involved with the American Legion in Sidney and Hamburg. When a veteran commissioner stepped down, I was asked by a few of the Legion members if I was interested in taking his place. Ive been here ever since. Its important to me to see that our area veterans get the services they need and deserve.
Interview: Challenges and opportunities for New Zealand SMEs in Chinese e-commerce landscape: experts

Xinhua) 09:08, January 03, 2024

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- In an increasingly interconnected world, New Zealand's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) find a golden opportunity in the Chinese market. The New Year festive period also marks a surge in consumer spending, offering a lucrative market for Kiwi businesses to explore.

In an interview with Xinhua, Senior Lecturer Antje Fiedler and Lecturer Sihong Wu on Management and International Business from the University of Auckland pointed out New Zealand SMEs' challenges and opportunities in this endeavor.

DIGITAL DISTANCE, CAPACITY AND LOGISTICS CHALLENGES

While e-commerce brings New Zealand suppliers closer to global consumers, reducing the physical distance of doing business, there are digital distances that the New Zealand SMEs need to overcome along with internationalization.

Fiedler and Wu argued that the disparity between platforms poses a big challenge for New Zealand SMEs. Engaging with an e-commerce platform such as Alibaba can be difficult partly due to language barriers. But also, the Chinese e-commerce platforms feature innovative elements, such as live streaming, or require context-specific knowledge, for example, the importance of shopping events such as Single Day or local influencers.

Capacity and communication speed also constitute challenges because many Kiwi companies are SMEs employing fewer than 50 people and have very limited stock. Achieving the needed scale to serve Chinese consumers' demand for e-commerce can be difficult for New Zealand SMEs. In the meantime, Chinese consumers expect fast responses to their questions when engaging on digital channels, which is often challenging for New Zealand firms, who have limited resources and staff, said Fiedler and Wu.

Logistically, New Zealand companies are also facing hurdles from freight issues despite growing in recent years, as pointed out by Fiedler and Wu. Congestion at ports, lack of resilience, and inadequate transport networks challenge local SMEs to participate in e-commerce platforms and transform their business more digitally. High shipping costs and prolonged waiting times further exacerbate the digital distance, hindering SMEs from effectively connecting with major markets.

Cultural misalignment adds to the digital distance where the traditional New Zealand work culture clashes with the always-on demand of e-commerce platforms, said Fiedler and Wu, that employees are less likely to work longer hours in New Zealand, compared to the work culture in Chinese startups and SMEs.

STRATEGIC THINKING AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

However, within every challenge lies an opportunity for growth and collaboration, which can redefine the Kiwi e-commerce landscape. China is a huge market, providing growth opportunities for New Zealand SMEs. Fiedler and Wu believed that those New Zealand companies daring to venture into the Chinese e-commerce landscape would adopt strategic thinking and come up with innovative solutions.

New Zealand SMEs could use a strategic alliance or joint venture strategy to partner with Chinese startups. By doing so, Chinese companies can share their advantages in logistics and workforce. In the meantime, New Zealand companies can utilize their resource advantages to export more high-demand products to China, commented Fiedler and Wu.

The partnership can also encourage New Zealand SMEs to learn from Chinese startups to integrate new digital tools into their business operations. They can adopt a "catch-up" recruitment strategy. For example, hiring target country nationals to work for the e-commerce sector can reduce language issues and other cultural barriers, said Fiedler and Wu.

China is also a trendsetter in digital commerce. Engaging with the Chinese markets can inspire New Zealand SMEs to innovate for other markets in the digital space, opening new opportunities, added the two experts.

Fiedler and Wu recommended that New Zealand SMEs consider connecting with logistics service providers in global major markets to reduce shipping costs and increase supply chain resilience. Cooperating with Chinese startups and entrepreneurs to build an open cloud and achieve more flexible operational planning can help New Zealand SMEs better engage in Chinese e-commerce platforms. By doing so, New Zealand SMEs would have more opportunities to connect with Chinese upstream and downstream enterprises to achieve win-win results, said Fiedler and Wu.

As New Zealand SMEs endeavor into the dynamic and potential Chinese market, challenges may seem daunting, but opportunities arise. Through strategic collaborations, innovation, and a deep understanding of consumer preferences, Kiwi businesses may carve out a niche and contribute to the global success story.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
This map of Southeast Texas shows the Weather Prediction Centers five-day rainfall forecast. Cumulative rainfall projections are between an inch and 3 inches through early Sunday, with much of that rain falling on Friday. Weather Prediction Center / Pivotal Weather

The Houston metro area picked up widespread rain on Tuesday, with a number of spots getting more than half an inch of beneficial rainfall. Southeast Texas will dry out briefly on Wednesday, ahead of more shower chances that arrive later in the week.

Dry Wednesday and Thursday

The fast-moving system that brought widespread rain to Houston and Southeast Texas on Tuesday will keep pushing east through the day Wednesday. Behind this system, northerly winds are going to bring in a drier and slightly cooler air mass that sticks around for a couple of days.

Wednesday morning is likely to feature mostly cloudy skies, so theres a decent chance you wont need sunglasses for the early drive into work. Gradual clearing will take place through the afternoon, so make sure to have the sunglasses for the afternoon drive home.

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Peak temperatures on Wednesday afternoon in Southeast Texas will struggle to make it to the mid-50s. Low temperatures under mostly clear skies and light winds will readily drop into the lower 40s in Houston proper and down to the upper 30s from The Woodlands northward.

As winds shift ever so slightly Thursday, temperatures will respond accordingly. After a chilly start to the day, highs on Thursday will get into the upper 50s. While that would still be cooler than the typical 63-degree high Houston usually sees in early January, it will be closer to average than what we'll have Wednesday.

Wind and clouds increase by Thursday night and should result in lows in the upper 40s. With wind gusts as strong as 20 or 25 mph, wind chills will be in the lower to middle 40s for most after midnight into early Friday.

Showers by Friday

Increasingly breezy and cloudy skies overnight Thursday signal what Friday has in store as the next chance for widespread rain arrives.

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This map of Southeast Texas shows how Friday mornings weather radar will look, according to the European forecast model. Widespread showers and even thunderstorms are expected, with storms likely to affect both morning and evening commutes. Pivotal Weather

The exact track of the low atmospheric pressure producing the rain is still uncertain, but models seem to agree that the track remains just offshore. With a track like this, the breeziest and wettest weather will be along the immediate coast, with perhaps a few more storms adding to heavier rainfall totals of an inch to 2 inches. For the rest of Southeast Texas, rainfall totals through Friday will be between a half-inch to an inch.

Most forecast models indicate at least the likelihood of scattered showers in the morning, especially along and west of Interstate 45. Rain and even a few rumbles of thunder are likely at times throughout the day, though the American GFS forecast model does suggest rain quickly comes to an end from west to east after about 1 p.m. The European model keeps rain going a bit longer, but both models show rain tapering off through Friday night.

Active pattern into next week

We're expecting a progressive weather pattern this week into next, meaning we'll see one system after another coming down the pike.

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TRACK INCOMING SHOWERS: Our interactive map makes it easy for you to track where rain is and what road conditions are like

Another area of low atmospheric pressure coming to Southeast Texas could bring the potential for strong storms Monday. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, which specializes in severe weather forecasts, is calling for a 15% chance of severe weather along the I-10 corridor, from Houston to the Florida Panhandle on Monday. Keep up with future forecasts at houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather.

Drought continues to ease

We've flipped the calendar to a new year but parts of Texas are still dealing with drought. The most recent figures from the National Drought Mitigation Centers U.S. Drought Monitor show nearly 10% of Harris County under moderate drought conditions and nearly 45% abnormally dry, the two lowest levels of drought. Conditions deteriorate farther east, with 91% of nearby Chambers County in moderate drought and 24% in severe drought, the next highest level of drought.

This map of Texas from the National Drought Mitigation Centers U.S. Drought Monitor shows significant improvement across Harris County, but severe drought and extreme drought still exist closer to Beaumont. National Drought Mitigation Center

The progressive weather pattern could help ease the remaining areas in drought across Southeast Texas over the next week or so. If we continue the active weather for a few weeks, which can happen in a typical El Nino winter, drought could be nearly erased before we get into the drier summer months.
THIS 2019 IMAGE provided by Google Maps shows the current house with a shop located at 301 N. First St., Norfolk. The Elkhorn River is just south of the property with the former city auditorium building on the other side of the river.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States and allies warned Iran on Friday that major Western economies will pile new sanctions on Tehran if it moves forward with an advancing plan to provide ballistic missiles to Russia for its war with Ukraine.
Whether you planned it originally or held off because of dry conditions in the fall, the time for spring alfalfa planting is just around the corner. Selecting the right seed is crucial, and two traits to consider are fall dormancy and winter survival. These traits often are treated the same 
Police at the Tanger-Med port, foiled, on Tuesday, an international drug trafficking operation and seized one ton, 488 kg and 80 grams of cocaine.

This operation was carried out in close coordination with Spanish security services, as part of joint operational cooperation to combat international cocaine trafficking operations and neutralize the dangers and threats posed by cross-border organized crime networks, according to a statement by the National Police (DGSN).

The illicit substance was seized in a container aboard a European-flagged shipping vessel, coming from a port in a South American country and heading to a Turkish port, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the judicial police are conducting an investigation under the supervision of the competent public prosecutors office, with a view to identifying all the people involved in this criminal network and determining its regional and international ramifications and connections, the statement added.

On Monday, Moroccan police and customs agents foiled an international drug trafficking attempt in El Guergarate border post, south of the town of Dakhla and seized nearly 363 kg of Cocaine.

The large international shipment of hard drugs was coming from abroad was destined for Morocco.

Control and careful search operations led to the discovery of this cargo of hard drugs in the form of 16 bales carefully concealed in the cabin and body of an international goods transport truck registered in Morocco, immediately after arriving at the El Guergarat border post from a sub-Saharan African country, said a statement by the national police (DGSN). The truck driver and his assistant, both Moroccan citizens aged 40 and 41, were arrested.

These security operations are part of the DGSNs intensive efforts to combat international drug trafficking, particularly the illicit trade in hard drugs and psychotropic substances from outside Morocco.
France announced Tuesday January 2 the closure of its Embassy in Nigers capital of Niamey until further notice, citing major concerns.

For the past five months, our Embassy has been subjected to major obstacles that have made it impossible to do its job: a blockade around the Embassy, restrictions on employees movements, and the turning away of all diplomatic personnel who were supposed to arrive in Niger, in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also indicated that the Embassy will continue operating from Paris while consular activities will be carried out by French consulates in the region.

The decision comes amid tense diplomatic relations between the two countries since a junta seized power in the African country on July 26 after removing West-backed leader Mohamed Bazoum.

The junta scrapped early August 2023 military agreements with the former colonial power. Paris has refused during many months to recognize the new leaders who have been enjoying international recognition from the U.S., Saudi Arabia and last month from the UN.

The Nigerien new authorities forced France to complete late last month pullout of its forces positioned in the West African country for many years.
A 17-year-old boy who collided with an ambulance while driving a pickup truck in December has died.

Seth Feyerherm of Omaha has succumbed to his injuries, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said in a press release. He was being treated for extremely critical head injuries in a hospital.

The crash occurred shortly before 10:16 a.m. on Dec. 21 at the intersection of 204th and Harrison streets north of Gretna.

According to the Sheriffs Office, which is still investigating the incident, the crash occurred when Feyerherm attempted a turn left from southbound 204th Street onto eastbound Harrison Street at a traffic light in a Toyota Tundra.

As he attempted the turn, a Gretna Fire & Rescue ambulance, which had its lights and siren on, was driving north on 204th Street through the intersection when it collided with the pickup. The ambulance was taking Debra Brookhouser, a 72-year-old from Gretna, to a hospital.

Brookhouser was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three Gretna Volunteer Fire Department firefighters/medics in the ambulance were injured in the crash. Two of them were treated and released from the hospital while the third responder sustained minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer

For a preview of how AI will collide with creative industries, look to advertising. Amazon, Google, and Meta have all started encouraging advertisers to use AI tools to generate ad copy and imagery, promising high performance, lower costs, and super-specific targeting. Now, brands are paying to advertise with AI-generated virtual influencers  synthetic characters that can offer at least some promotional juice at a fraction of the cost. According to the FT, influencers are concerned:

Aitana is a virtual influencer created using artificial intelligence tools, one of the hundreds of digital avatars that have broken into the growing $21bn content creator economy.

Their emergence has led to worry from human influencers their income is being cannibalised and under threat from digital rivals  But those behind the hyper-realistic AI creations argue they are merely disrupting an overinflated market.

We were taken aback by the skyrocketing rates influencers charge nowadays. That got us thinking, What if we just create our own influencer? said Diana Nunez, co-founder of the Barcelona-based agency The Clueless, which created Aitana. The rest is history. We unintentionally created a monster. A beautiful one, though.

The marriage makes sense. In a purely descriptive, nonjudgmental sense, AI produces inauthentic content; in a purely descriptive, nonjudgmental sense, the advertising industry is premised on inauthenticity. Advertising takes all the interesting, thorny, unsettling issues raised by generative AI and folds them into the same simple, eminently answerable question it always asks: Does this stuff sell products?

According to a case study by Meta, the answer is yes, sort of. An H&M ad campaign featuring Kuki, a virtual influencer and always-on AI chatbot created by a company called ICONIQ AI, resulted in an 11x increase in ad recall  people who remember seeing an ad for a particular brand  over ads with campaign video only, resulting in a 91% decrease in cost per person recalling seeing ads. Kuki is a cartoonish 3-D character; other virtual influencers, including the aforementioned and heavily sexualized Aitana, appear as photorealistic generated images, which could easily be confused, in the context of an ad, for real people.

Its not quite right to say that virtual influencers are coming for the entire strange and maligned job of influencing. The advertising industry has been pushing the idea of synthetic talent for years, most notably in the form of Lil Miquela, a.k.a. Miquela, a.k.a. Miquela Sousa, a character who has appeared in ads for a range of prominent brands but whose influence as a character is both limited and inextricable from the metanovelty of the whole enterprise. Metas case study doesnt describe a virtual influencer promoting products on its own account, to its own audience  the true core of the influencer business  but rather appearing in ads run by a company under its own accounts and promotional channels, wearing virtual clothes, as something between a spokesmodel and a mascot. The influencer version of grunt work, in other words. (Kukis own Instagram account now has a minuscule following and virtually no engagement.)

This makes for an odd new sort of advertisement that you might be likely to recall for no other reason than not having seen such a thing before. It also situates virtual influencers less as a replacement for human influencers than as a new trick for juicing certain campaign metrics. This is the way Amazon suggests that AI-generated product photos get people to click ads at higher rates, even if those ads depict products in situations that defy physical reality.

This is no small thing, though  online advertising runs on such metrics, which measure influence in the bluntest possible terms. If featuring a cheap synthetic spokesperson in an ad produces measurably better results, brands will absolutely do so, until they either become the norm or the novelty wears off. To the extent this is a threat to human influencers, its a threat from the low end, replacing secondary sources of income in cases where an unfamiliar synthetic face is a sufficient replacement for an unfamiliar real face  cases where influencers are effectively working as internet-coded models, which, again, is a small but sometimes lucrative and easy part of the job, compared to cultivating an audience in the first place, or comprehensively influencing your fans to buy or do something. Its also a useful if obvious way to think about how AI might encroach on a wide range of creative industries: identifying their most basic economic functions (converting clicks; scraping up attention; filling space; providing distraction) and attempting to peel them away for automation.
Mayor Sylvester Turner (left) and Special Assistant to the Mayor for Homeless Initiatives Marc Eichenbaum (right) welcomed Joseph to his new home through The Way Home program Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, in Houston. Joseph was homeless and lived in the homeless encampment on Wheeler in Midtown before moving into his new home at New Hope Housing. Steve Gonzales/Staff photographer

As 2023 came to a close, outgoing Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was confronting a hard truth. The mayor's ambitious goal  so ambitious one housing advocate said the figure seemed to be pulled from thin air  had been to build 3,000 new single-family homes. In his eight years in office, that didn't get done.

A Chronicle investigation found that, as of November 2023, just 916 homes had been completed, with vague promises to complete the rest at some point in 2024.



Turner, though, fared much better at adding affordable apartments to the city: He appears to have met, and maybe exceeded his goal of adding 7,000 multifamily units (basically, apartments). As of November, the Chronicle found, the city had added 6,911 with another 1,700 expected in the first few months of 2024.

That relative success is something that Turner's successor, new Mayor John Whitmire, can build on.

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What did that success look like on the ground? Joy Horak-Brown is president and CEO of New Hope Housing, a nonprofit organization committed to providing affordable housing with services that help stabilize households struggling to get by. During the Turner administration, Horak-Brown enjoyed some of her most productive years, with New Hope adding some 752 new apartments. The organization also expanded its mission from providing single-person units to help people stay off or get off the streets, to full-fledged, multi-bedroom developments for families, complete with libraries, Food Bank-stocked markets and community partnerships.

Houston has long trumpeted its plentiful and affordable housing and comparatively, the city still seems to be faring well when it comes to supply. In recent years, overall new housing has actually grown at a faster rate than our population. And the city has seen healthy rental housing growth as well. Between 2016 and 2020, Houston added some 19,570 rental structures, according to the most recent housing assessment from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

But though more housing stock should contribute to lower overall costs, many households are still feeling the strain of rising rents. Average monthly rents in Houston outpaced median household income gains in recent years. And much of the city's rental housing stock is three, four, even five decades old, with the oldest units tending to cluster in poorer parts of town.

To make Houston a more stable and livable place, we must make sure families can actually afford the new housing, and that our older apartments are habitable too. Turner focused on targeting homelessness, but advocates urge a more balanced approach to affordable housing  an approach that can stabilize working families and fix up poorly maintained complexes.

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In his first inaugural address in 2016, Turner emphasized the need for affordable housing.

Too many of our young people are moving outside of Houston because they cannot find homes they can afford, he said then. Four years later, he was more direct, calling on developers, financial institutions and the business community to lend their resources to the cause of affordable housing and fighting neighborhood inequity.

By that point, the city had suffered several disasters, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which damaged or destroyed numerous Houston homes. The city's housing department estimated that 209,422 of the city's 501,721 homes sustained some sort of damage in the storm, roughly half of which were rental units.The affordable market was hit hard. A quarter of the Houston Housing Authoritys stock was damaged or destroyed in the storm. The pandemic, which would throw countless renters into crisis, was just around the corner. Turners lofty 2,000 single-family housing goal for his tenure  which would later grow by 1,000 in 2023  seemed to face ever steeper odds.

The citys hand in creating affordable housing may seem limited. It has a relatively small housing department, and much of its muscle comes from administering federal funds and either green-lighting  or standing in the way of  affordable developments that take advantage of state-administered tax credits. Still, the city plays a crucial role and when things go wrong, as they seemed to in the recent collapse of a $60 million mixed-income housing program funded by disaster dollars or when Turner effectively killed the affordable Fountain View project in 2016, they can have huge consequences.

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Horak-Brown sometimes counts cars when shes driving: Every fourth one, she figures, is a renter struggling to pay for their home.

All of this offers a chance for the next mayor to improve.

Turner's housing record is mixed and includes the still-under-investigated fallout after former housing director Tom McCasland called out alleged mismanagement of housing dollars. But the next administration must build on the successes.

In his first day on the job Tuesday, Mayor Whitmire was busy with an inauguration, City Council meeting, resident meet and greet at City Hall and a party for city workers at George R. Brown. There are plenty of high-priority needs vying for his attention.

CITY COUNCIL: Meet the 6 new members of Houston City Council

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Students at a DeSantis speech in April. Photo: JUSTIN IDE/REUTERS

For the past two decades, young people were widely assumed to have an ironclad loyalty to the Democratic Party. Democrats believed this, as did Republicans and journalists. So deeply ingrained was this belief that when polls began to show President Biden losing to Donald Trump in the 2024 race, critics sometimes disregarded them on the grounds that these surveys showed young people favoring Trump  a result nobody could accept.

When a Washington PostABC News poll in September found a ten-point Trump lead, for example, analyst G. Elliott Morris dismissed it as an outlier in part because it showed voters between the ages of 18 and 29 favoring Trump over Biden 48-to-41 percent. Morris noted that an ABC News exit poll from the 2020 election showed Biden winning that group by 24 points, which would mean a 31-point swing toward Trump in the past few years  more than twice as much as the overall population shifted.

Morris conceded it was possible if young people and people of color are dissatisfied with the progress Biden has made or upset that he is running for reelection, they could be withholding their support for him in polls as a way to register their displeasure with the situation. Ultimately, however, they may vote for him anyway. In other words, young voters might say they are voting for Trump because they are upset Biden isnt liberal enough. But they couldnt really mean it. Right?

It seems, alas, that they do. A New York Times poll published in December is the latest to find Trump leading Biden among young voters. The unthinkable has become, at least for the time being, undeniable.

The reverberations from this change run even deeper than the obviously profound implications for the presidential race and the future of American democracy. The progressive movement made a giant bet on mobilizing young voters. That strategy, invested with buoyant hopes and vast sums of money, is now in ruins.

Two decades ago, demographer Ruy Teixeira and journalist John B. Judis wrote The Emerging Democratic Majority, which posited educated professionals were defecting from the Republican Party to join with the Democrats base of racial minorities, union members, and the poor. After Barack Obamas two election victories, the prophecy seemed to be at hand: a potential coalition with greater numbers than the GOPs dwindling core of older white voters.

In this new world, the Democrats task was to actualize their emerging majority by bringing young voters  heavily nonwhite and presumed to be progressive  to the polls. Republicans believed the same thing, which is why they responded to Obamas elections by obsessively closing down polling locations, reducing early voting, requiring voters to jump through bureaucratic hoops to cast a ballot, and enacting other restrictions meant to suppress the youth vote.

Liberal donors poured resources into an endless array of supposed grassroots organizations designed to turn out young, and especially nonwhite, voters. The theory was that these potential voters held left-wing views and would be roused to vote only if they could be convinced Democrats would take firm progressive positions. Democrats desperately need a bold, progressive agenda and to build the kind of relationships in Florida that cant be forged overnight, argued one activist in 2019, echoing what activists were saying in other states.

Activists tended to import the language and concepts of the academic left into their work. Young people have expressed that true engagement means investing in young people as leaders and amplifying work already being done in their communities, centering social justice and intersectionality, and meeting young people where they are, wrote one. These, in turn, found their way into the rhetoric of Democratic politicians like Hillary Clinton (We face a complex set of economic, social, and political challenges. They are intersectional, they are reinforcing, and we have got to take them all on) and Bernie Sanders (In order to transform this country into a nation that affirms the value of its people of color, we must address the five central types of violence waged against black, brown and Indigenous Americans: physical, political, legal, economic, and environmental).

The primary analytic failure in this strategy was a mistaken assumption  an assumption, to be clear, I made  that race would be the determinative factor in future elections. The 2012 presidential election turned out to be the apogee of racial polarization in the electorate with 93 percent of Black voters going for Obama over his rival Mitt Romney. Republicans there-after gained voting share among minority voters  not by moving to the center on immigration and other social issues, as some of them wished to do after Romneys debacle, but by nominating Trump.

And contrary to the belief that nonwhite voters would anchor the Democratic Partys progressive wing, theyve actually anchored its moderate wing. As political analyst Lauren Harper points out, Black Democrats are more likely than white Democrats to identify as moderate or conservative and take more moderate positions than white Democrats on a host of issues: They favor stricter immigration enforcement, prioritizing fossil-fuel production over mitigating climate change, increasing spending on reducing crime, opposing abortion, etc. (Hispanics are generally in the middle: to the left of Black Democrats but to the right of white ones.)

Progressive activist groups have built a business model out of claiming they represent the beliefs of young nonwhite voters and warning Democrats must endorse their positions or risk demoralizing these crucial constituencies. The media has often accepted these claims uncritically. After Bidens 2022 State of the Union address downplayed climate change and argued for greater law-enforcement resources, the Associated Press concluded his speech could alienate the coalition of Black people, young people, progressives, and independents and his call for police funding in particular was seen by some as a tone-deaf overture to white voters at the expense of millions of Black Americans.

The danger is not that young voters, massively demoralized by Biden, will merely sit on their hands in 2024. Its that they will actually vote for Republicans. This dynamic also applies to the latest issue where Biden is bleeding support from young people: the war in Gaza, which has pushed young voters toward Trump. This suggests that, while many young voters have views on the Middle East roughly aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party rather than its centrist flank, many of those who oppose Israels actions in Gaza are also alienated from progressive ideas in general.

Instead of racial polarization, the electorate has increasingly been defined by educational polarization. Democrats have gained college-educated white voters and lost nonwhite voters who lack college degrees. This shift has flipped the traditional assumptions about voter turnout upside-down.

The old model was that Democrats thrived in high-turnout elections, like presidential contests, while doing poorly in low-turnout midterm elections. Political analysts increasingly talk about two American electorates: the one that picks presidents (and has awarded Democrats the popular vote in five of the past six presidential races) and the one that determines midterms (which have usually favored Republicans since 1994), wrote commentator Ronald Brownstein in 2014.

Thats all out the window now. In the 2022 midterm elections, as well as in a series of other low-turnout special legislative elections and ballot referenda that tend to attract the most dedicated and organized citizens, Democrats performed shockingly well. But this shouldnt be a shock at all. The Times finds Biden doing noticeably worse among young voters who didnt vote in 2020 than among those who did. The new rule is that the fewer people who show up to vote, the better Democrats do. It would be a delicious irony if the GOPs relentless enforcement of voter-suppression laws ultimately does Trump in. But hoping for low turnout is a thin reed on which to base the salvation of democracy.

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New Jersey Manufacturer Faces Nearly $257,000 in Proposed OSHA Fines

FB International Inc. specializes in manufacturing trade show displays.

FB International Inc., a New Jersey-based company specializing in trade show displays, is facing nearly $256,931 in fines, following a recent OHSA investigation conducted after a worker sustained an eye injury and another experienced a foot injury.

According to a release dated Dec. 26, the June 2023 inspection at the company's Oakland facility uncovered 32 serious violations. These violations include inadequately maintained walking-working surfaces, improper installation of guardrails and blocked exit routes. FB International Inc. was also cited for its failure to post exit signs, provide necessary training and PPE to workers, and ensure the safe use of electrical equipment.

Furthermore, OSHA found that FB International had not conducted a required workplace hazard assessment or established essential written communication and respiratory programs. The company also neglected to provide medical evaluations for employees using respirators and failed to maintain safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals used on-site.

An OSHA inspection that finds this volume of safety and health violations across several work areas indicates a failed safety and health program, OSHA Area Director Lisa Levy in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, said in a statement. The inspection results should serve as a wake-up call for FB International Inc. to eliminate workplace hazards immediately and make effective safety and health programs a priority.

FB International, which also operates a location in Las Vegas, serves clients both domestically and internationally. The company now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the agencys findings.
Ohio Roofing Contractor Settles with DOL, Agrees to Pay $730,000 and Enhance Safety Measures

Charm Builders Ltd. has been the subject of repeated violations of workplace safety standards, particularly fall hazards, since 2009.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has finalized a settlement agreement with Ohio-based roofing contractor Charm Builders Ltd., stemming from a March 2022 investigation.

According to a recent release, the company agreed to pay $730,000 in penalties and institute improved safety measures. The settlement affirmed the 12 citations OSHA had identified, including six egregious-willful, five repeat and one serious violation. The agency noted a lack of fall protection and safety glasses, unsafe use of portable ladders and inadequate training on fall hazards.

Under the settlement, Charm Builders must hire a consultant to evaluate its safety program. This initiative includes implementing all recommended improvements, undergoing unannounced monthly site audits and submitting regular reports to OSHA. Additionally, the company must disclose all current and future work locations to OSHA, ensuring access for investigators.

In a statement, Blake McEnany, OSHA Area Director in Charleston, West Virginia, criticized Charm Builders repeated non-compliance with federal safety standards, deeming it "simply unacceptable." Since 2009, OSHA has cited the company 12 times, and the severity of these infractions led to the company's inclusion in OSHA's severe violators list in 2022.

Charm Builderswhich specializes in roofing and sidingis headquartered in Millersburg, Ohio, and operates extensively across Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Last year, U.S. crude oil production broke another record. This in itself is not exactly news. The shale oil industry has been breaking records for breakfast for years. But that was before the pandemic.

After the pandemic, many pronounced the shale boom dead. Of course, those same people found out in 2023 that this wasnt strictly true. Despite a continued focus on capital discipline and the flurry of cash they returned to shareholders, U.S. drillers managed to boost their overall output to over 13.2 million barrels daily in September. And they did it with fewer rigs, at that. And with zeroif not negativesupport from the federal government.

Smart money knows to never bet against this industry, Tim Stewart, President of the US Oil & Gas Association, recently told David Blackmon, energy industry vet and Forbes author. We are going to be around a lot longer than any politician. Why is that? Because we produce wealth while they produce nothing.

Indeed, if 2023 proved anything that many may have suspected, it was that an industry does not need a friendly government to flourishat least when it comes to the oil industry, that is. Alternative energy industries, on the other hand, do need government support to survive.

Yet, as Blackmon points out in his recent Forbes article, the government does produce at least something: regulations. And it produces them copiously. Right now, he notes, the federal U.S. government is preparing to slap the oil and gas industry with more stringent methane emission rules. These, some in the industry worry, could lead to a wave of bankruptcies. Related: U.S. Gasoline Prices Begin Falling Again

Oil and natural gas operations are the nations largest industrial source of the super pollutant methane, the EPA said when it announced the new regulation in December, noting that the rule would slash methane emissions by nearly 80% compared to future operations without the rule.

Thats all well and good, but smaller independents will not be able to afford the expense related to monitoring and eliminating methane emissions. This means that many will go under, and their wells will stop producing, at least for a while.

The above is one example of the challenging environment in which U.S. oil drillers operate. It is also a warning against making assumptions about future production based on previous production patterns.

For instance, after growing for five months, U.S. oil output actually dipped in November, per the latest figures from the Energy Information Administration. It was really a minuscule decline of some 4,000 barrels daily, but it should be a reality check for those expecting a continuous upward curve. These curves dont really happen in real life.

In real life, businesses expand their production when there is demand for it and go easy on that expansion when demand is nothing to write home about. Right now, U.S. producers have a guaranteed market in Europe after the latter embargoed Russian crude, and they also have a market in Asia, which likes diversified supply.

Forecasts of weaker demand for crude this year have no doubt been duly noted by the industry, and plans have been made accordingly. As the latest Dallas Fed energy survey showed, most oil producers dont have grand plans for output growth. They have plans to essentially maintain their current production levels.

The U.S. oil industryand, more specifically, the shale industryis in a post-boom era right now. Production is still growing, though the EIA expects it to have grown less than initially projected in 2023, to an average of 12.9 million bpd and not 12.92 million bpd. But it will only continue growing if producers see the point of pursuing such a strategy. It is no longer growth at all costs just to see how much they can pump out of their wells. It is smart growth, in tune with demand.

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By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
For Chinese Ambassador to the EU Fu Cong, the Israel-Hamas war laid bare the Wests double standards and how Beijing sees it falling out of touch with the rest of the world.

Speaking in Brussels in mid-November, shortly after the October 7 outbreak of hostilities in Israel and Gaza, Fu railed against the blocs labeling of China as a rival on the global stage, saying that if having different foreign policy views makes Beijing a rival then Brussels will find it has many other competitors.

From the Middle East to Africa, from Asia to Latin America, there are many countries who obviously do not see eye to eye with Europe when it comes to values, he said. We can clearly tell [this] from the divergence of responses to the ongoing Gaza crisis in the Middle East.

Those comments have come to crystallize Chinas long-term effort to gain clout across the so-called Global South -- featuring countries such as China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Nigeria -- where nations are looking for alternatives to the Western-led world order.

Bloody conflicts -- in Ukraine and most recently in Gaza -- have exposed global divisions over the plight of Palestinians and lingering resentment over perceived Western hypocrisy about the use of force and civilian casualties that Beijing is looking to capitalize on.

This is a huge victory for China [in its campaign] in the Global South to demonstrate the hypocritical and ideological nature of U.S. foreign policy towards Palestine, which indirectly affects the views of the Global South towards the war in Ukraine, Haiyun Ma, a Chinese foreign policy expert at Frostburg State University in Maryland, told RFE/RL.

As U.S. President Joe Biden tied American support for Ukraine and Israel together in October -- describing the countries as democracies fighting enemies determined to annihilate them -- many in the developing world heard a double standard.

China and many other countries saw it as hypocritical for the West to condemn an illegal Russian occupation in Ukraine but to stand staunchly behind Israel, which has occupied parts of Palestinian territory for decades and has settlements on the West Bank.

The White House has recently grown more critical of Israels military campaign in Gaza, but many leaders of countries in the Global South that have historically supported the Palestinian cause have noted the differing Western reaction to both crises.

Experts say these perceived gaps in Western policy -- galvanized recently by scenes of civilian casualties from Israels attack on the Gaza Strip -- have presented an opportunity for China to better position itself as an alternative to Washingtons global leadership and could work to undermine the United States attempt to rally global support to isolate and punish Russia for invading its neighbor.

Since the deadly attack in Israel on October 7, China has presented itself as a peace broker while taking aim at the West.

Chinese diplomats at the UN and Chinese state-run news outlets that broadcast globally in local languages have stepped up their criticism, saying that U.S. military support for Israel is contributing to the war. Meanwhile, Beijing has looked to build up its clout by calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and hosting a peace conference with Arabic and other Muslim ministers in November.

It was tried with Ukraine, but now with the Israel-Hamas war, its clear what China is trying to do, Etienne Soula, a research analyst with the German Marshall Funds Alliance for Securing Democracy, told RFE/RL. Theyre portraying the West -- and the United States in particular -- as isolated, while China is surrounded by Arab and African countries on the side of the Global South.

The Ukraine, Gaza Tightrope

China has been seeking to expand its influence across the Global South for years and recently concentrated its efforts in the Middle East, culminating in a Chinese-mediated deal in March that restored relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Beijing has looked to build off that diplomatic win, and in both Gaza and Ukraine, China has tried to balance its message to varying degrees and avoid blowback, though still working to discredit the United States.

Beijing wants to pin responsibility for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Washington and [demonstrate] that the [United States] and Europe have significantly weakened their capacity to uphold the existing world order, Michael Schuman, a China analyst at the Atlantic Council, wrote in November.

On Ukraine, Beijing has refused to condemn Moscows invasion and offered economic support to Russia that has helped the Kremlin survive Western sanctions. Beijing has also kept its diplomatic distance from Kyiv, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping not speaking directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy until 14 months after Russias full-scale invasion.

But China has also tried to appear as a neutral party, despite Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring a no-limits partnership in February 2022. Beijing unveiled a 12-point proposal to broker peace in Ukraine in February that was widely dismissed in Western capitals, but China later stepped up efforts in the spring by dispatching Li Hui, a special representative on Eurasian affairs, to travel to several European capitals, including Kyiv and Moscow.

Those talks have gone nowhere, and Beijing appears to have stepped back from engaging diplomatically as the war edges towards the two-year mark with no end in sight.

In Gaza, China has refused to condemn Hamas -- declared a terrorist group by the EU and the United States -- and remains critical of Israeli treatment of Palestinians, especially due to the rising civilian death toll. In its first statement in October following the Hamas attack in Israel that killed at least 1,200 people, China urged both sides to exercise restraint and embrace a two-state solution.

That statement drew immediate backlash from Israeli and U.S. officials for minimizing the brutality the Palestinian militants had visited on Israel on October 7, with Yuval Waks, a senior official at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing, saying: When people are being murdered, slaughtered in the streets, this is not the time to call for a two-state solution.

Soula says China has moved more carefully since then in its messaging regarding Israel -- with whom it had been building strong ties prior to the war -- and in showing its sympathy for the plight of Palestinians. Still, Beijing has looked to channel the collective voice expressed by other leading Global South countries, such Brazil and South Africa.

In terms of success, its hard to say, said Soula. I think that China has followed the way that the wind has blown. Where the global majority leans, you can see China adopt a stance in that direction.

Hearts And Minds

Soula and his colleagues at the Alliance for Securing Democracy have been tracking Chinese messaging from its diplomats and state-run news outlets for the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

A February study focused on Ukraine found that officials online and in Chinese media have provided rhetorical cover for the Kremlin in Ukraine despite Beijing's official stance as a neutral party in the conflict.

To weaken Western democracies and their allies, China also has tried to isolate those countries by appealing to the Global South, the report said. In the context of the war in Ukraine, Chinese messaging has consistently argued that countries supporting Ukraine are hypocrites and indifferent to the rest of the world.

A companion study released in November looking at Chinese messaging around the Israel-Hamas war also documented how Chinese state-run news outlets have leveraged their global networks, especially across Africa and the Middle East, to blame the United States as the alleged malign cause for the war in Gaza.

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But it is still unclear exactly how much influence these campaigns have translated into. While the Israel-Hamas war has complicated the Wests argument that Russias invasion is a danger to the current world order, Beijing has not emerged as a deciding diplomatic force in either war.

Giulia Sciorati, a fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE) focused on Chinas role in the Global South, says that while China has successfully played on shared worldviews with the Global South, its unclear if Beijings positions have truly placed itself as a de facto leader for non-Western countries.

On paper, this [stance] may comply with the perceived priorities of the Global South, she told RFE/RL. [But] it has shown not to comply with the expectations of Global South countries overall, [many of] which had wished for China to take on a more prominent role in peace negotiations.

Global opinion surveys also paint a more nuanced picture for how Chinas bid to woo the Global South is shaping up.

While recent polling has shown that anti-China sentiment in many Western countries is growing, Chinas narratives do seem to be resonating across the Global South, where the West has failed to win over countries like India and Gulf nations into supporting sanctions against Russia.

A poll released in late February by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) found that while strong majorities in Western countries stand in support of Ukraine, those surveyed across the Global South were less supportive of continued war, more likely to sympathize with Moscow's grievances, and to be suspicious of Western leaders' motives.

But a follow-up public opinion poll released in November by the ECFR that surveyed 21 Western and non-Western countries found that people had lost faith in Western policy and instead favored an a la carte arrangement where their governments can choose which major player to partner with depending on the issue at stake rather than be locked into a clear geopolitical bloc.

Frostburg State Universitys Ma says Chinese foreign policy will grapple with challenges in the coming years as its likely to face more competition from the United States and the EU in courting the Global South, but theres no guarantee that China will lose some of this newfound influence if the West is able to reassert itself.

First of all, once China gains, it will consolidate and even expand, he said. Second, even if the West returns and reasserts, it takes time to recover credibility and to channel resources.

By RFE/RL

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Indias lower imports of Russian crude oil in recent weeks were the result of unattractive discounts, not because of payment issues amid tougher U.S. sanctions on Russias exports, Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday.

There is no payment problem, Puri told a briefing in New Delhi on Wednesday, as quoted by Bloomberg.

It is a pure function of price at which our refiners will buy, he said, adding that Indias priority is to ensure the cheapest price possible for its consumers.

The tougher enforcement of the G7 sanctions and related payment issues have been holding up Indian purchases of some cargoes of Russian crude oil, with tankers previously headed to India now turning back eastwards, tanker-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg showed on Tuesday.

At the end of last year, the United States took a tougher stance on the sanctions against Russia and sanctioned several vessels for violating the G7 price cap of $60 per barrel, above which cargoes cannot use Western insurance and financing. Some of those tankers were already en route to India loaded with Russias Sokol grade and departed from the Far Eastern ports in Russia.

According to the ship-tracking data Bloomberg has compiled, five tankers carrying Sokol were headed to India last month. But now all five  the NS Commander, Sakhalin Island, Krymsk, Nellis, and Liteyny Prospect  are headed away from India and on to the Malacca Strait, suggesting that India wouldnt be taking those purchases after all.

A sixth tanker, the NS Century, which has been idling off Sri Lanka for months caught up by the sanctions, is still in that area, according to the data.

As of the end of November, India was still considering whether to allow the now-sanctioned tanker carrying Russian oil to approach and dock at one of its portsa sign that the U.S. clampdown on Russian crude trade could limit Indias ability to buy and import cheaper oil.

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By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Petronet LNG, the largest natural gas importer in India, expects to sign later this month an agreement to extend its LNG supply deal with Qatar beyond 2028, Indias Oil Secretary Pankaj Jain said on Wednesday.

We are pretty close to signing the deal, the secretary told reporters in New Delhi, as carried by Reuters.

Qatar, one of the worlds top LNG exporters, prefers to sign long-term agreements with its buyers, and had given its Indian customers until the end of 2023 to negotiate possible extension and/or renewal of the current agreements beyond 2028.

Currently, Petronet has a long-term agreement with Qatar to import 7.5 million metric tons of LNG from Qatar per year.

Qatar has signed in recent months new long-term deals  for 27 years  with a number of customers and strategic partners, including Chinas Sinopec and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and European majors Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni, which are minority shareholders in some of Qatars massive LNG expansion projects.

In October, QatarEnergy signed a 27-year agreement to ship LNG to Europe by agreeing to deliver cargoes for Eni in Italy beginning in 2026, after similar deals with Shell and TotalEnergies for supply to the Netherlands and France, respectively.

Eni, Shell, and TotalEnergies are all minority shareholders in the various LNG production trains of the North Field expansion project.

Also in October, Qatar broke ground for the worlds largest LNG project, the North Field expansion project, which will boost the tiny Gulf countrys export capacity by 48 million tons per annum (mmtpa) by 2027.

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In July last year, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, said that 40% of all the new LNG that will come to the market by 2029, when all our projects are up and running, is going to be from QatarEnergy.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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At least 100 people have been killed in two explosions in Iran on Wednesday during a ceremony to mark the 2020 assassination of Irans Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani.

Various Iranian media have reported the death toll as ranging from 73 to over 100, with scores of others injured by two explosive devices planted along the road to Irans Kemans Martyrs Cemetery.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attackthe deadliest in Iran since the late 70s.

The attack comes as tensions escalate in the Middle East in the wake of Yemeni Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and the assassination late on Tuesday of a senior Hamas official in Beirut, Lebanon.

According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the explosive devices were detonated remotely by terrorists.

The death toll could continue to rise as new reports come in for this developing situation.

Soleimanithe key figure in Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for operations outside of Iranwas assassinated under the Trump Administration in a drone attack at Baghdad airport, sparking a retaliation at the time that saw Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops targeted in attacks.

The attack follows the assassination of Hamas deputy head Saleh Al-Arouria founder of Hamas military wingin an explosion in Beirut on Tuesday. Five other people were also killed in the attack.

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Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miktai condemned the assassination, calling it a new Israel crime and accusing Israel of attempting to drag Lebanon fully into the war. The explosions in Iran also follow more escalation of tensions in the Red Sea, where the Houthis remain undeterred by a U.S.-led international task force to protect merchant vessels. On Tuesday, shipping giant Maersk once again said it would reroute ships after having attempted to brave the passage to the Suez Canal this week.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The sovereign wealth funds of the Gulf Cooperation Council members topped $4 trillion last year, which was an all-time high.

Called the Oil Five, the group of top sovereign wealth funds includes three entities from the United Arab Emirates, one from Saudi Arabia, and the Qatar Investment Authority. The five invested a total $75.6 billion last year, which was a decline on 2022 investments, the Khaleej Times reported, citing data from a report by Global SWF.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund and the Qatar Investment Authority were the most active investors, accounting for the bulk of the fives total, at some $68 billion. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund was also the biggest investor globally last year, deploying $31.6 billion across 49 deals.

The amount was a 33% increase on 2022 and a record for any sovereign wealth fund. The total spend of sovereign wealth funds last year reached $123.8 billion. The five oil funds from the Gulf were the most active investors during the year.

The increase in investments for the Gulf oil kingdoms sovereign wealth funds comes amid lower oil prices and also lower production for Saudi Arabia. Based on their assets under management, however, it appears the effect of the oil price rout last year will manifest with a delay.

The UAE, meanwhile, launched a new investment fund at the COP28 climate conference in December. The entity will have a size of $30 billion and will be a partnership between the Emirates, BlackRock, TPG, and Brookfield, the Financial Times reported in late November, citing sources in the know.

A day later Reuters confirmed the news citing the official announcement of the UAEs President, who said the fund, dubbed ALTERRA, will seek to raise up to $250 billion by the end of the decade, to invest in in climate-related initiatives.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The United States is now the worlds LNG exporter, after overtaking Australia and Qatar, according to new data compiled and shared by Bloomberg on Tuesday.

The United States exported 91.2 million metric tons of LNG last year, after the countrys primary export facility, Freeport LNG, resumed operations after an eight-month hiatus following a fire in June 2022. Meanwhile, EU countries were looking to reduce their reliance on Russian gas and compensate for Russias curtailment of pipeline gas into Europe.

Australia was the second-leading LNG exporter in 2023, while Qatar, the leading LNG exporter in 2022, reduced its exports by 1.9% in 2023, came in third.

This year is shaping up to be another banner year for U.S. LNG. Venture Global LNG Inc. is set to start up a new Plaquemines LNG facility in Louisiana, and ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy are set to start up Golden Pass, an LNG facility in Texas. In the Energy Information Administrations (EIA) latest edition of its Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO), U.S. LNG exports are set to increase to 12.36 billion cubic feet per day, up from an estimated 11.81 billion cubic feet per day in 2023, and 10.59 billion cubic feet per day in 2022.

The Netherlands, the UK, and France were the main destinations for U.S. LNG exports in the first half of 2023, according to the EIA. In the first six months of 2023, Europe and the UKs LNG imports exceeded imports by pipeline for the first time on record, data from Refinitiv Eikon shows. In December, Europe remained the main destination for U.S. LNG at 61% of the total exported. Asia is the second-largest export market for U.S. LNG.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Houston City Controller Chris Hollins greets supporters during a reception Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at City Hall in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Houston Controller Chris Hollins knows that following Tuesdays inaugural celebration comes the hard work. But the 37-year-old former Harris County Clerk says he is up to the task.

The people of Houston put (me) here to be their eyes and ears at City Hall  and when necessary to ring that bell, to sound the alarm, Hollins said.

As Houstons newest financial watchdog, Hollins has vowed to help tackle a host of financial challenges  including the citys growing budget deficit. City officials have warned Mayor John Whitmires administration could face projected budget shortfalls of $114 million to $264 million during his first term.

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In addition to getting a handle on the citys fraught financial state, Hollins also has specific issues he wants to address through audits and financial reports, including ongoing inefficiencies in the citys permitting process.

Harris County Justice of the Peace Victor Trevino III of Precinct 6, left, swears-in Chris Hollins, as City Controller, with his wife, Morgan Upshaw Hollins, at the Wortham Center Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

While Hollins says he recognizes the enormity of the job in front of him, he also views it as a real honor.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, he said.

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Relationship with new mayor

In Houstons strong-mayor government, Mayor John Whitmire has chief decision making power in all city matters. He also has unfettered control over most administrative aspects of city government.

But the controller plays an important role, too. Hollins job will be to alert the mayor and City Council to city department inefficiencies and problems through audits and reports. This job will be particularly critical in addressing the citys budgetary issues.

While Whitmires team has yet to introduce a detailed plan, the new mayor said Tuesday that Houstons financial problems can no longer be ignored. Hollins plans to meet with Whitmire this week to determine how they can best work together to accomplish this.

Houston City Controller, Chris Hollins, left, Sarah Whitmire, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Whitney Whitmire Jenkins, and Judge Victor Trevino III, Harris County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 6, right, are shown during the inaugural ceremony held at the Wortham Center Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

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Hollins shares another common goal with Whitmire  a commitment to improving accountability and transparency throughout city government.

Its a very important task, Hollins said. Its a responsibility that Ive internalized, that Ive taken incredibly seriously. And were going to get to work immediately.

Let the auditing begin

On the campaign trail, Hollins said he wanted to aggressively audit city departments and share best practices with local officials.

The first department on his list of audits is Houston Public Works, which oversees water leak issues, permitting applications and sidewalk repairs, among other matters.

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Issues with Public Works have mounted for months as residents continue to receive exorbitant water bills, often the consequence of aging water infrastructure leading to inaccurate readings.

The citys permitting process also has been slow. Houstons Permitting Center, housed under Public Works, works concurrently with the citys Planning Department to help residents secure plans and permits for whatever they want to build. In 2023, only 3% of residential projects were reviewed within 10 days, according to the Planning Department. The results were similar for commercial projects reviews. This fell far below the targeted metric of 90%.

Houston City Controller Chris Hollins speaks to his parents on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in the City Council chambers in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Hollins joins a choir of new voices at City Hall who say they want to address these kinds of inefficiencies  in addition to the standard maintenance of roads and water infrastructure.

I think everyone is concerned about our roads and the state of repair there, their water bills and whether or not the pipes that are supposed to be transporting clean water to our homes, whether theyre broken, whether theyre functioning properly, whether we have a plan to strengthen that infrastructure in coming years, Hollins said.

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As Hollins team conducts audits on city departments, he will also turn to Houstons mounting late fees. During former Mayor Sylvester Turners tensure, slow payments to vendors resulted in over $1 million in late fees.

Hollins said hes asked his team to review payment data to figure out why the city has seen an increase in late fees and how it can prevent the city from racking up future bills.

The fate of the United deal

Hollins will be responsible for certifying that city funds are available before City Council votes on any financial commitment. He will also be charged with producing financial reports on the health of the city.

His ability to certify available funding will play a key role in the ongoing debate over a $2.6 billion deal with United Airlines to expand Terminal B at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Houston City Controller Chris Hollins bows his head in prayer during a City Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, at City Hall in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Former Controller Chris Brown, who endorsed Hollins during the election, refused to certify the funds were available because he said the city had not done an updated feasibility study on the more than $600 million in city bond debt as a part of the deal. The city is supposed to contribute an initial installment of $150 million to the project.

Hollins will have to pick up where Brown left off. In an email on Wednesday, Hollins wrote that he was excited to welcome Uniteds expansion at Bush  but only after doing his due diligence.

His office has not yet seen an updated feasibility study, and Hollins said he looks forward to gathering the facts as the citys new controller to make the best and most informed decision he can for the city.

Houston City Controller Chris Hollins wears his Morehouse College ring as he speaks to a reporter Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in his office at City Hall in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Looking to other cities for best practices

Hollins does not think Houston can or should operate in a vacuum. He said he wants to look toward other big cities to see what theyre doing right.

It (involves) looking around the nation and even the globe to understand where great things are happening, and how we can bring those great things here to Houston to better serve the people, he said.

And Hollins has already done some research  looking as far as New York for inspiration.

As the city aims to provide equal opportunities to businesses owned by people of color and women, Hollins said, Houston should look to New York. Under New York Comptroller Scott Stringer in 2014, New York began to give grades to city departments based on how well they contracted with businesses owned by women and people of color, a model Hollins said could have some potential in Houston.
Via Metal Miner

Turkish longs and flats producer Haba? recently announced plans to build a downstream cold rolling and tinplate mill. The growing Turkish steel industry brand estimates that the plant will have an annual capacity of 900,000 metric tons. Current plans place the new plant on a greenfield site close to Haba? main production facilities at Alia?a. This sits roughly 50 kilometers north of the Western Turkish city of Izmir.

In a December 22 announcement, Italian equipment provider and contractor Danieli stated that commissioning of the site is due to start in late 2024. Meanwhile, Haba? says the new plant will produce about 250,000 metric tons per year of single- and double-reduction tin plate. Danieli also noted that additional capacity will include another 150,000 metric tons of thin, continuous annealed cold-rolled coil with commercial quality, drawing quality, and HSS grades.

Cutting-Edge Cold Rolling Technology for Tinplate

Single-and double-reduction refers to the number of cold rolling steps that feedstock for tinplate undergoes. In single-reductions case, cold rolling occurs only once. Therefore, the resulting tinplate has a smoother surface. This makes it idea for applications requiring a high-quality finish. However, it is not as ductile as double-reduction tinplate, which undergoes cold rolling twice. Specifically, the coil undergoes annealing after the first rolling and then undergoes rolling a second time. Danieli noted that the minimum gauge on tinplate and cold rolled coil will be 0.2mm

Tinplates main application is in the production of packaging for foodstuffs and beverages. This is mainly due to the metals anti-corrosive properties. In addition to tinplate, Danieli added that the new site will also produce 500,000 metric tons per year of semi-finished products, such as electrolytically-cleaned, full-hard coils. The new complex comprises four process areas: electrolytic cleaning, cold rolling and tempering, electrolytic tinning, and continuous annealing, the Italian supplier said of the new equipment. The cleaning section will ensure a completely enclosed environment, preventing any emission of fumes or liquids.

Haba? Expects the Factory to Support Wider Turkish Metal Industry

Haba? can produce up to 4.5 million metric tons per year of crude steel via two 90-metric ton electric arc furnaces, from which it originally produced billets in 100x100mm to 160x160mm dimensions via a six-strand casting machine. The plant also rolls 1.9 million metric tons of rebar and 500,000 metric tons of wire rod annually. According to information on Haba? website, the rebar and wire rod come in 8-50mm and 5.5-19mm diameters, respectively.

After exclusively producing longs products, Haba? began to include flats in its product assortment at the start of the last decade. In 2013, the company commissioned a continuous slab casting machine with a 2.5 million metric ton capacity,to cast the semi-finished product in 200-225mm gauges. It also added a hot strip mill with the same capacity to manufacture flat rolled steel in 1.2-25.4mm gauges. Applications for that product include the shipbuilding sector as well as high-pressure tanks. In addition, Haba? produces spiral-welded pipe with 400-3,048mm exterior diameters and 4-20mm wall thicknesses.

One source told MetalMiner that the company recently upgraded the hot strip mill, and expects it to achieve its new annual capacity of 4.5 million metric tons in 2024. The source added that any external slabs the company acquires are likely from Russian producer Novolipetsk Steel.

By Christopher Rivituso

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Douglas County Sheriffs Office deputies are investigating after a 51-year-old man was found dead and two women were injured early Wednesday in northwest Omaha.

Deputies were dispatched to a home in the 11100 block of Black Street northeast of Standing Bear Lake about 2:15 a.m. for a disturbance, according to a press release from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office.

While deputies were on the way, the call was upgraded to a shooting.

Deputies entered the home and found Edmond Sagitteh dead in the basement with a gunshot wound to the head, the release said.

Four females were located in one of the homes bathrooms, including a 19-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the stomach and a 46-year-old woman with a graze wound to her hand, according to the release. Both women were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center.

Preliminary evidence suggests that Sagitteh shot his 19-year-old daughter with a handgun while she was lying in bed in the basement of the residence, the release said. The 19-year-old was able to retreat to an upstairs bedroom, where she, her mother and twin sisters attempted to barricade themselves.

Sagitteh, now armed with a shotgun, tried to gain entry to the bedroom by shooting two rounds through the door, striking the 46-year-old in the hand, according to the release.

The four females then attempted to barricade themselves in the bathroom. Sagitteh stuck the shotgun barrel through one of the holes in the bathroom door, presumably to shoot them, but they were able to deflect the barrel away from them as they called 911, the release said.

Sagitteh then retreated into the basement, where he appears to have taken his own life before deputies arrived, according to the release.

Deputies found a shotgun next to Sagitteh, a handgun that appeared to be jammed lying on the bed and additional shotgun rounds in his pocket, the release said.
LINCOLN  The new year has been rung in, the state Christmas tree taken down and the annual marijuana and hemp display set up on the first floor of the Capitol.

All is ready for Nebraska lawmakers to launch their new session Wednesday. But it remains to be seen whether the 49 state senators will return to more collegial relationships or will repeat the bitter, session-long battles that bogged down progress last year.

Speaker of the Legislature John Arch of La Vista is hopeful for the former.

There was a lot of work that was done over the summer to lay the groundwork for a productive session, he said. The conversations Ive had indicate that senators want to hit a reset button and return our session to more normalcy, and I think we can accomplish that.

The Legislature is coming off a session dominated by extended filibusters over a pair of bills to ban transgender health care for minors and limit abortions. The two bills were merged and passed in the later days of the session, leaving little time for consideration of other measures.

Lawmakers responded by creating giant Christmas tree bills out of multiple individual measures, a practice that many decried while they employed it.

The 2024 session is slated to start with bill introductions and the election of a new Executive Board chairman to replace former State Sen. Tom Briese, who resigned during the fall to become state treasurer.

The first indication of how the session may shape up will come when lawmakers start debating proposed changes in legislative rules. Arch said he plans to start that debate on Jan. 10, the eighth day of the session, and end it on Jan. 19, the 12th legislative day, no matter what is accomplished.

Wherever we are on the 19th, we will go on, he said.

Lawmakers adopted permanent rules last year that cover both 2023 and 2024, the first and second sessions of the 108th Legislature. If no changes are passed, they can continue operating under those rules.

Arch floated 21 proposed rule changes at a November legislative retreat. He said he does not expect to introduce all of those proposals but is still deciding on his final list. Meanwhile, Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, the Rules Committee chairman, circulated nine proposed changes, including the abolition of secret ballots for electing legislative leaders and lowering the threshold for a filibuster-ending cloture vote.

The Rules Committee will hold a hearing on all of the proposals, likely on Jan. 8, before deciding which ones to advance. Last year, the committee weeded down 52 ideas to only a handful of low-key measures, avoiding the most controversial ideas.

In one response to last years session, Arch has proposed procedure changes for the public hearings that draw the biggest crowds. He hopes the new annotated hearing procedures will help ensure that people get a chance to be heard and that all sides get to present their arguments.

Some hearings last year drew hundreds of people and lasted well into the night. In some cases, bills had so many proponents that opponents did not get to start testifying until late.

Under the new procedures, testimony will be limited to 3 minutes, but responding to questions from committee members wont count against that time. Proponents will get an hour to testify, followed by one hour of opponents, then neutral testimony. The pattern will be repeated as needed.

The hearing room will be divided in half, with proponents and opponents on opposite sides. Testifiers in the overflow room will be allowed into the hearing room as others finish speaking and leave.

Arch said it will be up to committee chairs whether to use the new procedures, which will be announced in advance if possible. In addition, he said each bill will have a spot online for people to register their support or opposition.

Two other planned changes could help Nebraskans better understand and follow legislative action, he said.

The Legislatures website will soon launch a bill-tracking feature to help citizens follow legislation of interest. The tracker will show where a bill is in the legislative process, much like shipping apps track packages from sender to buyer.

In addition, he wants to change the rules so bill sponsors post their statement of intent a full five calendar days before the legislation has a public hearing. Such statements give a (usually) brief summary of the purposes and effects of a bill.

Current rules require that statements of intent be submitted only 24 hours before a hearing, which gives little time for interested parties to respond.

Omaha World-Herald's top news photos of 2023
The bereaved family of the late lawmaker representing Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye (Sugar), who was shot dead last Saturday, has said the killing was politically motivated.

The brother of the deceased, Olajide Olatoye, made the allegation on behalf of the family on Tuesday.

He was reacting to the statement credited to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11, Leye Oyebade, and the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Shina Olukolu, who said the killing of the lawmaker representing Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency was not politically motivated but a case of murder.

The family in an interview with journalists in Ibadan insisted that their breadwinners assassination had a political undertone.

They also asked the police to conduct proper investigation into the matter.

With due respect, I think that incident has a political undertone at the time Sugar was killed. Did Sugar go to Ojaba to buy yam? Or did he go to Bodija to buy beans? It was during election, and he was coming back from where he went to perform his civic responsibility as a good citizen of this country and as a federal legislator. His killing has much importance to his political murderers, Mr Olatoye said.

Mr Olatoye however commended the police for their efforts so far.

I am debunking the statement with due respect, made by the police AIG that his killing was not politically motivated, he added.

He asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government to steer clear of the case, so that those behind his brothers murder would be fished out.

I want to say categorically that Sugar was the breadwinner of this Olatoye family and they have taken him away. What is now our gain? If this incident is not curbed, they will still do it to (kill) other members of the family, he added.
The criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea have been reduced drastically due to the Obangame Express exercise, Obed Ngalabak, the flag officer commanding western naval command has said.

Mr Ngalabak, who spoke during a telephonic press conference on Obangame Express 2019 on Wednesday, said the transnational nature of maritime crime makes it difficult to be tackled by one country.

The conference was jointly held with Eric Conzen, commodore of U.S. military sealift command, Europe and Africa.

I would say that if not for anything, Nigeria has benefitted a lot from this exercise since its inception, because over the years weve had a lot of criminal issues in our waters, ranging from piracy to smuggling and poaching and other maritime criminal activities, said Mr Ngalabak, a rear admiral, who spoke through a representative.

Now in its ninth year, Obangame Express is an annual multinational maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among the participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.

This years exercise will bring together 33 countries from the Gulf of Guinea nations, Europe, North and South America, as well as several regional and international organisations.

Mr Ngalabak said the level of cooperation between the Nigerian and the U.S. navy has been encouraging as the latter has helped in the training Nigerian naval personnel in areas such as arresting of vessels, evidence collection, and special forces.

He said the collaboration has also helped establish a good information-sharing platform with other African countries.

He added that more than 50 vessels have been arrested in the past three months as a result of the collaboration.

Today, if there is a criminal activity going on in, maybe Gabonese waters or maybe Togolese waters, it is very easy for us to get information and the vessel of interest is running away from their own waters and so its easy for us to get this information and arrest it.

Mr Ngalabak said in the past, it was difficult for the Francophone and Anglophone counties as well as the Portuguese and other nations to understand one another.

But with this Obangame Express, we now understand ourselves better. So that mutual trust has really established, that once we here in Nigeria, the other countries normally fall in place and well get it done as a team.

So its a very good thing for all the forces.

The majority of the sub-regions economic activities rely on the safe and lawful use of West African coastal waters, according to Mr Conzen.

He said the skillful participation of all the countries reinforces the fact maritime security is a collective effort.

It is my third year travelling down to the Gulf of Guinea from Naples, and every year Im amazed at the collective effort of all participants to continue to successfully increase the scope and complexity of the exercise, said Mr Conzen, who is the exercise director for Obangame Express 2019.

The exercise spans five operational areas and covers more than 2.3 million square kilometres.

Exercise Obangame Express will focus specifically on counter-piracy, energy security, counter-illicit fishing, and counter-illicit trafficking. This year will also feature training and search-and-rescue operations and advanced medical training.

The exercise will include a wide variety for all participating forces, including at-sea ship boardings and queries, air operations, communications drills, and regional information sharing.

Obangame Express is part of a comprehensive strategy by U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa to provide collaborative opportunities among African forces and international partners that address maritime security concerns. The Nigerian Navy is hosting the 2019 exercise from March 14 to 22.

The word Obangame comes from the Fang language of southern Cameroon and other parts of Central Africa. It means togetherness.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folasade, wanted after they failed to answer for fraud charges filed against them.

Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of a Federal High Court Lagos had on February 7, 2019, issued an arrest warrant on them, consequent upon an oral application by counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo.

Mr Oke and his wife are wanted in connection with the $43,449,947, 27,800 and N23,218,000 cash recovered by the EFCC from an apartment at Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in April 2017.

They are facing a four-count charge bordering on money laundering offence to the tune of N13 billion.

One of the counts reads: That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $160,777,136.85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own use which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Young Femi Branch gained admission to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, to study Religious Studies. However, what his father had in mind was for his son to become a lawyer.

In fact, his father loved the law profession that he went back to school to bag a diploma degree in the course. So he was so disappointed when his son suddenly decided to become an actor; a profession that was not popular at the time.

While talking with Saturday Beats, the actor said that his father almost disowned him because of his career choice. It was a serious matter for me at home when I decided to study theatre arts because my father always wanted a lawyer. It was so bad that he had to go back to the University of Ibadan to take a diploma course in law; he really wanted one of his children to become a lawyer but I could not have been bothered.

For him, it was a disappointment and he almost did not contact me for about two years. Our fight was settled when I did a commercial for MTN. I was not in Lagos and we had not spoken for a long time before that and out of the blue, I got a call from my dad; he was asking me how I was doing. He said that he saw the advertisement and congratulated me on it.

I called my mother later and she was the one that told me that one of my fathers friends had seen the billboard and called his attention to it. He went there to check. It was not easy but I am thankful for the fact that they were later glad that I took the decision that I did, he said.

A quick search of the actors name on google will bring up articles that the actor is worth about $6m.

However, the actor told Saturday Beats that his net worth was not up to that amount, even though he added that he aspired to be worth such an amount.

He said, The interesting thing about the work we do is that it is showbiz; it is driven largely by perception. People just look at us, they see the glitz and glamour and believe that we are worth a certain amount of money; let us not even talk about the musicians that exaggerate their net worth. In our profession, because of the nature of our vocation, there is the tendency for people to ascribe more to you than you are worth; I pray to be worth $6m.

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According to a report by Sun News, the police headquarters in Abuja has announced the arrest of one Mallam Salisu Abubakar, 48, said to be the spiritual father of armed robbers, kidnappers and other criminals terrorizing motorists and other road users along the Abuja/Kaduna highway.

The suspect, who hails from Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State, is said to specialize in providing spiritual cover for criminals operating along Abuja-Kaduna expressway and parts of other North-West/North-Central States.

Abubakar was arrested in a forest, at Galadimawa Village, Kaduna State.

Force public relations officer Frank Mba, who made this known in Abuja, also announced the arrest of one Godwin Ige, a.k.a White, 28, said to be the fourth member of the gang responsible for the kidnap of Channels Television Staff Mr Friday Okeregbe.

Mba said the suspects were arrested by detectives from the Inspector Generals Intelligence Response Unit (IRT) and other operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder, launched to wipe out criminals operating on the countrys highways.

The police spokesman, in a statement said: In continuation of efforts to rid the Abuja  Kaduna Expressway of Kidnapping and other heinous crimes, cracked detectives from the IGP Intelligence Response Unit (IRT) and other operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder have arrested one Mallam Salisu Abubakar, 48yrs old, a native of Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State. The Mallam, a self-confessed spiritual father of kidnappers terrorizing Abuja-Kaduna expressway and parts of other North-West/North-Central States of the Country, was arrested on 16th April, 2019, following painstaking intelligence and subsequent manhunt, in his hideout, in a forest, at Galadimawa Village, Kaduna State.

Investigation has clearly implicated the suspect for aiding and abetting the commission of several high-profile armed robbery and kidnapping operations in the North West and North Central States of the Country. The suspect is notorious for providing spiritual guidance and intelligence for kidnappers, before and after their operations. His arrest, no doubt, will assist Police operatives to apprehend several other kidnappers and vicious criminals still at large.

Similarly, the operatives on 14th April, 2019, in Abuja, arrested one Godwin Ige a.k.a white m 28years old, a native of Akoko-Edo LGA of Edo State, the fourth member of the gang responsible for the kidnap of Channels TV Staff, Mr. Friday Okeregbe. The operatives recovered from him One (1) Berretta Pistol, One (1) Locally Made Pistol, Eleven (11) Live Ammunition, Two (2) live Cartridges and One Honda Accord Car with Reg. No. KWL 420 GU with which the victim was kidnapped on 22nd March, 2019.

The IGP while appealing for public support, patience and understanding assures that the Police and other security agencies will not rest on their oars until our homes and highways are made safe and secured.
By Chioma Obinagwam

Two officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) were spotted on Tuesday harassing and attempting to forcefully arrest four male Nigerian youths going about their normal businesses.

The youths (names witheld), apparently in their twenties, were trying to climb the stairs of the bridge, when the policemen stopped them and began to interrogate them in an uncourteous manner.

National Daily further spotted them searching the bags of the boys and going through their phones.

Suddenly, one of the policemen after going through the phones of one of the boys asked all of them to follow them (the Policemen) to the station because they were under arrest.

The boys tried to resist the arrest demanding reasons why they should be arrested for trying to climb a bridge.

One of the boys who spoke in pidgin said,Why you want arrest me wetin I do. We no do anything nah?

English translation, Why do you want to arrest me? What did I do? I didnt do anything.

Fortunately, two of the boys who stated that they are siblings phoned their father who supposedly was either a policeman or a member of the military or paramilitary asked that the phone be handed to one of the officers to enable communication with them.

National Daily overheard the policeman with the phone saying, Esprit de Corps.

This led to the release of only two of the boys.

However, luck ran out on the officers when the two boys who were released refused to go insisting that their friends be released too.

A struggle ensued between the boys and officers when the remaining two were ordered into a tricycle (keke-napep). While trying to do that, the siblings forced themselves into the tricycle, insisting that their friends must be freed. A struggle ensued between the boys and officers when the remaining two were ordered into a tricycle (keke-napep). While trying to do that, the siblings forced themselves into the tricycle, insisting that their friends must be freed.

This struggle attracted the attention of passers-by and onlookers, which almost incited violence but for the timely intervention of a military man who drove into the scene.

The military man was having a hard time mediating on the matter as tensions were still high at the time and more people were also gathering.

Although National Daily made frantic attempts to interview the boys, the police officers or the military men, it proved abortive as they all suddenly drove off in the military mans car.

Further investigations by National Daily showed that the officers from the NPF usually position themselves adjacent to the foot of the overhead bridge linking Begger and the LagosIbadan express road to hunt their prey.

National Daily also gathered that there were occasions where out of fear of being detained for no tangible reason, their victims (usually male youths) resort to bribing the officers just to be freed.

Sometimes the boys are forced to a nearby Automated Teller Machine (ATM) booth to withdraw money from their own accounts to settle the officers in order to avoid being detained.

An eyewitness whose stall is not far from the scene of the crime but pleaded anonymity lamented in pidgin, Na so Dem dey do. You know say those guys no do anything. Na so dem dey do. From Grammer School na so dem they come everyday come obtain people collect money from them. I go dey vex here. One guy dey come back from school carry laptop, dem collect money from am. Him come dey cry. Him say him one go do WAEC. We don tire for dem. Make God come do make dem come arrest dem. Dem dey do illegal work.

E don tey sef. E dey vex me. I no get power to do anything. Thank God you dey around sef. Dem don dey here since morning. Dem don catch many people collect money leave dem. If dem catch you, dem go open your bag. If dem see phone wey dey expensive, dem go collect am. Dem no go give you back. One boy wey dem catch yesterday. The boy say him be student. Him dey come from UNILORIN dem no leave am o! Dem collect N10,000 from the boy. Dem follow am go ATM. The boy get ATM card. This same people. Dem from Ojodu- Grammar School Police Station.

English translation: That is how they do. You know that those guys are Innocent. They come from Grammer School everyday to extort and collect money from people. I will be angry. One boy was returning from school with his laptop, they collected money from him and he was crying. He said he was going to sit for his WAEC. Im tired. Let them get arrested by the grace of God. Theyre involved in illegal work.

This has been happening for long. It vexes me and I dont have the power to do anything. They have been here since morning and collected money from people before releasing them. If they catch you, theyll open your bag. If they see an expensive phone theyll collect it. They wont return it. They caught a boy yesterday, the boy said he is a student and was coming from UNILORIN (University of Ilorin). They collected N10,000 from him. They followed him to the ATM. He had an ATM card. This same people. Theyre from Ojodu-Grammer school Police Station.

Reacting to the issue, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkanah said, The Command is strongly against the violations of Rights of the Citizens by Police Officers who are paid with tax payers money to respect and protect those Rights. The action of the Police Officers in question is unacceptable as it fall short of professional ethics and Standards. We will identify them and subject them to internal disciplinary proceedings. Citizens whose Rights are violated by Police Officers in Lagos should report to the Police Public Relations Officer Lagos State through this number +2349090003792.

lt is also on record that barely one month ago, Kolade Johnson, a Nigerian was shot dead by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) unit of the police.

Kolade was alleged to have been shot by a member of a police team, while he was watching a Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in Lagos.

More recently, there have been widespread protest and criticism by Nigerians over alleged molestation and sexual assault of dozens of women who were arrested during raids on nightclubs by a Joint Task Force of the Abuja Command of the NPF and were detained at Utako Police Station.

These events brings the issue of human right abuse to the spotlight and casts a doubt on the primary duty of the NPF to the citizenry; whether they are, indeed, protecting the lives and property of Nigerians or doing the reverse.
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has announced stiffer and stricter visa application processes for Nigerians.

The embassy said in a statement on Tuesday that henceforth, all applicants including frequent travellers who used to use the drop box method would now have to appear for interviews each time they applied.

It, however, said diplomatic and government officials could continue to enjoy the status quo.

The statement read, Effective at the close of business today, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, the US Mission to Nigeria is indefinitely suspending interview waivers for renewals, otherwise known as the Dropbox process.

Visa applications will no longer be accepted by DHL in Nigeria. Those who have already submitted their passports via Dropbox to DHL for processing either at the US Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, will not be impacted by this change.

All applicants in Nigeria seeking a non-immigrant visa to the United States must apply online and will be required to appear in person at the US Embassy in Abuja or US Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review. Applicants must appear at the location they specified when applying for the visa renewal.

Processing of diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications will continue unchanged.

It said the Missions Nigerias processing procedures are regularly reviewed in order to assess our ability to quickly, efficiently, and securely process visa applications.



The US embassy said it was taking this step to provide more efficient customer service and promote legitimate travel and will continue to facilitate applications of established travellers to the best of its ability.

The US embassy in Nigeria has come under intense criticism in recent time for its high rate of visa refusal of Nigerians especially those applying for student visas.

Although the embassy claims it is not happy denying Nigerians visas, The PUNCH had reported last year how the US denies hundreds of Nigerians visas on a daily basis and how the embassy generates N57m from Nigerians daily.

Following the report, the House of Representatives launched a probe into the matter in late 2018 but it was later cancelled.
(Photo : Unsplash/Brooke Cagle )

While it might be tempting to use complicated words to impress others, especially in professional settings, using straightforward language is more effective in getting your message across, Marc Cuban told Wired in an October video Q&A.

What is Jargon?

Jargon is a specialized language used by people in a particular profession to communicate with each other. Jargon is present in various occupations, including medicine, law, marketing, banking, insurance, education, engineering, farming, auto repair, construction trades, and more.

Using jargon is acceptable when communicating within your profession. However, it is not helpful when your audience lacks the same technical or professional background. If you must use technical terms, explain each term and its context.

What is the Purpose of Business Jargon?

Buzzwords are often shortcuts for conveying complex ideas quickly. For example, saying, "Let's take a rain-check" is more straightforward than explaining to postpone a meeting and reschedule for a more convenient time. However, it's only effective if everyone understands the term's corporate and literal meaning.

Research from Columbia Business School published in Harvard Business Review suggests that jargon can sometimes hinder clear communication. The key is to use it wisely. The same research indicates that using suitable jargon in the right situations can instill confidence in your expertise among customers or clients and signal credibility to professional colleagues.

READ ALSO: Communication is One of the Biggest Challenges as a Leader - Fito Salume

What Do Experts Say?

Warren Buffet

Warren Buffett prefers avoiding jargon as he tackled simplicity in his annual shareholders' letter in 2019.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the current wealthiest person globally, dislikes jargon, particularly in the workplace. In a 2018 letter to Tesla employees, he stated, "Don't use acronyms or nonsense words for objects, software, or processes at Tesla. Anything that requires an explanation inhibits communication. We don't want people to memorize a glossary just to function at Tesla."

According to studies, using complex words to appear intelligent has the opposite effect. It makes you sound less intelligent and can also confuse your message.

Adam Galinsky

People resort to jargon when feeling insecure, attempting to elevate their status, as Adam Galinsky, a professor of leadership and ethics at Columbia Business School, noted in an August article for the school's website.

Using overly complicated terms when simpler ones would do suggests insecurity about your intelligence and an attempt to overcompensate. Experts advise speaking plainly and concisely instead.

The Risks of Using Office Jargon

Although meant as a shortcut, jargon can make communication more time-consuming because many terms are unclear. Additionally, using too many corporate buzzwords tends to discourage employees.

Miscommunication

Office jargon can cause misunderstandings and could cause because not everyone is familiar with the technical terminology. Confusion, misinterpretations, and errors in assignments or projects could arise from this.

Exclusion

Overusing jargon may lead to a feeling of exclusion in the workplace, making people unfamiliar with the words feel inferior or excluded. Collaboration and teamwork may suffer as a result.

Reduced Clarity

Using jargon may result in unclear communication, making it challenging for others to understand what is being said.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Develop Soft Skills for Improving Workplace Communication

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A 40-year-old man, Ibrahim Arowolo, who allegedly posted his girlfriends pictures on Facebook without her consent and called her unprintable names, on Thursday appeared in an Igbosere Magistrates Court in Lagos.

The defendant whose residential address was not given is charged with two counts of breach of peace.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Jimoh Joseph told the court that the defendant posted his girlfriends pictures on Facebook without her consent and called bad names.

He said that the defendant accused the complainant, Ms Felicia Ayeni, of breaking his marriage.

Joseph said the incident occurred on Sept. 1, 2018, at 9.32 a.m in Lagos.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 168 (1) (d) (2), of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

ALSO READ:Facebook to curb livestreaming amid pressure over Christchurch massacre

After the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty.

Magistrate A. A. Runsewe admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety who must be gainfully employed and must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

She adjourned the case was adjourned until May 21, for mention.

In another development, three women, Abibat Oyebola and Nike and Shakirat Bello, who allegedly inflicted grievous injuries on their co-tenant, appeared before Magistrate Mrs T. B. Are.

The defendants, Abibat, 46; Nike, 26 and their neighbour, Bello, 46, are charged with conspiracy and unlawful assault preferred against them by the police.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Abayomi Abbass told the court that the defendants committed the offence on May 1, at 7.30a.m. at Kota School area in Ajah, Lagos.

Abbass said the defendants and others at large beat up Mrs Nnenna Eze, their co-tenant with a hard object and inflicted injuries on her.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 172 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Are admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She ordered that the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government and adjourned the case until June 3 for mention.

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Uchendu staged a lone protest yesterday

The leader of the House, Rt. Honorable Blackson Nwayanwu, announced the suspension, today, shortly after a motion of suspension was raised by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Collins Nwankwo, and seconded by the councilor representing Ndashi Ward 17, Hon. Tony Nwaelem.

Rt. Hon Nwanyanwu said the suspension of Chetachi Onwume was carried out pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation by the Police in Abuja. .

A committee, comprising of all members of the House, was set up to carry out an independent investigation on the matter. The committee has 14 days to carry out its findings.

Onwume was accused of raping a female hotel attendant in Abuja on Monday night. The victims sister, Cumbae Uchendu, had claimed her sister was raped after Onwume, who lodged at the hotel, requested for his bill to be brought to his room. .

She alleged that her sister was later rescued by customers and other workers who heard her screams and kept banging on the room door of the councilor. She alleged further, that the suspect later tried to bribe her sister with N50k, which she rejected.
The decision of MC Oluomo to resign from his position was said to have followed a meeting on Sunday with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other key stakeholders at Government House, Alausa, Ikeja

Musiliu Akinsanya

Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has reportedly stepped down from his position as the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State.

It was gathered that MC Oluomo is set to contest the national president position of the NURTW.

The decision of MC Oluomo to resign from his position was said to have followed a meeting on Sunday with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other key stakeholders at Government House, Alausa, Ikeja.

Another source quoted by Sahara Reporters added that President Bola Tinubu also prevailed on Oluomo to leave the position.

However, it is understood that MC Oluomo himself is not too keen on becoming the national president of NURTW because the Lagos State chapter is said to be more financially attractive than its national leadership.

A source said, MC Oluomo was forced to step down. I learned yesterday that MC Oluomo visited Tinubu in his house, and the press was not allowed to cover it.

My sources told me that Tinubu also thinks MC Oluomo is too controversial and did not want to appear with him on camera. Tinubu prevailed on MC Oluomo to step down. He instructed Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, and Wasiu Ayinde K1, the Fuji musician to pass the message to MC Oluomo that he needs to step down as NURTW Lagos chairman or else they will let him be disgraced through removal.

They gave him national president where he cannot get big money like Lagos, another source said.

Meanwhile, the current NURTW treasurer in Lagos State, Mustapha Adekunle (Sego), is set to take over the leadership of the transport workers union in Lagos.
A man has been accused of stabbing his girlfriend and attacking his mother and two other family members in eThekwini, South Africa.

Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) in a statement said allegations of infidelity led to the stabbing which occurred on Mgabadeli Road in Phase 6, Waterloo, KZN on Saturday.



According to the statement, members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) were dispatched to the scene after receiving multiple calls for assistance.



On arrival at approximately 21:22, Reaction Officers were advised that two females were transported privately to the hospital.



According to a witness, a man in his twenties confronted his girlfriend at her home regarding infidelity.



In a fit of anger, he grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed her before forcing her to accompany him to his residence across the road.



The suspect continued stabbing the female when his mother interjected.



The blade of the knife used in the stabbing broke during the attack (picture 2).



The enraged male thereafter, broke a glass bottle and stabbed his mother in the arm.



His 39-year-old paraplegic uncle attempted to block the male with his wheelchair.



The suspect assaulted him and his 76-year-old grandmother, who also attempted to intervene. He then damaged all the windows before he fled on foot.



Reaction Officers are currently attempting to locate the suspect.
Another strike by suspected criminals on Tuesday evening at the popular Abdullahi Supermarket in One Man Village, near Mararaba, killing four customers, including a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The CBN staff member who was shot in the head and died immediately Was identified through his identity card as Daniel Adefemi Okunade.

Three others gruesomely murdered along with him could not be identified as of the time of this report.

An eyewitness account said that the robbery operation lasted less than two minutes during which the CBN staff, who is said to be the choir master of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) also in One Man Village, was gunned down.

He was said to have had a stop over at the Supermarket to buy bread for his family when the robbers found their way into the ever busy store and took lives out of the four customers.

His Toyota Venza Car parked outside the Supermarket was not touched by the men of the underworld.

The late Okunade was said to be returning from work when he met his untimely death in the hands of the suspected robbers.

Meanwhile, police operatives from New Nyayan Divisional Police Station have moved the corpse of the robbery victims to the Mararaba Medical Center mortuary in Mararaba.

No Information has yet been made public by the police on the incident.
Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has continued to drag his first wife, May Edochie, for allegedly undergoing breast enlargement surgery without his consent.

KanyiDaily recalls that Yul recently criticized May for allegedly undergoing breast enlargement surgery and a tummy tuck without his consent.

The actor also accused his wife of engaging in a romantic affair with a married man while manipulating people on social media to harbor ill feelings toward him.

He expressed his frustration, stating that he had remained silent for too long and would no longer tolerate Mays manipulation while protecting her public image.

In a recent post on his Instagram page, Yul Edochie reflected on the potential backlash he could have faced had Mays surgery led to tragic consequences, emphasizing the importance of transparency in their relationship.

He questioned the public narrative that May presented upon her return to social media, where she claimed to have been sick without disclosing the actual reason for her absence.

The actor questioned why May chose not to disclose the truth about the breast enlargement surgery to the public, expressing frustration with what he perceived as manipulation and deception.

He wrote, God forbid, If you had lost your life while undergoing breast enlargement surgery, which you didnt tell your husband about. What would people have said? Yul has killed that innocent woman, abi?

Everybody will be insulting me. Who signed the consent paper? I was out of town then, working. You told me you werent feeling too well, I was saying sorry, I didnt even know what was going on, till much later.

And you still came out on social media in your calm voice, telling people you had been sick and recovering. And they were pitying you & insulting me. Why didnt you tell them the truth, that you went for breast enlargement surgery? Enough of the manipulation. You have done enough.

Meanwhile, Grace Makun, the wife of fashion designer Yomi Casual, has offered guidance to May Edochie, urging her to change her surname.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has encouraged Nigerians to stand resolute alongside President Bola Tinubu as he endeavors to fulfill his commitment to improving the living conditions of all citizens

Mr. Felix Morka, the partys National Publicity Secretary, conveyed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Morka was responding to the criticism by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) concerning Tinubus New Year message.

He stated that the PDPs blind criticism of the New Year message was evidence of its incapacity to serve as a credible opposition party.

Morka added that if the status of the opposition party were contested, the PDP would still miserably fail to pass muster.

Democratic opposition politics is not exactly about being a masterclass of incivility or casting crude aspersions without justification.

It is also not about a haughty display of ignorance of essential social and economic policy or willful blindness to the administrations bold and courageous efforts to raise the bar for sustainable growth and development in our country.

PDPs nagging irrationality is a blight on our democracy, he said.

Kanyi Daily recalls that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates, Senator Dino Melaye and Social Democratic Party (SDP ) Murtala Ajaka, against escalating tension in Kogi State
From Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu BAUCHI

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has reiterated his administration commitment towards improving on the security architecture in the State, said I want to assure you that criminals and their collaborators will have no safe haven in Bauchi State.

Besides, Government will continue to give security Agencies in the State the necessary support to effectively and efficiently deal with security challenges that might arise.

He equally called on the citizens to also cooperate with security personnel by reporting suspicious movements or persons to them. I need not tell you that the fight against insecurity is a collective responsibility.

In his New Year Goodwill message said that the Bauchi State Government have equally resolved to continue to maintain Security by remaining vigilant against the activities of criminal elements.

According to the governor, said that It is gratifying to note that inspite of the paucity of funds, my government have not relented in our drive towards the provision of infrastructural and Social facilities, especially in the areas of Roads Reconstruction, Mass Housing, Urban Renewal and Education. We have also recorded significant strides in reviving Agriculture, Economic Empowerment and Youth Development.

Governor Mohammed said his administration will continue to deepen consultation, stake-holding and community engagement which are essential for good governance. This stakeholder ownership will emphasize the rights and obligations of the citizens. For emphasis also, we consider it the inalienable right of the people to hold Government accountable to the tax payer. We will also strive to honour the maxim of being our brothers keepers and to demonstrate, in word and in deed, that ours is a caring government that recognizes the voter beyond the Election Day.

The former minister of the FCT concluded by appealing for the prayers, cooperation and understanding of our Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Stakeholders and Politicians across party affiliations for peace, tranquility and prosperity to continue to reign supreme in Bauchi State and Nigeria as a whole.

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From Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu BAUCHI

Bauchi State Governor, Dr. Bala Mohammed has call on the citizens to hold their leaders accountable on day to day running and affairs of the government expenditures at their respective states in the country.

This was contained in a New Year goodwill message to the people of the State, Governor Mohammed said For emphasis also, we consider it the inalienable right of the people to hold Government accountable to the tax payer.

According to the governor, said that It is gratifying to note that inspite of the paucity of funds, my government have not relented in our drive towards the provision of infrastructural and Social facilities, especially in the areas of Roads Reconstruction, Mass Housing, Urban Renewal and Education. We have also recorded significant strides in reviving Agriculture, Economic Empowerment and Youth Development.

Governor Mohammed said his administration will continue to deepen consultation, stake-holding and community engagement which are essential for good governance. This stakeholder ownership will emphasize the rights and obligations of the citizens. For emphasis also, we consider it the inalienable right of the people to hold Government accountable to the tax payer. We will also strive to honour the maxim of being our brothers keepers and to demonstrate, in word and in deed, that ours is a caring government that recognizes the voter beyond the Election Day.

In the area of security, the governor added that the Bauchi State Government have equally resolved to continue to maintain Security by remaining vigilant against the activities of criminal elements. I want to assure you that criminals and their collaborators will have no safe haven in Bauchi State. Government will continue to give security Agencies in the State the necessary support to effectively and efficiently deal with security challenges that might arise.

He call on you all to also cooperate with security personnel by reporting suspicious movements or persons to them. I need not tell you that the fight against insecurity is a collective responsibility.

The governor used the occasion to appreciated the support, love given to him by the people of Bauchi saying I wish to once again thank the good people of Bauchi State and commend their sagacity for giving me the mandate to serve them for another four years, in Sha Allah. Let me assure you that as a Government, we will, during our second tenure, raise the bar of performance and push the frontiers of progress as well as socio-economic and political inclusion as our strategy for providing more dividends of democracy to our people.

The former minister of the FCT concluded by appealing for the prayers, cooperation and understanding of our Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Stakeholders and Politicians across party affiliations for peace, tranquility and prosperity to continue to reign supreme in Bauchi State and Nigeria as a whole.

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The attacks by bandit attacks on Garam, a community in Niger State, have persisted without relent, compelling residents to evacuate their homes.

Garam, which shares a boundary with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been under severe attacks from the bandits since December 24, 2023.

Recall that on Saturday, December 24, bandits invaded Garam community, which is a five-minute drive from Bwari, killing a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God while kidnapping 13 other persons.

On Thursday, December 28, bandits again invaded Kuduru, in FCT, kidnapping 18 persons.

Similarly, on Friday, December 29, bandits invaded Azu, killing three people and kidnapping eight others.

However, following the ceaseless attacks, residents of the community decided against observing crossover service on December 31st.

A resident of the community who pleaded anonymity said most churches in the area observed the crossover service between 5pm and 8pm while a handful of churches with adequate security observed the crossover service between 10 pm and 4am.

The source added that the bandits returned on January 2, 2024, kidnapping a whole family, adding that the soldiers stationed in Azu, a neighbouring community, only arrived after the bandits had left.

The resident said: Due to the fear of bandits, most churches did not observe crossover service on December 31st. Some churches observe the service between 5pm and 8pm. It was only MFM that observed the service from 11pm till 4am.

Though soldiers patrol the community during the day, it has not stopped bandits from attacking the people at night.

On January 2, an Igala man was attacked and the bandits kidnapped his whole family. They came with their tools to force the gate of the house open. They operated for 2 to 3 hours. The sound of their gun forced the vigilante to flee. The soldiers arrived after they had left.

Another resident said people are moving out of Garam in droves while those who built houses there have sought refuge in other places.

He said the sprawling community is now being deserted as the military appears to have run out of ideas to tame the bandits.

The source added that it appears the bandits are targeting those with cars who can easily muster ransom payments if kidnapped.
Climate change is triggering an economic crisis

By Lee Yeon-woo

Few would disagree that combating the climate crisis is the most crucial task the human race faces. But many Koreans do not seem to view that as an urgent issue requiring immediate action.

According to a survey conducted by the Segye Ilbo daily and non-profit research center Public View in May 2022, economic growth was overwhelmingly chosen as the top priority needing to be addressed within a year. Issues like unemployment and low birthrate were highlighted as well, but climate change ranked second to last among eight options provided.

Going against such perceptions, Hong Jong-ho, a professor at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Environmental Studies, says climate change is triggering an economic crisis.

"In September 2022, Typhoon Hinnamnor hit Pohang hard, damaging many lives. What many people might not notice is that such natural disasters, caused by climate change, severely impact economic activities. For instance, during that time, a corporation in Pohang suffered significant damage as floodwaters from a nearby river inundated factories, resulting in economic damage worth 2.2 trillion won ($1.6 billion)," Hong said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

A perfect storm looms over the Korean economy.

"There is a growing worldwide consensus about transitioning from a carbon-based economy. Nobody considers Korea as a developing country that can prioritize economic development over carbon reduction. Many are pushing Korea, as a developed country, to adopt greener practices. However, Korea is seriously underprepared, despite the urgency," the economist said.

As of 2021, Korea's renewable energy generation accounted for just 7.15 percent of its total energy output, placing it at the bottom among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. This percentage is substantially below the OECD average of 31.3 percent.

Korea ranked 64th in the 2023 Climate Change Performance Index. This is the lowest among non-oil-producing nations and invited global criticism.

The situation facing the industry in the global market is even more dire.

"An increasing number of global giants, such as Apple, are demanding that supply firms should use 100 percent renewable energy. These giants are threatening to cease trade with firms that fail to meet these conditions. Within the next two or three years, a global standard mandating decarbonization in industry will be established. Korea is left with only a short amount of time to adapt," Hong explained.

The most imminent threat Korean industries face is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) pushed by the European Commission.

Considering the five industries targeted by this mechanism  steel, cement, fertilizer, aluminum and electricity  approximately 4 percent of Korea's exports are anticipated to be impacted. If this mechanism is extended to include the petrochemical industry, the projected impact on exports could sharply rise to 15 percent, significantly exacerbating the economic consequences.

As a country that relies on exporting manufactured products for economic growth, such a transition in global trends is critical.

However, Hong believes that CBAM is only the beginning. A company's ability to reduce carbon emissions is becoming a key measure of its competitiveness in the global market, he said.

"Hanwha Q CELLS recently closed its factories in Jincheon and Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. What does this signify? Hanwha is the global leader in producing solar modules, dominating the U.S. market. Yet, it has shut down its factories in Korea and is investing billions of won in Georgia, the U.S. This, I believe, is the clear indication of our current situation," Hong said.

"If the Korean government cannot provide renewable electricity to domestic corporations, what options do they have? Corporations are left with no choice but to relocate to countries where renewable energies are more prevalent. These issues are directly linked to Korea's future sources of food, job creation and regional balance," Hong added.

To address the issue, Hong views that a combination of government policies consistently promoting the expansion of the renewable energy market and public awareness of the importance of using renewable energy are required.

"In Korea, there are too many unnecessary discussions that turn this issue into an ideological one. Due to the lack of public consensus, we see no uniform trends in policy. Korea already has set its goals, but each administration delays execution, passing it on to the next, in the belief that acting might cost them votes," Hong said.

The most questionable policy, in Hong's view, is the suppressed electricity price.

"Korea imports 100 percent of its fossil fuel. How can the government provide high-quality electricity at such a low price? This is the result of the government's arbitrary suppression of prices, a practice that has been in place for decades. This has led the public to take cheap electricity for granted. I, personally, think that both the public and corporations are 'addicted' to this policy, leading to an abuse of fossil fuels," Hong said.

During this time, Korea's counterparts in the trade market are increasing their competitiveness. For example, Germany, which also has a large proportion of manufacturing in its industrial portfolio, is financially supporting steel companies to adopt hydrogen reduction technology. This technology allows the production of iron using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels. However, it's very expensive and time-consuming to commercialize.

"If the technology is successfully commercialized, it will wield enormous power. Germany could export this technology, receiving a tremendous amount of money in return. With that strength, it will further reinforce decarbonized trade regulations," Hong explained.

This could also be the case for Korea, using the transformation as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

Hong's research indicates that if Korea achieves carbon neutrality by 2050, the renewable energy sector is expected to generate at least around 503,000 jobs. To put this into perspective, the country's automobile industry employed around 490,000 people in 2017.

"In the 1960s, the World Bank banned building expressways in Korea. They argued, 'Koreans don't even have cars, so how does building an expressway make sense?' Yet, we built it within four years. Now, it's time to ask ourselves a question. Which task is more difficult? Creating automobiles and steel firms from scratch after the war, or transforming our manufacturing industry to go green?" Hong stated.

"If the public and politicians think the latter is more unfeasible, I foresee a very uncertain future for Korea. This is the critical point. We reached our economic peak as one of the top 10 economies. But from here, we can only fall without transformation."
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna

The Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Jerry Adams, and a group under the auspices of Likeminds and Associates have donated an undisclosed cash to victims of the Tudun Biri Military Bomb blast in Tudun Biri.

President of the Likeminds and Associates, Saeed Musa Gambo while donating the cash on Tuesday at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital and 44 Reference Hospital respectively, stated that the gesture was to complement the effort of the Kaduna State Governor, Sen. Uba Sani, in alleviating the plight of the victims who recently came under attack.

According to him, the donation was also aimed at putting smiles on the faces of the victims during this season of giving and love as part of their corporate social responsibility.

 I commend both the State and Federal Government efforts towards addressing the plight of the victims and pray for their quick recovery.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman, of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service who doubles as the Secretary General of the group, Mr Jerry Adams, noted that the group will continue to support less privileged in their little ways to complement the efforts of the Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the plight of the people, while calling on well-meaning Nigerians to support those in need as the government can not do it alone.

He condemned the recent attack in Plateau State, saying those who are perpetrating evil in the land must be brought to book.

He urged security agencies not to relent in their efforts to ensure the protection of lives and property.

Earlier the spokesman for the Tudun biri victims malam Idris Dahiru commended the Internal Revenue Chairman and the group for their support and cash donations to the patients.

He called on well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the Revenue Chairman and the group to also donate to the victims.

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By Izunna Okafor, Awka

Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Engr. Francisca Nwafulugo has called on sons and daughters of Anambra State at home and in diaspora and other stakeholders to invest their wealth and resources in the spirit of think-home philosophy towards building and development of their State.

She made the call during the 3rd edition of the Anambra Man of the Year (AMTY) awards, an annual event that celebrates excellence, industry, courage, achievements and impacts of Anambra people in the state and country at large.

The event was themed: Gbakotanu Ka Anyi Dozie Obodo Dike (which translates Come Together Let Us Develop the Land of the Great) and was held in Awka, the state capital over the weekend.

Delivering a keynote address at the event, Engr. Nwafulugo implored people of the state to take part in the development of their state by investing in the critical sectors of its economy.

Nwafulugo said the growth and development of the state is the project for all and not restricted to government alone, hence the need for eminent sons and daughters to contribute their quota towards making the state the industrial hub of the country.

According to her: We have the human capital and capacity that is needed to turn Anambra into one big industrial and economically viable zone that could be likened to Dubai.

Attaining this is not only the responsibility of the government as the government does not have the magic wand capable of achieving eldorado. It is necessary to remind us that the growth and development of a state is a collective effort of both the government and the citizens.

We must therefore forge partnerships  government, private sector, and civil society working hand-in-hand. Collaboration is the catalyst for transformative change, and by harnessing the collective strength of our diverse talents and resources, we can overcome challenges that may seem insurmountable when faced alone.

We need to always seek measures on how we can contribute and make ourselves relevant to the development of Anambra state.

One of these measures is for Ndi Anambra in diaspora and those in other p arts of the country to consciously and intentionally repatriate their investments and wealth to Anambra. This is how to take collective responsibility for the growth and development of our dear state.

Our people need to start thinking home. We cant afford to develop other places to the detriment of our home. It is an irony for our people to invest in and develop other places leaving out their home and then complain that home is not developed like other places. Charity begins at home. Home is home and no matter where one travels to one will still come back home.

Anambra is our collective patrimony and it can only be developed by us, Anambrarians. Political affiliations shouldnt be a barrier. We must lay aside political differences and join hands together to lift our state.

Anambra has what it takes to be a leading economy in Nigeria. We need to synergize and galvanize manpower and resources to achieve this. A boisterous economy is key to growth and development. So we need to strengthen the economy of the state.

The Rector who spoke extensively on the importance of developing the home economy said special emphasis should be placed on the development of youth, economic empowerment, and ease of doing business within the state.

She emphasized the need for government to harmonize taxes paid by business operators and the relevance of providing tax holidays for emerging businesses, noting that such moves will not only save businesses from being stifled but serves as an incentive for gain and stability.

While she commended the state government on the free education policy, she insisted that emphasis still needed to be placed on embracing the digital age and leveraging technology to address societal challenges, improve efficiency, and open new avenues for growth.

She maintained that nurturing a tech-savvy environment will position the state as a hub of innovation and attract investments and talents that will propel it into a prosperous future.

She also mentioned the provision of infrastructural facilities at rural levels, investing in education, improving security, and building accessible healthcare as key elements in securing a bright and prosperous future for the state.

Earlier, Prof. Emeka Ezeonu, a Harvard-trained Professor of Biochemistry and former Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner who Chaired the event, said Anambra was known for setting the pace in Igboland and Nigeria at large, a reason, he said, it is imperative to join hands to keep moving the state forward.

He also said the event was not just the celebration of great achievers in the state but a rallying cry for collaboration, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence for the state.

During the event, no fewer than forty-two (42) personalities, brands, institutions were conferred with awards for their innovation and impacts in diverse areas as well as contributions to the betterment of the society.

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The Police in Nasarawa State has stated that no ransom was given to secure the freedom of Mr. Safiyanu Isa Andaha, the Chairman of Akwanga Local Government Area, from those who abducted him

In a statement to journalists in Lafia on Wednesday morning, DSP Ramhan Nansel, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), emphasized that the release of the chairman resulted from ongoing pressure enforced by law enforcement authorities on the kidnappers

This formal standpoint contradicts the assertion by family members that financial transactions occurred before the victims were freed from their abductors.

A family source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that a sum of N10 million was exchanged for the victims release, following extensive negotiations conducted via mobile phones.

They were dropped around 9 pm behind Maigwona filling station at Bayan Dutse road on the outskirt of Andaha town, and the sum of 10 million naira was paid as ransom, the source said.

However, DSP Nansel clarified that the kidnappers released the victims because of the ongoing and heightened pressure exerted by security operatives

He added that the commands anti-kidnapping unit and the Akwanga Divisional Patrol team were dispatched to Andaha village to transfer the kidnapped victims for medical examinations.

Kanyi Daily recalls that Gunmen had invaded a farm in the Uso community of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State and kidnapped the Chief Imam of the town, Alhaji Ibrahim Bodunde Oyinlade.
Garam, situated along the border of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has faced continuous assaults by bandits since December 24, 2023.

On Saturday, December 24, bandits carried out an attack on the Garam community, located just a short five-minute drive from Bwari. During this assault, they fatally targeted a pastor affiliated with the Redeemed Christian Church of God and kidnapped 13 others.

On Thursday, December 28, bandits bandits once more targeted Kuduru within the FCT, abducting a total of 18 people.

Similarly, on Friday, December 29, bandits attacked Azu, resulting in the deaths of three people and the kidnapping of eight others.

However, as a result of the continuous attacks, residents of the community chose not to observe the crossover service on December 31st.

A resident of the community, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that most churches in the area held the crossover service between 5 pm and 8 pm, while a small number of churches with sufficient security measures observed the service between 10 pm and 4 am.

The source also mentioned that on January 2, 2024, the bandits came back, kidnapping an entire family. They noted that the soldiers stationed in Azu, a neighboring community, arrived after the bandits had already left.

The resident said: Due to the fear of bandits, most churches did not observe crossover service on December 31st. Some churches observe the service between 5 pm and 8 pm. It was only MFM that observed the service from 11 pm till 4 am.

Though soldiers patrol the community during the day, it has not stopped bandits from attacking the people at night.

On January 2, an Igala man was attacked and the bandits kidnapped his whole family. They came with their tools to force the gate of the house open. They operated for 2 to 3 hours. The sound of their gun forced the vigilante to flee. The soldiers arrived after they had left.

Another resident stated that a significant number of people are leaving Garam in large numbers, while those who constructed homes there have sought shelter elsewhere.

He conveyed that the vast community is gradually becoming deserted, indicating a perception that the military might be running short of effective strategies to control the activities of the bandits.

The source further added that it seems the bandits are specifically targeting individuals who own cars, potentially assuming they can secure ransom payments more easily if they are kidnapped.

Kanyi Daily recalls that seven persons had been killed and five others abducted by bandits who attacked some communities in Goronyo and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas of Sokoto State.
A series of coordinated explosions rocked the holy city of Shiraz in southern Iran on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, killing at least 73 people and injuring over 150. The blasts occurred near the Shah Cheragh shrine, a revered site for Shia Muslims and the mausoleum of a revered 9th-century Imam.

Details about the attackers and their motives remain unclear, though officials have confirmed the blasts were coordinated suicide bombings. Responsibility for the attacks has not yet been claimed.

The explosions ripped through the bustling shrine complex during the busy Asr afternoon prayers, causing widespread panic and chaos. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling flames and debris to reach the wounded. Hospitals in Shiraz were overwhelmed with casualties, some requiring urgent medical attention.

Iranian security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a full-scale investigation. The blasts have left the city on edge, raising concerns about further potential attacks and prompting heightened security measures across the country.

The attacks have been met with widespread condemnation from world leaders and international organizations. Pope Francis offered his condolences to the victims families and called for dialogue and reconciliation in the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the despicable attacks and urged those responsible to be brought to justice.

The Iranian government has vowed to find and punish the perpetrators, declaring a national day of mourning. President Ebrahim Raisi visited the blast site and offered his support to the victims families.

The blasts have plunged Shiraz, a renowned center of Persian culture and tourism, into grief and uncertainty. The attack on a revered religious site has also deepened anxieties about sectarian tensions and regional instability.

As the investigation continues and the city grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, the world watches with concern and hopes for a swift resolution and lasting peace in the region.
Are you an upcoming music artist in Nigeria or other countries of the world? If your answer is yes, then you need to read this informative article to the end because Im going to let you know the benefits and advantages of music collaboration, especially with successful music artists.

You need to invest whatever it takes to succeed if you are an upcoming artist because the Nigerian music industry is very competitive at the moment, and it will continue to be competitive in the future because of the massive investments that are made every day by music artist, music producer, record label executives, and other professionals in the Nigerian music industry.

As an upcoming artist whether you are an independent or signed to any record label, collaboration is very important for you because it is one of the most important factors that you need to succeed in any music industry including the Nigerian music industry.

Why music collaboration is important for you as an upcoming artist

Increase your fan base

Simple and easy to increase your fan base if you can collaborate with a successful music artist. Once you can secure a collaboration with at least three successful music artists in Nigeria, then you will be able to increase your fan base and come into the limelight within a short time.

A lot of upcoming artists have tried this method and it works perfectly well for them. You can also make use of it because it is still working at the moment.

Increase publicity

Once you have the opportunity to collaborate with successful music artists whether in Nigeria or other countries of the world, you will be able to increase your publicity within a short time. This has worked for a lot of upcoming artists in the past and they have become successful music artists in Nigeria.

You can also make use of the same process and it will work perfectly well for you regardless of your music genre.

What to look for before you collaborate with any music artist

Fan base

It is very important to collaborate with only successful music artists with a massive fan base. This is how you can succeed in the Nigerian music industry. The major purpose of the collaboration is to reach out to more audiences through the artist you are featuring. If the artist does not have a strong fan base, then the collaboration will not add value to your music career as an upcoming music artist.



Past collaboration

A lot of successful music artists are known for helping young and upcoming music artists to grow. You need to do proper research so that you will be able to know this kind of artist and secure a collaboration with them.

Some music artists are successful in the industry but they find it so difficult to blow young upcoming artists even after securing collaboration. Try as much as you can to avoid these kinds of artists because you will not get a reward for your investment.

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Music Genre

It is very important to collaborate with the right music artist and to know the right music artist you need to look for a successful artist that sings the kind of song you sing.

You need to invest your time to do proper research, especially on the internet so that you will be able to pick the right message artist for collaboration based on your music genre.

How to secure a collaboration with a successful music artist

It is very important to know the most effective method of securing a collaboration with a successful music artist, whether in Nigeria or other countries of the water. You need to follow the right process so that you will not be scammed in the process.

You can pick from any of the following methods to secure a collaboration with successful music artists in Nigeria or other countries of the world.

Social Media and Email Address

You can make use of their official social media account to reach out to them for collaboration. Likewise, you can check out their official website or official social media platforms for their official email address. Once you get the email address you need to send an email asking for collaboration from there you will begin the process of collaborating with a successful music artist in Nigeria or other countries of the world.

Through Manager

You can also make use of their managers direct contact. You need to do proper research so that you will be able to get the music artists manager.

Direct contact at office or studio

A lot of successful music artists in Nigeria and other foreign countries have official offices or studios. You can visit any of their studios to talk to their manager or other representative to secure a collaboration.

Get the Latest Naija Music Mp3 Download

This method is one of the most effective because you will be able to interact with them and discuss a lot of things that you may not have the opportunity to talk about on the phone, online, or through email messages.

In Conclusion

It is very important to know that you will not become a successful music artist immediately. You secure a collaboration with popular or successful music artists in Nigeria or other countries of the world.

You need to put in hard work and be consistent if you want to succeed in any music industry including the Nigerian music industry.

Likewise, it is important to drop only good music because it is only good music with meaningful, better, and informative lyrics that go viral whether in Nigeria or foreign countries.

It is very important to consider the collaboration fee before you approach any music artist for collaboration. Successful music artists charge huge amounts of money for collaborations and try to look for the money so that you will be able to secure a collaboration with them.

Get the Latest Hip-hop Music Mp3 Download

As you collaborate with them, it is also important to spend a huge amount of money to promote the music so that it will go viral and you will be able to get a massive return on your investment. You need to know that paying so much for collaboration with little to no music promotions will not get you anywhere. So you need to invest in both collaboration and Music promotions once the music is released.
Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, on Wednesday, shunned an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission probing the N37.1bn allegedly laundered during her tenure in office through a contractor, James Okwete.

Umar-Farouq kept interrogators waiting for over eight hours on Wednesday without an official communication to the commission as to why she didnt honour the invitation.

News Direct reports that the former minister was asked to appear before investigators at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at about 10:00 am, to give an account of the alleged fraud that took place under her watch.

However, Punch Newspapers who stationed their correspondent at the EFCC headquarters from 9 am to 6.30 pm confirmed that the former minister did not show up at the anti-graft agencys office for interrogation.

An interrogator, who spoke with Punch correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the interrogation team had to close from work at about 6pm when they were certain that the former minister was not going to show up.

We just closed from work now because she didnt show up today, and its 6pm already. Its certain that shes never going to show up today, the source said.

This newspaper had earlier reported that the EFCC invited the former minister to answer questions concerning an ongoing investigation into an alleged 37.1bn fraud uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

The document partly read, The commission is investigating a case of money laundering involving the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development during your time as Minister.

In view of the above, you are requested to kindly report for an interview with the undersigned. Scheduled as follows: Wednesday, January 3, 2024. 10:00 am. This request is made pursuant to Section 38 (I) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and Section 21 of Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.
Celebrity photographer, Busola Dakolo has finally filed a formal complaint to the Nigerian Police Force against the founder of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo, whom she accused of raping her twice when she was just 16-years-old.

We gathered that with her official complaint, the police is commencing an investigation into the allegation.

Meanwhile, another lady had yesterday accused the embattled pastor of also raping her. The lady, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in an interview with Y!Naija said the incident happened in 2017 at the pastors house.

According to her, she was an employee of COZA, who worked directly with the pastor and a member of the church. She said Fatoyinbo asked her to visit his house on a Thursday morning to receive some instructions and run an errand. She said:
A prophet, Barr Ejike Nwachukwu has admonished his fellow pastors not to pray for internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, saying that there was no difference between them and thieves, Daily Post reports.

Nwachukwu, head pastor of Rhema Deliverance Ministry, who spoke at the churchs parish in Awka during a special Sunday service said there was a growing trend of internet fraudsters visiting pastors for prayers for them to succeed in their plots.

The senior pastor also lamented that internet fraud, which is most popularly known as yahoo yahoo in Nigeria, was fast spreading, and that young people now believe that there was no better way to get rich quicker than to join internet scammers.



If you are a yahoo boy, you are a thief, and there is nothing different between you and an armed robber.

You collect peoples money under the guise of doing business with them and you disappear, and you inflict a lot of suffering on them, to the point that sometimes they even die and you come to me for prayers. I will not pray for you, the prophet rebuked.

He urged his fellow pastors to shun such young men, saying that the recent trend was for the fraudsters to seek out men of God, who they present with huge cash as seed faith, asking for prayers to succeed in their plots, with a promise to bring more.



That is what is now happening in our society. Every young person you see wants to make it, but in trying to do so, they enter into internet fraud, and when they have started deceiving someone, they come to pastors for prayers.

Two young men came to my office the other day with N2million, they said it was for seed offering, and that they had a business they were believing God to materialize soon, and that the money is for seed offering.

I looked at them, two young boys with N2million. I asked them what business they were expecting and they said it was a deal, and that they would bring more money to me once the deal paid off, and even promised to buy me an SUV.

I prayed and the Lord revealed to me that it was internet fraud, and I told them so and they confirmed it was true. I walked them out of my office, but only one left and returned with extra N2million, in the hope that if the money was big, I would accept, but I sent two of them out.

Nwachukwu lamented that lots of Nigerian youths were very creative, but instead of channeling their creativity into something useful, they preferred to indulge in fraud. He wondered how two young people would have N4million and cannot use it to begin a meaningful venture?

He added that pastors who accepted such monies were bringing curse upon themselves, insisting that fraudsters were not different from killers.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Lagos State Chapter of the African Alliance Congress (AAC) said on Sunday that it would not recognise Mr Leonard Nzenwa as the national chairman of the party. The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr Elias Ozikpu, expressed the position in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Gov't to spur growth of stagnant market

By Anna J. Park

Financial authorities are spearheading a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's public equity funds system, with the explicit goal of elevating global competitiveness and catalyzing a fresh wave of growth in the industry.

A public equity fund, which includes mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is a type of investment fund that pools money from various investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of publicly traded stocks or equities.

According to the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the top financial regulator, on Wednesday, the public equity fund market in Korea has experienced a relatively sluggish expansion in recent years.

When excluding short-term money market funds (MMF) and exchange-traded funds, the entire size of the public fund market in the country stood at 100.2 trillion won ($76.5 billion) as of September last year, which marks a decline from 102.6 trillion won in 2022. In fact, the size has been decreasing steadily since 2015, when it stood at 114.2 trillion won.

The data indicates a positive trend in annual growth, when including both the MMF and ETF markets, reaching 315.4 trillion won in the fall of 2023  a substantial increase from 221.2 trillion won in 2015. However, the numbers highlight the need to introduce effective changes to revive public equity funds, which remain outside the realm of the MMF and ETF markets.

Three-pronged approach to overhaul public funds

In his meeting with key officials from related financial agencies, including the Korea Exchange (KRX), Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Korea Securities Depository (KSD), and Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA) on Wednesday afternoon, FSC Vice Chairman Kim So-young explained that the move is in line with the Yoon administration's consistent initiative to resolve the chronic "Korea Discount"  referring to the generally weak performance of listed Korean firms in the domestic stock market  to better protect investors' shareholder value in local stock markets.

"First off, the responsibilities borne by fund sales agencies, asset management companies and fund-related institutions will be significantly strengthened," Kim said during the meeting.

Currently, the sales commission of public equity funds is structured so that all sales agencies uniformly receive compensation from the fund assets. However, the vice chief of the financial regulator said that the government will introduce a new sales commission structure, under which sales agencies will directly receive sales commissions from investors, and the rates may vary among sales agencies within the legal limit of one percent. Performance-linked sales commissions will also be adopted based on a fund's performance. Asset managers' accountability for their alternative investments and ETFs will also be strengthened, with the introduction of a mandatory periodic assessment of their values.

"The FSC aims to stimulate innovation in public fund products by facilitating their trading on the listed market, similar to ETFs. This initiative is designed to minimize investment costs and improve trading convenience. Additionally, the government will activate protective measures for new products in the ETF market, encouraging the launch of innovatively designed products," Kim stressed.

Lastly, the FSC intends to spearhead infrastructure innovation by revamping the foundational legal frameworks of the fund industry. One notable change includes permitting fintech services to recommend public funds by comparing the performances of each fund.

Furthermore, the government aims to revisit the registration system for foreign funds. Previously, foreign funds were sold indirectly through an intermediary investment firm, and they were not subject to Korea's registration obligations. Such overseas funds will also be equally regulated as domestic public funds.

Hoping to expedite the implementation of the three-pronged appoach, actions that do not require legislative amendments will be implemented during the first half of this year, followed by the submission of necessary amendments to the Capital Market Act a the National Assembly during the second half of this year.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Atiku Abubakar, have asked the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to nullify the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

They said that evidences by witnesses at the tribunal have proven that Buhari was not qualified to have participated in the 2019 election, hence should be disqualified.

They also said that the election should be annulled because facts has shown that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Buhari allegedly rigged the poll.

They said there were discrepancies in results between tendered Certified True Copies of forms EC8A and polling units.

Atiku and his party stated this in their final address to the tribunal, insisting that they have proved all allegations contained in their petition against the conduct of the February 23 presidential election.

Dr Levy Uzoukwu (SAN), lead counsel to Atiku and PDP, in a 43-page final address filed before the tribunal said the petitioners have established the fact that Buhari does not possess the requisite academic qualification for the position of President of Nigeria.

Uzoukwu added in the final address filed on August 14, that even Buharis own witnesses under cross examination admitted that Buhari did not possess a school certifcate, which is the basic requirements for contesting for the office of the president.

The petitioners then said, We therefore submit that all the purported evidence led by the 2nd respondent (Buhari) to prove that he attended a secondary school or a primary school or that he attended some courses, is irrelevant because he did not rely on any of those purported qualifications in exhibit P1, he relied on primary school certifcate, WASC and Officer Cadet.

Equally futile is his attempt to prove that he can speak and write in the English language. That is all irrelevant to his inability to produce his primary school certifcate, secondary school certifcate or WASC and his Officer Cadet qualification, whatever that means. Officer Cadet is not a qualification or certifcate under the Constitution and Electoral Act; nor is it known to any law.

Buhari had submitted his Cambridge University certifcate before the tribunal. But the petitioners wondered how it was easier for Buhari to go all the way to Cambridge in the United Kingdom to obtain a document, that his own witnesses said was not a certificate, instead of just driving down the street in Abuja to the Army Headquarters, or placing a phone call to the secretary of the Military Board in Abuja to hurry over with his certifcate or certifcates

They went further to say, A comparison of the purported Cambridge Assessment International Education Certifying Statement of the purported West African Examination Council (WAEC) certifcate and a certified true copy of the purported confidential result sheet of the University of Cambridge West African School Certificate of 1961 for the Provincial Secondary School, katsina reveals many discrepancies in the suppose result.

One listed 8 subjects that the candidate therein mentioned one Mohamed Buhari allegedly sat for, the other 6 subjects, both documents are therefore unreliable as both cannot be correct. The contradiction must count against the 2nd respondent.

They also accused Buhari of making false claim by saying he attended, Elementary School, Daura and Mai Aduwa 1948-52.

Elementary School Daura is totally different from Mai Aduwa, their locations are totally different, they said.

Buhari had also claimed he entered Middle School Katsina in 1953, but the petitioners submitted that by 1953, the Middle School system had been abolished in the northern region of Nigeria.

Also on Buharis claim that his certifcates were with the military, the petitioners submitted that Buhari failed woefully to prove the claim, rather the petitioners evidence to the contrary was not contested nor challenged.

The petitioners further submitted that the Nigerian Army had denied being in possession of Buharis alleged certifcates.

One of the strongest evidence on the issue was given by the second respondents own witness, RW1, General Paul Tafa, (Rtd), who under cross examination by the 1st respondent (INEC), told the court firmly and unequivocally that the Army did not collect the certifcates of military Officers and added, there was no such thing.

On the claim that the last election was rigged and did not follow Electoral Act, the petitioners said with the plethora of evidence tendered and witnesses called they have been able to show to the tribunal that Buharis election was invalid.

According to them, analysis of results from 11 states showed how INEC in agreement with Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) wrongly and unlawfully credited Buhari with votes not valid or lawful.

They went further to claim that a total of 2, 906,384 votes were cancelled across the country, while 2, 698,773 Nigerians were disenfranchised.

The petitioners said the two figures when added up, exceeded the 3,928,869 differential between the votes as stated in INEC form EC8E.
Former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha has run to a Federal High Court in Lagos, for an order to restrain the state government and its agents from arresting, detaining or acting in a manner that infringes on his rights.

Okorocha, who currently serves as Imo West senator asked the court to enforce his fundamental rights under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights Act.

KanyiDaily recalls that Governor Emeka Ihedioha had recently ordered a citizen arrest on Okorocha for allegedly assaulting Mr. Jasper Ndubuaku, who is the chairman of the state governments property recovery committee and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters.

But Okorocha in a suit filed through his counsel, Alaezi Nmezi prayed the court to declare the order for his arrest and detention by the state government as unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful and violation of his rights.

But Okorocha in a suit filed through his counsel, Alaezi Nmezi prayed the court to declare the order for his arrest and detention by the state government as unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful and violation of his rights.

He listed Imo State government, Attorney General of the state, Secretary to State Government (SSG) and the chairman, Imo State Property Recover Committee as first, second, third and fourth respondents in the case.

The governor also asked the court to grant him a consequential order for general aggravated and exemplary damages against the respondents, amounting to N150 million, for the unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional violations of his fundamental rights, in addition to the cost of prosecuting the matter estimated at N5 million.
Senator Dino Melaye again stole the show at the presentation of the 2020 budget proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari before the joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday in Abuja.

While several other lawmakers were rushing to bow before the President, Senator Melaye quietly walked up to President Buhari, greeted him while holding back his hand, denying the President a warm handshake.

Senator Melaye refused to stretch out his arms to shake President Buhari. He, however, showed his bold face.

Senator Dino Melaye has been having from rough experiences with security operatives since the Buhari administration. He has also been a force to reckon with in the Senate.
The pastor

Pastor Sunday Egbo Madu- abuchi. Do you know him? The 30-year-old man is the Founder and General Overseer of Christ Mercy Ministry, Ajuonu, Obukpa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. His Igbo surname, Maduabuchi, translates as man is not God. But to many of his church members, especially women with infertility challenges, he comes across as something of a god. But he recently proved to be a god with feet of clay when he escaped with his victims pants and brassieres after having forceful carnal knowledge of one of his female church members called Blessing Ukweze Ifebuche.

It turned out that the girls mother had inadvertently played into his hand, by ignoring the timeless warning of Evangelist Temilolu Okeowo, Founder and President of Girls Club of Nigeria. It is unhealthy for a girl/ lady to go on an exclusive prayer retreat with any man of God! Id repeat: Dont follow your father- in-the-Lord to an exclusive prayer retreat specially organised for you alone! she wrote, sometime ago. It could be a bait to lodge you in the same hotel room with him and have carnal knowledge of you! Countless women and girls have fallen into this evil trap by satanic men and till today they cant confide in the people closest to them, least of all, the world, because most people wont believe them! Worse still, a lot of them (pastors) cant get the pigs off their heads yet theyve moved on to laying almost half the women in their church! Pleaseplease pleasedont be too close to any man-of-God in this wise! No one can be trusted!

Lies and deceits of a man-of-God

No one can tell if Blessings mother read those words or not but what followed should serve as a stern warning to all mothers on the need to watch the relationship between them or between their daughters and so-called men of God. Before he had his way with the 18-year-old teenager, Pastor Sunday, as Maduabuchi is popularly known among his church members and followers, had succeeded in convincing Blessings mother to send her over for a special deliverance crusade taking place, he claimed, in the church. But later development moved the venue to his house located at Ajuana Obukpa, Nsukka Local Government, Enugu State. Her daughter was to come, he told the woman, with the photograph of her younger brother who is said to be sick with some unnamed mysterious ailment.

Date was November 9, 2019. And, time? He lied to the unsuspecting girls mother that it would start by 6pm and that it was to be held for her and other members of the church who needed deliverance on some areas of their lives, but in reality, it started at about 11pm with some struggles and dragging, not with the supposedly demonic forces turning into hell his members destinies, but with the innocent girl who was sent to his slaughter house by an equally naive mother. But by the time the deliverance session was over, it had attracted a charge of rape, attempted ritual murder and a few of other scary stories inside the evil deed.

And, now with detectives from the Anti-Trafficking Gender Unit of State Criminal Investigation Department, Enugu State Police Command wading fully into the matter after prompt arrest of the alleged culprit pastor, power appears to have changed hands. Now, the hunter has become the hunted. And, if you listened carefully, you could hear some jubilation among the host of angels of darkness for seizing the initiative this time around, upsetting some balances and causing some spiritual havoc among the company of men before the likes of Pastor Maduabu- chi could do so among the company of demons.

How Pastor Maduachi raped his female church member



Parading Maduabuchi alongside 36 other suspects at the command headquarters, the State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Abdur-rahman, said the pastor had on November 9, 2019, invited a female member of his church under the pretext of organising a crusade starting from 6pm. On arrival, the pastor took her to his house and left while pre- tending to go and bring other people, who were supposed to participate in the programme, but he returned around 11pm and dragged her into his room, brought out a magic stone and threatened to kill her if she raised the alarm, he said.

He ordered her to remove her clothes, but the victim refused and the pastor slapped her and tore her clothes and raped her. Egbo seized her pants, brassiere and brought out a small bottle and wanted to insert it in her private parts, but she struggled and ran naked to the door and shouted, which attracted neighbours, who invited the police to rescue her and arrest the pastor.

Blessing narrated to Saturday Sun how it all happened. Her words: My mother and I and my younger brother have known Pastor Sunday for about two and a half years now.

We know him as the founder of Christ Mercy Ministry, Nsukka. His church has three branches. On November 9, 2019, he called my mother on the phone around 3pm to ask her to allow me attend a prayer crusade taking place in his church that evening from 6pm. My mother then called me to relay his message. Pas- tor Sunday told my mother to give me my younger brothers photo-graph to come with for the crusade. But when I went to the church venue around 6 oclock that evening I did not see anybody. I was surprised because everywhere was locked. I called him on the phone to ask whether the prayer crusade would no longer hold but he said he would send someone to bring me to his house because it would take place in his house and not the church. Later, he sent one lady to bring me to his house. Shortly, I arrived he got up and said he wants to go and bring some members of the church who are coming but who dont know the way to his house.

I waited and in the process dozed off. Around 11.30pm or so, Pastor Sunday walked in and found a little girl in his house and me sleeping in the parlour. He woke me up and asked me to come to his room. I refused. But he grabbed me and dragged me to his bedroom, tore my clothes, and forcefully removed my pants and brassieres. Then he brought a magic stone, waved it in my face and threatened to kill me if I shouted. He wanted to have his way. I resisted him but he slapped me. We started struggling. We did that for sometime before he eventually subdued me and forcefully had sex with me. Afterward, he brought a bottle and tried to insert it in my private part to collect the fluid com- ing out of it. But I quickly got up and ran to the bedroom door and started shouting and banging on it with all my power. He tried to stop me, to close my mouth, but he couldnt.

Neighbours and police come to the rescue



Saturday Sun learnt that when the screaming became unbearable, at that time of the night, neighbours came to find out what was going on. On hearing enquiring voices, Maduabuchi allegedly opened the bedroom door and pushed Bless- ing out naked into the living room and locked up the door. The self barricading of himself out of shame continued until operatives of the Anti-Trafficking Gender Unit of State Criminal Investigation Department, Enugu State Police Command, led by Gloria Udoka, a Superintendent of Police, assisted by policemen and women from Nsukka Police Division, arrived not only to arrest him but to also conduct a thorough search of his house. The police detectives were also said to have rushed the victim, Blessing, to a private hospital for medical treatment and report. Doctors were said to have confirmed lacerations in her private parts consistent with act of rape. She was discharged on November 11, 2019.

More can of worms opened



But the search opened up more cans of worms. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Mrs. Janet Agbede, told Saturday Sun that the search in Maduabuchis house unearthed many curious finds: different pants, brassieres, mirror, small coffin, flute, calabash, candles, black soap, incense, baby clothes which the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Abdul-rahman believes are being used by the culprit pastor for ritualistic purposes but Maduabuchi claim that some of the items like baby clothes were brought to him by members, on instructions though, for prayers. He told journalists that he procured the coffin and other items from a native doctor in Kogi State, with the hope of making money and attracting favour.

I paid the native doctor N200, 000, to get the coffin and the flute, he said. He told me to do certain things, after which I will get a Ghana-Must-Go bag full of money in my room. But after two weeks, the money did not come as the na- tive doctor told me. In June 2019, I went to Kogi State and brought the coffin and some concoctions. Whenever I am going to church, I would put alligator pepper in my mouth and chew it and spray it on the horn (flute). The alligator pepper and flute, he said, were supposed to act as a sort of invocatory charms that bring members, especially rich men rushing to his church. I chew the alligator in the house before leaving home for the church.

Signs of ritualism from the pastor



Blessing who hails from Amevo Oroko Nsukka Local Government, Enugu State, says she strongly believes the Abdul-rahmans version of the story, of Maduabuchi being a ritualistic pastor. She explained that since the ugly incident, we have found in his possession some pants and brassieres belonging to some ladies in the church who he always deceive with fake night vigil and fake crusade in his house after having sex with them. Like he did to me, he stole their pants and brassieres for ritual money. He would deceive some members looking for children to buy and bring baby clothes, promising that they would conceive and have a baby. But during deliverance session, he would forcefully have carnal knowledge of the women. He would then steal their pants and brassieres which he used for rituals for money. I didnt know that all the prayer crusade and deliverance ses- sions he has doing for our family are fake and he has a mission. Pastor Sunday deceived my mother to send me to church crusade and he raped me and tried cleaned up the fluid from my body to use to make juju. Up till now I have not seen my pants and brassieres. I want them from him. He must give them back to me.

While Maduabuchi who claims to be an orphan and a school dropout, vehemently protests his innocence regarding the accusation about his sleeping with his female church members and stealing their panties and brassieres for use in preparing money-making charms, he however admits to having carnal knowledge of them with the hope of being used by God to solve their infertility problem. Their panties and brassieres he keeps are to also help them conceive after he had passed magic stone across them, he claimed.

I started having sex with some of the ladies in my church when they lodged complaints about their barrenness, he confessed. I promised to assist them through prayers and deliverance. It is when I invite them to my house that I do have sex with them. I sometimes do use incantations on them.

Maduabuchi admits culpability in the rape saga



The man who hails from Nara Unateze community in Nkanu East Local Government, Enugu State said: I am an orphan because I had lost my father and my mother when I was young. In fact, my mother died

while I was eight-years-old. I started following men of God in Lagos 10 years ago. But I started my own min- istry, Christ Mercy Ministry in 2014. I have over 300 members in my church. I have three branches one of which is at Ihu Owere Nsukka. There is another one at Onitsha.

Admitting having forceful car- nal knowledge of Blessing, he said he regrets his action and therefore pleaded for mercy. His version of the story: On November 9, 2019, I deceived the mother of Blessing that I have a church crusade. I asked her to tell Blessing to come to the church crusade. I told her mother to ask her to bring the picture of her younger brother who was sick. When Blessing got to the church for crusade, she didnt see anybody. I sent one lady to bring her to my house and then went away. I came back in the night. I dragged her to my room and threatened her with juju. I asked her not to shout and threatened to kill her if she did. I asked her to remove her clothes. She refused so I used force to remove both her clothes and her underwear and brassieres and raped her. I took a bottle and wanted to collect the sex fluid from her vagina but she started shouting and thats how our neighbours came to her rescue.

CP Abdul-rahman added that Maduabuchis arrest should serve as a lesson for every parent especially mothers to always be careful with some so-called clerics and to always be vigilant over their children. He promised that he would be charged to court to face the wrath the law as soon as investigation into his case is concluded.

Church members shocked, react



When Saturday Sun visited his church at Igbakwe Nkwo, Nsukka some church members who were waiting for him for prayers were confused as to what to do and what to make of the rumour making the rounds concerning his sexual es- capades with some of the female church members. Some of them said that although they heard the rumour of his arrest, they started believing it when church service did not hold the following Sunday.

One of them, Mr. Chukwudi Alloy added that it was difficult to believe what happened to Pastor Sunday until police detectives came to his house on November 10, 2019 to search his house and found coffin and different pants and brassieres, candles, horn which he used in in- cantations before the start of worship.

Referring to Blessings case, he said: We learnt that he raped the daughter of one of the female mem- bers of our church. We learnt that he has not released her pants and brassieres. Since I learnt this information I have withdrawn my family from his church. I started attending his church over a year ago. I also learnt that other members have started withdrawing their families from the church. In fact the entire Nsukka environ has heard what happened. This is the mark of end time. It is written we will have fake pastors calling the name of God. It is a shame to hear that our Pastor Sunday is now one of them.

***

Source: Sun News




Senate

Nigeria Senate has commenced public hearing on the controversial bill, Protection of Internet from Falsehoods, Manipulations and other Related Matters Bill, 2019, on Monday.

The public hearing which is a parliamentary traditional way of harnessing opinion from outsiders was being conducted after four months of the introduction of bill.

The bill which was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa passed second reading on 20th November, 2019 amid public scepticism that there were heinous intents behind the bill.

However, at Mondays hearing, it was a well attended event as so many civil society organizations, heads of private and government agencies are present and fully armed to present their opinion on the bill.

Also, some protesters were spotted at the entrance to the National Assembly struggling with security agents who insisted that they must not be allowed to enter.

Protesters views are against the passage of the bill.

The bill is also known as Social Media bill.

Sponsor of the bill, Mohammed Sani Musa represents Niger East Senatorial District and is a first timer lawmaker.
<! Boss Mustapha, with President Buhari: coronavirus measures announced >

Coronavirus literally shut down the Nigerian Government on Monday with the suspension of the weekly federal executive council meeting.

The suspension will be until further notice.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha said the council of state meeting earlier scheduled for Thursday has also been postponed.

He made this known as he also announced the total closure of all the countrys land border- all measures meant to tackle the growing incident of Coronavirus pandemic.

The borders will be closed for four weeks, said Mustapha, who is also Chairman of Nigerias Special Task Force on coronavirus.

Mustaphas Statement:

In furtherance of our ongoing engagement with the public and stakeholders through the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and the Honourable Minister of Health (HMoH), I have found it necessary to update you on recent developments regarding the management of matters arising from COVID-19 Pandemic.

2. Let me remind you that as at the time the Honourable Minister of Health (HMoH), briefed you earlier today, the numbers from the World Health Organisation (WHO), confirmed that the virus has covered 192 countries, reporting over 329,000 cases. In Africa, 42 out of 54 countries have reported cases while 48 deaths have been recorded.

3. In Nigeria 36 cases have been reported and one fatality has occurred. The first responders, particularly the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), continues to attend to reports received through telephone calls and other medium.

4. We commend Nigerians for stepping out to report and/or make enquires through the dedicated hotlines. Records show that on Sunday, 22nd March, 2020, over 4500 calls were received. This shows the high level of awareness amongst Nigerians.

5. The strategy of government is to focus on testing, detection and containment through contact tracking in order to minimize hugely, the possibility of community spread. We urge anyone experiencing the symptoms of the virus or has been in contact with anyone who has been suspected or tested positive to please report at the nearest medical facility or the designated center.

6. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) continues to monitor the global and domestic developments and has isolated Lagos and Abuja for particular attention in view of their population, mobility and number of cases already reported.

7. As you are all aware, a number of advisories have been issued and measures taken. Part of the measures being taken presently include the following:

i. escalating the nations capacity for testing and detection through the acquisition of more testing kits and establishment of additional test centres;

ii. acquisition of personnel protection equipment (PPE) for different categories of frontline personnel;

iii. enhancing contact tracking;

iv. deepening awareness creation;

v. mobilization of experts and trained personnel whether in service or retired;

vi. introduction of social distancing policies and banning mass gathering of over fifty (50) persons

vii. closure of schools and tertiary institutions;

viii. The total ban on international travels shall commence at 12.00 midnight tonight at all our airports; and

ix. leaders of different faiths have been encouraged to restrict services and activities that involve mass gathering of more than fifty of their adherents. State governments are also enforcing this policy at different levels.

8. Ladies and gentlemen, after a further review, Mr. President on the recommendation of Presidential Task Force (PTF) has approved the following additional measures:

i. Suspension of the weekly FEC meetings until further notice;

ii. Postponement of the meeting of the Council of State scheduled for Thursday 26th March, 2020;

iii. All land borders that have been hitherto under partial closure shall now be closed for human traffic for four weeks effective, 23rd March, 2020;

iv. In order to protect Federal Civil and Public Servants, a circular to be issued by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) shall direct on actions to be taken immediately;

v. If and when the need arises, any national assets required for use in the response to COVID-19 shall be mobilized and deployed;

vi. Federal Government, is at the highest level, engaging with State Governors in order to ensure a collaborative and effective response to COVID-19 Pandemic; and

vii. All Abuja and Lagos residents are strongly advised to stay at home, avoid mass congregation of any kind as well as non- essential outings, until further advice is given.

9. Finally, the PTF assures all Nigerians of the concerns of Mr. President and his determination to mobilize all resources to backup this national response. However, this commitment should be reciprocated by all citizens by respecting the advisory and obeying measures put in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The Presidential Task Force (PTF) shall be updating Nigerians from time to time when the need arise.

10. I thank you very much.

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There are suspicions that some Nigerian politicians may be rigging the results of the coronavirus test conducted on them to read negative, hiding the authentic result which may be positive. Yet, these politicians spend public funds in secret on medications to eliminate the virus. This has, particularly, been suspected of most executives, from the presidency to state governors, whose results have been publicly declared negative but are still keeping themselves in self-isolation; and conducting further tests. There are concerns that if the result of any individual reads negative, it implies zero-infection of coronavirus, the individual is then free to live normal life and perform his duties.

Some governors have tweeted and celebrated that the result of their coronavirus test is negative, yet, they confined themselves to self-isolation.

In the Nigerian presidency, there is lingering controversy whether the president has been flown overseas for treatment after the State House had said the result of coronavirus test on him is negative while the Chief of Staff to the president result read positive.

However, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, on Friday declared he tested positive of coronavirus but in Nigeria, political leaders are feared to rig the result.

A renowned Comrade in Lagos articulated: Many on social media underestimates our politicians, writing they cant rig their COVID-19 test results, only time will tell.

This Nigerian stakeholder portrayed that while the politicians can hide the symptoms, the consequences of the virus does not hide in the long run.

A governor was said to have rejected the result of coronavirus test conducted on him which read positive, directing that fresh result be conducted. Citizens in the state were of the view that the governor may have forgotten to rig the result of the test, and has become vigilant on the result of the repeated test he has ordered.

National Daily investigation revealed that those who cannot rig the result of their coronavirus tests, may have gone into hiding.

Findings from National Daily investigations also showed that both those who rig the result of their coronavirus tests and those who went into hiding, have been taking secret medical treatments to clear the virus from their systems. Those who returned from overseas recently and went into hiding also take more precautionary measures beyond what the Nigerian government has directed. They have already seen the devastating consequences of coronavirus infection in their respective host countries before returning to Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday raised alarm that the federal government has 4,370 people of interest that are being traced. It was earlier indicated that some persons who returned to the country recently from Europe and America did not give their genuine contact details at the airport on arrival, thus, it has been difficult for the authorities to contact them for tracking.

The Information Minister had appealed: We urge those who have had contact with suspected cases to immediately report to the authorities. We urge Nigerians to support the authorities in this regard. We are on the verge of reaching the level of community spread.

We must stop this immediately or we will record exponential cases in the days ahead. There is no better way to say this.

It would appear that the actual coronavirus cases are under reported since the incident has not been properly tracked. This makes the risks of spread very high. Those who rely on self-help may not be as active as the government, particularly, state governments. Thus, the immune citizens at the moment, must as strictly as possible, restrict their movements. Some of those relying on secret therapy still fear the coronavirus infection may be out of control and cause epidemic outbreak in the country.

Meanwhile, investigations continue, and National Daily will bring you update in subsequent reports.

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EFCC Arrests Party Agent with over N1.2m, Another With N300k In Borno

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Maiduguri Zonal office has arrested one Abba Ali Abbari, a party agent, delegated alleged to have been hired to distributes some money to people from Auno, Dalwa, Jakana in Konduga LGA Borno State. Gistvic Reports.



Abbari was arrested at the NYSC Internally Displaced Persons camp with the sum of N1, 290,000.00, with a template given to him by a party Chairman Election Committee to pay the sum of N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) to party agents, according to him.

Similarly, Alhaji Garba Isah a party stakeholder was arrested by Operatives of the Maiduguri Zonal office at Ali Mongonu Teachers Village Internally Displaced Persons camp with the sum of N300, 000.00, while distributing to voters from Kukawa and Doran Baga in the camp. Gistvic Reports.





According to him,

my duty is to take care of ballot boxes and to equally share money to voters. This particular money was given to me by a stakeholder.

Isah stated during an interview with Gistvic Reporters.





While making the arrest at Teachers Village IDP camp, the beneficiaries vandalized a vehicle belonging to a staff of the Commission. The DPO of Doran Baga who intervened, saved the situation. Gistvic Reports.





SOURCE: GISTVIC.COM

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BLOOMINGTON  Bonchon, a fast-casual Asian fusion restaurant known for its hand-battered, double-fried Korean chicken, is now open at 1413 Leslie Drive, inside the Parke Regency Hotel & Conference Centre.

The restaurant is locally owned by franchisees Krishna Balakrishnan, Uma Kailasam and Hector Castro-Rodriguez. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

In addition to fried chicken, Bonchon also serves up potstickers; chicken katsu and bulgogi; kimchi; Korean doughnuts and more.

The Bloomington location also will provide about 30 new jobs.

Born in Busan, South Korea, in 2002, Bonchon now has more than 400 restaurants across eight countries.

Best US cities for off-season travel Best US cities for off-season travel Key findings Cheapest cities for off-season travel Most affordable cities for off-season hotel stays Most expensive cities for off-season travel
BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man, accused of violating state law that requires him to register as a violent offender against youth, has been released from custody.

Ethan McNabb, 21, is charged with failing to report in violation of the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act. He came to court on a notice to appear and was released Tuesday.

McNabb was ordered to abide by statutory conditions of release.

An arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 19.
Policymakers urged to keep Pyongyang's malicious use of digital technology in check

Editors note This is the second and last in a two-part article series on North Koreas cyberattacksED.

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Technology can create very different worlds depending on the motives of users.

When utilized for positive purposes, technology can greatly enhance and improve the quality of human lives, making them more comfortable.

However, technology can turn into an ominous threat to humanity if individuals exploit it with malicious intent.

The use of technology in the two Koreas differs significantly.

South Korea has primarily utilized digital technology for industrial applications, establishing itself as a highly connected society. In contrast, North Korea has prioritized the use of digital technology over the past decades to develop cyber weapons.

Their divergent investments over the decades have resulted in a new form of warfare  North Korea is now known for hosting the world's most infamous hackers, while South Korea is susceptible to becoming a target of North Korea's cyberattacks.

North Korea has weaponized cyberspace and disrupted the South with ceaseless clandestine cyber operations. Its cyberattacks took various forms. North Korea steals valuable, sensitive data, encrypts data to make it inaccessible and destroy assets through unauthorized access.

Cyberattacks are becoming a growing security threat to South Korea.

While delivering lectures on cybersecurity, I have encountered approximately two distinct groups of individuals sharing their experiences with cyberattacks, Kwon Ho-cheon, the founder and chief executive research director of Global ICT Lab, told The Korea Times.

One group of individuals shared incidents of their computers or mobile devices being hacked, while another group claimed that they or their organizations had never experienced attacks from external cyber actors. I think the latter group is more likely to be wrong about their experiences, because North Korean hackers infiltrated almost all South Korean entities, so there are very few who were not hacked. The only difference is that they just didnt know they were hacked.

Kwon, the author of Modern Warfare: ICT Determines the Winners and Losers, released in 2021, said it is no surprise that people do not know they were targeted or received cyberattacks, since many cyberattacks go unnoticed.

Hacking attacks have become a regular occurrence in South Korea.

According to the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) operated by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Koreas public sector was the target of 1.56 million hacking attempts by international hacking groups between January and Nov. 1 of last year.

The NIS promptly and successfully detected and traced almost all cyberattack attempts, the intelligence agency told The Korea Times in a written message. We have strengthened a partnership with private sector cybersecurity firms, and also teamed up with our allies abroad to prevent and respond to North Koreas malicious cyber activities.

The NCSC (National Cyber Security Center) is tasked with safeguarding government offices and state-run companies from cyberattacks and managing responses to such incidents. Its private sector counterpart is the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA), which oversees cyber infiltrations targeting the private sector and offers related guidance.

According to the NCSC, 80 percent of all cyberattacks on the public sector are attributed to hackers from North Korea and China.

The cyberattack figures for the public sector last year revealed a 30-percent increase compared to 2022.

Kwon said cyberattacks are a much more serious security threat than nuclear bombs.

Nations possess nuclear weapons basically for deterrence, he said. They build up nuclear bombs as a security guarantee to protect their nations from enemies and few use them in real war. Likewise, I think North Korea developed nuclear weapons as part of its negotiating tactic, and it plays the nuclear card to gain more concessions from the United States or South Korea during negotiations. Few countries, if their leaders are sane, would attempt to detonate nuclear weapons because they know the consequences.

Compared to the symbolic nature of nuclear weapons, cyberattacks occur and can have a much more detrimental impact on the victims than other forms of weaponry.

If you detonate nuclear bombs in the air, everybody knows who did that, he said. Unlike nuclear explosions, cyberattacks are difficult to trace if hackers are sophisticated. Some attacks go unnoticed, so the victims don't even know they were attacked.

Shin So-hyun, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Public Studies in Seoul, said there are no organizations that can possibly trace or prevent all cyberattacks against them.

This is because of the covert nature of cyberattacks, she said.

For victims, cyber resiliency matters. Resilient organizations can effectively respond to cyberattacks and recover quickly from them. So, most countries use a two-track approach on cybersecurity. They try to prevent cyberattacks on one hand, and on the other hand, they try to build a system that can help them recover from the attacks quickly after their systems were infiltrated.

In a sense, cyberspace is a level playing field where state actors considered less capable militarily and financially can potentially outmaneuver their more advanced adversaries. This is exemplified by impoverished nations with limited financial resources, like North Korea, being able to achieve success against technologically superior opponents using cyber weapons such as malware and ransomware.

Because of its unique trait, cyberspace can create a blind spot for countries with advanced digital technologies. Highly connected countries like South Korea are vulnerable to cyberattacks from North Korea which lack advanced IT infrastructure.

This creates the irony of digital technology.

In the 1990s, when the internet became widely accessible to the public, policymakers and business leaders in South Korea, much like those in many other advanced countries, started contemplating how to leverage the technology to enhance their economies, Kwon said, stressing that the priority was given on using the internet for industrial purposes.

But there was another group of countries, mostly autocratic countries like North Korea and Russia, which saw the internet era as an opportunity to upgrade their weapons systems. They were interested in using the technology to build formidable weapons to attack their enemies.

This fundamental difference in attitude toward technology created a new world order in cyberspace.

Decades later, the countries that used digital technology for military purposes came to develop destructive cyber weapons, whereas nations that prioritized the industrial use of digital technology became richer and more connected. These highly networked countries became vulnerable to cyberattacks.

South Korea's excessive focus on the industrial applications of digital technology, without adequate investments in cybersecurity, came at a price, Kwon said.

Until recently, a lot of attention has been paid to upgrading and developing network systems, but the public sector, as well as the private sector, were almost ignorant of the importance of cybersecurity. They didnt invest in cybersecurity, he said.

He urged policymakers to shift their mindset toward digital technology, especially as artificial intelligence has become prevalent in almost all industries.

When a new technology emerges, it is crucial to consider how it can be utilized for societal improvement and further development. Simultaneously, it is essential to assess whether the technology could be potentially misused for military purposes. This thought process is necessary, particularly as countries such as Russia, North Korea, and China are actively incorporating AI to enhance their weapons systems, he said.

If not prepared, he said South Korea will surely face another security threat  this time a much more lethal one  as AI-related technology continues to evolve.
TRENTON, N.J.  In Edison, New Jersey, the mayor warned he would send people back to the border if they came to his city in buses. In Rockford, Illinois, authorities said 355 migrants who landed on a charter flight wouldn't be staying.

"NO MIGRANT BUSES THIS EXIT," signs along Interstate 55 in Grundy County, Illinois, southwest of Chicago said ahead of Christmas weekend.

Nervous officials in suburbs and outlying cities near Chicago and New York are giving migrants arriving from the southern border a cold shoulder amid attempts to circumvent restrictions on buses in those two cities, opening a new front in response to efforts led by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to pay for migrants to leave his state.

The suburban backlash comes amid what the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls "unprecedented" arrivals, with illegal entries topping 10,000 several days last month. For months, big-city Democratic mayors including Eric Adams of New York and Brandon Johnson of Chicago have pleaded with the Biden administration for help addressing the influx.

Abbott has bused more than 80,000 migrants from Texas to Democratic-led cities since 2022, though some buses have also arrived from other states. Abbott's administration also recently began chartering planes as Chicago and New York started cracking down on buses making unscheduled drop-offs, with fines and tickets.

A plane carrying 355 migrants from San Antonio landed at Chicago Rockford International Airport at 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve, with local officials saying none left the airport that's about 85 miles from downtown Chicago before boarding buses. The city of Chicago said migrants on the Boeing 777 boarded eight buses chartered by Abbott to be dropped off in "various suburbs." A flight earlier in December brought 120 migrants to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

Some Chicago suburbs also have adopted or are considering regulations on buses. Tinley Park's ordinance vows to "cite, impound or take other appropriate measures" against buses that make unannounced stops in the town of about 60,000 people. The village of Broadview, a suburb of 8,000 residents west of Chicago, said last week that it had to take action "because the unloading of passengers in inclement or severe weather without a coordinated plan poses a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare" of the people aboard the buses.

In New Jersey, migrants are being dropped off at train stations in Jersey City, Secaucus and Trenton, according to state officials. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's office has said the state is primarily being used as a transit point and that "nearly all of them" are headed to New York. Murphy's office said the state is working with federal and local authorities, but didn't provide further details.

Murphy said last summer that New Jersey couldn't support the arrivals amid discussion that the Biden administration was considering using the Atlantic City airport as a possible destination. It was a change of tune for Murphy, a self-styled progressive who first ran for governor in 2017 and suggested he would declare New Jersey a "sanctuary state," a loose term for a place with immigrant-friendly policies.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said most migrants who arrived in his city have moved on to New York, but 10 people have stayed with family in the area.

"We empathize when someone is trying to seek asylum or when someone is trying to take them in. But we don't have the capacity to take them in," he said.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said in a Facebook post that he has "instructed our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border."

The mayors of New York and Chicago have blamed Abbott.

"This is a diabolical plan by this governor and we're going to have to respond based on what he is doing," Adams said Tuesday.

Hours after the flight landed in Rockford, Johnson told CBS' "Face the Nation" that "Abbott is determined to continue to sow seeds of chaos" by having people arrive in the middle of the night with no notice.

Abbott has defended his tactics by saying President Joe Biden needs to do more to secure the border. His spokesperson Renae Eze on Tuesday also renewed attacks on Democratic mayors, saying their hypocrisy "knows no bounds."

Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley said the highway signs south of Chicago were part of an emergency effort to avoid people being dropped off outside in the cold with no money, food or winter clothes during the holiday weekend. No buses have stopped in the county, and the signs have since been removed, Briley said.

About 30 migrants from Venezuela were recently dropped off at 4:30 a.m. at a gas station in Kankakee County, according to Sheriff Mike Downey. The people "were left without money, food, adequate clothing, and were under the impression that they had reached their destination."

"I don't think this problem is going to stop," said Briley. "We're a rural community. We just don't have the same kind of tax base that the city of Chicago does to be able to provide those resources."

___

Savage reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Melissa Perez Winder in Morris, Illinois; Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas; Jake Offenhartz in New York; and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022
The woman who served as the Director of the Castle Information Bureau during the administration of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) from 1982 to 1992, and of the Public Affairs Secretariat at the office of President Jerry John Rawlings from 1992 to 2001, Mrs. Valerie Anne Sackey, has died



Her death was announced by the J.J. Rawlings Foundation on January 2, 2024.



VALERIE SACKEY PASSES AWAY



The J.J. Rawlings Foundation regrets to announce the death of Mrs. Valerie Anne Sackey, Director of the Castle Information Bureau during the administration of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) from 1982 to 1992 and of the Public Affairs Secretariat at the office of President Rawlings from 1992 to 2001. She passed away on 31st December 2023.



Mrs. Sackey (nee Valerie Anne Lindoe) was born in 1935 in Accrington in the United Kingdom to Valentine Lindoe, Principal of the Accrington College of Art and Nancy Lindoe, an arts teacher in the college. She met and married Mr. Horace Walter Kofi Sackey at the London School of Economics and Political Science where they were both studying, and came to Ghana three days after independence in March 1957.



On arrival in Ghana, she taught Geography at the Opoku Ware Secondary School and later joined the Department of Game and Wildlife and was posted to the Kumasi zoo. When her husband was appointed a Minister of State in the Progress Party government led by Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia in 1969, she moved to Accra and continued to work with the Department of Game and Wildlife.



On her return to Kumasi following the fall of the Progress Party government in 1972, Mrs. Valerie Sackey transferred to the Kumasi unit of the Department of Game and Wildlife and then on to teaching at St. Louis Secondary School in Kumasi.



During this period, she wrote on various topical issues for the Pioneer newspaper under the pen name of Yaa Asantewaa. Her direct and commonsensical approach to issues gained her a wide readership in a culture prone to using euphemisms to totter around uncomfortable facts of our socio political life.



In one of these articles, she sharply criticized the manner in which the various leaders of the PNDC were going round the country haranguing the people on radio and television and advised them to take a tape recorder and hear themselves speak. This drew the attention of the Leader of the Revolution. Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings who secretly agreed with her expressed views and requested to meet her. He was however surprised to find that she was white.



After a number of interactions with her, Rawlings extended an invitation to her to join his personal office staff and take charge of his speeches, interviews with local and foreign media and official Press Statements. Her schedule also included dealing with complaints and petitions to his office as well as responding to letters from members of the public. With the able assistance of Kwasi Opoku Acheampong, who was editor of the Pioneer in 1980-81, the Castle Information Bureau and the Public Affairs Secretariat became the most powerful and effective administrative organs of the Rawlings personal administrative units.



After 2001, Mrs. Valerie Sackey continued to work at the office of the late former President helping with his speeches, interviews and other media related matters.



She is survived by her children; Michael Sackey (London) Joseph Sackey (Los Angeles) Anne Asantewaa Sackey (Accra) and seven grandchildren. Her final funeral rites will be announced shortly.























Source: Peacefmonline.com









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A Nigerian national named Olusegun Samson Adejorin is facing federal charges in the United States for an alleged US$7.5 million business email compromise scheme that targeted two charitable organisations. Adejorin was arrested in Ghana on December 29, 2023 and awaits his initial appearance in court in Ghana.



According to an eight-count indictment unsealed in Maryland, Adejorin operated between June and August 2020.



He allegedly gained access to employee email accounts at both charities, one in Maryland and the other in New York.



Posing as authorised personnel, Adejorin allegedly tricked the institutions into transferring over US$7.5 million from the New York charity's investment funds held by the Maryland organisation.



The indictment details a sophisticated scheme. Adejorin allegedly used a credential harvesting tool to steal login information, created fake domain names to mask his tracks, and even manipulated email accounts to hide his activity.



If convicted, Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years per count of wire fraud, an additional five years for unauthorised computer access, and mandatory two-year sentences for aggravated identity theft.



The potential penalty could rise further for domain name misuse.



"An indictment is not a finding of guilt," said the U.S. Attorney's Office in a press release, but the serious charges and detailed allegations paint a picture of a complex and audacious crime.



The FBI, along with international partners in Ghana, played a crucial role in apprehending Adejorin and bringing him to justice.



United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, Baltimore Field Office, for its work in the investigation and thanked the FBI Legal Attache in Accra, Ghana, and the Republic of Ghanas Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, and the Ghana Immigration Service, for their valuable assistance in this case.

Source: BBC









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The Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, along with her family, paid a visit to The Ark Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing care and support to vulnerable individuals, especially women and children.



The visit aimed to express gratitude for the foundation's commendable 25 years of service to the nation.



During the engagement, Osei-Opare commended The Ark Foundation for its impactful work in creating safe spaces for those in need. To further demonstrate appreciation, she and her family donated various essential items, including flour, maize, rice, oil, tinned tomatoes, canned fish, beans, toiletries, and detergents.



She also made a cash donation of GHC20,000 to support The Ark Foundation's ongoing mission. The financial aid aims to strengthen the Foundation's ability to provide a nurturing environment for individuals facing distress and abuse.



The Ark Foundation, founded on Christian principles, has been a pillar of support for countless individuals, offering them a refuge from violence and oppression. Its mission revolves around empowering those in need, allowing them to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.



Angela Dwamena-Aboagye, representing The Ark Foundation, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the Chief of Staff's generous contributions. She emphasised the importance of such support in enabling the organisation to continue making a positive impact on the lives of those they serve.



The Chief of Staff was accompanied by her two daughters, Dr Mrs Serwa Opare Aryitey and Mrs Linda Sarpong, as well as her granddaughter Dede Aryitey. Their presence underscored the collective commitment of the Opare family to supporting initiatives that contribute to the well-being of the nation's most vulnerable populations.

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Ghanaian gospel artist and songwriter, Francis Kofi Dedzi, widely known as Pastor Kofy, has once again captivated audiences with his latest gospel jam titled 'W Mba.'



'W Mba,' a fast-tempo praise song characterized by its beautiful rhythm and impressive treble and bass tunes, is already being hailed for its inspirational message.



We have decided to honour the GAs. We sing more Twi, Ewe and others so I wanted to honour them into the New Year.



W Mba is solely in the Ga language and I am launching it now ahead of my main event in October 2024. Its a compilation of existing songs but I composed two of them myself. I named it W Mba, meaning We are Coming in the Ga language.



Talking about I worked with Ghanaians all over the world in terms of production. It's about 12 minutes of non-stop jam he said in a radio interview at Adom FMs Ofie Kwanso show.



Fans and music enthusiasts are already predicting that the song will make a significant impact both locally and internationally within the music sphere.



Pastor Kofy, a seasoned and spirit-filled gospel artist, has a remarkable track record of delivering soul-stirring performances that leave audiences in awe.



His portfolio boasts hit songs such as "Me Nsa Aka," "Ogyacious," "Malibongwe," and reggae-infused tunes like "Ive Got You Jesus" and "Psalms 23," among others.



Pastor Kofy has consistently emphasized the truthfulness of God and the importance of gratitude in every living soul's journey on earth throughout his career as a gospel artist.



Pastor Kofy made his mark with the launch of his first album, "Me Nsa Aka," in 2007.



He also had the honour of representing Ghana in South Africa as the sole gospel artist from the country after he emerged winner of TV3s Mentor.



The accolades have continued to pour in for Pastor Kofy, who secured the Song of the Year and Energetic Artiste awards at the 2018 Ghana Gospel Music Awards.



Holding a degree in music from the Methodist University Ghana, he has become a trailblazer in the gospel music scene, organizing and directing events such as 'Hour of Worship,' 'Peaceup Africa,' 'Ogyacious Praiz,' and 'Royal Xperience.'



Some of his notable collaborations include 'Yehowa' with award-winning South African gospel artist Ayanda Ntanzi, 'Worthy to be Praised' featuring Dzimusic, Mogmusic, Jacky Larbi, and 'I am Ready' featuring Apostle General Sam Korankye Ankrah in 2021, 'Nyame Akyede3' featuring Elder Dr. Mireku in 2022, and 'Peaceup' featuring Shasha Marley.



Pastor Kofy has graced major events such as Adom Praiz, Happy FM Mass Wedding, MTN platforms, year-end events for banks, Charterhouse events including the VGMA, and many others with his powerful ministry.



Born Francis Blewusi Kofi Dedzi on October 2, 1981, in AkatsiTatorme, Pastor Kofy's journey in music began at the age of 5.



In addition to being a music teacher at the International Community Complex (ICC) in Ghana, Pastor Kofy has also served as the music director for reality shows 'The Pulpit' and 'The Celebration' for four seasons each.



He is not only an award-winning artist but also an event host, consultant to church choirs, and a devoted family man.



As fans eagerly await the impact of 'W Mba' on the gospel music scene, Pastor Kofy remains a versatile, revivalist, and anointed figure in the industry, continuing to inspire and uplift through his musical ministry.



Nonetheless, Pastor Kofy's single 'Higher' resonated in Europe, with performances in stadiums in Swaziland, Belgium, Amsterdam, and Germany, showcasing the artiste's global influence and reach.

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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

As many of us were reminded last summer when forest fires in Canada turned New York City's air to the color orange, air pollution is transported by the wind. Fortunately, here in the United States, the Commerce Clause of the Constitution gives the federal government the authority to regulate business practices that cross state lines.

The EPA's air pollution authority, enshrined in the Clean Air Act provides a specific mechanism for controlling cross-state air pollution. According to the EPA's website:

"The Clean Air Act's 'good neighbor' provision requires EPA and states to address interstate transport of air pollution that affects downwind states' ability to attain and maintain National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Specifically, Clean Air Act section 110(a)(2)(D)(i)(I) requires each state in its State Implementation Plan (SIP) to prohibit emissions that will significantly contribute to nonattainment of a NAAQS, or interfere with maintenance of a NAAQS, in a downwind state. The Act requires EPA to backstop state actions by promulgating Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) in the event that a state fails to submit or EPA disapproves good neighbor SIPs."

In the latest attack on the EPA's authority to regulate our environment, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide if the agency has exceeded its authority in its effort to prevent air pollution transported from one state to a neighboring state. According to a piece by Andrew Chung in Reuters:

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear a bid to block the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing a federal regulation aimed at reducing ozone emissions that may worsen air pollution in neighboring states. Acting on requests by the states of Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia, as well as pipeline operators, power producers and U.S. Steel Corp (X.N), to avoid complying with the federal 'Good Neighbor' plan restricting ozone pollution from upwind states, the court said it would hear arguments in the dispute in February.

"At issue in the current dispute is an EPA rule, finalized in June by President Joe Biden's administration, regulating ozone, a key component of smog, in a group of states whose own plans the agency determined did not satisfy the 'Good Neighbor' provision of the Clean Air Act requiring efforts to account for pollution that could drift into states downwind. The agency said the inadequate plans in 23 states required a federal program to reduce emissions from large industrial polluters in those states."

Since the authority to regulate this type of pollution is clearly authorized by the Constitution and the Clean Air Act, the Supreme Court must somehow substitute its scientific expertise for the EPA's and accept the argument that ozone pollution is not dangerous. While I am far from a lawyer, the EPA clearly has the authority to regulate ozone.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade seemed to set in motion the ridiculous national phenomenon of lawyers substituting their medical advice for that of a woman's doctor. Some U.S. courts these days don't seem to give much weight to scientific or technical expertise. Typically, the Supreme Court disguises this scientific judgment in a dubious legal argument, but the outcome is to undermine action based on the scientific expertise of the EPA.

The mechanics of the process in this case involved a large number of states that proposed state air pollution control plans that the EPA considered inadequate. The ability of these plans to reduce the scientifically proven harm of ozone pollution was the basis for the EPA's determination. This triggered the promulgation of a federal rule mandating ozone reduction in the states with inadequate plans.

This past February, the EPA found that 23 states had air pollution control implementation plans that failed to protect downwind states from ozone pollution. While the basic structure of the Clean Air Act requires a partnership between the federal government and the states, conservative "red" state governments increasingly oppose any federal efforts to require states to adhere to national policy. They are not interested in partnering with the federal government but prefer to fight the feds for political points and media attention.

Perhaps the most extreme case of this phenomenon has been those states that continue to refuse federal funding under the Affordable Care Act that is available to expand Medicaid coverage in their state. They so oppose federal health care policy that they turn down federal funding to pay the health care costs of their own people. It is no surprise that local power companies and other polluters resist adhering to national air pollution standards. It's a little amazing that the public goes along with this.

While the basis for the federal good neighbor rule is the impact of air pollution on neighboring states, the fact is that air pollution also harms people within the polluting state. The pollution created in Ohio doesn't magically appear in New Jersey; first, it hits Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. And in all likelihood, the concentration of pollutant load is greater the closer one lives to the source of emissions.

By the time the ozone or other pollutants hit New Jersey, they've had some time to be dispersed in more than one direction. The ozone is still dangerous, but to use the old saying: "the solution to pollution is dilution."

The questions I have for the elected officials fighting the Clean Air Act are: Don't the people in your state breathe? Aren't they subject to the same lung diseases and cancers that blue-state residents endure? Why are you willing to subject your constituents to health risks?

The answer of course is the political clout of the power generation and manufacturing companies who are unwilling to clean up their act. They don't want to pay the costs of retrofitting their outmoded, polluting technologies. This, when coupled with right-wing, anti-regulatory ideologies and fears of the big bad "deep state," results in opposition to rules requiring clean air. According to this ideology, the EPA is simply a power-grabbing bunch of bullies forcing states to bend to their unreasoning rules.

Politicos like Donald Trump and many other conservatives consider all government regulations bad, anti-business, and destroyers of innovation and jobs. I wonder how they'd feel if the FAA stopped regulating flight paths or if the police decided to stop enforcing the rules against homicide. Civilization requires rules.

While there are plenty of examples of over-regulation and incompetent regulators, America has a much greater problem with under-regulation. Moreover, as I often note, regulation stimulates far more innovation than it discourages. When companies read the regulatory handwriting on the wall and know they will need to comply with new rules, they often hire engineers and get creative about redesigning products and work processes.

We certainly saw this with automobile safety and fuel economy regulations. The modern computer-laden motor vehicle is far more efficient and cost-effective than its mid-twentieth-century mechanical ancestors. While that does not fit into the preconceptions of anti-regulatory ideologues, proposed regulations can contribute to the modernization and ultimate competitiveness of a business. Many times, new regulations, just like new competitors, force organizations to rethink operations that need new approaches.

I understand the fear of an arrogant and all-powerful government regulator. But the lawyers making decisions on which rules stay and which rules go need to understand that our world and our economy are becoming more technologically complex and interconnected. Unanticipated impacts have become routine, and our need for agile and responsive regulation is growing. Regulating air pollution that causes us physical harm is a pretty straightforward problem. That science is easily understood.

But what happens when we need to regulate social media algorithms and artificial intelligence misbehavior? If we can't get the easy stuff right, what chance do we have when the more difficult problems require government guardrails?

Provided by State of the Planet

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
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Percentage of farmers who adopted cover crops as an adaptation strategy to high fertilizer prices, 2022. Credit: https://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/submitted-articles/impact-of-high-fertilizer-prices-and-farmers-adaptation-strategies-in-the-us-midwest

In 2022, fertilizer prices reached record high levels due to the Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. This has created a financial strain on farmers as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiumelements found in most synthetic fertilizersare essential for crop growth and make up a significant portion of a farm's operating cost.

The high prices have incentivized farmers to adjust their practices. In a new study titled "Impact of High Fertilizer Prices and Farmers' Adaptation Strategies in the U.S. Midwest" published in Choices, South Dakota State University researchers explored what strategies are being deployed by farmers in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota to combat these costs.

"To assess farmers' adaptation strategies to high fertilizer prices and the effectiveness of different strategies in reducing the use of synthetic fertilizer, we conducted a survey," said Tong Wang, associate professor in SDSU's Ness School of Management and Economics and the primary investigator in the study. "The results of our work fill in the gaps on producers' short- and medium-term responses to increased synthetic fertilizer prices."

The research teamwhich included Wang; Matthew Elliott, associate professor in the Ness School; Heidi Sieverding, research scientist at the South Dakota School of Mines; and Stephen Cheye, graduate research assistant with the Ness Schoolfound that 78% of producers had taken on some form of adaption strategy due to the costs. The most common adaption was the use of variable-rate fertilizer application, a tool that aims to enhance fertilizer use efficiency, followed by manure/compost. A smaller percentage of farmers chose to adopt cover crops, and some decided to change their crop rotation.

"We also asked producers to rate their likelihood of using these practices in the next three years if the current prices or supply shortage continue," Wang said. "Farmers are more likely to make medium- and long-term adaption plans than short-term adaption decisions if high fertilizer prices continue."

The use of biofertilizersalso known as microbeswas a new type of technology and had the lowest adoption rate of all the listed strategies. However, a comparison between farmers' short- and medium-term responses shows biofertilizers will likely have the highest growth rate of all the strategies.

"Our findings revealed that farmers are highly interested in investing in new technologies, such as biofertilizers and variable-rate fertilizer," Wang said. "This calls for more research and development efforts to advance the use of biofertilizers and address its performance inconsistency challenges."

In comparison to the interest surrounding biofertilizers, there was less interestdepending on where the farmer was locatedin utilizing cover crops and diversified crop rotations to combat the high costs of synthetic fertilizers. The research team notes this could be due to the relatively long period for their benefits, such as reduced requirement for fertilizer inputs, to manifest. Farmers' adaptation strategies also depend on regional weather patterns and other related factors. For example, farmers in South Dakota were more likely to utilize cover crops than the other three states.

"The nonuniform increase in cover crop adoption rates could be attributed to recent flooding events, which likely introduced farmers in the severely affected regions to using cover crops," Wang explained. "Similarly, the fertilizer price spike will likely shift farmers toward alternative resources."

Overall, fertilizer was ranked as the issue having the greatest influence on farming operations during the survey implementation period (summer 2022), followed (distantly) by extreme weather and fuel prices.

"Policy assistance during extreme events such as natural disasters or fertilizer price spikes, if designed properly, could incentivize producers to adopt individual conservation practices or combinations that are ideal for their region," Wang said. "In the long term, social benefits will accrue as more farmers become accustomed to using conservation practices as adaption strategies to such events or as a norm in their agricultural production."

More information: Impact of High Fertilizer Prices and Farmers' Adaptation Strategies in the U.S. Midwest. www.choicesmagazine.org/choice  es-in-the-us-midwest
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Digital 3D model of T. koprii gen. et sp. nov. Reconstruction showing internal and external anatomy (red, musculature; blue, ventral ganglion; black, jaw apparatus; green, gut). (A) Lateral view. (B) Dorsal view. (C) Ventral view. (D) Ventral view excluding musculature. Credit: Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6678

Fossils of a new group of animal predators have been located in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland. These large worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonized the water column more than 518 million years ago, revealing a past dynasty of predators that scientists didn't know existed.

The new fossil animals have been named Timorebestia, meaning 'terror beasts' in Latin. Adorned with fins down the sides of their body, a distinct head with long antennae, massive jaw structures inside their mouth, and growing to more than 30cm in length, these were some of the largest swimming animals in the Early Cambrian times.

"We have previously known that primitive arthropods were the dominant predators during the Cambrian, such as the bizarre-looking anomalocaridids," said Dr. Jakob Vinther from the University of Bristol's Schools of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences, a senior author on the study. "However, Timorebestia is a distant, but close, relative of living arrow worms, or chaetognaths. These are much smaller ocean predators today that feed on tiny zooplankton."

"Our research shows that these ancient ocean ecosystems were fairly complex, with a food chain that allowed for several tiers of predators."

"Timorebestia were giants of their day and would have been close to the top of the food chain. That makes it equivalent in importance to some of the top carnivores in modern oceans, such as sharks and seals back in the Cambrian period."

Inside the fossilized digestive system of Timorebestia, the researchers found remains of a common, swimming arthropod called Isoxys. "We can see these arthropods were a food source for many other animals," said Morten Lunde Nielsen, a former Ph.D. student at Bristol and part of the current study.

"They are very common at Sirius Passet and had long protective spines, pointing both forwards and backwards. However, they clearly didn't completely succeed in avoiding that fate, because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities."

Arrow worms are one of the oldest animal fossils from the Cambrian. While arthropods appear in the fossil record about 521 to 529 million years ago, arrow worms can be traced back at least 538 million years back in time.

Dr. Vinther explained, "Both arrow worms, and the more primitive Timorebestia, were swimming predators. We can therefore surmise that in all likelihood they were the predators that dominated the oceans before arthropods took off. Perhaps they had a dynasty of about 1015 million years before they got superseded by other, and more successful, groups."

Luke Parry from Oxford University, who was part of the study, added, "Timorebestia is a really significant find for understanding where these jawed predators came from. Today, arrow worms have menacing bristles on the outside of their heads for catching prey, whereas Timorebestia has jaws inside its head."

"This is what we see in microscopic jaw worms todayorganisms that arrow worms shared an ancestor with over half a billion years ago. Timorebestia and other fossils like it provide links between closely related organisms that today look very different."

"Our discovery firms up how arrow worms evolved," added Tae Yoon Park from the Korean Polar Research Institute, the other senior author and field expedition leader. "Living arrow worms have a distinct nervous center on their belly, called a ventral ganglion. It is entirely unique to these animals."

"We have found this preserved in Timorebestia and another fossil called Amiskwia. People have debated whether or not Amiskwia was closely related to arrow worms as part of their evolutionary stem lineage. The preservation of these unique ventral ganglia gives us a great deal more confidence in this hypothesis."

"We are very excited to have discovered such unique predators in Sirius Passet. Over a series of expeditions to the very remote Sirius Passet in the furthest reaches of North Greenland, more than 82,5 north, we have collected a great diversity of exciting new organisms. Thanks to the remarkable, exceptional preservation in Sirius Passet, we can also reveal exciting anatomical details, including their digestive system, muscle anatomy, and nervous systems."

"We have many more exciting findings to share in the coming years that will help show how the earliest animal ecosystems looked like and evolved," Dr. Park concluded.

The work is published in the journal Science Advances.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Imagine a house is on fire, and someone is actively pouring gas on the fire. They then pour a little less gas and want credit for doing so, despite still feeding the fire. Perhaps they claim they are now "fire neutral."

We'd rightly be very skeptical of such claims. Yet that is more or less what some influential supporters of the livestock industry have done.

I'm referring to eye-catching and influential recent studies published in peer-reviewed livestock science journals which claim that the meat and dairy industries are or can easily be "climate neutral."

For example, one study claims that the U.S. dairy industry could reach climate neutrality by 2050 through reducing its annual methane emissions by just 1%1.5%. Another declares that some U.S. livestock sectors are "already part of a climate solution" and that the Californian dairy industry could "induce cooling" under annual methane reductions above 1%.

Several industry bodies have recently adopted and widely publicized goals based on these reports. For example, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association in the U.S. has stated its ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2040, while consumers in Australia are told that their lamb has a neutral, or even negative, climate footprint.

The claims are especially striking because methane is a potent greenhouse gas that accounts for 0.5C of global warming so far, and we know that livestock production accounts for about one-third of human-caused emissions. That methane is a product of the digestion processes in cattle, sheep, and other ruminants, emitted when they belch.

So these claims certainly deserve scrutiny. In a paper now published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, my co-author Donal Murphy-Bokern and I argue that these claims represent a distorted understanding of the science. There's a risk that they could be used for greenwashing and undermining confidence in this area of climate science.

We show how easily subtle shifts in definitions, combined with overlooking key facts, can distort understanding to the point where significant emitters of greenhouse gases are presented as "climate neutral."

Changing definitions and climate metrics

The term "climate neutral" was first coined by policy makers to refer to net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases. These gases were measured using a long-established scale that represents their warming effect over a 100-year period, expressed in CO equivalentsthis is the so-called "global warming potential" or GWP100 and it was used in the preparation of the Paris agreement.

But GWP100 is still imperfect because while most methane is in the atmosphere for only a couple of decades, carbon dioxide can linger for centuries. That's why in 2018 some academics introduced a new metric called GWP* to better represent the warming impact over time.

But the reports we examine have used GWP* to subtly shift the meaning of the term climate neutral from net-zero emissions to net-zero additional warming, where "additional" refers to warming on top of that already caused by the livestock sector, not warming compared to if the sector stopped entirely. This means a historically high emitter such as the beef industry can get off easily.

Using GWP*, a livestock sector with high but declining methane emissions can claim to be climate neutral since it adds less additional methane to the atmosphereand therefore less additional warmingeach year. This is referred to in some of these studies as a "cooling effect," which is misleading since it's not cooling the atmosphere, only warming it slightly less.

These studies also fail to make clear that, like methane itself, this "cooling" effect of methane reductions is temporary. And the level at which they stabilize will likely still be high enough to cause significant warming.

GWP* certainly has merit when applied at the global level. However, even the scientists who developed it agree it shouldn't be used to assess a particular region or sector such as livestock.

Our investigation shows how its use here could be used to support greenwashing. This risks undermining climate science by confusing businesses, consumers and policy makers. These recent climate neutral claims distract us from the urgent challenge of reducing emissions of all greenhouse gases from all sectors, including agriculture.

The Conversation put the key arguments in this article to Frank Mitloehner, corresponding author on two studies mentioned in the third paragraph. He told The Conversation:

"Reaching climate neutrality is a good goal to have, but it doesn't have to be the last goal. Efforts to reduce environmental impacts is a journey, not a destination. I'm proud to be on the journey with producers and farmers, helping them reduce their environmental impactthere's no other way to do the job. At the end of the day, we will need more funding from both the public and private sectors to improve sustainability across the board.

"We will continue using GWP100, but we can do so alongside with GWP* to better understand the impact methane emissions have on warming."

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: NASA

A colorful, festive image shows different types of light containing the remains of not one, but at least two exploded stars. This supernova remnant is known as 30 Doradus B (30 Dor B for short) and is part of a larger region of space where stars have been continuously forming for the past 8 to 10 million years. It is a complex landscape of dark clouds of gas, young stars, high-energy shocks, and superheated gas, located 160,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way.

The new image of 30 Dor B was made by combining X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory (purple), optical data from the Blanco 4-meter telescope in Chile (orange and cyan), and infrared data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (red). Optical data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was also added in black and white to highlight sharp features in the image.

A team of astronomers led by Wei-An Chen from the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, have used over two million seconds of Chandra observing time of 30 Dor B and its surroundings to analyze the region. They found a faint shell of X-rays that extends about 130 light-years across. (For context, the nearest star to the sun is about four light-years away). The Chandra data also reveals that 30 Dor B contains winds of particles blowing away from a pulsar, creating what is known as a pulsar wind nebula.

The paper led by Wei-An Chen describing these results was recently published in the Astronomical Journal. The co-authors of the paper are Chuan-Jui Li, You-Hua Chu, Shutaro Ueda, Kuo-Song Wang, Sheng-Yuan Liu, all from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics; Academia Sinica, in Taipei, Taiwan, and Bo-An Chen from National Taiwan University.

Taking the Chandra data together with data from Hubble and other telescopes, the researchers determined that no single supernova explosion could explain what is being seen. Both the pulsar and the bright X-rays seen in the center of 30 Dor B likely resulted from a supernova explosion after the collapse of a massive star about 5,000 years ago. The larger, faint shell of X-rays, however, is too big to have resulted from the same supernova.

Instead, the team thinks that at least two supernova explosions took place in 30 Dor B, with the X-ray shell produced by another supernova more than 5,000 years ago. It is also quite possible that even more happened in the past.

This result can help astronomers learn more about the lives of massive stars, and the effects of their supernova explosions.

More information: Wei-An  Chen  et al, New Insights on 30 Dor B Revealed by High-quality Multiwavelength Observations, The Astronomical Journal (2023). DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/acff72 Journal information: Astronomical Journal

Provided by NASA
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended an exhibition featuring agricultural machinery, such as an unmanned helicopter, and called for the development of farming technology, state media said Wednesday.

Kim's remark came as he visited the exhibition at the Three-Revolution Exhibition House showcasing "more than hundreds of kinds of farm machines" the previous day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

During the visit, Kim said it is "most important" to "make a correct assessment of the existing technical capability for manufacturing farm machines" and lay out a long-term plan to advance mechanization in agriculture, the KCNA said.

North Korea has been focusing on boosting grain production as the country's chronic food shortages have been worsened by prolonged COVID-19 border closure and disruptions in state-controlled food supply, with deaths from starvation reported in some regions.

In a year-end key party meeting, Kim expressed satisfaction over attaining annual crop output and called it the "most precious and valuable success achieved in the economic work for 2023." (Yonhap)
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

After a record 2023, SpaceX is not slowing down its launch plans for 2024 with the first launch of the year from Florida slated for Wednesday evening.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a telecom satellite for private Swedish company Ovzon is slated to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 during a 10-minute window that opens at 6:04 p.m. with a backup on Thursday during an 87-minute window that opens at 4:47 p.m.

Space Launch Delta 45's weather squadron forecasts 90% chance for favorable conditions, which increases to 95% in the event of a 24-hour delay.

The first-stage booster is flying for the 10th time and will attempt a recovery landing at Canaveral's Landing Zone 1, meaning a double sonic boom is in store for the Space Coast.

The 3,968-pound Ovzon 3 satellite is the first privately-funded and developed Swedish geostationary satellite ever to be launched, headed for a geostationary transfer orbit where it will then propel itself to its geostationary orbit over 3-4 months at 59.7 degrees east at 22,236 miles altitude.

SpaceX had a banner year among its two Florida pads, launching 68 of the Space Coast's 72 orbital missions, including five flights of its powerhouse Falcon Heavy and three crewed flights to the International Space Station. It added another 28 flights from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The Space Coast launch isn't SpaceX's first of the year, though, having already sent up 21 Starlink satellites late Tuesday from Vandenberg.

"Congrats to the SpaceX team on achieving 96 launches in 2023," company founder Elon Musk posted on X after its final two flights of the year on Dec. 28, a Falcon Heavy flight for the Space Force from Kennedy Space Center, followed less than three hours later by a Falcon 9 on a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral.

It marked the fourth time in 2023 that SpaceX had flown two launches on a single calendar day from its two Space Coast pads, and Musk said in 2023 that plans were to increase the turnaround rate at its workhorse Cape Canaveral pad so it could fly at least two rockets per week from SLC 40. It managed a record turnaround on that pad back from Aug. 3-6 with a pair of Falcon 9 launches within three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes.

SpaceX's Bill Gerstenmaier, now vice president of build and reliability, told a Senate subcommittee in October that the company was aiming for 12 launches per month in 2024, or 144 total for the year.

"[If] all goes well, SpaceX's total launch mass to orbit will increase ~50% next year, not including Starship," Musk posted.

What's headed to the launch pad on the Space Coast in 2024

Meanwhile, United Launch Alliance looks to build up its pace with its new Vulcan Heavy rocket while finishing up its remaining launches of the last 17 Atlas V lone Delta IV Heavy rockets.

SpaceX is also putting the final touches on a new crew access arm at SLC 40 that will allow human spaceflight from both KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Its first use, though, will be after the year's first planned human spaceflight, the private Axiom Space mission Axiom 3, headed to the ISS later this month. That flight will stick with KSC for its launch pad targeting no earlier than Jan. 17.

Having two crew-ready launch pads from Florida is a precursor to the company being able to bring its in-development Starship and Super Heavy rocket to the Space Coast in the future. SpaceX continues to build out a Starship launch tower at KSC.

For now, Starship is gearing up for its third attempt at an orbital test flight from the company's Boca Chica, Texas launch facility Starbase. Two attempts in 2023 ended with explosive results, but the hardware for flight No. 3 is already in place with the company having performed static fire engine tests before the new year.

When it does successfully fly, the goal is for it to become the first fully reusable rocket with both the Super Heavy booster and Starship first-stage capable of recovery landings.

"Starship is a whole new level," Musk posted.

2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Map of the study area. (a) Map of the United States with the study area (red box) and the states of California and Nevada labeled. (b) Dive start and end locations are shown, and the dive transects are shown as black lines. Lake Tahoe land use is also shown. Credit: Applied Spectroscopy (2023). DOI: 10.1177/00037028231201174

Plastic litter is a growing problem around the world, and new research shows that the bottom of Lake Tahoe is no exception. In one of the first studies to utilize scuba divers to collect litter from a lakebed, 673 plastic items were counted from just a small fraction of the lake.

In the study, published in the November issue of the journal Applied Spectroscopy, researchers from the Desert Research Institute and the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center teamed up with the nonprofit Clean Up the Lake to take a close look at the litter.

First, scientists broke it down into categories based on use (such as food containers and water bottles), followed by the chemical composition of the plastic. The knowledge gained can help scientists better understand the source of large pieces of litter in the lake, as well as whether they're a significant source of microplastics as larger pieces break down and degrade.

Previous research found that the waters of Lake Tahoe contain high levels of microplastics, defined as plastics smaller than a pencil eraser.

"There's very little work on submerged plastic litter in lakes," said Monica Arienzo, Ph.D., associate research professor of hydrology at DRI and one of the study's lead authors. "And I think that's a real issue, because when we think about how plastics may be moving in freshwater systems, there's a good chance that they'll end up in a lake."

To collect the litter, research divers swam transects along the lakebed near Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park and Zephyr Cove, covering 9.3 kilometers. They found an average of 83 pieces of plastic litter per kilometer, with the lakebed near Hidden Beach and South Sand Harbor showing significantly more (140 items/km and 124 items/km, respectively). No stretches of the lakebed surveyed were free of plastic litter.

The most common plastic litter categories were food containers, bottles, plastic bags, and toys, along with many items that couldn't be categorized.

"There's a lot of education we can do, as well as continuing to work on reducing the use of those plastics," Arienzo says. "Because we have to start thinking about turning that plastic pipe off."

Arienzo and co-author Julia Davidson, then an undergraduate student working in Arienzo's lab, also identified the types of plastic that made up 516 of the litter samples. Using an instrument that uses infrared light to fingerprint and identify the material, they found that the six most common plastics were polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene, polyester/polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyamide.

Collecting this information can contribute to Arienzo's ongoing microplastics research in the region, helping to identify the sources of the small plastic fragments.

"When we study microplastics, we only have the chemical information, or the plastic type," Davidson says. "We don't know where it came froma plastic bag, toy, or otherwise because it's just a tiny piece of plastic. But now we can use this litter data to point to the dominant types of plastics and compare them to microplastic data."

The study can help inform efforts by Tahoe-area communities to address plastic litter, such as South Lake Tahoe's 2022 ban on single-use plastic bottles and Truckee's ban on single-use food containers. The research also highlights ways that scientists can work with nonprofits to collect data that can address local environmental concerns.

"I think one of the things that's really cool about this project is the collaboration between DRI, Clean Up the Lake, and UC Davis at Tahoe," Arienzo says. "It demonstrates the power of bringing together a nonprofit that really wants to clean up Tahoe, while collecting data in the process that can help answer scientific questions."

More information: Julia Davidson et al, Polymer Characterization of Submerged Plastic Litter from Lake Tahoe, United States, Applied Spectroscopy (2023). DOI: 10.1177/00037028231201174 Journal information: Applied Spectroscopy
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Icy roads in the village of Vittangi, northern Sweden, where temperatures dropped to -38.9 degrees Celsius on January 3, 2024.

Sweden on Wednesday recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north as a cold snap hit the Nordics.

"To put that into perspective, that is the lowest January temperature in Sweden since 1999," Mattias Lind, meteorologist at Sweden's national weather agency SMHI, told AFP.

In January 1999, a temperature of minus 49 degrees Celsius (minus 56.2 Fahrenheit) was recorded in Sweden, which tied the record set in 1951.

Lind said that Wednesday's measurement was made at the Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka station in Sweden's far north.

"It is the lowest temperature that has been recorded in this specific spot since measurements began" in 1888, he said.

Several other stations recorded temperatures of below minus 40C in Sweden's north.

While residents of the region are used to seeing freezing temperatures, the recent cold snap has forced local bus operators to suspend services, and train operator Vy said Tuesday that it had cancelled all trains north of the city of Umea for several days.

Trains were also disrupted in neighboring Finland, where a seasonal record of minus 38.7 Celsius was recorded Tuesday evening in the northern Lapland region.

Several instances of frozen or burst water pipes were also reported, and Finnish broadcaster YLE said around 300 people in the city of Tampere were left without running water on Tuesday.

The cold front is expected to move south over the next few days, with the Finnish capital Helsinki already seeing temperatures falling to minus 15C on Wednesday.

But despite colder temperatures being expected tomorrow, some of the capital's residents were unfazed by the prospect.

"I'm really loving it. It's a mindset thing I guess," Katja, a woman in Helsinki, told AFP on Wednesday.

"It's all about the clothing," she said, wearing a thick black winter jacket with the hood pulled over her head.

"Yeah, just a lot of clothes and the attitudeLike it's going to be cold but it's beautiful," her friend Nita agreed as snow fell.

The extreme cold is also expected to hit Norway towards the end of the week, with temperatures in Oslo potentially falling to minus 27C this weekend, according to the national weather service.

Heavy snowfall has already impacted the south of the country with school closures and cancelled flights.

 2024 AFP
By Mabinty M. Kamara

In a bid to enhance media partnerships, the Media owners and managers in Sierra Leone have called on the telecommunication company to extend its usual support to the media through training opportunities in specialized reporting among others.

The call came during a media engagement with the management and staff of Orange Sierra Leone held last Monday in Freetown. Speaking at the meeting, Lawrence Williams a media Proprietor and Editor of Freetown Post Newspaper commended the existing relationship between the media and the company over the years while calling for an expansion of the relationship to make it more beneficial.

Responding on behalf of the media, Williams expressed appreciation to Orange for their continued support to the media and urged them to extend their partnership with other media houses.

Recognizing the journalists role as a conveyer of accurate information to the masses, he said the platform not only fosters trust and credibility but also demonstrates the companys commitment to keeping the media and the public informed.

Over the years, OSL has made significant contributions to the local media. They have provided support to our umbrella organization, SLAJ, sponsored and co-sponsored numerous media events and initiatives, supported the Journalism Welfare Fund, provided millions in financial support to both print and electronic media via advertisements, and much more, he said.

Williams recognized the critical role of the media, saying it has the power to make or break a brand; and thats why businesses need to cultivate a robust partnership with the media to foster trust and credibility.

The media serves as a powerful bridge, linking Orange to its customers, shareholders, and the wider public. Through the media, Orange can effectively convey its values, initiatives, and accomplishments, thereby enhancing its brand reputation and ensuring a robust market presence. Through its partnership with the media, Orange has been able to increase its visibility, reach a broader audience, raise awareness about its products and services, attract new customers, and entrench brand loyalty, he said.

Therefore, he called for training opportunities and sponsorship, Collaboration on Content Creation, Increasing Advertisements, and expansion of Partnership Base.

Orange Media Compact. I humbly propose, for your consideration, the establishment of an Orange Media Compact, with the primary objective of providing direct seed money to media institutions that meet certain criteria. Such a groundbreaking initiative, in my view, would not only empower media outlets but also contribute to a thriving media industry. By investing in the media, you are also investing in the future, and nurturing a generation of talented journalists and content creators, he said.

In his statement, Alpha Bondo, Director of Sales at Orange, acknowledged the remarkable contributions and support the company had gained from its partnership with the media in promoting its brand. He highlighted their activities and programmes designed to meet their customers satisfaction, and assured members of the press that they would provide the needed services for their customers.

The head of media and Public Relations at Orange SL Kamal Abass highlighted the achievements of the Company and commended their members for their commitment, stressing that Orange-SL has played a significant role in the economic development of Sierra Leone, being one of the major employers in Sierra Leone, noting that they have supported the installation of solar power in 84% of their sites.

In the educational sector, he recalled the renovation of the Beamy Primary School, which was spearheaded by their Chief Executive Officer, Shekou Amadu Bah, as well as the early learning centres established across the country.

Speaking on behalf of the Orange Foundation, Madam Memunatu Sesay underscored that the Orange Foundation seeks to help the less-privileged in the country. She added that they have been rendering their unflinching support to organizations like the SOS Childrens Village and other less privileged homes.

Copyright  2023 Politico (22/12/23)
By Abass Jalloh

Court of Appeal Judge, Komba Kamanda, presiding over cases at the Sexual Offences Model Court in Freetown, has sentenced Moseray Kamara to 20 years imprisonment after being found guilty of sexually penetrating a 7-year-old child.

The 30-year-old man was before the court to answer to charges related to Sexual Penetration of a minor, which he denied.

In his judgment on Tuesday October 18, Justice Kamanda said: I hold that in this case, the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The accused was identified, but all he did was to merely deny the allegation which is not sufficient to prove his innocence.

He stressed that the accused was guilty as charged and pronounced the imprisonment.

Earlier, the state prosecutor, Yusuf Isaac Sesay, made an application for trial by Judge alone to expedite the case, a request that was granted by Justice Kamanda.

During the trial, the prosecution relied on the evidence of five witnesses including the child victim who were brought to court.

The 7-year-old girl in her testimony confirmed that she knew the accused and recalled on the 7th September 2021, how the accused sexually penetrated her and threatened to kill her if she reported anything of that nature.

She said since she could not withstand the traumatic situation, she later told her mother about what had happened and the matter was reported to the police. She was later taken to the hospital for medical examination.

At the close of the prosecution's case, the accused denied the allegation and did not call any witness.

Also, in another related matter, Justice Kamanda discharged 50-year-old security guard, Bockarie Kanneh, for the offence of Sexual Penetration, for want of prosecution.

Kanneh allegedly on the 4th February 2022 harboured a 16-year-old girl for three days, during which time it was claimed he sexually penetrated her.

Copyright  2022 Politico Online
By Umaru Fofana

You don't throw the baby with the bathwater, it is said. When we are reminded about it we respond testily insisting we always remember not to. And when we are not, often times we do do it and by the time we realise it the baby is in problems.

The year was 2007, in the US state of Pennsylvania. The venue was Drexel University in Philadelphia. The Democratic Party debate for the presidential election in the following year was happening. One of the star guests who even drew a smile from both Obama and Clinton was a man who was credited for leading the campaign of the man who many in the hall and indeed in the broader US society believe won the presidential election in 2000 - Albert Arnold Al Gore.

I cannot recall his name now but he had served the party and Gore's candidacy in 2000. Those elections are remembered for many things by many people. In addition to the fact that Gore got most votes amounting to over 48% and George Bush got around 47%, the country's Supreme Court decided who had won. In that election, a candidate for the Green Party who believed in the protection of the environment denied the United States the man who would have become its most environmentally friendly president. In fact, the Greens prefer a Democratic White House to a Republican one.

Ralph Nader, who had as his running mate the environmental activist Winona LaDuke, won 2,882,995 votes (2.74 %) of the popular votes. Just a few dozens of those votes in Florida would have given Gore the state's 25 electoral votes and he would have won. Consequently the Green scuppered the chances of one of their own from winning.

It was president Ernest Bai Koroma who told me in an interview that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I wonder how many people have considered the impact of the advent of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) on the outcome of the local council by-election at Fourah Bay some ten days ago. According to the National Electoral Commission the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) candidate got elected by 19 votes over the APC candidate. Consider two things: the UDM and its members who are sympathetic to the APC party, polled 27 votes. It presupposes that if they had not put up a candidate most if not all of their votes would have gone to the APC and they would have won the ward.

As the November polls approach have APC leaders asked themselves how their apparent allies in the UDM could affect their chances of winning the presidency, I've been asking myself. Unlike in the US where electoral votes are what count here it is popular votes that do. Could it be that the high-thinking APC strategists are out of strategy not to see through a plot they are working on that could lead to their undoing.

The SLPP under Ahmad Tejan Kabbah killed the PDP Sorbeh and allowed the northern votes to consolidate. That is perhaps one of the biggest accounts for the resurgence of the APC. The PDP leader Thaimu Bangura and his successor Osman Kamara had both surrendered the party to president Kabbah much to the disapproval of the grassroots in the party who returned to their base  the APC. To avoid that silly mistake the party has done all it can to keep the PMDC alive. But while it failed to keep the heart of their former allies in the closet, it is evident it supported the formation of the UDM if only to keep some disgruntled members of the PMDC away from the party and away from the SLPP where there are more likely to return to.

Mohamed Bangura, a significant figure in the PMDC at its early stages is becoming even more relevant in the hands of the APC. But how they handle him may prove costly. UDM functions I have attended have been graced by people who are otherwise APC. But the more impression keeps being kept that they are a different entity the more some of them end up voting for the party. And any vote for the UDM is almost certainly a vote against the APC. In a presidential contest expected to be closely fought  and make no pretence November polls will be a close fight  every vote counts.

In 1996 Sierra Leone would have got its first female presidential candidate. But Jeredine Sarho-Williams later endorsed Yahyah Sillah and urged her supporters to vote for him. Even that open call could not stop her from being voted for. So should UDM call it quits? That will send them into political oblivion.

Again in 2002 when PDP Sorbeh under Osman Kamara chose to endorse incumbent president Kabbah they said they would contest only for parliamentary seats. I have heard in the past that the UDM does not intend putting up a candidate for president. They should probably hear this: The moment a party pulls out of a presidential contest where both elections are held simultaneously it loses the attention and relevance it so badly needs.

How the APC handles the UDM question and whether or not it takes a cue from the impact of Ralph Nader on the presidency on Al Gore will help answer certain tricky questions for both parties...and even for the SLPP. And with less than ten months to go they should be drawing up a strategy before it gets too late. As my dad would say, late sleep can never be found.

The ruling party could have had all the good intentions for themselves to support the PMDC even in helping fund their party conference but the implications have not been favourable as had been predicted. They may have also had very good intentions for helping form the UDM but that could also be counterproductive.

Even more tricky is the fact that the more time advances, the more UDM and its supporters become emboldened even if not that consequential in terms of forcing a run-off. But they may just bite the proverbial finger that feeds them. And the party is full of young men, which is not a bad thing, and it is impressive how they have steered clear of violence despite their youthful make-up. But the youth in them and their lack of political experience may harden their resolve to press on as day breaks. If the outcome of the Fourah Bay local council by-election has not taught the APC any lessons in relation to how the UDM may have cost them that seat, the nothing else will.
From New York State Police: A Glens Falls man was arrested on charges of allegedly possessing and promoting child pornography, police said in a news release on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Asher E. Williams, 23, was arrested and charged on Thursday, Dec. 28 with felony promoting a sexual performance by a child and felony possession of a sexual performance by a child, police said in the release.

The release said State Police of Queensbury were assisted by the Troop G Computer Crimes Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in the arrest Williams. Police said he is accused of promoting and possessing images consistent with child sexual exploitation.

Williams arrest followed an investigation that stemmed from a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the release said.

Williams surrendered himself to the state police in Queensbury, where he was arrested and processed. He was arraigned at the Warren County Centralized Arraignment Part Court and released on his own recognizance.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Stockton University will host a public tour of the school's maple syrup project at 4 p.m. Jan. 20.

The free event will include a screening of the documentary film "Sugar House Yantra," which features New Jersey maple syrup farmer Charlize Katzenbach, at 5 p.m. in the Campus Center Theater, in addition to free samples of local syrups.

Director Jared Flesher will introduce the film and answer audience questions.

New Jersey farmers are some of the best because they always find a way to make things work in a challenging region, Flesher said in a news release.

Stockton has been working to jumpstart the state's maple syrup industry via a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This gathering in the heart of winter is a chance to celebrate the great potential of maple syrup in southern New Jersey, as well as some of the people who are helping make the industry a reality, said Judy Vogel, one of the faculty leaders of the Stockton maple project.

Registration is not required, but anyone planning to attend can register at the event's Facebook page.

Attendees are encouraged to park in Lots 1 and 2 at Stocktons main campus.

GALLERY: Maple tree tapping at Stockton University
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Nicaragua's new ambassador to North Korea is set to take up his position in Pyongyang soon, according to a news report and diplomatic sources Wednesday, amid signs of the North apparently resuming diplomacy with countries considered to be at odds with the United States.

The online NK News reported recently that Ambassador Manuel Modesto Mungula Martinez is set to present his credentials to North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, citing Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua's vice president and first lady.

Having the new ambassador from the Latin American country is a follow-up step after the two countries agreed in July last year to open an embassy in Pyongyang, the news outlet said.

Diplomatic sources said the opening of the Nicaraguan Embassy in North Korea and appointment of the top envoy represent the first case of the reclusive regime allowing a new diplomatic mission of a foreign country in Pyongyang since the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Korea maintained a strict border shutdown during the pandemic. Most of the diplomatic missions also closed, with the foreign diplomats stationed there leaving Pyongyang due to the closure.

The isolated state slowly reopened its borders last year, with new ambassadors coming in to rotate the positions from China and Russia in March and September.

But it has not allowed those back in from the Western countries, like Britain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Diplomatic sources said the North appears to be reshaping its diplomacy to enhance engagement with countries that it can align with more in terms of their foreign policy approach toward Washington.

Nicaragua, along with Cuba and Venezuela, is known for its hostile U.S. policy.

"There is a possibility that the North is letting in the so-called anti-imperialist independent countries first, starting with China and Russia," a source said.

North Korea has shut down its diplomatic missions in Angola, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hong Kong, Spain and a few others over the recent months, citing "diplomatic efficiency."

As of early December last year, North Korea had 46 diplomatic missions overseas, down from 53 in early 2023. (Yonhap)
ATLANTIC CITY  The state Election Law Enforcement Commission is asserting its primary jurisdiction over investigating and punishing election reporting violations in an amicus brief in a lawsuit against the dark money group Jersey Freedom.

The Commission ... respectfully requests that this Court either dismiss the allegations of report violations or in the alternative refer jurisdiction over the alleged Campaign Reporting Act violations to the Commission, said the brief submitted Tuesday.

Legislative intent was for the Commission to be the initial forum for resolution of any violations of the Campaign Reporting Act, said ELEC acting Executive Director Joseph Donohue in a certification also filed Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Atlantic County Superior Court Assignment Judge Michael J. Blee allowed ELECs brief into the case, the commission said. Parties in the case have until Jan. 19 to file a position, with ELEC given until Jan. 26 to respond to them.

Oral argument will be Feb. 1.

The New Jersey Republican State Committee sued Jersey Freedom Nov. 1, alleging the group was not complying with state law regarding reporting its donors and expenditures and that it was misleading Republican voters through support of phantom candidates.

Jersey Freedoms lawyer, William Tambussi, who has represented the Camden County Democratic Party since 1989, moved Nov. 10 to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing ELEC should handle any complaints against Jersey Freedom.

Blee had previously said he would decide by Jan. 10 if the case would proceed.

Norcross says GOP feud over his company about a bruised ego and power struggle Camden County Democratic powerbroker George Norcross has joined the fray in a feud between Atlantic County Republican leaders over the county hiring a company affiliated with Norcross' Conner Strong & Buckelew insurance firm.

A trial court ruling could negatively affect the commissions legislative mandate of primary jurisdiction, Donohue argued, resulting in the publics and the regulated communitys inability to rely upon the Commissions uniform administration of the Campaign Reporting Act.

A simple review of the pleadings filed in the instant action reveals claims and allegations that appear to fall squarely within the Commissions delegated statutory authority, wrote ELEC attorney Edwin R. Matthews in an accompanying letter.

The ELEC board voted Dec. 19 to submit an amicus brief in a GOP lawsuit against Jersey Freedom, an independent expenditures committee formed in 2023.

Donohue also said in his certification the commission has received a request to investigate Jersey Freedom by one of the plaintiffs in the case, and presently has the allegations made against the Defendants under review.

ELEC does not confirm ongoing investigations as a rule, Matthews said in his letter, but in this instance, the request for investigation has been publicly reported so the Commission can confirm it currently is reviewing the allegations contained in Plaintiffs Court Complaint and recent request for investigation.

State Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, said in late November he had filed a request for an ELEC investigation.

The case is shining light on what some say are inadequacies in the Election Transparency Act signed into law in April, which Tambussi has said removed some reporting requirements for independent expenditure committees.

Jersey Freedom did not report any donations or donors to ELEC prior to the election, only expenditures.

ELEC to submit amicus brief in GOP suit vs. Jersey Freedom dark money group The state Election Law Enforcement Commission voted Tuesday to submit an amicus brief in a GOP lawsuit against Jersey Freedom, an independent expenditures committee alleged to have broken campaign finance laws and backed phantom conservative candidates to harm Republicans.

After the election was over, Jersey Freedom filed disclosure reports with ELEC showing it had raised $225,000 from Brighter Future Forward, a South Jersey Democratic super PAC.

Republicans have said voters have the right to know who is funding support for candidates before an election occurs.

In the 2nd District, which covers most of Atlantic County, Jersey Freedom paid for mailings and television ads for Libertarian candidate for state Senate Shawn Peck.

Peck dropped out of the race when he realized the group was in fact trying to get Democrat Caren Fitzpatrick elected by splitting the Republican vote, rather than incumbent Polistina. Peck dropped out too late to have his name removed from the ballot.

Polistina won with about 53% of the vote to Fitzpatricks 44% and Pecks 3%. Polistina is also a party to the lawsuit against Jersey Freedom.

The lawsuit also alleges Jersey Freedom supported phantom candidates in the 4th District who were recruited by Democrats to put their names on the ballot as conservatives but didnt really conduct campaigns. The 4th District covers parts of Camden and Gloucester counties and Buena and Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County.

Jason Sena, general counsel to the New Jersey Republican State Committee, said at the ELEC meeting in December there needs to be a serious investigation and people testifying under oath in court about how Jersey Freedom was formed and how candidates in the 4th District ended up on the ballot.

He also said Jersey Freedoms chairman and treasurer Eric Peterson, of Queens, New York, should have to say under oath who asked him to start the organization, how donors were approached and more.
NEW YORK  U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez used his international clout to help a friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, partly by taking actions favorable to Qatars government, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a revised indictment.

The new allegations deepen the legal challenges for Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who already was charged with wielding his political influence to secretly advance Egypts interests.

The superseding indictment in New York said the senator and his wife accepted bribes of gold bars and cash from New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes as a reward for several corrupt acts that included his help securing a major investment from the Qatari fund.

Prosecutors said Menendez introduced Daibes to a member of Qatars royal family who was also a principal in the investment firm, met personally with Qatari officials and made public statements supportive of Qatar while the real estate deal was being negotiated.

The indictment said the Qatari investor eventually invested tens of millions of dollars in Daibes development project, in a deal finalized in 2023.

Adam Fee, a lawyer for Menendez, said in a statement that prosecutors lacked proof of any wrongdoing.

What they have instead is a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents or foreign officials. They are turning this into a persecution, not a prosecution, he said.

At all times, Senator Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with. Those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot.

Tim Donohue, a lawyer for Daibes, said he had no immediate comment.

The indictment did not identify the member of the Qatari royal family involved. Messages left with Qatars consulate in New York and with its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, were not immediately returned.

No new charges were added to the latest version of an indictment that already charged Menendez in a bribery conspiracy that allegedly enriched the senator and his wife with a luxury car besides the cash and gold. The allegations involving Qatar occurred from 2021 through 2023.

Other parts of the indictment accuse Menendez, 70, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, of taking bribes from two other New Jersey businessmen besides Daibes. All have pleaded not guilty.

Among other things, Menendez is accused of ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt.

After his September arrest, the senator gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has resisted calls for him to resign from his Senate seat.

The indictment contains new details about the relationship between Menendez and Daibes, a powerful New Jersey real estate developer.

Daibes has been credited with building out a string of luxury waterfront buildings, known as the gold coast, in the New Jersey town of Edgewater.

Along the way, he has maintained cozy relationships with local officials, which enabled him to chase off rival developers and renege on promises to build affordable housing, according to a report from the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.

Daibes already faced federal fraud charges when he was arrested in September on charges that he paid bribes to Menendez, a longtime friend. He was also accused of attempting to convince a federal prosecutor to go easy on Daibes in his bank fraud case.

The indictment said that while the Qatari investment company was considering its investment in the Daibes real estate development, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar and then provided them to Daibes so he could share them with the Qatari investor and a Qatari government official.

In one August 2021 instance, the indictment said, Menendez used an encrypted messaging application to send Daibes the text of a press release in which he praised the government of Qatar, before texting Daibes: You might want to send to them. I am just about to release.

Two months later, Menendez and his wife returned from a trip to Qatar and Egypt and were picked up at the airport by Daibes driver, the indictment said. The next day, it added, Menendez performed an internet search for how much is one kilo of gold worth.

The Qatari Investment Co. signed a letter of intent to enter a joint venture with a company controlled by Daibes in May 2022, the indictment said. Thereafter, it added, Daibes gave Menendez at least one gold bar.

A search of Menendezs residence produced two 1-kilogram gold bars and nine 1-ounce gold bars with serial numbers showing theyd previously been possessed by Daibes, along with about 10 envelopes of cash with tens of thousands of dollars bearing the fingerprints or DNA of Daibes, the indictment said.

The revised indictment said a Qatari investment official also sent tickets to a Formula One auto racing event to one of Nadine Menendezs close relatives.

The indictment said Menendez did not report any of the cash or gold received by himself or his spouse as required for a U.S. senator on annual financial disclosure forms.

Judge Sidney H. Stein, who is presiding over the case, refused last week to extend a May 5 trial date after defense lawyers requested more time to prepare.

In a letter to the judge late Tuesday, prosecutors said they would not oppose a delayed arraignment of the defendants or an arraignment by video.
Editors note: As the calendar year, and fall semester, wrapped up, the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus sat down with area college students about their experience over the past several months. This is the seventh in that series.

When he was only 9 years old, Dominique Steverson's mother passed away after battling breast cancer.

Now, the 20-year-old Davenport native is making steady headway toward his dream career: oncology.

"I've always wanted to help people," Steverson said. "I feel like this is the perfect way to honor her."

Having taken dual-credit courses in high school via Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), he decided to enroll at Scott Community College  one of EICC's campuses  to ensure a smooth college transition.

"Thankfully, with scholarships, I don't really have to pay for my education out-of-pocket," Steverson said. "That was definitely a factor playing into (choosing Scott)  I also think it's good prep for a four-year college."

Case in point: After graduating from Scott in May, he plans to continue his studies at St. Ambrose University next fall.

Steverson had good things to say about his fall 2023 semester at SCC.

"My professors are really awesome," he said. "They definitely take the time out of their day to work with you and (help) with whatever it is you may need more help understanding."

Free tutoring is another big campus perk for Steverson.

"I really took advantage of that this semester," he said. "For example, in one of my classes there was material we were going over that I kind of needed extra help with. My professor was very easy to contact, and we set up meetings and tutoring sessions (on the material) so I was up-to-speed."

This fall, Steverson said his hardest exams were in calculus.

Aside from using Scott's free tutoring resources, he recommended focusing on repetition and review when studying this kind of formula-heavy material.

"Go through all the practice (problems) as many times as you can," Steverson said. "So that you can feel comfortable going into those exams."

Lessons, issues and campus trends

Reflecting on his community college experience overall, Steverson said "making connections" was the biggest lesson he has learned so far.

"Meeting more people will lead you to more opportunities," he said. "Which, can then lead you to better success."

In forming these new connections at Scott, for example, Steverson stumbled on Pi Theta Kappa, the international college honor society.

"That (PTK) alone has led me to a whole bunch of scholarships and opportunities which could help me both in the future and as a student," he said. "So, I would say branching out, trying different things, meeting new people and just finding (new, varied) resources is my biggest takeaway from Scott."

Due to not using social media, Steverson considers himself a sort of "black sheep" in terms of current events and political happenings.

Still, he considers gun violence to be one of the most pressing issues right now  both locally and beyond.

"I think that plays a huge role in our community," Steverson said, also noting local car thefts and gang violence.

Looking in the realm of higher education, he called rising tuition costs, "the most glaring problem that students can run into."

"I've got a couple of friends who had to take a year or so off, just to work towards (paying for) college," Steverson said. "The only solution that I've run into for that is scholarships, but some kids don't have that opportunity  whether that be because of their GPA, or they just don't know about it."

Noting his own scholarship earnings, Steverson circled back to the many opportunities and resources Scott promotes for students of all backgrounds.

As a fully in-person student at Scott, support from staff, such as advisors, makes it easier for him to balance his academics with work, friends and life in general.

"The only problem I run into is, because I'm a full-time student, my work schedule falls on the weekend," Steverson said. "That's when all my friends try to hang out, you know, but it's pretty easy to balance."

While Scott's student body might look quite different from that of a traditional four-year campus, he said Dr. Martens footwear was trending this fall.

"I noticed a lot of those out," Steverson said, before admitting he owns a pair, too. "I guess I was (influenced) without even knowing it."

Like other local students taking this route, he thinks many people hold a negative misconception about community college. He said he too use to hold some of those negative preconceived notions.

"I was like, 'Oh, those students must not know what they want to do,'" Steverson said. "Going into my junior and senior years, I had started to mature a bit."

Now with his final semester approaching, Steverson is grateful for his two years at Scott.

"I feel like, generally, it's the smarter option for students," Steverson said. "Rather than just going to a (traditional) university right out of high school. I feel like it's a great transition to get you ready and prep you for the other responsibilities you may have."

Upon earning his associate's this spring, Steverson will begin the fall 2024 semester at St. Ambrose, declaring as a biology major.

From there, he's excited to continue along the path to oncology  aiming to both honor his mother and help those fighting similar battles.

Dominique Steverson, Scott Community College Age, grade: 20, second-year. Hometown: Davenport, Iowa. Degree at EICC: Associate in Science. Intended field of study: Biology, eventually Oncology. Favorite fall 2023 class: Biology with lab. Dream job/career: Other than an oncologist, an actor. Favorite "new release" from fall 2023: "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes."

A look at the renovations to Scott Community College
Quad-Cities dog parks plan to reopen later this week after a month of closure over concerns of possible respiratory illness spread.

Six dog parks in Bettendorf, Davenport Moline and Rock Island are set to reopen this weekend, according to city parks and recreation staff, after consulting with local veterinarians.

Bettendorf and Moline plan to reopen their dog parks on Friday, and Rock Island and Davenport plan to open their dog parks on Saturday, according to each city.

During the last week of November, Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline and Rock Island closed their dog parks because of growing concern over the possible spread of a mystery respiratory disease.

According to news releases and Facebook posts by Bettendorf, Davenport and Rock Island, area parks and recreation staff consulted with local veterinarians and determined there was a limited number of cases throughout the month of December in Iowa and Illinois.

Health experts and veterinarians across the U.S. reported an increase in the number of dogs sick for an unusually long time and have been scrambling to explain the recent surge in the past few months.

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire are examining whether a new bacterium is causing infections, but some experts think the surge may be due to a combination of run-of-the-mill canine respiratory illnesses.

"As a reminder, dog park users must follow all posted dog park rules  including making sure their dogs are up to date on vaccinations and staying home if their dogs show signs of illness," the alerts stated.

Where are area dog parks?

Bettendorf

Crow Creek Dog Park: 4701 Devils Glen Rd.

Davenport

Centennial Dog Park: 315 S. Marquette St.

Robin Creek Dog Park: 4411 N. Marquette St.

Moline

Butterworth Dog Park: 15th Street and 8th Avenue

Greenvalley Dog Park: 6009 50th Ave.

Rock Island

28th Street and 78th Avenue West

Update: This story has been updated as more cities have announced they plan to reopen their dog parks.

PHOTOS: Canine Blood Bank of Quad-Cities asks for doggy donors
The Deadwood History, Inc. board of directors and staff announced that Dr. Jim Williams is its new executive director.

Williams joined Deadwood History, Inc. in Sept. 2023. He is in charge of operations at the Adams Museum, Days of 76 Museum, Historic Adams House, Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center, The Brothel Deadwood, and the Fassbender Photographic Collection, including 10 full-time and 20 part-time staff members.

Before joining Deadwood History, Inc., Williams was the senior vice president/vice president at Emporia State University in Kansas from 2004 to 2022. With roots in western and eastern South Dakota, he and his wife, Helen, have moved to Deadwood and are excited to live and be involved in the community, according to a press release from Deadwood History, Inc.,

Williams extensive background in fundraising, budgeting, relationship management, team development, program development, marketing and strategic planning will help lead and inspire the DHI team into the future.

Williams and his wife have two grown daughters, Emma and Betsey. The Williamses are winter activity enthusiasts who look forward to snowshoeing, hiking and ice fishing in the Black Hills.

Jim Williams fit all the requirements we were looking for. His qualifications and experience made him the obvious choice. It is a blessing that Jim selected Deadwood to be his home  to embrace our community and history, and lead DHI with his creative vision, said Bonny Anfinson, a member of the DHI hiring committee.
Grande, venti or tall, anyone?

Mmmmm, coffee. The sweet aroma of freshly brewed Starbucks coffee is coming to Box Elder.

As Box Elder grows, retail businesses commonly found in other cities and towns are beginning to pop up in the fastest-growing city in South Dakota.

According to the U.S. Census, the population increased from 7,800 in 2010 to over 11,700 by 2020. This massive growth is contributed to both military expansion at Ellsworth Air Force Base and families moving to Box Elder that commute to Rapid City for work.

Located next to the McDonalds on Liberty Blvd., the construction on the future Starbucks site has just begun to get underway with the clearing of the land.

The project, which is about six months into development, is being constructed by Lloyd Companies. The Starbucks will be a corporate-owned store with a ten-year lease agreement on the building, which is owned by a subsidiary of Lloyd Companies. It will consist of about 2,600 square-feet, according to Vice President of Commercial Real Estate, Raquel Blount.

The financing, made possible by Pioneer Bank, looks for similar projects help the economic development grow and flourish, said Pioneer Bank & Trust Vice President Steve Conzet.

"The project for the Box Elder area is going to be a great economic provider, he said. We are happy to support this; its good for the city of Box Elder, our brave and dedicated military community, and overall a great step forward economically."

Starbucks operates a variety of coffee shops located in hotels and grocery stores, stand-alone shops and drive-thru's. Starbucks opened their first store in Seattle, Washington, back in 1971, and has since expanded to over 35,000 world-wide.

The Box Elder store is expected to open sometime later this year.
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has unleashed a sarcasm-filled tirade over President Yoon Suk Yeol's New Year's Day address that unveiled a plan to complete a sturdier deterrence system with the United States to counter North Korean threats this year.

In a statement late Tuesday night, Kim Yo-jong, a vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, said that the deterrence plan has again given justification for the North to spur efforts to secure "more overwhelming" nuclear forces.

During the speech, Yoon highlighted his pursuit of "genuine and lasting peace" through strength and laid out a plan to devise an improved deterrence system in the first half of the year.

"I cordially welcome ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol's pledge to continuously render 'distinctive services' to the rapid development of our state's military superiority in the new year, too," Kim said in the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

Kim sarcastically accused Yoon of being credited with making security anxiety "commonplace" in South Korea.

Touching on the cross-border policy of Yoon's predecessor, former President Moon Jae-in, she claimed that Pyongyang, caught up in Moon's peace drive, "lost a lot of time" during which North Korea should have enhanced its combat efficiency.

During his presidency from 2017-2022, Moon doubled down on his drive for inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, but his efforts stalled following a no-deal Hanoi summit between then U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in 2019.

South Korea's unification ministry lambasted Kim's statement as a "petty trick" aimed at shifting the blame on Seoul over heightened inter-Korean tensions.

"Kim Yo-jong's statement is merely a petty trick by a North Korean official who doesn't even fit the bill to distort and denigrate our country's head and the government in regard to the current situation," Kim In-ae, deputy ministry spokesperson, said in a statement.

The ministry official dismissed Kim's claim that North Korea wasted its time during the Moon administration as a "lie," pointing out that Pyongyang has never ceased its development of nuclear and missile programs.

Seoul's defense ministry dismissed Kim's statement as a "forced claim that makes no sense," likening it to a criminal blaming an innocent civilian or the police for committing a crime.

"While establishing a firm readiness posture, our military will punish any North Korean provocation immediately, strongly and until the end," it said in a statement.

The North has been ratcheting up tensions recently with ballistic missile tests and tough rhetoric against the South and the U.S.

Concluding the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on Saturday, the North Korean leader put forth the goal of launching three more military spy satellites as well as adding to its nuclear arsenal this year. (Yonhap)
You may have missed it in that shower of New Years confetti. Or perhaps you were sleeping off a bubbly-induced bender.

But the 2024 presidential campaign in Virginia  a swing state prized by both parties  began in earnest in the final hours of 2023, when a federal judge in Alexandria, in effect, ruled that Donald Trump can remain on the primary and general elections ballots here despite claims the former president should be disqualified for treason against the national government, having allegedly schemed to reverse Joe Bidens 2020 victory.

U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema, in a decision this past Friday  the first day of the long weekend  threw out a lawsuit blocking Trump from the Virginia ballot in March and November, saying that the two Hampton Roads voters who brought the action were not qualified do so. The judge said that the pair lacked standing; that is, they could not demonstrate they were harmed by Trumps presence on the ballot. (The voters have since filed another suit in Richmond Circuit Court.)

That Virginians will have two opportunities to vote for  or against  Trump is, as it should be, ensuring that the Republican charged in four state and federal criminal cases has his day in a court of public opinion as well as a court of law. The verdict in the former is almost certain to be mixed, with Trump winning the state in the Republican Super Tuesday primary on March 5 and losing Virginia in the general election on Nov. 5.

This speaks to the schizophrenia of Virginia politics. Within the comparatively small universe that is the state GOP, Trump is  as he is elsewhere in the nation  the partys heartthrob. To the larger audience of a general election, especially in a presidential year when turnout in Virginia peaks, Trump is a heart attack averted by a robust combination of Democrats, disaffected Republicans and independent centrists.

But for Virginia politicians, a presidential election year is often a tad more complicated. Though were at the point in this states nonstop political calendar in which partisan reflexes can be particularly acute, candidates and incumbents  in ways subtle and unsubtle  can fuzz things up a bit, if only to broaden their appeal. In some instances, its an exercise in statesmanship. In others, its an attempt at survival.

Consider U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine: A Democratic former governor seeking a third six-year term  his first term would have been interrupted by the vice presidency had running mate Hillary Clinton not lost to Trump in 2016  Kaine is returning to themes he emphasized ahead of his initial Senate victory in 2012. They include the rules for how and when the United States commits troops and arms to overseas conflicts.

It is Kaines view  and he is not alone in this regard  that Congress, often out of fear of the electorate, wrongly defers to the president, as commander-in-chief, to wage war. Though the U.S. Constitution leaves it solely to Congress to declare war, this nation has, since the early 1950s, engaged abroad in deadly, armed combat largely at the whim of the executive branch. The occasional, occasionally vague resolution by Congress supporting American military intervention  be it in Iraq or Afghanistan  doesnt cut it, according to Kaine.

Risking blood and treasure is a big deal in a state with an enduring defense tradition. Virginia is home to the Pentagon and several of the nations most significant military bases, guaranteeing a sustained impact on the states economy. Virginia claims more military veterans than any state  a distinction that, for years, has had elective officials tripping over each other, accommodating retired military with tax breaks and educational programs.

Kaine in recent days has been revisiting the war powers issue, asking  via social media and official pronouncements  whether the Biden administration should clear first with Congress the supply of weapons and munitions to Israel for its war with Hamas. Unnecessarily bypassing Congress means keeping the American people in the dark, Kaine said in a written statement Saturday.

Politically, this is a two-fer for Kaine, who, so far, is unopposed within the Democratic party  and heavily favored for reelection  though roughly a dozen Republicans want to take him on.

A member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, the senator  in speaking directly on a subject in his wheelhouse  can affirm his support for Israel. But in urging greater transparency, Kaine can be seen as sensitive to the human toll of the war, especially for Palestinians, whose numbers  and those of their Arab allies  have grown in Virginia since the 1980s, generating votes and volunteers for Democrats.

Though ultimately loyal to the guy at the top of the ticket  that would be Biden  Kaine also projects an image of independence by calling out the White House on arms transfers to Israel. Kaine, drawing heavily on a war-powers study at the University of Virginia, comported himself similarly with President Barack Obama, who had rewarded Kaine for his early endorsement ahead of the 2008 election with the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee.

Republicans, too, are clearly fuzzing up presidential  and congressional  politics. That includes Republicans on the ballot  and those who might have dreamed about it, such as Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose improbable potential last-minute candidacy for president was dashed by the GOPs loss of the legislature.

Bob Good, the 5th District congressman and chairman of the uber-conservative Freedom Caucus who helped topple Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, is as Trumpy as they come, though hes not supporting Trump for the 2024 nomination. Good says Republicans need a new face to keep the partys ideas from becoming stale. Thats why Good is backing Ron DeSantis, giving primary opponent John McGuire, a MAGA type who was in D.C. on 1/6 for the pre-riot preliminaries, an opening in a contest in rural central Virginia that will be decided on the far right.

And in the defense-rich 2nd District, along Virginias Atlantic coast, first-termer Jen Kiggans  one of 18 House Republicans in Biden-carried seats  is attempting a balancing act that shes gambling can keep Democrats off-balance. The district tipped to Biden in 2020 by 1.9 percentage points and rejected Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria for Kiggans by 3.4 percentage points two years later. Its no wonder that Kiggans has been all over the place on key GOP caucus votes. And thats why Democrats think they can take her out in November.

In the Republican-on-Republican fight over the speakership, Kiggans was for McCarthy; then, against Jim Jordan and, finally, for Mike Johnson. If such hair-splitting raised questions about her reliability as a Trump-era Republican, perhaps they were answered by her vote, with the rest of the Republican caucus, for a Biden impeachment inquiry. About the only thing its done is empower Democrats to make against Kiggans the same argument she made against Luria as a loyalist of Nancy Pelosi: That shes a pawn of extremist House leadership. And if theres any doubt, just look to Elise Stefanik, the House GOP conference chairwoman. Shes the headliner in Virginia Beach Sunday at Kiggans reelection kickoff.

Talk about a holiday hangover.

Today in history: Jan. 3 1959: Alaska 1961: Dwight D. Eisenhower 1967: Jack Ruby 1977: Apple Computer 1990: Manuel Noriega 2007: Gerald R. Ford 2008: Barack Obama 2012: Mitt Romney 2013: John Boehner 2013: Congress 2013: Sandy Hook 2013: Sandy Hook Elementary School 2017: Ford 2020: Qassem Soleimani 2021: Gerry Mardsen 2021: Nancy Pelosi 2022: Elizabeth Holmes 2022: Interstate 95
Days after a federal judge dismissed their bid to keep former President Donald Trump off of Virginias March 5 primary ballot, two political activists from Hampton Roads are trying again, filing a case in Richmond Circuit Court.

But this time, Roy Perry-Bey and Carlos Howard said they would be personally harmed if Trump were on the ballot.

That assertion addressed a central reason why U.S. District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia dismissed their federal complaint, saying they lacked legal standing  that is, to show theyd be harmed.

As eligible voters in Virginia, the two said they have standing under Virginia law to challenge the constitutional eligibility of candidates in the primary.

If an ineligible candidate appears on the ballot that Petitioners will cast in the election, Petitioners will suffer an injury in fact to a legally protected interest under Virginia law ... Petitioners do not support Trump and will vote for another candidate on the ballot. If Trump is on the ballot, voters who would otherwise vote for Petitioners candidate of choice would instead vote for Trump, reducing the likelihood that Petitioners candidate of choice will win the election, the two activists lawsuit said.

Their Richmond lawsuit asks the court to order the state Department of Elections to bar Trump from the primary on the grounds he launched an insurrection against the United States and so is not qualified to run for public office. It includes 85 pages of specific allegations of acts of insurrection.

The two are representing themselves in circuit court, as they did in federal court.

Unlike their shorter and less detailed federal complaint, the two base their petition for a court order saying Trumps presence on the ballot would violate state election law, which says only qualified candidates can be on the ballot.

They argue that the former president is not qualified to run for office under the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment. That amendment says individuals who engaged in insurrection after taking an oath to defend the Constitution cannot hold any public office.

Maines secretary of state recently announced that she is barring Trump from that states primary ballot. Last month the Colorado Supreme Court barred Trump from that states primary ballot. Trump is appealing both decisions.

Brinkema dismissed the Virginia voters federal lawsuit on Dec. 29, writing that that the two activists did not have standing to sue as the injuries alleged are not particularized to plaintiffs and are not traceable to defendants ostensible conduct. She wrote that Plaintiffs merely allege that they are members of a minority group and their right to vote has been abridged ... due to Trumps filing a statement of candidacy to participate in the 2024 Presidential Primary.

The Richmond lawsuit does phrase their claim in that way.

Brinkema wrote that ultimately plaintiffs allege nothing more than a generalized grievance in that as Virginia voters they are subject to no more of an injury than any other registered voter in the Commonwealth and that they totally failed to demonstrate how their alleged injuries are traceable to the conduct of defendants.

On Wednesday Gov. Glenn Youngkin posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he supports the federal judges ruling. I applaud this decision in advance of Virginias presidential primary, Youngkin wrote. The choice belongs to the voters, not the courts.

Youngkin has said that he will not endorse a presidential candidate ahead of Virginias Super Tuesday primary.

The second Jan. 6 hearing by the numbers The second Jan. 6 hearing by the numbers 5 witnesses were scheduled to testify in the second hearing 3 of the 5 key states needed to flip for Trump to win Tens of thousands of votes were needed for Trump to win in a recount 5-10% chance of Trump winning, according to his campaign manager Thousands of citizens overseas who cast their vote in Arizona were alleged to be illegal citizens of the US 8,000 dead people were alleged to have voted in Pennsylvania in another false claim $250 million was raised by Trump after the election 2 teams emerged from the Trump camp
When asked what makes the cause of the Civil War so difficult for some folks, historian Edward Ayers cited an episode of The Simpsons.

In this episode, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian immigrant, answers a bureaucrats citizenship question: What was the cause of the Civil War?

Actually, there were numerous causes, Apu says. Aside from the obvious schism between abolitionists and anti-abolitionists, economic factors both domestic and international ...

The bureaucrat cuts him off: Just say slavery, he says.

Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley must have missed that episode. Confronted with that question at a New Hampshire town hall  What was the cause of the Civil War?  she avoided the s-word as if it were radioactive.

Actually, in her Republican party, it is.

Well, dont come with an easy question, Haley said, appearing unnerved.

I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldnt do, she said, before batting the query back at the questioner. What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?

The man replied that he was not running for president and wanted her thoughts.

I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are, Haley said. And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesnt need to tell you how to live your life. They dont need to tell you what you can and cant do. They dont need to be a part of your life.

Never mind Haleys unironic use of the phrase rights and freedoms of the people. Her states-rights word salad didnt impress the questioner. The child of Sikh immigrants from India somehow managed to sound like a daughter of the Confederacy.

In the year 2023, its astonishing to me that you answer that question without mentioning the word slavery, the man said. And indeed, her response not only was unworthy of a would-be president; it would be disqualifying, if such a thing still existed.

Ayers, emeritus president at the University of Richmond and author of the book, What Caused the Civil War, initially cited the Simpsons episode in a 2005 article.

Why is that funny? The answer is because we know the answer is slavery, he said. We also know how slavery caused the Civil War is actually complicated. And we know Lincoln did not go to war to end slavery.

The Confederacy goes to war to defend slavery. But the United States does not go to war to end it, Ayers said.

So, the trick is acknowledging the centrality of slavery for the Confederate cause but understanding that it was not always central to the purpose of many white people in the United States, otherwise known as the North.

Haley does not engage those complexities in offering a classic Lost Cause explanation of the war.

Lost Cause adherents  you saw their handiwork on Monument Avenue  depict the war as a heroic and righteous cause and diminish slaverys role in the conflict.

That oh-so-successful propaganda contradicts the secession documents of numerous Confederate states and the cornerstone speech of Confederate vice president Alexander Stephens, who said of the new nation that its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.

Not all of the future Confederate states of America shared the same enthusiasm for secession.

Virginia, Ayers notes, had to vote several times before deciding to part with the Union.

This reluctance to secede must not be mistaken for our state being soft on slavery. Nearly half a million people were enslaved in Virginia, more than any other state. Virginia did not want to acknowledge the centrality of slavery. But during the Virginia Secession Convention, the word slavery was spoken 1,432 times, Ayers said.

Virginias opponents to secession argued that the U.S. Constitution protected their rights as enslavers, and it was only through leaving the union that they could lose those rights, Ayers said. Also, secession opponents knew their geography and correctly reasoned, as Ayers notes, that If theres going to be a war, guess where its going to be?

Its not as if Abraham Lincoln initially framed the war as one to free the enslaved. That would not happen until Jan. 1, 1863, with his Emancipation Proclamation. After all, as Ayers points out, Lincoln was elected in 1860 with less than 40% of the vote.

My own feeling is that Lincoln moved just as fast as he could, given the political environment, he said.

Theres always politics. Haley has spent a career sidestepping these questions as she circumnavigated South Carolinas Confederate heritage, its tortured history on race, and her role in removing the Confederate battle flag from that states Capitol. It took the 2015 murder by a white supremacist of nine Black people during a Bible study at a Charleston church for the flag to be removed.

Nearly nine years later, you cant be forthright about race in an American political right waging war against wokeness as it pushes the bogeyman of critical race theory and censors books and classroom lessons on systemic racism.

It was very clearly avoiding and denying the role of slavery in the coming war, Ayers said of Haleys response. The controversy shows how even as the statues come down, and even as the textbooks have been changed, these questions of the role of slavery in the nation are still central to questions about who we are. And that people can recognize these kinds of evasions about state power and stuff in a way that maybe they did not in previous generations.

Haley, in the condemnations that followed, acknowledged slavery as the cause of the war.

The speed and unanimity and energy around the criticism of her, I do think, shows that many people in the United States are acknowledging the centrality of slavery in our history in a way that they would not have before.

What do you want me to say about slavery? Haley asked her questioner, as if asking him to toss her a life preserver.

Ayers hopes that what Haley didnt say at that moment will lead us to ask more questions, rather than to act as if we have solved all the problems about slavery in American history.

The North won the war but the South won the narrative, to disastrous effect. Americas legacy of slavery and white supremacy has our nation reeling. How can we talk seriously about reconciliation or reparations if we cant call slavery by its name?

We cant cure this sickness if we wont acknowledge its cause.

After the monuments in Richmond: What Richmond's historic Monument Avenue looks like now
Fugitive accused of laundering $10.2 million extradited to Arizona

Mexico City, Mexico  A Mexican man accused of laundering more than $10 million USD has been extradited to the U.S. On Tuesday, the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) extradited Jorge S, a fugitive, to Arizona.

The FGR says Jorge S was wanted by the Federal District Court of Arizona for criminal association, making false statements to a financial institution and money laundering.

An investigation by U.S. authorities identified a money laundering organization based in Nogales, Sonora, responsible for transporting proceeds from drug sales from the United States to Mexico.

From 2017 to 2019, the organization laundered approximately 10.2 million U.S. dollars. Jorge S was allegedly one of the leaders of the organization and was in charge of directing, managing and supervising the bank accounts related to money laundering.

Subsequently, in August 2023, the requested person was detained in Nogales, Sonora, the FGR reported.

The Government of Mexico granted extradition to the Government of the U.S. On Tuesday, Jorge S was handed over to U.S. federal marshals at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) from where he was returned to Arizona.
Navy of Mexico has historic year seizing over 48 tons of cocaine, 55 tons of marijuana and 2,300 arrests

Mexico City, Q.R.  The Secretary of the Navy of Mexico reports a historical year of narcotic seizures and arrests. More than 48 tons of cocaine and 55 tons of marijuana were seized by sea, air and land operations.

During 2023, naval personnel, with the support of ships and aircraft of the Mexican Navy, secured 48,147 tons of cocaine at sea and through port and airport operations. This amount represents 85.3% of the total insured in relation to the 56.41 tons recorded seized from 2019 to 2022.

Most of the said narcotic was transported aboard 155 smaller vessels, including three semi-submersible vessels. The 2023 seizures are considered a historical record compared to previous years.

In a statement, the Secretary of the Navy says the increase in narcotic seizures was the product of increased naval operations engaged at sea, in the air and on land in support of security and combating drug trafficking due to the current administration.

Of the 48 tons of cocaine seized, 251 kilograms correspond to seizures made by naval personnel working in the field of Port Security and Strategy to strengthen Customs and Ports.

Another 8 kilos of seized cocaine corresponds to seizures made by naval personnel working within the framework of the Comprehensive Airport Security Strategy, and in coordination with the Customs of the Mexico City International Airport (AICM).

Photo: Semar

Regarding the terrestrial environment, in 2023, naval personnel, with the support of aircraft from the Mexican Navy, secured 604,183 tons of chemical precursors, a figure that represents 16.2 times more than the 37,148 tons recorded in the last four years.

Also, 367,239 tons of methamphetamine were seized which represents 9.61 times more than the 38,176 tons seized from 2019 to 2022. These narcotics wer located in 189 clandestine laboratories for the production of synthetic drugs in the states of Durango and Sinaloa, as well as, during various land, port and airport operations in national territory.

Of the narcotics seized, 274.8 kilograms of methamphetamine correspond to seizures made by naval personnel working within the framework of the Comprehensive Airport Security Strategy, and in coordination with AICM Customs, and 15.42 tons of methamphetamine correspond to assurances made by naval personnel who work in the field of Port Security and Strategy to strengthen Customs and Ports, the agency said.

Also during 2023, a total of 101.8 tons of miscellaneous cargo contaminated with cocaine and 55 tons of miscellaneous cargo contaminated with methamphetamine were seized in different ports of the country, managing to inhibit its commercialization and transfer to its final destinations.

Regarding marijuana seizures, naval personnel obtained a total of 55,915 tons, a figure that represents 1.4 times more than the 39,675 tons seized during the previous four years.

Photo: Semar

Regarding the location of marijuana plantations, naval personnel managed to secure and destroy in different states of the country a total of 10 million 463 thousand 449 plants, located in 159 plantations; which represents 4.12 times more than the number of plants and 2.2 times more than the number of plantations, in relation to the 2 million 537 thousand 691 plants in 72 plantations destroyed in the previous four years.

As a result of the aforementioned operations, the arrest of 2,375 violators of the law in flagrante delicto and/or possession of illicit material was achieved.
Sefiplan says great year in store for Quintana Roo

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  A great year is believed in store for the state of Quintana Roo says Eugenio Segura Vazquez, head of the Ministry of Finance and Planning (Sefiplan).

Segura Vazquez says this year, Quintana Roo will be the most connected in all of Mexico thanks to the Maya Train and its four international airports.

In the midst of this total recovery process, referring to the covid-19 months, 2024 looks like a year of great opportunities, he says.

Quintana Roo will be the most connected state in Mexico, he commented saying that the Maya Train, once complete in early 2024, will connect Quintana Roo with the entire southeast. He also noted the cruise ship ports of Cozumel and Mahahual as being the most important around the country.

Segura Vazquez pointed out that as of December 2023, Quintana Roo has four international airports, Cancun, Cozumel, Chetumal and now Tulum.

Eugenio Segura Vazquez, center, says Quintana Roo is the most connected state in Mexico and will benefit in 2024. Photo: Govt Mexico

This is going to help us a lot, not only to diversify tourism, which is also part of this governments vision, but also other types of markets and industries. For agriculture, for example, he says these connections can help the communities in Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Jose Maria Morelos.

Commerce is another opportunity since the Maya Train runs through five states. He mentioned that the Tren Maya project was constructed not only to transport passengers, but also cargo.

This connectivity will allow numerous other companies to do business here that could not before. Not only tourist companies, but also industrial, industrial agricultural and commercial companies. It is going to be a development that will expand in the coming years, he said.

Segura Vazquez says that the State Government is aware that high connectivity must go hand-in-hand with certainty if it wants to attract more investments. He says the government has well-defined priorities for 2024.

The connectivity will allow the state to attract business outside tourism. Photo: Govt Quintana Roo

2024 will be a great year because we will have more than 3.5 billion pesos invested by the state. That does not include any federal projects or the Maya Train or the Nichupte Bridge or the Tulum International Airport, this is only state. Three and a half billion pesos that we will be allocating to the 11 municipalities, he says.

He explained that due to the tightening of public spending during 2023, the state government has been able to expand the state investment fund from 800 million pesos, which was allocated in the previous 2022 administration, to 3.5 billion for 2024.

Other state projects for 2024, he said, will include better trained and paid police officers, social well-being programs and an improved state credit rating, which will help attract more investments.
Dr. Walter Claytor, whose family established a thriving Black-owned medical clinic in Roanoke more than 70 years ago  and later challenged the citys efforts to take it from them in the name of urban renewal  died Monday. He was 98.

The Claytor Memorial Clinic was a vital part of the Gainsboro community, once a vibrant mix of Black homes, businesses and cultural attractions.

Claytors father, Dr. John B. Claytor Sr., opened the practice in 1948. Before long, five of his children were working there as physicians, a dentist, a laboratory technician and a business manager.

As the clinics dentist, Walter Claytor became part of a trusted institution that offered care not available to Blacks in other parts of town.

In the small, tightknit community of Gainsboro, nearly everybody had a doctor whose last name was Claytor, said Jordan Bell, a Roanoke historian who often spoke to Claytor as part of his research.

But the yellow brick building stood in the way of Roanokes plans in the 1970s to develop the area for a civic center, an interstate and other parts of a so-called urban renewal plan.

Using its power of eminent domain, the city acquired and then tore down homes and businesses to make way for development. The Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority filed plans to seize the one-acre site where the Claytor clinic stood, but never did.

With the threat of eminent domain hanging over its head for the next quarter-century, the clinic saw its property devalued and its patients driven away. It eventually was forced to close.

In what was considered an unprecedented legal move at the time, 17 members of the family, led by Walter Claytor, sued the authority under an inverse condemnation claim. A judge ordered the housing authority to pay more than $350,000 to the family in a case with implications that reached far beyond Roanoke.

Citing the case, Virginias General Assembly passed a law that set a three-year deadline for governments to take land designated for seizure, according to Joe Waldo, an eminent domain attorney from Norfolk who represented the family.

He was transformational, Waldo said of Walter Claytor.

Through all those years of proceedings he always maintained his dignity, and when some in the African-American community encouraged him to let bygones be bygones, he said No, his pursuit was about justice for his community, Waldo recalled.

Dr. Claytor demonstrated patience, perseverance and courage under fire, he said.

In a 2006 neighborhood history interview conducted by the Roanoke Public Libraries, Claytor recounted the heavy toll of urban renewal on the citys Black citizens.

If you take away the neighborhood, youve lost your business, he said. My work, dentistry, same boat. I lost my business. Even though Im a doctor. I lost and everybody else lost their business.

Claytor was born and raised in Roanoke as part of a large family  he had seven brothers and sisters  where hard work and higher education was the norm. The family lived in a 22-room mansion in Gainsboro that became a social center of sorts for the community.

At the age of 21, he graduated from the Meharry Medical College and went to work as a dentist at the family clinic.

Later in life, in his interviews with Bell, Claytor continued to voice his frustrations about what happened to Gainsboro in the 1970s, and the mostly unsuccessful efforts by the city since then to make good by restoring the community.

He was always talking about what used to be, and what is not now, Bell said. He was not pleased with the city of Roanoke.

Abandoned and dilapidated, the clinic building still stands, its windows boarded up.

His legacy to me is that the struggle continues. Generation after generation, he continued to fight, he continued to speak out. He never waned. He never backed down from anything, Bell said.

With his passing, it is now on the city of Roanoke to make sure that his legacy, and the legacy of the entire Claytor family, is fulfilled. And that is to make sure that the clinic building and the Gainsboro area is a thriving community.

He can rest well if that were to happen.
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Iraqi Shiite militia claims attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, Syria

Xinhua) 09:38, January 03, 2024

BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi Shiite militia on Tuesday claimed responsibility for launching attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria.

The militia, named Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claimed in an online statement that its fighters launched a bomb-laden drone Tuesday on a base housing U.S.-led coalition forces near the Erbil Airport in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.

A statement by the regional Counter-Terrorism Service confirmed the attack and said that a booby-trapped drone was shot down in the morning while trying to attack a base near the Erbil Airport.

Also on Tuesday, the armed group claimed responsibility for launching drone and rocket attacks on four U.S. military bases in neighboring Syria during the day.

In separate statements, the group said that its fighters carried out three drone attacks on the U.S. bases in al-Malikiyah and Rumailan in the al-Hasakah province, as well as the U.S. Green Village military base at the al-Omar oilfield in Deir al-Zour province, while the fourth attack was a rocket barrage on the al-Shaddadi U.S. base in the al-Hasakah province.

The attacks by the Iraqi armed group are part of a series of retaliatory measures against the U.S. forces amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to the statements.

The recent attacks brought the number of recorded attacks on U.S. bases in Syria to 71 since Oct. 19, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A French TV broadcaster deleted a news report that ran a wrong graphic image of the South Korean national flag as the South Korean Embassy in Paris lodged a complaint over the matter, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The private news channel LCI has seen hundreds of comments posted on its YouTube channel after it used an image of the South Korean national flag with a red circle in the middle that appeared similar to the symbol on the Japanese flag. The South Korean flag, Taegeukgi, has a circle in red and blue at the center.

The news report drew criticism from viewers around the world. Many of the comments denounced the news report as being "insulting," taking note of the sensitivity of the shared past history between South Korea and Japan as South Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45.

The foreign ministry in Seoul said it "sternly protested" to the broadcaster over the matter.

"The broadcasting company expressed regret regarding the error of the Taegeukgi and deleted the video," the ministry said in a message sent to the press. (Yonhap)
Someone won $300,000 playing Palmetto Cash 5 on a ticket purchased in Santee.

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The Palmetto Cash 5 numbers drawn on Friday were: 2, 8, 11, 15 and 17. The Power-Up number was 3.

The winner has 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim the prize. For complete information on claiming prizes, visit sceducationlottery.com.

Net proceeds from every dollar spent by players on the South Carolina Education Lottery are returned to the state in the form of funding for education, prizes, retailer commissions and payment to contractors for goods and services.
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NEW YORK  U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez used his international clout to help a friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, partly by taking actions favorable to Qatars government, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a revised indictment.

The new allegations deepen the legal challenges for Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who already was charged with wielding his political influence to secretly advance Egypts interests.

The superseding indictment in New York said the senator and his wife accepted bribes of gold bars and cash from New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes as a reward for several corrupt acts that included his help securing a major investment from the Qatari fund.

Prosecutors said Menendez introduced Daibes to a member of Qatars royal family who was also a principal in the investment firm, met personally with Qatari officials and made public statements supportive of Qatar while the real estate deal was being negotiated.

The indictment said the Qatari investor eventually invested tens of millions of dollars in Daibes' development project, in a deal finalized in 2023.

Adam Fee, a lawyer for Menendez, said in a statement that prosecutors lacked proof of any wrongdoing.

"What they have instead is a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents or foreign officials. They are turning this into a persecution, not a prosecution, he said.

At all times, Senator Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with. Those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot."

Tim Donohue, a lawyer for Daibes, said he had no immediate comment.

The indictment did not identify the member of the Qatari royal family involved. Messages left with Qatars consulate in New York and with its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, were not immediately returned.

No new charges were added to the latest version of an indictment that already charged Menendez in a bribery conspiracy that allegedly enriched the senator and his wife with a luxury car besides the cash and gold. The allegations involving Qatar occurred from 2021 through 2023.

Other parts of the indictment accuse Menendez, 70, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, of taking bribes from two other New Jersey businessmen besides Daibes. All have pleaded not guilty.

Among other things, Menendez is accused of ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt.

After his September arrest, the senator gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has resisted calls for him to resign from his Senate seat.

The indictment contains new details about the relationship between Menendez and Daibes, a powerful New Jersey real estate developer.

Daibes has been credited with building out a string of luxury waterfront buildings, known as the gold coast, in the New Jersey town of Edgewater.

Along the way, he has maintained cozy relationships with local officials, which enabled him to chase off rival developers and renege on promises to build affordable housing, according to a report from the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.

Daibes already faced federal fraud charges when he was arrested in September on charges that he paid bribes to Menendez, a longtime friend. He was also accused of attempting to convince a federal prosecutor to go easy on Daibes in his bank fraud case.

The indictment said that while the Qatari investment company was considering its investment in the Daibes real estate development, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar and then provided them to Daibes so he could share them with the Qatari investor and a Qatari government official.

In one August 2021 instance, the indictment said, Menendez used an encrypted messaging application to send Daibes the text of a press release in which he praised the government of Qatar, before texting Daibes: You might want to send to them. I am just about to release.

Two months later, Menendez and his wife returned from a trip to Qatar and Egypt and were picked up at the airport by Daibes' driver, the indictment said. The next day, it added, Menendez performed an internet search for how much is one kilo of gold worth.

The Qatari Investment Co. signed a letter of intent to enter a joint venture with a company controlled by Daibes in May 2022, the indictment said. Thereafter, it added, Daibes gave Menendez at least one gold bar.

A search of Menendez's residence produced two 1-kilogram gold bars and nine 1-ounce gold bars with serial numbers showing they'd previously been possessed by Daibes, along with about 10 envelopes of cash with tens of thousands of dollars bearing the fingerprints or DNA of Daibes, the indictment said.

The revised indictment said a Qatari investment official also sent tickets to a Formula One auto racing event to one of Nadine Menendez's close relatives.

The indictment said Menendez did not report any of the cash or gold received by himself or his spouse as required for a U.S. senator on annual financial disclosure forms.

Judge Sidney H. Stein, who is presiding over the case, refused last week to extend a May 5 trial date after defense lawyers requested more time to prepare.

In a letter to the judge late Tuesday, prosecutors said they would not oppose a delayed arraignment of the defendants or an arraignment by video.

Read more:
KINSHASA, Congo  As Congo copes with its biggest outbreak of mpox, scientists warn discrimination against gay and bisexual men on the continent could make it worse.

In November, the World Health Organization reported that mpox, also known as monkeypox, was being spread via sex in Congo for the first time. That is a significant departure from previous flare-ups, where the virus mainly sickened people in contact with diseased animals.

Mpox has been in parts of central and west Africa for decades, but it was not until 2022 that it was documented to spread via sex; most of the 91,000 people infected in approximately 100 countries that year were gay or bisexual men.

In Africa, unwillingness to report symptoms could drive the outbreak underground, said Dimie Ogoina, an infectious diseases specialist at the Niger Delta University in Nigeria.

It could be that because homosexuality is prohibited by law in most parts of Africa, many people do not come forward if they think they have been infected with mpox, Ogoina said.

WHO officials said they identified the first sexually transmitted cases of the more severe type of mpox in Congo last spring, shortly after a resident of Belgium who identified himself as a man who has sexual relations with other men arrived in Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. The U.N. health agency said five other people who had sexual contact with the man later became infected with mpox.

We have been underestimating the potential of sexual transmission of mpox in Africa for years, said Ogoina, who with his colleagues, first reported in 2019 that mpox might be spreading via sex.

Gaps in monitoring make it a challenge to estimate how many mpox cases are linked to sex, he said. Still, most cases of mpox in Nigeria involve people with no known contact with animals, he noted.

In Congo, there have been about 13,350 suspected cases of mpox, including 607 deaths through the end of November with only about 10% of cases confirmed by laboratories. But how many infections were spread through sex isn't clear. WHO said about 70% of cases are in children under 15.

During a recent trip to Congo to assess the outbreak, WHO officials found there was no awareness among health workers that mpox could be spread sexually, resulting in missed cases.

WHO said health authorities had confirmed sexual transmission of mpox between male partners and simultaneously through heterosexual transmission in different parts of the country.

Mpox typically causes symptoms including a fever, skin rash, lesions and muscle soreness for up to one month. It is spread via close contact and most people recover without needing medical treatment.

During the 2022 major international outbreak, mass vaccination programs were undertaken in some countries, including Canada, Britain and the U.S., and targeted those at highest risk  gay and bisexual men. But experts say that's not likely to work in Africa for several reasons, including the stigma against gay communities.

I dont think well see the same clamoring for vaccines in Africa that we saw in the West last year, said Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

She said that the gay and bisexual men most at risk of mpox might be fearful of coming forward in a broad immunization program. Countries should work on ways to give the shots if available  in a way that wouldn't stigmatize them, she said.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyemba, general director of Congos National Institute of Biomedical Research, said two provinces in Congo had reported clusters of mpox spread through sex, a concerning development.

There's no licensed vaccine in Congo, and it would be hard to get enough shots for any large-scale program, Muyemba said. The country is trying to get a Japanese mpox vaccine, but regulatory issues are complicating the situation, he said.

Globally, only one vaccine has been authorized against mpox, made by Denmarks Bavarian Nordic. Supplies are very limited and even if they were available, they would have to be approved by the African countries using them or by WHO. To date, the vaccine has only been available in Congo through research.

Oyewale Tomori, a Nigerian virus expert who sits on several WHO advisory boards, said African governments probably have too many competing priorities to ask the U.N. health agency or donors for help securing vaccines.

In Africa, mpox is most likely considered a low-priority nuisance, Tomori said.

He said stronger monitoring, laboratory networks and better availability of diagnostic supplies would be more helpful to the continent than vaccines.

Without greater efforts to stop the outbreaks in Africa, Ogoina predicted that mpox would continue to infect new populations, warning that the disease could also spark outbreaks in other countries, similar to the global emergency WHO declared last year.

When the HIV pandemic started, it was among gay and bisexual men in the global north, and Africa thought it was not our problem, he said. Before we knew it, it came to Africa, but we still thought heterosexual populations would be protected.

Women of reproductive age now account for more than 60% of new HIV infections in Africa.

I worry the same thing will now happen with mpox, he said. Unless we address these outbreaks in Africa, this virus will keep coming back.

Debunking common mpox myths Myth: Mpox isn't widespread and won't affect me Myth: Mpox is a new disease Myth: Mpox is an STI Myth: Mpox only affects the LGBTQ+ community Myth: Mpox spreads like COVID-19 Myth: Mpox spread to humans from monkeys Myth: Mpox is a mild disease Myth: The Mpox vaccine is new and unresearched Myth: The mpox vaccine is available and anyone can get it
WASHINGTON  This past year's elections in Louisiana didn't go the way voting rights advocate Ashley Shelton hoped, with the far-right conservative attorney general replacing a term-limited Democratic governor and consolidating Republican control in the state.

Turnout was just 37%, despite the efforts of activists like her.

"Even when you work hard and you do all the things you're supposed to, you get an unfortunate outcome, which was these statewide elections," said Shelton, the executive director of Power Coalition for Equity & Justice in Louisiana.

She said it will be a challenge to regain trust from the communities of color she typically focuses on, mostly because of a constant drumbeat of disappointments in recent years  from attacks on voting rights to the failure of a sweeping student loan forgiveness plan.

Shelton's experience in the state serves as a window into some of the challenges President Joe Biden faces as his reelection campaign plans strategies to engage the diverse communities that helped him win in 2020.

Shelton and other activists say they are looking for messages that will resonate with voters, despite fighting through their own fatigue. That follows recent polling showing that adults in the United States are broadly unenthusiastic about a rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket.

"I don't have the luxury of being tired or frustrated or exasperated," she said. "I have to just get back in the community with folks and understand how to reconnect them to the power in their voice."

Voting advocacy groups that were essential to Biden's victory are coming into the new year expecting to have a difficult time rebuilding the same level of support, especially among voters of color and younger voters.

Just 33% of nonwhite adults under age 45 approve of Biden's job performance, according to the most recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs research poll. Just as concerning for the Biden camp is the precipitous drop he has seen overall among Black and Hispanic adults from his first months in office, when his approval rating was 86% among Black adults, 63% among Hispanic adults and 49% among white adults. Now those approval rate stand at 50%, 36% and 40%, respectively.

Democratic campaign strategists say they are encouraging more robust outreach to Black voters in key states. Biden's campaign said it is laying the groundwork for just such an effort.

Voting activists said they know voters of color are essential for Biden and cited myriad reasons for the drop in support. Among them is the failure to pass a law that would have strengthened voting rights, after numerous Republican-controlled states passed restrictions in the past few years, and Biden's promise of student loan forgiveness, which the Supreme Court killed.

The Rev. Frederick Haynes, president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Chicago-based civil rights group founded more than 50 years ago by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said the Democratic Party needs to tell voters what it accomplished and what it plans to do beyond next year's election.

"Rainbow PUSH will be challenging the administration: What are you doing to get the message through the appropriate mediums to the communities that you say you're serving?" he said.

The Biden campaign agrees and said it is highlighting gains that include delivering on broadband internet access, especially in communities of color, reducing unemployment rates and diversifying the federal judiciary, said Quentin Fulks, the principal deputy campaign manager.

"There's a lot at stake here, and our job as a campaign is to communicate that. But it has to be mixed with also, 'What have you done for me and what has the administration done and what will this administration continue to do to try to improve the lives of people?'" Fulks said.

The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

The Georgia Black Republican Council is planning a radio and billboard campaign highlighting issues it thinks are pertinent to Black voters in a state expected to be closely contested. Among the topics are school choice, immigration and abortion.

Other voting advocates say their messages to communities of color will range from successes, such as continued low unemployment, to explanations about why priorities such as federal voting and police overhaul legislation failed. Statewide issues will be a critical part of their messaging, highlighting book bans, gerrymandered districts and abortion.

Yterenickia Bell, senior director of the And Still I Vote Program at the Leadership Conference Education Fund, will be targeting women of color between ages 18 and 35 in 11 states.

"We have to remind them when we go to that door that the country is only as successful as the young people who are engaged," she said, pointing out that many of the front-line civil rights activists of the 1960s were in that age group at the time.

Student debt, climate change, health care, abortion and reproductive care will be the selling points to that targeted group, Bell said.

"Black voters are pragmatic voters" and the younger ones are less party-centric and more focused on issues, said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. "At the end of the day, this cannot be an election just around the candidates. It can't be just Trump. It can't be just about Biden. It really has to be, 'How does democracy protect us?'"

Women's suffrage, but for whom? These 10 Black suffragists fought for the vote beforeand long afterthe 19th Amendment Women's suffrage, but for whom? These 10 Black suffragists fought for the vote beforeand long afterthe 19th Amendment Mary Church Terrell Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fannie Lou Hamer Ida B. Wells Alice Dunbar-Nelson Fannie Barrier Williams Sojourner Truth Lugenia Burns Hope Mary McLeod Bethune Nannie Helen Burroughs
WASHINGTON  Sen. John Fetterman acknowledges having dark conversations about harming himself before he hit the emergency brake and sought treatment for depression.

He remembers thinking about his three school-age children. I cant be a blueprint for my children. I cant let them be left alone or not to understand why he would have done that, the first-term Pennsylvania Democrat told NBCs Meet the Press in a deeply personal and introspective interview.

So he checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Feb. 15, 2023, in Bethesda, Maryland. There was nowhere else to go, he said, describing how he often felt during his stay that there wasnt any hope sometimes and like, What do I have left?

He also wondered whether he would survive politically.

When it got released where I was and where it was going, it was a big story. And so, I had assumed that that would be the end of my career, he said.

When he sought treatment for clinical depression, Fetterman was still coping with the effects of the stroke he had in May 2022, during his campaign for one of the Senates most contested seats. My heart technically stopped, and it was a very touch-and-go situation, said Fetterman, 54. A pacemaker was implanted with a defibrillator to manage two heart conditions, atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathy.

His victory over Republican Mehmet Oz helped Democrats keep control of the Senate and made him a national figure. It was the height of his political career. But he couldnt make it out of bed at his home in Braddock, in western Pennsylvania.

I really scared my kids, and they thought, You won, Dad. Why arent we enough? Why are you still so sad? Why are you even more sad?' And it was hard for  to explain why I was. And, of course, a 9-year-old child wouldnt understand that. And it was awful, Fetterman said.

So much so that he said he pleaded not to go down to D.C. later that November for orientation sessions in Washington for newly elected lawmakers.

His favorite holiday was nearing, yet he was unable to think about getting Christmas presents for his children and dreading his swearing-in on Capitol Hill early in the new year.

Within two months, he was at Walter Reed. Aides described the new senator as being withdrawn and uninterested in eating, discussing work or the usual banter with staff.

This is a conversation that Ive had with myself and anybody that knows theyre unable to address their depression, is they start to have dark conversations with themself about self-harm, Fetterman said. And things continued to kind of tick off the list. And then I kind of hit the emergency brake."

He added, I knew I needed help.

Before checking into Walter Reed, Fetterman had never publicly discussed his battle with depression. He has since said that he has experienced it on and off throughout his life.

He left Walter Reed at the end of March after six weeks of inpatient treatment with his depression in remission, according to a statement from his office.

Doctors describe remission as when a patient responds to treatment so that they have returned to normal social function and they are indistinguishable from someone who has never had depression.

Fetterman has since become a visible presence in the Capitol, bantering with reporters, joking with Senate colleagues and speaking up at Senate hearings.

To others who are now facing a really dark holiday time, Fetterman offered this guidance: I know that last years was desolate. And this years might be desolate. Next years can be the best ever. And thats what happened for me.

Photos: Powerful Pacific swell brings dangerous surf to California
Social media has been rife in recent weeks with posts speculating that a judge is about to release a list of clients or co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein. The truth is less scandalous: There is no such list.
WASHINGTON  Federal officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes at U.S. ports, but thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China, according to government and industry data reviewed by The Associated Press.

The figures underscore the chaotic state of the nation's $7 billion vaping market and raise questions about how the U.S. government can stop the flow of fruit-flavored disposable e-cigarettes used by 1 in 10 American teens and adolescents.

More than 11,500 unique vaping products are being sold in U.S. stores, up 27% from 9,000 products in June, according to tightly held industry data from analytics firm Circana.

"FDA whacks one product and then the manufacturers get around it and the kids get around it," said Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a Stanford University psychologist who develops anti-vaping educational materials. "It's too easy to change your product a little bit and just relaunch it."

Halpern-Felsher says she is "constantly" updating her curriculum to keep pace with new vaping brands and trends.

Nearly all the new products are disposable e-cigarettes, according to the sales data gathered from gas stations, convenience stores and other shops. The products generated $3.2 billion in the first 11 months of this year.

The FDA authorized a handful of e-cigarettes for adult smokers and is reviewing products from several major companies, including Juul. Regulators consider nearly all other e-cigarettes to be illegal.

"Those committing illegal acts don't advertise their crimes, and those trying to import illegal tobacco products into the United States are no different," FDA's tobacco director, Brian King, said in a written response to AP questions. "The FDA and our federal partners are using tools, like import alerts, to stop these illegal tobacco products at the border and to deter countless others."

The rise in e-cigarettes sold continues despite a record number of products detained.

An FDA database shows officials "refused" entry to 148 containers or pallets of "tobacco" goods last month, consisting almost entirely of vaping products from China. Refused imports are typically destroyed.

Through the end of November, U.S. officials refused 374 such shipments in 2023, more than double the 118 refused in 2022.

The items in 2023 included $400,000 worth of Esco Bars, a disposable brand placed on a list of banned imports in May. The agency's posted data is often preliminary because it takes time to finalize refusals.

Recent history shows how easily companies can maneuver around import bans.

In July 2022, the FDA barred dozens of e-cigarettes from Chinese manufacturer Fume, including flavors Pineapple Ice and Blue Razz.

Fume sales dipped after the ban, but the company launched a slew of new products, posting $42 million in U.S. sales in the third quarter of 2023, the data shows. Roughly 98% of sales came from products not on the FDA's "red list" of products that can be detained.

Industry shipping tactics are also challenging the usefulness of import restrictions.

In July, FDA and customs officials intercepted $18 million worth of illegal vapes, including leading brand Elf Bar. The shipments were mislabeled as shoes, toys and other items  not e-cigarettes  requiring officials to individually open and verify the contents of more than two dozen containers.

Circana, formerly IRI, restricts access to its data, which it sells to companies and researchers. A person not authorized to share it gave the AP access on condition of anonymity.

The FDA has no schedule for updating its import lists but said it is "closely monitoring" instances where companies try to avoid detection.

"The FDA has a variety of tools at our disposal to take action against these tactics," FDA's King said.

The agency has limited powers to penalize foreign companies. Regulators sent hundreds of warning letters to U.S. stores selling their products, but those are not legally binding.

Even as the FDA attempts to work with customs officials, it is struggling to complete a yearslong review of applications submitted by manufacturers hoping to market their products to adults.

The few tobacco-flavored products currently authorized by FDA are deeply unpopular. Their combined sales were just $174 million, or 2.4% of the vaping marketplace this year, according to Circana.

"Nobody wants them," says Marc Silas, owner of 906 Vapor shop in Michigan. "If people wanted them, they'd be on the shelves and they're not."

Frustrated with the pace of FDA's review, public health groups successfully sued the agency to speed up the process. The agency aimed to complete all major outstanding applications in 2023, but it recently said the process would stretch into 2024.

The delays raised questions about the viability of the the current regulatory framework for e-cigarettes.

"FDA is trying to operate with an old model when the whole environment has changed," said Scott Ballin, a health policy consultant who previously worked for the American Heart Association. "They have this long line of products that have to be reviewed one by one and now they're in a giant hole."

One alternative approach would be to make decisions about entire classes of e-cigarettes, rather than individual products.

The idea initially came from small vaping manufacturers who did not have the money to conduct the large studies typical of FDA applications. Public health advocates urge the FDA to ban all flavored disposable e-cigarettes, the products used by most of the 2 million underage teens who vape.
Here's a look at trending topics for today, Jan. 2:

Claudine Gay

Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the schools conduct policy.

Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony  Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned Dec. 9.

Gay, Harvards first Black president, announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community.

Following the congressional hearing, Gays academic career came under intense scrutiny by conservative activists who unearthed several instances of alleged plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation.

Get the rest here:

Japan plane crash

A large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing five people aboard the coast guard plane, officials said.

All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the Airbus A350 was fully engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed.

The pilot of the coast guard's Bombardier Dash-8 plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said. The aircraft was preparing to take off to deliver aid to an area affected by a major earthquake on Monday, officials said.

Television footage showed an orange fireball erupting from the Japan Airlines plane as it collided while landing, and the airliner then spewed smoke from its side as it continued down the runway. Within 20 minutes, all passengers and crew members slid down emergency chutes to get away.

Read more about it here:

Lee Jae-myung

South Koreas tough-speaking liberal opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, was stabbed in the neck Tuesday by an unidentified knife-wielding man who attempted to kill the politician during his visit to the southeastern city of Busan, police said.

Lee, 59, the head of the main opposition Democratic Party, was airlifted to a Seoul hospital after receiving emergency treatment in Busan. Lee's party later said he was recovering at an intensive care unit at the Seoul National University Hospital following a two-hour operation.

The attack happened as Lee walked through a crowd of journalists and others after a tour of the proposed site of a new airport in Busan. The attacker approached Lee, saying he wanted his autograph, then stabbed him in the left side of his neck, senior Busan police officer Sohn Jae-han said in a briefing.

Find out more here:

***

Get more of today's trending topics here:

Japan earthquakes

Epstein list
South Korea has intensified diplomacy in 2022 to advance relations with the United States to the "highest level" and to restore ties with Japan amid growing nuclear threats from North Korea, according to an annual diplomatic white paper published Wednesday.

The foreign ministry also described Japan as its "closest neighbor" for the third consecutive year in its latest white paper and added the phrase "cooperative partner" to refer to Tokyo.

"Since its inauguration, the Yoon Suk Yeol government has spared no effort in building South Korea-U.S. relations to the highest level ever through active summit diplomacy ... and to create conditions for restoring South Korea-Japan relations by restoring trust," Foreign Minister Park Jin wrote in the preface.

Park also stressed the introduction of the Indo-Pacific strategy, calling it the country's first comprehensive regional strategy aimed at expanding its diplomatic reach and strengthening solidarity with countries that share common values.

On North Korea, the ministry said it sought to bring Pyongyang to the path of denuclearization as the reclusive country continued its nuclear and missile threats at an "unprecedented" level.

"The year 2022 was a year trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan was strengthened further to respond to the North's escalating nuclear and missile threats," it said, noting Yoon held two trilateral summit meetings with the U.S. and Japanese leaders within just six months of taking office in May.

The government also made efforts to improve bilateral relations with Tokyo, which had soured after South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms in 2018 to compensate Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

"South Korea and Japan are the closest neighbors and cooperative partners that share universal values, such as freedom, human rights and rule of law, and seek common interests in security, economy and global agendas," it said.

This year's paper also labeled China as South Korea's "neighbor" and largest trading partner, as well as a "major cooperative partner" in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue. (Yonhap)
Former state Sen. Ernie Chambers has joined those calling for Gov. Jim Pillen to change his mind about a new federal program that could keep about 150,000 Nebraska children fed throughout the summer months.

The veteran Omaha senator delivered a letter to the governors office Thursday, along with a hand-drawn portrait of Pillen as a gesture of goodwill. The letter urged Pillen to accept the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children.

The program would provide an estimated $18 million in food aid during school vacation months to low-income families with children qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The benefits are to launch in summer 2024, but states have to indicate interest by Jan. 1.

So far, the Pillen administration has refused to participate in the program, despite pleas from state senators and numerous Nebraskans.

Among those calling for reconsideration is Nebraska Appleseed, an advocacy group that submitted 6,144 signatures on a petition to Pillen on Friday. Signers included people who could benefit from the program, people who work with low-income Nebraskans and many concerned citizens, according to Eric Savaiano, the groups economic justice program manager.

Paul Feilmann, a retired mental health therapist from Omaha, has been holding a daily vigil outside the official governors residence since Dec. 22 to urge state participation. The eight-day vigil came to a conclusion with a news conference on Friday. He, along with state senators and community leaders, spoke about the importance of the issue.

"If you want to know the health of a community, you look at one number: how many children live below the poverty line," Feilmann said Friday. "In Nebraska it's particularly significant. People have a really limited idea of how many kids are impacted by poverty."

The number is 19,000 in Douglas County, according to Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha. The program, he said, would benefit more than 175,00 children across the state.

Nebraska State Education Association President Jenni Benson said Friday that there are children in need in every community in Nebraska. Teachers, she said, care about kids whether school is in session or not.

"Everything affects something else," Benson said outside the Governor's Mansion Friday. "It affects learning, it affects families, and we need to do something about it, and we are being given this opportunity to work with federal dollars."

The federal dollars, Vargas said, are in fact Nebraskan dollars. The issue at hand is about pragmatism and compassion, he said.

"I believe it is our moral obligation to fight and to help our neighbors," Vargas said. "I also believe it is our fiscal responsibility to bring taxpayer dollars back to Nebraska."

Both Vargas and State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said the issue shouldn't be politicized. Conrad expressed that the way to move forward from the governor's decision is to come together.

"We need to remember that pointing fingers and calling names and political posturing will not help Nebraska children in need," Conrad said. "What we can do is join arms, join hands, join heads, join hearts and come together and continue to look for thoughtful solutions."

Preston Love Jr., a community advocate, submitted his final plea to the governor at Friday's news conference as well. He stressed that the decision to not enroll in the summer food program was a lapse in leadership.

"Our children are not a part of a party or a part of rural or urban, they're just our children. Leadership recognizes that," Love said. "I want to emphasize that this program is not just coming from some odd place. It's coming from Congress."

The program, Love said, is an extension of the programs already in place.

Last week, 15 current state senators sent a letter to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services calling for a change of heart. Chambers made his case in a letter that quoted from the Bible and historical figures.

Gov. Pillen, I beseech you in the bowels of Christ to give consideration to the food-insecure children in being and extend to them the same impassioned concern you express for those who are developing in the womb, he wrote, harkening back to a plea made by Oliver Cromwell, who ruled England in the mid-1600s.

But Pillen defended the decision to forgo the aid, saying the idea of summertime food aid for schoolchildren was a pandemic-era idea.

COVID-19 is over and Nebraska taxpayers expect that pandemic-era government relief programs will end too," he said in a statement Friday, reiterating that the state would not take the funds.

He also told the Lincoln Journal Star last week that he didn't believe in welfare.

He said he prefers providing food through the Summer Food Service Program, an older federal program that provides free meals and snacks to children and teens at various sites in low-income communities. The sites can be operated by schools, local governments, private nonprofits, camps and other organizations.

Having children appear in person to get food allows people to spot issues of malnutrition, neglect and abuse, which are often missed in the summer months. Pillen noted that calls to the states child abuse hotline dropped during the time that schools closed because of COVID.

Im 100% confident that if every Nebraskan understood everything about why I made that decision, theyd be 100% supportive, he said.

But Savaiano said the older food program reaches only limited numbers of Nebraska children. In 2023, Nebraska ranked 50th for its participation level, according to a national Food Research and Action Center report in July.

In most cases, he said, children have to go to the sites to get a meal, and the sites can be few and far between, especially in rural parts of the state. In 2019, Nebraska had 83 sponsors and 270 sites for the whole state. This year, there were only 58 sponsors and 197 sites.

Under the new summer program, families could get $40 per child per month on an EBT card to be spent on groceries. The money is to replace the lunches that children get during the rest of the year at school. Nebraska Appleseed estimated the state cost would be about $300,000 for administration.

The Lincoln Journal Star's Meghan O'Brien contributed to this story.

Omaha World-Herald's top news photos of 2023
In November, a political group in Arkansas announced it was pursuing a 2024 ballot measure to put a right to abortion in the state constitution. If successful, it would be a huge deal in a state with a total abortion ban.

But theres one big catch: The proposal would offer less protection than Americans had before Roe v. Wade was overturned, because it would codify abortion only through 18 weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions. The previous standard had been about 24 weeks.

The move immediately drew criticism online, but established reproductive rights groups have yet to criticize it publicly because, frankly, its complicated. Theres been a lot of spirited debate in the reproductive rights movement about a related quandary: Should states looking to get abortion rights into their constitutions do so according to the previous standard of allowing abortion access until viability, the point when a fetus could technically survive outside of the uterus, which is typically 24 weeks? Orbecause the past few decades have shown that 24 weeks is a flawed, arbitrary lineshould reproductive rights advocates working at the state level be pushing for unfettered abortion access instead?

So this proposal out of Arkansaswhich would enshrine weaker rights than the ones lost in 2022came as a big surprise and, to some working in the movement, it was a cowardly choice. It was better than what Arkansas residents had at the moment, sure. But was endorsing it its own kind of defeat?

The proposal came from the democracy nonprofit For AR People, which formed a ballot question committee called Arkansans for Limited Government, or AFLG. Gennie Diaz, the groups executive director, said the organization jumped into action after it saw internal polling that showed 51 percent of Arkansas supported a limited right to abortion. Diaz said the poll, which she could not share publicly, showed that 61 percent of Arkansans either think that abortion should be legal in some circumstances, or thats just none of the governments business.

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Diaz said the nonprofit chose to advocate for abortions up to 18 weeks instead of until viability because it wanted to speak to those 51 to 61 percent of Arkansans. And that particular gestation marker of 18 weeks, which she said was a reasonable, sensible cutoff, had polling support, whereas people didnt know what viability meant. When you get to a specific week, people go, I know what that means. [They] can say yeah, thats appropriate up until this point in time,  Diaz said. After that [they say], Hmm, I dont feel good about that. 

AFLGs messaging on this ballot initiative is about preventing government involvement in medical decisions, yet their proposal would very clearly allow the state to ban abortion after 18 weeks. When pressed about the apparent contradiction here, Diaz said, Its threading the needle with Arkansas voters on what they view as limited government. She said: Its not meant to be a parlor trick, but rather an invitation for people who consider themselves pro-life to support the measure so it can pass. Honestly, its not palatable to either end of the spectrum, and thats intentional, she said.

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Still, some pollsters think that AFLG is jumping to conclusions about how voters really feel about abortion.

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Tresa Undem, the co-founder of PerryUndem, a nonpartisan polling firm, has been tracking opinion on abortion for 20 years. She said that most abortion polling is notoriously one-dimensional, often asking voters to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to proposed restrictions with few follow-up questions (or open-ended prompts) that reveal any nuance. So, it gives her pause that a democracy group that doesnt specifically have experience with polling on abortion is choosing ballot language based on what it believes is public sentiment. If youre basing your assumptions on these really one-dimensional questions, you could be getting it wrong, she said.

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Undem suggested a poll structure to really robustly test the proposition that 18 weeks is the best path forward. (It would be a big sample where a third of the group gets a question that asks whether they would support an expansive, no-restriction ballot measure; a third gets asked whether they would support a viability restriction; and a third gets asked if they would support abortion up to 18 weeks.) In the post-Dobbs world, I just think anyone whos working on this issue needs to really be careful about assumptions, Undem said. People can die.

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Plus, wherever abortion has been on the ballot in the U.S. since the fall of Roe, it has won.

The Supreme Court added fetal viability as a permissible marker in abortion regulation in its 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which modified Roe.

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In Casey, the court ruled that states had an interest in protecting potential life and could restrict abortion before viability as long as the restrictions didnt unduly burden abortion seekers. It also ruled that states could ban abortion after viability, too. What went unsaid is that protection for potential life necessarily meant removing rights for pregnant people. Viability is different for every pregnancy, and some pregnancies will never be viable.

Casey ushered in a wave of restrictions, including waiting periods, insurance coverage bans, and clinic shutdown laws, that made it harder and harder for people to get care as soon as they needed it. The longer it takes for a pregnant person to coordinate travel and child care (and pull together the money for those costs and the abortion), the further along the pregnancy gets, and the more the costs of the procedure multiplywhich can add even more delays. Bans at the viability cutoff harm people struggling to make ends meet, in addition to those who discover their pregnancies late or who get devastating diagnoses in the second and third trimesters.

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The current ban on abortions in Arkansas, which took effect the day of the Dobbs ruling in 2022, is extreme, with only a narrow exception to save the life of the pregnant person. Earlier this year, Democratic lawmakers in the state tried to add exceptions for incest, health of the pregnant woman, and fatal fetal anomaly, but the bills didnt even make it out of House committees. To AFLG, the group trying to push through a right to abortion up to 18 weeks, this shows how anti-abortion the state is, and why pursuing protections through viability is off the table. (The Arkansas Legislature is among the most gerrymandered in the U.S.)

Because of the harm the states residents are experiencing now, Diaz said the group felt an obligation to pursue what they think could win, and what they thought most Arkansans would consider reasonable.

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Erika Christensen of Patient Forward, a group that advocates for expansive abortion protections, said the idea that banning abortion at a specific week is reasonable is willfully ignorant.

She noted that abortion bans at any gestation are dangerous for pregnant people. She herself had to travel to Colorado in 2016 to get an abortion at 32 weeks due to a fetal diagnosis because New York had a criminal ban post-viability. Plus, abortion bans at specific weeks not only create stigma and harm peoples health, they allow the state to surveil and prosecute all pregnancy outcomesnot just abortion. (Look no further than an Ohio woman who was charged with abuse of a corpse after experiencing a stillbirth at home.) Christensen said the Arkansas proposal would ensure the most under-resourced and over-policed members of their communities bear the brunt of their political cowardice.

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In other words, though AFLG is messaging their ballot measure with language about keeping the government out of health care, their proposal actually permits a banwith an arbitrary cutoff date. (And if AFLG was hoping the 18-week limit would counter or prevent bad-faith arguments from the other side of the political aisle, it didnt work: The day the proposal was announced, Arkansas Right to Life smeared it as permitting the procedure up to the moment of birth.)

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Roe and Casey put viability into federal law, and after those rulings were overturned, Christensen said there was a window to keep viability out of state constitutions. Instead, states have been tripping over themselves to put it back in, she said. This is what happened in Ohio, Christensen explained, because Issue 1, which passed this past November, only codifies abortion through viability. After Issue 1, everyone said, Yay, now the government is going to stay out of pregnancy and abortion. No, maam. You just enshrined the states right to stay in pregnancy, she said. You put it in your state constitution. She said groups claimed they had to write a compromise policy in order to eke out a win in Ohio, but then they won handily, by 13 points.

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Worse, introducing what are essentially abortion bans after viability cedes moral ground to anti-abortion forces who exploit the discomfort that mainstream Democrats have with abortions later in pregnancy. You can see it in the policy pushed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America: A ban after 15 weeks, which they say is supported by polling. A test run in Virginia, shepherded by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and boosted by SBA, failed spectacularly. But that doesnt mean theyll stop trying.

A growing body of data suggests that, to counter these attacks, pro-choice groups should embrace a message and ethic of actual zero government involvement in abortion. That is: No bans, at any point. Undem did a national experiment this summer, testing different ballot measure language to see if voters were more likely to support a proposal that included viability over one that didnt. Going in, the pollster didnt think it would make much of a differencebut voters preferred the expansive measure by 15 points. I was kind of blown away, frankly, she said. And in open-ended responses from people who werent sure if theyd vote for the viability measure, she saw the same comment over and over: The government shouldnt be involved in these decisions. In other words, those voters didnt support a viability measure because it wasnt pro-choice enough. Thats a pretty new sentiment, she said, adding that Gallup data also shows growing support for abortion at any point in pregnancy. I think Dobbs is having a huge impact.

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It may take longer for Dobbs to have as big of an impact in states as red as Arkansas. Other reproductive rights groups have seen the same private polling AFLG cited showing the strongest support for 18 weeks (which was conducted in spring 2023), and they may have decided not to draw up their own ballot measure because theyre waiting for public sentiment to change.

States typically have one shot at a constitutional amendment of this kind, and if polling for a ballot measure doesnt look promising, its an opportunity to do more organizing and deep canvassing to work on changing public sentiment in advance of the next election cycle. It can be especially challenging to get the necessary signatures and raise enough money to support the effort overall if its just one advocacy group going it alone, versus the coalitions of organizations that succeeded in protecting abortion rights in Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio. Those groups typically included the local affiliates of Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, and other reproductive rights organizations like abortion funds.

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The AFLG website makes a point of saying the group is not working with Planned Parenthood, and Diaz said theyre not working with the ACLU of Arkansas. Theyre not supported, publicly, by any abortion providers or OB-GYNs. (The chair of AFLG is a radiation oncologist, and the groups treasurer is a medical malpractice attorney; Diaz said that while there are abortion providers and OB-GYNs who weighed in on the effort, theyre not willing to publicly attach their names for fear of professional retribution.)

Related From Slate These People Defined the Year. So We Gave Them Superlatives. Read More

One abortion fund, Arkansas Abortion Support Network, said in a statement that it hesitates to support the AFLG measure because, as the treasurer and co-founder Karen Musick put it, the group is not able to support any arbitrary timeline for limits on abortion. And Musick said this was despite the fact that anything better than a total baneven a six-week limitwould help residents, and the work of the fund.

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Our group has just been interested citizens, Diaz, of AFLG, said. Its pretty scrappy. And I think were proud of that. Its admirable that people want to help change the status quo, but even she noted that AFLG faces steep obstacles. When the language is approved and we move into the signature phase, and thenprayers upcampaign phase, we are going to need substantial resources, she said, acknowledging that the group would need to raise tens of millions of dollars. Were committed to being scrappy, and I hope that, at one point, we can become a little bit more polished and substantially supported.

But ballot measures arent efforts to undertake on a hope and a prayer. After all, Undem said, peoples lives are on the line.
As we anxiously await Supreme Court review of the growing number of 14th Amendment challenges to Donald Trumps appearance on the nations presidential ballots, one thing is clearthere are no good options here.

Instead, the justices are left to identify the least bad choices available and make compromises that will be acceptable not only to a deeply divided country, but that can achieve consensus from a severely split and historically mistrusted Supreme Court. That requires the choices made to go beyond Trumps appearance on the 2024 ballot and the nuances of the 14th Amendment to also ensure his full exposure to the rule of law.

Especially because it is difficult to dispute Dahlia Lithwicks conclusion that it is unlikely that five members of the high court will vote to keep Donald Trump off the ballot, quickly removing all of the legal and tactical roadblocks he has erected to avoid facing the consequences of his criminality in other major cases is the only way the court can achieve an acceptable overall result.

In that regard, the D.C. Circuit Court is now hearingon an expedited basisTrumps appeal of District Judge Tanya Chutkans compelling and full-throated rejection of the former presidents overblown legal claim that he is immune from all criminal charges. As Judge Chutkan wrote, whatever immunities a sitting President may enjoy, the United States has only one Chief Executive at a time, and that position does not confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass.

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Related From Slate Trump Only Has One Way to Beat Jack Smith. Smith Just Made a Significant Move to Stop It. Read More

Appellate briefs have been filed and oral argument is set for next Tuesday. Because the appellate panel is surely aware that the immunity claim is more a stalling tactic than a legitimate assertion of rights, it can be expected to not only quickly uphold Judge Chutkans rejection of the claim but also remand the matter to her so that she can keep her trial calendar moving ahead. Trumps even more absurd additional claim of double jeopardy can be quickly swept under the same rug.

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As my friend and former chief of the appeals section in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York, Paul Bergman, theorized, the three-judge D.C. Circuit panel might also reach out to their colleagues on the court to affirm that a motion to the full circuit for an en banc review of its ruling will be rejected. It can then include that advisory in the final opinion, thus removing the 45-day delay otherwise permitted by the eventual filing of Trumps motion for rehearing en banc.

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With the March 4 trial date then just some six or seven weeks away, Trumps lawyers will have 90 days to file their petition for Supreme Court review to postpone the trial once again. But with the matter back in Judge Chutkans courtroom, all steps necessary to get ready for trial will be taking place. Thus, the longer Trumps team takes to file an appeal to the Supreme Court, the closer their client is to being on trial. As such, one can expect the motion for a stay pending Supreme Court review will come long before 90 days have passed.

The court should then issue a quick denial of review, leaving the D.C. Circuit opinion in place with a remand to Judge Chutkan for trial.

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This would leave just one open matter that could potentially impact Judge Chutkans trial calendarthe anything but frivolous case brought by Jan. 6 defendant Joseph Fischer, challenging the application of the obstruction of an official proceeding statute to the events of that day. Since two of the four counts against the former president in the case before Judge Chutkan are based on that same statute, wont the Trump trial date have to be pushed off until the Fischer case is decided?

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As others have written, whatever the Supreme Court decides in that case, the impact on the timing for Chutkans courtroom should be limited. As a last resort, Jack Smith can simply dismiss these two counts and proceed with an indictment that still exposes the former president to 10 years in jail.

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As such, even if the trial does not start until, say, mid-Aprila month beyond the March 4, 2024, trial date still in placeTrump has a good chance of being a convicted felon months before the November election, and not insignificantly, available for another criminal trial in Georgia, Florida, or New York.

This path forward accomplishes three important things. First, and most importantly, it upholds the rule of law. Second, according to recent surveys, it likely reduces the chances the former president can win in a general election.

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In this regard, the multiple historic failures to hold Donald Trump accountable for conduct no one else would have gotten away with, from the Mueller investigation through two separate impeachment acquittals, have kept a significant segment of the populace convinced of his invincibility. Popping that balloon could be an important factor in diminishing the Trump brand and its impact.

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Finally, a balanced approach allows the high court to maintain the posture, as Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his Dobbs majority opinion overruling Roe v. Wade, that its opinions must not be impacted by politics or public opinion.

Despite that public persona, the human beings comprising the nations highest court surely care as much about the publics trust in them and their institution as they do about discerning the intent of those who drafted the 14th Amendment. As the court interprets whether its Section 3 applies to the Capitol riot and Donald Trumps role in it, the justices, however removed from politics they may be, are painfully aware of a world in whichpartly thanks to the courts Second Amendment rulingsmany of Trumps followers are armed to the teeth with military-grade weapons and not averse to taking to the streets in his service. A ruling removing Trump from the ballot is likely to open a Pandoras box in this election and beyond.

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The 14th Amendment case, though, does not have to be the one that decides the courts Trump law legacy. There is no better way for an embattled Supreme Court to protect our democracy and at the same time help restore its reputation than to rule quickly in the Jan. 6 cases and ensure that the rule of law will finally apply to someone who has vowed that upon his return to office he will rip up the Constitution they have sworn to uphold.*
Bubble tea, or boba tea, is a popular beverage that originated in Taiwan. It usually includes tea, milk, tapioca balls, and sometimes other toppings. There are several franchises available in the U.S. for entrepreneurs interested in building a business around this beverage. Here are a few bubble tea franchise opportunities to consider.

Top Bubble Tea Franchises

If youre ready to start a bubble tea business, there are plenty of brands offering new franchise locations around the U.S. Here are some top bubble tea franchise opportunities to consider.

1. Kung Fu Tea

Kung Fu Tea is a popular brand with more than 2002 stores around the U.S. The company offers a ten-step process for getting your own bubble tea shop off the ground. And they offer multiple store models, from traditional storefronts to those located in airports and shopping centers. Upfront costs range from $140,000 to $422,000 for a traditional store.

2. Tapioca Express

Tapioca Express currently has about 29 franchise locations in the U.S., mainly along the West Coast. The company provides a wide array of startup support services, from location selection to employee training. Getting started costs anywhere from about $200,000 to $527,000.

3. Gong Cha

Gong Cha is a bubble tea franchise that originally launched in Taiwan. Stores offer fresh tea sourced from Taiwan and tapioca pearls made from the finest ingredients. The company is currently seeking new franchisees in a number of quality locations, mainly in the Northeast. Estimated startup costs range from $177,430 to $335,400 for a single unit.

4. Bubbleology

Bubbleology is a small franchise business that offers boba, waffles, and various fruit-flavored milk teas. The recognized brand looks for experienced retail operators to develop exclusive territories across the U.S. The company only has a few locations currently, so there are many open territories available, with estimated upfront costs falling between $205,850 and $458,950.

5. Sharetea

Sharetea offers a variety of beverages, including traditional tea, milk tea, blended drinks, and fruit juices. The company originally launched in 1992 and has more than 150 stores across North America. So theres plenty of brand recognition, but still room for growth in popular markets. Startup costs vary, starting around $300,000.

6. Koi Tea

Koi Tea offers a bubble tea franchising opportunity for those with food service and/or retail experience. Each boba shop offers a variety of tea drinks as well as rolled ice cream and other treats. The initial investment ranges from about $200,000 to $500,000.

7. Ding Tea

Ding Tea is a global brand offering franchise opportunities in the U.S. The company simply requires franchisees to be at least 20 years old, have some business experience, and be passionate about the tea industry. The initial investment ranges from about $123,000 to $422,000.

8. CUPP Bubble Tea

CUPP Bubble Tea is a U.K.-based bubble tea brand. There arent currently any locations in the U.S. But the company offers an international master franchise program for those interested in opening the first bubble tea franchises in a new country. Costs for a new store start at 80,000. But international franchises are likely to incur extra costs since they are responsible for entire territories.

9. Bambu

Bambu is a dessert and tea franchise offering boba tea, coffee, and exotic fruit smoothies. There are several locations spread throughout the country, but still room for growth in many in-demand markets. The initial investment falls between $137,000 and $321,000.

10. HTeaO

HTeaO originally launched in Texas in 2009. Stores focus on flavored iced teas, blended drinks, and coffee. And the initial investment ranges from $289,200 to $859,000.

Franchise Number of Locations in the U.S. Cost Range Unique Aspects Kung Fu Tea Over 2002 $140,000 - $422,000 Offers multiple store models Tapioca Express 29 $200,000 - $527,000 Provides wide array of startup support services Gong Cha Not Specified $177,430 - $335,400 Originated from Taiwan, seeking franchisees mainly in the Northeast Bubbleology Few $205,850 - $458,950 Many open territories available Sharetea Over 150 From $300,000 Variety of beverages available Koi Tea Not Specified $200,000 - $500,000 Franchising opportunity for those with food service and/or retail experience Ding Tea Not Specified $123,000 - $422,000 Global brand, minimal requirements for franchisees CUPP Bubble Tea None From 80,000 (UK-based) Offers international master franchise program Bambu Several $137,000 - $321,000 Offers tea, coffee, and exotic fruit smoothies HTeaO Not Specified $289,200 - $859,000 Focus on flavored iced teas, blended drinks, and coffee

Our Methodology: The Top Bubble Tea Franchises

In guiding entrepreneurs towards making informed decisions about bubble tea franchise investments, we use a detailed set of evaluation criteria. Each criterion is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates the least importance and 5 signifies the highest importance in our assessment process:

Market Demand and Trend Analysis Importance: 5 We evaluate the current and projected market demand for bubble tea. The popularity and trend growth of the product in targeted areas are crucial indicators of potential success.

Franchise Cost and Financial Requirements Importance: 4 The initial investment, including franchise fees and setup costs, is a significant consideration. We assess the affordability and value for money of the franchise opportunity.

Brand Recognition and Reputation Importance: 5 A franchise with strong brand recognition can attract more customers. We look at the franchises market presence, customer reviews, and overall brand reputation.

Quality and Variety of Products Importance: 4 The quality of the bubble tea and the variety of flavors and options offered are important for customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Training and Franchisee Support Importance: 4 We consider the level of training and ongoing support provided by the franchisor, including marketing, operational guidance, and assistance in establishing the business.

Operational Efficiency and Technology Importance: 3 Efficient operations and the use of technology in managing the business can significantly impact profitability. This includes inventory management, sales tracking, and customer service systems.

Compliance and Regulatory Considerations Importance: 3 Understanding the health and safety regulations, as well as any specific food industry compliance requirements, is essential for the lawful operation of the franchise.

Location and Territory Rights Importance: 4 The success of a bubble tea franchise can heavily depend on location. We assess the franchisors policies on territory rights and location assistance.



By employing these criteria, our aim is to identify bubble tea franchise opportunities that offer a strong potential for profitability, align with market trends, and provide comprehensive support and resources for franchisees.

The Growth of the Bubble Tea Market

Bubble tea, initially a niche product, has grown exponentially in popularity across the globe. This trend has significant implications for entrepreneurs considering a bubble tea franchise. Understanding the dynamics behind this growth can offer insights into the long-term viability of these business ventures.

Global Influence and Adaptation: Originally from Taiwan, bubble tea has adapted to various cultures, incorporating local flavors and preferences. This adaptability suggests a continued evolution and relevance in diverse markets.

Increasing Consumer Base: The customer base for bubble tea is not just limited to the Asian diaspora. It has become a favorite among a broad demographic, including young adults and health-conscious consumers looking for alternatives to traditional soft drinks.

Social Media Impact: Bubble teas photogenic qualities have made it popular on social media platforms. This visual appeal helps in organic marketing, as customers often share their bubble tea experiences online, contributing to its widespread popularity.

What is a Bubble Tea Franchise?

A bubble tea franchise is an independently owned business that sells bubble tea using a franchise model. This business structure involves a larger brand that is owned by a corporation, and individual stores that are owned and operated by local franchisees. Franchisees pay an initial fee and ongoing royalties in exchange for the ability to use the brands established systems, branding, and resources.

What a Bubble Tea Franchise Involves:

Brand Recognition : One of the primary benefits of owning a franchise is the ability to operate under a well-known brand. This helps attract customers who are already familiar with the brands offerings and reputation. It also reduces the amount of marketing and advertising the franchisee needs to do.

: One of the primary benefits of owning a franchise is the ability to operate under a well-known brand. This helps attract customers who are already familiar with the brands offerings and reputation. It also reduces the amount of marketing and advertising the franchisee needs to do. Initial Franchise Fee : To acquire a franchise, you generally have to pay an initial fee. This gives you the right to use the franchisors brand and business system. The amount varies depending on the franchise, but it typically ranges from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars.

: To acquire a franchise, you generally have to pay an initial fee. This gives you the right to use the franchisors brand and business system. The amount varies depending on the franchise, but it typically ranges from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars. Ongoing Royalties : In addition to the initial franchise fee, franchisees usually have to pay ongoing royalties to the franchisor. This is typically a percentage of the franchises gross revenue and is used to fund corporate support services like advertising, training, and operational support.

: In addition to the initial franchise fee, franchisees usually have to pay ongoing royalties to the franchisor. This is typically a percentage of the franchises gross revenue and is used to fund corporate support services like advertising, training, and operational support. Training and Support : Franchisors typically offer extensive training programs to ensure that franchisees are equipped to run the business effectively. This training might include everything from how to make the bubble tea to how to manage the stores finances. Additionally, franchisors often provide ongoing support in areas such as marketing, supply chain management, and product development.

: Franchisors typically offer extensive training programs to ensure that franchisees are equipped to run the business effectively. This training might include everything from how to make the bubble tea to how to manage the stores finances. Additionally, franchisors often provide ongoing support in areas such as marketing, supply chain management, and product development. Location : Franchisees typically receive help from the franchisor in finding and securing a suitable location for the store. The franchisor may provide guidelines or requirements for the location to ensure it fits with the brands image and target market.

: Franchisees typically receive help from the franchisor in finding and securing a suitable location for the store. The franchisor may provide guidelines or requirements for the location to ensure it fits with the brands image and target market. Operational Guidelines : Franchises operate under specific guidelines provided by the franchisor. These guidelines cover everything from store design and layout to the types of products that can be sold. These standards are designed to ensure consistency across all franchises.

: Franchises operate under specific guidelines provided by the franchisor. These guidelines cover everything from store design and layout to the types of products that can be sold. These standards are designed to ensure consistency across all franchises. Marketing and Advertising : Franchisors often manage large-scale marketing and advertising efforts on behalf of the entire franchise network. They may also provide guidance or resources to franchisees for local marketing efforts.

: Franchisors often manage large-scale marketing and advertising efforts on behalf of the entire franchise network. They may also provide guidance or resources to franchisees for local marketing efforts. Supply Chain: Franchisors typically have established relationships with suppliers, which franchisees can take advantage of. This can result in cost savings and ensures consistency in the products used and sold across all franchise locations.

Owning a bubble tea franchise can be a lucrative opportunity for those interested in this trendy and popular beverage. It offers the chance to own a business with an established brand and a proven business model, while still enjoying the autonomy of being a business owner. However, its important to carefully consider the costs and commitments involved before deciding to invest in a franchise.

Why You Should Consider a Bubble Tea Franchise

If youre interested in starting a business this year, here are some reasons to consider a franchise bubble tea shop:

Stand out in a crowded beverage industry: Bubble tea is a unique offering in many U.S. cities. Though lots of these businesses also offer other specialty beverages like coffees and teas, a bubble tea shop is likely to get noticed.

Bubble tea is a unique offering in many U.S. cities. Though lots of these businesses also offer other specialty beverages like coffees and teas, a bubble tea shop is likely to get noticed. Build brand recognition: Thanks to having franchises in other markets around the country, some people are likely to already know of major bubble tea brands. So you shouldnt have to work as hard to build trust and recognition.

Thanks to having franchises in other markets around the country, some people are likely to already know of major bubble tea brands. So you shouldnt have to work as hard to build trust and recognition. Get up and running quickly: Franchises offer proven systems and support with tasks like site selection and training. So you dont have to figure these elements out on your own.

Franchises offer proven systems and support with tasks like site selection and training. So you dont have to figure these elements out on your own. Access to proven business systems: Once youve launched, they also provide support with marketing materials, inventory, and equipment purchases.

Once youve launched, they also provide support with marketing materials, inventory, and equipment purchases. Expand your offerings: Bubble tea shops often provide additional food and beverage options as well. So this may be the ideal way to break into the beverage world with a small shop.

How to Choose the Best Franchise to Start Your Bubble Tea Business

If youve decided that a bubble tea franchise is right for you, there are many businesses to consider. Here are some tips for making the best decision for your goals.

Consider Your Budget

How much money do you have to dedicate to a franchise fee and other upfront costs? Many companies also require new franchisees to have a certain net worth to meet ongoing costs until the store becomes profitable.

Research Your Local Market

What bubble tea businesses already have a location in your area? If you can offer something new, your franchise may be more likely to stand out. Additionally, if youre interested in eventually expanding with a multi-unit development, consider a brand with lots of open territory near you.

Look at the Support Systems

Each franchise system offers different types of support, from marketing to helping design store layouts. Think about the elements of operating a business that you need the most help with, and consider the opportunities that provide help in those important areas.

Dig Into the Finances

Aside from your initial investment, research ongoing expenses for each franchise, along with potential earnings. Each model should provide financial data in their franchise disclosure documentation.

Sustainability in Bubble Tea Franchising

Eco-Friendly Practices: With growing awareness about environmental issues, many bubble tea franchises are adopting sustainable practices. This includes using biodegradable cups and straws, sourcing ingredients locally to reduce carbon footprint, and implementing waste reduction strategies.

Health-Conscious Options: Some franchises are offering healthier versions of bubble tea, using organic ingredients, less sugar, and dairy alternatives. This approach caters to the increasing demand for healthier beverage options and can be a unique selling point for a franchise.

Community Engagement: Many bubble tea franchises actively engage in community events and local causes. This not only boosts the brands image but also fosters a loyal customer base who value corporate social responsibility.

The Future of Bubble Tea Franchising

The bubble tea market shows no signs of slowing down, and its evolving nature presents exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs. The shift towards sustainability and health-conscious options are not just trends but are becoming integral to the food and beverage industry.

As you consider a bubble tea franchise, these factors are as crucial as the financial and operational aspects. Embracing these trends can set your bubble tea business apart and position it for long-term success in a competitive market.

How much does it cost to start a boba tea franchise?

Each boba tea franchise has its own costs, which also vary by location. However, most brands estimate the initial investment to fall between $200,000 and $500,000. You probably wont find many bubble tea shops when searching for franchises under 10k or even franchises under 20k. A few franchises offering a kiosk or mobile model may fall near the range of franchises under 50k.

Is a bubble tea franchise profitable?

As is the case with nearly any industry, some bubble tea franchises are profitable, while others are not. However, this business model certainly can bring in significant income. Many franchise owners report profit margins of 20 to 30 percent. Check the list above for some of the most profitable franchises in the bubble tea industry.
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Starting a home inspection business can be a great way to make money while helping people. It may seem a little daunting at first glance to create your own business, but with the right tools and information, you can easily make it happen.

In addition, with a booming housing market and new technologies for writing inspection reports and sending them, the obstacles to entry for home inspectors are lower now than theyve ever been.

This article outlines the basics of starting your own home inspection company, including licensing requirements and what services to offer.

27 Steps to Start a Home Inspection Business

Now that you know the basics of starting a home inspection business, its time to get started. Here are 27 steps you can take to get your new business off the ground and be well on your way to being a professional home inspector.

1. Make Sure You Have the Necessary Qualifications and Certification

Before you get into the home inspection business, you must ensure you have the qualifications and certification. Most states require inspectors to have the proper training and be certified.

To become certified, youll need to complete an accredited training program. Many programs are available, including online courses and in-person continuing education classes. You can also find certification programs through organizations like the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI).

If youre still not sure what qualifications and certification you need to be a licensed home inspector, contact your states licensing board or department of consumer affairs. The requirements may change by state, and they can help you determine your requirements.

2. Research Nearby Home Inspectors

Before you start your business, its always a good idea to research the competition. Find out what services they offer and how much they charge. This will help you determine what services to offer and how to price your services. You can also find out what training courses nearby inspectors have taken and whether they are licensed or certified.

3. Know Your Target Market

Who is your target market? For instance, are you targeting home buyers, sellers, or homeowners? Knowing your target market will help you focus your marketing efforts and determine which services to offer.

Homebuyers: Homebuyers are people who are looking for a new home. They usually have a budget and are looking for the best deal possible. Homebuyers are interested in the condition of the property and may ask for a home inspection before making an offer.

Homebuyers are people who are looking for a new home. They usually have a budget and are looking for the best deal possible. Homebuyers are interested in the condition of the property and may ask for a home inspection before making an offer. Home sellers: Home sellers are people who are selling their homes. They usually want to get the best price possible and may hire a home inspector to give them an idea of what needs to be fixed.

Home sellers are people who are selling their homes. They usually want to get the best price possible and may hire a home inspector to give them an idea of what needs to be fixed. Homeowners: Homeowners own their homes and do not want to sell. They may hire a home inspector to check for problems or give them an idea of what needs to be fixed.

Your target market will determine the type of marketing you need to do and the services you offer.

4. Differentiate Your Business

When starting a home inspection company, its important to differentiate yourself from the competition. Why should people hire you instead of another inspector? What makes your business unique? You can differentiate your business by specializing in a particular type of inspection. For instance, you can offer additional services like energy audits or radon testing. You can also offer lower prices than your competitorsbut dont go so low that your quality dips.

Finding a niche is important too. Home inspection is a broad industry, so finding a specific niche can help you stand out from the competition. For example, you could specialize in inspecting new construction homes or foreclosed properties.

5. Choose a Name for Your Own Home Inspection Business

The name of your business is an important decision, as it will be the first thing people see when they search for home inspection businesses in their area. So, make sure its catchy and easy to remember. You can also use your name to create a slogan describing your actions. For example, A Complete Home Inspection from A to Z.

Other tips for choosing a business name:

Make sure the name is available as a domain name and social media handles.

Check to see if the name is trademarked.

Include your location in the business name, such as Home Inspection of Cincinnati.

Choose a unique name thats easy to remember.

Use keywords related to home inspection in your business name.

6. Write a Home Inspection Business Plan

A business plan is a document that outlines your business goals, how you plan to achieve them and how long it will take you to accomplish them. Its your roadmap to creating your company, in other words. It includes information about your business, such as its history, mission statement and target market. A good business plan can also help you get bank loans or attract investors who may want to partner with you.

Your business plan should also include detailed financial information, such as your startup costs, projected profits, and financing methods. The Small Business Association (SBA) has online resources to help you create a comprehensive business plan. You can also use templates or online tools to help you write your plan.

7. Brand Your Business

When starting a home inspection company, creating a strong brand is crucial that people will remember. Your brand should be consistent across all marketing materials, including your website, social media pages and brochures. Make sure all marketing materials are consistent and reflect your brand well.

With branding, its also important to differentiate your business and find your niche. This simple act will help you attract customers that are specifically looking for your services. In addition, establishing niches is important for setting your brand apart. Good niches to consider when it comes to branding include new construction homes, foreclosed properties and commercial buildings.

Another example could be that your company is the only one that recommends experts who give clients a more detailed opinion on mold, termite or structural damage. Another unique niche could be consulting with a home or commercial business owner to help them go green.

8. Form a Legal Entity and Register with the State

To start a home inspection company, youll need to form a legal entity. This process involves creating a business name and filing paperwork with your states Secretary of State office. It also involves filing paperwork and paying a fee. In most states, the registration process is pretty straightforward.

Its important to do this early on to protect your business from legal issues. And do you know what niche comes into play here? You guessed itreal estate law. So, at this stage, you will want to consult an attorney who specializes in this area, and, more specifically, in-home inspection businesses.

You can choose from a few different types of legal entities, and each type has its benefits and drawbacks. So youll need to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

The main types of business entities for home inspection companies are:

Sole proprietorship

Partnership

Limited liability company (LLC)

Corporation

You can learn more about each type of entity on the SBA website.

9. Open a Business Bank Account

When starting any business, its important to open a business bank account. This act will help you keep your finances organized and separate from your personal accounts. It also makes tax filing easier at the end of the year. It will also be a good idea to get a business credit card and start building a credit history for your company.

10. Purchase the Necessary Tools

Youll also need to purchase the right tools to start your inspection company. Additionally, certain home inspection equipment may be required as part of professional licensing requirements in your state. The good news is that most of the tools youll need are fairly affordable, and some can even be rented.

Some of the essential tools for this type of business include:

A digital camera or video camera

Laptop or tablet

Moisture meters

Infrared thermometer

Stethoscope

Flashlight

Safety glasses

You can find a more comprehensive list of tools on the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) website.

11. Consider Home Inspection Software

To make the inspection process more efficient, you may want to consider using home inspection software. This software helps you track your inspections, create reports and store client information. There are several different programs available, and weve listed a few of the more popular ones below:

12. Create a Business Website

In order to market your business and attract new clients, its important to create a website. This approach will inform potential customers about your company, services, and rates. It will also allow them to contact you directly if they have any questions. Many home inspection companies use WordPress.org to power their website since its easy to use and inexpensive. Plus, there are many plugins available to extend its functionality.

13. Make Sure You Have the Licenses Required in Your State

Before you can start performing home inspections, you need to see if you live in a state requiring certain licenses or permits. Even if you arent required to get them, states like Georgia regulate the home inspection profession. You can find out whats needed in your state by contacting your local licensing agency.

14. Get Your Taxes in Order

When starting a business, setting up a system for tracking your expenses and income is crucial. Taking proactive measures like this will make tax filing much easier at the end of the year. You may want to speak with an accountant or tax specialist to get started. Many businesses also use Intuit Turbotax since it integrates with Quickbooks.

The main taxes you must pay as a home inspector are income and self-employment taxes. Bear in mind that taxes may vary by state too.

15. Purchase Business Insurance

When starting a business, its critical to buy insurance to protect yourself and your employees. Insurance policies help cover any costs associated with accidents or injuries that may occur while youre working. Some of the most common types of business insurance include:

General liability insurance

Professional liability insurance

Property damage insurance

Automobile insurance

16. Know How to Write an Inspection Report

One of the most important things you need to know to run a successful business is how to write an inspection report. This expertise will allow you to document your findings and provide them to your clients in a clear and concise manner. When you create inspection reports, they should be easy to read, understandable and include photos of any issues found during the inspection.

You can refer to Home Inspectors: Report Writing 101, written by the real estate experts at the Organization of Real Estate Professionals to write your home inspection reports.

17. Market Your Business

In order to attract new clients, its essential to market your business effectively. This fact is especially true for small businesses that are just starting out. Its also good to design your website with SEO optimization for your own firm. Also, business cards, flyers, brochures, online presence and word-of-mouth are all excellent ways to get the word out there about your home inspection company.

How do I Market Myself as a Home Inspector?

There are a number of different ways you can use your marketing skills to make potential clients aware of your new business and your skills as a home inspector, including:

Posting ads in local newspapers or online classifieds

Developing relationships with real estate agents and contractors

Attending trade shows and conventions

Networking with other professionals

Attending home shows and trade shows

Offering free inspections to potential clients

Giving presentations at community events

18. Generate Leads and Take on Clients

Once youve started marketing your home inspection company, its time to generate leads and take on clients. When you have a few leads, its critical to follow up with them as soon as possible.

Make sure you are prepared to give potential clients a brief overview of your home inspection services and be ready to answer any questions they may have. Then, once youve booked an appointment, be sure to show up on time and ready to work.

Its important to remember that not all leads will turn into clients. You may need to go through several leads before you find one interested in using your services. So dont get discouraged; just keep working hard and continue marketing your business.

How do I Generate Home Inspection Leads?

Without leads, your inspection company will struggle to grow. So, how do you generate leads? There are a number of ways to go about it, including:

Posting flyers in local businesses and online

Sending emails to potential clients

Calling or visiting local real estate agents

Creating a landing page on your website for leads

Getting listed on a home inspection directory like Hire an Inspector

19. Start Inspecting

Once you have all the necessary knowledge and skills, its time to start inspecting homes. When you inspect a home, be sure to document everything in your inspection report. Doing this will allow you to provide your clients with a detailed overview of the property they are considering purchasing.

Its important to inspect both the interior and exterior of the home and the propertys surrounding area. Make sure to pay close attention to any potential issues and document them in your report.

When inspecting a home, some issues to look for include:

Structural damage

Water damage

Mold or mildew

Termite damage

Lead paint

Gas leaks

Bad roof

Damaged air conditioning units

When inspecting commercial buildings and schools, especially when it comes to older structures, look for the following culprits:

Fire damage

Electrical problems

Structural damage

Asbestos in floor tiles, ceilings and roof tiles

20. Develop a Strong Online Presence

After establishing the fundamentals, focus on building a strong online presence. Engage with potential clients through social media and maintain an SEO-optimized website. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews online to enhance your credibility and reach.

21. Implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools

CRM tools are essential for efficiently managing customer interactions. These tools help in tracking client details, appointments, and follow-ups, ensuring you provide prompt and personalized service to your clients.

22. Offer Exceptional Customer Service

Prioritize offering exceptional customer service. Be responsive and thorough in your interactions, and aim to exceed customer expectations. Happy clients often lead to referrals and repeat business.

23. Regularly Update Skills and Knowledge

The home inspection industry is constantly evolving. Stay ahead by regularly updating your skills and knowledge through ongoing education, workshops, and industry seminars.

24. Explore Diversification and Specialization

Consider diversifying your services or specializing in niche areas like energy audits or historic homes. This can help you attract a specific clientele and stand out in the market.

25. Network with Real Estate Professionals

Building relationships with real estate agents, lenders, and other industry professionals can lead to valuable partnerships and referrals, significantly boosting your business prospects.

26. Utilize Digital Marketing Strategies

Invest in digital marketing strategies to expand your reach. This includes SEO, PPC advertising, and targeted email campaigns to attract potential clients and build your brand.

27. Scale Your Successful Home Inspection Business

As your business for home inspecting grows, you may find that you need to hire additional staff or subcontractors. This process can help you manage your growing client base and ensure all inspections are timely.

Its also important to keep track of personal assets and ensure adequate insurance coverage. As your business grows, you will likely deal with more expensive equipment and property. Additionally, keep a close eye on your finances to ensure you are charging enough for your services.

Finally, as your business becomes more successful, you may also want to consider expanding into new markets. Establishing a home inspection franchise to do this is a great way to scale.

The best way to scale your home inspection business is by continuing to provide excellent service and maintaining high professionalism. Make sure you stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and technologies and always put the needs of your clients first.

What is a Home Inspection Business?

A home inspection business is a company that provides thorough inspections of the interior and exterior of homes for potential buyers, sellers or homeowners. In addition, they may examine the condition of a property and look for any problems that may need repair.

These companies also provide customers with detailed written reports of issues they find and advise how to fix them.

Why You Should Consider Starting a Home Inspection Business

There are many reasons why you should consider starting a home inspection company. Here are some of the benefits:

You can work from home: Home inspection is a perfect business to start if you want to work from home. You dont need a lot of space, and you can set your own hours.

Home inspection is a perfect business to start if you want to work from home. You dont need a lot of space, and you can set your own hours. There is a growing demand for home inspectors: Home inspections are important. With home sales increasing and roughly 90% of these homes requiring a home inspection, theres a growing demand for home inspectors and home inspection companies.

Home inspections are important. With home sales increasing and roughly 90% of these homes requiring a home inspection, theres a growing demand for home inspectors and home inspection companies. You dont need a lot of experience: Although you need professional inspection licensing in most states, you dont need a lot of experience to start a home inspection company. There are also many resources available to help you learn the ropes.

Although you need professional inspection licensing in most states, you dont need a lot of experience to start a home inspection company. There are also many resources available to help you learn the ropes. It is a relatively easy business to start: Starting a home inspection company is relatively easy. You dont need much money or space, and you can begin offering services immediately.

How Much Does it Cost to Start a Home Inspection Business?

The cost to start a home inspection business varies, depending on the type of business you want to set up. Here are some approximate startup costs:

Licensing and certification: Varies by state but usually runs around $200-$300. Click here to see the licensing requirements, including costs by state: https://www.spectora.com/r/home-inspector-license-requirements-map/

Varies by state but usually runs around $200-$300. Click here to see the licensing requirements, including costs by state: https://www.spectora.com/r/home-inspector-license-requirements-map/ Home inspection software: Around $800 a year

Around $800 a year Equipment: $300 for basic and $1,000+ for more specialized equipment

$300 for basic and $1,000+ for more specialized equipment Marketing: $50  $200, although you can easily exceed $1,000 if you purchase a custom website and use marketing strategies such as SEO.

$50  $200, although you can easily exceed $1,000 if you purchase a custom website and use marketing strategies such as SEO. Home inspection school: $400 to $1,000

Generally, you can expect startup costs for your business to come in at around $1,300 on the low end and approximately $5,000+ on the high end.

Is a Home Inspection Business Profitable?

Yes, the home inspection trade can be profitable, with many inspectors earning $47,600 (part-time) to $97,000 (full-time) a year on average. Many home inspection businesses that are considered multi-inspector companies can earn even more, bringing home anywhere from $500,000 to $3 million annually.

Before you say, Sign me up! though, bear in mind that building a business from the ground up can be a challenge. Its a surprising statistic, but around 60% of home inspection businesses fail.

Most of this failure rate stems from the harsh reality of building a business from scratch, according to professional inspector and educator Dan Bowers.

So, be ready for some hard work and expense, especially in the beginning. The financial rewards look pretty enticing if you are prepared to roll up your sleeves and do it.

The Opportunities of Establishing a Home Inspecting Business

Opportunity Description Growing Market Demand With the rise in real estate transactions, the need for home inspections is growing, providing ample opportunities. Low Startup Costs The business doesn't require significant investment, making it accessible to many entrepreneurs. Regulatory Compliance Staying up-to-date with local regulations can provide a competitive advantage and continuous business opportunities. Flexibility in Operation Can be run full-time or part-time, and expanded as the business grows. Potential for Expansion Opportunities to offer specialized services for growth and expansion into new markets. Partnership Opportunities Working closely with real estate agents, mortgage lenders, and insurance companies can create ongoing referral partnerships. Technology Integration Utilizing modern technology can improve efficiency and offer faster, more detailed inspections. Sustainable Practices Focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability can attract environmentally conscious customers. Educational Opportunities Offering educational services to homeowners can enhance customer satisfaction and lead to word-of-mouth referrals. Franchising Potential If the business model is successful, there may be opportunities to franchise the business, allowing for rapid expansion into various markets and potentially creating a recognized and respected brand in the home inspection industry.

Establishing a home inspecting business can present several exciting opportunities. Heres a list of ten potential benefits and opportunities:

Growing Market Demand : With a rise in real estate transactions, the demand for home inspections is growing. Ensuring that homes are safe, energy-efficient, and up to code is increasingly important, providing ample opportunities for inspection businesses.

: With a rise in real estate transactions, the demand for home inspections is growing. Ensuring that homes are safe, energy-efficient, and up to code is increasingly important, providing ample opportunities for inspection businesses. Low Startup Costs : Unlike some other businesses, starting a home inspection business doesnt necessarily require a significant investment. Basic equipment, certifications, and perhaps a vehicle are the primary expenses, making it accessible to many entrepreneurs.

: Unlike some other businesses, starting a home inspection business doesnt necessarily require a significant investment. Basic equipment, certifications, and perhaps a vehicle are the primary expenses, making it accessible to many entrepreneurs. Regulatory Compliance Opportunity : In many jurisdictions, home inspections are a mandatory part of the home-buying process. Staying up-to-date with local regulations can provide a competitive advantage and continuous business opportunities.

: In many jurisdictions, home inspections are a mandatory part of the home-buying process. Staying up-to-date with local regulations can provide a competitive advantage and continuous business opportunities. Flexibility in Operation : A home inspecting business can be started as a one-person operation, allowing for a flexible schedule. It can be run full-time or part-time and expanded as the business grows.

: A home inspecting business can be started as a one-person operation, allowing for a flexible schedule. It can be run full-time or part-time and expanded as the business grows. Potential for Expansion : There are opportunities to offer specialized services, like pest inspections, radon testing, or thermal imaging, that can differentiate your business and allow for growth and expansion into new markets.

: There are opportunities to offer specialized services, like pest inspections, radon testing, or thermal imaging, that can differentiate your business and allow for growth and expansion into new markets. Partnership Opportunities : Working closely with real estate agents, mortgage lenders, and insurance companies can create ongoing referral partnerships. Building these relationships can lead to a consistent stream of clients.

: Working closely with real estate agents, mortgage lenders, and insurance companies can create ongoing referral partnerships. Building these relationships can lead to a consistent stream of clients. Technology Integration : Utilizing modern technology, like drones or specialized software, can improve efficiency and allow you to offer unique services. This innovation may attract more tech-savvy clients and offer faster, more detailed inspections.

: Utilizing modern technology, like drones or specialized software, can improve efficiency and allow you to offer unique services. This innovation may attract more tech-savvy clients and offer faster, more detailed inspections. Sustainable Practices Opportunity : Focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability can be a unique selling proposition. Offering inspections that assess energy efficiency and recommend improvements can attract environmentally conscious customers.

: Focusing on energy efficiency and sustainability can be a unique selling proposition. Offering inspections that assess energy efficiency and recommend improvements can attract environmentally conscious customers. Educational Opportunities : Home inspecting businesses can offer educational services to homeowners, helping them understand the condition of their property and how to maintain it. This added value can enhance customer satisfaction and lead to word-of-mouth referrals.

: Home inspecting businesses can offer educational services to homeowners, helping them understand the condition of their property and how to maintain it. This added value can enhance customer satisfaction and lead to word-of-mouth referrals. Franchising Potential: If the business model is successful, there may be opportunities to franchise the business. This could allow for rapid expansion into various markets and potentially create a recognized and respected brand in the home inspection industry.

Remember, while these opportunities exist, success in this business requires thorough planning, understanding of the market, commitment to quality service, adherence to local laws and regulations, and continuous learning and adaptation to industry trends and technologies.

FAQs About Starting a Home Inspection Business

What qualifications or certifications do I need to start a home inspection business?

While requirements vary by location, obtaining a home inspection certification or license is essential in most places. Additionally, having a background in construction, engineering, or related fields can be beneficial.

How much initial investment is required to launch a home inspection business?

The startup costs can vary depending on factors such as equipment purchases, marketing expenses, insurance, and office setup. On average, expect an initial investment of $5,000 to $20,000.

Is it necessary to have insurance for a home inspection business?

Yes, insurance is crucial to protect yourself and your clients from potential liability. General liability insurance and errors and omissions (E&O) insurance are common policies for home inspectors.

How can I market and promote my home inspection services effectively?

Building a strong online presence through a professional website, local SEO, and social media is essential. Networking with real estate agents and offering referral incentives can also help attract clients.

What tools and equipment are required for conducting home inspections?

Basic tools include a flashlight, electrical testers, moisture meters, ladders, and comprehensive inspection report software. Consider investing in thermal imaging cameras and radon testing kits for additional services.

How long does it take to complete a typical home inspection?

The duration of a home inspection depends on the size and condition of the property. On average, inspections can take 2 to 3 hours, but larger or more complex homes may require more time.

Are there any ongoing education or professional development requirements for home inspectors?

Yes, staying updated with industry trends, building codes, and new inspection techniques is crucial. Joining professional associations and attending workshops or webinars can help fulfill continuing education requirements.
Copyright protection is good to have for your website. Its the proper way to protect original website content. That includes web pages, photographs and any unique writing.

Following is everything youll need to know about how to copyright a website in the United States. The content in this post shouldnt be considered legal advice.

How do I Copyright my Website?

Going through the process for your website provides you the copyright protection listed above.

A copyright notice consists of the associated symbol or the word copyright used. You dont need to register these for them to exist. However, registering with the US Copyright Office supplies more weight legally.

A valid copyright notice needs a date or date range and a statement of rights. Plus the three elements below. These are the elements of copyright law.

The Copyright Symbol

You can type the copyright character, use the full word or this abbreviation, Copr.

Year of Publication

The year of publication is another part of the copyright notice. Its the year the website is made public or goes live.

Copyright Owners Name

Copyright laws include publishing the owners name. Ownership rights usually go to the owners of the website.

Do I Need to Register my Copyright Notice?

Your website is a valuable asset for any small business. Copyright protection begins when your website file is saved. Youre automatically protected when that happens.

Registration with the copyright office (mentioned above) is voluntary. However, if you want to bring a lawsuit for infringement in America, you need to register such a notice.

Preparing for Copyright Registration: Documentation and Inventory

Prior to registering your copyright, its crucial to document and inventory all copyrightable material on your website. This includes preparing a list of all original texts, images, videos, and unique design elements.

Ensure you hold the rights to all the materials, including those created by third parties. Proper documentation and inventory will streamline the registration process and ensure comprehensive protection of your websites content.

How to Register Copyright for a Website

First you need to identify the copyrightable authorship content. Stuff like web pages containing original content. Heres a starter video covering some legal information and copyright ideas.

Read on about further steps.

1. File a Copyright Application

The U.S. copyright office is the place you want to go. Specifically, their online registration portal. Find the other digital content category.

2. Pay the Copyright Filing Fee

Heres the link to the fees at the U.S. Copyright Office. Electronic filing to copyright a website ranges from $50 to $65. Online it costs $35.

3. Attach Copies of Your Website Content

These are creative works. So, youll need to include images, software, broadcasts, text, design, graphics, website layout, any music and data.

Most websites are whats called a tangible medium that includes original work. That means its substantial and not imaginary.

When Will my Copyright Registration Take Effect?

If you register a copyright, it takes effect the day the office gets :

the application

the deposit

the filing fee

Tick those boxes and you can place a copyright symbol on your website.

How to Create Copyright Website Footer?

Heres how to implement a copyright website footer. Use the symbol or the words on every page. Add the date too. Using WordPress? Use the footer.php link to add the info to the sites footer.

What Does Copyright on a Website Mean?

Digital content on any website can qualify as intellectual property. That means items like a blog post are covered. Copyright law automatically applies the minute your website goes up.

However, copyright infringement laws only apply when you register. You can take legal action if your content gets stolen or plagiarized then.

Be aware that registering your website with the US copyright office only covers the content when you sign up. Anything thats added later needs to have another registration.

Theres other things to consider too. Like the fact The Copyright Act doesnt automatically recognize websites. Unless they meet certain requirements.

Copyright Basics for Websites

Copyright protection is essential for safeguarding the unique elements of your website, which include textual content, images, design, and layout. Understanding the scope of copyright is crucial. Copyright law protects original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.

This includes website content that is original and independently created. Its important to know that copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, or names, but the expression of these ideas in a tangible form.

The Importance of Copyright Registration

Registering your websites copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, while not mandatory, offers significant benefits. It serves as a public record of your copyright ownership and is necessary if you plan to file a lawsuit for infringement in U.S. courts.

Registration can also increase the potential statutory damages and attorneys fees recoverable in a successful infringement lawsuit. Its a proactive step in reinforcing your legal rights and deterring potential infringers.

What are the Benefits of Having a Copyright Notice on my Site?

Putting a website, blog or even a social media copyright notice is important. Here are four reasons why. Use the symbol or the word copyright.

It tells people the work on the website is intellectual property and you have the rights to it.

It makes it easier if you need to go forward with a copyright infringement lawsuit.

If someone wants to use your content, a copyright notice makes it easier to get in touch.

Its a public record that you own the content.

Examples of Copyright Notices

Here are three copyright statements for website examples.

Microsoft

One of the biggest players in the digital landscape is Microsoft. They use the company name and the copyright symbol.

Image: microsoft.com

Verizon takes the simple approach to copyright notices. They use a small copyright symbol, the company name and date.

The Home Depot takes a slightly different approach to their copyright notice. They use the copyright symbol and their full company name. But they add some notes on the terms of use and other information.

International Copyright Protection for Websites

While copyright protection in the United States offers valuable rights and legal benefits for website owners, its essential to understand that this protection may not extend to other countries automatically.

Websites copyrighted in America do not have automatic international recognition. However, there are treaties and conventions that facilitate copyright protection in multiple countries.

To enhance international copyright protection for your website, consider the following steps:

Berne Convention: The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is an international treaty that provides copyright protection among its member countries. As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, there were over 170 member countries. Websites copyrighted in one member country should be protected in other member countries without the need for separate registrations.

The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is an international treaty that provides copyright protection among its member countries. As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, there were over 170 member countries. Websites copyrighted in one member country should be protected in other member countries without the need for separate registrations. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): WIPO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with intellectual property issues, including copyright. It administers international treaties related to copyright protection, such as the Berne Convention and the WIPO Copyright Treaty. Registering your copyright with WIPOs Copyright Office can help establish evidence of copyright ownership and facilitate protection in multiple countries.

WIPO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with intellectual property issues, including copyright. It administers international treaties related to copyright protection, such as the Berne Convention and the WIPO Copyright Treaty. Registering your copyright with WIPOs Copyright Office can help establish evidence of copyright ownership and facilitate protection in multiple countries. Country-Specific Registrations: While copyright protection is automatic in many countries due to international treaties, some countries may have additional requirements for legal enforcement. In some cases, registering your copyright with the copyright office of a specific country can strengthen your rights and provide additional legal remedies if infringement occurs in that jurisdiction.

While copyright protection is automatic in many countries due to international treaties, some countries may have additional requirements for legal enforcement. In some cases, registering your copyright with the copyright office of a specific country can strengthen your rights and provide additional legal remedies if infringement occurs in that jurisdiction. Use Copyright Notices: Displaying a copyright notice on your website, including the copyright symbol (), the year of publication, and the name of the copyright owner, can help communicate your copyright ownership and intent to protect your intellectual property. Although not required for copyright protection, a copyright notice can act as a deterrent against potential infringement.

Displaying a copyright notice on your website, including the copyright symbol (), the year of publication, and the name of the copyright owner, can help communicate your copyright ownership and intent to protect your intellectual property. Although not required for copyright protection, a copyright notice can act as a deterrent against potential infringement. Monitor and Enforce: Regularly monitor your websites content to detect potential infringements in other countries. If you identify unauthorized use of your copyrighted material, consult with legal experts in the relevant jurisdiction to assess your options for enforcement.

Topic Description Copyright Protection in the United States This section explains the importance of copyright protection for websites, covering original content like web pages, photographs, and unique writing. It clarifies that copyright law automatically applies to digital content on a website from the moment it goes live, but registration is necessary to take legal action against infringement. The section also discusses the requirements and benefits of adding a copyright notice to a website. Benefits of Having a Copyright Notice Here, the four main advantages of including a copyright notice on a website are outlined. These benefits include communicating the ownership of intellectual property, facilitating copyright infringement lawsuits, making it easier for users to contact the owner for permissions, and creating a public record of content ownership. How to Copyright a Website This section guides readers through the process of obtaining copyright protection for their website content. It covers the basics of a copyright notice, such as the copyright symbol, the year of publication, and the copyright owner's name. It clarifies that registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is voluntary but necessary for pursuing legal action for infringement. Steps to Register Copyright for a Website In this segment, the steps to register a copyright for a website are detailed. It includes filing a copyright application through the U.S. Copyright Office's online portal and paying the required filing fee. Moreover, it emphasizes the need to attach copies of the website content, such as images, software, text, graphics, and music, to complete the registration process. International Copyright Protection for Websites The final section explores the complexities of international copyright protection for websites. It highlights that copyright laws may not automatically extend to other countries and explains the importance of international treaties, such as the Berne Convention, in facilitating cross-border copyright protection. It encourages website owners to consider country-specific registrations and the use of copyright notices for broader coverage.

Remember, copyright laws and international agreements can change over time, so its essential to stay informed about the latest developments in copyright protection. Seeking legal advice from intellectual property experts can help you navigate the complexities of international copyright law and safeguard your websites content worldwide.

Responding to Copyright Infringement

If you discover that your websites content has been infringed upon, its important to respond appropriately.

The first step is often to send a cease and desist letter to the infringer. If this doesnt resolve the issue, you may need to negotiate a settlement or pursue legal action. Keep records of all infringements and actions taken, as they can be crucial in any legal proceedings.

Continual Monitoring and Updating Copyright Notices

Maintaining the copyright protection of your website is an ongoing process. Regularly update your copyright notices, especially when adding new content. Periodically review your website to ensure that no unauthorized use of your materials has occurred.

Continual monitoring and timely updating of copyright notices are key to safeguarding your intellectual property effectively.

Can you copyright for free?

The answer is yes. A number of artistic works can be copyrighted for free if you dont register the copyright. Keep in mind you dont have an additional layer of protection on your creative work when you go this route.

Who owns the copyright on a website?

Its important to understand something about the copyright owner for a website. The creator owns the copyright.

There can be side agreements for items like computer software. If you employ someone and they build it, your business still owns the copyright.

There are work for hire arrangements and clauses for independent contractors too.

What is intellectual property on a website?

The term refers to the unique aspects of a website. Like the fonts used in the text and even the coding. Whatever gets created specifically for the website.

What happens if I dont copyright my website?

You wont be eligible for statutory damages and attorney fees if theres the need for a lawsuit. Original words and other items wont be as protected.

What can you not copyright on a website?

A copyright symbol doesnt cover everything on a website, this is copyright law 101. These items cant be covered.

Common information like calendars and tables and lists from public documents.

Ideas

Names and Titles

Even a business name cannot be included.

Is my website copyright good in other countries?

Websites copyrighted in America dont have automatic international recognition. Heres a list of treaties and conventions.
The name that you choose for your business can make a major impact on your brand image. Selecting the perfect name sometimes requires finding a balance between the practical and creative elements. Then once you have the perfect name in mind, you need to make it official and protect your brand.

How to Create a Business Name

If youre just getting started with your business journey and are in search of the perfect name, heres a guide ranging from the creative to the legal aspects involved.

1. Choose a Name Thats Creative and Memorable

The best business names always stand out from the competition. That means they need to be creative and unique. Theres no magic formula for this. But basically, your name should be different enough from other companies in your industry that customers wont confuse your business with others.

However, there are also some advantages of having a business name that clearly and directly describes what you do. For example, including plumbing in the name for a local plumber tells people exactly what type of service you provide.

So theyre not left guessing. And it can help you with things like SEO for your website. You can still get a little creative with the other aspects of your name. But in certain industries, people dont expect anything too out-there.

No matter what style of business name you choose, its essential that the name you choose is easy to remember. It should be pithy and simple enough so that customers can commit it to memory after doing business with you just once.

Ideally, it should also be something thats very easy to read and pronounce. And if theres some kind of hook, like a pun or an element that you can tie into your logo or branding, even better.

If youre not sure where to get started on your naming journey, you might consider using a name generator or list of name examples that are specific to your industry. You still need to make sure that the names you come up with arent taken.

But these tools can sometimes help business owners find that spark of inspiration that leads to an original idea.

Exploring Creativity : Consider using brainstorming sessions, word associations, or even creative tools like mind mapping to generate unique ideas. Look for inspiration in literature, different languages, or cultural references that align with your brand ethos.

: Consider using brainstorming sessions, word associations, or even creative tools like mind mapping to generate unique ideas. Look for inspiration in literature, different languages, or cultural references that align with your brand ethos. Memorability Factors: Think about rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration in the name. Names that are easy to say and have a rhythmic quality tend to stick in peoples minds.

2. Check the Availability of Your Business Name

Even if you find the perfect business name, it wont do you any good if someone else is already using it. This can lead to confusion for your business and potentially even legal issues.

To avoid this, check the U.S. trademark database and your states database of business names. Additionally, you need to look into the rules regarding business names in your state and/or city. Some states have outlawed certain words, often those that might imply you run a government office, school or financial institution. If you meet these qualifications, then you should be good to go legally.

However, there may still be other businesses using your preferred name without having a trademark registered. Even if you can lay legal claim to it, a company that has been using the name for years may create headaches for your business.

And the whole thing can seem confusing for customers. Do some online searches to make sure your name isnt in use unofficially. You may even want to search for names that look especially similar to avoid confusion.

In-Depth Search : Beyond databases, consider conducting a comprehensive internet search, including social media platforms, to ensure your name doesnt clash with existing online presences.

: Beyond databases, consider conducting a comprehensive internet search, including social media platforms, to ensure your name doesnt clash with existing online presences. Consulting Legal Professionals: To ensure thoroughness, you might want to consult with a legal expert who specializes in intellectual property to conduct this search.

3. See If the Domain Is Available

Ideally, your business name will also be available as a website domain. Using your name, rather than a tagline or combination of other words, makes your site easy to remember. So customers can quickly find you online and make purchases or interact with your business.

Before choosing a name, its a good idea to check the availability of the domain you want. If its taken, you may want to rethink or adjust your name, or reach out to the owner to see if they might be willing to sell. You might also look to see if the corresponding social media handles are available.

Once you have your eye on a domain that corresponds with the name of your business, try to register it with the .com extension, since thats what people are used to.

You can also purchase the .net and .org equivalents and have them redirect to your main site. There are actually lots of new extensions available today, including things like .tv and .design. But these arent usually as easy for customers to remember.

Alternative Domains : In case the .com version is not available, consider other TLDs (Top-Level Domains) like .net, .biz, or even newer ones like .app, .store, depending on your business.

: In case the .com version is not available, consider other TLDs (Top-Level Domains) like .net, .biz, or even newer ones like .app, .store, depending on your business. Purchasing Existing Domains: If your desired domain is taken but not actively used, consider reaching out to the current owner for a potential purchase.

Heres what to do if you find your chosen name is unavailable:

4. Do a Legal Check

Before finalizing your business name, its imperative to ensure that there are no legal impediments to using it. This involves a few crucial steps:

Trademark Search: Begin by checking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices database to ensure no other business has trademarked the name. This is a critical step, as using a name thats already trademarked can lead to legal complications.

Begin by checking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices database to ensure no other business has trademarked the name. This is a critical step, as using a name thats already trademarked can lead to legal complications. State Business Database: Each state maintains a database of business names registered within its jurisdiction. Ensure your desired name isnt already taken by another entity in your state.

Each state maintains a database of business names registered within its jurisdiction. Ensure your desired name isnt already taken by another entity in your state. Legal Structure Implications: If you plan on forming an LLC or Corporation, there might be specific naming conventions or requirements youll need to follow.

If you plan on forming an LLC or Corporation, there might be specific naming conventions or requirements youll need to follow. International Trademarks : If you plan on operating globally, check international trademark databases to avoid conflicts in key markets.

: If you plan on operating globally, check international trademark databases to avoid conflicts in key markets. Avoiding Infringement: Understand the difference between direct trademark infringement and confusing similarity to prevent legal disputes.

5. Consider the International Implications

When launching a brand or business, especially in our globally connected world, its paramount to consider international implications. The name you select might sound perfect in your native tongue, but could carry unintended connotations elsewhere.

For instance, the automobile Chevrolet Nova had to reconsider its name in Spanish-speaking countries as No va means doesnt go. Beyond literal translations, cultural nuances play a significant role.

A phrase or word that might be benign in one culture could be offensive or inappropriate in another. Furthermore, even the way a word sounds can have inadvertent meanings.

Cultural Sensitivity : Engage cultural consultants if you plan to operate in diverse regions to ensure the name does not have negative connotations.

: Engage cultural consultants if you plan to operate in diverse regions to ensure the name does not have negative connotations. Multilingual Considerations: Verify that your name does not have an undesirable meaning in other languages, especially if you plan to operate internationally.

For businesses planning to venture into global markets, its prudent to conduct thorough research, perhaps even engaging local experts to vet names in their cultural and linguistic contexts.

Here are some more things you should consider:

Ease of Spelling: A business name should be straightforward to spell to avoid confusion. Simple spelling aids in online searches and makes it easier for customers to share your business through word-of-mouth.

A business name should be straightforward to spell to avoid confusion. Simple spelling aids in online searches and makes it easier for customers to share your business through word-of-mouth. Visual Representation: Consider the aesthetic implications of your business name. How it appears on logos, business cards, or storefronts is essential. A names visual appeal can be as influential as its meaning or sound.

Consider the aesthetic implications of your business name. How it appears on logos, business cards, or storefronts is essential. A names visual appeal can be as influential as its meaning or sound. Avoid Limiting Names: Choose a name that allows your business the flexibility to grow or diversify. For example, a name like Just Pencils can be limiting if the business later expands to sell other office supplies.

Choose a name that allows your business the flexibility to grow or diversify. For example, a name like Just Pencils can be limiting if the business later expands to sell other office supplies. Positive Associations: Names that evoke positive emotions or associations can be powerful. Selecting words or phrases that suggest trustworthiness, reliability, or any other positive trait relevant to your business can be very effective in attracting customers.

6. Reflect on the Names Longevity

The business world is replete with trends, but naming your venture shouldnt be a fleeting decision. Reflecting on your chosen names longevity is crucial for several reasons:

Future Expansion: Today, you might be selling artisanal teas, but what if you expand into coffee? Ensure your name can encompass potential growth areas.

Today, you might be selling artisanal teas, but what if you expand into coffee? Ensure your name can encompass potential growth areas. Timelessness Over Trendiness: While it might be tempting to choose a name thats currently in vogue, it can seem outdated in just a few years.

While it might be tempting to choose a name thats currently in vogue, it can seem outdated in just a few years. Ease of Pronunciation: Names that stand the test of time are often easy to pronounce and remember.

Names that stand the test of time are often easy to pronounce and remember. Scalability and Diversification : Choose a name that does not limit your business to a particular product, service, or region unless you are sure of maintaining a niche focus.

: Choose a name that does not limit your business to a particular product, service, or region unless you are sure of maintaining a niche focus. Future-proofing: Consider potential future trends and changes in language use to ensure the name remains relevant and appealing.

7. Ensure It Aligns with Your Brand Identity

A brand name isnt merely a title; its an embodiment of the brands essence, values, and narrative. It should be a mirror reflection of what the brand stands for.

If your brand is about sustainable fashion, a name that evokes nature, authenticity, or green practices might be apt. Alternatively, a tech company would want something cutting-edge, perhaps alluding to innovation or the future.

The alignment should be such that when customers hear the name, they instantly associate it with the brands core message and ethos. A misaligned name can create confusion, diluting the brand message.

Brand Story and Name Connection : Explore how your business name can narrate or hint at your brand story or the values you uphold.

: Explore how your business name can narrate or hint at your brand story or the values you uphold. Target Audience Alignment: Make sure the name resonates well with your target demographic. A name that appeals to a younger audience might not resonate with an older demographic.

8. Feedback and Testing

Before finalizing your business name, its prudent to solicit feedback and conduct testing. Gathering impressions from potential customers, stakeholders, or a focus group can provide invaluable insights.

Sometimes, a name that resonates with the founder might not have the same effect on the general public. Saying the name aloud, as simple as it sounds, can also be an effective test. How does it roll off the tongue?

Is it catchy? Memorable? Conduct online polls or use social media to gauge reactions.

Remember, the objective is to choose a name that not only you love but that resonates broadly with your intended audience.

Diverse Perspectives : Gather feedback from a diverse group of people to ensure the name has broad appeal and doesnt inadvertently offend or alienate any group.

: Gather feedback from a diverse group of people to ensure the name has broad appeal and doesnt inadvertently offend or alienate any group. Market Testing: Consider small-scale testing through focus groups or online surveys to gauge potential customer reactions.

9. Register Your Business Name

Once you have the perfect name, its time to make it official. In the U.S. you can register your business name with the Secretary of State office in your state. Outside the U.S., find the relevant local authority that deals with businesses and ask about their process.

Additionally, if the business name that you use on a daily basis is different than the legal name for your business (like if youre a sole proprietor and your business name is technically your own name) then you can file a DBA to register the name you use for business matters.

You might also consider protecting your brand name with a trademark. This is different than registering your business name, even though your brand and business names may be the same.

This would give you legal protections if other companies attempt to use your brand name in any of their materials. And it can also help you protect multiple brands under the umbrella of one company.

Understanding Different Business Structures : The process may vary if you are a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, or corporation. Understand the implications for each.

: The process may vary if you are a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, or corporation. Understand the implications for each. Trademark Registration: Consider seeking professional assistance for trademark registration to navigate the process efficiently and accurately.

How to Create a Business Name Checklist

Steps for Creating a Business Name Completed Choose a Creative & Memorable Name [ ] Check Name Availability [ ] Domain Availability [ ] Legal Check [ ] Consider International Implications [ ] Ease of Spelling [ ] Visual Representation [ ] Avoid Limiting Names [ ] Positive Associations [ ] Reflect on Name's Longevity [ ] Align with Brand Identity [ ] Feedback and Testing [ ] Register Your Business Name [ ]
Your businesss logo is perhaps the most important element of your companys branding. Ideally, your logo should represent what your company stands for and help customers easily recall your business.

How to Create a Logo for Your Business

So what makes a good logo? There are several important design elements and considerations to make before diving in. Here are some of the most important logo design tips and other things to consider as you create this important representation of your brand.

What to Include in a Logo

There are different types of logos out there. But for most small businesses, its a good idea to include your business name in the design to make things easy for customers. In addition to your name, your logo should include some kind of graphic that makes it stand out. This might be as simple as a customized font.

Here are the the main things that should be included in a business logo:

Business Name : This is fundamental. Your business name must be legible and in a font that is aligned with your brands personality. Whether you choose a serif, sans-serif, or any other type of font, ensure it represents your business effectively.

: This is fundamental. Your business name must be legible and in a font that is aligned with your brands personality. Whether you choose a serif, sans-serif, or any other type of font, ensure it represents your business effectively. Unique Graphic or Symbol : An iconic image or shape that represents your business can be a powerful visual cue. It could be abstract, like Nikes swoosh, or descriptive, like Apples apple.

: An iconic image or shape that represents your business can be a powerful visual cue. It could be abstract, like Nikes swoosh, or descriptive, like Apples apple. Customized Font : Instead of going with a default font, consider a custom or modified font that is unique to your brand. This can help set you apart from competitors and emphasize your brands individuality.

: Instead of going with a default font, consider a custom or modified font that is unique to your brand. This can help set you apart from competitors and emphasize your brands individuality. Tagline or Slogan : If you have a concise and catchy slogan, consider integrating it into the logo. However, ensure it doesnt clutter the design. A good tagline complements the logo and reinforces the brand message.

: If you have a concise and catchy slogan, consider integrating it into the logo. However, ensure it doesnt clutter the design. A good tagline complements the logo and reinforces the brand message. Color Palette : Colors evoke emotions. Choose colors that align with the feelings you want your brand to convey. For instance, blue often signifies trustworthiness, while red can imply energy or passion.

: Colors evoke emotions. Choose colors that align with the feelings you want your brand to convey. For instance, blue often signifies trustworthiness, while red can imply energy or passion. Scalability : Your logo should be designed in such a way that it looks good in all sizes, whether on a billboard or a business card.

: Your logo should be designed in such a way that it looks good in all sizes, whether on a billboard or a business card. Relevance : Ensure the design elements chosen are relevant to your business or industry. For instance, a bakery might use imagery of baked goods or a whisk, while a tech company might use more abstract or futuristic symbols.

: Ensure the design elements chosen are relevant to your business or industry. For instance, a bakery might use imagery of baked goods or a whisk, while a tech company might use more abstract or futuristic symbols. Versatility : The logo should be versatile enough to look good both in color and in grayscale. This ensures that its usable in various mediums, such as print, where color might not always be an option.

: The logo should be versatile enough to look good both in color and in grayscale. This ensures that its usable in various mediums, such as print, where color might not always be an option. Simplicity : A clean and straightforward design often has a more lasting impact. Its also more recognizable and easier to remember.

: A clean and straightforward design often has a more lasting impact. Its also more recognizable and easier to remember. Symbolism and Iconography : When choosing a graphic or symbol, consider how it communicates your businesss core offering or value. For instance, a tree might symbolize growth or nature for an environmental business.

: When choosing a graphic or symbol, consider how it communicates your businesss core offering or value. For instance, a tree might symbolize growth or nature for an environmental business. Font Psychology: Different fonts convey different personalities. A playful font might work for a childrens brand, while a clean, modern font suits a tech company.

Logo Variations

Some businesses also choose to have a couple of different logo variation. You might have one full logo that includes your name and every design element in one. Then you might have a smaller version that just has your initials or a small image that you can use for small things like social media icons.

Here are some logo variations you could create:

Primary Logo : The full version with all design elements.

: The full version with all design elements. Secondary Logo : A simpler or condensed version which might only include an iconic symbol or initials.

: A simpler or condensed version which might only include an iconic symbol or initials. Favicon : A very simplified version for small digital spaces, like browser tabs.

: A very simplified version for small digital spaces, like browser tabs. Monogram or Badge: Can be used on merchandise or in other branding materials as a stamp or seal.

Be sure to take note of these points too:

Adaptability : Design variations that can adapt to different platforms. For example, a detailed version for your website header and a simplified icon for mobile apps.

: Design variations that can adapt to different platforms. For example, a detailed version for your website header and a simplified icon for mobile apps. Cohesiveness: Ensure all variations maintain a cohesive look and feel, reflecting your brand consistently across different mediums.

When to Design a Logo

Its a good idea to have a logo design before you really start promoting your company. A logo is meant to pull all of your branding together and help customers easily recall your business. So you want to have it in place when you first start working with customers so there wont be a disconnect if you go to change it shortly thereafter.

However, you should at least wait until after your business name is registered to go through the logo design process. If not, you risk wasting a ton of work or expense and will need to create something new if youre not able to secure your name of choice.

Early Identity Formation : Consider developing your logo as part of your initial branding strategy. Its a key element that will appear on all marketing materials, digital platforms, and products.

: Consider developing your logo as part of your initial branding strategy. Its a key element that will appear on all marketing materials, digital platforms, and products. Professional Assistance: If youre unsure about the design process, consider consulting with a professional designer early on to ensure your logo aligns with your brand vision.

How to Create a Logo for Your Business: Designing Your Logo

When it comes to the practical elements of logo creation, you have a few basic options. For solopreneurs or business owners with design skills, you can try to design your logo on your own. Or if you have a design team in your business, you can have this task completed in-house.

Designing a logo involves a combination of creativity, understanding your brand, and knowledge of design principles. Whether youre diving into the design process yourself or collaborating with a professional, heres a comprehensive guide to help you:

Understand Your Brand:

Begin by defining your brands core values, mission, and target audience. Your logo should encapsulate and communicate these attributes effectively.

Research your industry and competitors. Understand the norms, but also consider how you can differentiate yourself.

Start with Sketches:

Rough sketches on paper can be a great way to start. Jot down initial ideas and concepts without committing to details.

These preliminary designs can serve as a foundation or a source of inspiration later on.

Choose Colors Thoughtfully:

Limit the number of colors, generally 1-3, to keep your logo versatile and easily recognizable.

Each color has a psychological impact. Research color psychology to ensure your choice aligns with your brand message.

Typography Matters:

If your logo includes text, be selective about the font. The typography should match the feeling and aesthetic of your brand.

Avoid overly-used fonts. Consider custom fonts or modifications to existing ones for uniqueness.

Simplicity is Key:

A logo should be easily recognizable at a glance. Overly complex logos can be confusing or forgettable.

Refine your design to its simplest form without losing the brand essence.

Versatility and Scalability:

Test how your logo looks in various sizes and mediums. It should retain its clarity and impact whether on a business card, a website, or a billboard.

Check its appearance in grayscale or black and white to ensure versatility.

Feedback Loop:

Before finalizing your design, gather feedback. This can come from colleagues, potential customers, or even friends.

Constructive criticism can help you refine and polish your design further.

Incorporating Feedback:

After drafting initial designs, gather feedback from your target audience. This can provide valuable insights into how your logo is perceived and any adjustments needed.

Design Iterations:

Be prepared to go through several iterations. A good logo often evolves from initial concepts through refinement and revision.

Professional Design Options

Local or Online Designers : Hiring an experienced designer ensures you get a logo thats both aesthetically pleasing and functional. They can offer insights and expertise that you might not have considered.

: Hiring an experienced designer ensures you get a logo thats both aesthetically pleasing and functional. They can offer insights and expertise that you might not have considered. Design Platforms : Websites like Fiverr or 99designs provide a range of options from various designers. 99designs, for example, lets you host a design contest where designers submit concepts based on your brief.

: Websites like Fiverr or 99designs provide a range of options from various designers. 99designs, for example, lets you host a design contest where designers submit concepts based on your brief. Logo Generators: There are online tools and platforms, like Looka or Canva, that provide templates and automated processes to help you create basic logos. While less personalized, they can be a cost-effective and quick solution for startups or small businesses on a tight budget.

Remember:

Budget Considerations : While hiring a professional can be an investment, it ensures a quality, unique logo that stands out in your market.

: While hiring a professional can be an investment, it ensures a quality, unique logo that stands out in your market. Exploring Portfolios: When selecting a designer or agency, review their portfolios to ensure their style aligns with your brand vision.

How to Create a Logo for Your Business: Logo Design Tips

Whether you work with a designer or want to create your own logo, youll need to start with some idea of what you want your logo to look like. Color is one of the most important elements to consider, since it can be super eye catching.

Different colors tend to carry different connotations with consumers. For example, red tends to be associated with power. Green is popular with companies that want to seem fresh and natural. And Yellow is often associated with happiness.

You can include just one color in your logo or a combination. Just make sure the shades you select complement one another. Many brands also choose to include black or another neutral shade for the type, and then integrate color in other ways.

The font that you select for your business logo is also essential. Similar to your color choices, the typeface should be indicative of your brand in some way.

If you want to appear professional, opt for classic fonts. For those who want to appear modern or trendy, something more stylized will probably be better.

Additionally, you need to make sure the type is easy to read no matter what size or format your logo appears in. It should be as clear on large, printed materials as it is on small online icons.

Brand Consistency : Ensure your logo aligns with other brand elements like your website, packaging, and marketing materials. Consistency helps reinforce your brand identity.

: Ensure your logo aligns with other brand elements like your website, packaging, and marketing materials. Consistency helps reinforce your brand identity. Legal Checks : Once youve settled on a logo design, perform a thorough check to ensure it doesnt infringe on existing trademarks. This can prevent legal issues down the line.

: Once youve settled on a logo design, perform a thorough check to ensure it doesnt infringe on existing trademarks. This can prevent legal issues down the line. Testing Across Mediums : Test how your logo looks on different materials and mediums. This includes digital formats, print materials, merchandise, and large-scale advertisements.

: Test how your logo looks on different materials and mediums. This includes digital formats, print materials, merchandise, and large-scale advertisements. Incorporating Storytelling : Consider how your logo can tell a story about your brand. A well-thought-out logo can convey your brand history, values, or mission.

: Consider how your logo can tell a story about your brand. A well-thought-out logo can convey your brand history, values, or mission. Evoking Emotions: Think about the emotional response your logo should evoke. Whether its trust, excitement, elegance, or innovation, your logos design should align with the emotional tone of your brand.

Once you have a general color scheme and font style, its time to tie everything together. You might include a small symbol or image along with your company name, as long as its clear and simple. Think the Nike swoosh or a small outline of a dog for a pet supplies company.

Then you can add small details and embellishments like line work or shapes around the type that pulls it all together.

Think about cultural considerations; if your business operates in multiple regions, consider cultural interpretations of colors, symbols, and typography.

Also consider future-proofing your logo: think about how your logo will age over time. Avoid overly trendy designs that may feel outdated quickly.

Finally, no matter what colors, fonts and graphics you select for your logo, its always important to keep things as simple as possible. Lots of extra words and images can make a logo seem cluttered or confusing.

Complicated logos also tend to look worse in print and when sized down for small graphics. Avoid this by keeping yours very basic yet clear and indicative of your overall brand image.

Some More Logo Design Tips

How to Create a Logo for Your Business Checklist

Stages of Logo Creation Tasks Done? ? Preparation Phase: Define your brands core values, mission, and target audience. Research industry norms and competitor logos. ? Logo Elements: Business Name: Ensure legibility and alignment with brand personality. Unique Graphic or Symbol: Should be representative of your brand. Customized Font: Consider a unique or modified font. Tagline or Slogan (optional): Ensure it complements the logo and doesn't clutter. Color Palette: Choose 1-3 colors that align with your brand message. Scalability: Test the logo in different sizes. Relevance: Use symbols/images relevant to your industry. Versatility: Make sure it looks good in color and grayscale. Simplicity: Keep the design straightforward and recognizable. ? Creating Your Logo Start with rough sketches on paper. Select colors based on their psychological impact. Choose a suitable font for any text. Refine the design to be as simple as possible. Test the logos appearance in different sizes and mediums. Obtain feedback on preliminary designs. ? Logo Variations Primary Logo: The full design. Secondary Logo: A simpler version. Favicon: For small digital spaces. Monogram or Badge: For branding materials. ? Final Checks: Ensure logo represents what the company stands for. Check logo clarity in various mediums and sizes. Confirm logo evokes the desired brand feelings and message. Ensure all design elements and colors complement each other.
Existing producers are extending their premises, new ones setting up production.

Tomas Hornak, director of Hoval in Slovakia, presenting the project for his companys new plant. (Source: Sme - Martin Pavelek )

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Heat pumps are among the most energy-efficient heating devices, so it is little surprise that the hikes in energy prices following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine have led to increased demand for them in many countries, including Slovakia.

With this rising demand has come a wave of new investments in Slovakia, as existing pump manufacturers expand their production and firms from western Europe look for locations to set up new production facilities.

Slovakia continues to confirm itself as highly attractive for companies producing modern and sustainable heating technology, heat pumps, and other related components, the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) noted in October 2023 when Dutch heat pump manufacturer BDR Thermea officially applied for state investment aid.

Investment Advisory Guide Well-arranged information about the economy, labour market, investor support, legislation, and real estate as well as investment opportunities in Slovakia. For more details visit our online shop.

BDR Thermea is the latest name on a list of companies manufacturing heat pumps in Slovakia. The largest of them have parent companies in Germany.

Heat pump producers extend their production facilities

In 2022, 3 million heat pumps were sold in Europe  a rise of 39 percent on the previous year, according to the European Heat Pump Association. Market observers expect strong growth in demand from Germany following a recent change in legislation that means newly installed heating systems in new housing developments will have to run on at least 65 percent renewable energy from January 2024, making the pumps an attractive option in such buildings, Markus Halt, spokesperson of the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Slowakei) told The Slovak Spectator.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/african-nations-up-in-arms-over-ethiopia-somaliland-pact-1115958079.html

African Nations Up in Arms Over Ethiopia-Somaliland Pact

African Nations Up in Arms Over Ethiopia-Somaliland Pact

Sputnik International

Somaliland, which seceded from Somalia in 1991, is recognized neither by the African Union nor the UN as an independent state.

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A landmark pact between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland is a "lifeline" for the latters leader Muse Bihi Abdi, Somali expert Samira Gaid has told the New York Times.The memorandum of understanding between Abdi and Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was signed on Monday. It reportedly leased more than 12 miles of sea to the Ethiopian Navy for 50 years.In exchange, Addis Ababa formally recognizes Somaliland as an independent nation, in a move that Abdi said would pave the way to realizing Ethiopias aspiration to secure access to the Red Sea.Somaliland is a region of almost four million people located in northern Somalia. It declared itself an independent state in 1991. Despite not being officially recognized by any country or international organization, Somaliland has a government, currency, army and electoral system.Somalias government rejected the memorandum of understanding as "null and void" and urged the African Union and the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting over the issue.Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told lawmakers that "Somalia belongs to Somalis," pledging to protect "every inch" of his country's "sacred land" and not tolerate attempts to relinquish any part of it.

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A former U.S. ambassador to South Korea called Tuesday for beefed-up defense drills between Seoul and Washington to counter North Korean threats, stressing the pursuit of dialogue with the recalcitrant regime should not come at the expense of the allies' military readiness.

Retired Adm. Harry Harris, who served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 2018-2021, made the call, pointing to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's unrelenting focus on advancing his regime's nuclear program and other weapons projects.

"The quest for dialogue with the North must never be made at the expense of the ability to respond to threats from the North," he said during a virtual forum hosted by The Washington Times Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization.

"We must up our combined game. Deterrence by appeasement is not deterrence at all," he added, underscoring that dialogue and military readiness must go "hand in hand."

Harris noted that last year alone, Pyongyang launched dozens of ballistic missiles of "increasing complexity" and traded weapons for Russian technology to conduct a satellite launch.

"Clearly, this is no path towards peace," he said. "While we hope for diplomacy with North Korea to be successful, we must recognize that hope alone is not a course of action."

Harris also expressed concerns over South Korean Foreign Minister nominee Cho Tae-yul's recent remarks in pursuit of improved relations with China.

"He seeks to strike an equivalency between China and the United States," he said. "There is no equivalency. South Korea has only one ally that will have its back if North Korea invades, and China is not that country."

Prior to his ambassadorial stint, Harris served as the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, currently the Indo-Pacific Command, an umbrella unit that oversees the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea. (Yonhap)
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/air-defense-shoots-down-several-targets-on-approach-to-russias-belgorod---governor-1115956198.html

Air Defense Shoots Down Several Targets on Approach to Russia's Belgorod - Governor

Air Defense Shoots Down Several Targets on Approach to Russia's Belgorod - Governor

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Russian air defense forces destroyed several targets approaching Belgorod on Wednesday.

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"Our air defense system worked in Belgorod and Belgorod Region. Several air targets were shot down on approach to the city. There is no information about the consequences at the moment," Gladkov said on Telegram.On Saturday, Ukrainian forces shelled Belgorod with MLRS and cluster munitions, killing 25 people and injuring 100 more. There were no military targets in the area. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to step up attacks on Ukrainian military targets.

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As lose Partners, China, Russia Will Build Up Strong Momentum of Cooperation in 2024

As lose Partners, China, Russia Will Build Up Strong Momentum of Cooperation in 2024

Sputnik International

Boosted by Russia's loosened visa policy, Chinese tourists are flocking to Russia's snow-clad northern cities in record numbers, as travel between the two countries are expected to continue to flourish in 2024.

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At Russian Arctic port city Murmansk, Chinese tourists are seen arriving on shuttle buses to the city center from all directions.Li Zhun, a Chinese tour operator, told the Global Times there must be 1,000 to 2,000 Chinese tourists visiting the city each day."Every day, there are at least 40 tour groups from China visiting the city. Nearly 80 percent of the guests came from southern Chinese provinces such as Guangdong and Fujian, who have shown a strong enthusiasm to visit the snowy scenery in Russia. And, the spectacular aurora just keeps them captivated," Li said.Easier accessRussia moved to lower the entry requirement for tour groups from China in 2023, and in August, it began offering e-visas that further helped facilitate Chinese tourist arrivals.The e-visa allows citizens from 55 countries to visit Russia for up to 16 days. Russian news agency Sputnik reported on December 14 that some 70,000 Chinese citizens applied for the e-visas in the first four months after the new visa policy came into force.Chen Zhigang, director general of the Russian-Chinese Business Park in St. Petersburg, said that he received a large number of visiting Chinese delegations in 2023.However, Chen said the boost provided by the visa policy fell short of his expectation as it was introduced after the peak summer travel season.Policy support, visa applications, air flights and logistics have all returned to pre-COVID levels or fared even better, making it easier to travel to Russia. Tourism infrastructure has also improved, industry experts said.According to Chen, both Chinese and Russian tourism representatives firmly believe that 2024 will be "an unusually strong year for the Russian tourism market when a large number of Chinese visitors will arrive, and a crucial year that will bolster the strength of the Russian tourism industry before it returns to reach pre-COVID high levels."Chen noted that the current rush of business tours to Russia bodes well for bilateral trade and the economic cooperation in 2024.The rising momentum supporting tourism sector rebounding is expected to go through 2024, in which bilateral personnel exchanges in culture, trade and investment will strengthen, Song Kui, president of the Contemporary China-Russia Regional Economy Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday.In addition to Chinese tourists swarming to visit Russia, Song said that a growing number of Russian travelers are enjoying visiting China now, buying traditional Chinese medicines and sightseeing.Amid the resumption of the international flights between tropical Sanya city in South China's Hainan Province and Moscow on Thursday, Song noted that Russian visitors are enthusiastic about enjoying the tropical island's warm climate.Russian tourists love to come to Sanya to enjoy the sand, sea and sunshine. Prior to the pandemic in 2019, more than 300,000 Russian visitors would annually visit the popular tropic city, Chinanews.com reported.Sustained momentumAnd, in the past several years, bilateral trade just boomed. Trade volume between China and Russia surged 26.7 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2023 to reach a record high of $218.18 billion.The figure is a milestone for bilateral economic ties, as the two countries achieved their $200 billion trade goal ahead of schedule. In 2019, China and Russia set a goal of ramping up bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2024.Looking forward, experts said that the cooperation between the two countries will continue to expand across a wide range of fields, thanks to the increasing seamless cooperation between the two large economies.Song noted the growth potential in areas such as infrastructure cooperation can be further unleashed. For instance, China could be a major participant to invest and help build Russia's infrastructure projects.Cooperation in agriculture and food processing could be further explored and strengthened, as Russia has been an important supplier to China's grain market, Song said. With the development of the Russian Far East, Song said that, currently, more and more Chinese people are flying to Russia to help develop the largely barren region by setting up numerous agricultural industrial parks there.China and Russia conduct normal economic and trade cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Such cooperation should not become the target of any intervention or restriction by a third party, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry told a press conference on December 26.This article was originally published by the Global Times.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231230/economic-cooperation-between-russia-china-developing-dynamically---putin-1115893636.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240102/china-confident-in-brics-bright-prospects-after-expansion-1115950285.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/designed-to-win-check-out-six-top-notch-russian-drones-1115964442.html

Designed to Win: Check Out Six Top-Notch Russian Drones

Designed to Win: Check Out Six Top-Notch Russian Drones

Sputnik International

Drones have conquered the battlefield in the Ukraine conflict, becoming an almost indispensable modern warfare technology. Why has Russia managed to adapt to this revolutionary shift so quickly?

2024-01-03T19:01+0000

2024-01-03T19:01+0000

2024-01-03T19:01+0000

us

military & intelligence

andrei koshkin

sergei chemezov

americans

russia

ukraine

turkiye

lancet

russian armed forces

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Two Russia-made drones  the Lancet and the Geran  have already stolen Western headlines as highly effective combat uncrewed systems, but what about the other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) exploited by the Russian Armed Forces?In 2021, the National Interest named Russia's best six "killer drones", raising the question whether the nation would catch up with its peers  the US and Turkiye  in mass producing and using UAVs on the battlefield. Among those mentioned by the NI at the time were Orion, Altius, Sirius, Helios, Grom, and Okhotnik.Sputnik reached out to Andrei Koshkin, Soviet and Russian Army veteran, reserve colonel and military expert, to discuss the state-of-art systems that have been somehow neglected by the mainstream media.Orion-10 and Orion-3"In the Russian army [Orion] is known as the Inokhodets [the Pacer]," Koshkin told Sputnik. "It belongs to the class of Medium-Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The Orion, a family of Russian UAVs developed by the Kronstadt Group, had also proven effective during the Syrian war: by February 2021, the drone had made 38 flights in Syria, including 17 attacks on terrorist targets, 20 reconnaissance missions and one mission "for other purposes".Altius-UThe Altius-U, a formidable heavy-duty combat drone developed by the Russian Sokol Design Bureau, is also used in the special military operation, according to Sputnik's interlocutor."It is designed mostly for reconnaissance missions, and its wingspan is much larger [than that of the Orion] - 28 meters," Koshkin said. SiriusSirius is a Russian attack unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the Russian company Kronstadt, and based on the Orion platform.The expert pointed out that the Sirius flight radius has increased to 1000 kilometers while the bomb load has increased to 300 kilograms."It belongs to the class of medium-altitude, long-duration unmanned vehicles and has already received a take-off weight of two tons: twice as much. That's the peculiarity. 20 hours in the air continuously at an altitude of 7000 meters," Koshkin pointed out.HeliosThe Helios is a reconnaissance drone developed by the Kronstadt Group. It was designed for long-term patrolling in a given area.The take-off weight of the Helios reaches four tons, with a load capacity of 800 kg. The UAV has a cruising speed of 350-450 km/h and is capable of rising to a height of 11 thousand meters. Its maximum flight duration is 30 hours, and its range is 3,000 km.Per Koshkin, the Helios is yet to be extensively used on the battlefield. It was reported that its onboard radar provides search and tracking of air, ground and surface targets. The drone could be used for a single reconnaissance mission as well as in groups with other aircraft.Grom ('Thunder')"The high-speed Grom ["Thunder"] has a combat load of two tons. Its take-off weight is seven tons. That is, these are quite impressive tactical and technical characteristics," Koshkin said.The Grom is also the Kronstadt Group's brainchild. The UAV has a classic "aircraft" design and V-shaped tail. Its wingspan is 10 meters, and its length reaches almost 14 meters. Its maximum speed is 1000 km/h and its cruising speed is 800 km/h.What's more, the Grom can control a swarm of drones which is rapidly gaining popularity, noted Koshkin."For a successful attack, use a swarm of drones. And now it is able to do this by operating 10 small-sized Molniya drones. It can control them at once," the military veteran explained.Okhotnik ('Hunter')"When it comes to Okhotnik, this drone has been in development for a long time," Koshkin said. The Okhotnik attack unmanned aerial vehicle was developed at the Sukhoi Design Bureau. In May 2022, during the drone's tests the Okhotnik fired at ground targets with guided missiles, which are part of the armament of the Su-57 fighter, a source familiar with the matter told Sputnik. The head of Rostec Corporation, Sergei Chemezov, stated at the time that serial production of the Okhotnik heavy attack drones for the Ministry of Defense would begin in 2023.Why are Russian Drones Better Than Their Western Analogues?Even though it is believed that the US drones are top-notch, many of them have proven to be useless in the special military operation. Koshkin explained that no matter how advanced the machine is, one should take into account plenty of battlefield factors and wartime conditions.That is why representatives of Russian enterprises of the military-industrial complex, including those that manufacture unmanned vehicles, are regularly visiting the zone of the special military operation, explained the military veteran. They compare characteristics that they designed and produce at the factory with what is needed for modern warfare on the Ukrainian battlefield.While the US military used to boast that they turned Ukraine into their testing field, the failed counteroffensive has indicated that it was Russians, not Americans, who have learned their lessons fast, according to the reserve colonel.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240101/how-russian-first-person-view-drones-change-the-frontlines-1115932708.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230815/why-us-drones-prove-useless-in-ukraine-1112615946.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/four-people-injured-in-knife-attack-near-tokyos-akihabara-railway-station---reports-1115964761.html

Four People Injured in Knife Attack Near Tokyo's Akihabara Railway Station - Reports

Four People Injured in Knife Attack Near Tokyo's Akihabara Railway Station - Reports

Sputnik International

An unknown person has attacked people with a knife near Tokyo's Akihabara intercity railway station, with four people being injured, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Wednesday, citing police sources.

2024-01-03T18:33+0000

2024-01-03T18:33+0000

2024-01-03T18:33+0000

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The attack reportedly took place in a popular shopping area. The perpetrator was arrested, the news agency said. Traffic on the Yamanote Line of the Tokyo railway was reportedly suspended due to the incident. Later in the day, another Japanese media outlet reported that the attack had taken place on a train and that the perpetrator was a woman. A police source told media that law enforcement officers had received a tip that "a woman was brandishing a knife" in a car of the train that stopped at the Akihabara station. Kyodo News said that the woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Her exact age is unknown, but she reportedly appears to be between 20 and 30 years old.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230608/at-least-4-children-2-adults-injured-in-knife-attack-in-eastern-france---reports-1111007236.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/how-could-beirut-killing-of-hamas-deputy-leader-change-gaza-war-1115962514.html

How Could Beirut Killing of Hamas Deputy Leader Change Gaza War?

How Could Beirut Killing of Hamas Deputy Leader Change Gaza War?

Sputnik International

An explosion claimed the life of Saleh al-Arouri, deputy head of the political bureau of Hamas. How could al-Arouri's assassination affect the Gaza war and US-Israeli relations?

2024-01-03T16:10+0000

2024-01-03T16:10+0000

2024-01-03T16:10+0000

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A senior leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was killed in an Israeli drone strike on January 2 in the south of the Lebanese capital Beirut, triggering concerns of potential escalation in the Gaza war.Tel Aviv has not publicly taken responsibility for the targeted assassination, however one Israeli and two US officials confirmed the Jewish state was behind the attack, according to Axios.Targeted killings of leaders of movements designated as terrorist organizations by Israel are Tel Aviv's decades-long practice. Under this strategy, Israel takes out individuals it believes are involved in the planning and carrying out of activities against it in order to prevent further attacks and minimize collateral damage, including among Palestinians.Furthermore, a paper by the research department of the Bank of Israel (BOI) claimed back in January 2005 that "the market reacts strongly to assassinations of senior members in Palestinian terrorist organizations: it declines following attempts to assassinate political leaders but rises following attempts to assassinate military ones."The Wall Street Journal reported on December 1 that Israel's intelligence services are preparing to kill Hamas leaders around the world when Tel Aviv's Gaza war winds down. Several days later, Yossi Melman, an Israeli investigative journalist and bestselling author of non-fiction books on the Israeli intelligence community, argued in his op-ed for Haaretz that 50 years of Israeli assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders proves "they're not a solution.""Targeted killings of terrorist leaders haven't debilitated those groups, but alas, Israel's security establishment suffers from groupthink," the preamble to the op-ed argued.Meanwhile, on January 3, David Barnea, the head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, issued a threat to those involved in the October 7 attack on Israel. "The Mossad, today like 50 years ago, is committed to settling accounts with the murderers who raided the Gaza envelope on 7 October, with the planners and their envoys," said Barnea, adding that every Arab who participated directly or indirectly in the massacre of 7 October "will bear responsibility."Al-Arouri, 57, was the deputy chief of Hamas' political bureau and a founding commander of its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. According to the New York Times, al-Arouri was accused of masterminding attacks on Israel and had helped establish closer ties between Hamas and Hezbollah, the Shiite Lebanese militia. After his election as Hamas' political bureau's deputy chief in 2017, al-Arouri traveled to Tehran to bolster relations with Iran. In recent years, he spent much time in Beirut, serving as a kind of Hamas ambassador to Hezbollah, as per NYT.Previously, al-Arouri was accused of plotting the kidnapping of Israeli teenagers as well as overthrowing Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA). He also came on Washington's radar in 2015 with the US State Department designating him as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" and offering up to $5 million for information on his whereabouts.However, after al-Arouri was killed, some US media reports claimed that the Washington establishment condemned the Israeli move. Per the Walla news site, the Netanyahu government did not provide the Biden administration with advance notice of the strike in Beirut that killed the deputy chief of Hamas' political bureau.The expert went on to say that the "US will continue to support Israel, including its military actions as it finds it increasingly difficult to politically or economically contain Iran's expanding influence in the region."On January 3, at least 103 were killed in Iran as a powerful blast hit a procession attending a memorial event for Iran's top commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in 2020 in the southern city of Kerman. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.Commenting on the recent developments, Salamey did not rule out that the Gaza conflict could expand and spill over into Lebanon and elsewhere "at a level of higher intensity".

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240102/two-commanders-of-hamas-military-wing-killed-in-beirut-blast-as-gaza-conflict-escalates-1115953091.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/lebanon-to-file-complaint-with-un-security-council-against-israel---govt-1115956089.html

Lebanon to File Complaint With UN Security Council Against Israel - Govt

Lebanon to File Complaint With UN Security Council Against Israel - Govt

Sputnik International

Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati has told the country's foreign minister to issue an urgent complaint to the UN Security Council after an Israeli attack in southern Beirut.

2024-01-03T03:22+0000

2024-01-03T03:22+0000

2024-01-03T03:22+0000

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Earlier on Tuesday, a Hamas office in southern Beirut was targeted in a bombing attack believed to have been carried out by an Israeli drone. Six people died in the attack, including Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and two military chiefs. Hamas acknowledged al-Arouris death, while the Lebanese interim prime minister blamed it on Israel. Lebanon's Hezbollah movement threatened to conduct retaliatory strikes against Israel for the attack. At the same time, Israeli media reported that peace talks between Hamas and Israel came to a standstill as a result of the strike.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240102/two-commanders-of-hamas-military-wing-killed-in-beirut-blast-as-gaza-conflict-escalates-1115953091.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/leopard-2-tanks-supplied-to-ukraine-are-non-operational--german-mp-1115956739.html

Leopard 2 Tanks Supplied to Ukraine Are Non-Operational  German MP

Leopard 2 Tanks Supplied to Ukraine Are Non-Operational  German MP

Sputnik International

Russia repeatedly stressed that Western equipment given to Ukraine, while fueling the conflict, will not ultimately affect the course of special op.

2024-01-03T06:44+0000

2024-01-03T06:44+0000

2024-01-03T11:18+0000

military

ukrainian crisis

russian armed forces

leopard 2

rheinmetall

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Very few of the Leopard 2A6 tanks delivered by Berlin to Ukraine are still in service, according to Green Party member Sebastian Schafer. The majority of the machines were damaged in battle and spare parts are scarce, he stressed.Unfortunately, we must admit that Ukraine can now use only small number of tanks delivered, Schafer wrote to Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann arms manufacturers, which was reported on by German media. The politician noted that some of the Leopard tanks were further damaged by Ukrainian servicemen who tried to repair them. He stresses that there is a shortage of spare parts in the Lithuanian repair center.According to the politician, who recently visited the repair center in Lithuania with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, there are not enough spare parts for these tanks in the workshops to keep the vessels in working condition. In his speech, Schaefer, a member of the parliamentary budget committee, called for measures to speed up the repair work.Western donors had earlier announced the delivery of Leopard tanks to Kiev, hailing them as a miracle weapon that would turn the tide for Ukraine. In total, the German government has transferred 18 Leopard 2 tanks from the Bundeswehr arsenal to Ukraine.Within weeksof the Leopards' arrival on the battlefield, Russian forces began hunting them down with missiles and kamikaze drones. In November 2023, Forbes magazine reported that Ukraine was in danger of losing its entire Leopard fleet due to the incompetence of its soldiers.Russia has repeatedly warned that arms supplies to the Kiev regime only fuel the conflict, while stressing that any Western military equipment used by Ukraine would eventually be decimated.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231225/top-5-powerful-russian-weapons-that-shattered-myth-of-natos-superiority-in-2023-1115773982.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231130/watch-russian-troops-wipe-out-german-made-leopard-1a5-in-special-op-zone-1115302272.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/malaysia-welcomes-south-africas-decision-to-file-lawsuit-against-israel-at-icj---ministry-1115955787.html

Malaysia Welcomes South Africa's Decision to File Lawsuit Against Israel at ICJ - Ministry

Malaysia Welcomes South Africa's Decision to File Lawsuit Against Israel at ICJ - Ministry

Sputnik International

Malaysia said that it welcomes South Africa's decision to file a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.

2024-01-03T01:32+0000

2024-01-03T01:32+0000

2024-01-03T01:32+0000

world

malaysia

south africa

international court of justice

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On Friday, South Africa filed a complaint against Israel at the ICJ under the Genocide Convention, asking the court to issue provisional measures against Israeli authorities. Malaysia also reiterates its call for a long-term solution to the conflict by granting the Palestinians their own independent and sovereign state, based on the pre-1967 borders, with its capital in East Jerusalem, the statement added.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/russian-air-defense-destroys-12-tochka-u-and-olkha-ukrainian-missiles-over-belgorod-region--1115957425.html

Russian Air Defense Destroys 12 Tochka-U and Olkha Ukrainian Missiles Over Belgorod Region

Russian Air Defense Destroys 12 Tochka-U and Olkha Ukrainian Missiles Over Belgorod Region

Sputnik International

Russian air defense systems shot down six Tochka-U missiles and six Olkha missiles launched by the Ukrainian military against Russia's Belgorod Region on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

2024-01-03T07:06+0000

2024-01-03T07:06+0000

2024-01-03T07:06+0000

military

ukrainian crisis

russia's belgorod shelled by ukraine

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"Today, on the morning of January 3, another attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack on targets in Russia using the Olkha multiple launch rocket systems and the Tochka-U tactical missile complexes was thwarted. Air defense systems on duty destroyed six Tochka-U missiles and six Olkha MLRS missiles over the Belgorod Region," the ministry said in a statement.On December 30, Ukraine shelled the center of the Russian city of Belgorod, targeting civilian infrastructure. The Russian Defense Ministry said the Kiev regime used cluster munitions, stressing that the attack was aimed at diverting attention from its defeats on the battlefield and provoking Russian forces to similar actions. But unlike Ukraine, Russia strikes only military facilities and infrastructure directly connected to them, the ministry stressed, adding that it will not leave the deadly attack on Belgorod unanswered. In retaliation, the Russian armed forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian enterprises of the military-industrial complex, especially those producing missiles.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240101/ukraines-new-year-attack-on-donetsk-pure-terrorism-enabled-by-us--ex-cia-analyst-1115934546.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240101/putin-attack-on-belgorod-was-terrorist-act-1115929743.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/russian-fighter-jet-hammers-ukrainian-positions-from-ultra-low-altitude-1115958421.html

Russian Fighter Jet Hammers Ukrainian Positions From Ultra-Low Altitude

Russian Fighter Jet Hammers Ukrainian Positions From Ultra-Low Altitude

Sputnik International

Russian Su-25 attack aircraft shelled Ukrainian outposts at extremely low altitude of 25 meters, Defense Ministry reported. The jets descended to a level of 8-store building.

2024-01-03T13:43+0000

2024-01-03T13:43+0000

2024-01-03T13:43+0000

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Russian Su-25 fighter jets bombed Ukrainian outposts at an extremely low altitude of 25 meters, the MoD reported. The jets descended to the height of an 8-storey building. According to the statement, all targets were hit.After the attack, the pilots conducted anti-missile maneuvers, fired false heat targets to confuse enemy air defenses, and returned safely to base.The Su-25 attack aircraft, known in Russia as the Gratch (lit. "Rook"), is designed to provide close air support to Russian ground forces.

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The Navy staged its first live-fire drills of the year Wednesday to strengthen readiness against possible North Korean provocations, its officials said.

The exercise took place in waters off the eastern, western and southern coasts of the country simultaneously, involving 13 warships and three aircraft from the First, Second and Third Fleets, according to the officials.

The Second Fleet mobilized five warships, including the flagship 3,200-ton Eulji Mundeok destroyer and the 2,800-ton Cheonan frigate, and an aircraft for live-fire and anti-submarine warfare training in the Yellow Sea.

The First and Third Fleets deployed warships and aircraft for live-fire and tactical maneuver drills in the East Sea and in waters south of the country, respectively.

"We must clearly recognize the grave security situation of North Korea's continued provocations and threats," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Yang Yong-mo said in an on-site guidance over the Yellow Sea aboard a P-3C maritime patrol aircraft, according to the Navy.

"Through realistic training that considers the operational environment of each of the waters, (I instruct the Navy to) establish a firm readiness posture for stern punishment against any enemy provocation," he said.

Tensions have grown after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean ties as relations "between two states hostile to each other" and called for stepped-up preparations to "suppress the whole territory of South Korea" in a year-end ruling party meeting that ended Saturday. (Yonhap)
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/serbias-ruling-coalition-receives-4675-in-parliamentary-elections-1115958609.html

Serbia's Ruling Coalition Receives 46.75% in Parliamentary Elections

Serbia's Ruling Coalition Receives 46.75% in Parliamentary Elections

Sputnik International

Serbia's ruling coalition  Serbia Must Not Stop formed around President Aleksandar Vucic  has received 46.75% of the vote in the parliamentary elections, the Republican Election Commission (REC) said on Wednesday after processing 100% of the ballots.

2024-01-03T10:41+0000

2024-01-03T10:41+0000

2024-01-03T10:41+0000

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On December 30, the country's election board held a repeat voting at 35 out of 8,273 polling stations due to violations and technical problems registered during the parliamentary elections. On the same day, the commission scheduled another repeat voting at eight polling stations for January 2 in connection with complaints over the course of the ballot. On Wednesday night, the commission released the results of processed materials from 8,273 out of 8,273 polling stations. The pro-Western opposition bloc, Serbia Against Violence, came in second with 23.66%, the elections' results showed. The third was the Socialist Party of Serbia, allied with the government coalition, receiving 6.55%. The patriotic coalition, "Dr. Milos Jovanovic  Hope for Serbia," with 5.02% and the bloc led by a eurosceptic, "We, the Voice of the People - Professor, Dr. Branimir Nestorovic," with 4.69% may also receive seats in Serbia's parliament. The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, as a party representing an ethnic minority, will be represented in the country's legislative assembly as well. The Serbian Progressive Party, co-founded by Vucic and part of the ruling coalition, thanked the country's president and the people of Serbia for the victory. On December 17, Serbia held parliamentary and municipal elections. Following the vote, supporters of the Serbia Against Violence coalition protested the outcome of the elections and blocked traffic outside the REC building in Belgrade for several days and even tried to storm the facility. Thirty-eight protesters were detained, and eight police officers were injured in the clashes. Vucic said in an address to the nation that the unrest was aimed at depriving the Balkan nation of its sovereignty and vowed to protect law and order.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231209/serbia-wont-impose-sanctions-on-russia-despite-pressure---defense-minister-1115501260.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231225/russian-foreign-ministry-on-unrest-in-serbia-west-tries-to-shake-up-situation-in-belgrade-1115796844.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/washington-and-doha-reach-agreement-to-extend-us-presence-at-qatars-military-base-1115956876.html

Washington and Doha Reach Agreement to Extend US Presence at Qatars Military Base

Washington and Doha Reach Agreement to Extend US Presence at Qatars Military Base

Sputnik International

During US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins visit to Qatar last month, the Pentagon chief thanked Doha for growing spending on the Al Udeid Air Base.

2024-01-03T06:42+0000

2024-01-03T06:42+0000

2024-01-03T06:51+0000

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Washington has "quietly" reached an agreement with Doha to extend the US military presence at a major base in Qatar for another ten years, an American broadcaster quoted unnamed sources as saying.The Al Udeid air base, known as the largest US military facility in the Middle East, can accommodate more than 10,000 American troops. The US Department of Defense has yet to comment on the matter.The reported developments come after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Al Udeid in December, where he thanked Qatar for its increased spending on the base. Qatar had previously reportedly pledged billions of dollars of its own money to upgrade facilities for US airmen at the base."Well do this through Qatars commitment to contribute significant resources to increase capabilities here at Al Udeid Air Base, and that will support both of our forces for years to come, the Pentagon chief pointed out.As for Al Udeid, a reported agreement between Washington and Doha to expand the base comes amid the ongoing escalation of the Palestine-Israel conflict following the October 7 surprise large-scale attack on the Jewish state orchestrated by the Palestinian militant group Hamas from the Gaza Strip.Qatar played a key role in mediating talks between Israeli officials and Hamas in November that led to a brief cease-fire and the release of a number of hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack, as well as a number of Palestinian prisoners.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231020/qatar-reportedly-led-negotiation-with-hamas-that-resulted-in-release-of-2-us-hostages-1114372292.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/what-awaits-f-16s-in-ukraines-skies-1115947153.html

What Awaits F-16s in Ukraine's Skies?

What Awaits F-16s in Ukraine's Skies?

Sputnik International

The United Kingdom has announced the start of training for the first six Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets. Western media has also claimed that several aircraft have already been handed over to Kiev.

2024-01-03T11:16+0000

2024-01-03T11:16+0000

2024-01-30T10:34+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

volodymyr zelensky

valery zaluzhny

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kiev

united kingdom (uk)

newsweek

armed forces of ukraine

nato

joint air-to-surface standoff missile-extended range (jassm)

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US-made F-16 jet fighters could soon make their much-vaunted debut with the Ukrainian Air Force  but how long will they survive?The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have all committed to transferring more than 60 early-model F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Deliveries are not planned before spring. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat clarified in late December that the fighters would arrive after infrastructure and crews were prepared.However, Ignat recently announced that Kiev has no new information on the training of Ukrainian airmen to fly F-16s nor on the jets transfer to Ukraine.Brush Up Your EnglishAccording to the American magazine Newsweek, the first batch of F-16s has "quite possibly" already been delivered to Ukraine, although Kiev's allies have not officially disclosed anything. Daniel Rice, a former special advisor to the chief of general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny, explained."The West has learned not to announce new weapon systems being delivered," Rice said, recalling the secret delivery of Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles by the UK and France.Those weapons did not help Ukraine achieve victory on the battlefield, however. Over the past year, it lost Artemovsk (Bakhmut), Soledar, Maryinka, Opytnoye, and several smaller settlements. Kiev relates its failures partly to Russian air power, which, is unrivaled. Ukrainian pilots are now being trained in several centers in NATO countries. The first group of six air officers completed a five-month course, including physical training, English language study, and mastering basic knowledge of the fighter's structure and operational principles. According to the British Ministry of Defense, they have now gone to Denmark for flight training. Another ten pilots have arrived in the UK to replace them.Training is reportedly going slowly. Back in August, Zelensky said that he had agreement from his Western backers to start the program immediately, but of the first 32 selected pilots, only eight had a decent command of English and the rest had to be sent on a language course.For Long-Range StrikesThe Ukrainian Armed Forces have a reason for wanting F-16s  the most mass-produced fourth-generation fighter. Over 4,600 units of various modifications have been built since 1978. They are in service with 25 countries and can use almost the entire range of NATO's tactical aviation weapons.Ukrainian military leaders place special hope on the JASSM (joint air-to-surface standoff missile) cruise missiles. The AGM-158 JASSM is a precision weapon developed by Lockheed Martin and adopted by the US Air Force in 1986. It is designed to hit important, highly protected stationary targets in any weather conditions by day or night from launch distances beyond the enemy's air defense range. Its range is 370 kilometers (230 miles), and in the AGM-158B JASSM-ER version, it can reach up to 1000 kilometers. The missile is fitted with a unitary penetrating warhead weighing 450 kilograms (1,000lb).The missile's casing is entirely made of carbon fiber, reducing radar visibility. It can fly close to the ground, hugging terrain, for most of its journey to the target.This is a significant threat, giving Kiev the capability to strike deep into Russian territory, primarily targeting airfields. However, F-16s also pose air superiority with a wide range of air-to-air missiles, including AIM-120D which can reach up to 160 kilometers. This weapon is comparable to the Russian R-77M.Belief in WunderwaffeDeploying the F-16 in Ukraine in a high-stakes game. If the fighter jets and Ukrainian pilots perform well, Kiev will seek additional assistance from the West.But if Russian missiles start shooting down the US-made aircraft, it could be the last straw for Washington and its military-industrial complex. The F-16 is a commercially successful commodity and the Pentagon highly values its reputation.One problem is that the aircraft Ukraine is getting is the original F-16A/B series, built from the late 1970s until the mid-80s. While the later F-16A/Bs had upgraded avionics, compared to the latest E/F model  and Russian jet fighters  their search and tracking radars are antiquated.For instance, the Dutch Air Force's F-16s are equipped with the outdated APG-66V2 radar, capable of tracking only a few targets at once, while the newer APG-83 radar can handle dozens.However, the outcome of air combat primarily depends on flight skills. Ukrainian pilots will have to prove in practice that a Western-school fighter pilot can be trained in a few months. And their examiners will be crews of more advanced Russian Su-30SM and Su-35S aircraft, which have scored as many aerial victories since the start of the conflict as no Western ace could have dreamed of.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/mig-35-vs-f-16-russian-veteran-pilot-explains-which-plane-would-win-in-a-dogfight-1112552714.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231207/top-notch-russian-missiles-to-shoot-down-western-supplied-ukrainian-f-16s---source-1115444416.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240102/ukraines-air-force-has-no-clue-when-long-sought-after-f-16s-will-arrive-1115946157.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240103/who-chief-slams-israeli-attacks-on-al-amal-hospital-in-southern-gaza-strip-1115956426.html

WHO Chief Slams Israeli Attacks on Al-Amal Hospital in Southern Gaza Strip

WHO Chief Slams Israeli Attacks on Al-Amal Hospital in Southern Gaza Strip

Sputnik International

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned on Wednesday "unconscionable" Israeli strikes on Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

2024-01-03T05:03+0000

2024-01-03T05:03+0000

2024-01-03T05:03+0000

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On Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said five people were killed and three others were injured in Israeli strikes on the organization's headquarters and the surrounding area of Al-Amal Hospital. On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip while its fighters breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 21,800 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of Israeli strikes, local authorities said. On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. Over 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231230/israel-wants-victimhood-but-chose-vengeance-1115885604.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231230/gaza-conflict-gave-biden-admin-chance-to-extricate-itself-from-ukraine-fiasco--expert-1115895855.html

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Seaside Diva overcame a mid-year injury and returned to the track on her way to being named the 2023 Ohio Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year.

Trainer Ron Burke said the daughter of Downbytheseaside was injured while out in the field.

It was a hard year for her. She was cut after being caught in a fence and it changed her whole year, said Burke. The fact that she came back and made the Sires Stakes final is a testament to her and the people who took care of her.

Seaside Diva finished the year hitting the board in eight of 11 races with four wins, three second-place finishes and a third-place finish. She earned $239,805 in 2023.

Seaside Diva will be honoured at the Ohio Harness Horsemens Association Annual Awards Banquet on Jan. 13, 2024 at the Mariott Columbus OSU in Columbus, Ohio. Tickets to the banquet are $30 each and can be purchased by calling the association's office at 614-221-3650.

The 2023 Ohio Horse of the Year will be announced at the annual awards banquet.

(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemens Association)
Longtime Standardbred trainer and owner Ronald Charette of Gatineau, Que. passed away on Dec. 27, 2023 at the age of 83.

Ronald left his mark on the people he knew in his own way. Construction contractor and developer, horse enthusiast, founding member and president of the Buckingham Optimist Club. He knew how to surround himself with reliable people and most of them became his friends as he met him. But beyond everything, it was his family that made him proud. He was an exceptional model for his children and he only knew one love in his life, his wife Jeannine for more than 62 years.

Ronald was predeceased by his parents Albert Charette and Georgette Laberge as well as his brother Maurice (Cecile), his sister Antoinette (Marcel) and his daughter-in-law Judith Morin (Patrice). He leaves to mourn his beloved wife Jeannine Belanger; his sister Nicole (Fernand); his children Sylvain (Carole), Nathalie (Paul) and Patrice; his grandchildren Christophe, David, Nicolas, Stefaniel and Fabien; his great-grandchildren Laurie and Levy; as well as several relatives and friends.

There will be condolences in the presence of the ashes on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Cadieux Funeral Home (322 avenue de Buckingham, Gatineau). A ceremony will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 at 11 a.m. in St-Luc parish (680 rue Bergeron, Gatineau).

The family would like to thank the staff at Buckingham Hospital for the excellent care provided.

In his memory, donations to Buckingham Hospital as well as to St-Luc Parish would be appreciated.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Ronald Charette.
Scotts Bluff County Commissioners set out plans to update the countys comprehensive plan during the boards meeting Tuesday.

Commissioners held discussion on a suggestion by Commissioner Charlie Knapper to start the process of updating the countys comprehensive plan by developing a request for proposal (RFP) and finding an appropriating consulting firm to aid in that process.

Knapper said that the importance of updating the comprehensive plan became clear to him during the ongoing discussion of a proposed solar energy facility that is still being considered by the countys planning commission. Situla Energy Project LLC, a holding company of California-based Dunlieh Energy, is seeking to construct a commercial solar energy farm in the southwest part of the county. A public hearing on the project in December generated a lot of interest, with questions from environmental impacts to safety concerns asked of company officials.

Questions raised in hearing on proposed solar farm project in Scotts Bluff County Some county residents expressed concerns about a proposed solar project in the county. Sen. Brian Hardin was among those questioning the ownership of the project.

One of the things weve learned in the last three or four weeks is that the Scotts Bluff County comprehensive plan was last updated in 1997, Knapper said. What weve found here in Nebraska is that there are a lot of counties that dont have updated comprehensive plans to address opportunities like were facing.

Although an addendum was later added to the countys comprehensive plan related to renewable energy projects, Knapper said he believes a full overhaul is the best way to make sure that the county and its taxpayers are well represented when such projects are proposed.

I think there are ways that we can craft this comprehensive plan to encourage projects like this, he said. We just want it to be done the right way. We want to encourage people to come here.

Board members clarified that the current energy project proposal was submitted under the existing comprehensive plan and the county will be bound to that plan, unless the current proposal were withdrawn and resubmitted at a later date.

The board voted unanimously to assign building and planning director Bill Mabin to begin the process of developing an RFP.

Mabin also shared news that the solar project that inspired the discussion will not be considered by the planning commission again until March, at the earliest. Situla Energy officials will host a public forum to promote dialogue and questions related to the proposed facility. Details on that forum are expected in the near future.

In other action, the Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners took time to reorganize at its first meeting of 2024.

During the reorganization process, the board unanimously voted to retain Ken Meyer and Mark Harris as chair and vice-chair, respectively.

Annual appointments were also made to various county offices, which saw all previous residents of those offices retain their positions.

Other business for the board included a handful of varied resolutions, one of which was connected to an upcoming bridge repair on Cook Oil Road.

Public hearing regarding proposed solar energy facility to be held next week The Scotts Bluff County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing next week to consider the development of a solar energy facility in the southwest portion of the county.

Highway superintendent Steve Baird previously informed the board that the bridge in question had been selected for a match funding program through the Nebraska Department of Transportation, and Mondays resolution was the formal acceptance of that funding assistance.

The state will supply 55% of the project funding for repairs on the bridge up to a limit of $250,000. The estimated project cost is $500,000, and the county must complete work on the bridge by the end of 2027.

Another resolution was passed to set the salary of the commissioners ahead of the 2024 election cycle, as required by statute.

The seats of two board members  Commissioner Russ Reisig, representing District 2, and Meyer, who represents district 4  will be on the ballot in November.

The board approved a resolution to maintain the current salary of its members, which amounts to $24,893 per year.

The next meeting of the county board will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 4:30 p.m. on the second floor of the county administrative building due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day falling on Monday, Jan. 15.
Community complaints regarding drug activity led to the arrest of a Statesville man.

Terry Lee Roseboro, 61, of Alexander Street, was initially charged with trafficking cocaine and maintaining a dwelling for the purposes of selling narcotics. Roseboro was later charged with possession with intent to sell/deliver cocaine and a second count of maintaining. A magistrate set bond at $305,000.

The Statesville Police Department, in a news release, said that the complaints of drug activity in the Alexander Street area resulted in the narcotics division initiating surveillance on the residence. The news release said the investigators observed suspicious activities that raised concerns.

Controlled purchases of narcotics were made from the residence and specifically Roseboro, police said.

On Dec. 11, police said, a search warrant was executed at the residence, and investigators discovered a substantial amount of crack cocaine, which was linked to Roseboro. Police obtained warrants for his arrest and on Dec. 28, SPD officers went to the residence to serve the outstanding warrants, and arrested Roseboro. Officers found additional crack cocaine and filed the additional charges, police said.

The Statesville Police Department encourages all community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities promptly.
Considering its contents  and their potential impact  file Number 23 CVD 006137 in the civil records division of the Forsyth County Hall of Justice looks light.

Chamberlain Place Apartments v Shani Temple has perhaps a dozen pages, most of them boilerplate court forms.

The relevant page, the one with the potential to upend the lives of Temple and her high-school aged sons, contains a short checklist of legally acceptable reasons for management to put a family out.

For Temple, the x typed into the relevant box doesnt make sense: lease period ended on the above date (Oct. 31) and the defendant is holding over after the end of the lease period.

It was filed Nov. 1; shed lived in the complex for two years and wants to stay.

I was only late once on the rent and that was by hours, she said. It was due at midnight and I paid it by 5 that day.

Summary ejectment

Summary ejectments  the legal term for evictions  happen thousands of times a month across North Carolina.

Many are deserved. Long term, repeated non-payment of rent, destruction of property and illegal activity matter. Landlords and property owners have rights.

But so do renters. And for many facing summary ejectment, asserting those rights can be difficult if not impossible.

Lawyers  most of them anyhow  dont work for free. Those who do find help, perhaps through Legal Aid, can find it hard to even get to court. Child care, time off from work and transportation can present obstacles.

And that doesnt even begin to factor in the what-ifs should a judge agree with management.

For Temple, moving into Chamberlain Place was a godsend.

She moved to Winston-Salem from Philadelphia 10 years ago on a Christmas morning. I wanted a better life for my family, she said.

Temple found a small house that she could afford and lived in it for eight years. But she said she had to move when the owner decided to sell.

Then COVID hit, which she said made her situation even more tenuous. Steady work, for many, was hard to come by.

And so it was for Temple. She wound up in a motel for eight months while she looked for a place.

Then in October 2021 she found a solution: Chamberlain Place, which is owned by BSC Holdings.

I drove by it every day, she said. It wasnt on my radar but then I saw an ad on Craigslist.

The asking price  $1,285 a month for a three bedroom place  seemed like a lot to a single mother.

But when compared to other rents for similar places, it was a relative bargain. Its location in Clemmons was nice, too, as it allowed her two youngest children the chance to attend West Forsyth High School.

I thought, I can do that, she said.

There were a few blips along the way, though. In late 2021, management accused her of allowing tenants to live with her who werent listed on the original lease and took her to court in an attempt to evict her.

It was Christmas time. My adult children were here spending time with me, Temple said.

With the help of Legal Aid, Temple won and had the case dismissed.

Potential to upend lives

As for other potential violations, Temple said she was late on rent once in March 2023, didnt fill out an online pet screening form and was written up for having a grandchilds bike outside her door.

She has receipts to support her claim about rent payments and photos she took of things outside neighbors doors that look worse than a kids bike.

As for the online form, I dont have pets. It doesnt make sense.

Still, Temple said she was told she would not be allowed to renew her lease, was not given a reason and told she could not speak with the owners.

The tenant was notified back in August that her lease would not be renewed, said Lauren Delfin, the property manager at Chamberlain Place. We filed a complaint per company policy for summary ejectment and we have no further comment than that.

A court order siding with management followed in mid-November. Temple was not in court and said she wasnt aware a hearing was being held,

She filed an appeal which is scheduled to be heard Wednesday afternoon. If it stands, a court-ordered eviction will make it very difficult to rent a new place.

The thing that kills me the most is that her boys both go to West Forsyth High School, said Dan Rose of Housing Justice Now, a nonprofit that advocates for affordable housing. If shes forced to relocate, that could really disrupt their lives.

Rose is trying to help Temple find a lawyer. But the clock is ticking on her appeal.

Shani drives disabled people to their medical appointments in a van across Northwest North Carolina, he said. She works very hard to afford the over $1,300 a month that shes been paying to this landlord for over two years.

A court fight over a summary ejectment doesnt exactly make for a happy start to the new year. Still, Temple is holding onto hope that somehow shes allowed to stay.

I cant take my kids back through that (living in a hotel), she said. Im a mom and a nana. Im responsible for them.
By Lee Hyo-jin

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik is facing criticism for his past remarks describing the nation's easternmost islets of Dokdo as "disputed territory," which critics claim reflects a distorted view of history.

"It is true that there are ongoing historical disputes, and territorial disputes regarding sovereignty over Dokdo between Korea and Japan," Shin wrote in a Facebook post dated March 23, 2023, when he was a ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker.

This view contradicts the official stance of the Korean government that the nation has long maintained effective territorial control of Dokdo  which Japan claims is its own territory  and therefore, there is no territorial dispute over the islets.

Shin further criticized liberal politicians for fueling anti-Japanese sentiment based on "outdated animosity towards the long-gone Imperial Japanese militarism."

The Facebook post is currently hidden following several media reports about it.

In response to criticism that Korea's top military officer seems to hold a pro-Japanese perspective, the defense ministry refuted that Shin has never sided with Tokyo's territorial claim over Dokdo.

"The expressions on social media during his period as a lawmaker regarding the 'Dokdo sovereignty dispute' conveyed the meaning that Japan is attempting to make territorial disputes ... During the confirmation hearing as the minister nominee, he stressed that strong protests should be made against Japan's sovereignty claims," the ministry said in a statement, Wednesday.

The defense ministry added that it has lodged strong protest against Japan for including Dokdo in a tsunami advisory issued by its weather agency earlier this week.

The controversy over Shin's Facebook post surfaced about a week after his ministry was slammed for similar descriptions of Dokdo in its educational materials for soldiers.

The "Moral Strength Education Textbook" published in December stipulated that "regional powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula such as China, Russia and Japan, are engaging in territorial disputes involving the Dokdo islets, the Kuril Islands and the Senkaku Islands, which may easily lead to a military conflict."

The defense ministry decided to recall all 20,000 copies of the textbooks, apologizing for the mistake.

The Heritage of Korean Independence (HKI), a Seoul-based organization tasked with upholding the spirit of independence, denounced the defense ministry, labelling its textbook "insane."

"The insane textbook seems to be a reflection of the minister's distorted view on history and the identity of the military," it said in a statement, Monday.

The organization also pointed at Shin's past pro-Japanese remarks.

During a speech at anti-Moon Jae-in government rally in August 2019, Shin seemingly justified the actions of Lee Wan-yong (1858-1926), a pro-Japanese politician who signed the Korea-Japan annexation treaty.

"Even if the Korean Empire had resisted (against Japan's annexation), the significant imbalance of power between Japan and Korea would have made it very difficult to maintain independence. While Lee Wan-yong was a collaborator, it is also a fact that there were unavoidable aspects to his actions," he said.
This line made me stop what I was doing and Google: Chamois Shirts.

Chamois shirts are, apparently, a type of heavy cotton flannel.

The type of shirt that you would wear on a camping trip, or outdoor chopping wood on a crisp fall day.

They dont look half bad.

Maybe Ill get one.

Just dont make the mistake I did and first Google: Chamois.

It returns some kind of small goat/antelope native to Europe and Turkey.

Such a great description, I can almost see Lamotts dad strolling up.

Smell is the most memorable sense, after all.
As Syrians entered 2023, there was little optimism for positive change. Indeed, the year proved to be a difficult one, Abdulmuneim Issa says in Al-Watan.

As Syrians entered 2023, there was little optimism for positive change, particularly considering the ongoing crisis exacerbated by the Ukrainian war. This conflict effectively froze any momentum toward resolving Syrias issues, already hindered by significant obstacles. One of the most notable challenges was the divergence in visions and perspectives regarding the rebuilding of Syria. The outcomes of these differing views have had lasting repercussions, unlikely to be resolved soon. Additionally, hopes for improved living conditions were marred by clear indicators of decline, with an uncertain endpoint.

Compounding these issues, the Syrian government began reverting to a market economy approach, prioritizing the liberalization of prices and market-driven balances. This shift marked a departure from the social economy model that had been in place since March 1963. The transition led to societal shifts, impacting segments of the population previously reliant on government support, a situation more pronounced than the unemployment benefits seen in other countries.

The February 6th earthquake further exposed Syrias vulnerabilities, highlighting both the frailty of its infrastructure and the broader crisis within its regional and international contexts. Although the damage in Syria was less extensive compared to Turkey, where the earthquakes epicentre lay and reached a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, Syrias pre-existing crises exacerbated the impact. The earthquake led to the destruction of 9,000 homes and displaced 392,000 families, as reported by the United Nations Development Programme. These repercussions were hard to mitigate.

The response to the earthquake also revealed the selective approach of the international community in addressing the crisis in Syria compared to Turkey. This selectivity underscores a troubling reality: humanitarian motives in policy-making often take a backseat unless they align with broader geopolitical interests.

The earthquake in early 2023 catalyzed a movement of Arab solidarity towards Damascus, culminating in the Amman Ministerial Meeting in early May. This meeting gave rise to the Arab Initiative, aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis. The initiative, grounded in international resolutions pertinent to Syria, sought the backing of countries supportive of these resolutions. It also strived to incorporate new perspectives in line with developments post-2015, a year marking the last United Nations resolution on Syrian settlement. Subsequent decisions have primarily focused on relief operations and humanitarian assistance.

The Arab Initiative displayed a sense of realism, arguably more pragmatic than other regional approaches, such as the Astana process. In 2023, Astana faced a turning point during its twentieth round when Kazakhstan announced it would no longer host these meetings. Although Moscow downplayed the significance of this decision, stating it was not the end of a pathway that had contributed to a degree of stability in Syria, the announcement highlighted inherent shortcomings in the process. Similarly, international avenues like the Geneva talks also encountered challenges, evident in the failed attempts to organize a new round of Constitutional Committee meetings in Muscat, Oman. This effort was ultimately deemed unfeasible by UN envoy Geir Pedersen, reflecting the ongoing regional and international polarization over Syria. This polarization continues to impede potential solutions and any rapprochement between the Syrian government and the opposition.

Furthermore, the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7th last year significantly impacted Syria, a country deeply intertwined with the Palestinian issue. This operation was seen in Damascus as a pivotal moment, disrupting the power dynamics that have dominated the region since Baghdads fall in 2003. This shift in the regional landscape, although challenging, is anticipated to usher in new, generally positive paradigms across the region, signalling an end to the status quo and the emergence of new regional alignments.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Human rights activist Taha al-Ghaz said a young Syrian man passed away eight days after he was taken to a deportation center in Ankara.

The family of the late Syrian man, Hassan Mohammed, has confirmed news of his death inside the Akyurt Refugee Deportation Center in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, January 2nd. The cause of death is undisclosed.

A family member, contacted by Enab Baladi, revealed that they were informed of Hassans death by the hospital where he was situated. The family has chosen to withhold information pending the clarification of forensic results.

Human rights activist Taha al-Ghazi shared on his Facebook account that the young man passed away eight days after his arrest.

Ghazi, in conversation with Enab Baladi, disclosed that Hassan Mohammed, aged 28, had not exhibited any health symptoms, as conveyed by the deceaseds family.

Efforts are underway, with the collaboration of Turkish human rights organizations in Ankara, to provide legal assistance to Hassans family and monitor investigations into the incident and the circumstances surrounding his death.

Expressing concern over the conditions in deportation centers, particularly the reported violations against refugees, Ghazi questioned the activities within these facilities and the roles of Turkish unions, institutions, and human rights organizations in addressing these issues.

Previous Facts

In July of 2023, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya committed to reducing the number of irregular migrants in Turkish states within four to five months. He clarified that an irregular migrant is a foreigner who entered Turkey illegally and continues to reside and work without an official permit.

The minister refuted allegations of deporting Syrians, attributing such claims to those who exploit digital platforms to incite against the country.

Despite having legal identification papers, Turkey had previously forcibly deported Syrian refugees. However, a significant number of them were later returned, prompted by the circulation of video recordings showing deported refugees with official papers.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
On December 12th, a boat carrying refugees departed Lebanon bound for Cyprus. Its current whereabouts remain unknown, according to Syria TV.

Arab media have reported that on December 12th, a boat departed from the shores of Lebanon bound for the island of Cyprus, and its current whereabouts remain unknown.

In the early hours of December 12th, four boats set sail from northern Lebanon towards Cyprus. While three of them, carrying a total of 170 passengers, successfully reached the island, the fate of the fourth boat remains uncertain. This vessel, with 85 passengers, mostly Syrians, has not been accounted for.

Tragically, on December 26th, residents in the Hamidiya area, south of Tartous, discovered the bodies of two individuals in their thirties. These individuals are believed to be passengers from a migrant boat that departed from Lebanon some time ago and lost contact with the outside world.

Iskandar Ammar, the director of al-Basel Hospital in Tartous, mentioned that the descriptions of the two youths have been circulated, but no one has come forward to identify them, except for inquiries from Lebanon regarding the potential identification of one of the deceased individuals.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Veryl Anderson was the newest member of the Kelso City Council after joining in December. As of Tuesday night, she is also the newest mayor of Kelso.

Anderson won a 4-3 vote for the job over prior mayor Mike Karnofski at the start of Tuesday nights council meeting. Anderson was nominated for the role by Jim Hill and received votes from herself, Hill, Keenan Harvey and Lisa Alexander, all four of whom won their election in November.

After the meeting, Anderson said she was surprised and humbled to be nominated for the position.

I think they liked my knowledge of the city. I think theres a desire for change, Anderson said.

Anderson had worked for the city for several decades, including as city clerk and finance director, before running for City Council. Her great uncle was Herman Parrott, the mayor of Kelso from 1931 to 1936. The office of mayor had a lot more power at that time than it does now, as the mayors current duties are primarily managing the council meetings and representing Kelso at inter-city meetings.

Kim Lefebvre remains second in line as the deputy mayor after winning her own contested vote against Alexander and Karnofski. None of the three candidates received a majority of support in the first round of votes, but the Karnofski supporters backed Lefebvre in the second round.

Karnofksi was chosen as mayor at the start of 2022. His election was disputed at the time, especially by Harvey, as it came shortly after former mayor Nancy Malone forcibly vacated her council seat after missing too many council meetings the previous year.

Karnofski said Wednesday that he was disappointed to not remain mayor but felt Anderson came in with strong experience. He said he didnt expect many other major shifts in the overall focus of the City Council.

With politics these days, nothing surprises me, Karnofski said.
CASTLE ROCK  Castle Rock residents are paying more for utility fees this year, while the overall city budget is lower than the year prior.

The Castle Rock City Council passed increases to water and sewer rates by 5% and stormwater rates by 10% in 2024.

Though the percentage seems large, the total monthly cost of stormwater rates will only rise from $7.99 to $8.79.

Carie Cuttonaro, Castle Rocks clerk-treasurer, said the rate increase happened largely because the city needs to increase revenue to create a larger reserve fund. Without the stormwater rate increase, the citys safety net would be around $3,000. With the additional revenue from stormwater rate increases, reserves are projected to reach near $7,000, she said.

At the Dec. 11 meeting, the city also approved its 2024 budget. Next years budget includes a near 10% decrease from 2023. In raw numbers, the total budget is set to drop from roughly $16.75 million to just shy of $15.2 million, according to the official budget.

The expected drop comes from the completion of the State Route 411 bridge and Interstate 5s exit 48 water main projects, Cuttonaro said. Of the $15.2 million budget, only about $11 million is earmarked for expenditures, and the remaining money will be set aside for 2025.

Castle Rock raised water and sewer rates 3% at the end of 2022, but before this year, the city hadnt raised stormwater rates since 2021.

Though the 2021 rate increase was brought about largely to fund the bridge renovation, Cuttonaro said the city doesnt have any similar projects in mind this time around.

With the increase, Castle Rock is set to generate just over $193,000 in revenue for stormwater projects and maintenance in addition to about $4,500 rolling over from 2023, according to Cuttonaro. Cuttonaro added that around $37,000 of projected revenue is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act. Those funds are the only ones set aside for stormwater projects this year. The remaining $156,000 is reserved for service charges. The citys stormwater expenditures for the year are projected to be in the ballpark of $189,000, leaving the city with relatively slim margins as is, she said.

At the Dec. 11 meeting, council members expressed a measure of regret about passing the measure, but billed it to attendees as a necessity.

Unfortunately, everything has gone up in cost  Weve tried to keep it as low as possible, Castle Rock Mayor Paul Helenberg said during the meeting. Our water study (has told) us we should have a 7-10% increase in water and sewer every year, and our stormwater is barely keeping afloat with the money we have coming in, so we have to raise that for the stormwater projects we need to do.

Like previous years, the city is also offering rate relief to residents making below a certain income threshold. Low-income residents who are at least 62 years old who receive water or sewer service from the city are eligible to receive an up to 30% discount on rates if they fall below household income thresholds established by the Housing and Urban Development Income Limits Documentation System.

Those who qualify can apply for relief through the city finance department.
Among the many new bills currently being drafted and proposed ahead of Washingtons 2024 legislative session, which is set to convene on Jan. 8, is House Bill 1989, introduced by Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia. The bill is meant to address an uptick in graffiti vandalism seen along the states roadways.

Graffiti is not just an eyesore; it is also a costly nuisance that threatens public safety and drains taxpayer dollars, Barkis said in a news release. If passed by the Legislature and signed into law, (HB) 1989 will empower us to protect our infrastructure investments, hold perpetrators accountable and reclaim public spaces for all to enjoy. We cannot allow the actions of a few to continue shaping the narrative of our communities.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), there has been an increase in graffiti vandalism on state roads over the last few years.

Newly completed bridges, overpasses, walls and other structures are often hot spots for these crimes as they offer a fresh blank canvas for taggers, a WSDOT blog post stated. Active construction projects with new or closed sections of roads also attract activity because there is no traffic there at night.

According to the post, WSDOT maintenance teams spent $1.4 million over the past two years removing graffiti, and WSDOT staff expect that amount to increase over the next biennium.

HB 1989 seeks to deter graffiti vandalism with a three-pronged approach, beginning with research conducted by WSDOT, testing if anti-graffiti products and paints can be used effectively on highway walls and other infrastructure surfaces, including bridges and overpasses.

WSDOT would be required to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by Dec. 31, 2024.

Second, HB 1989 would attempt to create strategic deterrence measures against graffiti by utilizing WSDOT-owned traffic cameras not utilized for tolling or construction zone safety enforcements to identify perpetrators.

Captured evidence would facilitate legal action against culprits, sending a clear message of zero tolerance, the release added.

Finally, HB 1989 would require WSDOT to coordinate with the Washington State Patrol, the Washington state Attorney Generals Office, state park officers, local prosecuting attorney offices and other local law enforcement agencies to pursue charges against those caught engaging in graffiti vandalism.

HB 1989 is currently awaiting committee assignment and will be considered during the 2024 legislative session. This bill has also been sponsored by Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens.

To view HB 1989, visit the Washington state Legislatures website at https://bit.ly/3H2yehk.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the world's first functional semiconductor made from graphene, a single sheet of carbon atoms held together by the strongest bonds known. Semiconductors, which are materials that conduct electricity under specific conditions, are foundational components of electronic devices. The team's breakthrough throws open the door to a new way of doing electronics.

Their discovery comes at a time when silicon, the material from which nearly all modern electronics are made, is reaching its limit in the face of increasingly faster computing and smaller electronic devices.

Walter de Heer, Regents' Professor of physics at Georgia Tech, led a team of researchers based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Tianjin, China, to produce a graphene semiconductor that is compatible with conventional microelectronics processing methodsa necessity for any viable alternative to silicon.

In this latest research, published in Nature, de Heer and his team overcame the paramount hurdle that has been plaguing graphene research for decades, and the reason why many thought graphene electronics would never work. Known as the "band gap," it is a crucial electronic property that allows semiconductors to switch on and off. Graphene didn't have a band gapuntil now.

"We now have an extremely robust graphene semiconductor with 10 times the mobility of silicon, and which also has unique properties not available in silicon," de Heer said. "But the story of our work for the past 10 years has been, 'Can we get this material to be good enough to work?'"

A new type of semiconductor

De Heer started to explore carbon-based materials as potential semiconductors early in his career, and then made the switch to exploring two-dimensional graphene in 2001. He knew then that graphene had potential for electronics.

Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

"We were motivated by the hope of introducing three special properties of graphene into electronics," he said. "It's an extremely robust material, one that can handle very large currents, and can do so without heating up and falling apart."

De Heer achieved a breakthrough when he and his team figured out how to grow graphene on silicon carbide wafers using special furnaces. They produced epitaxial graphene, which is a single layer that grows on a crystal face of the silicon carbide. The team found that when it was made properly, the epitaxial graphene chemically bonded to the silicon carbide and started to show semiconducting properties.

Over the next decade, they persisted in perfecting the material at Georgia Tech and later in collaboration with colleagues at the Tianjin International Center for Nanoparticles and Nanosystems at Tianjin University in China. De Heer founded the center in 2014 with Lei Ma, the center's director and a co-author of the paper.

How they did it

In its natural form, graphene is neither a semiconductor nor a metal, but a semimetal. A band gap is a material that can be turned on and off when an electric field is applied to it, which is how all transistors and silicon electronics work. The major question in graphene electronics research was how to switch it on and off so it can work like silicon.

But to make a functional transistor, a semiconducting material must be greatly manipulated, which can damage its properties. To prove that their platform could function as a viable semiconductor, the team needed to measure its electronic properties without damaging it.

They put atoms on the graphene that "donate" electrons to the systema technique called doping, used to see whether the material was a good conductor. It worked without damaging the material or its properties.

The team's measurements showed that their graphene semiconductor has 10 times greater mobility than silicon. In other words, the electrons move with very low resistance, which, in electronics, translates to faster computing. "It's like driving on a gravel road versus driving on a freeway," de Heer said. "It's more efficient, it doesn't heat up as much, and it allows for higher speeds so that the electrons can move faster."

The team's product is currently the only two-dimensional semiconductor that has all the necessary properties to be used in nanoelectronics, and its electrical properties are far superior to any other 2D semiconductors currently in development.

"A long-standing problem in graphene electronics is that graphene didn't have the right band gap and couldn't switch on and off at the correct ratio," said Ma. "Over the years, many have tried to address this with a variety of methods. Our technology achieves the band gap, and is a crucial step in realizing graphene-based electronics."

Moving forward

Epitaxial graphene could cause a paradigm shift in the field of electronics and allow for completely new technologies that take advantage of its unique properties. The material allows the quantum mechanical wave properties of electrons to be utilized, which is a requirement for quantum computing.

"Our motivation for doing graphene electronics has been there for a long time, and the rest was just making it happen," de Heer said. "We had to learn how to treat the material, how to make it better and better, and finally how to measure the properties. That took a very, very long time."

According to de Heer, it is not unusual to see yet another generation of electronics on its way. Before silicon, there were vacuum tubes, and before that, there were wires and telegraphs. Silicon is one of many steps in the history of electronics, and the next step could be graphene.

"To me, this is like a Wright brothers moment," de Heer said. "They built a plane that could fly 300 feet through the air. But the skeptics asked why the world would need flight when it already had fast trains and boats. But they persisted, and it was the beginning of a technology that can take people across oceans."

More information: Walt de Heer, Ultrahigh-mobility semiconducting epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06811-0. www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06811-0 Journal information: Nature
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Changes have arrived to rooftop solar in Idaho, whether its proponents like it or not.

Idaho Power, on the heels of gaining approval to raise its base electricity rates, got the green light from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to overhaul its method of compensating households with rooftop solar panels for the excess energy they generate and send back to the grid.

The policy, called net metering, previously allowed customers to receive credits on their utility bills equivalent to retail electricity rates when they produced more energy than they needed. For every kilowatt hour of solar energy sent to the grid, the customer received a kilowatt-hour credit, helping offset the initial costs of installing a solar system and making it a more viable investment.

But the latest ruling, effective Monday, lowers that rate, known as the export credit rate, and replaces what is known as net monthly billing for real-time net billing, which Idaho Power says would better measure customers' reliance on the grid.

Solar systems installed before Dec. 20, 2019, are grandfathered in and not affected by the changes.

While the adjustments most commonly apply to rooftop solar, they affect other methods of on-site energy generation like windmills, geothermal and small hydro projects, a spokesperson for the company previously told the Idaho Statesman.

The move comes despite objections from homeowners with rooftop solar, environmental groups and businesses that sell and install solar equipment.

According to a final order posted Friday by the commission, the agency received 846 public comments on the case, with 49% opposing any change to the compensation structure and 46% opposing a switch from net monthly billing to real-time net billing, a core tenet of the application Idaho Power first filed in May.

"The commissioners are saying the voices and expertise of thousands of Idahoans and small businesses are not as important as the voice of the state's largest monopoly utility," said Alex McKinley, co-owner of Empowered Solar in Boise, in a Tuesday news release from the Sierra Club.

McKinley, who has a master's degree in renewable energy, previously told the Statesman that the changes to net metering could discourage customers from investing in solar, making them more reliant on other forms of energy.

The new, lower payment amounts

Retail rates for homeowners were previously between 8 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, depending on the amount of energy used.

In the filing, Idaho Power looked to shift energy valuation to on-peak and off-peak times, with varying rates for each, but for an average annual rate of nearly 6 cents. It also proposed updating the rates each year.

On-peak would cover the summer months, from June 15 through Sept. 15, on Monday through Saturday from 3 to 11 p.m., excluding holidays, at a rate of 20.42 cents. The eight-hour window is when Idaho Power says it experiences its highest demand.

All other hours are defined as off-peak, at a rate of 4.91 cents.

The company and its stakeholders eventually settled on an average annual rate of 6.2 cents instead, according to Rodriguez, with on-peak times adjusted to June 1 through Sept. 30 at a rate of 17 cents and off-peak at a rate of 8 cents.

If the company's proposal was approved as filed, the monthly bill for the average residential customer with rooftop solar would go up by about $12, Idaho Power spokesperson Jordan Rodriguez previously told the Statesman. But because the rates the commission approved had been modified since the application, that amount has changed slightly. Rodriguez couldn't immediately answer by how much the change would now cost the typical homeowner with rooftop solar.

The overall reduction in compensation stems from the rising popularity of solar systems. Idaho Power argued that previous pricing overcompensated customers with solar at the expense of those without. About 12,000 customers, or 2% of the company's roughly 600,000 customer base, participate in on-site generation.

"We're trying to achieve a fair and accurate valuation of customers' exported energy," Rodriguez previously said by phone.

2024 The Idaho Statesman. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Off the coasts of Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands dozens of wind farms whir away, helping Europe switch to renewable energy from fossil fuels.

Some of those wind farms are also helping Europe do something few people might imagine: grow seafood. The activity represents a promising new approach to tapping natural resources.

Business as unusual

Called "multiuse," it involves the sharing of offshore space and is a big departure from the usual idea of exclusive operating rights.

"Traditionally, most things are done separately," said Alex Ziemba, a researcher at Deltares, a Dutch institute specialized in water and subsurface. "If you want a wind farm, you put it over there. If people want to go fishing, they go over there. You chop everything up into a nice marine spatial plan and everyone has their own little areas."

Ziemba co-led a research project to challenge such thinking by exploring the prospects for sharing offshore sitesa step that will help pave the way for legal questions about co-ownership to be tackled and for possible new jobs to be created.

"The key spot for an offshore wind farmwith optimal wind conditions and sitingmight also overlap with a great spot for aquaculture," he said. "If they're not combined, only one can use this optimal piece of sea."

Called UNITED, the project wrapped up on 31 December 2023 after four years. It grew mussels, oysters and seaweed among the turbines of three wind farms.

Make way

While oceans and seas cover 70% of the Earth, the room for commercial development in them is far from unlimited. This is especially so in Europe, the second-smallest continent in the world after Australia.

"Space is becoming an increasing problem," said Dr. ivind Bergh, a senior scientist at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway. "If you look at a map of Europe and the marine areas for the different countries, quite a lot of countries have very limited space."

Aside from generating wind energy, countries and businesses have plenty of reasons to look offshore for other economic opportunities. Deploying floating farms for livestock and crops as well as growing seafood are further examples.

When practicalities like easy access from a port are taken into account, the prime offshore locations for different industries can often overlap, according to Ziemba.

The UNITED researchers grew the seafood on nets suspended from lines, which were strung out several meters below the water surface to shield them from powerful waves. The foods grown included blue mussels and various types of seaweed, sometimes in combination with the restoration of oyster beds.

Good growth

While no direct connection existed between the aquaculture systems and the surrounding wind turbines, the coexistence represented a valuable sharing of premium economic space.

At the Dutch test site 12 kilometers from the coast, the nets were home to seaweed. The Belgian site hosted flat oysters as well as seaweed. And the German lines were used to cultivate blue mussels and seaweed.

Young mussels, oysters and seaweed plants were added to the nets just before they were deployed. The seafood and nets were then monitored via cameras, sensors and occasional boat trips.

Mussels and oysters can take around two years to reach market size, while seaweed can be harvested more frequently.

The resulting yields were comparable to those in calmer nearshore waters and away from other infrastructure, according to Ziemba.

UNITED also collected data on growth rates. That should allow the researchers to model the potential growth rates of larger-scale mussel, oyster and seaweed aquaculture in future wind farms.

Market openings

Bergh at the Bergen-based Institute of Marine Research is the scientific head of another research project identifying opportunities in the field.

Whereas UNITED mainly involved demonstrating whether combining wind farms and aquaculture was workable, Bergh's project is more focused on the actual seafood products.

Named OLAMUR, it is installing mussel and seaweed aquaculture systems among wind turbines in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea and the German zone of the North Sea.

The initiative began in January 2023 and is due to run until the end of 2026.

One demonstration site is in the Danish part of the Kriegers Flak wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This is one of the largest offshore wind sites in Europe.

OLAMUR builds on the work of earlier, smaller projects that focused on the engineering challenges of placing aquaculture systems in wind farms.

The team will study the growth rates and yields of mussels and seaweed as well as their quality. This will involve assessing their nutrient profiles and checking for harmful contaminants to ensure marketability.

Beyond sushi

The market for seaweed is growing as it finds a role in everything from foods and feed to packaging and medicine.

For example, large-scale seaweed farming could help clean up Europe's seawater.

In the Baltic and North seas, dead zones have formed as a result of contamination caused by the run-off of nitrates and phosphorus from agriculture.

Seaweed feeds on these inorganic nutrients, removing them from the water.

"Those excess nutrients can be transformed from a problem to a resource if you cultivate seaweed," Bergh said.

With the EU committed to protecting at least 30% of its seas by 2030, seaweed can play an even bigger role by reducing agricultural pollution in such places as the Baltic.

Any industry can be hesitant about the idea of introducing new activities into ongoing operations and associated risks can never be eliminated altogether, according to Ziemba of UNITED.

He said that, because wind-energy companies currently don't usually share space, they worry about other infrastructure in the area damaging their turbines and, by extension, disrupting electricity generation.

In the event of a storm, for example, a buoy or longline might break free from its anchor and damage a turbine or cause it to stop operating during a recovery operation.

"They need their turbines to operate as often as possible and for nothing to be damaged," Ziemba said. "But there are clear benefits to combining activities and some operators are excited about the prospect of doing so."

Bottom-line benefits

A multiuse approach could be a win-win one for all concerned, according to Bergh.

With optimal offshore space becoming tight, domestic permitting procedures often being slow and the EU seeking to ramp up renewables production, developers of a planned wind farm that includes a co-use component could find it easier to get a license.

Beyond that, some clear-cut operational benefits are possible.

For example, wind farms and aquaculture producers could cut costs by sharing boats as well as sensors used on vessels, buoys and turbines to monitor setups.

Ultimately, profitability will determine whether multi-use offshore locations emerge on more than an experimental basis.

The UNITED team is already pursuing a follow-up project in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to explore whether aquaculture on wind farms is commercially viable.

"People have to be able to make money from doing it for it to be a business," Ziemba said. "Otherwise this won't take off on its own."

More information: UNITED

OLAMUR

This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.
The military has extended a trial program for new military conscripts at boot camps to use mobile phones for one hour on weekends and holidays, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

In July, the ministry introduced the six-month trial program as part of efforts to allow conscripts to use mobile phones during their mandatory military service to help them better connect with family members and friends.

The ministry said the program has been extended until it decides on a new policy on mobile phone use after analyzing the program's results and considering measures to address possible security issues and impact on operations.

Conscripts used to be barred from carrying mobile phones for security reasons, but the troops  except for fresh recruits  can now use and possess phones from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military in a country facing constant threats from North Korea. (Yonhap)
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

In 2019, Chicago software company ActiveCampaign decided to open an office in Europe to be closer to international clients. The fast-growing startup did more than half its business internationally, and a new satellite office in Sydney, Australia, was proving to be too far from European markets.

The customer experience automation company opened its second international officein Dublin, Ireland. What started as an office with 50 employees doubled to 100 in its first year.

In another two years, ActiveCampaign Dublin had become a global business center with more than 300 employees.

"Dublin is a good example of where it's not just like one function that we set up there," said ActiveCampaign CEO Jason VandeBoom. "It's only been growing in terms of the different types of roles that we can do from that hub."

ActiveCampaign is one of more than 50 Chicago businesses that have expanded or relocated to Ireland. Today, about 1,000 American companies employ about 17,000 people in Ireland.

"Chicago has been hugely important," said Paul Veale, who represents IDA, the investment and development agency of the Irish government, in the Midwest and the South. "(Chicago companies) are very, very huge contributors to both Ireland and the Irish economy."

IDA has about 300 employees worldwide. The agency has a hand in most of the new sites that are opened in Ireland by international corporations. It has nine offices in the United States, including one in Chicago that opened in 1965, and employees help with everything from finding land to boosting public relations.

"I always say our job is to eliminate the speed bumps, or the barriers to being successful," Veale said.

Many United States companies in Ireland focus on software and other products that can be transmitted digitally, without having to get into imports and exports. Still, life sciences companies are the biggest players in Irish American commerce, Veale said.

Abbott Laboratories and Horizon Therapeutics, both headquartered in the Chicago area, have operated factories around Ireland for decades. Horizon's global headquarters is in Dublin.

Other corporations that are headquartered in Illinois and have locations in Ireland include Aon, Illinois Tool Works and Molex. But it's the recent migration of Chicago-based tech startups that Veale finds the most exciting.

ActiveCampaign worked closely with the IDA before its Dublin hub opened, VandeBoom said. The IDA set up meetings between ActiveCampaign staff and managers at other American companies in both Cork and Dublin in Ireland.

"It's been a constant sort of source of them having a presence there, which felt like far more of a partnership than some of the other regions that we operate with," VandeBoom said. "We were able to spend time with actual companies that have started up within the last couple of years in the region. They were able to give us some insights on cities."

Chicago unicorn startup G2, a digital platform for reviewing and comparing software, also started working with the IDA as talks of expanding into Europe grew serious.

After visiting Dublin and meeting with industry peers in the area, G2 Vice President Gordon Tobin and his team felt right at home.

"The density of technical talent that exists within Ireland  the English-speaking country within the Eurozone that has access to all the common markets  there's a natural advantage there," Tobin said.

"We made a certain decision that Ireland's going to be the place we were going to continue to grow from," Tobin said.

Tobin relocated to Dublin in 2021 to begin hiring employees. G2 formally opened its Dublin office in April 2023.

Besides Dublin and Chicago, G2 also operates from London, Singapore and Bangalore. The hardest part of working between cities, Tobin said, is the time difference. For connecting the United States and Ireland, early afternoon calls from Dublin are a favorite, catching Chicago employees in the morning.

Tech companies that move to Ireland tend to recruit heavily from local universities, Veale said, and some even get a say in their curriculum. Telecom giant Ericsson has collaborated with Irish schools on classes up to the Ph.D. level, and cloud computing courses have become popular in the last decade, Veale said.

"Particularly if you're based out of Dublin, companies have the opportunity to work with universities to maybe shape the course contents, to ensure that those coming out of universities have the skill sets that you're looking for," Veale said.

As a former student at University College Dublin, Tobin experienced the career-focused Irish university system himself. He said Dublin's talent pool made it an attractive site for expansion.

"That was always a key piece, that we knew a wealth of talent already existed here," Tobin said. "You've got a very strong educational system in place.  You also have a great pipeline going in from all around the world. "

Membership in the European Union makes it easier for companies in Ireland to headhunt from other European global headquarters, Veale said, while cutting down on visa processing times. Someone who would be an H1-B visa holder in the U.S. might not be approved to work for several months, while an Irish equivalent would take four to six weeks.

Bringing international talent to Ireland on a shorter timeline was a major draw for ActiveCampaign.

"f you're building a platform that's going to be so wide, so horizontal, like the platform that we've built, like it would be kind of strange to restrict our talent to like Chicago," VandeBoom said.

Some companies choose to move to Ireland because it's an English-speaking country in Europe, Veale said. Europe's large population compared with the U.S. makes it a crucial market for G2. The company's activities in Europewhich are largely coordinated by the Dublin officeaccount for 17% of total revenue.

Veale has also found that Chicago and Ireland share several cultural similarities, including a growing biotechnology sector, a common language and a taste for Irish food and holidays.

"On St. Patty's Day, you know, it doesn't take a genius to know the Chicago River turns green," Veale said. "Everybody celebrates it, but we always bring a prominent member of the Irish government over."

For some companies, branching out to Ireland also has a financial advantage. Ireland and America have an agreement preventing double income tax on labor, making them attractive business partners for companies of various sizes.

The agreement ensures that American citizens working in Irelandand American businesses with Irish satellite offices staffed by localsaren't paying income tax to both countries at the same time. Both America and Ireland have similar agreements with several other nations.

The Irish government also offers tax credits to some international businesses as an incentive for setting up shop. Corporations are eligible for a tax cut matching up to 25% of their research and development budget for new projects housed in Ireland, on top of a 12.5% corporate tax deduction.

Veale credits the COVID-19 pandemic with expanding Ireland and Chicago's connection in the startup landscape. People became more comfortable with relocating and with investing in remote work, he said.

"People are a bit more intrigued and more willing to say, 'Can we have a quick 15, 20-minute call?'" Veale said.

While many Chicago companies in Ireland are based in large university cities such as Dublin and Cork, those with deep roots are starting to expand. Abbott, which came to Ireland in 1946, now operates in 10 locations. Most recently, the medical device giant broke ground on a diabetes care product factory in Kilkenny, opening in 2024.

The IDA hopes that people who move to Ireland for work will build community there, Veale said. Since the whole country is roughly the size of Indiana, new jobs in city centers also bolster the environment in commuter towns.

"You can create sustainable employment for people that allows them to stay in Ireland and allow small communities and towns to survive and thrive," Veale said.

2024 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
South Korea will mandate drug tests for all soon-to-be conscripts to disqualify drug addicts and ensure safety in the military, the military manpower agency said Wednesday.

Until now, prospective enlistees have undergone drug testing only if they have disclosed past drug use or a medical officer deems it necessary, but all new recruits will be required to be tested during physical exams under a revised military service act, which goes into effect in July, the Military Manpower Administration (MMA) said.

Under the revised act, about 260,000 new enlistees are expected to be subject to drug testing in 2025, according to the MMA. From 2018 to 2023, 6,457 enlistees took drug tests, and 27 of them tested positive.

All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military in a country facing constant threats from North Korea.

The scope of testing will also be expanded to include two more drugs, benzodiazepines and ketamine, in addition to the current five  methamphetamine, cocaine, opium, marijuana and ecstasy.

The MMA said it will report those who are confirmed positive to the police for investigation and share the test results with the defense ministry for continuous monitoring. (Yonhap)
Police said Wednesday they plan to seek an arrest warrant for the suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung during his visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.

The suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, 66, is accused of stabbing Lee, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), in the neck while posing as an autograph-seeker Tuesday morning. The attack occurred after Lee toured the construction site of a new airport on Busan's Gadeok Island.

Kim was immediately overpowered and detained at the scene.

On Wednesday, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said they plan to seek a warrant to formally arrest Kim, most likely on charges of attempted murder. Earlier, the police revealed that Kim had confessed to intending to kill Lee.

Police also revealed that circumstantial evidence suggests premeditation, such as the purchase and modification of a 17-centimeter mountaineering knife for the crime.

The suspect's history also indicates that he followed Lee's planned tour of southern cities, officials said. The suspect arrived in Busan on Monday, visited the adjacent city of Ulsan later that day, and returned to Busan on Tuesday.

Furthermore, a district court issued a warrant to search Kim's residence and office as part of the investigation.

Police said they would concentrate on determining the exact motive behind the attack.

Meanwhile, Lee remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Seoul National University Hospital, where he underwent a two-hour surgery.

"Chairman Lee is in the ICU, and visitation is only allowed for family members," party spokesperson Park Sung-joon told reporters, adding that even party leadership members were unable to meet Lee.

Lee, who suffered an injury to his jugular vein, was airlifted by a helicopter from Busan to Seoul on Tuesday.

"Lee was stabbed in the jugular vein and underwent vascular reconstruction surgery, which included the removal of blood clots," the party's spokesperson, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, said in a press briefing Tuesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and rival parties unanimously expressed deep concern over Lee's safety and condemned the attack, emphasizing that such violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances.

The attack occurred just 100 days before the country holds parliamentary elections in April, as the ruling People Power Party seeks to regain its majority from the DPK.

Both parties scaled down large-scale events and other schedules, with the DPK urging its members to refrain from making political interpretations of the attack or comments about the suspect.

"Members, please refrain from being swayed and, aside from expressing wishes for Lee's recovery, avoid making political interpretations or mentioning the suspect in relation to the incident," Rep. Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the DPK, said in a text message to the party members. (Yonhap)
Less than half of South Korean students think unification is necessary
Death-row inmate Jorge Galindo has petitioned the federal court to vacate his convictions and sentence for his part in the U.S. Bank killings in Norfolk in 2002.

The move comes on the heels of an unsuccessful bid for the Nebraska Supreme Court to rehear his case, following a split decision in September affirming a district court judge's decision to deny Galindo postconviction relief without an evidentiary hearing.

Galindo got the death penalty five times over for going into a U.S. Bank branch on Sept. 26, 2002, with Jose Sandoval and Erick Vela and gunning down five people  Lola Elwood, Lisa Bryant, Jo Mausbach, Samuel Sun and Evonne Tuttle  in one of the deadliest bank killings in U.S. history.

The three left empty-handed as the five died.

Within hours, the three men would be locked up and ultimately landed on death row, Sandoval and Galindo after being found guilty at trial and Vela after pleading guilty.

Automatic appeals followed  all rejected.

In 2019, Galindo filed a motion for postconviction relief, alleging a number of claims, including prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel.

After being denied a hearing without an evidentiary hearing, Galindo appealed to the Nebraska Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments last year.

His attorney, Adam Sipple, wasn't challenging Galindo's underlying convictions, but said he should have been granted a hearing to explore allegations that Madison County Attorney Joe Smith had been involved in a criminal drug ring and shielded himself from federal scrutiny by getting participants in it to testify against Galindo at the sentencing phase, implicating him in another killing prior to the U.S. Bank murders.

The majority found even if Galindo could prove his allegations, the conflict could not amount to anything more than harmless error, but said "our decision should in no way be understood as minimizing or countenancing the seriousness of the allegations against the county attorney in this case. It would be a great understatement to say that the county attorney would be deserving of serious condemnation if these allegations are true."

In a partial dissent, Justice Jonathan Papik said, while he agreed with the majority on all the other claims, he disagreed with the claim involving the county attorney.

Papik said because he couldn't say at this stage that Galindo was incapable of proving a constitutional violation that would render his sentences void or voidable he would grant him an evidentiary hearing.

"Even if granted this hearing, Galindo would be a long way from obtaining relief from his death sentences; while his allegations about the county attorneys behavior are serious to say the least, at this stage, they are mere allegations," he wrote.

Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman joined in the partial dissent, saying she, too, would have granted an evidentiary hearing on the claim.

"I write summarily only to say that in a death penalty case, the penalty phase prosecuted by a prosecutor with a conflict should not be left unexamined," she wrote.

On Dec. 9, Sipple filed a motion asking to stay the mandate from being issued, while Galindo seeks review of a number of federal questions.

Two days later, assistant federal public defenders filed a 375-page petition for a writ of habeas corpus on Galindo's behalf, raising 37 claims.

Nebraska's 11 death row inmates Carey Dean Moore Patrick Schroeder Aubrey Trail
Hoi An among worlds cheapest holiday destinations in 2024: The Times

By Hoang Minh Wed, January 3, 2024 | 11:38 am GMT+7

U.K. newspaper The Times has listed the ancient town of Hoi An in central Vietnam among the 23 most affordable destinations this year with cheap cost of living and slow pace of life.

People release lanterns onto Hoai River in the ancient town of Hoi An, central Vietnam. Photo courtesy of iViVu

Because everything else is so cheap, its possible to stay in top-notch hotels and still subsist on 100 (US$126) a day, including sunscreen, cocktails, coffees and a three-course dinners for two, the newspaper said.

Local draught beers are especially cheap, while renting a moped will cut taxi costs and help you get to the nearby beaches. Cua Dais stretch of white sand is only a couple of miles to the east.

The average coffee price is 1.5 ($1.89), with evening meals at 5 ($6.31) and beer at 1 ($1.26).

In addition to Hoi An, the list also included Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, Tokyo in Japan, Lisbon in Portugal, Bali in Indonesia and Hong Kong.

As an ancient town that sits along Thu Bon river, Hoi An charms foreign tourists with its unique architectural ensemble that features iconic yellow houses and rich traditional heritage

Hoi An is home to Chinese-influenced temples and assembly halls with unique architecture. Colorful floating lanterns are also a distinct feature during a festival held on the 14th day of each lunar month, when all the electric lights in the town are switched off.

Hoi An welcomed 91,000 foreign visitors during the three-day New Year holiday that wrapped up on Monday, up 169% year-on-year.

Last year, Tripadvisor readers voted the Vietnamese ancient town among the worlds top 25 trending destinations with the greatest year-over-year growth in interest.

Vietnams tourism enjoyed a successful year in 2023 as the number of foreign arrivals reached 12.6 million, up 3.4 times year-on-year and surpassing the initial target of 8 million. South Korea, mainland China and Taiwan were the largest sources for inbound tourism.

This year Vietnam targets 18 million foreign tourists, equivalent to the pre-pandemic figure of 2019.

The tourism industry began 2024 with positive signs as a series of tourist hubs such as Hanoi, HCMC, Danang, Phu Quoc and Hoi An were flooded with foreign tourists during the New Year holiday last weekend.

On Monday, the first day of the new year, three luxury cruise ships from Europe carried over 5,000 international tourists to Ha Long and Da Nang, heralding a fruitful year for tourism.
COLUMBIA  The State Election Commission is reminding voters that the registration deadline for the Democratic Presidential Primary is right around the corner.

Voters must register by Thursday, Jan. 4 to be eligible to vote in the primary.

The deadline for the Republican Presidential Primary is on Thursday, Jan. 25.

There are several ways to register:

Register online at scVOTES.gov (information must be current with the DMV).

Download a voter registration form from scVOTES.gov. Complete and return the form to your county voter registration office by fax, email, or mail.

Register in person at your county voter registration office.

If you are already registered, you can check your registration at scVOTES.gov to make sure your address is up to date:

If you have moved from one county to another, you must register in your new county by the deadline to be eligible to vote.

If you have moved within your county or changed your name recently, update your information prior to election day to help ensure a smoother voting process.

Visit scVOTES.gov for additional voting information.
Police sought an arrest warrant Wednesday for the suspect in the stabbing attack against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, as Lee has remained hospitalized after surgery.

The suspect, identified only by his surname Kim, 67, stabbed Lee, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), in the neck while posing as an autograph-seeker Tuesday morning during Lee's visit to the southeastern city of Busan.

The attack occurred after Lee toured the construction site of a new airport on Busan's Gadeok Island.

Kim was immediately overpowered and detained at the scene.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency filed for an arrest warrant to formally arrest Kim on charges of attempted murder, police officials said. Earlier, the police revealed that Kim had confessed to intending to kill Lee.

Earlier in the day, the police sent officers to search Kim's residence and his realtor's office in the central city of Asan and seized his PC, laptop, a knife sharpener and other evidence as part of their investigation, focusing on determining the exact motive behind the attack.

Police also disclosed circumstantial evidence suggesting premeditation, such as the purchase and modification of a 17-centimeter mountaineering knife for the crime.

The suspect's history also indicates that he followed Lee's planned tour of southern cities, officials said. The suspect arrived in Busan on Monday, visited the adjacent city of Ulsan later that day, and returned to Busan on Tuesday.

Later on Wednesday, the agency also dispatched investigators to offices of the DPK and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to confirm whether Kim is affiliated with any political party.

Police believe that determining whether the suspect is a party member is an important factor in finding the exact motive.

Earlier, the police said Kim had plotted his attack alone, but his motive remains unknown.

Meanwhile, Lee was transferred to the general ward at Seoul National University Hospital on Wednesday afternoon from the intensive care unit (ICU), where he had been hospitalized since undergoing a two-hour surgery the previous day.

"Chairman Lee is in the ICU, and visitation is only allowed for family members," party spokesperson Park Sung-joon had earlier told reporters, adding that even party leadership members were unable to meet Lee.

Lee, who suffered an injury to his jugular vein, was airlifted by a helicopter from Busan to Seoul on Tuesday.

"Lee was stabbed in the jugular vein and underwent vascular reconstruction surgery, which included the removal of blood clots," the party's spokesperson, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, said in a press briefing Tuesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and rival parties unanimously expressed deep concern over Lee's safety and condemned the attack, emphasizing that such violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances.

The attack occurred just 100 days before the country holds parliamentary elections in April, as the PPP seeks to regain its majority from the DPK.

Both parties scaled down large-scale events and other schedules, with the DPK urging its members to refrain from making political interpretations of the attack or comments about the suspect.

"Members, please refrain from being swayed and, aside from expressing wishes for Lee's recovery, avoid making political interpretations or mentioning the suspect in relation to the incident," Rep. Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the DPK, said in a text message to the party members. (Yonhap)
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Critics of the Colorado Supreme Courts ruling that former President Donald Trump, under the express terms of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, is ineligible to appear on the ballot as a Republican presidential candidate, assert that the Disqualification Clause is undemocratic and, therefore, it should not be invoked to deprive voters of the right to decide who their next president will be.

If the American people want to vote for a candidate for the office of the presidency, it is argued, they should not be denied that choice. Some have warned that use of the Disqualification Clause will have disastrous consequences for democracy. Others have argued that courts should not define the boundaries of democracy.

The Colorado ruling, based on clear and convincing evidence that Trump engaged in insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, does, in fact, limit voters choices, but that is true of other constitutional provisions that disqualify various citizens from holding the office of the presidency.

The framers of the Constitution believed that eligibility requirements for the presidency, which seem to trench on the right of voters to choose their leaders, are sometimes necessary to protect our constitutional democracy, Article II  the executive article  provides that the president must be 35 years old, a natural born citizen and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. These electoral checks and constitutional guardrails limit voters choices. The age and residency requirements reflect the Framers concerns about maturity and knowledge of the nation  its politics, problems and issues. The natural born citizen requirement sought protection from a foreign leader who might impose authority at odds with constitutional principles and republican values. These eligibility requirements met with little opposition since Americans viewed them as serving the higher goals of our constitutional order.

The Impeachment Clause  Article II, Section 4  reflects yet another constitutional limitation on voters rights to choose their president. The framers implementation of an impeachment power to remove a president from office for a variety of offenses against the United States, including treason, bribery and high crimes and misdemeanors may well counter the wishes of many voters, but was, in the estimation of the Framers, necessary to preserve the constitutional order. The impeachment power includes, moreover, the power of the Senate, if it were to remove a sitting president, to prevent the disgraced officer from ever holding another office under the authority of the United States. That power was intended to prevent the return to power of someone who had engaged in various attacks on our constitutional order including, violation of the oath of office, usurpation of power, violation of the laws of the United States and certainly insurrection and rebellion.

The concerns that motivated the framers creation of the Impeachment Clause and disqualification from holding future office inspired the 39th Congress to draft section 3 of the 14th Amendment  the Disqualification Clause  which was ratified in 1868. This provision, enforced by the Colorado Supreme Court against Donald Trump, bars the return to power of someone who once took the oath of office and then engaged in, or aided and abetted, insurrection or rebellion against the United States. Like the framers of the Constitution, the Republicans who controlled the 39th Congress, believed electoral checks were sometimes necessary to preserve constitutional democracy.

The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, likewise imposed electoral guardrails on the presidency. Motivated by President Franklin D. Roosevelts election to a fourth term in 1944, Republicans in Congress mobilized support to push through a constitutional amendment to limit the president to two terms. Growing concerns about executive aggrandizement of power linked to longevity in office were sufficiently strong to persuade the American people to once again limit their own voting options when it involved the presidency.

Opponents of the 22nd Amendment argued that it violated their voting rights, as do current opponents of the invocation of the Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment, but the overriding sense that a nation has a right to protect itself by restricting access to office prevailed among the American electorate.

Some provisions of the original Constitution, including protection for slavery and denial to women of the right to vote, for example, were clearly undemocratic but, over time, were amended out of the Constitution, as the American people came to recognize the cruelty and arbitrariness of those provisions that reflected anachronistic values of another age.

But other provisions that seem undemocratic  Article II criteria for presidential eligibility, the Impeachment Clause, the Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment and the 22nd Amendment  because they impose limits on the choices of voters, have retained their vitality and relevance in an age marked by grave constitutional challenges. These voter-limiting provisions serve the greater interest of the nation  the necessity of preserving our constitutional democracy.
ENERGY Minister Stuart Young has taken umbrage at comments made by Ronald Harford, former chairman of Republic Financial Holdings Ltd, as he boasted about the success of the energy sector.

Young said whenever somebody becomes a former, their mouth gets big, as he quoted from an article in Fridays Express report where Harford made critical comments.
Over the last few years, Leon Coldero has arguably become just as renowned for his insatiable cuisine as he is as an entertainer.

Having spent four decades in entertainment, giving soca parang lovers hits that never get old, opening his restaurant was just a natural progression for Coldero, who used the downtime during the Covid-19 pandemic, to delve full throttle into the restaurant business.
A new camera system is being installed along this countrys roadways with the aim of tackling traffic congestion and reducing the countrys crime.

This was said yesterday by Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, who spoke with the media at the intersection of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and Golden Grove Road in Piarco.
US students embrace Chinese language, hoping to bridge cultures

09:39, January 03, 2024 By Lia Zhu ( Chinadaily.com.cn

Zheng Xin (sixth from right), wife of Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin, presents certificates to three award winners of "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competitions - Andrew Fowler (fifth from left), Ivana Moreno (sixth from left) and Sage Houdek (fifth from right) on Saturday night at the Chinese consul general's residence in San Francisco. LIA ZHU / China Daily

In a vibrant awards ceremony at the residence of the Chinese consul general in San Francisco, three US students, who recently took home top honors in the "Chinese Bridge" global Chinese-proficiency competition, stood proudly, their fluency in Chinese and passion for Chinese culture on full display.

Ivana Moreno, a high school student in a black kung fu uniform, captivated the audience with a dynamic display of martial arts.

Andrew Fowler, a college senior, showcased his newfound talent in the ancient art of Chinese bamboo weaving.

Sage Houdek, a bright elementary schooler, filled the room with the delicate melodies of traditional Chinese folk music played on her violin.

The three students were not just celebrating their victories at the competition; they were ambassadors of cultural understanding, building bridges of friendship between the US and China with every spoken word and graceful performance, said Zheng Xin, wife of Chinese Consul General Zhang Jianmin in San Francisco, who hosted the three students, their families and other Chinese-language learners from the Bay Area at their residence on Saturday night.

Moreno, a student at Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco, won the second prize and the best potential award at the global finals of the 16th "Chinese Bridge" World Chinese Proficiency Competition for Secondary School Students.

"I feel like my whole life I've benefited from learning Chinese just from a really young age. I started learning Chinese when I was 3," she told China Daily.

"I think in the future, this is going to be extremely beneficial for me, since I'm interested in a teaching job. I love teaching kids, and I would love to go to China and experience more about the culture and language and then bring that back to the US," she said.

From kindergarten all the way to eighth grade, Moreno said all of her friends spoke Chinese because they went to a Chinese immersion school. As she grows up, she has made new friends who don't understand her experience.

"But they've all been very supportive and are extremely impressed every time I can just speak Chinese. Now two of my friends have been inspired. They're taking Mandarin class, and it's been really fun to be able to teach them and help them out when they need it," she said.

Fowler, who studies languages and mathematics at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, was inspired by a passionate teacher in high school and then discovered Chinese as a gateway to new ways of thinking and learning.

"When I started learning Chinese, I had never truly learned a foreign language before, so it's very difficult," Fowler said. "First, I felt Chinese taught me to think in a new way and taught me how to learn something that was very difficult.

"After that, I was able to self-study German well enough and self-study a few other languages to a certain degree of proficiency. So the first way in which Chinese helped me was to help me become a better learner," Fowler told China Daily.

He participated in the 22nd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in China and finished third in the global final.

Beyond language-learning, the experience in China "helped me immensely to enrich my life because I was really interested in literature, philosophy, and art", he said.

"It opened a whole new horizon for me of a foreign country. I did not go out of the US until late into high school. So the experience of learning Chinese helped broaden my horizons and gave me a sense of what's awesome," he added.

"It also helped me make new friends and to see that people around the world, even if they vary in some things, are very similar in a lot of ways. We can make friendships across the seas even though it's a far distance," he continued.

After graduation in 2024, Fowler said he planned to intensively study the Chinese language in China and potentially pursue further graduate work and look for a job in academia.

Similarly, Houdek, drawn to the vibrant traditions experienced at her immersion Yinghua Academy in Minnesota, embraced Chinese customs like celebrating Lunar New Year with fervor.

Having been studying Chinese for seven years, Houdek won the Best Performance Award at the third "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Show for global elementary school students.

"China is a beautiful country with a long history. I appreciate the opportunity of visiting China and communicating with Chinese people. The journey of Chinese Bridge not only helps me to learn the language but also make more friends. In 2024, I will work harder to learn Chinese and become an envoy for US-China friendship," she told the audience in fluent Chinese.

Beyond individual journeys, these young students represent a desire for cultural understanding and friendship with a nation and its people on the other side of the Pacific.

As Deputy Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zou Yonghong aptly noted, "Learning Chinese can broaden one's horizons, share the benefits of China's development  it can promote the healthy development of China-US relations."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
President Yoon Suk Yeol will invite members of the public and experts to take part in annual policy briefings that each ministry plans to provide starting this week so that participants can hold policy debates, his office said Wednesday.

Presidents have typically started a new year by receiving briefings from each ministry on their plans for the coming year.

This year, however, Yoon will hold the sessions by themes related to the public's livelihood issues and invite members of the public and experts to take part in debates with relevant ministries, his office said in a press release.

Around 10 sessions will be held starting Thursday, with the first one titled "A vibrant economy for the people."

Other themes will include housing, jobs, small and medium-sized enterprises, public safety, caregiving, transportation, medical reform, media policy, tackling the low birth rate and energy policy.

The sessions will be held in locations closely connected to the theme, such as the site of a planned redevelopment project for the second debate on housing next Wednesday.

Other venues under consideration are an industrial complex, a youth startup space, a university and a military base.

The sessions are also aimed at promoting cooperation across ministries, with the session on people's livelihood and job diplomacy set to bring together officials from the foreign, industry and culture ministries, as well as the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the state defense procurement agency.

The new format is part of the government's efforts to implement Yoon's vision for an "action-oriented, problem-solving government," not a government that "just carries out reviews," which he outlined in his New Year's Day address. (Yonhap)
With ten people murdered between Thursday and Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley took to Facebook yesterday to assure citizens that State agencies will not give up the fight to rid our streets and other places of the evil that is now widespread as a gun culture in Trinidad and Tobago.

And in a voice note to the media, Commissioner of Police Erla Christopher said, We are determined to dismantle criminal gangs and make a difference in transforming impacted communities.
As Tucson continues to welcome new restaurants around the city, we've also lost quite a few along the way.

Here are 23 local restaurants that shut their doors in 2023, listed in alphabetical order.

Ajuua

Ajuua, 2310 N. Country Club Road, opened in midtown last year, serving a Sinaloa-inspired seafood-centric menu. The eatery last posted on Instagram in June.

New restaurant Aspasia Middle Eastern has since moved into the Ajuua space.

Brawleys Restaurant

Brawleys Restaurant located at 7848 E. Wrightstown Road closed in February after 37 years in business.

There is no one to blame, and really nothing to be done, it's just a simple sign of the times, Brawleys wrote on Facebook.

Brushfire BBQ Co.

Brushfire has been around since 2007, serving smoked brisket, grilled pork belly and baby back ribs. When visiting both their locations  2745 N. Campbell Ave. and 7080 E. 22nd St.  on Dec. 29, signs were posted in the windows that read: "Brushfire Permanently Closed. Thank you Tucson for all your support and patronage since 2007."

An "available" sign from real estate agency Picor was also hanging at the 22nd Street location.

Chick-in Waffle

Less than five months after opening, chicken-and-waffle joint Chick-in Waffle, 5524 E. Grant Road, closed its doors in October.

The small chain that has four other locations including three in Missouri and one in Arizona released a statement on Oct. 3 stating: Chick-in Waffle, in Tucson, Arizona, deeply regrets to inform its valued customers that our Tucson location will temporarily close its doors. We sincerely apologize to the people of Tucson for any inconvenience this may cause.

Our commitment to delivering high-quality food and exceptional service to our community is of utmost importance to us, and we acknowledge that recent experiences have not met the standards that Tucson deserves, they added.

Although the restaurant announced a temporary closure, the storefront has recently taken down its sign and the Tucson location is no longer listed on the chains website.

China Phoenix

Tucson has very few options for dim sum and with the closure of China Phoenix, 7090 N. Oracle Road, there are now even less.

When we visited on July 1, a sign was taped to the window stating: "Lease expired. Restaurant will be closed." Tables were no longer set up inside and two phone calls to the number on their website went unanswered.

Citizen Hotel

After a year in business, the Citizen Hotel, located at 82 S. Stone Ave. closed its doors in May. The boutique wine hotel featured a lobby bar, plus a wine cellar in the basement and wine tastings in the mezzanine.

The closing comes nearly 15 months to the day that the hotel opened and coincides with Tucson businesses bracing for the annual summer slowdown. Thats when tourism dramatically drops, and the city loses its reliable revenue stream from the loss of University of Arizona students and winter residents, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

Crossroads Mexican Restaurant

Crossroads, 2602 S. Fourth Ave., has been around since 1936. In August, a fire ripped through the historic eatery. Though the restaurant is currently closed, owners say they will rebuild.

I feel like we lost a member of our family, which it is. Its our second home, Aracely Gonzalez, who owns the restaurant with her husband, told the Star.

Da Boots BBQ Shop

Da Boots BBQ closed its doors earlier this year at 1830 S. Park Ave. but said they are converting to a mobile operation, according to a post on their Facebook page.

Deliciocho

Deliciocho, located at 6308 S. Nogales Highway, known for its creative raspados and birria tacos, announced its closure on June 28. The south-side establishment opened in April 2021.

Due to this economic crisis we are going through. After almost 3 years of keeping our doors open and serving up some of the most unique menu items in Tucson, they wrote on Instagram.

Dillinger Brewing

After seven years, Dillinger Brewing closed its doors  but you can still find its brews at Borderlands Brewing thanks to a partnership before the business shuttered.

Dillinger sold its brewery at 3895 N. Oracle Road to local restaurant chain Serial Grillers, which will expand on its year-old Mosaic Brewing beers that Dillinger has been brewing for the last year. Art and Sol Tattoo Gallerys owners took over Dillingers downtown taproom in the historic Coronado Hotel at 402 E. Ninth St., renaming it TraXide Taproom. And Dillinger sold its intellectual property to Borderlands Brewing, which will continue making a trio of Dillingers most popular beers. Read more here!

Donut Bar

Donut Bar, 33 N. Sixth Ave., a San Diego-based shop known for doughnuts as big as your head quietly closed its doors this fall. The shop opened in downtown Tucson in early 2020.

The shop teamed up with Lindy Reilly of Thunder Bacon Burger Co. this year to serve doughnuts alongside burgers. The shop is now operating solely as Thunder Bacon Burger Co., but continues to serve doughnuts thanks to local home bakery, Cals Bakeshop.

El Berraco

El Berraco, 2960 N. First Ave., a Mexican seafood restaurant that resembled a submarine, permanently closed its doors on Dec. 14. Owner Benjamin Galaz, who also owns BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs, cited an influx of food trucks in the area for the restaurants closure, the Arizona Daily Star reported on Dec. 19.

Over the past couple of months, Galaz said sales dropped 40%, forcing him to close El Berraco on Dec. 14. A note he posted on the restaurants Instagram account said the closure was temporary ... until further notice, but on Dec. 15, he said it was permanent, the Star reported.

Fiesta Filipina

Fiesta Filipinas brick-and-mortar location in the food court of Park Place Mall, 5870 E. Broadway, closed on June 18. Fiesta Filipina decided to go down the brick-and-mortar route in 2021 after running a food truck for three years prior.

Thelma Ward, the owner of Fiesta Filipina announced the closure on Facebook on June 19. I will still be operating the Fiesta Filipina food trailer for special events and catering so watch for our events schedule, she wrote.

Fullyloves

Fullyloves in Main Gate Square, 994 E. University Boulevard, opened its doors in the spring of 2021. After a little over two years of serving up burgers, fries and vegan food, the joint closed in June.

The love and support we received from our community is unmatched and will be cherished. We will be taking this time to be with our family and prepare for our next chapter and will no longer be on University Blvd, they wrote on Facebook.

Little Love Burger

Little Love Burger located at 312 E. Congress St. in downtown Tucson opened in the fall of 2021. The fun burger joint was created by the team behind Hub Restaurant and Playground Bar & Lounge.

Little Love Burger officially closed on June 18.

After serving you with love for several years, we hand the keys to the sacred 312 East Congress space to Gabriel and Vivian Moreno, of Jaimes Pizza Kitchen. A multigenerational Tucson family business since 1989, Jaimes Pizza Kitchen will be opening soon, serving amazing traditional pizza, wings, and salads, Little Love Burger said on Facebook.

Mama's Hawaiian BBQ

Tucson's last Mama's Hawaiian BBQ location has closed its doors.

When visiting their eatery at 6310 E. Tanque Verde Road in early July, a lockout notice from the landlord was hanging in the window. Their website no longer works and a call to their phone number went unanswered.

Pastiche Modern Eatery

Anthonie Ruinard, Pastiche's most recent owner, was arrested in connection with the June killing of 18-year-old Parker League near Apache Junction.

Ruinard had owned the 25-year-old restaurant since 2021, after buying it from Costas and Judie Georgacas. The Georgacases ran the restaurant for four years after buying it in 2017 from the family of the original owner Pat Connors weeks after Connors died of cancer.

Pastiche, 3025 N. Campbell Ave., last posted on Facebook in February, citing water damage and repairs for a temporary closure. The sign on the building has been taken down and a notice of a landlord's lien, dated in February, was seen hanging in the window.

Sito's Fresh Market

Sito's, a carniceria and raspado shop at 2545 E. Speedway, closed its doors this fall after opening in 2021. Shoppers could find flour tortillas, hot sauces and spices  and on weekends, they'd grill up carne for you.

The market last posted on Facebook in September. Their sign has been taken off the building and the inside of the space is vacant.

Ten55 Brewing Company

After a decade in business, Ten55 decided to discontinue all of its operations, Tucson Foodie first reported earlier this year. The brewery was set to open a new location in midtown after leaving its downtown digs at 110 E. Congress St. last year, but the new place never came to fruition.

The Delta

The Delta, dubbed by the owners as the "pissed off rock-and-roll cousin" of its sister restaurant The Parish, closed in early November. The Delta was located at 135 S. Sixth Ave. and opened in early 2022.

"I dont think, based on our experience down there, that it was tied to us specifically as a concept more so than the challenges of downtowns in general," co-owner Bryce Zeagler said.

The Dutch

The Dutch, 5340 E. Broadway, closed its doors in early October. The eatery originally opened in Main Gate Square in 2017.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Dutch is closed," The Dutch wrote on Instagram, followed by: "We hope to be able to serve you again in the future."

The Lobby

The Lobby, located at 811 E. Wetmore Road, closed earlier this year after four months in business. The restaurant sold classic feel-good food like burgers, wings and milkshakes.

Toro Loco

Toro Loco Tacos & Burros, 5737 E. Speedway, popular for its French fry-stuffed burritos, permanently closed its doors on Dec. 18. The restaurant announced its closure on Instagram on Dec. 12.

The restaurant was part of the Serial Grillers family, which includes other restaurant concepts such as Transplant Detroit Style Pizza and its neighbor Craft, A Modern Drinkery, along with its newest concept, Mosaic Brewing Co.

Toro Loco initially opened around 4 years ago and moved to the Speedway location in early 2022 after another Serial Grillers concept, Boulevard BBQ & Fixins, closed.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) warned President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday not to veto two special investigation bills, one of them into stock manipulation allegations involving the first lady.

Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, floor leader of the DPK, said Yoon will face national backlash if he rejects the bills that passed through the DPK-controlled National Assembly last week. The DPK will also seek all possible legal measures if Yoon exercises his veto power, he said.

One of the proposals mandates an independent counsel investigation into allegations first lady Kim Keon Hee was involved in the stock manipulation of Deutsch Motors, a BMW car dealer in South Korea, between 2009 and 2012.

The other special probe proposal is about allegations that six prominent people of the so-called "five billion club" were promised 5 billion won ($3.8 million) each from an asset management firm connected to a corruption-ridden development project in the Daejang-dong district in Seongnam, south of Seoul.

"Yoon will face a crucial national challenge if he vetoes the two special investigation proposals," Hong said in a leadership meeting. "Should he exercise his veto power, the DPK will review all available legal measures."

"I would like to ask Yoon and the ruling People Power Party's emergency committee leader, Han Dong-hoon, again. Is the president's family an exception to your principle that no one is above the law?" Hong said.

Meanwhile, Hong expressed regret over North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's characterization of inter-Korean relations as those "between two states hostile to each other" and urged the North's leader to make efforts to make inter-Korean ties peaceful ones. (Yonhap)
The U.S. will reopen the Lukeville Port of Entry on Thursday, after a one-month closure to all traffic forced long detours for travelers between Arizona and parts of Sonora and disrupted routine crossings and commerce for border residents.

The Lukeville ports operations will resume at 6 a.m. Jan. 4, Customs and Border Protection announced late Tuesday.

Additionally, in Nogales, the Morely Gate pedestrian crossing will reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday, after being closed since late September for improvements. CBP will also reopen border crossings Thursday in Eagle Pass, Texas, and San Diego that it closed along with Lukeville while temporarily shifting personnel to other duties.

CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation. We continue to assess security situations, adjust our operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes  such as scheduling an appointment via CBP One  and those without a legal basis to remain in the United States, CBP said in the news release.

The closure that began Dec. 4 was announced suddenly by CBP, as it redirected Lukeville personnel to help the U.S. Border Patrol take migrants into custody while the border was overwhelmed by a surge in migrant arrivals. The closure to vehicular and pedestrian traffic was described as temporary but indefinite at the time.

The Border Patrols Tucson sector saw more than 64,000 migrant arrivals between ports of entry in November, making Tucson the busiest of all nine southern border sectors for five months running.

The port closure forced Arizonans to drive hundreds of miles out of the way to get to and from the Sonoran beach town of Puerto Penasco, and led to warnings by the U.S. Consulate that the detour routes were dangerous due to gang violence plaguing parts of northern Sonora.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs had called to no avail on the Biden administration to deploy the National Guard to keep the Lukeville port open to expedite traffic for Arizonans who need to cross. Hobbs eventually announced she was sending some guard soldiers to the border area to help local law enforcement, but not to staff the Lukeville port.

Sonoran tourism officials celebrated the opening news Tuesday evening.

In Puerto Penasco we received the news with great joy to resume operations and receive our tourists and visitors in these first days of the year and new beginnings, said Martin Martinez, tourism director for Puerto Penasco.
Tucson boiled over once more in 2023, with average daily temperatures finishing tied for the third warmest year on record.

It was also the year of the split weather personality, with temperatures well below normal from January through June but soaring well above normal from July through December. The spike gave Tucson its hottest second half of of the year on record since the National Weather Service started keeping records here in 1895.

Moreover, it was the 25th consecutive year in which Tucson temperatures came in above average. Nine of the warmest 10 years on record here have come since 2009.

Overall, 2023's annual average temperature of 71.2 degrees tied with 2014 and 2015 as the third warmest year on record.

Temperatures particularly skyrocketed in July, when both Tucson and Phoenix recorded their warmest months on record. Every day of Tucson's July reached at least 100, which had only happened once before for any month.

For the entire world, 2023 was the hottest year on record, a NASA official told USA Today.

Climate change, urban heat island

Traditionally, local climate scientists have cited two causes for Tucson's continuously warming temperatures. One is global climate change, which an overwhelming majority of climate scientists have blamed on the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.

The other is the urban heat island effect, in which increasing pavement, sidewalks, construction of buildings and bridges and other forms of urban and suburban growth add to the amount of impermeable materials that radiate heat back into the atmosphere.

"Undoubtedly" both of these forces were at play in Tucson's 2023 temperatures, said Gregg Garfin, a longtime University of Arizona climate scientist.

"Living in an urban area we cannot escape the effects of heat retention by the built environment, including buildings and pavement, as well as exhaust heat from air conditioners and automobiles," said Garfin, professor and extension specialist at UA's School of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Regional temperatures continue to increase, due to global warming, based on ongoing monitoring by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and from evidence in scientific studies and the recently released 5th National Climate Assessment, Garfin added.

For example, for the Southwest region, the latest National Climate Assessment mentions increases in the number of days with maximum temperatures greater than 95 Fahrenheit and in the number of days with minimum temperatures greater than 70 Fahrenheit, Garfin said.

55th driest year

As for rainfall here, it was less but not dramatically less than normal. In 2023, Tucson got 10.21 inches, or four-tenths of an inch below normal. That made 2023 the 55th driest year on record for Tucson. The summer monsoon season was the 39th driest on record, with 4.73 inches of rain.

The weather year's most striking development was the abrupt change in warmth after June 30th.

From Jan. 1 through that day, Tucson's daily temperature averaged 66 degrees, or 1.2 degrees below normal. From July 1 through December, the daily average was 78.2 degrees, or 4 degrees above normal.

"It's hard to say" what was the root cause of the sudden temperature shift, said Aaron Hardin, a National Weather Service forecaster in Tucson.

But in the first half of 2023, Tucson had a more active weather pattern, with more low pressure weather systems keeping the air cooler, Hardin said.

During the summer, a ridge of high pressure built up over Tucson and much of Arizona, raising temperatures and keeping many monsoon storms away, he said. In a good monsoon year, the high pressure ridge heads north to the Four Corners area, allowing more moisture and monsoon rains to arrive from Mexico, he said.

Looking ahead, for Tucson, the National Weather Service predicts 60% to 70% chances of below normal temperatures in January and 40% chances of above normal precipitation for January, Hardin said. For the entire three-month period through March, the outlook is for equal chances of above and below normal temperatures and precipitation, he said.

Our patterns mirrored Phoenix's

Weather patterns were very similar although more extreme in Phoenix. That city finished 2023 with its fourth-warmest year on record.

But the period January through March was the coolest such period in Phoenix since 2000, said Gabriel Lojero, a Weather Service meteorologist there. While June was also cooler than normal there, "the weather pattern changed drastically in July.We got no relief from extreme heat. We didn't get the sufficient moisture to help us with thunderstorm activity," Lojero said.

As for rain, "we were doing really well with rain through March. Then we went into a really dry streak, with over 140 consecutive days without measurable precipitation" at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, he said.

For the year, Phoenix had only 4.21 inches of rain, about three inches below normal.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

At present, 17 states have criminalized abortions except when necessary to save the mothers life. If the Arizona Supreme Court reinstates a law passed by the Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1864, Arizona will make it 18.

Weve read about the serious health difficulties of Kate Cox whose fetus was found to have a fatal abnormality but who was denied an abortion by Texas law, which permits abortion only if the mothers life is threatened.

Ms. Cox is not alone. Women and their doctors have sued Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas for forbidding medical care in the case of difficult pregnancies.

Twenty plaintiffs are suing the state of Texas (Zurawski v. State of Texas) over being denied medical care. Anna Zargarian, one of the plaintiffs, was 19 weeks pregnant when her water broke and she began cramping. In the emergency room, doctors told Anna there was no chance that her baby would survive and that based on her condition, she was at risk of infection, hemorrhage, and sepsis. Anna was told that she needed an abortion but could not get one in Texas and would need to leave the state. The other plaintiffs have had similar experiences.

Suppose a woman, not pregnant, was at risk of infection, hemorrhage, and sepsis, but was forced to go out of state for medical care. Anyone would find this outrageous and inhumane. Why should things be different if her health problems were caused by pregnancy?

The pro-life answer, of course, is that the fetus has a right to life. The mission of National Right to Life, according to their website, is to protect and defend the most fundamental right of humankind, the right to life of every innocent human being from the beginning of life to natural death.

Every state has, at the minimum, a save-the-mothers-life exception to its abortion ban. The practical problem is that it is unclear when a doctor, given a medical emergency, can perform the abortion. (This is the question raised in Zurawski v. Texas.)

I want to point out another problem, logical consistency. If both fetus and mother have an equal right to life, why is the mother favored when an exception is made to allow abortion to save her life? Why not favor the fetus, and let the mother die? Or toss a coin?

A 2023 Gallup Poll showed that 52% of American adults identify as pro-choice, 44% of Americans pro-life, and 4% no opinion. However a survey by the Penn (University of Pennsylvania) Program on Opinion and Election Studies asked the question, Do you think a pregnant woman should be able to legally have an abortion if her health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy? 91% answered yes.

Other surveys show support for legal abortions decreasing with gestational age. For example, in one poll, 75% of participants indicated that abortion should be banned in the second trimester, even though an overwhelming majority favored access to legal abortion in some circumstances. Gallup assessed whether abortion should be legal by trimester, and support for legal abortion dropped sharply after the first trimester.

Right to life does not fit American attitudes. Having a right to life is binary; you have it or you dont. If it is permissible to abort the fetus when the mothers life is in jeopardy, then the fetus does not have a right to life. If abortion is permissible in the first trimester but impermissible in the second, then the fetus does not have a right to life.

If pro-life continues to assert equal rights to life for both fetus and mother, they havent thought through the consequences of their position. And they havent thought the consequences through because they dont have a serious moral view. They have a slogan around which anti-abortion foes can rally.
Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

A Grove man admitted in federal court Tuesday that he impersonated his dead roommate for years to obtain his Social Security and other government benefit checks after his death in 2018.

Terry Ross Killion, 41, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft in Tulsa federal court as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. A guilty plea to aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison term, according to court records.

Killion also agreed to pay combined restitution totaling $116,000 to the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Treasury and the estate of his dead roommate as part of the agreement.

For their part, prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining charges Killion faced in an indictment.

A grand jury named Killion in a seven-count indictment filed under seal Oct. 2 in Tulsa federal court. The indictment, unsealed Nov. 22, alleged four counts of bank fraud, one count of use of a false Social Security number, one count of theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Killion wrote in his plea agreement: I impersonated my deceased friend, Kelly O. Davis, as part of a scheme to unlawfully divert and convert his Social Security payments to my own benefit.

In his plea, Killion admitted to learning the Social Security Administration continued to deposit benefit checks in Davis bank after his death.

He further admitted to gaining access to Davis bank account in August 2019 after learning Davis date of birth and Social Security number.

Killion then opened multiple debit accounts in his deceased roommates name and was successful in getting the Social Security Administration to reroute the benefit payments to another account opened falsely in Davis name, according to his plea.

In all, Killion admitted to wrongly taking $113,563 from the Social Security Administration, $3,200 from the U.S. Treasury in COVID-19 stimulus payments and $15.35 from Davis estate.

Killion will be sentenced at a later date following completion of a presentencing report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Related content Tulsa police officer resigns amid allegations of on-duty rape

A warrant has been issued after a former Tulsa police officer facing sexual assault charges related to his on-duty activities failed to appear in court for a scheduled hearing last week.

Court documents indicate that Deangelo Reyes, 32, forfeits the $50,000 bond posted after his arrest on a forcible sodomy charge.

Reyes also is facing a charge of first-degree rape after a woman alleged that Reyes, in full uniform and in a marked patrol vehicle while on duty, flirted with her while she was walking her dog and later met her at her motel room, where they had sex.

Among other provisions, sex is first-degree rape under Oklahoma law when force or violence is used or threatened, accompanied by apparent power of execution to the victim or to another person.

Reyes resigned from the Tulsa Police Department a day before the rape charge was filed.

As the investigation continued, Special Victims Unit detectives reportedly uncovered additional instances of Reyes utilizing his position as a Tulsa police officer to exploit vulnerable citizens in a sexual manner, according to a TPD news release.

A trial has been scheduled for March in Reyes first-degree rape case. Reyes attorney in that case, Andrea Brown, told the Tulsa World in a phone interview Wednesday that the last time she heard from him was Dec. 27.

He knew he had court Friday. His whole family and support system expected him, Brown said. We were shaken (when he didnt show up); his girlfriend in particular was devastated. 

I worry for him because its out of character to be out of contact.

Brown said she has not been retained in Reyes new case.

Police encourage anyone with information to call investigators at 918-596-9168.

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Andrea Eger Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Andrea Eger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

An Oklahoma City businessman who made headlines last year for his eleventh-hour board appointment and deciding vote to approve a controversial Catholic charter school proposal has a new job as a top aide to Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Brian Bobek is now working as deputy chief of staff for Stitt, a governors spokeswoman confirmed when asked by the Tulsa World.

Bobeks updated LinkedIn page states that his most recent employment ended in November, after 23 years with the London-based oil and gas company BP.

Bobek signed his oath of office as a member of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board moments before the start of the June 5 board meeting, where he cast the deciding vote on a divided board to contract with Catholic leaders in Oklahoma to create a taxpayer-funded charter school to provide greater access to Catholic school education across the state.

The move went against the legal advice of the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office because state statute defines charter schools as public schools and specifically prohibits them from affiliation with a nonpublic sectarian school or religious institution.

Representatives of the Attorney Generals Office also advised that Bobek should have been ineligible to serve on the board at all until November.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond slammed the deal for a religious charter school as an irreparable violation of our individual religious liberty and unthinkable waste of our tax dollars. He has gone to the Oklahoma Supreme Court to try to reverse the state boards action.

Stitt has been a vocal supporter of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School, which would be the nations first religious charter school if opened.

Statewide Virtual Charter School Board Chairman Robert Franklin, who voted against the St. Isidore proposal and even refused to sign the sponsorship contract because he believes it violates state law and his oath of office, called Bobeks new employment by Stitt an embarrassment.

It reeks! Its terribly upsetting, Franklin told the Tulsa World on Tuesday. He drops a bomb on the process and then walks away from it? It looks really contrived.

Stitt spokeswoman Abegail Cave said she believed that Bobek has, indeed, already resigned from his seat on the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, an appointment he received through the office of Oklahoma State House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka.

Cave first said she would have to check on Bobeks hiring date and salary. She responded late Wednesday that Bobeks start date was Nov. 27, but she said the Tulsa World would be required to file a written request for public records to obtain Bobeks taxpayer-funded salary.

Bobek previously served as a Stitt appointee to the State Board of Education and State Board of Career and Technology Education from 2019 to 2022.

In July, Bobek voted to hire the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, to defend the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board against possible national litigation over the controversial move to sponsor the nations first religious charter school.

In district court, a group of Oklahoma taxpayers is already challenging the virtual school boards decision.

Politico recently documented the ties between activist legal groups hoping to use the St. Isidore proposal as a possible test case to change the U.S. Supreme Courts interpretation of the First Amendments separation of church and state.

Among the tight-knit groups listed are ADF and the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Initiative, a legal clinic created by the law school at the University of Notre Dame, which assisted Oklahoma Catholic leaders with the St. Isidore proposal.

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Tim Stanley Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Tim Stanley Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

A Tulsa nonprofit specializing in providing digital fabrication access to the community is now part of the University of Tulsa.

Officials announced on Tuesday that TU has acquired Fab Lab Tulsa, 501 S. Lewis Ave.

The lab, one of more than 1,800 MIT-chartered Fab Labs worldwide, has been in Tulsa for 14 years, providing access to digital fabrication tools and resources throughout the community.

We are excited to welcome Fab Lab Tulsa to the TU family, TU President Brad Carson said. This acquisition will enable us to expand our reach and impact locally and regionally while we provide our faculty and students with new opportunities to learn and grow.

The acquisition of Fab Lab is effective immediately and is part of TUs ongoing efforts to promote innovation, he said.

Fab Labs can be found in more than 78 countries. The Tulsa lab, located in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood, is one of only a few independent nonprofit labs in the U.S.

Lab Director Nathan Pritchett will continue to serve in that role.

We are thrilled to join forces with the University of Tulsa, said Pritchett. Strong collaborations and partnerships are critical to the growth and success of our city. The affiliation between the University of Tulsa and Fab Lab Tulsa is an incredible opportunity to work together to accelerate our shared outreach and impact.

The acquisition was enthusiastically supported by Fab Lab Tulsas Board of Directors. The board said its eager to see the effects the move will have on not only lab membership but also the economic growth of the region.

This is an exciting moment for both Fab Lab Tulsa and the University of Tulsa, said Clayton Siegerist, Fab Lab board president. This association will enable us to strengthen our mission and expand our offerings. I am thrilled to be a part of this collaboration, and we are ready to start this new chapter together.

TUs location in Kendall Whittier and well-established True Blue Neighbors community outreach program, along with its expertise in computer science, cyber, robotics and STEM education, make it an ideal partner for Fab Lab, officials said.

This is great news for our university, our neighborhood and our city, said Rose Gamble, vice president for TUs Office of Research and Economic Development. The acquisition demonstrates TUs commitment to bolstering Tulsas economy and creating another pipeline to introduce school children  and area makers and shakers  to all of the great work being done by our students, faculty and alumni.

Fab Lab Tulsa delivers educational, community, workforce and business programming focused on innovation, design thinking, problem solving and change making.

In addition, the lab provides open and equitable community access to advanced manufacturing equipment, technology and more.

For more information, go to fablabtulsa.org.

Correction: This story originally misspelled the name of the Fab Lab board president. The story has been corrected.



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PARIS -- Japanese investigators are preparing to probe the collision of two airplanes at Tokyo's Haneda airport, weeks after the global airline industry heard fresh warnings about runway safety.

All 379 people aboard a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 escaped after a collision with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop that killed five of six crew on the smaller aircraft.

People familiar with the investigation said the Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) would lead the probe with participation from agencies in France, where the airplane was built, and Britain where its two Rolls-Royce engines were manufactured.

Experts have cautioned it is too early to pinpoint a cause and stress most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors.

But investigators are widely expected to explore what instructions were given by controllers to the two aircraft, alongside a detailed examination of plane and airport systems.

A ministry official told reporters in Japan on Tuesday that the A350 was attempting to land normally when it collided with the Coast Guard plane, also known as a Bombardier Dash-8.

One of the first tasks will be to recover black box recorders with flight data and cockpit voice recordings.

Experts said the location of the accident means physical evidence, radar data and witness accounts or camera footage are likely to be readily available, easing the huge forensic task.

"One obvious question is whether the coastguard plane was on the runway and if so why," said Paul Hayes, director of aviation safety at UK-based consultancy Ascend by Cirium.

The crash is the first significant accident involving the Airbus A350, Europe's premier twin-engined long-haul jet, in service since 2015.

And according to preliminary 2023 data, the collision of the Coast Guard plane with a two-year-old jetliner three times its length follows one of the safest years in aviation.

But it also comes after a U.S.-based safety group warned last month about the risk of runway collisions or "incursions".

The Flight Safety Foundation called for global action to prevent a new uptick in runway incursions as skies become more congested.

"Despite efforts over the years to prevent incursions, they still happen," CEO Hassan Shahidi said in a statement.

"The risk of runway incursions is a global concern, and the potential consequences of an incursion are severe."

Although ground collisions involving injury or damage have become rare, their potential for loss of life is among the highest of any category and near-misses are more common.

A collision between two Boeing 747s in Tenerife in 1977, killing 583 people, remains aviation's most deadly accident.

'Technology gap'

The Washington-based foundation has found that breakdowns in communication and coordination can play a role in runway crashes or near misses.

But a shortage of electronics to avoid collisions on the ground, rather than in the air where software to trigger avoidance has been available since the 1980s, is also a concern.

"Many of the serious incidents could have been avoided through better situational awareness technologies that can help air traffic controllers and pilots detect potential runway conflicts," Shahidi said.

The Federal Aviation Administration says some three dozen U.S. airports are fitted with a system called ASDE-X that uses radar, satellites and a navigation tool called multilateration to track ground movements.

But National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said in November the U.S. aviation network - a bellwether for airports worldwide - lacks sufficient technology to prevent runway incursions.

In 2018, Airbus said it was working with Honeywell on a system called SURF-A or Surface-Alert designed to help prevent runway collisions by giving pilots visual and audio warnings about approaching hazards on the runway.

Honeywell Aerospace Technologies expects SURF-A, which is operational on its experimental test aircraft, to be certified and available to airlines gradually over the next few years, division CEO Jim Currier said by email.

Far-reaching reforms of European and U.S. air traffic networks that could accelerate the use of such computerised systems have faced chronic delays.

Airbus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Steve Creamer, a former senior director at the International Civil Aviation Organization, said preventing a landing aircraft striking a plane is among the top five global safety priorities.

Although automated landings are increasing, experts say much still depends on visual checks by pilots who may be distracted by a high workload or the blur of a night-time runway.

"I think the investigation will focus a lot on the clearances ... and then also what the (JAL) crew could see. Could they physically see that airplane on the runway," said former U.S. air accident investigator John Cox.

Lighting was an issue in a 1991 collision between a USAir plane and SkyWest Airlines aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport in California, for example.

"One of the things that came out of that was that the USAir crew physically could not see the SkyWest Metroliner there. Although it was on the runway, the lighting was such that you  physically couldnt see it," he said.

Officials investigate a burnt Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Officials investigate a burnt Japan Airlines' (JAL) Airbus A350 plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Officials investigate a burnt Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and his spouse are scheduled to start an official visit to Vietnam on Saturday at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, marking his first trip to the neighboring country since taking office in December 2022.

During his Vietnam visit, the Lao leader will co-chair the 46th meeting of the Vietnam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee from January 6 to 7, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This visit follows the Vietnamese premier's trip to Laos in January of the previous year.

After attending a welcome ceremony hosted by PM Chinh, Siphandone is set to engage in a series of activities in Hanoi.

The two leaders of Vietnam and Laos met with each other several times at multilateral events in 2023.

The Lao prime ministers selecting Vietnam as one of his first destinations in 2024 showed that Laos attaches much significance to its partnership with Vietnam.

This year is anticipated to mark a key milestone for Laos diplomatic activities as the country assumes the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2024.

During multiple meetings between Vietnamese and Lao leaders last year, the top Vietnamese officials pledged to give maximum support to Laos to fulfill its role as the chair of ASEAN.

In related news, Chairperson of the Bulgarian National Assembly Rosen Dimitrov Zhelyazkov will visit Vietnam from January 5 to 9 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Vuong Dinh Hue.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday sent a message of condolences to his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio over losses of human lives and property caused by the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit Ishikawa Prefecture and adjacent areas in central Japan a day earlier, Vietnams foreign ministry reported on the same day.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son did the same to his Japanese counterpart Minister Kamikawa Yoko on the same day.

The 7.6-magnitude quake shook the Noto Peninsula in the central prefecture of Ishikawa on the afternoon of New Years Day, destroying buildings, sparking fires, and triggering tsunami alerts in six prefectures, according to international media.

More than 45,000 households in Ishikawa were without power and upwards of 30,000 people had to be evacuated after the earthquake, CNN cited a local government official.

Following the tremor, a tsunami with a height of over 1.2 meters lashed the coast of Wajima City in Ishikawa on the same afternoon.

The earthquake has taken at least 62 lives, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing officials from Ishikawa.

Most of the fatalities have been confirmed in the cities of Wajima and Suzu on the Noto Peninsula.

Japans Meteorological Agency later lifted all tsunami warnings along the countrys western coast on the same day.

As of 5:00 pm on Tuesday (Japan time), there had been no report of any Vietnamese casualties in the disasters in Japan, the Vietnam News Agency quoted the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan as saying.

On Monday evening, the embassy provided evacuation addresses for Vietnamese nationals living in Ishikawa and neighboroing Niigata and Toyama Prefectures, said Phan Tien Hoang, first secretary and head of the labor management board at the embassy.

All Vietnamese citizens living near the quakes epicenter were evacuated to safe shelters where they were provided with essential necessities, Hoang said.

Those Vietnamese interns working in Toyama, Fukui, and Ishikawa Prefectures were safe after the massive quake, according to the Public Interest Foundation International Manpower Development Organization, which manages these interns.

Affected Vietnamese citizens who need help can contact Vietnamese representative agencies in Japan at +81-80-3590-9136, +81-80-20346868, or +81-90-1255-5537 of the Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo, or +81-90-4769-6789 or +81-92263-7668 of the Vietnamese Consulates General in Osaka and Fukuoka, respectively.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday condemned the recent knife attack on opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as an act of terrorism, saying such violence suppresses human freedom and is an "enemy of liberal democracy."

Yoon made the remark during a gathering for the new year with leaders of the government, National Assembly, and economic, labor and religious circles, noting the absence of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee, who is recovering after being stabbed by an assailant during a visit to the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday.

"Terrorism, in whatever form, is more than just an act of harm or crime against the victim; it suppresses human freedom and is an enemy to everyone that seeks a free society. It is an enemy of liberal democracy," he said during the gathering at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.

"I believe we should all comfort the victim with one mind and with the same mind, respond firmly. Let us all wish for Chairman Lee Jae-myung's speedy recovery," he said.

This was the first time Yoon personally spoke on the matter, though his spokesperson said the previous day that he had expressed deep concern over Lee's safety and stressed that such violence should never be tolerated under any circumstances.

The gathering for the new year brought together some 200 people, including a 17-year-old high school student and inventor of a device for checking the sudden acceleration of vehicles, a 32-year-old nurse who performed emergency life-saving measures on an unconscious man in Yeouido, central Seoul, in November, 2023 and a 33-year-old Army captain who performed similar measures on a man at a subway station in Seoul the same month.

Yoon addressed the three in the audience and asked attendees to send them a round of applause.

"I believe encouraging such citizens and making their spirit widely known to the people is meaningful in creating a society where the people are happy." (Yonhap)
The international terminal at Da Nang International Airport in Da Nang City, central Vietnam has achieved the prestigious distinction of being the first in the country to receive a five-star rating from Skytrax, a renowned UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site.

This noteworthy rating upgrade occurred within a short span of nine months, following the terminal's initial assessment as a four-star facility by the same rating agency.

Such a great achievement resulted from its continued efforts in improving facilities, enhancing service quality, and bettering the overall passenger experience, said Do Trong Hau, deputy general director of the Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation Company.

The business class lounge at the Da Nang International Airport terminal in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

Skytrax highly commended the terminal's amenities, which include business-class lounges, baby strollers, children's playing areas, mother and baby rooms, self-check-in counters, self-baggage drop facilities, automatic immigration gates, and automated boarding gates.

Prayer rooms, shopping carts, and private medical rooms have also been made available at the terminal.

In prioritizing passenger experiences, the terminal underlines the promotion of Vietnamese culture by incorporating miniatures infused with national identity throughout the premises.

It has introduced the 'Heritage Road' traditional art performing program, catering to international visitors since late 2022, among other engaging activities.

This image shows a prayer room intended for international travelers at the Da Nang International Airport terminal in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

By the end of 2023, only 19 airports and three airport terminals around the world had been rated five stars by Skytrax.

Earlier in December, the terminal was awarded a Gold ranking, the highest out of the three grades -- Silk, Jade, Gold -- of a Welcome Chinese certificate issued by the China Tourism Academy under the China National Tourism Administration.

Given that ranking, the terminal has positioned Vietnam as the first nation in Southeast Asia to be awarded the Welcome Chinese certification.

International travelers are seen at the Da Nang International Airport terminal in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

Air travel is the main source of visitors to Da Nang, the Vietnam Government Portal reported, citing statistics from the municipal Department of Tourism.

Last year, this coastal tourist city welcomed more than 40,000 flights with about 6.3 million travelers on board, 1.5 times higher than in 2022 and equal to 82 percent of that in 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic was yet to hit the country.

A corner of the Da Nang International Airport terminal in Da Nang City, central Vietnam. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

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An estimated 3.2 million Vietnamese and foreigners took tours to tourist attractions in the Southeast Asian nation during the New Year holiday from Saturday last week to Monday, up 6.6 percent year on year, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Hotel room occupancy in popular tourist sites reached 95 percent during the period.

International tourists from South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, Europe, and Thailand traveled to Vietnam to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Over 50 percent of the total number of tourists toured Ho Chi Minh City, while the rest traveled to Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam, Hanoi, and some northern provinces such as Ninh Binh, Ha Giang, and Lao Cai.

Ho Chi Minh City took the limelight in tourism during the holiday as it welcomed 1.65 million visitors and made an estimated VND6.4 trillion (US$261.3 million) in tourism revenue.

The average room occupancy of lodging facilities in the southern metropolis stood at 87 percent in the time span.

Many Vietnamese also visited China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia to welcome the New Year.

Hanoi took the lead in the number of international tourist arrivals, at 72,000, followed by Ho Chi Minh City, which welcomed more than 46,000 foreign visitors during the holiday.

Besides, Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam received two cruise ships with over 3,700 international passengers aboard on the last day of 2023.

Vietnam looks to attract 17-18 million international travelers and serve 110 million domestic tourists in 2024, while its tourism revenue is expected to amount to VND840 trillion ($34.4 billion).

The country welcomed 12.6 million international tourist arrivals and served an estimated 108 million domestic visitors in 2023, according to statistics released on Friday last week by the General Statistics Office.

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The United States joined with several of its allies Wednesday to warn Houthi rebels against further attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, labeling recent Houthi attacks illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing.

Houthi rebels have launched numerous attacks on merchant ships and vessels since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war last year, prompting the U.S. and allies mostly from Europe and the West to engage with the perpetrators.

Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews, the U.S. and the allies said in a joint statement.

The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the regions critical waterways, it added.

The United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom all joined in issuing the stark warning.

The statement comes two days after Iran moved a warship to the Red Sea, which came after the U.S. sank three Houthi ships in the area.

The statement released Wednesday said Houthi attacks in the Red Sea threaten innocent lives from all over the world and constitute a significant international problem that demands collective action.

The attacks on merchant ships have caused companies to halt their operations in the area in recent weeks, forcing ships to take a longer route around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope to reach their final destinations.

International shipping companies continue to reroute their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant cost and weeks of delay to the delivery of goods, and ultimately jeopardizing the movement of critical food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance throughout the world, the joint statement said.

We remain committed to the international rules-based order and are determined to hold malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks, it added later.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Welcome Guest! You are here: Home  Science & Technology

Girl claims her virtual she gang-raped in Metaverse game, UK orders probe

The government in UK ordered a probe after a 16-year-old girl claimed that her virtual avatar was gang-raped in a live metaverse game. Read More

Wednesday January 3, 2024 11:10 AM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

[Representative image]

London: The government in UK ordered a probe after a 16-year-old girl claimed that her virtual avatar was gang-raped in a live metaverse game.

The girl was wearing a Virtual Reality (VR) headset in an immersive game when her avatar was allegedly assaulted by avatars representing several men, according to the Daily Mail.

Though the victim did not experience any physical harm, the mental torture and the psychological impact of the incident are being probed, the UK officials said.

There are a number metaverse games available like the one in question, Horizon Worlds, which is a free VR game owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), where users create avatars and control them with their VR headset and associated equipment.

What is metaverse?

The metaverse is a tech trend believed to be the next iteration of the internet. It is a single, shared, immersive, persistent, 3D virtual space where humans experience life in ways they could not in the physical world.

While there will not be any physical damage, the psychological trauma of any adverse incident, like the one the UK girl faced, is comparable to real-world assault due to the immersive nature of the VR experience.

The latest case of UK girl follows reports of other sexual assaults in the metaverse, prompting calls for updated laws to address the evolving risks associated with artificial intelligence.

Cant be ignored as small incident

Meanwhile, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly supported the UK Police probe, stressing the importance of the psychological trauma inflicted upon the girl. He also warned against underestimating the seriousness of such virtual acts.

I know it is easy to dismiss this as being not real, but the whole point of these virtual environments is they are incredibly immersive, he told LBCs Nick Ferrari at Breakfast program.

And were talking about a child here, and a child who has gone through sexual trauma. It had a very significant psychological effect, and we should be very, very careful about being dismissive of this," he added.

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First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun pledged Wednesday he will work to help elevate South Korea's diplomacy at a "grave" time in the face of global challenges from the wars in Europe and the Middle East to the U.S.-China rivalry.

Kim, who officially took office Monday, made the remarks during a brief meeting with the local press, saying he believes "crises always bring opportunities."

The first vice foreign minister in South Korea handles bilateral diplomacy.

"I feel a great sense of responsibility as I am taking on the role of vice minister at such a grave time ... We expect (to see) a lot of these challenges (continue) this year as well," Kim told reporters, as he mentioned the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group, and Russia's war in Ukraine.

"I will strive to assist the new foreign minister in a way that Korea's diplomacy can contribute to the livelihoods and future of our people," Kim said.

"I will also do my best to help realize the Yoon Suk Yeol government's diplomatic initiative for the global pivotal state," he added.

Kim, a retired veteran diplomat, was serving as the ambassador to Germany until his appointment last week. Kim is known for his extensive knowledge and experience in the United States, and North Korea-related issues, having served as the top nuclear envoy from 2016-19. (Yonhap)
HA NOI  Enhancing the quality of the workforce, promoting regional linkages, and developing science, technology, innovation and digital transformation are keys to Viet Nam's focus on improving labour productivity in the coming decades, according to the recently approved National Programme on Labour Productivity Enhancement by 2030.

The Southeast Asian economy has set a target by 2030 for an average national labour productivity growth rate of over 6.5 per cent per year, with the labour productivity growth rates of key economic regions and five centrally governed cities expected to surpass the national average during the 2023-2030 period, striving to be among the top three countries in Southeast Asia in terms of labour productivity growth. The target is also to have an average annual increase of 15 per cent in the number of enterprises engaging in innovative activities by 2025, and 20 per cent by 2030.

According to au Anh Tuan, deputy secretary-general of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), a large number of businesses are currently experiencing low labour quality, which has been identified as a significant challenge, considering that only about 15 per cent of the workforce has a higher education degree.

Nguyen Bich Lam, former head of the General Statistics Office (GSO), said while Viet Nam's labour productivity had narrowed the gap with higher-developed ASEAN countries, it still lagged behind countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, not to mention others such as South Korea, Japan, China or Western nations such as the UK, France and the US.

Contributing factors included the inappropriate structure of the labour force across industries, with the leading role of domestic productivity not fully realised, limited application of technology and techniques in production and outdated machinery and technology.

To enhance Viet Nam's competitiveness, Lam advised the Government to conduct regular reviews and evaluations of the National Labour Productivity Programme, in line with the global economic transformation. Industries and regions must proactively anticipate events, evaluating the impact of opportunities and challenges arising from global economic changes on Viet Nam. From this, solutions could be proposed to stabilise the macroeconomy, improve labour productivity, and promote rapid and sustainable growth.

He recommended continuous reform and improvement of institutional mechanisms to expedite the efficient use of all resources. Simultaneously, a cohesive legal environment needed to be established to ensure healthy competition across all markets. Creating mechanisms, preferential policies, and specific support for businesses to implement innovative solutions, adopt new technologies, and prioritise digital and high-tech industries was crucial.

In addition, refining growth strategies focusing on exports to maximise benefits from free trade agreements or developing a national strategy for technology-driven businesses, prioritising digital and high-tech sectors, design and innovation, was essential. Each enterprise should formulate and implement a strategy to enhance labour productivity based on knowledge and technology. Investing in innovation, applying advanced and modern technology to production and business management, and continuously innovating production processes tailored to each industry and economic region would be crucial steps.

Meanwhile, companies should evaluate each stage of the production process to restructure their workforce, develop automated production processes, or invest in industrial robots and artificial intelligence to enhance labour productivity, reduce product costs and improve competitiveness.  VNS
HA NOI  The year 2024 is forecast to remain challenging for the wood industry, given several issues affecting the sustainability of production and export, according to experts.

Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development show that the sectors export turnover reached US$14.39 billion last year, down 15.8 per cent year-on-year.

Major export markets have increasingly strict regulations on product legality and sustainability. Specifically, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which took effect in late June 2023, requires products imported into this market to ensure legality and not cause deforestation.

Along with the EU, many other markets have also set new and strict policies, causing many difficulties for wood export activities. The US market requires an increase in the frequency of investigations applying trade remedies to the industry, and also compliance with labour and employment regulations. Japan also requires Vietnamese wood products to have sustainability certificates.

The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act is also indirectly impacting Vietnamese exporters. German importers require Vietnamese exporters to provide additional certificates related to product origin, employment status, wages, waste treatment and other related certificates.

Meanwhile, Canada currently tends to put forward more environmental regulations in its product design, manufacturing and marketing strategies. Recently, the Canadian Government published a regulatory framework to establish mandatory requirements for recycled content and labelling for plastic products, which will impact most of Viet Nam's export commodity groups, from consumer goods packaging to other key export sectors.  VNS
HA NOI  Air carriers said they are prepared for busy end-of-year holiday travel as the 2024 Lunar New Year (Tet) approaches.

Vietnam Airlines Group, comprising Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), plans to fly up to 2.1 million passengers between January 25 and February 24, with nearly 550 flights added during the period.

The increased flights mainly connect HCM City and Ha Noi with a Nang, Hai Phong, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hue, a Lat, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Phu Yen and Phu Quoc.

Bamboo Airways has leased two more Airbus A320/A321 aircraft, raising its capacity by over 20 per cent from January 1.

Vietravel Airlines said it has considered appropriate airfares during the holiday while coordinating with aviation authorities to increase the frequency of flights with high travel demand.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) issued a document allowing night flights during the Tet holiday, and asking air carriers to take actions to minimise flight delays and cancellations, and intensify control to ensure aviation safety.

The CAAV also urged ground and aviation service providers to develop specific plans and measures to ensure the capacity to provide services during the holiday, and ensure sufficient resources and equipment to serve flights in accordance with airlines' operation plans.

Ha Noi-HCM City becomes worlds 4th busiest domestic air route

The Ha Noi-HCM City air route recorded more than 10.8 million seats sold between October 2022 and September 2023, making it the fourth busiest domestic air route in the world in 2023, according to statistics from air travel data provider OAG.

It ranked behind the Jeju-Seoul route in the Republic of Korea, the Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo New Chitose Apt-Tokyo Haneda routes in Japan.

In 2023, Viet Nam's air transport market, especially the domestic market, recovered nearly to the pre-pandemic level. For the international market, the recovery was slower but showed many positive signs.

Particularly, in the domestic market, HCM City continued to lead the country in the number of visitors, revenue and contribution to Viet Nam's tourism industry as it received nearly 5 million international tourists and nearly 35 million domestic ones in 2023.  VNS
HA NOI  Shares extended rallies on Wednesday as investors' risk appetite got stronger, while foreign investors continued withdrawing from two main exchanges.

The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) soared 12.45 points, or 1.1 per cent, to close the trading day at 1,144.17 points.

On the southern bourse, 268 stocks inched higher while 62 ticker symbols went down. However, liquidity was lower from the previous session. Of which, the trading value decreased by 14 per cent to over VN14.7 trillion (US$603.2 million).

The 30 biggest stocks tracker VN30-Index also settled higher at 1,144.85 points, a 13.21 points increase, or 1.17 per cent. Up to 27 stocks in the VN30 basket added up while only two dropped and one stayed unchanged.

An analysis team from Saigon - Hanoi Secutities JSC (SHS) said that the short-term movement of the benchmark index remains positive as expected.

"If we can break over the pressure at the 1,130 point area, we expect the VN-Index can move towards the strong resistance level around the 1,150 point-level. Short-term investors should maintain a low proportion of stocks as the index is gradually approaching resistance thresholds and there may continue to be fluctuations and adjustments," said SHS.

On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index also increased 1.65 points, or 0.72 per cent, to 231.64 points. Investors poured more than VN1.1 trillion into the market, equal to a trading volume of over 62.6 million shares.

Banking stocks continued to lead the market's uptrend, with Vietcombank was still the biggest gainer. The lender's shares rose 1.2 per cent on Wednesday after soaring nearly 4 per cent in the previous session.

It was followed by BIDV (BID), Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR), Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) and Vietinbank (CTG). All the stocks were up in a range of 1.47-3.1 per cent.

Securities and realty stocks also performed well, such as SHS rose 1.08 per cent, SSI Securities Corporation (SSI) jumped 1.38 per cent, Development Investment Construction JSC (DIG) was up 1.15 per cent and Vinhomes (VHM) climbed 0.93 per cent.

Meanwhille, the market continued to witness an outflows from foreign capital as foreign investors net sold on both main exchanges. In particular, they net sold VN206.2 billion on HoSE and VN7.86 billion on HNX.  VNS
HCM CITY  Vietnamese-American theatre actress Ngoc Huyen, a veteran of cai luong (reformed opera), will perform in a mini show in HCM City celebrating her 40-year career.

The show, Hat Voi Tinh Than (Singing by My Heart), will feature famous vong co (nostalgia tunes) songs, which are often used in cai luong.

She will sing Me Van oi Con Ve (Mother is Waiting for You) and Tinh Yeu Nghe Thuat (Love for Vietnamese Music), which are vong co songs by late artists Bach Mai and Vien Chau, two of the Souths leading theatre directors and scriptwriters.

The highlight of the concert will be excerpts from cai luong plays that made Huyen famous for more than two decades.

Huyen will perform with cai luong stars Kim Tu Long, Vu Luan and Binh Tinh, who have played a role in the 100-year-old development of the art form.

"Ill sing original traditional tunes for cai luong lovers," said 55-year-old Huyen, who returned to live in HCM City in 2017 after 15 years away from home.

Born in HCM City, Huyen began her career at a very early age. During her stage debut for the Thanh Nga Troupe in 1985, she wowed the audience with her voice, looks and performance.

She later joined Huynh Long Troupe, one of the regions leading tuong (classical drama) troupes, becoming one of its brightest stars.

In 1992, she performed pop songs in cai luong plays and left a very strong impression on young audiences.

She has won dozens of top prizes at national traditional theatre festivals and contests, including the Tran Huu Trang Award and Mai Vang (Golden Apricot) Award presented by HCM City Theatre Association and Nguoi Lao ong (Labourer) newspaper.

Her strong and melodic voice as well as commanding stage presence have helped Huyen leave an indelible mark on the art.

Huyens show, Hat Voi Tinh Than, will begin at 8pm at the ong Giao,164 Pasteur Street, District 1, on January 7. VNS
HCM CITY  Soloists of the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will perform a concert at the Opera House on January 6 to welcome the New Year.

The New Year Concert 2024 will present 18 songs representing or related to Spanish and Italian Pop Opera, a music genre that blends elements of classical opera with contemporary pop music started in the early 1900s.

One of its features is using operatic vocal techniques, such as bel canto and vibrato, in performing contemporary pop songs.

The night will highlight many popular soundtracks such as Dont Cry for Me Argentina from the 1996 film Evita, Nella Fantasia from the 1986 film The Mission, Oblivion from the 1984 Italian film Enrico IV, and other pop songs.

The programme will also include compositions that were influenced by the genre such as Spanish Dance by Tchaikovsky, Tango In D, Op 165, No 2 by Isaac Albeniz, and Dazs Danzon No 2 by Arturo Marquez.

The performance will feature tenors Pham Trang and Tran Thanh Nam, baritone ao Mac, and sopranos Duyen Nguyet and Pham Khanh Ngoc, along with other HBSO soloists, and its choir and symphony orchestra.

Violinist Tang Thanh Nam and oboist Pham Khanh Toan will perform at the concert as well.

Conductor Le Phi Phi, who is visiting from North Macedonia, will lead the concert.

Phi earned a master degree from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in 1993.

He has performed with many popular artists, symphony orchestras, choirs, musical, theatres, and ballets in Europe.

He has also offered training courses for young musicians at many conservatories in North Macedonia.

He has often returned to Viet Nam to perform with the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra, the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra (HBSO), and the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra, and conduct national concerts such as ieu Con Mai (Remaining with Time) and Xuan Que Huong (Homeland Spring).

He is currently teaching at the State Music and Ballet School Centre Ilija Nikolovski-Luj in North Macedonia.

The concert will begin at 8 pm at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. Tickets are available at the venue. VNS
HA NOI  The general director of Viet A Company and his deputy bribed a number of government officials to obtain licences to sell COVID testing kits at high prices during the pandemic, Ha Noi's People Court was told yesterday.

The two are among 38 defendants whose trial began in the capital in a case that has gained widespread public condemnation since the wrongdoings were uncovered.

Also on trial are Chu Ngoc Anh, former Minister of Science and Technology, and Nguyen Thanh Long, former Minister of Health.

Long is accused of accepting $2.25 million in bribes.

Prosecutors told the court General Director of Viet A Company Phan Quoc Viet and his subordinate, former Deputy General Director Vu inh Hiep, both violated regulations on bidding causing serious damages to the State and committed bribery.

Viet and Hiep have both already been sentenced to 25 years and six years by Ha Noi's Military Court for related offences.

According to the indictment, the research on COVID-19 testing kits was assigned to the Military Medical Academy in 2020 with a budget of VN18.9 billion (US$776 million).

Phan Quoc Viet collaborated with Trinh Thanh Hung, former Head of the Department of Science and Technology for Economic-Technical Sectors (under the Ministry of Science and Technology) to make Viet A Company part of the research team.

Chu Ngoc Anh, former Minister of Science and Technology, and Pham Cong Tac, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, approved the participation and assisted the company in claiming patent ownership of the testing kits, which was against the law because the research results were State's property.

Phan Quoc Viet is accused of paying Anh $200,000, Tac, $50,000, and Trinh Thanh Hung, $350,000.

After Viet applied for a production license, Nguyen Van Trinh, former Assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister, used his influence on the Ministry of Health to help Viet win the bid.

In return, Viet paid him $200,000. He also paid Nguyen Thanh Long, former Minister of Health, $2.25 million, Nguyen Huynh, former Deputy Director of the Price Management Department of the Drug Administration $164,000, Nguyen Minh Tuan, former Director of Medical Equipment and Construction, Ministry of Health, $300,000, and Nguyen Nam Lien, Nguyen Nam Lien, former Director of Financial Planning Department, Ministry of Health, $100,000.

When he got the license to mass-produce the testing kits, he continued to bribe many provincial Centres for Disease Control (CDCs) into buying his products at exorbitant prices.

Normally test kits were sold at around VN143,000, but in some cases, Viet was charging three times as much per kit

With over 4.5 million testing kits sold, the State Budget suffered a loss of VN402 billion ($16.5 million), of which VN222 billion came from CDCs in Hai Duong, Bac Giang, Nghe An, and Binh Duong.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, a former employee at the Viet Nam Education Publishing House, and Nguyen Bach Thuy Linh, former Director of the SNB Holdings Single-Member LLC, used their influence over people in authority to force a Singaporean company into buying a package of testing kits worth $1 million and gifting it to the Vietnamese Fatherland Front.

Phan Quoc Viet paid the two over $328,000 for their "hard sell."

Out of all those in the dock, six are accused of taking bribes, including Trinh Thanh Hung and Nguyen Thanh Long; and Nguyen Huynh, former Deputy Director of the Price Management Department of the Drug Administration (under the Ministry of Health).

Chu Ngoc Anh, and Pham Cong Tac, are accused of "violating regulations on the management of State's assets to cause great losses."

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, and Nguyen Bach Thuy Linh, former Director of the SNB Holdings Single-Member LLC, face charges of "using influence over people in authority for personal gains."

Pham Ton Noel Thao, former Financial Assistant, and Ho Thi Thanh Thao, former Treasurer at Viet A Company, is being prosecuted for charges of "bribery."

Prosecutors have also brought legal proceedings against Nguyen Van Trinh, former Assistant to Deputy Prime Minister; Pham Xuan Thang, former Secretary of Hai Duong Province's Party Committee; and Pham Manh Duong, former Hai Duong Province's Department of Health. The three are charged with "abusing position and power while on duty."

The prosecutors charged the other 21 defendants with "violating regulations on bidding to serious damage", including three former employees of Viet A Company -Tran Thi Hong, Le Trung Nguyen, Tran Tien Luc - and many former officials from provincial centres for disease control (CDCs). Defendant Hong was absent from the court, citing her recent delivery of a child and her ongoing illness.

The trial will take place over the next 20 days.  VNS
Special protection team launched following attack on DPK chairman

By Jung Da-hyun

Police issued heightened alerts and are paying special attention to the safety of politicians following an attack on main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung during his visit to Busan.

The assault occurred at 10:27 a.m., Tuesday, after Lee toured the construction site of a new airport on Busans Gadeok Island. He is now recovering in an intensive care unit after undergoing emergency surgery at Seoul National University Hospital.

At around 9:40 p.m. on the same day, a message was posted on a social media platform threatening to kill Han Dong-hoon, the interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) during his scheduled visit to Gwangju on Thursday. The individual who uploaded the post was apprehended by police at 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday.

Due to security concerns, enhanced protective measures are slated to be put in place for Han during his upcoming visit to Gwangju.

The incidents are raising concerns about the safety of political figures, especially with the general elections less than 100 days away.

As a result, security measures for politicians, including party leaders, are under review.

Typically, politicians, excluding presidential candidates, do not have dedicated police security teams assigned to protect them. Specialized protection teams are only assembled during the official election campaign period to ensure the safety of politicians.

During Lee's visit to Busan, the police deployed 41 officers to the area, with a specific focus on addressing potential incidents, managing crowds, and handling traffic, according to the police.

However, the police drew criticism for failing to stop the attack.

The police explained that Lee was not subject to dedicated security measures as it was not an official campaign period for the general elections.

To address concerns leading up to the general elections, Yoon Hee-keun, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency (NPA), announced plans to enhance protection for key political figures, aiming to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

The NPA intends to create a specialized protection team to ensure comprehensive preparedness for potential contingencies. This involves establishing a task force dedicated to ensuring the safety of key politicians, including party leaders.

The protection team is expected to consist of one to three units with 60 to 180 personnel each.

Additionally, as a component of their security strategy, the police plan to enact safety measures for visits by prominent figures to specific jurisdictions. This includes setting up a dedicated hotline in collaboration with political parties. Coordination will fall under the direction of police commanders, including the chief of the jurisdiction, who will supervise the deployment of officers to proactively mitigate potential risks at the site.

Normally, protection teams are activated during the official election campaign period, starting 14 days before the election day. However, in the aftermath of the attack on Lee, the NPA has chosen to implement the system ahead of the usual schedule.

Despite these measures, preventing assailants, who may disguise themselves as supporters, remains another challenge.

The assailant who attacked Lee acted like his supporter, approaching the politician for an autograph.

Security measures must strike a delicate balance, avoiding interference with election campaigns or political party activities, an official at the NPA said.

Recognizing the importance of open communication between politicians and the public, an NPA official said political parties and law enforcement authorities are holding talks to define the specific scope of security measures.

Despite these efforts, some argue that establishing a permanent system to address this issue may not be feasible.

Under the existing system, accusations of inadequate protection for politicians cannot be directed at the police. Also, steps have been outlined to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future, said Oh Yoon-sung, a police administration professor at Soonchunhyang University.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a search, armed with a warrant from the Busan District Court, at the residence of the suspect involved in Lee's attack, as well as the real estate agency under his management.

Based on the confiscated data, police will look into the attacker's motive and whether the crime was premeditated, while exploring the potential involvement of accomplices.
TAY NINH  Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong inh Hue had a working session with the Standing Board of the Party Committee of the southern province of Tay Ninh on Wednesday.

At the event, the top legislator commended the provinces efforts to overcome formidable challenges, and carve out achievements across various areas, especially foreign investment attraction, social welfare and tourism.

Tay Ninh has the lowest household poverty rate in the country, and its GRDP expanded by an estimated 6.12 per cent in 2023.

He attributed the provinces success to its due attention to the Party and political system building work, and strengthening of local solidarity.

Expressing his impression of Tay Ninhs development aspiration, Hue said the province should roll out its planning in tandem with the implementation of the resolutions on regional development, while continuing to enhance connectivity with Cambodia and the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), making contributions to the Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam (CLV) cooperation mechanism and the CLV Development Triangle Area.

Additionally, the NA Chairman urged the province to accelerate the development of infrastructure, and coordinate with HCM City to connect the HCM City-Moc Bai highway with Phnom Penh-Bavet highway, given the provinces strategic location on the trans-Asia route, which Hue said provides Tay Ninh with great potential to become an important trading destination.

He agreed on the provinces projects to construct the Moc Bai border economic zone under a modern and sustainable industrial-urban area-service model, and develop the Ba en (Black Lady) Mountain national tourism area into an international-level tourism site.

Furthermore, he requested the province to build farm produce value chains with Cambodia, step up infrastructure connectivity with localities in the vicinity and Cambodia, and prevent cross-border crimes.

The same day, Hue offered incense and flowers at martyrs' cemetery Hill 82 in Tan Bien District.  VNS
HA NOI  Sidewalk and road usage fees collected in big cities like Ha Noi and HCM City will add more to the budget, but the larger goal of the collection is to restore urban order and manage sidewalks in a transparent way to avoid profiteering, according to experts.

HCM City will start collecting the fees from January 1, while Ha Nois authorities are proposing running the collection on a trial basis on streets that meet infrastructure conditions.

Hoan Kiem District, the citys central area, proposed the rental on ten streets at 36 locations, including 15 locations on five pedestrian streets of inh Tien Hoang, Hang Khay, Hang Bai, Nguyen Xi and Le Thai To.

Twenty-one other locations are on five streets outside the pedestrian zone - Ly Thuong Kiet, Phan Chu Trinh, Ba Trieu, Le Phung Hieu and Ngo Quyen.

The areas for rent for all weekdays will be located two metres from the front of the buildings.

After the pilot period, Hoan Kiem Districts authorities plan to propose the rental on more streets located close to the market and having sidewalks at least 3m wide in the Old Quarter. Business households are allowed to rent 1m of sidewalks and must ensure pedestrian space.

Nguyen Viet Chuc, former vice chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said: There is not any perfect way to manage sidewalks. Banning sidewalk businesses is not okay, but renting the sidewalks must be managed. Sidewalks do not belong to any family, but are a place for people to walk.

According to Chuc the sidewalk rental fee collection is important for sidewalk managements transparency. There needs a contract between the tenant and the lessor which states clearly how much of the sidewalks can be used to display items for sale. In case of violation, households will be fined or permanently banned from doing business on the sidewalks.

"In my opinion, collecting fees is not to get money. Collecting fees makes the sidewalks more open and managed more systematically. In order for the sidewalk rental business to not turn into group benefits, it must be managed publicly. Having all this information public will help prevent profiteering," he told Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

"It needs supervision on the rental rate and rental protocols. All are in dire need of strict regulations on implementation and supervision to avoid negative loopholes. To prevent profiteering, sidewalk rental prices need to be open for bidding and rental information must be digitalized so that everyone can monitor it."

Revenue from sidewalk fees must also be strictly managed and spent appropriately on renovating roadbeds and sidewalks, he said.

Criteria to classify sidewalks

Architect ao Ngoc Nghiem, vice president of the Viet Nam Urban Planning and Development Association, and former director of Ha Noi Department of Planning and Architecture, said sidewalks needed to be strictly managed because they are associated with architecture.

He said since 2015, the municipal authorities had cracked down on businesses on sidewalks four times. The city had piloted the sidewalk rental project in some places in Hoan Kiem District like Ly Thuong Kiet Street.

What needed to be done was to harmonise the interests of families living close to the sidewalk and those renting the sidewalks, he said.

He said the amended Land Law had stipulated regulations on the rights of land users, including public land, sidewalks and land of owners of houses adjacent to the sidewalks.

He said the sidewalk leasing project needed to thoroughly study the amended Land Law, adding that there had not been any specific research to classify sidewalks by individual criteria. In the long term, there must be an overall view, classifying sidewalks and determining the function of each street.  VNS
YEN BAI  After five months of studying Japanese, Giang A Chua completed all procedures to fly to Kanakawa Province in Japan to work as a construction assistant.

Chua, a Mong ethnic man from Che Tao Commune, Mu Cang Chai District in Yen Bai northern mountainous province, will work under a three-year contract with salary of VN28-30 million (US$1,100-1,200) per month.

Chua said that since he started looking to work abroad, he had received support from competent organisations to complete necessary procedures.

My family is quite poor, so I decided to work abroad to help my family. Now I feel very happy, my wish of changing my life is coming true," said Chua.

Currently, many young people in Yen Bai Province choose to search for jobs in Viet Nam or register for work abroad after graduating from high school, instead of taking university entrance exams like before.

With the choice, they will have income and also test themselves in a new working environment.

Job creation in Yen Bai Province has received the attention of the entire local political system.

Many workers in mountainous and remote areas have gained stable jobs and increased their income.

Vi Huu Kien, who lives in Yen The Town, Luc Yen District, just graduated from high school and registered to work in Japan.

Thanks to support from concerned organisations for immigration procedures, Kien can feel secure in learning Japanese.

"I chose the path of working abroad to develop myself, earn money to help my family and experience life," Kien said.

From 2020 up to now, Van Yen District has had more than 280 workers working under contract abroad. It has the largest number of workers working abroad in Yen Bai Province.

Cao Van Chi, Head of the districts Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the workers income was stable.

After deducting living expenses, they earn about VN12-16 million ($490-650) per month in Taiwan (China), or VN25-40 million ($1,027-1,600) per month in Japan and South Korea.

Van Yen District established a steering committee on sending workers to work abroad headed by chairman of the district People's Committee. We closely coordinate with reputable businesses, thereby creating trust and peace of mind for workers," said Chi.

Besides supporting rural workers to work abroad, Yen Bai Province also introduces jobs to workers at domestic enterprises through job fairs.

Le Van Luong, Deputy Director of the Yen Bai Province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that each year, the province created jobs for 20,000-22,000 workers, with 38 per cent of them working in domestic industrial zones.

We regularly give instruction to workers to determine what profession to study and what job to do for stable poverty reduction, said Luong.

In the provinces annual action programme, creating jobs for workers is an important task, contributing to economic development and ensuring social security.

Last year, Yen Bai helped about 7,000 agricultural workers change to non-agricultural jobs, contributing to socio-economic development and improved labour productivity.  VNS
TOKYO  There had been no casualties among Vietnamese citizens recorded due to a recent earthquake in Japan as of 9pm on January 2, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, citing notifications from the National Police Agency of Japan.

Minister at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyen uc Minh said that right after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook central Japan on January 1, the embassy had promptly and actively updated information and informed the Vietnamese community on the situation.

The embassy set up hotlines for citizen protection, while forming a special working group to closely follow information, especially on the safety of Vietnamese people living, studying and working in localities affected by the earthquake.

The working group has kept a close contact with authorised agencies in affected localities of Japan as well as Vietnamese associations in these localities, thus updating information, guiding and supporting Vietnamese people, Minh said.

The diplomat said that the embassy has asked local authorities and Japanese businesses receiving Vietnamese labourers to make sure that Vietnamese citizens are moved to safe places and provide them with necessities, and give them instructions in Vietnamese when necessary.

The embassy has also sent a working group to the affected areas to meet with and assist Vietnamese citizens, he added.

Regarding the collision of a Japan Airlines plane on the evening of January 2 at Haneda Airport (Tokyo), the embassy also immediately contacted local authorities and to date there has been no Vietnamese people affected in this incident.

Underlining that the consequences of the earthquake were serious with aftershocks forecast to continue in the next few days, Ambassador Minh recommended that all Vietnamese citizens living, working and studying in Japan to regularly and closely update relevant notifications, comply with the instructions of Japanese authorities, and move to safe shelters designated by local authorities to receive assistance such as food, water, sleeping places, first aid and medical care, while staying calm and continuing to be vigilant with aftershocks in the coming days. In case of emergency, Vietnamese citizens can ask for support by contacting the following citizen protection numbers:

+ The Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo: +81-80-3590-9136, or +81-80-20346868, +81-90-1255-5537, or via email: vnconsular@vnembassy.jp, website: vnembassy-jp.org

+ The Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka: +81-90-4769-6789

+ The Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka: +81-92263-7668

Or contact points of the Vietnamese community in the nearest locality

Or phone numbers of local authorities where they are staying as follow:

+ Ishikawa Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0762251111;

web: pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/saigai/202401jishin.html

+ Niigata Prefecture Risk Prevention Agency: 0252855511;

web: pref.niigata.lg.jp/sec/kikitaisaku/jishin-20240101.html

+ Toyama Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0764314111;

web: pref.toyama.jp/1900/bousaianzen/noto_jishin20240102.html

+ Fukui Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0776211111;

web: pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/kikitaisaku/ishikawanotojishin.html.  VNS
In the past, farmers just tried to raise the quantity of agricultural products as much as possible and simply thought that it would bring higher income. But in reality, focusing on increasing quantity will cause a situation of good seasons and devaluation.

Le Minh Hoan, minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

Theoretically, the market is considered an invisible hand. We cannot control it, we can just follow it. The markets competition is more and more harsh and each agricultural product is suitable for each market. For example, there are fruits that we only consume in the domestic market, and there are products that are strongly exported to China but the US market refuses. Even within the European community of 27 countries, the demands are different.

Thus, the importance is that when we unlock new markets, we must grasp the signals about the demand and the technical requirements of the market to guide farmers. For example, when China agrees to import durian from Vietnam, it must immediately carefully disseminate the technical standard requirements and the quantity for this product for farmers.

This work is extremely important to maintain stable exports, and farmers must comply with the process strictly. Even when unlocking new markets, we must anticipate risks to balance and maintain as many markets as possible. It is very difficult to predict the market, which can open or close for agricultural products at any time. Exporting agricultural products not only depends on the supply and demand factors of the market, but also depends on other factors such as diplomacy.

We activated economic thinking and market thinking by promoting the image of agricultural products, and simultaneously consider it as a way to promote the image of the country. We do not simply consider exporting agricultural products as a normal trade activity, but we consider agricultural products as a national image so that we convey a message that Vietnam is a transparent, responsible, and sustainable agricultural producer.

The country is successful in restructuring industries and connecting producers and farmers with businesses. Businesses have proactively worked with cooperatives to purchase agricultural products, develop raw material areas such as rice and durian, and at the same time create their own raw material areas to ensure the stable source of raw materials and agricultural products, in both quantity and quality.

Over the past year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reorganised production. Our agricultural sector is inherently subject to the curse of being fragmented, small, and spontaneous, so the ministry has reorganised production, and reorganised the markets and links between farmers and businesses to avoid breakage.

The ministry has also activated solutions to replicate green production activities and reduce emissions. If we do not comply, we will be eliminated from the market. Today, consumers around the world not only buy agricultural products, but they also take into account how those products were created. And to enhance the value of that agricultural product, we must know how to tell the story of how that occurs.

For example, when looking at the story of rice production, simply comparing prices between regions is not convincing enough. We have to tell the story about the rice-shrimp production model in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, which is a smart model for adapting to climate change. If we know how to tell the story of how Vietnamese farmers have moved towards circular, ecological agriculture by combining rice farming with shrimp and fish farming, or growing organic coffee thanks to using bio-composted coffee leaves, the value of Vietnams agricultural products will be greatly improved.

The year 2024 will be full of changes and challenges, and it is difficult to predict anything. But the market will always be like that because it is a mix of prices, products, and geopolitical issues. We only know one thing for sure: the market will become more complex and demanding.

Therefore, we must always find new developments, new opportunities, and simultaneously maximise the value of agricultural products. For example, in the past, when we planted rice, we only took the right grain of rice, but today, we know how to utilise rice husks and straw.

We will also sit down with others to come up with new approaches for the agricultural sector in a multi-sector, multi-value direction, and which will help create many jobs for farmers.
On December 25, Hataphar announced that it had completed the sale of 8.4 million shares to ASKA Pharmaceutical, thereby increasing its charter capital to VND877 billion ($37 million). With the offering price of VND21,500 (91 US cents) apiece, the transaction is estimated to be worth VND180.6 billion ($7.6 million).

Following the deal, ASKA Pharmaceutical increased its ownership of Hataphar from 24.9 per cent (18.41 million shares) to 32.6 per cent (25.8 million shares). The shares from the private placement will be restricted from transfer for three years.

Of the total proceeds, Ha Tay Pharmaceutical will use more than VND78.4 billion ($3.3 million) for the Hataphar High-tech Pharmaceutical Manufacturing factory and VND102.2 billion ($4.3 million) to restructure bank debts and ease financial pressure on the company.

ASKA was established 100 years ago and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Its main business is manufacturing and trading pharmaceuticals, medicines, and medical equipment. In the pharmaceutical segment, the company specialises in internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology products, and urinary tract treatments.

In the first nine months of 2023, Hataphar recorded a net revenue of VND1.53 trillion ($64.6 million) and after-tax profits of VND72.1 billion ($3 million), up 17 per cent and 15 per cent on-year, respectively.

Over 2023, Ha Tay Pharmaceutical set a business plan with a revenue target of VND1.6 trillion ($67.5 million) and a pre-tax profit of VND80 billion ($3.4 million). With a pre-tax profit of VND89.6 billion ($3.8 million) in the first nine months of 2023, the company has exceeded the annual profit target by 12 per cent.

ASKA Pharmaceutical to secure 33 per cent stake in Hataphar Upon the transaction's completion, the Japanese firm ASKA Pharmaceutical will possess 26.8 million shares in Ha Tay Pharmaceuticals (Hataphar), equating to nearly 33 per cent of the Vietnamese pharmaceutical company's equity.

Japanese drug maker ASKA to acquire 24.9 per cent of Ha Tay Pharmaceutical JSC ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (ASKA) announced that the company has completed negotiations to acquire 24.9 per cent of the shares of Vietnamese pharmaceutical company Ha Tay Pharmaceutical JSC (Hataphar).
A health worker takes sample for COVID-19 testing in Bangkok, Thailand. (Source: AFP/VNA)

Bangkok  Thailand is witnessing a rising number of COVID-19 cases after the New Year holiday, with those hospitalised up 7 per cent on last week, according to an epidemiologist at Chulalongkorn University.

The number of people reporting respiratory problems from the coronavirus disease also went up by 6.2 per cent over the same period, the biggest increase in four months, said Assoc. Prof. Thira Woratanarat, a specialist in preventive medicine and epidemiology at the universitys faculty of medicine.

Similarly, the number of COVID-19 patients who require breathing assistance rose 13.8 per cent, he said, predicting that new cases are likely to remain around 4,243 - 5,893 per day this week.

He also forecast the number of COVID-19 cases will continue rising for the next four - six weeks, and the best course of action is to strictly follow public health guidelines.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, its health chief Suphon Tatiyananthaphon also noted a significant rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases during and after the New Year break, and that the province is prepared for a steady rise in the number of patients requiring treatment in hospital.

Last week, the Centre for Medical Genomics at Ramathibodi Hospital reported that the first cases involving the JN.1 subvariant of the Omicron variant have been detected in Thailand. This subvariant is expected to become the main one in the country.

Japanese automakers to invest 4.3 bln USD in Thailand The Thai Government announced on December 25 that four major Japanese automakers will invest 150 billion THB (4.34 billion USD) in Thailand over the next five years.
Online retail companies have started collecting low-value goods (LVG) taxes on imported goods below 500 RM (108.64 USD). (Source: freepik.com)

Kuala Lumpur  Online retail companies in Malaysia have started collecting low-value goods (LVG) taxes on imported goods below 500 RM (108.64 USD).

Shoppee, one of the big e-commerce online shopping companies, has issued a notice saying that the platform started collecting the Sales Tax since January 1, 2024.

Apart from Shoppee, other platforms including Lazada and China-based online retail giant Aliexpress have also started to impose the same tax.

Sea Limited Malaysia country head Terence Siau said the intention aims to support the government's call to empower local businesses, particularly the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME).

He acknowledged that Shopee has fully implemented the sales tax on imported low-value goods, serving as a catalyst for domestic MSME growth, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening the local business landscape through proactive collaboration and alignment with regulatory measures.

Malaysias Department of Customs on December 16, 2023 announced that the country will start charging a 10 per cent sales tax on LVG sold online from Jan 1, 2024.

The department defines the LVG as all goods  excluding cigarettes, tobacco products, intoxicating liquors, electronic cigarettes, and preparation of a kind used for smoking  which are sold at a price not exceeding 500 RM, and are brought into Malaysia by land, sea or air.

Malaysia becomes most visited country in Southeast Asia As of mid-November, Malaysia had welcomed 26 million international arrivals, making it the most popular destination in Southeast Asia this year.
Houses destroyed by the earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan on January 2, 2024 (Photo: VNA)

Tokyo  There had been no casualties among Vietnamese citizens recorded due to a recent earthquake in Japan as of 9pm on January 2, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, citing notifications from the National Police Agency of Japan.

Minister at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan Nguyen Duc Minh said that right after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that shook central Japan on January 1, the embassy had promptly and actively updated information and informed the Vietnamese community on the situation.

The embassy set up hotlines for citizen protection, while forming a special working group to closely follow information, especially on the safety of Vietnamese people living, studying and working in localities affected by the earthquake.

The working group has kept a close contact with authorised agencies in affected localities of Japan as well as Vietnamese associations in these localities, thus updating information, guiding and supporting Vietnamese people, Minh said.

The diplomat said that the embassy has asked local authorities and Japanese businesses receiving Vietnamese labourers to make sure that Vietnamese citizens are moved to safe places and provide them with necessities, and give them instructions in Vietnamese when necessary.

The embassy has also sent a working group to the affected areas to meet with and assist Vietnamese citizens, he added.

Regarding the collision of a Japan Airlines plane on the evening of January 2 at Haneda Airport (Tokyo), the embassy also immediately contacted local authorities and to date there has been no Vietnamese people affected in this incident.

Underlining that the consequences of the earthquake were serious with aftershocks forecast to continue in the next few days, Minh recommended that all Vietnamese citizens living, working and studying in Japan to regularly and closely update relevant notifications, comply with the instructions of Japanese authorities, and move to safe shelters designated by local authorities to receive assistance such as food, water, sleeping places, first aid and medical care, while staying calm and continuing to be vigilant with aftershocks in the coming days. In case of emergency, Vietnamese citizens can ask for support by contacting the following citizen protection numbers:

+The Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo: +81-80-3590-9136, or +81-80-20346868, +81-90-1255-5537, or via email: vnconsular@vnembassy.jp, website: vnembassy-jp.org

+The Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka: +81-90-4769-6789

+The Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka: +81-92263-7668

Or contact points of the Vietnamese community in the nearest locality

Or phone numbers of local authorities where they are staying as follow:

+Ishikawa Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0762251111;

web: pref.ishikawa.lg.jp/saigai/202401jishin.html

+Niigata Prefecture Risk Prevention Agency: 0252855511;

web: pref.niigata.lg.jp/sec/kikitaisaku/jishin-20240101.html

+Toyama Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0764314111;

web: pref.toyama.jp/1900/bousaianzen/noto_jishin20240102.html

+Fukui Prefecture Disaster Response Agency: 0776211111;

web: pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/kikitaisaku/ishikawanotojishin.html.

No Vietnamese reported dead or injured in Japan earthquake As of 9 pm on January 1, there had been no Vietnamese people reported dead or injured in the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit central Japan earlier the same day, according to Vietnam Embassy in Japan.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles are increasingly becoming the bedrock of business practices, particularly in the banking and financial sectors, said PwC chairwoman Dinh Thi Quynh Van at a seminar last week.

Sustainable banks the way ahead for success, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

Implementing ESG principles allows financial institutions not just to pioneer transformation within their own industry, but also to spearhead the adoption of these principles across various sectors through sustainable finance, she explained.

Several Vietnamese banks are not only adopting ESG standards themselves, but are also actively assisting their clients in embracing these principles.

Tran Phuong, deputy CEO of BIDV, said, By November 30, we had extended green credit to over 1,500 clients across 1,900 projects, with a total outstanding loan amounting to over $3 billion, which is nearly 5 per cent of the banks total loan portfolio.

Particularly, BIDV has distinguished itself as the first domestic bank to develop a sustainable loan framework. These investments predominantly target clean and renewable energy, accounting for over 80 per cent of the funding, followed by environmental protection and disaster mitigation initiatives.

In the agricultural sector, critical to Vietnams economy, Agribank has been proactive in implementing ESG practices.

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, head of the Financial Institutions Department and deputy head of the ESG Steering Committee at Agribank said, With a significant portion of our lending in agricultural and rural sectors, we have integrated ESG considerations into our risk management and business strategies, and are actively engaging in community development.

Within the private banking sector, institutions including MB, SHB, and ACB are allocating considerable resources towards sustainable lending initiatives.

Pham Nhu Anh, CEO of MB Bank, also shared the banks comprehensive risk management framework and criteria for green credit across various sectors, including green energy, sustainable agriculture and forestry, and green industry.

To qualify through the criteria for accessing green credit, businesses can commit to measurable emission reductions, adopt technologies that cut emissions by up to 20 per cent, or demonstrate current emissions at least 20 per cent lower than the market average, Anh said.

A key highlight of MB Banks strategy is the allocation of 90 per cent of its funding towards renewable energy and clean energy projects. Looking ahead, we aim to broaden our support to industrial businesses, especially those undergoing a green transition, Anh added.

For ACB, the banks initiatives extend beyond financing. It is driving digital transformation, reducing paper usage, and enhancing environmental awareness among our staff, explained chairman Tran Hung Huy.

ESG is a multi-decade vision. Its about setting the right course from the outset, as the goals will evolve over time, Huy said.

However, Phuong of BIDV believes that the absence of a comprehensive legal framework for green classification and green bond issuance is a significant barrier.

This hampers the development of corresponding guidance from the State Bank of Vietnam, affecting the deployment in commercial banks, Phuong said.

Phuong also pointed out the global challenge of emissions data collection, crucial for environmental impact assessment in banking.

Identifying and collecting emissions data remains a complex issue, affecting credit evaluation and overall emissions measurement. Moreover, the lack of skilled personnel in environmental and sustainability aspects within the banking sector is another hurdle. Expertise in these specialised areas is still quite limited within the banking workforce, he added.

Addressing the state of Vietnamese enterprises, Phuong also observed that most are only beginning to align with sustainable development and ESG practices.

There is a significant need for time and resources to train and support businesses, especially large enterprises, in transitioning from traditional commercial operations to sustainable development, he said.

Pham Do Nhat Vinh, head of Financial Services at KPMG Vietnam, stressed the necessity of adapting to carbon accounting to future-proof banking operations, and underscored the importance of assessing environmental risks, particularly in nature and biodiversity.

Effective integration into the carbon market is essential, and robust crisis management and stakeholder engagement strategies are also crucial, Vinh said.

Regarding to roadmap for banks to incorporate ESG practices, he believed that risk management frameworks play a key role.

Effective risk assessment and management frameworks are key in mitigating potential ESG risks. These frameworks help in proactively identifying and managing ESG-related risks, he said. Establishing carbon budgets and conducting climate resilience tests are imperative for banks, along with preparing a robust framework for managing environmental and social aspects.
Special counsel investigation on first lady, ex-DPK leader's breakaway bid on pause

By Nam Hyun-woo

Korea's political landscape is shrouded in uncertainty after a shocking daytime stabbing of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung occurred on Tuesday. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration and rival parties have since taken a moment from their usual squabbles to take stock of the current dire political situation.

President Yoon on Wednesday attended a New Year's greeting event involving key government officials, political party leaders, religious leaders and members of the general public.

Initially, the event gained plenty of attention because it was anticipated to be this years first encounter between Yoon and the DPK chairman, as the two have been butting heads over almost every political issue including a special counsel probe on Yoons wife, Kim Keon Hee.

However, the much-heralded meeting was canceled because the chairman was stabbed in his neck during a visit to Busan a day earlier. Lee is now in an intensive care unit after undergoing two hours of surgery to repair his jugular vein.

DPK Chairman Lee was supposed to be here with us today, but suffered a terror attack yesterday, and he is now receiving treatment, Yoon said during the greeting event.

Regardless of its form, terrorism is not just about harming victims or engaging in criminal activities. It is an oppression against human freedom and stands as an enemy to all of us who uphold a society that values freedom  We all need to unite in our hearts to console Chairman Lee and respond firmly with the same determination. Let us all wish for a swift recovery.

Yoons comments were interpreted as a sign of a ceasefire to the usual toing and froing between the ruling bloc and the DPK.

Following the attack, the respective leaderships of the DPK and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) asked its lawmakers to avoid political interpretations regarding the attack.

Han Dong-hoon, the PPP interim leader, who has been spouting flames against the DPK chairman, canceled his scheduled appearance at a party event in the conservative stronghold of Daegu, Tuesday.

DPK lawmakers held an emergency meeting, Wednesday, and issued a joint statement that they are against any violence that threatens democracy.

As the lawmakers concentrated on condemning the attack on Chairman Lee, the bill on launching a special counsel investigation into first lady Kim was also not submitted to the government.

The bill, which passed the National Assembly on Dec. 28 upon the DPKs endorsement, is aimed at employing an independent counsel to look into allegations that the first lady was involved in the stock manipulation of a licensed BMW dealership in Korea.

Immediately after the bills passing, the presidential office said Yoon would veto the bill as soon as it is submitted to the government, in an apparent bid to wrap up this issue and prevent it from impacting the ruling partys campaign in the upcoming general elections in April.

To veto this as fast as possible, the government even postponed Wednesday mornings Cabinet meeting by four hours, but the Assembly did not send the bill to the government after Lees attack.

Since the presidential office has been maintaining its steadfast stance that the bill is a bad law, chances are high that the special counsel bill will be vetoed eventually. However, pundits say a protracted vetoing process will become disadvantageous for the ruling side, given the timeframe for the general elections and the public's sentiment toward Lee.

For the ruling bloc, the special counsel probe issue is a problem that should be wrapped up quickly, an official from the ruling bloc said.

Especially after the attack on Lee, there are chances that the public may have sympathy toward the chairman, watering down criticisms which were raised about him. If the issue of first ladys special counsel probe gets protracted, it will be a disadvantage for the ruling side.

Exercising his veto power is a tough choice for Yoon. He has already vetoed several bills passed by the DPK, and rejecting another one will aggravate public sentiment and harm his neutrality as president.

The public's sentiments are also against the veto. According to the Dec. 28-29 Gallup Korea poll, 65 percent of respondents said Yoon should not veto the special counsel bill on the first lady. The poll surveyed 1,017 adults and was requested by the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commissions website.

The ongoing internal feud between the DPKs factions is also facing uncertainties.

Former DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon initially planned to announce his departure from the liberal party and create his own party within this week, but reportedly pushed back this to the end of this month following the attack on the chairman, in consideration of the turbulent situation of the DPK.

An official close to the former chairman told Newsis Wednesday that creating a new party is nothing more than adding fuel to the burning house.

DPK Rep. An Min-suk also said in an interview with broadcaster JTBC, The former chairman wont be able to criticize the current chairman who is receiving treatment  The former chairmans new party bid has already lost its momentum.

The DPKs faction comprised of lawmakers critical of Chairman Lee, known as Principle and Common Sense, also planned to announce their ultimatum to Lee this week, calling him to resign, but are yet to determine their future schedule after the attack.

It is time to have a cool-headed approach to the political situation, DPK spokesperson Rep. Park Sung-joon said in a radio interview with broadcaster YTN. I hope (the attack) could be a chance to think about what we need for the general election victory.
How do you assess Vietnams economic performance in 2023?

Andrea Coppola, lead economist for the World Bank in Vietnam

The global economic slowdown and its impact on the demand for Vietnamese exports made 2023 one of the most challenging years of the 21st century, after the very difficult pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, but despite these challenges, a gradual recovery is ongoing.

Vietnam is considered one of the most open economies in the world. Its strong trade relations with the rest of the world are a source of strength and success. At the same time, the reliance on demand from trade partners heavily exposed Vietnam to the global economic slowdown experienced in 2023.

As a result, after the very difficult 2020 and 2021 pandemic years, economic performance in 2023 was the least strong since the period following the Asian financial crisis at the end of the 1990s. However, I still consider Vietnams economic performance in 2023 to be positive considering the very challenging global context.

Economic growth in the United States was about 2.5 per cent in 2023. In the Euro area, economic growth was even weaker at about 0.5 per cent. Despite the global challenges, Vietnam was able to continue growing at relatively fast rates.

Authorities were capable of increasing public investments by about 35 per cent on the previous year to sustain economic growth. While these are impressive results, challenges remain, including in improving public investment execution, which is becoming increasingly important for the future growth of Vietnam.

Many Vietnamese businesses experienced difficulties last year. Can you explain the causes?

There are two main causes. The first is associated with external factors. The global economic slowdown had a strong impact on demand for Vietnamese exports. This external shock affected so many firms in the manufacturing sectors that focus their business on the production of goods to be exported.

Many workers in the manufacturing sector, which is so important for the Vietnamese economy, lost their jobs and saw their incomes affected. This brings us to the second cause, which is associated with domestic factors. The challenging situation experienced by many Vietnamese workers led to a deceleration of domestic consumption, which affected not only firms in the manufacturing sector but also many other businesses, including other sectors of the economy.

What made the international community notice Vietnam in 2023?

Given the features of the Vietnamese economy, the global economic slowdown has been a large negative shock for the country, but Vietnam was still able to sustain a rate of growth that many other countries in the rest of the world can only dream about.

Vietnam raised attention in 2023. Media outlets with global reach have published articles to underscore Vietnams performance and potential, and the visits of world leaders to Vietnam attracted even more attention from the international community.

The country was praised as an appealing destination for international investors because of its economic and political stability and its capacity to integrate in the global economy. I recall an article published by the Financial Times in July pointing to the opportunities for the Vietnamese economy and that Vietnams economic moment is now.

In such a context, it is critical for Vietnam to continue strengthening the business environment and engage private investors attention to fully take advantage of the impact of global geopolitical developments on international investment and trade.

In 2023, although GDP growth did not meet its set target, the country still did remarkably well in light of tough conditions. What will be the context for 2024?

The international context is expected to remain challenging in 2024. After the global slowdown experienced in 2023, global economic growth is expected to decelerate further in 2024, including in key trade partners for Vietnam such as the United States. The expected weak performance is the result of the lagged and ongoing effects of tight monetary policy, restrictive credit conditions, and weakening global trade. Downside risks predominate, including geopolitical risks, the impact of conflicts on energy prices, financial stress associated with the increase in long-term yields, and weaker than expected activity in China.

In such a context, it would be important for Vietnam to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks and increasingly leverage its internal strength and domestic productivity to support economic growth.

Do you think a GDP growth target of 6-6.5 per cent is achievable?

Given that global economic growth is expected to continue slowing in 2024, that the GDP growth target between 6-6.5 per cent for 2024 is ambitious. Despite the global slowdown, demand for Vietnamese exports could gradually improve, and we project economic growth to slightly accelerate, but it will be challenging to reach 6 or 6.5 per cent unless domestic demand, consumption and investment accelerate further. Authorities can play an important role in supporting the economy though fiscal policy, particularly by accelerating the implementation of transformational public investment and infrastructure projects, which are going to strengthen economic growth both in the short- and longer term.

What strengths do we have in Vietnam to promote growth in 2024 and what recommendations do you have to remove barriers hindering economic development?

The Vietnamese people are the countrys greatest source of the countrys internal strength. Vietnamese workers and entrepreneurs allowed the Vietnamese economy to grow seven-fold during the last 30 years. To sustain this fast growth, also considering the challenging external environment, my suggestion is to continue promoting private sector development and boosting productivity.

Vietnamese authorities can play a key role in helping the country achieve this objective, and I suggest doubling efforts on human capital development by upskilling the labour force and physical capital development through public investments in transport and energy infrastructure, which will further strengthen the competitiveness of the Vietnamese private sector.

Vietnam's manufacturing expected to grow in 2024 Thanks to hopes for a recovery in demand both domestically and in export markets, plus business expansion plans, manufacturing is forecast to increase this year, according to S&P Global.
In October, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that GDP in 2023 will reach over 5 per cent, lower than the initial target. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) adjusted its growth forecast for Vietnam from 6.5 per cent in April to 5.8 per cent.

While this adjustment reflects the impact of global economic uncertainties, it is important to note that Vietnam remains the fastest-growing country in Southeast Asia.

The ability to sustain positive growth in a turbulent global environment underlines the resilience and potential of the Vietnamese economy, an expert at BW Industrial Development JSC (BW) said.

Fion Ng, COO of BW speaking at the Mingtiandi Singapore Forum

According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnams GDP growth in the initial nine months of 2023 was recorded at 4.24 per cent, signalling a deceleration when compared to the same period in 2022. While this may raise concerns, a deeper examination of the quarterly statistics unveils an optimistic pattern. The GDP climbed by 3.28 per cent in the first quarter, 4.05 per cent in the second quarter, and 5.33 per cent in the third quarter.

Exports, which have been a crucial contributor to GDP, also saw a sharp fall last year. However, there are positive signs as on-quarter growth showed an encouraging trend, with Q2 witnessing an 8.1 per cent increase compared to Q1, and Q3 achieving a growth rate of 10.3 per cent over Q2.

The aforementioned figures show a decrease on-year, but remarkable growth is seen when comparing them on a quarterly basis.

This suggests resilience and adaptability within Vietnams export sector and implies that the economy is steadily building momentum, the BW expert stated.

BW also highlighted Vietnam's flexibility in terms of the shift in growth drivers from exports to domestic consumption and service activities. The food and beverages and accommodation services (13.17 per cent), logistics and warehouses (8.66 per cent), and wholesales and retail (8.06 per cent) business lines all displayed strong growth.

The positive signals from domestic consumption accelerated the demand for warehouses, factories, and logistics real estate like that developed by BW, which has established relationships with over 270 tenants from more than 20 countries in the e-commerce, last-mile delivery, and high-tech manufacturing sectors.

BW is a for-rent logistics and industrial real estate platform in Vietnam. It is a joint venture between Warburg Pincus, a global growth investor, ESR Cayman Ltd., the largest Asia-Pacific-focused logistics real estate platform, and Becamex IDC, a pioneer developer of large-scale industrial townships in key markets across Vietnam.

Currently, BW owns a remarkable portfolio comprising 8.5 million square metres of industrial land in prime locations across 48 projects in 11 key provinces in Vietnam, with over 3 million sq.m of gross floor area of completed or under-construction properties.

Speaking at the Mingtiandi Singapore Forum in November, Fion Ng, COO of BW said, "Supply chain diversification remains a top priority for our customers. As the largest for-rent logistics and industrial real estate platform, we experienced a significant increase of 75 per cent in leasing inquiries in 2023. We continue to see strong demand despite the softening of the export orders that we all hear about. That has led to excellent occupancy on the ground  a rate of nearly 95 per cent for our stabilised assets."

Echoing Ng's opinion, experts from Savills pointed out that 2023 witnessed the development of the industrial real estate sector. Savills observed a rise in enquiries and site visits from global manufacturing, logistics, and e-commerce companies, which is indicative of the rising demand for industrial real estate.

In 2023, there were 397 industrial parks (IPs) established nationwide with a total land area of 122,900 hectares, according to Savills. The IPs have a high occupancy rate of over 80 per cent, of which key northern provinces have reached 83 per cent and those in the South have hit 91 per cent.

To meet the increased demand of tenants, BW is on track to deliver 10 new projects totalling 1 million sq.m this year.

This year, the star performer will be the manufacturing sector. We see that supply chain diversification will continue into the next couple of years, Ng added.

Industrial real estate developers ready to seize on economic rebound As Vietnam's economy is forecast to rebound in 2023, industrial real estate developers are looking to capitalise on opportunities in the market.

Multi-story storage facilities gain traction in Vietnam As the demand for urban industrial space grows, on the back of the e-commerce boom, multi-story warehouses are currently gaining traction in Vietnam.
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Dallas political pioneer hailing from Waco, died Sunday at 89. Although the majority of her career was spent representing areas of North Texas in the state House of Representatives, state Senate and U.S. House, Waco officials recount her lasting local influence and involvement.

Johnson was born Dec. 3, 1934, in Waco. She attended A.J. Moore High School and Toliver Chapel Baptist Church in East Waco until she graduated and moved on to receive a nursing certificate from Saint Marys College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

She returned to Texas to work at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Dallas while achieving a bachelors degree in nursing from Texas Christian University. In 1967, she was promoted to be the first African American chief psychiatric nurse at the hospital, despite experiencing overt racism at the site when hospital officials found out she was Black after hiring her.

She was encouraged to run for Texas House District 33 and won the seat in 1972 as the first Black woman in Dallas elected to a public office.

McLennan County Commissioner Patricia Miller said she attended Toliver Chapel as a young girl and was inspired in her teens by Johnson when she announced to the congregation she would run for state government. The moment shaped Millers interest in studying political science in college.

Thinking as a young woman, there was this African American professional explaining to us why it was possible, Miller said.

I think when you see people that you admire  when you can also see some of the steps they made youve also made, then it makes their achievements appear not so unattainable, she said, thinking of her younger self being motivated to follow in Johnsons footsteps.

Waco civic leader Lyndon Olson said he struck up a lasting friendship with Johnson at a legislative gathering at Green Pastures Restaurant in Austin in 1973, when they were both freshmen state representatives.

She came over and said, Youre from Waco, too?

Working on committees with Johnson in the Texas Legislature, Olson was impressed with her knowledge of policy issues, especially health care.

They kept in touch after Olson departed the Legislature to serve on the Texas Insurance Commission and later became U.S. ambassador to Sweden, while Johnson went on to the Texas Senate.

In the early 1990s she chaired the subcommittee of congressional redistricting and created a new 30th U.S. Congressional District composed of mostly minority voters. She decided she would run for the new seat and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to January 2023.

Johnson was the oldest member of the House when she left office at 87 years old. She was the first Black woman to chair the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Coming up as a Democrat in Texas, Johnson often stood out. Officials have recognized her as firm and influential, but possessing the ability to work with Republicans.

She was an advocate for women and African Americans in politics and science-related fields, and she chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and the House Science Committee after serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee following her election.

Although much of her career was spent representing the Dallas area, local officials say she never forgot where she came from.

Olson said Johnson represented her Dallas district first, but she always kept an eye on Wacos needs as well. She worked with Waco congressmen Chet Edwards and Bill Flores on legislation, including the yearslong and still ongoing effort to get a Medal of Honor for Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller.

If something was going on here she would reach out wanting to know, Can I help? Olson said.

She was wonderfully helpful to Waco, he said. She cared about those interests even though we had our own congressmen.

Waco NAACP political action Chair Linda Lewis said her and Johnsons fathers worked together at the Waco VA and family ties kept them in contact for several years. Lewis got involved in politics in Austin around the same time as Johnson and recalled an incident in 1973 involving racial discrimination by then-Texas Comptroller Robert Calvert.

The issue of minority workers in the comptrollers office and Calverts response to Johnsons questioning became a battle cry for women and Black Democrats, with Bob Bullock mounting a successful election campaign to oust Calvert shortly into Johnsons Texas House stint, Lewis said.

Lewis said Johnson was an important part of history then and as a senator and congresswoman. Lewis, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. alongside Johnson and Commissioner Miller, admired Johnsons career and her mentorship of young women.

She opened doors for all women, but especially Black women, she said. During my political career we never lost touch. She mentored me, warned me, admonished and scolded me.  She was one of the Black girls I wanted to be like when I grew up.

Though they would never become close friends, Miller admired Johnson from afar and said she was always strong and focused while maintaining grace, all qualities she tries to emulate.

She was so poised always, so in control and was so elegant, Miller said. But it didnt stop her from being forceful and being adamant. In a lot of ways I hope that is my persona.

Miller commended Johnson for overcoming two hurdles she can relate to: being Black and being a woman in politics during a difficult time for both.

Waco City Council Member Andrea Barefield, who also attends Toliver Chapel, said on trips with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce or National League of Cities she would always make a point to stop and see Johnson, who was always fighting for Waco. She was integral in having an aircraft carrier named after Waco-born Navy hero Doris Miller and has been a tireless advocate for his Medal of Honor.

Barefield said Johnson, chair of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, was one of the first to hear of her budding ideas for the Bledsoe-Miller STEM and Cultural Arts Center. Even in the projects infancy she was willing to offer a helping hand, Barefield said.

She loved her Dallas, but she never forgot where she came from, Barefield said.

Services for Johnson will start next week with a viewing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 8 in the Hall of State at Dallas Fair Park, followed by a prayer service from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 8 at Concord Church in Dallas and a funeral service at 10 a.m. Jan. 9 in the church. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 10 in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa will house the papers and other historic data related to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassleys time in the Senate, it was announced Wednesday.

In addition, Grassley and his wife, Barbara, will endow a professorship in the department of political science.

The gift makes UNI the repository of artifacts spanning the entirety of Grassleys political career. The Rod Library already houses Grassleys political papers from his time in the Iowa House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives through 1980. Now, all materials related to his time in the U.S. Senate will reside at the University upon conclusion of his service there.

Donna R. Hoffman, Ph.D., has been named the Chuck and Barbara Grassley Professor of Political Science. Hoffman is a nationally known scholar of presidential rhetoric and teaches courses on American political institutions at the university. As the Chuck and Barbara Grassley Professor of Political Science, Hoffman will provide programming to UNI students and the broader community related to her scholarship on the importance of Congress and public service.

I am honored to be named the inaugural Chuck and Barbara Grassley Professor of Political Science. Senator Grassleys commitment to public service is longstanding, and has its roots at Iowa State Teachers College, now University of Northern Iowa. Senator and Mrs. Grassleys gift confirms their trust in our commitment to preparing the next generation of public servants and citizens who understand that the continued functioning of our democracy isnt automatic, but requires concerted effort and education, Hoffman said in a news release.

We hope scholars and students will use my Senate papers as part of their research and teaching. With this gift, we hope to support the teaching and research mission of the University of Northern Iowa, allowing scholars and students the academic freedom to explore American government and public policy, said Grassley.

Its more important than ever that students learn to rigorously analyze political issues and develop the ability to discuss them with others, including those with whom they disagree.

We are most grateful for Senator and Mrs. Grassleys time-honored commitment to the University of Northern Iowa, said UNI President Mark Nook. The gifts of papers and endowed professorship are a tremendous testament to the value of our mission to educate curious and engaged future leaders, committed to public service. The gifts also create a unique opportunity to build a lasting tribute to Senator Grassleys distinguished career and lifelong commitment to civic education and public service.

Grassley has held public office since 1959 when he was elected to the Iowa House. He graduated from UNI in 1955 when it was known as Iowa State Teachers College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received a Master of Arts degree majoring in political science from the university in 1956. He became the most senior member of the Senate a year ago after Patrick Leahy decided to not seek another term in 2022.
CEDAR FALLS  Danny Laudick took the gavel Tuesday from Mayor Rob Green, marking the first day of Laudicks two-year term in the citys highest office.

In front of a packed City Hall at an inauguration ceremony for newly elected officials, Laudick emphasized there is a lot of work ahead to align his priorities with those of councilmembers and city staff.

He reminded those present of the big-ticket items needing to be immediately addressed during his first several months at the helm, but also the promises he made during a campaign kickoff event in May.

I commit to being an approachable, solutions-focused leader for Cedar Falls to help us align around that shared question of where do we want to go as a community over the next 10, 15, and 20 years, he said.

Laudick was sworn in by City Clerk Kim Kerr, along with newly elected City Council members Hannah Crisman (at-large), Aaron Hawbaker (Ward 4) and Chris Latta (Ward 2)  who were starting four-year terms.

They were to attend their first council meeting later Tuesday night.

Im excited for everything going forward with a new mayor and council. I think our best times really are ahead of us. Im ready to roll up my sleeves and get started, said Latta afterwards.

Hawbaker also noted his anticipation for working together.

I think well have a really good relationship. Were starting off on the right foot, and Im excited to get to work, said Hawbaker.

Crismans excitement bubbled over amid pomp and circumstance that included red, white and blue balloons. She was emphatic about her confidence in being able to get on the same page with others. She was impressed by the support of the dozens who turned out for the ceremony.

The number of people here shows how passionate our community is. We are but a few number of people, but I think we can do a lot of great stuff together with all the people in this room, Crisman said.

Green, who departs after four years as mayor, passed along a box to Laudick containing meaningful items and a quote from Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius: Receive without pride, let go without attachment.

That means do the very best job that you can. Take it to heart, but in the end, realize its the publics position thats entrusted you for a short time, Green said.

The box included a conductors baton for efforts to bring out the best in people; a carpenters level for level headedness; an artists brush for inspiring through vision; a tire pressure gauge for monitoring the pressure of public life; and a special compass from Lost Island Themepark as a sign of curiosity and wonderment.

Former councilmember Paul Rider was master of ceremonies.

Please try to work together on the City Council and with the wonderful city staff we have, he said. Through the years, thats been a marvelous part of city government.  Its our city staff that really makes this work, and we really owe them a lot of gratitude.

Attendees included state Rep. Bob Kressig and Sen. Eric Giddens and Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart as well as former Cedar Falls councilmembers Kaymar Enshayan and Frank Darrah, to name a few.

This is what self-governance is all about, Enshayan said about Tuesdays event. This is local government. Its the people around you. Its so beautiful to see amazing people serving their community.

Im excited about the new faces on the council. They come with an appreciation for what the role of councilperson is. That is to generate ideas. But once theyre stated, to step back and let staff do its work, said Darrah.

Respects also were paid to Green for his service, which Rider pointed out was evident in the remodeled City Hall, as well as outgoing councilmembers Simon Harding, Dave Sires and Susan deBuhr.

Green returns to his full-time job as a web developer at the University of Northern Iowa. He and Harding will stay on board as part of Greens newly approved elected emeritus program to offer advice to those in office. Rider, Enshayan and Darrah are also members.

Laudicks plans for alignment include better communication, quarterly review of goals and the development of a three- to five-year strategic plan.

He also plans to have more public work sessions outside the council chambers to better build consensus and work through complex issues.

Any organization, city government included, can only be effective when there is a shared understanding of what our goals are, he said.

The mayor also plans on focusing on issues like College Hill, the outdated parks master plan, housing, lackluster commercial areas and the continued recreational redevelopment of the Cedar River.

We cant delay. There are several specific issues we need to make progress on because the community expects it, Laudick said. When youre out in the community talking to people, you get a lot of opinions on what we should be doing.

Laudick referenced how little had changed from what he told supporters during a campaign kickoff speech.

But he wants to remind people how were incredibly fortunate to have the community we have and about all the work and investment it took to get us here.

The quality of life and sense of opportunity that you hear when you talk to people around this community, its impossible to miss, Laudick said. People know we have a great place. Theyre looking for where were going, what is that next step ... its time for us to start investing in that future in Cedar Falls again.

Laudick also expressed appreciation for those whove invested in Cedar Falls.

His remarks included gratitude for his hometown and the people in his own life  including his two parents  whove helped prepare him for the role, as well as his time at Grow Cedar Valley. He learned there for the first time about all the pieces involved in economic and community development.

I know Ive been incredibly fortunate over the last 15, 20 years to really get a chance to prepare for this role and work with the community in a lot of different capacities, said Laudick.

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WATERLOO  It was one of those Eureka! moments in Chawne Paiges life.

Several years ago, the Waterloo Center for the Arts curator was in Haiti, visiting with Haitian artists and talking up the centers world-class Haitian art collection. Later, someone mentioned to Paige that he sounded more like an art center director than a curator.

I tucked that little nugget away in the back of my mind, Paige recalled. It was the first time he actually contemplated the possibility. Until then, I never really thought about myself in a leadership role as a director.

Paige, 46, is the new cultural and arts director for the Waterloo Center for the Arts and the city of Waterloo. He replaces Kent Shankle, who retired in June after 28 years at the center, including a decade as director.

Paige knows he can do the job. He has received a broad hands-on education at the center and gained a critical understanding of its role, not just as an arts center and repository of a remarkable and internationally recognized permanent collection, but as a community resource. He counts Shankle and Cammie Scully, former WCA director, as mentors and wants to build on their vibrancy.

Were a municipal community center with many events and activities taking place within our walls and on the grounds, and we operate as a city entity. We collaborate with many other groups. I learned how all these groups worked together and how the parts fitted together to create this environment, Paige explained, adding, I also figured out where I fit in.

Shankle viewed their relationship as a partnership rather than a mentorship when he served as director.

Chawne was a partner in all we did. He is uniquely poised to continue to pursue the centers mission and bring new things to the table, said Shankle.

Not only is Chawne the ideal fit, he is also talented and knows the arts, and he is an integral part of the fabric of our community.

Paige firmly believes the art center must reflect its community.

We have a lot of different cultures represented in our collections and in our community. Ours is not a static collection, and well continue to add to the permanent collection.

Demographically, the Cedar Valley has become home to many different nationalities. When the Haitian collection first came to the Waterloo Center for the Arts in 1977, there werent a lot of Haitians in Waterloo. Now we have a population of Haitian families who have made the Cedar Valley their home, he noted.

Today the Haitian collection is recognized as the worlds largest and most significant public collection of Haitian art. As curator, Paige traveled to Haiti numerous times and has presented nearly 30 exhibitions on Haitian art. In 2017, he organized the Haitian Art Society Conference in Waterloo.

The permanent collection also includes artwork from other Caribbean nations, Latin America, Mexico, Nepal, and the Congo along with international folk art, American regionalism and decorative arts, and Midwest arts.

Paige will strive to get the collection to the community to educate and entertain. I want the program to continue to be vibrant through our programming and events and to grow a broader audience with the center as a community gathering place. We need to be good stewards for the collection and provide a spotlight for working artists to exhibit their art.

Its important to actively engage the arts community and not shy away from controversial subjects, he said.

The arts center should be a safe space for dialogue and thought-provoking shows. It should be a space for all artists, formally trained or otherwise. We have to be open, mindful and appreciative.

Paige graduated with a bachelors degree in fine arts from the University of Northern Iowa. Working as a freelance graphics designer, Scully hired him to design a new logo and materials rebranding the arts center. In 2001, he joined the center as graphics artist. Paige later transitioned to digital arts manager in 2005 and became curator in 2013.

He has served as a board member for Iowa Arts Council, Experience Waterloo, Youth Art Team, Limelight Arts Cedar Valley and Friends of UNIs Permanent Art Collection and Gallery. In 2012, Paige was an artist-in-residence at the Popopstudios International Center for the Visual Arts in the Bahamas.

He and his wife, Erin Maidan Paige, have two sons.

Paige continues to have a passion for creating his own art.

I have a love for the process of creating art. At the end of the day, its about me making space to create art. Its essential to have my own space, my allotment of freedom, he added, with a laugh.

PHOTOS Treasure Chest of wonderful, weird objects at Cedar Valley museums, galleries WCA 1 WCA 5 WCA 3 WCA 2 Cedar Falls Historical 1 Cedar Falls Historical 2 Cedar Falls Historical 3 Cedar Falls Historical 4 Cedar Falls Historical 5 UNI Art 1 UNI Art 3 UNI Art 4 100820bp-uni-gallery-art-6 100820bp-uni-gallery-art-5 100820bp-uni-gallery-art-7 100820bp-uni-gallery-art-4 Grout 1 Grout 2 Grout 3 Grout 4 Grout 5 Hearst 1 Hearst 2 Hearst 3
Korea should conduct pragmatic assessment while pursuing visionary solutions

The year 2024 has dawned.

True to the character of the blue dragon in the Eastern zodiac, 2024 arrived with a mix of awe and hope. But a closer look at the unfolding reality reveals overwhelming signs of turbulence.

The signs are many and they are occurring concurrently at multiple levels. And they say that no single community or country will be safe from the twin specter of climate disasters and nuclear winter.

Humanity stands in a moment of great turbulence unprecedented in human history. Depending on the choice we make now, human civilization may find its way to peace or peril. From what I can see, the prospect does not look good. Global governance is needed now more than ever to close the gap between the intensifying challenges and the need for upgraded and tangible action. We need to respond to these risks immediately. Unfortunately, however, existing international institutions like the United Nations are showing signs of fatigue and paralysis.

They are not expected to bounce back anytime soon because of two structural causes. The first is that global consensus building efforts are eroding due to the growing value divide between the major powers. Bloc politics akin to that of the Cold War is arising despite much stronger economic interdependence, which also makes it distinct from the Cold War era.

The second and more serious cause is the absence of global leadership critical to the provision of global public goods, such as peace and stability, fair trade and the fight against climate change. The United States is increasingly perceived to be taking an isolationist posture away from its self-assumed role as world police after the end of World War II. This is bound to create a power vacuum along the geopolitical tectonic fault lines between the reemerging power blocs. No other major powers including China seem willing or ready to fill this vacuum. The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza are serious symptoms of this growing power vacuum on the western part of the fault lines. How these wars evolve will be closely watched by other players on the southern and eastern fault lines who may have an irredentist agenda to change the status quo by any means. This is the very reason why Korea cannot and should not be complacent.

Given this grim overview of 2024, Korea must be realistic in its diagnosis of the looming signs of great turbulence. Korea must be vigilant against the multitude of existential threats emerging at both global and regional levels. Furthermore, Korea cannot take them on alone; it can only be done with the participation of its allies and partners. Its response and strategy must include building coalitions tailored to each of these risks in a common but differentiated manner.

But coalition building will not be enough. Leading humanity to peace will not be complete without restoring trust and consensus between the two competing blocs. Only when the two sides act upon their shared interests, can the twin specter of climate and nuclear disasters be arrested. Time is running out. The climate risks are spiking exponentially. We are about to cross the point of no return, namely the 1.5C threshold in the global average temperature. The continued rise in temperature will bring about devastating consequences such as sea level rise and the weakening of the North Atlantic Current. The risks of nuclear winter are also on the rise, as demonstrated by Russias nuclear blackmail and the seeming resumption of a nuclear arms race.

A global consensus must be restored to deal with the twin specter as a matter of top priority. But the United States and China do not seem to share this sense of urgency, let alone the need to act together. Korea can serve as a bridge-builder that helps connect their differing risk perceptions.

This may be the most impossible task for Korea as a middle power. The chances of success are quite slim. But it is not a matter of choice for Korea. Failure to bring Washington and Beijing together will force Korea to take the brunt of the fallout. It must take upon this seemingly unrealistic mission with idealistic resolve. Only then will we have some chance at turning the tide. Koreas leaders owe it not only to their own people but also to the whole world. I hope Korea will be able to help steer the international community away from peril and toward peace, as promised by the year of blue dragon.





Kim Won-soo (wsk4321@gmail.com) is the former under-secretary-general of the United Nations and high representative for disarmament. He is now the chair of the international advisory board of the Taejae Academy (Future Consensus Institute) and a chair professor at Kyung Hee University.






DENVER (AP)  Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a ruling barring him from the Colorado ballot, setting up a high-stakes showdown over whether a constitutional provision prohibiting those who engaged in insurrection will end his political career.

Trump appealed a 4-3 ruling in December by the Colorado Supreme Court that marked the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot. The court found that Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disqualified him under the clause.

The provision has been used so sparingly in American history that the U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled on it.

Wednesday's development came a day after Trump's legal team filed an appeal against a ruling by Maine's Democratic Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, that Trump was ineligible to appear on that state's ballot over his role in the Capitol attack. Both the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of states rulings are on hold until the appeals play out.

Trump's critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him in multiple states. He lost Colorado by 13 percentage points in 2020 and does not need to win the state to gain either the Republican presidential nomination or the presidency. But the Colorado ruling has the potential to prompt courts or secretaries of state to remove him from the ballot in other, must-win states.

None had succeeded until a slim majority of Colorado's seven justices  all appointed by Democratic governors  ruled last month against Trump. Critics warned that it was an overreach and that the court could not simply declare that the Jan. 6 attack was an insurrection without a judicial process.

Trump's new appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court also follows one from Colorado's Republican Party. Legal observers expect the high court will take the case because it concerns unsettled constitutional issues that go to the heart of the way the country is governed.

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Sean Grimsley, an attorney for the plaintiffs seeking to disqualify Trump in Colorado, said on a legal podcast called Law, disrupted that he hopes the nations highest court hurries once it accepts the case, as he expects it will.

We have a primary coming up on Super Tuesday and we need to know the answer, Grimsley said.

The Colorado high court upheld a finding by a district court judge that Jan. 6 was an insurrection incited by Trump. It agreed with the petitioners, six Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters whose lawsuit was funded by a Washington-based liberal group, that Trump clearly violated the provision. Because of that, the court ruled he is disqualified just as plainly as if he failed to meet the Constitution's minimum age requirement for the presidency of 35 years.

In doing so, the state high court reversed a ruling by the lower court judge that said it wasn't clear that Section 3 was meant to apply to the president. That's one of many issues the nation's highest court would consider.

Additional ones include whether states such as Colorado can determine who is covered by Section 3, whether congressional action is needed to create a process to bar people from office, whether Jan. 6 met the legal definition of insurrection and whether Trump was simply engaging in First Amendment activity that day or is responsible for the violent attack, which was intended to halt certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory. Trump held a rally before the Capitol attack, telling his supporters that if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore.

Six of the U.S. Supreme Court's nine justices were appointed by Republicans, and three by Trump himself.

The Colorado ruling cited a prior decision by Neil Gorsuch, one of Trump's appointees to the high court, when he was a federal judge in Colorado. That ruling determined that the state had a legitimate interest in removing from the presidential ballot a naturalized U.S. citizen who was ineligible for the office because he was born in Guyana.

The provision has barely been used since the years after the Civil War, when it kept defeated Confederates from returning to their former government positions. The two-sentence clause says that anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection cannot hold office unless a two-thirds vote of Congress allows it.

Legal scholars believe its only application in the 20th century was being cited by Congress in 1919 to block the seating of a socialist who opposed U.S. involvement in World War I and was elected to the House of Representatives.

But in 2022, a judge used it to remove a rural New Mexico county commissioner from office after he was convicted of a misdemeanor for entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Liberal groups sued to block Republican Reps. Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for reelection because of their roles on that day. Cawthorn's case became moot when he lost his primary in 2022, and a judge ruled to keep Greene on the ballot.

Some conservatives warn that, if Trump is removed, political groups will routinely use Section 3 against opponents in unexpected ways.

Biden's administration has noted that the president has no role in the litigation.

The issue of whether Trump can be on the ballot is not the only matter related to the former president or Jan. 6 that has reached the high court. The justices last month declined a request from special counsel Jack Smith to swiftly take up and rule on Trump's claims that he is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the presidential election, though the issue could be back before the court soon depending on the ruling of a Washington-based appeals court.

And the court has said that it intends to hear an appeal that could upend hundreds of charges stemming from the Capitol riot, including against Trump.
Today is Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Let's get caught up.

Keep scrolling for celebrity birthdays and a look back at this date in history. Plus, check out our daily news podcast:

***

Trump's vows to deport millions are undercut by his White House record and one family's story

In summer 1954, the Eisenhower administration launched a military-style effort to remove Mexican immigrants who were in the country illegally. Donald Trump has lauded the raids since he first ran for president. People affected by the raids and historians argue Trump is using fragments of history for political reasons while discounting his own administrations failures.

Read more:

***

MORE TOP STORIES

Investigators focus on air traffic communication after a fatal Tokyo runway crash

Investigators were focusing on communication between air traffic control and two aircraft at Tokyos Haneda Airport on Wednesday, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people.

***

New Years Day quake in Japan revives the trauma of 2011 triple disasters

The powerful earthquake that shattered the peace of New Years Day in central Japan did not spur massive tsunamis like those that scoured the Pacific coast in 2011, killing nearly 20,000 people and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

But the alarms and evacuation orders, and the dozens of strong quakes that came before and after the main quake on Monday, summoned memories of the triple disasters nearly 13 years ago.

***

Israel on alert for possible Hezbollah response after senior Hamas leader is killed in Beirut strike

The killing of Saleh Arouri, the most senior Hamas member slain since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago, provided a morale boost for Israelis still reeling from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as the militants put up stiff resistance in Gaza and continue to hold scores of hostages.

But its implications for the war remain unclear.

***

MORNING LISTEN

2024 has arrived, but we can't start a new year without looking back at the previous year. There was plenty of weather to talk about in 2023. The United States saw a record number of billion-dollar weather disasters, so picking the biggest weather stories of the year was not easy.

***

TRENDING TOPICS

***

TODAY IN HISTORY

Today in history: Jan. 3 In 1967, Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, died in a Dallas hospital.

Today in sports history: Jan. 3 In 1991, Wayne Gretzky scores three goals, including his 700th, as the Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Islanders 6-3.

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TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS

Celebrity birthdays: Jan. 3 Bobby Hull Danica McKellar Eli Manning Kimberley Locke Lloyd Mark Pontius Mel Gibson Nash Overstreet Nicole Beharie Stephen Stills Van Dyke Parks
DES MOINES  Republican presidential candidates will participate in clashing Iowa media events next week, as each seeks to command the spotlight in the final sprint before the caucuses.

A trio of events, featuring the four top polling Republican candidates, are all scheduled for Jan. 10 at 8 p.m.

Iowa's Republican caucuses will be held on Jan. 15.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will participate in a CNN debate, which the network announced last month, at Drake University. To participate in the CNN debate, a candidate had to receive at least 10% in three national and/or Iowa polls  limiting participation to DeSantis, Haley and former President Donald Trump.

But Trump, who leads the field in polling, will skip the debate and instead participate in a live Fox News town hall from Des Moines, which will air at the same time. The town hall will be moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, the network announced Tuesday.

Also in Des Moines at the same time, Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who failed to qualify for the CNN debate, will participate in a live town hall with conservative podcast host Tim Pool.

Haley, DeSantis call on Trump to debate

Haley and DeSantis criticized Trumps refusal to participate in the CNN debate, which will likely be the last time candidates face off head to head before the caucuses on Jan. 15.

With only three candidates qualifying, its time for Donald Trump to show up, Haley said in a statement on Tuesday. As the debate stage continues to shrink, its getting harder for Donald Trump to hide.

With only three candidates qualifying for the CNN debate, its time for Donald Trump to show up. As the debate stage continues to shrink, its getting harder for Donald Trump to hide.  Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 2, 2024

DeSantis campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo blasted Trump for skipping the debate and said he must defend his policies while president.

"We understand Donald Trump is scared to get on the stage because he'd have to finally explain why he didn't build the wall, added nearly $8 trillion to the debt, and turned the country over to Fauci, Romeo said. But even Gavin Newsom had the courage to stand on the stage to debate his own failed record against Ron DeSantis. If it would make the debate more inviting, we would gladly agree to make it a seated format where the former president would be more comfortable."

Trump has skipped the last four GOP primary debates, arguing his dominance in polling means he does not need to debate his opponents. In a statement last month, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said Trump is dominating every single poll by historic margins when asked if he would participate in the CNN debate.

"These other candidates are currently sitting at the kid's table, wishing they could graduate to the adult table, Cheung said.

Ramaswamy holds competing event

In a statement on Tuesday, Ramaswamy's campaign called CNN a "ratings wasteland" and accused the network of being biased against Ramaswamy. The campaign announced Ramaswamy would participate in a live-audience town hall hosted by Tim Pool, a podcast host whose channel, "Timcast IRL," has 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube.

Forget @CNNs fake Iowa debate on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history. Were doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with @Timcast instead. Wont hold back. Heres the backstory on CNNs shenanigans:



- On Dec 13, CNN disgracefully cut short its  Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 2, 2024

Pool's podcast will be hosted live in-studio in Des Moines from Jan. 10 to Jan. 15, Ramaswamy's campaign said.

Forget (CNNs) fake Iowa debate on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history, Ramaswamy said on social media Tuesday. Were doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with (Tim Pool) instead. Wont hold back.

Counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa Counties with the highest unemployment in Iowa #50. Monona County #49. Appanoose County #48. Delaware County #47. Cerro Gordo County #46. Polk County #45. Humboldt County #44. Winnebago County #43. Henry County #42. Iowa County #41. Grundy County #40. Cedar County #39. Webster County #37. Wayne County #36. Franklin County #35. Buchanan County #34. Benton County #33. Black Hawk County #32. Scott County #31. Linn County #30. Van Buren County #29. Union County #28. Wapello County #27. Muscatine County #26. Clarke County #25. Louisa County #24. Clay County #23. Keokuk County #22. Guthrie County #21. Hardin County #20. Fayette County #19. Clinton County #18. Floyd County #17. Butler County #16. Jasper County #15. Lee County #14. Dickinson County #13. Emmet County #12. Howard County #11. Poweshiek County #10. Winneshiek County #9. Des Moines County #8. Jackson County #7. Madison County #6. Jones County #5. Tama County #4. Allamakee County #3. Clayton County #2. Crawford County #1. Marshall County #49. Boone County #46. Monona County (tie) #45. Guthrie County #42. Poweshiek County #40. Warren County #38. Monroe County #36. Allamakee County #32. Louisa County #31. Hamilton County #27. Jefferson County #24. Wayne County #22. Madison County #19. Jasper County #18. Winnebago County #16. Floyd County #12. Cerro Gordo County #10. Muscatine County #6. Crawford County #4. Clinton County #1. Marshall County #44. Union County #34. Fayette County #21. Jones County #20. Benton County #13. Jackson County #9. Appanoose County #5. Scott County #2. Des Moines County
Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday celebrated visiting Iowa's 99 counties twice in his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

In Bettendorf, his campaign did so by announcing the endorsement of former nine-term U.S. Representative Steve King, who's best known for making a series of incendiary comments about immigration and race that led to Republican leadership stripping him of his committee assignments.

In a video ahead of Ramaswamy's appearance, King calls Ramaswamy "the strongest voice we have to defend our constitution and to reestablish America's destiny."

King, who in past elections has been a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, did not appear in person.

Ramaswamy did not mention King during his speech but told reporters afterward he's "proud to have Steve King's endorsement."

He said King had been "villainized by the media" and disputed a 2019 quote in which King questioned when terms such as white supremacist and white nationalism became offensive.

Ramaswamy was also introduced Tuesday by former Illinois Republican congressional candidate Esther Joy King and Ramaswamy's wife, Apoorva.

Ramaswamy is keeping an aggressive campaign schedule ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses. Ramaswamy made seven public campaign stops on Tuesday and held eight events on Dec. 30.

Fellow GOP challenger Ron DeSantis's campaign has also said he's visited all 99 counties, completing the tour Dec. 2.

King endorses Ramaswamy

The Ramaswamy campaign played a video for a Bettendorf audience Tuesday of King, pledging his support for Ramaswamy.

King said in the video he supported Ramaswamy's position on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying Ramaswamy "will build the wall on the border for real."

King asked caucus-goers to join him Jan. 15 in supporting Ramaswamy.

The Kiron, Iowa, Republican served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 until 2021, leaving after a primary loss to current Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra.

King was stripped of his committee assignments following a 2019 article in the New York Times about immigration in which King was quoted saying, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization  how did that language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?"

Soon after the article was published, the House overwhelmingly approved a resolution denouncing "hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that define the people of the United States."

King has since maintained that he was misquoted and that he was among the most high-profile "canceled" men of the time. Ramaswamy reiterated King's account.

"I'm just not one of these people that treats the New York Times as the Bible, I'm sorry," Ramaswamy said.

King has drawn controversy for comments before then as well. In 2006, he demonstrated a model of a border wall topped with electrified wire that he said would be a disincentive for people to cross, adding, "We do that with livestock all the time."

In 2013, King explained in a TV interview why he opposed legal status for immigrants brought into the country as children: "For everyone who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert. Those people would be legalized with the same act."

In 2017, he tweeted, "Diversity is not our strength" and quoted Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, "Mixing cultures will not lead to a higher quality of life but a lower one."

Asked whether he condemns white supremacy and white nationalism, Ramaswamy said, "Of course I condemn any form of vicious racial discrimination in this country, but I think that the presumption of your question is fundamentally based on a falsehood that that really is the main form of racial discrimination we see in this country today."

Ramaswamy said he expected to see King more on the campaign trail for him in the coming weeks. He said King wanted to come Tuesday but couldn't make it in-person because he was in a different part of the state.

King said in the video his views aligned with Ramaswamy on immigration.

Ramaswamy has pledged to use the military to secure the southern border, calling the current scale of illegal immigration an "invasion."

Ramaswamy has been critical of American spending abroad, including sending aid to Ukraine, and said the president should focus resources instead on borders.

"Use our military to protect our own borders, not someone else's border halfway around the world in Ukraine" Ramaswamy said Tuesday. "... We're done with them, secure our own homeland with our national defense spending that protects us against  we'll call it what it is  an invasion of this country."

Ramaswamy praised King for his early support for a border wall.

Ramaswamy has also taken a stance against CO2 pipelines, which have support from ethanol advocates but have garnered protests from farmers, property owners and environmental groups in Iowa.

King has also protested the completion and use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines and has appeared at a few events with Ramaswamy before.

Ramaswamy called King "a patriot who cares about the country." Adding that King cares about CO2 pipelines, which "the rest of the Republican Party isn't taking on."

Ramaswamy called using eminent domain to construct an underground carbon pipeline unconstitutional and "it is based on a climate agenda that absolutely is a hoax because it has nothing to do with the climate."

Ramaswamy told the Bettendorf audience he supports slashing federal jobs, implementing term limits for bureaucrats and ending several federal departments, such as the Department of Education.

Ramaswamy also called for a single day of voting as a national holiday, federal voter identification requirements and setting English as the sole language ballots can be printed in.

Ramaswamy praised Trump in his stop but said he believed the country needed someone from the next generation with "fresh legs" to finish Trump's America First agenda.

Jill Snodgrass, of Bettendorf, said she's trying to decide between Ramaswamy and Trump ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses.

She came hoping to hear from Ramaswamy on his policies about his plans for the country. Topics important to her, she said, are the economy, securing the border and the Second Amendment.

She left a position in marketing and admissions for long-term skilled health care during the pandemic, she said, because of short staffing and she felt resident rights weren't being recognized during the pandemic.

"People were dying without seeing their families," she said.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has said it apologises unreservedly for failings in its handling of incidents preceding the killings of Michael and Marjorie Cawdery.

Mr and Mrs Cawdery, both 83, were stabbed to death at their home in Portadown, Co Armagh, on May 26, 2017

The apology comes after a coroner found that the deaths of the couple, who were killed by a man with a severe mental health illness, were entirely preventable.

Paranoid schizophrenic Thomas Scott McEntee, who is now in his mid-40s, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was given a life sentence in June the following year.

Delivering inquest findings at Banbridge courthouse in December, coroner Maria Dougan said that, on the balance of probabilities, the deaths could have been avoided if police and health care workers had dealt differently with McEntee in several interactions in the days leading up to the fatal incident.

She identified a series of omission and missed opportunities that, if acted on, would have meant McEntee would not have been in the location of the Cawderys home on the day he killed them.

The coroner raised particular concern about a police failure to use powers available to them under mental health legislation to take McEntee to a place of safety when they encountered him in the days prior to the killings.

Ms Dougan also said she was not satisfied that all the lessons from the incident had been learned by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Belfast and Southern health and social care trusts.

The coroner identified four incidents prior to the killings when McEntee had been displaying signs of mental illness and was involved in interactions with either police or health care staff.

The first was in Belfast city centre and then the Mater Hospital in the city on May 22nd; the second was at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry on May 24th; the third was the following day in Warrenpoint, Co Down; and the fourth on May 26th at both Daisy Hill Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital.

McEntee, who was from Kilkeel, Co Down, ultimately absconded from Craigavon Area Hospital and broke into the Cawderys home on nearby Upper Ramone Park when they were out shopping.

When they returned he was still in the property and he killed them.

Mr Cawdery was a retired veterinary surgeon and research pharmacologist. He had worked for the colonial government of Kenya and Uganda.

Mr Cawdery was a civil servant in the colonial government of Uganda and latterly a company director and housewife.

In a statement on Wednesday, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: I recognise that the family of Mr and Mrs Cawdery have had to live with the lasting impact of this horrendous attack and the loss of Michael and Marjorie.

We have, following the stark findings of the inquest, carried out our own internal review, and a serious adverse incident review conducted by the Health Trust, established a gold co-ordinating group under Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, head of our justice department, to develop an action plan to address identified shortcomings and develop our engagement with the Department of Health and other partners.

I am keen to reassure the family about our commitment to this work.

I want to reiterate my sincere apologies to the Cawdery family on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for all failings which have been highlighted in our handling of this tragic case.

It is imperative that we learn the lessons and do everything we can to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
John Bauer BA'01, JD'05

Following in the footsteps of several family members, John Bauer BA01, JD05 attended Willamette University as an undergraduate. Though his father was a local attorney, he did not intend to take that path  instead, looking for a career that might fund his desire to travel the world.

After he graduated in 2001, he and a friend set out on an international adventure through Russia and parts of Asia. Upon returning home, the economy was suffering from the burst of the dot-com bubble. Bauer decided to take the LSAT and go to law school, still unsure where the degree would take him.

During his second and third years, formative experiences began to shape his future. Bauer spent the second semester of his second year in Quito, Ecuador, studying law under a joint program between a university there and the College of Law.

While there, two federal judges gave a presentation to the 1,000-student population, and Bauer was asked to translate. The only problem? Public speaking was not his strength.

In undergrad, I took a Rhetoric class, and I think it was my worst grade, he says. [Translating in Ecuador] was one of many great experiences that continued to shape me along the way and helped me to overcome a fear of public speaking. It was a great experience to learn the law in a different language and learn that language to the extent that I was fluent.

When he returned to Salem, Bauer found himself assisting his father with some bigger legal cases. Until then, he had neither considered practicing law, nor staying in Salem to do so. But he enjoyed the work, and he liked working alongside his dad.

Thats what really drew me to law, he explains.

A fit in health law

His fathers firm, Parks Bauer, had worked with Salem Health for decades. Following his graduation, Bauer joined the firm. He quickly became a partner and began developing an expertise in health law.

In 2011, still working for the firm, Bauer took over the in-house counsel duties for the hospital. His duties continued to increase until 2020, when he was named the chief legal officer for Salem Health.

COVID was just starting to impact the US meaningfully at that time, he says, making it an interesting transition. The week I joined, I stepped in as one of three incident commanders within the incident command structure. It was a great opportunity to expand into non-legal, operational work.

His role continued to grow, and when COVID vaccines became available, he took charge over the mass vaccination efforts in Salem. With COVID now in the rearview mirror, his everyday tasks are a mixture of operations, strategy and legal work.

My job every day is different, he says. That is what I was always looking for  this concept of funding continuous travel fed into having continuously different experiences. What I do today fits where I wanted to be and what my goal actually was.

Bauer appreciates the variety, working on projects dealing with emergency management, medical ethics, DEI and organizational culture, in addition to more traditional legal tasks in transactions and contracts. There are challenges in health care access, finances, continued care and workplace violence, but he finds satisfaction in working toward solving those issues.

Bauer now serves on the Health Care Leadership Programming Task Force, a joint venture between Willamette Law and MBA. The task force aims to advance the Health Law Certificate Program.

I enjoy being able to provide my input now that Ive been working in health law for a long time and for a large institution, trying to prepare students for a career in what I do, he says. For students, Id say dont get upset if what you thought you wanted to be isnt what you become. What you become is what you should be.
A former teacher in the Royall School District who died in 1972 has a legacy that lives on with scholarship opportunities for district students.

Carol Krohn, who died in a car crash on April 18, 1972, during her first year as an English and drama teacher in the district, was honored by her husband, Thomas Davis, following her death with funding to help Royall students attend two Wisconsin universities and an additional local scholarship fund.

Starting in 2024, three students from Royall High School in Elroy attending UW-Stevens Point will receive scholarships that are renewable for up to three years at $2,500 each year. Following Davis death on April 18, 2022, which was 50 years to the day after Krohns death, the Thomas F. Davis Estate donated $1 million to UW-Stevens Points scholarship endowment to create the Carol Krohn College Scholarship, according to the university.

Students from Royall who were accepted to UW-Stevens Point are eligible for the scholarships. The scholarships are chosen based on financial need, among other requirements, such as school and community involvement. Krohn graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 1971.

The Carol Krohn endowment represents a dedication to supporting college-bound students by extending financial assistance to accomplished graduates of Royall High School, Lynda Fernholz, the School of Education head at UW-Stevens Point, said in a statement. This gift will help students reduce their education debt, so their focus remains on career readiness.

Royall High School Principal Scott Uppena said a similar donation from Davis went to UW-Eau Claire prior to his arrival in the district seven years ago, which began a scholarship opportunity for Royall students there. A local endowment also annually provides a select student with a $500 scholarship for post-secondary education anywhere because of funds from Davis. Uppena did not specify when Davis supplied the funds for the local scholarships.

Students must apply for the scholarships through the universities, Uppena said. He added that many in the district, including himself, have no significant ties to Davis. The scholarships are available for any study field, according to the release.

We have kids that are impacted in a very positive way for higher education and theres very little connection to the school here, which makes it even more special, Uppena said.

Tom Davis considered Carol the love of his life and spent the rest of his life basically making her life a purpose, Uppena said. He wanted to make sure her legacy lived on past him and past her, and he made it through the students of Royall.
By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, HD Hyundai and other Korean companies are set to showcase advanced AI technologies at the upcoming CES tech trade show to demonstrate their leadership in the emerging technology that has been sweeping the world, according to the companies, Wednesday.

The worlds largest IT show will be held in Las Vegas from Jan. 9 to 12. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizer of the event, anticipates this year's tech show will be larger than last year's, with an expected attendance of over 130,000.

The number of participating companies has increased by about 10 percent from last year, with a total of over 3,500 companies from over 150 countries set to showcase their technologies. The organizer said that the main topic of this event will be AI, demonstrating the impact of AI on various industries such as smart homes, health care, fintech and manufacturing.

Among Korean companies, Samsung Electronics plans to reveal its on-device AI products and vision under the theme "AI for All: Connectivity in the Age of AI. Under this vision, the Korean tech giant will showcase its robot vacuum cleaner Bespoke Jet Bot Combo, its stick vacuum Bespoke Jet AI and its Bespoke Refrigerator Family Hub Plus equipped with the AI Vision Inside feature.

Samsung said its Vision AI technology, which has been trained by analyzing about a million photos of different types of food, automatically creates a list of tasty recipes. The Bespoke Jet AI also has enhanced its AI mode to categorize and optimize suction power based on brush load and pressure.

The SK Group will also send seven of its affiliates, including SK Telecom and SK hynix, to operate a joint promotion booth. Particularly, SK hynix, its memory semiconductor affiliate, announced that it will demonstrate its leadership in AI memory chips at CES.

"SK hynix will highlight the company's future vision, which is represented as memory-centric, at this CES," SK hynix said. "Through this, we aim to inform the world about the importance of memory chips, which are emphasized with technological advancements in the AI era, and our competitiveness leading the global market in this sector."

Specifically, SK hynix plans to display AI memory products such as HBM3E. HBM3E is the highest performing memory that SK hynix successfully developed last August. The company plans to start mass-producing this product in the first half of this year and supply it to customers.

HD Hyundai plans to announce its ambition to expand its business to land infrastructure beyond shipbuilding, its existing main business, at this years CES. The company recently teamed up with Google Cloud to build an AI platform and plans to introduce generative AI technology to its core businesses such as construction machinery business, presenting a vision to accelerate digital innovation.
When he began to speak, the crowd became so quiet. I was standing next to him, on his left, our shoulders nearly touching because of how crowded it was. His words were like poetry. [The speech began: I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.] I was worried about the television cameras, so I adjusted the microphone while he spoke, so the cameras and the crowds could see his whole face. The TV cameras saw my hand; I was wearing a pinkie ring of all things, and my family later kidded that I had the most famous hand in the world.

I had never been involved in something so spectacular. The way the speech moved; it was like watching a rosebud bloom in fast motion. It just grew and the beauty developed right before your eyes. The crowd praised Dr. King and I heard the word amen again and again. One of the Black leaders  later I learned that it was [gospel singer] Mahalia Jackson  said something to the effect of, Tell them your dream, Martin! This was the moment he deviated from his notes and went into his I Have a Dream speech that is so famous today.

[King: So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal  ]

It was a momentous day, a day that changed my life. What I learned that day inspired me in my 25-year career as a New York State trooper. I went out of my way to help people. I kept people from harming others, to keep peace. I respected all minorities. The things in my life all seem to go back to that day and Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech. And I am not alone.

Civil rights activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland with a dress she wore and memorabilia from her time as an activist. Shuran Huang

Joan Trumpauer Mulholland on the Jackson Woolworths sit-in

82, living in Arlington, Virginia

Activist, educator, later established the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation to educate youth on the Civil Rights Movement



I was the first white student to attend Tougaloo College near Jackson, Mississippi. By that time, I had already been arrested three times for nonviolent protest, and I was involved in the Freedom Ride movement early on. Where I grew up in Arlington [Virginia], everything was segregated. Churches were segregated, and yet we had to memorize Bible verses that said to treat people the way we wanted to be treated. I took that seriously. Then, there is the Declaration of Independence, which says that all men are created equal. I took that seriously too.

I also had an experience when I was about 10, visiting my grandmother in Oconee, Georgia. My playmate and I snuck off and went where we were forbidden to go  down a dirt road to the Black section. When we got to the colored school  that was the polite term, then  it was a one-room shack that never had an ounce of paint on it. There was no glass or screen in the windows. No electricity or running water. On the other side of town was a fancy new school for white kids with all the amenities, the nicest building for miles around.

I knew that this was wrong, and that when I had the chance to make things better for everybody, I would seize the moment.

At Tougaloo College, when they saw me studying just as hard in the library as the other students, they knew I was OK. Eventually I was invited to join Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Thats a pretty good sign of acceptance. The Klan was not happy. They would drive down the road next to campus and shoot the faculty housing near the road. Metal sheeting had to be put up on the sides of the housing. Every once in a while, a Klansman would get on campus and burn a cross.

Tougaloo was a place where anybody interested in civil rights who was coming to Mississippi would visit. It was a big gathering place. Medgar Evers was on campus quite a bit. When Dr. King came to speak, me and my roommate Joyce Ladner were put in charge of getting him around.

On the day of the Woolworths sit-in  May 28, 1963  a group of Black nonviolent protesters sat down at the lunch counter in this five-and-dime store, figuring they would be arrested pretty quickly. This was Jackson, Mississippi. When I went down to see what was happening, it was turning ugly. An ex-cop named Benny Oliver was kicking a Tougaloo student named Memphis Norman to the point that he was bleeding severely out of his head. A TV cameraman was knocked to the ground and his camera busted.

Joan Mulholland at the counter during the Jackson Woolworth sit-in, facing away from the camera. Fred Blackwell/Getty Images

Memphis had been sitting with two girls on the stools, named Perlina and Anne Moody. The girls got pulled off and dragged to the floor. They made it back to their stools and I went and sat with them. Anne and I were pulled off the stools again. There was quite a mob. It kept getting uglier. A professor from Tougaloo College named John Salter came and sat with us.

One of the heroes of this event was a second-string white photographer for the local paper named Fred Blackwell. He wasnt any older than we were, and as far as I know, his sympathies were with the mob. He got permission to stand on the lunch counter to take pictures. By the time things were over, his sympathies had shifted to the nonviolent protesters.

A photograph he took became the most used sit-in photo of any, and I give him a lot of credit. You can take your issue to the streets, to the lunch counters, the lawyers take it to the courts, but the press takes it to the world.

I am the one in the middle, in the photograph, sitting at the lunch counter. You can see the mob of people pouring sugar and condiments, dumping everything on us  just clearing the counter on our heads. They were yelling at us: communist, traitor.

We eventually got rid of legal segregation, but we didnt get rid of the underlying racism and discrimination. Hopefully we can learn from what we did in the past to help make the future better for all of us.

Myrlie-Evers Williams, former chairwoman of the NAACP and widow of Medgar Evers. JAMES VAN EVERS

Myrlie Evers-Williams on the movement, yesterday and today

90, living in Los Angeles County, California

Widow of Medgar Evers, murdered in 1963. A former chairwoman of the NAACP and author of the book Watch Me Fly

When I was growing up, Mississippi was HOME in capital letters. We grew our own food. We shared food with each other. We were a very poor neighborhood, but we were rich in a sense of community. Parents told their children that you are somebody. This life you have will not be yours forever. Our parents would say, Were going to work very hard and make things better for you. We expect you to take advantage of every little thing that we do for you, and remember to reach back and help others.

It was a wonderful place to grow up, to have a sense of self-worth, a sense of what you could do not only then but what you had to do for the future generations to come.

I met and fell in love with Medgar Evers in my junior year of college. Medgar was a few years older and different from anyone I had ever met. He was very mature, a protector type of man. An outstanding student and an outstanding football star. He later told me that he was cultivating me. Im not sure I liked that because cultivating sounded like he was cultivating cotton. But it was good and it lasted, and it still lasts even though he is no longer here with us.

It was a time when the entire nation was paying attention to race relations. We had moved from a period in the United States where murders against people of color were very common. People of color had no rights at all. But you found people such as Medgar, veterans who had returned home from World War II and who were refusing to put up with Jim Crow laws. Medgar was right there in the open, saying, I served my country! I am not here back at home to be treated like a second-class citizen!

It was very dangerous. When I talk to my grandchildren now, I see the fascination on their faces. They find it almost impossible to believe that things were as they were and have come back to haunt us. [The Evers home in Jackson, Mississippi, was firebombed in 1963 in reaction to an organized boycott of white merchants. Medgar Evers, the NAACPs field secretary in Mississippi, was assassinated on June 12, 1963, by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, who was found guilty more than 30 years later of the murder.]

Myrlie Evers-Williams and her family with President John F. Kennedy. Philip Cheung

I hope that today, as we look at the progress that we have made in American race relations and the progress yet to be made, that some way we all, regardless of our age, find a way to be involved in improving things for us and our generations to come. When I read in the newspapers and listen to the news on television and talk to friends who have walked the same path as I, we look down the road and see how much further we have to go. We shake our heads and ask, Will we make it? Somebody yells out, Hell yes! We have to!

I am not as active physically as I used to be, as I am 90 years old, but my heart and my spirit are still there in the fight. I can look at the younger generation and say, Go get it! Do it! I might not be able to keep up with the march, but I can drag my tired and weary feet on with you until we get to the end. And I do believe there will be an end to prejudice and racism. When? I dont know. There are enough people who are strong and determined enough who will be able to enjoy the freedom we all should have and share it with others.

The interchange I have with the younger generation is so inspiring to me. It gives me a glimpse into where we are now and where we are going. I have lots of hope for the future, thanks to those who have kept the flame burning.
Event to showcase latest construction equipment, technologies

By Park Jae-hyuk

Major domestic and overseas construction equipment manufacturers will gather at CES 2024 in Las Vegas from Jan. 9 to 12, to showcase their emerging construction technologies.

Their participation is expected to transform the worlds largest annual trade show, previously called the Consumer Electronics Show and now known by its acronym only, to embrace a wider variety of innovative technologies.

Among the participating heavy machinery makers, HD Hyundai has drawn significant attention as Vice Chairman and CEO Chung Ki-sun is among the five keynote speakers of the show. He will deliver a speech on Jan. 10 regarding his companys strategies for infrastructure construction.

Improving the productivity and sustainability of the construction industry is key to tackling many, if not all the human security challenges of our civilization, Chung said. CES and the world will see our vision for digital twin and smart construction solutions systems. It is about changing the way we build so that we can change our future.

Philip Moyer, vice president of Google Clouds global artificial intelligence (AI) business, will join Chung during his speech to emphasize the two companies cooperation on applying AI technologies to shipbuilding and construction equipment manufacturing.

Chung will showcase how tech innovations are empowering future builders to change the way we build infrastructure  the very foundation of our civilization and a sustainable future for all, the CES organizer said.

When HD Hyundai participated in CES 2022 and 2023, it focused more on introducing its flagship businesses of shipbuilding and offshore engineering, based on its Ocean Transformation vision.

As mega-size construction projects including those in Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have made construction equipment manufacturing into HD Hyundais core business, the group developed the Xite Transformation vision for this years CES through the participation of HD Hyundai XiteSolution, which counts HD Hyundai Infracore and HD Hyundai Construction Equipment among its subsidiaries.

The company will also play a promotional video for its Develon construction equipment brand on an electronic board of the 2 Times Square building in New York until Sunday to let the public know about its participation in CES 2024.

At a booth larger than last years, we will exhibit our unmanned and automated construction equipment technologies for next-generation construction sites and our digital twin technologies for remote control of heavy machinery, an HD Hyundai official said.

Doosan Group, which started participating in the tech fair in 2020 to introduce its drones and robots, will offer an exhibition booth for the first time in two years to showcase the technologies of its affiliates, including Doosan Bobcat, which generated the largest revenue among Korean construction equipment makers during the first three quarters of last year.

With Bobcats AI-powered, unmanned and electrified products to be unveiled at CES 2024, Doosan is expected to accelerate efforts to consolidate its lead in the construction equipment sector, which once faltered when the company sold Infracore to HD Hyundai in 2021 to escape financial difficulties.

Chairman Park Jeong-won will attend CES with the groups top executives, including Vice Chairman Park Gee-won, a Doosan official said. This will be the first time in four years for the chairman to visit the show.

Foreign rivals to appear

The Korean companies will not only compete with each other, but also with multiple foreign rivals to attract visitors at CES 2024.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show is held triennially, so a growing number of global construction equipment makers having advanced technologies will show interest in CES, an industry official said.

Kubota, a Japanese construction and agricultural equipment manufacturer, is set to make its first CES appearance.

Show attendees will get a peek behind the curtain, particularly at the residential market where we are working on exciting innovations that will help shape the future of compact equipment for our company, our dealers, and our customers who have come to expect quality, versatility and reliability from Kubota, Kubota North America Senior Vice President Todd Stucke said.

Caterpillar and John Deere, both of which blazed a trail for the construction equipment industrys participation in CES, will exhibit their new products again this year, as the two U.S. firms caught attention last year with their gigantic heavy machinery displayed in the center of the exhibition hall for global mobility companies.

This event is known as the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators which makes it the ideal place for us to showcase our leadership in power systems and integrated service solutions to help our customers in the energy transition, Caterpillar Senior Vice President Rod Shurman said.

The company has participated in CES since 2021. It plans to focus this year on electric machines and energy solutions to satisfy its customers who want to electrify their worksites.

John Deere, which has participated in CES every year since 2019, is expected to come up with sustainable and eco-friendly products, given that the industrys first participant in the show received a CES 2024 Innovation Award in the sustainability, eco-design and smart energy category.
Publicis Groupe South Asia has announced the appointment of Amitesh Rao as the Chief Executive Officer of Leo Burnett South Asia. In this role, Raos remit will include all operations of Leo Burnett India including Leo Burnett Orchard, across Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, and rest of South Asia. In addition, he will provide oversight on Publicis Health and Publicis Business. The role will report into Anupriya Acharya, CEO Publicis Groupe South Asia and will work closely with Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe India and Chairman, Leo Burnett South Asia.

Leo Burnett India has been a premiere, creative powerhouse in the country, known for its iconic advertising and modern, human, and purposeful marketing solutions. Over the last many years, its meteoric rise and trailblazing performance on new business and new-age work has taken it to the top position.

Rao, with his cross-disciplinary and cross-category experience from various leadership roles, remarkable track record on client businesses and wealth of expertise across technology, data and creativity has been handpicked to lead Leo Burnett South Asia into its next stage of growth and creative ambitions.

An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Rao comes with more than 25 years of leadership experience across advertising, marketing and technology entrepreneurship in gaming and simulation. He joins from McCann India where he was the Executive Director, heading North and West Operations. Prior to this, Rao has also held top positions at TBWA, Rediffusion, and JWT and in his advertising stints worked across markets with marquee clients such as PepsiCo, Airtel, Nestle, Reckitt, Coke, Mastercard and Nissan. His marketing and sales experience has been in the Telco and Data space with MTS and RPG.

Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia said, I am delighted to welcome Amitesh Rao. We are in an age of constant invention and re-invention and in Amitesh, we found the perfect leader who brings both a thorough appreciation of the power of creativity in building strong brands and an intimate understanding and fluency in diverse languages of technology, gaming, data, and platforms. His easy demeanour and candid attitude are an added asset for clients, our teams and our Groupes Power of One agenda. I look forward to working with him.

Amitesh Rao said, I look forward to leading Leo Burnett South Asia in an era where the confluence of technology and creativity is redefining the playing field. With its outstanding creativity and top accolades, a remarkable roster of blue-chip clients and amazing talent pool, the agency offers an incredible canvas. I hope to bring new perspective on client businesses, strengthen seamless solutions and look forward to accelerating growth for Leo Burnett and its clients.

Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe India and Chairman, Leo Burnett South Asia said, Having built Leo Burnett South Asia over the last 10 years and making it synonymous with iconic, inspiring creativity that transforms brands and businesses, I am delighted to find in Amitesh a leader who resonates with LBs ethos and brings with him strong and diverse experience that can take Leo Burnett South Asia to the next level of success and build on the agencys stellar offerings. We all look forward to partnering him!
Deccan Herald, Karnatakas leading homegrown English daily from the house of The Printers (Mysore), is honoured to present the sixth edition of DH Changemakers. In the 2024 edition, we recognise 15 changemakers who are leaving an indelible mark on our society. These are humble heroes who quietly shape our world, and we want to bring their stories to the forefront.



These Changemakers have made a lasting impact on communities across the fields of entrepreneurship, theatre, dance, conservation, governance, sport and digital rights.



Over the past five years, we have had the privilege of shining the spotlight on more than a hundred individuals, identified through a rigorous internal process. In the last three years, an eminent external jury has made the final selections. What started out as a quiet listing of individuals has also transformed into an annual felicitation event, in end-January, which gives us an opportunity to get our laureates on stage, Sitaraman Shankar, Editor of Deccan Herald & CEO of The Printers (Mysore), said.



Through their initiatives, these exceptional individuals from Karnataka have sown seeds of change, embodying perfectly Deccan Herald's tagline: The Power of Good.



In keeping with past years, the Changemakers list, along with the profiles, appeared in a strikingly designed pull-out on the first day of the new year. Two high-quality video promotions were published on December 30, 2023 and January 1, 2024. Individual videos on the work of each Changemaker will be published through January. The videos will be made available on the Deccan Herald website, alongside full-length profiles and resplendent pictures. They will also be showcased at a glittering felicitation ceremony in Bengaluru on January 19.



As in past years, the Changemakers franchise offers sponsors a great way to connect with readers and viewers, through a logo presence and integrations in the pullout, in the videos and at the event. The property, which was started in January 2019, has an unbeatable feel-good aura to it, celebrating as it does remarkable achievers from every corner of the state, and brands have come forward in increasingly larger numbers.
Motorola Mobility India, today announced the appointment of Mr. T.M Narasimhan as the Managing Director, for Mobile Business Group - India.

In line with its focus on the Indian smartphone market and the vision to be among the top 3 smartphone brands, Motorola has strengthened its India leadership team by appointing T.M. Narasimhan, to lead the India business; reporting to Mr. Prashanth Mani who will continue to be the head of Motorolas Asia Pacific business.

T.M. Narasimhan comes with extensive experience in sales operations, business & financial planning and P&L Management, having held various roles in FMCG, and consumer tech organizations like PepsiCo, Britannia & Samsung. With a proven track record of building & nurturing teams, he has consistently delivered business results while balancing short-term & long-term goals.

Commenting on the new appointment Mr. Prashanth Mani, Executive Director - Motorola Asia Pacific, said, As we continue our growth story in India, we are excited to welcome T.M. Narasimhan on board. India is a focus market for us in Asia pacific and has been seeing exponential growth over the past few years. We are confident that Narasimhan will play a pivotal role in leading the India team & elevating the business to even greater success.

Sharing his excitement, Mr. T.M Narasimhan, Managing Director, Mobile Business Group - India said: "I am excited to be a part of the Motorola family and look forward to contributing to the brand's growth journey in India. Motorola has been a pioneer in innovation and has been disrupting the smartphone market in India with its exceptional product strategy, innovative business model and brand prowess. I look forward to building upon the solid foundation that has been laid and taking the India business to new heights while consistently delivering on consumer experience and satisfaction.

Motorola in India has been consistently growing at a double-digit premium to market over the last year and has grown at 37% Premium to Market in Q2 FY23* despite a flat to declining market, which implies that the brand is acquiring market share rapidly.

Leveraging the premiumization trend in the India, Motorola has disrupted the market with its razr 40 series and edge 40 series this year, growing the premium segment by over 2X^ YoY in H1 FY23-24. The Motorola razr 40 ultra and Motorola razr 40, designed to cater to modern consumers chasing a balanced smartphone experience have been the highest selling foldable proposition on Amazon during Prime Days 23~ and the Great Indian Festival'23~. Further, the Motorola edge 40 and edge 40 neo, the worlds slimmest and lightest IP68 rated phones, have disrupted the premium segment by bringing the perfect combination of flagship design, features and software experiences to Indian consumers.

Staying true to its promise of democratizing technology, Motorola has also dominated the market with its popular moto g franchise that stands for providing premium features at more accessible price points, with extremely popular models like moto g54 5G and moto g84 5G in 2023. Motorola was also recognized as Indias best 5G smartphone brand of 2023** and has seen exponential growth YoY in its 5G smartphone activations.

Further, Motorola is committed to the vision of Making in India and Making for the World, having successfully partnered with Dixon Technologies for manufacturing in India and was amongst the first participants of the PLI scheme by the Government of India, for mobile phones. Local manufacturing is not only enhancing Motorolas ability to serve the Indian customers better, but also enabling exports from India to multiple other markets, including USA.

Motorolas strategic emphasis on innovation, design and colours through its exclusive partnership with Pantone, distinctive software experiences, uncompromised 5G and its commitment towards making products for India, in India uniquely positions the brand for accelerated growth.
Savvytree Digital Training Platform is the latest venture of Savvytree, a digital marketing agency in Delhi. This platform aims to change the way students learn digital marketing by providing a unique "learn while you work" approach, internship opportunities, 100% placement assistance, and certifications upon successful course completion.

Savvytree understands the need for a comprehensive and practical learning experience in an era where digital skills are becoming increasingly important. This platform goes beyond traditional classroom environments, allowing students to seamlessly integrate their learning with applications in the real world.

One of this platform's most notable features is its "learn while you work" approach, which allows students to learn practical skills while gaining hands-on experience. This ensures that students not only understand theoretical concepts but also develop the skills needed to succeed in the fast-paced field of digital marketing.

Savvytree understands the value of industry exposure for seeking digital marketers. As a result, they are keen on providing internship opportunities to students, giving them valuable experience and the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. This hands-on experience is essential for the training program, giving students the confidence and skills they need to thrive in today's competitive digital landscape.

They offer 100% placement assistance to their students to improve their job skills. Because of the agency's extensive network in the digital marketing industry, it can match qualified candidates with reputable companies. This commitment to securing placements demonstrates Savvytree's commitment to ensuring the success of its students beyond the training program's completion.

Students will receive a certification upon completion of the course, validating their proficiency in digital marketing. This certification not only demonstrates their abilities but also increases their credibility in the job market.

Bharar Khatter, Founder of Savvytree, stated about the launch of the Savvytree Digital Training Platform, "We feel honoured to introduce a platform that goes beyond conventional learning methods. We believe in providing students with the tools they need to stay ahead of the digital curve. Our platform distinguishes itself by combining theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and industry exposure, which prepares students for success in their digital marketing careers."
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded the withdrawal of mandatory linkages to an AADHAR-based payment system from the Central Government. CPI(M) said in a statement that the latest expression of the Modi governments active hostility towards the demand-based rural work guarantee lawthe Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA)is the imposition of an AADHAR-based payment system (ABPS), the deadline of which expired on December 31, snatching away the right to crores of workers.

Under the law, every rural worker has the right to a job card and every job card holder has the right to at least 100 days of work. The first violation of the law by the central government is to divide job card holders into eligible and non-eligible for ABPS. According to the government, of the 25.25 crore registered workers, only 14.35 crore are eligible because they have done at least one days work over the last three years. But suppose a job card holder decides that she does need to work on a MNREGA site, even though she has not done so earlier. Now she cannot do so since she has been declared ineligible. Party said in a statement.

CPI (M) further said that, in other words, over 10 crore workers, who have every right to a job card under the law, have been declared ineligible to get ABPS and therefore denied their right to work on an MNREGA site. Even out of the 14.35 crore so-called eligible job card holders, as many as 12. 7 per cent, around 1.8 crore workers, do not have ABPS and will therefore not be eligible to work in MNREGA. Earlier, the government had imposed an online registration system, which, given the poor connectivity in large parts of rural India, resulted in workers presence at the worksite not being accepted. They were and are being denied wages without online registration, Politbureau said.

CPI (M) added that this is an outright assault on the law. MNREGA, regardless of its inadequacies, such as the limitation to 100 days, has proved to be a lifeline for the rural poor, particularly at this time of high rural distress caused by unemployment. The Modi government is using technology to attack a legal entitlement. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns this illegal attack on workers rights as guaranteed by MNREGA and demands the withdrawal of mandatory linkages to an AADHAR-based payment system.
Anurita Rathore Jadeja Cover Story | March 18, 2024 | 32 min read

She makes no bones about her career!

At 27, she has had more than 30 fractures and 25 surgeries. The youngest female orthopaedic surgeon in Gujarat and the only one from her batch, Dr Sakshi Maheshwaris story comprises several episodes and seasons before you unravel the power of this movie-like story. A life-threatening accident towards the end of the second year of MBBS at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka, followed by the operating surgeon declaring 10 per cent chances of survival, while father Satish believing 100 per cent she will make it, heres a story that wraps you in magic. But, behind the magic, are several days and nights of pursuance, self-belief, hard work, struggle, tears, motivation and determination. While the then 19-year-old battled threat to life, was wheelchair-bound and needed a writer for exams because fingers couldnt hold a pen, it was the desire to treat others in similar situations and help them walk normally again that made her pursue MS in Orthopaedic Surgery from BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad soon after. As senior resident doctor at Civil Hospital in Asarwa now, she believes the ability to make people walk again, give a shot at life again, feels invaluable and priceless. A walkback one wishes had a different replay It was December 30, 2016, when returning from a post-exam dinner celebration, that Sakshi and her friend met with a fatal accident. Her parents rushed from Ahmedabad to be with her only to find her critical with grim chances of survival and no memory recall of the accident and the aftermath. After a battle in the ICU for close to 20 days, the family got her to Ahmedabad by train since there was no way she could travel with broken bones, shares her mother, Sneha. Close to a month of being home in Ahmedabad, Sakshi decided to go back to college and unless shed have willed it, we wouldnt have gone, she adds, pride evident in her revelation. A galaxy of goodwill Sakshis friendly disposition ensured support and prayers from so many people once she returned to campus. Those months post accident were about operations one after another. And then came exam time. She wasnt strong physically but mentally she surprised us all. Since she didnt want to take a drop, Sakshi had her attendance, exam writing, etc, on priority, points out Sneha. Also, since her fingers and thumb couldnt meet or hold a pen, a writer from a non-medical field was sought for this MBBS student! That the writer couldnt even understand her dictations (terms) well is another battle rolled in to the larger one. But she passed with distinction, says the mother, who would carry four to five pillows with her to the examination hall. For the final year, Sakshi made up her mind to write her own exam papers. While the dean tried to dissuade her considering she couldnt hold the pen easily, she began to positively communicate and speak to her hand, urging it to be able to write. The power of thought and positivity have been Sakshis driving force, be it for running, writing or becoming a surgeon, says Sneha, the backbone. Adapting to the big change Sakshis mother continued to stay with her in Manipal for the following two years, while her father was in Ahmedabad with younger sister Isha, then in class VIII. My younger one was traumatised, with me suddenly away from home, to be with her injured sister. I would come down for a few days to be with my husband and daughter. Satish, too, would come to Manipal once a month. Sakshi began walking in the third year but her gait wasnt all right. People would notice her scars and ask questions. Some friends left her and empathy wasnt something she was looking for. She was no longer part of any group, so to say, although there were certain friends whod come to be with her. Physiotherapy sessions lasted for six hours along with mental and spiritual coaching. I believe the power within her was awakened in these sessions, reveals the grateful mother. A family that runs together The numerous metal plates and screws in the body did not deter Sakshi from anything, including desire to run a marathon! In her final year of MBBS, she began training, and although it wasnt advisable, she had made up her mind. After a point, even her surgeon said Chhodo kal ki baatein kal ki baat purani, inspiring her to run. As a mother I was worried but she was adamant. Her father joined in her pursuit and now he runs about five to six marathons a year. In fact, to encourage and cheer her, we all began running. She ran that marathon with her mind, not her legs, says Sneha, recalling how the screws and nails in Sakshis body pained her immensely.  I would finish the completing line in my mind every day, says Sakshi, not paying heed to anything else. I would listen to all sorts of things others had to saylike, a girl talking about overcoming menstrual pain. Perhaps that was her Mount Everest; being back on my feet and running was mine! Never give up on dreams No matter how tough it got or what roadblocks came by, Sakshi did not want to give up on my dreams. Not wanting to change the way she had imagined her life to turn out, she reasons: People ask you to accept situations but I was playing a different ballgame altogether. I had a picture in my head of how I wanted to be and then, post accident, I became very passionate about the orthopaedic branch since I could feel the pain of the patients. Those coming to me believe I understand and relate to them. And it does make me understand them better. Having undergone many orthopaedic, plastic, and neuro surgeries, Sakshi reiterates, When I was on the wheelchair, and my hand wasnt functional, it could have been the end of me. I could have collapsed but that wasnt an option. I was empowering myself and somewhere in my dairy I even wrote: I met with an accident in college and it actually made me stronger. Life does not stop for anything and there is no perfect day or body. We have to decide and shape our journey. Lessons to live by Everyone lives by certain set of beliefs and among the key ones Sakshi shares is that giving up is never an option as life stops for none. She recalls how it would be difficult for her post accident to sit through even an hour in class while the lives of those around her hadnt changed. But I also soon realised that comparison doesnt have to be with others, she emphasises, continuing, I had to know what I was yesterday and move ahead to turn better, wiser, stronger. I had to prioritise my voice over anyone elses. Tough times teach you who are truly yoursyou also figure what kind of people you must surround yourself with. And finally, know that everything is transient. Hands on! Ironically, Sakshi used her hands a lot before the accident, be it writing, painting, music on the keyboard, doing Bharatnatyam or playing volleyball. And while she has gone through a lifetime of pain in recent years, she ensures she always smiles since she knows her pain would translate and make it to her parents. Not playing victim, but being the boss of her life, thats what has made all the difference.
Dear Amy: My wife and I have a son who is 22 years old.

He will be graduating from an excellent college with a bachelors degree in economics.

Hes a smart and physically fit young man who has great potential.

He plans to join the Navy after he graduates, and his goal is to train to become a Navy SEAL.

He wants to make a difference in the world and is very gung-ho with defending/serving the United States.

Although his intentions are admirable, we are aware that becoming a Navy SEAL is extremely difficult and that the process pushes applicants beyond their physical limits.

He is, of course, aware of the rigors of SEAL training and is preparing himself for it.

We are extremely concerned about our son being sent into combat. If he is intent on joining the military, we think that he can better serve his country by going into an area where he can use his brain instead of his physical abilities.

We have talked to him about this, but he wont really listen to us (because, of course, we are his parents).

How can we make him realize that there are alternatives to serving his country aside from trying to become a Navy SEAL?

 Concerned Parents

Dear Concerned: As an almost-graduate at his excellent college, your son is surrounded by information about his options. Trust in his intelligence, even if you believe that he is naive. This is his dream, not yours, and he has the right to pursue it.

You should approach this challenge the way he will  by meeting the future in stages.

According to the Navys website, training to become a SEAL (Sea, Air, and Land) is extremely rigorous (they describe it as brutal) and lasts for over a year after basic training. After completing that phase, SEAL candidates have another 18 months of pre-deployment training. (And  to speak to your concern about your son using his brain, intelligence and mental toughness  as well as grit  are key components to success.)

The many stages of training will give your son multiple opportunities to rethink his choice and be presented with alternative ways to serve.

Your job as parents is to be honest with him about your reservations, but to also let him know that ultimately, you have his back.

Furthermore, even though you obviously have concerns, expressing pride in his ambition and admirable goals will likely make this process easier for him.

Not standing in your sons way may also disrupt the particular dynamic where your opposition essentially strengthens his resolve to defy you.

Love and support him fiercely through this important stage of his life.

You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068.
Law enforcement in Mississippi and Louisiana are searching for a Scott County, Miss., man who is suspected in the shooting death of an elderly woman, whose body was then set on fire.

Multiple media outlets in Mississippi report that Sammy Patrick is the suspect wanted in connection to the murder of 73-year-old Dee Eady, who lived in a Scott County home not far from where Patrick resided, according to WLBT in Jackson, Miss.

A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Patricks capture.

Deputies responded to Eadys home about 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the Scott County Sheriffs Office, after family members went to her home after an alert from her security system, according to WLBT.

Investigators believe Eady may also have been sexually assaulted, but are awaiting the results of an autopsy to confirm that, Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said Tuesday. He said Eady was a widow who lived alone and its possible there had been interaction between the two, given the proximity of their homes, but no direct link.

Patrick is believed to have fled Mississippi into Louisiana. On Monday, he reportedly robbed a Subway in Wilkinson County, Miss., not far from the Mississippi-Louisiana state line in southwestern Mississippi. Mississippi Highway Patrol, Louisiana State Police and other agencies are involved in the manhunt.

Scott County authorities were already looking for Patrick in connection to a string of vehicle thefts prior to Eadys murder. The vehicle he fled Scott County in and was last seen driving was a stolen Ford pickup truck.

Lee said while the search for Patrick has expanded to Louisiana, its important the public understands he could head in any direction.

We definitely want people to be vigilant, Lee told WLBT. We dont know what direction hes heading. Just because we say Louisiana does not mean that he does not come back towards this area or stay in and around those parts of Mississippi.

Patrick is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contat the Scott County Sheriffs Office at 601-469-1511.
Korean companies are gearing up for CES 2024, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT trade show set to open in Las Vegas next week.

Not only home appliance companies, such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, but also major Korean companies, such as SK Group, Hyundai Motor and Kia, are poised to unveil cutting-edge technologies.

This year's CES will take place on Jan. 9-12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center under the theme of "ALL ON."

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) across industries, including automotive, infrastructure, healthcare and smart homes, are expected to be among the top topics at CES 2024.

According to the Korean Information & Communication Technology Industry Association, which represents CES 2024 in Korea, some 3,500 companies from 150 countries will participate in the tech show.

Approximately 550 Korean companies have signed up to show off state-of-the-art products, ranging from home appliances, wearable gadgets and mobility technologies to self-driving vehicles.

Korea is the third-largest exhibitor after the United States and China, at the annual global event, which has served as a platform for its companies to unveil innovations and contribute to the discourse on emerging technologies, the association said.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest mobile phone and memory chipmaker, will hold a press conference Monday to present its vision for AI technologies.

Han Jong-hee, CEO and vice chairman of Samsung, will open the press conference, introducing the theme of "AI for All: Connectivity in the Age of AI."

It will be the first time that Samsung unveils its AI vision on a global scale.

As an example, Samsung will present its latest kitchen innovations at the tech show, featuring its AI technologies and SmartThings connectivity aimed at creating an upgraded food and kitchen ecosystem.

Its 2024 Bespoke refrigerator and Anyplace Induction Cooktop will feature Samsung's upgraded AI and connectivity technologies at CES 2024.

LG Electronics, which has been expanding its business portfolio to business-to-business segments, including automotive electronics and air solutions businesses, is set to introduce its new AI-powered technologies.

Its press conference slated for Monday is titled "Life's Good: Reinvent your future," with its CEO Cho Joo-wan, also known as William Cho, hosting the event.

With LG's "Zero Labor Home" vision, Smart Home AI Agent, a two-legged robot that can perform various tasks and interact with humans will be introduced to customers.

Moreover, LG will unveil a new concept car featuring its next-generation mobility vision of "Alpha-able" for the first time as part of its business strategy to focus on vehicle component solutions business.

SK Group's seven major affiliates, including SK, SK hynix, SK Innovation and SK Telecom, will participate in the four-day annual U.S. tech show and jointly run a pavilion, showcasing the group's net-zero technologies and products at one site, ranging from electric vehicle batteries to urban air mobility and small modular reactors.

The 1,850-square-meter showroom decorated with a theme park concept will let visitors ride futuristic trains and flying carpets and enjoy an AI fortuneteller to help them experience a net-zero world where the climate crisis has disappeared.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will likely attend the event in person for the second year in a row.

Hyundai Motor Group's Hyundai Motor will return to the CES stage for the first time in two years and its sister Kia for the first time in five years.

Hyundai, Korea's biggest carmaker, will share its future blueprint for a hydrogen energy ecosystem and a vision for software and AI, under the theme of "Ease every way."

During the CES exhibition, the company will introduce its solutions to accelerate the transition to a hydrogen-led society and address global energy inequality issues.

Its latest software strategies to build an optimized ecosystem that connects users, mobility data and cities with AI will be also featured.

Kia will unveil its new business strategies for purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) and display five concept cars at the upcoming trade show under the theme "All Set for Every Inspiration."

A PBV is a vehicle with a flexible platform with creative service solutions that best serve the purpose of customers like delivery, logistics and taxi-hailing.

Hyundai Mobis, the auto parts affiliate under the wing of Hyundai Motor Group, will show off its up-to-date premium vehicle displays, including the world's first QL Display, or quantum dot and local dimming display, at CES 2024.

Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group's advanced air mobility unit, will reveal its eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle) product concept at CES 2024.

HD Hyundai, a Korean shipbuilding, oil refining and machinery conglomerate, will introduce its future vision for land infrastructure.

Its Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun will deliver a keynote speech on sustainability in construction. (Yonhap)
Meat on a stick? Well, yes. But the Carrigans Corn Dog is much more than that.

Its a marquee item at Carrigans Public House in Birmingham, elevating the humble hot dog to gourmet status. Its extravagant and savory, fun and filling.

The gastropub at 2430 Morris Ave. has been serving its street style corn dog for about a decade, drawing raves from folks who gasp when servers approach their tables with the show-stopping dish. All thoughts of frozen corn dogs vanish, and fair food aficionados may find themselves raising the bar for what a corn dog can be.

Birmingham is kind of a hot dog city, Jason Acreman, general manager at Carrigans, said in an interview with AL.com. A corn dog is a variation of the hot dog, and I think thats why it took off. Theres a nice presentation, and obviously theres a lot of food. Its been a good seller since the beginning. People say, If you go to Carrigans, youve got to have the corn dog.

Birmingham Magazine agreed, placing the Carrigans Corn Dog atop a 2015 list for the best hot dogs in the city. The magazine also named it as one of the top 55 dishes you must eat in Birmingham in 2017. According to the food and lifestyle blog My Pretty Brown Eats: This corn dog is everyTHANG and then some!

Um, calories? Its probably best not to get into that. The substantial corn dog, which sits atop a heap of fries, is more of an indulgence or guilty pleasure. Its also a perfect example of late-night eats  when youve been out having some cocktails, and you want something on your stomach, Acreman said.

Lets take a closer look.

WHATS ON THE TRAY?

Its an all-beef frank, so were using the best hot dog we can find, and we make the batter in house, Acreman said. It goes on a bed of fries, which we also cut and blanch and double fry ourselves. Its dressed with a house ketchup, guajillo ketchup. It has our house ranch, and is topped with Cotija cheese and cilantro.

Never heard of guajillo? Its a dried chile pepper typically used in Mexican cuisine. Its not spicy, but it does have a little bit of a bite to it, Acreman said. Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese made from cows milk, used in dishes such as tacos, enchiladas and tostados.

The Carrigan's Corn Dog is a signature item at Carrigan's Public House in Birmingham.(Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)

WHO BRAINSTORMED THE RECIPE?

The mastermind of Carrigans Corn Dog is Wil Drake, a Birmingham chef whos best known as the co-founder of Hero Doughnuts & Buns. Drake created the recipe for Carrigans, Acreman said.

WHAT DOES THE CORN DOG TASTE LIKE?

Its got a nice batter to it, so its got that crisp crunch when you bite into it, Acreman said. With the house ketchup and the house ranch, that adds more flavor to it. Its an upscale corn dog. Its nice. Its flavorful. Price for the dish: $15.

HOW POPULAR IS IT?

Carrigans typically sells about 250-300 corn dogs per month, depending on how busy we are, Acreman said.

Just in case youre wondering, a few folks have actually shunned the yummy trimmings and ordered their corn dogs plain. We say, Do whatever you want, but wed like to dress it up for you, Acreman said. If someone wants a plain corn dog, well make it, and thats fine. Also, most people at Carrigans go for the gusto and eat their corn dogs off the stick. However, Acreman said its not unheard of for diners to use a knife and fork.

WHAT SHOULD WE DRINK WITH THE CORN DOG?

Obviously, were very proud of our cocktails, thats kind of what we made our name on at Carrigans, but I like it with a beer, Acreman said. It just seems like those two things go well together. Im always going to suggest one of our local beers. I think Id do it with a light beer. We have a lot of good options with TrimTab and Good People and Avondale, and we have a lot of new ones popping up every day. We have a large community of IPA drinkers here, and we have lots of those to offer, as well.

HOW LATE CAN YOU ORDER IT?

Carrigans is open 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The kitchen stays open until 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends, Acreman said.

WHAT ELSE DO THEY SERVE?

The menu at Carrigans includes a double burger, loaded fries, chili wings, chicken tenders and a fried chicken sandwich. Theres a salmon salad and a kale Caesar salad, as well.

We like to think that we basically have elevated pub food, Acreman said. Were not doing anything overly complicated or sophisticated. We want to keep it simple and affordable and delicious. We want people to come back for things they love, and then try something new.

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW?

Carrigans is now a philanthropub, the name given to a restaurant or pub that donates its proceeds to charitable organizations. The change was announced in August 2023 by owner David Carrigan, as the pub celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Birmingham.

According to Acreman, Carrigans was inspired by The Oregon Public House, a philanthropub in Portland, and the success of its own Big Birmingham Burger & Bourbon Bash. That 2023 event raised money for Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.

Every penny of profit we make, after bills are paid, goes back to the community, Acreman said. Were partnering with different organizations throughout (2024) to do that. Basically, the community has supported us for 10 years, and were now giving back. Were trying to do whatever we can to give back to Birmingham charities and nonprofits, in whatever way we can. ... Our goal is to pick a certain number per year and partner with them for a certain amount of time, and take the profits from that time and give it back to them.
Mobile police responded to 223 reports of shots fired citywide over New Years Eve, the agency reported Tuesday.

The figure includes all calls related to gunfire or fireworks called into police as gunfire, the Mobile Police Department reports.

Mobile police continue to investigate a fatal shooting that occurred in the 300 block of Dauphin Street around 12:16 a.m. on Monday. The shooting occurred during New Years Eve festivities in downtown Mobile.

Other cities in Alabama also dealt with large numbers of incidences of illegal shooting of guns in the air, often referred to as celebratory gunfire, to ring in the New Year.

In Birmingham, two people received non-life threatening injuries from celebratory gunfire. Police officers also reportedly took shelter from 11:45 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. underneath viaducts or other coverings to steer clear of falling bullets.

The incidences in Birmingham sparked criticism from council members.

Its very disappointing, Councilman Hunter Williams said, when we have adults make such poor decisions for whatever enjoyment they would get out of firing a weapon in the air that they would jeopardize the lives of their neighbors and devalue the community in which they live.

Bessemer police reported 56 shots-fired calls Sunday night into Monday morning, and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office reported 14. No injuries were reported by either of those agencies.

In Mobile, 223 reports included all calls related to gunfire or fireworks called in as gunfire. Fireworks are allowed in Mobile on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, according to an ordinance adopted last year. The new ordinance prohibits anyone from possessing, storing or selling or using any firework within the city limits except from July 3-4 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1.

The prohibition excludes novelty fireworks like sparklers, smoke bombs and black snakes.
Alabamas State Capitol was included among a swath of other states that on Wednesday received a bomb threat.

A bomb threat emailed to officials in several states early Wednesday briefly disrupted government affairs and prompted some state capitol evacuations, but no explosives were found and federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax.

The threats follow a spate of false reports of shootings at the homes of public officials in recent days.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has deemed the threat a hoax and not credible, said Gina Maiola, Communications Director for Gov. Kay Ivey.

Earlier on Wednesday, Maiola told AL.com she was not aware of any threats at the Montgomery capitol.

Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Montana were among the states that evacuated statehouse offices or buildings.

The FBI said it was aware of numerous hoax bomb threats at state Capitol buildings, but had no information to indicate a specific and credible threat. The bureau said it was working with state, local and federal law enforcement to gather, share and act on information.

The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk, it said in a statement.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on X that the Capitol was evacuated while state police investigated a threat received by the Secretary of States Office. Lawmakers were elsewhere for ethics training, but Secretary of State spokeswoman Michon Lindstrom said some candidate filings were disrupted.

The mass email warned of multiple explosives that would go off in a few hours.

Public safety officials locked down the Mississippi Capitol on the second day of the legislative session and the state Senate delayed its morning meeting. The building was evacuated and bomb-sniffing dogs circled before an all-clear was given.

This is an ongoing investigation and there is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings, said Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

The closures were brief and disruptions minimal in most states.

Montanas Capitol building reopened within two hours after a sweep of the building was completed and the threat was found not to be credible, said Megan Grotzke, spokesperson for the Department of Administration.

In Minnesota, oral arguments at the state Supreme Court inside the Capitol were interrupted, but were moved to other courtrooms in the Minnesota Judicial Center, said Kyle Christopherson, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

Other states  including Wyoming, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri and Maryland  received threats, but didnt close.

Several public officials have been hit by swatting calls in recent days. Swatting is a prank call made to emergency services intended to bring a police response.

Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was targeted by a fake emergency call on Christmas morning. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was hit by a swatting attempt a day after she removed former President Donald Trump from the states presidential primary ballot under the Constitutions insurrection clause, a decision Trump is appealing.

Other public officials targeted in recent days include Republican U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams of New York, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Hundreds of swatting cases occur annually.

AL.com journalist Mike Cason contributed to this report.
A 72-year-old woman found dead outside her burning Houston County home shot her husband multiple times, torched their home, and then took her own life, the sheriff said Wednesday.

Deputies and medics responded Friday morning, Dec. 29, to the 100 block of Webb to Kinsey Road after receiving reports of a house on fire.

At first it came out as a structure fire where there appeared to be somebody inside looking out a window, Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza said during a Wednesday press conference.

First responders from multiple agencies arrived to find a woman in the back yard. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Coroner Robert Byrd confirmed the identity of the woman as Jolaine Chandler.

Valenza said Jolaine Chandler shot her husband, identified by WDHN as 75-year-old Edgar Chandler, three times and then set fire to the home in four different places.

Jolaine Chandler, he said, then went to the yard and fatally shot herself.

Edgar Chandler was hospitalized with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Valenza said family members told authorities Jolaine Chandler was suffering from early signs of dementia.

The investigation is ongoing.
Mobile police are suspending their long policy of walking accused criminals past the media before processing them at Metro Jail.

The practice is otherwise known as a perp walk.

Perp walks are not mandated, and the Mobile Police Department has chosen to suspend them, said Cpl. Katrina Frazier. She did not give a reason as to why they were suspended.

Perp is short for perpetrator.

The walks have been held for years, often featuring police officers escorting a person accused of a crime in front of TV cameras while reporters ask questions.

Media outlets were typically notified in advance by the police department.

Critics of the walks say they are unfair to the accused, noting that those who are paraded in front of the media cameras are presumed innocent until found guilty. They also claim the practice is meant for law enforcement to show off.

Defenders of the practice say its used as a public dont do crime deterrent.

Perp walks are typically reserved to high profile crimes.

As Fox 10 reports, few cities hold them the way Mobile does.

Police in Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery, rarely, if ever invite the media to perp walks.
More charges have been filed against a Tarrant mother whose toddler daughter died this past summer from a drug overdose.

Farrah Bates, 23, was charged in November with reckless manslaughter, a Class B felony, and chemical endangerment, a Class A felony, involving the death of her daughter, 2-year-old Ariyah Crawford.

Bates was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Nov. 21, and released the same day after posting $90,000 bond.

On Wednesday, Tarrant police obtained new warrants for Bates, charging her unlawful possession or receipt of a controlled substance- fentanyl possession, second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The new charges stem from the same incident.

Her bond on the new charges is set at $22,000.

About 4 p.m. on July 18, Tarrant police were dispatched to the 2200 block of Old Pinson Highway in Tarrant regarding an unresponsive 2-year-old girl.

When they arrived, police said, Ariyah did not have a pulse.

According to the parents, including Farrah Bates, the juvenile was sleeping along with her (mother) in bed, a Tarrant press release stated.

Mayor Wayman Newton previously said the toddler was home with her mother while the father was at work. When the father returned home at 3:30 p.m., he found Ariyah Crawford lifeless, lips were blue while the mother was asleep.

Ariyah was taken to Childrens of Alabama where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed Ariyah had fentanyl in her system at the time of her death.

Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to call Detective Crosby at 205-849-2811.
A panel of United Nations experts Wednesday expressed alarm over Alabamas planned execution of a death row inmate later this month by nitrogen hypoxia.

Kenneth Eugene Smith is set to be executed Jan. 25 by the practice, which the panel called an untested method of execution which may subject him to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or even torture.

Smith would be the first inmate executed by nitrogen hypoxia, which the Alabama Legislature approved in 2018 but that no state has ever used.

The execution method would use a mask to replace breathable air with nitrogen, causing death from lack of oxygen.

The nitrogen would be administered for at least 15 minutes, or five minutes following a flatline indication on the EKG, whichever is longer, according to the states execution protocol.

The panel also warned that experimental executions will likely violate the UN convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, to which the United States is a member.

The expert panel called on state and federal authorities to halt the execution, pending a review of procedures. It cited the possibility of grave suffering which execution by pure nitrogen inhalation may cause.

Smith was twice convicted by juries for the murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett in her home in Colbert County in 1988. Sennett was a pastors wife who was beaten and stabbed. Smith, one of two men convicted in the crime, confessed to his role.

A jury voted 11-1 to recommend a sentence of life without parole after Smiths conviction in 1996, but the sentencing judge overrode the jury recommendation and sentenced him to death.

The Alabama Department of Corrections tried to execute him by lethal injection in 2022 but called it off when authorities could not connect the required two intravenous lines to him.

On the UN panel is Morris Tidball-Binz, a citizen of Chile and Argentina who is a medical doctor specializing in forensic science and human rights; Alice Jill Edwards, an Australian lawyer and scholar; Tlaeng Mofokeng, a South African medical doctor, and Margaret Satterthwaite, a clinical law professor at New York University School of Law, where she directs the Global Justice Clinic.

We are concerned that nitrogen hypoxia would result in a painful and humiliating death, a statement by the experts said.
It wasnt a happy holiday season for these six Jefferson County establishments.

But it was a holly jolly Christmas for cockroaches, both dead and alive, at a Thai joint in Hoover that received the county health departments lowest inspection score during December.

In all, six restaurants received inspection scores of 84 or below -- which trigger a health department reinspection within 60 days.

Below are the worst scores for December from highest to lowest:

Ruths Chris Steakhouse, 2300 Woodcrest Pl., Birmingham

Score: 84

Critical violations: 3

Ruths Chris had 9 points deducted from its score from three critical violations after a Dec. 28 visit from the Jefferson County Health Department.

The steakhouse was cited for a French fry cutter with visible old food particles stuck to it.

There was also no soap in the dish machine.

Meanwhile, cut lemons, cheese sauce and cut leafy greens were not date marked.

M&G Food Market, 2651 Green Springs Hwy., Birmingham

Score: 82

Critical violations: 3

This convenience store connected to a Chevron on Green Springs Highway lost 12 points from critical violations after a Dec. 14 inspection.

Among M&G Food Markets most serious infractions included not using appropriate chemical test kits to measure the concentration of sanitizing solution and for its handwashing sinks not being hot enough.

Jacks Family Restaurant, 2575 Morgan Rd., Bessemer

Score: 81

Critical violations: 2

Jacks on Morgan Road in Bessemer lost 10 points just from critical violations after the health department visited on Dec. 5.

The fast food joint was cited for dirty equipment stored ready for use on a shelf above a sink and food such as breakfast sausage and sausage links stored at inappropriate temperatures.

King Buffet, 7873 Crestwood Blvd., Birmingham

Score: 78

Critical violations: 3

King Buffet lost 12 points from critical violations after a Dec. 5 inspection.

It was cited for not labeling toxic items in original containers, including an unknown chemical in a Windex bottle and degreaser in an unlabeled spray bottle.

The restaurant was also dinged for using a handwashing sink to store a sanitizing bucket and utensils placed in the hand sink at the Mongolian bar.

King Buffet also stored eggs and tomatoes at inappropriate temperatures.

Fairfield Seafood, 3710 Lloyd Noland Pkwy., Fairfield

Score: 78

Critical violations: 4

Fairfield Seafood had 18 points deducted from its score due to critical violations allowing following a Dec. 4 inspection.

The inspector observed several live roaches crawling in containers of rice grains.

The seafood joints staff was storing their cell phones in a handwashing sink and using a second hand sink to store a container of seasoning, according to the restaurants inspection report.

Taste of Thailand, 3321 Lorna Rd., Hoover

Score: 64

Critical violations: 5

Taste of Thailand in Hoover had both the lowest score of any Jefferson County restaurant inspected in December and the most critical violations of any establishment with a sub-85 score.

During a Dec. 27 inspection, a county health department employee observed an accumulation of German cockroaches on the wall and countertop sushi bar area, according to the inspectors notes.

Cease operations in sushi bar area until approved for operations by the health department, the report states.

It wasnt the only cockroach-related infraction incurred by Taste of Thailands sushi bar.

The restaurant was also cited for violated a section of the county code requiring removal of dead insects.

Dead German cockroaches and roach droppings on countertop and wall in sushi bar area, the inspector wrote.
Antisemitism on liberal college campuses has now gained wide attention, the crescendo of which we all witnessed when three Ivy League presidents testified before Congress that calling for the genocide of Jews is not actually antisemitism and that it depends on the context. In reality, anti-Israel hate has been in place throughout academia since 1967, via the KGB's Operation SIG.

Though the Soviet Union was the first to recognize Israels sovereignty in 1948, within the span of a decade, Soviet attitudes toward Israel swiftly soured. The goal was for Israel to become a communist vassal state in the Middle East for the Soviet Union and to buffer Israel against the West. Several factors contributed to the strained relations: once Jews in Israel found out the extent of antisemitism within the Soviet Union, support for the communist regime waned, as did finding out the extent of the gulags and crimes against Soviet citizens. In 1956, during the Suez Canal War, Israel sided with the U.K. and France against Egypt, which was backed militarily by the Soviet Union.

Relations continued to unravel, with the Soviet Union insidiously arming all major Arab nations.

After Israel's stunning victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, the Soviet Union reacted by launching an antisemitic hissy fit, with the goal of positioning Israel to both the Arab world and any Western useful idiot as a Nazi state and a colonizer.

Operation SIG lasted from 1967 to 1988 and in those decades was successful. It was effortless to convince the Arab world of the lies that Jews are from Europe and came to Israel as settlers, that Israel kicked out all the Arabs in 1948, and of course that Israel is an apartheid state. We hear all those phrases at pro-Hamas marches today, and across liberal college campuses, and not just limited to the Ivies.

However, convincing the West of those lies proved a more difficult feat, as Israel was still seen an underdog. Even many Soviet citizens were impressed with Israel's military win. It showed the Soviet citizens that Jews are not weak. Another antisemitic lie, that Jews are weak and need others to fight for them, had been swirling around the Soviet populace since WWII. Never mind the fact that many Soviet Jews served bravely in the Soviet Army in both World Wars.

The KGB then, just as Islamists now, saw Western liberals as gullible and called them useful idiots. It was through the liberal academia that Operation SIG succeeded. All it took was simple propaganda images and the invention of the Palestinian people, when, historically, no such people exists. Palestinians was merely a colonizer term for Jews living in Israel from A.D. 136 up to the point when Jews freed 22% of the remaining Jewish homeland (78% had been stolen by Churchill to create Transjordan in 1922) in 1948. Palestine was a colonizer term for Israel for that same time period.

Suddenly, Arabs who came to Israel from 25 different Muslim countries became Palestinians. Interestingly, it took two years for Arabs in Israel to start calling themselves the false moniker, as the term Palestinians was so closely related to Jews that Arabs prior to 1948 had no desire to be called even Palestinian Arabs.

It was the same Operation SIG that had hired both Arafat and Abbas to be KGB agents, and hired 4,000 Arabs to spread antisemitic lies throughout the Muslim world.

Some use excuses such as the U.N. uses that term  as if the U.N. were some barometer of truth on anything related to Israel  or the just as comical excuse, well its what they identify themselves as. There is no one they  it is six different Arab groups, plus genetic Jews in parts of Judea and Samaria who were forcibly converted to Islam in the 11th century.

The Arab settlers in Gaza do not even come from the same countries as the Arab settlers in Judea and Samaria.

Just as Qatar these days is a major funder of numerous liberal universities in the U.S., so too was the Soviet Union over a two-decade period. That funding ushered in anti-Israel materials, hired anti-Israel professors, and spread the antisemitic lies to student groups well before the emergence of CAIR, J Street, JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace), and SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine).

As Goebbels famously said, repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth.

What is the future for Jewish students on college campuses? Southern schools have seen a major uptick in Jewish applicants. Emory University, the University of Alabama, the University of Texas Dallas, Washing & Lee University, the University of South Carolina, Elon University, and the College of Charleston have been among the more popular picks.

Should Jews continue paying exorbitant fees to the Ivies, whose prestige in reality has been diminishing for a while, when Jewish safety is at stake?

Today, there are fewer Jews at the Ivies as a percentage of the student body population than at the height of the Jewish quota restriction laws, from the 1920s to the 1960s.

It would take decades to undo the damage from both pro-Islamist liberal and Soviet antisemitic propaganda. And, as the famous professor and thinker Gad Saad, himself a Lebanese Jew, recently said, even if a president of a university is ousted, his (or her) replacement will still come from the same infected pipeline.

Zionism education is what is actually needed on college campuses.

When I was at Columbia for grad school in 2013, I witnessed SJPs Apartheid Week, in which images of dead Syrian kids were shown from the Syrian Civil War, pretending they were kids in Gaza. A tepid Jewish group was reacting with the slogan Hummus Not Hamas. But slogans do nothing. Actual and accurate Zionism education equips students with facts to push back on both the innocently misguided and the purposeful Jew-haters.

When I reported a swastika, on the same liberal campus, with a circle around it that said, F--- Israel, nothing was done. I contacted Columbias Hillel, and even back then, their Israel engagement director said that they cannot do anything because their own students are not pro-Israel. That their board refuses to fly the Israeli flag not just outside the building, but not even inside. And that many of their students were with J Street, and as awful as J Street was and still is, they were attempting to prevent them from joining JVP.

Contrast that with what I had seen at my undergrad, American University, in 2004, when there was a protest against Israel by the Muslim Student Association. Hillel at A.U. back then was strong, and within five minutes, representatives showed up to counter-protest and ended up shutting down the protest. Today, American University is just as problematic as any other liberal school. Therefore, complaining about anti-Zionism is not the answer. Educating ourselves and, consequently, our youth, about Israel, accurately, is the correct course of action...but only at schools that have not completely gone under the useful idiot spell.

Laureen Lipsky is the CEO and founder of Taking Back the Narrative (www.tbtnisrael.com), a Zionism education company.

Image via Pexels.
To usher in bright future of peace, security, prosperity, progress for world

10:23, January 03, 2024 By Guo Jiping ( People's Daily

The year of 2023 was the first year for fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and also marked the 10th anniversary of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Under the guidance of Xi, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has made solid steps. Pursuing the noble goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has created a proactive and favorable external environment for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and made significant contributions to the cause of world peace and development.

The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, with profound changes occurring in the relationships between major countries. In 2023, China always kept its strategic focus, comprehensively planned its relations with relevant parties, and worked to build major-country relations featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability, and balanced development.

Together, the Chinese and Russian heads of state charted the course for future growth of bilateral relations and cooperation across the board. The meeting between Xi and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in San Francisco achieved important results, identifying the direction for the sound, steady and sustained development of bilateral ties. Besides, China-EU relations have shown a sound momentum of full recovery and steady progress.

In the past year, China firmly promoted regional peace, stability, and development. The successful China-Central Asia Summit resulted in the signing of seven bilateral and multilateral agreements between China and the five Central Asian countries. Additionally, over 100 cooperation agreements were inked across various fields.

Announcing a new characterization of the relationship for the two parties and two countries, China and Vietnam will work together for a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance on the basis of deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two sides.

As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China breathes the same breath with other developing countries and pursues a shared future with them.

Last August, Xi attended the 15th BRICS Summit, promoting the historic expansion of the BRICS mechanism. He joined the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue, where he worked together with relevant parties to pool strength for building a community of shared development.

During his visit to South Africa, Xi and the South African head of state agreed to build a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future. He also attended the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue and raised new proposals on assisting in Africa's integration and modernization.

In 2023, China established diplomatic relations with Honduras, set up or upgraded partnerships with more than 10 countries, and continuously deepened and expanded a global network of partnerships based on equality, openness, and cooperation.

In October 2023, the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was hosted. China worked with all parties involved to deepen Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation, ushered this cooperation into a new stage of high-quality development, and announced eight major steps China will take to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. At present, all the 458 outcomes delivered at the forum are being implemented.

Taking results-oriented actions in implementing the Global Development Initiative, China promoted the establishment of cooperation platforms and partnerships in key areas including poverty reduction, food security, industrialization and digital-era connectivity, to deepen practical cooperation and strengthen knowledge sharing, which benefited other developing countries.

In 2023, China worked with the international community to actively implement the Global Security Initiative. In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran achieved significant results in their dialogue in Beijing, agreeing to restore diplomatic relations. This highly anticipated diplomatic mediation has inspired a trend of reconciliation in the Middle East and provided an important model for countries to resolve conflicts through dialogue and negotiation.

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace. What it calls for boils down to supporting talks for peace. After the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China proposed solutions that take into account both the immediate and long-term interests, making arduous efforts to protect civilians, ease the situation, restart negotiations, and achieve peace.

In the face of various non-traditional security threats such as climate change, cybersecurity, and AI security, China has always been committed to promoting international cooperation and strengthening global security governance.

In March 2023, Xi solemnly proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, providing a systematic explanation of China's approach to promoting tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations. Last year, Xi made efforts to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people in the rest of the world.

The Communist Party of China exchanged with and learned from political parties of other countries, helping all parties understand and comprehend the civilizational foundation and vivid practice of Chinese modernization, and building confidence and consensus in strengthening cooperation and creating a shared future.

Major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics will follow the principles of self-confidence and self-reliance, openness and inclusiveness, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, and act with a stronger sense of historical responsibility and a more vibrant spirit of innovation, so as to make new Chinese contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
Controversy grows over govt meddling in private firms

By Park Jae-hyuk

POSCO Group will not reappoint Chairman Choi Jeong-woo to lead the nations fifth-largest business group over the next three years, the company said Wednesday.

The POSCO Holdings CEO recommendation committee selected eight company insiders as candidates to get reference checks, the company said in a press release. The incumbent chairman is not on the list.

A POSCO Holdings spokesman explained that it means that Choi will not serve a third term.

The steelmaker is keeping its cards close to its chest and has declined to confirm which executives are among the eight candidates and whether the incumbent chairman voluntarily decided to step down.

The recommendation committee will draw up a longlist including company outsiders by Jan. 17, once it finishes reviewing the reputations of the external candidates, the company said.

POSCO Holdings made the recent announcement after the government put growing pressure on Choi to step down.

Although POSCO was privatized in 2000, the government has continued exercising its influence over the steelmaker and its affiliates through the National Pension Service (NPS), the largest shareholder of POSCO Holdings.

Just like his predecessors who were forced to step down after political turnovers, Choi has faced opposition from the ruling People Power Party, given that he was appointed the POSCO Group chairman under the previous Moon Jae-in administration.

The chairman has also been excluded continuously from President Yoon Suk Yeols meetings with business leaders, including the New Year greeting event on Tuesday at the Korea Federation of SMEs.

Last December, NPS Chairman Kim Tae-hyun raised questions about the fairness of the process of selecting the next POSCO Holding chairman, considering the companys CEO recommendation committee consists of outside directors appointed under Chois leadership.

As a result, there was speculation that POSCO Group may follow suit concerning KT, which failed to reappoint former CEO Ku Hyeon-mo after facing opposition from the pension fund, the telecommunication firms largest shareholder.

In addition, POSCO Group sent the chairmans New Years message to the press this year but without releasing a photo of him at the companys opening ceremony for the New Year, which has always been made public every year until 2023.

Liberal civic groups expressed concerns over the governments intervention in POSCOs management.

It is unlawful if the NPS chairman intervenes in the funds operation or tries to affect an individual companys decision-making, said Public Pension for All, which is comprised of over 300 civic groups and the nations two largest umbrella unions. The NPS should not pursue the administrations interests under the pretext of protecting shareholders interests.

Flashlight Capital Partners (FCP), an activist fund that has urged KT&G to replace its CEO, criticized the NPS for its inconsistent attitude toward companies with multiple ownership structures, such as POSCO, KT&G and KT.

KT&G is the worst among the three privatized companies, but the NPS has only criticized POSCO and remained silent on KT&G, FCP CEO Lee Sang-hyun said Wednesday. Id like to ask why the NPS has overlooked the closed-door election of the KT&G CEO, as it has blown the whistle on the attempts to reappoint KT and POSCO chiefs.
We are in a dark place as a country. This is a direct result of the extreme shift to the Left by the Democrat Party. Prior to 2020, President Barack Obama was our most far-Left President. But even Obama was still on the cusp between being an extreme liberal and being a communist. In a recent book, John Drew wrote about his occasional meetings with Obama in the early 1980s and that Drew -- a leftist at that time -- had persuaded Obama to accept a more moderate position than that of the hardcore Marxists. In another article in the same book, Trevor Loudoun reveals that Obamacare was a dilution of the healthcare plans desired by the Marxists in that it did not replace all private healthcare with a national, government-run healthcare system. However, in July 2020, the camp pushing Joe Biden towards the Presidency and the camp promoting the communist Bernie Sanders candidacy reached a landmark agreement -- a 110-page pact regarding goals for the government. In so doing, Joe Biden broke the policy of the Democrats going back to 1948 of not embracing the far-Left, communist element of the Democrat Party.

The language of the Biden-Sanders pact is dry and opaque, and most citizens would not have the patience to plow through it. Convoluted and turgid prose is, to this writer, a clear sign of an attempt to obscure the purposes and direction that the writers intend to take. In this case, it is clear that the intent of the Democrats is to implement communistic revisionism into government policies, to overthrow the values that inhere and undergird our legal system, to overthrow the principle of private property either through nationalization or through infiltration of and control of the private sector.

In 1948, Henry Wallace, former vice president and secretary of Commerce and Agriculture, ran for President as the candidate of the Progressive Party. He identified himself with defending the Soviet Union from the attacks and hostility of the Truman administration. Thus, despite his impressive resume, there was an invisible but real line between the progressive or Left-leaning Democrats and the hard Left or pro-communist elements. When the pact between Biden and Sanders was signed, that invisible line was erased. A couple of months later, the Democrat 90-page Platform was published and most of the positions found in the Biden-Sanders pact were contained therein.

The new system is wholly based on atheism and its replacement of Judeo-Christian morality with what the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called a transvaluation of values where that which has for centuries been deemed good based on Judeo-Christian values is now replaced by DEI, ESG, and identity redefinitions regarding men, women, children, right, wrong, work, and life. Marxs economic dialectic is now conjoined with cultural Marxist themes that assume a country with soulless identities. Those identities are no longer fit to control and manage the government through representative government but are to be managed by that government for the good of all. This follows the philosophical principles first enunciated by the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Further, in order to fully grasp the extent of our dark place, we also need to be alert to the significance of the United Nations Agenda 2030. This document with 91 sections is the vision of the new world government which the UN hopes to fully establish by 2030. Before considering this document, we need to consider where the UN has been while all the conflict is going on in the world. The UN, with its traditional peacekeeping functions and powers, seems nowhere to be found in stories about the fighting in Ukraine, in bringing peace in the Middle East, in Yemen, in Syria, or in Gaza for that matter. UN troops fought in Korea and the UN has had troops in other war-torn areas. Yet, Agenda 2030, the UNs vision for world governance, has no discussion of police or military power. Further, unlike the original United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1946, there is no discussion of rights. The word rights only appears once in Section 19 of this latest major document, although in 1946 rights appeared in every other sentence. In this latest vision, the key terms that keep reappearing are needs and sustainability.

The emphasis on needs is lifted directly from the Marxist playbook, which stresses from each according to his ability to each according to his needs. Sustainability is a more modern economic goal intended to call our attention to the fact that we all -- whether or not we live in a developed country, a less-developed country (LDC), or a less-developed developing country (LDDC) -- need planet Earth. We all need the air, the sunlight, the rain, the oceans, the oxygen, and yes, some CO 2. We all need our energy resources, and presumably by speaking about needs and the sustainability of the world as a whole, we are thereby going to take our minds off ourselves and our present advantages over others who have the same basic needs as we.

Under Agenda 2030, it is assumed that need and sustainability will be properly handled -- i.e., unselfishly -- by a world government. That government will be the United Nations, which, as we know, is filled with hundreds of unselfish individuals. Nevertheless, in our present world crises, the UN seems strangely not to be in play. At the same time, for the one-world government types, driving electric cars is going to help us find common cause with -- to identify with -- people who need to walk two miles through the jungle to find clean water to bring back to their villages in pots carried on their heads. Through a leap of faith, we are asked to believe that doing without gasoline is caring about those distant people in straitened circumstances. Thus, by buying into the sustainability narrative, one can have a pretense toward Mother Theresa-style self-sacrifice and a relieved conscience without ever having to leave ones own home to personally help the underserved of this world.

The UNs lack of peacekeeping in our present world with its many conflicts is by design. The UN is now operating under a Marxist-themed agenda to which we are a signatory. The Biden administration has made a pact with Sanders thereby displaying its radical shift away from individual rights and Judeo-Christian morality and merging into a collectivist, non-Judeo-Christian mindset. The eerie silence about the role of the UN in the midst of our many conflicts is troubling because it suggests hidden, dark manipulations. Incredible, unprecedented events will continue to unfold.

E. Jeffrey Ludwig has taught philosophy, history, and writing at various colleges and universities including Harvard, Penn State, Juniata, Lesley, and CUNY. His latest book is available here. He is also a pastor and preaches regularly as a guest in various pulpits.

Image: Pixabay
While Ronald Reagan was known as The Great Communicator, Donald Trumps rhetoric is lamented by almost everyone. However, similarities abound between their two communication styles.

Both relied on their previous work in media to inform their communication. Reagan made use of his experience in radio by learning to draw his audience in with metaphoric language that enabled him to reach his listeners on a deep level. He also made excellent use of his experience on television. Trump drew extensively from his experiences as a celebrity and host of The Apprentice prior to running for president in developing his public persona on the campaign trail.

Both used humor to help their appeal. Reagans was self-deprecating and made him seem more relatable, as when he said, Its true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? Trump uses it to deflect criticism, such as when he responded, Only Rosie ODonnell! when Megyn Kelly confronted him at a debate about his past misogynistic remarks about women, drawing laughs and gasps from the crowd.

Both were excellent at boiling things down and making them simple. Ken Khachigian, Ronald Reagans speechwriter, likened him to Americas Teacher, while Trump was judged to speak at a fourth-grade level by the Boston Globe. These two demonstrate that the most effective political speech often sounds simple  and thats what makes it sophisticated.

Both saw themselves as outsiders, not politicians. A colleague of Reagan was once quoted as saying, It is Reagans genius that he convinced himself and others that he was not really a politician, which inspired trust in him. Trump has proudly declared, Im not a politician and used his outsider status to win the presidency.

Both benefited from soundbites. Famous soundbites from Reagan include There you go again, which effectively discredited Jimmy Carters attack on Reagans record. Reagan also said, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! This phrase would become synonymous with the ending of the Cold War. Famous soundbites from Trump include Make America Great Again, his campaign slogan, and crooked Hillary, which branded his opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a criminal.

Both knew how to ask a soundbite thought-provoking question. Reagan famously asked, Are you better off than you were four years ago?, swaying many voters to his cause. When speaking at a rally in Lansing, Michigan in 2016, Trump posed the question to undecided black voters to get them to vote Republican: What do you have to lose? In nearby Detroit, about 76,000 voters, thought to be mostly black, stayed home in 2016 on Election Day, costing Hillary Clinton the state of Michigan.

Both benefited from being underestimated. Just as this was a secret weapon for Reagan, Trump deliberately works to be underestimated, and he could not have won in 2016 without the arrogance he brought out in Hillary Clinton. She famously didnt campaign enough in Michigan and Wisconsin, both of which she lost.

Both had a unique ability to connect with their supporters and make them feel heard and represented. Reagans abilities were premised on his interpersonal effectiveness, ingenuity, and sincerity. Trump has an extraordinary ability to anticipate what people will think and tactically manipulate his adversaries. Both have demonstrated extremely high emotional intelligence and commanded great respect among their supporters for their abilities.

Both were leaders who sat on different points in history, at different phases of the lefts execution of its goal to turn the country into a socialist nation. In Reagans day, the media, while perfectly hostile to him and his agenda, still sought to maintain at least an image of professionalism and neutrality. However, in the age of Trump, an all-out war has broken out between Trump and his adversaries, including the mainstream media (also known as the propaganda arm of the Democrat party). Both sides are currently trying to destroy each other in an obvious way, and neither side will rest until the war is over.

Reagans communication style would therefore not get him as far in todays media environment, given where technology was in his day versus Trumps. Reagan commanded large audiences with television, in speeches through which he could reach millions directly and showcase his emotional intelligence. Trump, with such a hostile media establishment, does not have that luxury. Whereas Reagan had televised addresses in which he could teach directly from the Oval Office, Trump has had Twitter (now known as X) as his primary means of communication to reach the vast majority of citizens directly, other than in debates. Many of the people he needed to reach werent even paying attention to his Twitter feed, but rather were hearing about his tweets through the news. Consequently, Trump largely must reach people through inflammatory soundbites, knowing that the media will transmit his message only if they believe they are damaging him in doing so. Everything Trump says is conveyed by a media establishment that is actively seeking to destroy him, yet much of our country still expects a communication style that simply could not have led a Republican presidential candidate to victory in 2016.

In some ways, a comparison between Reagans and Trumps communication styles is humorous. Reagans empathy is often credited for his successful oratorial prowess, whereas Trumps rhetoric sometimes seems to lack empathy altogether. Further, Reagans humble rhetoric could be downright poetic, as when he said in his farewell address, I wasnt a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didnt spring full bloom from my brow; they came from the heart of a great nation  from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries. Trump, by contrast, posted an image of himself as the fifth president on Mount Rushmore and likes to recite the lyrics of a song titled The Snake, originally written in 1963 by Oscar Brown, a civil rights activist. This song is about a woman who rescues and nurses back to health a dangerous snake who then fatally bites her. Trump recites these lyrics to make a point about the difference between compassion and naivete in the context of the debate about whether to take in Syrian refugees and illegal aliens, who could include terrorists and criminals. Both presidents made meaningful points, albeit in very different ways.

This is not to imply that Trump lacks empathy. Trump has demonstrated huge empathy for people who have been treated unfairly, as he demonstrated when he pardoned Alice Marie Johnson, who had received a draconian sentence for a first-time non-violent drug offense in 1996. He also commuted the sentence of Kodak Black, a rapper who had campaigned against him in 2016 and had received a harsh punishment for lying on federal forms when buying firearms.

The chief difference between the communication styles of Reagan and Trump, however, is that whereas Reagans empathetic rhetoric circumvented the media and his adversaries to achieve his goals, Trump employs those avenues to achieve his. In September 2016, Trump said at a rally, Our African-American communities are absolutely in the worst shape that theyve ever been ... ever, ever, ever. President Obama responded, We will educate him, bringing up the history of slavery and segregation in our nations history. This soundbite line was no doubt read as hyperbole by black swing voters as a point about how hard it was to be black in that day. Obama, to whom these voters would be looking when making their decision about whether to turn out for Hillary, responded by effectively saying, It was worse before  a terrible response. Trump had set Obama up to discredit his own message by appearing out of touch with these voters. One can only conclude that this whole exchange was entirely deliberate by Trump.

The battle between capitalism and socialism has reached its peak in the age of Trump. Trump intends to reverse the trend of socialism rising in this country, such that someday, it will be gone and never come back. Indeed, Trump has declared that America will never be a socialist country. That said, Reagan should not be judged negatively for not doing more to expose the media the way Trump has. Reagans communication style would not accomplish Trumps goals today, and Trumps would not have achieved Reagans goals then. In Reagans day, left-wing ideology was not as entrenched in U.S. society as it is today, and he could not have yet defeated socialism. A big part of what Trump has been doing is intentionally bringing out the absurdity and injustice of socialism for the nation to see, but this can work only if the country is as close to becoming socialist as it is today. Had Reagan used Trumps tactics, he would have simply lost his election. Both were perfectly suited to govern when they did.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Presidential candidate Nikki Haley, like most of us, doesnt like chaos. Shed prefer that America be an orderly, law-abiding, harmonious nation. Unfortunately, that is no longer the America in which we live. But in her condemnation of chaos, Haley confuses correlation with causation, and is using our current turmoil to attack Donald Trump. At a campaign stop in Bluffton, South Carolina, she said:

I agree with a lot of his policies, but the truth is, rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him (Trump). We have too much division in this country, and too many threats around the world to be sitting in chaos once again.

I dont disagree that theres a Trump/chaos correlation. A quick review of events since 2016 reveals a mountain of evidence to support that position.

Peter Strzok and Lisa Page used their positions in the FBI to create an insurance policy against our electoral choice. Their plan certainly introduced a bit of chaos into the 2016 election.

Leftist groups filed lawsuits against virtually every action President Trump attempted in office. Those suits caused a great deal of uncertainty and confusion about Americas path forward.

The longest shutdown in U.S. history was brought about by Democrats to avoid funding a border wall. It caused weeks of political disorder and years of unrestricted national invasion.

When the Mueller investigation spent three years investigating a crime that never happened -- based on fabricated evidence provided by Hillary Clinton -- we experienced years of political upheaval.

When General Mark Milley informed his Chinese counterpart that he would inform them of any surprise attack Trump planned, it introduced chaos into our military chain of command.

Anthony Fauci was responsible for a healthy dose of chaos when he illegally funded gain of function research at the Wuhan lab, creating a virus, which the Chinese leaked, leading to a global pandemic. It was a stark demonstration of the chaos men are capable of who have more ego than wisdom.

We also experienced a bit of chaos when San Fran Nan conducted two impeachments, based on hearsay and disagreements. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer even increased the political turmoil by disallowing exculpatory evidence and conducting the second trial without Supreme Court oversight. They did it simply out of hatred, and because they could.

For those like Haley, concerned about the Trump/chaos correlation: Have they noticed that those chaos-inducing acts were all committed by leftists? Isnt blaming Trump for the attacks on him, victim blaming? Would Nikki Haley have used her UN vote to eliminate Israel -- to prevent the future chaos of Hamas gang rapes? Or is victim blaming a tactic reserved for her political opponents?

Is it possible that those suddenly concerned about chaos are confusing it with disruption? Chaos is disorder without purpose. It can be natures inexorable march towards maximum entropy, or it can be a fire started by anarchists who simply want to see the world burn.

However, disruption is the interruption of activity for a purpose. It can be either good or evil, depending on the intent. Disruption could be the interruption of a police response to facilitate a crime, or it could be the interruption of termites before they nibble away the support beams of our home.

When Haley talks about chaos, is she really complaining about the messiness of a Trump administration, because he doesnt do things the Washington way? Perhaps she should be less concerned about the messy house, and more concerned about the termite infestation.

The termites of leftism have eaten away the supports of our republic to near collapse:

Congress has brought us to near economic Armageddon by spending money that it doesnt have,

The DoJ is taking every possible step to destroy the Constitution which it is sworn to defend,

The FBI has gone into the business of planning dirty tricks to entrap innocent Americans,

The DoD surrenders to terrorists, but has amped up its participation in Pride Month activities,

The IRS targets conservatives, but ignores the overdue taxes of a Capitol police officer who executed a Trump supporter,

The Department of Health and Human Services keeps pushing a vaccine that doesnt vaccinate, and hiding its role in creating a global panic,

NASA is behind schedule in its return to space, because its busy with Muslim outreach,

Academia has prioritized pornography, transgenderism, and anti-Semitism over the 3 Rs,

Commercial companies are telling us how to raise our children, and are outraged when we refuse to pay them for their advice,

The southern border has become a voter outreach operation for the Democrat crime syndicate, and

The medical industry has decided that masculinity is toxic, men can have babies, and babies arent human until theyre old enough to say momma.

The institutions which are intended to provide order have morphed into Skynet, determined to terminate the American experiment with extreme prejudice.

An Associated Press-NORC Research Center poll found that 78 percent of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. The remainder either think becoming Northern Cuba is the right direction or they think Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the real President (i.e., theyre communists, idiots, or both). Three quarters of Americans are demanding disruption. Thats why they sent a brash, politically incorrect, no-nonsense businessman to Washington in 2016. Theyve figured out that the Washington way is the wrong way.

Most Americans want a disrupter to throw a monkey wrench into the machinery before the gears grind us to dust. They couldnt be clearer about what they want. And yet the Washington way politicians refuse to hear them, pretending that Trump is the problem. The establishment politicians keep promising to oil rather than stop the gears. Have they not been paying attention?

It's time for some major disruption. The engine needs to be dismantled and the corrosion scraped away before the broken parts can be repaired. The guts of the engine are going to be smelly, dirty, and disgusting; but someone needs to roll their sleeves up and get it done or well never return to the orderly world which Haley envisions. The project requires someone to:

Slash some budgets,

Shutter some federal departments,

Tell the members of the military that if theyre worried about pronouns, the military isnt for them,

Get government out of the business of picking winners and losers,

Stop loaning kids money to become baristas with advanced degrees, entitled attitudes, and six figures of debt,

Tax universities so that they too may pay their fair share,

Fire some federal bureaucrats, and

Send some DoJ miscreants to prison for felony deprivation of rights under color of law.

We want a leader who will not govern the Washington way, yet is able to withstand the inevitable withering attacks. He must have the wisdom to trust nobody in his new city of residence. We need a President who understands that the government that he leads has become the enemy of those he serves. Who might that be, Ms. Haley?

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He is a staff writer for the American Free News Network and can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image: Vicente Rodes
Claudine Gay, erstwhile Harvard University president reliably accused of serial plagiarism, resigned yesterday. It is not a victory. She should have been fired.

In a collectivist world, no one owns anything. Neither name, face, voice, nor written words.

Neither right, title nor interest in anything tangible or intangible attaches to anyone. No clothes, no food, no shelter, no means of transport, no currency, no birthright, no property. No progeny. No legacy. Everyman, and woman, is named Emanon, or Emanona.

Possessions, likewise identities, are held in common. Or by the state.

Undermining the quaint notion of the rugged individual is the assault on speech and objective truth, denying private property, expropriating the work product of someone elses labors from the mind or the hand.

In a collectivist world, ideas, or intellectual issue cannot be asserted by any individual. No one has a claim on any expressed thought or notion, neither spoken nor written, sung nor acted, painted, sketched, molded, or spun.

In a collectivist world, intellectual property is an unearned meritless construct. Likewise, valor is mere merchandise, a commodity, like a crab apple in a public park, low hanging free bounty.

Original ideas, novel theorems, new art, music, and screeds, however exceptional or tedious, can be stolen, copied, appropriated by anyone with impunity.

Theft of intellectual property, stealing someone elses words, phrases, style, punctuation and pith, is no mere misappropriation. It ranks amongst the most egregious sins against the civilized world.

Claudine Gay is no mere sloppy pretend scholar mislaying citation note cards. Claudine Gay is more than a petty thief, or pickpocket. Not content with grabbing a purse, or a piece of someone elses luggage at an airport baggage claim carousel, Claudine Gay would erase faces, birth certificates, passports, VIN numbers, and even genetic codes to claim others bounty as her own.

An unrepentant plagiarist as the head of the most venerable institution in the Americas, where learning, scholarship, original research, profound insights, examinations, and narratives about the natural world, and mankinds place in it, have triumphed since the early 17th century, Claudine Gay is a fraudulent purveyor of WH Audens making, knowing, and judging, unworthy of defense or deference.

Maureen Callahan of the UK Daily Mail provided the money quote:

If this resignation letter proves anything, it's that Claudine Gay is an unoriginal thinker, a terrible writer, and a supremely unserious person. She was never up to this job, because in her mind, her race and gender were reason enough to deserve it.

Claudine Gay combined sloth, envy, false witness, and theft to commit a crime arguably worse than murder. Of course, she didnt kill a man. But Claudine Gay killed an institution.

And so, Harvard University, at the hands of Claudine Gay, joins the fallen state, akin to Adam Lay Ibounden for a thousand winters:

Adam lay ibounden, Bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter Thoght he not too long; And all was for an appil, An appil that he tok

Photo credit: YouTube screengrab
If only there were a word for such sloppy work in academia when someone takes anothers writing and passes it off as their own.

Alas though, the mystery word didnt come to CNN analyst Matt Egan, but despite the fact that he couldnt quite articulate it, he does know that what Claudine Gay allegedly did, is not plagiarism. See this clip below, from a segment that aired last night in the wake of Gays disgraced resignation:

Bonkers explanation from CNN reporter Matt Egan on the Harvard plagiarism scandal:



"We should note that Claudine Gay has not been accused of stealing anyone's ideas in any of her writings. She has been accused of sort of more like copying other peoples writings without pic.twitter.com/ONArO75NLE  Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 2, 2024

(He should have just taken a cue from his colleagues and referred to Gays actions as mostly honest plagiarism.)

Shes not a thief, she just took intellectual property that didnt belong to her.

Shes not a cheater, she just passed off other peoples work as her ownas Egan says, this is a case of sloppy attribution and nothing more.

Shes not a fraud, she just took credit for somebody elses academic accomplishments.

(Mind you, at this point, the alleged plagiarism violations now number more than 50.)

Whats really ridiculous though is that apparently Gays resignation does not mean her departure, and as reported by Fox News, she is set to continue as a fixture at the university and return to faculty dutiesbut isnt that just carte blanche to students who wish to cheat in her classes? What an utter joke. And Im sorry, but on what planet does someone get to allegedly cheat their way to a doctorate, seemingly get caught, and then still get to retain the Dr. title? May I too steal Dr. Carol Swains brilliant words and call myself Dr. Olivia Murray? (Answer: No, because Im not a DEI candidate/hire.) I guess this is just par for the course in a country that refers to someone who stole the presidency as the actual president.

The lows that the legacy media will sink to in order to protect the narrative and the left are an expected direction, but every new instance is just as astounding as the lastbut hey, its not like CNN or any of the other establishment media outlets are state-sponsored propaganda supporting the regime at every turn, theyre full of journalists who are just parroting the script and prompts from the Democrats and the government without attribution or proper recognition.

The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.  George Orwell Claudine Gay, 1984

Image from X.
Colorado is a microcosm of Democrat governance. It is a cautionary tale for every state in the USA and for voters who will choose between candidates for federal office this year.

Life changed in Colorado about a decade ago when a few privileged billionaires joined forces to turn Colorado blue. They created The Blueprint to take over the state politically. Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer wrote the book The Blueprint: How Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care) Republican leaders did not counter this effort in any effective way. And so, here we are in Colorado, run by Democrats.

My liberal friends would ask whats wrong with that? They would reason, Democrats are liberals and liberals are good, so its good that Democrats are governing.

Not so, oh liberal friends.

First, not all Democrats are liberals, many are leftists. Leftists are severe in a bad way -- authoritarian, intolerant, immoderate -- so its not good that leftist Democrats are governing.

Even Democrats are realizing this and more than a few are resigning from the Colorado Legislature.

According to Colorado Politics, In the past month, two Democratic lawmakers, both at the end of their first year in the House, have resigned. Rep. Ruby Dickson of Greenwood Village officially resigned on Dec. 11. Rep. Said Sharbini of Brighton's last day is Dec. 31. Both cited the vitriol of the House chamber as part of the reason for their decision.

Whats going on in the State House in Colorado is also detailed in an interview with Rep. Scott Bottoms for a podcast on Free State Colorado, which was published on January 1, 2024. The representative from House District 15 in El Paso County filed a lawsuit on December 28, 2023, to stop a bill. With it he is also holding Speaker Julie McCluskie and Governor Jared Polis accountable, and he is exposing a culture of harassment in the institution.

Bottoms began the interview by saying that many conservatives talk a lot of good talk when theyre campaigning but when push comes to shove, they dont stand up in office. He is a pastor who prays about these things, and Rep. Bottoms said he felt called to stand up.

Bottoms detailed how Democrats in Colorado behave, I know the liberal push against life, against liberty, against 2nd Amendment, all the things that the Dems are doing, but when I actually got to the House and realized theyre also -- many of them -- are very corrupt and dont go by the rules. They are bullies, a lot of this stuff is what is driving this whole thing.

For example, protestors for Palestine took over the House during the November 2023 Special Legislative Session described in the Colorado Sun, waving flags and using violent language. Not only did Speaker McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon, not stop this prohibited behavior, afterward she demanded that all representatives agree with the protestors. Rep. Bottoms said in the Well that he did not agree, so the Speaker told him to leave the Well, and she would not recognize him when he got up to read a bill later in the day.

This is why Bottoms filed the lawsuit to stop HB23B-1002: Increased Earned Income Tax Credit 2023 from becoming law. What had basically happened the Democrats were getting more and more out of control with using rules that should not have been used, unethical behavior, breaking rules that are in existence, going against the Constitution, and specifically Speaker McCluskie picking on me and a couple of other representatives that just dont agree with her. We werent breaking rules, we werent doing anything wrong, but she doesnt like what we say, and so she harasses I mean, this is unhinged, crazy behavior.

This bill was shoved through unconstitutionally, and were not going to allow this to happen.

HB23B-1002 messes with Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) refunds, which are protected in the Colorado Constitution, after Colorado voters rejected Proposition HH in November 2023, which tried to take TABOR refunds. In this iteration, the bill specifies that people without social security numbers can request TABOR refunds and will receive double the amount that taxpaying Coloradoans will receive. (Well, theres a bullying tactic against Colorado voters right there!)

Beware, fellow Americans. Learn from Colorado. Keep Democrats from governing in your states and at the federal level.

CS Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC.

Image: Public Domain
Guess who is speaking Latin these days? Honestly, I don't know how much Latin they are speaking, but a lot of young people are going to the Latin Mass. On a recent visit to a local Latin Mass, I was pleased to see so many young families with new babies or on the way. No birth-rate problems in that group.

Over the last few months, I've been asking myself a question: Why the Latin Mass? What's the attraction? My parents grew up in the Latin Mass and liked all the symbolism and tradition associated with it.

Salena Zito writes about it and confirms that there is something going on out there. This is her post:

Canon William Avis, a church cleric who was formally installed as the first pastor of Most Precious Blood of Jesus Parish in 2019, said their services have seen robust growth over the past few years. We have 800 to 850 at our Masses on Sunday, he said. That robust growth isnt just taking place in Pittsburgh; its happening nationwide. A recent survey by Crisis magazine, an independent journal covering Catholicism and Catholic issues, revealed a marked increase in TLM attendance since the beginning of the pandemic. This boom is playing out against a backdrop of recent restrictions on the Latin Mass from Pope Francis. Last year, the Argentina-born pontiff described Latin Mass as divisive and imposed new limits on the service, which had been partially reintroduced over the past three decades by both of his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and the late Pope Benedict XVI. In June of this year, Francis went even further, demanding the faithful stop exploiting Latin Mass for ideological reasons, which he feared might fracture the very unity of the Catholic Church. Francis was harshly criticized by many young traditionalists for his stance, some of whom took to Twitter in outrage.

Latin Mass divisive? That's a new one. It is in Latin, but divisive is crazy.

My guess is that the growth of the Latin Mass is due to the growing sense that Pope Francis is a bit woke, from immigration to climate change and the recent confusion about blessing same-sex couples. I'll give the Pope the benefit of the doubt that he means well, but his staff is another thing.

Also, I think some young people today are looking for more tradition and that's what they get in the Latin Mass. As the article points out, many of the parishes "...are majestic and ancient in design." I love those old parishes with all those symbols that remind me of the churches that I attended with my parents. They are so majestic and you feel like you are in a Catholic Mass.

Wonder when Latin makes a comeback in home schooling?

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Image: PxHere
After dribs and drabs of criticism in responses to reporters over the past several months, Pope Francis finally came out with a statement about the full-blown assault on the Catholic Church from Nicaragua's Marxist dictator, Daniel Ortega.

According to the New York Times:

Pope Francis used his New Years Day address to highlight concern over the worsening situation of the Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua as a result of a protracted crackdown by the government of President Daniel Ortega, which has detained clerics, expelled missionaries, closed Catholic radio stations and limited religious celebrations. Speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peters Square for the traditional New Years Angelus prayer and blessing, Francis said he was following with concern what is happening in Nicaragua, where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom. He expressed his closeness in prayer to them, their families and the entire church in the country, and called on all Catholics to pray insistently to find a path of dialogue to overcome difficulties. Lets pray for Nicaragua today, Francis said. Vatican News reported on Monday that at least 14 priests, two seminarians and a bishop had been arrested in recent days in Nicaragua, and that the countrys top church leader, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, had expressed his closeness to the families and communities who are without their priests at this time.

Closeness? What closeness? The priests were right there, and now they aren't. They've been whisked away to unknown places, kidnapped by the state, and are now ensconced in some communist dungeon where they likely are being tortured and abused. The guy in the capital, or in Rome, offering 'closeness' is far away, just saying he feels their pain.

It may be the right sentiment, but it's not good enough.

The pope's call for 'dialogue' is a doozy, too. Dialogue? It's like negotiating with terrorists. Dialogue has been going on for a long, long, time in night-haunted Nicaragua. It's the same call the pope makes to Venezuela's and Cuba's dictators who have destroyed their countries, thrown thousands into their own dungeons, driven many more to flee, and crushed all political freedoms. A lot of good that did -- these dirtbag dictators are more powerful than ever.

A powerful condemnation on the world stage, as many previous popes have done with other cruel regimes, would do a lot more. Let Ortega mock Pope Francis with a question about how many divisions he has -- so he can find out the hard way in this information age.

What the pope fails to recognize in this weak call for Nicaragua's communist regime to play nice with the Church is that a full frontal assault on the Church has begun now. This is not a few objectionable things, this is a systematic bid to shut down the Church and chase it out of Nicaragua. That happened in Cuba, which is Ortega's Marxist model, and it will happen in Nicaragua. The Protestant churches, which are not insignificant on Nicaragua's east coast, are targets, too.

What does Daniel Ortega want in his arrests and kidnappings of these Nicaraguan priests? Well, to create terror, of course, to discourage any priest from speaking out about the corruption and poverty that Ortega's regime has brought.

He also is tidying up loose ends, having jailed seven political opponents who challenged him for the presidency. In going after priests, what he wants is an end to one of the last groups of people who can speak out against him and his oppressive, rotten, socialist regime.

He's long past the stage of being a social democrat, as he claimed years ago in his bid to persuade a new generation of voters to elect him, following his stint as a Sandinista revolutionary back in the 1980s, where by 1990, Nicaraguan voters threw him out.

There wasn't going to be any of that in Ortega's recrudescence that began in 2007, when he got elected again, and has extended to four terms, the last few of which have been universally condemned by the State Department and others as nakedly fraudulent.

What we have here is a full-blown Cuba model, Ortega being a lifelong ally of the communist regime there. The freedoms are gone. The opponents are jailed. The locals are fleeing. Now it's time to shut down the churches, leaving just the all-powerful state as their substitute.

Cuba has that horrid model, and Ortega, who is getting on in the years, having reached the age of 78, undoubtedly wants to duplicate that model before he goes, and with weak Joe Biden running the U.S. up in el norte, he knows the time is now.

Surely the pope can see what is going on, and must know that it's his Church that's being gored now ... and yet he doesn't.

Is it the pope's own latent Marxism that is making him reluctant to condemn Ortega, or think he can go head to head with Ortega and correct things with a little mano a mano dialogue?

Or is it the pope's de facto support for the source of Ortega's power, the global illegal migrant trade based on Joe Biden's attractive nuisance, the U.S. open border, which has become a cash cow for Ortega, who is organizing charter flights from all over the world to ship migrants north at a pretty penny to himself. Ortega, as I noted here, has an actual plan to destroy the United States by inflicting millions of illegal aliens from all over the world upon it, and the pope has loudly supported this project, criticizing the U.S. for not taking all comers as un-Christlike despite wreckage of Nicaragua that drives Nicaraguan's migrants out, and the wreckage of many places that are now shipping migrants through Nicaragua's abetment. The pope never has any criticism for Nicaragua on that front, or for those places that drive migrants to leave. He only has criticism of the U.S. for not taking in all comers and paying for them.

Could it be that? Is the pope choosing the migrant trade to Get Gringo, and leaving Nicaragua rot, even if it means Catholic clergy are being 'disappeared' and tortured in Nicaragua's filthy dungeons?

I don't want to think that's true, but it's what comes to mind when one sees a weak response like this from the Vatican. The pope should be holding this hellhole regime up to shame and demanding the release of the kidnapped priests, citing the Argentine 'dirty war' or better still, the Castro regime as the disaster in the making. It shouldn't place taking the U.S. down a peg over defending Nicaragua. The pope, of course, has spent a lot of time taking down critics of his own from the U.S., as well as wasting time on blessings for gays and other non-doctrinal changes that have the appearance of changes. While he's been busy doing that, Nicaragua (and Nigeria) have been under full-blown attack.

What happens to a nation that doesn't allow any churches? It becomes like Cuba, a desperately miserable place brimming with people with no social capital, no moral compass, and no future. It creates ruin, and that's what we are seeing now in Nicaragua. The pope's job here is not to make useless calls for 'dialogue' but at this point to state his outrage at what is outrageous.

Image: Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan) | Government Website Open Information Announcement, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
TrueTheVote, the voter integrity group with an office in Georgia has won a major court victory in its bid to clean up Georgia's voter rolls.

According to the New York Times:

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a conservative groups efforts to challenge the eligibility of hundreds of thousands of voters in the Senate runoff elections in Georgia in early 2021 did not violate the Voting Rights Act under a clause outlawing voter suppression. In a 145-page opinion, the judge, Steve C. Jones of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, wrote that the court maintains its prior concerns regarding how the group, True the Vote, sought to challenge voters eligibility. But he said that Fair Fight, the liberal voting rights group that brought the lawsuit against True the Vote, had failed to show that the efforts were illegal. The decision was relatively narrow, applying only to Judge Joness district in northern Georgia, and will do little to change the status quo: Right-wing election groups have already tried to help bring thousands of challenges to voter registrations in states across the country.

Apparently, they had been sued by Stacey Abrams's legal arm, Fair Fight, for voter suppression of black voters, because so many of the invalid registrations of out-of-state voters it found, (possibly done by Abrams's voter registration group, the New Georgia Project) were in the names of black people.

Why wouldn't they be black people? Those are the people Abrams's operatives know about and seek to register for elections. Apparently, there's no such thing as a black political machine, such as we find in places like Chicago, Los Angeles, and most recently, San Francisco.

TrueTheVote itself was ebullient:

HOUSTON, TX, January 2, 2024 - True the Vote (TTV) declares a decisive triumph in their legal battle against Stacy Abrams' Fair Fight, legal teams led by Marc Elias, and the Biden Department of Justice. A federal court in the Northern District of Georgia today affirmed that citizens have the right to lawfully petition their government in support of election integrity without fear of persecution or prosecution. In a resounding vindication, TTV successfully defended its actions of December 2020, aiding Georgia citizens in filing elector challenges based on data showing over 364,000 voters appeared to be ineligible to vote due to change in residency. This victory is a testament to every American's constitutional right to free speech and the importance of actively participating in the electoral process. True the Vote President Catherine Engelbrecht affirmed, "Today's ruling sends a clear message to those who would attempt to control the course of our nation through lawfare and intimidation. American citizens will not be silenced. True the Vote lead attorney Jake Evans stated, After almost three years of litigation and a two-week federal trial with plaintiff calling 12 witnesses, Judge Steven Jones awarded a complete defense verdict for all defendants. This decision is monumental. It vindicates True the Vote in totality and establishes that eligibility challenges under Section 230 are a proper method to ensure voter rolls are accurate. I am grateful to help achieve this great victory.

The New York Times piece has an issue with tone, but it does lay out why this matters:

But the opinion is likely to encourage conservative activists hunting for voter fraud during the 2024 presidential election. Election officials and voting rights groups have expressed worries about these efforts, warning that an expanded campaign to challenge voters en masse could intimidate people away from the ballot box. True the Vote and similar groups, taking a cue from former President Donald J. Trump, have often spread false theories about election fraud. Any of these decisions that allows these kinds of mass challenges to go forward embolden that movement, said Sophia Lin Lakin, the director of the Voting Rights Project at the A.C.L.U.

They say that like it's a bad thing. Which pretty well tells us what this is about -- they'd like a world where challenging illegal and fraud-y election maneuvers, such as we see in the most recent elections, is a prosecutable offense, regardless of the truth presented. TrueTheVote already knows about how easily they can be jailed -- as their leaders learned a year ago in Texas when they were jailed on trumped-up charges from bitter Democrats angry at their election integrity efforts, and the charges were subsequently dropped.

As for Abrams's group, we learned a lot about their game, too -- they've been accused of legal irregularities on all kinds of matters -- here's one on questionable big-dollar payments to cronies, another on general ethics issues, and another on fraudulent registration accusations brought by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffenberger. What makes them think they can get away with it is the racism card -- anyone who challenges what they are doing is hit by racism charges. If they can get away with that, they can do anything they like politically.

We also learn that big dollars are going into this effort to suppress TrueTheVote's election integrity efforts.

Politico reports that they have gotten huge donations from the far left foundation world in the past, some $61 million or so, including donations from George Soros's Open Society Foundation. TrueTheVote says it had been battling Abrams (financed by Soros), Democrat lawyer Marc Elias's legal team, which has been associated with Hillary Clinton's efforts to paint President Trump as a Russian agent, and the Department of Justice and all its operatives.

All that, and the scrappy little tea-party organization managed to win its case on its right to question gamy elections and encourage others to question the questionable in elections, too. That's a victory all right, and worthy of celebration.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Just who are the members of the Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) Party? How do their beliefs differ from those of normal Americans?

I write D/s/c as an umbrella acronym for the Democrat Party, which is largely devoured and directed by its socialist and communist-leaning members. It also encompasses various anarchist and fascistfascists are leftistsbranches such as BLM, Antifa and other charming social organizations, though theyre a bit more overt in their destructive designs. Their view of politicians is at once worshipful and cynical. They tend to see and speak of them in messianic terms as they did and do with Barack Obama. Hes The One, and The Lightbringer. Google Obama halo and youll find an endless supply of photos and other images of Obama wearing a halo. He's been depicted as a pseudo-Hindu god of death, and in saint-like iconography. One magazine interposed him over a cross in time for Easter, and he often used our troops as worshipful stage props. Even now, his followers proclaim him the most brilliant man ever to have lived, and he continues to brilliantly damage America.

Image: Barack Obama 2008 Kuwait. Wikimedia Commons.org. Public Domain.

Contrast this with Joe Biden who was, until recently, universally favorably depicted, but not blasphemously worshipped. Hes being cynically used, a rapidly spoiling meat puppet whose political usefulness is nearly expired, a tragic victim of elder abuse. Even so, if he can be drug into a fourth Obama term, his handlers will be delighted to keep propping him up. He can be controlled.

D/s/cs tend not to be overtly religious. Their political beliefs are their faith, and in true communist style, there can be no greater power than the Party, which is their secular faith. This largely explains their increasingly overt hostility toward, and persecution of, Christians. This too is projection. They see Christians as deadly threats, so believe Christians feel the same and will act on those feelings. Thus has the FBI been surveilling Catholics who appreciate the Latin Mass, branding them Radical Traditional Catholics. Thus were innumerable Christians arrested for trying to attend church during Covid lockdowns.

Essential to understanding them is knowing many of them think themselves morally, intellectually, and politically superior to normal Americans. They're the self-imagined elite. They really do denigrate the denizens of Flyover Countrytheir term--that vast, cultural wasteland between the enlightened coasts where Deplorables live their pathetic, uninformed, meaningless little lives.

Because they are superior beings, their political beliefs and policies are perfect--non-falsifiable. They cannot fail and no evidence can prove them wrong. When those policies inevitably fail, the failure is either ignored, indignantly denied, or blamed on their generosity in allowing their opponents to keep living to oppose those policies. Perhaps the policies havent been in force long enough for their wonders to manifest, they havent been imposed on Deplorables good and hard enough, or as always, not nearly enough money has been spent. Failure is impossible, but inadequate messaging may be reluctantly admitted. Doubling down on failure, and the more destructive the better, is their status quo.

They value ideological purity in voting and all else, and virtually always vote in lockstep. They are masters of warping language to their benefit and invent new narratives to suit their transitory political needs. Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are related narrative systems that reflect their political methods of class/identity warfare where there are oppressorswhite Americansand the oppressedeveryone else. Individuals don't matter.

Joe Biden infamously observed we believe in truth over facts. Among their current truths is America was founded on slavery, is irredeemably racist, and is the source of all the worlds evils. All white people are white supremacists, and all political opponents are domestic terrorists, insurrectionists, and existential threats to our democracy, their intended tyranny of the majority.

Among their favored oppressed are criminals--the more violent and depraved the better--and their policies have turned our blue cities into third world war zones. Other oppressed are the millions of illegal aliens theyre importing. Non-D/s/c Americans have so disappointed them. They intend to abolish them and import their replacements. That many of them are criminals, terrorists, pedophiles, slavers and masses who cant speak the language and have no skills with which to support themselves is a feature rather than a bug. Theyre worried about the illegal avalanche, but not because of the damage its doing to America. Theyre afraid of losing power, afraid, despite their best Trump Derangement Syndrome efforts, their election fraud protocols might not prevail.

Some of them still possess a conscience, a modicum of morality and decency. They know what theyre doing is wrong, but their politics appeal to the basest emotions and drives, among them, power, and power corrupts. Pursuing power, theyre becoming increasingly afraid of Donald Trumpof normal Americansand desperate people do desperate things.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor and retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
By Park Jae-hyuk

Celltrion has assigned important tasks to Chairman Seo Jung-jins younger brother and oldest son, according to industry officials, Wednesday.

The move is seen as signaling the founders intention to strengthen his family's control of the biopharmaceutical firm, which merged recently with Celltrion Healthcare, the groups sales and marketing affiliate, and which plans to merge with Celltrion Pharm by the end of this year.

Following the appointment of the chairmans oldest son, Seo Jin-seok, as one of the three co-CEOs of Celltrion last December, the company decided to send him to San Francisco for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference taking place from Jan. 8 to 11.

The younger Seo will join his father during his speech at the annual conferences main track session.

My oldest son, who graduated from Seoul National University and received a Ph.D. from KAIST, has been recognized globally, the chairman said during a general meeting of shareholders last year.

On Tuesday, Celltrion Pharm CEO Seo Jung-su, the chairmans younger brother, was promoted to vice chairman from president and appointed as chief secretary of Celltrion.

He is expected to play an important role for Celltrions planned merger with Celltrion Pharm, considering the fact that he has led Celltrion Pharm for the past eight years.

Born in 1959, he joined Celltrion Pharm in 2012 after serving as a GS E&C executive.

Celltrion explained that Yoo Young-ho, who was recently promoted to president from vice president, will lead Celltrion Pharm to succeed his predecessors role.

In January 2019, the Celltrion chairman told reporters that he would start allowing professional managers to lead the company in 2021, although he would hand over his shares to his children.

He actually stepped down at the regular retirement age of 65 in March 2021.

However, he returned to management in March 2023, citing managements request to help the company cope with the growing global economic uncertainties. Since then, there has been speculation that the chairman may hand over the groups control to his son, instead of professional managers.
Besides planning to impose regulations on Chinese DRAM makers, the US pushed the Dutch government to revoke an export license for chip machine maker ASML. It impacts the shipment of certain lithography systems to China, as disclosed by the Netherlands-based company. This move by the Dutch government has prompted China to call for the Netherlands to respect market principles and uphold the law, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin emphasized the need to protect the common interests of both nations and maintain stability in international supply chains.

ASML specified that the export license revocation affects shipments of its NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i lithography systems in 2023. Although the company did not identify the specific customers affected, it acknowledged the impact on certain Chinese customers. ASMLs prominent customers in China include Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and others, reports Reuters. The Dutch chip machine maker dominates the global market for lithography systems, a critical component in semiconductor manufacturing.

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After preventing TSMC from fabricating chips for China, the US tries to block ASML from exporting chip manufacturing equipment to the country

The move by the Dutch government adds complexity to ASMLs operations in China, a market that has grown significantly for the company in recent years. China emerged as ASMLs largest market in the third quarter of 2023, accounting for 46% of the companys sales. This shift in market dynamics aligns with Chinas ongoing efforts to reduce its reliance on foreign technologies.

Notably, this is not the first instance of export control challenges for ASML. In 2023, the United States announced rules providing Washington with the authority to restrict the export of ASMLs Twinscan NXT1930Di machine if it contains any U.S. parts. ASML engaged in discussions with the U.S. government to clarify the scope and impact of these export control regulations. The company agreed to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including export control legislation.

Chinas push to develop a self-reliant semiconductor supply chain includes efforts to catch up in lithography. While Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE) is Chinas only known maker of lithography machines, it is considered to be lagging behind ASML and Japanese peers. The recent revocation of ASMLs export license adds another layer of complexity to the global semiconductor landscape.
Engineer turned pundit Bernie Collins has spoken about her unexpected journey to becoming a Formula One strategist, and the strength of having a Northern Irish accent.

Collins, from Maguiresbridge in Co Fermanagh, has worked with some of the biggest names in Formula One including Sebastian Vettel, Sergio Perez and Jenson Button.

She graduated from Queens University Belfast with a degree in engineering before becoming a trainee at McLaren.

After several years at McLaren, Collins joined Force India as a senior strategy engineer in 2015.

In 2023 Collins stepped away from the pit wall and became a pundit for Sky Sports F1 and now analyses and explains strategy decisions for millions of F1 fans.

Bernie Collins with the Queens Formula Student team (Queens University Belfast/PA)

Collins said she has had a lot of support from racing fans in Northern Ireland.

Then this year was the first year that Ive done the Sky stuff, which came about a bit randomly really, but they were sort of interested to get an engineers take on things because theyve got a lot of ex-drivers, she said.

Its been really nice, a lot of the support from home, I hear that quite a lot that a lot of people here are enjoying hearing a Northern Irish accent and enjoying someone I guess thats more familiar to their background on TV so its been really lovely the support Ive got so far.

In 2023 Collins received an honorary doctorate from Queens for her contribution to sport, but said when she was completing her degree in engineering she had not envisaged going on to motorsport.

That wasnt like the planned route that I had sort of decided I would do, but it sort of happened after I decided to do engineering, because a lot of people in my degree went into sort of Bombardier or those sorts of roles and thats what Id envisage doing as well, that type of thing.

She added: And it just sort of happened in the last few years that we started the automotive stuff and that we started to think about, maybe doing some F1 and even when I applied for the job, and did the interviews and it was only actually after I finished my degree that I was accepted on that programme. So yeah, that dream came pretty late in the day really.

Collins said it was difficult in the early stages dealing with imposter syndrome coming from a background not typical in F1 circles.

But the thing that I think was more of a struggle was when you get to the race team, and youre at the trackside environment or in that very competitive environment where theres a lot of very loud voices and its almost aggressive at times because people are trying really hard to get the point across, she said.

Thats really more difficult, I think, and it just takes time, takes resilience. You sort of have ups and downs or days that you feel youve done poorly and then you realise actually, you know, that wasnt a bad day.

And it takes some time going through races, going through events, building up that sort of belief in yourself that you can do it.

Bernie Collins with students from Queens University Belfast (Queens University Belfast/PA)

Collins said she embraced being the only Northern Irish woman in the room, and that her accent came with some advantages.

I think people are really keen for new ideas and I think you can look at it as coming from a different background from everyone, or like a lot of people went to Cambridge or Oxford so yeah, sure, you can look at it as youve got a very different education, but youve also got very different ideas and theres something to be valued in that, she said.

Youve been taught in a different way, youve got different life experiences. So I think there was real value in bringing new ideas and thats actually what teams were trying to pursue.

And thats the same in any of the meetings or any of the work that we went on to continue to do; its about having a variety of backgrounds.

Being the female in it  pluses and minuses definitely. You stood out in a room but I think in engineering you did anyway because at uni it wasnt an equal split by a long way. So I got pretty used to that.

My voice stood out well on the pit wall  when I spoke it was the only Northern Irish female voice that there was in the room. So in some bits it worked to your advantage, because nobody had to ask who was speaking when I was speaking.

Collins said her highlights from her shift to broadcasting in 2023 include getting to do commentary for races and doing the gridwalk at the Mexico grand prix, but it has also come with its challenges.

The stuff I struggle with is, the TV have a lot less data with them than the teams do in general, and a lot less insight than what the teams do, so I struggled initially with sort of feeling like Id not done my homework, you know, that was the feeling of going there and being not quite sure about a few things. So were working to improve that, she said.

Bernie Collins said her highlights from her shift to broadcasting in 2023 include getting to do commentary for races (David Davies/PA)

Looking forward to the 2024 season, Collins said she hopes the other teams can bring the fight to RedBull after the team had one of the most dominating seasons in the history of the sport, winning all but one race.

The hope is that Mercedes are doing a full new car hopefully that brings them a step closer to RedBull and what have McLaren and Ferrari learned from this year being quite close behind them at the end of the year. So you could end up with a three, four car fight at the front, which would be ideal.

Lets see. My worry is that Red Bull have just been developing away or looking at this years car and are another step ahead.

Collins advice to any budding motorsport enthusiasts inspired by her is to be a little bit brave and go for it.

You have to apply for every opportunity that you think you might want to go for and if you dont get the opportunity, which you wont get all of them, ask why, figure out why, figure out what experience or training or what it is you could have done differently.

But ultimately, you have to go for the positions that are there, she said.
The sister of an Albanian man who died on the Bibby Stockholm barge has thanked the UK public for its generosity after a fundraising appeal to repatriate his body has nearly doubled its target of 10,000.

Leonard Farruku was found unresponsive on board the accommodation vessel at Portland Port, Dorset, on December 12.

An inquest opened by Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin heard that a post-mortem examination found he had died from compression of the neck caused by suspension by ligature.

The hearing last month was told there were no suspicious circumstances and the case was adjourned for a full hearing to be held at a later date.

Mr Farrukus family set up a GoFundMe page to raise 10,000 to repatriate the 27-year-olds body, which remains in a Dorset mortuary.

Flowers were left at the entrance at Portland Port in Dorset, following the death of the asylum seeker aboard the barge last month (Andrew Matthews/PA)

By Wednesday, the campaign had reached 18,784.

Mr Farrukus sister, Jola Dushku, said that the family had faced the double tragedy of his death and not being able to afford to bring his body back to Albania for a funeral.

She added in a statement on the fundraising page: Our brother Leonard Farrukus life ended unimaginably for all of us while in the UK.

As it has been reported widely in the UK media, Leonard died inside the Bibby Stockholm barge where the Home Office is accommodating people.

An inquest has been opened into the circumstances of his death. Leonards body has been in the Dorset morgue since his death on December 12 2023.

We kindly ask for help to raise funds to have Leonards body returned from the UK back home to Albania to rest in peace.

With thanks and appreciation. Jola, Leonards sister.

The family of Leonard Farruku, who died on Bibby Stockholm, have started a GoFundMe to repatriate his bodyhttps://t.co/9kxWuvGFIN pic.twitter.com/HJY7dkamye  GoFundMeUK (@GoFundMeUK) January 3, 2024

One donor posted on the fundraising page: I am so sorry that your brother died in such awful circumstances and hope that having him back home will bring you some peace.

Another wrote to Mr Farrukus family saying: Im so sorry for your loss. I hope our donations show you that our government may be heartless but British people are usually ok.

Another posted: This is a sad situation beyond words and its basic humanity for the UK to facilitate his journey home so his family can grieve properly and say goodbye. RIP.

Ms Dushku later posted: I cannot thank enough all the people from the UK, the Albanian community in the UK, and all Albanians worldwide for their generosity in helping us to secure the necessary money by using GofundMe, to bring back home the body of my brother Leonard Farruku and for his funeral.

Your kindness and generosity will be in my heart for the rest of my life and bring to our family the same sort of comfort now being able to repatriate his body.

Its a strong demonstration of the peoples humanity in the UK compared to the Home Office not willing to help for the body of my brother to be repatriated in Albania.

All this was achieved in one day thanks to all of you and thanks to the PA news agency who supported our campaign, UK media, and Albanian media, in coordination with our family solicitor Mr Mark Scott, and the assistance of the Inquest organisation in London. Thank you from my heart. Jola.

Home Secretary James Cleverly previously said that Mr Farrukus sudden death would be fully investigated.

A fundraiser has been launched to help repatriate Mr Farrukus body to Albania (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The Daily Telegraph, which first reported the deceaseds name, has stated that he paid 4,000 euro (3,400) to cross the English Channel in a small boat to arrive in the country.

Ms Dushku, 33, who lives in Lombardy in Italy, told the newspaper: When I spoke with him last time, he told me that the conditions in that boat were not bad but they were treated by the guards like animals.

An impact assessment, which found the policy of housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge discriminated on the grounds of age and sex, was deleted from the Governments website last month, two days after being published.

A note on the website said the impact assessment was published in error.

The assessment found that the policy of housing up to 500 single men on the barge was directly discriminating in relation to age (and) sex because the barge was only suitable for men aged 18 to 65.

The assessment argued that the greater need to house male asylum seekers within that age range in accommodation other than hotels justified discriminating on the grounds of age and sex.

It is understood that the Home Office only pays for repatriation following a death in detained detention, which it says does not cover the Bibby Stockholm as the residents are able to leave at will.

A Home Office spokesman said: This was a tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone affected.

The welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance and we take this responsibility very seriously.

The fundraising appeal can be found at https://gf.me/v/c/lyc5/tphag-leonard-farruku.
Junior doctors stage unprecedented strike  what do I need to know?

Junior doctors in England have begun the longest strike in NHS history.

Here are your questions answered about the walkouts.

 What is happening?

Junior doctors in England are to go on strike for six whole days  the longest strike in NHS history  in a major escalation in the dispute between unions and the Government over pay.

Strike action for junior doctors' #PayRestoration in England begins at 7am tomorrow. Check the dates, times and locations for your local picket line https://t.co/s809yJOWzl See you on the picket line  pic.twitter.com/KRqo6APMMD  Junior Doctors (@BMA_JuniorDocs) January 2, 2024

Medics in training from the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) are striking from January 3 at 7am to 7am on January 9.

 Which NHS services will be affected?

Almost all pre-planned (elective) hospital services will be affected by strikes as the NHS shifts all of its focus to urgent and emergency care.

 What should I do if Im sick?

Health officials have stressed that people should still seek help if they are unwell. GP and pharmacy services will be unaffected by the industrial action and people are being urged to use these services as they would normally.

 Strike action by Junior Doctors will cause significant disruption to our services from 7am on Wednesday 3 January until 7am on Tuesday 9 January. If you havent been told that your planned appointment has been postponed, please attend as normal. But to help us ensure that pic.twitter.com/vcJkCj7H5e  Worcestershire Acute NHS (@WorcsAcuteNHS) January 2, 2024

Patients can also use 111 online, or call 111.

Those with life-threatening emergencies should still call 999 and use A&E as normal.

 Why are commentators saying the strikes have come at a bad time for the NHS?

The week after new year festivities is usually among the busiest for the NHS in the year.

There is usually a rise in people with winter viruses, including flu, norovirus and Covid-19.

Hospital leaders have warned that the strikes come at the busiest time of year for the NHS (Toby Melville/PA)

And a number of people put off seeking help during the holidays, which leads to a rise in the number contacting services afterwards.

 Why are doctors on strike?

In summer 2023, the Government gave junior doctors in England an average rise of 8.8%, but medics said the increase was not enough to address pay erosion doctors had seen over the last 15 years.

It seemed as though the dispute may come to a close when junior doctors and the Government entered talks in late 2023.

But after five weeks of intense negotiations, the talks broke down and the BMA announced strike dates for December and January.

 What is happening elsewhere in the UK?

Junior doctors in Wales are planning a 72-hour walkout from January 15, while doctors in training in Northern Ireland are being balloted for potential strike action. Those in Scotland have already come to an agreement with the Scottish government.

Our services will be significantly disrupted by junior doctor strike action from 7am on Weds 3 Jan 2024 until 7am on Tues 9 Jan 2024. If you have an appointment please attend unless you hear from us. We will be in touch with you directly if we need to rearrange an appointment. pic.twitter.com/DsKuX9bntO  Bedford Hospital (Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS FT) (@bedfordhospital) January 2, 2024

 What about other doctors?

Consultants and specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors have agreed a deal with the Government, which is now being put to members.

 Are there any other strikes called?

As of yet, no further strikes have been called in England. Hospital leaders and health officials will hope that talks between the Government and the BMA will resume as soon as the strikes conclude on January 9.

 Who are junior doctors?

The term junior doctor is used to refer to all doctors who are in training. This includes people who are straight out of medical school but also includes doctors who have been working in the NHS for almost a decade. They make up about half of the medical workforce in England.
Certain yoga poses can offer relief from digestive issues like constipation and bloating. (Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Yoga has long been known to have a number of benefits for those who practise it - from improved flexibility, strength and posture, to better mental health and mindfulness. But did you know that yoga can also benefit your digestive system?

The practice of yoga, which has Hindu origins, is focused on the physical, mental and spiritual health of those who do it. In the Western world, it mostly comprises posture-based physical fitness and stress relief techniques - all of which can lead to better gut health.

As we plant our feet firmly in 2024, many Britons are looking to adopt healthier habits to pursue the ultimate goal of better health and wellness. Yoga is a popular and accessible exercise to pick up, as it is suitable for beginners and can even be practised at home.

Gut health is also a big priority this year. So we turned to the experts to find out which yoga poses and flows can help improve digestive health and why they are beneficial for this particular health issue.

Watch:Keys to improving your gut health

Why is yoga good for the digestive system?

Yasmin El-Saie, a London-based yoga teacher and reiki expert, tells Yahoo UK that yoga works in two ways to improve digestion.

"From an anatomical perspective, yoga, with its asana poses and breathwork, activates the parasympathetic nervous system or the rest and digest mode as we like to call it," she explains.

"That kind of gives it away - we need to be resting in order for our digestive systems to function properly. When we are stressed and heightened the blood flow goes away from the internal organs (except for the heart) and digestion is paused for more urgent functions to ensure physical survival, the sympathetic nervous system. So we can experience symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, constipation or nausea."

Certain yoga poses that involve twisting the body also helps to massage our insides, and encourage things to move along.

"Dont forget that our intestines are made of muscle: so yoga twisting poses stimulate peristalsis, the movement of food through the guts and the elimination of waste. There are studies that with regular yoga practice, IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] symptoms are alleviated. Opening up the stomach muscles gently can also bring welcomed relief."

Yoga to improve gut health

There are a number of yoga poses and flows you can practise to maintain good gut health or carry out whenever you feel uncomfortable - whether its due to constipation, indigestion or bloating.

Childs pose

Laura Bunting, founder of Wildlife and Yoga Retreats, recommends an easy pose known as childs pose to soothe discomfort from a bloated belly.

Child's pose can be an effective and easy way of combating digestive discomfort. (Getty Images) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Start by kneeling with your shins and the upper part of your feet pressed to the ground and knees are slightly wider than hip-width apart.

Shift your weight back, resting your hips on your heels and gently extend your arms forward. Allow your forehead to rest on the mat. You can choose to extend your arms forward, with palms on the ground, or backwards near your waist facing upwards.

Hold this posture for five to eight breaths, or longer if it feels good. If being on your knees is uncomfortable, you can try a modified version by lying on your back with your knees hugged into your chest.

Supine twist

A supine twist, also known as a spinal twist, can help relieve bloating. (Getty Images) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This pose begins with lying on your back and bringing one knee close to your chest. If you have brought your right knee up to your chest, guide it to the left side of the room with your left hand. Try to keep your shoulders on the mat as you do this.

Close your eyes and take five to eight deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Inversion

Lie on your back with your legs up in the air. If you have practised them before and are comfortable, you can even go into a headstand. Hold the pose for five to eight breaths.

According to experts, an inversion pose in yoga can 'facilitate the release of trapped gases'. (Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Bunting says that inverting the body can aid digestion by reversing gravity on digestive organs, facilitating the release of trapped gases and promoting optimal blood flow to vital organs.

She adds: Given that stress can impact digestion negatively, its crucial to approach these movements slowly and mindfully. Focus on deep breathing and slow, intentional movements to enhance the effectiveness or these poses in relieving discomfort and aiding digestion.

Read more about gut health:
Products featured in this Yahoo article are selected by our shopping writers. We will earn a commission from purchases made via links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

This John Lewis x Clarins Skincare Gift Set is great value and packed with the brand's most popular products. (John Lewis/Yahoo Life UK)

The new year has just begun and improving our skincare routine is one of our 2024 resolutions. Luckily, John Lewis has made that task easy by launching an excellent value for money skincare set with none other than Clarins. It's exclusive to the retailer, so you won't find it anywhere else, and for just 49 you can get a whopping 109 worth of skincare treats, which we think is a beauty bargain sure to brighten up your January.

The John Lewis x Clarins Skincare Gift Set is a mix of full-size and deluxe travel miniatures, and provides a fab opportunity to try a ton of Clarins best-sellers without breaking the bank. Then, if there's one, or two products you find yourself enjoying in your new beauty routine, you can invest in the full-size version knowing it works for you.

Inside you'll find eight items, hand-picked by Clarins to feature its cult favourites like the TikTok viral Lip Comfort Oil and the coveted Beauty Flash Balm, alongside underrated heroes such as Total Eye Lift and Relax Bath & Shower Concentrate.

The set is jam-packed with Clarins favourites. (John Lewis & Partners)

It includes a range of skincare and make-up products worth 109. (John Lewis & Partners)

It includes the TikTok viral Lip Comfort Oil and the coveted Beauty Flash Balm. (John Lewis & Partners)

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We've also got our eye on the travel size Moisture Rich Body Lotion (which smells amazing FYI) along with a 30ml bottle of the Eau Extraordinaire, which boasts notes of citrus, jasmine and patchouli.

What's inside the John Lewis x Clarins Skincare Gift Set?

Clarins Lip Comfort Oil, 01 Honey, 7ml

Clarins Gentle Renewing Cleansing Mousse, 50ml

Clarins Eau Extraordinaire, 30ml

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, 15ml

Clarins Total Eye Lift, 7ml

Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion, 30ml

Clarins Relax Bath & Shower Concentrate, 30ml

Clarins Supra Lift & Curl Mascara, 01 Intense Black, 3ml

Clarins Double Serum Sample Wallet, 7ml

We're sure this jam-packed beauty set won't be available long so we'd snap it up ASAP. After all, there's no better way to kick off the new year than with a fresh start to your skincare.

Shop it now: John Lewis x Clarins Skincare Gift Set | 49 (Worth 109) from John Lewis

Louise Whitbread

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More beauty gift set deals to shop at John Lewis now
Staff at London Zoo began the daunting task of counting around 14,000 animals on Wednesday, from giant tortoises and millipedes to penguins and tigers.

The yearly stocktake is a requirement of the zoos annual licence, and sees zookeepers count hundreds of species over the course of two days.

These include Sumatran tigers, Asiatic lions, Galapagos giant tortoises, zebras, penguins and endangered Seychelles giant millipedes.

Dan Simmonds, zoological operations manager, told the PA news agency: Its a really important day for us.

Zoo keeper Sam counts a giant millipede (Aaron Chown/PA)

Zoo keeper Kim counts Priscilla and Polly, giant Galapagos Tortoises, during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA)

Much as we know how many animals weve got here at the zoo, we like to formalise it once per year and it takes up to two days to count the animals.

Across about 300 species, by the end of tomorrow well have counted somewhere in the region of 14,000 animals.

The keepers have got lots of tricks up their sleeve to be able to count these animals.

Zoo keeper Jess counts Humboldt penguins (Aaron Chown/PA)

Crispin, a sumatran tiger, takes part in the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo (Aaron Chown/PA)

New additions to the zoo in 2023 included a female sloth and six Socorro dove chicks, a species which is extinct in the wild.

Once all creatures have been recorded, the information will also be shared with zoos around the world as part of the ongoing effort to manage worldwide conservation breeding programmes for endangered animals.
The founder of Taeyoung Engineering & Construction Co. on Wednesday asked creditors to allow the ailing builder to enter a debt restructuring program to tide over a cash crunch.

Yoon Se-young, founder and honorary chairman of Taeyoung, made the earnest request at a meeting with some 400 creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), earlier in the day.

Taeyoung, the 16th-largest builder in South Korea in terms of construction capacity, applied for a debt restructuring program last week due to a liquidity shortage over real estate project financing (PF) loans.

If creditors are given "a chance to properly repay the debts, all executives and employees will do their best to save Taeyoung," Yoon told the meeting.

He blamed the builder's "overconfidence" in property projects backed by PF loans as the reason for the cash crunch.

Yoon predicted that Taeyoung could post annual sales of some 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) over the next three years.

As of September last year, Taeyoung's debts were estimated at around 1.9 trillion won, with its debt-equity ratio reaching 479 percent.

During the meeting, Yoon offered details of the builder's self-rescue plan, but a senior KDB official called the plan insufficient.

Yang Jae-ho, the official at the KDB's corporate restructuring division, told reporters, "So far, I don't think it is sufficient to proceed with a workout." Yang called for Taeyoung to do more in making efforts to help repay debts. (Yonhap)
A motorist has been killed by a falling tree as 90mph winds battered the Isle of Wight, and homes were evacuated, after Storm Henk brought flooding and disruption.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said a man in his 50s died while driving near Kemble, and more than 200 flood warnings remained in place on Wednesday, with severe flooding at holiday parks near Tenby, south-west Wales, and Northampton.

Speaking about the motorist, a Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesman said: Emergency services, including an air ambulance, attended the location which is between Tetbury and Cirencester.

Despite the efforts of those at the scene a man aged in his 50s and from the Bath area died. His next of kin and the coroner have been informed.

The road remains closed as recovery and investigation work continues and motorists are asked to find alternative routes.

Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at Billing Aquadrome, close to the River Nene near Northampton, due to flooding.

Robert Britchford moved to the site in 2016 and estimated that about 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.

He said: Its the second time in three years that it has flooded. I moved my cars out of the way, and I thought I would try and wait it out, because I thought it would be nice today, but no, the evacuation notice went out at 2.30pm yesterday and that was it.

Fallen trees have damaged properties and killed a man (PA)

Im a bit anxious. We felt it was coming, but we hoped it wouldnt. Now we have to find hotels. They wont let us back on until this is all sorted, so it could be a month before we come back on.

There are no sandbags or anything. Ive got a bit of decking around mine, and thats it, so if the water goes over door level, thats my caravan gone, and I cant afford a new one.

Eddie Hancock, who lives about two miles away, said the water level was scary and he had never seen it so high in about 30 years of living in the area.

A severe flood warning, meaning significant risk to life, was issued but has since been downgraded.

Another holiday park in South Wales was flooded, with reports of raw sewage in the water.

Wales is still recovering from the winds and heavy rain brought on by Storm Henk Despite lower levels of rain today, saturated ground and high river levels mean there is still a risk of flooding in several areas  See the latest flooding info here  https://t.co/17wrGSGvQH pic.twitter.com/NYknIjSmbR  Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru | Natural Resources Wales (@NatResWales) January 3, 2024

Natural Resources Wales urged people at Kiln Park caravan site near Tenby to avoid contact with the water and said the River Ritec is likely to remain high for several days.

Meanwhile, dozens of homes in Bottleacre Lane in Loughborough, Leicestershire, were either breached or surrounded by floodwater, with some residents trapped in their homes.

The ground floor of Ivan Fletchers property, where he has lived for 16 years, was covered by about a foot of water, with his possessions moved upstairs.

The father of nine, seven of whom live at home, moved six of his children to a relatives home in Leicester, and one stayed in the property.

He said: I woke up this morning to this. There was water everywhere, and it has got worse. There are bins everywhere, rubbish, the kids were panicking, stress.

Heavy rain in the south on Thursday may cause some difficult driving conditions  Here are some tips for driving in heavy rain from our partners @TheRAC_UK and @NationalHways  pic.twitter.com/6Cyui4oklE  Met Office (@metoffice) January 3, 2024

I moved my wife and the kids to Leicester with her sister out of the way, and Ill stay here with the cats, and my eldest daughter.

It happened about 12 years ago but it was never this bad.

We had no warning at all.

I think its disgusting. (We have had) no help at all, no-one has come to help us, just deal with it ourselves.

National Highways said several major roads in England were closed due to flooding and rail companies also reported disruption.

A falling tree injured a woman in Orpington, south-east London, and others damaged properties and blocked roads across the country.

(PA Graphics)

Raw sewage has spilled from a flooded treatment works in Surrey when the River Mole to burst its banks.

Pollution spread over a public footpath beyond the fence of the unmanned Thames Water facility.

Heavy rain across southern England has led to the majority of Thames Waters storm overflows discharging sewage into rivers and ground water.

It is likely that other water companies are also discharging more than usual, but only Thames Water has published a live interactive map of its monitors on rivers.

Simon Collins, of River Mole River Watch, said the Horley treatment works near Gatwick Airport has flooded four times since Storm Ciaran hit the UK in late October.

After the flood on Tuesday he tested the water pouring through the fence and found phosphate, a pollutant found in sewage, to be off the scale.

(PA Graphics)

Thames Water has apologised for the pollution and said it has installed a temporary pump to clear the water while it upgrades the treatment plant in the long term.

The storm brought gusts of 94mph at Needles on the Isle of Wight while Exeter Airport saw winds of 81mph, and a family was left exposed to the elements more than 400ft in the air when strong winds ripped the hatch off their London Eye pod.

David Nock, 43, from Bournemouth, Dorset, told the PA news agency that the Eye began flexing on the way up and that it kept stop-starting as it struggled with the wind on Tuesday.

The observation wheel came to a total halt and wasnt going anywhere at the top, he said, leaving him and his family of 11 stranded for five minutes.

A spokesman for the London Eye told PA that after an isolated technical issue, they immediately ensured that guests safely disembarked.

Several rail routes remained disrupted due to flooding, but some have reopened.

More than 300 flood warnings have been issued across England and Wales (David Davies/PA)

Great Western Railway said all lines were closed between Bristol Parkway and Swindon, with delays between Bristol Parkway and Cardiff after an earlier closure.

Services between London Paddington and South Wales were being diverted, adding about 40 minutes to journey times.

Flooding in a tunnel between Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare meant no trains could operate on the route.

The route between Liskeard and Looe was blocked, and some lines were closed between Totnes and Plymouth.

South Western Railway said disruption linked to the storm was likely to continue throughout Wednesday.

At 7am on Wednesday, Greater Anglia said it was still experiencing severe disruption, with do not travel warnings in place on routes in Norwich, Colchester, Peterborough and Cambridge.

Long spells of rain in Scotland, some of which is heavy, means that it's going to be rather wet during rush hour  Take a look at the latest radar below  pic.twitter.com/zsfLvIzwZt  Met Office (@metoffice) January 3, 2024

All lines had reopened by 9am.

Great Northern Rail services resumed between Cambridge and both Ely and Kings Lynn after work to repair damaged overhead wires and remove a fallen tree.

National Highways said the A21 in East Sussex was closed between the A2100 near Johns Cross and the A28 near Baldslow because a fallen tree was resting on power cables above the road.

Flooding closed the A52 in Nottinghamshire westbound from the A46 at Saxondale to the A6011 at Gamston.

National Highways said: With more rain expected in many areas throughout the day, it is anticipated that the roads will remain closed for several hours.

The Met Office issued a further yellow warning for heavy rain across southern England from 12pm on Thursday to 3am on Friday.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received 140 flood-related calls in the last 24 hours while Leicestershire Police said a large number of homes were affected by flooding in Loughborough.

The Environment Agency urged people to avoid walking near coastal paths where large waves could drag them into the sea.
Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he once called on a priest to help remove a poltergeist from his London home.

The acclaimed composer, whose hit musicals include The Phantom Of The Opera, believed the spirit had taken up residence in a 19th-century property he owned in Belgravia.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Lord Lloyd-Webber claimed the poltergeist would take theatre scripts and place them in neat piles in odds places.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber during a photocall for his musical, Love Never Dies, a continuation of The Phantom Of The Opera (Zak Hussein/PA)

Discussing whether any of his theatres were haunted, Lloyd Webber told the newspaper he had never seen a ghost but had witnessed some unusual activity in the central London home.

The 75-year-old said: I did have a house in Eaton Square which had a poltergeist.

It would do things like take theatre scripts and put them in a neat pile in some obscure room.

In the end we had to get a priest to come and bless it, and it left.

A poltergeist is described as a spirit or force which is supposed to manifest its presence by making noise or moving objects around in a house.

The theatre impresario created the music for The Phantom of the Opera, which first opened on the West End in 1986.

Sir Patrick Stewart also claims to have had a supernatural experience (Ian West/PA)

However, the phantom in the production and the source novel by Gaston Leroux refers to a disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House.

Lloyd Webber has also composed the scores for a number of other celebrated musicals including Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has also reportedly claimed he saw a figure on stage at the Haymarket Theatre in London while he was performing with Sir Ian McKellen during their 2009 production of Waiting for Godot.

He said: (The spectre) was wearing a belted Norfolk jacket.

I think he had a shirt  a rather old-fashioned check shirt with a tie underneath.
The pilot of a helicopter involved in a mid-air crash in Australia which left him, a British couple and another woman dead, had cocaine in his system, a report found.

Holidaymakers Ron Hughes, 65, and his wife Diane, 57, from Neston, Cheshire, died in the collision between two sightseeing helicopters at about 2pm local time on January 2 2023 in Main Beach, not far from Sea World in the state of Queensland.

The pilot, Ashley Jenkinson, 40, and three passengers died at the scene, including the couple from the UK and Vanessa Tadros, 36, from Glenmore Park, New South Wales, Australia.

A year on from the accident, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) released an interim report, noting a toxicology report for Mr Jenkinson, showing a positive result for low levels of cocaine metabolites.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released an interim report detailing contextual information established as part of its ongoing investigation into the mid-air collision between two helicopters on the Gold Coast one year ago.  ATSB (@atsbgovau) January 2, 2024

However, the report concluded it was unlikely this would have impaired his flying ability.

Chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said: A forensic pharmacologist engaged by the ATSB has stated that the very low concentrations of these metabolites suggest exposure was not likely to have occurred in the 24 hours prior to the accident, and it is unlikely there would have been impairment of the pilots psychomotor skills.

It is important to note while this is a substantive and comprehensive interim report, the ATSB is yet to make formal findings as to the contributing factors that led to this accident as we are continuing our analysis of that evidence.

In a statement reported by Australian media, Mr Jenkinsons family welcomed the interim report but asked those who knew him to not let it tarnish the memory of the pilot.

They urged people to read the full report which found multiple contributing factors to this terrible accident.

The ATSBs investigation also showed some passengers seatbelts were not fitted correctly, in part due to interference from their lifejackets.

Mr Mitchell said this was not attributed to the tragic outcomes in this case.

Two Eurocopter EC130 helicopters were being operated by Sea World Helicopters, a corporate entity separate from the theme park, on five-minute scenic flights, an earlier report found.

One helicopter with a pilot and five passengers on board was on approach to land at a helipad adjacent to the Sea World theme park.

The second, with a pilot and six passengers, had just left a separate but nearby helipad within the theme park when they collided.

Since the accident, Sea World Helicopters has implemented a new pad boss traffic advisory role, added air traffic systems to each of its helicopters avionic systems, increased communication protocols and taken steps to improve visibility.

The ATSBs final report, which will include analysis, findings, and any recommended safety actions, will be completed later this year.
Sir Keir Starmer will urge voters to reject pointless populist gestures as he kicks off the likely election year with a speech seeking to draw dividing lines with Rishi Sunaks Conservative party.

In a visit to the West of England, the Labour leader will claim the Tories have no practical achievements to point towards after nearly 14 years in Government.

With 2024 expected to be the year the Prime Minister calls the next general election, Rishi Sunak will also take to the road on Thursday, with a rival new year stump speech planned in the East Midlands.

(PA Graphics)

In his pitch to voters, Sir Keir will say he understands why people have turned against politicians, amid various Westminster scandals and a ramping up of political attacks between the parties ahead of the next nationwide poll.

The Labour leader will say: You can reject the pointless populist gestures and the low-road cynicism that the Tories believe is all you deserve.

Thats all they have left now. After 14 years, with nothing good to show, no practical achievements to point towards, no purpose beyond the fight to save their own skins.

Rishi Sunak is also expected to take to the road with a rival new year stump speech planned in the East Midlands (James Manning/PA)

They cant change Britain, so they try to undermine the possibility of change itself.

He will promise to clean up politics of sleaze, adding: No more VIP fast lanes, no more kickbacks for colleagues, no more revolving doors between Government and the companies they regulate.

I will restore standards in public life with a total crackdown on cronyism: this ends now.

Sir Keir will point to his legal career as a record of his anti-sleaze zeal, claiming he helped send both Labour and Tory expense cheat politicians to jail in the wake of the 2009 expenses scandal, while serving as the director of public prosecutions.

He will also mention having worked with people living on death row, a reference to his legal work on Caribbean death row cases in the early 2000s.

The Labour leader will continue to draw a dividing line with his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, while seeking to demonstrate to voters he will offer a fresh start from the Conservatives.

He will describe the UK as a nation exhausted by the sex scandals, the expenses scandals, the waste scandals, the contracts for friends.

Sir Keir will add: So, whether youre thinking of voting Labour for the first time, whether you always vote Labour, or whether you have no intention of voting Labour whatsoever: my party will serve you.

Thats who we are now, a changed Labour Party. No longer in thrall to gesture politics, no longer a party of protest, but a party of service.

Ahead of the speech, the Conservatives meanwhile sought to suggest Sir Keir was prone to reversing previously-made decisions.

Chairman of the Conservative Party Richard Holden said: Nothing is more cynical and populist than a weathervane Labour leader who has a consistent track record of telling people whatever he thinks they want to hear on any given day.

He was for a second Brexit referendum, then he wasnt. He told Labour members when he was running to be leader he would nationalise industry and scrap tuition fees, but then dropped these policies as soon as the contest was over. And he says he opposes Jeremy Corbyn now despite campaigning twice to make him prime minister and calling him his friend.

The only thing we know for certain about Keir Starmer is that he has a 28 billion black hole in his spending promises which will mean thousands of pounds of tax rises every year for families.
Four UK-based inspectors are being sent to Japan after a large passenger plane and a coastguard aircraft collided on a runway and burst into flames, killing five people.

The accident happened on Tuesday evening when Japan Airlines flight 516 landed at at Tokyos Haneda airport as the coastguard plane  a Bombardier Dash-8  was preparing to take off.

All 379 passengers and crew on board the bigger aircraft were evacuated, but five of the six crew on the coastguard plane died.

1/2 We have sent a team of inspectors to Tokyo to assist the Japan Transport Safety Board investigation into the tragic accident which occurred yesterday at Haneda Airport, Tokyo. https://t.co/7yXSo3leip  AAIB (@aaibgovuk) January 3, 2024

On Wednesday, the UKs Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said four of its inspectors with operational, engineering and recording data expertise were travelling to the Japanese capital to assist an investigation into the crash.

The AAIB said: The investigation is being led by the Japan Transport Safety Board, and the AAIB as state of manufacture of the Rolls-Royce engines fitted to the Airbus A350 has appointed an accredited representative.
Photograph: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Bernie Sanders, the progressive senator of Vermont, issued a statement Tuesday calling on Congress to block additional funding to Israel amid the war in Gaza, where more than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks after Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October.

While we recognize that Hamas barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israels military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral and in violation of international law, Sanders said.

Enough is enough. Congress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.

Sanders has grown increasingly critical of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus rightwing government as the military strikes in Gaza have continued. Last month, Sanders introduced a resolution calling on the state department to investigate any potential human rights violations in Gaza, and he also condemned the US veto of a UN security council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Days later, the US abstained from a vote on another UN resolution calling for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in the war.

Sanders statement came as Congress considers Joe Bidens request for $10bn in aid to Israel as part of a larger funding package meant to assist US allies, including Ukraine, and address border security. Last month, Sanders notably opposed a $111bn funding proposal backed by Democrats because of his concerns about the money for Israel included in the bill.

Israel has the absolute right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorists who attacked them on October 7, Sanders said in a statement explaining his vote. They do not have the legal or moral right to kill thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women, and children.

Senate Republicans successfully blocked that funding bill from advancing, and bipartisan negotiations over a compromise measure have stretched on for weeks. It remained unclear on Tuesday whether an agreement could be reached. As the standoff has stretched on, the Biden administration has twice invoked its emergency authority to bypass Congress and approve two arms sales to Israel.
Kevin Ford smiles in a TikTok video.

A Burger King cook who hadn't missed a day of work in 27 years went viral after showing off the small thank-you gift the company had given him, but it was the public's bid of gratitude that provided him the real prize for his hard work: the funds to buy his first home.

"I want to thank everyone, everyone all around the world for what you've done for me, something I never thought would be possible: homeownership," Kevin Ford said in a Dec. 29 TikTok.

Last summer, Ford was just grateful to have received his Burger King goodie bag. He then caught viewers' attention after posting a haul of the clear tote, containing small items like a movie ticket, candy, a Starbucks cup, pens, a lanyard and keychains.

But commenters soon came in droves, making it clear they didn't think this was enough recognition for the committed employee, despite Ford having responded with only gratitude and humility for the gifts.

This love for Ford and the criticism of Burger King's present pushed Ford's daughter Seryna to launch a GoFundMe campaign for Ford.

She explained he had started working the job after gaining custody of his two daughters, then he stayed there after having two more to make sure they all could have health insurance provided by the company.

The fundraiser's initial goal was just to raise enough money for Ford to be able to visit his grandchildren, but the public delivered in a big way.

Since the campaign posting in June 2022, Seryna has raised the goal multiple times, hoping for $2,700 for 27 years in its first bump and moving the goal to $27,000 a day later. Now, the GoFundMe sits at nearly $443,000 raised of a $450,000 goal, with even celebrity David Spade contributing.

It's this fundraiser that provided Ford the true gift, coming in the form of a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

"I know it's not a mansion, but it's mine," Ford said in a recent TikTok. "Now my kids and my grandkids can have someplace to come visit me. And I just want to thank everybody for being a part of this miracle and for everything you've done for me and you continue to do for me every day. This is truly an American dream. It's a Christmas miracle."

Ford told TMZ he used about half of the $350,000 he was able to take from the fundraiser to buy the Nevada property. With the rest of the money, he told the outlet he's hoping to help his daughter find a home for herself and his grandkids, and then he'll put the rest away for retirement, which his daughter said is coming up.

For now, Ford continues to work at the same Burger King in Las Vegas, but there's been another update to his story: He had to miss his first day of work in 27 years to appear on the "Today" show.

He also told TMZ the viral video not only gave him shelter but saved him from his depression.

"I want to thank you, I want to say God bless you and remember, love yourself because I love you," Ford said as he concluded his home tour video.
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on Tuesday pushed back on New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununus recent suggestion that his campaign has no path forward.

Since Chris started to work for Nikki Haley and become an employee of Nikki Haley, its not the same Chris Sununu anymore, Christie, who has been friends with Sununu for more than a decade, told CNNs Anderson Cooper on AC360.

Chris Sununu was one of the most vocal Donald Trump critics in this country, he said, later adding, This is a guy who has said that Donald Trump is unfit. All things that his candidate is unwilling to say and accusing Sununu of abandoning his principles to try to get himself some political favor inside of his own state.

The comments from Christie come as GOP presidential hopefuls seek to distinguish themselves in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses. On Sunday, Sununu, who has endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, suggested the former New Jersey governors White House bid had reached a dead end and that he should drop it.

Christie told Cooper that he thinks Sununu chose to endorse Haley based on a set of polling at that moment, asking: What indications does he have that she wants to beat Donald Trump?

By the way, how does Chris Sununu defend what she said on Civil War? I dont understand it, he continued, leaning into criticism of Haleys failure to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War at a New Hampshire town hall and subsequent effort to clean up her answer.

Sununu responded to Christies criticism on CNN on Wednesday morning, saying, Chris is a good guy. Hes a smart guy. Hes working hard. I get it, hes frustrated.

Chris knows when he got into the race it was a long shotfor all of them, it really was. Everyone knew we had to consolidate around one candidate. Chris has done a very good job speaking the truth on Trump, as a lot of us have, he said.

CNN has reached out to Haleys campaign for comment.

The New Hampshire Republican, who chose to forgo a presidential bid himself, said Christie has an opportunity to be a hero to not just bow out gracefully, but help consolidate this race.

He said the goal is not to have Christies current poll numbers get any higher to be the difference make and allow Trump to win.

Responding to criticism that Haley and other candidates arent doing enough to take on Trump directly, Sununu denied that Haley should shift her strategy on that point.

Of all the candidates, even with Trump, shes the only one with momentum, right?, he said, pointing out that Trump, though hes the standard bearer of the party has the support of just over 40% of Republican primary voters in New Hampshire.

Earlier Tuesday, Sunnu said Chris has kind of hit his limit, if you will and that he speaks the truth on Trump, but thats very different than whether it translates into votes for a nomination to become president of the United States.

Im not telling Chris that he has to get out, right? Sununu said following a Haley campaign event in Rye, New Hampshire. Im not calling Chris Christie and saying you absolutely have to get out. I think hes just smart enough to see the writing on the wall to know that he has a great opportunity here not just to get behind Nikki, but to do something really important for the country and the party and start moving us forward.

In his interview with Cooper, Christie also weighed in on the GOP front-runner, saying he thinks the US Supreme Court would dismiss really quickly Trumps argument that he has immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while in office  a fundamental issue in the special counsels 2020 election subversion criminal case against the former president.

Pressed on whether he believes the high court will take up the case, Christie said he thinks the justices may give it the back of their hand and say forget it and go with the lower court rulings.

I just dont believe that theres any real argument, he said. Think about the practicality of it. That a president could literally do anything. And if he wasnt impeached and removed for it, he escapes all type of criminal or civil legal liability. It doesnt make any sense.

CNNs Ebony Davis contributed to this report.

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Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday after facing intense scrutiny for equivocal testimony she gave at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism as well as widening allegations of plagiarism in her academic work.

"It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president," Gay said in a letter to the Harvard community. "This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries."

But after consulting with the university's board, Gay added, "it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual."

Dr. Claudine Gay, president of Harvard University, testifies before a House committee on Dec. 5, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images file)

Gay's six-month tenure is the shortest in the university's 388-year history, according to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper. She was the first Black person and the second woman to lead the institution.

The Harvard Corporation, the schools highest governing body, announced that Alan M. Garber, the school's provost and chief academic officer, would serve as interim president until a permanent successor is named. The corporation's members said Gay will return to a faculty position.

Gay drew fierce criticism last month after she and her counterparts at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology appeared to sidestep the question of whether calls for the genocide of Jews violate the school's conduct rules. Penn President Liz Magill resigned days after the widely panned hearing.

Gay then faced allegations of plagiarism in her political science scholarship. The Harvard Corporation ordered an investigation that "revealed a few instances of inadequate citation" but found no violation of Harvards standards for research misconduct.

Gay's job appeared to be secure Dec. 12 after the Harvard Corporation, responding to growing calls for her ouster, released a statement saying its members "reaffirm our support for President Gays continued leadership of Harvard University."

But the questions swirling around Gay's position did not abate over the holidays.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman, as well as conservative activists such as Christopher Rufo, continued to put pressure on Harvard via posts on social media. The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative publication, published an unsigned complaint Monday that referred to new allegations of plagiarism, exacerbating the crisis.

Harvard's communications office did not have comment on the additional plagiarism accusations.

The root of the outcry

The leaders of three of the countrys most prestigious universities were called before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Dec. 5 to testify about how their administrations responded to the rise in antisemitism after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, which set off a brutal war in Gaza.

Gay repeatedly condemned both antisemitism and Islamophobia, but critics seized on her legalistic response to a line of questioning from Harvard alumnus Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., that went viral on social media. Stefanik asked Gay whether students who call for the genocide of Jews are in violation of the campus code of conduct.

Gay did not answer directly, saying in part: "We embrace a commitment to free expression even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful  its when that speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies against bullying, harassment, intimidation."

The answer was met with swift backlash from the White House, lawmakers in both parties and high-profile alumni. NBC's "Saturday Night Live" parodied the hearing at the start of the Dec. 9 episode.

In an interview with the Harvard Crimson student newspaper after the hearing made national news, Gay apologized for her remarks and said in part: "I got caught up in what had become at that point, an extended, combative exchange about policies and procedures."

"I failed to convey what is my truth," she said.

Gay attracted more scrutiny after critics such as Ackman and Rufo highlighted instances of alleged plagiarism in her published academic work, which largely focuses on American political behavior and the role of racial identity in politics.

Harvard's board said it first learned of the allegations in late October, carried out an "independent review" of her work and found "a few instances of inadequate citation." The board said Gay was "proactively requesting four corrections in two articles to insert citations and quotation marks that were omitted from the original publications."

But in the weeks to come, Gay continued to face plagiarism accusations  most recently on Monday, when the Washington Free Beacon published unsigned complaint whose author purported to have found "nearly 50 allegations, including over half a dozen examples never seen before." NBC News has not independently verified those claims.

Gay has defended her academic work. "I stand by the integrity of my scholarship," she said in a statement on Dec. 12. "Throughout my career, I have worked to ensure my scholarship adheres to the highest academic standards."

Harvard history professor Alison Frank Johnson, one of more than 700 members of the faculty who had signed a letter urging administrators to resist calls to remove Gay, said in an interview that she was "flabbergasted" by the president's exit.

"I was surprised to have this decision made so precipitously and without any proper procedures being followed," Frank Johnson said in a Zoom interview.

Stefanik cheered the news of Gay's departure, writing in part in a post on X: "TWO DOWN."

MIT President Sally Kornbluth gave what critics described as a similarly legalistic answer to Stefanik's question, but she has so far not faced major fallout. In a statement on Dec. 7, MIT said Kornbluth "has our full and unreserved support."
Japanese rescuers scrambled to search for survivors Wednesday as authorities warned of landslides and heavy rain after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 62 people.

The 7.5-magnitude quake on Jan. 1 that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a meter high, sparked a major fire and tore apart roads.

The Noto Peninsula of the prefecture was most severely hit, with several hundred buildings ravaged by fire and houses flattened in several towns, including Wajima and Suzu, as shown by before-and-after satellite images released on Wednesday.

The regional government announced Wednesday that 62 people had been confirmed dead and more than 300 injured, 20 of them seriously.

The toll was expected to climb as rescuers battle aftershocks and poor weather to comb through rubble.

More than 31,800 people were in shelters, the government said.

"More than 40 hours have passed since the disaster. We have received a lot of information about people in need of rescue and there are people waiting for help," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday after an emergency task force meeting.

"Rescue efforts are being made by the local authorities, police, firefighters and other operational units, while the number of personnel and rescue dogs is enhanced."

"However, we ask you to remain fully mindful that we are in a race against time and to continue to do your utmost to save lives, putting people's lives first," Kishida said.

The operation was given extra urgency as the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a heavy rain warning in the area.

"Be on the lookout for landslides until the evening of Wednesday," the agency said.

In the coastal city of Suzu, mayor Masuhiro Izumiya said there were "almost no houses standing."

"About 90 percent of the houses (in the town) are completely or almost completely destroyed... the situation is really catastrophic," he said, according to broadcaster TBS.

A woman at a shelter in the town of Shika told TV Asahi that she "hasn't been able to sleep" due to aftershocks.

"I've been scared because we don't know when the next quake will hit," she said.

Nearly 34,000 households were still without power in Ishikawa prefecture, the local utility said.

Many cities were without running water.

Shinkansen bullet trains and highways have resumed operations after several thousand people were stranded, some for almost 24 hours.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.5, while the JMA measured it at 7.6, triggering a major tsunami warning.

The powerful quake was one of more than 400 to shake the region through Wednesday morning, the JMA said.

Japan lifted all tsunami warnings after waves at least 1.2 meters (four feet) high hit the town of Wajima and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere.

Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority cause no damage.

The number of earthquakes in the Noto Peninsula region has been steadily increasing since 2018, a Japanese government report said last year.

The country is haunted by a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

It also swamped the Fukushima atomic plant, causing one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.
An unusual earthquake shook the New York City borough of Queens early Tuesday in more ways than one, with residents startled by a series of small explosions that may have been caused by the quake.

The 1.7-magnitude quake registered near the Astoria neighborhood at about 5:45 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Around the same time, people in Manhattan and Queens reported hearing what sounded like several explosions coming from Roosevelt Island, a 2-mile-long island between the two boroughs.

Earthquake may have caused Roosevelt Island explosions

The cause of the explosions was under speculation earlier Tuesday morning, but officials later said the earthquake may have been to blame.

Allan Drury, a spokesperson for Consolidated Edison, told the Associated Press that officials at the utility suspect that the quake caused the explosions, since they happened around the same time.

Drury said there were no power outages.

There were no reports of injury, damage or disruptions to transportation or other services, the city's emergency management agency said. The New York City Department of Buildings said no structural issues were found on Roosevelt Island.

Another earthquake hits Maryland

Hours before the New York City quake, a 2.3-magnitude earthquake just west of Rockville, Maryland, was felt for miles in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.

That quake hit at about 12:51 a.m., according to USGS. Officials said they got reports from people who felt the trembling in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

"People felt it and heard it," said Pete Piringer, spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, in a video posted to social media.

Piringer said firefighters felt the earthquake and reported it to last between 10 and 15 seconds. The epicenter was near a country club. There were no reports of injury or damage, he said.

Are East Coast earthquakes rare?

Earthquakes are less frequent in the eastern part of the country than in the west, but they have occurred in every state east of the Mississippi River, according to the USGS, including those large enough to cause damage in nearly all eastern states.

Some 900,000 earthquakes happen worldwide every year, but the majority happen along plate boundaries, not in the eastern and midwestern U.S., according to Michigan Technological University's Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences.

In November 1775, a 6.0 quake 50 miles outside of Boston caused serious damage in the city. An 1886 earthquake in Charleston, South Carolina, that was between 6.8 and 7.2 in magnitude damaged or destroyed much of the city.

According to the USGS, earthquakes in the East can be more concerning because they can affect a larger area than earthquakes of the same magnitudes in the West.

That's because rocks in the eastern part of the country are much older, in some cases by millions of years. Older rocks have been exposed to more extreme temperatures and pressure, and faults have had more time to heal, making them harder and denser, so seismic waves travel across them more efficiently. In the West, faults are newer and absorb more of the seismic wave energy is absorbed and doesn't spread as far.

More recently, a 2011 earthquake that originated in Virginia and clocked in at a magnitude of 5.8 broke records for how far out it was felt. It triggered landslides 150 miles away and sent damaging tremors four times farther and over an area 20 times larger than ever recorded before, the USGS said the next year.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Small explosions reported on Roosevelt Island after NYC earthquake
The new year will bring new challenges for lawmakers, who must confront crises at home and abroad as the 2024 elections take center stage and threaten to deepen partisan divisions on Capitol Hill.

The race for the White House is poised to play a major role in influencing what gets done  and what doesnt  on Capitol Hill, and the balance of power in Congress is at stake with key Senate and House races on the ballot.

The most pressing issues are a pair of government shutdown deadlines in January and February and a high-stakes effort to strike a deal over border security and aid for Ukraine and Israel. Its far from clear, however, whether lawmakers will be able to reach consensus over border security and foreign aid and legislation to avert a shutdown.

As the 2024 election increasingly dominates the political landscape, consensus could become even more difficult as partisan disputes risk becoming harder to overcome on Capitol Hill.

Negotiations ongoing over border security

Senate negotiators have been seeking a deal on border security that could be tied to aid for Ukraine and Israel, among other priorities, as Republicans insist that an aid package be paired with major border security policy changes.

The House and Senate arent due to return for votes until next week, but border security talks have continued during the holiday break. Senators involved in the discussions have been in conversation since the chamber adjourned for the recess  and lawmakers and staff have been meeting remotely, according to a Senate aide familiar with the negotiations.

Threading the needle on a potential deal is highly challenging, in part because border security and immigration have long been among the most contentious policy issues on Capitol Hill.

Attempting to hammer out a deal as the presidential race picks up steam adds to the challenge, especially as hardline rhetoric over immigration and the border has long been a prominent feature of former President Donald Trumps campaigns.

In December, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a joint statement that negotiators were making encouraging progress, but that challenging issues remain.

As negotiators work through remaining issues, it is our hope that their efforts will allow the Senate to take swift action on the national security supplemental early in the new year, they said.

If Senate negotiators reach a deal that can pass the chamber, a border security and foreign aid package could still face an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled House, where a large number of Republicans are opposed to further aid to Ukraine.

Government funding fight looms

House Speaker Mike Johnson will face an extremely narrow vote margin and what may be his most challenging leadership test to date when lawmakers return to Washington and confront a government funding fight.

In a rare event, Congress will face not one but two government shutdown deadlines early in the new year  on January 19 and February 2.

Congress passed stopgap legislation in mid-November extending government funding until January 19 for priorities including military construction, veterans affairs, transportation, housing and the Energy Department. The rest of the government will be funded until February 2.

The goal was to give lawmakers more time to try to pass full-year spending bills, but there is now very little time ahead of the rapidly approaching deadlines.

Absent a broader agreement, Congress will face pressure to again pass a stopgap bill, but prominent lawmakers are already warning against the possibility of a stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, that would last a full year.

A CR is simply unacceptable for a year. Its devastating, particularly for defense, and weve got all of these wars going on, so we need to reach an agreement on the top line and get about getting an outcome as soon as possible, McConnell said in December.

After Johnson was elected speaker, a number of conservatives signaled they would give him time to find his footing in the job after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by a conservative revolt. Cracks have already begun to emerge, however, and its not clear how much more of a grace period the new speaker will get.

Johnson will also have to steer his narrow majority through the GOP impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, which will be under a microscope in the weeks to come. That majority shrank in 2024 as McCarthy departed Congress at the end of last year before the end of his term. McCarthys absence and the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos of New York leaves two vacancies in the US House to be filled by special election later this year, and that Republicans control just 220 seats to Democrats 213 at the years start. That GOP number will shrink by one more on January 21 when Ohio Republican Rep. Bill Johnson steps down to become president of Youngstown State University.

In December, House Republicans voted to formalize an impeachment inquiry into Biden as their investigation reaches a critical juncture and right-wing pressure grows.

In a 221-212 vote, all GOP members supported the resolution to formalize the inquiry. But the probe has struggled to uncover wrongdoing by the president, a factor that could create a political liability for moderate Republican members in competitive districts.

GOP leadership has made a point to indicate that formalizing the inquiry does not mean impeaching the president is inevitable, even as pressure within the party and the Republican base grows.

Were not going to prejudge the outcome of this because we cant, Johnson told reporters in December. Its not a political calculation. Were following the law, and we are the rule-of-law team, and Im going to hold to that.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNNs Morgan Rimmer, Kristin Wilson and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.

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The resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay after new plagiarism claims closes her chapter in a storm that has dragged elite schools into bitter pre-election politics.

Gay announced she was stepping down on Tuesday, ending the shortest tenure atop the renowned Ivy League university in history, after weeks of criticism reignited when The Washington Free Beacon published new accusations that she had lifted language she used in a paper 20 years ago from another professor.

Her departure comes nearly a month after Gay and other university presidents were asked in a congressional hearing whether calls for genocide against Jews in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza were in violation of their schools codes of conduct. She answered: It can be, depending on the context. That technical and overly nuanced reply to a no-brainer question was seen by many critics across the political spectrum as deeply problematic. She later apologized for her remarks.

But her problems, which were then exacerbated by plagiarism claims, were seized upon, especially by Republicans increasingly targeting top schools as examples of elite American institutions they see as in the throes of a leftist political transformation.

Gays chief antagonist, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a Harvard graduate and leading ally of ex-President Donald Trump, was quick to celebrate her resignation in a statement that also hinted at future peril for universities from an investigation by the House GOP majority that could raise concerns over academic freedom.

The resignation of Harvards antisemitic plagiarist president is long overdue. Claudine Gays morally bankrupt answers to my questions made history as the most viewed Congressional testimony in the history of the U.S. Congress, said Stefanik, the chairwoman of the House GOP conference. She added, This is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.

There were also immediate warnings from prominent African American leaders that Gay had been driven out of Harvard because she dismantled racial impediments as the first Black woman president of the university.

This is an attack on every Black woman in this country whos put a crack in the glass ceiling, said Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network.

Given the political stakes at play, Gays resignation is unlikely to be the end of the showdown between conservatives and elite American schools since it fits into the populist narrative on the right that prestigious American universities, with their push for diversity and inclusion on race and gender issues, have moved beyond the rest of the country.

In hindsight, the disastrous congressional hearing last year offered the university presidents critics a political opening. Then, despite Gays apology for her comments, the drip, drip of allegations about plagiarism made her position untenable.

I think the answer that she gave on the question about antisemitism was not a good answer  (but) that wouldnt have cost her her job, Frederick Lawrence, the former president of Brandeis University, told CNNs Jake Tapper Tuesday. I think the plagiarism allegation is what really stuck and because it didnt go away and because there was this sense of continuing investigations of that, I think it made it inevitable.

Gay seemed to agree, saying in her resignation statement, It has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.

While there are clear political motivations at play in the rights assault on the countrys most storied universities, the controversies are also unfolding at a fraught moment in higher education. Elite universities are being buffeted by claims that they are tainted by the political doctrines of the left and that colleges are becoming less a place to prepare new generations and more an incubator of radical ideology.

By definition, academia deals in nuance. Universities have traditionally been places where ideas are pushed to their limits, even those that many regard as unacceptable, in order to preserve the definitional need for free speech and inquiry. But, critics say the balance is off kilter and that necessary actions to reform institutions that for years discriminated on the basis of gender, race and class have become consumed by their own radicalizing social revolution.

Are university leaders held to the same accountability as their students?

A Harvard spokesperson told CNN last month Gay would update her 1997 dissertation to correct additional instances of inadequate citation. The new corrections, first reported by the Harvard Crimson, follow two previous updates Gay issued last week to scholarly articles she wrote in the 2000s.

A review published by CNN had found Gays previous requested corrections did not address even clearer examples of plagiarism from her earlier academic work, including her dissertation. Plagiarism charges against Gay were first circulated by conservative activists and later reported by the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative publication.

Ivy League institutions are a favorite target for the new Trump populist right and reflect the evolution of the Republican Party in recent years away from its own elitist roots. And Gays latest troubles soon became a new opening for Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said last month she had widened an existing investigation into campus antisemitism to include the plagiarism allegations. An allegation of plagiarism by a top school official at any university would be reason for concern, but Harvard is not just any university. It styles itself as one of the top educational institutions in the country, Foxx wrote in a letter to Penny Pritzker, the senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation.

The showdown is made to measure for Foxx, an enthusiastic advocate for Trump, as it allows her to hit the MAGA sweet spot of assaulting one of the ultimate establishment institutions in the United States. She is heaping pressure on a Harvard president seen as a standard bearer for the kind of diversity and inclusion programs that many on the right see as antithetical to their view of American values.

Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill called the investigation shocking and dangerous at the time and questioned why members of Congress are spending their time probing Harvard rather than passing a border bill or aid to Ukraine. When you challenge the independence of private institutions, you are challenging a core element of our democracy. We should be on alert, Ifill told CNNs Brianna Keilar on The Source last month.

If Harvard wants to do its own investigation, it is free to do so. But for members of Congress to decide that they want to meddle into the private affairs of a private institution in order to score political points and to target a Black president is incredibly dangerous, added Ifill, the former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a graduate of Yale and Harvard, has made waging a fight against elite institutions a cornerstone of his tenure and his campaign. He wrote in his autobiography, The Courage to be Free, that he detected more wisdom in working-class communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania than he encountered at both schools, where entitled and tenured professors reigned as potentates, sure in the smugness of their positions, but utterly unaware of the lives of most Americans, including those that they professed to care about.

His comments may be self-serving attempts to bolster his political mythology  or hint at a sincere reaction to his education that powered his political rise  or both. But DeSantis is also tapping into a powerful seam in the Trump-era GOP that was also evident, for example, in the demonizing of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious diseases specialist during the Covid-19 emergency.

But the plagiarism allegations, and the way Harvard handled them, also pose legitimatize questions over whether the university is holding its president  the guarantor and epitome of its standards of scholarship  to the same standards itd apply to an undergraduate student. If a university is willing to look the other way and not hold faculty accountable for engaging in academically dishonest behavior, it cheapens its mission and the value of its education, Foxx wrote. Students must be evaluated fairly, under known standards  and have a right to see that faculty are, too.

Antisemitism controversy widened criticism of top academic presidents beyond conservatives

The heat on universities is likely to intensify this year as the presidential election heats up. But the appearance of Gay and two other university presidents at a hearing of the House Education Committee last month threatens to become a seminal moment that underscored how, especially in the age of social media, elite institutions and their leaders can quickly appear out of touch with American society.

The most high-profile questioning was conducted by Stefanik, who repudiated her more moderate Republicanism to emerge as a clarion for Trumpism  with swift benefits for her political career.

Stefanik asked Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill whether calls for genocide against Jews violated the codes of conduct at their respective institutions.

Gay said she found such speech personally abhorrent and offensive to Harvards values, but added that when speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies, including policies against bullying, harassment or intimidation, we take action. This answer came across as academic and overly technical given the shocking rise of antisemitism following the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Many Americans believe that a call for genocide in itself constitutes abhorrent conduct. Gay later apologized for her remarks, telling the Harvard Crimson, Words matter.

Magills answers appeared even more evasive than those of Gay, crossing into apparent academic contempt for Stefaniks black-and-white line of politicized interrogation. Magill later clarified her remarks but didnt apologize and resigned amid a political firestorm and under pressure from University of Pennsylvania graduates and donors.

Some defenders of Gay and her colleagues argued that the situation was more complex than it seemed since Stefanik specifically asked the witnesses to comment on the phrase globalize the intifada, which has been used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators and others since the war erupted. The Arabic word intifada, meaning shaking off, refers to two, years-long popular uprisings by Palestinians in 1987 and 2000 against Israeli rule of the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip. The terminology was used to reference resistance to Israeli government policy not genocide against Jews.

But there have been instances in which the phrase was used by some pro-Hamas protesters following the groups horrific terror attacks against civilians inside Israel.

So while the university presidents may have been protecting the core principle of free speech with their remarks, their distinction between someone advocating genocide and acting upon it came across as insensitive, absurd and morally barren.

The encounter presented a huge political victory for Stefanik, whose support for Trump has lifted her to the top echelons of leadership as chair of the House Republican conference. It prompted her critics, like Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, to ask why she failed to condemn the ex-presidents meeting with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and Kanye West, now known as Ye, who has long been accused of antisemitic rhetoric.

But more than anything else, it encapsulated the public crisis facing top American universities and accusations that they are not just isolated from the rest of society, but are threatening their own intellectual mission with political equivocation.

This story, which was originally published on December 22, 2023, has been updated to reflect Claudine Gays resignation.

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Queen Margrethe of Denmark kicked off 2024 with a royal surprise!

During her official New Year's Eve address on Sunday, Denmark's longest-reigning royal announced that she will officially abdicate the throne on Jan. 14, -- 52-years after she took the throne.

Her majesty's oldest son, Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will assume their roles as the King and Queen of Denmark.

"I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik," the Queen shared what will now be her final New Year's Eve address to the Danish public.

KELD NAVNTOFT/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

The 83-year-old royal noted in her address that her continued health struggles and increased "aliments" will no longer allow her to serve the way she has over the last five decades.

"In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future -- whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation. I have decided that now is the right time," she said in the speech.

The Queen ended her speech by thanking her many supporters and the changing governments and parliament. Margrethe also encouraged the public to offer the same support to her so and his wife as they assume their new roles.

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"The support and assistance which I have received throughout the years, have been crucial to the success of my task. It is my hope that the new King and Queen will be met with the same trust and devotion which have fallen to my lot. They deserve it! Denmark deserves it!

Following her shocking announcement, Margrethe was joined by Frederik, Mary, her son, Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie at Amalienborg Castle for the New Year's banquet.

Frederik and Mary are parents of Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and 12-year-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. Following his father's promotion to king, Christian -- who is the heir -- will become Crown Prince Christian.

KELD NAVNTOFT/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Queen Margrethe's decision to abdicate is the first time it has been done in over 500 years. Margrethe took on the role as queen in 1972, at the age of 31, following the sudden death of her father, King Frederik IX.

Margrethe was married to Prince Henrik of Denmark, who died in 2018. Together, the pair are parents of Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim.

The news of Margrethe's abdication comes a year after she stripped Prince Joachim's children of their "prince" and "princess" titles.

KELD NAVNTOFT/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Joachim shares Nikolai, 24, and Felix, 21, with his ex-wife, Alexandria, Countess of Frederiksborg. He is also dad to Henrik, 14, and Athena, 11, with his current wife, Princess Marie, whom he married in 2008.

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When asked about her decision, the monarch said that the choice will allow Joachim's children to shape their own lives.

"It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future," she said (via Hello!). "That is the reason."

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Natalie Portman is generally private about her personal life (including info about her husband), but the same cant be said about her successful acting career. She recently starred alongside Julianne Moore in May December, which earned her a 2024 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).

The actress discussed the complicated role during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. When you think about the number of movies that are made about serial killers and what an actor has to go into to get into the mind of that, its a very intense thing, she said. Its a very questionable thing. Its a debatable thing of how much we should go there.

Although the 42-year-old Oscar winner is a mom of two, not much is known about her children or her relationship with her now ex-husband, Benjamin Millepied. Here, five things we do know about Natalie Portmans former husband and their relationship.

1. Hes French

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Millepied was born on June 10, 1977, in Bordeaux, France. The youngest of three sons, he began ballet training at the age of eight with his mom, who was a ballet dancer. He went on to continue his studies at the Conservatoir National in Lyon, France.

In 2022, he directed his first feature-length movie, Carmen, and credited Portman with helping him prepare. Just being on set and seeing directors work with [Natalie] and other actors was very helpful, for sure. Seeing just how every director has a different way to achieve interesting performances, he told Us Weekly. I think  the toughest part of the journey was really understanding why I was so attracted to making film as an artist  then now as a director and working on the script and then working with actors.

2. Hes a Professional Ballet Dancer and Choreographer

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Portmans former husband continued his ballet education at the School of American Ballet and eventually moved from France to the U.S. to join New York City Ballets corps de ballet in 1995. He became a soloist in 1998 and the principal dancer in 2002. From there, he became a choreographer for the Metropolitan Opera, American Ballet Theater, the School of American Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet and more.

He retired from his role at New York City Ballet in 2011 and founded L.A. Dance Project immediately following. The companys inaugural performance was held a year later at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The company went on to be extremely successful, but he eventually moved on to Paris Opera Ballet as the director of dance. Amidst all this, in 2009, he served as the choreographer of Black Swan starring Portman and...guess what happened?

3. Portman and Millepied Met on the Set of Black Swan

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Portman and Millepied met while filming Black Swan and started a relationship shortly after. During a SiriusXM interview, Portman said, I met my husband on it, so I think I was in, like, dreamland We had a whole, like, he was teaching me to dance. You know, one of those romantic [stories] It was definitely exciting and fun. It was beautiful. I don't know about instant. It was like I really got to know him and that was when it seemed like, Oh, this is the person.

4. They Have Two Children

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They welcomed their son, Aleph Millepied-Portman on June 14, 2011, and married in August of 2012. From there, Millepied converted to Judaism for Portman and the family moved from Paris to Los Angeles in 2016. Portman gave birth to their second child, Amalia Millepied-Portman, on February 22, 2017.

5. They Finalized Their Divorce in 2024

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In 2023, Millepied was accused of having an affair. Although they tried to work on their relationship, People magazine confirmed that their divorce was finalized as of March 2024.

It was initially really tough for her, but her friends rallied around her and helped get her through the worst of it, a source told the mag. Natalie is coming out of a really tough and painful year but shes come out the other side of it stronger and is finding joy in her family, friends and work.

Who Is Jennifer Lawrences Husband, Cooke Maroney?
EXCLUSIVE: Alanis Morissette learns how the Holocaust affected her family in 'Finding Your Roots'

Alanis Morissette learns about a painful chapter in her family's past during an appearance on "Finding Your Roots."

According to an an exclusive clip from the the Jan. 2 episode of "Finding Your Roots," Morissette's maternal grandfather, Imre Feuerstein, tried to find his brothers, Gyorgy and Sandor Feuerstein, after they went missing during the Holocaust.

"In 1949, four years after WWII ended, your grandfather asked the Red Cross to look for his brother," Gates, Jr. told Morissette. "Did you know this?"

"I did not know this," Morissette responded.

"Can you imagine what that was like for your grandfather, carrying that burden?" he said.

"Not knowing where your sibling is, if they're alive or dead... No, God," Morissette replied.

The Jan. 2 episode will reveal more from about Morissette's Hungarian-Jewish family, including the fate of her uncles.

Speaking to TODAY.com Jan. 15, Morissette said she only learned of her Jewish roots when she was 28, since her mother and grandmother concealed their ancestry.

Archives of the Red Cross show that Alanis Morissette's grandfather tried searching for his brother Gyorgy after WWII. (PBS)

The seven-time Grammy-winning artist said her grandmother feared the reemergence of antisemitism.

Now I understand her reticence, Morissette said.

Morissette said there were "many forks in the road" in her family's history, including her grandparents harrowing escape from Hungary during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

Originally, her grandfather planned to take his family to Australia, but ended up missing their ship because he stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. Morissettes family to settled down in Canada  and the rest is history.

So I like to say that cigarettes my made my life possible," she told TODAY.com with a laugh.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Some United Airlines passengers were disappointed ringing in 2024 when their flight advertising two New Years Eves was hours delayed.

UA200 is a daily flight departing from Guam at 7:35 a.m., landing in Honolulu at 6:50 p.m. the previous day. Thats because the seven-hour flight crosses the International Dateline, and Guam is 20 hours ahead of Hawaii.

On Jan. 1, this meant passengers would be able to countdown to 2024 twice.

You only live once, but you can celebrate New Year's Eve twice! United posted on X, formerly Twitter. The airline said it was the only U.S. carrier offering such a flight.

However, the flight ended up being delayed over six hours. It departed at 1:49 p.m. and arrived in Honolulu shortly after midnight on New Years Day, causing passengers to miss their second countdown.

Orlando, Florida-based Calvin Pham was one of those passengers whose New Year's plans were spoiled. He specifically booked the United flight for the experience of a double New Year's celebration, he told USA TODAY in an email.

Pham received a notification of the delay on his phone when he was at his hotel waiting to head to the airport.

This would have been Pham's first double New Year's, and he was planning to celebrate on a pre-booked fireworks cruise with friends in Honolulu. "That was the most disappointing part for me because Id be missing celebrating with my friends," Pham said.

The airline told USA TODAY in an email it had no statement to share on the incident, but responded to peoples tweets offering rebooking assistance.

My flight was delayed, now what? What you're owed when your flight is canceled or delayed

How do people time travel to experience two New Years?

The concept of time traveling of sorts to have two New Years Eve isnt entirely new. It can be done when flights pass over the International Date Line, which marks a new calendar day. When people cross the date line eastward, they go back a day, no matter how long the flight itself is.

For the unique experience, some passengers purposefully book these time zone-crossing flights.

Pham first heard of the concept a few years ago and "put it on my 'to experience' list immediately because I found its novelty to be an amusing situation."

Hawaii, the last U.S. state to celebrate New Years, does it with a bang. The action starts on Waikiki Beach with an announcement shot at 11:55 p.m., and one pyrotechnic display every minute until midnight. Then the fireworks begin.

"I suppose one could celebrate any holiday or their birthday twice by flying UA200, but New Years Eve is a special holiday for the worldwide and communal fanfare," he said.

There tend to be only a handful of flights scheduled to cross the date line at the right time. Besides UA200, other flights that time traveled for New Years included an All Nippon flight departing Tokyo shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 and arriving in Los Angeles at 5:12 p.m. on New Years Eve. There was also an Air New Zealand flight leaving Auckland on Jan. 1 at 8:50 a.m. and landing in the Cook Islands around 1:29 p.m. on New Years Eve.

Some travel companies have even created special itineraries based around having a double New Years Eve. In 2018, luxury private jet company PrivateFly offered a very pricey package where people flew from Sydney, Australia, on the evening of Dec. 31 to Los Angeles, California, where it would still be New Years Eve. The 19-hour time difference allowed travelers to replay over 5.5 hours of party time, PrivateFlys marketing director said in a press release. However, the cost to charter the entire plane for the 2018 itinerary was $255,500, and it was only one way with no return flight to Sydney.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How could you get New Year's Eve twice by flying?
Cheapism / Kirk Fisher/istockphoto / Giacomo Augugliaro/Getty Images / georgealmanza/istockphoto

Cruising for Trouble

From the peril of reckless selfies to the nuances of interacting with staff, and the absolute necessity of not missing the muster drill, cruise ship etiquette extends far beyond the buffet line. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned sailor, being aware of these lesser-known guidelines and things to never do on a cruise is crucial so your dream vacation isnt turned into a nautical nightmare.

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Shoot Reckless Selfies

Just because youve booked a cruise of a lifetime does not mean you have the license to endanger yourself for a TikTok. Royal Caribbean's rules get right to the point: Sitting, standing, jumping, laying or climbing on, over or across any exterior or interior railings or other protective barriers is strictly prohibited and they enforce it as well; theyve banned a woman caught posing on her balcony railing in her swimwear.

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Hook Up With a Member of Staff

Every cruise line has strict and explicit guidelines on interactions between crew and passengers. Royal Caribbean even goes so far as to say: Please do not misinterpret their friendliness. Crew members are prohibited from engaging in physical relationships with guests. Staff are not permitted in staterooms except to perform their shipboard duties, and similarly, passengers are not allowed to enter restricted or crew areas of the ship.

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Forget Your Passport

Yes, you can go on a cruise without your passport but you need to make sure you have the right paperwork, and IF you get stranded in a foreign port of call and have to fly back, it could get tricky. So pack your passport and government ID on you, and leave it in your checked bag or you might end up being refused boarding.

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Throw Anything Overboard, Including Yourself

Whether its a fork, a lounge chair, or even yourself, dont throw anything overboard. It may sound like an obvious one, but as we know, common sense isnt always so common. Cruise staff take this offense very seriously and passengers have not only faced fines but been asked to disembark, or even banned for life like this man who leaped from a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Related: The Worst Cruise Ship Horror Stories

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Skip the Muster Drill

A muster drill is a mandatory safety exercise that familiarizes passengers with emergency procedures such as using life vests and locating escape routes. Now that you can usually access the drills from your stateroom TV or via an app on your phone (applicable only to some cruise lines), you dont have any excuse not to complete them. If you miss the 24-hour deadline to participate in one, find out how/when you can attend a makeup drill.

And if you think you can skip it altogether, according to Cruise Hive you can be forced to exit the ship at its next port of call. At the very least your cabin number and name will be broadcast ship-wide, so dont be that person.

For more travel tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.

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Fly a Drone

You can pack it but may not be able to use it, and it might be temporarily confiscated until the end of your voyage. Carnival and Royal Caribbean sailing are currently the only cruise lines that allow drones but there are conditions, Carnival only allows camera drones, Royal Caribbean wont allow you to use the drone on the ship or even inside the port, and also their private destinations of CocoCay, Bahamas or Labadee, Haiti.

Related: Tips and Tricks for Smooth Sailing on Your Next Cruise

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Hide a Communicable Illness

With so many passengers in an enclosed space, ships take any form of infectious disease (flu, coronavirus, norovirus) very seriously. According to Royal Caribbean, even if mild symptoms show up, youre expected to return to your stateroom and report to the ships medical personnel by calling the medical facility onboard or risk a fine.

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Bring Drugs, Even CBD Gummies

Dont bring drugs. Not even cannabis even if it may be legal in your state. Theyre not allowed on cruise ships, especially those calling into ports that have a hard stance on drugs. Try to sneak some in (even if its just some CBD gummies) and you risk getting arrested or even banned for life  even if you have a medical marijuana card.

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Just Eat at the Buffet

Variety is nice but the ships buffet is often the most crowded and chaotic part of the ship. Take the time to browse the rest of the dining options (dont just leave specialty dining to the last day) or order off the menu at the main dining room for a more peaceful dining experience.

Related: 14 People Who Should Never Take a Cruise

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Be the Last One to Board

It doesnt matter if its 20 minutes or two hours, cruise ships are on a tight schedule and they leave on time. If you think you can rock up at the tail end of boarding, dont wing it because you might run late and get there just in time to see the ship sail out of port. But what about excursions, surely they wont leave without you right? Nope. Just ask this woman who came back late and had to catch a plane to her next port of call.

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Forget to Pack a Day Bag for Embarkation Day

Cruise ships are basically moving hotels. Just because you checked in your luggage early does not mean itll be waiting in your cabin as soon as you board. So if you have essential medications, or need something specific for your first day of cruising, it's best to keep it handy with you.

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Think You Wont Get Sea Sick

Even if youre out on the water regularly, having sea legs on a large cruise ship is another thing altogether. There are wristbands and patches but you can pop a seasick pill every evening to keep you even-keeled.

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Sneak Alcohol Onto a Cruise

Mouthwash bags, rum runner flasks, fake shampoo bottles: cruise staff are onto just about every method or product used to smuggle in booze  thanks TikTok for spoiling it for the rest of us  so just dont do it or you may be asked to disembark at the next port.

Royal Caribbeans alcohol policy explicitly states, Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under the legal drinking age, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense.

Most cruise lines will allow each 21-year-old and above adult to carry one 750 milliliter bottle of wine or Champagne onboard, which can be enjoyed for a corkage fee at bars, dining rooms, and specialty restaurants.

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Pack the Surge Protector

Youll need a power strip but make sure it does not have surge protection. According to Anker: Surge protectors are not allowed on cruise ships because they increase fire risk. The reason this danger exists is that a normal surge protector only breaks the circuit on the live electrical wire, whereas both the live and neutral wires carry current on a cruise ship.

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Buy a Piece of Art at Sea

The onboard art auctions may be fun but theyre not the best place to buy a piece of art unless youve already done your due diligence  look up Park West Gallery which handles most art auctions on cruise ships  to make sure youre paying the right price for it. The lack of Wi-Fi makes it difficult to do on-the-go research on an art pieces provenance, theres been controversy over authenticity, and while itll come with a COA (Certificate of Authenticity) its only as good as who issued it unless the artist signed it.

Related: Things You Should Never Buy on a Cruise

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Assume You Can Freely Vape in Your Room

Vaping is generally not allowed in a ships indoor spaces, though restrictions vary by cruise line. Seabourn and Oceania allow vaping in guest suites while most other cruise lines allow vaping in outdoor spaces, but some only in specific outdoor areas.

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Be a Chair Hog

Everyone wants a chair by the pool so be a good sport and reserve it only if youre going to be using it. If you think you can reserve a pool chair by placing a towel on it and then walking away for a few hours, you might come back to get your towel (and belongings) removed by a pool attendant or an irate fellow cruiser  and youll be the one in the wrong.

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Go Shopping Too Early

Do go window shopping early in the cruise to curate a few things that you might want but leave it to the last couple of days to pull the trigger on your purchase. Why? Because you might find the same thing cheaper on a shore excursion, or more likely, itll be on sale on the last day of your cruise.

deniskomarov/istockphoto

Dress Inappropriately

Going shirtless in Croatia, traipsing in heels when visiting the Acropolis, or wearing camouflage clothing in certain Caribbean hotspots (Bahamas, Dominica, Barbados, Jamaica) are some of the lesser-known clothing rules. So before you pack, make sure you take note of whats accepted or not, usually a cruise line will clue you in.

Royal Caribbeans website states, Please note camouflage print clothing and accessories, as well as military-style clothing, is illegal in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. This style of clothing is reserved only for members of the military at these destinations.

And yes, this even extends to backpacks, just ask this cruise passenger who got escorted back to the ship in Barbados for his camo backpack.

Kirk Fisher/istockphoto

Overpay for Drinks

That Drink Package may look excessive when booking but its one way to not overpay for drinks if youre likely to be drinking more than a couple of glasses a day. Other savvy ways to keep your drink bill reasonable include checking for daily drink specials and happy hour, attending the captain cocktail parties, and if youre going to be playing at the casino, enjoying some complimentary libations.
South Carolina and Louisiana showed the highest level of flu activity in the United States during the last week of December, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The number of cases of influenza and other respiratory illnesses is on the rise in the Anderson area.

During the first three weeks of December, AnMed saw an increase in flu and COVID inpatient admissions.

This is likely due to the holidays which are a time of increased travel, gatherings, and other social activities, and can lead to increased transmission of the flu and COVID.

The latest CDC flu activity map in the U.S. released Dec. 8, 2023.

As the situation progresses and its effects on the health system are analyzed, AnMed's infection-control experts are closely monitoring it.

SC flu cases rising: Prisma Health, Spartanburg Regional hospitals limit visitations

Currently, no policy change has been made at the hospital system. New recommendations have been issued to limit hospital visits, which reduces risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

AnMed is asking residents to limit patient visitations and wear facemasks in health system facilities. If you are sick or experiencing respiratory illness symptoms such as fever, cough, sneezing, runny nose, or sore throat, you should not visit hospital patients.

About 8% of the United States population gets sick with the flu each year, according to a recent CDC study. The flu can affect anyone at any age. Getting sick can lead to many serious complications if you are 65 years or older, have chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, or are pregnant.

AnMed CareConnect clinics in Anderson or Clemson are available to residents who have suspected cases of influenza or other respiratory illnesses.

Steps Anderson residents can use to control infection spread

AnMed offers the following tips to help reduce the spread of the flu:

Make sure you get vaccinated. Residents can prevent diseases from spreading by vaccination. If you're sick, stay at home and get medical attention if you need it. To prevent the spread of illness, residents should wear a mask and keep a distance of at least six feet from others. If you have a fever and it has subsided without the help of medicine, avoid contact with others and stay home for 24 hours. When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and throw it away. If you don't have a tissue, use your sleeve or elbow. Afterward, wash or sanitize your hands. Make sure you wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If you don't have soap and water, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Flu cases rise in South Carolina. AnMed cautions hospital visitors
A large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing five people aboard the coast guard plane, officials said.

All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the Airbus A350 was fully engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed.

The pilot of the coast guard's Bombardier Dash-8 plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said. The aircraft was preparing to take off to deliver aid to an area affected by a major earthquake on Monday, officials said.

Television footage showed an orange fireball erupting from the Japan Airlines plane as it collided while landing, and the airliner then spewed smoke from its side as it continued down the runway. Within 20 minutes, all passengers and crew members slid down emergency chutes to get away.

As firefighters tried to put out the blaze with streams of water, the area around the passenger planes wing caught fire. The flames spread throughout the plane, which eventually collapsed. The fire was extinguished after about six hours.

Tuesdays accident was the first severe damage to an Airbus A350, among the industrys newest large passenger planes. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus said in a statement it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French officials investigating the accident, and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.

The A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.

The fire is likely to be seen as a key test case for airplane fuselages made from carbon-composite fibers, such as the A350 and the Boeing 787, instead of conventional aluminum skins.

We dont know that much about how composites burn, said safety consultant John Cox. This is the most catastrophic composite-airplane fire that I can think of. On the other hand, that fuselage protected (passengers) from a really horrific fire -- it did not burn through for some period of time and let everybody get out.

JAL Managing Executive Officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told a news conference late Tuesday that the A350 was making a normal entry and landing on the runway, without specifying how it collided with the coast guard plane. Noriyuki Aoki, also a managing executive officer at JAL, said the airline maintains that the flight had received permission to land from aviation officials.

Police are expected to investigate the accident on suspicion of professional negligence, NHK television reported.

Coast guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday. The turboprop Dash-8 is widely used on short-haul and commuter flights.

The coast guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi told reporters.

Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Hanedas four runways where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. Transport safety officials were analyzing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft and planned to interview JAL officials to determine what led to the collision.

Hiraoka praised JAL for taking appropriate procedures to safely evacuate all passengers and crew members.

Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos," Deibe added.

Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.

All passengers and crew members slid down the escape chutes and survived. Some passengers told media interviews that they felt relieved only after reaching a grassy area beyond the tarmac.

JAL said four passengers were taken to a medical facility. NHK said 14 other people were injured.

Cox, the safety consultant, said the cabin crew did a remarkably great job getting passengers out of the plane.

"It shows good training,Cox said. And if you look at the video, people are not trying to get stuff out of the overheads. They are concentrating on getting out of the airplane.

The transport minister said officials were doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods to earthquake-hit areas. Transport officials said the airport's three other runways had reopened.

Haneda is the busier of two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international and transcontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.

The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus.

JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the newer A350-1000 variant it plans to bring into service, saying it will become the airlines new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years. The first of those planes arrived a few weeks ago, slated for the Haneda-New York JFK route.

The International Air Transport Association trade group said on the X social media platform that its thoughts were with those aboard the two aircraft, saying that the last two days have been difficult for Japan." (AP)
A former adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, along with a former aide to one-time presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson, have admitted to unlawfully lobbying on behalf of Qatar, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Barry Bennett and Douglas Watts admitted to lying to the Justice Department about their work running a pair of Washington, D.C.-based advocacy groups that advocated for Qatar's interests, without properly registering as agents for the wealthy Middle East country.

MORE: Sen. Bob Menendez facing even more allegations in new superseding indictment

The admissions are part of a deferred prosecution agreement that will dismiss charges against them after a year of compliance.

Both Bennett and Watts served as advisers to Carson's 2016 presidential campaign before Bennett ultimately joined Trump's campaign as an unpaid adviser.

After Trump's election, court papers say Bennett established the consulting firm "Avenue Strategies" and tasked Watts with operating a separate company that promoted the interests of Bennett's foreign clients.

PHOTO: In this Sept. 16, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential hopefuls, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, left, smiles as real estate magnate Donald Trump speaks after they arrived on stage for the Republican presidential debate in Simi Valley, Calif. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

The two established an organization called "Yemen Crisis Watch" that promoted a public relations campaign denigrating Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their role in the conflict in Yemen -- all on behalf of Bennett's Qatari clients, according to the Justice Department.

Bennett has agreed to pay the U.S. a $100,000 fine as part of the deferred prosecution agreement, while Watts will pay a $25,000 fine.

The charges against them will be formally lifted after one year of compliance with the terms of the deal.

Former advisers to Trump, Ben Carson admit to unlawful lobbying on behalf of Qatar originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
House Whip Tom Emmer announced on Wednesday that he is backing former President Donald Trump in his latest bid for the White House. With Emmers announcement on X, all of the Republican House leaders have now backed Trumps re-election campaign.

Democrats have made clear they will use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them. Its time for Republicans to unite behind our partys clear frontrunner, which is why I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President, Emmer posted on X.

Emmers announcement comes after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise endorsed Trump on Tuesday and less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses kick off voting in the Republican presidential primary.

I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of Bidens failed policies, Scalise posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Trump thanked Scalise on his social media website Truth Social and said it was a great honor to have his endorsement. I will not let you, or our Country, down! Trump wrote.

The former president continues to lead the Republican presidential primary field by around 40 percentage points in nationwide polling, according to the latest update to the CNN Poll of Polls, ahead of his chief rivals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Trumps commanding lead comes as he is a defendant in multiple criminal trials and faces 91 charges against him across four separate cases. Hes been juggling campaigning in early voting states with his legal obligations as a defendant. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

This story has been updated with additional information.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Buses carrying migrants.

Buses full of migrants are stopping at New Jersey's transit points to avoid New York's efforts to regulate migrant arrivals.

Jersey City's emergency management agency reported that about 10 buses from Texas and one from Louisiana arrived at various transit stations in the state, such as Secaucus, Fanwood, Edison, and Trenton, over the holiday weekend, bringing approximately 397 migrants.

This comes six days after New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order requiring charter bus companies transporting new migrants into New York City to provide 32 hours' notice before arrival, along with more information about the people they're bringing.

Four of those buses stopped at Secaucus Junction, according to Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli.

In a press release, Gonnelli says that after being dropped off, the migrants then took trains to New York City, creating a loophole to Adams' policy.

It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the executive order by dropping migrants at the train station in Secaucus and having them continue to their final destination, Gonnelli said. Perhaps the requirements Mayor Adams put in place are too stringent and are resulting in unexpected consequences, as it seems the bus operators have figured out a loophole in the system in order to ensure the migrants reach their final destination, which is New York City. Based on reports from the State Police, this is now happening at train stations throughout the state.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Edison threatened to return people arriving in buses to the border.

I have become aware that Governor Abbott of Texas is once again transporting illegal migrants to cities all across the U.S. I want to be very clear: If any bus, train or plane of illegal migrants come to Edison, I have instructed our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border, said Mayor Sam Joshi. Over the years I have expressed my disagreement with the concept of 'sanctuary' cities and states and I won't allow Edison to be subjected to its consequences. Our border policies need to be strengthened to stop illegal migrants from entering our country. Edison is a municipality with a significant immigrant population and I will continue to support only legal immigration.

Last week, Adams said that New York City had welcomed over 14,700 migrants in the past month, including a record-breaking night during which 14 chartered buses arrived from Texas.

Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott highlighted on Friday that Texas has "bused" over 33,600 migrants to New York City since August 2022, and about 59,000 more to other cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and D.C.

SEE MORE: Busloads of migrants arrive in Denver, sources say
An imam has died after being shot outside a mosque in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday morning.

The imam, Hassan Sharif, was taken to University Hospital in critical condition, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage. The imam later died, according to an official briefed on the probe.

The shooting occurred just after 6 a.m. outside Masjid Muhammad, Frage said.

PHOTO: Police take security measures after an imam was shot early Wednesday morning outside of a mosque in Newark, New Jersey, Jan. 3, 2023. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

When police reported to the scene, they found Sharif lying in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds, 10 feet from the mosque entrance, according to a law enforcement source briefed on the case. Sharif had bullet wounds in his abdomen and left arm.

Investigators are now feverishly going through security and city-owned street cameras to determine whether they can spot an assailant, the source said. As often is the case, some of the cameras were not operational, but detectives believe they may have found at least one angle showing someone entering the parking lot and then running off, the law enforcement source said. Bullet casings have also been retrieved are being analyzed.

MORE: Homicide numbers poised to hit a record decline nationwide. But most Americans think murder is on the rise

The mosque traces its history to the earliest days of the Nation of Islams presence in New Jersey. It used to be known as Mosque No. 25. The imam is a well-known figure in Newark, frequently appearing with city leaders and he has delivered prayers at council meetings.

Investigators do not have a motive at this point, according to an official briefed on the probe.

While the investigation into the shooting continues, the Essex County prosecutor said there is no information at this time suggesting the crime was motivated by bias." Officials reiterated the same message at a press conference Tuesday afternoon that they've seen nothing to indicate the shooting was motivated by hate or domestic terrorism.

PHOTO: Police take security measures after an imam was shot early Wednesday morning outside of a mosque in Newark, New Jersey, Jan. 3, 2023. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Sharif had also served as a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers," the airport said in a statement.

The investigation is being handled cooperatively by Newark police and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

"We dont yet know all the details, but here is what we do know: Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family," Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement. "None of us has to know the details about this shooting to condemn it. Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never okay  no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act."

Imam dies after shooting outside New Jersey mosque originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Two bombs exploded and killed at least 95 people Wednesday at a commemoration for a prominent Iranian general slain by the U.S. in a 2020 drone strike, Iranian officials said, as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for what appeared to be the deadliest militant attack to target Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran's leaders vowed to punish those responsible for the blasts, which wounded at least 211 people.

The blasts were minutes apart and shook the city of Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. The second blast sprayed shrapnel into a screaming crowd fleeing the first explosion.

An earlier death toll of 103 was revised lower after officials realized that some names had been repeated on a list of victims, Iran's health minister, Bahram Einollahi, told state TV. Many of the wounded were in critical condition, however, so the death toll could rise.

The gathering marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. The explosions occurred near his grave site as long lines of people gathered for the event.

Iranian state television and officials described the attacks as bombings, without immediately giving clear details of what happened. The attacks came a day after a deputy head of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut.

The first bomb Wednesday was detonated around 3 p.m., and the other went off some 20 minutes later, the Iranian interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, told state television. He said the second blast killed and wounded the most people.

Images and video shared on social media appeared to correspond with the accounts of officials, who said the first blast happened about 700 meters (765 yards) from Soleimani's grave in the Kerman Martyrs Cemetery near a parking lot. The crowd then rushed west along Shohada Street, where the second blast struck about 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) from the grave.

A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to inflict more casualties by targeting emergency personnel responding to an attack.

Iranian state TV and state-run IRNA news agency quoted emergency officials for the casualty figures. Authorities said Thursday would be a national day of mourning.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attackers will face a harsh response, though he didn't name any possible suspect. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi added: "Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organizations and state actors.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass casualty bombings. A U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said American officials had no reason to believe Israel was involved in Wednesday's attack in Iran.

Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the turmoil surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran itself has been arming militant groups over the decades, including Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels. As Israel wages its devastating war in Gaza after Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, both Hezbollah and the Houthis have launched attacks targeting Israel that they say come on behalf of the Palestinians.

Israel is suspected of launching the attack Tuesday that killed a deputy head of Hamas in Beirut, but that attack caused limited casualties in a densely populated neighborhood of the Lebanese capital. Last week, a suspected Israeli strike killed a Revolutionary Guard commander in Syria.

A Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdel-Salam, sought to link the bombings to Iran's support for the resistance forces in Palestine and Lebanon, though he did not specifically blame anyone for the attack.

In Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the people who died in the attacks martyrs who died on the same road, cause and battle that was led by Soleimani.

The government of neighboring Iraq expressed condolences to the victims, and the European Union issued a statement offering its solidarity with the Iranian people.

Soleimani was the architect of Irans regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Irans theocracy. He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assads government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

Soleimani had been relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. His popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help in arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. troops.

A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Irans most recognizable battlefield commander. He ignored calls to enter politics but grew as powerful, if not more so, than its civilian leadership.

Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed Americas 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers.

Soleimanis death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.

Until Wednesday, the deadliest attack to strike Iran since the revolution was the 1981 truck bombing of the Islamic Republican Partys headquarters in Tehran. That attack killed at least 72 people, including the partys leader, four government ministers, eight deputy ministers and 23 parliament members.

In 1978 just ahead of the revolution, an intentionally set fire at the Cinema Rex in Abadan killed hundreds of people.

___

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Jack Jeffery and Emma Burrows in London contributed to this report.
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Anyone whos set foot in Italy knows there are unwritten rules that one must abide by  and the most important of all revolve around food. Cappuccino after 11 a.m.? Only for tourists. Spaghetti bolognese? A horrifying thought. Pineapple on your pizza? Heresy  at least, it was until now.

But 2024 might just be the year that pineapple pizza cracks Italy, thanks to Gino Sorbillo, the renowned Naples pizzaiolo (pizza maestro) who has added the dreaded ananas to his menu in Via dei Tribunali, the best known pizza street in the world capital of pizza.

Sorbillos creation, called Margherita con Ananas costs 7 euros ($7.70). But this isnt your regular Hawaiian: it is a pizza bianca, denuded of its tomato layer, sprinkled with no fewer than three types of cheese, with the pineapple cooked twice for a caramelized feel.

Sorbillo, a third-generation pizzaiolo, told CNN that he created it to combat food prejudice.

Sadly people follow the crowd and condition themselves according to other peoples views, or what they hear, he said.

Ive noticed in the last few years that lots of people were condemning ingredients or ways of preparing food purely because in the past most people didnt know them, so I wanted to put these disputed ingredients  that are treated like theyre poison  onto a Neapolitan pizza, making them tasty.

Doing it in his headquarters in the historic center of Naples with its 3,000 years of history  Sorbillo has 21 outlets around the world including in Miami, Tokyo and Ibiza  was also making an important point, he said.

The pineapple is prebaked in the oven and then cooled. Then he adds smoked provola (a local cow milk cheese from Campania), extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil, before popping the pizza in his woodfired oven.

As it comes out of the oven, he scatters micro shavings of two types of smoked cacioricotta cheese around the crust: one from Sardinian goats, and another from buffalos in the nearby Cilento area.

It makes it really tasty, he said.

The uproar commences

Tasty or not, pineapple on pizza is anathema to most Italians, and his pizza  which he launched on social media this week  hasnt gone down well with many. It has, Sorbillo said, started uproar with insults on social media, and his pizza even being discussed on national TV.

But he says that those whove been curious enough to try it have been favorable.

Before I launched it on social media, I put it on the menu without saying anything for a couple of weeks, and lots of people ordered it, even Neapolitans, he said.

But Italy is split in half about it. And not just Italy. Theres a load of arguments that have opened up about it. I think people in general are not curious. They are mistrustful of anything different.

The historic center of Naples has over 3,000 years of history -- much of it pizza-dominated. - Gino Sorbillo

Barbara Politi, a food journalist who rushed straight to Naples to try it, was positive.

Its good, fresh, Im in favor of it, she said. Did you know that pineapple has been part of Europes food culture since Christopher Columbus tasted it in Guadeloupe in 1493 and brought it back?

When Sorbillo launched it, I was curious and looked into how long pineapple had been used in Europe, and I found that it has been part of European [food] culture for a long time. So in reality were talking about a question of mentality and of taste habits.

I liked it, its a bit like sushi  at the start you might not love it but then it becomes a fixation.

For Sorbillo, pineapple on pizza is no different to the more adventurous toppings pizzaioli have been working with in recent years.

In the last few years people have been using ingredients that five, six years ago were never used. Now we use speck from Alto Adige, mortadella which wasnt used 10 years ago, chopped pistachios, powdered olives, mozzarella foam, even jams. Why shouldnt we rediscover pineapple? Pizza has been taking on a new life for the past five or six years.

He said he thought his pizzaiolo ancestors would be perplexed by his pineapple offering, but added, Things should be tasted first, and then you express your view. In the past, not even ham or arugula went on pizzas, now theyre normal.

Sorbillo has since created a ketchup pizza to goad his critics even more. - Gino Sorbillo

However, one thing he draws the line at is starting with a tomato base.

Thats another fruit  with two fruits, which both have acidity it wouldnt be a good product, he said. Instead, I put three smoked cheeses on, and it changes the pizza, becomes a different taste.

He said that the Hawaiians history, using tomato, meant that people condemn it without trying to work on it, as I did.

Obviously there are polemics from people who say you shouldnt use it. But why are you offended? Nobody is forcing you to buy it.

Pairings are important in food. If you pair ingredients well, the result is good. People who are gastronomically curious are eating it, which means we did well.

In fact, Sorbillo has already used the criticism to create another controversial pizza.

When the pineapple pizza came out, someone wrote, Now see if you can do a ketchup one, so I did it, he said. And another row started.

It was no ordinary ketchup, though; instead, he used homemade sauce from red and yellow Italian datterino tomatoes, on a white base with smoked provola. He then filmed himself eating it triumphantly, surrounded by bottles of homemade ketchup, pronouncing it good.

All you need to change is one ingredient, or one preparatory step, and you create a whole new thing, he said.

Im sure that soon pineapple pizza will appear on the menus of other pizzerias in Naples  and not only in Naples.

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BYD overtook Tesla as the worlds top seller of electric vehicles (EV) at the end of last year, crowning an extraordinary rise for the Chinese carmaker.

It delivered more fully electric cars than Tesla for the first time in the three-month period to December 31, and slashed the sales lead held by Elon Musks company over the year as a whole.

So how did a little-known Chinese battery maker grow so quickly to become Teslas biggest rival?

A sleeping giant

Based in the Chinese megacity of Shenzhen, BYD was founded in 1995 by Wang Chuanfu, a low-key former academic who still runs the company. Wang says the letters BYD dont stand for anything in particular. He said he chose a rather strange name to set it apart from other startups.

It is Chinas top EV producer and exports electric taxis, buses and other vehicles to the rest of the world, including Europe, South America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Unlike Tesla (TSLA), it also makes plug-in hybrids.

Israel and Thailand currently count as BYDs major overseas markets, where the Chinese company ranks number one in EV sales.

Its best-selling passenger cars are the Qin and Song models. The Qin is a compact sedan available as a plug-in hybrid or an all-electric car. The BYD Song is a series of compact crossover SUVs.

Compared to Tesla, BYD is known for offering more affordable cars, which helped it attract a wider group of consumers. Its entry-level model sells in China for just over $10,000; the cheapest Tesla Model 3 costs more than $32,000.

BYDs passenger cars are not yet available in the United States. But its electric buses  made in Lancaster, California  are sold in the country.

Wang Chuanfu, chairman and chief executive officer at BYD Co., during an event at the company's dealership in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. - Victor Moriyama/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Made in China

Wang, an engineer, first moved to Shenzhen in the early 1990s to run a battery making business for a Beijing-based government research institute, according to his official resume in the companys filings.

Government posts in China at that time were considered iron rice bowls, a popular term for a job for life. But Wang soon quit and founded BYD.

The start of his entrepreneurial journey coincided with the opening of the Chinese economy to the world. Chinas former leader Deng Xiaoping had set up the countrys first special economic zone in Shenzhen, which encouraged hundreds of manufacturing businesses to flock to the city, lured by its liberal economic policies and cheaper labor and land costs.

By 1997, Wang had grown his small workshop to a medium-sized cellphone battery maker with more than 100 million yuan ($14 million) in annual sales.

That year, the Asian financial crisis provided a growth opportunity as plunging battery prices pushed many competitors out of business. Wangs company was able to survive due to its cost advantage, according to the Southern Weekly newspaper.

By 2003, BYD had become the worlds largest producer of nickel-cadmium batteries, which were widely used in mobile phones.

Backed by Buffett

But Wang wanted more. Eyeing the future growth of EVs, Wang ventured into the car industry in 2003, acquiring a state-owned automaker in the city of Xian for 269 million yuan ($38 million).

While that surprise decision angered the companys strategic investors and triggered a 21% plunge in the companys Hong Kong-listed shares, as Wang later described, he remained steadfast.

I build cars because I am optimistic about the future development of electric vehicles, he said defiantly after the share price plunge, according to state-owned Beijing Business Today.

Just five years later, in 2008, Wang was vindicated when he received a $230 million investment from his most famous backer, Warren Buffett, who paid about $1 per share for a stake of around 10%. That vote of confidence helped boost the companys stock by as much as 1,370% over the next year.

BYD launched its first plug-in hybrid model at the end of 2008. Since then, BYD has taken off as an EV manufacturer, partly thanks to the Chinese governments support for the industry.

Buffett has been gradually trimming his stake in BYD since 2022, taking some of the enormous profits he has made. According to the most recent filing by Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, the firm held nearly 8% of BYD as of late October. Those shares are now worth 18.28 billion Hong Kong dollars ($2.3 billion).

Competing with Tesla

BYD has dominated the Chinese EV industry since 2015, when it surpassed its domestic and overseas rivals in the worlds biggest car market. One of its key advantages against Tesla, the number two player in China, is price.

Teslas four models  the Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X  have price tags ranging from $40,000 to $120,000 in the United States. In China, the cheapest Tesla model, the base Model 3, has a starting price of 229,900 yuan ($32,375). It has a range of 272 miles on a full charge and a top speed of 140 miles per hour.

By contrast, the BYD Seagull has a starting price of 73,800 yuan ($10,392) in China. It has a top speed of 81 miles per hour. The Seagull is available with two battery packs. The smaller battery has a range of 190 miles, while the larger battery has a range of 251 miles.

Both Tesla and BYD vehicles have received safety ratings from international organizations. In 2022, Teslas Model Y and BYDs Atto 3 received a five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating respectively.

Making its own batteries

Since 2020, BYD has been making its lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) Blade Batteries for use in its own cars and for sale to other auto makers, such as Toyota.

The company says the blade-shaped battery is thinner and longer than conventional lithium iron cells, and thus can maximize the use of available space within the battery pack. Its also less likely to catch fire even when its severely damaged, according to BYD.

Tesla also reportedly uses BYD Blade Batteries for its Y cars produced in the Berlin Gigafactory, according to German media.

In March 2023, Elon Musk denied a media report saying Tesla was ending cooperation with BYD on battery supply.

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A 60-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter by gross negligence of a woman who died while attending a slapping therapy workshop at a country hotel.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in a workshop to help her diabetes on October 20 in 2016.

The workshop is understood to involve paida lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex, was previously said by her family to have embraced alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.

The hearing took place at Winchester Crown Court (Chris Ison/PA)

Hongchi Xiao, of Cloudbreak, California, entered a not guilty plea to the manslaughter charge during a short hearing at Winchester Crown Court.

The charge alleges that between October 18 and 21, 2016, the defendant whilst delivering a paida lajin workshop unlawfully killed Danielle Carr-Gomm, who was at the time attending the workshop and to whom he owed a duty of care and, in particular, to take reasonable steps to ensure that urgent medical assistance was sought when the aforementioned Danielle Carr-Gomm was suffering from a medical crisis, namely ketoacidosis, by breaching that duty in such a way and/or to such an extent as to amount to gross negligence, thereby causing her death.

Diabetic ketoacidosis, also known as DKA, occurs when there is a severe lack of insulin in the body meaning that it cannot use sugar for energy and starts to use fat instead.

The defendant, who wore a jumper and fleece for the hearing, was charged in November having been extradited to the UK from Australia.

Jessica Clarke, defending, told the court: The deceased was an avid follower and ran her own courses of the practice.

Judge Timothy Mousley KC adjourned the case for a four-week trial to start on June 26 with a further case management hearing to be held on February 8.

He told the defendant: I have fixed a timetable for your case now and the trial date has been fixed to start on June 26.

There will be a hearing before that on February 8 which you will be required to attend.

In the meantime, at least, you will remain in custody.

Wiltshire Police said in a statement released when the defendant was charged: Hongchi Xiao, 60, of Cloudbreak, California, returned to the United Kingdom from Australia on an extradition warrant and has been taken to Gablecross custody (unit) in Swindon where he was charged.

This relates to the death of Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, at Cleeve House in Seend in October 2016.

Mrs Carr-Gomm, who was born in France and moved to the UK aged 21, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999 and struggled to inject insulin due to a fear of needles.

Speaking after her death, her son Matthew Carr-Gomm, who lives in New Zealand, said: She was always keen to try and find alternative methods of treating and dealing with her diabetes and was very interested in alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.

I know she was desperate to try and cure herself of this disease.

She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was adamant that nothing would stop her from living a full life.

In recent years, mum was in a great place with a partner, a lovely home, and was travelling the world.

She had a lot of life left in her.

He said the death of Mrs Carr-Gomm had come as a huge shock to the family.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows asked an appeals court Tuesday to reconsider its his push to move his Georgia criminal election racketeering trial to federal court.

Meadows is among more than a dozen people charged with former President Donald Trump in a sprawling conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. Meadows and four other co-defendants have asked to move their state cases to federal court by arguing they were acting as federal officials when they allegedly committed their crimes.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones rejected Meadows request in September, and a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, ruling that prosecuting a former official in state court doesn't interfere with a current presidential administration.

Meadows is now asking the entire 11th Circuit, which has 12 authorized judges, to review the case. He has hired former Solicitor General Paul Clement to represent him.

The panels decision is profoundly wrong  it defies text, precedent, and common sense  and profoundly consequential, Clement wrote. Before the cavalry of Congress is called in to fix the statute, the full court should consider whether the error lay instead in the panels concededly novel holding that the critical procedural protection of federal-officer removal ends long before substantive immunity expires.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters outside the White House, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, in Washington. A federal appeals court will hear arguments on Dec. 15, 2023, over whether the election interference charges filed against Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows should be moved from a state court to federal court.

What is Meadows charged with?

Meadows is charged with racketeering and with soliciting Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to violate his oath of office during a call Jan. 2, 2021, when Trump asked him to "find" enough votes to overtake President Joe Biden's winning margin.

The indictment describes Meadows attending a White House meeting with Trump and Michigan lawmakers, sending messages to Pennsylvania lawmakers, requesting a memo regarding disrupting and delaying the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, visiting a nonpublic audit of Georgia voting and arranging the Raffensperger call.

Meadows, Trump and 17 others were charged in the alleged conspiracy being prosecuted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Four defendants have pleaded guilty, but Meadows, Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters at the White House on Oct. 21, 2020, in Washington. A federal judge in Atlanta is set to hear arguments Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, on whether Mark Meadows should be allowed to fight the Georgia indictment accusing him of participating in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 election in federal court rather than in a state court.

Why are Meadows and others trying to move to federal court?

Meadows and a handful of other defendants contend their cases should be heard in federal court because they were federal officials at the time the alleged crimes occurred. Meadows testified in August that his actions scheduling and participating in meetings with Trump were part of his duties as chief of staff.

In the 11th Circuit, Chief Judge William Pryor wrote in his decision for Judges Robin Rosenbaum and Nancy Abudu that even if the law applied to Meadows, "the events giving rise to this criminal action were not related to Meadows's official duties."

But Clement argued that the Supreme Court has long held that federal officers are shielded from state prosecution after leaving office.

The Supreme Court long ago held that federal immunity defenses protect federal officers even after they leave office, Clement wrote.

Clement argued that even in the Nixon administration, former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman and former White House counsel John Erhlichman were prosecuted in federal court.

No Chief of Staff has ever had to defend his West Wing actions in state court, Clement wrote. But if the panel decision stands, and Meadows becomes the first, he will not be last.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Meadows asks again to move Georgia charges to federal court
Police are searching for a gunman who fatally shot an imam outside his mosque in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday, an incident that heightened fears in the Muslim community amid increased tension in the U.S. since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The shooting, which does not appear to have been motivated by bias, occurred around 6:15 a.m. at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage said.

Hassan Sharif, an imam at Masjid Muhammad-Newark, was hospitalized in critical condition. He died from his injuries around 2:20 p.m., law enforcement sources said.

Police vehicles outside Masjid Muhammad Mosque in Newark, N.J., on Jan. 3, 2024. (Kyle Mazza / TheNEWS2 via Zuma / Alamy)

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Sharif was shot more than once.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement, "At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our State."

He added that "every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated."

A motive is unclear, and the shooting remains under investigation. Requests for help and reports of bias incidents from Muslims across the U.S. have increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

New Jersey is home to 320,000 Muslim Americans, Platkin said.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it is gathering information about the shooting.

We are deeply concerned about this incident. Anyone with information about the shooting should immediately contact local police, CAIR-NJ said in a statement.

A spokesperson with the FBI in New Jersey said the agency is not involved in the investigation.

A pillar in the community

The shooter, who was wearing all black, was seen running from the scene of the gunfire, authorities said. No other details about the shooter were available Wednesday afternoon. Essex County Crime Stoppers is offering a $25,000 reward for anyone with information about the shooting, the sheriff said.

Sharif had been a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and co-workers," the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement to NBC New York.

Many people described Sharif as a pillar in the community. Frage said that he was a part of the city's safe surrender program and that the mosque was one of the safe houses where fugitives turned themselves in. He had been an imam at the mosque for five years.

Qasim Amin Nathari, 59, said he joined the mosque as a child and later developed a relationship with Sharif based on mutual respect. Sharif, Nathari recalled, always viewed himself as a servant to the congregants.

"He was just a good man, which makes it so tragic," Nathari said.

Sharif was listed as an advisory board member from 2022 to 2023 for the mosques Social Services and Health Wellness program. In April 2022, he joined about 60 other people, including Jewish and Christian faith leaders, at a climate change protest in Newark.

"He was a community advocate who protested against gun violence continuously," Frage told reporters. "He supported the city in all of his efforts in helping to keep our city safe. It is with deep loss that the city will mourn his absence."

Saydah Maiga, 37, of Newark, a member of the mosque, recalled how Sharif helped her when she converted to Islam in June.

"He was there for me when I needed prayer when I first became a Muslim," she said. "He definitely made sure he reached out to me, to help me learn my prayers so that I could become the best Muslim."

She said the shooting was "very scary and sad for our Islamic community, because hes a very beautiful imam that helps everyone."

Margaret Adebayo, a matron of nearby Celestial Church of Christ/Newark New Jersey Parish, said Sharif was a "good man" and "very friendly."

Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said his heart was broken.

"Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family," he said in a statement. "None of us has to know the details about this shooting to condemn it. Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never okay  no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act.

"Today we mourn a fellow Newarker and a member of our citys multi-faith clergy community. I am disgusted that a gun has made its way through our community to kill one of us," he continued, promising to "bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter how long it takes."

Increased patrols around mosques

In the wake of the shooting, police patrols at each mosque in Nassau County, New York, were increased.

"While there is no information at this time concerning the cause of the shooting, out of an abundance of caution I am increasing patrols to protect the Muslim community," County Executive Bruce Blakeman said.

In a statement, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he wanted "to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship."

A spokesperson from Masjid Muhammad-Newark said the community was "hurting" following Sharif's death and that he would be "sorely missed."

In a statement, the Masjid Muhammad-Newark board of directors said Sharif was responsible for visiting "sick and shut-in members and bereaving families in hospitals and homes to provide consolation and care from an Islamic and humanistic perspective."

He also visited schools to promote leadership and positive images of Black men and fathers, the board of directors said, and twice a month distributed food to the community of South Orange Avenue.

"Imam Hassan demonstrated, on many occasions, that he was committed to improving the lives of people through service," the board said.

The shooting comes months after an imam at the Omar Mosque in Paterson, about 15 miles north of Newark, was stabbed while leading prayers. The suspect, Serif Zorba, was arrested on several charges, including attempted murder.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the schools conduct policy.

Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony  Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned Dec. 9.

Gay, Harvards first Black president, announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community.

Following the congressional hearing, Gays academic career came under intense scrutiny by conservative activists who unearthed several instances of alleged plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation. The Harvard Corporation, Harvards governing board, initially rallied behind Gay, saying a review of her scholarly work turned up a few instances of inadequate citation but no evidence of research misconduct.

Days later, the Harvard Corporation said it found two additional examples of duplicative language without appropriate attribution. The board said Gay would update her dissertation and request corrections.

The Harvard Corporation said the resignation came with great sadness and thanked Gay for her deep and unwavering commitment to Harvard and to the pursuit of academic excellence.

Alan M. Garber, provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until Harvard finds a replacement, the board said in a statement. Garber, an economist and physician, has served as provost for 12 years.

Gays resignation was celebrated by the conservatives who put her alleged plagiarism in the national spotlight  with additional plagiarism accusations surfacing as recently as Monday in The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative publication.

Christopher Rufo, an activist who has helped rally the GOP against higher education, said hes glad shes gone.

Rather than take responsibility for minimizing antisemitism, committing serial plagiarism, intimidating the free press, and damaging the institution, she calls her critics racist, Rufo said on X, formerly Twitter. This is the poison of diversity, equity and inclusion ideology, said Rufo, who has led conservative attacks on DEI both in business and in education.

Gay, in her letter, said it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor  two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am  and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.

But Gay, who is returning to the schools faculty, added it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge.

Yoel Zimmermann, a visiting research undergrad from Munich, Germany, studying physics at Harvard, said that as a Jewish student hes noticed fellow members of the Jewish community have felt uncomfortable with the climate on campus.

I think it was about time that Claudine Gay resigned, Zimmerman said. She just did too many things wrong, especially with her testimony in Congress. I think that was just the kind of final tipping point that should have led to her removal immediately.

Supporters of Gay lamented her resignation.

Racist mobs wont stop until they topple all Black people from positions of power and influence who are not reinforcing the structure of racism, award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi, who survived scrutiny of an antiracist research center he founded at Boston University, said in an Instagram post.

The Rev. Al Sharpton in a statement called pressure for Gay to resign an attack on every Black woman in this country whos put a crack in the glass ceiling and an assault on the health, strength, and future of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Critics welcomed her decision.

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx called Gays resignation welcome news but said the problems at Harvard are much larger than one leader.

Postsecondary education is in a tailspin, the North Carolina Republican said in a statement. There has been a hostile takeover of postsecondary education by political activists, woke faculty, and partisan administrators.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in a statement on X, also weighed in on Gay's resignation.

A little context. A failure in leadership and denial of antisemitism have a price. I hope that the esteemed Harvard University will learn from this dismal conduct, he wrote.

Gay, Magill and MIT's president, Sally Kornbluth, came under fire last month for their lawyerly answers to a line of questioning from New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the colleges codes of conduct.

The three presidents had been called before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce to answer accusations that universities were failing to protect Jewish students amid rising fears of antisemitism worldwide and fallout from Israels intensifying war in Gaza, which faces heightened criticism for the mounting Palestinian death toll.

Gay said it depended on the context, adding that when speech crosses into conduct, that violates our policies. The answer faced swift backlash from Republican and some Democratic lawmakers as well as the White House . The hearing was parodied in the opening skit on Saturday Night Live.

Gay later apologized, telling The Crimson student newspaper that she got caught up in a heated exchange at the House committee hearing and failed to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students.

What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community  threats to our Jewish students  have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged, Gay said.

The episode marred Gays tenure at Harvard  she became president in July  and sowed discord at the Ivy League campus. Rabbi David Wolpe later resigned from a new committee on antisemitism created by Gay, saying in a post on X that events on campus and the painfully inadequate testimony reinforced the idea that I cannot make the sort of difference I had hoped.

The House committee announced days after the hearing that it would investigate the policies and disciplinary procedures at Harvard, MIT and Penn. Separate federal civil rights investigations were previously opened at Harvard, Penn and several other universities in response to complaints submitted to the U.S. Education Department. (AP)
By Yew Lun Tian and James Pomfret

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - The arms race across the Taiwan Strait and Chinese military pressure against the island Beijing claims as its "sacred" territory is unlikely to end no matter who wins Taiwan's closely watched elections.

China has cast the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between war and peace, warning an attempt to push for Taiwan's formal independence means conflict.

China has focused its anger in the run-up to the vote on Lai Ching-te, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate, rebuffing his calls for talks as it views him as a separatist.

Both the DPP and Taiwan's largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), say only they can preserve the peace, and both have also committed to bolstering Taiwan's defences and say only the island's people can decide their future.

The KMT traditionally favours close ties with China although it denies being pro-Beijing.

Wang Zaixi, a deputy head of China's Taiwan Affairs Office between 2000 and 2006 and a retired Chinese army major general, was quoted last month in China's Global Times newspaper as saying the DPP's Lai was an "extremist" independence supporter.

"If he is elected, you cannot rule out the possibility of a military clash across the Taiwan Strait. We need to be fully aware of this," Wang said.

Such an outcome could have grave geopolitical and economic outcomes, pitting China against the United States - the world's two leading military powers - while blocking key shipping lanes and disrupting semiconductor and commodity supply chains.

"I believe they will take more hawkish actions to try to warn the new president over his future policies towards China," Admiral Lee Hsi-ming, a former Taiwan military chief, told Reuters, referring to Beijing.

Western security officials are trying to gauge how serious China could be about a military response to the election outcome.

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said Beijing may wait and see, with any strong reaction coming after May 20 when the next president takes office and gives an inauguration speech.

If the DPP wins the presidency but loses its majority in parliament, that could also temper China's response given it would weaken the DPP's ability to pass legislation, the Western official added.

China's defence ministry, which has decried Taiwan's government for deliberately "hyping up" a military threat from China for electoral gain, did not respond to a request for comment.

Taiwan defence ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang told reporters its assessment of China's moves would not be based on whether there is an election or not.

"We'll look at the signs and what the enemy is up to as a basis for our judgement," he said.

NEW STATUS QUO

After Chinese and U.S. leaders met in San Francisco in November, President Xi Jinping reportedly stressed to President Joe Biden that while Taiwan is the most "dangerous" bilateral issue, he indicated China is not preparing for an invasion of Taiwan.

However, since the last Taiwan presidential poll in 2020, China has engaged in an unprecedented level of military activity in the Taiwan Strait, including holding two rounds of major war games near the island in the past year-and-a-half.

Chinese jets now regularly cross an unofficial median line in the strait, seeking to wear down Taiwan's far smaller air force by making them repeatedly scramble.

Some analysts see Taiwan's contiguous zone that is 24 nautical miles (44 km) off its coast, being increasingly challenged by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the coming years.

Taiwan is strengthening its armour.

A second Western security official said China was well aware that every year they wait to "resolve the Taiwan problem", it gives Taipei a further opportunity to beef up its defences.

"That is not good for the PLA," the official said.

Defence has featured prominently on the campaign trail.

The DPP has repeatedly brought up Taiwan's indigenous submarine, while other arms programmes including drones are being developed.

The KMT champions the "3Ds" - deterrence, dialogue and de-escalation.

Jaw Shaw-kong, the KMT's vice president candidate, said last month Taiwan should ramp up missile production to show it can strike into China in the event of war, although he also said China should allow in Taiwanese military observers as a sign of goodwill and to lessen tensions.

Whoever wins, Taiwan has a big weapons order backlog from the United States.

In the next few years, Taiwan is due to get advanced U.S. weapons including F-16V fighter jets, M-1A tanks, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.

OTHER OPTIONS

While clearly a superior military power, recent purges in the PLA that have felled generals in the Rocket Force, navy and air force and a former defence minister could lower the risk of conflict.

"The more problems they have, the more corruption they have, the better it is for us," said Lee, the former Taiwan military head. "I don't think there will be a full-scale invasion in the next few years because they have their own difficulties."

Over the past week or so, Xi has given two speeches where he reiterated the need for "reunification" with Taiwan. On both occasions he made no mention of using force, though Beijing has never renounced that possibility.

China could also wield economic pressure post-election, targeting a trade deal signed in 2010 which Beijing says Taipei has breached with unfair trade barriers. Beijing could also ramp up operations to influence people in Taiwan through its "United Front" department.

"China needs to be able to lead and control the situation in Taiwan, and we do that via a variety of means, not just by one means," said Wu Xinbo, a professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Writing by Ben Blanchard and James Pomfret; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
McDonald's golden arches

A North Carolina pastor is in trouble with the law after reportedly getting into a violent confrontation with a McDonald's employee.

Dwayne Waden is accused of punching the employee in the face and pushing his head toward a deep fryer, CBS News reported.

Waden was apparently upset after his wife, who worked at that McDonald's location, called him to say that the employee was disrespecting her.

A police report obtained by CBS News says that several employees had to pull Waden off of the victim.

Police stated that the McDonald's employee suffered a bruise to his forehead and right eye, along with scratches on his neck.

Waden was arrested for assault, but released on a $1,000 bond, according to TV station WCNC in Charlotte. He reportedly is due to appear in court on Jan. 22.

Waden lists himself as a pastor at Elevated Life International Ministries on Facebook. It's unclear if he still holds that position. The church's most recent post on Instagram is from 2021. It shows Waden talking about connecting with Jesus Christ.

As for Waden's wife, CBS News reports that she is no longer employed by McDonald's.

SEE MORE: 3 Dunkin' employees allegedly pulled guns on complaining customers
A new rule requiring child welfare agencies to place LGBTQ children in environments free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the childs sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is drawing opposition from Republicans.

The proposed rule, issued in September by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), also would require caregivers to undergo cultural competency training to ensure LGBTQ youths are placed in homes where their identities are affirmed.

In a statement, Health Department Secretary Xavier Becerra said the proposal puts childrens well-being first.

Studies have shown that LGBTQ young people are overrepresented in the child welfare system. Lesbian, gay and bisexual children are more than twice as likely to experience foster care placement compared with their heterosexual peers, a 2019 study found, and roughly 30 percent of foster youth identify as LGBTQ, according to the Childrens Bureau, the federal agency responsible for overseeing the child welfare system in the U.S.

About 5 percent of foster youth identify as transgender.

But the rule has met some opposition in the GOP.

A bill introduced last month by Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is currently running for an open Senate seat, would prevent foster and adoptive families from being required to affirm a transgender childs gender identity. The measure, called the Sensible Adoption For Every Home Act, has four Republican co-sponsors.

Banks in a statement to Fox News said the bill was drafted in response to the HHS proposal, which he said discriminates against prospective caretakers that are opposed to irreversible sex change procedures on kids.

LGBTQ rights advocates have denounced the Indiana congressmans bill and his justification for introducing it, which they say reflects misconceptions about gender-affirming health care for youth and misrepresents what the Health Departments draft rule aims to achieve.

No part of this says anything about changing the sex of a child, said Allen Morris, policy director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Its talking about making sure that [LGBTQ youths] are not in an abusive home or somewhere thats going to mistreat them.

Other Republicans have argued that the proposed rule would discriminate against faith-based providers.

A bill filed in the House and Senate in November by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a former GOP presidential candidate, would prevent government agencies from penalizing child welfare service providers that are unwilling to take action contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs, including affirming a childs gender identity or sexual orientation. The duo introduced identical legislation in 2019 and 2021.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), one of the bills 17 Republican co-sponsors in the Senate, wrote in a December editorial that the measure would effectively overrule the Biden administrations new woke standards. Rubios Lifting Local Communities Act, introduced last January, would similarly bolster the ability of religious organizations that receive federal funding to operate in accordance with their religious beliefs.

In a Dec. 8 letter to Becerra, however, 19 Democratic senators voiced their support for the Health Departments proposed rule, writing that its stipulations are needed to protect children in the foster care system more than ever.

As members of Congress we are committed to ensuring all children, including LGBTQIA+ children, thrive in safe and stable environments, the senators, led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), wrote in the letter.

Compared with their cisgender and heterosexual peers, LGBTQ children and adolescents in the child welfare system are more likely to report poor treatment related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. In a 2014 study of LGBTQ foster youths in Los Angeles, nearly 38 percent reported poor treatment connected to their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., have explicit laws or policies in place to protect LGBTQ youths in foster care from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and another six have laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation only, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit organization that tracks LGBTQ laws.

In 13 states, state-licensed child welfare agencies may legally refuse to place and provide services to children and families  including LGBTQ people and same-sex couples  if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs.

Republicans at the state level have also sought to push back on the rule.

In a November letter to the Childrens Bureau, more than a dozen Republican state attorneys general said the Health Departments proposal discriminates against Christian caretakers and provides solutions to a problem that does not exist.

The letter, led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R), references a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that sided with a Philadelphia Catholic social services agency that had refused to accept same-sex couples as foster parents.

This proposed rule seeks to accomplish indirectly what the Supreme Court found unconstitutional just two years ago: remove faith-based providers from the foster care system if they will not conform their religious beliefs on sexual orientation and gender identity, the attorneys general wrote in the Nov. 27 letter.

A Health Department spokesperson declined to comment on the letter but said members of the public are encouraged to express their views on the draft rule. A 30-day public comment period ended Nov. 27.

Responses to the proposed rule from Christian organizations have been mixed, although most submitted to the Health Department center around concerns that the rule, if implemented, would discriminate against faith-based providers and hinder the recruitment and retention of foster families, many of whom are religious.

Among the most concerning  and most likely  negative impacts of the proposed regulations would be a significant chilling effect on the involvement of people of religious faith in the foster system, one group wrote in a Nov. 20 letter to Becerra. This rule would push many of them away.

Nonreligious service providers, meanwhile, have largely argued that the draft rule is needed to protect LGBTQ young people already vulnerable to abuse.

With all of the pain, rejection, broken promises and separation that many youth in foster care experience, a targeted and specific plan for LGBTQI+ youths health and wellbeing through safe and appropriate placements can ensure youth are acknowledged and affirmed when they express their needs, wrote a coordinator for a Cleveland-based nonprofit that works with foster youth.

Then, when this plan is followed through, youth will actually experience their needs being met, their voices mattering and a caring network of individuals, they wrote. This is vital for all youth, but especially youth who identify LGBTQI+ because we know that so often this is not the case.

But some nonreligious and Democratic organizations have been critical of the proposal, which they say does not go far enough because it still allows for individuals who do not support LGBTQ identities to become foster parents.

Multiple groups in comments submitted to the Health Department referenced a 2021 survey of young people who concealed their LGBTQ identities prior to placement over fears of how their social worker may react and concerns about losing their placement.

The flexibility allowed within the rule presumes that those who are LGBTQI+ and not yet out would be served well when placed with any family  including those who opt out of being safe and appropriate, the executive director of one childrens rights organization wrote. However, not requiring that every provider be a safe and appropriate placement for LGBTQI+ children will mean that LGBTQI+ youth are placed in inadequate placements.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in a reported drone strike in Beirut will be perceived as a warning to Iran, which has armed and financed Hamas, and other Hamas leaders, experts said.

Al-Arouri, the commander of Hamas military wing in the West Bank and deputy chairman of the groups political bureau, was a key figure who had helped repair Hamas relations with Iran and had been in Israels crosshairs even before the current conflict began. He was killed Tuesday with six other members of the organization after his home in a suburb in southern Beirut was targeted by a drone strike.

Theres no single cog in this group without whom the whole thing falls apart, but Arouri was a particularly important person, both in terms of overall leadership and his support for violence, said Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank.

Saleh Al-Arouri in Cairo (Ahmed Gamil / Getty Images file)

Levitt was the deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at the Treasury Department from 2005 to 2007 and a counterterrorism adviser at the State Department.

Lebanese officials, Hamas and the Lebanese-based militant group Hezbollah all laid blame for the strike on Israel. Israeli officials declined to comment.

Israel will be braced for retaliation from Hezbollah, which is backed by the Iranian regime, but it most likely concluded removing al-Arouri was worth the risk, Levitt said.

They didnt just kill some random Hamas leader, someone who just speaks in front of a camera. They actually took out someone who was operationally important, he said.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to retaliate against any Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon.

Mark Regev, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told NBC News that Israel has not taken responsibility for the strike.

Regev did not deny nor confirm whether Israel authorized the strike but said it was a surgical hit on Hamas, rather than an attack on Lebanon.

The CIA declined to comment.

The killing of Al-Arouri is a shot across the bow not just to Hamas, but to Iran. Al-Arouri was known to be close with the leadership in Tehran, said Colin Clarke, the director of research at the Soufan Center, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization focusing on global security issues.

Its also a signal that Israel will seek to hunt down and eliminate Hamas leadership anywhere they are, not just in Gaza, but in the region and further afield, as well. This is putting other senior Hamas officials on notice, he said.

Al-Arouri, who grew up in the occupied West Bank and had been involved in Hamas for decades, had operated a joint war room with Iran since the war began in October and was seen as a rival to the commander of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, according to Levitt.

The civil war in Syria caused a rift between Hamas, which favored Sunni rebels fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and Iran, which came to the aid of the regime. But al-Arouri sought to patch over differences with Tehran, experts say.

Israel has a history of hunting down its enemies, including Hamas leaders. In August, Netanyahu had suggested al-Arouri was a potential target along with other Hamas leaders, saying al-Arouri knows very well why he and his friends are in hiding.

The day before, al-Arouri had warned in an interview with a Lebanese media outlet that the Israeli governments decisions would lead to a multifront conflict.

"Those who seek targeted assassinations understand that a multifront war is coming. When we reach it, Israel will suffer a huge loss, al-Arouri told the Lebanese Al Mayadeen news channel.

In a 2003 U.S. federal racketeering case, the Justice Department named al-Arouri as an unindicted co-conspirator and described him as a senior Hamas figure who had access to tens of thousands of dollars for terrorist operations.

He was detained several times by Israeli authorities, including in 2007. But he was freed in 2011 with more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in an exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in 2006.

In 2018, the State Department offered a $5 million bounty for information about al-Arouri through its Rewards for Justice program. At the time, the State Department said he had reportedly worked with Qassem Soleimani, who was then the leader of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020.

Al-Arouri also announced in 2014 that Hamas claimed responsibility for an attack involving the kidnappings and killings of three Israeli teenagers, including a dual U.S.-Israel citizen, Naftali Fraenkel, according to the State Department.
Former President Trumps lead in the first presidential contest state of Iowa is growing, less than two weeks before the caucuses.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Trump leading the field in Iowa with 51.6 percent support, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley trail at 18 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively.

Trumps status as the partys de facto incumbent, along with Iowas deeply conservative GOP base, create a fertile ground for the former president. Regardless, his campaign isnt taking any chances, crisscrossing the state for events with and without him.

The former president notably lost Iowa in the 2016 presidential caucuses, making this years event even more critical for him as he looks to wrap up the nomination as soon as possible.

Trump wants it to be the knockout blow, said Jimmy Centers, an Iowa-based Republican strategist. The sooner you can move on to the general and secure the nomination, the better off your campaign will be.

Former President Donald Trump reacts to supporters during a commit to caucus rally, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

One of the most telling signs of this strategy came Tuesday, when Fox News announced Trump would be taking part in a town hall on the network as counterprogramming to the CNN primary debate, in which Haley and DeSantis will participate.

That should tell you everything you need to know about Iowa, a Republican strategist said.

While DeSantis has made Iowa a top priority, and Haleys presence on the ground in the state was bolstered by her endorsement from the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, Trumps team has seen signs of growing support as it quietly worked to build its operation there over many years.

His campaign has engineered a recruiting strategy down to the precinct captains, making sure theyre prepared for caucus night. The responsibilities of Trumps precinct captains include delivering a three-minute speech touting the former president and reporting results from their respective precincts. Last year, the campaign brought on former Iowa GOP political director Alex Latcham as the campaigns early-voting state director.

Their [2016] strategy was effectively to park a charter bus that was branded Trump on high-visibility corridors and see who just walked up to the bus, Centers said. That is not at all what their strategy is [now]. It is a traditional caucus strategy.

Its truly second-to-none here relative to the other candidates and campaigns. Its not close, he said.

More Election coverage from The Hill

On top of that, Trump has the advantage of essentially running as an incumbent, given that hes a former president who remains popular with the Republican primary base. Some recent polls also show him besting Biden in a head-to-head match-up; The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Trump leading Biden by 2.2 percent nationally.

They want to quiet all of the donors as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is to have a big win in Iowa, because then essentially New Hampshire will be his for the taking, as well as South Carolina, said Ford OConnell, a Republican strategist.

Another reason Trumps team is working to put a bow on the primary season early is because of his impending court dates in his numerous legal battles set to formally begin this year.

They want to make the case that they are the nominee, and therefore with Jack Smith and the [Department of Justice], or whoever does whatever, they can say now its truly election interference, OConnell said.

U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan set Trumps federal trial date for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results for March 4, the day before Super Tuesday.

The math works out where if he really runs away with it in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, it sets him up to potentially clinch all of the delegates he needs by Super Tuesday or within a week or two  by mid-March at the latest  if he keeps up this momentum, said Scott Tranter, director of data science at Decision Desk HQ.

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While most strategists acknowledged Trumps wide lead in Iowa, some still contend there is room for surprises.

OConnell noted the mechanics of a caucus make it potentially more susceptible to political curveballs, though he also said Trumps lead in Iowa is unprecedented.

Youve never had an Iowa lead  in the way that Trump has a lead right now, he said, referring to recent polling from The Des Moines Register.

Much of the focus will also be on DeSantis and Haley, who are locked in the battle for second place. DeSantis leads Haley in Iowa by 1 point, according to the polling average from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ. But in New Hampshire, Trumps lead is smaller, at an average of 43.7 percent support. Haley follows in second at 26.7 percent, while former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie comes in third with 11 percent. DeSantis is at fourth place with 8.3 percent.

I think the more interesting part of the race is who comes in second and how close the third-place person is to the person in second, and how close the second-place person is to Donald Trump, Tranter said. That will set the narrative and the tone.

The Trump campaign predicted that the news media would take the same tone in a memo to reporters Tuesday.

On average, President Trump is at 51 [percent] in Iowa, with DeSanctimonious and Haley tied at 18 [percent] and Vivek at 6 [percent]. The real battle is who will place second  when Nikki Haleys resources from the pro-China crowd are rising, and DeSanctimonious money is drying up. Regardless of how well President Trump finishes in Iowa, the headlines will be about the second-place finisher so the media can make New Hampshire the flavor of the week, wrote senior Trump campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Editors Note: Sign up for CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter, which explores what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world.

(CNN)  When Xi Jinping named Adm. Dong Jun as Chinas defense minister last week, it marked the first time a naval officer has been elevated to that position, and analysts say it gives a clear indication of the Chinese leaders priorities  Taiwan tops among them.

Dongs experience, both as head of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as well as operational assignments in the Chinese militarys Eastern and Southern theater commands, gives him an unprecedented background in the defense minister position, according to a report from the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) at the US Naval War College in Rhode Island.

His resume reflects serious joint and naval focus under Xi with growing potential applications to disputed sovereignty claims in the East and South China Seas  none more important than Taiwan, CMSI analysts Andrew Erickson and Christopher Sharman wrote in their report.

Carl Schuster, a former director of operations at the US Pacific Commands Joint Intelligence Center, said Dong has international, joint and extensive naval experience in the two theaters that have been in the forefront of leader Xi Jinpings most aggressive assertions of Chinese territorial claims.

Xi, who has made taking control of Taiwan a cornerstone of his broader goal to rejuvenate China to a place of power and stature globally, said last month that the reunification of Taiwan with China is inevitable.

Chinas Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, despite never having controlled it. Chinese officials say they aim for peaceful reunification but have not ruled out using force to take control of the island.

Chinas military has ramped up diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan under Xi.

Chinese jets now frequently cross into Taiwans air defense identification zone as well as over the unofficial, but until recently largely adhered to, median line that runs down the Taiwan Strait.

Crossings of the median line by Chinese warships have also become much more frequent.

Beijing is engaged in other sovereignty disputes, too, with Japan over the Senkuku Islands  which China calls the Diaoyus  in the East China Sea and with a handful of governments over contested reefs, shoals and islands in the South China Sea, almost all of which Beijing claims as its territory.

Though the defense minister position in China is a largely ceremonial role, serving as the public face of military diplomacy with other countries, Erickson and Sharman said Dong, with his experience, will make a potent interlocutor with foreign counterparts.

Possible Asian flashpoints

Tensions are heating up around the region, and diplomacy is becoming ever more vital amid hardening stances and unpredictable events.

A presidential election in Taiwan this month could have huge ramifications on the islands relations with China  and tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

In the South China Sea, the China Coast Guard has been in more aggressive encounters with Philippine vessels trying to resupply a Philippine military outpost on disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

And in the Senkaku chain, which is controlled by Japan but claimed by China, more than 100 China Coast Guard and other vessels are entering Japans contiguous zone around the islands monthly, according to statistics provided by Japans Foreign Ministry in December.

Meanwhile late last year, Beijing reopened a key military communication line with Washington that had gone dormant after the visit of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022.

As both the Philippines and Japan are US mutual defense treaty allies  and as Washington is obligated to support Taiwans self-defense  Dongs abilities to speak with US counterparts to avoid any military escalation in all three areas could be vital to peace.

But if hostilities did break out, Dong could be an important adviser to commander-in-chief Xi, the analysts said.

Admiral Dong, one of the PLAs most experienced joint commanders, has deep expertise at the operational level of war, Erickson and Sharman wrote.

Schuster notes Dongs years of experience in the Southern Theater Command, encompassing the South China Sea, including as deputy commander of all PLA forces in the Southern Theater and commander of the PLA Navy units there.

He was also deputy commander of the East Sea Fleet, which operates in the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, Schuster said.

That shows Dong embodies Xis priority on experiences that may be critical to his plans for the South China Sea and Taiwan, Schuster said.

And it wasnt just Dong who Xi appointed last week that points to the Chinese leaders priorities, the analysts said.

A focus on submarines

Days before Xi elevated Dong to defense minister, he appointed Adm. Hu Zhongming as overall commander of the PLA Navy.

Hu, a career submarine officer with operational and command experience in the South China Sea, is considered by analysts to be a sensible choice for the role.

Submarines are one key area where the PLA Navy is widely regarded to be behind its potential adversary the US Navy.

In general, Chinese submarines are considered to be louder and easier to track than their American counterparts.

The US still dominates war under the seas, Paul Dibb, an emeritus professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University, wrote on the website of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in December.

For example, Chinas strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs) do not provide Beijing with an assured nuclear second-strike force because they are very vulnerable to US attack submarines (SSNs), he wrote.

China is also considered to be behind the US in anti-submarine warfare, but has been investing in improvements in recent years, according to Schuster.

Hu would seem to be the perfect person to make improvements to the PLAs submarine forces, said Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy at Kings College in London.

As a submariner with considerable experience in managing risks and improving training, Admiral Hu will make sure that Chinas most important strategic capability is brought up to the highest standards, Patalano said.

Hus command experience includes two instances in which he is credited with averting what could have been catastrophic events, which led him to develop training procedures designed to prevent repeat occurrences, according to reports in state-run Chinese media.

The analysts highlighted Hus experience as a theater commander, supervising PLA forces over broad regions.

Multi-fleet experience gives Admiral Hu unique insights into each fleets strengths and weaknesses that will enable him to provide organizational and training improvements to ensure PLAN readiness, as well as to offer uniquely tailored guidance for PLAN operational and tactical improvements, Sharman and Erickson wrote.

Favoring the navy

While Xi filled two positions within Chinas military hierarchy, those appointments came as nine military figures were removed from their positions in the National Peoples Congress, Chinas rubber stamp legislature  a rare move that signaled a wider purge in the PLA.

And the analysts pointed out that before Dongs appointment, the defense minister position had been vacant for two months, since Li Shangfu was removed from the role without explanation following an extended absence from public view.

Xi has been on a decade-long drive to crackdown on corruption in Chinas military ranks so the dismissal of the nine military figures, in particular, is fueling speculation about their potential alleged involvement in corruption.

No charges have been announced, but the affiliations of the nine dismissed officials gives some clues into what might be happening in China.

Only one of the nine was from the navy. Most were from the PLA Rocket Force, which is responsible for the Chinas land-based nuclear and conventional missiles.

In the tightly controlled hierarchy of the Chinese Communist Party, the signposting is clear, Patalano said.

The appointment of two naval officers at these key posts, especially defense minister, strongly suggests two things: the navy is regarded as the most loyal service to Xi; and its also the one that combines technical and professional knowledge with the aims of keeping China projecting power in its immediate periphery.

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By Ted Hesson and Kristina Cooke

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. will reopen four legal U.S.-Mexico border crossings on Thursday as high levels of illegal immigration have receded and freed up personnel, U.S. border authorities said on Tuesday.

The U.S. will resume operations at an international bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, two crossings in Arizona and another near San Diego, California, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a press release, adding that it will continue to prioritize border security "as necessary."

U.S. border authorities struggled in December to process migrants as apprehensions reached nearly 11,000 in a single day, which several current and former officials said was near or at a record high.

Lawmakers remain in talks over a possible deal that would combine increased border security measures with foreign aid, including military funding for Ukraine, U.S. officials said.

"We gotta do something. They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border," U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on his arrival at the White House on Tuesday evening, apparently referring to members of Congress.

Mexican and U.S. officials pledged last week to work together more closely to tackle record migration at their shared border after top U.S. officials traveled to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Mexican officials have stepped up immigration enforcement in recent weeks, including moving migrants to southern Mexico and resuming deportation flights to Venezuela, a senior U.S. official said during a call with reporters on Tuesday, requesting anonymity as a condition of the briefing.

Mexico on Tuesday evening cheered the reopening of the border crossings.

"This will benefit the economies of both countries," Mexico's foreign ministry, which had previously called for the reopening of crossings between the two nations, said in a statement.

U.S. border authorities arrested an average of 6,400 migrants per day over the past week, according to an internal U.S. government report reviewed by Reuters, a steep decline from the levels before Christmas.

A separate U.S. official on the call cautioned that migrant crossings have historically dropped between Christmas and New Year's Day.

"We have seen over the last year periods of increased encounters and periods of decreased encounters," the official said. "We will continue to stand ready to respond to these kinds of surges."

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Kylie Madry; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry)
Israel's war against Palestinian militants reached Lebanon on Tuesday, where an Israeli strike killed Hamas's deputy leader, the group and security officials in Lebanon said.

A high-level security official told AFP that Saleh al-Aruri was killed along with his bodyguards in the strike by Israel, which vowed to destroy Hamas after the movement's unprecedented Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.

Israel has previously announced the killing in Gaza of Hamas commanders and officials during the war, but Aruri is the most high-profile figure to be killed, and his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities began.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari did not directly comment on Aruri's killing but said the military was "highly prepared for any scenario" in its aftermath.

A second security official in Lebanon confirmed the information about Aruri's killing.

Lebanese state media reported the strike hit a Hamas office in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, a Hamas ally.

Hamas TV also said Israel had killed Aruri in Lebanon, and Lebanese media reported a total of seven people were killed in the attack by an Israeli drone.

The strike adds to widespread fears that the nearly three-month-old Israel-Hamas war could become a wider regional conflagration.

Hamas said the killing would not lead to its defeat, while Hezbollah vowed Aruri's death would not go "unpunished." Hezbollah called it "a serious assault on Lebanon... and a dangerous development in the course of the war."

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and said it "aims to draw Lebanon" further into the Israel-Hamas war.

In a call with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz after the strike, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to "avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon."

Hamas's bloody attack on Oct. 7 resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took around 250 hostages back to Gaza  which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007  of whom 129 remain in captivity, according to Israeli figures.

After the attack, the worst in its history, Israel began a relentless bombardment and ground offensive that has killed at least 22,185 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Red Crescent struck

On Tuesday, Israel's army said soldiers in Gaza had killed "dozens of terrorists," including some carrying explosives. It said they also raided a weapons storage compound in the southern city of Khan Yunis and discovered long-range rocket launchers and tunnels.

The territory's Hamas-run health ministry said 70 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the previous 24 hours during Israeli raids.

In Khan Yunis, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Israel twice struck its headquarters, resulting in "five casualties and three injuries" among displaced people who had sought refuge there and at a nearby hospital.

"They told us to go to the south that is safe, but they are liars," shouted Fathi al-Af, pointing to his daughter on a stretcher on the floor of Nasser Hospital after the Red Crescent strike. "The entire Gaza Strip is not safe."

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) denounced the alleged strikes, saying they "severely damaged" a Red Crescent training center within the Al-Amal hospital.

"Today's bombardments are unconscionable. Gaza's health system is already on its knees, with health and aid workers continuously stymied in their efforts to save lives due to the hostilities," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

United Nations agencies have voiced alarm over Gaza's spiraling humanitarian crisis, which has left 2.4 million people under siege, most of them displaced and crowded into shelters and tents during winter rains.

The WHO has warned of the risk of famine and disease, with only a minimal amount of aid entering.

On Tuesday, the U.K. said a British ship had delivered the first 87 tonnes of aid for Gaza  including thousands of thermal blankets  to Egypt from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which proposed the maritime corridor initiative.

"Hamas people are hiding in their houses and the tunnels, while we don't find food or drink and are dying of cold. I have an infant, I can't get him diapers or baby formula," said Wojud Kamal al-Shinbary, who like many Gazans made her way to Rafah, in Gaza's far south.

Accused mastermind

The Israeli army says 173 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza fighting Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

In early December, after a week-long truce that saw Israeli hostages freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Aruri said there would be no more releases without a permanent ceasefire.

"The price to pay for the release of Zionist prisoners will be the release of all our prisoners  after a ceasefire," he said.

Aruri, who lived in exile, was accused by Israel of masterminding numerous attacks. He was elected deputy to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in 2017, before being officially named the group's number two.

In October, the Israeli army demolished Aruri's home in the occupied West Bank.

After the death of his deputy, Haniyeh said that a movement "whose leaders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated."

'Risks and consequences'

In the occupied West Bank, violence since Oct. 7 has surged to a level unseen in nearly two decades. At least 321 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers since the Gaza war began, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry.

AFPTV images showed scores of people in the streets of Ramallah to protest Aruri's killing, which Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh condemned.

Shtayyeh also warned about the "risks and consequences that could follow," his office said.

The hostilities along the Israeli-Lebanese border have fanned fears of a wider conflict, as have Israel's occasional strikes inside Syrian territory, where Hezbollah also operates.

A strike inside Syria last month that was blamed on Israel killed a senior commander of the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who claim to be operating in support of Hamas, have also launched attacks at Israel and against cargo ships in the Red Sea, where the U.S. military has assembled a multinational task force to protect the vital shipping lane.

Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has harshly criticized Netanyahu over the war, announced the detention of 34 people suspected of planning abductions and spying on behalf of Israel's Mossad intelligence service.

Erdogan weeks ago warned of "serious consequences" should Israel attempt to target Hamas figures living or working in Turkey. (AFP)
A South Florida fire rescue paramedic pleaded not guilty Tuesday after the car he was driving crashed in Southwest Miami-Dade last month, killing an elderly woman and severely injuring his 3-year-old daughter, police said.

Vidal Victor Lazo, 47, was arrested Dec. 23 on a charge of child neglect with great bodily harm after a toxicology test detected opiates, methamphetamine and alcohol in his blood, according to his arrest report. The Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire Department lieutenant got out of Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Monday night after satisfying a $5,000 bond, court records show.

Lazo, a licensed paramedic and a registered mental health counselor intern, had been volunteering with the fire department since November 2018, Fire Chief Lee Bennett told the Miami Herald in a text Tuesday. Bennett declined to say what actions, if any, his department has taken against the lieutenant after the crash.

This Investigation is ongoing and upon conclusion of the investigation we will have further comments, he said.

Lazo, a former lieutenant with the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, was seen in a wheelchair during a recent court appearance.

I am in a wheelchair for six months, he told a judge, WSVN 7 News reported. I broke both my ankles.

Over a dozen Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to a multi-vehicle crash with injuries in the area of Bird Road (Southwest 40th Street) and 134th Avenue on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, the agency said. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Around 11 a.m. Dec. 21, Lazo was driving in the area of Bird Road (Southwest 40th Street) and 134th Avenue when he crashed the vehicle, with his daughter in a car seat. They were both taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital before the girl had to be transported to Nicklaus Childrens Hospital for further treatment in one of its pediatric intensive care units.

Three others, of whom two were hospitalized, were also injured, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a news release at the time. According to Miami-Dade police, Ileana Mendigutia, 77, died as a result of the crash.

Two days after the crash, officers arrested Lazo on Dec. 23 at the Kendall hospital. His arrest was first reported by NBC 6 South Florida.

Details about the crash havent been released by police, including what caused it, but investigators say Lazos daughter ended up with multiple fractures to her face and left leg The amount of drugs and alcohol that were in Lazos system shortly after the crash and whether he would face additional charges was not immediately clear.

This is still an open MDPD investigation, Lt. Luis Sierra, a Miami-Dade police spokesman, told the Herald in an email Wednesday.

His arraignment hearing is set for Jan. 16.
The Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, is credited with lifting millions out of poverty in the country of Bangladesh. Grameen became famous for pioneering the concept of microcredit, granting loans of under $100 to Bangladesh's rural poor. That helped spark a worldwide movement which helped win Yunus the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. But a Bangladeshi court now wants to add something else to Yunus's resume: A six-month prison sentence.

On Monday, a judge in Dhaka convicted Yunus and three executives of Grameen Telecom of failing to create a welfare fund for employees, among other violations of labor law. The judge sentenced Yunus to six months in prison.

The Nobel laureate called the verdict "contrary to all legal precedent and logic" in a statement on Monday, and called upon Bangladeshis to speak in "one voice against injustice."

Who is Muhammad Yunus?

Yunus founded Grameen Bank in October 1983, and the bank has since lent over $37.5 billion to Bangladesh's poor at a recovery rate of 97%. The bank is credited for boosting the South Asian country's growth through small cash loans, mostly to rural women, for investing in farming tools or other business equipment. The bank lists 12 indicators on its website to determine when one of its customers has moved out of poverty.

Grameen's success helped pioneer the microcredit model of development. Proponents argued that small microloans to those without steady employment or good collateral could help encourage entrepreneurship among poorer populations, as customers used the funds to start micro- and small-sized enterprises. Microfinance has since come under fire for not being able to deliver on its lofty goals, yet some analysts argue that offering access to financial services still makes a difference to the poor.

In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, Yunus has received many other accolades including Bangladesh's Independence Day Award, the country's highest award.

Yet Yunus is less popular among Bangladesh's current government, including prime minister Sheikh Hasina. She has accused Yunus of "sucking blood from the poor," and alleged that the banker helped block international funding for infrastructure projects.

The Grameen founder was once a potential political rival to Hasina, briefly entertaining the idea of starting his own political party soon after winning his Nobel Prize.

Yunus now faces over 100 charges, including other labor law violations and alleged graft. The legal campaign against Yunus has drawn the attention of global figures like former U.S. president Barack Obama and former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, who both signed onto a letter in August denouncing the continuous judicial harassment of Yunus.

Bangladesh will hold its parliamentary elections on Sunday, with the Awami League, led by Hasina, aiming for its fourth consecutive victory. Hasina is likely to win the election, as Bangladesh's main opposition parties are boycotting the polls. Activists say they do not believe a free and fair election can be held under a Hasina government. Several opposition leaders are also in jail.

Despite promising to hold free and fair elections, "state authorities are simultaneously filling prisons with the ruling Awami League's political opponents," wrote Julia Beckner, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, in November. The NGO claims authorities have arrested almost 10,000 opposition activists since a political rally from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party in late October.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Police in Northeast Ohio are investigating after they said an armed robber opened fire on a Taco Bell employee and the worker returned gunfire on the suspect, seriously injuring him.

The shooting took place Monday night inside the store about four miles southeast of downtown Akron, according to an Akron Police Department news release.

The employee was not injured, police said, but the armed robber was taken to a hospital where, as of Tuesday morning, he remained in serious condition.

An Akron, Ohio Taco Bell employee injured an armed robber in an exchange of gunfire with the man at a Taco Bell in the city on Jan. 1, 2024.

Police in Ohio are investigating after an armed robber reportedly opened fire on a Taco Bell employee and the worker returned fire on the suspect, seriously injuring him on Jan. 1, 2024.

It was not immediately known whether the employee was on duty at the time of the shooting.

Taco Bell released the following statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday:

We are shocked to hear that this happened. The franchise owner and operator of this location has informed us that they are working with the local authorities in their investigation and that they will be offering support to all team members present.

Colorado courthouse shooting: Suspect breaks into Colorado Supreme Court building, holds guard at gunpoint, fires shots inside, officials say

An exchange of gunfire

According to police, officers responded to the scene at 7:35 p.m. for a shots fired call and learned a 35-year-old man had robbed the restaurant at gunpoint.

During the robbery, police said, the gunman shot at the 21-year-old Taco Bell worker, who returned fire and hit the suspect in the upper body, investigators said.

After fleeing the scene with an undisclosed amount of money, police reported, the suspect arrived at hospital.

A missing girl and a hidden trap door: Missing NC teen found concealed under Kentucky man's home through trap door hidden by rug: Police

Alleged getaway driver nabbed

Officers also detained a 33-year-old person who drove the suspect to the hospital.

The driver is charged with robbery while the 35-year-old faces multiple charges, including robbery, in connection to the shooting and robbery.

This incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information can call the Akron Police Department.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Taco Bell employee shoots, injures armed robber Akron police say
In June, St. Marys Home for Children, a residential treatment center serving youth in state care, welcomed a motorcycle club onto its North Providence campus to serve as a deterrent to human traffickers.

The unusual arrangement moved forward without the knowledge or approval of the state Department of Children, Youth & Families, which placed the children there.

The practice ended abruptly in August  one day after the state Office of the Child Advocate raised concerns about members of Bikers Against Child Abuse standing guard against potential predators at a treatment center for traumatized and high-risk youth.

St. Marys administrators failed to ensure that appropriate clearances and background checks were completed before the bikers' arrival, the child advocate's office determined  a direct violation of the privacy and confidentiality [of] minors in state care.

This revelation is part of a 119-page report produced by the child advocates office after an eight-month investigation into St. Marys practices.

Saint Mary's Home for Children in North Providence, the state's only residential psychiatric treatment center for minors.

Damning report details violence, overdoses and safety concerns

The investigation began in April after a 17-year-old girl was found unconscious on the bathroom floor of a residential unit from a drug overdose. A rescue crew administered two doses of Narcan to revive her.

A three-member team of investigators from the child advocates office interviewed staff, residents and the parents of children in the home, and also reviewed hundreds of pages of documents and emails, as well as hours of video footage of common areas in the Fruit Hill Avenue center. Their work revealed, they said, significant safety concerns and abusive living conditions for the 30 or so young residents of the home.

Concerns include but are not limited to, children being physically assaulted by other children, children being sexually assaulted by other children, children being injured in restraints, the report states.

More: 'It's very dangerous.' State social workers say they fear for their safety. What's being done?

The report says St. Marys did fire [some] staff and reported incidences to the police due to the egregious nature of staffs behaviors, including striking children.

The report places much of the blame on the home's administrators and the effect of staff shortages.

Staff reported that they were admonished for bringing these concerns to the attention of administration, the report states. They also discussed numerous incidences when clinical and medical staff were told by St. Marys administration not to talk about and refrain from documenting situations that could cause trouble for St. Marys. A couple of examples were provided; a child who was AWOL from St. Marys and was sexually assaulted and a child [who] overdosed and required Narcan while on campus.

Based on a review of documents ... it was clear that the concerns brought to the attention of the administrative team were minimized and staff were made to feel like they were doing something wrong by advocating for children.

Report says DCYF ignored calls about St. Mary's

The report is also critical of DCYF, noting that some workers all but ignored calls about St. Mary's coming into the agencys child-abuse hotline.

The lack of investigations left children in unsafe situations and many exposed to continued incidences of abuse, the report states.

In a statement Wednesday, DCYF spokeswoman Kerri White said: DCYF did not and does not ignore calls coming into the hotline. The OCA raised concerns about the way DCYF screened calls and coded them in the departments case management system. When brought to DCYF leaderships attention, the department immediately reviewed and adjusted the process.

Any calls made to the hotline that met the criteria for an abuse and neglect allegation were properly addressed, she said.

What is St. Mary's?

St. Marys is the only residential psychiatric treatment center for children in Rhode Island.

A crisis of too few such psychiatric beds has for years forced the state to send adolescent girls in its care with serious mental-health problems out of state to residential treatment centers.

Last February, state officials announced a new partnership with St. Marys to build an $11-million, 12-bed facility on the agencys North Providence campus for adolescent girls needing psychiatric care.

State stopped placements to St. Mary's

The DCYF's White said the department stopped all placements into St. Marys in May as the child advocates investigation was picking up speed.

The department imposed intensive monitoring strategies, including unannounced campus inspections and regular corrective action discussions with senior leadership at St. Marys.

The placement ban was temporarily lifted in July, White said, but because significant issues remain, its now back in place until further notice.

Three administrators at St. Mary's on Wednesday either did not return messages from The Journal seeking comment or declined to discuss the reports findings.

But in a statement, Episcopal Bishop W. Nicholas Knisely, chairman of St. Marys board of directors, said board members learned of the issues in the child advocates report last month and began meeting with officials from DCYF and the states Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

We immediately developed an action plan to make significant changes in St. Marys management, child safety procedures and protocols, and staff recruitment and training, the bishop said.

Later Wednesday, the boards executive committee was meeting and some personnel changes at the home were expected to be announced afterwards, a spokeswoman for the Episcopal diocese said.

Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Child Advocate releases report of horrors at St. Mary's Home for Children.
EVANSVILLE  Election day, November 5. And party primary election day, May 7. They may be the most important dates on 2024's political calendar, but they are far from the only dates or deadlines that matter in Vanderburgh County and elsewhere in Indiana.

Hoosier voters cast ballots for state, federal and countywide elections at the same time  but the road to electing officials from local judge to U.S. president is pocked with days you need to know if you want to affect who wins.

In the beginning, an echo of 2023

It all begins when 2024 candidates become eligible to file for office in Indiana on Jan. 10  but just one week later, the march forward is interrupted by an important echo of 2023. Noon on Jan. 17 is the state's deadline for all candidate committees, legislative caucus committees and political action committees to file annual campaignfinance reports for 2023.

That's when voters will see all the campaign money that candidates in 2023 municipal elections raised after pre-election campaign finance reports that covered the period through Oct. 13. In other words, all the last-minute donations and the money than came in through year's end.

No matter how you're planning to vote  on Election Day, by mail, early in-person  there are other key dates and deadlines to remember.

Indiana voter registration guide: How to check voter status, options to vote, what to know

Dates to remember for Republican and Democratic primary elections

Monday, April 8: The voter registration deadline to be able to vote in the primary.

Tuesday, April 9: First day of early in-person voting.

11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 25: Deadline for your county clerk to receive your absentee ballot application  so plan accordingly if you're mailing that in.

Noon Monday, May 6: End of early in-person voting.

6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7: Deadline for county officials to receive your completed ballot.

Dates to remember for the general election

Monday, Oct. 7: The voter registration deadline to be able to vote in the general.

Tuesday, Oct. 8: First day of early in-person voting for the general.

11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24: Deadline for your county clerk to receive your absentee ballot application.

Noon Monday, Nov. 4: End of early in-person voting.

6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5: Deadline for county officials to receive your completed ballot.

The state of Indiana has a website where you can check your voter registration status, update it, register to vote for the first time or even apply to vote by mail. That voter portal is indianavoters.in.gov.

You can also call or visit your county's voter registration office.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: When are election deadlines in Indiana?
By Olena Harmash and Tom Balmforth

KYIV (Reuters) -Russia pounded Ukraine's two biggest cities on Tuesday in a new wave of heavy air strikes that killed at least five civilians and prompted calls for the West to quickly provide more military assistance.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry said 135 people had been injured in the latest missile and drone attacks, including 61 in and around Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city in the northeast and 17 in and around the capital, Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said rescue operations continued into the late evening as the assaults also caused widespread damage and hit power supplies.

Russia has intensified attacks over the New Year period, with President Vladimir Putin warning on Monday that a Ukrainian air strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, which Moscow said killed 25 civilians, would "not go unpunished".

Smoke belched out of the charred side of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv where mayor Vitali Klitschko said an elderly woman had been killed and 49 people hurt. Emergency services later recovered another corpse from the building.

A 91-year-old woman was killed in a missile strike on Kharkiv that also wounded dozens and a married couple was killed in an attack in the area around Kyiv, local officials said.

"Russia will answer for every life (that it has) taken away," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messenger. Russia later said one man had been killed and 11 people injured in a series of attacks on Belgorod.

Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, later said Russia had deployed almost 300 missiles and more than 200 drones in attacks over the last three days. The latest assaults, he said were intended to cause maximum destruction.

"...The trajectories have been specially calculated by the enemy to cause as much damage as possible," he said. "No other country has yet repelled similar attacks by combined drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles."

Russia stepped up missile and drone strikes on Dec. 29, when it launched its largest air attack of the war, killing at least 39 people. Kyiv had warned for weeks that Russia appeared to be stockpiling missiles for big attacks.

Russia holds swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine, and there is no end in sight to the war as next month's second anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion approaches.

Russia depicts a Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in mid-2023 as a failure. Front lines have changed little in recent months.

Ukraine relies on military and financial support from allies, but political wrangling in the U.S. and the European Union has delayed over $110 billion in aid.

MORE AIR DEFENCE

Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram that he had discussed upgrading Ukraine's air defence systems with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Several Western leaders and foreign diplomats in Kyiv said it was critical for Ukraine to receive more support.

"Ukrainian air defence works well but Ukraine must get more help. New Year's celebrations are over and the West must get serious and act now," Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics wrote on social media platform X.

Ukraine downed all 10 incoming "Kinzhal" missiles fired in the latest attack as well as 59 of the 70 cruise missiles and all three Kalibr cruise missiles, army chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said.

But he added: "There is no reason to believe that the enemy will stop here. Therefore, we need more systems and munitions for them."

Klitschko said gas pipelines had been damaged in Kyiv's Pecherskyi district, and electricity and water had been cut off in several districts. Heating and water supplies were damaged in Kharkiv, mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

The outages revived memories of last winter when air strikes on the energy grid caused frequent power cuts.

(Additional reporting by Yuri Kovalenko, Valentyn Ogirenko and Gleb Garanich in Kyiv and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Timothy Heritage and David Gregorio)
Watching the footage of the Japan Airlines collision at Tokyos Haneda airport, it seems miraculous that anyone has emerged unscathed.

Yet while, tragically, five of six crew on the Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 plane it struck during landing on Tuesday have died, all 379 passengers and crew onboard the Airbus A350 have survived the accident.

While investigations into what happened in the incident, which saw the JAL plane erupt in a fireball, are ongoing, experts say the successful evacuation is down to a combination of modern safety standards and Japan Airlines own rigorous safety culture.

From what I saw on the footage, I was surprised and relieved that everyone got out, says Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UKs Cranfield University.

Its such a severe impact for any aircraft to have to withstand. But knowing what I know about that airline, and how much effort they put into safety and into crew training, the fact that they did do such a good job shouldnt be such a surprise.

In fact, it was a catastrophic accident nearly 40 years ago that helped turned Japan AIrlines into such a safe airline, he says.

On August 12, 1985, JAL flight 123 from Tokyo to Osaka crashed, killing 520 out of the 524 onboard, after a faulty repair of the tail by Boeing technicians  not the airlines  following an earlier incident.

To this day, it is the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history.

Clearly the effect was profound on the airline, says Braithwaite. In a culture like Japans, they took that responsibility as a group and wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.

So when things go wrong, they see it in terms of how they can learn. Everything is an opportunity to improve.

In 2005, realizing that many employees were joining the company without a memory of that accident 20 years earlier, JAL opened a space in their corporate HQ displaying parts of the wreckage, as well as stories of the crew and passengers.

The feeling was, there are people whove joined our business who dont know what its like to go wrong. Everyone has to understand how much effort goes into safety, says Braithwaite.

Nearly four decades on, the crash still has a profound effect on the company mentality, he says.

They have a very strict culture around standard operating procedures and doing everything properly. Thats one of the reasons in this case I think the crew seems to have performed so well, he says.

While its not clear who was to blame for Tuesdays crash, Braithwaite says the successful evacuation is absolutely a positive for Japan Airlines.

If you want to see a reason why you should fly with them, I think this is it, he says.

Only this week, JAL was named among the worlds safest 25 airlines in an annual listing by website Airlineratings.com.

Editor in chief Geoffrey Thomas says: Japan Airlines has enjoyed an excellent safety (record) since 1985. However that accident was not the airlines fault and was due to defective repair performed by Boeing.

It is top rated as a seven-star airline by our website and has passed all the major safety audits. Also Japans airline safety regulator performs better on the eight oversight criteria than the world average for compliance.

A textbook evacuation

Japan Airlines, like many modern carriers, has an impeccable safety culture. - Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

Runway incursions, as this is classed, are rare but can be catastrophic, says Braithwaite.

With different airlines and ground operators all moving vehicles around, airports become complicated real estate that we have to work really hard to protect.

Obviously its too soon to know what happened in Tokyo, and how both aircraft came to be on the runway at the same time.

Yet the message from the aviation industry is the same: it appears to have been the fast reactions of the crew that saved hundreds of lives. Within seconds of the plane coming to a standstill, escape chutes were inflated and those on board were quickly ushered off, even as the cabin filled with smoke.

Im exceptionally impressed with the pilots, crew, and passengers for what seems to have been a textbook evacuation in the most extreme of conditions, said one pilot for a major European airline who wished to remain anonymous as they are not authorized to speak for their airline.

Were at a good point in aviation, they added: The robust nature of modern aircraft and the training of pilots to handle abnormal situations has developed over decades to a point where we have the safest period in aviation since its beginning.

Procedures have been refined as aircraft have got bigger, so all passengers can be evacuated in 90 seconds. Flight attendants on some airlines can also now initiate an evacuation if its clearly catastrophic, saving vital seconds by not waiting for the captain to initiate it.

Safety rules written in blood

As JAL employees know all too well, modern aviations safety records are, says the pilot, written in the blood of others who havent been so fortunate.

Accidents become lessons, which are shared across the industry so crew can all be better at their jobs.

They cite an Aeroflot accident in 2019, which also saw a plane burst into flames on landing in Moscow, killing 41 out of 73 onboard, as a similar incident to Tuesdays, which has been learned from.

And in 1980, Saudia flight 163  in which all 301 onboard died from smoke inhalation after the plane made a successful emergency landing in Riyadh but the pilots failed to order an evacuation  was the impetus to give cabin crew authority to get passengers out, they say.

Another accident that had major effects on safety going forward was the 1985 British Airtours disaster at Manchester Airport in the UK.

The aircraft suffered an abortive takeoff, catching fire. While it came to a halt on the runway, and firefighters arrived quickly, 55 people died  mainly from smoke inhalation.

Lots of recommendations came from that that influenced many of the features on modern aircraft, says Braithwaite.

The fact that theres a decent amount of space around the exits. Lights along the floor. The cabin crew assessing whether the person sat at the overwing exit is able to open it. Much clearer exit signs. The materials we make the cabins from. A big feature from that Manchester fire was that it quickly gave off fumes.

All these things contribute to a successful evacuation.

He cites his former colleague at Cranfield, Professor Helen Muir, as someone who changed the safety landscape following that accident. She was known for doing incentivized trials where participants were paid more the sooner they got off the plane. Their behavior was then monitored and passed on to aircraft manufacturers and airlines.

Today, he says, we know that its the influence of cabin crew that get people to evacuate an aircraft, and do so rapidly.

Steven Ehrlich, chair of PilotsTogether  a charity set up in the pandemic to support crew  agrees.

Its too soon to comment on the specifics of the incident, but whats clear is that the crew performed in an exemplary fashion, he says.

The safety training that airlines - in this case JAL - put the crews through on a continuous basis paid off allowing for evacuation within 90 seconds. The takeaway from my point of view is that passengers need to pay attention to the safety briefings and remember that the crews are not glorified food service staff but are well-trained safety professionals.

International minimum safety standards laid out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, part of the UN) mandate cabin crew practice emergency evacuations annually. Aircraft manufacturers must also prove that any new airplane can be fully evacuated in 90 seconds.

On top of that, individual airlines can have extra requirements  British Airways has more stringent rules on materials used in the cabin, says Braithwaite, following that Manchester crash. The pilot who spoke with CNN carries out six-monthly evacuation practices in their airlines simulator. They also have to practice in a simulator filled with synthetic smoke.

That makes a difference from the previous generations training, they say. It takes away the shock factor of the real scenario. It cages the chimp  we get rational thoughts and actions instead of instinctive ones, its far safer.

Braithwaite says that the routine aspect of training ingrains the procedures in crews minds.

Thats the unseen bit for us as passengers, but its absolutely rigorous, he says.

As were coming into land, theyre generally sitting there, thinking through, This is what Ill do. Theyre looking outside the aircraft. They know exactly where the handle is. Its that routinization of behavior that just happened here [in Tokyo].

Its a shocking surprise for the rest of us, but its the training that carries through. And taking that so seriously is an important part.

Take note

Everyone onboard flight JAL516 survived. - Kentaro Takahashi/Bloomberg/Getty Images

In fact, say the experts, one of the lessons we passengers should be learning from this incident is to pay more attention.

Ehrlich cites the fact that the passengers on JAL516 evacuated without taking all their carry-on bags with them  a horrifying practice weve seen in videos of recent evacuations.

Mika Yamake, whose husband was onboard, told CNN earlier that, He just came out with his mobile phone. He had to leave everything else behind.

One pilot for a major European airline, who wished to remain anonymous, told CNN that there might be a cultural aspect to the saving of so many lives.

There are definitely challenges across airlines and cultures where some people prioritize their hand baggage or belongings over their safety and that of their fellow passengers, they said.

Leaving everything and getting out should be your only priority. When this happens everyone has the best chance of survival.

Ehrlich agrees: Any delay in evacuation could have been catastrophic, all for the sake of a laptop or carry-on bag. This incident could have been far worse if passengers hadnt heeded the warnings to leave their belongings behind.

Braithwaite says its time we all start concentrating.

I was sat next to someone on a plane a few weeks ago who didnt listen when the safety briefing came on because he was convinced that if something went wrong, that was it, he says.

Well today, nearly 400 people in Japan proved thats not the case.

Its testament to how much weve done to show that accidents can be survivable.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday led a delegation of 64 Republicans in a trip to the southern border as the GOP seeks to ramp up election-year pressure on President Joe Biden and Democrats to reach a deal on immigration restrictions.

The group toured the Eagle Pass, Texas, port of entry and held an afternoon news conference, during which the GOP lawmakers continued their demands for tougher restrictions and criticism of President Biden amid the tumult at the southwest border.

"It's been an eye opener," Johnson said at the news conference. "One thing is absolutely clear: America is at a breaking point with record levels of illegal immigration and today we got a firsthand look at the damage and the chaos the border catastrophe is causing in all of our communities. The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable."

Johnson called it a "disaster of the president's own design."

MORE: US Customs and Border Protection reopening 4 ports of entry after migrant surge subsides

PHOTO: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks while standing with Republican members of Congress, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

PHOTO: U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Texas Department of Public Safety chief Steve McCraw lead a group of Republican members of Congress during a tour of the Texas-Mexico border, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

President Biden, returning to Washington late Tuesday, put the onus on Republicans to agree to bipartisan legislation to fund immigration operations.

"We gotta do something," he told reporters when asked about the situation at the southwest border. "They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border."

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates, in a statement early Wednesday, slammed Republicans for blocking Biden's request for funding and leaving Washington for holiday recess without a resolution.

"In fact, right now, instead of joining the Biden Administration and members of both parties in the Senate to find common ground, Speaker Johnson is continuing to block President Biden's proposed funding to hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents, hire more asylum officers and immigration judges, provide local communities hosting migrants additional grant funding, and invest in cutting edge technology that is critical to stopping deadly fentanyl from entering our country," Bates said.

PHOTO: Republican members of Congress arrive via bus at the Texas-Mexico border, on Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

The Biden administration has put forth a supplemental funding request that includes nearly $14 billion for the border as well as aid for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. The border provisions would include money to hire more border agents and immigration judge teams. Republicans have been insistent on tying the aid to more sweeping border changes, including tougher asylum protocols.

"If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America's national security," Johnson said, which prompted a "here here" and "that's right" from other members in attendance.

Johnson, who contended Biden can act unilaterally without legislation to make border changes, called for the administration to reinstate former President Donald Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy and other provisions. He also called H.R. 2 -- the GOP immigration bill passed by the House last year that would restart border wall construction and more -- the "necessary ingredient." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier Wednesday hit Republicans for continually pointing to H.R. 2, which Democrats have rejected as "draconian."

Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, went so far as to say "no money" should be used "to process or release into the country any new migrants."

"We should put that one sentence in must-pass legislation," Jordan said.

The influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border is fueling a fierce immigration debate that will be a central campaign message for Republicans in 2024.

The U.S.-Mexico border saw a record number of migrant encounters in December. Sources told ABC News that preliminary data showed there were 302,000 encounters last month alone -- an increase from the 242,416 encounters in November and 240,9988 in October.

Though the White House announced Tuesday it was reopening the Eagle Pass port of entry along with three others in Arizona and California due to the drop in migrant encounters in recent days.

PHOTO: A Texas Department of Public Safety official, right, looks on as migrants walk near a rail car covered in Concertina wire at the Texas-Mexico border, on Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

PHOTO: Migrants wait to board busses as they are processed by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol after they crossed the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico, Oct. 19, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, House Republicans are moving ahead with their effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The House Homeland Security Committee is expected to hold its first hearing on Jan. 10, a spokesperson for the panel confirmed to ABC News. The committee, which has conducted a yearlong probe into Mayorkas, is seeking to impeach him for his handling of and his role in the "unprecedented crisis at the Southwest border."

Responding to the committee's proceedings, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told ABC News the GOP majority is "wasting valuable time and taxpayer dollars pursuing a baseless political exercise."

Mayorkas has been involved in the congressional negotiations over border provisions, and recently traveled to Mexico City with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with the country's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and their Mexican counterparts behind closed doors to address urgent immigration issues.

Key Senate negotiators returned to Washington on Tuesday to continue talks on the supplemental aid package, sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News. The rest of Congress isn't due back until next week.

Biden administration officials, in a press call Tuesday, said talks are "moving in the right direction."

Schumer also said Wednesday that progress was being made, but noted "this is a very difficult issue" with challenges to overcome.

He also appeared to knock the Republican delegation to Texas, saying it was "nice" to go to the border "but the way to get something done is work as we are in the Senate on a bipartisan solution to the border crisis, which will then unlock money for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza."

ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Mary Bruce contributed to this report.

Speaker Johnson, GOP visit border to pressure Biden, Democrats on immigration deal originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Are you looking to make some changes in the new year? How about discovering some new restaurants in 2024? Those tried-and-true dining spots carry rich rewards, but uncovering a flavorful new hotspot or two can be downright exciting.

Vermont's food and farming culture is known around the world, attracting talented chefs and helping to make the state a pretty good place to sample some fresh culinary experiences. Here is a rundown of a few of the new places the Burlington Free Press profiled that opened near the end of 2023, setting themselves up to meet your food-and-drink needs in 2024.

Jesse Willis, chef at the North Hero House, works the stove Oct. 20, 2023.

North Hero House

The North Hero House looked to be done shortly after the pandemic. The previous owner was unsuccessful trying to sell the business during the pandemic and planned to demolish the three lakeside buildings, construct high end condominiums and convert the inn itself into a single-family home.

Heidi and I thought this was not a good project for the Village of North Hero and decided to try and save the Inn and Pier Bar, according to Doug Nedde, who with his wife, Heidi Tappan, bought the long-standing business. The list of entrees at the inn restaurant on a recent Friday night included ribeye steak, pork tenderloin, red snapper and a vegan roasted vegetable and grain bowl.

Tappan isnt fazed by the small population base in the Champlain islands; the entirety of Grand Isle County is only around 7,500 year-round residents. It remains to be seen how well we do this winter, Tappan said. I will say we are committed. We are earnest.

Read more about the North Hero House here

Steamed buns at the Magic Chopsticks Noodle Bar in Burlington, shown Nov. 1, 2023.

Magic Chopsticks Noodle Bar

Located in a St. Paul Street complex that also houses Champlain College students and next door to Shy Guy Gelato, Magic Chopsticks Noodle Bar caters to those students and anyone else enticed by the idea of warm noodle soups and refreshing bubble milk tea. The cuisine is primarily Chinese, and one of the specialties is soup featuring handmade Lanzhou noodles. The handmade quality, according to manager Ken Cheung, makes the noodles more elastic and less mushy than some soup noodles become.

The noodles are key, but not even the top ingredient. The most important thing is the broth, Cheung said, as the soup base simmers overnight in a blend of spices and Chinese herbs.

Read more about Magic Chopsticks Noodle Bar here

Baked goods on display Nov. 7, 2023, at the Lake Champlain Chocolates cafe on Pine Street in Burlington.

Lake Champlain Chocolates cafe

The origins of Lake Champlain Chocolates go back to 1983, when Jim Lampman started the confections company. The business began in the alley behind whats now Speeder & Earls coffee shop on Pine Street, moved across the street into the Maltex building and, 25 years ago, settled in its current home nearer to the southern end of Pine Street.

That location has had a cafe before, but as of Sept. 15, Lake Champlain Chocolates has a cafe at its flagship store worthy of being called a cafe. Its just over two times bigger than its predecessor, according to Lampmans son, company president Eric Lampman. This is more of a cafe setting.

Read more about the Lake Champlain Chocolates cafe here

Wazir Hashimi, owner of Ariana Natural Market in Essex Junction, stands Nov. 27, 2023 near a display of nuts from Afghanistan and dried fruit.

Ariana Natural Market

Named for an ancient region that included Afghanistan, the Ariana Natural Market debuted Nov. 7 near Five Corners in Essex Junction. The store run by Wazir Hashimi carries grass-fed halal meat, including fresh beef, goat and chicken slaughtered and prepared in accordance with Muslim law. Hashimi said he has found frozen halal meat in Vermont, but before opening his market had to go to Canada or Albany, New York, to get fresh halal meat.

Mostly people are looking for the hot food to-go, he said. Its coming fresh and at a very reasonable price and good quality. Those dishes  including chicken, lamb or kofta (meatballs) over rice, as well as Bolani, a stuffed Afghani flatbread  are provided to the market by Hashimis brother, Awran Hashimi, who last year opened the areas first Afghan restaurant, Bamyan Kebab House in Winooski.

Read more about Ariana Natural Market here

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont restaurants that opened or reopened at the end of 2023
The United States has quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence at a sprawling base in Qatar for another 10 years, three US defense officials and another official familiar with the agreement told CNN.

The deal, which has not been announced publicly, highlights Washingtons reliance on the tiny Gulf country that has recently played a central role in mediating the release of Americans from captivity in Gaza and Venezuela.

The Al Udeid Air Base, located in the desert southwest of Doha, is the biggest US military installation in the Middle East and can house more than 10,000 American troops.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Al Udeid last month where he thanked Qatar for their increased spending on the base.

But he made no mention of the renewal and the Biden administration has not publicized it  at a time when Qatar has come under growing scrutiny for hosting senior Hamas leaders. Qatari officials have countered that it was only after a US request during the Obama administration that Hamas was allowed to open a political office in Doha.

The base has been a pivotal hub for the US Central Commands air operations in or around Afghanistan, Iran and across the Middle East. The Qatari and British Air Forces also operate from the base.

The extension comes as the US has bolstered its presence in the region amid escalating threats from Iran-backed militant groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

After Hamas kidnapped some 240 hostages from Israel on October 7, Qatar has been the primary go-between with Hamas to broker the initial release of scores of the Israeli and international hostages. It continues to be central in the talks to try to revive hostage negotiations, coordinating with the CIA and Israels Mossad, as well as Egypt.

Their part in the months of negotiations over Americans detained by Venezuela was less public but came to light after President Nicolas Maduro released 10 Americans last month in exchange for a close ally accused by the US of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars.

Qatars involvement in both sets of negotiations has been seen as an extension of the mediating role the country has taken on with other US enemies, including Iran and the Taliban. Its vast oil and natural gas wealth, coupled with ability to act as a facilitator, allow Qatar to punch above its weight, analysts say.

While their hosting of Hamas leadership was no secret, the brutality of the October 7 massacre in Israel has ignited criticism of Qatar and calls for them to expel Hamas.

President Joe Biden has spoken about his conversations with Qatars emir but at times hasnt given them the credit they feel they deserve. Biden did not mention Qatar in a November op-ed in The Washington Post, while Egypt and other Middle East allies were referenced. Nor did Biden highlight Qatars part in the release of the detainees in Venezuela in his official statement.

The Pentagon also declined CNNs request for comment Tuesday.

Thousands of Afghans were flown from Kabul to Al Udeid during the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. US military personnel struggled to provide for the massive influx of refugees from what Biden called one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history.

Qatar has committed billions of its own funds upgrade the facilities for US Airmen at the base. Al Udeid became CENTCOMs main air base in 2003, shifting forces and assets from the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where the presence of a large number of American military personnel was more sensitive and controversial.

While Austin didnt announce the extension of the Al Udeid agreement during his visit at the base last month, he did say that the US and Qatar will formally take steps forward to expand and reinforce our bilateral defense relationship.

Well do this through Qatars commitment to contribute significant resources to increase capabilities here at Al Udeid Air Base, and that will support both of our forces for years to come, Austin added.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, left, and U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil during a news conference on illegal immigration Nov. 11, 2023 at Whitewater City Hall.

Whitewater Police Chief Daniel Meyer sent a letter to President Joe Biden and other national and state officials last week, asking for resources to assist the city with an increase in immigrants from Nicaragua and Venezuela.

In his letter, Meyer noted that Whitewater, which has a population of about 15,000, has seen about 800 to 1,000 immigrants arrive since early 2022.

"As a municipal government, our focus is not on legal status, but rather ensuring we are providing the resources expected of a municipality to all residents of the City. Unfortunately, we are increasingly finding it difficult to do that," Meyer wrote.

Meyer explained challenges with communication and expensive translation software. He said officers' workload is strained due to an increase in unlicensed drivers, and the department's number of traffic stops is down.

Meyer said officers have seen poor living conditions and responded to multiple sexual assaults and other crimes, including the death of an infant.

"None of this information is shared as a means of denigrating or vilifying this group of people," Meyer said. "We see great value in the increasing diversity that this group brings to our community. We simply need to ensure that we can continue to properly serve this group."

Meyer asked for help in funding additional staff, including an immigrant liaison position, or creating a grant opportunity the city could apply for.

WhitewaterWise reported that Meyer presented the letter to the Common Council in mid-December, where the council also indicated it would write a letter of its own.

Meyer's letter was sent to 13 officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil and Scott Fitzgerald and state lawmakers that represent the area.

More: Tammy Baldwin calls for resumption of border security negotiations as Senate discussions hit wall

In November, Johnson and Steil met with local law enforcement to discuss the impact of illegal immigration on Whitewater and Walworth County. At a press conference following the meeting, Meyer outlined the same challenges included in his letter.

Johnson and Steil have laid the blame for illegal crossings into the United States on the Biden Administration. On Wednesday, Steil was one of about 60 Republicans who visited the U.S.-Mexico border as they continue pushing for tighter immigration policies in exchange for aid to Ukraine.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Whitewater police chief asks Biden for help with immigration


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YEREVAN, JANUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. Thousands of interns in England have gone on a six-day strike, which will be the longest in the history of the National Health Service (NHS).

According to the BBC, the provision of planned medical care will actually be suspended as a result of the strike.

Interns in England are demanding to raise their salaries by 35%. According to the British Medical Association (BMA), this should compensate for a 26% reduction in salaries in real terms over the past 15 years.

In July last year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, amid mass strikes in the country, announced that salaries of public sector employees would be increased: in the case of interns-an average salary increase of 9%, reports BBC.

In total, interns in England have been involved in strikes for 28 days over the past year.
The writer is an author and journalist based in Delhi-NCR. His latest book is 'The Demolition and the Verdict: Ayodhya and the Project to Reconfigure India', and hes also the author of 'Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times'. He tweets at @NilanjanUdwin.

The Opposition parties got together, found in INDIA an acronym that creased brows of top BJP leaders

There is every chance that these parties may assess the initiative as being primarily aimed at securing the anti-BJP space in states in which the regional parties are a significant force. In such a situation, the battle for 2024 may be over even before it has begun in right earnest. (File Image:Twitter)

The wheel of political prospects completed the full circle as the page of the annual calendar was flipped. Last year, at this time, there was unanimity among most analysts and political watchers. Supporters of Indias current ruling establishment, as well as those on the other side, agreed that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were in pole position with a head start over the Opposition. This almost universal opinion was vital as it was the last year for the government before the Lok Sabha election. The conclusion that the BJP was way ahead of its rivals was significant given that the assessment was made before Mr Modis final poll-eve moves, political initiatives, starting new schemes and promising others if elected again. There were also Assembly polls in three bipolar states where the BJP was pitted against the Congress, the Opposition party with the widest electoral footprint.

Its a truism that people vote differently in Assembly elections and there is little co-relation between that and the subsequent parliamentary polls -- for instance, the Congress won the 2018 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, yet the BJP swept the three states in April-May 2019. At this time last year, the BJP appeared on a weak wicket: Shivaraj Singh Chouhans performance was nondescript, if not dismal, in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, there was a crisis of leadership with Vasundhara Raje and Raman Singh not being projected as CMs. This remained the dominant assessment although it was also said that while Rajasthan remained too close to call, Congress victories in MP and Chhattisgarh were declared a matter of formality.

In a combination of fortuitous turns and painstaking efforts of Rahul Gandhi to walk virtually the entire length of the country while on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Opposition appeared heading towards posing a serious challenge. Besides the BJY, Rahul Gandhi also was quick to use the Hindenburg Report, which created a major splash and triggered a massive stock sell-off, with Adani companies stock prices falling. The accusation against the Adani Group was not just of artificial boosting of fortunes, but also alleged Mr Modis links with Gautam Adani. These appeared credible on face value as they reiterated over allegations levelled for several years. Rahul Gandhi used his speech to mount a blistering attack on the PM while participating in the Lok Sabha debate on the motion of thanks to the President. He also completed a fairly successful visit to Britain, during which echoes of his stinging lectures to select audiences were heard in India too.

Although the BJP revived an almost-forgotten defamation case in a Gujarat court and disqualified Mr Gandhi from Parliament at breakneck speed, the coming together of 14 Opposition parties to jointly file a petition in the Supreme Court against, what they alleged, weaponisation of Central investigating agencies, mainly ED and CBI, rattled the BJP even though the plea wasnt admitted by the apex court. The BJPs worry stemmed from the fact that its leaders knew the power of perception and were also worried at ginger moves by the Opposition parties to make common cause.

Events moved at a quick pace for the first three quarters of last year.

The Opposition parties got together, found in INDIA an acronym that creased brows of top BJP leaders. For some time, even Mr Modi seemed rudderless. He hastily summoned a Parliament special session with little initial clarity on the agenda. After signalling a switchover to a system of simultaneous polls, the government eventually settled to pass a post-dated cheque with no clarity on a timeline for womens reservations in legislatures being rolled out. In the initial weeks of campaigning, the BJP appeared lagging behind, but this was altered as the polls neared. The rest is history -- the BJP performed exceedingly well in the three states and despite the Congress victory in Telangana, the defeats in the Hindi heartland stung more.

Within days, doubts surfaced regarding the prospects of the Opposition alliance as cracks started becoming more visible than when these first surfaced during the campaigning due to the Congress decision not to accommodate the Samajwadi Party in MP. Not entering into an agreement with smaller parties in Rajasthan also cost the party dearly.

The question is simple: what are the reasons behind such a dramatic alteration of fortunes? Simply put, there are five reasons for the BJP winning the three states so decisively, and for the partys fortunes to continue soaring even when the Lok Sabha campaign is four months away.

*The Modi factor: the PMs charisma and his campaign style, where he betters his rivals in both energy and ability to communicate his message with flair.

*Latent and omnipresent Hindutva factor, now gradually increasing in fervour with the Ram Mandir consecration later in January.

*Modis welfarist policies, the most recent being the distribution of food cereals for another five years.

*The BJPs highly-efficient party mechanism that has been built beyond the old network.

*Finally, the disarray and the Opposition parties inability to anticipate developments and formulate plans, quickly agree on seat-sharing, and the absence of a sense of timing.

Of the factors that aided the BJP victory and continues to boost the partys prospects, the last factor is possibly the most important. With the Congress as its principal adversary, the BJP doesnt really need worry much. Take, for instance, the necessity of striking a seat-sharing deal with parties like the Trinamul Congress, Samajwadi Party and AAP. But satraps like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in West Bengal and Ajay Maken in Delhi often bad-mouthed the potential ally. The Congress leadership has, however, not firmly directed such leaders to remain focused on the main objective, reduce the BJPs majority, even if the Opposition ends on the losing side.

A simple message, that a weakened Narendra Modi would open up spaces for the Opposition to mount a comeback, has not been either communicated to such errant leaders or their diktat has not been heeded by the satraps. A similar situation was a primary reason for the Congress virtually gifting the polls in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The Congress leadership also has little sense of timing. Not only is Rahul Gandhis second march, the Bharat Nyay Yatra, completely ill-timed, but it also carries the potential of upsetting other Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc.

There is every chance that these parties may assess the initiative as being primarily aimed at securing the anti-BJP space in states in which the regional parties are a significant force. In such a situation, the battle for 2024 may be over even before it has begun in right earnest.
by Fady Noun

Hamass number two was killed yesterday in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. For Hezbollah leader Nasrallah: "This crime will never pass. Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati is intensifying contacts to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading to Lebanon. The Israeli army is preparing for any scenario." On Sunday, Maronite Patriarch al-Rahi called for a halt to hostilities that have been ongoing for weeks at the border.

Beirut (AsiaNews)  Israel has taken a risk of regional escalation by assassinating Hamas' second-in-command, Saleh al-Arouri, 55, a native of Aroura, in the occupied West Bank, and at least six other senior figures in a drone strike in the heart of Beirut on Tuesday.

Saleh al-Arouri, the exiled Hamas leader for the occupied West Bank and co-founder of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamist movement, was one of Israel's priority targets.

Settled in Lebanon for several years, he is said to have largely contributed to the rapprochement between Hamas and Hezbollah and to the implementation of the theory of "unity of fronts".

The attack has had a great impact in Lebanon, where the government is doing everything possible to keep the country out of a conflict that could be fatal.

Hamas' second-in-command was the victim of an attack by three Israeli missiles that targeted the second and third floors of a residential building in the Musharafieh neighbourhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold where a Hamas office is located. A third rocket targeted a stationary car below the building.

Hezbollah: A serious development

Aware of the risk it had taken, the Jewish state made it known Tuesday evening, through Mark Regev, an adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, that its surgical strike was not an attack on the Lebanese state. It was not an attack even on Hezbollah.

But will Hassan Nasrallah, who is due to speak today to commemorate the assassination of Qassem Suleimani (3 January 2020 in Iraq) see it that way?

Certainly, opening a second front in southern Lebanon is a scenario that the United States is seeking to prevent by every means, and Hezbollah has made it clear in recent months that it does not want a full-scale conflict with Israel, but can it remain passive after Israel has moved the fight to its stronghold?

In any case, Hezbollah issued a warning on Tuesday evening that it considers Arouri's assassination not only a serious assault on Lebanon, but also a dangerous development in the course of the war between the enemy and the axis of resistance, adding that this crime will never pass without response and punishment".

Mikati and Macron

For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of trying to usher Lebanon into a new phase of confrontations, instructing the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to submit an urgent complaint to the Security Council.

This explosion undoubtedly aims to implicate Lebanon, serving as a clear response to our efforts to keep the spectre of the ongoing war in Gaza away from Lebanon, the prime minister said. We appeal to the concerned nations to pressure Israel to halt its targeting.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to "avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon" during a phone conversation with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet.

Last Sunday, the head of the Maronite Church, Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, once again pleaded for an end to hostilities on the Israeli-Lebanese border, where a so-called "medium-intensity" conflict pits Israel against Hezbollah.

Haniyeh: Expansion of the war

A movement "whose leaders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated, said Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh who slammed the violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, and an expansion of its circle of aggression" from Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are preparing for "any scenario", said IDF spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari on Wednesday, cited by AFP.

Israeli forces are at a very high level of readiness  in all arenas, in defence and offence, Hagari explained. We are in a high state of readiness for any scenario, he added. The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas.
Security forces took the prelate into custody last night, telling him to bring clothes for every season. Ordained coadjutor bishop with papal mandate in 2011, he is not recognised by the authorities for refusing to join the Patriotic Association. Since the death of his predecessor in 2016, he has been prevented from carrying out his ministry in one of Chinas oldest and foremost Catholic communities. Now the faithful are praying for him and his release, a source told AsiaNews.

Wenzhou (AsiaNews)  For Chinese Catholics, 2024 began with the arrest of 61-year-old Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, sources told AsiaNews.

Bishop Shao is not recognised by the Chinese government and is therefore routinely jailed by local authorities to prevent him from carrying out his ministry serving the vibrant local Catholic community.

Security forces took the prelate into custody yesterday. He was ordered to take clothes for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, a source said. This suggests that his situation is not promising and that he will probably be held for a long time. The faithful are worried because they don't even know where he will be detained.

Bishop Shao was ordained coadjutor bishop with a papal mandate in 2011, and succeeded Bishop Vincent Zhu Wei-Fang when the latter passed away in September 2016.

However, by refusing to join official bodies imposed by the government on Chinese Catholics, he has never been recognised by the authorities. Considering the see vacant, the government put in charge of the diocese a member of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Father Ma Xianshi.

During festivities Bishop Shao is regularly taken into custody to prevent him from leading public celebrations in a city that is nicknamed the Jerusalem of the East for its churches.

This year, however, things went a little differently. A few days before Christmas, on 16 December, Bishop Shao was taken away by security forces only to be released two days later.

Then, on December 24 and 25, he was taken to Taishun County to prevent him from celebrating Christmas Mass, but he still reported that he spent one of the most peaceful Christmases in his life.

His arrest came later, following a new letter that Bishop Shao wrote to Fr Ma on 31 December, believing in good conscience that he had to protest the decisions about the diocese made without his authority.

"I have written to you," reads the letter that Bishop Shao made public, expressing my desire to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss solutions to some of the complex problems of the diocese at this time.

Your answer was that it was not convenient for you to meet me. So I am writing to ask you to pass on my opinions to my brother priests and to parishioners."

"In 2019, without my permission, there was a change in parishes and a transfer of priests from this Church, and the unauthorised downgrading of the Diocese of Lishui to parish status under the Diocese of Wenzhou.

"After four years, I read again about a division of parishes and the transfer of priests (decided by Fr Ma for 6 January) without the bishops permission. I wrote to you immediately to ask for a nomination.

The same applies to the promotion of seminarians. According to the law of the Church, it is necessary to be ordained personally by the bishop of the diocese or to have power of attorney from him.

"Pursuant to the Code of Canon Law, anyone who receives holy orders from someone who lacks legitimate power to ordain is automatically suspended."

The letter appears to have provoked a strong reaction on the part of "official" Church bodies in Wenzhou, which are seemingly behind Bishop Shaos arrest.

"Now," the source told AsiaNews, "the faithful are praying for him, asking the Lord to bring him back to his community as soon as possible.
by Melani Manel Perera

In Kalpitiya, a local parish priest, Fr Sampath, is involved in this project as a show of harmony among religious communities. It is in unity among all the religious leaders of this country that we can create peace," said Venerable Diyasena Thero who appreciates such a gesture.

Chilaw (AsiaNews)  Catholic clergymen and believers are currently helping a Buddhist monk build a pagoda, a tangible act of friendship among people of different religions in Kalpitiya, a city located in the Diocese of Chilaw.

The Venerable Bandiwewa Diyasena Thero, the head monk of the Buddhist Centre in Kalpitiya, appreciates such support. I am happy with this gift of solidarity from the Catholic Church," he told AsiaNews. The parish priest, Father Sampath, his two assistant priests, and parishioners showed the harmony that exists in our province."

Venerable Diyasena Thero noted that even in India, when Anagarika Dharmapala was about to build a temple on the holy site of BoddhaGaya, the Catholic Church came to the defence of the rights of the Buddhist community.

The Buddhist religious leader also praised the efforts of Card Malcolm Ranjith in preventing violence between Sinhala and Muslims after the Easter 2019 attacks, noting how on that occasion Buddhist monks reached out as much as possible to help the victims. It is in unity among all the religious leaders of this country that we can create peace," he explained.

For his part, Fr Sampath Prasanga Perera, parish priest of Kalpitiya, stressed the importance of the support offered by Catholics in building the pagoda.

Bandiwewa Diyasena Thero is a very friendly monk who often works for religious harmony, the priest explained.

Kalpitiya is an area filled with devotees from all four religions: Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics, and Muslims. We all live in harmony and cooperation. Our religions may be different, but we all act like human beings. That is why we always experience harmony and love, Fr Sampath said.

"If we try to live in harmony and peace, giving up little grudges between each other, this is the greatest luck we can have as human beings, he added. To set a small example, we are committed to building the pagoda.

Photo by Prasad Purnamal Jayamanne
China has updated its regulations against illegal organ transplants. However, members of the political and financial elite still manage to circumvent them in military hospitals that now perform half of the country's transplants.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  The new rules on organ transplants made public on 14 December and signed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang increase penalties for "malpractice" and tighten requirements for medical establishments that perform transplants.

The regulations, which came into effect yesterday, are the latest in a series of measures designed to crack down on illegal organ trafficking.

They include a monitoring system announced in 2014 that was supposed to prevent "private" allocation of organs or the use of organs from executed prisoners without their consent.

Since 1 January 2015, only voluntary public donations or organs from living relatives are legally allowed for transplants, but demand for organs in China continues to be very high.

A doctor from mainland China, currently practising in North America, said that, unlike most countries, half of all organ transplants in China are performed at military hospitals.

We know that anyone supervising [transplants] at provincial or municipal level, or from the Red Cross, will stand aside once the military intervenes," said Dr Yang, a pseudonym used for fear of reprisals.

So where do the military get their organs from? Just how transparent can this be?" Yang wonders. "It is a service specially provided to the [party elite]."

The doctor said that he witnessed the process by which high-ranking people in China and paying clients from abroad procure organs for transplantation.

A senior official from Kazakhstan wanted a kidney transplant at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital," he said. "Within a month, a kidney transplant had been successfully performed, then he went back to Kazakhstan.

Chinas former organ transplant chief Jiefu Huang is cited in the UK-based medical journal The Lancet in 2011 as saying that about 65 per cent of transplants in China use organs from deceased donors, more than 90 per cent of whom were executed prisoners.

A 2022 study in the American Journal of Transplantation found evidence in 71 cases of executions by organ removal from prisoners, noting that the removal of the heart during organ procurement must have been the proximate cause of the donors death.

China is one of the world's leading countries for death sentences, but the exact number of executions is a state secret guarded by the ruling Communist Party of China.

Jiefu publicly admitted that organs transplanted in China still come mostly from death row prisoners, although this practice was banned after the Human Organ Donation Management Centre was set up in 2012.

Torsten Trey, founder and executive director of Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, said the latest rules were unlikely to do much to stop illegal organ trade in China.

The new regulations do not address the issue of transparent access to organ donors," Trey said. Simply enacting new regulations without a system of verifiability for its enforcement ... really doesn't amount to a whole lot.

Instead, he calls for a system based on World Health Organisation guidelines that insist on traceability of individual organs through a transparent donation process that is open to scrutiny, including instant access for inspection teams to carry out spot checks.
LEBANON-ISRAEL-GAZA

In addition to the risk of a widening of the conflict, the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza could also be affected by the raid in Beirut yesterday afternoon in which Saleh al-Arouri, one of the political leaders of Hamas, was killed by a bomb launched by an Israeli drone, along with six other people. Qatari sources said that Egypt had broken off mediation. In recent days, Cairo together with Doha had put forward a proposal for a 20-day pause in the fighting in exchange for the release of 50 Israeli hostages.

JAPAN

The confirmed death toll from the January 1 earthquake on the Noto peninsula in Japan has risen to 64. While people are still digging for those missing under the rubble, there is now concern about worsening weather conditions. Prime Minister Kishida announced the doubling of the military contingent mobilized for the rescue operations to 2000 soldiers, while the country is still in shock following the accident at Haneda airport in Tokyo which saw a plane collide that was about to take off to bring aid with a landing Airbus: 5 crew members of the rescue aircraft died in the fire while all over 300 people on board the airliner managed to escape to safety.

CHINA

China's average temperature in 2023 was the warmest since records began, state media said, citing data from the National Climate Center in Beijing. In the year just ended it stood at 10.7 degrees Celsius, surpassing the record of 10.5 set in 2021, state broadcaster CCTV said. China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, such as carbon dioxide.

INDIA

Following strikes by truck, bus and tanker drivers which led to long queues at petrol stations, the Interior Minister of the Indian federal government Ajay Bhalla announced last night his intention to re-negotiate the new rules with trade associations on the crime of failure to provide assistance. Article 106(2) of the new penal code - approved by the Indian Parliament in the winter session - provides for a ten-year prison sentence and a fine for anyone who causes "the death of any person by reckless and negligent driving of a vehicle and flees without reporting the matter to a police officer or a magistrate."

INDONESIA

Indonesia's election watchdog has summoned Gibran Rakabuming Raka - the son of President Joko Widodo, who is running for vice-president in the February 14 elections alongside Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is leading the polls - for questioning over an alleged violation of rules for the electoral campaign. Gibran allegedly distributed free milk to people at a public event last month.

RUSSIA

Some Russian political prisoners, Zenja Berkovic, Sasa Skocilenko, Ilja Jasin and Vladimir Kara-Murza, sent a wish to all those who support them through the editorial team of Novaya Gazeta Evropa, which obtained the messages through the procedures of the Penitentiary Police: A very simple wish for the new year: believe, fear, forgive.

TAJIKISTAN

The reading in parliament of the end-of-year message from the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rakhmon, was interrupted by a record 120 rounds of applause during the more than 3 hours of its reading, for a total of 22 minutes sitting or standing, with applause between 4 minutes and 42 seconds long, surpassing even the statistics of Kim Yong-Un's speeches in North Korea.
Syrian Orthodox Mar Maurice Amsih accuses the "occupation forces" of targeting an "innocent" community. In the raids of the last few days, he accuses, at least 10 civilians have died, dozens have been wounded and there has been serious material damage. Turkish Defence Minister confirms cross-border operations to kill soldiers. Sdf: in 2023 almost 800 attacks by Ankara's army.

Aleppo (AsiaNews) - "The Turkish occupation forces continue to attack our people". This is the cry of alarm launched by the Syrian Orthodox archbishop of Jazira and Euphrates mar Maurice Amsih, a territory that includes the provinces of Hassake and Deir-El-Zor, near the Turkish border, commenting on the military escalation of recent days in northeast Syria.

For the religious person it is a clear "violation" of international "conventions" and "religious and humanitarian standards". His words reflect what was reported by local sources according to which, since December 23, the Turkish army has intensified attacks in a long-disputed region and the scene of intense fighting. In the violence of the last few days, at least 10 civilians have died, dozens have been injured and numerous losses and material damage to properties, installations and road infrastructure have occurred.

Regarding the Turkish bombings that the region has witnessed, the Syrian Orthodox bishop reports that "this year is different from previous ones, due to the ongoing wars around the world that target people of all ethnic groups.

They are conflicts devoid of humanity and which violate international charters and treaties aimed at protecting humanity. Mar Maurice Amsih states that "they affect all components, without distinction".

The Turkish "occupation" force, he continues, continues to bomb the north and east, "randomly" targeting multiple targets: workshops, factories, economic institutions and hospitals "to destroy the region's sources of life".

For the high ecclesiastical leader, the latest wave of violence represents a "new tragedy" that is "added" to the others that have struck Syrians in recent years. "Turkey - he warns in the interview with Hawar News Agency relaunched by Aina - has not stopped its brutal attacks", on the contrary it "intensified" them during the Christmas days. The tragedy of the Syrian people is great, and Turkey knows no humanity. We hope that the new year that has just begun, concludes the bishop, can bring "security and peace throughout Syria".

The numbers support the alarm: Turkey recently struck 71 sites linked to Kurdish groups in Syria and Northern Iraq, in retaliation - according to Ankara's version - for the death of 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq, killed during of fighting with Kurdish PKK militiamen. Our pain is great, but our determination - Defense Minister Yasar Guler declared on X - is total. We have avenged [the deaths] of our precious children and will continue to do so.

For some time Iran and Turkey have been attacking Kurdish targets in Iraq and Syria with missiles and drones, killing scores and causing serious damage to the infrastructure in areas already hit by heavy bombing and shelling and other military operations in the past.

Iran centred its operations on Iraqi Kurdistan, where it believes Kurdish resistance groups have bases with links to the Iranian opposition. The attacks intensified in the aftermath of the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Mahsa Amini and street protests that broke out across Iran and are now in their third month.

For its part, Turkey has beefed up its operations in Kurdish areas in Syria. Turkish authorities believe that that terrorist attack on 13 November in Istanbul, which killed six and wounded scores,

According to a reports from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in 2023 Turkey carried out 798 attacks in areas under the control of the fighting group, including 103 with drones and aircraft, hitting 74 civilian structures and oil-related infrastructure.

Furthermore, Ankara and its related forces carried out 578 operations with heavy weapons (including artillery) and 25 attacks with light weapons and snipers. Furthermore, they launched two attacks with improvised explosive devices and landmines.

Also, the SDF announced that 173 of its fighters were killed in attacks by Turkish groups, the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis) and the Syrian government, with probable reference to the tribal fighters supported by Damascus in Deir ez- Zor.

Finally, the toll speaks of at least 39 civilians killed, among whom there are also 11 children.
by Alessandra Tamponi

The South Korean opposition leader hit yesterday morning remains in intensive care after delicate surgery to reconstruct his jugular. Meanwhile, South Korea is once again questioning the violence against political leaders, less than 100 days before parliamentary elections.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - Lee Jae-Myung, politician belonging to the Democratic Party and "rival" of President Yoon in the 2022 elections, remains hospitalized in intensive care at the Seoul National University Hospital, stabbed in the neck yesterday morning while he was in the port city of Busan for the inspection of a site for the construction of a new airport.

Lee was hit in the neck by a 66-year-old man identified as Kim: among the crowd of supporters, he approached him with the excuse of an autograph and then attacked him - with the aim of killing him - with an 18 centimeter knife .

Lee underwent delicate surgery: The dagger severed the jugular vein and he underwent vascular reconstruction surgery, which included the removal of blood clots, the party spokesperson reported.

The police are preparing to issue an arrest warrant against the assailant - whose motives are still unclear - following his arrest yesterday immediately after his act. In any case, the serious episode has brought the issue of the excesses of political polarization in South Korea back to the fore, just 100 days before the vote for the parliamentary elections.

Lee Jae-Myung - recently under investigation on corruption charges for granting special favors to a real estate developer in the Baekhyeon-dong neighborhood and sending - via the Ssangbangwool Group - 8 million dollars to North Korea - is not the only South Korean politician to have suffered a violent attack.

In recent years, several cases of assault have been remembered, including that of Lee's predecessor, Song Young-Gil, who in 2022 was attacked in Seoul by an elderly man who hit him with a hammer, and that of former president Park Geun-Gil herself. Hye who in 2006 (a few years before her mandate) was stabbed while participating in a demonstration.

The strong polarization of the South Korean political landscape is also attested by a 2021 Pew Research Center survey which placed Seoul in first place among the most economically advanced countries in the world in terms of political divergence, with the same score as the United States.

The figures of Yoon and Lee are a very clear example of this: in the 2022 elections Lee was defeated against the People Power Party by less than 1% of the votes, obtaining 47.83%, and presenting a political program almost diametrically opposed to that of his opponent.

South Korea is a relatively young democracy (it was born in 1987) in a country marked by sudden, violent and polarizing political changes that have characterized its history over the last century: just think of the consequences of the Cold War and the First of May.

But the political changes are compunded by social revolutions resulting from rapid industrial and technological transformations, which create deep fault lines among the population and require often conflicting political solutions.

However, although we are witnessing a growing polarization of political ideologies within parties, public opinion, at least until 2020, presented a very different situation. A study by the Korean Economic Institute that uses data obtained from surveys carried out from 2004 to 2020 shows that the majority of the South Korean population actually holds centrist opinions.

While a survey by the National Election Commission and Gallup Korea, carried out in 2020, revealed that for 40.5% of the electorate the main choice factors are linked to characteristics such as the candidate's personal traits, moral integrity and skills rather than to political programs.

The relevance of these aspects is also evident from the public response to corruption cases, both the investigations against Lee Jae-Myung and the impeachment of Park Geun-Hye.

Attacks like the one against Lee and other politicians, however, suggest a South Korean public that is much more biased than what appears from the polls. An explanation for the phenomenon was offered by the Korea Herald as early as 2021, underlining the weight of social media and the digital world, where the most extremist opinions resound and are continually fueled, thus also influencing the process of forming a political identity and giving space to those with more extremist opinions.

Furthermore, those who prove to be active online also tend to be more politically present even in real demonstrations, compared to those who have more moderate opinions and who would seem to constitute the majority of the population.
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A few years before he became impossible to separate from a space saga called Star Wars, director George Lucas had entirely different tricks up his sleeve. Like, say, charming the world with coming-of-age stories set in small-town America.

It was in 1973 when Lucas-directed American Graffiti came out to paint a nostalgic picture of sunny America that still reverberates to this day. It is a story, somewhat inspired by Lucas' own life, about a group of California teenagers and the way they spend their last night together after graduation in the early 1960s.Like all things made at that time, this movie too had a lot of the things the American public has always loved: cars and music.The movies starred the great actors of the time, including Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Cindy Williams, whose characters spent that great night together the best way they knew how: racing custom cars the likes of Ford Thunderbirds, Chevrolet Impalas, Chevrolet One-Fifties, and even a Citroen 2CV.The movie had quite an impact at the time, and even if its appeal has somewhat subsided since, there are still people who find it iconic enough to still pay tribute to it today. Including by customizing cars in such a way as to remind one of the flick.We've seen several such tributes over the years, but the one we have here is the most recent. It was put together in frame-off, nut-and-bolt rotisserie restoration style by an unnamed crew in California, and it is going under the hammer at the end of the month with all the bells and whistles.Many of you will argue that a bright yellow Ford 5-window coupe from 1932 was the most imposing car in the movie. After all, not only was it the most in-your-face of all American Graffiti vehicles, but it probably helped a lot with the resurgence of the public's interest in hot and street rods as well.The car we have here, a 1955 Bel Air, is however a tribute to the classy Chevys that were featured in the movie, and even if it's not as flashy as the Ford, it'll probably turn a lot of heads around at the upcoming auction.The car is the result of five years of hard work, and it has only been used for 28 miles (45 km) since it was completed. A practically new work of art, if you will, that has all the mechanical bits to round that off nicely.Visually speaking the car is faithful to how it looked when it rolled off the assembly lines. Wrapped in high-gloss Tuxedo black, it presents the world with smoothed front, bumpers, and fenders. Most of the original trim and moldings are still there, only made to look better, but some of the Bel Air's emblems have been removed to give it a smoother look.The classic body of the car is propped on the original chassis, which was modified and upgraded with the fitting of a chromed 9-inch rear end, 31-spline Dutchman axles, and a suspension system comprising a 4-link rear, adjustable shocks, and a sway bar.The car is powered by a replacement engine, in this case a 383ci stroker running Hilborn electronic fuel injection and stainless headers. It's unclear how much power the engine develops, but we do know all of it is sent to the road in controlled bursts through a 4-speed manual transmission.The interior of the American Graffiti-tribute Bel Air keeps up with the elegance of the exterior and throws into the fight for the highest bidder black leather with red stitching and the contrasting shine of chrome spread on the roll bar, and hinges for the doors, hood, and trunk.The dashboard has been upgraded to hold Classic Instruments gauges, and the entire build was given a touch of infotainment prowess with the fitting of a Bluetooth stereo system.We found the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air waiting for its first owner in Scottsdale, Arizona. At the end of January auction house Barrett-Jackson will try to part ways with it with no reserve, leaving it up to the crowd to determine how much the black beauty is worth.That means we have no way of knowing how much the car is worth for the people going there. To give you an idea of how much these things usually go for, consider the fact valuation specialist Hagerty places the value of a Concours condition Bel Air from the same model year at $49,000.That's without any upgrades, and certainly without a forced connection to one of the landmark movies of the 1970s.We'll keep an eye out for this car and update this story with the selling price as soon as we know more. In the meantime, maybe it's time to see American Graffiti one more time this weekend - trailer below.
Unlike the Valiant, which was available as a coupe, sedan, and station wagon (until 1967), the Duster was restricted to the two-door body style. But it was more than just a coupe version of the Valiant. While it had an identical front clip, the rear section was unique and sportier.Aimed at the Ford Maverick and AMC Hornet , the Duster was part of a $15 million effort to update Plymouth compact cars for the 1970 model year. And it paid off, as the Duster outsold the Valiant, moving more than 200,000 units in its first year in showrooms. Sales dropped to around 186,500 examples in 1971 but went beyond the 200K mark again in 1971. Deliveries spiked in 1974, during the oil crisis, to more than 280,000 units.With more than one million cars sold through 1976, the Duster is anything but rare. However, because it was an affordable vehicle with throw-away status, many examples were abandoned in junkyards and barns. Some have been restored by diehard Mopar fans, but all-original and unrestored survivors are hard to find today. The 1972 version you see here is one of those rare cars.And it's not a run-of-the-mill Duster either. This car left the assembly line with the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 , the nameplate's range-topping unit at the time. Of the 227,992 vehicles sold that year, only 15,681 were ordered with the 340. That's less than 7% of the total production.Moreover, it was specified with the four-speed manual, one of three gearboxes available. The Duster 340 was also sold with an automatic and a three-speed manual. There's no specific info on how many were fitted with the four-speed, but Mopar experts agree it's the rarest, with fewer than 4,000 made.But regardless of how scarce this car is, it's one spectacular Duster. Finished in Corporate Blue, more commonly known as Petty Blue , it rocks a two-tone, white-and-black interior. And both look the part, which is downright amazing for an unrestored vehicle that's 52 years old as of 2024. It's the kind of Mopar that would win awards at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN).And before you say it's a Malaise-era rig with unimpressive performance, you should know that the 1972 Duster 340 is no slouch. Even though output dropped from 275 to 240 horsepower due to a reduction in compression ratio, the Duster 340 had enough oomph to hit 60 mph (97 kph) in less than eight seconds. It also covered the quarter-mile in less than 15 seconds.
A direct rival for the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the Nissan Altima has been hit with yet another recall. This campaign is the first for the 2024 model year, with Nissan recalling five units in total.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Photo: Nissan

Suspect vehicles were manufactured at the Canton assembly plant in Mississippi between September 26, 2023 and September 28, 2023. Canton is also the stomping ground of the Frontier and Titan pickup trucks, although the Titan will be discontinued after model year 2024 due to abysmally poor sales. Think 15,407 examples in the first three quarters of 2023 as opposed to 573,370 examples of the Ford F-Series.JTEKT Automotive, namely the supplier of the steering gear assembly, notified Nissan North America on November 8, 2023, about an incident involving a vehicle equipped with the same steering gear assembly as the Nissan Altima . According to documents published by the, the supplier manufactured 1,213 assemblies with a suspect tool.Said tool was used to fasten the bolts connecting the electronic power steering unit to the steering rack. Repeated vibrations may cause the bolts to loosen, therefore loosening the connection. In this event, the steering gear could lock up, increasing the risk of a crash due to the loss of steering control. Of the 1,213 assemblies produced using the suspect tool, six serial numbers were matched with vehicle identification numbers. One of those vehicles  which is meant for the Dubai market  has been remedied as part of a port modification activity by Nissan Middle East.The remaining five were delivered to US dealers and customers. Nissan North America isn't aware of any field reports or warranty claims related to the loose bolts. Rather than retightening the loose bolts to the correct specification, the Japanese automaker's US division has instructed retailers to replace the suspect steering gear assemblies from JTEKT Automotive.The repair should take no more than three hours, and owners will be informed of the supplier's blunder no later than February 9 by first-class mail. Vehicles equipped with Pro-PILOT Assist will also require steering torque calibration, and  obviously enough  all five recalled vehicles require a wheel alignment.Originally a compact, the Altima became a mid-size sedan in 1997 for the 1998 model year. The current generation rolled out at the 2017 North American International Auto Show as a 2019 model. Refreshed in 2022 for the 2023 model year, the sixth-gen Altima is also manufactured in China by Dongfeng Nissan.Based on the somewhat dated Renault-Nissan D platform introduced by the third-gen Renault Laguna in 2007, the Altima could be discontinued after the 2025 model year. An electric sedan is expected to replace it, which sounds plausible given that Nissan has already confirmed two EVs for Canton in 2025.Both were previewed in February 2022 with sedan-like rooflines, with the other zero-emission sedan sporting the Infiniti logo. In the meantime, the combustion-engined Altima is under investigation due to VC-Turbo engine failures that also affect the 1.5-liter three-cylinder in the Rogue. If the NHTSA's investigation ends up in a recall, then Nissan will be required to recall the QX50 and QX55 as well. Both Infinitis use the 2.0-liter version of the VC-Turbo.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the automotive world was still in its early years, and car designers and engineers were overflowing with ideas. Moreover, engineers of that era often took inspiration from the advancements in aeronautics and tried to implement innovations from that field in their automotive projects as well.

Photo: Monaco Tribune/Prince of Monaco Car Collection

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Photo: Tim Scott/Concours of Elegance

Photo: Leyat/ CC BY-SA

In 1909, Marcel Leyat, a French engineer, inventor, and biplane designer, had dreams of building an aircraft but didn't have enough funds to bring such a project to fruition, so instead, he tried his hand at automotive design. The result was a plane without wings called the Helica (the French word for propeller).Marcel Leyat was deeply immersed in the world of airplane design and thought the automotive industry could learn a thing or two from aviation. Actually, back in that period, the aviation and car worlds were inextricably intertwined, with engineering developments in aeronautics often previewing similar advancements in automobiles and vice versa.Nonetheless, Leyat believed cars were way too heavy due to their complex drivetrain and not aerodynamic enough. He saw transmissions, clutches, drive shafts, and differentials as unnecessary components that only added weight to an automobile. The French aircraft designer thought that fitting a car with a propeller would be a good idea that would solve those woes.Planes were designed to be lightweight and aerodynamic from the get-go, so he took inspiration from the aviation world to simplify car design for enhanced reliability and efficiency. He ended up designing a very light automobile equipped with a large propeller powered by a small 18 hp (13.2) engine.The Helica was essentially thought out as a wingless airplane for the road. Its body was made entirely of plywood, which made it very light and quite fuel-efficient. It only weighed 225 kilograms (550 pounds) and got 48 miles per gallon (20.4 km per liter).The French designer also curved the panels to reduce wind resistance and minimize drag. The wheels are designed as aluminum discs with integrated brakes to further reduce weight. Inside, a snug cabin has the driver and passenger sitting behind each other as in an aircraft.The vehicle looked right out of a comic book, but it was innovative for its time. Leyat understood that automobiles (those from his era) lost significant power in the transmission and differential, so as mentioned, it was not an engine that was turning the wheels but a huge two-bladed wooden propeller attached to the front of the car directly on the 1200 cc two-cylinder engine's drive shaft. The car's steering was pretty rudimentary, to say the least. It was performed via wires connected to the rear wheels.Its lightweight, streamlined body made the vehicle dangerously fast. In its time, it could reach 110 kph (68 mph), making it an exciting but terrifyingly fast machine to travel in.However impressive its performance was under the right conditions, the Helica had its flaws. First off, that wooden propeller spinning just a few inches from the driver was quite dangerous. It's not hard to imagine what could happen in the event of a front-end collision. Besides the safety hazard it posed, the propeller obstructed the driver's view and constantly blew wind over the passengers.Leyat tried to solve these issues with various design changes in subsequent Helica models. He built a cockpit for the passenger compartment to protect the driver and passenger from the weather and the propeller itself, which was also encased in a cage. These changes made the vehicle look just like a wingless airplane. Nonetheless, the unusual driving mode (the driver had to get out to start the car by pulling a cord and then quickly jump into the cockpit before it went off on its own), the inconveniences regarding the noise and the dust, along with the safety concerns led to the car's limited success as a means of regular transportation..The Leycat Helica made its first public appearance at the 1921 Paris Motor Show and was produced between 1919 and 1925. During all these years, only 30 units were actually built. Production was quite tricky due to a lack of funds.After its debut, the design is said to have elicited a lot of interest from the public, with reports claiming Leyat received orders for 600 units at the Paris Motor Show. In reality, only 23 of the 30 Helicas that were ever made were reportedly sold. Nowadays, just four Helica units are known to survive, and one of them is part of the Prince of Monaco's private car collection.Though the design never really picked up, the Leyat Helica brought a fresh perspective on car design and inspired research into automotive aerodynamics. And we're not talking just about the engine here because Leyat saw the larger picture and improved the entire car, reducing its weight and drag.Marcel Leyat's dream of building a plane eventually turned into reality, as he built several aircraft during the First World War, including a "living wing" bomber. And in the period up to World War II, he further expanded his personal portfolio with thirty different aircraft.
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Looks like Cadillac will have a pretty busy 2024. They will start sales of the Celestiq flagship as a statement of their commitment to the novel zero-emissions lifestyle. They will have to iron out the quirks and trouble caused by the use of GM's BEV3 platform, which isn't doing any better than the company's Ultium drive units and Ultify software, by the way.But they also want first to start deliveries of the mighty Escalade IQ mainly based on the same Ultium underpinnings and BT1 components as the GMC Hummer, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and Cruise Origin. Hopefully, more of the issues encountered so far will be resolved by the time it comes to market.Meanwhile, the newly announced Optiq and Vistiq are major wildcards. The former is an upcoming compact luxury electric crossoverthat will be produced exclusively in China by the SAIC-GM joint venture  and who knows if too many people will accept something entirely 'Made in China' on their driveway. Meanwhile, the latter sounds like the EV jack of all trades, but it could also be the master of none.The Vistiq was the final EV announced last year by Cadillac as a mid-size three-row SUV slotted between the Lyriq and Escalade IQ  it's obviously a family-oriented affair that's good for everything. But that will only be possible if GM uses the correct mix of components and has the proper pricing.Well, not everyone is sure of its success as an EV. For example, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators would love to swap it forpower! This virtual artist, better known as c_zr1 on social media, gives us major CGI food for thought in the form of the upcoming EV that ditches electrons for dead dinosaurs. Even better, the pixel master also makes the ICE-powered Vistiq a high-performance affair.More precisely, the CGI expert performed a string of subtle digital retcons to make the upcoming Cadillac Vistiq a member of the V-Series family! Not just any sibling, though, as the entirely hypothetical Vistiq-V borrows the 6.2-liter V8 supercharged Blackwing engine from the Escalade-V , complete with 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft (885 Nm) of torque sent to all wheels through a ten-speed automatic transmission.Unfortunately, the author didn't bother to show us more POVs other than a rear three-quarter pose where the unofficial Vistiq-V has quad exhaust outlets, a dual-color (black top and blue body) treatment, a lowered stance, V badges and exterior details, a more prominent spoiler, and massive black wheels. So, do you like it better than the upcoming Vistiq EV or not?
I get what Porsche and Lamborghini are trying to do with the 911 Dakar and Huracan Sterrato, respectively. Its somewhat cool. Owning either of the two can make for great conversation at a dinner party. Theyre both also better at being daily driven than their regular counterparts, but maybe thats an actual issue.

Photo: Bring a Trailer

Ive heard Sterrato owners praise their car for being a lot more comfortable than the regular Huracan, especially at going over bumps. These vehicles also offer additional peace of mind, seeing as how youre less likely to bottom out on an incline due to the increase in ground clearance.The thing is, if you wanted a crossover, why not just get a crossover? The very point of a 911 Turbo or a Huracan is to maximize potential in terms of performance, not practicality. Both the 911 Dakar and the Huracan Sterrato are kind of like a slap in the face of what Porsche and Lamborghini originally intended for the 911 and the Huracan.Its like Disney remaking Snow White with a far-left agenda in mind. I get the pull, but youre disrespecting the source material.Anyway, when Porsche launched the 911 Dakar in Los Angeles back in November of 2022, I think pretty much everyone praised them for their initiative, as if 911 customers had been asking for such a vehicle for decades. Maybe a handful of people wanted something like this, but I guarantee you that most 911 owners wouldnt even dream of buying a Dakar over a regular Turbo or GTS, or whatever theyre into.Speaking of the 911 GTS, thats what Porsche used as the foundation for the Dakar, meaning the latter comes powered by a 3.0-liter flat-six with 479 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Despite an increase in ride height, this off-road savvy 911 can still hit 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. Nobody said it was slow.What it is though, is expensive. It starts from $222,000. But what if I told you that you could get an off-road-ish Porsche 911 for like a tenth of that cost?Meet this Safari-style 996 Turbo from 2002, getting auctioned off to the highest bidder. Its finished in Seal Gray Metallic and features red 911 R-style stripes to go with the matching Porsche graphics along the sides.Other visual highlights include the front bumper guard, rock sliders, a Rallye Monte Carlo sticker, revised bumper covers, adjustable coilovers, 2.5 helper springs, aftermarket lower front control arms, custom front sway bar, four-way adjustable rear sway bar, a set of black 18 custom wheels with BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 A/S tires, plus front and rear adjustable drop link kits.According to the seller, this car rides 3 higher than a factory 996 Turbo , which should come in handy for those of you who really fancy this sort of vehicle.As for performance, its got a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six, with 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, with Everything getting sent to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Not bad, right?
A quick look at the Tesla Cybertruck's Monroney sticker shows that the electric pickup is the most American-made truck, with 90% of parts produced in North America. This includes 65% made in the US and Canada.

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Many people in the US have the misconception that Tesla is a maker of Chinese electric vehicles based solely on the fact that it operates a Chinese gigafactory. This couldn't be further from the truth, as Tesla is an American company that usually produces its cars close to their point of sale. Even though this is not always possible, either because there is no production facility for a particular model in specific regions, the big picture still shows Tesla as a highly locally integrated manufacturer.Not only that but as more American carmakers started importing parts or even complete vehicles from around the world, their American-ness started to wane. Detroit Three, for instance, had no model among the first 10 in 2023 Cars.com's American-made Index, despite operating car manufacturing plants in the US and other North American countries. That's because not only the final production place counts but many other factors, including the percentage of US and Canadian parts, countries of origin for all available powertrains, and the use of US manufacturing force.Tesla, on the other hand, has been consistently among the most American carmakers for the past three years since its production caught up. In 2020, The Model S and Model 3 ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the American-made index. Back then, the Ford Ranger and Jeep Cherokee led the listing. The Model 3 took the top spot in 2021, with the Model Y in the third position. In 2022, the Model Y surpassed the Model 3 , while the Model X also got the Top 5. Finally, in 2023, all four Tesla S3XY models were the most American-made vehicles.It looks like the Cybertruck will also feel comfortable in next year's American-made Index. A recent video on the UTECHPIA YouTube channel discusses the Cybertruck's Monroney sticker. This shows that Tesla's electric pickup has 90% North American parts, with 65% of them coming from the US and Canada and 25% from Mexico. The final assembly, as well as the assembly of motors and gearbox/transmission (legacy designation, as the Cybertruck doesn't feature any), also takes place in Austin, in the US.Moreover, the same sticker confirms that Cybertruck's battery is assembled in Austin, at Giga Texas. We also know that the battery cells are also manufactured in Austin, although we know less about the minerals and other battery components. It's safe to assume that Cybertruck will qualify for the IRA tax credit once it has a price below $80,000. Tesla's website states that this is likely to happen later in 2024.To put things into perspective, Tesla's Cybertruck main rival, the Ford F-150 Lightning, ranked 38th in the 2023 American-made index. It has only 38% of its parts sourced from the US and Canada, while theF-150 is even less American, with 30% US/Canada components. The Rivian R1T is not on this list because it doesn't have a variant with aunder 8,500 pounds and is, therefore, not required to comply with American Automobile Labeling Act reporting.
If a road looks dangerous, don't take it. It's common sense. No matter what Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, or any other sat-nav software you may be using, if a road doesn't look safe, don't take it.

A young driver received a life-saving lesson on New Year's Day when he attempted to reach a cabin using a snowmobile track because it was the route suggested by Google Maps.The Idaho driver, who was in his mid-20s, according to the Search and Rescue at the Summit County Sheriff's Office, used Google Maps to find the destination when he was told that the Mirror Lake Highway was closed. The information was partially accurate, though the highway was closed at another point.However, Google Maps suggested an alternate route that included a Forest Service road covered in snow. It was obvious from the very beginning that a Subaru Crosstrek shouldn't use a snowmobile track instead of a paved road, but the driver decided to take the route, trusting Google Maps blindly.The rescuers claim they were surprised to see the Subaru going that far. The vehicle eventually got stuck on a road sector with soft snow, where continuing the trip was impossible. The driver was fortunate enough to have a cellular signal, so they texted 911 and waited for help. Meanwhile, he had no other option than to face the brutally cold temperatures, with the rescuers claiming it was 16 degrees (about -9 degrees Celsius) when they found the guy. It was also windy, so the "feels like" temperature was much lower.Rescuing the man with the appropriate equipment wasn't that hard, but no tow company accepted a job in the mountains, so pulling the vehicle out of the snow was the real challenge. The Summit County Search and Rescue responders decided to make an exception and help the driver get out of the snow and return to safety before leaving the region. They helped pull the vehicle out of the snow, though their policy is to save the poor fellow behind the wheel and let them find a tow company to pull their cars.The driver said he ended up stuck in the snow because he followed Google Maps and never spotted a sign telling them the road was closed or not suitable for road vehicles. Truth be told, you need a sign to tell you a snow-covered road should be avoided, especially when you're all alone, and you can't even see other vehicle tracks on it.The rescuers also have a good piece of advice for anyone who believes Google Maps can help them find a destination faster. Use common sense instead of turn-by-turn navigation, as it might get you to the address with a few minutes delay, but you wouldn't risk your lives on the way there.
3 January 2024 12:10 (UTC+04:00)

In 2023, products worth $2.4bn were exported from Turkiye to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Turkish Exporters' Assembly said that 8.5 percent more than in 2022. Thus, in 2022, products worth $2.2bn were brought to Azerbaijan from Turkiye.

Also, in December 2023, Azerbaijan imported products worth $357,728 from Turkiye, which means an increase of 65.1 percent compared to the same period of 2022.

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3 January 2024 18:05 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Undoubtedly, the First Garabagh War created a crisis in the South Caucasus as a whole, along with Azerbaijan. Over one million Azerbaijanis regardless of their ethnic origin lost their homes and turned into refugees and IDPs. Hundreds of thousands of people had to live in tents and wagons under heat, rain, and snow instead of warm homes.

Besides, over 16 thousand civilians were killed and over 4,000 people went missing during the war. However, apart from the abovementioned facts, the first Garabagh War also forged mass into a united nation as well. It demonstrated the unbroken will, character, and tolerance of Azerbaijanis to the world. It revealed the heroes that history will speak about them forever. One of these heroes is Natiq Gasimov, who taught the world, especially Armenians, bravery and courage. He was one of the rare samples who sacrificed himself to save innocent civilians. Moreover, figuratively speaking, it was he, who tore the curtain and unearthed the inhuman cowardly character of Armenians.

Natiq Gasimov was born on January 2, 1971 in the village of Kichic Garamurad, Gadabay district. His family moved to Mingachevir in 1975. Here he finished the school and joined the Soviet Army and finished his military service in 1991. Having finished his active military service he returned home.

Khojaly massacre opened a new page for him which led inscription of his name into Azerbaijani history. When he saw Khojaly's victims, as a human being he could not accept such big atrocities and joined the Azerbaijani Army.

At the Army, he was distinguished from other soldiers with his personal character, and therefore he was one of six chosen soldiers to participate in the Khramort operation. This little group took an Albanian church located in Khramort village in Agdam. After four days, Armenian armed groups consisting of dozens of soldiers sieged the church. In an unequal fight, five of his friends were martyred, but Natiq Gasimov continued to fight. The fighting lasted five days and most of Armenian soldiers were slain during this days. The Armenian site thought that there was a single Azerbaijani soldier but a group.

Understanding that they would not be able to destroy a group consisting of one brave man, the Armenian side resorted to the trick. They took a school director from Khojaly to the church and instructed him that if the group did not surrender they would kill 22 civil hostages from Khojaly. After this instruction, they send the director to the church.

 They dropped me off the car stopped near the church and ordered me to enter the church. As I entered the church, I heard a voice. I quickly said that I was an Azerbaijani and that if he did not surrender, 22 people from Khojali will be killed. He said that he was alone and that he had been fighting alone for five days without hunger or thirst. I told him the opinion of the Armenians. He thought for a moment. Then he removed the Azerbaijani flag from the top of the church. He had two bullets left, which he shot in the air and left the church. He did not agree that Khojaly hostages to be killed. He pressed the Azerbaijani flag to his chest and left the church, the school director told in his memories.

On that day Italian photographer Enrico Sarsini was there as well and he immortalized this hero with his photos. He took several photos of Natiq Gasimov in the fighting, his surrender, and his questioning. Unfortunately, he was the last person. After that Natiq Gasimov went missing. His family and the Azerbaijani government have looked for him for a long. Different information was received about Natiq Gasimov. One of this information claims that he is alive and is being forced to work in Armenia. There have been more such kinds of information, but the information got by the British company "Broken Pot Media". is more realistic than others. The company made a documentary film about him, and interviewed several people with different military ranks in Armenia and Azerbaijan. General Vitaly Balasanyan was among the interviewed people. He said that he did not recognize Natiq and said that if he had been surrendered he would have been changed with Armenian prisoners. However, other Armenian officers recognized Natiq and confirmed that Vitaly Balasanyan questioned him. Even they showed Vitaly Balasanyan sitting in front of the Natiq in the photo taken by Enrico Sarsni. According to the Armenian officers Natiq was dismembered after questioning.

It could be seen as barbaric for normal people, but not for Armenians. Because he destroyed Armenian myth and revealed Armenian characters. So, they revenged him. However, Natiq Gasimov demonstrated such bravery that inscribed his name not only into Azerbaijani history but in the hearts of all Azerbaijanis. With the 44-day War, Azerbaijani soldiers demonstrated to Armenians and the whole world that Natiq is immortal, there are thousands of Natiqs in Azerbaijan, the more they are martyred, the more they are born. Rest in peace dear martyr of Azerbaijan. This nation has not forgotten your birthday and will never forget since you are in our hearts.

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Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov

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3 January 2024 11:40 (UTC+04:00)

Pro-Armenian US Senator Bob Menendez and his spouse are now facing additional charges, Azernews reports with reference to US media.

The indictment outlines that Menendez assisted a New Jersey entrepreneur in securing investments from a Qatari firm affiliated with the government of a Middle Eastern nation.

Menendez is facing four charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, fraud related to private services, extortion, and acting as a foreign agent.

The senator and his wife, Nadine, stand accused of receiving gold and Formula One race tickets in exchange for supporting businessman Fred Daibes in negotiations for a multimillion-dollar investment in a real estate project in New Jersey.

According to the indictment, in June 2021, Menendez introduced Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family overseeing an investment company.

Prosecutors claim that Menendez publicly endorsed Qatar and, in August 2021, facilitated Daibes' preview of a press release praising the country's government.

In an encrypted message, Menendez reportedly advised Daibes, "You might want to send them a message," according to the indictment.

By May 2022, an undisclosed Qatari company allegedly signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture with Daibes' company, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors further contend that Menendez received rewards, with a Qatari official gifting Nadine Menendez's relative tickets to a Formula One race in Miami in May 2022, and Daibes presenting Menendez with a gold bar.

Later that month, after dining with his wife and Daibes, the senator purportedly conducted a Google search for the "price per kilogram of gold," as asserted by prosecutors.

Daibes and Nadine Menendez also face charges but have entered pleas of not guilty.

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Winter Naadam stimulates consumption in Hulun Buir

People's Daily Online) 10:58, January 03, 2024

A scenic spot featuring ice sculptures in Hailar district, Hulun Buir city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has attracted crowds of tourists in recent days.

According to statistics, a total of 61 A-class scenic spots, star-rated village (pastoral areas) homestays, and key rural tourism villages in Hulun Buir have opened to tourists this winter, up 52.5 percent year on year, with some of them operating in winter for the first time.

Visitors attend the opening ceremony of the 20th Ice and Snow Naadam Fair in Hulun Buir city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

The city is using the 20th Ice and Snow Naadam Fair of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which kicked off in the city on Dec. 17, 2023, as an opportunity to develop new forms of winter tourism, with tourism playing a significant role in driving consumption, said Yang Hong, deputy director of the Hulun Buir municipal bureau of culture, tourism, radio and television.

The Naadam venue was full of joyous scenes as a series of activities including horse racing, intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, and hotpot tasting drew a constant stream of tourists.

On the day, over 10,000 people, more than half of whom were tourists from countries such as Russia and Mongolia and various parts of China, attended the grand winter carnival in temperatures of below minus 40 degrees Celsius. Despite the freezing conditions, they gathered around bonfires to join in the singing and dancing.

Tourists ride camels at the opening ceremony of the 20th Ice and Snow Naadam Fair in Hulun Buir city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Dec. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Wang Xiaoguang, general manager of a travel agency in Hulun Buir, said his agency received this year's largest tour group on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Ice and Snow Naadam.

Jin Yue, manager of a hotel in Bayantuohai township, Ewenki Autonomous Banner in the city, said the local hotel market has been thriving recently thanks to the Ice and Snow Naadam and its subsequent events.

"Our hotel's occupancy increased by 20 percentage points compared to previous years. All our rooms were booked for several consecutive days in December," Jin added.

In addition to hosting the opening ceremony of the Ice and Snow Naadam, the city has also held a series of cultural tourism activities, exhibitions, and sales promotions to further boost consumption.

On Dec. 16, 2023, an ice-and-snow product exhibition kicked off in the city, attracting over 170 kinds of products from exhibitors across the country. Statistics showed that during the exhibition, the on-site transaction volume reached nearly 98 million yuan (about $13.89 million), and 21 intentional deals were signed, with an intended turnover of 1.5 billion yuan.

Yang said Hulun Buir has rolled out subsidy measures to improve standards and efficiency in the development of the ice and snow tourism industry.

By improving policies to attract tourists, launching popular tourism products, developing superior tourism routes and ice-and-snow products, and supporting emerging business forms, the city will drive consumption upgrading through the development of tourism and better promote the ice and snow economy, Yang added.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
3 January 2024 18:40 (UTC+04:00)

At least 73 people were killed and 170 others injured on Wednesday when multiple explosions ripped through an area where a ceremony was being held to commemorate a top Iranian general who was assassinated four years ago by the US, the countrys National Medical Services Organization said, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The explosions took place on a route leading to the cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman where Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, was laid to rest, according to state media.

The cause of the explosions remains unknown. Some media reports suggested that they were caused by gas canisters.

The incident happened as tens of thousands of people converged in Soleimanis hometown Kerman to commemorate the fourth anniversary of his assassination.

Soleimani was killed on Jan 3, 2020, in a US drone strike outside Baghdad Airport in Iraq.

Officials of the Red Crescent Society in Kerman were quoted as saying by the state media that they took at least 50 people from the site of the incident to various hospitals.

Irans emergency services put all hospitals and health care centers on alert to attend to the injured.

Officials in Tehran have not commented on the incident yet.

According to Anadolu sources, the venue of the ceremony in Kerman has been vacated by security forces and people have been asked to return home.

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3 January 2024 19:10 (UTC+04:00)

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II will retain her title after she abdicates on Jan. 14, the palace confirmed on Wednesday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Margrethe II said she will step down as Denmarks regent in an unanticipated announcement in her New Years address to the nation. She is currently Europe's longest-reigning monarch, as she has served for 52 years to the day.

After Jan. 14, Denmark will have two queens following the succession: Queen Margrethe II and Queen Mary.

Margrethe II ascended the throne in 1972 following the death of her father, King Frederik IX. On occasions, widowed queens in Denmark have been given the title enkedronning, literally widow queen.

Crown Prince Frederik, 55, will take over the throne as King Frederik X. It has been confirmed that there will be no formal coronation. He will be pronounced king in a high-level Cabinet meeting after his mother formally abdicates.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will present the new monarch from a balcony.

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Lib Campbell: Above

The Christmas story, as recorded in Luke, says there is no room in the inn for the holy family to find shelter, and a safe place for the baby to be born. Throngs of people are in Bethlehem for the census. Traveling long distances is hard on a family. Traveling, only to find closed doors and messages that sayis not just disappointing, it's disheartening.The telling continues with a baby being born, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Some say it was a stable, others a cave. Whatever and however it happened, shelter provided the baby safety and warmth. In the spaces between the words, there has been a small act of compassion that offered a place for this most remarkable birth to take place.People are travelers. We migrate, leaving home for whatever reasons, to find work, security, opportunity, safety. This is the history of the world. Most of us in America are not native people. We have come from Europe, Asia, and you-name-it countries far away. All of us are immigrants. We think nothing of moving from one state to another. We follow jobs, sweethearts, dreams.Yet we seem to have forgotten from whence we have come. Today, immigrants are demonized and treated with such cruelty it's almost unimaginable. Today, they are met with threat and razor wire. They are put in cages, separated from their families, bussed to New York and San Francisco and Martha's Vineyard. There is no room in the inn for them. Still, they come by the thousands because the pain they find here is less than the pain they live with back home.There is no question that we need an overhaul of immigration. We need legal processes and documentation. But we must find compassionate means of meeting this moment. Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump are leading the charge of cruelty toward those who come to find a better life.How welcoming are we? How compassionate are we? How would we feel to be the ones turned away? Are we still a melting pot nation?A lesson I learned in my childhood is illustration of how migration changes a place for good. This may be an apple to oranges comparison, still it speaks to acceptance and blessing when people receive each other in love and hope.I was in third grade when Dupont came to Kinston. A large migration of people came mostly from Delaware to fill jobs and start a new life in the south. I remember students who came into my class at Ayden Elementary. Some families located in Kinston, but in my opinion, the best of them located in Ayden.What a love affair the Dupont newcomers began. I latched on to families who were different in wonderful ways. My parents formed new friendships, and off we went into lasting relationships, irreplaceable connections.I remember going to a friend's house where her mother cooked dumplings with peas. We watched Life of Riley on Friday nights, spread out on her living room floor. She had the first aluminum Christmas tree I ever saw. I was impressed.The mother of another friend made Chex mix. That was new to me. Southern delights in my life at that time did not include Chex mix. Now I make it almost every year.I suppose we learned from each other, that's what happens when we mix and mingle with people who are different from us. The whole of Eastern North Carolina was blessed, as Duponters filled our schools and helped build the economy. They were good citizens and good neighbors. This is how we need to live together.Immigration is a hot button issue. There are people who don't want outsiders of any ilk to come among us. We act as if we own the joint, not realizing just how arbitrary border lines are.Finding ways to meet the migrations of the world may not be easy, but compassion needs to be part of our solution. We are making the hard life some people are traveling miles and miles to leave even harder. Shame on us.In this week of Christmas, a tough self-examination might reveal some of the causes of our problem with immigration. Are we afraid of being replaced? Are we buying the line that immigrants arewho areAssumptions that bad people come only from outside the US is dismissive of the ills of homegrown drug dealers and terrorists who threaten us from the inside.When angels tell us,perhaps we should listen. Good solutions are not born in cruelty and fear, but in small acts of compassion that grow into blessing.Who knows what blessing will come when there is room in the inn?
Biopharma corporation GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) will cease the manufacture and sale of two extremely popular branded asthma inhalers beginning next year in favor of producing generic versions, triggering concerns about insurance coverage and product access.

Effective Jan. 1, GSK will discontinue its asthma inhaler Flovent HFA and inhalation powder Flovent Diskus. Instead, the company will be offering generic versions of these products at a lower cost. The generic version of Flovent HFA was launched in May 2022.

Discontinuation of Flovent HFA has raised concerns among medical experts as this is happening amid the respiratory virus season. Many insurers may not provide coverage for the generic version of the product.

This medication has been the most commonly used inhaled medication for the past 25 or 30 years, Dr. Robyn Cohen, a pediatric pulmonologist at Boston Medical Center, told CNN

Its the one that, overwhelmingly, pediatricians reach for when they decide that their patient needs a daily preventive medication.  The fact that its being discontinued is going to be a huge shock to the system for patients, for families, and for doctors. Insurance Complications Since insurance plans largely do not cover the authorized generic equivalent of Flovent, patients may now have to get a new prescription for a different medication in the middle of the winter respiratory virus season.

As such, the Flovent discontinuation is happening at the worst possible time of the year, Dr. Cohen said.

Flu, Covid, RSVall these circulating viruses that are going around right noware one of the biggest, if not the biggest, triggers for asthma attacks in kids.  This is what leads to kids being in the emergency room.

Dr. Cohen is concerned that many patients, physicians, and pharmacists are not aware of the discontinuation of Flovent and that they will have to work out alternatives for the medication.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reported that various insurance providers are handling the discontinuation of Flovent in different ways. Some companies wont cover the generic or dont consider it a preferred alternative to the branded medications.

Secret Database: CDC Is Hiding Childrens Vaccine Data, Expert Says Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois notified patients that only Arnuity, Qvar, and Asmanex would be considered preferred alternatives to Flovent, according to AAP.

However, Arnuity and Qvar are not appropriate for children, Dr. Christopher M. Oermann, a member of the AAP Section on Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine Executive Committee, pointed out.

Even if a preferred alternative is covered by insurers, switching thousands of children to the new medication would be a challenge, he stated.

There are lots of children that are hospitalized every day in the United States with asthma exacerbations, and there are kids that die every year in the United States as a result of severe asthma exacerbations, Dr. Oermann said. If those kids that are poorly controlled dont have access to preventive inhalers, some of those kids could die.
Under the cover of Covid, and now in the shadow of the infamous Election Irregularities of that fated 2020 presidential election, with current emerging alleged election fraud in Nevada and Pennsylvania inconveniently slipping into the public discourse, there is proved a colluded ongoing Election Interference in the nomination of the Republican candidate, the likes of which has never occurred in our Constitutional Republic's history, albeit, the question remains: Do you support the plain-sight Election Interference of the Democratic Socialist party, employing its minions in their Propagandistic Media, and their Two Tiered Justice System?

98.28% No, I do not support Election Interference; I am a patriot unto our Constitution.1.72% Yes, I do support Election Interference; the alternative, Donald Trump, to this mentally diminished president is far worse.0% "What, me worry" if elections are rigged?
From supply shortages to increasing costs and staffing issues, ASCs are grappling with a number of issues. Is artificial intelligence the answer they are looking for?

The technology has the potential to provide benefits that may be useful for ASCs, such as assistance with administrative work and increased surgical precision via robotic surgery.

Some specialties, such as gastroenterology, have reported improved clinical detection with the use of AI. Physicians at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine who used artificial intelligence to perform colonoscopies saw a 13% increase in colorectal polyps detection.

As for orthopedics, presentations at the 2023 Congress of Neurological Surgeons vouched for the effectiveness of OnPoint Surgical's augmented reality and AI platforms in spine, neurosurgical, orthopedic and robotic procedures. Presenters noted the technology's accuracy and effectiveness.

Sean Moroze, MD, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart Bay Orthopedics in Panama City, Fla., told Becker's he is excited for the changes AI will bring to all facets of care.

"In the coming years, we will see an unprecedented technological evolution that will disrupt how we practice and deliver healthcare," Dr. Moroze said. This evolution will primarily revolve around the increase in artificial intelligence and its integration into every facet of patient care. AI can streamline care by reducing physician administrative burden, improving diagnostic accuracy, eliminating redundancy and minimizing physician errors. The introduction of AI into electronic medical records will occur piecemeal, with often undetectable change. However, in the coming decade, such technology will be commonplace and come to be expected by physicians and other providers."

However, AI is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Although the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare poses opportunities, some patients and physicians are not completely sold.

A survey by business analytics firm Morning Consult found that although the percentage varies, a majority of every generation of Americans are worried about its use in medical situations. Baby boomers were the most concerned at 77%, while Gen X's level concern was 70% and Millennials and Gen Z tied at 63%.

Among physicians in the U.S., 65% reported in a Medscape survey that they feel at least somewhat concerned about artificial intelligence driving patient diagnostic and treatment decisions.
A Texas man has been charged in a $60 million scheme in which he allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary products and services.

Robert Leon Smith, 48, who owned and operated a network of durable medical equipment companies in Florida, Texas and Maryland, allegedly billed Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces, according to a Dec. 14 news release from the U.S. Justice Department.

He also allegedly referred physicians' orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces, genetic tests and foot bath medications to other suppliers in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.

According to the report, he paid kickbacks and bribes to offshore call centers operated by his co-conspirators in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information and physician orders. The centers used "deceptive tactics" to pressure Medicare patients to accept the medically unnecessary products. He also allegedly paid kickbacks to purported telemedicine companies for physician orders signed by practitioners who did not treat patients.

Mr. Smith is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, four counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, and two counts of solicitation and receipt of healthcare kickbacks.






Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, is eyeing the acquisition of the physician-owned Corvallis (Ore.) Clinic, according to a Dec. 28 notice from the Oregon Health Authority.

Here's what ASCs need to know:

1. Corvallis Clinic, which operates 11 locations and an ASC, is the largest multispecialty medical group in the mid-Willamette Valley.

2. The clinic is expected to experience financial losses in the next 12 months, despite a 15% cut in the physician owners' compensation more than a year ago, according to the notice. The application projects the financial losses would push clinicians to seek employment elsewhere.

3. "The loss of physicians in the geographic service area would have a significant negative impact and result in decreased patient access and limit opportunities for health equity initiatives if the proposed transaction is not completed," the application, which is being reviewed by the Oregon Health Authority, stated. "The proposed transaction will significantly stabilize healthcare services in the area and improve economic conditions faced by the business."

4. Optum Oregon already provides services for three providers in the area  Eugene-based Oregon Medical Group, Portland-based GreenField Health and Salem-based OHR Physician Group.

5. Optum is the largest employer of physicians in the country, with 90,000 employed, contracted or aligned. Last year, the company added 20,000 physicians to its portfolio and inked three major physician deals.

6. Public feedback is being accepted until Jan. 18.

7. The Corvallis Clinic and Optum share a strong commitment to providing patients with high-quality, local care with a focus on affordability and innovation," Optum said in a statement to Becker's. "We are excited to be coming together to expand upon the exceptional health care services provided by The Corvallis Clinic to patients in the Willamette Valley"
After sharing plans to close its Havre de Grace, Md.-based UM Harford Memorial Hospital on Feb. 6, the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, a member of the University of Maryland Medical System, has unveiled its new $134 million UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Aberdeen.

The 130,000-square-foot-center took eight years to complete and features an emergency department, an observation care area, an inpatient and outpatient behavioral health pavilion, and a helipad for patient transfer to the University of Maryland Medical Center, according to a Jan. 3 press release shared with Becker's.

After being open for over a century, UM Harford Memorial's services will be moved to both the Medical Center Aberdeen and to the newly expanded UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Bel Air to increase services throughout the county.

UMMS has invested more than $260 million in expanded facilities, services and technology between both the Medical Center Aberdeen and the Medical Center Bel Air projects, a spokesperson for UMMS told Becker's.

The Medical Center Aberdeen is expected to open its doors to the community on Feb. 6.
Nurses send the majority of EHR messages, while medical providers receive more of them than any other hospital workers, a study in JAMA Network Open found.

The researchers analyzed 15.1 million messages sent from January 2021 to January 2022, and found that 69.1% were sent between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 75.9% were responded to within five minutes. After nurses, medical house staff (13.5%) and social workers, care managers and allied health professionals (12.6%) send the largest portion of messages.

Concerns exist that EHR messaging interrupts healthcare providers and contributes to clinician burnout, and the study's authors recommend that Epic's secure chat feature not be used for "urgent and emergent issues."

Here are the providers who send the most EHR messages per day, according to the Dec. 26 study:

1. Medical advanced practice providers: 33

2. Medical house staff: 28

3. Attending medical providers: 20

4. Nurses: 9

Other house staff: 9

Here is who receives the most messages daily:

1. Medical house staff: 62

2. Medical advanced practice providers: 57

3. Attending medical providers: 41

4. Social workers, care managers and allied health professionals: 15

5. Nurses: 14

Other house staff: 14
Arlington, Va.-based VHC Health has struck a 15-year, end-to-end revenue cycle partnership with Med-Metrix.

As part of the partnership, about 200 VHC Health revenue cycle employees are now employed by Med-Metrix, according to a Jan. 3 news release from the RCM company.

The partnership is designed to use Med-Metrix's technology and RCM professionals to optimize VHC Health's operational performance and improve the patient experience by deploying software that streamlines the patient intake process, according to the release.
As hospitals and services continue to shut down due to financial challenges and labor shortages, many healthcare leaders are growing more concerned.

"I think everyone is nervous," David Dunkle, MD, CEO of Franklin, Ind.-based Johnson Memorial Health, told Becker's. "When we get together, it's not, 'How are you doing,' it's, 'How bad are you doing?' Then, 'What are you doing to turn things around?'"

An independent health system, Johnson Memorial was started in 1947. The one-hospital system also has primary care centers, urgent care centers, and more than 100 physicians and other providers.

While Dr. Dunkle said he feels good about the health system from a quality and employee morale standpoint, he is concerned about financials.

"I feel that, once again, we're not getting reimbursed for what we do. I feel that it's almost criminal the way the system has gone towards denials and making it harder for hospitals to do what they need to. Look at the rising costs of drugs, drug shortages. It's getting more difficult to navigate healthcare," Dr. Dunkle said.

Dr. Dunkle said he's also seeing a yearly increase in employees who are not responsible for direct patient care.

"We continue to add people on the regulation side, on the side to try to help us get paid. Really, where we need more people is at the bedside. We need to be able to invest in nurses, in the physicians, in the equipment that helps us take better care of patients. That's why you look at places that are forced to cut services," he said.

In 2023, more than 300 rural hospitals were at risk of closure due to financial problems.

Dr. Dunkle said that if rural hospitals are forced to close their doors, they could be purchased by bigger systems, which could lead to increased pricing and lower quality of care.

"No one knows the local community more than their local hospital. What you have at this local level is you have people taking care of their neighbors. Our patients are the people that your kids go to school with, that you go to church with, that you see at restaurants in the evening. You're taking care of people you're invested with in that community. You lose that when you're managed from hundreds of miles away," he said.

To combat the rise in hospital and service closures, Dr. Dunkle said healthcare leaders need to have a more collective voice.

"My question is, and when I talk to my peers, how many hospitals have to close? How many hospitals have to cut service? How many people have to travel 50 miles to deliver a baby? How many bad outcomes do we have to have for mothers and children in this country until finally we do something?" Dr. Dunkle said. "We have to do a better job of really getting the story out and drawing attention to how unfair the model is right now."
The Ridley Park (Pa.) Borough Council has approved a 17% increase in 2024 property taxes to combat unpaid taxes and fees from Prospect Medical Holdings, the parent company of Crozer Health System, for its Ridley Park-based Taylor Hospital, Richard Tutak, borough manager of Ridley Park Borough, confirmed with Becker's.

While Mr. Tutak would not disclose to Becker's the exact amount the hospital currently owes, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Jan. 2 that the hospital owes roughly $350,000 for its 2023 tax bill.

"Ridley Park Borough is currently in active negotiations with Prospect Medical Holdings as it relates to their taxes owed to the Borough of Ridley Park," Mr. Tutak told Becker's. "Prospect Medical Holdings did make a payment on their sewer bill that was owed through these negotiations."

The council is also actively working to make budget adjustments and has until Feb. 15 to make a final decision, Mr. Tutak said.

"Crozer Health has been in active negotiations with the taxing authorities to determine the fair market value of the property which the property taxes should be based upon," a Crozer Health statement provided to Becker's said. "We are optimistic that we will be able to reach a mutually agreed-upon resolution shortly."












The federal government is making efforts to regulate the utilization of artificial intelligence within the healthcare sector.

On Oct. 30, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requesting the federal government's health agencies to devise a strategy for overseeing AI with provisions related to the healthcare sector.

Under the order, the HHS will be tasked with developing a safety initiative dedicated to gathering information on AI-related practices that are unsafe and pose potential harm. These areas encompass AI applications that aid physicians in assessing patients and identifying illnesses.

Shortly after the order was released, 28 healthcare organizations, including multiple health systems, payers and healthcare companies consented to President Biden's "FAVES" principles which emphasize that AI in healthcare should lead to outcomes that are fair, appropriate, valid, effective and safe.

The HHS followed suit. On Dec. 13, the agency released the "Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing" rule. This rule is the agency's attempt at increasing transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in clinical settings.

The commitments set by fourth President Biden and the HHS come as many healthcare organizations have been considering implementing AI-based tools such as generative AI, chatbots and large language models into their systems.

Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health  an organization that signed Biden's pledge  told Becker's that these principles are fundamental to the future of AI in healthcare.

"We applaud the efforts to convene a diverse group of healthcare organizations to coalesce around landmark voluntary commitments that will be fundamental to the future of AI and allow us to responsibly advance the use of these technologies for the benefit of those we serve," he said. "It has been energizing to collaborate over the last several weeks with colleagues across the healthcare ecosystem on a framework that reflects our shared commitment to harnessing large-scale AI and machine learning models safely, securely and transparently."
CIOs ensure technology is both beneficial for clinical workflows and implemented appropriately. Below is a list of hospitals and health systems searching for IT executive talent:

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Job listings were compiled from job-seeker websites.
Claudine Gay, PhD, has resigned as president of Harvard University amid allegations of antisemitism at the institution and plagiarism in her scholarly work.

In her resignation letter published Jan. 2, Dr. Gay wrote: "After consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual."

Dr. Gay's brief tenure spanned six months and one day, according to a timeline published by The New York Times. She made history as the first Black person and second woman to helm the Cambridge, Mass.-based university, and will remain onboard as a faculty member.

The Harvard Corporation's own letter, also published Jan. 2, announced that Alan Garber, MD, PhD, will become interim president of the Cambridge, Mass.-based university. Dr. Garber has served as Harvard's provost and chief academic officer for the past 12 years; an economist and a physician, he also holds appointments with Harvard Medical School, Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Corporation wrote that it accepted Dr. Gay's resignation letter "with sorrow."

"While President Gay has acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them, it is also true that she has shown remarkable resilience in the face of deeply personal and sustained attacks," the Corporation's letter said. "While some of this has played out in the public domain, much of it has taken the form of repugnant and in some cases racist vitriol directed at her through disgraceful emails and phone calls. We condemn such attacks in the strongest possible terms."

The news comes after months of controversy involving both Dr. Gay and Harvard University. One day after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, a coalition of more than 30 student groups published a letter stating that they hold "the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence." Dr. Gay and the university were criticized by donors and alumni for not condemning Hamas or the students' letter, and released a series of increasingly forceful statements rejecting hate at Harvard and abroad.

Dr. Gay testified alongside the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at a Dec. 5 congressional hearing assembled to address issues of bias against Jewish students. Dr. Gay did not provide a clear answer when asked if calls for genocide violated Harvard's rules of bullying and harassment.

The University of Pennsylvania's president, Liz Magill, resigned one week after the hearing; she was also replaced by a physician, Penn Medicine executive J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD.

Dr. Gay's personal work has also been called into question. On Oct. 24, The New York Post brought anonymous allegations of plagiarism in Dr. Gay's papers to the university. The Harvard Corporation appointed an independent panel to conduct a review of her papers on Nov. 2. The review concluded Dec. 12, finding two papers needing additional citations, but no research misconduct; however, a petition calling for her removal had already garnered hundreds of signatures. Eight days later, the university came forward with two more instances requiring additional citations, and stated that Dr. Gay would update the dissertation in question.

"It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor  two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am  and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus," Dr. Gay wrote in her resignation letter.

She continued: "I believe in the people of Harvard because I see in you the possibility and the promise of a better future. These last weeks have helped make clear the work we need to do to build that future  to combat bias and hate in all its forms, to create a learning environment in which we respect each other's dignity and treat one another with compassion, and to affirm our enduring commitment to open inquiry and free expression in the pursuit of truth."
Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego and UC San Diego are distancing themselves from a letter from pediatric residents calling for a cease-fire in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Dec. 29.

The steps come after some in the community objected to the contents of the letter, which was posted on Google Docs, according to the newspaper, which obtained a copy of the letter.

In a statement shared with Becker's Jan. 2, Rady Children's emphasized its position, saying that the hospital is committed to "creating a safe and welcoming place of healing and growth," and "unequivocally denounces and condemns all violence against children."

The hospital also noted that it is not a political entity.

"Our focus is on ensuring that every child and family that comes to our doors feels welcome and are treated with the utmost respect and consideration," Rady Children's said. "Any statements that suggest otherwise do not represent our organization.

"That is why we want to be clear: a recent draft of a letter claiming to be written 'on behalf of Rady Children's' and expressing the authors' personal opinions related to current world events was unauthorized and drafted without Rady Children's knowledge or consent. While we respect individual rights to free speech, we do not condone the use of our name without our permission.

"Rady Children's is deeply committed to the children we serve and to the physicians, nurses and staff that help support our mission: to restore, sustain and enhance the health and developmental potential of children through excellence in care, education, research and advocacy."

UC San Diego shared a similar statement with Becker's Jan. 1, saying that the organization is aware of the letter and of internal responses provided by Rady Children's.

"The letter was authored by a few residents who were not speaking on behalf of UC San Diego or the residents in the program as a whole, and UC San Diego did not participate in the drafting of their letter," UC San Diego said. "The university does not comment on personnel matters.

"UC San Diego unequivocally condemns all forms of hate, and the university will hold accountable to the maximum extent of its abilities anyone whose conduct violates the law or university policy."

The letter the entities' statements refer to is entitled "A Letter on Behalf of the Rady Children's Hospital/UCSD Pediatric Residents," and signed only "UCSD Pediatric Residents," according to the Union-Tribune.

The newspaper's attempts to reach several UC San Diego pediatric residents via their university-issued email addresses Dec. 29 were not returned. UC San Diego pediatric residents participate in clinical rotations at Rady.

According to the Union-Tribune, the letter is an apparent attempt to speak for individuals doing their pediatric clinical rotations with Rady Children's and cites health statistics from the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

To read the full Union-Tribune report, click here.






Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care and Jefferson City, Mo.-based Capital Region Medical Center have completed their integration, with both health systems unified under the one brand: MU Health Care.

The two systems had been partners for the last 25 years, sharing EHRs, coordinating care and rolling out new specialty services.

"The healthcare industry is evolving and as one unified health system were evolving the landscape of care in Missouri," Nim Chinniah, University of Missouri's vice chancellor for health affairs, said in a Jan. 2 news release. "Full integration offers a path to sustainability and growth, providing access to expanded services, technology, improved care coordination and economies of scale for years to come."

MU Health Care has already begun adding specialty services at Capital Regional Medical Center, including a spine clinic, a bariatric surgery and weight management program and an emergency medicine observation unit.

"With the combined strengths of community and academic medicine, we are proud to be a part of a healthier future for the Jefferson City community," MU Health Care CEO Ric Ransom said. "Our mission is to save and improve lives and that is what we will do through expanded access to quality healthcare close to home."
Beckley, W.Va.-based Carl Larson Cancer Center has officially joined Vandalia Health to provide more procedure capacity and expand available services to the community, according to a Charleston (W.Va.) Area Medical Center release shared with Becker's.

CAMC has received all necessary regulatory and governance approvals, with the transaction to purchase the center finalized in December, the release said.

Vandalia Health is the result of a merger between Morgantown, W.Va.-based Mon Health System and Charleston Area Medical Center. The nine-hospital system took out $80 million in credit to partially fund a series of acquisitions, including the cancer center, last June.

The center, which will be renamed the CAMC Cancer Center-Beckley, was created in the mid-1980s and features three physicians, 11 advanced practice professionals and support staff.

The center also provides oncology, hematology, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, diagnostic laboratory and diagnostic imaging services.
From a Maryland physician acquitted in an alleged $15 million fraud scheme to an Iowa pharmacy filing a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, here are 10 recent healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and legal developments Becker's has reported since Dec. 21:

1. The judge overseeing the Johns Hopkins All Children's civil case made famous by a Netflix documentary determined there was no juror misconduct during the eight-week trial.

2. A Maryland physician was acquitted of a more than $15 million fraud scheme conviction after the court determined prosecution did not provide enough evidence that "ambiguous" CPT codes were being abused.

3. Greenwich (Conn.) Hospital's lawsuit against the town's planning and zoning commission for rejecting the hospital's bid to develop a cancer care center has been dismissed by a state Supreme Court judge.

4. A federal judge temporarily blocked an Idaho law banning gender-affirming care for minors.

5. New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital reached a settlement, which calls for the health system to pay $300,000 for using advertising tools that shared personal information with technology companies.

6. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is settling a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The pediatric healthcare system is set to pay $45,000 to a former maintenance employee who allegedly requested religious exemption from the system's flu vaccination requirements due to "sincerely held religious beliefs" in 2019.

7. Newark, Del.-based ChristianaCare is paying $47.1 million to resolve an over six-year-old kickback lawsuit filed by the health system's former chief compliance officer.

8. A third lawsuit was filed related to the abrupt closure of Stone Academy, a for-profit nursing school based in Connecticut. Nine students filed a federal lawsuit against state officials at the Office of Higher Education and the state Department of Public Health, which had oversight of the for-profit school while it was still operational.

9. A second arrest warrant was issued for Ammon Bundy, the former gubernatorial candidate and far-right public figure at the center of a legal battle with Boise-based St. Luke's Health System. Ada County District Court Judge Nancy Baskin issued the new warrant for Mr. Bundys arrest after he skipped court Dec. 18, the first day of his trial against the health system.

10. An Iowa pharmacy filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and its pharmacy benefit manager, accusing the company of "unconscionable" DIR fees.
Police are investigating an incident in which a gun was discharged at MercyOne Waterloo (Iowa) Medical Center Dec. 29, according to NBC affiliate WHO 13 News.

Authorities found damage from a single gunshot in a restroom after responding to a report of a gun being fired at the hospital around 9:40 a.m. CST. No injuries were reported.

Police later tracked down the suspected shooter, who said he "accidentally" discharged the weapon. The situation prompted the hospital to lock down for about an hour.



"At MercyOne safety is our top priority, and our team responded quickly to ensure everyone's well-being," the hospital said in a statement. "We understand that such events can be concerning, but please be reassured that the situation has been resolved. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time."
The New Hampshire safety and health departments are considering major policy updates for hospitals that would encourage hospital security to carry guns. However, many oppose armed security in health facilities, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported Jan. 3.

The policy changes come after a fatal shooting in November of an unarmed security officer and former patient inside the state psychiatric hospital. The Department of Safety announced security changes 11 days after the shooting, including recommendations that state hospitals hire armed private security guards. According to the recommendations, hospital security officers would "carry firearms throughout the hospital to mitigate any threats occurring within the (New Hampshire Hospital)." The armed officers would be stationed at hospital entrances to screen patients, visitors and staff, but also assist hospital security "throughout" the campus.

The policy changes are "in progress" with no time frame of when implementation might begin. Details such as if armed security would carry guns in patient areas has not been released.

Many staff members, including security officers, oppose the recommendations, citing concerns that firearms in a volatile situation could exacerbate safety risks to all involved, according to the Bulletin. They also worry that firearm presence could take away from the welcoming and therapeutic environment and could retraumatize patients who were involuntarily committed or transported to the hospital by armed police officers.

Security officers expressed a preference for safety measures such as stun guns, pepper spray, handcuffs and de-escalation training. Having standbys, where medical staff recognize the possibility of violence early and request a security officer to stand by, has helped deescalate most situations, according to the newspaper.
The federal government paid $123 million to build the nation's first plant to reproduce synthetic rubber into nitrile gloves, but after medical supply shortages ebbed, the Virginia facility sits unused, The Washington Post reported Dec. 28.

Multiple forms of personal protective equipment were in short supply at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, global demand for nitrile exam gloves exceeded production capacity by about 215 billion units, or about 40% of the world's supply.

The rubber plant was ready for operations in spring 2023, nearly three years after the monthslong shortage of masks, gloves and isolation gowns. The project was lost in the shuffle after the 2020 presidential election, the Post reported. Funding only came through for the nitrile butadiene rubber plant, which still needs $60 million to hook up utilities.

Another $170 million is also needed to build the adjacent glove factory. As the sites await funding, hundreds of motors from the plant's reactors are in a humidity-controlled storage shed.

"Just wasted money," Scott Maier, CEO of Blue Star NBR, the company contracted to build the plants, told the Post. "This was all built, ready to go. And because we didn't start, now we have to take it all apart.  We just want to finish what we started."

Two other factories  one in Maryland, one in New Hampshire  that are supposed to transform rubber into gloves are also white elephants.

Supply chain experts have long been championing more domestic manufacturing of medical equipment, and the idea is picking up steam after millions of fake nitrile gloves were imported to the U.S. during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, the White House used a Cold War-era policy to invest $35 million into sterile injectables and supply chain resilience efforts.

But if resources falter into these efforts similar to projects with the rubber glove plants, or they're viewed as a short-term fix, progress into strengthening the medical supply chain can decay.

"It would be a shame not to finish," Victor Galati, Blue Star's CFO, said. "It's a vital product that we need, and we're putting our country at risk, not having something so important."
A Ryanair Boeing 737-8AS passenger airliner comes in to land at Stansted Airport in Essex (Nicholas T Ansell/PA)

Ryanair has cautioned over a hit from the move by a raft of online travel agents to remove the Irish airline from their websites.

The group said that, since early December, many of the larger sites such as Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak have taken Ryanair off their sites.

It said the sudden removal from what it claimed were online travel agent pirates was welcome, but added that it would impact its so-called load factor, a key measure of how well airlines fill their planes, by 1% or 2% throughout December and January.

Revenues from tickets will also be affected in the short-term as Ryanair said it would respond by lowering fares for passengers booking directly through its own website.

But it said the move was unlikely to materially affect its full-year passenger numbers or profit expectations.

Its latest update showed it flew 9% more passengers in December, at 12.5 million, but its load factor fell to 91% from 92% a year ago.

More than another 900 Ryanair flights were cancelled last month due to the war between Israel and Hamas and the ongoing suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jordan.

A Ryanair flighttakes off from Dublin Airport (Brian Lawless/PA)

The update comes amid a long-running dispute between Ryanair and online booking sites, with the airline having launched legal action in the US against Booking.com owner Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries including Kayak, Agoda and Priceline.

Ryanair said it was not clear what the reason was behind its removal from the sites, but said it may be down to a recent Irish High Court ruling, which it said granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox from unlawfully scraping Ryanair.com content for online travel agents.

Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airlines website and often offering the carriers fares to its own customers via its own site.

Ryanair said: Ryanair will respond to this welcome removal of our flights from OTA (online travel agent) pirate websites, by lowering fares where necessary to encourage all passengers to book directly on Ryanair.com where they are guaranteed to always get the lowest air fares without OTA Pirate overcharges, fake contact info, or other pricing/refund scams.

In the meantime, Ryanair continues to make its fares available to honest/transparent OTAs such as Google Flights, who do not add hidden mark ups to Ryanair prices and who direct passengers to make their bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website.

Booking.com and Kiwi were approached for comment.
Derry Girls actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson has told how she had just been fired from her door-to-door sales job when she learned about the hit comedy series in which she would star.

Speaking to the Dish podcast, Jackson told hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett how she was just a year out of drama school when she landed a role in Derry Girls.

She said her work until then included other odd wee bits of telly and theatre, as well as a door-to-door sales job.

I was selling door to door, which was commission based and I didnt make a penny. And then I ended up getting sacked from it, and then I got an email for Derry Girls on the same day, so it felt all very full circle.

That same day, she was handed a pink hard hat and started working on a building site after an Irish builder had seen her crying on the phone to her mother about losing her job.

I was having the time of my life and then I came out of the building site and looked at my phone and I had an email that was like, Theres an audition for this thing called Derry Girls. I was like, What a day. Ive been up since 6am and now Im on my third job.

Jackson described meeting Derry Girls writer Lisa McGee as one of the best things thats ever happened to me.

Saoirse-Monica Jackson in Derry Girls

Asked whether she would like to see a Derry Girls film, Jackson said: I think that would be great. I think its so brilliant to see what everybody else went on to do after it. The cast is all so talented and it was amazing to work with them all.

I think its always good to give these things space creatively and then come back; I think it also might be more interesting to revisit these characters at a later date. But, like, thats not down to us, that would be down to Lisa... but I would read the ingredients off a Pot Noodle if she asked me to. So, Lisa, if youre listening?

Jackson told the Dish about her upcoming roles  starring in the Paramount+ period thriller The Doll Factory, which was filmed in Dublin, and the Netflix period drama The Decameron, set during the Black Plague.

The actress also confessed that her dream role would be to play Blondie in a film about Debbie Harrys whole journey.

Do you know whats a nightmare with me, with biopics? Its my nose, Jackson said.

Who else has this nose? They would need to do some serious prosthetics on me.

Ive never met anybody thats not in my gene pool that doesnt have this nose.

Sometimes Ill get through to the next round [of auditions] because Ive obviously got the sense of the person right, but in the back of my head Im like, Im not gonna get this because of my f***ing nose.

Series four of Dish, a production for Waitrose & Partners which is hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, is available on all podcast providers now
The family of an elderly couple who were killed by a paranoid schizophrenic man nearly seven years ago say they have welcomed the unreserved apology from Chief Constable Jon Boutcher on behalf of the PSNI in regards to the pensioners deaths.

Marjorie and Michael Cawdery, both 83, were stabbed at their home in Portadown on May 26, 2017.

Their killer was Thomas Scott McEntee, who had been known to police and the Belfast and Southern Health Trusts in the days leading up to the attack as he had severe mental health issues.

Last month, coroner Maria Dougan ruled that the Cawderys deaths were entirely preventable and warned that the brutal killings could happen again.

On Wednesday evening, the PSNI issued a new statement, which details that the service apologises unreservedly for failings in our handling of incidents preceding" the killings.

The apology comes more than a fortnight after Charles Little, Marjorie and Michaels son-in-law, had told The Belfast Telegraph: The trusts and the police all put out statements, and each of the statements carry condolences to the family.

Not one of them apologised. They should. If the coroner is correct and the deaths could have been prevented  and they werent  then of course they should apologise.

After this newspaper approached each agency for comment at the time following Mr Littles concern over a lack of apology or admission of liability, the Southern Trust replied: We accept the coroners findings and extend our apologies to the Cawdery family for the failings by the Trust, as identified by the coroner.

We are reviewing in detail the coroners written recommendations and will work in partnership with others across the Health and Social Care system and with the PSNI.

The Belfast Trust added: We are sorry for the failings identified by the coroner with respect to care provided by Belfast Trust. We are committed to learning from the coroners findings and to working collaboratively with other Trusts and agencies to improve the delivery of mental health services.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton had then said the PSNI acknowledges the stark comments of the coroner.

When told of the apologies issued by the trusts, Mr Little then said the Southern Trust got it right and the Belfast Trust had taken a step in the right direction.

However, responding to the PSNI statement he said: I would like to know whether the chief constable [Jon Boutcher] thinks they should apologise or not."

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher (Liam McBurney/PA)

In the renewed apology affirmation on Wednesday evening, Jon Boutcher then also said: I recognise that the family of Mr and Mrs Cawdery have had to live with the lasting impact of this horrendous attack and the loss of Michael and Marjorie.

We have, following the stark findings of the Inquest, carried out our own internal review, and a Serious Adverse Incident Review conducted by the Health Trust, established a Gold Co-ordinating Group under Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, Head of our Justice Department, to develop an action plan to address identified shortcomings and develop our engagement with the Department of Health and other partners. I am keen to reassure the family about our commitment to this work.

I want to reiterate my sincere apologies to the Cawdery family on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for all failings which have been highlighted in our handling of this tragic case. It is imperative that we learn the lessons and do everything we can to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Mr Little told The Belfast Telegraph that this new response acknowledges his familys pain and the terrible outcome that can occur when things go wrong with mental health.

He added: We are pleased with the action being taken by the Chief Constable in establishing a Gold Co-ordinating Group to address identified shortcomings and develop our engagement with the department of Health and other partners.

Marjorie and Michael Cawdery

Mr Little also hopes that an opportunity can now arise for the PSNI to work alongside the Department of Health in developing joint training, operational procedures, and establishing a new regional mental health service.

Over the fatal week of the Cawdery homicides two health trusts, three hospitals, and approximately 25 PSNI officers were involved, he continued.

"It is essential that such incidents are prevented as neither agency has the resources to deal with mistakes of that magnitude. The PSNI and the DoH must work closely together and integrate their mental health operations to save life, protect the public, and minimise the resources required to do the job efficiently. They must seize this opportunity to work together, be innovative, think outside the box, and set the gold standard for the UK and Ireland.

Delivering inquest findings at Banbridge courthouse in December, the coroner identified a series of omission and missed opportunities that, if acted on by police and healthcare workers, would have meant McEntee would not have been in the location of the Cawderys home on the day of the killings.

This included four incidents when McEntee had been displaying signs of mental illness and was involved in interactions with either police or health care staff.

The first was in Belfast city centre and then the Mater Hospital on May 22. The second was at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry on May 24, the third was the following day in Warrenpoint and the fourth on May 26 at both Daisy Hill Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital.

McEntee, from Kilkeel, Co Down, ultimately absconded from Craigavon Area Hospital and broke into the Cawderys home at nearby Upper Ramone Park when they were out shopping. When they returned, he was still at the property and killed them.

The coroner raised particular concern about a police failure to use powers available to them under mental health legislation to take McEntee to a place of safety when they encountered him in the days prior to the killings.

Mr Little has stressed that all of the findings will only have been worth it if change within each agency is now produced.
Retired senior police officer Jon Burrows has slammed a proposed recognition payment to families bereaved during the Troubles, stating that it is pathetic, predictable and amoral.

Ian Jeffers, who will leave his role as commissioner for victims and survivors on Friday, has suggested a scheme which would deliver one-off payments of 10,000 to families of all the bereaved.

This includes relatives of terrorists and those that murdered people during the 30-year conflict.

Mr Jeffers delivered the proposal via a paper to the Executive Office, in which he acknowledged the move would be contentious.

The controversial announcement has received strong mixed reviews from Northern Irelands main political parties.

Mr Burrows, a former PSNI officer turned commentator on justice issues, published a blog post stating his opinions on the topic on Wednesday.

"Perhaps only in Northern Ireland could a Commissioner for Victims and Survivors think that a proposal that adds insult to the injury of victims, fits within his job description, he wrote.

"The proposal to include terrorists who died by their own hand in the definition of victims of the Troubles is pathetic, predictable and amoral. Thomas Begley who died whilst planting the Shankill Road bomb in 1993, was not a victim of the Troubles, he was a perpetrator.

Any definition of a victim that gives equal status to the victim and the victim maker is not only morally vacuous, but furthers the long standing strategy of some in our society to re-write history."

Mr Burrows added that those who support the Victims Commissioners latest proposal play straight into the hands of those who seek to legitimise terrorism during the Troubles.

He believes that those supporting the proposal are conflating two different issues - "a payment for Troubles victims and support for those in our society affected by the Troubles.

"Sadly, lots of people in Northern Ireland lose loved ones prematurely through illness and accidents and a range of welfare benefits exists to support those who are financially distressed.

Indeed, it would be perverse that if you are orphaned because your father was killed in a farming accident you get no lump sum payment, but if your father died blowing people up you do.

Of course the innocent families of dead terrorists are already quite rightly able to access the normal welfare support, in accordance with their individual needs.

Mr Burrows concluded his statement by suggesting that family members of dead terrorists would also benefit from counselling services to address Troubles-related generational trauma, but maintained that a perpetrator is not a victim, not now, not in the past, not in the future.

Mr Jeffers proposal has however been welcomed by the SDLP, who note that a recognition payment is long overdue, while Sinn Fein said the paper highlighted the need for a functioning Executive.

The DUP said it will stand by the innocent victims and will not endorse this proposal and the Alliance Party said it supported the idea of bereavement payments in principle, but that more discussion was needed.

In a foreword to the document, Mr Jeffers had noted: "There will be some who find it difficult to accept the idea that all bereaved families should be included, regardless of who their deceased loved one was.

"I fully understand this challenge, but I do see the value of a recognition payment to those suggested in this paper in promoting reconciliation."
Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said a merger with the Social Democrats is possible, as she claimed there were no ideological differences between the two parties.

In an interview with the PA news agency, Ms Back said Labour would be fighting the next general election with a focus on its own values  but added that the party always worked collaboratively with others.

Her predecessor Alan Kelly also said a merger was a possibility, while party leader between 2016 and 2020 Brendan Howlin said the assimilation should happen.

Ms Bacik, who became party leader in 20222, said there was no ideological difference between Labour and the Social Democrats, adding: Just as theres no ideological difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Perhaps the call for a merger, maybe, between those two centre right parties may be the call after the next election.

Asked if she could countenance a possible merger in the future, Ms Bacik replied: Everything is possible in politics.

However, in a separate recent interview with PA, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said she believes Labours approach to government is not compatible with her party.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns (Brian Lawless/PA)

Ms Cairns said Labours previous record in government supported the privatisation of Bord Gais and penalised lone-parent families, adding: Its all well and good to say: Oh they think they have the same policies as us. They dont have the same practices.

Thats the overall difference between us.

Separately, Ms Bacik said Labour was very concerned about the rise of the far right.

Ms Bacik, whose Czech grandfather moved to Waterford after being imprisoned by the Nazis during the Second World War, called for the introduction of a national communication campaign on the benefits of immigration and integration.

She said: This is a very scary and worrying development to see how the far right are orchestrating hate in different communities. Its not unique to Ireland but were certainly seeing it here as well.

The remains of a camp in Sandwith Street which was burned following a protest (Niall Carson/PA)

She condemned arson attacks against centres earmarked for use by asylum seekers, adding it was distressing to see the burning of tents at a makeshift migrant camp on Sandwith Street in her own constituency.

She said: It is really distressing to see and unfortunately is becoming predictable.

She added: The reality is across the country, communities are broadly welcoming and weve seen amazing integration.

Asked how Labour would have handled protests and opposition to accommodation for refugees differently, Ms Bacik said Government and the Taoiseach should have had a more coordinated approach on integration, including the appointment of a specific minister for immigration.

Roderic OGorman (Niall Carson/PA)

She said Minister Roderic OGormans department, which also has responsibility for children, equality, disability and youth as well as integration, has been left isolated in providing accommodation for refugees.

Ms Bacik welcomed that Government is seeking to increase the level of State-owned accommodation for asylum seekers, but further called for the purposing of vacant buildings such as barracks and Baggot Street Hospital.

She said: That would have been the Labour difference. We are, though, very supportive of Government efforts to provide accommodation and we dont underestimate the scale of the challenge for Government.

Ms Bacik called on Leo Varadkar to make a national address on the benefits of inward migration and the need for communities to show welcome.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (Niall Carson/PA)

She added: That coordinated approach from Government is needed and a Taoiseachs address, I think, will be really helpful.

Asked how she believed the far right would react to an address on migration from Mr Varadkar as the son of an immigrant, Ms Bacik said it was imperative for the Taoiseach to show leadership on the issue.

In the wake of the Dublin riot in November, Sinn Fein called for the resignation of Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Labour did not immediately make the same call, but ultimately voted no confidence in the minister.

A bus on fire during a riot on OConnell Street in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

Asked if her party had been outflanked on the issue, she said Labour never had confidence in the Governments handling of policing, but she did not feel it appropriate to call for heads to roll during a time of uncertainty after the violent attack and riot.

On the subject of vacancy and dereliction, she said Labour has been successful in calling on local communities to inform councils about buildings which are available for compulsory purchase orders to be repurposed for housing.

At the partys annual conference last March, Ms Bacik said Labour would aim to deliver one million homes in 10 years.

However, the headline figure includes retrofitting properties that are already built and occupied.

Ivana Bacik (Niall Carson/PA)

Asked if she still stands by that messaging, Ms Bacik said the party had been vindicated over its target for 50,000 new builds and 50,000 refurbished homes a year for the next decade.

She said she anticipates Government to revise its Housing for All targets up to 50,000 and that up to 90,000 homes per year were being built during the Celtic Tiger.

She added: It is doable with the right level of ambition and urgency from Government.

Ms Bacik said the party wanted to help and work constructively with Government but added there had been delay in delivery for far too long.

Eyeing elections this year, Ms Bacik said she is very confident the party will hold existing seats.

Labour is polling at around 4% and recognisable names in the party like Mr Howlin and Sean Sherlock are not seeking re-election, while Aodhan O Riordan has said he is seeking to join the European Parliament.

Ms Bacik said: Obviously, Im sorry to see Brendan and Sean not contesting next time, theyve been super representatives at local and national level but we have really strong local representation in those constituencies.

Asked if Mr Kelly had expressed an interest in going to Europe, she said: Thats a matter for Alan and myself.

Ms Bacik also said it will be a tough battle in her own constituency of Dublin Bay South.
A Longford man who was jailed for eight and a half years after placing a bomb on a bus during late Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ireland over a decade ago has escaped further criminal sanction after handing in 250 in compensation for daubing a local authority wall with graffiti.

Donal Billings (73), of 2 Fee Court, Longford was given the benefit of the Probation Act by Judge Bernadette Owens after appearing at a sitting of Longford District Court today (Tuesday) following an incident on August 9 last year.

Mr Billings was jailed for eight and a half years in December 2016 after being found guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin of the unlawful possession of an explosive substance at Longford railway station car park on May 16, 2011.

He was further convicted of four offences, under the Criminal Law Act of 1976, of knowingly making false reports tending to show an offence had been committed.

The pensioner had previously pleaded guilty last September to defacing a Longford County Council owned wall with the message: 'No drugs, no drink, no damage'.

The court heard Billings left the message on the county council owned wall in "protest" at an apparent rise in drug abuse and anti-social behaviour in a small residential area close to where the pensioner lived.

Court presenter Sgt Enda Daly said the accused was arrested after gardai came across the man walking away from a wall with a paintbrush and a tub of paint in hand.

Presiding Judge Bernadette Owens was informed that gardai later brought Mr Billings to Longford garda station for questioning and where he was later charged with criminal damage.

Defence solicitor Brid Mimnagh said her client was at his "wits' end" at how a walkway close to his home had succumbed to such unsavoury elements.

"He took it upon himself to write this on the wall believing it would in some way inhibit these people from engaging in such an unsociable manner," she said.

The court was told Billings co-operated with gardai throughout his arrest and subsequent detention.

In delivering her verdict, Judge Owens said while the court was acutely aware of Billings' "very significant" previous convictions, it equally had to decide on the "proportionality" of any penalty it chose to hand down.

In giving Mr Billings credit for his early guilty plea, Judge Owens said the most appropriate sanction in those circumstances was to adjourn the case for a period of time to allow the accused to tender a cash donation of 250 to Longford Tidy Towns.

When Mr Billings reappeared before the same court this morning, Ms Mimnagh said she had been unable to identify a representative from Longford Tidy Towns in order to hand over the required sum to, saying the 250 was, nonetheless, being handed into court.

Sgt Daly said the State had not sought to re-enter matters, prompting Judge Owens to hand Mr Billings Section 1(2) of the Probation Act.
A forensic investigator at the scene in Blanchardstown (Niall Carson/PA)

A second male has been arrested in relation to the murder of a man in a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve.

Tristan Sherry died after being assaulted and a man in his 40s suffered gunshot wounds during an incident at Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown at around 8pm on December 24.

The arrested male is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in west Dublin.

It is the second arrest in the investigation.

Last week, 22-year-old Michael Andercut, with an address in Sheephill Avenue, Corduff, was charged with murder during a special sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Investigations are ongoing.
The driver of the car, a woman aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Woman dead and two children in serious condition following crash between car and van in Kildare

A woman has died and two children hospitalised following a fatal crash between a car and a van in Co Kildare on Tuesday evening.

The collision took place at about 6.15pm on the R148 at Cloncurry in Enfield.

The driver of the car, a woman aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two young children who were passengers in this vehicle were rushed to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin Childrens Hospital where their conditions are currently described as serious but stable.

A man who was driving the van was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The R148 at Cloncurry in between Enfield and Kilcock is currently closed.

Local diversions are in place.

The R148 at Cloncurry in between Enfield and Kilcock is currently closed.

Garda Forensic Collision Investigators will conduct a technical examination of the scene on Wednesday morning.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the R148 in between Enfield and Kilcock between 6pm and 6:30pm on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 are asked to make this footage available to gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Leixlip Garda station on 01 666 7800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
The firm which supplied the cladding on the outside of Grenfell Tower is the only invitee not planning to attend a week of testimony from bereaved and survivors (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The firm which supplied the cladding on the outside of Grenfell Tower has failed to take up an invitation to an event where those impacted can speak directly to organisations many hold responsible for the deadly fire.

Cladding giant Arconic is understood to be the only invited organisation not currently planning to attend Grenfell Testimony Week later this month.

The four-day event is being held as part of an agreement reached last year following a High Court case which saw a judge approve a global settlement of compensation claims made by people affected by the 2017 fire.

Bereaved and survivors will have the chance to speak about their experiences at Grenfell Testimony Week (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Lawyers representing bereaved relatives, survivors and local residents told a legal hearing in May 2023 that there had been a settlement of about 900 cases and a global sum of about 150 million compensation agreed.

The testimony week, from January 23-26 in London, is being held to give bereaved, survivors and residents an opportunity to speak directly to representatives from the defendant organisations that many of them hold responsible for the fire, as well as for some people to a wider audience.

Senior representatives from all the defendants involved in the settlement of the civil claim have been invited, although attendance is understood not to be compulsory.

A spokesperson for Grenfell Testimony Week confirmed that representatives from Celotex, Exova, London Fire Brigade, Kingspan, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), Rydon, and Whirlpool Corporation will attend.

Representatives from the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are also attending.

Arconic has been contacted for comment.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase one report concluded in 2019 that cladding on the building did not comply with building regulations and was the principal reason for the fires rapid spread.

Once the fire  which claimed 72 lives  had taken hold of the buildings exterior, it was inevitable that it would find its way inside, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said.

The judge concluded that the principal reason the flames shot up the building at such speed was the combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding with polyethylene cores which acted as a source of fuel.

Arconic, which supplied the cladding on the outside of the block, has previously said a confluence of unfortunate circumstances rather than the mere presence of the panels had caused the spread of the west London fire.

The final inquiry hearing took place in November 2022 and a panel and inquiry team have been working on their phase two report since then  looking at how the tower block came to be in a condition which allowed the fire to spread.

The inquirys final report is due to be published this year, but is not expected before April.

The testimony week event is separate to the inquiry.
The culture of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service was criticised (PA)

A fire chief has quit after a report criticised the culture of the service, warning that it tolerated sexual harassment, sexual abuse, racism and criminality.

Chief fire officer Huw Jakeway apologised and said he intended to retire from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service as it was time for a change in leadership.

The review led by Fenella Morris KC found there were serious deficiencies in the service, which included poor communication, insufficient role modelling by senior managers and a lack of transparency in recruitment and promotion, which led to accusations of nepotism.

It also identified: The toleration of problematic behaviours, including sexual harassment; negative assumptions about women; domestic abuse and physical aggression outside of work; the expression of negative views in relation to the protected characteristics of sex, race and/or religion; bullying; harmful banter; drug and alcohol abuse; and improper interference with procedures.

Misconduct, including criminal conduct, that has previously gone insufficiently addressed, to the detriment of the services culture.

A lack of encouragement and support for people to speak up, and insufficient action when they do.

Investigators interviewed 150 people and comments included nothing good ever comes of putting in a grievance so we decided to keep quiet and youd have to murder your own mother to get sacked from this place

The report was commissioned by the service following an investigation by ITV News in December 2022 which found evidence that two firemen had been allowed to keep their jobs despite sexually harassing and abusing women.

It found just 8% of operational service staff are female while only 17 members of staff self-identified as being BAME and 12 identified as LGBT+.

There was a boys club within the service, especially among senior managers, who were also criticised for taking a ski trip to Italy shortly before Wales went into the first Covid-19 lockdown.

There were also examples highlighted of extremely offensive comments and grossly inappropriate material shared within private WhatsApp groups and on social media.

These include, for example, sexually explicit images, images of graphic violence, and sexist comments, the report found.

The service tolerates the use of Instagram and OnlyFans by its firefighters to post sexualised images of themselves alongside images that make clear their membership of the service.

Some of these sexualised images show the member of the service partially dressed in their uniform.

The services response to this misconduct has been confused, and damaging to trust and confidence within and outside the service.

The report heard pictures of genitals were sent to women within the service and that inappropriate advances were made towards women.

It found that a now retired firefighter at the services Cardiff central station had refused to speak to or acknowledge women.

The fire service also refused to publish a photograph of its firefighters taking the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the report said.

It was said that posting such photos might compromise relationships with the chief fire officer, the service and the police given that the origins of the movement was associated with police brutality.

Examples of racism were cited, including racist abuse at a Chinese restaurant and urinating on the floor.

Making casually racist jokes or comments fuels prejudice and discrimination even if that is not the intention, the report said.

In an open letter, Mr Jakeway said: For those who have had negative experiences of the service, I am profoundly sorry.

There is no place for inappropriate behaviour within South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

I have had the privilege of serving as the chief fire officer for over 12 years, where I have been entrusted to lead our service through many challenges and changes, such as austerity, a global public health pandemic, personal tragedy and significant emergency incidents that have tested us.

I have always led with mutual respect, inclusivity, pride and passion.

Now is time for a change in leadership and yesterday I informed the fire authority of my intention to retire.

The appointment process for the next chief fire officer will not detract from or delay the work to address the recommendations.

The next chief fire officer will have an opportunity to set their vision for the service and a long-term plan to address the recommendations and findings of the independent culture review.
In his pitch to voters ahead of the next general election, Sir Keir will say he understands why people have turned against politicians, amid various Westminster scandals (Jacob King/PA)

Sir Keir Starmer will urge voters to reject pointless populist gestures as he kicks off the likely election year with a speech seeking to draw dividing lines with Rishi Sunaks Conservative party.

In a visit to the West of England, the Labour leader will claim the Tories have no practical achievements to point towards after nearly 14 years in Government.

With 2024 expected to be the year the Prime Minister calls the next general election, Rishi Sunak will also take to the road on Thursday, with a rival new year stump speech planned in the East Midlands.

(PA Graphics)

In his pitch to voters, Sir Keir will say he understands why people have turned against politicians, amid various Westminster scandals and a ramping up of political attacks between the parties ahead of the next nationwide poll.

The Labour leader will say: You can reject the pointless populist gestures and the low-road cynicism that the Tories believe is all you deserve.

Thats all they have left now. After 14 years, with nothing good to show, no practical achievements to point towards, no purpose beyond the fight to save their own skins.

Rishi Sunak is also expected to take to the road with a rival new year stump speech planned in the East Midlands (James Manning/PA)

They cant change Britain, so they try to undermine the possibility of change itself.

He will promise to clean up politics of sleaze, adding: No more VIP fast lanes, no more kickbacks for colleagues, no more revolving doors between Government and the companies they regulate.

I will restore standards in public life with a total crackdown on cronyism: this ends now.

Sir Keir will point to his legal career as a record of his anti-sleaze zeal, claiming he helped send both Labour and Tory expense cheat politicians to jail in the wake of the 2009 expenses scandal, while serving as the director of public prosecutions.

He will also mention having worked with people living on death row, a reference to his legal work on Caribbean death row cases in the early 2000s.

The Labour leader will continue to draw a dividing line with his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, while seeking to demonstrate to voters he will offer a fresh start from the Conservatives.

He will describe the UK as a nation exhausted by the sex scandals, the expenses scandals, the waste scandals, the contracts for friends.

Sir Keir will add: So, whether youre thinking of voting Labour for the first time, whether you always vote Labour, or whether you have no intention of voting Labour whatsoever: my party will serve you.

Thats who we are now, a changed Labour Party. No longer in thrall to gesture politics, no longer a party of protest, but a party of service.

Ahead of the speech, the Conservatives meanwhile sought to suggest Sir Keir was prone to reversing previously-made decisions.

Chairman of the Conservative Party Richard Holden said: Nothing is more cynical and populist than a weathervane Labour leader who has a consistent track record of telling people whatever he thinks they want to hear on any given day.

He was for a second Brexit referendum, then he wasnt. He told Labour members when he was running to be leader he would nationalise industry and scrap tuition fees, but then dropped these policies as soon as the contest was over. And he says he opposes Jeremy Corbyn now despite campaigning twice to make him prime minister and calling him his friend.

The only thing we know for certain about Keir Starmer is that he has a 28 billion black hole in his spending promises which will mean thousands of pounds of tax rises every year for families.
All 379 passengers and crew on board Japan Airlines plane miraculously got out safely

A Japan Airlines plane on fire on the runway of Haneda airport on Tuesday. Pic: NTV via AP

Five crew members in a coastguard plane have died after it collided with a passenger jet carrying hundreds of people that burst into flames at Japans Tokyo Haneda airport on Tuesday.

All 367 passengers and 12 crew on board the Japan Airlines passenger plane miraculously got out safely.

However, five people on the smaller aircraft died in the crash, Japans Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed.

The captain of the aircraft, a Bombardier-built Dash-8 maritime patrol plane, was injured but managed to escape.

The coastguard plane had been on the way to Niigata Airport base on Japans west coast, to deliver aid to those caught up in a powerful earthquake that struck on New Years Day, killing at least 48 people.

Live footage broadcast by news outlet NHK showed the Japan Airlines plane bursting into flames shortly after it landed on the runway in Tokyo shortly before 6pm.

It was later overwhelmed by the blaze despite efforts by rescue crews to control the fire.

A passenger on the Japan Airlines flight told Kyodo news agency: I felt a boom like we had hit something and jerked upward the moment we landed.

I saw sparks outside the window and the cabin filled with gas and smoke.

Swede Anton Deibe (17) told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor.

Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos, Anton added.

Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.

A Japan Airlines spokesperson said the plane was Flight 515, and had flown from Shin-Chitose airport, on the northern island of Hokkaido. Dramatic footage showed a large burst of fire erupt from the side of the plane as it taxied along the Tarmac. The area around the wing then caught fire, as flames emerged from the aircrafts windows.

Later video showed fire crews working to put out the fire with streams of water. The flames had spread to much of the plane.

Video and photos shared on social media showed passengers shouting inside the smoke-filled cabin, escaping the plane using emergency slides and running across the runway away from the inferno.

The Japan Airlines A350 had flown from Shin-Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.

Airbus in a statement said it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French authorities and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.

JAL managing executive officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told a news conference that the A350 was making a normal entry and landing on the runway, without specifying how it collided with the coastguard plane.

Noriyuki Aoki, also a managing executive officer at JAL, said that the airlines understanding is that the JAL flight had received permission to land from aviation control officials.

It was the first time an Airbus A350, among the industrys newest large passenger planes, had been severely damaged. It entered commercial service in 2015.

Police are expected to investigate the accident on suspicion of professional negligence, NHK television reported.

About 100 flights were set to be cancelled following the crash.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed relevant agencies to assess the damage swiftly and provide information to the public, according to his office. Transport minister Mr Saito said the cause of the accident was unclear and the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), police and other departments would continue to investigate.

The transport ministry will attempt to resume the operations of Haneda airport as soon as possible, Mr Saito said.

Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays. It closed all runways following the incident, a spokesperson for the airport said.

Kaoru Ishii, a mother who was waiting outside the arrival gate for her 29-year-old daughter and her daughters boyfriend, who were returning on the flight, said she initially though the flight was delayed until her daughter called to explain.

She said the plane had caught fire and she exited via a slide, Ishii said. I was really relieved that she was alright.
Israel was on high alert for an escalation with Hezbollah on Wednesday after one of the top leaders of Palestinian Hamas was killed in a strike in Beirut that was widely blamed on Israel (Hussein Malla/AP)

Heavy fighting raged in central and southern Gaza on Wednesday as fears mounted of a regional escalation following a strike in Beirut that killed one of the top Hamas leaders.

The strike was widely blamed on Israel but its implications for the war remain unclear.

Israeli officials have not commented on the attack on Tuesday that killed Saleh Arouri, the most senior Hamas member to die since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago.

Top Hamas political leader Saleh Arouri was killed in an apparent Israeli strike on an apartment building in a Beirut suburb that is a Hezbollah stronghold (Hussein Malla/AP)

Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders over the years, only to see them quickly replaced.

And the strike in Hezbollahs southern Beirut stronghold could cause the low-intensity fighting along the Lebanon border to boil over into all-out war.

Much depends on how Hassan Nasrallah  who has led Hezbollah since an Israeli strike killed his predecessor in 1992  chooses to respond. He has previously vowed to retaliate for any Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in Lebanon, and is expected to deliver a speech at 6pm local time (1600 GMT).

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since the war in Gaza began, but Nasrallah has appeared reluctant to escalate it further, perhaps fearing a repeat of the month-long 2006 war, in which Israel heavily bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials have not commented on the strike that killed Arouri, but Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said we are on high readiness for any scenario.

Hezbollah civil defence workers search for remains near an apartment building in Beirut where Hamas leader Saleh Arouri was killed in an apparent Israeli strike (Hussein Malla/AP)

The United States has sought to prevent any widening of the conflict, including by deploying two aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected in the region this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials have repeatedly threatened to kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. The groups October 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

Israel claims to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders in Gaza, but this would be the first time since the war that it has reached into another country to target the groups top leaders, many of whom live in exile around the region.

Arouri was the deputy of Hamass supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and headed the groups presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah.

The US State Department had listed him as a terrorist and offered a 5 million dollar (4 million) reward for information about him.

Haniyeh said Hamas is more powerful and determined following the attack, which killed six other members of the group, including two military commanders.

They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them, he said of those killed.

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip (Fatima Shbair/AP)

Hezbollah called the strike a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.

We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment, it said.

Meanwhile, the focus of the war remains on Gaza, where Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is seeking a clear victory over Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.

Israels air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,300 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The campaign has driven some 85% of Gazas population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed.

A quarter of Gazas population face starvation, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.

The unprecedented death and destruction has led South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice, allegations that Israel has strongly denied and vowed to contest.

Nevertheless, Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and returning the estimated 129 hostages still held by the group after more than 100 were released in a ceasefire deal in November.

Mr Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling militants for more than two months and where entire neighbourhoods have been blasted into rubble.

Heavy fighting is also under way in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamass military structure is still largely intact. Yehya Sinwar, Hamass top leader in Gaza, and his deputies have thus far eluded Israeli forces.

A house destroyed by an Israeli air strike on Khan Younis on Sunday (Mohammed Dahman/AP)

Egypt, which along with Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan for ending the war in which all hostages would eventually be released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel would withdraw from Gaza and a government of Palestinian technocrats would govern Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank until elections are held.

Neither Israel nor Hamas have accepted the plan in its entirety, but neither has rejected it outright.

An Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official, but he added that the killing of Arouri is likely to hamper the negotiations for a couple days.
Former US president Donald Trump on Tuesday appealed against a ruling by Maines Democratic secretary of state barring him from the ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

He was expected to also ask the US Supreme Court to rule on his eligibility to return to the presidency in a related Colorado case.

The Republican candidate appealed against the Maine decision by Shenna Bellows, who became the first secretary of state in history to bar someone from running for the presidency under the rarely used Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That provision prohibits those who engaged in insurrection from holding office.

The appeal now goes to Maines Superior Court.

Protesters loyal to Donald Trump riot outside the Capitol in Washington in 2021 (John Minchillo/AP)

Mr Trump was also expected to appeal against a similar ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court directly to the US Supreme Court.

The nations highest court has never issued a decision on Section 3, and the Colorado courts 4-3 ruling that it applied to Mr Trump was the first time in history the provision was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

Mr Trumps critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him from the ballot in multiple states.

None succeeded until a slim majority of Colorados seven justices  all of whom were appointed by Democratic governors  ruled against Mr Trump.

Critics warned that it was an overreach and that the court could not simply declare that the January 6 attack was an insurrection without a more established judicial process.

A week after Colorados ruling, Ms Bellows issued her own. Critics warned it was even more perilous because it could pave the way for partisan election officials to simply disqualify candidates they oppose.

Ms Bellows, a former head of Maines branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, has previously criticised Mr Trump and his behaviour on January 6.

Ms Bellows said her own views had nothing to do with her ruling, which sought to apply the law.

She acknowledged the Supreme Court would probably have the final say after the Colorado case but said she still had a responsibility to act. She was the first top election official to do so.

This is part of the process. I have confidence in my decision and confidence in the rule of law. This is Maines process and its really important that first and foremost every single one of us who serves in government uphold the Constitution and the laws of the state, she said.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (Robert F Bukaty/AP)

Many others, Democrats and Republicans had told activists urging them to strike Mr Trump from the ballot that they did not have that power.

Section 3 is novel legal territory in the past century, barely used since the years after the Civil War, when it kept defeated Confederates from returning to their former government positions.

The two-sentence clause says that anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection cannot hold office unless a two-thirds vote of Congress allows it.

Congress granted amnesty to most former Confederates in 1872, and Section 3 fell into disuse. Legal scholars believe its only application in the 20th century was being cited by Congress in 1919 to block the seating of a socialist who opposed US involvement in the First World War and was elected to the House of Representatives.

But it returned to use after January 6, 2021. In 2022, a judge used it to remove a rural New Mexico county commissioner from office after he was convicted of a misdemeanour for entering the US Capitol on January 6.

Liberal groups sued to block Republican Representatives Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for re-election because of their roles on that day. Mr Cawthorns case became moot when he lost his primary in 2022, and a judge ruled to keep Ms Greene on the ballot.

Some conservatives warn that, if Mr Trump is removed, political groups will routinely use Section 3 against opponents in unexpected ways. They have suggested it could be used to remove Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, because she raised bail money for people arrested after George Floyds murder at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.

Mr Trump and his allies have attacked the cases against him as anti-democratic and sought to tie them to President Joe Biden because the Colorado case and some others are funded by liberal groups who share prominent donors with the Democratic president. But Mr Bidens administration has noted that the president has no role in the litigation.

Mr Trumps appeal to the Maine Supreme Court declares that Bellows had no jurisdiction in the matter and asks that she be required to place Mr Trump on the March 5 primary ballot. The appeal argues that she abused her discretion and relied on untrustworthy evidence.

The secretary should have recused herself due to her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by a documented history of prior statements prejudging the issue presented, Mr Trumps lawyers wrote.

They argue the provision is not intended to apply to the president, contending that the oath for the top office in the land is not to support the Constitution but instead to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.

They also argue that the presidency is not explicitly mentioned in the amendment, only any officer of the United States  a legal term they contend does not apply to the president.

Mr Trump made the opposite argument defending against his prosecution for fraud by the Manhattan District Attorneys office, contending the case should move to federal court because the president is an officer of the United States. The prosecutors argued that language only applies to presidential appointees  Trumps position here.

The contention that Section 3 does not apply to the president drew a scathing response from the Colorado Supreme Court last month.

President Trump asks us to hold that Section 3 disqualifies every oathbreaking insurrectionist except the most powerful one and that it bars oathbreakers from virtually every office, both state and federal, except the highest one in the land, the courts majority opinion said. Both results are inconsistent with the plain language and history of Section 3.

Those who support using the provision against Mr Trump counter that the January 6 attack was unprecedented in American history and that there will be few cases so ripe for Section 3.

If the high court lets Mr Trump stay on the ballot, they have contended, it will be another example of the former president bending the legal system to excuse his extreme behaviour.
Former US president Donald Trump is seeking a US Supreme Court review (Reba Saldanha/AP)

Former US president Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the US Supreme Court to review a ruling barring him from the Colorado ballot, setting up a high-stakes showdown over whether a constitutional provision prohibiting those who engaged in insurrection will end his political career.

Mr Trump appealed against a 4-3 ruling in December by the Colorado Supreme Court that marked the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

The court found that Mr Trumps role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol disqualified him under the clause.

The provision has been used so sparingly in American history that the US Supreme Court has never ruled on it.

Wednesdays development came a day after Mr Trumps legal team filed an appeal against a ruling by Maines Democratic secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, that Mr Trump was ineligible to appear on that states ballot over his role in the Capitol attack.

Both the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of states rulings are on hold until the appeals play out.

Mr Trumps critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him in multiple states.

Insurrections loyal to Donald Trump rally at the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021 (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

He lost Colorado by 13 percentage points in 2020 and does not need to win the state to gain either the Republican presidential nomination or the presidency.

But the Colorado ruling has the potential to prompt courts or secretaries of state to remove him from the ballot in other, must-win states.

None had succeeded until a slim majority of Colorados seven justices, all appointed by Democratic governors, ruled last month against Mr Trump.

Critics said it was an overreach and that the court could not simply declare that the January 6 attack was an insurrection without a judicial process.

Mr Trumps new appeal to the US Supreme Court also follows one from Colorados Republican Party.

Legal observers expect the high court will take the case because it concerns unsettled constitutional issues that go to the heart of the way the country is governed.

The Colorado high court upheld a finding by a district court judge that January 6 was an insurrection incited by Mr Trump.

It agreed with the petitioners, six Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters whose lawsuit was funded by a Washington-based liberal group, that Mr Trump clearly violated the provision.

Because of that, the court ruled he is disqualified just as plainly as if he failed to meet the Constitutions minimum age requirement for the presidency of 35 years.

In doing so, the state high court reversed a ruling by the lower court judge that said it was not clear that Section 3 was meant to apply to the president. It is one of many issues the nations highest court would consider.

Additional ones include whether states such as Colorado can determine who is covered by Section 3, whether congressional action is needed to create a process to bar people from office, whether January 6 met the legal definition of insurrection and whether Mr Trump was simply engaging in First Amendment activity that day or is responsible for the violent attack, which was intended to halt certification of Democrat Joe Bidens victory.

Mr Trump held a rally before the Capitol attack, telling his supporters that if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country any more.

Six of the US Supreme Courts nine justices were appointed by Republicans, and three by Mr Trump himself.

The provision has barely been used since the years after the Civil War, when it kept defeated Confederates from returning to their former government positions.

The two-sentence clause says that anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection cannot hold office unless a two-thirds vote of Congress allows it.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) and Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina walk before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, Sept. 6, 2022.

The Narendra Modi government in India has reiterated over the past two months that the upcoming general election in neighboring Bangladesh is its own business.

There has not been a peep out of New Delhi in response to allegations by human rights advocacy groups about rampant rights violations and the muzzling of free speech in the lead up to the Jan. 7 polls, or Western governments repeated calls for a free, fair and inclusive contest.

The election is a domestic matter of Bangladesh, and we believe it is the people of Bangladesh to decide their own future, a spokesman for the Indian foreign ministry said as recently as Dec. 29.

The statement can really be seen as an affirmation that India will keep standing by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government in Bangladesh, with which New Delhi has forged a close bond politically and in business since 2009.

That support has persisted despite the next-door neighbors descent into what some call a moderate autocracy, under Hasina.

And it looks set to continue, with a former Indian envoy to Dhaka recently saying that no country had the right to judge Bangladeshs election process because it had its own way of doing things.

Pankaj Saran, the former ambassador during the election that Hasina won in 2014, delivered an impassioned defense of its electoral procedures on a visit to Dhaka last month.

We recognize that every country has its own method, its own system. ... You have your election the best way that you can. You have your institutions, you have your media, you have everything, Saran said at an event.

I do not think it is for any country in the world, including India, to talk about how elections should be conducted either in Bangladesh or any other country.  Otherwise, what is the meaning and concept of independence and of being a sovereign nation.

Back in 1971, India, the worlds most populous democracy, fought alongside Bangladesh in its war of independence from Pakistan.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is welcomed by Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during her reception at the forecourt of Indias Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Sept. 6, 2022. [Adnan Abidi/Reuters]

What the former Indian envoy failed to mention was that Sundays election would be a bald-faced, undemocratic exercise, with the opposition sitting out the polls in protest and handing Hasina a fourth consecutive term in power.

He also failed to mention that Bangladeshs own method and own system of elections comes with a violent crackdown on opposition members, including jailing thousands of them and convicting more than 1,500 over the past weeks.

Chinas deep footprint in Bangladesh

These comments and his Dhaka visit were the clearest indications on where the Indian establishment stands  a position shared by many Indian analysts who have been arguing ad nauseum for months that New Delhi must do everything to ensure Hasina stays in power.

The Indian establishment and the countrys analysts support the Hasina regime based on two considerations: Indias security concerns, and the growing influence of China.

Indian analysts argue that a victory for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) would lead to the rise of Islamists and pose a security threat to Indias restive northeastern states. (Of course, theres a tacit acknowledgement in this argument that a free and fair election would deliver a victory to the opposition BNP had it not boycotted the contest.)

It is ironic that Indias ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which with Hindutva espouses religion as a political ideology, disapproves of a similar religious party in politics in Bangladesh.

A retired Indian Army officer reads martyrs names during an event on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, or Victory day, to honour the victory of Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, at the Eastern Command headquarters of the Indian army at Fort William, Kolkata, Dec. 16, 2023. [Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP]

Meanwhile, Bangladeshs relationship with China has undergone a sea change as the latter has established a deep footprint in the South Asian nation.

Bangladesh joined Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2016. In addition to selling Bangladesh two submarines, China is constructing a U.S. $1 billion base for these submarines in Kutubdia.

China has also made investments in several large infrastructure projects, continued its weapons sales and made promises to invest U.S. $38 billion in projects in the South Asian country.

This increased Chinese presence in Bangladesh doesnt sit well with India or the United States.

Washington in recent years has engaged more directly with smaller South Asian countries in its efforts to counter Beijings influence. The U.S. insistence since 2021 that Bangladesh must ensure a free and fair election is tied to this engagement.

However, Indias policymakers are concerned that the U.S. insistence on democratic principles will push Bangladesh even more towards China.

Sailors salute as they stand on the jetty of Bangladeshs first submarine base, the BNS Sheikh Hasina, which serves as home port for two refurbished Chinese submarines, located off Kutubdia island in Coxs Bazar district, March 20, 2023. [BenarNews]

India competes for business

What could explain this odd divergence between the two Quad partners who are otherwise aligned on Indo-Pacific security vis-a-vis China?

Indias own ambitions provide a hint.

For one, India has grand ambitions to be a regional leader.

It has viewed South Asia as its backyard since the 1950s and would like to continue to have unrestricted influence over the regions countries. Its approach towards Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives over the past decades are indicative of this view.

India does not want the U.S. to take a leading role in South Asia.

As one Indian analyst recently pointed out: This [the U.S. role] is likely to violate the unsaid key terms of Indias cooperation with the United States: Respect Delhis security and status as the leading power in South Asia.

People pass by posters of an election candidate on the street ahead of the general election in Dhaka, Jan. 2, 2024. [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

Second, follow the money.

Over the past decade, Indian businesses, particularly those whose owners are close to the Modi government, have received preferential treatment in investing in Bangladesh. The Adani groups investment in Bangladeshs energy sector is one obvious example.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is already the largest source of foreign direct investment in Bangladesh.

A better Dhaka-Washington relationship is likely to bring more U.S. investments to Bangladesh and create competition for Indian business interests.

Amid these regional and global pushes and pulls, will China, India or the U.S. prevail over Bangladesh?

While that remains to be seen, what is certain is that after this sham election, Bangladeshs foreign relations will be reframed and realigned.

Ali Riaz is a distinguished professor of political science at Illinois State University and a non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of Illinois State University, the Atlantic Council, or BenarNews.
TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew gives a speech during the launch of the TikTok Socio-Economic Impact Report 2023 event at The Ritz Carlton, Pacific Place in Jakarta, June 15, 2023.

Radical and extremist groups in Indonesia have spread political disinformation online ahead of next months general election, with hoax content on the internet up nearly 80% last year compared with during the 2019 election, experts said.

The intent isnt to influence the election result, researchers said, but to provoke conflict in society and undermine the electoral process ahead of the nationwide polls set for Feb. 14 in Southeast Asias largest country.

Hoaxes and fabricated stories about the election have been circulating on social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram. While some are mere political mudslinging, others could have serious repercussions, observers said.

Husen Asyhari, from LPTI Pelataran Mataram, a research institute in Yogyakarta, sees a clear attempt to deliberately mislead the electorate with false information.

There are efforts to influence voters through targeted disinformation, and some of it comes from terrorist groups with a historical anti-democratic stance, Husen told BenarNews.

Among the groups Husen was referring to are Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings, and the Islamic State group-linked Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), members of which targeted three churches almost simultaneously in suicide bombings in Surabaya in 2018.

Both groups want Indonesia to be governed by Islamic law.

In fact, in late October police said they had arrested 59 suspected militants from across the country belonging to JI and JAD as part of a pre-polls crackdown. Those arrested included the leader of a 40-member JAD team suspected of planning to disrupt the election, police said.

The Indonesian Anti-Defamation Society (Mafindo), which provided the data on the increase in hoax content in 2023 versus 2019, researched how much and what kind of fake material was put online last year.

Mafindo said it identified 2,178 pieces of hoax content from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22 last year, with 53% of that related to political disinformation.

LGBT issues a target

With the race for the presidency set to be among three candidates, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo, and ex-Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan, who is popular among conservative Muslims, they have become targets, of course.

Among the plethora of disinformation was a TikTok video that claimed without basis that Anies would establish a caliphate if he became president.

According to Mafindo, some online hoax content has targeted Ganjar and his running mate, Mohammad Mahfud MD, over their alleged views on pornography and LGBTQI+ issues.

One of the fabricated stories claimed that ruling party nominee Ganjar had admitted to watching pornography since he was a child. However, according to Mafindo, he had only said, So what if I watch pornography? without a word about his childhood.

Another piece of fakery circulated on Facebook was a doctored photograph of Ganjar kissing a very young woman, with a post above the picture saying: If this kind of person becomes the president, Indonesia will be destroyed.

A false story attributed a statement to Mahfud MD that being LGBTQI+ was natural. Mafindo verified this was false and Mahfud MD denied making such a statement.

Candidates stance on LGBT issues has become a popular target for these online smear campaigns, said Arisdo Gonzales, an LGBTQI+ activist.

I dont know who is behind this, but its all over TikTok. Just type LGBT and youll see them, Arisdo told BenarNews.

He said these narratives fuel hate and discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community.

It makes us anxious and worried, he said.

Two Indonesian Muslims take part in a protest in front of the police headquarters to demand the cancellation of a concert by British rock band Coldplay, which protesters say are supportive of LGBT rights that are against Islam, Jakarta, Nov. 10, 2023. [Bay Ismoyo/AFP]

Irfan Idris, the prevention director and spokesman for the National Counterterrorism Agency, said the authorities monitor the activities of militant groups, including on social media.

He said the agency coordinates with various ministries, institutions and civil society groups to prevent radicalization, but he didnt give specific details on how the agency was dealing with dangerous disinformation.

On social media, radical content has three characteristics: it teaches puritanism, it is anti-state and it is intolerant of differences in ethnicity, religion and race, Irfan told BenarNews.

Want to provoke chaos

Experts agree that these groups were unlikely to vote for specific candidates or directly align with any of the contenders

Their primary objective is to exploit the election and amplify divisive narratives for their own purposes.

They want to provoke chaos and shape public opinion, not necessarily influence the outcome through votes, Sopar Peranto, a researcher at the Habibie Center, told BenarNews. The chaos benefits them.

This turmoil, Peranto warns, could manifest as conflict between contesting parties and within the general public.

The strategy of these groups is evolving, said Mohammad Adhe Bhakti, researcher at the Center for Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies (PAKAR).

To achieve their political goals, theyll involve themselves in politics by any means necessary, he told BenarNews.

JI, he said, had attempted to join politics by forming a party, but it didnt qualify for this years election, having failed the verification process.

Adhe said the 2021 arrest of three members from JI, including a leader of a small political party linked to it, showed the groups involvement in politics and its attempts to infiltrate government institutions.

The X logo is seen on the top of the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, California, July 30, 2023. [Carlos Barria/Reuters]

He contrasted JIs strategy with that of the Islamic State group-affiliated organizations, which maintain their distance from the electoral arena.

They do exploit the election period to further their agenda of establishing an Islamic state, though, often by provoking violence and planning attacks to divert security resources, Adhe said. The quiet period leading up to the election presents an opportunity for them to exploit security vulnerabilities.

They target the police, Adhe said.

During the election, security forces are stretched thin. A distraction could be all they need.
Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka (left), a vice presidential candidate in next months election and President Joko Jokowi Widodo's eldest son, participates in the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy promotional event along with Erick Thohir (right), Indonesian Football Association chairman, in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 5, 2023.

Indonesias election watchdog on Wednesday questioned the presidents son, a vice presidential candidate in next months polls, about an alleged campaign violation last month in Jakarta.

Gibran Rakabuming Raka, running mate of presidential frontrunner Prabowo Subianto, answered a summons Wednesday, becoming the first among six candidates for the top two offices to be scrutinized by the Central Jakarta Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) for an alleged violation.

Bawaslu officials questioned Gibran about his distribution of free milk to the public last month during a weekly car-free day in the Indonesian capital, a regular Sunday event that aims to reduce air pollution and promote a healthy lifestyle.

The agency said it was investigating whether Gibran violated a regulation that banned political parties from using car-free days for campaign purposes. Gibran, the eldest son of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, on Tuesday had ignored a summons from Bawaslu.

Gibran told reporters after he was questioned that his appearance at the event in Jakarta in early December was not a campaign promotion.

We explained to them that there was no political party activity at all in the car-free day event in Jakarta on Dec. 3, Gibran said.

Gibran, the mayor of Solo in Central Java, had issued the same denial earlier, explaining that he did not carry any promotional materials or ask people to vote for him in the presidential elections set to take place Feb. 14.

Bawaslu acted fairly

Prabowos campaign team wasnt happy with Bawaslus move to summon Gibran.

They plan to report the Central Jakarta branch of the polls supervisory agency to the Elections Organizer Ethics Council, a body that handles ethical violations by election organizers or supervisors, said Habiburokhman, deputy chair of Prabowos campaign.

We will lodge a complaint because they have been unprofessional, Habiburokhman, who goes by a single name, told reporters.

One of Gibrans two competitors for the vice presidents post, Muhaimin Iskandar, on Wednesday praised Bawaslu saying the agency had acted fairly.

We are happy when ... election organizers, supervisors and law enforcers are objective, neutral, honest, fair, because that is a prerequisite for the success of the election, the Liputan6 news site quoted Muhaimin as saying at a campaign event in Bandung.

If the election is not fair and honest, it will be a generational time bomb and dangerous.

Muhaimin is the running mate of presidential contender Anies Baswedan, a former governor of Jakarta. Prabowos other competitor is ruling party nominee Ganjar Pranowo, a former Central Java governor whos running with Mohammad Mahfud MD, a minister in Jokowis cabinet.

Bawaslus summons is not Gibrans first brush with controversy.

The 36-year-old was caught in a maelstrom after a Constitutional Court decision enabled him to run for vice president by lowering the age requirement from 40. The decision smacked of nepotism and clearly showed a conflict of interest, many said, because the court was at the time led by Gibrans uncle.

Recent polls showed that the Prabowo-Gibran ticket leads the race.

Next months elections will also decide the composition of the People's Consultative Assembly, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Regional Representative Council, and local legislative bodies members.

Gray area

One political analyst said it was a tough job for election monitors to differentiate between the activities of public officials running for office.

With Gibran being the mayor of Solo and Prabowo being the defense minister, it is hard to say if their activities are associated with their current positions or election campaign, said Wasisto Raharjo Djati, a political analyst at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

Its sometimes tricky to tell when politicians are both candidates and public officials because they switch between the two roles. This makes this gray area tough to spot a violation [in], he told BenarNews.

Public officials are not required to take time off during the campaign period, which makes it harder to distinguish between their activities.

Wasisto advised public officials in politics to clarify their roles at the start of any activity to avoid confusion among the public.

Another analyst, Ujang Komarudin, a political lecturer at Jakartas Al Azhar University, pointed to an unrelated issue.

He said that the National Election Supervisory Agency, of which the Central Jakarta one is a branch, had last week not found any fault with Gibrans milk giveaway on a car-free day. Why then was the Central Jakarta branch looking into it again, he asked.

This must be questioned. How can there be different views between the national agency and the Central Jakarta agency? Ujang told BenarNews.

This must be clear, so the public can judge that the agency is united and has one goal, which is to protect the elections according to the rules.
The Philippine National Security Council accused communist rebel leaders on Wednesday of doubling down in their efforts to overthrow the government and being insincere about their motives in wanting to resume peace talks.

The council remains very perplexed and disappointed by recent statements of the Communist Party of the Philippines that called on its dwindling forces to consolidate to carry on with the Maoist insurgency, Jonathan Malaya, the NSCs assistant director and spokesman, told reporters.

He said a statement issued by the CPP on Dec. 26 goes against what the outlawed party had agreed to with the Marcos administration in November during a secret meeting in Oslo brokered by Norway. On Nov. 23, both sides signed an agreement to resume peace talks after a six-year hiatus.

If you are going to read the statement of the CPP, they are still determined to regroup and rebuild what remains of its forces, to continue its protracted war in hopes of achieving its end goal of overthrowing our democratic government, Malaya said on Wednesday, referring to the Dec. 26 statement from the communist party.

The CPP instead has called for a rectification movement doubling down on its commitment to carry forward the armed struggle, Malaya said.

In that statement marking its 55th anniversary, the CPP called for a rectification movement to address and resolve the long-running weaknesses and errors that have impeded and stunted growth.

The statement also called on cadres with the New Peoples Army  the CPPs military wing  to establish additional guerrilla fronts, zones and base areas in mountainous regions while launching basic or annihilative tactical offensives against isolated and detached units of the enemy.

The CPP issued the statement a day after government forces killed nine suspected NPA guerrillas on Christmas day during a firefight in the southern Philippines.

About a week after the Oslo deal was announced, Vice President Sara Duterte called the decision an agreement with the devil in her first public rebuttal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded her father.

In response to her statement, armed forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said resumption of the talks could have a positive outcome, but he was not willing to call on troops to lay down their firearms unless directly ordered by Marcos, the commander-in-chief.

I cannot blame the vice president for saying this. In fact this opinion is shared by many in the country, even soldiers, Brawner told reporters at the time.

In 2017, then-President Rodrigo Duterte canceled peace talks with the rebels after accusing them of attacking government forces while negotiating for peace. The CPP and NPA have been waging a rebellion against Manila since 1969, the longest-running insurgency in Asia.

Members of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the umbrella organization of the nations communist movement, display signs calling for peace talks to resume while blocking the traffic in Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 23, 2018. [Bullit Marquez/AP]

Hopeful, optimistic

Even as the NSC and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) remain hopeful and optimistic of the exploratory talks between the two sides, they cannot turn a blind eye to the CPPs anniversary statement, Malaya said.

While we support the exploratory talks, its success will entirely depend on the sincerity, truthfulness and commitment of the CPP-NPA-NDF toward achieving a peace settlement and ending armed hostilities, he said.

If the communists are committed to finally ending the armed conflict, Malaya said, they should work with the government to find a way, no matter how difficult or challenging it will be in achieving it.

Given its recent statement, the sincerity of the CPP-NPA in engaging in exploratory talks must be scrutinized by the people carefully, he said.

The history of failed negotiations, the continuing perpetration of violence and inconsistent statements all contribute to a narrative that challenges the authenticity of the commitment to a peaceful resolution. It is essential that we approach future discussions with a discerning eye, Malaya said.

Since launching its insurgency 55 years ago, the CPP boasted having at least 20,000 fighters at its peak in the 1980s, but the government estimates its strength is down to less than 1,500 fighting under 14 weakened guerrilla fronts.

The armed components of the communist terrorist group are on their last leg but this does not mean that we can rest easy in our efforts of clearing barangays of the CTGs (communist terrorist groups) influence, said Ernesto Torres, NTF-ELCAC executive director.
Thai immigration officials interrogate and deport Cambodian political activists at a workshop on the Paris Peace Agreement, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 29, 2023.

Thai immigration police arrested 10 Cambodians during a civic workshop in Bangkok last week, several activists have told Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews.

The arrests on Friday came several days after nine minor political parties and 15 NGOs aligned with the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, or CPP, urged Thai authorities to monitor opposition activists in Thailand.

Fridays workshop drew 30 Cambodian migrant workers and political asylum seekers and included information on Cambodias 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, which formally ended decades of war and paved the way for parliamentary democracy in the country.

Cambodian opposition activists held a separate workshop on democracy and human rights attended by nearly 100 people in Bangkok on Dec. 2, seminar organizer Lem Sokha told RFA.

After that workshop, Khmer Unity Great Nation Party President Heang Kimsroeun contacted the office of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. He said in a statement that Thailands progressive Move Forward Party had provided space and training for Cambodian political extremists.

The Move Forward Party have acted in support of a group from an anti-government movement in Cambodia and they use Thailand, a neighboring country, as a safe haven for their propaganda against the government, Heang Kimsroeun said in the statement, according to the Khmer Times.

Those activities have been an interference in Cambodias internal affairs, which undermines good relations between the two governments, he said.

Seven detained

Move Forward, which is not part of Thailands coalition government despite winning the largest share of votes in last Mays election, said in a statement last week that it has never organized or supported any activity that is involved with a political group in Cambodia.

Dozens of pro-democracy Cambodian activists have fled to Thailand to seek asylum in recent years as the CPP has used intimidation and the courts to neutralize the political opposition. Thailand is also host to more than 1 million Cambodian migrant workers.

Several Cambodians have said they were attacked in public in Thailand in 2023 because of their activism.

The Dec. 29 civic workshop was allowed to continue after the 10 Cambodians were arrested, environmental activist So Metta told RFA.

Police told the 10 Cambodians they were being detained because they were illegally staying in Thailand, So Metta said. She added that all 10 have refugee or asylum status from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) that gives them legal protection in Thailand.

Seven of the 10 Cambodians were being held on Wednesday at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center, according to So Metta and Human Rights Watch.

So Metta told RFA that she and two of her sisters are among those detained.

Am Sam Ath, the director of Cambodian human rights group Licadho, said Thailand must honor its agreement with the UNHCR to allow asylum seekers and refugees to stay in the country.

He added that Thailand was also one of 18 countries that signed the Paris Peace Agreement, so hosting a workshop about the agreement shouldnt be viewed as suspicious by Thai authorities.
NORTH BENNINGTON  North Bennington native Emma Bullock has been preparing for an exhibition of her work, a series of paintings based on her interviews with environmental activists around the country.

Each painting portrays the passion and emotion of the subject in black and white, while illustrating their work in a background of brilliant color.

Bullock, though, is not just an artist, and she is not just an activist or an influencer. She is a scientist.

I ended up getting a degree in chemistry and a minor in German. I wanted a degree in environmental science, but the college didnt have that major, Bullock said. So, I ended up majoring in chemistry because, if you major in a hard science, its easier to transition to an environmental field, even if you dont have an environmental degree.

Bullock, who is now in graduate school, is getting her degree in environmental chemistry and geochemistry through an oceanography program, a collaborative effort between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Im working on climate-related issues. Ive gone up to the Arctic Circle several times and Im looking at groundwater inputs to the Arctic Ocean, and how permafrost thaw is impacting the carbon and nutrients and toxins that are going into the Arctic Ocean.

The project that led to the exhibition began as a project for Bullocks graduate program.

I wanted to hear about people who were actually doing things and working day in and day out to help not only their environment, but their community  because communities live in an environment. So, I did some research and I found community environmental activists from around the country who hadnt gotten a ton of recognition, and were working to make the environment healthier and less polluted.

The subjects for the portraits that Bullock profiled in her upcoming exhibition are all of people who came to activism because life experiences compelled them to do so. One was a teacher, whose son suffered from lead poisoning. Now, she is the head of the Virginia Environmental Justice Network. Another is an environmental advocate for tribal groups in Alaska. He advocates for the use of traditional methods for improving the health of the environment and for the use of traditional hunting methods. And yet another, a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Native American tribes, is an advocate for clean oil extraction. She lost her first bid for the North Dakota House of Representatives, but won her second.

I feel so incredibly humbled because theyve all done such incredible work, and a lot of it is just thankless work, Bullock said. Like, theyre sitting in town meetings, theyre getting berated and yelled at by council members and people who dont want to spend money to fix problems  or, dont want to believe that things are a problem. And, its not glamorous.

Her takeaway is that each of her subjects has a story to tell, and advice to impart. Encapsulated within her project are stories of perseverance, advocating for what you believe in, and protecting children and other vulnerable communities.

I think it's all about protecting the community you live in. You know it best, and you know what it needs. And, because of that, only community members can really change things, Bullock said.

Growing up in North Bennington, she frequently went for hikes and played outside  opportunities not always available in urban environments, like the Philadelphia area where she went to college. She said this made her realize how special her home state is.

Even the poorest communities in Vermont have access to clean air, and can go to a park that is clean, or go for a hike in the woods. But, in most of the country, especially in the more urban areas, your economic status is directly correlated to how much clean air you have access to or how much green space you can access. So, I think that that might be what got me into the idea of environmental justice and environmental activism.

Of all of the environmental activists that Bullock profiled, none are from Vermont.

It might have been an unconscious decision because I grew up here and also because, you know, in Vermont  nature is so on the forefront of everyones minds. Its surrounding us. Its even in our state song, she laughed. You just have to look out a window to see a beautiful example of a clean, natural environment.

Bullock will be speaking about her project at her exhibition on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Left Bank in North Bennington. All 10 portraits and the accompanying interviews will be on display. There will be a Q&A session, with refreshments, and, Im happy to answer questions about climate science as well because Im very passionate about that, Bullock said.

I think art has the ability to inspire action in a way that an interview cant. You know, you see people on the news and you hear what theyre doing but, I feel like rarely do we think  I can do that, too.

When asked whats next for Bullock, after graduation, it was all about practicality. She is thinking about science communications, and using her background to explain new scientific research with a broader audience. She is also open to continuing on a research path.

Honestly, like most people in my generation, I think it's going to be entirely job-dependent, Bullock said. I would love to work as a scientist with farmers in Vermont to make them more resilient.
BENNINGTON  As the 2024 legislative session kicks off at the State House in Montpelier, the complex issue of "public safety"  a mix of challenges facing communities that include substance abuse, mental health, homelessness and more  will be among the priorities for the Bennington County's two senators.

Community health and safety really have to be at the forefront, said Sen. Brian Campion, a Democrat. Concerns have grown in large part because of the growing opioid epidemic, homelessness, increased violence  all of these have to be addressed.

Vermonters really appreciate our tight-knit communities and keeping everybody safe, he added. But we do need to make sure that we have the resources there to address keeping opioids away from people and helping people addicted deal with the addiction. People need support. People need help right now.

Sen. Dick Sears, also a Democrat and chair of the Judiciary Committee, agreed.

Sears said he has a number of co-sponsors, including Campion, on a bill that would ban so-called "ghost guns"  essentially unregulated, unserialized, and untraceable guns that are bought without a background check.

In addition, Sears said, his committee will consider legislation to add to the list of the 12 most-serious crimes (such as murder and kidnapping) to include felonies committed by teens using a firearm. He said that ensures that prosecutors will be able to charge them as an adult when necessary.

Sears will also focus on ensuring Vermont has more space to hold teen offenders who are too challenging for community placements, but dont belong in an adult prison. A small facility is expected to go online in Middlesex in the coming months, but Sears said space for housing this group is too limited since the closing four years ago of the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Colchester. He noted a Bennington County teen was housed in the Rutland prison for a time because there was no appropriate space available.

Sears said lawmakers will consider adjusting a bill cracking down on dealers who sell drugs containing fentanyl and possibly other deadly substances. Currently, prosecutors must prove a dealer knew fentanyl was in their product, adding, Thats sometimes a difficult standard to meet. Under this bill, it would be assumed the dealer was aware because fentanyl is currently in almost all opiates sold, he said.

Finally, Sears said the Vermont House would start consideration of a bill to ban guns from certain areas, such as polling places and municipal buildings. He said his committee would be interested in discussing that bill, as well.

Campion said as part of the public safety discussion, lawmakers need to focus on the issue of homelessness, which impacts substance abuse. The problem has been exacerbated by the termination of a temporary state program  started during the COVID pandemic using federal funds that have expired  to house people and families in need in hotels.

What we cant do is throw people out on the streets, and thats not what Vermonters want. Vermonters want us to transition people as well as we can, Campion said. He said motel housing is particularly hard on families with children; kids need stable housing that allows them to be warm, have meals prepared for them, be able to do homework, etc. Thats not a hotel room.

That issue also impacts economic development. Its such a cycle. People want employees, but employees cant find housing they can afford.

Campion, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said he would be looking at issues impacting schools, including how districts are handling the loss of federal COVID-related funds, and whether that loss will drive property taxes significantly higher. People are concerned about affordability issues, he said.

Campion said he is not expecting legislation to reduce or eliminate state funding of public/private schools like Burr and Burton Academy, noting lawmakers previously took steps to ensure public funding goes only to schools that meet state anti-discrimination mandates. Noting Bennington Countys mix of public/private schools, he added, I have not heard concerns from local folks on our own system down here. Im not sure the problem here wed be trying to fix.

Instead, his panel will make sure public schools have the tools they need to succeed for children, considering incentives like loan forgiveness for teacher training and education. He also wants to focus on literacy, with possible funding for more training of teachers on that front, and help identifying kids with literacy challenges  like dyslexia  earlier.

Campion said he also wants to ensure Vermonts Agency of Education is offering schools across the state the kind of help they need. Im afraid we have fewer supports on the ground for our principals and schools, he said.

The 2024 Legislature marks Campions 14th session and Sears' 32nd.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Generally cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Variable clouds with snow showers. Low 28F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
RUTLAND  Michael Louise, 81, the defendant in a brutal double murder in 1989 in Danby, was released from Vermont custody and into home detention at a rehabilitation facility. The move comes after the Department of Corrections filed a motion asking a judge for his release as he awaits trial.

According to paperwork filed with the Bennington Court, DOC requested and was granted the motion last Wednesday on the grounds that Louises health had deteriorated substantially since his arrest in October 2022 and that he now requires skilled nursing around the clock to meet his daily needs.

Judge Cortland Corsones, in his written decision, stated that Louise cannot walk, takes two people to transfer him from his bed to his wheelchair, and requires two staff members to assist the defendant with daily activities such as bathing and going to the bathroom.

The defendants needs cannot be met in a correctional facility nor a home setting, Corsones said. It is not anticipated that he will improve significantly in the foreseeable future.

Corsones then ordered Louise into the care of the Ascutney Health and Rehabilitation Facility in Windsor. Louise will remain at the facility until his eventual trial on two counts of second-degree murder and will be required to wear a GPS monitor while at the facility. According to DOC spokesperson Haley Sommer, the level of monitoring presently needed for Louise has cost the corrections department $298,466 as of Dec. 22.

Louise was extradited to Vermont in October 2022 from Onondaga County Justice Center in New York to face two counts of second-degree murder for the 1989 killings of his wifes parents, George Peacock, 76, and Catherine Peacock, 73, of Danby. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was originally held without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield before being granted a $200,000 bail, which was later reduced to $20,000. Louise did not meet either.

Louise was held at SSCF until being transferred to an acute care hospital in June 2023, then to a facility in Connecticut to meet his medical needs. Louise was then transferred back to Vermont to the Ascutney facility, where he remains.

Louise was arrested by New York State Police on Oct. 13, 2022, in his Syracuse-area apartment for the brutal stabbings of his in-laws 33 years ago. The Peacocks were found dead in their residence on Sept. 17, 1989. Discovering no signs of forced entry at their residence and seeing little disturbance of the items within the home, investigators turned their attention to family members.

Louise was the primary suspect in the case within two weeks because of a significant amount of circumstantial evidence. Authorities were unable to physically tie Louise to the crime scene and make an arrest until advances in DNA testing technology allowed a small blood sample obtained from the floor mat of Louises vehicle to be reanalyzed in May 2020. The blood was determined to be a one-in-quadrillion match to George Peacocks.

There is currently no set trial date in the double murder case.
Please don't say hi or talk to Japanese people suddenly. Japanese are really shy with foreigners so they will be surprised and run away from you. In Japan, adults are also very aware of stranger danger. Japanese people still curious looks at foreigners even if you meet their gaze, don't smile at them. Japanese people don't know how to react and it may create a mass panic.
GREAT BARRINGTON  The eighth grade teacher who was surprised by a police search of her classroom for a controversial book is taking a temporary leave of absence.

W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School Principal Miles Wheat announced the leave on the ParentSquare app for school communications on Tuesday, saying the teacher is a highly-skilled and well liked teacher and we know that her time away will be hard on students," according to a screenshot of the note obtained by The Eagle.

The Eagle is continuing to withhold the teachers name at her request after she said she fears the heated political atmosphere surrounding book challenges.

Someone complained about a book in a Great Barrington classroom. Then the police showed up After someone called the cops about the book "Gender Queer," what happened next has outraged many in the school community.

Wheat further said her fellow teachers and I are working to be sure that this causes as little disruption as possible for students in her classes, crew [homeroom] and GSA [Gay Straight Alliance] club.

The teacher is a facilitator to the GSA.

Wheat further said they would be providing consistent coverage for classes, extra support in crew [homerooms], and familiar facilitators for the GSA.

Wheat said he could not comment further on the teacher's leave since it is a personnel matter. Teachers union officials could not immediately be reached. The teacher, through her attorney, declined comment.

The announcement follows a firestorm in the community and beyond over the Dec. 8 afterschool arrival of a Great Barrington police officer to her classroom and his questioning of her about the book, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.

Someone whose identity is only known to police had complained about some sexually explicit images in the book and said that it may be considered pornographic. Police say the complaint came in that same day. After notifying school officials, the officer arrived in plainclothes after school to locate the book. After a search and conversation with the teacher and Wheat, the book couldn't be found.

The teacher kept the book in her library classroom as supplemental reading material.

Police and the Berkshire District Attorney announced that the matter had been sent back to the schools. Schools have a protocol for book challenges, but those do not involve anonymity for the person making them.

The award-winning, illustrated coming-of-age novel about wrestling with ones sexual identity is the most banned and challenged book in the U.S., according to PEN America, which tracks book challenges.

Massachusetts saw two challenges of the book in the previous school year. Neither were successful.

After The Eagle first reported the incident, the story was picked up by news outlets worldwide. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts also weighed in, and later told both DA Timothy Shugrue and Great Barrington Police Chief Paul Storti that the book search and investigation was "unwarranted and unauthorized by law."

The larger Berkshire community continues to be outraged  and divided  about the appropriateness of the book for middle schoolers.

A group of school district parents started the website, "Berkshires Against Book Banning," a clearing house for information about the incident and upcoming meetings. It also features an open letter to Dillon, Wheat and the district community that is asking for more transparency about what happened and criticism of Dillon and Wheat's response to it.

"Explicitly identifying the book in question, and inviting police input on its content, gives credence to those who would seek to ban it, and shifts the focus to the book," the letter says.

The school community continues to feel rattled by the incident while others have questions about the book. A family forum is scheduled for Wednesday night at the middle school cafeteria with Berkshire Hills Regional School District Superintendent Peter Dillon and School Committee Chair Stephen Bannon. The meeting, said Dillon, is to support families and answer questions. It is not open to the public.

A School Committee meeting on Jan. 11, however, will provide a forum for the public.

The matter is also on the towns Select Board agenda for Jan. 8 and Jan. 22. Bannon is the chair of that board.

Debate over the book probe has raged on Great Barringtons Facebook community board. Residents either praised police for the search or throttled them for it.

Others, apparently trying to make a point, posted sexually explicit images that the administrator had to remove. This prompted a warning that the page was at risk for being shut down for obscenity.

I understand there are strong feelings and opinions but if you cant keep it clean Facebook will take down and ban this entire page and the tens of thousands of members, the administrator wrote.
You are the owner of this article.
Family, friends and co-workers of the victim traveled from Connecticut to Pittsfield for the first day of testimony in the motor vehicle homicide trial of Kristopher H. Laine, the man accused of a felony charge in connection to the 2019, crash that killed John Howard.
Newly inaugurated Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti calls for 'one Pittsfield' in the new year Peter Marchetti, Pittsfield's first openly gay mayor, took the oath of office before a packed house in City Hall on Tuesday. His opening remarks focused on calls of unity and starting the city's next chapter as "one Pittsfield."

The day after New Years, the first order of business for 2024 in Pittsfield was a ceremony inaugurating new faces in the highest spaces of municipal government.

After a bitter mayoral contest against a former council colleague that ended with a decisive victory in November, Peter Marchetti took the oath of office Tuesday to become Pittsfields newest mayor.

Meanwhile, veteran At-Large Councilor Pete White will take up Mayor Marchettis former post as the president of the City Council. Councilor Whites experience will be invaluable in this role, given the new blood now flowing through the citys top legislative body. After last years city elections, nearly half of the council has been refreshed, with five newcomers joining six incumbents.

The School Committee saw a shake-up as well, with half of the six members sworn in Tuesday being newcomers.

It was nice to see Gov. Maura Healey in attendance; Pittsfield was one of five cities whose mayoral inaugurations she attended Tuesday. Its the first time in recent memory that a sitting governor has ventured out to the seat of Berkshire County for the occasion, and were always encouraged to see Gov. Healey make headway toward being a more present and responsive state leader for our westernmost corner of the commonwealth. And it was fitting to have the nations first openly lesbian governor present for the inauguration of Pittsfields first openly gay mayor. Both Mayor Marchetti and Gov. Healey center their skills and experience over their personal identities, admirable leadership attributes that demonstrate the value of inclusivity in search of competent elected representatives that serve us by trying to unite rather than divide us.

That value loomed large in Mayor Marchettis inaugural address: Together we will tackle our problems and work towards one Pittsfield, because I know our city is filled with hope for a prosperous future. In a new year, rejuvenated city leadership could perhaps bolster that hope, which the Pittsfield needs  because as hopeful as we are, were also clear-eyed about the challenges ahead: hiring a new police chief; addressing the lingering backlog of deferred infrastructure maintenance; expanding the tax base and spurring development; sustaining the future of Wahconah Park; making downtown a thriving and safer space  including addressing the elephant in the road that is North Streets current configuration.

These matters and more face a refreshed roster of Pittsfield leadership in the upcoming year. We look forward to holding these leaders, new and incumbent alike, accountable as they seek to tackle these issues on behalf of their constituents in 2024 and beyond.
One Vineyard Wind turbine delivered its first 5 megawatts of power Tuesday evening, "a historic moment for the American offshore wind industry," according to Gov. Maura Healey.
Until June, the hotel in Pittsfield alone is costing the state $210.25 per night for each of the 15 rooms. The Great Barrington hotel costs $198 per night for each of the 19 rooms.
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Some seniors like to quote Philippians 1:21: For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But then they focus on the death part and forget to live out all their days serving Christ! We are never to retire from serving and obeying God. There are many practical ways Christian seniors can continue to be a part of Gods work.

The elderly are typically wiser than the young: Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old (Job 12:12). Seniors have invaluable experience to share with others. Wise King Solomon sought out Israels elders to help him make decisions. But his son, King Rehoboam, did not value the elders counsel and he chose to ignore them (1 Kings 12:6-8). As a result, Israel rebelled against him and the kingdom eventually divided. Leaders in the church might want to seek out wise and godly seniors for their insight. Able and forward-thinking seniors  neither selfish nor stubbornly set in their ways  might be invited to serve on church boards. That is a matter for prayer, but wise counsel has often helped leaders avoid disastrous choices.

Seniors who fit the description found in Titus 2:2-3 might teach younger church members how to live biblically. Or they might mentor new Christians about God and His mighty acts (Psalm 71:18). Senior believers might read Bible stories to children in Sunday school or at Vacation Bible School, or help with crafts or music. If theyre able, they might host a small group gathering or Bible study. Seniors can also invite neighbors into their home for a simple shared meal, helping them sense the love of Christ.

Seniors can offer practical gifts of kindness, like making meals for other seniors, shut-ins, or those who are ill. They might make blankets or quilts for cancer patients or gather personal care items for the homeless. If strong enough, they could volunteer at soup kitchens or church food pantries. They might send greeting cards to military personnel or write letters to prisoners. Christian seniors might write encouraging notes to their pastor, pastors wife, or a church staff member. They might help prepare church bulletins every week. They may not be able to go to the mission field, but they can give to send others.

Some who are seriously ill might say, But all I can do now is pray. That is no small thing! Many of the worlds most powerful servants of God were men and women of prayer. Anna, the prophetess, is a good example. She was an elderly woman, widowed for most of her life, who served in the temple around the time that Jesus was born (Luke 2:36-37). Depending on how the text is translated, Anna was either eighty-four years old when she met Jesus or as old as 104. Luke tells us she worshiped day and night, fasting and praying.

Daniel was also an incredible older man of prayer, grieving and praying over Gods people (Daniel 9:1-19). There is always a need in the body of Christ for committed prayer warriors.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Halfpoint
Life is full of trials and tribulations. People often find themselves beaten down by circumstances. Even Christians fall into the state of grumbling, struggling, and sometimes even despairing because of the state of things. But one of the unique aspects of the Christian life is that believers can rise above their circumstances to focus on greater, eternal things and have a spirit of joy.

The Apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Romans, Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12). This encouragement is part of his edification of the church in Rome, and to believers who would go on to read this letter for centuries to come.

Believers have put their faith in things which are eternal, so the problems of this world are temporary; Christian endurance is rewarded with an eternity in Heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ, and with other eternal blessings. This verse reminds Christians of the keys to overcoming the problems of this fallen world and this mortal life, by focusing on the future, on what matters most, and on God.

What Does This Verse Mean?

While the Book of Romans has many deep and sometimes difficult or even controversial ideas in it, this verse is beautifully simple. It has three virtues which are crucial to someone who has become a Christian. They allow that individual to become more like Jesus through sanctification, and will help them pass through everything they endure in this world.

This world is full of sin which seems increasingly evil and never-ending, but the Christian lives in hope. Jesus Christ overcame all the sin of the world, and has promised to return for His church, to rule and reign for a thousand years, and ultimately to create a new heaven and new earth where there will be no more suffering. Christians hope for this time, knowing it will come, but having to wait for it. Paul encourages believers to have joy because they should be walking in hope. No matter how hard or dark their present circumstances, there is relief coming.

Affliction is a part of living under the oppression of a fallen world. Affliction is anything that causes pain or suffering. Sometimes it comes from other people, from nature through disease or disaster, or from sheer circumstance. Everyone experiences it, but not everyone has that hope that something better is guaranteed on the other side. Even other religions that claim to offer eternal rest for those who obey their codes do not offer guaranteed rest. Only Jesus offers true peace. Because He bought that peace and salvation with His blood, the believer can be patient through their afflictions. It is passing, and going through it with the patience of Jesus  which is available to anyone who calls on His name through the power of the Holy Spirit  can be overcome. Patience doesnt come easy, and often it is refined through trials and afflictions.

Constancy is a word that has fallen out of fashion over the course of the 20th century. Faithful is a good synonym, and it is used in many translations of this verse. Prayer is the way that anyone can go to God directly and speak to Him. It is a way to worship Him, to thank Him, and to go to Him with questions, needs, and wants. It is the most immediate way to build a relationship with Him. Being faithful, constant, and consistent in prayer will help believers be closer to God. They will feel the presence and power of the Holy Spirit more, and will be able to exercise joy, hope, and patience to a greater degree than they could on their own. Most importantly, that relationship with God will be strengthened daily.

What Is the Context of Romans 12?

This epistle was written by the Apostle Paul sometime between 55 and 60 AD to the growing church in the city of Rome. This location was the center of the world at the time, and people were coming to believe the rabbi Jesus in the Palestinian desert was the Messiah. As this church grew, both Jews and Gentiles would congregate together. They had many questions and were experiencing persecution in Rome. Judaism was tolerated, but Christianity was illegal. In his letter, Paul clarified key theological concepts, assured the Jewish members of the church that God had not forgotten them as people, and gave them advice for how to live and pursue their walk with God.

In the section of the letter commonly divided into Romans 12, Paul mostly addressed the way Christians should conduct themselves as they navigate the world around them, and how to act as one integrated church body.

Some other key verses from this chapter include:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:4-7).

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (Romans 12:14-15).

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

Why Should Christians Be Patient in Affliction?

Perhaps the most difficult of these instructions to follow is to be patient in affliction. People have a hard time waiting in expectation for good things, never mind the immense difficulty in having to sit through a situation that is painful, unjust, or complicated. Sometimes there is a guarantee that the affliction will not end in ones lifetime, such as a painful chronic condition. Other circumstances can include persecution, financial hardship, homelessness, false accusations, isolation, having to rebuild life after a disaster, and so much more.

All pain and suffering is a byproduct of sin, and so is the tendency to be impatient. The instinct of the flesh is often fight, flight, or surrender. But the flesh is not what should rule the Christian, as they are no longer spiritually dead. The Holy Spirit indwells them, guiding and sanctifying. Being patient through affliction can do any number of things based on the circumstances:

1. It can give God time to work through the circumstances in His timing and for His ultimate glory. (1 Peter 4:11)

2. It can be a part of the process of sanctification, making someone more like Jesus and bringing them closer to God. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

3. It can allow someone to have a testimony through persecution or difficulties so other people can come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. (2 Timothy 1:3-14)

4. It can spare them the consequences of foolish, hasty, or sinful decisions made in an effort to end or escape the affliction. (Psalm 34:17-20)

These are just a few of the ways being patient and relying on God for deliverance in affliction is a part of Gods plan for Christians. It does not mean Christians should sit passively in suffering and do nothing. Someone should see a doctor, pursue legal paths, challenge an unfair circumstance, and do things within the scope of Gods blessing when appropriate, but they should always do it after a lot of prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit. They should also never be willing to sin in order to change their circumstances, which is where patience is the most beneficial.

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The ultimate example of patience in affliction is Jesus Christ, who suffered the affliction, humiliation, and persecution of the cross and of bearing the sins of the world. He did all that so all people would have a chance to repent of their sins and have them permanently washed away, and so His Fathers will would be done. If Jesus could humble Himself to patiently endure His trial, crucifixion, and the turning away of the Fathers face, then believers can also patiently endure trials too, since the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to have a Christ-like nature.

How Does This Verse Encourage Us in Our Walk Today?

For anyone who is wondering about the basics of walking on the straight and narrow road of Christianity, this verse is an excellent starting point. Pauls succinct explanation for how to get through this life with joy, patience, and faithfulness is the beginning of growing the fruits of the Spirit.

No one will perfectly live out these instructions, as humans will always be fighting their sin nature while they live in a corrupted body that wants to sin. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians can have a part in Jesus victory over sin and death, and live out joy in hope, patience in affliction, and faithfulness in prayer, enduring to the end.

Sources

Moo, Douglas. Encountering the Book of Romans A Theological Survey. Ada: Baker Publishing Group, 2014.

Sproul, R.C. St. Andrews Expositional Commentary Romans. Wheaton: Crossway, 2009.

Swindoll, Charles. Living Insights New Testament Commentary Romans. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2016.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Doidam10

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.
I attended the conference on a fellowship sponsored by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) and the Incubator for Media Education and Development (iMEdD). These are four useful insights and tools, from the conference, for journalists wanting to incorporate more investigative methods into their everyday reporting.

Hypotheses: a platform for investigative reporting. Investigative reporters are often questioned about how exactly the craft and intention of what we do is different from everyday news, feature or informative reporting. In few places are the nuances and best practice of investigative reporting better laid out than in Mark Lee Hunters seminal manual: Story Based Inquiry. Hunter spoke at #GIJC23, on a panel alongside experts in the instruction of investigative reporting to students, especially in the university setting. But, much of the learnings from the panel and Hunters Story Based Inquiry manual are universal and will apply to reporters at every level of experience. Chapter One answers unequivocally how investigative reporting differs from news reporting. For me, the biggest point of departure is Hunters argument that investigative reporters refuse to accept the world as it is and aim to expose wrongdoing, in order to reform or denounce it. Chapter Two, delves swiftly into what I believe is the best tool in the hands of a prospective investigative reporter. It argues that an investigative idea may be best articulated as a hypothesis to be proven, dispelled or reformulated on the basis of inquiry and evidence gathered. Armed with these two insights, I believe that any reporter can interrogate the subject matter of their reporting from a new vantage point, unlocking the unlimited potential that an investigative lens brings to a reporting project. Story Based Inquiry: A Manual For Investigative Journalists is free to download.

Learn to search the web like a pro. Before picking up the phone, sending an email to a potential source, or getting boots on the ground for some dogged field-reporting, it is a rule of thumb that investigative reporters should first learn what they can about their subject through research of publicly available information, or Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Iconic South African photojournalist Dr Peter Magubane passes away Danette Breitenbach 2 Jan 2024 In Story Based Inquiry, this point is driven home by an example from the Centre for Public Integrity  one of the top investigative, nonprofit newsrooms in the United States  where investigators are required to do several weeks of research before being allowed to start phoning sources. Google has long been the most accessible tool for journalists researching the topics surrounding their hypotheses. But, so often the results of our search phrases are frustratingly irrelevant to the questions were asking or information we seek. In his session at #GIJC23 Henk van Ess, an expert at finding relevant, public information to advance investigative reporting, shared his hotlist of all currently documented advanced search operators also known as Google dorks. With these powerful scripts, you can home your Google search results to be as narrow and as relevant to your research question as possible. From searching for results within specific date ranges, or for specific types of files uploaded on specific websites (to name but a couple of hacks), these Google Dorks will change the way you research and access better sources on just about any topic.

Going undercover. When compared to other parts of the world, and on the continent, there appears to be a dearth in undercover reporting in the stable of South African investigative journalism. This is a shame. The culture of corruption, non-accountability and impunity of the countrys ruling elite - which is so often subjected to forensic, financial- and data-driven investigations - is pervasive throughout our society. Things like workplace abuses, corruption day-to-day or peoples on-the-ground experiences of failure with institutions meant to serve or uphold the public interest are plentiful in the South African context and ripe for undercover reporting. #GIJC23s panel undercover reporting showcased projects of recent years, from the BBCs expose of Islamic schools which chained and whipped students into submission in Sudan, to OpenDemocracys revelation that a global network of crisis pregnancy centres, backed by US anti-abortion groups, has been targeting vulnerable women with disinformation, emotional manipulation and outright deceit, to independent Kenyan journalist Naipanoi Lepapa undercover investigation into the shady surrogacy industry in her home country. The Global Investigative Journalism Network(GIJN) and the BBCs guidelines for going undercover are starting points for journalists considering the potential of this classic method for gathering explosive evidence of wrongdoing or gaining hard access.
Sanlam Investments applauds the historic UAE Consensus made at COP28, marking the first collective recognition for transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Source: 123RF.

It also endorses the call for a just and equitable transition and supports the petition to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, including the swift expansion of viable and cost-effective zero-carbon alternatives like green hydrogen and its derivatives.

This follows the recent approval of the countrys Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) made in the last quarter of 2023 by the South African cabinet.

The GHCS outlines a strategic vision to position South Africa as a significant producer, user, and exporter of green hydrogen and provides the framework for the government to support and promote the countrys green hydrogen sector and ambitions.

Minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, affirmed the government's commitment, stating, "Government has identified potential funding for green hydrogen projects, with the draft Green Paper receiving extensive stakeholder feedback.

Aligned with the Hydrogen Society Roadmap developed by the Department of Science and Innovation, approved by the Cabinet in 2021, this strategy holds immense potential. The government estimates that by 2050, the hydrogen economy could contribute 3.6% to the gross domestic product and generate 370,000 jobs.

Green hydrogen is produced using environmentally friendly methods that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Its clean energy carriers and derivative products are becoming increasingly important in assisting sectors that cannot decarbonise directly using renewable electricity, such as steel, petrochemicals, fertilisers, cement, and long-haul land-, sea-, and air transportation.

Carl Roothman, chief executive officer at Sanlam Investments said that the approval of GHCS by Cabinet gives further credence to the recently announced SA-H2 Fund - an investment vehicle aimed at expediting the development of South Africa's green hydrogen sector and circular economy.

The fund is supported by Climate Fund Managers (CFM), Invest International BV (II) of the Netherlands, the Sanlam Group of South Africa (Sanlam), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC).

Unlocking $1bn

The SA-H2 Fund initiative will aim to secure $1bn in blended finance funding for projects to help meet the surging local and global demand for green hydrogen and derivative products that will aid in stimulating economies and addressing climate change.

Blended finance is viewed as a critical financing tool and architecture supporting the development of the green hydrogen sector in South Africa.

Andrew Johnstone, co-founder of CFM says, As the green hydrogen industry emerges in South Africa, an opportunity exists to support the countrys Just Transition, fostering resilience and sustainability in existing fossil fuel-driven sectors while cultivating new value chains for growth, development, and employment. CFM has launched similar large-scale blended finance vehicles with great success to date.

The significance of a green hydrogen commercialisation strategy reverberates across crucial domains: securing early global-market positioning, establishing domestic markets in hard-to-abate sectors, fostering mobility applications, attracting foreign direct investment and low-cost green finance, maximising economic and socio-economic development benefits, enabling a conducive policy and regulatory framework for sustained long-term growth, technological innovation, skills development, environmental and health benefits, and ensuring a just transition.

Roothman says, The approval of the GHCS marks a significant milestone for South Africa, as it confirms the governments strong backing of the green hydrogen sector.

"Having the DBSA, IDC, and Sanlam as local partners in the SA-H2 Fund underlines the belief that significant public/private sector stakeholders have in the future of green hydrogen in the country and the role that blended finance will fulfill.

As observed at the recent COP28 event in Dubai, green hydrogen partnerships will play a pivotal role in the success of this sector, and as we conclude 2023, Sanlam Investments remains committed to monitoring all green hydrogen developments in 2024, Roothman concludes.
South Africa asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

A flare falls over Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, 29 December 2023. Reuters/Violeta Santos Moura

The ICJ, sometimes known as the World Court, is the United Nations venue for resolving disputes between states. Israel's foreign ministry said in a reaction that the suit was "baseless".

South Africa's filing alleged Israel was violating its obligations under the treaty, drafted in the wake of the Holocaust, which makes it a crime to attempt to destroy a people in whole or in part.

It asked the court to issue provisional, or short-term, measures ordering Israel to stop its military campaign in Gaza, which it said were "necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people."

No date has been set for a hearing.

While the ICJ in The Hague is considered the UN's highest court, its rulings are sometimes ignored. In March 2022, the court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military campaign in Ukraine.

Israel rejects filing

War began on 7 October 2023 when militants of the Islamist group Hamas killed 1,200 people in a cross-border attack on Israel and seized 240 hostages by Israel's count. Israel responded with an assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, killing more than 21,000 people, Palestinian health officials say.

In a first response to South Africa's suit, Israel's foreign ministry blamed Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by using them as human shields and stealing humanitarian aid from them, accusations Hamas denies.

"Israel has made it clear that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not the enemy, and is making every effort to limit harm to the non-involved," the ministry statement said.

Palestine, whose statehood is contested but is seen by the court as having "observer state" status, said it welcomed South Africa's suit.

"The court must immediately take action to protect the Palestinian people and call on Israel, the occupying power, to halt its onslaught," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The court application is the latest move by South Africa, a critic of Israel's war, to ratchet up pressure after its lawmakers last month voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending diplomatic relations.

In a statement from South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), the government said the application against Israel was filed on Friday.

"Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide," DIRCO said in a statement.

South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority in South Africa during the repressive apartheid era, a comparison that Israel vehemently denies.

A different court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC), is separately investigating alleged atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, but has not named any suspects. Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction.
Following the launch of the World ID 2.0 digital identity passport in December 2023, which added face biometrics for verification, Worldcoin has established operations in Singapore, continuing global expansion of its biometric proof-of-personhood project.

A post on the companys blog says four locations in Singapore are now playing host to the Orb, Worldcoins spheroid biometric enrolment device. Those wishing to verify their World ID can have their irises scanned to verify their unique humanness.

Worldcoins parent firm Tools for Humanity (TFH) has demonstrated further national buy-in by attaining membership in two of Singapores most respected startup and tech associations: ACCESS and the Singapore Fintech Association (SFA).

More expansion for Worldcoin in Europe and South America

The Orb has been popping up with increasing frequency in countries around the world, as TFH looks to put the Kenyan debacle of 2023 in its rearview. The Singapore deal is the fruit of a multi-city tour through Asia by the firms development team. Enrollment options have also expanded in Japan, including the city of Fukuoka on Kyushu Island.

In Europe, Worldcoin recently set up shop in the Spanish cities of Sevilla and Bilbao, and doubled Germanys Orb count to four with launches in Cologne and Leipzig, which join Berlin and Nuremberg. South America also continues to be a hot spot for the company, with Orbs deployed to Chilean cities Concepcion, Curico and Vina del Mar, and Argentina setting a new national record for biometric verifications in a single day, with a tally of more than 10,000 users irises scanned.

Worldcoin is even planning to resume operations in Kenya, after reportedly reaching an agreement with the countrys government.

The big picture is not entirely without blemishes. At the end of 2023, Worldcoin shut down iris biometrics collection in India, Brazil and France after operating for just a few months. That said, it also executed its first retail integration, partnering with Shopify for a pop-up shop that gave Orb-level users free sweatshirts for biometric enrollment through iris scans.

Since launching Worldcoin in July 2023, TFH has been steadily knocking down milestones in its bid to provide global proof-of-personhood, with its World ID-compatible wallet, World App, climbing to 5 million users by the end of the year and adding new ones at a pace of about a million per month. The app boasts monthly active users of around 1.7 million, and total transactions exceeding 30 million.

Joel McConvey is a creative content producer and digital specialist who helps people and organizations tell their story across platforms, and meet the challenges of a digital culture that changes quickly and often. Reach him on Twitter @jrmcconvey.
Residents in China's border regions experience enhanced quality of life

People's Daily Online) 14:29, January 03, 2024

Thanks to various efforts, China's border regions have witnessed rapid development in recent years, leading to a more prosperous life for the people there.

In Dawantang village, Mengding township, in Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County of Lincang city in southwest China's Yunnan Province, infrastructure was once poor, according to Li Yuzhen, a local villager. In 2003, her family lived in a thatched cottage.

Photo shows Li Yuzhen, a villager from Dawantang village, Mengding township, Gengma Dai and Wa Autonomous County, Lincang city, in southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

In 2019, Lincang launched a program targeting underdeveloped villages, transforming Dawantang village. A square, themed around the local Water Splashing Festival and featuring vibrant colors and a white pagoda, was built at the village entrance.

Residential buildings in the village have been standardized and renovated, incorporating elements of local culture. Cement roads have replaced muddy ones.

The village has worked to develop various industries, such as growing rubber, jackfruits, nuts, and vegetables. In 2022, the per capita disposable income of permanent residents in the village exceeded 20,000 yuan ($2,800).

Beiji village, or "North Pole Village," in Mohe city, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is a riverside border village located in the Greater Hinggan Mountains. Known for its ice, snow, and forests, the village is a year-round tourist attraction.

Photo shows Shi Ruijuan, who runs a homestay hotel in Beiji village, Mohe city, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Shi Ruijuan, a local villager, operates a homestay hotel. Each of her seven rooms is fully booked every day. "Earning 100,000 yuan in one winter was unthinkable a few years ago, but now it has become a reality," she said.

Shi has expanded her business beyond just providing accommodation. She creates travel itineraries for tourists, leveraging her knowledge of local attractions, and offers car rental services. These additions not only enhance the travel experience for visitors but also provide Shi with additional income.

The only problem with the hotel is its limited capacity. Shi plans to renovate the hotel, expand its size, add more rooms, and even start a hotel chain in the city. Recognizing a growing demand for high-end accommodation, she is also considering venturing into mid-to-high-end homestay hotels to cater to various customer groups.

Shi is also considering establishing a homestay hotel association in Beiji village. This association would unite nearly 200 homestays in the village, integrating their resources and advantages to better serve visitors and promote the village's development.

Drenthang township, located at the southern foothills of the Himalayas in Dinggye county, Xigaze city, in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, was once known as the "last landlocked island in China" due to its limited transportation and poor power supply.

By the end of 2017, the first road to Drenthang township was opened, significantly improving travel for local residents.

The township's electricity problem has also been fully addressed, with its grid now connected to the national power grid.

Following these improvements, Drenthang township began developing its tourism industry, capitalizing on its scenic features such as snow-capped mountains, glaciers, hot springs, ancient temples, and Sherpa culture. This development has allowed local residents to benefit from the growing tourism sector.

Photo shows Penpa, a government worker in Drenthang township, Dingkye county, Xigaze city, in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Penpa, a government worker in Drenthang township, has observed significant changes over the years. In addition to his regular duties, he and his colleagues also patrol the border area. Despite harsh weather conditions, they remain committed to protecting their homeland.

Ji'an city in northeast China's Jilin Province has a tradition of growing wild grapes and producing ice wine. As fresh snow covers Ji'an, ripe clusters of deep purple grapes are ready for harvest.

Local winemaker Liu Guolin's family began grape cultivation 12 years ago, initially selling grape juice and unprocessed wine, but the profits were modest. Liu decided to study winemaking in Bordeaux, France.

Photo shows Liu Guolin, a winemaker in Ji'an city, in northeast China's Jilin Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

After seven years in France, Liu returned home and dedicated himself to researching and developing wine production. He focused on creating new products and exploring new processes. His efforts paid off, with his business experiencing significant annual revenue growth, exceeding 2 million yuan in 2022.

A few days ago, the Yalu River Ice Grape Wine Festival began. Chinese and foreign experts, as well as tourists, gathered to sample the ice wine. "With the platform provided by the government, winemakers can introduce our ice wine to a broader audience, allowing more people to taste the exquisite flavors from our border city," Liu said.

In Wensu county, Aksu Prefecture, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, two walnut growers have prospered through their cultivation efforts and developed a deep friendship.

Zhao Wuzhong, one of the growers, moved to Wensu with his family 27 years ago. He leased 35 mu (2.33 hectares) of land and became acquainted with fellow farmer Muhtar Turdi, who often helped him.

Photo shows Zhao Wuzhong (right) and Muhtar Turdi, walnut growers in Wensu county, Aksu Prefecture, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

However, a sandstorm in the spring of 2002 devastated Zhao's sapling orchard, threatening his family's livelihood. Despondent, Zhao considered returning to his hometown. But Muhtar Turdi encouraged him to persevere. "He gave me 10,000 yuan to buy fertilizer and shared his planting and management techniques with me," Zhao recalled. By 2007, Zhao's walnut income had reached 100,000 yuan, and in good years, it could rise to as much as 400,000 yuan. "I couldn't have achieved this without his selfless help," Zhao said gratefully.

Meanwhile, Muhtar Turdi struggled with low yields due to outdated walnut varieties. Zhao suggested a grafting process for new, high-density varieties and helped his friend with the grafting and management of the orchard. Three years later, the yield of walnuts per mu in Muhtar Turdi's orchard had tripled.

A newly established cooperative in Damao Banner, Baotou City, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has helped expand sales channels for mutton, bringing increased wealth to local herders.

Photo shows Naimenhua, a herder in Damao Banner, Baotou city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Herder Naimenhuas family primarily relies on over 8,000 mu of natural pastureland, more than 200 sheep, and over 50 cattle. In the past, the family faced challenges selling their mutton due to limited sales channels, often dealing with intermediaries who drove down prices.

However, in April 2023, a cooperative was established. By collectively managing the processing, storage, transportation, and marketing of free-range mutton, the cooperative has allowed herder members to obtain fairer pricing.

Initially skeptical, Naimenhua tentatively invested in 20 sheep shares as a trial this spring and was pleasantly surprised to receive a dividend of 1,600 yuan. To date, the cooperative has sold 680 boxes of mutton, totaling 3,400 kilograms, bringing the natural taste of the grassland to consumers in Beijing and Shanghai.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Annie is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. She previously was a digital producer for The Chronicles Datebook section. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2017 with a degree in journalism. During her time there, she spearheaded a culture column, produced radio pieces for NPR-affiliate station KCBX, and was a DJ and writer for KCPR, the campus radio station. Before joining the Chronicle, she was an associate producer at SFGATE and interned at VICE and Flood Magazine. Shes particularly interested in communities and scenes that are often misunderstood.

She can be reached at avainshtein@sfchronicle.com.




NEW DELHI (PTI): Armies of India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday kick started the inaugural edition of a two-week military exercise in Rajasthan's Mahajan area, reflecting the growing defence engagement between the two countries.



The exercise 'Desert Cyclone' is aimed at enhancing interoperability in sub-conventional operations in desert and semi-desert terrains under the broader framework of UN charter on peacekeeping operations, the Indian Army said.



It is for the first time that the two armies are holding such a mega military exercise. It will culminate on January 15.



The UAE contingent is being represented by troops from the 'Zayed First Brigade'.



The Indian Army team comprising 45 personnel is mainly from the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.



"The aim of the Exercise is to enhance interoperability in Sub-conventional Operations including Fighting in Built-Up Area (FIBUA) in desert/ semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter on Peacekeeping Operations," the Army said in a statement.



It said the exercise will enhance cooperation and interoperability between both sides.



"Drills planned to be rehearsed during exercise 'Desert Cyclone include establishment of a joint surveillance centre, cordon and search operation, domination of built-up area and heliborne operations," the Army said.



"The exercise will also foster collaborative partnership and help in sharing best practices between the two sides," it said.



"The exercise signifies further strengthening of bonds of friendship and trust between India and the UAE. The exercise aims to achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly nations," it said.


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Postal Code
Jailed teacher Enoch Burke's father has been accused of assaulting a female garda during an incident at the Four Courts last year.

Sean Burke, of Cloonsunna, Castlebar, Co Mayo, appeared before Judge Catherine Hayden at Dublin District Court on Wednesday.

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He is accused of assaulting Garda Victoria Fisher at the Four Courts on March 7th, 2023.

The incident allegedly occurred on the day his son Enoch was involved in a legal dispute before the Court of Appeal (CoA) over transgenderism and his sacking by Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath.

Sean Burke faces a charge under section two of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, categorised as a minor crime only dealt with at the District Court level.

However, a conviction can result in a fine and a six-month jail sentence.

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Mr Burke, representing himself, indicated he would contest the case. However, he will be asked to plead formally at his next hearing.

Gardai had summonsed him to court so he did not have to sign a bail bond.

A summary of prosecution evidence was handed over to Mr Burke in court before the judge ordered him to return in three weeks.

A later hearing date will then be allocated if he denies the charge.

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No evidence concerning the events on the date of the alleged offence was heard.

Enoch Burke, who taught history and German, has spent more than 200 days in Mountjoy Prison after the secondary school teacher defied a High Court order to stay away from his former workplace.

Last April, one of his brothers, Simeon Burke, then a barrister-at-law student in Kings Inns, was fined 300 at Dublin District Court.

He had been convicted of breach of the peace after Enoch Burke's proceedings on March 7. That offence carries a possible three-month sentence.

Simeon Burke (24) had denied the Public Order Act offence of engaging in threatening, insulting and abusive words and behaviour on or about the Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin.

Finalising the case, the presiding judge had noted he had spent 41 days in custody on remand in the run-up to his hearing after repeatedly refusing to sign a bail bond with a condition to stay away from the Four Courts.

That conviction remains under appeal.
Argylle is set to be one of the biggest releases of the month, coinciding with a blockbuster movie coming out

Fiction

1. Argylle by Elly Conway is published in hardback by Bantam on January 4, priced 18.99 (ebook 9.99). Available Jnauary 4th

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Photo: Bantam/PA.

If youve never put a toe into the waters that is TikTok, and have stayed well away from the murky pool that is X (formerly known as Twitter), the hotbed of gossip surrounding this book will be a total mystery to you  the wildest theory being that Taylor Swift is actually the author. Whoever Elly Conway is, the story stands up. The titular character, Argylle, has grown up in the jungles of Thailand.

When a plane goes down in the drug-growing region, Argylle comes under the watchful eye of a spymaster at the CIA, and is quickly forced into joining an elite mission.

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As with every spy thriller, there must be a bad guy, and here it is the turn of ruthless Russian magnate, Vasily Federov, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants  which is to be president. Its a ridiculously good read  and will just leave you wondering how the accompanying film, starring Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard, will fit it all in.

9/10

(Review by Rachel Howdle)

2. Alibi by Lynda La Plante is published in paperback by Zaffre, priced 9.99 (ebook 6.99). Available now

Photo: Zaffre/PA.

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Two women brutally murdered, another survives  three men confess, but the police know they are covering for the attacker. And so another gripping novel by one of the worlds most celebrated crime authors unfolds, with La Plantes trademark gift of keeping the reader guessing until the final few pages.

Police investigating two horrific murders believe they have a breakthrough when another woman survives to give a description of her attacker and his distinctive van. They arrest the suspect, Damon Morton, but three of his employees admit to the crimes, and his wife and girlfriend each provide him with an alibi for the days of the attacks.

The police investigation turns into a courtroom drama, with the eyewitnesss emotional testimony coming up against women prepared to lie under oath. Youll love being kept on tenterhooks to see if justice prevails, with fans of crime thrillers in for a treat with Alibi.

8/10

(Review by Alan Jones)

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3. The Witchs Daughter by Imogen Edwards-Jones is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced 20 (ebook 7.99). Available now

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Photo: Bloomsbury Publishing/PA.

Set amidst the bloody turmoil of the 1917 Russian Revolution, The Witchs Daughter is the sequel to Edwards-Jones previous work, The Witches Of St Petersburg. But it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, for it follows the story of Nadezhda, the daughter of one of the Black Princesses of Montenegro, a young girl who refuses to accept the unearthly powers that flow through her royal veins.

But as the Romanovs are slaughtered and Petrograd is gripped by anarchy, Nadezhda is compelled to accept her destiny in order to save those she loves. Packed with historic detail and based on true accounts of the Russian Revolution, The Witchs Daughter sheds light on a dark and turbulent period in modern history, from a new and unusual perspective.

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It will appeal to readers who prefer their fiction to be densely packed with description, narrative and a broad cast of characters, and who will find, in Nadezhda, a reluctant heroine who is battling forces beyond her and within.

7/10

(Review by Hannah Colby)

Non-fiction

4. Style And Substance: Why What We Wear Matters by Bay Garnett is published in hardback by John Murray, priced 20 (ebook 11.99). Available now

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Looking for the perfect stocking filler for the fashion lover in your life? Then look no further!



Style and Substance is the ultimate fashion accessory, with pieces from Charlotte Tilbury to Stanley Tucci, on everything about fashion, clothes, and expressing yourself pic.twitter.com/5RjOJgqQk2  John Murray Press (@johnmurrays) December 5, 2023

To market Style And Substance as a book about fashion is to do its author, Bay Garnett, a disservice. From the opening pages, it is clear that it contains far more than just a narrative on current trends. This is a book that celebrates diversity in more than just a merely fashionable sense.

Its carefully-curated collection of articles, subdivided into five themed sections, includes discussions with style icons such as Bella Freud and Chloe Sevigny, passages from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sylvia Plath, and musings from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ib Kamara, to name but a few. Style And Substance explores the history, mood and psychology behind the clothes that we choose to wear.

It is a book where gravity mingles with frivolity, humour with weight, never taking itself or its subject too seriously, but allowing it the attention it deserves. In a world of fleeting trends, Bay Garnett has created an accessory to treasure, earning Style And Substance an enduring place in the canon of fashion literature.

8/10

(Review by Hannah Colby)

Childrens book of the week

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5. Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman is published in paperback by Hodder Childrens Books, priced 12.99 (ebook 7.49). Available now

Here is the cover of HEARTSTOPPER VOLUME 5!

I am sooo in love with how this cover turned out! It's out in December and you can pre-order now:https://t.co/1mUV0KQE6P pic.twitter.com/6qvwyAqWlu  Alice Oseman Updates (@AliceOseman) September 28, 2023

The Heartstopper franchise has become something of a beast  its the UKs fastest-ever selling graphic novel, and has spawned a hit Netflix show starring Kit Connor. Fans of the show will be clamouring for the next instalment, set to be the second-last ever. Its very much a continuation of the story, so if youre new to the series youll probably want to start at the beginning. In the fifth volume, we find Nick and Charlie in love and taking their relationship to the next level  but theres the looming worry of Nick going to university next year, and what that will do to their relationship. With a familiar cast of diverse characters, Oseman once again delivers a sweet and real depiction of life as LGBTQ+ teenagers  dealing with all the troubles life throws at them, while also finding love and happiness.

8/10

(Review by Prudence Wade)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 30th

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HARDBACK (FICTION)

1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

2. Iron Flame by Rebeca Yarros, Rebecca

3. The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman

4. A Stroke Of The Pen by Terry Pratchett

5. A Curse For True Love by Stephanie Garber

6. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

7. The Secret by Lee Child & Andrew Child

8. Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

9. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

10. What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama

(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)

1. Politics On The Edge by Rory Stewart

2. How They Broke Britain by James OBrien

3. Unruly by David Mitchell

4. Ghosts: The Button House Archives by Mat Baynton, Simon Farnaby et al

5. Abroad In Japan by Chris Broad

6. Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

7. Private Eye Annual: 2023 by Ian Hislop

8. Emperor Of Rome by Professor Mary Beard

9. Pinch Of Nom Express by Kay Allinson & Kate Allinson

10. The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)

1. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear

3. Unruly by David Mitchell

4. The Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galbraith

5. How They Broke Britain by James OBrien

6. Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

7. None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

8. Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal

9. Pax: War And Peace In Romes Golden Age by Tom Holland

10. Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

(Compiled by Audible)
The European Union has imposed sanctions on the worlds biggest diamond mining company and its chief executive as part of what it called its unwavering commitment to Ukraine in the war against Russia.

The move targeted Alrosa, which accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond production, and chief executive Pavel Marinychev.

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The EU headquarters said the company constitutes an important part of an economic sector that is providing substantial revenue to Moscow.

It means Alrosas assets in Europe will be frozen and EU citizens and companies will be barred from making funds available to the company.

Mr Marinychev, who was appointed chief executive last May for three years, also faces a travel ban in Europe.





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The EU had already banned the import, purchase or transfer of Russian non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewellery from January 1.

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The measure applies to diamonds originating in Russia, exported from Russia, transiting through Russia, and Russian diamonds processed elsewhere.

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The European Council confirmed the EUs unwavering commitment to continue to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes, it said.

The 27-nation bloc has now imposed sanctions on almost 1,950 people and entities, which are often companies, banks or government agencies, over what it says are actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
Prosecutors in Hong Kong alleged on Wednesday that activist and publisher Jimmy Lai had encouraged the citys residents to protest and urged the US to take action against the oppressive Chinese authorities in Beijing.

The 76-year-old media tycoon, who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was arrested in 2020 during a crackdown on massive pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019.

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The central government in Beijing responded by imposing a sweeping national security law aimed at stamping down opposition.

Lai has been in jail for more than three years.



A prison van carrying activist publisher Jimmy Lai arrives at West Kowloon Magistrates Courts in Hong Kong (Billy HC Kwok/AP)

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His national security trial at West Kowloon Magistrates Courts is being closely watched by foreign governments, business professionals and legal scholars. Many view it as a trial of the citys freedoms and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub.

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Lai has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiring to collude with foreign countries and another count of conspiring to publish seditious material.

He smiled at family members as he entered the court on Wednesday and put his hands together to show appreciation to supporters in the public gallery.

One supporter shouted Hang in there! and was hushed by guards.

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On the fifth day of the trial, prosecutor Anthony Chau presented what he said were Lais instructions to senior management and editors at Apple Daily to come up with ways to urge the Hong Kong public to protest over a proposed extradition Bill in 2019.

The Bill, which was later withdrawn following protests, could have allowed suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong to mainland China, where Communist Party-dominated courts are accused of handing down convictions based on political considerations and using coerced confessions.



Jimmy Lais wife Teresa Lai, second left, and his son Lai Shun Yan, right, arrive at West Kowloon Magistrates Courts (Billy HC Kwok/AP)

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Prosecutors submitted 31 pieces of allegedly seditious content published on Apple Daily, including articles and commentaries as well as pages urging people to protest. Some of the material even advocated for violence in the protests, the prosecution argued.

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In his commentaries, Lai alleged that the Chinese Communist Party sought to control Hong Kong via electronic means and totalitarian machines, Mr Chau said.

Lai had also allegedly given instructions to Apple Daily to introduce English content for the purpose of asking foreign countries to engage in sanctions against China and Hong Kong, the prosecution said.

WhatsApp messages purportedly showing that Lai had instructed editors to only concentrate on the yellow viewpoint  the colour of the pro-democracy camp and the voice that the world wants to know  were also shown to the court.

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Garnering support from political leaders such as former US vice president Mike Pence, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo as well as Senator Marco Rubio via subscription to the English service would be a protection for Apple Daily, Lai had allegedly said in his messages.



Members of the public queue to enter West Kowloon Magistrates Courts, where activist publisher Jimmy Lais trial is taking place (Billy HC Kwok/AP)

Hong Kong is a former British colony that returned to Chinas rule in 1997 under a promise that the city would retain its Western-style civil liberties for 50 years.

That promise has become increasingly threadbare since the introduction of the security law, which has led to the arrests and silencing of many leading pro-democracy activists.

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The governments of both Hong Kong and China have hailed the law for bringing back stability to the city.

Hong Kong, once seen as a bastion of media freedom in Asia, ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders latest World Press Freedom Index. The group said the city had seen an unprecedented setback since 2020, when the security law was imposed.
Temperatures fell below minus 40C (minus 40F) in the Nordic region for a second day in a row on Wednesday, with the coldest January temperature recorded in Sweden for 25 years.

In Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to minus 43.6C (minus 46.5F), the coldest temperature in the country in January since 1999, Swedens TT news agency reported.

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A man walks through Helsinki in Finland in freezing temperatures (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva/AP)

On Tuesday, Nikkaluokta, a village inhabited by indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, recorded a temperature of minus 41.6C (minus 42.8F). The village is in Lapland, which stretches from northern parts of Norway through Sweden and Finland to Russia.

Ida Dahlstrom, of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, said northern Sweden had overnight temperatures of minus 2535C (minus 13-31F) and the cold seems to stay there for the rest of the week, TT reported.

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The coldest Swedish temperature in January  minus 49C (minus 56F)  was recorded on January 27 1999, in the town of Karesuando near the Finnish border.



The weather has disrupted transport throughout the Nordic region (Anders Wiklund/TT News Agency/AP)

The weather  cold with snow and gale-force winds  disrupted transport throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.

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In Finland, the weather is forecast to remain cold across the country, with temperatures down to minus 35C (minus 31F) in the north, at least until Sunday.

Police across most of Denmark urged motorists on Wednesday to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.



Aarhus in Denmark has been hit by heavy snow (Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix/AP)

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The Danish Meteorological Institute said there was a risk of snowy and icy roads in large parts of the country and issued an orange warning  its second highest  for heavy rain in the south, which is battling flooding.

Further south, parts of Germany  where the weather has been mild and wet  were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by new rain in the worst-affected north-western state of Lower Saxony.

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Police near the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late on Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the Netherlands.
To hear it from bulls, the newborn year already belongs to central banks. Reviled not long ago for letting prices surge, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his peers have been anointed by traders as saviours of the world. Those clapping the loudest probably dont know how right they are.

The widely predicted global recession has yet to occur, inflation is coming down quickly and interest rate cuts are projected. As welcome as this development is, dont imagine for a second that the lords of finance are going into repose. Its never mission accomplished. Central banks will occupy an ever-more important position in the economic and security life of nations, if history is any guide.

Central banks will occupy an ever-more important position, if history is any guide. Credit: Louie Douvis

Whats often overlooked in hand-wringing about inflation targets and job growth is the part monetary guardians play in statecraft  and their potential to ride to the rescue in future crises, be they in the arena of finance, public health or even superpower grand strategy. Such interventions are often framed as a response to economic or market conditions, or the exercise of classic lender-of-last-resort responsibilities. But their impact on a states ability to provide the basics of a functioning society is great.

The 2008 subprime fiasco, the euro debt crisis, and the peak phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are merely recent examples of muscular central banks making the difference.
A former naval officer involved in the initial hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has called for an investigation into an Australian fishermans claims he found a large piece of a commercial plane at sea.

Retired Australian fisherman Kit Olver last month said that in October 2014  just seven months after the plane disappeared  his deep-sea trawler pulled up what appeared to be the wing of an airliner about 55 kilometres west of the South Australian town of Robe.

Kit Olver with the trawler he once owned.

It was a bloody great wing of a big jet airliner, Olver told this masthead. Ive questioned myself; Ive looked for a way out of this. I wish to Christ Id never seen the thing  but there it is. It was a jets wing.

Underwater surveyor Peter Waring  an expert in surveying and mapping sea floors who was brought in to help with the initial search for MH370 in 2014  said the claim was worthy of a new investigation.
People walk past an H&M store in the Glendale Galleria shopping mall on the day after Christmas. California witnessed a rapid increase in influenza activity and emergency department visits for COVID-19 in the first three weeks of December. Mario Tama/Getty Images A customer walks by a display of holiday cards at a Target store in Daly City. California witnessed a rapid increase in influenza activity and emergency department visits for COVID-19 in the first three weeks of December. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As respiratory illnesses surge through the Bay Area, many residents likely had to forego New Years Eve celebrations.

California witnessed a rapid increase in influenza activity and emergency department visits for COVID-19 during the third week of December. The surge  which Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show continued nationally through the final week of 2023  is attributed to holiday gatherings, travel and the newly identified JN.1 coronavirus variant.

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Nationwide, the last week of December saw 78,905 emergency department admissions for COVID-19 and 136,668 for influenza, marking respective increases of 72% and 225% from the previous month. In the past week alone, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States rose by nearly 17%, totaling 29,059 new patients, marking the highest recorded data since last January.

The virus continues to claim at least 1,200 lives each week.

California stands among the states with the highest respiratory virus activity, constituting almost 6.3% of all emergency department visits as of Dec. 23. Approximately 80% of the states inpatient beds were occupied, with nearly 70% of intensive care beds in use. COVID-19 deaths, meanwhile, increased by 31% week over week during the third week of December.

The CDC warns that the worst is yet to come. In its latest summary, the agency notes, Seasonal influenza activity is elevated and increasing in most parts of the country. COVID-19 activity also remains elevated overall and is increasing in many areas. RSV cases increased during the fall, but recent data suggests that they have leveled off and, in certain locations, are now decreasing.

Wastewater data confirms that COVID-19 viral activity is at its second-highest peak nationally.

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Additionally, more than 14,000 Americans were hospitalized for the flu during the last week of December.

What were seeing right now, in the first week of January, is really an acceleration  of flu cases, in particular, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California witnessed a rapid increase in influenza activity and emergency department visits for COVID-19 in the first three weeks of December. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show the surge continued nationally through the final week of December. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle 2021

The severity of COVID-19 cases is surpassing that of the flu, yet the increase in COVID-19 cases has been less steep.

This spike in infections coincides with a stall in vaccination numbers. Federal data indicates that only 18% of Americans have received the new coronavirus vaccine, while 42% have received the flu shot.

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Hospitals in at least four states, including California, have reinstated mask mandates in response to the rising illnesses.

Last week, Los Angeles County health officials issued an order requiring all health care personnel and visitors to wear face coverings in patient care areas. Most Bay Area hospitals reinstated masking rules for employees months ago, in anticipation of a seasonal rush of sick people. Meanwhile, clinics at UC San Diego have barred children under 12 from entering hospitals due to the high risk of infection.

The CDC directs people to an agency website where they can check their county-specific information and make informed decisions regarding mask-wearing and other precautions.

Health officials are monitoring JN.1, a new variant of the coronavirus.

First detected in the U.S. in September, it constituted approximately 44% of COVID-19 cases just before Christmas. While JN.1 might spread more easily and potentially evade the immune system, theres no evidence of it causing more severe illness than recent variants. Current data suggests vaccines and antiviral medications remain effective against it.

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Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organizations technical lead for COVID-19, emphasized over the weekend that the virus remains a significant threat as the world enters the fifth year of the pandemic.

(I)ts still a global health threat and its still a pandemic causing far too many (re)infections, hospitalizations, deaths and long covid when tools exist to prevent them, she wrote on social media.

Van Kerkhove urged people not to become complacent and emphasized the importance of maintaining preventive measures like masking and vaccination.

Governments must not be complacent, individuals must not be complacent. We have all gone through something traumatic with #COVID19, she said. The world shut down, we lost millions of our loved ones, billions have been personally affected by COVID. We cannot forget.

Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
He was sentenced to four years and three months in prison with a two-year non-parole period. Spate of fake ride-share drivers assaulting or groping women Since mid-2022, the states courts have heard at least three cases of fake ride-share drivers charged with sexual offences, relating either to women theyve sought out or who mistakenly got in their cars. The Herald can reveal a rape charge was inexplicably dropped against a 32-year-old man in April last year after he allegedly posed as a ride-share driver with another man and drove a woman from Bondi Junction to Wolli Creek, before allegedly sexually assaulting her inside an apartment. In Wollongong, fake ride-share driver Kais Dahdal avoided jail after admitting to sexually touching two women without consent.

Dahdal approached two victims in his car, pretended he was an Uber driver and offered to give them lifts. He touched their thighs and suggested they could pay for their trips with sex before they escaped. Court records show he was sentenced to a seven-month intensive correction order in July 2022. Last October, 42-year-old Mohamed Maan Hammoud was sentenced to a two-year community correction order after pleading guilty to sexually touching an 18-year-old woman without consent outside Paddingtons Village Inn pub. According to agreed facts, the teenager booked an Uber home and was assigned a driver with a white Toyota Corolla, before getting into Hammouds black Toyota Corolla hatchback. The 42-year-old repeatedly stroked the womans thigh and tried to put his hand under her skirt. Hammouds barrister said her clients behaviour could be directly linked to his cognitive impairment, making an ultimately unsuccessful application to have the matter dealt with under mental health legislation.

Calls for greater ride-share safety awareness Debra Weddall, president of the Rideshare Driver Network, called for greater safety measures. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Debra Weddall is the president of the Rideshare Driver Network, a national organisation that advocates for drivers. She called for the government and ride-share companies to run a safety campaign on the issue, noting this type of behaviour from fake ride-share drivers could erode trust in the wider industry. All safety features in apps should be made mandatory and they should be promoted, Weddall said. Checking the ID of a driver [is one feature], but sometimes people dont look like their photos. PIN numbers, the name of the driver and number plates are not replicable.

Weddall also welcomed impersonating a ride-share driver becoming a specific criminal offence. Victim advocate Howard Brown doubted such a law would be effective as current NSW legislation in the case of sexual assaults. Currently, impersonating a ride-share driver would most likely be considered an aggravating factor to the assault and contribute to harsher punishment. Having supported many sexual assault victims whod been taken advantage of while intoxicated, he agreed for the need of a safety campaign around fake ride-share drivers. Ride-share companies arent going to run a negative campaign saying Hey, beware of fake drivers, but if they run more campaigns saying hey, we run this particular service to ensure your safety, theyre still drawing attention to the potential risk and telling people why theyre the safest company. Also, the default position of all safety features should be opt out, not opt in.

Brown stressed the importance of not victim-blaming vulnerable or intoxicated women who accidentally got into the wrong car, as there is no excuse for taking advantage of someone. A spokesperson for Uber, which the Herald does not suggest is the only ride-share company whose drivers have been impersonated, said it is continuing to improve its features in the Safety Toolkit app. Several men have been caught posing as Uber drivers and taking advantage of women. Credit: iStock These advances in safety are important but for them to be effective, riders need to be in the right car, the spokesperson said. Ubers safety toolkit includes push notifications prompting riders to check the drivers photo, number plate and licence number, an in-app button that connects to emergency services and an option to share their real-time location and trip status with family and friends.

The company confirmed its on-call team involving former police officers works with law enforcement to help with their investigations. Uber did not directly respond to calls for all safety features to be mandatory or an opt-out default. Transport Workers Unions assistant national secretary Nick McIntosh condemned people who assaulted vulnerable women while impersonating ride-share drivers. These shocking crimes are abhorrent and offenders should face the full force of the law, he said. NSWs Point to Point Transport Commissioner, Anthony Wing, said he took criminal matters involving people impersonating ride-share drivers very seriously.

A ride-share vehicle cannot be flagged or pick a passenger up from the street without a booking. People who unlawfully offer to provide passenger services without a booking can be prosecuted, he said. Further, ride-share vehicles also must display at the rear of the vehicle a retroreflective sign that indicates it is providing ride-share passenger services. Drivers who are found not displaying this sign will be fined by my authorised officers. He said passengers should never accept a lift from someone who approaches them without a booking and always check the number plate and driver details before getting into the car. A NSW Police spokesperson encouraged all sexual assault victims to report incidents to police. National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) and beyondblue (1300 22 4636).
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Seven perspectives on life in Brisbane See all 7 stories .

They were punks but I wasnt. You had to be in a band. I had blue hair and then I shaved my head. Queensland police were often following and stopping me, once screeching up a kerb to leap out and question my movements, even though my movements werent that interesting. A boyfriend gave me The Philosophy of Punk before we broke up. I took my battered photography school camera onstage and made poorly exposed pictures of the bands. I printed them badly in the darkroom my mum had built for me in a little shed in mangrovey Manly and presented the wonky frames. Have you ever seen a punk blush? I helped them to soap and shape their pink mohawks against tables and got in trouble for mussing them later at the pub. They were punks but I wasnt. You had to be in a band.

The Hill End sharehouse I moved into was art school goth meets hippy chai den. We studiously took messages from the endlessly ringing landline and pinned them to each others doors. The kitchen cupboard contained lentils and cartons of soy. The punk who lived in the back room called me The New Girl. The experimental noise installation artist in the front room entered my dreams, turned my poetry to noise, my nights into noise. She was sweet with her nose ring and angle grinder. After I had traipsed around the city with my bubble boots and shaved head, skanking my heart out to the beautiful anarchy, I would drunk-bike home to find her sipping chamomile and sharing her lollies. She called me Lolli. The fourth bedroom contained a sparkle-eyed love with endless time for other peoples art.

We started a band. The Experimental Noise Installation Artist was learning Japanese so Sparkle and I turned the few phrases we picked up from her into our first hit song, Momo wa tabemasu (ka)?/Do you eat peaches? We called ourselves The Two Armed Wanks. We entered a deeply creative phase, adding to Momo with a genre-bending song about Sparkles high school penpal, as well as my ballad Lesbian Love Song  a whimsical piece that belied the fact Id recently thwarted a good opportunity with the best lesbian in West End because I was now celibate. And also pretty straight.

Sparkles best friend did a photo shoot. The Experimental Noise Installation Artists Japanese boyfriend made posters. Word got around. Gigs were lined up. We made outfits out of the scraps of material I hoarded in baskets in my hot side bedroom. We made flyers that I stuck up around art school. My giant poetry blocks were going to feature in the exhibition where we would play. We made phone calls and invited everybody.

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It was with waning confidence we took to the stage that night. The stage a brightly lit square in a brightly lit warehouse in Spring Hill. The white walls. The largish, paranoid-looking audience within metres of us. The Experimental Noise Installation Artist, who was in a proper band and always encouraging me to be more assertive, gazed up uncertainly from where she sat cross-legged on the wooden floor. We tuned our instruments  musical toys wed found at St Veronicas op shop and had practised with abandon in the open lounge room of our wonky Queenslander, vaguely aware of windows slamming next door where a baby was trying to sleep.

Do you have guitars? the exhibition curator asked hopefully. I turned to Sparkle, hoping this would be the moment hed reveal one speck more musical talent than I had. The bare facts: we couldnt sing, play instruments or get wasted in time to pretend to do so.
A 12-year-old girl is dead and her younger sister is fighting for her life after their family car crashed head-on into a sedan that police say was being driven erratically by a disqualified driver.

Mia Rossiter, 12, died at the scene on the Hamilton Highway in Stonehaven, near Geelong, on Wednesday night. Her sister Willow, 7, was taken to hospital, where she was in a serious condition on Thursday night.

Mia Rossiter flanked by her parents, Danica and Paul Rossiter.

Parents Danica Rossiter, 36  who was driving  and Paul Rossiter, 38, were also badly injured in the crash. Both remain in hospital in a serious condition.

Zach Challoner, a friend of the Rossiters, said the family was likely to have been travelling home to the small town of Lismore after visiting relatives in Geelong.
Federal MPs have been booted 118 times from parliamentary question time for rowdy behaviour since Anthony Albaneses election as prime minister, new data shows, as the major delay of a powerful new body to combat more serious types of misconduct has sparked the ire of crossbenchers.

The roll call of the ejected shows that parliament has not become more respectful under Albanese, while plans to introduce an independent commission to police parliamentary standards, a Labor commitment, have been delayed until at least October.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley leaving the chamber last year after being ejected during question time. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The overwhelming majority of those ejected from the House of Representatives  83 per cent  were from the opposition. This included the two MPs kicked out of question time most often at 15 times each  Coalition spokesman for social services Michael Sukkar and Liberal backbencher Tony Pasin.

In second place were Coalition backbenchers Henry Pike and Garth Hamilton, kicked out nine times each, while Coalition frontbencher Ted OBrien was ejected seven times and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley was ordered to leave six times.
We thought we knew what it took to be a popular politician. Hes a blokey sort in his middle years from a safe seat on the eastern seaboard who loves his sport  someone you could have a beer with.

But the most popular politicians last year, according to the results of our Resolve Political Monitor survey in early December, have upended that trope. Theyre not that blokey  they are not even blokes.

Not that blokey: Penny Wong, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Jacqui Lambie. Credit: Dionne Gain

The top three most popular politicians in Australia are, in order: an Asian-Australian, openly gay foreign minister who fiercely guards her personal life; a pugilistic Tasmanian crossbench senator and army veteran open about the struggles she faced as a single mother; and a conservative Indigenous senator from the Northern Territory who talks about domestic violences toll on her family.

Step up, Labors Penny Wong (14 per cent net positive likeability), crossbencher Jacqui Lambie (10 per cent) and the Coalitions Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (6 per cent).
Washington: Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to clear the path for him to run in the 2024 presidential election by overturning a contentious Colorado decision to remove him from the ballot in that state.

One day after the former president appealed a similar decision in Maine, Trump filed a petition on Wednesday (Washington time) asking the Americas highest court to weigh in on his candidacy, and return the right to vote for their candidate of choice to the voters.

The move comes after Colorado and Maine found that Trump had incited an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 after losing the election to Joe Biden and should therefore be disqualified from running in their Republican presidential primary races.

However, his campaign described those decisions as an unAmerican, unconstitutional act of election interference which cannot stand.
Jordan Parker is a breaking news reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. He graduated from Sacramento State University in May 2022 with a degree in journalism. During his time there, he spent three years as a reporter and editor for the university's award-winning student newspaper, The State Hornet. He spent his senior year of college serving as The Hornet's first Black editor in chief, leading the organization to two Pacemaker awards and several other national honors from the Associated Collegiate Press. When he's not chasing down a story, he likes watching movies, traveling and trying new restaurants.

He can be reached at Jordan.Parker@sfchronicle.com.
Prince Harry is proud of his life in the military and became emotional when he lost his military roles after quitting as a senior royal. (Photo: Simon Dawson/Pool/File Photo/REUTERS)

As the royal calendar turns to 2024, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle find themselves at a crossroads, urged by observers to shift their narrative and seek reconciliation with the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have made headlines for their public rift with the royal household, face a critical year where change seems imperative for moving forward.

Veteran royal commentator Michael Cole expressed his views on the matter, stating, "Their problem this year is to come out of another box to find something new to say. We've heard all the criticism, relentlessly, repetitively, of their own family." This sentiment reflects the broader public's fatigue with the ongoing feud and a desire for a fresh start.

The heart of the issue appears to be the longing for family unity, particularly the relationship between Prince Harry, King Charles, and Prince William. Cole noted the deep-seated issues dating back to their childhood, suggesting that significant apologies and compromises are necessary for healing.

"He won't compromise - he keeps saying he wants the King and Prince William to apologize for things going right back to childhood," Cole revealed during an interview with Sky News Australia.

The absence of the Sussexes during the recent holiday season only highlighted the divide. "It is a great tragedy that the King never sees his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet," Cole lamented, pointing out the emotional toll this rift has taken on the family, especially King Charles, who is known for his tactile approach and affection towards his family.

Despite these challenges, the royal family continues its duties with a focus on business as usual. According to Cole, King Charles and Queen Camilla have a busy year ahead with significant international engagements, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and tours to Australia, New Zealand, and possibly Canada. These visits not only reinforce the bonds within the Commonwealth but also serve as a litmus test for the monarchy's popularity, especially in realms like Australia where recent polls showed a majority still favor the monarchy.

As for the Sussexes, the path forward remains uncertain. Critics argue that before any meaningful reconciliation can occur, Prince Harry must demonstrate genuine remorse and a willingness to mend fences. "As all Christians know, before forgiveness there needs to be repentance," noted royal editor Richard Eden, highlighting the necessity for the Duke to address the wounds caused by his public disclosures and criticisms.

The situation is further complicated by Meghan's alleged estrangement from her own family, with claims that she is hardly on speaking terms with any members apart from her mother and one niece. Similarly, Prince Harry's communication with the royal family is reportedly limited to his cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

As 2024 unfolds, the world watches closely to see if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will heed the calls for change and find a new narrative, one that might lead to a long-awaited reconciliation with their royal kin and a more positive path forward for their family.
Britain's Prince Charles looks on during a tour to the Cabinet Office building in London, Britain, February 13, 2020. (Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool via REUTERS)

As monarchies across Europe reassess their approach to succession, King Charles of the United Kingdom might consider a precedent set by Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, who recently announced her abdication in favor of her son, Crown Prince Frederik. Royal experts speculate that this move might inspire Charles to contemplate passing the crown to Prince William and Kate Middleton while they are still young, echoing sentiments expressed by Denmark's sovereign in her New Year's address.

Queen Margrethe's abrupt decision to step down after 52 years on the throne has stirred discussions about the longevity of monarchs and the timing of succession. "It must make you wonder if, in five or ten years' time, King Charles might think about doing the same if his health suffers or he just thinks it is a good time to pass on to William and Kate while they are still young," royal biographer Phil Dampier commented to the Daily Mail.

This sentiment was reinforced by royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, who noted Margrethe's strategic timing to ensure a vibrant and contemporary monarchy.

The Danish Queen's abdication has also ignited speculation regarding the personal lives of the royal family, particularly Crown Prince Frederik, amid rumors of marital strife and alleged affairs. These concerns, coupled with the desire for a fresh and modern monarchy, might have influenced her decision.

"She will now hope that Frederik and Mary patch up any differences and work together as the new King and Queen," Dampier speculated.

For the British Royal Family, the idea of abdication carries historical weight, particularly after the 1936 crisis when King Edward VIII abdicated, profoundly affecting the late Queen Elizabeth II's perspective on her duty. However, as Dampier and Fitzwilliams suggest, changing times and evolving perceptions of monarchy might open the door to different choices for King Charles.

The discussion of potential early abdication for Charles comes at a time when modern monarchies are increasingly scrutinizing their relevance and public image. Queen Margrethe's unexpected abdication and the consequent rise of Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary as the new King and Queen signify a possible trend towards rejuvenation and adaptation in royal succession strategies.

As the world watches these historic shifts within royal families, the question remains whether King Charles will indeed consider a similar path, setting a precedent within the British monarchy and potentially reshaping the future of the royal institution.
Indian companies had until the end of 2023 to negotiate with Qatar for renewal of the deals to beyond 2028.

India's top gas importer Petronet LNG is likely to sign a deal this month to extend its long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Qatar to beyond 2028, India's Oil Secretary said on Wednesday.

Petronet has a 7.5-million metric ton per year (tpy) long-term LNG import deal with Qatar and its promoters Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and GAIL (India) Ltd has a 1 million tpy deal.

Indian companies had until the end of 2023 to negotiate with Qatar for renewal of the deals to beyond 2028.

"We are pretty close to signing the deal," Oil Secretary Pankaj Jain told reporters.

Qatar, the world's top LNG exporter, aims to expand its liquefaction capacity to 126 million tpy by 2027 from 77 million and has signed long-term deals with European majors Shell, TotalEnergies and ENI.

It has also signed long-term gas deals with China's Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corp and Bangladesh.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a two-day visit to Kathmandu from January 4, during which he will co-chair the 7th meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission with his counterpart NP Saud.

During his visit, Jaishankar will also call on the leadership of Nepal and meet prominent political figures, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Established in 1987, the India-Nepal Joint Commission provides a platform for both ministers to review all aspects of the bilateral partnership.

" External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar will visit Kathmandu from 04-05 January 2024 on the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Nepal, Mr. N.P. Saud for co-chairing the 7th meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission," the MEA said.

Nepal is a priority partner of India under its 'Neigbhbourhood First' policy.

"The visit is in keeping with the tradition of high-level exchanges between two close and friendly neighbours," the foreign ministry statement read.

India and Nepal share unique ties of friendship and cooperation characterised by an open border and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special ties that exist between the two nations.

On December 22, Nepal's Ambassador to India Shankar Prasad Sharma said that the two countries are working to establish a sister city relationship between Janakpur and Ayodhya.

He further said the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi was glad to receive Janakpur Mayor Manoj Kumar Sah and other dignitaries to participate in a program organized by the Chamber of India.

"Glad to receive Mayor Manoj Kumar Sah and other dignitaries from Janakpur Dham at @EONIndia. They were here to participate in a program organized by the Incredible Chamber of India. & are also working to establish sister city relationships between Janakpur and Ayodya," the Nepalese Ambassador posted on X.

On December 8 last year, the Embassy of India in Nepal, in collaboration with Lumbini Development Trust and Lumbini Buddhist University, organised the inaugural India-Nepal Cultural Festival in Lumbini.

"The festival showcased the rich cultural heritage and traditions of India and Nepal, with a focus on Buddhism. The festival featured a Sand Mandala Drawing Art Exhibition prepared by monk artists from Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, India, a photo exhibition based on the photographs of renowned photographer Benoy Behl, a street food festival featuring Indian and Nepali cuisines, and a cultural programme," a release from the Indian Embassy stated.

India's Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, Nepal's Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati, and Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary jointly inaugurated the festival.

The inauguration ceremony also included the opening of a photo exhibition, which featured a collection of stunning photographs of Buddhist heritage sites.The exhibition provided a comprehensive perspective of the monuments and art heritage of Buddhism, from the earliest times to the present day.
As per FMR policy, those belonging to the hill tribes, being citizens of either India or Myanmar and residing within a 16 km radius on either side of the border, can cross with a border pass valid for one year, allowing a stay of up to two weeks per visit | Representative image | Photo: Twitter

The Central government is mulling to terminate the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar in an effort to curb the influx of illegal migrants and insurgents, said officials.

The plan is part of consideration to end a point of contention as local residents complain that the FMR policy has become a major subject of contention as it is often misused and facilitates "illegal immigration, drug and arms trafficking". Manipur government as well as other northeast states facing the issue has also raised the matter with the Central government earlier.

The 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border, spanning Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, currently operates under the FMR, which permits individuals living near the India-Myanmar border to travel 16 km into each other's territories without a visa. Initiated in 2018, the FMR policy was a component of India's Act East policy.

As per FMR policy, those belonging to the hill tribes, being citizens of either India or Myanmar and residing within a 16 km radius on either side of the border, can cross with a border pass valid for one year, allowing a stay of up to two weeks per visit.

"We plan to terminate the FMR along the Indo-Myanmar border shortly. Our aim is to install fencing along the entire border, a project expected to be completed in the next four-and-a-half years. Individuals entering will be required to obtain a visa," stated an official privy to the plan being prepared by the Ministry of HomeAffairs.

"The objective is not only to halt the misuse of the FMR, which insurgent groups exploit for attacks on the Indian side before escaping to Myanmar, but also to stop the inflow of illegal immigrants and disrupt networks involved in drug and gold smuggling."

Another official shared that the process of "tendering for an advanced smart fencing system covering 300 km of the India-Myanmar border is already in progress, and the project's implementation will commence shortly."

Allegations claim that following the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, a considerable number of Myanmar's tribal population crossed into India, particularly Manipur and Mizoram, and remained illegally. It's alleged that these individuals sought refuge on Indian territory and subsequently engaged in unlawful activities, notably drug smuggling.

In September 2023, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had appealed to the Centre to terminate the FMR. The state government contends that insurgents exploit this regime to advance their activities.

Manipur shares approximately 390 km of a porous border with Myanmar, with only about 10 km fenced as of now. In July last year, the state government disclosed data indicating that approximately 700 illegal immigrants had entered the state.

Additionally, following the military coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, Mizoram has witnessed an influx of thousands of anti-Junta rebels. Government estimates suggest that several thousand refugees have settled in various parts of Mizoram since the coup.

Mizoram has a porous border spanning 510 kilometers with Myanmar.

The Manipur Chief Minister mentioned incidents where individuals from Myanmar attempted to enter his state but retreated upon encountering a substantial presence of security personnel. Manipur shares a 398-kilometer border with Myanmar.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 520-kilometer border with Myanmar, whereas Nagaland's border with the country spans 215 kilometers.
A delegation of the Indian Parliament led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh departed for Uganda on Wednesday to attend the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), set to be held in Kampala from January 4-6, Parliament Sources told ANI.

This conference is held every two years in which the Presiding Officers of more than 30 Commonwealth parliaments discuss issues of common concern and share experiences and best practices for tackling the challenges before their legislatures.

"Harivansh as the presiding officer from India will have the honour of addressing the Special Session on "Building Consensus in Parliamentary business". Besides, he will participate in all the 5 discussions to present India's views and suggestions" Parliament Sources told ANI

Sources further told ANI that Harivansh will take over from Uganda as the next 28th Conference will be held in India in 2026. Secretary-General Rajya Sabha PC Mody and other senior officials are accompanying the delegation.

The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth.

It was created in 1969 as an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Lucien Lamoureux. Since its inception, Canada has provided CSPOC with a secretariat to support its activities.

The Conference is an independent group and has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government.

CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, usually early in January, and a meeting of the Standing Committee at the same time in the intervening year.

The Conference aims to maintain, foster, and encourage impartiality and fairness on the part of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments; Promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in its various forms; and Develop parliamentary institutions.
India's Gujarat state on Wednesday signed initial investment agreements worth 7.17 trillion Indian rupees ($86.07 billion) with 58 companies operating in sectors such as energy, oil and gas, and chemicals, its government said.

The home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat has been signing these agreements ahead of its biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which is scheduled to take place in state capital Gandhinagar from Jan. 10 to Jan. 12.

The companies that signed the pacts included NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, which proposed an investment of 900 billion Indian rupees ($10.80 billion) to create 15 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy parks and projects to meet the agricultural sector's power needs, a senior Industries Department official said.

NTPC also proposed a further investment of 700 billion Indian rupees ($8.40 billion) for fuel cell electric vehicle mobility, hydrogen blending with natural gas, production of green chemicals such as ammonia and methanol, and 5GW hydrogen-based energy storage projects, the official added.

Torrent Power similarly signed an agreement to invest 474 billion Indian rupees ($5.69 billion) to create solar power projects with 3,450 MW and 7,000 MW capacity, green hydrogen and ammonia manufacturing plants, and distribution networks in cities including Ahmedabad and Surat.

Both NTPC and Torrent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The summit is expected to draw a record number of foreign and domestic investors to the western state this month in what is being seen as Modi's big push to promote investment in the South Asian nation just months ahead of its national election, where he will seek a third term.

The state government had signed similar investment agreements totalling $18.75 billion last month.
Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday accused the BJP-led Centre of hatching a conspiracy to arrest Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls.

Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped the third summons issued by the ED in the Delhi excise policy case and sent a written reply calling the notice illegal.

Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj questioned the timing of the Enforcement Directorate summons.

"The ED has still not answered in what capacity is he being summoned -- as a witness or an accused. The entire excise policy case is political and an attempt to stop Kejriwal from campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP-led Centre has hatched a conspiracy to get him arrested," he said.

Bharadwaj said former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who has been in jail for nearly a year, will be proven innocent sooner or later.

Kejriwal was asked to appear before the ED on Wednesday for questioning in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

This was the third ED notice to Kejriwal, also the AAP's convener, after he refused to appear before the federal agency on two earlier summonses for November 2 and December 21.
Senior Congress leader and party Treasurer, Ajay Maken, in a post on X, informed that the maximum donation money collected by the party was from Telangana

In the crowdfunding campaign 'Donate for Desh', the Congress party has collected a total donation amount of Rs 10.15 crores up till now.

Senior Congress leader and party Treasurer, Ajay Maken, in a post on X, informed that the maximum donation money collected by the party was from Telangana, which mounted to 1.72 crore, followed by Haryana which mounted at 1.21 crore.

"Salute to the enthusiasm of the brave Congress workers of Haryana! Leaving Maharashtra behind, in second place. Total donation amount of Rs 1.21 crore, from Haryana alone! We have now crossed the donation amount of Rs 10.15 crore," he said in a post on X.

The top five states from which the maximum donation under the 'Donate for Desh' campaign was collected were Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier in December, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched the crowdfunding campaign 'Donate for Desh' for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress party in a post on X, said that the campaign was inspired by the 'Tilak Swaraj Fund' started in the year 1920. On the 138 years completed by Congress, the grand old party urged the citizens to pay the money in multiples of 138 (e.g., Rs 138, Rs 1380, Rs 13,800, or more).

The campaign aims at "empowering the party to create an India rich in equal resource distribution and opportunities".

Speaking about the campaign, Kharge said that this is the first time that Congress is asking people for donations and cited Mahatma Gandhi, who also took donations from the public during the freedom struggle.

"It's the first time that Congress is asking people for donations for the nation... If you work only by depending on the rich, then you have to follow their policies. Mahatma Gandhi also took donations from the public during the freedom struggle," said Kharge.
Nora Mishanec is a San Francisco Chronicle breaking news and enterprise reporter. She joined the paper in 2020 as a Hearst fellow and returned in 2022 after a stint at The Houston Chronicle.

She can be reached at nora.mishanec@sfchronicle.com.
Top Chinese leaders have generally avoided public comments on the vote. President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's address on Sunday that China's "reunification" with Taiwan is inevitable, but did not mention the election | Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A senior Chinese official on Wednesday urged Taiwan's people to make a "correct choice" on the island's upcoming elections, which he described as being about peace and war, prosperity and decline.



China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly cast the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between war and peace.



Top Chinese leaders have generally avoided public comments on the vote. President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's address on Sunday that China's "reunification" with Taiwan is inevitable, but did not mention the election.



In his own New Year's message, Zhang Zhijun, head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, a quasi-official body that handles ties with Taiwan, said Taiwanese faced an important choice in the election.



"The two elections coming up in the Taiwan region are important choices between the prospects for peace and war, prosperity and decline," said Zhang, who headed the central government's Taiwan Affairs Office from 2013 to 2018.



"Taiwan compatriots must stand on the right side of history, and make a correct choice to promote cross-strait relations back to the right track of peaceful development," he said.



Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.


A photo of the Peek through the pines postcard sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in March 1971. The Chronicle Police sketch of the man suspected of being the Zodiac Killer, 1969. Handout This message was written on a greeting card mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle by the Zodiac on Nov. 11, 1969. The Chronicle

The Zodiac Killer murdered South Lake Tahoe nurse Donna Lass in 1970, amateur sleuths have long contended, and now they say the long-delayed identification last week of her skull helps prove their case.

The skull was found in 1986 near Emigrant Gap, high in the Sierra Nevada along Highway 20  but cold-case detectives in Placer County didnt connect the skull to the missing woman until they recently sent DNA samples to a state lab and got a match with her relatives.

Zodiac Killer: Why sleuths are still obsessed with S.F.s most notorious serial killer

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The skull was found 70 miles from South Lake Tahoe and 20 miles from an eerie rock formation that one sleuth said last year might have been created by the Zodiac. And a spooky postcard sent by the Zodiac to the Chronicle in 1971 that read Peek through the pines has long been pointed to by amateur sleuths as a macabre reference to Lass as a Zodiac victim.

However, law enforcement officials say the latest development doesnt nail down any connection to the Zodiac. Like the Chronicle, they get hundreds of tips every year about the Zodiac case, and this new development simply takes its place among them.

We are extremely grateful that this team effort was able to bring closure to the Lass family and are hopeful that cold case detectives can continue to make advances in these cases, the Placer County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. South Lake Tahoe PD will be continuing to look into any future leads on this case.

But as far as unofficial investigators are concerned, this latest discovery adds one more crucial link to their contention that the Zodiac was a house painter named Gary Francis Poste, who lived in the Sierra foothills hamlet of Groveland and died in 2018 at age 80. A private group of sleuths calling themselves the Case Breakers trumpeted that long-held theory in 2021, and one of the investigators associated with it will publish a book in the next few days laying out their case in fine detail.

Dale Julin, a Peabody Award-winning television journalist, says his 266-page book Catching Zodiac fingers Poste with anagram translations and other clues found in the Zodiacs many taunting communications mailed to the Chronicle and police between 1969 and 1978. He also cites Postes similarities to a 1969 police sketch of the Zodiac and testimonies from Postes acquaintances. The discovery of the skull, he said, further bolsters his case because Poste liked to strip flesh from the skulls of animals he killed  and he thinks thats what happened with Lass.

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I believe he used poor Donna as a trophy, Julin told the Chronicle on Tuesday evening. Ive been telling people since 2015 to look at Poste.

Julin, 67, theorizes that Poste hid his name and location clues in the 1971 Peek through the pines postcard as well as a 13-hole-punch card and a Halloween card, both mailed to the Chronicle in 1970. Those clues led Julin to a tree alongside Lake Tahoe where he thinks Lass body was initially stashed.

He said Lass sisters came out to see the tree in 2019 after seeing an early draft of his book, and they left their DNA with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Through Julin, the Lass family said Tuesday night that it is referring all inquiries for interviews and updates to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

The family will be issuing a statement soon, the statement said. We continue to ask for privacy at this time. Thank you for understanding.

Investigators at the South Lake Tahoe department looked into the Lass disappearance for decades, and told the Chronicle they could not connect Lass disappearance to the Zodiac. She was 25 years old when she was last seen on Sept. 7, 1970, walking with a young man near her apartment. She was working as a casino nurse, and police found her car and belongings undisturbed where shed left them.

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Obviously its an important element, but as far as linking it to the Zodiac, it doesnt really advance things, South Lake Tahoe Police Detective Sgt. Nick Carlquist said to the Chronicle on Wednesday about the new identification. Its been many years of us trying to chase down any leads, and Ive been to a lot of places doing that, and nothings ruled out. But for now, we cant link it to the Zodiac.

Among the many tips the Chronicle receives every year proposing solutions to the cryptic Zodiac writings and to who he might be  often someones father or neighbor, or the Unabomber, or Charles Manson, among many suggestions  was one in 2021 from an amateur sleuth in France. He said the Zodiac was a South Lake Tahoe man who died in 2010.

That same French sleuth, Faycal Ziraoui, last June found a strange rock formation in the shape of a bulls-eye  the Zodiac Killers signature sign  at Hell Hole Reservoir, which is about 20 miles southeast of where Lass skull was found. Investigators in South Lake Tahoe and other jurisdictions including San Francisco said they thought the chances of the Zodiac being in the Sierra, let alone creating a rock formation, were slim at best.

Ziraoui told the Chronicle on Wednesday that although his person of interest is different from the Case Breakers, he hopes the skull identification will spur more investigation.

As you might expect, this discovery is not a surprise for me (but rather a relief), he wrote in an email. A few sleuths, including myself, pointed out that Donna Lass could be found in Placer County (according to the Zodiacs Pines Postcard).

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Although each of us has a different theory, this discovery should encourage authorities to investigate the Zodiac in that area.

The only five confirmed victims of the Zodiac were stabbed or shot in the Bay Area in 1968 and 1969, the last one being cab driver Paul Stine in San Francisco. The only man ever named as a suspect by law enforcement officials was Arthur Leigh Allen of Vallejo, who died in 1992.

Each of the victims was left out in the open where they were shot or stabbed.

Mike Rodelli, whose 496-page book In the Shadow of Mt. Diablo is among the more authoritative texts on the Zodiac case, said the Sierra clues dont add up to the killer being in the mountains or murdering Lass.

Itll take more than anagrams to solve the case, he said Tuesday night. There have been so many anagrams and so much code breaking over the years that you can get them to say whatever you want them to say.

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Rodellis book contends the Zodiac was a prominent car dealer in San Francisco who died in 2013.
(En francais)

The Carter Center is aware of more disinformation falsely attributed to its international election observation mission for the December elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Disinformation is false information intended to mislead and gain political power or make a profit. The Carter Center rejects the use of all forms of disinformation.

On Dec. 22, The Carter Center published a preliminary statement followed by a press conference on the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the coming days, the Center plans to publish an interim report on the results of the tabulation process. A final report including recommendations for future elections will be published in the coming months. The Carter Center publishes its statements and reports on cartercenter.org and on its official social media accounts.

Translation

Declaration du Centre Carter sur encore plus de desinformation liee a sa mission d'observation electorale en Republique Democratique du Congo (PDF)

###

Contact: In Atlanta, Maria Cartaya, maria.cartaya@cartercenter.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.
A divided federal appeals court refused Tuesday to allow Berkeley to enforce its first-in-the-nation ban on installing natural gas appliances in new buildings. Richard-P-Long/Getty Images

A divided federal appeals court refused Tuesday to allow Berkeley to enforce its first-in-the-nation ban on installing natural gas appliances in new buildings, a case that could affect dozens of communities in California and other states.

The ordinance, which took effect in 2020, was intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. It was challenged by the California Restaurant Association, which contended it violated a 1975 federal law that authorized U.S. officials to set energy-efficiency standards for appliances such as furnaces and water heaters.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law in April, saying Berkeley was trying to ban appliances that the 1975 law allows the federal government to regulate.

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The panel, drawn at random, consisted of three conservative judges. Berkeley, joined by the Biden administration, other cities and states, and conservation groups, then asked the full appeals court, which has 16 Democratic appointees among its 29 judges, to order a rehearing. But only 11 judges, all appointed by Democratic presidents, voted for a new hearing Tuesday, and the ruling will now become final unless the conservative-majority Supreme Court agrees to review it.

The lead dissenter, Judge Michelle Friedland, said the decision needlessly blocks Berkeleys effort to combat climate change, along with the equivalent laws passed by other local governments. Our system of federalism requires much more respect for state and local autonomy.

In a filing with the court urging a rehearing, President Joe Bidens Justice Department said the ruling cast a cloud of uncertainty over any health or safety law that may indirectly affect someones ability to use a product for which the federal government has issued an energy conservation standard.

But Sarah Jorgensen, a lawyer for the California Restaurant Association, said the court had recognized that energy policy was a matter of national concern and that there should be uniform national regulation.

Sean Donahue, a lawyer for Berkeley, said the ruling was disappointing. The citys ordinance is well within its authority to protect the health and safety of its own residents, he said.

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The ruling could also invalidate laws in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles banning gas-powered appliances in new buildings. Overall, more than 70 cities in California have either encouraged or required new buildings to use electric appliances. On the other side, at least 20 states have passed or are considering laws to prevent cities from regulating energy systems in new construction.

The Berkeley ordinance had been upheld in 2021 by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of Oakland, who said the city was not trying to regulate energy efficiency for suppliers, only the fuel they used.
Manny Yekutiel, activist and owner of Mannys, a civic engagement space in the Mission, speaks after receiving a commendation from the Board of Supervisors at City Hall on Nov. 14. Yekutiel has decided not to run for mayor this year. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle 2023

Manny Yekutiel, owner of the eponymous Mission District civic engagement space that has raised $10 million for Democrats around the country, has decided not to run for mayor of San Francisco.

Instead, Yekutiel will continue to focus on making an impact through his work at Mannys and through the Civic Joy Fund, whose $2 million endowment is focused on revitalizing San Francisco with everything from volunteer trash cleanups to citywide drag shows.

I love the impact that Im making with Mannys, with the Civic Joy fund  as a private citizen, and I want to do that, Yekutiel told the Chronicle Tuesday. I want to keep focusing on helping the city get back on its feet as a private citizen, and this is just not the right time for me to run for mayor.

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Yekutiel told the Chronicle in December that he was thinking about running for mayor and would make a decision in January.

He said the response to his announcement he was considering a run was very, very flattering and kind of overwhelming. Cooks came out of kitchens, and folks would stop me at bars and on the street. I tried to listen to them, hear them and also listen to myself and listen to my gut.

Ultimately, he said that he felt that theres a very clear alignment right now between what Im working on and who I am. And so I want to double down on that. I want to keep helping the city as Manny and not run for office right now. I dont know what the future holds. But I know for right now that this is the right thing for me to do.

He foreshadowed his decision in an email blast Monday to supporters of Mannys, the cafe and meeting spot that bears his name.

In 2024 I plan on returning to a simpler version of myself, to put less on my plate, do the things Im doing excellently, and to deliver more humbly for my community, Yekutiel wrote. I want to listen to people more. I want to leave my phone in the drawer more. I want to engage in more quiet acts of service this year.

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Quiet acts of service dont typically include running for mayor. Instead, Yekutiel wrote that our aspiration at Mannys will be to serve as your ground zero for local, state, and national elections and to act as neutral territory for those events.

If he ran, Yekutiel would have been pitted against not only Breed but his friend Daniel Lurie, founder of the anti-poverty nonprofit Tipping Point. Supervisor Ahsha Safai is running as well, and former Supervisor Mark Farrell is considering entering the race. His competitors would be well-funded and likely would have seized on his lack of experience in elected office.

Yekutiel said last month that he was considering running because people want change.

People want different leadership and they want to see these problems in our city get solved. They want common sense solutions to these problems, Yekutiel said. And there are a lot of folks who are not seeing that happen. And Im seriously considering it because I, too, share that sentiment. I want to see our city solve these core issues so that we can reach our full potential.

But after spending weeks talking with friends, families, mentors and other civic leaders, Yekutiel decided to double down on what hes doing now. Mannys was born in the wake of Donald Trumps presidency, and Yekutiel said he is going to focus on preventing Trump from returning to the White House as well as on improving San Francisco. Last year, he and Lurie helped create the Civic Joy Fund.

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A building at 755 OFarrell St. in San Francisco is part of a massive portfolio of 62 apartment buildings that has been purchased after landlord Veritas defaulted on $766.8 million in loans. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

Real estate giant Brookfield has purchased a massive portfolio of loans tied to 76 San Francisco apartment buildings following one of the biggest mortgage defaults of the pandemic.

Brookfield is now poised to become one of San Franciscos largest residential landlords, with the option to foreclose on around 2,165 apartments across the buildings. The deal is one of the biggest of the pandemic amid major turmoil in the citys real estate market, with numerous property owners defaulting, selling after steep discounts or seeking major tax cuts.

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The Canadian conglomerate bought troubled loans previously valued at $915 million after major landlord Veritas defaulted about a year ago on them, though it wasnt clear how much Brookfield paid, according to property records filed on Dec. 29.

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Brookfield couldnt immediately be reached for comment and Veritas declined to comment on the sale. The mortgages were originated by Goldman Sachs, which declined to comment.

The acquisition came a week before a filing that indicated that a public auction for 62 of the properties was set to take place on Jan. 18. Its unclear whether the auction will still happen. Its scheduled to take place on Van Ness Avenue outside the gate of the citys War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, just west of City Hall. Prestige Default Services LLC is handling the auction.

Multiple sources previously told the Chronicle that Brookfield and local landlord Ballast Investments had been selected as the buyers of the portfolio. Ballasts role in the deal wasnt immediately clear. San Francisco Business Times first reported the deals closing.

The reasoning behind the plans to hold a public auction at the same time that Brookfield was pursuing the mortgage portfolio wasnt clear.

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David Putro, head of commercial real estate analytics at Morningstar Credit, speculated that the public auction could be an alternative if the Brookfield deal hadnt been consummated.

Servicers will typically dual-track resolution strategies, so theyll make a foreclosure filing  even as they pursue other options, said Putro, who isnt involved in the properties.

Putro said there wasnt any recent data on the apartments, such as their occupancy rate or rents. There has been a relative dearth of information given the size of this loan and how long its been in special servicing. Some of this is likely due to confidentiality, but we usually see a bit more transparency on commercial mortgage-backed security loans, especially if a resolution or sale is imminent, he said.

Though the residential sector hasnt seen as much pain as remote work-burdened commercial real estate, Veritas struggles underscore San Franciscos pandemic rental market slump following a decade of booming prices  which coincided with the companys major growth.

A Veritas spokesperson previously said in November that it remains one of the most active managers of small unit-count multifamily on the West Coast, and we continue to be a leading firm with many thousands of apartments under management in major West Coast metro areas, even after this portfolios ownership is transferred.

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Despite the current headwinds facing the real estate markets, we remain as committed as ever to San Francisco, to our residents and our properties, and see tremendous opportunities ahead, the spokesperson said.

Veritas empire had already shrunk: Another developer, Prado Group, bought loans tied to 20 different San Francisco apartment buildings owned by Veritas in September, after Veritas defaulted on $124 million in debt.

Brookfield has also retreated from San Francisco, abandoning the former Westfield San Francisco Centre mall, which it owned with partner Westfield. However, the company also refinanced a loan for Stonestown mall.

Chronicle staff writer Laura Waxmann contributed to this report.
Fire broke out at the IVC/Mohawk plant off of the South Bypass. in Dalton on Tuesday night.

The fire was contained to the roof area, the Whitfield County Fire Department reported.

No injuries were reported.

Plant officials said, "At approximately 8 p.m. on January 2, a fire occurred at the Mohawk/IVC facility in Dalton. The fire was contained to the roof and was quickly resolved thanks to a prompt response and excellent work from the Whitfield County Fire Department. No injuries were sustained and all employees onsite were promptly evacuated. Mohawk is very grateful for the firefighters who were on scene as well as the plant team that ensured a safe evacuation.

"To Mohawk Resilient employees: operations arent affected, and schedules will continue as normal. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to HR or your supervisor."
Jfest 2024 will be headlined by GRAMMY nominated We The Kingdom and will also feature multi-platinum recording artist, Taya.

It will be held at the Tennessee Riverpark on May 18. Gates will open at 11 a.m. with a full lineup beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Other artists include, Jon Reddick, Patrick Mayberry, The Afters, Austin French, Consumed by Fire, Stars Go Dim, and The Union Chattanooga.

A fireworks show will follow the last performance of the evening.

Wristbands are on sale now at a discounted rate. To purchase wristbands, visit jfest.com.

For more information, contact Festival Director Ted Gocke at 424-1294 or ted@jfest.com.
County Commission Chairman Jeff Eversole said Wednesday he and others on the commission want answers on the projected cost for the planned new stadium for the Lookouts at the Wheland Foundry/U.S. Pipe site.

"Some daylight is needed. There are a lot of questions out there on this issue," he said.

The stadium was initially pegged at $79.5 million, but there has been no update in recent months.

The Lookouts had hoped to have the stadium ready for opening day of 2025, but that is just over a year and a few months away.

Chairman Eversole said he has asked Chamber of Commerce President Charles Wood to convene a meeting of the City Council and County Commission on the issue.

He is asking that it be held either next week or the next.

He said at the meeting there will be "no deliberation and no votes," but he said hopefully there will be clarity on how expensive the project will be.
Semitic and Antisemitic are two words that have been misused for a long time. If you look semitic up in Merriam Webster, one of the definitions, as an adjective, is Jewish. Although that is not a mistake but most people in Morocco are also Semites. The word is now basically used as a definition for Jewish virtually every time it is used. Antisemitic, therefore, means against the Jews."

Semitic, however, is a language family and there are about 147 language families and Semitic is just one. Semitic has 24 different dialects. To be truthful, the Palestinians are a Semitic language people and are, therefore Semitic. All in all, about 350 million people speak Semitic languages. Anyone who speaks a semitic language is a Semite. Semitic languages are spoke from Morocco on the West Coast of Africa all the way to the Red Sea and, perhaps further.

One of the things that interest me the most insofar as language usage is concerned is that Antisemitics opposite is Islamophobic. There is a distinct problem there, it is not the opposite in this case. Both Anti and Phobic are of Greek etiology. Anti means against, while Phobia means fear of. They do not mean the same thing. First, Islam is not a language like Semitic, it is a religion.

Raleigh Perry
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Will artificial intelligence destroy humanity or elevate it to new heights? Silicon Valley technologists are in a tumultuous debate about this very question.

Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, is working with his new startup, Neuralink, to develop neuroprosthetic devicestiny electrodes implanted into human brains that can connect us to computers and artificial intelligence (AI). The corporation received FDA approval to conduct human clinical trials after its controversial testing on primates. Its raising substantial funds to compete in this industry and making headlines in the process.

Proponents claim they could treat quadriplegia or Parkinsons diseaseor augment cognition and memory. Musk believes that through this technology, we will achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence.

Despite its continuity with existing embodied technologiessuch as eyeglasses, hearing aids, pacemakers, and smartwatchesneural implants are the first devices to enable humankind to interface directly with machines. Such new territory often invites either terrifying fears or massive hopes.

Terrifying fear, or techno-pessimism, imagines a dystopian future where human beings become dispassionate and dependent machineswhile limitless hope, or techno-optimism, imagines a utopic future where technology solves all our woes. The latter logic flows as follows: AI cannot outpace human intelligence if we are one with it. In other words, if you cant beat AI, join it.

But whether technology inhibits absolute human freedom or promotes absolute human power, both assume that humanity is an absolute law unto itself.

Egbert Schuurman, a Christian philosopher of technology, thinks that techno-pessimism and techno-optimism are both essentially religious in nature. Arguing that these views have to do with absolutes, Schuurman writes that the fundamental choice upon which this pretension rests is a radical one and thus is religious in character.

For example, if you think neural implants will either destroy or deliver us, that is a religious thought. If implanting computer chips in our brains becomes our ultimate hope or fear, then it has become either our god or our eternal enemy. Either way, Schuurman points out, the conversation takes a religious turn. And humanity will never develop a proper relationship with this technology if we seek to let it determine our absolute hopes or fears.

As a pastor and co-author of Redeeming Technology: A Christian Approach to Healthy Digital Habits, I want us to consider how any emerging technology might intersect with our theological framework. How can we think theologically about neural implant devices? Lets consider three simple and questions: Do I want this? At what cost? For whose benefit?

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Do we want this? Theologian Norman Wirzba said we should always ask ourselves whether any new technology is something we even want.

This stuff is coming so fast, Wirzba said of AI. Its coming with such allure because the promises are enormous and its really easy to get sucked into that. Because maybe it does not correspond to fundamental values that we should be having.

The Bible says much about human ambitions and desiresand about how our wants can often become our wardens. Scripture is full of characters with misguided aspirations. Adam and Eve desired god-like freedom but later came to regret it. Israel wanted a king like the other nations only to be ultimately disappointed. Such stories can serve as a warning sign to limit our impulsive instincts.

Desiring new technologies to ease human suffering and disease can be a good and noble objective. But even a purely altruistic motive can eventually turn into the goal of optimizing basic human brain functioning. Do we want a future where human thought is indistinguishable from machine learning? Are we dissatisfied with the human brain in its present state such that we feel the need to augment our cognition and memory?

At what cost? We need to consider the ethical and societal costs that could come with bringing neural implants to market and whether the ends justify the means.

What humanitarian price are we willing to pay when it comes to how clinical trials are conducted on human subjects? What societal price are we willing to pay if this technology results in a steep divide between the technological haves and have-nots?

The answers to these questions will reveal our ultimate priorities. Martin Luther stated that a god is that which we fear, love, and trust in above all else. If we are willing to sacrifice anythingfinancially, ethically, societallyto bring neural implants to market, then this emerging technology has become our god.

For whose benefit? As of now, neural implants are positioned to benefit individuals with clinical deficits, such as people suffering from paralysis. But who stands to benefit when this technology reaches the wider consumer market?

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Jesus calls us to love God along with loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:3031). By keeping the focus on how neural implants might serve our neighborand not just ourselveswe can better ascertain the proper value of this emerging technology.

It is very likely that neural implants will go to market before these questions are answered, since neurotechnology companies are likely not thinking theologically about their creations. But as believers, we can reflect on how emerging technologies might impact us all.

Perhaps that starts with considering the impact existing wearable technology has on us. Has my Fitbit or Apple Watch brought more or less peace into my life? How does tracking my daily step count serve my neighbor? What is really driving my desire to have that next new wearable device like Apples Vision Pro?

Once we begin to think theologically about the devices we are already wearing on our bodies, maybe we will be better prepared to ask far bigger and harder questionslike what it might mean to implant devices in our brains that help us become one with AI.

A. Trevor Sutton is a Lutheran pastor in Lansing, Michigan, and co-author of Redeeming Technology: A Christian Approach to Healthy Digital Habits.
San Francisco voters are set to decide on seven measures that have qualified for the March ballot, including changes to the City Charter concerning police staffing, drug screenings for public assistance recipients and changes to local ethics laws. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

San Francisco voters are set to decide on seven measures that have qualified for the March ballot, including changes to the City Charter concerning police staffing, drug screenings for public assistance recipients and changes to local ethics laws.

To put that in perspective, in 2020 there were five measures on the ballot, but back in 2016 there were 24.

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With the March 5 election just three months away, San Franciscans have a chance to significantly overhaul a handful of long-standing city policies. Heres a look at ballot measures A through G and what they mean for San Francisco:

Measure A  Affordable-housing bond

Voters will have a chance to decide whether the city should issue $300 million in bonds to fund affordable-housing construction as it faces a state mandate to build 46,000 affordable homes in eight years. The cash infusion to build more affordable homes for moderate- and low-income San Franciscans comes four years after voters approved the largest housing bond in the citys history at $600 million. The measures author, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, called the measure a great collaboration between the board and the mayors office, which have at times fought over housing policy in recent years. The bond wont mean increasing property taxes: The city issues the bonds only when other debt has been retired.

Measure B  Police staffing

San Francisco voters are set to decide on seven measures that have qualified for the March ballot, including changes to the City Charter concerning police staffing, drug screenings for public assistance recipients and changes to local ethics laws. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle San Francisco voters are set to decide on seven measures that have qualified for the March ballot, including changes to the City Charter concerning police staffing, drug screenings for public assistance recipients and changes to local ethics laws. Jill Tucker/The Chronicle

San Franciscans will weigh in on a controversial police staffing measure that stirred up division within the Board of Supervisors. The measure would set a minimum police staffing level and potentially raise money to pay for recruitment and retention through new taxes or existing, modified taxes. That means the city could increase taxes for the purpose of boosting police staffing, or divert money to police from existing taxes. Critics say passing the measure would give millions of dollars to the department at a time when the city is facing a difficult economic climate, while advocates say it will put the city on the right path to curb a staffing shortage of over 400 officers in the department.

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Measure C  Real estate transfer tax exemption

Championed by Mayor London Breed, this measure would give buildings converted from commercial to residential a transfer tax exemption the first time they are transferred to new owners. It would also authorize the Board of Supervisors to amend the transfer tax without voter approval, but not to increase it, and allow the city to increase the amount of office space available for development by including property that has been converted or demolished. Transfer taxes currently range from 0.5% to 6% of the sales price. The measure is an effort to cut down on the millions of square feet of office space currently sitting vacant in the Financial District and spur more office-to-housing building conversions.

Measure D  Changes to local ethics laws

Proposed by the San Francisco Ethics Commission, this measure would expand the list of gifts that city employees are prohibited from accepting. It would also amend the definition of bribery to prohibit city officials from soliciting or accepting anything of value for themselves or a third party with the goal of influencing any government action, as well as prohibiting anyone from offering those bribes. The measure also would require city department heads to report additional information about gifts to their department and allow discipline for failing to do so. It creates a uniform set of rules for all prohibited non-work activities for city officials, allows for monetary penalties when city officials fail to disclose personal, professional and business relationships and requires all city employees with decision-making authority to complete an annual ethics training. If passed, the measure would require voter approval or supermajority votes by both the Board of Supervisors and the Ethics Commission to amend most city ethics laws.

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Measure E  Police policies and procedures

Another Breed-sponsored measure, this change to San Francisco Police Department procedures would do away with certain requirements of police officers. Changes include a reduction in recordkeeping and reporting with the goal that patrol officers spend no more than 30% of their work time on administrative tasks, as well as a requirement that use-of-force reports need be filed only when the use of force physically injured a person or if the officer pointed a firearm at a person or used a firearm.

The measure includes a change to vehicle pursuit regulation to allow officers to chase someone they believe is committing a felony or violent misdemeanor. It also would allow police to install public surveillance cameras and use drones and facial recognition technology to fight crime, though the Board of Supervisors could disapprove of this policy.

Measure F  Drug screening for city welfare recipients

This controversial measure will ask voters whether the city should require city welfare recipients who have substance use disorders to engage in substance abuse treatment in order to continue to receive cash assistance through the County Adult Assistance Program. Critics argue the measure could lead to already economically precarious groups, like unhoused people, losing the assistance they currently receive, while advocates say it will force people addicted to drugs to seek treatment. Breed introduced the measure to voters after it became clear it would be destined for failure in the Board of Supervisors.

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Measure G  Algebra I for eighth graders
Home News Sri Lanka: Pastor released from jail after arrest on charges of 'outraging religious feelings'

NEW DELHI  A pastor in Sri Lanka was granted bail on Wednesday after being jailed since Dec. 1 on a charge of outraging religious feelings for comments in a sermon that appeared online, sources said.

Authorities arrested Pastor Jerome Fernando, senior overseer of The Glorious Church in Colombo, after a court ordered officials to abstain from arresting him. He was reportedly released on a cash bail of 500,000 rupees (US$1,540) and two personal bails of 10 million rupees (US$30,810) each and banned from leaving the country.

A Christian leader in Sri Lanka said many churches issued statements standing in solidarity with Pastor Fernando and demanding his release.

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We stand in solidarity, because today it is he, tomorrow it could be us as well, the leader said on condition of anonymity.

He asserted that authorities and religious leaders are gradually turning attitudes of Sri Lankans against the Christian community.

Things are happening slowly, and we dont know what is going to happen in the long run, he said. The unfortunate part is that the church is not ready for such an assault.

The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) on Dec. 2 expressed grave concern over increasing intolerance and violations of freedom of expression in a press statement on the pastors arrest.

In the charges against Pastor Fernando, Sri Lanka authorities had stated that his actions violated Sri Lankas International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights Act, which is based on an ICCPR agreement that is designed to protect rights rather than be used to restrict them.

Authorities arrested the pastor based in part on Section 3(1) of Sri Lankas ICCPR Act 56 of 2007, which states, No person shall propagate war or advocate national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.

The NCEASL statement said officials had used Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act without thoroughly assessing if expressions truly incite violence or discrimination.

The ICCPR Act has often been invoked to protect religions or beliefs against criticism or perceived insult, rather than prioritizing the protection of human rights and shielding vulnerable groups from incitement to violence, the group stated.

The NCEASL appealed to authorities to withdraw charges against Pastor Fernando and urged them to promote an amicable environment where individuals have the freedom of expression befitting a democracy.

Pastor Fernando was charged with outraging the religious feelings of any class of persons under Section 291B of Penal Code and under Section 3(1) of the ICCPR Act 56 of 2007.

Controversial Video

A video of Pastor Fernandos Sunday sermon on April 30, 2024, went viral on social media in May, prompting accusations that in his message he had offended religious sentiments of the Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic communities.

Some media outlets stated that the pastor said in his sermon that Buddha had been looking for Jesus, which led to the uproar among Buddhists.

In mid-May 2024, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered the Central Intelligence Department (CID) to launch immediate investigation into the complaints. Wickremesinghe reportedly pointed out to the Advisor on National Security Sagala Ratnayake that such statements could kindle religious conflicts.

The New Buddhist Front (Nawa Bikshu Peramuna) and the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) filed a complaint with the CID seeking Pastor Fernandos arrest. A group including Buddhist leader Elle Gunawansa Thero and several others filed a petition requesting that the Supreme Court take legal action against Pastor Fernando and order the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest him.

Pastor Fernando filed a petition in the Supreme Court on May 26, 2024, seeking prevention of his arrest, saying he was advised that his sermon did not constitute any offense. He further noted that Article 10 of the Sri Lanka constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

In his petition, he also apologized to Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic clergy and all whose religious feelings might have been hurt, and later his parents on Aug. 18 apologized for his remarks.

Pastor Fernando and his family managed to flee the country two days before the Colombo Fort Magistrates Court ordered a ban on his foreign travel. In response to his departure, the Court of Appeal on Nov. 17 reportedly ordered the CIDs Cyber Crime Investigation Division to record Pastor Fernandos statement within 48 hours of his return and ordered the CID to abstain from arresting him.

Fernando returned to the island country on Nov. 29 with the understanding that he would not be arrested, and on the following day he reported to the CID office to record his statement. Authorities told him to return the next day (Dec. 1), and he was arrested a few hours after his arrival to the CID office.

Pastor Fernando was produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrates Court on the same day, and the court ordered his remand until Dec. 13, which was extended to Dec. 27, and on Dec. 27 it was further extended to Jan. 3.
Home News 86-year-old South Carolina pastor out on bond after being slapped with 30 felony charges Charges include 22 counts of indecent liberties with a child under 13

An 86-year-old Baptist pastor from South Carolina is out on bond after having been arrested last month on 30 felony charges related to multiple incidents during his ministry in Virginia decades ago, including taking "indecent liberties with a child."

Albert Benjamin Wharton was arrested by deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office on Dec. 8 at his home in Pickens County, South Carolina, with the help of the Pickens County Sheriff's Office and the FBI, according to local FOX Carolina.

Of the 30 felony counts against Wharton, 22 of them were indecent liberties with a child younger than 13, while in a custodial position, and eight were aggravated sexual assault.

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Wharton's alleged crimes took place between 1981 and 1997 at Berachah Christian Academy in Warsaw, Virginia, while Wharton was serving as pastor of the affiliated Victory Baptist Church, according to Richmond County Sheriff Stephan Smith. The school is no longer in operation, according to local WRIC.

Wharton served as the founding pastor of Victory Baptist Church from 1976 to 2002, according to the church's website.

Smith said over the past 40 years, Wharton had served as a pastor at churches in Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida. He said Wharton's arrest was the culmination of a 15-month investigation that involved the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit and was prompted by one of Wharton's alleged victims coming forward to law enforcement.

Wharton was extradited to Northern Neck Regional Jail in Richmond County, Virginia, on the day of his arrest, but has since been released on $25,000 bond on Dec. 18. He remains under house arrest at his home in Pickens.

The conditions of his bond release require Wharton to be of good behavior, wear an electronic home monitoring device, and refrain from contacting any alleged victim or minor.

Wharton is also prohibited from supervising children or attending, leading or pastoring any church or religious association.
Home News Andrew Lloyd Webber says he called priest to remove 'poltergeist' from his home

Andrew Lloyd Webber, known for his musical "The Phantom of the Opera," has opened up about his encounter with a mischievous spirit at his Eaton Square residence in London  and how he sought a priest's help to remove the entity.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the award-winning composer revealed that while he has never seen a ghost, his former 19th century home in Eaton Square was occupied by a poltergeist that would do things like take theatre scripts and put them in a neat pile in some obscure room.

In the end we had to get a priest to come and bless it, and it left, he said.

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Poltergeists, known as "noisy spirits," are often associated with troubling activities, such as hurling objects, biting and even starting fires.

Historical accounts include the Borley Rectory in Essex, once labeled Britain's most haunted house, where residents reported poltergeist activity before its 1944 demolition. In 1879, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, witnessed a poltergeist reportedly stabbing a woman.

According to The Telegraph, the theatre world is no stranger to ghostly encounters: Patrick Stewart claimed to have seen an apparition while performing with Sir Ian McKellen in "Waiting for Godot" at London's Haymarket Theatre in 2009.

Similarly, Cameron Mackintosh, a collaborator of Lloyd Webber, felt a mysterious presence on stage during the 1989 opening night of "Miss Saigon" at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The theatre manager attributed this to the resident ghost, known as the Man in Grey.

The Telegraph notes that Eaton Square's notable past residents include former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax, actress Vivien Leigh, actor Rex Harrison, former Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and socialite Diana Mitford.

A 2019 survey from analytics company YouGov found that 20% of Americans say ghosts definitely exist and 25% say they probably exist.

More than one-third of Americans (36%) say that they have personally felt the presence of a spirit or ghost. Just over one in 10 (13%) of Americans say they have communicated directly with a ghost or spirit of someone who has died.

Additionally, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that 53% of Americans say they've had interactions with loved ones who have passed away. Of these, 46% experienced the interaction within a dream, while 31% claimed it took place in some other manner.

While some churches have largely remained silent on the topic of ghosts and supernatural experiences, V1 Church Pastor Mike Signorelli recently told CP that in today's culture, where people seek supernatural experiences in all the wrong places, pastors are going to have to get comfortable with tackling the issue.

As a result of New Age and tarot card reading, sage, and all these crazy things that people are getting involved with, unfortunately, for a lot of pastors, we're going to have to get comfortable with engaging the supernatural aspects of the Gospel, because people are going to all the wrong places for supernatural experiences."

Theologian John Piper also recently warned against communicating with the dead: Dont pursue communication with the dead, because pursuing messages from the dead is evidence that biblical truth about God is either not understood or not believed. And in either case, God is dishonored, he said.
Home News California school district offers extensive resources promoting LGBT ideology to students, teachers Haywood Unified School District allegedly rejected a Bible club last year

A school district in California is promoting resources to students and teachers that promote LGBT ideology, including transgender identity and puberty-blocking drugs to young students.

Resources promoted by the "Safe and Inclusive Schools Program" (SISP) at the Haywood Unified School District (HUSD) in the Bay Area offers lesson plans and lists of resources that push LGBT ideology on students as young as transitional kindergarten, as first reported by The Daily Wire.

The district serves more than 19,000 students and encompasses 19 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools, an alternative high school, an adult education center, and a child care center for preschoolers, according to its website.

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The Christian Post has reached out to HUSD for comment and will update this piece if a response is received.

One SISP document last updated in October offers resources intended to foster an initiative throughout the school year to promote "LGBTQIA+ inclusive elementary schools."

Among the "suggested resources and ideas that can be mixed and matched to build school communities that are more aware and supportive of the experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth, families and staff members," the document encourages allies to know and follow all state laws and district policies protecting "LGBTQIA+ and gender expansive youth."

Allies are also encouraged to decorate classrooms with LGBT posters, celebrate LGBT history, promote so-called transgender awareness month" in November, and celebrate pride month in June, among other things.

One resource listed in the document includes the HUSD Safe and Inclusive Schools Program Elementary Book Box, which is placed at elementary schools and stocked with "many LGBTQIA+ texts" for teachers to check out and read aloud to children.

The books "include a range of themes including different family structures like two moms or two dads" and "gender identity and expression," according to the document. The books newly listed for 2024 include titles for young children that address gender fluidity and feature "transmasculine" characters.

SISP at HUSD also offers film suggestions "that align with anti-bullying and LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum," according to another document.

One of the films recommended for students in the fifth grade and up is "Im Just Anneke," which is about a biological girl who goes on puberty-blocking drugs because she is "not sure if she wants to be a girl, a boy, or something in-between when she grows up," according to a synopsis.

"Gender Matters," a series of six short films that "delve into the lives of transgender [and] gender expansive young adults," is another listed film recommended for students in the sixth grade and up.

"StraightlacedHow Gender's Got Us All Tied Up," which is recommended for eighth grade and up, features "stories [that] reflect a diversity of experiences, demonstrating how gender role expectations and homophobia are interwoven, and illustrating the different ways these expectations connect with culture, race and class," according to a synopsis.

In another expansive document regarding "LGBTQIA+, Gender, & Pride in HUSD," the district's SISP provides educators with more than 90 resources for pride month that promote LGBT ideology, such as "Defining LGBTQ+ Words for Elementary Students," "Lesson Plans to Create Gender Expansive Classrooms," and book recommendations to help boys develop "non-toxic masculinity."

For transgender awareness month, another SISP document advises school staff to "protect a trans/nonbinary youths confidential identity information" even from parents and caregivers, citing state law and district policy. According to its website, HUSD allows students to change their name and pronouns without parental knowledge.

Resources listed on the transgender awareness document at the elementary level include a children's book about gender expression and pronouns, as well as a video by Jazz Jennings, who began to identify as trans at age 4, with the encouragement of his mother.

According to The Daily Wire, HUSD has also forked over tens of thousands of dollars to develop curricula that promote Critical Race Theory. In 2021, the district spent $40 million making an "ethnic studies" curriculum steeped in CRT mandatory for high school students, according to The Daily Mail.

Though it has apparently allocated extensive resources to promoting left-wing initiatives, HUSD also made headlines last fall for allegedly rejecting multiple requests from Child Evangelism Fellowship to let one of its Good News Club chapters meet at Fairview Elementary School.

Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal group, sent a letter to HUSD Superintendent Jason Reimann on Aug. 21 last year demanding that the school district "immediately approve CEFs renewed facilities use request to hold a Good News Club after school on campus at Fairview Elementary School," and noted that such Bible-based clubs had been allowed at the school in the past.
Home News Imprisoned Chinese church leader refuses to confess to 'fraud' over tithing for release

Hao Ming, a leader with the Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church who was imprisoned under charges of fraud after his house church refused to join Chinas state-controlled body that regulates Protestant churches, has refused to confess his crimes and accept the charges in exchange for his release.

According to an update from China Aid, a U.S.-based Christian rights organization, authorities with the Chinese Communist Party are urging Hao Ming, an elder with Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church, to confess and accept the charges, assuring release if he changes lawyers. However, he has declined the proposal.

Hao Ming and another church elder, Wu Jiannan, were detained by Deyang police on Nov. 17, 2021, along with several church members. Two days later, both elders were criminally detained on fraud charges, while the others were released.

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On Dec. 25, 2021, their families received arrest notices also alleging fraud. In early December 2022, their trial commenced at the Jinyang District Court in Deyang City, facing fraud charges involving approximately 560,000 yuan (around $79,150).

Following legal efforts, the Sichuan Provincial High Court reviewed the case, leading to the Deyang City Peoples Procuratorate amending the indictment on Aug. 25, 2023. The charged amount was reduced to 100,130 yuan (about $14,152), potentially lowering the statutory punishment from over 10 years to a minimum of three years.

According to China Aid, authorities previously approached Hao Mings family, hoping to persuade him to confess, accept the charges, and change his lawyer, assuring that he would be released immediately, China Aid said.

The officials also expressed their desire for Elder Hao Ming to see their good intentions. Elder Hao Ming stated that this was a test from God, and he would not betray God. The tithe conforms to the fundamental teaching of the Holy Bible, a matter of great importance, and he would not compromise his loyalty to God.

Despite a strong desire to be released and feelings of loneliness, he believes he can overcome these challenges. There is no way for him to confess or accept the charges  He expressed gratitude to God for granting him such honor in his old age, providing a fulfilling conclusion to his otherwise incomplete life.

In a previous update, China Aid revealed that Hao Ming has been denied access to the Bible and other believers in prison. The elder reportedly recites the Apostles Creed silently every Sunday, "believing his time on Earth is so short in comparison to eternity."

In its annual persecution report for 2022, China Aid warned of an increase in "fraud" charges against house church pastors and leaders in mainland China that allege the practice of tithing and offerings in churches is illegal.

Bob Fu, leader of ChinaAid, emphasized that these charges are often a guise for religious persecution.

"Under the fabricated charge of 'fraud,' many Christians faced harsh persecution," Fu told the AP.

In China, religions considered "foreign," such as Christianity, Islam, and Tibetan Buddhism, are subjected to significant persecution.

While the Chinese government allows Christian worship, it limits this to state-sanctioned churches. Despite this, many Christians choose to gather in house churches to practice their faith with less government oversight. Yet, in recent years, persecution by the Chinese authorities have intensified against these house churches.

In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping implemented a five-year plan aimed at the "Sinicization of Christianity." This initiative requires government-approved churches to demonstrate loyalty to the Communist Party, its leaders, and its ideologies.

As a result of this policy, numerous house churches have been shut down through various methods, including forced evictions and arrests.

In November, Ding Zhongfu, an elder in Ganquan church, was forcibly detained by five police officers who conducted an interrogation and searched the apartment Ding shared with his wife, Ge Yunxia, and their young daughter. Din is now in custody on fraud allegations.

China is ranked No. 16 on Open Doors' 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it's most difficult to be a Christian.
Home News Appeals court blocks Biden from forcing emergency room doctors to perform abortions

An appeals court has rejected the Biden administrations effort to use a federal law to force emergency room doctors to perform abortions in Texas, upholding a lower court decision.

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously ruled Tuesday to continue an injunction against the Biden administrations federal guidance requiring emergency room medical staff to perform abortions.

Circuit Judge Kurt D. Englehardt, a Trump appointee, authored the panel opinion, concluding that the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act does not require hospitals to provide abortions.

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EMTALA does not govern the practice of medicine, wrote Englehardt. While EMTALA directs physicians to stabilize patients once an emergency medical condition has been diagnosed  the practice of medicine is to be governed by the states.

EMTALA does not mandate medical treatments, let alone abortion care, nor does it preempt Texas law. The injunction squarely enjoins HHS from enforcing the Guidance and Letter regarding these two issues within the State of Texas and against the plaintiff organizations.

Chelsey Youman, national legislative advisor with the pro-life group Human Coalition Action, celebrated the decision in an emailed statement shared with The Christian Post.

We are grateful that the court recognized the authority of states to protect human life and refused to classify abortion as necessary health care, said Youman. Texas has led the way in protecting innocent human life, and we are grateful to Attorney General Paxton for upholding the transformative pro-life laws of the state.

Senior Staff Attorney Rabia Muqaddam of the pro-choice group the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement to Time magazine that she believed the ruling shows a complete disregard for the lives of pregnant people.

EMTALA was passed in 1986 and focuses on "public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay," requiring hospitals participating in Medicare to provide medical services to all people.

"Hospitals are then required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients with EMCs. If a hospital is unable to stabilize a patient within its capability, or if the patient requests, an appropriate transfer should be implemented," explains an EMTALA information page.

In July 2022, shortly after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance claiming that EMTALA required hospital emergency staff to provide abortions.

In response to the guidance, the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against the Biden administration, being joined by the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix in Lubbock granted a preliminary injunction against the guidance in August 2022, arguing in part that EMTALA protects both mothers and unborn children, is silent as to abortion, and preempts state law only when the two directly conflict.

Since the statute is silent on the question, the Guidance cannot answer how doctors should weigh risks to both a mother and her unborn child. Nor can it, in doing so, create a conflict with state law where one does not exist, he added.

Texas law already overlaps with EMTALA to a significant degree, allowing abortions in life-threatening conditions and for the removal of an ectopic or miscarried pregnancy.
Home News Elon Musk agrees Western civilization 'absolutely screwed' without Christianity

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested last week that he agrees with the assertion that Western civilization is doomed without Christianity.

Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue, a British rapper also known as Zuby, posted on X last Friday that he thinks "the West is absolutely screwed if it loses Christianity."

I don't think I've ever said this publicly and directly but I think the West is absolutely screwed if it loses Christianity.



Explaining this in full would require an entire book. But I've thought about it a lot over the years and reached this conclusion.



It's like removing the Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe December 29, 2023

"Explaining this in full would require an entire book," continued Udezue, who boasts 1.1 million X followers and has professed to be a Christian. "But I've thought about it a lot over the years and reached this conclusion."

Udezue, who was born in London to Nigerian parents, said removing Christianity from Western culture is like "removing the foundations of a building but pridefully expecting it to remain standing forever ... All while enemies both inside and outside are trying to knock the building over."

He went on to liken the West's historically dominant religion to its "immune system," and said the presence of a Christian majority in the West has served as "a form of herd immunity" that has benefited both Christians and non-Christians alike.

"You can't just have a cultural and moral vacuum," he added. "It goes against the laws of human nature."

Udezue's initial tweet, which drew 1.7 million views and 28,000 likes, also prompted a response from Musk, who wrote: "I think youre probably right."

I think youre probably right  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 30, 2023

"Amen!" replied Udezue, who interviewed Musk on his "Real Talk with Zuby Podcast" last June.

Musk has touched on his views of Christianity and religion before, though has stopped short of professing orthodox faith in Jesus Christ. In a 2013 interview, he told "The Office" star Rainn Wilson that while he has devoted his life to the "advancement of humanity," he said he doesnt "really worship anything," and that he neglected to pray even when he almost died of malaria.

During an interview with the popular Christian satire site The Babylon Bee in December 2021, Musk was asked if he would accept Jesus Christ as his "personal Lord and Savior."

Musk, who was baptized and received Communion while growing up in South Africa, replied that he admires "the principles that Jesus advocated," such as "treating people as you wish to be treated."

Things like turn the other cheek are very important, as opposed to an eye for an eye. An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind, Musk said, echoing Mahatma Gandhi." As Einstein would say, 'I believe in the God of Spinoza,'" he also said, suggesting he adheres to deist beliefs.

But hey, if Jesus is saving people, I mean, I wont stand in His way. Sure, Ill be saved. Why not? Musk added.

In response to a tweet from an apparent Muslim user on X urging him to confess a Creator in May 2022, Musk wrote: "Thank you for the blessing, but Im ok with going to hell, if that is indeed my destination, since the vast majority of all humans ever born will be there."
Home News Fmr. Canadian megachurch pastor Bruxy Cavey faces 2 new charges of sexual assault

The former pastor of a Canadian megachurch who was arrested in 2022 for sexual assault is now facing two additional charges of sexual assault, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Bruxy Cavey, the former teaching pastor at The Meeting House in Oakville, Ontario, was recently charged with two additional sexual assault counts, according to a report by CBC Hamilton.

Cavey is slated to appear in court later this month.

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"It is unfortunate that a new and unrelated allegation has surfaced on the eve of Mr. Cavey's trial," said Megan Savard, lawyer for Cavey, as quoted by the CBC.

Cavey maintains his innocence and will vigorously defend against the new charges in court. In the meantime, he remains focused on and committed to clearing his name at his upcoming trial.

The Meeting House has several campuses and is affiliated with the Be In Christ Church of Canada, which traces its origins to the Anabaptist and Wesleyan movements.

A pastor and author of popular books like The End of Religion: Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus, Cavey is credited with helping to grow the congregation into the megachurch.

In December 2021, an independent investigation commissioned by the church's leadership to look into accusations of sexual misconduct found that Cavey had abused his power as a pastor.

The church announced in March 2022 that Cavey had resigned, with the board of overseers having unanimously decided to ask Bruxy to resign from his role at The Meeting House effective immediately.

The investigator determined that Bruxy had maintained a sexual relationship with the victim, an adult woman, in violation of The Meeting House policy and the Handbook of Faith and Life of Be in Christ Church of Canada, stated Maggie John, chair of the churchs overseers board, at the time.

The investigator also found that what became a sexual relationship between Bruxy and the victim, which lasted over an extended period of time, constituted an abuse of Bruxys power and authority as a member of the clergy, and amounted to sexual harassment.

Police arrested Hamilton in late May 2022, with authorities explaining in a statement at the time that they believed there might be more victims.

Hamilton Police want all survivors of sexual violence to know that we believe them and we will respect their choice when and how they report an incident, local authorities noted.
Home News Franklin Graham warns UK Methodist Church is 'trying to edit the Word of God'

Evangelist Franklin Graham has slammed The Methodist Church in the United Kingdom for trying to edit what the Word of God says after the church released an "Inclusive Language Guide" advising Methodists to avoid using gendered terms such as "husband" and "wife.

Shame on the Methodist Church, Graham, CEO of Samaritans Purse, wrote in a social media post Tuesday. These are Biblical terms  and marriage between a man and a woman is biblical truth. The word wife is used in some 360 verses in 38 books of the Bible. They are in essence trying to edit what the Word of God says and teaches to be more appealing to the changing whims of culture. We are warned against that in Scripture. As Christians, we arent called to avoid what might offend people  we are called to share the Truth of Gods Word that can guide and direct us through every step of life.

The Methodist Church in the UK is trying to edit what the Word of God says to be more appealing to the changing whims of culture. As Christians, we arent called to avoid what might offend peoplewe are called to share the Truth of Gods Word. https://t.co/X9WDuYlmeU Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe January 2, 2024

Grahams comments come in response to the guidance, released in December, that contended that gendered terms such as "husband" and "wife" could be offensive because such allegedly assumes what is not "the reality for many people."

"As Christians, we need to have the courage for conversations that can sometimes be difficult, to recognize that we sometimes exclude people, to listen with humility, to repent of any hurtful language and to take care with how we listen and what we say or write, in the Spirit of Christ," says the guidance, which will be updated every six months.

According to the guidance, there is "infinite variety in the way that Gods creation is expressed in human life. It offered "husband" and "wife" as examples of terminology that "may sound inoffensive but it makes assumptions about a family or personal life that is not the reality for many people."

The guidance also outlined the words "parent," "partner," "child," and "carer" as suitable alternatives.

The guide said the U.K.-based Methodist Church "uses language that is inclusive of LGBT+ people," and encouraged using the language an individual prefers, including the pronouns by which they choose to identify.

The guidance also pointed readers to nonprofits that include the left-wing Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and Stonewall, an LGBT charity in the U.K.

A spokesperson for the denomination told The Christian Post it was proud of the guidance, adding: "It helps the Church hold conversations without making assumptions or inadvertently causing upset. Some find this especially useful when talking with those who may have had a different life experience to their own."

According to the denomination's Book of Discipline, LGBT-identified clergy are banned from ordination, and same-sex marriages are also prohibited. However, progressive Methodist churches and regional governing bodies in the U.S. have defied these rules in recent years.

In the U.S. in 2022, the UMC Western Jurisdiction voted to make the Rev. Cedrick D. Bridgeforth of the California-Pacific Conference a bishop, although he is in a same-sex marriage.

A growing schism within the UMC in the U.S. over LGBT issues has led to a significant number of congregations leaving the denomination. Its estimated that about a quarter of the congregations have decided to split; since 2019, more than 7,000 congregations have received approval to leave the denomination.

Thousands of congregations that have disaffiliated from the UMC have joined the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative denomination launched as an alternative to the UMC last year.

A denomination-wide legislative gathering is planned for spring 2024, which will consider calls to liberalize policies on marriage and other issues related to LGBT ideology.


Home News Mark Lowrey, visionary founder of Reformed University Fellowship, dies after cancer battle

Mark Lowrey, the influential founder of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) and a key figure at Great Commission Publications, died at 78 after a months-long battle with an aggressive cancer.

ByFaith Online, the official web magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America, announced in a Dec. 24 update that Lowrey passed away after battling an aggressive cancer that had spread to several abdominal organs.

He is survived by his wife, Priscilla, whom he met and married while she was working for InterVarsity Fellowship in the early 1970s; two children: Leonard and Elizabeth, the outlet said.

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He was a faithful, committed servant whose work seldom bore his name, but whose fifty-year career is a direct fulfillment of Moses plea in Psalm 90: Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Born in 1945 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Lowrey served in the Vietnam War before pursuing his theological studies at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Jackson, Mississippi, according to byFaith.

He was ordained in 1978. His early ministerial work began during his first year at RTS when he was called to lead the campus fellowship at the University of Southern Mississippi. This role marked the beginning of what would become the national RUF network.

Lowrey's vision was centered on ordained ministers focusing on discipleship, evangelism and spiritual care. At a time when college ministry was not a primary focus for the PCA, Lowrey stressed the importance of biblical teaching in academic settings, according to byFaith.

In 1983, Lowrey relocated to Atlanta to work at PCA headquarters, enhancing RUF's growth. He is credited with playing a crucial role in establishing financial stability for new ministers, training both men and women in ministry and fostering a broad national and international vision.

On its website, RUF is described as a campus ministry that reaches college students from all backgrounds with the hope of Jesus Christ. College is a time when beliefs are explored, decisions are made, and lives are changed.

RUF is present on nearly 160 college campuses across the country.

We invite students into authentic relationships and the study of Gods Word. Through the ministry of RUF, students discover the love of Christ, find their significance in Gods redemptive story, and engage in the life of His church, the website says.

After 25 years with RUF, Lowrey transitioned to Great Commission Publications in 1996, focusing on resources for K-12 education. He emphasized a Christ-centered curriculum, drawing on the work of theologians like Edmund Clowney. Under his leadership, Great Commission Publications became the denominational curriculum for over 1,000 churches in the PCA and other denominations. Lowrey became its executive director in 2021.

On Twitter, several remembered Lowrey as a giant in the PCA, noting his dedication and impact on religious education and ministry.

Mark Lowrey, at home with the Lord. He was a @ReformTheoSem alumnus, son-in-law of John Reed Miller of @FPCJxnMS, founded RUF while a student at @RTSJackson. Served for many years with @GCP_Publication, wrote Ligon Duncan, author and chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary.

Services will be held on Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, and on Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
What did New Year's Eve look like in Chinese cities?

(People's Daily App) 16:29, January 03, 2024

Cities across China celebrated the arriving New Year in spectacular fashion. From Chongqing and Beijing to Shanghai and Hong Kong, giant crowds marked New Year's Eve with fireworks, large screen countdowns and reverie in the streets.

(Video by Zheng Qi, Gong Han and Di Jingyuan)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
The Rev. Amos Brown, pastor of Third Baptist Church, delivers remarks on the steps of San Francisco City Hall on Feb. 1. Rapper and restaurant owner Chino Yang has accused Brown of threatening him over a song in which he criticizes Mayor London Breed. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle 2023

A San Francisco rapper and restaurateur who released a rap video that sharply criticized Mayor London Breeds response to crime in the city has accused a prominent local civil rights leader of threatening him.

Chino Yang, the rapper and restaurant owner, publicly apologized to Breed last week. At the time, he said he had been threatened by a person he did not identify. Over the weekend, however, Yang shared a statement issued on social media by the group Asian Justice Movement that accused the Rev. Amos Brown, a Breed ally, of making the alleged threats.

Brown, who leads the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, just down the street from one of Yangs restaurants and is the president of the S.F. branch of the NAACP, held a roughly 90-minute news conference last week denouncing Yangs song and denying that anyone had threatened Yang  a position he reiterated to the Chronicle on Tuesday. Brown said he spoke to Yang and his sister but never issued any threats.

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The Chronicle was not able to reach Yang, who also goes by the first name Andy, for comment on Tuesday.

Controversy around Yangs video comes as Breed enters a tough reelection year in which public-safety concerns are likely to be a top issue for local voters due to rampant open-air drug dealing, well-publicized incidents of brazen thefts and car break-ins, and high-profile cases of violence against Asian Americans.

Yangs song San Francisco Our Home called Breed a clown who aint never been around and said she had allowed the city to become a zombie land. In a video for the self-described diss track, Yang wore a Stop Asian Hate hoodie as he rapped in front of Kung Food, his restaurant near Alamo Square that he said has been broken into seven times since the pandemic started. Another restaurant Yang owns in the Richmond District has also reportedly been burglarized.

In addition to invoking the break-ins at his businesses, Yangs song referenced some recent examples of violence against local Asian Americans, including the 2021 killing of 84-year old Vicha Ratanapakdee, for whom Yang said justice was never served.

After the music video provoked pushback from some of Breeds supporters, Yang apologized but said he was doing so after receiving threats from an extremely powerful person. A statement released on Instagram over the weekend from the Asian Justice Movement, a group thats been involved in local demonstrations to protest anti-Asian violence, went into more detail by relaying three allegations from Yang.

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First, the post alleged that Brown intimidated Yang by visiting his business and using phrases such as the house is on fire when talking to Yangs sister about the song and video. It also said that when Yang and Brown spoke, Brown allegedly conveyed a threat that, unless Yang repudiated the rap, the Rev. would turn the Black community against Yang; and if anything happened to Yangs small business or family, it wouldnt be Rev. Browns fault.

Finally, the post said that after Yang sent an apology that did not satisfy Brown, Brown said he would follow through on his threat to publicly call out Yang to the Black community for the wrong done to the Mayor.

Brown acknowledged to the Chronicle that he spoke to Yang and his sister and at one point compared the controversy surrounding Yangs song to a house being on fire. But Brown said he never threatened Yang.

Its a lie, Brown told the Chronicle in a Tuesday interview. Nobody threatened him, and if he was threatened  he would have called the Police Department, the U.S. Marshal or the FBI.

Brown declined to respond to each allegation but said that when he spoke to Yangs sister, he meant only to convey that its an urgent matter.

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I said its like the house being on fire  you have to call the fire department to put it out. We have to get to this thing, the bottom of it, and stop this hate speech and division that can come from this, Brown told the Chronicle.

Charles Jung, a San Francisco attorney and organizer with the Asian Justice Movement, said his group stands by Yang and that Brown accusing Yang of lying was quite a thing to say in light of Yangs experience having his business repeatedly burglarized.

We have optimism that Rev. Brown eventually will do the right thing and acknowledge his wrongdoing, Jung said.

Breeds office and her reelection campaign declined to comment Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Breed previously did not respond to Yangs video directly but said she is continuing to try to improve public safety for everyone, including residents of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Breed has focused on investing more law enforcement resources and support programs to help the AAPI community, Breed spokesperson Jeff Cretan said in a statement last week. He said reported anti-Asian hate crimes in San Francisco had fallen 80% since 2021.

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Brown said Breed did not orchestrate the response to Yangs song, including the news conference at Third Baptist.

Browns news conference last week featured various community leaders who defended Breed, criticized Yangs comments and called for unity between the Black and Asian American communities in San Francisco.

(Yang) gets his point across, Jeff Lee, a director of the San Francisco Community Alliance for Unity, Safety, and Education, said at the news conference. But theres ways to send a statement and a message in a right way so that it doesnt prejudice anyone.

The response may have backfired, increasing the reach of the video. Before Yangs apology and Browns news conference, a Dec. 13 YouTube post of Yangs music video had been viewed about 11,000 times; as of Tuesday afternoon, it had more than 44,000 views.

To be honest, I would have left the guy alone, said David Ho, a political consultant and veteran Chinatown organizer. (Yangs) fans are in China, not in the U.S. No one knows Chino Yang in the (local) Chinese community.  Its an unforced political error on Team Londons part.
Home Opinion Helping others overcome church anxiety

Have you ever felt anxiety before walking into a room full of people?

Maybe it was a party or a friends family dinner. It couldve been a meeting at work with your leaders or even your peers. A proctored exam in a room filled with strangers might evoke that feeling. For many, the thought of going to a public pool, theme park, or concert prompts them to just stay home.

Fear of crowds or unfamiliar social situations is known as social anxiety. If persistent and intense, it might even be classified as social phobia disorder, a condition that over 12% of adults experience sometime in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

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That feeling of dread, or social anxiety, might keep many from finding a new church after a move or transition. It may even prevent some people from walking through church doors in the first place.

This presents a perpetuating problem, of course. How can people hold on to a confession of hope if theyve never heard of the hope theyre to hold on to? Or, if already a believer, anxiousness could supersede the Scripture theyve heard or read about not forsaking assembling together as the body of Christ (Heb. 10:25).

A feeling of anxiety is something most people have experienced to some degree, and there is no shame in acknowledging it. But the Bible gently encourages us all to be anxious for nothing (Phil. 4:6-7). So as the body of Christ, both individually and collectively, how can we help those who may be experiencing anxiety about attending church?

Pray first

I cannot start this list without placing the priority of prayer at the top. In the same passage where were instructed not to be anxious, were also reminded to by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present [our] requests to God (Phil. 4:6-7).

One reason that we pray is because we want something to change; in this case, the change we desire would be for the anxious people among us to be able to come to church. When were not certain how to change, were invited to ask God, who gives wisdom to all generously and ungrudgingly. Asking God for wisdom about how to appeal to those feeling anxious about walking through the doors of a church is a worthy start.

Invite to come sit with

For some, social anxiety results from the feeling  perceived or real  of being alone. Believers can help friends and family members overcome this fear with a personal invitation that includes the assurance of not being alone. For someone anxious, theres a big difference between you should come to my church and Id love for you to come sit with me at church.

This invitation could also include an offer to pick the person up or to meet them at a specific door. The important thing is to emphasize that they wont get lost or be alone. You will be there to guide them around the building and introduce them to others.

On a corporate level, churches might consider having extra greeters to actually show someone where to go and having designated hosts to seat them with. These are good practices to make youth, people arriving alone, and the elderly feel welcomed and accepted.

Walk them out

A person experiencing anxiety may want to leave immediately at the close of the service. But the catch is, that they may later perceive that they were judged for rushing out, which only increases anxiety. Believers can help by walking the person out, either to the door or to their car. This simple practice can ease the persons anxious self-talk later and reinforces your desire that they wont feel alone, right to the very end.

Churches can also help by having an exit hospitality team. Saying things like, I hope to see you next week or we have a midweek service/small group for you is an open invitation to come back that also helps to quiet that component of perceived judgment. Put some of the practices being mentioned into action in the midweek groups to increase the level of comfort to attend them as well.

Communicate about expectations

Some people may be anxious about social expectations during a service. For example, it can feel overwhelmingly awkward for an anxious person to leave their just found seat to openly greet others if that is a part of your service. You can help the anxious person by letting them know theyre not expected or obligated to participate. Its okay to stay put if that makes them more comfortable.

On a church level, expecting new people to come to the front to meet the pastor or to get information can be unrealistic for an anxious person. As an alternative, churches could consider equipping their hospitality people with more information in a welcome gift bag. That way, the anxious person can still get information without being expected to interact.

Ease instructions throughout the service

People may also feel anxious about not knowing how to follow through on instructions throughout the service. For example, they may worry that they wont be able to find scripture references. You might be able to help ease those fears by helping the individual download a Bible app beforehand and showing them how to use the simple search function.

Churches can help too. Along with the message Scripture on the screen, our church has Bibles available under the chairs. Our pastor shares where the passage can be found by saying things like: Isaiah is in the Old Testament toward the middle of the Bible. If youre using one of our Bibles, it is on page (inserts number). Instruct people when to stand, sit, or where they can go if they need prayer. People experience less anxiety when they know what to do.

Invite them to watch online

Sometimes, despite your best efforts to help, an anxious person may still be uncomfortable attending church. If thats the case, encourage online viewing as a way to check things out.

Churches with online viewing may want to designate an online host or moderator, so theres still a point of connection thats not overwhelming. Let online viewers know its even better live  and that youre saving a seat for them!

Final word of advice

No anxious person wants to be anxious. So, lets practice being a people of consolation, always helping others to be anxious for nothing. If youre an artistic or creative person, create something with written scriptures that help to battle anxiety. Ideas include a calendar, refrigerator magnet, notepad cover, or something to tuck in their cell phone case. And if youre not artistic, a simple sticky note will work too!

My favorite word of consolation in the face of anxiety is Psalm 94:17-19: Unless the LORD had been my helper, I would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I say, My foot is slipping, Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me  When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Other good examples of these Scriptures are Psalm 55:22, Hebrews 13:6, Matthew 6:34, and Psalm 22:4.
Home Opinion The biggest revelation of 2023

On December 29, on Facebook and X, I asked this question: What do you personally believe was the biggest revelation in American society in the last year  in other words, the cultural or political or spiritual phenomenon that suddenly became crystal clear?

Naturally, I received a wide range of responses, but more than anything, I saw responses like this: The blatant Antisemitism that is allowed, and apparently encouraged in this country without consequence.

Yes, many Americans, including many left-leaning American Jews, were shocked to see just how pervasive Jew-hatred was in our country. And for these left-leaning Jews, the big revelation was how much Jew-hatred there was on the left.

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For years, American Jews have feared rightwing antisemitism. Now, they realized with horror, it was just as deeply entrenched  if not even more deeply entrenched  on the left.

For me, though, this was not a revelation at all, as I had been tracking antisemitism in America for more than 30 years, including on college campuses, almost all of which leaned left. I knew how pervasive it was, and it was just a matter of time before it came to the surface.

The big revelation for me was just how deeply Marxism has impacted our country  and this, in fact, ties in directly with the open manifestation of Jew-hatred and Israel-bashing as well.

To be sure, I was quite aware of Marxist influences in movements like BLM and in different aspects of our campus curricula. And I understood how concepts like intersectionality and CRT and DEI tied in with Marxist ideologies. I was also aware of the concept of the long march through our institutions of higher learning in which the radical activists of the 60s and 70s became our university mentors and teachers.

It's just that Im reluctant to call everything Marxist and to view everything through a conspiratorial lens. But when the evidence is so widespread and pervasive, the conclusions are unavoidable.

What else can you say when elementary school children are seated in different groups depending on skin color and ethnicity, based on which they are identified as being in the oppressor or the oppressed class? (I heard this firsthand from a mother, but the phenomenon is well-reported.)

What else can you say when young people side with Hamas more than Israel, in large part because these young people have bought into the colonizer-colonized mentality?

Again, Ive been aware of what was happening on our campuses for some time now  especially in our elite universities  with authors like Douglas Murray recounting in detail some of the most shocking and revealing campus scenes. (He did this in his 2019 book The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, Identity.)

But it was other books published in 2023, most notably Christopher Rufos America's Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything, that made the overt Marxist connection all the more clear. Senator Ted Cruzs 2023 book Unwoke is actually subtitled, How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America, with chapter titles such as, Mr. Marx Goes to Washington.

Another key publication was James Lindsays The Marxification of Education: Paulo Freire's Critical Marxism and the Theft of Education, released in December 2022, which I purchased in 2023. And while Rufos volume focused on higher education, Lindsays took us more deeply into childrens education. The fingerprints of Marxism are everywhere.

And if the search engine is right on the Kindle version of my good friend John Coopers just released book, Wimpy, Weak, and Woke: How Truth Can Save America from Utopian Destruction, the name Marx occurs almost 500 times.

In his book, Rufo cited the radical, 1970 publication titled Prairie Fire: The Politics of Revolutionary Anti-Imperialism: Political Statement of the Weather Underground.

I recently purchased a copy of the book, which certainly breathes the spirit of the counterculture revolution, and as Rufo noted, contains many of the key talking points of today. (Of special interest at present was the connection between Imperialism and Genocide in light of the tidal wave of charges of genocide against Israel today.)

Not surprisingly, Prairie Fire begins with The Banner of Che: Why Is Revolution Necessary?

But that revolution did not come about by holding massive protest marches and defying the status quo. It came through infiltrating the status quo until a new order was set in motion.

I had already seen this on a moral level almost 25 years ago, but with no connection to Marxism.

Writing in the year 2000 in my 5,000 word mini-book The Jesus Manifesto: A Call to Revolution, I stated, The last generations counterculture of rebellion has become this generations establishment of revulsion, and what was unthinkable thirty years ago  daytime talk shows celebrating adultery and incest; homosexual love scenes on major network TV; eleven year-old multiple murderers; massacres in our schools and houses of worship  is a matter of course today. We need a revolution!

Looking back at this today, it seems almost routine and commonplace. No big deal at all!

Thats how far we have fallen since 2000, and so, none of this was new to me.

But the events of 2023, highlighted by the response to Israels war with Hamas, helped bring to the surface the degree to which Marxist ideology has transformed American thinking, especially in the younger generation.

Once again, however, the bad news is the good news since: 1. Marxism is doomed to fail because it simply does not work; and 2. the more it is brought into the light, the more it withers.

Let the light shine!
Home Opinion 3 cases where the US is on razors edge

As the new year begins, we are on the razors edge of many things that soon may blow up.

Americans are far beyond President Joe Bidens serial untruths of some eight years that he never discussed son Hunter Bidens various get-rich-quick schemes.

All were predicated on the perception of foreign interests purchasing from the Biden family the influence of then-senator, vice president, and possibly soon-to-be President Joe Biden.

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The Bidens now risk exposure to criminal charges of multimillion-dollar tax fraud, perjury, influence selling, and bribery as congressional committees and a special prosecutor unravel years of tangled-up quid pro quos.

A newly indicted Hunter remains reckless and unpredictable. He continues to publicly blame his mounting legal problems on everyone and everything other than his own selfish excesses.

Hunter deliberately involves his family and may even bring down his own father. His tax lawyers have previously threatened to call President Biden to testify on his behalf under oath.

He continues to court public scandal by hawking amateurish representational paintings to the quid-pro-quo wealthy and wannabes wishing for clout with the White House.

His laptop messages reveal a prodigal son angry that his bagman services were never fully appreciated by his familial beneficiaries.

Hunters wayward laptop is a felonious trove of drug-addled, illicit Petronian excess and sex, interspliced with his self-incriminating family communications on the distributions of pay-for-play payoffs.

Hunters business aides will be called back to elaborate on their already incriminating testimonies.

The contents of President Bidens various alias emails will soon see new scrutiny.

Given Bidens physical and ethical frailties, age, and bad polling, the left-wing media and Democratic hierarchy may cease circling the wagons around him. Instead, some may fuel the effort to sandbag a 2024 Biden candidacy by releasing or even leaking incriminating evidence.

Plagiarist jeopardizes Harvards preeminence

Harvard President Claudine Gays tenure is even more tenuous than Bidens. Harvard can either claim to be the nations preeminent academic institution or continue to protect a plagiarist as president  not both.

It can profess to be at the center of academias moral and intellectual universe, but not if its president cannot punish those on campus who daily call for the destruction of Israel and the genocide of the Jewish people. Gay cannot lie to Congress that Harvard in the past has also allowed hate speech against entire groups the way it now allows against Jews.

Nor is it sustainable for Gay to fob off calls for her resignation as racist. In fact, the more the public learns about her academic career, the more she seems to be a lifetime beneficiary, not a victim, of racially weighted policies.

Antisemitism imported by ingrates

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 Jews, anti-Israeli/pro-Hamas protests  often violent  have swept the Western world, particularly in the big cities and on campuses of America.

Protesters no longer distinguish being anti-Israeli from being anti-Jewish. Now they just openly mouth antisemitic chants and harass individual Jews.

Almost every hallowed monument  from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House gates; nearly every cherished national icon from the famed Christmas tree in New Yorks Rockefeller Center to New Yorks Nativity scene; and our most famous infrastructure from the Manhattan Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge  has either been swarmed, defaced, or disrupted by pro-Hamas demonstrators.

Americans are growing weary of these escalating protests for a variety of reasons. Most remember that the Oct. 7 war started not with Israeli preemptive attacks on an independent Gaza, but only after Hamas killers launched a sneak attack to commit atrocities against Jews residing in Israel.

The current war is waged between a constitutional state of free elections and a cruel, autocratic terrorist clique.

Indeed, Hamas has refused negotiations over a cease-fire that would have led to internationally conducted free elections for the people of Gaza  something forbidden by enriched Hamas kingpins ensconced in luxury abroad.

Many of the loudest and most violent anti-Jewish protesters in the U.S. are immigrants, green card holders, or on student visas. That fact is confusing to Americans.

Why would those who have fled despotic regimes in the Middle East to study, work, or reside in a free America, once safely here, rally for the very dictatorships they left behind and apparently do not wish to return to?

Why trash the very foundation and values of their American hosts who ensure their newfound freedoms?

For weeks, the American people have been relatively silent as they digested these ongoing catastrophes. But at some point, their patience will run out.

Americans will then collectively conclude that President Biden has never been truthful about vast ill-gotten funds that have enriched his family; that Harvard is no longer preeminent or even prestigious; and that people who do not like us, our laws, and our values should try cheering on the work of Hamas from their own homes.

Originally published at The Daily Signal.
Do you see the grace in Deuteronomy?

We recently did a series in Deuteronomy. I love our Old Testament series because it's so exciting to see what I thought was a bit of a dry book of the Bible come alive with God's purpose and love, and to see how it points us to Jesus!

You might have also thought Deuteronomy was dry or even worse, that it was just a book full of dreadful rules but if you zoom out you see a glorious picture of God's grace and care and how it all fits into the big picture of Jesus coming to set all things right and that is why I find Deuteronomy not dry or dreadful but delightful!

Is Deuteronomy dry?

Deuteronomy starts with the people of Israel on the edge of the promised land with Moses giving them a 33 chapter sermon in which he recounts Israel's history, warns them not to make the same mistake as the generation before them and then gives them rules for how to live in the land they were given.

It may sound dry, something akin to a very long health and safety briefing, but it was actually full of encouragement and opportunity. Not only were they given the chance to reflect on all the mighty things God had done for them and how he had chosen them  through no merit of their own  to be his special people, Moses also paints a picture of the wonderful life they're about to receive in the land.

In Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 10-12 he says, "When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant  then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

Deuteronomy is about God's people being in God's place, under God's rule, experiencing God's blessing and that is not dry at all!

Is Deuteronomy dreadful?

So maybe Deuteronomy isn't dry but what about dreadful? It has chapters and chapters of blessings and curses related to behaviour and the further into it we get the more the curses seem to outweigh the blessings. Also, when you read verses or chapters in isolation you may get the picture that God is some kind of tyrant forcing a harsh and overbearing rule on his people but that couldn't be further from the truth.

While the law was there to hold up a mirror to our sinful selves and make God's people realise they needed a better solution, it was also there to show people the way to live rightly and to restrain evil. God is not naive about human nature, he understands more than any of us how sin and evil spoils his good creation. The law is there to protect people, as well as teach them dependence and trust on God. God is the one who made us so he knows how we should live in order to be a flourishing and healthy community.

Some laws may not seem bad or good but just weird  such as some of the ones in Deuteronomy chapter 22 where the Israelites are commanded to only take the young from a bird's nest, not the mother, build a little fence around the roof of their houses, not to plant two types of seeds in their vineyards, and put tassels on each of the corners of their cloaks.

However, these laws do all make sense  the bird is God instructing them on ecological preservation, and building a fence around the roof was to provide safety for neighbours in case they wandered onto their roof because it was common practice to walk about on the flat rooftops in that time  it's akin to fencing in a swimming pool today.

The command to not plant two types of seeds and to put tassels on their cloaks were reminders to Israel that they were to be God's set apart and holy people and that they needed to remember him and what he'd done for them.

God's people have failed to trust and obey him again and again. He knows they will continue do so but God is faithful. He doesn't give up on us when we rebel against him and constantly do wrong. In chapter 32 of Deuteronomy it's in the format of ancient near east covenant dispute  this was the agreement, you breached it, here's the consequences but unlike the traditional form, there's a shock twist with God promising to save his people  he never gives up on us!

Why Deuteronomy is delightful!

After studying Deuteronomy, I found it delightful because it tells about the mighty acts God has done for his people. It shows his compassion and grace towards his people who haven't done anything to deserve to be his special people and who constantly rebel and disobey him  just as we do. It teaches us to look forward to the one who can change our hearts so we can have a solution to the problem of sin (although we won't be perfected until Jesus returns) and it shows God's unrelenting, never-giving up, unstoppable love for his people  even though they are unable to keep his good law.

We see in Deuteronomy God's care for the poor, the vulnerable, for animals, and the environment. We see how he isn't ignorant to the fact that evil exists but that he makes laws to help restrain it and also so that we see the need for something (or someone!) greater than the law to truly fix our hearts.

In Deuteronomy Chapter 31, verse 6, Moses says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them [Canaanites] for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

The Israelites had God with them and then generations later in the book of Matthew we met someone whose name means "God with us" - Immanuel  Jesus Christ. God was with the Israelites and God is with us today!

Jesus is the fulfilment of every Old Testament promise and the continuation and fulfilment of God's great love and grace that he's been giving his people since before the world began! Do you see God's grace in Deuteronomy, I hope so!
If you could pray one prayer, what would it be?

In the old city of Jerusalem next to the ancient spot where Solomon's Temple once stood remains a wall. The Western Wall is the closest Jews today get to their "meeting place" (a.k.a. temple) with God.

Writing in the wall

A modern custom when people visit this wall is to write a prayer on paper and place it in the crevice of the huge stones. Doing this is regarded as offering your prayer to God to read and possibly answer.

Princes to popes to presidents have visited the wall to write down their prayers and lodge them in a crack as an offering to the Creator. Now Christians know that we don't need to travel to a special holy wall to offer prayers. Nor are we mandated to write our prayers down.

The Bible explains that because Christians have Jesus as their great High Priest, He is able to take our prayers and present them before God. We have no wall or curtain between us and God because of what Jesus has done. However, it does raise the question of, if you were at the Western Wall and wanted to write one prayer to stick in the rocks, what would it be?

Pray big

In his recent book, "Pray Big: Learn to pray like an Apostle", Alistair Begg encourages us to re-examine our prayers and model them off the Apostle Paul.

Begg examines Paul's prayers to the church in Ephesus and is struck at the spiritual enormity of his prayers. Paul's prayers are big, and he encourages us to pray big Kingdom prayers.

He is not saying small prayers are not relevant or unnecessary. However, he wants us to examine the Bible (particularly Paul's letters) to learn how this should shape our prayers.

Tips

When Paul prays, he gets big and he gets specific. He does not pray vague prayers, such as, 'God, be with Aunt Doris.' Begg says that God already knows and is with Doris so why pray for Him to 'be with' her. Begg points to big specific prayers to shape our wording, such as, 'Lord, let Aunt Doris be filled with your knowledge and wisdom. Let her be strengthened to continue in her faith. And let her know the joy of her salvation.'

Do you notice the prayers are big: they are for Kingdom and eternal matters related to Doris and her knowledge and experience of Jesus. They are also specific, asking for knowledge, strength and joy for Doris in this spiritual realm.

This doesn't mean we don't pray for Doris' sick dog or her gamy knee. It does, however, mean we need to think big to the larger spiritual dimensions. The key, Begg argues, is to let Scripture shape the way we pray. Read Ephesians and let Paul's inspired prayers model the way we also should pray.

Test

Try this test: does your church have public prayer? Many churches have removed prayer from the public worship. This reflects the downgrading of prayer in modern Christianity.

Pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne said, "What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." The same could be said of a church. If they pray as a congregation they are showing the value and importance of prayer. They are also modelling what Paul explained whole churches should be doing  praying publicly.

Prayer is important and not to be neglected. However, if your church does pray, or you hear someone praying, ask is the prayer a 'small prayer'? For example, help for an exam or a job interview. Or does it also include the 'big' aspects that the Apostle Paul uses.

For example, praying that the student will do well in the exam but also that the exam will be a tool that helps them grow in their trust of God. This makes it a specific and eternal prayer. Begg's small book is a paradigm shift back to a Biblical prayer that is powerful because it taps into the Spirit's eternal vision.

Your prayer?

What would you write down as a prayer to put in the Western Wall? Would you travel all the way to Israel, go to the wall and write down a small prayer? Many world leaders have written their requests to God on the wall asking for peace in Israel.

The Pope wrote the Lord's Prayer on paper and put this writing in the wall.

A former US President wrote, "Protect my family and me. Forgive my sins and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

The Apostle Paul models for us a template for praying big Kingdom prayers that are specific to our spiritual growth. As these made it into the Bible as part of inspired Scripture, they should be our primary guide to shape our own prayers.
by Anthony Hayward

John Pilger, who has died of pulmonary fibrosis aged 84, was a journalist who never shirked from saying the unsayable. Across half a century, in newspapers and in his documentary films  many for ITV, but later also in the cinema  he became an ever stronger voice for those without a voice, and a thorn in the side of those in authority.





John Pilger in East Timor, filming for ITV





He was a fervent critic of US and British foreign policy. In 2006, on a panel at Columbia University, New York, to discuss Breaking the Silence: War, Lies and Empire, Pilger asserted that journalists in the so-called mainstream bear much of the responsibility for the devastation and lives lost in Iraq, by not challenging and exposing the lies of Bush and Blair.





The impact of Pilgers journalism was enormous. In 1979, he entered Cambodia after the Vietnamese had thrown out Pol Pot and the murderous Khmer Rouge. In a report that took up much of the first half of the Daily Mirror, he revealed that possibly more than two million people, from a population of seven million, had died as a result of genocide or starvation, while another two million faced death from food shortages or disease.





Haunting images of emaciated children, and doctors battling to save lives, were subsequently seen in Pilgers documentary Year Zero: The Silent Death of Cambodia, which was watched in 50 countries by 150 million viewers, and won more than 30 international awards.





Displaying his talent for putting a human tragedy into a political context, he laid part of the blame on the US, which had secretly and illegally bombed Cambodia, creating the turmoil that allowed Pol Pot to seize power. Also, said Pilger, western governments were unwilling to give substantial aid to those now running Cambodia for fear of displeasing the US, which had been defeated in the Vietnam war only four years earlier.





Pilgers reporting helped to raise $45m in relief and earned him a second journalist of the year title in the British Press Awards (the previous one was for his dispatches from Vietnam) and the United Nations media peace prize. Over the next decade, he continued to return to Cambodia and report on the power politics. He himself survived an ambush after being put on a Khmer Rouge death list.





From his first ITV documentary, in 1970, Pilger made waves. In The Quiet Mutiny, for Granada Televisions World in Action current affairs series, he broke the story of the disintegration of morale among US troops in the Vietnam war  and reported that some officers were being killed by their own soldiers.





Following a complaint by the US ambassador in London, the ITA  then commercial televisions regulator  rapped Granada over the knuckles, setting the tone for future battles with Pilger over questions of balance and impartiality.





His ITV series Pilger (1974-77), made by ATV, looked into many controversial subjects in Britain, Pilgers adopted country after he left his native Australia in 1962. He reported on 98 uncompensated thalidomide victims, NHS cuts, racism, poverty and the treatment of children with learning disabilities. Abroad, he went undercover to interview Czech dissidents.





Throughout this time, the ITAs successor, the IBA, insisted that his films should be introduced on screen as a personal view rather than objective reporting. Pilger described David Glencross, the regulators chief programme officer, as commercial televisions chief censor and regarded the IBAs calls for objectivity, balance and impartiality as code for the establishment view of the world, against which most perspectives are measured.





Pilger said he looked at politics from the ground up, and he enjoyed the support of Richard Creasey, who became ATVs head of documentaries and negotiated with Glencross the right to screen films without the personal view label. Nevertheless, when ATV became Central Independent Television and Pilger tackled the language used to promote nuclear weapons in his 1983 documentary The Truth Game, the IBA insisted that a balancing programme be made by someone else (it turned out to be Max Hastings) before it could be screened.





Pilger was one of the first journalists to return to Vietnam after the war, and among his other films of the period were Do You Remember Vietnam (1978), and Heroes (1981), for which he took five disabled American war veterans back to former combat zones to reflect on what he described as a war fought in the cause of nothing.





However, his claims in Cambodia: The Betrayal (1990) about the SAS training Khmer Rouge guerrillas in the 1980s led Pilger and Central to lose a libel action.





Many of his documentaries exposed human rights abuses. At great personal risk, Pilger and his regular director, David Munro, entered countries run by military dictatorships. In Death of a Nation: The Timor Conspiracy (1994), he interviewed eyewitnesses to genocide by the occupying Indonesian regime in East Timor and revealed an unreported massacre. In Inside Burma: Land of Fear (1998), he uncovered the generals torture.





For Apartheid Did Not Die (1998), Pilger interviewed Nelson Mandela and caused discomfort to both white and black South Africans by describing a new economic apartheid that kept many black people in poverty.





He explored UN sanctions on Iraq in the decade before the US-led invasion in Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq (2000), globalisation in The New Rulers of the World (2001) and the Middle East in Palestine Is Still the Issue (2002).





When Pilger made Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror (2003), he unravelled the background to 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan, highlighting hypocrisy by the US and British governments. He opened with the words: This film is about the rise and rise of rapacious imperial power and a terrorism that never speaks its name because it is our terrorism.





Similar themes emerged in The War on Democracy (2007), about US interference in Latin American countries, and The War You Dont See (2010), a chronicle of reporting from the frontline made with the director Alan Lowery, another regular collaborator. Why do many journalists beat the drums of war regardless of the lies of governments? Pilger asked.





Later, his focus was on a country deemed by the US to be a threat to its global power in The Coming War on China (2016) and starved resources and creeping privatisation in The Dirty War on the National Health Service (2019).





Among more than 60 documentaries, Pilger also made Stealing a Nation (2004), on the British government expelling the population of the Chagos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, in the 60s so that the US could set up a military base there.





But a constant subject of Pilgers films over almost 40 years, beginning in 1976, was his homeland and the treatment of Indigenous Australians. Most significantly, he made The Secret Country: The First Australians Fight Back (1985), the bicentenary trilogy The Last Dream (1988) and Utopia (2013), telling the story of his great-grandparents arrival in Australia as convicts, Aboriginal poverty and deaths in police custody, and the stolen generations of mixed-heritage children taken from their families.





Pilger was born in Sydney, to Elsie (nee Marheine), a teacher, and Claude Pilger, a carpenter. He attended Sydney Boys high school and won medals as a swimmer. In 1958 he joined Australian Consolidated Press, working on the Sydney Sun, and then the Daily and Sunday Telegraph.





He freelanced in Italy before moving to Britain in 1962 and becoming a subeditor with the Reuters news agency. A year later, he joined the Daily Mirror as a subeditor, then a reporter noted for his investigative journalism, descriptive writing and tireless campaigns.





Roaming the world, he was banned from South Africa by the apartheid regime in 1967 and was standing metres away when Robert F Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles the following year. He left the Mirror in 1985 and wrote for other papers, including the Guardian. He was a supporter of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.





The ferocity of rightwing criticism of his views indicated the effectiveness of his journalism.





Among dozens of honours, Pilger received an Emmy for Cambodia: The Betrayal, and, in 1991, Baftas Richard Dimbleby award.





His 1971 marriage to the journalist Scarth Flett ended in divorce. He is survived by his partner of more than 30 years, Jane Hill, a magazine journalist, a son, Sam, from his marriage, and a daughter, Zoe, from a relationship with the journalist Yvonne Roberts.





Anthony Hayward is a journalist and author who has written about television and film in national newspapers and magazines for more than 25 years. His books include In the Name of Justice: The Television Reporting of John Pilger and Which Side Are You On? Ken Loach and His Films, and the biographies Julie Christie and Phantom: Michael Crawford Unmasked. He is also a contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
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President Muizzu has announced an official visit to China later this month, further emphasizing the strengthening ties between the Maldives and China.

by Special Correspondent





Maldivian authorities have granted permission for the Chinese scientific research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 to dock in the Maldives at the end of this month, according to reliable sources. This decision comes despite sustained pressure from the Indian government and concerns raised by various quarters labelling the vessel as a Spy Vessel.





Sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Maldives revealed that there is no objection to mooring Chinese ships in Maldives waters. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who assumed office recently, reportedly decided to grant permission for the Chinese research vessel, dismissing allegations that it could be involved in espionage activities.





President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed departing to Turkiye. (Photo/President's Office)





The Xiang Yang Hong 3 was originally scheduled to conduct deep water exploration in the south Indian Ocean starting January. The vessel had also requested permission to dock in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but reports suggest that Sri Lanka denied the request.





Simultaneously, President Muizzu has announced an official visit to China later this month, further emphasizing the strengthening ties between the Maldives and China. However, the details of the visit have not been disclosed by the government.





This move follows Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheefs official visit to China in December, where he participated in the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum on Development Cooperation organized by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).





The current administration in the Maldives has been characterized by its close relationship with China. President Muizzu has been labelled pro-China by foreign media outlets, a designation he has rejected, emphasizing that his stance is pro-Maldives.
AWS | IBM

Customer communication is a vital aspect of any business, especially when it comes to the contact center. The contact center is where customers interact with companies through various channels, such as phone, email, chat, or social media. The quality and efficiency of customer communication can affect customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty

That is why artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a key role in enhancing and personalizing customer communication in the contact center. AI can help optimize processes in many different ways, for example:

customers speech and text into different languages, dialects, or accents. This helps customers to communicate with companies from different countries or regions.

24/7 chatbots and virtual assistants that can answer or redirect simple and common inquiries. This reduces wait times and frees up human agents for more complex tasks.

and responding to customers moods and emotions. This helps to create empathetic and personalized communication that meets customers needs and is tailored specifically to them.

offers and recommendations based on customer profiles and preferences. This increases customer loyalty and revenue by providing added value for customers.

AI First in the Contact Center

IBM Consulting and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are working together to bring an AI-first strategy to contact center transformation. They have created a joint solution that combines Amazon Connect with additional features from IBM Consulting to optimize and personalize customer communication. This solution uses the power of AI to improve processes and operations in the contact center, launch new services, and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. The solution is cloud based, scalable, cost-effective, and easy to implement and manage. It has already been deployed successfully by multiple clients.

One of the features of this solution came from an IBM Consulting hackathon that took place in France in March 2023. The challenge was to design new solutions for customer use cases using the AWS Cloud. One of the solutions aimed to improve customer experience and agent efficiency in insurance company contact centers by creating an automated summary of customer-agent calls and chats. This solution helps agents to quickly recall the customers needs in subsequent interactions, enables contact center supervisors to rapidly familiarize themselves with the objectives of each case (and intervene if necessary), and ensures that insured customers quickly receive the requested information without having to repeat details they have already provided.

Scaling AI on AWS: The Bouygues Telecom Case

Bouygues Telecom is a French communication service provider that has successfully implemented AI throughout its organization to enhance processes, launch new services, and drive improvements. To achieve this, Bouygues Telecom needed a unified, integrated, and flexible cloud strategy that supported various AI providers and solutions. With the help of IBM Consulting, Bouygues Telecom launched an initiative that empowered all business and IT functions to create, develop, and implement their own cloud-native AI applications.

The initiative used the AWS Cloud for deploying and scaling AI applications. With IBMs assistance, Bouygues Telecom was able to scale its initial four cloud-native AI applications from concept to production in just four months. These applications  including chatbots, text analysis, B2B lead triage, and call summarization  significantly improved the customer experience, agent efficiency, cost savings, and decision-making processes.

The Future of AI in the Contact Center

AI is one of todays  and tomorrows  most crucial technologies, with the power to revolutionize the contact center industry. In this environment, many companies that operate contact centers are aspiring to develop a strategy and implement generative AI use cases, all while generating business value, driving transformation, and mitigating risks. If this sounds like your company, you could benefit from the expertise and solutions provided by IBM and AWS.

If you would like to learn more about harnessing the power of AI in the contact center, please feel free to contact us.
January 4, 2024: Russia believed 2023 would be the year they expanded their armed forces. Heavy losses in Ukraine and the impact of that information on the Russian people, especially military-age men, derailed the expansion plans. Early in 2023 Russia increased the legal maximum number of its active-duty military personnel from 1,013,628 to 1,150,628. It was believed unlikely that this number would ever be reached. At the end of 2021, months before the invasion of Ukraine, Russian ground forces had about 400,000 men while the navy and air force each had about 150,000. About a third of air force personnel were paratroopers or air-mobile infantry. The navy had about 12,000 marines, who guarded naval bases in peacetime. That means the heavy Russian losses since the invasion began, and failure to mobilize many replacements, reduced the Russian army to about 250,000 personnel (less than a third of the Ukrainian Army). The airborne forces and marines also suffered heavy losses but more of them are still in service.

Heavy combat losses reduced the personnel strength so sharply because the Russian army has major recruiting and training problems, plus far fewer soldiers providing logistic and transportation services. The latter are provided by government or private contractors to assemble and move supplies close to the combat zone, where military trucks and drivers move the supplies to army maintained collection points or the combat units. This works inside Russia where the state-controlled railroads are equipped for operation by civilians who are trained to provide such support to the military. For a major war against Russia, civilian trucks and drivers are mobilized to serve military needs. Such a mobilization disrupts the economy but that is seen as necessary t0 defend Russia.

This is why the Ukrainian invasion was not called a war but an internal operation in what Russia declared was Russian territory controlled by rebels. Russia did not expect the Ukrainians massive resistance or their destruction of so many Russian trucks and supply collection points. This dramatically weakened Russian supply capabilities inside Ukraine, especially after Ukraine received American guided GMLRS rockets that hit Russian supply depots because of information supplied by Ukrainians on the ground or NATO supplied aerial and satellite surveillance. Russian forces inside Ukraine are chronically short of ammunition, food, fuel and much else because of these Ukrainian attacks. Resort to looting civilian supplies in occupied areas only partially replaces the supplies destroyed in transit or stored inside Ukraine.

Russian armed forces were supposed to have over a million men, but that goal has never been met and at the end of 2021 the total was about 750,000. By the end of 2022 it was about 400,000, including the air force and navy. Mobilizations of new conscripts and men who had served as conscripts for one year failed to replace all the losses, in part because the mobilized men knew that the war in Ukraine was not going well, and most men sent there had little training, equipment or leadership. Most of the junior officers were killed or disabled during the first months of the war and replacements take months to train adequately, so new recruits get only a few weeks of training at best. Peacetime officer training takes years and now there is a shortage of trainers for troops and officers because most of the existing ones were sent to Ukraine as replacements for the catastrophic losses the Ukrainians were inflicting.

Ukraine had 250,000 active-duty troops in early 2022 and within months had half a million more in the form of volunteers and conscripts. Normally Ukrainian troops receive a lot more training than their Russian counterparts but in the first months of the war plenty of untrained Ukrainians were used to halt the invasion. Since then, Ukrainian troops received more training and are now led by effective officers and NCOs in combat. Ukrainian troops dont suffer from supply shortages and suffer absolutely and relatively fewer casualties than the Russians. Russian dead, missing and wounded too severely for further service are at least six times those of Ukraines, while the Russian population only outnumbers Ukraines by 3.5 to one. If this is a war of demographic attrition, Russia is losing.

Since the invasion began in February 2022 Russia has suffered enormous losses in terms of combat personnel, military equipment and the reputation for quality, reliability and effectiveness of Russian weapons and military personnel.

Even the Ukrainians were surprised at how unprepared the invaders were for combat and dealing with Ukrainian superiority in weapons, which were often Western and superior in performance to Russian models. Ukrainian troops were commanded by Ukrainian officers and NCOs using tactics that emphasized minimizing Ukrainian losses and maximizing Russian casualties.

Russias leadership, especially supreme leader Vladimir Putin, was delusional about the continuing lack of military progress in Ukraine. Even Russians who thought restoring independent, since 1991, Ukraine to Russian control was a good thing and worth fighting for, began losing confidence in Putins ability to make that happen. Each time failure in Ukraine became obvious, Putin would come up with a new reason why Russia was winning, and each of these was soon shown to be false.

Putin now believes he can eventually prevail because of disagreements among NATO members about whether or how Ukraine can win against the Russian invaders. NATO members agree about Russias inability to win in Ukraine but many politicians in some of the larger, and more distant from the fighting NATO nations like the United States, Germany, France, and Italy, openly doubt Ukraines ability to regain control of lost territory. Putin supports this attitude by continuing to threaten use of nuclear weapons if Russia is faced with losing all its seized territory in Ukraine. Such a move is also unpopular in Russia and one of the growing number of reasons Russians are losing faith in Putin's promises that Russia will win in Ukraine.

Many Russians now openly oppose the war even though Putin quickly created laws to make such public dissent illegal. The failure of such laws soon became obvious in many ways. First, there are a growing number of anti-war demonstrations and physical attacks on military facilities, especially recruiting stations. Refusing to report when conscripted became more common. Another form of defiance is veterans of the Ukraine fighting providing details, based on personal experience, of why Russian forces are failing.

Many of these veterans are no longer in the military because they refused to renew their contracts. Many more soldiers remained in the army but refused to return to Ukraine and got away with it. Putin ordered that these soldiers be officially described, in their military records and military ID, as unreliable and unwilling to fight. In any other country a soldier who refuses to fight during wartime is subject to severe punishment, often execution. That still happens to reluctant Russian soldiers inside Ukraine where officers have the authority to shoot reluctant troops. Initially, as Russian casualties grew and progress was nonexistent, some officers did shoot troops refusing to fight. That soon changed as the troops threatened to and sometimes did shoot back or, in at least one known case, ran over an officer with a tank. Not to mention them sometimes shooting undesirable officers first. Ukrainian forces have provided additional confirmation of this violence and collapsing morale within Russian units. Many Russian troops will surrender to the Ukrainians at the first opportunity and admit it to Ukrainian, Russian, and foreign journalists. This prompted Ukraine to equip some of its quadcopters to notify and lead surrendering Russian troops safely to Ukrainian front-line forces.

The number of Russian military personnel is declining because of combat losses and veterans refusing to stay in, even though being a contract (volunteer) soldier is one of the few jobs Russians can get because of high unemployment rates caused by Western economic sanctions. Russian ground forces have been taking more casualties than could be replaced for the entire duration of the war and are now far outnumbered by Ukrainian ground forces, plus Ukrainian recruits now get adequate training by World War Two American and British standards (2-4 months), while Russian recruits get only 1-3 weeks.

Russia responded by lowering recruiting standards and accepting recruits or conscripts with physical, mental, legal, or psychological problems that would normally make them ineligible for military service. Russia has also dropped age limits for volunteers and is willing to accept non-Russians as long as they can speak some Russian and are willing to fight. These efforts are not producing enough new troops to be immediately useful because most of them have no military training and at least two months are required to produce useful troops for combat. Conscripts require less training and are generally used only for support operations outside Ukraine during their one year in uniform because of well-justified official fear that the newly conscripted will refuse to show up for duty at all if they are forced to fight and die in Ukraine like the contract soldiers. Attempts to involuntarily extend the period of service of contract soldiers resulted in them deserting in such large numbers that the government ceased trying. This is because the post-communist Russian government does not have the coercive enforcement power over the population of the old Soviet Union.

After a year of fighting, Ukrainians ran short of artillery ammunition, so they used their mobile artillery only for counterbattery, which is firing on Russian artillery. The Russians initially used artillery ammo at an unsustainable level and, as the Ukrainians receive more artillery ammo from NATO, Russias artillery superiority faded. Vladimir Putin knew his artillery munition reserves could not sustain a long war and now it is the Ukrainians who have more munitions because of massive shipments from NATO nations.

Russian plans include increasing the number of volunteer contract troops who are paid more than conscripts and serve longer. The government claimed it would have 521,000 contracti by the end of 2023 and 695,000 a year or two after that. That was optimistic considering the number of existing contract troops who are not renewing their contracts. There is no information from Russia about how so many new conscripts or contract troops will be obtained to increase the size of the armed forces to 1.15 million. Russia may extend conscription service from one to two years and keep existing troops in uniform longer because of the war. That is not popular with most Russians, which is how that attitude forced the government to reduce conscript service to one year in the first place.

By late 2023, Russian offensive operations in Ukraine were feeble and ineffective. Low morale, little training and poor leadership were the reasons for this, so the Russian government is allegedly seeking to build up a well-trained force of infantry back in Russia to resume the offensive in 2024. This quite sensible idea by Russian military leaders was defeated in 2023 by Putins insistence on politically motivated suicidal attacks so it is unlikely to happen. Russia needs some effective troops inside Ukraine if Putin really wants to prolong the fighting for as long as it takes the West to lose interest in supporting Ukraine.
Anunt concurs pentru post vacant Institutia Publica Centrul de Consiliere Agricola si Rurala (CCAR) este in cautare de un profesionist dinamic si dedicat, pentru pozitia de Sef/a de Sectie la sectia Inovare si transfer de cunostinte in cadrul institutie
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Voluntary organisations in Scotland have reported facing rising costs and shortages of staff and volunteers.

According to a recent report by umbrella body SCVO , 65% of charities in Scotland reported a significant concern about staff and volunteer numbers in April last year, up from 35% in August 2021.

Financial challenges also rose sharply and were reported by 71% of organisations last year compared to 47% two years earlier.

In 2021, 56% of charities reported an increased demand for their services, but this rose to 63% in 2023.

A third of organisations reported having made use of their financial reserves in the three months leading into April 2023, an increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Some 44% of the organisations using their reserves last year said they thought that the situation was unsustainable.

SCVO chief executive Anna Fowlie said: At a time where many organisations are facing recruitment challenges, the funding environment means that many voluntary organisations are struggling to keep pace with salary increases needed to attract and retain staff.

Existing staff and volunteers have been working flat out since Covid, helping organisations and communities to weather the cost-of-living crisis.

We can no longer afford to rely on their goodwill to go the extra mile. The invaluable services and supports provided by Scotlands voluntary sector need sustainable investment to ensure their survival.

Alan Stevenson, chief executive of Volunteer Scotland said: The many impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on volunteering has meant that we can no longer take for granted the contribution of our volunteers.

While recruitment and retention issues are being felt more acutely by some, the first step for all must be the focus on good volunteering practice, appropriately supported.

The Scottish Third Sector Tracker is run by an independent research company called DJS Research on behalf of SCVO, the Scottish Government, the William Grant Foundation and the National Lottery Community Fund.

Some 715 charities were involved in the research overall with at least 377 in each of the six waves of data collection so far.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder and former managing director of charity Kids Company, has died aged 61.

Her family said the childrens advocate died peacefully in her sleep, following a birthday celebration.

Batmanghelidjh started Kids Company in 1996 in south London to support deprived and vulnerable children and young people living in cities.

The charity founder was born in Iranian capital city Tehran and grew up in the UK before studying at the University of Warwick.

In 2015, Kids Company came under intense media scrutiny before collapsing in the summer, in the wake of safeguarding allegations.

The charity had just received a 3m restructuring grant from the government, but failed to secure match-funding from philanthropists.

In 2021, Kids Companys trustees and chief executive were cleared of running an unsustainable business by the High Court.

However, in 2022 the Charity Commission criticised Kids Company in a statutory inquiry report over its failure to build up reserves.

Batmanghelidjh planned to bring a judicial review of the Commissions report , saying it made a number of unwarranted, irrational and unreasonable criticisms of Kids Company.

Tributes

A statement from her family reads: It is with great sadness that the family of Camila Batmanghelidjh announce her death after a period of failing health. She died peacefully in her sleep the night of 1 January, following a birthday celebration with her family.

Camila dedicated her life to advocating for Britains most vulnerable children. In 1996, she founded Kids Company, which pioneered new therapeutic and clinical models to achieve a singular goal: To see children and young people become safe and able to realise their potential.

Working alongside her devoted colleagues and dedicated volunteers, Camila changed the lives of tens of thousands of children and young people in London, Bristol, and Liverpool otherwise neglected by a failing child protection system. She showed these children that they were worthy of love and support.

For all those around her, and especially for her family, she was an endless source of inspiration, a fountain of wit, and a kaleidoscope of colour.

Camilas family hopes that her memory will inspire others to consider how they might protect and uplift vulnerable children. As she once wrote: Their courage deserves this reflection.

Members of her family also shared their tributes on social media.

My beloved aunt, Camila Batmanghelidjh, has died.



She believed that vulnerable children in Britain deserved "unrelenting love."



She was a source of inspiration, a fountain of wit, and a kaleidoscope of colour. I adored her.



I am sharing a statement from our family. pic.twitter.com/oyW31qUEHE  Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (@yarbatman) January 2, 2024

Homeless charity Brixton Soup Kitchen added it was very sad, stating that Batmanghelidjh donated over 100 Christmas gifts last week to less fortunate kids.

Very sad to announce that camila batmanghelidjh founder of kids company has passed away this morning and our hearts go out to her family at this time, She donated over 100 Christmas gifts last week to less fortunate kids #camilabatmanghelidjh #kidscompany pic.twitter.com/rV6Vq8MS2d  Brixton Soup Kitchen (@BrixSoupKitchen) January 2, 2024

Leaders in the charity sector and from those in the public also shared their tributes.

So sad to see this news. I believe Camilla loved children & desperately tried to help. Not that long ago she said to me, always protect yourself, dont be naive, social leadership is risky, wisdom I took to heart. A complex, imperfect, brilliant woman. Rest in power Camilla  https://t.co/bkkECJ20GN  Dr Sarah Hughes (@_Sarah_Hughes_) January 2, 2024

Camila Batmanghelidjh dedicated her life to advocating for the most vulnerable children, especially those who fell through the gaps in social & NHS services. She was a force of nature. A world changer. Camilas legacy will live on in each life touched by her kindness and love. pic.twitter.com/ue0Gz5WWmv  Steve Chalke (@SteveChalke) January 3, 2024

Camila Batmanghelidjh, the much maligned & largely exonerated, founder of Kids Company & the Place to Be, died aged 61 on New Year's Day.



In my work in both criminal & immigration practice, I met many young people who credited her with turning their lives around. May she RIP. pic.twitter.com/nMGGLjLirZ  Jacqueline (Jacqui) Mckenzie (@JacquiMckenzie6) January 3, 2024

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Seven people have been jailed after collecting approximately half a million pounds for several charities and keeping most of the funds.

The group collected public funds under the guise that they would be donated to charities like Children in Need, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens (GOSH) Charity, the Childrens Society, the Christie Charitable Fund and Mind.

Approximately 500,000 in cash deposits were sent to the accounts of the group members, with less than 10% paid to the various charities.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that David Levi, 47, led the criminal group which involved travelling around the country collecting donations in buckets outside supermarkets.

It said it was looking to confiscate assets that the group gained from their criminal activity and put measures in place to prevent them from offending in the future.

Gang leader jailed for five years

Levi was jailed for five years after admitting to counts of fraud and money laundering at Preston Crown Court in December.

William Ormand, 64, was convicted after a trial of fraud and money laundering for three years and four months.

Martin Ebanks, 60, admitted to fraud and was jailed for 18 months.

Roy Ferguson, 63, admitted fraud and money laundering and was sentenced to two years and five months in prison.

Stephen Chesterman, 63, admitted to one count of fraud and received 22 months in prison.

Kaysha Beck, 31, received a sentence of 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Finally, 73-year-old Howard Collins was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation (GOSH), one count of fraud (the Christie Charitable Fund) and more.

The seven members of the criminal gang received a collective 215 months in prison, or more than 17 years and nine months.

Deprived life-saving charities of significant amounts of money

Hayley Cooper from the CPS said: The actions of David Levi and the criminal group deprived life-saving charities of significant amounts of money.

Members of the public gave their money generously and in good faith, perhaps reassured by seeing the logos of national charities. Sadly, the majority of the donations were pocketed by the defendants.

Whenever money is collected for charity there must be absolute transparency and in bucket collections, every penny donated must go those charities.

At the CPS, we have specialist teams to prosecute cases of serious fraud such as this and we work closely with investigators to bring perpetrators to justice.

Charity Commission: Shamefully abused the name of some of Britains most well-known charities

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission for England and Wales said: These criminals shamefully abused the good name of some of Britains most well-known charities and their jail sentences send a strong warning.

Most charity fundraising is legitimate and scams of this scale are rare. But as opportunistic scammers can try to take advantage of the trust we have in charities, if you think something doesnt seem right either report it to the charity or check if it is listed on one of three charity registers in the UK.

Fundraising Regulator: Public must check before they donate

Gerald Oppenheim, chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator, said: This is a particularly unusual and serious case of fraud against charities and the public, and its therefore encouraging to see the appropriate authorities take action and that the offenders have been brought to justice and receive custodial sentences.

The vast majority of charity fundraising is genuine. However, fraudsters and criminals do sometimes take advantage of public generosity, particularly at times of increased giving. Common methods include fake appeal websites, email appeals that falsely use the name of genuine charities or appeals from fake charities.

Charities perform essential work in the UK and globally all year round against a difficult economic backdrop, so we at the Fundraising Regulator want to encourage members of the public to check before they donate to feel confident that their hard-earned money reaches the causes they care about.

Charities: Undermines public trust and confidence in giving to charity

Kathleen Miles, executive director for fundraising at Mind, said: Its crucial that our supporters know that their generous donations go where they're intended, and that they can be assured their money will make a genuine difference to people who are experiencing a mental health problem.

The fraudulent actions of these individuals in the name of Mind as well as other charities, undermines public trust and confidence in giving to charity. This may lead to people being less likely to donate which will significantly hinder our ability to help those people who need us the most.

Miles thanked DC Simon Robinson and his team for bringing the case to justice.

A BBC Children in Need spokesperson said: We would like to extend our thanks to Lancashire Police for their tireless and thorough investigation.

Generous individuals that donate to charity do so to make an impact on those that need it most and given the rising need that has escalated in recent years, the ones most impacted by this case are the beneficiaries of the charities affected.

A GOSH Charity spokesperson said: We are very grateful to the police for their work throughout this investigation and for bringing these individuals to justice.aThis has been a long process, which we have worked very closely with the police on.



We were shocked and disappointed to learn that money had been raised fraudulently for our charity, but would like to reassure the public that incidents such as these are thankfully very rare.

GOSH Charity is lucky to have brilliant support from members of the public, who raise money for us legitimately by organising, donating, or taking part in fundraising activities every year to help support Great Ormond Street Hospitals most urgent needs, over and above what the NHS can afford.

A spokesperson for the Christie charity said: We are appalled that someone would commit fraud under the banner of claiming to be fundraising for the Christie Charity. Our supporters are incredibly generous, kind and committed to the cause and so it is abhorrent to think that some of them donated in good faith believing the money would go directly to cancer patients, when in this instance it wasnt the case.

Thankfully fraud such as this is very unusual for the Christie Charity and so we would reassure supporters and fundraisers they can remain confident their donations are helping to provide life-changing and life-saving cancer treatment.

The Christie Charity does not do door collections or telephone collections. If anyone has concerns about the validity of someone collecting on behalf of the Christie, then please contact the Christie Charity directly or the police.

Joe Jenkins, executive director of social impact at the Childrens Society, said: It is so disheartening and damaging when criminals abuse trust in charities to defraud the public. People generously donate to the Childrens Society, and other charities, so that we can continue to deliver vital help and support to children and young people.



These fraudsters not only took money from kind-hearted people seeking to support good causes but also could have damaged our hard-earned trust and reputation, along with the wider charity sector.



This is particularly poor behaviour at a time when many people are struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis and charities like the Childrens Society are needed more than ever.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A Minnesota woman has sued her dentist after receiving four root canals, eight dental crowns and 20 fillings in a single visit that she says led to her disfigurement.

Kathleen Wilson filed the lawsuit last week in Hennepin County District Court, accusing Dr. Kevin Molldrem of Molldrem Family Dentistry in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, of providing negligent treatment in July 2020 that caused significant injuries to Wilson, along with providing an unsafe dosage of anesthesia and falsifying medical records to cover it up, the Star Tribune reported.

Molldrem and his attorney, Nathaniel Weimer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

According to the Star Tribune, Wilson`s legal team retained Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a dentist in Florida, to provide an expert opinion and review Wilson`s medical records from Molldrem and subsequent providers. Goldsteins Nov. 14 report identified various duty-of-care breaches.

Goldstein said in the report that Molldrem made the right diagnosis, but he provided poor-quality treatment.

Wilson had decay on virtually every tooth in her mouth, something that is quite rare, Goldstein wrote. Molldrems attempt to restore all Wilsons teeth in one visit did nothing to address her susceptibility to disease or the potential of losing teeth, he said.

Katie required a slow, thoughtful, careful and measured response to her disease. Trying to fill every hole in every tooth in her mouth in one visit is not only the antithesis of what was indicated, it is not humanely possible to achieve in an effective or constructive manner, Goldstein said, adding that it is inconceivable to address 28 teeth in 5 1/2 hours.

One challenge of a long appointment is maintaining adequate anesthesia, Goldstein said. The maximum dosage is 490 mg  but Molldrem administered 960 mg to Wilson.

Wilsons records show that Molldrem said he administered eight tubes of dental anesthetic, known as carpules. But Goldstein found the first dose alone was eight carpules, and he administered 15 carpules throughout the visit.

Wilson went to a different dental office for an evaluation showing recurrent decay and other damage. For several months in 2022 she was treated at the University of Minnesota Dental School for repair and replacement of many of her restorations in an attempt to stabilize her mouth, Goldstein said.

If all of Wilsons teeth end up having to be removed and replaced with implants, Goldstein said all of the work that was done and all of the expense associated with it will have been for nothing.

Beyond medical costs, Wilson said she suffered pain, embarrassment, disfigurement and distress. She is asking for at least $50,000 in damages.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
After an Allstate Insurance investigation alleged that a well-known Florida pain clinic had conspired with an injury law firm and had fraudulently billed the auto insurer for unnecessary surgeries and risky procedures, Allstate took the unusual step of striking an agreement with the clinics to stop the practices.

Less than a month after that November agreement was signed, though, the clinics had breached the agreement and were at it again, Allstate claims in a federal lawsuit asking for millions of dollars from Florida Anesthesiology & Pain Clinic and its manager and chief physician, Dr. Ravi Xavier.

The defendants relationships with their personal injury attorney referral sources directly and intentionally led to the bills for medically unnecessary and excessive services detailed herein, reads the complaint, filed Dec. 28 in the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida.

One law firm that made the referrals was Steinger, Iscoe & Greene, now known as Steinger, Greene & Feiner, one of the largest injury firms in Florida, the complaint reads. The firm went through a shakeup in 2019 when several employees filed suit, alleging that the firms leaders had pressured them to encourage clients to undergo unnecessary surgeries to boost the size of auto accident claims and bills sent to insurance companies. No surgery, no case was the law firms alleged rule, the lawsuits argued.

This practice has clearly continued with referrals of patients to Florida Anesthesiology, which, as detailed herein, immediately billed tens (sometimes hundreds) of thousands of dollars for alleged surgeries and invasive procedures at initial visits and made little to no effort to attempt any conservative treatment or to follow up with patients after they were used to generate bills, the Allstate complaint reads.

The Allstate lawsuit, first reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper over the weekend, argues that Allstate paid millions of dollars for surgeries and spinal procedures that, in most cases, the drivers and passengers never asked for or never received.

The patients  were seeking little or no medical treatment on their own before they were steered by layperson attorneys to the defendants in order to bolster the perceived value of their insurance claims, the lawsuit contends.

The insurance company charged that the clinics had engaged in fraud, which violated that federal anti-racketeering statutes. The complaint did not say if Allstate is also pursuing criminal charges.

The clinics alleged practices were easy to spot, Allstate said. Besides billing outrageous sums, the clinics fabricated records showed remarkably incorrect vital statistics for patients, including heights that differed by six inches and weights that were off by more than 100 pounds. The insurer compared the statistics to those recorded for the same patients by other providers, the lawsuit explains.

Allstate said it initially felt obligated to pay the claims.

Because the defendants bills and records were intended to appear valid on their face, and because Allstate and its insureds could face substantial liability for rejecting a valid demand, the defendants and their associates knew that they would induce Allstate to make payments without the opportunity to conduct meaningful investigation to discover the fraud, the suit notes.

Florida Anesthesiology & Pain is one of the largest and financially successful chains of pain clinics in the state, with six sites around Florida and one in Houston. In 2021, a company owned by Dr. Xavier and his wife purchased a waterfront mansion near Palm Beach for $19 million, according to news reports.

Xavier and the Steinger attorneys could not be reached for comment. The clinics have not yet filed an answer to the lawsuit nor a motion to dismiss.
Georgia authorities last week announced the arrest of a contractor charged with underreporting payroll and defrauding Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. of more than $9 million in premiums.

Jose Martinez, 56, of Grayson, was charged with insurance fraud after an investigation found that he had deceived the workers compensation insurer by adding false information to a copy of a corporate tax return, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King said in a statement.

The fraudulent activity was done to hide his companys true workers compensation liabilities and as a result receive greatly reduced insurance premiums, King said.

The actions reduced the contractors comp premiums by about $9.3 million, he noted.

Martinez was arrested Dec. 5. Further information about his companies was not available.
January 4, 2024: North Korea continues to pass and enforce laws against those who adopt South Korean fashions, clothing, and mannerisms. North Koreans defy their government with this behavior. To make matters worse, fewer North Koreans are getting married and having children. There is a different problem in affluent South Korea. Over the last few years, the number of missing conscripts has become obvious, and the solution was not to send a lot of officers in charge of conscription to labor camps, but to try and pressure recent high school graduates and those who had recently completed their ten years of active and reserve service to voluntarily enlist or reenlist. Birth rates have been declining for years and so has the population of military-age men. Those already in the military are bribing their way out or simply deserting. The calls for voluntary enlistments have largely been ignored.

The North Korean armed forces have lots of other, and older, problems. While nearly every adult male serves at least six years in the military, the big problem is that years of economic problems and failed harvests have left the troops poorly equipped, often hungry, and increasingly insubordinate. With most of the best educated troops bribing their way into any job but one in a combat unit, it is increasingly doubtful if the North Korean combat forces could get very far during an invasion of South Korea, or retreat fast enough if the South invades the North. North Korea also has problems with the birth rate, which is currently 1.8 and below the population replacement rate of 2.1. South Korea has a similar problem because prosperous populations tend to have fewer children because there are so many other activities the women can engage in. Raising children is a lot of work and given a choice, a lot of couples choose not to have kids.

This is a 21st Century problem for Korea. After the Korean War ended in 1953, both Koreas experienced population booms. That eventually ended in South Korea because of growing affluence while in the north it was privation and despair that did the job. That privation gets worse in North Korea during the winter because many rural areas have destroyed their forests to obtain firewood. In the south, fuel for heating is not a problem and there have been decades of reforestation efforts to restore the forests in rural areas. In the north the shortage of firewood or the growing number of people who cannot afford to purchase it, means a lot of unheated or under-heated dwellings. This has led to more illnesses among children and

North Korea may have fewer and fewer soldiers but there are still lots of weapons and munitions. Both are being sold to Russia for use in the Ukraine War. Russia apparently pays for much of this via barter. North Korea is sent food in the form of grain or packaged goods. In addition, Russia sends needed petroleum products and natural gas. This form of trade has been going on for over a year. This has led to North Korean arms factories increasing production to sell more to Russia and replace the munitions reserves originally sent to Russia. North Korea has also exported more workers to Russia, to replace Russian men taken from their jobs by army recruiters.

Details on this trade with Russia are officially classified as top secret. Few North Koreans try to conceal all this activity, in part because it is so extensive and visible to locals as well as foreigners with surveillance satellites. Despite this, North Korean security forces have orders to pursue and arrest those suspected of discussing this trade activity with unauthorized personnel. This is a problem because few North Koreans are authorized to know about this very public trade activity. The government soon discovered that it had a problem with the large number of North Koreans that are, technically, guilty of witnessing this very public and visible activity. To an outsider this must appear bizarre, and it is. Most North Koreans agree but it is typical government behavior. North Koreans adapt as best they can. State Security officials believe this overemphasis on security makes it difficult, if not impossible, to guard important secrets. This includes details on where leader Kim Jong Un is and the location of his many residences. Any details about the North Korean military are also secret, mainly because they reveal how demoralized, disorganized, and poorly equipped the military is. This force would have a difficult time protecting North Korea from attack, much less trying to invade South Korea.

The North Korean government continues to make noise about impending war with South Korea and the United States. These threats have been heard in the north for so long that the government has to find ways to enhance these threats, so they rise above the level of background noise. Thats hard to do after so many decades of this threat-mongering. Currently South Korea and the United States are cooperating by openly discussing plans for eliminating North Korean leaders and revealing military plans to carry out decapitation missions inside North Korea that would kill Kim Jong Un and other senior North Korean officials. South Korea and the U.S. are concerned about the growing threats from North Korea about attacking South Korea. The North Korean preparations are more detailed and visible than ever before. In the past the north used these threats as a form of propaganda, not as part of serious preparations for war.

Over the last few decades, the South Korea military has become stronger in terms of weapons, most of them produced in South Korea, as well as capabilities. The South Korean military is more capable than ever before of quickly and effectively attacking North Korea or retaliating against a North Korea attack.

North Korea is aware of this and feels better able to deal with South Korea, the Americans or China because of their closer economic and military relationships with Russia. This attitude is somewhat delusional because Russia is not very powerful economically or militarily compared to the United States or China, the two largest economies on the planet. China and the United States have their differences but are willing and able to cooperate if they have to. Between them they comprise about half the planetary economy and what these two nations agree to do economically defines what the rest of the world can do.
January 3, 2024: In Ukraine, Russia lost three more of its Su-34 fighter-bombers in December 2023. Since the Su-34 entered service in 2014, about 40 have been lost in combat or accidents. Thats 29 percent of the 140 Su-34s the Russians could afford to purchase. Russian jets have performed poorly over Ukraine during 2022 and 2023, and that revealed that Russian combat aircraft generally have a recent record of poor performance in combat. That led to canceled export orders. This is not a sudden development and has been a problem for a long time. After the Cold War ended in 1991, the Russian government was no longer able to purchase large numbers of combat aircraft. After 1991 many state-owned firms were privatized, and a lot of defense manufacturers disappeared because they had nothing to sell that anyone wanted. Two exceptions were Sukhoi, which manufactured Su aircraft and MiG (Mikoyan and Gurevich) which only had one major product, the MiG-29 fighter, that was considered inferior to similar Sukhoi aircraft. For over twenty years the government has been desperately trying to keep the MiG company viable but failed. Until the Ukraine debacle Sukhoi still seemed viable but now Sukhoi is headed for the same fate as MiG.

The MiG-29 dates from the 1980s while Sukhoi has introduced two, the Su-24 and Su-35, in the last decade. Both performed poorly in combat over Ukraine. The Su-34 is a ground support fighter-bomber while Su-35 is an air-superiority fighter. Both have been built in small quantities, about 140 each and depend on export orders to be financially viable. Same with the Su-57 stealth fighter, which is too expensive for the Russian air force and unable to find any export customers.

In 2021 Sukhoi introduced a new single engine stealth fighter called Su-75 Checkmate. Sukhoi displayed a mockup of the new single-engine Su-75 stealth fighter, which is apparently the Russian answer to the similar American F-35. Su-75 is being developed by the same team that designed the Su-57, the Russian answer to the American F-22. The Su-57 proved to be a failure as an F-22 competitor. The Su-75 appears to be a desperate move to salvage something from all the money spent on developing the Su-57.

The Su-75 wont make its first flight until 2025, if then. There have been several delays in the Su-75 making its first takeoff and test flight. This means it is doubtful that the Su-75 will enter production before the end of the decade. There will be one and two seat versions. The two-seater will be used as a trainer or an electronic warfare aircraft. There were also plans for an unmanned version, without a cockpit, and thus cheaper to build. Russia already has the S-70, a UCAV, or Unmanned Combat Aircraft, in production. This stealthy, delta wing aircraft has already been tested accompanying manned fighters and production is underway. Because of the Ukraine fiasco, it is unlikely that the Su-75 will find any export customers and the Russian air force may not be willing to buy any either.

Problems with recent Sukhoi designs are common. An illuminating example of this is the Su-34. In 2020 the Russian Air Force received the last of the 140 Su-34 fighter-bombers they ordered. Deliveries began in 2010 but the Su34 did not officially enter service until 2014. Four years of testing and modifying the aircraft were required to get all essential systems working. By 2014 about 60 Su-34s had been built since the first flight in 1990. Before that, in the 1980s, seven test and pre-production Su-34s had been built.

The Su-34 is based on the two-seat trainer version of the Su-27K, an aircraft carrier fighter for aircraft carriers that never got built. In the 1990s the design effort shifted to developing a more complex fighter-bomber to replace the Cold War era Su-24 light bomber. While most nations using Su-24s had retired them by 2014, that was not just because of age, but because they could not afford to operate and maintain them.

During the Cold War the Su-24 was the Russian answer to the American F-111 and European Tornado fighter-bombers. Introduced in the mid-1970s, it was a 43-ton swing-wing design with a crew of two and a short range of only about 600 kilometers. Su-24 carried eight tons of bombs and had good fire control and electronics for the time. Some 1,400 were built before production was halted in 1993. Few Su-24s were built after the 1990s so most still in use date from the late 1980s. Su-24s did not age well and many were retired because of that and the lack of upgrade options. Since 2000, over 30 Su-24s have been lost to accidents. This encouraged Russia and export customers to retire most of their Su-24s.

In 2008, Russia began building the first production model Su-34 fighter-bombers. The 45-ton Su-34 is deliberately similar to the 36-ton American F-15E. Both are two-seat fighter-bombers but F-15E is a variant of the 31-ton F-15C fighter. By 2015 Russia still had about 300 Su-24s in service and only about 60 Su-34s. The new Su-34s will not arrive quickly enough to replace most of the elderly Su-24s. By 2020 there were still about a hundred Su-24s in the Russian air force and about fifty operational with foreign air forces.

The Su-34 has a full set of defensive and offensive sensors like radars, targeting cameras, laser designators and electronic warfare gear. The Su-34 also carries eight tons of missiles and smart bombs. Russia wanted to buy enough Su-34s to replace three-hundred older Su-24s but had to settle for 140. Russia built the first twenty-four Su-34s at a cost of $36 million each, which was less than half the cost of an F-15E. Meanwhile, some of the more recently built Su-24s were upgraded as the Su-24M2 standard. Most of the Su-24s still in service are over 30 years old and many have been grounded several times because of age related problems.

The Su-34 was used a lot in Syria after 2015, where the Russians obtained useful data on how the new aircraft performed in a combat zone. Some have also shown up in Libya. In both these combat zones it was confirmed that the Su-34 was easier to maintain than the Su-24, in part because it does not use the swing-wing feature and does have modern engines and electronics that are designed and built to be more reliable and maintainable. There have been no export customers yet, in part because modern fighters can be equipped to carry out most of the tasks the Su-34 and F-15E perform. Moreover, the F-15E is still more fighter than bomber while the Su-34 is basically a well-equipped light bomber.

While the Su-34 saw lots of use in combat zones, it did not have to face modern air defense systems, especially hostile jet fighters. That changed in Ukraine where the Su-34 suffered heavy losses and was often unable to operate because of enemy air defenses, or because it was too difficult for the Russian air force to adequately maintain the Su-34s.

After a few months Russia decided to use its combat aircraft mainly to launch air-to-ground missiles while still flying in Russia. This was because Russia had few combat aircraft to begin with and was unable to buy or even build replacements because of sanctions. Problems with the effectiveness and reliability of Russian warplanes is nothing new but the problems got worse as the Cold War continued and the decline didnt stop with the Cold War ended. Export customers began to realize that the cheaper Russian warplanes were no bargain compared to more effective and reliable Western designs. Some of those Western designs are now coming from China, which was long a customer for Russian warplanes. That is no longer the case as China found it could build better versions of useful Russian fighters. These designs often copied the Russian originals too much and the Russians threatened repercussions, especially if China sought to export their upgraded Sukhois. In the last decade China has turned to Western designs, often using tech plundered from the Western manufacturers.
China's sluggish economy and property troubles turned many investors bearish in 2023  but one sees a lot of promise in certain parts of the country's market. "I think the main reason why strategists worldwide are pretty negative on China for say the new decade is [its] population parameters  we know this is a little adverse in China," said Kingsley Jones, founder and chief investment officer at the Australia-headquartered investment firm Jevons Global. China is facing a population crisis and birth rates have not picked up even though the government abolished its one-child policy in 2016 and scrapped childbirth restrictions in 2021. "The view has been, 'why would you invest in the [Chinese economy]?' I think there's a lot of folks who are a little bearish, perhaps they think that China is on the verge of a collapse. I don't share that view," added Jones, who was speaking to CNBC's " Street Signs Asia " on Tuesday. "I think that there is a strong part of the Chinese economy; so, don't buy the Chinese economy as a whole, buy the strength." Acknowledging that China is "changing gears," Jones noted that it has "astonishing strength" in the electric vehicle and new energy sectors. Stock picks Among the stocks he is bullish on is Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD . "We think it's a great buying opportunity right now," Jones said. He added that visibility on the company has been picking up it the lead-up to the launch of its "high performance" vehicle that integrates smartphone technology into its operating system. The company announced on Jan. 1 that it produced over 3 million energy vehicles in 2023 and it looks set to surpass the production levels of Tesla for the second consecutive year. Tesla, which has yet to release its full-year figures, previously said it produced 1.35 million cars in the first three quarters of last year. Year-to-date, shares in BYD were down nearly 4% on Jan. 2 to 209 Hong Kong dollars ($26.75). As for the mining sector, Jones likes Zijin Mining Group . "They're very active in copper [and] gold worldwide. And they're showing very good growth on copper. And we think in fact, that Zijin will probably be the leading company worldwide for growing copper production, and it's fairly priced at this point in time," he said. Demand for copper has been growing in China, boosted, among other things, by the shift toward electric vehicles as part of the energy transition. Year-to-date, shares in Zijin Mining were trading up around 1.3% at HK$12.86. Other Chinese stocks that Jones finds promising include smartphone company Xiaomi , electric vehicle batteries producer CATL and chemicals company Sunresin New Materials .  CNBC's Penny Chen and Charmaine Jacob contributed to this report.
The destroyed Hamas' office that was attacked by Israel on 02 January killing Palestinian leader Saleh al-Arouri and six others pictured from shattered glass in Beirut southern suburb.

The killing of senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon's capital of Beirut has sparked fears that the war in Gaza could spread beyond the Palestinian enclave.

Al-Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas, was killed Tuesday alongside six other members of the Palestinian militant group after his home in southern Beirut was reportedly targeted by a drone strike.

Lebanon has claimed Israel is responsible for the blast and accused Israel of trying to drag Beirut into a regional war.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strike, while an advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a "surgical" hit on Hamas, rather than an attack on Lebanon.

A spokesperson for Israel's military has said it was "highly prepared for any scenario" after the assassination of al-Arouri.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, a British think tank, said Wednesday that the Beirut strike had certainly increased the risk of opening up another front in the Israel-Hamas war.

"This attack, which is believed to be attributed obviously to the Israeli government, could lead to a more decisive Hezbollah response," Vakil told CNBC's "Street Signs Europe."

"And I think that is perhaps what the Israeli government is trying to achieve: To goad Hezbollah into a broader war but also to demonstrate that its intent to go after broader Hamas leadership everywhere is indeed being met with reality."
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Shipping giant Maersk on Wednesday notched a second consecutive session of strong gains as investors assessed a ratings upgrade and its decision to prolong a halt on Red Sea travel due to safety concerns. The Danish firm topped Europe's Stoxx 600 gainers, with its Copenhagen-listed shares provisionally closing up 5.1% following Tuesday's 6.4% rise. Shares of Germany's Hapag-Lloyd were also higher. Goldman Sachs analysts overnight upgraded their rating on Maersk to neutral from sell. In a note, they said the increase in freight rates was likely to continue in the coming weeks as global shipping routes are disrupted, creating a shortage of vessel space over the busy pre-Lunar New Year period. Maersk began rerouting ships along the Cape of Good Hope route around southern Africa on Dec. 19, citing an unacceptable risk to its staff. This avoids the Red Sea, where ships from various carriers and counties have been targeted by Yemen's Houthi militants. But it also means no access to Egypt's Suez Canal, which adds roughly 30% onto trips between Asia and Europe, constraining global container capacity.

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Uncertainty remains despite a U.S.-led military effort to curb the attacks. Maersk had resumed the Suez route, but suspended it again in recent days after one of its ships was targeted by missiles and small boats. Asia-Europe is Maersk's biggest trade lane, and freight rates on the route have roughly tripled from their early December levels, the Goldman Sachs analysts said, while "the impact on annual contract rates is likely to be positive, albeit dependent on how the security situation evolves." Maersk's other major routes are seeing "positive second-order effects from the Suez disruption." Global trade is also being stymied by drought in the Panama Canal. However, analysts do not currently foresee the same level of global supply chain disruption and capacity constraint as experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, which triggered a huge spike in freight rates and record profits for companies including Maersk. That is largely because the shipping industry has more recently been in a situation of oversupply. Goldman Sachs said its base case for Maersk in 2024 is "now a 'muddle-through' scenario instead of deepening price competition."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Maersk share price.
Oil rose more than 3% on Wednesday as the U.S. warned Houthi militants against further attacks in the Red Sea and OPEC pledged to remain united in supporting prices.

Protests in Libya have also shut down the Sharara oil field, which produces 300,000 barrels per day, two engineers told Reuters on Wednesday.

The West Texas Intermediate contract for February gained $2.32, or 3.29%, to settle at $72.70 a barrel. The Brent contract for March added $2.36, or 3.11%, to settle at $78.25 a barrel.

Houthi militants, who are based in Yemen and backed by Iran, claimed Wednesday that they targeted the CMA CGM Tage container ship. French shipping giant CMA CGM told CNBC in a statement that the vessel "did not suffer any incident."

This comes a day after Danish shipping giant Maersk halted all shipping through the Red Sea until further notice due to repeated Houthi attacks on vessels. German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd confirmed Wednesday that it would continue to avoid the Red Sea.

The U.S. and 12 allies called Wednesday for the Houthis to immediately halt "these illegal attacks," warning the militants would "bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."

"The United States does not seek conflict with any nation or actor in the Middle East," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during a White House briefing Wednesday.

"But neither will we shrink from the task of defending ourselves, our interests, our partners, or the free flow of international commerce," Kirby said.

Oil prices have been volatile this week, with U.S. crude and the global benchmark settling more than 1% lower on Tuesday despite Maersk's decision to continue avoiding the Red Sea due to attacks by the Houthis.

"We haven't seen prices react much in part because fundamentals are softer for crude right now," Amrita Sen, founder and director of research at Energy Aspects, told CNBC on Wednesday. "We've seen some inventory builds toward year end and that's why the market just isn't sensitive to this."

"Even if there are attacks we're not expecting any oil supply losses on the back of it," Sen said. "The market is going to look for specific supply disruptions that actually helps tighten balances before we see a significant increase in prices."

OPEC and its allies issued a statement Wednesday pledging to remain united in the group's "efforts to maintain oil market stability going forward." Several members of the group pledged in November to cut 2.2 million barrels per day through the first quarter of this year to support prices.

Traders have been skeptical of that pledge because it is voluntary and OPEC has struggled to maintain a united front. The promised voluntary cuts have done little to support prices as the U.S. pumps crude at a record clip and demand weakens in China.

U.S. crude and the global benchmark fell more than 10% in 2023 on worries that the market is oversupplied.

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Aerial drone view of Atlanta Skyline, Georgia the peach state show Dome of State Capital. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

At least four state capitol complexes across the U.S. were forced to evacuate Wednesday morning due to a series of bomb threats, officials said.

In Georgia, Gabriel Sterling, an elections official with the Office of the Secretary of State, wrote on X around 8:30 a.m. ET that there had been a bomb threat at the Georgie State Capitol, causing a delayed opening. About 20 minutes later, he tweeted that the complex had re-opened after law enforcement officials investigated. An official with the Georgia State Police didn't immediately respond to questions from NBC News.

In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear wrote on X around 10:30 a.m. ET that the state police had evacuated the state Capitol and was investigating a "threat received by the Secretary of State's Office."

Officials with the Kentucky State Police didn't immediately respond to questions from NBC News.

A spokesperson for the Michigan State Police also confirmed that there had been a bomb threat to the Michigan State Capitol Wednesday morning.

"In response to a threat made involving the Michigan State Capitol Building in Lansing, we can confirm a threat was emailed to a general account for the Michigan State Capitol Commission around 7:45 a.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024," Michigan State Police spokesperson Lori Dougovito said.

"We are aware of similar threats sent to government agencies across the country," Dougovito said, adding that the Capitol was evacuated and that the building was searched.

The situation remains under investigation and the building "will remain closed for the rest of the day," she added.

In Mississippi, an official with the Department of Public Safety said the state Capitol had "successfully been cleared" after a bomb threat was made.

"The building was thoroughly searched, and no explosives or suspicious equipment were found," the spokesperson, Bailey Martin, said in a statement. "There is no further threat to the Capitol or surrounding buildings," Martin added.

The threats appeared to be part of a broader pattern unfolding across the U.S., with reports of similar threats being made to state Capitols in Connecticut, Montana and Minnesota. Law enforcement officials in those three states didn't immediately respond to questions from NBC News.

 This is a developing story.
The Santa Claus rally is in trouble. That's the tendency for the stock market to rise on the last five days of the old year, and the first two days of the new year  typically good for a gain of 1.3%, and historically the best seven-consecutive-day period of the year. But not so far. With one day left in the trade, the S & P 500 is down 0.1% in the past six days. The effect's most important use is not as a trading vehicle, but as an indicator, specifically what happens if the S & P is negative during this seven-day period. "Santa's failure to show tends to precede bear markets, or times stocks could be purchased later in the year at much lower prices," Jeff Hirsch writes in the Stock Trader's Almanac. Fortunately, a negative Santa Claus rally period doesn't happen very often, only 12 times since 1969  less than 25% of the time. Still, don't get too attached to indicators. Tom McClellan, also a sharp market watcher, noted that in years when the Santa Claus rally period is down, the market has been down only 40% of the time in the calendar year that followed. That means the market is up 60% of the time after the Santa Claus rally period is down, only mildly worse than the roughly 75% of the time the market rises year over year. Speaking of seasonal indicators, we are in the middle of several others, including the First Five Days "Early Warning" System. Hirsch notes that in presidential election years, this indicator has a respectable record. In the last 18 election years, 15 full years followed the direction of the First Five Days. That's an 83% success rate. Then there's the famous January barometer that states, "as goes January so goes the year." Hirsch notes it came into effect in 1934 after the Twentieth Amendment moved the date that new Congresses convene to the first week of January and presidential inaugurations to Jan. 20. It has a respectable 83.6% accuracy rate, with 12 major errors since 1950. However, the full-month January barometer has a softer record in election years, with 12 of the last 18 full years following January's direction. Election effect Finally, there are the elections. In the U.S., election years with a sitting president tend to be stronger. Dan Clifton at Strategas has noted that the S & P 500, measured on a total return basis, has increased in every presidential reelection year since 1944. "That is 16 out of 16 years, which includes years with recessions, like 2020," Clifton notes. The outperformance is notable: The S & P tends to be stronger by 1.3% on average. This happens because elected officials who are in office have some levers they can pull to keep the economy going. Clifton notes that the Biden administration has already pulled some, including the Treasury's November decision not to increase long-term debt issuance but to finance the deficit with more T-bills instead. "We expect Treasury to pass the baton to the Fed in 2024 with the Fed expected to cut rates multiple times in 2024," Clifton noted. But the U.S. isn't the only country facing an election. There are 40 national elections in 2024, according to Bloomberg, including Mexico, India, Taiwan, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Africa and Tunisia. "To the extent to which nearly 80% of the world's market capitalization will face a national election of some sort this year, fiscal and monetary policy makers will have a strong incentive to seek policies to avoid recessions regardless of cost," Jason Trennert from Strategas wrote in a recent note to clients. There's also a downside: It creates the potential for elected officials to attempt to score political points by taking provocative and confrontational positions.
Oil traders are not taking the risk of escalation in the Middle East seriously enough as the situation in the region deteriorates by the day, according to RBC Capital Markets. There are several key flashpoints where the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a regional conflict that has a material impact on oil, according to the firm. Those flashpoints are the Red Sea, Lebanon and Iraq, analyst Helima Croft wrote in a note to clients this week. "We still see a clear and present danger that this will become a wider regional conflict," Croft wrote. Crude prices fell Tuesday despite renewed attacks by Houthi militants in the Red Sea over the weekend. The Danish shipping giant Maersk has paused all shipping through the crucial trade chokepoint until further notice due to the deteriorating security situation. The West Texas Intermediate contract for February lost $1.27, or 1.77%, to settle at $70.38 a barrel on Tuesday. The global Brent benchmark shed $1.15, or 1.49%, to settle at $75.89. U.S. crude and the global benchmark rose more than 3% on Wednesday as disruption to an oil field in Libya added to supply concerns from Red Sea tensions. "Given the importance of this region in terms of shipping of crude, production of crude, it's not really reflecting the ratcheting up of tensions," Croft said about prices in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. Traders got burned by betting on disruptions to oil supply from Russia in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that ultimately did not materialize, Croft said. Investors are now questioning how current tensions in the Middle East are different than past crises in the region, she said. "The market is basically saying 'we will wait and see until something happens,'" Croft said. "But it is really getting much more serious every day," she said of tensions in the region. The escalation risk essentially boils down to Iran, according Adi Imsirovic, a veteran oil trader who is now an energy security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It all depends on whether there's some sort of contagion where Israel and Iran may get into some sort of conflict and obviously the U.S. would be there on the side of Israel," Imsirovic told CNBC. Red Sea attacks Croft sees growing indications that the U.S. and U.K. are preparing for a more large-scale military operation against the Houthis in Yemen, who are backed by Iran. The U.S. and 12 predominantly Western allies put the Houthis on notice Wednesday. The allies warned the militants that they would "bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways." The Houthis have used missiles and drones to attack ships near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. The attacks have continued despite the U.S. launching a multinational maritime force, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect shipping. "Even though the U.S. has built a coalition to protect ships, the shipping companies are not yet sure about it," Steven Schoenfeld, CEO of MarketVector Indexes, told CNBC in an interview Tuesday. "There is a real possibility of kinetic strikes both from the Houthis toward shipping and from the U.S.-led coalition, which was bolstered by Britain over the weekend, against Houthi targets whether those initially be on sea or possibly on land," Schoenfeld said. Tensions escalated Sunday after four small Houthi boats attacked the container ship Maersk Hangzhou. U.S. Navy helicopters responded to a distress call from the vessel, and directly engaged the Houthi militants after taking fire from them. The helicopters sunk three of the boats, killing the crews, according to the U.S. Central Command. The attack came just as major shipping companies such as Maersk started to send vessels through the Red Sea after pressing pause in early December due to the security situation. Maersk stopped shipping through the Red Sea again and is rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Some 12% of global trade and about 3 million barrels of crude oil pass through the Red Sea per day, according to RBC Capital Markets. Oil shipping through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal has become more important since Russia's invasion of Ukraine as Europe's dependence on crude from the Middle East has grown, according to a JPMorgan note to clients Wednesday. So far, large-scale rerouting of crude tankers around the Cape has not yet materialized, according to the investment bank. Container ships are taking the biggest hit right now. Freight rates on the Asia-Europe route for a 40-foot container have tripled since early December to $4,000 to $5,000 and will likely continue to rise, according to Goldman Sachs in a note to clients Tuesday. Imsirovic said a worst-case scenario in which crude shipments are rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope would create delays but should not fundamentally disrupt oil supplies. The key question is whether Iran will simply stand on the sidelines if the U.S. and U.K. launch a major operation against Tehran's Houthi allies, Croft wrote. Iran deployed a destroyer to the Red Sea after the weekend clashes between the U.S. Navy and the Houthis. While the market is currently focused on the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz "is far more consequential for global energy supplies," Croft told clients in her note. An average of 15 million barrels of oil per day transited the strait in 2023, according RBC Capital Markets. "A more fulsome Iranian entry into the war would dramatically increase the threat to regional energy supplies, not only because of the country's energy assets, but also its ability to imperil maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz," Croft wrote. Croft pointed to Iran's targeting of tankers in the strait in 2019 after President Donald Trump ratcheted up sanctions against the Islamic Republic. "If you saw any action in the Straits, that would be material for oil prices," she told CNBC on Tuesday. Imsirovic, for his part, said it is unlikely that Iran will intervene directly when Tehran can sit back and cause problems through proxies such as the Houthis, but there is always the risk that messy situations such as that in the Red Sea can spin out of control. Imsirovic also questioned whether there is any appetite in the Biden administration for a war in the Middle East with the presidential election rapidly approaching. Lebanon and Iraq Tensions are also mounting between Israel and Lebanon as Hezbollah, a militant group also aligned with Iran, fires rockets across the southern border. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war Cabinet, warned Beirut last week that the Israel Defense Forces would clear Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon if the militants do not withdraw from the area and halt missile attacks. The situation in Lebanon escalated further Tuesday with Hamas blaming Israel for a blast in Beirut that killed the militant group's deputy head, Saleh al-Arouri. Israel so far has declined to comment on the blast. "We believe that the Lebanon/second-front risk remains underappreciated by market participants and that it is one of the main conduits for direct Iranian involvement in the ongoing war," Croft wrote in her note. Hezbollah is more cautious than the Houthis after suffering significant losses in a war with Israel in 2006, according to Croft. Nevertheless, the situation in Lebanon is "extremely precarious" right now and Iran has a much closer relationship with Hezbollah than the Houthis. An expansion of the fighting in Lebanon presents a "clear pathway" to wider regional war as a consequence, Croft wrote. Militias allied with Iran also launched a drone attack last week on a U.S. base in Erbil, Iraq. Three U.S. service members were injured, leaving one of them in critical condition. President Joe Biden responded by launching airstrikes on sites used by the militants in Iraq. An attack that leads to a significant number of U.S. casualties could draw Washington into another round of fighting in Iraq, Croft wrote in her Tuesday note. "We don't know yet really what is the red line for President Biden," Croft told CNBC on Tuesday. Trump had drawn that line at the killing of Americans, and ordered the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 in response. The problem is that the U.S. may not really have much control over events, Croft said. "That's why we say watch the situation in Lebanon because the Israelis have said that they are not going to stand for Hezbollah staying on that border," she said.
Former U.S. President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. October 29, 2023.

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday filed an appeal of the decision by Maine's top election official that he is ineligible to appear on the state's primary ballot.

"[T]he Secretary's Ruling was the product of a process infected by bias and pervasive lack of due process; is arbitrary, capricious, and characterized by abuse of discretion," Trump's attorneys wrote in their appeal to Maine Superior Court.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, ruled last week that the former president is constitutionally barred from appearing on the state's primary ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, citing his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump's lawyers, however, said in their filing that Section 3 does not apply to the former president and that Bellows, a Democratic former state senator, has no authority to enforce it anyway. They also say she should have recused herself, arguing she is too partisan to weigh the case fairly.

Trump's legal team asked the court to ensure that Trump remains on the ballot for Maine's Republican primary, scheduled for March 5. Bellows has not removed Trump from the ballot yet, pausing her decision until the courts weigh in.

In her 34-page decision last month, Bellows wrote that Trump's conduct around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol compelled her to rule him ineligible.

"The weight of the evidence makes clear that Mr. Trump was aware of the tinder laid by his multi-month effort to delegitimize a democratic election, and then chose to light a match," she wrote, adding that he "used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power."

In an interview with NBC News last month, Bellows said her preference would have been to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter, which centers on the 14th Amendment, but she believed Maine law required her to act now.

"The country would be well served if the United States Supreme Court issues clear guidance on this unprecedented constitutional question for all to follow," Bellows said.

The Superior Court has until Jan. 17 to decide whether to affirm or overturn Bellows' decision. That ruling can then be appealed to the state's Supreme Judicial Court or the U.S. Supreme Court.

Maine allows any registered voter to challenge a candidate's eligibility, which three voters in the state did against Trump. The deadline for Bellows to make a decision was the end of December.

A day after her ruling, Bellows became the target of a "swatting call"  a false report of a crime or emergency with the intention of drawing law enforcement to a location.

State police said they received a call from a man who said he had broken into Bellows' home. But upon their arrival, officers did not find anyone at her house. Bellows was not at home at the time.

State police said there's still an active investigation into the incident, and the person who made the call has not been identified.

Bellows issued her ruling after the Colorado Supreme Court last month ruled Trump ineligible to appear on the Republican primary ballot there as well.

State Republicans have asked the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling.

Meanwhile, courts in Arizona, Michigan and Minnesota have ruled against efforts to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot in those states.
Russian officials said Ukraine attacked the Russian city of Belgorod overnight, as well as the port city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea, as a series of retaliatory strikes by Russia and Ukraine continue.

The Russian Governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Russia downed more Ukrainian missiles approaching the city and wider Belgorod region and reported some damage to houses and power supplies. The Russian-installed Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev also said a missile was downed there Tuesday night, although no damage to infrastructure had been recorded.

The latest attacks, which have not been confirmed by Ukraine, continue a recent intensification of aerial warfare around the new year, and a series of "tit for tat" strikes by Russia and Ukraine over the last few days.
Eight new Thai airlines are set to start operations as the tourism-reliant nation expects a sustained recovery in leisure travel to draw about 35 million foreign visitors this year.

Really Cool Airlines, which plans to offer scheduled services on medium-to-long haul international routes, is among the companies which have won Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkits approval for operator licenses, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. The carriers have also been permitted to import a total of 60 aircraft, it said in a statement.

The new operators will compete with carriers including Thai Airways International Pcl, which is firming up an order for as many as 80 jets from Boeing Co, and Asia Aviation Pcl, for a share of the more than 130 million passengers expected to travel through the nations main six airports this year.

Also read:

Foreign tourist arrivals more than doubled last year to 28 million after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisins administration waived visa requirements for travelers from its key markets like China and India.

Really Cool Airlines, founded by Patee Sarasin, a former chief executive of budget carrier Nok Airlines Pcl, will commence chartered flight services in March. It plans to initially operate flights to Japan and aims to serve additional Asian destinations, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai, during the first two years, Patee said in November.

Other airlines planning to begin operations this year include Pattaya Airways, Asian Aerospace Service, Avanti Air Sarter, Siam Seaplane and Asia Atlantic Airlines, The Nation newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, Thailand and China agreed on a bilateral deal to waive visa requirements for travellers, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The a move is expected to accelerate the pace of the post-pandemic recovery in the Southeast Asian nation's key tourism industry.

Chinese visitors to Thailand will be exempted from visa needs beyond the current temporary scheme ending Feb. 29, Srettha told reporters on Tuesday. China will also grant Thai tourists the same permanent privilege following several rounds of talks, he said.

Chinese were Thailands largest group of tourists before the pandemic. They accounted for more than a quarter of the 40 million visitors in 2019 but tallied only about 3.5 million out of the 28 million tourists last year.
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Exhibition on ancient Greece held in Changsha, China's Hunan

Xinhua) 16:38, January 03, 2024

A visitor takes photos of a cultural relic at an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

People visit an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

People visit an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

People visit an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

A boy visits an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

People visit an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Sculptures are on display at an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

A visitor views a cultural relic at an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

People visit an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

A visitor views a cultural relic at an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

People visit an exhibition titled "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" at Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Jan. 3, 2024. The exhibition features a total of 270 pieces or sets of cultural relics from 14 museums and cultural institutions in Greece, including gold ware, bronze ware, pottery and sculptures. The exhibition is available until May 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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In 2017, HBO's documentary "Mommy Dead and Dearest" looked into the gripping case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee.

Gypsy, previously portrayed as sick due to her mother's manipulation, confessed to Dee Dee's murder. Under Dee Dee's influence, Gypsy believed she suffered from various illnesses despite being healthy. Gypsy and her online boyfriend faced murder charges after Dee Dee was found stabbed in 2015. This tragic and bizarre story inspired Hulu's series "The Act," highlighting the unsettling tale of deception and tragedy that unfolded within their family.

Psychiatrist Marc Feldman says that Dee Dee most likely had Munchausen by proxy disorder, now called factitious disorder imposed on another or FDIA, is a rare form of abuse that involves a caregiver inducing illness or fabricating symptoms in someone under their care. This condition gained attention due to its deceptive and harmful nature. Here, the caregiver, often a parent, seeks attention or sympathy by presenting the victim, commonly a child, as ill or impaired.

Symptoms of Munchausen by Proxy Disorder

Individuals with FDIA exhibit an array of behaviors, including falsifying medical histories, tampering with diagnostic tests, and even inducing symptoms through medication or other means. They might exaggerate or invent symptoms, leading to unnecessary medical procedures or treatments. This behavior persists despite negative consequences and interventions.

Impact on victims

Victims of MBP endure significant physical and emotional trauma. Misdiagnosis, unnecessary medical interventions and isolation from peers are common. Additionally, victims often face challenges in trusting others and may struggle with their identity and health perceptions.

Identifying MBP can be challenging due to its complex and covert nature. Medical professionals and authorities must carefully navigate suspicions while ensuring the safety of the victim and offering support to the caregiver, who may also need mental health assistance.
MANZINI  Police are on a manhunt for an alleged serial rapist around Matsapha.

It has been gathered that five women have been reportedly raped in their houses in locations around Matsapha, through a similar modus operandi. The women, according to sources, were sexually abused around Logoba, where the suspect reportedly broke into their houses and forced himself on them. The sources claimed that at instances, the suspect pretended to be seeking assistance in establishing where a particular person resided and upon the female opening the door, he forced himself into the house and raped her.

Claimed

Sources alleged that the rape incidents had caused fear among the residents of Matsapha. They claimed that the rapist on Saturday at Logoba engaged in his squalid act and raped another woman. It was claimed that the suspect took advantage of the congested surroundings in the locations within Matsapha as there were many one-room flats, which made it easier for him to flee the scene thereafter. Sources purported that the rape cases with this modus operandi exceeded 30 in a span of at least five months and they were convinced that there could be a serial rapist in Matsapha.

They claimed that their suspicions of the serial rapist were based on the fact that even after some people accused of rape were arrested, the rapes continued. However, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that there were five cases reported to the police. Vilakati said police were investigating the reports and requested members of the public who may have information about the suspect and or those who could have fallen prey to the alleged rapist and not reported their cases yet to contact them. She said they could report the cases to the nearest police station and or call the police toll-free numbers  999 or 9999. It is worth noting that the polices last annual report stated that 697 women were raped in 2022.

On the other hand, the Director of Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA), Nonhlanhla Dlamini, said the survivors could visit their facilities to get counselling and support following the ordeal they had experienced. Dlamini said, at the time, she was not certain if the cases had been reported to their offices as it had been the festive season holidays. However, she said despite the holidays, two of their centres located in Manzini and Mbabane were operating.

Arrested

The rape cases reported in Matsapha come against the backdrop of a man dubbed the Facebook rapist being arrested last week after he reportedly used fake accounts on Facebook to lure women who were looking for jobs. He purportedly promised them jobs and when they reached his location, the story changed and he would ask them to sleep with him in exchange for money, his favourite amount was said to be E2 500. It is worth noting that in 2015, a serial rapist from Matsapha, who raped 11 women, was sentenced to 208 years imprisonment.
Death comes for every man, but that doesn't mean you have to make it easy for the bastard. These are the men who, despite whatever terrible things they may have done in life, earned a place in our hearts with their amazingly badass deaths.

7 Edward Teach a.k.a. Blackbeard Why He Had to Go Blackbeard or Edward Teach was a famous English pirate and a massive asshole by all accounts. He had between fourteen and sixteen wives, most of them about a biscuit older than Dakota Fanning. One wife in particular would be routinely forced to run a train with the crew while Blackbeard watched and "buffed his peg leg" so to speak. He burnt hemp beneath his ... um, black beard, to make it look like he was breathing fire, which worked to intimidate his enemies but likely alienated his crew since such a stunt would make an 18th century pirate smell like a snowman made of dogshit. He'd also occasionally murder his first mate, just to keep everyone on their toes.

"I can't even remember why I was mad at you." How He Went Down Blackbeard eventually retired to North Carolina to spend his senior years rolling around in gold coins. But the Governor of Virginia put out a hit on Blackbeard, sending two ships after him, commanded by Robert Maynard. Rather than running from the two enormous ships sent to kill him, Blackbeard boarded Maynard's ship. Well, first he bombed the deck with an assload of primitive grenades like Jim Brown in The Dirty Dozen. That's when things got all sorts of stabby. Blackbeard nearly severed the fingers on one of Maynard's hands with his sword, and Maynard broke his fucking sword stabbing Blackbeard back. At the end of the fight, Blackbeard had been stabbed twenty times and suffered at least five gunshot wounds, before bleeding to death while trying to reload his pistol to keep the party going. Maynard then cut Blackbeard's head off and hung it from the bow of his sloop, partly for effect but mostly because he needed the head to collect his reward. He was paid 100 pounds for his trouble, the modern equivalent of about $18,000 or a 2006 Buick Rainier. Advertisement

Go ahead. You've earned it.

6 Pablo Escobar Why He Had to Go Escobar was the head of the Medellin Drug Cartel, a Colombian drug empire that moved 80 percent of the world's cocaine (the remaining 20 percent was trafficking its way through Dennis Hopper). In 1989, Forbes magazine famously named Pablo Escobar the seventh richest man in the world with an estimated worth of $25 billion. He was immediately rocketed to prominence in the world of rap lyrics and airbrushed t-shirts.

Not pictured: historical context. Escobar was personally responsible for over 4,000 deaths, which is roughly 100 times more people than you will ever meet. He ordered the assassination of a Colombian presidential candidate who supported an extradition treaty with the United States. Then he blew up a commercial airliner to kill a man that wound up not even being on the plane, and leveled several city blocks in the bombing of a government building in Bogota. Advertisement He routinely murdered judges and politicians, and had a standing public bounty on police officers. He ordered two to three car bombings a day, enough that we're surprised people didn't just start walking to work. Advertisement How He Went Down A special task force consisting of U.S. Delta Force operators, SEAL Team 6 and the Colombian police was formed with the explicit purpose of taking Pablo down. They were known as the Search Bloc, and they were in no way fucking around.

We are in no way fucking around. They joined a posse of vigilantes known as Los Pepes, made up of the friends and family of the people that Pablo had murdered. They tracked Escobar to a barrio and a bullet festival ensued. The shootout led to the rooftops of Medellin, with Escobar jumping from building to building, absorbing gunshot wounds to the legs and torso. Finally fed up with the hail of gunfire, he shot himself in the head to avoid capture. Advertisement However, the authorities claim that the fatal shot was from one of the several thousand they fired at him, a story which is supported by the painting below depicting Escobar as a King Kong-sized Jack Black being attacked by rubber space capsules. There was also a book written about Escobar called Killing Pablo. Chances are if the title of a book about you refers to how you were kicked off the planet, you probably stepped on a few too many toes.

The only thing missing from this picture is Richard Dreyfuss measuring his bite radius.

5 Ned Kelly Why He Had to Go Ned Kelly was an infamous Australian outlaw in the late 19th century, responsible for two major bank robberies and the murder of three policemen. He's an icon in Australian history, alongside such heroes as Paul Hogan and the dude who brews Fosters. Advertisement Advertisement It should be noted he shot the three policemen while trying to escape an attempted murder charge. So it was like punching your wife in the face to get her to stop lying about being punched in the face. How He Went Down Ned Kelly and his gang took over seventy hostages at the Glenrowan Inn after learning a train full of policemen were on their way to arrest them. Despite an attempt to derail the train, the police managed to corner Kelly and his men in the inn. The outlaws, taking the next logical step, donned homemade suits of motherfucking battle armor. Kelly marched straight outside and started firing at the police while the rest of his gang remained behind. Bullets pinged off Kelly's armor, but his legs and groin were comparatively unprotected (a huge oversight, in our opinion).

Body armor as designed by Cracked Staff. Advertisement Kelly took enough shots below the belt that he eventually went down. But while the rest of his gang was killed during the shootout, Kelly survived and was arrested. Two weeks later they put him on trial and ordered his execution. When the judge handed down the death sentence, Kelly responded, "I will see you there when I go." The judge died a few weeks later, proving that on top of everything else, Kelly was a dark wizard.

4 Leon Trotsky Why He Had to Go In 1917, Trotsky was Lenin's right hand man when the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia. He created and commanded the Red Army and was a member of the Politburo, which oversaw all other branches of Soviet government and made all policy decisions. He also wore glasses and had a wicked goatee, so you know he read books and shit. Advertisement Advertisement

Quiet, I'm reading this shit. After Lenin died, Trotsky was expelled from the Communist party and kicked out of Russia. In return, Trotsky attempted to enter the United States to testify before Congress that Stalin was a major douchebag. Upon hearing this, Stalin decided his next move would be to expel Trotsky from life. How He Went Down Trotsky was denied entry into the U.S. and eventually found his way to a home in Mexico City. It was there that he was attacked by Ramon Mercader, an assassin working for Stalin. While Trotsky was home reading some shit, Mercader buried an ice axe into the back of his skull. This just pissed Trotsky off. He stood up from his desk, axe in head, and spit on Mercader. Then he went after the assassin, wrestling with him. Trotsky's bodyguards heard the commotion (where the fuck were they a few minutes ago?) and came running in to subdue the assassin and get Trotsky to the hospital. Advertisement

"I gotta say, you seem- Oh. Okay, I see the problem." Trotsky made it to the hospital and underwent surgery before finally dying a day later from complications related to being brained with a goddamn ice axe. We're hoping he lived long enough to fire those bodyguards.

3 Gabriel Garcia Moreno Why He Had to Go Moreno served as president of Ecuador in the mid-19th century. He was a devout Catholic and founded country's Conservative Party. He also looked like F. Murray Abraham.

One Moreno. Two Morenos. Whhaaaaaa? Moreno established a law that made Catholicism the official religion of Ecuador, and required that anyone who ran or voted for office be Catholic. While this is awesome for Catholics, it's kind of a drag for everyone else. And so, the "everyone else" constituentcy of Ecuador decided that it was time to punch Moreno's ticket, F. Murray Abraham be damned. Advertisement Advertisement How He Went Down As he left the cathedral in Quito, Moreno was brutally attacked by a group of assassins. Armed with machetes, the group sliced through the president's neck, skull and brain, and severed his left arm and right hand. He stayed on his feet. The man was the Black Knight from Monty Python. Undeterred, his attackers shot him six times in the chest. He was slashed a total of fourteen times before he finally fell to the ground. Even then he was alive enough to write "God does not die" on the ground... in his own fucking blood. After the assassins fled, the cathedral priests took Moreno back inside the church, where he lived for fifteen more minutes. When his body was examined after death, physicians observed he had balls of wrought iron .

Moreno's left testicle, artist's conception. Advertisement

2 Ferdinand Magellan Why He Had to Go Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who was the first person in history to circumnavigate the globe, and was the first European to reach the Philippine Islands. Incredibly, he also discovered the Strait of Magellan. Who saw that coming? Magellan agreed to kill a man named Lapu-Lapu, an enemy of two different Philippine kings that he was friendly with. It was originally his plan to convert Lapu-Lapu to Christianity, but in lieu of conversion, the sweet, sweet embrace of death would have to do.

"Can't say I didn't try." How He Went Down Magellan and his crew landed on Lapu's home island of Mactan. However, Lapu apparently knew they were coming, because he had an army waiting. Advertisement Advertisement Magellan was hit with a poison dart almost immediately, but he trucked onward into the mass of native warriors, possibly shouting the Portuguese equivalent of "MOTHERFUCKERS!" as he did so. He was stabbed in the face with a bamboo spear, to which he responded by burying his lance in the attacker. Magellan tried to draw his sword to keep fighting, but his arm was slashed and soon his leg as well, and he fell to the ground more or less mortally wounded.

Actual photograph of Magellan. The natives then surrounded him and began stabbing and clubbing him as he lay defenseless. He kept looking up to see if his crew had made it safely back to their boats and, upon seeing that they finally had, Magellan allowed himself to die. We like to think that with his last breath, he screamed and chucked a spear that left a single cut in Lapu's cheek. Advertisement
Of all the subjects taught in school, history might contain the most wiggle room. The story of how everything ever went down reaches you after being filtered through about a million different midway points, including your poor, sleep-deprived Social Studies teacher. It would be nice if it was easily replicable and followed some standard rules of cause and effect, like math or science. Unfortunately, it revolves almost entirely around one of the worst variables ever included in any research: people. This leads to a couple things getting irreversibly etched into our minds with missing, misinterpreted or straight-up made-up details.

To that end, here are five events that most people remember wrong

5 The Alamo Public Domain Slavery forever! doesn  t age nearly as well. I think most people, buoyed by its rootin-tootin reputation as a cowboy standoff, think of the Alamo as a great American triumph against the Forces of Whoever. Cigar-chomping crack shooters aiming down the barrel of an old lever-action rifle, defending said Alamo against invaders until their last breath. How dare they, after all, attempt to take away Americas precious land and expect not to be met with fierce resistance? Except that America were the invaders here. They were attempting to colonize a piece of Mexico to form what we now know as Texas, and only ended up trapped in the Alamo when the Mexican Army tried, understandably, to get them to fuck off. Even worse, the biggest sticking point among these American settlers, the one that Mexico refused to allow on their land? Slavery. So the horrific oppression the fighters of the Alamo bravely stood against was their ability to oppress other people. Advertisement

4 The Cause of Columbine Pixabay Sorry incels, but handsome jocks didn  t have anything to do with it. In 1999, two Columbine High School students I dont care to give any more recognition pioneered a new brand of American tragedy. They showed up to school with firearms and committed a massacre which, at the time, was unusual. Dont worry, were not taking a dark-corners-of-YouTube turn here, thats all undeniably true. One facet, though, has gotten muddy over time in a needlessly sympathetic way. Maybe absorbing a bit of the motive of the many copycats they spawned, people still tend to think that the Columbine shooters were lashing out against endless bullying, that it was their personal war against the varsity-jacketed jocks that had dunked their heads in the toilet. In reality, they were bullies themselves, not exactly shrinking daisies pushed to the edge. They might have been weirdos, but they sat at a figuratively full lunch table, with a solid group of close friends. They werent goth, either, so you can stop checking every pair of chained-up raver pants for a side-pocket bulge. Advertisement

3 The Y2K Bug Pixabay They saved the world and then went back to being the IT guy. Advertisement If youre, like me, a decrepit, creaky-kneed fart who was alive and forming memories in 1999, youll remember the panic over the Y2K bug. The fear being that some corner-cutting years back that resulted in tons of computer code using two-digit years would result in widespread chaos when those same computers saw the year turn from 1999 to, in their electric heads, 1900. This chaos, for the most part, never ensued. Which might be why its most commonly referenced as an example of needless panic or fear-mongering. Instead of maybe what it should be, which is a top-notch campaign of preparedness by the nations finest nerds. No, Y2K didnt send us into a second stone age, because the tech side of society had been retroactively future-proofing our old, lazy software for close to 10 years. You dont spend a hundred billion dollars on a problem that solves itself. Advertisement

2 One Nation, Under God U.S. National Archives Before we do our worksheets, let  s confirm that America is a Christian nation. The Pledge of Allegiance, in most peoples minds, is old as shit. A timeless bit of hoo-rah half-poetry that was probably drafted along with the Constitution. For this reason, suggesting anyone change, or simply not recite it, is considered light treason. Whats next, cutting out a childs organs and selling them to the Soviets for equal distribution? One especially adhesive sticking point was when the idea of removing Under God from the pledge. The reality is, the pledge wasnt carved into some stone at Plymouth Rock, but was written well into Americas history, in 1892. One other often unknown detail: The 1892 version had no references to God whatsoever, probably because of that whole separation of church and state thing. Under God was slipped into the pledge only roughly 70 years ago in 1954, meaning its young enough that it wouldnt even be required to make withdrawals from its retirement account yet. By the way, that In God We Trust you see on the back of every dollar bill? That came a year later, in 1955. Advertisement Advertisement
MBABANE  The alleged illegal miners of Green Chert, who were arrested during the investigation which led to the arrest of two police officers, have spilled the beans against the officers.

Green Chert is a type of Quartz with a very good quality; it can be used in the manufacturing of artefacts and even jewellery. The officers, Constable Mancoba Vilakati, who is based at Piggs Peak Police Station and Sergeant Bakhona Moyane, who works under the Royal Residence Protection Unit, are facing a charge of corruption and they are currently behind bars, as their bail is being met with resistance from the prosecution. One of the alleged illegal miners of the stone deposed to an affidavit relating his involvement, in the matter and how the officers allegedly demanded a bribe of E20 000 from him and his companions not to arrest them for being found in possession of Green Chert.

He also disclosed how one of the officers allegedly threatened him with death, in the event he disclosed his involvement in the theft and illegal sale of Green Chert. In a statement, they detailed how the whole alleged unlawful operation was carried out, purportedly on the instruction of the accused persons (officers). Thabiso Mncina of Luhlangotsini submitted that on July 29, 2023, with his companions, they went to Malolotja Mine to steal Green Chert, which they in turn sold to their customers. He narrated to the court that they ferried the stones from Malolotja to his parental home at Luhlangotsini. Mncina said they then called one of their customers, to come and buy the stones. According to Mncina, the customer arrived at his parental home on July 30, 2023, and inspected the stones but did not buy them, as he said they were not what he was looking for.

Shots

May I state that on the very same day, during lunch hour, a police van arrived at my parental home and we ran away with the other boys. The police officers who alighted from the van called us but we did not stop until they fired warning shots and we returned, submitted Mncina. He related to the court that upon arrival, they noticed that the police officers were known to them as Mancoba Vilakati and Bakhona Moyane from Piggs Peak Police Station. The two police officers conducted a search at my parental home at Luhlangotsini where they found the stones and they demanded E20 000, failing which, they told us that they would arrest us, alleged Mncina. He alleged that he then pleaded with them (Moyane and Vilakati) that they did not have such an amount of money and they subsequently reduced it to E15 000, which they agreed to pay after selling the Green Chert stones. Mncina highlighted that the two police officers did not arrest them and they did not take the Green Chert to Piggs Peak Police Station, instead took it to Matitila/Nkomanzi at Jabulani Pat Ginindzas homestead.

They (two police officers) ordered me to organise five boys to go with them to offload the mineral stones. Those who went with them were, me, Melusi Mbatha, June Hlophe, David Shiba and Mhlonishwa, alleged Mncina. He disclosed that Vilakati (Mancoba) first called him on August 1, 2023, and also arrived at his (Mncina) parental home driving his car. Mncina brought it to the attention of the court that Vilakati then threatened him that he should not involve him in the issue of the Green Chert. He told me that in the event I disclosed his involvement in the whole issue, I will never see the day of trial as I will be dead, submitted Mncina. Mncina alleged that Vilakati went to Mandozas Shop in Piggs Peak and asked him (Mandoza) to inform him (Mncina) that he would shoot him.

Investigating

According to the deponent, when the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) had started investigating the issue of Green Chert, he visited the shop and saw Vilakati entering. He alleged that Vilakati told him that he knew that he had implicated him in the matter of Green Chert and further said he (Mncina) would never see the day of the trial to testify against him, as he would shoot him. before the commencement of the trial. He took out a lot of money from his pocket and told me that I should look at it. He further said he was not scared of the police whom I have reported him to since he has money and that I was poorer than him and I will die poor before I testify against him, submitted Mncina.

Inspector Friday Mabuza said the mineral stones were then collected by Fisokuhle Makhosahlangene Masina, who is Moyanes cousin in the presence of Thabiso to Mvutjini/Ezulwini. Mabuza went on to allege that as the Green Chert was still hidden in a garage at Fisokuhles home, police officers from Lobamba received information and they went to Mvutjini to conduct a search at the homestead. May I state that since the unlawful owners of the Green Chert were desolate, they were following every movement of their mineral, hence when the police officers went to conduct a search at Fisokukhle Masinas homestead, they found Thabiso Mncina, Fisokuhle and a foreign man who had come to buy the Green Chert, averred the investigator.

Threatened

He said information gathered through their investigation revealed that when the five boys were released from custody, Vilakati called Thabiso and threatened him that he should not involve him in the issue of Green Chert. Mncinas confirmatory affidavit is annexed to the opposing papers filed by the Crown, where it contended that it would not be in the interest of justice to release the duo on bail. The Crown is represented by Beauty Fakudze from the chamber of the director of public prosecutions (DPP), while for the accused persons is Sipho Gumedze of V.Z Dlamini Attorneys.
Each year, Microsoft releases the Microsoft Digital Defense Reporta comprehensive examination of the global threat landscape and the biggest trends in cybersecurity. Cyberthreats continue to grow in sophistication, speed, and scale, compromising an ever-growing pool of services, devices, and users. We believe that AI can help level the playing field, but security teams must have all of the insights and resources necessary to utilize the full promise of this technology.

The Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2023 is based on insights from 65 trillion daily signals synthesized by more than 10,000 security and threat intelligence experts across 135 million managed devices and over 15,000 security partners. Using this data, Microsoft tracked over 300 threat actors in 2023 and blocked over 4,000 identity attacks per second.

Here are 10 key learnings:

Basic security hygiene still protects against 99% of attacks: While cyberattacks continue to increase in sophistication, the vast majority can be thwarted by implementing a few fundamental security hygiene practices. These include enabling multifactor authentication (MFA), applying Zero Trust principles, using extended detection and response (XDR) and anti-malware, keeping your devices and software up to date, and taking steps to protect sensitive data.

Security teams can leverage a hyper-scale cloud for easier implementation by either enabling these measures by default or abstracting the need for customers to implement them.

Human-operated ransomware attacks are on the rise: According to Microsofts telemetry, human-operated ransomware attacks have increased by more than 200% since September 2022. Among the 123 ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) affiliates that Microsoft tracks, 60% of attacks used remote encryption, and 70% were directed against organizations with fewer than 500 employees.

There are five foundational principles that every organization should implement to defend against ransomware across identity, data, and endpoints. These include leveraging modern authentication with phish-resistant credentials; applying Least Privileged Access to the entire technology stack; creating threat- and risk-free environments; implementing posture management for compliance and the health of devices, services, and assets; and using automatic cloud backup and file-syncing for user and business-critical data.

Password-based attacks spiked to a 10x increase: Microsoft Entra data has revealed a more than tenfold increase in attempted password attacks from April 2022 to April 2023. One of the main reasons these attacks are so prevalent is due to a low-security posture. Many organizations have not enabled MFA for their users, leaving them vulnerable to phishing, credential stuffing, and brute force attacks. Security teams can protect against password attacks by using non-phishable credentials such as Windows Hello for Business or FIDO keys.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is at an all-time high: The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit has observed 156,000 daily BEC attempts from April 2022 to April 2023. These attacks are growing more sophisticated and more costly as threat actors adapt their social engineering techniques and use of technology.

We believe that increased intelligence sharing between the private and public sectors could help counter this trend by enabling a faster and more impactful collective response. The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit has taken a proactive stance by actively tracking and monitoring 14 DDoS-for-hire sites, including one situated in the dark web, as part of its commitment to identifying potential cyber threats and remaining ahead of cybercriminals.

Nation-state actors have expanded their global target set: Nation-state actors are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, education, and policymaking organizations as part of a broader information-gathering operation. This trend is in line with many groups geopolitical goals and espionage-focused goals. To detect possible espionage-related breaches, organizations should continuously monitor for suspicious or unauthorized changes to mailboxes and permissions.

As part of our effort to better track nation-state groups, Microsoft has launched a new threat actor naming taxonomy. This taxonomy will bring better clarity to customers and security researchers with a more organized and easy-to-use reference system for threat actors.

Nation-state actors are combining influence operations and cyber attacks: In further nation-state news, threat groups are more frequently employing influence operations alongside cyber operations to spread favored propaganda narratives, stoke social tensions, and amplify doubt and confusion. These operations are often carried out in the context of armed conflicts and national elections. For example, Russian state actors expanded their scope of activity in 2023 to stretch beyond Ukraine and target Kyivs allies, primarily NATO members.

Additionally, while AI-generated profile pictures have long been a feature of state-sponsored influence operations, we expect to see increased use of more sophisticated AI tools to create striking multimedia content.

IoT/OT devices are at risk: devices are incredibly difficult to defend, making them an attractive target for adversaries. Today, 25% of OT devices on customer networks use unsupported operating systems, making them more susceptible to cyberattacks due to a lack of essential updates and protection against evolving cyberthreats.

Additionally, of the 78% of IoT devices with known vulnerabilities on customer networks, 46% cannot be patched. Security teams must implement robust OT patch management systems if they hope to secure this critical vulnerability. Network monitoring in OT environments is also an effective strategy to help detect malicious activity.

AI and large language models (LLMs) have the potential to transform cybersecurity: AI can enhance cybersecurity by automating and augmenting cybersecurity tasks, thus enabling defenders to detect hidden patterns and behaviors.

For example, LLMs can be used to inform threat intelligence; incident response and recovery; monitoring and detection; testing and validation; education; and security, governance, risk, and compliance. Microsoft has explored using LLMs for developing intelligent reports, informing chatbots for developer support, standing up a natural language interface with security data, and augmenting cloud data center security.

Microsofts AI Red Team of interdisciplinary experts is helping build a future of safer AI by emulating the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) of real-world adversaries. This allows us to identify risks, uncover blind spots, validate assumptions, and improve the overall security posture of AI systems.

Public-private collaboration is critical: As threat actors grow savvier and cyberthreats evolve, public-private collaboration will be essential in improving collective knowledge, driving resilience, and informing mitigation guidance across the security ecosystem. This year, Microsoft, Fortra LLC, and Health-ISAC worked together to reduce cybercriminal infrastructure for the illicit use of Cobalt Strike by 50% in the United States.

Another real-life collaboration example is the global Cybercrime Atlas a diverse community of more than 40 private and public sector members that works to centralize knowledge sharing, collaboration, and research on cybercrime. Their goal is to disrupt cybercriminals by providing intelligence that facilitates actions by law enforcement and the private sector, leading to arrests and the dismantling of criminal infrastructures.

The future needs more cybersecurity professionals: Ultimately, all of these trends necessitate a fully equipped network of sufficiently funded, sufficiently trained cybersecurity professionals. The ongoing shortage of these professionals can only be addressed through strategic partnerships between educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, governments, and businesses. AI can also help relieve some of this burden, but AI skills development must be a top priority for company training strategies.

The Microsoft AI Skills Initiative includes new, free coursework developed in collaboration with LinkedIn. That enables workers to learn introductory AI concepts, including responsible AI frameworks, and receive a Career Essentials certificate upon completion.

Want to learn more about the latest global cyberthreat trends and advancements in cybersecurity? Download the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2023 and check out Microsoft Security Insider.
Now, NoName057(16) targets any country that expresses support for Ukraine, focusing primarily on government websites, banks, and energy providers. Whereas other groups have come and gone, NoName057(16) has been consistent in its activities for the past 18 months, conducting at least one DDoS attack per day. The group rarely diverts from its systematic attack procedure, which is commonly linked with the news cycle, but when they do it is reactive. For example, on December 15, 2022, the group carried out a DDoS attack on the Polish Parliament website after Poland recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The groups modus operandi seems to encompass three components: disinformation, intimidation, and chaos creation. The disinformation component is evidenced by the continuous attacks against numerous Ukrainian media sources. The intimidation component consists of repeated attacks against the same target. As NoName057(16) puts it: repetition is the mother of learning. Lastly, chaos creation is evidenced by the 70-plus DDoS attacks against Spain during the weeks prior and immediately after the countrys general election in July 2023. Similar events took place leading up to the Czech presidential election in January and the Polish parliamentary elections in October.

NoName057(16) has no enigmatic leader and there is no evidence for who financially sponsors the group, or if they have government linkages. It is characterized by its military-like discipline and the calculated, repetitive nature of its attacks. The group is far more rigorous in its target reconnaissance than any other pro-Russian hacktivist group. It also publishes evidence of the global unavailability of the targeted websites on the CheckHost website, most likely to boost their own ego.

What is also unique about the group is its technical targeting process that is completely reliant on volunteers to carry out its DDoS operations. A target list is updated daily and is distributed by the group administrators via encrypted C2 servers. The execution of the attacks, therefore, relies on a group of Russian sympathizers who volunteer their private devices and who are paid in cryptocurrency for their participation. Many questions remain regarding who is responsible for choosing the targets and uploading the list, but there is a strong possibility a core group of individuals make these executive decisions. Also peculiar is that unlike any other hacking group in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, NoName057(16) does not restrict its user base and is willing to mix ideology with financial incentives to recruit individuals to join their efforts.

How NoName057(16) brands itself

NoName057(16) launched its crowdsourced botnet, DDoSia, in July 2022. To make the attack toolkit more accessible, it also has a Telegram channel both in Russian and English for instructions and support. Its toolkit was also hosted on GitHub until recently, but it has since been taken down, which is curious given the volume of illicit content that continues to be made available on the website.

A parallel can be drawn between the cyber operations of NoName057(16) and the IT Army of Ukraine, which also has a fully automated DDoS bot that targets Russian organizations. What sets NoName057(16) apart is its integrated payment platform, which is hard to track since the group uses the open-source cryptocurrency TON for payouts. Experts from Radware, a cybersecurity provider, claim it is basically untraceable.
MANZINI - A family of a 16-month old baby, who died after he was burnt by boiling water, blames shortage of necessary medical drugs for his demise.

According to the family, the 16-month-old baby boy was burnt by boiling meant for a cup of tea on the head, (mainly on the face) and chest area on Sunday (December 31, 2023) afternoon and he was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital. They said the mother of the child was preparing tea and the baby pulled the cup, which had been filled with boiled water without her noticing. The minor was rushed to the hospital for medical attention. When they arrived at the hospital, the family said they were directed to the Emergency Ward, where the baby boy was attended to by medical practitioners, who applied some medicine on the babys wounds and covered it with a cotton-like substance and sticking tape.

Practitioners

They alleged that the medical practitioners said they had ran out of bandages. Thereafter, they claimed that the mother of the child purportedly asked her sister to go to buy some bandages to bandage the baby properly and prevent him from touching the wounds. After that, they alleged that the patient was admitted and given a quarter of Panado (tablet) before he slept. In the following morning (New Years Day) they alleged that the baby was given another quarter of Panado, as well as sometime during the day. Later on, the family alleged that the mother of the child felt like the hospital was not giving her baby all the necessary medical assistance and she requested them to allow her to take him to another health facility, like St Theresas Clinic or Manzini Clinic. However, the aggrieved family claimed that the medical practitioners supposedly advised her to wait for the doctor, who admitted the child, as he was the one who had authority to discharge him. They added that later on, before the patient went to bed, the medical practitioners gave the child another dose of a quarter of Panado.

Patient

Again, they alleged that yesterday morning, the medical practitioners gave the patient another quarter of Panado. Still in the same morning, the aggrieved family alleged that the doctor came to check on the wounds and the mother of the child purportedly forwarded the request of getting permission to try other health facilities for better medical assistance. However, they alleged that the doctor told them that he needed to talk to the father of the child, to establish if he would be able to pay medical bills of a private clinic. They alleged that the mother of the child asked the doctor to at least talk to the father through her cellphone, but the medical expert purportedly told him that he (father) needed to come to the hospital, because there were documents he would need to sign before the patient could be discharged. They alleged that while the mother of the patient was working on calling the father of the child, the baby passed on and he was taken to the hospitals mortuary. In that regard, the aggrieved family blamed the shortage of medical supplies at the hospital and alleged reluctance by the medical practitioners to discharge the baby.
MBABANE - The PS in the Ministry of Health has been interdicted from continuing with the disciplinary actions against Principal Procurement Officer in the Ministry of Health Sincedile Magwaza and Deputy Director Pharmaceutical Fortunate Bhembe.

The duo approached the court of equity on an urgent basis, after they were served with letters titled Formal charges of misconduct, wherein certain charges were being preferred against each of them. The consent order, which was endorsed by Industrial Court Judge Muzikayise Motsa yesterday, is interdicting the principal secretary (PS) from proceeding with the disciplinary action against Magwaza and Bhembe. The second respondent (PS) is hereby interdicted and restrained from continuing with the disciplinary process that he has instituted against both applicants in contravention of the orders of court granted on November 27, 2023 (in respect of Fortunate Bhembe) and October 31, 2023 (in respect of Sincedile), reads part of the interim court, which is returnable on February 19, 2024.

Granting

When the matter was called yesterday government Lawyer Vikinduku Manana informed the court that he was consenting to the granting of the interim order. He said the respondents (CSC and the PS) would be filing an explanatory affidavit but undertook that they would comply with the court order. Manana briefly explained to the court that it was the PS who charged the applicants, but an error occurred when they charged everyone. He said they were supposed to only charge an implicated officer who was about to retire, not everyone including the applicants (Magwaza and Bhembe). Judge Motsa, in passing, said it was surprising that in this matter, every time consent orders were issued but the parties found themlseves in court on the same issues.

The medical drugs crisis investigation has reportedly led to nine senior officials in the Ministry of Health being charged. The investigation is with regard to irregularities relating to the procurement, in particular the acquisition and distribution of medical drugs and supplies to public health institutions. The common charge among the nine officers is misconduct. Each of the officers was charged separately. Meanwhile, in their application the applicants (Magwaza and Bhembe) contended that the action of the PS and the CSC of instituting disciplinary action against them was in contravention of a court order that was issued by the Industrial Court in their favour on October 31, 2023. On October 31, 2023, Magwaza and Bhembe obtained an interim order stopping the forensic investigation, specifically against them. This means that this is the second time they successfully approach the Industrial Court. Notably even the order that was issued on October 31, 2023, was by consent of both parties.

In the present application, the applicants argued that the actions of the PS had allegedly been committed deliberately and mala fide. It was their averment that the PS was aware of the orders. The PS is aware of the orders of court, they were granted at his instance, his attorney motivated for the grant of the interdicts, and he, therefore, has no reason to act in defiance of such order, argued the applicants. According to the applicants it was always a matter of grave concern when government officials, such as the PS, allegedly openly defied court orders. They contended that, given the imminence of the disciplinary action, the interim interdict that they were seeking in their application was aimed at preventing the harm that would befall them in the event the disciplinary action against them was pursued.

Application

Our basis for coming to court in the main application was to interdict the very disciplinary process and to have it declared unlawful. While those proceedings are pending before court and in total disregard of the fact that the matters are pending before court, the respondents are now acting in a manner that is designed to undermine the authority of the court and to subvert the court process. To compound matters, they are also acting in defiance of orders of court, argued the applicants. They told the court that in view of the urgency of the situation, they could not afford to launch their application in the ordinary course. We advised that if this application were to be launched in the ordinary course, it is likely only to be heard in about three months, given the fact that the courts are presently on recess until the end of January 2024, and the stipulations in the rules of court would prevent an early determination of the matters, submitted the duo. It was their submission that in the meantime, the second respondent would allegedly proceed with the disciplinary action, which was precisely what they sought to prevent by way of the interim interdict. The applicants were represented by Senior Lawyer Zweli Jele of Robinson Bertram.
Photo: Zach Schiffman

While the Brooklyn Bridge was still flush with leftover holiday tourists this Wednesday, the walking path felt relatively sparse as the citys new ban on vendors went into effect. Gone were the trinket stands, the hat sellers, and the hot-dog carts that have lined the 6,000-foot-long span, some of which have been stationed there for decades and others only since the protected bike lane was installed in 2021. The vendor ban, which was announced by Mayor Eric Adams last Friday, comes amid a wave of crackdowns on street vendors across the city and is intended to address the congestion on the bridges pedestrian pathways, which sometimes brings foot traffic to a complete standstill, especially in the narrow entryways.

The enforcement around noon on the first day of the ban was limited to paper signs in English, Mandarin, and Spanish posted throughout. A cluster of police were stationed at the bridges arches near the only permanent metal sign acknowledging the ban, with a few others patrolling the walkway  not any more than usual (though one officer did follow me off the bridge after he noticed I was filming the signage.)

Photo: Zach Schiffman

The path itself was completely free of any remnants of the vendors that had lined most of the bridge just a day ago. Tourists enjoying the sunny day were mostly oblivious about the change or seemed to welcome it. Carolina, a return visitor from Finland, appreciated the extra room. Stella and Rosa, visitors from the Netherlands who had never been on the bridge before, found it easy to get around. Rosa told me she was relieved there were no hot dogs for sale. I dont like the smell of it, she said.

I wasnt expecting anything, to be fair, said Caleb, an amateur photographer visiting from Sydney. In just a day, the dozens of vendors who had occupied the bridge were simply replaced by tourists hoping to get the perfect shot. Caleb, however, did say he definitely would have purchased a souvenir if hed been given the opportunity.

Photo: Zach Schiffman
MBABANE  Government has ordered FESBC to dissociate itself from proscribed entities and desist from confrontation with other businesses.

The stern warning was issued during a meeting that the Prime Minister (PM), Russell Dlamini, held with the leadership of the Federation of the Eswatini Business Community (FESBC).

In a statement issued by the PM yesterday, he stated that government had taken note of what appeared to be a campaign by the leadership of FESBC, which was to bring discord and confusion within the business community. For that reason, the premier said government invited FESBC to a private meeting held at Cabinet Offices yesterday, where they presented their objectives and modus operandi as an organisation.

Advised

FESBC was advised to focus on their business objectives, which are basically to empower local businesses. FESBC was strongly advised to desist from confrontation with other businesses, but to seek peaceful redress through relevant institutions and following laid down procedure. The business federation was sternly warned to disassociate itself from violent proscribed institutions, he said.

Meeting

The PM added that it was made clear to FESBC during the meeting, that that elements that potentially threatened investors, peace and to destabilise the country and negatively impact on the economy would not be tolerated. Government is ready and prepared to take stern measures, said the premier. He also urged the nation, on behalf of His Majestys Government, to continue to stand up and fight against any elements that seek to disturb the countrys hard-earned peace and stability. In the statement, the PM communicated that FESBC agreed that they would work with government in this regard and allayed any fears that they were part of proscribed entities. Efforts to get FESBCs response on the matter were futile as the Head of Business Strategy, Mavela Sigwane had not responded to questions sent to him. A phone call was made to him, but was quickly disconnected. A WhatsApp message was also sent at 6:45pm but had not been responded to at the time this report was compiled.
Natural Gas is a highly popular commodity, particularly amongst day traders. The spread is reasonable with high liquidity, making it easy for traders to get in and out of trades with little difficulty. Nat gas also appeals to longer term traders because this macro asset has been known to trend for extended periods of time. Furthermore, natural gas is susceptible to pockets of volatility which lead to massive price spikes. The good news is these spikes tend to have a seasonal component to them which traders can use to their advantage.

This article explores the nuances around the fundamental drivers of natural gas and how to trade them.

Natural Gas: Trading Around Seasonal Patterns

Natural gas is most often used for heating, power generation and industrial processes. The use of natural gas across different sectors (in the US) is rather interesting as the gas tends to exhibit two seasonal peaks in consumption per year.

Seasonal Consumption Patterns

Winter months (consumption): Increased consumption of natural gas as households and businesses use it predominantly for heating.

Summer months (consumption): Increased consumption due to increased electricity demand.

The chart below denotes the summer spikes with red circles while the winter spikes are shown via the blue peaks occurring around January of each year:

Seasonal Price Movements

Winter months (higher average prices): The major peak is usually seen in the winter months as households and businesses use the gas predominantly for heating and reduce a considerable amount of gas storage that has been saved up during the summer.

Summer months (higher average prices): The smaller peak takes place in summer when electricity demand is at its highest, often fueled by increased air conditioning use.

The chart below shows the winter price movements (both higher and lower price movements) in recent years:

Therefore, traders looking to trade the winter volatility may look for a pull back or period of consolidation in the lead up to the coldest period of the year before trading in the direction of the trend. It is not unusual to witness higher prices in the lead up to the middle of winter, especially if storage figures are lower than average.

This approach is shown below for long trades heading into the coldest period of the year:

Trading natural gas during the winter months

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Trading Natural Gas Trading: Storage Figures (Demand vs Supply)

The general principle of demand and supply is central to natural gas trading. The relevant storage data required can be found via the U.S. Energy Information Administration website every week. The report shows a breakdown storage changes per region on a weekly, yearly and 5-year average.

Table: US EIA weekly natural gas storage figures

Due to the volatile nature of natural gas around the release of storage figures, it is best to get these figures as soon as possible and in an easy to read manner. At DailyFX we have a comprehensive economic calendar bringing you timely notifications on data that is relevant to you and the markets you trade.

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How Natural Gas Storage Figures Can Influence Price

Sharp declines in storage figures or below average storage for extended periods may provide some info regarding future natural gas prices. The chart below compares natural gas (black dotted line) with the US natural gas stock change (blue line) over the 5 year period September 2015 to September 2020.

Observing this market over such a long time period makes it possible to identify any trends or patterns that would not necessarily show up on a smaller time frame. This analysis technique is called multiple time frame analysis and is a rather popular way to understand any market on a more intimate level.

One observation that appears several times on the chart (in red) occurs once more around the winter months as storage figures drop. The drop in storage happens as a result of increased demand for natural gas for heating among other things. The stored natural gas is drawn upon as demand for the gas outpaces supply in the colder months which results in an increased price for natural gas. The price adjustment is a natural mechanism that is needed to bring demand and supply back into equilibrium. As the colder weather subsides, the demand for the gas decreases and storage figures will begin to increase once more.

Natural Gas Storage vs Natural Gas Price

Storage figures tend to substantiate what was mentioned in the earlier section on seasonal patterns as extreme weather is one of a number of factors that affect natural gas storage.

Traders can once more consider the direction of the trend leading into the winter months and use any number of technical analysis tools to time entries into the market when storage figures drop and prices head higher. Thus far we have only considered long trades, this is because their tends to be greater potential for volatility when prices go up as opposed to when prices go down (or when storage figures increase). However, there do still exist opportunities to short trade natural gas in periods when demand tapers off and inventories begin to pile up.

Trading Natural Gas: The State of the Economy and Supply Disruptions

Using the Economic Cycle as a Trend Filter

The state of the economy also has an effect on natural gas prices due to the gasses strong link to industrial processes. When the economy is growing, there is more infrastructure being built and more machinery that is needed to support it.

Furthermore, the manufacturing industry tends to pick up too as natural gas is used to manufacture a wide range of chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, butane, ethane and propane.

Generally speaking, economic expansions lead to increased demand for natural gas which props up the price of nat gas. This is seen below where the S&P500 is used as a proxy for the health of the economy (in red), with the natural gas price (in blue) moves up in a similar but more extreme fashion.

Trend traders therefore, keep a close watch on where we are in the economic cycle in an attempt to trade in line with the trend. Identify long trades in an expanding economic environment and short trades in a contracting economic environment.

Natural gas prices tend to move inline with the economy

Supply Disruptions

Continuing the analysis over the same time period shown above, there also happened to be 3 major spikes witnessed as a result of external factors or extreme weather conditions outside of the normal warm summer and cold winter weather. Extremely cold temperatures and extreme weather conditions like hurricanes can cause significant supply disruptions, especially if the conditions result in infrastructure damage or delays in transporting natural gas.

This is exactly what happened 2005 and 2008. These extreme cases and one other are explored in greater detail below:

Extreme weather induced spikes in natural gas

2000/2001: The first big spike in this example was caused by an increase of demand after many years of declined production. The increase in demand was caused by colder than normal weather and because storage figures were particularly low - due to an extended period of low demand - there was a major price shock.

2005: The next spike occurred due to hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is crucial to the nat gas market as it is home to 51% of total US natural gas processing plant capacity. As a result of the hurricane, supplies from the Gulf of Mexico were significantly impacted, causing a drastic rise in price.

2008: Instead of seasonal weather playing an important role in prices, hurricanes Gustav and Ike cause production shut-ins in the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana which saw nat gas prices spike in summer and drop in winter  the opposite of what is expected.

Trader take-away: Stay up to date with both the storage figures and the potential for extreme weather in areas that are likely to directly affect natural gas supply chains. Speculators view the above events as an opportunity to benefit from increased nat gas prices and tent to consider timing long entries into the market under these circumstances.

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Natural Gas Trading Hours

Being familiar with the natural gas trading hours is key to securing a solid foundation when undertaking natural gas trading. Based on the NYMEX Henry Hub Natural Gas futures (NG) which has become the global standard price reference for Natural Gas, the market times below are important to note:

5:00pm  4:00pm (SunFri) CT with a 60-minute break each day beginning at 4:00pm CT.

Resources to Help You Trade Natural Gas

Beginner and advanced traders alike can benefit from the many resources DailyFX provides to inform trading strategies and improve confidence when trading commodities, such as Natural Gas:
Why do we make such a bogeyman out of Iran? What is the British interest in keeping up hostility between us and that country?

What good has it done us and is it justified? The subject is always urgent, but after the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, a Hamas envoy to Iranian-backed Hizbollah in Beirut, it is more pressing than ever.

The killing, presumed to be the work of Israel, might have been designed to draw Iran into the smouldering war between Israel and Hamas.

Israels hostility towards Iran is undoubted and easily explained, though the long-term relation between the two countries has been complex.

Since 1979, the Iranian regime has been deeply anti-Israel, and Israel has returned the hatred.

Peter Hitchens alongside a portrait of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran. He discovered personal friendliness from Iranians and general pro-Western feeling among many

But what about Britain? Some years ago I managed to get into Iran, and to spend some time travelling there, without official approval (having tried and failed to obtain a press visa). I expected a grim regime of surveillance and frowning mullahs, and strong anti-British feeling.

In fact, I found a great deal of personal friendliness from the Iranians I met, and general pro-Western feeling among many others.

And while there were horrible aspects to the regime, it was clear to me that in the big cities at least, these were resented by many educated people. Iran, despite the heavy hand of the Revolutionary Guard that enforces the will of the Ayatollahs, has plenty of dissenters.

Private conversation is amazingly free and well-informed, or was in the homes I visited.

I came to the view that it is quite capable of developing into a modern society, more free and plural than anywhere else in the Middle East. The most interesting comparison is between Iran and Turkey.

Turkey is, formally, a democracy, a member of Nato which dreams of EU membership, but whose people are increasingly keen on Islamising their society. Iran is a despotism, high on the Wests enemies list, whose people increasingly yearn for a more liberated and secular society.

This is a country whose elections can and do go against the wishes of the Supreme Ruler, despite elaborate efforts to rig them.

Perhaps I was seduced or fooled. Much of Iran (though not its dreary, brown and grey, traffic-infested capital, Tehran) is very beautiful.

The hardline Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in the Iranian revolution of 1979

Isfahan must be one of the loveliest cities on the planet. The attitude of many women to the official attempts to make them dress in shrouds are witty and spirited.

When I was there, the compulsory headscarves were pushed further and further back on womens heads, often held in place by nothing more than a burst of hairspray. The officially sanctioned styles of dress were subverted by careful adjustment.

Many of the women in fashionable North Tehran stood and walked like their equivalents in Paris. There are periodic traditionalist purges, but there is a long-term weakening of the once-forbidding dress code.

The standards of hospitality to strangers are movingly high. When I fell ill in Shiraz, while touring the astonishing Persepolis ruins, my guide (who had never met me before) was so concerned that she drove me to her home so that I could rest and recover.

I was several times welcomed into the houses of highly-educated middle-class Iranians  some fiercely conservative in religion and morals, others more westernised  who relished the chance to discuss their country with a British person.

I was even able to sit, during Friday prayers, among the Tehran crowds, as a preacher urged his audience Death to Britain! (Marg bar Angaleez!).

My neighbours must have known that I was myself English, but showed no signs of putting the weary slogan into practice and allowed me to leave in peace.

There was more applause for the yells of Death to America!, which accompanied it.

Demonstrators carry pictures of Khomeini as they march through the streets of Tehran in 1979 in opposition to the Shah

Now, I have to mention here that the Iranian tyrants certainly still have the power and will to behave disgustingly.

My guide and companion on my visit was a bright young Iranian-American, Jason Rezaian, who  filled with affection for his ancestral country  had decided to try to help open it up to Westerners such as me.

Jason did a very good job of this. And that was the problem. Irans dark-minded rulers absolutely do not want better relations with the West.

They are sustained in power by spreading the idea that we are bent on wrecking their country. They do not want relations between us to improve.

They like our hostility. That, I think, is why Jason was later arrested on laughably false charges of spying, and eventually (thank God) was freed after John Kerry, then US Secretary of State, personally ransomed him out of Evin Prison in Tehran.

It is, by the way, perfectly reasonable of Iranians to be suspicious of us. Back in 1953, Britain and the United States collaborated in a shameful putsch against Irans legitimate leader Mohammed Mossadeq.

This is not just some rumour or conspiracy theory.

In August 2013, on the 60th anniversary of the coup, the CIA declassified documents that show beyond doubt that it and Britains MI6 collaborated to overthrow Mossadeq, and these are readily available on the internet through the National Security Archive of George Washington University in the American capital.

They make thrilling reading, being one of the few full accounts of the overthrow of a government by foreign agents ever published. In fact, the pressure for getting rid of Mossadeq came mainly from Britain, furious at losing income from Iranian oil.

A Lebanese woman holds the images of top Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in an alleged drone strike by Israel in Beirut on Tuesday. She also holds an image of Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani, who died in a US attack in Beirut four years ago

Mossadeq had nationalised the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, ancestor of todays BP, robbing the London Treasury of key income at a bad time.

But London was too weak to act alone, and recruited newly-elected US President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the plot. We persuaded him that Mossadeq (in fact an anti-Communist) would align Iran with the Communist world. Britains MI6 head of station was C.M Monty Woodhouse, who would later become Tory MP for Oxford (he represented me for a while).

His key ally in the overthrow of Mossadeq was the CIAs brilliant operative Kermit Roosevelt (no Muppet, he), grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt and already a skilled Middle Eastern manipulator, with much experience gained in Egypt. Mobs were paid and generals bribed, and Mossadeq was swiftly brought down after tanks bombarded his house.

As the Daily Mail of August 21, 1953 then reported on its front page, Mossadeq was arrested in his pyjamas.

The Shah would become the ruler of Persia, until his own overthrow in 1979 in a revolution that eventually placed the grim Ayatollah Khomeini in power.

Many democratic-minded Iranians say this sequence of events was entirely caused by the CIA and MI6 interference in their countrys politics. They have always seemed to me to have a point. Yet most British people have no idea we even did this.

The Wests record in the Middle East in the last 60 years has been extraordinarily bad. From Britains bungled Suez adventure, via the fall of the Shah to the brutal and bloody Iran-Iraq war (in which Saddam Hussein was encouraged by the West), to the Bush-Blair invasion of Iraq in 2003, it has been a saga of folly and failure.

Far too often this country has behaved as if it was still a mighty imperial power. All its hostility to Iran has, in my belief, helped to cement the ghastly Mullahs in power.

As danger threatens yet again, might it be time to re-examine our view?
There are warnings of gales in Viking, North Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, German Bight. The general synopsis: Low Rockall 973, moving slowly. New low expected Malin...'

Some listeners will be made more alert, others soothed towards sleep. The Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4 is both reality and romance: a warning to seafarers, but a familiar reassurance to drowsers ashore.

We are an island people, and a blessed incantation of sea-area names wraps gently, clockwise, around our coast as if to keep us safe.

Alan Bennett put it perfectly, remembering old-fashioned city rituals, when he said: 'It's beating the bounds of our country.'

It is the voice of scientifically refined meteorology and wide geography, hard news from cold northern seas which respect no human fear or fragility; but it comes to us filtered through ineffably polite, correct, old-fashioned BBC voices.

A lone fishing trawler struggles in the stormy seas off the Mumbles Headland near Swansea

The radio broadcast marks its formal centenary this year, but the Shipping Forecast actually began long before then, in 1867 (stock photo)

There's nothing like it: no wonder dozens of poets, artists and composers on this battered island have reached towards it for inspiration.

The radio broadcast marks its formal centenary this year, but the Shipping Forecast actually began long before then, in 1867, as a series of telegraph messages to British coastal towns, warnings to fishermen and coasters.

Its founding hero is Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy  after whom a sea area north-west of Portugal was renamed in 2002.

After devastating storms on the west coast in the 19th century, this early naval meteorologist saw the value of warnings: of tracking the movement of huge atmospheric pressure systems and sea states.

FitzRoy issued shore stations and ships with instruments to collect this information, from which the movement of storms and systems can be traced.

Before the 19th century was over, telegraph messages were crackling along the coasts to warn captains at sea or deter fishing fleets from leaving shore.

The Shipping Forecast's founding hero is Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (pictured)  after whom a sea area north-west of Portugal was renamed in 2002

We are an island people, and a blessed incantation of sea-area names wraps gently, clockwise, around our coast as if to keep us safe. Pictured, the Tenby Lifeboat launching

So, as the fledgling BBC began in 1923, it was obvious that the 'The Weather Shipping' should also be part of its service, using the long-wave transmitter which reached far out to sea. Since the mid-1940s it has had its own four slots a day, on Radio 4.

Sea areas were gradually defined  there are 31 of them, to be read clockwise from Viking and the Utsires off Norway, round past the East coast, Tyne and Humber, down the Channel from Thames to Plymouth, dodging south to Biscay and Trafalgar, and up the wild Irish and Scottish west coasts to the edges of Iceland.

Afloat, it is about reality and danger. Over 50 years I have been going to sea, mainly on small boats, and have been in all but three of those sea areas.

Before satellites, cheaper radio equipment and internet forecasts, that long-wave forecast was of central importance for small-boat sailors and fishermen.

Its reach, far out from land towards Ireland or the far Northern Isles, provided a calm dispassionate voice in the bucking cabin of a 26ft boat.

You adjusted the radio, possibly a standard small Roberts lashed to the chart table, and clung on with one hand to jot down wind and sea forecasts with a pencil, and note the pressures at the Coastal Weather Stations, too.

In a yellow notebook there were pages with a map and the stations all marked: St Catherine's Point, Channel Lightvessel Automatic, and so forth, so you could draw lines between the numbers which matched, and get a clearish picture of the bulge of a low or high-pressure area and work out fronts which would hit you later.

The Inshore Waters forecast, which joins the main one twice a day at 0048 and 0520, is even richer in romantic names for a seashore people: 'Whitby to Gibraltar Point... North Foreland to Selsey Bill... Lyme Regis to Land's End.'

I was always more than aware that if some of the sea area forecasts turned out a bit fussy. Pictured, South Shields lighthouse

Believe me, sailing round Britain, it is useful to know what to expect in places like 'Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point'.

These days, it is often driving home through dark, damp winter lanes at night that I hear the late forecast.

Some words still send a jolt of the nerves, a sense of being glad to be in a warm car and nearly home. 'Six to eight, increasing ten later, possibly 11  a near-hurricane.

The description of the sea itself bears threat. Even those for whom 'cyclonic' or wind force numbers mean nothing can relate to the difference between 'Smooth or Slight' and 'Rough, becoming Very Rough'. And indeed to the timings: 'Imminent' always makes me wince.

I have those memories of shivering apprehension at sea, yet because I worked for years within Broadcasting House, I also remember deriving extra comfort from the familiar voices, so calm and dutiful. Peter Donaldson, Brian Perkins, Charlotte Green.

I was always more than aware that if some of the sea area forecasts turned out a bit fussy ('...four or five, increasing seven to nine later, then moderating three or four in west...' ) they'll have to speed up, and yet remain crystal clear.

On the other hand, a series of simple lines like 'Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, four or five', means they'll need to slow down.

In an age of slang and slurring, their clarity is a wise and deep civility: even now, in a high-tech age, there are people listening who carry heavy responsibilities of life and death; people with decisions to make, who hope for harbour and have the sense to fear the sea.

A trawler is tossed about in the very rough sea as it attempts to enter the harbour at Whitby on the Yorkshire coast

Waves crash against the lighthouse in Seaham Harbour, County Durham

The readers themselves carry a deep sense of responsibility. Charlotte Green said her favourite moment was the one after the midnight news; alone in a continuity cubbyhole, under one light: 'I always aimed to read clearly and distinctly at a measured pace, to enable sailors wallowing in deep angry seas to write it down.

'I allowed my imagination to roam free... an image in my mind of small, relatively frail trawlers tossed about on vast indifferent waves in the pitch black icy cold of a winter's night.'

And the skipper of a sailing barge remarked more prosaically that, even in an age of online information, the broadcast version feels human.

'It gives a reassuring view that people are still doing the same thing, collating the weather, telling you all about it.'

Its very simplicity is that sense of service, of a duty to be careful and get it right. The combination of that stern pragmatic reality and those marvellously evocative names has won the Shipping Forecast many fascinated fans.

Celebrities have occasionally been given the honour of reading one aloud on air  John Prescott and Alan Bennett, notably  though they don't get the real, strictly timed and anxiously expected live version. That's for the professionals.

Frank Muir and Denis Norden sang it in a spoof operatic version. Seamus Heaney wrote a sonnet on it, Jethro Tull sampled it on an album, and Radiohead borrowed its words.

Carol Ann Duffy's haunting poem Prayer is about small moments when some deep revelation or sorrow touches the heart: distant piano scales in a strange town, the rhythm of a passing train, or at night: 'Darkness outside. Inside, the radio's prayer  Rockall. Malin. Dogger. Finisterre.'

I have loved that poem for years, and some have mourned the change of Finisterre to FitzRoy, which is less poetic.

But that's the beauty of the Shipping Forecast: it is only romantic because it is real. And Vice-Admiral FitzRoy deserves being remembered.

Its essential Britishness was confirmed when it featured in the Olympic Games handover ceremony in 2008.

The ten-minute segment, which closed the ceremony in Beijing, is remembered for Boris Johnson receiving the Olympic flag as mayor of the next host city.

But a red double-decker trundled around the stadium to the strings of Jerusalem, Greensleeves and excerps from the Shipping Forecast, interwoven with three sea shanties harmonised by the chimes of Big Ben. Nothing could be more Blighty.

There has been further musical inspiration, too, not least the tune that precedes it after midnight and before the closedown and national anthem on Radio 4.

The description of the sea itself bears threat. Even those for whom 'cyclonic' or wind force numbers mean nothing can relate to the difference between 'Smooth or Slight' and 'Rough, becoming Very Rough'. Pictured, a trawler in the North Sea

What Controller would ever dare axe Sailing By? Well, one did briefly try it, in order to save on royalties, but was soon made to recant.

It's a slow waltz, and its sleepy feeling becomes part of many late night rituals.

It turns up on Desert Island Discs quite regularly: Marti Caine and Michael Ball picked it, and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp remarked that it comforted him in bed at night.

'And also on a desert island, it would be happy  because it would remind you of the fact that there are boats out there listening to the Shipping Forecast, and some of them might sail nearby so you could get rescued... that could help me deal with the isolation, I think'.

Yes. That's part of its odd, unexpected comfort. Like a lifeboat station or a lighthouse, the Shipping Forecast is both proof and a symbol of the idea that human beings cooperate. People look out for one other, do their duty with care.

How can that not move your heart? Happy New Year to all who make the forecast and read it.
New Delhi, Jan 3 (UNI) The Supreme Court Wednesday issued notice to the Union Government and Eleven states on a petition alleging that prison manual in these states encourage caste-based discrimination among the inmates.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dr DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardhiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra while issuing the notice to the central government and eleven states asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist the court in this sensitive issue.

The notice was sent to Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odhisa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

The petition was filed by journalist Sukanya Shantha saying that caste based discrimination persists in prison barracks and extends to manual labour assignments effecting the denotified tribes and those prisoners which are categorized at habitual offenders.

Senior advocate Mr S Muralidhar, appearing for the petitioner alleged that there have been instances where Dalits were confined to separate prisons from the other prisoners.

Mr Murlidhar sought to repeal such discriminatory laws found in the various state prison manuals."

The inmates face such discrimination as soon as they enter the prison Mr Murlidhar ( who was earlier the High Court Judge) said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said this is a very serious issue and is unacceptable. The government will look into it. There is a need of joint effort in tackling the issue.

UNI SNG ARN SY CS1513
After Sir Tony Blair was condemned by the 2016 Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War, many assumed that the former Prime Minister would disappear from public life.

He could continue to make money from advising dodgy autocrats, while augmenting an enormous fortune that, at a recent count, included some 31 properties co-owned with his wife, Cherie.

It hasn't quite worked out like that. No doubt the Blair wealth has gone on fructifying, but Sir Tony, far from retreating from the national stage, has moved ever closer to the centre of it. If this time next year, Sir Keir Starmer is ensconced in No 10, we may be sure that the ex-PM won't be far from his side.

What an amazing development  and what a disgrace that the architect of our disastrous interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan should have wheedled his way into the inner counsels of the current Labour leader, who may soon be in charge of this country.

There's no question that the relationship is close. When Labour won two major by-election victories last October, Sir Keir invoked the party's 1997 triumph under Sir Tony: 'What I do want to do is follow in the footsteps of a leader of our party who took us from opposition to power.'

After Sir Tony Blair was condemned by the 2016 Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War, many assumed that the former Prime Minister would disappear from public life

True, Blair didn't immediately welcome Starmer as leader with open arms, believing he had been too close to the hard-Left Jeremy Corbyn. In May 2021, Blair wrote that Labour needed 'total deconstruction and reconstruction' to recover as a political force. Sir Keir quickly responded that he was 'listening'.

Those were the days, remember, when some political pundits doubted whether Labour would ever again form a government. As the Tories set about squandering their huge electoral advantage, Blair began to take the new leader more seriously.

He produced ideas, some of them sensible. For example, in May 2022 Blair advised his successor to reject woke politics and present a programme for government that was 'radical without being dangerous'. More recently, he has reportedly tutored Starmer on the Middle East. He knows a lot about the region, having helped start a war there.

The chief weapon in the ex-Prime Minister's armoury is the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), set up by him in 2016, which makes money from advising countries, many of which have a questionable human rights record. Employing some 500 staff in 30 countries, the TBI has resources that far exceed anything available to the Labour leader.

In several areas of policy, especially those having to do with foreign affairs, Starmer is reliant on the TBI and Sir Tony Blair. After a Labour victory  assuming there is one  the TBI could become the new government's unofficial think-tank.

If this time next year, Sir Keir Starmer is ensconced in No 10, we may be sure that the ex-PM won't be far from his side

Meanwhile, there's plenty of cross-fertilisation between the two camps. Matthew Doyle, a former long-standing Blair aide, is Starmer's head of communications. Peter Hyman, an ex-Blair strategist, is a senior adviser to the Labour leader. Deborah Mattinson, Blair's pollster, and Marianna McFadden, who once worked for the TBI, are also on team Starmer.

This is the key question. Is Sir Keir Starmer wise to be so close to the discredited former Prime Minister? I don't think so. Blair is still toxic  perhaps now more than ever.

A report in Tuesday's Times showed how the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is being paid by the authoritarian governments of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In particular, the TBI produced briefing documents for UAE leaders before last month's Cop28 summit on climate change in Dubai.

It has also emerged that the TBI continued to carry out paid work for the Saudi Arabian regime after its murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Blair has long-established close links with the UAE, from which he received millions of pounds in consultancy fees even before setting up his institute. The UAE reportedly partially funded his (unproductive) work as a Middle East peace envoy, which ended in 2015.

His connections with the UAE may go back further. In 2000, Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum  then, as now, the billionaire ruler of Dubai  ordered his henchmen to abduct his runaway daughter Princess Shamsa from Cambridge. When police launched a criminal investigation the following year, the Foreign Office allegedly shut it down as a diplomatic favour. Blair was Prime Minister at the time.

Of course, Sir Tony hasn't only maintained relations with strange rulers in the Middle East. After 2011, he pocketed millions of pounds from his consultancy work for President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, whose regime was guilty of appalling human rights abuses.

I repeat my question. Is Sir Keir Starmer, who cultivates an impression of stolid decency, wise to cosy up to a man who has benefited financially from a panoply of undesirable autocrats?

And then there is Tony Blair's unedifying political career, which even after an interval of 16 years hasn't been forgotten. Naturally I don't deny that he had some achievements, not least a generally buoyant economy, though the then-Chancellor, Gordon Brown, will reasonably claim most of the credit for that.

But the list of errors is long  from uncontrolled immigration (the foreign-born population increased by around three million between 2001 and 2011), to the disastrous devolution settlement that is tearing the United Kingdom apart, to successive assaults on the British constitution, such as the botched reform of the House of Lords.

What a disgrace that the architect of our disastrous interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan should have wheedled his way into the inner counsels of the current Labour leader

Above all, there was Iraq and Afghanistan. The former was more than an error. Blair hoodwinked the British people  witness the 'dodgy dossier'  and promised unconditional support to President George W. Bush ('I will be with you, whatever') in July 2002, eight months before the war, without the sanction of Parliament.

Blair even partly hoodwinked himself, since he apparently believed that Iraq possessed long-range weapons of mass destruction, although the intelligence services thought they were short-range. In fact, they didn't exist in any form.

A new generation has grown up without any first-hand knowledge of the Iraq War. All the same, there are millions who do remember the lies and evasions and, ultimately, the terrible loss of life. I can't imagine these people will be happy to see Blair lurking in Starmer's shadow.

So why does Sir Keir snuggle up to him? It's not only the ex-PM. This is a job lot that also includes the loathsome Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson. The latter suggested the other day that Blair had decided to abolish fox hunting after an animal rights organisation gave Labour 1 million. Quelle surprise.

I can only suppose that Starmer believes Blair has got a magic electoral formula, and all he has to do is to copy it. Yet he is undoubtedly running a risk by being seen as too intimate with the former Prime Minister.

What an opportunity there is for the Tories if they have the gumption to seize it! Blair is not moved by love for Sir Keir. He wants another shot  or as near as he'll ever get to one. I suspect that, having demanded a second EU referendum in 2018, Tony Blair's greatest dream is to finagle us back into the maw of Brussels.

Vote Starmer and get Blair is more than a catchy slogan. It could be alarmingly close to the truth.
Any miscarriage of justice takes a terrible toll. Innocent individuals have their lives ripped apart, marriages are broken, finances ruined and reputations dragged through the gutter.

Every single case is a stain on society. But for the sheer scale of inhumanity and corporate bullying involved, the Post Office scandal is in a league of its own. No one reading about this saga, no one who watched this week's compelling ITV drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, can have failed to be moved to white-hot anger on behalf of the victims.

I have followed the Post Office scandal closely and written about it many times, and it doesn't surprise me that viewers took to social media to describe their intense emotions after watching the drama.

Some said they felt so sickened they could hardly bear to carry on watching.

The affair is rightly described as the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history, but that label barely touches on the anguish it caused.

Former post office workers celebrating outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after their convictions were overturned by the Court of Appeal in April 2021

Former post office worker Janet Skinner (centre), with her niece Hayley Adams (right) and her daughter Toni Sisson, celebrating outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having her conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal

Karen Wilson with a photo of her husband late Julian, who owned and ran the Astwood Bank village Post Office in Worcestershire. He was convicted following a Post Office prosecution in 2008 and died of cancer in 2016

For more than 15 years, from 1999 onwards, hundreds of sub-postmasters were prosecuted over shortfalls in their tills. The Post Office refused to pay any heed to the possibility that these apparently missing sums were down to the Horizon computer system it had introduced, as the accused argued.

READ MORE: Minister calls on boss embroiled in Post Office scandal that saw hundreds of people wrongly prosecuted to give up her CBE Advertisement

Rather, in one of the most contemptible campaigns of corporate intimidation ever to scar British business, the Post Office ended up persecuting blameless sub-postmasters  and continued to do so long after doubts about Horizon had begun to emerge.

No one could have imagined an institution like the Post Office would instigate a reign of terror against its own staff. Many victims were pillars of their communities, operating in trusted outlets all over the country, from villages to leafy suburbs and city centres.

The stomach-churning implication is that if something like this could happen to someone like Alan Bates, the patently honest and heroic campaigner played by Toby Jones at the centre of the ITV programme, then none of us, no matter how respectable, is safe.

How on earth this appalling episode could have taken place  then gone on for so long  is unfathomable to most of us.

Why did no one ever stop to consider how incredibly improbable it was that many hundreds of postmasters and mistresses  individuals of hitherto spotless character had suddenly turned rogue and started putting their hands in the till? Why did the Post Office ignore the fact that this so-called crimewave coincided with the introduction of a new computer system?

Indeed, why did they choose to trust that flawed IT system, rather than the hard-working human beings running the branches, many of whom had been doing so for decades?

We will never know the full answers. But this kind of outrage can never be allowed to happen again.

It is grotesque that people such as Jo Hamilton, played on TV by Monica Dolan, found themselves branded thieves.

A former sub-postmistress in South Warnborough, Hampshire, Jo was so well-loved and trusted that 74 of her fellow villagers, including the vicar, supported her when she appeared in court in 2008.

Many testified to her honesty and kindness. Even the judge seemed incredulous at her guilty plea. But so petrified was Jo  whose conviction has since been quashed  of a prison sentence that she admitted to false accounting in return for a more serious charge of theft being dropped.

Later, it emerged the Post Office used this ploy  charging postmasters with theft, then at the eleventh hour offering a deal for a lesser charge if they pleaded guilty  as a cynical way to achieve a quick, cheap recovery of assets.

Former post office worker Noel Thomas, who was convicted of false accounting in 2006, celebrates with his daughter Sian outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London, after having his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2021

Paula Vennells (pictured), who was chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, is, so far as anyone knows, still clinging to her CBE

It was hell-bent on vilifying its postmasters, whatever their honest protestations of innocence. The cost, in terms of devastated lives, simply did not come into the reckoning.

As cases like Jo's continued to emerge, it didn't need Hercule Poirot to detect something was deeply wrong.

At the heart of it seems to have been breathtaking arrogance combined with the brutal might of a huge institution.

Once the corporate steamroller had heaved into action, management was not prepared to countenance the possibility of being in the wrong.

In 30 years of financial journalism, this is one of the worst instances I have ever seen of a business ruthlessly using its money and power to oppress and browbeat staff who lacked resources to fight back.

So far, there has been no accountability among any culpable senior executives at the Post Office, which is, in itself, disgusting.

More so, even, than the lack of significant punishment for Fred Goodwin, former boss of RBS, and the other reckless bankers who crashed the financial system 15 years ago.

Goodwin was, at least, stripped of his undeserved knighthood. Paula Vennells, who was chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, is, so far as anyone knows, still clinging to her CBE.

It has not been alleged that she personally sanctioned the prosecutions while knowing about Horizon's problems, but she has been severely criticised by MPs and others about her tenure at the Post Office.

Vennells has since issued a number of apologies, saying she was 'truly sorry' for the suffering that was caused to the sub-postmasters.

I have called before for her to hand back the gong of her own accord, a demand echoed this week by Postal Minister Kevin Hollinrake. At least that might be an initial gesture of contrition.

In the spring of 2021, there was at least a major triumph when 39 former sub-postmasters had their convictions overturned in the Court of Appeal  the conduct of the Post Office was said to be so egregious the Horizon cases were labelled 'an affront to the conscience of the court'.

Vindication came too late for three sub-postmasters  Julian Wilson, Peter Holmes and Dawn O'Connell  who died before their names could be cleared.

Dawn O'Connell's barrister told how she declined dramatically and her personality changed as shame at her wrongful conviction turned her into a recluse.

She died aged 57, after suffering depression and turning to alcohol, leaving her son, brother, other family and friends in anguish that she wasn't there to see the victory.

The TV drama finishes in four episodes, but for many victims the ordeal is still not over.

The Post Office scandal features in a new four-part ITV drama called Mr Bates vs the Post Office, in which Toby Jones (pictured left in character) portrays Alan Bates (right), a former subpostmaster who campaigned to expose the truth about glitches in the Horizon system

A Mail investigation last year found victims still struggling to get adequate compensation. The Official Receiver is likely to take chunks of any compensation in bankruptcy proceedings and HMRC wants tax and National Insurance payments.

One former postmaster, now in his 80s, was told he would be stripped of all but 8,000 of the 330,000 he was offered in compensation, after the taxman and the Official Receiver had taken the rest.

A public inquiry led by Sir Wyn Williams, a Welsh judge, began in 2020 and trundles on.

The one glimmer of light is that the scandal has brought out the best in us, as well as revealing the worst. It is a David and Goliath tale where, eventually, the sub-postmasters won, through dogged determination to clear their names.

There can be no simpler symbol of this than the principled refusal by Alan Bates to accept an OBE, while Paula Vennells retains her now-tarnished honour.

Vennells and her cohorts have yet to give evidence to the inquiry, and we will have to wait to see what they say.

That aside, the behaviour of the Post Office is an insult to us all and to our innate sense of justice and fair play. Never again should we see such abuse by a corporate bully.
Novelist Julian Barnes has stirred up an artistic hornets' nest with claims that eminent art critic David Sylvester demanded gifts from artists whose work he was writing about.

In The London Review of Books, Barnes quotes the late Lucian Freud as saying that Sylvester, who died in 2001, expected two pieces from each artist concluding: 'Critics at the top of their profession had become corrupt.'

This has infuriated Sylvester's daughters Xanthe and Naomi, who describe Freud as a malicious gossip who was probably 'p***** off' by their father's honesty.

In a letter in the current Review, they write: 'That the LRB printed these assertions so casually and unquestionably is disgraceful.'

In The London Review of Books, Barnes (pictured) quotes the late Lucian Freud as saying that Sylvester, who died in 2001, expected two pieces from each artist

Roy Wood's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' is superior to Noddy Holder's Merry Xmas Everybody. Pictured, Noddy Holder, frontman of Slade

Despite widespread acknowledgement that Roy Wood's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' is superior to Noddy Holder's Merry Xmas Everybody, Roy remains ungonged while Noddy got an MBE in 2000.

Is the former Move frontman still being ostracised for the 1967 promotion of his hit Flowers in the Rain with a postcard of a naked PM Harold Wilson in bed with his secretary Marcia Williams?

Wilson sued and a High Court judge ordered that all the royalties from Wood's chart-topper be donated to Wilson's charities. Perhaps Harold is on his celestial cloud still warbling his version of Roy's ditty: 'Tis Christmas everyday!'

Reflecting on Radio 4 Today colleague Mishal Husain making headlines this week after saying the word s*** seven times in under a minute  while grilling Home Secretary James Cleverly about his own bad language  Martha Kearney remarks mischievously to Mishal on-air: 'If only they could hear the language you use off-air.' Do tell Martha!

Before ascending the Danish throne, Queen Margrethe, studying at Cambridge, regularly travelled to Harrods banking hall to meet future husband Henrik and indulged her passion for chain smoking.

Returning to the store as Queen, she was warned by Mohamed al Fayed's PR Michael Cole that she couldn't light up. 'I know', she told him. 'I owe a lot to Harrods so I am happy to comply.'

Before ascending the Danish throne, Queen Margrethe, studying at Cambridge, regularly travelled to Harrods banking hall to meet future husband Henrik

Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed he hired a priest to banish a poltergeist from his mansion

Andrew Lloyd Webber's revelation that he hired a priest to banish a poltergeist from his Eaton Square mansion prompts recollection of Franciscan monk Fr Michael Seed's well-refreshed exorcism of evil spirits from the cellar of Soho's French House.

Mid-exorcism, after exhausting his supply of sprinkled holy water, Noel Botham, late husband of landlady Lesley, took the priest upstairs to the crowded bar to bless some more.

Fr Seed, who converted Ann Widdecombe and John Gummer to Rome, momentarily turned his back on a large wine glass containing newly sanctified Adam's Ale.

A thirsty customer promptly emptied the glass.
An expert has revealed the shocking item that the majority of women will use that can cause major problems to their skin.

Dr Sermed Mezher is a UK medic, who, according to his YouTube biography is an 'award-winning doctor and published academic author in the UK, MBChB (Hons) MRes on a mission to make health simple with high quality scientific content'.

In a short video he posted to his channel @DrSermedMezher, he revealed that an anonymous 30-year-old patient had ended up going to the doctor because of the severity of her facial skin rash.

They used steroids, antifungal medications, antibiotics, acne creams, none of them would even touch it.

Because the GP was stumped, and nothing seemed to work, the woman was then sent onto a dermatologist to see if they could help - and it was disscovered that her make-up brush was to blame.

Dr Sermed Mezher showed a video of a woman with a rush so mysterious a myriad a treatments did not help solve the problem

In his video, Dr Sermed continues: 'This patient's case explains exactly why this 30-year-old patient went to her doctor with this rash that just wouldn't go away.'

When she went to the specialist dermatologist, they still didn't know exactly how to treat it, and so took a swab to send it to the lab.

The doctor continues: 'What they found was really quite shocking.

'It is a bacteria that only usually affects immunocompromised people like those with HIV, or who have been on chemotherapy called Pseudomonas.

'Guess where they found the source?'

Shockingly, the source of the bacteria was the woman's unclean makeup brushes.

According to the doctor: 'These things have a more bacteria than your toilet seat, but don't take my word for it.

'This study by spectrum actually swapped a toilet seat and compared it to an unclean makeup pack.

Easy and natural ways to clean your makeup brushes USING TEA TREE OIL One blogger, Chantal at Painted Teacup, shared on her website that you can clean them well by using tea tree oil. All you need is a tea tree essential oil, another essential of your choice, a spray bottle and water. She recommends using five to six drops of the tea tree oil because of its anti-fungal properties and the fact that it's a disinfectant. 'And four to five drops of any other essential oil (I would recommend lavender) into a glass spray bottle,' she wrote. 'Fill the rest of the spray bottle with water, shake well and ta-da! You can use it to spray your brushes every day to keep them clean.' USING OLIVE OIL One of the most popular ways to clean makeup brushes naturally is with olive oil, vinegar and gentle shampoo. A former model and blogger, Crunchy Betty, said that the first step is to pour a tiny bit of oil onto a cloth. 'Youre doing this to 'preclean' the brush, but also to condition the fibers on the bristles. This step isnt quite as necessary if you use synthetic makeup brushes,' she said. 'All you do is just dab the bristles into the olive oil and then swipe the brush (pressing gently) on your towel several times  mainly until you feel like its mostly clean.' Then pour some gentle shampoo and a bit of warm water into a bowl and clean the bristles in the mixture. Once done with this step dip the brushes into vinegar as it makes sure all of the oil is out of the brush while cleaning them some more and then run them under water. USING VINEGAR AND LEMON Most people will have a bottle of vinegar in their cupboard and a lemon sitting in their fruit bowl and these items work well together to remove any makeup that are clinging to the bristles of your brushes. This is one of the most natural cleaning solutions you can create. The best way to use these ingredients most effectively is by mixing two tablespoons of white vinegar into a cup of hot water. Swirl your brushes in the liquid and then rinse them off with water once all product has been removed. If your brushes smell strongly of vinegar then rub them against the lemon to apply a lemon scent. Advertisement

This tool in every woman's bag could be wrecking your skin.'

The lesson?

Ensure your make-up brshes and tools are in tip-tip condition to keep your skin clean.

It turns out a staggeringly low number of people keep their beauty tools free.

The 2023 Beauty Pie survey of more than 1,000 people revealed that 45 per cent have never washed their foundation brush and more than half have never cleaned their beauty blender.

Dr Joe Latimer, a microbiologist at the University of Salford, said: 'Our skin is an ecosystem with a myriad of bacteria, fungi and viruses living together, and most of the time, our skin keeps the balance of these bacterial species in check.

'Our bacteria help to keep our skin healthy and protect us from infection, but if numbers become too high, we can end up with problems like acne, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, or wound infections.'

But it is not only makeup applicators that are being neglected.

'Brits also admitting to leaving dirt and bacteria multiply on skincare tools such as flannels, headbands and face sculptors.

Grim images, captured by the beauty company, which zoomed in to magnify the tools by 10 times, reveal what happens when you forget to wash them.

Photographs of a foundation brush show encrusted bristles, collecting years-old makeup residue and oil.

This product build-up occurs after continuous use if it is not thoroughly sanitised, which can lead to oil and dirt to accumulating on the brush and skin and trigger infections and acne.

Dr Joe Latimer, a microbiologist at the University of Salford, said: 'Our skin is an ecosystem with a myriad of bacteria, fungi and viruses living together, and most of the time, our skin keeps the balance of these bacterial species in check.

'Our bacteria help to keep our skin healthy and protect us from infection, but if numbers become too high, we can end up with problems like acne, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, or wound infections.'

But it is not only makeup applicators that are being neglected. Brits also admitting to leaving dirt and bacteria multiply on skincare tools such as flannels, headbands and face sculptors.

Face sculptors, such as Gua Sha, were the most neglected beauty tools.

Nearly three-quarters of respondants (73 per cent) said they had never cleaned theirs.

A shocking 40 per cent of people said they hadn't washed their face flannels and half did not clean their face cleansing cloths.

Grusome pictures show how a flannel cloth's structure perfectly traps dirt and fibres, which can be transferred to the skin during every wash.

Dr Latimer said: 'Every time we touch our skin with beauty tools like makeup brushes, facecloths or facial rollers, we transfer some of our bacteria onto the tools.

'Over time, bacteria, dead skin tissue and old skincare and makeup product will build up on tools and this will allow bacteria to multiply.

'So, when we use the tools again, we transfer many thousands of these microbes back onto our skin. To make it worse, bacteria love warmth and moisture.

'This means that if we store our cloths and brushes in a damp environment, more bacteria will grow.'

Other beauty tools, such as fake tanning mitts and skincare headbands, also have been the victims of poor hygiene upkeep.

The medic used his video as an opportunity to explain to people why they need to be careful when it comes to their makeup appliances - and how serious these situations can get

Of those surveyed, 73 per cent admitted they had never washed their tanning mitt and 61 per cent revealed they do not clean their skincare headbands.

Not cleaning these tools while using beauty products routinely can lead to rashes and spots, as soft materials are a trap for dirt and for bacteria.

Dr Latimer said: 'To stop bacteria from building up to potentially unhealthy levels, we need to remove their food, water, and heat so they can't grow.

'Regularly cleaning skincare and makeup tools and, crucially, storing them somewhere nice and dry is the best way to do this.

That way, you can restore the happy balance between you and your bacteria without risking any annoying spots or rashes.'
A Kensington Palace exhibition will reveal the untold lives of staff who worked in the royal palaces more than 300 years ago.

It will uncover the 'forgotten stories' of those frequently denied recognition, despite working tirelessly for the royal family, with a focus on sexual orientation, gender and ethnic background.

For the first time, the spotlight will also shine on a diverse range of roles that were at the centre of royal life, including female rat killers - a job that came complete with a rat-embroidered uniform - and the 'Groom of the Stool', who was responsible for looking after the monarch on the toilet.

Untold Lives: A Palace at Work opens on March 14 and uncovers the work of those who helped 'maintain, protect and promote the monarch and the royal palaces', according to Historic Royal Palaces.

Figures from the Georgian Royal Court in a painting on display at Kensington Palace, where an exhibition titled Untold Lives: A Palace at Work will highlight the work of Black and Asian staff who worked for the royals

'Now, for the first time, the lives and contribution of these forgotten figures will be explored in a new exhibition,' the charity's website announces.

One such 'forgotten' role is the 'Keeper of Ice and Snow' - a physically tiring job of cutting ice so royals could enjoy cold beverages, iced desserts and drinks throughout the year.

In particular, the work of Frances Talbot will be explored  a woman responsible for managing the royal icehouse at Hampton Court Palace in the 1770s.

Her contribution will be highlighted with the first display of an ice saw.

Visitors will also be enlightened on the invaluable contribution of workers from around the world.

The contribution of Black and Asian royal servants who arrived at the palaces for reasons including colonisation and religious wars, will also be explored through paintings and historical objects.

Portraits of Abdullah, a wildcat keeper from India, and Mehmet von Konsigstreu, Keeper of the Privy Purse for King George I, will be on display.

Mehmet, who was of Turkish heritage, and his wife Marie Hedwig are thought to be one of the first interracial married couples at the Hanoverian Court.

A portrait of Mehmet von Konsigstreu, Keeper of the Privy Purse for King George I, will feature in the exhibition

Turkish valet Ernst August Mustapha von Misitri (more commonly known as Mustapha)

Mehmet, a valued servant of King Goerge I, was an influential figure with personal access to the monarch.

Other portraits will include those of Turkish valet Ernst August Mustapha von Misitri, more commonly known as Mustapha. The artwork by Godfrey Kneller, on loan from the Omer Koc Collection, will be exhibited for the first time in the UK.

It comes after documents from the National Archives revealed advisers banned 'coloured immigrants or foreigners' from working as anything other than domestic servants in the royal household as recently as the late 1960s.

The papers, uncovered by the Guardian, also showed how Buckingham Palace negotiated controversial clauses exempting the Queen and her household from laws that prevent race and sex discrimination.

These exemptions were brought into force in the mid-1970s, when the Labour government implemented sweeping equality laws to stamp out discrimination in post-imperial Britain.

In the late 1960s, the Labour government expanded legislation that only banned racism in public places to include discrimination in employment or services such as housing.

But the Queen and her household were excluded from those laws, which made it impossible for women and ethnic minorities working for Buckingham Palace to complain to the courts if they believe they have been discriminated against.

Any complaints would have been referred to the Home Secretary instead of the courts. It is understood these clauses remain in place to this day.
It's the fifth year NYC's 'Baby New Year' was born at the Coney Island hospital

The family soon realized the baby and his dad were delivered by the same doctor

A baby boy born at midnight on January 1 was crowned the city's 'Baby New Year'

The first baby of the New Year born in New York City, who arrived at the stroke of midnight as the clock ticked into 2024, was delivered by the same doctor who delivered his dad at the same facility.

The baby, who was yet to be named, was welcomed by his mom and dad, Rafael Abitbul, at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health in the Coney Island during the earliest moments of January 1, 2024.

But it wasn't until after the excitement died down around the fortuitous timing of the birth that the family realized that the doctor who oversaw the delivery, Dr. Sherman Dunn, had also delivered Rafael 23 years prior back when the facility was known as the Coney Island Hospital.

'He told me that his mother told him that I delivered him,' Dr. Dunn told the Daily News. 'Even though the mother was here, she never approached me and told me that. He told me after the fact.'

New York City's 'Baby New Year' for 2024 was delivered by the same doctor, Dr. Sherman Dunn, who'd delivered his dad, Rafael Abitbul, 23 years ago. Rafael is pictured with his son

Apparently, the anticipation of whether the newborn would end up as the 'Baby New Year' eclipsed the additional coincidence - that being Dr. Dunn's presence at the birth of two successive generations of the Brooklyn family.

Dr. Dunn further characterized the chaotic-sounding scene around the new baby's delivery to the Daily News.

'We had the TV on with the Times Square ball on, so everybody's watching the ball coming down,' he told the newspaper.

'They were doing the countdown on the TV as well as the mother pushing too.'

Then, he said, at the stroke of midnight, 'the mother gave it all her might, and the baby's head delivered.'

'It was a lot of fun,' third-year resident Betty Varghese told the publication.

'There was a lot of energy and excitement in the delivery room, a lot of anticipation,' she added.

The baby boy weighed seven pounds, 12.5 ounces, and measured 21 inches long.

Dr. Dunn described the scene at the stroke of midnight: 'The mother gave it all her might, and the baby's head delivered.' He is pictured with dad Rafael and nurse Anna Kolodynski

It was the first child born to the couple.

Meanwhile, for the hospital, the well-timed birth of the infant has made it the site of the city's 'Baby New Year' for the fifth year running.

And yet another coincidence emerged out of the series of events - when nurse Anna Kolodynski, who'd been helping with post-natal care for the family, realized that she'd also previously worked for Rafael's pediatrician.

'I took care of him and his siblings for about 20 years Now I am taking care of his child,' she exclaimed to the Daily News.

Still, the story behind the Abitbul family's new addition wasn't the only remarkable set of circumstances to take place around a birth in the midst of New Year's 2024.

Over in New Jersey, a couple welcomed fraternal twins Ezra and Ezekial in two separate years, with the former born 12 minutes before midnight on December 31, 2023, and the latter born just before 12:30 a.m. on January 1, 2024.
Jewish influencers and commenters are calling on Sephora to stop selling Huda Beauty products after the founder's new incendiary comments about Israel.

Jewish activist Rochel Leah Taktuk made a now-viral video about pro-Palestinian beauty blogger Huda Kattan's recent comments on Israel and asked: 'Huda hates Jews. Why is Sephora still selling her makeup?'

Rochel shared multiple videos of the beauty influencer talking about Israel, as well as a pro-Hamas video Huda, 40, re-posted for her four million followers.

The activist's commenters quickly weighed in and tagged Sephora as they announced their boycott of the store.

Jewish activist Rochel Leah Taktuk made a now-viral video about beauty blogger Huda Kattan's recent comments about Israel

Rochel, whose father is a famous American rabbi, told her 19,000 followers, 'Huda hates Jews. Why is Sephora still selling her makeup?'

Who is Huda Kattan? The founder behind the $200m beauty brand Huda Kattan was born in Oklahoma City to parents from Iraq She started a YouTube beauty tutorial channel in 2010 and now has four million followers The Muslim beauty blogger's makeup brand, which she launched in 2013, is based in Dubai Huda Beauty is sold at Sephora, Kohl's and Walmart Advertisement

Rochel, who tagged her father Rabbi Shmuley, who has 74,000 followers, started the video by saying, 'I've rarely seen a person hate Jews and hate Israel as much as Huda Kattan and Sephora is still selling all of her stuff in their stores.'

In the video, Rochel accused Huda of calling Zionism neo-Nazism, and shared multiple video clips from the Muslim beauty blogger's Instagram.

'Huda accused the US and Israel of making a ceasefire on Black Friday because they wanted more sales,' Rochel said, before sharing videos of Huda asserting that claim.

In the original video, Huda said about the ceasefire: 'We know it was done strategically during Black Friday to get people to spend money, because we weren't.'

Rochel went on to explain, 'Huda shared videos of a woman who said she wouldn't condemn Hamas because they're fighting for the Palestinian people.'

Rochel said that Huda told her followers that Israel 'purposefully kills journalists in Gaza.'

Huda has previously said she did not want 'blood money' from Israeli customers, which caused a commotion on social media, especially with her Jewish shoppers.

Huda made it clear she did not want money from these potential beauty buyers and went on to tell her followers, 'The revolution has started. We cannot be afraid to lose anything.'

Rochel's commenters quickly weighed in and tagged Sephora as they announced their boycott of the chain beauty store (stock image)

Some said they simply never liked her products and others said they would no longer shop at Sephora

Many people said they would no longer shop at Sephora until the beauty chain removed her products from their shelves.

'As long as they sell that raving lunatic I'll buy my makeup elsewhere,' one declared.

'She's not scared to lose anything? Time for her to lose all her business and money,' a commenter agreed.

One snarky person wrote: 'The lip filler has migrated to her head and is occupying her brain.'

Some said they simply never liked her products.

'Her makeup is sh***y and overpriced, anyway!' one declared.

Another wrote: 'Sephora has always supported Palestinians and not Israel! Idk (I don't know) why any Jews shop there ever! I stopped a long time ago! [Ulta] and Amazon have all the stuff you need!'

Many people explained they had been signing the petition to have Huda's products removed, as well as calling the beauty chain with the same complaint.

'I will never ever shop there again and will tell everyone the same. They support Hamas murder kidnap and rape of women and children and terrorism,' one commenter declared.

One person urged Sephora to 'stop selling' Huda's products as she was 'twisting facts.'

'Not condemning Hamas? Are you serious? Killing innocent people is ok?' they continued.

Huda started a YouTube beauty tutorial channel in 2010 and now has four million followers on YouTube and Instagram

Some commenters rushed to her support in the comments of the Instagram post and thanked her for her 'courage'

However, some commenters were quick to defend the former beauty vlogger, who they applauded for her 'courage,' with one writing: 'She's not wrong! So proud of her. She gained soooo much more customers.'

Another raved, 'I'm so proud that she isn't afraid to speak the truth!'

This isn't the first time Huda has faced backlash for her views, which have been labeled as anti-Semitic by many people on social media.

In October, the beauty guru started sharing anti-Israel videos following the Hamas attack that left 1,400 people brutally murdered and 200 taken hostage.

When one person suggested Israelis start boycotting her beauty product she insisted, 'I don't want blood money.'
A therapist has revealed why she is against making New Year's resolutions and what you should do instead to reach your goals in 2024.

Dena Domenicali-Rochelle, a psychoanalyst and clinical social worker with offices in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, shares mental health advice on TikTok, where she is known as @denathetherapis.

The 44-year-old opened up about her disdain for resolutions on January 1, saying they are an 'unrealistic fantasy' that will inevitably make you 'feel like a failure.'

'Because it's the first of the year, I want to talk about New Year's resolutions,' she began. 'So, I don't like them, and I don't think you should make any.'

Dena Domenicali-Rochelle, a psychoanalyst and clinical social worker, opened up about why she doesn't like New Year's resolutions on TikTok

The 44-year-old explained that resolutions 'capitalize on the alluring but unrealistic fantasy of perfection' and will ultimately lead to perceived 'failure' (stock image)

Domenicali-Rochelle explained that resolutions 'capitalize on the alluring but unrealistic fantasy of perfection.'

'Like, maybe this time I'll do it perfectly, maybe this time I'll stay totally dedicated and not make any mistakes,' she said.

'But that is a fantasy, and the day will come, probably relatively swiftly, where you don't feel that dedicated and you don't really care.'

She noted that 'it's going to feel like a failure' when you falter because you 'set up this notion of perfection.'

'If you feel like a failure, you'll be tempted to say, "F**k it,"' she added. 'And if you say, "F**k it," then you will go totally off the rails on whatever change it is that you want to make.'

Instead of making a New Year's resolution, Domenicali-Rochelle said you should 'wake up every morning and ask yourself: "What can I do today that will help me get what I want in the long run?"'

'And then whatever that thing is, make sure it's a realistic expectation and ask yourself to do it. That's it. So you just take it one day at a time.

'Forget the long-term New Year's resolutions. They're not going to help you, but I hope this was helpful,' she concluded. 'Happy New Year.'

'If you feel like a failure, you'll be tempted to say, "F**k it,"' she said. 'And if you say, "F**k it," then you will go totally off the rails on whatever change it is that you want to make'

Instead of making a resolution, Domenicali-Rochelle said you should 'wake up every morning and ask yourself: "What can I do today that will help me get what I want in the long run?"'

The therapist titled the video 'F**k New Year's resolutions.'

'I dont like New Years resolutions, and I dont think you should make them,' she reiterated in the caption. 'Instead of setting yourself up for unrealistic perfection, take one day at a time.'

If you made a New Year's resolution this month, experts agree that you shouldn't have an all or nothing attitude, especially when it comes to fitness.

Speaking with DailyMail.com, Hengchen Dai, a behavioral science researcher at the University of California Los Angeles, recommended setting sights on a single goal.

One example is hiring a personal trainer to get into shape. It only takes a momentary increase in motivation to sign up, but you're creating a long-term commitment to work on your health.

'Once they find a trainer and pay for it, the commitment they have to make to the trainer may help them to sustain that effort,' Dai said.

And working with a trainer to get in shape is much healthier than, say, starving yourself after a holiday binge.

Dai explained that having an 'emergency reserve' can also help you reach your goals over time because it allows for some leeway.

She advised aiming for the top of your goal, such as going to the gym five days a week, but allowing yourself time off if you really need it.

This way, if you occasionally fall short, you won't return to bad habits.
Many of use can't resist a meal deal, and now Tesco has revealed the choice that came out on top for 2023.

Tesco has revealed its annual Clubcard Unpacked, showing customers exactly what was top of the shops for Brits in 2023, as well as the nations go-to meal deals.

Just like last year, Tesco's Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple sandwich, McCoy's Flame Grilled Steak Grab Bag Crisps and a bottle of Coca-Cola took the lead.

However, although Brits loved the Tesco Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple and it remains the nations overall favourite meal deal, this changed during the festive period - the Tesco Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich took over the coveted number one spot.

But the top main in the meal deal also changed depending on location.

A Tesco Extra store in Oldham, Greater Manchester (stock image)

The winner! This sandwich came up as Britain's top Tesco meal deal purchase. It's made up of hard-boiled egg, sausage, smoked bacon, tomato relish and mayonnaise in malted bread

Scots were more likely to opt for Tesco Smoked Ham And Mature Cheddar Sub, whilst over in Northern Ireland the top spot went to the Tesco Chicken Bacon & Stuffing Sandwich.

Meanwhile, Scouse Clubcard members managed to get through 187,000 bags of party ice.

Londoners tucked into over 6 million avocados while Glaswegians scoffed over 1 million morning rolls.

Cardiff crunched through 628,000 apples, and Leeds sipped over 23 million cups of tea.

The UK's favourite Tesco lunchtime meal deal items of 2023, split by mains, drinks, and snacks Tesco Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple Tesco Chicken Triple Sandwich Tesco Smoked Ham & Mature Cheddar Sub Tesco The Chicken Club Sandwich Tesco Hoisin Duck Wrap Tesco Chicken Caesar Wrap Tesco Southern Fried Chicken Pasta Tesco Chicken, Bacon & Stuffing Sandwich Tesco Tuna & Sweetcorn Pasta Tesco Cheese Triple Sandwich Mccoy's Flame Grilled Steak Grab Bag

Coca Cola Regular

Tesco Egg Protein Pot

Big Hoops BBQ Beef Grab Bag Crisps

Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Grab Bag Crisps

Oasis Summer Fruits

Lucozade Sport Orange Advertisement

Mancunians munched over 570,000 meat pies but Derby residents nibbled through 209,000 blocks of cheese.

Leicester crunched over 3 million bags of crisps and Brummies bought 958,000 bread rolls.

In Edinburgh, on Burns Night alone, shoppers bagged 4135 haggises, whereas Sheffield shoppers ate over 1 million Yorkshire puddings.

Clubcard members keen to dive into their results will be able to view their Clubcard Unpacked in the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app.

They can also check online through their Clubcard account, from January 3.
Officers who used to work at Britain's notorious Belmarsh prison have revealed how some of the UK's most dangerous criminals - including everyone from armed robbers and Harrods bombers to IRA assassins - seduce young female prison workers in a new Channel 5 documentary.

Belmarsh: Evil Behind Bars - episode one of which airs tonight at 9pm - heard about how women working at the jail can get 'caught in inappropriate relationships' with inmates, who win their affections despite often having been perpetrators of violent attacks against women.

Former staff and criminals at 'Hellmarsh' - built next to the River Thames in South-East London - claimed that often the answer lies in the inmates' impressive physiques as well as their ability to exploit members of staff for their own ends.

McSweeney, 30, stalked, sexually assaulted and murdered the 35-year-old aspiring lawyer days after being released from prison in June 2022 - and despite being held in Belmarsh, he was caught having sex with a female prison worker in April last year.

Speaking in the Channel 5 documentary, George Shipton (pictured) - who was an officer at Belmarsh for ten years from 1992 to 2002 - expressed that it's no wonder women who work there may be attracted to prisoners

He was caught with the woman, who is not a prison officer, after the pair managed to gain sole access to a room inside the prison, which they then locked from the inside, a source said.

The worker, who is not a prison officer, has been suspended and has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct. An internal investigation is said to be underway into how the incident occurred.

Speaking in the Channel 5 documentary, George Shipton - who was an officer at Belmarsh for ten years from 1992 to 2002 - expressed that it's no wonder women who work there may be attracted to prisoners, many of whom go to the gym four to five times a week and eat well, given there are no takeaways and indulgences in jail.

'A lot of these geezers are big blokes,' he said. ' They're in really great shape and they just condition them.'

And former prisoner Noel 'Razor' Smith - who was an inmate from 1999 to 2001 - says that there is no better place to find a suitor than in a 'building of 2000 men'.

'Big, strapping six foot two criminal walking around the wing with his shirt off, day in day out - and he's quite funny and charming and he treats you alright,' he said, explaining the appeal.

'I've known a couple of times when a couple of my mates were at it.

'One with an education teacher, civilian. Down in the education department, he was the cleaner.

It comes following today's news that Zara Aleena's killer Jordan McSweeney (pictured) was caught having sex with a prison worker inside the infamous top-security prison

Former staff and criminals at 'Hellmarsh' - built next to the River Thames in South-East London - claimed that often the answer lies in the inmates' impressive physiques as well as their ability to exploit members of staff for their own ends

'He got talking and then they got talking again and then eventually it led to a kiss and then eventually it led to her bringing him in cannabis and whatever he wanted and then they used to have sex in the broom cupboard down there everyday.

'So he enjoyed his sentence for quite a while until they got sussed out and she got sacked and he got moved to another prison.'

Meanwhile, Gareth Fox, who was officer at the prison from 1998 to 2005, stressed that it was often younger women being seduced by the criminals.

'We've had situations at Belmarsh where female officers have been compromised and caught in inappropriate relationships,' he explained.

'They generally tend to be the younger females that maybe not as worldly or as wise as some of the older female officers.'

But it's not all love and dalliances, in a place filled to the brim with dangerous individuals.

Among those who have had a stint in Belmarsh is the notorious 'Scalp Hunter' John Sweeney - who has reportedly enjoyed a flourishing career as an artist while serving a life sentence for two gruesome murders.

McSweeney, 30, stalked, sexually assaulted and murdered the 35-year-old aspiring lawyer days after being released from prison in June 2022

The killer earnt his morbid nickname from the vile sketches he drew of him attacking his victims.

'God, he's dangerous, John, big powerful man and all,' said former inmate Kevin Lane.

'He didn't talk to many people. He used to chat to me and it weren't until years later I found out what he was in for. And I actually liked his company. Found him great company. Great laugh. I just didn't know he was stringing people up and doing mad things to them.

'He's done some real mad pictures. Like he'd draw pictures of psychologists and that that he didn't get on with in sexual positions.'

And robber Samson 'Yammy B' Mirza, who also did a stint at Belmarsh, admitted that he'd once even asked Sweeney for a portrait.

'I hate his guts but he's a good drawer,' he said, calling the killer a 'strange geezer'.

'And many men were using him cause it's a good thing you know to send your people outside. People pay him an ounce two ounce of tobacco cause his level was really really high.'

He - along with former inmate Joey Barnett - also continued stealing while they were in prison, targeting specifically anyone who had drugs on them.

However, Samson says he has 'no regrets'.

Robber Samson 'Yammy B' Mirza (pictured), who also did a stint at Belmarsh, admitted that he'd once even asked John Sweeney for a portrait

'It's not like you're doing it to vulnerable victims,' he said. 'We're all baddies in the jungle who have done horrible things. No rules as far as I'm concerned.'

There was one unit even more tightly controlled than the house blocks, which was built as a separate prison inside the walls of the main prison - called the High Security Unit (HSU).

It has 47 cells detaining the most dangerous inmates in Britain, the ones designated as 'exceptional risk' category A. High profile terrorists like the IRA, and Abu Hamza were held here.

'You're thinking you're going into a German prisoner of war camp,' Kevin Lane revealed when recounting his time there.

Officer George Shipton revealed that working at the HSU meant that you were working with a calibre of criminal that was able to pose threats to you and your family through their connections on the outside.

Tonight's episode also discusses relationship management with difficult prisoners such as Charles Bronson (pictured), who is notoriously violent and disruptive

Among those who have had a stint in Belmarsh is the notorious 'Scalp Hunter' John Sweeney (pictured) - who has reportedly enjoyed a flourishing career as an artist while serving a life sentence for two gruesome murders

He said that often, they were told to make sure they weren't being followed on the drive back home.

The programme described one instance where an inmate, in a tactic of intimidation, passed a note to an officer containing his wife's number plate.

Tonight's episode also discusses relationship management with difficult prisoners such as Charles Bronson, who is notoriously violent and disruptive.

Aged 70 today, Bronson was first jailed in 1974 for armed robbery, when he was 22.

He took part in one of the country's first public parole hearings last year and changed his surname to Salvador in 2014.

One of Britain's most prolific prisoners, he has been in jail for almost 50 years after a string of convictions both in and out of prison.

In the 1990s - while in Belmarsh - he took two Iraqi prisoners hostage in his cell, demanding a plane, sub-machine guns and ice cream from police negotiators before releasing them.

'We were known as Charlie's angels,' George quipped in the programme, explaining that the officers at HSU managed to have a good relationship with him due to a focus on de-escalation tactics.

A Prison Service spokesperson told the documentary: 'These are historical and unverified claims which have little relevance to HMP Belmarsh today.

'We have bolstered security to clamp down on violence and protect our hardworking staff.'

The Prison Officers Association was invited to respond to the programme but had no comment.

Who is serial axe monster 'Scalp Hunter' John Sweeney? Former carpenter John Sweeney, 66, was once regarded as one of the most dangerous men in Britain. He was sentenced to a whole life tariff in 2011 for butchering two girlfriends and dumping their remains in city canals. The Merseyside-born killer was found guilt of the murder of US model Melissa Halstead, whose remains were found in a Rotterdam canal in 1990. Over 30 years after his first gruesome crime, her missing head and hands have still never been found. A decade later, he killed mum-of-three Paula Fields, 31, in London. He cut her body up and dumped her remains in the Regent's Canal. Sweeney was tracked down by police in 2001, and was then convicted of the attempted murder of another girlfriend, Delia Balmer, in 1994. During their three years together during the nineties - shortly after he killed Ms Halstead - Ms Balmer faced a campaign of violence from Sweeney. Just before Christmas in 1994, he attacked Ms Balmer with an axe, leaving her with stab wounds and without her left little finger. By the time police arrived Sweeney had fled. He spent years on the run before he was eventually brought to justice for the two murders and attempted murder. The killer earnt his morbid nickname from the vile sketches he drew of him attacking his victims. Advertisement

HMP Belmarsh: Evil Behind Bars airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.
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Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark will take throne on January 14

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark put on a frosty display this morning as they arrived at the Christiansborg Palace for a New Year reception.

Frederik, 55, dressed in military regalia, while Mary, 51, looked chic in a navy dress as they met with Queen Margrethe, who will step down in 11 days time.

Walking side-by-side into the palace, the couple appeared tense as they walked to greet the diplomatic corps

Insiders told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that the 'the couple did not look they were enjoying themselves' and described the atmosphere as being at 'freezing point'.

'Words were exchanged between the two, and it didn't look like they wished each other good luck' the paper claims.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark appeared distant as they arrived at the Christiansborg Palace for a New Year outing this morning

The royal couple are preparing to take the Danish throne after Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe II announced she would abdicate in her New Year's Eve speech

The couple kept a polite distance and barely exchanged words as they walked towards the Knights' Hall, flanked by soldiers

Known for her opulent style, Queen Margarethe arrived to greet the diplomatic corps in a fur coat

Queen Margarethe, who took over the throne in 1972, announced she is abdicating in a shock New Year's Eve speech and will be succeeded by her son on January 14, after 52 years on the throne.

The couple kept a polite distance and barely exchanged words as they walked towards the Knights' Hall, flanked by soldiers.

The atmosphere remained cold when they took their place beside Queen Margrethe inside the hall, both dressed formally for the occasion.

Queen Margrethe, who has been dubbed a 'style icon' by Vogue, arrived in a fur coat.

She was also highly decorated in medals, atop a deep red dress with black detailing on the collar and sleeves.

It's been a tumultuous few years for the Danish royal family. Margarethe stepping down comes two months after photographs emerged of Crown Prince Frederik enjoying a night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in Madrid in October.

The rumours began when Prince Frederik was photographed enjoying a night out in Spain with his friend Genoveva Casanova without his wife.

The family headed for a pre-Christmas break to Mary's native Australia, as well as visiting New Zealand.

The Danish queen, who took over the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in Europe following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022

The Danish royals arrived at the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on Wednesday to greet the diplomatic corps for the New Year

The atmosphere remained frosty when they took their place beside Queen Margrethe inside the hall, both dressed formally for the occasion

The soon-to-be king looked dapper in military regalia

Mary opted for a high-neck, navy gown while Frederik wore his military uniform

Queen Margrethe was also highly decorated in medals, atop a deep red dress with black detailing on the collar and sleeves

There has been speculation that Queen Margrethe 's abdication may have been driven to save the marriage of her son and Princess Mary in the wake of the alleged 'affair'

The pair appeared tense as they walked side-by-side into the reception

The tension continued as they met the Queen

The pair will take over from Queen Margarethe in two weeks time

Margrethe however appeared delighted and carefree

Margarethe opted for a fur coat as she headed into the reception

Before the family's flight from New Zealand Princess Mary shared a cryptic post about loneliness and the need for positive human connection ahead of Christmas.

In the letter posted on the Mary Foundation website, the future queen reflected on the past year - and said she felt it was shorter than previous years.

'And at the same time, so much has happened that it is impossible to put it all into words,' she continued.

An excerpt shared on the official Instagram of the Danish Royal House had some speculating the princess was using her foundation to hint at the affair rumours.

'We need each other if we are to succeed.' And that's not only true in the working world and for those of us who are working to combat social isolation,' it read.

'This is true for all of us. Humans need humans.'

The post and powerful words were pictured alongside a gorgeous picture of the royal in the snow.

She wore a purple jacket beneath a warm woolen wrap and gave a soft smile toward the camera.

Princess Mary has shared a cryptic post about loneliness and the need for positive human connection ahead of Christmas

Her trip came after rumours of the prince having an affair with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova rocked the Danish Royal Household

'The Danish royal family are lucky to have you. I hope your husband realises he has embarrassed you and his children immeasurably. You will make a fine queen,' one fan commented.

Another wrote: 'I think this is a sad year for Mary, her husband's (alleged) betrayal and it's public. What a brave woman, she can handle anything. I just adore her.'

Some came to the defence of the royals calling for people to stop talking about the alleged affair.

There has been speculation that Queen Margrethe's abdication may have been driven to save the marriage of her son and Princess Mary in the wake of the alleged 'affair'.

Ms Casanova has denied allegations of any relationship with Frederik.

Royal commentator Phil Dampier told The Telegraph: 'It's possible that the Queen took this action because she would have been terrified of the marriage breaking up and the royal family losing Mary. It would have caused major problems.

'The Queen has always seen Mary as a tremendous asset.'

The Prince and his Australian Princess have been rocked by rumours of infidelity since November - placing their 'fairytale romance' under the microscope.

In 2022 Margrethe sparked a public rift with Joachim after stripping his four children of their royal titles. She subsequently apologised about the timing of the announcement but stood by the edict.

Joachim had spoken out against his mother's decision in the days that followed - claiming that his children born from Joachim's first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - and Henrik and Athena had been 'harmed' in the process.

Months later, the sixth-in-line to the throne admitted that 'communication was missing' within the Royal Family in the lead-up to the shock announcement.

Joachim told local news outlet B.T.: 'There is a lot to work on. Communication was what was missing. Now we have met and we are on the right track.'

Shortly after his children were stripped of his titles, Joachim claimed that he had only been given five days' notice before the news was made public.

Following the Queen's announcement, Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish Embassy in Paris, where he lives with his French-born wife Princess Marie and his two youngest children, and said his four children had been 'hurt' by their grandmother's decision.

'I was given five days' notice to tell them. In May, I was presented with a plan which, by and large, was that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. Now I had only five days to tell them. Athena turns 11 in January,' he clarified at the time.

Meanwhile, his ex-wife Alexandra said that her sons, Nikolai and Felix, had been left feeling 'ostracised' from the institution and the decision had come like a 'bolt out of the blue'.

The Royal Household released a further statement, saying: 'As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

'We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen's wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.'
Bargain hunters flocked to the Shelter New Year sale- where a rare first edition copy of Harry Potter went on sale.

The Shelter branch, in Edinburgh, welcomed visitors from across the country today for the charity's annual event.

The event, which has been running since 2003, features a selection of the rarest items the Stockbridge shop has to offer -with staff and volunteers selecting highlights from the year's donations.

The charity shop celebrated its 21st anniversary by offering up some limited edition items.

Up for sale was a first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, signed 'To Sarah' by author J.K. Rowling, and fetching a cool 400.

Bargain hunters flocked to the Shelter New Year sale, in Edinburgh - where a rare first edition copy of Harry Potter went on sale

Visitors also had the opportunity to pick up a first edition copy of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, priced at 600  with copies online being sold for as much as 3,000.

Pictures taken from the event show crowds of people gathering to browse the collection of books, records, clothing and homeware  all whilst raising money for charity.

Director of Shelter Scotland, Alison Watson, said: 'For more than two decades now the Shelter Scotland's January Stockbridge launch event has been marked in the calendars of Edinburgh's discerning shoppers.

'Scotland is in a housing emergency: there are more than 9,500 children in Scotland with nowhere to call home, more and more people are becoming homeless, while the housing budget has just been slashed.

'Your support keeps us in the fight against homelessness, so ahead of this exciting event I'd like to thank all our customers and donors for their generosity.'

Shop Manager at Shelter Scotland Stockbridge, Peter Jew, added: 'I can't wait to welcome all our customers to what is at this point an almost legendary event in Edinburgh.

Excited shoppers were spotted scrambling to buy the charity's limited edition items

Up for sale was a first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, fetching a cool 400

The inside cover of the book was signed 'To Sarah' by author J.K. Rowling

Shoppers scrambled to buy their favourite items from the charity at the annual sale

Visitors also had the opportunity to pick up a first edition copy of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, priced at 600  with copies online being sold for as much as 3,000

Many queued in the rain outside the branch in Stockbridge Edinburgh for the sale

Excited shoppers packed the Shelter branch as they browsed through the goods for sale

Pictures taken from the event show crowds of people gathering to browse the collection of books, records, clothing and homeware  all whilst raising money for charity

'This is a chance to showcase and celebrate our donations and we're immensely grateful to everyone who contributed.

'This year we have a truly magnificent selection on offer, this is a great opportunity to grab something special while supporting Shelter Scotland in the fight against the Housing Emergency.'
Do YOU have any odd items at the top of your Clubcard unpacked list? Email shannon.mcguigan@mailonline.co.uk

Tesco's annual Clubcard Unpacked has unveiled its customers shocking spending habits - but are you surprised by your 2023 purchases?

Similar to Spotify Wrapped, the Tesco Clubcard feature shows customers exactly what items they shopped for the most in 2023.

After the feature went live earlier today, many customers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their peculiar shopping with one person confessing they had bought a whopping 221 litres of Tesco Orange Juice.

'Another win for orange juice on the Tesco Clubcard Wrapped this year,' quipped the consumer.

Tesco has revealed customers 2023 shopping habits with its Clubcard Unpacked feature, shocking many customers. One discovered they had purchased 221 litres of orange juice in one year alone

The tool didn't only unveil consumers embarrassing food habits, it also showcased their love for their furry friends

Not everyone saw the bright side to the revelations brought about by the Clubcard feature, with one shopper branding it as 'the worst thing to happen' to them

One user shared their avid love for Monster Energy drinks, revealing they had bought 56 cans last year alone.

The feature also shared that the beverage was a staple of a very unique meal deal - which included mints and salmon and tuna sushi - that no one else had eaten.

'Tesco clubcard wrapped thing or whatever I didnt even know this was a thing,' they surprised buyer penned: 'According to this I spent over 2k on food at Tesco in 2023 lmao.'

Are YOU surprised by your Tesco Clubcard Unpacked? Let us know at shannon.mcguigan@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

For one customer, the feature revealed their love for their furry pets, with their top 2023 item being cat food.

'Crying at Tesco's version of wrapped,' they wrote.

A bemused clubcard holder also chimed in: 'Tesco clubcard wrapped is the worst thing to happen to me.'

'Just saw ours and died a little inside,' replied a shopper.

This comes after Tesco Clubcard unpacked unveiled the nations top meal-deal choices for 2023.

Just like last year, Tesco's Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple sandwich, McCoy's Flame Grilled Steak Grab Bag Crisps and a bottle of Coca-Cola took the lead.

However, although Brits loved the Tesco Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple and it remains the nations overall favourite meal deal, this changed during the festive period - the Tesco Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich took over the coveted number one spot.

But the top main in the meal deal also changed depending on location.

A Tesco Extra store in Oldham, Greater Manchester (stock image)

The winner! This sandwich came up as Britain's top Tesco meal deal purchase. It's made up of hard-boiled egg, sausage, smoked bacon, tomato relish and mayonnaise in malted bread

Scots were more likely to opt for Tesco Smoked Ham And Mature Cheddar Sub, whilst over in Northern Ireland the top spot went to the Tesco Chicken Bacon & Stuffing Sandwich.

Meanwhile, Scouse Clubcard members managed to get through 187,000 bags of party ice.

Londoners tucked into over 6 million avocados while Glaswegians scoffed over 1 million morning rolls.

Cardiff crunched through 628,000 apples, and Leeds sipped over 23 million cups of tea.

The UK's favourite Tesco lunchtime meal deal items of 2023, split by mains, drinks, and snacks Tesco Sausage Bacon & Egg Triple Tesco Chicken Triple Sandwich Tesco Smoked Ham & Mature Cheddar Sub Tesco The Chicken Club Sandwich Tesco Hoisin Duck Wrap Tesco Chicken Caesar Wrap Tesco Southern Fried Chicken Pasta Tesco Chicken, Bacon & Stuffing Sandwich Tesco Tuna & Sweetcorn Pasta Tesco Cheese Triple Sandwich Mccoy's Flame Grilled Steak Grab Bag

Coca Cola Regular

Tesco Egg Protein Pot

Big Hoops BBQ Beef Grab Bag Crisps

Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Grab Bag Crisps

Oasis Summer Fruits

Lucozade Sport Orange Advertisement

Mancunians munched over 570,000 meat pies but Derby residents nibbled through 209,000 blocks of cheese.

Leicester crunched over 3 million bags of crisps and Brummies bought 958,000 bread rolls.

In Edinburgh, on Burns Night alone, shoppers bagged 4135 haggises, whereas Sheffield shoppers ate over 1 million Yorkshire puddings.

Clubcard members keen to dive into their results will be able to view their Clubcard Unpacked in the Tesco Grocery and Clubcard app.

They can also check online through their Clubcard account, from January 3.

Do YOU have any unexpected items at the top of your Clubcard unpacked list? Email shannon.mcguigan@mailonline.co.uk with your achievements.
Danny Masterson's estranged wife Bijou Phillips has attempted to put her husband's rape trial behind her by jetting off on a luxury family vacation in the Bahamas, where she was seen frolicking in the sand, posing in her bikini, and joking with her sister - just months after her ex-husband was sentenced to 30 years to life in jail.

The actress, 43, jetted off to on a 'needed' trip with some of her closest loved ones for Christmas - as convicted rapist Danny, 47, continues his 30-year sentence.

She took to Instagram on December 20 to share some snaps from the glamorous getaway.

'Having the most needed vacation ever,' she captioned a carousel of images that showed her soaking up the sun at the luxurious Goldwynn Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

Bijou Phillips was seen living it up on a family vacation in the Bahamas - frolicking in the sand, posing in her bikini, and joking with her sister (seen)

The actress, 43, jetted off to on a 'needed' trip for Christmas - months after her now-estranged husband, Danny Masterson, was sent to prison for rape. She and Danny are seen at the trial

She took to Instagram on December 20 to share some snaps from the glamorous getaway, which she captioned, 'Having the most needed vacation ever'

One of the photos featured Bijou laying on a lounge chair next to her brother-in-law Billy Baldwin

Bijou soaked up the sun at the luxurious Goldwynn Resort in Nassau, Bahamas

One of the photos featured Bijou laying on a lounge chair next to her brother-in-law Billy Baldwin.

She donned a red and white plaid bikini, while dark shades shielded her eyes from the strong sun.

She left her long blonde locks in loose waves around her face and went makeup-free for the beach day.

Another image saw the model laying face down on the chair, while a third was a selfie she took that showcased her clear complexion.

Bijou was joined by her sister Chyna Phillips, 55, Chyna's husband, Billy, 66, and their three kids, twins Jameson and Vance, 23, and Brooke, 19.

It's unclear if Bijou and Chyna's other sister Mackenzie Phillips, 64, or if Bijou's daughter, Fianna, nine, were there.

On her YouTube channel, Chyna shared a montage of clips taken from throughout the vacation.

'It's a rockin' Christmas here in the Caribbean,' she captioned the post. 'Billy and I are here with the whole family and close friends.'

Bijou was joined by her sister Chyna Phillips (seen), 55, Chyna's husband, Billy, 66, and their three kids. It's unclear if Bijou's daughter, Fianna, nine, was there

On her YouTube channel, Chyna shared a montage of clips taken from throughout the vacation, including one that showed her and Bijou giggling together

Described as a 'sleek, nostalgic, and private oasis,' Goldwynn hotel sits on Cable Beach in Nassau

It boasts stunning views of the ocean, and a slew of chic amenities, spacious accommodations, and fun activities

One showed her and Billy kissing by the bar, while another featured her eldest daughter Brooke running into the bright turquoise ocean.

The family was also seen riding on jet skis and splashing around in the pool at the lavish resort.

Described as a 'sleek, nostalgic, and private oasis,' Goldwynn hotel sits on Cable Beach in Nassau and boasts stunning views of the ocean, and a slew of chic amenities, spacious accommodations, and fun activities.

In September, Bijou's estranged husband Danny was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for raping two women in 2003

Rooms range in price from $480 during the slow season to as much as $1,130 for one night during the busier months.

At one point in the YouTube video, Bijou, dressed in a colorful patterned swimsuit cover-up and a big sun hat giggled with her sister on the hotel's boardwalk.

'I don't even know how to describe the joy and satisfaction,' Bijou told the camera. 'I'm so happy to be here with the fam, we're just really enjoying our time together.'

'We're just trying to keep...' she said before trailing off as one of the employees 'photobombed' the video.

The sisters jokingly asked the man to join into their conversation before it cut to another clip.

In September, Bijou's estranged husband Danny was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for raping two women in 2003.

A source told DailyMail.com at the time that Bijou - who wed Danny in 2011 - was devastated that her life with Danny had been 'completely uprooted,' and terrified about how this will impact her and their daughter.

While Bijou had stayed by Danny's side during the trial, she filed for divorce on September 18, just over a week after his sentencing. They're seen in 2005

It was revealed October that the That '70s Show star had agreed to give Bijou both legal and physical custody of their daughter

'Currently Bijou is circling the drain and is filled with all the emotion and no emotion at all,' they said.

'She is a shell of who she has been. She is really trying to be strong for her daughter as she is trying to figure out life and what it will be like for her.

'It can only be compared to a divorce or a death for her not being able to be with Danny the way they were.

'They had their life, and it has been completely uprooted and changed and change is as scary and miserable as one would imagine.

'Friends are trying to be there for her, but things are really tough. She is really trying to figure it all out and what her life will be after all things are said and done.

'Whatever happens with Danny will change her life forever and, in a not so dignified word, it just sucks.'

While Bijou had stayed by Danny's side during the trial, she filed for divorce on September 18, just over a week after his sentencing.

It was revealed October that the That '70s Show star had agreed to give Bijou both legal and physical custody of their daughter.

Later that month, the Church of Scientology - which Danny and Bijou were both longtime members of - announced that Danny had been expelled from the organization amid his guilty verdict.

The actor was also declared a 'suppressive person,' which the church defines as someone whose behavior seeks to impede the spiritual progress of those around him.

The label means fellow Scientologists, including Bijou, would be required to cut all ties with him.
A writer has accused GP surgeries of 'treating women like morons' after getting them to explain how they know they're not pregnant when booking an appointment.

Alice Vinten, from Essex, a former police officer turned writer, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a screenshot of her attempt to book a doctor's appointment online.

The form asked: 'How do you know you're not pregnant? For example, if you're using contraception, you have no have vaginal sex with a man since your last period or you've had a negative pregnancy test in the last 24 hours'.

Filling in the form, Alice wrote: 'I'm a 42-year-old woman that doesn't need to explain to you why I know I'm not pregnant. I know,' she wrote.

Alongside the tweet, Alice said: 'Can all GP surgeries please stop treating women like morons and asking them to explain how they know they're not pregnant. This question f**** me off big time. I know I'm not pregnant, that should be answer enough,'.

Alice Vinten, a former police officer turned writer, took to X, formerly known as Twitter , to share a screenshot of her attempt to book a doctor's appointment online

Dozens of women replied saying they felt similarly, however various medical professionals said that it was to protect the patient.

'Frustrating for you but vital for us. I've seen a woman deny she was pregnant and then have a cardiac arrest from a bleeding ectopic. Absolutely terrifying experience for all. We don't really have much say in how these questionnaires are designed, though,' one doctor said.

'This question still wouldn't have helped? Plus, this is a question I have to answer *every time* I want to contact the surgery or request a GP appointment as they no longer take phone calls for appts,' Alice replied.

Another wrote: 'I needed to ask a patient the other day due to a prescription I was issuing for antivirals and their reply made me smile so much (she understood why) . 'I'm a raging homosexual.its the best form of contraception' sadly the form didn't have that option for me to tick!'

'There's no need to reply in such a rude manner though! This looks like a generic form, there maybe women out there that would need to double check and this would prompt that but it's clearly double checking as it can change your care/treatment you receive!' said another.

'I'm a midwife and have looked after a number of women (from quite young to age 45) who either found out they were pregnant very late on, or when they pushed a baby out at home (usually the bathroom). Some it was a first pregnancy, some it was second plus. It's not a stupid Q,' added one.

'Whenever I'm asked this question, and I am a lot older than you, I always say 'chance would be a fine thing,' added another. 'Don't get so wound up about something so trivial.'

'Wow. 500 words allowed for the explanation!' said another.

Dozens of women replied saying they felt similarly, however various medical professionals said that it was to protect the patient

'I get why this is annoying but there have been cases where people had no clue they were pregnant and even experienced bleeding they thought were periods. More of a duty of care than anything,' wrote another.

'My fav is when they ask if I'm likely to be pregnant and I say no, and then they ask when my last period was and I have to explain to them that my contraception means I don't have them. THE HORROR (and lecture) every single time,' added another.

'Yeah or for women who primarily have relationships with women also; this question would require them to explicitly state that. It infantilises all women & doesn't explicitly trust them to be in control of their own affairs,' commented another.

'I was 53 and in hospital to have surgery on a broken ankle. I was asked if I was pregnant and I said no. They still made me have a urine test to prove it. Still totally amazed by this!

've had problems with my ribs for a year! I was asked could I be pregnant.. me no I was born with no womb.. doc .. ok we still need to do a pregnancy test to confirm this. .. I had to walk out of A&E before I exploded.

I had to sign a waiver before an op because I refused to do a pregnancy test as a 51 year old woman 20+ years into a chemical menopause with severe adenomyosis and PCOS. Good grief.

If there's a permanent reason for non-pregnancy, they should be able to log it in your records so you don't have to be asked every time. Small thing that could save a lot of trauma for some.

saw once someone replied to this question with '20 years of lesbianism makes me pretty certain I'm not pregnant'
After my divorce from Terence Conran in 1962, I discovered it was almost impossible for a woman to get a mortgage.

A lack of steady income wasnt the problem; a mother of two young sons, I had a job, but while male work colleagues could get a loan, I could not.

Eventually my mother guaranteed me, so at last I bought our family home from Terence  for three times what he had paid for it.

But the endless wrangling with lawyers and being told, by them and by bankers, that women didnt understand money (and so, by implication, should not be allowed to have any of their own) lit the feminist fire in me.

I wanted to stamp out this inequality. Over the past 20 years, I have tried to do this  via maths. Maths is money and money is power. I want women to get richer and stay richer. To achieve this, they need to be financially literate.

Shirley Conran (pictured), who founded The Maths Anxiety Trust in 2018 to raise public awareness of the condition known as Maths Anxiety and to find solutions, was made a dame for services to mathematics education

Even today maths remains an unpopular subject for girls. Only 39 per cent of pupils taking maths at A-level are female.

I created a series of ground-breaking, free online maths books for girls. And last week, as founder of The Maths Anxiety Trust, I was made a dame for services to mathematics education. I am astonished and delighted by the honour  but there is still much work to do.

My divorce from Terence has led me to help improve the lives of women. I was 36 and a single mother when I became the Daily Mails new womens editor. In the autumn of 1968, I became the launch editor of the ground-breaking Femail.

Until then, newspapers had only ever included a womens section about knitting, dress patterns, recipes and the odd interview with charity organisers. In Femail, for the first time, articles were written by women for women. We wrote about our weaknesses and fears.

And we werent afraid to ruffle feathers. Femail tapped into a feeling that life could be better for a woman.

A year later in 1969, viral pneumonia meant I had to stop full-time work and leave the Mail. Undeterred, I led a torchlit march of 700 women to No 10, demanding equal pay. The Equal Pay Act of 1970 was the result. Sadly, half a century later women are still behind male colleagues in the pay stakes.

My guide for the first generation of working mothers, Superwoman, became a bestseller in 1975, leading to a tiring book tour  and a diagnosis of ME (chronic fatigue syndrome).

I continued to struggle with my health and, realising Id probably need expensive medical help for the rest of my life, I decided Id better try to write an international bestseller.

In 1969, Shirley led a torchlit march of 700 women to No 10, demanding equal pay. While the Equal Pay Act of 1970 was the result, women are still behind male colleagues in the pay stakes 50 years later

I set my sights on America, realising it offered five times the sales of Britain.

It took 18 months to write Lace and I was anxious because I knew I might never find a publisher. Luckily, it sold to Simon & Schuster in 1982, with film rights, for a million dollars. Six more bestsellers followed.

Ive used a third of the money I made to become what I call a social entrepreneur, which means you oversee how your money is spent. In 1998, I founded Mothers In Management, which aimed to improve working conditions and flexible practices for working mothers.

Three years later, I founded The Work-Life Balance Trust, which lobbied for flexi-hours for both men and women. I was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2004 for services to equal opportunities.

It was also in 2004 that my campaigning for maths began. I was asked to find a good maths textbook for my goddaughter but couldnt find any. Back then one in four children left school maths illiterate.

I joined the dots and decided to write a maths course using my own experiences. This became Money Stuff, a collection of online maths books for girls that follow the GCSE syllabus.

Shirley decided to write a maths course using her own experiences when she was asked to find a good maths textbook for her goddaughter in 2004 but couldnt find any. This became Money Stuff, a collection of online maths books for girls that follow the GCSE syllabus

I founded The Maths Anxiety Trust in 2018 to raise public awareness of the condition known as Maths Anxiety and to find solutions.

For too long, weve accepted womens apparent aversion to handling and discussing money. Im sure this is part of the reason why in the top 100 British businesses, nine CEOs are women and 91 are men.

Women have come a long way since the launch of Femail in 1968. None of it was easy. Im proud that Femail remains at the centre of debate with a thriving readership. For me, it was the first step towards improving the lives of women.

As for my damehood, my sons are proud of me which means so much. Ive also received 7,000 emails, most saying its about time. Thats how I feel about women now; its about time we got the equality and respect we deserve. Were not there yet.
the contraceptive pill has dropped by more than two thirds since 2012/13

When I started sobbing on a daily basis, I knew something was seriously wrong. I began to feel paranoid, fretting about interactions Id had with other people. If friends or family didnt instantly reply to a message, I assumed they hated me. Some days, I didnt get out of bed at all.

The truth was, I was depressed  but at the age of 21, with my whole life ahead of me, I had no obvious reason to be.

It was only later that I made the connection: the advent of my black moods coincided with my decision to take the Pill.

After getting into a new relationship, I had gone to my GP looking for some reliable contraception and was immediately offered Microgynon, a combined form of the Pill, which includes two hormones, progesterone and oestrogen.

It clearly didnt agree with me. In fact, I felt so miserable, daily life felt like an uphill slog. I cried at the drop of a hat  in the pub, on the way to university. But still I soldiered on with it. Didnt all women take it? Why was I being so pathetic?

Sophie Cockerham (pictured) realised that the advent of her black moods coincided with her decision to start taking the contraceptive pill at the age of 21

Things finally came to a head when I found myself in tears, again, while attempting the weekly shop. That night, I threw my packet of pills in the bin and gradually, the sense of hopelessness hovering over me, the knot in my stomach, began to recede.

Eight years on, I now realise its not just me. Many women my age have had problems with what was sold to us as an easy, fuss-free solution to pregnancy worries, and are seeking alternative methods of birth control.

The news that both the combined and the progesterone-only form of the Pill will now be made available over the counter at pharmacies, no GP prescription required, was announced with great fanfare last year. But, the fact is, many of my generation couldnt care less because we have utterly lost faith in the Pill.

Data from the NHSs sexual and reproductive health services in 2022/23 suggests a sea-change in attitudes.

Use of the oral contraceptive pill has dropped by more than two thirds since records began in 2012/13, and while that figure isnt entirely representative  just under 11 per cent of women use the progestogen-only mini-Pill, which has been available over the counter since July 2021  it certainly shows a significant decline, especially among the 25-34 age bracket.

At the same time (though the figures are still relatively small), the number of women who say theyre now using app-based natural methods, with no hormones involved, has more than doubled.

That shift away may well be reinforced by the tragic death of 16-year-old Layla Khan from Lincolnshire who, it was revealed last month, died of a blood clot on her brain just weeks after starting the Pill in an attempt to ease painful periods.

The chances of a blood clot on the combined Pill are three times greater than for someone not on it, although they are still very rare.

Most of my friends are no longer prepared to put up with even such tiny risks. Taking control of our fertility doesnt end with a no-questions-asked blister pack of little white pills and a raft of side effects we are expected to endure without complaint.

While our mothers and grandmothers were simply grateful for the freedom the Pill gave them, were looking harder at the consequences of taking it.

Use of the oral contraceptive pill (pictured) has dropped by more than two thirds since records began in 2012/13

When I canvased 61 women online  aged from 23 to 34  almost all said they had been on the Pill at some point in their lives, but only a third had stuck with it.

The remaining two thirds were now using other methods, including the non-hormonal copper coil, condoms and fertility tracking apps, an option that has boomed since the advent of femtech  female technology focused on womens health.

Many young women in my surgery choose not to use hormonal contraception, says GP Dr Semiya Aziz, because they want to lead more natural lives, or have had unpleasant experiences in the past when they werent fully informed about all the side effects.

'Many are worried about the potential impact on their menstrual cycles, fertility, skin and mental health.

My generation have lost faith in this birth control

A pillar of womens emancipation when it was first approved in 1960, the contraceptive pill is still the leading method of birth control worldwide, with more than 40 brands now available. Yet all too often, even now in the UK, women arent given a choice about whether they want it.

Amelia, a 30-year-old clinical nurse specialist at a childrens hospice in Leeds, says no one asked her opinion as a teen.

Going on the Pill was just the done thing. I got my first boyfriend and my mum booked me in with the GP. I just went with the first thing they suggested, because I was embarrassed and wanted the appointment to be over.

Prior to starting her role at the hospice, Amelia was a senior nurse on a paediatric intensive care unit. I came off [the Pill] two years ago because I actually looked after a teenage girl who had a blood clot from being on it.

'I realised I didnt know anything about the Pill at all, and when I looked into it, I thought I should give my body a break. I didnt feel overly moody  but after a decade, how would I know if the Pill did alter my emotions?

Those worries are typical, and often amplified by social media. Type the Pill into the search bar on TikTok and up come thousands of videos from young people warning of its side effects.

When Sophie canvased 61 women online  aged from 23 to 34  almost all said they had been on the Pill at some point in their lives, but only a third had stuck with it

One video shows user Brogan Perry holding up the lengthy leaflet of possible complications that comes with the contraceptive Rigevidon, and is captioned: Lads, if your lass is on the pill, go give her a hug. It has had more than 1.1 million views, and 98.7k likes.

Last year, a Channel 4 documentary by presenter Davina McCall claimed 77 per cent of Pill users surveyed for the programme had experienced side effects, and 33 per cent stopped taking it as a result.

Worryingly, a Danish study also found users of the combined pill, aged between 15-19, were 80 per cent more likely than non-users to be prescribed antidepressants  although UK guidance insists there isnt a link between taking it and depression.

Though the Pill is proven to be 99 per cent effective at stopping pregnancy, side effects can include mood swings, nausea, breast tenderness and headaches.

Last year, researchers from Oxford University showed the progestogen-only mini-pill carries the same very slightly raised risk of breast cancer as the combined pill  a risk that disappears ten years after stopping its use.

Women were understandably enraged to discover the research had only just been done on a product that has been available since 1973.

But if my generation are now largely swerving the Pill, how instead are we taking precautions?

The progestogen-only implant is one way. I had an implant before my disastrous experiment with the Pill, but the paradox here is the lack of control it gives women.

A small, flexible stick inserted under the skin on the upper arm, it releases the hormone into your system for three years  and can only be removed with a GP visit and a scalpel.

The coil remains highly popular, despite horror stories of painful insertion. Gabby, 28, a paramedic from Leeds  who found the Pill caused debilitating migraines  has recently had the Mirena coil, a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD), fitted.

Sophie isn't surprised that many women have chosen to take matters into their own hands and bin the Pill given their worries about how it affects their menstrual cycles, fertility, skin and mental health

Compared to the 75mcg of progesterone she was previously taking daily via the Pill, Mirena slowly releases progestogen (synthetic progesterone) into the body over five years at an estimated rate of 20mcg per day.

I was apprehensive about going back on contraception, because the Pill was very bad for me, she says. Ive had a few migraines since having the coil, but I feel a lot more like myself and less unstable.

But the most popular birth control seems to be condoms or apps that track fertility, such as Clue Birth Control and Natural Cycles.

Sara, 29, started using the Pill to control her painful and irregular periods  and also to help with acne  but kept forgetting to take it, so stopped altogether: My long-term boyfriend and I were using condoms anyway and I realised I felt great without the Pill. I learned to understand my cycle properly.

Shes also started using an app to track her ovulation. My periods have been regular since then, and I havent taken the Pill again because I dont want the extra hormones.

'Im not too stressed about the risk of pregnancy. I hate how much its on us as women to worry about getting pregnant. Of course, I care, but I dont want to live in fear, and being more informed about my cycle allows me to work out when I should be more careful.

Natural Cycles was the first app to be approved officially for contraception anywhere in the world (by the German health department in 2017). Developed by former CERN particle physicist Elina Berglund and her husband Raoul Scherwitzl, it uses body temperature readings to calculate when its safe to have unprotected sex (green days in the app calendar) and when to use contraception or abstain (red days).

This is possible because of the rise in progesterone levels after ovulation that makes womens bodies up to 0.45c warmer than during the rest of their cycle.

Natural Cycles is very big online and among social media influencers, who rave about its back to nature credentials. Made In Chelseas Tiffany Watson and Coronation Streets Lucy Fallon have endorsed the apps, calling them the golden ticket.

But Amelia admits to nerves. To start off with, I was terrified on the app and still used protection as I didnt trust it, she explains.

A few of Sophie's friends who rely on fertility tracking apps for contraception admit to keeping the morning-after pill in their bedside cabinets, just in case

It was only after a few months and knowing I was like clockwork that I felt better. I was also at a point where falling pregnant wouldnt have been the end of the world, which felt like a safety net... I dont want to have anything hormonal ever again.

Older women, whove happily used the Pill for decades, may shake their heads at women putting their trust in an app claiming to chart their cycle. But Natural Cycles claims that with perfect use, its method has a 98 per cent success rate.

With typical use  in other words, among women who use withdrawal on a red day  its 93 per cent effective.

However, it also warns that the app can occasionally give a wrong green day (its research shows the likelihood of this happening is 0.5 per cent, with fewer than one out of 100 women becoming pregnant as a result).

We should be open about the side effects

Not everyone is convinced. In 2018, an ad for Natural Cycles in which it was described as highly accurate was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, while a number of women complained about becoming pregnant while using it.

A spokesman for Natural Cycles insists its method is reliable: The published effectiveness and real-life effectiveness rates remain the same  93 per cent effective with typical use and 98 per cent with perfect use.

Its an unfortunate reality that no method, including Natural Cycles, is 100 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy, even when used perfectly. We continue to educate prospective and new users on the importance of understanding how to maximise our products effectiveness.

Yet, while conception has increased post-Covid  against all expectation, the number of pregnancies fell during lockdown  so, too, have abortions.

In 2021, the number of abortions in England and Wales hit a record high of 214,869, the highest number since abortion was legalised in 1967. That means almost one in five pregnancies ends in termination.

In choosing non-hormonal contraception, women risk relying on their natural cycles, or having accidents with barrier methods, increasing their likelihood of pregnancy, says Dr Semiya Aziz.

The most popular birth control seems to be condoms or apps that track fertility, such as Clue Birth Control and Natural Cycles

A few of my friends admit to keeping the morning-after pill in their bedside cabinets, just in case.

They tell me they are not relying on this as a method of birth control, but for those who now wont take the Pill, its sometimes a necessary precaution and, since 2001, has been readily available over the counter at pharmacies.

As with the contraceptive pill, my friends agree that we should be more open about the side effects of this powerful treatment.

Indeed, not enough is known about any of our contraceptive options, believes Georgina OReilly, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), and there has been a staggering lack of progress on new ones, too.

Women seeking alternative ways to control their fertility is an understandable consequence of the woeful lack of innovation in contraception over the last 50 years, she says.

While there are more contraceptive options on the market, aside from the copper coil, all prescription methods are variations on the same synthetic hormones used since the 1960s.

The Pill works for many women, but many others find it doesnt meet their needs. For too long their voices have not been heard on the basis that the Pill prevents unwanted pregnancy and that is what matters most.

No wonder so many have decided to take matters into their own hands and bin the Pill. Rather than criticise them for exploring new options, maybe we should be asking why we havent prioritised their safety in this critical area of womens health.
A top cleaner has issued a warning about the 'pink mould' often found in the bathroom.

Kacie Stephens founder of The Big Clean Co cleaning company explained the slimy pink mildew is not mould but a potentially harmful bacteria.

'The build up of it on your shower can cause infections, so make sure you're washing it away regularly,' she said.

The bacteria is called serratia marcescens and thrives in warm, humid areas feeding off fatty deposits like soap residue.

While the bacteria is often harmless to those who come in contact with it, serratia marcescens can cause major problems if ingested, if exposed to an open wound, or to those with compromised immune systems.

Cleaner Kacie Stephens has issued a warning about 'pink mould' that grows in the bathroom. She said it is a bacteria called serratia marcescens and should be removed straight away

The pink residue should be clean away as soon as it is identified to reduce the risk of any adverse health effects.

It can be removed with a simple wipe using dishwashing liquid and baking soda, or bleach.

Kacie shared the helpful information in a TikTok video that caught the attention of more than 1.4million viewers.

Many were shocked by the clip and thought 'mould' the came from other sources like body fat and rusty water pipes.

'I put bleach last week because I had it. I hope to never see it again,' one woman said.

The bacteria is called serratia marcescens and thrives in warm, humid areas feeding off fatty deposits like soap residue

'I thought it was pee and blamed my boyfriend for peeing in the shower,' a second laughed.

'I always wondered what it was,' a third said and someone added: 'Just clean the shower regularly, that's all,'

Others shared their tricks for getting rid of the pesky build-up.

'Cillit Bang Power Cleaner Black Mould Remover. Spray on, leave for 15 minutes and shower or wipe away. Better than bleach,' one user explained.

'Acid-based cleaner every time to get rid of this,' another chimed in.
A 'mothballed' Covid mega lab currently on sale on Rightmove should be used as a research facility to develop cutting-edge medicines, MPs have urged.

The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory in Leamington Spa opened in June 2021 and was the UK's first Covid testing mega lab, processing 8.5million swabs during the pandemic.

Officials said the 1.1billion lab would 'play an indispensable role' in responding to future disease threats but it was suddenly shut just 18 months later and appeared on the property website in November.

A cross-party group of MPs have now called for the Government to use the facility to research microscopic viruses called phages, which hunt down and destroy bacteria.

Scientists hope the 'friendly viruses' can help tackle antibiotic resistance  the phenomenon bacteria evolving to become resistant to currently used drugs.

The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory  named in honour of the renowned British scientist  stands empty, a monument to waste and incompetence, and up for sale on the property website Rightmove

Phages are normally harmless to humans, but can be deadly for bacteria.

They work by penetrating the bacterial membrane and replicating inside the cell until it bursts open, killing the bacterium.

The key to harnessing them for treatment against deadly diseases is to find phages that are extremely efficient at killing strains of bacteria causing them.

The World Health Organisation has described antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as 'one of the top global public health and development threats'.

It said bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27million deaths worldwide in 2019 and contributed to 4.95million deaths.

In its report, published today, the Science, Innovation & Technology Committee said that the UK is at an 'impasse' because phages have not been developed to the required standards. As a result, they cannot be used in clinical trials.

What are phages? Phages have been used as therapy for more than 100 years. Phages are normally harmless to humans but can be deadly for bacteria. They work by penetrating the bacterial membrane and replicating inside the cell until it bursts open, killing the bacterium. The key to harnessing them for treatment against deadly diseases is to find phages that are extremely efficient at killing strains of bacteria causing them. However, they are more difficult to make and store than antibiotics and have never been licensed for therapeutic use in the UK. Advertisement

In order to meet UK standards, phages must be made in new manufacturing plants.

However, investment in compliant plants will only be justified following successful clinical trials.

It said the UK needs to break this licensing impasse to allow phages to be deployed as live-saving treatment.

Greg Clark, chair of the committee, said: 'Phages offer a possible response to the increasing worldwide concerns about antimicrobial resistance.

'But the development of phage therapies is at an impasse, in which clinical trials need new advanced manufacturing plants, but investment requires clinical trials to have demonstrated efficacy.

'The Committee is asking the Government to consider whether the mothballed Rosalind Franklin Laboratory in the West Midlands could provide a suitable facility.

'The Laboratory, which has already received over 1billion of public funding, was established by the Government to bring to an end the inadequacy of testing capacity that so hampered the national response to Covid.

'It consists of modern, secure laboratory facilities and was meant to be an important source of national resilience against future pandemics.

'But the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory has suddenly appeared for sale on the property website Rightmove, to the astonishment of the science and health communities.

'Our Committee's report on phages asks for the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory to be considered for this purpose, rather than be lost to the nation and to science in a firesale.'

Industry insiders claim the Government is trying to offload the world-leading facility for a fraction of its cost to taxpayers, who were forced to fund almost twice its initial 588million budget.

Instead of being at the forefront of the fight against Covid, the project opened six months late, faced issues with equipment, staff and construction and typically processed only 11,500 tests a day before closing 18 months later.

Desperate estate agents are now offering packages that will see the custom-built facilities at Leamington Spa in Warwickshire broken up to attract 'start-ups, scale-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises'.

Greg Clark, chair of the committee, said: 'Phages offer a possible response to the increasing worldwide concerns about antimicrobial resistance'

Real estate agent Avison Young is touting the sale of the 236,231 sq ft site as an 'unmissable opportunity', but casual browsers on the property website may be confused by features 'dirty and clean' corridors.

The planned sale shatters a promise that the site would help Britain battle future epidemics.

Phages have been used as therapy for more than 100 years, but have never been licensed for therapeutic use in the UK.

They have only been used as 'compassionate' treatments of last resort in isolated cases.

One such case involved a 15-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis who had a deadly bacterial infection and was given less than a one per cent chance of survival before being successfully treated with a three-phage cocktail by doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

The Committee is calling on the Government, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and phage scientists to work together to find a way for phage research to be funded and its products licensed for use.

It is also urging the MHRA to consider allowing the compassionate use of phages produced in the UK for last resort medical cases and to review how current regulations would govern liability for clinicians and hospitals who used these phages.

Professor Joanne Santini, who is based at the UCL Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology and assisted with the report, said: 'The Covid pandemic has made us acutely aware of the threat that infectious agents pose to health and healthcare systems.

'The inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics poses an even greater threat, with millions dying worldwide from infections caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

'Phages are going to be essential weapons in the arsenal to combat AMR.

'Critical to our successful use of phages will be the gathering of evidence from both cases of compassionate access use and clinical trials.

'To make this feasible in the UK, clear regulatory guidelines, manufacturing facilities for production of GMP phages and funding are going to be critical.'
A mother-of-two has shared a stark warning with fellow parents after her son was diagnosed with a tumour after she spotted cola-coloured urine in his nappy.

Stacie Hart, 32, from Morden in south London, spotted in October that Jaxon had 'really dark urine', along with a chesty cough and wheezy chest.

The next day a 5cm (two inch) tumour was found on the 16-month-old's kidney.

Jaxon, now 19 months old, underwent five rounds of chemotherapy before having the tumour and his kidney removed in November.

He was given the all-clear two days before Christmas which Miss Hart said was a 'miracle', adding that she is so thankful his body 'gave us that sign with the urine'.

Jaxon, now 19 months old, was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour on October 2, a type of kidney cancer which affects around 80 children in the UK a year, according to Cancer Research UK

Jaxon, pictured (left) with his dad Ben Martin, mother Stacie Hart and older brother Maximus, three, was given the all-clear on December 22, just in time for Christmas

On October 1, Miss Hart noticed Jaxon had a chesty cough and wheezy chest.

When she went to change his nappy, she discovered 'really dark urine'.

Miss Hart, who has worked as a nanny for more than 10 years, said she had 'never seen a nappy like that' and was 'really worried' it could be blood.

She said: 'I thought it's really difficult to get a face-to-face GP appointment, so I took Jaxon to work and said to my boss, who's a GP, "can I show you this nappy?"'

But the GP was more concerned about Jaxon's breathing, Miss Hart said.

The GP recommended Miss Hart take Jaxon to A&E at St Helier Hospital in Sutton immediately to have his chest and urine checked.

What are Wilms tumours and what are the symptoms? Wilms tumours are a type of kidney cancer that mainly affects children. About 85 children between the ages of 0 and 14 years are diagnosed with Wilms tumour each year in the UK. They are most common in children under 5 years. Rarely they can develop in older children and very rarely, in adults. The symptoms include: Painless swelling of the tummy

Blood in their wee

Pain caused by bleeding inside the tumour

Loss of appetite

Raised blood pressure

High temperature

Weight loss

Constipation

Shortness of breath and a cough

Generally feeling unwell and irritability Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

At A&E, Miss Hart said she said with a pot under Jaxon for more than four hours to collect a urine sample.

'They were almost going to send us home but then thankfully he weed and it looked as dark as Coca-Cola', she said.

Jaxon was then taken for an ultrasound scan which revealed a mass on his right kidney.

She said: 'It was a lot larger than his kidney was, it measured around five centimetres. In your mind you assume the worst.'

Jaxon was diagnosed with a Wilms tumour on October 2, a type of kidney cancer that affects around 80 children in the UK a year, according to Cancer Research UK.

Kidney cancer in children is extremely rare, but Wilms tumour is the most common type, the charity warns.

A swollen tummy, which is usually painless, is the most common symptom. Other signs can include blood in their wee and shortness of breath and cough.

Jaxon was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital on October 6, put to sleep and fitted with a Hickman line  a hollow tube placed into a vein in the chest to administer chemotherapy. Three days later he started his first round of chemo.

Doctors initially thought the cancer had spread to his lungs, but further scans confirmed this was not the case.

Now the couple are grateful they spotted the warning signs early

Reflecting on what was the 'worst week' of their lives, the couple said they 'felt constantly sick'.

Jaxon had five rounds of chemotherapy over a month before doctors decided to remove his kidney on November 2, an operation known as a nephrectomy.

Only once the tumour had been removed were they able to determine that the cancer was stage 1.

Miss Hart said: 'They caught it really quickly and thankfully his lymph nodes were clear. For us that was the best possible outcome.'

'Thank goodness, his body gave us that sign with the urine,' she said.

Jaxon received another four weeks of chemotherapy after his surgery, which is the minimum amount, said Miss Hart.

Then on December 22, Jaxon was given the all-clear.

'It was the best news ever,' Miss Hart said.

'It feels like we can breathe again. But that feeling of worrying never goes away.'

She added: 'Everyone said it was a Christmas miracle.

'These last months cannot compare to anything else we've been through.

'I just cannot believe what he has been through and that he's just taken it on the chin.

'When he goes to bed or has a shower that's when I'll have a good cry.

'But when he's awake and watching we don't let any of that happen.'

The ordeal has meant Miss Hart was forced to give up her job as a nanny.

As a result, her partner Ben Martin's income as an IT technician has been stretched to breaking point and the couple who have been together since they were 15 and have another son, Maximus, three, are now in the red at the end of every month.

In total, Jaxon had five rounds of chemotherapy within a month before doctors decided to remove his kidney on November 2, an operation known as a nephrectomy

Jaxon, pictured with his mother Stacie Hart and brother Maximus, received another four weeks of chemotherapy after his surgery

They said they feel 'so let down' by Government support on offer as they have applied for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and are yet to receive a penny.

However, a fundraiser on GoFundMe, set up by Jaxon's godmother Ava Jaeggi, has raised more than 5,400 to help the young family.

Miss Hart said: 'It's been a massive strain on our whole family. I had to leave my job because I can't look after someone else's children and care for my own.

'I can't return to work because Jaxon is very vulnerable to illness for seven months after chemo. And I'm a nanny, so at playgroups I'm around up to 30 children.'

The couple are hoping to receive DLA from January onwards and are currently on the waiting list.

'I just feel so let down that I've worked since I was 15 years old and paid taxes for a very long time, but yet at a time in life when we really need help, it's not available to us, it's not there,' said Miss Hart.

A DWP spokesperson said: 'We know the pressures families with sick and disabled children face and a case manager will be looking at this application urgently.

'The three-month qualifying period, which can begin before an application is made, helps to establish care needs and additional costs so we ensure the right support for those who need it most.'

The three-month qualifying period helps establish that the disability and resulting care are long-standing in nature and helps ensure the benefit goes to those for whom it is intended, according to the DWP.

The qualifying period does not begin at the point of application and can be met straight away if evidence showing the criteria has been met for at least three months.
Andrew Stanton in Newsweek:

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reshaped the U.S. political landscape on immigration by busing migrants from Texas to Democratic-led sanctuary cities. Abbott, a Republican, in 2022 began busing migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to sanctuary cities that protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, amid an influx of migrants arriving to the southern border. There were more than 2.4 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2023 fiscal year, up from roughly 1.7 million in 2021, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The governor has faced substantial backlash over the policy, as critics accuse him of using migrants as political pawns. The White House, for instance, has slammed it as a cruel, dangerous, and shameful stunt. Abbott, however, has defended the move as necessary, pointing to Texas border towns becoming overwhelmed with migrants, and that sanctuary cities should be prepared to take in more. The divisive tactic has upended the political discourse surrounding immigration, adding pressure to President Joe Biden, who faces new criticism from fellow Democrats over his handling of immigration as sanctuary city mayors plead with the federal government to provide more resources to grapple with the migrant influx.

More here.
Kidney transplant and heart patients have shared their devastation after their NHS appointments were cancelled due to junior doctor strikes.

Angela Waters-Kite, from Hull, told how her appointment for Monday has been cancelled, which would have revealed whether she could donate a kidney to her husband. The pair have been left 'deflated' by the strikes and on 'tenterhooks' as to whether the transplant can go ahead.

Tim Addams, from Lancaster, who is suffering from shooting chest pain, said he is 'fed-up' after being told that he faces a 15-month wait for a heart appointment that was postponed due to health service industrial action.

Other patients have shared how they have been left waiting nine months for an urgent referral appointment, only to have it postponed again at the last minute due to mass walkouts by medics.

Ministers today pleaded with union bosses to 'come back to the table', while senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom', labelling the action 'an act of cruelty'.

The British Medical Association (BMA)  the union behind this week's action  is seeking a 35 per cent salary hike for junior doctors. The union has doubled down on its original demand, vowing 'not stop until we achieve full pay restoration'. However, the Government remains hopeful the BMA will settle for less

Angela Waters-Kite, from Hull, revealed that her appointment for Monday has been cancelled, which would have revealed whether she could donate a kidney to her husband. The pair have been left 'deflated' by the strikes and on 'tenterhooks' as to whether the transplant can go ahead. Pictured, junior doctors at the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital, London today

Tim Addams, from Lancaster, who is suffering from shooting chest pain, said he is 'fed-up' after being told that he faces a 15-month wait for a heart appointment that was postponed due to health service industrial action. Pictured, junior doctors this morning outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle

The British Medical Association (BMA)  the union behind this week's action  is seeking a 35 per cent salary hike for junior doctors.

The union has doubled down on its original demand, vowing 'not stop until we achieve full pay restoration'.

However, the Government remains hopeful the BMA will settle for less.

Mrs Waters-Kite, who was due to attend an appointment at Hull Royal Infirmary on January 8, said the strikes are 'wrong on all levels'.

The 54-year-old is hoping to become a donor for her 56-year-old husband Tim.

Junior doctors' pay - the truth Junior doctors were awarded a pay rise of 6 per cent plus a consolidated payment of 1,250 in July, in line with the recommendation of the Independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. The package was equivalent to an average increase of 8.1 per cent from 2022/23 to 2023/24, or 10.3 per cent for those in their first year of training. Average basic pay for a first year doctor increased from 29,384 to 32,397, while a junior doctor who had been a specialty trainee for six years or more saw their pay rise from 58,398 to 63,152. Many are paid a higher sum for working overtime and receiving enhanced rates for working unsociable hours. Junior doctors pocketed the extra money despite vowing to continue striking, with some boasting the additional income would subsidise further walkouts. Steve Barclay, who was Health Secretary from October 2022 until November 2023, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had described the settlement as final and insisted there would be no more talks about pay. But the British Medical Association has held further negotiations with officials and ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care since October, resulting an offer of an extra 3 per cent, which has been rejected by union representatives. The BMA has claimed that junior doctors have seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms over the past 15 years. The trainee medics have been demanding full pay restoration  worth around 35 per cent  and have said they would not settle for anything less, although senior figures within the union have suggested they may compromise. Advertisement

He was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at 22-years-old during a routine medical exam, which he had as part of his heavy goods vehicle driving qualification.

She told MailOnline: 'His right kidney is shrivelled, and his left kidney is not much better, but with blood pressure medication, his kidney function has been around the 30 per cent mark.

'In the past two years this has decreased and he is wavering around the 10 per cent to 12 per cent mark.'

Function below 15 per cent is deemed established kidney failure.

Mrs Waters-Kite said: 'Luckily, Tim has been accepted to go on the kidney transplant list, and his paperwork is going through now.'

Tests last year revealed that she is a blood type and tissue match for her husband.

She said: 'It amazes us how the transplant team does it. They have all been fantastic.

'My appointment, which was cancelled, was for the next "hurdle"  to see if I will be accepted as a living donor.

'Deflated is the word I would use as everything from now is a yes or a definite no to being a donor, so we're on tenterhooks.'

Mrs Waters-Kite added: 'We're in a position where it's not what we would class as imminent danger to health, unlike a lot of people who are in a life or death situation. That's who we feel sorry for.

'The NHS striking  it's wrong on all levels. You know the wage when you decide on your career.'

Meanwhile, Mr Addams has been left 'fed up' after a cardiology appointment scheduled for August 2023  sandwiched days between consultant and junior doctor strikes  was cancelled.

The 46-year-old, who suffers from shooting heart pains that leave him nauseous, has been forced to wait 15 months for a rescheduled slot this coming November.

He told MailOnline: 'Each day I get up, my heart [beats per minute (bpm)] shoots up to 160bpm, I then start sweating badly and being sick.

'I have to go and sit on the sofa for an hour to try and get it back below 100bpm. It rarely drops below 100. It's made me pretty fed up to be honest.'

Frankie Lynn, from London, revealed that she was due to have an urgent referral appointment during the six-day strike, following a nine-month wait.

However, she shared a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating that it has now been cancelled due to the walkouts.

Rafa Milo, in the North West, also said that his NHS appointment scheduled for November was postponed to January. But he was told today that it has been called off for a second time, according to his post on the social media platform.

It comes as NHS England's national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, today warned the impact of strike action would have an 'ongoing effect on the weeks and months ahead'.

He said: 'As the longest strike in the history of the NHS begins during one of the busiest and most challenging weeks of the year  the health service is experiencing the winter pressures of flu and Covid combined with the huge disruption of industrial action.

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Other patients have shared how they have been left waiting nine months for an urgent referral appointment, only to have it postponed again at the last minute due to mass walkouts by medics. Pictured, junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London this morning

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'We know hospitals are already experiencing significant demand with other NHS services also under immense pressure, and although staff are doing the very best for patients with extensive preparations in place, there is no denying the NHS has started the year in a very difficult position.

He added: 'This latest round of strike action will not only have an impact on this week but will have an ongoing effect on the weeks and months ahead as we struggle to recover services and cope with heavy demand.'

'Our message for patients remains the same - continue to come forward for care using 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and 111 online for everything else.'

In a sign of the strain on the NHS, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust declared a critical incident  formally signalling that patient care may be under threat.

Which NHS services will be affected? Why are junior doctors on strike? Everything you need to know about the 'unprecedented' action How long will the walk out last? Junior doctors in England will take to the picket lines for six consecutive days, the longest strike in NHS history. BMA members are striking from January 3 at 7am until 7am on January 9. Which NHS services will be affected? Almost all pre-planned (elective) hospital services will be affected by strikes as the NHS shifts all of its focus to urgent and emergency care. What should I do if I'm ill? Health officials have stressed that people should still seek help if they are unwell. GP and pharmacy services will be unaffected by the industrial action and people are being urged to use these services as they would normally. Patients can also use 111 online, or call 111. Those with life-threatening emergencies should still call 999 and use A&E as normal. Why are junior doctors on strike? In the summer ministers offered junior doctors an 8.8 per cent pay rise, on average, for the 2023/24 financial year. However, the uplift was higher for first year medics, who were given a 10.3 per cent boost. The BMA, however, said the increase was insufficient and that junior doctors had seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008. Trainee medics have been demanding full pay restoration  worth around 35 per cent  and have said they would not settle for anything less. Ministers insisted this was the final offer. But Ms Atkins offered the medics an additional 3 per cent on top of this rise. This was rejected. Junior doctors and the Government entered talks in late 2023. After five weeks of intense negotiations, however, talks broke down and the BMA announced strike action for December and January. What is happening elsewhere in the UK? Junior doctors in Wales are planning a 72-hour walkout from January 15, while doctors in training in Northern Ireland are being balloted for potential strike action. Those in Scotland have already come to an agreement with the Scottish government. Advertisement

Meanwhile, NHS Greater Manchester warned its hospitals are 'extremely challenged', with the junior doctor strikes worsening ambulance handover times and the number of patients stuck in hospitals who are waiting to be discharged.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said it was facing 'extreme pressure' with waiting times in A&E of 'up to 11 hours'.

Warwick Hospital warned that it is under 'extreme heightened pressure' while Airedale Hospital said its emergency department is 'exceptionally busy'.

Health officials in Wigan said emergency services were 'very busy' and complained that doctors were seeing 'a lot of minor illnesses that could've been treated elsewhere such as a GP surgery or pharmacy.'

Leeds Teaching Hospitals warned that its hospitals are 'under significant pressure.'

Health leaders and NHS trusts issued a slew of shocking advice to patients, from advising older people to 'keep warm' to telling the public to 'wash their hands' to reduce pressures on the health service.

Professor Yvonne Doyle, the former medical director at Public Health England, told Times Radio that the public would need to play its part in reducing pressures on the health service.

'This is the period of the year when the NHS is always at its most stretched. There are things that everyone can do to actually help with that, and also look after themselves,' she said.

'Top of the list, for those who are eligible, is to get vaccinated, but also if you have got infection, keep away from people  try and limit your contact with people.'

She added: 'The other factor at this time of the year is cold weather. So older people, and people who are vulnerable to stroke, [should try to] to keep warm.'

Health leaders expressed 'deep concern' about the risks to the elderly, raising fears that those in need of help would not come forward during the strikes.

Paul Farmer, Age UK's chief executive, said: 'We are very concerned older people who may be feeling unwell are put off seeking the care they need due to the strikes.

'We have increasingly heard from older people, already struggling to access the help they need, now worried what ongoing strikes mean for them and their families.

Today's walkout marks the 29th day of industrial action by junior doctors since they first took to the picket lines in March.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who has already sketched out deals with consultant and specialist doctors, warned that while the health service has 'robust contingency plans in place', the action will seriously impact patients.

She said: 'January is typically the busiest time of the year for the NHS and these strikes will have a serious impact on patients across the country.

'The NHS has again put in place robust contingency plans to protect patient safety and it is vital anyone who needs medical help continues to come forward.

She added: 'I urge the BMA Junior Doctors Committee to call off their strikes and come back to the negotiating table so we can find a fair and reasonable solution to end the strikes once and for all.'

Ministers had initially offered junior doctors an 8.8 per cent pay rise, on average, for the 2023/24 financial year.

However, the uplift was higher for first year medics, who were given a 10.3 per cent boost.

Junior doctors in their first year now have a basic pay of 32,300, while those with three years' experience make 43,900. The most senior earn 63,100.

Ministers insisted this was the final offer. But Ms Atkins offered the medics an additional three per cent on top of this rise.

Ministers today pleaded with union bosses to 'come back to the table', while senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom', labelling the action 'an act of cruelty'. Pictured, junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital, London today

Ministers today pleaded with union bosses to 'come back to the table', while senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom', labelling the action 'an act of cruelty'. Junior doctors in their first year now have a basic pay of 32,300, while those with three years' experience make 43,900. The most senior earn 63,100

However, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, who co-chair the BMA's junior doctor committee, said this sum was still 'completely insufficient' and pressed ahead with fresh walkouts.

The BMA has claimed that junior doctors have seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008.

Trainee medics have been demanding full pay restoration  worth around 35 per cent  and have said they would not settle for anything less.

But senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom'.

Tory MP Paul Bristow, a member of the Commons Health Select Committee, also labelled the action 'unthinkable', warning it would put lives at risk.

'The BMA junior doctor leadership can't keep holding the country to ransom. It is an act of cruelty to make patients pay the price for their exorbitant 35 per cent pay demands,' he said.

Steve Brine, the Tory chair of the Commons health select committee, told Times Radio today that the union's pay demand was 'totally undeliverable' and also accused striking medics of 'holding the NHS to ransom for six days'.

He added: 'The Labour party are not saying they're making a 35 per cent pay rise, we're certainly not saying that. A 35 per cent pay rise demand is totally undeliverable.'

But Dr Laurenson today said that strike action is the 'only thing' the Government listens to.

Speaking from a picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, he said there was 'no good time to strike', adding 'we need to recognise that we have a massive workforce crisis'.

He said: 'The only reason the Government will even entertain talks with us is because we have strike action.'

'I'm happy to negotiate right now. I'll walk down to Westminster, I'll sit down with Victoria Atkins if she wants to sit down with us, but she doesn't.

'She's pushed us out of the negotiation room.

'The fact of the matter is we don't have enough doctors. So the Government's answer to that is apparently to cut our pay, but that's just going to drive more doctors away.'

Dr Trivedi also revealed the BMA would accept its 35 per cent pay uplift demand to be spread 'over a number of years'.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: 'All we want is a credible offer that we can put to our members and we don't need to strike ever again.

'We're not asking for any uplift or pay restoration to happen overnight. We're not even saying it has to happen in one year.

'We are very happy to look over deals that would span a number of years  but what we need to do is to start a way towards that and not further that pay erosion.

'That three per cent pay uplift would still have amounted to pay cuts for many doctors this year.'
Joe Biden may have put himself at increased risk of a deadly skin cancer after getting sunburned while on his New Year's vacation, experts say.

The president, 81, was pictured Tuesday with 'lobster-red' skin as he returned from a week's vacation at a $3million private villa in St Croix, the American Virgin Islands.

While a one-time sunburn is unlikely to develop into the deadly skin cancer melanoma, Biden has a history of cancerous lesions on his body  with repeated sunburns raising the risk of different types of skin cancers.

In February 2023, the president had a lesion of basal cell carcinoma  a type of skin cancer  removed and he has suffered several other bouts of the cancer before 2021.

Dr Anisha Patel, a dermatologist at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, warned damage to the president's skin from the sun's rays increased the risk of melanoma  a skin cancer that only 30 percent of patients survive if caught in late stages.

President Joe Biden sported a bright red sunburn as he returned from his vacation in St. Croix over the holiday season. Dermatologists warn this may raise his risk of skin cancer

The president's sunburn was notable following his treatment for skin cancer in February 2023, where he had a basal cell carcinoma removed from his chest

Speaking to DailyMail.com, she said: 'Sunburn increases the risk for skin cancer in general  including melanoma  because of the UV exposure.

'The fact he had basal cell carcinoma indicates there is enough UV damage to cause skin cancer.'

However, she added: '[The fact] he hasn't had a melanoma so far is significant  and a good sign.

'As you age, you are at increased risk of all cancers because our DNA repair mechanisms don't work as well.

'So, if he has gotten this far without melanoma then his genetic risk factors are low  I see patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s with this skin cancer.'

Dr Deborah Sarnoff, the president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, told DailyMail.com just five sunburns double the risk of developing melanoma.

And a 2023 study found people who have had basal cell carcinoma have a six-fold increased risk of developing melanoma than those who have not had the disease.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer and the most common type of cancer overall in the US, with 5.4million people diagnosed annually.

It typically develops in places that are frequently exposed to the sun, where damage accumulates over time.

It forms when cells in the upper layer of the skin start to divide uncontrollably and form a translucent pink patch that may itch or be painful.

The above shows cases of the skin cancer basal cell carcinoma by age group recorded in a study. The label nBCC refers to basal cell carcinomas of the neck and head, while the label sBCC refers to those on the trunk. Joe Biden had one on his trunk in his late 70s

The above shows diagnosis rates for melanoma, a deadly type of skin cancer, based on age. They peak among men around age 70 to 75, data shows, before decreasing

President Biden had the lesion removed from his chest during his physical - above Biden on the beach in May 2009

Dermatologists treat the cancer through surgery to remove the growth, which is nearly always successful. The cancer has a survival rate of more than 99 percent.

Melanoma is a much less common form of cancer, however, behind one percent of cases annually and involving cells that make pigment in the skin.

Like basal cell carcinoma, the risk of melanoma is also increased by sunburn, which can damage DNA inside cells.

Warning signs of the disease include changes to an existing mole, such as it turning red or changing shape.

If melanoma is caught in the early stages, almost all patients survive.

But if it is not detected until it has spread to the lymph nodes, this drops to 72 percent of patients surviving five years after diagnosis.

If it is not detected until it has reached another organ, only 32 percent of patients survive.

Biden was treated for non-melanoma skin cancer  which includes basal cell carcinoma  several times before 2021, the White House physician has said, adding all cancerous spots were removed with clean margins.

He was also treated for a basal cell carcinoma on his chest in February 2023, which was removed via surgery.

His doctor said the site of the operation had 'healed nicely' and the president would get routine check-ups of his skin for cancers.

People who have had basal cell carcinoma are told to see their dermatologist for a check every six to 12 months.
A study found advance for requests for the pill surged after the reversal of Roe vs Wade in 2022

Abortion pill Mifepristone is used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all in US

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Tens of thousands of women across the United States are ordering the medication used for abortion in case they may need them someday as more states enact restrictions on reproductive rights.

A paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine found telehealth provider Aid Access had received about 6,000 requests for the drugs from women who were not pregnant, averaging 25 per day before the Dobbs vs Jackson case overturning abortion protections was decided in May 2022.

Following the decision, it received more than 42,000 requests, averaging 118 per day. Authors of the paper found sales increased at a higher rate in states where access to abortions is being threatened.

Aid Access is a telehealth service that provides abortion pills to women in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. The organization began offering the pills, Mifepristone and misoprostol, to women who were not pregnant in September 2021.

The pills cost approximately $150 and are prescribed online by US healthcare providers. After ordering, women will receive the medication in one to five days.

The practice of ordering the abortion pills ahead of actually being pregnant and wanting to terminate is known as advance provision. It is a relatively new practice and has increased significantly since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn national protections on the right to abortion.

The abortion pill, Mifepristone, is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States

While previous studies on abortion access have only used estimated distances to clinics, a 2023 study used isochrones, lines on maps that depict an area accessible from a point within a certain time , and data from multiple government, state and local agencies to create travel times using actual roads, meaning this study mapped actual drives women have to make

The study, conducted by researchers from Texas, Massachusetts and the Netherlands, looked at data from September 2021 to April 2023. It found the average number of daily requests for the pills was 25 before the Dobbs decision. After the Dobbs decision leaked, this rose to 247 per day. Following the official announcement of the Dobbs ruling, requests averaged 90 per day.

The daily number of requests increased again, averaging 172 after conflicting rulings were made over the legality of the pills.

Supreme Court is set to decide on availability of commonly used abortion pill The Supreme Court announced they will decide on a case challenging the use of a pill used in the most common method of abortion in the United States, its first abortion case since it overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Advertisement

After the Dobbs decision leaked, the average weekly rate of requests increased from 0.4 to 3.5 per 100,000 women of reproductive age - 15 to 44 years old - in states where an abortion ban was imminently expected - reaching levels even higher than states where abortion bans were already in place.

States were divided into four classifications: 13 that had banned abortion after Dobbs; two that implemented six-week bans; 13 states and Washington, DC, which indicated bans or restrictions were likely in the near future; and 22 states with no current or planned legal changes.

Among states where there were total or near-total abortion bans, advance provision increased the most in Tennessee after the Dobbs ruling was leaked, but before the announcement was formally made.

In states with a six-week ban, requests increased the most in Georgia after the leak.

Washington, DC saw the largest increase among states with likely bans, surging after the Dobbs leak. There was another surge after the conflicting rulings on the legality of abortion pills.

Among states with no abortion bans likely, requests increased the most after conflicting rules on the medication in Vermont.

Overall, researchers found the highest proportion of requests were made by women older than 30, who identified as white and who had no children.

According to the study, women who were not pregnant who requested the medication were 'motivated by a desire to preserve reproductive autonomy,' saying they were doing so to 'ensure personal health and choice' and 'prepare for possible abortion restrictions.'

Dr Abigail Aiken, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin and a co-author of the study, told The New York Times: 'People were obviously paying attention and seeing the threat of abortion access either going away or being reduced where they were and thinking, "I need to get prepared for that."'

Following the initial study, Dr Aiken said 930 women answered follow-up questions.

Most still had the pills, but 58 had taken them and 55 had given them to someone else. All 58 women said the pills worked successfully and they did not experience serious side effects.

In June 2022, 49 years after Roe vs. Wade guaranteed the right to an abortion, the decision was overturned in the Dobbs vs. Jackson case, which challenged the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi state law that banned most abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

In the decision, the Supreme Court ruled the US Constitution did not guarantee the right to an abortion.

Following the ruling, 14 states made abortion illegal, meaning they have banned the procedure entirely and enforce bans through civil and criminal penalties, including fines and jail time for women having the procedure and healthcare providers performing it.

Mifepristone is made by New York-based Danco Laboratories and has a shelf life of three to five years.

It is one of two drugs used in medication abortions, which account for more than half of all abortions in the United States. More than 5 million people have used it since 2000.

Medical abortions consist of taking Mifepristone followed one to two days later by misoprostol, which has a shelf life of 18 to 24 months.

Women seeking to end their pregnancies in the first 10 weeks without more invasive surgical abortion can take mifepristone, along with misoprostol.

The Food and Drug Administration has eased the terms of mifepristone's use over the years, including allowing it to be sent through the mail in states that allow access.

However, abortion opponents filed a challenge to Mifepristone the November following the Dobbs decision and initially won a ruling six months later revoking the drug's approval entirely.

In December 2023, the Supreme Court announced it would decide on a case challenging the use of the pill, its first abortion case since it overturned Roe vs Wade.

The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug asking the court to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal.

The case will be argued in the spring, with a decision likely by late June, in the middle of the 2024 election season.
Returning to the Square Mile after their festive break, the handful of men who gathered in a room at the Stock Exchange Tower in Old Broad Street 40 years ago today could not have imagined what they were about to set in train.

The low-key switch-on of a computer programme on January 3, 1984 heralded the birth of one of the UKs most recognisable business brands and, more than two years before Margaret Thatchers momentous Big Bang deregulation, a notable City of London modernisation.

The FTSE 100 has travelled a long way since the minute-by-minute performance of Londons 100 largest qualifying stocks was first calculated as a single figure.

First of all its value has soared, from an arbitrary 1,000 points on day one to a peak of 8,047.06 points during trading on February 16, 2023.

The Footsie, as it quickly became known, has also earned global fame.

The FTSE 100 was created in 1984, when a computer programme allowed the minute-by-minute performance of London' 100 top stocks to be calculated as a single figure

It is a byword for money, power and  crucially during financial crises or political turmoil  confidence, its movement often quoted in news bulletins as shorthand for that days overall business performance.

And it has developed enormous cachet for its 100 members, a corporate club that has changed markedly in four decades. Gone are the classic conglomerates of 1984 such as Bass, Bowater and GEC.

In their place are international miners such as Fresnillo and internet platforms like Ocado.

As they seek to lure the next generation of blue chips, UK politicians and exchange bosses hope joining the FTSE continues to be part of the attraction.

But the broad awareness it commands today was never the intention of those that invented the index. In fact, for the first few weeks of its life it wasnt even called FTSE.

Eager to earn a slice of the developing market for options trading, the London Stock Exchange had borrowed an idea from the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) by creating a contract around an index, instead of a handful of individual stocks.

The London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE), which had launched with great razzmatazz in 1982, also needed new products to sustain interest.

But before they could launch anything, someone needed to construct a new index.

All that existed at that time was the FT 30, which had been compiled by the Financial Times since 1935 from prices scribbled by hand on the exchange floor and promoted assiduously in its salmon-pink pages.

Updated only hourly from a set of 30 largely industrial stocks, it was not fit for purpose when it came to the sophisticated world of financial derivatives.

The exchanges enterprising IT department quietly set about designing the first index in its 182-year history, with some help from the team at the stockbroker W Greenwell & Co, actuaries and academics.

Opting in: The London Stock Exchange borrowed an idea from the Chicago Board Options Exchange by creating a contract around an index, instead of a handful of individual stocks

When it found out about the plan in autumn 1983, the FT was apoplectic. Coverage in its pages was scant when the 100-Share Index  or Stock Exchange (SE) 100  launched and was made available to all subscribers of the exchanges electronic information system, Topic.

There followed a remarkable lobbying campaign to get the FT involved, led by the deputy editor Richard Lambert, who would go on to edit the paper from 1991. LIFFE and the exchange boss Sir Nicholas Goodison saw some upside to a collaboration  and also feared hostile coverage.

The FT struck a deal to publish and support the 100-Share Index, but only if it changed its name. Never mind SEFT, the letters FT had to go first, newspaper bosses insisted.

Today the home of big businesses has become one itself. The FTSE 100 is just one index among hundreds of index families run by FTSE Russell, a division that is wholly owned by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) since it bought out the FTs owner in 2011 and expanded internationally.

These families enable investment to be grouped by country, asset class, industry, size, strategy or environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) credentials.

The investment industry has adopted indices as performance benchmarks. Demand for FTSE data has also exploded because of so-called passive investing: the trend for tracking an index, instead of trying to beat it.

With trillions of dollars invested against their products, some regulators wonder if the $5bn-a-year market for financial index provision has gone beyond acting as a mere supplier of information.

After all, its slicing and dicing of data appears endless. There exists 3.3m indices globally, despite fewer than 60,000 stocks in the world.
Warning: London School of Economics and Nobel Prize-winning economist professor Christopher Pissarides

A Nobel Prize winning-economist has warned young people against studying STEM subjects as tech jobs risk being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).

School leavers have for years been encouraged to choose science, technology, engineering and maths degrees.

Subjects such as computer science were thought to boost employment chances in comparison to humanities and arts courses. But London School of Economics (LSE) professor Christopher Pissarides said other attributes like communication, managerial and creative skills are more important.

Those skills cannot be replaced by robots while some STEM roles could eventually be made redundant by AI, he said.

Pissarides, 75, told Bloomberg that despite growth in the sector, there may not be jobs for all STEM graduates.

Pissarides, who jointly won the Nobel Prize in 2010 for research on the impact of unemployment, has said AI could allow staff to spend less time at work and strengthen the case for a four-day week.
The price of oil swung wildly as mounting tensions in the Red Sea were overshadowed by concerns about the global economy.

On the first day of trading of the new year, Brent crude rose more than 2.5 per cent to as high as $79.03 having ended 2023 at around $77.

The surge came after Iran sent a warship into the Red Sea following the sinking of three Houthi boats by US Navy helicopters over the weekend.

The developments fuelled fears the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza could escalate into a full-blown regional conflict, pushing up the oil price and causing chaos to global trade.

But crude later gave up its gains, falling below $76 a barrel, as analysts said concerns about demand for oil amid a subdued outlook for the global economy were keeping a lid on prices.

Crude move: On the first day of trading of the new year, Brent crude rose more than 2.5% to as high as $79.03 having ended 2023 at around $77

Oil markets got an initial lift-off after the attacks in the Red Sea but we had trouble sustaining those gains, said Tim Evans, an independent oil analyst.

Houthis, a Yemeni rebel militia backed by Iran, have been launching missile and drone attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea since November in response to the war in Gaza.

This has caused major disruption to global trade with shipping companies sending vessels around the south of Africa rather than through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: Worries about the conflict becoming more complex have bubbled up again amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea.

This is increasing concerns about potential supply problems in the region, putting upwards pressure on crude.
A refugee who raped a 10-year-old boy could be entitled to compensation after the High Court ruled his indefinite immigration detention was unlawful and released him into the community.

The landmark ruling on November 8 eventually led to the release of more than 140 people being held in detention who cannot be deported to their home countries.

One of the released detainees was a Rohingya paedophile - known only as NZYQ - who was in detention since serving a prison sentence for child sexual abuse.

NZYQ arrived in Australia by boat in 2012 and had his bridging visa cancelled in 2015 when he pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a 10-year-old child - an offence he committed as a teenager.

He was transferred to an immigration detention centre in May 2018 after serving a minimum sentence of three years and four months.

A Rohingya paedophile - known only as NZYQ - who was released from immigration detention after a High Court ruling found he was unlawfully detained could be entitled to compensation (stock image of an asylum seeker in immigration detention)

He was also denied a 'safe haven enterprise' visa and was facing the prospect of remaining in immigration detention for the rest of his life.

However, the High Court ruled his indefinite detention was unlawful and granted him habeas corpus which mandated his immediate release.

Under the Migration Act any 'unlawful non-citizen' must be detained, pending deportation or processing of a visa application.

NZYQ is a Rohingya refugee - one of a stateless Islamic people who reside in western Myanmar near the border with Bangladesh, where they are persecuted.

Because the Rohingya are not citizens of Myanmar - who consider them Bengalis and not a distinct ethnic group - NZYQ cannot be deported there.

Since he cannot be deported home, his detention became a punishment, with the executive under the Migration Act ceasing to have constitutional authority.

The court determined NZYQ was unlawfully detained for six months from May 30 because there was no prospect of his deportation in the foreseeable future.

NZYQ arrived in Australia by boat in 2012 and had his bridging visa cancelled in 2015 when he pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse with a 10-year-old child (stock image)

The government was forced to give NZYQ a visa as he cannot be lawfully re-detained unless deportation becomes an option again.

Now, NZYQ is entitled to compensation from the Commonwealth over his false imprisonment.

NZYQ, along with the other detainees involved in the High Court's decision, will only have to file a lawsuit as their false imprisonment has already been established.

The court will have to establish NZYQ's damages - a sum of money awarded by the courts for the purpose of replacing the monetary value of his loss of freedom.

Successful claims can range in value from as low as $1 - a nominal amount given when no real harm was experienced by the claimant - to potential payouts of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The High Court determined NZYQ's detention was unlawful because there was 'no real prospect of his removal from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future'.

The decision overturns a 2004 ruling which allowed the indefinite detention of non-citizens without a visa even if they could not be deported.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton said the government has to answer questions about whether or not 'appropriate checks' were made before the 149 detainees were freed.

'The government just needs to be upfront with the Australian people,' he said.

Mr Dutton said Labor had been 'lurching from crisis to crisis' since the High Court ruled NZYQ could not be held indefinitely in immigration detention.

The Community Protection Board set up by the government includes former police officers and border force officials.

It will go through the list of detainees and assess what measures should be imposed on them, such as supervision orders and preventative detention.

NZYQ will have to file a suit for damages as his claim of false imprisonment was already established by the High Court's ruling (pictured, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia Stephen Gageler

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted 68 to 59 in favour of the laws, which will deal with freed detainees who pose an unacceptable risk of committing a serious violent or sexual offence.

Under the laws, released detainees assessed by a court to pose an unacceptable risk would be put back behind bars.

The maximum length of the detention order is three years but would be reviewed annually.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said the detention measures were necessary.
Clients, believed to include members of Congress, military officers, and national security contractors, have not yet been unmasked and charged

But whether the plot was intended to aid Russia, China, South Korea  or even Israel  remains to be determined

Investigators believe a network of high-end brothels operating in the Boston and D.C. areas was a honey trap to ensnare politicians and government officials

Intelligence experts are becoming increasingly convinced that six high end brothels in the suburbs of Boston and Washington, D.C. were set up by a foreign nation as an espionage 'honeytrap'.

They believe the brothels  allegedly masterminded by a 41-year-old South Korean woman  targeted politicians, high ranking government officials and defense contractors.

But the mystery is which country was behind the scheme. Russia, China, Korea itself, or even Israel are al seen as possibly being behind the scheme.

'Having the Koreans out front could have been a false flag to give China or another country plausible deniability if the plot unraveled,' a one-time CIA senior operations officer told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.

The brothels were raided in November and prosecutors said they were looking to charge 28 people in Massachusetts alone.

The lingerie and bikini clad 'models' advertised on the brothel's website included, Yoko and Tiffany who were offered as a 'duo' for photographers looking for a modeling twosome

In their affidavit, investigators identified six 'target locations' where the brothels were based, four in the Boston area - referred to as 'Target Locations 4-7'. Three of those were units in a Cambridge apartment complex and one in a unit in Watertown. Two apartment units on New St in Cambridge were also named as previous brothel locations

The two brothels in Virginia (referred to in the affidavit as 'Target Locations 8 and 9') were situated in Unit 245 at the Avalon Mosaic in the quiet suburban town of Fairfax and Unit 649 of the nearby Hanover Tysons

Joshua Levy, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the state said his office will seek 'accountability for the buyers who fuel the commercial sex industry'.

There was no evident motive to establish two cathouses in the greater Washington area, sources noted emphatically. None of the three defendants live anywhere near the capital and sex workers were flown in from Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Han Lee, the alleged mastermind, Junmyung Lee, 30, and James Lee, 68  all South Korean-born U.S. nationals  were charged in November with running the sex ring. The three Lees are not related.

Han and Junmyung both live in the Boston area so the locations of four of the brothels there made sense. James lives in Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles.

Members of Congress, military officers, and national security contractors who 'possessed security clearances' were among the steady customers at the 'high-end brothels' run by the ring, prosecutors say.

The ring's clients, who paid rates of up to $600 an hour, included corporate executives, professors, lawyers, and scientists.

To entice customers, the Lees allegedly set up websites whose purported purpose was helping photographers find nude female models looking for work. Investigators believe the ring had made more than $1 million by the time it was busted.

The lingerie and bikini clad 'models' went by names such as Sexy Schu, Venus, Tina, YokoDDD and Tiffany.

The last two were offered as a 'duo' for photographers looking for a modeling twosome.

None of the clients have been identified or charged so far, but they could soon be unmasked after federal prosecutors last month announced they are seeking criminal charges.

The probe into 'their involvement in prostitution is active and ongoing,' Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Zachary Mitlitsky said in a court affidavit.

A spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office in Boston, which is prosecuting the case, cited the same reason in declining to comment on questions about the prostitution ring, including whether the suspects had ties to foreign intelligence.

Experts interviewed by DailyMail.com suspect the brothel scheme was a honeypot.

The twin locations where ring operators selected to set up shop is the first clue, a number of them said.

As the country's political headquarters, Washington presents a target-rich environment for spies.

In the affidavit, investigators identified six 'target locations' where the brothels were based, four in the Boston area ('Target Locations 4-7') and two in Virginia ('Target locations 8 and 9).

The high-end brothel network kept detailed records of its customers along with millions in cash and other damning items in bulk. Clientele included 'hundreds' of elected officials, tech, pharmaceutical executives, lawyers, professors and military officers, though federal prosecutors did not identify any of them

One of the sites seen here, which was aimed at the Massachusetts area, asked customers to not 'knock on the door'

One of the women advertised by the brothel was identified as Tina on the website

Extramarital affairs and sexual promiscuity and deviance are other helpful vulnerabilities, which is why honeypots are a time-honored practice of intelligence agencies.

Two of the brothels operated from units in luxury apartment buildings in the Virginia suburbs outside the capital, which are each about a 15-minute drive from the White House, Congress, Pentagon and CIA.

The surrounding area is packed with national security giants such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics.

Boston, where the other four brothels operated, is a haven for defense contractors as well.

It's also home to top-tier universities such as Harvard and MIT that train government and military officials, and produce reports for the Pentagon and CIA.

The ring didn't have anyone based near D.C. as far as can be determined. Suspects had to fly in and out of town with a rotating cast of sex workers, set them up at the Virginia apartments and deal with routine business matters.

The Washington operations would have significantly increased costs, created logistical headaches, and greatly heightened risks.

From a practical standpoint, it would have been easier to simply open two more brothels in Boston  unless the primary goal of the ring's operators wasn't maximizing profits but intelligence gathering.

'The most valuable information in Washington and Boston are government secrets,' a former foreign spy who is well acquainted with honeypots told DailyMail.com.

'If you open a prostitution business that caters to wealthy clients in those cities, you'll get a lot of people walking through the doors that have access to them.'

Former CIA Special Agent Nic McKinley, who now leads Deliver Fund, a nonprofit that works with law enforcement to combat human trafficking, echoed the point.

'If this had been a pure cash play, massage parlors are easier to set up, have lower overhead costs and print money,' he said.

Driver's licenses of one of the three suspects, James Lee. According to the affidavit, investigators found three driver's licenses were submitted in support of rental applications for brothels in Massachusetts and Virginia  which are all believed to be James Lee using two different aliases

'But they wouldn't have pulled in affluent customers from government and national security circles.'

The first step for any intelligence agency looking to recruit a foreign asset is preparing a targeting analysis to pinpoint top prospects.

Those that make the final cut must have access to the desired information and a history that suggests they would betray their country if the proper incentive were offered.

Spy agencies deem financial stress, greed, marital problems and feeling underappreciated at work to be exploitable vulnerabilities.

Extramarital affairs and sexual promiscuity and deviance are other helpful vulnerabilities, which is why honeypots are a time-honored practice of intelligence agencies.

The brothels in Virginia were situated in Unit 245 at the Avalon Mosaic in the quiet suburban town of Fairfax and Unit 649 of the nearby Hanover Tysons.

The two units had large bedrooms and comfortably furnished living room areas where clients could unwind over drinks with their companions afterwards.

In this relaxing atmosphere, a government official might feel the urge to impress an attractive young woman by dropping names of prominent colleagues and holding forth about his important responsibilities at work.

Aspiring clients had to submit a membership application before they could book an appointment.

Required documentation included government-issued ID, phone and email contacts, employer information and credit card records, according to court records.

Bizarrely, numerous political, military and business officials provided it all without blinking an eye and proceeded to have sex in an apartment that for all they knew was outfitted with equipment to record video and audio footage.

'Finding idiots like this would be pure gold for an intelligence service running a honeypot,' said the retired foreign spy.

A retired CIA senior operations officer was equally flabbergasted.

'This is at the level of a Nigerian prince scam,' she said.

Ring operators would have taken precautions to ensure a prospective client wasn't actually an undercover cop, but the level of vetting of brothel members suggests the proprietors may have built a client base heavily laden with government insiders by design, not chance.

The affidavit also shows a text message sent from a phone related to the operation in Massachusetts which includes a 'menu'

The details of the investigation included pictures of meticulous client records with names and dates - which have exposed tons of professionals in elite industries for paying upwards of $600 per hour for sexual encounters with predominately Asian women

That's exactly the way honeypots are intended to work, the retired foreign operative asserted.

'The goal is to create a chain reaction,' he said. 'Draw people from your narrow group of targets, provide them with great service and wait for them to invite friends and colleagues from the same circles.'

None of the three suspects have known prior criminal records. The biggest mark against any of them is that James Lee received more than $500,000 in potentially fraudulent Covid relief funds.

Their clean records are especially surprising because prosecutors allege at least some of the sex workers were trafficked, which would mean an organized crime group almost certainly played a role.

It's simple nowadays for spy services  and relative amateurs as well  to obtain compromising material on targets by hacking their phones or stealing it from client databases of online companies that sell illicit or seedy sex, said a former CIA counterintelligence officer.

He cited reports from earlier this year that revealed a conservative Catholic group in Colorado spent millions of dollars to buy mobile tracking data in order to out priests using gay hookup apps.

But most of the sources said the brothel scheme's risk-reward ratio wouldn't deter a foreign service from trying to pull it off, but encourage it.

'Paying for sex may reveal a character flaw, but you have to know a lot more to assess if a target is corruptible,' said a retired senior CIA officer who served in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

'You're not going to find what you need by scrolling through a list of names you stole from hookers.com.'

In a well-executed honeypot, the women who serve as the bait build personal relationships with the marks, tease out information that helps assess their weaknesses and test what they're willing to do.

According to an affidavit, three units at this apartment building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were used as brothel locations, among others in the area

In a similar fashion, the group are also said to have operated a unit inside this apartment building in Watertown, Massachusetts

In Virginia were situated Unit 649 of the nearby Hanover Tysons (pictured) was among the apartments used as brothel locations

Unit 245 at the Avalon Mosaic in the quiet suburban town of Fairfax was counted as a brothel location. The two units at both properties had large bedrooms and comfortably furnished living room areas where clients could unwind over drinks with their companions afterwards

'The girls start by asking for a small favor that's at the edge of the target's comfort zone and try to keep expanding the zone and turn small favors into big favors,' said the ex-CIA officer.

A honeypot aims to obtain compromising information, but weaponizing it is rare because it's counterproductive to the primary goal: recruiting agents that have access to state secrets.

'It's easy to get blackmailable information into public, but that creates a public scandal,' explained the source.

'Your target loses his job, his life is destroyed and so is his value.'

Furthermore, a recruitment target might be threatened with blackmail in an emergency  signs he was preparing to go to the FBI, for example  but it's rarely used to compel cooperation.

'Persuasion works better than threats,' said John Sipher, a 28-year veteran of the CIA's National Clandestine Service. 'Targets who need to be coerced will turn on you the first chance they get.'

Not enough information is available to know for sure whether a foreign intelligence service was behind the brothel operation, but based on what's been disclosed so far it's likely, said Sipher.

'You've got high level officials with access to secrets who may have been filmed having sex with a prostitute, and are at high risk of manipulation or coercion.'

'The FBI would be criminally negligent if it hasn't already opened a counterintelligence investigation.'

Archived web pages reveal the high-end bordello network maintained a roster of slender Asian 'companions' - with names like Jade, Barbie, Bing Bing, Venus and Sexy Schu

Before clients could book a slot, first-time visitors were greeted with a verification page asking for personal data including their name, phone number and employer

Christine Fang, (right) known as 'Fang Fang' ,cost Democrat Rep. Eric Swallwell his place on the Intelligence sub-committee while Maria Butina was jailed after being labeled a 'Kremlin-trained seductress'

Only a few overseas spy agencies have the capacity to pull off a sophisticated honeypot and would risk running in on US soil, so the list of suspects is a short one.

The consensus view of the sources interviewed by DailyMail.com. was that if it was a honeypot, the foreign service that drew it up arranged to have an organized crime group with existing financial stakes in the sex industry manage and staff it to cover its tracks.

Many of those involved, from the three indicted Koreans to the sex workers themselves, were likely unaware of the espionage component, the experts said.

Russia is an obvious candidate as the KGB frequently ran honeytraps during the Cold War and the FSB, its post-Soviet Union successor agency, is known to as well.

In 2018, Maria Butina, a red-headed Russian grad student at American University in Washington, was charged with infiltrating the Republican Party and conservative groups to encourage them to promote Russian interests.

Her alleged tactics included seducing NRA operative Paul Erickson and Overstock.com CEO and GOP donor Patrick Byrne, who later helped finance former President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In 2019, Butina, who the US government labeled a 'Kremlin-trained seductress,' was deported to Russia after six months in prison for serving as an unregistered foreign agent for Moscow.

Friendly foreign services are also on the suspect list, including the Israeli Mossad, another prolific historic user of honeypots. In 2010, Rabbi Ari Shvat decreed that seducing an enemy for national security purposes was a blessing and that 'an unmarried operative should be preferred in 'honey trap' cases'.

'But if there was no other choice her husband should divorce her and remarry her after the fact,' Shvat said.

Israel also isn't shy about targeting CIA officers.

A former deputy station chief in the Middle East said that he once boarded a flight from the US to Israel and a gorgeous Israeli had the seat next to his.

'She had all the same interests I did ,' he recounted. 'We talked for almost the entire flight and when we arrived she said she'd love to get together; I told her I appreciated her interest but it probably wasn't a good idea given her likely employer.'

French intelligence, which excels at corporate espionage, and the Egyptian service, which befriended Senator Bob Menendez and his wife in a case still pending, were also named as outlier suspects, but most sources pointed a finger at China or South Korea.

The FBI rates the danger posed by Beijing's influence operations to be so serious that it established a special unit dedicated to countering the threat in 2019.

In January of this year, Congressman Eric Swalwell lost his seat on the House Intelligence Committee due to reports that he developed a warm friendship with alleged Chinese intelligence operative Christine Fang in the mid-2010s.

Better known as 'Fang Fang,' the voluptuous suspected spy forged bonds with several national and local elected officials, including two Midwestern mayors she seduced. Fang Fang fled the US in 2015.

Other sources believe the nationality of the three suspects is an indicator South Korea's National Intelligence Services was involved.

The country's vast political and commercial stakes in Washington give it a strong motive to seek to influence American government policies.

South Korea has a lot more to lose than China if it was exposed for running an influence operation in the US, but it wouldn't be the first time.

In 1966, South Korean lobbyist Tongsun Park launched the exclusive George Town Club in Washington.

A decade later, it emerged that Park was operating the club in cahoots with Seoul's spy service.

Park was indicted for bribing three members of congress but was granted immunity in exchange for testifying at the trials of the elected officials, none who were convicted.

If the feds eventually conclude a foreign intelligence service was the hidden hand behind the brothels, the public may never know, according to one retired operations officer's opinion.

The former officer explained that if a john clicked on one of the websites to book an appointment, he could have unwittingly downloaded a tool that allowed the adversary to swipe information from the device they used.

'Should that be the case, the Pentagon and CIA would likely make the case that publicly disclosing what was stolen could jeopardize national security. I'd hate to see government officials get off for that reason, but that might be the right call.'
One of Britain's leading criminologists has warned the recent spate of Canada Goose coat muggings could be the start of a new 'luxury crime trend' and has warned all those who own the expensive jackets to be cautious.

The coats - which can be sold for as much as 1,700 - have been targeted by muggers across the country resulting in cars being broken into, pedestrians robbed, neighbours stealing from one another and even knife attacks.

On Sunday, shocking footage emerged showing two hooded thugs trying to steal one of the coveted coats in broad daylight at a Kent train station.

In December, a man claimed he had been slashed in the face with a knife while being mugged for his coat and shared a video of himself in hospital with a scar.

Captioning the video, 'don't die for Canada Goose', he implored his followers to be careful while wearing the plush jackets.

Last month, a Transport for London chief warned youngsters travelling on the Tube were being targeted for North Face and Canada Goose coats - with an 83 per cent rise in the number of thefts recorded from 2,935 in 2022 to 5,378 in 2023.

Yesterday two hooded thugs were seen trying to steal a man's 1,000 Canada Goose jacket at a rail station

People across the country have claimed that their cars and vans have been broken into for the coats

In December, a man claimed he had been slashed in the face with a knife while being mugged for his coat and shared a video of himself in hospital with a scar. Captioning the video, 'don't die for Canada Goose', he implored his followers to be careful whilst wearing the plush jackets

The extremely desirable coats can be sold for as much as 1700 making them a target for muggers

Across the country, there have been multiple reports of thieves breaking into parked cars outside homes to take the coats from inside.

In October, a young woman filmed herself confronting a man at a train station who she claimed had 'stolen' her Canada Goose coat from the outside storage facility at her flat.

After following the man home, she claimed he was in fact her neighbour and had stolen many other items from her in the past.

There have also been reports of young London Underground passengers being targeted for their luxury garments and headphones while travelling, with crime on the network up 56 per cent in the last year.

According to David Wilson, a professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, the sudden rise in coat thefts could signal a more worrying trend.

He explained: 'It could be the start of a new spate of luxury item muggings.

'You may recall we've seen muggings of this sort before.

'Thieves used to target Rolex watches which go for thousands of pounds and then flog them online because they're usually stolen to order.

'I would tell anyone wearing Canada Goose jackets to be careful and be aware of your surroundings and who's around you.

'You have to be vigilant for opportunists who might try to steal them.

'But I would also tell anyone interested in buying knock-offs to use a bit of common sense.

'Don't buy luxury items being sold for less than half the price - help break the market.'

And it's not just coats, as according to the Transport for London security chief AirPod earphones and smartphones are also among the items being stolen from travellers on the Tube.

In October, a young woman filmed herself confronting a man at a train station who she claimed had 'stolen' her Canada Goose coat from the outside storage facility at her flat. After following the man home, she claimed he was in fact her neighbour and had stolen many other items from her in the past

After following the man home the woman claimed she retook possession of it

People have claimed their cars have been ransacked and all their valuables stolen

And it's not just coats, as according to the Transport for London security chief AirPod earphones and smartphones are also among the items being stolen from travellers on the Tube

Last month, Siwan Haward revealed 'acquisitive crime' including thefts and pickpocketing, was 'driving the increase in our overall crime rate'. She added: 'It's a very, concerning, intimidating and frightening type of behaviour that we are seeing across the capital.'

The number of crimes committed between April and September last year across the Underground network was 10,836, compared with 6,924 in the same period in 2022.

It included an 83 per cent rise in the number of thefts recorded from 2,935 in 2022 to 5,378 in 2023. The number of robberies soared 107 per cent from 164 to 340.

According to the London Evening Standard, Ms Hayward said: 'What is being stolen? Airpods, phones and  we are at risk of seeing an increase in robbery because of this  branded coats.

'Canada Goose coats, some North Face - they are targeted for robbery. It's a real concern to us because it really impacts on the safety of young people on the network.'

She claimed crime on the Tube was now returning to 'normal' levels having 'plummeted' during the pandemic.

But TfL data shows that while crime on the public transport network hit a peak in 2019, the current level is still much higher than in 2017 and 2018  despite passengers numbers having fallen by about a fifth overall.

Ms Hayward said data showed there were 12.8 crimes per million passenger journeys, but the figure on the National Rail network was nearly double that at 22.

TfL data revealed reported offences were up 30 per cent overall across all services last year.

Services included in the TfL total were the Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth line, Trams, Cable Car and buses.

The figures rose from 17,160 offences within the six months reviewed last year to 22,294 in 2023.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan travels on the London Underground's Jubilee line on August 29

The data saw Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall hit out at Sadiq Khan as she claimed his 'weak leadership' had let crime skyrocket.

READ MORE Police probe claims London buses refused to stop for Jewish school children as Tories call on Sadiq Khan to launch investigation Advertisement

Bus related offences rose from 8,980 crimes between April and September 2023 compared with 8,449 crimes during the same period in 2022; 6 per cent additional recorded crimes.

A survey showing results from July to September this year revealed that 32 per cent of passengers felt worried on public transport and 7 per cent of Londoners were completely or temporarily deterred from using public transport due to a worrying incident.

The most cited incidents on the bus network were overcrowding, drunken passengers, and youth-related anti-social behaviour.

Women were more likely to come across drunken passengers, whereas men were more likely to encounter youth-related anti-social behaviour.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said the 'soaring crime rates come as no surprise to Tube workers who are on the frontline every day in this increasingly hostile environment'.

Speaking at the time the figures were made public, a spokesman for Mr Khan told MailOnline: 'Everyone should feel safe on London's transport network and it is the Mayor's priority to ensure the transport network remains a safe and low-crime environment.

Police officers on patrol at London Bridge station on the Underground network in July 2020

'Working closely with the police, TfL has thousands of police officers and their own enforcement staff patrolling the network every day to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, alongside operations to target offenders.

'The public transport crime trends in London reflect national trends which are rising due to the lower volumes recorded during the pandemic.

'City Hall and TfL have been actively promoting the importance of reporting crimes, especially those that are underreported such as hate crime, sexual offences and harassment and work-related violence and aggression.

'City Hall and TfL will continue to encourage anyone who witnesses a crime on the transport network to report it, in order to take action against offenders and put measures in place to prevent this happening again.'

Chief Superintendent Chris Casey of the British Transport Police said: "The public's safety is our number one priority and our officers are working hard to help prevent robbery across the rail network. We use a variety of tactics to ensure journeys stay safe including uniform and plain clothes patrols, and thousands of CCTV cameras. We also work closely with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Roads & Transport Team and security staff from TfL and rail operators. We have increased our presence across the London rail network and across hotspot areas to deter opportunistic thieves and ensure passengers feel safe.

"We are making more arrests for robbery this year than any recent year; we are relentlessly committed to bringing offenders to justice.

"Passengers are encouraged to save BTPs 61016 text-to-report number in their phones and report anything they witness that seems suspicious or unusual.

"If a robbery has just happened, always dial 999  officers can immediately deploy to a location and begin immediate enquiries to trace offenders."
A long-awaited list of 187 of Jeffrey Epstein's friends and associates will be released with the first names dropping today, the court which holds the papers has confirmed.

The list of names is part of a settled lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell. The case was settled in 2017, but Giuffre - and many others - have long called for the names to become public.

The process was thrown into chaos by a request by Jane Doe 107, one of the women involved, who has been given a 30 day extension to prove that she will be in danger if she is publicly unmasked.

She and at least one other - John Doe 110 - will retain their anonymity until January 22nd, but the others on the list will be named between now and then, according to Ed Friedland, the District Executive for the Southern District of New York.

Doe 110 is a well-known Epstein associate who has been publicly linked to him in the past, and who never objected to being named until now, according to court filings obtained by DailyMail.com.

The names will be released on a rolling basis. It's unclear how many will be made public today, or how long it will take for all to become known.

Jeffrey Epstein (pictured in New York in 2017, two years before his death). The names of 184 of his associates will start becoming public today

Clinton - who flew on Epstein's infamous private jet - is expected to be among those named, as is Prince Andrew.

All have denied wrongdoing or having any involvement with underage girls and none have been charged.

Maxwell, 62, has since been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking as part of a separate criminal case.

In the settled filing, Giuffre accused her of helping Epstein traffic her as a minor, and named influential figures allegedly involved.

In her lawyer's filing, the unidentified woman claimed she would in danger if her name was made public.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on one of their many trips. The identities of 184 of their associates will start becoming public this week. Three will remain anonymous for another 30 days

President Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein in 1993. Clinton's name is expected to be on the list

Donald and Melania Trump with Epstein and Maxwell in 2000. It's unclear if he is among those on the list

'As Doe 107 has previously stated, she lives in a culturally conservative country and lives in fear of her name being released,' attorney Richard Levitt wrote.

He asked Judge Preska for 30 days to file additional 'submissions', which she granted.

The woman must submit an affidavit to prove the risk she says she will be subjected to, in addition to proof of 'hate mail' she claims she has received.

The 'list' contains the names of 187 people who were mentioned in a 2015 lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.

The lawsuit was settled in 2017, two years before Epstein's arrest, but the names of those involved have remained protected for years.

On December 18, Judge Preska agreed to unseal them, agreeing with motions from newspapers and Giuffre that there was no longer a legal need to protect those named.

Alan Dershowitz, a former Epstein associate, is among those who supports their release.

Epstein receives a massage from Sarah Kellen on his private island. She is among those who is awaiting the release of the list

The woman who filed the suit in 2015 claimed she was trafficked as minor, and named Prince Andrew (at right) as an alleged accomplice. He has always denied her allegations

'The reason I wanted everything put out and I dont think the judge put everything out, I think she was selective in what she put out and thats unfair.

'I want everything out, every document, every piece of paper, half-truths or lies, and I wanted them out for personal reasons because I know that they would prove what Ive said from day one, that I did nothing wrong, and the woman who accused me later admitted that she may have misidentified me, confused me with someone else.

'So I wanted everything out right from the beginning because I have nothing to hide,' he told NewsNation's Leland Vittert last night.

'There are some people who may be ashamed of the fact that they hung out with Epstein but remember a lot of people hung out with Epstein before he was convicted.

'Presidents of Harvard, deans, Nobel quality scientists, he was very well thought of in the beginning,' he said.

Maxwell, who remains in prison on sex trafficking charges, has not commented on the list or its pending release.

Jane Doe's attorney asked for a 30 day extension to submit proof that if she is named, she will be in danger

Judge Preska granted the extension on December 21st, giving Jane Doe until January 22nd. But it's unclear if that delay now applies to the whole list, or solely to her. There are 187 names to be unsealed

Her attorney Arthur Aidala - who also represents Harvey Weinstein - said in a separate NewsNation appearance that the list may not be as explosive as people hope.

'Epstein ran in the wildest of circles. There may not be as much to know as everyone thinks. This case may not have been what everyone thinks it is.'

He complained, however, that in a case about 'men abusing women', only one person - a woman - is behind bars.

'If you look at this crime, it's all about men abusing women, for a long period of time, a lot of men, that's what we're waiting for, and yet there's only person in jail - a woman.

'There's not one guy behind bars.'
A teacher has been given 180,000 in compensation after being assaulted at a Scottish school.

The staff member is said to have received the sum after they were left with a serious injury following the incident.

The award was part of a total of 541,499 paid out to members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union in personal injury claims last year.

The figure is a stark jump from the 295,597 secured for workplace injuries in 2022. Last years payments included five assault claims, with one teacher who was assaulted on three occasions awarded 28,469.

Another was paid 6,020 after suffering a hairline fracture to the jaw when punched by a pupil, while a further teacher was given 4,500 after they were headbutted, causing damage to their teeth.

Another staff member who needed stitches after being assaulted while trying to break up a fight between pupils was given 1,500.

Teachers are being paid huge sums of money for injuries sustained in schools amid warnings of escalating violence and abuse

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has been accused of being oblivious to rising anti-social behaviour in Scotlands schools

There were also seven accident and health claims. One teacher received 135,000 after they slipped in a school car park and broke their ankle in two places.

Another was given 100,000 in compensation after they slipped on a wet floor, severely damaging their knee and foot. One staff member received 60,000 after they developed a health condition as a result of exposure to various substances.

Another slip, this time on a toilet floor, resulted in a teacher going over on their ankle and twisting their knee. They were also said to have suffered a fracture.

The general secretary of the EIS, Andrea Bradley, has urged local authorities and the Scottish Government to take urgent action to ensure teachers can work without fear of assault or injury.

She said: Worryingly, as the rise in violent incidents in recent years can attest, our schools are currently not as safe as they should be for staff and pupils.

A survey by the teaching union NASUWT found that 39 per cent of Scottish teachers suffered physical abuse while 94 per cent were verbally abused last year.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: More needs to be done to address incidents of behaviour, which is why the Scottish Government is bringing forward a national action plan  this will set out actions needed at both local and national level. We are committed to working with trade union partners on the development of this plan.
Taxpayers have picked up a legal aid bill of more than 220,000 for shamed former MP Natalie McGarry  dwarfing the sum she has to pay back from cash she pilfered.

McGarry, 42, once regarded as a rising star in the SNP and wider independence movement, was ordered to repay just 66 after embezzling almost 25,000 from Nationalist groups.

The Mail has learned that her legal aid bill is now more than 3,300 times bigger than the amount she has been told to give back.

The Crown Office and McGarrys lawyers agreed she had benefited to the tune of 55,870 from her general criminal conduct between April 2013 and November 2015.

Last night Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: While getting access to legal aid is a challenge for many people, it seems to be unlimited for this crook.

Its extraordinary that her taxpayer-funded lawyers fees are many times greater the value of her crime.

Former politician Natalie McGarry was ordered to pay back just 66 of the almost 25,000 she was accused of embezzling from Nationalist groups

McGarry, who was the SNP member for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was found guilty of stealing 19,974 while treasurer of Women for Independence.

She embezzled a further 4,661 while treasurer, secretary and convener of the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP.

McGarry was jailed for two years in June 2022. Her sentence was reduced to 20 months on appeal in February 2023 and she has since been released from prison.

At the proceeds of crime hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court in 2023, it was accepted that McGarry only had 66.36 available with which to make recompense.

McGarry, who is married to former Glasgow Tory councillor David Meikle, had first appeared in court charged with embezzlement in 2018, and was jailed for 18 months the following year. She was released on bail pending an appeal, which quashed her conviction.

Jurors convicted her after a second trial where evidence was heard from witnesses including former health secretary Jeane Freeman.

The legal aid costs of 220,535 cover legal assistance to solicitors and counsel in fees and outlays in relation to McGarrys 2019 trial and appeal, her 2022 trial, and High Court appeal. The figure has risen since it was last reported because lawyers and counsel have four months from the conclusion of proceedings to submit their accounts.

At earlier hearings, a court was told the Crown believed McGarrys benefit figure ran to a total of 195,241.31  a sum disputed by her defence lawyer.

Her embezzlement trial in 2022 heard McGarry had money troubles and had once borrowed 600 from Humza Yousaf to stop her being evicted from her home.

A Scottish Legal Aid Board spokesman said: In complex financial cases involving large amounts of documentary evidence costs are inevitably high, but we work with legal teams to ensure these are mitigated as effectively as possible.

McGarry was contacted for comment.
Colorado Supreme Court is using clause 3 of the 14th Amendment to say Trump is disqualified from running because he engaged in an insurrection on January 6

Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to keep him on the ballot in Colorado, officially challenging the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that disqualifies him from appearing on the presidential ballot in the state.

The state's Supreme Court ruled last month that under clause three of the 14th Amendment, Trump cannot appear on the ballot because he 'engaged in insurrection.'

It was the first time in history that the 14th Amendment provision was used to block a presidential contender's campaign.

Trump's appeal for the Supreme Court to take up the case on Wednesday comes after the Colorado Republican Party did the same thing last week  sparking the state to put a stay on the move and keep the ex-president on the ballot for the time being.

The legal filing on Wednesday states that Colorado's ruling 'is not and cannot be correct.'

Trump's attorneys ask the Supreme Court to take up the case, reverse the Colorado ruling and 'return the right to vote for their candidate of choice to the voters.'

In addition, the filing insists that Trump's role in the events on January 6 'was not insurrection' and President Trump 'in no way engaged in insurrection.'

Donald Trump is challenging a Colorado Supreme Court ruling to remove the ex-president from the state's 2024 ballot. A separate challenge put a pause on the ruling and will keep Trump on the ballot unless the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the lower court's ruling

Spokesperson Steven Cheung said Trump's attorneys are urging the Supreme Court to provide a 'clear, summary rejection of the Colorado Supreme Court's wrongful ruling.'

'This is an unAmerican, unconstitutional act of election interference which cannot stand,' Cheung added.

He also blasted 'Crooked Joe Biden's comrades' for attempting to remove Trump from the ballot, calling it another attempt by Democrats 'obsessively violating' the Constitution and voters' rights.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Trump's case on Tuesday, saying there are a 'number of important deadlines' in the state's election calendar and the matter must be resolved quickly.

Maine's Secretary of State followed suit and also moved to boot Trump from the ballot in the state last week, which Trump also challenged Tuesday in an appeal to the state's Superior Court.

Michigan, a key swing state, ruled that Trump can remain on the ballot.

The Colorado Republican Party filed last week asking the U.S. Supreme Court to look at the lower court's ruling that disqualified Trump from running on the presidential ballot in the state due to his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Trump was put back on the presidential ballot in Colorado after the GOP appeal put a stay on the ruling that removed him under the Constitution's 'insurrection' clause.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that Trump will for the time being remain on the ballot, which goes to print on January 5  unless the Supreme Court affirms the lower court's ruling or otherwise declines to take on the appeal.

Although Colorado's 10 Electoral College votes are unlikely to go to the Republican candidate anyway in the general election  and the state isn't highly important in the GOP primary  the ruling could set precedent for a slew of other states looking to remove Trump from the ballot.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled after Colorado to leave the ex-president on the ballot for the state's primary  and the midwest swing state is much more important to clinching the White House in 2024.

Louisiana became one of the latest states to see a lawsuit filed attempting to keep Trump off the ballot related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

'Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and was disqualified under the Constitution from the Colorado Ballot,' Griswold said in a press release.

'The Colorado Supreme Court got it right. This decision is now being appealed,' she continued. 'I urge the U.S. Supreme Court to act quickly given the upcoming presidential primary election.'

The Colorado Supreme Court put a stay  or pause  on its ruling until January 4 to allow time for the appeal process.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (pictured on July 8, 2022) announced that Trump will remain on the ballot, but voiced her backing of her state's Supreme Court ruling, saying: 'The Colorado Supreme Court got it right... I urge the U.S. Supreme Court to act quickly given the upcoming presidential primary election'

Former Trump attorney Jay Sekulow (pictured, left) filed a petition for Colorado's Republican Party appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court the Colorado state Supreme Court's 4-3 ruling to keep Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot

Former Trump attorney Jay Sekulow's conservative American Center for Law & Justice filed a petition last Wednesday that would overturn Colorado's controversial decision.

'We've been saying from the day we took this case that this was one that would end up at the U.S. Supreme Court,' Seklow wrote in a statement on the filing along with his son Jordan.

'Today, we just filed a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court's dangerously flawed twisting of the 14th Amendment to ban President Trump from the ballot,' wrote the father-son duo, who are representing Colorado's GOP.

'This is the most important case we have ever taken on,' they added. 'Because if we lose our right to vote, we lose our constitutional republic.'

'We expect this case to move very quickly, and we will keep you updated on its progress.'

The first impact of the appeal is to extend the stay of the 4-3 ruling from Colorado's highest court. This puts the decision on pause until January 4  the day before the state's primary ballots are due at the printer  or until an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is finished, whichever comes first.

Trump says he also still plans to appeal the ruling to the nation's highest court.

The Supreme Court has never ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was added after the Civil War to prevent former Confederates from returning to government.

The clause states that anyone who swore an oath to 'support' the constitution and then 'engaged in insurrection' against it cannot hold government office  but the section specifically mentions several offices without directly naming the presidency.

The Colorado high court ruled that applies to Trump after he encouraged his supporters to engage in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rioters intended to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election when they descended on Washington, D.C.

Four justices appointed by Democratic governors, Justices, Richard L. Gabriel, Melissa Hart, William W. Hood III and Monica Marquez, all circled, voted to disqualify the former president from Colorado's presidential primary ballot

'The Colorado Supreme Court has removed the leading Republican candidate from the primary and general ballots, fundamentally changing the course of American democracy,' the Colorado Republican Party's attorneys wrote.

The filing was posted on the website of a group run by Jay Sekulow, a former attorney for Trump representing the Colorado Republican Party who announced he was filing the appeal Wednesday.

Colorado Republican Party chairman Dave Williams confirmed the appeal was filed Wednesday.

The attorneys added: 'Unless the Colorado Supreme Court's decision is overturned, any voter will have the power to sue to disqualify any political candidate, in Colorado or in any other jurisdiction that follows its lead.'

'This will not only distort the 2024 presidential election but will also mire courts henceforth in political controversies over nebulous accusations of insurrection.'

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to take the case, either after the Colorado GOP's appeal or Trump's own appeal.

If Trump ends up off the ballot in Colorado, it would have minimal effect on his campaign because he doesn't need the state, which he lost by 13 percentage points in 2020, to win the Electoral College in the presidential election. But it could open the door to courts or election officials striking him from the ballot in other must-win states.

Sean Grimsley, an attorney for the plaintiffs seeking to disqualify Trump in Colorado, said on a legal podcast last week that he hopes the nation's highest court hurries once it accepts the case, as he expects it will.

'We obviously are going to ask for an extremely accelerated timeline because of all the reasons I've stated, we have a primary coming up on Super Tuesday and we need to know the answer,' Grimsley said.

More than a dozen states, including Colorado, are scheduled to hold primaries March 5 on what is known as Super Tuesday  the largest single-day primary election contest.

The Colorado Supreme Court claims Trump engaged in an insurrection and therefore under clause 3 of the 14th Amendment is disqualified from running for office  but Republicans argue the ex-president has never been charged with insurrection. Pictured: Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 to block Congress certifying Joe Biden's 2020 election win

The Colorado case was considered the one with the greatest chance of success because it was filed by a Washington D.C.-based liberal group with ample legal resources  and all seven of the Colorado high court justices were appointed by Democrats.

Still, three of those Democrat-appointed justices were against the decision.

The unprecedented constitutional questions in the case haven't split on neatly partisan lines with several prominent conservative legal theorists among the most vocal advocates of disqualifying Trump under Section 3.

Additionally, the half-dozen plaintiffs in the Colorado case are all Republican or unaffiliated voters.

Trump has been scathing all over his Truth Social account and at his rallies about the cases, calling them 'election interference.'

He continued that on Wednesday as he cheered a ruling earlier that day by the Michigan Supreme Court leaving him on the ballot, at least for the primary, in that state.

'The Colorado people have embarrassed our nation with what they did,' Trump said on Sean Hannity's radio show.
Qantas has been knocked off top spot in the latest Airline Safety Ratings, losing out on the number one slot to trans-Tasman rivals Air New Zealand.

The national carrier endured a tumultuous 2023 which saw controversial chief executive Alan Joyce suddenly resign in September amid growing criticism.

The airline has come under fire in a series of furious rows which enraged passengers, including being sold 8000 tickets for flights Qantas had already secretly axed.

That followed complaints about lost baggage, passengers waiting years for refunds on trips cancelled during Covid and long delays on calls to customer service.

The airline was also slated for its high profile support for the Yes campaign in the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The close relationship between Alan Joyce and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also came under scrutiny, after his girlfriend Jodie Haydon and son Nathan, 23, were gifted membership of the elite Chairman's Lounge.

Now Qantas has lost its prestigious title as the world's safest airline in the latest Airline Safety Ratings, produced annually by Australian-based AirlineRatings.com.

Qantas endured a tumultuous 2023 which saw chief executive Alan Joyce (pictured with PM Anthony Albanese and his girlfriend Jodie Haydon) suddenly resign in September

Strife-torn Qantas has been knocked off top spot in the latest Airline Safety Ratings, losing out on the number one slot to trans-Tasman rivals Air New Zealand

It rates the safety and in-flight product of 385 airlines using its 'unique seven-star rating system' and ranked Qantas second overall.

Air New Zealand took top slot after experts found the 'airline has a firm focus on safety and excelled across the broad safety spectrum, right down to the smallest detail'.

Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas added: 'Our Top 25 Safest Airlines are all standouts in the industry and at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching new aircraft.

'In fact, the safety margins between these top 25 airlines are very small. Between Air New Zealand and Qantas there is only 1.5 points, its incredibly close.'

AirlineRatings.com takes into account a comprehensive range of factors that include serious incidents, recent fatal accidents, audits from aviations governing and industry bodies, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, expert pilot training assessment and fleet age.

Bird strikes, turbulence injuries, weather diversions and lightning strikes don't count in the ratings 'as the airline has no control over such events.' said Mr Thomas.

The full list of the top 25 is Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Finnair, Cathay Pacific Airways, Alaska Airlines, SAS, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Lufthansa/Swiss Group, KLM, Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Air France, Air Canada Group and United Airlines.

The top 10 low-cost airlines for 2024 are Jetstar, easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz, Norwegian, Frontier, Vueling, Vietjet, Southwest, Volaris, flydubai, AirAsia Group, Cebu Pacific, Sun Country, Spirit, Westjet, JetBlue, Air Arabia, Indigo and Eurowings.

Alan Joyce faces loses up to $14.4million of his $24million golden handshake in a backlash over decisions made during his reign as Qantas chief executive

Questions were also asked in Parliament about Qantas's role in the Labor government's decision to block additional flights into Australia by Qatar Airways

Air New Zealand took top slot after experts found the 'airline has a firm focus on safety and excelled across the broad safety spectrum, right down to the smallest detail'

'These airlines all have an excellent safety culture and a low incident rates,' Mr Thomas said.

The review does not name the worst airlines for safety for legal reasons.

Qantas said the high ranking of local airlines was a reflection of the emphasis on safety in the region.

'Everyone at Qantas and Jetstar is incredibly proud of our safety reputation,' said a Qantas spokesman.

'The whole aviation industry is focussed on ensuring flying remains the safest way to travel, which is highlighted by the fact that four major airlines based in this part of the world ranked high on these lists.'

Qantas also faces a massive compensation bill which could run into hundreds of millions of dollars after the High Court found it illegally sacked 1700 ground staff during the pandemic.

Questions were also asked in Parliament about Qantas's role in the Labor government's decision to block additional flights into Australia by Qatar Airways.

There was also outrage over the $24million golden handshake set to be paid to outgoing CEO Alan Joyce after he quit, with airline management, led by replacement CEO Vanessa Hudson, threatening to withhold up to half the payout.

Qantas-offshoot Jetstar was named the safest low cost airline in the world in the new ratings

Senior executives have seen short term incentive payments cut by 20 per cent in the wake of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission probe into the 8000 tickets sold for axed flights.

Further payments could be clawed back depending on the outcome of the ACCC case currently going through court.

Mr Joyce has already had $2.2million of his payout withheld, with another $8.3million facing a possible clawback later. A total of $14.4million in bonuses is potentially at risk when combined with additional long-term incentives already granted.

Qantas chairman Richard Joyder admitted: 'Much of the loss of trust stems from allegations by the ACCC.'
An Australian man who bought $30,000 worth of limited edition shoes that were fake will never see his money back because he knowingly bought them off a teenager.

The man, who works as a Melbourne real estate agent, bought seven pairs of Dior x Air Jordan 1 sneakers from a 17-year-old boy paying as much as $10,000 for one pair.

The real estate agent claimed to notice defects and went to check their authenticity at a sneaker store where he was informed they were counterfeit.

The outraged Aussie launched legal action against the 17-year-old boy taking him and his father to the Victorian Civil and Administration Tribunal in October.

VCAT member Katherine Metcalf ruled in December the real estate agent would not get a refund despite the buyer losing tens of thousands of dollars.

She explained the 17-year-old did 'not have full capacity to enter into contracts' because of his young age.

A man lost $30,000 after he bought a fake pair of Dior X Air Jordan 1 sneakers (pictured) from a teenager

The teenager claimed to have a 'system with some international associates' who took part in raffles on his behalf and sent him the sneakers.

Dior and Air Jordan had collaborated together to design the sneakers releasing just 8,500 low-tops and 4,700 high-tops in 2020.

The real estate agent paid $3,800 for one pair of limited edition sneakers and another three pairs for $4800, $6700 and $10,000.

He bought another three pairs for $2,690 each.

VCAT heard the real estate agent noticed several 'defects' when the shoes arrived which prompted the buyer to check their authenticity.

The real estate agent was unable to make contact with the boy so he spoke to the 17-year-old's father who agreed to accompany him to the store.

VCAT heard an authenticator told the him the shoes were fake and said the teen who sold him the sneakers was a 'scammer' who had been black-listed.

The buyer claimed the father offered him $10,000 in compensation, but he refused before taking the matter to the tribunal.

The father of the 17-year-old boy argued the store was not an 'authorised authenticator' and denied making the offer to compensate the buyer.

Ms Metcalf argued the real estate agent was aware the seller was 17-years-old and sent him a text in May 2021 wishing him a 'happy belated 18th birthday'.

Under Victorian law, a contract between a person who is under the age of 18 is not enforceable.

The VCAT (pictured stock image) rejected the man's bid to be refunded by the seller with the tribunal ruling the man was not entitled to get his money back as he purchased the shoes from a minor

The limited edition sneakers (pictured stock image) had several defects when the real estate agent bought the shoes from the then 17-year-old

The Supreme Court Act of 1986 states that specific contracts with minors are not legally binding including contracts for goods and services that are not necessities.

'The contract was fully performed while [the seller] was a minor,' Ms Metcalf said.

'Had the agreement been entered into when [he] was 18 years old the result might have been different.

'While the law generally protects minors from the consequences of their own actions, it could be argued that in the present circumstances it is not the minor who needs protection, but rather the people with whom he chose to do business.'

A VCAT spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they would not provide a comment on individual cases.

The real estate agent still owns the shoes that he bought.

The teenager who sold the shoes started a sneaker business after he began researching sneakers for a business management studies course.

He began helping his classmates buy rare and limited edition shoes and used the money from the sales to buy sneakers for himself.

His father told VCAT that he didn't know his son was involved in selling fake pairs of sneakers until his family started getting threats from irate buyers.

His son was also allegedly chased through a shopping centre by customers who were who were furious after they ended up buying a fake pair of shoes.
Brandon Johnson has blasted Greg Abbott for flying migrants to the Windy City - despite previously painting it as a haven for the undocumented.

The ultra progressive Democratic mayor laid into the Texas Governor for being 'determined to continue to sow seeds of chaos' by sending them his way.

He also tried to pass off the city's spiraling migrant crisis as Abbott's fault for a lack of coordination in the moving of them.

It comes just months after he claimed on the campaign trial in March that Chicago would have no migrant problem if he was elected.

'Chicago must lead with and live by the promise to be a sanctuary city. Longtime Chicagoans don't have to lose for new arrivals to gain - there's enough space at the table for all of us to sit and eat. Immigrants are welcome here,' he wrote on March 10.

Chicago 's progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson is being called out for painting the Windy City as welcoming to migrants as he continues to blame Texas Governor Greg Abbott for causing chaos by shipping them to his city

Johnson has blamed others for the crisis, however, in a post made while he was campaigning for mayor in March, he made it clear that he felt Chicago would have no problem taking the migrants in

One user on X wrote after the post resurfaced: 'This tweet didn't age well did it? Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson better buy a bigger table if he's still planning on feeding all those migrants.'

On Sunday in front of CBS' Face the Nation, Johnson continued to complain about the havoc he said Abbott had caused him, calling the governor 'afraid and mad'.

'What we have said repeatedly is that we need Congress to act to provide the resources that are needed in order to carry out this mission,' Johnson said.

'But what we can't have is a governor in the state of Texas, acting the way he is acting and quite frankly, the rogue buses that are being dropped off across this country in the middle of the night, leaving people with no real support at all, no coordination with the local municipalities.'

He then accused Abbott of dividing Americans against one another over the crisis.

'That type of chaos, it's certainly dividing our country, and we need better coordination between all levels of government to be able to respond to this mission.'

'This is certainly a matter of, not just of our national security, but it's the type of chaos that this governor is committed to administering,' Johnson added.

Renae Eze, a spokesman for Abbott, called out Johnson and Denver Mayor Mike Johnson - who appeared with him in the interview - over their hypocrisy.

Johnson, a Democrat , has blamed everyone from his predecessor Lori Lightfoot to the Biden Administration and Texas Republicans for his city struggling to care for thousands of migrants

A migrant flight from San Antonio to Illinois lands at the Chicago Rockford International Airport

A man walks through a small tent community for migrants on the Northside of Chicago

22-year-old Maria Silva, of Venezuela, carries her belongings to a bus outside the 6th District police station before being taken to a shelter with other migrants who had been staying

'They are now going to extreme lengths to avoid fulfilling their self-declared sanctuary city promises, yet they remain silent as President Biden transports migrants all around the country and oftentimes in the cover of night,' Eze said.

'Instead of attacking Texas' efforts to provide relief to our overwhelmed border communities, these Democrat mayors should call on their party leader to finally do his job and secure the border  something he continues refusing to do.'

Chicago has spent $138 million on the crisis that is only expected to get worse as temperatures drop as winter goes on.

Earlier Sunday on CNN, Johnson said about 15,000 asylum seekers were crammed into 27 shelters across the city after being bused in from the US-Mexico border, particularly Texas.

Abbott has sent more than 25,300 migrants to Chicago since August 2022, on buses and more recently on charter flights.

About 10,000 migrants are crossing the border every day and many of them are sent to 'sanctuary cities' like Chicago, New York, and Denver.

Chicago has spent $138 million on the crisis that is only expected to get worse as temperatures drop as winter goes on

Johnson said he appreciated the federal government handing out work permits to get immigrants into jobs so they could support themselves.

But he warned: 'Without significant investment from our federal government, it won't just be the city of Chicago that won't be able to maintain this mission.

'It's the entire country that is now at stake.'

He shot another barb at Joe Biden by calling for 'real, substantive immigration reform and policies that allow us to have a structure and a pathway to citizenship'.

The mayor claimed since he was elected seven months ago, poor coordination between federal, state, and local government had made the crisis worse.

'What I've worked to do instead of having chaos is provide some structure and calm around this situation and without significant federal support. This is not sustainable,' he said.

'We're talking about individuals who have suffered miles, thousands of miles of treachery, quite frankly, to get to the border.

'And so what we've seen... is that lack of coordination has caused tremendous stress.'

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has blamed both the Biden Administration and Texas for his city struggling to care with thousands of migrants

Johnson said about 15,000 asylum-seekers were crammed into shelters across the city after being bused in from the US-Mexico border, particularly Texas

Hundreds of asylum seekers temporarily stay at the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago

An example included Abbott loading as many immigrants on to buses as he could and sending them to Illinois with no warning.

Chicago tried to have them arrive at designated locations during business hours and impounding buses that didn't follow these rules.

However, bus companies responded by dropping off migrants as far as 60 miles from Chicago, and Abbott started sending them on charter flights.

Texas spent $86.1 million so far sending migrants to 'sanctuary cities' around the country, about $1,650 per person.

'In no way what the state of Texas is doing is helping the cause,' Johnson said last week.

'As much as we recognize there are significant challenges at the border... sending buses all over Illinois and all over the country is reckless and, quite frankly, dangerous.'

A young migrant girl eagerly shows what she made from the overnight snowfall, in a small tent community in Chicago

Chicago's mayor claimed since he was elected seven months ago, poor coordination between federal, state, and local government had made the crisis worse

Johnson was joined by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston later on Wednesday for a coordinated attack on both Texas and the federal government.

'We cannot do this alone, we need more support from the federal government and today we stand charged and committed to ensure that our respective cities do our part and we need the federal government to lean in and provide more financial assistance,' he said.

'All of our cities have reached a point where we are either close to capacity or nearly out of room.

'Without significant intervention from the federal government, this mission will not be sustained.'

Johnson said the haphazard arrival of 'rogue buses' from Texas had 'created an incredible amount of chaos' that was damaging local economies.

'[They are] literally dropping families in the middle of nowhere,' he said.

'These families have experienced a great deal of political turmoil, trekking hundreds of thousands of miles to get to the border without real care or processing and without a system in place.

'The rogue buses, and now chartered flights, is not only unsafe but inhumane. So we are calling on not just the federal government to provide support and resources to address this humanitarian crisis, we also need better coordination at the border.

Migrants are seen lining up in El Paso on Dec. 19 to board the plane to Chicago

Officials from the City of El Paso have been working with state officials to bus over 17,000 migrants out of the West Texas city

'The state of Texas has a responsibility to connect with municipalities around the country to help address and deal with this crisis.'

Texas migrants buses Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022

Over 31,200 migrants to New York City since August 2022

Over 25,300 migrants to Chicago since August 2022

Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022

Over 11,800 migrants to Denver since May 18

Over 1,200 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14 Source: Office of Gov. Greg Abbott Advertisement

Mayor Adams backed him up on both points, urging Abbott to stop 'using migrants as political pawns' but also on Biden to do far more to help.

'We cannot continue to do the federal government's job... we need action and we need it now,' he said.

'This is a national problem that has only been exacerbated by Governor Abbott's cruel and inhumane politics and that requires additional, national solutions.

'The federal government must take responsibility and lead on this humanitarian crisis instead of leaving it to cities and localities to handle.'

Conditions in Chicago's migrant shelters have been under a microscope since five-year-old boy Jean Carlo Martinez Rivero died on December 17.

Johnson maintained there was 'no evidence the condition of the shelter caused the death of this young boy'.

Volunteers who try to help the asylum-seekers as best they can argue differently, submitting lists of concerns to city officials months before Jean's death.

Photos and videos inside the shelter where he died showed 2,300 migrants huddled together in freezing temperatures under a leaking roof.

One video showed a young boy with what appeared to be a bandage on his head lying on a thin fold-out bed, distracting himself with a tablet.

Another shows a different child coughing and crying as they had their temperature taken and were examined by volunteers.

A third video showed water leaking from the roof and pooling on one of the beds.

Despite strict ordinances penalizing charter buses loaded with migrants heading into Illinois, buses and planes with migrants are bound for Chicago as we speak, El Paso officials confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Five-year-old Jean Carlo Martinez Rivero fell ill while at the Pilsen migrant shelter and was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital on Sunday days later

Last week, the Texas Division of Emergency Management or TDEM, which handles migrant transports, chartered its first flight with migrants to Chicago to avoid growing restrictions over when and where migrants can be dropped off.

'TDEM basically flipped it; they said if we're going to have problems with buses, we are going to send flights,' John Martin, who runs the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in El Paso, told DailyMail.com in an interview on Tuesday.

Migrants without money to move on to their final destination often opt to get on one of the Texas buses headed to so-called sanctuary cities.

They sign a waiver saying they voluntarily agree to get on and be taken to New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Denver, or Los Angeles.

From there, the state takes over.
Joe Biden's close aides and biggest donors believe the secret to better polling numbers is more candid comments and off-script gaffes.

The president, 81, who is trailing Donald Trump by just a few points in most polls has been kept on a tight leash during his term with regard to press interactions.

He rarely goes off-script, and his aides have gone so far as to prep notecards for him ahead of softball interviews with friendly media.

But now it is election year and strategists and allies are trying to get his numbers up, which may mean allowing the infamously gaffe-prone president to speak his mind.

What some top-tier donors and fundraisers have said, according to Reuters, is that 'anytime he (Biden) sounds more aggressive or takes an aggressive stance, his (approval) numbers go up.'

Some close to the president say that, as election season kicks into high gear, it's time to let Biden be Biden - gaffes and all

The source, a Democratic fundraiser, added that the cautious White House staff are hindering Biden's ability to court favor with his candor.

'This is the same nervous Nellie, cautious crew that advised Hillary (Clinton) to stay on message,' they said. 'Biden needs to come out and tell people what he thinks, it is effective when he does that.'

In recent months Biden has, in closed rooms of donors, said he believes Xi Jinping - the president of China - is a dictator, and that Israel is exerting too much force in its ongoing campaign against terrorists in the Gaza strip and elsewhere.

The president additionally let it slip recently that he is not sure he would be seeking a second term if Donald Trump were not running - a message that seems to be woefully out of sync with the majority faction of the Democratic party, who believe Biden is too old to run again.

Mere weeks ago, Biden called Israel's bombing of the Hamas terroristss in Gaza 'indiscriminate' during a discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The phrasing was the first time Biden had been openly critical of Israel's approach to the post October 7 war.

The criticism was subsequently walked back by Biden's chief foreign policy and security communicators, like John Kirby, who later claimed to reporters that the president was simply expressing concern that Israel be mindful of civilian casualties.

Beyond being semantically inconsistent with US policy, anything Biden says about Israel carries weight inside the global bodies that legally judge international conflict, where Israel has very few friends.

His use of the word 'indiscriminate' brought with it a question about Israel's military strategy in Gaza, where Hamas terrorists claim 22,000 people have been killed.

What some top-tier donors and fundraisers have said is that 'anytime he (Biden) sounds more aggressive or takes an aggressive stance, his (approval) numbers go up'

Joe Biden, who has struggled to keep a lid on dissent from the progressives in his party over his public support for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recently criticized the Israeli leader, calling the IDF's bombing strategy 'indiscriminate'

The Biden administration explicitly forbids arms being transferred to other nations for the purpses of genocide, crimes against humanity, breaches of the Geneva conventions, or other serious violations of international law - which would include 'indiscriminate' bombings.

At the same event, Biden told donors that he had challenged the Israeli Prime Minister to 'change' his government. In the past Biden has told Netanyahu that he does not 'agree with a damn thing you have to say.'

As he went on, reporters in the room were asked by aides to leave. They declined to do so.

Later, Kirby has to clarify that the president had only meant to say that 'Israel is a powerful, vibrant democracy, and any change in the government is going to have to be determined by the Israeli people.'

For his part, Biden is at least somewhat aware of his word-vomitting problem, though that awareness has not historically prevented him from doing it.

Putting a positive spin on the liability, he said last year: 'No one ever doubts I mean what I say. The problem is I sometimes say all that I mean.'

Biden is in the preparation process to likely, again, face off against the famously candid Donald Trump

Like many politicians, Biden often workshops lines he'll be able to use later - for larger crowds - when he's in more intimate settings.

Problems arise when reporters are on the scene and the president's words, because of his current position of power, are judged more harshly than a candidate's - let alone a primary candidate's - might be.

However, as the official parts of the primary election are soon slated to begin among Republicans, Biden's allies in the political arena (as opposed to the more formal policy space) are advocating for letting Biden be Biden, especially in preparation to square off against famously candid Trump.
A Florida man has been arrested after he was caught allegedly trying to abduct a four-year-old boy inside Walmart.

Pablo Pintueles Hernandez, 64, was charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment of a child after he was filmed allegedly grabbing the boy and trying to walk away with him at the store Lehigh Acres on December 29.

Lee County Sheriff's Deputies viewed the footage and said the stranger walked up to the four-year-old shopping with his family and grabbed his wrist.

Pintueles Hernandez allegedly stated 'let's go' and tried to pull him away before a family member intervened.

Cops worked with Real Time Intelligence Center Analysts to identify the suspect and arrested him in the early hours of the next day.

Walmart surveillance footage shows a man walking up to a four-year-old boy, grabbing his wrist and trying to walk away with him

Police identified Pablo Pintueles Hernandez (pictured), 64, as the suspect and charged him with kidnapping and false imprisonment of a child

Police said the man grabbed the child and said 'let's go' before the boy's sister intervened

'What this criminal did is incredibly disturbing,' said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

'I never want anyone in Lee County to feel unsafe, especially going on a simple shopping trip. My team will stop at NOTHING to ensure criminals like this face the consequences of their actions.'

According to the arrest report, the four-year-old boy was at the store with his mother and sister. His sister was the one who intervened and pulled the boy back.

The mother told police she was at the store with her children and she did not give anyone permission to speak or touch her children.

The report said Pintueles Hernandez and his wife Odalis Vaillant Leyva identified themselves in the surveillance footage.

The couple finished shopping and left the store in a car registered to Leyva, that cops used to track them down.

'Utilizing the latest and greatest technology is key to solving crimes quickly and efficiently,' said Marceno.

Lee County Sherriff's footage shows Pintueles Hernandez was arrested in the early hours of December 30

Pintueles Hernandez pictured being transported to jail. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released from jail on $100,000 bond

The incident occurred at this Walmart in Lehigh Acres, Florida on December 29

'The teamwork displayed during this incident from our Communications, Patrol, Real Time Intelligence Center, and Major Crimes Unit is unmatched.'

Leyva told police her husband is outgoing and often jokes with children, calling them 'Papito,' which she has warned him not to do because people may not interpret them the same way.

In Spanish, Leyva told the victim her husband was joking and Pintueles Hernandez told police he had no intention of leaving with the child.

Pintueles Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released from jail on $100,000 bond and his next court date is scheduled for January 29.
When Lee and Lisa Castleton bought a local post office branch in 2003, both thought it was the start of an idyllic new family life.

The business, housed in a 19th century cottage, which would also be their living quarters, was on the seafront in the picturesque seaside town of Bridlington in East Yorkshire. Both felt passionately that it was a wonderful environment in which to raise their two children. 'It gave us every little piece of what we wanted,' is how 54-year-old Lee puts it.

Certainly, neither of them remotely imagined how swiftly, and to what a grotesque extent, that one decision would plunge them into a nightmare in which they are still embroiled 20 years later.

For within just a few months, the Castletons would face accusations of fraud that would eventually cost them their livelihood, their home, their reputation and their health.

It would take years for them to learn that they were not alone, but just one of many hundreds of families falsely accused of theft by the Post Office in what is now known as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.

Lee and Lisa Castleton, pictured here with their children CJ and Millie at their daughter's graduation. The family were put through a grotesque ordeal when the Castletons were the victims of a computer system error which the Post Office said meant they owed thousands of pounds

The couple are portrayed by Amy Nuttall (third left) and Will Mellor (fourth left) in a new ITV drama

In fact, between 1991 and 2015, nearly 800 innocent subpostmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of accounting errors that were actually down to a defective IT system called Horizon. Relying on IT evidence alone, the Post Office pursued them for money it said they owed, and prosecuted them if they failed to reimburse it from their savings. Many hundreds were convicted - some were even imprisoned - and lives were irreparably damaged.

Now the story has been turned into a new four-part ITV drama - starring Toby Jones, with Will Mellor and Amy Nuttall playing Lee and Lisa - which shows the scandal's devastating impact and how families like the Castletons first faced financial disaster and then risked everything in their quest for justice.

READ MORE HERE: Two more former sub-postmasters are cleared after being wrongly convicted of stealing from their own tills in Post Office IT scandal Advertisement

It is a surreal turn of events for the Castletons, a self-confessed ordinary couple who only ever wanted a settled family life. 'It is bizarre seeing what we went through brought to life like this,' says Lee when we meet at the couple's two-bedroom bungalow in Scarborough. 'What happened to us still feels unreal.'

Its legacy is all too evident however: it has taken many hardscrabble years for the couple to get back on their feet, and they are very far from the life they once dreamed of.

Lee works nightshifts in a local factory to help make ends meet, while Lisa has a job in the small supermarket owned by her family. The couple, who were once mortgage-free aged 35, now have a new mortgage that will not be paid off until they are 70.

Yet it is also a long way from where they were in the midst of the scandal: at one point, they were in such penury they could not afford to heat their home and were so worried about their situation, they feared their children, Millie, now 28, and 26-year-old Cameron (known as CJ), would be taken away from them.

Branded thieves by the local community and with no obvious way of clawing back the money they'd lost or their reputation, Lee is not too proud to say that there were occasions when he stood at the edge of the cliffs that dominate the local coastline and pondered stepping off.

Only thoughts of his family stopped him. 'Looking back, I don't even know how we survived really,' he says. 'I don't mean monetarily. I mean, literally how we got through it. It changed our lives completely. It was devastating.'

All of this leaves its mark. Lee's raw emotion breaks through frequently during our interview, while Lisa, more self-contained, simmers with an unspoken but visceral anger. 'We'll never get the time back we lost to this,' she says.

Lee and Lisa Castleton (pictured) thought they were about to start living an idyllic life when they bought a Post Office in Bridlington, East Yorkshire. But their dream would soon become a nightmare

The couple, pictured here on their wedding day, had seeked a change in career after extensive travel began to take its toll. But a years-long battle with the Post Office would make things worse

A former aircraft electrical engineer turned trainee stockbroker, Lee married former nursery nurse Lisa in 1991. Millie and CJ came along soon after. By the early noughties, with Lee's extensive travel for work beginning to take its toll, the couple made the decision to buy the Bridlington post office. As they were mortgage free, they used the proceeds of their house sale to partly cover the 300,000 cost of their new house and business, taking out a mortgage for the rest.

After moving in in July 2003 - their children then aged eight and six - they settled in quickly, with Lee overseeing the post office, assisted by a member of staff retained from the previous owners, and Lisa running the accompanying newsagents. For the first few months all went smoothly. Then, at Christmas that year, Lee noticed he had an imbalance of 1,103.18 over a one-week period on the Horizon accounting system that he had inherited.

'It was really odd, as we'd never had anything like that,' he recalls. 'We'd gone over and over all these figures, and I ended up putting that money in, which is what the contract says you must do.'

He assumed it was a blip, but the books didn't balance over the next 12 weeks either, meaning their perceived 'debt' was building up fast. A baffled Lee and his assistant endlessly telephoned the Post Office IT helpline asking for help.

'We rang all the time during that period, 91 times in all, but we were just getting passed around,' he says. 'We also could never establish if there were issues before we arrived, although the software was continually being updated.'

Several weeks in, and now frustrated and anxious, Lee requested an official audit from the Post Office in a bid to get to the bottom of the issue. This took place on March 23, 2004 and was, as Lee puts it now 'the moment our lives turned upside down'.

At the day's conclusion, the Post Office auditor, Helen Rose, confirmed they owed 25,000. 'As only I had access to the money, the implication was that I had taken it,' Lee says.

It was a huge sum (around 41,000 today) but, even so, Lee did not believe the problem was insurmountable. 'I knew I hadn't done anything wrong,' he says. 'I just thought that someone at their end would investigate further and confirm it was their error.'

Instead, Lee was suspended instantly, and someone else was brought in to run the sub-branch.

Not long after, after refusing to pay back the 25,000 - adamant he was not going to give back money he didn't owe - he was dismissed altogether and taken to court by the Post Office to recoup the loss.

That decision set in motion a catastrophic chain of events. When the Post Office legal team failed to show up for the initial hearing in Scarborough, judgment was made in Lee's favour. Yet the Post Office was determined to overturn that ruling, and took Lee to the High Court.

With no income and little in the way of savings, Lee had no option but to represent himself. He spent every waking hour 'buried in paperwork', working late into the night to try to establish what could possibly have gone wrong, stymied by the fact that not all transactions were available to him as only the Post Office had some of the dates. At 5.30am, both he and Lisa would get up to handle their paper rounds. 'We were exhausted,' she says.

In the tight-knit local community, meanwhile, rumours were spreading fast. 'There were whispers everywhere we went,' says Lisa. 'Some said things to our face, like we'd taken people's pensions.' Lee adds: 'We were called thieving b******s more than once.'

Such was the all-encompassing stress that Lee started to have regular blackouts, while Lisa developed epilepsy which meant that ultimately her driving licence was revoked. 'The kids were small, and I couldn't even drive them to school,' she says.

Millie was so relentlessly bullied at school - including being spat at on the school bus and assaulted - that both she and her brother had to move schools. Millie went on to develop an eating disorder which would ultimately leave her regularly hospitalised.

The Castletons, pictured here on holiday, were ostracised by their community after the false allegations were made public

At this point, all of Lee and Lisa's hopes were pinned on the High Court hearing which, they believed, would clear their name. 'I believed they were going to say they had made a mistake,' Lee recalls.

But on the contrary: Helen Rose, who worked as an auditor for the Post Office between 1999 and 2004, provided a witness statement to the court saying Lee smelled of alcohol, that the safe was frequently left open outside business hours, and that the subsequent owner of the post office had had no issues with the accounting system. 'All lies,' Lee says. 'The safe is on a timer, so it can't have been open, and there were errors after we left, too. But they needed to show that I was incompetent, and that is how they did it.'

Rose's statement has since been scrutinised at the current ongoing public inquiry into the Horizon scandal. Asked why she'd signed it when she knew it contained material that was wrong, Ms Rose replied: 'I can't recall.'

Either way, the outcome was the worst possible for the Castletons: the court found against them and the Post Office pursued them for legal costs of 321,000.

They now know from the public inquiry that the Post Office was trying to make an example of them. Earlier this month, Stephen Dilley, who represented the Post Office in its claim against Lee, told the inquiry that the corporation knew he would not be able to pay if he lost, but that it wanted to 'show the world' it would defend its system.

'So in effect, they were using me as a deterrent,' says Lee.

It was certainly devastating for the couple, who were left with no choice but to file for bankruptcy, by now so broke they had to borrow the 800 administrative fee.

Unable to keep the newsagents open as they could no longer buy stock, they also built up mortgage arrears of 40,000 on a property that was no longer a business and therefore not worth the amount of money they had paid for it.

'Every bill was just piling up. We were just drowning,' says Lee, his voice breaking as he recalls the couple's fears that Social Services would intervene and take away their children. 'It felt like everything was against us and there was no way out.'

From the start, Lee had been convinced he could not be alone, yet despite hours ringing post office owners to try to find others in the same position, he never succeeded in identifying anyone.

'What I know now is that people were putting money in and not really saying anything, because they were worried about losing their businesses,' he says.

Then, in 2008, there was what Lee calls a 'ray of light': the Mail featured the story of Jo Hamilton, a former subpostmaster from South Warnborough in Hampshire, who stood accused of stealing 36,000. Villagers had clubbed together to raise the money but, terrified of going to prison, the mother of two pleaded guilty to false accounting.

Her conviction has since been overturned and documents uncovered by BBC's Panorama revealed that the Post Office knew she had never stolen any money.

Horrifying though her story was, it proved to be a turning point, bringing together victims - among them Alan Bates (played in the ITV drama by Toby Jones), a prime mover in the campaign for justice in whose name the subsequent group litigation brought against the Post Office was made.

Lee recalls the first meeting of nine of them in September 2009 as a transformative experience. 'Even though we were still in dire straits, it was wonderful to see and speak to other people with very similar issues,' he says.

It would take many grinding years of work before their group action - by now 555-strong - was able to take the Post Office to the High Court in 2016.

The following year, a judge ruled that the Horizon computer system contained 'bugs, errors and defects', and the Post Office agreed to settle with all 555 claimants who joined the group litigation order (GLO). Along with the other eight original claimants, the Castletons received a settlement pay-out, although, after their bankruptcy and other debts were taken into account, they received just 30,000. Indeed, just before Christmas, it emerged that the Post Office had cut the size of its compensation pot by half, to 244 million, down from 487 million the previous year.

The Castletons' plight, along with other subpostmasters, has been made the focus of a new ITV series called Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Pictured: Toby Jones with other members of the cast in a promotional image for the programme

Alan Bates, pictured, was a prime mover in the campaign for justice in whose name the subsequent group litigation brought against the Post Office was made

By the time the Castletons were compensated, the couple had got back on their feet through what Lee calls 'sheer bloody hard work', but 'we are nowhere near where we thought we would be at this age', he points out.

One of the things that has made them angriest has been the impact on CJ, who is a heating engineer and Millie, a teacher.

'CJ won't talk about it at all,' says Lisa. 'He says it's ruined too much of his life already. Millie still struggles with what happened and her life was blighted for many years.'

It is only latterly, in fact, that they have discovered the extent of the damage to Millie, who, in a heart-breaking witness statement given to the public inquiry, wrote of the isolation she felt, and the all-encompassing grip the accusations had on her family. 'Every part of my late childhood and teens was tainted by the Post Office case,' she wrote.

It was so distressing for her parents that Lee confides he could not bring himself to read it in full, although he says that learning of the extent of her bullying left him in despair at what he calls his 'abject failure' to protect her.

Nonetheless, both he and Lisa are grateful for the meticulous work of the inquiry, which spent two weeks on their case alone, and further exposed the Post Office's heinous attempts to obfuscate the extent of the technology crisis.

'During my initial court case, I had repeatedly asked during disclosure whether anyone else was having issues and to have access to other call logs,' says Lee. 'At the recent inquiry, Stephen Dilley claimed that the reason they didn't send them was because they didn't want to 'swamp me' with what it turned out was 15,000 calls when, of course, they didn't because it would expose the fact that many other people were having issues when they were trying to make out it was me alone.'

Last month, Paul Marshall, one of the barristers who is representing Post Office operators in their continuing fight for compensation, said he believed that enough evidence had emerged for police to consider prosecuting former Post Office executives.

Whatever happens, neither of the Castletons expect an apology, and say it would be meaningless even if it ever came.

'It can't bring back the last 20 years or undo the damage it did,' says Lee.

Nor, indeed, the fact that mud still sticks, all these years later.

'Even now, if both of us were to walk around Bridlington, there are looks, and certain people that say things like, 'I bet you're all right now,' ' says Lisa.

It is why, for the Castletons, this grim and lengthy episode is far from over. 'We haven't got to the end of this; I'm still fighting, we're still victims,' says Lee. 'But I look forward to the day when it is not the last thing I think about at night and the first thing I think about when I wake up.'
Storm Henk has reportedly claimed its first victim after a falling tree crushed a car on a country road in the Cotswolds.

Emergency services raced to the scene in Gloucestershire at 3.15pm yesterday after receiving reports of two cars stuck in a huge tree that had been uprooted during strong winds.

One car is said to have been completely crushed, while a white Kia sustained minor damage, according to Wiltshire 999. A person inside one of the crushed cars was pronounced dead at the scene.

The A433 Tetbury Road will remain closed overnight and into tomorrow in both directions as forensic investigations continue.

It comes as the New Year's storm continues to batter the UK, with gusts up to 94mph creating travel hell and leaving more than 100,000 homes without power.

London was brought to a halt as the storm pummeled the capital, with images from Forest Hill showing huge trees upturned, falling on top of cars and against houses.

In Greenwich, south-east of the city, shocking footage showed scaffolding from a four-storey building site was seen swaying in the wind before being knocked into the ground.

Marketing manager Josh Hargreaves, 30, said that he and his boyfriend had watched the scaffolding 'pretty much swaying in the wind' before falling from the front of the building at around 3.40pm.

LONDON: A fallen tree lands on a car in Forest Hill after Storm Henk brought winds of up to 94mph

HAMPSHIRE: Fire crews attend an air base at Middle Wallop after Army Air Corps failed to secure an Apache helicopter

LONDON: A huge tree in Forest Hill is uprooted after being battered by Storm Henk

LONDON: Scaffolding falls onto Creek Road in Greenwich after an amber weather warning was issued

Amber weather warnings issued by the Met Office remain in place for a swathe of central England warning people of more travel disruption, roof damage and power cuts.

A woman in Orpington, London, was crushed when a tree fell on her as Storm Henk rifled through the city. Firefighters rushed to the scene to free her, before she was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Londoner's had been urged to stay indoors yesterday evening after forecasters predicted the storm would bring 'very wild outdoor conditions', while Mayor Sadiq Khan had warned of 'potential risk to life and property'.

The Army is now facing a multi-million-pound bill after one of its hugely expensive Apache gunships was blown over by Storm Henk.

The state-of-the-art helicopter, estimated to be worth 15million, should have been securely strapped down at the Army Air Corps' base.

A strong gust of wind tipped over the 5.5ton Apache, damaging its rotors. Fire crews rushed to secure the Apache in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, where gusts exceeded 50 knots.

A source said: 'It was a massive blunder leaving it outside on a day like this. There's a lot of embarrassment at the base over what's happened. We're waiting for the bill.'

KENT: A tree blown over lands on a car in Beckenham in Bromley

Hundreds of flood warnings and flood alerts have been put in place by the Environment Agency for today

More rainy weather is expected across much of the country today, as yellow weather warnings for rain remain in place

Roads and railways were blocked by flooding and fallen trees as an amber weather warning for strong winds, which could cause 'danger to life', was issued covering a 400 mile swathe from Norwich to Swansea.

In Kenilworth, Warwickshire, firefighters rescued the occupants of a car marooned in floodwater.

A yellow weather warning will remain in place overnight for Wales, the East Midlands, London, the south-east, north-west and south-west.

Up to 1.5 inches of rain is expected in some regions, as heavy downpours soak already saturated ground.

Last night, there were 297 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 368 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, according to the Environment Agency.

Stefan Laeger, the Environment Agency's flood duty manager, said that the heavy rainfall means 'significant local flooding' on the River Nene, in the east of England, is 'probable' on Tuesday and tomorrow.

He said: 'Recent and ongoing heavy rain is falling on already very wet ground and could see some riverside locations across England flood until Thursday, while surface water flooding is also possible at times during the next five days in parts of the country.

There are reports a woman was crushed by a falling tree in Orpington, south east London, amid the high winds. Pictured: Emergency services at the scene of the incident

There was a heavy emergency services response in Station Road, Orpington, at around 3pm after the tree fell on the woman. Her condition is currently unknown

HAMPSHIRE: A car lies partially submerged on the A272 at Petersfield yesterday afternoon

EAST SUSSEX: People play in the wind on the beach as waves smash into Newhaven

'Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, working to minimise the impacts of flooding where possible. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move car.'

Many spent yesterday in dark, cold homes without power. The Energy Networks Association said that around 102,600 customers were initially affected, with nearly 40,000 still without power.

Ross Easton, spokesperson from the company said: 'Intensive winds, higher than originally forecast, of more than 80mph in places have meant that repairs have been needed to electricity infrastructure and right now engineering teams are working to reconnect supplies as quickly and safely as possible.'

Yesterday, those who braved the roads faced difficult driving conditions while rail passengers trying to board being told to 'not travel unless absolutely necessary'.

Motorists faced difficult driving conditions near Folkestone in Kent while drivers were also stopped from using the bridge at the Dartford Crossing heading south due to the strong winds.

National Highways apologised as it estimated some motorists could face delays of up to two hours, and diverted traffic that was being sent through a tunnel.

It advised that 'unless you are near the front of the queue, it will take some time for you to get moving again'.

LONDON: Departure boards at Paddington Station went empty last night after a power outage caused delays and cancellations on services in and out of the terminal

LONDON: A tree blown over by the wind that crashed into a portico in Tooting, South West London yesterday

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: Flooding at Billing Aquadrome where 1,000 people were evacuated today

A message on the South Western Railway warned passengers that there were 'multiple incidents affecting services across the network' and advised customers not to travel.

Thameslink also warned passengers not to travel 'unless absolutely necessary' as multiple weather-related incidents across the entire network had affected all routes.

Several London Underground and Overground lines faced disruption while the Elizabeth Line was suspended between London Paddington, Reading and Heathrow due to a power supply issue - with passengers reporting being stuck on trains.

A power failure saw many trains heading in and out of Paddington cancelled, with the departure boards at the London terminal being left empty due to the lack of leaving services.

National Rail told passengers that various routes across the south west and north west of England along with the Midlands, East Anglia and South Wales could be affected. It added that speed restrictions were being imposed which would mean possible train delays.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to The Ford in Kenilworth to rescue a motorist who got stuck trying to drive through flood water.

A spokesman said: 'Due to the speed of the flowing water we used our inflatable sled to safely rescue the car's occupants. Please avoid the area and don't try to drive through flood water.'

Last year was provisionally the second warmest in the UK since records began in 1884, according to the Met Office. The hottest was 2022.

MailOnline has contacted Gloucestershire Police and South West Ambulance Service regarding the reported fatality.
A NYE reveller who was filmed being punched by a police officer while his colleagues restrained him claims the incident was the result of a misunderstanding.

The dramatic incident unfolded in front of a crowd of people outside The Brass Monkey Hotel in Northbridge in Perth just minutes after revellers rang in 2024.

The footage showed three police officers pinning the reveller to the ground as they tried to subdue the man accused of behaving 'in a disorderly manner'.

But the 25-year-old man, whose first name is Matthew, said the incident was sparked by a 'simple misunderstanding' after he asked Rapture Nightclub staff if someone could pick up broken glass on which a woman had injured herself.

'I wasn't trying to disturb anyone, I was trying to help people,' the father-of-two told the West Australian.

The man (pictured on the ground) at the centre of a shocking video of a policeman repeatedly punching him has said it was caused by a misunderstanding

Matthew claimed the club had not told him to move on, and that he left it before midnight to see the fireworks from the street.

But he became embroiled in an incident with the police when officers came towards him and tackled him to the ground, he said.

READ MORE: Homicide investigation launched after man vanishes without a trace in tiny mining town south of Perth Advertisement

The incident escalated when one of the officers started punching him and another pinned him down by sitting on top of him.

'They were asking for me to go and I was asking if they could find someone to clean the glass up ... I thought I had full trust in them,' Matthew said.

'I have family in the force, I respect them... so the fact they took me down is disappointing. I wasn't being rude... I was trying to be a nice citizen.'

A police spokesperson told Daly Mail Australia: 'Officers approached the man and asked him to move on, however he failed to comply with the direction and continued to yell and swear in the vicinity of other members of the public.

'Due to his ongoing behaviour, officers attempted to arrest the man, however it will be alleged he positioned his arms to prevent being handcuffed and resisted being arrested.'

But Matthew said he only moved as officers pinned him to 'prevent further injury' and that the brawl left him with scratches on his arms and face and a black eye.

His girlfriend Lauren said the police 'let the stress get the better of them... they are under-qualified to deal with conflict resolution and overworked where they aren't able to address their own emotions'.

A man was filmed getting arrested by police officers in Perth (pictured) with a male officer seen punching the man repeatedly

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch backed his officers following the release of the footage.

'When someone is not complying during an arrest, officers are trained to employ distraction techniques, such as strikes to the body,' he said.

'After watching the footage of the arrest personally, I want to make it clear this officer has, in my view, acted within his training and has my support.

'We are transparent in our actions and will investigate any complaint of excessive force,' Comm Blanch said.

Matthew, from Kenwick in Perth's south-east, will appear in Perth Magistrates Court on January 31.
Air traffic control had ordered a Japanese coastguard plane to hold short of the runway moments before its catastrophic collision with a Japan Airlines passenger jet, it has been claimed.

JAL flight 516 had been given permission by an air traffic controller to enter the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport before it collided with the coastguard aircraft and burst into flames, Japanese broadcaster NHK reports, citing a source.

Five crewmembers died on board the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) plane, which had been set to take off to deliver aid to the city of Niigata following the deadly New Year's Day earthquake.

The only survivor on the Bombardier Dash-8 maritime patrol plane was named as Captain Genki Miyamoto, 39. He reportedly pulled himself from the wreckage before he radioed for help, telling his base: 'The aircraft exploded on the runway. I escaped. The [condition of the] other crew members is unknown.'

Fortunately, all 379 passengers and crew aboard the commercial JAL flight were successfully evacuated moments before the jet was ravaged by flames - in what has been hailed by many as a 'miracle'.

As the sun rose in Japan on Wednesday, shocking pictures from the scene show the charred remains of the Airbus A350 jet, laying bare just how devastating the disaster could have been.

Chilling pictures of the A350 jet in the daylight show nothing but the wings and piles of ash remaining

An aerial view shows burnt Japan Coast Guard aircraft after a collision with Japan Airlines' (JAL) Airbus A350 plane at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo

All 379 passengers and crew aboard the commercial flight were successfully evacuated moments before the jet was ravaged by flames

An All Nippon Airlines (ANA) plane taxis past the burnt wreckage of the Japan Airlines (JAL) jet on the tarmac the day after the collision

Chilling pictures of the A350 jet in the daylight show nothing but the wings and piles of ash remaining after the inferno ripped through it on Tuesday night.

Haneda was closed for hours following the incident and disruption has continued into today, with 100 flights expected to be cancelled affecting some 19,000 passengers.

The Japan Transport Safety Board has sent investigators to the scene, who will be assisted by British and French aircraft experts, to begin a full-scale probe into the fatal collision.

As the investigation gets underway, JAL last night said its crewmembers confirmed the landing permission from the Haneda controller and repeated the order back before they conducted approach and landing operations.

'There were no issues with the aircraft at the time of departure from the New Chitose Airport and during the flight,' the airline added.

The pilot was given permission to land but probably could not see the coastguard's smaller Dash-8 plane below as it taxied on the runway, JAL chiefs said.

The JAL flight had flown out of Shin Chitose airport in Japan and was landing at Haneda airport when it collided with the JCG plane on runway C.

Safety experts have hailed the evacuation of JAL flight 516 before it burst into flames as 'nothing short of a miracle', with many praising the cabin crew for getting all the passengers off safely.

The in-flight announcement system did not work during the evacuation and crewmembers had to use megaphones to give instructions, Japan Airlines said in a statement, making the feat even more incredible.

Fourteen people on the passenger plane were injured, according to Japan Airlines, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

An official looks at the wreckage of a Japan coast guard plane on the tarmac at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda. An investigation into the disaster is underway

Foam surrounds the burnt out wreckage of the airliner the morning after it collided with a coastguard plane and caught on fire

Pictures from the scene show the charred wreckage of the Japan Airlines flight the morning after the collision

The burn-out Japan Airlines plane is seen at Haneda airport on Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Passengers have told of their terrifying experiences escaping the plane, which caught on fire as it skidded down the tarmac shortly before 6pm (09.00 GMT).

Video and images shared on social media showed passengers shouting inside the plane's smoke-filled cabin and running across the tarmac after escaping via an evacuation slide.

Television footage showed flames coming out of windows and the plane's nose on the ground as rescue workers sprayed it with several water hoses. There was also burning debris on the runway.

Terrifying footage from inside the plane shows how passengers covered their faces and struggled to breathe as the cabin filled with smoke following the fire

More than 70 fire engines were being deployed to the scene to extinguish the raging inferno, NHK reported.

Wide angle images of the scene showed a large section of the runway covered in flames, with debris littering huge swathes of the tarmac.

Meanwhile, footage taken from inside the jet showed how the cabin filled with thick smoke.

Swedish passenger Anton Deibe, 17, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that 'the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

'The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos,' added Deibe, who was traveling with his parents and sister.

In one clip a child's voice can be heard shouting: 'Let us get out quickly! Let us get out quickly!'

Coastguard flight MA-722 aircraft, a Bombardier Dash-8 (like the one pictured), collided with Japan Airlines flight 516

A Japan Airlines plane caught fire at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after colliding with a coastguard aircraft

Japan Airlines Flight 516 plane in flames at Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan

'I was wondering what happened and then I felt the airplane tilted to the side at the runway and felt a big bump,' said Satoshi Yamake, 59, a telecommunications company worker who was on board.

'The flight attendants told us to stay calm and instructed us to get off the plane.'

'I heard an explosion about 10 minutes after everyone and I got off the plane,' said 28-year-old passenger Tsubasa Sawada. 'I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late.'

It was the first major incident involving severe damage to an A350, one of the newest large passenger planes.

Japan's Transport Minister Saito said the cause of the accident was unclear and the JTSB, police and other departments would continue to investigate.

The JTSB air accident agency will be joined by representatives from France, where the airplane was built, and Britain where its two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines were manufactured. Airbus said it was also sending technical advisers.

A view from the airport shows flames rising after the Japan Airlines (JAL) plane collision

Smoke billows from the JAL plane after it came to land on the tarmac outside Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024

Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays.

All its runways were closed following the accident, causing dozens of other planes to divert. A transport ministry official said three runways had since resumed operations.

Japan has not suffered a serious commercial aviation accident in decades.

Its worst ever was in 1985, when a JAL jumbo jet flying from Tokyo to Osaka crashed in central Gunma region, killing 520 passengers and crew.

That disaster was one of the world's deadliest plane crashes involving a single flight.
A leading movie critic has accused the industry of abusing its customers with bloated running-times, endless trailers and the 'inescapable' Nicole Kidman.

Film-writer Richard Zoglin has demanded theatres reveal their movies' actual start time, after routinely sitting through more than 30 minutes of adverts, previews and fillers.

He said the ballooning number of promotions combined with the self-indulgence of leading directors has left some movie-goers facing four hours in their seats at some screenings.

And he has warned the industry risks driving away the customers it is still struggling to recapture in the wake of the pandemic.

'I love going to the movies, but it's becoming harder to justify that ordeal at the multiplex, rather than waiting a few weeks for the film to show up on Netflix or Amazon Prime,' he told the Washington Post.

Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in Scorses's 206-minute Killers of the Flower Moon

The legendary director (left) reportedly vetoed an intermission in the year's longest movie prompting film critic Richard Zoglin to demand 'Fine, Marty, you tell us where the best moment is to leave for a bathroom break'

And he reserves particular scorn for the now two-year-old AMC ad featuring a hooded Kidman sashaying into a movie theatre and promising an 'indescribable feeling'.

'My blood pressure spikes every time I see those platform heels stepping through a puddle on the way to a movie theater,' he wrote.

'Watching a movie on the big screen can be absorbing, even thrilling. But it's not a religious experience.

'By now it's the most grating commercial pitch this side of the Kars4Kids jingle.'

He points out that the average movie running time of the top-grossing films has jumped by almost 30 minutes since 2020 to a butt-challenging two hours and 23 minutes.

And he slams Martin Scorsese for vetoing an intermission in his three hours and 26 minute 'Killers of the Flower Moon'.

'Fine, Marty, you tell us where the best moment is to leave for a bathroom break,' he wrote.

'Films used to clock in at 90 minutes or less, and any preliminaries were added value  a Bugs Bunny or Tom and Jerry cartoon  not a commercial bombardment that both exhausts the audience and demeans the experience,' he added.

Oppenheimer with Benny Safdie and Cillian Murphy came in at an atom-crushing 181 minutes

Modern day horror Beau Is Afraid left audiences trembling at its 179-minute length

And some will have been wandering where the escape hatch was during the 173 minutes of Chinese thriller Wandering Earth

The Keanu Reeves assassin movie John Wick: Chapter 4 fired 170 minutes at viewers

'On another trip to see Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon' I counted a dozen commercials, for everything from Hyundai to M&M's, before the Regal voice of God told us to silence our cellphones and 'enjoy the show','

'After which came another slew of ads for various Pepsi drinks, six trailers for upcoming movies. Thirty minutes in hard-sell captivity before the movie finally started.

'Set aside the $10 bags of popcorn and the confusing array of projection formats  Imax, 4DX, Dolby  that can boost the ticket price to $25 or more.

'And I'm not complaining about audience members who talk and scan their cellphones during the movie; complaints about unruly patrons date back to the days when people used to read the title cards aloud in silent films.

'No, it's the bloated running times of so many current films and the expanding pre-show folderol that have turned moviegoing into an endurance test.'

Slipping in behind Scorsese was Christopher Nolan's smash hit Oppenheimer which weighed in at an atom crushing 181 minutes.

Modern day horror Beau Is Afraid left audiences trembling at its 179-minute length, while the Chinese showed no mercy with Wandering Earth at 173 minutes.

The Keanu Reeves assassin movie John Wick: Chapter 4 fired 170 minutes at viewers, while Kidman's former husband Tom Cruise set cinema-goers the task of sitting through 164 minutes of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

Kidman's former husband Tom Cruise set cinema-goers the task of sitting through 164 minutes of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Ridley Scott managed to recount the life of Napoleon in a relatively restrained 158 minutes

But fans of the Hunger Games have had to reach for the munchies during the 157 minutes of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Ridley Scott managed to recount the life of Napoleon in a relatively restrained 158 minutes, while fans of the Hunger Games had to reach for the munchies during the 157 minutes of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

'For an industry trying to lure people away from their home screens and back into theaters, a little restraint might be in order,' Zoglin wrote.

'If not a self-imposed limit on the number of pre-show ads and trailers, at least full disclosure in the listings of the film's actual start time.

'After all, to reiterate the obvious, we come to this place  for movies.'
The man who allegedly shot dead Comanchero bike boss Alen Moradian six months ago has been arrested in an early morning raid.

Dut Deng, 24, was arrested by task force detectives at a home in Fairfield Heights in Sydney's south-west shortly before 4am on Wednesday.

He has been charged with five offences including murder, drug and firearm related offences, and participating in a criminal group.

Deng was refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court later on Wednesday.

Police will allege in court Deng was the gunman in the alleged murder of Moradian, 48, at Bondi Junction, in Sydney's eastern suburbs on June 27 last year.

Deng was one of three men arrested overnight by strike force detectives in a major operation as part of Task Force Magnus.

Six men have now been charged over the murder of drug lord Alen Moradian (pictured) in an underground car park at Bondi Junction in Sydney's eastern suburbs last June

Seven hours earlier on Tuesday night, police raided a home at Macquarie Park in the city's north-west, where they allegedly seized 1.5kgs of cocaine, 900g of methamphetamine and a pistol with 23 rounds of ammunition.

One man, 27, was charged with eight firearm and drug related offences and participating in a criminal group.

A second man, 28, was charged with drug-related offences and participating in a criminal group.

Both men will also face Parramatta Local Court later on Wednesday.

Six men have now been arrested in relation to Moradian's death, including the including the plot's accused mastermind who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Dut Deng was arrested in an early morning raid and has since been charged with murder

Two other men (one pictured) from Macquarie Park were arrested and charged earlier in the nigh

The two men arrested in Macquarie Park are allegedly close associates of Deng.

'They're involved together in the criminal enterprise involving a large quantity of drugs,' Detective Acting Superintendent Virginia Gorman told reporters.

She added those allegedly involved in the murder were contracted and foreshadowed future arrests.

'As quite typical with organised crime murders, the people who actually go out and do the murder are people who don't have a personal relationship or reason to do that murder but they've been contracted in some form to take that task,' she said.

'It's the total and absolute disregard of anybody else in trying to achieve their aim, all for organised crime.'

'There will be further arrests.'

Taskforce Magnus was set up in July days after Moradian was slain to investigate links between recent organised criminal activity across Sydney.

The latest arrests come weeks after police released CCTV of the incident.

'Fathead' Moradian was sitting in a black Audi RS4 in an underground carpark in Bondi Junction on June 27 when he was ambushed by two men, one of whom fired up to seven bullets into his head and body.

Police located a burnt-out Porsche several streets away and a burnt-out Holden Cruze in nearby Zetland a short later.

Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to call Crime Stoppers.

Moradian was a prominent underworld figure who had close links to the Commancheros bikie gang.

He spent almost 17 years behind bars after pleading guilty to importing and supplying a commercial quantity of cocaine.

Police allegedly seized 1.5kgs of cocaine and 900g of methamphetamine on Tuesday night
One of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims who claimed Prince Andrew groped her breast with a puppet has been spotted out in Florida ahead of reports Epstein's 'client list' is set to be unsealed.

Johanna Sjoberg, 42, infamously told a British newspaper of an alleged encounter with the Duke at the East 71st Street mansion at 'Easter 2001' upon Epstein and madam Ghislaine Maxwell's request.

Sjoberg was seen with a smile on her face as she walked around West Palm Beach not far from Epstein's Florida mansion, which has been demolished by new owners.

She was wearing a puffy purple jacket with a blue shirt and denim jeans as a man walked down the street with her, as new evidence from her could be submitted against the Duke of York this week.

Sjoberg, now a hairdresser living in Florida, has previously said Maxwell recruited her to provide massages for Epstein in 2001 when she was at college.

Johanna Sjoberg, One of Jeffrey Epstein's victims who alleged that Prince Andrew groped her breast with a puppet was seen out in Florida recently ahead of reports Epstein's 'client list' is set to be unsealed

Nearly 200 names that had previously been redacted from a long-settled sex trafficking suit against Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell will soon be made public, a judge has ruled.

In addition, new evidence from Sjoberg is due to be presented in a US court this week.

The legal documents could reveal more details of her alleged encounter with the royal.

Sjoberg has previously claimed the King's brother put his hand on her breast at the Manhattan home of multi-millionaire pedophile Epstein in 2001.

She alleged this happened during an incident in which a latex Spitting Image puppet of the Duke of York  a present from Epstein's then-lover Ghislaine Maxwell  was used to touch the breast of Virginia Roberts.

Roberts, who now uses her married name Giuffre, claimed that afterwards she and Andrew slept together at Epstein's house.

Sjoberg said in 2007 that she returned to the apartment after some 'sightseeing' and 'Prince Andrew was there and a couple of other girls my age. Andrew was very charming . . . She (Ghislaine) came down with a present for him  a latex puppet of him from Spitting Image.'

She added: 'We had a picture taken. Virginia, another girl there, sat on a chair and had the puppet on her lap. Andrew sat on another chair.

Johanna Sjoberg, 42, infamously told a British newspaper of an alleged encounter with the Duke at the East 71st Street mansion at 'Easter 2001' upon Epstein and madam Ghislaine Maxwell's request

Sjoberg was seen with a smile on her face as she walked around West Palm Beach not far from Epstein's Florida mansion, which has been demolished by new owners

She was wearing a puffy purple jacket with a blue shirt and denim jeans as a man walked down the street with her, as new evidence from her could be submitted against the Duke of York this week

Sjoberg has previously claimed the King's brother put his hand on her breast at the Manhattan home of multi-millionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2001. She alleged this happened during an incident in which a latex Spitting Image puppet of the Duke of York

'I sat on his lap  and he put his hand on my breast. Ghislaine put the puppet's hand on Virginia's breast. Then Andrew put his hand on mine. It was a great joke. Everybody laughed . . . Ghislaine . . . had a very dirty sense of humor.'

The duke paid a reported 12million settlement to Roberts in 2022 over her claims that he sexually assaulted her when she was 17, which he has always denied.

During his notorious interview in 2019 he said he had no recollection of ever meeting Roberts. The new material is part of hundreds of files from more than 170 people who were associates, friends or victims of Epstein which New York Judge Loretta Preska ruled should be made public.

Roberts' lawyer Sigrid McCawley calls the new material 'disturbing testimony corroborating what lies at the core of this case  Maxwell was involved in facilitating the sexual abuse of young girls with Jeffrey Epstein'.

The files were part of a 2015 US defamation case by Roberts against Maxwell, the British socialite who supplied Epstein with underage girls.

That was settled out of court but media outlets successfully fought to have the documents made public. They have been released on a rolling basis since 2019.

The 30-page summary of Sjoberg's evidence is expected to be unsealed this week alongside claims about a hidden Maxwell email account, which reportedly could reveal details of her conversations with Andrew, 63.

Recalling the Spitting Image puppet incident, Ms Sjoberg said in a deposition given under oath in 2016: 'I remember someone suggesting a photo and they told us to get on the couch. Virginia and Andrew sat on the couch and they put the puppet on her lap.

Photo taken on Sunday December 5, 2010 - Prince Andrew taking a stroll through New York's Central Park with Epstein following his prison term in 2011

Sjoberg added: 'And so I sat on Andrew's lap, I believe of my own volition, and they took the puppet's hands and put it on Virginia's breast and so Andrew put his on mine.' It was all done in 'a joking manner.' Pictured: Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts

Sjoberg has previously claimed the King's brother put his hand on her breast at the Manhattan home of multi-millionaire pedophile Epstein in 2001

In addition, new evidence from Sjoberg is due to be presented in a US court this week against Andrew, who was known to keep the company of Epstein and Maxwell

'And so I sat on Andrew's lap, I believe of my own volition, and they took the puppet's hands and put it on Virginia's breast and so Andrew put his on mine.'

She said it was all done in 'a joking manner'. According to her previous accounts, the prince, while being inappropriately tactile, had not caused offence.

Andrew denies all wrongdoing, though many expect to see his name in the Epstein client list, which could come out very soon.

The 51-page order was issued on December 18, and will unmask 184 John and Jane Does who had some sort of ties to the late sex pest.

Its release has been highly anticipated, as many had alleged they were being withheld from the public eye after the lawsuit was settled out of court in 2017.

Republicans in Congress have since fought for its release - including the names of powerful friends and acquaintances of the financier who flew on his private jet.

Maxwell, 62, has since been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking as part of a separate criminal case. In the settled filing, Virginia Giuffre accused her of helping Epstein traffic her as a minor, and named influential figures allegedly involved.

High-profile names that had previously been redacted from a long-settled sex trafficking suit against one of Jeffery Epstein's accomplices will be unveiled in the coming days after a New York judge ruled they should be released. The woman who filed the suit in 2015 claimed she was trafficked as minor, and named Prince Andrew (at right) as an alleged accomplice

While the fully unsealed document is still a few days away, many - including former President Bill Clinton (seen here with Epstein and convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell at the White House in 1993 - had been previously known through other means

One of them was Prince Andrew, while others who had gone unnamed until now. A total of 15 were accused of 'serious wrongdoing,' while 90 are described as having been 'affiliated' with Epstein in some way.

While the fully unsealed document is still a few days away, many - including former President Bill Clinton - had been previously known through other means, according to ABC News.

Numerous others - including other well-known public figures and Hollywood stars - are now set to be unmasked, thanks US District Judge Loretta Preska's ruling.

Among them is a 'widely publicized' associate who already appeared as a defendant in multiple Epstein-related cases, Preska wrote in one explanation of why each name should be revealed.

She wrote the same for seven other Does - numbered 095, 099, 120, 122, 136, 143, and 157 - while the pseudonym believed to be Clinton is mentioned more than 50 times, ABC reported.

The context of those references, however, still remains unknown, due to the nature of the redactions.

However, several of the redacted names include interviews with various alleged victims and accusers - creating identifying factors that in many cases already unmasked the acquaintances.

That said, Giuffre - who seen in a 2001 photo with Andrew and Maxwell with the British Royal's arm around her waist - made no allegations of wrongdoing against Clinton in the original complaint.

Numerous others - including other well-known public figures and ever Hollywood royalty - are now set to be unmasked, thanks to the December ruling from a New York federal judge

Clinton is seen enjoying a neck massage from a Jeffrey Epstein victim in photographs obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. Clinton sits and laughs as Chauntae Davies, then a 22-year-old massage therapist who acted as Epstein's personal masseuse, rubs his shoulders

Davies is seen again Clinton here again during one of Clinton's visits to Epstein's private island. Like the woman who filed the suit in question, Davies said she was raped by Epstein after being recruited by Maxwell. Clinton, however, was a 'complete gentleman' during the trip, she said

Some of the Does are identified in the ruling through links to interviews they have given to the media, which the judge further cited as a reason why they should not stay private.

They include the housekeepers on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean - where some of the worst abuse was said to be carried out - and one of Prince Andrew's accusers.

She claims he fondled her breasts at Epstein's New York mansion.

The unnamed woman previously testified as a witness during Maxwell's sensational sex-trafficking trial, where she alleged she was directed to have sex with Andrew during a gathering with the royal, Maxwell and Giuffre, then 17.

Nearly 70 of the soon-to-be-unveiled names have been said to have been in the public record before in some form, such as the media and police reports.

As of Monday, it is unknown whether Microsoft boss Bill Gates is among them, after he owned up to having a close relationship with the pedophile even after he was convicted in a separate child prostitution case in 2008.

Pleading guilty, Epstein was promptly sentenced to 18 months in jail, though under a secret arrangement, the US attorney's office agreed not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes.

As of Monday, it is unknown whether Microsoft boss Bill Gates is among them, after he owned up to having a close relationship with the pedophile even after he was convicted in a separate child prostitution case in 2008. Epstein and Gates pictured together at the pedophile financier's home in Manhattan in 2011

After allegations he visited Epstein's Caribbean island near Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, were debunked, Gates told CNN in 2021: 'It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there'

Starting in 2011 - three years after Epstein was convicted but escaped incarceration due to a secret arrangement with the US Attorneys, Gates met with Epstein multiple times. Gates often attended dinners at his house in New York, pictured here after his second arrest 2019

Still, Gates proceeded to meet with the financier several times - a decision he said he now regrets.

'I shouldn't have had dinners with him,' Gates told Australia's ABC 7 early last year, after being grilled by the well-documented relationship by presenter Sarah Ferguson.

Gates made similar comments to CNN in 2021, telling Anderson Cooper: 'It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there,' Gates said, after allegations he visited Epstein's Caribbean island were debunked.

He went on to insist the meetings were merely business-related, and that he had been seeking funds from the financier to address global health issues.

'I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge,' Gates said at the time.

'When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended,' the billionaire asserted.

As for Clinton, flight records appear to indicate he too never visited Epstein's compound at Little St. James, despite his chummy relationship with the pervert while in the White House.

However, according to ABC, Giuffre in 2016 attempted to subpoena him to testify as part of her lawsuit, claiming she met the then ex-president at Epstein Island.

The request was ultimately denied - despite her lawyers describing the proposed testimony of Clinton as 'highly relevant' and 'important to the fundamental claims and defenses' in the case.

That said, Giuffre made no allegations of wrongdoing against the two-term Democrat in her complaint, and a Sunday report from ABC outright stated the documents are not expected to implicate Clinton criminally in any way.

In her ruling, Judge Preska gave 14 days for any Does who objected to their documents being made public to object, after which they would be unsealed.

Set to happen this week, the unsealing comes more than three years after Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019, in what the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner deemed a suicide by hanging.
Al Sharpton has pledged to picket the Manhattan offices of Bill Ackman after the billionaire hedge fund manager's successful campaign against Claudine Gay.

Ackman, a Harvard graduate who has donated tens of millions to his alma mater, became a loud voice calling for her to resign.

Ackman, who is Jewish and married to an Israeli, the celebrity architect Neri Oxman, was outraged at Gay's response to students justifying the Hamas attacks of October 7.

Her testimony before Congress on December 5, when she could not give a straight answer to the question of whether calling for the genocide of Jews was hate speech, enraged him and much of the country.

On December 12, the first reports emerged alleging that Gay had plagiarized sections of her academic work, which fueled calls for her to resign.

But Sharpton, the famed civil rights leader, on Tuesday said Gay was pushed out because she was black.

Reverend Al Sharpton, pictured on December 19, has called for a picket of Bill Ackman's office on Thursday in protest at Ackman's campaign to oust Harvard's first black president

Bill Ackman, 57 (left), founded Pershing Square Capital Management and is now worth $4.1 billion. He has campaigned for the ouster of Claudine Gay (right)

'President Gay's resignation is about more than a person or a single incident. This is an attack on every Black woman in this country who's put a crack in the glass ceiling,' he said.

Sharpton accused Ackman, 57, of a 'relentless campaign against President Gay, not because of her leadership or credentials but because he felt she was a DEI hire.'

Sharpton said his civil rights organization, the National Action Network (NAN), will protest outside Ackman's Manhattan office on Thursday.

'If he doesn't think Black Americans belong in the C-Suite, the Ivy League, or any other hallowed halls, we'll make ourselves at home outside his office,' Sharpton wrote in a statement.

Ackman has spent the day celebrating the resignation of Gay - the second of three Ivy League presidents to resign following the disastrous Congressional testimony.

Liz Magill, the president of University of Pennsylvania, resigned on December 9, after a similar outcry against her legalistic and equivocal responses.

Ackman has defended his move to force Gay out, insisting it had nothing to do with money

The third president, Sally Kornbluth, head of MIT, is the last of the three to hold onto her job: Ackman tweeted 'Et tu Sally?'

When one critic, Gregg Gonsalves, a professor at Yale, called Ackman a 'pernicious influence on American education' and an 'odious' person who 'thinks his money equals wisdom' and 'gives him the right to bully at will', Ackman hit back.

'What did I say about @Harvard President Gay that has to do with money?' replied Ackman.

'President Gay resigned because she lost the confidence of the University at large due to her actions and inactions and other failures of leadership.

'Other than elevating concerns about Gay that were held by thousands of Harvard students, faculty and alumni, what is 'pernicious' about my so-called influence on American education?

'Gay resigned because it was untenable for her to remain President of Harvard due to her failings of leadership.

'Would you want Gay to be president of Yale where you apparently serve on the faculty?'

When one person said Ackman was being 'disingenuous' about money, Ackman replied: 'How did I use money? I don't understand. I never threatened to withhold donations etc.

'President Gay's resignation is not about money. It is about her failures of leadership and questions about her academic record.'
A shop sign pointing out the transaction fees on card purchases has spurred a call to 'use cash' or risk losing it and pay ever high charges to the banks.

The sign, spotted by Nathan Priestley, was posted on the Cash is King Facebook group with the caption: 'This is why we need to use cash $$$'.

'Unfortunately, due to rising credit/debit and Eftpos card fees, we will be imposing a surcharge on all card transactions,' the sign reads.

'The surcharge is not greater than (and helps us cover) our cost of accepting cads as a payment method.'

This Facebook post stirred a strong reaction from those opposing the push towards a cashless society

It then outlines that a Mastercard credit card will have a surcharge added of 1.56 per cent of the purchase price and 1.07 per cent will go on the brand's debit cards.

Visa users will be lumped with a 1.67 per cent charge for using the credit card and 0.74 for the debit while EFTPOS users will be slugged an extra 0.24 per cent.

Mr Priestly told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that the sign was not picked out from any particular store but was commonly seen in shops around his area.

He said cash was his preferred method of payment because it was of less benefit to the banks.

'I always try to because the bank fee are a joke,' he said.

'They make interest off your money that you have in the bank and then every time you use your card, the banks are just ripping everyone blind.

A number of social media users argued that Australians need to use cash or they risk losing it

'So if we can use cash the bank does not get the money from the fees.'

Facebook users agreed.

'Why would you want make banks richer for?' one comment asked.

'Really people wake up to your selves .Cash is king keep using it.'

'Yep and if they remove our cash they will increase those charges when ever they want,' another warned of the banks.

'Boycott businesses that refuse to accept legal tender,' another person urged.

'You have a choice too!'

From the other side of the counter a business owner explained the bind they are in.

'I run a small business we were using Square to take Eftpos last financial year, it cost us 40k in fees, we just can't absorb the costs. Cash is king,' they wrote.

Eftpos machines are provided by the bank for a monthly service fee while a separate fee is charged for every transaction.

In April a payments expert called out the fees bank were charging, especially for contactless payments, 'disgraceful'.

'I think tap and go has a lot to answer for,' Next Payments CEO Tim Wildash told Seven News.

'It is obviously very convenient but it also very expensive, every time you tap and go you are wide open to being used how the banks would like you to be used and thats via the schemes so they can make more money.'

When a customer uses tap-and-go banks charge a fee that ranges from 1.1% to 2 per cent of the purchase price, whereas for Eftpos is a maximum fee of .5% is charged.

Council of Small Business chair Matthew Addison said the solution was for the banks to assist businesses install payment machines that automatically applied a least-cost routing system, which made buying as cheap as possible.

'The banks really need to get behind this and make it simple for business to adopt and simple to understand,' Mr Addison said.

'If we can keep the costs of doing business down that means the business doesnt have to increase their prices.

'The costs are going up and here is a way that is no cost to the government, no cost to the budget to enforce a system that will save costs for small business.'

Mr Wildash advised consumers to check how much they were being charged to use their own money by looking at receipts.

'I think the consumers will be surprised when they find out how many fees they are paying through the payments system,' he said.

He advised canny consumers to see whether they have the Eftpos logo on the back of their cards.

'If they do (have that) they can actually start to demand using Eftpos,' he said.

'They will need to insert the card and choose "savings" and that gives them the opportunity to save 1.9% every time.'

However, there was still only one certain way to avoid all fees.

'The best way is cash, there is no surcharging on cash,' Mr Wildlash said.
An Aussie bakery's spruiking of the benefits of it going cashless has sparked a debate.

The Heritage Bakery in the NSW south eastern town of Milton has erected a sign that claims it is 'Australias First Cashless Bakery'.

Above an image of a smiling gingerbread man the sign spruiks the benefits of not using physical currency.

'Cashless is quick..., Cashless is clean... Cashless is accurate,' the sign says.

'Thank you for being an early adopter.'

A NSW bakery's decision to go cashless has been greeted with a scathing response on social media

The sign drew a hostile reaction from 'The cash is king' Facebook page that promotes Aussie businesses keeping the cash register operating.

'And for a country town I guess they are proud of this... each to their own but good luck to them when their system goes down...,' the anonymous poster wrote as a caption to a photo of the sign.

'Will never stop there, hope they go broke..!!' was a typical harsh response.

'That one is out for me,' another added.

Some agreed that regional businesses should be prepared for outages.

'Well they soon be screaming for cash when the power and internet and eftpos goes down,' a comment read.

Another noted that electronic payments always attract extra fees.

'Yep good luck when your customers realise that without cash, banks will start to charge more and more for card use,' they said.

The Heritage Bakery in the NSW south eastern town of Milton is copping flack for abandoning cash

One questioned the idea that not using cash was more hygienic, despite many business using that as a rationale to go fully electronic during the Covid pandemic.

'Cash has been around for decades and there is no record of it killing anyone except by choking,' they argued.

'If cash is dirty so are phones and I bet those bakers pick them up several times while baking or serving. Bloody b/s.'

The Heritage Bakery has been contacted for comment.
Nearly 150 rape trials have collapsed in the past year due to victims pulling out of prosecutions in despair after waiting years for justice, new figures reveal.

Some 146 victims dropped out of cases after waiting as long as five years for their attacker to face trial.

Official figures show victim withdrawal accounts for half of prosecutions failing in some areas.

It comes as the rape case backlog has soared by 356 per cent in four years to a record 2,591 awaiting trial in England and Wales. There were 568 victims waiting in March 2019.

Yesterday, the Mail revealed police had launched their first investigation into a sex attack carried out in the virtual metaverse.

Nearly 150 rape trials have collapsed in the past year due to victims pulling out of prosecutions, figures show (file photo)

The Mail yesterday revealed police had launched their first investigation into a sex attack carried out in the virtual metaverse. Pictured: A woman wearing a Metaverse virtual reality headset

A girl has been left 'traumatised', officers say, after her avatar  her digital character  was 'gang raped' in a virtual reality world accessed via a headset.

It sparked a debate over whether police have the powers to get involved in, or should take up, virtual complaints, given the enormous backlog of actual rape cases.

In one shocking instance, a teenage victim whose case has been delayed four times due to a lack of available prosecutor finally had her trial listed to start last November. But no court was free to hear it so it was postponed yet again.

The victim is now self-harming and threatening to pull out of the prosecution. In another case, a vulnerable teenager attacked while in foster care had to wait six years for her attacker to eventually go on trial.

Analysis shows that some victims are facing delays of more than two and a half years just to go through the court process after the suspect is charged.

A lack of specialist prosecutors, judges and crumbling courts are exacerbating the delays. Rape attacks reported to police in 2020 are now being listed for trial in 2025.

The Rape Crisis charity said women were waiting more than eight years for justice, with the process leaving some suicidal.

One specialist sexual offences lawyer said: 'I despair. You have got vulnerable victims self-harming and considering pulling out of the prosecution who have been let down time and time again because no prosecutor or defence lawyer or judge could be found. It has never been so bad.'

Analysis shows that some victims are facing delays of more than two and a half years just to go through the court process after the suspect is charged (stock photo)

Ministry of Justice data on adult rape cases that did not result in a conviction shows 50 per cent of cases in Nottinghamshire, Cleveland, Cumbria and Dyfed-Powys collapsed after the victim withdrew their support between April and June 2023.

Overall, one in six adult rape cases listed in that period as having failed to secure a conviction in England and Wales were abandoned because the victim no longer supported the prosecution.

And 59 per cent of police rape investigations close because the victim has withdrawn.

From April to June 2023, the average time for a rape case to be investigated in Cleveland was 479 days, three times longer than the previous three months.

In Hertfordshire, victims waited 598 days, then another 762 days from the suspect being charged to their trial finishing.

In Surrey, it took 897 days on average to solve a rape case, and then another year for it to come to court. The national average time for police to investigate a rape is 315 days, then victims face another year waiting for the trial to finish.

One woman in her 50s first reported child sexual abuse in 2015 and waited six years for police to charge the suspect.

The case was listed for trial in 2022 but was postponed. It was re-listed for September 2023 but she was told there was no guarantee it would take place, causing her to drop out of the case. Months later her alleged attacker died. 'It was mental torture,' she said.

The Ministry of Justice said 'fewer than 8 per cent of adult rape court cases collapse because a victim drops out', adding: 'This figure has fallen while rape prosecutions are increasing. We are running the courts at full steam to hear cases as quickly as possible.'

Tana Adkin KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said: 'If justice is not served in good time, it is not served at all.

'Dedicated criminal barristers prosecuting and defending rape and serious sexual offences would like the courts to give priority to these types of case.'

She added: 'Delays to cases being heard, especially rape and serious sexual offence cases, mean that victims, witnesses and defendants are held in limbo unable to move on with their lives.'
A shark attack survivor who was bitten in the face two months ago has made an astounding recovery after she was left fighting for life two months ago.

Bridgette O'Shannessy, 32, was attacked by a white pointer shark as she and her partner were diving at Port Noarlunga, south of Adelaide, in early November.

Ms O'Shannessy's partner, Brian Peters posted to Instagram over Christmas to give a touching update after the diver had undergone surgery.

'Merry Xmas everyone! Love from Bridgette, Bruno, Huey and I,' he wrote.

The photo showed the smiling couple in front of a Christmas tree each holding a beloved pet dog.

Bridgette O'Shannessy, 32, was attacked by a white pointer shark as she and her partner were diving at the reef shelf at Port Noarlunga, 30kms south of Adelaide in early November 2023

Astonishingly, the Flinders University environmental science honours student had been attacked only 50m offshore, shocking locals

Ms O'Shannessy, who is from Yackandanah, near the NSW and Victoria border, was placed into intensive care following the attack.

She fought back and was in a stable condition after undergoing a second surgery.

The surgeries at Flinders Medical Centre included having teeth removed and repairing damaged nerves.

The Flinders University environmental science honours student had been attacked only 50m offshore.

'Shes doing really well considering the circumstances,' Mr Peters said at the time.

'Thanks for all the well wishes Ive been passing them on to her.'

It is believed Mr Peters pushed the shark away, which helped save the 32-year-old's life.

It is believed her partner pushed the shark away, which helped save the 32-year-old's life

Ms O'Shannessy is one of five people to be attacked by a shark in South Australia waters in 2023, with three not surviving.

Adelaide teenager Khai Cowley was killed after he was attacked by a great white shark off Ethel Wreck beach just before 1.30pm on December 28 at Yorke Peninsula.

The attack was witnessed by Khai's father who was forced to spend New Year's Day without his son.

Tod Gendle, 55, was mauled to death by a huge 4.2-metre great white shark near Granite Rock south of Streaky Bay, SA on October 31.

Witnesses described the moment the shark launched at the surfer before he was dragged underwater by the animal.

In May, 46-year-old Elliston man Simon Baccanello was killed in a shark attack on Walkers Rocks Beach.
Sunday Brunch host and Strictly star Simon Rimmer says he is 'heartbroken' to be closing his vegetarian restaurant after more than three decades.

The celebrity chef, 60, took to social media to announce he was closing one of his Greens eateries in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, after landlords hiked his rent by more than a third and costs rendered the business 'unviable'.

Rimmer opened the restaurant with business partner Simon Connolly 33 years ago, advertising it with the slogan: 'Terrifying carnivores since 1990'.

The news was greeted with dismay after he posted a video message with the grim news on X, formerly Twitter, as well as on Instagram.

The Simons, as they refer to themselves, opened another Greens restaurant in Sale, Greater Manchester in July 2022, which will remain open.

It's menu is made up of a mix of small and large dishes, with its cheapest item being vegetarian black pudding at 4.50 and its most expensive item being its falafel burger for 14.50.

Simon Rimmer is best known for presenting Sunday Brunch on Channel 4 alongside Tim Lovejoy

Rimmer and business partner Simon Connolly opened Greens in Didsbury, Greater Manchester in 1990

Rimmer said in a video that landlords had hiked the rent at Greens by 35 per cent; rising energy, staff and supply costs also put paid to the business, he added

In the video message, Rimmer said: 'This is a very sad day. After 33 years of running Greens in Didsbury, we've unfortunately had to close the door.

'Our landlords have increased our rent by (within) the region of 35 per cent, the cost of raw materials, the cost of heat, light and power, employing people and general food costs have meant that the business unfortunately has become unviable.

'With immediately effect we've unfortunately shut the door. it's a heartbreaking day.

READ MORE: Demand by campaigners for cheap social tariff on energy for struggling households as bills are set to rise 5% Advertisement

'I'd like to thank every single member of staff that has worked for us over the years, every single customer that has come through the door, our amazing suppliers, our neighbours, our friends and anybody who has ever set foot inside the door.

'I can't believe I'm actually doing this message. Big love. Thank you for the last 33 years  and hopefully we'll see you in Sale, if not here. Lots of love.'

Comedian and Love Island narrator Iain Stirling was among those lamenting the restaurant's closure.

He wrote to Rimmer on X: 'Mate one of my favourite places back in my Manchester days. Sending lots of love x.'

Fellow comic Russell Kane added: 'Nooooooo!!! Tell me the one is Sale is safe!!!'

Masterchef 2015 finalist Tony Rodd, who has also announced the closure of his own restaurant today, wrote in solidarity: 'I'm so sorry Chef. We've done the same today.

'It's a horrific situation we all find ourselves in, through no fault of our own. Stay strong to you and the team.'

Rimmer (pictured) opened the restaurant with business partner Simon Connolly 33 years ago

Pictured: Simon Connolly, co-founder of Greens vegetarian restaurant on Lapwing Lane

Rodd announced today that his Copper & Ink restaurant in Blackheath south west London would also be closing, five years after it was first opened.

In a statement, Rodd and his wife Becky, said they had 'agonised over the decision and spent much of the Christmas break trying to desperately find a way to save the restaurant but no avail'.

The couple blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for kickstarting financial difficulties coupled with the cost of living crisis that saw energy costs and supplier prices surge.

A statement posted on X said: 'We have had a wonderful five years and we want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts for the warmth, love and support you have bestowed upon us during this time.'

'We have been privileged to be such an integral part of the Blackheath Village community and we will dearly miss seeing all of you on a regular basis,' it added.

Other fans of Green's reacted with anger on social media  demanding that the landlord responsible for the rent hike be 'named and shamed'.

Masterchef 2015 finalist Tony Rodd, who has also announced the closure of his own restaurant Copper & Ink

Rodd announced today that his Copper & Ink restaurant in Blackheath south west London would also be closing, five years after it was first opened

One said: 'So sad to hear this news. Absolutely gutted. Greedy landlords are ruining our country right now, forcing out much loved, established businesses, and families alike. Greens Didsbury will be dearly missed.'

A local added: 'That is horrific!! The landlord needs naming and shaming forcing out such wonderful small businesses out of greed.

'So sorry for you guys you are such a staple in west didsbury! You will be dearly missed xxx.'

Rimmer is best known as the host of Sunday Brunch on Channel 4 alongside Tim Lovejoy. In 2017, he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, paired with Karen Clifton; the cook was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated.

Greens is also far from the first eatery to be impacted by rising costs; an investigation conducted last year found that the number of hospitality venues in Britain has shrunk by 4.3 per cent, equivalent to 12 closures a day.
A Salt Lake City area zoo has welcomed its newest resident, a black-footed cat, which is the world's most lethal and smallest African wild cat.

On December 28, Utah's Hogle Zoo introduced Gaia, an eight-month old black-footed cat, to their Small Animal Building.

The zoo took in Gaia upon breeding recommendation from the Black-Footed Cat Consortium and said she is 'small in size but large in her feisty personality.'

'Her arrival marks an important step in the conservation of her species; with only 29 black-footed cats in the Consortium, successful breeding could significantly contribute to the program,' said the zoo.

Black-footed cats look similar to tabby cats, but get their name from having black or dark brown soles or pads in their paws.

Utah's Hogle Zoo welcomed its newest resident Gaia (pictured), an eight-month old black-footed cat

The Hogle Zoo (pictured) took in Gaia upon breeding recommendation from the Black-Footed Cat Consortium and said she is 'small in size but large in her feisty personality'

They are native to the arid eastern parts of Namibia, Central and Southern Botswana and South Africa.

According to the Smithsonian, their average height is between eight to ten inches tall and their average weight is between 2.4 to 4.2 pounds.

While they are about 200 times smaller than the typical lion, research shows the black-footed cat has a predation success rate of 60 percent and kill and average of 10 to 14 rodents or small birds every night.

Lions have a 20 to 25 percent predation success rate.

Breeding is important to the survival of this species, as they were listed as 'vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List in 2016.

This means their population is decreasing and they are at risk of becoming an endangered species.

Hogle Zoo said, 'Predominantly nocturnal, its status in the wild is often challenging due to its shyness and preference for nighttime activity.'

This is why the zoo plans to keep curtains or barriers around Gaia's space as she adjusts to her new home.

Research shows the black-footed cat has a predation success rate of 60 percent and kill and average of 10 to 14 rodents or small birds every night

The Hogle Zoo is home to a male black-footed cat named Ryder that they plan on introducing to Gaia in the future.

'Gaia's introduction to Ryder, the male black-footed cat, is in the cards, but we'll let these two feline friends get acquainted when Gaia reaches maturity,' said the zoo.

In September, the zoo announced the passing of the oldest recorded black-footed cat in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoo.

Hogle Zoo was home to 18.5 year old black-footed cat, Sanura, who also holds the record for the oldest black-footed cat to give birth to a successful litter at age 14.

'Sanura had 4 successful offspring, representing an important contribution to the vulnerable species,' said the zoo.
Texas has sent more than 95,000 migrants to sanctuary cities across the country, Governor Greg Abbott has revealed.

The Republican posted to X on Tuesday, announcing the success of his program to bus illegal migrants to Democrat-led cities.

He said his initiative has amounted to the transfer of nearly 100,000 migrants to cities such as New York, Boston, Denver, and Chicago - where liberal leaders are being forced to find accommodation for them.

'Sanctuary cities like NYC & Chicago have seen only a FRACTION of what overwhelmed Texas border towns face daily,' wrote Abbott.

'We will continue our transportation mission until Biden reverses course on his open border policies.'

Illegal migrants in the NY-metro area awaiting processing after arriving in the liberal cities from the southern border

Texas has transported over 95,000 migrants to sanctuary cities.



Sanctuary cities like NYC & Chicago have seen only a FRACTION of what overwhelmed Texas border towns face daily.



We will continue our transportation mission until Biden reverses course on his open border policies.  Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 2, 2024

Last fiscal year, the Biden presidency saw the single highest number of encouters at the border on record.

At least 2.4million migrants streamed across the US' southern border in fiscal 2023, and that figure just represents the encounters border patrol agents had - there are plenty of illegal crossers who did not come into contact with DHS officers.

That 2.4million figure breaks down to an average of about 6,575 encounters per day, which means it would take just over two full weeks for 95,000 illegal crossers to enter the US.

Despite the seemingly high figure being touted by Abbott, it represents just a small fraction of the total number of unvetted foreigners coming into the US annually.

Even some of the Democratic mayors are reckoning with the fact that their cities are not equipped to stomach such a significant onslaught of migrants.

In New York City in particular, Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly asked Abbott to stop shipping the migrants to the Big Apple, where locals in midtown have been horrified for close to a year at the numbers of migrants being semi-housed in formerly expensive cosmopolitan hotels.

'We're getting close to anywhere from 2,500 to peaking at 4,000 a week,' Adams said Tuesday in an interview, during which he also proclaimed in no uncertain terms that NYC in 'out of room' for the incoming migrants.

'We were not just saying we're out of room as a soundbite,' Adams answered, citing the more than 161,000 migrants whom have arrived and sought city aid since spring 2022.

'We're out of room, literally', the Democrat declared.

'People are going to be eventually sleeping on the streets.'

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu:

"Every human being has the legal right to come to the United States and seek asylum or shelter."



pic.twitter.com/tLcN0O11b1   Pismo  (@Pismo_B) January 1, 2024

Twenty-two-year-old Maria Silva (center), of Venezuela, carries her belongings to a bus outside the 6th District police station before being taken to a shelter with other migrants who had been staying at the station Wednesday Dec. 13, 2023 in Chicago

Migrants after being processed in El Paso, Texas are loaded on to buses and shipped off to Denver, Colorado

Fox 5's longtime anchor Rosanna Scotto asked Adams what exactly it would take, ass chief executive of the city, for him to 'close the front door' to more migrants.

Adams replied that he simply could not, due to laws that prohibit both state and local officers from enforcing federal immigration laws.

'I don't have the authorization to tell people that they can't come into New York City,' Adams explained.

When Scotto asked him why not, he replied, a little irate: 'It's against the law.'

He added that he does not think NYC is currently enforcing its 'sanctuary' status the way it was originally intended to be used, but his hands are legally tied.

'We cannot by law tell someone if they come into the city, you cannot come into the city,' he said. 'We can't even turn them over to ICE.'

During Adams' progressive predecessor, Bill De Blasio's, tenure in office, the former mayor signed a number of laws that dramatically reduced the city's cooperation with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Outgoing Harvard president Claudine Gay will retain a salary of around $900,000-a-year from the university, despite being forced to resign amid a plagiarism scandal.

Gay, 53, resigned on Tuesday after months of questions about her leadership.

She will remain a member of the university staff and return to a teaching role at the department of political science, and keep a similar salary.

Gay had only taken up the role on July 1, and her exact salary is yet to be disclosed on tax forms. Her predecessor, Lawrence S. Bacow, earned more than $1.3 million in calendar year 2021, The Crimson reported in May.

Over the same time frame, Gay - then the dean of the faculty of art and sciences - earned $879,079, up from the $824,068 reported in 2020.

Gay will now return to a role within the political science department, and will retain a salary on the same level as while she was president, The New York Post reported.

Claudine Gay took over as president of Harvard on July 1. Six months later, on January 2, she announced her resignation

Gay is stepping down as president but remaining a member of staff, and will teach at the department of political studies (pictured)

While president, she enjoyed free housing at at Elmwood, the Harvard president's residence. Her successor will take over the house.

Harvard has named its provost, Alan Garber, as the interim president.

The process to find a new president is usually lengthy, and involves both the Harvard Corporation - the 12-member group which oversees the running of the university - and the Board of Overseers, a 32-member panel of alumni.

A 15-member search committee - 12 members of the Harvard Corporation and three from the Board of Overseers - will draw up a shortlist of around 600 candidates, with the senior fellow on the Corporation, Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker, spearheading the search.

The list will be narrowed down to around 20, who will then undergo interviews with the Corporation.

Once the Corporation has made their choice, the Board of Overseers must approve it.

The searches typically last six months or longer, The Crimson reported, although the five-month search process that selected Gay was the shortest process in more than 70 years.

While past searches have included candidates who are not Harvard affiliates, every president in the last 30 years has held a Harvard degree.

Gay, seen in May 2023, shortly before taking up the role as the first black president of Harvard

Gay was accused of copying two paragraphs from work by then-Harvard scholars D. Stephen Voss and Bradley Palmquist. One paragraph is nearly identical except for a few words

Gay's alleged plagiarism of Gary King's work seen here in bold font

Gay's alleged plagiarism of David Canon's work seen here in bold font

Gay studied for her Ph.D. at Harvard before taking up a tenured position teaching at Stanford, where she studied for her undergraduate degree in economics.

In 2016 she returned to Harvard, to teach, and rose to become the dean of the faculty of arts and sciences before being elected president.

Gay, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, became the first black person to lead Harvard when she took over as president on July 1.

On December 10, as she was dealing with criticism of her Congressional testimony, conservative activist Christopher Rufo published on his newsletter accusations that she had plagiarized portions of her 1997 doctoral thesis.

The Washington Free Beacon then published their own investigation into Gay's work, but on December 12 Harvard Corporation - which runs the university - announced she had been investigated and cleared.

Some noted the speed of the investigation: most take six to 12 months, but Gay was cleared in a matter of weeks.

The Corporation said some of her academic work would be 'corrected', but her job was secure.

Yet the accusations of plagiarism kept coming, and students began to complain that they would be punished for similar violations.

Most of the people she plagiarized said they were unconcerned, saying that there was a limit to how many ways you could phrase certain political science terminology. But others she copied, and some within the university, said they were concerned.

On Tuesday, she said she was resigning to put the university's best interests first.

'It has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual,' Gay wrote in an email to the Corporation.
She is now serving a 50-year sentence in a women's correctional facility despite being biologically male

Susan Monica killed two of her handymen in 2012 and 2013

A transgender woman murdered two handymen before feeding their bodies to her pet pigs and is now serving time for her gruesome crime in a women's prison.

Susan Monica, born Steven Buchanan, dismembered two handymen that he hired to work on his farm in Oregon and let his pigs eat their corpses.

Family members of the victims strongly believe that Monica subjected others to her cruel and grotesque killings, and Monica herself referred to '17 other' victims in court.

Despite being a biological male, Monica has been serving her 50-year sentence in a woman's correctional facility since 2015 - with little mention of her transgender status in news coverage or legal documents.

The Oregon state Department of Corrections lists the murderer under her feminine name, Susan Monica, and is described as being 'female' in the official documents.

Susan Monica (pictured), born Steven Buchanan, dismembered two handymen that he hired to work on his farm in Oregon and let his pigs eat their corpses

The murderer, who previously fought in the Vietnam war and is a U.S. Navy veteran, bought her 20-acre farm in Oregon in 1991.

Monica hired her first known victim, 59-year-old Stephen Delicino, to work on the farm in 2012.

There was allegedly a confrontation between the pair after Delicino was supposedly found to be in possession of Monica's gun.

She claims that during the altercation the gun misfired and struck Delicino in the back of the head, leaving him dead.

Police later found the remains of Delicino's dead body in plastic bags on Monica's property.

A U.S. veteran who is now a transgender woman - Susan Monica (pictured) - murdered two handymen before feeding their bodies to her pet pigs and is now serving time for her gruesome crime in a women's prison

Just one year later - Monica struck again, this time choosing 56-year-old Robert Haney to work as a handyman at the farm.

Haney's children became extremely worried after they hadn't heard from their father for over two months so they filed a missing persons report with Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

His son Jesse even visited Monica's farm on January 1, 2014 to ask where his father was and retrieve his dad's belongings.

'We hadn't seen or heard from my dad for two months. We just all started to panic,' Jesse said in a documentary about the killings.

'His leather jacket was there. His dog was still running around and all his tools were there It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up,' Jesse revealed in Oxygen.

Officers questioned Monica about Haney's whereabouts and she told them the employee had quit and left the farm.

Concerns were raised after evidence was found that Haney used Monica's EBT card at a Walmart the day after she claimed the handyman had left.

This prompted law enforcement to search Monica's farm and they were appalled at the state of the property - which had piles of garbage, rotting food and industrial waste.

'I would describe that property as eerie. There was a very strong order there, a lot of decay,' former Jackson County Sheriff's Detective Julie Denney told Oxygen.

When investigators found a human leg on the property - they brought Monica in for questioning and she told them a disturbing tale about putting Haney 'out of his misery.'

Monica said that she stumbled upon her pigs in a 'feeding frenzy' as they feasted on Haney's intestines while his guts were 'all over the place.'

'He was being eaten, what I believed to be, alive,' Monica told investigators.

'I put him out of his misery. I do that for my animals and this was the first time I did it for a human being and I knew it was wrong but if it were one of my pigs suffering out there, I would have done the same thing,' Monica said.
Sir Tony Blair's think-tank is paid to advise countries with questionable human rights records, it has emerged.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) works with the authoritarian Gulf states of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite concerns over their treatment of citizens.

The organisation, of which former prime minister Sir Tony is unpaid executive chairman, also works with the Saudi government despite the outcry over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

In the past year, the TBI has seen a 50 per cent rise in its income from foreign governments, The Times reported.

In Bahrain, it is supporting a 'modernisation programme' despite the state's long history of discriminating against its Shia Muslim population.

The Tony Blair Institute for Change, of which the former prime minister is unpaid executive, works with authoritarian Gulf states despite concerns over their treatment of citizens

Sir Tony's staff have helped to craft Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a modernisation programme led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

The TBI has also offered both paid and free advice to the UAE. This includes 'pro bono' support with Cop28, hosted last year by the country, in a bid to drive 'meaningful change'.

The Times cited a briefing note prepared for the summit's president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, ahead of a meeting with Sir Tony in September.

The note, obtained by the Centre for Climate Reporting, referenced the TBI's 'ongoing support' to the president. It also outlined his intention to ask Sir Tony how the UAE could 'take full advantage of the outcomes of Cop28'.

The UAE has been accused of regular human rights abuses, including using the notorious Pegasus spyware to target activists. It has denied the claims.

Sir Tony's staff have helped to craft Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a modernisation programme led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The TBI said it offered 'insight' to support Cop28 'to help drive meaningful change' but did not ask for nor receive remuneration. It also confirmed it carries out paid work for the UAE, but not on climate issues.
The University of Cambridge has been accused of arrogance over a crackdown on firms that want to use the city's name in their trademark.

Companies say they are being caught in costly 'David and Goliath' legal battles with the wealthy 800-year-old institution.

There have been multiple hearings by the Intellectual Property Office since 2018 after the university began opposing trademark applications.

Cambridge Clinical Laboratories, which carries out testing for HIV treatment and cancer detection, spent 26,000 on the fight to register its trademark in 2020 after university lawyers wrote to say its proposed name was 'highly concerning'.

'It was really arrogant,' said chief executive Tony Cooke, 67. 'They were saying "Cambridge only exists because of the university and we own it [the word]".' His small company eventually prevailed.

The University of Cambridge has been accused of arrogance over a crackdown on firms that want to use the city's name in their trademark. Pictured: Trinity College at the University of Cambridge

Tony Cooke, chief executive of Cambridge Clinical Laboratories, called the university 'arrogant'

Dr Tahl Holtzman, owner of Cambridge NeuroTech, said battling against the university was like 'David and Goliath'

Biotech firm Cambridge NeuroTech ended up 30,000 out of pocket after a 2017 legal battle. It was eventually allowed to register a trademark for goods, but not services.

Owner Dr Tahl Holtzman told the BBC: 'The first thing that came to mind was David and Goliath. They can outspend you and they don't care how long it takes.'

Ruling in favour of an application by Cambridge Quantum Computing, hearing officer George Salthouse wrote that the university 'clearly suffers from the delusion that it owns the rights to the term Cambridge, no matter what field of activity is involved'.

But barrister Beth Collett, who specialises in intellectual property and trademarks, said the university had successfully claimed that '"Cambridge" means something specific and, indeed, it means them in respect of various services, for example educational services'.

The university said 'polling shows the vast majority of the public associate the word 'Cambridge' with the university'.

It added: 'We protect the Cambridge name where there's a risk of confusion with the work of the university.'
QUESTION Was anyone arrested after Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, was blown up at Kirk o' Field in Edinburgh?

Mary, Queen of Scots, was barely one week old when she succeeded to the throne in 1542. The murder 25 years later of her second husband, Lord Darnley, the father of the infant who would become King James I of England and James VI of Scotland, is one of history's most notorious unsolved crimes.

On the night of February 9-10, 1567, Darnley was on the upper floor of an Edinburgh house in Kirk o' Field where he was convalescing following a bout of smallpox, though many believe it was syphilis. Plotters had, for some time, been packing the cellars of the house with gunpowder, and at around 2am the building exploded, with the blast heard and felt throughout the city.

Darnley's body and that of his valet William Taylor were found outside. Darnley was dressed only in his nightshirt, suggesting he had fled from his bedchamber. According to sources, one or both men had been strangled, suggesting the explosion had been a cover-up.

Lord Darnley, whose full name was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was handsome, but of poor character. He was vain, arrogant, violent in temper and unreliable, qualities which threatened the wellbeing of the state.

Cold case: Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, killing is unsolved

Mary, Queen of Scots, was barely one week old when she succeeded to the throne in 1542

Following the explosion, suspicion fell on James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, and his supporters, the powerful Douglas family and on Mary herself. Bothwell had long been suspected of having designs on the throne, and he and Mary were rumoured to be lovers.

The events following Darnley's murder were dramatic, ruthless and bloody. Bothwell kidnapped, raped (so Mary claimed) and married the Queen, but was exonerated. Instead, the need to satisfy justice settled on his minions, some of whom may have been innocent.

Captain William Blackadder, an associate of Darnley, who maintained he had merely run out of a nearby tavern when he heard the blast, was the first to be captured; he was hanged, drawn and quartered, and his limbs nailed to the gates of the leading burghs of Scotland.

Soon after, William Powrie, who had been in charge of transporting gunpowder through the streets of Edinburgh, was captured, tortured and hanged. Two servants of Bothwell, John Hepburn of Bolton and John Hay of Tallo, were caught and executed before the turn of the year; in each case, they made self-incriminatory depositions under torture.

It was another year before Bothwell's valet Nicolas Hubert, known as Paris, was apprehended and extradited from Norway. By this time Mary was beginning her long imprisonment in England, and Scotland was ruled by a regent, The Earl Of Moray. Paris did all he could to save his life with a confession that implicated Bothwell and Mary and no one else.

When William Cecil, Elizabeth I's principal adviser, sent a request from London that the valet should be sent down for cross-examination, he was promptly hanged at St Andrews.

Bothwell's acolyte, the Black Laird of Ormiston, was also captured and hanged. Next to be executed was Bothwell's tailor George Dalgleish, said to have disguised Bothwell during the plot.

Bothwell himself fled to Norway where he was arrested and lived the rest of his life imprisoned in Denmark where he died in 1578. Mary spent 18 and a half years in captivity in England. She was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I in 1586 and was beheaded the following year at Fotheringhay Castle.

Heather McAllister, Stirling.

QUESTION Why is castor oil so-called?

Castor oil is derived from the seeds of the castor plant, scientifically known as Ricinus communis. Digestive enzymes break down castor oil in the body into ricinoleic acid. This has laxative, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. The seed also contains ricin, a highly potent water-soluble toxin.

Castor is a strange name because it means 'beaver' in Latin. The common name 'castor oil' is thought to come from its use as a replacement for castoreum, a perfume base made from the dried perineal glands of the beaver. It has another common name, Palm of Christ or Palma Christi, that derives from castor oil's medicinal properties.

Taxonomist Carl Linnaeus gave it the scientific name Ricinus because it is a Latin word for tick; this is because the seed has markings and a bump at the end that resemble some species of tick.

M. M. Smith, Crewe, Cheshire.

QUESTION What is the oldest unit of measurement still in use?

What is the oldest unit of measurement still in use?

TOMORROW'S QUESTIONS Q: Who has played the most different characters in the same film? Shaun Williams, Hay-on-Wye, Powys. Q: Who holds the record for the distance travelled on a paddle board? Kasia Young, Grantham, Lincs. Q: How was the giant blood-red waterfall in Antarctica formed? Mrs Penny Salt, Kings Lynn, Norfolk Is there a question to which you want to know the answer? Or do you know the answer to a question here? Write to: Charles Legge, Answers To Correspondents, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY; or email charles.legge@dailymail.co.uk. A selection is published, but we're unable to enter into individual correspondence. Advertisement

The oldest units date back to ancient times, though their precise parameters may have changed over time. Dating to about 3000 BC, the cubit was a unit of length used by ancient Egyptians and other civilisations in the Near East.

It was based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger  18 in. God gave Noah the ark's measurement in cubits: 'This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.' Traditional hedge layers use cubits to space plantings.

The body ruled when it came to measuring. The length of a foot, the width of a finger, the length of a hand and the distance of a step were all accepted measurements by 2500 BC, and still are.

The foot was a common unit of length in many ancient cultures. It is traditionally claimed today's 12 in foot is derived from the length of King Henry I's foot and that the yard should be 'the distance from the tip of the King's nose to the end of his outstretched thumb'.

The shekel dates to about 2000 BC. This unit of weight and currency was used in the ancient Near East, including Mesopotamia and Israel. The Roman libra or 'pound' dates from 500 BC. The libra was a unit of weight, and formed the basis for the Roman measurement system.

Edward Flower, Milton Keynes, Bucks.
Junior doctors' strikes are stopping elderly patients from seeking the help they need, a charity has warned.

Age UK said it was 'deeply concerned' over the risk to older people's health caused by the longest ever NHS walkout.

Timing the strikes to coincide with the busiest time of the year will make it 'difficult to guarantee safe and effective care for everyone who needs it', it said.

Urging a return to negotiations, Paul Farmer, the charity's chief executive, said: 'We are very concerned older people who may be feeling unwell are put off seeking the care they need due to the strikes.

'We have increasingly heard from older people, already struggling to access the help they need, now worried what ongoing strikes mean for them and their families.'

Age UK said it was 'deeply concerned' over the risk to older people's health caused by the longest ever NHS walkout (Stock Image)

One in three operations is set to be cancelled across England this week to mitigate the six-day strike, due to end at 7am on Tuesday.

Officials have warned it will continue to have a 'serious impact in the weeks after' while the NHS struggles with the pressures from flu, Covid and staff sickness.

Strike action has seen 1.2million appointments and operations disrupted since it began in December 2022. The British Medical Association (BMA) union wants a 35 per cent pay rise for junior doctors, which it says would restore their real earnings to 2008 levels.

But the Government says this is unaffordable, offering a 3 per cent pay increase, on top of an average 8.8 per cent rise for 2023-24.

Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, of the BMA junior doctors committee, said an anticipated 'final offer' had not come.

In a statement, they said: 'All we need is a credible offer we can put to members and we can call off these strikes.' Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: 'I urge the BMA junior doctors committee to call off their strikes and come back to the negotiating table.'
A UN women's charity is facing a backlash after a transgender model was picked to represent British women.

At least 17 campaign groups have signed a letter opposing the appointment of activist Munroe Bergdorf as the first 'UK champion' for UN Women UK.

Ms Bergdorf, 36, is a model and broadcaster as well as a contributing editor at British Vogue.

She was appointed by the charity, which supports the work of the UN Women to improve the lives of women and girls, in November.

But in a letter, organisations including in Fair Play for Women, Sex Matters, Transgender Trend and the Women's Rights Network have written of their 'dismay and disappointment' at the decision, The Times reported.

Ms Bergdorf, 36, a model and broadcaster as well as a contributing editor at British Vogue, was appointed as the first 'UK Champion' for UN Women UK in November

But at least 17 campaign groups have criticised Ms Bergdorf's appointment, saying she is 'unsuitable in every regard' for the role due to her previous alleged 'homophobic and racist posts'

They said she was 'unsuitable in every regard' and pointed to her previous alleged 'homophobic and racist posts on social media'.

In 2017, she was dropped by L'Oreal over a post responding to the violence of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which she said all whites were racist. Three years later she was rehired.

Ms Bergdorf was also forced to apologise after old social media messages emerged in which she labelled a Twitter follower a 'hairy barren lesbian' in 2012 and said she wanted to 'gay bash' a TV star.

In the letter, the organisations said: 'Munroe Bergdorf's well-publicised activism is not pro-women. This person has objected to women making references to our female bodies.'

Ms Bergdorf has said her appointment was a responsibility she didn't 'take lightly', adding how 'rare' it was that 'we get to see transgender people have a seat or voice at these tables'. Ms Bergdorf and UN Women UK were contacted for comment.
All decisions made by ministers via WhatsApp must be officially recorded under fresh guidance.

Cabinet Office rules sent to ministerial private offices over the festive period update previous advice on preserving records of official decisions.

But individual messages on WhatsApp do not need to be preserved, the advice suggests.

The move comes amid controversy over the role of the service during the pandemic with some exchanges to and from Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson missing from the Covid Inquiry.

Hundreds of messages on officials' and ministers' phones from the time have been handed over to the inquiry. Several were laced with explicit language and contained criticisms by ministers of their own policies.

All decisions made by ministers via WhatsApp must be officially recorded under fresh guidance amid controversy over the role of the service during the pandemic with some exchanges to and from Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson missing from the Covid Inquiry

Mr Sunak has provided no messages to the Covid enquiry, blaming technical problems

Mr Johnson was unable to hand over all his WhatsApp exchanges for almost the entire first lockdown because of what he told the inquiry was a glitch with the app on an old phone.

Mr Sunak has provided no messages, also blaming technical problems. The Prime Minister insists that he was not a 'prolific user' of WhatsApp and that all decisions were recorded in the proper way.

The new guidance is the first update for 15 years and warns civil servants in ministers' private offices they have a 'duty' to keep 'accurate records'.

It says: 'Recorded information of a department's official business, wherever held and whether created by ministers or officials, is a public record belonging to the Crown.'

It adds the duty to keep records 'applies to information in any medium created by, held in or passing through private offices which relates to the business activities of the department'.

Civil servants are told: 'Record decisions arising from telephone or online meetings or via non-corporate communication channels, such as WhatsApp.'
Police have appealed to the public to help identify a woman whose body was found washed up on a popular Cornish beach on New Year's Day.

The woman, who is believed to be aged between 50 and 70 years old, was wearing a sailing jacket when she was found on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth, but had no personal belongings with her.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to the beach at around 10:50am on January 1 to reports of a female found dead at the water's edge.

She was found wearing blue corduroy trousers, blue leather flat soled ankle boots with zips on the inside, a big blue Quba & Co jacket and a red woollen top.

The deceased did not match any missing person descriptions and is described as white with grey hair, between 5ft2in and 5ft4in in height and of a medium build.

The woman's body was found on the water's edge at 10.50asm on New Year's Day (file image)

The woman is described as white, aged around 50 to 70 years old, between 5''2' and 5''4', of a medium build with grey hair

The woman's cause of death remains unknown and police are asking for the public's assistance to identify her and her next of kin.

A force spokesperson said: 'The lady has no obvious tattoos, jewellery or personal items with her to assist in identifying her.'

Cherilyn Mackrory, the MP for Falmouth and Truro said following the tragic discovery: 'I have been made aware a body has been found on Gyllyngvase beach.

'My thoughts go out to the relatives and friends of the woman who has passed. I am hopeful the police will identify the woman and the situation can be fully investigated.'

Holidaymakers staying near the seafront described waking up to police cars and an ambulance on New Year's Day - hours after hundreds gathered in the town to bring in the New Year.

Police urge anyone who might be able to help identify the woman to contact Devon and Cornwall Police on 101 quoting log 491 01/01/24.
The grandfather of a schoolboy who was stabbed to death at the Primrose Hill New Year's fireworks has described the painful moment he learnt of his grandson's death.

Harry Pitman, 16, died just moments before midnight as he watched the firework display in Camden, surrounded by thousands of revellers.

A vigil was held for the 'cheeky chappy' yesterday near their home in Tottenham, with his heartbroken mother Amanda Woolveridge, 37, among the 100 mourners.

Harry's grandfather Derek Pitman last night said he had become increasingly concerned about the rise in teen stabbings in London and 'now it's happened to us'.

Describing the moment he found out about his grandson's death, the grieving 71-year-old told the Telegraph: 'We got a text from Harry's dad saying Happy New Year and then about half past 12 he rang us again.

'He was just saying "no, no, no it can't be true" over and over and then he said Harry's been stabbed. He's dead.'

After receiving the devastating news, Mr Pitman and his wife Pearl, 69, raced across London to their son's home to help comfort their family.

The 16-year-old was fatally stabbed at Primrose Hill on New Year's Eve after going there to watch the fireworks

Crowds on Primrose Hill stand and watch as fireworks go off in the distance on New Year's Eve

The scene at Primrose Hill on New Year's Day following the death of Harry

'When we arrived, Neil was in tears and said he had been texting Harry to wish him happy new year and he said he had been confused as to why he couldn't get hold of him,' the grandfather told The Times.

Harry's dinner was waiting for him, laid out on the table, with his mother unable to stop crying, repeatedly saying 'he hasn't had his dinner'.

Mr Pitman said he feels 'numb' from shock with all the family are 'just walking around in a daze'.

The bereaved grandfather called for more to be done to stop knife crime in London. He told the paper 'if you get caught with a knife it should be straight away two year's in prison - that's it'.

Yesterday, Harry's maternal grandfather Phillip Woolveridge paid tribute to the 16-year-old who 'did not have a bad bone in his body' and raised fears the teenage Tottenham fan was targeted for his 6ft 3in height.

It came after a group of residents revealed it had written 'frequently over the last couple of years' to Royal Parks, which runs the site where the event was held, to warn that 'such a tragedy' could happen due to rising violence and anti-social behaviour.

The Primrose Hill neighbourhood watch posted this photo showing large numbers of people entering the park

Speaking outside his home in Tottenham this morning, the 59-year-old blasted the out of control knife crime in the capital and demanded action from the authorities.

Mr Woolveridge said knife crime in London is 'getting out of hand' and revealed the families devastation at losing their 'lovely boy'.

'I don't know what's going to be done moving forward but I don't want Harry's passing to be in vain,' he told ITV.

'Something really has got to be done. It's a terrible shame, its a terrible loss. The whole family are devastated, we cannot believe this.

READ MORE HERE: Heartbroken mother of murdered Harry Pitman joins 100 mourners at vigil for her son after he was stabbed to death at Primrose Hill New Year's Eve fireworks Advertisement

'I am very very angry. I just hope whoever has done this gets the most serious punishment they can get.'

According to an analysis by PA News Agency, 21 teenagers - including Harry - met violent deaths on the streets of London last year.

Of those killed, 18 were stabbed, two were shot, and one was killed when the moped they were riding was hit by a car.

Mr Woolveridge added: 'He was finding his way in life finally - with all the confusion and a young boy growing up, but he was finally finding his way.

'Just got his first little job. He was that sort of person who could deal with people.

'He was growing up and he was finding his way and this is just such a terrible loss, it really is. He had his future ahead of him.'

He told The Sun: 'Moving forward is going to be a slow process. I just cannot believe he's no longer here. I'm angry. I'm very angry.

'We have got to rally around my daughter [Harry's mum]. We are worried about her.'

The heartbroken grandfather added: 'He is one of the biggest members of the family - being tall can make you a target. He had bright ginger hair that he grew into and he wore it well - like a badge of honour.'

The Metropolitan Police said yesterday that a 16-year-old boy who had been arrested on suspicion of murder had been released on bail pending further investigation.

Police officers conduct a fingertip search on Primrose Hill

A forensic team team arrived at the park to examine the crime scene

It comes as London's Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman told the Standard that residents living close to Primrose Hill had written 'frequently over the last couple of years warning of such a tragedy' because of rising violence and anti-social behaviour.

Ms Waxman said some had even 'hired a barrister to write a legal letter... as they believe Royal Parks [which is responsible for the site] have not kept the park secure'.

She said: 'This was a senseless tragedy and my thoughts are with Harry's family and loved ones.'

A Royal Parks spokesman told the outlet: 'The tragic stabbing of Harry Pitman on New Year's Eve is being investigated by the police. The park remains closed during these investigations. Our thoughts are with Harry's family and friends.

'Primrose Hill has been open to the public for many years, and we work closely with the police to ensure that it is safely enjoyed by visitors.

'On New Year's Eve, the park was open until 1am for visitors to enjoy the celebrations, supported by a police presence, and The Royal Parks supplied stewards and tower lights.'

On Monday night Harry's older sister Tayla, 19, and older brother, Patrick paid tribute to their 'mischievous and cheeky' Harry who 'always stood up for what was right'.

The pair described their family's utter heartbreak, with their mother unable to remove Harry's dinner that he was supposed to eat when he returned home from the oven.

Fighting back tears, sister Tayla said from their terrace house in Tottenham, north London: 'It doesn't seem real, I keep on expecting him to come through the front door. His dinner is still in the oven, mum can't bring herself to remove it.

'He was the middle child of five. He has a younger four-year-old brother and a five-year-old sister. We haven't told them what's happened yet, we don't know how to. Harry was my baby brother, he was most handsome boy you could ever meet.

'I remember holding him in my arms for the first time when I was barely three years old. Now he won't ever get to grow up.'

Harry was called 'Errol' by loved ones after a character on a children's television show he liked.

Harry's 19-year-old sister Tayla (pictured) paid a heartbreaking tribute to her younger brother

Ambulances and police cars line up near an iron fence in Primrose Hill on New Year's Eve

Harry Pitman's mother, Amanda Woolveridge, was seen being supported by members of her family at a vigil in Downhills Park last night

Around 100 people gathered at the park, which is close to Harry's home in Tottenham, to pay their respects to him

Those in attendance shined the lights on their phones, with some singing Tottenham Hotspur songs in tribute to him

People gather in Downhills Park to pay their respects to Harry on Tuesday evening

'He would never answer to Harry at home - just Errol - it was mine, Harry and mum's little joke,' his sister added before calling for his killer to be brought to justice.

'I hope whoever has done this knows they haven't just taken a life, they've destroyed a whole family and community,' Tayla said. 'I hope that thought eats away at them for the rest of their life.'

Standing outside her family's terraced home on a smart street, Tayla continued: 'Harry could be mischievous and cheeky and he could really wind me up at times.

'But he didn't have a bad bone in his body. He always stood up for what is right.

'That sometimes meant Harry got into fights but he would never use a knife, he wouldn't dream of ever carrying any weapon. He wasn't involved with any gangs whatsoever.

'He was a tall boy, 6ft 3in, and so could look after himself. Although he didn't have a girlfriend, he was a ladies' man, always chatting up girls.

'I was feeling down about spending New Year's Eve on my own and I happened to look at my phone at 11.40pm, the exact time Harry was stabbed. I don't know what made me look at my phone but an hour later, my brother Patrick called and told me Harry had gone.

'I'm devastated, he was my baby brother. He didn't even get to see the fireworks, which is why he went to Primrose Hill in the first place.'

Harry attended Wilbury Primary School in Edmonton and St Thomas More secondary school in Wood Green. He was also a Catholic and had his confirmation at St John Vianney in Harringay church last Easter.

More recently, he harboured dreams of joining the army and joining the SAS.
Half of British teenagers fear they have become addicted to social media, worrying research has shown.

Tech giants were accused of deliberately designing compulsive platforms as data from the Millennium Cohort study revealed 48 per cent of 16 to 18-year-olds felt they had lost control over how much time they spent online.

Girls suffered more than boys, the study found. It comes amid mounting calls for companies including Meta to be held to account over the impact of excessive social media use on the mental health of users.

Andy Burrows, adviser to the Molly Rose Foundation, set up in memory of 14-year-old Molly Russell who took her own life after viewing suicide-related content online, said: 'Social media platforms have single-mindedly designed their products to maximise how long teenagers spend online, with algorithms pushing endless amounts of harmful content in their direction.

'Tech companies have consistently opted to prioritise profit over safety and wellbeing.' He added it was 'vital tech companies are held to account'.

Figures show that half of children are addicted to social media, with 48 per cent of 16-18 year olds saying they felt they had lost control over how much time they spend online (stock photo)

Picturred: Molly Russell, 14, who took her own life after viewing suicide-related content online. An advisor to the foundation set up in her memory said social media sites have 'algorithms pushing endless amounts of harmful content in their [children's] direction'

Dr Amy Orben's team at the University of Cambridge examined data from the study which tracks the lives of 19,000 Britons born in 2000-2002.

When those in the cohort were aged between 16 and 18, they were asked about their social media use.

The survey revealed 48 per cent of the 7,000 respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: 'I think I am addicted to social media.'

Girls were most affected with 57 per cent agreeing, compared with 37 per cent of boys, according to the data reported by the Guardian.

Baroness Kidron, a leading voice on children's rights in the digital world, said platforms were deliberately designed to be 'compulsive'.

'It's not a bug, it's a feature. The tech sector employs behavioural psychologists who game social media, games, shopping, even news, to ensure it is easy to access and hard to put down. The companies should be held responsible for the outcome of their products.'

She added: 'Some of what kids are doing online is perfectly harmless, but all the experiences they are missing while they are doom scrolling impact on their development, wellbeing and in some cases ruin childhood itself.'

Conservative MP and former UK tech minister Damian Collins described the findings as a 'serious issue' which he warned has 'not happened by accident'.

'Social media systems are designed to be addictive. In the worst situations they are capturing young minds and directing them to content promoting self-harm and worse,' he said.

Conservative MP and former UK tech minister Damian Collins (pictured) described the findings as a 'serious issue'

He said the Online Safety Act will give Ofcom the power to demand access to information from inside these companies.

'That will show what they know about the level of harmful content on these platforms, how it is promoted and what could be done to mitigate its impact,' he added.

While researchers acknowledged that the respondents may not be suffering from an actual clinical addiction, they said their answers indicated a problematic relationship with social media use.

Georgia Turner, a PHD student at Cambridge who leads the analysis, told the Guardian: 'Self-perceived social media addiction is not [necessarily] the same as drug addiction.

'But it's not nice to feel you don't have agency over your own behaviour. It's quite striking that so many people feel like that and that can't be good.'
A man who died from severe burns after becoming caught up in a penthouse apartment fire has been identified.

Mohsen Rasouli, 45, was killed after a blaze engulfed his top floor apartment on Angas Street at Meadowbank, in Sydney's north-west, at around 3.30pm on Monday.

Mr Rasouli ran from the building covered in flames and suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body before he was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital where he died.

His friend Saeed Mazaheri said he was by his friend's bedside when he took his final breath at around 2.30am on Wednesday.

Mohsen Rasouli, 45, was killed after a blaze engulfed his top floor apartment on Angas Street at Meadowbank, in Sydney's north-west on Monday

'(He was a) really perfect man, honest, very polite,' Mr Mazaheri told 7News. 'He tried to help everyone.'

The fire was the result of an explosion that authorities believe could have originated in the kitchen.

Neighbours reportedly smelled natural gas indicating how the explosion could have been caused.

Terrified bystanders recalled the moment Mr Rasouli, who was an accountant, raced out of the building after his apartment went up in flames.

'He made it out into the foyer ... he was severely burned,' witness Andrew Song said.

'My wife and I were hoping that he would survive and we were praying for him.'

Mr Rasouli ran from the building covered in flames and suffered burns to 80 per cent of his body before he was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital where he died

Those who knew Mr Rasouli said he was fastidious about his apartment and always turned off switches at the wall.

Mr Mazaheri said his friend always 'checked his home, making sure everything was turned off... gas, electricity'.

Fire investigators spent the day inside the charred wreck of the home, trying to find out what caused the explosion.

A firefighter who was also taken to hospital with chest pains after tackling the blaze is now recovering.
A three-year-old boy was inside a home with his parents when a gunman opened fire on the property in a horror late night shooting.

The terrifying incident unfolded on Morris Road in Tarneit, south-west Melbourne, at 11.25pm on Monday.

The toddler was asleep was asleep in his room when the gunman sprayed the house with bullets while the young boy's parents were in the living room.

Chilling CCTV footage showed the gunman, who was wearing a black hoodie and a pair of black trousers, get out of a car before he walked toward the property.

He looked back and forth before he disappeared out of the lens and opened fire.

A gunman shot at a suburban home in Melbourne's south-west late on Monday night with a three-year-old boy asleep inside

The horrifying moment led the the father of the three-year-old rushing towards a nearby window inside the home after he heard sounds of a gunshot.

'When I opened the window and I checked I saw one guy was running from my house,' he told 7News.

No one was injured but the young father, who chose not to be identified, said things could have ended up much worse.

'If he shot in the window, maybe someone would have been injured or dead,' he said.

He said he found a bullet lodged inside one of the walls.

The young family of three have been living in the home for 11 years and have never been targeted with violence.

Victoria Police say the home was wrongfully targeted with the incident believed to be a case of mistaken identity.

The father of the young boy (pictured) said he found a bullet inside a wall of the home

A Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that detectives from the Crimes Investigation unit are conducting investigations into the incident.

'Police were told a man exited the front passenger seat, before approaching the house and firing a shot,' he said.

'He fled the scene in the vehicle.'

Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Former immigration detainee Aliyawar Yawari has told a court he is 'diabetic' and 'could not breathe' while he waits on remand for allegedly indecently assaulting a woman.

Afghan refugee Mr Yawari, 66, was arrested in early December and charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a woman at a motel in Adelaide's north.

His arrest came just three weeks after his release from immigration detention in Western Australia, one of 150 detainees set free into the broader Australian community following a High Court decision in November striking down indefinite detention.

Appearing at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday via video link, Mr Yawari appeared animated and spoke in Persian to a Persian interpreter.

Mr Yawari's expressions were not translated directly in the court but his interpreter, speaking afterwards, said Mr Yawari had told him he was 'diabetic' and 'could not breathe' at the city's remand unit.

Former immigration detainee Aliyawar Yawari has told a court he is 'diabetic' and 'could not breathe' while he waits on remand for allegedly indecently assaulting a woman

His arrest came just three weeks after his release from immigration detention in Western Australia, one of 150 detainees set free into the broader Australian community following a High Court decision in November striking down indefinite detention

Defence lawyer Vageli Dimou, appearing for Mr Yawari, interjected as Mr Yawari spoke out in Persian and told magistrate Oliver Koehn he would speak with his client later.

Mr Dimou did not apply for bail but requested a pre-trial conference date.

Mr Koehn set February 14 for the conference date and Mr Yawari will remain in custody until then.

The court was told that Mr Yawari's case would also be transferred from Adelaide Magistrates Court to the Elizabeth jurisdiction, located in Adelaide's outer north.

Judge Paul Cuthbertson said in 2016 that Mr Yawari was a 'danger to the Australian community' and an 'ongoing risk to women'.

Mr Yawari was jailed for three years and 11 months, with a non-parole period of two years and eight months.

He was then transferred to immigration detention where he remained until his release in November.

Of the 150 detainees freed since the High Court decision, at least nine have been arrested and charged with crimes.

Over the Christmas period, the Australian Federal Police arrested a 45-year-old Afghan man and a 38-year-old Iranian man for breaking their curfew conditions.

Two convicted child sex abuse offenders are in South Australia after their release from immigration detention, South Australian Police Assistant Commissioner of Crime John Venditto said on December 5, 2023. Video: Duncan Evans

In early December, the police arrested a 33-year-old man in Dandenong, Victoria, for breaching his reporting requirements and allegedly contacting minors.

It's understood the former detainee is a registered sex offender and pleaded guilty to obtaining girls for a prostitution syndicate in 2012.

Following the burst of alleged crime from former detainees, the federal government legislated new preventive detention measures in December giving law enforcement the power to lock up high-risk offenders.

The government has also established a Community Protection Board to provide advice on how to manage the former detainees.

The issue has roiled federal politics, with the Coalition attacking the government for what it sees as a flat-footed response to the crisis.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to sack Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles in December.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to sack Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil (pictured) and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles (pictured) in December

'The minister's made catastrophic mistakes in his decision-making and unfortunately now that they've released 147 people in total, with a potential 340 (more), the likelihood of attacks, and given the cohort, the nature of these people, the high degree of the viciousness of some of the offending, the very high likelihood is that there will be more victims,' Mr Peter Dutton told Adelaide radio.

'It's avoidable and it's a tragedy.'

Ms O'Neil hit back at Mr Dutton, saying he had voted against a Bill that would have tightened controls on child sex abusers.

'A Bill that Labor put forward to criminalise pedophiles standing in front of schools, the Leader of the Opposition and his team voted against it, and you cannot hide from that,' she said in parliament on November 30.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the government had no choice but to release the non-citizens.
Karine Jean-Pierre has claimed Joe Biden has accomplished more in three years than any two-term president in US history.

The White House press secretary, who gave several interviews to try to tout the president's record ahead of a difficult election year, made the claims on CNN.

'You know, this president has done more in three years than any other president has done in two terms,' she said, claiming Biden is the most accomplished American president ever aside from Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms.

She tried to list Biden's policy achievements as evidence of her boss' effectiveness in the past three years.

'Think about the CHIPS and Science Act, if you think about beating big Pharma and lowering prescription drugs, when you think about how seniors and others are now paying 35 bucks, our seniors are going to be paying that when they were paying 200 bucks a month,' she said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is claiming that President Joe Biden has accomplished more in three years as president than any two-term president in US history

The CHIPS and Science Act is a $280billion bill to fund domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing and boost competitiveness with China.

'That matters. That is going to go a long way.' Multiple pharmaceutical companies have agreed to cap the price of insulin at $35 in recent years.

The federal government in January of last year started applying a $35 cap on monthly out-of-pocket costs to patients with coverage through its Medicare program for people age 65 and older or those with disabilities or illnesses.

As part of the American Rescue Plan, a 2021 law signed by President Joe Biden, drug companies will now be forced to pay more in rebates if they want their drug covered by Medicaid.

She also cited the president's work on student debt despite his hands being 'tied by the courts' and said he would keep at it.

Biden cancelled $4.8 billion in student debt in early December, bringing the total he has forgiven to $132 billion for more than 3.6 million borrowers.

It comes despite the Supreme Court having struck down his plan to cancel $400 billion in debt in June.

Jean-Pierre, who gave several interviews to attempt to tout the president's record to begin what looks to be a difficult election year , made the claims on CNN's morning show Tuesday

Jean-Pierre essentially claimed Biden is the most accomplished American president ever aside from Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms

Republicans slammed the move and said taxpayers would be forced to pay the bill.

Jean-Pierre, who replaced Jen Psaki as White House Press Secretary in May of 2022, then promoted the president's record on climate change.

'The president has done more on climate change than any other president has been able to do,' she argued.

'Those are the issues that young people care about and those are the issues that we're going to continue to work towards and make sure that we deliver on the promise that the president made to young people, but to Americans across the country.'

Jean-Pierre also teased the president's hopes for infrastructure and his continued efforts to make abortion rights 'the law of the land' after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

'So I talked about what the president has done more actions. He's taken more action than any other president in two terms, and he did that in three years. So, look, we have a lot ahead of us.'

The claims are likely an attempt to burnish the president's record despite a continued downward trend in the polls.

Donald Trump is beating Biden in two key voter groups, giving him an overall lead in the presidential race, the first new poll of 2024 found.

The claims are likely an attempt to burnish the president's record despite a continued downward trend in the polls

Biden cancelled $4.8 billion in student debt in early December , bringing the total he has forgiven to $132 billion for more than 3.6 million borrowers

The CHIPS and Science Act is a $280 billion bill to fund domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing and boost competitiveness with China

Trump leads Biden among Hispanic voters by five points, 39%-34% and among younger voters by three points, 37%-34%, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll.

Biden won both those voting groups in the 2020 presidential contest, where he defeated Trump to win the White House. Monday's poll also shows Biden is losing support among black voters, another key voting bloc.

He now has the support of just 63% of black voters, a group he carried by a whooping 87% in 2020.

Overall, the poll found that Trump in the lead at 39% to Biden's 37% with 17% supporting an unnamed third-party candidate.

When third-party candidates were specified by name, Trump's lead increased to 37% to Biden's 34%, with independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the top of the third-party candidates at 10%.

The overall trend is worrisome for Biden, particularly with younger voters, who overwhelmingly supported him four years ago and are largely at odds with Republicans on issues such as abortion access and climate change.

And some of the president's support looks to have gone to third-party contenders. The poll found that 20% of Hispanic and black voters, along with 21% of young voters, say they'll back someone other than the two main contenders.

Multiple polls have shown voters want an alternative candidate for the 2024 presidential contest, citing concerns about Biden's age. At 81, he is the oldest American president in history. If he wins a second term, he would be 86 when it's completed.
The Islamist charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie has been given hours to decide whether to delay his trial by demanding a copy of the author's forthcoming book about the attack that nearly killed him.

Hadi Matar was seized from the stage at a book fair in upstate New York after the Satanic Verses author was repeatedly stabbed in August of 2022.

Matar, 26, was due to stand trial early this month for the attack which left Rushdie on a ventilator and cost him an eye, with jury selection starting on January 8.

But Chautauqua County Judge David Foley ruled Matar was entitled to see a copy of the memoir 'Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder' even though it is not due out until April 16.

'It's not just the book,' defense attorney Nathaniel Barone said, 'Every little note Rushdie wrote down, I get, I'm entitled to.

Author Salman Rushdie has described his 256-page memoir as 'a way to take charge of what happened, and to answer violence with art' after the attack in August 2022

Hadi Matar, 26, who was born in California to Lebanese parents, has been held without bail at the Chautauqua County Jail since his arrest at the Chautauqua Institution

Stewards and onlookers scrambled to help the badly injured Rushdie as Matar was dragged from the stage in the seconds after the attack

'Every discussion, every recording, anything he did in regard to this book.'

Rushdie has described the 256-page memoir as 'a way to take charge of what happened, and to answer violence with art'.

The 76-year-old writer was flown to hospital with 15 wounds in his chest and torso and three wounds to his neck, after the attack at the Chautauqua Institution.

He suffered a damaged liver, severed nerves in his arm and the loss of his right eye after his attacker stormed the stage.

Rushdie's account of the attack is due to be published by Penguin Random House in April

''Knife' is a searing book and a reminder of the power of words to make sense of the unthinkable,' said his publisher Nihar Malaviya.

'We are honored to publish it, and amazed at Salmans determination to tell his story and to return to the work he loves.'

Matar, who was born in California to Lebanese parents, was dragged off the stage by stewards and has been held without bail at the Chautauqua County Jail since.

The author lived in isolation with round-the-clock security or years after his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses prompted Iran's theocratic regime to place a 'fatwa' contract on his life.

Matar was found with a false driving license in the name of two Hezbollah commanders when he was seized after the attack on Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution.

His mother Silvana Fardos told Dailymail.com that her son changed from a popular, loving son to a moody religious zealot after visiting her ex-husband in the Hezbollah-controlled Lebanese town of Yaroun, a mile from the Israeli border.

'I was expecting him to come back motivated, to complete school, to get his degree and a job,' she said.

'But instead he locked himself in the basement. He had changed a lot, he didn't say anything to me or his sisters for months.'

Matar denied acting on orders when arrested for the near-fatal attack on Rusdhie, 76, who lost an eye and the use of a hand.

'I don't like the person. I don't think he's a very good person,' he told interviewers.

'He's someone who attacked Islam, he attacked their beliefs, the belief systems.'

District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Rushdie's representatives had declined the prosecutor's request for a copy of the manuscript, citing intellectual property rights.

But he downplayed the relevance of the book at the upcoming trial, given that the attack was witnessed by a large, live audience and Rushdie himself could testify.

Judge Foley gave Matar and his attorney until a pre-trial conference at 9.30am on Wednesday to decide if they want to delay the trial until they have the book in hand, either in advance from the publisher or once it has been published.

Barone said after court that he favored a delay but would consult with Matar.

Matar pictured in court six days after the attack with his defense attorney Nathaniel Barone

Medics attempted to compress Rushdie's wounds after he was stabbed more than 18 times

Rushdie was airlifted to the hospital where he was put on a ventilator after the attack on August 12 last year, spending six weeks in care before being discharged

Hadi Matar, 25, returned from four weeks in Lebanon as a religious bigot his mother told Dailymail.com

Matar's Lebanese-born mother Silvana Fardos moved with her three children from California to a home in New Jersey (above) following her split with his father

Rushdie told The New Yorker that he had worked hard to avoid 'recrimination and bitterness' and was determined to 'look forward and not backwards' in his first interview after the attack.

'This doesnt feel third-person-ish to me. I think when somebody sticks a knife into you, thats a first-person story. That is an 'I' story,' he said.

Tehran denied any role in attack on Rushdie, but added: 'We don't consider anyone deserving reproach, blame or even condemnation, except for [Rushdie] himself and his supporters.'

The author, who was made a Companion of Honour by the King in May last year, has blamed Matar alone for the attack on him and told the BBC he is not sure if he can 'be bothered' to face him in court when he comes to trial.
An elderly man and woman have been dead in an beachside suburb in what police is a suspected murder suicide.

Police were called to attend a complex in Urangan near Hervey Bay on Queensland's Fraser Coast on Tuesday to conduct a welfare check at one of the units.

Upon arrival, officers found the bodies of the occupants of the home, a 70-year-old man and 68-year-old woman inside the unit.

It's understood that the pair were husband and wife.

Police found the bodies of a man and woman inside a unit at a complex in Urangan on Tuesday

'Police believe the man and woman were known to each other and there is no threat to the community,' a Maryborough Police statement read.

A crime scene at the King Street address was established and remains in place.

Several police vehicles were parked in the driveway and on the street on Wednesday as investigators and forensic police continued their inquiries.

A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of deaths.

Detectives urge anyone who may have witnessed anything or has any relevant information to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
A New York activist professor has called for Harvard University to replace disgraced former president Claudine Gay with another black woman.

Gay, 53, was the first black person to lead Harvard, and her July 1 swearing in was seen by some as a sign of progress despite opposition from some.

But she was forced to resign on Tuesday after only six months amid a plagiarism scandal and questions over her response to the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.

Marc Lamont Hill, an author and activist, who works as a professor of anthropology at the City University of New York, said Gay should be replaced by a black woman.

'The next president of Harvard University MUST be a Black woman,' he tweeted to his 565,000 followers.

Marc Lamont Hill, a professor at City University of New York, said Claudine Gay must be replaced with another black woman

Gay is pictured on December 5, testifying before Congress. She equivocated over whether calls for the genocide of Jews was hate speech

Conservative comedians the Hodge Twins replied: 'Or just hire somebody qualified to be the president and stop worrying about their skin color or gender? I know that's a crazy thought.' Their post was liked by 17,000 people.

Hill told The Boston Globe the best way to counter the sense black women in academia were being punished was to hire someone with a similar background.

'In order to signal they don't have a diminished faith in black women, or black academics in general, hiring another black woman would be the absolute best move they could make.

'My concern is how quickly a political disagreement turned into a public narrative about the unworthiness of a black woman who's been hired.

'Plagiarism is not known to be a black thing, it's not known to be a woman thing, but when it comes to [Gay's] plagiarism it's like, 'See, see, we told you.' '

Gay's supporters, such as civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and academic and author Ibram X. Kendi, have tried to claim she was forced out by racists.

Gay herself argued she felt victimized due to the color of her skin.

Gay, seen in May 2023, shortly before taking up the role as the first black president of Harvard

Trucks calling for Gay to be fired appeared outside Harvard's campus in December

'It has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual,' Gay wrote.

'It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigortwo bedrock values that are fundamental to who I amand frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.'

Leaders of America's colleges and universities remain overwhelmingly white, despite a push in recent years to hire a more diverse group of people.

Close to three out of four college presidents were white in 2022.

A 2022 survey of more than 1,000 college presidents by the American Council on Education, a higher-education trade group, found that 13 per cent were black. The figure was an increase from 2016, when only 8 per cent were black.

African Americans make up 13.6 per cent of the U.S. population, according to the latest census.

And among full-time faculty the discrepancy was even more stark: 73 per cent were white, and only 6 per cent were black, according to 2021 data from the US Department of Education, cited by The Boston Globe.

Gay, pictured on December 15, resigned on January 2 after six months in the job

David Thomas, president of Morehouse College, a historically black men's college in Atlanta, told the paper that he found her response to student justification of the Hamas attacks, plus allegations of plagiarism, made her presidency untenable.

'One can argue how severe her violations were, but once you have that sort of cloud around you, it makes it difficult to lead an organization whose raison d'etre is to investigate what is true,' said Thomas, who taught at Harvard for more than 20 years.

He said her resignation is 'disappointing for me - it's disappointing for the larger black community.' He added: 'It's a tragedy for Harvard.'
A truck driver allegedly at the centre of a crash with a freight train that killed two people has faced court where it was revealed he has cancer.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court heard that Kevin Pearson, 75, is recovering from lung cancer and currently has prostate cancer.

A Pacific National freight train collided with a truck driven by Pearson at Bindarrah in South Australia, about 30km from the NSW border, at around 10.30am on Sunday.

The train and truck were travelling in opposite directions along the Barrier Highway when the smash happened.

Kevin Baker, 57, and Mick Warren, 48, both from Port Augusta, who were working in the train, died in the crash, while Pearson suffered minor injuries.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court heard that Kevin Maxwell Pearson (pictured), 75, is recovering from lung cancer and currently has prostate cancer

Pearson was wearing the hi-vis shirt he was arrested in when he appeared by video link from the Port Pirie Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon.

He was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving

His lawyer, Kylie Pligl told magistrate Karim Soetratma her client had driven trucks for more than 50 years,' the Advertiser reported.

READ MORE: Heavy vehicle driver charged over train collision that killed two people in South Australia Advertisement

Ms Pligl said Pearson normally lives in the small north Queensland town of Tully Heads, but intended to stay within Port Pirie if he was granted bail.

The magistrate said he could allow the accused to go home to Queensland if he 'put up a significant guarantee'.

But the lawyer said her client and his wife were both pensioners and they did not have the money to pay a large cash surety.

She said Pearson only does occasional truck driving work, which was why he was in South Australia on a short assignment.

'He's got no relevant criminal history, and he has some health problems. He is recovering from lung cancer and currently has prostate cancer,' Ms Pligl said.

'He's due to see a surgeon and needs to communicate with specialists in Townsville.'

Pearson was granted bail to live in a caravan park, on the condition that he check into the nearest police station every day.

A Pacific National spokesman said 'This incident is having a profound impact across the organisation and our first priority is to ensure the highest level of care to the families of our drivers who have tragically died.'

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating the incident and is using Adelaide-based transport safety investigators with experience in train and railway operations to the site.

At around 10.30am on Sunday, a Pacific National freight train collided with a truck driven by Pearson at Bindarrah in SA, about 30km from the NSW border. The scene is pictured

Kevin Baker, 57, and Mick Warren, 48, both from Port Augusta, who were working in the train, died in the crash (pictured)

The deaths of Mr Baker and Mr Warren were the 115th and 116th lives lost on South Australia's roads in 2023 compared to 71 in 2022 (the crash scene is pictured)

'As part of their evidence collection activities investigators will examine the level crossing infrastructure and rolling stock, interview involved parties and any witnesses, examine truck and train operational information, recover any relevant components for further examination at the ATSB's laboratories in Canberra and analyse any recorded information,' the agency said in a statement.

'Should any critical safety issues be identified at any stage during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate safety action can be taken.'

The deaths of Mr Baker and Mr Warren were the 115th and 116th lives lost on South Australia's roads in 2023 compared to 71 in 2022.
The family of a young teenager mauled to death by a shark have been left touched after a public fundraiser has generated more money than planned.

Khai Cowley, 15, died after his leg was bitten off at Ethel Beach in the Innes National Park, on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, on Thursday.

The young surf champ was visiting the break with his dad when he was bitten by the great white before he was pulled from the water by a local.

His heartbroken family were left shattered following the teenager's death with Khai's aunt Lauryn Barley setting up a GoFundMe page.

The goal was to raise $7,500 to help Khai's parents Tim and Kate arrange their son's funeral.

Aussies flooded the page with donations to help the grieving family with more than $84,000 raised in less than a week.

Aussies have rallied to support the grieving family (pictured) of young surfer Khai Cowley who was killed by a shark at Ethel Beach in South Australia

Khai (pictured) was surfing at Ethel beach last Thursday before he was bitten by a great white

The donors included close friends and family with some Aussies giving up to $500.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. What a talented and loved young man you brought up,' one couple wrote.

'We can't possibly begin to understand your loss but please know that you are in so many people's thoughts and hearts,' another user said.

The Microgroms Surf Club donated $1,000 and paid tribute to Khai who was a former member of the club.

'We are devastated by the passing of Khai, who was a member of our club since 2016,' the tribute read.

'He was a kind and considerate person, a good friend, and a talented surfer.

'Khai was well respected and admired by all who knew him. Love and support to his family. We will miss you grommet.'

Aussies have flooded a GoFundMe page set up by Khai's (pictured) aunt last week to help the 15-year-old's family cover funeral costs

Khai's shattered family have been overwhelmed by the support from the local community with the teenager's grandad Peter Barley (pictured right) saying he's never seen locals come together the way they have in the wake of the family's loss

Khai's grandfather Peter Barley told Nine News on Saturday the family was overwhelmed by the support.

'So hurting... I've never seen people so hurt, honestly... it's something to behold,' he said.

'I keep thinking at any minute hes just going to keep walking through the front door.'

A 'paddle out' event has also been confirmed with the local surfing community set to celebrate Khai's life and his love of the waves.
A politician has suggested some councils have scrapped citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day because of the heat.

City of Sydney Labor Councillor Linda Scott offered the reason after being quizzed about why there would be no citizenship ceremonies in the city on January 26.

'Council's make their decisions for a wide variety of reasons,' she told 2GB's Mark Levy on Wednesday morning.

'Certainly as the national head of the Local Government Association, I've heard from councils who've said that sometimes they don't have citizens to be made on Australia Day, sometimes the heat is a problem.'

Ms Scott's comment comes after it was revealed more than 80 councils around the country had ditched citizenship ceremonies on the day.

Over 80 councils across Australia have decided to scrap citizenship ceremonies on January 26 (pictured: Australia Day revellers)

Ms Scott's comment comes after it was revealed more than 80 councils around the country had ditched citizenship ceremonies on the day (stock image)

Levy immediately took issue with Ms Scott's bizarre explanation and gave her a blunt response.

'Oh, please. Come on, Linda. I'm not stupid. Seriously?'

'Is there not a better day than Australia Day, when modern Australia was created, for new Australians to be given their citizenship?'

Ms Scott deflected, claiming there were over 500 councils, each with different approaches.

Levy blasted the heat excuse as 'rubbish', branding it a 'cop-out - more wokesim from City of Sydney Council'.

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore previously said her council's decision to scrap the ceremonies on Australia Day had widespread support as the controversial public holiday was a 'painful' day for many people.

Ceremonies will be held in the city on 29 January instead.

In late 2022 the Albanese government scrapped a rule that forced councils to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies.

In 2022, only four councils chose not to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies  three in Melbourne and the City of Sydney.

City of Sydney Labor Councillor Linda Scott (right) offered the bizarre reason after being quizzed about why there would be no citizenship ceremonies in the city on January 26

But on Saturday the Herald Sun revealed that more than 80 councils across Australia have decided to scrap citizenship ceremonies on January 26, which included more than a quarter of the councils in Victoria.

The announcement divided Australians with some backing the move while others condemned it.

'How bloody pathetic is this once great country becoming?' one person fumed on social media platform X.

'Far left/green councils,' another added.

'Jan 26 is Australia Day supported by the majority of Australians, only ones that don't support it hate this country.'

'It's a bloody slap in the face to those that pay rates to keep them in a job,' another infuriated X user wrote.
Three-year term limits for federal MPs are too short, the prime minister says, but he admits changes to time spent in parliament are unlikely to happen soon.

Anthony Albanese said it was unfortunate an increase to four-year terms for federal parliament would not be coming through soon, despite states and territories having the longer limits in place.

'Our terms are too short with just three years,' Mr Albanese told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

'There's been a couple of attempts to fix that in the past, and it's very difficult to change.'

Labor's national platform said fixed four-year terms for the House of Representatives and the Senate should be considered.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) believes three-year term limits for federal MPs are too short

Labor's national platform believes fixed four-year terms for the House of Representatives and the Senate should be considered. However, changes would only come via a successful referendum (pictured, Parliament House in Canberra)

But any change to how long MPs serve in parliament would require a successful referendum.

'Our view, our long-term policy, and we've put it to the Australian people, is for four-year terms, but I don't anticipate that happening any time soon,' Mr Albanese said.

'That's unfortunate, every single state has four years.'

The next federal election is due to be held by May 2025, but can be held earlier should the prime minister want to go to the polls sooner.

Mr Albanese has previously said he wanted to serve his full term as prime minister.

He did not say if an early election would be held when asked if one take place in 2024.

'We're focused on governing during the year,' he said.
She has since been moved to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital for therapy

The mother of two shared a photo of her youngest son helping feed her dinner

Lucinda Mullins, 41, went in for regular surgery but woke up without her limbs

A Kentucky mother of two who woke up from routine surgery to find she'd had a quadruple amputation shared a heartwarming photo of her youngest son helping feed her as she shared pictures of her missing legs for the first time.

Lucinda Mullins, 41, went in for kidney stone removal surgery but it got infected and became septic, resulting in her losing both of her legs and arms.

Mullins' support system have shared updates on her condition since the operation took a dark turn. In a recent photo, her youngest son Easton helped feed her dinner.

The 41-year-old nurse has been moved to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky where she will stay for several weeks before having any more surgery.

'She made it Cardinal Hill today and even got to feel the tiny snow flakes on her face as she left UK. She's more than ready for this next step and change of scenery for a few weeks,' said Mullins' sister Luci Smith in a Facebook post on Monday.

Lucinda Mullins, 41, went in for kidney stone removal surgery but woke up a quadruple-amputee shared a moving photo of her youngest son helping feed her

Mullins is pictured with her hair tied back and smiling with her medical care team

Mullins has put on a brave face throughout the life changing event, but after her first day of therapy she shared a photo of herself resting in her hospital bed, covered in bandages.

'She had a great first day of therapy! She was so excited and did so well,' said her friend, Heather Beshears, who set up Mullins GoFundMe page.

Another photo shows Mullins with her hair tied back, smiling with her medical care team.

When the kidney stone became septic she was first taken to Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford and from there to a University of Kentucky hospital in Lexington on an ambulance.

But doctors had to amputate both of her legs and informed her she would lose both of her arms below her elbows too.

Upon her arrival at Cardinal Hill, Beshears posted a photo on the GoFundMe page of Mullins and her husband DJ smiling from her hospital bed.

'Keep praying, we're one step closer to having her home,' said Smith.

Mullins told LEX 18: 'I've lost my legs from the knees down bilaterally and I'm going to lose my arms probably below the elbow bilaterally.'

After her first day of therapy at Cardinal Hill she shared a photo of herself resting in her hospital bed, covered in bandages

The 41-year-old nurse is pictured being kissed on the cheek by her sister and friend. Mullins has been moved to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky

Mullins has put on a brave face throughout the life changing event and shared a hospital bed selfie with her husband DJ

'The doctor I used to work with, he kind of was like, 'This is what they had to do to save your life. This is what's happened.''

When asked how she was staying upbeat, Mullins said: 'I just said these are the cards I've been dealt and these are the hands I'm going to play.'

'I'm just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband. Those are minor things at this point.'

Apart from her family and friends, the mother also found support within her community.

'At one time I think they told 40 people were in the waiting room here. The calls and the texts, the prayers and the things people have sent. The little words of encouragement.'

'I just can't fathom that people are doing things like that for me,' Mullins said while in hospital.'

As the former nurse prepares for rehab, physical therapy and prosthetics, a GoFundMe page has been set up for her to deal with medical bills.

Lucinda Mullins, 41, a mother of two boys, went for a regular kidney stone surgery which became infect and went septic - causing her to lose both of her legs and arms

As the former nurse prepares for rehab, physical therapy and prosthetics, a GoFundMe page has been set up for her to deal with medical bills

Mullins said: 'I'm just so happy to be alive. I get to see my kids. I get to see my family. I get to have my time with my husband'

Beshears set up the crowdfunding page and wrote: 'Cindy, as most of her friends call her, is a lovely, caring, brave and beautiful young lady who has recently experienced a life-changing tragedy that will leave her as a quadruple amputee.

'Cindy and her family will have to make a few adjustments to their home to accommodate Cindy's needs as well as her prosthetics and adaptive equipment.

The costs of all of this can be overwhelming. We started this fundraiser because we want to support our hero Cindy, as well as her husband DJ who has been by her side every step of the way.'

The fundraiser has raised $173,768 out of its $250,000 goal.
A local politician who was convicted of ballot fraud has been named the vice mayor of San Luis, Arizona at a city council meeting last month.

Democrat Gloria Torres was appointed in December to her new post, just six months after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and ballot abuse dating back to the controversial 2020 election.

The serious election charges were brought following a two-year investigation by the State Attorney General's Office and the Yuma County Sheriff's Office into evidence that Torres and others conducted illegal ballot harvesting during the July 2020 primary election.

Hidden video surveillance footage turned over by two vigilant residents of Yuma became the key piece of evidence that led to the convictions of Torres, Nadia Guadalupe Lizarraga-Mayorquin, former San Luis Mayor Guillermina Fuentes, and Alma Yadira Juarez.

Torres was ultimately handed a two-year supervised probation sentence, after which she shockingly chose to remain in local government, a decision that underscored the issue of corruption in local government.

Gloria Torres was appointed Vice Mayor of San Luis, Arizona last month, despite a recent conviction for ballot abuse related to the 2020 election

Torres was charged, and ultimately convicted, by Arizona authorities of offenses pertaining to a July 2020 ballot harvesting scheme of which she was a part

Despite her criminal history, Torres' appointment was officially suggested by outgoing Vice Mayor Luis Cabrera - the suggestion was accepted by a slim majority in a 4-3 council vote.

Garcia Snyder, a candidate for the Arizona House in Legislative District 25, of which Yuma is a part, said he is both 'outraged and disappointed that a convicted ballot abuser has been elevated to this leadership position.'

'The fact that a majority of the Council appears to have so little regard for our laws is an insult to residents, particularly in the Latino community. We are tired of this type of corruption and the Democrats so blatantly parading it in our faces.'

He suggested that Torres' retention of power is indicative of a 'corrupt grip' Democrats keep over Latino communities.

'Promoting a convicted ballot harvester ... has to be a wakeup call for the Hispanic community in San Luis and surrounding areas,' he said.

'We are fed up with these hijinks and low standards. I am seeing my fellow Latinos migrating towards conservatives like me who hold high standards, share their values and their languages,' he continued before adding in Spanish:

'Save your family, your money, your opportunities and most importantly the American dream. Vote with the Conservative party 'The Real party of Hispanics.''

Ballot counters during the controversial 2020 election in Arizona, where massive accusations of voter fraud took place in the wake of the official vote tally

San Luis, Arizona in Yuma County, where Torres has, for years, been a part of local government. Her career has been colored by questionable judgement and accusations of corruption

Torres has long been a source of controversy in local politics. Her questionable competence and ethics have followed her since she was first elected to the San Luis City Council.

In May of 2020 a performance audit by the Arizona Auditor General found that Arizona District 32, whose board Torres sat on at the time, had 'paid (local elementary school) employees for time not worked,' as well as 'wasted $65,000 on unnecessary travel' and failed to properly oversee its transportation program.

In 2023, Arizona State House represenatives noted that many of District 32's problems were never really fixed and had led to employees stealing thousands of dollars from the local taxpayers.
New theories have emerged about the cold case murder of a mother-of-three with no known enemies, amid hope of breaking the silence surrounding the killing.

Stacey McMaugh, 41, and her long-term partner Robert Pashkuss, 50, were found beaten to death in their NSW home in January 2008.

A coroner in 2016 found Mr Pashkuss was struck from behind in the kitchen with a heavy, blunt instrument before the killer or killers searched the house and found Ms McMaugh in the bedroom where she was also attacked.

Ms McMaugh, who worked in a wine company's call centre, had no known enemies and many close friendships, the coroner found.

Her partner, however, made his income from selling drugs.

Stacey McMaugh (pictured right), 41, and her long-term partner Robert Pashkuss (left), 50, were found beaten to death in their NSW home in January 2008

Police on Wednesday revealed they now believe Mr Pashkuss was trying to withdraw from that business when he was killed.

Further information indicated that on the afternoon of January 5, before he died, Mr Pashkuss was seen outside his Caves Beach home in the Lake Macquarie region with a number of other people including a man wearing a black leather vest.

READ MORE: Alleged gunman arrested over fatal shooting of Comanchero bikie boss at Bondi Junction Advertisement

'Police have information which suggests their deaths are linked to organised crime networks including outlaw motorcycle gangs operating in both NSW and in Queensland,' local crime commander Superintendent Tracey Chapman told reporters on Wednesday.

Despite those leads, the coronial findings and a $250,000 reward for information, detectives have so far been unable to lay charges.

DNA evidence or other forensic evidence such as fingerprints and blood stains, and the murder weapon were not found at the crime scene or as a result of other searches.

'That reward remains available,' Supt Chapman said. 'It's never too late to come forward. No piece of information is too small. No piece of information is insignificant.

'What you may think is insignificant may be that final piece of a puzzle that police need to allow us to progress our investigation.'

On the afternoon of January 5, before he died, Mr Pashkuss was seen outside his Caves Beach home with a number of other people including a man wearing a black leather vest. Caves Beach is pictured

A family representative called Georgia said it was time for those in the know to come forward about who killed the 'warm, kind, caring and family-orientated' couple.

'We know someone knows what happened to Robert and Stacey that day,' Georgia told reporters.

'It's been 16 long years without answers for us and it's time that you come forward.

'If you know anything about what happened to Robert and Stacey, you need to come forward to the police.'
The sudden death of a young father-of-three is now being treated as a suspected homicide.

The body of Jarryd Miller, 35, was discovered at his home on Walnut Street in Lowood west of Brisbane, about 5am on Tuesday.

His cause of death remains a mystery, with forensic investigators spending Wednesday scouring the scene for evidence.

Mr Miller's friends and family described him as 'a loving family man who always put his family first and foremost'.

He is survived by his partner Jess, their daughters Nikita, 14, and Cloe, 6, and eight-year-old son Tyson.

Friends and family of father-of-three, Jarryd Miller (pictured), have paid tribute to the 'beautiful' dad after he was found dead in his Lowood home, west of Brisbane, on Tuesday

Jess took to Facebook to say her 'beautiful Jarryd was stolen from me' on Wednesday, shortly after his close friend Samantha Hall started a GoFundMe for the family.

'He was my best friend for the last 13 years and my most Favourite drinking buddy, he was always busy with his hands, always trying fix things,' Ms Hall's post to the fundraiser page reads.

'Jarryd has been a huge part of so many people's lives and experiences and definitely deserves the best send off we can give him.'

His sister Courtney said he will 'be forever missed' in a post to the fundraiser's page.

'I cant believe you're gone, my heart not only breaks for me but for your beautiful family that is now left to live life without you.'

Emergency services pronounced Jarryd (pictured) dead at the scene, with forensic investigators arriving later on Wednesday to open a homicide investigation

His sister Courtney (both pictured) said her 'heart not only breaks for me but for your beautiful family' and that he will be 'forever missed'

Others took to social media to remember the father as a good friend in the online gaming community.

Queensland Police have declared the family's home an active crime scene and have started investigations into his death that continued on Wednesday.

'He would be going crazy to see that his family can't even go back to their home, everything has been taken from them,' Ms Hall said.

Anyone with information that could aid in investigations have been urged to contact police.
The waste hauling company said their 'rogue employee' was promptly fired over the incident

In Alaska, a shocking video of a garbage truck chasing a moose down a snowy street in Anchorage has the locals fired up.

The video, which was originally posted to popular neighborhood app Nextdoor, shows a Northern Waste garbage hauling truck clearly pursuing the scared moose down the residential street.

The driver honks aggressively as the animal bounds away, a scene that was recorded in totality by someone who lives on the street.

The original poster captioned the short clip: 'Who taught this driver that this was okay?? I called Northern Waste and sent this video to them, they were not happy.'

The video shows the moose come bounding into site down the residential Anchorage street as its being pursued by the garbage truck

The 20-second film circulated on social media over the holiday weekend and has led to the investigation by the Alaska wildlife authorities into potential wildlife harassment, as well as the termination by Northern Waste of the 'rogue employee.'

The company said it has a 'zero-tolerance policy for recklessness and hazing of wildlife.'

'We were disgusted by this one persons bad decision and in our eyes we took the highest level of disciplinary action promptly,' said a spokesperson for the company.

According to Anchorage wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Cory Stantorf, who spoke with the Anchorage Daily News, said it is against Alaskan law to 'harass or unnaturally change an animals behavior.'

The agency, he added, is in the beginning stages of an investigation.

A spokesman for the Alaska Wildlife Troopers said: 'The Alaska Wildlife Troopers are aware of the video and are investigating to determine if any Alaska laws or regulations were violated.'

'At this time, no citations have been issued. he Alaska Wildlife Troopers would like to remind Alaskans that moose may aggressively defend low snow spaces they occupy during this record-setting snow season and to not approach a moose on a plowed sidewalk or trail unless its clear the animal has moved far off.'

The poor moose just barely made it around the bend in the road before getting away

The scared moose ran for its life as the truck honked. Area residents were upset by what they'd seen and contacted the waste hauling company to report the incident

The owners of Northern Waste, a waste hauling company established in 2017, said they are putting their remaining employees through training with the Fish and Game department to ensure prevention of future encounters like the one documented above.

'Weve not had to deal with this type of thing ever. We are going to communicate and participate in any way thats required,' said a representative of the company.

'We appreciate that everyone brought this to our attention.'
Teenager Alex Batty who disappeared six years ago after being 'abducted' by his mother and grandfather during a holiday to Spain has begged authorities not to send them to prison as he said he may never see them again.

The 17-year-old has returned to normal life in Oldham with his grandmother Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian at the time of his disappearance in 2017.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Alex said he will 'probably not' ever see his mother or grandfather again.

Both are adamant they do not want to see his mother and grandfather behind bars. It comes as his mother Melanie, 43, last week told friends she had to 'keep running' as she went into hiding with her father, David, 64.

Today Alex revealed more details of his nomadic lifestyle, saying it was 'very, very boring' due to being so isolated from people his own age.

Alex Batty, 17, has now returned to normal life in Oldham with his grandmother after six years abroad

Alex is pictured with his mother and grandfather after allegedly being abducted when he was 11

'That's why I didn't come home sooner. All I worried about was them getting locked up,' Alex said, speaking to Good Morning Britain on Wednesday.

He told how after first being taken to live his new life with his mother he was excited to be back with her - but after a few years he realised it was 'not the best for me'.

'In the past six years I've met one maybe two people my own age who I've made friends with,' Alex said.

He described nomadic life as 'boring, to say the least' and 'very isolated from my own peers'.

The teenager first discussed returning to the UK with his mother at the age of 16, but said it was a split-second decision to leave when he escaped early last month, leaving a note to his mother on a table.

'It was a normal day. To be honest I didn't think I was going to [leave], it was a very very quick decision for it to be that day.

'I made food for everyone, played it chill of course and then around 10.30pm I wrote the note and by 12pm I was gone.'

After finding out Alex had fled, his mother reportedly made a late-night dash from her remote hideaway in France and is said to have travelled to Spain. The 17-year-old made his escape at midnight on December 11 when his mother Melanie was asleep in bed.

He was found by a delivery driver after he had walked for 22 miles over two days, drinking from mountain springs and sleeping in the woods.

Alex told the programme he began to have doubts about the nomadic lifestyle favoured by his mother when, by the time he was 14, he took jobs in construction, painting and renovating houses in order to earn money to eat.

He was taken across the border from Spain to France where they joined various spiritual 'communes' over the years.

'We stayed in a lot of caravans and we stayed in a lot of houses, always up mountains hours away from any kind of village or anything like that,' he said.

'One day I just thought, ok, I can't take this anymore. I knew that everything was already kind of in place for them to leave where we were so if I were to have left they would be gone by the time the police arrived.

Alex told the programme he began to have doubts about the nomadic lifestyle favoured by his mother by the time he was 14 (pictured: Alex with his grandmother)

Alex disappeared during a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie and grandfather David

Alex has been living a nomadic lifestyle with his mother (pictured) for the past six years

Alex, from Oldham, was 11 when he did not return from a holiday to Spain

Alex flew to Malaga in September 2017 before being taken to a 'spiritual community' in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Investigators believe Alex escaped the rural community in southern France and spent days trekking across the French Pyrenees before being picked up by a trucker who took him to a police station in Revel, near Toulouse

She described how she feared she might never see Alex again, continuing: 'I used to think about Alex every single day and that was painful. But now I won't think that way anymore.'

Ms Caruana added: 'It's amazing. It's amazing to wake up in the morning and not have that deep pain the my stomach.'

Remarkably, she told GMB she could forgive her daughter: 'I don't want them to go to prison, that's the last thing that I want.'

The transition back to normal life has been challenging since his arrival back to the UK just before Christmas - celebrating it properly for the first time in six years.

'I've had one friend in the past six years that's been my age. Everyone else that I've known has been a lot older than me, so I'm very comfortable talking to adults but with children my age it's completely different.'

But Alex said he is enjoying being back in the cold and wet British weather, adding: 'I love the rain'.

Isolated from people his own age and having not attended school since he went missing in October 2017, Alex had become disillusioned by his life forced upon him by his 'anti-government', 'anti-vax' parent.

The teen even tried to join a top French school earlier this year to follow his dreams of one day working in IT. But this failed when staff became suspicious and called the police.

Now he is looking to enroll in college and has even planned a night out for his 18th birthday next month.

Having reconnected with many of his old schoolfriends, Alex said he plans to get 'absolutely hammered' when he celebrates in February.

During his time living off the grid, Alex had convinced his mother to move to a rented farmhouse rather than living in the mountains.

He was weary of constantly moving house and working in exchange for food and boarding, and said he only made one friend his own age during his six years away - a Spanish girl he met in a cafe.

She is said to have forced Alex to live in a 'spiritual community' instead of returning to his grandmother, who is his legal guardian.

The teenager added he learned languages by himself and studied maths and computing from textbooks but didn't attend school.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed earlier this month that it had launched a criminal investigation into his alleged kidnapping.
Junior doctors are today set to stage the longest ever strike in the history of the NHS.

Workers began a six-day walkout at 7am, delaying care for tens of thousands of patients and with experts warning it would be the NHS's 'toughest challenge yet'.

As many as 200,000 operations and appointments could be cancelled  bringing the total number since junior doctor industrial action started to more than 1million.

The strike comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the NHS, as it grapples with increased pressure from winter viruses and a rise in people coming forward who delayed seeking help over the holidays.

Health chiefs have urged those who are frail and vulnerable to 'keep warm' and take particular care as Britain battles the aftermath of Storm Henk, to reduce the risk of needing hospital care.

Ministers today pleaded with union bosses to 'come back to the table', while senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom', labelling the action 'an act of cruelty'.

It comes as a Mail investigation also found bosses of the 11 trusts with the longest referral waiting times  where the average delay for treatment is more than a year  all earn more than the Prime Minister, some significantly so.

Workers began a six-day walkout at 7am, delaying care for tens of thousands of patients and with experts warning it would be the NHS's 'toughest challenge yet'. As many as 200,000 operations and appointments could be cancelled  bringing the total number since junior doctor industrial action started to more than 1million

Health chiefs have urged those who are frail and vulnerable to 'keep warm' and take particular care during the strikes, as Britain battles the aftermath of Storm Henk, to reduce the risk of needing hospital care. Pictured, BMA members on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London today

The strike comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the NHS, as it grapples with increased pressure from winter viruses and a rise in people coming forward who delayed seeking help over the holidays. Pictured, junior doctors this morning outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary

Ministers today pleaded with union bosses to 'come back to the table', while senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom', labelling the action 'an act of cruelty'. Junior doctors in their first year now have a basic pay of 32,300, while those with three years' experience make 43,900. The most senior earn 63,100

The British Medical Association (BMA)  who has coordinated this week's action is seeking a 35 per cent salary hike for medics. The union has doubled down on its original demand, vowing 'not stop until we achieve full pay restoration'. However, the Government remains hopeful that the BMA will settle for less. Pictured, doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London today

Today's walkout marks the 29th day of industrial action by junior doctors since they first took to the picket lines in March. Pictured, doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London today

Several have enjoyed pay rises or bonuses worth up to 30,000 on top of bumper salaries, prompting critics to hit back at the 'public sector fat cats with bulging pay packets and rotten records'.

The British Medical Association (BMA)  who has coordinated this week's action is seeking a 35 per cent salary hike for medics.

The union has doubled down on its original demand, vowing 'not stop until we achieve full pay restoration'. However, the Government remains hopeful that the BMA will settle for less.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who has already sketched out deals with consultant and specialist doctors since taking over from Steve Barclay, today said: 'January is typically the busiest time of the year for the NHS and these strikes will have a serious impact on patients across the country.

'The NHS has again put in place robust contingency plans to protect patient safety and it is vital anyone who needs medical help continues to come forward.

Junior doctors' pay - the truth Junior doctors were awarded a pay rise of 6 per cent plus a consolidated payment of 1,250 in July, in line with the recommendation of the Independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration. The package was equivalent to an average increase of 8.1 per cent from 2022/23 to 2023/24, or 10.3 per cent for those in their first year of training. Average basic pay for a first year doctor increased from 29,384 to 32,397, while a junior doctor who had been a specialty trainee for six years or more saw their pay rise from 58,398 to 63,152. Many are paid a higher sum for working overtime and receiving enhanced rates for working unsociable hours. Junior doctors pocketed the extra money despite vowing to continue striking, with some boasting the additional income would subsidise further walkouts. Steve Barclay, who was Health Secretary from October 2022 until November 2023, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had described the settlement as final and insisted there would be no more talks about pay. But the British Medical Association has held further negotiations with officials and ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care since October, resulting an offer of an extra 3 per cent, which has been rejected by union representatives. The BMA has claimed that junior doctors have seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms over the past 15 years. The trainee medics have been demanding full pay restoration  worth around 35 per cent  and have said they would not settle for anything less, although senior figures within the union have suggested they may compromise. Advertisement

She added: 'I urge the BMA Junior Doctors Committee to call off their strikes and come back to the negotiating table so we can find a fair and reasonable solution to end the strikes once and for all.'

Health leaders have already expressed 'deep concern' about the risks to the elderly, raising fears that those in need of help would not come forward during the strikes.

Paul Farmer, Age UK's chief executive, said: 'We are very concerned older people who may be feeling unwell are put off seeking the care they need due to the strikes.

'We have increasingly heard from older people, already struggling to access the help they need, now worried what ongoing strikes mean for them and their families.'

Meanwhile, Professor Yvonne Doyle, the former medical director at Public Health England, told Times Radio that the public would need to play its part in reducing pressures on the health service.

'This is the period of the year when the NHS is always at its most stretched. There are things that everyone can do to actually help with that, and also look after themselves,' she said.

'Top of the list, for those who are eligible, is to get vaccinated, but also if you have got infection, keep away from people  try and limit your contact with people.'

She added: 'The other factor at this time of the year is cold weather. So older people, and people who are vulnerable to stroke, [should try to] to keep warm.'

Today's walkout marks the 29th day of industrial action by junior doctors since they first took to the picket lines in March.

Ministers had initially offered junior doctors an 8.8 per cent pay rise, on average, for the 2023/24 financial year.

However, the uplift was higher for first year medics, who were given a 10.3 per cent boost.

Junior doctors in their first year now have a basic pay of 32,300, while those with three years' experience make 43,900. The most senior earn 63,100.

Ministers insisted this was the final offer. But Ms Atkins offered the medics an additional 3 per cent on top of this rise.

However, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, who co-chair the BMA's junior doctor committee, said this sum was still 'completely insufficient' and pressed ahead with fresh walkouts.

The BMA has claimed that junior doctors have seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008.

Trainee medics have been demanding full pay restoration  worth around 35 per cent  and have said they would not settle for anything less.

But senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom'.

Tory MP Paul Bristow, a member of the Commons Health Select Committee, also labelled the action 'unthinkable', warning it would put lives at risk.

'The BMA junior doctor leadership cant keep holding the country to ransom. It is an act of cruelty to make patients pay the price for their exorbitant 35 per cent pay demands,' he said.

Steve Brine, the Tory chair of the Commons health select committee, told Times Radio today that the union's pay demand was 'totally undeliverable' and also accused striking medics of 'holding the NHS to ransom for six days'.

He added: 'The Labour party are not saying theyre making a 35 per cent pay rise, were certainly not saying that. A 35 per cent pay rise demand is totally undeliverable.

The British Medical Association (BMA)  who has coordinated this week's action is seeking a 35 per cent salary hike for medics. The union has doubled down on its original demand, vowing 'not stop until we achieve full pay restoration'. However, the Government remains hopeful that the BMA will settle for less. Pictured, junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London this morning

Health leaders have already expressed 'deep concern' about the risks to the elderly, raising fears that those in need of help would not come forward during the strikes. Pictured, junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas' Hospital in London this morning

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'It always requires a compromise. The BMA are either going to have to climb down or theyre going to be on strike forever.'

He also acknowledged that 'not all junior doctors will be on strike', adding 'they dont all take part in this radicalisation'.

But Dr Laurenson today said that strike action is the 'only thing' the Government listens to.

Speaking from a picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London, he said there was 'no good time to strike', adding 'we need to recognise that we have a massive workforce crisis'.

He said: 'The only reason the Government will even entertain talks with us is because we have strike action.'

Which NHS services will be affected? Why are junior doctors on strike? Everything you need to know about the 'unprecedented' action How long will the walk out last? Junior doctors in England will take to the picket lines for six consecutive days, the longest strike in NHS history. BMA members are striking from January 3 at 7am until 7am on January 9. Which NHS services will be affected? Almost all pre-planned (elective) hospital services will be affected by strikes as the NHS shifts all of its focus to urgent and emergency care. What should I do if I'm ill? Health officials have stressed that people should still seek help if they are unwell. GP and pharmacy services will be unaffected by the industrial action and people are being urged to use these services as they would normally. Patients can also use 111 online, or call 111. Those with life-threatening emergencies should still call 999 and use A&E as normal. Why are junior doctors on strike? In the summer ministers offered junior doctors an 8.8 per cent pay rise, on average, for the 2023/24 financial year. However, the uplift was higher for first year medics, who were given a 10.3 per cent boost. The BMA, however, said the increase was insufficient and that junior doctors had seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008. Trainee medics have been demanding full pay restoration  worth around 35 per cent  and have said they would not settle for anything less. Ministers insisted this was the final offer. But Ms Atkins offered the medics an additional 3 per cent on top of this rise. This was rejected. Junior doctors and the Government entered talks in late 2023. After five weeks of intense negotiations, however, talks broke down and the BMA announced strike action for December and January. What is happening elsewhere in the UK? Junior doctors in Wales are planning a 72-hour walkout from January 15, while doctors in training in Northern Ireland are being balloted for potential strike action. Those in Scotland have already come to an agreement with the Scottish government. Advertisement

'Im happy to negotiate right now. Ill walk down to Westminster, Ill sit down with Victoria Atkins if she wants to sit down with us, but she doesnt.

'Shes pushed us out of the negotiation room.

'The fact of the matter is we dont have enough doctors. So the Governments answer to that is apparently to cut our pay, but thats just going to drive more doctors away.'

Dr Trivedi also revealed the BMA would accept its 35 per cent pay uplift demand to be spread 'over a number of years'.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: 'All we want is a credible offer that we can put to our members and we dont need to strike ever again.

'Were not asking for any uplift or pay restoration to happen overnight. Were not even saying it has to happen in one year.

'We are very happy to look over deals that would span a number of years  but what we need to do is to start a way towards that and not further that pay erosion.

'That three per cent pay uplift would still have amounted to pay cuts for many doctors this year.'

But health leaders warned that this week's walkout would delay care for tens of thousands of patients.

Plans to cover for striking junior doctors could also be put in 'jeopardy' if just one or two senior medics go off sick, leaving hospitals 'skating on thin ice', they cautioned.

Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, told LBC Radio: 'In order to maintain patient safety as much as possible, get people the care they need as quickly as possible, all the resources available will be concentrated in the most urgent and emergency care.

'And that means that that lots of other care will need to be postponed.

'Plans have been put in place and people have been working very, very hard on these rotas.

'But the rotas are just about covered, so it only takes a consultant or two to go off sick  which, of course, theres a lot of Covid and flu, norovirus, other winter viruses around at the moment and a couple may go off sick  then that is going to put the entire plan in jeopardy.

'This is why the leaders across the NHS are so concerned that this is skating on thin ice.'

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, also said the strike will be 'incredibly tough' for the NHS.

He told BBC Breakfast the NHS is already 'under enormous pressure', adding 'we are deeply concerned about the kind of impact over the coming days'.

Cheltenham A&E has already been forced to close until 8am on January 9, due to strike pressures.

Patients in life-threatening conditions will be diverted 30 minutes to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital for emergency care.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said the closure had 'not been taken lightly' and it would work closely with local partners to ensure those in 'greatest need continue to have access to high quality care and support'.

Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, argued that 'patients are paying the price' as the dispute rumbles on.

He told LBC radio: 'My frustration over the months and months now of industrial action has been the inability, or the perceived inability, for the Government and the BMA to get around the table and to compromise and to find a solution.

'If you just read the rhetoric that comes from both sides, it seems that theres an intransigent position, and whilst that continues its the patients who are paying the price.'

He said that the strikes had 'decimated our our plans to attack the long waiting times'.

For each cancelled appointment 'theres a life, theres a delay, theres not being able to get back to work, theres an impact on them psychologically, socially and physically, so we need to find a solution quickly', he added.

Latest NHS figures show 7.7million procedures like hip replacements and cataracts surgery are currently booked in, including hundreds of thousands of patients who have been stuck in the system for over a year.

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Health service bosses have repeatedly blamed medic strikes for heaping extra pressure onto already struggling hospitals. Some 1,219,422 appointments have been postponed since NHS industrial action  which has involved staff including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics  kicked-off in December 2022. Pictured, BMA members outside St Thomas' Hospital in central London today

Critics yesterday also condemned the vast salaries paid out to NHS bosses at a time targets were routinely missed and patients were being left languishing on lists, and called for them to be curbed. Marianne Griffiths (pictured), who stepped down as boss of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust in 2022

The waiting list figure for England still marks one of the highest logged since NHS records began in August 2007 and a rise of 490,000 on October 2022.

For comparison, around 4.4million were stuck in the system when the pandemic reached the UK.

Health service bosses have repeatedly blamed medic strikes for heaping extra pressure onto already struggling hospitals.

Some 1,219,422 appointments have been postponed since NHS industrial action  which has involved staff including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and paramedics  kicked-off in December 2022.

NHS leaders have also said the real impact of strikes is masked by the data, as many hospitals have stopped booking in surgeries and other appointments on announced strike days.

Ambulance services 'pushed to the brink' as running costs are set to exceed 72million this year alone Ambulance services are set to spend more than 72million on fuel and insurance this year, up more than 10 million in five years, data shows. Figures for nine ambulance services show insurance costs have spiked 56 per cent, rising from 10.96million in 2018/19 to a projected 17.14million in 2023/24. Volatility in the price of fuel has also seen expenditure go up by almost 4.5million over the same period, from 50.94 million to 55.38 million. The figure, uncovered by a Freedom of Information request from the Liberal Democrats, includes responses from the trusts in South East Coast, South Central, East Midlands, London, North West, Scotland, Wales, East of England and the Isle of Wight. Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: 'Our ambulance services are being pushed to the brink by this Conservative governments mismanagement of our economy.' She said the figures 'paint a worrying picture of just how stretched our health service budgets are' in a winter 'that promises to be extremely challenging'. She added: 'We need to get our ambulance services the support they need. 'That means reducing their fuel bills through a proper windfall tax on the oil and gas giants.' Advertisement

But the number of appointments and operations cancelled due to junior doctor strikes alone is set to surpass one million by the end of the six-day walkout.

So far a total of more than 940,000 cancellations  an average of almost 34,000 a day  have been logged.

It comes as critics yesterday also condemned the vast salaries paid out to NHS bosses at a time targets were routinely missed and patients were being left languishing on lists, and called for them to be curbed.

Mr Bristow said most people waiting for NHS treatment 'would be shocked' to hear what hospital chiefs are earning.

He added: 'I am all for paying handsomely for a job well done, but these enormous public sector salaries, sometimes nearly twice as much as the PM, are getting pushed through without any accountability.

'Trusts that don't meet simple key performance indicators should be prevented from paying bonuses to executives and demonstrate clearly why they deserve bumper pay.'

John O'Connell of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers are sick to the back teeth of public sector fat cats with bulging pay packets and rotten records.

'Brits are told that to get the best people in the health service they have to cough up the big bucks, yet far too often there seems to be no link between pay and performance. These health bosses need to earn their stripes.'

Our investigation found that chief executives of the NHS Trusts in England with the 11 worst referral to treatment times all earned packages of at least 175,000 a year.

The PM takes home 167,391 a year. Pay levels are established by the NHS, depending on size and budget of the trust.

Boards often say they have to pay big money to attract the best candidates.

Dr George Findlay, the chief executive of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which has an average waiting time for planned or 'elective' care of 56 weeks as of September, received a package of 280,000 last year  including a 'long-term' bonus of between 25,000-30,000.

The trust has recently been embroiled in a safety scandal after four whistleblowers claimed that patients had died unnecessarily while others were 'effectively maimed'.

Sussex Police are investigating 105 allegations of alleged medical negligence at the trust, according to a BBC probe.

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which largely deals with mental health referrals, had the longest average wait, at a year and 16 weeks.

Carolyn Green, interim chief until April, received a total package, including pension, of 235,000, according to its annual report for 2022/23. The salary was also for her role as director of nursing.

At Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, where the average wait was nearly 59 weeks, chief executive Sir Mike Deegan enjoyed a package worth up to 295,000. Sir Mike, who left in March last year, was replaced by former nurse Mark Cubbon, who was awarded the same package.

Dr George Findlay (left), Chief Executive of University Hospitals Sussex, received a package of 280,000 last year. Sir Mike Deegan (right), who was head of Manchester University Hospitals until last March, enjoyed a pay package worth up to 295,000

Joanne Segasby (left), Chief Executive of James Paget Hospital Norwich, and Carolyn Green (right), who was interim Chief Executive of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust until last April both received pay packages of more than 200,000

Joanne Segasby, chief of James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also earned a package worth up to 295,000, despite average waiting times of 54 weeks.

Professor Simon Constable, who runs Warrington And Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, earned 250,000 including benefits. Patients at the trust had an average waiting time of 56 weeks in September.

Lance McCarthy, boss of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust enjoyed a 20,000 rise in his package to up to 280,000, thanks to pension boost in 2021/22. His trust had delays of 54 weeks in September this year.

Liz Davenport, chief executive of Torbay And South Devon NHS Foundation Trust also received a 20,000 boost in her package to up to 275,000, despite average waits at the trust hitting 54 weeks by September.

The latest walkouts will heap further strain on under-performing trusts, with more than one and a half months now lost to strikes, at a cost of around 2billion.

A spokesman for Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it has 'experienced a significant increase in demand'.

A spokesman for Torbay and South Devon said: 'Our waiting times are reducing: we're on track that by the end of March, no one will be waiting longer than 65 weeks.'

The Princess Alexandra Trust apologised to patients left waiting, adding: 'Unprecedented demand and the impact of industrial action has added to further delays.'

A University Hospitals Sussex spokesman said it had cut waiting times for 10,000 patients in the last ten weeks and added that it was supporting the police investigation 'into some areas of surgery in the past'.
Britons continued to endure transport misery today as 'do not travel' warnings were issued and 10,000 homes remained without power after Storm Henk lashed the UK.

Major flooding risks remained with nearly 750 alerts or warnings imposed across England and Wales as the UK rail network continued to be crippled by the weather.

In Gloucestershire, a motorist in his 50s from the Bath area died when a tree fell on the car he was driving in near Kemble between Tetbury and Cirencester yesterday.

Passengers using Thameslink, Southern, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and Great Northern services all faced severe disruption this morning.

Greater Anglia activated 'do not travel' warnings for parts of its network, while several major roads in England were closed due to flooding. It comes as:

The Energy Networks Association said 135,000 homes lost power in the storm;

Rail operators warned travel disruption is likely to continue for the rest of today;

Lincolnshire firefighters said they received 140 flood-related calls in 24 hours;

The London Fire Brigade attended more than 200 incidents related to the storm;

Leicestershire Police said homes were being hit by flooding in Loughborough.

Southern England was battered yesterday by winds of up to 94mph and heavy rain as the storm caused chaos for commuters and an amber 'danger to life' warning for strong gusts was issued, covering a 400-mile swathe from Norwich to Swansea.

The severe winds brought down scaffolding in Greenwich and Sutton in London, where Mayor Sadiq Khan warned of 'potential risk to life and property'. Also in the capital, a woman was taken to hospital after being crushed by a tree in Orpington.

Huge waves crash against the pier at Seaham in County Durham this morning

A fallen tree at Greenwich Park in South East London today after it was blown over in the storm

A vehicle is driven through a flooded country lane at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

The Environment Agency issued 331 flood warnings (in red) and 363 flood alerts (in amber)

Today, transport delays continued after rain and strong winds from the the storm lashed large parts of the UK - with the Environment Agency imposing a whopping 331 flood warnings and 363 flood alerts across England as of this morning.

The strongest gales were recorded at the Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight

A severe flood alert, meaning danger to life, was also in place for the River Nene in Northampton, which warned of deep and fast-flowing water at the Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks.

In Wales there was a severe flood warning for the River Ritec in Tenby, 11 flood warnings and 38 flood alerts, according to Natural Resources Wales.

In Gloucestershire, a motorist died after a tree fell on the car he was driving in yesterday during strong winds and heavy rain.

Police said a man in his 50s died in the incident on Tetbury Road, near Kemble.

Officers were called at around 3.15pm with reports of a large fallen tree on the A433 Tetbury Road near the A429 junction. The force appealed for witnesses today.

Flooding in York this morning where the River Ouse has broken its banks and risen again

A horse rider passes through the muddy copse at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

The Kings Arms pub in York today after the River Ouse broke its banks and flooded the city

Water logged country paths at first light in Dunsden, Oxfordshire, this morning

'Emergency services, including an air ambulance, attended the location which is between Tetbury and Cirencester,' a police spokesman said this morning.

READ MORE Woman is crushed by fallen tree as Storm Henk sparks travel hell Advertisement

'Despite the efforts of those at the scene a man aged in his fifties and from the Bath area died. His next of kin and the coroner have been informed.

'The road remains closed as recovery and investigation work continues and motorists are asked to find alternative routes.'

The Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents UK power network operators, said 125,000 customers had been reconnected since the storm damaged power lines yesterday.

As of 7am today, about 10,000 homes were without power. Ross Easton from the ENA said: 'Some parts of the country have seen winds in excess of 80mph, and it's the debris carried by this intensive wind which has caused significant damage to power lines in places.

'Technicians have reconnected around 125,000 customers and work continues right now to reconnect the remaining 10,000 homes as quickly and safely as possible.'

The UK's rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts yesterday afternoon, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the morning commute.

Greater Anglia said it was still experiencing 'severe disruption', with 'do not travel' warnings in place on routes in Norwich, Colchester, Peterborough and Cambridge.

A tree partially blocks a road today in Greenwich, South East London, after it was blown down

Flooding outside Primark at the Market Street tram stop in Manchester city centre today

A tree that landed on one car and upturned another on Nacton Road in Ipswich this morning

Meanwhile South Western Railway said disruption linked to the storm was likely continue throughout the day.

READ MORE Storm Henk travel hell as trains are cancelled, Dartford Crossing is closed and holiday parks are evacuated Advertisement

SWR chief operating officer Stuart Meek and Network Rail interim route director for Wessex Matt Pocock said: 'We are very sorry for the disruption customers experienced yesterday, due to the serious and widespread impact of Storm Henk.

'The severe winds led to trees on the line damaging or delaying trains in multiple locations across our network.

'We jointly took the decision to suspend running services for several hours to ensure the safety of all our customers and colleagues.

'This had a knock-on effect with delays and cancellations through the rest of the day. We expect disruption linked to this storm to continue through today because of trains and crews being displaced.

'We would urge everyone to check before they travel to see whether their train is running as planned. Once again, we're sorry for the disruption to your journey.'

Great Northern Rail said services would be delayed from Cambridge to Ely and Kings Lynn until 10am on Wednesday as they work to repair damaged overhead wires and remove a damaged train.

Southern Rail also said delays were expected with repairs ongoing between Uckfield, Buxted and Crowborough.

Great Western Railway said flooding due to the storm had blocked several parts of its network.

@Kent_Online Trees fallen from the Bexleyheath Golf Course. Narrow escape for 1 car pic.twitter.com/utxhJ1oJCp  Phil Porter (@pporter2000) January 2, 2024

A fallen tree lands on a car in Forest Hill in South East London last night after Storm Henk hit

Scaffolding falls in Greenwich, South East London, last night after a wind warning was issued

Flooding near Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire means all lines are closed between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

Services between London Paddington and South Wales are being diverted, adding around 40 minutes to journey times.

Flooding also means the route between Liskeard and Looe is blocked, and some lines are closed between Totnes and Plymouth.

On the roads, National Highways said the A52 in Nottinghamshire was closed in both directions between the A60 (Nottingham Knight roundabout) and the A606 (Edwalton) but one lane of the eastbound carriageway reopened this morning. The westbound remains closed.

The A1 in Lincolnshire is closed northbound from the A52 (Grantham) and the B6326 (near Newark) because of standing water.

A tree blown lands on a car yesterday on Beckenham Grove in Bromley, South East London

Departure boards at London Paddington station were blank last night after a power outage

The A21 in East Sussex is closed in both directions between the A2100 (near Johns Cross) and the A28 (near Baldslow) because a fallen tree is resting on power cables above the road.

National Highways said: 'With more rain expected in many areas throughout the day, it is anticipated that the roads will remain closed for several hours.'

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received 140 flood-related calls in 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire Police said a large number of homes were being affected by flooding in Loughborough, with police closing Belton Road from the junction of Jubilee Drive to Meadow Lane and A426 Lutterworth Road from Little Glen Road To Leicester Road Roundabout in Blaby.

Yesterday, a woman was injured by a falling tree in Orpington as high winds hit.

The Metropolitan Police were called at 3.14pm to reports that a woman had been struck by a tree in Station Approach. Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The strongest gales were recorded at the Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight, where wind speeds reached 94mph.

Gusts of 81mph were reached at Exeter Airport in Devon, and top winds hit 71mph at the Isle of Portland in Dorset and also at Mumbles Head in Glamorgan.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to The Ford in Kenilworth yesterday to rescue a motorist who got stuck trying to drive through flood water.

In Greenwich, a large panel of scaffolding fell from either side of a building on Creek Road due to the heavy winds.

Marketing manager Josh Hargreaves, 30, said he and his boyfriend had watched the scaffolding 'pretty much swaying in the wind' before falling from the front of the building at around 3.40pm.

Then, an hour later, scaffolding fell from the back of the building as well.
The sister of Primrose Hill stabbing victim Harry Pitman has shared a heartbreaking tribute to the 16-year-old who was knifed to death on New Year's Eve as he watched the fireworks.

Devastated Tayla Pitman, 19, posted a video reel of touching photos of her brother set to the song 'You Are My Sunshine'.

Captioning the emotional post, she said: 'I love you H, more than you could ever imagine, I just want you to come home. I'm so sorry my sweet boy I love you to the moon and back.'

Harry Pitman died just moments before midnight as he watched the New Year's Eve Primrose Hill fireworks from Camden, surrounded by thousands of revellers.

The Metropolitan Police said yesterday that a 16-year-old boy who had been arrested on suspicion of murder was released on bail pending further investigation. It said today that enquiries were ongoing.

Harry Pitman, 16, was knifed to death on New Year's Eve moment before midnight as he was watching the Primrose Hill fireworks in Camden

Harry's 19-year-old sister Tayla (pictured) paid a heartbreaking tribute to her younger brother

She shared photos of the youngster set to the song 'You Are My Sunshine' by Christina Perri

She said: 'I love you H, more than you could ever imagine, I just want you to come home. 'I'm so sorry my sweet boy I love you to the moon and back'

His family are now asking Tottenham Hotspur fans - Harry's favourite team - to pay tribute to the teenager at Friday's match against Burnley.

They have asked Spurs fans to chant his name and applaud in tribute at a match on Friday after he was knifed to death on New Year's Eve.

It comes after a vigil was held for the 'cheeky chappy' near their home in Tottenham, with his heartbroken mother Amanda Woolveridge among the 100 mourners.

His family are now asking Tottenham Hotspur fans - Harry's favourite team - to pay tribute to the teenager at Friday's match against Burnley. Pictured: Harry (left) in an England football shirt with his sister Tayla and a friend, who is in a Spurs top

His heartbroken family has asked Spurs fans to chant his name and applaud in tribute at a match on Friday after he was knifed to death on New Year's Eve

Harry's grandfather Derek Pitman, 71, said his grandson (pictured smiling with a friend), who was 6ft3in, was one of the tallest people in their family

The heartbroken grandfather said: 'He is one of the biggest members of the family - being tall can make you a target'. Pictured: Harry posing for a photo with his friends

He added: He had bright ginger hair that he grew into and he wore it well - like a badge of honour.' Pictured: Youngster Harry with his 19-year-old sister Tayla

Mr Pitman said he feels 'numb' from shock with all the family are 'just walking around in a daze'. Moving tributes were paid to the 16-year-old after he was stabbed to death on New Year's Eve

Harry's grandfather Derek Pitman, 71, said his grandson, who was 6ft3in, was one of the tallest people in their family.

The heartbroken grandfather said: 'He is one of the biggest members of the family - being tall can make you a target. He had bright ginger hair that he grew into and he wore it well - like a badge of honour.'

Mr Pitman said he had become increasingly concerned about the rise in teen stabbings in London and 'now it's happened to us'.

Harry Pitman (pictured) died just moments before midnight on New Year's Eve

Police officers conduct a search on Primrose Hill in Camden, north London

People release balloons as they take part in a vigil in Downhills Park

Describing the moment he found out about his grandson's death, the grief-stricken 71-year-old told the Telegraph: 'We got a text from Harry's dad saying Happy New Year and then about half past 12 he rang us again.

'He was just saying ''no, no, no it can't be true'' over and over and then he said Harry's been stabbed. He's dead.'

After receiving the devastating news, Mr Pitman and his wife Pearl, 69, raced across London to their son's home to help comfort their family.

'When we arrived, Neil was in tears and said he had been texting Harry to wish him happy new year and he said he had been confused as to why he couldn't get hold of him,' the grandfather told The Times.

Crowds on Primrose Hill stand and watch as fireworks go off in the distance on New Year's Eve

The scene at Primrose Hill on New Year's Day

Harry's dinner was waiting for him, laid out on the table, with his mother unable to stop crying, repeatedly saying 'he hasn't had his dinner'.

Mr Pitman said he feels 'numb' from shock with all the family are 'just walking around in a daze'.

The bereaved grandfather called for more to be done to stop knife crime in London. He told the paper 'if you get caught with a knife it should be straight away, two years in prison - that's it'.

Harry's maternal grandfather Phillip Woolveridge paid tribute to the 16-year-old who 'did not have a bad bone in his body' and raised fears the teenage Tottenham fan was targeted for his 6ft3in height.

It came after a group of residents revealed it had written 'frequently over the last couple of years' to Royal Parks, which runs the site where the event was held, to warn that 'such a tragedy' could happen due to rising violence and anti-social behaviour.

The Primrose Hill Neighbourhood Watch posted this photo showing large numbers of people entering the park

Speaking outside his home in Tottenham, the 59-year-old blasted the out of control knife crime in the capital and demanded action from the authorities.

Mr Woolveridge said knife crime in London is 'getting out of hand' and revealed the families devastation at losing their 'lovely boy'.

READ MORE HERE: Heartbroken mother of murdered Harry Pitman joins 100 mourners at vigil for her son after he was stabbed to death at Primrose Hill New Year's Eve fireworks Advertisement

'I don't know what's going to be done moving forward but I don't want Harry's passing to be in vain,' he told ITV.

'Something really has got to be done. It's a terrible shame, its a terrible loss. The whole family are devastated, we cannot believe this.

'I am very very angry. I just hope whoever has done this gets the most serious punishment they can get.'

According to an analysis by PA News Agency, 21 teenagers - including Harry - met violent deaths on the streets of London last year.

Of those killed, 18 were stabbed, two were shot, and one was killed when the moped they were riding was hit by a car.

Mr Woolveridge added: 'He was finding his way in life finally - with all the confusion and a young boy growing up, but he was finally finding his way.

'Just got his first little job. He was that sort of person who could deal with people.

'He was growing up and he was finding his way and this is just such a terrible loss, it really is. He just had his future ahead of him.'

He told The Sun: 'Moving forward is going to be a slow process. I just cannot believe he's no longer here. I'm angry. I'm very angry.

'We have got to rally around my daughter [Harry's mum]. We are worried about her.'

Police officers conduct a fingertip search on Primrose Hill

A forensic team team arrived at the park to examine the crime scene

It comes as London's Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman told the Standard that residents living close to Primrose Hill had written 'frequently over the last couple of years warning of such a tragedy' because of rising violence and anti-social behaviour.

Ms Waxman said some had even 'hired a barrister to write a legal letter... as they believe Royal Parks [which is responsible for the site] have not kept the park secure'.

She said: 'This was a senseless tragedy and my thoughts are with Harry's family and loved ones.'

A Royal Parks spokesperson told the outlet: 'The tragic stabbing of Harry Pitman on New Year's Eve is being investigated by the police. The park remains closed during these investigations. Our thoughts are with Harry's family and friends.

'Primrose Hill has been open to the public for many years, and we work closely with the police to nsure that it is safely enjoyed by visitors.

'On New Year's Eve, the park was open until 1am for visitors to enjoy the celebrations, supported by a police presence, and The Royal Parks supplied stewards and tower lights.'

On Monday night Harry's older sister Tayla, 19, and older brother, Patrick paid tribute to their 'mischievous and cheeky' Harry who 'always stood up for what was right'.

The pair described their family's utter heartbreak, with their mother unable to remove Harry's dinner that he was supposed to eat when he returned home from the oven.

Fighting back tears, sister Tayla said from their terrace house in Tottenham, north London: 'It doesn't seem real, I keep on expecting him to come through the front door. His dinner is still in the oven, mum can't bring herself to remove it.

'He was the middle child of five. He has a younger four year old brother and a five year old sister. We haven't told them what's happened yet, we don't know how to. Harry was my baby brother, he was most handsome boy you could ever meet.

'I remember holding him in my arms for the first time when I was barely three years old. Now he won't ever get to grow up.'

Harry was called 'Errol' by loved ones after a character on a children's television show he liked.

Ambulances and police cars line up near an iron fence in Primrose Hill on New Year's Eve

Harry Pitman's mother, Amanda Woolveridge, was seen being supported by members of her family at a vigil in Downhills Park last night

Around 100 people gathered at the park, which is close to Harry's home in Tottenham, to pay their respects to him

Those in attendance shined the lights on their phones, with some singing Tottenham Hotspur songs in tribute to him

People gather in Downhills Park to pay their respects to Harry on Tuesday evening

'He would never answer to Harry at home - just 'Errol' - it was mine, Harry and mum's little joke,' his sister added before calling for his killer to be brought to justice.

'I hope whoever has done this knows they haven't just taken a life, they've destroyed a whole family and community,' Tayla said. 'I hope that thought eats away at them for the rest of their life.'

Standing outside her family's terraced home on a smart street, Tayla continued: 'Harry could be mischievous and cheeky and he could really wind me up at times.

'But he didn't have a bad bone in his body. He always stood up for what is right.

'That sometimes meant Harry got into fights but he would never use a knife, he wouldn't dream of ever carrying any weapon. He wasn't involved with any gangs whatsoever.

'He was a tall boy, 6ft3, and so could look after himself. Although he didn't have a girlfriend, he was a ladies' man, always chatting up girls.

'I was feeling down about spending New Year's Eve on my own and I happened to look at my phone at 11.40pm, the exact time Harry was stabbed. I don't know what made me look at my phone but an hour later, my brother Patrick called and told me Harry had gone.

'I'm devastated, he was my baby brother. He didn't even get to see the fireworks, which is why he went to Primrose Hill in the first place.'

Harry attended Wilbury Primary School in Edmonton and St Thomas More secondary school in Wood Green. He was a Catholic and was confirmed at the church of St John Vianney, Haringey, last Easter.

More recently, he harboured dreams of joining the army and joining the SAS.
City Hall has blamed 'fake tickets' for the chaos at London's New Year fireworks after revellers complained about huge queues, poor signage and being denied access to official viewing areas.

The massive celebration included more than 12,000 fireworks, 600 drones and 430 lights - but some critics labelled the event 'the Sadiq Khan show', while others didn't even catch a glimpse of the New Year's Eve spectacular at all.

Several ticketholders, some who had even travelled to London from Europe and the US, fumed that the event was poorly organised, with footage shared online showing huge crowds brought to a complete standstill.

Others blasted the annual display in the capital as 'a farce', 'a scam' and 'a shambles'.

A spokesman for the Mayor told MailOnline that a 'number of people arrived at ticket gates with fake tickets and were refused entry, and unfortunately this led to delays at entry points'.

Revellers at London's New Year's Eve fireworks complained of huge queues, poor signage and being denied entry to viewing areas

Mayor Sadiq Khan had billed the event as London's 'best and biggest ever' New Year celebration

Nikolaj Hansen-Turton wrote an open letter to Mr Khan on Twitter to express his frustration towards the organisers.

He wrote: I am writing this message to express my disappointment with the situation that took place at the London New Year's Fireworks show. For many of us at Pink section we were met with huge disappointment.

Mr Hansen-Turton said that he joined the queue at 9pm and only moved around 100m in two hours.

He said that staff members suggested moving to different zones, staying put or even told them to give up and go home.

Mr Hansen-Turton, who decided to stick it out in the same queue, continued: 'The crowds then started rushing and pushing and it was very unsafe and scary. We were advised by police and staff to go home and leave the area, which we did.

'We are hurt by how unorganised, unsafe, and unprofessional this event was. I pray nobody was seriously hurt by this mismanagement,' he added, calling for a public apology and compensation from the Mayor of London.

In a separate tweet last night, Mr Hansen-Turton fumed that the mayor had still not apologised, adding: 'What makes it hurt even more is the Mayor is continually posting about how amazing the fireworks were while not acknowledging the issues with those who payed and travelled to see them.'

Other revellers have also taken to social media to complain about the event which the mayor billed as London's 'best and biggest ever' New Year celebration.

Several ticketholders, some from the US and Europe, flocked to social media to complain about the organisation of the event. Others shared footage from within the packed crowds

Alminas Plunge wrote: 'The situation at the pink line was extremely disorganised. We travelled all the way from Lithuania to London for the New Year's fireworks.

'Our investment in this show extended beyond the 20 per person ticket price. We found ourselves stuck in a queue, unable to enter.'

Another user, Antony, posted: '100's of 1000's of people, myself included bought tickets for the family & queued for 3+ hrs not to get into the event. Completely disorganised & very unsafe when the crowds rushed the gates. Here on vacation from California.'

Smruthi Venkat added: 'Extremely hideous crowd management. No Staff available anywhere along the pink 3 zone. The queue stood for miles and miles, with other random queues mixing with one another. Same thing with red 4 zone. Denied entry after 4 hours of wait.'

And Bhavana Sornapudi wrote: 'It was an utter disappointment in the pink area. Despite having tickets, and waiting in queue for long hours (3-4 hrs), the gates were closed and unable to view anything. Worst way to start a New Year.'

Just before the bongs of Big Ben sounded at midnight in London, a message saying 'The Mayor of London presents' was written high in the sky

Mr Khan's fireworks had previously been labelled as an 'ego trip' and 'the Sadiq Khan show'

The celebration that lasted almost 15 minutes referenced the King's coronation and also used Charles's quote to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush crossing in which he said the new arrivals 'collectively enrich the fabric of our national life'.

There were repeated references to London's diversity and inclusivity, with Mr Khan telling the world everyone is welcome in a city where people can be themselves.

Some 100,000 people in the capital cast their eyes to the sky to take in the firework, laser, and drone show.

As hits by the Spice Girls, Calvin Harris, Dua Lupa and others rang out across the city, revellers were invited to look back on 2023.

But critics were left frustrated after the event, with one posting: 'The Mayor of London presents The Sadiq Khan Show. Funded by the extremely p***ed off British taxpayer. #LondonNYE #LondonFireworks.'

Further messages throughout the pyrotechnic show were heard from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Dame Helen Mirren, Bella Ramsey, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, George the Poet, and Baroness Floella Benjamin, who read a poem by the late Benjamin Zephaniah.

Fireworks light up the sky over the London Eye in London during the New Year celebrations

Fireworks organised by Sadiq Khan welcome in the New Year in London overnight

People watch the fireworks over the London Eye in London during the New Year celebrations

Fireworks organised by the Mayor of London welcome in the New Year in the capital

But one viewer tweeted: 'What a load of c**p. The only thing London can celebrate is being the crime capital of the world with this failing mayor. Even the fireworks were c**p.'

And another added: 'Since when did you do the 'Presented by' The Mayor of London' thing? I thought the light show was down to experts. How arrogant.'

A City Hall spokesman said: 'City Hall worked in close partnership with the Met police, Transport for London, British Transport Police and event stewarding teams to put on this year's spectacular New Year's Eve celebrations.

'While the vast majority of more than 100,000 ticketholders enjoyed the display, we're sorry if any ticketholders were unable to fully enjoy the evening.

'A number of people arrived at ticket gates with fake tickets and were refused entry, and unfortunately this led to delays at entry points. City Hall continues to work closely with the Met police to tackle the sale of these fake tickets.'
The London Underground will have 'little to no service' from Monday until Thursday next week as workers cause mayhem with a major Tube strike amid a pay dispute.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union working on different parts of the network will strike on separate days between this Friday and January 12.

Major disruption will begin from this Sunday, January 7 - when Tube services will end earlier than normal with passengers advised to complete all journeys by 5.30pm.

Transport for London (TfL) then warned that from Monday to Thursday next week, 'severe disruption is expected with little to no service' on all Tubes. Services will then start 'later than normal' next Friday with a good service expected by midday.

The Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, Elizabeth line or TfL bus services are all set to be busier than normal next week, although none of them are on strike.

Some of these services may also been affected by station closures where stations also serve Underground lines, while one-way or queueing systems could be in place.

But there is still a chance that the action could yet be called off  as happened in October last year - given talks between TfL and RMT remained ongoing today.

Queues for buses outside London Liverpool Street station in August 2022 during a Tube strike

TfL today urged Underground passengers to 'only travel if their journey is essential' from this Sunday evening until next Friday.

How Tube strikes will affect YOUR journey in January 2024 Here is the official guidance for passengers on next week's Tube strike from Transport for London: Sunday, January 7 : 'Tube services will close earlier than normal. Customers are advised to complete Tube journeys by 5.30pm'

: 'Tube services will close earlier than normal. Customers are advised to complete Tube journeys by 5.30pm' Monday, January 8 to Thursday, January 11 : 'Severe disruption is expected, with little to no service expected to run'

: 'Severe disruption is expected, with little to no service expected to run' Friday January, 12 : 'Tube services will start later than normal, with a good service expected by midday' Advertisement

Transport bosses added that this Sunday evening, lines serving the Emirates Stadium in North London for the Arsenal v Liverpool FA Cup third round match, which kicks off at 4.30pm and will end around 6.30pm, will 'try to remain open longer'.

They said football fans should make their way straight to the trains following the match because services will start to close from 7.30pm on these lines.

Chaos will begin when engineering and maintenance workers take strike action on this Friday and Saturday, with no rest-day working or overtime from then until January 12.

Underground control centre as well as power and control members will be taking action over this Sunday and next Monday, and all fleet workers will walk out next Monday.

Signallers and service controller members will take action next Tuesday and next Thursday while all fleet, stations and trains grades will walk out next Wednesday.

TfL also said that if the strike goes ahead, it will look at amending planned engineering work on the District line, which could result in a closure of the Wimbledon branch between Wimbledon and Parsons Green this Friday.

Meanwhile Chiltern Railways warned that its services between London Marylebone and Aylesbury via Amersham would be affected by the Tube strike.

This is because they run alongside Underground infrastructure including the tracks and signalling systems.

Closed entrances to Euston Underground station during a strike in November 2022

During the strike period, on some days its trains will not call at South Ruislip because the station will be closed.

Full list of Tube strike dates in January 2024 Friday, January 5 - Engineering and maintenance

Saturday, January 6 - Engineering and maintenance

Sunday, January 7 - Control centre and power/control

Monday, January 8 - All fleet

Tuesday, January 9 - Signallers and service controllers

Wednesday, January 10 - All fleet

Thursday, January 11 - Signallers and service controllers Engineering and maintenance are also told not to work any overtime or rest day working between January 5 and 12 Advertisement

Last month, MailOnline reported how members of the RMT had voted 'overwhelmingly' by 90.5 per cent to take industrial action over an 'unacceptable' 5 per cent pay offer.

Different parts of the workforce will strike on different days in an attempt to cripple the network without all staff having to walk out and lose pay at the same time.

The RMT hit out at 'below inflation' pay rises for staff and claimed TfL had created a bonus pot of 13million for senior managers.

It also pointed out that TfL commissioner Andy Lord had an 11 per cent pay rise in June of 40,000, taking his salary from 355,000 up to 395,000.

The union said it wanted to 'see full staff travel facilities for all Tube workers restored' and criticised TfL bosses for 'freezing pay bands', warning that it will create a 'two-tier workforce'.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said Tube workers who help bring 'vast amounts of value' to the London economy were 'not going to put up with senior managers and commissioners raking it in, while they were given modest below inflation offers'.

He added: 'The refusal of Transport for London to restore staff travel facilities and create a two-tier workforce is also unacceptable.

'Our members have made it clear that they are prepared to take action and we urge TfL to improve their offer to avert disruption in the capital.'

Rail, Maritime and Transport union boss Mick Lynch with supporters at Euston in May 2022

A total of 5,334 of 9,723 RMT members took part in the ballot, with 4,827 voting for action and 505 voting against, reported the Evening Standard.

Glynn Barton, TfL's chief operating Officer, said today: 'We are disappointed that RMT is planning strike action in response to our offer of a 5 per cent pay increase.

'We have been clear throughout our productive discussions with our trade unions that this offer is the most we can afford while ensuring that we can operate safely, reliably and sustainably.

'We encourage the RMT to engage with us to avoid disruption for Londoners. We would like to advise anyone travelling during the strike days to check before they travel.'

Today, City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince called on Sadiq Khan to use new minimum service laws to ensure a Tube service still runs next week.

Closed gates at Harrow-on-the-Hill Underground station during the Tube strike in March 2023

He told MailOnline: 'Sadiq Khan needs to decide if he is the Mayor for Londoners or the Mayor for trade unions.

'The Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act gives Sadiq Khan the power to intervene in next week's strikes to ensure minimum service levels on the Underground network.

'In 2016, Sadiq Khan promised zero strikes on the Underground network. Next week's industrial action will be the 140th strike under his watch - four times as many as the previous mayor.

'Sadiq Khan is both Mayor and chairman of TfL. Londoners will know who to blame when the Tube network grinds to a halt once again next week.'

In October last year, the RMT called off two planned weekday Tube strikes following 'significant progress' in talks with Underground bosses at conciliation service Acas.
Hezbollah vowed the assassination of Hamas deputy will not go unpunished

Israel's assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday has raised fears that the war in Gaza could spread beyond the Palestinian enclave and engulf the Middle East.

Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a brutal air and ground offensive against the group almost three months ago on the heels of the ruthless October 7 attacks on Israeli towns.

Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a powerful Hamas ally, previously vowed to strike back against any Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon, and said of the attack: 'This crime will never pass without response and punishment.'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also condemned the killing, declaring Israel 'aims to draw Lebanon' further into the war.

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began, but so far the Lebanese group has appeared reluctant to dramatically escalate the fighting.

A significant response now could send the conflict spiralling into all-out war on Israel's northern border.

Meanwhile, Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran - the chief backer of Hamas and Hezbollah - said Arouri's killing would 'undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers.

'Not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all freedom-seekers worldwide.'

Saleh al-Arouri, 57, was the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, and was considered the de facto leader of the organisation's military wing

Arouri was one of the most influential in Hamas and was residing in Beirut's southern suburbs under the protection of Hezbollah until his death following an Israeli strike

Investigators stand on an apartment building where an apparent Israeli strike Tuesday killed top Hamas political leader Saleh Arouri, in the southern suburb of Beirut that is a Hezbollah stronghold

Palestinian Hamas suporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah protest on January 2, 2024, against an Israeli strike in Lebanon that killed Hamas' deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri

People search for survivors inside an apartment following a massive explosion in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon

A fireball from an explosion erupts during Israeli bombardment on Khan Yunis from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip early on January 3, 2024

Fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah

Arouri, a co-founder of Hamas' military wing who lived in exile in Beirut in an evidently futile attempt to avoid Israel's wrath, is accused by Tel-Aviv of masterminding numerous attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

But Hamas officials also said he was 'at the heart of negotiations' conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages.

Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.

He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed 'a complete cessation' of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.

Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts.

The slain Hamas deputy predicted his death in August last year, declaring: 'I am waiting for martyrdom and I think I have lived too long,' as he spoke of Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.

The strike that killed Arouri on Tuesday hit a residential building in the Beirut suburb of Musharafieh, killing four other people, according to the Lebanese news agency.

Hamas leader Haniyeh said the movement was 'more powerful and determined' following the attack.

'They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them,' he said of those killed.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank in the hours after Arouri's killing, chanting: 'Revenge, revenge!'

And Iranian-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen have vowed to continue their attacks on shipping in the Rea Sea until Israel halts the conflict in Gaza, and warned that it would attack U.S. warships if the militia group itself was targeted.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the assault in Gaza until Hamas is crushed. At the same time, Israeli officials have increasingly warned in recent days of stepped-up action against Hezbollah unless its cross-border fire stops.

Israel has claimed to have killed a series of mid-level Hamas officials in Gaza since October 7, but the assassination of the group's deputy Arouri is without doubt the most high-profile killing thus far in the conflict.

It comes just weeks after an Israeli air raid outside Damascus killed Razi Moussavi, a senior figure in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment on Khan Yunis from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip early on January 3, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas

The Hamas office was located in Dahiyeh, an area in Beirut's southern suburbs and a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah

A Hezbollah Civil defense worker searches for body remains inside a burned car, near an apartment building where an apparent Israeli strike Tuesday killed top Hamas political leader Saleh Arouri

The attack on Arouri came during more than two months of heavy exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and members of Hezbollah along Lebanon's southern border

People search for survivors following a massive explosion in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon

Tehran is the chief backer of both Hamas and Hezbollah - but these are just some of the powerful militias that have been propped up by Iranian money, weapons and military training in recent decades

The Gaza war was triggered by a shock cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 hostages dragged back to Gaza.

But Israeli bombardments have engulfed Gaza's 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.

The Gaza health ministry this morning said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza.

Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians and blames Hamas for embedding fighters among them, an accusation Hamas denies.

The IDF announced Monday that it would withdraw five brigades, or several thousand troops, from Gaza in the coming weeks.

But Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said it would be a mistake to think that Israel is planning on halting the war.

'The feeling that we will stop soon is incorrect,' he said Tuesday. 'Without a clear victory, we will not be able to live in the Middle East.'

Israel is closing in on achieving operational control over most of northern Gaza, where ground troops have been battling militants for over two months.

But Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters are believed still to be in the north, and residents reported clashes in several parts of Gaza City, as well as in the nearby urban Jabaliya refugee camp.

Fierce fighting has continued in other parts of the Palestinian territory, especially the south, where many of Hamas' forces remain intact and where most of Gaza's population has fled.

Palestinians reported heavy airstrikes and artillery shelling in the southern city of Khan Younis and farming areas to the east this morning. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israel bombed its headquarters in the city, killing five people. At least 14,000 displaced people are sheltering in the building, it said.

Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, the people of Lebanon also live in fear their country could be pulled into a full-fledged war.

Hezbollah and Israel fought a month-long war in 2006, when Israeli bombardment wreaked heavy destruction in the south of the country.
BBC Radio 4's Martha Kearney said the word 's**t' live on air before 7am after her colleague Mishal Husain used the curse word seven times in one minute while grilling the Home Secretary.

The Today programme host dropped the s-word while discussing a report about Husain's use of the swear word during a tough interview with James Cleverly over his own use of bad language.

The BBC allows swearing when 'editorially justified'. It is likely the word 's**t' was considered tolerable by the corporation because it was quoting a politician in a story where his choice of language was an issue of controversy.

Ofcom regards the word 's**t' as 'potentially unacceptable' before the 9pm TV watershed. However, the watershed does not apply to radio. And though the word may not have any sexual, racial or religious connotations, its use is likely to raise eyebrows.

During this morning's exchange, Kearney said: 'The word ''s***'' seven times in less than a minute during an interview. It's quite a record'.

Her colleague Hussain then replied: 'Martha, I can't believe you've gone there again this morning.'

BBC Radio 4 presenter Martha Kearney (pictured) said 's***' live on air before 7am

Mishal Husain said the word 's**t' seven times over the course of a minute yesterday as she grilled Home Secretary James Cleverly

Cleverly has said he does not recognise claims that he had described the Rwanda policy as 'bats**t'.

He has also denied calling Labour MP Alex Cunningham's Stockton North constituency a 's**thole', insisting he actually called the politician 'a s**t'.

Why were Martha Kearney and Mishal Husain allowed to swear? The BBC allows swearing when 'editorially justified'. It is likely the word 's**t' was considered tolerable by the corporation because it was quoting a politician in a story where his choice of language was an issue of controversy. It is also not a word that is particularly offensive given it has no sexual, racial or religious connotations. Ofcom ranks 's**t' as 'medium' in terms of its level of offensiveness. This means it is 'potentially unacceptable' before the 9pm TV watershed. However, the watershed does not apply to radio. Advertisement

Questioning the Tory minister yesterday, Husain mentioned 'the time it was reported that you called a government policy bats**t' and 'the person or place you referred to in Parliament as a s**thole'.

'No I didn't,' Cleverly said.

'You didn't use the word s**thole in Parliament?' Husain said.

'No, I absolutely didn't.'

'You didn't use the word s**thole in Parliament?'

'No I didn't.'

'So when you were picked up on a microphone who was talking, who said the word in Parliament?'

Cleverly said Husain 'needed to do better research' and that he was referring to 'an individual'.

'You used the word s**t didn't you?' Husain replied.

'Yes I did, but the point is what you just accused me of is very very different and completely wrong,' Cleverly said.

'Ok, you say that you did say that a person was a s**t. Other people heard different things,' Husain said.

This angered the Home Secretary, who insisted he had 'just clarified' what he actually said.

'Other people say you said s**hole, you say you said s**t,' Husain said.

'No, other people can only hear what I said, I know what I said,' Cleverly said.

'And other people heard something else.'

'No they didn't, they couldn't have, because I only heard one thing. That's not how science works.'

He was accused of making the comments at a session of Prime Minister's Questions in November.

Afterwards, he apologised for saying that the Labour veteran was a 's**t MP' but denied being rude about his constituency.

Cleverly has denied calling Labour MP Alex Cunningham's Stockton North a 's**thole', insisting he actually called the politician 'a s**t'

However, his apology did not come before Lord Houchen, the Tory mayor of nearby Teesside, had waded into the row.

And it even reached the Prime Minister's door, with his spokesman confirming he retained full confidence in his Home Secretary less than a fortnight after he was appointed.

Cleverly had earlier been forced to address claims he described the Rwanda policy as 'bats**t'.

In his previous role as foreign secretary, he was partly responsible for overseeing negotiations with countries potentially willing to accept asylum seekers from Britain.

But sources claimed his opposition to the scheme stymied progress in securing deals.

Cleverly said he 'did not recognise' claims.

He found himself in hot water again late last year for a bad taste joke about using date-rape drug Rohypnol on his wife.

He faced calls to quit for telling female guests at a Downing Street reception that 'a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night' was 'not really illegal if it's only a little bit'.

He also joked that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was 'someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there'.

Cleverly yesterday told the BBC that he had issued a 'heartfelt' apology for the 'bad joke'.

The Tory MP is a former British Army officer and has a history of swearing like a trooper.

In 2010, when he was a member of the London Assembly, Cleverly lashed out at Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes.

The Home Secretary found himself in hot water again late last year for a bad taste joke about using date-rape drug Rohypnol on his wife Susie

Hughes, the then MP for Bermondsey in south London, was not the biggest fan of his party's link-up with the Tories in the coalition government under David (now Lord) Cameron and Nick Clegg.

And Cleverly, who represented Bexley and Bromley at the time, took aim at what he saw as efforts to undermine it.

READ MORE - James Cleverly 'sorry' for bad-taste joke about using date rape drug Rohypnol on his wife Advertisement

He tweeted: 'We may be coalition partners but it doesn't stop me thinking Simon Hughes is a d**k.'

But he also expanded on why in a blogpost still available online, branding Hughes' a 'fool' for suggesting Lib Dem backbenchers get a veto over government business.

'Simon Hughes clearly feels that he is the ''real'' voice of the Lib Dems, (but) he isn't', Cleverly wrote.

'He may well reflect the views of a number of Lib Dem MPs who haven't reconciled themselves to the fact that coalition means compromise. But, as I have said before, a Lib Dem who isn't prepared to enter a coalition with anyone except Labour isn't a Lib Dem. They're Labour...

'It seems that most Lib Dems understand that there is a tricky balance to be struck, that there is important work to be done and, while this isn't the best position for each of the coalition parties, we need to dig in and work together.

'If Hughes feels it impossible to work with the Conservatives and his own front bench Lib Dem colleagues why not just bugger off to Labour and let the serious politicians get on with it?'
But who was Camila Batmanghelidjh and what scandals did Kids Company face?

Founder of the scandal-hit Kids Company children's charity Camila Batmanghelidjh has died aged 61.

The former managing director of the charity, which helped disadvantaged and vulnerable young people, died on New Year's Day following a long illness.

The founder of two 'groundbreaking' charities died peacefully in her sleep the night of January 1, following a birthday celebration with her family.

'Camila dedicated her life to advocating for Britain's most vulnerable children,' they said in a statement, with her work setting up Place2Be and Kids Company.

But who was Camila Batmanghelidjh, how did Kids Company come to be and what scandals rocked the charity before her passing? Find out more below.

Founder of the scandal-hit Kids Company children's charity, Camila Batmanghelidjh, died aged 61 on New Year's Day following a long illness (Photo: PA)

Who was Camila Batmanghelidjh?

Camila Batmanghelidjh was an Iranian-Belgian author, psychotherapist and former charity executive.

The charity founder's parents, Fereydoon and wife Lucile, met and married in London while her father was studying at St. Mary's Hospital, before returning to Iran, where Camila was born in 1963.

She was born two-and-a-half months premature and it was initially predicted that she would not survive, with Camila later revealing that the preterm birth resulted in the development of dyslexia.

Later, Camila relocated to London and graduated with a first class degree in Theatre and the Dramatic Arts from the University of Warwick.

Camila trained as psychotherapist before going on to work as a part-time psychotherapist at the age of 25 in a project in South London, funded by Children In Need.

She also wrote three books: Shattered Lives: Children Who Live with Courage & Dignity, Mind the Child and Kids: Child Protection in Britain: The Truth.

Camila founded her first charitable organisation, The Place To Be, in 1991, before resigning from the project in 1996 to set up a new venture called Kids Company.

The 'Angel of Peckham' and social justice campaigner went on to receive a CBE for her services to the charity and young people (Pictured: L, King Charles, R, Camila) (Photo: PA)

What was Kids Company?

How charity founded by extravagant 'Angel of Peckham' Camila Batmanghelidjh ran out of cash after series of scandals Kids Company folded five years ago after being consumed by a number of scandals, mainly about how it spent donations and grants. The charity was dogged by allegations of financial mismanagement, including claims cash handed to children was spent on designer clothes, alcohol and drugs. Among the revelations, the charity arranged for one of its clients to have private sex-change surgery. And sending a drug addict called Dave to Champneys spa to relax with a 'chocolate massage' thrown in to boost his self-esteem. The trip allegedly cost the charity 55,000. Whistleblowers, including employees and young people, also claimed that cash was given to youngsters and spent on designer clothes, holidays, drink and drugs. Founder Camila Batmanghelidjh was born in Iran, the grand-daughter of a self-made millionaire and said that, during her youth, her father was 'one of the wealthiest' men in the Middle Eastern country. Suffering from severe dyslexia, she was sent to school in Switzerland before being moved to board at Sherborne Girls, a public school in Dorset. Her father was locked up during the 1979 Iranian revolution and, when the his money stopped arriving, she started working in nurseries before claiming political asylum. Ms Batmanghelidjh has said she's wanted to open an orphanage since the age of nine and she started Kids Company as a drop-in centre in Camberwell, south London in 1996. She revealed in an interview that she once used her mortgage repayments to pay for supervisors to carry out therapy sessions. Kids Company expanded to open centres in Liverpool and Bristol and was this year said to work with 36,000 children. The closure of the charity was a huge personal blow for Ms Batmanghelidjh, who was awarded a CBE in 2013 and was once named on the Women's Hour Power List. The charity was something of a 'cause celebre' over the last decade, with figures including actress Gwyneth Paltrow, socialite Jemima Khan and artists Damien Hirst and Grayson Perry being photographed with Ms Batmanghelidjh, along with numerous ministers and royals such as Prince Charles. It is alleged its directors were repeatedly warned about the financial crisis facing Kids Company  but failed to correct the 'unsustainable business model' in which it put 'spending ahead of its income'. The organisation, which helped troubled children in South London, was given huge subsidies over almost 20 years  including 7.3 million in the five months before it folded in 2015. But Ms Batmanghelidjh insists it was a 'victim of its own success'. Advertisement

Kids Company was founded in 1996 by Camila, created to provide care to children whose lives had been disrupted by poverty, abuse, trauma and gang violence.

The charity initially had a single drop-in centre in Camberwell, before expanding across London and beyond to Bristol and Liverpool over the years.

Kids Company, which had several directors, including Alan Yentob, tried to help those who had slipped through the gaps in social and NHS services.

Over the decades, Batmanghelidjh became a well-known figure, being known as the 'Angel of Peckham' during the height of her success.

The social justice campaigner went on to receive a CBE for her services to the charity and young people.

Kids Company supported 36,000 vulnerable children, young people and families in London and Bristol until it was wound up in 2015.

It attracted a number of celebrity backers including Coldplay, artist Damien Hirst and comedian Michael McIntyre.

Funding for the organisation came from Government grants and businesses, alongside general donations.

The charity, however, collapsed in 2015, just weeks after it was handed a 3million grant by David Cameron's government.

What were the controversies Camila became embroiled in?

Kids Company had been dogged by allegations of financial mismanagement, including claims cash handed to children was spent on designer clothes, alcohol and drugs.

After it shut down, a number of examples of misspending funds emerged with Batmanghelidjh reportedly paying herself a 90,000 salary at the time it went under.

This included the decision to send a drug addict called Dave to Champneys spa to relax with a 'chocolate massage' thrown in to boost his self esteem. Dave's treatment for his addiction, in total, allegedly cost the charity 55,000.

Whistleblowers included young people and employees who alleged cash was given to youngsters and spent on designer clothes, holidays, drink and drugs.

In 15 years, Kids Company took a reported 42million from the taxpayer with the then Prime Minister Cameron said to be 'in the thrall' of Batmanghelidjh.

Throughout the company's life the colourful character had the ear of three prime ministers and a list of wealthy donors.

The Kids Company boss also had a 'personal private swimming pool' in a 5,000-a-month mansion paid for from the charitys funds.

The charity's closure came shortly after police launched an investigation, which was eventually dropped seven months later, into allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation at the charity, following the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight report.

The sex abuse claims proved unfounded with the judge concluding a ten-week High Court case in 2021 that the charity would have continued to flourish had it not been for the allegations.

The Metropolitan Police had also cleared the charity of wrongdoing in early 2016 and commended its safeguarding practices.

The judge also exonerated Ms Batmanghelidjh, of allegations that the charity collapsed because she had failed to operate it on a financially sustainable basis.

David Cameron with the founder of Kids Company, Batmanghelidjh, which folded in August 2015 (Photo: PA)

Batmanghelidjh, founder and director of charity Kids Company, at her London office in 2014 (Photo: Shuttertock)

Batmanghelidjh, who gave evidence to the court over video link during a remote hearing, said she believed the charity was 'attacked by envy.'

Continuing to defend the company she founded she insisted it was a 'victim of its own success.'

Did Camila have a partner?

It is unclear whether or not the charity boss was in a relationship, as it's reported she passed surrounded by friends and family.

According to The Evening Standard, however, Camila has never married and lived alone, having twice remortgaged her flat to prevent Kids Company going under in its early days.
What do YOU think of the plans?

The historic Shepherd's Bush Market in West London is set to be refurbished - with a new nine-storey building and 40 new homes sparking some accusations of 'rampant gentrification'.

The revamp will largely replace the 109-year-old market which contains sprawling stalls and is seen as an iconic London landmark for many.

Yoo Capital won planning permission to refurbish the bazaar - igniting fury among some locals at the 'rampant gentrification' of the area less than a mile from the huge Westfield shopping centre, TimeOut reported.

What do YOU think of the plans? Email katherine.lawton@mailonline.co.uk

Some refurbished market stalls will remain at the site, while plans also include the construction of 40 new affordable homes that will be managed by the council and designed by architects AHMM.

A commercial building with a life science incubator for Imperial College is also reportedly set to be installed at the market.

Buildings formerly used as a homeless hostel by charity St Mungo's would be demolished to make way for the new scheme - with that part of the site reportedly used currently as a temporary artists' space.

Shepherd's Bush has been lovingly nicknamed SheBu by locals, with local blogs such as The Women's Room using the nickname to refer to the West London suburb.

Shepherd's Bush Market is set to be refurbished, sparking fury among some locals

 Slide me  Slide to see the before and anticipated after of the iconic Shepherd's Bush Market in west London

 Slide me  The before and after of the market's entrance is significantly different, with the future image looking much more modern

Peter Wheeler, Chair of Shepherd's Bush Market Tenants' Association, said: 'On behalf of the Shepherd's Bush Market Tenants' Association, we are very pleased that the project now has the go ahead from Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

'The traders have been in limbo for the last 15 years and the Market has been in a continuing downward spiral in footfall and trade. We're pleased that we can now begin to plan for our future.'

Developers, who are also working on the 1.3billion refurbishment of Kensington Olympia, were reportedly given the green light by Hammersmith & Fulham council's planning committee last month.

It came even as a council committee meeting to approve the development had to be abandoned when 20 protestors from local community group Protect Shepherd's Bush Market disturbed the proceedings, TimeOut reported.

After the council vote on December 20, Protect Shepherd's Bush Market shared a statement on X which said: 'Tonight's vote to waive through the gentrification of Shepherd's Bush Market is a shameful decision to side with corporate greed.'

'Labour councillors asked performative questions about gentrification, trader retention and arch disrepair only to vote the application through. The Council have sided with the developer and ignored community and trader concerns for 18 months.

'Tonight just 3 councillors voted to approve an application which will push out traders and destroy the market's diversity and character. We will continue to fight this application and the rampant gentrification it represents.'

The decision has sparked fear among traders, who worry they will be pushed out of the market and lose their income - with 30 having written to the council to share their concerns

An image shows the prediction of what the market will look like after the refurbishment

Shepherd's Bush is seen in a historic image of the site in west London

A woman browsing the bags on sale as the stallholder hands her a bag from the back of the stall in the marketplace in Shepherd's Bush in 1968

Shepherd's Bush Market is seen in 1948, with traditional stalls set up

A report to members of Hammersmith and Fulham's Planning and Development Control Committee revealed 126 objections had been received in connection with the proposals since they were submitted in May  as opposed to 103 representations in support of the scheme.

Concerns about the height and scale of the proposals have been raised, with Government heritage adviser Historic England describing the proposals as harmful and 'visually dominant' to the character of the Shepherd's Bush Conservation Area.

A Historic England spokesperson said: 'Historic England advised Hammersmith and Fulham Council that the proposed development at Shepherd's Bush Market would have a negative impact on the Shepherd's Bush Conservation Area.

'Our main concern is the height of the proposed development, which would overshadow and, therefore, diminish the special historic character of the area. We note that the Council have determined to grant permission for the scheme.'

MailOnline has contacted Yoo Capital, Hammersmith & Fulham council and AHMM for comment.
The stone walls of a 19th century jail that once held notorious bushrangers have been unearthed in the Tasmanian town of Perth.

Launceston Historical Society convener John Dent, archaeologist Darren Watton and nearly two dozen volunteers last month uncovered the remains of the first Perth Gaol, about 20km south of Launceston.

Mr Dent just happens to be the great-great-great-great-great grandson of Constable James Horton who led the charge in a shoot-out with notorious bushrangers Samuel Britton and John Beaven in 1829.

The pair had been on the run with half a dozen other wanted men after absconding from their masters, causing havoc for Perth.

Their reign of terror came to a brief end after the shoot-out between the bushrangers and police and soldiers.

Archeologists have uncovered the remains of a 19th century jail 20km south of Launceston in Perth, Tasmania, that held two notorious bushrangers in 1829 (pictured, dig site)

The outlaws were thrown into Perth Gaol which was used at the time as a holding cell before they were sent to face their fate in Launceston.

But the system couldn't keep them down with Britton and Beaven back on the run.

Bounties of 250 pounds and hundreds of acres of land were offered for the bandits' capture - dead or alive.

It was an untimely end for Beaven in 1832 when he was betrayed by a gang member who wanted the bounty so shot him in the head before going to the authorities.

Britton's story came to an end between 1835-37 after he and his gang came under fire from police when he was shot in the thigh.

The outlaws escaped to Port Sorrell where Britton was left behind - never to be found again.

The excavation crew first learned of the approximately 200-year-old jail site while digging at the nearby Perth convict station.

Launceston Historical Society convener John Dent (left) happens to be the great-great-great-great-great grandson of the Constable who arrested the two bushrangers

The six-metre square structure (pictured) was uncovered about 60cm below ground on a privately owned property after a nine days of excavation

'There was a plan that showed a jail quite a way away from site,' said Mr Dent, who set up the investigation group in 2000.

'There were some yellow marks on the ground, which gave an indication that there was something under the ground, some stones or some walls.'

'We did a bit more research and thought, "this looks like it could be the site for the first Perth Gaol".'

With the permission of the landowner, the excavators went to work on the grassy lawn in the property's backyard.

It took nine days of excavation with diggers burrowing 600mm down to unveil the six metre square structure.

'The rooms were only probably a couple of metres by a metre so they weren't very big at all so it would be hard for people to lie down if it was a really tall person,' Mr Dent said.

Numerous buried treasures were also dug-up during the dig, including a coin from 1827 (pictured), jewellery and trinkets and a substantial number of buttons and a clay smoking pipe

Among the buried treasures unearthed were a coin from 1827, jewellery and trinkets and a substantial number of buttons, clay smoking pipes, broken bottles and nails.

The jail, which had its first recorded mention in a newspaper in 1829, was sold into private hands and the facility moved closer to the town itself.

'It seems it's had another use because in the upper layers, we found quite a lot of late 1860s material so that indicates it was probably used either as a small house or a storeroom,' Mr Dent said.

The site went out of use in the late 1800s with stone from the building taken and used in other buildings in the area before the grounds were levelled, he said.

The 'significant' find adds to the few remaining 1820s buildings left standing in the town.

The uncovered items will be catalogued before being returned to the landowner who will display them in his home.

A report will be written up and Mr Watton and Mr Dent will present the findings at the Launceston Historical Society talk in November.
A Japanese air traffic controller and the captain of a Coast Guard plane that collided with a passenger jet on Tuesday have given competing accounts of the deadly crash.

Japan's transport authorities began inspecting the charred remains of the two planes on Wednesday and retrieved the Coast Guard plane's black box, while local media said police were investigating possible professional negligence in the case.

All 379 people aboard the Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 had a miraculous escape after it erupted in flame following the crash with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop shortly after landing at Haneda airport.

But five died among the six Coast Guard crew responding to a major earthquake on the west coast, while the captain, who escaped the wreckage, was badly injured.

Japanese authorities said on Wednesday the A350 was given permission to land, but the Coast Guard plane was not cleared for take-off, based on control tower transcripts.

However, a source for the Coast Guard said its pilot had received the green light to take off, the outlet said, contradicting the controller's account.

A Japanese air traffic controller and the captain of a Coast Guard plane that collided with a passenger jet (pictured today) on Tuesday have given competing accounts of the deadly crash

An aerial view shows burnt Japan Coast Guard aircraft after a collision with Japan Airlines' (JAL) Airbus A350 plane at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo

All 379 passengers and crew aboard the commercial flight were successfully evacuated moments before the jet was ravaged by flames

The Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) is investigating the incident, with participation by agencies in France, where the Airbus airplane was built, and Britain, where its two Rolls-Royce engines were made, people familiar with the matter said.

It is understood that officials plan to interview the captains of the two planes in their efforts to establish the cause of the crash. Police have set up a special unit to investigate the runway and planned to interview those involved, a spokesperson said, but declined to say if they were examining the negligence concerns.

The Coast Guard captain, the only survivor on the plane, was named as Captain Genki Miyamoto, 39. He reportedly pulled himself from the wreckage before he radioed for help, telling his base: 'The aircraft exploded on the runway. I escaped. The [condition of the] other crew members is unknown.'

'There's a strong possibility there was a human error,' said aviation analyst Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who is a former JAL pilot.

'Aircraft accidents very rarely occur due to a single problem, so I think that this time too there were two or three issues that led to the accident.'

At a series of press conferences since the crash, officials and airline executives have been asked what information crew received from traffic control and why both planes ended up on the same runway.

In a statement on Wednesday, JAL said the aircraft recognised and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control before approaching and touching down.

All passengers and crew were evacuated within 20 minutes of the crash, but the aircraft, engulfed in flames, burned for more than six hours, the airline said.

The JAL plane - flight 516 - was told to continue its approach to runway 34R at 5:43 p.m. (0843GMT), and was given clearance to land at 5:45 p.m.

That was two minutes before authorities say the collision occurred on the same runway at 5:47 p.m., according to air traffic control recordings posted at liveATC.net.

'Clear to land 34R Japan Airlines 516,' a controller can be heard saying in one recording, referring to the passenger jet by its flight number.

Public broadcaster NHK was among media that said officials had offered conflicting reports on the instructions given to the coast guard plane, raising questions over whether it was told to approach and stop before the runway or take off.

The Coast Guard has declined to comment on the circumstances of the crash.

Reuters new agency reported that it could not clearly make out air traffic control instructions given to the Coast Guard plane on recordings from liveATC.net.

The plane, one of six Coast Guard aircraft based at the airport, had been due to deliver aid to regions hit by Monday's earthquake of magnitude 7.6 that has killed 64, while survivors face freezing temperatures and prospects of heavy rain.

The accident forced the cancellation of 116 domestic, and four international, flights on Wednesday, the government said.

Officials investigate a burnt Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3

Officials look at the burnt wreckage of a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane on the tarmac at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda in Tokyo on January 3

Tokyo Metropolitan Police investigators inspect the area around the Japan Coast Guard aircraft that collided with a Japan Airlines passenger plane at Haneda Airport in Tokyo

The burnt-out wreckages of Japan Airlines plane, bottom, and a Japanese coast guard aircraft, top, are seen at Haneda airport on Wednesday, January 3

As the sun rose in Japan on Wednesday, shocking pictures from the scene showed the charred remains of the Airbus A350 jet, laying bare just how devastating the disaster could have been.

Chilling pictures of the A350 jet in the daylight showed nothing but the wings and piles of ash remaining after the inferno ripped through it on Tuesday night.

As the investigation gets underway, JAL last night said its crewmembers confirmed the landing permission from the Haneda controller and repeated the order back before they conducted approach and landing operations.

'There were no issues with the aircraft at the time of departure from the New Chitose Airport and during the flight,' the airline added.

The pilot was given permission to land but probably could not see the coastguard's smaller Dash-8 plane below as it taxied on the runway, JAL chiefs said.

The JAL flight had flown out of Shin Chitose airport in Japan and was landing at Haneda airport when it collided with the JCG plane on runway C.

Safety experts have hailed the evacuation of JAL flight 516 before it burst into flames as 'nothing short of a miracle', with many praising the cabin crew for getting all the passengers off safely.

The in-flight announcement system did not work during the evacuation and heroic crewmembers had to use megaphones to give instructions, Japan Airlines said in a statement, making the feat even more incredible.

Fourteen people on the passenger plane were injured, according to Japan Airlines, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

An official looks at the wreckage of a Japan coast guard plane on the tarmac at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda. An investigation into the disaster is underway

Foam surrounds the burnt out wreckage of the airliner the morning after it collided with a coastguard plane and caught on fire

Pictures from the scene show the charred wreckage of the Japan Airlines flight the morning after the collision

The burn-out Japan Airlines plane is seen at Haneda airport on Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Terrifying footage from inside the plane shows how passengers covered their faces and struggled to breathe as the cabin filled with smoke following the fire

Passengers have told of their terrifying experiences escaping the plane, which caught on fire as it skidded down the tarmac shortly before 6pm (09.00 GMT).

Video and images shared on social media showed passengers shouting inside the plane's smoke-filled cabin and running across the tarmac after escaping via an evacuation slide.

Television footage showed flames coming out of windows and the plane's nose on the ground as rescue workers sprayed it with several water hoses.

There was also burning debris on the runway.

As people slid to safety, dozens of fire engines with blue and red flashing lights sprayed the flames, but the entire fuselage was soon ablaze.

'It was getting hot inside the plane, and I thought, to be honest, I would not survive,' one female passenger told broadcaster NHK.

'I thought we landed normally. But then I realised I was smelling smoke,' a woman with a small child told NHK.

'I needed to protect my daughter. That was the only thing in my mind,' she added.

Another passenger described surviving the crash as a 'miracle'.

'I bounced off my seat from the impact when we landed,' the 28-year-old man told Nikkei Asia. 'We made it just in the nick of time. It's a miracle we survived.'

Wide angle images of the scene showed a large section of the runway covered in flames, with debris littering huge swathes of the tarmac. Meanwhile, footage taken from inside the jet showed how the cabin filled with thick smoke.

Swedish passenger Anton Deibe, 17, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that 'the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

'The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos,' added Deibe, who was traveling with his parents and sister.

In one clip a child's voice can be heard shouting: 'Let us get out quickly! Let us get out quickly!'

Coastguard flight MA-722 aircraft, a Bombardier Dash-8 (like the one pictured), collided with Japan Airlines flight 516

A Japan Airlines plane caught fire at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after colliding with a coastguard aircraft

Japan Airlines Flight 516 plane in flames at Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan

'I was wondering what happened and then I felt the airplane tilted to the side at the runway and felt a big bump,' said Satoshi Yamake, 59, a telecommunications company worker who was on board.

'The flight attendants told us to stay calm and instructed us to get off the plane.'

'I heard an explosion about 10 minutes after everyone and I got off the plane,' said 28-year-old passenger Tsubasa Sawada. 'I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late.'

It was the first major incident involving severe damage to an A350, one of the newest large passenger planes.

Japan's Transport Minister Saito said the cause of the accident was unclear and the JTSB, police and other departments would continue to investigate.

Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays.

All its runways were closed following the accident, causing dozens of other planes to divert. A transport ministry official said three runways had since resumed operations.

Japan has not suffered a serious commercial aviation accident in decades.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised the deceased crew members on their way to help the victims of the quake that killed at least 62 people.

'These were employees who had a high sense of mission and responsibility for the affected areas,' he said Tuesday.

In 1985, a JAL jumbo jet flying from Tokyo to Osaka crashed, killing 520 passengers and crew, in one of the world's deadliest crashes involving a single flight.

A view from the airport shows flames rising after the Japan Airlines (JAL) plane collision

Smoke billows from the JAL plane after it came to land on the tarmac outside Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024

The world's worst civil aviation disaster also happened on the ground when two Boeing 747s collided at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife in 1977, killing 583 people.

'I can't speculate on what happened here but human error will probably be found as a contributing cause,' Doug Drury, aviation expert at Central Queensland University, told AFP news agency.

'Airlines are required to be able to empty an airplane of all passengers and crew within 90 seconds. The flight crews train for events quite frequently in simulation and it is a complicated process that as we saw was completed without fail,' he said.

'A key component here was that no one tried to grab their carry-on bags.'
Celebrity doctor Renee Hoenderkamp was left fuming after a pub refused to serve her five-year-old girl apple juice in a champagne flute on New Years Eve - with the manager claiming 'it could encourage her to drink alcohol' and was 'not a good look'.

Dr Hoenderkamp, 56, was at the Old Bull and Bush in Hampstead, north London, with her partner, 62, at 7pm on New Year's Eve when the manager judged that he knew better how to parent her child, she said.

She told MailOnline her approach was the 'Mediterranean' way of doing things and had worked just fine with all her other children.

The NHS doctor said it showed how people are 'moving more and more into this nanny state where people can't be trusted to make their own decisions'.

Dr Hoenderkamp said she and her partner have seven children between them who have all grown up under their guidance.

She said they taught their other children in a 'Mediterranean' style, showing them alcohol was not taboo so they would grow up understanding it and not have the urge to go on wild booze-fuelled nights out when they grew up.

This year, the couple hoped to include their daughter Alice, five, in the New Year's celebrations with a glass of Appletiser in a champagne flute but were stopped by 'judgemental' pub staff.

Celebrity doctor Renee Hoenderkamp, 56, (pictured) said she was shocked the manager of the Old Bull and Bush in Hampstead judged that he knew better how to parent her child

The pub's manager claimed that giving Dr Hoenderkamp's daughter apple juice in a champagne flute could encourage the five-year-old to start drinking

The manager also suggested 'it's not a good look for the pub'. The company that runs the pub said it supported his actions

The NHS doctor said: 'It's a local pub. We went to the restaurant part of it at 7 o'clock on New Year's Eve.

'They were very grumpy from the start.'

Dr Hoenderkamp and her partner ordered a glass of wine each and asked for a champagne flute filled with Appletiser for their five-year-old daughter Alice.

Although the waitress said it was fine, she returned with her manager and served the five-year-old's drink in a 'whisky tumbler'.

The manager told the bewildered parents that putting it in a champagne flute 'could encourage her to drink alcohol' and 'it's not a good look for the pub'.

He even removed an empty wine glass on the table so the parents couldn't pour the apple juice in there themselves.

Although the waitress said it was fine to serve the Appletiser in a champagne flute, she returned with her manager and served the five-year-old's drink in a 'whisky tumbler'

The manager even removed an empty wine glass on the table so the parents couldn't pour the apple juice in there themselves

Dr Hoenderkamp, who is also a Daily Mail writer, said she was infuriated but at the time 'left it because I didn't want a scene'.

She said: 'I did a complaint that night. [They] were making a judgement call about my child. We are brilliant parents. She's very adult. It was a judgement call that they knew better than us.

'They gave her a whisky tumbler, which is much heavier than a champagne [flute]. They didn't give her a beaker.

'We are moving more and more into this nanny state where people can't be trusted to make their own decisions. We know how to parent. It's a really dark place we are going to.

'We are getting to the point where people won't be trusted to do anything.'

The fancy pub borders Hampstead Heath, a large park in one of London's wealthiest suburbs

Dr Hoenderkamp said her evening showed what was 'wrong with society'.

She added: 'We are the only parents in the restaurant (with kids at 50 per cent of tables) who are actually interacting with ours, the rest are planted in front of screens whilst the adults drink their champagne.

'We are quite able to make our own sensible decisions for our child re[garding] her alcoholic intake (we were asking for her apple juice in a glass, not actual champagne).

'I am sick of this nanny state where a manager in a restaurant feels that they can parent our child and pass judgement on our requests.

'We need to let parents parent AND parents need to actually parent.'

She said the decision made 'no sense' and that she may never return to The Old Bull and Bush, which borders Hampstead Heath, a large park in one of London's wealthiest suburbs.

The infuriated NHS doctor expressed her outrage at the controversial decision and said it summarised 'what's wrong with society'. She told MailOnline it was a sign Britain is becoming a 'nanny state where people can't be trusted to make their own decisions'

The pub is part of Premium Country Pubs, a brand of the company Mitchells and Butlers, which confirmed the story was true and said it couldn't serve apple juice in a champagne flute because they were 'responsible'.

It said it instead served drinks in smaller glasses with a wider base to make them easier for youngsters to hold.

They refuted that the glasses were 'whiskey tumblers' but said they were are plain, small glasses with a wider base and, as a result, less likely to spill or break.

They said they were used rather than taller thin glasses as they are more manageable for children.

A spokesman for the company said: 'As a responsible retailer of alcohol, we do not allow the sale of alcohol-free beer, lagers or ciders to people under the age of 18, or drinks that could perceived by our team or other guests to contain alcohol, for example a fizzy drink in a champagne flute.

'Our position was explained to the guest at the time and, it appeared to have been accepted without question. No complaint was raised at the venue.

'We were therefore surprised to subsequently receive a complaint via our Guest Care Team which will, as is normal policy, be responded to within three working days.'

Staff at The Old Bull and Bush pub refused to comment but said they agreed with the Mitchells and Butlers spokesman.
One of the UK's worst paedophiles who coaxed nursery worker Vanessa George into abusing dozens of babies and toddlers has a parole hearing next month and could be freed.

Gang ringleader Colin Blanchard, 53, will have a Parole Board hearing on February 8 and will appear via video from his medium secure prison to try and persuade the three-person panel he is no longer a danger to the public.

He was handed an indeterminate sentence in 2011 for sex abuse charges and told he would serve a minimum of nine years. The pervert has so far been behind bars for 12 years.

Businessman and former IT expert Blanchard, of Rochdale, is currently being held at Category C HMP Wymott, near Leyland, Lancaster, which has specialist facilities for housing sex offenders.

He will give evidence at the one-day hearing and will emphasise he has completed a number of courses designed to prevent him reoffending since a previous parole appeal was rejected in 2020.

Colin Blanchard will give evidence at the one-day hearing and will emphasise he has completed a number of courses designed to prevent him reoffending

Blanchard coaxed nursery worker Vanessa George into abusing dozens of babies and toddlers

The new hearing follows a number of adjournments, reflecting the complexity and sensitivity of the case, which made national headlines after Blanchard was described at his trial as a perverted 'svengali' who persuaded a number of women to abuse children for his own personal pleasure.

After the February parole hearing, the usual process is for a decision to be issued within 14 days. A summary of the decision - whatever it may be - is released shortly afterwards.

If successful, Blanchard could be walking the streets - albeit under stringent restrictions - in mid March.

MailOnline can reveal the hearing will take place in private as the Parole Board was not asked to consider it being heard in a rare public appeal.

A spokesman for the Parole Board said: 'There was no application for the parole hearing to be heard in public.'

Blanchard was a child abuse ringleader who recruited George, now 53, who abused 64 babies and toddlers in her care over several years.

The Parole Board said: 'An oral hearing has been listed for the parole review of Colin Blanchard and is scheduled to take place in February 2024.

'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

'Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.

'Evidence from witnesses including probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements are then given at the hearing.

'The prisoner and witnesses are then questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.

'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'

Police officers outside Little Ted's Child Day Care Unit in Laira, Plymouth, after the unit was closed

Bristol Crown Court was told in 2011 that the paedophile had convinced nursery worker George to abuse babies and toddlers in her care at Little Ted's nursery in Efford, Plymouth.

She shared videos of her attacks with Blanchard and was jailed for seven years and released in September 2019 after serving ten-years in jail. She is now aged 53.

Families of the many young victims will be allowed to air their views on Blanchard's potential release in impact statements to experts.

George cruelly refused to tell police the names of all her victims, leading to a decade of 'hell' for families.

During his sentencing hearing in 2011, Blanchard was described as a 'Svengali' figure at the centre of one of the 'most sickening paedophile rings this country has ever seen'.

Blanchard persuaded a string of middle-aged women he met on Facebook to abuse children for his sexual pleasure.

Angela Allen and Tracey Lyons, who were both jailed for their roles in the ring, have already been released from prison.

Police uncovered their activities only when Blanchard forgot to log out of his personal email account and his business partner spotted images of child abuse at the firm in Manchester.

After sentencing, Detective Constable Andy Pilling, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'Blanchard is the common link between all these women.

'However, no one should be under the misapprehension that they were somehow forced into abusing children  they willingly took part.'
A federal judge has dismissed part of the wrongful death lawsuit against Donald Trump that was brought on by the partner of a Capitol police officer who died a day after the January 6 insurrection.

Brian Sicknick was injured while confronting rioters during the Capitol attack, suffered a stroke and died on January 7, 2021 from natural causes, a DC medical examiner previously ruled.

Sandra Garza, Sicknick's longtime partner before his death, last year launched a suit against Trump and two Capitol rioters - Julian Khater and George Tanios - over the officer's death.

But on Tuesday US District Court Judge Amit Mehta dismissed three of the five counts filed in the complaint, including wrongful death and negligence. The judge ruled that Garza lacked 'statutory standing' to bring a wrongful death claim because she was was not Sicknick's spouse or legal domestic partner.

Judge Mehta has permitted other parts of the suit to move forward, including the allegation that the former president, Khater and Tanios engaged in a conspiracy to 'violate civil rights'.

He also dismissed Trump's claim of immunity in the case, noting how the DC Circuit Court of Appeals had already ruled that he did not have presidential immunity from lawsuits over his actions around the insurrection.

A federal judge has dismissed part of the wrongful death lawsuit against Donald Trump that was brought on by the partner of a Capitol police officer who died a day after the January 6 insurrection. Trump is pictured cheering supporters from The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021

Trump and two other rioters were accused of wrongful death, conspiracy to violate civil rights, two counts of negligence under an anti-riot law in DC, and a claim under the DC Survival Act. Rioters are pictured storming the capitol on January 6, 2021

Brian Sicknick (pictured) was injured while confronting rioters during the Capitol attack, suffered a stroke and died on January 7, 2021 from natural causes, a DC medical examiner previously ruled

Garza filed her lawsuit against Trump and the rioters in January 2023, alleging wrongful death, conspiracy to violate civil rights, two counts of negligence under an anti-riot law in DC, and a claim under the DC Survival Act.

The complaint, which sought at least $10million in damages, argued that Sicnick's death was a 'direct and foreseeable consequence' to their actions that day.

Judge Mehta on Tuesday dismissed the wrongful death claim on a technicality, ruling that Garza's 'contention that a 'domestic partnership' was established simply by Officer Sicknick 'having identified Garza as his 'domestic partner' in his will finds no basis in the plain text of the statute.'

In the judgement, which was reviewed by MailOnline, he wrote: 'Garza therefore cannot recover the damages she personally seeks under the Act.'

The judge did permit the conspiracy to violate civil rights charge and the DC Survival Act claim to proceed.

The Survival Act allows an person's legal representative to pursue legal action on their behalf after their death. Garza is the representative of Sicknick's estate.

Khater was sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. He had sprayed Sicknick in the face with pepper spray during the violent riot.

Tanios pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors charges related to the riot. He was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release.

Neither of the men were criminally charged with Sicknick's death.

Judge Mehta has permitted other parts of the suit to move forward, including the allegation that the former president, Julian Khater (left) and George Tanios (right) engaged in a conspiracy to 'violate civil rights'

Rioters are seen clashing with Capitol Police officers during the violent riot on January 6, 2021

In his judgement, Mehta said he did not have to determine whether Garza adequately claimed that Khater caused officer Sicknick's death because 'at a minimum, Officer Sicknick's estate can recover for any pain and suffering that he experienced before his death, and the complaint sufficiently pleads that Khater's actions caused such harm'.

An attorney for Garza has said they are pleased with the judgement and considering next steps.

Mark Zaid, one of the attorneys representing Garza, told CBS News: 'We are pleased to see that our lawsuit in pursuit of justice for the late Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, has been permitted to continue. We are now considering our next step options, to include deposing former President Trump.'
Scandal-hit Tory peer Michelle Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman are having an 80million fire sale of their luxury Caribbean villa, private jet and superyacht.

It comes as Baroness Mone, 52, revealed her bank accounts had been frozen during a two-year investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) - dubbed 'Britain's FBI' - into allegations of fraud and bribery surrounding the firm PPE Medpro.

PPE Medpro was awarded more than 200million to supply medical equipment during the Covid pandemic and is currently being sued by the Government for 133million over claims its surgical gowns were unfit for use. Baroness Mone has admitted she lied when denying she had any links with the company.

As the scandal continues to swirl, a string of prized assets owned by the lingerie tycoon and her husband through a series of offshore companies are on the market, The Mirror reports. If the assets are sold at their current asking prices it could lead to an estimated loss of around 29million.

Mr Barrowman's 17,000 sq ft six-bedroom mansion, which he built in 2018, is now apparently one of the biggest homes on the island of St Barts, a popular Caribbean holiday spot for the rich and famous.

The property, which has been rented out to stars including Jay Z and Beyonce for 16,000 a night, has been on sale since 2021 - but the price has now been slashed from 63million to 41million.

Baroness Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman are having an 80million fire sale of their luxury Caribbean villa, private jet and superyacht

The couple are at the centre of a major scandal over the supply of PPE equipment during Covid

Mr Barrowman's six-bedroom mansion on the Caribbean island of St Barts, was previously priced at 63million but is now on the market for 41million

The yacht Lady M became notorious when Baroness Mone shared a picture of herself in the Mediterranean in 2021. It is worth less than 7million, down from nearly 10million

Overlooking stunning beaches, the villa boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, a landscaped interior courtyard, a near-95ft infinity pool, jacuzzi, swim-up bar and even a nightclub.

Another asset on the market is Lady M, the luxury yacht that became notorious when Baroness Mone shared a picture of herself on its deck in the Mediterranean in August 2021 with the caption: 'Business isn't easy. But it is rewarding.'

The vessel is now worth less than 7million, down from nearly 10million. It is owned by LM Yachts Ltd, an Isle of Man company run by former PPE Medpro director Voirrey Coole.

The couple's luxury London townhouse was sold last year. The Belgravia home was put up for sale for 23million but the price was gradually reduced to 18.95million. It is not known how much it sold for.

READ MORE - How lying Baroness Bra used her attack dog lawyers to try to silence Press Advertisement

A 7.5million Cessna Citation CJ4 private jet registered to a company in the Isle of Man called Cabbane Limited is now on sale through an American plane broker.

Mr Barrowman is the only shareholder in Cabbane, while its director - Anthony Page - was also director of PPE Medpro.

The couple also sold a 7million villa in the Algarve - according to The Mirror.

A spokesman for Mr Barrowman said: 'The media's ridiculous obsession with every tiny detail of Michelle and Doug's personal life continues to reach desperate levels.

'They have both been very successful in business for decades, so if the Daily Mirror plans to write about every asset that they own, might be buying or could be selling, its journalists would be writing for a very long time.

'This is a futile attempt to distract from Doug Barrowman's robust fightback against the PPE Medpro allegations over the last few weeks.'

The couple have recently launched a PR blitz aimed at restoring their reputation, with Mr Barrowman claiming his family have been 'treated as a punchbag' over the 'lamentable failures' of ministers.

Baroness Mone - who founded the Ultimo lingerie empire and earned the nickname Baroness Bra - has admitted she lied when denying she had any connections to PPE Medpro. The consortium led by her husband was awarded contracts worth 200million to supply the NHS after she lobbied Michael Gove and Lord Agnew.

Lady M is owned by LM Yachts Ltd, an Isle of Man company run by former PPE Medpro director Voirrey Coole

A 7.5million Cessna Citation CJ4 private jet registered to a company in the Isle of Man called Cabbane Limited is now up on sale through an American plane broker. File photo

The 17,000 sq ft six-bedroom house on the Caribbean island of St Barts, called Villa Neo, was built by Mr Barrowman in 2018

The mansion is one of the biggest on the island of St Barts, a well-known holiday spot for the rich and famous

Mr Barrowman reportedly wanted to sell the Caribbean home because he 'seldom' stays there and prefers spending time on his yacht

Overlooking stunning Caribbean beaches, the villa has floor-to-ceiling windows

View over the infinity pool and the distant bay from one of the bathrooms on Villa Neo

She now accepts she was involved in the business and that Mr Barrowman made more than 60million profits, much of which was transferred to an offshore trust of which she and her children are beneficiaries.

The couple are now under investigation by the National Crime Agency over allegations of fraud and bribery, with a 3million payment made into Baroness Mone's Coutt's bank account forming part of the probe, it was reported last week.

And the Government is suing PPE Medpro for 122million plus costs for 'breach of contract and unjust enrichment,' claiming that protective surgical gowns provided by the firm were unfit for use.

READ MORE - Experts say they were 'duped' into appearances in Michelle Mone's PPE documentary Advertisement

The company denies the allegations and Mr Barrowman has said he is confident he will win the civil case.

In a statement of more than 1,000 words published on Baroness Mone's account on X, Mr Barrowman sought to highlight failures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

'Michelle and I are being hung out to dry to distract attention from Government incompetence in how it handled PPE procurement at time of national emergency,' Mr Barrowman said.

'I understand why the British public feel angry but their anger should not be directed at Michelle or I [sic].

'Yes, Medpro made a profit - which was in line with the margins made by other providers of PPE.

'Yes, Michelle was involved in introducing Medpro to the Cabinet Office.

'After all, Michelle had 25 years' experience in sourcing and manufacturing of mass-produced goods and knew first-hand the logistical challenges of sourcing, supplying and delivering large amounts of product at short notice.'

Mr Barrowman said it was 'simply unacceptable' that Britain's ongoing Covid inquiry would not review PPE procurement until 2025, after an expected general election.

The couple's townhouse in London's affluent Belgravia was put up for sale last year for 23million but later reduced to 18.95million

The living room had original artwork, with one depicting Baroness Mone's husband Doug Barrowman, above the sofa, and one of her heroines, Marilyn Monroe, far right

The property underwent 'extensive' renovations after the couple bought it in 2011

Luxury home boasts a cinema, media room, gym, swimming pool and spa facilities such as a jacuzzi and steam room

One of the opulently decorated six bedrooms in the couple's Regency home

And he called for the resignation of the most senior civil servant in the DHSC, Sir Chris Wormald, alleging the department had taken action against the couple only when it was under increased scrutiny over its expenditure on PPE equipment, much of which was written off.

'The stark reality is that DHSC has brought this claim against Medpro at a time of increased scrutiny of how it overspent by so much and when questions were being asked as to why the government was writing off 9billion of PPE out of the 13.1billion spent,' he said.

'How on earth did the UK government manage to purchase five years of PPE when it was only supposed to build up four months of stock? Yet no one has been held accountable at DHSC.' Mr Barrowman claimed he and his wife had tried to settle the dispute but had been told to increase the offer before the Government would 'call the dogs off'.

Baroness Mone denied for years she was involved in the company and did not declare any link to PPE Medpro on the House of Lords' Register of Interests.

But leaked documents from HSBC revealed Mr Barrowman had been paid 65million from the company's profits, with 29million transferred to an offshore trust linked to Mone and her children.

She subsequently admitted lying to the Press but insisted that she could not 'see what we have done wrong' and compared her treatment to Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has since called for her to be expelled from the House of Lords following the admissions.

A DHSC spokesman said: 'We do not comment on ongoing legal cases.'

MailOnline has contacted Baroness Mone for comment.

The peer has launched a PR fightback in a bid to restore her reputation
A pregnant mother, due to receive sonogram pictures of her new baby this week, is instead preparing for her husband's funeral after he was shot dead protecting his young family from a pair of opportunistic robbers.

According to the Dallas Police Department, Juvenal Antero, 24, was shot dead inside of his home on the afternoon of December 30.

His wife, Elizabel, told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that she had answered the door moments earlier when a man knocked looking for a lend of a plunger for his toilet. The tragic incident unfolded in the Pleasant Grove section of Dallas.

When she rebuffed him, another man came forward with a gun and told her and her son, 4, to get on the ground.

Elizabel tried to shut the door but the armed man shot at her son, prompting Juvenal to dive in front of him, saving his child's life.

'My son keeps asking me, when is my dad going to be alive again? Things that no child is supposed to witness or supposed to ask. I don't wish this on anyone. There are no words that nobody's words can comfort me. You know, the detective didn't let me touch his body, or let me hold his hand. He was evidence,' Elizabel told the station.

A heartbroken Elizabel Antero describes the trauma of losing her husband to gun violence just weeks after learning that she was pregnant with their second child

Juvenal Antero, 24, was killed when he dived in front of a bullet that was bound for his young son, 4

My son keeps asking me, when is my dad going to be alive again? Things that no child is supposed to witness or supposed to ask. I don't wish this on anyone,' Elizabel told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

The family's home shown here in the Pleasant Grove section of Dallas

Elizabel went on to say that she is 11 weeks pregnant and described her husband's excitement at the news.

'He was very excited to go to my appointment on Wednesday, this Wednesday, to hear the heartbeat and get sonogram photos,' she said.

In a separate interview with WFAA, Elizabel said that her late husband 'guided' her through everything.

'My son needs me to be strong. My unborn child needs me to be strong. Its hard for me not to have him here because he guided me through everything. He had a heart of gold,' the heartbroken mother and wife said.

In that interview, she described her husband's final words. 'He said, "They hit me. They hit me. I'm going to die. I don't want to die in here." We were his everything. We were all that mattered to him,' she added.

Elizabel went on to tell the station that this pregnancy was so special as she suffered two miscarriages and that the couple had been trying for a second child for years.

'Ive suffered two miscarriages. Weve been trying for these couple of years. It finally happened I have to welcome this new baby into the world without a father.'

At the time of writing, no arrests have been made in the case as the investigation continues, both suspects fled after the gunfire.

'I just need you guys to turn yourselves in because what you did was wrong. No ones life should be taken away because you wanted what we had. Youll never have what we had or what we continue to have. Youll never take his place,' Elizabel told WFAA.

Anybody with any information on the case is asked to call Detective Michael Christian at 214-670-4735 or michael.christian@dallaspolice.gov.
Viewers were left outraged after ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office showed Fujitsu staff changing figures in what was claimed to have been a 'secure' 1billion IT system - without the knowledge of subpostmasters who used the software.

The four-part series is based on the real-life story of postmaster Alan Bates, played by actor Toby Jones, who led the campaign to expose what is considered the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history.

Mr Bates was among hundreds of innocent subpostmasters working in the UK who were accused and later charged of theft, fraud and false accounting due to the faulty Horizon system.

But viewers of the second episode last night said they were 'sickened' by a scene showing how computer firm Fujitsu, who were hired by the Post Office, were able to alter the subpostmasters' inputted financial figures remotely.

Wrongly convicted victim Michael Rudkin, who is played by Shaun Dooley, is heard saying: 'That means they can sneak in behind your backs, change your figures and b***** off and leave without a trace.'

Pictured: Michael Rudkin, played by Shaun Dooley, is shown how figures are altered remotely at Fujitsu HQ

Computer firm Fujitsu, hired by the Post Office, were unknowingly able to remotely alter the subpostmaster's inputted financial figures (pictured)

The Post Office had prosecuted hundreds of subpostmasters based on the fact that no one could access the tills without their knowledge.

Former Fujitsu engineer Richard Roll, who worked at the Post Office between 2001 and 2004, blew the whistle on remote access to accounts at the company in 2015. He was part of a team of 30 engineers who had access to terminals remotely.

The second episode focuses on more people joining Mr Bates' Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) group which has the backing of a number of MPs.

The mounting pressure leads to the Post Office launching an independent investigation.

As investigator Bob Rutherford starts probing, he discovers that the scandal could be even worse than initially feared.

The episode picks up with Saman Kaur, a subpostmistress accused of stealing from the Post Office, having an argument with her husband Jas as they prepare to lead a JFSA meeting.

Saman leaves Jas confused after pleading guilty to her charges. At the meeting, she later shares how she only started encountering problems when she was sent a new Horizon PIN pad.

When Jo Hamilton and Noel Thomas also admit they pled guilty, Jas felt easier about the situation. He tells Sam they are going to change her plea.

The episode then jumps back to Hampshire, where Ms Hamilton's MP James Arbuthnot comes to discuss her plans to get justice.

Mr Bates vs The Post Office viewers were left horrified as they watched the second episode of the ITV drama on Tuesday (Toby Jones as Alan Bates and Julie Hesmondhalgh as his partner Suzanne)

With Michael Rudkin (played by Shaun Dooley) who was also wrongly convicted saying: 'That means they can sneak in behind your backs, change your figures and b***** off and leave without a trace'

He informs Jo that there are two other cases in his constituency and promises to ask around the Commons about any other MPs hearing similar complaints.

Viewers are then shown a second JSFA meeting in Fenny Compton on July 4, 2010, where Michael Rudkin, a former executive officer from the National Federation of subpostmasters, is speaking.

Before he starts his speech, the crowd becomes hostile and accuses the Federation of being in cahoots with the Post Office and never helping them.

But Mr Rudkin then interrupts to tell them that they may face a greater challenge than first anticipated.

He recalls visiting the Fujitsu HQ in Bracknell, the home of the company that was behind the Horizon IT system.

Mr Rudkin had been called in to sort out a problem with foreign exchange stock control that subpostmasters were dealing with.

After assuming he was there for some extra training, he ends up meeting the covert operations team who show him how to manually adjust the problem at a Horizon terminal.

As he is shown how to adjust the accounts, he tells the Fujitsu worker: 'Excuse me? I've been telling my members for years no one else has access to their branch accounts.'

Viewers were 'disgusted' by the revelation and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, in their droves fuming that justice had still not yet been served

Between 2000 and 2014, an average of one Post Office worker a week was prosecuted, for theft, false accounting and other offences, by the Post Office

The revelation sparks anger among the crowds because he can access a subpostmaster's branch account and alter their figures without the knowledge of the postal worker. Horizon had claimed that no one could access their accounts.

The next morning, Mr Rudkin wakes up at home with his wife and an auditor standing by his bed.

He is told that their post office is 44,000 in deficit, which his wife is convicted over because she was running the site while Mr Rudkin was away on Federation business.

Later in the episode, Mr Arbuthnot is seen meeting with former Post Office boss Paula Vennells and Angela, the Head of Network Systems at the Post Office. Angela claims that Horizon is robust and Vennells tells MPs that the Post Office will launch an independent review to clear its name.

Investigator Bob Rutherford is then seen meeting some of the subpostmaster victims.

He visits Fujitsu HQ and calls Mr Rudkin to ask if he can prove he even visited the site because Fujitsu denies he ever came in the first place.

Mr Rudkin forwards an email invite from Fujitsu to Mr Rutherford, who then meets with Angela.

Angela claims that Mr Rudkin had only been taken to a 'Test Environment' which wasn't connected to the live Horizon system so the transactions he claimed to have seen were not real.

Vennells tells the Post Office that Mr Rutherford's report might not be 'factual' enough but Mr Bates praises the final report, which does include Mr Rudkin's complaints.

The investigator tells Mr Bates that he is not sure whether they can prove there was remote access made to the subpostmasters' accounts, but he admits to finding documents that were 'beyond belief'.

Viewers were 'disgusted' by the revelations and took to X in their droves fuming that justice had still not yet been served.

One wrote: 'This is making my blood boil. Post Office must've known that Fujitsu had full remote access but why would they allow it? All in it together? Smelling too many rats tbh!'.

While a second said: 'So shocking and really making my blood boil. I didn't realise the Fujitsu connection'.

Another added: 'Extraordinary and gobsmacking information about Fujitsy part in The Post Office Scandal. They should be ashamed, prosecuted and sued'.

And: 'In each episode the exposure of what Fujitsu and the Post office got up to gets worse and worse... this is a national disgrace and politicians should be working around the clock to readdress these wrongs'.

Another said that even after following the scandal closely for years, the new series 'fuels volcanic rage'.

Between 2000 and 2014, an average of one Post Office worker a week was prosecuted, for theft, false accounting and other offences, by the Post Office.

From a total of 736, many were jailed, bankrupted and suffered appalling stress and public shame.

For years Royal Mail and its computer partner Horizon insisted that they were isolated cases.

The series has received a mountain of praise since airing its first episode on New Year's Day.
A transgender model picked by a UN charity to represent British women once raged 'all white people are racist' and branded suffragette pioneers 'white supremacists'.

Controversial Munroe Bergdorf, 36, has been picked as the first 'UK champion' for UN Women UK - in a move that has sparked fury from 17 campaign groups who said she was 'unsuitable in every regard' for the role.

Ms Bergdorf was fired by L'Oreal in 2017 for her inflammatory remarks on race, which later saw her trying to drag pop star and fellow cosmetic giant ambassador, Cheryl Tweedy into the row that followed.

The activist, who is also broadcaster and contributing editor at British Vogue, faced a backlash over her online post responding to the violence of white supremacists in Charlottesville, in which she said all white people were racist.

She was also forced to apologise after old social media messages emerged in which she labelled a Twitter follower a 'hairy barren lesbian' in 2012 and said she wanted to 'gay bash' a TV star - as well as calling suffragettes 'white supremacists'.

Ms Bergdorf, who once enjoyed posing for pictures with ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, stood down from her role on the party's LGBT+ advisory board following the media storm over her comments.

Controversial Munroe Bergdorf has been picked as the first 'UK champion' for UN Women UK

Ms Bergdorf, who once enjoyed posing for photos with ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, stood down from her role on the party's LGBT+ advisory board amid a row over her 'offensive'

Ms Bergdorf was fired by L'Oreal in 2017 for her inflammatory remarks on race, which later saw her trying to drag fellow cosmetic giant ambassador, Cheryl Tweedy into the row that followed

She was also slammed for a string of offensive social media posts, including this tweet where she says suffragette women's rights pioneers were 'white supremacists'

In her outburst about the violence at Charlottesville, Ms Bergdorf wrote: 'Honestly, I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes, all white people.

'Because most of y'all don't even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, blood and death of people of colour. Your entire existence is drenched in racism.'

What controversial comments has former L'Oreal model Munroe Bergdorf made? On all white people being racist: 'Honestly I don't have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes ALL white people.' On the suffragettes: 'FYI - The Suffragettes were white supremacists who were fighting for WHITE women's rights - they specifically left black women out of the movement. 'It is not 100 years since women got the vote it's 100 years since WHITE women got the vote. Black women couldn't vote until MUCH later.' On homosexual Conservatives: 'Gay male Tories are a special kind of d**khead. It's actually quite astonishing.' Advertisement

She had been the first trans woman to appear in a L'Oreal Paris UK campaign when she was cast as part of a diversity initiative. But her online diatribe led to her being dropped by the company, which terminated her contract after claiming she was at odds with their values of 'diversity' and 'tolerance'.

Following her dismissal, the furious model turned on Fight For This Love hitmaker, Cheryl, who was a fellow ambassador with the cosmetic giant.

Ms Bergdorf fumed she should not be fired given the fact her co-star was not sacked for her 2003 row with a toilet attendant, which was alleged to be racially aggravated at the time yet the charge was completely dismissed in court.

Following the row, she spoke to BBC where she said 'she shouldnt be sacked for calling out racism when Cheryl Cole was convicted of actively punching a black woman in the face' - in reference to Cheryl's court case.

Her exact words were: 'I shouldnt be sacked for calling out racism when I was in a campaign that was meant to be championing diversity.

'Especially when I was speaking about the violence of white people, but theyve got Cheryl Cole on the campaign and she was actively convicted for punching a black women in the face.'

Cheryl was convicted for assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), where she was sentenced to 120 hours unpaid community service. However, allegations the fight was racially motivated were thrown out in court.

A representative for Cheryl told MailOnline at the time: 'More than 14 years ago Cheryl was unanimously acquitted of a charge of racially aggravated assault. She is disappointed to find her name involved in Munroe Bergdorf's media interview.'

Five months after the controversy and Ms Bergdorf was appointed as a Labour Party advisor, enlisted to help Dawn Butler, the party's women and equalities secretary, with issues relating to the LBGT+ community

Ms Bergdorf was appointed as a Labour Party advisor, enlisted to help Dawn Butler, the party's women and equalities secretary, with issues relating to the LBGT+ community

But the appointment sparked widespread condemnation and led to her resigning from the post just nine days later.

In a statement posted on Twitter - now known as X - announcing her resignation, she said: 'It is with great sadness that I have decided to step down from the position.'

She said she has been forced to quit because of the 'endless attacks on my character' since news of her appointment broke.

She added: 'I will not allow myself to be centred in this negative narrative, and more importantly I don't want to stand in the way of the board serving as a positive catalyst for change within the UK's LGBT communities.'

Ms Bergdorf, who was born a boy called Ian, and worked as a DJ, is trans activist and model.

She began living as a woman at the age of 18 but was prescribed hormones by a doctor in 2014.

As part of her lengthy Facebook rant in 2017, in which she branded all white people racist, she added: 'Come see me when you realise that racism isn't learned, it's inherited and consciously or unconsciously passed down through privilege.

'Once white people begin to admit that their race is the most violent and oppressive force of nature on Earth then we can talk.

'Until then stay acting shocked about how the world continues to stay f***** at the hands of your ancestors and your heads that remain buried in the sand with hands over your ears.'

She also branded the suffragettes 'white supremacists' in a tweet posted in March 2018, during the centenary celebrations of women's right to vote.

Ms Bergdorf, 36, a model and broadcaster as well as a contributing editor at British Vogue, was appointed as the first 'UK Champion' for UN Women UK in November

But at least 17 campaign groups have criticised Ms Bergdorf's appointment, saying she is 'unsuitable in every regard' for the role due to her previous alleged 'homophobic and racist posts'

She wrote: 'FYI - The Suffragettes were white supremacists who were fighting for WHITE women's rights - they specifically left black women out of the movement.

'It is not 100 years since women got the vote it's 100 years since WHITE women got the vote. Black women couldn't vote until MUCH later.'

And she has also attacked homosexual Conservatives, writing online: 'Gay male Tories are a special kind of d**khead. It's actually quite astonishing.'

Ms Bergdorf was appointed as UN Women UK Champion in November. The role aims to support the work to improve the lives of women and girls, in November.

However, following her appointment 17 campaign groups - including Fair Play for Women, Sex Matters, Transgender Trend and the Women's Rights Network - signed a joint letter expressing of their 'dismay and disappointment' at the decision.

They said she was 'unsuitable in every regard' and pointed to her previous alleged 'homophobic and racist posts on social media'.

In the letter, the organisations said: 'Munroe Bergdorf's well-publicised activism is not pro-women. This person has objected to women making references to our female bodies.'

Ms Bergdorf has said her appointment was a responsibility she didn't 'take lightly', adding how 'rare' it was that 'we get to see transgender people have a seat or voice at these tables'. Ms Bergdorf and UN Women UK were contacted for comment.

MailOnline has approached UN Women UK for comment and Ms Bergdorf for comment.
Children were heard screaming and pleading for their lives as bright flames licked the exterior of the Japan Airlines plane that smashed into a coastguard aircraft on the runway of Haneda Airport yesterday.

But the crew of JAL flight 516, an Airbus A-350 carrying 367 passengers that turned into a fireball upon collision, had to stay level-headed and collected, in order to save as many lives as possible.

Their exemplary work in saving every single person onboard has astounded the world, and experts have praised the crew for calmly using their rigorous training to save hundreds of lives.

But experts also commended passengers for being 'well behaved' in the face of pure terror.

'I don't see a single passenger on the ground, in any of the videos I've seen, that has got their luggage with them,' Professor Ed Galea, director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich, told the BBC.

Children onboard are heard shouting as flames engulf the aircraft on the outside

Video footage of the crash shows that passengers hurled themselves down the slide with little fuss, ensuring that everyone got off quickly

All 379 passengers miraculously escaped from the Japan Airlines plane after they were safely evacuated

Tokyo Metropolitan Police investigators inspect the area around the Japan Coast Guard aircraft that collided with a Japan Airlines passenger plane at Haneda Airport

'If people tried to take their cabin luggage, that's really dangerous because they would slow down the evacuation.'

The inferno quickly engulfed the plane, making evacuation extremely difficult.

Only three of the inflatable slides could be used, but even these weren't deployed properly due to the plane's nose collapsing.

But video footage of the crash shows that passengers hurled themselves down the slide with little fuss, ensuring that everyone got off quickly.

The crew were also forced to use a megaphone to calmly, but clearly communicated instructions to terrified passengers, after the built-in tannoy system broke in the fire.

Video shows two crew members trying to get the tannoy system working again, as children wail and plead for their lives.

Several current and former airline industry experts told the BBC that Japan Airlines' stringent training measures helped save lives on Tuesday.

Terrifying footage from inside the plane shows how passengers covered their faces and struggled to breathe as the cabin filled with smoke following the fire

This aerial photo show the burn-out Japan Airlines plane at Haneda airport

New crew members are said to go through evacuation and rescue training for up to three weeks before they were allowed to serve commercial flights.

This training is repeated once a year to ensure it stays fresh in crew members' minds.

'We go through a written exam, case study discussions and practical training using different scenarios, such as when the plane has to make a water landing or if there is fire on board. Maintenance staff are also involved in such training,' said a former flight attendant, who left the company ten years ago, and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Today, in order for any passenger aircraft to be internationally certified, aeroplane makers have to prove that it is possible for everyone to leave a plane within 90 seconds, with tests sometimes involving actual passengers.

Flying accidents have often been one of the primary drivers in innovations in safety technology and procedures.

A Japan Airlines plane sits on fire after it collided with a Coast Guard aircraft on the ground at Tokyo's Haneda airport

The plane was consumed by fire shortly after the crash

Haneda Airport was shut down almost immediately after the incident

A 1985 crash involving a Japan Airlines plane that killed 520 people. To date, it is the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history.

The crash woke Japan's airline industry up, and Japan Airlines in particular wanted to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again.

In 2005, the company realised that many were joining without even being alive to remember the deadly crash, and so the following year it opened a museum near Haneda Airport displaying wreckage from the incident, with an aim to remind its employees of the deadly consequences of doing a bad job.

'In face of the pain and grief of the bereaved families and public distrust in airline safety [after the 1985 crash], we pledged that we would never again allow such a tragic accident to occur,' Japan Airlines wrote on the facility's webpage.

'Every staff is reminded that valuable lives and property are entrusted to us in our work.'
Alison Varley, of Ossett in West Yorkshire, said she is 'terrified' and that medics are 'struggling' with her never-before-seen illness. The 42-year-old starts chemo today but fears she may not make Christmas, bluntly admitting: 'I don't know if it's going to work.' Mrs Varley was diagnosed with a specific type of goblet cell carcinoma in 2021 after seeking help for what she assumed was a chest infection that left her struggling to breathe. Antibiotics failed to help, prompting her husband Matthew to eventually call her an ambulance. Hospital scans later revealed she had fluid on her lung - and a mass on her ovary. Goblet cell carcinomas develop in the appendix and are thought to strike just one in every million people. They are more common in people in their 50s and 60s. Pictured left, with her husband Matthew and daughters Delilah and Daisy and right, with her son Charlie.
This is the moment a mass brawl broke out in India between staff at a restaurant and customers who complained about an undercooked biryani.

Shocking footage from outside the establishment shows waiters lashing out with mop handles, while diners return fire by throwing chairs at the staff.

The family were eating at the Grand Hotel in Abids, Hyderabad, on December 31, 2023 when they complained to staff about the quality of Biryani they were served.

They discovered the food had just been reheated and given back to them when they asked for it to be replaced.

An argument broke out before they began to fight each other.

This is the moment a mass brawl broke out in India between staff at a restaurant and customers who complained about an undercooked biryani

Shocking footage from outside the establishment shows waiters lashing out with mop handles, while diners return fire by throwing chairs at the staff

The waiters claim customers threw chairs at them, while they were filmed running out of the restaurant with sticks and hitting people.

The grainy clip opens by showing the staff crowded around the entrance to the restaurant inside the hotel, facing off against the family.

Some men can be seen standing between the two groups acting as peacekeepers.

However, two waiters in white shirts start swinging long poles over a banister at the customers, who are seen taking cover on a stairway leading away from the venue.

The camera, held by one of the people on the stairs, shakes around as chairs and other heavy objects rain down on the customers

Suddenly the camera, held by one of the people on the stairs, shakes around as chairs and other heavy objects rain down on the customers.

It is difficult to tell from the chaotic footage who is who, but it ends with men ushering the customers away through the hotel.

The family filed a complaint and the police took down contacts for the waiters and customers involved in the fight.

Six people were also arrested following the incident.
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed he once called on the help of a priest due to the presence of a poltergeist in his home.

The 75-year-old, best known for his hit musical The Phantom of the Opera, claims the spirit lingered at his former house in Eaton Square, Belgravia, central London.

He said it would take theatre scripts and place them in unexpected places in his property.

Webber called in a priest who he says managed to persuade the spirit to leave.

'I did have a house in Eaton Square which had a poltergeist,' he told the Telegraph when asked if he owns any haunted theatres.

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed he once called on the help of a priest due to the presence of a poltergeist in his home

The 75-year-old claims the spirit was at his former house in Eaton Square, Belgravia, central London

The former house of Webber in Eaton Square, central London

'It would do things like take theatre scripts and put them in a neat pile in some obscure room.

'In the end we had to get a priest to come and bless it, and it left.'

A poltergeist is a type of ghost or spirit which is thought to make loud noises and move or destroy objects.

Webber claims one was present at his former Eaton Square house, which spanned six floors and had six bedrooms and an indoor swimming pool.

According to the Independent, he put the property up for sale in 1997 for a whopping 15million after buying it for 11million in 1990.

In April, Webber admitted that he was 'sad' to see The Phantom Of The Opera end its run on Broadway after entertaining theatergoers for 35 years.

The English composer spoke during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as he was asked about being in the Majestic Theatre for the final performance of the musical.

Webber is best known for his hit musical The Phantom of the Opera

The cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera in March 2021

'Well, it was strange really, because, you know, one of the funny things that's happened with Phantom is that over the last few years... well, few months really, a young audience found it. And it's, I don't know, it was sad last night because I just felt it could run on. But there you go,' Webber told Fallon.

The theatre impresario said it was 'very unusual' for everything to come together for a musical.

'Like the production, the whole thing meshes, it's just one of those moments. I mean, it happened with The Lion King, it's happened with Hamilton, it's happened with me with Phantom. It doesn't happen very often,' he said.
Reform UK ramped up its election push today warning there will be 'no special deals' for right-wing Tories - but Nigel Farage stayed away.

Party leader Richard Tice held a New Year press conference in London this morning as the political world starts building towards a titanic showdown at the ballot boxes.

Mr Tice said that Mr Sunak had 'failed' and vowed to ignore 'special pleading' from Conservative MPs who share many of Reform UK's views.

One striking image displayed portrayed Mr Sunak and Keir Starmer as the 'socialist twins'.

The event was billed as including 'guests' and laying out strategy, including targeting Labour. However, Mr Farage was no-where to be seen despite rumours about a comeback following his successful stint on I'm A Celebrity.

Mr Tice said Mr Farage was still thinking over what he will do next.

Whispers that former Tory MP Peter Bone could stand for the party in the Wellingborough by-election triggered by his recall after bullying allegations also proved unfounded.

Tories have been voicing alarm that Reform UK will merely 'pick off' MPs by splitting the right-wing vote, and open the No10 door for Keir Starmer.

The party has been running at around 10 per cent in the polls, slightly behind the Lib Dems.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice is holding a press conference in London as the political world starts building towards a titanic showdown at the ballot boxes this year

As well as rumours about Nigel Farage (pictured) making a comeback following his successful stint on I'm A Celebrity, there have been whispers about defections

One striking image displayed portrayed Mr Sunak and Keir Starmer as the 'socialist twins'

Another Reform UK image depicted 'Starmergeddon'

Reform UK has been running at around 10 per cent in the polls, slightly behind the Lib Dems

Mr Tice said Brits are 'ready for Rishi to call an election sooner rather than later'.

'I'm optimistic that the country quite rightly wants to punish the Tories for breaking Britain,' he said.

'The truth is the Tories are terrified, yes in the new year the special pleading has already started. 'Oh, please don't stand here, please don't stand there, I'm one of the nice guys, I believe in everything that you believe in'.

'You've all broken Britain, you're all responsible, so there's no special deals, we stand in every single seat in England, Scotland and Wales.'

He said the government had betrayed voters by allowing mass uncontrolled immigration.

Trying to head off questions about Mr Farage's absence, Mr Tice said that poker players did not like to reveal their hands too early.

'We've been talking over the Christmas period and he's obviously giving a lot of thought as to the extent of the role he wants to play in helping Reform UK frankly save Britain,' he said.

'He is still assessing that.

'Nigel is the master of political timing but I'm very clear the job at hand is so big to save Britain, the more help that Nigel is able to give in the election campaign, frankly, the better.'

Mr Farage said yesterday that he was 'very frustrated' with the government, pointing out that immigration is rising up voters' list of concerns.

However, he has also stressed that he is not as young as he used to be - and highlighted that in 2015 his Brexit Party secured a million votes without getting any foothold in the Commons.

Conservative deputy chairman Lee Anderson told GB News that Reform UK are a 'threat' - but their presence could backfire and lead to the country rejoining the EU.

'I've got a lot of time for Nigel [Farage]he's doing fantastic things but Reform are a threat,' Mr Anderson said.

'They are a threat, a bigger threat to the country at the moment I think than the Labour Party, because if Reform do pick off a lot of us Conservative MPs at the next election, then what's going to happen is we're going to end up with a Labour government, and a Labour government is the last thing I want.

Mr Tice held the New Year press conference at a hotel in central London today

'I love my country. I love my country to bits - I don't want to see a Labour government and I'm sure Nigel in his heart of hearts loves this country, in fact I know he does.

'But he runs the risk of losing a lot of Tory seats, seats like mine, to put some Labour remainers, remoaners, back in power. You know what that means? That means that's a backdoor entrance back into the European Union.'

Mr Anderson said a return for Mr Farage was the only way Reform UK would make 'inroads'.

'I will say this, it's - I'm not saying they're a one-man party, but he is the figurehead is Nigel, he does a great job but I think if they want any inroads, then he has to stand,' he said.

'He has to be the leader of the party. He has to stand in the election, because I mean, Richard Tice, I've got a lot of time for Richard, but knock on doors in Ashfield and nobody's ever heard of him.'

Arron Banks  who helped bankroll Mr Farage's Leave EU campaign  told the Sunday Times that he had spoken to 'five or six' Tory donors who could be persuaded to back Reform.

He also said that 'a couple' of Conservative MPs could defect. Mr Farage previously persuaded two Tory MPs to join Ukip.
A former cocaine addict has raised more than 80,000 for his homelessness charity by sleeping rough in the UK's biggest cities.

Richard Roncero, 39, was addicted to the Class A drug for 16 years and spent most of his adult life sofa-surfing and jumping between relationships to stay off the streets.

After his recovery nine years ago, Richard, of Edinburgh, founded Scotland-based charity Steps to Hope to raise money for people suffering with homelessness and addiction.

Now he is sleeping rough in eight cities over eight weeks to help the homeless and raise funds for the charity's new recovery centre Hope House, which will be open to anyone across the UK trying to recover from addiction.

Richard, currently in Blackpool, said he has been spending the winter sleeping in a soaking wet sleeping bag and has been forced to beg for food from passersby.

He told MailOnline: 'When you're lying literally on concrete and the rain is hitting your sleeping bag it's very difficult to get a good nights sleep.

Richard Roncero, 39, has raised more than 80,000 for his homelessness charity by sleeping rough in the UK's biggest cities

Richard has been spending the winter sleeping in a soaking wet sleeping bag

Richard has so far raised more than 80,000 for his charity Steps to Hope

'I'm waking up at four in the morning and I'm having to compromise - rather than being tired, it's a case of getting up and moving just so I can get a bit of warmth and heat in me.'

Richard started the campaign on December 5 and has so far slept rough in Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff and Blackpool. He will travel to Manchester, Newcastle and Inverness before finishing in Dundee on February 3.

The philanthropist said he has even been urinated on people trying to intimidate him during his eight-week campaign to raise money.

'I've had people crouching over me when I've been zipped up in my bag. They've had a bottle of beer in their hand and they're telling me to get back to my country and all that stuff,' he said.

'I've had people urinating right beside my sleeping bag and then aggressively staring at me as they walked away. He was really intoxicated so it's very daunting.'

But Richard said the hardest part of the whole experience is trying to pass the time.

'The days are so so long, just trying to get through a day is so long,' he said. 'I'm begging and I've found that the public have been kind of looking down at you when you're looking up asking for help and thousands of people are walking past.

Richard has relied on begging and homeless services to feed him for the past five weeks

The philanthropist said he has even been urinated on people trying to intimidate him during his eight-week campaign to raise money

He told MailOnline: 'When you're lying literally on concrete and the rain is hitting your sleeping bag it's very difficult to get a good nights sleep'

'It can be so disheartening. You just feel so disengaged from society, and just trying to fill your time to get through another day, it's very repetitive. It's very long.'

He added: 'On Christmas Day I walked about the streets for about four hours and it was absolutely ghost town, that was in Cardiff, until a centre opened when I could get in and get something to eat.'

Richard explained his life is now back on track and he has a fiance and children.

'People are following us on social media and a lot of people are obviously concerned,' he said

'It's cold, I've not come out with any money whatsoever, so it's literally begging to survive and trying to find services available for rough sleepers and then go along there and try and eat and use the shower facilities and stuff like that.'

He added: 'I'm basically documenting on Facebook lives the daily struggles and opening up topics and conversations for the public to discuss and see what their thoughts is, and just trying to change perceptions I suppose.'

You can donate to Richard's cause here.
A man who alleges that a poorly executed penis enlargement procedure left him with a diminished manhood is pursuing legal action against his doctor.

Ilter Turkmen, a wealthy banker from Tekirdag, Turkey, sought the services of Dr. Haluk Soylemez to enhance his 4.7-inch penis.

In legal documents, Turkmen asserts that Dr. Soylemez assured him of a minimum increase of 1.1 inches in length and 1.1 inches in girth, according to local media.

But reports suggest that the procedure performed in January 2022 resulted in disaster, leaving Turkmen with a smaller - and scarred - member.

Instead of the anticipated increase of up to two inches, Turkmen claims that the operation reduced his manhood to a mere 4.3 inches.

Photo shows an illustrative image of Tekirdag, undated. Tekirdag is a city in Turkey, located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara

The enraged banker is now seeking 500,000 lira - roughly 13,000 - in compensation.

Doctors performed a second procedure to address the bleeding and limit the damage following the attempt at extending Turkmen's manhood.

But Turkmen claims he still endured excruciating pain as a result of the alleged botched surgery, hindering his ability to walk for a month.

In his legal filing, Turkmen contends that the bungled operation not only caused severe pain but also disfigured his already diminished penis with noticeable scars.

Dr. Soylemez however refuted Turkmen's claims, asserting in court: 'There is no fault in the procedure I performed.'

His defence team argues that, due to the patient's anatomical structure, there was a risk of the operation resulting in no elongation, or less elongation than average.

Dr. Soylemez also denies making any specific commitments to the patient regarding length or girth, and challenged claims that the size of Turkmen's penis decreased following the surgery.

The defence contends that Turkmen's demand for compensation is excessive, characterising it as an attempt at unjust enrichment.

The filing states: 'The plaintiff received a big bill from another doctor. Demanding this fee as material compensation for his treatment is groundless, aimed at unjust enrichment, and unacceptable.'

The case is ongoing.
A couple were left stranded for more than eight hours after hitting a pothole that 'destroyed' their Mercedes.

Becky Parker and her husband Lee, both 39, had just returned from a holiday in Spain when they struck the 'crater' near the market town of Stone, Staffordshire.

Ms Parker said the pothole on the 60mph stretch of Yarnfield Lane 'shredded the tyre' of her Mercedes CLA and also 'destroyed' the car's alloy wheel after she struck it at around 5.40pm on Thursday.

She had driven home to Yarnfield, Staffordshire, from the airport to drop off her twin daughters, 16, before heading back out on a food shop.

But the couple travelled less than two miles before striking the pothole and were left stranded at the side of the country road. Within minutes, Ms Parker claimed four other drivers fell victim to the same road defect.

It comes amid Rishi Sunak's pledge to tackle 'the scourge of potholes', with 8.3billion of funding allocated by the Government for local roads maintenance. The funding, announced in November, comes from the money saved by scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2.

Becky Parker and her husband Lee (pictured together), both 39, had just returned from a holiday in Spain when they struck the 'crater' in the market town of Stone, Staffordshire

Ms Parker said the pothole on the 60mph stretch of Yarnfield Lane 'shredded the tyre' of her Mercedes CLA (pictured) and also 'destroyed' the alloy wheel

Mrs Parker claimed several others fell victim to the pothole. Pictured: The pothole following emergency repairs

Describing her battle with the pothole, Ms Parker said: 'It was like a crater in the road, and my car has bounced at it with force because it's a 60mph road. I'm amazed that the five of us didn't get severely injured.'

She continued: 'I thought it was a blowout initially, so I had to get to a point of safety.

'It completely shredded the tyre, and the wheel repair guy has put a new wheel on that, but it has buckled and destroyed the alloy to the point where I may need a new alloy completely. It's just completely off-roaded at the moment; I can't even use it.'

Ms Parker estimates the hole was around 15 inches long and four inches deep.

She had to fork out 170 on emergency tyre repair, but the wheel was damaged so badly that the car had to be towed away around 2am, meaning the couple were left stranded for eight hours.

They hired an Uber to get home and retrieve their other car, and took turns driving back home to check on the kids.

Ms Parker was left in limbo with no repair centres open, no car, and a new job to start on Tuesday.

She said 'there are loads of potholes' on that part of Yarnfield Lane between the M6 and The Fillybrooks, and that emergency repair teams attended the following morning to patch the hole, but that these repairs only lasted two days before the pothole returned.

Ms Parker estimates the hole was around 15 inches long and four inches deep. Pictured: Repair crews the following morning

She said: 'Now I've got to wait for an alloy repair centre and pay a few hundred quid, but no-one can help me until at least Wednesday.

'I've called round for some quotes today, because it would be in excess of 200 to hire a vehicle. I'm at home with children during the holidays with no access to a car.'

Ms Parker says she has made a Freedom of Information request to the council to see how many reports have been made on that particular road in the last month.

She says she cannot put a claim into Staffordshire County Council until she has had the car repaired, because she does not yet know how much to claim for.

Almost two million potholes are fixed on UK roads annually, but with an increase of drivers and extreme weather conditions, it is expected to get worse.

In March a new study estimated that the cost of clearing Britain's pothole backlog had reached a record high of 14billlion - up nearly 1.5billion on last year.

It would take 11 years for local authorities to fix every crumbling road in England and Wales, up from nine years in 2022, according to a survey by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA).

Last year the trade body found it would cost councils 12.64billion to fill in all potholes - but since then the repair bill has risen by 11 per cent to 14.02billion.

Overall, the AIA found there were 8,000 fewer miles of road classified as 'good' compared with last year, a fall of 4 per cent.

David Williams, cabinet member for highways and transport at Staffordshire County Council, said: 'We have one of the largest road networks in the country and keeping our highways in a good state of repair remains an ongoing and costly challenge.

'This is why we recently announced an extra 30 million highways investment over the next two years as well as an additional 5 million for pothole repairs.

'Our highways crews have been in action throughout the Christmas period responding to over 100 incidents and carrying out numerous temporary and permanent repairs to the roads.

'All reported issues are inspected as soon as possible and assessed for their severity. Any defect which poses an immediate risk is dealt with as a priority.

'While we cannot comment on individual cases for compensation, we do have a robust process in place when assessing claims.

'There are a variety of factors that will determine whether the council is liable for damage to vehicles, not just the existence of a pothole, and we have a duty to Staffordshire tax payers to ensure all claims are fair and appropriate.'
A remote island off the Welsh coast, home to a population of just 11, is seeking a couple of castaways to join its tiny community.

Bardsey Island is a scrap of land, measuring just 1.5 miles long, and steeped in legend and history.

Known as the island of '20,000 saints', it was once one of the most significant religious sites in Britain and is believed to be the final resting place of King Arthur  though it is one of dozens of rumoured locations.

The picturesque nature reserve is home to seals, dolphins, puffins and manx shearwaters, but is only accessible by boat.

Now, the Trust who run the island are seeking two new wardens to keep up its 12 Grade-II listed buildings as well as oversee volunteers and tourists.

Bardsey Island is a scrap of land just two miles from the Llyn Peninsula, which is steeped in legend and history

The picturesque nature reserve is home to seals, dolphins, puffins and manx shearwaters, but is only accessible by boat

They say the successful candidates must be physically fit and willing to partake in a wide range of tasks and able to speak both Welsh and English.

The post reads: 'Shared accommodation is provided, i.e., both accommodation wardens will be expected to live together, with separate bedrooms if requested.

'The island is off-grid, meaning that there is limited electricity which is able to run a light, fridge freezer and internet router; this is provided by solar panels.

'Cooking is by gas and drinking water is run to the accommodation from the island's well. There is a simple shower but no indoor running hot water; a composting toilet is located outside in the yard and an outdoor showering area is provided.'

Successful candidates must be physically fit and willing to partake in a wide range of tasks and able to speak both Welsh and English

There are approximately 11 people living on Bardsey, including the Evans family, who have lived on the island for three generations

Despite its small population, Bardsey has traces of civilisation dating back 12,000 years to the Neolithic Period.

It is said to have become an important religious hub in the sixth century when Einon, the King of Llyn, invited the Breton St Cadfan to Bardsey.

Together, they built St Mary's Abbey - where a community of 2,500 monks lived throughout the seventh century.

It is believed many of them indicated they wanted to be buried on Bardsey, which is perhaps the reason the land is known in folklore as the 'island of 20,000 saints.'

This tale is honoured in a chapel graveyard, where an inscription reads: 'Respect the remains of 20,000 saints buried near this spot.'

St Mary's Abbey flourished until 1537 - when it was destroyed by Henry VIII in his Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries.

All that's left of the building and its 13th century Augustinian counterpart is an eight-metre stone tower in Bardsey Chapel's graveyard.

In 2020, a 1.2 million project was launched to to see the island run entirely on 'blue energy' - using the power of tidal waves.

The job advert says the role is for 20 hours per week and that benefits include 'one boat trip to the mainland per month.'

There are approximately 11 people living on Bardsey, including the Evans family, who have lived on the island for three generations.
The Postal Services Minister Kevin Hollinrake has called for the former chief of the Post Office Paula Vennells to hand back her CBE as he backs prosecutions over the Horizon IT scandal.

Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly accused and even convicted of fraud and other financial crimes they did not commit due to an IT error relating to the Fujitsu system.

Paula Vennells, who is featured in ITV's new drama Mr Bates V The Post Office, was CEO of the post office from 2012 until 2019, at the time the company was pushing prosecutions through the courts.

She was given a CBE in the 2019 New Year Honours List for services to the Post Office and to charity, but she is facing calls to return it since the scale of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history was revealed.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain this morning, Mr Hollinrake said: 'Ultimately you've got a responsibility here as Chief Executive, if I was Paual Venells I would seriously look at handing that [CBE] back voluntarily.'

Paula Vennells, who is featured in ITV 's new drama Mr Bates V The Post Office, was CEO of the post office from 2012 until 2019

He added that if sufficient evidence is found, he would support prosecutions against those responsible for covering up the IT errors which led to people losing thousands of pounds and their lives being destroyed.

Absolutely I do if there's evidence there that people are guilty of a crime [at] the Post Office, at whatever level.

When asked by Richard Madeley, Mr Hollinrake said: 'It is not me or you to judge what the police should take forward as a prosecution or not, that's an independent part of our system.'

But he added he 'absolutely' supports prosecutions 'if there's evidence there that people are guilty of a crime [at] the Post Office, at whatever level.'

The minister said he was confident the ongoing enquiry would 'identify who is responsible in the Post Office and or indeed potentially in Fujitsu and those people wherever possible should be held to account.'

It comes after it was revealed the inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal had found 'more than enough evidence' for police to launch a criminal investigation into senior staff.'

The Post Office wrongfully prosecuted more than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses between 1999 and 2015 for theft, fraud and false accounting based on information from a recently installed computer system called Horizon.

The Postal Services Minister Kevin Hollinrake has called for the former chief of the Post Office to hand back her CBE

In 1999, the Post Office rolled out the Horizon accounting IT system, but faults in the software led to shortfalls in branch accounts.

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: As their monstrous treatment by the Post Office is revealed in a powerful TV drama, Lee and Lisa describe how they were bankrupted, their health was wrecked and their children spat at after they were falsely accused of fraud Advertisement

Postmasters were required to 'make good' the discrepancies with their own money or face immediate suspension, dismissal or worse.

Postmasters have claimed that Post Office senior staff covered up dozens of bugs and should be investigated for perverting the course of justice.

The inquiry has been shown correspondence which show how senior staff demanded the Post Office hurried up with prosecuting people, years after concerns were raised.

Investigators' bonuses were determined by how much money was recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act - and one postmistress was prosecuted for theft after her investigator reported there was insufficient evidence.

Lawyers want the chairman of the inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, to hand over files to the director of public prosecutions when it finishes next year.

The Met Police, which is currently probing two ex Horizon IT experts for perjury, is also taking part in the inquiry and has access to key documents.

Three witnesses are said to have already been warned they do not have to answer questions in case they incriminate themselves, while another two ex employees are expected to receive the same warning.
The leading candidate to become the new First Minister of Wales has defended plans for major council tax hikes to fill massive holes in the Labour government's budget.

Vaughan Gething said a consultation on the levy announced in November was designed to 'rebalance' a system last valued two decades ago.

The Labour administration in Cardiff announced plans to change the rating system to shift more of the burden onto 'those with the most' via new valuations and more bands.

It argued that the current system placed 'an unfair burden on those who live in lower valued properties', with owners in the top Band I paying 3.5 times the council tax of someone in the bottom Band A, despite their property being worth nine times as much.

The change has been criticised by the Welsh Conservatives, coming at a time when the government has brought in wide-ranging Budget cuts from policing to flood protection plans.

But in an interview with the FT, Mr Gething, who is expected to replace outgoing FM Mark Drakeford this year, said: 'The council tax consultation is not about trying to raise the average council tax or hit people in the middle or lower scale, it's about how can you rebalance how that works.

'You could have people at the top end paying more and people at the bottom paying less.'

Vaughan Gething said a consultation on the levy announced in November was designed to 'rebalance' a system last valued two decades ago.

The Labour administration in Cardiff announced plans to change the rating system to shift more of the burden onto 'those with the most' via new valuations and more bands.

Andrew RT Davies, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: 'Welsh taxpayers will be sceptical of the Labour Government's council tax plans.

'Council tax in Wales has nearly tripled since the turn of the century and is placing a huge burden on Welsh households.

'Any moves to reform local rates must not further punish hard working people across Wales.'

Mr Drakeford announced his resignation as Wales' First Minister in December after five years in office.

The 69-year-old is stood down immediately as Labour leader but will continue to head the Welsh government until a replacement is named, which he hopes will happen by Easter.

He revealed his departure in Cardiff on the anniversary of the day he took on the role in 2018  but he insisted he still has a lot to achieve over the coming months.

During a rollercoaster term in power, he saw his popularity surge as he led Wales through the Covid crisis.

But his approval ratings have since slumped amid problems for the NHS in Wales and the controversial imposition of widespread 20mph speed limits on the country's roads.
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The world's largest cruise ship has made its way to Puerto Rico as it prepares to accept its first paying passengers.

Locals and tourists in Ponce, Puerto Rico, were given a sneak peak at the 1,198 foot-long, 250,800-tonne pleasure cruiser, named the Icon Of The Seas, as it took a break in port as part of its trial voyage, necessary to gain its certification.

The 20-deck vessel, five times larger than the ill-fated Titanic, towered above the town on the southern coast of the Caribbean island.

The massive ship, which cost cruise-line company Royal Caribbean $2 billion (1.58 billion), boasts a food hall, seven swimming pools and the largest at-sea water-park of any cruise ship in the world.

Its inaugural sailing for paying customers will be out of Miami, Florida, on January 27 for a seven-night dash around the Caribbean, including a stop at 'Perfect Day at CocoCay', Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

The 20-deck monstrosity, five times larger than the ill-fated Titanic, towered above Puerto Rico

Locals and tourists in Ponce, Puerto Rico, were given a sneak peak at the 1,198 foot-long, 250,800-tonne pleasure cruiser, named the Icon of The Seas (pictured)

Its inaugural sailing for paying customers will be out of Miami, Florida, on January 27 for a seven-night dash around the Caribbean

Princes for this year's schedule of a seven-night cruise across the Caribbean start at around 1,200, but so far almost all 'staterooms' have been reserved and paid for

The rooms left up for grabs cost between 4,000 and 6,000

The cruise took years to put together, with its 'neighbourhoods' - as the eight main areas of the ship are known - being built to scale in Miami

Icon of the Seas cruise ship is seen docked after arriving in Ponce, Puerto Rico

The ship is the size of five Titanics, and is the length of three football fields

The water park on the ship is the largest of any at sea

Princes for this year's schedule of a seven-night cruise across the Caribbean start at around 1,200, but so far almost all 'staterooms' have been reserved and paid for

Rooms still up for grabs will set families back between 4,000 and 6,000

The Ultimate Family Townhouse suite spans three decks. While customers can choose to take the stairs to traverse the massive suite, when descending they also have the option of a slide, which spills out on to the living room floor

The Ultimate Family Townhouse (pictured in this rendering) can sleep eight and has its own sundeck and various balconies. Seven nights will set families back an eyewatering $85,000 (70,000)

The ship's Aquadome (pictured in this rendering) - the largest free-standing dome at sea, with nearly 700 glass panels and weighing 333.5 metric tonnes - was raised from the dock and plonked on the ship like a flying saucer, its weight evenly distributed with the help of computers connected to each cable.

The massive ship, which cost cruise-line company Royal Caribbean $2 billion (1.58 billion), boasts a food hall, seven swimming pools and the largest at-sea water-park of any cruise ship in the world

Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's chief product innovation officer, previously told the Mail: 'We didn't set out to create the biggest ship in the world'

The Icon of the Sea's maiden voyage is set to be at the end of January

The ship cost Royal Caribbean $2 billion (1.58 billion) to make

Princes for this year's schedule of a seven-night cruise across the Caribbean start at around 1,200, but so far almost all 'staterooms' have been reserved and paid for, with those still up for grabs costing between 4,000 and 6,000.

Some rooms are even more expensive. The Ultimate Family Townhouse suite spans three decks. While customers can choose to take the stairs to traverse the massive suite, when descending they also have the option of a slide, which spills out on to the living room floor.

The Ultimate Family Townhouse can sleep eight and has its own sundeck and various balconies. Seven nights will set families back an eyewatering $85,000 (70,000).

The cruise took years to put together, with the 'neighbourhoods' - as the eight main areas of the ship are known - being constructed elsewhere then lifted into position.

The most daring lift came when the Aquadome - the largest free-standing dome at sea, with nearly 700 glass panels and weighing 333.5 metric tonnes - was raised from the dock and plonked on the ship like a flying saucer, its weight evenly distributed with the help of computers connected to each cable.

This particular manoeuvre took 24 hours and the dome now features a 55ft waterfall and seating for 1,300 people.

Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's chief product innovation officer, previously told the Mail: 'We didn't set out to create the biggest ship in the world.'
Incredible before-and-after images have illustrated how a 7.6-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Japan on New Year's day.

The powerful quake left 62 people dead and more trapped under the rubble, with rescuers now in a race against time to find survivors who were buried alive.

Satellite images of the quake-struck regions, when compared with past dates, show that the natural disaster turned swathes of communities into rubble.

Smoke is seen rising from some of the flattened buildings, while deep cracks can be seen running hundreds of meters through the earth.

The Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan coast was most severely hit region, with buildings ravaged by fire and houses flattened in several towns, including Wajima and Suzu, as shown by the before-and-after satellite images.

Meanwhile, Japanese rescue workers and canine units searched urgently through rubble on Wednesday ahead of predicted bitter cold and heavy rain.

 Slide me  Incredible before-and-after images (pictured) have illustrated how a 7.6-magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Japan on New Year's day

 Slide me  A street in Wajima, Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture, is seen before (left) and after (right) the devastating earthquake that levelled buildings and killed 62 people

 Slide me  This combination image shows an area in Wajima, Japans Ishikawa prefecture on April 27, 2021 (left) and the same neighbourhood on January 2, 2024, after a fire following a major 7.56magnitude earthquake that struck the Noto region the previous day

 Slide me  Homes along the coastline near Ukai are seen on August 11, 2022 (left). The same area is shown right on January 2, 2024, a day after a major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture

Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas were shaken by a 4.9 magnitude aftershock early Wednesday - one of dozens that have followed Monday's magnitude 7.6 temblor centred near Noto, about 185 miles from Tokyo on the opposite coast.

The quake also set off tsunami warnings, followed by waves measuring more than 3 feet in some places.

Japan's prime minister called the search for survivors a race against time.

The first 72 hours are especially critical for rescues, experts say, because the prospects for survival greatly diminish after that.

'More than 40 hours have passed. This is a race against time, and I feel that we are at a critical moment,' Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. 'We have received reports many people are still waiting for rescue under collapsed buildings.'

Noto's narrow peninsula has added to the challenges in reaching some communities. Water, power and cellphone service were still down in some areas.

Naomi Gonno says she and her children got out of their house just as it came crashing down.

An aerial view of capsized boats and damaged buildings in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, are seen on January 2 2024 - the day after the New Year's Day earthquake

A satellite image shows ground liquefaction caused by the earthquake, in Wajima, January 2

A satellite image shows a support helicopter and ground liquefaction caused by the earthquake, in Wajima, on January 2

This aerial image shows a boat (left) washed ashore next to a badly damaged area in the city of Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture on January 3, 2024

Ships washed ashore are pictured in the city of Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture on January 3, 2024

Fishing boats lay capsized following a strong earthquake at a fishing port in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, January 3

People stand near a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Wajima, Japan, January 3

Rescue workers conduct a rescue operation at a collapsed building following an earthquake in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, January 3

But her children were screaming 'Granma,' and Gonno saw that her mother was trapped under the smashed house, with only her hand visible. She was able to squeeze her way out through a tiny space, Gonno said.

'I can't believe we're still alive,' she said. 'We are living in fear.'

Relief officials handed out water, blankets, food and other supplies. Search dogs joined military personnel and firefighters trying to find dozens of people who are thought to be trapped, although the exact number is unclear.

Weather forecasts warned of heavy rain in Ishikawa, leading to worries about landslides and further damage to half-crumbled homes. Temperatures were expected to drop to around 4 degrees Celsius overnight.

Of the deaths, 29 were counted in Wajima city, while 22 people died in Suzu, according to Ishikawa prefectural authorities.

Eleven deaths were reported in other nearby towns, and three were still awaiting official confirmation in Wajima, meaning the overall toll would likely grow to at least 65 people.

Dozens of people have been seriously injured, including in nearby prefectures.

The wreckage of a morning market is seen after being burnt out by fires which followed a strong earthquake in Wajima, central Japan, January 3

A woman walks at Asaichi Yokocho district where approximately 200 buildings had been burnt down two days after the multiple strong earthquakes on January 3

People walk through an area devastated by a quake-induced fire in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture on January 3

Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase encouraged everyone to use masks, antiseptic and soap to guard against the spread of infectious diseases as evacuees shelter together. Ensuring adequate water supplies and toilets for those who were displaced is a priority, he said.

Nearly 33,000 people are staying at evacuation centers, and some said they were hungry and cold, unable to sleep and afraid.

When Monday's quake hit, Yasuo Kobatake ran out of his house with just one sock on. The shaking threw him to the ground, and a concrete wall came crashing down, barely missing him, he said.

He was eating only rice balls and a few sips of water in paper cups at the elementary school where he and others were sheltering. They slept on cushions, with no blankets. 'It was so cold. I thought I'd freeze to death,' he said.

In the aftermath of the quakes and tsunami, boats lay overturned in the sea, roads were blocked by mounds of dirt, and pillars and walls lay scattered from flattened homes. A large fire turned an entire section of Wajima city into ashes.

Officials warned that more major quakes could follow.

Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority cause no damage, with strict building codes in place for more than four decades.

Earthquakes have hit the Noto region with intensifying strength and frequency over the past five years.

The high number of aftershocks is a result of the "complex" fault systems below the peninsula, Yoshihiro Ito from Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute told AFP news agency.

The country is haunted by a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

It also swamped the Fukushima atomic plant, causing one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.

People walks past a burnt-out vehicle in an area hit by a fire, following earthquakes in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Wednesday

A woman prays at remains of a building that was burnt out by a fire which followed the strong earthquake in Wajima, central Japan

Minor damage was reported at some nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan shoreline after Monday's earthquake and aftershocks - including leaks of water used to cool nuclear fuel and a partial shutdown of power at one plant.

The plant operators said there was no danger of damage to the environment or the nuclear power stations themselves.

Japan is an organised, conformist and relatively crime-free society where warnings are systematically relayed as a public service.

Disaster experts say that's helping save lives.
Harvard President Claudine Gay has resigned in a bitter letter to colleagues and students where she failed to apologise for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure.

Gay, 53, lasted just six months in the role - the shortest tenure of any president in the school's history, and comes 28 days after her shocking congressional testimony about campus antisemitism.

Accused of both plagiarism and antisemitism, Gay refused to categorise calls for Jew genocide as harassment or concede that Jewish students had a right to feel safe at Ivy League schools.

In her resignation letter she vehemently claims victimhood, attributing her decision to resign to 'threats fueled by racial animus,' by the school's board, which has been under pressure to replace her after defending her remarks.

Gay wrote in an email: 'It has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigortwo bedrock values that are fundamental to who I amand frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.'

Following her resignation, Alan Garber is set to take over as interim president of Harvard - but, who is he and why and how was he selected to preside over the prestigious Ivy League institution?

Alan Garber (pictured, in 2015) is set to take over as interim president of Harvard - but, who is he and why and how was he selected to preside over the prestigious Ivy League institution? (Photo: AP)

Why did Claudine Gay resign?

After being appointed as Harvard president last July, Gay sparked fury during a congressional hearing after saying 'context' was needed to decide whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard's rules of bullying and harassment.

In early December of last year, Dr. Gay and the presidents of UPenn and MIT all attended a heated congressional hearing concerning anti-Semitism on campuses.

Gay and her counterparts all condemned the acts of Hamas and disavowed anti-Semitism generally, she refused to speak out against students calling for the genocide of Jews.

When asked if she considered calls for the genocide of Jewish people to violate Harvard's bullying policy, Gay said it was 'depending on the context' and when asked to clarify said: 'Anti-Semitic rhetoric, when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation  that is actionable conduct and we do take action.'

Following her testimony to Congress, Gay apologised and insisted her words had been 'confused.'

Gay, 53, lasted just six months in the role - the shortest tenure of any president in the school's history, and comes 28 days after her congressional testimony about campus antisemitism

After the damaging congressional hearing however, billionaire donors and students started to boycott the Ivy League school over her stance.

Len Blavatnik, whose family foundation gave the Ivy League school at least $270 million, said it was halting donations until it addresses what they called 'rampant anti-Semitism on campus.'

Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and his wife Batia also declined to support the university further in October after 31 school organizations signed a letter blaming Israel for Hamas' attacks.

Meanwhile the Wexner Foundation pulled their support from the school entirely, after donating at least $56 million over the course of 30 years.

Hedge fund boss Bill Ackman demanded that the university's board of directors review Gay's history, including accusations of plagiarism, and of discriminating against those that don't fit the look of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

After managing to weather the storm for 28 days, Gay said in an email to colleagues that she was standing down after a 'consultation' with the school's board.

Students protest against Israel at Harvard University on October 14. Many Jewish students said the extended protests and university response to them left them feeling unsafe (Photo: Getty)

What did Claudine Gay's resignation letter say?

Gay emphasised that her departure is in the best interests of Harvard, allowing the community to navigate a challenging moment with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.

'After consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual,' she wrote.

Despite accusations and doubts cast on her commitment to confronting hate and upholding scholarly rigor, Gay maintained her stance, describing these values as fundamental to her identity.

'When my brief presidency is remembered, I hope it will be seen as a moment of reawakening to the importance of striving to find our common humanityand of not allowing rancor and vituperation to undermine the vital process of education,' she wrote.

'Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigortwo bedrock values that are fundamental to who I amand frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.'

Garber supported Gay at the disastrous hearing, nodding as she gave her remarks

Who is Harvard interim president Alan Garber?

Alan M. Garber, 69, is a physician and economist who as provost helped guide Harvard University through the COVID-19 pandemic.

He grew up in Illinois, U.S., and graduated from Harvard University in 1976 with an AB in economics, before staying on at Harvard to earn an AM and a PhD in economics.

Five decades on, he now serves as Harvard University's chief academic officer, he is also the Mallinckrodt Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, and a Professor of Economics in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Garber is also Professor of Public Policy in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Garber is married to Anne Yahanda, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania who is now an oncologist. The couple share four children, including Daniel, who is a current sophomore at Harvard.

According to a statement released on Harvard University's website, Garber has agreed to serve as Interim President until a new leader for Harvard is identified and takes office.

Harvard added: 'We are grateful to have someone of Alans broad and deep experience, incisive judgment, collaborative style, and extraordinary institutional knowledge to carry forward key priorities and to guide the university through this interim period.'

Alan Garber (shown, right, in 2018 with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud) will serve as interim president in Gay's absence (Photo: Getty)

Former President George H. W. Bush, left, shakes hands with Harvard University Provost Alan Garber, right, as Bush is awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree during Harvard commencement ceremonies in 2014 (Photo: AP)

What did Alan Garber say about anti-Semitism at Harvard?

Garber was reportedly raised by Jewish parents, and has expressed regret about the University's initial response to the war in Israel and Gaza, calling the backlash to Harvard's response the most serious crisis Harvard has faced during his over 12 year tenure  including the Covid-19 pandemic.

'I certainly have regrets about the first statement,' he said. 'Our goal is to ensure that our community is safe, secure, and feels well supported  and that first statement did not succeed in that regard.'

In October, Garber addressed Harvard Hillel over Shabbat dinner where he emphasised the importance of free speech while condemning the use of the pro-Palestine slogan 'from the river to the sea.'

In a statement to The Crimson Tuesday, Garber wrote that he had 'deep respect and admiration' for Gay and hoped his tenure as interim president would help 'heal and strengthen a university that I cherish.'

What has Alan Garber's medical research achieved?

Garber's research has focused on improving healthcare delivery and financing, especially for the elderly.

According to his Stanford biography, Garber has 'developed methods for determining the cost-effectiveness of health interventions' and studied 'ways to structure financial and organizational incentives to ensure that cost-effective care is delivered.

'In addition, his research explores how clinical practice patterns and healthcare market characteristics influence technology adoption, health expenditures, and health outcomes in the United States and in other countries.'
Leading educators have called on Harvard University to break from political correctness when hiring embattled former president Claudine Gay's replacement.

Gay resigned Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school's conduct policy.

Speaking to Fox News, William Bennett, who served as education secretary in the Reagan administration, said the whole debacle 'is an example of the final corruption of our most elite institutions.'

He went on to say that Gay, Harvard's first black president, was brought in in the first place because of 'the crazy race consciousness of the university now.' Despite her resignation, Gay will continue to collect her $900,000 annual salary.

'Special consideration is given to race both in the admission process and in hiring, and even in putting in their presiding officer,' Bennett added. 'We're not getting people based on merit anymore, and it's permeating all of society.'

While historian Victor Davis Hanson said in an earlier tweet that Harvard should look beyond DEI when looking for a new president.

William J Bennett served as education secretary in the Reagan administration and has dedicated his life to education

Harvard University President Claudine Gay speaks before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce at a hearing on the rise in antisemitism on college campuses on Dec. 5

'If Harvard appoints as its permanent president another candidate on the basis of DEI without a record of substantial scholarship, intellectual probity, recognized teaching, and administrative excellence, then the university will only reinforce the now growing consensus that it has abandoned even the veneer of meritocracy,' he wrote.

During an appearance on Fox News in December, Hanson spoke bluntly about Gay's tenure.

'She was an affirmative action hire. We've lost the tradition that in America anybody of any class, any race or any ideology will be judged in the marketplace of ideas for their performance,' he said.

Bennett, who graduated from Harvard Law School in 1971, went on to say that he is 'greatly disappointed and embarrassed by what [Harvard has] has become. It's not the Harvard that I went to.'

The question I always get asked by parents is, 'Is Harvard worth it?' The answer is no, I don't think it is anymore. The luster Harvard once enjoyed is now coming off,' he also damningly stated.

Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony  Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned Dec. 9.

Gay announced her departure just months into her tenure in a letter to the Harvard community.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee holding banners outside the prestigious college. Gay was roundly criticized for not shutting down peaceful protests at the school in the wake of the October 7 attack

A billboard truck at Harvard University last month demanding the removal of president Claudine Gay

Alan M. Garber, provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until Harvard finds a replacement, the board said in a statement

Following the congressional hearing, Gay's academic career came under intense scrutiny by conservative activists who unearthed several instances of alleged plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation.

The Harvard Corporation, Harvard's governing board, initially rallied behind Gay, saying a review of her scholarly work turned up 'a few instances of inadequate citation' but no evidence of research misconduct.

Days later, the Harvard Corporation said it found two additional examples of 'duplicative language without appropriate attribution.' The board said Gay would update her dissertation and request corrections.

The Harvard Corporation said the resignation came 'with great sadness' and thanked Gay for her 'deep and unwavering commitment to Harvard and to the pursuit of academic excellence.'

Alan M. Garber, provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until Harvard finds a replacement, the board said in a statement. Garber, an economist and physician, has served as provost for 12 years.

Gay's resignation was celebrated by the conservatives who put her alleged plagiarism in the national spotlight  with additional plagiarism accusations surfacing as recently as Monday in The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative publication.

Christopher Rufo, an activist who has helped rally the GOP against higher education, said he's 'glad she's gone.'

'Rather than take responsibility for minimizing antisemitism, committing serial plagiarism, intimidating the free press, and damaging the institution, she calls her critics racist,' Rufo said on X, formerly Twitter.

'This is the poison' of diversity, equity and inclusion ideology, said Rufo, who has led conservative attacks on DEI both in business and in education.

Gay, in her letter, said it has been 'distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor  two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am  and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.'

But Gay, who is returning to the school's faculty, added 'it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge.'
Smaller breeds are either too boring or unhealthy

Big dog breeds are too dominant and serious

A professional dog trainer has warned pet owners of the five breeds he would never consider owning.

Elijah Boateng, 24, who lives in Sydney and has worked with Apex Dog Training for four years, uploaded a video discussing the worst dogs to own.

Some breeds were too 'wild' and others were simply too 'boring' to justify the difficulty that can come with training them, he explained.

Obvious choices like huskies and pugs were featured on the list alongside cavoodles, greyhounds and maremma sheepdogs.

Elijah Boateng, 24, who lives in Sydney and has worked with Apex Dog Training for four years, made a list of the top five dog breeds he would never own as a trainer

Huskies

To start the list out, Mr Boateng took aim at huskies - which he found to be 'quite a stubborn dog'.

'I don't love the temperaments on them, they feel to me like they still need to be in the wild rather than in people's homes,' he said.

Elaborating on his point, Mr Boateng said that while huskies can be tamed they are one of the most dominant breeds and will often whine if on a leash.

Maremma Sheepdog

The maremma sheepdog followed the husky as the second-worst breed to own because they are 'very serious dogs' which 'aren't fun to train'.

'When you train them it feels like you're forcing them to do stuff rather than working with them,' Mr Boateng said.

Huskies are very temperamental and dominant

Pugs

Pugs came in third due to their notorious breathing issues and the fact that they are 'very silly'.

'I don't like how they look, I don't even like what they represent,' he said.

Mr Boateng said that he could not justify owning a dog that required surgery to survive and that he wanted a dog that could 'survive on its own'.

Cavoodles

Controversially, Mr Boateng listed the extremely popular cavoodle as a breed he would never consider owing despite their low-maintenance.

'To me these dogs are a little bit anxious and a little bit annoying,' he said in the video.

While commending the breed for being manageable, Mr Boateng said that he just wanted a dog he could properly train and that cavoodles' anxiety rules them out.

Pugs are bad because they are 'silly' and can not breathe

Cavoodles are a notoriously anxious pup to train

Greyhounds

The 'boring' breed: greyhounds were found to be great for lifestyle, 'but not for someone who is into training'.

'Greyhounds are awesome  but it's not the kind of dog you want to train and do stuff with,' he said.

Responses to the video were mixed and many viewers came to the defence of their dog breeds which had appeared on Mr Boateng's list.

'As a husky owner I knew the husky would be on this list.. they're not for everyone, but the breed is rather misunderstood till you own one,' one woman wrote.

Mr Boateng simply dismissed greyhounds as too 'boring' to train while conceding that he does find the breed 'awesome' in other ways

Another woman wrote: 'My greyhound learned sit, stay, paw in five minutes! He's only two months, can't wait to teach him more.'

'Pugs are honestly the best dog breed. Love their personalities. Just got to make sure you get from a good breeder or rescue,' a third person commented.

As for the best breeds to own, Mr Boateng said that working dogs like kelpies, golden retrievers and german shepherds topped that list.
Terrifying new footage has emerged from a luxury cruise liner negotiating a ferocious storm off Antarctica, capturing the moment waves measuring almost 100ft smashed the vessel and swamped the deck with freezing seawater.

The Atlas World Voyager cruise ship was traversing the Drake Passage - the spot at which the Atlantic and Pacific oceans converge between the southernmost tip of South America and Antarctica - when it was caught in a punishing tempest.

Winds of up to 115mph whipped the sea into a frenzy and sent 30 metre (93ft) waves slamming into the luxury yacht during the perilous journey on December 2, 2023.

The heart-pounding clip taken from the deck shows how the yacht was lifted to the top of massive waves before angling over and plunging several storeys down.

Tables, chairs, sunloungers and all sorts of other detritus were seen floating about after the deck was overrun by the deluge.

Fortunately, the crew managed to expertly navigate the treacherous waters and the yacht reached its destination - Ushuaia in southern Argentina - without suffering major damage.

Winds of up to 115mph whipped the sea into a frenzy and sent 30 metre (93ft) waves slamming into the luxury yacht during the perilous journey on December 2, 2023

Tables, chairs, sunloungers and all sorts of other detritus were seen floating about after the deck was overrun by the deluge

'It was the roughest crossing many of the crew and staff had ever had... Made it back to Ushuaia safely under the guidance of our expert captain,' one tourist said

World Voyager - the latest luxury yacht to have been added to the fleet of Atlas Ocean Voyages

Tourist Rich Bush who was on board the yacht and was forced to brave the storm in Drake Passage said: 'We had high winds with one gust hitting 115 mph. Also 10 meter waves and one wave that washed over the bridge level. The captain estimated it was 30 meters.

'It was the roughest crossing many of the crew and staff had ever had... Made it back to Ushuaia safely under the guidance of our expert captain,' he wrote on Facebook.

World Voyager, the most modern and advanced addition to the fleet of Atlas Ocean Voyages, is specially designed to deal with such brutal conditions.

Measuring 429ft in length and weighing in at close to 10,000 tons, the decadent yacht boasts more than fancy fixtures and fittings.

It is specially designed to negotiate the most punishing of seas, with state-of-the-art retractable fins designed by Rolls Royce providing extra stabilisation when traversing a furiously churning ocean.

World Voyager is also equipped with top class sonar system that allows it to navigate potentially dangerous polar regions.

Despite the unforgiving environment, the yacht was able to traverse the Drake Passage without incident.

The same cannot be said for MS Maud, a Norwegian cruise liner that was sailing through the North Sea just days before Christmas when a freak wave battered the ship with such force that it lost power and was left adrift.

MS Maud was sailing some 162 miles off Denmark's west coast and about 217 miles off Britain's east coast when the monster wave shattered its windows on the bridge.

The ship, which was carrying 400 passengers and crew, had started a 14-day Northern Lights expedition sailing from Tilbury on December 9 and was due to return to the Essex port on December 23.

Dramatic footage obtained by MailOnline shows the exact moment the rogue wave hit, leaving the ship impossible to navigate and requiring a tow to Germany.

One passenger, who was filming the bridge camera at the time, captured the moment the 'rogue wave' struck MS Maud

Terrifying footage shows the enormous wave crashing into the Norwegian ship, which resulted in a power outage

MS Maud (pictured) had started a 14-day Northern Lights expedition sailing from Tilbury, in the UK, on December 9 and it was due to return to the Essex port on December 23

The passenger who filmed the moment said: 'I had the bridge camera showing on the TV to try to stop dizziness and just randomly decided to film it!

'As soon as the wave struck, the TV screen went blank and the ship's horn distress signal sounded so I knew something was wrong.'

The holidaymaker, who expected it was going to be a 'rough ride' after going over several other big waves, described how passengers, fixed tables and chairs were sent sliding across the floor.

Another passenger, Betty Little, was on the trip with her 96-year-old mother Jessie when the wave struck. She praised the crew for their response as they are both disabled and needed extra support amid the panic.

Ms Little told MailOnline: 'When we had to go to muster stations, we almost immediately had assistance. One crew member, with the further assistance of four others, gave my mother a piggyback down the stairs, and I had two assisting me. We had assistance to don our survival gear and were made as comfortable as possible.

'Later, water was provided along with cans of Coca-Cola and ginger ale, as well as sandwiches. Absolutely amazing crew!'

Other stomach-churning footage shared by passengers showed just how choppy the conditions were, with the ship seen aggressively rocking up and down as it was ravaged by huge waves.
A Czech priest severed his own penis with a knife after being driven psychotic by a tick bite.

The unnamed priest was found in his home in a small village in Ceskobudejovick, after friends feared for his life when he failed to show up to prearranged plans.

Firefighters were forced to break through three doors to get to the priest, who was found with severe injuries to his genitals.

He ended up in hospital, but his condition had deteriorated and he was put into an induced coma, and ended up needing a ventilator to assist his breathing.

He was put under for 10 days, and his boss, vicar general of the Ceske Budejovice diocese David Henzl, revealed that the priest had suffered tick-borne encephalitis, which caused inflammation of his nervous system, leading to him suffering a form of psychosis.

A Czech priest severed his own penis with a knife after being driven psychotic by a tick bite (Stock image)

While Henzl said his injuries were comparatively minor, several sources told Czech newspaper Blesk that he should've had his genitals amputated.

One added that he had also suffered a concurrent viral infection while in hospital, complicating his medical situation.

The police had previously ruled out that someone else had caused the priest's injuries.

The priest's current condition is not currently known.
Mystery surrounds the death of a British woman whose body was found on a beach in one of India's top tourist destinations this morning.

Emma Leaning, 46, was found lying in a church compound which extends onto Agonda beach in southern Goa. There were no external injuries found on her body, police said.

Officers have registered the case and the remains have been sent for a post-mortem examination at the district hospital in the town of Margao.

Leaning's body was discovered by a group of locals as they walked along Agonda beach, north of the town of Canacona, according to local media.

The UK Foreign Office told MailOnline: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Goa and are in contact with the local authorities.'

Emma Leaning, 46, was found lying in a church compound which extends onto Agonda beach in southern Goa. There were no external injuries found on her body, police said

Leaning's body was discovered by a group of locals as they walked along Agonda beach (pictured today), north of the town of Canacona, according to local media

Locals have speculated that Leaning was attempting to climb a wall when she fell and broke a collarbone. The mystery has also fuelled suspicions over whether there was foul play.

But police inspector Chandrakant Gawas said: 'She was found with no injuries, her clothes and possessions including mobile phone and identity documents were intact.

'We do not suspect foul play. We can comment on the cause of death only after the postmortem.'

According to the Hindustan Times, police said she was a frequent visitor to Goa and was travelling with friends who have been told about the death.

'Her friends and family have been informed of the incident. The consulate and embassy too have been kept in the loop,' said South Goa superintendent of police Abhishek Dhania.

Emma Leaning, 46, was found lying in a church compound which extends onto Agonda beach in southern Goa. There were no external injuries found on her body, police said

'The body will be handed over to the relatives after the completion of formalities,' he added.

Police said Leaning's body was found near Canacona, close to the picturesque beaches of Palolem and Patnem popular with backpackers. Goa is one of India's leading tourist destinations, and a popular winter sun hotspot for visitors from the UK.

Leaning is understood to have been living in a rented house in Agonda at the time of her death.
A Canadian lawyer has been banned from practicing law after she filed multiple groundless lawsuits against a neighbor who installed a glass deck divider on the roof of their condominium.

Naomi Arbabi was temporarily suspended by the Law Society of British Columbia after an interim action board determined that 'extraordinary action was necessary to protect the public', CBC News reported.

The suspension comes amid a back-and-forth legal battle between Arbabi and her neighbor Colleen McLelland that was launched last year after McLelland had a privacy divider installed at their condo in Vancouver's Fairview neighborhood.

Arbabi has filed a series of complaints against McLelland, accusing her of trespassing and ruining her home's 'crown jewel'. She is seeking compensation equivalent to $1,000 (CAD) per day that the glass divider has been in place.

McLelland asked the BC Supreme Court to throw the complaints out and accused Arbabi of 'paper terrorism', branding her successive suits as 'scandalous, frivolous or vexatious'.

Naomi Arbabi has filed a series of complaints against her neighbor Colleen McLelland, accusing her of trespassing and ruining her home's 'crown jewel'. McLelland asked the BC Supreme Court (pictured) to throw the complaints out and accused Arbabi of 'paper terrorism', branding her successive suits as 'scandalous, frivolous or vexatious'.

In the lawsuit she filed last October, Arbabi accused McLelland of trespassing by having a privacy divider installed on her top rooftop deck.

The attorney argued that her claim was based on 'natural law' or the 'law of the land', instead of on legal codes acts or statutes.

She said natural law is 'so obvious that it is not required to be written down into an act or statute' and defined trespassing as occurring when someone 'intentionally' and 'knowingly does the wrong deed'.

She argued that, per her definition, trespassing 'bestows one a dishonorable status' and alleged that she filed her complaint against McLelland to give her an opportunity to 'clear her name'.

McLelland, appearing at the BC Supreme Court in November, argued that Arbabi's complaint is an example of an organized pseudolegal commercial argument, a term used to describe a debunked legal theory based on non-existent statutes or legal principles.

She told the judge that Arbabi's claims made her feel like a 'victim of paper terrorism' and said she believes 'the public needs to be protected from such litigation tactics'.

A Law Society board ruled on December 28 that Arbabi should be suspended from practicing law in British Columbia as it investigates the complaint against her.

The authority claimed the suspension was issued to 'protect the public' and told CBC News that it will 'last until the order is rescinded or varied'.

The code of conduct for lawyers in BC states that lawyers should not 'weaken public confidence' in the legal system through 'irresponsible claims'.

The Law society has given further details about its investigation into Arbabi.

Similarly, Supreme Court Master Susanna Hughes has not yet released her decision on McLelland's application to have Arabi's lawsuits dismissed.
Hailed as 'an endless source of inspiration' following her death on New Year's Day aged 61, the final years of Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh were nonetheless dogged by a series of scandals that clouded her legacy.

In an obituary on her website, the Iranian-Belgian justice campaigner's family said her health declined amid these 'legal battles', explaining that a condition in her childhood had left her immunocompromised.

Kids Company began in 1996 to support vulnerable young people in London and Bristol and attracted several celebrity backers including former prime minister David Cameron, Coldplay, artist Damien Hirst and comedian Michael McIntyre.

Over the decades, Ms Batmanghelidjh became a well-known figure, being known as the 'Angel of Peckham' during the height of her success. The campaigner went on to receive a CBE for her services to the charity and young people.

Ms Batmanghelidjh stepped down in 2015 after the charity was hit by allegations of financial mismanagement. She was cleared of these in court. Later that year, Kids Company collapsed following unsubstantiated reports of sexual abuse.

Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh died aged 61 on New Year's Day following a long illness

In 15 years, Kids Company took a reported 42million from the taxpayer. Mr Cameron was said to be 'in thrall' to Ms Batmanghelidjh

But Kids Company collapsed in 2015 just weeks after it was handed a 3million grant by David Cameron's government. It had been dogged by allegations of financial mismanagement, including claims cash handed to children was spent on designer clothes, alcohol and drugs.

After it shut down, a number of examples of misspending funds emerged, including the decision to send a drug addict called Dave to Champneys spa to relax with a 'chocolate massage' thrown in to boost his self esteem. The trip allegedly cost the charity 55,000.

Ms Batmanghelidjh was reportedly paying herself a 90,000 salary at the time it went under.

READ MORE - Who was Camila Batmanghelidjh? Inside the controversial life of Kids Company's founder following shock death aged 61 Advertisement

Whistleblowers included young people and employees who alleged cash was given to youngsters and spent on designer clothes, holidays, drink and drugs.

In 15 years, Kids Company took a reported 42million from the taxpayer, with Mr Cameron said to be 'in thrall' to Ms Batmanghelidjh.

The charity's closure came shortly after police launched an investigation, which was eventually dropped seven months later, into allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation at the charity. This followed a report on BBC Newsnight.

In 2021, a bid to ban Ms Batmanghelidjh and seven ex-trustees from being company directors was rejected by a High Court judge, who commended her 'enormous dedication' to young people.

In her 2021 High Court judgment, Mrs Justice Falk described Ms Batmanghelidjh and seven Kids Company trustees as 'highly impressive and dedicated individuals who selflessly gave enormous amounts of their time to what was clearly a highly challenging trusteeship'.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Batmanghelidjhsaid she hoped the ruling would be the 'first step in refuting the many lies that have been told and banishing the false myths'.

She described the Charity Commission's report the following year as a 'corrupted attempt' to 'justify its mistaken decision to conduct an investigation in the first place', later winning a bid to challenge the watchdog's findings at court.

The 'Angel of Peckham' and social justice campaigner went on to receive a CBE for her services to the charity and young people (she's seen meeting King Charles in 1998)

The sex abuse claims proved unfounded with the judge concluding a ten-week High Court case in 2021 that the charity would have continued to flourish had it not been for the allegations.

The judge also exonerated Ms Batmanghelidjh, of allegations that the charity collapsed because she had failed to operate it on a financially sustainable basis.

Ms Batmanghelidjh, who gave evidence to the court over video link during a remote hearing, said she believed the charity was 'attacked by envy'.

Continuing to defend the company the founded insisted it was a 'victim of its own success'.

Meanwhile chair Alan Yentob blamed the Met in a statement to the court which said: 'Were it not for the timing of the police allegations, Kids Company would be working today'.

But when the charity collapsed it cast severe doubts on Mr Yentob's ability as its chairman as well as the power he yielded at the BBC at the time.

Mr Yentob was later forced to step down as the BBC's creative director in December 2015 after admitting that his involvement in the Kids Company scandal had become a 'serious distraction' to the broadcaster.

The activist's family said they 'hope her memory will inspire others to consider how they might protect and uplift vulnerable children'

Batmanghelidjh pictured with Alan Yentob - former creative director at the BBC

He had been accused of compromising the BBC's impartiality on five separate occasions by allegedly meddling with its coverage of the failed charity.

In an obituary on her website, her family said Ms Batmanghelidjh's health declined as she was engaged in 'legal battles', explaining that a condition in her childhood had left her immunocompromised.

It said that, since the pandemic, she had left her flat in North London on 'only a few occasions' to receive treatment for recurring infection.

The obituary concluded: 'Until her death, she continued to work with vulnerable children, who called her or visited her to discuss their traumas, their insecurities, and their challenges.

'Camila wanted to honour these children with the care and protection they deserved.'

Ms Batmanghelidjh's family added that she died 'peacefully in her sleep' on New Year's Day after celebrating her birthday with her loved ones.

The statement said: 'Working alongside her devoted colleagues and dedicated volunteers, Camila changed the lives of tens of thousands of children and young people in London, Bristol and Liverpool otherwise neglected by a failing child protection system.

'She showed these children that they were worthy of love and support.

'For all those around her, and especially for her family, she was an endless source of inspiration, a fountain of wit, and a kaleidoscope of colour.

'Camila's family hopes that her memory will inspire others to consider how they might protect and uplift vulnerable children.'



Batmanghelidjh, founder and director of charity Kids Company, at her London office in 2014

Ms Batmanghelidjh was born in Tehran as the grand-daughter of a self-made millionaire and said that during her youth her father was 'one of the wealthiest' men in the Middle East.

She spent her school years in Switzerland before being moved to board Sherborne Girls, a private school in Dorset.

The founder's father was locked up during the 1979 Iranian revolution and, when the his money stopped arriving, she started working in nurseries before claiming political asylum.

Ms Batmanghelidjh, who had dyslexia, previously said she had wanted to work in an orphanage since the age of nine.


Zara Aleena's killer Jordan McSweeney was caught having sex with a prison worker inside top-security prison HMP Belmarsh, MailOnline can reveal.

McSweeney, 30, stalked, sexually assaulted and murdered the 35-year-old aspiring lawyer days after being released from prison in June 2022.

MailOnline can now reveal that despite being held in HMP Belmarsh, one of the UK's top-security prisons which is typically reserved for some of the most dangerous offenders, McSweeney was caught having sex with a female prison worker in April last year.

He was caught with the woman, who is not a prison officer, after the pair managed to gain sole access to a room inside the prison, which they then locked from the inside, a source said.

The worker, who is not a prison officer, has been suspended and has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct. An internal investigation is said to be underway into how the incident occurred.

McSweeney, 30, was caught having sex with the female prison worker, who is not a prison officer

Zara Aleena, 35, died after a vicious nine-minute attack which left her with 46 separate injuries

After breaching his licencing conditions in 2022 recall proceedings were begun against McSweeney, but these were too late to save Ms Aleena, who sustained 46 separate injuries in the nine-minute attack on June 26.

The killer, who pursued five women before attacking Ms Aleena, refused to attend his sentencing hearing and also walked out of an appeal to have his 38-year-sentence reduced last year.

His jail term was eventually cut to life with a minimum of 33 years on November 3.

HMP Belmarsh, a category A prison with capacity for 792 male inmates, is where some of the UK's most dangerous inmates are sent, including those imprisoned for crimes involving national security.

The Ministry of Justice has previously warned it takes all allegations of staff wrongdoing 'extremely seriously', adding that staff found guilty of inappropriate relationships with prisoners can be sent to prison themselves.

McSweeney was sentenced for the murder in December 2022 but refused to attend court to face his victim's devastated family and friends.

HMP Belmarsh, a category A prison with capacity for 792 male inmates, is where some of the UK's most dangerous inmates are sent

McSweeney dragged Ms Aleena (pictured) into an alleyway, where he murdered and sexually assaulted her

He has a long criminal history dating back to the age of 12, with 28 previous convictions for 69 separate offences including burglary, theft of a vehicle, criminal damage, assaulting police officers and assaulting members of the public while on bail.

During his sentence appeal last year, the Old Bailey heard McSweeney stalked Ms Aleena along Cranbrook Road in Ilford, London, before grabbing her from behind and dragging her into a driveway.

She was brutally strangled and stamped to death by the 'pugnacious' killer in a 'merciless' attack.

Around 45 minutes after the start of his bid to reduce the minimum term of his life sentence, the hearing was paused following McSweeney's departure.

An unnamed prison officer, who appeared on the videolink with McSweeney, said: 'He's heard enough and has got everything he requires in his cell.'

Responding to the decision to cut his sentence, Zara's aunt Farah Naz said: 'Today's decision, a decision to reduce the minimum sentence for that repugnant man, aligns with an established legal sentencing framework, a framework we comprehend.

'Yet, the message it conveys to women is disheartening, suggesting that a 'life sentence' may not truly mean a lifetime behind bars. It is, in all honesty, a shallow triumph for him.'

He had been released from prison nine days prior to the killing, with a damning report by the UK's Chief Inspector of Probation finding a catalogue of errors led up to the decision.

This included McSweeney not being treated as a high-risk offender, and subsequent delays to signing off on a recall to prison order after he breached his licence conditions within days of release.

He was also released despite the probation service having no record of where he would be staying, after his mother requested he not be sent to her address.

The Metropolitan Police said the Probation Service had commenced recall proceedings on June 22, just days before the murder, after he missed two appointments.

Ms Aleena, who was training to be a solicitor at the time of her murder, was found struggling to breathe after being attacked and later died in hospital.

The Met Police said: 'On 6 April 2023, the Met received an allegation of inappropriate conduct involving a serving member of staff at HMP Belmarsh.

'The same day, a 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

'She was bailed pending further enquiries until a date in late July. She was later released under investigation.

'Enquiries are ongoing.'

A Prison Service spokesman said: 'It would be inappropriate to comment on a live police investigation.'
Texas can ban emergency abortions despite federal guidance requiring emergency room doctors to perform the procedure if the mother's life is in danger, a federal appeals court has ruled.

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday to uphold a lower court order that blocked the enforcement of federal guidance surrounding abortion in Texas, a state in which abortion is illegal in most circumstances.

The decision came in response to a lawsuit from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and two anti-abortion medical associations accusing President Joe Biden's administration of overstepping its authority on abortion.

Abortion advocates in Texas have slammed Tuesday's ruling as 'deeply disturbing' and an act of 'vicious cruelty' towards women, while pro-life campaigners have hailed it as a 'big win' for the state.

The ruling comes after the Texas Supreme Court last month denied a request for an emergency order allowing a pregnant mother to have a termination because her unborn baby suffered from a fatal illness.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (pictured in 2020) and two anti-abortion medical associations challenged the guidance from President Joe Biden's administration saying hospitals 'must' provide abortion services if there's a risk to the mother's life

Pro-life protesters stand near the gate of the Texas state capitol at a protest outside the Texas state capitol on May 29, 2021 in Austin, Texas

Paxton had sued to block guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services stating that medical providers 'must' provide abortion services if there's a risk to the mother's life.

The guidance, which was issued shortly after the US Supreme Court overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in June 2022, cited the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986.

The EMTALA requires doctors to provide stabilizing treatment for anyone who arrives at the emergency room, regardless of a patient's ability to pay.

Paxton immediately joined abortion opponents in a lawsuit to stop the guidance from taking effect and won at the district court level in August 2022.

District Judge James Wesley Hendrix found, at the time, that the guidance went 'well beyond' the text of the EMTALA.

The judge found that EMTALA was silent as to what a doctor should do when there is a conflict between the health of the mother and the unborn child and that the Texas abortion ban 'fills that void' by including narrow exceptions to save the mother's life or prevent serious bodily injury in some cases.

The Biden administration then appealed the ruling to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. But the appeal was rejected in Tuesday's ruling by a unanimous three-judge panel.

The panel's opinion said language in the 1986 emergency care law requires hospitals to stabilize the pregnant woman and her fetus, but said it 'does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child'.

The ruling upheld also blocked the administration from enforcing it against members of two anti-abortion medical associations anywhere in the country.

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday sided with the state in the lawsuit. Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt, (pictured) writing for the 5th Circuit panel, said: 'We agree with the district court that EMTALA does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child especially when EMTALA imposes equal stabilization obligations'

College students and abortion rights activists hold signs during a rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol, in Austin, Texas in 2015

Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt, writing for the 5th Circuit panel, said that the panel sided with the state of Texas.

'We agree with the district court that EMTALA does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child especially when EMTALA imposes equal stabilization obligations,' said the opinion written by Engelhardt.

The opinion noted how EMTALA includes a requirement to deliver an unborn child and said it was up to doctors to balance the medical needs of the mother and fetus, while complying with any state abortion laws.

The panel added that the law 'does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child'.

'We therefore decline to expand the scope of EMTALA,' Engelhardt added.

In the appellate hearing last November, a US Justice Department attorney arguing for the administration said the guidance provides needed safeguards for women, and that the district court order blocking the use of the guidance was an error with 'potentially devastating consequences for pregnant women within the state of Texas.'

The panel that ruled Tuesday included Engelhardt and Cory Wilson, nominated to the court by former President Donald Trump, and Leslie Southwick, nominated by former President George W. Bush.

The US Department of Justice and the two anti-abortion groups that filed suit, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, have been approached for comment.

Texas law prohibits all abortions after six weeks except when the mother's life was in danger. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Tuesday's ruling, which comes a month after a woman was forced to leave Texas to seek an emergency abortion because the state's courts said she could not terminate her risky pregnancy, has been met with mixed response from campaigners.

Critics have slammed the state for limiting access to 'life saving care', but proponents of the ruling allege it is 'great news' for Texas.

Abortion advocates in have slammed the ruling as 'deeply disturbing'

Pro-life campaigners have hailed the ruling as a 'big win' for the state of Texas

Rochelle Garza, a Democrat who ran for Texas attorney general in 2022, took to X after the ruling, tweeting: 'Deeply disturbing ruling from the 5th Circuit. Hospitals and doctors should not have their hands tied when attempting to provide life-saving care for their patients.

'This cruelty, spearheaded by AG Paxton, puts women in life-threatening danger.'

Author and gender equality expert Amy Diehl echoed her concerns, posting: 'It is not safe to be pregnant in Texas.'

Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, told The Washington Post that 'every American should be outraged' and called on Congress to 'restore Roe and every woman's right to abortion'.

She added that politicians should be stopped from 'interfering in private health care decisions that should be made by women and their doctors'.

But Katie Daniel, the state policy director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, issued a statement hailing the ruling as a 'big win for babies and mothers'.

She said EMTALA is 'no grounds for forcing doctors to carry out abortions even against their better medical judgment'.

Tom Fitton, president of conservative activism group Judicial Watch, tweeted: 'Great News: Another federal court rejects Biden regime's efforts to force doctors and hospitals to kill unborn human beings.'

Abortion-rights demonstrators protest outside the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse Friday, June, 24, 2022, in Houston, Texas

Anti-abortion rights demonstrators gather in the rotunda at the Capitol while the Senate debated anti-abortion bills in Austin, Texas on March 30, 2021

Texas state courts have also been brought separate cases about when abortion must be allowed there, despite bans on it under most circumstances.

The Texas Supreme Court ruled last month against a woman seeking an emergency abortion of her non-viable pregnancy.

That court is currently considering a separate lawsuit by 22 women about the scope of the emergency medical exception to Texas's abortion ban.

The ruling comes as wave of lawsuits focusing on when abortions can be provided in states whose abortion bans have exceptions for medical emergencies make their way through the courts.

A federal judge last year reached the opposite conclusion in a similar lawsuit in Idaho, blocking that state's abortion ban after finding it conflicted with EMTALA. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to hear the state's appeal of that ruling later this month.
An historic mansion previously owned by billionaires and once the inspiration for some of Britain's greatest writers, has been left to rot for over a century.

The neo-classical Piercefield House is believed to have inspired poets, authors, and artists such as William Wordsworth, Jane Austen and JW Turner.

But a failed campaign to rescue the house, launched by Save Britain's Heritage in 2013, has meant the building structure might now have declined beyond the point of repair.

Save Britain's Heritage had hoped to reopen the house as a natural tourist site that could tell the story of its complex history.

A historic mansion once owned by billionaires is now crumbling away after being left to rot for a century

Piercefield House is believed to have inspired poets, authors, and artists such as William Wordsworth, Jane Austen and JW Turner

However, as the land is owned by an offshore company listed in the British Virgin Islands, local Monmouthshire County Council cannot force the owners to act to restore it.

The Grade II-listed mansion once hosted grand events in its spectacular ballrooms and sweeping hallways and had views overlooking the Wye valley.

It was visited by Samuel Taylor Coleridge who marvelled at its views and some literary historians believed it also inspired Austen's Mansfield Park.

The Grade II-listed mansion once hosted grand events in its spectacular ballrooms and sweeping hallways and had views overlooking the Wye valley

But the house near Chepstow on the banks of the River Severn has been unused for almost 100 years

But the house near Chepstow on the banks of the River Severn has been unused for almost 100 years - and the mansion with its fabled past is feared to have no future.

Designed by Sir John Soane it was built in the 18th century and bought in 1740 by Valentine Morris, an Antigua plantation owner, who made his fortune through slavery.

The house and its stunning 300-acre estate was later bought in 1925 by a group who created Chepstow Racecourse in the grounds.

The house is now in a 'dangerous state' according to one expert and is shut off to public view by security fencing

But the house is now in a 'dangerous state' according to one expert and is shut off to public view by security fencing.

Sinclair Johnston, conservation and structural engineer and chairman of the Forest of Dean Buildings Preservation Trust said he had been monitoring the house for more than 10 years.

He said: 'There used to be a recognisable, structurally viable house, with two pavilions connected by corridors, but over the years the vegetation has been allowed to grow up, and what kills buildings like this is that shrubs grow up between the stones and burst them apart.

'Now the two pavilions are almost completely overgrown and the house has lost an enormous amount of stone.'
A quiet commuter town has been plagued by a spate of 'mindless vandalism' over the Christmas period, with windscreens being smashed and wing mirrors ripped off.

Locals of Swindon in Wiltshire were left 'absolutely gutted' when at least 16 cars were targeted in attacks last month across different areas.

Spanning three weeks, drivers were forced to pay for repairs and some were left without use of their cars over the festive holiday.

One car owner said all the wing mirrors on his street were bent off 'every night' on the week before Christmas Day.

Another local claimed that when she reported the damage to the police, they informed her this had happened to 30 other cars in her area.

A woman who parked her car on a residential road had her wing mirror completely snapped off, but she claimed the police told her they couldn't do 'much' because of a lack of CCTV in the area.

One woman's car had the windscreen smashed on December 17

The post received comments from other car owners in Swindon posting photos of their own vehicles which have also been damaged recently

Cars all over the town have been targeted, with some areas more prone than others

Frustrated car owners have had their windscreens smashed, cars scratched and wing mirrors snapped off completely

Posting on the local community group on December 17, Charlotte Handscombe-Buckley said: 'Hope you're having a better Sunday than me... Our car was smashed up in West Swindon Asda car park last night.

'This has been reported to the police and there are very clear trainer footprints all over the bonnet and windscreen and these pictures will be provided to the police.

'If anybody saw anything or knows of anything, please can you let me know?

'I'm absolutely gutted to have been at the receiving end of this mindless vandalism, especially so close to Christmas.'

Her post received comments from other car owners in Swindon posting photos of their own vehicles which have also been damaged recently.

Commenting on her post later, she said: 'There are a couple of cameras in the car park so I hope the police can get hold of some images. Hearing this has happened to others too is awful.'

'What is wrong with people, absolutely disgusting behaviour.'

Posting on Facebook, a local man, 30, said: 'Does anyone have any idea who's going up and down Old Shaw Lane terrorising all the cars for no apparent reason at all?

'They've been bending all the wing mirrors off every night the whole of last week and yesterday they decided to take it a step further and smash my windscreen in.

'Mind there's a baby seat in the car.'

At least 16 cars were targeted in attacks last month across different areas of the town

One woman said her car and two others were damaged at 5am on December 14

Speaking to the Swindon Advertiser, Angelina Morgan and her son Cuthbert said they reported the damage to the police who said there had been 30 other cars targeted in their area.

A resident who parked her car in the Toothill area of Swindon on December 6, said her wing mirror was 'completely snapped' off on Ramleaze Drive.

But she claimed the police said there was no CCTV so there was 'nothing that could be done'.

Another local woman posted on the local community group on December 14, with pictures of her broken wing mirror.

She said: 'Please be aware that two lads in all black on a pushbike decided to damage three cars down Radstock Avenue Park North at 5am this morning, one being mine.

'Please be vigilant, it's not extreme damage but it's still a cost I didn't want or need.'

MailOnline has contacted Wiltshire Police for comment.
The BBC has come under fire from the palaeontology world for 'airbrushing out' the man who actually found the huge pliosaur at the centre of the David Attenborough documentary.

Phil Jacobs, 69, spotted the 16ins long fossilised snout of the 150-million-year-old pliosaur during a beach walk at Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, in April 2022.

The amateur fossil hunter immediately identified it and realised that it must have broken away from the cliffs above.

His discovery sparked a painstaking project to excavate the rest of the 7ft long skull of the pliosaur from the cliffs as well as Sir David Attenborough's BBC documentary.

The highly acclaimed programme, called 'Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster', follows Sir David 'as he unearths the discovery of a lifetime'.

But the BBC is now facing calls to properly acknowledge the amateur fossil hunter who discovered the 'Tyrannosaurus Rex of the seas' after 'erasing' him from the story.

Phil Jacobs (pictured), 69, spotted the 16ins long fossilised snout of the 150 million year old pliosaur during a beach walk at Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset

Mr Jacob's discovery sparked a painstaking project to excavate the rest of the 7ft long skull of the pliosaur from the cliffs as well as Sir David Attenborough's BBC documentary

The highly-acclaimed programme, called 'Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster', follows Sir David 'as he unearths the discovery of a lifetime'

And Sir David Attenborough previously said the discovery revealed to him the 'romance' of fossil hunting - despite not naming Mr Jacobs in the documentary.

The specimen has turned out to be the biggest and most complete pliosaur skull ever found. It is also thought to be a new species of the sea monster with evolutionary features previously unknown to scientists.

READ MORE: Sir David Attenborough praises 'sensational' discovery of huge skull belonging to monster the size of a bus Advertisement

Despite supplying his own video footage of the moment it was discovered and being extensively interviewed by the BBC, the finder was merely referred to by Sir David as a 'fossil enthusiast' during the show.

Mr Jacobs took to social media to say he was 'appalled' and lost for words after watching the programme on New Year's Day.

Respected palaeontologists today said it was 'inexcusable' and an 'injustice' for the BBC not to give Mr Jacobs the credit he deserves.

Some naturalists say it follows a pattern of institutions and museums ignoring the part humble fossil hunters play in making important and significant finds that end up being saved for the nation.

They also point out that it could do harm in the world of palaeontology as fossil hunters will think twice about coming forward with their finds if they think they won't be properly credited.

An online petition has been launched to name the new species of pliosaur after Mr Jacobs. The BBC is also being urged to immediately re-edit the documentary and insert Mr Jacobs' name so it can be seen by BBC iPlayer viewers.

Dr Dean Lomax, a paleontologist and author, said: 'Philip Jacobs deserves a huge amount of credit, not only for making the discovery but for ensuring that it was saved for science. It is a real oversight for them (BBC) not to - at the very least - have name-checked Philip.'

The pliosaur (giant sea monster on the right) swims round from underneath to ambush its prey, an ichthyosaur

Sir David Attenborough, Chris Moore and fossil experts Steve Etches examine the skull of the pliosaur

The Giant Sea Monster, called a pliosaur, captures its prey

Dr Paul Davis, a former registrar of the Natural History Museum in London, said: 'It is hugely disappointing that poor editing of the programme left out proper credit to Philip Jacobs as the finder.

'His home video was used without credit on the screen and the only mention of him was in the credits - with his name 2/3rds of the way down in the 'with thanks to' section. This is entirely a BBC error.

'Unfortunately this program and its poor treatment of Philip does nothing to help improve the image of museums in the collecting community.'

Nigel Larkin, a natural history conservation specialist, said: '(It) is terrible and inexcusable of the BBC. Watching it, I assumed that Philip Jacobs must have specifically asked not to be named - that seemed the only explanation.

Wolfgang Grulke, a prolific palaeontologist from Dorset, said: 'In the BBC documentary the person who actually found the fossil, Philip Jacobs, was not even mentioned. This has happened before of course, starting with our own Mary Anning 200 years ago. Collectors are important too.'

Archaeologist Phil Eyden posted on social media: 'Credit where credit is due... the world owes you a huge debt for recovery of this fossil. The BBC owes you an apology, it won't make up, but I hope you get one. Your contribution to science will not be forgotten though, no matter the BBCs editorial decision.'

The online petition calling for the new species of pliosaur to be named after Mr Jacobs was launched yesterday (Tues) and has gained over 500 signatures.

Sir David Attenborough and Steve Etches examine the fossilised snout of a pliosaur

A close up of the teeth of the pliosaur - the giant sea monster - which was discovered by Phil Jacobs

Sir David Attenborough talking with fossil expert, Chris Moore during the excavation of the pliosaur skull on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset

Author Anna Morell, who launched the petition, said: 'The pliosaur was found by Philip Jacobs, an amateur fossil hunter known within the palaeontological world.

'This particular find is being quoted as being one of the most significant fossils to have ever been found. It is unique. It is huge. It is significant.

'And yet Philip's name is being effectively airbrushed from the historical record when it comes to this important find.

'This sort of thing has happened before. Think of John Harrison's clocks for longitude. Think of William Smith's geological map. Think of Rosalind Franklin's work on DNA. Time and again, those with power and influence reduce or delete the names of less well-known citizen scientists from the record.

'It's very easy to put right. The fossil should be named after him, and the BBC should edit the programme to add his name in where they talk about a 'fossil enthusiast'. It's quick, it's easy, but it makes everything better. I really hate seeing injustice and a lack of credit where it is due.'

Mr Jacobs is an artist and textile designer from West Bexington, Dorset, but has been an avid fossil hunter for 40 years.

He was with his partner Helen when he spotted an unusual-looking rock on the stony beach at Kimmeridge.

Sir David Attenborough onboard a boat while filming near White Nothe cliffs on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset

Sir David Attenborough holding replica pliosaur teeth at the School of Anatomy, University of Bristol

Sir David Attenborough with Professor of Palaeobiology Emily Rayfield at the University of Bristol

He saw two rows of interlocking teeth and knew straight away it was the snout of a massive pliosaur.

Rather than take the fossil home with him Mr Jacobs buried it and marked the spot with some driftwood.

He then went to the nearby Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life which is run by fossil hunter Steve Etches, and informed him.

Luckily Philip photographed the cliff face above the find so Mr Etches and his team enlarged the photos to identify a possible location from where it had fallen.

In the summer of 2022 Mr Etches and fossil hunter Chris Moore carried out a daring excavation of the 155 million year old cliff face to recover the skull of the pliosaur.

It was eventually taken back to the museum where Mr Etches spent a year cleaning it and removing all of the mud and stone to expose every minute detail of the skull.

Yesterday (Tues) the stunning fossil went on display at the Etches Museum and was seen by almost 500 visitors, a record number for the tiny attraction.

Mr Etches said: 'We got it out in August 2022 and had it ready by December for display.

The preservation is exquisite and the details it shows are unequalled. It shows every detail that anyone wants to see.

,Sir David Attenborough testing a remote-controlled pliosaur robot with Dr Luke E Muscutt in the Hydrodynamics Laboratory, Imperial College, London

Speaking about the documentary, Mr Etches said: 'The only drawback is that the guy who found it we didn't see a picture of his face, certainly we have given him publicity.'

A spokesperson for the BBC said: 'The production team worked with Philip Jacobs to include his discovery film in the documentary and he was credited at the end.

'This programme predominantly concerned the excavation, preparation, and scientific analysis of the complete pliosaur skull.'

A spokesperson for the Etches Museum today praised Mr Jacobs for his part in the discovery.

They said: 'Philip Jacobs discovered and identified the snout of the Pliosaur skull now on display in its entirety at The Etches Collection.

'It is only through his keen eye and collaborative efforts that we have the complete skull, alongside other important fossils now residing in the museum.

'We are very proud of our relationship with noted collectors such as Philip and fully acknowledge the role that he and others play in revealing a more complete understanding of the Jurassic world for public benefit.'
At least 103 people have been killed and 170 wounded after two explosions rocked a ceremony that was being held to mark the 2020 assassination of Iran's top commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone attack.

The first explosion was quickly followed by a second close to a cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman where thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of Soleimani's killing.

Harrowing video showed scores of bloodied victims lying on the floor as others stumbled away from the blast scene close to the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque where Soleimani is buried in what Iran has described as a 'terrorist attack'.

Iran declared Thursday a day of mourning following the blasts for which no group has yet claimed responsibility.

Video showed plumes of smoke rising up into the sky as thousands of people who had been walking towards the cemetery screamed in horror. The crowd were seen running away after the two explosions ripped through Kerman.

Thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of the ruthless commander's assassination when the explosions erupted near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque.

The explosions came a day after an Israeli drone strike killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon's capital Beirut amid fears war could soon spiral across the Middle East.

But there is no suggestion the attack was authored by Tel-Aviv. While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear programme, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings.

Sunni extremist groups, including Islamic State, have carried out large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iranian emergency services arrive at the site where two explosions in quick succession struck a crowd marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani, near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in the southern Iranian city of Kerman on January 3, 2024

A view of the scene after explosions near Gen. Qassem Soleimani's tomb, in Kerman City, Iran on January 03, 2024

Damaged cars are seen as people try to help victims after an explosion next to the tomb of Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief of foreign operations in the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in the southern city of Kerman, Iran 03 January 2024

A group of men stand around the bodies of the victims killed in the two blasts in Kerman today

People run as smoke rises, amid local media reports of explosions during a ceremony held to mark the death of late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in Kerman, Iran January 3, 2024

Video showed plumes of smoke rising up into the sky as thousands of people who had been walking towards the cemetery to mark Soleimani's assassination screamed in horror

People are seen after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday

Thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of the ruthless commander's assassination when the explosions erupted near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque

The first explosion was quickly followed by a second close to a cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman where thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of Soleimani's (file image) killing

Babak Yektaparast, a spokesperson for Iran's emergency services, earlier told state media that 73 people had been killed and 170 injured but the toll was quickly bumped up to 103, with the number of casualties expected to rise further.

Mystery surrounds who is behind today's blasts, but they came less than 24 hours after an Israeli drone strike killed Arouri in Beirut, Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously vowed to cut 'the head off the snake' and launch a military attack against Iran after Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is backed by Tehran, fired rockets at Israel.

Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province where Soleimani is buried, said today's blasts were a 'terrorist attack' without elaborating on who could be behind them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, an ally of Tehran, expressed his condolences to Iran's leaders shortly after the bombings.

'The killing of peaceful people visiting the cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism,' Putin said in a letter to Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the blasts, but Iran Newspaper reported that two bags filled with explosives were detonated remotely in the middle of a crowd.

Several people were also injured in a stampede as they tried to flee the carnage, with several ambulances rushing to the scene.

But rescuers told how they were delayed in rushing the wounded to hospital due to the huge crowds blocking the roads.

'Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured... But there are waves of crowds blocking roads,' Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent rescuers told state TV.

Thousands had gathered in the city to pay their respects to Soleimani, who was killed in a US strike at Baghdad International Airport in neighbouring Iraq in 2020.

Soleimani was responsible for shaping Iran's foreign policy throughout the Middle East and was revered and loved in his homeland.

However, to American officials, he represented a deadly foe during the Iraq War, one who helped arm militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops.

The strike that killed Soleimani unfolded on January 3, 2020 close to Baghdad airport.

Soleimani had arrived at the airport on a plane from either Syria or Lebanon around 12.30am when he was met on the tarmac by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, then-deputy commander of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq.

Moments later, as their cars passed through a cargo area headed for an access road leading out of the airport, the convoy was struck by four missiles fired by an MQ-9 Reaper drone.

Both vehicles were instantly reduced to smouldering wrecks - killing Soleimani, Muhandis, and three others.

An American airstrike on Baghdad airport killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's powerful Quds force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy-leader of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, on January 3, 2020, in Baghdad

Four precision missiles fired from a U.S. drone struck the two cars carrying Soleimani and his entourage, on Jan 3, 2020, in Baghdad

But rescuers told how they were delayed in rushing the wounded to hospital due to the huge crowds blocking the roads

People are seen after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday

Ambulances are seen rushing wounded victims from the blast site on Wednesday

Soleimani, who led the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, was credited with helping to arm, train and lead armed groups across the region, including the Shiite militias in Iraq, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and fighters in Syria, the Palestinian territories and Yemen.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organisations and state actors. Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Last night, an Israeli drone strike on Hamas' offices in Beirut killed four of the terror group's members including Arouri, its deputy political leader.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill al-Arouri, who headed the organisation in the West Bank and helped to found the group's armed wing, even before Hamas launched its bloody October 7 attack.

Israeli officials last vowed that all Hamas leaders 'are doomed to death', but declined to comment on whether their forces had carried out the Beirut attack.

Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a brutal air and ground offensive against the group almost three months ago on the heels of the ruthless October 7 attacks.

Arouri was one of the most influential in Hamas and was residing in Beirut's southern suburbs under the protection of Hezbollah until his death following an Israeli strike

Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a powerful Hamas ally, previously vowed to strike back against any Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon, and said of last night's attack: 'This crime will never pass without response and punishment.'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also condemned the killing, declaring Israel 'aims to draw Lebanon' further into the war.

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began, but so far the Lebanese group has appeared reluctant to dramatically escalate the fighting.

A significant response now could send the conflict spiralling into all-out war on Israel's northern border.

And today, Israeli forces continued to pummel Lebanon with strikes in a bid to target Hezbollah militants, who are backed by Iran.
A British Airways crew member collapsed and died in front of horrified passengers moments before their jet was due to take off.

The 52-year-old steward fell to the floor as holidaymakers were preparing to fly from London Heathrow to Hong Kong on New Year's Eve, it has been reported.

In a desperate effort, the jet's captain urgently called out over the Tannoy for any medically-trained passengers to help, with one flyer qualified in first aid assisting.

Shocked holidaymakers watched on in horror as first aid was given to the stricken crew member, who had keeled over in the rear galley of BA Flight 32.

However, despite the efforts of passengers, police and paramedics - who arrived later - the steward could not be saved, reports The Sun, with the flight later cancelled due to the 'medical emergency'.

The tragedy reportedly came just days after a second BA steward, also aged 52, died in America on December 23.

Two BA crew members died within days of each other during the Christmas period, leaving staff at the travel giant devastated (file image)

His worried colleagues had raised the alert after the male crew member failed to turn up to duty. He was later found dead in his hotel room.

BA cancelled its flight from Newark to Heathrow following the sudden death of the male steward - with his heartbroken colleagues later flying back to the UK as passengers.

Holidaymakers jetting out on both tragedies were re-booked onto later flights.

A BA insider claimed there were 'no reported underlying health conditions' in both the crew members who died.

Speaking of the double-death blow, a source told The Sun said colleagues were in 'shock and disbelief'.

'It has been a traumatic festive period for BAs flying team. Everyone is deeply upset,' they said.

Paying tribute, British Airways said the company's thoughts were with the families of the fallen colleagues.

An official cause of death for both crew members has yet to be determined.
The pilot of the horror Sea World helicopter crash that left him, a British couple and a mother dead had traces of cocaine in his system, a report has found.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report was handed down on Tuesday - the one-year anniversary of the devastating tragedy that killed four people and injured nine others.

On January 2 last year, two Sea World joy flight choppers collided mid-air killing chief pilot Ashley Jenkinson, British newlyweds Ron and Diane Hughes, and Sydney woman Vanessa Tadros.

Ron's daughter recently expressed her grief at losing her father and his wife a year ago.

ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said a toxicology report revealed Mr Jenkinson had 'a positive result for low levels of cocaine metabolites' in his system.

British couple Diane and Ron Hughes, two of the victims of the Sea World helicopter crash, are pictured

Chief pilot Ashley Jenkinson (pictured), who was killed in the Sea World helicopter crash, had traces of cocaine in his system, a report has found

The report handed down on the one-year anniversary of the crash (pictured) revealed the low level traces of cocaine in Mr Jenkinson's system was 'unlikely' to have impaired his flying

Vanessa Tadros was killed in the crash while her son Nicholas was severely injured and had his right leg amputated (pictured, Vanessa and Nicholas with Sea World helicopter ticket)

Chilling moment loved ones waved off Sea World joy flight before four were killed Advertisement

However, his report concluded it was 'unlikely' the low levels of cocaine in Mr Jenkinson's system would have impaired his flying.

'A forensic pharmacologist engaged by the ATSB has stated that the very low concentrations of these metabolites suggest exposure was not likely to have occurred in the 24 hours prior to the accident,' Mr Mitchell said.

'It is unlikely there would have been impairment of the pilot's psychomotor skills.'

Mr Mitchell added while the interim report was 'substantive and comprehensive', the ATSB has yet to hand down its formal findings as it continues an investigation into contributing factors that led to the accident.

In a statement, Mr Jenkinson's family welcomed the interim report but hoped it did not 'tarnish the memory' of the popular pilot.

'On the anniversary of the accident, we acknowledge the ongoing pain and grief of all the other families involved. They remain in our thoughts daily,' the statement read.

'It is important for the people deeply affected, as we have been, to have a greater understanding of the multiple contributing factors to this terrible accident.

'We wish to address the findings of Ashley's autopsy. We understand from the autopsy a negligible level of cocaine metabolites was found in Ashley's system.

'The interim report noted the very low concentrations of these metabolites suggest use was not likely to have been within 24 hours prior to his death and it is unlikely there would have been impairment of his psychomotor skills.

'The examining forensic pathologist reported that there were "no signs of chronic stimulant use".'

ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell's interim report concluded the low-level traces of cocaine in Mr Jenkinson's (pictured) system was 'unlikely' to have impaired his flying skills

Mr Jenkinson's family urged people to read the full report that found there were 'multiple contributing factors to this terrible accident'.

'As a family, we know there will be significant attention to this finding. We request people not be distracted by this one element of the interim report or this be the sole focus of the report.

'It seems clear there were multiple issues with communication infrastructure, visibility, congestion and safety protocols identified among others,' they said.

Since the tragedy, Sea World Helicopters has implemented a new 'pad boss' traffic advisory role, added air traffic systems to each of its helicopters' avionic systems, increased communication protocols and taken steps to make its helicopters more visible.

Simon Tadros (pictured with wife Vanessa and their son Nicholas) shared a touching tribute to his wife on the anniversary of the crash and said somebody needs to be held accountable

The ATSB has interviewed key personnel and witnesses, examined both helicopters and maintenance logs and gathered post-mortem information.

It also reviewed industry understanding of seat belt fitment, analysis of ADS-B and radar flight tracking information, CTAF recordings and video imagery.

Mr Mitchell added the next steps in the ABTS investigation will be to focus on finding if any systemic factors contributed to or increased the risk of the accident - with the final report expected later this year.

'This was a tragic accident and it is our responsibility to make findings and drive safety actions which reduce the likelihood of a similar occurrence in the future,' Mr Mitchell said.

Ron's daughter, Jane, was with him on New Year's Eve 2022, when he told her: 'Don't take life for granted, wake up every day just thankful.'

'He was getting reflective on life (saying) "I am getting older now and just wake up every morning and think, how lucky I've got another day",' she told the Courier Mail.

'That's literally what he said (to me),' she said. 'It's so weird looking back on that conversation.'

Ms Tadros' husband, Simon told 2GB host Luke Grant on Monday he was 'definitely interested' in the ATSB report findings.

Mr Tadros, who watched from the ground as the helicopter his wife and son were in crashed mid-air, said someone has to be held accountable for the accident.

'I want answers,' he said. 'Someone has to be held accountable for it. I know it was an accident but something like this should not happen in such a high-risk job.

READ MORE: Traumatised witnesses reveal what happened before tragedy that left four dead Advertisement

'I am letting the ATSB run its course and do what it has to do. But at the end of the day, somebody will be held accountable for it regardless of who it is.

'This shouldn't have happened and I pray to God that it never happens to anybody because what Nicholas and I and other families have gone through has been a nightmare.'

Mr Tadros said his faith in God and the support from people around Australia has helped him and his son get through the year.

While things will never be the same again for the pair, Mr Tadros said they vow to be as positive as they can.

He shared a touching tribute to his wife on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the crash.

On January 2, 2023, two Sea World joy ride helicopters collided mid-air killing four people and injuring seven others

The wreckage of one of the crashed helicopters is pictured on January 2, 2023

The two helicopters that crashed into each other on January 2, 2023 at Sea World are pictured

'Today has been one year since the worst day of my life occurred, that has changed my life forever,' he wrote on Facebook.

'Today is the day that my wife Vanessa left us and is sitting with our heavenly father up in heaven.

'Vanessa was the most beautiful soul a person could have. Her heart was always filled with love and compassion for everyone.

'I ask that everyone today remember all the good times and the laughs that they shared with Vanessa.

'I ask we pray not only for Vanessa but also for everyone that lost their lives in the Sea World helicopter accident and for their families as well. Vanessa will never be forgotten.'

Mr Tadros' son Nicholas was one of the nine survivors and has undergone 36 surgeries including having his right leg amputated.

He said the ordeal has been 'very mentally draining' but he was proud of his son who has learned to walk again despite continuing health complications.

'I can't be more proud of Nicholas for his maturity levels and how he's come out the other side from this,' Mr Tadros wrote.

'He has had his moments, and I'll let him have those moments because it's not easy, but what we've always said is we're not going to sit down and cry ourselves a river.

'It's not going to change anything. We just have to somehow get up, face it, get on with it. That's what we're doing.'

Sea World helicopter crash survivor Winnie De Silva (pictured with her son Leon) has spoken out about her continuing pain and distress a year on from the disaster

A image of shattered glass flying through a helicopter that had just crashed into another helicopter on the Gold Coast on January 2, 2023 is pictured

The seven occupants in the other helicopter all survived the crash.

Pilot Michael James was able to land safely opposite Sea World on a sandbank in the Southport Broadwater.

Survivor, Winnie De Silva, has spoken out about her continuing pain, distress and regret after the crash in which her son Leon, 9, suffered a brain injury.

'Just the thought of it, just the thought of death. That or how we survived - it's been really hard and emotionally damaging for both myself and Leon,' she told 7News.

While Ms De Silva's physical recovery continues - she had shoulder surgery just days ago and has constant leg pain - for Leon the trauma is more psychological.

'Leon is not alright psychologically. He gets very emotional,' she said. 'He feels it in himself. He knows that he's changed.'

The guilt of what was meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience also haunts Ms De Silva.

'Leon did not want to do that helicopter ride,' she said.

'I wish I never did because it was a five or 10-minute ride. But two minutes later, our life change dramatically.

'What I remember is the bang and then things falling on our faces and then the air and then the crashing.'

The mum said the situation felt hopeless as it was completely out of her control.

'We are in the air. I have no other escape. Where do I go to from here? So I surrendered everything and I said, 'let what will be, happen' and I was just ... I was horrified.'

Rescue workers are pictured at the scene of a helicopter crash near Sea World on the Gold Coast

Ms De Silva thought that she and Leon were both going to die. 'How we survived ... a miracle. Angels came and protected us at that time,' she said.

She hopes the full ATSB report into the crash will provide some answers.

'The question is, what really happened? I would like them to answer me that question.

'That should never happen again. Or it should not have happened in the first place.'
The partner of an aristocrat accused of the manslaughter of their newborn baby refused to appear in court today.

Mark Gordon, 49, who was due to appear to face a charge a charge of failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register, claimed to be suffering extreme back and neck pain.

Gordon is due to appear for trial later this month alongside aristocrat partner Ms Marten after their newborn baby was discovered dead in an allotment shed in Brighton, East Sussex, in March last year.

A countrywide search was launched for the couple and their young baby after they disappeared in February.

Ms Marten became estranged from her Dorset-based family in response to her beginning a relationship with Gordon in 2016, whilst she was a drama student.

The pair both deny charges of manslaughter by gross negligence of their daughter, perverting the course of justice by concealing her body, concealing the birth of the child, child cruelty and allowing the death of the child.

Gordon, who had appealed to have a previous hearing adjourned in order to be legally represented in court, was said to have complained of back and neck pain and requested to see a doctor.

Her partner Mark Gordon is also charged with manslaughter by gross negligence and the pair, who deny all allegations, are due to go on trial at London's Old Bailey on January 22

District Judge Vanessa Lloyd said she believed Gordon was using his pain as a 'mechanism' not to delay the hearing of his case.

She said: 'He refused [to attend court] last week. He will keep refusing because they can't compel him to come.

'He's using this as a mechanism. We are not going to see him today. I have a message from the prison that says he's refusing because he's in too much pain. We will have to adjourn again.'

The Judge said Gordon was waiting to be seen by a doctor for his 'extreme' back and neck pain.

Police Constable Rhianne Trill, the Met Police's officer in the case, told Bromley Magistrates' Court officers were 'turned away' despite possessing a warrant to produce Gordon in court.

Aristocrat Constance Marten is facing a charge of manslaughter of gross negligence of her newborn baby daughter who was found dead in Brighton in March last year

She added that the Met wanted the charge dealt with before January 22, when Gordon's trial alongside aristocrat partner Constance Marten, 37, is due to begin at the Old Bailey.

PC Trill said: '[Gordon's] trial starts on January 22. We are very keen for this to be over, so the sooner the better.'

Asked by PC Trill about what would happen should Gordon continue to refuse to attend court, DJ Lloyd replied that it was up to prison officers at HMP Belmarsh whether to use 'reasonable force' to make him attend.

'All we can do is keep trying,' she told PC Trill. 'They did have a warrant, they did send a van. He won't go to a video hearing, either.

'It's a matter for the prison to decide whether to use reasonable force - but I can't order them to use anything more than that, and they won't, because they're putting their staff at risk.'

DJ Lloyd adjourned the hearing until next Wednesday.
Followed by a Monday campaign event at the Charleston church where nine were killed during a shooting in 2015

Joe Biden is finally hitting the campaign trail in full-force as he returns from his St. Croix vacation, and is kicking off the New Year swing on Saturday with a speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on the three-year anniversary of the January 6 Capitol attack.

The president is invoking the Revolutionary War with the location of the remarks where he will accuse Donald Trump of attempting to 'dismantle and destroy our democracy' by provoking his supporters to riot when he did not win reelection in 2020.

On Monday, Biden will head down to Charleston, South Carolina to campaign at the church where a white supremacist gunman opened fire on black congregation members in 2015, killing nine people.

The campaign events come as Biden continues to trail former President Trump in national polls, including in a new DailyMail.com survey that puts the president four points behind his predecessor.

President Joe Biden will kick-off 2024 by campaigning in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to juxtapose George Washington's winter there with his claims that Donald Trump is trying to undermine democracy

George Washington and the Continental Army spent a bleak winter at Valley Forge 246 years ago as they fought for U.S. democracy during the Revolutionary War

Biden's upcoming Valley Forge speech is at the famous location where George Washington and the Continental Army spent a winter 246 years ago.

His stop there attempts to juxtapose the efforts to establish a Democracy with what Democrats claim was Trump's attempt to tear it down when his supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Meanwhile, Trump will continue this weekend to campaign through Iowa with less than two weeks until the first-in-the-nation primary contest.

Rather than touting his record in upbeat events to kick-off 2024, Biden plans to bring Americans through some of the country's darkest moments as his team highlights the importance of November's results.

Biden plans on Saturday to characterize Trump as a serious threat to the United States' founding principles.

The president's team promised that Biden would be 'out in full-force' in 2024 after a slow start to his reelection campaign last year and criticism from those claiming the 81-year-old is no longer mentally or physically fit for office.

Biden and his pundits will be out campaigning fiercely around January 22 to mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade after the Supreme Court ruled two years ago to overturn the 50-year-old decision that legalized abortion on a federal level.

Biden plans on Saturday to characterize Trump as a serious threat to the United States' founding principles.

The president's predecessor, who is facing 91 criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn Biden's election win, has built a commanding lead among his Republican competitors in the primary election. But Democrats, as well as some GOP contenders, claim Trump will undermine democracy if he wins a second term.

In a conference call with reporters, Biden's campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said: 'We are running a campaign like the fate of our democracy depends on it, because it does.'

Besides the cases related to the electron, Trump is also facing three other felony cases.

Biden's first campaign event of the year comes on the three-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack

Biden will claim that Trump will 'dismantle democracy' if he gets another term in office

The former president and GOP frontrunner claims that Democrats are actually the ones looking to undermine democracy by using legal systems to prevent him from running in the 2024 election and winning another term.

'Joe Biden and his allies are a real and compelling threat to our Democracy,' Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a memo this week.

They added: 'In fact, in a way never seen before in our history, they are waging a war against it.'

The claims come as states seek to keep Trump off the ballot, including Colorado and Maine, which both ruled that he is disqualified because he 'engaged in insurrection.'

Colorado Republicans immediately appealed the state's decision last month to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming that Trump has never been actually charged with insurrection.

Meanwhile, Trump on Tuesday evening appealed Maine's Secretary of State ruling that keeps him off the ballot in the northeastern state.
Billionaire Harvard donor Bill Ackman is calling for the resignation and replacement of the school's board, which he says is just as much to blame for its problems as ousted president Claudine Gay.

Gay resigned yesterday, finally bowing to calls to stand down a month after her calamitous congressional testimony about campus antisemitism and amid growing accusations of academic plagiarism throughout her scholar career.

In her departure, she was lauded by Harvard Corporation, the university board led by Penny Pritzker, Obama's Commerce Secretary and sister of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, which said it accepted her resignation 'with sorrow'.

Ackman, who received his MBA from Harvard in 1992 and now runs the hedge fund Pershing Square, had been among her most vocal critics.

Unsatisfied with Gay's resignation, he says the school's leadership is so deeply flawed that it requires a total overhaul.

'The Corporation Board should not remain in their seats protected by the unusual governance structure which enabled them to obtain their seats,' he said, pointing to the fact its members publicly denied the plagiarism claims before investigating them, and rallied around Gay to support her rather than scrutinize her work.

In a 4,000 Twitter tirade, Bill Ackman said the problems with Harvard run far deeper than Claudine Gay

Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned yesterday a month after her disastrous testimony

His biggest complaint about the board and the school is its obsession with DEI, which he says has propagated 'acceptable racism' towards white people.

'Racism against white people has become considered acceptable by many not to be racism, or alternatively, it is deemed acceptable racism.

'While this is, of course, absurd, it has become the prevailing view in many universities around the country.

'You can say things about white people today in universities, in business or otherwise, that if you switched the word "white" to "black," the consequences to you would be costly and severe,' Ackman tweeted.

Ackman was deemed 'racist' by the NAACP when he claimed Harvard only considered candidates who met DEI requirements in selecting a new president in 2022.

Billionaire Harvard alum Bill Ackman is now calling for the board to stand down too

'I didnt say that former President Gay was hired because she was a black woman. I simply said that I had heard that the search process by its design excluded a large percentage of potential candidates due to the DEI limitations.

'My statement was not a racist one. It was simply the empirical truth about the Harvard search process that led to Gays hiring,' he said today.

Ackman called specifically for the resignation of Penny Pritzker, the Harvard Corporation chair who led the search for Gay, appointed her, and remains in charge.

'The Corporation board led by Penny Pritzker selected the wrong president and did inadequate due diligence about her academic record despite Gay being in leadership roles at the University since 2015 when she became dean of the Social Studies department.

'The Board failed to create a discrimination-free environment on campus exposing the University to tremendous reputational damage, to large legal and financial liabilities, Congressional investigations and scrutiny, and to the potential loss of Federal funding, all while damaging the learning environment for all students.

'And when concerns were raised about plagiarism in Gays research, the Board said these claims were demonstrably false and it threatened the NY Post with immense liability if it published a story raising these issues.

'It was only after getting the story cancelled that the Board secretly launched a cursory, short-form investigation outside of the proper process for evaluating a member of the facultys potential plagiarism.

'When the Board finally publicly acknowledged some of Gays plagiarism, it characterized the plagiarism as unintentional and invented new euphemisms, i.e., duplicative language to describe plagiarism, a belittling of academic integrity that has caused grave damage to Harvards academic standards and credibility.

The Harvard Corporation is led by former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, shown in 2013 with President Obama

Ackman said it was time to restore 'Veritas' to Harvard

'The Boards three-person panel of political scientist experts that to this day remain unnamed who evaluated Gays work failed to identify many examples of her plagiarism, leading to even greater reputational damage to the University and its reputation for academic integrity as the whistleblower and the media continued to identify additional problems with Gays work in the days and weeks thereafter.

'According to the NY Post, the Board also apparently sought to identify the whistleblower and seek retribution against him or her in contravention to the Universitys whistleblower protection policies.

'Despite all of the above, the Board unanimously gave its full support for Gay during this nearly four-month crisis, until eventually being forced to accept her resignation earlier today, a grave and continuing reputational disaster to Harvard and to the Board.

'In a normal corporate context with the above set of facts, the full board would resign immediately to be replaced by a group nominated by shareholders.

'In the case of Harvard, however, the Board nominates itself and its new members. There is no shareholder vote mechanism to replace them,' Ackman said.

In her bitter resignation letter yesterday, Gay made no mention of her mistakes.

Board members Biddy Martin (left) and Diana Nelson (right)

Ken Chenault and Mariano Florentino

Students protest against Israel at Harvard University on October 14. Many Jewish students said the extended protests and university response to them left them feeling unsafe

Students flew a 'Harvard Hates Jews' sign over campus on December 7 - two days after Gay's testimony

She said instead that she had been the victim of racist threats, and hoped she would be remembered as a 'a moment of reawakening'.

The board, in its statement, said she had 'acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them'.

Publicly, Gay resisted criticism for her remarks, insisting she had been misunderstood.

On December 5, she repeatedly refused to confirm that calling for the genocide of Jews on campus counted as harassment, instead saying it was a 'context-based' issue.

Only if the words crossed over into 'conduct' would it be considered actionable, she told congress.

Her remarks, echoed by the presidents of UPenn and MIT, stunned not just the Republican lawmakers grilling the trio, but the country.

UPenn's president Liz Magill resigned immediately almost immediately. MIT president Sally Kornbluth, who has avoided much of the heat, remains in her role.

Ackman called for her resignation yesterday after news of Gay's departure.

For now, Harvard has appointed Alan Garber, the school's provost, as interim president.

He sat behind Gay during her congressional testimony, nodding in agreement as she gave her remarks.
The two people killed in a fiery crash committed by a terror suspect on New Year's Day have been named.

Justina Hughes, 28, and Joshua Orr, 29, were passengers in an Uber that had been leaving the Rochester rock concert around 12:52 am, when it was suddenly struck by 35-year-old Michael Avery's rented SUV.

The Ford had been rented days before, and Avery preloaded it with gasoline canisters before the crash, cops said. An explosion ensued, leaving the two dead and nine injured. Avery, now being looked at as a potential terrorist, died as well.

Investigators later said that Avery - who lived an hour away in Warner - intentionally sped up toward a crowd leaving the show, before hitting the rideshare car instead.

Hughes and Orr are being remembered as 'heroes,' as relatives Tuesday asserted that 'many other lives were saved because they became, albeit unaware, a shield for others.' The pair were also revealed to be 'best friends,' who family said likely found 'peace' in the fact they spent their last moments together.

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Justina Hughes, 28, and Joshua Orr, 29, were passengers in an Uber that had been leaving the Rochester rock concert around 12:52 am, when it was struck by a car rigged with explosives

An explosion ensued that left nine injured, and the driver of the other vehicle dead as well. The FBI is looking into whether domestic terrorism is still being looked at as a possible motive,

'Oh how she loved music,' Hughes' family said a statement, which remembered the victim as a 'beautiful free spirit'.

'It was the passion that gave her the most joy,' it continued.

'We take peace in knowing that Justina and her very best friend, Josh, spent their last moments together, enjoying their passion and friendship.

'We also take comfort in knowing that many other lives were saved because they became, albeit unaware, a shield for others.

'[B]ecause of that, they will forever be heroes,' they concluded.

The statement, issued after lawmen identified the pair Tuesday, was accompanied by one from Orr's family.

It revealed how on the night of the crash, Orr had been doing 'his favorite thing in the world, attending a Grateful Dead tribute band when he was taken from us.'

'Josh was a beautiful, generous human, filled with love and positivity and an advocate for those struggling with mental health,' relatives wrote, as cops revealed Orr to be from Webster, a suburb of Rochester.

'Aside from his family, he loved his girlfriend and his dog Eddie,' it continued.

'On New Year's Eve Josh was doing his favorite thing in the world... Josh is a hero and saved countless lives from being taken away from our community.'

Cops confirmed that the suspect, 35-year-old Michael Avery, bought several gas cannisters from various stores on December 30 before carrying out the attack. His motive, as of Wednesday, remains unknown

'Oh how she loved music,' Hughes' family said a statement, which remembered the female victim as a 'beautiful free spirit'

'We take peace in knowing that Justina and her very best friend, Josh, spent their last moments together, enjoying their passion and friendship. 'We also take comfort in knowing that many other lives were saved because they became, albeit unaware, a shield for others'

The statement, issued after lawmen identified the pair Tuesday, was accompanied by one from Orr's family.

It revealed how on the night of the crash, Orr had been doing 'his favorite thing in the world, attending a Grateful Dead tribute band when he was taken from us.'

'Josh was a beautiful, generous human, filled with love and positivity and an advocate for those struggling with mental health,' relatives wrote, as cops revealed Orr to be from Webster, a suburb of Rochester.

The tribute band the family had referred to, Upstate New York fixture moe., also issued a statement about the incident.

'On a night that was meant for celebration and togetherness, we are faced instead with a tragedy that defies understanding,' the band posted to Facebook before Orr and Hughes - who hailed from Geneva - were named .

'In these moments of confusion and grief, we stand together in solidarity,' the bulletin continued.

'While the full details of the incident are still unfolding, our focus remains on the well-being of those affected and on the spirit of unity that has always been the hallmark of our community.

'We believe in the power of music to heal and unite, and it is in this spirit that we will continue to move forward.

'Take care of yourselves and each other, as we navigate this time together.'

Hours before, the group played to a crowd of roughly 1,000 at the Kodak Center Sunday night.

Intended to ring in the New Year, the incident instead rocked an entire city, and, as of Tuesday, has yet to be explained.

'Aside from his family, he loved his girlfriend and his dog Eddie,' it continued. 'On New Year's Eve Josh was doing his favorite thing in the world... Josh is a hero and saved countless lives from being taken away from our community'

Due to the potential implications of the attack, the FBI is involved, though agents based in the city this week said there is no evidence Avery was acting with terror in mind.

Due to the potential implications of the attack, the FBI is involved, though agents based in the city this week said there is no evidence Avery was acting with terror in mind.

Agent Jeremy Bell, who operates out of the city, said in a statement Tuesday: 'So far, we've uncovered no evidence of an ideology and no nexus to terrorism either international or domestic.'

The agent added that neither the Bureau or Rochester police had found any evidence Avery acted on 'political or social biases', and revealed that - contrary to early reports - authorities had not recovered a suicide note from the scene.

Still, domestic terrorism is still being looked at as a possible motive, CNN reported, as investigators remain unsure what exactly motivated the man from more than 80 miles away to speed toward in the crowd.

At a press conference Tuesday, Rochester Police Chief David M. Smith said the suspect's family believed he had a 'possible undiagnosed mental health issue,' though did not say more.

He also confirmed that Avery had bought at least half a dozen gasoline canisters from various stores in the Ontario area on December 30 - the same cannisters that can be seen littering the street in photos from the incident's aftermath.

Agent Jeremy Bell, who operates out of the city, said in a statement Tuesday: 'So far, we've uncovered no evidence of an ideology and no nexus to terrorism either international or domestic.'

The agent added that neither the Bureau or Rochester police had found any evidence Avery acted on 'political or social biases', and revealed that - contrary to early reports - authorities had not recovered a suicide note from the scene.

Still, domestic terrorism is still being looked at as a possible motive, CNN reported, as investigators remain unsure what exactly motivated the Upstate man from more than 80 miles away to carry out the attack

Meanwhile, cops in nearby Camillus - a community six minutes north of Warner - revealed that Avery had a few 'minor' interactions with lawmen between 2003 and 2016, when officers enacted an investigation into an alleged larceny in 2003 and a verbal altercation with a family member in 2010.

Cops in Geddes - another Syracuse set community a few miles away - added Avery had a DWI in 2006.

Police in Syracuse added the suspect - who was seen in surveillance photos purchasing the gas cannisters - was involved in a small traffic accident in 2016.

Aside from that, his record is clean, and police in Rochester reiterated Tuesday that they had no reason to know the accused killer's name.

He died in a hospital shortly after the crash, after initially surviving.

Cops added that at least one other victim has been left with life-altering injuries as a result of his alleged, actions while the others are expected to make full recoveries.

DailyMail.com has approached the Rochester Police Department for comment.
Speaker Mike Johnson and 60 House Republicans will tour the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas, today as illegal crossings hit another all-time record in December.

Republicans have seized upon border security issues as a main 2024 election issue, which has become a political headache for President Joe Biden.

'We gotta do something, they gotta give me the money I need to protect the border,' Biden said upon returning to Washington, D.C., from his Caribbean vacation Tuesday evening after officials revealed over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December.

It is the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and it marks the first time migrant encounters have reached over 300,000. In 2020 there were only 400,000 crossings for the whole year.

The group, hosted by GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales who represents the area, will hear from Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety and other stakeholders and tour the region. It's the first large-scale congressional delegation to the border led by the new speaker.

It also comes as Republicans are moving forward with formally impeaching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas next week, DailyMail.com confirmed.

Texas National Guard hold migrants crossing the Rio Grande River to seek humanitarian asylum before crossing the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2, 2024

'We gotta do something, they gotta give me the money I need to protect the border,' Biden said upon returning to Washington, D.C., from his Caribbean vacation Tuesday evening after officials revealed over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December

A migrant man crosses the Rio Grande holding his child in the air to prevent her from getting wet as hundreds of migrants are attempting to reach the United States border to seek humanitarian asylum in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2, 2024

The House Homeland Security Committee is expected to hold its first impeachment hearing for Mayorkas on Jan. 10.

The secretary told MSNBC this morning that he would 'most certainly' comply with the committee's impeachment investigation. But he said he's currently focused on finding 'solution to problems,' including by working with senators to come to a bipartisan solution on border security measures.

The Wednesday trip comes the week before Congress is scheduled to return and face not only a multitude of spending deadlines but also to hash out a deal to tighten border security and offer foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.

'This situation requires significant policy changes and House Republicans will continue advocating for real solutions that actually secure our border,' Johnson said.

With the trip, House Republicans are placing the border issue front and center for the start of the new year.

Speaker Johnson wrote on X the Biden administration 'decided to divert the flood of illegal immigrants to another location in order to keep them out of the camera shots' ahead of their visit.

'Dont be fooled, they are still being released into our country,' he continued showing two side-by-side pictures of the Eagle Pass area.

In Eagle Pass the local fire department is under water financially as it is forced to spend an jaw-dropping $21,000 per day on migrant-related emergencies, according to Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello.

'There's not a day where we don't go to the river's edge to transport patients, and the city swallows the cost,' Mello told Fox News. The department has spent $2.2 million answering to migrant-related calls since mid-September. It only had a $6.3 million budget in fiscal year 2023.

Gonzales has said the federal government has not reimbursed Eagle Pass for the costs of the migration surge.

A migrant man crosses the Rio Grande on January 2, 2024

The group, hosted by GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales who represents the area, will hear from Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety and other stakeholders and tour the region

The migrant onslaught forced the city to shudder rail crossings in December so Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) personnel could be redirected 'to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody.'

In December Johnson sent a letter urging President Biden to use executive powers to immediately stem the flow of migration.

The speaker directed the president to end 'catch-and-release,' turning away any migrants encountered between ports of entry and use parole only on a 'case-by-case basis.'

He also called on the president to reinstated Trump-era policies like building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program and expanding expedited removal for those who cannot demonstrate asylum eligibility.

Johnson even urged Biden to suspend all immigration - using his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The provision allows the president to suspend the entry of any foreign citizens for an unspecified amount of time if allowing them in is deemed 'detrimental' to US interests.

Late last month Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to discuss the migration crisis.

And before Christmas the Democratic-led Senate jetted out of town without hammering the details of the sprawling immigration and foreign aid package.

Border agents stopped migrants some 300,000 times at the U.S.-Mexico border in December

Migrants crossing the Rio Grande from Juarez, Mexico, into the US

Migrants cross the Rio Bravo on their way to the United States fence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Biden has asked Congress for $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the assistance without an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border. His request also includes $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security.

Biden and his Democrats have begun to offer major concessions on border security to try and get a deal in place, including raising the standards for asylum-seekers and expanding the president's power to quickly remove migrants who cross the border.

But no deal has been made yet.

Thousands more were set to arrive in the coming days in the form of a massive migrant caravan making its way through Mexico to the southern border. Video and photos show the massive march with families carrying large crosses and their possessions as the trek to the U.S.

Last month Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill making it a criminal offense to enter the state illegally, a move which further allows local law enforcement authorities to detain and deport migrants who cross into Texas.

Local authorities have already been arresting migrants on state misdemeanor charges under Abbott's immigration program Operation Lone Star. The new law is scheduled to go into effect in March.

Abbott has previously ordered a 1,000 foot floating barrier to be installed in Eagle Pass and the placement of razor wire near the Rio Grande to stop migrants from entering once they cross the river, both moves that were blocked in court.

On Tuesday the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene on its behalf after an appeals court blocked it from removing the razor wire while the lower court battle over the wire fence plays out.

Abbott has also bused thousands of migrants to liberal-run cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles.
A Myrtle Beach resort is denying allegations that they allowed murdered teenager Brittannee Drexel to be registered as a guest before she was kidnapped and killed.

The 17-year-old allegedly stayed at the Bar Harbor Resort on a spring break trip with friends without telling her parents.

Drexel was last seen on April 25, 2009, walking between hotels in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, before she was kidnapped that night by Raymond Douglas Moody, who raped and killed her before burying her body the next day in the woods.

Investigators said in 2012, Moody was considered a person of interest in her case, but he was never charged, and the case grew quiet.

A break in the case came in May 2022 when he was arrested on an obstruction of justice charge. According to police, that's when he admitted to raping and killing Drexel.

He was sentenced to consecutive terms of 30 years on the charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct, and a life sentence on the murder charge.

But in January 2023, the teen's mother, Dawn Pleckan, filed a lawsuit accusing Moody, Bar Harbor Resort Inc. and Smith Family Partners LLC of 'wrongful conduct' which led to the murder of her daughter.

The body of Brittanee Drexel, 17, was found May 2022, nearly 13 years after she disappeared while on spring break in South Carolina's Myrtle Beach in April 2009

A break in the case came in May 2022 when Raymond Drexel was arrested on an obstruction of justice charge. According to police, that's when he admitted to raping and killing Drexel

In January 2023, the teen's mother, Dawn Pleckan, filed a lawsuit accusing Moody, Bar Harbor Resort Inc. and Smith Family Partners LLC of 'wrongful conduct' which led to the murder of her daughter

Bar Harbor Resort Inc. and Smith Family Partners, LLC have denied all allegations made in the lawsuit in a December 2023 filing

The lawsuit reads: 'While in Myrtle Beach the group was able to check into Bar Harbor Hotel owned and operated by Bar Harbor Resort Inc. and Smith Family Partners, LLC.

'This is the hotel where Brittanee was made to stay, and at all relevant times she was an unaccompanied minor. The hotel and its operating group profited from this transaction.'

The lawsuit also alleges that in April 2009, 'the hotel and its operating group had no policies in place to detect and alert law enforcement to the presence of unaccompanied minors traveling without their parents and/or legal guardians  which would have prevented the rape and murder of Brittanee that was to follow.'

Pleckan also accused the hotel owners of 'creating a foreseeable zone of risk by creating, fostering, and maintaining an environment where minors, including decedent, could stay on their premises unaccompanied by their legal guardians.'

'Decedent fell within the foreseeable zone of risk created by the Hotel Defendants misconduct alleged above, as she was an unaccompanied minor female who was brutally kidnapped, raped, and murdered during her stay,' the lawsuit states.

Screenshots of negative reviews of the hotel alleging nefarious activity have also been filed in the documents.

The hotel has denied all allegations made in the lawsuit in a December 2023 filing.

The filing states that 'upon information and belief, Plaintiffs' decedent was never a registered guest at Bar Harbor Hotel, but may have been friends with Bar Harbor Hotel guest Jennifer Oberer.'

Surveillance footage on April 25, 2009, caught Drexel leaving the Blue Water Resort, after visiting a friend wearing a teal and black shirt she had texted her friends about

A memorial tree honoring Drexel was planted in Grand Park near Myrtle Beach in 2012

In November 2022, chilling texts Drexel had sent to her boyfriend the night she vanished were revealed.

She had texted her friends throughout the day, court documents revealed at the time, reaching out to her boyfriend in her hometown of Rochester, New York, to complain about something less than one hour before she was reported missing.

'I'll tell you later when you call me,' Drexel told her boyfriend, adding: 'I'm so heated.'

Drexel later told him she was planning to just stay in that night and pack before going to sleep.

Throughout the day, the teen sent text messages to her boyfriend, her friends she voyaged to Myrtle Beach with, as well as people she met while on vacation there.

In one text, Drexel tells a friend she had borrowed a pair of shorts and made plans to meet at their hotel later in the day to return them.

And in another, she tells a friend she 'went for [a] walk' and asked 'what's going on tonite?'

Drexel also talks about her outfit, describing the teal and black shirt she was later seen wearing in surveillance footage at the Blue Water Resort, after visiting a friend.

Court documents reveal Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old from Rochester, New York, sent her boyfriend a text message telling him she was 'heated' and wanted to complain to him before she disappeared in April 2009 while on a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Drexel had texted her boyfriend she would tell him about what was aggravating her 'later when you call me,' adding: 'Im so heated'

Her last text to her boyfriend said she planned to 'stay in packing and [going] to sleep'

Her friends and boyfriend started getting concerned about her when she wasn't answering her phone

By 8:58 pm, Drexel sent her boyfriend one last text message reading: 'I'm staying in packing and going to sleep probably.'

Although the phone records show no other messages from the teen, her boyfriend and her friends grew increasingly worried about her lack of a response.

One texted, 'Send me something, we think ur missing.' Another told Drexel to 'stop playing games,' while her boyfriend simply wrote: 'Babe im concerned.'

Throughout the night, the court documents say, Drexel's phone continued to ping off different locations in the Myrtle Beach area before it died at 11:57 pm.

Her body was ultimately found buried in a shallow grave on the property of Moody's Georgetown home.

Her remains were positively identified using dental records and DNA. A coroner later determined that Drexel died from strangulation.
Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed she has 'nothing to say' about the highly anticipated list of almost 200 associates soon to be released.

The list had been redacted from a long-settled sex trafficking suit against Maxwell, but a judge ruled that the names of those involved should be released.

The 51-page order was issued on December 18, and will unmask 184 John and Jane Does who had some sort of ties to the late sex pest.

Maxwell's lawyer Arthur Aidala has since told NewsNation that Maxwell has 'nothing to say' about Epstein or the list.

Speaking on Tuesday, Aidala said: 'I don't think she has anything to talk about except maybe that if you look at this crime, this overall crime, it's all about men abusing women for a long period of time, and it's only one person in jail  a woman.'

Maxwell's lawyer Arthur Aidala, seen here, told NewsNation that Maxwell has 'nothing to say' about Epstein or the list

Maxwell is serving 20 years after being found guilty of sex trafficking and procuring underage girls for late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the pair are seen here in 2005

Aidala told National Correspondent Brian Entin and NewsNation: 'Ms. Maxwell's got nothing to say to anyone. A lot of these cases take on lives of their of their their own and people start believing things that aren't true.

'Regarding this list, I could see people running amok because there are going to be names there that are just witnesses, like, oh that person may have been at this place at that time.'

Maxwell, 62, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking as part of a separate criminal case.

In the settled filing, Virginia Giuffre accused her of helping Epstein traffic her as a minor, and named influential figures allegedly involved.

One of them was Prince Andrew, while others who had gone unnamed until now. A total of 15 were accused of 'serious wrongdoing,' while 90 are described as having been 'affiliated' with Epstein in some way.

While the fully unsealed document is still a few days away, many - including former President Bill Clinton - had been previously known through other means, according to ABC News.

Numerous others - including other well-known public figures and Hollywood stars - are now set to be unmasked, thanks to US District Judge Loretta Preska's ruling.

Among them is a 'widely publicized' associate who already appeared as a defendant in multiple Epstein-related cases, Preska wrote in one explanation of why each name should be revealed.

The couple are seen together with warm coats and large fur hats in an undated photo submitted into evidence during the trial

An infamous photo of Virginia Roberts, Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell, taken at Maxwell's home in London's Belgravia

Numerous others - including other well-known public figures and ever Hollywood royalty - are now set to be unmasked, thanks to the December ruling from a New York federal judge

Clinton is seen enjoying a neck massage from a Jeffrey Epstein victim in photographs obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. Clinton sits and laughs as Chauntae Davies, then a 22-year-old massage therapist who acted as Epstein's personal masseuse, rubs his shoulders

She wrote the same for seven other Does - numbered 095, 099, 120, 122, 136, 143, and 157 - while the pseudonym believed to be Clinton is mentioned more than 50 times, ABC reported.

The context of those references, however, still remains unknown, due to the nature of the redactions.

However, several of the redacted names include interviews with various alleged victims and accusers - creating identifying factors that in many cases already unmasked the acquaintances.

That said, Giuffre - who seen in a 2001 photo with Andrew and Maxwell with the British Royal's arm around her waist - made no allegations of wrongdoing against Clinton in the original complaint.

Some of the Does are identified in the ruling through links to interviews they have given to the media, which the judge further cited as a reason why they should not stay private.

They include the housekeepers on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean - where some of the worst abuse was said to be carried out - and one of Prince Andrew's accusers.

She claims he fondled her breasts at Epstein's New York mansion.

The unnamed woman previously testified as a witness during Maxwell's sensational sex-trafficking trial, where she alleged she was directed to have sex with Andrew during a gathering with the royal, Maxwell and Giuffre, then 17.

Nearly 70 of the soon-to-be-unveiled names have been said to have been in the public record before in some form, such as the media and police reports.

It is unknown whether Microsoft boss Bill Gates is among them, after he owned up to having a close relationship with the pedophile even after he was convicted in a separate child prostitution case in 2008.

Pleading guilty, Epstein was promptly sentenced to 18 months in jail, though under a secret arrangement, the US attorney's office agreed not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes.

Still, Gates proceeded to meet with the financier several times - a decision he said he now regrets.

It is unknown whether Microsoft boss Bill Gates is among them, after he owned up to having a close relationship with the pedophile even after he was convicted in a separate child prostitution case in 2008

After allegations he visited Epstein's Caribbean island near Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, were debunked, Gates told CNN in 2021: 'It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there'

'I shouldn't have had dinners with him,' Gates told Australia's ABC 7 early last year, after being grilled by the well-documented relationship by presenter Sarah Ferguson.

Gates made similar comments to CNN in 2021, telling Anderson Cooper: 'It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there,' Gates said, after allegations he visited Epstein's Caribbean island were debunked.

He went on to insist the meetings were merely business-related, and that he had been seeking funds from the financier to address global health issues.

'I had several dinners with him, you know, hoping that what he said about getting billions of philanthropy for global health through contacts that he had might emerge,' Gates said at the time.

'When it looked like that wasn't a real thing, that relationship ended,' the billionaire asserted.

As for Clinton, flight records appear to indicate he too never visited Epstein's compound at Little St. James, despite his chummy relationship with the pervert while in the White House.

The unsealing comes more than three years after Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019, he is seen here in 2017

The sentencing marks the end of a decades-long fight for justice by victims of Maxwell and Epstein

However, according to ABC, Giuffre in 2016 attempted to subpoena him to testify as part of her lawsuit, claiming she met the then ex-president at Epstein Island.

The request was ultimately denied - despite her lawyers describing the proposed testimony of Clinton as 'highly relevant' and 'important to the fundamental claims and defenses' in the case.

That said, Giuffre made no allegations of wrongdoing against the two-term Democrat in her complaint, and a Sunday report from ABC outright stated the documents are not expected to implicate Clinton criminally in any way.

In her ruling, Judge Preska gave 14 days for any Does who objected to their documents being made public to object, after which they would be unsealed.

Set to happen this week, the unsealing comes more than three years after Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019, in what the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner deemed a suicide by hanging.
Casey Anthony's father 'broke down' when asked if he concealed his granddaughter Caylee's body during a lie detector test for a new A&E special.

The newest documentary about the unsolved case comes a year after George Anthony was accused by his own daughter of dumping Caylee's body in the Florida woods near his home.

His emotional reaction to questions asked about his late granddaughter seemed to strike a nerve with George as he was hooked up to the machine in an on-camera interview for 'Casey Anthony's Parents: The Lie Detector Test.'

Former FBI examiner George Olivo asked the grandfather: 'Did you knowingly conceal Caylee's whereabouts?'

'No, I mean I didn't know where she was at,' George replied as he got choked up.

George Anthony is set to appear in a documentary special on Thursday on A&E and Lifetime where he agreed to be hooked up to a lie detector test to answer pressing questions about his granddaughter Caylee's suspicious murder

Casey Anthony holding her daughter, Caylee. The case made national headlines when the young mother was accused of murdering her baby girl in 2008

As George was tested, his wife of 42 years, Cindy, sat and watched in another room as he was grilled repeatedly about the death of his granddaughter and sexual abuse claims that his daughter made against him

During a sneak peek of the new special, the examiner conducted a pre-test interview where he asked George if he sexually abused his daughter Casey.

Before a polygraph test can begin, a pre-test has to be conducted to see if the participant is suitable for testing, Olivo explained.

He started of by asking George: 'You called yourself a 10 on the personal honesty scale, and you didn't lie about that, right?'

The father and grandfather then hesitated before he said: 'Yes - I mean I didn't lie about that, sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'

As George was tested, his wife of 42 years, Cindy, sat and watched in another room.

When asked if he has always been a '10 on the sexual integrity scale', George responded 'Yes', while Cindy responded 'No.'

'I guess when you're separated, it doesn't count,' Cindy said in the preview of the documentary.

The interview then proceeded to talk about his granddaughter's mysterious death as George stumbled on his words and clearly became disturbed.

As Olivo kept asking if the father and grandfather knew where Caylee's body was, he noticed that George was 'struggling', and asked why.

'Maybe it's because I - it was so close to our house that she was found,' George said.

As the polygraph examiner asked George if he knew the whereabouts of his granddaughter's body, the grandfather got choked up and maintained that he did not know

Two-year-old Caylee Anthony went missing in June 2008 but her disappearance was not reported by her mother until 31 days after. Her skeletal remains were then found in December of that year

As he continued to become effected by the questions he said that he began to 'visualize the woods.'

'The woods where she was found. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'

His daughter Casey was infamously acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee after a highly publicized trial during which she was dubbed the most hated woman in America.

Casey was also seen partying just days after her daughter went missing and was later found murdered.

She has always denied killing her young daughter, who went missing in June 2008, despite cadaver dogs picking up traces of human remains in her vehicle, and Caylee's skeletal remains discovered near the family property in Orlando.

Cops and thousands of volunteers combed Orange County and the greater Orlando area for the child and found her remains in December of that year.

It took 31 days for Casey to call police and tell them Caylee was missing. On July 15, 2008, Casey's mother Cindy first alerted the authorities to Caylee's disappearance.

The couple hadn't seen Casey or Caylee for a month. They then found Casey's car in a tow-yard, and George said the smell 'took his breath away.' In her 911 call, Cindy told the dispatcher: 'Caylees missing. It smells like theres been a dead body in the damn car.'

Casey then told police that she'd left her daughter with a babysitter, Zenaida Gonzales Fernandez, and that she was also missing.

Casey Anthony was subsequently arrested on July 16, 2008, and questioned at Orange County Jail.

Cadaver dogs found human remains in the trunk of Casey's car but she was acquitted of murder

Casey and her father George before Caylee's death. She previously accused him of sexually abusing her as a child before he did the same to her daughter

Anthony became the most hated woman in the US after she was seen partying just days after her daughter went missing and was later found murdered

During the ensuing six-week trial, jurors were sequestered in a nearby hotel to minimize influence in the case, which captivated and angered the general public.

The 12 jurors and five alternates sat through 33 days of testimony - examining more than 400 pieces of evidence while hearing from 91 witnesses - as 40 million Americans watched it all unfold in real time, on live television.

The verdict was announced July 5, 2011 - with jurors acquitting Anthony on the first-degree murder count, as well as the manslaughter and child abuse charges.

The jurors did, however, find Anthony guilty on four counts of providing false information to police - charges that saw the mom handed a four-year prison sentence.

Anthony was given credit for time served in prison and was released on July 17, 2011, 12 days after the trial's conclusion.

During her first sit-down in 2022, Casey appeared in a three-part docuseries on Peacock, where she claimed that both she and her daughter were sexually abused by her father George.

She then went on to claim that in the past she was abused by her father and her brother - claims they vehemently denied. Neither of them has ever been charged in connection with the allegations, nor have they been implicated in Caylee's death.

The mother also said that her father abused her daughter, killed her and made it look like an accident in the pool.

Casey claimed in the Peacock series that she woke up from a nap by he father who was 'shaking' her and asking her where the toddler was.

'I wasn't feeling that great, and I wanted to lay down. I had her lay in bed with me. I was awoken by [my father] shaking me and asking me where Caylee was. That didn't make sense. She would never even leave my room without telling me,' the mother said.

'I immediately started looking around the house. I go outside and I'm looking to see where she could be. He was standing there with her. She was soaking wet. He handed her to me.'

She has always maintained that only her father knows how Caylee died.

After the trial ended, she said she received 'no help or assistance' from her family but that her team of lawyers gave her 'a little money' to move on with.

'I have fought so hard for a normal life. My defense team was very adamant about making sure I was able to have a fresh start after the trial I didn't receive any help or assistance from my biological family,' Casey said.

'I was given a little bit of money from my defense team to start to get on my feet. They are my surrogate family. She reveals that she started over in 2011 with money given to her by her defense team.'

'I don't ever want to see anyone be pigeonholed by not only by law enforcement but the media, be railroaded like I was,' she said.

Recently, an unnamed friend of Casey's told The Messenger that the mother is 'painfully aware' that her life would be different if her daughter Caylee hadn't been murdered and 'it bothers her more than she cares to admit.'

'Caylee would have been 18 this year,. She'd be going off to college now, and Casey's job as a mother would essentially be done at 37 years old. But none of that happened,' the friend said.

The new documentary special is set to air on Thursday at 9 pm eastern time on A&E and Lifetime and will delve into George and Cindy Anthony's response to their daughter sexual abuse and murder claims

Anthony smiles before the start of her sentencing hearing on charges of lying to a law enforcement officer at the Orange County Courthouse July 7, 2011, in Orlando, Florida

'Birthdays, holidays, prom, graduation,' they added. 'She missed out on all of that.'

Casey has also tried to keep a low profile since the trial, living a quiet life in South Florida where she has tried to avoid the spotlight and the general public.

She now lives in West Palm Beach where she currently works as private investigator, and has maintained a social life by drinking with friends at local bars.

The new documentary special is set to air on Thursday at 9 pm ET on A&E and Lifetime.

A synopsis of the special sent to DailyMail.com from A&E said: 'In response to Casey Anthonys recent accusations against her father, George and Cindy Anthony agree to undergo polygraph tests on-camera to answer lingering questions about Georges involvement in Caylees death in the new special, Casey Anthonys Parents: The Lie Detector Test'.'

'Their real-time responses to the polygraph questions are laid bare in the documentary along with each spouses reaction to the others answers and the lie detector results. As old wounds are ripped open again, will the polygraph tests finally bring closure?'
XL Bully owners have protested a Government crackdown on the killer breed by muzzling themselves 'in solidarity' with their pets - as they threaten to 'name and shame' vets who are destroying the banned dogs.

Under plans announced by Rishi Sunak last year, it became illegal to sell, abandon, give away or breed dogs that meet the XL Bully definition from December 31, and dogs must be muzzled in public.

The clampdown followed a wave of fatal attacks linked to XL Bully-type animals, including Ian Price who was killed in Stonnall, Staffordshire, in September, and Ian Langley, who died in Sunderland in October.

But as XL Bully owners come to terms with the ban, some have posted videos of themselves wearing muzzles as they take their dogs out.

One video shows Aidan taking dog Rolo out in Coventry on New Year's Eve with the pair wearing matching black muzzles in protest against the new law.

XL Bully owners have protested a Government crackdown on the killer breed by muzzling themselves 'in solidarity' with their pets

XL Bully campaign groups have threatened to 'name and shame' vets who are destroying the banned dogs

While walking along the pavement Aidan repeatedly practises training techniques with the well-behaved Rolo, including commands such as 'sit' and 'wait'.

READ MORE: XL Bully lover drives over 200 miles to escape ban on the dangerous dogs by taking them to Scotland Advertisement

Posting to TikTok, his partner Danielle said: 'Our first walk with Rolo with the new restrictions and laws against XL bullies.

'Aidan supporting Rolo today wearing a muzzle and making conversations with passers by, to show our animals should not be demonised by a muzzle or the law.

'It is a sad, sad day across the dog communities [sic] today.'

The video has had a mixed reception with many supporters on TikTok, but the couple took to social media again on Monday to plead for kindness after widespread backlash on other platforms.

Danielle said: 'I totally understand some people don't understand and I have accepted and come to terms with that. I don't expect you to.

'However, this is my dog. A breed which has recently been banned as of [Sunday]. Having individuals screenshot a training video of me trying to express Rolo's full capabilities as [a] Bully and using it for their own social gain just hasn't sat right.'

@daniellercollins 31.12.23 our first walk with Rolo with the new restrictions and laws agaisnt XL bullies. Aidan suppoting Rolo today wearing a muzzle and making conversations with passers by, to show our animals should not be demanonized by a muzzle or the law. It is a sad, sad day across the dog communities today. We will and please YOU to, share the amazing things XL bullys can do.  #bullyxl #xlbullies #xlbullynation #xlbullytiktok  2023 Has Come To An End - Spicy Beats

The couple's decision to wear a muzzle while walking Rolo comes as other XL Bully owners document their struggles to suddenly persuade their pets to wear them

Animal charities have been urging owners to begin training their dogs to wear muzzles for months

Another XL Bully owner shared a similar video, as he took his dog 'Donkey' out for a walk while wearing matching pink muzzles

The XL Bully owner started barking at a woman he was walking the dog with, joking: 'Look, who's more vicious?'

She added she will continue to 'video and post' about Rolo and criticised those who used screenshots from the post to illustrate their own points without permission.

Another XL Bully owner shared a similar video, as he took his dog 'Donkey' out for a walk while wearing matching pink muzzles. He had also dressed his dog up in a colourful coat.

He then started barking at a woman he was walking the dog with, joking: 'Look, who's more vicious?'

Passionate Bully owners have also threatened to call out vets who are destroying the breed.

A campaign group called End Game Bullys posted: 'Any vets that willingly put down a healthy innocent XL Bully should be named & shamed.

'Individual pictures plastered over out socials outing you as the murderers that you are.

'You have a choice. Leave the f****n dogs alone.'

It comes after it emerged yesterday that another XL Bully owner had driven hundreds of miles to the Scottish border in a bid to save his beloved animal as the Government crackdown came into force at New Year.

Sammy Wilkinson, from Tipton in the West Midlands, has been transporting the dogs up North after new legislation banned the bread in England and Wales, calling for the existing animals to be muzzled when out in public.

Mr Wilkinson has been collecting groups of the dogs, driving through the day and night to take them to Scotland to give them a fresh a start.

So far he has taken 30 pets to the border, with a GoFundPage raising 9,000 to support his efforts.

XL Bully dogs have been a source of controversy after several fatal attacks on people in recent years. Pictured: File photo of the dog

Sammy Wilkinson, from Tipton in the West Midlands, has been taking XL bullies to the Scottish border following the ban. Pictured: Mr Wilkinson with two XL bullies in the back of his van

Dogs have reportedly been abandoned in the streets by owners who cannot keep their pets or have been unable to put them down. Pictured: A suspected XL Bully type believed to be abandoned in Harlow, Essex

Owners have been sharing images of their XL Bully type dogs in muzzles on social media after the ban was imposed

Mr Wilkinson said on social media: 'I'm absolutely exhausted and my car is falling apart but you're not killing these Rishi Sunak, now it's a race to the Scottish Border before midnight.'

Elsewhere, another XL Bully was found burnt and mutilated just hours before a ban on the breed came into force.

Shocking photos show that the dog suffered extensive burns to his front paws and a fractured skull before his body was discovered in an alleyway on Saturday.

The body of the animal was found by a member of the public in Carshalton, south London, with his legs tied together and one of his ears had also been sliced off.

An investigation has been launched but RSPCA Inspector Harriet Daliday said she couldn't confirm if the animal had died after hitting a vehicle or was killed in a targeted killing.

From January 31, it will be an offence to own an XL Bully unless it is registered on the Index of Exempted dogs and is compliant with the requirements.

Dogs that are more than one year old after this date must be neutered by June 30 while younger dogs must receive the same treatment by December 31.
The 16-year-old suffered a broken pelvis and lacerated liver and remains in the hospital

The accident claimed the lives of his parents, Hope, 51, and Don, 53, and older siblings Kenneth, 22, and 19-year-old Elizabeth

Stephen Bragg and his grandfather, 72-year-old Richard Pruden, were the only survivors of a massive home explosion

An Arkansas teen was left orphaned after a home explosion killed his parents and older siblings and left his grandfather in critical condition.

Stephen Bragg, 16, and Richard Pruden, 72, were the only survivors of a blast that blew Pruden's home to smithereens on December 30.

Bragg and his family were visiting his grandfather in Michigan at the time of the accident, which has been described by investigators as an 'undetermined fuel-air explosion.'

The Northfield Township Police Department identified the deceased as 51-year-old Hope Bragg, 53-year-old Don Bragg, 22-year-old Kenneth Bragg and 19-year-old Elizabeth Bragg.

According to a statement from Monticello High School, where Bragg is a student, the teen was left with a broken pelvis and lacerated liver. He remains in the hospital.

Four members of an Arkansas family were killed in a Michigan home explosion over the weekend. Police identified the victims as 51-year-old Hope Bragg (second from right), 53-year-old Don Bragg (right), 22-year-old Kenneth Bragg (left) and 19-year-old Elizabeth Bragg (second from left)

Sixteen-year-old Stephen Bragg (left) was orphaned after the accident claimed the lives of his parents. He and his grandfather, 72-year-old Richard Pruden (right), were the only survivors

The family was visiting Pruden for the holidays when his home erupted in an 'undetermined fuel-air explosion'

Pruden is in a coma and sustained burns on 20 percent of his body.

Those close to the family remembered them as passionate supporters of their local church and school district, as well as local archeology organizations.

Don Bragg worked at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for more than two decades as a Forest Service scientist.

His wife was involved with the school for 10 years and was an instructor for the school's 4-H youth development program.

Michael Blazier, the dean of the school's College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, remembered his colleagues as 'angels amongst us.'

He told KATV that the entire family was 'brilliant and hardworking, kind and committed to service.'

'Its not just losing great colleagues and friends but for them to have two of their children lost in this accident is hard to process,' Blazier said.

Kenneth and Elizabeth Bragg, both college students, were described as 'excellent in music and science activities in school; they were the best in every way.'

The 72-year-old remains in a coma, with burns covering 20 percent of his body. His teenage grandson was left with a broken pelvis and lacerated liver

Kenneth and Elizabeth Bragg were both attending college. Their younger brother is a student at Monticello High School in Arkansas

Don and Hope Bragg worked at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and were described as one colleague as 'angels among us'

According to police, the deadly blast was heard by deputies nine miles away. The entire home was obliterated, save for the basement

A vigil for the family will be held Saturday at Whitmore Lake High School in Michigan.

According to police, the explosion happened in the 8000 block of Winters Lane over the weekend. Three victims were reported dead on scene.

Only the basement was left standing, as everything else had been blown to pieces.

Township Police Lieutenant Dave Powell told Fox 2 News that the blast was heard by Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies nine miles away.

Three family members including Bragg and Pruden were taken to a local hospital for treatment. One of the victims later died.

Aerial footage showed firefighters sorting through the wreckage as emergency vehicles encircled the scene.

In the aftermath, members of the extended family set up GoFundMe campaigns to help with hospital bills.

John Bragg, Stephen's uncle, established a fund to cover out-of-pocket funeral and care expenses for the teen.

He wrote that the 16-year-old faced 'many months of recovery.'

Pruden's nephew, Chris Pruden, set up a separate campaign for his uncle, affectionately known as Rick or Rich.

The elderly man remains in intensive care at the University of Michigan Hospital.

Authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding the explosion. No foul play is suspected.
Hannity, 62, already spent a lot of time in Florida and had long threatened to decamp to the state, but only revealed Tuesday that he finally followed through

Source said they were already used to being apart, with Ainsley in Manhattan and Sean on Long Island, only now they will be traveling by plane and not car

Insiders tell DailyMail.com Hannity and Earhardt are committed to their long-distance relationship and will make regular trips between New York and Florida

Sean Hannity and morning show co-host Ainsley Earhardt are committed to going the distance as an interstate couple now that the Fox News anchor made the decision to relocate to Florida for good, DailyMail.com has learned.

Earhardt, 47, who will keep her seat on the curvy couch as cohost of NYC-based Fox & Friends, will be making regular trips to Hannity's Palm Beach digs.

'Ainsley is envisioning their romantic reunions when she arrives on the West Palm Beach airport asphalt every weekend they can spare, ' a friend of the couple tells DailyMail.com

'Those two have always been in it for the long haul since they fell in love - only now the haul will be a bit longer.'

Hannity, 62, can use some of his sunshine state tax savings towards grand romantic gestures to keep his now-faraway lover feeling cherished.

Sean Hannity, pictured with girlfriend and fellow Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt, has permanently relocated from New York to Florida, he revealed on Tuesday

After years of rumors and speculation, Earhardt and Hannity have allowed their intimate relationship speak for itself, going on dates in plain sight and attending events as a couple

Hannity already owned a beachfront home he bought in 2021 in Palm Beach, Florida, just three miles from former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate

A source close to Hannity told DailyMail.com that due to Earhardt's early weekday morning shifts in Fox's New York studio co-hosting Fox & Friends, the pair will mostly only get to see each other at weekends.

But the mother of one and 17-year Fox veteran believes their relationship will stay strong as they rely on each other for love and support on the days away from their fast-paced jobs.

A Fox insider said the network is keen to keep its top talent happy, hinting that the way could be open for Earhardt to work from Florida on occasion to be near her man  and added that Hannity would still be regularly visiting New York regularly.

One source close to the couple told DailyMail.com: 'They had only seen each other on weekends given Ainsley lives in the city and Sean was on Long Island, so the only difference now is that they will be traveling by plane instead of a car back and forth to Long Island.'

The evening TV anchor revealed his move on Tuesday during his iHeartRadio talk show, broadcast live from his studio in Florida.

'We are now beginning our first broadcast of my new home, and that is in the free state of Florida. I am out. I am done,' he said.

Hannity cited the Republican leadership, lower taxes, warmer weather, and the political troubles of New York as his reasons for making the leap.

'It's obvious  this migration out of the deep blue states with high taxes, burdensome regulation, high crime, horrible school districts, is real,' he said.

Hannity began the New Year by telling his radio show listeners of his full-time move on Tuesday, before going on a rant about New York

A Fox insider said the network is keen to keep its top talent happy, hinting that the way could be open for Earhardt to work from Florida on occasion to be near her beau

Last year DailyMail.com revealed that Earhardt, Hannity, and her seven-year-old daughter were seen spending time together as a family most recently in late February during a trip to Palm Beach, Florida

Hannity's $5.3million townhouse in Palm Beach will be the setting for the couple's weekend reunions

'And if anything, I'm probably late and behind the curve and many others have made the move beforehand.

'And there's not a single person that I know that made a move like this that is not happy that they made it.'

Hannity has already spent a lot of time in Florida and had long threatened to decamp to the Sunshine State, but only revealed on Tuesday that he had finally followed through.

Famously full of wealthy New Yorkers dodging state and city taxes, Florida is already at least a part-time home to several of his current and former colleagues.

The right-wing pundit already owns a $5.3million townhouse on Palm Beach, a stone's throw from his good friend Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

DailyMail.com revealed Hannity's relationship with Earhardt in April last year, publishing photographs of the couple with her seven-year-old daughter visiting the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

Snaps leaked to DailyMail.com also included them arm-in-arm over breakfast at a Waffle House in South Carolina in January 2023 and cozying up over corn in the cob at an Oyster festival on Long Island in Fall 2022.

A source close to the couple said at the time that their shift from close friends to lovers was 'not a surprise to anyone who knows them', and that they were 'extremely happy and have been for a while'.

Hannity and Earhardt are known for their unwavering support of Trump and are among Fox's most high-profile television personalities

Sources tell DailyMail.com Hannity and Earhardt started off as 'best friends' but their friendship gradually evolved into something more

The pair's relationship goes back as a far as 2020, when Earnhardt was reported to have been shooting Fox & Friends remotely from the basement of Hannity's mansion in Long Island

It's likely the three had stayed at Hannity's townhouse in Palm Beach during their trip.

Rumors of the Fox News hosts' romance had been reported in the past, but the two have repeatedly refused to comment on the speculation over the years.

Hannity's divorce from wife Jill Rhodes, with whom he shares two children, was first reported in 2020. They separated in 2015, but managed to keep it quiet.

Meanwhile, Earhardt and ex-husband Will Proctor, split in 2018 and their divorced was finalized in 2019.
Video footage shows the moment pro-Palestinian protesters targeted London's Science Museum as they demanded a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday as they threw leaflets over the building's balcony.

Campaign group Parents for Palestine unfurled a banner one one of the upper floors of the museum and tipped hundreds of leaflets into the air as they chanted: 'Ceasefire now'.

Protesters held a large sign reading 'stop arming Israel' as they called for the museum to end its sponsorship by international company Adani, who the group claims has partnerships with arms companies.

Leaflets dropped over the balcony bore the Palestinian flag and the names of children killed in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of conflict on October 7.

Some of those gathered also held placards and signs calling for an end to the conflict, while the group chanted 'Free, free, Palestine'.

Protesters held a large banner which read 'stop arming Israel' as they dropped leaflets from the top floor of the Science Museum

The group threw hundreds of leaflets, which included the names of children killed in Gaza, over the balcony

In a statement on social media, a spokesperson for Parents for Palestine said: 'What better way to start the new year than by targeting [the Science Museum] for its sponsorship by Adani??

'Adani is actively participating in the genocide in Gaza through its partnerships with arms companies Elbit Systems and Israeli Weapons Industries.

'These companies manufacture sniper and assault rifles, machine guns, and the drone missiles Hermes 900, currently being used to bomb Gaza.

'Families, parents and children in London say stop arming Israel. Cut all ties with Adani now.'

Protests against Israel's heavy bombing campaign have been common across the UK in recent weeks as the country faces increasing criticism for the numbers of civilians killed and wounded in the fighting.

It came as heavy battles raged in central and southern Gaza on Wednesday as fears mounted of a regional escalation following a strike in Beirut that killed one of Hamas' leaders.

The strike was widely blamed on Israel but it's implications for the war remain unclear.

Security guards at the Science Museum monitor the scene after activists dropped flyers calling for an end to the war

The flyers featured the Palestinian flag and bloody handprints

There is growing public anger across the world as to the strength of Israel's military force it has deployed in Gaza

Smoke rises over the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as the war approaches the end of its third month

Around 85 percent of the Gaza Strip's population have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict, it is estimated

Israeli officials have not commented on the strike Tuesday that killed Saleh Arouri, the most senior Hamas member slain since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said 'we are on high readiness for any scenario.'

Hamas' Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

Israel's air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,100 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Israel's campaign has driven some 85 percent of Gaza's population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed.

A quarter of Gaza's population face starvation, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.

The unprecedented death and destruction has led South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice, allegations Israel has strongly denied and vowed to contest.

Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and returning the estimated 129 hostages still held by the group after more than 100 were released in a cease-fire deal in November.

Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling militants for over two months and where entire neighborhoods have been blasted into rubble.

Heavy fighting is also underway in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamas' military structure is still largely intact.

A spokesperson for the Science Museum said: 'A renewable energy company, Adani Green Energy, is sponsoring a new gallery at the Science Museum exploring the urgent need to transition to a low carbon future.

'The claims made about the museum by some protesters today are untrue and a distraction from dreadful human suffering in the Middle East.'
A woman was killed after sustaining a 'genital rupture' when she fell off a high-speed jet ski driven by her husband, according to reports.

The power of the jet propulsion as he accelerated as she fell in the water led to horrific wounds from which she died the next day.

Russian woman Elena Spiryakova, 49, from Samara, near Russia's border with Kazakhstan, was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save her.

Her husband Oleg, 52, now faces a criminal case into 'causing death by negligence' causing his wife to be hit in the genitals by a 'water hammer', reported Russian news outlet Baza.

While the tragedy took place in July 2023 on the Samara River, details have only now emerged after the intervention of prosecutors.

Elena Spiryakova, 49, (pictured) from Samara, near Russia's border with Kazakhstan, was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save her

She was killed as she rode on the jet-ski along the Samara River

Prosecutors said she was killed by a 'water hammer' upon falling off the jet ski

Her husband Oleg, 52, now faces a criminal case into 'causing death by negligence'

The power of the jet propulsion as he accelerated as she fell in the water led to horrific wounds

The victim was riding on the back of the jet ski on the river which flows into the larger Volga River in Samara.

'After another turn, the woman could not stay on the jet ski and fell into the water, and at that moment her husband 'hit the gas',' said the report.

She sustained a serious 'hydraulic injury'.

'The victim was urgently taken to hospital, but Elena died the next day,' stated Baza.

Her relatives told the media outlet that a criminal case had been launched into her death.
Israel's finance minister accused 'two million' Palestinians living in Gaza of having the 'desire to slaughter and rape Jews' as he defended the displacement of civilians in the coastal territory and his country's reported 'voluntary relocation' plans.

Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician and head of the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party that is part of Israel's ruling coalition, said Israel should 'encourage' the territory's approximately 2.4 million Palestinians to relocate to other countries - with reports suggesting Israel has held talks with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He, along with fellow far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, also earlier called for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza at the end of their country's ongoing war against Hamas - in comments that were slammed by the US and other Western allies.

But in the face of the criticism, Smotrich today doubled down on his remarks.

In a post on X, he wrote that 70 per cent of Israelis support 'voluntary migration' for Palestinians from Gaza to other countries, saying Israel couldn't allow itself to live so close to a 'hotbed of hate.' He did not say where the figure came from.

Israel 's finance minister has accused 'two million' Palestinians living in Gaza of having the 'desire to slaughter and rape Jews' as he defended reported 'voluntary relocation' plans

Bezalel Smotrich, head of the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party, said Israel should 'encourage' Palestinians to relocate to other countries - with reports suggesting talks have been held with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pictured

Smotrich (pictured in August) also called for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza at the end of the country's ongoing war against Hamas

He wrote: '...a small country like ours cannot afford a reality where four minutes away from our settlements there is a hotbed of hatred and terrorism where two million people who wake up every morning with aspiration for the destruction of the State of Israel and with a desire to slaughter and rape and murder Jews wherever they are.

'Israeli society will not agree to the continuation of this reality in Gaza, we are required to rethink and share with our friends in the international community that will bring peace, security and prosperity to all the peoples of the region and allow the residents of the south to return to their homes in safety and peace.'

According to one report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition is conducting secret talks with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other nations over accepting thousands of immigrants from Gaza.

The vast majority of Gaza's 2.4 million residents have been forced out of their homes by nearly three months of fighting between Hamas militants and Israel.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 22,185 people have been killed in the war, mostly civilians, while Israeli airstrikes have left much of the territory in ruins.

Expelling civilians during a conflict or creating unliveable conditions which force them to leave is deemed a war crime.

Fighting erupted after Hamas's October 7 attack which killed around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to a tally based on official Israeli figures.

Talk of mass displacement brings up difficult memories for Palestinians, some 700,000 of whom fled or were forced to flee during the war leading to Israel's creation in 1948.

Smotrich is a key partner in Netanyahu's government, Israel's most nationalist and conservative. He has largely been sidelined by the War Cabinet, of which he is not a member.

South Africa has cited statements by Israeli officials as part of its argument at the International Court of Justice that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

A tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, in Rafah, southern Gaza

Palestinians pick their way through the mud at a makeshift camp housing refugees in Rafah

Smoke billows over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during an Israeli bombardment on Tuesday

Smotrich, a champion of West Bank settlements, drew criticism from the US, Egypt, Germany and France after he made similar comments earlier this week while calling on Israel to re-establish settlements in the Gaza Strip.

'To have security we must control the territory,' he told Israel's Army Radio.

'In order to control the territory militarily for a long time, we need a civilian presence,' he said.

Israel unilaterally withdrew the last of its troops and settlers in 2005, ending a presence inside Gaza that began in 1967 but maintaining near complete control over the territory's borders.

All settlements on Palestinian land are regarded as illegal under international law, regardless of whether they were approved by Israel.

But Smotrich said Israel should 'encourage' Gazans to go to other countries.

'If we act in a strategically correct way and encourage emigration, if there are 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not two million, the whole discourse of the day after (the war) will be completely different,' he said. 'We will help rehabilitate these refugees in other countries in a good and humane manner with the cooperation of the international community and Arab countries around us.'

His comments were late echoed by far-right firebrand national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the head of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party.

He argued that the departure of Palestinians and re-establishment of Israeli settlements 'is a correct, just, moral and humane solution'.

'This is an opportunity to develop a project to encourage Gaza's residents to emigrate to countries around the world,' he told a meeting of Otzma Yehudit.

Ben-Gvir hit out against the criticism levelled against him and Smotrich on Tuesday

The comments drew the ire of the United States, Israel's closest ally.

In a statement on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called Smotrich and Ben-Gvir's comments 'inflammatory and irresponsible.'

Miller said Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, have 'repeatedly' told the US that 'such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government'.

'Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel,' Miller said.

France and Germany also condemned the pair.

'We call on Israel to refrain from such provocative declarations, which are irresponsible and fuel tensions,' the French foreign ministry said.

Germany's Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said the comments were 'neither useful nor helpful' and rejected them 'in the strongest terms'.

He underlined the position of Germany and its G7 allies that 'there must be no expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, there must be no territorial reduction of the Gaza Strip.'

He added that 'from our point of view, a two-state solution remains the only sustainable model for Israelis and Palestinians to live together peacefully.'

Hamas also attacked Smotrich's comments as a 'vile mockery and a war crime'.

Gazans 'will stand firm and steadfast in the face of all attempts to displace them from their land and homes', the group said in a statement.

Ben-Gvir hit out against the criticism levelled against him on Tuesday.

Palestinian families warm themselves near a fire during cold weather as they try to continue their daily lives in Rafah, Gaza

'The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the (Israeli) residents of the envelope to return home and live in security and will protect the IDF soldiers,' the extreme-right minister posted on X.

The row continued as heavy fighting raged in central and southern Gaza on Wednesday, and fears mounted of a regional escalation following a strike in Beirut that killed top Hamas leader Saleh al Arouri.

It was widely blamed on Israel but its implications for the war remain unclear.

Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario following the killing of the Hamas official.

The assassination was a further sign that the nearly three-month war between Israel and Hamas was spreading across the region, drawing in the West Bank, Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, and even Red Sea shipping lanes.

Hamas politburo member Hossam Badran said: 'We say to the criminal occupation (Israel) that the battle between us is open.'

Israel had long accused Arouri of orchestrating attacks on its citizens. But a Hamas official said he was also 'at the heart of negotiations' conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages.

Meanwhile, Israel told civilians in Gaza to leave a refugee camp in the north of the Palestinian territory, and the Israeli military said in its daily briefing that 'intensive battles' with militants were continuing in Gaza in the southern city of Khan Younis.

It has said previously it is trying to flush out Hamas leaders in the area.

Israeli planes also dropped leaflets on Al-Nusseirat ordering people to leave seven districts.

'You are in a dangerous combat area. The IDF is operating heavily in your area of residence. For your safety the IDF urge you to immediately evacuate this area,' the leaflets said.

Israeli war planes and tanks also stepped up attacks on the Al-Bureij refugee camp.

Hamas' armed wing said it had killed ten Israeli soldiers in fighting in Al-Bureij and hit five tanks and troop carriers. The Israeli military said the number of its soldiers killed since its first incursion into Gaza on October 20 had reached 177.

Tensions in the Middle East ramped up even further on Wednesday, with two explosions minutes apart at a commemoration in Iran for a prominent general who died in a US drone strike in 2020.

Palestinian families forced to leave their homes pass buildings wrecked by airstrikes in Rafah

The blasts killed at least 103 people and injured more than 140 others.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a 'terroristic' attack shortly after the explosions in Kerman, about 510 miles (820km) south-east of the capital, Tehran.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear programme, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings.

Sunni extremist groups, including Islamic State, have carried out large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.
The tragic couple allegedly murdered by their 14-year-old son have been pictured for the first time - as shell-shocked family members struggle to comprehend how a 'normal American kid' could slay both his parents.

Se Vang and her husband Lue Yang, both 37, were found dead in their isolated rural home near Miramonte in Fresno County, California, last Wednesday night.

The boy allegedly also tried to kill his 11-year-old sister but she is expected to recover from her injuries. Another brother, aged 7, was home but not injured.

The teen called 911 and claimed an intruder broke in, killed his parents and attacked his sister before fleeing in a pickup truck - but police unraveled his story.

Yang and Vang were part of a big extended family in California and the Midwest that is now desperately searching for answers.

Se Vang and her husband Lue Yang, both 37, were found dead in their isolated rural home near Miramonte in Fresno County, California , last Wednesday night

Yang and Vang were part of a big extended family in California and the Midwest that is desperately searching for answers

'I've never cried so much in my life and is still in disbelief. If my tears can build a stairway to heaven I will not stop crying until I can bring you back. Love you two so dearly,' Yang's brother Lily Lee wrote.

Family spokesman Pao Yang, who runs the local Fresno Center, said no one had any idea what prompted the alleged murders.

'They're in shock, they're in tears, they don't know what's going on, they don't know what happened, and you know, you're dealing with minors. You're dealing with three children without their parents,' he said.

'According to them he's a good kid, normal kid, normal American kid. They don't know what happened. We want to figure out what happened. We also want to make sure that he's safe.'

The family said Yang and Vang were devoted parents, 'beacons of light, and leaders within our close-knit circle' who died in a 'shocking and untimely manner'.

'The loss we feel is immeasurable and has left a profound void in our family,' they said in a statement.

The family said Yang and Vang were devoted parents, 'beacons of light, and leaders within our close-knit circle' who died in a 'shocking and untimely manner'

Vang's sister Julia shared this photo of them as children, thanking her for 'making my childhood so memorable. We shared so many great memories growing up together'

'There are no words to express how our hearts continually break while recalling the tragic loss of our beloved siblings and thinking about our babies, who are left to survive in this world without their birth parents.

'However, as their family, it is our duty to stay strong to get through this tragedy and support their children.'

Neither had life insurance and the family is trying to raise $60,000 to pay for their funerals and the injured daughter's medical costs, and provide for their orphaned children.

More than $11,000 has been donated so far.

The family is part of the Hmong community, an ethnic minority from southern China and northern Vietnam.

The Fresno County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday said the boy could not be charged as an adult under California law, due to his age.

He was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder. He will not be named because he is a minor.

Neither had life insurance and the family is trying to raise $60,000 to pay for their funerals

Yang and Vang were found dead in their isolated rural home on the 4700 block of Dunlap Road, near Miramonte, Fresno County

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said deputies arrived at the scene on the 4700 block of Dunlap Road, bought for $290,000 in 2007, about 7.40pm.

They found the bodies of the parents and the critically injured girl, who was rushed to hospital, and spoke with the teenager.

Deputies found inconsistencies in the boy's story of a murderous intruder and formed the view he allegedly made it up to cover his tracks.

He used multiple weapons to murder his parents and attempt to kill his sister, Zanoni alleged.

The boy will face Fresno County Superior Court on Wednesday.
Speed cameras have been cut down in a series of night-time raids reminiscent of the damage inflicted on the Ulez cameras in the capital.

Two more cameras in Cornwall have been cut down overnight, following a spate of similar incidents in November.

One had been cut down before and replaced with a steel support but was cut down yet again.

The other was a bi-directional camera on a busy main road, which has the capacity to catch motorists using their mobile phones and not wearing seat belts.

These attacks are similar to those on the Ulez cameras when Sadiq Khan expanded the scheme to cover the whole of Greater London - which were stolen or damaged 1,000 times in seven months.

Pictured: The aftermath of vandalism which saw two 30mph speed cameras in Cornwall chopped down overnight

One camera which had been replaced with a steel support was knocked down again

Police attending to the chopped down speed camera, which can detect drivers not wearing seat belts and using their mobile phones

One pole was chopped down on the A39 near the village of Perranarworthal, which lies four miles northwest of Falmouth

A speed camera in Longdowns, Cornwall which was cut down overnight in November

The vector camera, which records more information than a standard camera, was installed to enforce the 30mph limit in the area

One of the speed cameras is located in the village of Perranarworthal, which lies four miles northwest of Falmouth.

In October the camera, which was mounted on a hollow plastic pole, was cut down, so it was replaced by one on a steel pole.

But again vandals have cut it down, police have confirmed.

Police were alerted just after 3am to another speed camera on the A390 Tregolls Road, a 30mph road.

The camera caught 3,000 drivers in a month in the summer but local residents say it has made the area safer for children going to two local primary schools.

This one was a high-tech bi-directional camera, which are being rolled out nationally after trials in Devon and Cornwall.

The device can identify speeding drivers travelling in both directions, doesn't flash when it snaps and can also catch motorists not wearing a seatbelt or handling a mobile phone at the wheel.

Unlike previous cameras which only capture vehicles travelling in left-hand lanes, the new model captures up to three lanes of traffic going in both directions. This means one installation can enforce an entire section of road.

READ MORE - Shocking moment masked gang cut down new speed camera with an angle grinder before fleeing on their quad bike - on yet another day in Wild West Britain Advertisement

There have been a spate of camera attacks in the county causing division between those in favour of the devices and those who see them as a cash cow.

Cornwall Councillor Peter Williams, who represents Perranarworthal, said: 'It is absolutely horrendous why people go and do these things under the noses of where people live.

'These cameras were not put there on a whim - they were put there after years of gathering evidence and proof.

'I don't understand why these people can't see the cameras are there to protect everyone, including drivers.'

He added the cameras would be reinstated as soon as possible.

Ruth Gripper, who will challenge for the Truro and Falmouth seat for the Liberal Democrats at the next general election, added: 'This is really disappointing and an affront to the local community.

'Speed cameras don't just get put in willy nilly.

'Speeding is dangerous and makes life a misery for local residents.

'Cameras are only installed as a last resort after a lot of work by residents and monitoring by the council - it took the community in Perranarworthal six years of consistent effort to get cameras installed.

'Cutting speed cameras down like this is a totally futile gesture that costs the taxpayer thousands of pounds.

'It is deeply worrying that an individual or individuals feel able to take the law into their own hands in this way and I hope the police will find those responsible.

'I encourage anyone with information about this or previous incidents to contact the police as soon as possible.'

Anti-ULEZ campaigners, known as the Blade Runners, claim to have disconnected or destroyed at least 500 of the 2,700 cameras

The attacks on speed cameras echo those on Ulez cameras and vans in protest

Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police, both of whom are members of the Vision Zero Road Safety partnership issued a joint response regarding damage to safety cameras in Perranarworthal and Truro.

It said: 'We are really disappointed to see yet more mindless vandalism targeted at safety cameras in Cornwall.

'These devices were installed at the wishes of the community to improve road safety in areas which had previously experienced high speeds and several serious and fatal collisions.

'While these cameras are inactive these communities no longer have the protection they were once afforded which is really saddening.

'The cost of replacing these cameras is also a burden which has to be footed by the taxpayer making these attacks all the more bizarre.

'Devon and Cornwall Police are working with Cornwall Council and the communities involved to replace the cameras as quickly as possible and identify those who have carried out this vandalism.'

Inspector Tim Evans said: 'We are investigating these crimes and continue to urge the community to report any suspicious activity or share information that might help our enquiries.'

The attacks on speed cameras echo those on Ulez cameras and vans in protest.

Opponents to the Ulez - who call themselves 'Blade Runners' - slash the van's tyres, spray paint cameras and smash windows.

Footage seen by MailOnline, has shown the moment one group used a tipper truck with 'ULEZ Camera' to block the van in London.

Activists, one dressed as a dinosaur and another wearing a dog costume, then mock ULEZ officials, who are speaking to two officers from the Metropolitan Police.

'You've got us for company and we're very nice, we keep you company, don't we,' one ULEZ protester cheekily says to the two men in charge of the enforcement van.

The woman then turns to the pair of female police officers as they walk away from the scene, and says: 'Peaceful protest is allowed in this country.'

'Yes, yes,' one officer replies before they get in their car and drive off, leaving the activists to continue with their bizarre protest.

Later, the person in the inflatable dinosaur suit is seen waddling towards to two men, as another activist holds a sign saying 'ULEZ scam' in front of the van's ANPR camera.
Prized mementos belonging to Baroness Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, are going under the hammer for 200,000.

The stand-out item is her large diamond solitaire ring which is expected to fetch between 70,000-100,000.

The late Labour MP, who was part of the famous Tiller Girls dancing troupe as a younger woman, spent eight years as Speaker until she retired in 2000.

She died in February 2023 and now possessions relating to both her political career and her personal life are being sold from her estate.

As well as the ring, some of her outfits and handbags and photos of her meeting the great and the good of international politics are up for grabs.

Her favourite Westminster jeweller had been on the look-out for a suitable diamond for the Speaker when a much larger one came into his possession.

He telephoned her and she asked him to bring it to The House as soon as possible, telling him: 'A diamond can never be too large!'

Prized mementos belonging to Baroness Betty Boothroyd , the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, are going under the hammer for 200,000

The stand-out item is her large diamond solitaire ring which is expected to fetch between 70,000-100,000

Other jewellery highlights include a pair of Oscar Heyman of New York diamond encrusted cuff earrings worth 6,000 and an Omega De Ville 18ct gold ladies' watch valued at 3,000.

A high carat gold and diamond House of Commons brooch is expected to fetch 2,000.

Baroness Boothroyd was renowned for wearing her Portcullis brooches and three of these will be included in the sale and are expected to fetch between up to 2,000 each.

One of her outfits for sale is a red, white and blue Lachasse London cotton and silk cocktail suit worn at Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's house party in the summer of 1997 (estimate 100-200), clothes worn for the photo shoot for her annual postcards as well as outfits worn on trips abroad.

From the House of Commons there is her black leather dispatch box bearing both her own cypher and that of Queen for Elizabeth II. It is tipped to sell for 300.

Boothroyd pictured as a young woman in a silk bodice and split skirt, back in her days of entertaining

Auctioneer Thomas Forrester with Betty Boothroyd's collection of prized possessions

Also up for sale are photo albums of Baroness Boothroyd's holidays abroad. Above: The politician in Egypt

Baroness Boothroyd was well traveled, she's seen here on a tropical beach

Baroness Boothroyd making a jolly pose for the camera in another of her off duty snaps

The auction also reflects the fact that Baroness Boothroyd was partial to a drink or two.

In the sale is a Parliamentary bottle of single malt scotch whisky in a pine fitted case, labelled 'Madam Speakers Order Specially', along with a pair of House of Commons Speaker's whisky tumblers.

A special limited edition The Battle of Culloden 1971 Glenmorangie single highland malt whisky worth 700 is also in the sale.

A collection of her early political photos showing her campaigning for seats around the country before finally winning one in 1973 is estimated at 100.

And framed photos of her meeting Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela also feature.

The auction will also comprise a Frances Segelman resin bust of the Baroness, which she never liked. It is tipped to sell for 500

Other highlights include a souvenir programme for the 1961 inauguration ceremony of US President John F Kennedy. It is signed 'To Betty Boothroyd, with very best wishes, John F Kennedy'. It is valued at 500

Other jewellery highlights include a pair of Oscar Heyman of New York diamond encrusted cuff earrings worth 6,000 and an Omega De Ville 18ct gold ladies' watch valued at 3,000. A high carat gold and diamond House of Commons brooch is expected to fetch 2,000

Spoons from the House of Commons are part of the auction

The auction also includes photos of Baroness Boothroyd when she was working in Washington

Signed books from John Major, Barbara Castle and James Callaghan are part of the sale

Other highlights include a souvenir programme for the 1961 inauguration ceremony of US President John F Kennedy.

It is signed 'To Betty Boothroyd, with very best wishes, John F Kennedy'. It is valued at 500.

The auction will also comprise a bust of the Baroness that carries an estimate of 300-500.

Baroness Boothroyd was single for her entire life and had no children, so the proceeds of the auction will be split between six charities.

The sale is being held by Special Auction Services of Newbury, Berkshire.

Thomas Forrester, director at SAS, said: 'Baroness Boothroyd was an engaging, entertaining and human politician who was respected across the house, she cut a dash of colour through a sea of dark suites with her fabulous outfits, many of these outfits will be sold in this auction.

'Madam Speaker and latterly Her Ladyship, had a very full political working life as can be seen in the many photos which are a true record of a remarkable life!

'It is heartwarming to know that the proceeds of the auction will go to many worthwhile and deserving charities.'
This is the terrifying moment a helicopter plunged into a lake in southern Brazil state of Minas Gerais moments after taking off, leaving one person and three others injured.

The charter helicopter departed from a helipad in the municipality of Capitolio and was transporting two passengers to the nearby city of Piumhi.

Footage from a surveillance camera at a ranch showed the aircraft suddenly falling from the sky and diving into Lake Furnas at 9:03 am.

The fatal victim was identified as Vanilton Alves, 44, who was invited by the pilot, Lucas Chaves, to join him on the flight, the Civil Police said.

A helicopter with four people crashed moments after it took off from a helipad in Espirito Santo, Brazil on Tuesday. One passenger was killed and three people, including the pilot, survived

Vanilton Alves was killed in a helicopter crash that left three people injured in Brazil on Tuesday

Locals aided authorities in the search and found his body strapped to a seat about four hours after the tragic accident.

The survivors were identified as Lucas Chaves, who had 600 hours of flying experience, and medical student, Julia Mendonca, 22, and her husband, Leonardo Silva, 27.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told online news portal iBom that xxxxxx was "stable, conscious and calm" but Silva suffered a spine injury and could not move his legs.

Civil Police chief Fabio Csiszner to Brazilian news outlet G1 that Mendonca and Silva were flying to the city of Piumhi, where they were scheduled to take a flight to Rio de Janeiro, where they lived.

Fransuir Batista said he was working on his boat and saw the helicopter lose power and plummeting into the lake.

Chaves, Mendonca and Silva managed to escape the helicopter and were pulled to safety by Batista and a fire department rescue team.

'I got out quickly and even saw the moment it was sinking," Batista said. "When I pulled over the boat, I saw the three people in the water. I helped them put them on a friend's boat.

Passengers Julia Mendonca, 22, and her husband, Leonardo Silva, 27, along with the pilot survived the helicopter crash that left another passenger dead

A surveillance video camera set up at a farm captured the moment the helicopter crashed into a lake in Espirito Santo, Brazil on Tuesday morning

'One was screaming in pain, who was the pilot, and I took him for medical attention. When I returned, I arrived with the Rescue Team, who helped the other two injured people.'

The National Civil Aviation Agency said the helicopter, a EC 120 B model, was built in 2009.

The aircraft was part of a fleet owned by Ancora MG Participacoes Societarias LTDA and had a flying permit that was set to expire in October 2024.

However, the federal agency records showed that the helicopter was not allowed to operate as a taxi.
Jeffrey Epstein's 'pedo island' aka Little Saint James in the US Virgin Islands was a focal point of his horrific child-sex-trafficking operation.

It has long been believed that Epstein hosted a wide array of rich and famous clients at the island. The names of those involved are expected to be released by a New York court this week, five years after he took his own life inside of a jail cell.

When Epstein first purchased Little Saint James, he paid $7.9 million. Epstein bought the island in 1998 and later made it his primary residence, employing a staff of 70 people.

At the time of his death it was valued at $63.8 million. In the aftermath of Epstein's death, it was listed for sale for $125 million in 2021. In May 2023, it was sold to billionaire Stephen Deckoff who vowed to turn it into a luxury resort by 2025.

Deckoff is reported to have paid around $60 million for the property as well as for Great St. James. Epstein's estate has said that any money generated from the sale of his properties would be used to settle lawsuits.

Two private islands previously owned by pedophile Jeffrey Epstein were bought in 2023 after more than a year on the market

Epstein abused underage girls on the island with the help of his confidante Ghislaine Maxwell

The troubling past of Little St James has been widely documented in photographs, victim testimony and court cases against Epstein and his associates.

Epstein - with help from his confidante and fixer Ghislaine Maxwell - trafficked many young girls to the island, where they were raped and abused.

Deckoff, the co-founder of Black Diamond Capital Management, plans to open his resort on the islands in 2025. It's thought that because the property sat on the market for so long was because of the struggle to find a buyer.

The price was slashed from $125 million to $110 million in 2022.

Although Deckoff will remodel much of the island for his planned resort, Epstein's home will remain and be turned into a hotel.

'Ive been proud to call the US Virgin Islands home for more than a decade and am tremendously pleased to be able to bring the area a world-class destination befitting its natural grace and beauty,' Deckoff told the Financial Times last year.

Announcing his plans for the islands, Deckoff said: 'I've been proud to call the U.S. Virgin Islands home for more than a decade and am tremendously pleased to be able to bring the area a world-class destination befitting its natural grace and beauty.

'There is simply no place in the world as special as the U.S. Virgin Islands and I am humbled by the opportunity to share its splendor with visitors in a manner that will provide economic benefits to the region while respecting its culture, history and natural beauty.

'I very much look forward to working with the U.S. Virgin Islands to make this dream a reality.'

The main property on Little St James is surrounded by several other structures including the maids' quarters and a massive, square-shaped white building on one end of the island that some say is a music room fitted with acoustic walls

The sprawling property Epstein had built on Little St James, with surrounding lawns and swimming pool. In the background, a jetty reaches out into the clear, blue water

Deckoff is in the process of retaining architects and engineers to develop the resort on the islands

Epstein paid $20 million to acquire Great Saint James in 2016 but never developed it.

Deckoff might find that constructing his 'dream' resort with such an ambitious timeline is the easy part.

Much more difficult will be convincing wealthy tourists to spend their downtime on an island once used by Epstein to rape and abuse young women.

Deckoff has previously said that he never met Epstein and visited the islands for the first time after they were listed for sale.

Photographs previously published by DailyMail.com show young girls posing on the paradise island, or giving massages to Epstein while makes telephone calls.

Maxwell is seen in other pictures being waited on by the legion of staff who Epstein recruited to manage the island.

Epstein is said to have imported 200 workers after his purchase of the island to build a stone mansion, two guest houses, a helipad and a bizarre gold-domed structure that resembles a temple.

The temple structure was built between 2009 and 2013 but it remains unclear what the building was for.

Epstein threw parties for the rich and famous on Little St James, with celebrities from Prince Andrew to Stephen Hawking among his guests. Pictured: Jeffrey Epstein is massaged by his assistant Sarah Kellen at his private island

Little St James (pictured) and the neighboring island of Great St James have been purchased for $60 million by billionaire Stephen Deckoff

Ghislaine Maxwell is pictured having a meal at Epstein's mansion on Little St James Island in this undated photo

Several of Epstein's victims have recalled the abuse and suffering they faced on the island.

Sarah Ransome, a British victim of Epstein, claimed she was raped up to three times a day during months imprisoned there.

She says she was so determined to escape that she hatched a plan to swim the surrounding shark-infested waters. However she was spotted on the video cameras Epstein installed across the island and stopped by his cronies.

Chauntae Davies, another accuser, said Epstein raped her before bragging about his relationship with Prince Andrew. Davies said the disgraced financier became a 'monster' behind closed doors.

Prince Andrew has admitted he has visited the island, but always maintained he was not aware of Epstein's crimes and never took part in anything illegal.

Davies said she fell into Epstein's clutches when she was a 21-year-old trainee massage therapist in Los Angeles and treated Ghislaine Maxwell at Beverly Hills' Four Seasons Hotel.

Davies later worked as Epstein's masseuse and as an air hostess on his private plane the 'Lolita Express.'

The island has drawn several thrill-seekers who've ignored the no trespassing signs to explore the property.

Luke Rudkowski of We Are Change and Jeff Berwick were able to get onto the island and explore Epstein's office, a few of the underground lairs and get close enough to the pedophile's infamous temple on Little St James to reveal that the doors of the structure are in fact painted on the building.

Rudkowski explored several underground structures, including one that appeared to house the island's generator.

There have also been claims the island has its own subterranean tunnel network, though this has never been substantiated.

Epstein's resort also include a ten-person shower for orgies, according to a maintenance worker. Steve Scully said in 2020 that Epstein installed the shower in a bathroom whose walls were covered with pictures of naked girls.

Epstein had remodeled his bedroom several times and during these renovations he put in a 'ten-showerhead shower - for group showers', Scully claimed.

'There were more pictures in the bathroom than anywhere else  including of young, barely clothed or semi-nude girls,' he added.
Former President Donald Trump is vowing to shift 'massive proportions' of law enforcement to focus on immigration and said he will use a Federalist era law to remove suspected gang members and drug dealers from the country.

Trump, who ran his 2016 campaign on a pledge to build a border wall and a pledge to kick out Mexican 'rapists,' touted his latest hardline proposals in an op-ed in the Des Moines Register in Iowa.

He has been stepping up his events there in the final weeks before the Iowa Caucuses, while sitting on a huge polling lead.

Trump referenced record border crossings, which hit nearly 250,000 in November, and characterized it as an 'invasion.'

And the crisis worsened in December as officials revealed over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally that month.

It is the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and it marks the first time migrant encounters have reached over 300,000. In 2020 there were only 400,000 crossings for the whole year.

President Donald Trump said he would use the 18th Century Alien Enemies Act to remove suspected gang members from the country, and called the record flow of migrants an 'invasion'

'We ended catch-and-release, and removed over 1 million illegal aliens in my first term. I negotiated unprecedented agreements with Central American nations and brokered Remain in Mexico to stop the flow of migrants to our border,' Trump wrote.

He said President Biden 'canceled' the border wall and 'ripped up my asylum bans.'

(Biden recently angered some of his allies when his administration moved ahead with plans to build new sections of border wall on the southern border).

Trump also pointed to the 18th Century Alien Enemies Act, passed as part of the infamous Alien and Sedition Acts, and said he would rely on the authority to kick out suspected gang members.

It was the same revised law that Franklin Delano Roosevelt used during World War II to craft executive orders to deport and secure citizens of Germany, Japan, and Italy while they were at war with the U.S.

Texas National Guard hold migrants crossing the Rio Grande River to seek humanitarian asylum before crossing the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 02, 2024. Trump pointed to 250,000 attempted crossings in November

Trump said he would use the Alien Enemies Act, a law that FDR used in revised form against Japanese, German and Italian citizens during World War II

(Roosevelt relied on different authorities for the forced internment of Japanese Americans, for which Congress apologized in 1988 and President Reagan Signed a law providing compensation to victims).

The revised 1918 statute is for 'whenever there is a declared war between the United States and any foreign nation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated.'

It was not clear that its use would be deemed constitutional when the U.S. was not at war with the home countries of the migrants.

'The millions of illegal aliens who have invaded under Biden require a record number of removals. This is just common sense,' wrote Trump.

'I also will invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States. And we will use Title 42 to end the child trafficking crisis at last,' Trump added.

Trump's blasts in the leading Iowa paper, come as Biden prepares to ramp up his own campaign, with a planned speech in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania Saturday where according to his campaign he will call Trump a threat to democracy.

His latest tough talk comes after he took flak for paraphrasing Hitler by saying migrants were 'poisoning the blood of our country.'
An explosive civil court filing has accused the Church of Scientology of operating as a 'criminal enterprise' and engaging in a 'a pattern of racketeering activity' in violation of laws originally targeting Mafia activity.

The allegations came in a December 27 filing in Los Angeles Superior Court, as part of a proposed second amended complaint in a harassment lawsuit initially filed in 2019 by multiple Danny Masterson rape accusers.

Actress Tricia Vessey now seeks to join the suit as a plaintiff, in addition to Chrissie Carnell Bixler, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Bobette Riales, and two women identified only as Jane Does No. 1 and No. 2.

Vesey, who testified at Masterson's criminal trials, seeks to add her allegation that the Scientologist actor raped her in 1996 to the amended suit.

The new filing also contains contains previously undisclosed claims that Masterson raped a 15-year-old Scientologist in 1994, and another female member of the Church in 1996.

A Church of Scientology spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'The outrageous allegations about the Church and its leadership are complete fabrications and the litigation nothing but an attempted money grab.'

Actress Tricia Vessey (above) now seeks to join a harassment suit against Scientology and Danny Masterson as a plaintiff, after testifying at Masterson's criminal trial

Actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson, 47, was criminally convicted of raping two women last May and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison

Masterson, a star of That 70's Show, was criminally convicted of raping two women last May and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Attorneys representing him in the civil suit did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Wednesday morning.

The new civil filing, first reported by Deadline, leans heavily on the new rape allegations, and was filed days before the December 31 expiration a California law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitation on sexual assault claims.

It also makes sweeping claims about the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, who is named as a defendant in the suit, alleging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act.

'While presenting itself outwardly as a respectable organization, Scientology's criminal enterprise has implemented a policy of terrorizing victims (and witnesses) of its crimeswhether or not those victims (or witnesses) are Scientologistsinto keeping Scientology's crimes secret,' the new filing states.

'This begins by inculcating its members to distrust outsiders, and particularly to distrust governmental enforcement,' it adds.

'Scientology's criminal enterprise has a strict policy against reporting crimes to the authorities, and if a member does find the courage to go to the authorities, Scientology's criminal enterprise and its agents engage in a coordinated effort to wreak havoc on the victim's life through a targeted harassment campaign,' the court filing alleges.

'David Miscavige is the undisputed and unquestioned leader of this criminal enterprise and derives significant financial benefit from Scientologys criminal and unlawful activity,' the filing states.

Following the publication of this article, a Scientology spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'The statements, included in your story, are twisted, obscene and 100% the opposite of the truth.'

'The real story is that the Church is a worldwide force for good as can be seen at Scientology.tv and Scientology.org,' said spokesperson Karin Pouw in an email.

Masterson's ex-girlfriends, Chrissie Carnell Bixler (left) and Marie Bobette Riales are two of the original plaintiffs. The two other remain anonymous, known as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2

An explosive civil court filing has accused the Church of Scientology of operating as a 'criminal enterprise' and engaging in a 'a pattern of racketeering activity'

The church's team of lawyers has also vehemently denied the accusations in court filings, calling them 'meritless' and 'blatantly false'.

The original lawsuit, filed nearly five years ago, claimed that the plaintiffs were targeted by the Church after they contacted the LAPD with their rape claims against Masterson.

The plaintiffs said they were placed under surveillance by the Church, harassed, and even had pets killed in retaliation for coming forward.

The case has lingered in court for years after being put on hold pending the outcome of Masterson's criminal trial.

Scientology leader David Miscavige was named as a defendant alongside Masterson in the civil suit

Masterson was ultimately charged with raping three women but was only convicted of raping Jane Does 1 and 2 in the criminal case.

Lawyers for Scientology and Masterson had opposed lifting the stay on the case, arguing that it should be delayed at least until his criminal appeal is resolved.

Bur after Judge Upinder Kalra turned down that argument and scheduled the case for a trial in September 2025, the attorneys launched an aggressive counter offensive against the plaintiffs, calling for large parts of their testimony to be stricken and rejected by the judge.

The accusers 'make many allegations that unquestionably involve acts of free speech by the Church defendants', blasted Scientology's lawyers.

'Moreover.the allegations leave out critical facts demonstrating that their claims are meritless.'

The jury could not reach a verdict on Jane Doe 3  who was later revealed to be Bixler. He was never charged with raping Riales or Vessey.

A hearing is set for February 13 for LASC Judge Upinder Kalra to hear arguments on Scientology's move to strike large portions of the suit.

A hearing on the plaintiffs' leave to amend motion is set for February 27.
A fire chief has retired on a full pension after a report found a female firefighter was allowed to post partially naked photos on OnlyFans while males were not disciplined for sending explicit pictures to women.

Chief fire officer Huw Jakeway apologised and said he intended to retire from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service as a 'change of leadership' was needed following the publication of the report today.

Despite the fire service being subject to several controversies and the investigation, Mr Jakeway received a 12,000 pay rise to 169,574 per annum last year.

The review led by Fenella Morris KC found there were 'serious deficiencies' in the service, which included poor communication, insufficient role modelling by senior managers and a lack of transparency in recruitment and promotion, which led to accusations of nepotism.

It also found: 'The toleration of problematic behaviours, including sexual harassment; negative assumptions about women; domestic abuse and physical aggression outside of work; the expression of negative views in relation to the protected characteristics of sex, race and/or religion; bullying; harmful "banter"; drug and alcohol abuse; and improper interference with procedures.

Chief fire officer Huw Jakeway apologised and said he intended to retire from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service as a 'change of leadership' was needed following the publication of the report today

Despite the fire service being subject to several controversies and the investigation , Mr Jakeway received a 12,000 pay rise to 169,574 per annum

The review led by Fenella Morris KC (pictured) found there were 'serious deficiencies' in the service

'Misconduct, including criminal conduct, that has previously gone insufficiently addressed, to the detriment of the service's culture.

'A lack of encouragement and support for people to speak up, and insufficient action when they do.'

Investigators interviewed 150 people and comments included 'nothing good ever comes of putting in a grievance so we decided to keep quiet' and 'you'd have to murder your own mother to get sacked from this place...'

The report was commissioned by the service following an investigation by ITV News in December 2022 which found evidence that two firemen had been allowed to keep their jobs despite sexually harassing and abusing women.

It found just 8 per cent of operational service staff are female while only 17 members of staff self-identified as being BAME and 12 identified as LGBT+.

There was a 'boys' club' within the service, especially among senior managers, who were also criticised for taking a ski trip to Italy shortly before Wales went into the first Covid-19 lockdown.

There were also examples highlighted of 'extremely offensive comments and grossly inappropriate material' shared within private WhatsApp groups and on social media.

'These include, for example, sexually explicit images, images of graphic violence, and sexist comments,' the report found.

'The service tolerates the use of Instagram and OnlyFans by its firefighters to post sexualised images of themselves alongside images that make clear their membership of the service.

'Some of these sexualised images show the member of the service partially dressed in their uniform.

'The service's response to this misconduct has been confused, and damaging to trust and confidence within and outside the service.'

The report heard 'pictures of genitals' were sent to women within the service and that 'inappropriate advances' were made towards women.

In an open letter, Mr Jakeway said: 'For those who have had negative experiences of the service, I am profoundly sorry'

It found that a now retired firefighter at the service's Cardiff central station had refused to speak to or acknowledge women.

The fire service also refused to publish a photograph of its firefighters taking the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the report said.

'It was said that posting such photos might compromise relationships with the chief fire officer, the service and the police given that the origins of the movement was associated with police brutality.'

Examples of racism were cited, including racist abuse at a Chinese restaurant and urinating on the floor.

'Making casually racist "jokes" or comments fuels prejudice and discrimination even if that is not the intention,' the report said.

In an open letter, Mr Jakeway said: 'For those who have had negative experiences of the service, I am profoundly sorry.

'There is no place for inappropriate behaviour within South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The South Wales Fire and Rescue Service also refused to publish a photograph of its firefighters taking the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the report found

'I have had the privilege of serving as the chief fire officer for over 12 years, where I have been entrusted to lead our service through many challenges and changes, such as austerity, a global public health pandemic, personal tragedy and significant emergency incidents that have tested us.

'I have always led with mutual respect, inclusivity, pride and passion.

'Now is time for a change in leadership and yesterday I informed the fire authority of my intention to retire.

'The appointment process for the next chief fire officer will not detract from or delay the work to address the recommendations.

'The next chief fire officer will have an opportunity to set their vision for the service and a long-term plan to address the recommendations and findings of the independent culture review.'
Have YOU got a messier neighbour? Email megan.howe@mailonline.co.uk

A messy resident who turned the land around his home into a 'scrap yard' has been forced to pay nearly 1000 in fines.

Edward Plowman, 42, had refused to move motorbikes, generators and trolleys cluttering grassy public areas next to his mother's property for many years.

This led furious neighbours to launch 'numerous complaints' about the hideous piles of junk that had built up around the address in West Mersea, Essex.

Council house management company Colchester Borough Homes (CBH) then launched an investigation into him.

Edward Plowman, 42, had refused to move motorbikes, generators and trolleys cluttering grassy public areas next to his mother's property for many years

And they successfully obtained a court order on December 14 last year requiring him to remove a 'large accumulation of personal belongings' from the area.

But due to Plowman's refusal to comply, they then took the case to Colchester Magistrates' Court.

He was later found guilty of breaching a Community Protection Notice in his absence and issued with a 500 fine.

He was also ordered to pay a 200 victim surcharge and 250 court costs.

Additionally, the court granted a remedial order requiring Plowman to remove all his belongings from the land within 14 days.

Council house management company Colchester Borough Homes (CBH) then launched an investigation into him

Philip Sullivan, CBH Chief Executive, said following the case: 'This land should be enjoyed by everyone in the community.

'Unfortunately, it had become overgrown and resembled a scrap yard due to the extensive collection of personal property.

'We attempted to resolve the issue amicably through warnings and notices, but these were ignored.'

'We hope this outcome sends a clear message that we take such matters seriously and are committed to protecting public spaces for the benefit of all residents.

'Public spaces are for everyone to enjoy, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that they are not misused by a few individuals.

'If the order is not followed, we will not hesitate to return to court.'
Republicans are taking the first steps to formally impeach Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the ongoing southern border crisis.

DailyMail.com confirmed that the first impeachment hearing into Mayorkas will be held by the House Homeland Security Committee next week on January 10.

It comes after officials revealed over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December.

It is the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and it marks the first time migrant encounters have reached over 300,000. In 2020 there were only 400,000 crossings for the whole year.

The House Homeland Security Committee led by Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., has been investigating Mayorkas and compiling a comprehensive report of his 'dereliction of duty' over several months.

Green told DailyMail.com that his committee's investigation 'made clear' that the border crisis 'finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas' decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability.'

In November, the Hose voted to refer articles of impeachment drafted by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to his committee in a 209-201 vote.

Green said that the referral highlighted the 'importance of our taking up the impeachment processwhich is what we will begin doing next Wednesday.'

DailyMail.com confirmed that the first impeachment hearing into Mayorkas will be held by the House Homeland Security Committee next week on January 10.

Migrants set up camp in the Rio Bravo, waiting to enter American Gate 36, since American soldiers close all access to the wire barrier in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2, 2024

Migrants set up camp in the Rio Bravo earlier this week as they try and enter the US

The secretary told MSNBC this morning that he would 'most certainly' comply with the committee's impeachment investigation.

But he said he's currently focused on finding 'solution to problems,' including by working with senators to come to a bipartisan solution on border security measures.

In addition, Mayorkas blamed the ongoing crisis on a 30-year broken immigration system - and also climate change.

He told MSNBC that the challenge of 'displaced people,' not only in the U.S., but around the world is due to the 'effects of climate change, poverty, increasing level of authoritarianism.'

Mayorkas also placed fault on Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott who he says is 'refusing to cooperate' with other governors and other local officials to coordinate efforts.

'It's a remarkable failure of governance to refuse to cooperate with one's fellow local and state officials,' he continued.

Last month Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill making it a criminal offense to enter the state illegally, a move which further allows local law enforcement authorities to detain and deport migrants who cross into Texas.

Local authorities have already been arresting migrants on state misdemeanor charges under Abbott's immigration program Operation Lone Star. The new law is scheduled to go into effect in March.

Abbott has previously ordered a 1,000 foot floating barrier to be installed in Eagle Pass and the placement of razor wire near the Rio Grande to stop migrants from entering once they cross the river, both moves that were blocked in court.

On Tuesday, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene on its behalf after an appeals court blocked it from removing the razor wire while the lower court battle over the wire fence plays out.

Abbott has also bused thousands of migrants to liberal-run cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles.

A DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg told DailyMail.com Wednesday that there is 'no valid basis to impeach Secretary Mayorkas' and slammed Republicans' 'extreme impeachment push' as a 'harmful distraction from our critical national security priorities.'

'Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe,' she continued.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson and 60 House Republicans are touring the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas.

It is the largest congressional delegation in history to go down to the southern border.

In Eagle Pass, the local fire department is under water financially as it is forced to spend an jaw-dropping $21,000 per day on migrant-related emergencies, according to Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello.

Migrants set up camp in the Rio Bravo, waiting to enter American Gate 36, since American soldiers close all access to the wire barrier in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2

A migrant man crosses the Rio Grande holding his child in the air to prevent her from getting wet as hundreds of migrants are attempting to reach the United States border to seek humanitarian asylum in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, center, arrives for closed-door negotiations on a border security deal at the Capitol on December 17

Republicans have seized upon border security issues as a main 2024 election issue, which has become a political headache for President Joe Biden.

'We gotta do something, they gotta give me the money I need to protect the border,' Biden said upon returning to Washington, D.C., from his Caribbean vacation Tuesday evening.

Before Christmas, the Democratic-led Senate started working through details of a foreign aid package that would also address border security measures.

Mayorkas spent much of the holiday engaged in closed-door discussions and said he is hopeful there is a path forward with the Senate on a deal - despite the ongoing push for his impeachment in the House.

'For almost three years, the American people have demanded an end to the unprecedented crisis at the Southwest border, and they have also rightly called for Congress to hold accountable those responsible,' Green continued in the statement to DailyMail.com.

'That's why the House Committee on Homeland Security led a comprehensive investigation into the causes, costs, and consequences of this crisis.'
The release of the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein list of associates and high profile friends has been thrown into chaos by a woman who claims she will be in danger if named in her 'culturally conservative country'.

The entire list of 187 names was due to become public this week, but a filing by a woman named in the court papers as 'Jane Doe 107' appears to have stalled it and caused confusion.

On December 21, Judge Loretta Preska granted the woman a 30-day appeal, delaying the release of her name until January 22nd. She has until then to prove that she will be in danger if she is unmasked.

While she has won a last-minute reprieve, it remains unclear if the same delay now applies to the entire list.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York - which was yesterday advising that the list was imminent - is yet to provide an answer, and the woman's attorney is also in the dark as to whether everyone else will now enjoy the same extension.

The Messenger cites a court source who says some of the names will be released today.

Jane Doe's attorney asked for a 30 day extension to submit proof that if she is named, she will be in danger

Judge Preska granted the extension on December 21st, giving Jane Doe until January 22nd. But it's unclear if that delay now applies to the whole list, or solely to her. There are 187 names to be unsealed

In her lawyer's filing, the unidentified woman claimed she would in danger if her name was made public.

'As Doe 107 has previously stated, she lives in a culturally conservative country and lives in fear of her name being released,' attorney Richard Levitt wrote.

He asked Judge Preska for 30 days to file additional 'submissions', which she granted.

The woman must submit an affidavit to prove the risk she says she will be subjected to, in addition to proof of 'hate mail' she claims she has received.

The 'list' contains the names of 187 people who were mentioned in a 2015 lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.

The lawsuit was settled in 2017, two years before Epstein's arrest, but the names of those involved have remained protected for years.

Epstein killed himself in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial. The list of names comes from a 2015 lawsuit filed against Ghislaine Maxwell (right)

Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre, formerly Roberts, who sued Maxwell in 2015

Among those who is on the list is Bill Clinton, who is named at least 50 times, according to ABC. He is shown receiving a neck massage from Chauntae Davies, a then 22-year-old massage therapist. The photo was taken in 2002 in Portugal

Epstein receives a massage from Sarah Kellen on his private island. She is among those who is awaiting the release of the list

On December 18, Judge Preska agreed to unseal them, agreeing with motions from newspapers and Giuffre that there was no longer a legal need to protect those named.

Alan Dershowitz, a former Epstein associate, is among those who supports their release.

'The reason I wanted everything put out and I dont think the judge put everything out, I think she was selective in what she put out and thats unfair.

'I want everything out, every document, every piece of paper, half-truths or lies, and I wanted them out for personal reasons because I know that they would prove what Ive said from day one, that I did nothing wrong, and the woman who accused me later admitted that she may have misidentified me, confused me with someone else.

'So I wanted everything out right from the beginning because I have nothing to hide,' he told NewsNation's Leland Vittert last night.

'There are some people who may be ashamed of the fact that they hung out with Epstein but remember a lot of people hung out with Epstein before he was convicted.

Epstein and Maxwell on his private jet, known as the 'Lolita Express' because it ferried underage girls to his Caribbean island

Maxwell's attorney last night complained that in a 'case about men abusing women', only a woman was behind bars

'Presidents of Harvard, deans, Nobel quality scientists, he was very well thought of in the beginning,' he said.

Maxwell, who remains in prison on sex trafficking charges, has not commented on the list or its pending release.

Her attorney Arthur Aidala - who also represents Harvey Weinstein - said in a separate NewsNation appearance that the list may not be as explosive as people hope.

'Epstein ran in the wildest of circles. There may not be as much to know as everyone thinks. This case may not have been what everyone thinks it is.'

He complained, however, that in a case about 'men abusing women', only one person - a woman - is behind bars.

'If you look at this crime, it's all about men abusing women, for a long period of time, a lot of men, that's what we're waiting for, and yet there's only person in jail - a woman.

'There's not one guy behind bars.'
A rocker with a 1980s California cult band has named as the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend.

Theobald Brooks Lengyel, 54, was arrested on Monday morning in connection with the homicide of Alice 'Alyx' Kamakaokalani Herrmann, 61.

Lengyel was taken into custody in Santa Cruz County after it 'became clear that foul play was involved'.

A warrant for his arrest was issued following the discovery of Herrmann's remains in a wooded area within Tilden Regional Park in Berkley.

Lengyel was apprehended by SCSO Deputies and Capitola PD Detective Currier without incident. He was then booked into Santa Cruz County jail.

Herrmann was last been seen in Santa Cruz on December 3, police said.

Theobald Brooks Lengyel, 54, - a former San Francisco musician who goes by 'Theo' - was arrested on Monday in connection with the disappearance of his girlfriend on December 3

Police said that Lengyel had 'not cooperated' with them. He was arrested on Monday in Santa Cruz County

'Detectives from the Capitola Police Department gathered evidence, conducted interviews, and collaborated with partner agencies to piece together the circumstances surrounding Alice Kamakaokalani's disappearance,' police said.

'As the investigation progressed, it became clear that foul play was involved, leading to the identification of Theobald Lengyel as a suspect.'

Human remains, believed to be those of Herrmann, were found in Tilden Regional Park.

'The diligent work of our investigators, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, has led to the apprehension of Thoebald Lengyel in connection with the tragic homicide of Alice Kamakaokalani,' officers said said.

'We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim during this difficult time.'

Last month, El Cerrito police declared him a 'person of interest' in Herrmann's disappearance case.

After not hearing from her for over a week, her family reported her missing on December 12.

El Cerrito cops found her vehicle in front of Lengyel's home in El Cerrito after he traveled by car to Portland, Oregon, in the days following Herrmann's disappearance, authorities said.

Alice 'Alyx' Kamakaokalani Herrmann, 61, was last seen in Santa Cruz on December 3. Her car was found parked in front of the El Cerrito home of her formerly famous boyfriend

After not hearing from her for over a week, Alice Kamakaokalani Herrmann's family reported her missing on December 12

Mr. Bungle pose for a group portrait backstage at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco in April 1992

At the time, El Cerrito police said Lengyel 'was not cooperating' with the police investigation.

In mid-December, police impounded both of the couple's vehicles in the hunt for more clues about Herrmann's disappearance.

Investigators also asked residents who spend time in regional parks and 'open spaces' to be on the lookout for anything suspicious, suggesting such sights could lead to clues about the missing woman's whereabouts.

Cops said Herrmann, a 5-foot 4-inch tall Pacific Islander woman, is rarely without her red 2007 Toyota Highlander SUV,

Lengyel - a 5-foot 10-inch, 170 pound former Saxophone player - drives a blue 1989 Ford pickup truck. Investigators said he also goes by the name 'Mylo Stone.'

Lengyel was a founding member of San Francisco funk-metal band Mr. Bungle in which he played saxophone, clarinet and keyboards in the Humboldt County rock group that he joined at age 16.

The group were later signed to Warner Bros. after a move to San Francisco in the early 90s, during which they attained commercial success.

Cops said Herrmann, a 5'04' tall Pacific Islander woman, is rarely without her red 2007 Toyota Highlander SUV. Lengyel, meanwhile - a 5'10', 170 pound former Saxophone player - drives a blue 1989 Ford pickup truck. Both cars are currently in the custody of the police

Seen at left around 1990, Lengyel played saxophone, clarinet and keyboards in the Humboldt County rock group that he joined at age 16 in 1986, before getting signed to Warner Bros. after a move to San Francisco in the early 90s

Their 1991 debut, self-titled Mr. Bungle, received mostly rave reviews, with journalist Bill Pahnelas at the time labeling its fusion of metal, funk, ska and freeform jazz 'an incredible musical tour de force'

Lengyel left the band in 1999 due to unspecified 'creative differences' with other members, and has since disappeared from the music scene

Their 1991 debut, self-titled Mr. Bungle, received mostly rave reviews, with journalist Bill Pahnelas at the time labeling its fusion of metal, funk, ska and freeform jazz 'an incredible musical tour de force.'

Lengyel plays keyboards on the album, and woodwinds, keyboards and organ on the band's first and second studio installment, 1995's Disco Volante.

He also appears along with several other Mr. Bungle members as a special guest on the Melt Banana song 'Area 877 [Phoenix Mix]', from their 1998 album Charlie.

He left the band in 1999 due to unspecified 'creative differences' with other members, and has since disappeared from the music scene.

Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn recalled in a 2005 interview how Lengyel left the band on bad terms.

'We unanimously decided to go on without him because he wasn't growing with the rest of the band and we were running out of things for him to do,' he said.

'He got p****d off and I haven't heard from him since.'
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Texas is to blame for the southern border crisis as he based Gov. Greg Abbott for not 'coordinating' with other governors and state leaders.

The comments come after reports show that border patrol apprehended and encountered the largest number of migrants ever in DHS history in December.

But Mayorkas insists that President Joe Biden's White House is not to blame on the same day House Republicans announced impeachment proceedings against the administration official.

Instead, he says the prevailing crisis is the fault of Texas Gov. Abbott as he continues to transport migrants from border communities to Democratic cities.

'Let me identify one fundamental problem here  and that is the fact that we have one governor in the state of Texas who is refusing to cooperate with other governors and other local officials and coordinate efforts to address a challenge that our country  which this country should stand united to address  that our country is facing,' Mayorkas told MSNBC's Morning Joe panel on Wednesday.

He added: 'And it's a remarkable failure of governance to refuse to cooperate with one's fellow local and state officials.'

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Wednesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is at fault for the southern border crisis in deflecting blame away from the Biden administration as the DHS head faces impeachment in the House

Comes as reports indicate that December is on track to hit the most migrant encounters in the history of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with 304,000

The DHS head said that the administration has 'dispatched teams' to the cities where Abbott is sending the migrants, including Chicago, Denver and New York in an effort to 'assist them in managing the challenge.'

Since August 2022, more than 85,000 migrants were sent by Abbott to so-called sanctuary cities  where Democratic leaders thwart federal immigration reporting laws and provide a safe haven for those illegally in the country.

New York City has borne the brunt of Texas offloading the crisis to Democratic enclaves, with Abbott sending 32,200 to the Big Apple in the last year-and-a-half.

Chicago, Illinois has seen the second amount of migrants sent from Texas with 24,500 migrants; Washington, D.C. has received 12,500; and 11,100 have gone to Denver, Colorado. Additionally, 3,400 arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and 1,250 in Los Angeles, California.

While highly unpopular among Democrats, Abbott's strategy of sending migrants to sanctuary cities is helping flip the narrative and get more attention on the crisis.

Texas Gov. Abbott has transported upwards of 85,000 migrants from border communities in his state to Democratic cities like New York, Denver and Chicago. He also signed a law last month that allows law enforcement in his state to circumvent federal channels by arresting, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants

Migration continues to surge at the southern border three years into Biden's presidency after he vowed at the start of his term to address the crisis

Mayorkas said on Wednesday that Congress is the entity that must directly address the border crisis in another deflection of blame away from the Biden administration as he faces impeachment proceedings from House Republicans.

'We do hope that Congress passes that critically needed funding measure,' Mayorkas told MSNBC, where he assured: 'We have taken action on the border and we've taken action with respect to the challenges that cities across the country are facing.'

He reiterated that 'the one thing in immigration that everybody agrees upon is the fact that we've been dealing with a broken immigration system for decades.'

In a separate interview with CNN on Wednesday morning, Mayorkas touted his role in providing support during Senate negotiations for an immigration overhaul.

'Yesterday I joined the bipartisan group of senators who are negotiating a solution to a much plagued, broken immigration system,' he said. 'I was very privileged to participate in that.'

He did not say whether he or his office is in communication with Republicans in Congress directly, or House Speaker Mike Johnson in the lower chamber.
Temperatures fell below minus 40 degrees Celsius in the Nordic region for a second day in a row Wednesday, with the coldest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years.

In Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to minus 43.6C (minus 46.5 F), the coldest temperature in the country in January since 1999, Sweden's TT news agency reported.

Nikkaluokta, a village inhabited by indigenous Sami people, recorded a temperature of minus 41.6C on Tuesday.

The village is in Lapland, which stretches from northern parts of Norway through Sweden and Finland to Russia.

Ida Dahlstrom, of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, said northern Sweden had overnight temperatures of minus 25-35C 'and the cold seems to stay there for the rest of the week.'

SWEDEN: Temperatures fell below minus 40C for a second day in a row today, with the coldest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years

In Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to -43.6C (-46.5F), the coldest January temperature since 1999. In the northern Kiruna municipality, pictured, the temperature reached -38.9C

Swedish forecasters said the extreme cold is set to remain for the rest of the week

Sweden's lowest ever recorded January temperature was -49C (-56F) on January 27, 1999, in the town of Karesuando near the Finnish border.

The latest icy spell - which has also brought snow and gale-force winds - disrupted transport throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.

Meteorologist Mattias Lind, of Sweden's national weather agency SMHI, said of the -43.6C figure: 'To put that into perspective, that is the lowest January temperature in Sweden since 1999.'

It was also the lowest temperature recorded at that specific spot since measurements began in 1888, he added.

Several other stations recorded temperatures of below -40C in Sweden's north.

While residents of the region are used to seeing freezing temperatures, the recent cold snap has forced local bus operators to suspend services, and train operator Vy said on Tuesday that it had cancelled all trains north of the city of Umea for days.

In Finland, the weather is forecast to remain cold across the nation with temperatures down to -35C (-31F) in the north, at least until Sunday.

Trains were also disrupted.

FINLAND: A swimmer climbs out of the icy sea in Helsinki on Tueday. It is expected to remain bitterly cold across the nation for days, with temperatures down to -35C in the north

A hardy local drags his kayak across the frozen sea in southern Helsinki on Tuesday

The Senate Square by Helsinki Cathedral is dusted white as the Finnish capital is blasted by cold weather

The cold front is expected to move south over the next few days, with Helsinki already seeing temperatures falling to -15C on Wednesday

DENMARK: A snowplough clears roads buried deep in snowdrifts in Aalborg today

A lone walker braves the cold amid heavy snowfall in Randers, Denmark, today

Heavy snowfall in Viborg, central Jutland, Denmark, Wednesday January 3

Vehicles drive next to a pedestrian amid heavy snowfall in Randers, Denmark, January 3

People ride bikes amid heavy snowfall in Aalborg, Denmark, January 3

Several instances of frozen or burst water pipes were also reported, and Finnish broadcaster YLE said around 300 people in the city of Tampere were left without running water on Tuesday.

The cold front is expected to move south over the next few days, with the Finnish capital Helsinki already seeing temperatures falling to minus 15C on Wednesday.

But despite colder temperatures being expected tomorrow, some of the capital's residents were unfazed by the prospect.

'I'm really loving it. It's a mindset thing I guess,' Katja, a woman in Helsinki, told AFP news agency on Wednesday.

'It's all about the clothing,' she said, wearing a thick black winter jacket with the hood pulled over her head.

'Yeah, just a lot of clothes and the attitude - Like it's going to be cold but it's beautiful,' her friend Nita agreed as snow fell.

Police across most of Denmark urged motorists on Wednesday to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.

The Danish Meteorological Institute said there was a risk of snowy and icy roads in large parts of the country and issued an orange warning - its second highest - for strong rains in the south, which is battling flooding.

NORWAY: A person skis on the pavement after heavy snowfall in Kristiansand, January 3,

Icicles hang from the lamp posts as a woman makes her way through a snowstorm in Kristiansand, southern Norway, on January 3

The extreme cold is also expected to hit Norway towards the end of the week, with temperatures in Oslo potentially falling to minus 27C this weekend, according to the national weather service.

Heavy snowfall has already impacted the south of the country with school closures and cancelled flights.

Further south, parts of Germany - where the weather has been mild and wet - were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by new rain in the worst-affected northwestern state of Lower Saxony.

Police near the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the Netherlands.
A rescued mongrel called Lilly has celebrated what her Italian family claims is her 24th birthday - a landmark that would make her the oldest dog in the world.

Lilly, a small dog of unknown heritage with a grey-black coat, celebrated her birthday at her family's home in Torre Annuziata, near Naples, on New Year's Day.

Her family, the Acanforases, made her a special cake with the number 112 written on it, her equivalent age in human years.

She was found in a layby on the motorway to Reggio Calabria, the town closest to Sicily's Messina.

Her owner, widow Anna Cutrupi, says Lilly is crazy about fish, and also enjoys kibble and canned meat.

Lilly, a small dog of unknown heritage with a grey-black coat, celebrated her birthday at her family's home

Her family, the Acanforases, made her a special cake with the number 112 written on it, her equivalent age in human years

She was found in a layby on the motorway to Reggio Calabria, the town closest to Sicily's Messina

Her owner, widow Anna Cutrupi, says Lilly is crazy about fish, and also enjoys kibble and canned meat

'Lilly is now part of our family and is pampered by everyone. She is undoubtedly her age, but she is healthy and lively,' Anna added

'Lilly is like a daughter to me, and she manages to not make me feel alone, especially after the loss of my husband,' she told Italian media.

Anna said that though her three children, Rocco, Ausilia and Roberta, all have their own families and lives, every time they talk on the phone, 'before anything else they ask me how the dog is.'

'Lilly is now part of our family and is pampered by everyone. She is undoubtedly her age, but she is healthy and lively,' Anna added.

She said that she baked the cake for Lilly as reaching her age was 'an achievement that deserves to be celebrated properly.'

It is commonly believed that dog years can be calculated by taking the number of human years it has been alive for and multiplying it by seven,

But vets have debunked that claim, and come up with a better way of calculating dog ages.

The first year of a dog's life is equivalent to 15 years, while the second makes it 24, given how dogs age and develop in their first few years.

Following on from that, four years should be added for every human year they live.

As a dog who was found as a pup in the year 2000, Lilly will be 112 in human years.

Lilly's big birthday celebration comes months after Bobi, a Portuguese dog who previously held the record of being the world's oldest dog, passed away just five months after celebrating his 31st birthday.

Bobi was the proud holder of two Guinness World Records

Bobi was born in an outhouse where the family of his owner, Leonel, stored wood

Dogs typically only live for 10 to 13 human years.

Bobi's age was understood to have been verified by his vet and a pet database authorised by the Portuguese government.

In 1992, Bobi was registered with the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria. The organisation confirmed Bobi's birth date.

His age has been verified by SIAC, a pet database authorised by the Portuguese government and managed by the National Union of Veterinarians.

Bobi's owner Leonel Costa, held a birthday party for the farm dog on May 11 in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal's Leiria district

Local meat and fish were served up to more than 100 guests attending his birthday celebrations - some of whom flew in from abroad - with extra for Bobi who only eats human food.

Leonel Costa, now 38, was only eight when his beloved pet was born in an outhouse where his family stored wood.

When Bobi turned 31, he said: '[He] has been a warrior for all these years, only he knows how he's been holding on, it must not be easy because the average dog's life span is not that high and if he spoke only he could explain this success.

'We are very happy and grateful to life for allowing us, after 30 years, to have Bobi in our daily lives.'
An Imam who was gunned down outside a mosque in Newark on Wednesday while heading to morning prayers has died from his injuries.

Imam Hassan Sharif was shot in the abdomen and in his right arm outside the Masjid Muhammad Mosque near the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue just after 6am.

Sharif was found lying in the parking lot of the house of worship. He was rushed to the University Hospital but has since died of his injuries.

The gunman remains at large and cops have not provided any information on motive.

Sharif had previously been the victim of an attempt on his life in August when he revealed an attacker put a gun to his head.

Imam Hassan Sharif was gunned down outside the Masjid Muhammad mosque in Newark on Wednesday morning

A few hours after the shooting, police could be seen posted outside the entrance to the mosque

In a post to his social media profile in August, seen here,Sharif had previously described how while on his way to the mosque for morning prayer a man put a gun to his head

He wrote on Facebook at the time: 'Every morning as my daily routine, I go to the masjid to offer Fajr salat( prayer) this morning out of all was a definite test.

'As I get out of my vehicle heading inside I was approached by an unwanted guest who thought it was a good idea to come behind me an put a gun to my head.'

The spiritual leader continued: 'Allah definitely showed mercy toward him this morning, and I pray he take heed of that mercy and turn his life around.

'As I fought him off, I did what I do, I manage to remove the gun from his hand and pull the trigger to stop him dead in his tracks, the gun wouldnt fire though as he fled.'

Sharif added that he would not be intimidated and said the experience had been made him feel 'disappointed'.

According to sources who spoke to RLS Media on Wednesday, Imam Sharif had been preparing to engage in the Fajr prayer, the first of the five daily prayers in Islam.

The outlet reported that the gunman approached Sharif during this time and opened fire. A few hours after the shooting, police could be seen posted outside the entrance to the mosque.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin said: 'At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our State.'

Platkin added that 'every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated'.

Police say Sharif was rushed to University Hospital in a critical condition following the shooting

The New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it was gathering information on the shooting of the imam

The incident happened near the corner of Camden Street and South Orange Avenue near the Masjid Muhammad mosque

Dwayne Hill, 64, said he had lived near the mosque his entire life and that those who worship there had always been good neighbors.

'The mosque people are no problem. They keep to themselves and do what they believe in,' he said. 'They've been feeding and clothing the neighborhood for years,' he told The New York Times.

The New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it was gathering information on the shooting of the imam.

Dina Sayedahmed, CAIR-NJ Spokesperson: 'To Allah we belong and to Him we return. On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, our CAIR-NJ office received news of a shooting at Masjid Muhammad in Newark, NJ just before Fajr (pre-dawn) prayer.

'The victim was beloved Imam Hassan Sharif. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital in the afternoon. The perpetrators motive remains unknown.

'Imam Hassan was a beacon of leadership and excellence. We are devastated at the news of his death.

'We are praying for the Imam, his family and loved ones, and his congregation, and we ask everyone to do the same.

'As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry.'

Well wishes and prayers have been left for Sharif on social media in the hope that he recovers

Since news of the shooting of the imam was shared, people in his community had been sending him well wishes on social media.

One person posted: 'May Allah grant Imam Hassan Sharif a speedy recovery and bring his assailant to justice.'

Another said: 'Prayers, prayers, and more prayers for my dear brother, our beloved Imam Hassan Sharif. May the most merciful intervene and restore him to full health.'

Governor Phil Murphy also said: 'My prayers are with Imam Hassan Sharif, who reports indicate was the victim of a shooting earlier this morning outside the Masjid Muhammad Mosque in Newark and is currently receiving medical treatment.

'At this point, we do not have any information about the perpetrators or motivations behind this incident, but I know law enforcement will provide updates as they become available.'

This attack comes amid heightened tensions in America due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

It also comes after an imam at the Omar Mosque in Paterson, just 15 miles north of Newark, was stabbed while leading prayers.
Ex-Tory MP Edwina Currie has hit out at junior doctor's strike action over pay, claiming staff on the picket lines 'don't care' about their patients.

The former health minister said junior doctors should feel valued by the 'smiles on the faces of those people that they're able to help' and 'not by looking at their pay packet'.

From today, junior doctors will stage the longest-ever strike in the history of the NHS, which will last for six days.

It also comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the service, as it grapples with increased pressure from winter viruses and a rise in people coming forward who delayed seeking help over the holidays.

The former health minister said junior doctors should feel valued by the 'smiles of the faces of those people they're able to help' and 'not by looking at their pay packet'

Ex-Tory MP Edwina Currie has hit out at junior doctor's strike action, claiming staff on the picket lines 'don't care' about their patients

As many as 200,000 operations and appointments could be cancelled  bringing the total number since junior doctor industrial action started to more than 1million.

Health chiefs have urged those who are frail and vulnerable to 'keep warm' and take particular care as Britain battles the aftermath of Storm Henk, to reduce the risk of needing hospital care.

Speaking on Cross Talk with Kevin O'Sullivan and Alex Phillips, Ms Currie criticised junior doctors striking over pay, claiming: 'that's not how success is really measured when you're in the caring professions.'

She went on: 'Bear in mind who is actually suffering, it's not the doctors who are suffering, those people on the picket line. It's people like me, it's pensioners.

'Most people who go into hospital at this time of year are old people. Most of the people who have complex conditions that make them much more vulnerable during the winter are old people.

'Most of the patients you ever see in the NHS - particularly the inpatients - are the old people, and they're in no position to stand up to those doctors but they are the ones who are going to be wheeled across these awful picket lines in order to get the care and treatment in hospital that they need.

'I think these junior doctors should reflect on everything that is being said about them.'

Ms Currie also called for immediate reforms against strikes, suggesting a 'minimum level of service'  proposed by the government  should be put into action.

This, she said, would see many of the people on the picket lines now, 'not be entitled' to strike in those circumstances.

Ms Currie also called for immediate reforms against strikes, suggesting a 'minimum level of service'  proposed by the government  should be put into action

While they may be junior doctors now, Ms Currie said, they will have the opportunity to become consultants, meaning they would be the 'best paid people in the NHS.'

She added: 'If on the other hand I venture to suggest, you're the kind of person that money is the most important thing about being a doctor, well then, you're probably out on the picket line right now and you don't care about your patients. Not a jot. Not a jot.

'If you care about the patients you would be working here, you would be in on the wards now, looking after the people who really need you.'

While they may be junior doctors now, Ms Currie said, they will have the opportunity to become consultants, meaning they would be the 'best paid people in the NHS'

Ms Currie went on to say that 'success' in the caring professions is measured in how you 'look after people' and not 'in terms of money'.

'It seems to me those people on that picket line, those trade union activists on that picket line, they couldn't care a toss about ordinary people' she added.

'We're the taxpayers as well, we've paid for them to be trained and they're needed there and they're there for a reason.'

Ministers today pleaded with union bosses to 'come back to the table', while senior MPs accused striking medics of 'holding the country to ransom', labelling the action 'an act of cruelty'.

It comes as a Mail investigation also found bosses of the 11 trusts with the longest referral waiting times  where the average delay for treatment is more than a year  all earn more than the Prime Minister, some significantly so.

Several have enjoyed pay rises or bonuses worth up to 30,000 on top of bumper salaries, prompting critics to hit back at the 'public sector fat cats with bulging pay packets and rotten records'.

The British Medical Association (BMA)  who has coordinated this week's action is seeking a 35 per cent salary hike for medics.

The union has doubled down on its original demand, vowing 'not stop until we achieve full pay restoration'. However, the Government remains hopeful that the BMA will settle for less.

Junior doctors in their first year now have a basic pay of 32,300, while those with three years' experience make 43,900. The most senior earn 63,100.

Ministers insisted this was the final offer, but Health Secretary Victoria Atkins offered the medics an additional 3 per cent on top of this rise.

However, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, who co-chair the BMA's junior doctor committee, said this sum was still 'completely insufficient' and pressed ahead with fresh walkouts.

Speaking from a picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London, Dr Laurenson said there was 'no good time to strike', adding 'we need to recognise that we have a massive workforce crisis'.

He said: 'The only reason the Government will even entertain talks with us is because we have strike action.

'Im happy to negotiate right now. Ill walk down to Westminster, Ill sit down with Victoria Atkins if she wants to sit down with us, but she doesnt.

'Shes pushed us out of the negotiation room.

'The fact of the matter is we dont have enough doctors. So the Governments answer to that is apparently to cut our pay, but thats just going to drive more doctors away.'
Donald Trump's campaign is trying to flip the script on Joe Biden, arguing it's the president who is the 'real' threat to democracy.

The charge comes as Biden prepares to kick off his 2024 campaign with a major speech in Philadelphia on the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection and as Trump fights to regain access on presidential ballots in Colorado and Maine.

'Joe Biden and his allies are a real and compelling threat to our Democracy. In fact, in a way never seen before in our history, they are waging a war against it,' Trump campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles argued in a memo on Tuesday.

Donald Trump's campaign is trying to flip the script on Joe Biden as the 2024 contest heats up

The two also point to the decisions by the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of state to bar Trump from those states' ballots in 2024, arguing it's being done in case the federal charges against the former president don't 'provide the results for which they had hoped.'

'Never in American history have these types of tactics been deployed by an opposition party,' they write.

The former president has long claimed that the various federal trials against him are a witch hunt by Democrats who are using the government against him. Trump is facing federal charges tied to his actions during the January 6th election and on his attempts to overthrow the 2020 election results. Georgia and New York are pursing state charges against him.

But Trump's latest attack comes the presidential campaign year has officially begun.

Biden plans to start his pitch to voters by invoking the battle to save democracy, which has long been a talking point for his campaign.

He will travel to Philadelphia on Saturday to invoke the Revolutionary War and, on Monday he will visit the South Carolina church where a white gunman massacred black parishioners.

At both events, he will highlight dark times in American history and warn that Trump is a massive threat to the principles the country was founded upon.

On Saturday, the third anniversary of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, Biden will deliver a speech near Valley Forge, the historic Revolutionary War site that housed George Washington and the Continental Army nearly 250 years ago.

'The president will make the case directly that democracy and freedom, two powerful ideas that united the 13 colonies and that generations throughout our nation's history have fought and died for a stone's throw from where he'll be Saturday, remains central to the fight we're in today,' said Biden deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks.

On Monday, Biden will speak at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the historically Black church in Charleston where nine people were killed after a gunman opened fire on a Bible study group in 2015.

'Whether it is White supremacists descending on a historic American city of Charlottesville, the assault on our nation's capital on January 6, or a White supremacist murdering churchgoers at Mother Emanuel nearly nine years ago, America is worried about the rise in political violence and determined to stand against it,' Fulks noted.

Joe Biden will use the third anniversary of the January 6th insurrection to attack Donald Trump

Biden, on Monday, will speak at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the historically Black church in Charleston (above) where nine people were killed after a gunman opened fire on a Bible study group in 2015

The United States Capitol Building is seen behind the Washington Monument around dawn

While Biden is speaking in those states, Trump will be campaigning hard in Iowa, where the first caucuses in the Republican presidential nominating contest take place on January 15th.

Trump announced eight rallies to be held this Friday and Saturday, and the weekend right before the Iowa caucuses.

Biden, meanwhile, will be doubling down on his argument the former president is a threat to democracy. His campaign is increasingly seeing Trump, who has a massive led in the polls for the GOP nomination, as the president's likely general election opponent.

Biden has gone after Trump heavily behind closed doors in fundraising, slamming him for his invoking of Nazi-type speech and charging him with being the reason Roe vs. Wade was overturned, rolling back abortion rights in many states.

Now the president looks to be preparing to make those arguments more forcefully and more publicly.

'The threat Donald Trump posed in 2020 to American democracy has only grown more dire in the years since,' said Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez.

'Our message is clear and it is simple. We are running a campaign like the fate of our democracy depends on it. Because it does.'

Trump, however, leads Biden in the polls. The margin is close but Trump's lead has been steady. In the RealClearPolitics polling average on the general election, Trump has a 2 point lead.

More worryingly, Trump was beating Biden in two key voter groups, giving him an overall lead in the presidential race, the first new poll of 2024 found.

Trump leads Biden among Hispanic voters by five points, 39%-34% and among younger voters by three points, 37%-34%, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll.

Biden won both those voting groups in the 2020 presidential contest, where he defeated Trump to win the White House. Monday's poll also shows Biden is losing support among black voters, another key voting bloc.

He now has the support of just 63% of black voters, a group he carried by a whooping 87% in 2020.

The president's trip to South Carolina on Monday will be his fourth as president as he looks to court the highly-important voting bloc.
In 2023, Trump was charged in four criminal cases over a five-month span

She predicated that the former president is expected to experience a sense of loss in the new year

A psychic joined Fox News' Jesse Watters and predicted that former President Donald Trump is set to face 'a year of loss' in 2024.

Paula Roberts, also known as 'The English Psychic' told Watters her predictions on his show Jesse Watters Primetime on Tuesday evening.

Roberts pulled out a bright green card that depicted a figure wearing a black cloak, looking down, as both her and Watters said, 'Uh-oh.'

The NYC-based psychic went on to say that the card symbolized 'a sense of loss' that is 'very specific' for Trump.

'Its as if he may be thinking more about what hes lost, and not still taking full advantage of what he still has,' she said.

Fox News' Jesse Watters invited 'The English Psychic' Paula Roberts to his show on Tuesday night and asked her to read a tarot card for Donald Trump

Roberts pulled out a bright green card that depicted a figure wearing a black cloak, looking down, and said that it symbolized 'a sense of loss' that is 'very specific' for Trump

The former President has been in a whirlwind of legal issues and has gone on to run in the upcoming 2024 election, though the state of Maine and Colorado recently decided to pull his name from their ballots.

In 2023, Trump was charged in four criminal cases over a five-month span, something that has never happened in US presidential history.

After Trump was defeated by President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, he claimed that there was voting fraud that led to his loss.

On January 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol as congress was getting ready to certify the 2020 election vote. Five people died in the riot.

A day after the violent riot Officer Brian Sicknick suffered a stroke a died after he confronted rioters during the attack.

Sandra Garza, Sicknick's longtime partner before his death, last year launched a suit against Trump and two Capitol rioters - Julian Khater and George Tanios - over the officer's death.

Federal Judge Mehta has since dismissed part of the wrongful death lawsuit against the former president, but has permitted other parts of the suit to move forward.

Mehta decided to continue with the allegation that the former president, Khater and Tanios engaged in a conspiracy to 'violate civil rights.'

The riots followed months of false claims by Trump and his allies that the election had been rigged against him.

Timothy Heaphy, a former U.S. attorney, told the Times how he believed the country came close to losing democracy itself on that day.

In 2023, Trump was charged in four criminal cases over a five-month span, something that has never happened in US presidential history

On January 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol as congress was getting ready to certify the 2020 election vote

Heaphy added that the riot was part of a 'multipart plan to prevent the transfer of power.'

Trump was then indicted along with 18 others in Fulton County in August on charges they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to keep the Republican incumbent in power after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

He and his allies aggressively pushed Georgia officials and state lawmakers to reverse Biden's win and schemed to sent fake electors to Washington.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened up the case in February 2021 and presented a 98-page document filled with evidence on August 14, 2023.

In November, Willis said that she expects the trial to last through the upcoming election and could possibly stretch past the inauguration in 2025.

The timing suggested by Willis would make the Georgia prosecution the last of his four criminal cases to go to trial.

Ultimately, it will be up to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to set the trial date.

Overall, 19 individuals including former President Donald Trump were indicted in Fulton County in August on charges they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to keep the Republican incumbent in power after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden

In November, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said that she expects the trial to last through the upcoming election and could possibly stretch past the inauguration in 2025.

'I don't, when making decisions about cases to bring, consider any election cycle or an election season. That does not go into the calculus. What goes into the calculus is: This is the law. These are the facts. And the facts show you violated the law. Then charges are brought,' Willis said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Willis' team then filed an emergency request asking McAfee to issue a protective order to prevent any leaks of evidence, known as discovery, that the prosecution shares with the defense ahead of trial.

Trump and the other 18 defendants were indicted under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, law, which is based on the similar federal statute created in 1970 to target organized crime.

In the case against Trump and his allies, the indictment uses Georgia's RICO law to connect a web of various alleged crimes by claiming they were perpetrated as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise to overturn the election results.

After Trump left the white house in January 2021, he was accused by Federal Prosecutors of taking classified documents with him after the National Archives and Records Administration realized some records were missing in May.

Prosecutors said that he went on to stash those documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, and on at least two occasions the former president shared those documents with unauthorized individuals.

On January 18, 2022, 15 boxes of material were received that had been stored at the resort.

The agency said it 'identified items marked as classified national security information, up to the level of Top Secret and including Sensitive Compartmented Information and Special Access Program materials.'

In total, the boxes were found to contain 184 documents with classified markings, including 67 marked confidential, 92 secret and 25 top secret.

The Justice Department then issued a subpoena for additional records they believed were still in the Florida home.

Documents found at Mar-a-Lago in an August raid are pictured on display

The FBI raided Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home (above) on August 8, 2022

By October Walt Walt Nauta testified to federal officials in the investigation; telling them that he moved boxes at the former president's request at a time when the government was seeking the return of classified material.

In March 2023, at least two dozen people  from Mar-a-Lago resort staff to members of Donald Trump's inner circle at the Florida estate  are subpoenaed to testify.

Trump then announced that he was indicted for mishandling of classified documents and summoned to appear before a federal judge in Miami.

The former President's most recent legal battle happened under the Manhattan grand jury in his $250 million civil fraud case.

Trump, his company and key executives repeatedly lied about them on his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Judge Arthur Engoron found.

Those tactics crossed a line and violated the law, the judge said, rejecting Trump's contention that a disclaimer on the financial statements absolved him of any wrongdoing.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump rested their case in his New York fraud trial

Judge Arthur Engoron told Trump lawyer Chris Kise there was 'no way' he would rule in favor of his motion for a 'direct verdict' on the case

Four justices appointed by Democratic governors, Justices, Richard L. Gabriel, Melissa Hart, William W. Hood III and Monica Marquez, all circled, voted to disqualify the former president from Colorado's presidential primary ballot

Engoron's ruling, in a phase of the case known as summary judgment, resolves the key claim in James' lawsuit, but six others remain.

The judge cited discrepancies calculated by James' office between what the company claimed and what assets are worth.

He also issued a ruling that the various company business certificates in New York state are cancelled and ordering the parties to find receivers to 'manage the dissolution' of the cancelled companies.

In other recent new, Colorado's and Maine have decided to pull Trump's name from their ballots for the current election.

On December 19, Colorado's Supreme Court came to the decision and on December 28, citing the 14th Amendment's ban on anyone who engaged in insurrection from holding office.

Since then, Trump said that he plans to appeal appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The famed felon was released from prison on parole after serving seven years of a 10-year sentence in connection to the stabbing death of her mother, Dee Dee

'We do not owe anyone anything,' Blanchard professed before adding: 'Besides they jealous because you are rocking my world every night'

The 32-year-old ex-con took to Instagram to defend husband Ryan Scott Anderson, 37, from hateful comments

Gypsy Rose Blanchard has leapt to the defense of her husband by lambasting 'jealous' trolls and claiming that they are having 'fire' sex every night.

The 32-year-old was released last Thursday from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri, having served the mandatory seven years of her 10-year sentence for conspiring to kill her mother, Dee Dee, who was stabbed to death by her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn.

Blanchard immediately reunited with her husband, 37-year-old Ryan Scott Anderson, who won her affection by penning her letters while she was incarcerated. The pair wed in 2022.

Anderson posted a selfie to Instagram Tuesday and was hit with comments calling him 'creepy' and 'weird.'

But Blanchard quickly came to his defense, professing that the couple were madly in love and bragging about their sex life.

Famous ex-con Gypsy Rose Blanchard, 32, came to her husband's defense online following her release from prison, bragging about their active sex life

Ryan Scott Anderson, a 37-year-old schoolteacher from Louisiana, posted the above selfie to Instagram Tuesday and quickly became the target of insults

Blanchard encouraged her beau to ignore the 'haters' before adding: 'Besides they jealous because you are rocking my world every night...yeah I said it, the D is fire'

'Ryan, don't listen to the haters. I love you, and you love me,' the famous felon wrote.

'We do not owe anyone anything. Our family is who matters. If you get likes and good comments great, if you get hate then whatever because THEY DON'T MATTER.'

She continued: 'I love you...besides they jealous because you are rocking my world every nightyeah I said it, the D is fire...happy wife happy life.'

Supporters flocked to Blanchard's comment to leave words of encouragement.

Anderson himself responded, writing: 'Who said I gave a damn about what these jealous people say anyway, haha...now come get it Baby...'

The 32-year-old has been on a social media posting spree since her release. She documented her first holiday as a free woman, inviting her 6 million followers to watch as she and Anderson shared a kiss to celebrate the new year.

Hours earlier, she posted her first post-prison TikTok, where she plugged her upcoming Lifetime docuseries and new autobiography.

Anderson promoted the book on his own account, writing: 'I'm so proud of her and all of the things she has accomplished.'

The duo rang in 2024 with a New Year's Eve kiss that was shared to Instagram. Blanchard and Anderson married in 2020 after becoming prison pen pals

Blanchard was released on December 28 after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence in relation to the stabbing death of her mother, Dee Dee. Former boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn was sentenced to life without parole

Claudine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard convinced others that her daughter was gravely ill, shaving her head and force-feeding her medication, in a now-infamous case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy

The 32-year-old's story is one of the more notorious cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), where a caregiver gains attention by seeking medical help for exaggerated or made-up symptoms of a dependent.

Dee Dee shaved her daughter's head to mimic the side effects of leukemia and force-fed her medications that ultimately caused her to lose her teeth.

Blanchard was strapped into a wheelchair and made to undergo surgeries on her eyes and salivary glands while her mother paraded her around at charity events and capitalized on perks like a free trip to Disney World.

When doctors in their native Louisiana voiced concern, the pair relocated to Missouri in 2008.

A neurologist deduced that Blanchard was a victim of MSP when she was 14. However, he held off on reporting Dee Dee to authorities, suspecting he lacked sufficient evidence.

The wicked mother was found dead on the morning of June 14, 2015, after being stabbed 17 times in her sleep by Blanchard's then-boyfriend, Godejohn.

Godejohn, described by his lawyers as a 'low-functioning person with autism,' was convicted of first degree murder and armed criminal action in 2019.

He will remain under lock and key at Potosi Correctional Center for the rest of his life.

Blanchard was jailed after admitting second-degree murder. She gave Godejohn a knife to stab her mother to death while hiding in a bathroom.

Blanchard was released on parole after family and friends begged prosecutors to consider the abuse and unnecessary medical procedures she suffered at the hands of her mother

The married pair were spotted shopping for shoes in Liberty, Missouri, shortly after Blanchard's release last Thursday

The pair plan to settle down in Lake Charles, Louisiana and resume their life as a married couple

Blanchard was spared the full 10 years of her sentence after friends and family begged authorities to consider the abuse she suffered.

Since her release on parole, Blanchard been very public with her new beau, a middle school special education teacher.

Anderson arrived at the Missouri prison to pick her up at 3.20am. Their first stop was a shoe store just outside Kansas City to buy Blanchard two new pairs of sneakers.

'I love them,' Blanchard proclaimed as she showed Dailymail.com her new kicks.

When asked about her plans for the day, she said she had 'lots of them.'

The pair drove off to their new home in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where they will spend married life together.
Shabbos Kestenbaum is a Harvard University graduate student, founder and president of the Harvard Divinity School Jewish Student Association.

Don't celebrate now that Claudine Gay is gone.

Harvard's next president may be worse.

Since Hamas's vile October 7th terror attacks, pro-Palestine Harvard students have brazenly and routinely disrupted classes by calling for the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel 'from the river to the sea.'

They chanted for the 'globalization of the Intifada' as their classmates  Jew and gentile  tried to learn.

On-campus posters displaying the names and faces of innocent men, women, children and the elderly kidnapped by Hamas terrorists have been torn down.

Jewish students have been physically accosted and spat on.

Most infamously, Harvard's president refused to say whether demands for Jewish genocide violated the university's harassment and bullying policy.

Still today, I sit in classrooms alongside students who praised the Hamas murderers.

I walk past demonstrators in Harvard Yard advocating for the elimination of the Jewish State.

Don't celebrate now that Claudine Gay is gone. Harvard's next president may be worse. (Above) Shabbos Kestenbaum with Dr. Claudine Gay

On-campus posters displaying the names and faces of innocent men, women, children and the elderly kidnapped by Hamas terrorists have been torn down.

I take instruction from professors and guest lecturers who continue to deny that rape and sexual violence were weaponized against the Israeli people.

With Dr. Gay gone, will everything suddenly change?

The obvious answer is no.

Just look at the reactions of some of my classmates and public 'intellectuals' to Gay's resignation. Many insist that her replacement 'be a black woman.'

I say: here we go again.

That response is born from the same insidious ideology that led to the Jew hatred I have experienced at Harvard under Gay.

Often referred to as DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), this social justice religion holds that racial identity is of paramount importance to one's worth. It categorizes individuals as either victims or victimizers.

Antisemitism is easily justified through this DEI prism; Jews are white and whites are oppressors so Jews are oppressors.

This creed became a hallmark of the Harvard educational process under Gay and, unquestionably, it led to unqualified candidates, like her, being installed in positions of influence.

If the Harvard Corporation's statement on Gay's departure is any indication  they haven't learned a thing either.

'President Gay has acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them,' read the board's Tuesday statement.

'Acknowledged missteps'?

How?

Neither Gay nor the Harvard Corporation has said why she resigned.

'Taken responsibility'?

Hardly.

According to Gay's resignation letter, she is the victim of 'racial animus.'

The intellectual dishonesty is stunning.

The truth is that Gay irrevocably broke faith with the students, faculty and alumni of Harvard.

Under Claudine Gay, Harvard came to be dominated, not by free debate, but by loud voices.

The truth is that Gay irrevocably broke faith with the students, faculty and alumni of Harvard.

If the Harvard Corporation's statement on Gay's departure is any indication  they haven't learned a thing either. (Above) Senior Fellow for Harvard Corporation, Penny Pritzker

Intimidation tactics, like occupying university buildings, became routine.

Career-crushing campaigns against beloved professors who questioned illiberal racial ideologies, such as economist Ronald Fryer and law professor Ronald Sullivan, served as dark harbingers.

In an institution where 96% of the faculty identify as 'somewhat' or 'very' liberal the message was clear - step out of line and you're on your own.

Double standards became common practice.

The failure to address individuals by their preferred gender pronouns resulted in disciplinary actions but calls for the extermination of an entire race were considered protected speech.

Most fundamentally, a professor who had not written a single book and only published 11 scholarly articles over nearly three decades was made president.

I have already heard from fellow Harvard students that Gay's resignation is an attempt to suppress free speech concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Since Hamas 's vile October 7th terror attacks, pro-Palestine Harvard students have brazenly and routinely disrupted classes by calling for the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel 'from the river to the sea.' They chanted for the 'globalization of the Intifada' as their classmates  Jew and gentile  tried to learn.

On the contrary, rather than silencing Palestinian voices, with Gay gone, Harvard can once again foster the exchange of ideas without fear of retribution and free from the threat of cancel culture.

But ultimately, Claudine Gay is a symptom of a much larger, institutional problem.

The Harvard Corporation owes the Harvard community straight answers.

Why was Claudine Gay removed? What were the mistakes of her tenure? How will these issues be addressed moving forward?

DEI ideology that values racial characteristics over intellectual worth corrupted Harvard.

If that is not acknowledged, then Claudine Gay will not be the last to be forced to resign.
Five members of a Wisconsin police force resigned on the same day - an exodus that represents nearly half of the department.

The Village of Big Bend announced the resignations this past week, after officers told brass they were fed-up with a 'toxic' work environment created by the village board.

The same board decided to disband the department back in September, a decision that was reversed last month following pressure from locals.

However, within that span, the town's longtime police chief, Don Gaglione, suddenly died - and local coroners recently confirmed it was a suicide.

The revelation likely added to outrage seen from one of the now-resigned officers at a village meeting last month. He was escorted out after airing his distaste toward another ordinance that would get rid of the town's Police and Fire Commission.

Scroll down for video:

Five members of The Big Bend Police Department in Wisconsin resigned last week. One of the now-resigned officers is seen airing his distaste toward town officials at a village meeting last month, after they unsuccessfully tried to do away with the department

The same board decided to disband the department back in September, a decision that was reversed last month following pressure from locals. However, within that span, the town's longtime chief, Don Gaglione (pictured), died, with officials now confirming it was suicide

'I am tired of the harassment of this village board and all the cr*p Ive been dealing with throughout the years,' Officer James Soneberg says in the clip of the village's attempt to cut costs for the upcoming year.

The three-year vet proceeds to point at several board members while becoming increasingly animated, before being softly escorted away by fellow officer Joseph Honzelka.

Both men were among the names of those resigning this past Friday, revealed in a terse statement to the department's Facebook page.

It read: 'We regrettably announce the resignation of the following officers: Sergeant [Jamie] Aide - 7 Years, Officer [Nathaniel] Schweitzer - 5 Years, Officer [Justin] Hennlich- 10 Years, Officer Honzelka - 1.5 Years, [and] Officer Soneberg - 3 years.

'All of the officers came from or currently work at other agencies,' the bulletin continued.

'When including Chief Gaglione, these officers represent more than 125 years of total law enforcement experience.

'We wish them the best and sincerely thank them for their service to the Village of Big Bend and its residents over the past several years.'

Another to quit was chairman of The Fire and Police Commission board members are trying to do away with, Mark Anderson.

'I am tired of the harassment of this village board and all the crap Ive been dealing with throughout the years,' Officer James Soneberg says in the clip of another attempt by the village to cut costs, after the failed effort that would've saved $250,000 was scrapped

Soneberg - a three year vet - was among the names of those resigning this past Friday, along with fellow officer Nate Schweitzer, who served the department for five years

Gaglione is seen here with Sergeant Jamie Aide - a seven-year veteran who also handed in his resignation days shortly it was revealed the chief committed suicide. Following Gaglione's death, the board reversed its decision

The department's most senior officers - Justin Hennlich and Nathaniel Schweitzer - have also left, after stints that spanned ten and five years, respectively

The extent of the exodus was laid bare in a terse statement to the department's Facebook page, where those left 'regrettably' announced their ex-colleague's decision

After the flood of resignations, the department only has one full time officer and six part timers, including Officer H. Kaye (pictured), who was only hired last year

He sat down with a local Fox affiliate Monday to explain how the Village presidents plan to dissolve the Fire and Police Commission - which is separate from the BBPD - was the last straw for not just him, but the five cops who also left.

'I resigned because of the village board,' he told Fox 8 days after handing in his own resignation letter.

He added that he 'feels bad for the residents of Big Bend' - a town of 1,483 directly outside Milwaukee - as they will now have to rely on nearby police forces as their local department dwindles.

After the flood of resignations, the department only has on full time officer and six part timers on staff, cops confirmed Wednesday.

'There is a clear division here in the village,' said Anderson, who's old department helps oversee emergency responses in tight-knit area.

'There very well could be a lack of service here,' he continued, as the board's scrapped plan of saving $250,000 annually by disbanding the department looks to still be coming to fruition.

'I know that [the] Waukesha County Sheriff will fill in with coverage,' he added, 'but there will not be quick response times.'

Another to quit was chairman of The Fire and Police Commission - an agency board members are also trying to do away with - Mark Anderson. He sat down with a local Fox affiliate Monday to explain how the Village presidents plan to dissolve the Fire and Police Commission - which is separate from the BBPD - was the last straw for not just him, but the five cops who also left

Following the resignations, it looks as if the the board's scrapped plan of saving $250,000 annually by disbanding the department may still come to fruition

Anderson added that the sudden death of Police Chief Gaglione - who had held the position for nearly a decade - has left both the department and town of less than 1,500 fractured and in danger of not having adequate emergency responses

He asserted: 'There's just no possible way for that to happen.'

Village board president Jeff Goodman, the man responsible for both plans, meanwhile begged to differ, telling WTMJ that community members should not be concerned about policing.

'There wont be a problem,' Goodman said, citing the town's proximity to Milwaukee, and the well-staffed Waukesha County Sheriffs Department ability to take over village policing duties.

'I dont even know why theyre talking about it,' he added.

The official went on to claim that his and other board members' decision to reverse the department demolition shows a commitment to police in Big Bend, which he reiterated still has staff.

'The board voted to keep the police, its not going to go away at all,' Goodman said there are enough police officers to adequately run the department. 'We have plenty of officers to run all the shifts,' Goodman said Sunday, two days after the resignations.

'We have an excellent person that has taken charge of the department. Citizens should not fear there is not going to be police protection. They will be safe.

Members of the BBP issued another statement Saturday assuring residents they would still do their best to handle any incidents that may arise. New hiring have yet to be reported

Members of the BBP aired similar statements in a letter to the public posted to social media that same day, where officers told residents they would still do their best to handle any incidents that may arise.

Officials wrote: 'Please be assured that when you call 911, a police officer will respond.

'There are still dedicated officers here[,] and there will be an officer in charge to help lead the department forward in the new year.'

The bulletin went on: 'We will continue to serve and protect the Village of Big Bend.

'We will provide all of the services that we have provided in the past.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to the BBP for comment.
A frail couple in their 80s have been hospitalised following a violent burglary in their own home minutes before midnight on New Year's Eve.

Mary Wilkinson, 86, suffered a 'shattered hip' in the attack after she was shoved into a sideboard.

Her husband Lawrence, also 86 and a former borough councillor and honorary Alderman known as Slim, received multiple cuts and bruises to the head after he was put in a headlock and repeatedly punched.

Police were alerted by a neighbour who heard the terrified couple's 'screams and cries' and rushed over to help them at their modest terraced house in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

The callous intruder escaped with a single bag containing only a few Christmas lights and decorations, according to relatives.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'I had gone to bed at 10.30pm and came off my phone at around 11.10pm.

Lawrence Wilkinson, 86, a former borough councillor and honorary Alderman known as Slim, received multiple cuts and bruises to the head after he was put in a headlock and repeatedly punched

The couple were both attacked in their home in King's Lynn just before midnight on New Year's Eve

'I was just settling down to sleep when I heard a door open and the sound of hurried footsteps. Then I heard the sound of screams and cries.

'My initial thought was that Slim was watching something a bit dark on TV because I am used to hearing their TV at night.

'I got my clothes on and went outside and I saw him staggering around his doorway. He was worried about his car and I made him go inside.

'I heard Mary scream and saw that she had fallen into an office chair in the lounge.

'Slim had quite a few facial injuries and some blood on his face. He told me that he had been dragged up on the back of a chair and repeatedly punched after being put in a headlock.

'Mary had been violently shoved into a sideboard and looked like she had fallen into the chair. She had quite a lot of hip pain.

'Both of them were shocked and shaken up. Bruising was coming up on Slim's face by the second. He had cuts and a gash by his ear.'

Mr Wilkinson told the neighbour the man had gained access to the house by coming to the front door and claiming he was being chased.

They added: 'When I got outside, I didn't see anybody. It seemed to have been a short and frenzied attack.

'I phoned the police and an ambulance and stayed with them until they arrived.'

The neighbour said a stranger possibly connected to the attack rang his doorbell at around 6.30pm on New Year's Eve and again 20 minutes later, claiming he was there to 'pick up a bag'.

A family member confirmed reclusive Mrs Wilkinson had been forced to leave her home for hospital treatment after breaking her hip.

The callous burglar fled with a single bag containing only a few Christmas lights and decorations

She and her husband were both taken to the town's Queen Elizabeth Hospital where they remained today.

Mr Wilkinson, described as a 'larger-than-life character and really on the ball', served for many years as a Labour councillor on King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, representing the nearby Wiggenhall villages.

He is understood to have been a Labour party agent for 50 years and is one of 13 past members of the council to hold the honorary title of Alderman for 'outstanding service'.

Another neighbour, Roy Jacklin, 72, said: 'It is terrible that an elderly couple were attacked in their own home.

'Slim is a friendly chap. He loves to talk about the old times and what he got up to when he was younger. We would always say good morning and wave at each other.'

Police forensic officers have been searching for clues in the Wilkinsons' 150,000 two-bedroom Victorian home, where they are understood to have lived for 64 years.

Norfolk Police confirmed they were treating the incident as an aggravated burglary and appealed for witnesses or CCTV footage.

A spokesman said: 'An unknown man entered the address and assaulted both a man and a woman before taking a number of items.

'The man and woman were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital with serious injuries, where they remain.'

The suspect is described as being around 5ft 10ins tall, of medium build with dark hair and facial stubble.

He spoke with an English accent and wore a hooded sweatshirt with a dark coat on top and grey jogging bottoms.

Police today confirmed Mary Wilkinson remained in hospital but her husband had been discharged.
A fearless father-of-two has downplayed his dramatic rescue of a three-year-old girl and her mother when their car was trapped in floodwater.

Liam Stych insists he's 'not a hero' and that he was 'acting on instinct' when he rushed to free the pair from their sinking Fiat Punto in Hall Green, Birmingham.

Footage showed the Liam, who had been on a walk with his five-months pregnant partner Tia Draper when they came across the car, dangling off a bridge.

The have-a-go hero smashed the rear passenger window of the car before using ratchet straps to lash it to the railings of the bridge to stop it sinking.

Incredibly, he saved the little girl by 'hurling' her into Tia's lap, who was standing on the bridge filming the incident.

Liam Stych with his pregnant partner Tia Draper

West Midlands Police released this picture showing the submerged car

The fearless father dangled off the bridge and smashed the rear passenger window

West Midlands Police hailed Liam a 'local hero' - but the modest father -of-two insisted he just acted 'on instinct'.

He said: 'We were walking over a bridge and I heard a woman screaming from inside a car. She was shouting 'Help me, help me, please save my baby she's in the back!' The front of her car was pointing down into the water so I dangled off the bridge but was careful not to put any more weight on the car in case it sank.

'I told the woman to remain calm and unwind her window and to hand me her child. I said to her 'Give me babbie's hand, I'll get her out'. The woman could only get her window half-way down so I took the babbie and literally hurled her behind me and into the lap of Tia who was on the bridge.'

It comes as the UK was battered by wind and rain overnight, with 300 flood warnings in place across England and Wales. One person is confirmed to have died in the storm after their car was crushed by a tree.

The roadworks engineer and traffic manager then sprinted back to his work van and grabbed a set of 3.5 tonne ratchet straps.

READ MORE HERE: Storm Henk 'claims its first victim' after falling tree crushes a car in Gloucestershire Advertisement

He said: 'Once the babbie was safe I ran to get the straps and climbed back to the car and smashed the back passenger window. I secured the car to the bridge with the ratchet straps so it wouldn't drift any further under the bridge. I then told the woman to climb into the back and get out the window.

'She managed to get out and we then held hands and just jumped together into the water after a count of three. It was about 5ft deep but was really strong and I dragged her out of the water. The ambulance crew turned up and checked her and the child over.

'I think if I hadn't done what I did the car would have been dragged under the bridge and there would have been no way of getting them out.'

Liam, who has two children from a previous relationship, said he wanted people to understand the lethal danger of floods. He said: 'It was pure luck that we were there when it happened.

'I didn't think about what I was doing, I just acted on instinct. The poor lady has lost her car and her shopping which was in the back but she and her daughter could have lost their lives.

'People don't understand how powerful floods can be. It'd been raining heavily but the roads suddenly turned into rivers and the streams turned into raging rivers. I just managed to stay calm and thought clearly about what needed to be done.

'I didn't want to make the situation worse by panicking and sinking the car with my weight. My only thought was to get them both out safely.'

His partner Tia, who is five months pregnant, told the BBC she had also tried to help before Mr Stych waded in. 'The car was going with the current,' she said. 'It was just scary.'

The video emerged after it was confirmed on Wednesday that a man in his 50s had died after a tree fell on the car he was driving in Gloucestershire on Tuesday during strong winds and heavy rain.

Liam Stych and Tia Draper rescuers who saved a woman and her child from a submerged car on Green Lane

Liam Stych leapt across the to sin king vehicle and managed to pull the driver and three-year-old girl from the car

Video footage shows Mr Stych using the bridge railing to scramble across to the white car where the driver, a woman, was calling for help

The car was almost submerged when Mr Stych pulled the three-year-old girl out

The Environment Agency issued 331 flood warnings (in red) and 363 flood alerts (in amber)

A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesperson said: 'Emergency services, including an air ambulance, attended the location which is between Tetbury and Cirencester.

'Despite the efforts of those at the scene a man aged in his 50s and from the Bath area died. His next of kin and the coroner have been informed.

'The road remains closed as recovery and investigation work continues and motorists are asked to find alternative routes.'

The storm has caused chaos throughout the UK and left tens of thousands of homes without power.

Transport is seeing severe delays on Wednesday as train services get back on track after rain and strong winds from Storm Henk lashed large parts of the UK.

More than 300 flood warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday morning, while 10,000 homes remained without power.

The UK's rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts on Tuesday afternoon, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the morning commute.

National Highways said several major roads in England are closed.

They include the A21 in East Sussex between the A2100 (near Johns Cross) and the A28 (near Baldslow) because a fallen tree is resting on power cables above the road.

Flooding has closed the A52 in Nottinghamshire westbound from the A60 (Nottingham Knight roundabout) to the A606 (Edwalton), and the A1 in Lincolnshire northbound from the A52 (Grantham) to the B6326 (near Newark).

National Highways said: 'With more rain expected in many areas throughout the day, it is anticipated that the roads will remain closed for several hours.'

A severe flood alert, meaning danger to life, was in place for the River Nene in Northampton, which warned of deep and fast-flowing water at the Billing Aquadrome holiday park and nearby business parks.

A total of 330 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, were also in place across England.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received 140 flood-related calls in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire Police said a large number of homes were being affected by flooding in Loughborough, with police closing Belton Road from the junction of Jubilee Drive to Meadow Lane and A426 Lutterworth Road from Little Glen Road To Leicester Road Roundabout in Blaby.

In Wales there was one severe flood warning in place for the River Ritec in Tenby, 11 flood warnings and 38 flood alerts, according to Natural Resources Wales.

Huge waves crash against the pier at Seaham in County Durham this morning

Flooding outside Primark at the Market Street tram stop in Manchester city centre today

A tree partially blocks a road today in Greenwich, South East London, after it was blown down

The Kings Arms pub in York today after the River Ouse broke its banks and flooded the city

Flooded land at St Ives in Cambridgeshire where the Gt River Ouse burst its banks

The River Thames breaches its banks at Henley on Wednesday morning

The Energy Networks Association - which collates data from all energy providers - estimated that 10,000 customers were without power on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, a woman was injured by a falling tree in Orpington as high winds hit.

The Metropolitan Police were called at 3.14pm to reports that a woman had been struck by a tree in Station Approach. Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The strongest gales were recorded at the Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight, where wind speeds reached 94mph.

Gusts of 81mph were reached at Exeter Airport in Devon, and top winds hit 71mph at the Isle of Portland in Dorset and also at Mumbles Head in Glamorgan.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to The Ford in Kenilworth to rescue a motorist who got stuck trying to drive through flood water.

In Greenwich, south-east London, a large panel of scaffolding fell from either side of a building on Creek Road due to the heavy winds.

Marketing manager Josh Hargreaves, 30, told the PA news agency that he and his boyfriend had watched the scaffolding 'pretty much swaying in the wind' before falling from the front of the building at around 3.40pm.

Then, an hour later, scaffolding fell from the back of the building as well.
South Africa's ex-Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius will be banned from drinking alcohol and talking to the press when he is released on parole on Friday, prison authorities have said.

He is leaving prison almost 11 years after he shot dead his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius, 37, killed Miss Steenkamp, a model, in the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his ultra-secure Pretoria house.

A parole board reviewing whether Pistorius was fit for social reintegration decided at the end of November to allow him out of prison early on January 5.

'Just like other parolees, Pistorius is restricted from conducting media interviews,' the department of correctional services said in a statement.

South Africa's ex-Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius (pictured leaving court in 2016) will be banned from drinking alcohol and talking to the press when he is released on parole on Friday, prison authorities have said

Pistorius is leaving prison almost 11 years after he shot dead his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp (the pair pictured together in Johannesburg in January 2012)

'An elevated public profile linked to Pistorius does not make him different from other inmates nor warrant inconsistent treatment,' it added.

READ MORE: Murderer Oscar Pistorius's life behind bars as he is granted parole Advertisement

'For example, he will be expected to be home at particular hours of the day. He may not consume alcohol or other prohibited substances,' the prison department told the BBC.

South African law says that all offenders can be considered for parole once half of their sentence has been served.

The former athlete is due to be released on Friday from a prison on the outskirts of Pretoria. The time and other logistical details have not been disclosed by authorities for 'security' reasons.

As part of his parole, until the end of his sentence in 2029 Pistorius must undergo therapy for anger and gender-based violence issues.

Known worldwide as the 'Blade Runner' for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, he was found guilty of murder and given a jail sentence of 13 years and five months in 2017 after a lengthy trial and several appeals.

He had pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.

Steenkamp's mother has previously said she did not believe the ex-athlete was rehabilitated and said she did not think he had told the truth about what happened.

South Africa's Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said in November that Pistorius will complete the remainder of his sentence in the country's community corrections system.

He will be under the supervision of the DCS and will be subjected to parole conditions until his sentence expires in December 2029.

He will be assigned a monitoring official, who will have to be kept informed when Pistorius is seeking job opportunities or moving homes.

Oscar Pistorius cries while sitting in the dock at the High Court in Pretoria on June 30, 2014 after spending 30 days under psychiatric observation to determine if he should be held criminally responsible for the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Family members of Oscar Pistorius sat in court ahead of his trial in Pretoria on March 3, 2014

As part of the conditions, Pistorius will also have to attend programmes on gender-based violence and continue therapy sessions on anger management, a lawyer for the Steenkamp family said shortly after he was granted parole.

He is expected to live in Pretoria.

Several factors are typically taken into account by a parole board when considering early release, including the nature of the crime, the possibility of reoffending, conduct in prison, physical and mental wellbeing and potential threats a prisoner may face if released.

Prior to his parole, Pistorius participated in the restorative justice programme - a system introduced after the end of apartheid to deal with apartheid-era crimes in a more participative and reconciliatory way.

It is based partly on how indigenous cultures handled crime long before Europeans colonised South Africa, with the aim of bringing affected parties in a crime together to find closure, rather than merely punishing perpetrators.

An integral part of the restorative justice programme is a victim-offender dialogue that brings parties affected by a crime together to try to achieve closure. Participation is voluntary.

Pistorius winning gold in the 4x100m at the London Paralympics 2012

His claim that he shot Reeva (pictured) in the belief that an intruder had entered his home while he slept, was ultimately dismissed by Pretoria judges after he had been cleared of murder and found guilty of culpable homicide

Pistorius met Barry Steenkamp (left) last year shortly before he died. But Mrs Steenkamp's father came away from the meeting dissatisfied and 'emotional'

Pistorius was moved to a prison closer to where the Steenkamp family stayed in late 2021, ahead of reconciliation talks aimed at a potential early release from prison.

He and the late Barry Steenkamp - Reeva's father - participated in the victim-offender dialogue on June 22, 2022.

The Steenkamp's family lawyer said in November that they were not surprised by the parole decision, issued after Pistorius had completed a set portion of his sentence.

In the run-up to the parole hearing, Reeva Steenkamp's mother June released a statement saying she was not convinced Pistorius had been rehabilitated. However, she said she had no objections to his release.

After Pistorius was granted parole, June Steenkamp lauded the parole board's efforts in involving the victims.

Pistorius' lawyer and family did not comment.
Ukraine and Russia have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates - in what is being described as the biggest swap of the conflict.

Kyiv confirmed that 230 Ukrainians had been returned home, while Russia's Defence Ministry said that 248 Russian servicemen had been freed from captivity.

President Zelensky celebrated the return of 'warriors and civilians', saying some of the freed servicemen had fought in the brutal Russian siege of Mariupol in the early months of the war.

'Our people are home,' he wrote on X, adding: 'I thank everyone who, despite all difficulties, brings our people home. I am grateful to our defenders. We are making every effort to return all of our people who are still in Russian captivity.'

Pictures show dozens of men draped in Ukrainian flags being transported home from captivity. There were scenes of jubilation as they stepped foot back on Ukrainian soil, many for the first time in months.

Pictures show dozens of men draped in Ukrainian flags after being returned to their country

Ukrainian prisoners of war were transported back home by bus after being freed from captivity

Ukrainian men embraced after being freed by Russia in a major prisoner swap on January 3

Ukraine said last month that it had freed some 2,598 people from Russian captivity during 48 swaps

The exchange followed other such deals earlier in the war, but the process had slowed in recent months, with Zelensky saying in December that Russia's own 'very specific reasons' were to blame.

Ukraine said last month that it had freed some 2,598 people from Russian captivity during 48 swaps since the full-scale war began in February 2022.

As the war nears its two-year mark, fighting rumbles on between the two sides, with Putin vowing in his New Year's address that Russia will 'never retreat' from Ukraine.

Russian military meanwhile said it had shot down 12 Ukrainian missiles over Russia's southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, as Kyiv's forces seek to embarrass President Vladimir Putin and puncture his argument that life in Russia is going on as normal despite the 22-month war.

Belgorod Governo Vyacheslav Gladkov said the situation in the regional capital, also called Belgorod, 'remains tense'.

The city came under two rounds of shelling on Wednesday, he wrote on Telegram.

'Air defence systems worked,' he said, promising more details about possible damage after inspecting the area later in the day. Wednesday is a national holiday in Russia.

Smiling Ukrainian men pose for a photo after being sent home in a major prisoner swap

Ukrainian prisoners of war call their loved ones after being freed by Russia

Russia's Defence Ministry said Ukraine fired two Tochka-U missiles and seven rockets at the region late on Tuesday, then launched six Tochka-U missiles and six Vilkha rockets on Wednesday morning.

The Soviet-built Tochka-U tactical missile system has a range of up to 75 miles (120km). It has a massive warhead that can carry cluster munitions. Ukraine has received some cluster munitions from the US but Tochka-U and Vilkha can use their own cluster munitions.

President Zelensky celebrated the return of 'warriors and civilians'. Pictured at his end of year address last month

Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with servicemen wounded in Ukraine while visiting the Central Vishnevsky Military Clinic in Moscow on January 1, 2024

The Russian side of the border with Ukraine has come under frequent attack in recent days.

During the war, Russian border villages have sporadically been targeted by Ukrainian artillery fire, rockets, mortar shells and drones launched from thick forests where they are hard to detect.

Lately, as missiles and drones have fallen on Ukrainian cities, Kyiv's troops have aimed at the Belgorod regional capital, which lies roughly 60 miles (100km) north of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Belgorod, which has a population of around 340,000 people, is the biggest Russian city close to the Ukrainian border. It can be reached by relatively simple and movable weapons such as multiple rocket launchers.

On Saturday, shelling in Belgorod killed more than two dozen people.

Local residents throw furniture out the window of a destroyed high-rise building following a Russian missile attack in central Kyiv, on January 3, 2024

Utility workers repair water pipes outside a high-rise building destroyed following a Russian missile attack in central Kyiv, on January 3, 2024

The attack was one of the deadliest on Russian soil since Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Russian officials said the death toll reached 26, including five children, after a new salvo of rockets on Tuesday.

Hitting Belgorod and disrupting city life is a dramatic way for Ukraine to show it can strike back against Russia, which in military terms outnumbers and outguns Kyiv's forces.

On Monday, Mr Putin lashed out at the Belgorod attacks.

'They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty within our country,' he said, promising to step up retaliatory strikes.

The Russian government has tried to counter the successful strikes by describing the Ukrainians as 'terrorists' who are indiscriminately targeting residential areas while insisting the Russian military only aims at depots, arms factories and other military facilities.

Ukrainian officials never acknowledge responsibility for strikes on Russian territory.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn says that congress must continue pressing for convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs and other relevant information from the FBI as close to 200 names associated with the sex predator are set to be unmasked soon.

The list of names had been redacted from a long-settled sex trafficking suit against Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, but a judge recently ruled that they should be released.

Several high-profile individuals have already been named including former President Bill Clinton - who has insisted his connections to Epstein were strictly professional - and Prince Andrew. Others are expected to include well-known public figures and Hollywood stars.

While awaiting the fully unsealed document, Blackburn told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that the buzz around the release of the logs is not an issue of 'celebrity,' but rather one of 'criminal wrongdoing.'

And she said although the list is a starting point, there is a lot more Congress can do to achieve accountability and obtain justice for Epstein's trafficking victims.

The list of names had been redacted from a long-settled sex trafficking suit against Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell

While the fully unsealed document is still a few days away, Blackburn told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that the buzz around the release of the logs is not an issue of 'celebrity,' but rather one of 'criminal wrongdoing'

'This is a step, and we have a lot more that needs to be done as we work to fight all of this modern day slavery of human trafficking and sex trafficking.'

This is not 'all we need,' Blackburn added, it's 'one victim and one set of information.'

Blackburn, who sits on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee led by Democrat Dick Durbin, has urged the chairman over several months to apply more pressure to obtain more information on the 'pedophiles and predators' perpetuating sex crimes.

Blackburn, R-Tenn., told DailyMail.com that Congress must issue additional subpoenas to obtain all of Epstein's flight logs - including to the FBI. She says victims have told her the agency has dropped the ball in many of their cases.

'We know that there are other parts that we're going to need - we need to subpoena these flight logs, we need to subpoena the FBI, we need get Maxwell's 'little black book' so that we see who all was involved with the sex trafficking ring.'

Blackburn said what she's also heard from some of the victims is that the FBI did not take their charges seriously.

She previously questioned FBI Director Chris Wray about it at a December hearing, and he responded that he had not looked into the case in 'a while.'

'Well, the FBI has time for political ventures, but they don't have time to work on the trafficking of women and children. And we want to see what they have,' she stated.

'They have video footage of who was coming and going from the Epstein residences. That is something that we need,' Blackburn told DailyMail.com.

She also warned against assuming that all the celebrities and 'public figures' that will be listed are guilty of crimes.

The list will name individuals that 'could be accused of wrongdoing or maybe they're accusing Epstein and Maxwell and others of wrongdoing,' she said.

Or there could have been 'witnesses to a crime' by Epstein's employees or people that visited his home or flew on his jet.

A total of 15 on the list were accused of 'serious wrongdoing,' while 90 are described as having been 'affiliated' with Epstein in some way.

The Republican senator sent a letter to Durbin Wednesday, reiterating her requests subpoena additional Epstein flight logs and relevant records.

Blackburn says it should be the committee's 'first act' when returning from recess next week.

'I hope I can rely on your commitment to work with me to obtain these records so that we can finally bring transparency to the American people and justice to the women and children who Jeffrey Epstein and his associates trafficked and abused,' writes Blackburn in the letter obtained by DailyMail.com.

The underlining effort by Blackburn is to ensure there is more transparency on Epstein's sex ring.

Numerous others - including other well-known public figures and ever Hollywood royalty - are now set to be unmasked, thanks to the December ruling from a New York federal judge

An infamous photo of Virginia Roberts, Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell, taken at Maxwell's home in London's Belgravia

She said many victims have never come forward due to fear, but the 'more transparency we get to this, the more it is going to encourage victims to come forward.'

And getting to the bottom of Epstein's crimes will allow victims to obtain justice.

'We know that for four decades, powerful people have sought to take advantage of young women. So getting to the bottom of this, getting this information bringing some transparency and thereby some accountability is going to be important.'

Maxwell's lawyer Arthur Aidala told NewsNation this week that Maxwell has 'nothing to say' about Epstein or the list.

She is currently is serving 20 years after being found guilty of sex trafficking and procuring underage girls for Epstein who hung himself in his jail cell in 2019.
California workers can breathe easy following the introduction of a new law stating that companies cannot punish workers for failing drug tests or reject job applicants based on previous cannabis use - even those applying to be a police officer.

Some drug tests do not determine if a person is high - only if that individual has used marijuana at all in recent days.

California lawmakers said it was not fair for companies to punish workers for failing such tests since recreational marijuana has been legal in the Golden State since 2016.

The new law, that came into effect on January 1, includes exceptions for construction workers and companies that must conduct drug tests as part of federal contracts.

But most employers are now prohibited from discriminating against cannabis users or inquiring about past cannabis use on job applications.

New California laws give job-seekers who use cannabis increased protection making it illegal for employers to discriminate or ask about past cannabis use

The bill prohibits employers from using past cannabis use to reject applicants, but exemptions exist for certain job categories such as those in the building and construction trades or in positions requiring a federal background investigation or security clearance

Police applicants in California will no longer be asked if they have used cannabis in the past

Assembly Bill 2188 also introduces significant modification as to how employers can administer drug tests.

The law prohibits companies from utilizing a common drug testing method that is able to detect cannabis usage months after it occurs.

Instead, employers are now required to use a 'scientifically valid' test that only identifies the presence of THC, the primary chemical in cannabis, found in the bloodstream shortly after its use.

The shift in the law is expected to improve the accuracy of drug testing in California, as it focuses on THC instead of THC metabolites, which tend to remain in the bloodstream for a longer period of time.

The updated test is designed to detect cannabis in a person's system only if it was recently used, avoiding the detection of cannabis use from weeks or months ago, as the previous test method would.

The alteration should give increased safeguards for individuals who use cannabis recreationally or medicinally without it affecting their performance at work.

It is hoped the change will streamline the hiring process for employers and reduce discrimination against cannabis users, considering the broad range of medical benefits associated with the drug.

In 2016, Los Angeles became the largest city in the world where cannabis is legal followed by New York in 2021

Together with AB 2188, Senate Bill 700 explicitly prohibits employers from using past cannabis use as grounds for rejecting a job applicant or penalizing an existing employee.

Despite the changes, employers still retain the right to prohibit employees from using cannabis while at work hours.

One important point to note is that the new law does not cover all workers in the state and excludes those in the building and construction trades or in positions requiring a federal background investigation or security clearance.

However, those applying for a job with the police at forces across California will no longer be questioned about past cannabis use.

The legalization of recreational cannabis has seen usage rise by 20 percent, according to recent research.

University of Minnesota researchers found the frequency of pot use in California, Colorado, Oregon and other states that legalized adult recreational use jumped by a fifth, prompting complex questions for policymakers.

The research counters other studies that recorded no increased use, and pro-cannabis campaigners who argued legalization would not boost consumption as black market pot was always widely available.

It also adds to fears that America's rapid experiment with cannabis legalization has spawned a $30 billion-and-growing pot industry producing ever-more potent and addictive products regardless of public health.

In the 2022 study, the Minnesota team studied some 3,500 participants across the U.S., focusing on 111 sets of identical twins  one living in a state that had legalized recreational cannabis use and the other where pot remained illegal.

The twins in cannabis-friendly states recorded a 20 percent rise in frequency of use. Researchers called pot an addictive substance associated with negative health and psychosocial outcomes.

Lead researcher Stephanie Zellers called for more investigation into the complex questions around the public health impacts of legalization and how greater cannabis use translates to changes in health or behavioral consequences.

Experts say legalizing pot has led to it gaining acceptance in recent years, leading more people to try it.

Stress from the COVID-19 pandemic also drove up the number of users.
A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was stabbed to death at a home in south London.

At around 4.30am this morning, a 38-year-old man handed himself into police, claiming he had harmed a woman.

Officers attended an address on Parbury Road, Honor Oak, Lewisham, where the body of a 32-year-old woman was found.

The man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to hospital as a precaution to then be taken into custody.

Police forensic at the scene as police guard a cordon outside a house in Lewisham, south London following the death of the 32-year-old woman

Detectives said the death of the woman had 'left a family devastated'.

A crime scene remains in place and next of kin have been notified, who are now being supported by specialist officers.

The victim has not yet been identified by police and a post-mortem will be scheduled in due course.

Met Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb said: 'This is a tragic incident that has left a family devastated.

'While I understand the shock that will be felt by the local community, I would like to stress that we are not looking for any other people in connection with the murder and there is no immediate risk to the public.

A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. Pictured, police vehicles outside the address

'My thoughts are with the victim's loved ones at this sad time.'

Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, who leads policing for the South East Command, added: 'We recognise the concern and worry this tragic incident will have caused to residents in the local area and we are supporting our homicide colleagues as they conduct their investigation.

'I would like to thank those living in the area around the crime scene for their patience and understanding as officers and specialists go about their enquiries.

'My thoughts are with the victim's family.'

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting 856/03JAN. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.
Four young children have died after an inferno swept through their Connecticut home on Tuesday night.

Firefighters were called to the blaze engulfing the home on Quality Avenue in Somers around 10:20 pm, the local Fired Department said.

The firefighters entered the building and made several rescues, however the fast-moving fire had already wreaked extensive damage.

The children, 5, 6, 8 and 12 were all from the same family who have been named by their cousin as Lucas, Benjamin, Archer, and Genevieve.

Writing on a GoFundMe page to raise costs for the children's funerals, family member Jessica Kone said 'my cousins suffered an unbearable loss as their four beautiful children, Lucas, Benjamin, Archer, and Genevieve (ages 5-12), tragically perished in a devastating house fire.'

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Quality Avenue in Somers around 10:20pm

The children, 5, 6, 8 and 12 were all from the same family

'The entire family has been displaced, losing all their possessions' she wrote.

Adding: 'We are overwhelmed with gratitude for those who have already assisted - neighbors, first responders, emergency personnel, and surrounding communities.

'Your kindness means the world to us.'

Some of the residents were transported to Johnson Hospital with varying degrees of injuries.

'It's a tremendous loss for the town,' First Selectman Tim Keeney said.

'A tragedy the town hasn't seen forever that I'm aware of,' he added.

'Our Somers Public Schools Community is dealing with this tragic event,' Somers Public Schools said in a statement.

'Our counseling staff will provide support to students throughout the week as needed.'

The children have been named by their cousin as Lucas, Benjamin, Archer, and Genevieve

The firefighters entered the building and made several rescues, however the fast-moving fire had already wreaked extensive damage

Some of the residents were transported to Johnson Hospital with varying degrees of injury

No firefighters were injured in the rescue,' Somers Fire Department Chief Roache said

'Our staff, students, and families will support each other as we navigate this tragedy.'

The State Fire Marshal will be leading the investigation and the Eastern District Major Crime Squad is also investigating the deaths.

No firefighters were injured in the rescue,' Somers Fire Department Chief Roache said.

The fire caused significant damage to the house next door, displacing the Tomalonis family.

Bonnie and Ryan Tomalonis and their children - Hunter, Addelynn and Owen - and their dog Mochi are unharmed but were left with nothing 'but the pajamas they were wearing', according to a GoFundMe page.

The Red Cross also released a statement saying that they are assisting five people, two adults and three children, who were displaced by the fire.

'They lost everything - and find themselves homeless and starting from scratch right after the holidays. They have a difficult and long journey ahead of them' family member Colleen Karoliszyn wrote.
The entire House Republican leadership team has now endorsed Donald Trump after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer joined colleagues in backing the former president who helped sink his own bid to for the speakership.

Emmer's announcement came a day after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana gave his own nod to Trump, and days before the Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 election process.

'Democrats have made clear they will use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them. Its time for Republicans to unite behind our partys clear frontrunner, which is why I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President,' Emmer posted on X.

His statement of unflinching support came despite Trump torpedoing his own bid to move up the later during the chaotic effort to find a new speaker after the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy  who has also endorsed Trump.

Former President Donald Trump has been endorsed by the entire House Republican leadership team, now that Rep. Tom Emmer has gotten behind his bid to return to the White House

The Minnesota Republican had a shot at the top job in October following the failed efforts by Scalise and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

He immediately faced criticism of not being sufficiently pro-Trump in a conference where MAGA has taken hold. He voted to certify Joe Biden's 2020 election win and voted for a measure to hike the debt ceiling and fund the government.

Trump posted that he was a 'RINO'  a Republican in name only. He also branded him a 'globalist' and someone who "never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement.'

Trump also called him 'out of touch' and associated him with 'squad' member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

The attack helped end his speakership bid just hours after Emmer had prevailed over eight other Republicans in a closed-door ballot.

Emmer's support for the former president, who leads his nearest rival by 50 points in polling averages, puts him in line with the rest of the House leadership.

Emmer said it was time for Republicans 'to unite behind our partys clear frontrunner.' Trump branded him a 'RINO' last fall when he was seeking to ascend to the speakership

House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise announced he was supporting Trump on Tuesday

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced his support for Trump back in November

Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) was the first House leader to endorse Trump. She had criticized some of his comments during the 2016 campaign

Emmer's downfall was solidified after he was targeted by Donald Trump on Truth Social

'I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of Biden's failed policies,' Scalise posted on Tuesday.

House GOP Conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was the first GOP leader to endorse Trump way back in November 2022.

'It is time for Republicans to unite around the most popular Republican in America, who has a proven track record of conservative governance,' she said at the time.

Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed Trump two months ago after becoming the No. 1 House Republican, saying he was 'all in' for the man he said he expected would be the party's 2024 nominee.

Emmer's endorsement came on a day Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton also announced he was backing Trump.

'I endorse President Trump and I look forward to working with him to win back the White House and the Senate,' Cotton wrote on X.
Jeffrey Epstein's 'pedophile island' is headed towards a full makeover after it was snatched up for $60 million by a billionaire who intends to transform the compound with a dark history into a luxury, five-star resort.

Stephen Deckoff, the entrepreneur and investor behind the project, plans to turn the island that was once used for underage sex parties into a 25-room retreat by 2025.

Deckoff purchased the islands of Little St James and Great St James, in the US Virgin Islands, in May for $60 million.

Little St James was dubbed 'Pedophile Island' by residents of the US Virgin Islands during the blatant, wholesale abuse conducted by Epstein after he bought the isle in 1998 for $7.5 million.

He bought Great St James, the larger island beside it, in 2016 for $22.5 million to protect his privacy.

Little St James (pictured) and the neighboring island of Great St James have been purchased for $60 million by billionaire Stephen Deckoff. The islands used to belong to Jeffrey Epstein and Little St James was dubbed 'pedophile island' after Epstein used to it abuse underage girls

Epstein threw parties for the rich and famous on Little St James, with celebrities from Prince Andrew to Stephen Hawking among his guests. Pictured: Jeffrey Epstein is massaged by his assistant Sarah Kellen at his private island

A native of New York City, Deckoff initially moved to the Virgin Islands in 2011 and has since given more than $1.2 million to non-profits there - including neighborhood schools and nature preservation non-profits.

'I've been proud to call the U.S. Virgin Islands home for more than a decade and am tremendously pleased to be able to bring the area a world-class destination benefitting its natural grace and beauty,' Deckoff told Forbes.

Announcing his vision for the islands, Deckoff had emphasized that he never met Epstein and visited the islands for the first time after they were listed for sale.

The troubling past of Little St James has been widely documented in photographs, victim testimony and court cases against Epstein and his associates.

Epstein - with help from his confidante and fixer Ghislaine Maxwell - trafficked many young girls to the island, where they were raped and abused.

Today, a long-awaited list of 187 of Jeffrey Epstein's friends and associates is set to be released, the court which holds the papers confirmed.

The document had been redacted from a long-settled sex trafficking suit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell, but a judge ruled that the names of those involved should be released.

The process was thrown into chaos by a request by Jane Doe 107, one of the women involved, who has been given a 30 day extension to prove that she will be in danger if she is publicly unmasked.

She and three others will retain their anonymity until January 22, but the others on the list will be named between now and then, according to Ed Friedland, the District Executive for the Southern District of New York.

The sprawling property Epstein had built on Little St James, with surrounding lawns and swimming pool. In the background, a jetty reaches out into the clear, blue water

The main property on Little St James is surrounded by several other structures including the maids' quarters and a massive, square-shaped white building on one end of the island that some say is a music room fitted with acoustic walls

Photographs previously published by DailyMail.com show young girls posing on the paradise island, or giving massages to Epstein while makes telephone calls.

Maxwell is seen in other pictures being waited on by the legion of staff who Epstein recruited to manage the island.

Epstein is said to have imported 200 workers after his purchase of the island to build a stone mansion, two guest houses, a helipad and a bizarre gold-domed structure that resembles a temple.

The temple structure was built between 2009 and 2013 but it remains unclear what the building was for.

Several of Epstein's victims have recalled the abuse and suffering they faced on the island.

Sarah Ransome, a British victim of Epstein, claimed she was raped up to three times a day during months imprisoned there.

She says she was so determined to escape that she hatched a plan to swim the surrounding shark-infested waters. However she was spotted on the video cameras Epstein installed across the island and stopped by his cronies.

Ghislaine Maxwell is pictured having a meal at Epstein's mansion on Little St James Island in this undated photo

In another picture taken on the island, Maxwell sits at a large marble table while a man takes a phone call

Chauntae Davies, another accuser, said Epstein raped her before bragging about his relationship with Prince Andrew. Davies said the disgraced financier became a 'monster' behind closed doors.

Prince Andrew has admitted he visited the island, but always maintained he was not aware of Epstein's crimes and never took part in anything illegal.

Davies said she fell into Epstein's clutches when she was a 21-year-old trainee massage therapist in Los Angeles and treated Ghislaine Maxwell at Beverly Hills' Four Seasons Hotel.

Davies later worked as Epstein's masseuse and as an air hostess on his private plane the 'Lolita Express'.

The island has drawn several thrill-seekers who've ignored the no trespassing signs to explore the property.

Luke Rudkowski of We Are Change and Jeff Berwick were able to get onto the island and explore Epstein's office, a few of the underground lairs and get close enough to the pedophile's infamous temple on Little St James to reveal that the doors of the structure are in fact painted on the building.

Rudkowski explored several underground structures, including one that appeared to house the island's generator.

A picture released at Ghislaine Maxwell's trial show the idyllic island of Little St James with the sprawling Epstein mansion

Two private islands previously owned by pedophile Jeffrey Epstein have finally been bought after more than a year on the market

Epstein abused underage girls on the island with the help of his confidante Ghislaine Maxwell

Great St. James Island (above) is more than double the size of Little St James but is largely undeveloped

There have also been claims the island has its own subterranean tunnel network, though this has never been substantiated.

Epstein's resort also include a ten-person shower for orgies, according to a maintenance worker. Steve Scully said in 2020 that Epstein installed the shower in a bathroom whose walls were covered with pictures of naked girls.

Epstein had remodeled his bedroom several times and during these renovations he put in a 'ten-showerhead shower - for group showers', Scully claimed.

'There were more pictures in the bathroom than anywhere else  including of young, barely clothed or semi-nude girls,' he added.

Dailymail.com reached out to Deckoff, who founded Black Diamond Capital Management office which manages $9 billion in assets, for comment.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed revenge against the 'evil and criminal enemies' responsible for the deadliest attack in the Islamic Republic's history after two bombs were detonated near a cemetery.

Nearly 100 people were killed and more than 200 wounded after two blasts rocked a ceremony that was being held to mark the 2020 assassination of Iran's top commander Qassem Soleimani in a US drone attack.

The first explosion was quickly followed by a second close to a cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman where thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of Soleimani's killing.

Harrowing video showed scores of bloodied victims lying on the floor as others stumbled away from the blast scene close to the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque where Soleimani is buried, in what Iran has described as a 'terrorist attack'.

'The evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation once again created a disaster and martyred a large number of dear people in Kerman,' Khamenei said in a statement. 'This disaster will have a harsh response, God willing.' He did not name a suspect, nor has any group yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The explosions came a day after an apparent Israeli drone strike killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon's capital , escalating fears that a wider regional war could erupt with Hamas and Lebanese terror group Hezbollah vowing to retaliate. Beirut , escalating

While Iranian authorities did not publicly assign blame for Tuesday's bombings, the top commander of Iran's Quds force Esmail Qaani declared, without evidence, that the attacks were carried out by 'the agents of the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States'.

There is no evidence that Tuesday's attack was authored by Tel-Aviv, and its chief ally the United States has tonight said it has 'no reason' to believe Israel was behind it. The US state department added that it would be 'ridiculous' to suggest Washington was involved.

Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear programme, but these have been targeted assassinations rather than mass-casualty bombings. Sunni extremist groups, including Islamic State, have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed a 'harsh response' for the 'evil and criminal enemies' responsible for a bombing in the south of the country on Wednesday

Iranian emergency services arrive at the site where two explosions in quick succession struck a crowd marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani, near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in the southern Iranian city of Kerman on January 3, 2024

People run as smoke rises, amid local media reports of explosions during a ceremony held to mark the death of late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in Kerman, Iran January 3, 2024

A view of the scene after explosions near Gen. Qassem Soleimani's tomb, in Kerman City, Iran on January 03, 2024

Damaged cars are seen as people try to help victims after an explosion next to the tomb of Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief of foreign operations in the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in the southern city of Kerman, Iran 03 January 2024

A group of men stand around the bodies of the victims killed in the two blasts in Kerman today

Video showed plumes of smoke rising up into the sky as thousands of people who had been walking towards the cemetery to mark Soleimani's assassination screamed in horror

People are seen after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday

Thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of the ruthless commander's assassination when the explosions erupted near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque

The first explosion was quickly followed by a second close to a cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman where thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of Soleimani's (file image) killing

Iranian Health Minister Bahram Eynollahi told state TV the death toll was at 95, down from 103, and said 211 others were injured, making it the deadliest attack in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Iran declared a day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the attack and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi cancelled his planned visit to Turkey.

Video showed plumes of smoke rising up into the sky as thousands of people who had been walking towards the cemetery screamed in horror. The crowd were seen running away after the two explosions ripped through Kerman.

Thousands had gathered to mark the four-year anniversary of the ruthless commander's assassination when the explosions erupted near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque.

Mystery surrounds who is behind today's blasts, which came less than 24 hours after an Israeli drone strike killed Arouri in Beirut, Lebanon.

Tehran often accuses its arch enemies, Israel and the United States, of backing anti-Iran militant groups.

State TV showed crowds gathered at the cemetery at night, chanting: 'Death to Israel' and 'Death to America'.

The US was not involved in any way in the explosions in Iran on Wednesday and has seen no indication Israel was behind the blasts, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously vowed to cut 'the head off the snake' and launch a military attack against Iran after Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is backed by Tehran, fired rockets at Israel.

Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province where Soleimani is buried, said today's blasts were a 'terrorist attack' without elaborating on who could be behind them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, an ally of Tehran, expressed his condolences to Iran's leaders shortly after the bombings.

'The killing of peaceful people visiting the cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism,' Putin said in a letter to Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi and Ayatollah Khamenei.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the blasts, but Iran Newspaper reported that two bags filled with explosives were detonated remotely in the middle of a crowd.

Several people were also injured in a stampede as they tried to flee the carnage, with several ambulances rushing to the scene.

But rescuers told how they were delayed in rushing the wounded to hospital due to the huge crowds blocking the roads.

'Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured... But there are waves of crowds blocking roads,' Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent rescuers told state TV.

Thousands had gathered in the city to pay their respects to Soleimani, who was killed in a US strike at Baghdad International Airport in neighbouring Iraq in 2020.

Soleimani was responsible for shaping Iran's foreign policy throughout the Middle East and was revered and loved in his homeland.

However, to American officials, he represented a deadly foe during the Iraq War, one who helped arm militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops.

The strike that killed Soleimani unfolded on January 3, 2020 close to Baghdad airport.

Soleimani had arrived at the airport on a plane from either Syria or Lebanon around 12.30am when he was met on the tarmac by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, then-deputy commander of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq.

Moments later, as their cars passed through a cargo area headed for an access road leading out of the airport, the convoy was struck by four missiles fired by an MQ-9 Reaper drone.

Both vehicles were instantly reduced to smouldering wrecks - killing Soleimani, Muhandis, and three others.

An American airstrike on Baghdad airport killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's powerful Quds force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy-leader of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, on January 3, 2020, in Baghdad

Four precision missiles fired from a U.S. drone struck the two cars carrying Soleimani and his entourage, on Jan 3, 2020, in Baghdad

But rescuers told how they were delayed in rushing the wounded to hospital due to the huge crowds blocking the roads

People are seen after an explosion in Kerman, Iran, on Wednesday

Ambulances are seen rushing wounded victims from the blast site on Wednesday

Soleimani, who led the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, was credited with helping to arm, train and lead armed groups across the region, including the Shiite militias in Iraq, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and fighters in Syria, the Palestinian territories and Yemen.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organisations and state actors. Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Last night, an Israeli drone strike on Hamas' offices in Beirut killed four of the terror group's members including al-Arouri, its deputy political leader.

The head of Lebanon's powerful armed group Hezbollah blamed Israel for the killing, which he labelled 'a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent'.

In a televised speech, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah offered his condolences to Hamas for what he called a 'flagrant Israeli aggression'.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously threatened to kill al-Arouri, who headed the organisation in the West Bank and helped to found the group's armed wing, even before Hamas launched its bloody October 7 attack.

Israeli officials last vowed that all Hamas leaders 'are doomed to death', but declined to comment on whether their forces had carried out the Beirut attack.

Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a brutal air and ground offensive against the group almost three months ago on the heels of the ruthless October 7 attacks.

Arouri was one of the most influential in Hamas and was residing in Beirut's southern suburbs under the protection of Hezbollah until his death following an Israeli strike

Lebanon's heavily armed Hezbollah group, a powerful Hamas ally, previously vowed to strike back against any Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon, and said of last night's attack: 'This crime will never pass without response and punishment.'

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also condemned the killing, declaring Israel 'aims to draw Lebanon' further into the war.

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began, but so far the Lebanese group has appeared reluctant to dramatically escalate the fighting.

A significant response now could send the conflict spiralling into all-out war on Israel's northern border.

And today, Israeli forces continued to pummel Lebanon with strikes in a bid to target Hezbollah militants, who are backed by Iran.
Most supporters of Donald Trump are not concerned with who the ex-president picks as his running mate  but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis still tops the list despite the feud between the once-allies.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is on the short list to join a Trump 2024 bid, said it would be a 'mistake' for the ex-president to have his competitor as No. 2.

But the pro-Trump governor is only earning 1 percent among those who think she would be a good pick to join Trump's ticket  6 points behind Haley.

A whopping 55 percent of Trump supporters say they want to leave the decision up to him, according to a USA Today/Suffolk University Poll.

A new poll shows that 55% of Trump supporters don't care who he picks to run with in 2024  but in second is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 14%

Meanwhile, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said it would be a 'mistake' for Trump to pick former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for his ticket

And no one named former Vice President Mike Pence as the person Trump should tap for the ballot.

Despite a fracture between Trump and DeSantis since the former president left the White House, the majority of those who provided an answer in the polling December 26-29 still would prefer to see the Florida governor on the ballot.

In second place is biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who is still in the primary running but did not qualify for the last debate five days before the Iowa caucuses on February 15.

Ramaswamy, who earned 10 percent support for the Republican VP ticket, is the most pro-MAGA candidate still in the field and has repeatedly voiced his support for Trump.

Trump's once-United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has been skyrocketing in recent polls and comes in third among those who say she should be the former president's pick for vice president.

With 7 percent support for the spot, Haley has not ruled out joining a ticket with her former boss.

Speculation has mounted that she could be a good No. 2, but high profile conservatives, including Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr., have said it isn't a good idea and that they will fight against it.

Haley, who is running in the 2024 primary, has been floated as a good choice for Trump's No. 2  but many Trump allies and high-profile conservative have railed against the idea

Pictured: Trump (center) flanked by Gov. DeSantis and Gov. Noem on December 13, 2018

Noem has been floated as a potential running mate for Trump in 2024. The two are pictured together on September 8, 2023 at a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota

'If he picked Nikki Haley, would that be a mistake?' Eric Bolling asked Noem on Tuesday's edition of his Newsmax show The Balance.

'Yes,' Noem immediately replied.

'But if he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him,' she added. 'But then I would support the ticket because he's still the president and the president still makes the decisions.'

'You know, I just, I've had a lot of disagreements with Nikki Haley over the years. And I just don't know which Nikki Haley is gonna show up every day. She's a different person, depending on whatever works for her political agenda,' Noem told Bolling.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was running as a Democrat earlier in the 2024 primary, but has switched to running on an independent ticket. Some speculate he could be more of a spoiler to the Republican ticket than the Democratic one.

Still, he earned 2 percent support from those who think he would make a good No. 2 pick for Trump.

Tying with Noem, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson also gained 1 percent support in the poll.
A Tory peer has become embroiled in a sexism row after saying Carol Vorderman cannot comment on politics while sharing photographs 'of her bum and her boobs' on social media.

Speaking of the former Countdown star, former London mayoral Tory candidate Shaun Bailey told GB News: 'On one hand... she's a serious political commentator, and then if you look at her Instagram it's all pictures of her bum and of her boobs. So what is it here? She can't be both.'

But sharing a clip of the interview on X, formerly Twitter today, Miss Vorderman branded Lord Bailey 'a misogynist'.

She added: 'So Shaun thinks that women who wear lycra in the gym shouldn't be allowed a political opinion... or I assume a vote.'

Ms Vorderman is an outspoken critic of the Conservatives. In November she was axed from her BBC radio show after she refused to tone down her anti-Tory social media posts.

Tory peer Shaun Bailey (pictured) has become embroiled in a sexism row after saying Carol Vorderman cannot comment on politics while sharing photographs 'of her bum and her boobs' on social media

Sharing a clip of the interview on X, formerly Twitter today, Carol Vorderman (pictured) branded Lord Bailey 'a misogynist'

She has used social media to launch regular attacks on the Conservatives, calling for the 'dismantling' of the Tory party 'vote by vote' and branded ministers a 'lying bunch of greedy, corrupt, destructive, hateful, divisive, gaslighting crooks'.

In recent months, she has also been in an online feud with Mr Mercer and his wife Felicity, who called the star a 'celebrity attack dog'.

Ms Vorderman had called the couple the 'most petulant, childish pair of the week'.

In a recent interview with The Times, she vowed to fight the party until it is removed from office. 'If our kids are to have a future, we must kick them out,' she said.

It is the latest sexism storm to involve GB News, which was forced to apologise in September after Laurence Fox made sexist on-air comments about a female political journalist.

Ms Vorderman is an outspoken critic of the Conservatives. In November she was axed from her BBC radio show after she refused to tone down her anti-Tory social media posts

The former actor's rant was the most complained about broadcast last year, Ofcom said, with 8,867 complaints.

Lord Bailey, 52, was handed a peerage last summer in Boris Johnson's resignation honours list.

He previously apologised 'unreservedly' after it emerged that he attended a 'jingle and mingle' Christmas party during lockdown thrown by his mayoral campaign at Conservative campaign headquarters.

The event led to police handing out 24 fines for breaches of Covid-19 regulations.
At least nine state capitols were have been shut down after a hoax bomb threat was emailed to dozens around the country.

Hawaii, Minnesota, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Maine, and Montana state houses were closed while police searched for bombs.

Shutdowns lasted for as long as hours after the email sent to numerous capitol staff claimed multiple explosives 'will go off in a few hours'.

'I will make sure you all end up dead,' the email warned.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said state police asked everyone to evacuate the capitol while it investigated a threat received by the Secretary of State's office.

'We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country,' he said at 10.26am on Wednesday.

Law enforcement vehicles are deployed at the Mississippi State Capitol after a bomb threat was received in Jackson

Shutdowns lasted for as long as hours after the email (screenshot pictured) sent to numerous capitol staff claimed multiple explosives 'will go off in a few hours'

Kentucky lawmakers were meeting in the capitol annex for ethics training when the alarm was raised. The state house in Frankfort was reopened about 12pm.

Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, said his state house was also closed.

'Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol. Delayed opening until the all clear is given. Avoid the area for now,' he said.

The Georgia State Patrol said the closure only lasted less than an hour.

'A hoax email was sent to an employee this morning about a bomb threat at the Capitol. A search was conducted, and an all-clear was given. The Capitol has been reopened,' it said.

The Mississippi Capitol in Jackson was also briefly closed after a warning of 'suspicious activity' that was soon clarified to be a bomb threat.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said the building was thoroughly searched and 'no explosives or suspicious equipment were found'.

Police blocked off several streets around the building and bomb sniffing dogs nosed around until it was reopened about 11am.

Police blocked off several streets around the Mississippi Capitol and bomb sniffing dogs nosed around until it was reopened about 11am

The Montana Capitol was closed after the hoax email was received about 8.30am local time, and reopened at 9.57am.

'A sweep has been completed, and the threat was found to not be credible. The building has been reopened to the public,' Megan Grotzke at the Montana Department of Administration said.

With snow on the ground during a cold winter's day, lawmakers and staff evacuated from the capitol get warm in nearby buildings.

Connecticut's state house was shut early in the morning after several staffers raised the alarm when they opened the threatening email.

'The email, which apparently was sent to numerous states, claimed to have placed multiple explosives in the capitol building,' police said.

State Capitol Police officers with bomb detection dogs swept the building and reopened it after finding no explosives.

The Montana Capitol was closed after the hoax email was received about 8.30am local time, and reopened at 9.57am

Michigan was another state targeted and its capitol in Lansing was closed, and unlike others it will be shut down for the entire day.

'The Capitol was evacuated, the building searched, and the Michigan State Police currently has MSP Canine teams still sweeping the building,' police said.

'Out of an abundance of caution, the Capitol will remain closed for the rest of the day.'

Minnesota State Patrol Capitol Security was notified of the email about 9am and soon locked the building down while it was searched from 9.30am to 10.15am.

Police said 'no suspicious or threatening items were found' but more officers would stay close by for the rest of the day.

Hawaii was the eighth state to close its capitol after the email was seen about 6.20am.

The building is still blocked off as police with bomb detection dogs search it and investigate the threat.

Maine was the last of the nine to be evacuated as it did not decide to shut the building down until Wednesday afternoon.

Montana High Patrol Trooper Brandon Uhl walks the perimeter of the State Capitol on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat

Many other states, at least 23 in total, received the hoax email but decided to ignore it.

Wyoming Highway Patrol said the email was determined not to be a security threat and no action taken. Nebraska did the same.

Maryland increased police presence around its capitol but none of its operations were affected.

The FBI said it was 'aware of the numerous hoax incidents' and took them very seriously because they put innocent people at risk.

'While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,' it said.

'We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.'

Hawaii was the eighth state to close its capitol after the email was seen about 6.20am

The nationwide bomb threat followed fake shooting reports to the homes of several politicians in recent days.

Swatting is a prank call made to emergency services intended to bring a police response.

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia was targeted by a fake emergency call on Christmas morning.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was hit by a 'swatting' attempt a day after she removed former President Donald Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot under the Constitution's insurrection clause, a decision Trump is appealing.

Other public officials targeted in recent days include Republican Congressman Brandon Williams of New York, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Hundreds of swatting cases occur annually.
The Brazilian YouTuber who was found buried at a home consumed drugs and had sex with a minor, who helped her brother and his wife conceal the body in a pit, police revealed Wednesday.

The 16-year-old girl met with the Civil Police on Tuesday, two days after body of Carlos Medeiros was discovered in a shallow pit at the residence in the Sao Paulo municipality of Itapecerica da Serra.

The teenager was accompanied by her father and told investigators that Medeiros visited her brother's home December 24 and took drugs while they were having sex in the bathroom.

The girl said that social media influencer had a heart attack and that she and her brother and her sister-in-law buried him in the backyard.

'The girl was interviewed at the police station and told us that she had a consensual relationship with him,' Itapecerica Central Police Station chief Luis Faria said, as quoted by Brazilian news outlet G1. 'She also said that she tried to revive him more than one time, but she couldn't.'

The Civil Police interviewed a 16-year-old girl who claimed she had sex with Brazilian influencer Carlos Medeiros (pictured) at her brother's home, where he also consumed cocaine before he suffered a heart attack. The teenager said she tried to revive him and that she, her brother and her sister-in-law buried him in a pit next to the residence

Firefighters extracted the body of Brazilian influencer Carlos Medeiros from a pit at his friend's home Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The girl was released following the interrogation although her 28-year-old brother and his 24-year-old wife, whose names have not been made public, remained in custody after they voluntarily turned themselves in Monday.

They all told investigators that Medeiros took cocaine and that they buried him because they were scared over what had taken place.

The teenager revealed her sister-in-law decided to bury Medeiros after his heart did 'not beat again.'

'She said that after not being able to get his heart to beat again, despite cardiac massages, her sister's husband thought it best to bury him,' Faria said.

The removed his clothing and then passed his body through a window and dumped him in the grave, that had been dug out by her girl's brother, Faria added.

The girl said that her brother did drugs with Medeiros.

'I think he didn't want to call the police or the ambulance so they wouldn't go to his house and find drugs there,' Faria said. 'Otherwise he could run the risk of losing custody of his three children with his wife, who is pregnant.'

Police are waiting on the results of an autopsy before they decided if they will charge two adults suspects with murder or concealment of a body after Brazilian YouTuber Carlos Medeiros was found buried at a home Sunday

Residents in the Sao Paulo town of Itapecerica da Serra set fire to the home where Brazilian influencer Carlos Medeiros was found buried Sunday

Authorities are waiting on the results of an autopsy that will show whether Medeiros took cocaine and if the fatal heart attack was caused by a drug overdose.

'Depending on the result, the case will be murder or concealment of a body, especially because these three people we have already heard said they helped bury and hide the body,' Faria said.

Medeiros was reported missing December 25 after he failed to return home from the dinner at the girl's brother's home.

His family was joined by neighborhood residents and spent the week searching for him in area hospitals and the woods.

Carlos Medeiros' 28-year-old friend (right) and his wife (left) turned themselves in to the police Monday, a day after the YouTuber was found buried at their home

During a search of the home, a resident noticed that the dirt nearby had been shoveled and found the clothes Medeiros was last seen wearing inside the residence. Firefighters were later able to remove his body from the pit.

According to a police report, Medeiros' body did not display signs of violence.

The house was set on fire by neighbors, but no arrests have been made.

Medeiros was blossomed as a YouTube star by creating content based on joked and pranks that he practiced on area residents.

His friend, Robson Casemiro, told Brazilian new outlet Metropoles that he stopped producing videos following his father's death in 2023.

'When his father died, he changed completely. His shine disappeared. He started using drugs, cocaine. This friend (the male suspect) also used these things,' Robson said.

'One hypothesis is that they were both using drugs, he had a mental (breakdown) and attacked Henrique (Medeiros). Another is money.'
Staggering new footage has lain bare New York City's migrant crisis, with hundreds of people - mainly young men - lining up around the block for shelter in Manhattan.

The footage that emerged Wednesday shows the latest raft of migrants looking cold and miserable as they stood in a line that snaked around a building in the East 7th Street in the East Village.

One of the hundreds of men told a reporter that he is from Venezuela and had recently arrived to join up with other members of his family already in the Big Apple.

The alarming scene underscores Mayor Eric Adams' own recent admission that NYC - proudly touted as a beacon of the Democrats' 'Sanctuary City' policy - is now at 'breaking point.'

More than 160,000 migrants have arrived in the city since the spring of 2022 and the crisis is only deepening as they continue to be bussed from Texas where record numbers are pouring over the border.

The footage shows the latest raft of migrants looking cold and miserable as they stood in a line that snaked around a building in the East 7th Street in the East Village

The alarming scene underscores Mayor Eric Adams' own recent admission that NYC - proudly touted as a beacon of the Democrat's 'Sanctuary City' policy - is now at 'breaking point'

Some 300,000 breached the US-Mexico border in December - the highest monthly figure ever, while more than 785,000 have entered since October - marking the highest quarterly total on record.

Adams confessed to Fox 5's Rosanna Scotto earlier this week that, 'We're getting close to anywhere from 2,500 to peaking at 4,000 a week.'

'What happens when there's no more room?' Scotto asked at one point during the interview, during which the 63-year-old Brownsville native sat opposite her, in front of several American - and one New York - flags.

'We were not just saying we're out of room as a soundbite,' Adams answered, citing the more than 161,000 migrants whom have arrived and sought city aid since spring 2022.

'We're out of room, literally', the Democrat declared. 'People are going to be eventually sleeping on the streets.'

Adams replied that he simply could not, due to laws that prohibit both state and local officers from enforcing federal immigration laws.

'I don't have the authorization to tell people that they can't come into New York City,' Adams explained to an unaware Scotto, who went on to ask: 'Why not?'

'It's against the law,' he replied, seemingly angry at the question. He then said it a second time, asserting once more: 'It's against the law.'

Estimates from earlier this week show that the city has spent $2 billion housing the migrants, and still continues to pour money into the crisis.

One of the hundreds of men told a reporter that he is from Venezuela and had recently arrived to join up with other members of his family already in the Big Apple

The mayor revealed the city's 'sanctuary' status has hindered his ability to handle the crisis

Estimates from earlier this week show that the city has spent $2 billion housing the migrants, and still continues to pour money into the crisis

Poll after poll shows New Yorkers are unhappy with how the Biden Administration is handling the current situation, after it allocated only $140 million to aid the city.

Mayor Adams has had to go to DC more than ten times over the past few times to plead for more aid, as he faces a prospective $12 billion cost if the crisis continues.

Those calls have so far gone unanswered and for now the Big Apple appears to be on its own.

Meanwhile it was revealed earlier this year that a record number of migrants crossed the U.S. southern border in December, topping the highest amount under President Biden.

Republicans have seized upon border security issues as a main 2024 election issue, which has become a political headache for President Biden.

Texas National Guard hold migrants crossing the Rio Grande River to seek humanitarian asylum before crossing the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2, 2024

A migrant man crosses the Rio Grande holding his child in the air to prevent him from getting wet on January 2, 2024

Speaker Mike Johnson and 60 House Republicans will tour the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass today as part of their campaign.

The group, hosted by GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales who represents the area, will hear from Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety and other stakeholders and tour the region.

It's the first large-scale congressional delegation to the border led by the new speaker.

In December Johnson sent a letter urging President Biden to use executive powers to immediately stem the flow of migration.

The speaker directed the president to end 'catch-and-release,' turning away any migrants encountered between ports of entry and use parole only on a 'case-by-case basis.'

He also called on the president to reinstated Trump-era policies like building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program and expanding expedited removal for those who cannot demonstrate asylum eligibility.
An Idaho man is in police custody after he stole a plane in Las Vegas and landed in the middle of a California desert.

Damian Zukaitis, 40, was arrested on December 30 after he stole a 2020 Kitfox fixed-wing single-engine plane and left beer cans and marijuana in the front seat.

Zukaitis flew the plane out of the North Las Vegas Airport on Saturday after 2:00 pm and landed in a field near the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

The man is suspected to be responsible for three additional burglaries at the Nevada airport on December 27, 28, and 29.

Police are investigating a motive and will be extradited back Las Vegas.

Damian Zukaitis, 40, was arrested on December 30 after he stole a 2020 Kitfox fixed-wing single-engine plane and left beer cans and marijuana in the front seat

Zukaitis flew the plane out of the North Las Vegas Airport on Saturday after 2:00 pm and landed in a field near the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

Jeff Cohn, the owner of the stolen plane, received a call from the Air Force Search and Rescue on the 30th after they received a notification from the aircraft's emergency location transmitter.

According to the press release, Cohn told officials he was not flying the plane and discovered it was missing later that night.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Barstow station received a call from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at 6:48 that the airplane landed near the California airport.

The police found him driving the plane on Minneola Road before his arrest.

Cohn told the FAA that he was not flying the plane while on the phone with them. The administration received a notification from the aircraft's emergency location transmitter

The man is suspected to be the person behind three additional burglaries at the Nevada airport on December 27, 28, and 29. Zukaitis is facing charges of possession of a stolen airplane and transporting stolen property across state lines

Cohn discovered the beer cans and bottles and a smoked joint in the cockpit after officers arrested Zukaitis.

He also found a binder containing instructions on landing in an airport in Corona, California.

Per the police officer's request, Cohn attempted to move the plane but was not able to start it.

FOX 5 Las Vegas confirmed the $80,000 plane was towed and may have 'tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage' on January 2.

Zukaitis is now facing charges of possession of a stolen airplane and transporting stolen property across state lines, and his charges for his crimes in Nevada are pending.

There is also a warrant out of Ada County in Idaho.

Daily Mail has reached out to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for comment.
Jewish leader has called for their dismissal

Qantas has sparked outrage after several crew members were spotted wearing Palestinian flag badges on their uniforms with calls growing for them to be sacked.

A number of staff members were seen wearing the badges as they attended to passengers on a flight from Melbourne to Hobart on December 20.

Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory blasted the badges as 'divisive' and said political activism 'does not belong on airplanes'.

'Political activism doesn't belong in sport, it doesn't belong in the theatre, and it doesn't belong in airplanes while Australians are heading off to enjoy their holidays. All Australians should feel safe while flying,' he said in a statement.

'If employees are found to be using their roles for political activism while passengers are essentially captive in the air, they should be dismissed.

'These incidents aren't isolated and Qantas management should address the divisive political activism coming from their staff.'

Mr Gregory added that passengers were already nervous when flying with incidents like this reminding them of the violent anti-Israel protests taking place in Australia.

A leading Australian Jewish Association has called for Qantas crew members who wore Palestinian flag badges (pictured) on a flight to be sacked

Harrison Grafanakis was onboard the flight and took photos of cabin crew wearing the badges which were placed just above their name tags.

The passenger, who is not Jewish, said he felt intimated by the badges.

'I saw a bunch of staff working for Qantas - they were all wearing Palestinian flags,' Mr Grafanakis said.

'They say that it's not allowed, but Qantas have a history of doing this  they've done this time and time again.

'It's so disappointing to see a major Australian airline carrier that receives so much government money getting so involved in politics time and time again.'

Qantas staff members are not allowed to wear badges or pins that are not compliant with the airline's uniform policy.

However, employees are permitted to wear a badge if they speak that country's national language.

'During a recent flight from Melbourne to Hobart, some of our cabin crew wore a Palestinian flag badge,' a Qantas spokesperson said.

A number of staff members were seen wearing the badges (pictured) as they attended to passengers on a flight from Hobart to Melbourne on December 20

CEO of the Australian Jewish Association, Robert Gregory, has slammed the badges as 'divisive' and said political activism 'does not belong on airplanes'

'Cabin crew are not allowed to wear any badges unless they are part of the approved uniform, such as a name tag.

'Every customer should feel safe and respected when flying on a Qantas aircraft.'

Qantas staff are being 'reminded' of the uniform policy in lieu of the controversy.

It comes after Jewish woman Karin Kalif filed a compliant with the airline following an alleged interaction with an employee at the check-in desk.

The Brisbane woman had been returning from Israel in late November last year.

'The woman looked at my passport and started asking me, 'Could you hear the bombs your government is dropping (on Gaza)',' Ms Kalif alleged.
The mini bike gang filmed battering 90210 star Ian Ziering is notorious for terrorizing the streets of Hollywood with high-speed, booze-fueled rides in front of twerking groupies.

The 605 mini bike gang claims to operate from the San Gabriel Valley to South East LA on its Instagram page. The riders make their own bikes, basic metal frames fitted with overpowered engines, that top out at 100mph.

Cops say the machines are not street legal and their riders pull dangerous maneuvers including wheelies and donuts - some of them under the influence.

Members of the 605 crew were filmed piling onto Ziering, 59, during a mass street brawl in front of the star's 10-year-old daughter on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday.

The actor claimed the attack began after one of the gang passed by his Mercedes GLE SUV 'aggressively', before things escalated. However, latest videos suggest that the bikers passed by without actually touching his vehicle but Ziering still reacted violently.

The 605 gang has been reposting videos of the incident suggesting Ziering was to blame on their social media page, which is filled with numerous examples of their dangerous stunts.

Members of the 605 mini bike gang were seen embroiled in a brutal street brawl with 90210 star Ian Ziering on Sunday

The group operate in LA and hold regular rideouts which often involve performing dangerous stunts

The brutal altercation was caught on video by shocked bystanders who caught Ziering and the bikers trading blows

One video shows a gang member swigging from a bottle of Hennessey cognac while sitting astride a tiny bike.

The background is filled with the fumes from other bikes performing high speed donut rings around him.

Another clip shows a scantily clad groupie twerking in the street while bikers zoom around her.

One video features hoards of bikers speeding along the road, with one sporting a terrifying clown mask.

The account frequently features groups of mini bike riders in packs taking over highways across Los Angeles.

The group was established in March 2022 and has been embarking on regular ride-outs.

Its website features a logo resembling the sign for Interstate 605 along with an image appearing to show one of its members getting arrested.

A slogan underneath reads: 'They hate us cos they ain't us'. The website also offers $3 windshield stickers for sale.

Ziering claimed the skirmish began after members from the 605 passed his Mercedes SUV 'aggressively' and he got out to check the damage

But while footage shows the bikers passing in close proximity to the actor's car, they do not appear to actually touch the vehicle

The 605 regularly post videos to their 60,000+ Instagram and YouTube subscribers where they brag about police chases and flouting the rules of the road

Bikers involved in the skirmish, although not explicitly identified as 605 members, were also filmed smashing Zieiring's windshield while his 10-year-old daughter was still inside

The front drivers side windshield was left shattered and slightly dented

The group's Instagram page has more than 60,000 followers, while their YouTube channel has just over 2,300 subscribers.

One video on the channel shows a rider balancing on one leg performing a wheelie outside of a police station.

However, this holiday season the group also arranged for a toy drive ride-out, where tickets were provided in exchange for toys to be donated.

On their Instagram the gang reposted stories which state that 'Ziering started it' in reference to the incident which unfolded on Hollywood Boulevard.

Police on Tuesday told DailyMail.com that no arrests have been made yet, but that an investigation is ongoing.

But they did confirm that the area has been plagued by mini bike gangs in recent months, telling TMZ that Ziering's skirmish was 'not an isolated incident,' and urging motorists to avoid engaging, 'because mob mentality can escalate very quickly in these situations.'

After the incident, Ziering also took to social media to address the altercation.

'While stuck in traffic, my car was approached aggressively by one of these riders leading to an unsettling confrontation,' he said.

Ziering spoke out after he was involved in the New Year's Eve brawl confirming that he and daughter Penna escaped 'unscathed' following the incident

Ziering and his daughters Penna Mae Ziering (left) and Mia Loren Ziering (right) are pictured at Jingle Ball in LA in December

'In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car. This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself.'

Ziering's 10-year-old daughter Penna was also caught up in the confrontation, after the one of the bikers present repeatedly used his helmet to shatter Ziering's windscreen while the child was inside. It is not known if the individual is a 605 member.

DailyMail.com has contacted 605 mini bike gang for comment.
Scientists in Florida have revealed that the state suffers from the most shark attacks in the country, and have pinpointed which areas are most at risk.

According to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File, there have been 912 confirmed unprovoked attacks since 1882 in the state.

Across the whole of the United States from 1882, there have been 1,596 attacks with Florida being responsible for close to two thirds of that amount.

The second worst state was the island of Hawaii with 187 unprovoked attacks, and California with 135 attacks.

Out of the whole state of Florida, 26 counties had experienced attacks with the remaining 41 counties not incurring any.

According to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File, there have been nearly 912 confirmed unprovoked attacks since 1882 in the state

Blacktip (pictured) and bull sharks were the two shark species mostly involved in biting incidents in Volusia County

In Florida, Volusia County leads the pack and is currently responsible for a total of 343 incidents.

The county has been nicknamed the 'Shark bite Capital of the World', having recorded 94 bites from 2012 to 2021.

In September of last year, a 37-year-old woman was bitten on her right foot when she was in waist-deep water on the Ponce Inlet beach in Volusia County.

According to Volusia County Beach Safety, the woman did not see the shark before it attacked her.

On the same beach that same day, a man in his 30s was bit on the hand by a shark while surfing.

Those two attacks came after a college student was bitten along a different beach in the same area in late July.

Chris Pospisil, 21, was also involved in a harrowing shark attack on July 14 in Volusia County.

The college student was chasing waves when he was attacked in the waters of New Smyrna Beach.

Chris Pospisil was chasing waves when he was attacked in the waters of Volusia County's New Smyrna Beach

Fortunately, his surfing buddy Reece Redish was close at hand, and jumped into action to save him.

Pospisil suffered serious injuries, but surgeons managed to save his foot, and he believes the outcome could have been far worse if his friend had failed to act.

In the same month, Natalie Branda, 26, was bitten by sharks in Florida. She was 'extremely lucky' to be alive after surviving a boat party shark attack by one of the most aggressive species.

The attack, which left Branda needing 14 stitches, came when the Gulf Coast city local sailed out to Tampa Bay with friends on July 29 for a birthday party.

'We were jumping off the boat, swimming around, floating for a few hours - just having a fun day, ' she said.

But their fun turned to chaos as the group finished up their swim around dusk - the time when sharks, as mostly nocturnal creatures, are most active.

'I just felt pressure, and it released, and I was like: 'I got bit!'' she said. 'I swam the fastest I ever swam to the boat.'

Natalie Branda, 26, was bitten by sharks in Florida on July 29 after jumping into water near the St. Petersburg Pier

The attack left Branda with 14 stiches and in the hospital, but remained smiling throughout the ordeal

Following Volusia County was Brevard County which lies just south of the former, which has saw 156 unprovoked attacks.

Palm Beach followed that with 82 incidents, and Duval with 46 cases, while St Johns rounded out the top five with 45.

Blacktip and bull sharks were the two shark species mostly involved in biting incidents in Volusia County but neither poses a significant threat to humans.

According to the findings, blacktip sharks have made up the majority of sharks involved, with 36 percent of incidents in the state being blamed on the species.

Other species that have been included in the attacks include blacktip sharks with 15 percent, and bull sharks with 16 percent.

New Smyrna Beach (seen in 2019) is popular for its white sand beaches, pristine waters, and surfable waves, but the area is also known for its high concentration of shark attacks

The findings also found that the month that people are most likely to be attacked is September, with the most amount of attacks occurring between 2 and 3pm.

Most shark species are nocturnal, and the Florida Museum urges swimmers to 'avoid being in the water during low light hours (dawn or dusk) and at night when many sharks are most active and feeding.'

Biologist Jeff Corwin previously warned 'if you're in a healthy marine ecosystem... you're often never more than 100 yards from a shark'.

Chris Lowe, professor in marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said people should try not to wear anything shiny in the water.
UPenn faculty professors visited Israel this week in a show of solidarity in the aftermath of president Liz Magill's resignation following her disastrous Congress hearing on campus anti-Semitism.

Approximately 30 faculty members commenced a 'three-day solidarity tour' on Tuesday, navigating through a spectrum of emotions - from smiles during their initial meeting with President Isaac Herzog to a photo capturing them beaming inside a bomb shelter during their visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the south.

Their packed itinerary included meetings with government officials, visits to major universities and a tour of devastated communities in the Gaza envelope, where hundreds were brutally tortured and murdered on October 7.

The group is also scheduled to meet with Penn alumni and attend an academic conference on trauma at Tel Aviv University on Thursday before returning to the US.

It is unclear if former UPenn President Liz Magill was invited to participate.

The group were all smiles from their meeting with Pres. Herzog to a photo capturing them beaming inside a bomb shelter during their visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza

Their packed itinerary included meetings with government officials, visits to major universities and a tour of devastated communities in the Gaza envelope

Approximately 30 UPenn faculty members commenced a 'three-day solidarity tour' on Tuesday in the aftermath of president Liz Magill's resignation

Faculty snapped pictures as they toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza. The group wore bullet proof vests and helmets, highlighting the ongoing security concerns in the area.

One striking moment shows the delegation smiling while seeking refuge in a bomb shelter as rocket sirens sounded.

Ron Berman, Associate Professor of Marketing at Wharton, shared the photo.

'Some of us are smiling, but we are in a mobile bomb shelter under rocket attack,' he wrote on X.'

'To clarify - I posted this after the all clear and we're off to the rest of our day.'

Berman said visiting the communities in southern Israel was the 'most difficult and emotional' part of the visit.

'Traveling with a group of Penn Faculty on a Mission to Israel to build bridges with the Israeli academic community and bear witness to the impact of the Hamas attacks,' he wrote about the trip.

Sharing a photo of the meeting with President Herzog, he wrote, 'First on the agenda - a meeting with the president of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog.'

''You will meet a nation agonizing. An atomic bomb of emotions' the president told us.'

Claire Finkelstein, a philosophy professor, also shared a shot from the safe house, captioned: 'Touring within the Gaza envelope, we were rushed into a bomb shelter when rockets went off within a few km of our group. We were told Iron dome took them out.'

The delegation, led by Professors Michael Kahana and Peter Decherney, stressed the apolitical nature of their visit.

'We have no political purpose, except that I suppose it's political nowadays, just to show up as a group of faculty in Israel, but it shouldn't be political,' he said.

Professor Kahana expressed concern over the lack of empathy Israeli researchers felt from international colleagues after the traumatic events.

He described the feeling as 'painful and hurtful' and hoped that the visit would strengthen the resolve to support the Israeli academy.

Kahana also expressed hope that 'out of this meeting today, we can come back to the United States and strengthen our resolve to support the Israeli academy going forward.'

During their visit, the group engaged with the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, discussing ways to support Israeli academia during challenging times.

The delegation also visited the academy at the initiative of Prof. Itzhak Fried, an Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities member.

During their visit on Tuesday, the group met with Academy President Prof. David Harel and the Academy Council, including Vice President Prof. Margalit Finkelberg, Prof. Sergio Hart, and Prof. Yadin Dudai, to discuss ways of supporting Israeli academia in this challenging period, according to The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

At the gathering, Prof. Harel updated the visitors on the Academy's work, especially initiatives related to the recent war.

UPenn representatives also reportedly suggested several ways to promote Israeli research during this turbulent period.

The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities shared photos of UPenn faculty in Israelh eaded by Prof. Michael Kahana and Prof. Peter Decherney, the delegation came to visit the academy at the initiative of Prof. Itzhak Fried, an Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities member

Faculty and representatives from the University of Pennsylvania tour Kibbutz Kfar Aza, following the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in southern Israel January 3, 2024

The group also met with Academy President Prof. David Harel and the Academy Council, including Vice President Prof. Margalit Finkelberg, Prof. Sergio Hart, and Prof. Yadin Dudai, to discuss ways of supporting Israeli academia in this challenging period, according to The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities

University professor Ram Cnaan meets Avi Hasidim whose son, Naor Hasidim, was killed during the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas

Faculty and representatives from the University of Pennsylvania pose for a group photo during a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza

A man leaves a destroyed home as faculty from the University of Pennsylvania tour Kibbutz Kfar Aza, following the deadly October 7 attack

A man looks on as faculty and representatives from the University of Pennsylvania tour Kibbutz Kfar Aza

Faculty and representatives from the University of Pennsylvania tour Kibbutz Kfar Aza

The delegation's arrival coincides with the aftermath of President Liz Magill's resignation, which followed her controversial testimony on antisemitism before Congress amid the Israel-Hamas war.

UPenn has been entangled in accusations related to antisemitism on college campuses, contributing to Magill's resignation.

Just yesterday, Harvard President Claudine Gay also resigned in a bitter letter to colleagues and students where she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure.

Gay, 53, lasted just six months in the role - the shortest tenure of any president in the school's history.

Her resignation came 28 days after her congressional testimony about campus antisemitism, where she refused to categorize calls for Jew genocide as harassment or concede that Jewish students had a right not to feel safe at Ivy League schools.

In her resignation, Gay wrote that she was standing down after 'consultation' with the school's board, which has been under pressure to replace her after defending her remarks.

She failed to acknowledge where she went wrong - making no mention of December 5 testimony or the mounting claims of plagiarism against her - but said she had been the victim of racist threats.

'It has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual,' Gay wrote.

Avi Hasidim prays outside the apartment in which his son, Naor Hasidim, and Naor's girlfriend, Sivan Elkabets, were killed during the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas

Avi Hasidim reads from a book as he visits the apartment in which his son, Naor Hasidim, and Naor's girlfriend, Sivan Elkabets, were killed during the deadly October 7

Avi Hasidim stands outside the apartment in which his son, Naor Hasidim, and Naor's girlfriend, Sivan Elkabets, were killed during the deadly October 7 attack, as he speaks with Anati Elkabets, Sivan's mother, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel January 3, 2024

Avi Hasidim, father of Naor Hasidim, embraces Anati Elkabets, mother of Sivan Elkabets, an Israeli couple who were killed during the deadly October 7 attack, in the apartment in which Naor and Sivan were killed, in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel January 3, 2024

A woman visits the remains of a home that was destroyed during the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas, at Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel January 3, 2024. The words in Hebrew on the wall read 'human remains on the sofa'

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men look at the remains of a burned-out home that was destroyed during the deadly October 7 attack

A sign at the entrance to a burned-out house depicts Ofir Shoshani who was killed during the deadly October 7 terrorist attack

The Harvard Corporation, which serves as the school board, heaped praise on her 'devoted' service and said it had accepted her resignation 'with sorrow', while Jewish groups and alumni like billionaire Bill Ackman embraced the announcement.

She said it had been 'frightening' to find herself the target of threats, and 'distressing' to have her character questioned.

Gay will be replaced by Alan M. Garber, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, who sat behind her at the infamous December 5 hearing, nodding as she made her remarks.

Her six month tenure as president is the shortest in the school's history.

Gay was publicly scorned for her December 5 congressional testimony, where she repeatedly refused to condemn calls for Jew genocide, saying such threats did not count as harassment.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth is now facing growing pressure to resign after the recent departure of Harvard's Claudine Gay.

MIT President Kornbluth is now the only president who testified at the controversial December 6 hearing still in her post.

Magill resigned in early December, following international outcry, including more than 70 lawmakers calling for her resignation.

The former president will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law. The delegation's arrival coincides with the aftermath of President Liz Magill's resignation, which followed her controversial testimony on antisemitism before Congress

Harvard President Claudine Gay at the congressional hearing on antisemitism on campus. Gay resigned in a bitter letter to colleagues and students where she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure on Tuesday

The hearing also saw widely criticized testimony from MIT president Sally Kornbluth. Kornbluth is now facing growing pressure to resign after the recent departure of Harvard's Claudine Gay

In a statement issued following her resignation Magill wrote: 'It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution.

'It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn's vital missions.'

In his own resignation statement Bok defended Magill as a 'good person' who is 'not the slightest bit anti-Semitic' but had made a 'misstep' after 'months of relentless external attacks.'

'Today, following the resignation of the University of Pennsylvania's President and related Board of Trustee meetings, I submitted my resignation as Chair of the University's Board of Trustees, effective immediately,' he said in a statement.

'While I was asked to remain in that role for the remainder of my term in order to help with the presidential transition, I concluded that, for me, now was the right time to depart.'
The United States and 11 international partners on Wednesday demanded an immediate end to attacks on shipping by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

It came hours after the group claimed to have launched an attack on a ship bound for Israel and days after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. helicopters killed Houthis as they tried to attack ships.

'Let our message now be clear: We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews,' said the statement signed by governments of the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

'The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the regions critical waterways.'

The response was developed after President Joe Biden convened his national security team on New Year's Day to discuss the escalation in incidents. And a senior administration official later said the Houthis should not expect a second warning.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said: 'As we've made clear, these actions directly threaten freedom of navigation and global trade and they put innocent lives at risk'

Houthi troopers stand guard during a protest against a multinational operation to safeguard Red Sea shipping and in solidarity with the Palestinian people, in Sana'a, Yemen

The Yemeni rebels are backed by Iran. They have stepped up attacks on international shipping since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians.

'As we've made clear, these actions directly threaten freedom of navigation and global trade and they put innocent lives at risk,' said national security spokesman John Kirby at the White House.

'This joint statement demonstrates the resolve of global partners against these unlawful attacks and underlines our commitment to holding malign actors accountable for their actions.'

He added that a 13th nation, Singapore, had signed on to the statement after its release.

Several shipping companies have halted navigation through the Red Sea as a result of the attacks, and are instead using the longer route around Africa.

Several nations have joined together to launch Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping in the region.

Kirby said he could not rule out the idea that American consumers could see the price of imported good increase.

'Right now, we haven't seen ... an uptick or a specific effect on the US economy,' he said.

'But make no mistake, it is a key international waterway, and it can have an effect on the global economy.'

Seven Houthis were killed at the weekend in a clash with American helicopters, after their boats fired on a Singapore-flagged container ship.

A cargo ship crosses the Suez Canal, one of the most critical human-made waterways, in Ismailia, Egypt on December 29, 2023

The militants been targeting vessels crossing the crucial shipping lane in support of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas

U.S. Central Command said the USS Gravely and USS Laboon responded to the vessel's distress call after it had been hit by a missile on Saturday.

'This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,' CENTCOM said.

Warships responded to a second call the following day as the vessel was attacked by small boats, which got to within about 60 feet.

U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and the Gravely. They first issued warnings but still came under small arms fire.

'The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense,' sinking three of the four boats, continued the statement.

A senior administration official later said that it appeared to be an attempted hijacking or a suicide attack and Biden had been kept up to date in almost real time.

'I would just say that I would not anticipate another warning,' said the official.

'This statement speaks very much for itself. And we have acted defensively. And again, I think is a very clear warning.'

He also said that Saturday's attack was the first time anti-ship ballistic missiles 'have been used anywhere, let alone against commercial ships.'

Members of the U.N. Security Council added their voices to calls for a halt in attacks.

The United States believes the situation has reached an "inflection point," said

Chris Lu, a U.S. representative to the U.N., said the Washington believed the situation had reached an 'inflection point.'

'These attacks pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping and commerce, and they undermine the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen, he said.
Cashed-up Baby Boomers could soon be required to pay more for their aged care.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells has been asked to consider changing means-testing for aged care services to require wealthier Australians to pay more out of their own pocket, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Currently, taxpayers foot a bill of more than $30 billion to support elderly Australians with the cost of aged care.

This is estimated to rise by an eye-watering $29 billion over the next decade, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Cashed-up Baby Boomers could soon be required to pay more for their aged care, a federal government taskforce has advised the government

A report will be published by a federal government taskforce investigating the issue before the end of January, and is expected to recommend consumers increase their contributions to alleviate the pressure on taxpayers while maintaining the high quality of services.

The federal government is expected to respond to its recommendations later in the year, most likely during the May budget.

Daily living fees for those in residential care, currently set at $61 a day, could also be lifted for residents with greater wealth.

Taxpayers currently cover 96 per cent of the total cost of residential aged care, leaving just 4 per cent paid in consumer contributions.

This is largely because existing means tests cap payments at $33,000 a year or $78,500 over a lifetime.

This is all expected to change under the advice of the government taskforce.

Another significant change is the way the family home contributes to means tests, with the current system requiring the maximum value of the home to sit below $198,000.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells has been asked to consider changing means-testing for aged care services to require wealthier Australians to pay more out of their own pocket

Taxpayers currently cover 96 per cent of the total cost of residential aged care, leaving just 4 per cent paid in consumer contributions

The recommendation is not a major shock, after Ms Wells indicated during a National Press Club speech in June that the government expected aged care contributions would need to increase to keep up with quality improvements.

'You have to say that if we're not prepared to accept that cinder-block, linoleum-floor, four-bed room any more, then we need to work out how we're going to pay for it,' she said.

'Plenty of people have said: 'I am prepared to pay for an innovative, excellent model of care - I just can't find it'.'

Ms Wells is expected to formally respond to the taskforce report when it is published in a matter of weeks.

Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston told The Australian last year that the Coalition would consider 'any sensible policy solutions put forward by the Aged Care Taskforce and the government in good faith'.

'Ensuring the sustainability of Australia's aged-care sector is absolutely critical to ensuring future generations have access to the care they need and the care they deserve as they age,' she said.
Donald Trump lawyer Alina Habba says the former president is concerned the U.S. Supreme Court could rule against him on cases that would keep him off state ballots in the 2024 election.

Habba told Fox News that conservatives 'get nervous' and are wary of being seen as 'pro-Trump'  even on the high court where Trump installed three of its nine members during his single term.

She spoke after host Martha McCallum asked if Trump was concerned the court might rule against him despite his role in establishing a conservative supermajority.

Trump's legal team has filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to overturn a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that took him off the ballot there, citing the 14th Amendment's clause on insurrection.

'That's a concern that he's voiced to me, he's voiced to everybody publicly, not privately. I can tell you that his concern is a valid one,' Habba said Wednesday.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba says the former president has voiced concern that the Supreme Court might rule against him on a day his team appealed a Colorado Supreme Court decision that knocked him off the ballot there

'You know, Republicans are conservative. They get nervous. They unfortunately sometimes shy away from being pro-Trump because they feel that even if the law is on our side, they may appear to be swayed much like the Democratic side would do, right?'

'So they're trying to look neutral that sometimes they make the wrong call. I just encourage them to look at the law and the Constitution.'

She said there should be 'no politics' in the decision, it's 'just simply American,' she added.

She was asked about New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's comment on CNN that Trump and his advisors believe he will prevail, but that Trump 'is concerned that they are going to look as if theyre trying not to rule in his favor and might rule against him.'

Habba has been at Trump's side throughout his New York fraud trial

'You know, Republicans are conservative. They get nervous. They unfortunately are sometimes shy away from being pro-Trump,' Habba said

That came even as some Trump critics raised concerns that the rulings in Colorado and Maine could win Trump sympathy while denying voters the chance to determine his fate.

Habba's latest comments came as Trump's lawyers wrote in their appeal that the Colorado ruling, 'if allowed to stand, will mark the first time in the history of the United States that the judiciary has prevented voters from casting ballots for the leading major-party presidential candidate.'

They write that the issue of eligibility is 'properly reserved for Congress, not the state courts, to consider and decide.'

It was not 'insurrection' and President Trump in no way 'engaged' in 'insurrection,' they wrote.

Habba has been at Trump's side throughout his separate New York fraud trial. She was also pictured partying with him at Mar-a-Lago on New Years Eve, including in one image that drew criticism on X for what posters said was a crude attempt at photo-shopping the former president.
An off-duty cop was fatally shot five times over just $83.45 worth of stolen beer after he spotted a car parked in a disabled spot.

Sergeant Philip Dale Nix confronted three robbers stealing from his favorite Sheetz on Sandy Ridge Road in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday.

He was allegedly gunned down by Jamere Justice Foster, 18, and died in the hospital despite the efforts of a second off-duty policeman and a paramedic.

Foster and his alleged accomplices Zquriah Lepearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28, escaped with just 10 cases of Modelo beer.

Sergeant Philip Dale Nix saw the trio robbing a Sheetz on Sandy Ridge Road in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday

All three appeared in court on Tuesday where it was revealed how little reason they had to gun down the off duty officer.

The teenage alleged gunman was charged with felony first-degree murder put his head in his hands when he was told he faced the death penalty.

The court heard Nix was sitting at a table outside the convenience store, where he often came to do his paperwork, and noticed a car in the disabled parking bay.

He watched as Foster and Morrison carried the beer to the car and approached the car, wearing his badge and gun.

Foster allegedly shot Nix five times as the officer walked over to the driver's side of the car, then the trio drove off and left him to die.

Chief John Thompson, Mayor Nancy Vaughn, and dozens of officers helped fill a packed courtroom alongside Nix's widow.

Foster grabbed his head and collapsed into his chair when Judge Tabitha Holiday told him he faced either life in prison or death if convicted.

Neither he nor Blackwell have any criminal record but Morrison has five convictions including two felonies.

Nix was allegedly gunned down by Jamere Justice Foster, 18, (pictured) and died in hospital

Foster's alleged accomplices Zquriah Lepearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28, also faced court on Tuesday.

Blackwell and Morrison each face 19 years and three months in jail if found guilty, with additional charges possible.

Foster was also charged with misdemeanor larceny for stealing $83.45 worth of beer, and with conspiracy to steal 10 cases worth $232.90 with Morrison.

Morrison was charged with misdemeanor larceny, conspiracy and felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and held without bail.

The court heard he helped Foster buy drugs and then escape, telling him to swap out the 'hot' license plates on the car.

Blackwell was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and held on a $500,000 bond.

A warrant for her arrest accused her of helping Foster escape after he allegedly shot Nix, and encouraging him to dispose of the gun and getaway car's license plate.

The court heard she told the other two 'they needed to get out of there because he just killed a cop'. She also allegedly helped Foster sell the stolen beer.

All three were arrested in nearby Winston-Salem, where they lived.

Zquriah Lepearce Blackwell, 18, was charged with felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder

John Walter Morrison, 28, was charged with misdemeanor larceny, conspiracy and felony accessory after the fact to first-degree murder

Capitol Special Police Chief Roy Taylor said when Nix approached the car he wouldn't have expected to be shot over a few cases of beer.

'He saw a young male [and] thought, 'hey here's a teenager stealing some beer. I'm going to go up and identify myself as a sergeant with the Greensboro Police Department and tell them to put it back or I'm calling on-duty officers',' he said.

'He didn't anticipate it being a deadly force situation and him getting shot.

'That's why we tell officers when you're off-duty and you don't have all your equipment and nobody knows where you're at, don't get involved. Be a good witness and wait for on-duty cars to get there.'

Nix had been a policeman for 22 years and was supervisor of the Family Victims Unit when he was killed.

His father is retired police captain Eddie Nix and his uncle is retired Assistant Chief Skip Nix, along with other relatives who were or are police officers.

His brother Dan is a firefighter with the local fire department.

Hundreds of officers lined the highway through four counties as Nix's body was driven home from Raleigh, where an autopsy was performed on his body

'He was a loving husband, father, son and brother with 22 years of service to the department and this community,' Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson said.

'We ask for prayers for the family of the fallen officer and our Greensboro PD family.'

Hundreds of officers lined the highway through four counties as Nix's body was driven home from Raleigh, where an autopsy was performed on his body.

The miles-long procession included a convoy of police cars and motorbikes, and officers from different departments saluting as he passed.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan called the shooting a 'senseless act of violence'.

'I am angry, and I am sad. I think those are feelings that are felt throughout this department and throughout this city,' she said.
She had left the children several times before

They were left in their mother's hot car for nine hours

Darcey-Helen, two, and Chloe-Ann, one, died in 2019

The day after Darcey-Helen Conley was born her mother disappeared from the hospital for hours.

Kerri-Ann Conley's unexplained absences from the maternity ward were repeated when sister Chloe-Ann was born, a court has been told.

Within a few years the girls were dead after being left for nine hours in their mother's car where temperatures reached more than 50C.

An inquest into the deaths from hyperthermia of Darcey-Helen, aged two, and one-year-old Chloe-Ann on November 23, 2019 is set to be held in 2024, the Coroners Court sitting in Brisbane was told on Monday.

Conley was sentenced to nine years behind bars in February after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Darcey-Helen (left), aged two, and one-year-old Chloe-Ann (right) died on November 23, 2019, after spending nine hours in their mother's hot car

Kerri-Ann Conley (pictured with Darcey-Helen) was sentenced to nine years jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter

CCTV cameras show Conley parking at her Waterford West home, south of Brisbane, at 4.05am, leaving the girls in the black Mazda wagon, counsel assisting Simon Hamlyn-Harris said.

At 1.16pm the footage shows Conley finding the girls unresponsive in their car seats.

Police recorded temperatures of over 50C inside the car.

Investigations found Conley was a heavy, regular user of methylamphetamine, with her behaviour putting the girls at significant risk of harm, Mr Hamlyn-Harris said.

They were often left in the car if asleep when Conley arrived home, people would access drugs at the house at all hours and the girls were regularly in the car at night while she engaged in drug-related activities.

She also had a habit of leaving the children with whoever might be at the house, saying she was going to get cigarettes but would be gone for a considerable time, Mr Hamlyn-Harris said.

Hospital staff raised concerns with Child Safety officers when Conley was absent from the maternity ward for long periods from the day after Darcey-Helen was born in May 2017.

The two girls had been left several times by their mother, including in the days after they were born (pictured, Darcey-Helen)

'There were also concerns about her having to be prompted to feed the baby or to change her nappy,' Mr Hamlyn-Harris added.

Darcey-Helen was removed from her mother's care in November 2017 after an anonymous caller reported her daily ice use.

But the child was returned about a month later when Conley agreed to receive support including from Uniting Care.

When Chloe-Ann was born in October 2018 Logan Hospital staff raised concerns with their child protection unit.

'They noted that during (Conley's) admission on the maternity ward, there were multiple occasions when she was absent from the ward for extended periods of time, leaving her baby unattended.'

Child Safety officers were sceptical about the reliability of a report about Conley's drug use and the motivation of the reporter leading to a decision in November 2019 that the threshold for reporting a notification under the child protection law had not been met.

The appropriateness of that decision will be a central issue at the inquest as the girls died 11 days later.

The inquest will determine what Child Safety officers could have done differently (pictured, an officer photographing the car)

State Coroner Terry Ryan will investigate what could have been done differently, and look at better practices to avoid something similar from occurring again.

The inquest will also consider information sharing by police with Child Safety and hear from a psychiatrist about drug usage and parenting.

A five-day inquest hearing is set to be held in Brisbane from April 29.
The swimmer who drowned at a Victorian beach has been identified as an Irish tourist who was visiting his daughter on a 'holiday of a lifetime'.

John Holland, 63, died after becoming caught in a rip at Hutt Gully Beach, south of Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road, at 2.20pm on Monday.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said a 31-year-old female noticed the swimmer was in trouble and swam out to help.

The woman is believed to have been Mr Holland's daughter, Emma.

The 31-year-old had only recently moved to Melbourne and was being visited by her father when the tragic incident unfolded.

John Holland, 63, drowned after being caught in a rip immediately after entering the water at Hutt Gully Beach, south of Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria about 2.20pm on Monday

The grain merchant was on holiday visiting his daughter, Emma, who had only recently moved to Melbourne and has been described as a 'lovely gentleman'

Witnesses told police Mr Holland got into difficulty just before he was pulled from the water.

Local councillor Michael McCarthy told the Geelong Advertiser a big wave was headed for the swimmers and Mr Holland couldn't escape it.

He said the grain merchant's daughter was very lucky to have survived.

Family and friends in Ireland are coming to terms with the devastating loss of the well-known local.

Father O'Gorman, who is the priest from Mr Holland's home village of Ballyragget, in County Kilkenny, paid tribute to his parishioner.

'[He was] a lovely gentleman who would help people out,' he said.

'He seemed so happy, so happy out there with Emma. A holiday of a lifetime but little did we think that wed be bringing him home dead.'

Father O'Gorman said Mr Holland loved his family and always prioritised them.

Tragically, he lost his wife to an illness a little over a year ago in 2022.

16 years ago, two Indian exchange students also drowned at Hutt Gully Beach, Victoria

A Life Saving Victoria spokesman said the tragedy is a reminder for people to always swim at patrolled beaches and to be aware of any swimming limitations they might have.

Sixteen years ago, two Indian exchange students drowned at the same beach after becoming caught in a rip and dragged more than 50m off shore.

The 19-year-old male swimmer was pulled from the water by paramedics but died at the scene and the 22-year-old female's body was found 30m out to sea.
A political consultant has been accused of providing false information about lobbying work on behalf of a wealthy Persian Gulf country during the Trump administration.

Barry Bennett was an adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and the foreign nation was reportedly Qatar.

Federal prosecutors filed two criminal counts against Bennett.

They also indicated the case will be dismissed after he complies with the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement, including the payment of a $100,000 fine.

Barry Bennett, pictured in 2015 when he was Ben Carson for President Campaign Manager

In Justice Department court records unsealed on Tuesday it was alleged that Bennett spearheaded a covert and lucrative lobbying campaign.

It was allegedly aimed at advancing the interests of one country, including by denigrating a rival one.

The nation for whom the work was done is not named in the documents but it matches the description of Qatar,

In 2017, Qatar paid Bennett's company $2.1 million for lobbying work.

According to the Justice Department, Bennett signed a contract that year for his company, Avenue Strategies, to perform lobbying work on behalf of the Qatari embassy.

He also registered with the Justice Department to lobby for the embassy.

But, as part of that strategy, prosecutors said he also covertly operated another company called Yemen Crisis Watch.

US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on 09 July 2019

A plane flies over the marina across the water from the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar on December 24, 2023

It operated a public relations campaign to denigrate one of Qatar's unnamed rivals, and improve Qatar's standing with the U.S. government.

That effort included lobbying Congress and Trump, as well as a social media campaign, publishing opinion articles in newspapers and producing a television documentary, according to prosecutors.

Yemen Crisis Watch urged the public to contact their lawmakers and urge them to "cease supporting" the intervention in Yemen by Qatar's unnamed rival, prosecutors said.

Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were engaged in military operations in Yemen that critics say contributed to a humanitarian crisis.

The case is among several probes by federal law enforcement officials related to Qatar's aggressive influence campaign during the Trump administration.

During that time it was the target of a blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors.
The former boss of the Post Office should consider returning her CBE over the scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted, a Tory minister said today.

Paula Vennells was in charge from 2012 to 2019  part of the period in which more than 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted for theft, fraud and false accounting on the basis of flawed computer data.

Some went to prison, while many lost their homes and life savings trying to repay money wrongly thought missing. Others took their own lives or died before they could get justice.

Postal minister Kevin Hollinrake said as chief executive Mrs Vennells 'ultimately [had] responsibility for what happened'.

'If I was Paula Vennells, I would seriously consider handing that CBE back voluntarily', Mr Hollinrake told Good Morning Britain.

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells (pictured) should consider returning her CBE over the scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted, a Tory minister said

Postal minister Kevin Hollinrake (pictured) said as chief executive Mrs Vennells 'ultimately [had] responsibility for what happened' and should consider handing back her CBE

The scandal, which stemmed from problems with the Horizon IT system developed by Fujitsu of Japan, ran from 1999 to 2015.

Mr Hollinrake said the resultant public inquiry into what has been described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history 'should identify who is responsible'.

The scandal features in a new four-part ITV drama called Mr Bates vs the Post Office, in which Toby Jones portrays Alan Bates, a former subpostmaster who campaigned to expose the truth about glitches in the Horizon system.

Mr Bates last year said he had turned down an OBE in disgust at Mrs Vennells retaining her honour. The 69-year-old told Times Radio the situation was 'diabolical'.

Asked if Mrs Vennells should be allowed to keep the gong, he replied: 'No. That should have been taken off her.'

The scandal features in a new four-part ITV drama called Mr Bates vs the Post Office, in which Toby Jones (pictured left in character) portrays Alan Bates (right), a former subpostmaster who campaigned to expose the truth about glitches in the Horizon system

Support for a petition calling on the Honours Forfeiture Committee to strip Mrs Vennells of her CBE has surged following the broadcast of ITV's drama. It is now close to 20,000 signatures.

Mrs Vennells, an ordained priest and married mother of two, left the Post Office in 2019 with a CBE for services to the organisation as well as to charity  and a 389,000 bonus. She had secured work as an adviser to the Cabinet Office and as chairman of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London.

Mrs Vennells has repeatedly apologised over the scandal, first in 2019 upon the conclusion of a group action against the Post Office.

And last summer she said: 'I remain truly sorry for the suffering caused to wrongly prosecuted subpostmasters and their families.'
Speaker Mike Johnson called the border an 'unmitigated disaster' and blamed President Biden for pushing the crisis to 'breaking point' during a visit to a migrant crossing hotspot in Texas on Wednesday.

His trip to Eagle Pass comes days after it was revealed over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December, the highest total for a month in history.

'The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable. We would describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating,' the speaker said during a press conference with 64 House Republicans.

A group of migrant kids from Venezuela were seen in the river screaming 'help me!' in front of Johnson while he toured the site and delivered remarks.

The speaker went on to say officials have 'no idea how many terrorists have come into the country' and set up cells across the nation.

Johnson also scorched the Biden administration for attacking GOP Gov. Abbott's 'dead level best' efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border - including by bussing migrants out of state to Democrat-run cities and for installing a razor-wire barrier.

'Madness is the only word we can think of to describe this,' he said about the White House's ongoing effort - recently appealed to the Supreme Court - to block border agents from installing the wire fence.

Johnson went on to say officials have 'no idea how many terrorists have come into the country' and set up terrorism cells across the nation, endangering Americans nationwide

Migrants are taken into custody by officials at the Texas-Mexico border during the Republican visit to Eagle Pass

The group, hosted by GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales who represents the area, heard from Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, sheriffs and toured the region. It's the first large-scale congressional delegation to the border in history led by the new speaker.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said earlier Wednesday that Texas is to blame for the southern border crisis as he based Gov. Greg Abbott for not 'coordinating' with other governors and state leaders.

Johnson also hit Democrats in the Senate for not taking up the House-passed H.R. 2 a hardline immigration bill that would among other things, force the Biden administration to resume border wall construction.

The Republicans called on the administration to reinstate the Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' policy and start immediately deporting migrants who entered illegally.

We know what works and it's not 'rocket science,' the speaker insisted.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green called Mayorkas the 'greatest threat to the national security and domestic safety of the American people' during the press conference.

'He has broken his oath to defend this country,' he continued.

Republicans under Green's leadership are moving forward with formally impeaching Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas next week, DailyMail.com confirmed earlier Wednesday.

The House Homeland Security Committee is expected to hold its first impeachment hearing for Mayorkas on Jan. 10.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., posted photos of discarded passports in Eagle Pass from China, Ukraine and other countries.

'Biden & Mayorkas say the border is secure. What do you think?' he added.

The DHS secretary told MSNBC this morning that he would 'most certainly' comply with the committee's impeachment investigation.

But he said he's currently focused on finding 'solution to problems,' including by working with senators to come to a bipartisan solution on border security measures.

Johnson also detailed the two top priorities for House Republicans as they are set to return to D.C. next week.

'We want to get the border closed and secured first, and we want to make sure that we reduce non-defense discretionary spending,' he told reporters.

The House is facing a quickly-approaching deadline of January 19 to come to an agreement on a topline spending number and on border security before some government funding runs out.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, is briefed by Texas Department of Public Safety chief Steve McCraw

Republican members of Congress walk adjacent to the Rio Grande at the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday,

Congress and President Joe Biden also remain locked in a stalemate over funding for the Ukraine.

The speaker was also asked about the 2024 election, to which he responded optimistically: 'I think we're gonna have a Republican president. I think we're going to win the Senate and we're going to expand the majority in the House.'

Republicans have seized upon border security issues as a main 2024 election issue, which has become a political headache for President Joe Biden.

'We gotta do something, they gotta give me the money I need to protect the border,' Biden said upon returning to Washington, D.C., from his Caribbean vacation Tuesday evening.

December's staggering figures also marks the first time migrant encounters have reached over 300,000. In 2020 there were only 400,000 crossings for the whole year.

The Wednesday trip comes the week before Congress is scheduled to return and face not only a multitude of spending deadlines but also to hash out a deal to tighten border security and offer foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.

'This situation requires significant policy changes and House Republicans will continue advocating for real solutions that actually secure our border,' Johnson said.

Concertina wire lines the path as members of Congress tour an area near the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3

Republican members of Congress arrive via bus at a the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024

House Speaker Mike Johnson is leading about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit to the Mexican border.

With the trip, House Republicans are placing the border issue front and center for the start of the new year.

Speaker Johnson wrote on X the Biden administration 'decided to divert the flood of illegal immigrants to another location in order to keep them out of the camera shots' ahead of their visit.

'Don't be fooled, they are still being released into our country,' he continued showing two side-by-side pictures of the Eagle Pass area.

In Eagle Pass the local fire department is under water financially as it is forced to spend an jaw-dropping $21,000 per day on migrant-related emergencies, according to Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello.

'There's not a day where we don't go to the river's edge to transport patients, and the city swallows the cost,' Mello told Fox News. The department has spent $2.2 million answering to migrant-related calls since mid-September. It only had a $6.3 million budget in fiscal year 2023.

Gonzales has said the federal government has not reimbursed Eagle Pass for the costs of the migration surge.

Texas National Guard hold migrants crossing the Rio Grande River to seek humanitarian asylum before crossing the United States border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on January 2, 2024

A migrant man crosses the Rio Grande on January 2, 2024

The group, hosted by GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales who represents the area, will hear from Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety and other stakeholders and tour the region

The migrant onslaught forced the city to shudder rail crossings in December so Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) personnel could be redirected 'to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody.'

In December Johnson sent a letter urging President Biden to use executive powers to immediately stem the flow of migration.

The speaker directed the president to end 'catch-and-release,' turning away any migrants encountered between ports of entry and use parole only on a 'case-by-case basis.'

He also called on the president to reinstated Trump-era policies like building the wall, reinstating the Remain in Mexico program and expanding expedited removal for those who cannot demonstrate asylum eligibility.

Johnson even urged Biden to suspend all immigration - using his authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The provision allows the president to suspend the entry of any foreign citizens for an unspecified amount of time if allowing them in is deemed 'detrimental' to US interests.

Late last month Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to discuss the migration crisis.

And before Christmas the Democratic-led Senate jetted out of town without hammering the details of the sprawling immigration and foreign aid package.

Border agents stopped migrants some 300,000 times at the U.S.-Mexico border in December

Migrants crossing the Rio Grande from Juarez, Mexico, into the US

Migrants cross the Rio Bravo on their way to the United States fence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Biden has asked Congress for $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the assistance without an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border. His request also includes $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security.

Biden and his Democrats have begun to offer major concessions on border security to try and get a deal in place, including raising the standards for asylum-seekers and expanding the president's power to quickly remove migrants who cross the border.

But no deal has been made yet.

Thousands more were set to arrive in the coming days in the form of a massive migrant caravan making its way through Mexico to the southern border. Video and photos show the massive march with families carrying large crosses and their possessions as the trek to the U.S.

Last month Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill making it a criminal offense to enter the state illegally, a move which further allows local law enforcement authorities to detain and deport migrants who cross into Texas.

Local authorities have already been arresting migrants on state misdemeanor charges under Abbott's immigration program Operation Lone Star. The new law is scheduled to go into effect in March.

Abbott has previously ordered a 1,000 foot floating barrier to be installed in Eagle Pass and the placement of razor wire near the Rio Grande to stop migrants from entering once they cross the river, both moves that were blocked in court.

On Tuesday the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene on its behalf after an appeals court blocked it from removing the razor wire while the lower court battle over the wire fence plays out.

Abbott has also bused thousands of migrants to liberal-run cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles.
A Las Vegas judge was pounced on and attacked by a criminal during a hearing after she denied him bail.

Judge Mary Kay Holthus from the Clark County District Court was mid-sentencing when convicted criminal Deobra Delone Redden launched at her on Wednesday morning.

Video footage shows the wild moment Redden leaped out from where he was standing and hopped into the judge's bench to tackle her.

As he throws himself at the shocked judge, Redden is heard saying 'nah f*** that b*tch.'

The marshal along with the judge attempt to dodge the attack, but Redden threw himself on top of both of them and began to brutally beat-up Holthus.

Judge Mary Kay Holthus from the Clark County District Court was mid-sentencing when convicted criminal Delone Redden launched at her on Wednesday morning

Video footage shows the wild moment Redden leaped out from his seat and hopped into the judge's bench to tackle her

In the footage he can be heard repeatedly punching Holthus and screaming at her using explicit language

In the footage he can be heard repeatedly punching Holthus and screaming at her using explicit language, meanwhile security officers attempted to restrain the crazed criminal

In the footage he can be heard repeatedly punching Holthus and screaming at her using explicit language, meanwhile security officers attempted to restrain the crazed criminal.

The female judge can be heard pleading with the criminal and begging him to get off her.

Redden was ironically being sentenced for aggravated battery with substantial bodily harm just before he launched his attack.

Judge Holthus experienced injuries as a result of the assault and her condition is being monitored.

The marshal was also injured and had to be transported to hospital following the brutal attack.

'We commend the heroic acts of her staff, law enforcement, and all others who subdued the defendant,' Las Vegas District Court said in a statement to Channel 13.

The female judge can be heard pleading with the criminal and begging him to get off her

Judge Holthus experienced injuries as a result of the assault and her condition is being monitored

A marshal was also injured and had to be transported to hospital following the brutal attack

Judge Mary Kay Holthus took the department 18 bench in January 2019, after more than 27 years of service with the Clark County District Attorney's Office

'The court remains committed to a safe and secure courthouse and courtrooms.

'We are reviewing all our protocols and will do whatever is necessary to protect the judiciary, the public, and our employees.'

Redden has a criminal history involving charges in both Nevada and Texas.

The 30-year-old has faced charges for battery, robbery, assault, injury to property and coercion, records show.

A judge had previously demanded that Redden undergo a competency determination, he was eventually found to be competent in October.
People are generally very good at telling whether chickens are happy or sad

Chickens have a wide range of emotions ranging from anticipation to anxiety

Can you tell whether a chicken is feeling chirpy or whether it's in a fowl mood?

Far from being bird-brained, scientists say that chickens actually have complex emotional lives.

From fear and depression to excitement and satisfaction, chickens can show a wide range of emotions.

And you don't have to be Dr Dolittle to figure out how they are feeling, as research shows humans are great at listening to our poultry pals.

So whether it's a rapid barrage of clucks or a loud screaming, here's what your chicken's noises really mean.

Scientists say that chickens can display a wide range of emotions from fear and anger to happiness and excitement

What do a chicken's clucks mean? Rapid barrage of clucks: This is the fast cluck and shows that they are anticipating food High-pitched staccato clucks: This is the food call, it shows that the chicken is excited High-pitched whine: This can show that the chicken is disappointed or distressed Grakel: This long, low call is a sign of distress, frustration, or disappointment Loud screaming: A sign of fear and panic at a predator approaching Singing sounds: This shows the chicken is very content Advertisement

Researchers from the University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science found that chickens produce distinct calls depending on whether they are happy or sad.

The scientists recorded the calls of chickens who heard a sound cue and were given a reward, as well as those who heard the cue but got no reward.

When the chickens anticipated receiving a treat they made two different types of call: a barrage of noise called the 'fast cluck' and the high-pitched 'food call'.

Anticipation and curiosity are key emotions for chickens, which like to spend most of their days scratching and foraging for food.

Professor Christine Nicol of the Royal Veterinary College, an expert in chicken behaviour says that chickens appear to seek out this feeling of anticipation.

Speaking to Backyard Poultry, she said: 'Even when given easily accessible feed, they prefer to scratch and examine the dirt and wander off in quest.

'The actual activity of foraging seems to be rewarding in itself.'

Professor Nicol adds that 'chickens trained to associate a sound with imminent delivery of mealworms became more alert and displayed more preening and wing flapping.'

You don't need to be Dr Dolittle to speak chicken as research shows that most people can already tell when chickens are happy or sad

Conversely, the same study found that when chickens were disappointed at the absence of a treat they responded with high-pitched whines and a low, wavering call called a 'gakel'.

Professor Nicol explains that chickens are capable of feeling frustration when they can't access a resource they need.

This can lead to chickens venting through other irrelevant behaviours in a process called 'displacement'.

For example, a chicken who hasn't been able to have a dust bath may go through the motions of bathing or spend a long time searching.

Professor Nicol even says that chickens can become anxious and make lots of distress calls, or become depressed and give up on calling at all.

However, if all this talk of food calls and gakels sounds difficult to understand, there is no need to worry.

The researchers found that 69 per cent of 200 volunteers were able to tell whether a chicken was happy or disappointed based on a recording of the cluck alone.

But excitement and disappointment are far from the only emotions that chickens are capable of expressing.

Professor Adrian David Cheok, a researcher from the University of Tokyo, created an AI that was able to discern several emotional states in chickens.

By training an AI on 100 hours of chicken sounds the algorithm learned to identify hunger, fear, anger, contentment, excitement, and distress.

Chickens will release a fast barrage of clucks or a high-pitch staccato cluck when they are anticipating receiving food

Previous research has produced an even more fine analysis of chicken's emotional communication.

Nicholas and Elsie Collias, both at the University of California identified 24 distinct chicken sounds, each with a different purpose.

These range from the 'singing' or 'quacking' of the contentment call to the whining moan of 'mild disturbance'.

Calls of fear and distress in particular are very varied.

Male chickens will produce different alarm calls depending on whether an aerial or ground-based predator is approaching, and how fast it is moving.

Research has even found that chickens display empathy or 'emotional contagion' when observing the distress of others.

Researchers from the University of Bristol discovered that when chicks were disturbed with a puff of air, their mothers would display signs of distress.

They observed that the hens displayed increased heart rate and decreased eye temperature as well as increased alertness, decreased preening and increased vocalisations directed to their chicks.
A 'robot whisperer' has used her art skills to train a new generation of painters - AI-powered robot dogs.

Agnieszka Pilat spent months teaching three four-legged machines developed by Boston Dynamics to hold a paintbrush in their 'mouths' and move them across a large canvas, turning the paint into abstract shapes.

Pilat, from Poland, recently opened a new exhibit titled 'Heterobota' featuring 36 autonomous paintings that resemble human artworks.

The robots created artworks inspired by artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat's angular style of artwork and Cy Twombly's calligraphy-driven paintings - and some have sold for up to $40,000 at auction.

Pilat is an in-residence artist for SpaceX and works with the industrial design team to create paintings focused on the company's mission to promote space exploration.

Agnieszka Pilat's robot dogs, Basia, Bunny (pictured above), and Vanya's paintings are featured at an exhibit in Australia

The robot dogs are trained using AI to hold a paintbrush and independently create works of art

SpaceX has no official artist-in-residence program, but Pilat said she wanted to work with the company to 'give technology a voice.'

'It took a bit of convincing, finding the right connections, and presenting a vision that aligned with a space exploration mission,' she told Business Insider.

Pilat sold one of the custom robodog paintings in 2022 for $40,000 at a charity auction for Ukrainian dogs.

And another at Sotheby's in 2021 for $31,500.

Three spots named Basia, Omuzana 'Vanya,' and Bunny began their four-month residency at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne, Australia last month. The exhibit will run through April 7.

NGV's exhibition space has cubes with QR codes telling the robot dogs where they are in the room while they're painting.

And there is also a special place inside the museum for the three robodogs to 'sleep' and recharge.

'As for the order in which they work and the content of the message, that's all machine-generated, and I don't control or supervise it,' Pilat told Business Insider.

Victor Pasmore created this painting called Abstract in Black, White and Ochre in 1958

This painting was created by the Spot robot dogs

Although Pilat works with the robots daily, she told The Guardian that she still doesn't fully understand them, so she works with Boston Dynamics engineers to shape the robot dogs' personalities.

Together, Pilat and the engineers use AI, software, and machine learning to train the robots and even use Basia as a surrogate pet, frequently taking it for walks around New York.

Basia is the 'serious one,' Pilat told The Guardian, adding that the robot dog will paint about one canvas every three days, while Vanya is the 'mother of the group' and paces around the studio.

Meanwhile, Bunny's vanity often wins out, and it will continuously pose in front of a wall designed for selfies.

This painting was created by the Spot robot dogs

Canadian artist William Ronald created this untitled painting in 1953

Pilat said she always wanted to work with artificial intelligence to create a new genre of artwork that she hopes will be looked at in years to come through the same lens that historians look at cave drawings.

'I like to think of these paintings as possibly ancient scrolls or cave drawings,' Pilat told Business Insider.

'We might be witnessing the birth of a new civilization and, with it, a new language; perhaps the first attempt at communication,' she added.

It took Pilat four months to work with the robot dogs, but she has previously said the mechanical Picassos were not intended to replace human creators.

That is because their artwork is more comparable to a kindergartener learning to draw, adding that there is 'a sense of spontaneity and playfulness in the paintings,' she said.

Turkey-born artist Mutlu Ertac created this painting titled Yellow on Black Painting

This painting was created by the Spot robot dogs

Regarding her experience with the robot dogs, Pilat said on her website: 'Working in close contact with a robot gives the impression of an encounter with another mind; it seems that the robot has agency.'

She continued: 'This experience contradicts expectations about machines operating reliably and predictably.

'When a robot fails at a task repeatedly, a human observer may even feel a pang of empathy.

'That has been my experience with Digit and Spot. Paradoxically, they have taught me about humanity.'

Growing up in odz, Poland, Pilat said listening to Radio Free Europe with a group of adults in a locked room gave her a unique appreciation of technology that others may not have.

'Technology was giving us hope, to my parents,' Pilat told The Guardian.

'I truly feel technology has always been there for me. And now there's lots of unease towards technology, I feel a debt to repay my old friend.'

Dailymail.com reached out to Pilat and the National Gallery of Victoria for comment.
It was one of the greatest scientific hoaxes of the 20th century.

And now the face of the Piltdown Man has been reconstructed for the first time.

The Piltdown Man was widely believed to be the missing link in human evolution, after its remains were discovered back in 1912.

But the specimens were found to be fake, created by combining the remains of humans with those of an orang-utan.

Now, a reconstruction has thrown an additional spanner in the works, as scientists say the Piltdown Man may have been female.

It was one of the greatest scientific hoaxes of the 20th century. And now the face of the Piltdown Man has been reconstructed for the first time

The Piltdown Man was widely believed to be the missing link in human evolution, after its remains were discovered back in 1912

But the specimens were found to be fake, created by combining the remains of humans with those of an orang-utan

The Piltdown Man: One of the greatest scientific hoaxes of the 20th century In 1912, the remains of a new human ancestor that lived up to 500,000 years ago was unveiled to the world at a packed meeting of the Geological Society in London. With an ape-like mandible containing two worn molar teeth and parts of a human-like braincase, it appeared to bridge the evolutionary gap between apes and modern humans. Primitive stone tools and animal fossil fragments were found alongside the supposed human fossil. They were all stained a dark red like the gravel they were found in. The human species was named Eoanthropus dawsonii, or 'Dawson's Dawn Man', after the man who claimed to have found it, Charles Dawson. It took nearly 50 years before the specimens were found to be a fake, created by combining the remains of humans with those of an orang-utan. Advertisement

In 1912, the remains of a new human ancestor that lived up to 500,000 years ago was unveiled to the world at a packed meeting of the Geological Society in London.

With an ape-like mandible containing two worn molar teeth and parts of a human-like braincase, it appeared to bridge the evolutionary gap between apes and modern humans.

Primitive stone tools and animal fossil fragments were found alongside the supposed human fossil.

They were all stained a dark red like the gravel they were found in.

The human species was named Eoanthropus dawsonii, or 'Dawson's Dawn Man', after the man who claimed to have found it, Charles Dawson.

It took nearly 50 years before the specimens were found to be a fake, created by combining the remains of humans with those of an orang-utan.

Now, researchers have presented a digital reconstruction of the fake human ancestor.

The team of archaeologists, and forensic expert and 3D illustrator Cicero Moraes, composed a model to replicate the specimen presented by Charles Dawson.

The researchers were able to reference a November 1953 Time magazine article which published evidence demonstrating that the Man was a composite of the three distinct species.

Cicero Moraes illustration mirrors the expose by incorporating a human skull of medieval age, the 500-year-old lower jaw of an orangutan and chimpanzee fossil teeth.

The team of archaeologists, and forensic expert and 3D illustrator Cicero Moraes, composed a model to replicate the specimen presented by Charles Dawson

With an ape-like mandible containing two worn molar teeth and parts of a human-like braincase, it appeared to bridge the evolutionary gap between apes and modern humans

The researchers also shed doubt on what gender the specimen would be prove to be.

They wrote: 'Furthermore, it highlighted the potential for the jaw of a female orangutan to have been used as a basis in the fossil forgery process.

'Combining this with the delicate aspects of the skull, it presents the possibility that it is, in fact, not a man, but a Piltdown Woman.'

While several culprits have been put forward to blame for the Piltdown Man, scientists tend to lay the blame on Charles Dawson, the amateur archaeologist and solicitor who first found the bones.

They say the bones and teeth used to create the specimens appear to have come from just a single orangutan and two or human skeletons, that were possibly medieval in origin.

While several culprits have been put forward to blame for the Piltdown Man, scientists tend to lay the blame on Charles Dawson, the amateur archaeologist and solicitor who first found the bones

Scans of the bones reveal the same dental putty was used throughout the specimens to reconstruct the human bones and to piece orangutan remains onto them

Scans of the bones reveal the same dental putty was used throughout the specimens to reconstruct the human bones and to piece orangutan remains onto them.

The putty was also used to load the bones and teeth with gravel from Piltdown to make them look more authentic.

Dr Isabelle De Groote, an expert in human evolution at Liverpool John Moores University who led a 2016 study on the Piltdown Man, said: 'Although multiple individuals have been accused of producing the fake fossils, our analyses to understand the modus operandi show consistency between all the different specimens and on both sites.
A tech expert has warned that new advances in AI-powered technology will lead to an 'explosion' in cybercrime in 2024.

Shawn Henry, the chief security officer for CrowdStrike, recently shared how cybercriminals can use AI to sneak through individuals' cybersecurity defenses, spread misinformation, or infiltrate corporate networks.

Cybercriminals can use AI to mislead people into believing false narratives during the election season and potentially giving up sensitive information, said the retired executive assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The cybersecurity veteran's warning comes when AI has been given more jobs than ever, including in the US federal and state governments.

Twenty-seven departments of the US federal government have deployed AI in some way, and many states have, too.

In Texas, for example, more than one-third of the state's agencies have delegated essential duties to AI, including answering people's questions about unemployment benefits. Ohio, Utah, and other states are deploying AI technology, too.

As AI becomes more powerful, cybercriminals have more tools to break through security protections or mislead the public

With AI deployed in so many government and public service areas, experts fear that these technologies could be victims of bias, loss of control of the technology, or privacy breaches.

'This is a major concern for everybody,' Henry said on CBS Mornings. 'AI has really put this tremendously powerful tool in the hands of the average person, and it has made them incredibly more capable.'

In October, FBI director Chris Wray warned that AI is currently most dangerous when it can take low-level cybercriminals to the next level.

But soon, he predicted, it will give those who are already experts an unprecedented boost, making them more dangerous than ever.

One example, according to Henry, is the creation of AI-generated audio and video 'that are incredibly believable and that have people looking at something, seeing something, believing that it's true, when in fact it's been manufactured - often by a foreign government.'

Rival governments could use these AI tools to spread misinformation in order to undermine democratic institutions and achieve other foreign policy aims, cybersecurity experts have claimed.

Deepfake videos can create convincing copies of public figures, including celebrities and politicians, but the casual viewer may not be able to tell

It's important to look carefully when confronted with information from unfamiliar places on the internet, as it could be someone attempting to mislead you or steal your personal information, said Henry.

'You've got to verify where it came from,' he said. 'Who's telling the story, what is their motivation, and can you verify it through multiple sources?'

'It's incredibly difficult because people - when they're using video - they've got 15 or 20 seconds, they don't have the time or often don't make an effort to go source that data and that's trouble.'

The threat is not always foreign.

One out of three Texan state agencies were using some form of AI in 2022, the most recent year for which these data are available, according to the Texas Tribune.

Ohio's employment officials have deployed AI to predict fraud in unemployment insurance claims, and Utah is using AI to track livestock.

At the national level, 27 different federal departments are already using AI.

According to its web page on AI, the US Department of Education uses a chatbot to answer financial aid questions and a workflow bot to manage back-office administrative schedules.

Even more processes have been automated at the Department of Commerce: fisheries monitoring, export market research, and business-to-business matchmaking are just a few of the jobs that have been partly assigned to AI.

The State Department has listed 37 current AI roles on its website, including deepfake detection, behavioral analytics for online surveys, and automated damage assessments.

Government and public services are major areas of AI growth, according to business consulting firm Deloitte.

However, a significant obstacle to the technology is that government agencies need to meet a high bar for technology security.

'Given their responsibility to support the public in an equitable manner, public services organizations tend to face high standards when responding to fundamental AI issues such as trust, safety, morality, and fairness,' the company said.

'In the face of these challenges, many government agencies are making a strong effort to harness the power of AI while cautiously navigating through this maze of legal and ethical considerations.'
A Delaware woman is alive after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning thanks to the SOS feature on her Apple Watch.

Natalie Nasatka was at home on December 29 when she started to feel dizzy, and her vision became blurry - but a quick reaction likely saved her life.

That morning, she woke up at 8 a.m. and when she started feeling tired she canceled her appointments and fell asleep on the couch.

When she woke up at noon, her symptoms had increased and she felt weak, dizzy, short of breath and her vision was going in and out.

She dragged herself to bed and felt like she was losing consciousness and said she guessed it was carbon monoxide poisoning because of the symptoms.

She reached for the side button on her Apple Watch to contact emergency services right before she lost consciousness.

Natalie Nasatka used her Apple Watch to contact emergency personnel when she became dizzy and weak at her Smyrna, Delaware home

Nasatka activated the SOS feature which at first, presents an Emergency Call slider for the user to activate, but after a countdown, the watch automatically dialed 911 and sent a text message with the persons location to every emergency contact in the phone.

'My survival instincts kicked in when I was at my weakest,' Nasatka told Dailymail.com, adding that firefighters and emergency responders rushed to Nasatka's Smyrna, Delaware home where they found her passed out in her bed.

They pulled her from her bed to the waiting ambulance and revived her with oxygen before taking her to a nearby hospital to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning - and she was back home with her cat on New Year's Day.

'I felt an eerie feeling of quickly falling asleep, and a wave of terror swept over me,' Nasatka said.

'I used the SOS feature on my Apple Watch to connect with 911 dispatch. I told them that it was possibly CO poisoning and that I was too weak to move to get out of the house,' she said, adding that she lost consciousness immediately after.

Nasatka said she regained consciousness when she heard firefighters rushing into the apartment and started crying and saying 'I want to live.'

The SOS feature immediately contacts 911 and sends your location to your emergency contacts

Her cat, Mary Kate, was hiding in an upstairs room, so first responders opened a window for fresh air and closed the bedroom door.

Nasatka spent nearly 24 hours at Bayhealth Kent Campus hospital and was given a continuous flow of oxygen and a CT Scan to assess for brain damage.

She said the CT scan showed her brain was fine but she still suffers from heart palpitations, heartburn, shortness of breath, insomnia, and lethargy.

Nasatka said she believed the gas leak came from the heater and said she didnt have a CO detector at the time of the incident.

She said when the firefighters arrived she heard them say the monitor read 80 parts per million in the apartment, and her blood was 33 percent carbon monoxide.

The building maintenance had replaced her heater the month before but Nasatka said she had problems with it the entire month and 'building maintenance has yet to explain why they did not make sure that it was working properly.'

Natalie Nasatka was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at a nearby hospital for nearly 24 hours

Carbon monoxide poisoning kills at least 420 people in the U.S. every year and more than 100,000 people are rushed to the emergency room from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These numbers are at their highest in the winter when home heating systems run continuously and if not properly maintained, can produce fumes released by furnaces, kerosene heaters, gas rangers, portable generators, and more.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, chest pain, and confusion, but people who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO2 poisoning before they ever encounter symptoms.

Nasatka said she is telling her story so that everyone who reads this gets a Carbon Monoxide detector, along with smoke detectors, and any other simple devices designed to alert us to danger.'

The CDC suggests changing the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector every six months, servicing your heating system, water heater, and any other gas appliances yearly, and not leaving your vehicle running in an enclosed space.
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Food is often one of the most exciting parts of going on holiday, especially when it's something you can't find back home.

But what are the must-try dishes, snacks and drinks travellers need to tick off?

Look no further than this fascinating world map - and accompanying regional maps - which unveil every country's must-try local delicacy.

They were drawn up by travel insurance company InsureandGo, with the No.1 dish in each country established by analysing TikTok videos containing hashtags for over 2,600 delicacies in 177 countries. The number of views associated with each hashtag was tallied to produce a ranking.

Overall in the UK it's fish and chips that reigns supreme, while the hot dog is No.1 in America, pavlova is the bucket-list dish in Australia and beaver tails is top in Canada. They're not, incidentally, made from the tails of beavers. They're deep-fried-dough snacks coated in sugar that resemble beaver tails.

What are the must-try dishes, snacks and drinks travellers need to tick off? A series of fascinating maps reveals all. They unveil every country's must-try local delicacy

In Spain, visitors must make sure they try a snack of fried pork belly called chicharron, while in Ireland it's coddle - a potato and sausage stew  that visitors should sample.

The vital snack in Germany is a thin slice of meat (often veal or pork) called the schnitzel. Neighbouring France's speciality? Snails, or escargot.

In Taiwan, the trending sensation is bubble tea, which InsureandGo describes as 'a globally adored tea-based beverage featuring chewy tapioca pearls'. The firm adds: 'Taiwan crafted the refreshing drink in the early '80s, and since then it has reigned supreme as a must-try delicacy in the country.'

While many of the most popular main dishes across the globe are meat-centric, the study says, there are still 'tantalising vegetarian options worldwide', such as Malaysia's nasi lemak, a rice dish cooked in coconut milk, and pad Thai, which 'reigns supreme as the quintessential Thai street food' and is often served vegetarian.

Overall in the UK it's fish and chips that reigns supreme. In Spain, visitors must make sure they try a snack of fried pork belly called chicharron, while in Ireland it's coddle - a potato and sausage stew  that visitors should sample

Globally, it's savoury dishes that dominate the list of must-try foods in each country, the study notes, with sweet treats only coming out on top in 38 locations.

The dessert selections that do make the rankings, however, 'offer a gastronomic paradise for those with a sweet tooth'.

InsureandGo says: 'From crema catalana in Andorra, a silky custard dessert with a crystalised sugar topping, to paneer balls soaked in a thickened sweetened milk known as rasmalai in Pakistan, there are plenty of options for travellers seeking sweet indulgences.'

The hot dog is No.1 in America and beaver tails is top in Canada. They're not, incidentally, made from the tails of beavers

Pavlova is the bucket-list dish in Australia, while whitebait fritters is top in New Zealand

The series of maps includes a breakdown of the most popular regional dishes in the UK.

In Scotland, it is not a dish but a drink that makes the top of the must-try delicacies list.

Scottish Irn-Bru is a vibrant orange soft drink cherished for its distinct flavour, that also boasts 183million TikTok views.

The No.1 dish in each country was established by analysing TikTok videos containing hashtags for over 2,600 delicacies in 177 countries. The number of views associated with each hashtag was tallied to produce a ranking

While many of the most popular main dishes across the globe are meat-centric, the study says, there are still 'tantalising vegetarian options worldwide'

Moving south, London's classic bangers and mash clocks in at 48.5million TikTok views, making the comforting dish of sausages, creamy mashed potatoes, and rich onion gravy the must-try dish in the capital, says InsureandGo.

In the West Midlands, however, it's a tangy condiment that's No.1 - Worcestershire Sauce.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, in Yorkshire and the Humber, it's the beloved Yorkshire pudding that takes centre stage with over 256million TikTok views. The fluffy delight that often goes with traditional Sunday roasts 'represents a unique slice of British gastronomy both shared and celebrated on TikTok', says InsureandGo.

Chris Rolland, CEO at InsureandGo, says: 'As TikTok continues to shape both global travel and food trends, it's fascinating to see how dishes from across the world have captured the hearts and appetites of people everywhere'

The series of maps includes a breakdown of the most popular regional dishes in the UK

The study also produced a breakdown of the top delicacy in every U.S state, with shrimp cocktail top in Nevada, fried pickles No.1 in Arkansas, avocado toast the must-try in California and the classic key lime pie Florida's pick of the culinary bunch.

According to the study, the top must-try dish of all time is ramen. It's No.1 in Japan, but also top globally in terms of overall views, says InsureandGo, revealing that 'videos of steaming bowls of noodles and broth [have clocked up] over 16billion views on TikTok'.

In second place is the USA's hot dog, with 10.2billion views, followed by churrasco (Brazil, 8.3billion) and bubble tea in fourth (Taiwan, 8.1billion).

The study produced a breakdown of the top delicacy in every U.S state, with shrimp cocktail top in Nevada, fried pickles No.1 in Arkansas , avocado toast the must-try in California and the classic key lime pie Florida 's pick of the culinary bunch

The top five is rounded out by bakso, an Indonesian meatball dish that has clocked up 5.6billion views.

Chris Rolland, CEO at InsureandGo, adds: 'As TikTok continues to shape both global travel and food trends, it's fascinating to see how dishes from across the world have captured the hearts and appetites of people everywhere. From tamales in Mexico to stroopwafels in the Netherlands, every trip abroad is a culinary adventure waiting to happen.

'While exploring new cuisines and flavours is undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts of any trip, it's important to be wise when it comes to what you consume while travelling. Contaminated food or drinks are the most common cause of travel-related illness, so being knowledgeable about food safety before you jet off is incredibly important.

'Check if you can drink the tap water in the country you are visiting, be mindful of general food hygiene and be sure to always wash your hands before handling or consuming food. Make sure you have travel insurance, so you can indulge in those unique flavours and dishes with the peace of mind that you're protected in case of any unexpected situations.'

The full findings and further information on the must-try foods in each country and continent can be found here: www.insureandgo.com/blog/press-releases/every-countrys-must-try-local-delicacy.
A TikToker revealed the three largest airports in the world, the biggest being the same size as New York City.

According to @dtvaldez353, the biggest airport is King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia.

King Fahd International Airport spans 'an unbelievable 301.5 square miles' 'eight times the size of Paris.'

The other two airports @dtvaldez353 discussed in the TikTok video are Denver International Airport in Colorado and iGA Istanbul Airport in Turkey.

A TikToker revealed that the biggest airport in the world is King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. It is known to be the same size as New York City

The airport is named after King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - the country's fifth monarch

37 airlines are offered at the airport that can take passengers to 43 different destinations worldwide

Also known as Dammam International Airport, King Fahd International Airport is named after King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The airport website indicates that the location 'serves as the gateway to a region with a population of over four million people.'

37 airlines are offered at the airport that can take passengers to 43 different destinations worldwide.

It helps more than ten million passengers a year and fliers can get to the airport by car, taxi, or bus.

King Fahd International Airport also provides VIP services like airport transfer with special vehicles and lounges.

There are two VIP lounges: Tashrefat and Tanfeethi.

The Tashrefat offers meet and greet services for passengers looking for assistance in baggage drop off and expedited security and immigration procedures.

Tangfeethi, or The Executive Office, is lounge exclusively for passengers traveling to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

King Fahd International Airport also provides VIP services like airport transfer with special vehicles and lounges named the Tashrefat and Tanfeethi

Denver International is not the size of King Fahd International Airport, but the size is a whopping 53 square miles according to Metro Denver EDC.

Other than airlines, the airport offers six floors full of amenities like restaurants, shops, and car rentals.

A unique feature about Denver International Airport is the peaked roof at the Jeppesen Terminal.

The roof was designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects to reflect the snowy mountains in Colorado.

The roof's shape was also designed to honor the history of Colorado when Native Americans teepees were located in the Great Plains.

iGA Istanbul Airport (iGA) in Turkey may sound like the largest airport since it offers flights to 315 destinations worldwide with a choice of 101 airlines.

However, the 'international hub' just over 21 miles away from Istanbul City Centre Turkey is only nearly 30 square miles.

iGA is home to several restaurants, and even includes art galleries, 44 prayer rooms, and a main terminal building measuring 1.37 million square meters.

The airport has welcomed more than 250 million passengers since its opening and once construction to iGA is complete, the location will offer flights to more than 350 destinations.

Denver International Airport is 53 square miles and has a roof at the Jeppesen Terminal designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects to reflect the snowy mountains in Colorado

Denver International International Airport also has a variety of theories that it is also the home for underground bankers and extraterrestrial activity

iGA Istanbul Airport (iGA) in Turkey offers flights to 315 destinations worldwide, and also includes retail stores, art galleries, and prayer rooms

Several TikTok users aren't pleased with the video despite the facts about each airport.

@dtvaldez353 stated that Istanbul was the third largest airport in the world.

A TikToker commented that Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia is actually the third biggest, and according to AFAR magazine, the user's correction is correct.

The Malaysian airport is 39 square miles, which is almost ten more than Istanbul International.

Another airport that was brought by users was the Beijing Daxing International Airport in China, which some suggested was bigger than all airports mentioned.

The South China Morning Post reported otherwise, stating that the airport is only 18 square miles, but has the biggest terminal in the world.

The TikTok user received negative reviews for his video due what many consider errors in the largest airports

Other TikTokers wrote about their own experiences at other airports in Amsterdam and Atlanta.

'Atlanta Georgia airport is huge,' wrote a TikTok user.

'Amsterdam Schiphol Airport really shocked me how HUGE it is,' wrote another TikToker.

'It took 40 minutes to walk at full hilt between connecting flight gates, and they were not even that far from each other on the map.'
The LA-based woman encouraged everyone of all sizes to travel as they wish

She said fellow passengers have complained she's sat next to them in the past

Saibra Noel, 32, loves to travel - but sometimes struggles as a plus-sized woman

When Saibra Noel boards a plane she has to endure the stares of her fellow passengers - revealing she's even had some of her fellow travelers complain to flight attendants after finding out she was their seatmate.

The plus-size traveler often shares travel hacks, recommendations and vlogs her journey on TikTok, but she also documents some of her confronting experiences.

The 32-year-old admitted while she loves to see the world, it can be difficult to travel with a bigger body  particularly when flying in tiny seats.

According to Saibra, she's had other passengers calling the flight attendant when she has been seated next to them and has had an onslaught of cruel taunts online over her size.

Pus-size traveler Saibra Noel often shares travel hacks, recommendations and vlogs her journey on TikTok

Saibra even saying she's even had some passengers call a flight attendant over her size, and now books two seats when she flies economy

'My travel experience looks a bit different than someone who doesn't live in a larger body,' the Los Angeles jet-setter told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

'I require certain accommodations for safe and comfortable travels,' the keen traveler continued, adding she now just wants to get from 'point A to B safely and comfortably.'

'At this point in my life, I don't feel any type of way about asking for a seat belt extender or needing an extra seat,' she explained.

The frequent flyer added she had the same right to be on a plane as everybody else.

'An airline's decision to pack us in there like sardines is not a reason for me to feel bad about not fitting within those arbitrary lines,' she argued.

Although she's confident now, Saibra admitted she hadn't always been confident to ask for extra space on her trips.

'We are conditioned to feel bad about not fitting into those spaces so of course my self-esteem took a hit initially,' she reflected.

'I have had people call the flight attendant at the horror of discovering I was their seatmate. They always worked it out and I was never kicked off the plane.'

Although she's confident now, Saibra admitted she hadn't always been confident to ask for extra space on her trips

The 32-year-old admitted while she loves to see the world, it can be difficult to travel with a bigger body  particularly when flying in tiny seats

The frequent flyer added she had the same right to be on a plane as any other passenger

Saibra recalled the first time she flew with some extra space, saying she had tipped a member of the airline staff and they offered to give her extra space for her comfort.

'I still think that is the nicest way anyone has ever called me fat but I was very conflicted about whether I should be offended or not,' she admitted.

'However, with this policy I got to pre-board and, for the first time in a while, the anxiety I would get every time I travelled was gone.'

The content creator said with the extra space, some of her worries had been eased and she had less to stress about.

'I no longer had to worry about someone trying to get me kicked off the plane because my leg touched theirs,' she pointed out.

'That was a relief and I never looked back.'

Saibra has also become more confident in standing up for herself and what she needs.

'If anything, every time I ask for the customer of size policy and for a seat belt extender, I am proud of myself for no longer feeling embarrassed and being able to advocate for myself,' she acknowledged.

Now when she flies, Saibra books two seats when she flies economy.

As she documents her experience as a plus-sized traveler online, she often has to deal with hateful comments - but she's determined to not let trolls stop her from planning trips.

The avid TikTok creator has plans to make her way to South America, Rio, Australia, and Antarctica

The content creator urges people to 'not let fear or embarrassment keep you from traveling'

One post which went viral with almost 20,000 views has gained hundreds of likes and comments from social media users

In a clip shared to TikTok, which has almost 20,000 views, Saibra filmed herself sitting in her seat on the aircraft, captioning the video: 'POV: You get an extra seat on the plane.'

The post has gained hundreds of likes and comments from social media users.

'That should be a wake up call,' one user admonished.

'You gotta fly on a cargo plane,' another user taunted.

Someone else wrote: 'It's not something to be proud of.'

Whereas other users were supportive of Saibra, with one user declaring her an 'icon.'

Another wrote: 'I loooove this!'

The TikTok creator has plans to make her way to South America, Rio, Australia, and Antarctica, urging people to 'not let fear or embarrassment keep you from traveling.'

'If that is something you want, go do it,' she encouraged.

'If you need a seat belt extender, ask for it. If you need an extra seat, get it.

'Unlearn the shame the world has made you feel for needing those accommodations because it is holding you back from the desires of your heart.

'You are worthy of travel at whatever weight you are right now!'

The content creator said with the extra space on planes, she had less to stress about

Saibra encourages everyone to travel, saying: 'I am proud of myself for no longer feeling embarrassed and being able to advocate for myself'

Saibra's words come as a recent change was made by Southwest Airlines, which allows obese passengers to get free extra seats.

The policy states that customers who 'encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat(s)' may purchase however many extra seats they need, which will then be refunded at check-in.

The change has provoked mixed feedback among customers.

While some body-positive customers have praised the policy for allowing those with obesity to travel more easily, critics say it's 'pandering' to very overweight people - and gives them an unfair advantage.

On social media, many have pointed out that free space is not available to customers who are very tall and need extra legroom, those traveling with medical equipment or are wheelchair user.

Some customers have criticized Southwest Airlines for the 'ridiculous' policy, arguing it gives overweight passengers free seats to accommodate their size.
Have you ever travelled somewhere that didn't live up to your expectations?

Well, a stream of travellers have been sharing their most overrated travel destinations in a Reddit thread in a bid to offload some of their disappointment.

So far, Dubai ranks highest in the chat, with some users deeming it 'deplorable' and 'materialistic.'

One user, who got more than 100 upvotes for their comment, wrote: 'I just don't understand the appeal. Unless spending the entire time in an overpriced shopping mall sounds appealing, I just don't get it.'

Travellers have been sharing their most overrated travel destinations on Reddit. So far, Dubai ranks highest in the chat, with some users deeming it 'deplorable'

Another destination that has sparked a debate among Redditors is Niagara Falls, New York

Travelers' most overrated holiday destinations Dubai: 'Materialistic' Niagara Falls, New York: 'Sad, decaying town' Walt Disney World: 'Overpriced; Jamaica: 'Sketchy' Los Angeles: 'Touristy' Egypt: 'Aggressive street sellers' Santorini: 'Overcrowded' Miami: 'All about appearances and money' Advertisement

Another Reddit user mused: 'I lived there in the 70s during the civil war.

'It was a beautiful place with nomadic tribes and culture. Now it's a shopping hell hole.'

However, some commenters spoke out in defence of the city.

One fan of the metropolis said: 'Dubai gets s*** on harder than any other travel destination on Reddit (maybe with the exception of Cairo).

'It's always at or near the top of threads like these. Honestly though? I thought it was completely fine.

'It's one of those places where you have to have the appropriate expectations. Dubai is NOT the place to go if you're interested in culture and history.

'But it can be a fun destination if you want to go dune bashing, sit on a beach, or if you're into futuristic-looking architecture.'

Another destination that has sparked a debate among Redditors is Niagara Falls, New York.

Walt Disney World in Florida was another spot that had Redditors riled up, with many complaining about it being overcrowded and expensive

Another barrage of complaints focused on the city of Los Angeles in California

One unenthused traveller merely deemed it 'NOT a nice place,' while another described the American side as 'a kind of sad, decaying town.'

Despite agreeing that 'the town itself is a dump,' another Redditor said that 'the falls themselves are nothing short of spectacular' and it is 'well worth spending a half day there if you're in that part of the country.'

Walt Disney World in Florida was another spot that had Redditors riled up, with many complaining about the park being overcrowded and expensive.

One commenter with cash to splash said that despite this, they still thought the experience was worth it.

They wrote: 'I'm there this week and it's crowded [as f***] (busiest week of the year).

'But like all things Disney, if you have the coin the mouse has the wares.

'We spent about $200 extra a day (whole family) to skip the lines and it's been worth every penny.'

Another destination which surfaced in the thread was Jamaica for being 'sketchy' and many Redditors noted that it was better staying safe in a resort.

One commenter advised: 'In Jamaica it's best to stay at a resort. It's not an island where you want to go rent an Airbnb and a rental car and "live like a local" like you can on a lot of islands in the Caribbean.

Other destinations that surfaced in the thread was Jamaica for being 'sketchy'

'There are a lot of parts that are super dangerous. I have a Jamaican friend who grew up in Kingston and she had her wedding at the Half Moon Bay resort and honeymooned at another resort in Negril.

'In other words, even people FROM there go to the resorts when they want to be guaranteed a good time.'

Another barrage of complaints focused on Los Angeles.

One Redditor said that it was not because the city 'sucks,' but because 'you need to live here to truly get what the city has to offer.'

They added: 'If you come as a tourist you squeeze in a bunch of random touristy things and don't get to really experience the city for what it is.'

In response, one Redditor advised 'not trying to do it all and not falling for being a tourist.'

Offering an example itinerary, they revealed: 'I went to Santa Monica and hit up a local deli for hotel snacks.

'Rode hotel bikes to Venice. Walked to restaurants in Santa Monica. Went hiking up into the hills. Took one trip to Malibu to hike and go to the beach there. Was great.'

Other spots to make the Reddit thread included Egypt for the 'aggressive' street sellers, Santorini for being 'overcrowded' and 'touristy,' and Miami for being 'all about appearances and money.'
Kanye West owes over $1million in unpaid taxes as his messy finances continue to unravel.

The rapper, producer, and designer has endured a tumultuous couple of years since Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga and a host of other brands dropped him after his anti-Semitic rants - tanking his $2billion net worth down to $400million.

Now DailyMail.com can reveal that his clothing firm, Yeezy Apparel, LLC, has four active tax liens filed against it over the last three years for unpaid business taxes totaling $934,033.56.

To make matters worse, the rapper, who has shocked the world with his series of outbursts, also owes $101,093 in property taxes on two homes he owned with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

Kanye West owes over $1million in unpaid business and property taxes, DailyMail.com can reveal. In total, the rapper owes $1,035,126.56

Kanye West's Yeezy Apparel has four active tax liens filed against it over the last three years for $934,033.56 in unpaid taxes

The most recent demand from the State of California's Franchise Tax Board was in March 2023 for $319,356.58, which includes a $97,063.78 penalty and $9,644.40 in interest.

This stems from unpaid taxes between October 2021 and March 2022.

The rapper has two more ongoing tax liens against him.

One was filed in September 2022 for the April to September 2021 period, in which the company owes $321,591.71 inclusive of penalties and interest.

Another was filed in February 2022 for $279,085.99, which includes a $92,374 penalty and interest. This was for the January 2020 to March 2021 period.

The first lien was in July 2021 for $13,999.28, inclusive of penalties and interest, for three months from April 2020.

In total, Yeezy Apparel owes $934,033.56.

Meanwhile, Kanye also owns two properties that have failed to pay property taxes.

One is a four-bedroom mansion in Calabasas, which he bought with ex Kim Kardashian in May 2018 for $2.2million.

He was then given the 300-acre property as part of their divorce deal.

Kanye hasn't paid any taxes on that pad since 2021 - meaning he now owes a total of $81,154 - that's $26,759 in 2021, $26,781 in 2022 and $27,614 in 2023.

The 46-year-old was also awarded a three-bedroom apartment in Calabasas, which he and Kim bought together for $1.6million in August 2017.

Yet he stopped paying taxes this year, which totals $19,939.

For the two properties, unpaid property taxes stand at a combined $101,093.

Kanye has failed to pay taxes on two properties he was awarded in his divorce from Kim Kardashian. He owes $101,093 in property taxes

Kanye hasn't paid taxes on a four-bed mansion in Calabasas, which he bought with ex Kim Kardashian in May 2018 for $2.2million. He owes $81,154

The 46-year-old was also awarded a three-bed apartment in Calabasas, which he bought with Kim for $1.6million in August 2017. He stopped paying taxes in 2023, which totals $19,939

Kanye is selling his minimalist Malibu mansion for $53million because its concrete walls are too gray, an insider revealed

In total, Kanye owes $1,035,126.56 in property and business taxes.

It remains to be seen whether he'll pay the hefty sum any time soon as the penalties continue racking up.

His recent erratic behavior is mirrored by his business dealings, as it was revealed last month that the Malibu oceanfront property he bought for $57million in September 2021 was being put up for sale for $4million less.

This is despite it being a shell of a building after Kanye's builders ripped it apart and have now left it to rot.

He's currently being sued by the project's manager Tony Saxon, who claims he wanted to turn it into a 'bomb shelter from the 1910s' and was told of the 'danger of such actions.'

The house now lacks doors, windows, plumbing, electrical systems, HVAC, and interior finishes.

'It will take several million dollars for the house to be finished,' realtor Jason Oppenheim told The Wall Street Journal. 'Much of the architectural integrity and the architectural value of the house exists.'

Kanye, now known as Ye, also abandoned plans to move his Yeezy operation to Wyoming.

The new Yeezy HQ is now on Melrose Ave in West Hollywood, but the building has fallen into disrepair.

Instead of tending to the repairs, he's been seen gallivanting around the world with his Australian wife Bianca Censori, who he often dresses in scantily clad ensembles.

Kanye has been seen lately gallivanting around the world with his Australian wife Bianca Censori, who he often dresses in scantily clad ensembles

Adidas publicly parted ways with West in October 2022

Prior to his split with Adidas, Forbes estimated Kanye to be worth $2million, now it's down to $400million

In October 2022, Page Six reported that Kanye - who previously claimed to be a billionaire - could hit financial trouble, as sources said that while he has a large stash of cash, he also has vast expenses and could be in trouble if he doesn't turn the tide.

An insider revealed that he has 'a lot of cash by anyone's standards,' but he also has a 'high cash burn rate.'

The rapper has been no stranger to scandal throughout his career, which has been marred by infamous public feuds with the likes of Taylor Swift, Drake and even the Kardashian family, whom he repeatedly attacked on social media.

He was hospitalized for a psychiatric emergency in 2016 and first revealed his bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2018.

In addition to losing deals, he's lost the support of fans for his troubling comments - including claiming that 'slavery is a choice', and insisting that George Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose and was not murdered by Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin.

In 2022, he was dropped by top talent agency CAA and Johnny Depps lawyer Camille Vasquez after he and and conservative commentator Candace Owens donned tops that read White Lives Matter during a Paris Fashion Week showcase for his Yeezy line.

Fashion bible Vogue decided not to work with Kanye in the future, fans have boycotted his music and thrown away items from his Yeezy line.

According to Forbes, Kanye loss his billionaire status following the termination of his business contracts.
It came as he prepared to release a new song with Travis Scott

Bianca Censoris friends are once again fearing for the Australian beauty after they accused her foul husband Kanye West of sharing sexually inappropriate pictures of her in a disgusting attempt to promote his new album.

Kanye, 46, posted a trio of pictures of Bianca to his 18.4 million Instagram followers on Tuesday, showing the architectural designer, 28, wearing a black string bikini top and thong, while another showed her in a fur crop top.

The images, which also bear a striking resemblance to his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, come just weeks after Biancas friends staged a successful intervention concerning her relationship with the rapper and his 'controlling ways.'

But now, her friends fears that she is losing control over her autonomy have resurfaced, with an insider claiming she is ignoring their attempts to contact her.

Kanye West shared images of his wife Bianca Censori dressed in racy outfits ahead of the release of his new album

The rapper, 46, was criticized by friends of Bianca, 28, who branded his decision to share the images 'absolutely disgusting'

Bianca's friends have repeated their fears that Kanye is trying to transform Bianca into his ex-wife Kim Kardashian - pictured in 2020 wearing a jacket similar to one worn by Bianca

Kanye is just foul, and he clearly has zero respect for his wife for humiliating her like this, an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively.

It is massively concerning to her friends. They find it absolutely disgusting and slightly abusive that he is using her to promote his new music.

It was clearly not Biancas idea to wear the raciest most sexually inappropriate things she could find and post photos of herself on wearing them.

They continued: She is trying to make her into Kim, and it is so concerning. It is alarming that she agreed to do this and, once again, she is not responding to anyone.

Kanye shared the images as he prepared to drop his new song with Travis Scott on Tuesday, ahead of the release of his new album, Vultures, which is expected later this month.

He declared there will be 'no pants this year,' alongside one picture of Bianca in a string thong, while another showing her spilling out of a barely-there top, read: 'Dropped sumn?'

A third showed Bianca wearing a black leather jacket, which was similar to one Kim wore in 2020.

Fans were quick to highlight the similarities between Bianca and the SKIMS founder.

Kanye posted three images of Bianca to his Instagram and told his 18.4 million followers that there will be 'no pants this year'

Kanye once claimed his wife Kim's wet look Thierry Mugler dress was 'too sexy' - pictured at the 2019 Met Gala

'I swear I thought that was Kim,' wrote one, while another added: 'Bruh I thought he posted Kim.'

A third posted: 'You dressing her up like Kim.'

Kanye has previously criticized Kim for being 'overly sexualized,' taking aim at her SKIMS brand and also claiming the wet look Thierry Mugler dress she wore to the 2019 Met Gala was 'too sexy.'

Bianca and Kanye secretly wed in December 2022, just one month after he finalized his divorce from Kim.

In September, friends expressed grave concerns that he was manipulating Bianca into a 'radicalized' version of Kim, who he often referred to her as his 'muse.' He also heavily influenced her fashion choices.

'Kanye is trying to make Bianca into a radicalized version of Kim - almost like Kim 2.0,' a source said at the time. 'The difference is that when Kim was with Kanye he was respected in the fashion world. He has since lost this respect.'

The comments came as pictures emerged of Bianca in a series of eccentric outfits during her summer vacation to Europe with the rapper, who she married in secret on December 20, 2022.

She was pictured in Florence, Italy, wearing nude tights and carrying a purple pillow to cover her breasts.

The pair were also filmed engaging in what appeared to be a risque act during a boat ride through Venice, with Kanye baring his naked buttocks to eagle-eyed tourists while Bianca nestled her head in his lap.

Last month she was seen in a string of sheer bodysuits with different stuffed toys covering her modesty.

In October, it was claimed Kanye had issued a set of rules for Bianca to live by, including specific foods she can eat and what she can wear as well as instructing Bianca to 'never speak.'

But she reportedly grew tired of being treated like his silent mute and following her solo trip home to Australia she threatened he would lose her if the behavior continued.

She is also said to have laid a 'smack down' on her husband over his unhinged and offensive anti-Semitic outbursts.

Bianca has showcased a string of bizarre styles since marrying Kanye, including holding onto a teddy bear as she strolled into a nightclub in Miami last month

Insiders last week revealed: 'She told him that his recent behavior was unacceptable and that he needs to apologize because he was putting them in danger and setting a horrible example for his children.

'Bianca is really sick of his attention seeking and she knows that this is not who he truly is.'

He was slammed for anti-Semitic lyrics in his new track Vultures, which he performed at club Blu Dubai in Dubai alongside rappers Ty Dolla $ign and Lil' Durk late last year.

In front of a large crowd, Kanye rapped, 'How am I anti-Semitic? I just f***ed a Jewish b****' - a reference to the anti-Semitic scandal last year which saw him booted from his lucrative partnerships with Adidas and Balenciaga.

Kanye has a documented history of antisemitism and last year lost out on a number of partnership deals after going on an explosive anti-Semitic rant.
Jett Kenny and his influencer girlfriend Lily Brown recently celebrated their one year anniversary.

And on Tuesday, the couple's relationship reached a new milestone as Jett, 29, was introduced to an important family member - Lily's grandfather.

Lily, 25, posted footage of Jett, who is the son of sporting legend Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny, and her grandpa enjoying each other's company over a pint of beer.

'Grateful to have Jett here to meet the grandparents - a first for I introducing bfs to extended fam - been a very lovely time so far feeling very lucky at the moment,' she captioned the post.

Jett Kenny and his model girlfriend Lily Brown recently celebrated their one year anniversary

And on Tuesday, the couple's journey reached a new milestone as Jett, 29, was introduced to an important family member: Lily's grandfather

Jett and Lily's granddad then posed for a sweet photo together.

The couple will soon relocate to Sydney where they will spend 2024 together.

Lily and Jett debuted their relationship last December after weeks of rumours.

It comes just days after Lily shared a video to TikTok capturing the lovebirds having the time of their lives at a luxury cottage getaway. The pair were seen passionately kissing at the dinner table

The model and influencer both shared the same photo of them kissing to Instagram on New Year's Eve.

Jett captioned his romantic post, 'To the future,' alongside a pair of love heart emojis.

Lily meanwhile wrote alongside her own re-post of the photograph: 'You'd be a tough one to keep a secret.'

Lily gave Jett a bouquet of flowers to celebrate the milestone occasion and said it was the first of many

The pair were forced to deny they were set to welcome their first child after a round of pregnancy speculation in May.

The rumour mill was sent into overdrive after Lily's mother appeared to let slip the pair are preparing for a baby on Instagram.

Nataly shared a photo of pink, embroidered baby clothes, writing: 'Bit of baby shopping on the way home because [excitement emoji].'

Jett, who is the son of Australian sporting champs Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny, looks to be having the time of his life with Lily
Kanye West has been eviscerated by his own fans for sharing 'creepy' photos of his Australian wife Bianca Censori on Instagram.

The 46-year-old rapper, known as Ye, raised eyebrows on Tuesday by sharing three photos of Bianca to his 18.4M followers, with one captioned: 'No pants this year'.

In the images, Bianca, 28, was seen posing around the couple's home wearing an extremely revealing bra, G-string, leather corset, stockings and a fur stole that barely covered her modesty.

Fans were quick to express their distaste, with many urging Kanye to stop sharing explicit photos of Bianca for the sake of his children North, 10, Saint, 8, Chicago 5, and Psalm, 4.

'This is kind of creepy because she's your wife, and you're treating her like a human dominatrix doll... not it,' one wrote, as another begged: 'Stop prostituting your partner.'

Kanye West, 46, (left) was eviscerated by his own fans on Tuesday for sharing near-naked photos of his Australian wife Bianca Censori ,28, (right) on Instagram

'North is gonna see this,' another wrote, while someone else added: 'You've got kids man, it's time to grow up.'

'At this point, you're turning a beautiful young woman into something you own and play with, not something you cherish,' yet another added.

Others claimed Kanye's posts contradicted his Christian values.

In the images, Bianca was seen posing around the couple's home wearing extremely revealing outfits including G-string underpants and a fur stole that barely covered her modesty

'He preaches Christianity and then does things like this,' one disappointed follower wrote.

'Ye, please find Jesus,' another pleaded, as someone else asked: 'Is this what God is telling you to do Ye? Is it?'

Scant outfits are nothing new for Bianca.

Fans were quick to express their distaste, with many urging Kanye to stop sharing explicit photos of Bianca for the sake of his children. Others claimed Kanye's posts contradicted his Christian values

In October, she sparked fury among locals during an Italian getaway with Kanye thanks to her extremely revealing ensembles.

Kanye's eyebrow-raising photos also come just days after Kanye apologised for his unhinged and offensive anti-semitic outbursts, which resulted in a 'smackdown' from Bianca.

Insiders revealed she is allegedly 'tired' of having to 'babysit' her husband and fears he is putting them in danger.

In October, Bianca sparked fury among locals during an Italian getaway with Kanye thanks to her extremely revealing ensembles

'She told him that his recent behavior was unacceptable and that he needs to apologise because he was putting them in danger and setting a horrible example for his children,' one source said.

'Bianca is really sick of his attention seeking and she knows that this is not who he truly is,' they added.

Previously, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that the pair had tied the knot in December 2022 - just one month after his divorce with ex Kim Kardashian was finalise.
Jordan Ablett has shared a series of rare photos from her wedding to Gary Ablett Jr. with her Instagram followers on Tuesday.

The AFL WAG marked her eighth wedding anniversary by posting several images of the couple during their traditional ceremony.

In one photo, Jordan stunned as she was walked down the aisle in a white, textured dress with cutaway shoulders, while the light from outside the chapel shone through her long, gold-trimmed veil.

Another picture showed her kissing Gary, 38, while a third showed her new husband looking dapper in a dark blue suit and bowtie.

'Eight years, three children, a billion coffees, many adventures and lots of love later!' she wrote in the caption, before tagging Gary.

Jordan Ablett has shared rare photos from her intimate wedding to Gary Ablett Jr. on their eighth anniversary

One black and white picture showed her kissing Gary (pictured right) on their wedding day

Followers took to the comments to wish the couple a happy anniversary.

'Enjoy your special day today Jords,' wrote one, while another commented 'You are a beautiful couple.'

'So much love and respect for you both,' another said.

It comes after Jordan recently shared a heartbreaking post about the couple's son, Levi, who suffers from a degenerative illness.

Another showed her groom looking dapper in a dark blue suit with a bowtie as he smiled at the camera

'Eight years, three children, a billion coffees, many adventures and lots of love later!' she wrote in the caption, before tagging Gary

Taking to Instagram, she posted a photo of the boy smiling along with a caption that detailed how she felt about Levi not joining children his age starting prep school.

'Prep-transition...is a super exciting time for them and is without a doubt a milestone that should be celebrated! But to be honest, although I'm really happy for themmy heart feels heavy,' she wrote.

Jordan said that she swings between negative and positive states of mind.

It comes after Jordan recently shared a heartbreaking post about the couple's son, Levi, who suffers from a degenerative illness

Taking to Instagram, the AFL WAG posted a photo of the boy smiling along with a caption that detailed how she felt about Levi not joining children his age starting prep school

'Although our little man won't have a "first day at school" moment nor any of all the other school days that followthat's okay!'

'I need to let go of the things that were never promised to me but only presumed by me. Letting go of what I thought would be and embracing what's meant to be,' Jordan continued.

She went on to explain that her post was not to encourage a 'pity party' but to convince followers that there can be 'purpose in our pain' and that weathering 'any kind of storm in our lives' is a way to offer support and advice to others.

The mother-of-two finished her post by explaining why she disabled comments.

'I turned my comments off as I just wanted this post to be an encouragement for anyone that might need a change of perspective today.'

'Prep-transition...is a super exciting time for them and is without a doubt a milestone that should be celebrated! But to be honest, although I'm really happy for themmy heart feels heavy,' she wrote

Little Levi suffers from a mysterious degenerative illness that severely impacts his respiratory system and he has never spoken a word.

Gary and his wife-of-eight-years also share a daughter Grace, who they welcomed in 2021.

Gary Jr. was an all-time great for AFL teams Geelong and the Gold Coast from 2002 to 2020.

Gary and his wife-of-eight-years Jordan, welcomed their third child, a boy, in July last year.
Lisa Rinna shocked fans with a jaw-dropping nude snap on Tuesday.

The actress, 60, who was spotted lovingly holding hands with her husband Harry Hamlin on New Year's Day, posed in only her birthday suit as she marked the start of 2024.

'HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2024,' the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star wrote in next to the snap of her standing nude next to a massage table with a couple of well placed emojis covering up her breasts and crotch. 'STARTING IT OFF FRESH.'

The Guest Book star appeared to be make-up free and her brown hair was styled in a messy shag.

Those who saw the photo were not shy about sharing their thoughts.

Lisa Rinna shocked fans with a jaw-dropping nude snap on Tuesday

Her followers had mixed feelings about the image

One fan wrote: 'Whats the purpose of putting this kind of picture on Instagram .. like grow the f**k up. Your (sic) a grown women.'

'Their (sic) are so many kids on here.. youre sick,' wrote one upset commenter.

'Too much, Lisa. Come on. We didn't need this,' stated another.

Drawing a comparison to Britney Spears, one fan declared 'Lisa is the new Britney.'

Some fans supported the Days of Our Lives star's racy snap, with one fan writing: 'WHY IS BEING PROUD OF YOIR BODY RESERVED FOR ONLY THE YOUNG or those that fit the societal beauty standards?'

'Everyone should be proud when they have worked hard to achieve a weight loss goal or maintain a healthy lifestyle that allows them to look like THAT AT ANY AGE '

'Yass honey yess! Aint nothing wrong with being proud of your body! You got it flaunt it honey!' exclaimed a fan.

Some of Lisa's fans felt the shocking nude was just too much while others praised the reality star for showing off her figure

In another interesting display, Lisa posed in a sheer green dress, with a white bra and panties beneath. The photo in her Instagram Stories changed ever so slightly in the next frame with a sentence that read 'Don't forget get your mammograms'

Last July Rinna flaunted her incredibly toned body in a sizzling nude photo on her Instagram stories

The Rinna Wines founder frequently shows off her toned bod; seen in June

In another interesting display, Lisa posed in a sheer green dress, with a white bra and panties beneath.

She was on her hands and knees, wearing a long light brown wig and clutching one of her breasts.

The photo in her Instagram Stories changed ever so slightly in the next frame with a sentence that read 'Don't forget get your mammograms.'

After baring it all, Lisa was nearly unrecognizable as she headed out on a hike in Los Angeles Tuesday.

The Melrose Place star covered up in the bright sunshine wearing a black puffy jacket and black ankle length leggings and sneakers.

The American Horror Stories actress wore a straw sunhat with a wide brim and large square shaped sunglasses.

After baring it all, Lisa was nearly unrecognizable as she headed out on a hike in Los Angeles Tuesday

The Melrose Place star covered up in the bright sunshine wearing a black puffy jacket and black ankle length leggings and sneakers

The American Horror Stories actress wore a straw sunhat with a wide brim and large square shaped sunglasses

Last July Lisa celebrated her 60th birthday in style by flaunting her toned body in a nude photo she shared on her Instagram stories.

The Days Of Our Lives star cheekily captioned the photo with 'sesenta,' the Spanish word for 60.

Her chiseled muscles were on full display in the photo, which appeared to be taken at a spa.

The brunette beauty stared straight at the camera, with her hair slicked back.

She went makeup-free for the photo, revealing a flawless complexion to match her amazing fit figure.
Michelle Keegan made light of her challenging on-screen relationship with her 'mother-in-law' Joanna Lumley in a new Instagram post.

The actress, 36, appeared on Wednesday night's episode of The One Show alongside, 77, following the launch of their new series, Fool Me Once.

Michelle joked that she and Joanna 'love each other really' referencing the constant clashing between their characters on-screen.

Michelle wore a black and white checked co-ord with a plunging neckline as she posed arm-in-arm with Dame Joanna backstage.

Former Coronation Street star Michelle's outfit was cinched in the waist and she boosted her height by opting for a pair of open-toed heels.

Michelle Keegan made light of her challenging on-screen relationship with her 'mother-in-law' Joanna Lumley in a new Instagram post

The pair appeared on The One Show to talk about their new Netflix thriller Fool Me Once, with Michelle recalling the terrifying stunt she performed while filming the show (Michelle seen in Fool Me Once)

Dame Joanna wore a black waistcoat and a matching pair of trousers, while she donned a white blouse, ahead of the pair's appearance on The One Show to talk about their new Netflix thriller Fool Me Once.

Screen star Michelle captioned her post: 'Me and my on-screen mother-in-law. (We love each other really)

'What a day!!!! So overwhelmed with all your amazing messages about Fool Me Once. Thank you, thank you xxx.'

On The One Show, Michelle recalled the terrifying moment she performed her own stunt and flew a glass-bottomed helicopter while filming Fool Me Once.

She said: 'I flew it - I keep saying drive it, it's so embarrassing - I flew the helicopter.

'On the day we were flying to Delamere Forest, there was a scene of going over the forest and that was actually in the right time.

'There was me, the pilot and the cameraman behind so we had to get the shots done because we'd never get the chance again.

'I remember taking off and it was a glass bottom helicopter so you literally look down and you could see the floor.

'It was awful.

'So when we got half way there the pilot just said "do you want to take over, do you want to take control?" And I was like "go on then" and I did!

Michelle recalled the terrifying moment she performed her own stunt and flew a glass-bottomed helicopter while filming Fool Me Once, insisting: 'It was awful!'

'I couldn't believe it - unless he was just lying to me.'

Netflix viewers are completely hooked to new series Fool Me Once and many can't take their eyes away from leading actress Michelle Keegan.

Fans rushed to X to gush over how 'stunning' the ex Coronation Street star, 36, who portrays former army captain Maya, is in the new thriller.

But it wasn't just Michelle's beauty that was noticed as many praised her 'amazing' acting in the eight-part drama which is an adaptation of American mystery-thriller writer Harlan Coben.

One wrote: '#FoolMeOnce on @NetflixUK is a must watch @michkeegan is amazing in it and not to mention the woman doesn't seem to age at all she's stunning #Netflix #newseries'.

Another fan gushed: 'Just binge watched FOOL ME ONCE brilliant! Michelle Keegan stunning!'

'Only just started watching #FoolMeOnce and already hooked! If you're stuck on a series to watch get watching it! @michkeegan what an actress!' a third added.

While a fourth penned: '@michkeegan take a bow, brilliant, stunning and thrilling - give this lady an Oscar #FoolMeOnce!'

Netflix viewers are completely hooked to new series Fool Me Once and many can't take their eyes away from leading actress Michelle Keegan (right) (Dame Joanna Lumley pictured left)

Fans rushed to X - formerly known as Twitter - to gush over how 'stunning' the ex Coronation Street star, 36, who portrays former army captain Maya, is in the new thriller

Another said: 'Over halfway through #foolmeonce and I'm SO obsessed with Michelle Keegan's outfits'.

Another added: 'Michelle Keegan is not just beautiful, she's a proper top tier actor. Fool me once is really quite good. #FoolMeOnce'

Fool Me Once is based off of a book by acclaimed author Harlan Coben, and also stars the likes of British heavyweight Dame Joanna Lumley, The Hobbit star Richard Armitage and Irish actor Emmett J. Scanlan.

Its synopsis reads: 'When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.'

It comes Michelle's husband Mark Wright took to his Instagram Story to praise her new series.

Mark - who tied the knot with Michelle, also 36, in 2015 - was a proud husband as he wrote, alongside a teaser clip: 'Unbelievable show, unbelievably proud. @michkeegan you're a superstar.

'Fool Me Once all eps on Netflix worldwide now!! You want a binge!! Get this on now!!'

But it wasn't just Michelle's beauty that was noticed as many praised her 'amazing' acting in the eight-part drama which is an adaptation of American mystery-thriller writer Harlan Coben

One wrote: '#FoolMeOnce on @NetflixUK is a must watch @michkeegan is amazing in it and not to mention the woman doesn't seem to age at all she's stunning #Netflix #newseries'

In the show, Michelle plays the seemingly widowed Maya Stern, but after installing a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she sees her dead husband Joe - played by Richard Armitage - on camera.

This revelation throws Maya into a world of conspiracy as she questions what really happened to her partner, and what role his family, and in particular his mother (Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett), played in the saga.

The star's latest project comes after she enjoyed some family time as she and Mark joined family to celebrate his father's birthday at the Corinthia Hotel last month.

Fool Me Once is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Alec Baldwin, 65, surfaced in New York with his wife Hilaria, 39, on Tuesday as the promo trail began for his polarizing western Rust.

The production was struck by tragedy in 2021, when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot dead during a rehearsal with a Colt .45 being used as a prop.

Baldwin was holding the gun when it went off, but he has publicly denied pulling the trigger, and the involuntary manslaughter charges against him have been dropped.

Production on Rust resumed in April 2023, with Bianca Cline replacing Hutchins as the movie's director of photography.

Now, new first look images from the movie have been exclusively obtained by Deadline - and two of them show Hutchins' work.

Alec Baldwin, 65, surfaced in New York with his wife Hilaria, 39, on Tuesday as the promo trail began for his polarizing western Rust

Baldwin and his wife were both warmly dressed against the northeastern chill when they emerged in New York this week, chatting as they crossed the street

Baldwin and his wife were both warmly dressed against the northeastern chill when they emerged in New York this week, chatting as they crossed the street.

Hilaria, who faced down her own scandal in 2020 when it emerged she had faked her Spanish heritage, has been married to Baldwin since 2012.

They have since welcomed seven children into the world - Carmen Gabriela, 10, Rafael Thomas, eight, Leonardo Angel Charles, seven, Romeo Alejandro David, five, Eduardo 'Edu' Pao Lucas, three, Maria Lucia Victoria, two, and Ilaria, one.

Their latest outing comes as the first-look images of Rust appeared in Deadline, paying posthumous tribute to Hutchins' work on the picture.

One of the stills credited to Hutchins showed actress Frances Fisher in silhouette, framed partly by an open door that allowed natural light to stream into the room.

Another of Hutchins' images was taken outside, and showed a man on horseback with a cowboy hat riding off towards the horizon.

Three other stills were the work of Hutchins' replacement Bianca Cline, whose work includes the Oscar-nominated short Marcel The Shell With Shoes On.

The eyes of the world were drawn to Rust in October 2021 when the gun in Baldwin's hand went off during rehearsals, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Their latest outing comes as the first-look images of Rust appeared in Deadline, paying posthumous tribute to the late Halyna Hutchins' work on the picture

Hilaria, who faced down her own scandal in 2020 when it emerged she had faked her Spanish heritage, has been married to Baldwin since 2012

In the wake of the Rust shooting in New Mexico, Baldwin, who is also one of the producers on the film, publicly denied he had pulled the trigger of the gun.

Hutchins' widower Matthew filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2022, accusing Baldwin and the other producers of recklessness.

That lawsuit came to an end with a settlement, under the terms of which Matthew Hutchins became an executive producer on Rust.

Baldwin and the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter in January 2023 in connection with the shooting.

The charges against Baldwin were dropped in April, but in October it emerged that special prosecutors in New Mexico were weighing the option of charging him again.

Meanwhile Gutierrez-Reed has pled not guilty to the charges against her, and her case is currently scheduled to go to trial next month.
Rebel Wilson has kicked off the new year with a trip back to her Australian homeland.

The actress, 43, who spent the festive season in LA with her fiancee Ramona Agruma and their daughter Royce, one, was spotted jetting into Sydney International airport on Wednesday with her entourage.

The Bridesmaids star cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of white sneakers, while clutching a black jacket emblazoned with a snake print.

She completed her look with a pair of aviator sunglasses and slicked her hair back into a ponytail.

Proving she's not to posh to push her own luggage, the A-lister was seen rolling her suitcase through the terminal and waiting for her pick-up car outside.

Rebel Wilson, 43, (left) cut a casual figure as she jetted into Sydney Airport with her entourage on Tuesday - after celebrating the holidays in America with her family

Rebel previously visited Australia late last year to direct her upcoming film The Deb.

At the time, she posted to Instagram to vent about congestion at the newly opened Westconnex Rozelle Interchange in the inner-west.

Rebel even revealed she was forced to hire a helicopter to take her to work to avoid the traffic.

The Bridesmaids star sported a white T-shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of white sneakers, while clutching a black jacket emblazoned with a snake print

Proving she's not to posh to push her own luggage, the A-lister was seen rolling her suitcase through the terminal and waiting for her pick-up car outside

Having wrapped filming The Deb, Rebel is now focusing on her debut memoir, which is titled Rising.

Last week, the blonde told her fans that her book will challenge their preconceived notions of who she is as a person.

'I can't wait for you to read this, you're going to see a whole new side of me. Lots of funny and serious stuff,' she wrote on Instagram.

'Hopefully you will love the book as much as I've liked writing it. Although sometimes it's been gut-wrenching and emotional.'
Just days after the new Season 6 trailer debuted, it was revealed that one of the original cast members will not be returning to ABC's The Conners.

Jayden Rey, 14, has played Mary, the daughter of Michael Fishman's original Roseanne character DJ Conner, will not return for Season 6, via Deadline.

The departure follows both of her on-screen parents leaving the ABC series, a continuation of the hit ABC sitcom Roseanne.

Her on-screen father DJ was written off the show at the start of Season 5, and her mother, Maya Lynne Robinson's Geena Williams Conner, left after Season 1.

Rey will be exiting the show as a series regular, though it was said the door may be open for guest-starring appearances down the road.

Just days after the new Season 6 trailer debuted, it was revealed that one of the original cast members will not be returning to ABC's The Conners

Jayden Rey, 14, has played Mary, the daughter of Michael Fishman's original Roseanne character DJ Conner, will not return for Season 6, via Deadline

The new season will follow The Conners as they, 'continue to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford,' according to the official Season 6 description.

'This iconic family  Dan, Jackie, Darlene and Becky  grapples with parenthood, dating, financial pressures and aging in working-class America,' the description adds.

'Through it all  the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns  with love, humor and perseverance, the family prevails,' the description concludes.

The trailer released last week also revealed that Sean Astin, who plays Fedex pilot Tyler, Becky's (Lecy Goranson) love interest, will also be returning.

The pair's relationship appears to be getting serious as the trailer shows that Tyler is invited to the Connor family poker night taking place in their kitchen.

The new season of the show -- a spinoff of the revival of Roseanne following Roseanne Barr's controversial exit in May 2018 -- will also see Katey Sagal return as Louise Goldufski.

Astin's character was initially introduced in Season 5 and marked the first notable romantic interest for Becky since the passing of her husband, Mark.

The return of Tyler, however, wasn't a guarantee, as TVLine reported.

The new season will follow The Conners as they, 'continue to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford,' according to the official Season 6 description

The trailer released last week also revealed that Sean Astin, who plays Fedex pilot Tyler, Becky's (Lecy Goranson) love interest, will also be returning

The new season of the show -- a spinoff of the revival of Roseanne following Roseanne Barr's controversial exit in May 2018 -- will also see Katey Sagal return as Louise Goldufski

'Whenever we bring in a new love interest, weve got to watch the chemistry, because we never know [if it will work],' executive producer Bruce Helford previously told the outlet

'Whenever we bring in a new love interest, weve got to watch the chemistry, because we never know [if it will work],' executive producer Bruce Helford previously told the outlet.

'But we love Sean, and they were great together, so we definitely want to bring them back together and see what we can find there.'

In 2018, Barr garnered bad publicity for the revival of her titular sitcom through her behavior on social media.

She posted a string of racist tweets targeting Valerie Jarrett, a former advisor to Barack Obama, leading to her removal from Roseanne.
Laura Anderson poses with baby Bonnie in sweet throwback snaps from her trip to Dubai in November.

The Love Island star, 34, looked incredible in a bright green swimsuit as she cradled Bonnie, who was wearing matching swimwear, in her arms.

Laura took a dip in the hotel swimming pool and kissed her daughters head during their first holiday together.

Sharing the carousel of snaps to Instagram, Laura wrote: 'Kinda wish it was sunny. TB to Matching Cosi from @sanddollardubai'

It comes after Laura and Gary confirmed their romance is back on as they shared a New Year's Eve kiss together on Sunday.

Laura Anderson poses with baby Bonnie in sweet throwback snaps from her trip to Dubai in November

The Love Island star, 34, looked incredible in a bright green swimsuit as she cradled Bonnie, who was wearing matching swimwear, in her arms

The on-off pair, who welcomed their baby daughter Bonnie in September 2023 , have had a tumultuous relationship, but now seem to now be back on track.

After meeting on E4 reality show Celebs Go Dating in 2022, the couple announced they were having a baby in February 2023, but split shortly after.

Since Bonnie's birth, speculation over the pair's relationship status has been mounting - with the couple hinting they were secretly back on in numerous snaps together.

Former Hollyoaks actor Gary, 42, took to his Instagram stories on Sunday to post a video with Laura, 34, and their baby as he kissed the Love Island star passionately on the lips.

Smiling in the clip as Better Together by Jack Johnson played in the background, the actor kissed Laura on the cheek, before she returned the gesture while beaming from ear-to-ear.

Gary, who has four children with his ex-wife Natasha Gray, then planted a kiss on Bonnie's head, alongside the caption 'Happy 2024 mofos'.

Earlier in the evening, Laura revealed the couple were at Gilgamesh, a celebrity hotspot in Camden, north London.

She said in a video: 'Happy New Year everyone,' before turning the camera around to show Gary with their daughter, before adding: 'Happy new year Bonnie and Daddy.'

It comes after the family spent Christmas together , sparking further reconciliation rumours.

Laura took a dip in the hotel swimming pool and kissed her daughters head during their first holiday together

Sharing the carousel of snaps to Instagram, Laura wrote: 'Kinda wish it was sunny. TB to Matching Cosi from @sanddollardubai'

It comes after Laura and Gary confirmed their romance is back on as they shared a New Year's Eve kiss together on Sunday

Laura shared a photo of her young family wearing matching festive PJs as Bonnie sat on Gary's lap.

All three wore floppy Father Christmas hats and behind them was a pile of presents.

The Christmas photo came days after the on-again, off-again couple shared snaps enjoying fun family outings with their baby over the festive period.

The couple took to social media after spending the day at Santa's Grotto with their daughter.

Gary captioned the snap from their day out: ' Christmas memories. Thats what its all about'.

She captioned the snaps: 'All about B. First Christmas I feel a bit of pressure, it wont be perfect Angel but every year I promise to make it even more magical #babyB.'

Laura and Gary first sparked reconciliation rumours in August when the two stayed at the 800-a-night Gleneagles hotel in Laura's native Scotland.

At the time Laura insisted they were spending time together in preparation for the birth of their daughter.

After Laura gave birth, she shared the news with a sweet video of their little family looking very close.

Laura shared a family Christmas photo with Gary and baby Bonnie in matching PJs on Instagram as the exes sparked reconciliation rumours last week

The couple officially called off their relationship in February 2023 after six months together - around the same time Laura announced her pregnancy

Laura announced the arrival of her bundle of joy in September 2023 as she shared a heart-warming video montage on Instagram looking very close with her ex

In the caption, she wrote: 'Hi everyone, my name is Bonnie Rose Lucy Anderson. I was born 02/09/23 at 06.03am and weighed 6.10lbs.

'My Mummy & Daddy are sooooo happy and in love with me, this is our first week together.

'I'm sorry it's taken me some time to introduce myself, I hurt my mummy a little bit and scared my daddy too (oops) we're all now recovering well at home.'

Laura finished the caption on the post by writing: 'Please dont question My Mummy & Daddy on their relationship- This.. is all about me.'
TOWIE's Chloe Brockett has finally ended her bitter feud with former co-star Frankie Sims, three years they were forced to be kept apart on set.

The pair fell out when Frankie, 28, began dating Chloe's ex Jack Fincham, 32, with their feud reaching a dramatic climax in the ITVbe show's 2021 Halloween special.

But this week they were reunited on Chloe's podcast where they discussed the tentative steps that were taken to bury the hatchet at a showbiz bash.

Joined by Frankie's sister Demi, 27, who recalled: 'We said if we saw you there we would be friendly and hug you'.

'We didn't want any animosity. It was almost not a manifestation but it was one of the things we put out into the universe and it happened.'

TOWIE's Chloe Brockett (pictured) has finally ended her bitter feud with former co-star Frankie Sims, two years they were forced to be kept apart on set

They were reunited on Chloe's podcast where they discussed the tentative steps that were taken to bury the hatchet at a showbiz bash (Frabkie, L and sister Demi, R)

Chloe explained how she gave a wave to break the ice with Frankie saying: 'Me and you started talking and we were cool with each other and I said to Demi it was genuine, cause you had come up to us but we had planned to come up to you'.

'So it worked out really well' she said, with Chloe agreeing.

Former Love Island contestant, Jack, was first linked to Chloe back in 2019 and later split in May 2021, only to spark romance rumour's once again last October.

Back in 2021 an insider revealed to The Sun that the Sims sisters asked producers to keep Chloe away from them, and said: 'After the way things ended between Frankie and Chloe in the last series, she and her sisters want nothing to do with her.

'They don't want to even be in the same room as it is and they made that clear during filming for recent scenes.'

MailOnline have reached out to representatives for Chloe, Demi and Frankie at the time.

The reality show is set to return with a 'huge shake up' after Chloe was suspended from the show earlier this year after she allegedly threw three tumbler glasses at her co-star Roman Hackett during a heated argument.

While the cast list 'still hasn't been confirmed', the reality show is returning for two separate editions in 2024, including a trip to Bali.

Chloe explained how she gave a wave to break the ice with Frankie saying: 'Me and you started talking and we were cool with each other'

The pair fell out when Frankie began dating Chloe's ex Jack Fincham (Chloe and Jack pictured together in 2023)

Their feud reaching a dramatic climax in the ITVbe show's 2021 Halloween special (Frankie pictured)

According to The Sun, a source said: 'Chloe Brockett still doesn't know if she's returning to the show after her suspension.

MailOnline have contacted The Only Way Of Essex for a comment.

At the time, the cast of the ITV series were said to have been 'appalled' by Chloe's behaviour and called for her to be axed from the show permanently.

A TOWIE spokesperson confirmed to MailOnline at the time: 'Chloe Brockett will not be returning to filming for the remainder of the series.'

The bust up is reportedly on everyone's lips in Essex and while the scene was fully caught on camera it is unlikely it will ever be aired.

The star has reportedly apologised to Roman after the incident.

It isn't the first time Chloe has lost her temper after she threw an ice bucket at co-star Ella Rae Wise in April 2022.

The reality show is set to return with a 'huge shake up' after Chloe was suspended from the show earlier this year after she allegedly threw three tumbler glasses at her co-star Roman Hackett during a heated argument

Fight night? Chloe also allegedly threw an ice bucket at her TOWIE co-star Ella Rae Wise during a row while on a night out in April 2022. Chloe was pinned down on the floor by security, her white boots visible in the crowd (pictured)

Chloe launched a Grey Goose cooler at Ella during an argument, however she missed and instead hit Rem Larue's cousin in the face, leaving her bleeding.

The injured woman then had to be held back by other partygoers as she seethed with anger and attempted to reach the reality star.

After flying off the handle Chloe was pinned to the ground by security to diffuse the situation.
Tommy Mallet and Georgia Kousoulou have revealed how they celebrated after their wedding.

The TOWIE stars tied the knot in London last month and despite being multimillionaires the couple decided to keep things very low key.

After exchanging vows in a private wedding ceremony, Tommy and Georgia headed hope and enjoyed a Chinese takeaway.

Georgia, 32, revealed that she changed out of her stunning white satin dress into her pyjamas as soon as she got home.

She told The Sun: 'We came back to mine and had a Chinese. It was unreal. It is so me and Tommy. I literally got back, got my PJs on straight away and we had a Chinese.

Tommy Mallet and Georgia Kousoulou have revealed how they celebrated after their wedding

The TOWIE stars tied the knot in London last month and despite being multimillionaires the couple decided to keep things very low key

'The best bit about it was that we hired tables. So we had a top tableAnd we all just stuffed our faces with Chinese  it was actually brilliant. So good.'

She continued: 'All of it is filmed, you will get to see everything. When we started the series it wasn't in the plan. In genuine Georgia and Tommy fashion that is what they ended up getting in the end. It was unbelievable. . .'

The Only Way Is Essex stars announced their marriage - two days after exchanging vows in a private wedding ceremony.

The couple, who are parents to two-year-old son Brody, confirmed the surprise news in an Instagram post and admitted they were keen to marry before the end of the year.

Sharing a joint post shortly after the service, Georgia and Tommy, 31, wrote: '1st December we done a thing.

'After a challenging year. We decided we wanted to end the year happy, in love & together as husband & wife/ Wedding part 2 coming soon.'

Georgia also confirmed the second part of their wedding, understood to be a larger ceremony, will take place in Spain.

In September Georgia, who became engaged to the trainer entrepreneur last year, recruited several of her former TOWIE co-stars to be bridesmaids at her upcoming wedding.

After exchanging vows in a private wedding ceremony, Tommy and Georgia, who are parents to two-year-old son Brody, headed hope and enjoyed a Chinese takeaway

Georgia, 32, revealed that she changed out of her stunning white satin dress into her pyjamas as soon as she got home

Georgia also confirmed the second part of their wedding, understood to be a larger ceremony, will take place in Spain

She asked a host of her girlfriends for dinner and drinks at Sheesh restaurant in Essex.

And it certainly was a busy night for Georgia as she asked TOWIE pals including Chloe Lewis, Lydia Bright, Chloe Ross and Amber Dowding to be by her side on her big day.

The ladies were just one of twelve ladies who will be Georgia's bridesmaids, with the reality star posing with the whole of her bride squad in a glam snap on Instagram.

Tommy and Georgia postponed the nuptials following a devastating miscarriage earlier this year.

Tommy proposed to Georgia after eight years together on a beach pergola surrounded by roses after they jetted to Mexico for a family getaway in February 2022.

The reality star had decorated a beach pergola with hundreds of red roses for the grand gesture.

In May 2021 Tommy and Georgia revealed they'd welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Brody, gushing that giving birth was 'greatest experience of [her] life.'

In September Georgia, who became engaged to the trainer entrepreneur last year, recruited several of her former TOWIE co-stars to be bridesmaids at her upcoming wedding
Brian Austin Green is opening up about his Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Ian Ziering, who managed to fend off a biker gang in a bizarre attack over the weekend.

Ziering, 59, was driving down Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday when his vehicle was struck by one of many smaller motorized mini bikes.

When he got out of his vehicle to assess the damage, several bikers accosted him in the middle of the street, which was caught on video by onlookers.

Despite several fists flying his way, he managed to escape the brawl relatively unscathed.

Now his co-star Green, 50, is speaking out, taking to his Instagram story on Tuesday afternoon to speak about the incident.

Brian Austin Green is opening up about his Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Ian Ziering, who managed to fend off a biker gang in a bizarre attack over the weekend

Ziering, 59, was driving down Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday when his vehicle was struck by one of many smaller motorized mini bikes

'Hey so I didn't get a chance to get into this at all. My boy Ian Ziering got into a fistfight on Hollywood Boulevard with like five dudes, and f***ing like beat them, did it, did his thing,' Green began.

'He's a monster. He's f***ing incredibly fit, obviously. I would not suggest, to anyone, to fight people, especially not now in this climate,' Green added.

'But, you know what? All turned out well. Z, I love you, brother, you're a beast, good on you,' Green concluded.

Ziering, 59, took to his Instagram on Monday to share details of the 'alarming incident' and update fans on the status of his 10-year-old daughter, Penna, who was seated in his car at the time of the altercation.

'While stuck in traffic, my car was approached aggressively by one of these riders leading to an unsettling confrontation,' he began.

'In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car. This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself.'

A video of the violent episode shows the star clashing with four bikers who threw punches and kicks before he sprinted across the street on Hollywood Boulevard.

'I am relieved to report that my daughter and I are both completely unscathed, but the incident has left me deeply concerned about the growing boldness of such groups who disrupt public safety and peace,' Ziering added on Instagram.

'This situation highlights a larger issue of hooliganism on our streets and the need for effective law enforcement responses to such behavior.'

'Hey so I didn't get a chance to get into this at all. My boy Ian Ziering got into a fistfight on Hollywood Boulevard with like five dudes, and f***ing like beat them, did it, did his thing,' Green began

'He's a monster. He's f***ing incredibly fit, obviously. I would not suggest, to anyone, to fight people, especially not now in this climate,' Green added

'But, you know what? All turned out well. Z, I love you, brother, you're a beast, good on you,' Green concluded

'As a citizen and a parent, I find it unacceptable that groups can freely engage in this kind of behavior, causing fear and chaos, while the response from authorities seems insufficient,' he continued, before urging law enforcement to 'take decisive action.'

'I have always been an advocate for standing up against intimidation and misconduct, and this incident reinforces my belief in the importance of personal and community safety.'

He concluded: 'I am thankful for the support of my family, friends, and fans during this time.

'Its in challenging moments like these that the strength and unity of our community are most vital. Happy new year.'

Ziering shares equal custody of Penna, as well as 12-year-old daughter Mia, with ex-wife Erin Ludwig. The former couple wed in 2010, separated in 2019, with their divorce finalized in 2022.
Robert Irwin is celebrating his first festive season with new girlfriend Rorie Buckey by his side.

And it seems the Wildlife Warrior, 20, has been wholeheartedly welcomed into the Buckey clan, as he was spotted embarking on a holiday with Rorie, 19, and her extended family last week.

The lovebirds were seen checking in for an international flight at Perth Airport last Wednesday, and were joined by Rorie's mother Kate Buckey - sister of the late Australian actor Heath Ledger.

Also joining the travelling party was Rorie's father Nathan, her twin sister Scarlett, Heath Ledger's mother Sally Bell and her husband Roger.

Robert was all smiles as he chatted with his in-laws at the departures terminal, dressed in a casual green T-shirt, jeans and sneakers.

Robert Irwin, 20, (centre) has been wholeheartedly welcomed into the Buckey clan, as he was spotted embarking on a holiday with his girlfriend Rorie, 19, (right) and her extended family last week. (Pictured with Rorie's mother Kate)

At times, Robert pulled his ladylove aside for a light-hearted chat before they boarded the plane.

Rorie looked chic in a black turtleneck top, matching skinny jeans and sneakers.

The blonde beauty accessorised her look with a blue cross-body bag, pearl earrings and a pendant necklace.

The lovebirds were seen checking in for a flight at Perth Airport last Wednesday, joined by Rorie's mother Kate Buckey - sister of the late Australian actor Heath Ledger

Also joining the travelling party was Rorie's father Nathan, her twin sister Scarlett (left) Heath Ledger's mother Sally Bell (back right) and her husband Roger

Robert was all smiles as he chatted with his in-laws at the departures terminal, dressed in a casual green T-shirt, jeans and sneakers

Robert and Rorie went Instagram official in August after months of rumours they were dating.

The pair are currently in a long-distance relationship, with Robert based at Australia Zoo in Queensland while Rorie is in Perth.

Robert and Rorie have plenty in common.

At times, Robert pulled his ladylove aside for a light-hearted chat before they boarded the plane

Rorie looked chic in a black turtleneck top, matching skinny jeans and sneakers

Both grew up in the public eye after suffering the devastating loss of a family member.

Heath was at the top of his Hollywood career when he was found dead in January 2008 following an accidental prescription drug overdose.

Meanwhile, Robert's father Steve, known to the world as the 'Crocodile Hunter', died aged 44, on September 4, 2006, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb

The blonde beauty accessorised her look with a blue cross-body bag, pearl earrings and a pendant necklace

Rumours recently emerged that Robert is preparing to pop the question very soon, even though the young couple have only been dating for about a year.

According to New Idea magazine, the media personality could propose when Rorie visits him in Africa while he films I'm A Celebrity in the coming months.

'Everyone is convinced he is aiming to pop the question when they're in Africa,' an insider said.

'Robert is crazy about her and is planning something unforgettable when he formally proposes. They both know it is part of their plans so he's been dreaming up special ways to make it a surprise.'

Robert and Rorie went Instagram official in August after months of rumours they were dating

The pair are currently in a long-distance relationship, with Robert based at Australia Zoo in Queensland while Rorie is in Perth

Rumours recently emerged that Robert is preparing to pop the question very soon, even though the young couple have only been dating for about a year
Kylie Jenner appeared in a new Instagram post shared on her clothing range Khy's account on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old mogul  who stunned at her family's annual Christmas Eve party  showed off her stellar abs in a white cropped shirt teamed with red sweatpants.

The mother-of-two, who is dating Timothee Chalamet, topped the look with a baggy black hooded sweatshirt.

The caption to Khy's 804k followers read, 'start the year with a fresh pair of sweats, plus mix and match with classic tees and tanks.'

Jenner posed against a white backdrop and sported white socks in the trio of images.

Kylie Jenner appeared in a new Instagram post shared on her clothing range Khy' s account on Tuesday

The 26-year-old mogul showed off her stellar abs in a white cropped shirt teamed with red sweatpants

The reality television star's long-sleeved white top featured a cutout back detail, leaving a circular area where she bared her toned back.

The bombshell's voluminous dark locks were parted down the middle and arranged in loose, glossy waves.

The influencer, who boats nearly 400 million Instagram followers, glowed in a face of flattering makeup.

In late October Jenner surprised fans by introducing her novel clothing line.

She introduced the sartorial undertaking with a single photo of herself donning a black faux leather trench coat with zipper details.

In the caption, she simple wrote, 'meet khy,' and tagged its Instagram handle on the snap.

Accompanying the arrival of the range was a Wall Street Journal cover story describing her latest entrepreneurial pursuit.

The new business was kicked off with a star-studded launch party whose guest list included big sister Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber.

The caption to Khy's 804k followers read, 'start the year with a fresh pair of sweats, plus mix and match with classic tees and tanks'

In another recent post promoting Khy, Jenner wore a similar look with different pieces in the same color palette

Kylie stunned at her family's annual Christmas Eve part, where she wore a gold, sequin-covered gown

Kylie appears to be thriving in both her personal and professional pursuits.

The billionaire businesswoman continues to build her empire, which includes businesses Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Skin, and now Khy.

She is also currently romancing Chalamet, with the two making their first public appearance at Beyonce's concert late last year.

Her family threw their annual star-studded holiday party last month, and she took to Instagram afterward to share photos in a jaw-dropping gold sequin dress and write 'Merry Christmas' to her fans.
Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' daughter Sami Sheen, 19, showed off her bikini body in an album of her New Year's travels.

The showbiz legacy, who went viral in 2022 for joining OnlyFans, escaped the wintertime chill for the warmer climes of the Bahamas.

While basking in the Caribbean sunshine, she snatched a bit of time to share her adventures with her more than 150,000 Instagram followers.

She posted an album that showed her enjoying a boating trip off Rose Island, striking a pinup pose on the deck while decked out in a barely-there bikini.

Sami, who got a boob job in November, could also be pictured on the beach, finding a bit of shade under a tree and relaxing on a swing while taking in the sea air.

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' daughter Sami Sheen, 19, showed off her bikini body in an album of her New Year's travels

Letting her luxurious blonde hair down in silky curtains, the Hollywood 'nepo baby' warded off the rays with a sleek pair of glasses.

While exploring the Bahamas, Sami also got to spend time with some of Rose Island's famous swimming pigs, even cradling one in her arms.

Her new porcine pals seemed to be one of the standout parts of her latest holiday, as her caption was just: 'piggies!!!' with an emoji to match.

Sami launched an OnlyFans account in 2022 after turning 18, and although Charlie publicly disapproved of the move, Denise defended her.

'I do not condone this,' Charlie told E! News: 'but since I'm unable to prevent it, I urged her to keep it classy, creative and not sacrifice her integrity. She is 18 years old now and living with her mother. This did not occur under my roof.'

Denise shot back to the same outlet: 'Sami is 18, and this decision wasn't based on whose house she lives in. All I can do as a parent is guide her and trust her judgement, but she makes her own choices.'

Swinging by her Instagram, Denise added: 'I have to say, I wish I had the confidence my 18 yr old daughter has. And I also can't be judgmental of her choices. I did Wild Things & Playboy, quite frankly her father shouldn't be either.'

In fact Denise approved so enthusiastically of Sami's decision to join OnlyFans that she has followed in her daughter's footsteps and launched a page there herself.

The showbiz legacy, who went viral in 2022 for joining OnlyFans , escaped the wintertime chill for the warmer climes of the Bahamas

While exploring the Bahamas, Sami also got to spend time with some of Rose Island's famous swimming pigs, even cradling one in her arms

Sami then ignited another controversy last year by calling herself a 'sex worker' on TikTok while announcing she was planning to get breast implants.

'I know you're probably thinking: 'How the hell are you a sex worker if you keep these censored?'' she said, indicating her bosom. 'I just want to wait until the girls are done so I'm fully confident with everything I'm showing.'

A source informed People that Denise thinks Sami is 'just saying outrageous things' by tagging herself with the 'sex worker' label.

'She doesn't even show any skin on OnlyFans. Sami has 4,000 followers. So she's making $80,000 a month doing almost nothing and barely showing anything. She's just teasing the audience,' the source insisted.

'She's not really doing any nudity at all. So this is just her titillating people by saying that,' the insider added to the magazine.
A candle claiming to capture the essence of actor Jacob Elordi's bath water has hit online marketplace Etsy.

The scented candle has been inspired by an eyebrow-raising scene in Amazon Prime movie Saltburn, where main character Oliver (played by Barry Keoghan) takes a sip of bathwater his co-star Elordi's character Felix used.

'Jacob Elordi's Bath Water' candle has been listed alongside Gwyneth Paltrow's risque 'This Smells Like My Orgasm' candle.

The scent is cheekily described as reminiscent of Elordi's climactic movie moment.

Retailing for $26 on ETSY and with a marked-up price on Amazon at $36, the candle became a hot topic after its promotion through a viral TikTok video.

A candle claiming to capture the essence of actor Jacob Elordi 's bath water has hit online marketplace Etsy

The scented candle has been inspired by an eyebrow-raising scene in Amazon Prime movie Saltburn, where main character Oliver (played by Barry Keoghan) takes a sip of bath water his co-star Elordi's character Felix used

Seller Side Hustle Vibes playfully describes the candle as an olfactory tribute to 'His Highness' Elordi, imagining what his royal fragrance might be.

Customers can indulge in three 'flavours': vanilla, comfort spice and sea breeze.

It comes just days after the Aussie star recalled his reaction to the movie's notorious bathtub scene.

'Jacob Elordi's Bath Water' candle has been listed alongside Gwyneth Paltrow 's risque 'This Smells Like My Orgasm' candle. Image supplied

In an interview with Stream Wars, Elordi shared his thoughts on the controversial scene, praising the film's director Emerald Fennell for the idea.

'I was just really excited when I read that scene, because... you don't really see things like that in sort of mainstream movies... a lot of the time,' he told the outlet.

'So it's just great that [Fennell] was allowed to kind of push those boundaries and expose people like that.'

In an interview with Stream Wars, Elordi recently shared his thoughts on the controversial bathtub scene, praising the film's director Emerald Fennell for the idea

The Euphoria star went on to admit he's been mostly avoiding other people's reactions to the film, but did get a sense of viewers' opinions of the bathtub scene in a movie screening.

'I haven't really heard too many because I try to hide away from it,' he explained. 'But I went to a screening of the picture in Brisbane when it sort of first played and it was unbelievable because everybody was engaged and sort of gasping at the screen and yelling at the screen and everything like that.

'And I haven't been in a movie like that in a really really long time. So, I haven't heard any of the really  I mean, I hope there's no terrible stories, but yeah.'
Mickey Cottrell, a publicist in the indie film business who had also worked as an actor, passed away on Monday at the Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills.

His sister, Suzy Cottrell, confirmed he died at the age of 79 after battling Parkinson's disease in a Facebook post, per Variety.

'My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Years Day,' she wrote. 'He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.

As a PR specialist, Cottrell worked on such hits as 1989's Dead Calm with Nicole Kidman and 2011's Weekend with Tom Cullen.

He took on various small roles as an actor throughout the years, appearing in films such as Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho as Daddy Carroll, one of River Phoenix's clients, and in Drugstore Cowboy, Ed Wood and Volcano.

Mickey Cottrell, a publicist in the indie film business who had also worked as an actor, passed away on Monday at the Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills; seen in 2012

He also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager.

Born on November 4, 1944, in Springfield, IL, Cottrell lived part of his early life in Monroe, LA, per Deadline.

At the age of 8, he relocated with his family to Little Rock, AR, where he attended the University of Arkansas.

Cottrell began his Hollywood career handling publicity for Landmark Theaters before joining Josh Baran Associates, according to the Variety.

In 1989, he co-founded Cottrell and Lindeman Associates. Subsequently, in 2002, he initiated Mickey Cottrell Film Publicity and later established Inclusive PR.

'In my thirty years in the film and public relations industries, I have had the great joy of representing many important film artists,' he wrote on his Linkedin bio.

'The films and filmmakers I have represented have been honored with eight Sundance Jury Prizes, three Academy Awards, and numerous other nominations and awards.

'Some of my successes have given new life to films that might not otherwise have had the chance, ranging in scale from big budget to minute.'

One of Cotrell's biggest hits came when he served as publicist on Phillip Noyce's 1989 thriller Dead Calm starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill and Billy Zane

He took on various small roles as an actor throughout the years, appearing in films such as 1991's My Own Private Idaho starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves

Cottrell (L) and actor Dennis Hopper attend the filmmaker reception held at Ghostbar at the Palms Casino Resort on June 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada

One of his biggest hits came when he served as publicist on Phillip Noyce's thriller Dead Calm starring Kidman, Sam Neill and Billy Zane.

'He did a lot for Philip,' Suzie told Deadline. 'When Philip first came to Hollywood, he didnt know anybody. Mickey was instrumental about getting his films recognized.'

He is survived by two sisters Gigi and Suzy Cottrell, nephew Jeremy Allen and great-nephew Gregory Allen, per Variety.
Stassi Schroeder had a hilarious response to learning that she was actually distant cousins with Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

The 35-year-old reality star and the 32-year-old Blanchard - who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing her abusive mother Dee Dee Blanchard in 2016 and granted early release in 2023 - were discovered to be cousins by DNA sleuth Dr. Adina Newman.

Both Schroeder and Blanchard hail from Louisiana, and after her research, she concluded that they were both cousins.

Newman said she spent a whole day researching Blanchard's family tree, where she made the discovery and tagged Schroeder on her Instagram post.

Schroeder responded by leaving the comment: 'Omg Im unwell' along with three cry-laughing emojis and three skull emojis.

Stassi Schroeder had a hilarious response to learning that she was actually distant cousins with Gypsy Rose Blanchard

The 35-year-old reality star and the 32-year-old Blanchard - who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing her abusive mother Dee Dee Blanchard in 2016 and granted early release in 2023 - were discovered to be cousins by DNA sleuth Dr. Adina Newman

Schroeder responded by leaving the comment: 'Omg Im unwell' along with three cry-laughing emojis and three skull emojis

Newman said in the post, 'More specifically, I focused on her maternal side. And let me tell you, Cajuns and Acadians basically everywhere!'

'If you know anything about Cajuns and Acadians, they are endogamous, a small founder population and keeping it within the family for generations,' she said.

'Quickly, I started to see some family names from @stassischroeder's paternal grandmother's side that go back to Acadia,' she said.

'Still digging because Gypsy Rose and Stassi are related distantly in a bazillion different ways (Arseneauxs, Herbert's, and Dugases to name a few),' she said.

Newman added, 'the closest I've found so far is through Antoine Bourg (c.1609-c.1687) and Antoinette Landry (c.1618-c.1693), progenitors of the Bourg line in Acadia. Stassi and Gypsy Rose are at minimum 11th cousins, Stassi is 10th cousins once removed with Dee Dee.'

The geneologist went on to clarify in another post that, 'in typical Acadian fashion, they are related in other ways as well, including the Bourg line.'

She went on to reveal that Stassi's Vanderpump Rules co-star Katie Maloney are also both related to Gypsy Rose.

'In fact, Stassi and Katie are more closely related on this line, sharing ancestors Michel Bourg (c.1666-c.1721) and Elizabeth Melanson (c.1673-c.1724); they are 9th cousins once removed,' Newman said.

'That means Katie is also related to Gypsy Rose Blanchard! Gypsy is 11th cousins once removed with Katie and 11 cousins with Stassi (counted generations wrong in the prior post, but made the correction),' she said.

Stassi gave birth to her second child back in September, joking in a recent post, 'Three of us are wearing diapers,' as she referred to the first days after childbirth when mothers wear adult diapers.

Newman said in the post, 'More specifically, I focused on her maternal side. And let me tell you, Cajuns and Acadians basically everywhere!'

'In fact, Stassi and Katie are more closely related on this line, sharing ancestors Michel Bourg (c.1666-c.1721) and Elizabeth Melanson (c.1673-c.1724); they are 9th cousins once removed,' Newman said

The geneologist went on to clarify in another post that, 'in typical Acadian fashion, they are related in other ways as well, including the Bourg line'

Schroeder, who revealed she was pregnant back in March, announced their son's arrival via Instagram on Saturday, September 9

Schroeder, who revealed she was pregnant back in March, announced their son's arrival via Instagram on Saturday, September 9.

'MESSER RHYS CLARK, born at 12:04 am on September 7th, 7 lbs 14 oz, 19.5 inches,' she wrote. 'We love him so much already, send prayers Hartford doesn't terrorize him.'

She included photos from the delivery room, one of which showed her cradling the newborn in bed. Beau was nearby, flashing a megawatt smile.

The star explained the meaning of her son's names, writing online, 'Messer Rhys Clark. "Messer" is an old (like during the renaissance type of old) Italian form of address which would be the equivalent of something like "signore," "sir," or "mister."'
Michelle Keegan thanked fans for their support on Tuesday after her new thriller Fool Me Once soared to the top of the Netflix chart.

The actress, 36, stars in the eight-part series which is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name and has been impressing viewers so far.

On Tuesday it was number one on the Netflix charts with fans rushing to X to gush over how 'stunning' the ex Coronation Street star, who portrays former army captain Maya, is in the new thriller.

Reflecting on the success she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap with her co-star Joanna Lumley, 77, behind the scenes at The One Show.

She penned in the caption: 'Me and my onscreen Mother-in-law. (We love each other really) What a day!!!!

Michelle Keegan thanked fans for their support on Tuesday after her new thriller Fool Me Once soared to the top of the Netflix chart

The actress, 36, stars in the eight-part series which is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name and has been impressing viewers so far

'So overwhelmed with all your amazing messages about Fool Me Once. Thank you, thank you xxx.'

In the show, Michelle plays the seemingly widowed Maya Stern, but after installing a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she sees her dead husband Joe - played by Richard Armitage - on camera.

This revelation throws Maya into a world of conspiracy as she questions what really happened to her partner, and what role his family, and in particular his mother (Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett), played in the saga.

Viewers are loving it so far as one wrote on X: '#FoolMeOnce on @NetflixUK is a must watch @michkeegan is amazing in it and not to mention the woman doesn't seem to age at all she's stunning #Netflix #newseries'.

Another fan gushed: 'Just binge watched FOOL ME ONCE brilliant! Michelle Keegan stunning!'

'Only just started watching #FoolMeOnce and already hooked! If you're stuck on a series to watch get watching it! @michkeegan what an actress!' a third added.

While a fourth penned: '@michkeegan take a bow, brilliant, stunning and thrilling - give this lady an Oscar #FoolMeOnce!'

Reflecting on the success she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap with her co-star Joanna Lumley, 77, behind the scenes at The One Show as she said she was 'overwhelmed'

On Tuesday it was number one on the Netflix charts with fans rushing to X to gush over how 'stunning' the ex Coronation Street star, who portrays former army captain Maya, is in the new thriller

In the show, Michelle plays the seemingly widowed Maya Stern, but after installing a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her daughter, she sees her dead husband Joe

Viewers are loving it so far as one wrote on X: '#FoolMeOnce on @NetflixUK is a must watch @michkeegan is amazing in it and not to mention the woman doesn't seem to age at all!'

Another said: 'Over halfway through #foolmeonce and I'm SO obsessed with Michelle Keegan's outfits'.

Another added: 'Michelle Keegan is not just beautiful, she's a proper top tier actor. Fool me once is really quite good. #FoolMeOnce'

Fool Me Once is based off of a book by acclaimed author Harlan Coben, and also stars the likes of British heavyweight Dame Joanna, The Hobbit star Richard Armitage and Irish actor Emmett J. Scanlan.

Its synopsis reads: 'When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.'

It came after Michelle's husband Mark Wright took to his Instagram Story to praise her new series.

Mark, 36, - who tied the knot with Michelle in 2015 - was a proud husband as he wrote, alongside a teaser clip: 'Unbelievable show, unbelievably proud. @michkeegan you're a superstar.

'Fool Me Once all eps on Netflix worldwide now!! You want a binge!! Get this on now!!'

The star's latest project comes after she enjoyed some family time as she and Mark joined family to celebrate his father's birthday at the Corinthia Hotel last month.

Fool Me Once is currently available to stream on Netflix.

This revelation throws Maya into a world of conspiracy as she questions what really happened to her partner

It came after Michelle's husband Mark Wright took to his Instagram Story to praise her new series
EastEnders viewers have threatened to boycott the show after Max Bowden was axed.

The actor, 29, has played Ben Mitchell on the BBC soap for four years.

However, bosses have decided not to renew Max's contract when it ends in March.

His last scenes will air in the spring but it is understood his character Ben, who has been played by numerous actors in the past, will not be killed off.

An EastEnders spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Max will be leaving EastEnders next year. We wish him all the best for the future.'

EastEnders viewers have threatened to boycott the show after Max Bowden (pictured in November 2023) was axed

The actor, 29, has played Ben Mitchell on the BBC soap for four years (pictured on the show last June)

A TV insider told The Sun: 'Max has played Ben for the last four years and bosses decided his time on the show was up.

'There has been a lot of noise around him for a bit too long and that can take away from the drama on the show.

'He went in for a meeting as his contract was up for renewal next year, No one knew how it was going to go and following discussions it was decided that he would leave.'

However furious fans took to social media to declare that they would be boycotting the show after Max leaves.

One said: 'I cannot watch @bbceastenders knowing that I will never see them again.'

Another added: '#Eastenders already feels wrong. Ill be happy to quit watching once Max Bowden leaves. If #Emmerdale could only bring Robert back, it would replace EE for me.'

A third vowed: 'I swear this to you now I will never watch another episode.'

Others added comments to show their devastation at the fan favourite leaving: 'Still gutted about the fact that Max Bowden has been axed,' as another fan said: 'Absolutely gutted to hear Max Bowden is leaving Eastenders. HOWEVER it does mean I can stop watching Eastenders.'

Devastated fans took to social media to say they would stop watching the BBC soap

Max broke his silence after the axe on Sunday, taking to his Instagram story to celebrate his birthday.

He told his fans he had been 'surrounded by love' all day and was 'feeling grateful' as he thanked viewers for their support.

Alongside an image of the soap star enjoying a meal with family and friends, he wrote: 'Been surrounded by love all day celebrating my birthday.

'Grateful for family and friends. Thanks for all the messages. Big love.'

Max, who is the sixth actor to play Ben, was involved in some of the soap's biggest storylines of late.

Ben struggled to cope with the death of Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold) who was mother to his daughter Lexi.

He then developed eating disorder bulimia as he attempted to work through his grief.

The actor, 29, took to his Instagram Story on Sunday to celebrate his birthday, telling fans he had been 'surrounded by love' all day and was 'feeling grateful'

It has been claimed that BBC bosses decided not to renew Max's contract when it ends in March (pictured in June 2023)

Stacey Slater, Suki Kaur Panesar, Linda Carter, Sharon Watts, Denise Fox and Kathy Beale, found themselves embroiled in a series of events that led to Keanu's demise

Several men had been teased as the potential victim in addition to Keanu and Nish before Christmas, with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Tom 'Rocky' Cotton (Brian Conley), Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) involved

Max's personal life hit the headlines when his romance with his EastEnders co-star Shona McGarty first came to light in May 2022.

Sources claimed the pair were 'inseparable' following his split from girlfriend Roisin Buckle, and they made their relationship Instagram official in August 2022.

However, Max and Shona split following a six-month romance in October 2022, with sources claiming at the time the pair had decided to remain friends after Max welcomed a baby boy with his ex Roisin.

In September 2022, Max revealed he was a father for the first time following the birth of his son with ex Roisin.

Roisin and Max both shared a sweet black and white photo of their son, who was born on September 19, 2022, as they revealed they had named him Reginald.

The pair revealed they were expecting their first child in April 2022.

The soap star met Roisin at a pub in June 2021. The pair quickly became close, and in July went on holiday to Madeira.

The couple decided to separate in March 2022, while agreeing to co-parent once their son was born, however Roisin claimed in August that they had not been in contact for two months.

The same month, Max was spotted at a country music festival with his EastEnders colleague Shona McGarty, 32, at London's O2.

Max's personal life hit the headlines when his romance with his EastEnders co-star Shona McGarty (left) first came to light in May 2022

Shona is known for her role as Whitney Dean in EastEnders (pictured with Max as Ben on the soap in 2019)

In March 2023, it was claimed Max enjoyed secret tryst in his dressing room with Love Island's Olivia Hawkins during a set party ahead of her villa stint.

It was said Max and Olivia - who once appeared as an extra in the BBC soap - took some 'time alone together' during a set party at Elstree Studios last summer.

Their racy liaison was reportedly the 'talk of the set', with an insider claiming that the pair were 'were gone for a while'.

It was reported that Max had flirted online with the brunette stunner, liking a sexy social media snap of hers.

However, it turns out that the two were already acquainted following their alleged get together at the EastEnders bash, with it said that it was obvious they were 'more than friends'.

Last weekend, it was reported Max had a lucky escape after after being involved in a three-car collision in Surrey.

Max emerged unscathed but appeared to be shaken up following the accident in Sunbury-on-Thames, according to onlookers.

The soap star met ex Roisin Buckle at a pub in June 2021. The pair quickly became close, and in July went on holiday to Madeira. The couple decided to separate in March 2022

In September 2022, Max revealed he was a father for the first time following the birth of his son with ex Roisin

In pictures obtained by The Sun, the soap star emerged from the scene with no injuries, despite the vehicle's bumper completely destroyed.

A source told the publication: 'It was all very fast. We just saw this car was absolutely demolished and then my girlfriend said, "Is that Ben Mitchell?"

'He looked pretty stunned by the whole thing. He must have been pretty badly shaken up.'

A Surrey Police spokeswoman said: 'We were called to a collision involving three vehicles in Sunbury-on-Thames on Friday.

'The collision occurred around 1.10pm just off the Sunbury Cross roundabout and involved a red Mazda, a black Mercedes and a grey Kia.

'There were no injuries or arrests resulting from the incident.'

News of Max's exit comes after his former co-star Danny Walters' character Keanu Taylor was killed during the climax of EastEnders storyline The Six, which was first teased in February of this year and alluded to the murder.

During the Christmas Day episode, six of Walford's matriarchs; Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Suki Kaur Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), found themselves embroiled in a series of events that led to what looked to be the character's demise.

Several men had been teased as the potential victim including; Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Tom 'Rocky' Cotton (Brian Conley), Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).

Towards the end of the episode the women were drinking in the Queen Vic pub on Albert Square before they invited Nish along to talk things out with Suki.

Matters got physical when Nish tried to take Suki from the pub and Denise responded by hitting him over the head with a bottle.

This action was initially believed to have killed him, but after Suki performed CPR, she managed to get him breathing again and told the others he was alive, upon which she discovered Keanu on the floor.

He had been stabbed by Linda after he entered the pub and strangled Sharon, upon believing her to have killed Nish.

In March 2023, it was claimed Max enjoyed secret tryst in his dressing room with Love Island's Olivia Hawkins during a set party ahead of her villa stint

Last weekend it was reported Max had a lucky escape after after being involved in a three-car collision in Surrey (pictured in September 2023)

Things had also heated up between the two as, earlier in the episode, Sharon had told him he was not biologically related to their son Albie.

She revealed the news after the couple's wedding was disrupted when Phil Mitchell gatecrashed and told Sharon that her husband-to-be was the person behind the kidnapping of their young son.

Teasing the festive episode, the British soap had aired a first-of-its-kind flash forward scene earlier in the year on February 20 which offered viewers a glimpse at the 2023 Christmas Day storyline.

The clip showed a shocked-looking Sharon with blood on her wedding dress, taking the unknown man's pulse before exclaiming: 'He's dead.'
Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori and Kim Kardashian's uncanny similarities have been pointed out by fans after the rapper posted a series of racy pictures, declaring that Bianca would wear even less in 2024.

The musician, 46, captioned a picture of Bianca in a fur bra top, micro thong and fishnet stocking kitten heels: 'No pants this year.'

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed the couple married in secret early last year, just a month after the rapper's divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalised.

Kanye followed up the post with two more showing the architect spilling out of a string bikini and black corset, with the latter captioned: 'Dropped sumn?'

The string of revealing snaps have also seen the rapper slammed for the 'creepy' posts, with one commenter imploring him to 'stop prostituting your partner'.

Kayne West's wife Bianca Censori and Kim Kardashian's uncanny similarities have been pointed out by fans after the rapper posted a series of racy pictures

DailyMail.com exclusively revealed the rapper married Bianca Censori in secret early last year, just a month after his divorce from Kim (seen in 2021) was finalised

Kanye posted two more pictures showing his architect wife spilling out of a string bikini and black corset, with the latter (left) captioned: 'Dropped sumn?'

One commenter on X responded to the January 2 posts by saying: 'It's wild how much she looks like Kim K.'

There were more comments to this effect on the post itself: 'I swear I thought that was Kim...

'She's Kim's twin...

'Is that Kim what is she doing?'

And others quipped: 'Not over your ex wife? Got someone who looks exactly like her...

'When you tell AI to make a pic of Kim Kardashian.'

The similarities between the pair do not stop at their looks; the Australian, who worked for Yeezy from November 2020, is from an affluent family with a brood of sisters.

The 28-year-old and her model sisters Alyssia and Angelina were raised in Ivanhoe, one of Melbourne's more affluent and established areas, before moving to a $2.8 million Alphington home where their mother Alexandra still lives.

One commenter quipped that the first post looked like: 'When you tell AI to make a pic of Kim Kardashian'

Bianca's barely-there nude leggings, right in September 2023, have been seen on the curves of another one of Kanye West 's partners - his ex-wife Kim, left

Bianca, right, also recently stepped out in a black bikini top and tights, another ensemble which bares a striking resemble to an outfit worn by Kim in 2022, left

The family also have a Kardashian-esque penchant for the glamourous side of the high life judging from their Instagram posts with each other.

Similarly to when he was with Kim, Kanye appears to have a major influence on his current 'wife' when it comes to her outfits and fashion choices.

Bianca's tight-fitting outfits which have seen her in the headlines add to her resemblance to the the SKIMS founder.

Kim has previously confirmed her ex-husband's influence on her style by blaming him for an outfit which saw her ridiculed following the couple's split.

The outfit - featuring an orange flaming top with black shoulders plus matching orange pants, skirt, boots and gloves - was mocked as comparisons were drawn to Guy Fieri and The Incredibles.

Many initially commented that this was down to Kanye no longer designing her outfits after their split, however, Kim revealed on The Kardashians that it was actually a look Kanye set up for her.

'Let me just say one thing about this flame outfit that everyone wants to talk about and on the Internet destroyed me like "Ha ha this is what she gets... not being with Kanye.

'Finally one look she dresses herself, the Kanye outfits must have run out." The tea is, this is one of the outfits he styled and picked out,' she said.

Bianca, 28, and was raised in Ivanhoe - one of Melbourne's more affluent and established areas - before moving to a $2.8 million Alphington home

Like Kim, Bianca is from a family of model sisters (Alyssia and Angelina), with the trio pictured with their mother Alexandra

The former Yeezy employee's figure-hugging outfits also bear a resemblance to those which Kim had styled for her by Bianca's husband

Friends of Kanye's second wife have expressed their concern over his influence on her.

They told DailyMail.com: 'Bianca is stuck and her friends are trying to save her, but no one can because of the blockades Kayne has put up.

'Everyone is extremely concerned. This isn't who she is. She is an incredibly outspoken and lively person who is never one to keep her mouth shut.

'But she has no one right now and it is scary.'

That came after the couple sparked scandal after scandal during a trip to Italy last year - with the controversy reaching a pinnacle when the pair were caught engaging in a risque act during a Venice boat ride while the rapper's buttocks were on display.
Katie Price is selling an X-rated 2024 calendar in a bid to rake in cash amid her ongoing 3.2M bankruptcy case.

The former glamour model, 45, is charging fans 99.99 for the saucy snaps ahead of her hearing in February.

It comes amid reports investigators had been assigned to her case to see if she has any hidden income streams.

Katie's most expensive calendar includes a handwritten message, two exclusive polaroids and a lipstick kiss across the front.

Another, cheaper, version is also available priced from 24.99 on the UK Calendar Girls website.

Katie Price, 45, is selling an X-rated 2024 calendar in a bid to rake in cash amid her ongoing 3.2M bankruptcy case

The former glamour model is charging fans 99.99 for the saucy snaps ahead of her hearing in February

It comes amid her 3.2M bankruptcy case, after reports investigators had been assigned to her case to see if she has any hidden income streams.

A source told The Mirror in September: 'There is going to be no stone left unturned, as they try to ascertain what is going on with her finances'.

MailOnline contacted Katie's representatives for comment.

The television personality  who has been on two holidays in the last few months including a trip to Thailand in March - will be asked to lay bare just how much cash she makes when she finally faces the music in February 2024.

Katie has avoided being grilled in person since November 2021.

The bankruptcy hearing was postponed to next year due to members of public causing chaos in the online hearing last month.

The television personality reportedly appeared in an online hearing in which she alleged she was 'scared and anxious' as screenshots of the hearing had been posted on 'Tattle sites' - seemingly a reference to gossip forums.

Cameras are not permitted in court hearings in any form and screenshots of online hearings are banned and risk jail time if found to be doing so.

His Honour Judge Paul Greenwood demanded everybody leave the call, by ground of 'losing control' of the hearing, and postponed to next year.

Katie's most expensive calendar includes a handwritten message, two exclusive polaroids and a lipstick kiss across the front

He said: 'I'm not entirely sure I can maintain control of the hearing or the dissemination of the hearing. I'm going to exclude everybody who is not party and hear this short directions hearing in private...

'I cannot be sure that the integrity of the hearing is not being affected by the broadcast. In order it should be capable of being conducted, I'm going to direct it is going to be in private. Everyone who is not party must leave the meeting.'

Amid her money battle, Katie is fighting to save her famed Mucky Mansion.

It was reported the former glamour model, who has spent two years renovating her 19-room Mucky Mansion and even documented the process for a Channel 4 show, has moved out of the house.

In July, Katie hit back at trolls who questioned her over her bankruptcy, saying she still 'owns her 2.5million house' and stated: 'Never knock someone who is bankrupt, we all can go there but it doesn't mean that it is all bad.'

In 2021, the star was once again hit with a repossession order on the Mucky Mansion after failing to pay a 500,000 debt.

In April, Katie dodged a court hearing for a fifth time, in which she was set answer questions over her most recent batch of debts - this time 3.2m.

During an appearance on Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show in March this year, Katie discussed her bankruptcy and how she had been struggling with her mental health in recent years.

'You shouldn't be ashamed if you have a bankruptcy because for different reasons people go into bankruptcy,' she said.

'I went through a really, really tough time the past three years, mental health and this and that.

'And when you go through that, you might get bills through and you put everything to the side because you can't cope with anything.'

During a previous court hearing in October 2020, Katie apologised to the court, adding: 'I just haven't been able to deal with these issues or in the right mental state to understand everything that has been going on.'

She also said creditors and officials may think her engagement with them is 'too little too late' but the 'progress is real' and she had provided financial information.

In August, Katie said she was 'fed up' of being threatened with legal action and would go to prison to be 'done with it all'.

A source told The Mirror in September: 'There is going to be no stone left unturned, as they try to ascertain what is going on with her finances'

Speaking to TV personality Michelle Visage on her Rule Breakers podcast, Katie discussed her bankruptcy and said she had recently been to court 'more times than I've had hot dinners' and would 'genuinely' not care if she was jailed.

In March, Katie told Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show that people should not be 'ashamed' of being declared bankrupt and she had been struggling with her mental health in recent years.

During a hearing in October 2020, Katie apologised to the court, saying: 'I just haven't been able to deal with these issues or in the right mental state to understand everything that has been going on.'

She said creditors and officials may think her engagement with them is 'too little, too late' but the 'progress is real' and she had provided financial information.
Sarah Michelle Gellar showed off her incredible figure in a belted orange swimsuit looked sensational as she took to Instagram with a selection of gorgeous holiday snaps on Tuesday.

The actress, 46, wowed in a tangerine one-piece as she displayed her toned physique while enjoying a sunbathing session in a mystery location.

The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star completed the look with an large straw sunhat and a pair of large square rimmed shades as she reclined on the sunbed.

The mother-of-two captioned the post: 'If Ive left you unread. Here is why. Vacation photo dump part one'.

In another snap, the screen star looked completely chilled out as she slipped into a fashionable floral bikini top.

Sarah Michelle Gellar showed off her incredible figure in a belted orange swimsuit looked sensational as she took to Instagram with a selection of gorgeous holiday snaps on Tuesday

The actress, 46, wowed in a tangerine one-piece as she displayed her toned physique while enjoying a sunbathing session in a mystery location

The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star looked completely chilled out as she slipped into a fashionable floral bikini top in another snap

Sarah is enjoying a New Year's getaway with her husband, actor Freddie Prinze Jr, after the pair celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary last year.

The actress shared a snap of the pairs legs as they sunbathed, looking out on the stunning view.

Sarah showed off a few of her stylish evening looks as she flashed her toned stomach in a simple white-tied Bardot top.

Keeping it simple, she paired the top with simple blue floaty trousers as she posed on the balcony against the palm trees, with the caption: 'The view never gets old'.

In another snap, the star put on a very leggy display as she donned a ripped pair of white denim shorts and black crochet floaty top.

Sarah shared a snap with her long-time husband last week to wish her followers a Happy Christmas.

Their two children, who they prefer to keep out of the spotlight, were not seen in the photo of them posing in front of a twinkling Christmas tree.

Sarah and Freddie were one of the 'it' couples of the 90s and have since become one of the strongest pairings in Hollywood with a marriage spanning two decades.

Taking to her Instagram Story, Sarah posed up a storm in a cute floral frilly two-piece

Enjoying a New Year's getaway with her husband Freddie Prinze Jr, Sarah shared a snap of the pair's legs as they sunbathed while looking out on the stunning view

In another snap, the actress wore a gorgeous frilled bikini patterned with citrus fruit

The co-stars met on the set of the 1997 horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer and their friendship turned to romance a few years later.

The Scooby-Doo co-stars tied the knot in 2002 at a resort in Mexico, describing each other as their 'best friend'.

Seven years later, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Charlotte Grace, in 2009, while on Rocky James followed three years on in 2012.

Sarah has credited their long-lasting marriage to being present with each other.

She previously told People: 'Take the 10 minutes  put the phone down. Have a cup of coffee together. Walk the dog at the end of the night. Read a story with your kids.

'Make the most of the time that you have. We are all pulled in so many directions, so make sure that, whichever one you are focusing on, you're present.'

Sarah also showed off a few of her stylish evening looks as she cut a flashed her toned stomach in a simple white-tied Bardot top
Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori is proving to be Kim Kardashian's biggest rival after she modelled a micro thong from the reality star's shapewear brand.

Fashion muse Bianca, 28, slipped into the barely-there G-string in a string of racy snaps posted by the rapper on Instagram on Tuesday.

Kim, 43, had previously debuted the design back in February 2022, with the minimal design accentuated her famous derriere.

Kanye captioned his post: 'No pants this year' in reference to the couple making headlines last year over Bianca's nearly naked outfits.

In the photos, Bianca left little to the imagination as she went braless in a fur shawl and teamed the micro thong with knee-high stockings and heels.

Kanye West 's wife Bianca Censori (left) is proving to be Kim Kardashian's biggest rival after she modelled a micro thong from the reality star's shapewear brand (Kim is pictured right)

Bianca bore a striking resemblance to Kim, who wore the $14 thong with a miniscule black bra which showcased plenty of cleavage.

SKIMS has been valued at over $4billion since Kim launched the company back in 2019, firmly cementing her fashion status on the Vogue scene.

Fashion businesswoman Bianca has stepped out in a number of near identical outfits to Kim in the time that she has been dating Kanye, with fans saying she is morphing into the reality star under the influence of her rapper husband's fashion choices.

In August, during her Italy trip with Kanye, Bianca appeared to have drawn inspiration from Kim in a racy nude outfit.

The nude ensemble looked eerily reminiscent of clothing that the SKIMS founder had modeled for her brand in the past.

In September, Bianca stepped out in barely-there nude leggings, five years after Kim stepped out in a near identical pair.

She has also worn skintight leggings and a busty bra in a look which has also been worn by Kim.

In May, Bianca turned heads as she arrived for the Balanciaga fashion show in New York in a skintight unitard and silver heeled boots.

Rather awkwardly, Kim is a brand ambassador for the fashion house and even hit the runway during the designer's show last October.

In December, Bianca then seemingly hit out at Kanye's ex Kim after she stepped out wearing a toy cat.

Kim, 43, had previously debuted the design back in February 2022, with the minimal design accentuated her famous derriere

When Kim posed in the Bahamas last month, fans thought she had on a bikini, but the Hulu star may have been in her black SKIMS lingerie

Bianca (right) has stepped out in a number of near identical outfits to Kim (left) in the time that she has been dating Kanye, including her barely-there nude leggings

Bianca, right, also recently stepped out in a black bikini top and tights, another ensemble which bares a striking resemble to an outfit worn by Kardashian last year, left

Kim, 43, was attacked by Karl Lagerfeld's $13million cat Choupette on the last season of The Kardashians after she attempted to bond with the feline so she could take it as her date to the Met Gala.

But her idea to take Choupette was short lived after the cat kept hissing at the Billionaire and later tried to attack her.

The 2023 Met Gala theme was Karl Lagerfeld, the German fashion designer who passed away in 2019 and left a whopping $1.5million to the cat in his will.

Following the cat fight blunder, it appeared as if Bianca had tried to mimic Kim's idea by using a cat as an accessory - but instead choose a fur toy instead of the real deal, unlike Kim.

In another of her outrageous outfits, Bianca bared once for a night on the town in Miami as she showed off the cat accessory clutched to her chest to cover her modesty.

Kim's showdown with late Karl's cat Choupette was aired on Disney+ in October, sharing the process behind her Met Gala outfit.

During the summer of 2023, Bianca and Kanye received backlash over her nearly naked ensembles when they holidayed in Italy.

During his time in Florence, Verona and Rome, the rapper and his wife shocked with their bizarre outfit choices, with Kanye regularly seen out barefoot and Bianca often barely clothed.

Yet they took things a step further in Venice, when they were accused of performing a lewd sex act on a river boat, with Kanye seen exposing his bare buttocks while Bianca kneeled in front of him.

Their bizarre behavior has prompted fury from Italian locals who declared the couple 'banned' from the country, and their antics even sparked a police investigation.

There was also grave concern from Bianca's inner circle, who insisted her behaviour was not a reflection of who she really is, but rather a result of Kanye's influence over her.

Back in May last year, Bianca turned heads as she arrived for the Balanciaga Fashion Show in New York in a skintight unitard and silver heeled boots

In December, Bianca then seemingly hit out at Kanye's ex Kim after she stepped out wearing a toy cat

Kim, 43, was attacked by Karl Lagerfeld's $13million cat Choupette on the last season of The Kardashians after she attempted to bond with the feline so she could take it to the Met Gala

Bianca (left) has recently dyed her hair blonde and gave it the chop but as a brunette she was a dead ringer for Kanye's ex-wife Kim (right)

During the summer of 2023, Bianca and Kayne received backlash over her nearly naked ensembles when they holidayed in Italy

Some of her recent and most scandalous had her carrying a pillow or stuffed animal to protect her modesty.

Kanye's Instagram posts come just days after Kanye apologized for his unhinged and offensive anti-Semitic outbursts, which resulted in a 'smackdown' from Bianca.

Insiders revealed that she is allegedly 'tired' of having to 'babysit' her husband and fears he is putting them in danger.

'She told him that his recent behavior was unacceptable and that he needs to apologize because he was putting them in danger and setting a horrible example for his children,' one source said.

'Bianca is really sick of his attention seeking and she knows that this is not who he truly is,' they added.

Previously, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that the pair had tied the knot in December 2022 - just one month after his divorce with ex Kim Kardashian was finalized.
Dianne Buswell has candidly opened up about her battle with bulimia and overexercising.

The Strictly dancer's eating disorder became so extreme it resulted in her becoming anaemic, passing out and left her risk of a heart attack.

Speaking to Heat World, the star, 34, revealed recovering from bulimia is one of her 'greatest achievements' and explained how she completely changed her mindset.

She said: 'Its probably one of my greatest achievements, because being well is such a big part of your everyday life. If youre constantly thinking, I cant eat today or, I need to work out this much today, it takes over your life.'

Dianne discussed how the pressure from the dance industry to look a certain way really impacted her thought process and led her to believe she had to look a certain way to be cast in something.

Dianne Buswell has described overcoming her battle with bulimia as her 'greatest achievement' as she detailed the pressures in the dance world to always look thin

The Australian dancer's eating disorder became so extreme it resulted in her becoming anaemic, passing out and left her risk of a heart attack (pictured in 2014)

Yet she confessed that she realised that wasn't the case during her time working on cruise ships when she became so ill she was too weak to move.

She explained: 'I took the concept of being fit to literally represent how I thought I needed to look. It wasnt until I had a period where I became very weak and couldnt dance because I was so exhausted that I realised I needed help.'

Discussing her recovery, she added: 'Slowly, I started to realise how important your body is. Essentially, its my tool. I wont be able to do what I love if I dont treat my body well.'

After returning home from the cruise ships to recover back home in Australia, Dianne said it was once she began building her strength back up that she started getting more jobs and ended up moving to the UK for Strictly Come Dancing.

Dianne first spoke out about her eating disorder during BBC One's Freeze The Fear with Wim Hof in 2022 and admitted she chose to speak up to help others.

She said she wanted to show that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that even when things are tough you can get through it.

During the BBC show, Dianne explained how dancers were weighed every week and received a warning if their weight wasn't deemed 'correct'.

'I worked on a cruise ship for quite a while. It's tricky, because as a dancer you get weighed.

She said: 'Its probably one of my greatest achievements, because being well is such as big part of your everyday life... it takes over your life' (pictured in Australia last month)

Dianne (pictured middle right) realised she needed to change her mindset during her time working on cruise ships when she became so ill she was too weak to move

'I took the concept of being fit to literally represent how I thought I needed to look. It wasnt until I had a period where I became very weak and couldnt dance' (pictured 2014)

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Dianne has starred in seven series of Strictly, making the final in both 2018 with her partner and now boyfriend Joe Sugg, and in 2023 with EastEnders star Bobby Brazier (pictured)

Dianne met her boyfriend Joe Sugg, 32, during the 2018 series of Strictly when the two made the final

'We got weighed every week and had a thing called a WW, which was a Weight Warning. I had two of them in my time and I weighed two more kilos than I do now.

'I would have a bit of spinach and would watch all the other girls and they would be the same - you just wouldn't eat.

'I went through one point where I just wouldn't eat, so I just had like a drink for my lunch and a drink for my dinner.

'I got really sick. I had nothing. If I did have some food, I would make myself sick because I wouldn't want it in me.'

'I adore dancing but, I guess, as I became more successful, the pressures also grew.

'That can really spiral you into this awful self-doubt and the pressure of that makes you do crazy things.

'You're constantly checking your weight, you're thinking, ''I need to be a certain way and I need to look a certain way''.

Talking to Lorraine in 2023, she confessed: 'One thing that I really realised when I wasn't well, is how much movement made me happy. How good that was for my mental health.

'When that was taken away from me because my body wasn't able to produce what I wanted, it really got me down. Movement is something I need to keep myself happy.'

Dianne has starred in seven series of Strictly, making the final in both 2018 with her partner and now boyfriend Joe Sugg, and in 2023 with EastEnders star Bobby Brazier.
Molly-Mae Hague has shared sweet clips of her fiance Tommy Fury doting on their daughter Bambi on two different trips to Dubai eight months apart.

On Wednesday the influencer, 24, posted a video on Instagram from their first trip away with the now 11-month old Bambi back in April 2023.

It then flashed to boxer Tommy, also 24, holding her in the exact same place on the beach eight months on as they stopped off in the UAE on the way back from their New Year holiday in the Maldives.

She mused in the caption: 'Just how fast the night changes'.

The April 2023 trip was their first family holiday after welcoming their baby daughter on January 2023.

Molly-Mae Hague has shared sweet clips of her fiance Tommy Fury doting on their daughter Bambi on two different trips to Dubai eight months apart (left in April 2023 right in Jan 2024)

On Wednesday the influencer, 24, posted a video on Instagram from their first trip away with the now 11-month old Bambi back in April 2023

In the first clip Bambi looked adorable in a white baby grow while in the recent clip she wore a sweet pink and green swimsuit.

The family are in Dubai after a trip to the Maldives for New Year.

It comes after earlier this week Molly-Mae candidly opened up about her relationship struggles with Tommy in her latest YouTube video.

At the time she was in the Maldives with Tommy and baby Bambi.

The former Love Island star revealed that the luxury holiday was originally just supposed to be a romantic getaway for her and Tommy as the pair struggle to find time to spend together one on one.

Molly confessed that since Bambi was born in January 2023, the couple haven't had any 'adult intimate nice quality time together'.

The pair sparked worry among fans late last year following Tommy's wild nights out in Dubai.

Amid claims she was 'mortified' by his partying behaviour, Molly-Mae was spotted with and without her 600,000 engagement ring on and off on multiple occasions.

It then flashed to boxer Tommy, also 24, holding her in the exact same place on the beach eight months on in January 2024

She mused in the caption: 'Just how fast the night changes'

In the first clip Bambi looked adorable in a white baby grow while in the recent clip she wore a sweet pink and green swimsuit

It comes after earlier this week Molly-Mae candidly opened up about her relationship struggles with Tommy in her latest YouTube video

Molly confessed that since Bambi was born in January 2023, the couple haven't had any 'adult intimate nice quality time together' (seen in the Maldives for New Year)

However it seems the couple have put all that behind them as they jetted off on the family trip.

Discussing the holiday, she said: 'To be completely honest, originally it was meant to be just me and Tommy going for a romantic holiday and our present to one another for Christmas was going to be a trip away.

'Up until quite recently, it was meant to be just me and him but as it got closer, we both said we didn't feel comfortable spending New Year's away from Bambi. It was breaking both our hearts and as much as we felt we wanted that time together.

'Since having Bambi, so coming up to a year now, Tommy and I haven't had any proper time together.

'We have date nights and go to the cinema but I don't really feel like that counts as proper time as a couple - like adult intimate nice quality time together.

'So we were going to use this holiday as a present to one another and a time to be together and enjoy each other's company.'

Molly explained that neither of them could bear being away from Bambi, so decided to make it a family trip.

She continued: 'But like I say, as it was coming round the corner it didn't feel right. I felt really, really upset about the idea of leaving her.

'I've only ever left her for work before and because this was pleasure and not work, it didn't feel right.

'It doesn't feel nice when I have to leave her for work but more so for this - to go and have a nice time and be without her was breaking both of our hearts.'

The trio enjoyed their holiday in paradise, but it didn't come without criticism.

Fans sprung to Molly's defence last Thursday, when she came under fire for flying first class with her 11-month-old daughter.

The family jetted to the 4,300 a night Ritz-Carlton resort in the Maldives for some quality time together

The family jetted to the 4,300 a night Ritz-Carlton resort in the Maldives - something she confessed she was 'proud' of due to the long-haul nature of the journey.

Earlier in the week, she had shared images of the journey, with pictures of Bambi lying down in her reclining seat as well as shots of her lavish in-flight food - which led to disdain and later defence of the star from her many fans.

Alongside a slew of sweet videos and clips, Molly wrote: 'Feeling so proud to have gotten our girl to the other side of the world', to which a fan replied: 'No exactly hard when you fly business class, and you can lie down with her. She's one lucky girl.'

In the comments section of bikini-clad snaps of her hugging Bambi, fans hit back at the comment, penning: 'Jealous or what or just like being a TROLL', 'bit bitter helen', 'you jealous??.' and 'that sounds like you begrudge her that privilege'.
Spencer Matthews has admitted he 'could have died' at the height of his drinking when he would consume up to 10 pints of beer a day while working as a city trader.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 35, began to battle a drinking problem when he began his career in finance.

Spencer's issues were exacerbated by his role on the hit E4 reality show where he was notorious for his booze-fuelled partying and relationship drama.

Spencer decided to quit drinking in 2018 to save his marriage to model Vogue Williams.

On Wednesday, Spencer spoke about his decision to give up booze for good and what caused the excessive drinking in the first place on Vogue's Taboo Talk podcast.

Spencer Matthews revealed that at the height of his alcoholism he drank up to ten pints a day, and admitted: 'I could have died' (pictured in December 2023 with Vogue and their children)

His drinking issues were exacerbated by his role on TOWIE from 2011 until 2015 where he was notorious for his booze-fuelled partying and relationship drama (pictured in 2012)

Spencer explained: 'I always had jobs where being able to handle your drink really well was a huge bonus.

'I was a trader at ICAP and we would drink five to 10 pints every single day and then take clients out at night and if you couldn't do that, you wouldn't get the job, basically.'

With the help of Vogue, the father-of-three recalled the situation he found himself in that made him decide to turn his life around.

He said: 'I had a moment of clarity when I was drinking on my own at night if Vogue wasn't around. All of a sudden I was going to bed drunk.

'One night, when I was alone, I had a bottle of whiskey and struggled to get myself to bed. I was hammered drunk. I remember waking up the next day and I thought, "I don't need this in my life."

'If I wasn't married to someone who didn't have a great relationship with alcohol, as in you don't really like it, then my journey would have been more difficult.'

He continued: 'It's not like I just fancied giving up drinking. I could have lost you, I could have lost work, I could have died - not to be overly dramatic about it, but that's the way it was heading.'

Spencer doesn't consider himself an alcoholic as he can now drink in moderation. He said: 'Before, having one glass would have turned into ten and then I'd be out all night.

He told Boots UK's Taboo Talk podcast: 'I always had jobs where being able to handle your drink really well was a huge bonus (L-R: Vogue, Spencer, Millie Gooch and Scott Thomas)

'One night, when I was alone, I had a bottle of whiskey and struggled to get myself to bed ... I remember waking up the next day and I thought, "I don't need this in my life."

'I'm sober most of the time, now. I've gone from problem-drinking on a daily basis to having a drink if I feel like it very irregularly.

'I no longer see it as a problem. I have great balance in my life.'

The topic for this week was sobriety and also there were Millie Gooch, founder of Sober Girl Society, and former Love Island star Scott Thomas who has been open about is alcohol and gambling addictions.

Spencer and Vogue, met on reality show The Jump in 2017. In 2020, she opened up about how his binge drinking had affected her.

'He was becoming quite difficult to live with. His boozing had gotten out of control, she confessed. 'And he wasnt the type of person Id have liked to have been married to.'

In the years since, Spencer has spoken about his journey away from alcohol dependence several times.

He told The Times in 2019: 'My relationship with alcohol became unsustainable. For people who are going to ask, "Were you an alcoholic?" I suppose the short answer is "Yes."'

Spencer's issues were exacerbated by his role on the hit E4 reality show where he was notorious for his booze-fuelled partying (pictured with Millie Mackintosh)

Spencer said: 'I had to change my relationship with alcohol in order to become the man that I knew I could be and that my family would be proud of'

'I would be all on or all off. I'd give up for three months and feel incredible. But for some reason I'd always go back to it.'

Taking to Instagram later that year, he said: 'Sobriety is a lifestyle choice I made a few months before becoming a dad.

'In the back of my mind for many years, I had always felt that my relationship with alcohol, although seemingly harmless was unhealthy and somewhat destructive.

'Drinking lead me to make poor decisions and achieving my full potential was slipping away.

'I had abstained from alcohol for lengthy periods at a time but in doing so had made drinking at the end of that period a reward - a pat on the back for my achievement. It was a vicious cycle...'

He continued: 'I had to change my relationship with alcohol in order to become the man that I knew I could be and that my family would be proud of. Sobriety has opened my mind and unlocked parts of me that I didnt even realise existed.

'I am more ambitious and hard working now than I have ever been and there has been a serious shift in my priorities and whats important to me.

He later told OK! in 2020: 'There was a really good chance that my wife would have left me if I carried on drinking the way I was drinking.'

Spencer and Vogue have been married since 2018 and the two share son Theo, 5, daughter Gigi, 3, and son Otto, one.

Spencer is the founder and CBO of CleanCo non-alcoholic spirits. He founded the company after Theo's birth.

He is the brother-in-law of Pippa Middleton, and his parents are the Laird and Lady of Glen Affric, a 10,000-acre estate in the Highlands.

Spencer also battled an addiction to steroids, the use of which caused his early exit in I'm A Celebrity ... in 2015.

All episodes of Taboo Talk are available on the Boots UK YouTube channel.
Australian actress Lillian Crombie has died at age 66.

The star was best known for her roles in the cult TV series The Secret Life of Us and Mystery Road, as well Baz Luhrmann's film Australia.

Crombie's death was announced on Tuesday by her daughter Elaine Crombie, who shared a moving tribute to her beloved mother on Facebook.

'Lily of the Valley danced around the world, acted on stages around the world, graced the big screen, the small screen and has definitely left an imprint in our lives,' she wrote.

The sad news was soon inundated with tributes for the proud Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara woman, including one from prominent Indigenous actor Natasha Wanganeen.

Australian actress Lillian Crombie has died at age 66. Pictured

The Port Pirie-born star was best known for her roles in the cult TV series The Secret Life of Us and Mystery Road, as well Baz Luhrmann's film Australia. Pictured alongside the cast of Australia, including Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and director Luhrmann

'Thank you for all you've done for our people. You're an inspiration and you always will be to anyone who knew and loved you,' she wrote.

Elsewhere, the South Australian Film Corporation said it heard the news with 'deep sadness'.

In 2019, Crombie, from Port Pirie in South Australia, received a lifetime achievement award from the Equity Foundation for her contributions to the arts.

Crombie's death was announced on Tuesday by her daughter Elaine Crombie, who shared a moving tribute to her beloved mother on Facebook . 'Lily of the Valley danced around the world, acted on stages around the world, graced the big screen, the small screen and has definitely left an imprint in our lives,' she wrote

Australian playwright and artistic director Wesley Enoch described her as a pioneer who paved the way for First Nations stories to be told.

'Her amazing comic timing is legendary. Who could ever resist the way she winks an eye and flashes her smile and has you laughing while she delivers a huge life lesson,' he said at the time.

'Working with Lillian is like a rollercoaster where she has you guessing in the rehearsal room, but when in front of an audience she never fails to capture hearts and minds.'

Aside from her stellar career on screen, she also appeared on stage with some of the country's most prestigious theatre groups, including the Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company and the State Theatre Company of SA.

In 2015 Lillian founded the Lillian Crombie Foundation to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with travel, whether for 'Sorry Business' when they have lost loved ones, or to visit family members who are seriously ill.
ITV bosses have lifted their ban on Love Island contestants keeping their social media profiles for its forthcoming All Stars series.

MailOnline can reveal that chiefs have taken the view that because the contestants have appeared on the programme previously, they have experienced the 'pitfalls and negatives' associated with being on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter.

Sources at the channel say that its stars - rumoured to be will have the choice of whether they keep their presence or not.

It comes after Love Island bosses formally introduced a rule in May last year telling participants to pause all of their social media handles and accounts for the duration of their time on the show to ensure that both the Islanders and their families are protected from the adverse effects of social media.

A Love Island insider told MailOnline: 'For the All Stars series it was decided that Islanders should have the choice as to whether or not they want to stay active on social media.

ITV bosses have lifted their ban on Love Island contestants keeping their social media profiles for its forthcoming All Stars series

The programme will see the return of host Maya Jama

'The feeling was that because they have all experienced life in the spotlight, and also have management advising them, that they are already aware of the potential pitfalls and negatives associated with social media.

'Most of them have had at least a year of living in the limelight so will hopefully be able to handle what being famous throws at them.'

ITV say that they will continue with the training in language, behaviour and relationships which they say is 'really important to ensure we are doing what we can to prepare the Islanders on cultural differences and sensitivities.'

Love Island All Stars will launch later this month after bosses decided not to do another series of the winter version of the show which will give past Islanders back for another chance at finding love.

The programme will be hosted by Maya Jama and former stars such as ex firefighter Michael Griffiths from the 2019 series, paramedic Paige Thorne from 2022, Chloe Burrows from 2021 and Samira Mighty from 2018 are all rumoured to be taking part.

Like last year's Winter Love Island, the show will be filmed in South Africa.

ITV were forced to increase their duty of care guidelines following the suicides of presenter Caroline Flack in 2020, as well as former contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis.

The dating show has previously sparked a barrage of audience Ofcom complaints over alleged toxic or abusive behaviour among participants.

Rumoured stars expected to return include Paige Thorne from the 2022 series (pictured)

Series five islander Amy Hart said her family and friends had to read death threats aimed towards her while she was in the villa.

She said: 'I didn't really take into account when I went into the villa that although my best friend was really excited to run my social media account, it was me that signed up to do the show, not my family and not my friends.

'But it was them that had to read the death threats and it was them that had to read the horrible messages.

'Whereas when I came out, I came out to a great reaction because of the way that I left, and they were the ones who had a hard time when I was in there.'
Michelle Keegan has revealed she would like to play a 'baddie' in her next role, following the success of Fool Me Once.

The actress, 36, stars in the eight-part series which is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name and has been impressing viewers so far.

The thriller - in which Michelle plays ex-army captain Maya - has soared to the top of the Netflix charts.

And speaking on Wednesday's episode of This Morning with hosts Josie Gibson and Rylan Clark to discuss the success of the show, Michelle also shed some light on her future acting plans.

She confessed: 'I always say that I live in the moment. Any job that I get I am very grateful for.

Michelle Keegan has revealed she would like to play a 'baddie' in her next role, following the success of Fool Me Once

The actress, 36, stars in the eight-part series which is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name and has been impressing viewers so far

'I'm always saying that I pinch myself and I do a lot. Maybe I would like to play a darker role next, all my characters are quite likeable.'

Rylan and Josie were quick to intervene, as they excitedly noted: 'Ooh you want to play a baddie!'

'Yeah, something a bit darker!' agreed Michelle.

And speaking about her role in Fool Me Once, Michelle admitted her own love of the gripping story.

She continued: 'I read the book before and I could not put it down. I literally read the book in two days.

'I got the part where this is this huge twist and I let out such a loud gasp everyone turned around and looked.'

'It was quite difficult going from Brassic straight into a drama because it's completely different ends of the spectrum but I do love the challenge of doing a thriller.'

Michelle thanked fans for their support on Tuesday after her new thriller Fool Me Once soared to the top of the Netflix chart.

On Tuesday it was number one on the Netflix charts with fans rushing to X to gush over how 'stunning' the ex Coronation Street star, who portrays former army captain Maya, is in the new thriller.

The actress appeared on Wednesday's This Morning with Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson

Michelle shed light on her future acting plans, revealing she would like to play a 'darker' role

Reflecting on the success she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap with her co-star Joanna Lumley, 77, behind the scenes at The One Show.

She penned in the caption: 'Me and my onscreen Mother-in-law. (We love each other really) What a day!!!!

'So overwhelmed with all your amazing messages about Fool Me Once. Thank you, thank you xxx.'

In the show, Michelle plays the seemingly widowed Maya Stern, but after installing a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she sees her dead husband Joe - played by Richard Armitage - on camera.

This revelation throws Maya into a world of conspiracy as she questions what really happened to her partner, and what role his family, and in particular his mother (Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett), played in the saga.

Viewers are loving it so far as one wrote on X: '#FoolMeOnce on @NetflixUK is a must watch @michkeegan is amazing in it and not to mention the woman doesn't seem to age at all she's stunning #Netflix #newseries'.

Another fan gushed: 'Just binge watched FOOL ME ONCE brilliant! Michelle Keegan stunning!'

'Only just started watching #FoolMeOnce and already hooked! If you're stuck on a series to watch get watching it! @michkeegan what an actress!' a third added.

While a fourth penned: '@michkeegan take a bow, brilliant, stunning and thrilling - give this lady an Oscar #FoolMeOnce!'

Michelle Keegan thanked fans for their support on Tuesday after her new thriller Fool Me Once soared to the top of the Netflix chart

Reflecting on the success she took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snap with her co-star Joanna Lumley, 77, behind the scenes at The One Show as she said she was 'overwhelmed'

On Tuesday it was number one on the Netflix charts with fans rushing to X to gush over how 'stunning' the ex Coronation Street star, who portrays former army captain Maya, is in the new thriller

Viewers are loving it so far as one wrote on X: '#FoolMeOnce on @NetflixUK is a must watch @michkeegan is amazing in it and not to mention the woman doesn't seem to age at all!'

Another said: 'Over halfway through #foolmeonce and I'm SO obsessed with Michelle Keegan's outfits'.

Another added: 'Michelle Keegan is not just beautiful, she's a proper top tier actor. Fool me once is really quite good. #FoolMeOnce'

Fool Me Once is based off of a book by acclaimed author Harlan Coben, and also stars the likes of British heavyweight Dame Joanna, The Hobbit star Richard Armitage and Irish actor Emmett J. Scanlan.

Its synopsis reads: 'When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.'

It came after Michelle's husband Mark Wright took to his Instagram Story to praise her new series.

Mark, 36, - who tied the knot with Michelle in 2015 - was a proud husband as he wrote, alongside a teaser clip: 'Unbelievable show, unbelievably proud. @michkeegan you're a superstar.

'Fool Me Once all eps on Netflix worldwide now!! You want a binge!! Get this on now!!'

The star's latest project comes after she enjoyed some family time as she and Mark joined family to celebrate his father's birthday at the Corinthia Hotel las
Michelle Keegan has taken fans by storm in her latest role in Netflix's new adaptation of Harlan Coben's thriller Fool Me Once.

The Coronation Street actress, 36, has taken on the leading role of former army captain Maya in the drama, which has left viewers on the edge of their seats.

She has soared to massive stardom after her beginnings on ITV soap opera Coronation Street to become Netflix's new leading lady.

Michelle has spoken about playing more 'gritty' roles in her career as she has turned to hard-hitting roles, and recently addressed if she'd consider entering Hollywood.

As Michelle once again rises to the spotlight with her latest role, MailOnline takes a look back at her career and how she went from soap star to thriller actress.

Michelle Keegan has taken fans by storm in her latest role in Netflix's new adaptation of Harlan Coben's thriller Fool Me Once

She has soared to massive stardom after her beginnings on ITV soap opera Coronation Street (pictured on the show in 2008) to become Netflix's new leading lady

Michelle secured her breakthrough role on Coronation Street as feisty Tina McIntyre back in 2008.

She was cast in the soap after her second ever audition and went on to have a hugely successful six years on the show, starring in almost 900 episodes.

Her character featured in a whole host of dramatic storylines, before she was memorably killed off when she was pushed from a balcony and beaten with a pipe by Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis).

Michelle left the soap opera in 2014 to pursue other acting roles and has since described the decision as a 'risk', particularly as her character was killed off, ending any chance of a return to the role.

'I always said to myself, 'If I don't get a job after this, at least I've had a good run: not many people can say they've had this career for six and a half years,' she told Radio Times.

'The decision to leave was always a risk but it was the right thing for me at the time, so I'd never have regretted it. If it hadn't worked out, I'd have done something to do with dogs  that's my happy place.'

Michelle has previously admitted she has been 'typecast' due to her soap opera background, but insisted she looks back at those days very fondly and said it was a great way to learn about different types of acting.

Despite her concerns about her future career, Michelle has gone on to become one of the most sought-after British actresses.

In her first job after leaving Coronation Street, Michelle appeared in BBC show Ordinary Lies for a five-episode run.

Michelle secured her breakthrough role on Coronation Street as feisty Tina McIntyre back in 2008 and starred on the show until 2014 (pictured in 2011)

Michelle left the soap opera in 2014 to pursue other acting roles and has since described the decision as a 'risk', particularly as her character was memorably killed off

She portrayed receptionist and wannabe WAG Tracey, who worked at a car showroom. She starred alongside the likes of Jo Joyner, Sally Lindsay, Jason Manford, Mackenzie Crook and Max Beesley.

Michelle also tied the knot with TOWIE star Mark Wright in 2015, after they got engaged following a whirlwind nine-month romance.

Following her wedding, she went on to secure a string of smaller roles before nabbing another big role in military drama series Our Girl in 2016.

Michelle portrayed the starring role of Corporal Georgie Lane for four seasons before quitting to spend more time in the UK and 'explore other opportunities'.

The demanding filming schedule of the show had seen the Stockport born star travel to South Africa, Nepal and Malaysia for several months of filming a year.

Her husband Mark had also moved back to the UK from Los Angeles where he was working on US TV, after they spent long stretches apart due to their work.

Our Girl was then axed following Michelle's departure from the role, with creator Tony Grounds saying it felt like the right time for them to 'move on' with Georgie.

Michelle jumped from success to success as she then secured another huge role in smash hit Sky comedy series Brassic in 2019.

The series follows Vinnie O'Neill (Joseph Gilgun) and his five friends, including Michelle's character Erin Croft.

In her first job after leaving Coronation Street, Michelle appeared in BBC show Ordinary Lies for a five-episode run

Following her wedding, she went on to secure a string of smaller roles before nabbing another big role in military drama series Our Girl in 2016. She is pictured in Downton Abbey's Text Santa spoof in 2014

Michelle portrayed the starring role of Corporal Georgie Lane for four seasons of Our Girl before quitting to spend more time in the UK and 'explore other opportunities'

The comedy follows the group as they struggle to get by in the fictional town of Hawley, and often resort to petty crime for money.

When Dylan's girlfriend Erin (Michelle) wants out to start afresh in a new town, Dylan (Damien Molony) is torn between following her or staying with the pals he thinks of as brothers.

Brassic star Neil Ashton recently revealed he asked Michelle to invite her husband Mark on the comedy show.

In an interview with The Mirror, Neil said he's going to ask Michelle about getting Mark involved with a cameo but fears he might be 'too handsome'.

He said: 'Michelle is one of the loveliest people. And Mark as well, they are so good together, those two. They have really lovely chemistry.'

Neil added: 'I've known Michelle a lot longer, so when you hear about someone you always hope they're going to be nice. Has he ever had a cameo? I don't know, I'll message Michelle and ask her. He's too handsome though - far too good looking.'

Michelle and her fellow castmates are gearing up for the release of Brassic series six, which she recently wrapped filming on.

She also secured a leading role in Ten Pound Poms, which followed fictional Brits who took advantage of the Australian government's offer to transport them to Australia and provide subsidised housing and jobs for them for 10 per person.

As the series moved on, the trials and tribulations of the characters - including Michelle's character Kate - were captured as they struggle to settle in to life Down Under.

Michelle's role in Fool Me Once has been the peak of her drama acting success, and she has had fans on the edge of their seats with her performance.

Michelle stars as Maya Stern in the eight-part thriller, which is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name, and was released on New Year's Day.

She also secured a leading role in Ten Pound Poms, which followed fictional Brits who took advantage of the Australian government's offer to transport them to Australia

Michelle jumped from success to success as she then secured another huge role in smash hit Sky comedy series Brassic in 2019, and she is gearing up for the release of series six

Michelle has spoken about her next steps and revealed whether she would consider heading over to Hollywood.

She told The Guardian: 'I went to America when Mark was out there. Didnt like it. But lets see. If a job comes up I guess?'

Amid her success, Michelle's husband Mark has paid tribute to her and reflected on her difficult journey to success, focusing on her long hours and the time she had spent away from her family, while battling with rejection.

After the Netflix series aired, he declared how 'proud and even emotional' he was for the actress, also 36, after the show soared to the top of the Netflix chart.

Mark also addressed Michelle's nerves over leaving Coronation Street and moving on to other roles as he gushed over her success.

He penned: 'I cant tell you how happy and proud I am for this incredible woman I call my wife.

'Its hard for people outside to see the work that goes in to an actor's life behind the scenes to get to the top.

'People might think that it comes easy, they just roll up and do their job but it couldnt be further from the truth.

'Watching her nerves leaving the soap that made her over a decade ago, trying so hard to be taken seriously as an actor, moving into big serious dramas as her career has moved forward has been such an important thing to her.

'The hours and hours late at night reading scripts, after 15 hour days, attacking emotional and mentally draining scenes, living away from her family on the other side of the world, being told no, no and no time after time, worrying that her performance is going to be slandered in the media after all of the above, believe me isnt easy but she keeps going and keeps growing, always smiling!!'

He continued: 'To see how FOOL ME ONCE is being loved all round the world and how Michelles performance is being praised makes me feel so proud and even emotional.

Michelle's role in Fool Me Once has been the peak of her drama acting success, where she has starred alongside Joanna Lumley

Michelle stars as Maya Stern in the eight-part thriller, which is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name , and was released on New Year's Day

Amid her success, Michelle's husband Mark (pictured in September) has paid tribute to her and reflected on her difficult journey to success

'This is your time babe, this is what its all been for, keep shining girl your biggest fan is right here behind you, all the way!!'

Mark and Michelle first met in Dubai while celebrating New Year's in 2012, and Mark popped the question after a whirlwind nine-month romance.

Michelle admitted she thought Mark was joking when he first got down on one knee, but then broke down in tears and accepted his proposal.

The couple then tied the knot in a romantic ceremony at St Mary's Church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in May 2015.

The couple, who are estimated to have a joint wealth of 12million, have kept their romance relatively private over the years.

'Over the years we've learned how to do that and I've definitely become more private', Michelle told The Sun in 2018.

In recent months, the couple moved into their 3.5million Essex dream home in September 2022 after almost four years of building work.

They purchased the land for 1.3million in 2019 and launched an ambitious rebuild, before finally settling down in the stunning mansion.

During their years of renovations the couple have frequently shared their journey, from original architect designs to choosing the right marble for their kitchen surfaces, on their @wrightyhome Instagram account - which has amassed 570,000 followers.

Though they keep their romance relatively under wraps, they sometimes share an insight into their sun-soaked holidays and date nights together.

They share snaps and videos of their lavish meals out together, cosy nights in getting takeaway pizzas and Chinese, and their nights out with their pals.

In recent months, the couple moved into their 3.5million Essex dream home in September 2022 after almost four years of building work

They purchased the land for 1.3million in 2019 and launched an ambitious rebuild, before finally settling down in the stunning mansion

Though they keep their romance relatively under wraps, they sometimes share an insight into their sun-soaked holidays and date nights together

Michelle has also given a glimpse into her exercise routine over the years, revealing she doesn't enjoy cardio so simply does weight training

Michelle has also given a glimpse into her exercise routine over the years, revealing she doesn't enjoy cardio so simply does weight training.

She previously told Hello: 'I really don't enjoy cardio so I mix up my weight training, focusing on legs in one session, arms in the next and then core giving me a full body work out across the week.

'I try to avoid having carbs late at night when I am preparing for a photo shoot but one of my favorite foods is cheese and I love having a Chinese on a Saturday night.

'I think it is healthy to have a relaxed approach and balanced outlook.'

She previously admitted that she hates going to the gym and told how she avoids doing cardio because it makes her feel 'scrawny'.

'I go to the gym. I hate the gym, I hate going to the gym, I hate walking into the gym but as soon as I leave I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,' she said.
Sienna Miller has given birth to her second child, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.

The actress, 42, welcomed a baby girl with her younger boyfriend Oli Green, 27, and was seen stepping out for the first time with her new arrival on Wednesday.

She already has daughter Marlowe, 10, from her previous relationship with actor Tom Sturridge, 38.

The Alfie star looked stylish on the outing to a coffee shop in west London in a khaki coat and denim jumpsuit with a 3,300 designer Artipoppe baby carrier strapped to her.

Sienna's pregnancy was revealed during a beach holiday in August where she stepped out sporting a bump.

Sienna Miller has given birth to her second child, MailOnline can exclusively reveal

The actress, 42, welcomed a baby girl with her younger boyfriend Oli Green, 27, and was seen stepping out for the first time with her new arrival on Wednesday

The designer 3,300 baby carrier from brand Artipoppe is made out of vicuna and mulberry silk.

In December Sienna covered Vogue as she spoke for the first time about her pregnancy and revealed she was having a girl.

In incredible photos taken to accompany the interview she displayed her bare bump alongside both Marlowe and boyfriend Oli.

Sienna spoke candidly about her pregnancy and how it had been 'unplanned', but admitted she feels 'more psychologically prepared' than with her first born.

During the rare interview, Sienna said that Marlowe has been angling for a sibling for some time.

Sienna also said she'd been fighting her own prejudices about being an older mother and has to learn to stop making a joke out of it.

She told the publication: 'I'd love to get to a point where I didn't feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby, to show I'm in on the joke.'

And in a video she filmed with Vogue, Sienna revealed that the pregnancy was an unplanned one.

She revealed: 'I was very fortunate. I wasn't necessarily trying to get pregnant. This happened as a total surprise and biologically was something I was able to do.'

She already has daughter Marlowe, 10, from her relationship with actor Tom Sturridge, 38

The Alfie star looked stylish on the outing to a coffee shop in west London in a khaki coat and denim jumpsuit with a baby carrier strapped to her

Sienna's pregnancy was revealed during a beach holiday in August where she stepped out sporting a bump

In December Sienna covered Vogue as she spoke for the first time about her pregnancy and revealed she was having a girl

Sienna spoke candidly about her pregnancy and how it had been 'unplanned', but admitted she feels 'more psychologically prepared' than with her first born

Sienna spoke about her pregnancy in the January issue of Vogue magazine

Sienna looked incredible as she showed off her bump at the Vogue World Event in September

Sienna is pictured at her baby shower late last year, where everything was themed pink for her girl

Sienna went on to further address the stigma around pregnancy as an older woman as she has fought her own prejudices around the subject.

She added: 'I think people are comfortable with a way of living that has existed for many years, which is very misogynistic and patriarchal.

'Like me being the older woman in a partnership with a younger person or being pregnant over 40 and that that's irresponsible and poor child and it's such double standards.'

On what is different this time around, she said: 'I have expectations where I had none before. I feel much more psychologically prepared than I was with Marlowe.

'It was quite a shock, the reality. I hadn't given it the thought, I guess you can't prepare for it. In my mind I imagine it's going to be the loveliest, but I think I've forgotten.'

During the interview, Sienna, who was 31 weeks along at the time, detailed the difference in her mentality surrounding her birth plans between her first and second children.

She admitted she was 'feeling' pregnant in her 'head and face' and noticed she was moving around with a 'slight waddle' - as well as needing to go to the toilet around '18 times a night'.

Sienna said that with Marlowe, she had her heart set on a 'natural' birth, with her sister Savannah, 44, (who had delivered several times at home) as her doula.

But instead, she was induced at the hospital and 27 hours of gruelling labour followed.

She added: 'It was like a horrible trick of the universe. I was like, This can't be what my sister felt at home in her birthing pool.'

Sienna was given an emergency C-section, which she called a destabilizing experience. She said: 'It was so essential in my mind that I got it 'right.' And so emblematic of the kind of mother I would be that I didn't.

'But I know in retrospect that was just the demons of new motherhood. This time, she says, 'I just don't think I'll put that pressure on myself'.'

Sienna welcomed Marlowe with Tom, who she now has a close friendship and co-parenting relationship with.

Tom is now dating her friend Alexa Chung, and she said of the dynamic: '

'Alexa she is much more generous to because she is exquisitely dressed and not her actual mother. It's very loving and cosy and great.'

Sienna said she still wants to try for a natural birth, and she's recently switched to a doctor who is aligned with that viewpoint.

The actress, who was previously in a long-term relationship with Jude Law, 50, confirmed she was expecting her second child during a beach holiday in August.

Sienna and actor Oli have been dating since 2021 and he is 15 years her junior.

Opening up on their age gap for the first time with Vogue, Sienna said: 'I would imagine it would be complicated for anyone to get their head around, but there's been nothing but love and joy.'

'I don't think you can legislate on matters of the heart. I certainly have never been able to.'

And on the issue that he may someday want someone younger, she simply said: 'For Oli, it is real that I might want to be with someone older.'

Later on in the interview, as Oli celebrated his 27th birthday, she joked about being relieved to not be dating a 26 year old anymore.

The two were first romantically linked in early 2022 when they were spotted together in New York - and Sienna has now revealed they met at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend.

Although they kissed when they first met, Sienna said that she then 'retreated', believing the relationship wouldn't 'go anywhere'.

However dogged determination from Oli eventually persuaded her to go out for a drink in New York - and Sienna brought along a wing-woman pal in the form of Emily Blunt.

Emily has said: 'When I got there, it was so beautiful between them. I just gave her a hug and went 'I'm going to slip away'.

'I see so much of her in him, in that free-spirited curious guileless thing that he has.'

Oli is also an actor in the latest series of The Crown as Rupert Finch, a university friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales while they were at St Andrews.

As for THAT divisive two-piece Schiaparelli ensemble she wore at Vogue World in September in London, Sienna said: 'I was nervous about the idea of it, but once I had it on, everything else felt boring.

'I was like, I'll have that photo for the rest of my baby's life. It's kind of fascinating to fight your own prejudice against yourself. I'm constantly doing that.'

Although the Vogue interview was the first time Sienna officially said she was having a baby girl, she previously hinted at it during her very lavish baby shower, where she was joined by family and celebrity friends.

Sienna showed off her blossoming bump in a baby pink dress, accompanied by a flower crown with differing hues of blush, again hinting towards a baby girl.

The actress previously admitted to freezing her eggs after turning 40 because she feared the prospect of having no more children.

She told ELLE: 'Biology is incredibly cruel on women in that decade  that's the headline, or it certainly was for me.

'Then I got to 40 and I froze some eggs. Having been really focused on the need to have another baby, I'm just like, if it happens, it happens. That kind of existential threat has dissipated.'

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style Magazine in 2019, Sienna told how she hoped to grow her family in the future.

Sienna said she's been fighting her own prejudices about being an older mother and has to learn to stop making a joke out of it

She told the publication: 'I'd love to get to a point where I didn't feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby, to show I'm in on the joke'

And in a video she filmed with Vogue, Sienna revealed that the pregnancy was an unplanned one

She revealed: 'I was very fortunate. I wasn't necessarily trying to get pregnant. This happened as a total surprise and biologically was something I was able to do'

Sienna went on to further address the stigma around pregnancy as an older woman as she has fought her own prejudices around the subject

On what is different this time around, she said: 'I have expectations where I had none before. I feel much more psychologically prepared than I was with Marlowe'

During the interview, Sienna, who was 31 weeks along at the time, detailed the difference in her mentality surrounding her birth plans between her first and second children

Sienna said that with Marlowe, she had her heart set on a 'natural' birth, with her sister Savannah, 44, (who had delivered several times at home) as her doula

Sienna and actor Oli have been dating since 2021 and he is 15 years her junior

Opening up on their age gap for the first time with Vogue, Sienna said: 'I would imagine it would be complicated for anyone to get their head around, but there's been nothing but love'

Sienna previously told how she felt 'overwhelmed' and thought she had 'failed' the first stages of parenthood after having Marlowe in 2012

Reflecting on the difficult time, the actress said she was 'obsessed' with Marlowe but at the same time was also in 'absolute hell' as she 'didn't know what she was doing'

Later on in the interview, as Oli celebrated his 27th birthday, she joked about being relieved to not be dating a 26 year old anymore

The two were first romantically linked in early 2022 when they were spotted together in New York - and Sienna has now revealed they met at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend

Sienna welcomed Marlowe with Tom, who she now has a close friendship and co-parenting relationship with

Although the Vogue interview was the first time Sienna officially said she was having a baby girl, she previously hinted at it during her very lavish baby shower

The actress previously admitted to freezing her eggs after turning 40 because she feared the prospect of having no more children

Oli is also an actor in the latest series of The Crown as Rupert Finch, a university friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales while they were at St Andrews

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style Magazine in 2019, Sienna told how she hoped to grow her family in the future

Sienna is also mother to daughter Marlowe whom she has with her ex Tom Sturridge (pictured together in 2015). The pair are still very close

Prior to her relationship with Tom, Sienna was engaged to fellow actor Jude Law in 2004 after he popped the question on Christmas Day (pictured in 2010)

She said: 'I would love to have more children. I would love it for my daughter as well. I think I would be open to getting married'.

At the time the star was in a relationship with Lucas Zwirner, but they ultimately parted ways the following year.

Sienna previously told how she felt 'overwhelmed' and thought she had 'failed' the first stages of parenthood after having Marlowe in 2012.

Reflecting on the difficult time, the actress said she was 'obsessed' with Marlowe but at the same time was also in 'absolute hell' as she 'didn't know what she was doing'.
This year marks 25 years since Bad Girls hit screens with the explosive hard-hitting prison drama.

And marking the notable anniversary, former co-stars Victoria Alcock, Debra Stephenson and Jack Ellis reunited as they joined Loose Women on Wednesday.

Bad Girls ran for eight series from 1999 to 2006, and followed the story of inmates and officers at Larkhall women's prison.

Reminiscing on their time on the show, the trio revealed whether they think the show would ever make a comeback.

Jack, 68, who played prison officer Jim Fenner, joked: 'I think we would have to come back with all of us in a care home.'

The Bad Girls cast reunited on Loose Women on Wednesday to mark the show's 25th anniversary (pictured Debra Stephenson and Victoria Alcock L-R)

Bad Girls ran for eight series from 1999 to 2006, and followed the story of inmates and officers at Larkhall women's prison

Meanwhile Victoria, 55, added: 'We would have all moved on to different prisons, some of us would have got out, while some of us were lifers.

'I'm not sure it would work as something to come back to.'

Discussing how they felt filming all those years ago, Victoria, who played Julie Saunders, confessed: 'The read through seems like yesterday!' It's the biggest free standing set in Europe, and I remember when I walked in thinking 'Blimey' it was immense.'

And Debra, 51, who played Shell Dockley, admitted the cast had no idea how the show would be received.

'We were all thinking 'what's this going to be? Is it going to be a hit or is it going to be a miss?' We really didn't know,' she said.

'It was so different to anything else at the time and we just didn't know if it was going to be a huge flop or a huge hit.'

Victoria added: 'After series one they weren't sure, but after the first series it just went up and here we are now.'

Since the show ended in 2006, Victoria has gone on to play a number of small parts in other dramas including Call The Midwife, Doctor Who and Holby City.

Debra, 51, who played Shell Dockley, admitted the cast had no idea how the show would be received

Debra, 51, who played Shell Dockley, admitted the cast had no idea how the show would be received

Asked what her hardest scene were to film, Debra revealed that she struggled with her pregnancy storyline, as she was also pregnant in real life at the same time

The actress revealed she had to do her worst acting for the birth scene as she didn't want to accidentally give birth in real life

Opening up about the impact of the hard hitting drama, Victoria, 55, gushed: 'We represented people that had never been represented on telly before, we became an ally, and that was absolutely brilliant'

Most recently, she played the role of Val in ITV's Changing Ends which told the autobiographical story of Alan Carr's life.

The star has been married to Nic Goodey since 2004 and the couple share one child.

Opening up about the impact of Bad Girls, Victoria gushed: 'We represented people that had never been represented on telly before, we became an ally, and that was absolutely brilliant.

'So many people from over the years have come up to us and said, "You've changed our lives, we saw ourselves on telly".

'And the Bad Girls fans - shout out to them, amazing, beautiful people - but it's changed them as well. I think for women it was amazing, it was brilliant because it was a female led drama.'

Asked what her hardest scene were to film, Debra revealed that she struggled with her pregnancy storyline, as she was also pregnant in real life at the same time.

'I gave birth about four weeks after I left the show, so that pregnancy tummy was real.

'It does feel like a very long time ago but that pregnancy storyline was the hardest one to deal with because I was so hormonal and I had to actually give birth with a midwife standing by. I thought, 'I'm just going to have to do the worst acting that I've ever done'.'

Olivia Attwood-Dack asked: 'In case you went into actual labour?'

Debra continued: 'Yeah, because the way you're trained is that you take it from the cerebral, off the paper and into the body, and that you embody that character in that moment and I thought, I can't afford to do that so I had to cut myself off.'

Discussing how they felt filming all those years ago, Victoria, who played Julie Saunders confessed: 'The read through seems like yesterday!' (pictured with Kika Mirylees who played Julie Johnston)

Jack, 68, also joined the women virtually and revealed how he dealt with playing his 'evil' character: 'That's a very good question, I'm an actor, it's my job, and I had to do it quite regularly'

Jack played prison officer Jim Fenner (pictured alongside James Gaddas)

Debra and Victoria joined Coleen Nolan, Linda Robson, Olivia Attwood-Dack and Brenda Edwards as they reminisced about the show

She added: 'So that was the birth, but when they took the baby away [during filming], that just got me and it was about ten years before I could talk about it without bursting into tears.'

Debra married builder Jamie Duffield in 1999. The pair have two children, Max, 21, and Zoe, 15.

After leaving Bad Girls, the actress went on to star in Coronation Street before featuring as a reporter on GMTV as part of The Richard Arnold Show.

Most recently she starred as a regular team captain opposite Rory Bremner on ITV1 panel show The Imitation Game, hosted by Alexander Armstrong and voiced Melania Trump and Lady Margaret in the animated film The Queen's Corgi.

Jack also joined the women virtually on the show and revealed how he dealt with playing his 'evil' character: 'That's a very good question, I'm an actor, it's my job, and I had to do it quite regularly.

'It does get to you a little bit so what I tended to do, I enjoyed very much finishing work and getting on the tube and getting back into life, seeing that life isn't really like that.

'To be honest, I'm not really like a method actor as [Debra] and [Victoria] will verify but I have to say, after about five series, it got a bit wearing and it got to the point where I had to leave.'

Jack married fellow actress Christine Kavanagh in 1983, but the pair are now divorced. The two share children Theo and Alice. Theo (middle right) is the bassist of band Wolf Alice (pictured)

After leaving Bad Girls, Jack also joined Coronation Street before focusing his career on theatre work.

The actor most recent role was in 2019 in Doctors.

Jack married fellow actress Christine Kavanagh in 1983, but the pair are now divorced. The two share children Theo and Alice.

Theo is the bassist of the Mercury Prize winning indie band Wolf Alice.
Sienna Miller has welcomed a baby daughter and the new arrival is already a mini fashionista.

The actress, 42, shares the little one with her younger boyfriend Oli Green, 27, and was seen stepping out for the first time with her bundle of joy on Wednesday.

She was sporting a 3,300 designer Artipoppe baby carrier in a stylish brown colour.

The website states that the pricey item is made out of vicuna and mulberry silk as well as cotton.

Vicuna fibre comes from a small member of the camel family, closely related to camels, alpacas and llamas, that lives wild in the Andes.

Sienna Miller has welcomed a baby daughter and the new arrival is already a mini fashionista

The actress, 42, shares the little one with her younger boyfriend Oli Green, 27, and was seen stepping out for the first time with her bundle of joy on Wednesday

The Alfie star looked stylish on the outing to a coffee shop in west London in a khaki coat and denim jumpsuit as well as the carrier.

She already has daughter Marlowe, 10, from her previous relationship with actor Tom Sturridge, 38.

Sienna's pregnancy was revealed during a beach holiday in August where she stepped out sporting a bump.

In December Sienna covered Vogue as she spoke for the first time about her pregnancy and revealed she was having a girl.

In incredible photos taken to accompany the interview she displayed her bare bump alongside both Marlowe and boyfriend Oli.

Sienna spoke candidly about her pregnancy and how it had been 'unplanned', but admitted she feels 'more psychologically prepared' than with her first born.

During the rare interview, Sienna said that Marlowe has been angling for a sibling for some time.

Sienna also said she'd been fighting her own prejudices about being an older mother and has to learn to stop making a joke out of it.

She was seen sporting a 3,300 designer Artipoppe baby carrier in a stylish brown colour (another model from the brand is pictured)

Sienna looked incredible as she showed off her bump at the Vogue World Event in September in a white dress

Sienna had given not so subtle hints that she was expecting a girl during her baby shower last year where everything was themed pink

She told the publication: 'I'd love to get to a point where I didn't feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby, to show I'm in on the joke.'

And in a video she filmed with Vogue, Sienna revealed that the pregnancy was an unplanned one.

She revealed: 'I was very fortunate. I wasn't necessarily trying to get pregnant. This happened as a total surprise and biologically was something I was able to do.'

Sienna went on to further address the stigma around pregnancy as an older woman as she has fought her own prejudices around the subject.

She added: 'I think people are comfortable with a way of living that has existed for many years, which is very misogynistic and patriarchal.

'Like me being the older woman in a partnership with a younger person or being pregnant over 40 and that that's irresponsible and poor child and it's such double standards.'

On what is different this time around, she said: 'I have expectations where I had none before. I feel much more psychologically prepared than I was with Marlowe.

'It was quite a shock, the reality. I hadn't given it the thought, I guess you can't prepare for it. In my mind I imagine it's going to be the loveliest, but I think I've forgotten.'

During the interview, Sienna, who was 31 weeks along at the time, detailed the difference in her mentality surrounding her birth plans between her first and second children.

She admitted she was 'feeling' pregnant in her 'head and face' and noticed she was moving around with a 'slight waddle' - as well as needing to go to the toilet around '18 times a night'.

Sienna said that with Marlowe, she had her heart set on a 'natural' birth, with her sister Savannah, 44, (who had delivered several times at home) as her doula.

But instead, she was induced at the hospital and 27 hours of gruelling labour followed.

She added: 'It was like a horrible trick of the universe. I was like, This can't be what my sister felt at home in her birthing pool.'

Sienna was given an emergency C-section, which she called a destabilizing experience. She said: 'It was so essential in my mind that I got it 'right.' And so emblematic of the kind of mother I would be that I didn't.

'But I know in retrospect that was just the demons of new motherhood. This time, she says, 'I just don't think I'll put that pressure on myself'.'

Sienna welcomed Marlowe with Tom, who she now has a close friendship and co-parenting relationship with.

Tom is now dating her friend Alexa Chung, and she said of the dynamic: '

'Alexa she is much more generous to because she is exquisitely dressed and not her actual mother. It's very loving and cosy and great.'

Sienna said she still wants to try for a natural birth, and she's recently switched to a doctor who is aligned with that viewpoint.

The actress, who was previously in a long-term relationship with Jude Law, 50, confirmed she was expecting her second child during a beach holiday in August.

Sienna and actor Oli have been dating since 2021 and he is 15 years her junior.

Opening up on their age gap for the first time with Vogue, Sienna said: 'I would imagine it would be complicated for anyone to get their head around, but there's been nothing but love and joy.'

'I don't think you can legislate on matters of the heart. I certainly have never been able to.'

And on the issue that he may someday want someone younger, she simply said: 'For Oli, it is real that I might want to be with someone older.'

Later on in the interview, as Oli celebrated his 27th birthday, she joked about being relieved to not be dating a 26 year old anymore.

The two were first romantically linked in early 2022 when they were spotted together in New York - and Sienna has now revealed they met at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend.

Although they kissed when they first met, Sienna said that she then 'retreated', believing the relationship wouldn't 'go anywhere'.

However dogged determination from Oli eventually persuaded her to go out for a drink in New York - and Sienna brought along a wing-woman pal in the form of Emily Blunt.

Emily has said: 'When I got there, it was so beautiful between them. I just gave her a hug and went 'I'm going to slip away'.

'I see so much of her in him, in that free-spirited curious guileless thing that he has.'

Oli is also an actor in the latest series of The Crown as Rupert Finch, a university friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales while they were at St Andrews.

As for THAT divisive two-piece Schiaparelli ensemble she wore at Vogue World in September in London, Sienna said: 'I was nervous about the idea of it, but once I had it on, everything else felt boring.

'I was like, I'll have that photo for the rest of my baby's life. It's kind of fascinating to fight your own prejudice against yourself. I'm constantly doing that.'

Although the Vogue interview was the first time Sienna officially said she was having a baby girl, she previously hinted at it during her very lavish baby shower, where she was joined by family and celebrity friends.

Sienna showed off her blossoming bump in a baby pink dress, accompanied by a flower crown with differing hues of blush, again hinting towards a baby girl.

The actress previously admitted to freezing her eggs after turning 40 because she feared the prospect of having no more children.

She told ELLE: 'Biology is incredibly cruel on women in that decade  that's the headline, or it certainly was for me.

'Then I got to 40 and I froze some eggs. Having been really focused on the need to have another baby, I'm just like, if it happens, it happens. That kind of existential threat has dissipated.'

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style Magazine in 2019, Sienna told how she hoped to grow her family in the future.

Sienna spoke about her pregnancy for the first time in the January issue of Vogue magazine released last month

She said: 'I would love to have more children. I would love it for my daughter as well. I think I would be open to getting married'.

At the time the star was in a relationship with Lucas Zwirner, but they ultimately parted ways the following year.

Sienna previously told how she felt 'overwhelmed' and thought she had 'failed' the first stages of parenthood after having Marlowe in 2012.

Reflecting on the difficult time, the actress said she was 'obsessed' with Marlowe but at the same time was also in 'absolute hell' as she 'didn't know what she was doing'.
Molly Mae Hague looked stunning in a black swimsuit as she revealed she has extended her lavish getaway to Dubai.

The influencer, 24, snuggled up to her baby daughter Bambi, 11 months, and revealed she has 'never felt closer' to her as she has on their trip.

Molly - and her boxer fiance Tommy Fury, also 24 - have stopped off in the UAE on their way back from spending the new year in the Maldives.

Accompanying her post, Molly wrote: 'Extended our trip. Never felt closer to my little girly.'

The famous power couple are staying at luxury beach hotel Jumeirah Al Naseem, which boasts four swimming pools, a spa and a private beach area.

Molly Mae Hague looked stunning in a black swimsuit as she revealed she has extended her lavish getaway to Dubai

Molly - and her fiance Tommy Fury , also 24 - have stopped off in the UAE on their way back from spending the new year in the Maldives

For two adults, a stay usually costs 4,000 a night, depending on the room selected. For the more expensive resort suites, prices rise to up to 11k.

Molly also shared sweet clips of Tommy doting on their daughter Bambi on their two different trips to Dubai eight months apart.

Earlier on Wednesday the social media star posted a video on Instagram from their first trip away with the now 11-month old Bambi back in April 2023.

It then flashed to boxer Tommy, also 24, holding her in the exact same place on the beach eight months on as they stopped off in the UAE on the way back from their New Year holiday in the Maldives.

She mused in the caption: 'Just how fast the night changes'.

The April 2023 trip was their first family holiday after welcoming their baby daughter on January 2023.

Earlier this week Molly-Mae candidly opened up about her relationship struggles with Tommy in her latest YouTube video.

At the time she was in the Maldives with Tommy and baby Bambi.

The famous power couple are staying at luxury beach hotel Jumeirah Al Naseem

Molly, Tommy and baby Bambi, 11 months, have been spending quality time together to ring in the new year

Molly-Mae shared sweet clips of her fiance Tommy Fury doting on their daughter Bambi on two different trips to Dubai eight months apart (left in April 2023 right in Jan 2024)

The star cut a fashionable figure as she relaxed in a chilled lined outfit

The former Love Island star revealed that the luxury holiday was originally just supposed to be a romantic getaway for her and Tommy as the pair struggle to find time to spend together one on one.

Molly confessed that since Bambi was born in January 2023, the couple haven't had any 'adult intimate nice quality time together'.

The pair sparked worry among fans late last year following Tommy's wild nights out in Dubai.

Amid claims she was 'mortified' by his partying behaviour, Molly-Mae was spotted with and without her 600,000 engagement ring on and off on multiple occasions.

However it seems the couple have put all that behind them as they jetted off on the family trip.

The family jetted to the 4,300 a night Ritz-Carlton resort in the Maldives - something she confessed she was 'proud' of due to the long-haul nature of the journey.

Earlier in the week, she had shared images of the journey, with pictures of Bambi lying down in her reclining seat as well as shots of her lavish in-flight food - which led to disdain and later defence of the star from her many fans.

Alongside a slew of sweet videos and clips, Molly wrote: 'Feeling so proud to have gotten our girl to the other side of the world', to which a fan replied: 'No exactly hard when you fly business class, and you can lie down with her. She's one lucky girl.'

In the comments section of bikini-clad snaps of her hugging Bambi, fans hit back at the comment, penning: 'Jealous or what or just like being a TROLL', 'bit bitter helen', 'you jealous??.' and 'that sounds like you begrudge her that privilege'.
Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny have reunited, weeks after their split in December 2023.

A source told TMZ that the pair are not officially back together, but that they brought back together by their mutual friends, and there is nothing romantic going between the pair yet.

DailyMail.com confirmed the report, with a source saying that they 'aren't dating even they were just seen with each other.

'They are very friendly with each other and again, something might happen when they have more time to spend with each other, but they are not giving it time it would deserve to make it work,' the insider added.

Kendall, 28, and Bad Bunny, 29, rang in the New Year with pals Justin and Hailey Bieber in Barbados, as well as several other friends.

DailyMail.com has reached out for comment.

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny have reunited, weeks after their split in December 2023; pictured together September 22, 2023 at the Gucci show in Milan, Italy

A source told TMZ that the pair are not officially back together, but that they brought back together by their mutual friends, and there is nothing romantic going between the pair yet; seen in a 2023 Gucci campaign

Their mutual friend, photographer Renell Medrano, shared an Instagram stories video showing fireworks on New Year's Eve in Barbados - with Bad Bunny heard in the background saying ' Feliz Ano Nuevo!' which means Happy New Year in Spanish, per the outlet.

The DailyMail.com insider said: 'They all have similar friends and hang out in the same circles, that is why they got together in the first place.'

Kendall and Bad Bunny 'aren't petty' and 'no drastic break up happened. You'll see them together again and again, will it lead to them getting back together romantically or a friends with benefits, those options are on the table but right now nothing is official between the two,' the source said.

In mid-December, it was reported that Kendall and Bad Bunny, born Benito Martinez Ocasio, split after almost a year together.

A source told People magazine that the duo are 'no longer a couple,' giving no details as to why.

Kendall and Bad Bunny were last pictured together on October 29 while at breakfast in Beverly Hills, one day after they attended a Halloween bash together, per TMZ.

Prior to their breakfast, they were seen on October 22 at an afterparty for Saturday Night Live in New York City.

Bad Bunny hosted SNL and the couple attended after parties together, with other guests including Lady Gaga.

Kendall, 28, and Bad Bunny, 29, rang in the New Year with pals Justin and Hailey Bieber , as well as several other friends; Justin and Hailey Bieber pictured on December 14, 2023 in LA

In mid-December, it was reported that Kendall and Bad Bunny, born Benito Martinez Ocasio, split after almost a year together; seen at a Met Gala afterparty on May 1, 2023 in New York City

Kendall and Bad Bunny were last pictured together on October 29 while at breakfast in Beverly Hills, one day after they attended a Halloween bash together, per TMZ

Kendall and Bad Bunny first sparked rumors of a romance in February 2023, after they were seen out together on what appeared to be a double date with Justin and Hailey at Wally's in Beverly Hills.

At the time, a source at People said: ''Kendall recently started hanging out with him. They were introduced by friends. He moved to LA a few weeks ago and bought a home.'

'She likes him and is having fun. He is different from guys that she dated in the past. He is very charming,' the insider said.

Soon after, the couple were seen going horseback riding together in early April, cuddled up on a horse.

They were seen on a horse at the Hidden Hills Equestrian Center in LA.

Two weeks later, Kendall and Bad Bunny stayed close at Coachella Music Festival in California.

They were seen chatting and standing close in the crowds.

Bad Bunny performed at the festival, with Kendall also supporting him in the audience.

They also attended Met Gala afterparties together on May 1st, despite posing separately on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Big Apple.

On May 12th, the couple enjoyed a Lakers playoff game together while seated courtside; they appeared very flirty and happy together.

Kendall and Bad Bunny made a rare display of PDA in August at the Drake concert in LA

Kendall and Bad Bunny starred in the Gucci Valigeria campaign together last fall

Kendall seen on Wednesday flashing her flat stomach in an Alo set

Kendall opted for a blue sports bra and matching spandex shorts

Kendall and Bad Bunny made a rare display of PDA in August at the Drake concert in LA.

The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other, as they kissed, hugged and danced together in the crowd.

The lovebirds jetted off to Milan, Italy after holidaying in Idaho together.

They made their front row debut as a couple at the Gucci show in September, which also is the same brand they starred in a campaign for.

Prior to Bad Bunny, Kendall dated Harry Styles, Devin Booker, Jordan Clarkson, Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons.

Bad Bunny dated Gabriela Berlingeri and Carliz De La Cruz prior to Kendall.
Playboy boss Hugh Hefner was 'smitten' with Kelly Brook and was keen for her to live with him in the notorious Playboy Mansion, MailOnline can reveal.

The magazine mogul's girlfriend invited Kelly to visit them in the States but she eventually decided to reject the proposal, according to his ex.

Former Playboy bunny Zoe Gregory opens-up for the first time about Hefner's interest in the model as she promotes her new book about her extraordinary life.

Zoe, 49, and Brook, 44, became friends when they went to castings together in England and later both promoted the PlayStation game Fighting Force in the late 1990s.

And Zoe revealed: 'I loved Kelly to bits and, when I moved into the Mansion, Hef asked me if I knew her.

Playboy boss Hugh Hefner was smitten with Kelly Brook and was keen for her to live with him in the notorious Playboy Mansion, MailOnline can reveal

Former Playboy bunny Zoe Gregory opens-up for the first time about Hefner's interest in the model as she promotes her new book about her extraordinary life

'I told him, "Yes, we're good mates, we used to go to castings together." I invited her over a few times and Kelly did seem keen at first, but then she told me she didn't want to get involved.

'I think it was because she was in a relationship and her agency talked her out of going in that direction. She was trying to maintain a good reputation for her career.

'Also, she might have seen the backlash Katie Price got after modelling for Playboy and thought, I'm not going to do it.

'But I have always wondered why she didn't go down that path. She would have been perfect for Playboy and moving to the States would have been a big boost for her career.

'She would have stood out as a brunette at a time when there was a bit of a blonde invasion with Pamela Anderson and Anna Nicole Smith.

'Hef would have loved Kelly over and, knowing him as I do, I'm sure he would have married her. She was the polar opposite of what he had at the Mansion, which was all blonde hair and big t**s.'

Hefner died aged 91 in 2017 leaving London-born mum-of-one Zoe, who lived with him at his 150m home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles for three years, distraught.

The former Page 3 moved to LA with her son Lewis when she was in her early 20s, to pursue her dream of becoming famous in the States.

She initially worked in erotic B movies before she met Hef, who was then in his 70s, at one of his regular parties, in which he would seduce girls in-between games of backgammon.

Zoe revealed: 'I loved Kelly to bits and, when I moved into the Mansion, Hef asked me if I knew her.' (Kelly pictured in 2023)

Former Playboy bunny Zoe Gregory opens-up for the first time about Hefner's interest in the model as she promotes her new book about her extraordinary life

They hit it off and in 2001, he invited her to model for Playboy and join the harem of women that lived with him at the Mansion.

Within a year, she had risen up the pecking order to become his number two girlfriend.

But in 2004 she was forced to leave having fallen out with his more long term girlfriend Holly Madison, who slept in his bed every night while the other women retired to their own rooms.

Holly ended her seven-year relationship with Hef in 2008 and was replaced by Crystal Harris, who became his third wife in 2012.

Zoe's book 'From Britain to Bunny' is released on 23 January and is available for pre-order now.

She reveals that Hef no longer seemed to get the same thrill from the ritualistic orgies he continued to hold in his twilight years, which could involve as many as 17 girls.

She also talks for the first time about the 'panty chandelier' hanging from his bedroom ceiling.

She said: 'I had never seen anything like it. It was such a centrepiece of his room and I thought, if only walls could talk. I would love to meet the women that threw their thongs up there and hear their stories.

'It was a big, gold chandelier to the right of his bed that was covered in thongs from all the girls that had been there over the years.

'It was like a work of art. There were cobwebs on some of the thongs they had been up there so long.

'I don't know how the chandelier didn't fall down, there were so many thongs on it. I'm going to say there were a few hundred.

'You could see decades of different styles of panties, going from full-blown knickers to tiny little G-strings.

'I would say to Hef, 'Do you remember who threw them up there?' He would laugh. There were so many years of thongs he wouldn't have had a clue.'

On Hef's bedroom habits, she added: 'His life was very scheduled, he did the same thing every day at the same time, and I think that was part of the reason he had the orgies.

'After he had a few drinks and smoked a bit of weed, you could tell he was in his own bubble. He would lay there and allow everyone to hop on and off him, but he would be most focused on the girls performing and the porn on the TV.

'I counted 17 girls on the bed one night, that was the most and you couldn't fit us all on the bed so some of the girls were sitting on the floor waiting for their turn.

'The weirdest thing I saw was probably the porn that was playing on the TV, sometimes it would be a bit of gay porn. I don't know why, after a few hours you don't know what they are playing, it just goes on rotation. There were a couple of girls that were genuinely into it but most of them were not.'

Zoe also talks about Hef's friendship with English celebrity Katie Price, who previously modelled for Playboy.

She revealed: 'Hef loved Katie, he was obsessed with her. He wanted her to move in permanently and be his girlfriend, but she had just had Harvey so she couldn't.

'She is naturally outspoken and never shy and when she's had a couple of drinks it gets times 10.

'I don't remember much from her visits because we would party hard whenever she was there.'

Zoe admits that she saw being Hef's girlfriend as a job and she never enjoyed being intimate with him, or performing with the other women he invited into his bedroom.

But, despite that, she still has fond memories of her time at the Mansion.

Speaking from her home in Florida, she added: 'I wanted to make Hef happy because he was making my dreams come true.

'I love that guy, he is my hero, because he set me up for life and he gave me all the opportunities I ever dreamed of.

'We kept in touch after I left, but when his mind started deteriorating and you would have to keep repeating who you were on the phone, it got to the point that it was breaking my heart.

'The last time I saw him in person was when I went to the mansion for a party in around 2009.

'I said hello but he was looking really old and I thought, I don't want to remember him like this.'

From Britain to Bunny is available for pre-order now on the website www.Britaintobunny.com
Carol Vorderman sang the praises of ITV Mr Bates vs The Post Office's real-life hero Alan Bates after he snubbed an OBE title.

The Welsh star, 63, is known for not holding back on her social and political views, and on Tuesday she raved over Alan's bold gesture.

The ITV drama - which sees impeccable Toby Jones as Alan - sheds a light on one of the greatest miscarriage of justice in British legal history - where hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system.

After putting on an tireless fight, Alan was recently offered an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) title but rejected it, because former Post Office boss Paula Vennells still holds her own honour.

Paula, 65, was chief executive officer of Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019 - and still holds her Commander of the Order of the British Empire title since 2019 - despite being responsible for hundreds of unjust prosecutions.

Carol Vorderman sang the praises of ITV Mr Bates vs The Post Office real-life hero Alan Bates after her snubbed an OBE title

After putting on an tireless fight, Alan, 63 (pictured), was recently offered an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) title but rejected it, as former Post Office boss Paula Vennells still holds her own honour

Taking to her X page, the Countdown favourite penned: 'Alan Bates turned down an OBE as Paula Vennells, the woman in charge of the Post Office through the Horizon Scandal, retains her CBE and refuses to give it back. A man of honour #MrBatesVsThePostOffice #PostOfficeScandal

Carol went on quoting Alan's comment from The Mirror and wrote: 'Alan, 69: ''The first thing that sprang to my mind while reading the letter (offering me an OBE) was Paula Vennells still had a CBE. I felt so deeply insulted.

'She presided over a policy of harassing hundreds of innocent people. It's not just that the Government hasn't asked her to return it. What's even worse is that despite knowing the strength of feeling about it, how people have suffered and some cases died on her watch  she doesn't feel inclined to give it back.''

Carol finished praising the former sub-postmaster: 'Alan accepted a award in 2023. We were over the moon to give that to him. Not all heroes wear capes.'

But that wasn't the only time Carol advocated for the issue, as she encouraged her followers to watch the ITV series.

She captioned: 'Please watch #MrBatesVsThePostOffice.

'It is almost impossible to believe this has happened and that IT CONTINUES. Hundreds of sub postmasters wrongly accused of fraud, many jailed, hundreds still need their convictions squashed.. They had done nothing wrong. The Horizon computer system introduced by the Post Office was completely at fault.'

In another tweet, the BBC sensation took a stand and wrote: 'Paula Vennells, CEO of Post Office, given CBE 2019 'for services to the Post Office and to charity' Alan Bates has refused an OBE while she retained hers.'

The ITV drama - which sees impeccable Toby Jones (pictured) as Alan - sheds a light on one of the greatest miscarriage of justice in British legal history - where hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system

Paula, 65 (pictured), was chief executive officer of Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019 - and still holds her Commander of the Order of the British Empire title since 2019 - despite being responsible for hundreds of unjust prosecutions

Carol raved over Alan's bold gesture and shared her views on her X page

The TV personality took a stand and advocated for the victims, trying to spread awareness about the issue on her social media page

'#MrBatesvsPostOffice For years Labour has been officially asking for her CBE to be withdrawn. Here is his SECOND letter to the Honours Forfeiture Committee.

She continued: 'The award of a CBE to Paula Vennells, 'a person who resided over the widest miscarriage of justice in English legal history, is utterly wrong and deeply insulting to those who suffered prosecutions during her tenure.

'We await the reply from a Committee which needs to pull its finger out. #MrBatesvsPostOffice #Horizon.'

The series follows the true story of hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft by the Post Office due to a faulty IT system.

And in the latest addition it was revealed how computer firm Fujitsu, hired by the Post Office, were unknowingly able to remotely alter the subpostmaster's inputted financial figures.

With Michael Rudkin (played by Shaun Dooley) who was also wrongly convicted saying: 'That means they can sneak in behind your backs, change your figures and bugger off and leave without a trace'.

Viewers were 'disgusted' by the revelation and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, in their droves fuming that justice had still not yet been served.

One wrote: 'This is making my blood boil. Post Office must've known that Fujitsu had full remote access but why would they allow it? All in it together? Smelling too many rats tbh!'.

While a second said: 'So shocking and really making my blood boil. I didn't realise the Fujitsu connection'.

Toby, 57, who leads the cast as the former subpostmaster has revealed that Alan shunned him - because he didn't think he was worthy of being depicted as a hero.

'Alan is quite an extraordinary man who presents as one of the most ordinary people you can meet', the actor said in an interview with BAFTA.

'So when you come to play someone like that, I needed to find out who he was, what made him do this extraordinary thing and unite hundreds of, a thousand people, in one place and take on the might of the corporate post office.

'And that was a great shock because he felt that he himself wasn't worthy of being heroic because there was nothing unusual about him.

'He wasn't a great source of material, he was very friendly and warm, but he said, 'I'm just not a very emotional guy'.

'So, I went to chat to other people who knew him, and they said, Alan Bates is one of the smartest and inspirational people they'd ever met.

'There is a paradox about him.

'All of my dealings with him have been great. They haven't helped me play him very much, but they've been great.'

The scandal is considered the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history, leading to the inquiry into what went wrong, and who was responsible.

Between 2000 and 2014, an average of one Post Office worker a week was prosecuted, for theft, false accounting and other offences, by the Post Office.

The series follows the true story of hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly prosecuted for theft by the Post Office due to a faulty IT system

And in the latest addition it was revealed how computer firm Fujitsu, hired by the Post Office, were unknowingly able to remotely alter the subpostmaster's inputted financial figures

With Michael Rudkin (played by Shaun Dooley) who was also wrongly convicted saying: 'That means they can sneak in behind your backs, change your figures and bugger off and leave without a trace'

Between 2000 and 2014, an average of one Post Office worker a week was prosecuted, for theft, false accounting and other offences, by the Post Office

From a total of 736, many were jailed, bankrupted and suffered appalling stress and public shame.

For years Royal Mail and its computer partner Horizon  a system developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu  insisted that they were isolated cases.

The four-part series has received a mountain of praise since airing its first episode on New Year's Day.
'Nude artist' Dina Broadhurst sent temperatures soaring in Sydney on New Years Day.

The 46-year-old flaunted her always sensational figure as she stripped down to a bikini at the beach.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Broadhurst showed off her age-defying figure as she reclined on the sand in the skimpy swimwear.

'NY Day baking,' she captioned the post.

Another very busty pic showed Dina lying on her side while covering her face with a broad-brimmed hat.

'Nude artist' Dina Broadhurst sent temperatures soaring in Sydney on New Years Day. Pictured

The 46-year-old flaunted her always sensational figure as she stripped down to a bikini at the beach

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Broadhurst showed off her age-defying figure as she reclined on the sand in the skimpy swimwear

The beach photos were accompanied by images of Dina posing up a storm in an eye-popping tin foil inspired dress.

The bombshell looked every inch the stunner in the crafty number which featured clung to her figure and featured ruffled detailing.

Dina looked to be having the time of her life posing in the head-turning minidress.

She completed her getup with white heels, earrings and a bag slung over her shoulder.

In other images she rocked her best angles in what may be her boldest statement outfit yet

Dina posed up a storm in an eye-popping tin foil inspired dress in the photos

Many of Broadhurst's celebrity followers were quick to comment their tongue-in-cheek thoughts.

'My little microwave,' wrote Jade Yarbrough.

Meanwhile, Dina's Pilates trainer Bernadette Fahey kept it short by posting the fire emoji.

Dina maintains her fit figure through regular workout sessions with Pilates trainer to the stars Fahey.

The bombshell looked every inch the stunner in the crafty number which featured clung to her figure and featured ruffled detailing

It comes after Dina was recently linked to millionaire property investor Tony Benjamin.

Back in October, Dina appeared to soft launch a new beau on Instagram by posting a very revealing beachside snap.

The photo in question showed a bikini-clad Dina lying on a towel at a scenic beach.

A mystery man's hands were seen caressing her back, however his face was notably cut of the frame.

The very revealing outfit showcased her youthful appearance and flawless skin and Dina looked to be having the time of her life posing in the outfit
Robert Irwin has dropped another hint he is planning to marry his girlfriend Rorie Buckey as he posted a heartwarming tribute to mark the end of 2023.

The conservationist, 20, shared a series of photos of himself with Rorie to Instagram and thanked her for making his year 'bright'.

He then added fuel to engagement rumours by adding: 'To many years ahead.'

'Thanks for making my 2023 so bright. To many years ahead,' he captioned the sweet post.

Rorie responded to the post by declaring: 'I love you with all my heart.'

Robert Irwin has hinted he is planning to marry his girlfriend Rorie Buckey as he posted a sweet tribute to mark the end of 2023

Robert and Rorie went Instagram official in August, after months of rumours they were dating.

Rorie reportedly completed an Irwin-approved 'wildlife warrior boot camp' before she and Robert became an official couple.

Woman's Day claimed last month that Rorie had to win over the family by having a willingness to get out into nature.

The pair are currently in a long-distance relationship, with Robert based at Australia Zoo in Queensland while Rorie is in Perth.

The conservationist shared a series of photos of himself with Rorie to Instagram and thanked her for making his year 'bright'. He then sparked engagement rumours, by adding: 'To many years ahead'

Rorie responded to the post, declaring: 'I love you with all my heart'

Robert is reportedly planning to pop the question to his girlfriend Rorie.

According to New Idea magazine, he could propose when his girlfriend visits him in Africa while he films I'm A Celebrity in the coming months.

'Everyone is convinced he is aiming to pop the question when they're in Africa,' an insider said.

'Robert is crazy about her and is planning something unforgettable when he formally proposes. They both know it is part of their plans so he's been dreaming up special ways to make it a surprise.'

The source went on to say Robert and Rorie are taking their relationship 'very serious' and have been planning a future together.

The pair are currently in a long-distance relationship, with Robert based at Australia Zoo in Queensland while Rorie is in Perth

Robert and Rorie, who is the niece of legendary Australian actor Heath Ledger, have plenty in common and both grew up in the public eye after suffering the devastating loss of a family member.

Heath was at the top of his Hollywood career when he was found dead in January 2008 following an accidental prescription drug overdose.

Robert's father Steve Irwin, known to the world as the 'Crocodile Hunter', died aged 44 on September 4, 2006, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray.
Jessica Lange made her triumphant return to the Ryan Murphy universe in the first trailer for Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, which premieres January 31 on FX and February 1 on Hulu.

The 74-year-old acting veteran's mystery character could be seen smoking and laughing on a lounge chair alongside Ann Woodward (Demi Moore), who was infamously accused of murdering her husband in 1955.

Jessica could also be seen glammed up dancing with acclaimed writer Truman Capote (Tom Hollander) in a fancy ballroom at a black-tie event.

Capote notoriously lost his high-society privilege in 1976 after Esquire published chapters from his unfinished novel Answered Prayers - specifically a tell-all about his wealthy 'swan' gal pals titled La Cote Basque 1965.

The betrayal and fall-out are depicted in showrunner Jon Robin Baitz's small-screen adaptation of Laurence Leamer's 2021 book Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era.

Jessica Lange made her triumphant return to the Ryan Murphy universe in the first trailer for Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, which premieres January 31 on FX and February 1 on Hulu

Creator Ryan Murphy gushed on Instagram December 5 that he was 'so excited about this one' and said working with his longtime muse Lange and the rest of the all-star ensemble cast was 'thrilling.'

In 2017, Jessica - who's only a Grammy away from elite EGOT status - famously headlined the first season of the Feud anthology, which was centered on the Joan Crawford and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) rivalry.

Lange previously starred in Ryan Murphy's horror anthology American Horror Story for five seasons - Murder House (2011), Asylum (2012), Coven (2013), Freak Show (2014), and Apocalypse (2018).

The Marlowe actress also portrayed Infinity's (Zoey Deutch) grandmother Dusty Jackson in the first season of Ryan Murphy's The Politician, which streamed in 2019 on Netflix.

In the Capote Vs. The Swans preview, it's former Vogue editor Babe Paley (Naomi Watts) who's the first socialite to gossip to Truman about 'the governor's wildebeest wife' schooling him: 'Here's the fact: Even your sister will steal your man.'

Jackie O's younger socialite sister Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart) calls someone 'awful, weathered, and fat' in one scene and in another part declared: 'I don't even care about the money. It's the sex!'

When Truman's cancellation by the 'original Housewives' commences, he screaches: 'This is what a writer does! It's bloody and sharp and real!'

Howard Hawks' ex-wife and fashion icon Slim Keith (Diane Lane) screams that Capote 'took away everything I had' so he 'will be cut off from all high society, and that will kill him.'

The 74-year-old acting veteran's mystery character could be seen smoking and laughing on a lounge chair alongside Ann Woodward (Demi Moore), who was infamously accused of murdering her husband in 1955

Jessica could also be seen glammed up dancing with acclaimed writer Truman Capote (Tom Hollander) in a fancy ballroom at a black-tie event

Capote notoriously lost his high-society privilege in 1976 after Esquire published chapters from his unfinished novel Answered Prayers - specifically a tell-all about his wealthy 'swan' gal pals titled La Cote Basque 1965

The betrayal and fall-out are depicted in showrunner Jon Robin Baitz's small-screen adaptation of Laurence Leamer's 2021 book Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era

Creator Ryan Murphy (R, pictured in 2014) gushed on Instagram December 5 that he was 'so excited about this one' and said working with his longtime muse Lange (L) and the rest of the all-star ensemble cast was 'thrilling'

In 2017, Jessica - who's only a Grammy away from elite EGOT status - famously headlined the first season of the Feud anthology, which was centered on the Joan Crawford and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) rivalry

Lange previously starred in Ryan Murphy's horror anthology American Horror Story for five seasons - Murder House (2011), Asylum (2012), Coven (2013), Freak Show (2014), and Apocalypse (2018)

In the Capote vs. The Swans preview, it's former Vogue editor Babe Paley (Naomi Watts) who's the first socialite to gossip to Truman about 'the governor's wildebeest wife' schooling him: 'Here's the fact: Even your sister will steal your man'

Jackie O's younger socialite sister Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart) calls someone 'awful, weathered, and fat' in one scene and in another part declared: 'I don't even care about the money. It's the sex!'

When Truman's cancellation by the 'original Housewives' commences, he screaches: 'This is what a writer does! It's bloody and sharp and real!'

Howard Hawks' ex-wife and fashion icon Slim Keith (Diane Lane) screams that Capote 'took away everything I had' so he 'will be cut off from all high society, and that will kill him'

Artist muse and fashion icon C. Z. Guest (Chloe Sevigny) is heard asking Truman: 'Is this what you wanted, to be banished?'

Later, the Swans don funerial black attire at a witchy meeting and Slim said: 'We stand united, and we destroy him'

In her best drag queen drawl, Lee dramatically replied: 'Oh, I'm in, honey'

Feud: Capote and The Swans will also feature Treat Williams (pictured), Joe Mantello, Molly Ringwald, Russell Tovey Pawel Szajda, Yuval David, Scott Zimmerman, and Jeffrey Grover

All eight episodes of Capote Vs. The Swans were directed by two-time Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant (To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Drugstore Cowboy)

Artist muse and fashion icon C. Z. Guest (Chloe Sevigny) is heard asking Truman: 'Is this what you wanted, to be banished?'

Later, the Swans don funerial black attire at a witchy meeting and Slim said: 'We stand united, and we destroy him.'

In her best drag queen drawl, Lee dramatically replied: 'Oh, I'm in, honey.'

Feud: Capote and The Swans will also feature Treat Williams, Joe Mantello, Molly Ringwald, Russell Tovey Pawel Szajda, Yuval David, Scott Zimmerman, and Jeffrey Grover.

All eight episodes of Capote Vs. The Swans were directed by two-time Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant (To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Drugstore Cowboy).
Married At First Sight's Mel Schilling has been spotted out and about, taking in the brisk London air following her recent health scare.

Just days after Christmas, which she spent undergoing treatment for colon cancer, Schilling, 52, shared a radiant selfie on social media.

With temperatures in the English capital clocking in at a mere 11C, Mel wrapped herself in a striking pink coat and kept warm with a cozy grey scarf around her neck.

The reality TV star boasted a broad smile and wore oversized shades for the selfie.

It comes just days after the London-based Aussie took to social media to share a heartfelt message about the challenges she faced last year.

Married At First Sight's Mel Schilling was spotted out and about taking in the brisk London air with a sunny smile just weeks after being treated for colon cancer

As 2023 came to a close, Schilling reflected on her experiences, sharing that despite not typically participating in New Year's resolutions, the past year's events have led her to a different outlook.

She expressed gratitude for the support and welcome she received from the people in the UK and Ireland, which has made her feel at home away from Australia.

'I've been so touched by the warmth and generosity that the people of the UK & Ireland have showed me, I've been made to feel so welcome by you all and am so appreciative of that,' she wrote.

It comes just days after the London-based Aussie took to social media to share a heartfelt message about the challenges she faced last year

'Whilst I will always be a proud Aussie I feel like an honorary Brit and the UK really feels like home.'

However, her narrative takes a sombre turn as she reveals the 'life-changing lows' that have cast a shadow over her year.

She shared the personal tragedy of losing her brother-in-law at just 35, a preventable loss that has highlighted the preciousness of health and life.

In a year that swung between personal triumphs and profound challenges, Mel has embraced a new perspective on life's preciousness after her own cancer surgery

'I've been so touched by the warmth and generosity that the people of the UK & Ireland have showed me, I've been made to feel so welcome by you all and am so appreciative of that,' she wrote

'The tragedy of his passing was that it could have been prevented. Had he and all of us heeded the health warnings he'd still be with us,' she explained.

'The terrible irony is that 6 months later I too compromised my health while pursuing my goals and it almost cost me my life, it's not a mistake I intend to repeat.

'While my cancer journey isn't over and there will be some tough challenges ahead, I feel so incredibly grateful to be given this second chance, a second chance denied to so many.'

Mel recently revealed her tumour - which she named 'Terry' - had been removed by UK doctors.

'So yesterday lunchtime I had keyhole surgery to remove my tumour (AKA Terry) and in the words of my amazing surgeon it couldn't have gone any better!' Mel wrote.

'While my cancer journey isn't over and there will be some tough challenges ahead, I feel so incredibly grateful to be given this second chance, a second chance denied to so many'

She accompanied her post a photo of the TV star in a hospital bed, giving a thumbs up with a tube in her nose.

Mel added: 'Crucially the cancer hadn't spread to my abdominal cavity, which was our greatest fear but was entirely localised in my colon.'

'Over the coming days I will discuss my treatment plan going forwards but suffice to say that Terry is toast!'

Mel then revealed her treatment had taken place in London and went on to praise the UK's National Health Service (NHS).

'I also wanted to say that everyone in the UK should be incredibly proud of the people of the NHS.'

She added, 'The NHS is a unique, precious institution we need to make sure it's here to serve our children and our children's children.'

Symptoms of colon cancer Symptoms of colon cancer can include: A change in bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation

Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool. Ongoing discomfort in the belly area, such as cramps, gas or pain

A feeling that the bowel doesn't empty all the way during a bowel movement

Weakness or tiredness

Losing weight without trying Many people with colon cancer don't have symptoms at first. When symptoms appear, they'll likely depend on the cancer's size and where it is in the large intestine. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

Now, it's time to focus on getting my a** out of here in time for Christmas,' concluded the reality TV host.

Mel, who appears on the British and Australian versions of the show, first revealed she had colon cancer in an Instagram post last week.

In her post, Mel said she was diagnosed just one month after she began to feel pain in her stomach while filming MAFS Australia's upcoming eleventh season.

Despite her heartbreaking situation, Mel said she felt 'incredibly blessed' her cancer is 'relatively easy to eradicate'.

Mel, (right, with MAFS Australia experts Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken) first revealed she had colon cancer in an Instagram post last week

Common symptoms of colon cancer include a change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, anal or rectal pain, lumps, unexpected weight loss, fatigue and anaemia.

Doctors recommend that people with an average risk of the cancer start screening at around age 45.

Those with a higher risk should start screening earlier.

Colon cancer treatment usually involves surgical removal of the cancer.

Other treatments like radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be recommended, depending on the location and stage of the cancer.
Hairstylist Paul Mitchell's son Angus Mitchell has died at the age of 53 at his Honolulu, Hawaii home in what authorities are investigating as a drowning.

Police sources on Wednesday told TMZ that they were contacted around 6 a.m. Wednesday about a possible drowning.

Authorities told the outlet that Angus had been 'pronounced dead at the scene,' and they have not yet released a cause of death.

The shocking death comes after Angus appeared to be at a gathering with friends Tuesday, in a clip shared to his Instagram Stories.

Angus was a partial owner of his father's haircare company John Paul Mitchell Systems, which he inherited upon Paul Mitchell's passing from pancreatic cancer in April of 1989, also at the age of 53.

Hairstylist Paul Mitchell's son Angus Mitchell has died at the age of 53 at his Honolulu, Hawaii home in what authorities are investigating as a drowning. Pictured in LA in 2023

Angus was pictured in a retro shot with his father Paul Mitchell, who was also 53 when he died from pancreatic cancer in April of 1989

Angus followed in his father's business path in the beauty industry, opening up his own establishment, the Angus Mitchell Salon, in 2010 in Beverly Hills, California.

He was also involved in his company's men's focused line MITCH, serving as a model and spokesperson for the subsidiary.

Angus was married to wife Mara Gourdine at his time of death, according to the outlet. He was previously wed to Michelle Raab; and Sian, who he shares son Dylan, eight, with.

On his final Instagram post Sunday, he posed in a family shot with his mother Jolina Mitchell, wife and son, wishing his followers a happy new year.

He captioned the post: 'Whos ready to wrap 2023 and head into the new year?! Cheers to 2024 from my family to yours #nye #celebration #kobeyear.'

A number of people chimed in with condolences in the comment section of the post in the wake of his passing.

One person said, 'Rest In Peace Angus. Thoughts and prayers with his loved ones.'

Another person said, 'Happy heavenly new year, Angus,' with a broken heart emoji, while another person described Angus as 'one of kindest souls.'

Police sources on Wednesday told TMZ that they were contacted around 6 a.m. Wednesday about a possible drowning

Angus (L) was pictured celebrating the New Year with friends in a post shared by his friend Kaori Kawabuchi

The shocking death comes after Angus appeared to be at a gathering with friends Tuesday, in a clip shared to his Instagram Stories

Angus posed with his mother Jolina, wife Mara and son Dylan in a post wishing followers a happy new year

On his final Instagram post Sunday, a family shot wishing his followers a happy new year, a number of people chimed in with condolences in the comment section

Another user said, 'Very sad to see this. Same age as his dad when he passed. Sending Aloha to his family.'

Said one person, 'Im Heartbroken. Angus you were a genuine light in this world and an inspiration to so many. My sincere condolences to your family, the entire Paul Mitchell family and to the entire hair community. God bless you and give your Dad a hug for us.'

One user said, 'Im so sorry you left earth so early. Fly high Angus.'

Angus had been recognized for both his work and philanthropic efforts, the outlet reported, with honors including Be magazine's #1 Platform Artist, a day in his honor in the city of Beverly Hills, and a trio of awards from the Alternative Hair Show, which raises funds for cancer research.

In an October 2021 news release from the Environmental Media Awards, Angus was credited 'as an advocate for human rights, ecological preservation, and environmental research.'

In the release following the organization's Green Carpet Environmental Media Awards, which was held at his Van Nuys, California venue Gearbox LA, Mitchell said 'EMA's mission is to provide a unified voice for our planet through entertainment, storytelling, and education.

'I am honored to have played a part in getting to celebrate these positive, forward-thinking, solution-oriented efforts and couldn't think of a better way to ring in my next year of life!'

According to a biography on the Paul Mitchell brand's UK website, Angus's father Paul was born Cyril Thomson Mitchell in Carnwath, Scotland in 1936, and 'decided to follow in his mothers footsteps and enrolled at the Morris School of Hairdressing in Londons West End.'

Angus and his son Dylan, eight, were pictured at an LA Clippers game December 3

Angus posed in a picture with his mother Jolina that she posted on Mother's Day 2022

Angus and his wife Mara Gourdine were pictured at an event in LA in September of 2020

He changed his name to Paul Mitchell - a nickname from his boss - when he began working at the Mayfair salon The Park Lane.

Paul would go on to work with late hair care icon Vidal Sassoon, who said of his then-apprentice: 'He had great style. He had something terribly special. He could inspire people.'

Paul would go on to work at Crimpers Salon at New York City's Bendels department store, according to the bio.

In 1970, he and wife welcomed Angus and in 1971, he formed a friendship with businessman John Paul DeJoria, who he would subsequently form a lucrative business partnership with.

Upon his 1989 passing, the bio read, Angus inherited his share of the business.
Susanna Reid has revealed the real reason why she gave up drinking alcohol five years ago.

At the time, the presenter, 53, cited 'hangxiety' and a high BMI as her reasons for becoming teetotal, but has now revealed what spurred her on to give up booze for good.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Susanna told co-host Richard Madeley: 'I gave up drinking because a doctor said you should try giving up drinking... for the sake of your skin, and I think sometimes if you've got a different motivator other than, "I'd just like to give up drinking".

'He said it can make you look very flushed and I was getting all sorts of breakouts as a result of drinking. Of course, if you to say to someone we're going to cure your skin by giving up alcohol, that's a proper motivator.'

Bar a few slip-ups, the presenter has been teetotal since 2018, despite attempts from friends, including former co-host Piers Morgan, to pull her off the wagon.

Susanna Reid revealed on Wednesday's Good Morning Britain the real reason that she announced plans to become sober five years ago

At the time, the presenter, 53, cited 'hangxiety' and a high BMI as her reasons. However, she revealed another reason still on the ITV breakfast show

'And then after I'd given up, if I had just one I would instantly see it on my face. It was a big demotivator for drinking.'

Susanna revealed to the Mail in 2019 that she no longer felt 'hangxiety' and explained what that meant.

'It was a sort of fizzing feeling, when you cant find peace, your body is just so agitated, she said.

'I never drank when I was working, but, on nights off, Id have a couple of glasses of wine. And Piers and I would have these big nights out at the Groucho Club in Soho, which were wonderful.

'But I havent done one of those since I stopped drinking. Basically, Im a lot less fun now - as Piers tells me all the time.

Susanna also opened up about the effect being sober had on her love life.

She said: 'Someone - hell be anonymous - and I were setting up arrangements for a date.

'I thought it might be good manners to mention the fact I dont drink, because most people do like to drink on a date.

Susanna told co-host Richard Madeley: 'I gave up drinking because a doctor said you should try giving up drinking... for the sake of your skin'

The presenter has been teetotal since 2018, bar a few slip-ups, despite attempts from friends to pull her off the wagon (pictured with Piers Morgan in 2023)

'And, just like that, he stopped making arrangements,' she said. 'It just ceased to be. A lot of people just think youll be no fun on a night out.'

'I dont care,' she added. 'Im just grateful I dont have to worry about waking up with a sore head.'

Susanna celebrated 100 days of sobriety in December 2018, and seven months in April 2019, but has not publicly marked any milestones since.

Speaking after the seven month mark, Susanna admitted: 'I havent been entirely drythere are times you fall back into it.'

In 2020, she said: 'Its a bit like the end of a relationship when youre not quite ready to say its really over.'

Susanna has lost two stone since she cut out alcohol.

While Susanna has given up alcohol for good, the presenter revealed last month she had a health scare with doctors giving her a warning about her caffeine consumption.

Susanna admitted to drinking a staggering eight coffees a day to cope with the early 3.45am Good Morning Britain starts.

'Losing my voice earlier this year was a bit of a scare. Everyone gets a bit croaky from time to time, but I could not get any noise out of my vocal cords and that's never happened before,' she said in the February issue of woman&home.

'I went very quickly to see a specialist, who stuck a camera down my throat, for which I needed a nurse to hold my hand because I found it quite intrusive.

'The specialist said maybe I had a virus that I didn't realise I had. Unless we're properly ill, we all carry on working, don't we?

'I'm not doing anything to boost my immunity, and I should be. The doctor was quite surprised that I don't drink more water and that I drink quite a lot of coffee, so I have tried to cut down a bit.

'One morning we worked out that I had eight coffees. But I don't drink the whole cup  I have a few sips.'

Susanna said she has cut down on her caffeine intake by interspersing drinks with ginger tea.
'An official report' lists the Newark, New Jersey-born actor 'as the victim' in the incident and police are still investigating

The car now has a smashed windshield and cracked side-view mirror - while the rest of the vehicle appears to remain in good condition

Shocking photos reveal the damage to Ian Ziering's $100,000 Mercedes after bikers attacked him while he was driving with his 10-year-old daughter.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 actor, 59, was seen in a video clip as he clashed with one mini-bike rider, after which he fended off attacks from multiple other riders in the group around 3pm on Sunday.

His grey GLE SUV Mercedes, which now sits idle in his driveway, was left shattered and slightly dented on the drivers' side windshield. The side-view mirror was also badly cracked.

Ziering, who played the role of Steve Sanders on the Fox series from 1990 to 2000, took to Instagram on Monday to share details of the 'alarming incident' and updated fans on the status of his 10-year-old daughter, Penna, who was seated in his car at the time of the altercation.

'I am relieved to report that my daughter and I are both completely unscathed, but the incident has left me deeply concerned about the growing boldness of such groups who disrupt public safety and peace,' Ziering said in his post.

Ian Ziering's grey GLE SUV Mercedes is seen parked in his driveway with shattered glass after he was involved in a attack with bikers on Sunday on Hollywood Boulevard

The front drivers side windshield was left shattered and slightly dented

One of his side-view mirrors on the car was also left shattered following the violent incident

The violent incident took place on Hollywood Boulevard as four bikers threw punches and kicks at Ziering before he sprinted across the street.

'While stuck in traffic, my car was approached aggressively by one of these riders leading to an unsettling confrontation,' he said in his social media post.

'In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car. This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself.'

While dozens of onlookers were gathered at the popular spot on New Year's Eve, no one appeared to intervene on Ziering's behalf in the incident.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was arrested in connection with the incident as of Sunday evening, TMZ reported, noting that 'an official report' lists the Newark, New Jersey-born actor 'as the victim' in the incident.

Police said they are probing the incident and communicating with the people involved.

'This situation highlights a larger issue of hooliganism on our streets and the need for effective law enforcement responses to such behavior.'

'As a citizen and a parent, I find it unacceptable that groups can freely engage in this kind of behavior, causing fear and chaos, while the response from authorities seems insufficient,' he continued in his post, before urging law enforcement to 'take decisive action.'

Ziering took to Instagram on Monday to share details of the 'alarming incident' and update fans on the status of his 10-year-old daughter, Penna, who was seated in his car at the time

The rest of the car was left untouched. It was not made immediately clear is anyone was arrested in connection to the incident

The cracked windshield can be seen from the side angle of the car on the drivers side

'I have always been an advocate for standing up against intimidation and misconduct, and this incident reinforces my belief in the importance of personal and community safety.'

He concluded: 'I am thankful for the support of my family, friends, and fans during this time.

'It's in challenging moments like these that the strength and unity of our community are most vital. Happy new year.'

Ziering shares equal custody of Penna, as well as 12-year-old daughter Mia, with ex-wife Erin Ludwig. The former couple wed in 2010, separated in 2019, with their divorce finalized in 2022.

On Monday, Erin, a registered nurse who still uses the last name Ziering on social media, took to Instagram to break her silence on the altercation.

'I have over 150 messages about this incident in 24hrs and I am not responding due to [Ian and Penna's] privacy,' Erin said in response to her ex's post.

'As I appreciate the need for info by everyone, please understand respectfully and if needing information please reach out to the direct people involved.'

As he grappled with one rider he was swarmed by others who attacked him as the actor was pinned against his car

Ziering and his daughters Penna Mae Ziering (left) and Mia Loren Ziering (right) are pictured at Jingle Ball in LA in December

After Ziering broke his silence on the incident on Monday, his ex-wife Erin Ludwig reposted his story. The couple's other daughter Mia corrected false repots that she was in the car at the time, but her sister Penna was in the vehicle at the time

In another slide shared via Instagram Stories, the mother-of-two re-shared her daughter Mia's social media post.

Mia's note corrected a reporting error  'Guys, I'm fine. tmz literally lied. I was not the one in the car. It was Penna,' the pre-teen wrote.

She continued, 'Thanks for checking it but it was misinformation and also very embarrassing. And it's clearly Penna. like huh.'

Her mother reiterated over on her own page, 'Also please respect my daughters privacy. The wrong one was named.'

A source told DailyMail.com that Ziering is 'doing okay' after the incident.

Police told TMZ that they are probing the incident and communicating with those involved

Ziering got out of his car before he ran across the street. He later admitted that in doing so, it 'unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself'

(L-R) Gabrielle Carteris, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth and Ziering were seen in 2019 on the reboot BH90210

In an additional video published by the outlet, Ziering appeared to be consoling Mia, who was visibly upset.

Police told TMZ that they are probing the incident  which took place near the famed corner of Hollywood and Highland, right along the Hollywood Walk of Fame  and communicating with the people involved.

Sources told the outlet that Ziering's 'vehicle... may have been hit' prior to the conflict caught on camera in the incident.

Ziering was able to get back into his vehicle and depart the scene, sources told the outlet, while the group of mini-bikers also abruptly left the scene after the violent incident.
Starbucks will now allow customers to use a reusable cup for drive-thru and mobile orders - as well as in-store - in a bid to reduce waste.

The Seattle-based coffee giant announced Wednesday that customers in the US and Canada can bring their own cup for their next caffeine fix - as long as it is clean.

There is also a financial incentive for eco-friendly customers, as those who bring a reusable cup will receive a 10 cent discount or 25 'bonus stars' for Rewards members.

At the drive-thru, customers should alert staff when ordering that they have their own cup, and the barista will collect and fill the cup at the window.

When ordering ahead with the mobile app, customers should press the 'customization' button and select 'personal cup'. They can then hand it over to workers when they go to pick up their coffee.

At the drive-thru, customers should alert staff when ordering that they have their own cup, and the barista will collect and fill the cup at the window

At the drive-thru, the reusable cup will be collected without the lid using a 'contactless vessel' to ensure it remains hygienic and is not directly handled by the barista.

It will then be returned to the customer in the same way, the company said.

The move is part of the coffee giant's commitment to reduce plastic waste by 50 percent by 2030.

Environmental advocacy groups including Clean Water Action have long campaigned for Starbucks to adopt more environmentally friendly cups.

Their signature white and green cups are plastic lined, which mean they are only recyclable in four major cities in the US, according to the advocacy group.

Starbucks uses more than 8,000 paper cups a minute, which adds up to more than four billion a year, Clean Water Action said, many of which end up in landfill.

'Starbucks is the biggest coffee company in the world. The impact of its waste on our water, oceans, and health is dramatic,' it said.

'At Starbucks, we envision a future where every beverage can be served in a reusable cup,' Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer, said in a statement.

'We know our customers are passionate about the planet, and now, they can join us in our efforts to give more than we take, no matter how they order.'

Coffee fans were positive about the change, with one customer on social media platform X branding it a 'good move' to reduce waste.

Environmental advocacy groups including Clean Water Action have long campaigned for Starbucks to adopt more environmentally friendly cups

Their signature white and green cups are plastic lined, which mean they are only recyclable in four major cities in the US, meaning many end up in the trash

The move comes after a test run was carried out at 200 drive-thru stores in Colorado last year.

Starbucks said wait times were not impacted by allowing people to bring their own cups.

Customers should be aware that the option to use a reusable cup will not be available through third-party delivery apps such as DoorDash or Uber Eats.

Starbucks said it is the first national coffeehouse in the US to give consumers the option to use their personal cups when placing mobile orders.

It has allowed Americans to use their own cups in-store since the 1980s - with a brief pause during the Covid-19 pandemic - in a bid to reduce single-use plastic.

It comes as the company - which has about 17,000 stores in North America - reported earnings and revenue well above analysts' expectations late last year.

Revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter - between July and September 2023 - rose 11 percent to $9.4 billion. And for the full fiscal year, which ended October 1, revenue soared by 11.6 percent to $35.9 billion.

Since 2020, the coffee giant's yearly revenue has been on a constant upward trajectory.

In the past four fiscal years, it has grown by more than 50 percent - up from $23.5 billion.

Since 2020, the coffee giant's yearly revenue has been on a constant upward trajectory

Although some chains are seeing consumers begin to slow down spending, Starbucks has yet to see a similar downturn in demand for its more expensive drinks.

Chief Marketing Officer Brady Brewer said in a meeting with investors that young consumers in particular are still choosing to splurge on things like specialty coffees.

According to GlobalData retail analyst Neil Saunders, this is the key driver behind the chain's success.

'Some of the growth in the US has been driven by increased demand for more expensive custom options, especially in cold beverages,' he told DailyMail.com last year.

'Having the flexibility to offer this is a critical ingredient in Starbucks' success as it both drives incremental revenue and allows for a truly custom experience which improves satisfaction.'
Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that interprets medical images with unprecedented clarity and may help clinicians diagnose and better treat cancers that might otherwise go undetected.

The tool, called iStar (Inferring Super-Resolution Tissue Architecture), and developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, US, provides both highly detailed views of individual cells and a broader look at the full spectrum of how people's genes operate.

The imaging technique, described in the journal Nature Biotechnology, would allow doctors to see cancer cells that might otherwise have been virtually invisible, the researchers said.

This tool can be used to determine whether safe margins were achieved through cancer surgeries and automatically provide annotation for microscopic images, paving the way for molecular disease diagnosis at that level, they said.

The researchers said iStar has the ability to automatically detect critical anti-tumor immune formations called "tertiary lymphoid structures," whose presence correlates with a patient's likely survival and favourable response to immunotherapy, which is often given for cancer and requires high precision in patient selection.

This means that iStar could be a powerful tool for determining which patients would benefit most from immunotherapy, they said.

"The power of iStar stems from its advanced techniques, which mirror, in reverse, how a pathologist would study a tissue sample," said Mingyao Li, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Just as a pathologist identifies broader regions and then zooms in on detailed cellular structures, iStar can capture the overarching tissue structures and also focus on the minutiae in a tissue image," Li explained.

To test the efficacy of the tool, the researchers evaluated iStar on many different types of cancer tissue, including breast, prostate, kidney, and colorectal cancers, mixed with healthy tissues.

Within these tests, iStar was able to automatically detect tumour and cancer cells that were hard to identify just by eye, according to the researchers.

Clinicians in the future may be able to pick up and diagnose more hard-to-see or hard-to-identify cancers with iStar acting as a layer of support, they said.

In addition to the clinical possibilities presented by the iStar technique, the tool moves extremely quickly compared to other, similar AI tools.

For example, when set up with the breast cancer dataset the team used, iStar finished its analysis in just nine minutes.

By contrast, the best competitor AI tool took more than 32 hours to come up with a similar analysis, making iStar 213 times faster.

"The implication is that iStar can be applied to a large number of samples, which is critical in large-scale biomedical studies," Li added.
Animesh Jain has been elevated to the post of Regional Executive Director (Coal), NTPC Limited w.e.f January 1,2024. As head of the Coal Mining Division of NTPC, he shall be responsible for all the coal mining projects located in the States of Jharkhand, Odisha & Chhattisgarh and Coal Mining-HQ at Ranchi. Jain continues to be Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NTPC Mining Limited (NML), Subsidiary of NTPC Limited.

Under the leadership of Jain, NTPC Coal Mining group has registered a stellar performance, registering a growth of 73% Year to Year (YTY) in Coal Production during April 23 to December 23 from its four operational mines and recording a growth of 83% (YTY) in coal despatch for the same period.

Jain is leading the transfer of coal mining business from NTPC to NML and has signed the Deed of Adherence with the Ministry of Coal for the same to augment the coal producing capacity, NML has won the first commercial coal mine of North-Dhadu (Eastern part). By adding the new mine to its portfolio, NML has taken a step forward to reach the target of achieving the capacity of 100 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030.



In his illustrious career spanning over 32 years of experience, Jain has made outstanding contributions to the power sector and has also worked extensively in business development both in India and abroad, merger and acquisitions, risk management, strategic management, corporate affairs.

Jain also served as Managing Director of Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL) in 2020-21 and continues to be a board member till date. Prior to assuming the role of Managing Director at BIFPCL, he was responsible for establishing operations of NTPC Limited in Myanmar.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the State government has imposed an interim ban on rampant purchase of land by outsiders in the name of agriculture and horticulture. He said that the ban has been imposed for land mafias. The CM said that the State government will welcome those who want to purchase land for setting up industrial units or start -up. He was addressing a public meeting at Kapkot in Bageshwar district on Tuesday. The CM said the Uttarakhand government enacted a stringent anti-copying act in the State to break the back of the copying mafia. He said that anti conversion law was also brought by the State government and for the first time action was taken on the encroachers of government land. Similarly the government is continuing to take punitive action on corrupt officers. Dhami said that the State government is also preparing to implement a uniform civil code (UCC) in Uttarakhand. He said that the State government is working with commitment to fulfil the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Uttarakhand will become a developed state of the country. Dhami said that memoranda of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore were signed during the Global Investors Summit held recently.

The CM participated in the Cheli Buvariyun Kothik (fair of daughters and daughter in laws) on the occasion. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 100 crore in the programme.

Lok Sabha MP Ajay Tamta said that Uttarakhand is moving rapidly on the path of development under PM Modi and CM Dhami.

MLA Suresh Gadia said that for the first time such a large crowd has gathered in Kapkot. He said that Bageshwar district is leapfrogging on the development path under the leadership of CM Dhami.
In yet another incident of the deteriorating law and order situation n the capital city, unknown miscreants slit the throat and robbed money from a person at Damana on Tuesday.

The victim was identified as Sibananda Barik, a businessman by profession.

According to sources, Sibananda was going to open his shop when two miscreants approached him and asked for money. As Sibananda refused, the miscreants attacked him with a sharp weapon, snatched Rs 6,000 from him and fled from the spot.

The locals rushed him to a nearby hospital. After treatment, Sibananda was discharged and sent back home.

Later, Sibananda lodged an FIR in the Chnadrasekharpur police station regarding the incident and the police have initiated a probe into the matter to nab the miscreants.

While I was going to my shop, the looters attacked me and snatched the money from me. It was the first incident that happened here. We are in panic after the incident. I have lodged an FIR with police, said Sabananda.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary cum Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir reached Ranchi today during his two-day stay, where he participated in the felicitation ceremony organized by the State Congress. State Congress President Rajesh Thakur honoured the newly appointed in-charge by giving him a shawl and a memento of Birsa Munda. A large number of Congress workers from the district including ministers, MLAs, state officials, district presidents participated in this felicitation ceremony.

Addressing the welcome ceremony, Mir said that we are overwhelmed with the greetings from Jharkhand. There is no lack of energy in Jharkhand Congress, this is visible right now. He expressed gratitude towards Congress President Mallikarjan Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for having been entrusted with the responsibility of a glorious state like Jharkhand. He said that with the cooperation of all of you, we will fully live up to your expectations. While addressing, he said that workers working at booth level will be given priority. The Congress party has taken everyone along and will continue to do so.

He said that in a country where needles were not manufactured, today everything from airplanes to satellites is being manufactured, which is the contribution of Congress and it is a matter of pride for all of us. He said that I have seen it in many states, where Congress government has not come for twenty to thirty years. Still, there was no lack of enthusiasm among the workers there. Even today they are ready for 2024 elections. It is a matter of great happiness for you that you have a government in the state. Therefore, all your leaders and workers will have to work dedicatedly for the party with four times the enthusiasm and in the coming 2024, we are ready, which is the slogan given by the Congress Party. It will have to be realized and Rahul Gandhi will have to be made the Prime Minister.

State President Rajesh Thakur said in his address that the work done together with former state in-charge Avinash Pandey has to be taken forward with Ghulam Ahmed Mir Saheb. He said in his address that we will have to be determined to win 14 seats by strengthening the India alliance. Whatever guidance we receive from the in-charge, we will fully try to implement it. We have formed committees from Panchayat level to booth level. We will contest the 2024 elections with full strength. Thakur ji said that the aim of respected Rahul Gandhi ji is to open shops of love all over India, which we will fulfill with the efforts of all the workers and the guidance of the in-charge. In view of the slogan given by National President respected Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, every worker of Jharkhand has geared up and is ready for 2024.

AICC Secretary Pranab Jha said that the workers of Jharkhand should be fully prepared for 2024. Democracy has to be saved, the Constitution has to be protected and the responsibility for this lies on the shoulders of Congress.

Those who addressed the felicitation ceremony included State Executive President Bandhu Tirkey, Shahzada Anwar, Jaleshwar Mahato, Minister Dr. Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta, Badal, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, former State President Dr. Pradeep Kumar Balmuchhu, Sukhdev Bhagat etc.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off 58 vehicles for door to door garbage collection at his camp office on Tuesday. The vehicles will be used in the solid waste management drive under the Swachchh Bharat Mission. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the new vehicles will help the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) in solid waste management.

He said that the State government is consistently working in the direction of improving sanitation in the State. Exhorting the people to contribute in the success of Swachchh Bharat Mission, the CM said that efforts are being made for clean and beautiful Dehradun. Dhami said that awareness in people about sanitation is increasing and added that awareness campaigns in public should be organised regularly for sanitation.

The 58 door to door vehicles flagged off by the CM will be used in solid waste management in seven assembly constituencies of Rajpur, Raipur, Doiwala, Dharampur, Sahaspur, Mussoorie and Dehradun Cantt. These vehicles have been purchased by the MCD with a sum of Rs 3.98 crore provided under the special assistance scheme.

The urban development minister Premchand Agarwal, soldier welfare minister Ganesh Joshi, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, MLAs Vinod Chamoli, Umesh Sharma Kau, Khajan Das, Savita Kapoor, former mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama, district magistrate Sonika and others were present on the occasion.
In a significant move highlighting the crucial role of communication, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has underscored the necessity for the expansion of the Lucknow Metro to meet the growing demands of the state capital.

During a pivotal meeting on Tuesday, the chief minister reviewed the progress of the Lucknow, Agra, and Kanpur Metro projects. Acknowledging the eagerness of the private sector to collaborate in the expansion of metro services. He directed officials to actively seek cooperation from private entities for the same.

The proposed expansion includes a new route from Charbagh to Basant Kunj via Chowk, with the existing route set to extend to IIM and PGI. Yogi stressed the importance of completing both under-construction routes in Kanpur and Agra within the stipulated time frame.

He emphasised the need for strict adherence to safety standards during the execution of underground metro projects, highlighting the paramount importance of passenger safety.

Addressing the officials, the chief minister issued instructions to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the new metro route from Charbagh to Vasant Kunj via Chowk in Lucknow. He further urged them to conduct suitability tests for both underground and elevated metro services, emphasising the significance of promptly submitting the proposal.

The chief minister expressed that the proposed expansion would connect a large population with modern urban transport facilities, enhancing the overall accessibility of the city.

Additionally, the chief minister advocated for the extension of the existing Lucknow Metro route to Indian Institute of Management on one side and SGPGI on the other. He highlighted the willingness of private sector companies to cooperate in this expansion and suggested considering Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode for this development.

Regarding the ongoing metro projects in Kanpur and Agra, the chief minister assured that there would be no shortage of funds for any public-interest project. He emphasised timely release of funds and urged officials to maintain effective communication and coordination to ensure the completion of projects within the stipulated time frame.

Furthermore, Yogi also advocated for the promotion of electric buses and e-rickshaws in Gautam Buddha Nagar and 17 municipal corporations to bolster sustainable transportation options.
In a determined effort to make the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Lalla at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 an unparalleled and unforgettable event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued comprehensive directives for meticulous preparations at the state government level.

Emphasising the global significance of the occasion, the chief minister declared that the eyes of the entire world are set on Ayodhya, presenting a unique opportunity for the global branding of Uttar Pradesh.

During a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, Yogi reviewed various projects underway in Ayodhya and provided essential directives for a seamless execution of the consecration ceremony and subsequent influx of tourists and devotees. He expressed the commitment of the state government to leave no stone unturned in ensuring a pleasant and satisfying experience for all the guests.

With a vision of elevating Ayodhya to a standard of safety, convenience and cleanliness, the chief minister aims to make it an exemplary city for the global audience.

Acknowledging the historic significance of the event, Yogi said that the grand and divine Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple would symbolise the cultural, spiritual and social unity of India as the Rashtra Mandir.

Every Sanatan believer should welcome Ram Lalla by lighting Ram Jyoti in their homes and establishments on January 22. This emotional and unprecedented event is a moment of joy and pride for millions of Sanatan believers, he said.

As Ayodhya braces for the arrival of devotees and tourists from across the globe, Yogi stressed the importance of cleanliness in hospitality. He called for public support, additional manpower deployment and the maintenance of dust-free roads. Specific measures were outlined, including waste management arrangements, the establishment of a Mata Shabari restaurant, and the development of a Nishadraj Guest House as a night shelter.

To facilitate the influx of devotees and tourists, the chief minister directed the installation of multilingual signage throughout Ayodhya and on key routes. The signage will be in languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and nine languages of the United Nations, ensuring a warm welcome and clear guidance for visitors. The use of Volvo buses and helicopter services for transportation, along with the utilisation of helipads, was also emphasised.

The chief minister also instructed ing the immediate implementation of the Safe City project, installation of CCTV cameras, and the activation of the ICCC of Ayodhya before January 22. He also stressed the importance of continuous strong security arrangements during and after the consecration ceremony.

In addition to these directives, the chief minister called for an organised approach to cleanliness, beautification of the city and the development of a digital tourist app for Ayodhya. He also highlighted the significance of cultural presentations, an enlightened conference, and Cultural Art Boat Tours on the Saryu ji.

The chief minister concluded the meeting with a focus on promoting the ideals of Shri Ram, encouraging cultural programmes and organising events such as bhajan-kirtan, Ramkatha discourse and Nagar Sankirtans. The preparations are geared towards making Ayodhya an unforgettable experience for devotees, tourists and visitors from around the world.
The Commissionerate police have prepared a comprehensive plan in a bid to combat cybercrimes in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh on Monday said the plan aims at safeguarding citizens against cyber threats while also intensifying efforts to nab the offenders.

Singh disclosed that the police have roped in cyber professionals and specialists from software companies, who would work in tandem with the cops to tackle cybercrime effectively.

Weve already brought on board 25 volunteers in the initial phase, Singh added.

The volunteers are slated to operate in specialised teams targeting various cybercrimes, such as those occurring in the dark web, deepfake web, and falsified social media campaigns. Moreover, their role extends to imparting cyber security knowledge to the police personnel.

Our collaboration is not confined to local efforts; were bolstering ties with police forces in other States, Singh said.

As General Elections are around the corner, the initiative assumes added significance. The enhanced preparedness would equip the cyber police teams in the twin cities to counter misinformation campaigns and address other critical issues rampant on social media platforms.

This strategic move signifies a proactive stance by law enforcement in leveraging specialised expertise to protect citizens from the escalating threats posed by cybercrime, the DCP Singh said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday undertook fresh searches at about four-five premises in the national Capital as part of a money laundering probe against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment of staff for the Delhi Waqf Board, official sources said.

The raids are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. About four-five premises are being covered by the ED officials, they said.

The agency had in October raided the premises of the 49-year-old legislator who represents the Okhla constituency in the Delhi assembly. It had also arrested three of his alleged associates in this case in November.

The ED had alleged that Khan acquired huge proceeds of crime in cash from illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested these for purchasing immovable assets in the name of his associates.

The searches (in October) were conducted in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff in Delhi Waqf Board and illegal personal gains by way of unfairly leasing out of Waqf Board properties during the chairmanship of the board by Amantullah Khan during 2018-2022, the agency had claimed in a statement.

It said a CBI FIR and three Delhi Police complaints formed the basis of the ED action against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA.

Khan, the ED said, acquired huge proceeds of crime out of the said criminal activities in cash and this cash amount was invested in purchase of various immovable properties in Delhi in the name of his associates. Several incriminating materials in the form of physical and digital evidence were seized during the raids which indicate the role of Khan in the offence of money laundering, it said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had alleged there was a campaign underway to end the AAP and asserted that false cases are being filed against party leaders.
Birsa Munda Central Jail (Hotwar) jailor Pramod Kumar today appeared before Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in connection with threatening call made from jail premises to Ashutosh Chaturvedi the chief editor of Ranchi-headquartered Hindi daily. Last week, Chaturvedi and his colleague , Vijay Pathak, had received threating calls from jail premises. The two senior journalists had lodged a complaint to police, followed by which the ED had summoned jail officials for questioning.

The senior editor had also written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren alleging threat calls made from Birsa Munda prison to the publications chief editor.

In a letter dated December 29, Vijay Pathak, the senior editor of Prabhat Khabar, informed CM Soren that their chief editor Ashutosh Chaturvedi had received a call from a person named Yogendra Tiwari and was threatened over recent coverage (on him).

Tiwari is an accused in a money laundering case, allegedly channelling income from illegal sand smuggling into liquor businesses. He is also allegedly part of the nexus linked to Prem Prakash, another accused in a PMLA case regarding illegal mining.

I, too, received several calls from several landline numbers. However, I could not speak. We later found that all these numbers were from Birsa Munda jail, the letter read.

On Tuesday, Jailor Pramod Kumar reached the ED office at Hinoo 10.40 am, however, he was asked to appear before ED office at 11 am. The jailor reached the ED office with documents. The ED has asked the jailor to reach the ED office along with CCTV footages and phone call details.

Liquor businessman Yogendra Tiwari was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 19. He is accused of illegal earning through liquor scam and money laundering.

In this case, ED had raided 34 locations simultaneously on August 23. These locations include Yogendra Tiwaris warehouse located in front of Hotel Siddharth in Deoghar, residence located near Dr Rajeev Pandey Hospital in Bompas Town, M/s Santhal Pargana Builders Private Limited located in D-2 of Harmu Housing Colony and two locations in Jamtara in connection with illegal liquor and sand businesses and associated money laundering.

The Editors Guild of India also wrote to the Chief Minister on Saturday. Mr Chaturvedi, who is a senior member of the Guild, has brought to notice that the newspaper has been publishing reports on the charges filed by ED, against some members of liquor mafia of the state. He received threatening calls from one MrYogendra Tiwari citing these reports. What is further alarming is that he received several calls from various landline numbers all of which seem to be registered with the Birsa Munda Central Jail, the letter read.

It added: This is cause of great concern that a senior journalist and its chief editor of a leading newspaper is being threatened in response to news reports published in the paper If any government officials are found complicit in facilitating this, then strict action can be taken against them.
As the nationwide truck drivers strike continues to grip the country, Punjab also found itself at the epicenter of a burgeoning fuel crisis  triggering panic buying and long queues outside petrol pumps across the State. The strike has left an estimated one lakh trucks, private buses, and tankers off the road, significantly impacting supplies.

The agitation, now in its second day, stems from the truck drivers vehement opposition to the severe penalties imposed under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for hit-and-run incidents. The repercussions of this strike are reverberating across the state, impacting approximately 3,800 filling stations and leaving citizens in a state of uncertainty about fuel availability.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), enacted to ensure accountability in road safety, imposes stringent penalties on drivers who cause serious accidents due to negligence and flee the scene without informing authorities. Under this new law, violators can face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs seven lakh. The truck drivers' strike, initiated on December 31, has led to disruptions in the fuel supply chain, exacerbating concerns about fuel shortages.

In response to the growing crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday directed the officials to hold a high-level meeting involving senior state and district officials to assess and manage the distribution of petrol and diesel in the State. Punjabs Home Secretary-cum-Secretary of Food and Civil Supplies Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, sharing critical details of the meeting, attempted to assuage the public concerns by emphasizing that there was no need for panic, as Punjab has ample stocks of petrol and diesel to meet the current demand. The meeting was also attended by the state DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla.

Singh informed that against a daily consumption of about 4,100 kilo litres of petrol, the stock in various pumps across the State is approximately 22,600 kilo litres. Similarly, for diesel, with a daily consumption of around 10,000 kilo litres, filling stations currently hold more than 30,000 kilo litres, and an additional 90,000 kilo litres are available at various terminals.

To allay fears, Singh highlighted that all terminals are interconnected through pipelines with refineries, ensuring a continuous flow of petroleum products. However, he acknowledged the non-uniform distribution of stock among filling stations at any given time. Despite certain stations reporting zero stock, others maintain full supplies, emphasizing that the stock position of a few stations should not be extrapolated to reflect the overall state of fuel stocks in Punjab, he added.

During the high-level meeting, district officials received directives to ensure the smooth movement of petrol and diesel trucks across the State. They have also been directed to continue making efforts to engage with striking transporters to address their grievances.

As per information available, the State Government, in an additional step to mitigate the crisis, has asked the Deputy Commissioners to issue directives at the district level to oil company officials, urging them to reserve 1000 liters of diesel and 500 liters of petrol at each pump.

The police have also been instructed to maintain vigilance and facilitate the uninterrupted sale and movement of fuel.

Senior officers from major oil companies, including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), assured the State Government of their commitment to ensuring an adequate supply of petrol, diesel, and LPG.

Crucially, Singh reiterated the Government's plea to citizens not to panic. Despite the challenges, the State Government remains steadfast in its assurance that Punjab has sufficient stock to meet the current and future demand for petrol and diesel.

3800 Filling Station Impacted In Punjab

Despite the reassurances from the Government and oil companies, the impact of the truck drivers strike on fuel availability has been acutely felt by citizens. Punjab Petroleum Association general secretary Manjeet Singh maintained that all 3,800 filling stations in the State have been affected. The last fuel supply arrived on December 30, and with the ongoing strike, pumps are running dry, causing significant disruption. Mohali Petrol Pump Association president Ishwinder Mongia, painting a grim picture, said that around 70 per cent of fuel pumps in the state would run dry by Tuesday evening if the situation persists. He urged the transporters to restore the supply chain, recognizing the importance of swift resolution to the ongoing strike.

Long Queues Outside Pumps

Motorists, caught in the crossfire of the truck drivers' protest and the resultant fuel crisis, have faced harrowing times. Long queues at fuel stations have become the norm, with motorists waiting for hours to get their tanks filled. The scarcity of fuel has led to frustration among citizens, exacerbating the urgency for a resolution to the ongoing truck drivers' strike. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed at fuel stations across districts in Punjab. As per reports, several petrol pumps in Ludhiana an out of stock. In Ludhiana, all 340 petrol pumps ran dry by Tuesday afternoon, leaving local residents scrambling to refuel their vehicles. Ludhiana Petroleum Dealers Association chairman Ashok Sachdeva revealed that fuel stations typically maintain a three-day stock, and as the strike continued, panic-buying intensified among citizens fearing a prolonged shortage.

Transportation and Supply Disruptions

The strike has had a cascading effect on transportation and the supply chain. A transport company operator explained that drivers refused to operate trucks and canters in protest against the stringent provisions in the central law, citing concerns about potential mob lynching after accidents. With an estimated 1 lakh vehicles off the road, including trucks, private buses, and tankers, the impact on supplies and transportation has been substantial. Bathinda, a key bulk storage point for major public sector players such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, reported several fuel stations experiencing complete exhaustion of diesel. Users were seen filling petrol in two-wheelers and cars, exacerbating the fuel shortage. Bathinda Petrol Pump Dealers Association president Vinod Bansal warned that the situation could deteriorate further, impacting public transport, as more retail outlets may go without fuel.

Ripple Effect on Prices and Essential Commodities

The fuel crisis has not only disrupted transportation but also had a ripple effect on the prices of essential commodities. The supply of onions, tomatoes, garlic, lemons, ginger, and fruits, including apples, guavas, and oranges, has been severely affected. Rates of vegetables and fruits have skyrocketed within a day, further adding to the concerns of residents.

Bus Drivers to Observe 2-hr Strike Today

The strike's impact also extends to public transport, with over 250 buses under Punjab Roadways and PRTC at the city bus stand. Officials claimed that there is a reserve of fuel for three days, which has prevented an immediate halt to bus operations. However, the announcement of a two-hour strike by bus drivers from Wednesday indicates that the situation may worsen in the coming days, causing more inconvenience to residents relying on public transport.

Oil Tanker Operators Call Off Strike, Fuel Supply Resumes in Jalandhar

The oil tanker operators in Jalandhar have called off their strike, leading to the resumption of fuel supply in the district. The breakthrough was achieved through persistent efforts by the civil and police administration, which engaged in a series of meetings with the striking operators at the Indian Oil Corporation depot in Suchi Pind.

Led by Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Sarangal, Senior Superintendent of Police Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar, and Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Kumar Sharma, the officials conveyed the concerns of striking operators to the top officials of the state government. The meetings aimed at finding an amicable solution to the issues raised by the operators, who play a crucial role in the supply chain of essential items.

Assurances were given by the senior officials that the demands of the operators would be brought to the attention of the state government, and appropriate solutions would be provided promptly. Emphasizing the government's commitment to regulate the supply of essential items, officials acknowledged the vital role of the operators in the overall supply chain and assured them that all their concerns would be addressed.

The officials actively engaged with the striking operators, listening to their grievances and concerns. Memorandums were also received from the operators, documenting their demands and issues for further consideration.

Govt intervention restores petroleum supplies in Bathinda, Police protection ensures smooth distribution

Following proactive intervention by the state government, the distribution of petroleum products, including petrol and diesel, resumed from the oil depots of major players such as Indian Oil Corporation (IOL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Bathinda on Tuesday evening. The resumption of supplies occurred under the protective umbrella of police presence, ensuring the safety of drivers and a smooth distribution process.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray and Senior Superintendent of Police Harmanbir Singh Gill played a pivotal role in orchestrating a meeting with representatives from the oil companies and the striking drivers. During the meeting, the district officials assured the drivers of their safety and pledged to provide police protection whenever they transport supplies from the oil depots to any location across the state.

Despite the positive development, long queues persisted at various petrol stations as the supplies had not yet reached all outlets by early evening. District officials, acknowledging the ongoing challenges, urged the public not to panic. They emphasized that while the supplies had resumed, it might take some time for them to reach every location. Importantly, the officials emphasized that there is no shortage of petroleum products, providing reassurance to the public.
Aiming to create employment opportunities, along with enhancing economic activities within the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday granted permission for 32 more shops and commercial establishments to operate 24 hours. The Labour Department of Delhi government had proposed the plan to the Chief Minister regarding the operation of these establishments for 24 hours. These commercial establishments belong to the categories of commercial, retail trade or business, provision stores.

The government said that all these establishments must strictly adhere to the provisions and rules of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act of 1954. The government will keep strict watch over them to ensure that no violation of the rules takes place. The proposal has now been sent to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for final approval.

It further said that compliance with Sections 14, 15, and 16 of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 is mandatory for these shops and commercial establishments. For instance, during summers, women employees will not be permitted to work in any establishment between 9 PM to 7 AM, and during winter between 8 PM to 8 AM. Shops must be open and closed within specified times, and violation of this might lead to the closure of the commercial establishment. An additional 15 minutes will be allowed to open the shop if customers are waiting. Different areas may have different timings for opening or closing shops, and owners will have to adhere to those timings.

Under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act of 1954, the Delhi Labour Department received 52 applications to operate shops for 24 hours. The department thoroughly examined these applications and documents. Of these, 20 applications did not meet the requirements and were not considered. However, all 32 applications meeting the criteria were approved.

It is noteworthy that in the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of permissions granted for the operation of 24-hour shops and commercial establishments within Delhi. The Chief Minister periodically approves commercial establishments that meet the criteria. Now, approval has been granted for 32 more establishments, bringing the total to 667.
The Odisha Government has asked all its employees to submit their annual property statements by January 31.

All Government employees starting from the level of Group D to Group A have been asked to submit their updated property statements for the year 2023 through HRMS portal by January 31, said General Administration and Public Grievances Department Additional Secretary Sashank Sekhar Dash in a letter to all departments, head of the departments, RDCs and district Collectors on Monday.

The Government employees are supposed to submit complete information regarding their assets, including movable and immovable, and the value thereof online through the HRMS portal as per Odisha Government Servants Conduct (Amendment) Rules-2021, said the letter.

In his letter, Dash has asked the head of the departments, RDCs and Collectors to sensitize the employees under their respective jurisdictions to submit their property statement by the due date.
The impact of the truck-bus drivers' strike in Madhya Pradesh for the second day on Tuesday is visible on essential services. Due to this, Madhya Pradesh High Court has instructed the government to end the strike. In the hearing on two petitions on Tuesday, the High Court said, 'The strike should be ended immediately. The government should restore transportation.

On this, the Advocate General said on behalf of the government, 'An important decision is being taken in this matter by this evening.' These petitions have been filed on behalf of Citizen Consumer Forum and Akhilesh Tripathi.Due to the drivers' strike, the supply of milk, vegetables and groceries has reduced in other districts including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior. Vegetables became expensive in most cities. School-college buses remained closed.

There was a clash between police and protesters in Khargone. The striking drivers in Burhanpur tried to garland other drivers with shoes and slippers. Deflated many vehicles.Drivers are protesting against the law related to hit and run, in which there is a provision of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 7 lakh.Transport Minister said  the strike will end soonTransport Minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh told Dainik Bhaskar over phone, 'Earlier also the government has requested the drivers not to go on strike. This law has been made for such people who have been doing hit and run work.

This law is not going to cause any trouble for ordinary drivers.He said- The government is continuously in talks with the drivers association. It is expected that the drivers will return from the strike soon. Along with the people, the families of the drivers are also being affected by this strike.

An attempt has been made to misinterpret the law that has been made. The government is interacting with the drivers to make them aware of the real aspects of the law. It is expected that the drivers' strike will end soon.Congress President Jitu Patwari cornered the Madhya Pradesh government on social media.

Congress President Jitu Patwari cornered the Madhya Pradesh government on social media.Collector said to the driver in the meeting  What is your status?There was chaos between the collector and the drivers in the meeting called regarding the strike in Shajapur. Actually, Collector Kishore Kanyal was explaining to the members of the Drivers Association that no one would take the law into their hands. Meanwhile, a driver said to the collector  Speak nicely.

Hearing this the collector got angry and said  what is wrong. What do you understand? What will you do, what is your status? After this the driver said  This is our fight, we have no status.

After this the Collector said  Fighting does not happen like this. Please do not take any law into your hands. Have been called here only to listen to all your things.When the collector expressed his displeasure, the driver apologized.The collector said that the driver had spoken in a wrong manner. After this he had to explain.

The collector said that the driver had spoken in a wrong manner. After this he had to explain.Passengers are facing problems due to non-operation of buses in Bhopal.Passengers are facing problems due to non-operation of buses in Bhopal.

Bhopal: Long queues at petrol pumps, waiting for an hourThere are long queues at petrol pumps in Bhopal city since Tuesday morning. There was a queue till the road at the petrol pump at Rachna Nagar intersection. People have to wait for half to an hour. President of Bhopal Petrol Diesel Association, Ajay Singh said that he has talked to the drivers regarding the shortage of petrol. Most of the drivers have agreed to deliver petrol. It is expected that the situation will improve on Tuesday, because tankers have started leaving the depot on Monday night. Stock was also exhausted at many petrol pumps.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday praised the State Excise and Taxation Department for the significant rise in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections. In December 2023, State's gross GST collection reached Rs 8130 crore, a remarkable 22% jump compared to Rs 6,678 crore in December 2022. While India's overall GST revenue for December 2023 hit Rs 1,64,822 crore, representing a 10.3% year-on-year increase, the State's performance surpassed the national average, he added.



Khattar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that this robust growth outstrips the national average significantly, highlighting the effectiveness of State's economic policies and tax administration. The neighboring states also experienced positive growth: Himachal Pradesh (5%), Punjab (8%), Delhi (16%), and Jammu and Kashmir (20%).



The Chief Minister further said that the department's stellar performance in December, emphasizing its role in bolstering the state's economic stability. The surge in GST collection not only mirrors State's economic advancement but also signifies promising prospects for its overall development. He expressed optimism for sustained growth, aiming to elevate Haryana's economic and financial stature.



Additionally, the Excise and Taxation Department has realized 80% of the total budget target for the fiscal year 2023-24 within the initial three quarters, underscoring its efficiency. With a total budget estimate of Rs 57,931 crore for the year, the department had garnered Rs 46,349 crore by December 31, 2023, across various categories. It is worth noting that Haryana consistently ranks among the top five states in GST collections and exhibited the highest growth rate among major states in November 2023.
Cabinet meeting in Haryana today



Chandigarh: The Haryana Cabinet will meet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at 11 am in the Committee Room of Haryana Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh on Wednesday, a government spokesperson informed on Tuesday.

Himachal police chief shifted



Shimla: A week after the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered the state government to shift the Director General of Police on the basis of a complaint by a Palampur businessman, Sanjay Kundu was on Tuesday posted as principal secretary in the Ayush department. According to a notification issued by the government, Kundu has been shifted on the recommendations of the Civil Services Board in the public interest. He will relieve Amandeep Garg of his additional charge. Himachal Pradesh High Court on December 26 directed the government to shift the states police chief and the Kangra superintendent of police so that they could not influence a probe into a businessmans complaint about a threat to his life. The state government is yet to take a decision on the appointment of a new police chief.



Cold conditions prevail in many parts of Punjab Haryana



Chandigarh: Cold weather conditions prevailed in many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, with Bathinda reeling at 7 degrees Celsius, the weather office said. Among other places in Punjab, Patiala registered a low of 7.8 degrees Celsius. According to the Met office's weather report, Amritsar recorded a low of 8.3 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 8 degrees and Faridkot 8.2 degrees. Chandigarh recorded a low of 9 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Hisar recorded a low of 7.2 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature in Karnal was at 8 degrees. Narnaul and Bhiwani recorded minimum temperatures of 7.5 degrees Celsius and 7.7 degrees, respectively.



Woman accuses DSP of sexual harassment, Home Minister directs IG to investigate



Chandigarh: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij took a stringent action on Tuesday after a woman from Hisar accused DSP, Hisar of sexual harassment. Vij directed the immediate transfer of the officer to another district. The Home Minister also directed IG, Hisar to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations and submit its report within 10 days. Vij was listening to the public grievances visiting him at his residence in Ambala. The official spokesperson said that the woman from Hisar had alleged that she had filed a complaint of sexual harassment against the DSP, but due to the lax approach of the Hisar Police and not presenting the facts accurately, the accused got bail from the High Court.



CM Khattar approves 12 new projects worth Rs 50 crores



Chandigarh: Haryana Government on Tuesday decided to implement 12 new projects worth more than Rs. 50 crore under Rural Augmentation & Urban Water, Sewerage and Storm Water-State Plan in 6 districts namely Gurugram, Sonipat, Rohtak, Rewari, Jhajjar, and Mahendragarh. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar accorded administrative approval for these projects to be implemented by the Public Health Engineering Department. Additionally, Khattar has also approved the construction of a new road on the land of the abandoned Kulasi Link Drain in Jhajjar District with an estimated cost of Rs. 9.97 crore.



Rs 126 crore spent in Hry to tackle massive waste mountain in Gurugram & Faridabad



Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Tuesday said that the State Government has awarded contracts valued at approximately Rs 126 crore for processing an additional 15 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at Bandhwari. An action plan has been prepared to achieve this target by June 2024. Presiding over a meeting to assess waste disposal progress in Gurugram and Faridabad, Kaushal directed the officers of Pollution Control Board to take strict action against agencies and officials failing to address leachate waste management at the Bandhwari site. He emphasized decisive action, including penalties and fines, against those responsible for waste management and disposal tasks in landfills at Gurugram and Faridabad.



ECI conducts training on Election Seizure Management System



Chandigarh: The Election Commission of India on Tuesday conducted training on Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) here. ECI has developed ESMS for reporting seizures on real time basis made by various enforcement agencies such as State Police Department, State Excise Department, Income Tax Department, Narcotics Control Bureau, State Commercial Department, SGST, CGST, DRI, ED, RPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP, Department of Post, FSs, SSTs etc an official statement said. The Commission has implemented ESMS successfully during General Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana concluded in December, 2023 and is going to implement it in forthcoming General Election to Lok Sabha to be held in 2024.Through this module, data of intercepted/seized items like cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, freebies etc. will be digitalized from the field directly.



Infosys donates 50 wheelchairs to PGIMER



Chandigarh: Infosys, information technology company & ARPAN, Chandigarh on Tuesday donated 50 wheelchairs to the PGIMER, Chandigarh. The donation was officially received by Dr Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent, PGI along with Dr Pankaj Arora, Incharge, New OPD. Dr Koushal said that the contribution of 50 wheelchairs by Infosys aims to enhance the accessibility and comfort for patients visiting PGIMER's OPD, ensuring that individuals with mobility challenges receive the necessary support during their time at the hospital.



Haryana to start direct bus service to Ayodhya from Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat



Chandigarh: Haryana Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma has announced that the state government will start direct bus service to Ayodhya from Faridabad, Gurugram, and Sonipat after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22. He also said that in future if there is demand from other districts, direct bus service will start to Ayodhya from there as well. After the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, numerous people from Haryana will visit Ayodhya. This new bus service will provide them with a convenient and affordable way to travel, he said in a statement.
Soft power, a term coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. in the late 1980s, refers to the "power of attraction through culture, political ideas, and policies rather than coercion," a stark departure from the traditional military hard power approach. India, with its rich cultural heritage, stands as an enlightened nation, acutely aware of the potential of its soft power to influence global narratives positively. The global impact of India's soft power has been felt for centuries, with Indian arts, culture, and spiritualism attracting people from all corners of the world. This influence was recently showcased in the Qatari court's decision to reduce the capital punishment for eight former Indian naval personnel, revealing a significant triumph that can be attributed to the five pillars of India's rising soft power. In the recent times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strategically reoriented Indian diplomacy, integrating new elements of soft power. The five pillars - Samman (dignity), Samvaad (dialogue), Samriddhi (shared prosperity), Suruksha (regional and global security) and Sanskriti evam Sabhayata (cultural and civilizational links) - serve as the foundation for India's soft power strategy. These pillars are not isolated; they are intricately linked with India's broader political and economic goals, providing a holistic approach to international relations.

India's soft power is deeply rooted in its history, reflecting a nation of diverse thoughts and amicable cultural dissemination. The concept of 'unity in diversity' or rather unified diversity has historically shaped India's global representation, drawing traditional, religious, ethno-linguistic, and constructive relations with other nations. This soft power has permeated deep into the international arena, eliciting admiration and influencing nations worldwide.

The recent decision by the Qatari court of appeals to reduce the capital punishment for eight former Indian naval personnel exemplifies the success of India's soft power diplomacy. The relief granted to these individuals and their families is a testament to the efficacy of diplomatic channels employed by the Indian government. However, the disappointment of the upheld conviction underscores the need for a reassessment of legal strategies and evidence of innocence before filing a review petition with Qatars Court of Cassation.

In navigating the legal complexities, the Indian government faces three potential options if judicial appeals prove unsuccessful. The first involves persistently pressing for a review of the conviction with Qatar's ruling Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Alternatively, seeking clemency and requesting a pardon, a recourse, Qatar's rulers have granted in the past, presents a viable option. The third choice is for the men to serve their terms in India, subject to the terms outlined in a 2015 bilateral Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons. However, this option requires an acceptance that the conviction cannot be reversed, placing a moral dilemma before the individuals involved.

Prime Minister Modi's recent outreach to the Qatari leadership, particularly his meeting with the Emir on the sidelines of COP28 on December 1, highlights the role of political engagement in soft power diplomacy. While the effectiveness of earlier outreach, shortly after the arrest of the men in August 2022, remains speculative, it is commendable that New Delhi refrained from reacting to the case with public rhetoric. This contrasts with its approach to similar allegations from Canada and underscores the nuanced nature of diplomatic relations.

Crucially, India's restraint in not allowing the case to become entangled in regional tensions, such as the ongoing situation in Gaza, speaks to the country's diplomatic finesse. The calibrated position, coupled with a quiet yet determined push, reflects an understanding of Qatar's sensitivities and increases the likelihood of a successful resolution. It is imperative to note that any potential connection of the case to India's intelligence services necessitates a review of operations that could jeopardize Indians overseas, ensuring a delicate balance between national security and diplomatic objectives.

While the reduction in the sentence by the Qatari court may seem like a mere reprieve, it is, in essence, a testament to the strength of India's soft power and the efficacy of its five pillars. This development serves as a beacon of hope, illustrating the potential of soft power to navigate complex international scenarios and secure the well-being of its citizens. As India continues to leverage its cultural richness and diplomatic acumen, the case of the former Indian naval personnel stands as a compelling example of soft power in action, shaping global outcomes in a positive and constructive manner and we can only hope and strive as a nation to grow further with an emboldened soft power in 2024.Wish you all a Happy New Year-2024!

(The writer is an Advocate, Orissa High Court, Addl. Central Government Standing Counsel, CAT, Cuttack Bench, Consulting Editor-Legal Affairs and Public Policy, The Pioneer and a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law and Media Studies, School of Mass Communication, KIIT University)
Ruling JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad resigned from the Jharkhand Assembly, according to a notification issued on Monday.

However, no reason was cited in the notification as to why the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator of Gandey constituency put it in his papers.

Ahmads resignation as an MLA triggered speculations in the state political circles as it came just a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued its seventh summons to Chief Minister and JMM executive president Hemant Soren, seeking his availability for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The EDs probe in this case reportedly pertains to alleged huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia in Jharkhand.

His resignation has sparked off speculations, with the BJP alleging that Ahmad was made to quit so that Chief Minister Hemant Sorens wife Kalpana Soren could contest the assembly elections from Gandey seat.

The social media handle of Godda BJP MP Nishikant Dubey shared in X (formerly twitter) took a swipe at Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren over the sudden resignation of the MLA with claims that Soren would also resign soon.

Jharkhands MLA from Gandey, Sarfaraz Ahmed, has resigned from the Assembly and his resignation has been accepted. Soon, Hemant Soren-ji will also resign from the post of chief minister and his wife, Kalpana Soren-ji, will take over as the next CM. The new year could bring pain to the Soren family, Dubey posted from his official handle on X in Hindi.

Hemant Soren has been served as many as six summons by the ED so far and he has failed to turn up on every single occasion. Now, the central agency has asked the Jharkhand Chief Minister to record his statement under Section 50 of the PMLA Act.

The ED has summoned the chief minister for questioning in a money laundering case pertaining to land grabbing in the state.

Ahmad, 70, is a three-time MLA from Gandey. In 1980, he won the seat (in the then Bihar state) for the first time on the Congresss ticket. In the wake of the creation of Jharkhand state, he won the seat again in 2009 as a Congress candidate.

Later, Ahmad quit the Congress and won from Gandey on the JMMs ticket in the 2019 Assembly elections.

In the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, Ahmad had also won from the Giridih parliamentary seat on the Congresss ticket.

CM replies to ED summons

Chief Minister Hemant Soren has sent the reply to the seventh notice (summons) of ED which is investigating money laundering in the land scam. The Chief Minister's office employee delivered the Chief Minister's reply in a closed envelope to the ED office on Tuesday afternoon. In the seventh summons to the Chief Minister, ED had written to inform the place, date and time for questioning, so that the questioning could be done, but the Chief Minister has sent the reply. There is no mention of place, date and time in it. The Chief Minister has termed the seventh summons as illegal. He has accused ED of conducting a media trial. He says that before he gets the summons, the news about the summons gets spread in the media. This is being done to tarnish his image and destabilize the government. If ED sources are to be believed, now the CM will not be given any further chance. ED is preparing for big action.
The year 2023 was a turnaround year for Kings Infra with the company overcoming challenges with innovative capabilities and resilience. The company is aiming to achieve impressive growth this year. Kings Infra Ventures Limited chairman and managing director Shaji Baby John said that the most noteworthy achievement of last year has been the signing of the long term MoU with the Shanghai based Shanghai RSF Trading Company Limited, a joint venture of Japan Food Services Company, Japan for launching the Kings Rishifu brand shrimps in the Chinese market in a strategic partnership and branding and distribution with RSF, Shanghai. The initial order for 100 containers worth about Rs 100 crore from RSF Trading Company will be scaled up to 200 containers for the next financial year. The association focusses on the high-end market with premium products and has the potential to generate Rs 100 crore revenue in the first year and Rs 200 crore per year when fully implemented, he said.

The Kings Infra team comprising the CFO Lalbert Cherian along with SISTA CEO Chandra Bhat recently concluded a successful visit to Shanghai and Zhanjiang in China as a part of the product and market development activities. The visit was to get the feedback on the trial containers shipped under the Kings Rishifu brand and do new product trials for value addition. The visit has enhanced brand visibility and facilitated new distributor and channel relationships which will help us to expand our footprints in the Chinese market, the CMD added.

Kings Infra also signed an MoU with JH & Company representing Ocean World Ventures one of the leading in the US who are regular importers and distributors of seafood products, mainly Vannamei Shrimps for the US market. Both the parties have agreed to start business with about 5-8 containers per month and scale it up to the minimum level of 100 containers per year. The MoU envisages to expand the products range for distribution in the US. Kings Infra has made arrangements as a merchant exporter with leading IQF processors in Andhra Pradesh to execute orders for exports to the US market. In 2023, Kings Infra launched SISTA360, the trail blazing digital platform for sustainable aquaculture solutions. This platform is poised to revolutionise the Indian aquaculture landscape, offering sustainable protocols, quality inputs and one-stop solutions to the aqua farmers.

John further said that Kings Infra Ventures Limited will be launching Kings Bento which brings the convenience of heat and eat seafood delicacies to the domestic market. The recipes are developed in association with the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT). Kings Bento is a testament to our commitment to transforming the culinary landscape with innovative, ready-to-serve seafood options. Kings Bento will be available in exclusive sales outlets across Kerala from January 2024. Kings Bento is inspired by the Japanese concept of Bento, which means Takeaway, in beautifully and aesthetically designed Bento Boxes, the CMD said.

In order to meet the upcoming expansion and marketing plans, Kings Infra is issuing preferential allotment of equity shares of Rs 17 crore and also secured a working capital upto Rs 40 crore from Punjab National Bank. The strategic business plan drawn out for Kings Infra in the year ahead promises to make it an iconic year for the company both in the international as well as domestic markets.
State BJP President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi today again launched a big attack on Hemant government and said that today the criminals, brokers and middlemen are fearless in the state.

He said that Chief Minister Hemant Soren is continuously doing unconstitutional work. Now he feels that it is certain that he will go to jail, hence the party MLA wants to get Sarfaraz Ahmed to resign from the Assembly and make his wife the Chief Minister. He also knows that his wife cannot become MLA from a reserved seat. The High Court has ruled that daughters-in-law from outside the state cannot avail the facility of reservation in Jharkhand.

Further, he drew the attention of the Governor towards the decision of Maharashtra High Court, Nagpur Bench and said that if the matter of forming a new government or changing the Chief Minister comes before him on behalf of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, then he insists that the Attorney General, or definitely take advice in this regard from a senior jurist.

He said that the responsibility of protecting the constitutional system is in the hands of the Governor. The decision of the Nagpur Bench of the Maharashtra High Court has ruled on the period for holding bye-elections on the vacant seat. In the situation of Jharkhand, now the tenure of the Assembly is less than one year left. In such a situation, by-elections cannot be held on the vacated seat.

He said that in such a situation, only the Governor can save the constitutional system from becoming a mockery.

On the increasing morale of criminals in the state, Marandi said that now criminals are threatening the editor of a big newspaper from jail. This is a serious matter. The one who threatened from jail is none other than Yogendra Tiwari of Dumka, Yogendra Tiwari has a deep connection with Shibu Soren. Even today, the registry deed of half of the land of Shibu Soren's huge house in Khajuria, Dumka belongs to Yogendra Tiwari & Company.

He said that such heinous criminals should have been sent out, but they have deep relations with the Chief Minister. They exercise power from jail. They get transfer postings done as per their wish and get them stopped.

Recalling the recent large-scale transfers of DSPs and their subsequent postponement, he said that being a former Chief Minister, he knows the process of transfer. If the decisions of the file signed by the Chief Minister, Home Minister and DGP of the state are not implemented, then it can be understood that someone else is wielding the power. He said that such people have the protection of the Chief Minister.

He said that many times he requested the government for investigation related to corruption and wrote letters. But the Chief Minister is giving clean chit to the officials by getting a judicial inquiry done. He said that the CM only wants to hush up the cases like this. If you have courage, then get the investigation done by honest police officers of the state like Murarilal Meena, Anil Palta. Their fact finding will reveal the truth.
The Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Purola constituency, Durgeshwar Lal and his supporters staged a protest outside the official residence of the Forest minister Subodh Uniyal, alleging that development works in his constituency are being hampered by the Forest department. He further alleged that the minister is not doing the needful. Talking to The Pioneer, the MLA said that Forest department officials in his region of Uttarkashi district are hampering various development works. The construction of roads and various development works are being stalled by departmental officials. Even PMGSY and Forest department works are being stalled by some officials, due to which the budget is getting lapsed. The block development committees of Purola, Mori and Naugaon have passed motions criticising the divisional forest officer but the minister is not paying heed. I have raised this issue with the minister but his response was not positive, the MLA claimed. The minister on the other hand has stated that he has directed the department officials to take necessary action on the MLAs complaint. Meanwhile, Lal said that he had also approached the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on this issue. He said that the CM has assured him that the government will take necessary action in the interests of the public.
Ganga expressway, the longest expressway in Uttar Pradesh linking Meerut with Prayagraj, is likely to be completed by the end of this year on December 31.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) to work on a war footing to complete the expressway before Mahakumbh in 2025.

Currently, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of expressways in the country, with six in operation and seven under-construction. The most ambitious project is the Ganga Expressway with a proposed length of 594 kilometres. Ganga Expressway is the second in terms of length in the country after the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway.

UP currently has four expressways that feature among the top 10 expressways in terms of length in India. Once Ganga Expressway becomes operational, the state will have five of the top 10 expressways in the country.

Recently, the chief minister, in a meeting with UPEIDA officials, has given directions to make the Ganga Expressway operational by the end of 2024 under any circumstances in view of the Mahakumbh in 2025.

Connecting the state from east to west, this expressway will pass through 518 villages in 12 districts. After the opening of the expressway, the distance from Meerut to Prayagraj via Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh will be covered in just a few hours. Ganga Expressway will start from Bijauli village on Meerut-Bulandshahr (NH 334) and end near Judapur Dadu village on (NH 19) in Prayagraj. The expressway is being built on 7,467 hectares of land at an estimated cost of Rs 36,230 crore.

The Ganga Expressway will initially have six lanes, with a proposal to later expand it to eight lanes. Along the expressway, nin public amenities complexes will be developed at various locations for public convenience. Main toll plazas are planned at two locations (Meerut and Prayagraj), while ramp toll plazas are proposed at 15 locations.

Additionally, two large bridges will be built over the Ganga river (960 metres) and the Ramganga river (720 metres). Furthermore, a 3.50-kilometre-long airstrip will be constructed near the Jalalabad tehsil in Shahjahanpur.

For the Ganga Expressway project, out of 153 clearances required from four major departments, 141 have been obtained. Of these, 44 out of 48 clearances have been obtained from NHAI/PWD, seven out of seven from Railways, 82 out of 88 from Irrigation department and eight out of 10 from fuel pipeline. Big companies like IRB Infrastructure and Adani Infrastructure are engaged in the construction of Ganga Expressway.

To expedite the project, the state has allowed for the usage of fly ash to overcome the shortage of soil in the construction. This will not only cut carbon footprint but also provide an environmentally amenable disposal.

Once completed, the expressway will facilitate easy travel during the Mahakumbh Mela, which is expected to host nearly 400 million tourists.
In 2024, the global landscape is poised for significant political and geopolitical shifts, with more people around the world participating in elections than ever before. However, the state of democracy appears to be in a precarious position, facing challenges and threats that demand urgent attention and adaptation from the Western world. With war, pandemic, and mass corruption rife in the weak West, the slow apathetic reactions to emerging global problems is in itself a problem.

The integrity of democracy is being tested in various parts of the world. Sham elections in countries like Belarus and Russia undermine the fundamental principles of democracy. Moreover, the dilution of democracy in India under the leadership of Narendra Modi and the corruption within the ANC in South Africa are indicative of the challenges faced by democratic systems. Additionally, the complex power dynamics in Pakistan further contribute to the global concerns surrounding democracy.

The relative decline of the West and the rise of Chinese power have significant implications for global democracy. The impact of Chinese aggression is evident in various geopolitical scenarios, including the grave danger faced by Taiwan due to the threat posed by Beijing. Furthermore, the strategic attention on China and the Pacific has influenced the actions of leaders like Vladimir Putin, potentially leading to events such as the invasion of Ukraine. If Putin takes Ukraine, he will move through Europe like a knife through butter  and the EUs apathy to this is very worrying.

The Middle East has become a focal point of global concern, particularly with Irans determination to acquire nuclear weapons and its efforts to undermine regional stability. The Iran-backed Hamas attacks on Israel and the actions of Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, have further escalated tensions in the region, posing risks to international shipping and contributing to a potential oil crisis. The Israeli military operation in retaliation to the grotesque Hamas attacks on civilians may be justified, however in the long-term it has created anger amongst many Islamic countries in the region and fuelled a prolonged escalation of war as well as mobilising entire new generations who have become radicalised.

Incumbent governments across the Western world are facing a challenging period, as evidenced by the outcomes of recent elections in countries like the Netherlands, Finland, Poland, and Slovakia. It is a certainty that Donald Trump will be re-elected as President of the United States, thus bringing forth further uncertainty, as the American socialists will no doubt rebel.

Global instability has had a profound impact on voters, leading to economic and cultural insecurities in Western countries. Rising voting blocs based on ethnic and religious identities have further exacerbated divisions within societies, leading to mass protests and communal tensions. The rise of agitant groups like Black Lives Matter and MeToo create a further polarising effect on society and culture.

The immigration crisis has emerged as a significant issue, with countries like Britain, Germany, and the US grappling with the challenges posed by large influxes of migrants. The political response to these challenges has become a focal point of debate and contention within domestic politics. The weak response by Western nations to the hordes of invading illegal economic migrants poses an existential threat to the survival of Western nations, and is being used by foreign enemies as a weapon.

Amidst these complex global challenges, there is a pressing need for a new approach to address the underlying issues. It is imperative to acknowledge the importance of building a better, stronger, and more secure future, one that addresses the multifaceted challenges facing the world in 2024.
Call it an insurrection or a coup detat, or a revolution, neither are achievable without firearms, tanks, guerilla warfare or explosives. The Democrat machine which is calling the January 6, 2021 unarmed protest/riot an insurrection have no idea what a real fucking insurrection is.

An angry mob of civilian protestors who were unarmed and were let into Capitol Hill by security personnel were just a bunch of disgruntled voters. The armed police and Secret Service within the building had machine guns and pistols, and could have called up the U.S. military at any time to shoot the unarmed protestors. One unarmed female protestor was killed in cold-blood by an armed security officer. The United States has an army and many agencies who are armed to the teeth, therefore a bunch of unarmed civilians do not constitute as a viable threat, however angry and disenfranchised they may be.

The ridiculous and useless efforts by the Democrats to skew a mild riot by unarmed civilians and label it as an insurrection is foul play and a fundamental misunderstanding of the term. The Democrat-run Colorado court which illegally blamed presidential candidate Donald Trump are misusing and subverting the process of law to ban Trump from running for president.

It is truly sad to see the subversion and corruption of the law and democracy by a political party that dare to call themselves Democrats.

On October 26, 2018 Democrat feminists stormed the U.S. Supreme Court and bypassing police lines. This was a protest by unarmed civilians and not deemed an insurrection. If they were Republicans, the Democrats would no doubt have called it an insurrection and caused a big fuss about it.

Just before 1 p.m. ET, hundreds of protesters crossed police lines to gather on the steps of the Senate, chanting, November is coming. Some held large red signs with black letters, stretched across several steps that read, We believe all survivors. Two women kneeled in front of the steps, fists raised in the air, before hundreds more protesters who gathered in front of the steps. Within half an hour, police began climbing the steps and detaining protesters. As they were brought off the steps, officers zip-tied protesters hands behind their backs before leading them away from the building. U.S. Capitol Police said a total of 164 people were arrested during the protests for crowding, obstructing, or incommoding. Police said the people who were arrested were being processed offsite and would then be released. As the protests in Washington D.C. continued to escalate, simultaneous protests were taking place in cities across the United States like Denver, Atlanta, Cleveland, and New York City. SOURCE
HYDERABAD: Wednesday's Telangana High Court order on cadre allocation of 13 All India Services officers is unlikely to bring the curtains down on the prolonged litigation, precisely a decade old when the state was bifurcated in 2014, unless the Centre puts the issue in cold storage as it did earlier.

As per the HC order, the officials should approach the department of personnel and training (DoPT) with a request to reconsider its previous allocation, taking into consideration certain observations made by the Central Administrative Tribunal.

The majority of officers were able to remain in the cadre of their choice thanks to the CAT orders, while a few were forced to work in a state against their choice as the same CAT orders were not implemented by the other state.

The catch here is that Centre already gone through the CAT observations and preferred to challenge in the High Court and assailed the same observations in its petition. The stand of DoPT is clear that cadre allocation was Centres prerogative and courts in different cases, including the one that sent former Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar back to Andhra Pradesh, upheld it, a senior official pointed out.

Significantly, there was no time frame set for the officers to approach the Centre and it has to be seen how the Centre would react if the officers remain to not submit their representations.

As there was no clarity yet on whether or not the CAT order was set aside, we cannot comment on DoPTs next course of action, said one Central official, adding that the Centre also can suo moto write to the officials to approach it with grievance and take a decision after considering their grievance.

The officials did not rule out the possibility of the officers initiating a fresh round of litigation if the Centre turned down their request.

The DoPT had earlier washed off its hands by filing a writ petition in the Telangana High Court, challenging the CAT orders. For reasons best known to it, the DoPT did not even pursue the case when they were not even listed, let alone arguments taking place, for more than four years. Deccan Chronicle exposed the inaction of the DoPT, following which the arguments took place in the High Court, which reserved its judgment for a few months.

The HC delivered the verdict delinking Somesh Kumars case with others and repatriated him to his parent cadre AP. Significantly, the verdict came a few days after Somesh Kumar skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modis review with all the state Chief Secretaries.

It has to be seen if DoPT will be pro-active this time or ignore like it did in the past when it did not even press for listing of the case for four years, said one official.
Hyderabad: Union minister and Telangana state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy said on Tuesday that the Central government will deploy the CBI within 48 hours to probe the financial irregularities and scam in the Kaleshwaram project if the Congress-led state government writes to the Centre.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who sought a CBI inquiry as the TPCC president before elections, is now opting for a judicial inquiry instead, he said, wondering why the Congress was hesitating when the option for a CBI probe was available.

Addressing the media in the city, he said, Reviews are being done by ministers, and presentations are being done, but why is the CBI inquiry not being sought? As a Union minister, the CBI will act on the complaint within 48 hours after receiving the letter. Does the Congress not intend to punish the guilty?

He claimed that the Congress seems to have struck a deal with the BRS to remain in power.

The DNA of the BRS and the Congress are same; they both indulge in graft. They have worked together in the past. BRS chief KCR served as a Union minister in the Congress-led UPA government, he said.

He further alleged that the Congress lacked clarity on the Kaleshwaram project. The BRS government had only answered 11 of 20 queries raised by the National Dam Safety Authority. The Congress came to power peddling the narrative that the BRS and BJP were together. They had further asked why was Prime Minister Narendra Modi not probing Kaleshwaram despite calling it an ATM for the BRS? he said.

Recounting that the Centre had acted promptly, he said, The Centre deployed the Dam Safety Authority after piers of the Medigadda barrage sunk on October 21, 2023, and their team visited the state on October 25, 2023.

But the questions raised by them have not been answered by the Telangana government, he said. The authority had warned it cannot give proper suggestions if full information is not provided to it. It concluded that proper investigation and soil testing, among others, were not done.

Unfortunately, a project built by BRS government with such high cost to the exchequer is lying waste, damaging the image of Telangana, he lamented.

Kishan Reddy said, The party state executive will meet on January 7 and 8 to chalk out a 90-day action plan for the ensuing parliamentary polls. It will include how to involve youth and women in street corner meetings. The candidature of old party candidates is also likely to be considered along with new ones.

On potential candidates to contest the MLC seat vacated by BRS MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, he said, Prakash Reddy is also qualified to be an MLC candidate from the graduates constituency. As of now, there is no proposal to field Manda Krishna Madiga as an MP candidate. The SC categorisation is being overseen by a committee headed by the Union Cabinet secretary. We are giving an affidavit in the Supreme Court facilitating categorisation.

On the election of the partys legislature party leader, he averred that it was not done due to paucity of time. There is no proposal to change district presidents as of now. The promise to make a BC CM certainly added to our voting percentage, which doubled in the Assembly polls. The election schedule for parliamentary polls could come on February 28 or in the first week of March, he said.

On Andhra Pradesh politics, he said, The alliance with Jana Sena will continue as a member of NDA, but seat adjustments have not been discussed.
Thiruvananthapuram: In an all-out attack on the India alliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the CPM-led LDF and Congress-led UDF of staging a drama of ruling and opposition parties in Kerala for decades.

Addressing a mammoth Stree Shakthi Modikku Oppam (Women Power with Modi) meet at the Thekkinkadu maidan in Thrissur, Modi said the Left and the Congress were always one. They are two parties only for namesake. When it comes to corruption, crime and dynastic politics, they are together. They have now made it clear that there is no difference between their ideology and policy, he said.

The prime minister said the people of Kerala have now realised that if anyone can bring development in the state it is only BJP and NDA and not the Indi alliance. The BJP will defeat the Indi alliance in Kerala.

Modi said the BJP wanted fast-paced development, broad highways, modern railways and airports. However, the Indi alliance government are not allowing such development projects in Kerala only because of their opposition to Modi.

The Left and the Congress want a free hand for looting the state. Indirectly referring to the chief ministers office, Modi said it is not hidden that gold smuggling was carried out through offices and staff.

The state does not want the Central government to seek accountability for the funds granted for infrastructure development, and the welfare of the poor. They try to create all sorts of obstacles to implementing central schemes in the state.

Accuses India alliance of turning temples and festivals into the medium of loot, Modi said the Indi alliance knew only one thing; Indi alliance attacks our faith. They have turned our temples and festivals into a medium of loot. Unfortunately, they are playing politics with Thrissur Pooram. We also witnessed this time how Ayyappa devotees faced huge problems including lack of facilities at the Sabarimala temple as a result of the failure and inefficiency of the state government.

On BJPs Christian outreach programme

The prime minister said the NDA government on the other hand wants to develop the nation by giving respect to all faiths. BJP is ruling many states including those in the North East where the Christians are in the majority.

I could host the Christian community in my official residence this Christmas. Church leaders, intellectuals and achievers of the community gave me their blessings and lauded the achievements of the government. I thank them once again, he said.

Interestingly huge cutouts of Narendra Modi giving a warm handshake to Pope Francis were installed near the venue of the meet. A huge portrait of St Alphonsa, the first native woman saint of India, was put up on the stage.

The BJP is trying to woo the Christian community in Kerala in a big way ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Modiyude Guarantee (Modis Guarantee)

The prime minister said Modis guarantee is being discussed widely in the country today. I believe women's power is the biggest guarantee for a developed India.

Unfortunately, the LDF and UDF governments have weakened women's power over the years. When in power at the Centre the Left and Congress delayed the women's reservation bill. Modi gave you the guarantee for representation in parliament and state legislatures and fulfilled it through the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill which has now been passed. Similarly, Muslim women faced the problem of triple talaq till the Congress and Left governments remained in power. Modi gave the guarantee to free the Muslim women from the menace of triple talaq and implemented it honestly, he said.

Only four important castes; Poor, Youth, Farmers and Women

At a time when the India alliance is raising the nationwide caste census issue in a big way, Modi while addressing the rally said for the BJP-led NDA government there are only four major castes; the poor, farmers, youth and women of the country. The development of the country will happen only if these sections get the benefit of development. The beneficiaries of the BJP governments policies are these sections of society.

He cited the Ujwala yojana, drinking water connections, toilets, bank accounts, low-cost sanitary pads, mudra loans, pregnancy leave, toilets admission for girls in Sainik schools, free medical treatment up to 5 lakh rupees, development of women in sports, cheap cooking gas, PM Awas yojana as some of Modis guarantees for the women of the country.

Thousands attend Modis roadshow

Earlier thousands of people lined up on either side of one and a half km stretch of the main road to greet the prime minister. Modi who stood on an open jeep flanked by BJP Kerala unit president K Surendran and Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi who is tipped to contest from Thrissur parliamentary seat again, waved at the crowds. People showered the prime minister with flowers and raised slogans hailing him.

On reaching the venue of the Sthree Shakti Modikku Oppam event attended by over 2 lakh women drawn from neighbouring districts, he got out of the car and walked through the gathering up to the stage amid thunderous applause. Apart from top BJP leaders, prominent personalities from various spheres were present on the stage to greet Modi. P T Usha, Malayalam actor Shobhana, Indian women cricket team member Minnu Mani, leading entrepreneur Beena Kannan, singer Vaikom Vijaylakshmi, anti-government protestor Mariakutty from Idukki shared the stage with the prime minister.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday met a delegation of the Adani Group at the Secretariat to discuss expansion and investment plans of the company in Telangana. IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu also took part in the meeting.

The delegation, led by the group chief Karan Adani, the elder son of Gautam Adani, and CEO of Adani Ports & SEZs, and Asish Rajvansh, the CEO of Adani Aero Space, held deliberations with the CM.

Among the discussions was a plan by the group to set up a data centre, along with an aerospace park, in Telangana.

Representatives of the Adani Group said that the company will continue its existing projects and sought necessary support from the government to establish new projects. They said that the company was ready to set up industries and create new jobs.

While the Adani Group expressed an interest in investing more in Telangana state, the Chief Minister assured the delegation that the state government would provide the required amenities, infrastructure and subsidies to new industries to promote industrial growth and create more employment opportunities.

On the day, the Chief Minister also met with a delegation of Amara Raja Energy & Mobility (ARE&M), an energy storage and mobility enterprise that manufactures batteries for industrial and automotive applications.

The ARE&M delegation discussed the setting up of a giga corridor, one of the countrys largest lithium-ion battery production centres, at the New Energy Park in Mahbubnagar and an R&D hub, E-Positive Energy Labs, in Shamshabad at a capital cost of '9,500 crore, which is expected to generate 4,500 jobs.

Revanth Reddy said that Amara Raja was a key partner in Telanganas growth story and assured the necessary support towards the operationalisation of the advanced chemistry cell giga factory, pack assembly and R&D centre.

Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, IT and industries secretary Jayesh Ranjan, CMO principal secretary V. Seshadri, CMO secretary Shanawaz Qasim, CMO special secretary Ajith Reddy and special secretary (investment promotion) E. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy also took part in the meetings.
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy would meet former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad on Thursday. From the airport, the chief minister will directly go to the house of KCR in Banjara Hills to inquire about his health.

A press release from the CMO said Jagan Reddy would start from his residence in Tadepalli at 10am and fly to Hyderabad. After lunch there, the CM would return to Tadepalli.

Sources said the luncheon meeting was part of the courtesy call from Jagan Reddy in the wake of KCRs recent hip replacement surgery. BRS working president KT Rama Rao and a few other leaders were likely to be present.

Jagan Reddy had called Rama Rao soon after learning about KCRs surgery last month and wished him speedy recovery.

Chandrashekhar Rao is recovering steadily and is able to move around in the house with the help of a walker. He is undergoing physiotherapy and his health is being monitored by a team of doctors from the Yashoda Hospitals.
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister and TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday instructed Congress leaders and workers to work on mission mode to make a clean sweep of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana in the upcoming elections.

He said that the recent victory of Congress in Telangana Assembly polls was due to the hard work of the party leaders and workers, calling upon them to exhibit a more vigorous fighting spirit to meet Target 17.

He asked party leaders and workers to ensure that the party wins no fewer than 12 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, while introducing a resolution urging Sonia Gandhi to contest from Telangana in Lok Sabha polls, which was adopted unanimously.

Revanth Reddy was addressing the TPCC extended meeting in Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, which was attended by all the ministers and senior leaders. The meeting was convened to chalk out strategies to win Lok Sabha polls.

There are a total of 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. We can win all these 17 seats provided all the leaders and workers exhibit fighting spirit and work committedly for the next 100 days, he said.

Revanth Reddy lashed out at the BRS for publishing books on the Congress for not fulfilling the promises made during the recent Assembly polls.

It's not even a month since the Congress government was formed in Telangana. BRS is publishing books stating that Congress has not fulfilled poll promises. This proves that they have not learnt any lesson even after people of Telangana rejected BRS in Assembly polls. I appeal to party leaders and workers to counter the false propaganda of BRS against Congress effectively, he said.

He promised to accommodate leaders, who work sincerely and committedly for the partys win in Lok Sabha polls, in nominated posts.

Revanth Reddy said he will hold review meetings with leaders of five combined districts on January 8 and the remaining five combined districts on January 9 for the Lok Sabha polls. He announced to hold meetings with incharges of 17 Lok Sabha constituencies from January 10 to 12.

Revanth Reddy also slammed Union minister and BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy for his criticism of Congress on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

It seems Kishan Reddy's income has come down. That's why he is demanding CBI probe into Kaleshwaram project. When I demanded CBI probe into Kaleshwaram when the Medigadda pillars sank, Kishan Reddy remained silent, Revanth Reddy said.

He reiterated that the Congress government will initiate a judicial inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project, accusing the BRS and BJP of being joint thieves in looting public money under the guise of KLIS and doing injustice to the Palamuru-Rangareddy project.
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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has relied heavily on long-range missile attacks to cripple Ukrainian infrastructure and demoralize the civilian population. However, in a recent shift, Russia has begun to focus its missile strikes on a new target: the Ukrainian defense industry.

Get alerts:

Escalating attacks and depleting stockpiles

Since December 29th, Russia has unleashed a 500-missile barrage on Ukraine, employing a mix of cruise, ballistic, and drone weaponry. While Ukraines air defenses have blunted the attack, Moscows aggressive expenditure raises alarms about its long-term missile sustainability. British intelligence suggests Russia has tapped a significant portion of its recent stockpile, prompting scrutiny of its ability to maintain this tempo. This escalation marks a new chapter in the conflict, hinting at evolving tactics and resource allocation pressures as both sides vie for strategic advantage.

Russias high-tech gamble falls flat

Russias bid for artillery dominance via its $250 million Yastreb-AV radar proved short-lived. Within hours of deployment, Ukrainian forces wielding US-made HIMARS rockets pinpointed and eliminated the system. This rapid takedown reveals:

Arms race in action: Both sides scramble for tech superiority, Russias radar gambit countered by Ukraines HIMARS deployment.

Techs vulnerability: Even advanced systems are fragile on the battlefield, susceptible to swift neutralization.

Countermeasures matter: Ukraines proactive countermeasures with HIMARS highlight the importance of offensive tech investments.

This incident marks a shift in the tech battle, forcing constant adaptation and highlighting the crucial role of countermeasures in this complex conflict.

Radar Rivalry: Ukraine Masters Shelling Showdown

The balance of power leans toward Ukraine, armed with Western-supplied AN/TPQ-36 radars: superior, resilient, and deadly accurate. Russias aging Zoopark-1Ms prove no match, falling easy prey to destruction and jamming. The recent takedown of the Yastreb-AV, Russias $250 million radar marvel, exemplifies this stark disparity. Ukraines quick counter-strike with US-made HIMARS rockets underscores several key points:

Tech gap: Western advancements give Ukraine a clear edge in awareness and targeting.

Tech vulnerability: Even high-tech assets remain vulnerable, susceptible to swift neutralization.

Countermeasure prowess: Ukraines proactive countermeasures showcase the importance of offensive tech investments.

As the artillery duel continues, this technological advantage shapes the battlefield. While Russia scrambles to adapt, Ukraines mastery of the radar game may dictate the rhythm of this next phase of the war.

Russia shifts aim

Moscows missile barrages have a new target: Ukraines defense industry. British intelligence suggests this calculated shift acknowledges the potential for a long war, where crippling weapons production becomes crucial. This tactic highlights the evolving conflict and both sides ongoing strategic calculations.

Wests role in the balance

Continued Western support, mainly through advanced weaponry like HIMARS and counter-battery radars, could prove critical for Ukraine to maintain its technological edge, blunt Russias offensive, and potentially launch counteroffensives.

Escalation looms

The escalating arms race and intensifying fighting raise concerns about a broader conflict spiral. The international community watches with apprehension, anticipating the crisiss development and its long-term consequences for Ukraine, Russia, and the world.

Russias strategic shift in missile targets and the ongoing battle for technological supremacy between the two sides marks a critical point in the Ukraine war. As the fighting intensifies and concerns about sustainability mount, the international community is left to grapple with the potential consequences of this brutal and ever-changing conflict.
Generac Holdings Inc. is a Fortune 1000 American manufacturer of power generation and energy storage solutions ranging from 800 watts to 9 megawatts for residential, light commercial and industrial markets. Robert Kern founded Generac Holdings in 1959, headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Generac began producing portable generators in the 1970s for the Craftsman brand for Sears Roebuck and Co. Generac expanded its offerings during the 1970s to include the portable and recreational vehicle markets. Generac entered the commercial and industrial markets in the 1980s with its backup power generation systems. Generac introduced the first gaseous-fueled, automatically engaging home standby system for residential usage in 1989.

Generac has made several acquisitions, including Ottomotores, Tower Light, Pramac, Motortech, Selmec, Deep Sea and Off Grid Energy. Generac's domestic segment includes the legacy Generac business, and these acquisitions are based in the United States and Canada. The company's international segment consists of Generac's Latin American export operations.

Generac designs and manufactures portable, stationary and mobile generators that produce between 800 watts and 3,250 kilowatts from a single-engine output. Generac also offers industrial-grade mobile energy storage systems, batteries, electronic controls, engines, alternators, steel enclosures, and more.

In 2006, CCMP Capital of New York purchased Generac. In 2008, Aaron Jagdfeld was appointed president and chief executive officer. Generac Holdings Inc. began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GNRC on February 11, 2010. The initial public offering provided Generac with $224 million in proceeds.

Over the years, Generac has earned several honors and awards. It has received the Milwaukee Magazine's "Best Places to Work" award in southeastern Wisconsin. In 2010, Generac's industrial sizing application, Power Design Pro, received a "product of the year" award from Plant Engineering. Generac's Guardian Series home standby generator system has earned the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Generac was honored with the Natural Gas Generator Company of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan in 2014 for its natural gas generator.

Generac manufactures diesel-fueled, gasoline-fueled and bi-fuel power generation equipment. Generac also produces modular paralleling systems, automatic transfer switches and small engines for use in various other types of equipment. Generac introduced Generac Industrial Power in 2009, which included new enclosures, new engines and ergonomic and aesthetic changes to current systems. In 2009, Generac partnered with Fiat Powertrain Technologies to supply Generac with industrial diesel engines used in industrial generators and industrial power systems.

Generac's products are available through independent dealers, retailers and wholesalers. Generac Holdings Inc. is committed to innovation and quality and provides power generation and energy storage solutions for residential, light commercial and industrial markets. The company also sells aftermarket service parts and product accessories to dealers. It distributes its products through industrial distributors and dealers, independent residential dealers, e-commerce partners and national and regional retailers.
A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today charged in connection with an alleged burglary at a motel outside the city.

John Paul Thompson (44) of Clooney Road in Derry appeared charged with entering a premises as a trespasser and stealing a laptop, and various other items on January 1.

He was also charged with fraud by false representation in using a stench bank card and attempted fraud by false representation on the same date.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

He told the court that police received a report of a theft at the Banks of the Faughan premises.

The theft allegedly occurred in the early hours of the morning when the occupier of the room was asleep.

CCTV was checked and the court heard that a person identified as the defendant was seen entering the room and leaving with a large object under his sweatshirt.

The alleged victim met the defendant the next morning and Thompson said he was going to Belfast.

At 11.49am the alleged victim received an alert that his card had been used in Royal Avenue in Belfast.

He immediately cancelled the card and shortly afterwards there was an attempt to use it at another outlet in Belfast but the card was declined.

Thompson made a no comment interview and the court heard that there was a risk of re-offending as the defendant had 218 previous convictions.

The police officer said that they had no confidence Thompson would abide by any conditions imposed by the court.

Defence counsel Brendan Kearney said even if granted bail the defendant would have to find an address.

He said Thompson had 'difficulties' to cope with.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that the defendant had 'an atrocious record' and a poor bail history.

He said Thompson was not a good candidate for bail as it was 'almost a certainty' he would re-offend.

Thompson was remanded in custody to appear again on January 25.
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Berger Partnership

Gannon

Rowland

Henry

Berger Partnership announced the following promotions.

Jason Henry has moved into the firm's managing partner position. Henry joined in 1996 and became a principal and firm owner in 2003. In his new role he oversees the firm's operations, strategic direction, and implementation of organizational goals. He also supervises the firm's financial health while managing day-to-day business interests. In addition to fulfilling the role of managing partner, Henry continues to serve as principal-in-charge for a variety of projects including ongoing work for the Alaska Airline's campus in SeaTac, Everett Housing Authority, T6 Innovation Center in Seattle, WWU Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham, and multiple projects for Chelan Parks and Recreation.

Stacy Rowland has been promoted to director of finance and operations. In her new position she plays a larger role in assisting the newly appointed managing partner, Jason Henry, in day-to-day financial operations, monitoring long-term financial goals and overseeing human resources. Stacy joined the firm in 2005 as a bookkeeper with 13 years of experience in the AEC industry and is a Certified Design Firm Administrator. As a member of the Society for Design Administration for 28 years she has served in multiple positions including National and Seattle Chapter president.

Christine Gannon has been elevated to office administrator and marketing assistant. In addition to coordinating daily office administrative needs and assisting with technology and communication systems, she is integral in the execution of the firm's proposal process and assists with marketing asset management as well as the creation of reports and employee on-boarding. She joined the firm in 2006 as an administrative assistant.




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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  The hacking of a municipal water authority in a small Pennsylvania town is prompting new warnings from U.S. security officials as states and the federal government are wrestling with how to harden water utilities against hackers.

Officials say the danger is hackers gaining control of automated equipment to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminate drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments.





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SEATTLE  Seattle First Church of the Nazarene at 4401 Second Ave. N.E. has sold for almost $7.2 million, according to King County records.

The seller was the church, which had owned the corner property since it was developed in 1951.





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BURIEN  The Legend Auto Sales property at 14650 First Ave. S. in Burien sold for $8.5 million, according to King County records.

The seller was WSL Investments LLC, which acquired the property in 2004 for about $2.2 million.





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MERCER ISLAND  An apartment building at 2805 75th Place S.E. has sold for just over $6.6 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Mercer Towers Ltd LLC, an Oregon family group that had owned the property for decades.





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Ryanair has cautioned over a hit from the move by a raft of online travel agents to remove the Irish airline from their websites.

The group said that, since early December, many of the larger sites such as Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak have taken Ryanair off their sites.

It said the sudden removal from what it claimed were online travel agent pirates was welcome, but added that it would impact its so-called load factor, a key measure of how well airlines fill their planes, by 1% or 2% throughout December and January.

Revenues from tickets will also be affected in the short-term as Ryanair said it would respond by lowering fares for passengers booking directly through its own website.

But it said the move was unlikely to materially affect its full-year passenger numbers or profit expectations.

Its latest update showed it flew 9% more passengers in December, at 12.5 million, but its load factor fell to 91% from 92% a year ago.

More than another 900 Ryanair flights were cancelled last month due to the war between Israel and Hamas and the ongoing suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jordan.

The update comes amid a long-running dispute between Ryanair and online booking sites, with the airline having launched legal action in the US against Booking.com owner Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries including Kayak, Agoda and Priceline.

Ryanair said it was not clear what the reason was behind its removal from the sites, but said it may be down to a recent Irish High Court ruling, which it said granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox from unlawfully scraping Ryanair.com content for online travel agents.

Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airlines website and often offering the carriers fares to its own customers via its own site.

Ryanair said: Ryanair will respond to this welcome removal of our flights from OTA (online travel agent) pirate websites, by lowering fares where necessary to encourage all passengers to book directly on Ryanair.com where they are guaranteed to always get the lowest air fares without OTA Pirate overcharges, fake contact info, or other pricing/refund scams.

In the meantime, Ryanair continues to make its fares available to honest/transparent OTAs such as Google Flights, who do not add hidden mark ups to Ryanair prices and who direct passengers to make their bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website.

Booking.com and Kiwi were approached for comment.
Tributes have poured in for the victim of a crash that occurred on New Years Eve in Roscommon.

Helen Horan (nee Kelly), aged in her late 80s, tragically died following a road traffic accident, on Sunday, December 31.

Helen was the first person I encountered when first arriving in Sligo for interview with North West Radio way back in 1990, and I was met her trademark Yeess? along with inquisitive look. She was always a lady and great fun. Rest in peace, wrote someone in tribute.

Another tribute read: I cannot find the words to say i cannot believe you have gone i really hope you have arrived in heaven met with your husband and two daughters you so longingly missed. We were so looking forward to being with you in the new year and for you to finally meet your great grandson i hope you're shining down on us granny i love you so much x x x x x

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Joseph's Church, Boyle on Friday, January 5 at 12 noon, followed by private cremation.

On Sunday, Gardai and emergency services were alerted shortly before 5pm after a two vehicle collision on the N4 at Doon near Boyle. Helen, the driver of one of the cars, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man in his 30s was the driver of the second car, he was taken by ambulance to Sligo University Hospital and his injuries are understood to be serious.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward and make camera footage available to them, including dash-cam.

Anyone with information can contact Castlerea Garda Station 094-9621630 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

Helen Horan is late of Maple Close, Boyle in Co Roscommon. She was originally from Sligo.

Predeceased by her husband Kieran, daughters Siobhan and Moya, sisters May Arney (Boyle) Tessie Emmett (Ballyfarnon) and Lily Gilchrist (Longford).

Helen will be deeply regretted and sadly missed by her sister Nuala Mc Kenna (Boyle) brothers Pat Kelly (Boyle) Joe Kelly (UK) and sister-in-law Ann, granddaughters Hannah and her partner Karl, Samantha and husband Sean, also her great-grandson Max, nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, neighbours and her many friends.
Around 20 sheep suffered tortured deaths at a farm in County Limerick following a savage Christmas Day attack by dogs.

Eddie Moriarty, Limerick IFA sheep chairman from nearby Anglesboro, said 20 ewe lambs were killed by dogs and more were badly injured. He spoke to a man who saw the carcasses dotted around the field.

He said, It was the most pitiful sight I ever saw. He said it was a lonesome sight. He was there when they came to take them away, said Mr Moriarty, who added that more sheep will die in the coming months from the stress of the attack.

A dog killed 16 lambs belonging to him around 10 years ago.

They are stressed sheep for the rest of their lives. It does affect sheep badly. I saw it myself with my own sheep. More died of stress months later.

The dog who killed mine was a pet for children. Any dog will kill sheep. It is a dogs natural instinct to kill sheep, said Mr Moriarty.

He called on dog owners to take responsibility for their pets and know where they are at all times. The Limerick IFA sheep chairman also hit out at the enforcement of regulations and lack thereof.

There are no rules being enforced about licences. There are three government departments looking after the control of dogs - you have justice, agriculture and rural and community development. They just cant settle among themselves who is taking full responsibility.

There is a dog control bill going on for two years. As we speak today there are sheep being killed all over the country and there is nothing being said about them. Its just that this one got out, said Mr Moriarty.

Limerick IFA chairman Sean Lavery said the incident over Christmas was a bad attack.

People need to know where their dogs are. The dogs only kill a few. The rest of them are wounded and go into shock. It is a tortured death.

"When ewes are in lamb it can cause abortions. They would all be lambing in March," said Mr Lavery, who is a sheep farmer.

A garda spokesperson said they are aware of an incident where several sheep were killed in the Galbally area of County Limerick - close to the Tipperary border.

However, they added that no offences have been disclosed to date.
Shop Local Gift Vouchers, an initiative started by Dundalk Chamber of Commerce over eight years ago, saw record sales in 2023 with 2 million worth of the vouchers sold, President of Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, Una McGoey, has confirmed.

This brings total sales of the Shop Local Gift Vouchers to over 8 million since their launch, with the Chamber describing the figure as an unbelievable amount in such a short period of time.

Dundalk Chamber of Commerce says the initiative has been a success unmatched elsewhere. Chamber President Una McGoey said that a huge effort was put in by Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, to help local retail and that the voucher scheme has given local retailers and businesses a welcome boost.

Ms McGoey thanked the business community of Dundalk for getting behind the scheme and buying the vouchers for their staff this Christmas.

She said that these sales would not have happened if it has not been for the good will of the business community who see the value in keeping money in the locality. Stopping the flow of money from the town has been our priority.

Ms McGoey also thanked members of the public who bought the vouchers and kept it local this Christmas. The Dundalk Chamber President commented that this initiative was set up to help keep money and protect local jobs within the local economy. The Chamber plan is to grow sales even more in 2024!

Paddy Malone, PRO of Dundalk Chamber, commented on the vouchers saying they give the receiver the gift of choice as they can be spent in toy shops, supermarkets, restaurants, hair salons, gift stores, gyms, beauticians, clothes shops, and much more - you will be amazed with the selection of businesses now redeeming them, which includes over 350 shops all around Dundalk and surrounding areas.

The vouchers now come in a 5 denomination as well as 10, 20 and 50s. They are an ideal gift all year round for birthdays, weddings, communions, confirmations, competitions, retirements and staff rewards.

Mr Malone added that the beauty of these vouchers is that they do not expire, and the shops get the full amount back. They do not lose value over time.

Members of the public can buy the vouchers in Grants in Dublin St; Michael Smyths in Francis St; Central News, Clanbrassil St; Centra Blackrock; Sheelans in Riverstown; Finnegans in Louth Village; Flanagans Mace on the Dublin Rd; Pat's Gift Shop & Victorys Centra in Dunleer; Valentines Centra in Carlingford and Lush, Barrys Shop Grange; Dundalk Credit Union Market St and The Ramparts.

They can also be purchased online on www.shoplocal.dundalk.ie - there is no charge for delivery. The vouchers can also be purchased directly from the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce Office by calling Brenda on Tel: 042 9336343 or email accounts@dundalk.ie

To check out the full list of outlets who are redeeming the Shop Local Gift Vouchers visit http://shoplocal.dundalk.ie
October 3rd 2023

An initiative aimed at reducing traffic congestion around school gates across Louth, and creating a safer and healthier environment, began this week in Dundalk.

Louth County Council has joined forces with Dundalk Chamber of Commerce and An Garda Siochana to ask parents and students to rethink their daily commute by taking part in the Park n Stride campaign.

The initiative allows pupils travelling in cars to be dropped close to the school to complete the remainder of the journey on foot.

*****

One of Irelands oldest seafood businesses, Morgans Fine Fish, was awarded the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Seafood Innovation Award for 2023.

BIM CEO, Caroline Bocquel, announced the winner of the prestigious award at the Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards in Dingle, Co. Kerry.

*****

Following over 18 months of planning and renovations, ZOMA, the multi-award winning creative design and branding agency unveiled its new studio office space in Dundalk town centre, with the announcement of the creation of 10 new positions at the firm over the coming 12 months.

October 10 2023

Blackrock Tidy Towns was announced the winner of the SuperValu TidyTowns County Award for Louth. Blackrock also retained its gold medal.

The County Second went to Tallanstown, which also picked up a bronze medal.

County Third and a silver medal went to Dromiskin, while an Endeavour Award was received by Dunleer for the biggest improvement in Louth from last year.

Dundalk and Drogheda retained their gold medals, while a silver medal was also retained by Ardee this year, and a bronze medal went to Carlingford.

*****

The Louth International Film Festival in association with Dundalk Institute of Technology celebrated the conclusion of its 4th edition with resounding success, continuing its commitment to hospitality, education and nurturing emergent talent.

October 17th 2023

Two new pedestrian crossings at McEntee Avenue and the closing off of a section of Pearse Park to traffic to ease congestion, along with a new footpath through the grounds of St Louis Secondary School, are among measures that may be undertaken in Dundalk, as part of the Active Travel - Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programme, councillors were told at the Dundalk Municipal District October meeting.

*****

Sinead Crowther, Founder and CEO of Soothing Solutions, was named the Enterprise Ireland High-Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Founder of the Year for 2023 at the Enterprise Ireland Founder of the Year Awards.

October 24th 2023

Louth County Council last Thursday officially launched the Brigid1500: Louth Birthplace of Brigid, a programme of events and initiatives to honour the life and legacy of Brigid.

The enduring story of Irelands iconic matron saint was celebrated at the launch in County Hall, Dundalk where the programme of events to mark Brigid1500 commemorations in Louth was unveiled.

*****

The launch of Creative Spark's exhibition in the Basement Gallery in An Tain Arts Centre was a great success. IMBAS , the exhibition by Creative Spark brought together new works completed during the Residency Programme 2022-2023 in the media of printmaking, sign writing, photography, and various other traditional methods.

October 31st 2023

Louth County Council hosted the second in-person Louth in Bloom awards ceremony at Bellingham Castle

*****

The issue of funding for the redevelopment of Oriel Park was raised in the Oireachtas recently by three local representatives as speculation around potential investors in the club mounted.

*****

A record crowd attended the Louth Business Awards organised by Dundalk Chamber of Commerce in the Carrickdale Hotel on Saturday the 21st of October.

The annual event is now a highlight in the social calendar in Dundalk with over six hundred guests in attendance.
Applications are now open for the latest cycle of a free government programme that helps returned or returning emigrants start and develop businesses in Ireland.

Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Back for Business was created to foster and support entrepreneurial activity among emigrants returning to live in Ireland.

Back for Business is for those who have returned  or are considering returning  to Ireland and plan to start a business here. This is the seventh year of the programme and there are up to 50 places available.

Applications are invited from those who have recently returned to Louth or are still living abroad but thinking of returning to Co Louth in the near future.

Back for Business 7 will run from February to June 2024. There is no charge for those selected to participate and the closing date for submitting completed applications is 5pm on Monday 15 January 2024. Those interested can register their interest in receiving an application form on www.backforbusiness.com.

Back for Business is aimed at those who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned in the last three years or those planning to return soon. It addresses challenges that all early-stage entrepreneurs encounter, but also focuses on the additional barriers faced by those who have been living outside Ireland for some years.

Participants on last years programme increased their combined workforce by 17 employees and those that were trading almost tripled their combined turnover from 632,000 to 1.7 million.

Early stage entrepreneurs who have started a business in the last three years or who are about to start a business are being sought. Strong preference will be given to those who have returned to Ireland and who expect to become an employer of others within three years. There is no restriction on the sector in which the new business is focused.

Those selected to join Back for Business 7 will take part in round table sessions, focused on goals and milestones, which are facilitated by voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs who have experience of successfully starting and growing a business.

This years Lead Entrepreneurs are serial entrepreneurs Hannah Wrixon and Paul Coyle; Morgan Browne, CEO of Milner Browne and Enterpryze; Paul Duggan of The Gardiner Group; Seamus Reilly, co-founder and formerly of Critical Healthcare; and Thomas Ennis, founder of the Thomas Ennis Group.

Former participants from Louth include Aoife Finnegan and Jennifer Provan. Having experienced at first hand the benefits of participation in Back for Business, they encourage others to apply for the programme.

Aoife Finnegan, Curio PR, found the Back for Business programme gave her a laser-focus on her business, while the participants became friends and a source of support for each other.

It was fantastic, such a great programme to be part of. Our Lead Entrepreneur, Hannah Wrixon, wasnt afraid to ask the hard questions that working on your own you might sidestep. She would really make you focus on all aspects of your business and address things that you might not be good at, she says.

Jennifer Provan, owner and Director of Kitchenetta Catering, says Back for Business was an amazing experience. It was very collaborative and very supportive. We gleaned a lot of knowledge from each other and our Lead Entrepreneur, a lot of which weve gone on to use, she says.

I would highly recommend it. I really enjoyed every minute of it, and I know that all of my group did as well, and were all very much in touch since and still supporting each other. Its been seriously advantageous.

Sean Fleming, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for International Development and Diaspora said:

Since 2018, Back for Business has helped large numbers of returning emigrants to seed and nurture their business ideas. I would encourage people with a business idea who might be thinking of coming home  or have returned recently - to apply for selection.

Back for Business has been designed and is being implemented by Fitzsimons Consulting, specialists in areas related to entrepreneurship and growth.

The deadline for submitting completed applications for Back to Business is 5pm on Monday, January 15th, 2024.

For more information or to register your interest in receiving an application form, please see www.backforbusiness.com
Students in Louth are reminded that the deadline for entries to the ActionTalks national speech writing competition is coming up on Friday 12 January.

The competition, now in its tenth year, is an opportunity for young people to explore the root causes of local and global injustices and inequalities. This years themes focus on the climate crisis, gender-based violence and unpaid care work.

Entries to the competition can be submitted to ActionAid by email in written form and fifteen successful entrants will go forward to the regionals final, with six regional winners winning a 50 voucher each.

At the national final in March, the six finalists will be asked to present their speech to a panel of esteemed judges. The national prize is a 500 voucher for the winner and a 100 voucher for their teacher.

The competition is designed to build students research, writing, critical thinking and public speaking skills. ActionAid is hoping entrants will examine how the concentration of power and resources in northern countries impacts the lives of people in the global south.

Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland said: This is the tenth year of the ActionTalks competition. Year after year we receive high quality, unique and inspiring speeches from students right across the country.

"We are excited to hear what young people have to say on important issues like unpaid care work, gender-based violence and the climate crisis. Today we are reminding students to be sure to enter their speeches before the deadline of Friday 12 January.

ActionAid works with women and children, as they take the lead in claiming their human rights to build a more just world. ActionAids Womens Rights programme, funded by Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs, works to eliminate violence against women and girls. Irish Aid programmes are funded by Irish citizens and are part of Irelands important global role.

To enter, students can ask their teacher for details or visit https://actionaid.ie/speech- writing-competition/
Dundalk Sub Aqua Search And Rescue have thanked everyone who donated to their annual bucket collection on New Years Eve.

The club said: Once again the people of Dundalk & surrounding areas have shown their appreciation of the work we do within our group, & with your help we'll continue in that work.

If you or family member/friends couldn't get to us today, but would like to donate, there are a number of options below.

All monies collected today, every cent and euro will go directly to the upkeep and maintenance of our equipment.

Dundalk Sub Aqua Search and Rescue Unit are a group of Volunteer scuba divers who train all year and train at different locations in Ireland.

They receive no funding from the government for our work and all their funding comes from donations and fundraising with the bulk of this coming from the bucket collection.

Dundalk Sub Aqua Search and Rescue Unit have been involved in numerous operations this year in Fermanagh, Dublin, Dundalk and Louth.
An appeal has been made for volunteer teachers to help teach English online to Ukrainian adults in Ireland.

The call has been made by eTeachers Global, an international online English teaching business for adult students based in County Roscommon.

Usually, the company stipulates that all teachers on the platform are qualified primary/secondary teachers, are registered with the Teaching Council and hold English Language Education qualifications. Teachers are individually verified and vetted by the eTeachers global recruitment team.

Horrified by the unfolding events in Ukraine, company CEO Joan Gilligan discussed with her team what eTeachers Global could do to help Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.

Stuart McNamara, the company's chief Technology officer and a military veteran, has spent many years of service on humanitarian and peacekeeping duties in areas of conflict all around the world. This wealth of experience led eTeachers Global to recognise that their platform technology could effectively be used to support teachers and students from Ukraine.

"Working with our developers, we have made our platform freely available to teachers who wish to help, and freely available to Ukrainian adults to use," Joan Gilligan said.

"The aim is to help Ukrainians adapt to life in Ireland and support them as they learn English for work and for day-to-day living here," she added.

Joan has worked in the education sector for many years and has confidence there are many teachers who will offer their skills and time free of charge.

Teachers must hold registration with the Teaching Council and preferably have a qualification in teaching English as an additional language. This additional ELE qualification is not essential for volunteer teachers.

Teachers can teach on a one-to-one or small group basis. They can cater for individual needs which may not always be possible in a large group setting e.g., someone may need help with the English needed for taking up a catering or healthcare job.

During lockdown, many teachers quickly adapted to teaching online and now have the skills to do so effectively. For any teachers who may need help setting up, eTeachers Global IT team are on hand to help.

"Covid has negatively impacted on schools with both pupil and staff absences so understandably not everyone is in a position to help. It may suit teachers who are job-sharing, on career break or retired and who can commit to as little as an hour a week. The booking calendar on the platform is easily adjusted by teachers themselves to reflect their availability," said Joan.

As part of the initiative, eTeachers Global is wavering all fees for teachers who wish to voluntarily teach English online to adult refugees from Ukraine living in Ireland.

"Usually, a small commission fee and an annual token subscription fee is charged on each class taught but these fees are waivered as part of our efforts to support the Ukrainian community," Joan said.

Anyone willing to support or help with this project please contact Joan directly by email at joan@eteachersglobal.com
EVEN with Cork County Council being the biggest local authority in the country, with the largest budget outside of Dublin  councillors approved record breaking expenditure of 458m for 2024 in November  the list of new candidates lining up to seek a seat is not, at this stage, too long.

Many sitting councillors have opted to run again and a smaller number of new candidates have declared their intention to contest for seats.

For the last election which was held on May 24, 2019  107 candidates stood for the 55 seats and a total of 133,800 votes were cast, slightly more than a third of the countys population (when the city is excluded). While Fianna Fails Seamus McGrath secured one of the highest first-preference votes in the country (4,247 votes) to be elected in Carrigaline Municipal District, Audrey Buckley, his running mate in the area  once a small village now one of Corks most populous towns  was elected with just 694 first preference votes. She was pushed over the quota thanks to Mr McGraths huge surplus.

Fine Gael emerged with the most number of seats (20) in the 2019 poll and this represented an increase of four seats on its tally from 2014. Fianna Fail increased its tally by one seat, up to 18, while Sinn Fein had a bad day at the ballot box, losing all but two of their 10 seats won in 2014. Independents maintained their 10 seats while the Green Party won two seats and Holly Cairns won the sole Social Democrat seat. Labour returned two seats, councillor James Kennedy in Mallow and councillor Cathal Rasmussen in Cobh.

Local elections, while full of drama and incidents, are handicapped by a perception that nothing of importance is decided in the council chamber, a forum which is viewed by many as a talking shop. This perception was backed up earlier this year by a Council of Europe report.

The verdict of the report card from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Europe (CLRAE) was a mixed one for Ireland and echoes many of the complaints Irish people have about local authorities and their councillors.

The clawback of power by central government means local authorities are becoming less relevant in our daily lives and this violates a fundamental principle of how Europe views how public affairs should be governed  as close as possible to the people.

Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have selected their bench of candidates for the various electoral areas and Sinn Fein have selected candidates for most council areas. The Green Party have also selected a number of candidates as have the Social Democrats, a party which saw one of its councillors, Holly Cairns, who was elected for the first time in 2019, win a Dail seat in 2020 and elected leader of her party last year.

'Things were niggling me': Cork local election candidate wants to be change maker https://t.co/NrK71yNfXT  EchoLive.ie (@echolivecork) January 3, 2024

There will be a raft of Independents in the running also and the likelihood of candidates from two new parties, with party leaders in the county, to be in the fray. These parties are Independent Ireland, whose leader is Michael Collins TD from Bantry, and Ireland First, which is a party led by Derek Blighe, who has declared himself to be a candidate on his X biography note.

Mr Michael Collins said in a recent interview with The Echo that the party would be standing candidates at in the forthcoming elections, the local, the European and the general elections.

What may be as important as the parties and candidates that will be running in the election is the raft of issues that will be raised during the campaign. To state the obvious, perhaps, but local elections are on local issues  mostly  but theres no denying either that hot topics nationally will also be raised when candidates go from door to door.

Its all about local issues and County Council issues, said councillor John Paul OShea, the Fine Gael leader on Cork County Council. The debate will be on housing, roads, achieving Uisce Eireann/Irish Water capabilities as regards their capital programme.

Its all about local planning issues, basic bread and butter services that Cork County Council provides from day to day.

I dont think it should be fought on national issues, local elections are very different to national elections and European elections, he said. I will be putting forward my own issues regarding Kanturk/Mallow/Charleville in the new year. Mr OShea  like all councillors  realises one of the hot issues on the doorsteps with people is a perceived lack of council workers to fill potholes, clean drains, to tidy away litter and to carry out the umpteen different tasks that need to be carried to keep the fabric of normal life together; those tasks that nobody ever notices being carried out but when theyre not done, everyone notices.

You can see from the budget that weve made significant strides in improving that as there are going to be more general operatives hired  we are down in numbers and thats going to be brought up to the 345 which was mentioned during budget discussions.

And also weve got a new 600,000 fund to enhance our frontline services even more. His counterpart in Fianna Fail, Mr McGrath, is in agreement that housing, roads, and other local issues will top the list of concerns of voters when he and his party colleagues hit the canvass trail in earnest in the new year.

Undoubtedly housing will be the top issue and when I say that, I mean all strands of housing, social housing obviously, affordability of housing, cost rental, we want to see these kind of schemes rolled out to a greater extent.

To be fair to Cork County Council, weve been pro-active on these schemes, cost rental, affordable housing, weve achieved our social housing targets, he said. It is going to be a major issue, theres no doubt about it.

We still have a very acute population crisis and people who are finding it difficult to get on the property ladder, finding it difficult to get rental accommodation and, obviously, people in emergency accommodation as well.

Even though theres a lot of new property coming on stream, theres a lot of activity, theres a lot of structural programme on the way, its a difficult problem to get on top of because theres such strong demand for housing of all forms while theres an increase in supply and delivery.

He pointed to a raft of central Government schemes which are being rolled out at local level, to help first time buyers, the first home scheme, the help to buy affordable housing model, the local authority home loans.

There are lots of schemes there but obviously we need to continue to try and do more. According to Mr McGrath, national issues such as health  over which county councillors have little if any say  will bleed into the local campaign.

When youre a government party, youre going to have issues like the health service featuring, no doubt about it, were seeing the emergency departments and waiting lists.

John OSullivan, who hails from Millstreet, is a first-time candidate and will be hoping to win a seat for Sinn Fein in the Macroom/Millstreet area. The party is without a seat in the council at present after the announcement that councillor Danielle Twomey, its sole representative, was resigning from the party. Housing would be the big one we get at the doors, he said.

The derelict houses around the county, the huge number of boarded-up properties, thats absolutely something we have to look at. The candidate is also advocating for a relaxation in planning laws as the feedback hes getting is that many people are being refused planning to build in rural areas.

Another issue which has cropped up already is how well SouthDoc is functioning in the region and while councillors are not directly responsible for the out of hours service, its certainly been the subject of many complaints Mr OSullivan and others have been receiving.

Aspiring candidates will be hoping to have received vouchers for a good pair of shoes in their Christmas stockings as they will be pounding the potholed roads and trip hazard footpaths of the county over the next few months in an effort to get the votes to get elected. Election day will be early June and in the coming weeks, Christmas decorations will be replaced in local towns and villages with election posters. Whether we realise it or not, the campaign is underway.
Uisce Eireann has not been invited to any public meetings to discuss water discolouration in Cork, a spokesperson for the utilities company has said.

The spokesperson also told The Echo that representatives of Uisce Eireann had presented to three Cork TDs as recently as the end of November 2023.

It comes as Padraig OSullivan, Fianna Fail TD for Cork North Central, repeated a call for a public meeting with company representatives, saying that too many people, both on the northside and the southside, are unable to drink or utilise their domestic water.

Sinn Feins Thomas Gould TD this week called for a meeting, and this was echoed by his three constituency colleagues, Fine Gaels Colm Burke, Socialist Party TD Mick Barry, and Mr OSullivan, as well as by Cork South Central Sinn Fein TD Donnchadh O Laoghaire.

However, a spokesperson for Uisce Eireann said the company had not been invited to attend any public meetings in relation to discoloured water in Cork city, but said it had an open and ongoing dialogue with elected representatives.

Cork TDs call for meeting ongoing discoloured drinking water issues https://t.co/a3EXpe2EwQ  EchoLive.ie (@echolivecork) January 2, 2024

On Friday, November 24, our chief operations officer, Eamon Gallen and members of the Cork city water quality steering group gave a presentation to three TDs from Cork North Central and Cork South Central, said the spokesperson.

Uisce Eireann is issuing updates to elected representatives as they arise in relation to water quality in Cork city. This includes when operational flushing works are taking place in their constituency. Uisce Eireann also has a dedicated service desk to address elected representatives queries via phone and email.

Recently, Uisce Eireann told The Echo that, over the past two years, 95 people in Cork city had complained of illnesses suspected of having been caused by water consumption, compared to just one such complaint in 2020 and two in 2021. The company also received 1,484 complaints of discoloured water from homes and businesses across the city in 2022, receiving 1,628 such complaints in 2023.

Several areas across the city have been affected by ongoing instances of discoloured water since July 2022, when the then Irish Water opened its new Lee Road water treatment plant.

In October 2022, Irish Water told The Echo that an adjustment of the chemicals used in water preparation had caused rusty sediment to be stripped from the inside of Cork citys century-old water mains, resulting in discoloured water in homes across town.

Uisce Eireann insists that discoloured water does not pose a health risk, but has warned people not to drink it.
THERE have been significant increases in the latest Cork city crime figures across a range of offences  including burglary, sexual offences, robbery, extortion, and driving under the influence of drugs.

It comes as a local election candidate for Sinn Fein has warned that Cork is being left behind in terms of garda resources.

According to the 2023 third- quarter crime figures published by the Central Statistics Office last week, there were 91 burglaries reported in the Cork City Garda Division during that period  up 37.88% from 66 reported during the same period in 2022.

The figures for sexual offences were up from 50 to 60, while robbery, extortion, and hijacking offences were up by 55.56% for the same Q3 period in 2023 when compared to 2022.

The number of people accused of driving while under the influence of drugs doubled, up to 14.

According to Ballincollig-based Sinn Fein local election candidate Joe Lynch, the figures show how much gardai in Cork need more resources to put criminals behind bars.

The fact that Cork city has gotten one additional garda in each of the last two allocations is scandalous, he said.

In Ballincollig, we have a Garda station that opens for a grand total of 15 hours a week  if were lucky  and which is closed on Fridays and Saturdays.

It is little wonder that the feeling on the ground is that there is less visible policing in the community.

The Sinn Fein group on Cork City Council had a significant motion passed last month, which called for a fair allocation of gardai for Cork, and which highlighted the lack of Garda station opening hours in Ballincollig.

It is time that our concerns were listened to, and for the Government to move heaven and Earth to ensure gardai in Cork have all of the resources they need to tackle the increases in the types of crime we are witnessing.

The Garda Press Office was contacted for comment.
CHILDREN who were forced to take refuge in corridors as explosions ripped through their apartment blocks are among those benefitting from Cork support in Ukraine.

Formed in the wake of the worlds most devastating nuclear disaster, the Greater Chernobyl Cause has been working with numerous families and individuals attempting to escape unrest. Many who fled to quieter villages are battling inhabitable conditions and find themselves in urgent need of vital supplies.

Some 51,000 worth of charitable donations have been used to purchase a van for the distribution of humanitarian aid to those in need. The initiative is aimed at helping rebuild lives as the nightmare continues for millions of people.

Set to hit the road next week, the vehicle will contain supplies such as bedding, lanterns and household items. The aid will be arriving at a time when many households have little choice but to operate without heating or electricity. The van will also carry medical aid and food to 150 Ukrainian families struggling to survive.

Fiona Corcoran, who founded and heads the GCC charity, described how even the lives of many who escaped physical harm were mercilessly shattered.

The frightening tales are endless and the cry for help greater than ever, she told The Echo. Residents of Kharkiv told the Greater Chernobyl Cause about how their children would lie in corridors to avoid injury from shrapnel as it smashed through the windows of their flats. This was before their escape to the countryside.

Others described their childrens fear while living and sleeping in the cellar, constantly crying out for the bombing to stop. A vet trying to treat animals got out just in time after realising she was working under the watchful eye of a sniper examining her every move from a building across the street.

Generators have also been given to a local school where classes had to be abandoned so they can now operate again during the harsh winter months. They are all enormously grateful for the help they have received.

Ms Corcoran is appealing for donations to facilitate the continuation of their relief work.

We cannot forget the victims of this conflict and - with your support - our mission is to bring relief and hope to those desperately clinging on to the bare essentials of life. By contributing, you will directly impact the lives of those trying to survive in unspeakable conditions- all in the hope of escaping the bombs and horror of this ghastly war.

Olessya Popova, who is coordinating the charitys work in Ukraine, said she is overwhelmed by the generosity of Irish people.

Since the beginning of the war, many have moved out of the cities into the countryside, having lost everything including their homes, their jobs and all that was precious to them, Ms Popova said.

The displaced families live in old, crumbling houses, often without any form of light or heating. Clothes, bedding, lanterns and household items of every kind are in great need and we are so grateful for all we have received.

Donations for the relief effort can be made online at the greaterchernobylcause.ie

or by post to The Greater Chernobyl Cause, Unit 4 Southside Industrial Estate, Pouladuff Road, Togher, Cork.
A MAN accused of murdering his wife in Cork city complained today about the absence of directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions in his case.

Regin Parithapara Rajan, 41, made the complaint through his solicitor, Eddie Burke, at Cork District Court.

This young man is not from Ireland. And he finds it difficult to understand why it is going on so slowly. He has every right to be inquisitive and make enquiries. He is entitled to ask for directions, Mr Burke said.

Sergeant Gearoid Davis said, It is a massive investigation by any standards and it would take a significant amount of time. Every avenue has to be investigated  that has to be done.

Mr Burke claimed that the inspector leading the investigation had said that directions would be available by today.

Sgt. Davis said, I made contact with the state solicitors office this morning and the directions are not back from the DPP yet.

Judge Mary Dorgan recalled the evidence from shortly before Christmas from Detective Inspector Jason Lynch and his outline of the progress in the investigation.

Det. Insp. Lynch said, The file is currently with the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is a very complex investigation. The deceased is an Indian national.

Relevant lines of enquiry were pursued in India, the United Kingdom and United States. A significant amount of telephonic evidence had to be analysed, which amounted to 850,000 pages of data.

There are 110 statements on file as well as substantial technical data. I am expecting swift directions from the DPP. I would request a further remand in custody for a period of two weeks.

Defence solicitor, Eddie Burke, asked the detective inspector on December 20 2023, Will we have directions in two weeks? Det. Insp. Lynch replied, I would be hopeful.

The accused man, Regin Parithapara Rajan, appeared in Cork District Court by video link from prison today.

CHARGE

Regin Parithapara Rajan is charged with the murder of 38-year-old Deepa Paruthiyezhuth Dinamani at their home at Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork, on July 14, contrary to common law. When Det Garda Alan Johnson arrested and charged him with the murder last July, Mr Rajan made no reply.

Judge Dorgan said today, The file is with the DPP. I have no doubt the state will contact the DPP. He is charged with the alleged offence of murder so it is a very significant charge. I dont consider between the last day and today as significant.

Mr Burke asked if the state would have DPP directions by January 17. Sgt. Davis said it was not an investigation he had control over but added that every effort would be made by An Garda Siochana.

Mr Burke said at the first hearing last year that there was no need for an interpreter as Mr Rajan had good English and understood proceedings.

The deceased, Ms Dinamani, a native of Kerala in south-west India, was a chartered accountant and she moved with her husband and young son to Cork three months ago to take up a position as a Fund Manager with a financial services company, Alter Domus Fund Services based at Cork Airport Business Park.
A CORK-BASED group fundraising to help a young Afghan woman on the radar of the Taliban to start a new life in Ireland hopes to welcome her into the country by the end of January.

Failte Aisling is a Community Sponsorship Group working on behalf of a 24-year-old Afghan woman, whom the group has called Aisling as it cannot use her real name due to concerns for her safety under the current Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Community Sponsorship is a Government initiative enabling a group to welcome refugees into a local area and support them as they rebuild their lives.

Included in the criteria of the programme is a stipulation that the support group must raise 10,000, which is used to cover all expenses when the refugee first arrives in Ireland.

Failte Aisling said Aisling has been approved under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) to move to Ireland and that accommodation is already in place for her.

One person involved in the group is Alan Falsey, who told The Echo he first heard of Aislings story from perhaps an unusual source, his dentist.

Mr Falsey, who is originally from Cork, had been working in various places across the Middle East, including Afghanistan, for over a decade.

Returning home to Leeside during covid, he found himself in need of a dentist.

During the course of the treatment, we were just talking or whatever and I said Id been in Afghanistan, and it turned out that the dentist, her name is Manizha [Khan], she was from Afghanistan and she had come to Ireland and she had been the Dean of Dentistry in the university in a city called Herat, Mr Falsey told The Echo.

Ms Khan later told him the story of a student she had previously taught at Herat University  Aisling.

Before the Talibans takeover, Aisling had access to primary, secondary and third level education.

From a young age, it was Aislings dream to become a dentist, and she completed five years of her dental degree in Herat University, excelling in all her studies and activities.

LIFE CHANGED

However, in 2021 as soon as the Taliban regained power, Aislings world, along with the lives of so many others in her home country, changed for the worst.

Life in Afghanistan became particularly perilous for Aisling as she challenged the status quo.

She came onto the radar of [the] Taliban because of her lack of compliance, both by starting her book club and continued activism to protest against the closing of education to girls and to reopen access to education to them, Failte Aisling explained on its GoFundMe page.

Aisling was also in danger of getting forcefully married to one of the local Taliban leaders.

At that stage, we decided that wed apply to the Refugee Council and see could we get her refugee status, Mr Falsey explained.

Manizha was able to put this really good group together of academics, childcare workers and health workers and things like that, and between us we formed a group.

We applied to the Refugee Council in Cork, they approved the groups start up, then we put the GoFundMe together, we went out to the community of dentists, the academics in UCC, and that was it.

In late December then, the pressure really started mounting in Afghanistan  so what [Aisling] did is she left Afghanistan and went over the border then into Iran.

Since the launch of the fundraiser over a month ago, more than 10,000 has been raised.

[The 10k] triggers the Government to take over, the flights will be booked, Mr Falsey said.

He said the group is desperately hoping to have Aisling on a flight to Ireland this month.

And although it will take some time for Aisling to adapt to her new life, he said that she will not be found wanting in terms of support from the group.

Mr Falsey described Aisling as an incredibly bright, sharp and determined young woman who has all the potential to make a serious contribution to Cork and Ireland in the future.

To donate to the fundraiser, see GoFundMe.
IRISH officials have hailed as unprecedented a joint rescue operation which saw Irish and UK coast guards rescue an injured man from a vessel in difficult weather conditions 120 miles off Ireland's south-west coast on Wednesday.

A 28-year-old Filipino man who suffered life-threatening crush injuries onboard a Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker was medically evacuated in a joint operation by the Irish and UK coast guards Wednesday.

The evacuation from the Eco Merlin, an LPG tanker registered in Marshall Islands, was co-ordinated by the Irish Coast Guard at MRSC (Marine Rescue Sub-Centre) Valentia in Kerry and the UK Coastguard, as the incident occurred within the UK Search and Rescue Region.

Coast guard officials at Valentia and in the UK had collaborated in planning the mission since late on Tuesday afternoon as the vessel travelled across the Atlantic toward Ireland.

The mission was conducted by the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter R115, with aerial cover support provided by a UK Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft.

A spokesperson for MRSC Valentia told The Echo on Wednesday afternoon that the operation had been an unprecedented success.

The rescue was carried out in very extreme and challenging weather conditions off of the south-west coast, and it had been an ongoing situation since yesterday when we made contact with the vessel by satellite phone and ascertained that the injured man had sustained a life-threatening crush injury, the spokesperson said.

The injured man was taken to Cork Airport by R115, where he was then transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.
CORK Prisons overcrowding issue has come to a head, with the number of inmates currently in the Cork facility up 76 on the same time last year.

The crisis has led to renewed speculation around the possible future use of the old Cork Prison, which has been suggested as a possible solution to the recent surge.

337 people were in custody in Cork as of Tuesday, January 3, 2024. This is compared to 261 people who resided in Cork Prison on January 3 of last year.

A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service acknowledged the overcrowding crisis, saying that preliminary discussions have been held concerning possible options for the old Cork Prison.

The Irish Prison Service held preliminary discussions with a number of bodies as to the possible future uses of the old Cork Prison site in recent years, the spokesperson said.

However, these discussions have only been exploratory in nature. In light of the latest and likely future surge in prisoner numbers and prison overcrowding the site of the Old Cork Prison, which is adjacent to the existing prison, remains of strategic interest to the Irish Prison Service. But, in this regard, no specific or detailed proposals are in consideration at the present time.

Fianna Fail councillor Colm Kelleher said that any provisions being made need to be adequate to accommodate prisoners.

The provisions they have in place need to be adequate to accommodate the individuals being held in custody," he told The Echo.

"The people who are incarcerated have had their freedom stripped and thats as a result of them breaking the law. However, they are still citizens of the state and we have a duty of care to take care of them. I would welcome the reopening of part of the old prison but it will have to be fit for purpose. The previous facility was not fit for purpose."

"If they are looking to ease pressure so they can accommodate people adequately and not infringe on their human rights while they are incarcerated, the adequate preparations for the old building need to be made.

Mr Kelleher stressed that any overcrowding solutions will need to be fit for purpose.

There are prisoners that are accommodated for long and short periods of time. Some are dealing with substance abuse while the remainder are serving time for other crimes. However, the prison service has to treat everyone fairly and amicably regardless of their crimes.

Mr Kelleher said it is unacceptable to have prisoners sleeping on mattresses.

We are talking about almost 50 people in prisons across the State who were sleeping on mattresses before Christmas. It just doesnt paint a good picture.

His comments follow a story published by The Echo last October making reference to 10 inmates sleeping on mattresses. The figure was as of September 29, last year.

The Echo understood that each of the 10 prisoners was confined to cells with two other inmates, both of whom had beds.

Irish Penal Reform Trust executive director Saoirse Brady described the measures as inhumane.

Repeatedly, Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has been sounding the alarm on overcrowding across the prison estate, she told The Echo at the time.

In February of 2023, we saw the combined capacity of prisons hit 100% and even though prisons are already full, this has continued to increase over the last number of months to reach 102% capacity.
Promise of Regenerative Agriculture to the Future of Fashion

SPONSORED CONTENT - The LYCRA Company and Qore join forces to create next generation bio-derived LYCRA fibre with QIRA

The global apparel industry is responsible for 8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and the industry is mostly reliant on hard coal and natural gas to generate electricity and heat. Without significant changes, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industry are expected to rise by almost 50% by 2030.*

However, recent data from the Rodale Institute shows that if farmers can improve soil health, through regenerative agricultural practices, then more than 100% of the global annual CO2 emissions could be sequestered into the soil. Thats roughly 52 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide every year!

The purpose of Regenerative Agriculture is that farmers promote healthy soil practices and biodiversity including low or no tilling, planting cover crops, managing fertilizer use, and improving nutrient management. All of these practices are designed to increase soil organic matter and reduce GHG emissions by sequestering more atmospheric carbon into the soil. This in turn helps promote biodiversity - as well as improving water quality and reducing soil erosion.

In a ground-breaking collaboration, The LYCRA Company has joined forces with Qore, a joint venture between Cargill, an expert in agricultural fermentation technologies, and HELM, a German chemical company. Next year, Qore will be producing QIRA - an ingredient derived from Iowa field corn. QIRA will be the key component in renewable LYCRA fibre, bringing the same comfort and fit as from traditional LYCRA fibre, now with a reduced environmental impact.

When Cargill receives the harvested corn from the farms, part of the process involves separation of the kernel into discrete parts, ensuring each gets used where it can deliver the most value. For example, while the protein typically gets used to create animal feed, the starch portion can be found in a myriad of applications - including ethanol for gasoline, food uses such as corn syrup, and now, fibres for clothing. Steve Stewart, Chief Brand & Innovation Officer of The LYCRA Company, says By adopting QIRA, were making a significant commitment to reduce our reliance on fossil-based resources and to enable our customers to reduce their carbon footprints.

Steve Kuiper (pictured left), whose family has been farming in Iowa for more than a century, speaks to its benefits. Iowa has some of the most productive farming ground in the nation, excellent infrastructure for transporting goods, and the support of organizations like Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Corn Promotion.

Iowa is also home to Cargills biotechnology campus and corn refining operation in Eddyville, Iowa. The Qore facility for manufacturing QIRA is also located here, tapping into Cargills expertise, R&D and network of farmers. The Qore facility will run mainly on wind power, reducing energy GHG emissions, and will source field corn from within a 100 mile radius - reducing transportation emissions and providing local farmers, like Kuiper, with a reliable market for their crops.

To learn more, visit: lycra.com/qira

*United Nations, UN launches drive to highlight environmental cost of staying fashionable, 25 March 2019
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Colorado has suspended applications for its e-bike rebate program  at least temporarily. The reason? The program was incredibly popular, so much so that it ran out of its initial funding ahead of schedule.

The program started in August 2023, and interested customers could submit an application for a lottery selection for the rebates. As Colorado Public Radio reported, the program was allotted $6.6 million in funding, following an air quality law from 2022 known as SB22-193. The funding was expected to sustain the e-bike rebate program through at least February 2024.

Officials expected a 65% redemption rate, but by Dec. 21, 2023, 87% of the total available rebates had already been claimed. The low-income standard rebates, which offered a base of $1,100, had a 92% redemption rate, according to a press release from Colorado Energy Office (CEO).

As such, the program has suspended new applications until next month, when additional funding will be allocated for at least one additional round of application selections.

Applications for the e-bike rebate program are temporarily paused until February 2024, the rebate website currently reads. CEO will reallocate $1.8 million in additional funding to support at least one additional round of statewide e-bike rebate applications in February.

According to CEO, the program has led to discounts worth $5,417,300 and has helped 4,520 people in the state purchase electric bikes. The rebate program offered a base of $500 for moderate-income residents and $1,100 for low-income residents, plus additional incentives for additional equipment, e-cargo bikes and adaptive e-bikes.

We are incredibly proud to have successfully implemented one of the largest e-bike rebate programs in the country, Sarah Thorne, a senior program manager for CEOs transportation team who runs the program, said in a press release. E-bike adoption is at an all-time high in Colorado as a result of this program. More than 4,500 income-qualified Coloradans across the state who could not previously afford an e-bike now own an e-bike as an efficient, low-cost, zero-emission transportation option.

About 400 residents have been waitlisted to receive the remaining rebates, including unused rebates from previous application rounds. Additionally, another $1.8 million in funds reallocated from the Local Government Community E-Bike Rebate Grant Program will allow CEO to take at least one more round of rebate applicants in February 2024.

CEO doesnt expect to receive additional funding for the rebate program moving forward, but starting in April 2024, the state will implement a new tax credit program, offering a $450 point-of-sale discount on a qualified e-bike purchase from an authorized e-bike retailer through 2032, according to the offices press release.

Aside from e-bikes, Colorado is also boosting other electric vehicles with increased state tax credits for EV and hybrid vehicle purchases. The updated tax credits increased to a $5,000 rebate for vehicles with up to an $80,000 MSRP in July 2023, and an additional tax credit of up to $2,500 for vehicles with an MSRP of $35,000 or less starting in 2024. According to CEO, customers have the option to assign their tax credit to a participating dealership, which will then deduct the credit amount from the vehicle purchase price at the time of purchase.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

A new baby orca whale was spotted recently in Washington States Puget Sound with the southern resident orca whales J pod, reported The Seattle Times. According to researchers, the calf is likely only a few days old.

Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Seattle Times that the calf  known as J60  was seen near President Point.

Its really, really good news, Hanson said. It also comes with the trepidation of how theyre going to fare throughout the first few years of their life.

The calf was spotted near an adult female named Suttles  also known as J40  who the Center for Whale Research said in a post on social media seemed most likely to be the mother.

Maya Sears shared a viewfinder photo with Dave Ellifrit of the underside of J60. Dave was able to confirm that J60 is a boy! We cant wait to see this new J Pod baby firsthand, the Center for Whale Research said on their website.

According to Donna Sandstrom, founder and director of The Whale Trail, Suttles is a 19-year-old female, as King 5 News reported. If she is the mother, J60 would be her first calf.

Mark said the calf looked really healthy. He said it looked like it was trying to tail-slap. It was practicing tail slapping, which is just, so wonderful, Sandstrom said, according to King 5 News.

The endangered J pods first new calf since September of 2020 was born last year, a female known as J59.

According to Orca Conservancy data, the birth of J60 brings the southern resident orca population  which consists of the J, K and L pods  up to 77. It also increases the J pod to 26 members and means there are now 10 southern resident calves less than five years of age.

Southern resident orcas are affected by pollution, shrinking populations of the Chinook salmon they feed upon and boat noise. The underwater noise makes it more difficult for the whales to hunt and communicate, reported The Seattle Times.

New legislation that goes into effect next year will require recreational boats to keep three times the distance they are currently asked to maintain from the whales, King 5 News reported.

I am a little concerned with a new calf and the population. People are very tempted to go get photos of that adorable baby. Thats the wrong thing to do. Give them 1,000 yards away, and give that baby and its mom a chance to survive, Sandstrom said, as reported by King 5 News.

The southern resident orca population peaked in 1995 at 98 members before declining by nearly 20 percent by 2001, The Seattle Times reported.

Hanson said they werent having many calves, and some were not living long enough to reproduce.

In order for the population to grow, you really need them to have five or six successful calves. And thats just not been happening in the population, Hanson said, as reported by The Seattle Times.

According to researchers, lack of food causes two-thirds of southern resident orca pregnancies to be unsuccessful.

More recent studies have determined that southern resident females do not have as much success hunting as populations farther north. They also found that not only have southern resident orca numbers been falling, but that the population has become more and more inbred and could be headed toward extinction.

One of the problems this population has had, is some pods  especially K Pod  has had a hard time even getting pregnant, or having pregnancies come to fruition. So anytime theres a successful birth of a calf, everyone rejoices, Sandstrom said, as King 5 News reported.
In the US, Montana and North Carolina have been leading the list of states with the highest number of searches for "VPN" over the past few days. That's most likely because their new age verification laws have gone into effect on January 1, and adult websites are now either requiring a copy of visitors' government IDs or have blocked access in the regions altogether. As 404Media reports, Pornhub has chosen to block people in both states from accessing its website instead of asking for verification. The other websites owned by its parent company Aylo (formerly MindGeek), including Brazzers, Redtube and YouPorn, are also no longer accessible.

If anybody in Montana and North Carolina tries to access an Aylo website, they'll see a video message from performer Cherie DeVille, explaining that giving a copy of their ID to adult platforms puts their children and their privacy at risk. "We believe that the best and most effective solution for protecting children and adults alike is to identify users by their device and allow access to age-restricted materials and websites based on that identification," DeVille added.

That's the same video message users from other states with similar age verification laws see when they visit Pornhub. Montana and North Carolina are but the latest states to require adult platforms to verify visitors' ages: Louisiana started the trend in early 2023, and since then, Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Virginia and Texas have passed their own versions. In North Carolina's case, the rule was approved as part of legislation that requires high school students to take computer science classes.

Other adult websites not owned by Aylo are using third-party providers to authenticate users' ages in lieu of blocking whole regions altogether. Pornhub uses Louisiana's digital driver's license wallet app to verify local users' identities, but not all states have ID apps that work with its system. The website told us that its traffic in Louisiana dropped by 80 percent when the state started enforcing its age verification law. That makes this new development another potential blow to Aylo after it was slapped with a $1.8 million fine in December for hosting and profiting from pornographic content that featured sex trafficking victims.
Samsung has released some details regarding a trio of forthcoming Odyssey gaming monitors, just ahead of CES 2024. These are all OLED displays with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400. Each monitor also features the companys proprietary anti-glare technology that minimizes daylight and ambient light reflections.

First up, theres the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G95SD curved ultra-wide monitor. The screen offers DQHD (5120x1440) resolution, a 0.03ms response time, a 240Hz refresh rate, a 32:9 aspect ratio and access to both Samsungs smart TV platform and the companys cloud-based Gaming Hub. The aesthetics are on point, with a slim form factor and a slightly smaller size than the mammoth Odyssey Ark.

Samsung

The Odyssey G80SD is the first flat 32-inch OLED gaming monitor in Samsungs lineup. It features 4K UHD (3840x2160) resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 0.03ms response time and a snappy 240Hz refresh rate This ultra-thin monitor is made for cramped desks, with a width of just under four millimeters. The peak brightness is 450 nits and the monitor ships with CoreLighting+ technology for unique ambient lighting schemes.

Samsung

The relatively diminutive 27-inch OLED G60SD boasts a 360Hz refresh rate and a QHD (2560x1440) resolution. This monitor also ships with Samsungs CoreLighting+ tech, for ambient tomfoolery, and a slim, metal form factor. The display can be adjusted for comfort via tilt, pivot and swivel.

There's no pricing yet, though that could come when CES 2024 actually starts next week. Samsung has promised that each will release sometime this year. For reference, the company announced a slew of Odyssey gaming monitors at CES 2023, and they were all out in the wild by the middle of the year.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.
Marvel actress and stuntwoman Carrie Bernans is currently hospitalized with serious injuries after being struck by a car following the New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City.

The incident occurred at Chirp, a Peruvian restaurant in Manhattan, at around 1:30 a.m. Monday, according to a statement obtained by People from Bernans' representative.

The 29-year-old actress was walking on the pavement with a friend when the car collided with a food truck, pinning her beneath the stand and rendering her unconscious.

Bernans suffered several broken bones and chipped teeth in the crash and is currently in stable condition in the hospital.

Several others, including at least two police officers, were also injured in the incident. The driver, who was trying to escape police at the time of the crash, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, CBS News reported.

On Tuesday, Bernans, who featured in "The Color Purple," "Black Panther," and "Avengers: Endgame," posted a video from her hospital bed, sharing that she's "still in so much pain."

"The nerve pains in my teeth hurts me badly," she added.

Bernans' mother, Patricia Lee, shared an update on Instagram Monday on her daughter's condition, along with graphic images of the stuntwoman's injuries.

In the pictures, Bernans' face appeared swollen, bruised, and bloodied. One image showed her chipped front teeth and the multiple cuts on her face.

Bernans' mother stated that the actress had completed surgery and was in "pain but healing."

Lee said she is "thanking God that she's alive" and expressed gratitude for the support the family has received.

The new mom's child was not present at the time of the incident, her mother confirmed.

In another post on Instagram, Bernans' mother asked for help for the actress' hospital bills and shared a link to a GoFundMe page.

"If you are able to help her, please help. May God bless you for your kindness and generosity. Please share [and] keep sending your prayers," Lee wrote.

The car crash occurred during a police foot chase related to an alleged physical assault involving the 44-year-old male driver of a black Mercedes and a 34-year-old female passenger in the area of 33rd Street and 6th Avenue, according to a police statement obtained by People. Both the driver and passenger were not named in the report.

Police attempted to de-escalate the situation, but the driver failed to comply, fleeing in the vehicle and causing the collision that injured Bernans and several others, the statement said.

The driver mounted the sidewalk, struck a food cart, and hit multiple pedestrians, including "a 29-year-old female pedestrian," police said.

According to police, the driver was taken into custody after hitting "two unoccupied parked vehicles and a 2022 Toyota Camry in the roadway" with his car.

Two police officers and the driver of the Mercedes were also injured during the incident. The injured pedestrians, officers, and the driver were transported to hospitals.

Video footage from the scene obtained by the Daily Mail showed the three cars involved in the wreck and a man who appeared to be unconscious being transported on a stretcher.

An investigation is ongoing.
Deadly strikes hit residential buildings in Ukraine and a Russian border region Tuesday as an escalation of aerial attacks also wounded dozens and prompted Kyiv to urge speedier Western weapons shipments.

The bombardment of mainly Kyiv and northeastern Kharkiv came less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to step up strikes following an unprecedented Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod.

In total, five people were killed and 130 wounded, authorities said.

"The enemy has planned their trajectories to cause as much damage as possible. This is an utterly premeditated terror," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Since December 29, Russia has launched nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 drones against Ukraine, he said.

Meanwhile, a new Ukrainian strike on Russia's Belgorod border region killed at least one person Tuesday and wounded five, the local governor said.

Moscow claimed to have struck only military installations, but Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said Russia was deliberately hitting critical infrastructure and residential neighbourhoods.

Kyiv urged Western allies to respond to the bombardment by speeding up the delivery of air defence equipment, combat drones and long-range missiles at a time when allied backing has wavered.

Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said late Tuesday he had discussed the attacks with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

"We agreed on the importance of strengthening Ukrainian air defence," he said.

Kyiv said Moscow fired 99 missiles on Tuesday but 72 were downed, while Russia said it had shot down nine Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region.

In Kyiv, a building near the centre of the city was partly destroyed. Two people were killed and 49 injured in the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said.

"It's a residential building. They hit a residential building," said Violetta Solovyova, 56.

Galyna Solovyova, 79, suffered a head wound in the strike that destroyed her home.

"It's a real horror to be left without... everything. And we don't know about the neighbours. They're people we know. How are they?" she asked, her head bandaged.

Ukraine interior minister Igor Klymenko said another two people were killed in the Kyiv region.

- Polish jets scrambled -

A 91-year-old woman was killed and 52 people were injured as at least four strikes hit the northeastern city of Kharkiv, said the head of the city's military administration, Oleg Sinegubov.

The cities of Orikhiv and Nikopol were also targeted by strikes that left three people wounded overall, authorities said.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine as his office voiced alarm at the intensification of attacks.

"International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks and attacks against civilian objects," the UN Human Rights Office said on social media platform X.

In a sign of growing concern, Poland on Tuesday scrambled four F-16 fighter jets to its border with Ukraine to protect its airspace.

During the last wave of deadly attacks on Ukraine on Friday, Poland said a Russian missile had passed through its airspace.

Poland -- a NATO and EU member -- has remained a staunch ally of Ukraine as the Russian invasion nears its second anniversary.

Tuesday's attacks came after an escalation of the war in recent days, with Russia launching on December 29 a wave of strikes across Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, that killed 39 people.

Moscow also hit Ukrainian cities on New Year's Eve, with Kyiv saying it had foiled a "record" number of drones launched by Russia.

- 'Critical we support Ukraine' -

Ukraine is seeking assurances from its backers that military aid will continue as a new budget for US support is stalled in Washington.

"Thanks to the partners for air defences. There is no reason to believe that the enemy will stop here. Therefore, we need more systems and munition for them," army commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said on social media.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Moscow of seeking to "annihilate" Ukraine after residential buildings were hit Tuesday.

Germany will "stand by the people in Ukraine for as long as they need us", she wrote on X.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also said his country would "continue to stand steadfastly by Ukraine as they fight aggression and occupation", in a phone call with Zelensky.

UK support would include "further deliveries of lethal aid," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"Putin is ringing in 2024 by launching missiles at Kyiv and around the country as millions of Ukrainians take shelter in freezing temps. Loud explosions in Kyiv this morning," US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink wrote on X.

"It's urgent and critical that we support Ukraine now -- to stop Putin here," she said.

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Israel's war against Palestinian militants reached Lebanon on Tuesday, where an Israeli strike killed Hamas's deputy leader, the group and security officials in Lebanon said.

A high-level security official told AFP that Saleh al-Aruri was killed along with his bodyguards in the strike by Israel, which vowed to destroy Hamas after the movement's unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel.

Israel has previously announced the killing in Gaza of Hamas commanders and officials during the war, but Aruri is the most high-profile figure to be killed, and his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities began.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari did not directly comment on Aruri's killing but said the military was "highly prepared for any scenario" in its aftermath.

A second security official in Lebanon confirmed the information about Aruri's killing.

Lebanese state media reported the strike hit a Hamas office in Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, a Hamas ally.

Hamas TV also said Israel had killed Aruri in Lebanon, and Lebanese media reported a total of seven people were killed in the attack by an Israeli drone.

The strike adds to widespread fears that the nearly three-month-old Israel-Hamas war could become a wider regional conflagration.

Hamas said the killing would not lead to its defeat, while Hezbollah vowed Aruri's death would not go "unpunished". Hezbollah called it "a serious assault on Lebanon... and a dangerous development in the course of the war."

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and said it "aims to draw Lebanon" further into the Israel-Hamas war.

In a call with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz after the strike, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to "avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon".

Hamas's bloody attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took around 250 hostages back to Gaza -- which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007 -- of whom 129 remain in captivity, according to Israeli figures.

After the attack, the worst in its history, Israel began a relentless bombardment and ground offensive that has killed at least 22,185 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.

- Red Crescent struck -

On Tuesday, Israel's army said soldiers in Gaza had killed "dozens of terrorists", including some carrying explosives. It said they also raided a weapons storage compound in the southern city of Khan Yunis and discovered long-range rocket launchers and tunnels.

The territory's Hamas-run health ministry said 70 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the previous 24 hours during Israeli raids.

In Khan Yunis, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Israel twice struck its headquarters, resulting in "five casualties and three injuries" among displaced people who had sought refuge there and at a nearby hospital.

"They told us to go to the south that is safe, but they are liars," shouted Fathi al-Af, pointing to his daughter on a stretcher on the floor of Nasser Hospital after the Red Crescent strike. "The entire Gaza Strip is not safe."

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) denounced the alleged strikes, saying they "severely damaged" a Red Crescent training centre within the Al-Amal hospital.

"Today's bombardments are unconscionable. Gaza's health system is already on its knees, with health and aid workers continuously stymied in their efforts to save lives due to the hostilities," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

United Nations agencies have voiced alarm over Gaza's spiralling humanitarian crisis, which has left 2.4 million people under siege, most of them displaced and crowded into shelters and tents during winter rains.

The WHO has warned of the risk of famine and disease, with only a minimal amount of aid entering.

On Tuesday, the UK said a British ship had delivered the first 87 tonnes of aid for Gaza -- including thousands of thermal blankets -- to Egypt from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, which proposed the maritime corridor initiative.

"Hamas people are hiding in their houses and the tunnels, while we don't find food or drink and are dying of cold. I have an infant, I can't get him diapers or baby formula," said Wojud Kamal al-Shinbary, who like many Gazans made her way to Rafah, in Gaza's far south.

- Accused mastermind -

The Israeli army says 173 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza fighting Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and the United States.

In early December, after a week-long truce that saw Israeli hostages freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Aruri said there would be no more releases without a permanent ceasefire.

"The price to pay for the release of Zionist prisoners will be the release of all our prisoners - after a ceasefire," he said.

Aruri, who lived in exile, was accused by Israel of masterminding numerous attacks. He was elected deputy to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in 2017, before being officially named the group's number two.

In October, the Israeli army demolished Aruri's home in the occupied West Bank.

After the death of his deputy, Haniyeh said that a movement "whose leaders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated".

- 'Risks and consequences' -

In the occupied West Bank, violence since October 7 has surged to a level unseen in nearly two decades. At least 321 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers since the Gaza war began, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry.

AFPTV images showed scores of people in the streets of Ramallah to protest Aruri's killing, which Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh condemned.

Shtayyeh also warned about the "risks and consequences that could follow", his office said.

The hostilities along the Israeli-Lebanese border have fanned fears of a wider conflict, as have Israel's occasional strikes inside Syrian territory, where Hezbollah also operates.

A strike inside Syria last month that was blamed on Israel killed a senior commander of the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who claim to be operating in support of Hamas, have also launched attacks at Israel and against cargo ships in the Red Sea, where the US military has assembled a multinational task force to protect the vital shipping lane.

Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has harshly criticised Netanyahu over the war, announced the detention of 34 people suspected of planning abductions and spying on behalf of Israel's Mossad intelligence service.

Erdogan weeks ago warned of "serious consequences" should Israel attempt to target Hamas figures living or working in Turkey.

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Iran blamed Israel and the United States on Wednesday for twin bomb blasts that killed at least 95 people in the country's south, ripping through a crowd commemorating Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani four years after his death in a US strike.

The two explosions -- labelled a "terrorist attack" by state media and regional authorities -- came amid high Middle East tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the killing of a Hamas senior leader in Lebanon on Tuesday.

The unclaimed attacks, which sparked fears of a widening conflict in the region, rattled global markets, where oil prices jumped more than three percent and sparked global condemnation.

"Washington says USA and Israel had no role in terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? A fox smells its own lair first," the Iranian president's political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"Make no mistake. The responsibility for this crime lies with the US and Zionist regimes (Israel) and terrorism is just a tool," he added.

The United States had earlier rejected any suggestions that it or ally Israel were involved while Israel declined to comment.

"The United States was not involved in any way... We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Asked about the blasts, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said: "We are focused on the combat with Hamas."

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed "evil and criminal enemies" of the country for the attack and vowed a "harsh response".

President Ebrahim Raisi, who scrapped a visit to Turkey on Thursday, condemned the "heinous" crime as the Islamic Republic of Iran declared Thursday a national day of mourning.

The blasts, about 15 minutes apart, struck near the Martyrs Cemetery at the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani's southern hometown, as supporters gathered to mark his killing in a 2020 US drone strike in Baghdad.

Iran's official IRNA news agency initially reported 103 people were killed while state television said 211 were wounded, some in critical condition.

Health minister Bahram Eynollahi later revised the toll, saying: "The exact number of the people killed in the terrorist incident is 95".

He said the reason for the earlier figure of 103 was that some names "were wrongly registered twice".

Three paramedics who rushed to the scene after the first explosion were among those killed, said Iran's Red Crescent.

IRNA said the first explosion took place around 700 metres (yards) from Soleimani's grave while the other was around one kilometre away.

Tasnim news agency, quoting what it called informed sources, said that "two bags carrying bombs went off" and "the perpetrators... apparently detonated the bombs by remote control".

Online footage showed panicked crowds scrambling to flee as security personnel cordoned off the area.

- 'Shocking cruelty' -

State television showed bloodied victims lying on the ground and ambulances and rescue personnel racing to help them.

"We were walking towards the cemetery when a car suddenly stopped behind us and a waste bin containing a bomb exploded," an eyewitness was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.

"We only heard the explosion and saw people falling."

By nightfall, crowds returned to the Martyrs Cemetery in Kerman chanting: "Death to Israel" and "Death to America".

In Tehran, thousands gathered at the Grand Mosalla Mosque to pay tribute to Soleimani.

"We condemn today's bitter terrorist incident... I hope the perpetrators of the crime will be identified and punished for their actions," Soleimani's daughter, Zeinab, said.

Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, overseeing military operations across the Middle East.

The United Nations, European Union, and several countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany and Iraq denounced the blasts.

UN chief Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns" the blasts, his office said, and the EU said: "This act of terror has exacted a shocking toll of civilian deaths and injuries."

The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said that he spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to "convey condolences" and "condemned this terrorist attack in the strongest terms and expressed solidarity with the Iranian people".

Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote to Raisi and Khamenei that "the killing of peaceful people visiting the cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism."

Iran ally Hamas denounced the "criminal attack" while the Saudi foreign ministry in Riyadh voiced "solidarity with Iran in this painful event".

The blasts came a day after Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri -- an Iran ally -- was killed in a strike, which Lebanese officials blamed on Israel, on a southern Beirut suburb that is a stronghold of Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

Wednesday's bomb blasts were Iran's deadliest since a 1978 arson Cinema Rex attack in the southwestern city of Abadan, which killed at least 377 people, according to AFP archives.

- Previous plots -

Iran has long fought a shadow war of killings and sabotage with arch-enemy Israel while also battling various jihadist and other militant groups.

In September, the Fars news agency reported that a key "operative" affiliated with the Islamic State group, in charge of carrying out "terrorist operations" in Iran, had been arrested in Kerman.

In July, Iran's intelligence ministry said it had disbanded a network "linked to Israel's spy organisation" that had been plotting "terrorist operations" across Iran, IRNA reported.

The alleged plots included "planning an explosion at the grave" of Soleimani, it said.

Soleimani, whom Khamenei years ago declared a "living martyr", was widely regarded as a hero in Iran for his role in defeating IS in both Iraq and Syria.

Long seen as a deadly adversary by the United States and its allies, Soleimani was one of the most important powerbrokers across the region, setting Iran's political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

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Helena, Mont. - Tonight, people are breathing a sigh of relief after dealing with a bomb threat that evacuated the Montana Capitol Wednesday morning.

"A lot of times these threats come from out of the country, various locations where we assume that there's a probability that it could be fake. But we will never air on that site when we have a threat," said MHP public information officer, Sgt. Jay Nelson.

The initial threat was made via email around 5:45am, due to no one coming into the office until around 8:00am, law enforcement was notified around 8:30am.

"As soon as our officers, our troopers were notified, we acted on it," Sgt. Nelson.

The threat was officially deemed not credible after the sweep was completed, according to a statement by Communications and Policy Analyst Megan Grotzke at the Department of Administration and the Montana Highway Patrol.

Legislative Services Executive Director Jerry Howe confirmed the evacuation was called out around 8:30 AM.

According to Howe, everyone evacuated the building, and they were out of the capitol for about an hour.

The FBI says they are continuing to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement.

"The FBI is aware of the numerous hoax incidents wherein a bomb threat at a state Capitol building is made. The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately," said Sandra Barker, an FBI public affairs officer.

Sgt. Jay Nelson tells NonStop Local that they are working with the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Montana Department of Justice  Montana Analysis and Threats Information Center to determine the origin of the email.

When fake calls are called in, the bottom line is it costs money and resources that could be spent on real emergencies.

"Everyone that responded to this situation had other tasks at hand, at other investigations, and we had to stop everything in order to ensure the public was safe... We take each and every threat serious, and we can't determine at the time whether this is fake or not. Nor would we ever err on that side. And so we take them all serious," said Sgt. Nelson.

The building has since been reopened to the public.
Montana entered 2024 with a flurry of new laws going into effect, impacting the state in various ways including when it comes to taxes, internet age verification for websites containing adult content and health care protections.

Jan. 1, 2024 was also set to be the first day of Montanas TikTok ban but due to legal challenges, the law remains in limbo after a judge blocked the law in 2023.

Taxes

Changes to taxation have officially taken effect for this year, but the impact wont be felt until filing for 2025. Changes stem from Senate Bill 399, passed in 2021, which decreased Montanas seven tax brackets to two, including a lower 4.7% tax rate on income under $20,500 for a single filer and $41,000 for joint filers.

Senate Bill 121 changed the upper tax bracket from 6.5% to 5.9% for any incomes over the lower tax bracket limits.

Montana state Sen. Greg Hertz  who sponsored SB 399  told the Chronicle simplification was the target for the bill which also included changes to deductions.

The biggest issue with this bill was tax simplification, so once you prepare your federal tax returns, and calculate your federal taxable income that will then transfer to Montana and that will become your Montana taxable income. Hertz said. Most Montana should expect a decrease in their taxes.

House Bill 221 made changes to capital gains taxes, implementing a 3% and 4.1% tax rate for the same income bracket limits instead of 30% of their net long-term capital gains when calculating their Montana taxable income, a fiscal note from the state legislature said.

Internet accessibility

The adult website, Pornhub, has reportedly blocked access to IP addresses in Montana, the Missoula Current reported last week as Senate Bill 544 was to take effect on Jan. 1.

The bill requires website with a substantial portion  or 33%  of harmful or adult content to require reasonable age verification in an attempt to protect minors from pornography which the bills refers to as a public health crisis.

In a statement provided to the Missoula Current, the adult website, which hosts 36 billion visits each year, said While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk.

The bill specifies protections for users requiring commercial entities to not retain any identifying information and that they must be liable for damages if identifying information is knowingly retained.

Those visiting the site with a Montana-based IP address will hit a page explaining these changes. The site has blocked IP addresses from several other states across the country.

Health care

House Bill 302 and Senate Bills 340 and 516 will impact healthcare in the state by providing insurance coverage for 12 months of contraceptives, a $35 co-pay limit for a 30-day insulin supply and required insurance coverage for fertility preservation services for those with cancer, respectively, the Billings Gazette reported.

All three bills received bipartisan support.

This bill is beneficial to nearly one-tenth of the state and helps regulate expense for those in need, State Sen. Jason Small said during a hearing on SB340 earlier this year. Its going to keep a lot of people alive, so Id appreciate a green light.
Growers in the horticultural sector are shelving plans to expand their businesses due to a third year of soaring costs of production, a report has warned.

High costs over the past few years has meant that some of the UKs leading horticulture businesses are thinking about cutting production.

Commissioned by the NFU, the report by Promar International, released today (3 January), found that production costs have risen by 39%.

Key inputs including energy costs rising by 218%, fertiliser by 47% and labour costs by 24% are shown to be behind the hike.

Crops impacted most by these increases include much of the UKs favourite fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, tomatoes, apples and lettuce.

The report also warned these production costs, along with the impacts of the ongoing global volatility, are seen as the new normal and businesses arent expecting the situation to change any time soon.

It follows a recent House of Lords report which said the future of the sector 'looks bleak' without urgent steps to safeguard its future.

NFU horticulture and potatoes board chair, Martin Emmett said he was 'seriously concerned' to hear from growers that they were thinking about cutting production.

He warned: "They continue to face uncertainty with costs, uncertainty around a long-term plan for where their workforce will come from and increasingly challenging relationships within their supply chain.

We are now facing the third year of unprecedented and highly volatile costs of production, coupled with ongoing uncertainty about the availability of permanent and seasonal workforce and supply chains that return little value back to growers.

As highlighted in the report, there is likely to be further consolidation in production and distribution. If pressures continue as they are, it will be unsustainable for some businesses."

As the NFU set out in the sector's growth strategy in March last year, there are ten key points which the union said would help underpin the success of UK horticulture.

These include sustainable energy supplies, access to skilled labour, productivity investment, supply chain fairness and a range of other critical support necessary to create growth in the sector.

Mr Emmett warned that many businesses were continuing to face difficult customer relationships with prolonged contract negotiations.

"Contract planning cycles are out of sync with production cycles, making it tough for growers to plan long-term for their businesses," he said, "This needs to change".

To ensure we have a thriving UK horticulture sector, we need to see the government back our fruit and vegetable growers with action and ambition as it set out in its own Food Strategy and match our ambition for growth.

"It is crazy to think that, at a time when we want people to eat more healthily, we are only 50% self-sufficient in vegetables and 15% self-sufficient in fruit."


Food and travel enthusiast Rupali Dean picks five charming outlets across India for a scrumptious afternoon tea





Discover these enchanting destinations in India that offer an unforgettable afternoon tea experience imbued with elegance and charm.







Anvaya

Delhi





A uniquely-designed sculptural space, Anvaya promises solace and relaxation to the weary. Surrounded by a lush forest, this hidden green oasis in Delhi offers spacious rooms and an attentive butler service, and uses sustainable practices and natural materials. Its architecture blends seamlessly into the Asola biosphere, showcasing the citys native flora and fauna; its delicate ecological balance, featuring trees such as gulmohar and sal, is meticulously preserved. Anvaya captivates with its design but also aims to highlight, preserve, and present Delhis ecological heritage. You will find delectable world cuisines in a spectacular pavilion amid the trees. At 5 am every morning, an array of delectable madeleines, cakes, breads, croissants, and homemade spreads comes to life exclusively for breakfast guests, but Chef Maxime also curates an authentic Parisian high tea menu, showcasing the most delicate petit fours, exquisite sandwiches, airy choux buns, and irresistible eclairs, financiers, macaroons, nougats, and teacakes. Paired with the finest teas sourced from across the globe, this culinary experience is a testament to pure indulgence and impeccable taste.



Must-Tries: The very traditional French high tea; Cafe Croissant Creme, a very simple and Parisian way of enjoying your coffee; Brie Cheese, Hazelnut and Honey Savoury Choux; the delicate sandwiches




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The upcoming crime series Killer Soup starring Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma is one of the most anticipated shows of the month. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the show promises to serve a complex mystery.The trailer of Killer Soup introduces Konkona Sen Sharma as Swati Shetty, a home chef who gets together with her lover to get rid of her husband, Manoj Bajpayees Umesh. The actor has a double role in the show. They soon find themselves as suspects in a murder case.Check out the trailer here:The clip leaves more questions than answers, teasing a chaotic plot. The show is reportedly based loosely on a real news headlines.Opening up about the series, Manoj shared, For the first time in my career, I will be playing a double role, both starkly different from each other.Stepping into Swathi Shetty's shoes was a unique experience for me as the character has depth, darkness and packs a lot of punch," added Konkona.Killer Soup which also features Nasser, Sayaji Shinde, Lal, and Anula Navlekar, among others is set to release on January 11, 2024 on OTT.
Earlier this month, Shreyas Talpade was admitted to the hospital after suffering a heart attack and subsequently undergoing an angioplasty. In an interview with Bombay Times, the actor spoke for the first time about his health scare, disclosing that he was clinically dead for a brief period during that incident. He also mentioned that there is a history of heart-related conditions in his family.Shreyas told Bombay Times that he had been experiencing severe fatigue after work for the past few months. Due to a family history of heart ailments, he has been taking medication and precautions. He also shared the details of an incident on December 14 when his wife rushed him to the hospital. He said, "Suddenly, after the last shot, I felt breathless, and my left hand started paining. I could barely walk to my vanity van and change my clothes. I thought it was a muscle pull since we were shooting action sequences. You dont think of the worst-case scenario, right? I had never experienced this kind of fatigue. As soon as I got into the car, I felt I should head straight to the hospital, but thought I should go home first. My wife, Deepti, saw me in that state and within 10 minutes, we were on our way to the hospital."Shreyas disclosed that as he was entering the hospital through the gate, his face became numb and he experienced a cardiac arrest.After regaining consciousness, Shreyas apologised to his wife for making her go through this difficult experience. He also mentioned how this ordeal has completely altered his outlook on life. He stated, "I was never hospitalised before in my life, not even for a fracture so I didnt see this coming. Dont take your health for granted. Times are so uncertain that you must give extreme importance to your health. If that falls apart, nothing else matters. Jaan hai toh Jahaan hai. An experience like this changes your perspective towards life."
Ira Khan-Nupur Shikhare registered marriage today: Bollywood actor Aamir Khan's daughter, Ira Khan, is all set to take a bug plunge in her life today, as she is getting married to her longtime beau, Nupur Shikhare, on January 3, 2024.

The celebrations of the same have already begun with a haldi ceremony, and the couple's family members are seen participating wholeheartedly in the pre-wedding festivities. As per the latest update, Ira and Nupur will get their marriage registered today, January 3, followed by a grand wedding in Udaipur next week.

Further, the bride-to-be's aunt, Nikhat Khan Hegde, had also revealed a few details about the upcoming wedding.

Ira Khan-Nupur Shikhare register marriage

Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare will register their marriage in Mumbai between 2-4 pm at Taj Ends in the presence of authorities. This will be followed by a grand reception at the same place, with only friends and family in attendance.

Aamir Khans Ex-Wives Kiran Rao, Reena Dutta Deck Up In Nauvari Saree For Ira-Nupurs Haldi Ceremony: VIDEO

The duo will then leave for Udaipur, Rajasthan, where a lavish wedding has been planned for January 8. Another reception will be hosted in Mumbai on Jan13,ry 13 which is expected to be star-studded as several Bollywood celebrities are invited. More details on this part are awaited.

Nikhat Khan Hegde shares some more details about the wedding

Talking to ETimes, Ira's aunt Nikhat revealed that Aamir Khan has been leaving to sing because he wants to perform at his daughter's sangeet. Pinkvilla quoted her as saying, "It will be a more casual sangeet; we will be playing dhol and singing all wedding songs."

"Aamir is learning to sing as well. However, for the wedding songs, it is only the ladies who will be performing. Our family from Banaras, Lucknow and Delhi have come. Reena's side family has come down from Delhi and Punjab."

Earlier, Ira revealed why she wanted to get married on January 3. "We know that we want to get married on January 3, but which year... we haven't decided on that. January 3 is very special for us as that's the date when we first kissed."

Aamir Khan's Daughter Ira-Nupur Shikhare Pre-Wedding Festivities Begin In Full Swing; Step-Mom Kiran Rao Joins
Shreyas Talpade about his heart attack: Actor Shreyas Talpade recently experienced a health scare after suffering a heart attack on December 14, 2023, following wrapping up the shoot of his upcoming film, Welcome To The Jungle.

He underwent angioplasty, and now the actor has returned home safe and spoke about the harrowing experience he had when he was taken to the hospital post-attack.

Stating that he had never been hospitalised in his life, Shreyas said that he felt breathless and that the health emergency made him realise that 'health is wealth.'

Shreyas opens up about his heart attack

Speaking to The Times of India in an interview, Shreyas Talpade shared that he experienced pain in his left arm after the film's shoot. His condition got worse after he reached home, and his wife, Deepti, rushed him to the hospital.

Shreyas Talpade Suffers Heart Attack At The Age Of 47; Receives Angioplasty Treatment

The actor, who is recovering at home, mentioned that his family has a history of heart ailments. The 47-year-old star revealed that he has been working consistently since the age of 20 and lately has been feeling 'extremely fatigued' because of his hectic work schedule.

He said, "I was working nonstop, I thought I was just a little exhausted which is normal. I loved what I was doing so I kept going. Of course, I got myself checked. I got an ECG, 2D Echo, sonography and blood tests done. My cholesterol was high, and I was taking medication for that. I've had a family history of heart ailments, which is why I was taking precautions. 'I had never experienced this kind of fatigue."

Further, elaborating on what happened on the day of acute cardiac arrest, the Golmaal actor stated that he was shooting for Ahmed Khan's Welcome To The Jungle and was doing army training sequences when suddenly, after the last shot, he felt breathlessness. He added, "I could barely walk to my vanity van and change my clothes. I thought it was a muscle pull since we were shooting action sequences."

Shreayas then said that he passed out in his car when his wife, Deepti, was taking him to the hospital. The actor stated, "Deepti couldn't get out of the car from her side of the door as we were stuck in traffic, so she climbed over me and got to the other side to call for help. A few people came to our rescue and rushed me inside. The doctors did CPR, electrical shock, that's how they revived me."

During the conversation, Shreyas urged people to not take their health for granted and regularly get checked by a doctor. He also revealed that he doesn't smoke and follows a healthy lifestyle.

Entertainment Highlights: Actor Shreyas Talpade's Condition Stable; SRK Visits Shirdi Ahead Of Dunki Release

"This is my second chance at life! I cannot tell you how thankful I am to everyone who played a role in saving my life. And, of course, my superwoman wife, who did everything she could in her capacity to save me. She is the reason we are talking today," he concluded.
Mumbai, 3 January 2024- Amazon miniTV, Amazon's free video streaming service, recently premiered a captivating drama series called Dehati Ladke. This eight-episode series is a slice-of-life drama that follows the journey of a small-town boy named Rajat who moves to the bustling city of Lucknow to pursue his academic aspirations. After enrolling at Lucknow University, he carries the weight of his family's and village's expectations of excelling in administrative competitive tests, which clash with his newfound temptations of city and college life. The series stars Shine Pandey, Raghav Sharma, Tanish Neeraj, Saamya Jainn, Aasif Khan, and Kusha Kapila in pivotal roles. In Dehati Ladke, Kusha plays the role of Chhaya, a professor at Rajat's university.

Recently, Kusha Kapila reminisced about her college life and shared, "My experience in college was truly remarkable. Initially, I pursued my English honors at IP College for Women, which is affiliated with Delhi University. Subsequently, I enrolled in NIFT to pursue a bachelor's degree in Leather Design. Undoubtedly, the most enriching part of my college journey was the knowledge and skills I acquired there. During my time at Delhi University, I actively participated in drama and dramatics, which profoundly impacted my personal growth. It taught me the importance of friendship and love".

She further added, "And I feel like that is a cocktail experience of being a young person in a university. I had all of that. So, my college experience was very similar. Because I was going through a very protective environment, a very open cultural shift. And I've always been a city girl. I went from one city to another. So, I didn't feel the culture shock after coming from a small town. But yes, I was suddenly independent. I could make adult choices; it was just fantastic".

To relieve your college nostalgia, watch Dehati Ladke free on Amazon miniTV, it is also available on Amazon's shopping app, on Fire TV, and on Play Store.
Ayalaan Trailer Release Date And Time: Sivakarthikeyan is set to return to the big screen with the highly anticipated alien sci-fi movie, 'Ayalaan.'

Captain Miller Pre-Release Event Date And Time: Details Revealed For Dhanush Film's Star-Studded Event

After several delays, the film is now scheduled for a Pongal 2024 release. Simultaneously, both the Tamil and Telugu versions are slated for release on January 12th.

To keep fans engaged, the makers have consistently provided updates on 'Ayalaan.' One such update is the imminent release of the film's trailer. Presently, the creators have announced the premiere of the theatrical trailer set for Friday, January 5th.

The post-production work for 'Ayalaan' is progressing rapidly, leading to the decision to postpone the film's release to Pongal. This science fiction drama reportedly includes over 1000 VFX frames, with a central comic alien character.

Ayalaan Cast And Crew

Directed by Ravikumar, 'Ayalaan' stars Sivakarthikeyan and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles, with a talented supporting cast including Sharad Kelkar, Isha Koppikar, Bhanupriya, Yogi Babu, Karunakaran, Bala Saravanan, and more.

Vaazhai OTT Release Date And Platform: Here's When And Where To Watch Mari Selvaraj's Movie

The film is a joint production by KJR Studios and 24 AM Studios and boasts a musical score by the legendary AR Rahman, cinematography handled by Nirav Shah, and editing executed by Ruben. 'Ayalaan' is set to hit screens in multiple languages, making it accessible to a diverse audience given its broad appeal as a science fiction drama.
Bigg Boss 17 captaincy task winner: Salman Khan's reality show is inching closer towards its grand finale. Bigg Boss Season 17 has managed to capture the attention of the netizens with its drama-packed episodes, becoming the talk of the town.

ABHISHEK KUMAR-SAMARTH JUREL SLAP INCIDENT

Abhishek and Samarth engaged in a war of words after the latter continued to poke the Bekaboo actor. Isha Malviya also took digs at her former boyfriend, dragging his parents and mental health into the conversation. Things got out of control when Samarth continued to poke Abhishek and the latter lost his calm.

He slapped Samarth Jurel for his misbehaviour, leaving the other housemates shocked. Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Arun Srikanth and other contestants expressed their shock when Abhishek hit Samarth.

BIGG BOSS 17 FOURTH CAPTAINCY TASK: WHY ABHISHEK GOT EVICTED?

According to Khabri, Abhishek was removed from the task following his argument with Samarth Jurel and Isha Malviya. The two lovebirds have been targeting the Udaariyaan actor since the past few days. The slap incident involving the two boys has captured the attention of the netizens and the celebrities.

Samarth used certain words that provoked Abhishek and he got angry with her and hit the Maitree actor. Their fight made waves online as celebrities like Kamya Panjabi, Riteish Deshmukh, Rajiv Adatia expressed their displeasure over the discussion in the BB 17 house.

WHO WILL BECOME BIGG BOSS 17 NEW CAPTAIN?

Amid the hullabaloo in the Bigg Boss 17 house, fans are wondering who will be the new captain of BB 17. Can you guess which celebrity has won the captaincy task?

If the recent buzz is to be believed, Ankita Lokhande has become the new captain of Bigg Boss 17 house. She has emerged as the fourth captain of the show. Before her, Aoora, Isha Malviya and Munawar Faruqui clinched captaincy and got immunity from the nomination process.
Bigg Boss 17 has entered its 12th week, witnessing numerous twists and turns in its dynamics. In the latest episode, Munawar Faruqui remained at the forefront, earning accolades from viewers, fans, and fellow housemates. Vicky Jain, is is also one of thr strongest players in the show has praised Munawar's humble nature. Although Vicky and Munawar have had their share of differences, Vicky Jain has states that Munawar is humble and never takes his fan following for granted.

In a recent statement, Vicky Jain shared his thoughts on Munawar's nature, stating, "Munawar followers ke nahi hai? Cult followers hai uske , pyaar karte hai usko. Do hafte se uski problem chal rahi hai,Toh uska sir sirf jhuka hua hai, ye nahi ke ..toh?, dekhlenege trophy kon lekar jayega".

Amidst the prevailing negativity, Munawar Faruqui's gameplay has notably risen, elevating his standing within the show. A significant factor contributing to this upward trajectory has been the overwhelming support he's garnered from both his fan base and industry colleagues. Munawar's authenticity and unassuming demeanor haven't just distinguished him but also solidified his position as a sincere contender vying for the esteemed title of the show.
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Best Animated Movies of India

Today India is continuously moving forward on the path of progress and it can be easily observed from the Indian film industry, where today many best quality animation movies are seen. Where at some point in time small VFX and animation work seemed to be impossible in India but today the film industries in India work on high-level VFX and animation and here we have mentioned examples of some such excellent animation movies in this list.

Road Side Romeo This film was released in 2008, It was a 3D computer-animated musical romantic comedy film. Its writer and director was Jugal Hansraj and it was produced by Yash Raj Films. It was the best-animated movie of its time in which Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor had given voice and this movie was liked a lot by the public.



Toonpur Ka Superrhero The 2010 film was a live-action animated comedy film written by Raagii Bhatnagar and directed by Kireet Khurana and the producer of this film was Kumar Mangat Pathak. The main actors in the film were Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Sanjay Mishra, Tanuja, and Mukesh Tiwari. In this film, an attempt has been made to show animation and the real world together, which was a different concept.

Read More

Pangaa Gang Read More

Main Krishna Hoon Main Krishna Hoon is an animation movie based on the tales of Lord Krishna.The movie start with One stormy night, Kantaben who runs an orphanage in a little ... Read More

Bal Ganesh 2 Bal Ganesh 2 is the sequel to 2007 animated movie Bal Ganesh. The Elephant god loved, adored and worshipped by millions worldwide, who is considered as the God ... Read More

My Friend Ganesha 3 Read More

Hanuman When Hanuman was born to Anjani a female Apsara and Kesari, by the blessings of Vayu-Dev, the Wind God. Hanuman, who is the 11th rudra avatar of supreme being ... Read More

Return Of Hanuman The 2007 animated action-adventure film Return of Hanuman was written and directed by Anurag Kashyap. This film was the sequel to the 2005 Hanuman which was made on the issue of global warming and people loved this picture very much.



Chhota Bheem and the Throne of Bali Chhota Bheem and the Throne of Bali is an animated movie popularity amongst kids.On an invitation from the King of Bali, Bheem and his friends head to ... Read More

Ghatothkach Read More

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LONDON, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Argenbright Group is adding to its ASEL senior leadership as part of its growing vision for the security and risk management company. ASEL welcomes Dan Hardy as its Group Managing Director, Brendan Musgrove as Chief Operating Officer for Manned Guarding, and Martin Smethurst as its new Chief Customer Officer.

Dan Hardy is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in the security industry. He joins ASEL from TUI Group, where he was the Group Head of Global Security. Previously, he was the Managing Director and Group Strategy Director for Amberstone, a portfolio company of ASEL. Before his corporate roles - Hardy had a distinguished career in law enforcement.

Martin Smethurst brings a wealth of knowledge as Chief Customer Officer, with an impressive sales career spanning 33 years at companies like Oracle, Cisco and Trax. Also joining the leadership team as ASEL's Chief Operating Officer for Manned Guarding is Brendan Musgrove, who has several years of experience managing security operations at Total Security Services Ltd. and Cordant Services.

Ernie Patterson, Chairman of International Business for Argenbright Group: "We are delighted to welcome Dan, Martin, and Brendan to our leadership team at ASEL. They are proven leaders who successfully deliver results across multiple industries and companies. As we reinforce our customer-oriented approach, we are confident this is the right team to lead our company towards greater success and growth."

ASEL's recent CEO, Jason Trigg, departed the company at the end of 2023. Trigg was a visionary leader for the organization, guiding it from inception to growth over the last five years.

Frank Argenbright, Executive Chairman, Argenbright Group: "Jason led the team through the acquisition of Amberstone and played a key role in establishing ASEL. I wish him well and look forward to welcoming Dan back and working with him, Martin and Brendan on the next chapter for ASEL."

ASEL is a leading provider of security services, operating across the UK and Europe and offering a range of customer-focused and technology-led security solutions for various sectors and industries.

The Argenbright Group is a privately held family of companies that provides tech-enabled solutions to various industries, including aviation services, facilities management, and commercial and government security. Argenbright Group was founded in 1979 by Atlanta-based entrepreneur Frank A. Argenbright, Jr., and has grown to a $1.4 billion global operation with presence across the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Europe. The Argenbright portfolio includes Velociti Services, Unifi Aviation, and Argenbright Security Europe Limited (ASEL) among others.

CONTACT: MediaRelations@unifiservice.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2072844/Argenbright_Group_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/argenbright-security-europe-limited-expands-leadership-team-as-company-experiences-growth-302025056.html
Oscillate Plc - General, Corporate and Website Update

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 03

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014, AS AMENDED. ON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Oscillate Plc

AQSE: MUSH

("Oscillate" or the "Company")

GENERAL, CORPORATE AND WEBSITE UPDATE

The Company is pleased to provide a corporate update. With Steve Xerri's appointment as Executive Director approximately 7 weeks ago, the Board has stopped Directors payments of salaries and is instead accruing fees, which will be taken as shares or options in the Company. This is intended to align the Boards interests to Shareholders of the Company. All the Directors have further committed to the Company having purchased ordinary shares in the open market. These purchases are reflected in announcements of 6, 13 and 19 December 2023.

The Company has reviewed and implemented a new website https://oscillateplc.com. The Company has implemented higher levels of resilience by choosing a different hosting agent. The website no longer requires external suppliers, therefore reducing costs, and the website can now be updated internally. This is part of the Executive Director's remit, whilst not distracting from other commercial areas of service to the Company.



All non-essential service providers and provisions have also been cut with a view to saving Company funds for transactional purposes.



As noted in our last financial statement, the Company sits in a strong financial position, with some minor investments which can be liquidated. We also have a very significant position in Psych Capital Plc, which we expect will develop operationally in 2024.

Finally, the Company has taken a proactive approach to the treasury management of the Company's finances so that the Company is sustainable as a business. A large portion of the Company's cash has been put on an attractive 35-day notice, interest bearing banking facility, which the Board feels will not compromise any opportunities or deals that the Company expects to see. The high street rates of interest have allowed the Company to cover corporate overheads and Shareholders will see the benefits appearing in the Company financial statements. The Board believes this is significant and while the Bank of England's published rates are not guaranteed to remain at current levels, however, it will clearly assist in maintaining our cash pending a deal being found for the Company.



Steve Xerri, Executive Director, added: "To this end, my initial tasks of a full business review is completed. I will now turn my attention to growth, and how the Board can develop, unlock and maximise the value which is sat within our business. We are really set for a successful future and I have every intention of delivering success to the best of my ability.

I really cannot communicate enough to Shareholders how committed I am to making a change at Oscillate, I have the support of fellow Directors, advisors providing guidance and a determination to ensure that we can gain every advantage that our situation provides us. I look forward to updating Shareholders and I wish you a Happy New Year."

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

Enquiries

Company:

John Treacy

ir@oscillateplc.com

https://oscillateplc.com

Corporate Adviser:

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Guy Miller & Heena Karani

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7220 9796
As the Exclusive Technology Sponsor for the Future Minerals Forum, Ivanhoe Electric will have its Powerful Typhoon Geophysical Surveying System on Display

PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Ivanhoe Electric Inc. ("Ivanhoe Electric") (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) is pleased to announce that Mr. Robert Friedland, Executive Chairman of Ivanhoe Electric Inc., will deliver a keynote presentation at the Future Minerals Forum titled "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...Mining with a Greater Purpose and Powering Great Ideas", on January 10th at 12:40 p.m. local time.

President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin will participate in a panel discussion titled "Navigating a complex future. Building a robust and resilient mineral supply roadmap", on January 10th at 4:15 p.m. local time.

The Future Minerals Forum will take place at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 10th and 11th, 2024.

Mr. Friedland and Mr. Melvin join a prestigious group of speakers, including:

H.E. Yasir AI-Rumayyan

Governor Mining Public Investment Fund (PIF) H.E. Yousef Al Benyan

Minister of Education, Saudi Arabia H.E. Saleh Al Jasser

Minister, Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, Saudi Arabia H.E. Mohammed Al Jadaan

Minister of Finance, Saudi Arabia H.E. Paul Kabuswe

Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Zambia H.E. Dele Alake

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Nigeria Hon. Samuel Jinapor

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu

Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda Robert Wilt

Chief Executive Officer, Ma'aden Marna Cloete

President, Ivanhoe Mines Eduardo Bartolomeo

Chief Executive Officer, Vale Mark Cutifani

Chairman, Vale Base Metals Stuart Chambers

Chairman, Anglo American Jeremy Weir

Chief Executive Officer, Trafigura Mark Bristow

President and Chief Executive Officer, Barrick Gold William Oplinger

Chief Executive Officer, Alcoa

For the full list of speakers, please visit: https://www.futuremineralsforum.com/conference-speakers/

Typhoon to be on Display at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in January 2024

As the exclusive Technology Sponsor of the 2024 Future Minerals Forum, Ivanhoe Electric is proud to announce that its Typhoon geophysical surveying system will be on display during the Forum. Ivanhoe Electric's booth will be located outside the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center at stand M05.

Following the conference, this TyphoonTM unit will be deployed to support the exploration activities of our joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden on the Al Amar Belt in Saudi Arabia.

As announced in November 2023, Ivanhoe Electric and Ma'aden have commenced exploration activities in Saudi Arabia. The strategic 50/50 joint venture will have exclusive access to approximately 48,500 km2 of land in the underexplored Arabian Shield to explore for copper, gold, silver and other metals in support of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.

About the Future Minerals Forum

Convened by Saudi Arabia, the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) is a platform designed to enable the creation of resilient mineral value chains in the vast resource-rich super region of Africa, Western and Central Asia.

Saudi Arabia has all the right ingredients to become a world-class minerals value chain hub for the region. Strategically located at the nexus of Asia, Africa and Europe, with well-developed infrastructure and high domestic demand, the Kingdom has the vision and commitment to develop its mining sector and offers a well-developed economy with high levels of growth and security.

Comprising three main components, the Ministerial Roundtable, Conference, and International Exhibition, the Future Minerals Forum serves as a platform where government ministers, global mining CEOs and stakeholders from the region and all over the world can come together and turn talk into action.

The inaugural FMF was held in January 2022, attracting more than 140 senior speakers from all over the world. In 2023, FMF attracted 249 speakers who delved deeper into the key issues facing the region and its minerals sector and identified areas for action. For more information please visit: www.futuremineralsforum.com.

About Ivanhoe Electric

We are a U.S. company that combines advanced mineral exploration technologies with electric metals exploration projects predominantly located in the United States. We use our accurate and powerful Typhoon geophysical surveying system, together with advanced data analytics provided by our subsidiary, Computational Geosciences Inc., to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as we seek to discover new deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. We believe the United States is significantly underexplored and has the potential to yield major new discoveries of critical metals. Our mineral exploration efforts focus on copper as well as other metals including nickel, vanadium, cobalt, platinum group elements, gold and silver. Through the advancement of our portfolio of electric metals exploration projects, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as other exploration projects in the United States, we intend to support United States supply chain independence by finding and delivering the critical metals necessary for the electrification of the economy. We also operate a 50/50 joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden to explore for minerals on ~48,500 km2 of underexplored Arabian Shield in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Website: www.ivanhoeelectric.com.

Contact Information

Investors: Valerie Kimball, Director, Investor Relations 720-933-1150

Follow us on X

Ivanhoe Electric's Executive Chairman Robert Friedland: @robert_ivanhoe

Ivanhoe Electric: @ivanhoeelectric

Ivanhoe Electric's investor relations website located at www.ivanhoeelectric.com should be considered Ivanhoe Electric's recognized distribution channel for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation FD.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Biometrics to eliminate fraud and guarantee test validity in the examination and accreditation market

LONDON, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PeopleCert, the global leader in the certification industry, has incorporated Knomi from Aware, Inc. into its exams to boost security and prevent fraudulent test-taking across its language certifications.

By incorporating Aware's Knomi solution into PeopleCert's Know Your Customer (KYC) identity validation process which combines document (ID) verification with face and voice biometrics, PeopleCert has further bolstered its security defences. KYC helps deter and prevent people from using fake and proxy identities during test events.

"Unfortunately, it can be far too easy for an expert test-taker to sit in and take an exam for someone else, which is a deceitful and illegal practice known as 'proxy testing,'" says Craig Herman, CRO, Aware, Inc. "The use of proxy testing has increased due to online exams, e-learning and online certifications which in turn, causes the risk to increase. This problem, whether online or in-person, can seriously impact test validity. If not stopped, it means someone can pass a test without having the requisite skills, knowledge and experience - which in the worst case scenario can be very dangerous."

PeopleCert delivers millions of exams in over 200 countries and territories, including business, IT and language exams. PeopleCert has integrated Aware's Knomi mobile biometric authentication framework as part of its KYC identity verification process for individuals who intend to take an online proctored exam.

"Biometric authentication is an unsurpassed measure to prevent and catch proxy testing in several ways," says Suzy Gunn, Chief Operating Officer for PeopleCert. "Biometric data can be gathered upon registration and checked as part of the exam onboarding and exam delivery. Or, biometrics can be used to crossmatch a test taker to their identity document, ensuring the person sitting the test is the legitimate test-taker. The technology can also assist in flagging the presence of a single proxy test taker who may be taking multiple exams or pretending to be different people. Security within exams is of paramount importance to PeopleCert and is a collaborative effort involving technology, processes, human expertise, and judgement. Biometric authentication is one of many steps and tools that PeopleCert use to maintain security, trust, and credibility."

PeopleCert's exams are taken by over 500,000 professionals annually, and its language tests are accepted by more than 2,000 institutions and organisations worldwide. Preventing proxy testing is crucial to maintaining the integrity and validity of these high-stakes certification tests.

About PeopleCert:

PeopleCert is the global leader in the certification industry. Our certifications are delivered across 200+ countries to 50,000 corporations (82% of Fortune 500) and 800 government organisations, through an extensive network of accredited training organizations and our award-winning online proctoring solution.

With a focus on innovation, security, and customer experience, PeopleCert emboldens people and organisations to achieve what they are capable of and realize their life ambitions through learning.

Our product portfolio includes global best practice frameworks and certifications, including ITIL and DevOps Institute for IT & Digital Transformation, and PRINCE2 for Project, Programme & Portfolio Management, as well as language qualifications in English, Spanish and Classical Greek through LanguageCert.

About Aware:

Aware is a global authentication company that validates and secures identities using leading-edge adaptive biometrics. Aware's offerings address the growing challenges government and commercial enterprises face in knowing, authenticating and securing individuals through frictionless and highly secure user experiences. Now celebrating the company's 30th anniversary as a leader in biometrics, Aware's algorithms are based on diverse data sets from around the world and can be tailored to the unique security needs of its customers. The company empowers users to control identities through clear, easy opt-in and opt-out features, helping them feel secure and improving their lives. Aware is a publicly held company (NASDAQ: AWRE) based in Burlington, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit https://www.aware.com or follow Aware on Twitter @AwareBiometrics.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/peoplecert-chooses-awares-knomi-to-prevent-proxy-testing-302025303.html
SHENZHEN, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / TerraMaster, a professional brand focused on providing innovative storage products for homes and businesses, recently introduced the 424 series, a new upgrade of 423 series.

The brand-new 424 series adopts the Intel 12th Generation CPU Alder Lake N95, 8GB DDR5 memory, two 2.5GB network ports, two M.2 NVMe sockets, and adds a USB Type-C host interface and a USB Type A interface, achieving a 40% improvement in overall performance compared to the previous generation.

It's worth mentioning that a more powerful version, the 424 Pro, has also been launched, equipped with an Intel Core i3 CPU and up to 32GB DDR5 memory, catering to the needs of individuals and business users who demand higher performance. The 424 series will come with the new generation TOS 5.1 operating system and can be smoothly upgraded to the TerraMaster TOS 6 operating system in the future.

F4-424 Pro Key Features

Peak Performance 4-Bay NAS

Core i3 8-core 8-thread CPU at 3.8GHz (turbo), integrated UHD GPU at 1.25GHz, 32GB DDR5 4800MHz memory (non-ECC, non-upgradable), dual 2.5G Ethernet ports, and dual M.2 NVMe slots for SSD caching. An ideal peak performance NAS storage solution for small and medium-sized business users.

Faster Application Response

Equipped with a robust CPU and DDR5 memory, achieves a remarkable 150% performance boost over its predecessor. Experience 100% faster application load times, a 45% increase in file and photo retrieval speed, a 55% improvement in database response speed, and a outstanding 65% faster PHP response for web pages. Elevate your workflow efficiency with seamless high-load performance.

Higher Transmission Speed

Features dual 2.5 GbE interfaces and can achieve a linear data transmission speed of 283 MB/s (tested with NAS dedicated HDDs 18TB x 4, RAID 0), Link Aggregation offers a network bandwidth up to 5 Gb, ideal for multi-user and high-concurrent file access. Featuring dual USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps interfaces, data transfer between your NAS and external devices is made swift.

Latest TOS System and Virtualized Applications

TNAS runs on TOS 5 and the coming TOS 6 system which integrates all-round professional storage management functions including network management, permission management, storage management, and resource monitoring via user-friendly, intuitive, and flat web interfaces.

The F4-424 Pro satisfies virtualized application needs and provides additional functionality within one device with the use of professional virtualized apps, including VirtualBox and Docker, and by cooperating with Docker-compose and Portainer. This lowers the cost of corporate investment in IT.

Rich Backup Solutions

Centralized Backup, Duple Backup, Snapshot, CloudSync, TFM Backup, and more enhance the security of your data with multiple backup applications. And the F4-424 Pro supports various RAID types, including RAID 0/1/5/6/10/JBOD/Single, and TRAID.

Easy M.2 SSD Installation

To facilitate the installation of M.2 SSDs, TerraMaster has specially designed a side sliding cover for the F4-424 Pro chassis, which is simply pushed aside to install M.2 SSDs. TerraMaster also provides hand-tightened screws, making it easy to install an SSD within 5 seconds.

Less Noise

The F4-424 Pro adopts TerraMaster new structure which besides incorporating additional shock-absorbing measures, TerraMaster's engineers have designed numerous special sound-absorbing panels in the new structure to minimize noise which is 50% lower than the previous generations, with a noise level in standby mode of only 21dB(A)!

In addition to the F4-424 Pro, the 424 series includes another 2 models: F2-424 (2-bay) and F4-424 (4-bay), catering to the demands of home users, SOHO, and small businesses for high-performance NAS.

The F4-424 Pro and F4-424 are already available in United States and select European markets, and will be generally available in other markets soon.

For more details:

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro:

https://www.terra-master.com/global/products/homesoho-nas/f4-424-pro.html

Amazon Links

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPPD51B9

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPPFRXWQ

About TerraMaster

TerraMaster is a professional brand that focuses on providing innovative storage products, including network attached storage and direct attached storage that has become increasingly popular in over 40 countries and regions. The brand has been developing storage technology for 10 years, addressing the needs of customers such as home users, small/medium businesses, and enterprises.

Contact Information:

Mike

+86 755 81798272

Marketing Manager

marketing@terra-master.com

SOURCE: TerraMaster

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP") is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has approved the declaration of a cash dividend of $0.007 per common share, payable on January 31, 2024, to the shareholders of record as of January 17, 2024.

The dividend payments qualify as eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes. The declaration, amount and payment of future cash dividends are subject to the Board of Directors' continuing determination that the payment of dividends is in the best interests of the Company, its shareholders and is in compliance with all laws and agreements of the Company applicable to the declaration and payment of cash dividends. The ability of the Company to pay future dividends will be reviewed on a quarterly basis taking into consideration actual and forecasted cash flows and the macroeconomic outlook at that point in time.

About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc.

LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth.

For further information, please contact:

Robert Sewell

Chief Executive Officer

Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc.

investor.relations@lpcp.ca

(905) 337-2227

Cautionary Notes

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/191470

SOURCE: Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Sanu Gold Corporation (CSE: SANU) (OTCQB: SNGCF) ("Sanu Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report excellent progress on its ground geophysical surveys (the "Program") on the Company's flagship Bantabaye gold exploration permit ("Bantabaye" or the "Permit") in Guinea, West Africa. The Permit, which lies on the western margin of Guinea's prolific Siguiri Basin, is located approximately 50 kilometres ("km") south of the multi-million-ounce Lefa Gold Mine and 80 km north of the multi-million-ounce Bankan Gold Project.

Highlights:

Progress Update: The first phase of data collection is complete on the blocks covering Target 2, which returned 11.4 g/t Au1 over 15 m, including 41.2 g/t Au over 4 m.

Good Chargeability Anomaly over Target 2: Similar responses have been reported from other discoveries in Guinea, such as the Bankan Gold Project2 which contains open pit mineral resources totaling 83.6 Mt containing 4.14 Moz of gold at 1.54 g/t Au in the indicated category3 (see Figure 1).

Target 2 Anomaly Open in Both Directions: Defined chargeability anomaly open to the east and west of Target 2, with additional data collection across all targets in progress.

Drilling Planned for Q1 2024: The primary objective of this survey is to refine target definition for follow up drilling planned to commence in Q1 2024.

Martin Pawlitschek, President and CEO commented: "The first geophysical program on our flagship Bantabaye project is making excellent progress and showing positive responses at Target 2. This information will allow us to map out the strike and geometry of this high priority target. Within the region, induced polarization has proven to be a particularly effective geophysical tool in the discovery and delineation of gold mineralization. The results from this program are being integrated into our database and are being used to guide follow up drilling planned to start in the later part of Q1 2024."





Figure 1: Map A: Bantabaye North Target 2 chargeability map with surface gold geochemistry points, drill holes and key structures. Orange, red and pink colors indicate zones of elevated chargeability readings. Map B: Bankan Gold Project chargeability map (Source: ASX listed Predictive Discovery Limited News Release 30 November 2022) from. Note maps are at different scales; similarities in geophysical responses while useful for selection and prioritization of drill targets, are no guarantee for finding similar mineralization with additional drilling.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8941/192979_e9b338f4c40b083c_001full.jpg

Program Summary

The Program is being conducted by an experienced team of geophysical service specialists from SAGAX AFRIQUE of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and is planned to include induced polarization ("IP") and ground magnetics ("Ground Mag") over the key gold anomalies and structures identified by termite mound sampling, auger drilling and initial reverse circulation ("RC") drilling in Bantabaye North.

The Program consists of north-south oriented lines, with up to 90 line km of Gradient Array IP/Resistivity, up to nine line km of Pole-Dipole Array IP/Resistivity and up to 90 line km of Ground Mag planned. The Company is considering allocating some of the IP lines to one of the larger targets on Bantabaye South.

The Company and its consultants will continue to review the data as it is collected and make modifications to the planned Program parameters in the field as required. It is anticipated that the data collection part of the survey will take another four weeks to complete.

Preliminary Results

The Company received results from the first two blocks of data acquisition, covering about 20% of the survey area, including Target 2 which yielded 11.4 g/t Au over 15 m, including 41.2 g/t Au over 4 m from initial reverse circulation ("RC") drilling in H1 2023. Significantly, the mineralized areas as identified from the initial drilling correlate well with a zone of high chargeability. This area of elevated chargeability continues for at least 300 m to the west of the area drilled and can be traced for a similar distance to the east, where it is also overlain by elevated surface gold geochemical anomalies. The trend of high chargeability is closely associated with a resistivity high, again indicating similar geophysical response to the Bankan Gold Project.

The reader should note that similarities in geology, geophysics and geochemistry noted from other projects, while encouraging and helpful to direct next steps, do not guarantee that similar mineralization will be encountered by further drilling on the Company's projects.

Next Steps

The Program continues to progress, and the Company will review results as they become available and potentially modify survey design accordingly. Upon completion of the first phase of geophysical data collection (Gradient Array IP), a ground magnetic survey will be completed to cover the area. The final steps may include completion of select lines of Pole-Dipole IP, which will allow deeper data collection from the main target areas.

On completion of the Program, processing and interpretation will be required to fully integrate all data prior drill planning.

Renewal Report Submitted

The Company submitted the reports for renewal of Bantabaye as required by Guinean mining regulations. This may require and cause up to a 50% reduction of the surface area in accordance with the mining regulations. Area reductions are in the process of being finalized with the relevant authorities. The Company has confirmed that once the Permit reduction has been finalized, all targets on Bantabaye North will be retained, as well as the key targets on Bantabaye South.

Renewal reports are also being prepared for the Diguifara and Daina Gold Exploration Permits and are scheduled to be submitted in Q1 2024.

Corporate Update

The Company also announces that Mr. Vince Sorace has resigned as a Director and Executive Chairman of Sanu Gold, effective immediately, to focus on his other professional commitments. The Company would like to thank Mr. Sorace for his contributions since its founding, wishes him well in his future business endeavours, and looks forward to his continued support as a shareholder.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Serigne Dieng, Ph.D., M.Sc., a Member (MAIG) of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), Exploration Manager of the Company and a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The scientific and technical information regarding geophysical data contained in this press release has also been reviewed and approved by Todd Ballantyne, P. Geo., Principal Geophysicist at in3D Geoscience Inc. ("in3D"). Mr. Ballantyne and in3D are independent of the Company and Mr. Ballantyne is a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Sanu Gold

Sanu Gold is a publicly traded exploration company focused on a portfolio of highly prospective gold projects in Guinea, West Africa's Siguiri Basin.

West Africa is the number one gold mining region in the world and Guinea's Siguiri Basin is a prolific, yet underexplored part of this region. Despite being home to both long-lived multi-million-ounce gold mines and recently commissioned gold mines, Guinea's Siguiri Basin continues to produce important new gold discoveries.

Sanu Gold has defined multi-kilometer long gold-bearing structures on each of its three exploration permits and is targeting near-surface multi-million-ounce gold discoveries. Initial drill programs on the first two permits drilled have yielded high-grade gold discoveries. The company is operated by a highly experienced team, with successful records of discovery, resource development and mine permitting across West Africa.

Martin Pawlitschek

President & CEO, Sanu Gold Corp.

For further information regarding Sanu Gold, please visit the Company's website at www.sanugoldcorp.com or contact:

Fiona Childe, Ph.D. P.Geo.

VP, Corporate Development & Communications

Sanu Gold Corp.

+1 647-473-7268

info@sanugoldcorp.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicates", "opportunity", "possible" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Sanu Gold believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's plans for exploration on its properties and ability to execute on plans, ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, ability to maintain its material property agreements, mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop its projects; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associated with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of gold and other metals, changes in general economic conditions and local risks in the jurisdiction (Guinea) in which it operates, including local mining regulations and surface area reductions of permit areas, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the potential for new discoveries, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company's plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, dependence on key management personnel and general competition in the mining industry. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

1 grams of gold per tonne ("g/t Au"); metres ("m"); the Company does not have sufficient information to make a determination of the true widths of the drill hole intersections; see Sanu Gold news releases dated May 17 and July 27, 2023 for additional information.

2 ASX-listed Predictive Discovery Limited News Release dated November 30, 2022.

3 million tonnes ("Mt"), million ounces ("Moz"); ASX-listed Predictive Discovery Limited News Release dated August 7, 2023; mineralization hosted on nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/192979

SOURCE: Sanu Gold Corp.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - CubicFarm Systems Corp. (TSXV: CUB) ("CubicFarms" or the "Company"), a leading agricultural technology company, announced that its ruminant livestock feed subsidiary company, HydroGreen Inc. ("HydroGreen"), has closed an initial sale to a leading agricultural company based in Dublin, Ireland. In this transaction, one HydroGreen GLS 808 machine has been sold with an agreement for HydroGreen to supply an additional four GLS 808 machines for a future sale to facilitate a feed center in Dublin.

This sale marks a significant development for HydroGreen in its efforts to extend its market reach internationally, with an immediate emphasis on the European Union. The EU has established a framework aimed at enhancing agricultural practices supported by strategic investment initiatives and government subsidies. These initiatives are geared towards the adoption of innovative technologies and equipment in agriculture. This approach is facilitating a shift towards more efficient and sustainable methods in the EU's dairy and agriculture sectors. HydroGreen's involvement in this market is part of this broader trend towards modernization and sustainability in agricultural practices.

"We're excited to announce our first foray into the Irish market with a meaningful partnership, particularly in a country that values food safety, animal well-being, and environmental sustainability," says HydroGreen President, John de Jonge. "With our Irish partner's commitment to becoming a leader in sustainable food systems, our technology has a pivotal role to play."

This deal lays the groundwork for future expansion into Ireland and the United Kingdom, facilitated through a partnership with a private company. This collaboration is particularly notable as it will include research and development trials conducted in association with local state agencies and universities. These trials aim to further innovate and adapt HydroGreen's technology to meet specific regional agricultural needs, emphasizing our commitment to sustainable farming practices and cutting-edge agricultural technology.

As part of HydroGreen's strategic vision, the company is equally focused on its domestic initiatives, which involve constructing feed hub facilities in the US to distribute harvested feed by the ton to surrounding dairy farmers.

Contact info@cubicfarms.com for media or investors@cubicfarms.com for investor inquiries. Contact HGInfo@hydrogreenglobal.com to reach HydroGreen's Producer Education Team.

Forward-looking and other cautionary statements

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to: the estimated harvesting capabilities of the machines, nutritional benefits of feed produced by the machines and quality of the feed in general. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "can", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.

These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.

About HydroGreen

HydroGreen produces Automated Vertical Pastures, a type of smart farming equipment that uses a unique process to sprout grains such as wheat and barley, in a controlled growing environment to efficiently produce a high-performance feed ingredient for livestock 365 days a year. HydroGreen's equipment is simple and easy to operate and performs all growing functions automatically, including seeding, watering, lighting, harvesting, and re-seeding, which allows livestock businesses to feed consistent nutrition every day with minimal labour. When balanced correctly in the ration, HydroGreen sprouted grain modifies animal digestion which enhances productivity and reduces the amount of enteric methane emitted in ruminant livestock. The result also enables environmental benefits to the farm while helping to meet increasing demand for valuable farm-based inset and offset carbon credits. For more information, please visit www.hydrogreenglobal.com.

About CubicFarms

CubicFarms is a leading local chain agricultural technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary ag-tech solutions enable growers to produce high quality, predictable produce and fresh livestock feed with HydroGreen Nutrition Technology, a subsidiary of CubicFarm Systems Corp. The CubicFarms system contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops on-site, indoors, all year round. CubicFarms provides an efficient, localized food supply solution that benefits our people, planet, and economy. For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193016

SOURCE: CubicFarm Systems Corp.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Tego Cyber Inc. (OTC PINK:TGCB), a cybersecurity company focused on developing innovative cyber threat intelligence and autonomous correlation and threat hunting tools, today announced that Robert E. Mikkelsen has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Shannon Wilkinson who has transitioned into the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). All appointments are effective immediately.

"As we enter the next phase of the Tego journey, we felt that now was the right time for a change with our management team," stated Michael De Valera, Chairman of the Board of Tego Cyber Inc. "We are excited to have Bobby take over as interim CEO. We feel strongly that he is the person for that position at this pivotal time, he has the skill set to execute our vision and well-positioned to continue advancing our business model with the Board's support and oversight while allowing Shannon to focus on product support and development," continued Mr. De Valera.

Shannon Wilkinson added, "Bobby's appointment as CEO will allow me to devote my time and energy to ongoing product support, new product development and assist with technical support for our channel partners with the end goal to enhance the value of our current applications, bring new products to market, and grow the channel partner distribution."

"Tego helps its customers find the bad guys faster with its software and data integrations. I am honored and excited to expand my role within the organization at this critical time, "stated Mikkelsen. "As we look to expand on our current and developing strategic partnerships, we have our eyes set on expanding revenue and getting to profitability as soon as possible. Stay tuned as we will be communicating additional exciting news in the coming weeks."

Mr. Mikkelsen brings a diverse perspective to Tego, combining seasoned experience in finance and accounting, strategy leadership and investor relations. As a C-Level executive and business advisor, for nearly 20 years, he has been instrumental in developing accounting systems and controls for complex organizations, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, and fundraising, with total transactions valued over $100 million. Mr. Mikkelsen received his bachelor's degree in accounting in 2004 from the Eller College of Business, University of Arizona. After graduating, Mr. Mikkelsen went on to work as an auditor for Henry & Horne, LLP in Arizona. Mr. Mikkelsen's career in public accounting included working with a client base which was diverse in size and sector, revenue ranging from $100 thousand to $1 billion annually including those in the health care, pharmaceutical and tech sectors. Mr. Mikkelsen has also served as the Chief Financial Officer for Item Nine Labs Corp ("INLB") from October 2018 through July 2023.

About Tego Cyber Inc.

Tego Cyber Inc. (OTC PINK: TGCB) was founded to mitigate the disparity in the rapidly evolving cyber threat hunting, correlation, and threat intelligence market. The Company is focused on developing solutions for threat intelligence and autonomous threat hunting/correlation. Tego's curated threat intelligence feed not only contains a comprehensive list of indicators of compromise, but also provides additional context including specific details needed to counteract threats so that security teams can spend less time searching for disjointed indicators of compromise. Tego's threat correlation engine integrates with top security and data lake platforms to proactively identify threats. The Tego threat correlation engine allows security teams to find threats faster using curated data feeds, powerful and low latency searches across large disparate data sets, and user-friendly visualizations that help reduce the time to detection and response. For more information, please visit https://tegocyber.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release, those which are not purely historical or which depend upon future events, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements regarding the Company's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future constitute forward-looking statements. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. Prospective investors should also consult the risks factors described from time to time in the Company's Reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and Annual Reports to Shareholders.

Contact:

Tego Cyber Inc.

8565 S Eastern Avenue, Suite 150

Las Vegas, Nevada 89123

USA

Tel: 855-939-0100 (North America)

Tel: +1 725-726-7840 (International)

Email: info@tegocyber.com

Web: tegocyber.com

Facebook: facebook.com/tegocyber

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/tegocyber

Twitter: twitter.com/tegocyber

SOURCE: Tego Cyber Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Iconic American pizza brand's growth marks significant milestone in Middle East's culinary landscape

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Pizza Inn today announced a major franchise agreement with Blessings Basket Company for Serving Food to substantially expand its footprint in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 50-unit deal will kick off with the opening of the first two locations in January 2024.

Pizza Inn logo

Pizza Inn logo

This expansion marks another significant milestone in Pizza Inn's international growth strategy. With more than 110 restaurants in the United States and 19 in international markets, Pizza Inn is one of the world's most recognized pizza brands, known for its commitment to bringing a unique blend of flavor, convenience and value to pizza lovers across the globe.

"We are excited to announce our partnership with Pizza Inn for Saudi Arabia and have full confidence that together we will further establish the brand as a household name across the kingdom," said Mohammed Al-Rubayan, CEO of Blessings Basket Company. "The team at Pizza Inn have been incredible partners throughout this process, and our shared commitment to excellence, passion for authentic pizza and dedication to creating memorable moments for our customers makes this collaboration special."

Following its first two openings, Blessing Basket Company plans to debut five additional locations each year for the next decade in cities across Saudi Arabia. The restaurants will offer Pizza Inn's signature menu of pizzas, pasta dishes, wings and famous Pizzerts.

"Partnering with Blessings Basket Company to bring Pizza Inn to an even larger audience in Saudi Arabia is a great honor," said Brandon Solano, CEO of RAVE Restaurant Group. "We are confident Blessings Basket Company will bring our brand to life as we bolster our presence in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and introduce Pizza Inn to new markets - serving up our something-for-everyone menu with the level of quality that has made us America's Hometown Pizza Buffet and a family favorite for more than 65 years."

To find the Pizza Inn nearest you, or for more information on the entire menu, visit pizzainn.com.

About Pizza Inn

Since 1958, Pizza Inn's popular pizza buffet and friendly service have solidified the brand as America's Hometown Pizza Buffet. Unlike your typical buffet, Pizza Inn built a reputation for using house-shredded 100% whole milk mozzarella cheese, fresh ingredients and house-made signature sauce. This, combined with its small-town vibe, are the hallmarks of its restaurants that feature signature pan pizzas, chocolate chip Pizzerts, pasta dishes, salads, and innovative creations that reflect today's customer cravings. The brand continues to thrive with new menu innovations, including its popular NYXL Pizza. Follow Pizza Inn on Instagram @pizzainn and to learn more about franchising opportunities, visit pizzainn.com/franchise.

About Blessings Basket Company for Serving Food

Headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Blessings Basket Company for Serving Food was established by a team of visionary entrepreneurs from The Najahat Group - which has grown steadily over the years, solidifying The Najahat Group's position as a leader in the Saudi economy. Led by CEO Mohammed Al-Rubayan and CFO Hassan Othman, Blessings Basket Company is committed to excellence and continuing a track record of success.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, our expectations for positive results from entering into this agreement with the Blessing Basket Company and expanding our business in Saudi Arabia. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, the risk that this agreement and its expected expansion of the Pizza Inn Brand internationally may not be successful or may not achieve the intended positive results for the Company, as well as risks that we have detailed in the Company's most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, particularly under the heading "Risk Factors."

# # #

SOURCE: Pizza Inn

View the original press release on newswire.com.
NuRAN signs a non-binding Mandate Letter for US$ 5M loan agreement

Strategic Investor extends Convertible Debenture

QUEBEC, QC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR)(OTCQB:NRRWF)(FSE:1RN), a leading supplier of mobile and broadband wireless infrastructure solutions, is pleased to announce that after initial discussions with a 3rd party facilitator, it has signed a non-binding Mandate Letter for US$ 5M loan agreement and provides the following financing update:

NuRAN signs a mandate letter for US $5M loan agreement.

Following the announcement of indicative terms on financing on November 16, 2023, the Company is pleased to announce that it has signed a non-binding mandate letter for a US$ 5M Senior Secured Bridge Facility ("the Facility") for (re)financing of renewable energy assets for NuRAN Wireless (Africa) Holding. The Facility will be provided subject to customary due diligence for a transaction of this type and have a 2-year tenor with bullet principal repayment at maturity. It is to be refinanced by long-term senior debt at maturity and the term can be extended by the lender or converted into other long-term debt. NuRAN and the lender have been engaged in the process leading to the signature of this non-binding mandate letter since September 2023. This has resulted in a significant amount of due diligence work already being completed including work done on prior financings. The funds can be used to refinance energy assets already on operating sites or in inventory which is estimated at over US$ 1.8M. This is in addition to the build of new sites in Cameroon and the DRC as well as the new countries.

Strategic Investor Debenture Extension.

NuRAN is also pleased to announce that it has completed negotiations for the extension of the maturity date of the Convertible Debentures entered into in July 2022. The maturity date of the Convertible Debentures has been extended to July 12, 2024 along with other terms of the original debenture which were amended. The original Debenture had an original issuance discount of 10% and this has been increased to 16% leading to a maturity value of CA$ 2,645,502. In addition, the principal amount is convertible into common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a fixed price of $0.40 at the option of the debenture holder during the term of the Convertible Debenture. Under the terms of the Convertible Debenture the principal amount is due one year from the date of closing (the "Maturity Date") and does not bear interest until the maturity date or an event of default occurs. The number and terms of warrants issued in conjunction with the original debenture, as well as all other terms of the debenture did not change. The investor remains as the exclusive transmission equipment provider for a term of the earlier of seven years or until such time as the Company completes the purchase of a committed volume of equipment for its African operations.

About NuRAN Wireless:

NuRAN Wireless is a leading rural telecommunications company that meets the growing demand for wireless network coverage in remote and rural regions around the globe. With its affordable and innovative scalable solutions of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, NuRAN Wireless offers a new possibility for more than one billion people to communicate effectively over long distances efficiently and affordably. "Bridging the Digital Divide, One Connection at a Time."

Additional Information:

For further information about NuRAN Wireless: www.nuranwireless.com

Francis Letourneau,

Director and CEO

Francis.letourneau@nuranwireless.com

Tel: (418) 264-1337

Frank Candido

Investor relations

Frank.candido@nuranwireless.com

Tel: (514) 969-5530

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "intends", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements include those relating to the signing and closing of the DFI loans, statements with respect to the number of live towers to be installed and proposed revenues over 2023, 2024 and 2025, statements with respect to financing at the NuRAN Africa intended to be complementary to the DFI loans and if completed is intended be used to accelerate growth in other markets, including recent contracts signed in Ivory Coast and Madagascar, statements with respect to the future conversion of sites in inventory to live sites as the Company secures additional financing to support the conversion, statements with respect to proposed debt settlements with management and short term and long term lenders including any potential restructuring of debt and that the execution of the loan agreement with the DFIs will propel NuRAN to build towers at an aggressive pace and fulfil our 2024 and 2025 expectation. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, such as the uncertainties regarding include risks such as the uncertainties regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and measures to prevent its spread, risks relating to NuRAN's business and the economy generally; NuRAN's ability to refinance its long term and short term debt; NuRAN's ability to adequately restructure its operations with respect to its new model of NaaS service contracts; NuRAN's ability to complete the DFI financings, our ability to collect fees from our telecommunication providers and reliance on the network of our telecommunications providers, the capacity of the Company to deliver in a technical capacity and to import inventory to Africa at a reasonable cost; NuRAN's ability to obtain project financing for the proposed site build out under its NaaS agreements with Orange, MTN and other telecommunication providers, the loss of one or more significant suppliers or a reduction in significant volume from such suppliers; NuRAN's ability to meet or exceed customers' demand and expectations; significant current competition and the introduction of new competitors or other disruptive entrants in the Company's industry; effects of the global supply shortage affecting parts needed for NuRAN's sites and site installations; NuRAN's ability to retain key employees and protect its intellectual property; compliance with local laws and regulations and ability to obtain all required permits for our operations, access to the credit and capital markets, changes in applicable telecommunications laws or regulations or changes in license and regulatory fees, downturns in customers' business cycles; and insurance prices and insurance coverage availability, the Company's ability to effectively maintain or update information and technology systems; our ability to implement and maintain measures to protect against cyberattacks and comply with applicable privacy and data security requirements; the Company's ability to successfully implement its business strategies or realize expected cost savings and revenue enhancements; business development activities, including acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; the Company's expansion into markets outside of Canada and the operational, competitive and regulatory risks facing the Company's non-Canadian based operations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis that is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The estimates included in this news release relating to the calculation of the gross revenue of the agreements with Orange and MTN are based on multiplying an average population per site by the expected penetration rate which yields the number of mobile customers. This is then multiplied by the average revenue per customer per month (ARPU) to derive total revenue. Orange and MTN's direct costs associated with this revenue are deducted and the resulting amount is shared by both parties. The revenue share only applies to revenue in excess of a guaranteed amount which is the minimum paid to NuRAN. A penetration rate reduction factor has been used to mitigate risk. The base data used to calculate the total potential revenue of this agreement was provided by Orange and MTN based on average population, penetration rate and ARPU. Management of the Company believes that the estimates have been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting best estimates and judgments, and based on a number of assumptions management believes are reasonable as well as information provided to the Company by Orange and MTN. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks, including the risks discussed above, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FUTURE ORIENTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

This press release may contain future oriented financial information ("FOFI") within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, about prospective results of operations including projected revenue, financial position or cash flows, based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, which FOFI is not presented in the format of a historical balance sheet, income statement or cash flow statement. The FOFI has been prepared by management to provide an outlook of the Company's activities and results and has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the heading above entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and assumptions with respect to the costs and expenditures to be incurred by the Company, capital expenditures and operating costs, taxation rates for the Company and general and administrative expenses. Management does not have, or may not have had at the relevant date, firm commitments for all of the costs, expenditures, prices or other financial assumptions which may have been used to prepare the FOFI or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects of all of those costs, expenditures, prices and operating results are not, or may not have been at the relevant date of the FOFI, objectively determinable.

The FOFI contained in this press release are, or may be, based upon certain additional assumptions that management believes to be reasonable based on the information currently available to management, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: (i) the future installation and funding of towers under the Company's NAAS agreements in Africa, (ii) continued revenue generation by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) over our NAAS infrastructure in line with our projections as well as the continued viability of these MNOs given the concentration of our operations on few key customers, (iii) no adverse changes in exchange rates our the ability to transfer currency in countries with foreign currency denominated NAAS contracts or economies, (iv) the future viability and competitiveness of our RAN solutions which are sold under traditional equipment sale contracts and provide a source of additional cashflow, (v) the future market demand and trends within the jurisdictions in which the Company may from time to time conduct the Company's business, (vi) the continuation of our NAAS agreements beyond their current contractual minimum periods to assure long term revenue, (vii) on-going costs of operating our NAAS towers including maintenance, repair, replacement of damaged or stolen equipment as well as VSAT and other input costs in line with our expectations, (viii) the Company's ongoing inventory levels, build and other operating cost estimates, (ix) no adverse factors in the political and regulatory regimes in which the Company operates, (x) no significant competitive threat from alternative rural connectivity solutions such as low-earth orbit or other technologies as well as alternative NAAS providers, (xi) availability and net proceeds from the Company's proposed loans with DFIs and other alternative financings, including, without limitation the equity financing of the parent company and the Company's subsidiaries; (xii) the ability to successfully extend maturity dates and obtain bridge capital when needed for working capital purposes, (xiii) the ability to continue to source products and services from critical outsourced providers including producers of its Radio-Access Network (RAN) equipment and construction and maintenance of NAAS sites, (xiv) assurance of supply from critical third party providers of technical equipment for our NAAS sites including solar and satellite equipment and terminals, (xv) access to qualified staff in new markets we are entering and in markets where we are growing, and (xvi) risks from the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health epidemics which could affect our staff but especially in African countries which are more vulnerable to these outbreaks. The FOFI or financial outlook contained in this press release do not purport to present the Company's financial condition in accordance with IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results will likely vary from the amounts set forth in the analysis presented in any such document, and such variation may be material (including due to the occurrence of unforeseen events occurring subsequent to the preparation of the FOFI). The Company and management believe that the FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgments as at the applicable date. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks including the risks discussed under the heading above entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's public disclosures, FOFI or financial outlook within this press release should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the FOFI, or financial outlook contained in this press release. Except as required by Canadian securities laws, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update such FOFI.

SOURCE: NuRAN Wireless Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Alex Nichol as Vice President Geology and Exploration and Mr. David Towle as Mill Manager, as well as the hiring of Mr. Melvyn Levrel as Senior Exploration Geologist in Fiji. The Company also announces the retirement of Mr. Sergio Cattalani as Senior Vice President Exploration. Mr Cattalani will remain with Lion One as a Senior Geology Advisor.

Lion One Chairman and CEO Walter Berukoff commented: "As we continue to advance the Tuvatu Gold Project from development towards commercial production we are excited to add key individuals with specialized skill sets to our technical team in Fiji. Together, Alex, David and Melvyn bring over 70 years of experience to the Lion One Team. They are all accomplished veterans with superior leadership skills and extensive experience in their respective fields of expertise; Alex in underground geology and mining, David in mill operations and commissioning, and Melvyn in mineral exploration. We are very fortunate to have them on our team."

"We are also very fortunate to have benefitted from the leadership and expertise of Sergio Cattalani over the past three years while he led the geology and exploration teams at Tuvatu. Sergio has been instrumental in the success of the project and we look forward to continuing to work with him as he transitions into a new role as Senior Geology Advisor with Lion One."

Alex Nichol, MAIG - Biography

Mr. Nichol is a mining professional with over 20 years of progressive experience in underground gold, copper, and zinc mining. He has extensive senior operational experience in underground geology, production, and exploration, specializing in mine start-ups and geology systems development and implementation. Prior to joining Lion One, Mr. Nichol was the Geology Superintendent at the Mt. Colin copper-gold mine in Queensland, and before that he was a Senior Underground Mine Geologist at Barrick Gold's Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea - an analogue deposit for Tuvatu. He has also held Senior Underground Mine Geologist positions at the Dugald River Mine and the Fossey Mine, as well as a Senior Mine Geologist position at Glencore's George Fisher Mine near Mount Isa, Queensland. Mr Nichol's role with Lion One will be to oversee all aspects of the underground development, production, and exploration at Tuvatu, as well as to oversee regional exploration throughout the Navilawa Caldera.

Mr. Nichol holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Otago and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG).

David Towle - Biography

Mr. Towle has over 35 years of experience in mill operations and production, specializing in mill commissioning. He recently worked with IAMGOLD as a Commissioning Specialist responsible for the planning and execution of all commissioning activities at the Cote Gold Project in Ontario. He has managed all aspects of mill construction and start-up from first ore to nameplate production at numerous mines, including Pure Gold Mining's Madsen Project, Atlantic Gold's (now St. Barbara's) Touquay Mine, and Pretium Resources Brucejack Mine. He has held the roles of Mill Manager and Mill Operations Superintendent on multiple occasions and spent 18 years in mill operations at Goldcorp's (now Newmont's) Musselwhite Mine.

Mr. Towle has also completed extensive managerial and technical training programs throughout his career, including Goldcorp's Supervisory Leadership Program, Harvard Management and Mentorship Program, Refinery Leadership Partners Program, and Placer Dome's Project Management Program. Mr. Towle is an expert in mill start-up and operations and that will be his focus at Lion One.

Melvyn Levrel, MAIG - Biography

Mr. Levrel is an accomplished exploration geologist with 15 years of experience in mineral exploration and mining. He is an expert in Fijian geology and in exploration management in the South Pacific, having spent three years as the Fiji Country Director and Exploration Manager for Alice Queen Limited, and an additional four years managing mineral exploration and geophysics projects throughout Fiji as a Consulting Geologist. He also has six years of experience in exploration and mining in New Caledonia. Mr. Levrel has a wide range of experience in field geology, geophysics, and resource modelling, as well as a unique knowledge of the exploration techniques, history, and regulations in Fiji. As a Senior Exploration Geologist with Lion One, Mr. Levrel will be focused on the advancement of Lion One's regional exploration targets and prospects throughout the Navilawa Caldera.

Mr. Levrel holds a Masters Degree in Georesources from the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and a Bachelors Degree in Geology from the University of Brest. He is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG).

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer based in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Gold Deposit, Gold Mine, Pilot Plant, and Assay Lab, with an extensive exploration license area hosting multiple mineralized zones in the surrounding Navilawa Caldera.

As disclosed in its "Technical Report and PEA Update for the Tuvatu Gold Project", dated April 29, 2022, the 2018 Tuvatu resource estimate comprises 1,007,000 tonnes indicated at 8.50 g/t Au (274,600 oz. Au) and 1,325,000 tonnes inferred at 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and under the Lion One profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

On behalf of the board of Lion One Metals Limited,

Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO

Patrick Hickey, Chief Operating Officer

Contact Information

Investor inquiries: info@liononemetals.com

Phone: 1-855-805-1250 (toll free North America)

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or the adequacy or accuracy of this release

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193000

SOURCE: Lion One Metals Limited
WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS), a leading provider of global Business Process Management (BPM) solutions, today announced it will release its fiscal 2024 third quarter financial and operating results at approximately 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

Following the release, WNS management will host a call on January 18, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Chief Executive Officer, Keshav Murugesh, and Chief Financial Officer, Sanjay Puria will review the results of the fiscal 2024 third quarter ended December 31, 2023 on the teleconference.

To access the call in "listen-only" mode, please join live via the company's investor relations website at ir.wns.com. For call participants, please register using this online form to receive your dial-in number and unique PIN/passcode which can be used to access the call. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the company website at ir.wns.com.

About WNS

WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS) is a leading Business Process Management (BPM) company. WNS combines deep industry knowledge with technology, analytics, and process expertise to co-create innovative, digitally led transformational solutions with over 600 clients across various industries. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of BPM solutions including industry-specific offerings, customer interaction services, finance and accounting, human resources, procurement, and research and analytics to re-imagine the digital future of businesses. As of September 30, 2023, WNS had 59,873 professionals across 67 delivery centers worldwide including facilities in Canada, China, Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit www.wns.com

Safe Harbor Provision

This document includes information which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied are discussed in our most recent Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WNS undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240102383714/en/

Contacts:

Investors:

David Mackey

EVP Finance Head of Investor Relations

WNS (Holdings) Limited

+1 (646) 908-2615

david.mackey@wns.com

Media:

Archana Raghuram

EVP Global Head Marketing Communications

WNS (Holdings) Limited

+91 (22) 4095 2397

archana.raghuram@wns.com; pr@wns.com
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Demonstrating its commitment to social responsibility and its support of the most vulnerable, Julio Jose Montenegro, CEO of BlueGrace Energy Bolivia (BGEB), has announced strategic funding for the establishment of the Favela Bank (FBank) in Brazil, to uplift marginalized communities. This initiative not only underscores Bluegrace's dedication to making a meaningful impact but also aligns seamlessly with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically in harmony with the 2030 Agenda.

Favela Bank (FBank) is an innovative financial initiative designed to empower Brazil's favelas by offering tailored services that traditional banks neglect. Recognizing the potential in the favelas' substantial GDP, FBank seeks to engage over 17.7 million residents, many of whom aspire to entrepreneurship. It's a community-centric platform, born in the favela for the favela, facilitated by 5,000 local managers and 25,000 relationship points.

FBank differentiates itself with features like an app that conserves data, the use of simplified Faveles language, and a humanized service approach. Its Social Cashback system incentivizes local spending, reinvesting profits for community development. The bank plans a phased approach, focusing on addressing immediate financial needs, introducing unique products, and eventually offering standard banking services customized for the favela residents.

Aiming to reach 5 million customers and 550 thousand commercial establishments within five years, FBank's mission is to transform the favelas into vibrant economic hubs, fostering sustainable growth, and community solidarity through its innovative banking model.

BlueGrace Energy Bolivia's active involvement in shaping positive change exemplifies a corporate ethos dedicated to creating a better and more inclusive world. This project showcases BGEB's commitment to over 90% of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and marks a milestone in its journey towards impactful investments and global market expansion

In line with this unwavering dedication to sustainability, BGEB's commitment to the UN's Global Compact and its ambitious project to conserve an astounding 20.5 million acres of the Amazon Rainforest reflects a resounding dedication to global sustainability goals.

This unprecedented effort not only preserves one of the world's most critical ecosystems but also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. BGEB employs cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and satellite imagery, to quantify carbon credits accurately, making a significant contribution to global climate goals.

The global carbon credits market, projected to reach $100 billion by 2030, underscores the importance of such initiatives. Nature-based credits are gaining prominence, crucial for limiting global warming to 1.5C by 2030, requiring $44 trillion in renewable energy investments.

BGEB's project exemplifies the intersection of finance and environmental action, with major financial institutions heavily investing in carbon credits. It's a story of innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to creating a more sustainable future.

BGEB's partnerships extend beyond environmental goals, forming strategic alliances with influential entities such as the Capital Market Association (ICMA), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Global Compact, and MAXIMANCE 2030 LTD. These collaborations are focused on empowering indigenous and impoverished communities through comprehensive social initiatives and sustainability, guided towards universally accepted principles in human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. By enhancing access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure, BGEB is committed to fostering community development alongside its environmental efforts. This integrated approach, which marries environmental conservation with the transition to clean energy and community empowerment, establishes BGEB as a frontrunner in both ecological preservation and clean energy innovation within Bolivia.

These alliances underscore the ongoing importance of the partnership as it strives towards a sustainable and carbon-neutral future, serving as a compelling example of what collective action and innovation can accomplish.

BGEB's journey inspires us all to take action, as together, we can address climate change and protect our planet for future generations.

About BlueGrace Energy Bolivia:

BlueGrace Energy Bolivia (BGEB), a global consortium of experts in diverse areas, is committed to advancing the transition to a net-zero future in response to climate change challenges. Boasting decades of experience, our team is pioneering 21st-century energy transition projects. Grounded in professional expertise and unwavering integrity, we aim to create genuine value for business and society Learn more at https://bluegracebolivia.com/.

For further information, please contact:

JULIO JOSE MONTENEGRO

jmontenegro@bluegracebolivia.com

+1 (305) 972-6173 (Miami - EE.UU.)

NELSON PINEDA MARTINEZ

nelopineda@bluegracebolivia.com

+591 714-72257 (Bolivia)

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Ivan Linde

ivan.linde@bluegracebolivia.com

+1 (786) 273-7068 (Miami - EE.UU.)

Disclaimer

This announcement is solely for informational use and should not be viewed as financial, legal, or investment guidance. It includes projections and statements that aren't based on past events. Any statement in this release that isn't a historical fact is a projection. Readers should be aware that the basis for these projections might be incorrect and are advised not to rely solely on them. Any projections in this announcement come with a warning. They are current as of the release date, and the Company has no plans to update them, except as mandated by securities regulations.

SOURCE: BLUEGRACE ENERGY BOLIVIA

View the original press release on accesswire.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Regency Silver Corp. ("Regency Silver" or the "Company") (TSXV:RSMX)(OTCQB:RSMXF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement to acquire two contiguous claim groups (the "San Dimas Claims") near the San Dimas mine in the San Dimas district of Durango, Mexico. (See Figure 1 below for location)

The San Dimas Claims cover a total of 3,498 hectares and contain numerous artisanal workings and tunnels. Historical grab sampling returned assay values as high as 17 g/t gold and 7,753 g/t silver and 37 g/t gold and 2,325 g/t silver. Verification grab sampling by Regency Silver has returned assay values of 8.95 g/t gold and 304 g/t silver, and 0.49 g/t gold and 1,084 g/t silver.

The San Dimas Claims are located only 13 km to the east of the San Dimas mine in Durango, Mexico. Historical production to 2018 from the San Dimas district is estimated at more than 748 Moz of silver and more than 11 Moz of gold (Enriquez et al., 2018), placing the district third in Mexico for precious metal production after Pachuca and Guanajuato.

Regency Chairman Bruce Bragagnolo stated, "We are excited to acquire an option on the San Dimas Claims. The acquisition fits with our ongoing strategy of acquiring high grade properties in established mining camps and developing them to create substantial shareholder value. We firmly believe that, after Dios Padre, the San Dimas district is the next large scale mining district in Mexico and Regency plans to be firmly established in the area. In addition to our ongoing programs at Dios Padre we plan to commence a mapping and sampling program on the San Dimas Claims in the near future."

In order to exercise the option, Regency Silver must pay US$50,000 on receipt of Exchange acceptance, US$50,000 in 6 months, issue a total of 1,000,000 common shares and pay back taxes and mining filings on or before March 31, 2025. In lieu of a royalty, Regency Silver must also pay a US$1M bonus upon a NI 43-101 resource being published, which estimates the San Dimas Claims contain a minimum of 70 million silver equivalent ounces or 1 million gold ounces in the measured or indicated categories. The shares are subject to a four month hold period and the agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Figure 1: San Dimas Claims Location

QA/QC

Regency verification samples were submitted to Laboratorio Technologia de Metallurgia's (LTM) analytical facility in Hermosillo, Mexico for preparation and analysis. LTM is ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 certified and all analytical methods include quality control materials at set frequencies with established data acceptance criteria. Samples were analyzed by LTM with a standard fire assay using 30 gm samples. Gold was analyzed using absorption spectrometry (AA 240 FS) and silver by gravimetrics.

Technical Information

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed by Company director Michael Tucker, P.Geo, who is recognized as a Qualified Person under the guidelines of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Tucker is a director of the Company and for that reason is not considered independent. Mr. Tucker has read and approved the technical contents of this news release.

ABOUT REGENCY SILVER CORP.

Regency Silver Corp. is a Canadian resource company exploring for high grade gold, copper, and silver in Mexico. Regency Silver is led by a team of experienced professionals with expertise in both exploration and production. Regency's flagship project is the high grade Dios Padre project in Sonora Mexico where Regency has made a large, high grade, gold-copper-silver discovery. Drill results have included 38 metres of 7.36 g/t gold in hole REG 23-21, 36 metres of 6.84 g/t gold, 0.88% copper and 21.8 g/t silver in hole REG 22-01, and 29.4 m of 6.32 g/t gold in hole REG 23-14.

Contact Information

Regency Silver Corp.

Kin Communications Inc.

Phone: 1-604-684-6730

Email: RSMX@kincommunications.com

Bruce Bragagnolo, Executive Chairman

(604) 417-9517

Email: bruce@regency-silver.com

Gijsbert Groenewegen, Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 1-646-247-1000

Email: gijs@regency-silver.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the optioning of the Project by the Company. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events may vary from those anticipated in such statements. Important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include the risk that regulatory changes, fundraising, and risk associated with mineral exploration, including the risk that actual results of exploration will be different from those expected by management. The forward-looking statements in this news release were developed based on the expectations of management, including that Exchange acceptance for the proposed transaction will be obtained, conditions will be satisfied, required fundraising will be completed and the other risks described above will not materialize. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. SOURCE: Regency Silver Corp. Regency Silver Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
BOUNTIFUL, UT / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / OneMeta Inc. (www.onemeta.ai) (OTC PINK:ONEI).

OneMeta, through its Verbum software is the leading multilingual enablement company that translates and transcribes in over 140 languages, announced it has attained Microsoft IP Co-sell Ready Status, allowing joint go-to-market sales activities with Microsoft's 600+ Teams Enterprise worldwide sales teams. Additionally, OneMeta's Verbum software license has been listed on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace and the Microsoft AppSource Marketplace online stores, allowing Microsoft Enterprise users to meet, read, chat, and collaborate in over 140+ languages simultaneously.

Achieving Co-sell Ready Status highlights OneMeta's ability to deliver real time translation and transcription in 140+ languages leveraging Microsoft Teams and Microsoft's Azure cloud platform. The combination of Verbum with Microsoft Teams will allow users to communicate in over 140+ languages simultaneously during meetings. Specifically, the use of Verbum will:

Automatically recognize the spoken foreign language and in less than a second, transcribe it into a multi-language transcript that each meeting's user can read, in near real-time, in a single preferred language; and

Multiple foreign languages may be spoken simultaneously throughout the Teams Enterprise meeting and each user will read and understand the conversation in their native language using translated captions; and

Each user can write in the Teams Chat using their native language and users will read typed text in their native language.

By achieving IP Co-Sell Ready status and listing on the Microsoft AppSource and Microsoft Azure marketplaces, OneMeta's Verbum software creates and expands the breadth and depth of simultaneous multilingual-enablement communication that is available for Microsoft Teams Enterprise.

Commenting on the Microsoft partnership, OneMeta's CEO Saul Leal said; "By attaining Microsoft IP Co-Sell Ready partner status and a having a joint go-to market strategy with Microsoft we will accelerate our goal to create a more understanding world. By using Verbum for Microsoft Teams, companies, organizations, employees, customers, etc. will all be able to communicate in their native languages. Finally, the last great barrier to inclusion has been conquered. Just think how fast information and intelligence will flow. We will be able to speak, hear, read, and understand one another in our own native language simultaneously."

Alessandro Balzarelli, Director at Microsoft Industry Solutions Engineering commented, "As part of my role as Microsoft for Startups Mentor I have been working with the OneMeta" leadership team and their senior developers while they worked on the Verbum software integration into Microsoft Teams, and I do not know of any organization with such superior AI language technology and services that are so disruptive in a positive way within the business world. OneMeta's use of AI to remove language barriers and create a completely inclusive world of communication is astounding."

Visit the MS Teams Verbum Meetings in the Azure Marketplace: https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/apps/onemetaai1663014639126.verbum_teams_1?tab=Overview

Visit the MS Teams Verbum Meetings in the AppSource Marketplace:

https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/web-apps/onemetaai1663014639126.verbum_teams_1

About OneMeta Inc.: We Create a More Understanding WorldTM

OneMeta Inc. is a Multilingual Enablement company focused on breaking down the communication challenges of a world with over 7,100 languages. Its proprietary, end-to-end natural language processing (NLP) architecture was developed using generative artificial intelligence tools (AI) and allows the spoken and written word to be synthesized, translated, and transcribed in less than one second. OneMeta's products support near-real-time web-based and mobile phone-based conversations, discussions, meetings, and online chats in over 140 languages.

OneMeta Inc.: Speak. Hear. Read. Understand.

For more information, please contact:

OneMeta Inc.

Email: info@onemeta.ai

SOURCE: OneMeta Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Significantly lighter, quicker, and smarter than the original Moonwalkers model introduced in the spring of 2023, Moonwalkers X have six wheels instead of 10, provide an order of magnitude of greater control and responsiveness, have a tighter turning radius, utilize softer wheels for a lower impact force, and also accommodate smaller shoe sizes. Innovators and innovative firms interested in experiencing the power and ease-of-use of these robotic shoes at CES 2024 are invited to reserve a Guaranteed VIP Appointment to Test-Walk in Moonwalkers X at the Shift Robotics' booth at CES - #CP-20 (in the Central Plaza of the Las Vegas Convention Center).

AUSTIN, TX and LOS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Shift Robotics' newest model of robotic shoes are called Moonwalkers X , and they will be unveiled next week at CES 2024, America's largest technology-focused convention and trade show.

Moonwalkers X are the newest model of robotic shoes from Shift Robotics, AI-informed shoes that are lighter, quicker, and smarter than their predecessors.

These newest robotic shoes from Shift Robotics are notable for several reasons (when compared to the original model of Moonwalkers ). For example, Moonwalkers X

Are significantly lighter - one pound less for each shoe;

- one pound less for each shoe; Incorporate a complete overhaul of the control system, further boosting safety and agility when maneuvering, especially in close quarters;

when maneuvering, especially in close quarters; Deliver improved shock absorption to further lower the risk of repetitive injury; and

to further lower the risk of repetitive injury; and Showcase a fresh new design with modularity and customization in mind.

Additionally, Moonwalkers X will also fit smaller shoe sizes.

Taken in concert, Moonwalkers X are specifically designed for business/commercial use, particularly those applications where employees walk a lot on-the-job, such as in the distribution, logistics, and warehouse marketplace where individuals might walk as many as 30,000 steps per day.

Moonwalkers X are slated to begin shipping in the first half of 2024, with pricing to be released at that time.

Shift Robotics has also reserved a limited quantity of Moonwalkers X for innovative companies interested in guaranteeing priority access to the new model of robotic shoes when they become available. Those interested should contact the company about its CES 2024 Show Special.

"With Moonwalkers X , we've redefined lightweight mobility by trimming nearly a pound from the original design," said Xunjie Zhang, CEO and founder of Shift Robotics, and Moonwalkers inventor. "Imagine the ease of workers' boots but with the power of Moonwalkers . Our revamped drivetrain, the magnesium alloy based frame, and the new shock-absorbing wheels all come together to offer the smoothest, most efficient warehouse navigation ever.

"In developing X , our focus was clear: enhancing productivity without compromising safety. By collaborating closely with our 3PL partners, we've tuned Moonwalkers X to meet the rigors of warehouse environments with an unwavering commitment to worker safety.

"As such, ShiftOS 2.0 is born from our insights into thousands of existing Moonwalkers users and our logistics partners - a complete reinvention of our control system. It's packed with tons of safety enhancements, from advanced traction control to more responsive acceleration and braking, plus refined gait detection to eliminate abrupt stops, ensuring every step is secure and smooth."

According to the company, its clients have found that warehouse workers responsible for shipping products more than double their productivity by wearing Moonwalkers . Additionally, one Shift Robotics' client projects that its Moonwalkers -wearing employees will save nearly 400 hours per year in Travel Time, the amount of time associates take to walk from location to location within its facilities during their work days.

According to Zhang, Shift Robotics expects to see comparable or better results with Moonwalkers X .

"Given these new features, I will not be surprised at all to see our business clients realize even greater results by deploying Moonwalkers X in their distribution centers, warehouses, logistics facilities, and retail locations," he said.

With more than 130,000 individuals expected to participate in CES 2024 next week, Shift Robotics invites innovation executives and innovative organizations interested in improved productivity to schedule an appointment to Test-Walk in Moonwalkers at CES 2024 in the Shift Robotics booth - CP-20 in the Central Plaza - immediately east of the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Conversely, for those not attending CES but who are nonetheless interested in exploring how robotic shoes can transform their organizations, Shift Robotics also invites these executive to schedule a time for an initial conversation with the company by clicking on this link.

About Moonwalkers

Named recently by TIME as one of the "Best Inventions of 2023," Moonwalkers are robotic shoes that use AI software to measure a user's stride 100-times-per-second, thus enabling each shoe to adjust to the Gait Cycle of each individual, thereby maximizing safety, enjoyment, and performance while walking.

About Shift Robotics

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Shift Robotics is the creator of the "Robotic Shoes" category. Its products - Moonwalkers - are nano-mobility devices that allow users to walk up to three times faster. For more information, please visit www.shiftrobotics.io.

Moonwalkers is a trademark of Shift Robotics, while the various Shift Robotics and Moonwalkers logos are also trademarks of the company. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:

David Politis, Shift Robotics, David.Politis@ShiftRobotics.io, C: +1-801-556-8184

SOURCE: Shift Robotics

View the original press release on accesswire.com
OMS+ multi-channel platform will extend Graybar's SAP ERP, support upgrades to SAP S/4, and offer streamlined sales and order processing with omnichannel capabilities.

DataXstream LLC, an SAP solution provider focused on order management for sales and distribution, today announced that Graybar, a leading North American distributor of high quality electrical, industrial, communications and data networking products, has selected OMS+ to transform its sales experience and provide a seamless transition to SAP S/4 while maintaining business continuity.

Learn more about DataXstream OMS+ here.

Graybar was looking to modernize and streamline multiple legacy systems, including quote and order entry, and to improve its data visibility, automation and scalability capabilities. After working closely with their systems integrator, Graybar selected DataXstream's OMS+ as the right solution to help them scale and modernize their front office and back office order management capabilities.

"Graybar is making substantial investments in technology as part of our strategic business transformation program," said Graybar Vice President Technology, Mark Hirst. "As we deploy leading technology solutions, we are focused on optimizing our processes and empowering our people to achieve more. We believe that DataXstream OMS+ will help us streamline our processes and equip our employees with powerful capabilities to serve our customers and grow our business."

OMS+ is a certified SAP Endorsed App that operates in real-time with SAP data and is built to facilitate multi-channel sales through process automation, data aggregation and an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. OMS+ will allow Graybar to:

Reduce technical debt

Increase efficiency and productivity

Support sales efforts with real-time data visibility and customer intelligence

Reduce sales onboarding time

Additionally, the OMS+ platform maintains SAP clean core standards while providing Graybar the ability to personalize to meet their business needs. OMS+ supports high speed transactions, in real-time, across multiple sales channels.

For additional information, please visit www.dataxstream.com or find us on the SAP store at https://store.sap.com/dcp/en/product/display-0000006561_live_v1

About Graybar

Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 325 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network, automate and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR.

About DataXstream

DataXstream is an SAP Gold and Endorsed App Partner dedicated to building solutions on emerging technologies that maximize the ROI of our customers' SAP infrastructure. As members of the SAP marketplace, DataXstream's products can be found in the SAP Store. Your company is already running the most powerful ERP solution; empower your employees with DataXstream's OMS+ to take your organization's sale and customer buying experience to new levels.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103640187/en/

Contacts:

Cailin Yates

CCO

757.345.3437

cyates@dataxstream.com
Ashish Devalekar appointed as Head of Europe; Anurag Bhatia to lead Global Business Process Services

LONDON, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mphasis (BSE: 526299) (NSE: MPHASIS), an information technology (IT) solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, today announced a strategic reallocation of leadership responsibilities to accelerate growth across multiple vectors. Effective immediately, Ashish Devalekar will assume the role of Head of Europe while Anurag Bhatia, the current Head of Europe, will lead Mphasis' Global Business Process Services business (BPS).

Ashish Devalekar, a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in driving consistent growth in Europe across industry verticals, will be responsible for spearheading Mphasis' Europe business. With a proven track record of transforming businesses into high growth units. Ashish brings a wealth of expertise in originating and closing large deals, building high-performing teams, and implementing effective Go-to-market (GTM) strategies.

Anurag Bhatia's move to Head of Global BPS, a critical service offering in driving operational efficiency and amplifying the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across client organizations; aligns with Mphasis's recent initiatives, including the launch of a dedicated AI Business Unit, aimed at unlocking the potential of AI including Gen AI. In his new role, Anurag will focus on driving growth, with a strong focus on playing in the expanded addressable market with adoption of AI solutions, driving adoption of multiple AI powered deal archetypes, leveraging AI and automation to improve efficiency and effectiveness in client operations.

"Nurturing and harnessing talent is at the heart of Mphasis. Ashish's deep understanding of the UK & European market, combined with his strong focus on customer success and building strategic partnerships, makes him the ideal leader to transform Mphasis' European business to the next level. We are confident that under Ashish's leadership, we will continue to deliver exceptional value to our clients and further strengthen our position as a leading IT solutions provider in Europe," said Nitin Rakesh, Chief Executive Officer, and Managing Director of Mphasis. He also added, "Anurag's expertise in service transformation and his deep understanding of Mphasis' business make him the perfect fit to lead our Global Business Process Services. This move will allow us to focus on operational excellence through AI driven transformation, a crucial area that will be instrumental in driving our future success."

Ashish Devalekar, the incoming Head of Europe, expressed his excitement about the new opportunity. "I am thrilled to be joining Mphasis and confident that together with the talented team in Europe, we will build on the strong foundation that has been laid and achieve even greater success."

Anurag Bhatia, now Head of BPS, commented, "I am excited to lead the charge in aligning operations and AI to drive transformative outcomes for our clients. This realignment positions Mphasis to pioneer innovation and excellence in the evolving landscape of IT services."

About Mphasis

Mphasis' purpose is to be the "Driver in a Driverless Car" for global enterprises by applying next-generation design, architecture, and engineering services, to deliver scalable and sustainable software and technology solutions. Customer-centricity is foundational to Mphasis, and it is reflected in Mphasis' Front2Back Transformation approach. Front2Back uses the exponential power of cloud and cognitive computing to provide a hyper-personalized (C=X2C2TM=1) digital experience to clients and their end customers. Mphasis' Service Transformation approach helps 'shrink the core' through the application of digital technologies across legacy environments within an enterprise, enabling businesses to stay ahead in a changing world. Mphasis' core reference architectures and tools, speed and innovation with domain expertise and specialization, combined with an integrated sustainability and purpose-led approach across its operations and solutions are key to building strong relationships with marquee clients. Click here to know more. (BSE: 526299; NSE: MPHASIS)

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BANGALORE, India, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Biosurfactants Market is Segmented by Type ( Rhamnolipids , Sophorolipids ), by Application (Agriculture, Oil Industry, Environmental Protection, Food Industry, Cosmetics and Daily Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2029.

Biosurfactants Market size is expected to reach USD 1697.6 Million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 2.9% from 2024 to 2029.

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Major Factors Driving the Growth of Biosurfactants Market:

A number of factors are contributing to the biosurfactant market's notable growth, including growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, technological advancements that optimize production efficiency, regulatory support for sustainable practices, the expansion of applications for enhanced oil recovery in the oil and gas industry, ongoing research and development initiatives that expand functional properties, cost competitiveness and scalability in production.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE BIOSURFACTANTS MARKET:

The market for biosurfactants is expanding significantly due to rising environmental sustainability awareness and attention. Since they come from renewable resources, biosurfactants are a more environmentally friendly option than conventional surfactants. Concerns concerning the permanence of synthetic surfactants in ecosystems are allayed by their natural biodegradability, which lessens their negative effects on the environment. The growing need for biosurfactants is a result of industry placing a higher priority on environmentally friendly solutions, which support sustainable practices in a variety of fields.

Biosurfactants are used in a wide range of sectors, such as cosmetics, food & beverage, medicines, and agriculture. They improve soil remediation and pesticide efficacy in agriculture. Because of their biocompatibility, biosurfactants are useful in formulations for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as for emulsification and foam stabilization in the food sector. The market is expanding due to the wide range of applications, as many industries realize the advantages of incorporating biosurfactants into their operations. Biosurfactants are becoming more and more cost-competitive with synthetic counterparts as production technology advances. Biosurfactants are a feasible choice for enterprises looking for economically competitive and sustainable solutions since scalability in manufacturing methods guarantees a dependable and affordable supply chain. The market is growing even faster because of this cost-effectiveness and scalability combination.

Sustainable and eco-friendly products are becoming more and more important to consumers. Because they are organic and biodegradable, biosurfactants complement consumers' inclination for environmentally friendly options. The market is expanding due in large part to customer demand for goods that use Biosurfactants as major components, as knowledge of the negative environmental effects of regular surfactants rises.

Environmentally friendly solutions and sustainable practices are being promoted by governments and regulatory authorities globally. A favorable climate for market expansion is created by laws, incentives, and policies that support the use of biosurfactants in a variety of sectors. These regulations push companies to choose environmentally friendly substitutes, which accelerates the incorporation of biosurfactants into standard industrial procedures.

Biosurfactants find a large market in the oil and gas sector, particularly in applications involving enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Biosurfactants help to lessen the impact on the environment, increase the effectiveness of oil recovery, and decrease interfacial tension. The use of biosurfactants in EOR applications is a major driver of market expansion as the oil and gas industry looks for ecologically friendly methods.

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BIOSURFACTANTS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

The leading companies in the worldwide biosurfactant market are Soliance, Ecover, and others. About 40% of the worldwide market is occupied by the top 2 competitors.

With over 70% of the world market, North America and Europe are the two largest regions.

Purchase Regional Report on North America:

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Key Companies:

Evonik

Jeneil Biosurfactant

AGAE Technologies

Xi'an Rege Biotechnology

Allied Carbon Solutions

Stepan

GlycoSurf

Rhamnolipid Companies, Inc.

Saraya CO. Ltd

TensioGreen

Deguan BIO

Toyobo Corporation

Shandong Aikang Biotechnology

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BANGALORE, India, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Plant Growth Regulators Market is Segmented by Type ( Auxins , Gibberellins , Cytokinins , Absicisic Acid, Ethylene), by Crop Type (Cereals, Oilseeds and Pulses, Fruits and Vegetables, Turf and Ornamentals, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast.

The Global Plant Growth Regulators Market was valued at USD 2.2 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 7.4 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 13.9% from 2022 to 2031.

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Major Factors Driving the Growth of Plant Growth Regulators Market

Auxins help cereals establish their roots more fully, which facilitates effective nutrient and water absorption. The market for Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) is expanding rapidly due to the rising need for food from the world's population as well as the increased focus on sustainable agriculture. Through their effects on germination, blooming, and fruiting, among other plant processes, PGRs considerably increase agricultural production.

The need for PGRs is further driven by the use of precision farming, technological developments in agriculture, and the growth of organic farming methods. The problems posed by climate change and the unpredictability of weather patterns highlight the necessity of these regulators in order to lessen the impact on agricultural production.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS MARKET

Auxins are a family of plant growth regulators that, by their effects on several developmental stages, are essential to the production of cereals. Auxins help cereals establish their roots more fully, which facilitates effective nutrient and water absorption. Additionally, they encourage cell elongation, which increases the development of stems and shoots. Furthermore, via affecting the growth of flowers and fruits, auxins aid in the production of reproductive structures like grains. Auxins improve total cereal output and quality by maximizing these physiological processes, which makes them useful instruments in contemporary agricultural techniques for maximizing grain production.

Plant Growth Regulators, or PGRs, have become indispensable instruments in contemporary agriculture, greatly augmenting agricultural output. These controllers are essential for controlling several physiological functions in plants, including germination, blooming, and fruiting. PGRs enhance total agricultural productivity and boost crop yields by skillfully controlling these processes. The need for food production is growing due to the world's population growth. Plant Growth Regulators maximize crop growth and guarantee sustainable agricultural methods, providing a tactical response to worries about global food security. As a result, as farmers and other agricultural stakeholders look for methods to fulfill the rising need for food, the market for PGRs is expanding significantly.

Due to increased emphasis on resource efficiency and technological improvements, precision farming methods are becoming more and more popular. Plant growth regulators are essential to precision farming because they provide farmers with more control over the growth of their crops and the use of their resources. Increased yields and better crop quality as a result of this enhanced management have led to the widespread use of PGRs. Growing environmental consciousness is causing a shift in farming operations towards organic and sustainable methods. Plant Growth Regulators provide environmentally responsible crop management options, which are in line with current developments. The growing demand for crops cultivated with PGRs in sustainable and organic farming techniques is a result of customers prioritizing ecologically aware products.

Because of the variable weather patterns that impact crop growth and production, climate change presents difficulties to established agricultural operations. Plant Growth Regulators allow crops to adjust to changing climatic circumstances, which helps to lessen the effects of climate change. It is anticipated that the need for PGRs as a risk reduction technique will increase as extreme weather events occur more frequently.

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PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

In terms of type, the market was led by the auxins subsegment in 2021. Plant growth hormones called auxins control the division of cells and the synthesis of vascular tissue. In addition to encouraging fruit production, they also encourage root initiation, shoot maturation, and apical dominance, the propensity for the main stem to grow tall without side branches. Auxins can be used as promoters or retarders of root development, stimulators or retarders of cut flowers, inhibitors or promoters of leafing, etc. It is anticipated that these will also be the primary drivers influencing the size of the plant growth regulators market throughout the projected period.

In terms of crop type, the global market share of plant growth regulators in 2021 was dominated by the cereals subsegment. In cereal, plant growth regulators are employed to control the crop cycle, prevent crop lodging, and enhance grain quality and size. They help to reduce post-harvest losses and enable longer harvest intervals by postponing the ripening process. Auxins and cytokinins are important in this application because of their ability to increase plant vigor and production, which leads to larger yields of superior-quality products.

Europe led the world market in terms of region in 2021. Due to the region's high demand for fruits and vegetables and the challenging climate in many of the nations, it is anticipated that the usage of plant growth regulators to increase agricultural production will increase. Due to the growing need for plant growth regulators from countries like Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and others, Europe is one of the most important markets for these products. This might be related to the growing population in the area, which is expected to support the regional market in the years of the plant growth regulators' market prediction.

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Key Companies:

? BASF SE

? UPL Limited

? Tata Chemicals Limited

? Sumitomo Chemical Australia

? Arysta Life Science

? Bayer Crop Science AG

? Syngenta AG

? Corteva Agriscience

? Nufarm Limited

? FMC Corporation

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DISCOVER MORE INSIGHTS: EXPLORE SIMILAR REPORTS!

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This proven solution for DMS addresses the new regulatory landscape by satisfying GSR and Euro NCAP requirements for driver safety

Smart Eye AB, the leading provider of Human Insight AI, and Green Hills Software LLC, the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security, today announced their expanded collaboration focused on delivering integrated DMS platforms for rapid Tier 1 and OEM adoption and use. The two companies have integrated their best-of-breed technologies to meet automakers' demands for a DMS platform that allows automakers to efficiently develop and confidently deploy essential safety- and security-critical automotive in-cabin applications in the shortest time possible. This proven DMS solution is road-ready and already in production with several leading OEMs.

As the new regulatory landscape for DMS evolves globally, and GSR and Euro NCAP requirements make advanced sensing features mandatory in new vehicles in Europe, automakers require proven, available safe and secure automotive DMS software solutions running on the latest automotive processors that deliver the required performance with the fastest time to deployment.

The DMS platform offered by Smart Eye and Green Hills Software integrates Smart Eye's core DMS software with the ASIL-certified INTEGRITY RTOS from Green Hills and detects driver distraction and drowsiness by analyzing facial expressions and eye gaze in real time. The joint solution brings together advanced driver monitoring capabilities with a safe, secure automotive-grade real-time operating system. This combination meets the stringent safety and security requirements of the automotive industry, supports regulatory compliance, and offers support on a wide range of automotive processors, while providing scalability for the evolving needs of automotive applications.

At CES 2024, this proven DMS solution will be demonstrated in the Green Hills booth on a Texas Instruments (TI) AM62A Sitara automotive processor, one of the latest cost-effective, performant automotive SoCs from TI in the Sitara family.

The joint solution also includes support for the Green Hills ASIL-certified MULTI integrated development environment (IDE) and C/C++ compilers, which increase developer productivity while enabling developers to shorten the time to find and fix bugs and optimize applications on multicore processors such as the TI AM62A Sitara processor. The MULTI IDE's advanced History event viewer and TimeMachine back-in-time debugger make it easy to quickly find and fix difficult bugs and performance bottlenecks, while preventing future software problems in deployed systems.

"We are delighted to collaborate with Green Hills Software and demo our joint solution at CES 2024," said Martin Krantz, Founder and CEO of Smart Eye. "By combining our deep expertise in delivering production-ready automotive software, we provide automakers with a proven solution that meets their high safety and security standards for safety-critical applications, such as driver monitoring."

"Green Hills, in collaboration with Smart Eye, is enabling customers with highly integrated, and optimized software for developing sophisticated, performant, next generation in-cabin safety systems," said Dan Mender, Vice President, Business Development. "The availability of this combination ensures rapid development, efficient debugging and important optimization while enabling cost-effective, timely delivery of solutions for safety-critical DMS solutions."

Green Hills and Smart Eye will demonstrate their solution at CES 2024, January 9-12, in the Green Hills booth #6601 in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Automakers who would like to see a demo at CES can schedule an appointment at: https://www.ghs.com/events/CES_2024_mtg_req.php.

About Green Hills Software

Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software is the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security. In 2008, the Green Hills INTEGRITY-178 RTOS was the first and only operating system to be certified by NIAP (National Information Assurance Partnership, comprised of NSA NIST) to EAL 6+, High Robustness, the highest level of security ever achieved for any software product. Our open architecture integrated development solutions address deeply embedded, absolute security and high-reliability applications for the military/avionics, medical, industrial, automotive, networking, consumer and other markets that demand industry-certified solutions. Green Hills Software is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, with European headquarters in the United Kingdom. Visit Green Hills Software at https://www.ghs.com.

Green Hills, the Green Hills logo, MULTI, INTEGRITY, History and TimeMachine are trademarks or registered trademarks of Green Hills Software, in the U.S. and/or internationally. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Smart Eye

Smart Eye is the global leader in Human Insight AI, technology that understands, supports, and predicts human behavior in complex environments. We are bridging the gap between humans and machines for a safe and sustainable future. Our multimodal software and hardware solutions provide unprecedented human insight in automotive and behavioral research-supported also by Affectiva and iMotions, companies we acquired in 2021.

In automotive, we are leading the way towards safer and human-centric mobility through Driver Monitoring Systems and Interior Sensing solutions. Our technology is embedded in next-generation vehicles and available as a standalone aftermarket solution for existing vehicles, fleet, and small-volume OEMs.

Our industry-leading eye tracking systems and iMotions biosensor software enable advanced research and training in academic and commercial sectors. Affectiva's Emotion AI provides the world's largest brands and market researchers with a deeper understanding of how consumers engage with their content, products, and services.

Smart Eye was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Sweden with offices in the US, UK, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Singapore, China, and Japan. A publicly traded company since 2016, our customers include NASA, Nissan, Boeing, Honeywell, Volvo, GM, BMW, Geely, Harvard University, over 1,300 research organizations around the world, 90% of the world's largest advertisers and 26% of the Fortune Global 500 companies.

Visit www.smarteye.ai for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103837461/en/

Contacts:

Green Hills Software

Christopher Smith

chriss@ghs.com

+1-805-965-6044

Smart Eye AB

Hailey Driscoll

Vice President, Public Relations, Walker Sands

hailey.driscoll@walkersands.com
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Pepco

Pepco | The Source

Earlier this year, community leaders, local officials, and stakeholders joined Pepco and our parent company Exelon as we announced $2.7 million in investments for four local minority-owned businesses that will help each business grow and ultimately strengthen under-resourced communities in our region.

The funding is provided through the Exelon Community Impact Capital Fund (formerly known as the Racial Equity Capital Fund), which helps expand access to capital for businesses in historically disenfranchised or socio-economically disadvantaged communities in Exelon's service areas so they can create more jobs, grow their companies and reinvest in their neighborhoods. The fund is managed in partnership with RockCreek, one of the world's largest diverse-owned global investment firms, and further delivers on our commitment to drive economic equity and opportunity for our customers and communities.

The four funded companies represent the clean energy, IT, workforce development and real estate development industries. They include:

Gemini Energy Solutions: $1 Million Equity Investment

Gemini Energy Solutions is a Black-owned and led energy audit and cleantech company that strives to equitably scale energy efficiency to often overlooked small businesses and communities. Gemini uses 'clean energy hubs' that serve as revenue generating microgrids that includes rooftop and carport solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and HVAC and lighting solutions. The organization is currently working to connect businesses and churches in under-resourced communities with green energy solutions.

PS2G (Public Sector Solutions Group): $600,000 debt investment

PS2G is a technology driven Black-owned company providing IT consulting services and innovative solutions to state and local government partners. The PS2G team helps clients achieve their performance goals while ensuring audit compliance and reporting for federally funded agencies. PS2G is also trains residents in the District and Maryland in cybersecurity and information technology through the Walter Reed IT Infrastructure Academy and in partnership with Exelon and Pepco.

CJR Development Partners: 600,000 debt investment

CJR is a minority, woman-owned small business firm dedicated to building strong communities and businesses. The CJR development team advises on public private partnerships and specializes in creating mixed use developments and affordable housing communities. They also help build strong businesses by providing solutions for clients' branding, contract management and human resource needs, as well as training services to build strong employee teams.

$500,000 equity investment Escalate

Escalate is a workforce development platform that brings together educational and artificial intelligence resources to improve retention of frontline workers. Based in Silver Spring, Md. Escalate is a majority Black and woman-owned company. The company's unique platform provides support for frontline workers to drive retention and positive work environments.

New applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Businesses interested in funding should contact the fund manager, RockCreek: cicf@therockcreekgroup.com.





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Pepco on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Pepco

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/pepco

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Pepco

View the original press release on accesswire.com
HBM Healthcare Investments AG / Key word(s): Monthly Figures

Key Figures 31.12.2023



03.01.2024 / 18:13 CET/CEST



in CHF Performance in % 31.12.2023 MTD FYTD CYTD NAV 225.03 -0.7 -8.7 -8.3 Share Price 182.60 4.3 -11.2 -5.4 Total Net Assets (in million) 1'555 HBM Healthcare Investments AG Bundesplatz 1 CH-6300 Zug - Switzerland Tel. +41 41 710 75 77 Fax +41 41 710 75 78 E-Mail: hbm@hbmhealthcare.com Web: www.hbmhealthcare.com Wenn Sie keine Mitteilungen von HBM Healthcare Investments mehr wunschen, konnen Sie diese hier a bbestellen . Should you wish to unsubscribe from all HBM Healthcare Investments news, please unsubscribe here. Disclaimer: This message may contain confidential or privileged Information and is intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are hereby notified that you must not use, copy, disclose or take any action based on this message or information herein. If you have received this message by error, please advise the sender immediately and delete this message. The publication is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy securities. Statements regarding the past performance may not be understood as indication for the current or future performance. The value of investments and the income therefrom may fluctuate. A good past performance may possibly not be repeated in the future. It is possible that the investor will not be paid back the full amount invested. Performance data does not take into account any commissions and costs charged when units of the Fund are issued and redeemed. An investment entails risks, which are fully described in the individual offering documents. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources HBM considers to be reliable. HBM cannot guarantee the adequacy, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of or be held responsible or liable for errors of fact regarding such data and information obtained from third parties, and this data may change with market conditions. 06/2023 If the email looks unformatted, please use this alternative link .



End of Media Release


Article L. 238-8-II of the French commercial Code and article 223-16 of the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) general regulation

Regulatory News:

Corporate name of the issuer: Veolia Environnement (Paris:VIE) 21 rue La Boetie 75008 PARIS FRANCE (ISIN code: FR0000124141-VIE)

Information closing date Total number of shares

forming the share capital Total number of voting rights December 31, 2023 725,411,667 Total number of theoretical voting rights (1): 743,422,641 Total number of voting rights that may be exercised (2): 733,060,372

Inclusion in the Veolia Environnement Articles of Association of a clause requiring a reporting obligation of the declaration of crossing a shareholding threshold, complementary to the one relating to the thresholds provided by the French law and the regulations in force (article 8).

(1) Number of theoretical voting rights after taking into account the number of shares with double voting rights as of December 31, 2023 (18,010,974 shares) and the number of treasury shares held as of December 31, 2023 (10,362,269 shares).

(2) Number of voting rights that may be exercised number of theoretical voting rights (or total number of voting rights attached to shares) shares without voting rights (number of treasury shares held as of December 31, 2023).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103993775/en/

Contacts:

Veolia Environnement
Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 03

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

03 January 2024

REDDE NORTHGATE PLC

("Redde Northgate" or the "Group" or the "Company")

Transaction in Own Shares

Redde Northgate plc (LSE:REDD) announces that on 03 January 2024 it purchased the following number of its own shares to be held in treasury:

Class of shares : Ordinary shares of 50p ("shares") Number of shares purchased : 50,000 Weighted average purchase price paid : 357.5 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 357.5 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 357.5 pence per share

Following the above transaction, the Company's issued share capital consists of 246,091,423 ordinary shares of 50p each, of which 17,440,071 ordinary shares are held in treasury, and 1,000,000 preference shares of 50p each which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 228,651,352 which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as incorporated into UK domestic law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the Company's buyback programme.

Schedule of Purchase - Individual Transaction (as at 03 January 2024)

Number of shares

purchased Transaction price

(GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 50000 357.50 09:50:55 00068301161TRLO0 LSE

Notes

This announcement is made in accordance with the requirements of Listing Rule 12.4.6.

For further information contact:

Buchanan

David Rydell/Jamie Hooper/Hannah Ratcliff +44 (0) 207 466 5000

Notes to Editors:

Redde Northgate is the leading integrated mobility solutions platform providing services across the vehicle lifecycle. The Company offers integrated mobility solutions to businesses, fleet operators, insurers, OEMs and other customers across seven key areas: vehicle rental, vehicle data, accident management, vehicle repairs, fleet management, service and maintenance, vehicle ancillary services and vehicle sales.

The Company's core purpose is to keep its customers mobile, whether through meeting their regular mobility needs or by servicing and supporting them when unforeseen events occur. With its considerable scale and reach, Redde Northgate's mission is to offer a market-leading customer proposition and drive enhanced returns for shareholders by creating value through sustainable compounding growth. The Group aims to achieve this through the delivery of its strategic framework of Focus, Drive and Broaden.

Redde Northgate services its customers through a network and diversified fleet of over 120,000 owned and leased vehicles, supporting over 600,000 managed vehicles, with more than 170 workshop, body shop and rental locations across the UK, Ireland and Spain and a specialist team of over 6,000 automotive services professionals.

Further information please visit the Company's website:
BH Macro Limited - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 03

BH Macro Limited (the "Company")

(a closed-ended collective investment scheme established as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 46235)

Transaction in Own Shares

3 January 2024

BH Macro Limited (the Company) announces today it has purchased the following number of its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange from J.P. Morgan Securities plc:

Ordinary Shares: - Share Class Sterling Sterling Date of purchase: 3 January 2024 3 January 2024 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 150,000 127,332 Lowest price per share 367.5 365 Highest price per share 367.5 367.5 Trading venue JPSI LSE Aggregate volume per date per trading venue: 150,000 127,332 Weighted average price per day per trading venue: 367.5000 366.8456

The Company intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury.

Following the above share transactions of the relevant US Dollar and Sterling Shares, the total number of shares in issue in each share class of the Company will be as follows:

Ordinary Shares in issue (excluding Treasury) Ordinary Shares held in Treasury 371,494,497 Sterling Shares 2,035,410 Sterling Shares 29,854,672 Dollar Shares Nil Dollar Shares

From 3 January 2024, the total number of voting rights in the Company (rounded up to the whole number) is 569,175,869.

Enquiries:

Company website: www.bhmacro.com

William Simmonds

JPMorgan Cazenove

Tel: 020 7588 2828

The Company Secretary

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

Tel: 01481 745368
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.
BALTIMORE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / TopRatedDentist.com has recently unveiled its latest rankings for best dentists in Baltimore, drawing from a comprehensive analysis of online reviews, awards, and other key factors.

The website employs a unique algorithm that scrutinizes multiple aspects to assist patients in selecting top-notch dentists. This includes an examination of online reviews across various platforms, focusing on aspects like the numerical ratings, general sentiment, frequency and recency of reviews, as well as the dental practice's engagement with these reviews. Particular emphasis is placed on dentists who actively and thoughtfully respond to feedback and queries online, and who consistently receive positive recent reviews.

Moreover, the rankings take into account honors received from the community, local publications, and other reputable organizations, including accolades like "Best Dentist" and "Reader's Choice" awards. Additionally, TopRatedDentist.com verifies that each listed dentist possesses a valid license in Maryland.

Each dental office is assigned a score out of 10 by TopRatedDentist.com, with scores ranging from 9 to 10 denoting excellence and 7 to 8 indicating good quality. This scoring system offers a comprehensive yet straightforward overview of the best dentists in Baltimore.

The rankings are updated annually to ensure that patients have access to the most current information. The website also encourages visitors to contribute new reviews, which are then integrated into the ongoing ranking process.

The top 10 dental practices in Baltimore offer a broad spectrum of services, including general and preventive dentistry, as well as cosmetic and restorative care. They are highly regarded by Baltimore residents for their exceptional customer service and commitment to patient care.

About TopRatedDentist.com

TopRatedDentist.com helps patients take ownership of their health by choosing the dentist that's right for them. The free resource makes it easier to choose a dentist by aggregating reviews and other important information in one place. The site provides rankings for top dentists in many major cities in Baltimore and throughout the U.S. Visit www.TopRatedDentist.com.

TopRatedDentist.com

6701 Democracy Blvd, Suite 300

Bethesda, MD 20817

(202) 839-9991

SOURCE: TopRatedDentist.com

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Multifamily property sells for $32M despite current economic challenges

TULSA, OK / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Vesta Capital (Vesta), a fully-integrated real estate investment firm that specializes in the acquisition, renovation, and ongoing management of multifamily communities, today announced it has successfully completed the sale of Waterford, a 344-unity multifamily property located in Tulsa, Okla.

Vesta Capital Color Logo

The Waterford property was initially acquired for $23,564,000 ($67,500 per unit) at the end of 2018. The divestment, now at $32,336,000 ($94,000 per unit), results in a total project return of 21.8% for investors and a project equity multiple of 1.92x. This transaction highlights Vesta's adept financial management and reinforces its position as a prominent player in the real estate investment sector.

"Over the past 5 years, we've achieved remarkable success at the Waterford community, delivering not only for our valued investors but also for the residents who call Waterford home. We take immense pride in what we've accomplished," said Marc Kulick, Founder and CEO of Vesta Capital.

"Now, as we navigate these uncertain economic times, I am equally proud and excited to secure a win for our investors and provide stellar returns. The sale of Waterford is not just a transaction; it's a testament to our commitment to excellence in the real estate industry."

Vesta Capital's current portfolio consists of 10,000+ units across Class A, B, and C+ assets in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Extensive experience in property management allows Vesta to bring operational expertise to their portfolio assets. Vesta is committed to delivering strong returns to investors and providing residents with exceptional living experiences.

"We are excited for the year ahead," Kulick said. "Throughout 2024 we plan to bring increased liquidity to our investors through sales and refinances, offer several new stable cash-flowing investment opportunities, and continue to grow our property management team for the betterment of our valued residents and investment partners."

About Vesta Capital

Vesta Capital is a privately held real estate investment firm that focuses on the acquisition and management of multifamily properties in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas. Vesta purchases properties that pass strict underwriting standards and that are positioned to perform well in a variety of market conditions.

Since its inception, Vesta has purchased over 9,600 units with a combined value of over $925 million in the Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Little Rock markets. Vesta Capital is constantly working toward identifying assets that will maximize returns for investors.

Vesta was founded by Marc Kulick and an experienced team of real estate operators and owners. Unlike many firms that outsource the most critical part of the business, Vesta's deep experience in asset and property management allows them to run the day-to-day management of all their properties. This vertically integrated approach, along with a focus on sourcing off-market deals, gives Vesta a unique advantage in the markets where they operate. For more information, visit www.vestarealproperty.com.

###

Contact Information

Elizabeth King

Principal

ek@kingprmarketing.com

918-853-6771

SOURCE: Vesta Capital

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a British Columbia copper-gold explorer, announces that it has closed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") announced on December 19, 2023. Under the first tranche of the Offering, the Company issued 9,000,000 common shares (the "Shares") at a price of $0.01 per Share, and 10,999,999 "Flow-through" shares (the "FT Shares") at a price of $0.015 per FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $255,000.

The proceeds of the FT Shares portion of the first tranche of the Offering will be used for the exploration of the Company's Trident project, and the proceeds of the Shares portion of the first tranche of the Offering will be used for general corporate purposes and exploration of the Company's properties.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Corporation has agreed to pay to Haywood Securities Inc. (the "Finder") a commission of 7% of the gross proceeds raised from the FT Shares sold to the purchasers by such Finder (the "Finder's Fee") payable in cash and issue to the Finders the number of Common Share purchase warrants (the "Broker Warrants") that equals 7% of the aggregate number of FT Shares placed by each of the Finder. Each Broker Warrant will entitle the Finder to purchase one Common Share Common Share at an exercise price of $0.02 for a period of 12 months from closing and at a price of $0.10 for the period from December 29, 2024 to December 29, 2026.

All securities issued in connection with the first tranche of the Offering (being the Shares, the FT Shares, and the Finder's Warrants, are subject to a statutory hold period expiring April 30, 2024.

Certain officers and directors of the Company participated in the Offering, purchasing in the aggregate 1,333,333 FT Shares for aggregate proceeds of $20,000, which constitutes a "related party transaction" for purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Such participation is exempt from the valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the fact that the Company is not listed on a specified market set out in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 and the value of FT Shares subscribed for by such officers and directors is less than $2,500,000 in accordance with the requirements of section 5.7(b) of MI 61-101.

About Trident

The Trident property is an exploration stage alkalic porphyry copper-gold-silver prospect with district-scale potential that is accessible by vehicle. The property is located approximately 50 km to the southeast of Northwest Copper Corp.'s Kwanika Deposit and 50 km to the northwest of Centrerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Mine. The property covers 6,618 hectares and is accessible by vehicle using well established logging roads.

Copper mineralization on the property was first discovered in 1969, while following up on anomalous stream sediment samples. The following year Falconbridge optioned the property and over the next two years completed IP and magnetic surveys, geological mapping, soil sampling and diamond drilling. This work identified the A Zone.

Additional exploration programs were completed by Kookaburra Gold Corp. from 1988 through 1991, Solomon Resources Ltd., from 2006 through 2008. In 2013 PEMC optioned the property. The following year PEMC optioned the property to Oz Minerals. In 2014 Oz completed a significant IP survey and two diamond drill holes at Trident.

In 2022, Pacific Empire acquired a 100% interest in the property in exchange for granting the vendors a 2% net smelter return royalty ("NSR"). One-half (1%) of the 2% NSR may be purchased for $500,000 by Pacific Empire.

Prior to 2014, mineralization on the property was believed to be associated with fracture and/or shear zones that strike 120 degrees and dip 75 degrees to the northeast. Review of historical drill core by Pacific Empire has led to a much different interpretation with respect to the nature of mineralization on the property. The most important observation was the presence of hornblende-feldspar monzonite porphyry intrusions in drill core from the A Zone. These porphyry intrusions are characterized by sheeted quartz sulphide veins and disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite immediately adjacent to and within the porphyry dikes. The highest grades in historical drilling are directly associated with intervals where such porphyry intrusions occur.





South Hogem Copper-Gold Belt

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/193108_054d0afa64335b0e_002full.jpg

"The gold in the vial in the above image came from the river that divides Trident and Pinnacle projects. It was collected by PEMC by panning over the course of a number of days. I am not sure if it came from Trident or Pinnacle or ideally both," commented Brad Peters, President and CEO of Pacific Empire. "It does suggest though that there is certainly the potential in this area for a significant gold-enriched copper deposit. At a conference when I was young I was told that if I ever find visible gold on a copper property, keep looking. So far I have encountered visible gold at Trident in outcrop, in the river and at Pinnacle in drill core."





Highlights from Historical Drilling at Trident

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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About Pinnacle

The Pinnacle project is located 60 km to the west of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine and 30 km to the southeast of NorthWest Copper's Kwanika Copper-Gold Deposit in a proven copper-gold porphyry district. Access to the Pinnacle is by road including a new and expanding network of logging roads and trails throughout the main target areas. This improved access is a major development and is anticipated to contribute to cost effective drill support and bedrock exposure.

"We are truly excited to have Pinnacle back as it is fully permitted for diamond drilling, in addition work by Teako advanced our understanding of the Aplite Ridge target area. Over the past 2 years significant logging operations have developed a road network that now covers the entirety of the southern half of the property. The 2023 forest fires dramatically affected the property, further opening it up," commented Brad Peters, President and CEO of Pacific Empire.

Qualified Person

Kristian Whitehead, P.Geo., serves as a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein.

About Pacific Empire

Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company has a district scale land position in north-central British Columbia totaling 22,541 hectares.

British Columbia is a "Green" copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

"Brad Peters"

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp.

Tel: +1-604-356-6246

brad@pemcorp.ca

www.pemcorp.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation: closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or around December 31, 2023, the funds will be used for exploration on its flagship Trident copper-gold-silver project and for general working purposes, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO US NEWSWIRE SERVICES NOR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193108

SOURCE: Pacific Empire Minerals Corp.
Regulatory News:

TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) has completed today the implementation of the agreements signed in March 2023 with Alimentation Couche-Tard ("Couche-Tard"). The transaction, based on an enterprise value of 3.1 billion (equivalent to more than 15 years of net cash flow on a post-tax basis), was finalized in two steps, on December 28th, 2023, with the transaction related to the network in Germany and on January 3rd, 2024, with the transactions related to the networks in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

TotalEnergies received a total cash consideration after adjustments and before tax of 3.4 billion (approximately $3.8 billion, including approximately $2.4 billion in December 2023).

As announced, the transaction involved TotalEnergies' retail networks in the following countries:

In Germany and the Netherlands , TotalEnergies sold 100% of its networks to Couche-Tard.

, TotalEnergies sold 100% of its networks to Couche-Tard. In Belgium and Luxembourg, TotalEnergies and Couche-Tard formed a joint venture (TotalEnergies 40%, Couche-Tard 60%).

TotalEnergies will continue to supply fuel to the service stations in these four countries for at least five years, notably from its refineries in Antwerp (Belgium) and Leuna (Germany).

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, more sustainable, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

@TotalEnergiesTotalEnergiesTotalEnergiesTotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE has no liability for the acts or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103388964/en/

Contacts:

TotalEnergies

Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investors Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad" or the "Company") announced today that it has issued an aggregate of 1,425,000 stock options to directors, officers and consultants of the Company. Each option is exercisable for one common share at an exercise price of $0.20 per share for five years from the date of grant.

Certain directors and officers of the Company received stock options, and such issuance of stock options is considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). This is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of such issuance of stock options does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

About Myriad Uranium Corp.

Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the 1,911 acre Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of eU3O8. Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Rocky Mountain Energy, a subsidiary of Union Pacific, which developed a mine plan and built a leach pad for one of the deposits at Copper Mountain. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the project area has significant exploration upside. Rocky Mountain Energy is estimated to have spent US$74 million (2023 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here.

Myriad also holds 80% ownership of over 1,800 km2 of uranium exploration licenses in the Tim Mersoii Basin, Niger, and the option to earn up to 100%. These licenses are surrounded by many of the most significant uranium deposits in Africa, including Orano's 384 Mlbs eU3O8 Imouraren, Global Atomic's 236 Mlbs Dasa, and Goviex's 100 Mlbs Madaouela, and on the same fault structures. Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc. For further information, please refer to Myriad's disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), contact Myriad by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to Myriad's website at www.myriaduranium.com.

A recent interview with Crux Investors is here. A video overview of the Copper Mountain Project is here. The Company's factsheet is here.

Myriad Contacts:

Thomas Lamb

President and CEO

tlamb@myriaduranium.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193113

SOURCE: Myriad Uranium Corp.
Aamir Khans daughter flaunted a stunning lehenga and even though Nupur did flaunt his gym clothes, he did appear in a traditional dress to pose for the paparazzi later

Aamir Khan and film producer Reena Duttas daughter Ira Khan on Wednesday tied the knot with her long-time partner Nupur Shikhare.

Ira , who is the founder and CEO of a mental health support organisation, registered her marriage with Nupur, a celebrity fitness trainer, at a five star hotel in suburban Bandra.

The marriage was attended by their close family members, including Aamir, his ex-wives Reena Dutta and Kiran Rao , among others. In one viral moment, Aamir could be seen planting a kiss on Kirans cheeks:

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The ceremony was followed by a reception at the same hotel.

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Ahead of the wedding, Nupur, who is in his 30s, was seen jogging from his residence in Santacruz to the wedding venue, wearing an athleisure outfit. He later danced along with his friends to dhol beats outside the venue.

Videos from the ceremony circulating on social media showed Nupur and Ira signing the marriage documents, surrounded by their families and friends, while the guests cheered for them. Ira, 26, was dressed in a traditional outfit.

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Nupur makes a stunning appearance in a traditional outfit

Even though Nupur did flaunt his gym clothes, he did appear in a traditional dress to pose for the paparazzi later.

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The couple will have another wedding ceremony in Udaipur on January 8, followed by a grand reception in Mumbai on January 13.

Ira and Nupur, who have been in a relationship for over three years, got engaged in November 2023.

With added inputs from agencies
General Qasem Soleimani headed up Irans Revolutionary Guards Quds Force. Soleimani was one of the countrys most powerful men and the architect of Irans military activities in West Asia. He was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020 ordered by then president Donald Trump

More than 100 people are dead and scores wounded in Iran after twin explosions occurred at a ceremony marking the death anniversary of general Qasem Soleimani.

Iranian state television reported a first and then a second blast during an anniversary event near the cemetery where Soleimani is buried in the southeastern city of Kerman.

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An unnamed official told the state news agency IRNA that two explosive devices planted along the road leading to Kermans Martyrs Cemetery were detonated remotely by terrorists.

Soleimani was killed in a US drone in Iraq in January 2020 ordered by then president Donald Trump.

But who was Soleimani?

Lets take a closer look:

Who was he?

As per CNN, Soleimani was called Irans shadow commander.

He headed up the countrys Revolutionary Guards Quds Force since 1998 and was one of the most powerful men in the country  perhaps only after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The elite Quds Force, which is responsible for the Islamic Republics campaigns overseas, has been declared a terrorist organisation by the US.

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He was considered the architect of Irans regional military activities.

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He kicked off his career in the 1980s amid the Iraq-Iran war.

He was credited with helping to arm, train and lead armed groups across the region, including the Shiite militias in Iraq, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and fighters in Syria, the Palestinian territories and Yemen.

The US held him responsible for the deaths of many of its soldiers in Iraq.

Its officials think it was Soleimani who provided insurgents with armour-piercing bombs.

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He was also said to be on the battlefields of Iraq.

Hes been in combat his entire life. His soldiers love him. Hes a quiet, charismatic guy, a strategic genius and a tactical operator, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a national security, intelligence and terrorism analyst, told CNN.

Early years

Soleimanis early years are a bit of a mystery.

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Born 11 March, 1957, Iranians say Soleimani grew up near the mountainous and historic Iranian town of Rabor, famous for its forests, its apricot, walnut and peach harvests and its brave soldiers.

The US state department has said he was born in the Iranian religious capital of Qom.

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Little is known about his childhood, though Iranian accounts suggest Soleimanis father was a peasant who received some land under the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the monarch who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

By the time he was 13, Soleimani was working construction, later as an employee of the Kerman Water Organization.

After Irans Islamic Revolution swept the shah from power, Soleimani joined the Revolutionary Guard. He deployed to Irans northwest with forces that put down Kurdish unrest.

Soon after, Iraq invaded Iran and began the two countries long, bloody eight-year war. The fighting killed more than 1 million people and saw Iran send waves of lightly armed troops into minefields and the fire of Iraqi forces, including teenage soldiers. Solemanis unit and others also were attacked by Iraqi chemical weapons.

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Amid the carnage, Soleimani became known for his opposition to meaningless deaths on the battlefield. He wept with fervor when exhorting his men into combat, embracing each individually.

For several years after the Iraq-Iran war, Soleimani largely disappeared from public view, something analysts attribute to his wartime disagreements with Hashemi Rafsanjani, who served as Irans president from 1989 to 1997.

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Public profile grows

But after Rafsanjani, Soleimani became head of the Quds force. He also grew so close to Khamenei that the Supreme Leader officiated the wedding of the generals daughter.

In secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, US officials openly discussed Iraqi efforts to reach out to Soleimani to stop rocket attacks on the highly secured Green Zone in Baghdad in 2009.

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Another cable in 2007 outlines then Iraqi president Jalal Talabani offering a US official a message from Soleimani acknowledging having hundreds of agents in the country while pledging, I swear on the grave of (the late Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini I havent authorised a bullet against the US.

US officials at the time dismissed Soleimanis claim as they saw Iran as both an arsonist and a fireman in Iraq, controlling some Shiite militias while simultaneously stirring dissent and launching attacks.

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US forces blamed the Quds Force for an attack in Karbala that killed five American troops, as well as for training and supplying the bomb makers whose improvised bombs made IED  improvised explosive device  a dreaded acronym among soldiers.

In a 2010 speech, US General David Petraeus recounted a message from Soleimani he said explained the scope of Iranians powers.

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He said, Gen. Petreaus, you should know that I, Qassem Soleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Afghanistan, Petraeus said.

The US and the United Nations put Soleimani on sanctions lists in 2007, though he continued to travel.

In 2011, US officials named him as a defendant in an outlandish Quds Force plot to allegedly hire a purported Mexican drug cartel assassin to kill a Saudi diplomat.

His profile rose suddenly when he was pushed forward as the public face of Irans intervention in the Syrian conflict from 2013, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries  and even being featured in a music video and animated film.

He sat by Khameneis side at key meetings. He famously met Syrias Assad together with the supreme leader  but without Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, sparking a short-lived resignation by the top Iranian diplomat.

In a rare interview aired on Iranian state television in October 2020, he said he was in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war to oversee the conflict.

He had wielded his regional clout publicly since 2018 when it was revealed that he had direct involvement in top-level talks over the formation of Iraqs government.

He was pivotal in pressuring Iraqs Kurds to abandon their plans for independence after an ill-judged referendum.

My Iranian interlocutors on Afghanistan made clear that while they kept the foreign ministry informed, ultimately it was General Soleimani that would make the decisions, former US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told the BBC in 2013.

The Pentagon said Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.

Soleimanis greatest notoriety arose from the Syrian civil war and the rapid expansion of the Islamic State group.

Iran, a major backer of Assad, sent Soleimani into Syria several times to lead attacks against IS and others opposing Assads rule. While a US-led coalition focused on airstrikes, several ground victories by Iraqi forces featured photographs of Soleimani leading them without a flak jacket.

Soleimani has taught us that death is the beginning of life, not the end of life, one Iraqi militia commander said.

Polling data routinely showed Soleimani rated more favorably than other public figures, according to the Center for International Studies at the University of Maryland. But Soleimani refused entreaties to enter politics.

Luck runs out

As per A_l Jazeera,_ Soleimani had survived numerous assassination attempts over the past two decades before his luck ran out in 2020.

To Middle Eastern Shiites, he is James Bond, Erwin Rommel and Lady Gaga rolled into one, wrote former CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack in a profile for Times 100 most influential people in 2017.

To the West, he is responsible for exporting Irans Islamic revolution, supporting terrorists, subverting pro-Western governments and waging Irans foreign wars, Pollack added.

Trump had called Soleimani the the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world, as per BBC.

Within Iran, Soleimani is closely associated with an Islamic theocracy that the protesters view as violent and corrupt.

Iran responded to the killing of Soleimani by launching a barrage of missiles at US bases in Iraq, causing dozens of brain concussion injuries but no deaths among US soldiers stationed there.

Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to take further steps and imposed sanctions on individuals accused of taking part in the operation.

With inputs from agencies
Mahua Moitras past continues to haunt her. After expulsion from Parliament, courtesy of her ex Jai Anant Dehadrai, there are fresh allegations against her. He has accused the Trinamool leader of illegally surveilling him and another former partner

2023 was a tumultuous year for Mahua Moitra. After the cash-for-query case, she was expelled from Parliament. And now 2024 has begun on a not-so-happy note. The ex factor continues to haunt the Trinamool Congress. It was the Supreme Court lawyer and her former boyfriend Jai Anant Dehadrai whose complaint led to her ouster. Now he has accused Moitra of carrying out illegal surveillance on him and another former boyfriend.

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We take a look at the latest allegations against Moitra and her constant troubles with her ex.

Did Mahua Moitra snoop on her former boyfriends?

In the latest twist in the Moitra vs ex saga, the 35-year-old Dehadrai has accused the politician of carrying out illegal surveillance on her ex-boyfriend with the help of senior policemen from West Bengal.

In a complaint filed with the home ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the lawyer alleged that Moitra obtained call records of another former boyfriend without permission, as she suspected that he was having an affair with a German woman, a senior executive of a social media giant.

I was shocked to discover that Moitra, with the help of senior Bengal police officers, had access to the complete CDR [call detail records> history of her ex-boyfriend. She possessed precise information about the individuals who had been in contact with him, as well as the exact location of his phone throughout the day, Dehadrai said in his complaint. He also attached screenshots of some chats and a purported list of call records.

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In a letter to CBI and Amit Shah, Dehadrai said that Moitra was actively tracking her former boyfriend Suhaan Mukerji, as she suspected him of being in a relationship with a German lady by the name of Ms Helana Lersch. He also alleged that the Bengal politician was tracking the woman, according to a report by Republic World. She reportedly obtained Mukerjis precise location on one occasion when he was staying at the Shangri La Hotel in Delhi.

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Dehadrai also mentioned that when he questioned Moitra, she justified herself by claiming certain rights enjoyed by a member of Parliament, including the ability to keep tabs on whoever she chooses to. He alleged that a few police officials in Bengal could not turn her down and were obligated to fulfil her request, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET).

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He is also concerned about his safety and has alleged that he has strong reasons to believe that Moitra is using her connections with senior Bengal police officers to conduct illegal surveillance on him.

This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not back down, he told news agency ANI.

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The advocate also said that his former partner had made several threats to him in the past. He also felt that his car was being followed on several occasions in Delhi.

Also read: How the cash-for-query case against Mahua Moitra unfolded

What is Moitra saying?

Moitra has responded to the allegations, once again insinuating that the Dehadrai is a jilted ex. I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to appoint a special director of the CBI to investigate complaints made by jilted exes across India, she said.

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It is interesting to see that the self-proclaimed protector of privacy is included in the complaint. He has honed his surveillance skills while covering up for his leader in Gujarat. I am confident he can get to the bottom of this as well. Good luck, she added, taking potshots at Home Minister Amit Shah.

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How Moitra and Dehadrai have been at loggerheads

Moitra and Dehadrai have been having a public spat for months now. The two have been in a bitter battle over the custody of their pet rottweiler Henry. He filed several complaints against the Trinamool leader over the issue.

The expelled MP has said that Dehadrai was a jilted ex and claimed that he stole the dog but later returned it. However, he had a different story to tell. In a letter to the Delhi police commissioner, he said that Moitra had abducted the dog after the cash-for-query allegations .

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Dehadrai had later claimed that he was approached by Moitras lawyer to withdraw the cash-for-query complaint against her in exchange for Henry but he had turned it down.

Both Moitra and Dehadrai had staked claim to the pet. In November, the latter shared a video saying that Henry was back home.

Welcome back Henry!



Thank you for all the support, prayers and wishes 



Henry is thrilled to be back home. pic.twitter.com/xFxfgqXLDJ  Jai Anant Dehadrai (@jai_a_dehadrai) November 9, 2023

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Dehadrai had also accused Moitra of trespassing and said that she had visited his house uninvited on 5 and 6 November.

Also read: Mahua Moitra expelled from Lok Sabha: What next for the firebrand TMC leader?

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Who is Jai Anant Dehadrai?

Dehadrai is a known name in legal circles and his main practice is white-collar crimes. However, he has also fought on several issues. He is fighting a case in the Supreme Court, where he challenged Delhi prison rules that cap the number of visits by relatives of prisoners.

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In 2017, he fought for a family that was slapped with a huge medical bill after losing their seven-year-old daughter to dengue. He fought for a non-profit working for disability rights against the Delhi government for not making public transport accessible, reports money control.

He is a postgraduate in law from the University of Pennsylvania and also pursued a course in corporate diplomacy from the Wharton School.

Dehadrai has had a promising career so far. But he is largely remembered for his ugly spat with the firebrand Mahua Moitra.

With inputs from agencies
More than 60 people from Gujarat on board the Nicaragua-bound plane, which was grounded in France, had agreed to pay Rs 60 lakh to Rs 80 lakh to immigration agents, who promised to help them cross into the US illegally after reaching the Latin American country

Days after the Donkey flight, which was halted in France for allegedly involvement in human trafficking, came in spotlight, authorities reveal that more than 60 people from Gujarat on board the Nicaragua-bound plane had agreed to pay Rs 60 lakh to Rs 80 lakh to immigration agents, who promised to cross into the US illegally after reaching the Latin American country.

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The Nicaragua-bound aircraft , an Airbus A340 carrying 303 passengers, including 260 Indians, was grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking over a week ago. It landed in Mumbai in the early hours of 26 December.

Those passengers included 66 from Gujarat, who have already reached their respective native places in the state, according to a senior state Crime Investigation Department (CID)  Crime and Railways official.

Asked to pay the money after reaching the US

Superintendent of Police, CID- Crime and Railways, Sanjay Kharat, who is investigating the case, said these 66 Gujarat natives, including some minors, were mainly from Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Anand districts.

We have already questioned 55 of them and recorded their statements. Majority of them have studied till Class 8 to 12. Each of them admitted that they had agreed to pay Rs 60 lakh to Rs 80 lakh to the local immigration agents to help them cross into the US illegally after reaching Nicaragua via Dubai, he said.

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The state CID has so far acquired the names and contact numbers of nearly 15 agents, who had promised to help these 55 persons enter the US illegally through the US-Mexico border.

These agents had asked these 55 persons to pay the money only after reaching the US. The agents had told the passengers that their men would take them to the US border from Nicaragua and then help them cross the border. It was also revealed that the agents had also booked air tickets for these passengers and gave $1,000 to 3,000 (Rs 83,290 to Rs 2.49 lakh) to each passenger to deal with any emergency situation, Kharat said.

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CBI investigating the case

As per the plan devised by the agents, these 66 passengers reached Dubai from Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi between 10 and 20 December. As directed by the agents, these passengers boarded the Nicaragua-bound aircraft of a private airline at the Fujairah International Airport on 21 December, a release issued by the CID said on Tuesday.

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It added that the CID has written a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to help it collect more information about the agents who had acquired Dubai visa of these 55 passengers, bank details of agents who had paid the visa fee from his account, how the agents managed to acquire visa of Nicaragua from Dubai and who booked the flight from Dubai and paid money for the tickets of passengers.

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The chartered flight, which was operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines and bound for Nicaragua, landed at Vatry near Paris on 21 December for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when the French police intervened.

French authorities launched a judicial investigation into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a unit specialising in organised crime investigating suspected human trafficking.

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Nicaragua has become a popular destination for those seeking asylum in the US. As many as 96,917 Indians attempted to enter the US illegally in the financial year 2023, signalling a 51.61 per cent jump from the previous year, according to data made available by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

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At least 41,770 of those Indians attempted to enter the US via the Mexican land border, CBP data shows.

Flights to Nicaragua or third countries where obtaining travel documents is easy have come to be known as Dunki flights.

With inputs from PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is kicking off campaigning for this years general election by addressing a huge gathering in Kerala. The ED has summoned Arvind Kejriwal for the third time. The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea from Mahua Moitra. Heres a roundup of todays major developments

Its Wednesday.

And its set to be a big day when it comes to news.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is kicking off campaigning for this years general election by addressing a huge gathering in Kerala.

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the third time.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea from former Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra.

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India is set to play South Africa in the second test match at Cape Town.

And in England, doctors are set to go on strike over strike over pay

Lets take a look at todays big-ticket items:

PM Modi in Kerala

The 2024 campaign season begins today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address a mass gathering of over 2 lakh women in Thrissur today.

The rally, entitled Sthree Shakthi Modikk Oppam (Empower Women with PM Modi), the convention, to be held at the sprawling Thekkinkadu ground, has been organised by the Kerala unit of the BJP to congratulate PM Modi for successfully passing the Womens Reservation Bill in both Houses of Parliament.

Women from diverse backgrounds, including anganwadi teachers, ASHA workers, entrepreneurs, artists, MGNREGA and neighbourhood network workers, and social and cultural activists, are expected to participate in the event.

Though the programme is planned as a mass meeting of women, it is viewed as the official launch of the poll campaign by the BJP for the upcoming general elections in its attempt to make political inroads in Kerala, which is currently dominated by CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF.

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ED summons Kejriwal again

Will Arvind Kejriwal turn up?

The Enforcement Directorate has yet again summoned Kejriwal for questioning today in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case.

This is the third time the agency has summoned the Delhi chief minister.

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It earlier did so on 21 December and 2 November.

However, Kejriwal did not take the hint and skipped both appearances.

The first time Kejriwal was summoned, he headed to Madhya Pradesh to campaign for the Assembly polls.

The next time he left for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course.

The AAP has dismissed the case against its supremo as fake and bogus.

Mahua Moitra plea in SC

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The Supreme Court is set to hear Mahua Moitras plea today.

The former Lok Sabha MP had approached the apex court against her expulsion in the cash-for-query row.

Moitra was held guilty of unethical conduct and expelled from the Lok Sabha on 8 December, 2023, for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him.

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Moitra had accused the Lok Sabha committee of being a Kangaroo court and vowed to continue to fight against the BJP  inside and outside of Parliament.

The apex court had on 15 December adjourned the case.

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Justice Sanjeev Khanna, who was heading up the bench, said he did not have time to read the file.

I have not had time to read the file. Hearing on 3 January, Khanna said.

India-South Africa second test

Indias wait to conquer its final frontier continues.

The first test against South Africa in Centurion saw India crash to a heavy defeat of an innings and 32 runs.

While KL Rahul, Jaspreet Bumrah and Virat Kohli were bright spots for India, the tourists were comprehensively defeated thanks to a mammoth 185 by Dean Elger and a rampaging South Africa attack particularly KG Rabada.

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Rohit Sharmas batting and captaincy also came in for much criticism on social media  as did the lackluster performances from Shardul Thakur and the debutante Prasidh Krishna.

Can India bounce back in the second test? Will Sharma ring in the changes in the bowling attack? Can the top order rebuff South Africas quicks on what looks to be a batting paradise?

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All the answers will be revealed starting today.

Birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule

Today is the 193rd birth anniversary of social reformer and educationist Savitribai Phule.

Savitribai was born on 3 January, 1831 in Maharashtras Naigaon.

Her parents were Lakshmi and Khandoji Neveshe Patil.

Savitribai was married off at the age of nine to her husband Jotiba  who was 13 at the time.

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Savitribai, after learning to read and write, began teaching others.

In 1848, she and Jotiba opened Indias first school for girls.

She also imparted education to the so-called untouchables.

With inputs from agencies
Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University, has announced her resignation, making her tenure the shortest in the history of the institution. Her term has been riddled with controversy  from her handling of the antisemitic speeches on campus to allegations of plagiarism in her papers

On 15 December 2022, Ivy League college Harvard made history when it announced the appointment of Claudine Gay as its president. With this, she became the first person of colour and second woman in Harvard Universitys 386-year history to serve as president.

However, on Tuesday (2 January), she made history once again, however, not in the best way possible. Her tenure will be remembered for being the shortest in the schools history, as she announced her resignation .

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While she has stepped down from her role as president, she will continue to hold her faculty position at the reputed institution.

Gays short tenure as Harvard president was far from smooth-sailing; she was mired in multiple controversies and scandals.

Claudine Gays resigns with a heavy heart

On Tuesday, the Harvard president resigned, which was first reported by The Harvard Crimson. In a lengthy letter, the 52-year-old wrote, It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president.

This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries.

But, after consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.

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She further added in the letter that she was distressed that doubts had been cast on her commitments to confront hate and to uphold scholarly rigour. She also stated that she was frightened to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fuelled by racial animus.

Harvard, in response, thanked Gay for her service and praised her commitment to Harvard and its people. It was also announced that Provost Alan M Garber would serve as interim president effective immediately.

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Gays antisemtism controversy

Claudine Gays resignation comes after months of controversy about her handling of pro-Palestinian protest on campus in the wake of the 7 October Hamas attack in Israel .

A day following those deadly attacks, more than 30 student groups published an open letter, holding the Israeli regime entirely responsible for the unfolding violence. The letter received a lot of backlash from people in the US as well as from other countries.

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Gay also came under fire for not denouncing the Hamas attack or the letter published in its aftermath. It was after receiving flak that Gay issued a statement expressing heartbreak over the death and destruction from the war while calling for an environment of dialogue and empathy.

In the following days, Gay once again issued another statement, this time a bit more forceful. She said that no student group  not even 30 student groups  speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.

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As tensions simmered on campus , Claudine Gay, along with the presidents of MIT and University of Pennsylvania, were summoned to US Congress on 5 December to testify on the allegation that there was a bias against Jewish students. It was during this hearing that Republican Representative Elise Stefanik of New York asked Gay: Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvards rules of bullying and harassment? Yes or No.

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Gay responded by saying , It can be, depending on the context. She added: Antisemitic rhetoric, when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation, that is actionable conduct, and we do take action.

However, many decried her response and asked if she condoned such actions.

Claudine Gays plagiarism row

But it wasnt just the antisemitism controversy that Gay found herself embroiled in. On 10 December as she faced criticism for her handling of the hate speeches being made on campus, plagiarism allegations were levelled against her by conservative activist Christopher Rufo. He alleged that she had plagiarised her 1997 doctoral dissertation.

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The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, then published a complaint that alleged nearly 40 instances of plagiarism by Gay. This was followed by Harvard commissioning an independent review of Gays writings following the plagiarism accusations. It then announced that the review revealed inadequate citations in a few instances but no violation of Harvards standards for research misconduct.

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In the meantime, the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce also extended its existing probe, focused on antisemitism on campus, to include the allegations of plagiarism against Gay.

The committee announced it had begun a review of Harvard Universitys handling of credible allegations of plagiarism by President Claudine Gay over a period of 24 years.

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The scandal worsened for Gay on 1 January when new allegations of plagiarism were levelled against her. In the new complaint published on The Washington Free Beacon, six more instances of plagiarism were listed out. Experts speaking to CNN found that there were elements of Gays 2001 article, The Effect of Minority Districts and Minority Representation on Political Participation in California, that constituted plagiarism.

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Several sentences from scholar David T Canons 1999 book appear in Gays article. But Gay failed to use quotation marks or cite the work in two passages. His end notes are almost verbatim in her footnotes.

But Gay has been steadfastly defending her work. Earlier she had said in a statement, I stand by the integrity of my scholarship. Throughout my career, I have worked to ensure my scholarship adheres to the highest academic standards.

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Reactions to Gays resignation

Soon after Gays resignation as Harvard president, some expressed shock, while others maintained that the action was long overdue.

Vivek Ramaswamy , a contender for the 2024 US presidential polls, wrote: Harvards President Claudine Gay just resigned better late than never. Back in 2006, I was one of three students appointed to the advisory board to select Harvards new president in 2007 after Larry Summers was forced to resign after his supposedly misogynistic comments (which were badly distorted). Back then, it was a foreordained conclusion that the next president would be a woman, no questions asked - shut up, sit down, do as youre told. And it was a thinly veiled exercise in race & gender when they selected Claudine Gay. Heres a radical idea for the future: select leadership based on *merit.* Its a great approach, actually.

Elise Stefanik, the Republican representative, who had grilled Gay during the hearing, said Gays actions were long overdue.

My full statement on the long overdue resignation of @Harvard president: pic.twitter.com/ZnCnh5AF2f  Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 2, 2024

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman  who has donated millions to Harvard, his alma mater  has been one of Gays most vocal critics, and previously suggested Gay was hired based on the colour of her skin. He wrote on X, Et tu Sally? apparently directed at Sally Kornbluth, MIT president, who is the last of the three college presidents to keep her job.

With inputs from agencies
All 367 passengers, including eight children, evacuated safely as flames erupted on a Japan Airlines flight after it collided with a smaller Coast Guard plane. Experts have praised the crew doing an incredible job and pulling off a great escape

It was nothing short of a miracle that all 379 people on board the Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 evacuated safely before the plane erupted in a fireball after colliding with a smaller Japanese Coast Guard aircraft on the runway at Toykos Haneda Airport on Tuesday (2 January). The people who made this possible were the 12 crew members and the passengers who followed their instructions amid such a panic-inducing situation.

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As per reports, the JAL plane landed on Runway C of the Haneda airport at about 5:47 pm local time (2:17 pm IST) when it collided with the Coast Guard aircraft. The smaller plane burst, sending flames into the night sky. The bigger passenger jet continued to taxi on the runway, while its left engine erupted into flames, reported Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News.

Five of the six crew members on the Japan Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8 plane died in the accident. The pilot, who is the lone survivor, was severely injured.

The tragic incident has shed the spotlight on the role of the crew of the Japan Airlines flight in the safe evacuation of all 367 passengers, including eight children under the age of two.

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Lets take a closer look.

Passengers recount tale

The passengers and the crew escaped the burning Airbus A350 using emergency slides, Kyodo news agency reported citing Japans transport ministry.

Uchida, a passenger in her 40s from Chiba Prefecture, said she was in a window seat on the right side of the plane near the wing, adding that the flight made a loud noise while landing. However, she did not realise it was a collision, according to the Associated Press (AP) report.

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As she looked out the window, Uchida spotted flames near the wing.

I thought it was over. I thought I was about to die, she was quoted as saying by The Japan Times.

Uchida, who only gave her surname, said the cabin crew told the passengers to remain calm. She said it took a couple of minutes before the plane doors opened, allowing people to flee the burning aircraft.

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Videos showed passengers quickly but calmly coming down the inflatable evacuation slides and then running away from the plane, as per CBS News.

The flight attendants told us to stay calm and instructed us to get off the plane, another passenger, Satoshi Yamake, told Reuters.

Another flyer said to Japanese public broadcaster NHK that flight attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind. After this, all lights went off inside the plane and the temperature inside the cabin started increasing.

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Dramatic visuals showed smoke spreading inside the aircraft as passengers evacuated. Passengers can be seen shouting inside the planes cabin filled with smoke. At some point, a childs voice can be heard shouting: Let us get out quickly! Let us get out quickly!

Japan Airlines reportedly said in a statement that the planes in-flight announcement system did not work during the evacuation, leading the crew members to use megaphones to convey instructions.

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Speaking to Reuters, 28-year-old Tsubasa Sawada, who was on the flight, said there was an explosion on the plane about 10 minutes after the passengers fled the inferno.

I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late, Sawada said.

According to Japans Fire and Disaster Management Agency, at least 17 people on the passenger jet were injured.

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Incredible job

Aviation experts have pointed out the role of crew and pilots on board the Japan Airlines flight in the successful evacuation of the passengers.

The evacuation began almost immediately after the flight landed and all passengers were ushered to safety within 20 minutes, ABC News reported citing JAL.

Professor Graham Braithwaite, director of transport systems at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, hailed the crew members. From what I saw on the footage, I was surprised and relieved that everyone got out, CNN quoted him as saying.

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Its such a severe impact for any aircraft to have to withstand. But knowing what I know about that airline, and how much effort they put into safety and into crew training, the fact that they did do such a good job shouldnt be such a surprise.

Speaking to BBC, Braithwaite described Japan Airlines as a world leader in safety. The evacuation has been successful and it is a reminder of how much has gone into training cabin crew.

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Their focus is on safety. They are the last people to evacuate the airplane and on face value, it looks like they have done an incredible job, he was quoted as saying by AP.

Braithwaite told CNN that the 1985 incident when Osaka-bound JAL flight 123 crashed into a mountain near Tokyo, killing 520 out of the 524 onboard, has had a profound effect on the airlines. The disaster prompted JAL to prioritise its focus on passenger safety.

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They have a very strict culture around standard operating procedures and doing everything properly. Thats one of the reasons in this case I think the crew seems to have performed so well, he explained.

Professor Ronald Bartsch, a former manager of air transport operations with Australias Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), told ABC News that he was surprised that there were no casualties or serious injuries.

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According to Brett Molesworth, a professor of Human Factors and Aviation Safety at UNSW, all planes are required under the law to be designed to be evacuated within 90 seconds, with just 50 per cent of doors working, ABC News reported.

In this case, passengers must also be appreciated for not panicking in such a dreadful situation or trying to carry their bags while fleeing the aircraft. Experts said their compliance also helped in averting a major disaster.

The passengers must have followed instructions to a T. From the video footage that Ive viewed, it didnt appear that any of the passengers had carried their bags off the aircraft, Bartsch told ABC News.

Another factor that worked was the the crash-worthiness of modern jetliners today, according to Robert Sumwalt, CBS News transportation safety analyst.

Sumwalt said the interiors of modern airplanes are designed to withstand fire. The side walls dont burn as quickly as they would in previous airplanes.

What caused the Japan plane crash?

It is too soon to say. Investigations are underway to determine what caused the crash. It is believed that the JAL flight was cleared to land. However, the communication with the pilot of the Dash-8 Coast Guard aircraft is not yet known.

The collision was a result of a runway incursion, as per initial reports. This means the Coast Guard aircraft entered the runway when it should not have been, former air traffic controller Michele Robson told Sky News.

It would appear that the pilot of the Coast Guard plane entered the runway when it was not supposed to. Whether or not that was the result of the air traffic control giving that instruction or whether the pilot  was confused by the instruction is yet to be seen, Professor Bartsch was quoted as saying by ABC News.

It will take a while to find out how the two planes ended on the runway at the same time.

With inputs from agencies
The GSAT-20 is a 4,700-kilo communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). When launched into orbit, it will play a significant role in fulfilling Indias growing broadband connectivity needs by connecting its remote and underserved regions

India is set to launch its new satellite on a SpaceX rocket.

Indas GSAT-20 satellite, also known as GSAT-N2, will be launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

But what is the GSAT-20? And what is the Falcon 9? When will it launch?

Lets take a closer look:

What we know about GSAT-20 and launch

The GSAT-20 is a 4,700-kilo communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

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ISROs commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is planning to launch the satellite using the Falcon X in the second quarter of 2024, as per The Times of India.

The satellite will look to fulfill Indias growing broadband connectivity needs.

NSIL will fully own, operate and fund the 4,700kg satellite, which can provide up to 48Gbps of capacity across 32 beams covering all of India including the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands, the NSIL said in a statement.

This cost-effective satellite will play a significant role in connecting remote and underserved regions of the country, NSIL added

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The satellite will also facilitate in-flight connectivity for aeromobile services using Ka band.

The NSIL currently has 11 communication satellites in orbit.

The NSIL said Indian service providers have already bought a bulk of the HTS capacity on-board GSAT-20 satellite but did not name the customers.

What is Falcon 9?

As per the SpaceX website, the Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket.

It has been designed and manufactured by SpaceX to allow people and payloads to be put into Earths orbit and beyond dependably and safely

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It is the worlds first orbital-class reusable rocket.

Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access, the website states.

The Falcon 9 is 70 metres tall and 3.7 metres wide.

It can put a 22,800-kilo payload into Low-Earth Orbit and an 8,300-kilo payload into Geostationary Transfer orbit.

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It can deliver a 4,020-kilo payload to Mars.

It has thus far carried out 285 launches, 243 landings and 217 reflights.

The rocket is powered by its Merlin engines.

They use rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle.

The Merlin engine was originally designed for recovery and reuse.

The Falcon 9 generates more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level.

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Why is India using SpaceX?

Because the GSAT-20 is too heavy for the ISROs most powerful rocket.

As per Hindu Business Line, the ISROs Launch Vehicle Mark 3 can only put a 4,000-kilo mass into geostationary transfer orbit.

India was earlier using the Ariane rockets of Arianespace to launch its communication satellites weighing four or over four tonnes.

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A couple of private satellite players from India have used SpaceXs rockets to launch their small satellites.

They say SpaceX charges far less than ISRO.

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NDTV quoted ISRO chairman S Somanath as saying they chose SpaceX as no other rocket was available in time.'

S Somanath has been advocating Indias need for a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV)  which would be able to put around 10,000 kilos into orbit.

However, this wont be ready for a few years.

Somanath said Indias launch capability has to be enhanced to meet future needs, while being cost competitive.

NSIL CMD Dr Radhakrishnan Durairaj said if commercials and readiness make sense we go for it, as per NDTV.

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Meanwhile, ISRO has to successfully test its its semi-cryogenic engine so that its rockets fitted can carry a payload of over four tonnes.

The Indian space agency will be testing its semi-cryogenic engine this year.

The semi-cryogenic engine utilizes a propellant combination of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Kerosene.

On 1 July, 2023, ISRO conducted the first hot test on an intermediate configuration of the semi-cryogenic engine, known as Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

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The test was conducted towards developing a 2000 kN thrust semi-cryogenic engine to power the booster stages of future rockets. During the test, an unanticipated spike in the turbine pressure and subsequent loss of turbine speed was observed and the test was terminated.

With inputs from agencies
Proptech startup Frontdesk has reportedly sacked all its 200 employees over a virtual call. This is the first big mass layoff of 2024. Heres what happened

A US-based startup has become the first company this year to lay off employees en masse. Proptech startup Frontdesk reportedly fired its entire 200-person workforce on Tuesday (2 January) on a virtual call.

Why did Frontdesk sack all of its employees? Lets take a closer look.

Fired over Google Meet call

According to the American global online newspaper TechCrunch, Frontdesk, which was founded in 2017, laid off full-time, part-time workers and contractors on Tuesday afternoon during a two-minute Google Meet call.

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The layoff comes just seven months after the proptech startup acquired smaller rival Zencity. Based in Wisconsin, Frontdesk managed over 1,000 furnished apartments across the US.

Whats behind Frontdesks mass layoffs?

Frontdesk CEO Jesse DePinto told employees on the call that the company would be filing for a state receivership, a bankruptcy alternative, sources told TechCrunch.

According to Crunchbase, Frontdesk raised about $26 million from investors, including JetBlue Ventures, Veritas Investments and Sand Hill Angels.

Sources told the US online newspaper that the startup tried to convince investors of its plan to pursue full building management. However, that did not work and the company could no longer run operations.

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The startups business model, which is leasing apartments at market rental rates and furnishing them for short-term rentals in more than 30 markets, has struggled largely due to the upfront costs involved, associated capital expenditures and variables in demand and rates, TechCrunch reported citing a source.

ALSO READ: What is career cushioning? Can it protect you from layoffs in 2024?

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When Salesforce sacked workers over a call

In January last year, Cloud-based software firm Salesforce announced it is laying off nearly 10 per cent of its workforce and closing some offices.

The companys CEO Marc Benioff later admitted it was a bad idea to fire about 7000 employees in a two-hour meeting over a call.

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We were trying to explain the unexplainable. Its hard to have a call like that with such a large group and have it be effective, and we paid a price, The New York Times (NYT) quoted Benioff as saying.

I wish I offered lifetime employment. But the reality is when you have a big company with 80,000 employees, there are going to be times you have to make a headcount adjustment. Our layoff packages are some of the most generous ever, the CEO said.

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In a letter to employees, he blamed the global macroeconomic conditions for the decision. Benioff said the company went overboard with hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ive been thinking a lot about how we came to this moment. As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn were now facing, and I take responsibility for that, he reportedly said.

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Last September, Bloomberg News reported citing CEO Benioff that Salesforce plans to hire 3,300 people across various departments. Our job is to grow the company and to continue to achieve great margins. We know we have to hire thousands of people, the CEO said.

Recent big layoffs

Tech layoffs reached over 240,000 in 2023, which was more than 50 per cent than the year before. The mass firing of the workforce was driven by Big Tech like Google, Amazon , Microsoft, Yahoo, Meta and Zoom.

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In the last couple of years, tech companies around the world sacked more than 425,000 employees.

As per layoffs-fyi, a website that tracks layoffs across the world, the United States accounted for 70 per cent of the total global job cuts last year, followed by India where 16,400 people were given the pink slip.

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Germany saw 13,000 thousand job cuts, followed by Sweden (11,100) and the United Kingdom  9400.

While most of the layoffs occurred in the edtech sector (3610) in India in the first half of 2023, food (2765), finance (2141), retail (1772), consumer (1488) and healthcare (991) were also among the top sectors to witness job cuts.

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With inputs from agencies
The 109th edition of the Indian Science Congress event, which was scheduled to begin today, has been postponed. The event, which has been held every year since 1914 barring two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been a lightning rod for controversies these past few years

The Indian Science Congress meet might not take place this year.

The 109th edition of the event, which was scheduled to begin today, has been called off.

The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), the organisers of the event, have appealed to universities across the country to host the event.

But what do we know about the event? Why is the Indian Science Congress not being held this year? Whats the controversy around it?

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Lets take a closer look:

What do we know about the event?

The ISCA has been organising the Indian Science Congress since 1914.

The Prime Minister of India has been inaugurating the annual gathering of scientists since Independence.

As per Indian Express, the meet is the prime ministers first public event of the year.

The meet did not take place in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, its 108th edition was held from 3 to 7 January in Nagpur.

The 108th edition of the Congress was held in Nagpur from January 3-7, 2023.

Its theme was Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the gathering via video-conference last year, paid homage to Indias scientific strength.

When the spirit of national service gets infused in Science along with passion, results are unprecedented. I am sure, Indias scientific community will ensure a place for our country of which it was always deserving, Modi said.

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Why is it not being held this year?

As per Indian Express, the reason for the event not being held this year is a tiff over money between the ISCA and the Union Ministry of Science and Technologys Department of Science (DST)

The DST, which is a key funder of the event, contributed Rs 5 crore to the Indian Science Congress in 2023.

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However, in September, the DST claimed there were financial irregularities and abruptly pulled its backing of the event.

The DST in a notification to all secretaries of scientific departments said, It has also been decided that DST support from all its resources for the forthcoming ISC event in 2024 will be discontinued.

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The DST also accused the ISCA of making unilateral decisions.

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In truth, there have been differences between the government and the ISCA over the organisation of the event for years.

The Centre since 2015 has been promoting the India International Science Festival (IISF).

Meanwhile, the ISCA has taken the DST to court and claimed that the government is trying to interfere in its functioning.

This years event was slated to be held at Lucknow University.

However, the university then told the ISCA it would be unable to host the event.

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Lovely Professional University (LPU) then offered to host the event.

As per Indian Express, the DST seemed to be displeased with the ISCAs selection of the venue  which previously hosted the Congress in 2019.

The ISCA countered that its executive committee does not require permission from the DST to choose the venue.

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It added that a DST representative was in attendance during the venue being picked.

However, the LPU had seemingly seen enough and it too pulled out of hosting the event.

The ISCA has now formed a five-member committee to scout for possible venues to host the event.

The Executive Committee of the Indian Science Congress Association met this evening and decided to put the 109th Congress on hold. We have also decided to post an appeal on our website for universities keen to host the event, ISCA president Arvind Saxena told PTI.

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Saxena said the ISCA will wait till February to see whether any university was interested in hosting the event.

What are the controversies surrounding the event?

The event has seemingly been a lightning rod for controversies.

A lot of attendees in recent years have made unscientific and downright ridiculous claims.

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In 2014, Captain Anand J Bodas, the retired principal of a pilot training facility said the ancient world could be understood through Hindu epics and not modern evidence or research.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Bodas claimed that the aeroplanes existed during the Vedic age.

In those days aeroplanes were huge in size, and could move left, right, as well as backwards, unlike modern planes which only fly forward, Bodas claimed.

That same year a NASA scientist submitted a petition asking officials to cancel the Congress due to it questioning the integrity of the scientific process.

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We as scientific community should be seriously concerned about the infiltration of pseudo-science in science curricula with backing of influential political parties. Giving a scientific platform for a pseudo-science talk is worse than a systematic attack that has been carried out by politically powerful pseudo-science propagandists in the recent past. If we scientists remain passive, we are betraying not only the science, but also our children, the petition by Dr Ram Prasad Gandhiraman stated.

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In 2015, a paper presented at the Congress claimed Indians had developed 20 types of sharp instruments and 101 blunt ones for surgeries, which largely resemble the modern surgical instruments, as per The Times of India.

Dr Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister for Science and Technology who attended the event, claimed, Our scientists discovered the Pythagoras theorem, but we  gave credit to the Greeks. We all know that we knew beejganit much before the Arabs, but very selflessly we allowed it to be called Algebra. This is the base the Indian scientific community has maintained."

Whether it is related to the solar system, medicine, chemistry or earth science, we have shared all our knowledge very selflessly, Vardhan added.

While Vardhan did not present any evidence, another speaker offered the same theory.

In the Sulbha Sutra written in 800 BCE, Baudhayan wrote the geometric formula now famously known as Pythagoras theorem. It was written by Baudhayan 300 years before Pythagoras, Dr Gauri Mahulikar, head of Sanskrit department at Mumbai University, was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

Another paper also claimed ancient Indian engineers had adequate knowledge of Indian botany and they effectively used it in their construction.

That same year, Bodas claimed, There is a reference of ancient aviation in the Rigveda.

Bodas said Maharishi Bharadwaj spoke 7,000 years ago of the existence of aeroplanes which travel from one country to another, from one continent to another and from one planet to another. He mentioned 97 reference books for aviation.

History merely notes that the Wright brothers first flew in 1904, he said.

Bodas also spoke of the huge aeroplanes which flew in ancient India.

The basic structure was of 60 by 60 feet and in some cases, over 200 feet. They were jumbo planes, he said. The ancient planes had 40 small engines. Todays aviation does not know even of flexible exhaust system, he said.

The ancient Indian radar system was called rooparkanrahasya. In this system, the shape of the aeroplane was presented to the observer, instead of the mere blip that is seen on modern radar systems, he said.

As per India Today, another speaker claimed the cow carries a bacteria within it which allows to turn whatever it eats into pure 24-carat gold.

Scroll quoted a speaker called Kiran Naik as claiming that during the Mahabharata war a chase in one of those Vedic planes from the Earth to the Moon and then to Mars saw a king attacking his rival and breaking his helmet.

If you dont believe me, will you believe the National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA) of the USA? If you search on Google for helmet on Mars, it will tell you that even NASA has found this helmet on Mars and it will give you evidence for it, Naik was quoted as saying.

Naik also claimed heated sugaoar was used in the plastic surgery to affix Lord Ganeshas elephant head to his human torso.

Vardhan later defended the papers being presented.

So if a paper shares the experiences of the past and integrate them with what is happening today and what is our future goal, I think we should not mind that, Vardhan said.

In 2016, scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan had slammed the Congress as a circus.

The Indian-born Nobel laureate had earlier condemned the Science Congress and said that politics and religious ideologies shouldnt be mixed with science.

Speaking to reporters, Ramakrishnan said, I attended one day (of an earlier Congress) and very little science was discussed. It was a circus. I find that its an organisation where very little science is discussed. I will never attend a science congress again in my life.

Ramakrishnan added, The idea that Indians had airplanes 2,000 years ago sounds almost essentially impossible to me. I dont believe it. The point is that if that technology was produced in a method so described that anybody could replicate it, then it becomes science.

In 2019, Andhra University vice chancellor Prof G Nageswara Rao  a professor of inorganic chemistry  claimed that the Mahabharatas Kauravas were born out of nearly 1,000-year-old stem cell research and a test tube fertilisation process that this country had known thousands of years ago.

Rao also referred to the 24 different types of aircraft that Ravana was supposed to have possessed, and claimed that Sri Lanka  at that time  had airports.

He even challenged Darwinian Theory, claiming that the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu were much more advanced in explaining evolution.

Dashavatara is better than Darwins theory because it also plans for what comes after the humans, he said as per Hindustan Times.

Gangajal is considered to be very holy and today it has been proven scientifically that irrespective of the impurities of the Gangajal it does not give any infection because bacteriophages kill the harmful bacteria, Rao added.

Another scientist  a Dr KJ Krishnan  claimed that Newton and Einstein had little knowledge of physics and misled the world with their theories.

Krishnan claimed that his own theory of gravitational phenomenon would provide a better understanding of gravitational waves  which he suggested should be renamed Narendra Modi Waves.

He further recommended that gravitational lensing should be known as the Harsh Vardhan Effect.

What do experts say?

That the event is a shell of its former self.

A piece in Indian Express noted that the events best days are behind it and that it has been tapering off for years.

Random speakers have used the platform to make outlandish claims and promote pseudoscience, which have drawn ridicule. The papers that are presented or the talks that are delivered, hardly reflect the latest advancements in science, the piece noted.

Most of Indias credible scientists now avoid the event. Leading scientific institutions and laboratories have only a token presence, if at all. Most attendees are from colleges and universities with limited scientific credentials. Several top scientists have, in fact, said that the event should be discontinued, or the government should withdraw support to it. There has been talk of reforms for the past couple of decades, but nothing much has changed.

An op-ed in The Hindu, arguing for a need to consider the events relevance, added, in the past few years, the ISCs reputation has been in tatters after it offered itself as a platform for a few members of the scientific community to advance pseudoscientific claims, particularly those that dovetailed to hyper-nationalist narratives in other sphere.

It noted that while some high-profile scientists who have, since 2014, dubbed the event a circus that hurts the cause of science may not be bothered.

However, it also noted that the event plays host to thousands of school and college students every year and talks by researchers.

This is not as straightforward as a plea to throw away only the bathwater, not the baby, the piece concluded.

With inputs from agencies
A UK teenager, under 16, was sexually attacked by a gang of strangers in the metaverse in a virtual reality video game. The police are now investigating the case, the first virtual sexual offence in the country. However, sexual assault is not rare in the virtual world

Is there any place where women and girls are safe? Its a valid question as cases of rape and sexual abuse are on the rise even in the virtual world. The latest shocker comes from the United Kingdom, where police are investigating the first case of an alleged rape of a teenager in the metaverse.

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The girl was sexually attacked in a virtual reality game in the metaverse , an immersive digital world where you can interact and socialise through an online avatar using virtual reality headsets.

What is the case of the UK teen? How common is digital rape? We explain.

The virtual gang-rape of UK girl

The girl, who is under the age of 16, was gang-raped by online strangers in a virtual reality video game, according to a report in Daily Mail.

Police are now investigating the case, reportedly the first virtual sexual offence in the UK.

The girl is said to have been distraught. According to the police, she suffered the same psychological and emotional trauma as someone who has been raped in the real world as the VR experience is designed to be completely immersive, the report says.

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This child experienced psychological trauma similar to that of someone who has been physically raped. There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer term than any physical injuries, a senior officer familiar with the case was quoted as saying by the news outlet. It poses a number of challenges for law enforcement given current legislation is not set up for this.

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The rise of virtual rape

Virtual rape refers to instances of sexual abuse that have taken place online, in the metaverse. While there is no physical attack involved, it is likely to cause psychological trauma and affect the mental health of victims.

The case of the UK teen might be the first being investigated by the police in the country but it is not an isolated one.

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According to Ian Critchley, the child protection and abuse investigation lead of the UK national police chiefs council the metaverse creates a gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children.

A senior police officer told the Daily Mail that sexual offending in the metaverse is now rife.

In February 2022, London-based Nina Jane Patel spoke about how a gang of three to four avatars sexually harassed her within 60 seconds of joining Metas metaverse platform Horizon Venues. They essentially, but virtually, gang-raped my avatar and took photos as I tried to get away, Patel, co-founder and vice-president of metaverse research Kabuni Ventures, wrote in a post on Medium.com.

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My physiological and psychological response was as though it happened in reality, she recalled.

Patel told CNBC-TV18 in an interview that she froze during the attack. She fumbled with the controllers while trying to use the safety features, which allow users to block and report. But as I was asking them to stop, go away, I realised I needed to end this as their verbal harassment and sexual innuendos were getting increasingly aggressive, she told the publication.

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She pulled off the virtual reality headset but said she could still hear her attackers laughing and voices coming through saying, Dont pretend you dont like it.

Patel said that she did not know the identities or names of their avatars so she could not go back and report or block.

Cases of sexual assault and harassment are more common than wed like to believe. And children and women are the only targets. In December 2021, journalist Hugo Rifkind recalled being sexually molested on his second visit to Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality game. In an article in The Times, he wrote that he was on his way to a virtual Billie Eilish concert with a friend when this fairly creepy-looking bald guy runs up, bends double and starts pumping his cartoon hands at our cartoon crotches.

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Research conducted by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCD), a British non-profit, in December 2021 found that there have been several instances of sexual harassment and assault in the metaverse. It was clear from the outset of our research that extreme sexual content is common in the metaverse, and that manifests as sexual violence, too, Callum Hood, head of research at CCD was quoted as saying by Vogue. We witnessed a number of users carrying out virtual sexual harassment of other users and recorded evidence of users being targeted with rape threats.

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Also read: How the online space for women is in a crisis and what needs to be done about it Punishment for virtual rape and sexual assault?

In the UK, where the case of the teen is being investigated, there have been no prosecutions for sexual offences in the virtual world. The current legislation is unlikely to cover rape in the metaverse as sexual assault is defined in the Sexual Offences Act as the physical touching of another person sexually without their consent, according to the Daily Mail report.

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UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said that the UK teen has experienced sexual trauma, as he backed the investigation in the case. I know it is easy to dismiss this as being not real, but the whole point of these virtual environments is they are incredibly immersive, Cleverly told news outlet LBC.

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Experts the world over are worried that the virtual space could become a hub for sex offenders and call for governments to amend laws quickly.

The chairman of the UK Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Donna Jones emphasised the need to update laws because they have not kept pace with the risks of harm that are developing from artificial intelligence and offending on platforms like the metaverse, the Daily Mail reports.

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Huzefa Tavawalla, head of the disruptive technologies practice group at Indian law firm Nishith Desai Associates, was quoted as saying by CNBC-TV18 in 2022 that it would be up to the organisations to roll out safety programmes. However, fixing criminal liability in the meta-universe, he said, would be difficult.

There are challenges galore. Proving a sexual assault without physical touching would require changes in laws. The other difficulty is determining which law agency would have jurisdiction over such cases as the virtual avatars, both victims and perpetrators, could be from different countries.

Metas response

A spokesman for Meta, The kind of behaviour described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you dont know a few feet away from you.

But is this enough to protect avatars from virtual predators?

With inputs from agencies
Congress MLC BK Hariprasad has claimed that there is a possibility of a Godhra-like incident in Karnataka in the run-up to the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January. The BJP leaders have demanded an apology from Hariprasad and called for his immediate arrest

The BJP has demanded the arrest of Congress leader BK Hariprasad.

Hariprasad, just weeks ahead of the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, made some extremely inflammatory remarks.

The development came amid the BJP holding protests in Karnataka on Wednesday over the arrest of a Hindu activist in connection with a 31-year-old case related to Ram temple agitation.

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Meanwhile, the Congress government justified its action calling him a criminal suspect with multiple charges.

But what did Hariprasad say exactly? And why is the BJP calling for his arrest?

Lets take a closer look:

What did he say?

Hariprasad claimed that there is a possibility of Godhra-like incident in Karnataka in the run-up to the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January.

The Godhra train burning occurred on the morning of 27 February, 2002 when 59 Hindu pilgrims and kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya were killed in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express near the Godhra railway station in Gujarat.

Around 2,000 persons were killed in the incidents of rioting following the Godhra incident.

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The Karnataka government should be alert because in Gujarat during the same occasion, the Kar Sevaks were set on fire at Godhra, the MLC told reporters in Bengaluru.

A similar (Godhra-like) situation can be created here also. So, no room should be given for any untoward incident to happen in Karnataka. All the arrangements should be made for those willing to go to Ayodhya so that we should not see another Godhra happening in Karnataka.

There is absolute possibility (for such incident). I can even give information. I can tell you that the head of some organisations went to some states and have instigated some BJP leaders. I cannot say that openly. They are doing it. They are instigating such act, Hariprasad alleged.

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If you look at the history of the BJP you will find that the party is a habitual offender. They can do anything. I just demanded that these people should take precautionary measures for all the people who are visiting Ayodhya. Life of people is more important than their political function, he was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

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On the invitation to Congress leaders for the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Hariprasad said this event should be seen politically and not religiously.

If a Hindu Dharma Guru inaugurates the Rama temple then you and me would have gone there (to Ayodhya) without any invitation", he said.

My knowledge tells me that the four Shankaracharyas are the head of the Hindu religion. If the four Shankaracharyas or any religious head had inaugurated the event then I would have attended the event. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah are not Dharma Guru but political leaders. We have to take this into consideration, he said.

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In Ayodhya, it is not a religious program but a political programCMs of MP, Rajasthan are kar sewaksThis is my personal statement not the partys, he added as per The Times of India.

What have BJP leaders said?

BJP leaders have demanded his immediate arrest and an apology.

Former CM and ex-Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda, who is taking part in the protest condemning the arrest of Kar Sevaks in Bengaluru, said that a complaint should be registered against Hariprasad and he should be arrested

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I will urge the Police Commissioner to initiate action, he added.

BJP MLA TS Srivatsa amid the protest in Mysuru said, Let anybody touch us now. Then it was the Congress government at the Centre. The present central government removed Article 370 and not a single stone was thrown in Kashmir. Hariprasad is making a statement eying the ministerial berth."

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He should be arrested immediately. Hariprasad has Ram in his name. Hari is Ram. Let him talk sense, he said.

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He added, He doesnt have the capacity to question his government for announcing Rs 10,000 crore for Muslims.

Former Minister KS Eshwarappa said the devotees of Ram would be protected by Lord Ram Himself. We will spare anyone if they obstruct us from worshipping our god. Ram bhakts will not sit quiet. If they come on to the field, the Congress wont be in a position to face. Hariprasad would be directly responsible if any untoward incident takes place on 22 January.

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Eshwarappa was quoted as saying by The Times of India, It is surprising to see leaders like BK Hariprasad speaking this kind of language. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had also supported Ram Mandir.

What does he hinting towards? Is this a threat or does he know something beyond that? A serious investigation is required! Eshwarappa said as per News18.

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News18 quoted BJP leader Naqvi Mukhtar as saying, Congress is becoming a worm of communal conspiracy. These are the people who created obstacles in the way of Ram temple.

This isnt the first time the Congress MLC has caused controversy.

Hariprasad in December called the BJP and RSS bootlickers of the British during the freedom struggle.

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Close to seven lakh people sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle. Ask them (the BJP) to name one person from the Hindutva party who sacrificed for the country. They were all bootlickers of the British. Let them not teach us that we should follow Tipu Sultan or someone else, the Congress MLC was quoted as saying by India Today.

The Congress stands with those who fought against the British during the freedom struggle. We oppose those who supported the British. Anyone labelling our Congress party as Tipu Sultan party is a British bootlicker, and we have no interest in learning from such individuals, he asserted.

With inputs from agencies
The healthy ministry has drawn up new rules for ICU admission in hospital. The seven-page guidelines state critically-ill patients cannot be admitted to ICU if they or their family refuse. Moreover, anyone with a living will or advanced directive against ICU care should not be admitted there

There seem to be a lot of firsts in store for this year.

For the first time, the central government has released hospital rules.

24 leading physicians with expertise in critical care medicine, including doctors from Dubai and Canada, produced the new guidelines for the Union Health Ministry regarding the admission of critically ill patients to the intensive care unit (ICU).

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Experts believe that the recently released guidelines by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a top technical advisory and regulatory body within the health ministry, could improve the decision-making process when determining whether ICU admission is necessary in a given situation.

Lets take a closer look.

New guidelines for ICU

According to the guidelines, critically ill patients cannot be admitted to the ICU if there is a refusal by them and their relatives.

It is further recommended that when no further treatment is possible or available in a disease or terminally ill patient, if the continuation of therapy is not going to make an impact on the outcome, especially survival, then keeping in the ICU is futile care, according to the news agency PTI.

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Further, the seven-page guidelines also state that anyone with a living will or advanced directive against ICU care should not be admitted to the ICU.

Besides, low-priority criteria in case of a pandemic or disaster situation, where there is resource limitation, should be taken into account for keeping a patient in the ICU.

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According to ANI, the guidelines have also mentioned that the specialist in ICU should also have specific qualifications. The Intensivist should have a postgraduate qualification in Internal Medicine, Anaesthesia, Pulmonary Medicine, Emergency Medicine, or General Surgery with either of the following.

Instead, they recommend MBBS graduates with a great deal of expertise in critical care, defined as three years or more of experience in the intensive care unit (at least half of which should be in the ICU).

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ICU admission and discharge criteria

The criteria for admitting a patient to the ICU should be based on organ failure, the need for organ support, or the anticipation of deterioration in the medical condition, the guidelines stated.

Altered level of consciousness of recent onset, hemodynamic instability, need for respiratory support, patients with acute illnesses requiring intensive monitoring and/or organ support or any medical condition or disease with anticipation of deterioration have been listed as criteria for ICU admission.

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Patients who have experienced any major intraoperative complication like cardiovascular or respiratory instability or have undergone major surgery also feature among the criteria.

According to the guidelines, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, breathing pattern, heart rate, oxygen saturation, urine output and neurological status among other parameters should be monitored in a patient awaiting an ICU bed.

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ICU discharge criteria are included in the guidelines as well.

This includes the return of physiological aberrations to near-normal or baseline status, reasonable resolution and stability of the acute illness that necessitated ICU admission, patient/family agreeing for ICU discharge for a treatment-limiting decision, or palliative care.

Whats the need for guidelines?

Dr Sheila Nainan Myatra of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Dr RK Mani of Yashoda Superspeciality Hospital in Ghaziabads Kaushambi, Dr E Lenin Babu of JIPMER Puducherry, Dr Anjan Trikha and Dr Lokesh Kashyap of Delhi AIIMS, and Dr JV Peter of CMC Vellore have all contributed to the guidelines.

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ICU admissions that are not necessary have been the subject of criticism in the past.

ICU is a limited resource, according to Dr Mani. TOI quoted him as saying, Our recommendations are aimed at ensuring its judicious use so that those who need it the most get it on priority.

While Dr Sumit Ray, Secretary of the Indian College of Critical Care Medicine, believes the guidelines are purely for guidance and not binding.

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The ICU admission and discharge criteria are broad in nature, and a lot is left to the wisdom of the treating doctor, he said, according to TOI, adding, that the majority of developed nations have systems in place for patient triage, ensuring that resources are used wisely.

India has about a lakh ICU beds, the majority of which are found in private hospitals. In private hospitals, the price of an ICU bed is five to ten times higher than that of a regular bed.

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Poor people who cannot afford private hospitals have to struggle, sometimes without success, to get an ICU bed, advocate and public health activist Ashok Agarwal said, as per TOI, adding, The idea of prioritising patients for ICU care based on their condition may be good for a disaster situation, but in general, the government should work towards ensuring enough facilities to provide critical care to all.

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With inputs from agencies
Former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison on Friday after he was granted parole nearly 11 years after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Heres whats next for the former Paralympic athlete following his release under South Africas so-called restorative justice plan

Former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison on Friday after he was granted parole nearly 11 years after being accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius shot Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, through a bathroom door in their shared home in Pretoria on Valentines Day in 2013.

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Pistorius  known as the Blade Runner for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs  became eligible for parole in March 2023 after he had served half of his 13 years and five months sentence for murder.

He was granted parole on 24 November, to take effect on 5 January.

Pistorius release marks a watershed moment in his life. But it also raises concerns about his future. Here is a look at what will happen to former Paralympic star after his release under South Africas so-called restorative justice programme.

What will happen to Pistorius after his release?

South Africas Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said in November that Pistorius will complete the remainder of his sentence in the countrys community corrections system.

He will be under the supervision of the DCS and will be subjected to parole conditions until his sentence expires in December 2029.

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He will be assigned a monitoring official, who will have to be kept informed when Pistorius is seeking job opportunities or moving homes.

As part of the conditions, Pistorius will also have to attend programmes on gender-based violence and continue therapy sessions on anger management, a lawyer for the Steenkamp family said shortly after he was granted parole.

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He is expected to live in Pretoria.

What was considered for his early release?

Several factors are typically taken into account by a parole board, including the nature of the crime, the possibility of reoffending, conduct in prison, physical and mental wellbeing and potential threats a prisoner may face if released.

Prior to his parole, Pistorius also participated in the restorative justice programme  a system introduced after the end of apartheid to deal with apartheid-era crimes in a more participative and reconciliatory way.

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It is based partly on how indigenous cultures handled crime long before Europeans colonised South Africa, with the aim of bringing affected parties in a crime together to find closure, rather than merely punishing perpetrators.

An integral part of the restorative justice programme is a victim-offender dialogue that brings parties affected by a crime together to try to achieve closure. Participation is voluntary.

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Pistorius was moved to a prison closer to where the Steenkamp family stayed in late 2021, ahead of reconciliation talks aimed at a potential early release from prison.

He and the late Barry Steenkamp  Reevas father  participated in the victim-offender dialogue on 22 June, 2022.

What has been the reaction to his early release?

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The Steenkamps family lawyer said in November that they were not surprised by the parole decision, issued after Pistorius had completed a set portion of his sentence.

In the run-up to the parole hearing, Reeva Steenkamps mother June released a statement saying she was not convinced Pistorius had been rehabilitated. However, she said she had no objections to his release.

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After Pistorius was granted parole, June Steenkamp lauded the parole boards efforts in involving the victims.

Pistorius lawyer and family did not comment.

With inputs from Reuters
Home Minister Amit Shah has announced the end of the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allowed tribes along the Indo-Myanmar Border to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa. Implemented in 2018, the pact was a part of Indias Act East policy

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic structure of Indias North Eastern States bordering Myanmar.

With this statement on social media platform X, Home Minister Amit Shah announced the suspension of the India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime (FMR). This means people living in border areas, who could cross over to India, will now require visas.

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It is Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji's resolve to secure our borders.



The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar be scrapped to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the demographic  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 8, 2024

In making the announcement, the Union minister also said that the decision was also taken in an attempt to maintain the demographic structure of Indias northeastern states bordering Myanmar.

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Notably, the decision to end FMR comes just days after the home ministry announced that a fence would be constructed along the entire 1,643-km-long Myanmar border to facilitate better surveillance.

But what is the Free Movement Regime? Why has the Centre ended it now? Lets take a closer look.

What is FMR?

The FMR is a mutually agreed pact between India and Myanmar that allows tribes dwelling along the border on either side to travel up to 16 kilometres inside the other country without a visa. The members of hill tribes have to produce a border pass, which is valid for a year, and can stay in the other country for about two weeks per visit, according to PTI.

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The FMR was introduced in 2018 when relations between the Narendra Modi-led government and Myanmar were on the rise. The agreement aimed to facilitate people-to-people ties between the countries as residents in the region enjoy strong ethnic and familial relations on both sides of the border.

The FMR was also brought to provide impetus to local trade and business.

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Why has it been removed?

India and Myanmar share a mostly unfenced border. In Manipur, just 10 km of its border with Myanmar is fenced. The IMB goes through forested terrain which is difficult to monitor.

Mizoram has a 510-km-long porous border with Myanmar . Nagaland shares a 215 km boundary with the Southeast Asian nation and Arunachal Pradesh has a 520 km-long boundary with Myanmar.

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Since the ethnic conflict erupted in Manipur last May, the Free Movement Regime has come to the spotlight. The Meiteis have blamed the illegal migration of tribal Kuki-Chin peoples from Myanmar for stirring up tensions in the state. On the other hand, the Kukis in Manipur have accused the Meiteis and Chief Minister N Biren Singh of using this as an excuse for ethnic cleansing, as per Indian Express.

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The alleged illegal migration via the FMR has emerged as a key issue between local leaders in Manipur. CM Singh said in September last year that he had urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to end the FMR, blaming the free movement of people from across Myanmar into India for the ethnic violence in the state, reported The Hindu.

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We are going to end the FMR along the Indo-Myanmar border soon. We are going to put fencing along the entire border. The fencing will be completed in next four-and-a-half years. Anyone coming through will have toget a visa, a senior government functionary had then PTI.

Speaking to ThePrint, a government source said the FMR was suspended several times in the past, including in 2020 during COVID-19.

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Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, a large number of tribals fleeing violence in their country have crossed over to India, especially into Manipur and Mizoram. As per The Hindu, over 40,000 refugees belonging to the Kuki-Chin-Zo ethnic group took shelter in Mizoram, while about 4,000 migrants are said to have entered Manipur.

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There are allegations that these refugees took shelter on Indian soil and then got involved in illegal activities such as drug smuggling, reported ThePrint.

A senior government official told The Hindu that around 300 km of the Indo-Myanmar border will be fenced and a tender will be issued soon.

Is ending FMR the solution?

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According to a paper published by Anuradha Oinam of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), many insurgent groups such as United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), and small groups of Kukis and Zomis have constructed camps in Myanmars Sagaing Division, Kachin State and Chin State, reported Indian Express.

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They took shelter there, obtained arms, trained cadres, and, most importantly, engaged in illegal activities such as smuggling drugs and selling weapons to raise funds. This is possible because of the porous borders and frequent misuse of FMR. Therefore, managing and administering the border areas effectively is pertinent for reducing drug trafficking and illegal cross-border movement on unfenced borders, the paper said.

However, Oinam in his paper argued that neither cancelling the FMR nor completely fencing the border was the solution as it could affect livelihoods, education and essential travel for health care. The paper said it is imperative for New Delhi to tackle the issue by pursuing killing the snake without breaking the stick approach, reported Indian Express.

Sources in the security establishment told the Indian daily last year that stopping illegal immigration or drug trafficking across an unfenced border in perilous terrain is a tough task. A senior officer said that all borders, including fenced ones, are are struggling to deal with drug trafficking.

With inputs from agencies
Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, was killed in what is believed to be an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Tuesday. The 57-year-old helped establish close ties to Hezbollah and also played a major role in the 7 October attacks

The Israel-Hamas war is likely to escalate even further after an Israeli drone strike killed one of Hamas most senior officials on Tuesday in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.

The strike targeted an apartment in a building in a Shiite district of Beirut that is a Hezbollah stronghold, killing Hamas deputy leader abroad Saleh al-Arouri and six others. Hamas confirmed the death of al-Arouri, with Hamas media outlet Al Aqsa TV reporting that al-Arouri was martyred in a treacherous Zionist airstrike in Beirut.

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The Palestinian militant group also called the incident a cowardly assassination by Israel, adding that attacks on Palestinians inside and outside Palestine will not succeed in breaking the will and steadfastness of our people, or undermining the continuation of their valiant resistance.

While Hamas has confirmed their loss, Israel has remained mum on the strike. However, one Israeli and two US officials confirmed to Axios that it was Tel Aviv behind the strike that took out al-Arouri.

Now, as fears rise of an escalation in the conflict, we take a closer look at who was al-Arouri and what his loss could mean for the war.

Life and crimes of al-Arouri

That 57-year-old al-Arouri has been taken out by Israel isnt surprising. He was on Israels radar for very long; in fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill him even before Hamas had carried out its daring and deadly attack on 7 October, killing 1,200 people.

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Al-Arouri was the deputy chief of Hamas political bureau and slowly climbed his way up the Hamas ranks to his position today. Born in the town of Aroura in the occupied West Bank, he became involved in Islamist activism as a student at Hebron University in the mid-1980s. He joined Hamas soon after its foundation in the immediate aftermath of the first intifada and helped create Hamas military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassem brigades.

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In 1992, he was jailed by Israel and spent almost 18 years behind bars. However, he later was released in March 2010 and through his astuteness, developed contacts throughout the West Asia region  from Syria, Turkey, Qatar, Lebanon and even Iran. In fact, in recent years, he has served as a kind of Hamas ambassador to Hezbollah and was also considered to being very close to Yahya Sinwar , the Hamas leader in Gaza.

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In 2014, al-Arouri was accused by Israel of planning the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. At the time, al-Arouri had called the act a heroic operation by the Qassam Brigades. In the same year, Israel also accused the 57-year-old Hamas leader of planning to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

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Three years later, a promotion came al-Arouris way and he was elected deputy to Ismail Haniyeh , the organisations leader.

However, he kept up his hardline credentials. In 2015, the US designated him as a global terrorist, offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. Washington had accused al-Arouri of funding and directing Hamas military operations and also linked him to terror attacks as well as hijackings and kidnappings.

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Hes also been believed to have played a major role in the 7 October attacks; shortly before the attacks, he had met with Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, to discuss strategies for achieving real victory in their war with Israel.

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A day after the attacks, al-Arouri had called them an open battle aimed at achieving the liberation of the Palestinian people and their holy places. He had told Al Jazeera, We have a plan for all stages of this conflict. Both in case of an Israeli request for a ceasefire and in case of a continuing escalation of the violence. We are prepared for all options.

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We entered this battle not just for a few hours. We entered it knowing that there will be consequences, and we have no choice but to fight it to achieve our high goals, he said.

And it seemed that al-Arouri knew that his time was limited. Last August, in an interview to Hamas media outlet, he had said: I am not afraid [of> their threats to kill meI have already lived more than expected. I feel I passed the age I was supposed to die. When I die as a martyr, I will welcome it.

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Al-Arouri also played a key role in the hostage deal that Qatar brokered during which some 240 hostages taken by Hamas were released. A report in The Guardian said that al-Arouris role was said to be indispensable.

What al-Arouris death means for war

Al-Arouris death is a huge success for Israel, who has vowed to wipe out Hamas. However, there are concerns that it would cause a further escalation in the ongoing conflict, and also widen its scope.

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As the Associated Press said in its report If Israel was behind the strike, it would be its first attack on Beirut since the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006. However, Israel has stayed mum on the strike with spokesperson Mark Regev telling MSNBC: Whoever did it, it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state.

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It was not an attack even on Hezbollah, the terrorist organisation.

Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership. Whoever did this has a gripe with Hamas. That is very clear.

Shortly after the strike, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated that the targeting of al-Arouri in Beirut was a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.

He further said, We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment.

Even Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati condemned the attack, saying the explosion is a new Israeli crime. Taking to X, he wrote, We call on the concerned countries to put pressure on Israel to stop its targeting. We also warn against the Israeli political level resorting to exporting its failures in Gaza to the southern [Lebanese> border.

It has become clear to everyone near and far that the decision to go to war is in the hands of Israel, and what is required is to deter it and stop its aggression, he added.

With inputs from agencies
The court also held another accused guilty of dishonesty and receiving stolen property. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a case against Noor Mohammad alias Noora and Nabi Mohammad.

A court here Wednesday convicted a person of various offences in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, including arson, robbery and rioting, saying the charges were proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court also held another accused guilty of dishonesty and receiving stolen property. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a case against Noor Mohammad alias Noora and Nabi Mohammad.

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Noor was accused of being a part of a riotous mob that torched an automobile shop and some vehicles, looted shops and robbed two shopowners of their mobile phones during the riots in Karawal Nagar on February 24, 2020.

According to the prosecution, Nabi had purchased the looted mobile phone from Noor despite being aware it was stolen.

The court rejected the argument of the defence counsel challenging the credibility of Noors identification by a key witness, saying his testimony was improvised.

Noting that the witness, Shiv Kumar Raghav, was the president of the areas market association and that he had identified Noor as the culprit who snatched his mobile phone, the court said just because he did not mention some minor details before the police, his statement could not be called as improvised.

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The court said, The defence has not projected any motive for prosecution witness (PW) 3 (Raghav) to falsely implicate accused Noora in this case except for the suggestion that he did so on the tutoring of the investigating officer (IO). Mere a bald suggestion cannot be given much attention.

It said the recovery of Raghavs mobile phone, based on Nooras information that it was sold to Nabi, also confirmed the accuseds identification as the robber.

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The testimony of PW3, therefore, establishes that accused Noora was part of the rioters, which attacked the property (market associations office), the court said.

This goes on to prove that accused Noora was not only personally involved in robbing the mobile phone and cash amount from PW3 and prosecution witness (PW) 2 (Dalip, owner of a vehicle service centre) respectively, but he was also involved with other rioters in vandalising and setting ablaze the shop of PW2 and the motorcycles lying therein, it added.

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The court further said that the same mob had vandalised and torched another furniture shop in the area.

Regarding Nabi, the court said he had failed to offer and establish a justification for possessing the mobile phone. Therefore, accused Nabi Mohammad is presumed to have this robbed mobile phone with the requisite culpable knowledge, the court said.I find that charges levelled against both the accused persons, in this case, are proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the court added.

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The Khajuri Khas police station had filed a chargesheet against Noor for the penal provisions of arson, causing mischief by fire, robbery and rioting, while Nabi was accused of dishonestly receiving stolen property.
The court, however, refused to allow Moitra to participate in Lok Sabha proceedings and posted the matter for hearing in the week commencing from 11 March

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the secretary general of Lok Sabha asking him to file a response within two weeks on TMC leader Mahua Moitras plea challenging her expulsion from the lower house in the cash-for-query case.

Supreme Court asks Secretary General of Lok Sabha to file a response within two weeks on a plea of Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra challenging her expulsion from Lok Sabha in a cash-for-query case. Supreme Court posts the matter for hearing in the week pic.twitter.com/qIotT5su9t  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

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The court, however, refused to allow Moitra to participate in Lok Sabha proceedings and posted the matter for hearing in the week commencing from 11 March.

The Trinamool MP was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the ethics panel found her guilty of sharing her parliamentary login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for bribes.

The former MP had said she shared her login credentials with the businessman to have his staff type out her queries on the Lok Sabha portal. She had denied any exchange of bribes between the two.

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With inputs from agencies
Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agencys notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from election campaign, AAP said in a statement

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday wrote to the Enforcement Directorate that he will skip the third summons in the Delhi excise policy case after his party termed the probe agency notice illegal.

Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agencys notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from election campaign, AAP said in a statement.

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Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will not go to the ED office today, CM wrote to ED.



"Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agency's notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from election campaign: AAP https://t.co/Wh1GzkDAK4  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

Kejriwal was summoned on Wednesday for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case.

This was the third ED notice to Kejriwal, also the AAPs convener, after he refused to appear before the federal agency on two earlier summonses for 2 November and 21 December.

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Reacting to the development, BJP said that Kejriwal has something to hide and that is why he is absconding like a criminal.

#WATCH | On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to skip ED summon today, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says "Today, once again Arvind Kejriwal has skipped the third summon. This shows that there is something to hide, and that is why he is absconding like a criminal...Courts pic.twitter.com/wOYbcEfkGc  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

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Today, once again Arvind Kejriwal has skipped the third summon. This shows that there is something to hide, and that is why he is absconding like a criminalCourts have not given bail to Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, and the courts have established that there is a money trail, despite all this they are playing the same victim card, said BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.

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Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said Kejriwal has become the biggest cheater of his own ideology.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to skip ED summon today, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit says, "I want to ask Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a question when Lokpal Bill was under discussions, I used to discuss the same with him. We told him that the Lokpal you're trying to pic.twitter.com/Lrp4LCkNmn  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

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I want to ask Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a question when Lokpal Bill was under discussions, I used to discuss the same with him. We told him that the Lokpal youre trying to make may be misused if the wrong person becomes a Lokpal and the government could misuse it. He said that a political leader should be transparent. If there is any allegation against them, they should resignand they should also surrender if they get arrested and if one is innocent then it will be provedHe should at least stick to his words. I believe hes become the biggest cheater of his own ideology, said Dikshit.

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With inputs from agencies
A joint team of police, CRPF and army launched a cordon and search operation in the surrounding village following the information regarding the presence of terrorists, a police officer said.

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam district late on Wednesday, police said.

Encounter has started at Hadigam area of Kulgam district, the Kashmir Zone Police said in a post on X around 10.30 pm.

Encounter has started at Hadigam area of Kulgam district.

Kulgam Police ,Army and crpf are on the job. Further details shall follow.  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) January 3, 2024

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A joint team of police, CRPF and army launched a cordon and search operation in the surrounding village following the information regarding the presence of terrorists, a police officer said.
India, the worlds third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has emerged as a top buyer of sea-borne Russian oil sold at a discount after Western entities retreated following Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that Indias oil imports from Russia fell due to unattractive pricing and not because of payment problems.

There is no payment problem  It is a pure function of the price at which our refineries will buy, Puri told a press conference.

India, the worlds third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has emerged as a top buyer of sea-borne Russian oil sold at a discount after Western entities retreated following Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

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Indias December Russian oil imports fell to an 11-month low as five ships loaded with light sweet Sokol grade headed to other locations after the U.S. imposed sanctions on some vessels and shippers for not complying with the G7-fixed $60 per barrel price caps for oil at Russian ports.

Indias leadership has only one requirement that the Indian consumer gets the energy at the most economical price, without disruption, he said, adding on an average India buys 1.5 million barrels per day of Russian oil.

He said oil companies have not yet complained to him about facing any problems in settling payments for oil imports.

If they (Russia) dont offer us (good) discount why would we buy from them, Puri said in Hindi, adding that new oil producers in far-flung regions are willing to offer better discounts than Russia on crude sales.

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He refused to elaborate on new suppliers that are offering better prices.

He said the global markets have plenty of oil and there would be no supply constraints.

With inputs from agencies.
Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday assumed charge as the new official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs as Arindam Bagchi proceeds on an overseas assignment

Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday assumed charge as the new official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs as Arindam Bagchi proceeds on an overseas assignment.

Randhir Jaiswal assumes charge as the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs as Arindam Bagchi proceeds on overseas assignment. pic.twitter.com/EvHDVoTz47  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

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Jaiswal, an officer of the 1998 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, assumed the role as Bagchi was appointed Indias permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva.

Throughout his diplomatic tenure spanning over twenty years, Jaiswal has fulfilled assignments in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa, and at Indias permanent mission to the UN in New York.

Additionally, Jaiswal has contributed to the External Affairs Ministry, serving as the deputy secretary overseeing relations with the United States and as joint secretary managing diplomatic ties with nations in western Europe.

In mid-2017, he was assigned to serve the President as the joint secretary responsible for international relations.

Jaiswal had assumed charge as the consul general in New York in July 2020.

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With inputs from agencies
The Union Environment Minister congratulated all experts involved in the Project Cheetah, the Kuno wildlife officials, and wildlife enthusiasts across India

Aasha, one of the Namibian translocated cheetahs has given birth to three cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Video and image of the newborns were shared by Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members, the minister said in a post.

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This is a roaring success for Project Cheetah, envisioned by PM Narendra Modi to restore ecological balance, the environment minister said.

He also congratulated all experts involved in the Project Cheetah, the Kuno wildlife officials, and wildlife enthusiasts across India.

Purrs in the wild!



Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha.



This is a roaring success for Project Cheetah, envisioned by PM Shri @narendramodi ji to restore ecological balance.



My big congrats pic.twitter.com/c1fXvVJN4C  Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) January 3, 2024

In March last year, another cheetah, Siyaya, who was also translocated to Kuno National Park (KNP) from Namibia and was later renamed as Jwala, had given birth to four cubs, but only one of them survived.

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Project Cheetah

On his birthday on 17 September, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the first batch of eight Namibian cheetahs in KNP. It was the first intercontinental translocation of big cats into India.

Also Read: A year after reintroduction of cheetahs in India, a look at how big cats have fared

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In the February of 2023, India got another 12 wild cats from South Africa as part of the Project Cheetah. Under the ambitious initiative, the Centre wants to bring around 5-10 cheetahs every year to the country over the next decade with the aim of establishing a viable population of about 35 cheetahs.

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Aasha was released into the wild in March 2023 and has since travelled 200 km away from the KNP boundary till September last year.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are not going to be between the BJP and the Opposition. The only opponent which can leash the democratic worlds most potent political force is the BJPs own smugness or slackness, in case either or both creep in

Every time a buoyant BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes to elections, a reference to the partys 2004 India Shining debacle comes up. The comparison is largely banal and fallacious.

The BJP of 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee lacked the aggression and electoral determination of the Modi establishment, had failed to grow the organisation in uncharted areas, and was heavily dependent on coalition partners like Chandrababu Naidu who eventually let it down by getting wiped out at the ballot. It lacked the current BJPs might at either booth-level management or social media warfare.

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The party under Atal and LK Advani achieved remarkable feats, but as a political force, it was still a baby dino coming out of the egg and breaking into a sprint. The BJP under Modi and Shah is a bounding, fearsome beast fully in control of its intent and actions.

Now, majestically racing from its three state victories to the forthcoming inauguration of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the party looks unassailable. Even mainstream media hostile to it have started declaring that Narendra Modis third term in office is inevitable.

There lies the greatest danger for the BJP and Modi. Although the most dominating victories have never slowed the party down with ego or ennui and only increased its hunger for more success, even a glimmer of complacency before the 2024 general elections may upset its best-laid plans.

Here are five reasons why.

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First, if the BJP becomes over-reliant on the heartland, too self-assured after its past and recent sweeps in the north and west. Although the party sends the highest number of MPs from south India to Parliament, it has a fraction of its heartland influence in the peninsula so far.

The Congress and the rest of the Opposition waste no breath to drive in the perception that the BJP is not the party of the south. It will relentlessly play on the so-called north-south divide.

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In the east, Bihar can be a challenge. Tejashwi Yadavs RJD is a resurgent force. The I.N.D.I. alliances political play over the OBC census and proportional reservations have failed in the last spate of elections, but might find traction in Bihar where Yadavs are extremely politically influential.

While upper caste Bihari voters are vocal and may give the impression of their dominance, certain backward castes can silently upset the equation. Also, this time the BJP is going to fight polls without JDU unlike in 2019, unless Nitish Kumar bowls another googly and joins the NDA at the last moment.

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In Bengal, the BJP enjoys growing popular support despite the wanton slaughter its supporters faced after the 2021 assembly elections. That is mainly because of the TMCs brazen corruption and appeasement politics.

But a large section of its cadre feel the state organisational leadership could be a lot more united and aggressive. They also feel arrests of high-profile TMC leaders are long overdue and could catapult the party to unprecedented success.

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In Maharashtra, the BJP is in the kitchen with too many cooks, many of whom like Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde its cadre and support base do not fully trust.

In Punjab, the party is heading for the polls without its traditional ally, the Akalis. Unless, again, things change in the coming days.

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The south is a blue ocean for the BJP, with slowly growing islands of influence in Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The party recently suffered a rout in its strongest southern bastion, Karnataka. In Kerala, its vote share has been growing despite demographics skewed against its Hindutva politics but seats have been elusive. A socio-political coalition with a section of Christians, who are alarmed at the rise of Islamism in the state, could significantly change the BJPs fortunes.

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With disenchantment growing against Jagan Reddys government, Andhra Pradesh has a yawning political vacuum in the Opposition which the BJP can exploit. But the Andhra BJP unit still does not have a young, dynamic find like K Annamalai in Tamil Nadu. That makes it reliant on coalitions and mergers, possibly with Chandrababu Naidus TDP or actor-politician Pawan Kalyan.

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Second, while the Opposition alliance seems to be floundering at every step, ultimately its existential desperation may bring the creaky, disparate wagons to come together as a travelling circus. In Maharashtra, for instance, this fear of being decimated by the BJP had made the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance last much longer than expected before it fell.

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The third portent for the BJP is the legendary complacency of the Hindu voter. Drowned in the euphoria of the Ram Mandir inauguration, the heady surge of Hindutva and the impressively long goods train of developmental and welfare measures, the partys committed support base may take the 2024 outcome for granted and not come out to vote. Micro-management at the booth level becomes a lot more important in times of surfeit than during crisis.

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The fourth challenge stems from the same factors spawning the third, which is a massive surge in Narendra Modis popularity will consolidate the minority vote behind the Congress. The Congress is the flawed but only option left for the fearful or communally charged Muslims who want to stop the galloping Hindutva chariot at any cost. Regional parties may lose out because the community would not want to waste its vote on them. But a near-total consolidation of minorities behind the Congress will certainly worry the BJP.

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Fifth and the most sombre presage for the BJP ironically lies in its strength. In 2024, even the most delusional minds in the Opposition do not believe they can defeat Narendra Modi. The prime ministers opponents have reconciled to a much lower and realistic bar: to restrict the BJP under 272 seats, or a simple majority.

They know that if they can achieve that and force the BJP into a coalition, the horn of the unicorn will break and turn it into a tethered workhorse.

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are not going to be between the BJP and the Opposition. The only opponent which can leash the democratic worlds most potent political force is the BJPs own smugness or slackness, in case either or both creep in.

The author is contributing editor, Firstpost. 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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Since 16 December last year, Iran-related proxies have made 167 attempts by missiles and drones on shipping passing through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. On 23 December, Houthi rebels carried out an armed drone attack against Liberia-flagged chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto with a crew of 20 Indians headed for New Mangalore Port from Saudi Arabia. On 23 December, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that those who attacked the India-bound ship will be found  after all, India is the net security provider in the Indian Ocean. Two days later, India deployed Brahmos armed warships  INS Calcutta, INS Kochi, INS Mormugao, INS Chennai and INS Vishakhapatnam  to patrol the Indian Ocean Region to secure shipping lanes.

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Earlier, on 19 December, the US-led International Red Sea Response Force called Operation Prosperity Guardian, was flagged off by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. Consequent to Houthi rebel threats to the Red Sea, international container traffic is taking a longer route via the Cape of Good Hope even as many large cargo-carrying companies have suspended operations. This has increased oil prices, cost of freight and hiked insurance bonds. Cost escalation is estimated anything between four to 10 per cent. For India, additional costs will include longer duration of cargo via Cape of Good Hope, and double handling of cargo transshipment as no deep sea port is fully operational in India. Vizinjam, is only partially ready and was inaugurated on 15 October, ironically with the docking of a Chinese crane-carrying vessel three years after Galwan.

Acquisition of foreign ports, owning of terminals at foreign ports and use of such ports for logistic facilities and security purposes along Indias shipping lanes are essential to ensure safe and uninterrupted movement of trade to and from Indian shores. Also vital are well-developed deep sea ports with modern cargo handling facilities with speed and efficiency which India lacks. Indias maritime strategy is inadequate not just because there is no national security strategy but also because the port infrastructure, the merchant ship-building industry and the economic grand plan have not been juxtaposed leave alone that the first two assets figure low in international rating. This is even though 95 per cent of Indias trade by volume and 68 per cent by value move through ocean-shipping lanes.

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India has not done too badly in the acquisition or use of foreign ports and military bases. The list is impressive: Ayni, Tajikistan; Colombo Port West Container Terminal, Sri Lanka; Chabahar Terminal, Iran; Sittwe Port, Myanmar; Duqm, Oman; and Agalega, Mauritius. Efforts continue to aquire for joint use of Assumption Islands, Seychelles as logistics base. By comparison Chinas sweep for acquiring a string of pearls is enormous and elaborate through its BRI and Maritime Silk Route projects. Besides ports in Myanmar, Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Djibouti, there are another 81 port projects with partial and full ownership and their dual use with the host country. In addition, some 19 countries may offer the use of military bases which is a work in progress.

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Indias trade traffic is subject to double jeopardy: the absence of a 20-m deep transshipment ports to handle large cargo containers and oil tankers. Vizinjam, the first deep sea port, is only partially complete. Until now, large containers were being taken to ports in Sri Lanka, Dubai and Singapore where cargo was transshipped to smaller vessels to less endowed ports on the Indian coastline. This will continue till Indias port capacity is fully capable. Currently, most foreign container ships skip Indian ports due to inadequate depth, poor infrastructure and high tariffs.

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Vizinjam near Thiruvananthapuram dredged to increase depth from 18 to 20 m is located 10 nautical miles from international shipping routes. But Indias lethargic maritime outlook has resulted in the Indian merchant shipbuilding industry being stagnant and port-handling capacity limited. Had India developed deep seaports, large ships and containers could have been berthed and transshipped locally rather than being first sent to foreign ports. Indias port development sector took off only recently, with the Adani group taking the lead.

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The Adani group has risen and risen from one port in 2001 to acquiring 14 ports and terminals and is handling a quarter of all cargo passing through the countrys ports. It acquired six ports in the last 10 years and now has a port every 500 km along Indias coastline. But the real significance of Adani port acquisition is that it has catalysed strategic thinking about seaports including foreign acquisitions establishing Indias maritime foothold across the Indian Ocean. Karan Adani has taken the 30-40 years long view of Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) limited in foreign acquisitions. In January it acquired Haifa port in Israel which jells with the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor - despite its conflict-prone reputation.

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Other ports include the Colombo West International Terminal acquired last year, which will allow monitoring of Chinese activities in Colombos Eastern Terminal, China-built Colombo City and Hambantota Port. Adanis vision is to become a 500 million tonne port company by 2025 and to make Vizinjam Port the largest cargo capacity port of 1 billion tonne by 2030. Earlier this year, the government announced plans for another major transhipment hub in the Great Nicobar Island chain to activate the East Coast. The mega project will have an investment estimated around Rs 41 lakh crore.

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Indias blue economy has been an erratic process changing with governments in content and emphasis. Sagarmala 2015 launched by the incumbent government has 12 years left to run its course though Indias maritime modernisation plans have seen four avtars. If we can bolster shipbuilding - not just warships but merchant vessels also - port development and modernisation and acquire foreign ports and use logistics bases, movement of trade will be safe, quick and cost-effective. This can assure the fruition of Modi guarantee of India becoming the third-largest economy in his next term. Provided there is no Black Swan event.

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The author is former GOC IPKF South Sri Lanka and founder member Defence Planning Staff, now Integrated Defence Staff, Ministry of Defence. 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 juggernaut of a West-organised calamity  largely ignored by the world  is sure to find some understanding and compassion among Indian readers because of the sheer number of similarities

Imagine for a moment, that you were born in a region that is technically called a Crush Zone. Geopolitical pundits, apparently in their profound wisdom, but critically evaluating, perhaps due to affinity for their respective choice of superpowers, have always used such terms to subtly groom their patrons to create designs on different regions. What that translates for you  an average citizen, is that there are expanding powers across both your sides and your country/region is to be crushed sooner or later, depending on when these powers decide to expand unilaterally or fight each other to establish their access and control over your region.

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Finally, when that moment arrives, after bloodbath, trauma, and the inevitable pain of multiple partitions, you are trifurcated (actually more than three parts; but that is not relevant here). Your people remain scattered in different volumes of minorities, in two  now hostile  out of the three regions. You manage to retain a majority in the third.

These two hostile regions then begin regular pogroms against your people. Your people are in minority there; they are adherents of a faith that the Abrahamic masters of the unipolar world think belongs to lesser humans; and all of you speak a language and carry a culture that the same masters consider a blight if allowed to flourish.

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So, the unipolar hegemon nudges these two newly independent regions to carry out more and more such pogroms against your people. They demonstrate their support by propping up Nazis militia or Wahhabi Islamists  paying them, transporting them, supplying them with weapons and money. For your country, the hegemon pushes its financial wing to effect economic restructuring. What that means is that a large number of your people would starve to death in the near future; the ones that stay alive would be right-less and property-less slaves to the Empire. Your people in those two regions also have a choice: between Nazi death squads and Islamist death squads.

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In a final act of desperation, you take up arms. You are too weak by now to reclaim anything  lost land, or lost pride. You merely arm yourself to survive. What you are not supposed to know is that this is exactly what the hegemon wanted all along. This is why they orchestrated the rape-murder of your people by the Nazi-Wahhabi squads: for you to react.

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So, they fly their fighter planes and they bomb you non-stop for more than two months at a stretch. They fly about 40,000 sorties, drop over 20,000 bombs, kill thousands of your men, women, and children wherever you are in the now Balkanised region; they use weapons considered criminal by international law  like toxic nerve gases; surface mines, which they drop with parachutes; they drop bombs containing uranium, black napalm, and sterilisation chemicals; they also spray chemicals to poison your crops and make sure you starve if you escaped their air-strikes.

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At the same time, they unleash their paid media to call you and your people genocidal maniacs and bloodthirsty savages; you are a people that want everything to themselves (including the two newly independent states), so they had to intervene to put a stop to your murderous plans.

If you thought that the saga of your suffering ends there, hold on, because it doesnt. Those of you who survive it all  the bombs, the chemical poisoning, the ignominy of media villainization, sanctions, joblessness, and poverty  now look at future coups, colour revolutions, and sell-out leaders, as you wonder during lazy moments about the kind of misfortune a crush zone is, or where and how does it all end.

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This, in a nutshell, is the tragedy of Yugoslavia and its unfortunate successor state Serbia. This juggernaut of a West-organised calamity  largely ignored by the world  is sure to find some understanding and compassion among Indian readers because of the sheer number of similarities.

For starters, the trauma of the 1947 partition orchestrated by the British  an unfinished business which manifests through the still ongoing persecution of Hindu minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the serial indifference of Indian leadership towards the same up until now.

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Then, like India, Yugoslavia was a NAM member and a socialist state. And like the US took an interest in India, and a lack of reciprocation made it turn to Pakistan (and later China) to destroy the subcontinent, the US took an interest in Yugoslavia too, only to Balkanise it and destroy it later.

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Then, like the West nudged Pakistan to unleash Islamic radicalism in Kashmir, the West did the same in Bosnia and Croatia, on the Bosnian and Croatian Serbs respectively (they would butcher ethnic Russian speakers the same way in eastern Ukraine from 2014 till Putin decided to launch the SMO).

Other interesting commonalities include religion and its reception. The Serbs (they are the official leftover of erstwhile Yugoslavia) are Orthodox or Eastern Christians affiliated with the Orthodox Churches of Russia and Greece. That, in the eyes of the West, is a crime. Any contact with Russia  real or imagined  is a crime; by that virtue, all the followers of Eastern Christendom are to be treated like sub-humans. That includes for instance Greeks, Middle Eastern Christians, Armenians  any ethnicity that can be linked with the Eastern Churches. This should also give the readers an idea why the West has been completely apathetic to the rape-murder of thousands of Yezidi or Aramaic Christians by ISIS in the Middle East or has looked the other way when Turkey organised the Armenian genocide and the rape-murder of thousands of Greeks and Cypriots.

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So, like the way the West has been on an overdrive to dilute Indias Hindu roots through the encouragement of porous borders, illegal immigration of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, and mass evangelism and promotion of Christian political parties, they have been trying the same in Serbia too  by pushing their choice of leaders, coercing him to play into the hands of EU/NATO agenda to overrun the country, and orchestrating colour revolutions whenever the leader falls out of favour (Serbia has had more than one colour revolution  a rare distinction).

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Finally, there is the media. Let us consider a passage of the Saker: Besides a massive bombing and cruise missile strikes campaign, the Empire also unleashed the biggest propaganda campaign in history, presenting the Serbs as vicious, crazed, nationalist and sadistic mass murderers and all their enemies as progressive, freedom-loving, democratic and heroic civilians who only had light weapons to resist the massive onslaught of Serbian heavy weapons. The narrative then further hyped the vilification by speaking of Serbian concentration camps and massive ethnic cleansing campaigns which included rape as a weapon of war. Finally, and logically, the Anglo-Zionists concluded that Milosevic was the new Hitler and that the Serbs were engaging in genocide.

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The world bought these wretched stories at the time. It helped the Western media that the internet was still a thing of the future. They could get away easily by suppressing the parts where Croat Nazi gangs (like the Nazi militia of Ukraine today) roamed around rape-murdering Serbian minorities, or how their paymasters in the West were facilitating movements of Wahhabi terrorists to Bosnia (the Bosnian government even provided them with passports) to mass murder Bosnian Serbs, or the more damning fact that the Croats and Bosnian Muslims were considered the worst collaborators of Hitler, while whatever resistance that the WWII Nazis faced in the Balkans were chiefly Slav and Greek in nature.

Today, we see the same vilification of the BJP and the majority of Indians by the Western press. From Hindu intolerance to Modi is a fascist, from BJP facilitating genocide of Indian Muslims to taking out various bogus rankings about Press Freedom etc, from unleashing their toolkit gang to cascade riots and different other forms of civilian unrest, to villainizing nationalist Hindu characters from our history, they have been trying non-stop since the last almost ten years now to orchestrate a civil war in India.

Of course, it wasnt always like this. The Empire had achieved a fair degree of success during the last six or seven decades in diluting the Indic identity, loosening the civilizational roots, Westernizing the metro/upper-middle-class population, subverting the politician-bureaucratic network, pushing Western Christianity through organised conversions, and establishing firm control over the media and academia. It was only after the present government came to power and a large section of common Indians equated this government as the last hope for Indian Hindus that upset the organized cartel that was being run by the Empire; they lost their composure and turned impatient and tactless.

The difference between the Balkans and India, as the Empire has come to realise by now, is that their colour revolutions handbook has proven to be ineffective in the subcontinent. There are several factors; some of them quite unsurmountable as of now, even for the mighty West. They would keep trying of course; but there are two things to consider: One, the Empire is waning; and two, they consider the BJP to be the last hope for the Indian Hindus (it is not).

Indic consciousness has begun its ascent among the minds of common Indians; it would soon be out of bounds for any single leader, party or institution to influence it, tamper with it, or slow it down. Hope the Serbians too embrace their origins in preparations for their future, however tough that might be. Staying true matters.

The author is a geopolitical analyst and the author of JourneyDog Tales, The Puppeteer, and A Matter of Greed. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_s views_.

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The political landscape in Pakistan is currently ablaze with controversy and confusion as the country gears up for the upcoming elections on 8 February. The stage is set for a dramatic showdown, with two prominent figures, Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif, taking centre stage. However, recent developments in the election process have added a new layer of complexity, raising questions about the fairness and transparency of the democratic process in Pakistan.

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Imran Khans turbulent journey

Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has had a tumultuous political journey. Once the prime minister from August 2018 to April 2022, Khan faced a political coup that ousted him from his premiership in 2022. Subsequently, he found himself entangled in a web of legal battles, leading to his imprisonment on corruption charges. Despite a suspension of his initial conviction, Khan remains behind bars, awaiting trial for other offences. Moreover, several senior members of the PTI faced imprisonment, with some distancing themselves from Khan while others remained loyal, enduring continued incarceration.

Nawaz Sharifs resurgence

In a surprising turn of events, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has re-entered the political scene. Previously imprisoned for corruption and handed a lifetime ban from politics, Sharif sought refuge in London, citing medical issues. However, he returned to Pakistan in October, seamlessly resuming his political career. Sharif has been challenging his previous graft convictions, and the courts have been acquitting him, allowing him to navigate through the legal hurdles.

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Electoral twist

Recent developments have thrown the electoral process into disarray. Over 90 per cent of the PTI candidates, including Imran Khan, were deemed ineligible to contest by the election commission. The rejection extended to key cities like Lahore and Mianwali, with uncertainty surrounding Khans candidacy in Islamabad. The primary reason behind this disqualification was Khans criminal conviction in August, accompanied by a five-year ban from politics. Despite the suspension of his initial conviction, the election body refused to accept Khans candidacy.

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A stark contrast arises when examining Nawaz Sharifs situation. Despite a lifetime ban from politics, currently under appeal, the Pakistani election body accepted Sharifs candidacy, notably from Lahore, a city that rejected Imran Khan. This decision was contested, and the courts will now determine Sharifs eligibility. The apparent double standard in the treatment of Khan and Sharif raises concerns about the consistency and fairness of Pakistans election process.

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Adding to the complexity, many top leaders of PTI have also been barred from standing in the elections due to issues such as missing certificates or faulty paperwork. These individuals, with past parliamentary experience, now find themselves excluded, casting doubt on the efficiency of the electoral vetting process.

As Pakistan hurtles towards election day, the nation is grappling with a political narrative rife with contradictions and uncertainties. The exclusion of key PTI candidates, the contrasting treatment of Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif, and the challenges faced by PTI leaders pose serious questions about the integrity of the democratic process. Whether the people of Pakistan will truly have a meaningful choice in this election remains to be seen, as the drama unfolds in the days leading up to 8 February.

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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 legal battle between McDonalds Malaysia and BDS sheds light on the intersection of corporate responsibility, geopolitics and the complexities of global boycott movements

In recent days, the Malaysian legal landscape has become the battleground for a high-stakes legal drama between McDonalds Malaysia and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. This conflict, sparked by McDonalds Israel franchises actions during the Hamas attack on Israel, has ignited a broader debate about corporate responsibility and the effectiveness of global boycott movements.

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BDS is a global movement encompassing various stakeholders such as trade unions, activists, churches and academic associations. The primary objective of BDS is to exert economic pressure on Israel as a means of supporting the Palestinian cause. This pressure includes advocating for the boycott of Israeli businesses and urging financial institutions to cease operations in the country.

McDonalds connection

The legal saga unfolded in Malaysia after McDonalds Israel franchise offered free meals to Israeli soldiers during the Hamas attack on Israel. This move angered BDS, accusing McDonalds of supporting Israels war. In response, McDonalds Malaysia faced a widespread boycott, leading to financial losses and layoffs. Subsequently, McDonalds Malaysia took legal action against BDS, claiming false and defamatory statements and seeking compensation exceeding one million dollars.

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It is crucial to note that Malaysia is firmly pro-Palestine, with strong support for Hamas. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in a statement last October, emphasized concerns about the politics of dispossession related to Israeli settlements.

As Ive said, the whole issue is not what happened two weeks ago (Hamas attack on Israel), but its what we term as politics of dispossession. Countries cannot continue to colonise another part of the Palestinian lands, said Prime Minister Ibrahim.

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This political stance contributes to the public sentiment in favour of Palestine and against entities perceived as supporting Israel.

McDonalds Malaysias legal action against BDS raises broader questions about the efficacy and implications of corporate boycotts. However, it is essential to clarify that McDonalds itself is not suing BDS. It is McDonalds Malaysia, a separate entity. The distinction between the two entities is vital for a nuanced understanding of the legal dispute.

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BDS and global corporate boycotts

BDS has targeted a wide range of companies, including Puma, HP, Volvo, Google, Amazon, Disney, Airbnb, Dominos, Burger King and McDonalds, among others. While the BDS movements goals are clear, the strategies employed, such as the recent leafleting in Amsterdam, may be perceived as over-ambitious and potentially counterproductive.

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The effectiveness of boycott movements, especially against Israel, remains limited due to divided political will and a complex geopolitical landscape. Unlike successful historical boycotts against South Africas apartheid regime, the Israel-Palestine conflict lacks unified international support. The responsibility placed on ordinary consumers to drive change raises questions about the feasibility of achieving meaningful impact through corporate boycotts.

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The legal battle between McDonalds Malaysia and BDS sheds light on the intersection of corporate responsibility, geopolitics and the complexities of global boycott movements. As the case unfolds, it prompts a critical examination of the role and impact of such movements in addressing deeply rooted geopolitical conflicts. Ultimately, it remains to be seen how this legal drama will shape the narrative surrounding corporate accountability in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

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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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With Direct-To-Cell connectivity, Elon Musk hopes to reduce the area where there is little or no coverage to a minimum, by allowing users to directly connect their cell phones to mobile networks without the need for a Starlink terminal

SpaceX has successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from the Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Notably, this launch included the first six Starlink satellites equipped with Direct to Cell capabilities, allowing users to directly connect their cell phones to mobile networks without the need for a Starlink terminal.

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Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, shared a video on Wednesday, stating, First launch of Starlink Direct-to-Phone satellites. He emphasized that this innovation enables mobile phone connectivity anywhere on Earth.

This will allow for mobile phone connectivity anywhere on Earth.



Note, this only supports ~7Mb per beam and the beams are very big, so while this is a great solution for locations with no cellular connectivity, it is not meaningfully competitive with existing terrestrial https://t.co/ymHpw8XBHl  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2024

However, Musk clarified that the Direct-to-Cell capability supports only 7 MB per beam, with large beams, making it suitable for locations lacking cellular connectivity but not significantly competitive with existing terrestrial cellular networks.

Direct-to-cell satellite connectivity refers to a communication system where satellites communicate directly with individual cellular devices (such as smartphones, tablets, or IoT devices) without the need for an intermediate ground-based infrastructure.

In traditional cellular networks, communication between devices and satellites is typically mediated through ground-based cell towers and base stations.

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However, in direct-to-cell satellite connectivity, this intermediate step is bypassed, allowing for direct communication between the satellite and the cellular device.

SpaceXs official post highlighted the global impact of these satellites, stating, The six @Starlink satellites on this mission with direct-to-cell capability will further global connectivity and help to eliminate dead zones. Interested users can access more information at http://direct.starlink.com.

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The introduction of Starlink Direct-to-Phone satellites addresses the goal of providing mobile phone access worldwide and offering a solution for areas with inadequate cellular coverage. The innovative satellites feature advanced modems acting as cellphone towers in space, potentially eliminating cell phone service dead zones on the ground.

SpaceX envisions partnering with network providers worldwide to extend Direct to Cell services, similar to global roaming agreements. Already, several providers, including T-Mobile in the United States, Rogers in Canada, KDDI in Japan, Optus in Australia, One NZ in New Zealand, Salt in Switzerland, and Entel in Chile and Peru, are utilizing Direct to Cell for reciprocal access in partner nations.

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In 2023, SpaceX focused extensively on expanding its Starlink low-Earth orbit satellite network. Despite facing challenges, such as two explosions during Starship test flights, the company achieved numerous crew and cargo missions to the International Space Station.

SpaceX continues to advance its position as a leader in satellite internet, with over 5,000 active satellites providing relatively low-latency internet from orbit. The recent launch underscores SpaceXs commitment to growing the worlds largest satellite internet network.

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(With input from agencies)
Samsung will be hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event at San Jose on January, where it is expected to unveil their latest and greatest, Galaxy S24 series, along with a bunch of their new Galaxy AI and its features

In a recent announcement on Wednesday, Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, confirmed that it will be hosting its inaugural Galaxy Unpacked event for the year 2024 on January 17.

The event, scheduled to take place at the SAP Center in San Jose, will mark a significant moment for Samsung enthusiasts, as it signals the introduction of the next generation of Galaxy S phones, expected to bear the name Galaxy S24.

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Unlike previous virtual events, this Galaxy Unpacked will be held in person, providing attendees with a firsthand experience at the SAP Center.

However, for those unable to attend in person, Samsung will be live-streaming the event across all its official channels, including the Newsroom site and YouTube channel.

Details of Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 Event The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event is set to kick off at 11:30 pm IST (1:00 pm EST) on Wednesday, January 17, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

As tradition dictates, the event will be accessible to a global audience through live streaming on Samsungs Newsroom site and YouTube channel. Interestingly, the event date had previously surfaced as part of speculations and rumours.

The highlight of the event is expected to be the unveiling of Samsungs next-generation Galaxy S devices, collectively known as the Galaxy S24 lineup. The invitation for the event carries the tagline Galaxy AI is coming, hinting at the advanced AI features integrated into the latest flagship series, which is rumoured to include three models:

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Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung promises that this new Galaxy S series will establish a higher standard for the most intelligent mobile experience to date, teasing an innovative mobile experience powered by AI.

In tandem with the event, Samsung has launched a reservation program for the Galaxy S24 series through its India website. Interested users can secure a VIP pass by paying Rs. 1,999, ensuring they are among the first to obtain the highly anticipated handsets.

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Reserving the Samsung Galaxy S24 Series The anticipation surrounding the Galaxy S24 series is already building, with Samsung initiating pre-reservations for the new handsets in some regions. This move allows eager customers to secure their spots early and be among the first to own the latest Galaxy S devices.

In India, prospective buyers can now secure their spot for the Galaxy S24 series on Samsung Indias official website by making a pre-reservation for just Rs 1,999. Each pre-booking comes with a range of advantages, including additional benefits valued at Rs 5,000, the most favorable exchange value, the option to acquire a special edition Galaxy S24, and priority delivery of the smartphone.

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For early access to purchase the Galaxy S24 series starting from January 17, users can opt for the Next Galaxy VIP Pass, available at a price of Rs 1,999. This pass enables users to select their preferred variant during the early purchase window.

Notably, the timing of this Unpacked event is earlier in the year compared to Samsungs recent flagship releases, as the last two non-foldable flagships were launched in February.

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Expected Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S24 Series The Galaxy S24 family is rumoured to come equipped with Android 14-based One UI 6.1 and AMOLED LTPO displays featuring variable refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz.

The Ultra variant is said to boast a 200-megapixel quad-camera setup, while the regular models may feature 50-megapixel triple-camera units.

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Samsungs in-house Exynos 2400 chip is speculated to power the Galaxy S24 in all countries except the US and Canada. In these regions, the handset could ship with a modified version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC named Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC for Galaxy.

Conversely, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24+ are expected to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC for Galaxy across all markets, promising a consistent and powerful performance.

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(With inputs from agencies)
Montana had announced that it will challenge the ruling of a US District Court that effectively stayed a proposed ban on TikTok. Following India and many other countries, several US states have been banning the China-backed app over cybersecurity concerns

Montana has announced its decision to appeal a ruling made by a US judge in November that blocked the states pioneering ban on the use of the short-video sharing app TikTok. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed a notice, signalling the states appeal to the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals, as per a report by Reuters.

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Initially scheduled to become effective on January 1, Montanas TikTok ban faced a setback when US District Judge Donald Molloy issued a preliminary injunction on November 30, citing that the states law violates the Constitution in more ways than one and oversteps state power.

TikTok and Knudsens office refrained from immediate comments, while Molloy had previously outlined that preliminary pretrial statements were due by January 16.

Montanas ban, which gained approval from the state legislature, prompted TikTok users in the state to file a lawsuit last year, expressing concerns about the personal data of Montana users and potential Chinese spying.

In response, TikTok stated in earlier court filings that it had not shared and would not share US user data with the Chinese government. The platform emphasized taking substantial measures to safeguard the privacy and security of TikTok users. Judge Molloy expressed the view that Montanas action was overly broad and sought to exercise foreign policy authority belonging to the federal government.

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While TikTok has faced attempts in Congress to ban the app or grant the Biden administration powers to impose restrictions on foreign-owned apps, these efforts have encountered obstacles. Although many states and the US government have restricted TikTok on government-owned devices, Montana stands out as the only state aiming for a comprehensive ban on the apps use.

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Former President Donald Trump had sought to block new downloads of TikTok and the Chinese-owned WeChat in 2020. However, a series of court decisions prevented the effective implementation of the ban.

(With inputs from agencies)
Only 15 per cent of Israelis are in favour of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay in office after the war on Hamas ends, found a survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute

Almost three months in war with Hamas, popularity of Benjamin Netanyahu among his countrymen has plummeted. According to a recent poll, majority of Israelis said they do not want him to stay as the Prime Minister of the country after the conflict in Gaza ends.

Merely 15 per cent of Israelis are in favour of Netanyahu to stay in office after the war on Hamas ends, found a survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute.

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Even though Netanyahu is not among the most favoured leader to lead the country, many Israelis continue to support his strategy of crushing the terrorists in the Palestinian enclave, the poll result showed

Who, if not Netanyahu?

For Israelis, their preferred prime minister after the war should be Benny Gantz. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) voted for the National Unity Party leader to be the PM.

Position of other Israeli leaders in survey?

Minister of Internal Security Ben-Gvir is preferred by 1.5 per cent, former head of the Mossad Yossi Cohen by 1 per ceny, Minister of the Economy Nir Barkat by 0.7 per cent, and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant by just 0.5 per cent of respondents.

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Apart from Gantz, others from the moderate Right and the Center-Left who were named as preferred candidates for prime minister after the Israel-Hamas war ends included Naftali Bennett with 6.5 per cent and Yair Lapid with 6 per cent, and Minister Gadi Eisenkot as well as former MK Yair Golan received 0.5 per cent each.

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To gauge Israeli sentiments, the Israel Democracy Institute has been conducting survey on a monthly basis since 7 October attacks in which Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians and taking more than 240 people as hostage.

Best way to recover hostages

In the poll, 56 per cent of respondents said the military offensive was the best way to recover the hostages, while the remaining 24 per cent believed that a swap deal, including the release of more Palestinian prisoners from Israels jail would be the best alternative.

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Jewish and Arab Israelis were poles apart on this issue, with 65 per cent of the former pushing for a military solution and 62 per cent of the latter calling for a deal.

A full 25 per cent of Arab respondents admitted that they had no answer for the wrenching issue.

Should Israel agree to the US demand to shift to different phase?

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The survey asked respondents whether Israel should agree to the United States demand that the country shifts to a different phase of the war in Gaza, with an emphasis on reducing the heavy bombing of densely populated areas. A majority of the total sample (66 per cent) responded negatively to the question, while only around a quarter (23 per cent) answered in the affirmative.

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The difference between Jewish and Arab interviewees on the question was massive. While a large majority of Jews (75 per cent) oppose agreeing to this demand from the US, a majority of Arabs (56 per cent) are in favor of Israel meeting Washingtons demands and shifting to a different phase of the war.

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Netanyahu has vowed to continue with the war until Hamas is crushed and the more than 100 hostages, still held by the Hamas in Gaza, are freed.

Is Israel succeeding in toppling Hamas?

As per the survey report, many Israelis think the Netanyahu-led government and military have had only moderate success in meeting the wartime goals of toppling Hamas and bringing the hostages home.

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Only 26.8 per cent thought Israel had met the goal of toppling Hamas to a large extent, while 14 per cent thought Israel had largely succeeded in bringing the hostages home.
Anwarul-haq-Kakar, the acting prime minister of Pakistan, described the current Baloch protest against purported extrajudicial executions in the province on January 2 as irresponsible and provocative

Baloch demonstrators have called for a nationwide strike on January 3 in response to the ongoing rallies in Islamabad, according to The Balochistan Post. The announcement of the shutterdown strike coincides with demonstrators recent outburst at what they perceive to be a callous attitude from state officials.

The protest organisers, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), expressed their displeasure with the governments response in a social media message, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

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In response to the governments action, the BYC announced the strike and urged people to support the strike.

The state has consistently shown a half-hearted and uncommitted concern regarding our demands from the beginning, accusing state authorities of calling their movement mere propaganda, the BYC stated in a statement.

On January 3, we are calling for a shutterdown demonstration across Pakistan. We urge people from all walks of life to support and respect our call for the strike in the name of humanity and the Baloch nation, aiming to preserve our identity, the statement added.

Anwarul-haq-Kakar, the acting prime minister of Pakistan, described the current Baloch protest against purported extrajudicial executions in the province on January 2 as irresponsible and provocative, according to Dawn News.

Advocates of terrorists in Balochistan should go and join them if they are convinced on the veracity of their issue and fight the state along with them, so that we know where they stand and how to deal with them, Kakar said while addressing a press conference on the issues of Balochistan at Lahores central business district.

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The caretaker prime minister of Pakistan was referring to human rights activists and journalists who are supporting the Baloch marchers.

In response to inquiries from the media over police brutality against Baloch demonstrators in Islamabad, the interim prime minister of Pakistan stated that certain individuals, including members of the media, were attempting to mislead everyone, turning themselves into fake heroes of human rights and damaging the state.

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The purpose of the strike on 3 January is to raise awareness among Pakistanis of the serious problems Balochistani citizens suffer, especially enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The strike demonstrates the Baloch peoples increasing urgency and intensity in demanding justice and the protection of human rights in Balochistan.

The leader of the Baloch movement, Mahrang Baloch, has pledged to carry on with the demonstration and stated that they are prepared to make any kind of sacrifice for the cause.

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If this state thinks that we will be afraid of Islamabad Polices threatening tone, torture and arrest and end our protest, then this is a childish thinking of the state. We have shouldered the mutilated bodies of our loved ones in Balochistan, we have buried the bodies of ten of our youth together, we have spent our childhood in deep pain and sorrow waiting for our loved ones, we have lost our mothers, Mahrang Baloch wrote in a post shared on social media platform X.

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We have seen the suffering that is unspeakable, we have seen the miserable lives of orphans And you are trying to scare us here with torture and arrests, to scare those who are afraid of losing something with torture and arrests. We have lost everything, everything we loved was what you took from us now we have nothing to lose. We will continue this struggle until the complete end of Baloch genocide and are ready to make all kinds of sacrifices for it, she added.

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Additionally, the demonstrators disclosed that the state government forbids the use of food, tents, sound systems, and other amenities at the protest location during the winter months.

The Islamabad Police is now crossing all limits. Now they are not allowing our foods, tents, sound systems and other facilities. In this cold weather, old Mothers and Sisters are desperately facing harsh difficulties. Anything can happen to their health. We are, from the beginning, saying that they are harassing us. In this video, you can clearly assume how they are threatening us and the mainstream media. We want to make sure, if anything happens to anyone then @ICT_Police and the State administration is totally responsible, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee shared on X.

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The demonstrators gave the government a seven-day ultimatum earlier on December 28. The demonstrators called for the dismantling of state-sponsored death squads, the release of all demonstrators who were in custody, a thorough investigation into human rights abuses in Balochistan, an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, and limitations on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

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(With agency inputs)
Bangladesh polls 2024: Armed forces in the country will remain on field duty for eight days from 3-10 January as per Section 126 of the constitutions In Aid to the Civil Power

As Bangladesh gears up for 7 January national elections, the armed forces have been deployed in full strength across the country to assist the local civil administration.

Armed forces in Bangladesh will remain on field duty for eight straight days from 3-10 January as per Section 126 of the constitutions In Aid to the Civil Power.

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The armed forces will be responsible for ensuring peace and order before, during, and after the election day, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.

Deployment of armed forces in Bangladesh

The ISPR said upon request from the concerned returning officers and through coordination with stakeholders, the area-base deployment has been completed, said the ISPR.

The army personnel have been deployed to 62 districts while Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will perform duty in 45 upazilas.

Members of the Bangladesh Army will also be stationed at nodal points and other convenient places in every district, upazila, and metropolitan areas.

Moreover, the army in coordination with the BGB and Coast Guard will perform duty in 47 bordering upazilas and 4 coastal upazilas respectively.

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The members of Bangladesh Navy will remain deployed in 19 coastal upazilas including in Bhola and Barguna districts.

Bangladesh Air Forces (BAF) will provide helicopter assistance to polling stations in the hilly remote areas.

Also, a favourable number of helicopters of the BAF have been kept ready to provide electoral assistance.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is heading to general polls in the country with a 14-party alliance led by her Awami League (AL). She is also the president of her political party AL.

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Earlier, Hasina had urged the alliance partners to be united before and after the polls. She even called upon the leaders to not withdraw the party candidates upon announcement.
In response to objections citing the insurrection clause, Trumps attorneys argue that Bellows actions will unlawfully exclude him from the ballot. The 14th Amendment prohibits individuals engaged in insurrection from holding federal office

Former US President Donald Trump is challenging the decision of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to exclude him from the 2024 presidential election ballot.

Trump, a leading Republican candidate, asserts that Bellows, a Democrat, made a biased decision, lacked legal authority, and committed multiple legal errors in her ruling.

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Similar challenges in other states have been rejected, but the US Supreme Court is expected to address the issue, impacting Trumps eligibility nationwide.

In response to objections citing the insurrection clause, Trumps attorneys argue that Bellows actions will unlawfully exclude him from the ballot. The 14th Amendment prohibits individuals engaged in insurrection from holding federal office.

Bellows defends her decision, emphasizing its thoroughness and adherence to the rule of law, expressing hope for a resolution by the Supreme Court.

While Trump and his campaign characterise the decisions in Maine and Colorado as politically motivated, Bellows maintains that her actions are grounded in legal considerations. Trump faces not only eligibility challenges but also trials related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

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Despite facing federal court proceedings, he has not been charged with inciting insurrection in connection with the Capitol riot.

A federal judge in Washington DC recently ruled that part of a lawsuit against Trump, stemming from the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick during the January 6 riot, can proceed.

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Sandra Garza, Sicknicks wife, filed the lawsuit against Trump and two riot participants. As legal battles unfold, the Supreme Courts decision on Trumps eligibility is eagerly awaited, with potential nationwide implications for the 2024 election.
Russias latest round of attacks began Friday with its largest single assault on Ukraine of the conflict, which has bogged down into a grinding winter war of attrition along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.

NATO announced on Wednesday its intention to facilitate the purchase of up to 1,000 Patriot missiles to enhance the defence capabilities of its allies amid heightened Russian air assaults on Ukraine.

The NATO support and procurement agency disclosed plans to assist a group of nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain, in procuring Patriot missiles. These missiles are designed to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as enemy aircraft.

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With an estimated contract value of around $5.5 billion, this purchase aims to enable allies to allocate more of their defence systems to support Ukraine. The agency noted that other user nations are expected to benefit from the conditions of the contract without providing further details.

The consolidated multinational procurement, in the spirit of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), offers economies of scale and supports the expansion of production capacity for new GEM-T missiles to meet increasing demand, NATO said in a statement.

Russias latest round of attacks began Friday with its largest single assault on Ukraine of the conflict, which has bogged down into a grinding winter war of attrition along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.

About the Patriot

The MIM-104 Patriot (Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept On Target) missile system is the United States Armys main air and missile defence system. It started as an anti-aircraft system, but over the years, newer variants are capable of engaging ballistic and cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and aircraft.

Manufactured by the US defence contractor Raytheon, the Patriot is in service with the US and allied countries including Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Poland, Sweden, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Spain, and Taiwan.

According to the US Army, the entire system includes a phased array radar, a control station, computers and generators. According to the US Army, the missile system requires about 90 soldiers to operate and maintain and needs three soldiers to fire it. It was first developed in the early 60s to replace both the Nike Hercules and Hawk air defence missile systems.

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The US Army named the program Surface-to-Air Missile, Development (SAM-D) and the first tests occurred in 1969 and 1970. Following several tests, the US Army activated its first Patriot missile battalion in May 1982.

The advanced Patriot system consists of a Patriot missile  it uses ground-based radar to survey, track and engage targets.

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Besides the missile, the Patriot system launches missiles from the M901 launching station. According to howstuffworks.com, the stations include up to four launch canisters that can hold four different missiles, depending on the type. The launchers are about the size of a tractor-trailer rig. Each get its power from the electric power plant (EPP) vehicle.

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The Patriot system also carries the AN/MPQ-53 phased-array radar that has a range of up to 100 km, the capacity to track up to 100 targets and can provide missile guidance data for up to nine missiles.

Service history

The Patriot system first saw action in the 1991 Gulf War to shoot down incoming Iraqi Scud or Al-Hussein Missiles launched at Israel and Saudi Arabia. The US Army, which was in charge of the Patriots, claimed an initial success rate of 80 per cent in Saudi Arabia and 50 per cent in Israel. Those claims were scaled back to 70 and 40 per cent.

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The Patriot missile later saw combat in the United States 2003 invasion of Iraq. In subsequent years, the Patriot system has been used by several US allies. For instance, in 2014, Israel used its Patriot GEM+ missiles to destroy two Hamas drones, two Syrian drones, and a Syrian Su-24.

In the Yemeni Civil War, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates employed Patriot systems to intercept Houthi rockets, missiles, and drones.

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As recently as November, Germany had announced that it had offered its own Patriot missiles to Poland, days after a missile landed just inside its borders.
Sweden on Wednesday recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north as a cold snap hit the country and neighbouring Finland.

Europe encountered significant weather contrasts on Wednesday, witnessing extreme cold and snowstorms that led to transportation disruptions and school closures in Scandinavia. Simultaneously, western Europe experienced strong winds and heavy rain, resulting in flooding and at least one death.

Temperatures plummeted below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Nordic region for the second consecutive day. Sweden reported its coldest January night in 25 years on Wednesday, registering a temperature of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north. This cold snap affected both Sweden and its neighbouring country, Finland.

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To put that into perspective, that is the lowest January temperature in Sweden since 1999, Mattias Lind, meteorologist at Swedens national weather agency SMHI, told AFP. In January 1999, a temperature of minus 49 degrees Celsius (minus 56.2 Fahrenheit) was recorded in Sweden, which then tied the record set in 1951.

Lind said that Wednesdays measurement was made at the Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka station in Swedens far north.It is the lowest temperature that has been recorded in this specific spot since measurements began at the site in 1888, he said. Several other stations recorded temperatures of below minus 40C in Swedens northern parts.

Several instances of frozen water pipes were also reported, and Finnish broadcaster YLE said around 300 people in the city of Tampere were left without running water on Tuesday.

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The cold front is expected to move south over the next few days, with residents of the Finnish capital Helsinki already seeing temperatures rise to minus 15C on Wednesday.

Extremely cold temperatures, snow and gale-force winds disrupted transportation throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.

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Police across most of Denmark urged motorists to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.

Mild but wet and windy conditions prevailed further south, where a storm wreaked havoc in parts of western Europe.

In Britain, a driver died after a tree fell on his car in western England. Gloucestershire Police said the man died in the incident near the town of Kemble on Tuesday afternoon.

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The storm, which has been named Henk by the official weather services of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, has caused power cuts, transport troubles, property damage and disruption across the U.K.

More than 300 flood warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday, while 10,000 homes remained without power. A severe flood alert, meaning a danger to life, was announced for the River Nene in Northampton in central England. Several residents were evacuated from houseboats and caravans at the nearby Billing Aquadrome.

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The U.K.s rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the Wednesday morning commute to work.

The strongest gales in the U.K. were recorded on the Isle of Wight, just off the coast in southern England, where wind speeds reached 94 miles per hour (151 kilometers per hour).

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In the Netherlands, police near the city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the country.

Parts of Germany were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by more rain falling in the worst-affected northwestern state of Lower Saxony.

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With inputs from agencies.
The three electromagnetic catapult tracks found on the ship were visible in the most recent footage of the domestically built aircraft carrier that China Central Television showed during its news program

The heaviest and most sophisticated of Chinas two prior warships, the third aircraft carrier Fujian, is preparing for sea trials, according to a report released by official media on Wednesday.

The three electromagnetic catapult tracks found on the ship were visible in the most recent footage of the domestically built aircraft carrier that China Central Television showed during its news program.

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According to Yin Hongxin, an officer on board, the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will proceed with the mooring trials of CNS Fujian, Chinas second aircraft carrier built domestically, as planned in the new year, as reported by official China Daily.

Chinas official media often creates buzz about the progress of new defence equipment like new ships, fighter jets and missiles, displaying their photos to generate public interest.

China launched Fujian in June 2022 with a lot of fanfare with claims that it could match the US aircraft carriers in terms of technology as Beijing is increasingly coming under pressure from Washingtons Indo-Pacific strategy especially in the disputed South China Sea and Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory.

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China claims most of the South China Sea while Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.

Chinas first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012 followed by the indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier Shandong in 2019.

With 80,000 tonnes displacement, 20,000 tonnes more than the first and second aircraft carriers, the Fujian was expected to venture out to far off seas like the Indian Ocean, Indias backyard where the Indian Navy has a robust presence. China has already expanded its naval base at Djibouti in the Horn of Africa to berth aircraft carriers. China has also acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka as a debt swap for 99 years. It is also modernising Pakistans Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea.

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China plans to have around five aircraft carriers, according to the official media. The next aircraft carrier China plans to build is expected to be nuclear-powered.

Naval experts say Fujian may take some time for operationalisation. Perhaps PLAN may begin sending aircraft carriers to the Indian Ocean by 2025. The Fujian, which is the first fully domestically developed and constructed aircraft carrier with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), has a flat, straight flight deck and arresting device. EMALS was regarded by naval experts as a major leap forward by the Chinese navy as currently, only the US has such an advanced one. It is more energy-efficient and reduces maintenance. It is used also on the US Navys Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.

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While Chinas other two aircraft carriers are equipped with ski-jump take-off ramps, the Fujian features a flat-top flight deck. The J-15 fighter jet which China currently operates from its aircraft carriers were regarded as a major problem as each plane weighed about 18 tonnes, too heavy for carriers in the long run. The planes were considered to be a big drag.

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In a major rejig of its military doctrine, China since 2013 stepped up the development of the navy with a massive budget while cutting down the number of army troops.

The modernisation included building several aircraft carriers besides submarines, frigates and assault ships as part of its efforts to expand its global influence. Besides speeding up the naval shipbuilding, China is also helping Pakistan to modernise its navy by providing its latest naval frigates to operate with its navy in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

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(with inputs from Agencies)
Lebanons heavily armed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanons southern border since the war in Gaza began in October

Israel killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanons capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, raising the potential risk of war in Gaza spreading well beyond the Palestinian enclave.

Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gazas Hamas rulers almost three months ago after the groups shock rampage into Israeli towns.

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Lebanons heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanons southern border since the war in Gaza began in October.

Israel has long accused Arouri of lethal attacks on its citizens, but a Hamas official said he was also at the heart of negotiations conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages.

Israel neither confirmed nor denied carrying out the killing, but its military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario.

The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas, he said when asked by a reporter about the reports of Arouris killing.

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In Washington, the State Department denounced as inflammatory and irresponsible statements by Israeli cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.

Smotrich, one of the senior figures in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing coalition, on Sunday called for Palestinian residents to leave the besieged strip, making way for Israelis who could make the desert bloom.

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Such statements underscore fears among some in the Arab world that Israel wants to drive Palestinians out of land where they envision a future state, repeating the mass dispossession of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948.

Israel had accused Arouri, a co-founder of the Hamas military wing, the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, of ordering and supervising Hamas attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years.

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I am waiting for martyrdom (death) and I think I have lived too long, Arouri said in August 2023, alluding to Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran, a major supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, said Arouris killing would undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers, not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all freedom-seekers worldwide.

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In a televised speech in August, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a severe reaction.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouris killing, chanting, Revenge, revenge, Qassam!.

The Gaza war was triggered by a shock cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 hostages spirited back to Gaza.

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The Gaza health ministry said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza.

Civilian casualties have mounted in south Gaza as the brunt of Israels offensive has shifted there from the north. Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians and blames Hamas for embedding fighters among them, an accusation Hamas denies.

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The United States, Israels main supporter, has been urging it to rein in its air and ground blitz, which has demolished vast tracts of densely populated Gaza, in favour of more targeted strikes focusing on Hamas leaders.

Israel has announced plans to pull back some troops, hinting at a new phase in the war amid a rising global outcry over the plight of Gaza civilians, although it also warned its offensive has many months to run.

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Israeli bombardments have engulfed Gazas 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.

HAMAS RESPONDS TO CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL

Shortly before Arouris killing, Hamas paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.

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He reiterated that Hamas conditions entailed a complete cessation of Israels offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.

Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts.

Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state.

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Gaza residents said Israeli warplanes and tanks stepped up bombardments of eastern and northern districts of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge after being forced to flee their homes elsewhere.

A United Nations worker who visited a hospital there on Tuesday said a 5-day-old baby and four other people were killed in a strike that hit the hospital.

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In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, Israel had destroyed 12 Hamas regiments and only a few thousand militants remained out of 15,000-18,000 who had been based in the area. Others had fled to the south, he said.
An Israeli drone strike killed a senior Hamas leader in Beirut on 2nd January 2024. Saleh al-Arouri was a member of Hamas political bureau and a co-founder of its military wing. His killing marks the first assassination of a Hamas official outside the Palestinian Territories.

A day after a drone strike in Beirut killed a senior Hamas leader, Germany on Wednesday urged its citizens to leave Lebanon quickly, warning that an expansion of the Israel-Hamas war could not be ruled out.

An Israeli drone strike killed a senior Hamas leader in Beirut on 2nd January 2024. Saleh al-Arouri was a member of Hamas political bureau and a co-founder of its military wing. His killing marks the first assassination of a Hamas official outside the Palestinian Territories.

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All German citizens, who are still in Lebanon, are asked to register on the ELEFAND crisis preparedness list and to leave the country as quickly as possible, wrote the German foreign ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter. The warning came after a meeting Wednesday of the German governments crisis unit.

A further deterioration of the situation and expansion of the conflict cannot be ruled out, especially given the killing of Saleh al-Aruri, the political number two of Hamas in Beirut on Tuesday, the ministry wrote.

This applies above all to the southern part of Lebanon, up to and including the southern urban areas of Beirut.Although Israel has made no claim, Hamas, Hezbollah and Lebanese security sources blamed it for the assassination of al-Aruri, 57, one of the founders of Hamas military wing.

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Lebanons Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel for the drone strike in its Shiite Muslim stronghold of southern Beirut. Germany had already issued a warning against travel to Lebanon in October, in the wake of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

With inputs from AFP.
A pilot for Japan Airlines said the rigorous training that the flight crew had undergone helped with the speedy evacuation of passengers from flight 516 at Tokyos Haneda Airport

The passengers of Japan Airlines flight 516 were seated with their seat belts locked in when the aircraft touched the runway of Tokyos Haneda Airport on 2 January, 2024, but soon there was a chaos inside the cabin when they saw flames licking the windows and spreading faster than their imagination.

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All clueless 367 passengers on board JAL Airbus A350 were praying for their lives and were patiently managed by 12 cabin crew members before being ushered to safety.

The attendants of the JAL flight that burst into flames on Tuesday hid their unease and followed every little detail of their safety training to disembark all passengers in less than 20 minutes.

What was happening inside JAL flight?

The JAL jet collided with a coast guard jet soon after landing at Tokyos Haneda airport. Initially passengers saw spark on touching down of the plane but were petrified as they noticed the flight quickly engulfing into flames.

Confusion started to mount inside the flight with passengers becoming impatient, noticing that an engine had caught fire. The pilot had brought the aircraft to a halt on its nose.

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The situation turned difficult after the crew were not being able to use the PA system which got damaged. They then calmly issued instructions through megaphones and were asked to evacuate through slides, leaving behind their carry-on luggage.

In one of the videos, a woman passenger is heard shouting, Please get me out of here."

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Why dont you just open the doors? a child was heard asking.

The miracle happened

Its natural for passengers to start panicking when they see flames, and obviously there had been come sort of collision, which must have been extremely worrying for those on board," Michele Robson, a former air traffic controller, told Channel 4 News.

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She also praised the crew, saying they had done really well to evacuate under very difficult circumstances."

Crediting the crew for averting a bigger tragedy, Paul Hayes, director of air safety at the UK-based aviation consultancy Ascend by Cirium, said: The cabin crew must have done an excellent job. There dont seem to be any carry-ons. It was a miracle that all the passengers got off."

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WATCH: Japan Airlines plane hits jet loaded with relief material for earthquake affected, turns into fireball

The cabin crew did a remarkably great job getting passengers off the plane so quickly, said John Cox, a pilot and founder of a US-based aviation safety consultancy.

It shows good training, Cox was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

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And if you look at the video, people are not trying to get stuff out of the overheads. They are concentrating on getting out of the airplane," he added.

How JAL cabin crew managed to safely evacuate all passengers?

In August 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123 bound to Osaka crashed into a mountain shortly after take-off from Tokyos Haneda airport, killing 520 of the 524 people on board.

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The cause of the crash was traced to a faulty repair carried out by Boeing engineers and not to pilot error.

To this day, it is the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history. It is almost four decades, but it helped turned Japan Airlines into a safe airline.

Japan Airlines is now regularly named as one of the worlds safest airlines by the website airlineratings.com.

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Tokyo Airport Collision: 5 of 6 crew of coast guard plane dead after hit by JAL aircraft at Haneda airport

Only this week, JAL was named among the worlds safest 25 airlines in an annual listing by website.

A report by BBC quoted a former flight attendant of Japan Airlines saying new crew members undergo stringent evacuation and rescue training for up to three weeks before they are allowed to serve in commercial flights.

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Also, the training is repeated every year to ensure more safety to the fliers.

We go through a written exam, case study discussions and practical training using different scenarios, such as when the plane has to make a water landing or if there is fire on board. Maintenance staff are also involved in such training, the flight attendant, who left the company 10 years ago, was quoted as saying.

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The report also quoted a pilot for Japan Airlines, speaking on the condition of anonymity, saying the rigorous training that the flight crew had undergone helped with the speedy evacuation.

I think what happened in this case was that the training kicked in. You really dont have time to think in a situation like this, so you just do what you were trained to do, he said.

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The pilot further informed that in order for any passenger aircraft to be internationally certified, the manufacturers must show that everyone aboard can deplane within 90 seconds. Evacuation tests sometimes involve actual passengers, he added.

In 2006, Japan Airlines opened a museum-like facility near Haneda displaying wreckage from the incident, with an aim to promote safety awareness among its employees.
Lebanon based terrorist group Hezbollah has warned of retaliation against Israel after senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in an air strike on Beirut even as the Gaza war threatened to escalate beyond the boundaries of Palestine

In response to the Israeli strike that killed senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, Hezbollah, a terrorist organisation based in Lebanon, issued a warning on Tuesday, saying that the crime would not go unpunished and launched multiple cross-border operations on northern Israel.

The comments were made as the conflict looks to be escalating outside the Gaza Strip by Hezbollah, which has targeted Israel numerous times since the conflict began on October 8.

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We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment. The criminal enemy  which after ninety days of crime, killing and destruction was unable to subjugate Gaza  is resorting to a policy of assassination of whoever planned, carried out or supported, Hezbollah said in a statement.

In the meantime, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that in response to threats from Hezbollah and Hamas, the military was prepared to handle any eventuality.

The IDF is at a very high level of readiness, in all arenas, in defense and offense. We are in a high state of readiness for any scenario, he said.

Officials from Hamas and Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that Arouri perished in an explosion in Beirut that was purportedly triggered by an Israeli attack. According to the state-run National News Agency of Lebanon, an Israeli drone was used to carry out the explosion, which claimed four lives.

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Arouri had led Hamass presence in the West Bank and was one of the groups founders in the military branch. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, had made threats to murder him before to the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict on October 7. Danny Danon, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN, commended the Israeli security and intelligence services for what he claimed to be Arouris assassination on Tuesday.

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(With agency inputs)

The 57-year-old Arouri has become the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against Gazas Hamas rulers almost three months ago after the groups shock rampage into Israeli towns.
A conspiracy to publish seditious publications is another charge brought against him. Before the trial opened, a supporter shouted hang in there to Lai, as he sat inside a glass dock surrounded by prison guards

Defending Jimmy Lai, a democrat from Hong Kong, in a national security trial, a number of foreign activists, right-wing activists, and politicians denied accusations made in court by a government prosecutor that they conspired with him.

Under a national security law imposed by China, Lai, 76, the founder of the now-closed pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and a prominent opponent of the Chinese Communist Party, is accused of conspiring with foreign forces on two counts, including calling for sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong.

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A conspiracy to publish seditious publications is another charge brought against him.

Before the trial opened, a supporter shouted hang in there to Lai, as he sat inside a glass dock surrounded by prison guards.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau on Wednesday presented dozens of news clippings of Apple Daily, including news reports of a speech by Lai and commentaries that were critical of China.

Chau also cited Apple Daily interviews with frontline pro-democracy activists and anti-government advertisements.

Chau had earlier accused Lai of conspiring with activist Andy Li, a paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, exiled activist Finn Lau, Britain-based rights campaigner Luke de Pulford, Japanese politician Shiori Yamao, U.S. financier Bill Browder and others to lobby foreign countries for sanctions.

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Some rejected these allegations.

Jimmy had nothing whatsoever to do with any of my work on Hong Kong at all. But Jimmys case isnt about truth. Its about delivering Beijings narrative, said Luke de Pulford, the head of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), on X.

IPAC, a group of over 300 lawmakers in 33 countries, condemned attempts to implicate several of its members in the sham trial and said in a statement it was an unacceptable infringement of the rights of foreign citizens.

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Hong Kong exiled activist Finn Lau who is now based in Britain also said on X that Lai was not involved in any of his advocacy work for human rights and democracy and called for the immediate release of Lai and others.

At least seven others have been alleged as Lais agents or intermediaries requesting sanctions, including former U.S. Army General Jack Keane, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. consul general to Hong Kong James Blair Cunningham and the founder of Hong Kong Watch Benedict Rogers.

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The idea that it is a crime for him (Lai) to speak to politicians, business leaders, international media and activists, as well as myself as a former diplomat, is ludicrous in the extreme, James Cunningham said in a statement.

Benedict Rogers said on X that Lais alleged criminal interactions with various foreigners ought to be regarded as entirely normal legitimate activity for a newspaper publisher. The trial demonstrated just how dramatically and extensively Hong Kongs basic freedoms and the rule of law have been dismantled, he added.

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In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioners office of Chinas Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong described Lai as an agent and pawn of foreign anti-China forces, who has blatantly colluded with external forces to endanger national security.

The statement also criticised some foreigners named in the trial for rebelling against China, slandering Chinas policies in the city and interfering with Hong Kongs judicial justice.

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Both the United States and Britain have called for Lais immediate release, saying his trial is politically motivated.

Hong Kong authorities dispute claims that Lai will not enjoy a fair trial, saying all are equal before the law and the national security law has brought stability to Hong Kong after mass protests in 2019.

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(with inputs from Reuters)
According to Iranian media, two explosions were heard close to Soleimanis burial site in the city of Kerman in southern Iran on Wednesday afternoon

On the eve of the anniversary of the US drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, there were two rapid explosions heard close to his grave.

According to Iranian media, two explosions were heard close to Soleimanis burial site in the city of Kerman in southern Iran on Wednesday afternoon.

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According to reports, at least 103 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in the blasts.

Television images showed ambulances pulling up to the scene and wheeling away the injured.

Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured. But there are waves of crowds blocking roads, Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent, told state TV.

People were advised to leave the area by the authorities.

There is still no proof of what caused the blasts. Unverified reports that gas cylinder explosions were caused by suicide attacks were interspersed with claims that the explosions had occurred.

Shortly after arriving in Baghdad on January 3, 2020, Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a key figure in the development of Irans regional dominance, was struck by a drone strike that was claimed by the United States. Then US President Donald Trump had issued an order to have Soleimani killed claiming that Soleimani was preparing a imminent attack on US military personnel in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

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The blast took place a day after Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas, was killed in a drone strike in Lebanon that authorities claimed was carried out by Israel. Iran has denounced the act, declaring that the murder might ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers.

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Sayyed Razi Mousavi, a key adviser for Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed last month by an Israeli air attack launched outside the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Israel justifies its actions, declaring war on Hamas after the groups large-scale attack on Israeli communities resulted in around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 240 individuals taken to Gaza as hostages

Israel has vowed to contest South Africas accusation of genocidal acts in Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), countrys spokesperson Eylon Levy said.

Addressing South African leaders, Levy warns, History will judge you, and it will judge you without mercy.

South Africa, a strong supporter of the Palestinians, filed the case at the ICJ, triggering outrage from Israel. The dispute stems from Israels actions during the war with Gaza, which began on October 7. Gazas health ministry, run by Hamas, claims over 22,000 Palestinians, primarily civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes.

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Israel justifies its actions, declaring war on Hamas after the groups large-scale attack on Israeli communities resulted in around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 240 individuals taken to Gaza as hostages.

South Africa asserts its obligation to prevent genocide from occurring as it presents an 84-page document to the ICJ, accusing Israels acts and omissions of being genocidal in character.

The case is scheduled to be heard on January 11 and 12, with South African government lawyers preparing their argument.

The ICJ, the United Nations highest court based in The Hague, can settle disputes between states and provide advisory opinions on international legal matters. While lacking prosecutorial power, its opinions carry weight within the UN and other international legal bodies.

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Levy states Israels intention to fight the case, aiming to refute what he calls South Africas absurd blood libel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the allegations, asserting that Hamas, not Israel, is responsible for potential genocide.

This legal battle follows an existing ICJ investigation initiated by the Palestinians into Israels prolonged occupation, settlement, and annexation of Palestinian territory. In 2004, the ICJ deemed Israels barrier in the West Bank against international law, a decision contested by Israel, citing it as a defense against suicide bombings. Palestinians viewed it as a land-grabbing mechanism.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to embark on a two-day visit to Nepal starting Thursday with the objective of enhancing collaboration in various domains, including hydro-power, connectivity, digital payments, and trade

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to embark on a two-day visit to Nepal starting Thursday with the objective of enhancing collaboration in various domains, including hydro-power, connectivity, digital payments, and trade.

Anticipated during the visit is the signing of an agreement outlining the procedures that will enable Nepal to export 10,000 megawatts of power to India within the next decade, aligning with a joint decision made by the leadership of both nations in June.

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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has indicated that Jaishankar will jointly preside over a meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission with his Nepalese counterpart NP Said. This gathering serves as the premier bilateral platform for an overarching review of the bilateral relationship.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Kathmandu from January 4 to 5 on the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Nepal, NP Saud for co-chairing the seventh meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission, MEA said in a statement.

In Kathmandu, the external affairs minister is scheduled to call on President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. The India-Nepal Joint Commission was established in 1987 and provides a platform for both sides to review all aspects of the bilateral partnership.

During the visit, the external affairs minister will also call on the leadership of Nepal and meet prominent political figures, the MEA added.

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Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The visit is in keeping with the tradition of high level exchanges between two close and friendly neighbours, it said.

Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old Roti Beti relationship.

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The country shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states -? Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

The Nepalese foreign ministry said Saud will also host a dinner in honour of Jaishankar and the members of his delegation.

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The Joint Commission Meeting will review the overall state of bilateral relations and various areas of mutual cooperation, it said.

In June, Prime Minister Prachanda visited New Delhi during which both sides signed several major pacts including one on increasing New Delhis import of power from the neighbouring country to 10,000 mega watt in the next 10 years from current 450 megawatt.

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With inputs from agencies
One of the most popular routes in Tokyo, the Yamanote loop line, saw its train suspended at around 1356 GMT on Wednesday owing to trouble on the train at Akihabara station

It is thought that four individuals were stabbed while travelling on a train that stopped at Tokyos Akihabara station.

Citing local police, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday that one of the most popular routes in Tokyo, the Yamanote loop line, saw its train suspended at around 1356 GMT on Wednesday owing to trouble on the train at Akihabara station, according to a statement from East Japan Railway Company on social media platform X.

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According to NHK, there was a report of a lady brandishing a knife aboard a train at Akihabara Station. The Metropolitan Police Department is conducting an investigation after apprehending the accused thought to have been carrying the weapon.

(With agency inputs)
The significant increase in investigations in 2023, a 40% rise compared to the previous year, suggests President Xis unwavering commitment to cleansing Chinas officialdom, according to a report

China witnessed a surge in its anti-corruption efforts in 2023, as the Communist Partys anti-corruption watchdog initiated investigations against 45 senior officials.

This marked a new record in the ongoing battle against corruption, initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, who had previously declared a crushing victory in the anti-corruption campaign five years earlier.

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According to a South China Morning Post report, the significant increase in investigations in 2023, a 40% rise compared to the previous year, suggests President Xis unwavering commitment to cleansing Chinas officialdom.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), Chinas foremost anti-corruption agency, had recorded 32 investigations into high-ranking officials in 2022, according to official CCDI announcements.

The majority of individuals subjected to investigation, often referred to as tigers, belonged to the category of centrally managed cadres, holding positions at the deputy ministerial level or above.

Some, though fewer in number, held slightly lower ranks but occupied pivotal roles in crucial sectors. This surge in anti-corruption activities underscores the continued intensity of President Xis push for clean governance and policy implementation.

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In contrast to lower-ranking members who fall under the jurisdiction and supervision of local party branches and disciplinary agencies, senior officials are directly overseen by the Communist Partys Central Organisation Departmentthe highest-ranking body for personnel matters. If any misconduct is detected among them, they would be subjected to investigations conducted at the highest level by the CCDI.

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Research reveals that out of the 45 senior cadres detained by the disciplinary watchdog, 27 had already retired from their positions during the investigation.

Deng Yuwen, a former deputy editor at the Study Times, the official newspaper of the Central Party School responsible for cadre training, suggested that the focus of CCDI investigations on retired officials indicates that the probes unveiled more misconduct predating Xis leadership. Moreover, retiring from their positions does not exempt these individuals from further scrutiny.

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Among the officials arrested in recent years, not many were caught for corruption in their current positions. Most of the problems occurred in the past few years, or even more than 10, 20 years ago. The CCDI is no longer following the previous unspoken rule that retired officials will be spared from investigation, South China Morning Post quoted Deng as saying

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Now, no one is safe. As Xi digs deeper, he just finds more problems that accumulated over the past three decades due to rapid economic development and lax party discipline. And there is no sign of him stopping the digging, Deng added.

Over the course of the 11 years since the initiation of the anti-corruption campaign, the CCDI has removed a total of 294 senior officials, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

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Its worth noting that this count excludes numerous corruption investigations within the Chinese military, which independently conducts probes through its Discipline Inspection Commission. Operating under the utmost secrecy within Chinas top military command, the Central Military Commission (CMC), overseen by Xi Jinping, this agency handles its investigations discreetly.

Cases related to the Chinese military are selectively announced by Beijing, as demonstrated in instances such as the investigations into former CMC deputy chairmen Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong during Xis initial presidential term. These cases marked the highest-ranking officers in the Peoples Liberation Army targeted since the commencement of the anti-corruption campaign.

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Prior to 2023, the highest number of senior officials investigated in a single year by the CCDI was in 2014, with 38 individuals under scrutiny. In 2020, 18 officials came under investigation, but the annual tally has been on the rise since then: 25 high-ranking officials in 2021 and 32 in 2022.

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Recently, the National Peoples Congress, Chinas top legislative body, announced the dismissal of nine generals on Saturday. Among them were five officers who had served as either past or current top commanders in the PLA Rocket Force, a crucial component of the nations nuclear arsenal.

Notably, individuals like Li Yuchao, who led the rocket force until July, and his former deputy, Zhang Zhenzhong, were included. Although there has been no official confirmation from Beijing regarding corruption investigations involving these nine individuals, reports suggest that some may have been under scrutiny earlier in the preceding year.

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A political researcher at Peking University said there were many obvious signs that suggest that Chinas tiger hunt will expand even further in 2024.

We have the removal of [former foreign minister> Qin Gang and [former defence minister> Li Shangfu. We also saw the National Peoples Congress just officially dismiss nine PLA generals, indicating a sweeping investigation in the military has got preliminary results, South China Morning Post quoted the researcher as saying, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

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No reasons have been provided for the dismissals of Qin and Li, who were both stripped of their positions last year.

I suspect only a tiny amount of information regarding these cases will be released to the public, just for minimal formalities.

The CCDI will begin its third plenum from next Monday to lay out the work priorities in the new year for tens of millions of discipline inspectors across the country.

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With inputs from agencies
In a statement, Pakistans Ministry of Interior made this claim as the Senate was informed about the TTPs growing power and operations in the wake of US army withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban-led interim governments inaction against the outlawed organisation

Pakistan is facing a threat from the Islamic State (ISIS), which is attempting to gain ground in the nation, as well as an influx of Tehreek-i-Taliban terrorists in large numbers in the unrest-plagued tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a statement, Pakistans Ministry of Interior made this claim as the Senate was informed about the TTPs growing power and operations in the wake of US army withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban-led interim governments inaction against the outlawed organisation.

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In a written response given during question hour, the interior ministry emphasised how the TTPs operational growth and reorganisation during the peace negotiations in 2022 have greatly expanded its militant actions.

It has given significant rise to its activities and is seeking the support of other militant groups to increase strength and capabilities. It is mostly concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially merged districts, with footprints in Balochistan and trying to activate its network in the country, the statement said.

It stated that it is concerning that the TTP is still showing up in large numbers in the combined areas and that suicide bombers are being recruited, trained, and deployed there.

According to the ministry, the militant group known by its Arabic name, Daesh, which calls itself the Islamic State, was attempting to gain ground in Pakistan and was using terrorist acts against Shias and other religious minorities in order to sow discord among the sect.

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It stated that the majority of the fence along Pakistans western borders has been installed to bolster the governments efforts to stop unauthorised cross-border migration. It did, however, make clear that the two organizationsthe TTP in particularkept up their efforts to undermine the fence.

In March 2017, Pakistan began fortifying its porous borders with Afghanistan in response to a wave of lethal strikes by militant groups operating out of that country the year before.

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Nearing completion, the barrier is being constructed along the Durand Line, a 2,640-kilometer frontier. It goes through rocky slopes, valleys with thick forests, and little openings in the rock.

Since they cancelled a truce with the Pakistani government in November 2022, militants have increased the intensity of their attacks.

At least 23 Pakistan Army soldiers were killed and over 30 injured in the bloodiest attack on security forces of the previous year, which occurred on December 12 when militants from Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan invaded a military installation in the Daraban region of Dera Ismail Khan.

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The ministry added that the issuing of smart identity cards resulted in the expansion and updating of data pertaining to 1.45 million registered refugees. The cards are compatible with the local systems and contain basic information, including biometric data, the statement stated.

It claimed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was aggressively monitoring cyberspace and was breaking up the communication networks to stop online extremism.

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(With agency inputs)
The JUI-F has responded angrily to the police advise, and its spokesperson, Aslam Ghori, stated that it appears that the district administration and police are primarily responsible for issuing notices and advisories

Maulana Asad Mahmood, the son of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman, was advised to limit his movement after the Dera Ismail Khan police in Pakistan alerted him to the possibility of a terrorist assault.

According to the report, Saleem Khan, the sub-division police officer (SDPO), advised Maulana Asad Mahmood, the former federal minister for communications, that he was under threat from terrorists who could attack him at home or while abroad.

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Under these circumstances, avoid unnecessary travel and appearances at gatherings, while keep your movements secret and keep them under limitations, said the advisory.

It stated that in order to avoid any untoward incident, Maulana Asad should not only maintain his security on high alert, but he should also notify security services of his movements.

The Dera Ismail Khan district police officer has received a copy of the directive.

The JUI-F has responded angrily to the police advise, and its spokesperson, Aslam Ghori, stated that it appears that the district administration and police are primarily responsible for issuing notices and advisories.

At a press conference last week, JUI-F head Maulana Fazalur Rehman stated that political parties were receiving warnings from district administrations about a potentially deadly security scenario.

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He had threatened to hold the chief election commissioner and chief justice accountable if a terror attack injured any JUI-F employees during the electoral process. His convoy was attacked in Dera Ismail Khan two days later, although no casualties were reported.

According to a Sunday story from Geo News, on December 31, a convoy led by JUI-F president Maulana Fazlur Rehman was attacked in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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The partys spokesperson, Mufti Abrar, stated that gunfire was directed against the veteran politicians convoy near Yarik junction from numerous directions.

(With agency inputs)
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has not issued a signed statement, despite the fact that Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski had given a note assuring the farmers that their requests will be fulfilled

Polish farmers claim they have not received a signed guarantee from the prime minister that their requests would be fulfilled, thus they will restart their blockage at the Medyka border crossing with Ukraine on Thursday.

The Polish farmers protest, which aims to obtain government subsidies for maize and prevent tax hikes, was put on hold on December 24, according to state-run news agency PAP.

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However, starting November 6, Polish truck drivers have persisted in blocking a number of border crossings with Ukraine in order to pressure the European Union (EU) to bring back a system that necessitates Ukrainian businesses obtaining permits in order to operate within the bloc. The same holds true for trucks from Europe who want to enter Ukraine.

We have not received written confirmation that our demands will be met, so we are continuing the protest, farmers leader Roman Kondrow told PAP.

According to Kondrow, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has not issued a signed statement, despite the fact that Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski had given a note assuring the farmers that their requests will be fulfilled.

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He further stated that they would only permit one truck to cross the crossing each hour.

In December, Tusk expressed his belief that Poland was on the verge of ending the truckers protest.

(With agency inputs)
Saleh al-Aruri was believed to have played a major role in the 7 October attacks; shortly before the attacks, he had met with Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, to discuss strategies

Having stopped just short of confirming that it took out Hamas second-in-command and the right hand man of Ismail Haniyeh, Saleh al-Aruri, in a surgical strike in Beirut along with his bodyguards, the Israel Defense Forces Wednesday said it was highly prepared for any scenario.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari posted on X: The IDF is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario. The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas.

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The IDF is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario. The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas. - Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, IDF Spokesperson pic.twitter.com/3D6ImrjymE  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 2, 2024

In the aftermath of the attack, it has widely been assumed that the Hamas-Israel conflict could spin into a larger confrontation since the high-profile assassination has shocked Lebanon. Beirut has strongly condemned the attack even as the Israeli side has maintained the airstrike was not an attack on Lebanon nor on Hezbollah.

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Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati said Israel aims to draw Lebanon further into the war.

Whoever did this has a gripe with Hamas is what the IDF has maintained so far.

Aruri was killed Tuesday in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut.

The strike targeted an apartment in a building in a Shia district of Beirut that is a Hezbollah stronghold, killing Aruri and six others. Hamas confirmed the death of al-Arouri, with Hamas media outlet Al Aqsa TV reporting that al-Arouri was martyred in a treacherous Zionist airstrike in Beirut.

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The Palestinian militant group also called the incident a cowardly assassination by Israel, adding that attacks on Palestinians inside and outside Palestine will not succeed in breaking the will and steadfastness of our people, or undermining the continuation of their valiant resistance.

al-Aruris rapsheet

He joined Hamas soon after its foundation in the immediate aftermath of the first intifada and helped create Hamas military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassem brigades.

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In 1992, he was jailed by Israel and spent almost 18 years behind bars.

In 2014, al-Arouri was accused by Israel of planning the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. At the time, al-Arouri had called the act a heroic operation by the Qassam Brigades. In the same year, Israel also accused the 57-year-old Hamas leader of planning to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority.

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In 2015, the US designated him as a global terrorist, offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

Hes also been believed to have played a major role in the 7 October attacks; shortly before the attacks, he had met with Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, to discuss strategies.
The EU had already banned the import, purchase or transfer of Russian non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewellery from Jan. 1. The measure applies to diamonds originating in Russia, exported from Russia, transiting through Russia.

The European Union (EU) imposed sanctions against Russias state-run Alrosa, a company responsible for approximately 90 per cent of Russias diamond production and its CEO on Wednesday. This action is part of the EUs ban on importing precious stones from Russia in response to the conflict in Ukraine.

In December, the EU had already decided to prohibit diamonds exported from Russia, intensifying sanctions to economically pressure the Kremlin. The EU headquarters stated that Alrosa constitutes an important part of an economic sector that is providing substantial revenue to Moscow.

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It means Alrosas assets in Europe will be frozen and EU citizens and companies will be barred from making funds available to the company. Marinychev, who was appointed CEO last May for three years, also faces a travel ban in Europe.

The EU had already banned the import, purchase or transfer of Russian non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewellery from Jan. 1. The measure applies to diamonds originating in Russia, exported from Russia, transiting through Russia and Russian diamonds processed elsewhere.

The European Council confirmed the EUs unwavering commitment to continue to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes, it said.

The 27-nation bloc has now imposed sanctions on almost 1,950 people and entities, which are often companies, banks or government agencies, over what it says are actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

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With inputs from AP.
Tuesdays low was minus 41.6 C (minus 42.8 F) in Nikkaluokta, a village in northern Sweden home to indigenous Sami people. Lapland, which reaches from northern parts of Norway through Sweden, Finland, and Russia, is where the village is located

For the second day in a row, temperatures in the Nordic region dropped below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday. It was the coldest January temperature recorded in Sweden in 25 years.

According to Swedens TT news agency, the temperature in Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka in Swedish Lapland dropped to minus 43.6 C (minus 46.5 F), the lowest it has been in the nation since 1999.

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Tuesdays low was minus 41.6 C (minus 42.8 F) in Nikkaluokta, a village in northern Sweden home to indigenous Sami people. Lapland, which reaches from northern parts of Norway through Sweden, Finland, and Russia, is where the village is located.

Ida Dahlstrom of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute said northern Sweden had overnight temperatures of minus 2535 C (minus 13-31 F) and the cold seems to stay there for the rest of the week, TT reported.

The coldest Swedish temperature in January  minus 49 C (minus 56 F)  was recorded on Jan 27, 1999, in the town of Karesuando near the Finnish border.

The weather - cold with snow and gale-force winds  disrupted transportation throughout the Nordic region, with several bridges closed and some train and ferry services suspended. Several schools in Scandinavia were closed.

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In Finland, the weather is forecast to remain cold across the nation with temperatures down to minus 35 C (minus 31 F) in the north, at least until Sunday.

Police across most of Denmark urged motorists on Wednesday to avoid unnecessary trips as wind and snow battered the northern and western parts of the country.

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The Danish Meteorological Institute said there was a risk of snowy and icy roads in large parts of the country and issued an orange warning - its second highest  for strong rains in the south, which is battling flooding.

Further south, parts of Germany  where the weather has been mild and wet  were also grappling with flooding, which could be aggravated by new rain in the worst-affected northwestern state of Lower Saxony.

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Police near the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven said strong winds may have played a role in the death of a 75-year-old man who fell off his bicycle late Tuesday as high winds lashed much of the Netherlands.

(With inputs from The Associated Press)
The suspect was detained by police immediately after the attack. Police said he told investigators he attempted to kill Lee and that he had plotted his attack alone, but his motive is unknown

South Korean police conducted a raid on the home and workplace of a man who had stabbed opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in the neck, sending him to the hospitals critical care unit.

After touring the possible location of a new airport in the southeast city of Busan on Tuesday, Lee was ambushed while navigating a crowd of reporters. The assailant approached Lee in the guise of a supporter and requested an autograph before grabbing an 18-centimeter (7-inch) knife and attacking him.

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Lee was flown by helicopter to the Seoul National University Hospital for surgery following emergency care in Busan. Cho Jeong-sik, the partys secretary general, said Wednesday the two-hour surgery was successful and that Lee remained in the hospitals intensive care unit for recovery. Police and emergency officials earlier said Lee was conscious after the attack and wasnt in critical condition.

The suspect was detained by police immediately after the attack. Police said he told investigators he attempted to kill Lee and that he had plotted his attack alone, but his motive is unknown.

Busan police said they sent officers to search the suspects residence and office in the central city of Asan on Wednesday as part of their investigation. Police said they plan to ask for a formal arrest warrant for the suspect over alleged attempted murder.

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Police disclosed few further details about the suspect except that he was aged about 67 and bought the climbing knife online. Police refused to disclose what kind of office he has in Asan, but local media photos showed officers searching a real estate office.

Lee, 59, is a tough-speaking liberal who lost the 2022 presidential election to President Yoon Suk Yeol by 0.7 percentage points, the narrowest margin recorded in a South Korean presidential election. Their closely fought presidential race and post-election bickering between their allies have deepened South Koreas already-toxic conservative-liberal divide.

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Recent public surveys have put Lee as one of the two leading early favorites for the next presidential election in 2027, along with Yoons popular former justice minister, Han Dong-hoon. Yoon is by law barred from seeking reelection.

In a New Year meeting involving top officials, politicians and general citizens on Wednesday, Yoon repeated his wish for Lees quick recovery. He also condemned the assault on Lee as a terrorist attack that is an enemy to all of us and an enemy to liberal democracy, according to his office. Lee was supposed to attend that meeting.

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Lee has been a vocal critic of Yoon. Last year, he launched a 24-day hunger strike to protest Yoons major policies, including what he called Yoons refusal to firmly oppose Japans release of treated radioactive wastewater from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power.

Lee has been grappling with a prolonged prosecutors investigation over a range of corruption allegations. Lee has denied legal wrongdoing and accused Yoons government of pursuing a political vendetta.

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(with inputs from The Associated Press)
Investigators had examined the fuselages of both Japan Airlines flight and the Coast Guard plane, as well as their scattered debris and now they will attempt to retrieve data from the recovered device

Investigation for finding the actual cause of collision between Japan Airlines Flight 516 and a coast guard jet at Tokyos Haneda Airport has been picking up pace. However, there have been discrepancies between the accounts given by an air traffic controller and the captain of a Japan coast Guard plane.

NHK in a report quoted a transport ministry source saying air traffic controller cleared the Japan Airlines plane to land on runway C, and instructed the coast guard aircraft to stay short of it, but a source from the Coast Guard said its pilot had received the green light to take off.

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More details would come to fore following the recovery of the black box.

NHK said an investigator with the Japan Transport Safety Board confirmed officials have recovered the black box of the Japan Coast Guard plane, while that of the JAL plane is yet to be found.

Investigators had examined the fuselages of both aircrafts as well as their scattered debris and now they will attempt to retrieve data from the recovered device.

Investigators had found signs of impact on the fuselage of each aircraft, but they could not yet confirm whether it was due to the two planes colliding.

Five of the six people aboard the Japan Coast Guard plane were killed, while the captain sustained serious injuries. The aircraft, carrying emergency goods for disaster-hit areas from Mondays earthquake, was preparing to fly to Niigata Prefecture from Haneda airport.

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Meanwhile, all 379 on board JAL escaped via evacuation slides. Fourteen of them have seen doctors for bruises or other conditions.

The JAL Airbus A350, coming from New Chitose Airport in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, collided with the Coast Guard aircraft around 6 pm (local time) on Tuesday.
Kuleba said that the two leaders discussed India-Ukraine relations and also agreed to hold the first meeting of the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission since 2018 in the near future

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday said that he held a telephonic conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on bilateral relations and also discussed further cooperation on the Ukraine-Russia peace formula amid the ongoing war.

My first call in 2024 was with @DrSJaishankar on Ukrainian-Indian relations.



I informed my counterpart of Russia's recent escalation of terror and mass air attacks, which caused civilian suffering and destruction.



We discussed further cooperation on the Peace Formula. In this  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) January 3, 2024

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Taking to X, Kuleba said, My first call in 2024 was with @DrSJaishankar on Ukrainian-Indian relations. I informed my counterpart of Russias recent escalation of terror and mass air attacks, which caused civilian suffering and destruction. We discussed further cooperation on the Peace Formula. In this regard, I informed my counterpart of Ukraines vision for the Global Peace Summit of leaders."

He said that the two leaders agreed to hold the first meeting of the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission since 2018 in the near future.

The rejuvenation of this primary mechanism of our bilateral ties will allow us to jointly move forward in a comprehensive manner, added Kuleba.

New Delhi has not been as critical of Moscow as others for its invasion of Ukraine and has even ramped up its buying of Russian oil - the lifeblood of its economy - while others have sought to buy less or ban it.

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India has sought a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year that now is not an era of war.

India has also boosted its purchases of Russian oil, taking advantage of the deep discounts following a European ban on Russian oil imports.

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Russia, like the Soviet Union before it, has been Indias main source of arms and defence equipment for decades and it has now displaced Iraq as Indias top crude supplier as well.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a record 90 drones in New Years Eve attacks on Ukraine that killed several people and left dozens injured.

Most of the drones involved were downed by its air defences, Ukraine said on Monday. The attacks came just days after Moscows deadliest strikes on Ukrainian cities in almost two years of war.

Air strikes continued into New Years Day, with Kyiv saying its air defences had intercepted a drone attack on the Ukrainian capital and a missile targeting the central city of Dnipro. Officials said at least two people were killed after a drone hit an apartment building in the northeastern Sumy region.

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The mounting attacks and casualties come as both sides settle in for a protracted war after Russias full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, failed to achieve its aims despite the killing or wounding of hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians.

With inputs from agencies
Russia describes Ukrainians as terrorists who indiscriminately target residential areas while insisting Moscow only aims at depots, arms factories and other military facilities.

Russia intercepted and shot down 12 missiles on Wednesday, fired at one of its southern regions bordering Ukraine as Kyivs forces attempt to undermine the Kremlin and challenge President Vladimir Putins narrative that life continues as usual despite the 22-month-long war.

The border city of Belgorod faced two rounds of shelling on Wednesday morning, leading to a tense situation, according to regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, who shared updates on the situation via Telegram.

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Air defence systems worked, he said, promising more details about possible damage after inspecting the area later in the day, part of a New Years holiday week in Russia.

Ukraine fired two Tochka-U missiles and seven rockets at the region late Tuesday, followed by six Tochka-U missiles and six Vilkha rockets on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Soviet-built Tochka-U missile system has a range of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) and a warhead that can carry cluster munitions. Ukraine has received some cluster munitions from the United States but the Tochka-U and Vilkha can use their own cluster munitions.

The Russian side of the frontier has come under increasingly frequent attack in recent days. Throughout the war, border villages have sporadically been targeted by Ukrainian artillery fire, rockets, mortar shells and drones launched from thick forests where they are hard to detect.

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Lately, as Russia fired missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities, Kyivs troops have aimed at Belgorods regional capital, which is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city.

Belgorod, with a population of about 340,000, is the biggest Russian city near the border. It can be reached by relatively simple and movable weapons such as multiple rocket launchers.

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On Saturday, the shelling of Belgorod killed 25 people, including five children, in one of the deadliest strikes on Russian soil since Moscows full-scale invasion. Another civilian was killed Tuesday in a new salvo.

Hitting Belgorod and disrupting city life is a dramatic way for Ukraine to show it can strike back against Russia, whose military outnumbers and outguns Kyivs forces.

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The tactic appeared to be having some success, with signs the attacks are unsettling the public, political leaders and military observers.

On Monday, Putin lashed out against the Belgorod attacks by Ukraine. They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty within our country, he said, promising to step up retaliation.

Answering a question from a soldier who asked him about civilian casualties in Belgorod, Putin said: I also feel a simmering anger.

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Many Russian military bloggers have expressed regret about Moscows withdrawal from the border area in September 2022 amid a swift counteroffensive by Kyiv, and they have argued that more territory must be seized to secure Belgorod and other border areas.

Russia describes Ukrainians as terrorists who indiscriminately target residential areas while insisting Moscow only aims at depots, arms factories and other military facilities.

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Ukrainian officials rarely acknowledge responsibility for strikes on Russian territory.

In another Russian border region on Wednesday, the city of Zeleznogorsk was briefly cut off from the power grid after Ukrainian shelling, local officials said.

Authorities were forced to temporarily shut down an electricity substation in the city of 100,000 people in the Kursk region to repair the damage from an aerial attack, Kursk Gov. Roman Starovoit said on Telegram.

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Residents were without power or heat, he said, although electricity was restored in most of the city about two hours later, he said.

With inputs from AP.
Spokesperson Andriy Yusov stated that these individuals live without independent lives, undergoing constant training and even surgeries to maintain a consistent appearance

Ukrainian military intelligence has reiterated claims that Vladimir Putin employs at least three body doubles, kept under strict surveillance by Russian secret services.

Spokesperson Andriy Yusov stated that these individuals live without independent lives, undergoing constant training and even surgeries to maintain a consistent appearance. Recent allegations suggesting an AI may have delivered Putins New Year address have fueled speculation.

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Yusov asserted, This information is confirmed by many sources, emphasizing that the use of body doubles is not merely news but an established reality. He referenced ongoing practices by Putins entourage and those influencing the Kremlin. Lt-Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, previously claimed the real Putin had not been seen since June 2022.

Yusov disclosed knowledge of at least three doppelgangers, emphasizing their strict control and constant surveillance by Russian secret services. He debunked the notion that these lookalikes cohabitate, highlighting their isolated existence.

The spokesperson hinted at the potential fate of these doubles, suggesting they might be disposed of once their role is fulfilled to prevent them from revealing their true identities. He noted that fear and blackmail likely kept them obedient, raising concerns about their future when no longer needed.

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In response to questions about a possible doppelganger revolt, Yusov clarified that while not acting independently, these individuals could be manipulated by those with information about them.

Political analyst Valery Solovey added to the speculation, presenting video and pictures comparing Putins New Year addresses in 2022 and 2024, claiming significant differences in appearance and voice.
Smotrich stated to members of his party and the Knesset on Sunday that encouraging the voluntary migration of Gazas residents to countries that will take in the refugees is the correct solution to the ongoing violence in Gaza

On Tuesday, the US denounced as inflammatory and irresponsible recent statements made by Israeli far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in support of the relocation of Palestinians outside of Gaza. The ministers remarks highlighted Arab concerns that Israel plans to evict Palestinians from the territory on which they hope to establish a future state.

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One of the key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition and Israels finance minister, Smotrich, demanded on Sunday that Gazas Palestinian citizens evacuate the beleaguered area. Furthermore, according to Ben-Gvir, the Gaza conflict offered a opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza.

We cannot withdraw from any territory we are in in the Gaza Strip. Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing, Ben-Gvir told the media.

The comments by the Israeli minister were denounced by US officials.

This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible. We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately, US State Department Matthew Miller said in a statement.

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We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel. That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world, the statement added.

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The remarks have raised fears that what happened to the Palestinian people when Israel was established in 1948 would happen again. Calling Netanyahus far-right coalition the most conservative in the nations history, US President Joe Biden has publicly attacked the Israeli prime minister and advised that he form a new administration.

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Israels National Security Advisor, Ben-Gvir, stated that Israel was not another star in the American flag and rejected the US criticism of his remarks.

I really admire the United States of America but with all due respect, we are not another star in the American flag, he said.

The United States is our best friend but before everything else, we will do what is good for the State of Israel: The emigration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow residents to return home and live in security and protect IDF soldiers, he added.

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A year ago, the hard-right Religious Zionism Party led by Smotrich garnered support from Israels settler community, enabling Netanyahu to obtain the necessary majority to become prime minister for the sixth time. The uncompromising viewpoints of Ben-Gvirs party, which have favoured the growth of Israeli settlements, are likewise well-known.

Smotrich stated to members of his party and the Knesset on Sunday that encouraging the voluntary migration of Gazas residents to countries that will take in the refugees is the correct solution to the ongoing violence in Gaza. In addition, opposition leader MK Avigdor Liberman called for Israel to reclaim southern Lebanon following Hezbollahs cross-border attacks.

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Following Hamas October 7 onslaught, in which over 2,500 terrorists crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking captives, the situation in Gaza worsened. Over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed and most of Gazas 2.3 million residents have been forced to flee their homes as a result of Israels brutal reaction through bombings and ground operations.

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(With inputs from agencies)
VinFast in October said it would build assembly factories in India and Indonesia, with each of them having a capacity of up to 50,000 cars per year and capital expenditure of up to $200 million initially. It added production will commence in 2026.

VinFast, the Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer, is all set to open its first manufacturing facility in India, focusing on the production of EV batteries, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding that this facility will be located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The company will make batteries for EVs at the plant in the city of Thoothukudi, one of the people said, adding that this was separate from its previously announced plans to assemble vehicles shipped in parts from Vietnam.

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According to sources, the companys objective is to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) at this plant, distinct from its previous declaration regarding the assembly of vehicles using parts shipped from Vietnam. While VinFast has not provided an official statement, an announcement regarding the new plant is anticipated in the coming days.

VinFast said in a statement on Wednesday that it would reveal details of its plans at an appropriate time.

A spokesperson for the Tamil Nadu government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several VinFast officials have visited Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu to check out sites, a fourth source, a senior official directly involved in the matter, said on Tuesday.

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Reuters reported in September VinFast had begun hiring for sales, legal and back office jobs in India, seeking recruits who dare to think, dare to do, and dare to face difficulties.

It is not immediately clear what the size of the investment is or when a VinFast factory will become operational in Tamil Nadu.

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VinFast in October said it would build assembly factories in India and Indonesia, with each of them having a capacity of up to 50,000 cars per year and capital expenditure of up to $200 million initially. It added production will commence in 2026.

Separately, Green SM, EV taxi operator, mostly owned by VinFasts founder, also plans to establish in India, the worlds third-largest automotive market, VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy told Reuters in October.

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VinFast is also open to bringing both e-scooters and e-cars to India, the first source said.

Tamil Nadus capital city Chennai, dubbed the Detroit of Asia, and other districts already are host to several EV players including Indian two-wheeler makers Ola Electric and Ather as well as Chinas BYD.

With inputs from Reuters.
Israel withdrew the last of its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, and while the government has no official plans to evict Gazans or return Jewish settlers, the question of what happens to the Palestinian Territory once the war ends remains up in the air

With Israels war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip raging on, the countrys far-right politicians are stepping up their calls for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza and for the strips 2.4 million Palestinians to be encouraged to emigrate.

Israel withdrew the last of its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, and while the government has no official plans to evict Gazans or return Jewish settlers, the question of what happens to the Palestinian Territory once the war ends remains up in the air.

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VIDEO: Far-right calls for Israel to resettle Gaza after Hamas war.



As Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip rages on, the country's far-right politicians are stepping up their calls for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza and for the strip's 2.4 million Palestinians to be pic.twitter.com/20zX4QBV59  AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 3, 2024

Israeli forces, meanwhile, intensified their bombing of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and told civilians to leave a refugee camp in the north of the Palestinian enclave after the war stretched into Lebanon with the killing in Beirut of the Hamas deputy leader. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it killed Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday.

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Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians. But the total recorded Palestinian death toll has now reached 22,185, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The war was triggered by a cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 hostages taken back to Gaza.

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Since then Israeli bombardments have laid waste to much of the enclave. Its 2.3 million residents are engulfed in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute, crammed into shrinking areas in the hope they are safe and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.
As per the transcript, barely four minutes before the collision, ATC had instructed the JAL flight to continue its approach to the runway

The air traffic control did not clear a Japan Cost Guard plane to enter the runway and it was asked to wait for the permission, transcript released of communication between ATC and two aircraft involved in fatal collision on 2 January, 2024 at Tokyos Haneda Airport revealed.

Day after the mishap, Japans transport ministry on Wednesday released the transcript between air traffic control (ATC) and both aircrafts - Japan Airlines Flight 516 and the coast guard jet that collided, killing five dead and leaving its pilot seriously injured.

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The JAL passenger flight with 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board collided with the coast guard plane around 6 pm (local time) on Tuesday soon after it landed Haneda Airport. As many as 15 passengers sought medical treatment.

Both the aircrafts bursts into flames after collision. Of the six on board the coast guard plane five have died and only the pilot is alive.

Also Read: Tokyo Airport Collision: Did air traffic control give green signal to both JAL jet and coast guard plane?

Meanwhile, all the passengers and crew of the JAL Airbus350 evacuated the aircraft within 18 minutes after the mishap.

As per the transcript made public on Wednesday evening, at 5:43 pm (local time) on Tuesday, barely four minutes before the collision, ATC had instructed the JAL flight to continue its approach to the runway. Also, the passenger plane was informed that there would be a departing plane at the time.

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At 5:45 pm, ATC cleared the JAL plane to land on the runway.

Barely after 10 seconds, ATC had instructed the coast guard plane to proceed to a holding point on a taxiway to the runway. The pilot on the coast guard plane repeated the instruction.

As per the released transcript, from this communication up until the collision, ATC did not permit the coast guard plane to enter the runway.

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However, the version provided by the Japan Coast Guard jet was completely different. It said the pilot of the coast guard plane said he entered the runway after receiving permission to do so.

Earlier on Wednesday, a team of six inspectors from the Japan Transport Safety Board began its on-site investigation and retrieved voice recorders of the flight and the coast guard plane.

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The team is expected to interview people, including the pilots of the JAL and coast guard aircraft, to identify the actual cause of the collision.

With inputs from NHK Japan
A NYT report cited an American intelligence official claiming that the US continued to believe that Al-Shifa hospital was used by Hamas as command and control centre and for storing arms and ammunition for terror activities

Israel has gunned for the World Health Organisation for apparently going soft on Hamas, a government spokesperson Wednesday cited US media reports to embarrass the global body.

Israel accused WHO of hoodwinking Hamas use of establishments such as the Al Shifa hospital as its command and control centre.

And the WHO still says nothing. Silence tells terrorists: keep going. Use hospitals as military bases. Well turn a blind eye and claim your bases immune to military attack under international law. And when you tell terrorist to keep going, you have blood on your hands, Israel government spokesperson Eylon Levy posted in X.

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And the @WHO still says nothing.



Silence tells terrorists: keep going. Use hospitals as military bases. Well turn a blind eye and claim your bases immune to military attack under international law. And when you tell terrorist to keep going, you have blood on your hands. pic.twitter.com/O6IDmw6ayB  Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) January 3, 2024

The attack on WHO came in the wake of a report of the New York Times, wherein the publication cited an American intelligence official who claimed that the US continued to believe that the hospital was used by Hamas as command and control centre and for storing arms and ammunition for terror activities.

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US spy agencies believe that Hamas and another Palestinian group fighting Israel used Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza to command forces and hold some hostages, according to new American intelligence declassified on Tuesday, NYT carried Tuesday.

The report added: A senior US intelligence official said on Tuesday that the American government continued to believe that Hamas used the hospital complex and sites beneath it to exercise command and control activities, store weapons and hold at least a few hostages.

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The Al-Shifa hospital was a focal point of the IDF campaign against Hamas. The sanitisation of the hospital, which Hamas and several global outlets kept claiming was an act of terrorism of Israel that chose to attack a civilian establishment, was kept a high priority by Israel.

The IDF in the process of cleansing the hospital released several videos detailing how the hospital was used for military stores in the tunnels that ran underneath.
realme has announced a new Make it real. tag line, a change from its Dare to Leap tag line. In an open letter, Sky Li, Founder and CEO of realme, emphasized that this year will redefine realmes brand standards.

The letter highlights realmes new mission, brand positioning, and spirit. Transitioning from an opportunity-oriented to a brand-oriented approach, realme is shifting its focus towards becoming a tech brand that resonates with young users.

Building on five years of success, realme said that it is broadening its scope rather than changing direction. Leveraging its deep understanding of young users and steering the companys development, realme is transitioning its strategy from trendy-based to a more inclusive and expansive one. This will steer its long-term investment and growth, enabling the brand to enhance its connection with a larger number of young users across various markets and global regions.

As such, realmes mission is to more concisely capture its future development aspirations: To let young users around the world enjoy tech experiences that exceed expectations. With increased focus and ambition, realme is poised to explore new possibilities and make breakthroughs.

realme said that it consistently places the youth at its core and adheres to a user-centric approach, driving its competitiveness in three areas: product, technology, and brand strengths. This ideology will guide realme towards achieving long-term, high-quality growth.

By planning to partner with over 30 leading tech companies and investing heavily in R&D in 2024, realme said that it is committed to bringing the latest technology to its users. The brand aims to refine its customer insight process for a more dynamic experience. Focusing on the younger generation, realme will integrate user insights into ongoing brand and product development, creating a fluid and multidimensional brand experience.

As it moves into the next five years, realme pledges to stay true to its original intentions and grow alongside young people, aiming to be a tech brand that better understands their needs and aspirations to make it real.

Even though the company was expected to introduce its next realme 12 / 12 Pro series today, the images of the phones have surfaced on MIIT / TENAA in China.

This shows the phones with the model numbers RMX3841, RMX3843, RMX3866 which should be realme 12 Pro and realme 12 Pro+, and the company is also said to launch the realme 12 later.

This shows a familiar cuved design as the realme 11 Pro series with a matrix rear camera arrangement, leather back and a lace-like strip that encircles its camera module and runs straight down to the bottom.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station, the realme 12 Pro will get a 32MP Sony IMX709 32MP 2X telephoto lens, and the 12 Pro+ will get an Omnivision OV64B 64MP 3X periscope telephoto lens. To remind you, the OnePlus 12 and the iQOO 12 use the same periscope telephoto lens.

This coincides with the companys teasers, which hinted at a periscope camera in its next phones.

We should know more details and the official launch date for the realme 12 Pro series in the coming days.
Motorola Mobility India has announced that it has appointed T M Narasimhan as the Managing Director for Mobile Business Group  India. He will report to Prashanth Mani, Executive Director  Motorola Asia Pacific, said the company.

Before joining motorola, T M Narasimhan has held various senior roles in FMCG and consumer tech organizations like PepsiCo, Britannia and Samsung.

This news comes ahead of motorolas next moto g34 5G smartphone, which will launch in the country on January 9th. The company recently celebrated 10th anniversary of moto g family with over 200 million units sold worldwide since the launch of its first moto g phone back in november 2013.

Commenting on the new appointment, Prashanth Mani, Executive Director  Motorola Asia Pacific, said:

As we continue our growth story in India, we are excited to welcome T M Narasimhan on board. India is a focus market for us in Asia pacific and has been seeing exponential growth over the past few years. We are confident that Narasimhan will play a pivotal role in leading the India team & elevating the business to even greater success.

Sharing his excitement, T M Narasimhan, Managing Director, Mobile Business Group  India said:

I am excited to be a part of the Motorola family and look forward to contributing to the brands growth journey in India. Motorola has been a pioneer in innovation and has been disrupting the smartphone market in India with its exceptional product strategy, innovative business model and brand prowess. I look forward to building upon the solid foundation that has been laid and taking the India business to new heights while consistently delivering on consumer experience and satisfaction.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024.
Nigerians Share Awful Experience During Visit To Moroco, Urge Blacks To Avoid The Country

felicilin at 3-01-2024 09:08 AM (2 months ago) (f)

Nigerians who had terrible experiences during a visit to Morocco in Africa have taken to X to detail their experience while warning others who are dark skinned.

Nigerians who had terrible experiences during a visit to Morocco in Africa have taken to X to detail their experience while warning others who are dark skinned.

An X user took to the social media platform on Tuesday to write: If you are black African, avoid Morocco as a travel destination, e get why.



Her tweet got lots of engagement and many users began sharing their experiences.



One Nigerian woman revealed that she was moved to tears when she got into a pool in Morocco and everyone inside the pool ran out and refused to get back in until she left the pool.



Agreeing with the initial tweet, she added: Especially if youre a black African woman. If youre now a dark skinned black African woman Please just dont.



Read the tweets below.

An X user took to the social media platform on Tuesday to write:Her tweet got lots of engagement and many users began sharing their experiences.One Nigerian woman revealed that she was moved to tears when she got into a pool in Morocco and everyone inside the pool ran out and refused to get back in until she left the pool.Agreeing with the initial tweet, she added:Read the tweets below.

Post Reply Posted: at 3-01-2024 09:08 AM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero

fineboy77 at 3-01-2024 09:31 AM (2 months ago)

(m) It will continue until we make the right choices at the polls and insist on it. Not allowing a few old men, wearing torn wigs to deny the people their choice. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 3-01-2024 09:31 AM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero It will continue until we make the right choices at the polls and insist on it. Not allowing a few old men, wearing torn wigs to deny the people their choice. Reply

smart61 at 3-01-2024 09:57 AM (2 months ago)

(m) Quote from: fineboy77 on 3-01-2024 09:31 AM It will continue until we make the right choices at the polls and insist on it. Not allowing a few old men, wearing torn wigs to deny the people their choice.

.. What you commented has nothing to do with the above. Bad leadership in Nigeria doesnt mean that any African country should be hostile towards foreigners. Not only in Morocco but also in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Botswana, Posted: at 3-01-2024 09:57 AM (2 months ago) | Gistmaniac .. What you commented has nothing to do with the above. Bad leadership in Nigeria doesnt mean that any African country should be hostile towards foreigners. Not only in Morocco but also in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Botswana, Reply

fineboy77 at 3-01-2024 10:22 AM (2 months ago)

(m) Quote from: smart61 on 3-01-2024 09:57 AM .. What you commented has nothing to do with the above. Bad leadership in Nigeria doesnt mean that any African country should be hostile towards foreigners. Not only in Morocco but also in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, Botswana,

I dont know your age, but it seems that you are still young and could not put 2 and 2 together. Now listen, when your country has good leadership, there will be good amenities, ample opportunities, less poverty, more riches, good tourist destinations, less people travelling out, more people visiting, international respect and less racist assaults. Believe me, half of those that left the pool would remain if they have a hint that those blacks are Americans. The more often you see people, the lesser your value of them becomes. If Nigerians are not in their droves in all these countries, the good, the bad and the ugly of them, they would be respected. They know our story, they know that we have absolutely nothing but rich politicians. That is why they will insult and humiliate us. How often do you see ordinary Norwegians except their expatriates, outside Norway? When Gadafi was alive and even now, did you ever meet any Libyan in your travels? How then can you insult people you rarely see? Nigeria has a lot more than those countries and others not mentioned, to give her citizens better lives than the one we have now, and if that was done, we would not be in our millions even in Burkina Faso, taking all sorts of insult. They should have been the ones enjoying good life in our country, and when they see us once in a while in theirs, they will give maximum respect. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 3-01-2024 10:22 AM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero I dont know your age, but it seems that you are still young and could not put 2 and 2 together. Now listen, when your country has good leadership, there will be good amenities, ample opportunities, less poverty, more riches, good tourist destinations, less people travelling out, more people visiting, international respect and less racist assaults. Believe me, half of those that left the pool would remain if they have a hint that those blacks are Americans. The more often you see people, the lesser your value of them becomes. If Nigerians are not in their droves in all these countries, the good, the bad and the ugly of them, they would be respected. They know our story, they know that we have absolutely nothing but rich politicians. That is why they will insult and humiliate us. How often do you see ordinary Norwegians except their expatriates, outside Norway? When Gadafi was alive and even now, did you ever meet any Libyan in your travels? How then can you insult people you rarely see? Nigeria has a lot more than those countries and others not mentioned, to give her citizens better lives than the one we have now, and if that was done, we would not be in our millions even in Burkina Faso, taking all sorts of insult. They should have been the ones enjoying good life in our country, and when they see us once in a while in theirs, they will give maximum respect. Reply

gogoman at 3-01-2024 12:10 PM (2 months ago)

(m) you went to someone country and all u are doing is using the public pool is it for u!!! are u a member of the country? did they tell u they have ur kind? find u were there as a tourist! why don't u stay on the tourist side and use the hotel pool? all these black girls are evil!! they are the ones that will cause trouble and call their brother to go do the fight and that one will end up in jail or die!! abeg move!!! Posted: at 3-01-2024 12:10 PM (2 months ago) | Grande Master you went to someone country and all u are doing is using the public pool is it for u!!! are u a member of the country? did they tell u they have ur kind? find u were there as a tourist! why don't u stay on the tourist side and use the hotel pool? all these black girls are evil!! they are the ones that will cause trouble and call their brother to go do the fight and that one will end up in jail or die!! abeg move!!! Reply

kp45 at 3-01-2024 01:14 PM (2 months ago)

(m) Hmmm Posted: at 3-01-2024 01:14 PM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero Hmmm Reply

nikiniki at 3-01-2024 07:00 PM (2 months ago)

(f) You are absolutely right @fineboy77 Posted: at 3-01-2024 07:00 PM (2 months ago) | Gistmaniac You are absolutely right @fineboy77 Reply

fineboy77 at 4-01-2024 02:11 AM (2 months ago)

(m) Quote from: nikiniki on 3-01-2024 07:00 PM You are absolutely right @fineboy77

Happy new year Niki. Thanks. What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 4-01-2024 02:11 AM (2 months ago) | Addicted Hero Happy new year Niki. Thanks. Reply

smart61 at 4-01-2024 11:44 AM (2 months ago)

(m) Quote from: fineboy77 on 3-01-2024 10:22 AM I dont know your age, but it seems that you are still young and could not put 2 and 2 together. Now listen, when your country has good leadership, there will be good amenities, ample opportunities, less poverty, more riches, good tourist destinations, less people travelling out, more people visiting, international respect and less racist assaults. Believe me, half of those that left the pool would remain if they have a hint that those blacks are Americans. The more often you see people, the lesser your value of them becomes. If Nigerians are not in their droves in all these countries, the good, the bad and the ugly of them, they would be respected. They know our story, they know that we have absolutely nothing but rich politicians. That is why they will insult and humiliate us. How often do you see ordinary Norwegians except their expatriates, outside Norway? When Gadafi was alive and even now, did you ever meet any Libyan in your travels? How then can you insult people you rarely see? Nigeria has a lot more than those countries and others not mentioned, to give her citizens better lives than the one we have now, and if that was done, we would not be in our millions even in Burkina Faso, taking all sorts of insult. They should have been the ones enjoying good life in our country, and when they see us once in a while in theirs, they will give maximum respect.

Mmmmm. YOU JUDGED CORRECT. Posted: at 4-01-2024 11:44 AM (2 months ago) | Gistmaniac Mmmmm. YOU JUDGED CORRECT. Reply
Community Hospital will host a public open house for the new James Pulsipher Regional Cancer Center and Monument View Medical Plaza on Saturday, January 6 from 10 a.m. to noon.

A ribbon cutting will be held at 10 a.m. with the area Chambers of Commerce in front of the cancer center entrance, located on the west side of Monument View Medical Plaza, adjacent to Community Hospital.

We are extremely proud of this project, said Chris Thomas, President and CEO for Community Hospital. This project is our hospitals commitment to our community and our partners to build a state-of-the-art regional cancer center and continue to develop our cancer treatment program.

Community Hospital broke ground on the nearly 130,000 square foot facility September 2021.

+2 Community Hospital breaks ground on new cancer center and office building More than a dozen shovels plunged into the dirt Wednesday morning at Community Hospital to o

Community Hospital, realized the need for additional space to better support the health care needs of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Monument View Medical Plaza will feature the new regional cancer center but additional service lines as well including cardiology, pulmonology, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, womens health and more, a news release said.

Building the new regional cancer center has been a dream of ours since joining Community Hospital in 2014, said Dr. JoAnne Virgilio, medical oncologist at Community Hospitals Grand Valley Oncology. Our oncology team is extremely humbled by the overwhelming support of our community. To see this project finally come to fruition is very exciting and we look forward to serving cancer patients in the Grand Valley and surrounding areas for many more years to come.
Saturday Night

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to occasional showers later during the night. Low 43F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Apply by Jan. 31, 2024

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds specialty crop growers that assistance is available for producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses to obtain or renew a food safety certification through the Food Safety Cert...
Nashua Our Redeemer Lutheran Church will have their first Indian Taco Supper of the New Year on Monday, Jan. 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

There is a free will donation and Thrivent has provided supplementary funds.

Take outs are available and all are welcome!
How does a $10,000 per month contract sound? That's the reality for one young Montana woman after recently claiming victory in the "Horse Help Train-Off."

Shaylin Barnett was candid when we first spoke about the competition in June. She basically...
Deferred prosecution for 2 men who helped Chinese firms operate in Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

01/02/2024 09:15 PM

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) Two Taiwanese nationals were given three years deferred prosecution for their roles in helping two leading Chinese tech companies operate illegally in the country, according to the Taipei Prosecutors Office.

The two men, surnamed Doong (e) and Chang (a), had admitted wrongdoing and were handed deferred prosecution as part of their settlements reached with prosecutors, according to a court document issued Tuesday.

As part of the agreements, Doong and Chang were handed down penalties of NT$500,000 (US$16,175) and NT$300,000, while the two companies Doong had established in Taiwan -- CXMOS and Tenafe Taiwan Technology, Ltd. -- were ordered to make payments of NT$500,000 and NT$300,000 into national coffers.

Doong served as an assistant manager at Wuhan-based Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd. (YMTC) -- a Chinese semiconductor integrated device manufacturer specializing in flash memory chips -- from 2016 to 2019, according to prosecutors.

In November 2017, under that company's instruction, Doong set up CXMOS in Taiwan, imported chip samples from YMTC, and interviewed people in Taiwan for sales jobs, in a bid to explore business opportunities in Taiwan, prosecutors said.

Doong was also accused of establishing and running Tenafe Taiwan Technology, Ltd. in May 2019, a subsidiary of Tenafe Beijing, which shipped semiconductor components, printed circuit boards, and chips from its headquarters to be used as samples and for testing, as a way to boost the Beijing company's sales in Taiwan.

Chang took over Doong's position at Tenafe Taiwan in June 2021 and subsequently interviewed more than 30 engineers, prosecutors said.

It was found that around NT$500 million from YMTC and Tenafe Beijing had been indirectly channeled into CXMOS and Tenafe Taiwan's bank accounts to boost funds available to them, they added.

Prosecutors said they believed Doong and Chang's actions had breached Article 40-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

The clause says that an enterprise from China or an enterprise it invested in a third area cannot "engage in any business activities in Taiwan" unless it is "permitted by the competent authorities and has established in the Taiwan Area a branch or liaison office."

The penalty cited for violating Article 40-1 is up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to NT$15 million.

(By Flor Wang and Hsieh Hsing-en)

Enditem/kb

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Man indicted for activities on behalf on China-based digital company

ROC Central News Agency

01/02/2024 02:56 PM

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) A Chinese national has been indicted for illegally setting up an office in Taiwan on behalf of a Chinese security camera giant and conducting commercial activities from that office, according to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.

In their indictment handed down Tuesday, prosecutors said the man, identified by his surname Lou (), had been the sales manager for Taiwan for Hangzhou-based Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. since February 2021.

In that role, he set up an office for Hikvision in Taipei's Nangang District without authorization from Taiwan's Investment Review Committee under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and then recruited workers and engaged in sales activities out of that office, according to prosecutors.

Those actions, the prosecutors said, were illegal under Article 40-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

The clause says that an enterprise from China or an enterprise it invested in a third area cannot "engage in any business activities in Taiwan" unless it is "permitted by the competent authorities and has established in the Taiwan Area a branch or liaison office."

The penalty cited in the act for violating Article 40-1 is a prison term of up to three years and/or a fine of up NT$15 million.

Prosecutors also said Lou asked local distributors to delegate their recruiting rights to Hikvision and personally discussed salary issues directly with job applicants for sales positions.

Hikvision has earned notoriety as one of the world's largest manufacturers of video surveillance equipment for civilian and military purposes.

It has been put under sanctions by the American and European governments because of its alleged involvement in human rights violations and abuses in the high-tech surveillance of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.

(By Flor Wang and Ciao Hsieh)

Enditem/ls

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Prime Minister's Office-Mossad: Former Mossad Director Zvi Zamir, 1925-2024

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

02.01.2024

Zvi Zamir, the fourth Director of the Mossad (1968-1974), passed away last night; he was 98.

Zamir, a member of the generation of 1948, served as a commander in the Palmach and the IDF in the War of Independence. After lengthy and significant service in the IDF, in the framework of which he commanded the Givati Brigade, and served as the Head of Southern Command and the IDF AttachA in London, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, in 1968, appointed him Director of the Mossad.

His tenure as Director of the Mossad were characterized by extensive action, while dealing with significant challenges, especially the fight against Palestinian terrorism around the world and the military threat to the State of Israel, which peaked with the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War.

Zamir led a determined and initiative-taking approach in the State of Israel's fight against Palestinian terrorism which was strengthening at that time. Under his command, the Mossad led daring intelligence-gathering and counter-terrorism operations, including operations around the world to strike the leaders of the 'Black September' organization that was responsible for the 1972 murder of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich.

Zamir saw the Mossad as being responsible for gathering intelligence and issuing warnings of war in light of the Egyptian and Syrian military threats to the State of Israel. During his tenure as Director of the Mossad, the organization expanded its clandestine links with countries in the region and recruited many sources, the most prominent among them being 'the Angel' whose investigation Zamir was personally involved in for years, including on the eve of the war and upon receiving the dramatic warning of its outbreak.

During the war, Zamir played a crucial role around the war table, which led to a strengthening of the Mossad's standing in the intelligence and security community and vis-A -vis the political echelon, which continues up to the present.

Under Zamir's command, the Mossad underwent far-reaching changes regarding its staff, operations and technology, which have its activities and the implementation of its missions until the present.

The Mossad family bows its head at the passing of a modest man who was imbued with values and who believed in the personal responsibility of the agency's commanders and employees, in their various professions, as well as in its integrity and striving for contact. He was a model and inspiration of a brave and involved commander with integrity, whose heart and words were in synch, and who was always concerned about the good of the country and its security.

May his memory be blessed.

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Turkish police arrest 33 suspected Mossad spies during raid in eight provinces

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 1:45 PM

The Turkish police have detained 33 people on charges of espionage for Israel's Mossad spy agency, weeks after the Tel Aviv regime threatened to target members of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas living abroad, including in Turkey.

In a post on his X account on Tuesday, Turkish Justice Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that the suspects were arrested during an operation dubbed "Operation Mole" after police raided 57 locations in Istanbul and seven other provinces.

The Turkish minister went on to say that the suspects were believed to be aiming to identify, monitor, assault and kidnap foreign nationals living in Turkey, stressing, "We will never allow espionage activities against the national unity and solidarity of our country."

"During searches carried out during the operation, 143,830 euros, $23,680, various amounts of cash from different countries, a large number of cartridges and digital materials were confiscated," he added.

Yerlikaya further emphasized that Turkey is determined to fight organized crime and foreign intelligence activities.

Another 13 suspects remain at large, according to Anadolu agency.

Turkish police have previously broken up spy networks targeting Palestinians living in the country.

Back in July, Turkish authorities said they had uncovered and disrupted a vast "ghost" Mossad spy network centered in Istanbul, following months of surveillance.

The substantial efforts by Turkey's MIT exposed 56 operatives allegedly spying on non-Turkish citizens in Turkey in the service of Mossad.

Also in May, Turkish media outlets reported that local authorities had managed to arrest 11 people suspected of being part of a Mossad-led network.

Turkey also broke Mossad-aligned spy rings in 2021 and 2022.

The latest arrests came a month after Israel's Kan news network aired a recording in which Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's internal spy agency - known as Shin Bet - said Tel Aviv was determined to kill Hamas leaders "in every location" around the world.

"In Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everyone," Bar added in the recordings. "It will take a few years, but we will be there in order to do it."

At the time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Israel of a "heavy price" if the Tel Aviv regime carries out its plot to target members of Hamas on Turkish soil.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long suppression and devastation against Palestinians.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 21,978 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured some 57,700 others.

Erdogan has been vocal in denouncing Israel's relentless strikes on Gaza and has already said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will eventually be "tried as a war criminal."

Turkey and Israel have maintained some form of diplomatic ties, as both sides took a step towards normalizing their relations by reappointing ambassadors after years of tension However, the current Gaza war has deteriorated their bilateral relations significantly.

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Oklahoma Army National Guard aviation unit deploying to Kosovo

By Leanna Maschino, Oklahoma National Guard January 2, 2024

TULSA, Okla. -- Loved ones gathered alongside nearly 50 Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen during a deployment ceremony Dec. 30 at the Army Aviation Support Facility 2 in Tulsa.

Members of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter Battalion), 244th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, will deploy overseas to Kosovo to support Operation Joint Guardian (KFOR). KFOR is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo comprising 27 partner nations.

"Thank you for answering the call," said Col. Robert Walker, commander of 90th Troop Command. "Thank you for volunteering in the U.S. Army and the Oklahoma Army National Guard. To the family members, thank you for supporting these Soldiers. I know how much of a burden it is on you when we leave. Know that the mission matters and what we bring when we go somewhere is stability and safety for the people there."

The 1-244th AHB, comprised of units from Louisiana (HHC), Iowa (MEDEVAC) and Oklahoma (AHB), will provide KFOR with 24/7 medevac coverage and air movement and air assault capabilities. The AHB will provide the air transport and air assault capabilities with UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters throughout the area of operations.

"I am incredibly grateful for each of you and I am so proud of your resolve and your sacrifice and all that we have accomplished thus far," said Capt. Jimmy Norvell, commander of the 1-244th AHB. "In times like these, it's crucial to embrace a warrior's mentalitya spirit that is unyielding in the face of adversity, unwavering in its commitment to duty and unshakeable in its devotion to protecting the freedoms we hold dear."

The unit will move on to Fort Cavazos, Texas, for training before heading overseas. They are expected to return in the fall.

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Ethiopia/Somalia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia

European External Action Service (EEAS)

02.01.2024

EEAS Press Team

On 1 January, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi signed a Memorandum of Understanding on granting Ethiopia access to the sea.

The European Union would like to remind the importance of respecting the unity, the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia pursuant of its constitution, the Charters of the African Union and the United Nations. This is key for the peace and stability of the entire Horn of Africa region.

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Sri Lanka's reported entry ban on Chinese research ships highlights increased interference from India

Global Times

By Fan Anqi Published: Jan 02, 2024 10:34 PM Updated: Jan 02, 2024 09:59 PM

Sri Lanka is reportedly banning Chinese research vessels from entering its ports. If true, this reflects the increased pressure India has placed on its neighbor, trapping Sri Lanka in an awkward position between two major powers, experts said on Tuesday, as they called on Sri Lanka to maintain diplomatic independence.

The South Asian country has informed India that it will not allow any Chinese research vessel to dock at its ports or operate within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for a period of one year, the Hindustan Times reported, citing people aware of the matter.

This means that the Sri Lankan authorities will deny clearance to the Chinese scientific research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3, which originally planned to carry out deep water exploration in the southern Indian Ocean from January 5 until late May.

India and the US have previously red-flagged Colombo for "entertaining Chinese scientific research vessels and ballistic missile trackers and providing them logistical support," according to the Hindustan Times, after Colombo allowed a Chinese ship, the Shiyan 6, to conduct marine research off the island's west coast in October 2023.

Indian media outlets had, without providing any concrete evidence, sensationalized the Chinese scientific research vessel as "a spy ship," claiming it has dual-purpose that serves both civilian and military use. Chinese experts refuted the claims as smearing and demonizing China's international image to serve its own geopolitical interests.

The latest move indicates the mounting pressure that India is exerting on its neighbor as China-India ties have dropped to a low point. It has forced Sri Lanka, a country that has long insisted on an independent foreign policy, to suffer in an awkward position between two major powers, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

As a result, Sri Lanka needs to navigate the pressures from India and seek a balance between its relationship with China and India, as both relationships are crucial for its social stability and economic development, Qian said.

"On one hand, it values ties with China and is willing to cooperate within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to boost its own development; on the other hand, India is its biggest neighbor and the most influential power in South Asia. Both provided significant support and assistance to help Sri Lanka overcome its economic crisis last year," the expert explained.

Sri Lanka's rejection of Chinese vessels is seen by observers as a means to avoid further angering India.

What's more, as the Sri Lankan government enters an election year in 2024, the ruling party cannot ignore the huge influence that India has on its voters, especially those from the Tamil community. It does not want to antagonize India as the election approaches a critical moment, Qian said.

Announcing the decision, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said that the government's moratorium on foreign research vessels "is for us to do some capacity development so that we can participate in such research activities as equal partners," according to local media outlet the Daily Mirror.

From Sabry's explanation, it can be seen that Sri Lanka's actions were made out of pressure from India and that they are trying to calm and appease China as much as possible through diplomatic channels, analysts said.

India has tightened up its anti-China campaign recently on all fronts. Most recently, it intensified a crackdown on Chinese companies by arresting senior employees working for Chinese smartphone maker Vivo. An Indian court on Saturday ordered the release of two senior employees.

Chinese observers blasted India's unscrupulous move, saying that endless crackdowns on Chinese firms underscore the view that India is becoming a "graveyard for foreign companies," and such suppression will eventually harm its own industrial development.

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Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah today chaired a review meeting on the security situation of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, in wake of recent terror attack there

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government will continue to adopt a zero- tolerance approach against terrorism

During the meeting, the Home Minister reviewed the area domination plan of security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir to eliminate the threat of terrorism

Union Home Minister underlines the importance of further strengthening the local intelligence network

Union Home Minister appreciates the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the Union Territory for significant decline in terror related incidents, infiltration and improvement in law & order situation

Posted On: 02 JAN 2024 8:15PM by PIB Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah today chaired a review meeting on the security situation of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, in wake of recent terror attack there. National Security Advisor, Shri Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary, Chief of Army Staff, Director (IB), Heads of CAPFs, Chief Secretary & DGP, UT of Jammu and Kashmir attended the meeting held in New Delhi.

During the meeting, Shri Amit Shah reviewed the area domination plan of security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir to eliminate the threat of terrorism. While reviewing the functioning of the security grid and overall security scenario of Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Shah instructed to strengthen the counter-terrorism operations and need for complete elimination of terror eco-system. He also advised the security agencies for appropriate deployment in vulnerable areas. He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government will continue to adopt a zero- tolerance approach against terrorism.

Union Home Minister stressed all due procedures should be adopted while dealing with counter- terror operations. Shri Shah underlined the importance of further strengthening the local intelligence network.

Union Home Minister appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the Union Territory for significant decline in terror related incidents, infiltration and improvement in law & order situation.

****

RK / ASH / AKS / RR



(Release ID: 1992514)

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Deputy head of Hamas political bureau martyred in Israeli regime's attack on Beirut

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Deputy head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement was martyred in attack by the Zionist regime on southern Beirut on Tuesday night.

Al-Mayadeen announced that "Saleh al-Arouri", deputy of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, was martyred in the attack of the Zionist regime on the suburb of Beirut on Tuesday night.

Media sources reported the occurrence of a strong explosion and an Israeli drone attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Lebanese news agency also reported that as a result of this attack, four people were martyred and a number of others were injured.

The Islamic resistance movement Hamas also confirmed the news of al-Arouri's martyrdom in a statement.

Hamas has also announced the martyrdom of two of the commanders of the Martyr Ezzedin al-Qassam battalions of the military branch of this movement in this attack.

Earlier, news sources reported that three companions of Saleh al-Arouri were martyred in an explosion in the suburbs of Beirut.

Al-Mayadeen network reported that a large explosion occurred in Al-Mushrafiya area in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The official news agency of Lebanon announced about the reason for the explosion that an Israeli drone targeted an office belonging to the Hamas movement in Beirut.

An official of the Hamas movement, in an interview with the Lebanese LBCI channel, denied the claim that "Osame Hamdan", the official of the Hamas movement in Lebanon, was assassinated in an explosion in the suburbs of Beirut.

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Resistance offers Egypt a deal, stressing UNSC guarantee

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- A senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement has announced that the Resistance parties have proposed a deal to Cairo, conditioning an end to the war on Gaza, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and a UNSC-guaranteed reconstruction of the Strip.

A senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, who asked to remain anonymous, told Lebanon's news network Al Mayadeen on Tuesday that the offer of Resistance has been submitted to the Egyptians signed by the Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

Regarding the details of the proposal, the official said that the Resistance conditioned in the first clause of its presented document a ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, along with a reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip guaranteed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

"Everything being discussed in the media regarding multi-phase prisoner exchange comes after the implementation of the ceasefire and withdrawal, not before it," Al Mayadeen's source added.

Previously, a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip took effect from November 24-30, 2023.

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Al-Qassam Brigades says killed 5 Israeli soldiers, destroyed tank

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas resistance movement, has said its fighters have killed five Israeli soldiers on the battlefield in the Gaza Strip.

Al-Qassam also said on Tuesday that it targetted and destroyed a Merkava tank of the Israeli army using an Al-Yasin 105 rocket near the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinian sources reported.

The Israeli army dispatched a second helicopter to evacuate soldiers wounded on the battlefield in southern Gaza.

The confrontation between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters comes as the Israeli army is expanding its ground offensive into refugee camps in central and southern Gaza.

Additionally, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, said it launched a rocket attack on gathering points of the Israeli forces in the central city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

At least 22,185 Palestinians have been killed and 57,035 other wounded since the Israeli regime launched the devastating war on Gaza on October 7, the Gaza Ministry of Health said.

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Hezbollah carries out drone attack against Zionist command base

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah has carried out a drone attack against Zionist command base in northern parts of the Israeli-occupied territories, Al Mayadeen reported.

The Tuesday report said that the Zionist base, which came under attack, was located northeast of the city of Safed.

Hezbollah has also announced that, in another attack, it has targeted a barracks of the Zionist regime.

It said that a Zionist military gathering was targeted by the Hezbollah fighters in Zareit barracks, an attack in which some Zionist soldiers were killed or injured.

Also, the Zionist Army has reportedly carried out artillery attacks against different three towns in southern Lebanon.

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Egypt refuses to join US-led coalition against Yemen: Report

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Egypt has refused to join a poorly-patched coalition of maritime forces led by the United States to counter threats by Yemeni naval forces against ships linked to the Israeli regime amid growing anger in the Arab world about Israel's incessant aggression against Gaza.

The i24 news channel, which is based in the Israeli-occupied territories, revealed in a report on Tuesday that Egyptian authorities had rejected demands from Israel to join the US-led coalition in the Red Sea.

The report said an Israeli delegation that traveled to Cairo last week had failed to persuade the Egyptians to have an "effective contribution" to the coalition.

Only Bahrain has accepted to join US operations in waters off Yemen under an alleged mission to counter threats on shipping in the region.

Yemen's ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement says it will continue to target ships linked to Israel until the regime stops an aggression on Gaza that has left more than 22,000 people dead since it started in early October.

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1.7 million Palestinians displaced in north, central Gaza: UN

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has disclosed that over 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced from the northern and central areas of the Gaza Strip.

As the Israeli regime has intensified its bombings of northern and central Gaza, Palestinians have taken refuge in already overcrowded shelters and public facilities in the south.

The UN agency said that at least 300 displaced Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on its facilities.

International humanitarian organizations have issued warnings about the spread of infectious diseases in overcrowded camps.

At least 22,185 people have been killed and 57,035 other wounded since the Israeli regime launched the devastating war on Gaza on October 7, the Gaza Ministry of Health said.

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Yemeni official vows revenge on US, UK

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- A Senior member of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement, Ali al-Qahhoum, has said that the US and the UK will pay a heavy price for attacking the Yemeni navy forces.

By attacking a Yemeni navy vessel, they ignited a war that they will never be able to get out of easily, and will pay a heavy price for it, al-Qahhoum was quoted by the Russian media Sputnik as saying.

Earlier on Monday, a member of the Political Council of the Ansarullah, Movement Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, said that the Yemeni armed forces are willing to stand against the US.

If the US vessels attack Yemen, they will be directly targeted and the Americans are aware of the seriousness of this decision, he added.

He also asked why the rest of the Arab and Islamic countries did not join it in the framework of the joint defense agreement signed with Palestine.

Meanwhile, Army Spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on Sunday that the US attacked three boats in the Red Sea earlier in the day and killed ten Yemeni armed forces, stressing that Washington would suffer from the consequences of targeting the vessels, Al-Masirah news network reported.

According to Saree, the Yemeni boats were in the Red Sea to conduct a military operation against the Maersk Hangzhou vessel that was heading for the ports of occupied Palestine. He said that the vessel was targeted after its crew did not respond to the Yemeni army's warnings.

The Yemeni army spokesman advised all countries not to be dragged into US plots, stressing that American forces' actions to protect Israeli ships in the Red Sea would not stop the Yemeni army from supporting the people of Gaza.

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US terrorists' base attacked in northern Iraq again

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- News media have reported that the Iraqi resistance fighters have once again attacked Harir base in northern Iraq where the US terrorists are settled.

The resistance fighters attacked Harir base near Erbil in the Iraqi Kurdistan region through drones two days ago, IRNA reported on Tuesday from the Iraqi media.

Last night (on Monday), al-Assad airbase, located in al-Anbar Governorate in western Iraq, where the US terrorists were present, was attacked.

It is said that the air strike against al Assad airbase was "a Christmas gift" from resistance to the United States.

After the start of the Al Aqsa Storm operation on October 7, 2023, the Zionist regime of Israel under US support started intense bombardment against Gaza and laid siege to that area.

The three Islamic Resistance fronts including Lebanon's Hezbollah, Yemen's Ansarullah, and Iraq's fighters joined the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, to relieve the tension and the anti-humanitarian conditions created by the regime in Gaza.

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Lebanon targets north of occupied Palestine with missiles

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Zionist media have reported that some missiles were fired from Lebanon toward northern occupied Palestine.

According to the Zionist channel 12, some missiles were fired from Lebanon towards the Zionist settlement of "Shlomi" in Al-Jalil.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Hezbollah targeted the Israeli site Hadab Al-Bustan military in northern occupied Palestine.

According to Al Mayadeen, the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters targeted the Zionist "al-Ebad" military position with appropriate weapons.

The Zionist regime waged a bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 21,822 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 56,451 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza.

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Islamic Jihad condemns mandatory evacuation from Gaza

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Palestinian Islamic Jihad has described the Zionist officials' remarks about the mandatory evacuation from the Gaza Strip as a war crime, adding that others should not keep silent against it.

If the world keeps silent on the issue, it encourages the Zionists to continue their crimes in Gaza, the Islamic Jihad said through a statement, IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The mandatory evacuation will put the stability of the regional countries in danger, according to the statement.

The Islamic Jihad said the United States is the one that encourages the enemy to continue its crimes through creating the so-called term "voluntary migration."

The finance minister of the Zionist regime of Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, has said that "voluntary migration" of the Palestinians in Gaza is the right solution.

The grounds should be prepared for "voluntary migration" of the Gazans and some countries should be found to accept them, Smotrich said.

The regime's minister made such remarks while the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had already condemned the policies on collective punishment against the Palestinians in Gaza.

El-Sisi had said that his country would not let the Palestinians be evacuated into Egypt.

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Iraqi resistance conducts drone attack on US base in Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has targeted the United States military base in the village of Al-Khadra in northeastern Syria.

According to Al Jazeera TV network, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the US military base in Al-Khadra village in northeastern Syria.

On Monday, Western media outlets also quoted their sources as reporting the first drone attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase in Al-Anbar province in western Iraq, where US military forces are stationed.

On Tuesday evening, The Islamic Resistance in Iraq also targeted the US occupying forces' base at the Koniko gas field in eastern Syria with intense rocket attacks.

The AFP news agency quoted a US official, reporting that 103 attacks have been carried out against US forces in Iraq and Syria from October 17 up until now.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group representing several Iraqi armed factions, initiated its attacks on US bases in Syria and Iraq following the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip and Washington's all-out support for the genocidal war.

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Israeli failed in all its objectives in Gaza war: Iranian FM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that the Resistance movement has achieved a great victory in the Gaza war and that the Zionist regime has failed to achieve any of its objectives.

He made these remarks at the University of Tehran on Monday evening in a ceremony to commemorate the symbolic figures of resistance.

Amirabdollahian also stated that the Zionists had announced that they would disarm and destroy Hamas, but this has not happened yet, adding that they had planned to disarm Hamas through military, air, land, and sea operations, but this has not happened either.

Amirabdollahian further stressed that some believe that the US has been too supportive of the Zionist regime in the Gaza war, adding that they should not have fully supported the Zionist regime in the genocide of the Palestinians.

He also claimed that the rulers of the Zionist regime and the US officials who talked about the destruction of Hamas are sending messages to Hamas and are negotiating with Hamas in third countries.

They are negotiating on how to manage Gaza after the war and on how to exchange Palestinian prisoners with Israeli prisoners, which shows that the Resistance has moved in the right direction. The resistance has been able to bring a great victory, he added.

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New purchase in Lithuanian Armed Forces warehouses: 120 mm Expal 120-MX2-SM towed mortars

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2024-01-02

Acquisitions and infrastructure development | Uncategorized

In the final days of 2023 the Lithuanian Armed Forces received 120 mm Expal120-MX2-SM towed mortars of Spain's EXPAL Systems, S.A. The advanced superior quality equipment will enhance indirect fire capabilities in the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The Expal mortar system is reliable and meets NATO standards for weaponry. Mobile and versatile, the system enhances fire power and precision to increase infantry and artillery responsiveness to tactical requirements in ensuring indirect fire support. Lithuania's new defence equipment has the effective range of up to 8 km.

The Defence Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defence signed the contract with the Spanish company EXPAL Systems, S.A. in the autumn of 2022. The equipment will be fully

The contract worth approx. EUR 9.8 million covers mortar systems and spares.

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Israel's assassination of top Hamas official an act of frustration: Iran

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 9:08 PM

Iran calls the Israeli regime's earlier assassination of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri an act of "frustration."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani made the remarks on Tuesday, shortly after an Israeli drone attack against a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut led to the martyrdom of six people, including Arouri.

Kan'ani said the Zionist regime had resorted to the targeted killing after suffering "heavy and irreparable defeat" in the face of Palestinian resistance movements during Operation al-Aqsa Storm.

Arouri, who used to serve as the deputy head of the Political Bureau of the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas, was known as the "architect" of the October 7 operation by Gaza's resistance groups, during which hundreds were taken captive.

Kan'ani further said the assassination took place after Gaza's people and resistance groups staged "heroic steadfastness" in the face of a genocidal war that the Israeli regime has been waging against the coastal sliver since the operation.

Still referring to the assassination, the spokesman said by perpetrating such atrocity, the criminal and fragile Zionist regime proved once again that it was "founded upon assassination and crime."

Arouri's martyrdom, he added, would heighten the impetus for resistance and anti-occupation struggle not only across Palestine but also throughout the region and among the world's freedom-seeking people.

Kan'ani condoled with Hamas' leadership, the Palestinian people, and Arouri's survivors over his martyrdom.

The spokesman denounced the Israeli regime's violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity during the drone attack.

He insisted that international organizations, especially the United Nations Security Council, had to issue "immediate and effective" reaction to the Zionist regime's acts of terror.

Kan'ani finally warned the Israeli regime and its supporters about the consequences of Tel Aviv's new adventurism.

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Assassinating Saleh Arouri once again confirms Israel's disgraceful failure: Hamas

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 7:15 PM

The Palestinian Hamas resistance group says Israel's assassination of deputy head of Hamas politburo in Beirut once again confirms regime's disgraceful failure in achieving its goals in the current war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Tuesday, senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq stressed that the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri once again demonstrated the disgraceful failure of the Zionist enemy in achieving any of its objectives in its brutal war on the Palestinian enclave.

"Such cowardly assassinations by the Zionist regime against the leaders and symbols of the Palestinian people inside and outside of Palestine will not succeed in breaking the will and steadfastness of our nation and stopping their brave resistance," al-Rishq emphasized.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that al-Arouri was killed as a result of an explosion in a building in al-Musharrafieh district in southern Beirut, Lebanon. Later, Hamas confirmed that al-Arouri was killed in Israel's terror attack, which also killed several of his companions.

The resistance group said that al-Arouri's assassination was an "expected Israeli crime" that would not stop resistance.

The Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition of armed Palestinian resistance groups, also issued a statement, condemning the Israeli assassination of al-Arouri.

"The cowardly assassination crime against Sheikh Saleh and the leaders of the resistance will not weaken the strength of the resistance, but rather will inflame it in Palestine and on all fronts of confrontation with the Zionist enemy," it said.

"The policy of assassinations pursued by the Zionist enemy against resistance leaders has proven its failure in undermining the resolve our people who yearn to liberate their land from the filth of the Zionist enemy, no matter how great the sacrifices are," it added.

The committees also vowed to "avenge the blood" of the senior Hamas official.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, based in the occupied West Bank, also released a statement, promising that the assassination of al-Arouri and other resistance leaders will not go unanswered.

It said the cowardly act by the Israeli regime will only increase "our determination to resist and liberate" Palestinian lands.

Separately, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the "new Israeli crime", stressing that it was aimed at bringing Beirut into a new phase of confrontation.

"It has become clear to everyone near and far that the decision to go to war is in the hands of Israel and what is needed is to deter this and stop [Israel's] aggression," he added in a post on X.

The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's atrocities against Palestinians.

Since the start of the US-backed offensive, the Israeli regime has killed at least 22,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 57,000 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

Since the onset of the war, the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has launched strikes against Israeli targets in solidarity with the resilient Palestinian population in Gaza.

The Israeli regime has been waging sporadic attacks on southern Lebanon since October 7, but Tuesday's drone strike marks the first time that the Tel Aviv regime has targeted the Lebanese capital since the 2006 war.

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Egypt rejects Israeli proposal to join US-led coalition in Red Sea

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 6:41 PM

Egypt has rejected an Israeli proposal to join a US-led maritime coalition formed under the pretext of protecting shipping in the strategic Red Sea following Yemen's retaliatory attacks on Israeli-owned and -bound vessels in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.

Israel's i24NEWS website reported the development after an Israeli foreign ministry delegation headed to the Egyptian capital of Cairo last week to discuss the possibility of Egypt joining the Washington-led multinational task force in the Red and the Arabian seas.

The Israeli website said Egypt "refused to take an active part in the coalition forces," leaving Bahrain as the only Arab country that has agreed to participate in the coalition.

The Pentagon announced in mid-December the launch of the maritime coalition under the banner of Operation Prosperity Guardian with five warships from the United States, France, and the United Kingdom patrolling the waters of the southern Red Sea and the western Gulf of Aden.

However, the task force has been beset by reluctant participation of its members and lack of interest from regional Arab states to be part of the coalition.

Yemen's Defense Minister Major General Mohammad al-Atifi on Thursday warned foreign forces "against engaging in various activities supporting the Zionist entity in the maritime theater that spans between Arab states and Bahrain in the Red Sea."

Atifi underlined that Yemeni Armed Forces "are closely and rigorously monitoring the movement of American, British and French military forces in both bodies of water."

Moreover, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the top commander of US naval forces in the Middle East, in an interview with the Associated Press on Saturday acknowledged the failure of the multinational task force.

Cooper said Yemen's Armed Forces and the popular Houthi Ansarullah resistance movement show no signs of ending their attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea even as more nations join the maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway.

The Yemeni armed forces and the popular resistance movement have on several occasions announced that those vessels which are not owned by and bound for Israel can safely transit the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

US 'shot itself in the foot' by targeting Yemeni forces: Ansarullah

In a related development on Tuesday, Ansarullah's Office Director Safar al-Sufi censured the recent American aggression against Yemeni forces in the Red Sea, where US Navy helicopters attacked four boats belonging to the Yemeni Naval Forces, sinking three of them and killing at least 10 Yemeni servicemen.

Sufi said the US revealed its "criminal face" by striking Yemeni boats and violating international navigation laws, stressing that America's targeting of the Yemeni naval forces threatens the security of international maritime navigation.

"The United States shot itself in the foot by targeting Yemen's Armed Forces, and of course will not be spared from Yemeni fighters' response," he added.

The Israeli regime launched its devastating war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed more than 22,000 people, most of them women and children. At least 57,000 individuals have also been wounded.

The regime has largely cut off access to water, food and power supplies in Gaza.

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Deputy head of Hamas politburo assassinated in Israeli strike

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 4:55 PM

The deputy head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been assassinated in an Israeli drone attack in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported on Tuesday that Saleh al-Arouri was killed as a result of an explosion in a building in al-Musharrafieh district in southern Beirut.

Arouri was killed in a "treacherous Zionist strike," the television network said, adding that the blast took place after an Israeli drone bombed the building with three missiles, killing six people and wounding several others.

Hamas confirmed the martyrdom of Arouri as the chief of staff of the resistance movement in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, praising him as the "architect" of Operation al-Aqsa Storm.

Hamas vowed in a statement that the killing of the resistance movement's deputy will not "undermine the continued brave resistance" in Gaza.

"It proves once more the utter failure of the enemy to achieve any of its aggressive goals in the Gaza Strip," Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the political bureau of Hamas, said in the statement.

The Israeli regime launched its devastating war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the territory's Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

The Israeli military has also been carrying out attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting retaliatory strikes from Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the regime continues its onslaught on Gaza.

The relentless Israeli military campaign against Gaza has killed more than 22,000 people, most of them women and children. At least 57,000 individuals have also been wounded.

The regime has largely cut off access to water, food and power supplies to Gaza.

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US aircraft carrier heading home after deployment to protect Israel

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 4:52 PM

The United States Navy is bringing home its new aircraft carrier after an extended deployment to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to protect Israel in the regime's war with the Palestinian Hamas resistance group in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Monday, the US Navy announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (CGS) was heading home following months of extra duty at sea protecting the occupying regime.

The Ford carrier and its accompanying warships were deployed to the Mediterranean back in October in a bid to "contribute to our regional deterrence and defense posture," the US 6th Fleet, the European-based US naval command, added.

The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's atrocities against Palestinians.

Since the start of the US-backed offensive, the Israeli regime has killed at least 22,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 57,000 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

The abrupt war led to repeated extensions of the Ford CSG's deployment in the volatile region. Now, after being at sea for over 240 days, it will return to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, "in the coming days."

According to the US Navy, the Ford CSG will be replaced by the amphibious assault ship the USS Bataan and its accompanying warships, the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall.

The three vessels had been in the Red Sea and had been sailing toward the Eastern Mediterranean over the last few days, the statement added.

Along with the Ford CSG, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had also been sent to the Mediterranean and the Middle East to protect Israel.

"The United States government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions," said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in October.

The US has been a steadfast supporter of Israel for decades, both diplomatically and militarily. Each year, the US provides around $4bn of military support to the regime and since war broke out between Israel and Hamas in October, the US sent an additional $14bn in military aid.

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Israeli attacks kill over 200 Palestinians in Gaza in last 24 hours: Health ministry

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 2:50 PM

The Palestinian health ministry says the Israeli regime's warplanes and artillery keep pounding the blockaded territory, killing more than 200 civilians over the past 24 hours.

Israeli forces carried out 15 attacks and killed at least 207 Palestinians in the past 24 hours in Gaza, the ministry said while adding that 338 people were also wounded.

Several were killed in a bombardment of a residential building in the city of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza.

The Israeli military also carried out a missile strike on Rafah in the south and shelled the Jabalia refugee camp in the north.

The regime has intensified its attacks in and around refugee camps, including Nuseirat, al-Maghazi and al-Bureij.

Residents said heavy fighting was also raging in central areas, citing shelling by Israeli tanks of parts of the Al-Bureij refugee camp.

Health officials in Gaza say Israeli forces have dropped more than a dozen bombs across Gaza in the past day.

Israel said on Tuesday its troops had killed dozens of Palestinians in the north of the Gaza Strip, while its aircraft and tanks stepped up strikes in the south of the besieged territory.

About 22, 200 Palestinians have been killed since the US-Israeli genocide began in early October. At least 57,000 have been wounded.

Additionally, more than 320 Palestinians have also been killed across the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Education has confirmed that 4,156 students had been killed in Israel's ongoing aggression on Gaza. At least 381 schools have also been bombed or damaged, the ministry added.

According to UN figures, almost 85 percent of the Gaza population has been displaced.

Israeli bombardments have reduced much of the territory to rubble and engulfed its 2.3 million residents in a humanitarian disaster.

Field executions of Palestinians 'the act of gangs': Ministry

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry In a statement has condemned the Israeli field executions of Palestinians as "the act of gangs".

"The behavior of the [Israeli] occupation soldiers reflects the nature of instructions and facilities by the Israeli political and military levels to shoot at Palestinians, commit massacres and mass murder by bombing and starvation in the Gaza Strip for the 88th consecutive day," the ministry said.

it called on Israel to promptly reveal undisclosed detention facilities and give information on the identities and well-being of individuals captured from the Gaza Strip.

The ministry also condemned the "kidnapping" of an infant Palestinian girl by an Israeli soldier in Gaza.

"The kidnapping of the infant girl from the Gaza Strip is evidence that the occupation army is committing the most heinous crimes against civilians without oversight or accountability," it said in a statement. "The Ministry calls on the occupation authorities to immediately hand over the infant to the Palestinian National Authority."

Despite global demands for a ceasefire, the Israeli military says the onslaught is expected to continue throughout the year.

The Israeli military said earlier that it was withdrawing thousands of forces from the Gaza Strip, in the first significant troop pullback since the devastating war began nearly three months ago.

An Israeli general recently warned that the regime has failed to meet its "unrealistic" task of "destroying Hamas" and is sinking into the "mud of Gaza."

In an opinion piece run by the Ma'ariv newspaper, Yitzhak Barik said on Monday that Israel is caught in a "vicious circle" and slammed the regime for ignoring the "facts on the ground" and "living in a simulated reality."

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Jan. 1: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:53 PM

By Press TV Website Staff

Resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against Israel and its Western backers amid the regime's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has claimed the lives of more than 22,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women.

The operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Monday, January 1, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on Jan 1:

Seized control of an Israeli military drone that was on a spying mission in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

Ambushed a group of Israeli regime soldiers in one of the houses where their vehicles were parked in the Al-Bureij camp. The resistance fighters surprised them with volleys of bullets and shells, causing deaths and injuries, then withdrew to their bases safely.

Targeted a Merkava tank with an 'Al-Yassin' 105 shell north of Al-Bureij refugee camp.

Targeted five vehicles in the east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.

Blew up a tunnel with a number of soldiers inside in Jabal Al-Rayes, east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, causing several casualties.

Attacked a number of Israeli military vehicles east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood with Tandem shells and anti-personnel explosives, which led to a number of casualties.

Shot at a regime soldier east of Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip, confirming his death.

Targeted three Israeli regime soldiers north of Khan Yunis with an anti-personnel shell, causing several deaths and injuries in the Al-Qarara area.

Detonated a minefield after entering the "Hebron" military site east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, leading to the death of 15 regime soldiers.

Targeted concentrations east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City with a rocket barrage.

Targeted an Israeli special force unit holed up inside a building in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City with an anti-fortified TBG shell and engaged in clashes, leaving many of them dead.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on Jan. 1:

Bombed a gathering of regime soldiers and vehicles with Badr-1 rockets east of Al-Bureij camp.

Targeted an Israeli military carrier with a 'Tandem' shell in the Al-Bureij camp.

Targeted two Israeli military vehicles with RPG shells in the Al-Tuffah axis, east of Gaza City.

Targeted an Israeli tank and a D9 military bulldozer with Tandem and RPG shells in Al-Tuffah and Al-Daraj neighborhoods, east of Gaza City.

Targeted a regime bulldozer with an RBG shell east of the Al-Bureij camp.

Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades' operations on Jan. 1:

Targeted a gathering of Zionist soldiers and vehicles in Khan Yunis, south Gaza, with heavy caliber mortars.

Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on Jan 1:

Targeted a helicopter belonging to the Israeli military with a SAM-7 anti-aircraft missile, east of Gaza, causing a direct hit.

Mujahideen Brigades' operations on Jan. 1:

Struck military vehicles and targeted Israeli soldiers with mortars, southeast of Al-Zaytoun.

Struck military vehicles and targeted regime soldiers with mortars, southwest of Tel Al-Hawa.

Struck the gathering of Zionist soldiers & military vehicles, east of Khan Yunis in the vicinity of the Khuza'a entrance, with medium-caliber mortars.

Targeted an Israeli helicopter with a SAM-7 anti-aircraft missile, in the Al-Shujaiya area, hitting it.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on Jan. 1:

Pounded Israeli military gatherings in the southern Gaza axis with 120mm mortars.

Targeted Israeli military gatherings in the eastern Khan Younis axis with a number of 120mm mortars.

Targeted Israeli military gatherings in the eastern Al-Bureij city axis with a number of 120mm mortars.

Engaged in clashes with regime forces east of Khan Younis with heavy barrages of bullets and RPGs.

Shelled Israeli military gatherings east of Khan Younis with a number of 120mm mortars

Shelled the Israeli military gathering in Khan Younis with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortars.

Martyr Omar Al-Qassem forces' operations on Jan. 1:

Engaged in clashes with regime forces in the central Khan Younis axis and launched an RPG at one of the military vehicles, hitting it and causing deaths and injuries.

Destroyed two Merkava tanks and inflicted deaths and injuries among its soldiers.

Shot at an Israeli soldier in the vicinity of Sheikh Radwan, confirming his injury.

Hezbollah's operations on Jan. 1:

Western sector:

At around 15:00 local time, the Hadab Al-Bustan site was targeted with appropriate weapons.

At around 17:55 local time, a position of Israeli enemy soldiers was targeted in the vicinity of the Yaara Barracks with appropriate weapons.

Iraqi resistance's operations on Jan 1:

Attacked the occupation base in the Conoco field deep in Syria with a rocket salvo, hitting its targets and resulting in the destruction of enemy strongholds.

Targeted the occupied Al-Shaddadi base in Syria, using drones, causing the destruction of enemy strongholds.

Pounded an Israeli military target in Eilat with appropriate weapons, causing heavy damage.

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US stuck in 'costly quagmire' in Gaza as Israel reaches 'dead-end': Iran

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 10:42 AM

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said by backing the Israeli regime in its "genocidal" war against the Gaza Strip, the US politicians are caught in a "quagmire" in the besieged territory, which will be costly for them to exit.

In a speech at the University of Tehran on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said the US is "facing a challenge" and is looking for a "face-saving option" to exit the situation in Gaza.

"Today the politicians in the White House are facing a serious challenge. Some believe that Washington has gone too far and should not have provided full support for Israel's genocide and crimes over the past three months in Gaza and the West Bank," he said.

"Today, the fact that American politicians have made a mistake and entered a quagmire in Gaza represents a challenge in the White House," he added. "Getting out of this quagmire will be quite costly."

According to Amir-Abdollahian, the Israeli regime followed its dreams of "destroying Hamas" but they did come true.

"They announced that they would disarm Hamas through military, air, ground, and sea operations, but that did not happen," he said, adding, "They said they will continue the offensive in tunnels and hospitals' basements in Gaza to release Israeli captives, but they suffered a defeat and could not free one captive."

He added that Israelis have "reached a dead-end" and Americans, who had talked about "eradicating Hamas," are now sending messages to Hamas, and in third countries indirectly discuss captive-prisoner exchanges and ways to rule post-war Gaza.

"It indicates that the resistance is following the right path and has snatched another major victory in the past 80 days," he added.

Amir-Abdollahian said the cross-border Operation Al-Aqsa Strom launched on October 7 was a "political and intelligence defeat" for Israel and now Hamas' 80 days of resistance and response to Israel's genocide and US support have inflicted a "military and psychological" defeat on the Israeli regime.

He warned that Israel's partners have only two options: either continue the war and remain stuck in the quagmire and face an "embarrassing defeat", or agree to a "political solution" by fulfilling the resistance front's conditions.

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Resistance will teach Israel unforgettable lessons for atrocities against Palestinians: Hamas

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 7:36 AM

The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has denounced the death of another Palestinian abductee at an Israeli-run detention center in the occupied territories, vowing to teach the regime unforgettable lessons for its ongoing atrocities against Palestinians.

"The occupiers committed the seventh execution of our prisoners from the occupied West Bank, with the assassination of Abdul Rahman al-Bahsh at Megiddo Prison," the Gaza-based group said in a statement released late on Monday.

"We condemn the continuation of such assassinations amid the silence of international human rights bodies and advocacy groups for prisoners of war," the statement added.

Hamas noted that the deaths of Palestinian abductees would eventually harm the occupying Tel Aviv regime.

In a separate statement, Hamas also urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and human rights organizations to shoulder their responsibilities concerning Palestinian abductees.

The Palestinian resistance group highlighted that female Palestinian abductees are encountering systematic and arbitrary malnutrition and medical negligence.

"We urge international human rights institutions to shed light on the challenges that Palestinian prisoners, particularly the 76 female detainees who mostly hail from the Gaza Strip, are facing at Israeli prisons. Human rights organizations need to document such violations, and take them to competent courts," Hamas stated.

"Certainly and equivocally, Zionist criminal leaders and liable figures will be held accountable for these heinous violations and acts of cruelty," the statement read.

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs announced in a statement on Monday evening that Bahsh, 23, who had been imprisoned since May 31, 2022, and later sentenced to jail time for "security offenses", had died at Megiddo Prison.

The commission stated that the Israel Prison Service (IPS) inconsiderately continues to assassinate more Palestinian detainees in its detention centers, and subjects them to systematic torture and abuse.

The death of Bahsh, who was affiliated with the Fatah resistance movement, brought to seven the number of Palestinian abductees who have died in Israeli detention centers since October 7 after Gaza-based resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

There are reportedly more than 7,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Hundreds of the inmates have been apparently incarcerated under the practice of administrative detention.

Human rights organizations say Israel violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention. They say administrative detention violates their right to due process since the evidence is withheld from prisoners while they are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to express outrage at their detention. Israeli jail authorities keep Palestinian prisoners under deplorable conditions without proper hygienic standards. Palestinian inmates have also been subject to systematic torture, harassment, and repression.

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Palestinians return to north Gaza after Israel pulls back troops over 'high cost of war'

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 7:18 AM

Thousands of Palestinians have reportedly been returning to the north of the Gaza Strip after the withdrawal of some Israeli forces from the area.

After returning to northern Gaza, a woman told Al Jazeera TV that people were sitting and sleeping among the debris "where the smell of blood and death is everywhere."

"A lot of massacres have been committed here. The resilience of the people here will always be stronger than the occupation army," she added.

Another woman said she would "never abandon north Gaza" despite a lack of food and clean water.

"I will never leave my land and house and family despite the suffering," she emphasized.

The Israeli military said earlier that it was withdrawing thousands of forces from the Gaza Strip, in the first significant troop pullback since the devastating war began nearly three months ago.

In a statement on Monday, the regime's army said, "The move is expected to significantly alleviate economic burdens and enable troops to gather strength for upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will persist and their services will be needed."

The announcement came as fighting has tapered off in the northern areas of Gaza, though clashes continue to rage in the south.

Earlier, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the regime's army was making adjustments to its deployment in Gaza, in anticipation of a long war ahead.

"The goals of the war require lengthy fighting, and we are prepared accordingly," he noted.

Meanwhile, an unnamed Israeli official claimed that some of the five brigades withdrawn will prepare for a potential second front against the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.

'Gradual shift to lower intensity operations'

A US official said that Israel's drawdown of troops from Gaza signifies a potential beginning of operations with reduced intensity in the territory's north, stressing, however, that the conflict in that area persists.

"This appears to be the start of the gradual shift to lower intensity operations in the north that we have been encouraging... I'd caution though there is still fighting in the north and this does not reflect any changes in the south," the official said.

A few days ago, the Israeli army's much-hyped Golani Brigade was forced to withdraw from Gaza to "reorganize its ranks" after suffering huge losses at the hands of resistance fighters.

Israel waged the brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, almost three months into the war, Tel Aviv has failed to achieve its declared objective of eliminating Hamas and finding Israeli captives in Gaza, despite killing at least 21,978 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 57,697 others.

Israeli ministers call for Palestinians' expulsion from Gaza

Speaking on Monday, Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the regime "will permanently control the Gaza Strip to ensure security".

He stressed that the objective would be achieved through the "permanent presence of Israeli forces" along with "establishing Jewish settlements," adding that he would present the plan soon to the regime's war cabinet.

"Those who think that the solutions in the Gaza Strip will be similar to those tried in the past are mistaken," he said.

Similarly, Israel's extremist security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the war presents an "opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza," branding such a policy as "a correct, just, moral and humane solution."

Veteran Arab lawmaker at the Israeli parliament Ahmad Tibi condemned Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, saying their rhetoric was "inciting genocide."

"A day will come and these two senior ministers in the Israeli government will stand before an international tribunal for war crimes," he stated.

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ASEAN issues rare statement on recent tension in South China Sea

The bloc expressed concern over recent developments in the disputed waters without naming Beijing and Manila.

By RFA Staff 2024.01.02 -- Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, have issued the unprecedented stand-alone statement on the South China Sea, vowing a "peaceful resolution of disputes" in the area.

"We closely follow with concern the recent developments in the South China Sea that may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region," said the foreign ministers of the union, cited by a statement on Dec. 30, 2023.

"We recall and reaffirm our shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security, and stability in the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force."

The rare statement comes amid some ASEAN members being embroiled in a long-standing maritime dispute over the area.

In recent months, for instance, China and the Philippines have had a spate of confrontations near some of the atolls that both countries claim but lie within Manila's exclusive economic zone.

In early December, both of them accused each other of provoking conflict by conducting dangerous maneuvers.

China and five other parties including four ASEAN member states - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - hold competing claims in the South China Sea but the Chinese claims are the most expansive.

"The statement probably emerged from Indonesia and the Philippines' diplomatic efforts," Shahriman Lockman, a political scientist at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) in Malaysia, told Radio Free Asia.

Indonesia is the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2023.

"While it appears harmless and avoids making explicit reference to maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines, the very existence of the statement is meaningful and establishes a notable precedent," said Lockman.

"It amplifies the expectation that ASEAN could and should issue declarations in response to escalating tensions in the South China Sea."

ASEAN has relied greatly on the principles of consultation and consensus in its operations, and that explains why the statement did not mention China, neither the Philippines, when talking about "recent developments in the South China Sea," according to Lockman.

"I'm guessing that that's what was needed to get the support of some of the other ASEAN member states that are a little more sensitive to China's pressure," said the analyst.

Principles of UNCLOS

The six-point statement referred to "international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)" repeatedly, reiterating the importance of the international legal and diplomatic processes.

In 2016, in a case brought by the Philippines, an international arbitration tribunal ruled that China's claim to "historic rights" over the South China Sea and the islands inside is unlawful.

Beijing, however, refused to accept the ruling.

"We underscored the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and committed to working towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS," the statement said.

China and ASEAN agreed on a DOC in 2002, but progress on a legally binding COC has been slow going amid an increasing risk of conflict.

The ASEAN foreign ministers' statement stopped short of calling out any separate country but said "We welcome the recent holding of a maritime dialogue between China and the United States in Beijing and the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and China President Xi Jinping on the margins of the APEC Leaders' Meeting in California."

The statement added: "We hope that such dialogues will continue to further ASEAN's efforts to strengthen stability and cooperation in the region's maritime sphere."

Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.

Updated to correct to 2023 instead of 2024 for the year of Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Vucic Rejects Calls To Annul Disputed Serbian Elections Amid Demonstrations

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service January 02, 2024

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has rejected calls for an international probe into alleged voting irregularities during recent parliamentary and municipal elections that sparked weeks of opposition-led protests demanding the vote be annulled.

Protesters have taken to the streets of Belgrade and other cities and towns in Serbia since the disputed December 17 elections that were won by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), according to preliminary results.

The Serbia Against Violence coalition, which placed second in the general election, has accused the SNS of widespread vote fraud, which the authorities deny.

An international monitoring mission that followed the balloting said the SNS had gained an unfair advantage through media bias, the improper influence of Vucic, and voting irregularities such as vote-buying.

Serbian authorities rejected the allegations.

In ruling out any outside probe, Vucic said on January 2 that elections in Serbia are "a matter for [Serbian] state institutions."

Vucic suggested that Serbia Against Violence, which has led the protests, objects to the results, particularly in the vote for Belgrade city authorities, because the party did not poll as well as it had expected.

Serbia Against Violence came second in the election with 23.56 percent of the parliamentary vote. The Socialist Party of Serbia was third with 6.56 percent.

Final results are expected to be published sometime this month.

Thousands rallied in Belgrade on December 30 in what was described as the biggest protest to date, with demonstrators chanting, "Thieves!"

That rally in the Serbian capital was organized by an independent civic initiative, ProGlas(Pro-Vote) that had campaigned for high turnout ahead of the ballot.

The crowd at the rally on December 30 roared in approval at the appearance of Marinika Tepic, a leading opposition politician who had been on a hunger strike since the ballot.

Tepic and two other opposition leaders, Jelena Milosevic and Branko Miljus, ended their hunger strikes on December 31 after about 12 days.

The opposition has urged an international probe of the vote after representatives of several global watchdogs reported multiple irregularities, including cases of vote-buying and ballot-stuffing.

Local election monitors also alleged that voters from across Serbia and neighboring countries were registered and bused in to cast ballots in Belgrade.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-vucic-rejects-calls-annul- vote/32756346.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Two Commanders of Hamas' Military Wing Killed in Beirut Blast as Gaza Conflict Escalates

Sputnik News

20240102

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A suspected drone strike by Israel at the Hamas political office in Beirut killed two commanders of Al-Qassam Brigades, which is the Palestinian group's military wing, state Lebanese media cited Hamas as saying Tuesday.

Hamas also confirmed the assassination of its deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in the blast that targeted its office in a southern Beirut suburb, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Six people died in the explosion. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned al-Arouri's killing as an "Israeli crime" that he said aimed to draw Lebanon deeper into the Palestine-Israel conflict.

A Sputnik correspondent has reported that in response to the blast, Lebanon has stepped up its military presence outside the Hamas office in Beirut after what is believed to be an Israeli drone strike.

The Lebanese army pulled military equipment and additional forces to the site in Al-Mcharafieh neighborhood, on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital. Ambulances and firefighting crews were also deployed.

In response to the deadly blast, Lebanon's Hezbollah has threatened to retaliate against Israel, writing in a statement that the "crime will not go unanswered or unpunished."

Israeli media has reported that the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enforced a gag order on ministers as Lebanon and Hamas blamed the Jewish state for assassinating the Palestinian group's deputy leader.

The Netanyahu's office is said to have specifically instructed ministers not to be interviewed or make any references to the assassination as Israeli police were reportedly put on high alert and told to get ready for rocket attacks and infiltration.

Citing US and Israeli officials, American media claimed that Israel did not notify Washington before the strike was conducted, noting Israeli leadership informed the Biden administration about the attack only after the operation had already begun.

The Tuesday bombing of Hamas' office on the southern outskirts of Beirut marked an escalation in the nearly three months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Al-Arouri was the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since the break out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October.

On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, while its fighters breached the border, opening fire on the military and civilians. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and launched a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 20,000 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of Israeli strikes, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1.

 Sputnik

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In the first three quarters of 2023, Fuyang's total output value reached 258.06 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 6.1%. The primary industry contributed 25.12 billion yuan, growing at a rate of 3.1%; the secondary industry contributed 99.42 billion yuan, growing at a rate of 5.8%; and the tertiary industry contributed 133.52 billion yuan, growing at a rate of 7.1%... These impressive achievements are not possible without hard work and dedication. Fuyang's role as the "pioneer" in northern Anhui has become even more prominent. "We use advanced cultivation techniques to grow strawberries, with each greenhouse able to plant around 10,000 strawberry seedlings, and up to more than 12,000. This is more than double the yield of traditional methods." Zhang Dianxing, head of Huoying Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative in Wenji Town, told reporters that strawberry cultivation is a traditional industry in Wenji. The strawberries in Wenji usually arrive on the market about a month earlier than those outside. At the same time, in order to extend the picking period for citizens, large strawberry farmers will plant different varieties of strawberries in one greenhouse, which can extend the picking period by more than two months. In this way, compared with traditional planting methods, strawberry growers can earn more than 50% more income. Currently, the strawberry planting area in Wenji Town has reached 24,000 mu. In Wenji Town, there are more than 100 strawberry purchasing agents who buy strawberries from farmers and transport them to wholesalers in other regions. Through these purchasing agents, a large amount of fresh strawberries are shipped from Wenji Town every day to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing. A person in charge of a strawberry purchasing agent introduced that after buying the strawberries from farmers, they immediately sort and package them. Fuyang City in Anhui has fully tapped the diverse values of rural areas, vigorously developed and strengthened the unique industries in rural areas, and continuously transformed resource advantages, ecological advantages, and cultural advantages into product advantages and industrial advantages. By doing so, Fuyang is making efforts to promote comprehensive rural revitalization and build livable, prosperous, and beautiful countryside.

Source: anhuinews.com




Israel Rejects Hamas's Hostage Deal Proposal - Reports

Sputnik News

20240102

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Palestinian movement Hamas, through Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries, presented its proposal for a new prisoner deal to Israel, but the Jewish state found it unacceptable, the Axios news portal reported on Monday, citing Israeli officials and a source.

At the same time, an Israeli official noted that Hamas's offer shows the movement is ready to negotiate a new hostage deal, even as fighting continues in the Gaza Strip, the report said.

A proposal included a three-step process, the report read. Each phase provided for a pause in hostilities for more than a month in exchange for the release of hostages. As part of the first phase of the deal, Israel is asked to withdraw its troops from Gaza in exchange for the release of approximately 40 hostages, the report read, adding that the final phase called for the release of Israeli soldiers held in the Gaza Strip and an end to the war in the enclave.

"The proposal we received from Hamas on Sunday was totally off base and we asked the mediators to try and produce a more acceptable proposal. They are working on it and let's see what happens ... The negotiations are not stuck anymore but they are also not making significant progress yet," the Israeli official was quoted as saying by the news portal.

On October 7, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip while its fighters breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 21,800 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of Israeli strikes, local authorities said.

On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. Over 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

 Sputnik

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Venezuela May Join BRICS During Summit in Russia - Maduro

Sputnik News

20240102

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Venezuela relies on BRICS and hopes to join the organization during the summit in Russia's Kazan, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday.

"And I hope that at the next summit in Russia ... Venezuela will join BRICS+ as a permanent member," Maduro told Le Monde diplomatique newspaper.

Venezuela relies on BRICS as part of a new balanced world, the Venezuelan president added. He also noted that the refusal of Argentina to join BRICS is a "foolish act" that Argentine President Javier Milei committed against his country.

The BRICS summit will take place in Kazan, Russia in October 2024.

BRICS, established in 2009, is a group uniting the world's largest developing economies, which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

On Monday, BRICS formally launched full membership of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Argentina was invited to become a member but its newly-elected government declined the invitation last week.

 Sputnik

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Secretary Blinken's Call with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tajani

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

January 2, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. The Secretary underscored the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and preventing the escalation of the conflict. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister reiterated stalwart support for Ukraine in 2024 as it continues to combat Russia's war of aggression and committed to working together to address global challenges as Italy assumes the presidency of the G7 in 2024. They discussed the importance of collective multilateral action to address threats to global interests posed by Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and also reaffirmed the importance of the Multinational Security Support mission to stabilize the security situation and create conditions for a return to democracy in Haiti.

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Bishop Rolando Alvarez Unjustly Detained for 500 Days in Nicaragua

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

January 2, 2024

President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo have unjustly incarcerated Bishop Rolando Alvarez for 500 days. During that time, Nicaraguan authorities have kept Bishop Alvarez in isolation, blocked independent evaluation of the conditions of his imprisonment, and released staged videos and photographs that only increase concerns about his well-being.

In addition to Bishop Alvarez, many religious leaders remain unjustly detained in Nicaragua, including fellow Bishop Isidoro Mora and several priests. The Ortega-Murillo regime continues to impose severe restrictions on religious communities and deny Nicaraguan citizens the ability to freely practice their religions and express their beliefs.

We once again call on the Nicaraguan government to release Bishop Rolando Alvarez immediately and without conditions.

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First UK maritime shipment of lifesaving aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt

Lifesaving UK aid shipment for Gaza including thermal blankets and essential items delivered from Cyprus by Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay.

2 January 2024

87 tonnes of life-saving UK and Cypriot aid for the people of Gaza delivered by Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship Lyme Bay to Egypt from Cyprus

delivery includes over 10,000 thermal blankets, nearly 5,000 shelter packs and medical supplies to be transferred to Gaza through the Rafah crossing

it follows the Foreign Secretary's visit to Egypt last month to see first-hand the importance of UK aid for the people of Gaza and the Defence Secretary's visit to Cyprus and Israel. Both have pressed for an acceleration, with significantly more aid to be allowed into Gaza, through as many routes as possible

The first UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza has arrived in Egypt, carrying almost 90 tonnes of thermal blankets and other essential items.

The lifesaving shipment was delivered from Cyprus by Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay, carrying thermal blankets, shelter packs and medical supplies provided by the UK and the Republic of Cyprus. From Port Said, the aid will be received by the Egyptian Red Crescent and will make its way to Al Arish and then through Rafah and into Gaza for distribution by UNRWA.

It follows a visit to Egypt from the Foreign Secretary to Al Arish last month (21 December) to meet with representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, who are coordinating the relief effort at the Rafah crossing, and the Defence Secretary's visit to Cyprus and Israel on 7 December to push for accelerated aid deliveries into Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary have made clear that Israel must increase the flow of aid into Gaza and facilitate the delivery of relief on the ground, including through negotiated humanitarian pauses. The UK will continue to explore other routes for aid deliveries, including the Cypriot initiative for a maritime corridor between Cyprus and Israel/OPTs and supporting United Nations World Food Programme through the humanitarian land corridor from Jordan through Kerem Shalom.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

The UK is committed to supporting the people of Gaza. We have already trebled our aid commitment to Palestinians this year and today's aid delivery - the first UK maritime shipment of aid for Gaza - via Port Said in Egypt contains almost 90 tonnes of vital supplies. Significantly more aid needs to reach Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The UK will continue to work with our partners in the region to open more aid routes into Gaza, including through the proposed maritime corridor between Cyprus and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

I recently visited the region to find the best way to get aid into Gaza and support those in desperate need. Today's maritime aid delivery, the first of its kind, is a significant milestone. RFA Lyme Bay has docked in Egypt with almost 90 tonnes of aid bound for civilians in Gaza. This includes shelters for winter, medical supplies and thermal blankets - all pre-screened in Cyprus. By testing new maritime routes, the UK is paving the way for other international donors to increase and accelerate aid deliveries.

The UK has so far announced it will spend almost 60 million in additional humanitarian funding in Gaza this financial year, trebling our existing annual budget to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The most recent package of 30 million funding, announced by the Foreign Secretary on his last visit to the region, has been allocated to trusted partners on the ground including UNRWA, UNICEF, WFP, the OCHA Pooled Fund and the British Red Cross to support the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies.

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Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York

2 January 2024

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Florencia Soto Nino, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

** Gaza

Happy New Year, everybody. Nice to see you all and it seems it's a busy 2024 already so I have quite a few notes for you, so please bear with me, and then I'll try to answer questions as best as I can. Okay, we'll start with some updates on Gaza. Our humanitarian colleagues report that heavy Israeli bombardments continue, as does fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups, as well as Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. Over the past few days, further attacks hit residential structures and infrastructure in Gaza, with high numbers of casualties reported. An estimated 1.9 million Palestinians  that's roughly 85 per cent of the population  remain displaced. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians since the UN started recording casualties there in 2005  with 507 Palestinians recorded killed. During the same time period, the UN recorded 36 Israeli fatalities in attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank, which was also the highest figure since 2005.

And over the past year, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also recorded 1,225 incidents that involved Israeli settlers in the West Bank and resulted in Palestinian casualties, property damage or both. This is the highest number since the Office started recording this trend in 2006. The increase has caused displacement and deepened humanitarian needs in many areas of the West Bank. The number of incidents resulting in casualties or property damage among Israeli settlers in 2023 is 140, compared with 329 in 2022.

And on Friday, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General expressed his concerns about the further spillover of this conflict, which could have devastating consequences for the entire region. And I believe you all received that.

** Syria

Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is concerned about the impact on civilians of escalating hostilities in the north-west of the country  as well as the potential for the violence to jeopardize cross-border missions by UN staff. We carried out more than 300 such missions last year to meet with impacted people, monitor assistance programmes and conduct needs assessments. Over the weekend, shelling in residential neighbourhoods in Idleb and western Aleppo left at least seven people dead. Nine of the nearly 30 people reportedly injured were children, including a two-month-old baby. At least two schools north-west of Aleppo were also damaged.

And since 5 October, more than 100 people have been killed  almost 40 per cent of them children  due to shelling and other violence in northwest Syria. More than 400 others have been injured. We and our partners continue to monitor the situation and respond to humanitarian needs, including by providing support to health facilities, which are under additional strain due to an increase in respiratory diseases and other winter-related challenges.

** Ukraine

Turning to Ukraine. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that attacks continued today with vast aerial assaults in several regions, causing death  including several children  and destruction of homes and other civilian infrastructure. The capital Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv, in the East, have been most impacted in today's attack and damages have been reported in nine of the capital's ten districts. In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, condemned the attacks, noting that civilians in Kyiv and in Donetsk Region were left without electricity or water, while temperatures are forecasted to reach -20 degrees Celsius this week.

Our humanitarian colleagues also point out that today's strikes follow the pattern of the latest wave of attacks on populated areas in the country since 29 December 2023. We, along with our partners, are on site and have been providing emergency assistance, supporting civilians whose homes were damaged or destroyed in many parts of Ukraine. And in Kyiv today, aid organizations are providing construction materials for rapid repairs of homes, first aid and psychological support, complementing efforts from authorities. And in Kharkiv, humanitarians provided medical and psychological aid, hot meals and drinks, blankets and materials for emergency repairs.

On the response front, on the last day of 2023, the 105th humanitarian inter-agency humanitarian convoy successfully delivered aid to nearly 1,500 civilians in a front-line town in Kharkiv region. The convoy brought essential supplies, including food baskets, hygiene supplies, kits for people with special needs, older people and essential female kits, as well as emergency shelter kits. In total, humanitarians have reached nearly 11 million people in Ukraine in 2023, with almost 1 million in the Kharkivska Oblast alone.

** Security Council

And as you know, on Friday afternoon, the Security Council held a meeting on Ukraine, as well, and on Saturday. Mr. [Khaled] Khiari, [the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific] briefed on Friday and briefed again on Saturday this time noting the attacks that happened on towns across Ukraine and then on locations in the Belgorod city in the Russian Federation.

** Abyei

Now, I'm going to move on to a different part of the world, you may have seen that over the weekend the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) issued a statement condemning the killing of Noon Deng Nyok, the Deputy Chief Administrator of Abyei, along with five other people during an ambush by an armed group near Agok. UNISFA warns that this act of appalling and senseless violence risks the gains that have been made towards resolving the difficult situation in Southern Abyei, and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and collaborate in bringing the perpetrators of this crime to justice. The mission reaffirms its commitment to supporting local authorities in their efforts to promote reconciliation, stability, and the rule of law.

** Lebanon

And I just have a couple more things to flag from over the weekend. In a statement, the Secretary-General took note of the closure of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was established following the adoption of Security Council resolution 1757 (2007) to try those responsible for the 2005 attack in Beirut that killed 22 people, including former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The Secretary-General's thoughts continue to be with the victims and their families of the attack of 14 February 2005 and the connected attacks.

** Mali

We also, you would have seen that we issued a statement, as the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali completed its withdrawal, and the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for the service of its personnel. He added that the UN is committed to continue working with the Malian people and transitional Government towards the restoration of constitutional order and the promotion of peace and security. The Secretary-General also recognized the key role that the Mission played in protecting civilians; the Mission's support to the peace process, to the transition and its efforts towards the restoration of State authority.

And he paid tribute to the 311 personnel from MINUSMA who lost their lives and the more than 700 who were injured in the cause of peace during the 10 years the Mission was deployed. And as we have mentioned, the liquidation period began yesterday. A smaller team is remaining at sites in Gao and Bamako to oversee the orderly transportation of assets belonging to troop- and police-contributing countries to the respective nations, and the appropriate disposal of equipment that belonged to the UN. And the Secretary-General counts on the full cooperation of the transitional Government to ensure this process is completed as soon as possible.

** Rohingya Refugees

And finally, actually no, I still have a few things. The World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh is gearing up to restore its critical food assistance for the entire Rohingya population in Cox's Bazar. Yesterday, they started increasing the value of its monthly food voucher from $8 to $10 per person. In addition to increasing this, WFP will gradually distribute locally fortified rice to the Rohingya population, starting in one or two camps and eventually extending to all camps in Cox's Bazar and in Bhasan Char Island. As you know, a sharp decline in resources led to a reduction in the value of WFP's food voucher in 2023. And WFP's monitoring has shown a sharp decrease in food consumption. The number of people struggling to have acceptable food consumption shot up from 79 per cent in June to 90 per cent by November [2023].

** Senior Personnel Appointment

And I have two senior personnel appointments today. First, the Secretary-General is appointing  and please forgive me for my pronunciation which I am sure I am gonna botch  Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda of Zimbabwe as Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, the UN System Coordination and Programme Results at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - also known as UN-Women. The Secretary-General wishes to extend his appreciation to UN-Women Director, Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Support, Sarah Hendriks of Canada, who will continue to serve as UN Women Deputy Executive Director ad interim, until Ms. Gumbonzvanda assumes her functions. You got to love our terminology. Ms. Gumbonzvanda is the Founder and Executive Director for Rozaria Memorial Trust based in Zimbabwe. And there is lots more for you online.

** Senior Personnel Appointment

And also today, the Secretary-General is appointing Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri of Mongolia as Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Major General Batsuuri succeeds Major General Ingrid Gjerde of Norway, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her exemplary service and dedication. Major General Batsuuri has had a distinguished career in the Mongolian Armed Forces, serving most recently as the Chief of Staff at the Mongolian Air Force Command (2020-2023). And there is also more online.

** Briefing Today

And finally, this afternoon at 3 p.m., there will be an in-person briefing by Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere, President of the Security Council for January and Permanent Representative of France to these United Nations. And French and English interpretation will be available. And I can see you all can't wait for questions. So here we go. Let's start with Maggie.

** Questions and Answers

Correspondent : Thank you. Happy New Year.

Associate Spokesperson : Happy New Year.

Question : Starting off with today's news, there was a strike in a densely populated Beirut suburb about an hour or so ago. Several people were killed. Hamas says one of their senior commanders was killed. It was on a Hamas's office. Reaction?

Associate Spokesperson : I mean, we have been, just as you have been following these recent developments, which just happened a few minutes ago. Obviously, the developments are extremely worrying. And I think this just really highlights what the Secretary-General had just said about the dangers of the spillover of this conflict in the wider region. Well, we don't have all the details and we don't know... we don't have all the facts yet. We know that the Secretary-General urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to deescalate tensions in the region. I mean, he was very clear and that he's mentioned that this continued fighting has the risk of a great miscalculation by multiple actors. And I think this is what we've been seeing in different parts of the region, sadly. So, we again appeal to all members of the international community to do everything in their power to prevent an escalation to the situation there.

Question : Just one other. Israel said it's withdrawing a couple of its battalions from Gaza and sending some others back for training or retraining. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to that? Does he see it as a positive or negative?

Associate Spokesperson : We don't really have a reaction to that. It seems that it's more of a tactical move. James?

Question : So follow-up on the assassinations of the Hamas leader and the two other Hamas members who were killed in Beirut. We don't know who was responsible. Israel has not said it was responsible yet, but it looks like the most likely to have carried this out. So, clearly, an attack from beyond Lebanon to Lebanon. That would be a breach of the UN Charter, would it not? And the Secretary-General would condemn that, would he not?

Associate Spokesperson : Well, since I don't know yet, I don't want to speculate. So, I'll leave that to you.

Question : Okay. The leader of Hizbullah, Hassan Nasrallah, has said in the past that any assassination on Lebanese soil will have a strong response. What is your message to Hassan Nasrallah?

Associate Spokesperson : I think our message to everyone has been... is the same. That because of the escalating tensions and the fragility of the situation in the region, we are calling for maximum restraint from all parties. We don't want any rash actions that could trigger further violence.

Question : And given this is the first attack that's not in the border area, that's actually in Beirut, the risk of escalation is probably the highest it's been at any point. Would the Secretary-General agree with that? And does he think given that the Security Council should now urgently meet?

Associate Spokesperson : Well, as I said, I think we find the situation extremely worrying. And, of course, it's up to the council to follow-up on this latest development. Yes?

Question : Thank you. So just to follow-up on the issue of aid to Gaza. Did you notice any significant change on your ability to deliver aid since the Security Council adopted their last resolution about 10 days ago?

Associate Spokesperson : I mean, to be honest, and I think this is something that we've been seeing again and again. It's still a very challenging situation. It is the lengths that our colleagues have to go through to get aid into these places. They're really stretched. Right? And we've heard from our colleagues from UNRWA [UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East]. We heard from Martin Griffiths [Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator]. I mean, you will have seen that tweet that he had where there's all these different obstacles that are still there, regardless of what's happened in the past few days. It's still extremely difficult for us to get aid in there. And especially when the people that are delivering this aid are also themselves suffering from this displacement and are under extreme hardship. But, regardless of that, we continue to try to fulfil our mandate. But regardless of, okay, well, there's this personnel issue, but there's also this logistical issue. There are layers of inspection that trucks have to go through before they even enter. There are confusion and long queues. And there's a lot of crossing points where trucks have been blocked by hungry communities. I mean, you've seen the reports in the media about how the trucks that are going through. People are just really just grabbing onto the aid because  and eating it right there  because they're in this desperate situation. So, I wouldn't say that it has become easier, that the situation has improved. I think our obstacles remain day to day.

Question : I want to ask you about there was media reports about the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, that he was hired by the Israelis or was supposed to be hired by the Israelis to use his connection to basically influence Arab countries to take Palestinians. And his office said that these reports are not true. But, we are talking here about actually forced displacement and just lost and putting that forced displacement into other titles like voluntary leaving, et cetera. And we see last week the... I think on Saturday, the Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel, said again that the exodus of Palestinians and talked about... sorry, that there will be an exodus of Palestinians from Gaza and instead of them, there will be Israelis. My question to you here, in his talks, the Secretary-General with Israeli officials, but also other high UN officials, were they ever approached to take part or to facilitate regarding such issue? Were there any talks on this regard?

Associate Spokesperson : No. Not to my knowledge.

Question : So, what is the stand of the UN on this issue?

Associate Spokesperson : I mean, our position has always been we are against forced displacement. Period. And the Secretary-General has been very, very clear in that ultimately what we continue to fight for is for a two-state solution. Yes.

Question : Just to straighten out some of the confusion, is all the aid going through Rafah or is Kerem Shalom now open?

Associate Spokesperson : So, we've been in constant touch with our humanitarian colleagues, and I think the latest we have is that Kerem Shalom was operating right now. But depending on the security situation, this has gone back and forth and fluctuated. So, the situation is still very much in flux. More questions, Maggie.

Question : One more on the aid and then another topic. Do you... does the UN have any evidence that Hamas is diverting any of the aid that it is delivering... that the UN is delivering?

Associate Spokesperson : Not to my knowledge, but I will double check.

Question : Okay. And then on Sudan, it seems like there were some developments over the last few days on the political front. Do you have any updates for us?

Associate Spokesperson : Not right now, but I will also ask for tomorrow's briefing. Any other questions? Yes. Back there.

Question : Yes. My name is Abdelhamid Siyam. I have a few questions.

Associate Spokesperson : Hi, Abdelhamid. And then we'll go back to the room. Hi, Abdelhamid.

Question : Hi. Okay. Can I ask my two questions?

Associate Spokesperson : Yes, please. Please, please go ahead.

Question : Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Going back to the assassination of Saleh Arouri, the Deputy Head of Hamas Political Bureau in Beirut. Today, Turkiye expelled 40 Israeli agents because they were preparing for some assassination in Turkiye. A few days ago, Israel also assassinated an Iranian senior adviser in Damascus. And today, they killed a Hamas leader by a drone, by the way. It is known now. It is an Israeli operation. So, the SG keeps asking not to expand the war, not to go beyond Gaza. But, who is doing that? Why the UN does not say things the way they are? Who is expanding the war beyond the border of occupied Palestine?

Associate Spokesperson : Well, from all these reports, we've seen the reports. We have no way of verifying a lot of these reports, but in short, I think what we have been saying is asking for everyone, every single party to exercise restraint. And that every single party includes everyone involved. So, I'll just leave it at that.

Question : Okay. Also today, the Headquarter of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza was bombarded. Five Palestinian workers had been killed. Are you aware of this development?

Associate Spokesperson : No. But I will follow-up on that, Abdelhamid.

Question : Okay. Thank you. I continue. By now, it's almost 90,000 Palestinians have been either killed, maimed or buried under the rubble. 90,000. That means an average of 1,000 people a day, either killed or maimed or buried under the rubble. 1,000 a day. And so far, no UN official had the courage to call it genocide. Why is that?

Associate Spokesperson : Well, that I think you've asked Farhan and Stephane quite a few times. And I think it's because it's not up to us to designate it as such this falls to the appropriate courts. So, this is the reason. And I'll go back to the room now. Thank you.

Question : Yeah. Thank you for briefing. So my name is [inaudible] from Kyodo Japanese media. So Happy New Year. So I'll change the topic. So, you know, as you know, so the first day of this year, so the powerful earthquake hit Japan. So, do you have any comment to Japan? And do you have any plan to help support for Japan?

Associate Spokesperson : Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, we've all seen what's happened in the past 48 hours in Japan. The Secretary-General is deeply saddened to hear of the loss of life and the damage caused by the earthquake. And he expresses his solidarity with the government and the people of Japan, and we extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wish a swift recovery to those who were injured. And then, of course, we also saw the reports about the plane accident and sadly, which was with a coast guard that was delivering aid to those impacted by the earthquake and, you know, I think, thankfully, everybody in the plane got to safety in a timely manner. Our thoughts are very much with the people of Japan at this time, and we hope that they manage to recover. Yes.

Question : Thank you. Going back to Gaza, you mentioned that the UN has no information about the diversion of possible aid by Hamas. I was just wondering, since Hamas, you know, still runs part of the country, is there any connection or communication between the UN and humanitarian efforts and Hamas? In other words, is Hamas playing any role even at this point in terms of getting the aid out?

Associate Spokesperson : I mean, I think wherever we go, regardless of where it is in the world, we have to deal with a variety of actors, and we always try to do our best to get the aid delivered. That's pretty much, I could say, like, this always varies, right. People would ask us this in Afghanistan, people would ask this in, you know, Myanmar or wherever it is. And all I can say is that our colleagues, because they are humanitarians, we don't want to politicize aid, and all I can say is that they do their best to deal with whoever is on the ground to make sure that the aid gets to those who need it the most. Okay. And with that, I will see you here tomorrow. Thank you. Happy New Year.

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Between 31 December 2023 and 1 January 2024, water wells in Jabalia, Khan Younis and Rafah were operational. Approximately 13,000 cubic metres have been pumped. Khan Younis and Rafah water wells have operated in two shifts (12 hours) to provide potable/domestic water supply service.

During the same period, the solid waste management service continued at Rafah, Khan Younis and middle area camps. About 120 loadings have been transferred to temporary dumping sites.

[1] Results are only from 7 of the 8 operational health centres due to connectivity issues.

[2] Results are only from 7 of the 8 operational health centres due to connectivity issues.
Somalia Rejects Ethiopia Sea Access Deal with Somaliland

By Harun Maruf January 02, 2024

The Somali government has strongly rejected a memorandum of understanding signed between Ethiopia and the self-declared region of Somaliland and recalled its ambassador in protest.

Following a cabinet meeting Tuesday in Mogadishu, the Somali government declared the deal "null and void" and "unacceptable."

"The Somali government recognizes Ethiopia's actions as a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia," read a statement issued at the end of the cabinet meeting.

"The Somali government, with the support of its people, is ready to defend, protect and preserve the sovereignty, dignity, territorial integrity, and social unity. In response to this matter, the Somali government recalls its ambassador to Ethiopia for urgent consultation."

The action by the Somali government came a day after Ethiopia announced Monday signing a "historic" initial agreement with the self-declared republic of Somaliland that will allow landlocked Ethiopia to have access to the Red Sea.

Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed the "memorandum of understanding" with Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, who has been visiting Addis Ababa.

"The memorandum of understanding shall pave the way to realize the aspiration of Ethiopia to secure access to the sea and diversify its access to seaports," said a statement issued by Ahmed's office.

Somaliland further confirmed the details of the deal.

Abdi posted on X that in the memorandum Ethiopia "officially recognizes the Republic of Somaliland while Somaliland grants naval and commercial sea access on lease to Ethiopia for 50 years."

Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs also posted that recognition marks a "significant diplomatic milestone for our country."

"It's crucial to note that the leased sea access underscores the cooperative spirit and strategic partnership established through this diplomatic accord," a statement by the ministry said.

Ethiopia has not yet confirmed it will recognize Somaliland but has welcomed the deal.

In a post on X, Redwan Hussien, Minister, National Security Advisor to Abiy Ahmed wrote: "A step ahead in the right direction."

Somalia warned Ethiopia against "any attempt to violate the sovereignty, independence, and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia. This entitles the federal government of Somalia the right to respond to the provocative action taken by the federal government of Ethiopia in any means and legal process necessary."

Somalia appealed to the United Nations' Security Council, the AU or African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, IGAD and other partners to "unequivocally condemn Ethiopia's serious violations and force it to return to the confines of international laws."

"The federal government of Somalia views this action as an impediment to the neighborly relations, peaceful coexistence, and regional stability, and is a blatant assault on the independence, sovereignty, and unity of the Federal Republic of Somalia," the statement said.

President of Somalia Hassan Shekh Mohamud, who addressed a joint session of the parliament, vowed that Somalia will not allow "an inch of Somali territory to be taken away."

Citing Ethiopia's military intervention in 2006, a rallying cry for some Somalis who supported the al-Shabab militant group, Mohamud said the current Ethiopian prime minister's action is "creating an opportunity for al-Shabab to recruit."

Al-Shabab immediately responded to the deal and condemned the MoU signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland.

The group's official spokesman, Ali Mohamud Rage, "Ali Dheere," in an audio recording, said the deal is "unlawful" and "invalid." He criticized Somaliland leaders for signing the deal and has threatened to fight it.

Somalia and Ethiopia have a troubled history, having fought wars over territorial disputes. The last major war took place in 1977, when Somalia initially seized large parts of the Somali region in eastern Ethiopia, only for Ethiopia to regain control of the area in a counterattack.

Following the ousting of two military rulers in the space of months in 1991, relations between Ethiopia and Somalia have been improving. Ethiopia hosted reconciliation conferences for Somalia factions from 1993 until the federal government was formed in 2004 in neighboring Kenya. The leader of that government, former president Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, asked Ethiopia to send troops to support the federal government to fight Islamic courts and militants.

After a war, Ethiopia withdrew troops in 2009. Ethiopia sent its troops back into Somalia in early 2012 after militants expanded, and Ethiopian forces joined the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Currently Ethiopia has thousands of troops in Somalia, some of whom serve as part of an AU mission, and some are stationed in various areas under a bilateral agreement.

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Jail Sentence for Bangladesh Nobel Laureate Triggers Outrage

By Shaikh Azizur Rahman January 02, 2024

Rights activists and supporters of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus are expressing shock and anger over a six-month prison sentence handed to the economist on charges of violating labor laws.

Supporters of Yunus said that the case in which he was convicted Monday is politically motivated, while activists said that the Sheikh Hasina-led government began hounding him largely because the prime minister viewed him as a potential political threat.

"For his work among the poor, Professor Muhammad Yunus got a Nobel Prize, brought honor to Bangladesh and was hailed as a global social business hero," said Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman of the Capital Punishment Justice Project, which has been documenting rights violations in Bangladesh for more than 15 years.

"Now using the judiciary, the government is harassing and humiliating him on frivolous grounds. The conviction is indeed a travesty of justice," he told VOA.

Yunus is credited with lifting millions of people out of poverty through his pioneering use of microloans through Grameen Bank, which he founded in 1983 for those unable to procure loans from conventional banks. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his grassroots development work in Bangladesh.

At least 199 cases have been filed against Yunus since Hasina first became prime minister in 2009, mostly for allegedly violating labor laws and embezzling funds from some of the more than 50 social business firms that he had set up in the country.

This past Monday, Sheikh Merina Sultana, head of a labor court in Dhaka, pronounced Yunus and three Grameen Telecom colleagues guilty of labor law violations and sentenced each to six months in prison. All have been granted bail pending appeals.

The judge said in her verdict that the company violated labor laws by failing to make 67 temporary employees permanent, not creating welfare funds for employees and failing to distribute 5% of the company's dividends to them.

In an interview with VOA's Bangla service, government lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan, representing the Directorate of Factories and Institutions, maintained that the sentence was appropriate and that Yunus had been treated fairly, noting that Yunus remains free pending an appeal.

"The judge read out the main parts of the 84-page verdict where the violations of labor law were proved," he said. "So, as the labor law violation is proved, he was sentenced by the court. ... He asked for bail and [was] immediately granted bail."

Information and Broadcasting Minister Muhammad Hasan Mahmud also defended the ruling when speaking to reporters on Monday.

"And with due respect to Dr. Muhammad Yunus, I want to say that Dr. Yunus did not pay the dues of the workers for many years. Later, when the workers went to court, his company asked two labor leaders to manage this by bribing them," he charged.

'We are innocent'

Yunus said the charges were baseless.

"I founded the social business firms which were always aimed at specifically benefiting common people. I have not profited from any of the social business firms I set up in Bangladesh," Yunus told local reporters in the court on Monday.

"All four of us in this case are innocent. Yet we have been pronounced guilty. You may call it justice if you want."

Yunus' lawyer, Abdullah Al-Mamun, told VOA that the alleged crimes with which Yunus and his colleagues were charged are civil offenses under Bangladesh's Labour Act but that the government filed them as a criminal case, "strangely."

"This is an unprecedented judgment. Due legal process was not followed in the case. The case was fast-tracked in a way that we were not given enough time to present our arguments in court. We were denied a fair trial and have therefore been denied justice," Mamun told VOA.

"All charges were false. We see the case as an attempt to damage the Nobel laureate's global reputation. ... We will appeal against the verdict."

Shortly after he won the Nobel Prize, Yunus planned to launch a new political party pledging to uproot corruption in the country. A few months later, however, he abandoned the idea of partaking in politics.

Yunnus viewed as potential rival

Hasina had praised Yunus' development-related achievement and Grameen Bank initially, but later she changed her tone after he emerged as a potential political rival.

While the global community hailed him as a development hero and his popularity soared in Bangladesh, Hasina accused him of "sucking blood" from poor people, and in 2011, her administration launched a series of investigations against him.

Over the past years, Yunus has faced scores of civil suits and criminal cases related to the social business companies he founded.

In August, more than 170 global figures, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and over 100 Nobel laureates, published a joint letter voicing concerns over the "continuous judicial harassment" of Yunus.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ban said, "A leader like Muhammad Yunus should be celebrated and free to contribute to improving the lives of people and the planet. The last place he should be is in prison. I call for an immediate reversal of this unjust verdict."

In September, Amnesty International said in a statement that the criminal proceeding against Yunus marked "a blatant abuse of labour laws and the justice system and a form of political retaliation for his work and dissent."

Dhaka University professor and political commentator Asif Nazrul said that the highest tier of the ruling party, "which has an iron grip on the judiciary, relentlessly assassinated the character" of Yunus.

"Bangladesh does not have the best reputation for honoring labor rights and safety. Yet, compared to other labor law cases, the trial of Professor Yunus was conducted with unusual swiftness," Nazrul told VOA.

"The ridiculously high number of cases filed against him during this government's current regime clearly indicates the malicious intent against him."

Jon Danilowicz, a retired U.S. diplomat who has served in Bangladesh, said Hasina has long "pursued a political and personal vendetta" against Yunus.

"This directed conviction is intended to send a message to any who would dare to stand up to her," Danilowicz told VOA.

"She also hopes to demonstrate to her supporters that Western threats to hold her regime accountable won't be followed up by action."

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4 killed, 12 wounded in fresh violence in India's Manipur

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:02, January 03, 2024

NEW DELHI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and 12 others wounded in a fresh spate of violence in the northeastern state of Manipur, officials said Tuesday.

The killings prompted local authorities to impose a curfew in some parts to contain the situation.

The attack took place Monday evening at Lilong Chingjao village in Thoubal district, about 23 km south of Imphal, the capital city of Manipur.

The gunmen came to the village and were reportedly seen carrying out extortion.

"While carrying out the extortion, a verbal brawl broke out between gunmen and a local, following which gunmen resorted to indiscriminate firing, killing four people and wounding at least 12 others," an official said.

The shooting enraged locals, who set vehicles belonging to the gunmen on fire.

Muhammad Abdul Nasir, a lawmaker from Manipur's Lilong, told the media that four people were killed in Monday's attack and of the 12 wounded, 10 have been shifted to Imphal hospitals.

According to officials, an indefinite curfew has been imposed in Thoubal, Imphal East and Imphal West, Kakching and Bishnupur districts.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, in a video message, condemned the violence and appealed to the people to maintain peace.

Manipur has been on edge since May 3 last year when large-scale violence broke out in the state during a tribal protest over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status - designated for disadvantaged socio-economic groups which gives them reservations in education and government jobs.

The ethnic clashes between the majority Meitei group and the tribal Kuki minority have displaced 60,000. The mobs in the state resorted to vandalism and arson targeting houses and shops.

According to officials, the violence so far has claimed over 180 lives and injured over 1,100.

So far efforts by the federal government to restore peace in the state have not yielded desired results.

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Hamas freezes talks with Israel after deputy leader killed in Beirut

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:14, January 03, 2024

Hamas freezes truce talks with Israel after the assassination of its deputy chief in an Israeli drone attack in Lebanon, where Hezbollah warned that such crime would be punished.

GAZA/BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Hamas announced a freeze on ceasefire negotiations with Israel after the faction's deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed Tuesday evening in an Israeli attack in Lebanon, a Palestinian source told Xinhua.

"We have informed the brothers in Qatar and Egypt of the freezing of negotiations," the source said on condition of anonymity. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The source added that Hamas, at war with Israel, rejected any talks about reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid escalated Israeli aggression and "assassination schemes" against Palestinian leaders.

Earlier, a Hamas source told Xinhua that several aides of al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas politburo, were also killed in the Israeli attack targeting a Hamas office in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

In a statement, Hamas confirmed that seven of its members were slain in the Israeli attack, slamming it as a "barbaric and heinous" terrorist act, a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, and an expansion of Israeli aggression against Palestine and its people.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said the attack was a serious assault on the Lebanese people, security, and sovereignty.

"This crime will never pass without response and punishment," it said in a statement, warning that the attack signaled "a dangerous development" in the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident, but Israeli media, citing senior officials, said that the country was on high alert against "a significant retaliation" by Hamas or its Iranian-backed ally, Hezbollah, including the launching of precision weapons at Israeli cities.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, both in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario," IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a briefing to reporters.

Iran on Tuesday condemned Israel's "despicable" move of assassinating al-Arouri, as well as two commanders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, in the drone strike in Beirut.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also strongly condemned the Israeli attack that rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

"The explosion is a new Israeli crime aimed at inevitably dragging Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation, following the daily ongoing assaults in the south, resulting in a significant number of martyrs and wounded individuals," Mikati said in a statement.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Hamas leaders in Palestinian territories and beyond, particularly al-Arouri, who was accused by Israel of directly being responsible for the "Al-Aqsa Storm" attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Al-Arouri, 57, is considered one of the prominent Hamas leaders, and a founder of the al-Qassam Brigades and its cells in the West Bank.

He was imprisoned in Israel for more than 18 years and was deported by Israeli authorities from Palestinian territories upon his last release in 2010. In the same year, he was elected as a Hamas politburo member.

Al-Arouri became the No. 2 in the top Hamas leadership body in 2017.

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Hamas: Israeli Drone Strike Kills Senior Hamas Leader Near Beirut

By VOA News January 03, 2024

An Israeli drone strike Tuesday night on Hamas offices in the Beirut suburbs killed senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri, the militant group and Mideast news outlets reported.

Arouri was a senior official in Hamas' politburo and one of the founders of its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, that carried out the deadly shock assault in Israeli territory on Oct. 7. The United States last year offered $5 million for information on him as part of its Rewards for Justice program.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the report, but such an attack would be in line with Jerusalem's avowed intent to kill key Hamas leaders as the war with Hamas in Gaza nears the three-month mark.

"The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas," Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said when asked about Arouri's killing.

Arouri headed the Hamas presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill him even before the militant group invaded southern Israel in the October attack.

Lebanon's state news agency reported that four people were killed in the attack on the Hamas offices in a crowded neighborhood in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

In a statement, Hezbollah said, "this crime will not go unanswered or unpunished," calling it a "dangerous development in the course of the war."

Meanwhile, Israel launched airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as residents reported heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in central and southern Gaza.

Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, has been launching attacks on Israel since the war against Hamas began in October.

Tuesday's clashes included the Al-Bureij area in the center of the Palestinian enclave and Khan Younis, the southern city that is Gaza's second largest.

Israel's military also reported launching new airstrikes in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants, allies of Hamas who have exchanged fire with Israeli forces across the border throughout the war in Gaza.

Israel also said it struck "military infrastructure belonging to the Syrian Army" in response to what it said were attacks from Syrian territory targeting Israel.

Syria's state news agency said several Israeli airstrikes hit the outskirts of Damascus and caused "material damage."

Israel has warned that if Hezbollah does not back down, a full-on Lebanon war looms. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, whose militant allies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have also been carrying out longer-range attacks against Israel.

Amid the fighting, a significant question remains undecided: How will a postwar Gaza and the Palestinian enclave on the West Bank be governed?

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday in a televised address that he is open to a single Palestinian administration to govern war-ravaged Gaza, which has been ruled by Hamas, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority runs some government operations.

Haniyeh's position is similar to that of the United States, which favors eventual control of Gaza and the West Bank by the Palestinian Authority, a stance opposed by Netanyahu. The Israeli leader says the Jewish state must control "overall security" in Gaza after the war but left unclear exactly what that would entail.

The United States has stressed that Palestinians must be part of any postwar administration, but the future role of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority remains unclear.

The Israeli campaign to crush Hamas has left vast parts of the Gaza Strip in ruins. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said the Israeli offensive has killed more than 22,000 people. The ministry does not differentiate between militants and civilians but says 70% of those killed were women and children.

Israel launched its offensive after the Oct. 7 attack when Israel said about 1,200 people were killed and some 240 captives taken hostage, with 129 believed still held by Hamas or other militants in Gaza. The Israeli military said 174 of its military personnel have been killed so far in the fighting.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and others.

About 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations. The U.N. has warned of the increased risk of hunger and disease, as desperate families shelter in makeshift tents against the winter cold.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Rafah governate, located in southern Gaza next to the Egyptian border, is the main refuge for those who have been displaced by intensified fighting and Israeli evacuation orders. There are more than one million people there, "squeezed into an extremely overcrowded space," the U.N. said.

Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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IS-Khorasan

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K)

ISIL in Afghanistan

Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)

ISIS Wilayat Khorasan



A widely discussed (and disputed) Hadith speaks of how "black banners will come out of Khorasan" in the end times. Other black-flag prophecies were attributed to the Prophet himself. If you see the black banners coming from Khorasan, instructs one, go to them immediately even if you must crawl over ice because indeed among them is the caliph, al-Mahdi. These are weak traditions and cannot be verified. But they reflect the Islamic idea of a group of pious men who will defeat the army of the "infidels" before the "end of times." Modern Salafist jihadists believe the end of days is fast approaching.

The black banner has white Arabic text that says "There is only one God and Mohammad is his prophet". Islamic apocalyptic literature has become a central theme for some jihadist groups fighting in the Middle East. The black flag is said to have been the battle flag of the Prophet Muhammad and was carried into battle by many of his companions. The image of the black flag has become a symbol of religious revolt and engagement in battle, or jihad. The 13-minute video The Emergence of Prophecy: The Black Flags of Khorasan was created by the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. The video depicts the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a sign of the prophecy's fruition, and summons Muslims to join the battle.

By January 2024 multiple Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP)-linked external operations had been foiled, demonstrating a further expansion of the branchs ambitions to internationalize and strike enemies located outside of its Afghanistan-Pakistan base. ISKP-connected plots had been disrupted in India, Iran, Germany, Austria, Spain, the Maldives, Qatar, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan. ISKP had successfully conducted attacks inside Iran, and it is likely that more will slip through over time in other countries

MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) on 29 December 2023 published a translation of cover article in the latest issue of the "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by Al-Azaim Media Foundation, a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), dubs Jews the killers of prophets, accuses them of controlling global financial systems and media, and of promoting polytheism, poverty, socio-political unrest, corruption, injustice, immorality, and extrajudicial murder.

The article, titled, "The Nation Deserving Holocaust The Most," warns that Israelis should not expect to be safe. "[N]o security assurance really lies in the modern weaponries and fortified cities for the Zionists against the upcoming holocaust at the hand of the Muslims, just as the fortification didn't help the Jews of Medina and Khyber against the torment of Allah at the hands of the Companions [Sahaba, of Prophet Muhammad]," it says.

One of ISISs most lethal branches, ISIS-Khorasan has killed or injured thousands of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan since its inception in 2015. The branch also has conducted attacks in Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and it seeks to conduct operations against the United States and Europe.

Formed in 2015 by members of militant groupsincluding Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistanwho pledged allegiance to ISIS, ISIS-Khorasan aspires to establish a province in ISISs self-proclaimed caliphate by controlling territory in the Khorasan, referring to Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, Central Asia, and Iran. The branch primarily fights against the Taliban in Afghanistan while seeking to discredit the governments of neighboring countries, promote sectarian violence, and exploit poor economic conditions and social divisions to attract members. The branch obtains funding from ISIS in Syria and sources in Afghanistan.

Islamic State in the Khorasan Province IS-KP is a transnational Sunni violent extremist group based primarily in Afghanistan. IS-KP adheres to the extreme Salafi jihadist interpretation of Islam promoted by the Islamic State (IS), which seeks to establish a global caliphate and regards all who fail to follow its religious doctrine as apostates and infidels. Also known as:; Islamic State Khorasan; Islamic StateKhorasan; IS Khorasan; Islamic State of Iraq and the LevantKhorasan; Islamic State of Iraq and SyriaKhorasan; Islamic State of Iraq and al-ShamKhorasan; Wilayat Khorasan; Daesh Khorasan; Daesh-Khorasan.

The Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan (ISIS-K) aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of Central Asia; counter Westerners and Shia Muslims. Areas of operation include a stronghold in Nangarhar Province near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and operating in Kunar, Laghman, Jowzjan provinces with pockets of support throughout Afghanistan. Itecruits from among the local population, Central Asian extremists in Afghanistan, and other militant groups, such as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

As a historical region, Khorasan encompasses parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan Iran and Bangladesh. Greater Khorasan is a historical region that had wide geographical boundaries. The Islamic Khorasan region includes northwestern Afghanistan (such as the city of Herat ) and parts of southern Turkmenistan, in addition to the current Khorasan province in Iran. Greater Khorasan was first established in the 6th century as one of four administrative (military) divisions by the Sassanid Empire , and the extent of the region has varied greatly during its nearly 1,500-year history. In modern times the term has been a source of nostalgia and great nationalism, especially among the Tajiks of Central Asia.

On January 14, 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated ISIS-K as a foreign terrorist organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. Previously, on September 29, 2015, the U.S. Department of State designated ISIS-K as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, as amended. Therefore, all property and rights of ISIS-K subject to U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and Americans are completely prohibited from engaging in any transactions with ISIS-K. It is a crime to knowingly, attempt or seek to provide material support or resources to ISIS-K.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Leadership

IS-KP maintains a hierarchical leadership structure, governed by senior leadership in the form of a Shura Advisory Council, and led by an emir. IS-KP also utilises commanders at the provincial level and leaders responsible for various functions of IS-KPs administration, such as logistics. While early leaders largely hailed from the core group of TTP commanders who founded IS-KP, this has since diversified.

Seventh emir: Shahab al-Muhajir (aka Sanaullah Ghafari) Originally affiliated to the Haqqani network, al-Muhajir joined IS-KP following its emergence in Afghanistan and was appointed as the organisations seventh emir in June 2020. A communique described Muhajir as a senior military leader and one of the participants in guerrilla operations spawned by the Islamic State's Khorasan branch and in planning suicides and complex attacks. Born in Afghanistan in 1994, he is responsible for approving all operations of the Islamic States Khorasan branch in Afghanistan and for obtaining funding for its operations. Described by IS as an urban warfare expert, al-Muhajir is credited with driving IS-KPs urban shift and reinvigorating the organisation following major territorial and leadership losses. Within months of al-Muhajirs leadership, IS-KP staged a suicide attack on the Nagarhar central prison in Jalalabad, resulting in the release of 1000 inmates including around 280 IS-KP prisoners. One of those prisoners was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, who led IS-KPs attack on Kabul Airport in August 2021, resulting in the deaths of 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members.

Sixth emir: Aslam Farooqi (aka Abdullah Orakzai) Appointed emir in July 2019, Farooqi was previously in charge of IS-KP operations in Pakistans Khyber Agency. Captured by Afghanistan security forces in April 2020, Farooqi was one of the IS-KP prisoners freed during the Nagarhar central prison attack. The head of the Islamic State groups Afghanistan affiliate was arrested along with 19 other militants, Afghan officials said 04 April 2020. Abdullah Orakzai aka by Aslam Farooqi, was detained by forces from the National Directorate of Security, the countrys main intelligence agency said in a statement. In January 2022, Pakistan media reported that Farooqi was killed during a shootout in northern Afghanistan.

Fifth emir: Abu Omar al-Khorasani (aka Zia ul-Haq) Initially a spokesperson for IS-KP, Khorasani was appointed as the organisations fourth emir in August 2018 following the death of his predecessor. In 2019, Khorasani was reportedly demoted following ISKP setbacks throughout 2018. In May 2020, Khorasani was arrested by Afghan security forces in Kabul.

Fourth emir: Abu Saad Orakzai (aka Abu Saad Erhabi) Originally from the Orakzai agency, Abu Saad Orakzai led IS-KP from July 2017 to August 2018 when he was killed in a drone strike in the Jangal Keli village in Nangarhar.

Third emir: Abu Sayed (aka Abdul Rahman Ghaleb) Taking over as IS-KP leader in April 2017, Abu Sayeds tenure was short-lived after he was killed in a U.S. drone strike on 11 July 2017.

Second emir: Abdul Hasib (Abdul Haseeb Logari) Initially IS-KPs deputy leader, Abdul Hasib led IS-KP for nine months until his death during a U.S. raid in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on 27 April 2017.

First emir: Hafiz Saeed Khan A former commander of the TTP, Khan first pledged allegiance to IS in October 2014. Previously responsible for TTPs operations in Orakazi in Pakistans Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khan possessed access to a wealth of recruitment networks in Pakistan, helping IS-KP secure an early foothold in the strategic Pakistan/Afghanistan border area. The organisation first emerged in October 2014, following a pledge of allegiance made by six former senior Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members to then IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the wake of this pledge, IS formally announced the formation of its Khorasan province in January 2015, and appointed Hafiz Saeed Khan as IS-KPs first emir. Khan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on 26 July 2016.

The Defense Department announced 10 February 2015 the deaths of eight individuals, including a former Taliban commander, killed during precision airstrikes in Afghanistan. Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby told Pentagon reporters the airstrikes were a reminder, and emphasized using all available methods to dismantle terrorist groups threatening US, partner and allied interests. Yesterday, U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducted a precision strike in Helmand province, he said, resulting in the death of eight individuals, to include Abdul Rauf Khadim, a former Taliban commander.

Khadim was a former Guantanamo detainee who was released and went back to the -- to work with the Taliban, He was released in 2007. He was released to Kabul. Khadim was assessed as having decided to swear allegiance to ISIL probably no more than a couple weeks earlier. And he didn't have a whole lot of depth to any network resources or manpower when he did it.

Admiral Kirby noted Khadim, and his associates, were targeted because we had information that they were planning operations against U.S. and Afghan personnel there in Afghanistan.... If theyre going to threaten our interest, our allies, our partners in Afghanistan, theyre fair game.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Strength

The Taliban were Stalinists, and the adherents of the Islamic State Khorasan were Trotskyites, in a manner of speaking. There is no doubt that both were committed Islamists who were violently opposed ot the secularism of the various flavors of Communism. But applying such inapplicable labels may help some Westerners unfamiliar with the varieties of Islamicist thought to understand the conflict between Building a Caliphate in One Country - the Taliban - and spreading Islam to build a global Caliphate - the Islamic State concept [with apologies to Lev Davidovich].

Bin Laden repeatedly argued that Afghanistan had become a model Islamic state under his Taliban hosts and used religious rhetoric to solicit support for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. A top commander in Afghanistan said in 2014 that there was no indication of any connections between ISIL and the Taliban. ISIL in Afghanistan then seemed nascent at best. In fact, it was more aspirational than anything else as of 2015.

Army Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, told the Senate Armed Services Committee 12 February 2015 The possible rise of Daesh -- or ISIL -- is also a new development. Thus far we think the presence of Daesh in Afghanistan represents more of a rebranding of a few marginalized Taliban. But we are still taking this potential threat, with its dangerous rhetoric and ideology, very, very seriously.

A few Taliban rebranded themselves as ISIL. This was possibly an attempt to attract media attention, solicit greater resources, and increase recruitment. The Taliban networks were well established, and significant ideological and cultural differences existed between the movements. The Taliban had declared that they will not allow ISIL in Afghanistan, but the potential emergence of ISIL sharply focused the ANSF, National Directorate of Security (NDS), and political leadership. All are collaborating closely in order to prevent this threat from expanding.

Additionally, the budding presence of ISIL in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas also offers another opportunity for both countries to work together. As of 2015, the US assessed that there was only a low probability that ISIL can establish a large, credible presence in Afghanistan. This probably misunderestimated the threat.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Membership

ISIS-K recruited and distributed propaganda in many Afghan provinces. The number of IS-KP militants in Afghanistan was estimated in 2023 to include around 4000 to 6000 members, including family members. IS-KP recruits primarily from Pakistan and Afghanistan-based Salafists, and foreign sympathisers. Following territorial losses leading into 2019, IS-KP has shifted its recruitment to focus on disaffected, urban, non-Pashtun youth.

"We think we have significantly decreased the footprint that they have in Afghanistan," he said. The U.S. military estimatef there are between 1,000 and 3,000 IS fighters left in Afghanistan, though Cleveland said the actual number is "probably on the lower end of that." Three months earlier, IS held between six and eight districts, he said. Now it held just two to three. IS fighters have been seen fleeing to the Kunar and Nuristan provinces along Afghanistan's western border with Pakistan, where they are just "trying to survive," Cleveland said.

In March 2016 Army Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, deputy chief of staff for communications for NATO's Resolute Support Mission estimated that current numbers of Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan are "probably on the lower end" of between 1,000 and 3,000.

The collapse of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq did little to slow down the terror group's branch in Afghanistan. Declassified intelligence suggested IS-Khorasan was growing both in numbers and ambition, boasting as many as 5,000 fighters  nearly five times as many as estimates from 2018  while turning its focus to bigger and more spectacular attacks. Military officials said the numbers, shared by U.S. Forces-Afghanistan for the May 2019 quarterly report by the Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom Sentinel, issued Tuesday, are "low confidence" estimates but that IS-Khorasan has fighters in Kabul, as well as in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces and in other parts of northeastern Afghanistan. More worrisome, according to defense intelligence officials, is that the terror group has been gaining ground, both against the Afghan government and the Taliban, expanding the amount of territory under its control in Kunar province since the start of 2019.

The renewed state of IS in Afghanistan would appear to represent a remarkable turnaround from the terror group's fortunes in April 2017, when the U.S. dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. arsenal, a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast, on an IS tunnel system in Nangarhar province. A series of subsequent U.S. strikes killed the then IS-Khorasan emir and his replacement, and cut the estimated number of fighters from 3,000 to 600. Top U.S. military officials insisted IS-Khorasan was being kept in check. "ISIS-K is not growing," Gen. John Nicholson, the outgoing commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in September 2018 before handing over the command to Gen. Scott Miller.

Despite losing key leaders and suffering constant setbacks on the battlefield, IS-Khorasan found a way to maintain its numbers, successfully recruiting disgruntled Taliban fighters as well as jihadis from further afield. IS-Khorasan has benefited from surges of thousands of foreign fighters from Pakistan and Uzbekistan, plus the inflow of hundreds of IS fighters fleeing from Syria. And increasingly, many of IS-Khorasan's recruits are local, with fewer coming from the ranks of disgruntled Taliban fighters. And the group has even taken a page out of IS core's playbook, targeting young men seeking economic opportunity.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Funding

The group relies on external funding; however, they appear to have funding streams within Afghanistan. The struggle for resources has brought ISIS-K into conflict with the Taliban and other groups vying to raise revenue from illegal checkpoints and the trade of illicit goods. ISIS-K continues to draw its members from new recruits in Pakistan and Afghanistan, disaffected TTP fighters, Afghan Taliban, and militants from other violent extremist organizations who believe that associating with or pledging allegiance to ISIS-K will further their interests.

IS-KPs transfer of funds is heavily reliant on a network of hawalas  an informal method of transferring money  and the use of cryptocurrency. IS-KP utilises several different revenue streams for finance, including a combination of local donations, exploitation of timber and mineral black markets, kidnapping, and extortion. IS-KP also receives financial support from IS.

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Links to other terrorist organisations

Command, control, and funding from core ISIS elements in Iraq and Syria are limited. IS-KP remains ideologically aligned with IS and continues to receive support and guidance from IS senior leadership.

Islamic State (ISIS) False Flag ??

In some Muslim circles, it is believed that Israel created ISIS to destroy Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Libya. and that ISIS leaders are Mossad agents. This conspiracy theory notes that ISIS only targets the enemies of America and Israel, claiming that ISIS == Israeli Secret Intelligence Services.

It is widely repeated hat Robin Cook resigned over the illegality of the Iraq invasion in 2003 and in an article in 2005 he confirmed that there is no Al Qaeda only "kharjees along with Mossad, CIA & RAW led and trained mercenary gangs like TTP who pose as Islamic jihadists and create justification for global information war and propaganda to launch a new war against another Muslim country". This appears to be a fabrication. In February 2011, the leader of the Islamic State became Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He had been imprisoned by the US military in 2004 in Camp Buka Iraq. After some time he was released, for unknown reasons, despite severe charges. There were claims that Abu Bakr was recruited by agents Central Intelligence Agency, as well as its predecessor An-Nasir Lidinilla Abu Suleiman. In secret documents, published by former US NSA employee Edward Snowden, there was information that Abu Bakr was collaborating with Central Intelligence Agency, British intelligence and Israel.

In July 2014 rans English-language daily newspaper, the Tehran Times, ran a front-page story describing the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syrias (ISIS) June offensive in Iraq as part of a U.S.-backed plot to destabilize the region and protect Israel. The story was an English translation of a scoop by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which cited a purported interview with National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden.

According to the article, Snowden had described a joint U.S., British and Israeli effort to create a terrorist organization capable of centralizing all extremist actions across the world. The plan, according to IRNA, was code-named Beehive  or in other translations, Hornets Nest  and it was devised to protect Israel from security threats by diverting attention to the newly manufactured regional enemy: ISIS.

But on 18 June 2014, Fars News Agency quoted Major General Hassan Firoozabadi, Chief of Staff of Irans armed forces, saying that ISIS is an Israel[i] and America[n] movement for the creation of a secure border for the Zionists against the forces of resistance in the region.

In August 2017 Avinoam Pess reported newspapers in Libya supposedly claimed that the imam of a mosque in the city of Benghazi nicknamed "Abu Hafs" was an Israeli agent who has reached a senior position in the terrorist organization ISIS in the country. According to the Libyans, his investigation revealed that he was an Israeli citizen named "Efraim Binyamin". Abu Hafs is considered a well-known figure in Benghazi when hundreds of fighters attacked him, according to sources in Libya. These sources report the arrest of an Israeli agent in the Libyan city of Benghazi. According to the report, the man is an undercover with a Jewish name who managed to advance until he became a spiritual leader and was called Imam. He infiltrated Libya and reportedly operated in the Benghazi area among the population and operatives of the Islamic State organization. The reports claim that the Israeli, whose name according to the publications is Ephraim Binyamin, controlled an important mosque in the central Libyan city. The Arab media, which extensively reports on the arrest, uses the story to emphasize the accepted propaganda that Israel is behind the murderous terrorist organization. The news has no independent reference in Israel or elsewhere in the world. Varioius news sources were unable to independently verify the claims linking the Daesh commander to the Israeli Mossad.

On 29 June 2021 IRNA reported "US officials, particularly the secretary of state, lack an active mind to help them remember them that Daesh was equipped and supported by themselves in 2012 to fight against Syrian people and Army. Also, the US friends and allies in the region and in Europe, lined up to help the terrorist group to provide security for the Zionist regime of Israel...

"At her memoir, Hard Choices, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has written that Daesh was formed by the United States. This is what the former US President Donald Trump has also repeated several time. Trump had said that Daesh was founded during tenure of his predecessor, President Barack Obama.

"Edward Snowden, an IT systems expert who was formerly working under contract for the US National Security Agency, has announced that the American, British, and Israeli intelligence agencies have had active role in creating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They created ISIS through an operation called Hornet's Nest, Snowden has stressed over and over. He has also revealed several years ago that the terrorist group of Daesh was founded to support Israel.

"In a related development, Obama's administration implemented a secret plan in 2012 to transfer thousands of weapons and billions of dollars to the moderate opposition in Syria. Later, it was found that the so-called moderate opposition were terrorists."

No mention of a hornets nest plot can be found in Snowdens leaked trove of U.S. intelligence documents. And Iranian government officials refused to accept the sectarian root of ISISs agenda, or that ISIS was able to gain control a third of Iraqs territory advance in part due to Sunni discontent.

One 2024 proponent of this theory noted "Friendly reminder that ISIS and other terrorist groups were created by the west and israel for two reasons. 1. Propaganda against muslims 2. Gives the US the greenlight to invade muslim countries with no repercussions. After all, most of ISIS's victims were muslims themselves." Another such believer wrote "I don't deny that ISIS was a genius idea by the Zionists to destroy the Middle East, ignite civil wars, and distort Islam. I respect the intelligence of the Zionists, but unfortunately they don't respect our intelligence after their plans were exposed and they are still continuing."

This is part of a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the US is supporting or working together with ISIS in the Middle East and that ISIS has been supported by the US, British, French and Israeli intelligence services in order to demolish Syria. This message is part of a broader conspiracy theory alleging that the United States has created and supported many jihadi terrorist organisations and controls global terrorism.

The two terrorist bombings in Kerman on 03 January 2024, which were claimed by the terrorist organization ISIS and targeted the popular crowds that were commemorating the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of Hajj Qassem Soleimani, as Zionist commentators hinted at the existence of cooperation between the entity and ISIS, according to a program broadcast 05 January 2024 on Alalam News Network. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Regarding ISIS and its criminal acts that serve the Zionist and American interests, and regarding the implications of the Zionist commentators insinuation of Zionist cooperation with ISIS, especially in the Kerman terrorist bombings, Hassan Hijazi, an expert on Israeli affairs from Beirut, confirmed that there are many places in which these criminal organizations served the occupying entity and were playing games. The role of an alternative to the Zionist role, as the Iraqi and Syrian arenas bear witness to this. Hijazi pointed out that there is clear cooperation between them, as there is penetration by the intelligence services of these organizations at the highest levels of their leadership, although some activists or some representatives on the ground may be organized, but these groups are completely consistent with the policies determined by the Zionist side and the American side, and they are linked to the agencies. Intelligence is active in arenas in which the Americans and Zionists want to wreak havoc and send messages through them. For example, these organizations say that they are Islamic jihadist organizations, where are they in relation to the Palestinian issue, and where are they in the war against the Gaza Strip . Iran's Tasnim News Agency reported there were indications that the Israeli regime has masterminded the terrorist attack, considering the comments from a number of Zionist officials right after the explosions. The statement released by Daesh on Thursday was different in several ways from the other statements of the Takfiri terrorist group. Daesh has unprecedentedly used the term Iran in its most recent statement, while it had always used Bilad Fars (country of Persia) or Wilayah Khorasan (Khorasan province) before. Moreover, the Takfiri group had never released the images of the perpetrators of its terrorist attacks with blurring faces before, specifically the suicide bombers slain in the blasts. Thirdly, it is the first time that Daesh has claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack with a delay of 30 hours. The Takfiri group usually records the video of the suicide bombers swearing an oath of allegiance to Daesh and prepares a responsibility claim statement prior to every terrorist attack and releases it right after the operation. Typically, Daesh begins with threats before issuing a fatwa, then carries out the terrorist attack and finally releases the responsibility claim statement immediately afterwards. But in the most recent case in Kerman, the terrorist attack was carried out before a deviant fatwa and threats and a belated statement. The fourth matter that raises doubts about the Israeli regimes role is that the language and wording of the recent statement were different from the usual style of Daesh, revealing that the terrorist group has not drafted the statement by itself. Some contended that the belated statement had been conclusively drafted by the Zionist regimes spy service, while Daesh has only undertaken to release it via its channels. Political researcher Hassan Hanizadeh read the scene of official threats and popular demands for revenge as a necessary warning of revenge, adding that his country has previously carried out military operations during the past few years against targets outside the borders, in retaliation for destabilizing its national security, and retribution for those who caused the bloodshed of Iranians. ". Speaking 06 January 2023 to Al Jazeera Net, Hanizadeh confirmed that despite the Islamic State (ISIS) claiming responsibility for the Kerman bombings, the Iranian authorities do not pay attention to the statement, and are only thinking about settling scores with the drivers of such terrorist groups, as he put it, describing Washington. And Tel Aviv are the most affected by Tehrans support for Palestinian resistance factions. When referring to the developments in the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle, and the targeting of a number of symbols and forces of the Axis of Resistance in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Red Sea, the Iranian researcher said, The Kerman bombings can only be read in the context of the series of assassinations and military operations in the geography of the Axis of Resistance. Hanizadeh believed that "American political leaders had previously revealed their country's role in forming terrorist groups, led by ISIS," noting that "the ISIS group not only did not carry out any operations against Zionist-Western interests, but did not even condemn the Israeli aggression against Gaza." He concluded that "the security data and information available to his country show tireless efforts made by the United States over the past two years to rehabilitate the ISIS group in the region."

Islamic State Khorasan (IS-KP / ISIS-K) Operations

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for twin bombings that killed 84 people in Iran at a gathering near the grave in the southern city of Kerman of slain Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani. In a statement on Telegram, the group claimed: "By the grace of God Almighty, and within the campaign And kill them wherever you find them, the two martyred brothers (Omar Al-Muwahid) and (Saif Allah Al-Mujahid) - may God Almighty accept them - set out towards a large gathering of polytheist Shiites near the grave of their dead leader Qassem Soleimani in the city of (Kerman) in southern Iran. Yesterday, they detonated their explosive belts in the middle of the crowd, killing and wounding more than 300 polytheist Shiites. Praise be to God. Let the polytheist Shiites know that the Mujahideen are waiting for them and their projects, God Almighty willing."

Security sources told Amaq Agency that two Islamic State fighters carried out a double martyrdom attack. The sources added that the martyrdom fighters were able to reach the crowd, which included thousands of Shiites who were performing Shiite rituals nearby. The sources explained that the first martyr detonated his explosive belt among the Shiite crowds, followed by the second martyr detonating his belt about 20 minutes after the first explosion.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had blamed Israel. I warn the Zionist regime, do not doubt that you will pay a heavy price for this crime and the crimes you have committed, Raisi said in a televised address. Raisi's political deputy, Mohammad Jamshidi, also blamed Israel and the US. Iran had blamed Sunni terror groups like the Islamic State in Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, for previous terror attacks.

Iranian state media reported suicide bombers probably carried out the attacks. The state-run IRNA news agency reported surveillance footage from the route to the commemoration at Kerman's Martyrs Cemetery clearly showed a male suicide bomber detonating explosives. "The cause of the second blast was most likely the same," IRNA reported, quoting what it called an "informed source."

Iran expert at United Against Nuclear Iran, Kasra Aarabi, told DW, "that attack itself certainly has all the hallmarks of ISIS operations in Iran." He said that would suit the government in Tehran. "It is likely that the regime will blame ISIS that will enable the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] IRGC to respond," he said, "It also domestically has given the regime a pretext to further clamp down on the Iranian people," Aarabi added.

From 2015 to 2019, IS-KP focused on a strategy of gaining and holding territory. The Islamic State infiltrated into Afghanistan, attempting to step into the Taliban's boots, acknowledged the UN Security Council. The presence of the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters in the country was confirmed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The UN envoy to Afghanistan acknowledged that the IS could potentially unite minor Islamist groups in the country under a new command.

It is UNAMAs assessment that the group's presence is of concern, but that ISIL's significance is not so much a function of its intrinsic capacities in the area but of its potential to offer an alternative flagpole to which otherwise isolated insurgent splinter groups can rally, Nicholas Haysom announced at the UN Security Council 17 March 2015. Still, the IS has not established firm roots in the Afghanistan, he noted.

Many areas under IS control used to be under the control of the Taliban. Locals said, however, that the violence the Taliban perpetrated was not as brutal as the methods used by IS. Even in other ways, people said, the Taliban in the area were less restrictive. When IS militants wrested control of the Nangarhar district from the Taliban, they not only closed the girls schools, they also shut down many medical clinics.

Islamic State (IS) appeared to be losing its grip in Afghanistan, due in part to a steady aerial bombardment from U.S. and NATO forces and the terror group's failure to win over Afghans themselves. "Nobody really wants Daesh [Islamic State] in the neighborhood," Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, a spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, told Pentagon reporters April 14, 2016.

On 23 April 2017 U.S. Forces Afghanistan conducted a strike on an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan tunnel complex in Achin district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, as part of ongoing efforts to defeat ISIS-K in Afghanistan, The strike used a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb dropped from a U.S. aircraft. The strike was designed to minimize the risk to Afghan and U.S. forces conducting clearing operations in the area while maximizing the destruction of ISIS-K fighters and facilities. As ISIS-Ks losses have mounted, they are using [improvised bombs], bunkers and tunnels to thicken their defense, said Army Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan. This is the right munition to reduce these obstacles and maintain the momentum of our offensive against ISIS-K.

By 2018 ISIS-K had suffered setbacks from U.S. CT operations, ANDSF operations, pressure from the Taliban, and from difficulties in gaining local populace support. Despite some losses of territory, fighters, and leadership, ISIS-K remains a threat to coalition forces and retained the ability to conduct HPAs in urban centers, particularly Kabul. ISIS-K claimed responsibility for attacks against Shia minorities and the ANDSF around the country, including increased claimed attacks in Kabul.

Following the loss of most of its territory in early 2019, IS-KP underwent a significant organisational restructure in March 2019, which included a strategic shift towards urban warfare and the consolidation of its operations to focus on Afghanistan and parts of north-western Pakistan. This shift in strategy away from territory control has resulted in a significant escalation of IS-KPs operations, particularly in Afghanistan, which experienced a 400% rise in IS-KP attacks from 2020 to 2021.

This escalation coincided with the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan, with IS-KP buoyed by both the reduction in counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and the Talibans limited experience dealing with urban-counter-insurgency. IS-KP has utilised the February 2020 agreement between the United States (U.S.) and the Taliban to contrast itself to the Taliban. IS-KP projects itself as a globally focused jihadist group committed to rejecting compromise with the West and accusing the Taliban of appealing solely to a narrow nationalistic base. While the Taliban has attempted to position itself within the global system of states, IS-KP commits to a universal Islamic Jihad and seeks to disrupt the global state system.

IS-KP was increasingly focused on undermining the Taliban regime, with attacks targeting Taliban allies (including Russia, Pakistan and China) and Western organisations (including the United Nations). IS-KP also continued assaults against civilians and Shia minorities to weaken Taliban legitimacy and shatter the regimes narrative that it has restored peace and stability. Since December 2022, IS-KP has killed four senior Taliban officials and carried out a suicide attack at the funeral of one of the victims  Deputy Governor of Badakhshan, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi. The Taliban has experienced mixed success in its counter-terrorism efforts against IS-KP, relying on extreme methods with little regard for civilian casualties.

Nonetheless, the relationship between the Afghan Taliban and IS-KP has not been uniformly hostile. Elements of the Haqqani Network, which has been integrated into the Taliban, have been reported to have previously coordinated with IS-KP between 2019 and 2021.

IS-KP fighters frequently conduct attacks against civilian and military targets utilising a combination of weaponry, including firearms and explosives. IS-KP terrorist acts have involved beheadings, violent abductions, and suicide bomb attacks. IS-KP has also celebrated violent attacks against Western targets and frequently published material in support of terrorist acts. Directly or indirectly engaged in preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of terrorist acts.

On 03 January 2024 twin bombings martyred at least 95 [initially re[ported as 103] people and wounded 211 others. The attack was the deadliest to strike Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran. Iran shares with the Afghan government concern about the growth of the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, Islamic StateKhorasan Province (ISKP). Khorasan is an historical region that encompassed northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan and northern Afghanistan. Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided on 29 September 2004 into three separate provinces - Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan.

The attack came during commemorations for the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, in a US drone strike in neighboring Iraq on January 3, 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site as long lines of people gathered for the event.

Paying homage to the memory of the late IRGC commander General Qassem Soleimani, thousands of Iranians converged on the southeastern province of Kerman to express their respect and reverence for his efforts in defeating terrorism in the region. According to reports, the first explosion occurred some 700 meters from the tomb of Martyr Soleimani and the second one about one kilometer away.

Many Iranian suspected Mossad was behind this terror attack. Iranian president Ibrahim Raisi on the explosion: "We warn the Zionist entity - pay a high price for the crime in Kerman we will make you regret" Karmel News reported that a Russian source associated with the Iranian regime claimed that ISIS and local opposition were behind the explosion in Kerman.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller denied that his country had any involvement in the incident. "The United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous," he said, adding "We have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion" either. "We do express our sympathies to the victims and their loved ones who died in this horrific explosion," Miller said.

The following acts can be attributed to IS-KP:

27 March 2023, IS-KP carried out a suicide attack near the Foreign Ministry in Kabul that killed six people and wounded 12 others. 9 March 2023, IS-KP killed three people during an attack in Herat Province, Afghanistan. 12 December 2022, two IS-KP fighters carried out an attack at the Kabul Longan Hotel, killing three people and injuring 18 others. The group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack on Chinese-owned Kabul Longan Hotel in the heart of Kabul, which left three assailants dead and at least two hotel guests injured. Chinese firms, with strong government backing, have tentatively sought to pursue opportunities in exploiting Afghanistans vast, undeveloped resource deposits, 4 October 2022, IS-KP launched a suicide attack in front of the Russian embassy in Kabul, killing four people. 2 December 2022, IS-KP attempted to assassinate Pakistani Charge daffaires, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, by opening fire from a neighbouring building while Nizamani was taking a walk inside the Pakistani embassy compound. 30 September 2022, IS-KP launched a suicide attack against an education centre for Hazara girls in Western Kabul, killing 54 people. 7 July 2022, Al-Azaim Media Foundation produced an 11-minute, 39-second video in Dari, titled Flames of Revenge. The video discusses IS-KPs revenge attack in Kabul against a Sikh temple on 18 June 2022. In the video, IS-KP shows clips of the attack and Sikh community members mourning, and warns that the group will target Hindus and Sikhs. 18 June 2022, IS-KP detonated a car bomb outside a Sikh temple in Kabul, killing two people and injuring three others. 21 April 2022, IS-KP members detonated a bomb at a mosque during prayers in Balkh Province, Afghanistan, killing 50 people and wounding 100 others. 19 April 2022, an IS-KP suicide bomber blew himself up at a high school in Dasht-e Barchi, west Kabul, which killed or injured 20 students and teachers. 10 March 2022, Al-Azaim Media Foundation produced a 14-minute, 29-second video in Pashto, titled Rafidites Not Safe Anywhere. Utilising a derogatory name for Shiite Muslims, IS-KP states that Shiites are not safe anywhere and warns that we will kill them without any hesitation because they are polytheists and are murderers of Sunnis. 5 MARCH 2022 Peshawar, Khyberpakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks a Shia mosque, killing more than 60 civilians and wounding more than 180. 4 March 2022, IS-KP conducted a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, killing over 56 people and injuring 190 others. 2 November 2021, five IS-KP fighters attacked the Sardar Mohammad Daul Khan military hospital, killing 19 people and wounding 43 others. 26 August 2021, IS-KP were responsible for a bomb blast at Kabuls Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members. 14 May 2021, IS-KP bombed a Kabul mosque during Friday prayers as worshippers gathered for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, killing 12 people. 2 AUGUST 2020 Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks Jalalabad Prison, killing 29 people and allowing hundreds of prisoners to escape. 12 MAY 2020 Kabul, Afghanistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks a maternity ward, killing 24 civilians, including newborn babies and their mothers. 18 AUGUST 2019 Kabul, Afghanistan ISIS-Khorasan attacks a wedding reception, killing more than 60 civilians and injuring more than 180. August 2016, the group claimed responsibility for a shooting and suicide bombing at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, that killed 94 people. July 2016 bombing during a peaceful protest in Kabul that killed nearly 80 people and injured 230 others. 18 April 2015 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing Saturday that killed at least 33 people in eastern Afghanistan. Officials say more than 100 other people were wounded in the attack in Jalalabad. President Ghani called the incident "horrific," as he announced Islamic State militants had taken credit. He referred to the group as "Daesh"  an acronym for its name in Arabic. The Taliban had earlier denied responsibility for the bombing, calling it an "evil act." United Nations officials and skeptics in Afghanistan appeared cautious about claims Islamic State militant group was behind the suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan in which 35 people were killed and more than 100 wounded. Even though the terrorist group had not formally acknowledged its presence in Afghanistan, local authorities and media had in recent weeks reported the emergence of pro-Islamic State fighters waving its black flag.

On the basis of these examples, IS-KP is assessed to have directly or indirectly engaged in, preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of a terrorist act. The 7 July 2022 and 10 March 2022 videos are assessed to be IS-KP threats to conduct terrorist acts,

The group has also conducted operations in Bangladesh.

On 20 February 2023 the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (IS-KP) published a book on the Uyghur issue in China, criticising Islamic nations for continued support to Beijing despite recorded abuses on its Muslim minorities. The 117-page long book summarises Chinas designs in Afghanistan into 10 objectives from the political, economic and security perspectives. It specifically accuses Iran of spreading its influence in East Turkestan. The group also lashed out at the Hui Muslims for allegedly accepting all rules and regulations imposed by the Chinese government that are being resisted by the Uyghurs.

The IS-KP wants the support of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) as the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan, is preventing it from attacking Chinese business and interests. ISKP, a key rival of the Taliban, has increased its attacks in Afghanistan since the latters takeover in 2021. Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistans Shiite minority as well as Chinese-owned and frequented businesses.





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Russo-Ukraine War - 02 January 2024 - Day 677

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on the night of 2 January 2024, Russian forces repeated its massive attack with various types of air strikes, as it had done a few days earlier  on December 29, 2023. The Russian Federation continues to attack civilian, critical infrastructure and industrial, historical and cultural heritage sites, presenting them as strikes on military targets. The main target has been the capital of Ukraine. Kharkiv was also hit hard.

According to updated information, Russia launched 135x air strikes during the day: missiles of various types and attack UAVs. The Ukrainian air defense destroyed 107x aerial targets: 35x out of 35x Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs, 10x out of 10x Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, 59x out of 70x Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, 3x out of 3x Kalibr cruise missiles.

During the day of January 2, there were 56x combat engagements. Also, Russian forces launched a total of 66x air strikes, including strikes with Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs, carried out 2x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have killed civilians, with more than 100x affected and wounded, including children. More than 100x private residential and apartment buildings, other civil and industrial infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa oblasts were destroyed or damaged.

The operational situation in eastern and southern Ukraine remains difficult.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Certain units of the armed forces of Belarus continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. Russia continues its sabotage and reconnaissance activities, shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. More than 10x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Klyusy (Chernihiv oblast), Kostyantynivka, Volodymyrivka, Kyyanytsya, Stepok, Novodmytrivka (Sumy oblast), Okhrymivka, Bolohivka, and Dvorichans'ke (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 5x attacks near Syn'kivka and east of Petropavlivka (Kharkiv oblast). In that area, Russian forces made unsuccessful attempts to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Dvorichna, Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, and Berestove (Kharkiv oblast).

Lyman axis: the Russian occupiers did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Bilohorivka and Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Serebryanka, Spirne, and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 5x attacks near Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces made unsuccessful attempts to improve its tactical position in that area. More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Kalynivka, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Stupochky (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 4x Russian attacks near Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Avdiivka, and 14x more attacks in the vicinities of Pervomais'ke and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). With the air support, the Russian occupiers made unsuccessful attempts to improve its tactical position in that area. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Keramik, Stepove, Avdiivka, Tonen'ke, Pervomais'ke, and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations. The Russian invaders launched air strikes in the vicinities of Heorhiivka and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Kurakhove, Pobjeda, Yelyzavetivka, and Katerynivka were under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations. Around 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), came under artillery and mortar fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 1x Russian attack near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). The attack was as an unsuccessful attempt to regain the lost ground in that area. Air strikes hit Novodanylivka and Orikhove (Zaporizhzhia oblast). More than 15x settlements, including Zaliznychne, Robotyne, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaky, and Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), suffered from Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Odesa operational-strategic group, Kherson axis: Russian forces launched 1x air strike in the vicinity of Chervonyi Mayak (Kherson oblast). Russian forces fired artillery at Beryslav, Tyahynka, Kherson, and Bilozerka (Kherson oblast).

Russia does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnipro River. For instance, during the day of January 2, Russian forces attempted 8x unsuccessful assault operations, but the Ukrainian troops continue to hold their positions and inflict significant losses on the Russian adversary.

During day of January 2, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 12x concentrations of Russian troops.

The Ukrainian missile troops hit 2x anti-aircraft missile systems, 1x artillery system, and 1x fuel and lubricant depot of the Russian invaders.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a group strike with high-precision long-range weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine that carried out orders for the production of missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and repair of weapons and military hardware in Kiev and its suburbs, as well as storage sites for missiles, ammunition, and aircraft weapons supplied to the Kiev regime by Western countries. The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All the targets have been engaged.

In Kupyansk direction, the Zapad Group of Forces, ground-attack aircraft, helicopters, and artillery repelled six attacks launched by the assault groups of the 21st, 60th, 115th mechanised, and 95th air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Sinkovka and Terny (Kharkov region).

The units of the 4th tank, 14th, 44th mechanised brigades and the 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit close to Petropavlovka, Vishnyovoye, and Peschanoye (Kharkov region).

As a result, over 115 troops, three tanks, nine motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system,and one D-30 howitzer were neutralised.

In Krasny Liman direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by artillery and aviation inflicted fire damage on clusters of manpower and military hardware of the 63rd Mechanised Brigade, 5th National Guard Brigade, 100th and 125th Territorial Defene Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as Serebryansky forestry.

The enemy's losses amounted to 90 troops, one tank, one infantry fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, as well as one D-30 howitzer.

In Donetsk direction, the coordinated actions of the Yug Group of Forces, strikes of Operational-Tactical Aviation, and artillery fire repelled the enemy's attack close to Artyomovskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Units of the 42nd mechanised, 46th airmobile, 80th air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 112th Territorial Defence Brigade were hit close to Andreyevka, Bogdanovka, Georgiyevka, Kurdyumovka, and Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The total enemy losses amounted to 300 troops killed and wounded, three tanks, one infantry fighting vehicle, three pick-up trucks, and 19 motor vehicles.

In addition, during the counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops struck one U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery gun, one Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer, two Giatsint-B howitzers, one D-20 gun, one D-30 howitzer, one U.S.-made M119 towed howitzer, and one Rapira ATGM system.

Ammunition depots of the 27th rocket artillery and 47th mechanised brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were obliterated close to Lysovka and Zhelannoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

In South-Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, supported by air strikes and artillery fire, struck the manpower and military hardware of the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Novomikhailovka and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The daily losses of the enemy in this direction amounted to 140 troops, three motor vehicles.

During the counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, three self-propelled artillery systems (two U.S.-made M109 Paladin, and one Polish-made Krab), one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-20 gun.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces repelled one attack launched by assault groups of the 117th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine north of Novoprokopovka (Zaporozhye region), and also inflicted fire damage on the 33rd, 65th Mechanised, 82nd Air Assault, and 128th Mountain Assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Verbovoye and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

The enemy's losses amounted to more than 50 troops, two armored fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, two D-30 howitzers, and one D-20 howitzer.

In Kherson direction, as a result of coordinated actions of the Dnepr Group of Forces and systematic fire exposure, up to 20 troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, three motor vehicles, as well as one D-30 howitzer were neutralised during the day.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have hit 112 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, enemy manpower and hardware in 137 areas.

Russia's air defence systems have intercepted 11 HIMARS and Olkha MLRS projectiles during the day.

Moreover, 34 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Pologi, Gulyai Pole, Basan (Zaporozhye region), Lisichansk, Kremennaya, Svatovo (Lugansk People's Republic), Vodyanoye and Panteleymonovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

In total, 565 airplanes and 263 helicopters, 10,352 unmanned aerial vehicles, 445 air defence missile systems, 14,434 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,194 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,611 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 16,976 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.





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China's warplane productions exceed expectation in 2023, contribute to national defense development

Global Times

Solid aircraft quality, quantity contribute to national defense development

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Jan 02, 2024 07:33 PM Updated: Jan 02, 2024 09:50 PM

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have received a solid boost to their comprehensive combat capabilities amid a deteriorating security environment, experts said on Tuesday, after China's aviation industry wrapped up 2023 with warplane productions that exceeded expectation.

Focusing on empowering the military with equipment and high-standard development, subsidiaries of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), including the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Co Ltd (CAC), Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Company Ltd (XAC) and Shenyang Aircraft Company Limited (SAC), had exceeded targets in their annual batch production and delivery missions, according to an AVIC press release posted in its WeChat account at the end of 2023.

CAC delivered its last aircraft of 2023 on December 27, marking the full completion of its scientific research and production mission of the year, reads the press release, which came with a photo showing the takeoff of a J-20 stealth fighter jet, a top product of the Chengdu-based aircraft manufacturer.

The last test flight of 2023 for XAC was completed on December 20, according to the press release. The Xi'an-based firm is known for building Y-20 strategic transport aircraft and H-6 series bombers.

SAC wrapped up its annual batch production and test flight missions as far back as November 25 and broke a new record, the press release said, showing a photo of workers working on a J-15 carrier-based fighter jet. The Shenyang-based company is also known for making the FC-31 stealth fighter jet.

The aircraft manufacturers are motivated to accelerate modernization of aviation equipment development and make bigger contributions to realizing the centennial goal of the PLA in 2027, according to the press release.

Other AVIC subsidiaries, including those responsible for special mission aircraft, helicopters, amphibious aircraft, missiles and civilian aircraft, also completed their annual scientific research and production missions, the press release shows.

China's growing warplane production capacity comes at a time when the aviation forces of the PLA Air Force, Navy and Army are raising their requirements for weapons and equipment as well as training level, analysts said.

Citing previous media reports as saying that China is retiring old J-7 fighter jets, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the PLA is accelerating its pace in replacing legacy aircraft with new aircraft.

The increasing production capacity likely has new technologies to thank, like the application of pulse assembly lines that are not only faster but also guarantee better quality, Fu said.

China's aviation industry has reached a new level that enables the Chinese military to have more advanced tools in dealing with potential national defense emergencies, Fu said.

Aircraft such as the J-20, Y-20 and J-15 are considered advanced even compared with their top-level international counterparts, so Chinese aviation weapons and equipment not only have quantity, but also quality, another Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.

China needs a strong military to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests as the US is rallying its allies in forming a military encirclement to contain China, the expert said.

Air defense is a major aspect in national defense, so having sufficient, powerful aviation weapons and equipment is very important, particularly under the currently deteriorating geopolitical security environment, the expert said.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times that 2024 is expected to see more uncertainty in the world, but he is confident that the Chinese military can firmly safeguard national security even while shouldering heavier duties.

More domestically developed warplanes are expected to make appearances in 2024, experts said.

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Members of HKSAR's seventh-term District Councils take oaths, assume office

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:19, January 02, 2024

HONG KONG, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- All 470 newly-elected members of the seventh-term District Councils (DCs) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday took oaths to uphold the Basic Law of the HKSAR and bear allegiance to the HKSAR, and assumed office.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee attended the oath-taking ceremony. He outlined four requirements for the DC members, namely upholding the Basic Law of the HKSAR and bearing allegiance to the HKSAR, ensuring effective communication between the HKSAR government and the people by serving as a connection between the two, implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" at the district governance level and upholding the important duty of safeguarding national security, and adopting a people-oriented approach to bring tangible improvements to the community.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak served as the oath administrator as authorized by the chief executive.

Based on the principles laid down by the Interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People's Republic of China by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the relevant legal provisions, the oath administrator determined that the oaths taken by all 470 DC members were valid.

The seventh-term DCs are composed of appointed, district committees constituency, district council geographical constituency and ex-officio members. Their term of office is four years.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on the 45th Anniversary of China-US Diplomatic Relations

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-01-02 15:26

The year 2024 marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the US. On January 1, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden exchanged letters of congratulations on this occasion.

The establishment of China-US diplomatic relations is a consequential event in the history of both China-US ties and international relations. For 45 years, China-US relations have weathered winds and rains and come a long way. Bilateral trade surged from less than USD 2.5 billion in 1979 to close to USD 760 billion in 2022; two-way investment increased from almost zero to over USD 260 billion; and 284 pairs of sister provinces, states and cities were set up. The two countries have also carried out useful cooperation on various international and regional hotspots and global issues. History shows that the growth of China-US relations not only contributes to the good of the two peoples but also to world peace, stability and development.

China's US policy is consistent and clear, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. This is the experience we have gained from the course of China-US ties over the years and the right way for the two countries to get along with each other. It is consistent with the trend of the times and serves the common interests of both sides. One country's success is an opportunity for the other. We can help each other succeed and prosper together.

China is committed to a stable, sound and sustainable China-US relationship. At the summit meeting in San Francisco, President Xi and President Biden reached over 20 deliverables in such areas as political affairs and foreign policy, trade and finance, people-to-people exchange, global governance, and military and security. They fostered a future-oriented San Francisco vision, which points the way forward for bilateral relations. China is ready to work with the US to faithfully implement the important common understandings and outcomes reached at the summit meeting, jointly develop a right perception, manage disagreements effectively, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, shoulder responsibilities as major countries, and promote people-to-people exchanges so as to steer the relationship in the right direction to the benefit of both countries and the world at large.



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Media magnate Jimmy Lai pleads 'not guilty' in security trial

Prosecutors accuse him of being the 'mastermind' in campaign for sanctions on Hong Kong, Chinese officials.

By Chen Zifei for RFA Mandarin, Ng Ting Hong for RFA Cantonese 2024.01.02 -- Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of "collusion with foreign forces" under a national security law, as prosecutors laid out details of the case against him.

Lai, 76, whose long-delayed trial has come to symbolize the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong in the wake of the 2019 protest movement, entered the plea after being accused of calling on foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials, and of conspiracy to publish seditious publications.

Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, responded "not guilty," three times from the dock, flanked by security guards and amid a court packed with his family members, friends, supporters and foreign diplomats.

His landmark trial is being closely watched by the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States, where officials have slammed the crackdown as being in breach of China's obligations under the terms of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.

Beijing imposed the National Security Law, which criminalizes public criticism of the authorities, as part of a crackdown on massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, insisting that the move was necessary to quell unrest.

Lai has been an outspoken supporter of the pro-democracy movement, and several editors at his former paper are also awaiting sentencing for calling for international sanctions in columns and opinion pieces.

'Radical figure'

It comes as Lai, a British citizen, marks three years behind bars. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.

The prosecution said Lai was "a radical figure" who had conspired with others to incite "hatred and opposition" against the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, a criminal offense under the 2020 National Security Law.

Naming him as a "mastermind" in the case, they said Lai had arranged through his personal assistant Mark Simon to meet with people from different walks of life in the United States, as well as setting up multiple social media groups to communicate with others during his campaign for sanctions.

Prosecutors played several videos of Lai calling for sanctions against China, as evidence of "collusion with foreign forces."

They also named several foreign politicians and human rights activists Lai had been in contact with in recent years, including the founder of the London-based Hong Kong Watch, Benedict Rogers, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Executive Director Luke de Pulford and former U.S. Consul-General to Hong Kong Ambassador James Cunningham, who chairs the board of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.

They also listed Bill Browder, a human rights campaigner who pioneered the introduction of Magnitsky sanctions worldwide and former Japanese member of parliament Shiori Kanno.

'Show trial'

Rogers said the prosecution's opening arguments indicated that the proceedings were a "show trial."

"This simply shows, as we have said all along, that this is a show trial and has absolutely nothing to do with genuine national security," he said in a statement on the group's website.

"The 'crime' Mr Lai is accused of is talking with foreign politicians and activists, including myself, and engaging in journalism - which, as the publisher of a major newspaper in Hong Kong, ought to be regarded as entirely normal legitimate activity," he said.

He said much of the activity used in the prosecution case predated the National Security Law, meaning that the law is being applied retroactively, despite promises this wouldn't happen when the law was imposed on Hong Kong in July 2020.

Lord Alton of Liverpool, Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong, said the trial was a "charade that has nothing to do with justice."

"It is simply an assertion of Chinese Communist Party authoritarianism," he said. "It makes a mockery of the rule of law."

"This show trial should be ended forthwith and the U.K. government should say so loud and clear," he said.

Rogers said the trial illustrated how "dramatically and extensively" Hong Kong's basic freedoms and the rule of law have been dismantled, and called for Lai's immediate and unconditional release.

Translated with additional reporting by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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'Prolonged crisis' in US-China ties set to continue this year

While Xi-Biden summit saw the resumption of some contacts, tensions over Taiwan still dominate the agenda.

By Qiao Qinen for RFA Mandarin 2024.01.02 -- U.S.-China ties remained in a prolonged state of crisis at the end of 2023 despite some "candid and constructive" dialogue at the Xi-Biden summit in November, and will likely stay that way throughout 2024 amid ongoing tensions over democratic Taiwan, analysts told Radio Free Asia in recent interviews.

While the Xi-Biden talks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum did result in in the resumption of military-to-military contacts, along with discussion of measures to stem fentanyl exports from China and scientific and technical cooperation, they didn't make close allies out of the two rivals, President Joe Biden said at the time.

Coming as it did after an alleged Chinese spy balloon derailed Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Beijing in February, the presidential summit gave some cause for cautious optimism.

Yet Sam Zhao, professor of international relations at the University of Denver and director of the Center for U.S.-China Cooperation, described the bilateral relationship as being in a state of "prolonged crisis."

"It's not a cold war like in the past, but a bilateral relationship that has periods of detente, then further retreat," Zhao said. "But they remain in a state of crisis."

China's threat to force "unification" on democratic Taiwan - referenced in a pledge by Chinese leader Xi Jinping at New Year and rebuffed by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen this week - along with its military saber-rattling in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait still looms large over bilateral ties, creating ongoing tension, he said.

"Neither side has room for concessions," Zhao said. "There is no possibility of compromise."

He said moves to cooperate on climate change, transnational crime including fentanyl exports, artificial intelligence and disease control and prevention were ways for Beijing and Washington to "help stabilize bilateral ties and rescue them from a linear decline."

'Surely be reunified'

Xi said in his New Year message to the nation that the merger of Taiwan and China was a sure thing, ignoring years of opinion polls showing that Taiwan's 23 million people have no wish to be ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.

"China will surely be reunified, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xi Jinping said in his Dec. 31 address published in English by state news agency Xinhua.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday that the island's future should be decided by its people, democratically.

"This is taking the joint will of Taiwan's people to make a decision," she said. "After all, we are a democratic country."

Much depends on the outcome of the Taiwan presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 13, seen as a battle between ruling Democratic Progressive Party's Lai Ching-te and Hou Yu-ih for the Kuomintang.

"If Lai does win in three weeks or so, I imagine that [China], regardless of the state of US-China relations, is going to increase its pressure on Taiwan," said David Sacks of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

"It will increase its military activities in the Taiwan Strait, and economic sanctions on Taiwan, political and diplomatic pressure and the like," he said.

"And so the question then is what the United States would do to respond to try to alleviate pressure on Taiwan and to show that it showed support for Taiwan as well."

Possible outcomes

Lu Yeh-Chung, assistant professor of diplomacy at Taiwan's National Chengchi University, agreed, adding that the U.S. presidential election in November 2024 would also play a role in deciding the direction of future ties.

"The most stable outcome will be a victory for the [opposition] in Taiwan, the re-election of Biden in the U.S.," Lu said. "If Trump won, that would require careful management by all three governments."

"The worst-case scenario would be a Lai Ching-te victory followed by a Trump victory in the U.S., which would be the most unstable outcome," he said.

Zhao said no Taiwanese leader - even the opposition Kuomintang - will dare to get too close to Beijing, however, for fear of losing voters at home.

Meanwhile, a growing bipartisan consensus in Washington over the growing threat to democracies posed by Beijing's overseas activities will likely see more political pressure on the relationship coming from Capitol Hill, Lu said.

"Even if Xi and Biden hold a second face-to-face summit in November 2024, the window of opportunity for improving bilateral ties will actually be very small," he said.

And bipartisan pressure is only likely to get worse as campaigning starts for the U.S. presidential race.

"It's a question of whether Beijing can recognize the difference between campaign trail talk and actual U.S. policy," Lily McElwee, deputy director and fellow in the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told RFA Mandarin.

"I'm not confident that they're making that distinction right now."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Hong Kong Media Tycoon Pleads Not Guilty to Violating National Security Law

By VOA News January 02, 2024

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty Tuesday to criminal charges involving violating national security laws.

The 76-year-old Lai has been charged with two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to print seditious publications. He issued his plea of innocence each time the three charges were read.

"Not guilty," the British national said three times as each charge was read. Lai sat in a glass dock surrounded by guards. Inside the courtroom, family, foreign diplomats and supporters had gathered.

Lai founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and was one of the most prominent Hong Kong critics of China's Communist Party leadership, including President Xi Jinping.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau described Lai as a "radical figure" in his opening statement during Tuesday's proceedings. He accused Lai of colluding with foreign nations such as the United States in his public statements urging sanctions be imposed on China in retaliation for the national security law.

The prosecutor also showed photos of Lai meeting with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Chau also cited 161 articles published in Apple Daily as "examples of seditious publications."

"If I or others had been working with Jimmy to promote democracy in Hong Kong, it would have been a matter of pride. But, as it happens, it's entirely fabricated. Jimmy had nothing to do whatsoever with any of my work on Hong Kong at all," de Pulford said in a video statement posted on X.

"But Jimmy's case isn't about truth. It's about delivering Beijing's narrative," de Pulford said.

Based in the U.K., de Pulford leads the alliance, which is a global consortium of lawmakers focused on how democracies interact with China.

He and others including Japanese politician Shiori Yamao, financier Bill Browder and exiled activist Finn Lau, are accused of conspiring with Lai.

Lai was first arrested under the new law on suspicion of foreign collusion in 2020, shortly after Beijing imposed the draconian national security law in response to massive pro-democracy demonstrations the year before. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

He has already been convicted and jailed for taking part in unauthorized pro-democracy assemblies in 2019 and 2020.

The landmark case is seen by many as a trial of press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the former British colony, which was promised to have its Western-style civil liberties remain intact for 50 years after returning to Chinese rule in 1997.

The U.S. and the United Kingdom have called for Lai to be immediately released, saying the trial is politically motivated.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.

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Respected Fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un Watches New Year Performance Given by Schoolchildren

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Happy laugh and hopeful songs of the schoolchildren across the country, the might and joy of the dignified Workers' Party of Korea and the powerful DPRK, are reverberating more sonorously in the first morning of the New Year.

A performance of schoolchildren for greeting the New Year was given with splendor at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace on January 1.

The venue of the performance was filled with great excitement and joy of the schoolchildren to sing of the happiest New Year's Day in the world on the significant stage in the presence of the respected Marshal Kim Jong Un , the tender-hearted father of the large family of the whole country.

When the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un arrived at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace, academic advisors and schoolchildren of the palace burst into cheers full of great excitement.

Kim Jong Un was presented with a floral basket carrying the unanimous best wishes of the members of the Korean Schoolchildren's Union (KCU) across the country.

He warmly waved back to the schoolchildren giving an artistry presentation and watched their lovely appearances for a long time at the circle dance hall full of excitement and joy with which they sing and dance in his presence at the palace.

He watched the science fiction models invented by schoolchildren.

Stressing the importance of education in theory in raising schoolchildren's brain development and thinking ability, he called for renovating the contents and methods of education to make sure that schoolchildren acquire practical knowledge for socialist construction.

He met with the schoolchildren with special art talent and watched the pieces created by them, appreciating their drawing and calligraphic skill.

Being satisfied with a request of a "little artist" to present the Marshal with his picture, he patted him on the cheeks.

He listened to the story about the pride of exemplary members of the KCU about knowledge, virtue and strong physique and expressed great satisfaction over the fact that they have studied hard and led a worthy life of the KCU organizations and done many good things, wishing them rosy future.

He appreciated the performance together with senior officials of the Party and the government and department staff members of the Party Central Committee.

Put on the stage were colorful numbers.

Unfolded on the stage was the pride of schoolchildren singing their great happiness under the warm affections and love of the benevolent father who always sets policies for children before anything else and plucks even a star from the sky for the good of the younger generation.

Through the performance, the audience keenly realized that the reality where the younger generation grow up to be reliable successors to shoulder the future of the DPRK, who are qualified intellectually, morally and physically, under the red Party flag of Juche is the most proud and powerful image of the powerful state and the true greatness of our times and revolution.

The performance was acclaimed by the audience as it reflected the determination of loyalty of schoolchildren to prepare themselves to be young revolutionaries and patriots upholding a powerful country under the uplifted slogan of "Let us be always ready for socialist country!" as befits masters of a thriving and powerful state firmly guaranteeing that the Juche revolution is full of vitality all the time.

When the performance was over, all the audience raised stormy cheers of "Hurrah!" looking up to the benevolent father who defined the bright laughing of children as the symbol of the socialist system and the mightiness of Korean-style socialism, defends and glorifies their laughing and opened up a broad avenue to the cause of building a powerful state advancing by dint of love for the new generation.

Kim Jong Un wished good luck for all the children of the country on the New Year, waving back to the enthusiastic cheers of schoolchildren.

He had a photo session with schoolchildren to show profound loving care which they will always remember, affirming that days and months of our country will be eternal as ones of children's laughing under the care of the Workers' Party of Korea and that the song "We Are the Happiest in the World" will resound as the eternal theme song of the times of the Workers' Party for all ages. -0-

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Press Statement of Vice Department Director of C.C., WPK Kim Yo Jong

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, January 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, on Tuesday issued the following press statement "New Year message to the president of the Republic of Korea":

It is a ritual for people to give and take greetings and well-wishing remarks on the occasion of the New Year, so I've sent New Year greetings to many friends.

Then, I saw the so-called New Year address made by President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on January 1, and I came to realize that I was missing this "indebted person" for a moment.

And I felt an impulse to send greetings to him, who is very busy "spreading the north nuclear and missile phobia" in his utterly troublous house from the outset of the new year, saying that "they will complete the south Korea-U.S. extended deterrence system by the first half of this year to contain the nuclear and missile threats from the north" and that "they will further speed up the building up of south Korea's three-axis defence system in the face of the north's nuclear and missile threats", and "praise" him for the "feats" he has made so far.

The present security situation on the Korean peninsula is so critical that it may be not strange to see the outbreak of war at once, and the security uneasiness has become a commonplace in the ROK. This is entirely ascribable to the "merits" of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

This person, whose thinking faculty and personality had been very strange since he sought to take power, has persistently called for "peace by force" and got hell-bent on the beefing up of the extended deterrence and the south Korea-U.S. joint military exercises after coming to power, thus putting the destiny of the ROK on the last extremity. So everyone is critical of him, but I would like to "praise" him.

I don't know if others can regard my meaning as jeers, but it is from the bottom of my heart.

He turned the ROK into a "target" with the introduction of U.S. nuclear strategic assets and expanded indiscriminate joint military drills of various scales all the year round, making such rhetoric threats as "end of regime", and thus incited the anger of the DPRK, "principal enemy" of the ROK, to the utmost and made us totally slip the safety catch of "trigger" of arms targeting Seoul. Such "ability" is not what anyone can possess.

It is obvious that the accusations against President Yoon Suk Yeol who destroyed the security as a whole, will grow stronger in south Korea. But he deserves to be praised by us as the "top-class person" who made a significant "contribution" to building up the self-defensive and irresistible military muscle on the part of the DPRK.

It is much easier to deal with a stupid, honest man who has shown his hostility against the enemy than a wicked man with honey in his mouth and a sword in his heart.

Thanks to the frequent introduction of U.S. nuclear carriers, nuclear submarines and nuclear strategic bombers allegedly to frighten anyone, the DPRK could develop its military capabilities in a reasonable and effective way.

As they defined and announced the regime and the army in the north as their "principal enemy to be destroyed", we could make clear who is our true enemy and further develop our outlook on the enemy like a sharp bayonet. As they talked about "unification under the liberal democracy" like monk's chanting prayers, we could awaken our people to prevent them from falling into such illusions as "national reconciliation and unity and peaceful reunification". As they began to reconsider provisions of the September 19 north-south military agreement, the military activities of our army, which had been placed under restraint for years due to such agreement as wastepaper, came to get winged again.

How small can that "merits" be?

Such a world reminds me of Moon Jae In, the former master of Chongwadae.

He was a very sagacious and crafty man.

He, pretending weak-mindedness, closely clung to us, offering a package of peace in order to bind our hands, and behind laid obstacles in our efforts to bolster up the prospective military capabilities for deterring the U.S. and its war servants while inwardly meeting all his needs.

He was so good at pretending and captivating us as if he would do anything for us, talking about "same blood", "peace" and "co-prosperity" in an inarticulate way of speaking peculiar to him.

In retrospect, he was a man so difficult to deal with and a person really good at securing security.

He pleaded for the ban on nuclear and missile launch tests to us, but behind he imported dozens of U.S. F-35As, commissioned several submarines and realized the complete abolition of the missile range restriction measure, sticking to his master.

A soft answer turned away wrath.

It was a great loss that we, seized by his seeming "will for peace", lost a lot of time which we should spend for enhancing our combat efficiency.

When I think of it now, if the second Moon Jae In had taken the power, it should have been a serious trouble to us.

It is a golden opportunity to us that Yoon Suk Yeol, a "brave" man close to ignorance, has taken the presidential position.

It is because Yoon is helping us to make up for our above-said loss ten times, twenty times or more.

The tremendous military muscle we are so satisfied with and trust in may have been hard to be secured in such a short span of time without the military confrontation attitude that Yoon showed so wildly and his clamoring for "collapse" of our country and "punishment".

It may be glad to hear or thankful that anyway Yoon's pledge to complete the "ROK"-U.S. extended deterrence system by the first half of this year in his New Year address gave us again the justification and validity to further put spurs to securing more overwhelming nuclear combat capability.

We were presented with a truly "valuable gift".

President Yoon, indeed, deserves to be granted the title of "special class hero", as he makes steady "contributions" without asking for any reward for his efforts to bolster up the military muscle of the DPRK.

Given the maniac attitude for confrontation being posed by President Yoon from the outset of the new year with the "north wind" and "arms wind", it is obvious that, not content with his deed of putting the delicate destiny of the imperiled ROK on the dressing board last year, he is going to put it on a hot griddle this year.

Not sure to say for the ROK, but, anyway for us, it is a pretty good chance that a "brave president", who feels no anxiety even about the consequence to be entailed by his behavior and words, appeared.

I cordially welcome ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol's pledge to continuously render "distinctive services" to the rapid development of our state's military superiority in the new year, too. -0-

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Indictment reveals MKO had links to French intelligence service

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 2, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The fourth session of the trial of the members of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group was held on Tuesday, during which the prosecutor's representative highlighted the connection between the group and the French government.

At the beginning of the open session, chaired by Judge Dehqani in the 11th branch of the criminal court of Tehran province, the prosecutor's representative said that before reading the indictment, some pieces of information would be read out to enlighten the public opinion.

He pointed out that documents have revealed the MKO's ringleader Masoud Rajavi's connection with France and the role of the French intelligence service in the explosion at the headquarters of the Islamic Republican Party (IRP) in Tehran in June 1981.

After the armed action of the terrorist group earlier in June 1981, Rajavi and several members of the MKO discussed whether they should declare that the group had entered the military phase and finally decided to make that announcement, he said.

Afterward, he continued, Rajavi proposed to blow up the office of the IRP and the group decided to make preparations for the move.

Then Rajavi traveled to France, and the bombing happened after his trip, he further explained, adding that Abrishamchi, Bani Sadr, Rajavi and several others then hijacked a plane to depart Iran for France, the prosecutor's representative added.

The high-profile trial of the ringleaders and members of the MKO kicked off in Tehran on December 12.

According to the criminal court, some 104 members of the terrorist group as well as a legal entity (the MKO) are sued in the trial for committing inhumane crimes.

The MKO has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in Iran against ordinary people and officials since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, killing thousands of people over the past four decades.

4354**9417

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In letter to UN chief, Iran says will pursue General Soleimani's assassination case to bring perpetrators, abettors to justice

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 5:58 PM

The head of the Iranian mission to the United Nations says the country reserves the right to pursue the case of the 2020 assassination by the US government of General Qassem Soleimani, the then commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

Amir Saeid Iravani said in a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday that Iran will pursue legal means to hold accountable the countries, organizations and individuals that played a role in General Soleimani's assassination in a US drone strike outside the main airport in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in January 2020.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate right under international law to pursue legal proceedings aimed at holding accountable and bringing to justice the perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism," Iravani said in the letter.

The diplomat also reiterated that the United States had breached its international obligations by carrying out the "cowardly assassination" of General Soleimani, saying the act constituted a flagrant violation of the international law.

He said that the Israeli regime had played a role in the assassination based on statements issued by former Israeli intelligence officials, adding the US had also used the Ramstein Airbase in Germany for carrying out the assassination.

"Aside from the United States, all those who by any means had aided, abetted, or otherwise assisted and supported [the assassination], whether directly or indirectly, bear responsibility for their involvement in the perpetration of this terrorist crime," read Iravani's letter which was published by the official news agency IRNA.

Iran also sent a letter to the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday, saying the country will continue its efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators and abettors of General Soleimani's assassination.

In the letter to the OHCHR, Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva said that the assassination was a violation of international humanitarian law as it eliminated a prominent element of the regional fight against terrorism.

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Iran has asked Iraq to extradite 38 separatist terrorists: Top rights official

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 11:12 AM

Iran's top human rights official says the Islamic Republic has called upon Iraqi authorities to extradite 38 main members of separatist and terrorist groups holed up in the Arab country's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Kazem Gharibabadi, secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, made the remarks on the sidelines of the fourth trial session of the members of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group, which was held in absentia in the capital Tehran on Tuesday.

Iran has urged the central government in Iraq and authorities in Kurdistan to meet their commitments toward Iran and take necessary measures to secure the border.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched several rounds of airstrikes against the positions of the terrorists who are holed up in Iraqi Kurdistan.

On November 21, 2022, positions of anti-Iran separatist and terrorist groups in northern Iraq came under combined attacks using missiles and kamikaze drones. The strikes targeted the positions of the notorious Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and the Komala Party in northern Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam television news network reported at the time.

According to the network, one attack saw four missiles being fired against a PDKI position in the town of Koy Sanjaq in Erbil Province. A separate attack featured kamikaze drones smashing into another site belonging to the group near the Baharka village.

Simultaneously, kamikaze drones struck positions associated with Komala across two locations near the city of Sulaymaniyah.

Elsewhere in his remarks on Tuesday, Gharibabadi noted that Iran has not limited its legal actions simply to MKO terrorists, but has also taken measures against Pakistan-based so-called Ansar-ul-Furqan and Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist groups.

Members of the latter terror outfit are wanted for a vicious terrorist assault on Rask County's police headquarters in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan on December 15 last year.

The assault claimed the lives of 11 police forces, including officers and conscripts, and left several others wounded.

Gharibabadi further said that Iran has the necessary means at its disposal to implement its court rulings against the terrorists, saying, "The countries now sheltering the terrorists will have no reason to support them or would at least opt to expel the individuals once we hand down the verdicts."

He described terrorism as one of the most horrific crimes being committed in the world with the support of certain so-called advocates of human rights.

Gharibabadi underscored that Iran has been the biggest victim of terrorist acts, and some 23 thousand Iranian nationals have fallen victim to acts of terror.

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Iran Reportedly Executes Kurdish Prisoner Of Conscience

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda January 02, 2024

Dawood Abdullahi, a Kurdish prisoner of conscience, has been executed in Iran's Qazalhasar prison, local media reports said, after spending more than 14 years in prison.

The Ha-Ngao and Kurdpa news outlets reported on January 2 that Abdullahi was executed at the prison in Karaj and that his body has been handed over to family members.

News of the execution came just days after Abdullahi's family said they met with him before he was transferred to solitary confinement, often a step indicating a prisoner's death sentence is about to be carried out, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network.

Abdullahi and six other Kurds were arrested in November 2009 for allegedly murdering their teacher, Abdul Rahim Tina. Human rights organizations have repeatedly said the accused were "severely tortured" into giving forced confessions.

They were convicted of taking "action" against national security interests, propaganda against the regime, and "corruption on Earth."

The Supreme Court overturned their death sentences in 2015, but after a retrial in 2017, they were again put on death row. The Supreme Court confirmed the sentences in 2018.

The rate of executions in Iran has been rising sharply, particularly in the wake of the widespread protests triggered by the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while she was in police custody for an alleged hijab violation.

Iran Human Rights said that, as of December 2023, more than 700 people have been executed in Iran, with a marked increase in recent months.

Amnesty International says the regime in Tehran executed more people than any other country in the world other than China in 2023.

Official Iranian state news outlets have reported that nine people convicted of drug trafficking have been executed in recent days.

Amnesty has accused Iranian authorities of turning prisons into "killing fields" on the back of a sharp increase in drug-trafficking convictions.

"The shameless rate at which the authorities are carrying out drug-related executions, in violation of international law, exposes their lack of humanity and flagrant disregard for the right to life," Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a report in June.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-kurdish- prisoner-abdullahi/32756281.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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'End of junta is near' amid mass surrenders: Myanmar's shadow govt

Shadow government's leader says the scale of surrenders is 'unprecedented.'

By RFA Burmese 2024.01.02 -- The end of the junta is near amid mass desertions and surrenders of junta troops, said Myanmar's shadow government on Monday.

"We have seen the mass deserting and surrender of the military council soldiers unprecedented in military history ... Looking at these, it can be said that the end of the [junta] military council is near," said Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the National Unity Government (NUG) during his new year's address.

"Junta troops are facing the situation where its soldiers are either surrendering or being captured in battles on a daily basis," said the interim leader, adding that 550 military junta soldiers have surrendered during "Operation 1027" by the rebel Three Northern Brotherhood Alliance.

The alliance, which includes the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, has overrun dozens of military outposts and camps and taken control of several key cities in northern Shan state since launching their offensive on Oct. 27.

The rapid gains are the biggest setbacks experienced by the military since it took over the country in a February 2021 coup, prompting junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in late November to issue a rare acknowledgement of the rebel's successes.

Analysts suggest that the civil war may be at a turning point -- although that is far from clear at present.

Duwa Lashi La also cited a statement by the Karen National Union, or KNU, as saying that more than 18,000 military soldiers have been killed in the KNU-controlled areas since the coup.

The acting president's speech came a few days after an intense battle between the anti-junta Arakan Army (AA) and junta troops in Paletwa township, Chin state, on Dec. 29, 2023.

As a result of the battle, more than 80 military junta soldiers crossed the border and fled to India's Mizoram state, according to Paletwa residents.

India-based the United News of India reported on the same day that 83 junta soldiers entered Tuisenlang village on the Mizoram-Myanmar border.

UNI stated that the junta soldiers would be sent back to Myanmar, noting that there were four instances in November and December last year when junta soldiers escaped to the Indian state of Mizoram.

A Paletwa resident who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals told Radio Free Asia last Thursday that the military council troops had fled to the Mizoram side, fully armed.

The resident added, however, he could not confirm whether the junta soldiers were repatriated to Myanmar.

As of Tuesday, the junta's military council has not commented on the soldiers who fled to India.

Aung Cho, junta council's spokesman for Chin state and Chin state's secretary, by phone, has also not responded to RFA's inquiries.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.

Adds context near top about rebel gains the past two months, junta chief acknowledging rebel successes.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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S Korean President stresses military vigilance amid Pyongyang threat

Yoon Suk Yeol's remarks come a day after the North Korean leader's fresh warning against Seoul.

By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA 2024.01.01 -- South Korea's President emphasized the importance of military strength in the face of escalating nuclear threats from Pyongyang, which has declared its intention for "conquering the entire southern territory" - a metaphorical reference for South Korea.

In a new year message sent to the South Korean military on Tuesday, its President Yoon Suk Yeol urged it to maintain a strong posture amid the intensifying North Korea threat.

"Our military has made every effort to protect the lives and safety of our citizens from North Korea's relentless provocations and threats, even under challenging conditions," Yoon said, according to South Korea's defense ministry.

Yoon also said defense capability was the foundation for expanding the value of freedom and propelling the prosperous economy, adding that military strength is essential for safeguarding the protection of South Korea' territories and regional security.

Yoon's remarks come a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's fresh warning to the South.

Kim said that military conflicts in the Korean peninsula may "arise at any moment," as cited by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday.

KCNA also reported that North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, along with the head of the United Front Department Ri Son Gwon, hosted a meeting to discuss ways to deliver Kim's orders to restructure organizations involved in South Korean affairs.

Similar threat was also made on Sunday as Kim emphasized that the inter-Korean relationship has completely solidified into one of hostility, indicating that he no longer views the South as the same Koreans, but as two belligerent states in a state of war.

"Reflecting on the long history of inter-Korean relations, our conclusion is that unification can never be achieved with South Korea, which has adopted policies of 'unification by absorption' and 'systematic unification' that starkly contrast with our nation's unification policy based on the principles of one people, one state, two systems," said Kim as North Korea wrapped up its Central Committee Plenary Meeting of the Workers' Party Korea Saturday.

In the same speech, Kim also urged Pyongyang to prepare for the possibility of "conquering the entire southern territory" - an apparent reference to South Korea - calling on the military to be ready to mobilize "all physical means and capabilities, including nuclear forces, in response to any potential nuclear crisis that may arise."

The inter-Korean tension is expected to escalate on the global stage in the new year, with issues related to North Korea likely to be more frequently addressed in international forums such as the U.N. Security Council.

Both South Korea and Japan began their two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in New York from Sunday - marking the next two years a rare alignment of the United States, South Korea and Japan all being members of the same organ, with potential and frequent coordination on curbing North Korea's military ambitions.

The U.S., South Korea and Japan, for instance, have long attempted to bring North Korean human rights issues to the UNSC's agenda, but these efforts have been opposed by China and Russia.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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South Korean Opposition Leader Lee Attacked During Busan Visit

By William Gallo January 02, 2024

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-Myung was airlifted to a hospital in Seoul Tuesday, hours after he was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.

The leader of the Democratic Party was meeting with reporters at the construction site of a new airport when a man approached and asked for an autograph. Videos posted online showed Lee smiling shortly before the man plunged a large knife into the left side of his neck.

A bystander pressed a handkerchief to Lee's neck to stop the bleeding before he was rushed to Pusan National University Hospital.

A Democratic Party spokesman says Lee was airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital for surgery after doctors expressed concern about potential massive bleeding around his jugular vein.

The spokesman said Lee was conscious after the attack, and health officials and police now say his life is not in danger.

The suspected attacker has been identified as a man in his 60s or 70s. He was wearing a paper crown with Lee's name printed on it.

Police on the scene immediately arrested the unidentified man and took him away. According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, police in Busan say the suspected attacker has confessed to trying to kill Lee, and will charge the attacker with attempted murder.

The liberal lawmaker narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol. A spokesman for President Yoon Suk Yul quoted the president as saying "this type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances. The spokesman says President Yoon has ordered an investigation into the attack and instructed that Lee be given the best care available.

A spokesman for the Democratic Party called the incident "a terrorist attack" and "a serious threat to democracy."

The 59-year-old Lee is a polarizing figure in South Korean politics. In September, he ended a 24-day hunger strike to protest what he saw as the failed policies of his rival, Yoon.

Last year, South Korean prosecutors indicted Lee on corruption-related charges, including those related to a property development scandal. He avoided jail after a court rejected a warrant for his arrest.

Lee is known for his populist policies. As a former mayor of Gyeonggi, South Korea's most populous province that surrounds Seoul, Lee advocated a form of universal basic income, in which citizens were to receive regular payments of money from the government.

Political violence in South Korea has been rare in recent decades, though attacks have occasionally occurred.

In 2022, Song Young-gil, then Democratic Party leader, was attacked by an elderly man with a hammer while campaigning just two days before the election.

In 2006, former conservative party leader Park Geun-hye, who would later become president, was attacked by a man with a box cutter at a rally in Seoul.

Her father, authoritarian President Park Chung-hee, was assassinated in 1979 by his own chief of the country's intelligence agency.

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Russian News Outlet Says Data Shows Putin Signed Record Number Of Secret Decrees In 2023

By Current Time January 02, 2024

Almost one-half of the presidential decrees signed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin last year were done in secret, a local media outlet said, more than any other year on record.

Mediazona said in a report on January 2 that according to its research based on data from Russia's official publications website, 49.5 percent of the 997 decrees Putin signed were done in secret. The previous highest rate was by Putin in 2001, during the Second Chechen War, when 47 percent of all decrees were secret. The number of decrees signed in 2022, the first year of the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was 996, 45 percent of which were signed in secret.

The independent news outlet said that secret decrees are often used to reward the military and pardon convicts who were promised to be freed from prison if they served a six-month term with the military in the war against Ukraine.

In 2022 and 2023, data showed at least 17 people who committed murders were pardoned - all of them fought against Ukraine and then returned to Russia where they were granted their freedom.

On June 13, Putin confirmed he signed a decree absolving convicts of their crimes, saying, "the state must do everything to fulfill its obligations" to those who agreed to serve at the front.

Mediazona said it calculated the figures by looking at the registration numbers of the presidential decrees. Since they are done sequentially, the news outlet said that by totaling up the missing registration numbers, one could ascertain how many secret decrees were signed but never published.

The Kremlin has not commented on the report.

The return of convicts from the war -- dead or alive -- is causing controversy across Russia as the government recognizes them as heroes while victims and families suffering as a result of their preinvasion crimes stew in anger.

There have been several cases of Russian families expressing outrage that the convicted killer of a loved one has been released and amnestied because they completed a tour of duty in Ukraine, and some neighborhoods live in fear of violent returnees. Some families are also irate over the state honors bestowed upon former inmates who don't survive their stint in the war.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-secret-decrees- ukraine-war-convicts/32756314.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia's Land Forces Received Over 1,500 Tanks in 2023 - MoD

Sputnik News

20240102

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Land Forces received over 1,500 tanks in 2023, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"The Land Forces received over 1,500 new and upgraded tanks, as well as over 2,500 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers," the ministry's statement read.

Russian troops have been receiving the T-90M Proryv tanks, which Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of Russia's state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec, recently called the best tanks in the world. The troops have also been equipped with T-72B3, T-72B3M and T-80BVM.

Russian tanks used in the area of Russia's military operation in Ukraine are the only combat vehicles in the world with all-aspect protection against hollow-charge ammunition.

A Sputnik

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Russian Armed Forces Receive New Yastreb-AV Artillery Reconnaissance System

Sputnik News

20240102

The artillery reconnaissance system is designed to provide intelligence and targeting data to artillery units. Using advanced sensors, communication systems, and data processing capabilities, the system enables artillery commanders to quickly and accurately identify enemy positions.

Russian troops in the special military operation are using the new Yastreb-AV artillery reconnaissance system as part of counter-battery combat, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The new 1K148 Yastreb-AV has been put into service with Russian artillery units in the special military operation zone. Together with the Zoopark-1M complex, Yastreb-AV provides detection of Ukrainian artillery firing positions. At the same time, the characteristics of the new complex are superior.

"Today, the effective performance of combat tasks by missile operators and artillerymen, together with the use of UAVs, which increases the effectiveness of artillery fire and survivability on the battlefield, is also ensured by the use of modern artillery reconnaissance equipment such as Zoopark-1M and Yastreb-AV," the ministry said in a statement.

The 1K148 Yastreb-AV radar complex is capable of automatically tracking the trajectory of shells fired by enemy artillery and determining the exact coordinates of their positions. The system is mounted on a four-axle BAZ-6910-025 chassis. The rear part of the chassis is designed for the installation of an antenna mast with a large-area canvas.

Particular characteristics of the Yastreb-AV have not been disclosed, while tests were completed in late 2021 or early 2022, and it was recently delivered to Russian troops.

A Sputnik

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Israel attacks Syria with missiles, artillery in fresh acts of aggression

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 9:44 AM

The Israeli military has carried out two separate strikes against targets in Syria amid its bloody onslaught against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Syria's official SANA news agency, citing an unnamed military source, reported that the Israeli enemy launched an aerial attack from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights at around 4:35 a.m. local time (0135 GMT) on Tuesday, targeting some sites on the outskirts of the capital Damascus.

The source added that there were no injuries in the strike, but there were material losses.

Another military official told Russia's Arabic-language RT Arabic television news network that Syrian air defenses intercepted and shot down most of the incoming Israeli missiles.

The development came only a few hours after Israeli artillery units shelled areas in Syria's southwestern province of Dara'a.

The Israeli army stated in a statement that the attack was in response to several rockets fired from southern Syria into the Golan Heights.

Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in the occupied territories in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime's incessant crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 21,978 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured some 57,700 others.

It has also imposed a "complete siege" on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Israel frequently targets military positions inside Syria, especially those of resistance fighters, who have played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists.

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Presidential candidates ramp up campaigning as election day draws near

ROC Central News Agency

01/02/2024 06:27 PM

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) Taiwan's presidential candidates and their parties launched a new round of campaign activities on Tuesday, as they look to win over voters in the final two weeks before election day on Jan. 13.

The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) had its presidential nominee Hou Yu-ih () and his running mate Jaw Shau-kong () take to the streets of New Taipei's Banqiao District and Taoyuan, respectively, Tuesday morning for a series of public meet and greets.

Around the same time, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an () and his counterpart in Taichung Lu Shiow-yen () also appeared on the streets of their cities to campaign for the KMT presidential ticket and local legislative candidates.

Tuesday's activities were part of a new election push launched by the KMT, which will see local government leaders join forces with the opposition party's presidential ticket to campaign in a total of 1,139 locations around the country over the next two weeks, according to the KMT Chairman Eric Chu ().

The goal, Chu told reporters as he was canvassing in Taipei's Shilin District, was to show the KMT's "determination to bring about a change in government" following almost eight years of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rule.

The smaller opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP), too, embarked on a new round of campaigning activities on Tuesday, featuring its presidential candidate Ko Wen-je () and running mate Wu Hsin-ying () traveling and canvassing countrywide in separate motorcades.

The campaign seeks to give greater public exposure to the TPP and "arouse enthusiasm among supporters" of the party, Ko told reporters before setting out with his motorcade in New Taipei's Xinzhuang District.

The nationwide campaign, which has already seen Wu travel to New Taipei's Tucheng and Shulin districts, will be live-streamed on social media, according to the TPP.

Similarly, the DPP is set to launch a new campaign on Wednesday morning, when the party's presidential candidate Lai Ching-te () and running mate Hsiao Bi-khim () will greet the public in the street of Taipei's Songshan District and New Taipei's Banqiao District, respectively.

According to the ruling party, the canvassing efforts by Lai and Hsiao are part of a final campaign push that will see DPP members make appearances at 1,000 locations across Taiwan's 22 cities and counties.

The DPP noted that this would be Lai's eighth island-wide tour since he entered the presidential race in April.

The aim is to mobilize supporters to go to the polling station and cast their ballots for the DPP's presidential ticket and party list on Jan. 13, according to the party.

Lai remains the front-runner in most polls, with the survey published by My-Formosa.com on Dec. 30 indicating that the DPP ticket received 40.2 percent of support, more than 10 percentage points ahead of the KMT, which had 28.7 percent of support.

However, the gap was much smaller in the TVBS poll published on Monday, which showed that the DPP ticket garnered 33 percent support while the KMT pairing had 30 percent support.

The two polls are part of the last to be released before election day, with Taiwan's election rules prohibiting the publication of polls after midnight on Jan. 2.

(By Teng Pei-ju)

Enditem/ASG

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Secretary Blinken's Call with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

January 2, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary Cameron. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Secretary Cameron discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict, including the need to improve civilian protection and humanitarian aid delivery to civilians in Gaza. They also discussed the importance of collective multilateral action to address threats to global interests posed by Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea as well as continued U.S.-UK efforts to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's aggression.

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Foreign Secretary David Cameron discussed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the humanitarian situation in Gaza and support for Ukraine with Secretary of State Blinken today.

2 January 2024

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

The Foreign Secretary spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today [2 January 2024].

The Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State discussed the international community's shared condemnation of the illegal and unjustified attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. They made clear that the UK and US will work with our partners to hold the Houthis accountable for these unlawful seizures and attacks.

The Foreign Secretary raised worsening food insecurity in Gaza and the urgent need for significantly more aid to reach civilians, through as many routes as possible.

Finally, the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State discussed Russia's deplorable air strikes against Odesa, Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Kyiv over the New Year period, and their steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine this year.
OSCE Statement on war against Ukraine deplores civilian deaths, calls for end to misery and suffering

OSCE | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

VALLETTA/VIENNA

2 January 2024

VALLETTA/VIENNA, 2 January 2024 -- The Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid made the following statement on the continuing and intensifying aerial attacks by Russia in its war against Ukraine:

"The new year has depressingly begun in the same way that the last one ended. Death and destruction have stolen the lives of women, men, boys and girls and destroyed essential infrastructure.

Every day, it is civilians who consistently pay the price in this terrible conflict. They should never be the victims of deadly drone and missile attacks.

Together, we deplore in the strongest possible terms these ongoing attacks and urgently call for an immediate end to the unrelenting violence that does nothing but propagate a vicious cycle of misery and suffering. We call for this war to end now."

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At Least Five Killed, Dozens Wounded In Russian Air Attacks On Kyiv, Kharkiv

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service January 02, 2024

At least five people were killed and dozens wounded in Russian drone and missiles strikes in and around Kyiv as well as Kharkiv on January 2 that Ukraine's military said were similar in scale to a massive Russian attack just days earlier.

In Kyiv and nearby, three people were reported killed in an attack that caused widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, triggering fires in several spots. In Kharkiv, one person was reported killed and 20 wounded in a major Russian strike on that city.

The attacks came a day after Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones across Ukraine during the early hours of the new year. Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would "intensify" its attacks on its neighbor.

Putin's warning on January 1 came after shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod was reported to have killed more than two dozen people and wounded more than 100 others. Russia blamed Ukraine for that attack on December 30.

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said on X, formerly Twitter, that since December 29th, "Russia has used about 300 missiles and over 200 'Shahed' drones against Ukraine," praising Ukraine's air defense for shooting down many of the projectiles and asking the country's Western partners to send more air defense systems.

"Each additional air defense system and missile saves more lives. It is here, in Ukraine, and with our air defense, that we must demonstrate that democracies are capable of protecting lives from all types of terrorism," he said.

In another social media post, Zelenskiy said "Russia will answer for every life [that it has] taken away."

The Ukrainian Air Force commander said Russia's air strike on January 2 was a repeat of its major attack on December 29 in terms of the number and type of missiles.

On December 29, Russia bombarded Ukraine with about 158 missiles and drones.

The Ukrainian military's commander in chief, General Valeriy Zaluzhniy, said Ukrainian air defenses, strengthened with supplies by Kyiv's allies, had downed 10 out of 10 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles in the January 2 attacks as well as 59 of the 70 cruise missiles and all three Kalibr cruise missiles.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on January 2 that the city of 1.4 million had been targeted by "at least four strikes," which damaged multistory buildings and civilian infrastructure in the center.

Synyehubov later said a 91-year-old woman had been killed in a missile attack that left a meters-deep crater near damaged residential buildings. He also said that 45 people had been wounded in the attack in Kharkiv.

Kyiv was rocked by explosions early on January 2, with Ukraine's military saying air-defense systems had repelled a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian capital hours after Russian military drones were reported to have targeted the city.

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said 10 people were wounded by debris from destroyed missiles that had fallen in several districts, including on residential buildings.

"Explosions in the capital," Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app, urging people to stay safe.

Klitschko later reported that one person had died on the way to the hospital.

Klitschko also said that gas pipelines were damaged in Kyiv's Pecherskiy district and electricity was cut off in several buildings in the capital on January 2.

A married couple was killed and 11 people were hurt in the area outside Kyiv, the regional administration said. A dozen residential buildings and at least 60 cars were also damaged, it said, according to Reuters.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that it had destroyed all 35 attack drones that Russia launched after midnight that targeted several cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Kyiv's Western allies to accelerate supplies of air-defense systems, long-range missiles, and combat drones.

"We expect all states to strongly condemn the attack and take resolute action," Kuleba said on X, formerly Twitter, listing five steps that allies can take "right now."

"The terrorist regime in Moscow must realize that the international community will not turn a blind eye to the murder of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine," Kuleba said.

In an interview with The Economist, Zelenskiy said that any indication that Putin is seeking peace talks is just a reflection of the fact that he is running out of troops and armaments.

Zelenskiy said a major focus of Ukrainian counterattacks going forward would be to diminish Russian forces' strength in Crimea, even as his military defends under-pressure cities in the east, where civilians increasingly are becoming victims of Russian drone and missile attacks.

"I see only the steps of a terrorist country," he said in the interview.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, said late on January 2 that Russia's air defense systems had destroyed a Ukraine-launched missile over the Crimean port city. Razvozhayev said on Telegram there was no damage or casualties as a result of the attack.

In comments made on January 1 at a military hospital in the Moscow region, Putin called the shelling of Belgorod, which reportedly killed 25 people, a "terrorist attack" and vowed to intensify attacks against Ukraine.

Putin accused Ukraine of attacking civilian areas, while claiming that Moscow targets only military sites, despite Russian missile and drone strikes hitting residential and civilian areas in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat rejected Putin's comments about responding to the shelling of Belgorod. Ihnat said Putin only tries to show Russians that their country's forces avenge everything.

"They take the most brutal pictures...and show that this is a great retribution," Ihnat said, speaking on a program of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. He asked what reaction there had been to the recent downing of Russian planes and the sinking of a Russian warship.

"Are these all reactions, or how should it be perceived?" he asked. "And the war against Ukraine in general is a reaction to what?"

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-explosions- kyiv-russian-missile-drone-attack/32755915.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Forces Strike Ukrainian Military Enterprises Producing Missiles, UAVs and Repairing Weapons

Sputnik News

20240102

Ukraine shelled the central part of the Russian city of Belgorod on Saturday afternoon. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine's missile attack on the Russian city of Belgorod is a terrorist act.

The Russian armed forces have hit Ukrainian enterprises of the military-industrial complex in Kiev and its suburbs, especially those producing missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The Russian Armed Forces carried out a combined strike with long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, which were carrying out orders for the production of missiles, drones, and repair of weapons and military equipment in Kiev and its suburbs, as well as on storage sites for missiles, ammunition, and air weapons supplied to the Kiev regime by Western countries," the ministry said.

It specified that "the goal of the strike was achieved and all the objects were hit."

Ukraine shelled the central part of Belgorod on Saturday afternoon. The Russian Defense Ministry said Czech-made Vampire rockets and missiles with cluster munitions were fired at the city. Air defense systems intercepted most of the targets, but several projectiles and cluster fragments from downed missiles fell on Belgorod. At least 24 people died and 108 people got injured.

A Sputnik

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Unexpected Problem: Ukraine Unable to Produce Gunpowder

Sputnik News

20240102

Earlier, an anonymous senior Ukrainian Armed Forces officer told British media that Russian strikes had "paralyzed" Ukraine's defense industry and prevented it from producing anything on its own.

The Ukrainian defense industry is not capable of producing gunpowder for artillery shells, former deputy minister for the temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons of Ukraine, Georgiy Tuka, admitted in an interview with the TV channel Pryamoy.

"Seemingly such a primitive thing as gunpowder turned out to be absolutely super complicated for our [Ukrainian] military-industrial complex," he said.

Tuka said that gunpowder is a basic component of small arms cartridges and artillery shells. The situation in Ukraine with artillery powder is especially sad, the former deputy minister complained.

According to Tuka, it is now impossible to produce artillery shells on the territory controlled by Kiev. Any statements about the emergence of such production most likely do not mean artillery shells, but cartridge cases, caps, or warheads for them, he added.

A Sputnik

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PM call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 2 January 2024

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today.

2 January 2024

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today.

He offered his condolences to all those Ukrainians killed and injured in barbaric Russian airstrikes over the Christmas period. The Prime Minister said the UK would continue to stand steadfastly by Ukraine as they fight aggression and occupation, throughout 2024 and into the future.

The leaders discussed recent developments in the conflict, including progress in the Black Sea and the success of the Ukrainian air defence, bolstered by UK-supplied ground-to-air missiles.

The Prime Minister set out ongoing UK work to provide military and diplomatic support to Ukraine, including through further deliveries of lethal aid, support for President Zelenskyy's peace plan and a long-term security framework.

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Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Jake Sullivan

President of Ukraine

2 January 2024 - 22:37

As part of the continued dialogue with allies, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a phone call with National Security Advisor to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan.

During the first conversation in 2024, the parties discussed the consequences of Russia's recent massive shelling of Ukraine's territory with the use of various types of missiles and Shahed-type kamikaze drones. Andriy Yermak informed about the performance of Ukraine's air defense forces, which shot down the vast majority of enemy aerial targets, including Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.

The parties agreed on the need to continue to bolster Ukraine's air defense. The importance of maintaining the necessary level of U.S. support for Ukraine's air defense was emphasized.

The Head of the President's Office expressed sincere gratitude to the team of U.S. President Joseph Biden for all the efforts aimed at the prompt adoption of the aid package by the U.S. Congress, which is essential for our country.

Andriy Yermak and Jake Sullivan also coordinated steps to implement the plans for Ukraine - U.S. cooperation in 2024 in all areas, including national security.

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine thanked Jake Sullivan for his comprehensive assistance and conveyed words of gratitude to U.S. President Joseph Biden, his entire team, both chambers and parties of the U.S. Congress and every American for their support to our country in countering Russia's terrorist attacks and for the powerful assistance in the fight for freedom and democracy on the European continent.

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It is in Ukraine that we must prove that democracies are capable of protecting life from all forms of terror - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

2 January 2024 - 20:54

Dear Ukrainians!

I have just spoken to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak, informing him of the consequences of today's attack by Russian terrorists. So far this day, almost a hundred missiles of various types have been launched, and the enemy has planned their trajectories to cause as much damage as possible. This is an utterly premeditated terror. And just in the last few days - from December 29 till now - Russia has already used nearly 300 missiles and over 200 "Shahed" drones against Ukraine. No other state has ever repelled such attacks, combined ones: both drones and missiles, including air-launched ballistic missiles. Ten "Kinzhal" missiles have been shot down today alone.

I thank every warrior of our Air Force, every fighter of our mobile firing groups, every anti-aircraft gunner and all those across the globe already helping Ukraine with weapons to protect the skies. More air defense systems, more missiles for air defense is what directly saves lives.

And it is with our defense of the sky here in Ukraine that we must prove that democracies are capable of protecting life from all forms of terror. If we do not do this now in Ukraine, then, unfortunately, Russian terror will continue to spread across Europe and the world. The feeling of impunity among the Russian rulers, formed over decades of their unlimited power, has already caused many deaths and suffering. Russia must learn what accountability for destroying life is and what the power of defending life is.

I am grateful to the UK for its willingness to contribute to our air defense. In addition to defense cooperation and our joint actions in protecting against terror, we discussed with Prime Minister Sunak the work on security commitments for Ukraine and the implementation of the Peace Formula.

Just as our weapons must be long-range enough, so must our diplomacy, our defense of international law and justice be effective enough. This means involving the widest possible range of international actors in our joint work - we are working to ensure that the Peace Formula brings together even more states, and to make security commitments for Ukraine as effective as possible. By the time we end this war, stability and security must be indisputable.

Rescue operations are still underway after the strikes in the morning and afternoon. Rescue teams will work around the clock. All those injured, 130 people in total, are receiving, and will continue to receive, the necessary assistance: Kharkiv and the region, Kyiv and the region, Zaporizhzhia, all affected cities and areas.

As of now, five people have been reported dead as a result of this massive attack. My condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones. May all the victims of Russian terror rest in peace.

And our utmost gratitude - the gratitude of Ukraine - goes out to everyone who is fighting and working to drive the enemy out of our land and to force Russia to end this war. By the way, today I have signed a new decree honoring our warriors with state awards. 115 warriors of the Armed Forces. The 32nd, 54th, 93rd, 110th separate mechanized brigades, the 17th separate tank brigade, the 92nd separate assault brigade, the 39th and 299th tactical aviation brigades. Thank you! Thank you to everyone who embodies the strength of Ukraine!

And, please, pay attention to air raid alerts, these days especially. These savages want to inflict pain on Ukraine. It is imperative to safeguard lives.

Glory to Ukraine!

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President of Ukraine discussed defense cooperation with the UK Prime Minister, particularly further bolstering of Ukraine's air defense

President of Ukraine

2 January 2024 - 18:45

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak.

The Head of State spoke about the continued Russian aerial terror against Ukrainian cities. He noted that over the past five days, the enemy had fired at the very least 500 missiles and combat drones at the territory of Ukraine.

The President noted the UK's substantial and comprehensive contribution to bolstering Ukraine's air defense system, particularly with radars, advanced anti-drone systems and missiles.

The interlocutors discussed further defense cooperation with a particular emphasis on enhancing air defense and long-range capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and meeting other urgent needs of Ukraine in terms of weapons and ammunition.

The Ukrainian President and the British Prime Minister also praised the productive work on the bilateral agreement on security commitments for Ukraine under the Vilnius Joint Declaration of the Group of Seven. The parties instructed the teams to finalize the agreement as soon as possible.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Rishi Sunak also coordinated positions in the run-up to the fourth meeting of national security and political advisors in Davos on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. Particular attention was paid to preparations for the Global Peace Summit at the level of heads of state and joint work on specific points of the Peace Formula.

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Each air defense system has already saved a minimum of hundreds of lives, Russia will be held accountable for every life taken - address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

2 January 2024 - 12:02

Dear Ukrainians!

January 2, 2024 - another attack by Russian savages. Almost a hundred missiles of various types. At least 70 missiles were shot down. Nearly 60 of them were intercepted in the Kyiv area. There were also severe strikes on Kharkiv...

Work is currently underway to eliminate the consequences. Unfortunately, there are fatalities. My condolences to all the families and friends. There are many injured. Everyone is being provided with the necessary assistance.

I thank the employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, police officers, doctors - everyone who helps people.

Our Air Force, anti-aircraft gunners, mobile firing groups - thank you, guys.

And I thank everyone in the world who helps us. Patriot, IRIS-T, NASAMS - each of these systems has already saved at the very least hundreds of lives. And for every life taken, Russia will be held accountable.

Glory to Ukraine!

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Ukraine: 2024 starts with 'loss, pain, and anguish' amid intense Russian strikes

2 January 2024 - Major aerial attacks causing widespread death and destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure have rained down on Ukraine in the first days of 2024 due to an intense new Russian offensive.

In a statement on Tuesday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown strongly condemned the assaults targeting mostly cities.

"For the people of Ukraine, the new year started with loss, pain, and anguish. For the third day in a row, vast aerial assaults by the Russian Federation have caused death - including several children - and destruction of homes", Ms. Brown stated.

She emphasized that the situation is particularly alarming as many parts of the capital, Kyiv, have been left without electricity or water, which is particularly dangerous as temperatures are forecast to drop to -20 degrees Celsius later this week.

Support to Ukraine

The humanitarian crisis is equally harsh in the Donetsk Region, where hostilities have left hundreds of thousands of people without any power, exacerbating the already dire situation.

In the face of this devastation, Ms. Brown reiterated the commitment of humanitarians to continue supporting the people of Ukraine.

"Today, my thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed or injured, and with those who fear for the missing", Ms. Brown said, stressing the need to aid those "suffering the devastation caused by Russia's invasion."

In a tweet, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) posted that many children in the capital were forced to spend the night sheltering in the city's metro stations.

Russian city hit

During the last meeting of the Security Council during 2023 - convened at the request of Russia on Saturday - a senior UN political affairs official condemned attacks against the Russian city of Belgorod, located near the Ukrainian border.

At least 18 civilians were killed and more than 100 injured there, said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General with the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

Violation of humanitarian law

Ms. Brown on Tuesday once again reminded the Russian Federation that 'indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly forbidden under international humanitarian law'.

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For the people of Ukraine, the new year started with loss, pain, and anguish - Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown condemns repeated wave of attacks on Ukraine's capital and populated cities

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

For the people of Ukraine, the new year started with loss, pain, and anguish. For the third day in row, vast aerial assaults by the Russian Federation have caused death - including several children - and destruction of homes and other civilian infrastructure. It is particularly alarming that many parts of the capital, Kyiv, have been left without electricity or water, knowing temperatures this week will reach close to -20 degrees Celsius. Hostilities have also cut off hundreds of thousands of people from power in the Donetsk Region.

On behalf of the humanitarian community, I reiterate our commitment to keep supporting the people of Ukraine suffering the devastation caused by Russia's invasion. And today, my thoughts are with the families and friends of those killed or injured and with those who fear for the missing.

Again, the United Nations reminds the Russian Federation that indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly forbidden under international humanitarian law.

*** Kyiv, 2 January 2024

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Russia Strikes Ukrainian Cities After Putin Vows to Intensify Attacks

By VOA News January 02, 2024

Russia carried out extensive missile attacks that killed at least five people and wounded as many as 130 in Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday.

Ukraine's air force said Russian forces used 35 drones and 99 missiles, launched by air and sea, and that Ukrainian air defenses downed all the drones and 72 of the missiles.

Among the missiles Ukraine shot down Tuesday were Kinzhals, said General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's commander in chief. Russia fired 10, the most Russia has used in one attack, and Ukraine shot all of them down, Zaluzhnyi said. Kinzhals are air-launched, travel at 10 times the speed of sound and are expensive, which is why they are seldom used, he said.

Authorities issued hours of air alerts telling people to shelter from the attacks.

"Since December 31st, Russian monsters have already fired 170 Shahed drones and dozens of missiles of various types. The absolute majority of them targeted civilian infrastructure," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He noted that they were shot down with Western-supplied Patriot and National Advanced Surface to Air Missile systems.

He said Ukraine would work with "everyone around the world who values life" to bolster Ukrainian air defenses and hold Russia accountable.

"The terrorist state must feel the repercussions of its actions," Zelenskyy said.

Missile debris sparks fire

In Kyiv and the region, four people were killed and about 70 were wounded.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the falling debris from a downed missile injured at least 20 people and caused a fire at a multistory building in the Ukrainian capital. He reported multiple explosions in the city as air defenses responded to the wave of Russian rockets, with fires sparked in at least five districts.

The Russian barrage, which came during the morning rush hour, also cut off electricity and damaged gas lines in parts of Kyiv.

In Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the city was under a "major missile attack."

Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the military administration in Kharkiv, said on Telegram that Russian strikes killed at least one person and injured more than 60 others.

Sinegubov said the attacks damaged residential and commercial buildings, in addition to infrastructure sites.

In neighboring Poland, the military said it dispatched four F-16 fighter jets to protect its airspace amid the Russian attacks.

Putin calls Ukraine's attack 'a terrorist act'

Tuesday's attacks followed a warning by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would intensify strikes on Ukraine following a deadly Ukrainian attack Saturday on the Russian city of Belgorod that killed 24 people and wounded more than 100 others.

During a Monday visit at a military hospital, Putin called Ukraine's attack in Belgorod "a terrorist act," accusing Ukrainian forces of targeting "right in the city center, where people were walking around, before New Year's Eve" and alleged they had "purposefully hit the civilian population."

He said Russia would continue to hit what he called "military installations" and added that he believed the "strategic initiative" in the drawn-out conflict in Ukraine was on the Russian side. He claimed that Moscow wanted an end to the almost two-year long war but, he stressed, "only on our terms," according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency.

Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Vancouver, Canada, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oroco Resource Corp. (TSX-V: OCO, OTC: ORRCF) (Oroco or the Company) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000 (the "Private Placement") through the issuance of up to 2,500,000 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.40 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the equity of the Company (each, a Share) and one share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional Share for $0.65 for a period of 18 months from the closing date.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for working capital and for general corporate purposes. The Company may pay finders fees consisting of cash, share purchase warrants and Shares to certain qualified individuals in accordance with the policies of the TSX-V Exchange and applicable securities laws.

Closing of the proposed private placement is subject to obtaining all required approvals, including the approval of the TSX-V and any other regulatory approval. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months from the closing date. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and accordingly may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

ABOUT OROCO:

The Company holds a net 85.5% interest in those central concessions (the Core Concessions) comprising 1,173 hectares of the Santo Tomas Project located in northwestern Mexico. The Company also holds an 80% interest in an additional 7,861 hectares of mineral concessions surrounding and adjacent to the Core Concessions (for a total Project area of 9,034 hectares, or 22,324 acres). The Project is situated within the Santo Tomas District, which extends up to the Jinchuan Groups Bahuerachi Project, approximately 14 km to the northeast. The Project hosts significant copper porphyry mineralization defined by prior exploration spanning the period from 1968 to 1994. During that time, the Project area was tested by over 100 diamond and reverse circulation drill holes, totalling approximately 30,000 meters. Commencing in 2021, Oroco conducted a drill program (Phase 1) at Santo Tomas, with a resulting total of 48,481 meters drilled in 76 diamond drill holes. In October of 2023, the Company announced a Preliminary Economic Assessment and Updated Mineral Resource for the North and South Zones of the Santo Tomas Project, identifying Indicated and Inferred resources of 561 Mt @ 0.37% CuEq and 549 Mt @ 0.34% CuEq respectively.

The Project is located within 160 km of the Pacific deep-water port at Topolobampo and is serviced via highway and proximal rail (and parallel corridors of trunk grid power lines and natural gas) through the city of Los Mochis to the northern city of Choix. The property is reached, in part, by a 32 km access road originally built to service Goldcorps El Sauzal Mine in Chihuahua State.

Additional information about Oroco can be found on its website at www.orocoresourcecorp.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

For further information, please contact:

Richard Lock, CEO

Oroco Resource Corp.

Tel: 604-688-6200

Email: info@orocoresourcecorp.com

www.orocoresourcecorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to future events or achievements of the Company, are forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in such statements. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these matters. Oroco does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements should they change, except as required by law.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Barclays PLC (Barclays or the Company) (NYSE: BCS) investors that a lawsuit filed on behalf of investors that purchased Barclays between July 22, 2019 and October 12, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period).

Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy , by phone 844-767-8529 or email : lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com . The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses.

On November 1, 2023, a complaint was filed against the Company and certain of its former and current officers. The complaint alleged that during the Class Period, the defendants engaged in deceptive practices by either making false and/or misleading statements or failing to disclose critical information. These alleged omissions and misrepresentations included the following points:

Contrary to public statements, Jes Staley had a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Staley was reportedly aware of Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activities and may have even sexually assaulted a victim who had previously been trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.

Staley's personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the potential criminal implications of this association could potentially harm Barclays in terms of its reputation, legal issues, and financial stability.

Consequently, Barclays' response to the FCA's inquiry about Staley's ties to Epstein was materially inaccurate.

Despite becoming aware of information contradicting their initial response to the FCA's inquiry, Barclays failed to update the response to reflect accuracy or take any meaningful action.

As a result, the statements made by the Defendants regarding Barclays' business, operations, and prospects were materially false, misleading, and/or lacked a reasonable basis throughout the relevant period.

When investors eventually learned the truth, Barclays' common stock experienced a sharp and sudden decline, resulting in significant financial losses for investors.

Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information.

The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq.

Admitted CA and NY Bar

lesley@portnoylaw.com

310-692-8883

www.portnoylaw.com

Attorney Advertising
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 26, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Companys securities between August 4, 2023 and November 20, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.



Get Help

Fisker investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-fsr/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Fisker and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 13, 2023, the Company announced its 3Q 2023 financial results, disclosing among other things, a loss of $91.0 million and a $0.27 loss per share, a cut to its production forecast for the year, and also that it would be unable to timely file its Quarterly Report for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 due to material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting. On this news, the price of Fiskers shares plummeted by $0.77, or 18.7%, to close at $3.34 per share on November 14, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.

Then, on November 20, 2023, the Company disclosed the departure of its chief accounting officer, recently hired on November 6, 2023. On this news, the price of Fiskers shares plummeted by $0.35, or 15%, to close at $2.00 per share on November 21, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The case is Zahabi v. Fisker Inc., et al., 23-cv-09976.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 8, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Companys shares between February 9, 2022 and October 30, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.



Get Help

FMC investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-fmc/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuits

FMC and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On September 7, 2023, Blue Orca Capital reported that the Company had made a series of false statements about the status of patent protections for its flagship products following legal defeats in India, China, and Brazil, that allowed competitors to launch competing generic products at much lower prices. On this news, the price of FMCs shares dropped more than 7.4%, to close at $76.10 per share, representing approximately $630 million in investor losses, on high trading volume.

Then, on October 23, 2023, the Company disclosed further cuts to its Q3 2023 outlook and guidance for revenues for Q4 and FY 2024, projecting earnings well below analysts expectations, citing substantially lower sales volumes in Latin America. On this news, the price of FMCs shares plummeted by $8.83 per share, or 12.18%, to close at $58.12 per share.

The case is Heeg v. FMC Corporation, et al., 23-cv-4938. A subsequent case expanded the class period, Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System v. FMC Corporation, et al., 23-cv-4842.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until January 29, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CHPT), if they purchased the Companys securities between June 1, 2023 and November 16, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Get Help

ChargePoint investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-chpt/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

ChargePoint and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On November 16, 2023, post-market, the Company announced its preliminary financial results for 3Q 2024, disclosing that revenue had fallen to $108 million to $113 million, as compared to $150 to $165 million as previously expected, and an additional non-cash inventory impairment charge in the amount of $42 million related to product transitions and to better align inventory with current demand, which was expected to result in GAAP gross margin of negative 23% to negative 21%, as well as the replacement of both its CEO and CFO, effective immediately.

On this news, shares of ChargePoint fell $1.11, or 35%, to close at $2.02 per share on November 17, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The case is Khan v. ChargePoint Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-06172.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NP Digital, a global leader in end-to-end performance marketing, welcomes experienced advertising leader Pieter Bos to the newly launched office in the Netherlands. In this role, Bos will be responsible for the commercial rollout and growth in the Dutch and Belgian markets.



Under his guidance, the region will ramp up its custom omnichannel client solutions while taking a hands-on partnership approach to anticipate and apply new opportunities for brand growth. Bos joins NP Digital with a diverse background of digital media leadership positions, most notably directing the Twitter client solutions business in the Netherlands and at LinkedIn guiding a broad range of sophisticated full funnel marketing solutions for its advertisers. Over his more than 15 years of experience, Bos has developed a unique approach to customizing solutions for clients that balances solving existing performance needs with the development of new applications to enhance gains.

"I find it important and very appealing that even after impressive global growth in recent years, the open source knowledge sharing that NP Digital was founded on remains deep in the DNA of the agency, said Bos. This deeply rooted client-first approach will be crucial as we guide and partner alongside clients to address the opportunities of tomorrow from a long-term perspective.

Bos will partner with the Netherlands managing director Joris Garritsen to tailor brand solutions for growth and performance while developing new solutions in emerging opportunities within artificial intelligence, new closed ecosystems, and more.

Pieter has been at the forefront of digital advertising in the Dutch market for many years now and has the foresight to guide clients business and performance goals today, while also embracing innovative opportunities on the horizon to further maximize returns, said Garritsen. Were thrilled to welcome him to the global leadership team.

The Netherlands office opened in October and marks the fifth European location to open for the agency.

About NP Digital:

NP Digital is a performance marketing agency focused on enterprise and mid-market challenger brands. Underpinned by its proprietary technology division and platform Ubersuggest, NP Digital is regarded as one of the fastest-growing, award-winning performance marketing agencies in the industry. NP Digital views marketing through a consultative lens that takes a holistic view when applying specialist execution to build meaningful partnerships. These partnerships include some of the worlds most prominent Fortune 500 brands in addition to mid-size, DTC challenger-type organizations. NP Digital spans across the globe with 750 employees in 18 different countries and 40 of the 50 U.S. states. For more information visit npdigital.com.

Kimberly Deese Associate Director Digital PR kdeese@npdigital.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6b9c19c4-98dd-4122-9afd-fcf42fe3ceb4


Press Release

Nicox : Termination of the liquidity contract with Kepler Cheuvreux



January 3, 2024  release at 7:30 am CET

Sophia Antipolis, France





Nicox SA (Euronext Growth Paris: FR0013018124, ALCOX), an international ophthalmology company, today announced the termination of the liquidity contract dated August 3rd, 2020 entered into with Kepler Cheuvreux (the Contract). Such termination is effective as of January 1st, 2024.





When the Contract was implemented, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account:

0 shares

 500, 000 in cash

On the termination date of the Contract, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account and will be returned:

311 067 shares

 7,864.53 in cash

Nicox Corporate Status Update



The Company is currently funded until the end of June 2024, exclusively on the basis of the development of NCX 470. The Company is pursuing licensing discussions which could extend the cash runway. In parallel, the Company is exploring multiple strategic options and is also discussing with its creditors to restructure its debt.

About Nicox

Nicox SA is an international ophthalmology company developing innovative solutions to help maintain vision and improve ocular health. Nicoxs lead program in clinical development is NCX 470, a novel nitric oxide-donating bimatoprost eye drop, for lowering intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Nicox generates revenue from VYZULTA in glaucoma, licensed exclusively worldwide to Bausch + Lomb, and ZERVIATE in allergic conjunctivitis, licensed in multiple geographies, including to Harrow, Inc. in the U.S., and Ocumension Therapeutics in the Chinese and in the majority of Southeast Asian markets.



Nicox, headquartered in Sophia Antipolis, France, is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (Ticker symbol: ALCOX) and is part of the CAC Healthcare index.



For more information www.nicox.com.

Analyst coverage





Bryan, Garnier & Co Eric Yoo Paris, France

H.C. Wainwright & Co Yi Chen New York, U.S.

The views expressed by analysts in their coverage of Nicox are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Nicox. Additionally, the information contained in their reports may not be correct or current. Nicox disavows any obligation to correct or to update the information contained in analyst reports.

Contacts





Nicox

Gavin Spencer

Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer

& Head of Corporate Development

T +33 (0)4 97 24 53 00

communications@nicox.com

Forward-Looking Statements

The information contained in this document may be modified without prior notice. This information includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on current expectations or beliefs of the management of Nicox S.A. and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Nicox S.A. and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents, do not undertake, nor do they have any obligation, to provide updates or to revise any forward-looking statements.



Risks factors which are likely to have a material effect on Nicoxs business are presented in section 2.7 of the Rapport Annuel 2022 and in section 4 of the Rapport semestriel financier et dactivite 2023 which are available on Nicoxs website (www.nicox.com).
Venlo, the Netherlands, Muscat, Oman, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced a significant expansion of its business in the Middle East region, which includes three major developments:

In early 2024, QIAGEN will open its regional headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in order to further strengthen its commercial footprint in the region.

It has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia, addressing various public health and infection control initiatives.

QIAGEN has been awarded a tender through its Commercial Partner Taiba Medserv LLC from the Ministry of Health of the Sultanate of Oman to provide the country with QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus tests for its nationwide tuberculosis (TB) screening program.

At QIAGEN, we believe that improving healthcare outcomes starts with a strong foundation of collaboration and innovation, and we are excited to play a crucial role in advancing health and well-being throughout the Middle East. We are proud to contribute to the global efforts to end TB and other serious health threats. Our new regional headquarters in Riyadh will enable us to better serve our customers and foster strong partnerships with local stakeholders, said Simona Grandits, Senior Director, Head of Sales and Marketing EEMEA at QIAGEN.

Saudi Arabia: New regional headquarters and Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Health

To accommodate its growing regional presence and customer needs, QIAGEN will inaugurate its new regional headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the beginning of 2024. This office will further strengthen the companys commitment to the Middle East and improve its ability to serve clients in the area.

QIAGEN has recently signed an MoU with the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia that covers various public health and infection control initiatives and aligns with the Health Sector Transformation Program of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030. The MoU includes:

Establishing a localized data center by QIAGEN Digital Insights (QDI) to support advanced bioinformatics within the country, ensuring data protection, and robust service while complying with national legislation. The data center will enable in-country molecular data analysis without information leaving the country and provide localized access to QIAGEN Clinical Insight (QCI) Interpret. QCI Interpret assists in interpreting and reporting genomic variants from next-generation sequencing data, facilitating precision medicine. With expertise in installing essential infrastructure, including bioinformatics servers, QDI currently operates seven data centers worldwide.

Assisting the Ministry in eliminating meningitis per the World Health Organization (WHO) program using QIAGENs syndromic testing platform QIAstat-Dx.

Supporting the implementation of a prevention screening program for cervical cancer under the WHO elimination initiative by 2030, supplying the country with HPV tests.

Developing a national latent TB screening program using QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus.

Oman: Supporting nationwide tuberculosis screening program

QIAGEN, through its Commercial Partner Taiba Medserv LLC, will provide hundreds of thousands of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus assays to Omans new program, which aims to test for latent tuberculosis (TB) in expatriates applying for residency in the Gulf state starting in early 2024. As a country with a low incidence of TB and a large workforce from high-incidence countries, Oman is expanding its TB testing policy for residency applicants by adding systematic screening for latent TB infection using QIAGENs simple standard-setting QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus blood test. The Ministry of Health plans to test up to 800,000 people over two years and offer direct medical treatment to those found carrying TB bacteria without symptoms.

Screening for latent TB infections is vital in the effort to end TB, a disease that claims over a million lives each year. One in four people across the globe are thought to have latent TB infections, with 5-10% of them expected at some point to develop active TB.

QIAGENs QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus assay accurately detects TB infection by identifying interferon-gamma released by T-cells in response to TB-specific antigens. This one-visit test outperforms the century-old, two-visit TB skin test (TST), particularly for patients from high-TB-burden countries who have received BCG vaccination. The CDC and WHO endorse the use of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus in all settings to combat the global TB epidemic.

About QIAGEN

QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant, actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN provides solutions to more than 500,000 customers around the world in Molecular Diagnostics (human healthcare) and Life Sciences (academia, pharma R&D and industrial applications, primarily forensics). As of September 30, 2023, QIAGEN employed more than 6,000 people in over 35 locations worldwide. Further information can be found at http://www.qiagen.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, including those products used in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, timing for launch and development, marketing and/or regulatory approvals, financial and operational outlook, growth and expansion, collaborations, markets, strategy or operating results, including without limitation its expected adjusted net sales and adjusted diluted earnings results, are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics), variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes, the commercial development of markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors); our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate and protect our products from competitors' products; market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses; actions of governments, global or regional economic developments, weather or transportation delays, natural disasters, political or public health crises, including the breadth and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the demand for our products and other aspects of our business, or other force majeure events; as well as the possibility that expected benefits related to recent or pending acquisitions may not materialize as expected; and the other factors discussed under the heading Risk Factors contained in Item 3 of our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: QIAGEN N.V.

Category: Corporate
Westford,USA, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest report, the global solar energy market is poised for significant growth driven by the escalating demand for sustainable energy sources as a viable alternative to conventional ones. Solar energy is emerging as a leader in the race toward sustainable energy production, primarily due to the continuous reduction in the cost of solar energy systems.

Browse in-depth TOC on the "Solar Energy Market"

Pages - 157

Tables - 61

Figures  77

The global electricity demand is continuously rising, driven by population growth, rapid urbanization, and the widespread electrification of diverse sectors, including transportation in the solar energy market. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems emerge as a versatile and decentralized solution to address the mounting energy needs. These systems hold the key to meeting the surging demand for electricity, especially in regions characterized by limited or unreliable grid infrastructure.

Get a sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/solar-energy-market

Report Scope & Segmentation:

Attributes Details Market Size in 2022 USD 180.78Billion 2030 Value Projection USD 292.21Billion CAGR 7.1% Forecast Period 2023-2030 Segments Covered Technology

Application Regions Covered North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Prominent Players in GlobalSolar Energy Market

JinkoSolar

Canadian Solar

Trina Solar

SunPower Corporation

First Solar

LONGi Solar

JA Solar

Yingli Solar

Hanwha Q Cells

Risen Energy

Vikram Solar

LG Solar

SolarEdge Technologies

SMA Solar Technology

Enphase Energy

REC Group

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Sharp Solar

Kyocera Solar

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Solairedirect

GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/solar-energy-market

Residential Segment is Expected to Rise Significantly, due to Increased Availability of Solar Technology

The residential end-use sector is poised for substantial expansion in the coming years due to the heightened accessibility of solar energy systems. This increased availability of solar technology has paved the way for more homeowners to harness the benefits of clean and renewable energy sources in the solar energy market.

The market in Europeexhibited remarkable growth in the solar energy market, with revenues soaring to $117,810.0 million in 2022. This sudden rise can be predominantly attributed to the accelerated adoption of renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy, for electricity generation across the continent.

Utility Segment is Expected to Dominate Market Due to Substantial Investments towards Solar Energy

The utility segment has emerged as the leader in the energy sector, accounting for over 66.30% of the total income [RS1] , a position it is poised to maintain throughout the forecast period. This dominance reflects a global trend wherein numerous countries directly invest in solar energy for utility-scale electricity production in the solar energy market.

Regional market in the Asia-Pacific, including major players such as China, India, and Japan have taken significant strides toward advancing renewable energy adoption. These countries have demonstrated their commitment to a sustainable future by implementing ambitious renewable energy targets and fostering supportive policy environments in the solar energy market.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the solar energy market has been recently conducted. The report encompasses various aspects of the market, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/solar-energy-market

Key Developments in the Solar Energy Market

In 2022, Solaria introduced the PowerXT 430R-PL (430-watt) solar panel, marking a significant advancement in solar technology. These panels are set to revolutionize the industry by being fully equipped to integrate Module-Level Power Electronics (MLPE) technology. This innovative feature allows solar PV systems to optimize their performance, particularly in challenging conditions such as shading.

Canadian Solar announced in 2022 that it had forged two Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with Axpo Italia, spanning a decade-long commitment. Under these agreements, Axpo Italia is slated to procure 70% of the energy generated by two solar power facilities currently in construction.

Key Questions Answered in the Solar Energy Market Report

What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period?

List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence.

In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Battery Recycling Market

Global Solar Power Equipment Market

Global Solar Freezer Market

Global Renewable Natural Gas Market

Global Absorbent Glass Mat Battery Market

About Us:



SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

Address:

1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886

Phone:

USA (+1) 617-230-0741

Email: sales@skyquestt.com

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[RS1] In which year? Please mention






Velocity becomes one of largest site organisations in Europe in addition to being the largest in the U.S.

Adds Oncology to therapeutic capability

LONDON, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velocity Clinical Research (Velocity), the leading multi-specialty clinical sites business, today announces its further expansion in Europe, adding five sites in Poland after acquiring multi-site network KO-MED Centra Kliniczne and two in Germany, having acquired The Pulmonary Research Institute at the LungenClinic Grosshansdorf and KLB Gesundheitsforschung Lubeck.

Velocitys growth is accelerating across Europe, with 17 locations in the U.K., Poland and Germany. The company is now one of the largest site organisations in Europe in addition to it being the largest sites business in the United States.

Dominic Clavell, European General Manager for Velocity, said, Our European network is now larger than the size of Velocitys network when it was sold to GHO Capital. Velocity is building an integrated network of sites that can change the paradigm and we have the size and scale where we can recruit enough patients, either for entire studies or contribute significantly to country targets in Europe. This dramatically speeds up site start-up times, saving considerable time for CROs and Sponsors.

The acquisition of KO-MED is Velocitys first foray into Oncology research, which accounts for roughly 40-50% of clinical trials globally. KO-MED has been the leading multi-site network in Poland since 2020, having enrolled over 9,000 patients into clinical research.

Marek Konieczny, MD PhD, President of KO-MEDs Board, said, I have been involved in clinical research for over 25 years and there are always new challenges which stimulate me to find new approaches. In most cases, the participant of a clinical trial benefits from taking part, which is of great importance, especially in oncological trials. Ive seen first hand when under my supervision, patients who previously had very little chance of surviving now live longer, enjoying more time with loved ones.

Being a part of Velocity is a wonderful opportunity to merge capacities with the best clinical trials network in the world. Integration rather than affiliations allows us to unite with common values. In my new role as Vice President Corporate Development (CEE) and Medical Director (CEE) together with my expertise of building out a site network, I intend to support the development of Velocity in Poland and in Europe more widely.

The Pulmonary Research Institute has carried out over 300 studies since opening 25 years ago, leading research in bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis. Anne-Marie Kirsten, MD PhD and Henrik Watz, MD PhD both join Velocity as principal investigators (PIs), being leaders in Pulmonary research in Europe.

Dr Kirsten said, Since the beginning of our career as internal medicine doctors and pneumologists, we realised that only clinical research holds the potential for innovation. The therapeutic progress over the last 15 years in COPD, pulmonary fibrosis and asthma is a major achievement towards an improved quality of life of our patients, which we substantially contributed to.

Dr Watz added, With the backbone of Velocity we clearly see the unique opportunity for faster recruitment, use of common resources and infrastructure and the collaboration within a family of experienced and highly professional set of researchers. As doctors, we will be able to focus more on our patients and their needs because administrative tasks will be handled by the common infrastructure backbone Velocity provides.

KLB Gesundheitsforschung Lubeck is located in the heart of the city of Lubeck, conducting clinical studies for respiratory diseases since 2008.

Andrea Ludwig-Sengpiel, MD PhD managing partner of KLB, commented, We are undergoing a structural change in our working world. Digitalization, changing demands on employees and their redefined needs are important issues that can be better addressed through integration into a large network. Velocity brings together very experienced and highly professional study sites with comparable standards of quality and scientific work, creating many synergies from which all participants can benefit. This is what makes integration into this network so attractive. We are pleased to be part of an international company.

The new sites join Velocitys existing four sites in Germany, one in Poland and five in the U.K., of which three are newly-opened greenfield sites. Velocity has almost 100 locations globally and access to more than 220 principal investigators and one million patients.

Velocitys sites are fully integrated via a centralised infrastructure and common technology backbone, allowing for superior patient enrolment and consistent, high-quality data delivery. As a result, CROs and biopharma companies can benefit from Faster and simplified access to patients in North America and Europe.

About Velocity Clinical Research

Velocity is the leading integrated site organisation for clinical trials. With nearly 100 sites and more than 220 investigators, Velocity partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to research new drugs, medical devices, diagnostics, and combination products that could improve human health and wellbeing. Velocity offers unified research site solutions to efficiently provide the right patients, investigators, and research staff for clinical trials across the U.S. and Europe.

The company also operates a technology hub in India, where it is unlocking a new era in clinical research by developing innovative systems to leverage expansive site, patient, and historical performance data. To learn more about how Velocity delivers high-quality data, exemplary patient care, and unprecedented efficiency for clinical trials at any scale, visit VelocityClinical.com

About KO-MED

KO-MED Clinical Centers is a network of modern and dynamic clinical trial sites that enrol patients from all over Poland into clinical trials. Our mission is to carry out clinical trials that provide patients with an opportunity to regain health and contribute to the development of medicine. We have been running our business for 20 years and have completed hundreds of clinical trials. https://komed-ck.pl/en/about-us/

About Marek Konieczny, MDPhD

Dr Konieczny is a specialist in cardiology and internal medicine. He is the founder of the first and largest network of clinical study sites in Poland - KO-MED CK, encompassing both private research facilities within research and teaching hospitals, research institutes, and large hospitals. In developing this network, he drew inspiration from best practices in the United States, visiting numerous research centers. He established collaboration with the Medical College of Wisconsin and has been involved as a principal investigator and co-investigator in over 200 clinical study projects. Recognized for achieving the best recruitment results not only in Poland and Europe but also globally, he has been entrusted with prestigious roles as a national coordinator, earning trust backed by numerous audits and inspections, including those by the FDA, highlighting the highest quality present in KO-MED CK.

About The Pulmonary Research Institute (PRI)

The Pulmonary Research Institute at the LungenClinic Grosshansdorf was founded 25 years ago. Under the joint leadership of Dr. med. Anne-Marie Kirsten and Dr. med. Henrik Watz, they have conducted well over 300 studies and their work has been included in over 250 publications. In addition to the core competencies in the COPD area, the Pneumological Research Institute carries out studies in areas such as bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis. https://pulmoresearch.org .

Dr. med. Anne-Marie holds a medical degree from the University of Hamburg with a doctoral thesis focusing on nitric oxide production in human airways. After graduating she worked at the University of Mainz, Dept. of Internal Medicine and became the Head of Pulmonary Research Institute office at Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf. Since 2008 she has been the managing director of PRI.

Dr. med. Henrik Watz studied medicine at Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany, specialising in pulmonary diseases. He gained additional medical qualifications from Kompetenzzentrum fur klinische Studien, Bremen and in Dusseldorf. He was a physician at Pulmonary Research Institute at Krankenhaus Grosshansdorf before becoming managing director at PRI in 2008. As a researcher, he has clinical experience in Bronchial carcinoma, healthy volunteers Asthma, COPD, Sarcoidosis, Lung fibrosis.

About KLB Gesundheitsforschung Lubeck

Since 2008, KLB Gesundheitsforschung Lubeck GmbH has been conducting clinical studies in the area of basic research and therapy for respiratory diseases in order to research new active principles and diagnostic procedures for bronchial asthma, hay fever, allergies, smoker's lung/COPD and bronchiectasis. https://www.klb-luebeck.de

Dr. med. Andrea Ludwig-Sengpiel is managing partner of KLB Health Research Lubeck. Since 2001, she has conducted more than 180 phase I-IV clinical trials in the indications of bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, COPD, sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and bronchiectasis. She graduated from the University of Hamburg with a medical degree and was a research physician at Pneumologisches Forschungsinstitut am Krankenhaus Grohansdorf before becoming the managing director of KLB.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8796f707-164e-4a65-9c5a-3f0c99074f39
Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The pressure transducers market was worth US$ 4.0 Billion by 2021. The market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.30% between 2022 and 2031. Global pressure transducer sales are expected to reach US$ 5.6 billion by 2031 . Pressure transducers are used extensively in the oil and gas industry for measuring well pressure, controlling pipeline pressure, and monitoring processes.

Many medical devices use pressure transducers to monitor blood pressure, breathe, and administer drugs. In recent years, sensors have become more compact and integrated, making them easier to integrate into systems that are smaller and more complex. Space-constrained or weight-sensitive areas could benefit from miniature pressure transducers.

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Wireless communication technologies may be used in the future to make pressure transducers part of the Internet of Things (IoT). The ability to monitor remotely and collect and analyze data could be enhanced.

Global Pressure Transducers Market: Key Players

Manufacturers of pressure transducers are developing new products to expand their product lines. To increase their global market share, companies merge and acquire, form partnerships, form joint ventures, and collaborate.

ABB Ltd.

Amphenol Corporation

Anfield Sensors Inc.

Siemens AG

Honeywell International Inc.

TE Connectivity

Schneider Electric SE

Wika Group

Endress + Hauser

Yokogawa Electric Corporation

IFM electronic GmbH

Kistler Instrument Corp.

MICRO SENSOR CO. LTD.

Omicron Sensing Pvt. Ltd.

Setra Systems Inc.

Key Findings of the Market Report

By 2031, the absolute pressure segment is projected to generate US$ 1.85 billion.

By 2021, thin film held a leading share of 22.02% of the global market.

A CAGR of 3.52% is forecast for North America during the forecast period.

Several manufacturers with strong global presences operate in Europe, making it one of the most important regions on the global market.

Transducers/transmitters, which measure and monitor pressure, are extensively used in modern control circuits in the process industry.

Global Pressure Transducers Market: Growth Drivers

Transducers are used extensively in the automotive industry for applications such as fuel injection systems, tire pressure monitoring systems, and engine control systems. The demand for pressure transducers increased as the automotive industry developed and integrated technologies that are more advanced. As industrial automation increases across various industries, the pressure transducer market is expected to grow. Transducers, which measure pressure accurately and reliably, have become more important as more industries adopt automated processes.

As sensor technologies and materials have advanced, high-performance pressure transducers have become increasingly sophisticated and efficient. In addition to improving efficiency, reliability, and functionality, these innovations attracted numerous industries. Pressure transducers were miniaturized with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Because of their smaller size, lighter weight, and cost-effectiveness, MEMS-based transducers are attractive in a wide range of applications.

Process efficiency and safety continued to be a priority in chemical, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries. Pressure transducers are used in these industries to monitor and control various processes, thereby improving efficiency. The healthcare sector uses pressure transducers for a wide range of devices and equipment, including anesthesia machines, ventilators, and blood pressure monitors. Increasing healthcare industry demand contributed to pressure transducer demand.

A pressure transducer can be used in flood warning systems, climate stations, and water quality monitoring applications. Pressure transducers have gained in popularity as environmental concerns have become more prevalent, driving the market for monitoring systems. Pressure transducers can be monitored and controlled remotely using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Connectivity has helped industries improve the efficiency of their systems and their ability to analyze data.

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Global Pressure Transducers Market: Regional Landscape

North America is expected to lead the market for pressure transducers. As industrial automation grows in North America, pressure transducers are becoming more popular. Devices such as these monitor and control manufacturing and other processes in the workplace.

Sensor technologies are advancing, including pressure transducers, which contribute to a greater degree of precision, compactness, and reliability. Increasing sophistication and efficiency can lead to market growth.

Pressure transducers can be used in environmental monitoring and control applications as environmental regulations and sustainability awareness increase. Pressure transducers are used widely in manufacturing and automotive industries for monitoring and controlling processes. Digital technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), enables pressure transducers to monitor and collect data in real-time, facilitating predictive maintenance and improving efficiency.

Key Developments

In October 2023, Masimo announced that its LiDCO board-in-cable (BIC) hemodynamic monitoring module had received CE mark approval. In addition to LiDCO BIC, the Irvine, California-based company offers Masimo Root Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Hub. LiDCO's PulseCO algorithm, coupled with the company's Root patient monitoring hubs, make LiDCO hemodynamic monitoring easy for clinicians.

Global Pressure Transducers Market: Segmentation

By Measurement Type

Absolute Pressure

Gauge Pressure

Differential Pressure

Multivariable Pressure

By Technology

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

By End-use Industry

Automotive

Aerospace

Oil & Gas

Food & Beverage

Chemical

Pharmaceuticals

Heavy Engineering

HVAC

Water & Wastewater Management

Others

By End-use Industry by Technology

Automotive

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Aerospace

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Oil & Gas

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Food & Beverage

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Chemical

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Pharmaceuticals

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Heavy Engineering

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

HVAC

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE/ICP)

Water & Wastewater Management

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

Others

Capacitive

Piezo resistive

Thin Film

Ceramic Thick Film

MEMS

Oil-filled

Others (Piezoelectric, IEPE / ICP)

By Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America

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Dublin, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "AI Processing Control: Global Market Shares, Market Opportunity, Market Forecasts, 2023-2029" report from Wintergreen Research, Inc has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The AI Controls market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 88.8% in the forecast period, 2023-2029.

Diverse market drivers include the pace of global warming, agricultural automation, Chinese investment in the military, and big tech R&D spending. Digital contracting is driving the unprecedented adoption of AI contracting for the military, agriculture, electric vehicles, and digital currency, for everything.

Digital contracts create the ability to automate and create efficient business practices. ChatGPT and Generative AI revolutionize law firms, making them more efficient. Controls make sure that legal citations are real, an important aspect of generative AI.

AI controls bring the same digital revolution that PCs, smartphones, and the Internet have already got, but quicker and with greater impact. ChatGPT and Generative AI make AI work. All these shifts to AI bring strong growth in the US and World GDP. They create an economic push for further automation. AI is already here; ChatGPT and Generative AI make adoption easier and make change immediate.

Microsoft invested $20 billion in ChatGPT. By adding the AI functionality to Excel and Word with elaborate API controls, the systems have a tremendous competitive advantage. This type of AI functionality is expected to drive $100 trillion in the global economy because of the efficiencies achieved. Many manual process is replaced.

Electric vehicle implementation is anticipated to add $114 trillion to the global economy by 2029 over and above AI economic return. Companies have embraced the profound promise and implications of ChatGPT, AI, and blockchain technology. AI promises to revolutionize business practices as we know them. Financial institutions can settle securities in minutes instead of days.

Microsoft has positioned ChatGPT to fundamentally change the way organizations do business by providing more secure transactions that are immutable, if they are changed, the change is detectable. ChatGPT changes the way we buy and sell things and the way we interact with everything. Via ChatGPT and Generative AI, Blockchain is redefining the way transactions occur by enabling a series of interlinked, automated steps to be successively implemented.

According to IBM, Hyperledger Fabric, an open-source project, is the modular blockchain framework and de facto standard for enterprise solutions. The open, modular architecture uses plug-and-play components. With more than 120,000 contributing organizations and more than 15,000 engineer contributors working together, IBM Hyperledger Fabric offers data privacy.

ChatGPT and Generative AI implemented on blockchain and distributed ledgers leverage trust to develop a rapidly growing business. With the appropriate guards in place, digital assets and decentralized finance are transformed by ChatGPT and Generative AI.

These features make the technology work for data validation, data access, and identity protection. A ChatGPT and Generative AI is the code, packaged as chain code. Applications interact with read and update data on the blockchain ledger. A ChatGPT and Generative AI turns business logic into an executable program that is agreed to and verified by all members of a blockchain network.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 166 Forecast Period 2023 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.8 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $154 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 88.8% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:

1. AI Platform Control Market Definition and Market Dynamics

1.1 AI Platforms

1.2 Data Powers Modern AI

1.3 AI Systems Data Management Set-Up Process

1.4 Definition of NLtokens, Natural Language Tokens

1.4.1 Encoder Use of NL Tokens

1.5 Generative AI Transformers

1.6 AI Machine Learning Frameworks:

2 AI Platform Market Shares, Market Forecasts

2.1 AI Platform Controls Market Driving Forces

2.2 Generative AI and ChatGPT Control Market Shares

2.2.1 Generative AI ChatGPT Market Shares

2.2.2 ChatGPT

2.2.3 Amazon Language Model

2.2.4 Google Bard (LaMDA)

2.2.5 DeepMind Sparrow

2.2.6 Microsoft Bing AI

2.2.7 Character AI

2.2.8 Amazon Codewhisperer

2.3 AI and ChatGPT Controls Market Forecasts

2.3.1 AI and ChatGPT Controls Market Forecasts

2.3.2 OpenAI Capped-Profit Structure

2.3.3 Generative AI and ChatGPT Solutions Forecasts

2.3.4 Improvements In Payment Systems

2.4 Generative AI Market Segments

3 AI Platform Systems Implementations

3.1 OpenAI Data Set Gap Services

3.2 Digital Transformation

3.2.1 Failure to Achieve Digital Transformation: Sears Bankruptcy Example

3.2.2 Rolling Out 60 Million Smart Meters: Siemens

4 AI Platform Product Technology

4.1 AI Platform Architecture

4.2 AI Technologies and Frameworks

4.3 TensorFlow I/O

4.4 Google AI Services

4.5 Anytree AI

5 Company Profiles

5.1 Google/APIGee

5.2 Amazon Web Services (AWS)

5.3 Apache MXNet

5.4 Axway

5.5 Brightdata

5.6 Broadcom CA Layer 7

5.7 ChatGPT - Microsoft AI

5.8 Chainlink Labs

5.9 DataRobot

5.10 Docugami

5.11 Everscale Blockchain Consensus Mechanism

5.12 gosh.sh

5.13 Gravitee

5.13.1 Gravitee Commitment to Open Source

5.14 H2O

5.15 IBM

5.16 IMG-10

5.17 IMG-11

5.18 Invicti

5.19 Intruder

5.20 Keras

5.21 KPMG Risk and Control Framework

5.22 Kong

5.23 L4S/TapestryX Distributed Ledger

5.24 Meta/Facebook/AI Tools to Prevent False, Biased, or Misleading Information

5.25 Neural Designer

5.26 Polyaxon

5.26.1 Polyaxon Workflow Engine

5.27 Postman

5.28 PyTorch

5.29 Salesforce/MuleSoft

5.30 Scikit-Learn

5.31 Semrush

5.32 Smartbear

5.33 TensorFlow

5.34 WS02

5.35 Selected API Control Market Participants

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qjhndb

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Appleton, Wis., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. Energy, a leading provider of refined products, alternative fuels, and environmental credits, completed its first jet fuel throughput sale at its rail transload facility and refined products bulk plant in northern Las Vegas. This transaction was between its exclusive jet fuel partner, Strataflex Midstream, an industrial services business specializing in rail logistics and energy-related midstream services. After receiving product from U.S. Energy, Strataflex has supplied Spirit Airlines with a jet fuel delivery at the Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This marks our introduction to the Las Vegas jet fuel market. With our transloader officially running, were excited to provide jet fuel throughput to Strataflexsimplifying its logistical needs, shared Allison Robinson, regional supply and trading manager at U.S. Energy. We pride ourselves on offering tailored solutions and can do so in this market through our 60+ railcar capacity and ability to expand tankage for jet fuel and AVGAS, among other fuel types.

As a vertically integrated energy solutions provider, U.S. Energy offers organizations more than just a rail transload facility and storage capacity. It can help companies with fixed forwards, hedging and risk management services, CAPEX and project engineering, and pipeline interconnectssolving for larger-scale financing and infrastructure constraints.

By working alongside the U.S. Energy team and partnering with Union Pacific Railroad, we were able to complete the loop between our supply partners and our launch customer, Spirit Airlines, said Patrick Dial, president and CEO at Strataflex. This first rail delivery of jet fuel into Las Vegas represents a change in the way excess pipeline demand will be transported to the market, offering newfound (and ongoing) supply line and supplier diversity in a manner that is safer, greener, and way more efficient than through long-haul trucking and other alternatives.

U.S. Energy is positioned to help airline companies and freight service organizationsamong other industriessecure reliable and cost-effective transloading support and refined products supply. While this deal represents U.S. Energys first combined rail transloading and jet fuel deal, the company has jet fuel capabilities at some of its other owned terminal locations. For more information on opportunities to use U.S. Energys terminal and transloading network, contact Allison Robinson at arobinson@us-energy.com.

####

About U.S. Energy

U.S. Energy, a U.S. Venture company, is a leading vertically integrated solutions provider proficient in refined products, alternative fuels, and environmental credits. Over our 70-year tenure, weve diversified throughout the energy supply chainoffering realistic, executable strategies that satisfy your economic and environmental goals. From energy project development, distribution, and marketing through wholesale, commercial, and retail channels, we partner with organizationsproviding comprehensive support for any fuel or energy type. U.S. Energy's asset portfolio of more than 35+ refined product terminals, 40 renewable natural gas development projects, 50 alternative fuel stations, and two forestry projects helps our customers Stay Ahead. Driven to be the very best and most trusted energy solutions provider dedicated to finding a better way toward a sustainable future, U.S. Energy is uniquely positioned to help organizations navigate the evolving energy industry. For more information, visit www.us-energy.com.

About Strataflex Industrial Service Group

Strataflex Industrial Service Group specializes in rail-centered logistics and energy-related Midstream services, providing capabilities on everything from overall project consultation to turnkey management of your energy and commodity transportation needs, including but not limited to energy-trading, railcar leasing, terminal management, transloading and cutting-edge railcar cleaning & light repair, all utilizing state of the art technology. In 2022 and 2023, Strataflex dramatically expanded its service lines of business to include jet-fuel trading and distribution (directly) to key airlines in Denver, Las Vegas and it now has throughput capability to Salt Lake City and Phoenix. Strataflex has permanent and mobile operations in Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, Utah and more. And, it is strategically located to handle your energy related transportation needs across the US and beyond. For more information, visit strataflex.com.

Attachment
MONTREAL, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Troilus Gold Corp. (TSX: TLG; OTCQX: CHXMF; FSE: CM5R) (Troilus or the Company) announces it has entered into an agreement for the strategic divestiture of its non-core Mike Lake properties (Mike Lake or Mike Lake Project) in Yukon, Canada, to Prospector Metals Corp. (Prospector Metals). This transaction will streamline Troilus portfolio of properties, allowing it to focus entirely on the development of its flagship Troilus Gold Project in Quebec, while maintaining a stake in the potential success of Mike Lake under Prospector Metals experienced leadership.

Pursuant to an agreement dated December 29, 2023, Prospector Metals has agreed to acquire the Mike Lake Project from Troilus for share consideration equal to 19.9% of Prospector Metals, in addition to a milestone payment, as detailed below. At closing, it is expected that Prospector Metals will issue to Troilus 8,638,433 post-consolidation common shares* (Prospector Shares) at a deemed price of $0.11 per Prospector Share, under the terms of the agreement.

Troilus has filed an early warning report today in connection with the execution of an agreement to sell the Mike Lake Project to Prospector Metals and the acquisition of the Prospector Shares issuable on closing of the proposed transaction. Prospector Shares are listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange. Troilus does not currently own any Prospector Metals shares.

Troilus advises that the securities are being acquired for investments purposes. Troilus may, depending on the market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership of Prospector Metals securities, whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreements or otherwise, subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and other available investment and business opportunities.

This disclosure is provided pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 62-104, which also requires an early warning report to be filed containing additional information with respect to the foregoing matters. A copy of the early warning report will be available on SEDAR+ under Prospector Metals issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca and may be obtained upon request from Troilus by contacting Troilus at the contact information below. Prospector Metals head office is located at Suite 1012  1030 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V6E 2Y3, Tel: 1-604-354-2491, email: info@prospectormetalscorp.com. Troilus head office is located at 715 Square Victoria, Suite 705, Montreal, QC H2Y 2H7.

Prospector Metals, renowned for its district-scale exploration of gold and base metals, is spearheaded by CEO, Rob Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter has a successful track-record in the Yukon, demonstrated by his tenure as President and CEO of Kaminak Gold Corporation from 2005 to 2013 where he led the company through the acquisition, discovery and maiden resource of the 5-million-ounce Coffee Gold Project, located approximately 250 kilometres south-west of the Mike Lake claims. Kaminak Gold was subsequently acquired by Goldcorp Inc. in 2016 for $520 million.

Upon closing of the proposed transaction, Prospector Metals intends to immediately commence exploration at Mike Lake to follow-up on the positive initial exploration work conducted intermittently from the mid-1970s to 2008, which shows promising signs of rich mineralization.

Details of the transaction:

Troilus has agreed to sell its 100% interest in the Mike Lake Claims to Prospector Metals for the following consideration:

Consideration Shares: the issuance to Troilus of such number of Prospector Shares as is equal to 19.9% of the issued and outstanding Prospector Shares immediately following closing of the transaction, at the deemed issue price of $0.11 per Prospector Share; and One-Time Milestone Payment: Upon the public announcement by Prospector Metals of a Mineral Resource on the Property (a Milestone Trigger Event), Prospector Metals shall, within 30 days of the Milestone Trigger Event, pay Troilus a one-time payment in the amount equal to the Milestone Payment Amount (as described below), in either cash or Prospector Shares (or a combination thereof), at the election of Prospector Metals. Provided that Prospector Metals shall not issue Prospector Shares to Troilus if, after the issuance of such Prospector Shares, Troilus would in the aggregate beneficially own, or exercise control or direction over, 20% or more of the then issued and outstanding Prospector Shares, unless prior shareholder approval is obtained by Prospector Metals in accordance with applicable Securities Laws and the rules or policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Milestone Payment Amount shall be equal to: the sum of $1,000,000, if the Prospector Metals market capitalization is less than or equal to $20,000,000; and the sum of $2,000,000, if the Prospector Metals market capitalization is greater than $20,000,000.



The occurrence of a Change of Control of Prospector Metals shall constitute a Milestone Trigger Event (provided the Milestone Payment has not already been paid).

Prospector Metals assumes underlying royalties on the claims.

As long as Troilus continues to own 5% of Prospector Metals, it shall have the right to appoint one nominee to the Prospector Metals board of directors.

As long as Troilus continues to own 5% of Prospector Metals, it shall have a participation right to maintain its pro rata equity interest.

Justin Reid, CEO and Director of Troilus commented, We are very pleased with this agreement, and believe Rob Carpenter and his team are perfectly suited to unlock the potential of these prospective claims. Outstanding recent discoveries such as Snowline Golds Rogue Project and Victoria Golds Eagle Mine, the largest gold mine in Yukons history, are located on trend with Mike Lake and underscore the excellent potential in this district. As a large shareholder in Prospector Metals, Troilus and its shareholders will benefit from their expertise in this region and the advancements and future milestones achieved at the project.

Figure 1. Mike Lake Project Claims Map, Yukon, Canada

About Prospector Metals Corp.

Prospector Metals Corp. is a Discovery Group Company focused on district scale, early-stage exploration of gold and base metal prospects. Creating shareholder value through new discoveries, the Company identifies underexplored or overlooked mineral districts displaying important structural and mineralogical occurrences similar to more established mining operations. To learn more, visit www.prospectormetalscorp.com .

Rob Carpenter, Ph.D., P.Geo, has been CEO at Prospector Metals Corp. since September 2023. He has over 30 years of corporate and mineral exploration experience, including his notable role as President and CEO of Kaminak Gold Corp from 2005 to 2013, where he was instrumental in the discovery, maiden resource, and acquisition of the 5-million-ounce Coffee Gold Project, located in the White Gold District, Yukon. Kaminak was acquired by Goldcorp in 2016 and is now held by Newmont Corp.

Mike Lake Project History

Troilus inherited the Mike Lake claims through the reverse acquisition of Pitchblack Resources in late 2017, which also resulted in the acquisition of the past-producing Troilus Gold Project.

The Mike Lake Project encompasses 319 mineral claims, covering ~6,600 hectares, approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Dawson City in the Yukon, Canada (see Figure 1). The property is hosted within the Tintina Gold Belt alongside prominent projects such as the Brewery Creek Mine, Eagle Mine, and Snowline Gold, renowned for its rich gold, silver and copper mineralization. Intermittent exploration activities on the claims date back to the late 1960s, which has resulted in a robust technical database which includes comprehensive airborne geophysics, satellite imagery, extensive soil and rock sampling, prospecting, selective ground geophysics and over 16,700 metres (23 holes) of diamond drilling most recently conducted between 2004 and 2008 by Dynamite Resources. This drilling was conducted in the central and northern regions of the property at the North Vein and Skarn Ridge targets (see Figure 1). Select highlights from previously reported drill intercepts (see Dynamite Resources press releases dated November 14, 2006, October 11, 2007 and November 24, 2008) include 7.67 g/t Au over 18.43 meters, 7.58 g/t Au over 12.42 meters from the North Vein target (DDH NV05-02), and 1.38 g/t Au, 0.61% Cu, 13.6 g/t Ag, and 0.044% W over 89.3 meters from the Skarn Ridge target (DDH SK07-01). No exploration activities have been undertaken since 2008, however the mineralized areas that have undergone cursory work represent highly attractive targets.

Technical Report Related to the Mike Lake Project

The latest National Instrument 43-101 technical report related to the Mike Lake properties is titled Technical Review, Mike Lake Property, Yukon Territory, Canada, with an effective date of July 15, 2011, which was prepared for Inform Resources Corp. by independent consultant, Michael Moore, P. Geo. This report can be found HERE . The Mike Lake Project historic estimate has not been verified as a current mineral resource and should not be relied upon. Significant data compilation, re-drilling and data verification may be required by a Qualified Person before the historic estimate can be verified. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify it as a current mineral resource, and Troilus is not treating the historic estimate as a current mineral resource.

*The board of directors of Prospector has approved the Consolidation of all of Prospectors outstanding Common Shares on the basis of three (3) pre-Consolidation Common Shares for one post-Consolidation Common Share. Please note that the number of post-consolidation common shares to be issued to Troilus is approximate and may increase or decrease based on the size of the private placement financing currently being completed by Prospector.

Qualified Persons

The technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Kyle Frank, P.Geo., VP Exploration for Troilus Gold, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Frank is an employee of Troilus and is not independent of the Company under NI 43-101.

About Troilus

Troilus is a feasibility-stage Canadian mining company focused on the systematic advancement and de-risking of the former gold and copper Troilus Mine towards production. The 435 km Troilus property is located in the top-rated mining jurisdiction of Quebec, Canada, within the prospective Frotet-Evans Greenstone Belt. From 1996 to 2010, the Troilus Mine produced +2 million ounces of gold and nearly 70,000 tonnes of copper. Since acquiring the project in 2017, ongoing exploration success has demonstrated the tremendous scale of the gold system on the property, which currently hosts 11.21 Moz AuEq (508.3 Mt with an average grade of 0.69 g/t AuEq) in the Indicated category and 1.80 Moz AuEq (80.5 Mt with an average grade of 0.69 g/t AuEq) in the Inferred category, making it the largest undeveloped gold deposit in Canada. Led by an experienced team with a track-record of successful mine development, Troilus is positioned to become a cornerstone project in North America.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Caroline Arsenault

VP Corporate Communications

+1 (647) 276-0050

info@troilusgold.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the potential impact of the transaction on the company, the timing and likelihood of closing and the receipt of all required approvals. Although the Company believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and risks, including, uncertainties of the global economy, market fluctuations, the discretion of the Company in respect to the use of proceeds discussed above, any exercise of termination by counterparties under applicable agreements, the Companys inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risks identified in its disclosure documents filed at www.sedarplus.ca. This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities in Canada or in the United States.

Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events, results and/or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with and as required by applicable securities laws.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da11528a-57cb-4abd-a4c6-528c291d98c2
New York, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Veganuarys Expert Panel Determines: Purple Sweet Potato is the 2024 Vegetable of the Year

As Veganuary 2024 launches, a dedicated panel of specialists predicts the tuber will be the hottest vegetable of 2024 based on versatility, sustainability, taste, and more



(New York City - January 3, 2024) - Veganuary  the global movement to try vegan for January and beyond  is launching its 2024 campaign by announcing the first-ever Veganuary Vegetable of the Year, determined by the panel of experts, including food futurologists, chefs, and members of key nutrition, retail, and sustainability councils. To select 2024's Vegetable of the Year, the expert panel considered five main criteria: growing popularity, versatility, sustainability, health/nutrition, and affordability/accessibility.

With these criteria in mind, the panel determined the purple sweet potato is the official 2024 Vegetable of the Year. Given that a recent YouGov study conducted on behalf of Veganuary found that 71%* of all US adults are hoping to eat more vegetables in 2024, its predicted that the world will see much more of this trendy tuber.

Holly Adrien, Natural and Organic Strategy & Innovation Manager at Kroger and a Veganuary Vegetable of the Year panelist, said: This upgrade to our loved traditional potato has been gaining in popularity. Not only is the purple sweet potato versatile and a visual upgrade to any dish you make, they are an upgrade in nutrition as well, high in fiber, vitamins A and B and packed with antioxidants. Available fresh and frozen, and as an ingredient to amplify dishes, we will continue to see the vibrant purple sweet potatos popularity grow.

Veganuary developed its Vegetable of the Year concept in keeping with the global campaign theme Vote for Veggies, which aims to celebrate vegetables and highlight their relationship with sustainability, creativity, taste, trends, longevity, and other cultural indicators for the coming year. The study conducted by YouGov on behalf of Veganuary reported that when choosing up to three factors to consider when deciding which foods to purchase, 74%* selected 'nutrition/health'. Purple sweet potatoes get their vibrant color from the same source as blueberries, the antioxidant anthocyanin. They are also rich in vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Sweet potatoes are listed among the Clean Fifteen in the Environmental Working Groups 2023 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

Veganuary is positioned to support individuals in creating new recipes with the purple sweet potato, as well as other delicious plant-based foods, through the free resources offered to all 2024 participants. Everyone who registers for the challenge will receive daily plant-based recipes, nutrition guides, a budget meal plan, and access to discounts and special offers. Participants also gain access to a global community of supporters and participants through Veganuarys podcast, YouTube series, and Facebook groups. This year, Veganuary is also launching its first official cookbook, featuring 100 delicious vegan recipes, available to order now.



We are excited to welcome everyone to participate in Veganuary 2024 and to encourage people to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables as they shop, cook, and order vegan options at restaurants, said Sandra Hungate, US Director of Veganuary. We'll be sharing new recipes throughout the month of January and everyone who signs up for Veganuary 2024 will receive a new 7-day recipe guide to eat the rainbow!

Over the past 90 days, Google searches for "how to cook purple sweet potatoes" are up 160%**. Social media influencers and chefs have also taken to creating recipes with the bright vegetables, including Evann Ryan, Rated V Foods, and many more. The release of Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix earlier this fall sparked public interest in purple sweet potatoes and their reputation as a longevity superfood.

Veganuarys 2024 Vegetable of the Year Panelists:

Holly Adrien, Natural and Organic Strategy & Innovation Manager at Kroger

Maggie Baird, Founder & President at Support + Feed

Tabitha Brown, Actor and Influencer

Simon Cutts, Sr. Director - Retail Partners at SPINS

Morgaine Gaye, Food Futurologist

Chris Harris, Category director of produce at New Seasons

Daniela Lais, Award-winning Cookbook Author and Journalist

Jami Rokala, Chair at ASPHN Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council

Barbara Ruhs, Retail Health Expert at Progressive Grocer



"Ever since I heard about the purple sweet potatos history in Japan for longevity, Ive been excited about them! The antioxidants and benefits linked to reducing chronic illnesses are enough to make anyone a believer! Also, who doesnt love a potato that can be used in sweet or savory dishes, said Tabitha Brown, actor and Veganuary Vegetable of the Year panelist. Im always willing to participate in spreading good Veggie cheer for the new year! Going vegan changed my life so I always hope to encourage others to give it a try even if its just for January!"

>>> View and download photos of the Vegetable of the Year 2024

>>> View and download photos of the Vegetable of the Year panelists





About Veganuary

Veganuary is a nonprofit organization that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond. Since Veganuary launched its first pledge 10 years ago  in January 2014  millions of people, coming from almost every country in the world, have officially taken part, with campaign hubs in Germany, USA, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, India, Spain and the UK. This New Years revolution has also been embraced by businesses, with hundreds of companies taking part in Veganuary last year, launching thousands of new vegan products and menu items. Veganuary is free to join, and people can sign up at veganuary.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jessie Lingenfelter

Veganuary US Media

jessie@veganuary.com

803-730-2869

www.veganuary.com



Notes

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1242 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 1st - 4th December 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

** Data gathered from Google Trends on November 30.

Attachments
NEW YORK, NY, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Embark on a journey into the future of rugged smartphones with DOOGEE's latest masterpiece - doogee v30 pro. This flagship device is set to redefine the way users perceive and experience mobile technology, and it will be available for purchase in the end of January, 2024! Prepare to be amazed by its cutting-edge features and unrivaled user experiences as DOOGEE continues to push the boundaries of innovation.





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For more information about the doogee v30 pro or to explore special discounts, visit the official website at Doogee Amazon Store. You can also stay updated by following DOOGEE on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to immerse yourself in the future of technology with the doogee v30 pro.

Social Links

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Doogee/videos

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doogeeglobal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doogee

Media contact

Brand: Doogee

Email: Paypal.liu@doogee.cc

Telephone: 0755-82959965

Official Website: https://doogee.cc

SOURCE: DOOGEE
CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG | OTC: PAANF | FRA: SS60) ("Pan American or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of the Phase One drilling program at the Big Mack Lithium Project (Project), located approximately 80 kilometers north of the town of Kenora, ON. The exploration program was carried out by Fullforce Diamond Drilling Ltd. (Full Force) under the geological support of Axiom Exploration Group Ltd. (Axiom). Due to operational efficiency, the Phase One program was completed both on-time and below budget.



The Company and its contractors are currently planning a Phase Two drilling program at the Project which is expected to continue the Phase One programs focus on targets that were identified through historical drilling analysis, the UAV magnetic survey conducted on the Project and the Companys 2023 field prospecting program. The objective of the Companys Phase One and planned Phase Two drilling programs is to quantify the presence and extent of critical mineral mineralization on the Project to further advance the Project. The Company expects that, as a result of the extent of drilling conducted during the Phase One drilling program, the Company will be in a position at the conclusion of the planned Phase Two drilling program to declare a mineral resource estimate in compliance with National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects on the Project.

Phase One 2023 Drilling Program Highlights:

Big Mack Pegmatite: Drilled 19 holes (including BM 23-001) totaling 1,984 meters resulting in the extension of the known pegmatite at depth.

Drilled 19 holes (including BM 23-001) totaling 1,984 meters resulting in the extension of the known pegmatite at depth. Eleven Zone: Drilled 7 holes totaling 879 meters resulting in the extension of the known pegmatite both at depth and along strike to the west.

Drilled 7 holes totaling 879 meters resulting in the extension of the known pegmatite both at depth and along strike to the west. Drill Hole BM23-001 Result: Testing the interior section of the Big Mack Pegmatite, returned assay values of 1.13% Li2O over 27.98 m. For additional information regarding Drill Hole BM23-001 please see the Companys news release dated December 12, 2023, filed on the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.



Phase One 2023 Drilling Program Details:

Commencement Date: Mobilization and drill start dates respectively: October 31 st and November 3 rd , 2023

Mobilization and drill start dates respectively: October 31 and November 3 , 2023 Shutdown Date: Drilling stop date and crews last day on site: December 14 th and December 19 th , 2023

Drilling stop date and crews last day on site: December 14 and December 19 , 2023 Total Number of Drillholes: 34 completed holes (BM23-001 to BM23-0034) and one abandoned hole (BM23-001A)

34 completed holes (BM23-001 to BM23-0034) and one abandoned hole (BM23-001A) Total Meters Drilled: 4,582 meters drilled in 2023

4,582 meters drilled in 2023 Geochemical Assay Samples: A total of 2,337 samples have been taken across the 34 completed holes. Of these, 1,817 samples have been delivered to ALS Global for geochemical assays. The remaining 520 samples will be cut and submitted in early January, 2024.



Jason Latkowcer, Chief Executive Officer, commented, We are extremely pleased with the execution and results of our Phase One, 2023, drilling program. Completing the first leg of the program on time and under budget is a testament to the efficacy of our team and contractors. We are fully-funded to complete the planned follow-on exploration initiatives at the Project, including the Phase Two drill program and the related resource modelling and reporting, geophysics, and field prospecting programs.





Figure 1: 2023 Drilling Target Locations including select surface samples from 2023 field program.





Figure 2: 2023 completed drill holes on the Big Mack and Eleven Zones showing pegmatite intercepts  assays pending (with the exception of BM23-001).

Drill Hole ID Dip () Azimuth () Total Depth (m) Core Size BM23-001 -45 180 66 NQ BM23-002 -45 180 72 NQ BM23-003 -45 180 135 NQ BM23-004 -55 175 78 NQ BM23-005 -46 195 102 NQ BM23-006 -45 180 60 NQ BM23-007 -45 180 60 NQ BM23-008 -52 179 90 NQ BM23-009 -45 358 174 NQ BM23-010 -45 185 72 NQ BM23-011 -45 180 84 NQ BM23-012 -47 181 93 NQ BM23-013 -48 180 108 NQ BM23-014 -45 179 133 NQ BM23-015 -58 178 180 NQ BM23-016 -45 0 72 NQ BM23-017 -45 0 72 NQ BM23-018 -46 359 120 NQ BM23-019 -46 359 162 NQ BM23-020 -46 0 132 NQ BM23-021 -47 359 180 NQ BM23-022 -46 359 141 NQ BM23-023 -46 179 156 NQ BM23-024 -60 178 168 NQ BM23-025 -46 179 111 NQ BM23-026 -45 178 165 NQ BM23-027 -50 40 300 NQ BM23-028 -70 180 204 NQ BM23-029 -45 200 201 NQ BM23-030 -45 200 150 NQ BM23-031 -45 200 150 NQ BM23-032 -60 195 180 NQ BM23-033 -45 250 129 NQ BM23-034 -45 20 231 NQ

Table 1: Completed 2023 drill hole attributes

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jared Suchan, PhD, P.Geo, who is an independent consultant of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. The scientific and technical data disclosed within this news release was verified by Dr. Suchan who reviewed the completed downhole drill surveys and geologic logs of the pegmatite intersections. The completed drill hole information was plotted in a mapping program and checked for accuracy.

For additional information regarding the Companys surface sampling program at the Project, including a complete summary of the samples collected and the results of the sampling program including the sampling and analytical methods and QA/QC protocols, please see the Companys news release dated August 9, 2023, which is filed on the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

For additional information regarding sample quality assurance and quality control measures taken with respect to the Companys Phase One drilling program, please see the Companys news release dated December 12, 2023, which is filed on the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

About the Project

The Project is located 2 km east of all-weather Snook Lake Road about 80 km north of Kenora, ON. The property is proximal (~1.3 km) to Avalons Separation Rapids, Big Whopper deposit which hosts a measured and indicated resource. The Project is within an Ontario registered mining lease, with over 30 years of exploration history. The Project lies within the traditional land use area of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations of Whitedog, Ontario: an Aboriginal community located approximately 35 km southwest of the property.

The Project hosts four known Li-bearing pegmatites including the Big Mack pegmatite, Eleven Zone, Sprinkler Zone, and 6095 pegmatite which are thought to be related to the Separation Rapids Pluton. They are interpreted as zoned Complex Type, Petalite Subtype LCT Pegmatites. The Big Mack pegmatite represents the largest petalite-bearing mass on the Project and is exposed over an 80 by 225 m area. Historic drilling campaigns (1998, 1999, 2001) intersected mineralization extending along a strike length of ~150 meters and to a depth of 75 meters. The mineralization at the Project remains open at depth and along strike.

About Pan American Energy Corp.

Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) (FSE: SS60) is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties containing battery metals in North America.

The Company executed an option agreement in Canada with Magabra Resources, providing for the right to acquire up to a 90% interest in the drill-ready Big Mack Lithium Project, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario. The Company has also entered a property option agreement with Horizon Lithium LLC providing for the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Horizon Lithium Project, located within Esmeralda County  Tonopah Lithium Belt, Nevada, USA.

To register for investor updates, please visit https://panam-energy.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Jason Latkowcer

CEO & Director

Contact

Phone : (587) 885-5970

Email: info@panam-energy.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the Companys exploration plans at the Project, including the nature and type of the Companys planned exploration activities, the timing of such exploration activities, the aim and objectives of the Companys planned exploration efforts and the extent of the Companys funding to undertake such planned exploration activities; and the Companys expectation that it will be in a position at the conclusion of the planned Phase Two drilling program to declare a mineral resource estimate on the Project.

Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, assumptions regarding the Companys ability to execute on its exploration plans at the Project, including that it will be successful in carrying out such exploration activities on the anticipated timeline, that such exploration activities will yield the expected information and the desired outcomes and that such exploration activities will be able to be undertaken by the Company at the costs currently anticipated by the Company; and that the extent of drilling undertaken by the Company as part of its Phase One and planned Phase Two drill programs will be sufficient to allow the Company to declare a mineral resource estimate on the Project.

Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Companys management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things, the risk that exploration at the Project does not proceed in the manner and on the timeline currently contemplated, or at all; risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to receiving requisite permits and approvals, changes in project parameters or delays as plans continue to be redefined, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and that the results of mineral exploration may not be indicative of the actual geology or mineralization of a project; that mineral exploration may be unsuccessful, result in cost overruns or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the Company, including that the Company may not be in a position to declare a mineral resource estimate on the Project following the completion of its planned Phase Two drilling program and may not ultimately have the funds necessary to complete all currently planned exploration work on the Project;; and that mineral exploration activities are often unsuccessful. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4717d0a2-b731-4747-871a-c365b0a3d65d

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f544167-1246-4973-b48e-df401545dbd8
New York, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Market.us, The Global 3D Printing Market size is poised for significant growth, reaching USD 24 Billion in 2024. The sales are expected to witness a robust CAGR of 21.2% from 2024 to 2033. By 2033, the 3D printing demand is anticipated to reach a valuation of USD 135.4 Billion.

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process of creating three-dimensional objects by layering or adding material together, typically from a digital model or design. It is a transformative technology that has gained significant attention and adoption across various industries due to its unique capabilities and advantages.

The 3D printing market refers to the global market for 3D printing technologies, materials, software, and services. It encompasses the entire ecosystem of 3D printing, including hardware manufacturers, material suppliers, software developers, service providers, and end-users. Continuous advancements in 3D printing technologies have expanded the scope and capabilities of the technology. Improved precision, speed, and material options have made 3D printing more accessible and versatile, enabling the production of complex geometries, customized products, and functional prototypes.

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("Before you plan to Invest? Explore our comprehensive studies or reports by opting for sample reports. They provide an excellent opportunity to assess the depth and quality of our analyses before making a decision.")

3D Printing Market Key Statistics

The 3D Printing Market is expected to reach USD 135.4 billion by 2033, with a steady CAGR of 21.2% over the forecast period.

by 2033, with a steady over the forecast period. Hardware dominates with over 67% market share, followed by Software and Services.

market share, followed by Software and Services. Industrial 3D Printers hold a dominant position with over 75% market share due to their precision and compatibility.

market share due to their precision and compatibility. Prototyping commanding over 54% of the market share due to its role in rapid and cost-effective product development.

of the market share due to its role in rapid and cost-effective product development. Metal printing holds a commanding market share of over 53% , driven by its precision and durability.

, driven by its precision and durability. The North America held a leading position within the world of 3D printing with a staggering percentage of more than 35% .

held a leading position within the world of 3D printing with a staggering percentage of . Leading companies in the 3D printing market include Stratasys Ltd, Materialise, EnvisionTec Inc, 3D Systems Inc, and GE Additive, among others.

For instance,

In February 2022 , the government of India set an ambitious goal to secure a 5% share of the global 3D printing market. The aim is to contribute approximately USD 2-3 billion to the country's GDP within the next 2-3 years. As part of this initiative, the government plans to develop 50 India-specific technologies focusing on materials, machines, processes, and software. The overarching objective is to establish India as a hub for 3D-printed design and manufacturing

, the government of India set an ambitious goal to secure a share of the global 3D printing market. The aim is to contribute approximately to the country's GDP within the next 2-3 years. As part of this initiative, the government plans to develop 50 India-specific technologies focusing on materials, machines, processes, and software. The overarching objective is to establish India as a hub for 3D-printed design and manufacturing In October 2022, AML3D, an Australian company specializing in metal 3D printing, expanded its collaboration with Boeing, a prominent aircraft manufacturer. Initially tasked with 3D printing aluminum prototype airplane components for intensive testing, AML3D met the requirements of AS9100D quality assurance for functional parts. Building upon this successful collaboration, the project's scope has been broadened to include additional 3D-printed components, resulting in a 150% increase in the overall agreement's value.

Get deeper insights into the market size, current market scenario, future growth opportunities, major growth driving factors, the latest trends, and much more. Buy the full report here

Factors influence the growth of 3D Printing Market

Technological Advancements - Continuous improvements in 3D printing technology like higher precision and accuracy, ability to print with multiple materials and colors, and increasing speed are expanding the capabilities and applications of 3D printing.

Continuous improvements in 3D printing technology like higher precision and accuracy, ability to print with multiple materials and colors, and increasing speed are expanding the capabilities and applications of 3D printing. Increased Adoption - Drop in 3D printer prices and expired key patents have led to increased adoption of 3D printing technology by hobbyists, educators, and professional users. This drives overall market growth.

Drop in 3D printer prices and expired key patents have led to increased adoption of 3D printing technology by hobbyists, educators, and professional users. This drives overall market growth. Customization - Ability to easily customize and personalize products through 3D printing is leading to growth in applications like prosthetics, implants, accessories, footwear, etc.

Ability to easily customize and personalize products through 3D printing is leading to growth in applications like prosthetics, implants, accessories, footwear, etc. Government Investment - Government funding for R&D in 3D printing technology and promotion of additive manufacturing through various initiatives is boosting market growth.

Government funding for R&D in 3D printing technology and promotion of additive manufacturing through various initiatives is boosting market growth. Manufacturing Applications - 3D printing is being increasingly used for rapid prototyping, production of specialized components and short-run manufacturing. This reduces costs and lead times.

3D printing is being increasingly used for rapid prototyping, production of specialized components and short-run manufacturing. This reduces costs and lead times. Sustainability - Additive manufacturing processes used in 3D printing create less material waste compared to traditional subtractive processes. This makes it more sustainable.

Additive manufacturing processes used in 3D printing create less material waste compared to traditional subtractive processes. This makes it more sustainable. Supply Chain Resilience - 3D printing enables on-demand localized production. This provides flexibility and resilience for supply chains facing disruptions.

3D printing enables on-demand localized production. This provides flexibility and resilience for supply chains facing disruptions. New Materials - Development of innovative 3D printing materials like advanced composites, bio-compatible polymers and nano materials is enabling new applications and driving market expansion.

Report Segmentation

Component Analysis

In 2023, the hardware segment emerged as the dominant component in the 3D printing market, capturing a substantial market share of over 67%. This can be attributed to the critical role that hardware plays in the 3D printing process, including the printers, scanners, and other equipment required for additive manufacturing. The hardware segment encompasses the various technologies and machines used to create three-dimensional objects, such as stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and digital light processing (DLP) printers.

The high market share of the hardware segment can be attributed to the increasing adoption of 3D printers across industries for prototyping, tooling, and end-part production. With advancements in hardware technologies, including improved speed, accuracy, and material compatibility, 3D printers have become more efficient and reliable, driving their widespread adoption.

Printer Type Analysis

In 2023, the industrial 3D printer segment emerged as the dominant printer type in the 3D printing market, capturing a significant market share of over 75%. This can be attributed to the widespread adoption of industrial 3D printers across various industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and manufacturing. Industrial 3D printers are known for their high precision, large build volumes, and the ability to handle a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and composites. These printers are primarily used for rapid prototyping, functional part production, and tooling applications.

The dominance of the industrial 3D printer segment can be attributed to the increasing demand for advanced manufacturing technologies, the need for complex and customized parts, and the ability to achieve high-quality outputs at scale. As industries continue to leverage the benefits of additive manufacturing for production-grade applications, the industrial 3D printer segment is expected to maintain its market leadership.

Technology Analysis

In 2023, the Stereolithography segment emerged as a frontrunner in the 3D printing market, securing a significant market share of over 11%. Stereolithography, a popular 3D printing technology, utilizes a photopolymerization process to create solid objects from liquid resin. The dominance of the Stereolithography segment can be attributed to its ability to produce high-resolution prints with exceptional surface finish, making it ideal for applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and healthcare.

Furthermore, the segment's growth was fueled by advancements in materials used in Stereolithography, enabling the production of functional prototypes and end-use parts. The Fuse Deposition Modeling (FDM) segment also witnessed substantial growth, capturing a considerable market share. FDM technology, which involves the layer-by-layer deposition of thermoplastic materials, gained popularity due to its cost-effectiveness, versatility, and widespread adoption across various industries.

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Application Outlook

In 2023, the Prototyping segment emerged as the dominant force in the 3D printing market, commanding a substantial market share of over 54%. Prototyping, as an application of 3D printing, involves the creation of physical models or samples that serve as representations of product designs. The dominance of the Prototyping segment can be attributed to its widespread adoption across industries such as automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, and healthcare. 3D printing technology provides significant advantages in the prototyping process, enabling faster and more cost-effective iterations compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Moreover, the ability to produce complex geometries and intricate designs has made prototyping an indispensable tool for product development and design validation. The Functional Parts segment also exhibited significant growth, capturing a notable market share. Functional parts refer to the production of end-use components using 3D printing technology. The advantages of 3D printing, such as design flexibility, customization, and faster production cycles, have contributed to the increased adoption of 3D-printed functional parts across industries. Additionally, the Tooling segment witnessed noteworthy expansion, acquiring a considerable market share.

Vertical Insights

In 2023, the Automotive segment emerged as the leader in the 3D printing market by vertical, capturing a significant market share of over 61%. The dominance of the Automotive segment can be attributed to the growing adoption of 3D printing technology in various automotive applications. 3D printing offers the automotive industry numerous advantages, including rapid prototyping, customized part production, and reduced lead times. Automotive manufacturers are increasingly utilizing 3D printing for the production of functional prototypes, tooling, and even end-use parts. This technology enables them to optimize designs, reduce costs, and improve overall manufacturing efficiency.

The Aerospace & Defense segment also witnessed substantial growth and secured a considerable market share. The aerospace and defense industry extensively utilizes 3D printing for the production of complex components with lightweight designs, improved performance, and reduced material waste. 3D printing enables the creation of intricate geometries and intricate internal structures that are difficult to achieve through traditional manufacturing methods. Furthermore, the Healthcare segment experienced noteworthy expansion, capturing a notable market share.

Material Analysis

In 2023, the Metal segment emerged as the dominant force in the 3D printing market by material analysis, capturing a significant market share of over 53%. The dominance of the Metal segment can be attributed to the increasing demand for metal 3D printing in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and manufacturing. Metal 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, allows for the production of complex metal parts with high precision and strength. This technology offers advantages such as design freedom, reduced material waste, and the ability to create lightweight structures.

The automotive and aerospace industries, in particular, have been driving the growth of the Metal segment as they seek to leverage the benefits of metal 3D printing to manufacture lightweight components and optimize performance. Additionally, the Polymer segment witnessed substantial growth and secured a considerable market share. Polymer 3D printing, also called fused deposition modeling (FDM) or stereolithography (SLA), is widely used for rapid prototyping, product development, and low-volume production. The versatility, cost-effectiveness, and wide range of polymer materials available contribute to the popularity of this segment

Plan your Next Best Move. Purchase the Report for Data-driven Insights: https://market.us/purchase-report/?report_id=102268

Scope of the Report

Report Attributes Details Market Value (2023) US$ 19.8 Billion Forecast Revenue 2033 US$ 135.4 Billion CAGR (2024 to 2033) 21.2% North America Revenue Share 35% Base Year 2023 Historic Period 2018 to 2022 Forecast Year 2024 to 2033

Key Market Segmentation

Component

Software

Hardware

Services

Printer Type

Industrial 3D Printer

Desktop 3D Printer

Technology

Selective Laser Sintering

Stereolithography

Fuse Deposition Modeling

Direct Metal Laser Sintering

Inkjet Printing

Polyjet Printing

Electron Beam Melting

Laminated Object Manufacturing

Digital Light Processing

Laser Metal Deposition

Others

Application

Functional Parts

Tooling

Prototyping

Vertical

Industrial 3D Printing Automotive Aerospace & Defense Healthcare Consumer Electronics Industrial Power & Energy Others

Desktop 3D Printing Educational Purpose Fashion & Jewelry Objects Dental Food Others



Material

Metal

Polymer

Ceramic

Regional Analysis

In 2023, North America held a dominant market position in the 3D Printing Market, capturing more than a 35% share. This leadership is largely attributed to the region's strong technological infrastructure, significant investments in research and development, and early adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques.

The demand for 3D Printing in North America was valued at US$ 6.9 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to grow significantly in the forecast period. The United States, in particular, has been a hub for innovation, with numerous startups and established companies pushing the boundaries of 3D printing capabilities. The region's focus on sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, and automotive, all of which are avid users of 3D printing technology, further consolidates its market position.

By Geography

North America The US Canada

Europe Germany France The UK Spain Italy Russia Netherland Rest of Europe

APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia New Zealand Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC

Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Rest of MEA



Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the market has also been examined in this report. Some of the major players include:

Stratasys Ltd

Materialise

EnvisionTec Inc

3D Systems Inc

GE Additive

Autodesk Inc

Made In Space

Canon Inc

Voxeljet AG

Recent Developments

In March 2023, Materialise joined forces with Exactech, a developer of cutting-edge instrumentation, implants, and other intelligent technologies for joint replacement surgery. The collaboration aims to offer advanced treatment alternatives for individuals facing severe shoulder defects.

3D Printing Market - FAQs

1. What is the 3D printing market size?

The global 3D printing market size was accounted at USD 19.8 billion in 2023 and it is expected to reach around USD 135.4 billion by 2033.

2. Is there a market for 3D printing?

Yes, there is a substantial market for 3D printing. It is widely used across various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and consumer goods.

3. What are the upcoming trends of 3D Printing Market?

The rise in the utilization of 3D printing solutions in the manufacturing and construction sector is forecast to propel the market in the coming years.

4. Which are the top companies to hold the market share in 3D Printing?

Stratasys Ltd, Materialise, EnvisionTec Inc, 3D Systems Inc, GE Additive, Autodesk Inc, Made In Space, Canon Inc, Voxeljet AG, Other Key Players are some of the key players in the global 3D printing market.

About the Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports at Market.us

The global Semiconductor and Electronics sector was valued at USD 630.4 billion by the end of 2022 and is expected to increase to USD 1,183.85 billion by 2032. This growth was projected at a CAGR of 6.50% during the period 2022-2032.

Semiconductors are an integral part of electronic devices. They enable advances in communication, computing, healthcare, and transportation. Semiconductors are an essential part of our daily lives due to their important role in the manufacture of electronic devices. Companies in both the electronics and semiconductor industries have a unique opportunity today to harness the power of technology to transform products, operations, and business models. Manufacturers must adapt their production floor to meet the needs of business innovation. To survive in this competitive market, flexibility and customization are key.

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San Diego, CA, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, in advance of CES 2024, award-winning designer of personal audio technology JLab, introduced the JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds. Building on the success of its true wireless earbuds line, the latest generation adds incredible battery lifemore than 42 hours of playtimeand Smart Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology. The adaptable noise cancellation feature includes three modes: ANC On, ANC Off and Be Aware. Be Aware allows just enough outside noise to keep wearers safe when running outdoors, riding bikes, working out with friends, or operating in a co-working environment. The JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds ($59.99) are now available in Black at jlab.com and Amazon.

Not much bigger than a USB flash drive, the JBuds ANC 3 case is a demure 2.45-inches long, 1-inch wide and 1.64-inches tall, weighing in at less than 40 grams with the earbudsroughly the weight of a deck of playing cards. This makes the JBuds ANC 3 incredibly small and portable for everyday use.

"Usability is a huge factor when discussing true wireless earbuds and its the main attraction with our newest JBuds ANC 3 true wireless earbuds, said Win Cramer, JLab CEO. Not only did we add active noise canceling technology to improve the overall listening experience, but we did so in a way that it can be used in a variety of situations. With JBuds ANC 3, its possible to get just enough listening privacy and access to the world around you with just a few taps.

Industry-Leading Battery Life

The new JBuds ANC 3 offers a lengthy 42 hours of total playtime, with the earbuds providing more than nine hours on a single charge. With the Smart Active Noise Cancelling feature activated, the total playtime keeps to an impressive 34 hours, with more than seven of those hours in the earbuds.

Fine Tune Listening with the JLab App

Since not all users listen and hear the same way, JLab offers the ability for users to fully customize their listening experience via the JLab App. Listeners can enjoy advanced features like Safe Hearing Mode, which limits the maximum volume output to World Health Organization recommended limits. In addition to this, a complete set of EQ controls allow users to fine tune their sound by using the equalizer settings or with three default settings: JLab Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost.

Bluetooth Multipoint Accessibility

With the JBuds ANC 3 Earbuds, users can seamlessly manage their audio experience with Bluetooth Multipoint, a versatile technology enabling the earbuds to transition seamlessly between devices without having to be paired again. Devices with Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity can be paired with two devices simultaneously, ideal for users who want to use one set of earbuds to stream audio from their computer and then quickly take a call from their phone without having to unpair their device.

Listen Anywhere with Confidence

Ready for any environment whether that be in the living room or on the trail, the JBUDS ANC 3 Earbuds feature, Movie Mode. This low-latency setting helps guarantee flawless synchronization between the audio from a users TV to the JBuds ANC 3 Earbuds, reducing lag and improving the overall cinematic experience. The earbuds are also IP55 rated, demonstrating its effectiveness at repelling sweat and splashes during intense workouts.

Availability & Price

The JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds are now available in Black at www.jlab.com and Amazon for $59.99 USD. Purchase includes a two-year warranty, USB-C charging case, three soft get tips and one set of Cloud foam tips.

Technical Specifications

Smart active noise canceling (ANC) up to 25 dB with three noise control modes: ANC High, ANC Off, Be Aware (customizable levels via JLab App)

42+ hours playtime (34+ with ANC)

Customizable touch-sensitive controls for music and call management

Customizable sound profiles with the JLab App

IP55 rating to withstand sweat and splashes

Advanced noise-control ENC microphones for crystal clear calls

Movie Mode for low latency pairing to watch TV and movies

Google Fast Pair for locating headphones

USB-C charging case

Ships with three soft gel tips, plus a Cloud Foam tip for added comfort

About JLab

JLab imagines and delivers the personal technology products that consumers want. With our line of personal audio gear and office accessories, were innovating absolutely everything to make way better personal tech. Based in San Diego, weve been offering the right sound, the right features, and the right value since 2005. For more information, visit www.jlab.com.

Attachments
Dublin, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Saudi Arabia LPG Market Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Saudi Arabia Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Market is anticipated to grow at a brisk rate during the forecast period, 2024-2028

The LPG market is anticipated to grow in the next few years because of the rising demand for clean cooking fuels in both rural and urban households. Saudi Arabia proven natural gas reserves are 8,507 billion cu. m. in 2021 The largest proven natural gas reserves in the Persian Gulf are in Saudi Arabia.

Around 7 trillion cubic metres of proven natural gas reserves are available (250 trillion cubic feet). 10% of the world's LPG output, or 22% of production in the Middle East and Asia, comes from Saudi Arabia There are various commercial and industrial application that will continue to be the main driver of the LPG market growth in Saudi Arabia.







Increasing Government Initiatives to Aid Market Dynamics

Saudi Arabia demand for LPG has grown significantly in recent years. Saudi Arabia LPG consumption increased by 5% from the previous fiscal year (2019-20) to 27.6 million metric tonnes in 2020-21.

When Saudi Arabia Refining was created by the Saudi Government to handle oil production'. As a result, Saudi Aramco and Samarec, the nation's oil refining corporation, were merged by government decree. The next year, Saudi Aramco, the country's top crude oil refiner and distributor at the time gave its subsidiaries, , a 40% ownership stake. Since that time, all of the country's oil has been refined and distributed by Saudi Aramco.

Increasing Utilization of LPG in Transportation as an Alternative Fuel to Augment Growth



Auto gas or LPG is the most extensively utilized non-blended alternative to traditional oil-based transport fuels such as gasoline and diesel in terms of fleet size. Many countries have a developed market for vehicle fuels. The consumption of auto gas has increased steadily over the past 20 years, reaching a record high of 27.1 million tonnes in 2019 with an increase of 1% over the previous year. Despite this, demand has recently decreased, in part because of improved fuel efficiency and a loss in the fleet of Autogas cars in some key locations.

The results in different countries are highly different, with some seeing strong market growth in 2019 while others saw losses. The COVID-19, had caused a global pandemic in 2020, instantly caused a large drop in demand for Autogas and other transportation fuels. All of these elements are expected to increase demand for this gas in the residential sectors, during the estimated time period.



Increasing Emphasis on Utilization of BioLPG



BioLPG, renewable propane, or bio propane are all terms used to describe propane that is produced from renewable feedstocks such as plant and vegetable waste. Hence, bioLPG is an air-quality-unaffected fuel that burns cleanly. It has a long-term position in the energy mix and offers businesses a low-carbon alternative to moving away from coal and oil. In order to gradually transition to bioLPG, a chemically identical but unlimited variation of traditional LPG, a healthy market for liquefied petroleum gas can be created. As a direct renewable alternative to liquefied petroleum gas, the market for bioLPG is growing throughout Europe, and several of the top companies have set 100% sustainable goals.



Rising demand for LPG in Domestic Power Generation and the Automobile Sector



LPG is a clean, low-carbon form of transportation fuel. It is stored in inflated cylindrical cylinders. The LPG companies are also fueled by improvements in the technology for extracting and purifying natural gas. Production of LPG from natural gas is significantly higher than that of LPG from crude oil. Propane and butane are among the gases and liquids found in natural gas, which is collected from the earth's crust and used to make LPG.

The market for CNG and LPG vehicles is trending due to the growing use of clean energy around the world. With its many advantages over gasoline and diesel in terms of emissions, natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandating strict emission standards primarily to reduce NOx and atmospheric particulate matter, which forces diesel emission technology to be as environment friendly as the low emission CNG and LPG technology.

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 83 Forecast Period 2022 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (Tonnes) in 2022 Tonnes607.01 Thousand Forecasted Market Value (Tonnes) by 2028 Tonnes782.8 Thousand Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.3% Regions Covered Saudi Arabia

Competitive Landscape



Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Saudi Arabia LPG Market.

NGC Energy

Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)

Saudi National Gas & Industrialization Company (GASCO)

Repsol YPF

Saudi Gas Cylinder Factory (Enagas)

Maritime Industrial Services (MIS)

Rawabi Holding

Dalma Energy

Report Scope:



Saudi Arabia LPG Market, By Application:

Residential

Industrial

Commercial

Agriculture

Transportation

Saudi Arabia LPG Market, By Source:

Refinery

Associated Gas

Non-Associated Gas

Saudi Arabia LPG Market, By Cylinder Capacity:

5kg

11-12.6kg

13-14.2kg

15-16.5kg

19-29.5kg

More Than 29.5Kg

Saudi Arabia LPG Market, By Region:

Northern & Central

Western

Eastern

Southern

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3uvlik

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has approved the proposed merger of Blue Federal Credit Union and Aventa Credit Union. The credit unions, when merged, will do business as Blue Federal Credit Union, with combined assets of more than $2.1 billion and over 153,000 members.

The next step in the process is approval of the merger by members of Aventa Credit Union. A special membership meeting will be held on Monday, February 26, 2024, at 3:00 pm to finalize the process. This meeting will be held at Aventas headquarters, located at 2734 Dublin Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"Blue Federal Credit Union warmly welcomes Aventa's members and employees as we join forces, said Stephanie Teubner, Blue Federal Credit Union's President/CEO. Our shared commitment to the well-being of our members, employees, and communities, combined with our expanded presence and robust financial standing, makes this union a seamless alignment for both institutions."

This partnership represents a significant milestone for Aventa's members, associates, and communities, said Greg Mills, Aventas President/CEO. We embrace Blue's commitment to being your lifelong financial champion.

This alliance, rooted in shared values and a commitment to member service, is set to be finalized by April 2024. By bringing the two credit unions together, all members will have access to expanded products and services, the latest digital banking technology, and best-in-class member service at 27 branch locations throughout Colorado and Wyoming, a Contact Center, and a nationwide ATM/VTM network.

For more information about Blue and the merger with Aventa, please visit blueaventa.com.

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NEW YORK, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2024, a series of local, national, and supranational elections will take place in countries with a combined population of roughly 3 billion, and the leaders who emerge from them will shape international relations for the remainder of this decade.



Thats one of several conclusions in RANEs Annual Geopolitical Forecast, identifying the core trends and constraints that will shape global developments in the coming year.

Geopolitical risk is front and center among corporations and their boards as threats to global businesses continue to rise, says RANE CEO Steve Roycroft. Using a proven methodology, our analysts have identified the key geopolitical developments for 2024 and the implications for organizations. Our forecast highlights the intersection of these issues with cyber, security, and compliance risks and provides actionable intelligence to help navigate a complex and evolving environment.

Among the major trends for 2024:

The world prepares for a close U.S. presidential election with implications for the U.S. southern border, a potential return of trade wars, and skepticism about NATO.

Israel takes control of Gaza and faces an insurgency, regional instability, diplomatic pushback, and domestic political uncertainty.

China's economy slows but not to the point of a financial crisis, with a manageable impact on emerging economies.

The war in Ukraine grinds on amid falling Western support for Ukraine and as substantive negotiations with Russia remain elusive.

Taiwans election is likely to prompt Chinese retaliation, fueling U.S.-China competition and accelerating regional supply chain diversification and defense spending.



Other events RANE notes for global risk in 2024 include policy gridlocks in Germany, Italy, and France; continued supply chain decoupling in the technology sector as U.S. restrictions expand; political uncertainty ahead of South African elections and their impact on reforms; and increasing inter-communal tensions around Indias elections.

Visit www.ranenetwork.com to learn how to gain access to the complete 2024 Geopolitical Forecast and register for our 2024 Forecast Webinar.

About RANE

RANE is a global risk intelligence company that provides risk and security professionals with critical insights and analysis to better anticipate, monitor, and respond to emerging threats. For more information about RANE, visit www.ranenetwork.com.

Contact:

Greg Radner

pr@ranenetwork.com
Dublin, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Luxury Travel Market Report by Type of Tour, Age Group, Type of Traveller, and Region 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global luxury travel market has witnessed significant growth, reaching a value of US$ 2,049.2 billion in 2022. According to a recently published research report, this market is projected to expand to US$ 2,683.9 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.60% over the forecast period from 2023 to 2028.

The burgeoning luxury travel segment attributes its impressive growth to the increasing demand for personalized travel experiences, a proliferating population of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) seeking luxury options, and a greater emphasis on wellness and sustainability in travel offerings.

The luxury travel segment represents the zenith of the tourism industry, providing discerning travelers with opulent experiences that extend beyond essential amenities and comfort. It is characterized by personalized service, exquisite accommodations, gourmet dining, and bespoke, immersive adventures. From plush hotels and private villas to upscale resorts in picturesque locales, luxury travel is synonymous with exclusivity and meticulous attention to detail.

Regional Insights

The analysis reveals that the European region dominates the luxury travel market. Rich in history, culture, and pristine landscapes, Europe offers a vast range of luxury travel experiences, supported by a long-standing tradition of premium hospitality and gastronomy.

Competitive Landscape and Key Players

The market is characterized by continuous innovation as key players strive to meet the needs of luxury travelers. Advances in technology, a focus on sustainability, personalized services, and novel amenities are among the innovations elevating the traveler experience in the luxury segment. Prominent companies in the market are enhancing their offerings to cater to the distinguished preferences of affluent travelers.

In conclusion, the luxury travel market report sheds light on the dynamic growth and evolving trends within the sector, underpinned by detailed segment analysis and regional market insights. As luxury travel evolves to cater to the sophisticated tastes and increasing demands of affluent travelers, the industry is poised for significant expansion from 2023 to 2028.

For a deeper dive into the global luxury travel market and its prospects, the new research publication is a critical source of robust insights and forecasts that stakeholders in the travel industry can leverage to inform their strategic decisions.

Market Trends Driving Growth

The growing affluence of HNWIs globally is significantly influencing the luxury travel market's size, as they seek out exclusive and sumptuous travel experiences.

A shift towards distinctive and meaningful travel experiences has seen luxury travelers demand immersive cultural, wellness, and eco-friendly journeys.

There has been an increased focus on sustainability and wellness in luxury travel, with providers offering environmentally responsible and wellness-centric options.

Market Analysis by Segments

The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the luxury travel market segmented by the type of tour, age group, and type of traveler, across various regions.

By Type of Tour: Adventure and safari tours currently hold the largest market share for luxury travel.

Adventure and safari tours currently hold the largest market share for luxury travel. By Age Group: Baby boomers, individuals aged between 41 and 60, represent the leading age segment with their strong desire for premium travel experiences in their retirement.

Baby boomers, individuals aged between 41 and 60, represent the leading age segment with their strong desire for premium travel experiences in their retirement. By Type of Traveller: The 'Absolute Luxury' category accounts for the most considerable proportion of luxury travelers, who desire the peak of exclusivity and lavish experiences.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z5kw3z

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Charleston, SC, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released for readers who are looking for an exceptional story of advocacy and triumph, Educating Tammy shares one womans pursuit of excellence for children with learning disabilities in apartheid-era South Africa. A fierce beacon of hope amid an oppressive regimen, the late Dr. Lorna Swartz championed for disabled children, including her own daughter, Tammy.

Lornas early experiences during the chaotic transition to apartheid shaped the trajectory of her life. She embraced her calling in medicine and then accepted the role of wife and mother. Little did she know the challenges that lay in the path before her. Her daughter, Tammy, experienced developmental challenges that the South African medical community could not solve. Seeking assistance, Lorna, her husband Morrice, and Tammy traveled to the renowned child clinic at Purdue University in the United States where Lorna was able to find both answers and her next great calling. Upon returning to South Africa, Lorna pioneered an educational experiment designed to help children with learning disabilities like Tammy. Even as the experiment flourished, it drew criticism and opposition from state officials, leading to conflict and threats against Lorna. This exceptional memoir details Lornas relentless advocacy during apartheid and ventures beyond her emigration to the United States where she continued to show her steadfast commitment to mental health.

This extraordinary story of motherhood, activism, and enduring hope for a better future will appeal to anyone interested in the history of special education and accommodation for learning disabilities.

Educating Tammy is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.

About the Author:

Dr. Lorna Kay Swartz led an extensive career as not only a doctor but a passionate advocate and educator. She was a pioneering force in the realm of education for children with special needs. During her life, she presented international lectures, held workshops, and authored cutting-edge publications. She established the first experimental pilot class for children with learning problems in the public school system of apartheid-era South Africa.

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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As it enters the final stretch of the seed funding campaign, VoxelSensors is proud to introduce the new VP of XR Solutions, Boris Greenberg, who will spearhead the Spatial and Empathic Computing Solution teams. With over 21 years of expertise in multi-disciplinary R&D within the high-tech industry and academia, Mr. Greenberg brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. His previous roles include founding EyeWay Vision, I.C. Inside, and serving as an R&D lead in Automated Optical Inspection at Orbotech. Notably, Mr. Greenberg holds more than 20 patents and pursued his studies in physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.



For widespread adoption, XR devices need to address human interaction, a synergy of sensing and perception modalities to enable developers to create powerful XR user experiences, says Boris Greenberg.

VoxelSensors leverages its distinctive SPAES (Single Photon Active Event Sensor) technology, allowing the integration of multimodal perception sensors, such as innovative hand and gaze tracking and SLAM, with high precision, low power consumption, and low latency. Fusing these key modalities will enable the development of next-gen XR systems.

In 2023, VoxelSensors started collaborations with customers to test SPAES and tailor our solution to their specific needs, Johannes Peeters, CEO at VoxelSensors, emphasizes. We can clearly see the positive influence of our technology and systems in creating new mobile and empathic XR Systems. We are also thrilled to share the news of a new capital increase in the final days of 2023, concluding our Seed Round with the support of both new and existing shareholders.

Experience the Future of Spatial and Empathic Computing during CES 2024

Visit VoxelSensors during CES 2024 to learn about the future of Mobile and XR applications and experience the latest advancements in Spatial and Empathic Computing:

Andromeda 2, Evaluation Kit composed of 2 SPAES sensors, an illumination, and the latest Software VoxelSensors SDK 2.0

SLAM module

SPAES for Mobile

Gaze tracking

To schedule a meeting and become part of the journey, contact us at sales@voxelsensors.com.





About VoxelSensors

VoxelSensors develops groundbreaking Spatial and Empathic Sensor Fusion technology for Mobile and XR. Our proprietary SPAES (Single Photon Active Event Sensor) technology and system architecture addresses OEMs demands for power-efficient and low-latency perception solutions. It enables Mobile and XR markets growth by crossing the experience barrier and meeting the growing demand for empathic experiences that understand user intent.

SPAES enables a cutting-edge sequential 3D depth system that provides low-power spatial awareness and low-latency data path. SPAES is a game-changing innovation that unlocks the true potential of fully immersive experiences for consumer electronics, smartphones, and wearables. To learn more, visit us at https://voxelsensors.com.

For Press Information, Contact:

Karina Kovalenko - MarCom Manager VoxelSensors

Email: press@voxelsensors.com

Website: https://voxelsensors.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voxelsensors

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/72d15639-552d-42cd-9e22-20980ca19afd

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/11b664cc-3530-4738-a521-afad572cba57
San Antonio, TX, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced today that insurance coverage litigation lawyer Manuel Mungia has joined its global insurance practice as a partner in the San Antonio office.

Manuel advises domestic and foreign insurers in complex coverage matters and represents insurers in litigation arising out of directors and officers, management liability, professional liability, pollution liability, commercial general liability and excess insurance policies. He also provides counsel to insurers in connection with the drafting of policy provisions and endorsements. Manuel worked as an associate with the firm earlier in his career.

Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbrights US Managing Partner, said:

We are excited to welcome Manuel back to the firm. Manuel is recognized internationally as a brilliant coverage lawyer who delivers outstanding client service. Our global platform is the perfect fit for his insurance litigation practice.

Neel Lane, Norton Rose Fulbrights Co-Head of Insurance Disputes, commented:

Anyone who has worked with Manuelas client, colleague or even opposing counselknows he is best in class. Our national insurance practice has already grown by leaps and bounds with the addition of excellent transactions lawyers. Manuel will add even more scope and depth to what we can provide our insurer clients.

Manuel, who has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation from 2021-2024, said:

Norton Rose Fulbrights extensive litigation capabilities and global reach will greatly benefit the clients we serve. The firm has earned a reputation as a leader in the insurance sector, with capabilities spanning from insurance and reinsurance disputes, including Bermuda Form arbitrations, to corporate, transactional and regulatory matters.

Licensed in Texas, Manuel received his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law and his bachelors degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright provides a full scope of legal services to the worlds preeminent corporations and financial institutions. The global law firm has more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across more than 50 locations worldwide, including Houston, New York, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg, covering the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. With its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its client service in key industries, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; technology; transport; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets. For more information, visit nortonrosefulbright.com.

Attachment
Press Release

Montrouge, January 03, 2024

Concerning Credit Agricole S.A. stock, a market-making agreement was signed on 25 October 2006 with Kepler Cheuvreux. This contract was updated on 18 January 2019, notably to integrate regulatory evolutions resulting from the enactment of the Regulation (EU n596/2014 on market abuse) ("MAR Regulation").

The purpose of this Liquidity Agreement, with an initial amount of 50 million automatically renewed every year, is to create an active market for the shares of Credit Agricole S.A. (ISIN code: FR0000045072) on the regulated market of NYSE Euronext Paris.

In order to readjust the amount made available for this contract, a redemption of 4,071,036.35 was made to the Liquidity account on December 28, 2023 (the "Redemption").

The Redemption was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the MAR Regulation, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/908 of 26 February 2016 supplementing Regulation (EU) n 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regulatory technical standards on the criteria, the procedure and the requirements for establishing an accepted market practice and the requirements for maintaining it, terminating it or modifying the conditions for its acceptance, articles L. 225-209 and following ones of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce) and French Financial Market Authority (AMF) Decision No. 2021-01 of June 22, 2021, applicable as of July 1, 2021.

Detailed information can be found on Credit Agricole S.A.'s website at the following address: https://www.credit-agricole.com/en/finance/regulated-information





PRESS CONTACTS CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A.

Alexandre Barat + 33 1 57 72 12 19 alexandre.barat@credit-agricole-sa.fr

Olivier Tassain + 33 1 43 23 25 41 olivier.tassain@credit-agricole-sa.fr

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS CREDIT AGRICOLE S.A.

Institutional Investors + 33 1 43 23 04 31 investor.relations@credit-agricole-sa.fr

Read all press releases at: www.credit-agricole.com - www.creditagricole.info

@Credit_Agricole Groupe Credit Agricole

Attachment
Akron, Ohio, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



The Allen Thomas Group (ATG), an independent insurance agency based in Akron, OH, has recently published a new post that serves as an insurance guide for startup companies. This is important because startups are faced with unique risks but insurance to them may seem like a formidable maze of coverages, terms, and conditions. The guide is designed to guide startup business owners on how to navigate their way through the business insurance maze and avoid various potential pitfalls and be able to get maximum financial protection for their new venture.

Joe Race, CEO of The Allen Thomas Group, says, As a startup founder or entrepreneur, it is vitally important that you evaluate all available insurance options to protect your business against risks and financial losses. Though insurance may not seem exciting or exciting to some entrepreneurs, it plays an integral part in protecting and mitigating risks to ensure financial security and protection for startups.

There are a number of vital types of coverages for startup companies. These include: general liability insurance, errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, product liability insurance, and cyber liability insurance. Meanwhile, property and liability insurance can provide protection for the startups physical assets, including potential claims against the business. This will also cover damages like property loss or destruction resulting from theft, including general liability claims made against it.

Another important type of insurance for startups is the directors and officers (D&O) insurance, which provides financial protection for the directors and officers of the startup business against claims or lawsuits that may be caused by any decisions or actions they had taken while carrying out their responsibilities. D&O policies are designed to specifically cover personal liability costs related to claims against high-ranking executives. General liability insurance policies often fall short in the protection of directors and officers against the unique risks they face because of their roles as directors and officers.

Another essential type of insurance coverage for startups is employer liability protection insurance (EPLI), which offers employers peace of mind in the event that something goes wrong in the office or the workplace. As an employer, startup companies need to realize that there are certain risks associated with employees, including potential legal issues they could pose. EPLI can offer vital financial protection if there are any claims with regard to employment practices, such as discrimination, wrongful termination, or harassment.

Startup businesses may also want to consider E&O insurance, which offers protection against claims by customers or clients for errors, omissions, or negligence in the services they offer. This may include situations in which clients claim the work done or advice provided by the company had resulted in a financial loss or damage to their reputation. These claims can be financially disastrous and even result in lawsuits that can throw the business operations into disarray.

Joe Race explains, Before diving into startup insurance, its essential to identify and assess all possible risks your startup might encounter. This step helps determine what kind and level of coverage is necessary in order to protect it adequately. Frequent risks faced by startups can include: claims from employees and contractors; cybercrime and data breaches; fraudulent activities; and lawsuits filed by clients, competitors, and previous employees.

Founded in 2003 by Joe Race, The Allen Thomas Group has become a premier provider of tailor-fitted risk management and insurance-based solutions for both individuals and companies. The Allen Thomas Group CEO Joe Race graduated from The University of Akron and afterward, he served as an investment advisor in the 1990s, offering advice to clients on investing. He soon realized that his clients also needed to protect their investments. That was the reason he founded ATG, which is to provide insurance solutions that can be personalized based on the specific needs of each individual or company. At present, The Allen Thomas Group provides a full range of customized business insurance solutions that they are able to provide because of their partnerships with a number of insurance firms. These partnerships enable them to provide the most appropriate insurance coverage for customers at a competitive rate.





Those who want to learn more about insurance for startup businesses can visit The Allen Thomas Group insurance agency website or contact them on the phone. They are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, from Monday to Friday.

###

For more information about The Allen Thomas Group, contact the company here:



The Allen Thomas Group

Joe Race

(440) 826-3676

453 S High St Ste 101, Akron, OH 44311
New Town, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Town, Prague -

CoinBrain has launched a clear, accurate, and actionable token unlocks data platform to enable users with unparalleled crypto market insights. It is an addition to its popular tools for effective trading and monitoring cryptocurrency projects.

To succeed in a dynamic crypto environment requires real-time market and community data coupled with actionable insights. Token unlocks and vesting schedules is one of the crucial pieces composing the high volatility of crypto projects.

The supply side of tokens is subject to many changes originating from core members, early investors and other entities involved in token launch. The core groups (vesting groups) do not receive their tokens all at once to maintain the price stability of the project and ensure long-term commitment. Instead, the tokens are released according to a predetermined schedule.

CoinBrain has gathered and documented vesting schedule information for over 200 crypto projects, as announced today. If used properly, vesting schedules may be one of the most precise trading indicators, while also revealing information about the long-term stability of individual projects.

CoinBrain makes the analysis of crypto projects easier by offering a comprehensive suite of tools and resources even a crypto beginner can put to good use.

Besides the vesting database, the platform acts as a hub for market data, aggregating information on more than 3.000.000 crypto projects across the top 10 most popular EVM networks and presenting it in an easily digestible form.

Among CoinBrain's standout features is its real-time market tracking capability. Users can monitor price movements, trading volumes, market capitalization, and other market data on a rapidly expanding range of projects.

The platform's intuitive charts and graphs offer quick access to vital information about individual projects - from basic market data, through security checks all the way to social media sentiment and vesting schedule unlocks. This wealth of information allows users to conduct both technical and fundamental analysis within a single dashboard.

For more information, visit https://coinbrain.com/

CoinBrain.com also provides insightful market analyses and trends. The platform provides news articles, social media mentions, and expert opinions to offer a holistic view of the market sentiment surrounding specific cryptocurrencies. This feature caters specifically to users seeking to understand the broader context of market movements and anticipate potential shifts.

For active traders, CoinBrain.com offers a suite of advanced tools, including customizable watchlists, price alerts, and DEX routing. These features empower users to streamline their trading activities and stay ahead of market developments. The platform's integration with popular decentralized exchanges (DEXs) further enhances the user experience, allowing for real-time trading directly from the CoinBrain interface.

The global nature of the cryptocurrency market demands accessibility, and CoinBrain.com delivers on this front. The platform is available across various devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones, allowing users to stay connected and make informed decisions on the go. Its user interface is designed with responsiveness in mind, ensuring a seamless experience regardless of the device used.

The platform's dedication to user education is evident in its educational resources. The platform offers a rich library of articles, tutorials, and guides catering to beginners and seasoned investors. Topics range from basic blockchain concepts to advanced trading strategies, providing a comprehensive learning experience for users at every level of expertise.

CoinBrain.com positions itself as a reliable and easily accessible platform that caters to crypto enthusiasts and seasoned investors alike - as degens, you understand the importance of keeping up to date with newly released projects. On the other hand, long-term investors will value CoinBrain's fundamental analysis tools, as well as their regular market commentary with summaries and evaluations.

About CoinBrain (CB Labs s.r.o.):

Headquartered in Nove Mesto, Praha, CoinBrain has emerged from Prague's illustrious crypto tradition as a top crypto analytics platform supported by a collective of experts translating its legacy into robust analytics for informed trading decisions across the globe. The platform automatically indexes coins from all major EVM chains on the market thanks to its algorithms, allowing users to receive the fastest data about all coins trading on these chains just seconds after the trade happens.

###

For more information about CoinBrain (CB Labs s.r.o.), contact the company here:



CoinBrain (CB Labs s.r.o.)

michal@coinbrain.com

Skolska 689/20, Nove Mesto (Praha 1), 110 00 Praha


Houston, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Houston, Texas -

Digital marketing has become a key driver in the cosmetic surgery industry, according to Doctor Marketing, MD. With fierce competition online for local plastic surgery markets, it's essential for doctors to use a strategic plastic surgeon digital marketing agency to stand out. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a foundational part of a successful marketing plan for surgeons. Plastic surgery practices can cost-effectively increase their online presence and profits by attracting new patients.

Image Credit: Photonphoto / 123RF.

Done correctly, digital marketing for plastic surgeons offers increased visibility, better targeting, and greater engagement. Partnering with a top medical marketing agency like ours can lead to a better return on investment (ROI) for plastic surgeons. By leveraging targeted written content that ranks well on Google, surgeons can attract more qualified patients and convert these warm leads into paying patients, said Marty Stewart, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Doctor Marketing, MD.

Doctor Marketing, MD helps Medical Professionals and Healthcare Providers to get more patients by increasing patient acquisition through strategically leveraged content that ranks high in Google.

Surgeon marketing agencies are key in catapulting plastic surgeons into the digital limelight, ensuring they shine brightly on the screens of potential clients. With strategic cosmetic surgery advertising, practices enjoy top placement in search engine results and a dynamic presence on social media platforms where future patients spend much of their time.

An aesthetic surgery web design that's visually compelling and user-friendly further draws visitors in, turning casual browsers into booked consultations. Harnessing the power of video marketing can give plastic surgeons an edge by offering a behind-the-scenes look at procedures and patient testimonials that build trust before the first interaction.

Through healthcare advertising solutions like targeted online campaigns and content-rich emails, practitioners maintain a visible foothold in an increasingly competitive market. Every click, share, and view is an opportunity for growth as plastic surgery digital marketing introduces doctors to those seeking beauty enhancements through impactful internet branding.

Digital marketing allows plastic surgeons to target their ideal patient demographics with precision. By leveraging data-driven strategies, such as keyword targeting, geographic targeting, and demographic targeting, surgeons can ensure that their marketing efforts reach the right audience at the right time.

Implementing personalized messaging and content tailored to specific segments of the population enhances engagement and increases the likelihood of converting potential leads into patients. Through effective targeting, plastic surgeons can maximize their marketing ROI and attract a steady stream of relevant inquiries from individuals seeking aesthetic procedures.

As digital marketing continues to evolve, staying updated on advanced segmentation techniques is crucial for plastic surgeons aiming to connect with prospective patients effectively. Understanding how different advertising platforms allow for precise audience targeting will empower practitioners in reaching out to those actively seeking cosmetic solutions.

Social media marketing offers plastic surgeons the opportunity to engage with potential patients on various platforms, fostering a sense of trust and connection. By sharing informative content, showcasing before-and-after images, and engaging in conversations with followers, plastic surgeons can build meaningful relationships that lead to increased patient inquiries and appointments.

Utilizing email marketing campaigns also enables direct communication with existing patients, providing updates on services, promotions, and educational resources to keep them engaged and interested in further procedures or referrals. Video marketing is another powerful tool for enhancing engagement as it allows plastic surgeons to showcase their expertise, personality, and patient success stories. By creating compelling video content that highlights the practice's services and approach to patient care, surgeons can captivate their audience while educating them about potential treatments.

Partnering with a top digital marketing agency can lead to a better Return on Investment (ROI) for plastic surgeons. By leveraging targeted digital strategies, surgeons can attract more qualified leads and convert them into paying patients, ultimately increasing their revenue.

Incorporating video marketing, search engine optimization, and content marketing in the overall strategy can significantly improve the ROI for plastic surgery practices. Focusing on digital innovation and engaging with potential patients through social media management can also contribute to boosting the ROI. Utilizing email marketing to stay connected with existing patient base while attracting new patients is another effective strategy that enhances profitability for plastic surgeons.

Digital marketing for plastic surgery practices is essential for plastic surgeons seeking to gain more visibility and attract potential patients to their practice. Utilizing strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO) and engaging content marketing can significantly enhance a surgeon's online presence, making it easier for individuals in need of cosmetic procedures to find them.

Integrating video marketing into a digital strategy enables surgeons to connect with prospective patients on a deeper level, showcasing their expertise and building trust. Leveraging social media platforms and email marketing allows plastic surgeons to engage with both existing and potential clients, fostering lasting relationships that could lead to increased patient retention.

The bottom line is that plastic surgeons must keep up with the latest trends in online advertising and marketing and look to boost profitability in their competitive local markets. Partnering with specialized digital marketing agencies like Doctor Marketing, MD that have a proven track record will ensure success.

###

For more information about Doctor Marketing, MD, contact the company here:



Doctor Marketing, MD

Anna Goldstein

877-463-9777 ext. 3

anna.goldstein@doctormarketingmd.com
NEW YORK, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Cummins Inc. (Cummins or the Company) (NYSE: CMI). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Cummins and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On December 22, 2023, the United States Department of Justice issued a press release announcing, in relevant part, that [e]ngine manufacturer Cummins Inc. today disclosed that it has reached an agreement in principle with the United States and State of California to pay a $1.675 billion penalty to settle claims that it violated the Clean Air Act by installing emissions defeat devices on hundreds of thousands of engines.

On this news, Cumminss stock price fell $7.01 per share, or 2.87%, to close at $236.99 per share on December 22, 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.
NEW YORK, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Xponential Fitness, Inc. (Xponential or the Company) (NYSE: XPOF). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Xponential and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On June 26, 2023, Fuzzy Panda Research (FPR) published a report on Xponential entitled Abusive Franchisor That Is A House Of Cards. Citing interviews with franchisees and disclosure documents, the FPR report alleged that Xpontentials Founder and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Geisler, has a long history of misleading investors and business partners and that Xponential is hiding the fact that many of [the Companys] brands and franchisees are struggling.

On this news, Xponentials stock price fell $9.38 per share, or 37.36%, to close at $15.73 per share on June 27, 2023.

Then, on December 11, 2023, Xponential disclosed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had contacted Xponential, requesting that the Company provide it with certain documents.

On this news, Xponentials stock price fell $1.61 per share, or 15.19%, to close at $8.99 per share on December 11, 2023.

On January 3, 2024, Piper Sandler downgraded Xponential from overweight to neutral, citing lowered confidence in managements ability to meet long-term growth and margin targets.

On this news, Xponentials stock price fell sharply during intraday trading on January 3, 2024.

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.
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today advises that Dr Christian Behrenbruch, Managing Director and Group CEO, will be presenting at the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, CA (US).



The presentation will take place on Tuesday 9 January at 3:00pm PST (6:00pm EST / 10:00am AEDT, 10 January).

Participants can register for the webcast at the following link.

The webcast will be accessible on demand on the Telix website following the event.

To schedule a 1x1 meeting with Telix management, please contact 1x1@jpmorgan.com.

About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and associated medical devices. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in the United States, Europe (Belgium and Switzerland), and Japan. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that aims to address significant unmet medical needs in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX).

Visit www.telixpharma.com for further information about Telix, including details of the latest share price, announcements made to the ASX, investor and analyst presentations, news releases, event details and other publications that may be of interest. You can also follow Telix on X and LinkedIn.

Telixs lead imaging product, gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide injection (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11 and marketed under the brand name Illuccix), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),1 by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA),2 and by Health Canada.3

Telix Investor Relations

Australia

Ms. Kyahn Williamson

Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited

SVP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Email: kyahn.williamson@telixpharma.com

United States

Lisa Wilson

In-Site Communications

Email: lwilson@insitecony.com

Legal Notices

This announcement is not intended as promotion or advertising directed to any healthcare professional or other audience in any country worldwide (including Australia, United States and the United Kingdom). This announcement may include forward-looking statements that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as may, expect, intend, plan, estimate, anticipate, outlook, forecast and guidance, or other similar words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Companys good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other risks and considerations that exist and affect the Companys business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telixs business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Telixs preclinical and clinical studies, and Telixs research and development programs; Telixs ability to advance product candidates into, enrol and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; the commercialisation of Telixs product candidates, if or when they have been approved; estimates of Telixs expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telixs financial performance; developments relating to Telixs competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telixs product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telixs actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, Telix does not undertake to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. Readers should read this announcement together with our material risks, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the ASX and on our website.

2024 Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited. The Telix Pharmaceuticals and Illuccix name and logo are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates (all rights reserved).

1 Telix ASX disclosure 20 December 2021.

2 Telix ASX disclosure 2 November 2021.

3 Telix ASX disclosure 14 October 2022.
DALLAS, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Big Sky Medicals first foray into the vibrant Phoenix, Arizona market represents the acquisition of the Blackhawk Medical Center. This three-building medical and office campus spans over 252,000 rsf and is located in the affluent Deer Valley submarket proximate to the Honor Health Deer Valley Medical Center.



Blackhawk I (138,540 rsf), Blackhawk II (84,410 rsf), and Blackhawk III (29,400 rsf) are primed to support the anticipated population surge by retaining top notch medical services to fit the growing needs of the community. Each buildings tall ceilings, ample parking, and close hospital proximity make this property prime for future healthcare tenancy. Blackhawk Medical Center is located approximately 20 miles north of downtown Phoenix which is part of the 10th largest MSA in the United States with a total population of over 5 million.

"The acquisition of the Blackhawk Medical Center in Phoenix marks a momentous stride in Big Sky's mission to expand our portfolios footprint. We are excited about the opportunities this acquisition brings to provide quality medical facilities to the expanding Phoenix community."  Chris Morgan, Senior Manager  Acquisitions for Big Sky Medical.

The seller, Phoenix-based ViaWest Group, was represented by Steve Lindley, Alexandra Loye, Eric Wichterman, and Mike Coover of Cushman & Wakefield. The sale represented one of the top medical and office property sales in 2023 according to Cushman & Wakefield.

The Phoenix metropolitan area has shown steady population growth which is expected to continue with the recent Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) plant development expected to create approximately 60,000 jobs. The semiconductor fabrication facility which is the largest private investment in the citys history, a $40B commitment, is projected to begin commercial operations in 2024.

About Big Sky Medical

Big Sky Medical Real Estate is an investment manager focused on commercial real estate across the United States with a weighted focus on the medical clinic sector. Big Sky was formed in 2020 by industry veteran Jason L. Signor to invest in healthcare and life science real estate. Big Sky leverages its deep relationships built over the past two decades as a sector specialist to position its platform as a flexible source of capital for developers, healthcare operators, and investors of high quality medical real estate without competing conflicts of interest. To learn more, visit www.bigskymed.com.

For media inquiries:

Cristi Swayze

CSwayze@bigskymed.com

469-949-8300

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd50cc5e-7d6b-4a7b-a537-0744d6bac337
Vancouver, January 2, 2024 - - Emergent Metals Corp. ("Emergent" or the "Company") (TSXV:EMR) (OTC:EGMCF) announces that it has appointed Grant T. Smith. CPA, CA, C. Dir., as Chief Financial Officer and Director of the Company effective January 1, 2024. Mr. Smith is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over two decades of experience in the accounting field. He holds a BFA (1984) from York University and received his CPA designation in 2006. He has completed the Chartered Director Program from McMaster University (2020). Mr. Smith was previously the Chief Financial Officer of the Company from October 2012 to July 2018. He was a Managing Partner of Clearline Chartered Accountants from 2006 to 2019 and since that time has worked as the Executive Director of Clarity NPO, a consulting firm that provides financial services to non-for-profit organizations. Mr. Smith has served as CFO for several junior mining companies.

Mr. Smith replaces Robert Rosner as CFO, who has resigned due to other commitments. The Company would like to thank Mr. Rosner for his services over the last five years.

About Emergent

Emergent is a gold and base metal exploration company focused on Nevada and Quebec. The Company's strategy is to look for quality acquisitions, add value to these assets through exploration, and monetize them through sale, joint ventures, option, royalty, and other transactions to create value for our shareholders (an acquisition and divestiture business model).

In Nevada, Emergent's Golden Arrow Property is an advanced stage property with a well-defined measured and indicated gold and silver resource. The New York Canyon Property is a copper skarn, copper porphyry, and gold exploration property south of and abutting the past producing Santa Fe Gold Mine. The Mindora Property (aka West Santa Fe Property) is a gold, silver, and base metal property located twelve miles from the Santa Fe Gold Mine and optioned to Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV:LG). Buckskin Rawhide East is a gold and silver property leased to Rawhide Mining LLC, operators of the Rawhide Mine.

In Quebec, the Casa South Property is a large gold exploration property adjacent to and south of Hecla Mining Corporation's (NYSE:HL) operating Casa Berardi Mine with multiple exploration targets identified. The Trecesson Property, located about 50 km north of the Val d'Or mining camp, has three gold exploration targets with multiple high-grade (>10 g/t) gold intercepts from historic and recent drilling. Also in Quebec, Emergent has a 1% NSR in the Troilus North Property, part of the feasibility stage Troilus Mine Property being explored by Troilus Gold. Emergent also has a 1% NSR in the East-West Property, owned by O3 Mining and part of their feasibility stage Marban Alliance Property.

Note that the location of Emergent's properties adjacent to producing or past producing mines does not guarantee exploration success at Emergent's properties or that mineral resources or reserves will be delineated. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's website at www.emergentmetals.com or view the Company's filings available at www.sedarplus.ca.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

David G. Watkinson, P.Eng.

President & CEO



For further information please contact:

David G. Watkinson, P.Eng.

Tel: 530-271-0679 Ext 101

Email: info@emergentmetals.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Without limiting the foregoing, such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the process and completion of the Offering, the use of proceeds of the Offering and any statements regarding the Company's business plans, expectations and objectives. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking information. Forward looking information should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or the Company management's good faith belief with respect to future events and is subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking information made in this news release, see the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis and financial statements and other documents filed by the Company with the Canadian securities commissions and the discussion of risk factors set out therein. Such documents are available at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and on the Company's website at www.emergentmetals.com. The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects the Company's expectations as at the date of this news release and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 02, 2024 - Eldorado Gold Corp. ("Eldorado" or the "Company") today announces the appointment of Paul Ferneyhough as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company to be effective today, January 2, 2024. Mr. Ferneyhough will be succeeding Philip Yee, who will be retiring as of the same date.



Paul Ferneyhough joined Eldorado Gold in May 2021 to oversee the development and execution of the Company's strategic growth strategy. Most recently, Paul was Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer of Eldorado, with accountabilities including Country Management (Canada, Greece and Turkiye), Investor Relations, Sales & Marketing, Business Improvement, and Supply Chain & Procurement. Paul joined the Company as Senior Vice President, Chief Growth and Integration Officer. In that role, Paul was Eldorado's lead negotiator for the Skouries Project Financing Facility that was successfully closed at very competitive rates in early 2023. Prior to joining Eldorado Gold, Paul spent nearly two decades with Repsol SA (and Talisman Energy), most recently as Executive Director leading Repsol's North American upstream oil and gas division. At Repsol, Paul held progressively senior leadership roles in corporate, line and functional areas including finance, investor relations, strategy, commercial, planning and business performance management.

In addition to his 30 years of resource industry experience, Paul is also a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. In his new role as CFO, Paul will retain his current reporting lines except for Investor Relations and Country Management, responsibility for which will be assumed by other members of the Executive team. Paul will also assume responsibility for Human Resources.

"On behalf of Eldorado's board and management, I would like to thank Phil for his dedication and significant contributions to the company over the past five years," said George Burns, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We wish he and his family the very best in his well-deserved retirement."

"Since joining Eldorado, Paul has progressively assumed more responsibility, has been a strong contributor to the overall success of the organization, and has become the natural successor as CFO. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Paul as we continue to focus on unlocking the value across our portfolio, optimizing our cost structure, and transitioning to delivering sustained free cash flow over the next couple of years," added Mr. Burns.

About Eldorado Gold

Eldorado is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkiye, Canada and Greece. The Company has a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with local communities. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO).

Contact

Investor Relations

Lynette Gould, VP, Investor Relations

647 271 2827 or 1 888 353 8166

lynette.gould@eldoradogold.com

Media

Chad Pederson, Director, Communications

236 885 6251 or 1 888 353 8166

chad.pederson@eldoradogold.com






January 2 - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia -- Zonte Metals Inc. (TSXV:ZON) ("Zonte" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement and, subject to TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") approval, has issued 250,000 Common Share Units at a price of $0.065 and 2,395,000 Flow-through Share Units at a price of $0.08 (the "Offering") for total proceeds of $207,850. Each Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant, expiring December 27, 2025, entitling the holder to acquire one additional common share at a price of $0.14. Following completion of the Offering, the Company has 72,224,961 shares issued and outstanding.

In connection with securities sold pursuant to the Offering, Zonte will pay aggregate finders' fees of $12,740 in cash and will issue 159,250 Finders' Warrants to two Eligible Finders, both of whom are at arm's length to the Company. Each Finders' Warrant is exercisable until June 27, 2025, to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per share, subject to Exchange Approval. All Finders' Fees are subject to and in accordance with Exchange and regulatory policies.

All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period.

Certain insiders of the Company (two individuals) acquired 150,000 Common Share Units and 120,000 Flow-through Share Units in the Offering for combined proceeds to the Company of $19,350, representing 9.3% of the Total Proceeds. Participation by insiders in the Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). However, as insider participation represented less than 25% of the proceeds of the Offering, the Company relied on the exemptions available under the instrument and such participation was exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital purposes and exploration at the Cross Hills Iron Oxide Copper Gold Property, in Newfoundland and Labrador.

About Zonte

Zonte Metals Inc. is a junior explorer focused on gold and copper. The Company owns 100% of the MJ project, in the Tintina Gold Belt, located in the Yukon Territory, the Wings Point project in the new Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the Cross Hills IOCG project located in Newfoundland and Labrador. In Colombia; the company has a 25% carried interest in Project X where historic drilling intersected significant gold mineralization and the Company and partner have an application over open areas sitting on top of the open pit outline of the Gramalote Deposit in Colombia, which is held by AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) and B2Gold (TSX:BTO, NYSE:BTG). The title issuance is being contested by the state governing the application and the Company has started legal action to protect its rights.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements which include statements regarding the Corporation's future plans, as well as statements regarding financial and business prospects and the Corporation's future plans, objectives or economic performance and financial outlooks. The Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in this news release are reasonable but actual results may be affected by a variety of variables and may be materially different from the results or events predicted in the forward-looking statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In evaluating forward-looking statements readers should consider the risk factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation does not intend nor does it undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Terry Christopher

CEO and President

902-405-3520

info@zontemetals.com

www.zontemetals.com

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Toronto, January 2, 2024 - Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ("Noble" or the "Company") (TSXV:NOB) (FRANKFURT:NB7) (OTC:NLPXF) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced (see the news releases of November 24, and December 7 and 22, 2023) non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") whereby it raised gross proceeds of approximately $721,250 (before fees and expenses) through the placement of 9,616,666 flow-through common share units ("FT Units") priced at $0.075 per unit. Each FT Unit was comprised of one common share issued as a "flow-through share" as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) and designated as a flow-through common share ("FT Share") and one-half non-flow-through common share purchase warrant, each full warrant being exercisable for two years for one common share in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.125 per common share. Noble issued a total of 9,616,666 FT Shares and 4,808,333 warrants in the Private Placement. (Note that the December 22, 2023 news release has inadvertently reported the total number of warrants issued in the Private Placement as 3,948,333 warrants. This news release corrects that error.)

In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid cash commissions of approximately $49,087 and issued a total of 654,500 broker warrants, each such warrant being exercisable for two years for one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.075 per share.

The securities issued in this Private Placement are subject to a four month hold period.

The closing proceeded after conditional approval of the Private Placement was granted by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), and remains subject to final approval of the Exchange, as well as any other required regulatory approvals.

Noble intends to use the proceeds raised through the Private Placement to fund exploration expenditures on the Company's properties located in Ontario.

About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.

Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company that, in addition to its shareholdings in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd., Go Metals Corp. and MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. It also has interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario. It continues to hold ~25,000 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario known as Project 81, as well as an additional ~11,000 hectares in the Timmins area and ~14,400 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. It also holds ~14,600 hectares in the Nagagami Carbonatite Complex and ~4,600 hectares in the Boulder Project both near Hearst, Ontario. In addition, Noble has ~482 hectares in the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~3,700 hectares in the Buckingham Graphite Property, ~10,152 hectares in a Havre St Pierre Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~518 hectares in the Laverlochere Nickel, Copper, PGM property, all of these are in the Province of Quebec. More detailed information can be found on the Company's website at:

https://www.noblemineralexploration.com

Noble's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NOB."?

Cautionary Statement

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the Company's plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts

H. Vance White, President

Phone: 416-214-2250

Fax: 416-367-1954

Email: info@noblemineralexploration.com

Investor Relations: ir@noblemineralexploration.com

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
TORONTO, Jan. 02, 2024 - Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd. ("Spruce Ridge" or the "Company") (TSX-V: SHL) announces that further to its press releases dated August 4, 2023 and August 23, 2023, the Company reached a settlement with the former CEO and director which includes a settlement payment of $180,000 plus HST and certain credit card expenses to the former CEO and director, and the transfer from the former CEO and director to the Company of 5 million shares of the Company with a value of $425,000 which shares are to be cancelled. The receivable that was assessed in the annual financial statements for the year ended April 30, 2023 and impaired in the full amount of $631,030 has been recorded as recovered in the financial statements of the Company for the six months ended October 31, 2023. This recovery reflects recognition of the value of the shares cancelled and a reduction in the amount owing equal to the settlement payment. The settlement agreement was made without any admission of liability of any party.



Cautionary Statement:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and include, but are not limited to, disclosure regarding possible events, that are based on assumptions and courses of action, and in certain cases, can be identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur, or the negative forms of any of these words and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include statements related to future plans for the Company, and other forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions including with respect to the anticipated actions of securities regulators, stock exchanges, and government entities, management plans and timelines, as well as results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions on the date of this news release, such assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, they should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and they will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: an inability to develop and successfully implement exploration strategies; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the lack of available capital; impact of the evolving situation in Ukraine on the business of the Company; and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's ongoing filings with securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by law.

Contacts:

Steve Balch, President & CEO

Phone: 905.407.9586

Email: steve@beci.ca
North Vancouver, January 3, 2024 - Lion One Metals Ltd. (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Alex Nichol as Vice President Geology and Exploration and Mr. David Towle as Mill Manager, as well as the hiring of Mr. Melvyn Levrel as Senior Exploration Geologist in Fiji. The Company also announces the retirement of Mr. Sergio Cattalani as Senior Vice President Exploration. Mr Cattalani will remain with Lion One as a Senior Geology Advisor.

Lion One Chairman and CEO Walter Berukoff commented: "As we continue to advance the Tuvatu Gold Project from development towards commercial production we are excited to add key individuals with specialized skill sets to our technical team in Fiji. Together, Alex, David and Melvyn bring over 70 years of experience to the Lion One Team. They are all accomplished veterans with superior leadership skills and extensive experience in their respective fields of expertise; Alex in underground geology and mining, David in mill operations and commissioning, and Melvyn in mineral exploration. We are very fortunate to have them on our team."

"We are also very fortunate to have benefitted from the leadership and expertise of Sergio Cattalani over the past three years while he led the geology and exploration teams at Tuvatu. Sergio has been instrumental in the success of the project and we look forward to continuing to work with him as he transitions into a new role as Senior Geology Advisor with Lion One."

Alex Nichol, MAIG - Biography

Mr. Nichol is a mining professional with over 20 years of progressive experience in underground gold, copper, and zinc mining. He has extensive senior operational experience in underground geology, production, and exploration, specializing in mine start-ups and geology systems development and implementation. Prior to joining Lion One, Mr. Nichol was the Geology Superintendent at the Mt. Colin copper-gold mine in Queensland, and before that he was a Senior Underground Mine Geologist at Barrick Gold's Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea - an analogue deposit for Tuvatu. He has also held Senior Underground Mine Geologist positions at the Dugald River Mine and the Fossey Mine, as well as a Senior Mine Geologist position at Glencore's George Fisher Mine near Mount Isa, Queensland. Mr Nichol's role with Lion One will be to oversee all aspects of the underground development, production, and exploration at Tuvatu, as well as to oversee regional exploration throughout the Navilawa Caldera.

Mr. Nichol holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Otago and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG).

David Towle - Biography

Mr. Towle has over 35 years of experience in mill operations and production, specializing in mill commissioning. He recently worked with IAMGOLD as a Commissioning Specialist responsible for the planning and execution of all commissioning activities at the Cote Gold Project in Ontario. He has managed all aspects of mill construction and start-up from first ore to nameplate production at numerous mines, including Pure Gold Mining's Madsen Project, Atlantic Gold's (now St. Barbara's) Touquay Mine, and Pretium Resources Brucejack Mine. He has held the roles of Mill Manager and Mill Operations Superintendent on multiple occasions and spent 18 years in mill operations at Goldcorp's (now Newmont's) Musselwhite Mine.

Mr. Towle has also completed extensive managerial and technical training programs throughout his career, including Goldcorp's Supervisory Leadership Program, Harvard Management and Mentorship Program, Refinery Leadership Partners Program, and Placer Dome's Project Management Program. Mr. Towle is an expert in mill start-up and operations and that will be his focus at Lion One.

Melvyn Levrel, MAIG - Biography

Mr. Levrel is an accomplished exploration geologist with 15 years of experience in mineral exploration and mining. He is an expert in Fijian geology and in exploration management in the South Pacific, having spent three years as the Fiji Country Director and Exploration Manager for Alice Queen Limited, and an additional four years managing mineral exploration and geophysics projects throughout Fiji as a Consulting Geologist. He also has six years of experience in exploration and mining in New Caledonia. Mr. Levrel has a wide range of experience in field geology, geophysics, and resource modelling, as well as a unique knowledge of the exploration techniques, history, and regulations in Fiji. As a Senior Exploration Geologist with Lion One, Mr. Levrel will be focused on the advancement of Lion One's regional exploration targets and prospects throughout the Navilawa Caldera.

Mr. Levrel holds a Masters Degree in Georesources from the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and a Bachelors Degree in Geology from the University of Brest. He is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG).

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer based in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Gold Deposit, Gold Mine, Pilot Plant, and Assay Lab, with an extensive exploration license area hosting multiple mineralized zones in the surrounding Navilawa Caldera.

As disclosed in its "Technical Report and PEA Update for the Tuvatu Gold Project", dated April 29, 2022, the 2018 Tuvatu resource estimate comprises 1,007,000 tonnes indicated at 8.50 g/t Au (274,600 oz. Au) and 1,325,000 tonnes inferred at 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and under the Lion One profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

On behalf of the board of Lion One Metals Ltd.,

Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO

Patrick Hickey, Chief Operating Officer

Contact Information

Investor inquiries: info@liononemetals.com

Phone: 1-855-805-1250 (toll free North America)

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or the adequacy or accuracy of this release

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Ltd.'s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Ltd. and on assumptions Lion One Metals Ltd. believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Ltd. or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Ltd., general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Ltd. has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Ltd. does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193000
BANGKOK, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thailand will permanently waive visa requirements for Chinese citizens starting March 1, announced Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday.

During a press conference after a cabinet meeting at the government house, Srettha said Thailand had previously granted a temporary visa waiver status for visitors from China, which was set to end on Feb. 29, 2024. After negotiations with related Chinese authorities, the Thai government has now opted to adopt a permanent visa-free policy for Chinese citizens from March.

He said that this measure will not only boost Thailand's tourism industry but also signify further improvement in the friendly relations between the two countries.

Tourism plays a crucial role in Thailand's economy, with 28 million foreign tourist arrivals recorded in 2023, including about 4.4 million visitors from Malaysia, and 3.4 million from China -- the two largest source markets.
The January 17 Galaxy S24 Unpacked event is fast approaching, and Samsung US is taking reservations for the upcoming trio. No, it hasnt revealed any specs officially (other than its plan to focus on performance, quality and generative AI), this is just an early bird promo. And its basically a tradition at this point  it did it for the S21 series, then the S22 series and the S23 series.

The idea is pretty simple  fill in this form with your name, email and (optionally) phone number and you will get $50 Samsung Credit when the Galaxy S24 trio launches. Note: the credit can't be applied towards the phone's cost, but you can pick up, say, an accessory for it.

Theres no obligation to buy anything, no deposit or anything like that  this is just signing up for a remind me email and getting a small bonus for it.

Heres something interesting, though. The page reads: Reserve to get $50 in Samsung Credit for up to $1,020 in savings when you pre-order the newest phone from Galaxy.

The $1,020 in savings presumably includes trade-in credit and will probably be achievable only with the priciest model, i.e. the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung.com is mum on the official pricing for the new phones, so we dont know what this means in terms of final cost.

Unofficially, weve been hearing that the Galaxy S24 and S24+ will be cheaper in the EU, the S24 Ultra is expected to get a higher cost base model but also to cost less for higher memory tiers. This wont be the case elsewhere, e.g. leaks from Korea suggest that prices will remain the same.

Speaking of Korea, rumor has it that Galaxy S24 pre-orders will have a perk  double the storage for free. This was the case with the S23 pre-orders last year too and is another reason to pick up an S24 unit early, before the open sales start (likely at the end of January).

We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
A years-long debacle involving a multi-million-dollar contract for the airports baggage handling system and accusations of fraud will need to be reviewed once more by the Office of Public Accountability.

The Superior Court of Guam has ordered that industrial equipment supplier JMI Edison, which has been vying for years for the baggage contract, be allowed to make its case to OPA against a competing company.

Judge Elyze Iriarte found that Public Auditor Benjamin J.F. Cruz was wrong to throw out JMIs challenge of the baggage contract for fraud.

Though Cruzs 2022 finding of fraud is entitled to great weight before the court, JMI was denied due process when Cruz dismissed their challenge for the airport baggage deal.

Baggage contract and fraud

The Guam International Airport Authority announced in August 2021 that it would give the baggage handling contract to Menzies Aviation.

JMI, which installed the baggage handling system at the airport, went to OPA to challenge the award the following week. JMI alleged Menzies did not have a contractors license to operate on Guam.

That accusation was proven to be true by investigators with the Contractors License Board last year.

In December 2021, JMI President Ed Ilao emailed then-head of the Contractors License Board, Cecil Buddy Orsini, asking Orsini to sign off on a document that said Menzies would need a contractors license for the baggage contract.

Ilao referred to Orsini as bro in the email.

Orsini later produced a copy of the document from Ilao during a hearing before the public auditor. It was not approved by the contractors board, the public called the action a fraud, and proceeded to dismiss JMIs case.

Following the findings of fraud, Orsini resigned from his post in February 2022.

Attorneys for JMI have denied any findings of fraud on JMIs part, and called the document Ilao gave to Orsini a template used by the contractors board. The company filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court challenging the dismissal in the weeks following Orsinis resignation.

The airport, meanwhile, awarded JMI competitor Menzies the contract on an emergency basis and has been extending it every few months since November 2021. The original monthly fee of $78,688 was bumped up to $119,757 in July 2022.

No due process

But the Superior Court last week found that JMI was not given a chance to argue against the public auditors determination of fraud.

The company was not given adequate notice before Cruz dismissed their procurement protest with prejudice on Feb. 4 of 2022, according to Iriartes order.

Further, dismissal of a case requires clear and convincing evidence that JMI had willfully entered into a scheme or a pattern of misconduct in its procurement appeal.

This Court questions whether there is enough evidence to show JMI was involved in a pattern or scheme to defraud the Court, and therefore, enough of a justification for a dismissal of JMI s entire case, Iriarte wrote.

She did note that the emails between JMIs Ilao and Orsini hold some weight.

But, because JMI had no notice that OPA intended to rely upon that correspondence to dismiss the matter as a sanction and did not have a reasonable opportunity to proffer evidence to rebut the implications of that correspondence, the Court cannot simply defer to the Public Auditors findings.

Cruzs decision was reversed, and JMIs protest was sent back to the accountability office for reconsideration.

The public auditor may still determine that JMI committed fraud, but will have to provide them with a chance to argue their case.

JMI reacts

JMI touted the court decision as a win in a release issued on Tuesday.

This recent win in the Superior Court by JMI also follows the recent conclusion made by the Office of Public Accountability that GIAA has been illegally providing Menzies with a string of emergency procurement awards that do not comport with Guam procurement law.

OPA last week found that the airport was wrong to continually provide JMI competitor Menzies an emergency contract for the baggage handling system. Airport management was ordered to terminate the contract.

GIAA has told the Pacific Daily News that a stall in operation of the baggage handling system would be a threat to the safety and welfare of passengers at the airport and to airport operations.
Isaac Gurtamag on Wednesday was charged with the alleged murder of Mike Tithin, who was found dead behind a Mangilao residence on Dec. 23, according to Superior Court of Guam documents.

The Guam Police Department early Wednesday morning announced Gurtamags arrest after a witness said he was the last person seen with Tithin.

Gurtamag, 42, was charged with murder as a first-degree felony with special allegation of possession or use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, a magistrates complaint states.

On Dec. 23, officers responded to a call of a lifeless man behind a residence along Route 15 in Mangilao, prompting detectives with Criminal Investigation Section to respond.

According to the complaint, police met with a woman who said she didnt know who the dead man was and saw him in the yard at about 7:30 a.m.

Police noted Tithin had a deformity in the abdomen with body fat sticking out of the wound, possibly a stab wound, the complaint states.

Clothes were located nearby which contained Tithins identification.

Police met with Gurtamag, who said he was the last one with Tithin and that they were hanging out at a Mangilao residence when there was an issue where Tithin became angry and Gurtamag told Tithin to sleep it off, documents stated.

Gurtamag told police when he woke up, Tithin was gone, the complaint stated.

Police met with a woman known to Gurtamag who told police that he told her that he and Tithin were arguing and Tithin threatened to shoot Gurtamag and Gurtamag retrieved a knife to defend against Tithins threats, the complaint stated.

The woman saw Gurtamag carrying a long object walking immediately after Tithin and that Gurtamag got into a vehicle and pursued Tithin, documents stated.

The woman said she didnt know if Gurtamag stabbed Tithin, the complaint stated.

Police learned Tithin and Gurtamag are cousins and Tithin damaged Gurtamags car in the past, the complaint stated.

Arrest

GPD said Gurtamag was arrested on suspicion of murder, aggravated assault, use of a deadly weapon and family violence.

CIS detectives gathered facts and evidence in Tithins death and on Tuesday located and interviewed a witness who provided crucial information assisting in identifying the last person seen with Tithin, GPD stated.

During the course of the interview, detectives obtained written consent to search Gurtamags residence, the release stated.

Evidence was confiscated and will be submitted for further analysis.

Gurtamag was processed, booked and confined at the Department of Corrections.
The Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Frank Cable held a change of command ceremony aboard the ship at Polaris Point Dec. 21, 2023.

Capt. Mike Thompson, a native of Midlothian, Texas, relieved Capt. John Frye, from San Diego, as the commanding officer.

Fryes next assignment will be as commanding officer, Naval Base Guam.

I am honored to have served as your captain, and I am grateful to the Navy for the opportunity to lead this crew of talented Sailors and civilian mariners, said Frye. It has been a joy to watch the crew execute the full spectrum of tender capabilities in a variety of different locations. I will treasure these memories and the opportunity I had to exemplify the Navys core values day in and day out. Thank you all for your time, your effort and your continued dedication.

Frye assumed command of Frank Cable in May 2022. As Frank Cables commanding officer, Frye guided the crew through a critical expeditionary period which included conducting theater security cooperation events with allies and partners in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore; improving coordination and interoperability by hosting submarine staff talks between Commander, Task Force 74 and his counterparts in the Indonesian and Malaysian navies; and conducting 13 community relations projects in seven ports totaling more than 2,500 hours of community service.

Following the ships expeditionary period, Frank Cable and crew completed an extensive repair overhaul period in Vallejo, California.

Most recently, Frank Cable returned to Guam to assume duty as the lead maintenance activity on the waterfront. Frank Cable, forward-deployed to Guam, repairs, rearms, and re-supplies submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region.

Thompson enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1988 as part of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and graduated from Nuclear Power Training Unit, Idaho Falls, in April 1990. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Liberty University and his Masters in Business Administration (Financial Management specialization) from North Central University. He commissioned as a limited duty officer in March 1999.

Thompsons at-sea assignments include service aboard several vessels, both surface and submarine, including the USS Bremerton (SSN 698), USS Frank Cable (AS 40), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS North Carolina (SSN 777), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

Ashore, Thompson previously served at NPTU on the moored training ship, MTS-635, as production management assistant at Trident Refit Facility Kings Bay, and Intermediate Level Maintenance Readiness and as improvements officer for Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic.

He commanded the floating dry dock ARCO (ARDM 5) from 2012-2014. Most recently, he served as deputy commander of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, from March 2021 to May 2023.

I am honored and blessed to serve as Frank Cables next commanding officer. When I enlisted in the Navy over 35 years ago, and walked off Frank Cable 22 years ago, this wasnt a possibility in my field. I never thought I would have an opportunity to command this great ship. It just shows that you never know where God will place us next, said Thompson. Frank Cable has a legacy of excellence in meeting the mission in the Pacific area of responsibility, and the Sailors on her are as dedicated as any to doing it right. I look forward to working with each Sailor, military and assigned civilian mariner alike, as we do our part for the Navy and our country. I am humbled to get to return to Frank Cable and to have an opportunity to work with team Guam and the outstanding Sailors of Fighting Frank.
Public school students who relied on MiFi devices issued by the Guam Department of Education were without the service at the start of school Tuesday after the holiday break.

GDOE spokesperson Tes Reyes-Burrier confirmed that an agreement for the MiFi service concluded in December.

We are in the process of procuring additional services that would meet GDOEs needs, she said.

No details of who the agreement was with was shared by Guam DOE.

The Providing Access to Homes Program, or PATH, provides MiFi devices to those who dont have access to internet.

The program provides internet services to approximately 12,000 students and teachers on the island through portable MiFi devices, which are wireless routers that act as mobile Wi-Fi hotspots.

Education oversight chairman Sen. Chris Barnett said he got several calls from parents about the situation.

They got disconnected during the break is what I heard from DOE. Kids went back to school yesterday or back to online or whatever the situation was, Barnett said Wednesday. When they turned on the MiFi device, it didnt work.

Barnett shared one constituents concerns that Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School is on alternate schedule with Adacao Elementary School and on days students arent at school, they go online.

Parents are upset that the contract wasnt renewed, and students are missing instructional days because they cant go online without the MiFi device.

Barnett said GDOE officials told him the contract had lapsed and they were working on renewing it.

He said hes not sure if the department will be able to sign a new contract or its something that will need to go out for procurement.

Im pretty sure its not a small contract, Barnett said.

On Saturday, he was informed that MiFi contract procurement is still weeks from completion.

I dont see how this doesnt impact the instructional days requirement for the schools still using the online mode of learning, and Im waiting to hear from GDOE leadership responsible for addressing the calendar and missed days, Barnett said.

He said hard copy homework is normally an option for students who cant do online. He is waiting to hear if GDOE did the best it could to ensure a smooth transition for those affected by the surprise interruption of MiFi services for public school students.

Its not clear what students who need internet service to attend class and rely on the MiFi devices to get online will be able to do in the meantime.

Questions to GDOE about what alternatives there are for those students and if it will have to put out a new bid for the services werent answered as of press time Saturday.

Some families arent able to afford internet access at home. The MiFi devices are to help provide access to students who otherwise wouldnt have internet at home.
The Guam Memorial Hospital Authority gave preferential treatment and unreasonable contract terms for its incentive-based revenue cycle management contractor MedHealth Solutions, resulting in $4.9 million in questioned costs, the Office of Public Accountability said in a performance audit report released on Wednesday.

Public Auditor Benjamin J.F. Cruz said several deficiencies noted in the audit warrant further legal review.

These include MedHealth Solutions unsolicited offer to GMH in 2019 to MedHealth being granted preferential treatment by GMHA by submitting percentage-based compensation when the request for proposals clearly stated a fixed-price cap for the initial term.

Theres also unreasonable basis for the contractor billing GMHA $5 million for services rendered, to which GMHA stated they did not perform.

With all this, OPA concluded to question $4.9 million paid and/or recognized as payable by GMHA for the contractors invoices, the public auditor said.

What really baffles me in all my years of public service is how GMHA management allowed an unsolicited bidder to receive a multi-million-dollar contract that was non-responsive to begin with, Cruz said in a statement.

GMH Administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas said the hospital objects to OPAs conclusion that the MedHealth contract was ineffective or that there was an unreasonable basis for contractor compensation.

The long-term effect of the consultancy following the contract termination in November 2022 remains to be seen through GMHAs in-house management of the revenue cycle process, she said.

Finances did not improve

The consultancy did not provide immediate relief for the hospitals financial condition, OPA said.

GMHA only collected around 47% to 48% of gross patient revenues during the contract period compared with the 58% to 59% collected during the years prior to the contract, OPA added.

OPAs audit was meant to find out whether the agreement or contract provisions are fair and justifiable, and whether procurement laws and rules were followed.

A citizens concern prompted OPA to conduct a performance audit.

OPA found that GMHAs 12% compensation for the contractor was unreasonable and that the contract was ineffective, among other things.

For future procurement of revenue cycle management consultancy or related services, the hospital will use a consultancy contract which pays a fixed amount to the awarded contractor instead of a variable percentage, Perez-Posadas said.

The hospital has also revised its procurement planning and pre-evaluation processes.

Perez-Posadas also said the hospital administration throughout the audit acted upon the good faith belief that the Office of the Attorney Generals approval of the contract clearly indicated the legality of the contract, the process leading to approval, and the form.

Did not follow laws, rules

The public auditor said OPA acknowledges GMHA performing its due diligence in seeking OAGs review and approval, but reiterates that the hospital must also ensure its compliance with procurement law and regulations in all solicitations, as the OAG is only mandated to review and approve solicitations with a value of at least $500,000.

GMH, as early as 2019, wanted to improve its billing process and collect more of the money its owed.

MedHealth gave an unsolicited offer and after a lengthy procurement process, GMH awarded a contract and issued a notice to proceed for MedHealth in May 2021, to assist and train GMH employees.

But GMH prematurely ended the contract in November 2022 after it was billed nearly $5 million for 16 months of work because the anticipated costs versus the value of the services provided by MedHealth Solutions to GMHA do not justify continuing the contract, the hospital said in 2022. OPA did a financial audit in 2022.

On Wednesday, OPA released a new report, this time on the audit of GMHs revenue cycle management service contract performance, and found the following:

Deficiencies in GMHAs procurement process in complying with Guam procurement law and/or its procurement regulations.

Factors indicative of preferential treatment towards hiring the contractor for revenue cycle management services.

Unreasonable bases included in the contractors 12% compensation, resulting in questioned costs of $4.9 million.

Ineffectiveness of the revenue cycle management consultancy due to continuing cash flow and patient receivable issues.

Questioned costs

OPA questioned the $4.9 million paid and/or recognized as payable by GMHA for contractor invoices issued for July 2021 to October 2022 due to the contractors non-performance of collection functions for self-pay patients and third-party insurers, and non-involvement in the Medicare cost reporting.

The public auditors office also questioned the costs because of the apparent lack of effort in collecting from regulated payors included in the billable accounts receivable mix.

GMHA in 2019 signed a memorandum of understanding with MedHealth Solutions for a no-cost assessment after receiving its unsolicited offer.

OPA said there was no evidence GMHA followed procurement law and regulations on processing of unsolicited offers.

GMHA also attempted to use sole source procurement to hire MedHealth Solutions, following its no-cost assessment and unsolicited offer, OPA said.

Sole source procurement shall not be permissible in any procurement arising from an unsolicited offer notwithstanding any other provision of law, OPA said.

OAG did not approve the sole source procurement and instructed GMHA to go through the request for proposals process.

The OPA audit report said GMHA did not involve the AGs office throughout the process pursuant to procurement law, which is required for procurements over $500,000 though hospital estimates for the total contract value ranged from $1.5 million to $5 million for 12 months.

The audit said GMHA drafted a contract for $450,000 in total compensation for six months, which would no longer require AG review and approval.

Should have been disqualified

In the RFP process, the contractor should have been disqualified as a nonresponsive bidder, OPA said, because the contractor submitted cost or pricing data with their proposal in violation of the general terms and conditions of the RFP.

OPA said these there were the factors indicative of preferential treatment for MedHealth:

Allowing submission of percentage-based model proposals for the RFP 002-2020 after contractors affiliates request.

Issuing RFP 003-2020 after discussions with the contractor under RFP 002-2020.

Drafting a contract which includes the compensation terms included in the contractors proposal.

MedHealth also filed two procurement protests with GMHA in response to the hospitals request for additional cost or pricing data and licenses and certifications, which were later withdrawn.

Then AG Leevin Camacho and Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed the final agreement for the hospital revenue cycle management services in May 2021.

However, we found that the compensation terms in the final agreement were identical to those included in the contractors proposal, OPA said.
Anyone planning to run for mayor, senator, delegate or public auditor can now pick up their candidate packet in person, or request one online, Guam Election Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan said.

This, as the number of registered voters climbed back up to more than 55,000 as of November, months after the purging or removal of thousands of names from the official voter list for failing to vote in the 2020 and 2022 general elections.

Pangelinan said the motor voter registration has been boosting voter registration, with 361 new registered voters in December and more than 500 each month in June and July, attributed partly to young adults getting their drivers license during the summer months.

Potential candidates for the 2024 primaries can visit the GEC office in Tamuning or visit the GEC website at gec.guam.gov and click the icon for requesting a 2024 candidate packet form.

They can start filing the packets on Feb. 26, Pangelinan said.

The last day to file candidate packets is May 3, three months before the Aug. 3 primaries. The general election is Nov. 5.

Those also wanting to serve on the Consolidated Commission on Utilities and the Guam Education Board can obtain candidate packets.

Special meeting, special election

Pangelinan said a special meeting of election commissioners is set for Jan. 12 at 5:30 p.m. to finalize some dates related to the 2024 elections.

A main topic would be the passing of Sinajana Vice Mayor Rudy Don Iriarte, and the special election required to fill the vacancy he left.

Thats because under Guam law, GEC shall call for a special election on a Saturday on or about 60 days after a vacancy occurs in an office of mayor or vice mayor, whenever one or more vacancies occur 240 days or more prior to the date of the next general election for mayors and vice mayors. There shall be no primary election.

Iriartes Jan. 3 passing after a long battle with diabetes took place more than 300 days until the Nov. 5 next general election for mayors and vice mayors, or more than the 240-day threshold.

Pangelinan said the special election is potentially happening on March 2, but this will be finalized once the GEC board votes on it.

Those seeking to run for Sinajana vice mayor have less than a month from now to file their candidate packets.
Several vape stores across Guam will close Thursday to testify against a bill that proposes to ban the sale of certain vape products, according to a statement from local vape shop Vape Escape.

A public hearing on a proposal to ban all flavored e-liquid, commonly known as vape juice, from store shelves will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Guam Congress Building.

Sen. Tom Fishers Bill 50-37 would outright ban the sale of fruity and pastry-flavored vape juices, which have become extremely popular in recent years. Fisher has said the ban is meant to cut down on the targeted sales of vaping products to kids.

Should Bill 50 become law, any retailer who violates the ban would be subject to an initial fine of $500, and fines of up to $2,000 on any subsequent violations.

The coordinated effort to close vape stores on Thursday signifies the industrys opposition to legislation that threatens the safe and legal accessibility, and availability of vaping products to consumers, according to the Vape Escape statement.

To raise awareness about the potential impact of such drastic and harmful regulations, vape retailers will halt operations for one day of advocacy to showcase the detrimental consequences that Fishers prohibitive measure could have on both businesses and adult consumers who rely on vaping as an alternative to traditional tobacco products, the release stated.

Participating vape retailers and industry stakeholders emphasize that this temporary closure serves as a powerful symbol of unity and solidarity within the industry and that by standing together, they highlight the value that vape products bring to adult smokers who are looking for harm-reduction alternatives, the release stated.

As responsible members of the vaping community, we are taking actionable steps to bring attention to the importance of reasonable regulation. There are many adult consumers who will be harmed by this negligent legislation if it is passed, Theseus Mendiola, a small business owner and operator of Vape Escape stores, said in a statement. We are willing to come to the table and work with policymakers to explore alternative approaches that balance public health concerns with adult consumer choices.

Vaping retailers, employees, and industry stakeholders encourage supporters, consumers, and concerned citizens to join the cause by engaging in respectful dialogue with local representatives, sharing stories about how vaping has positively impacted their lives, and advocating for informed and balanced regulation.

Mendiola invites as many people to testify against the bill.

"Share your personal stories of how vaping helped you quit smoking or helped you quit altogether. If this measure becomes law, we risk losing access to a safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes and we could see a spike in cigarette use, not just among adults, but among youth as well," he said.

This has been observed in other cities and countries where vape bans have been introduced, he said.

If legislators choose to disregard the potential economic consequences and impact to the business community of such legislation, they should, at the very least, acknowledge its likely effect on the health of the public, Mendiola added.
Ron McNinch is a longstanding member of the Guam community and frequently gives his opinion on a wide range of topics.
One of the Miami Seaquariums most beloved dolphins has died.

Sundance  one of the parks longest captive dolphins and a descendant of the dolphins famous for portraying Flipper in the 1960s television series  passed away just two days after performing in the parks annual Christmas show.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sundance today after precursors of illness yesterday, park officials wrote in a post to X on Dec. 27. Our hearts are with the trainers and medical staff who unconditionally cared for him for more than 30 years.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sundance today after precursors of illness yesterday. Our hearts are with the trainers and medical staff who unconditionally cared for him for more than 30 years. pic.twitter.com/O8nYMxLNdP  Miami Seaquarium (@MiamiSeaquarium) December 28, 2023

Local 10 News reported that Sundance, who was born in captivity in 1990, purportedly stopped eating and died in the embrace of his trainer two days after Christmas.

In what could be an attempt to avoid negative feedback amid ongoing reports over animal welfare and staff deficiencies that have recently plagued the aquatic attraction, Miami Seaquarium elected to restrict comments on the X post.

In November, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces issued a notice of default to The Dolphin Co., the entity behind the renowned Miami Seaquarium, following a July site inspection conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that detailed a series of alarming conditions, including the unsafe condition of another 23-year-old female dolphin who was found to have multiple rib fractures in various stages of healing  and highlighting a critical shortage of adequately trained employees.

A second default notice reportedly was issued to The Dolphin Co. on Dec. 22, citing infrastructure violations and more than $87,000 in past due rent.

During a public performance of the Flipper Dolphin Show at the park in April 2022, Sundance was caught on camera exhibiting aggressive behavior toward a trainer. A video of the incident shows the dolphin deviated from the routine and appeared to attack the trainer, who sustained only minor injuries.

Park officials attributed the episode to an accidental collision between the dolphin and trainer, which prompted the dolphins reaction to strike the trainer. However, Lincoln OBarry, a director known for the Animal Planet series Blood Dolphins, asserted that this aggression is not an isolated occurrence.

In a statement following the 2022 incident, on behalf of the Dolphin Project, a nonprofit organization founded by his father and devoted to the welfare of dolphins, OBarry said: The most obvious lesson learned from the years of keeping dolphins in abusement parks like Miami Seaquarium, is that dolphins dont belong in captivity. Habitat dictates behavior, and this most recent incident makes that abundantly clear

No further information has been released as to Sundances specific cause of death.

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, in the wild, male bottlenose dolphins often live well into their 40s  with some found living into their 50s.

Miami Seaquarium has not responded to GulfLives request for comment.
The inquiry into rape allegations against Florida Republican Party Chair Christian Ziegler has broadened its scope to encompass potential video voyeurism  leading to a third search warrant, this time targeting Zieglers Instagram account.

Video voyeurism refers to the act of secretly recording someone in an intimate state. In Florida, its a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Ziegler, the husband of Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, has been under criminal investigation since Oct. 4 when a woman filed a complaint with Sarasota police in which she accused the Florida GOP chair of showing up at her apartment two days earlier and raping her  after plans for a threesome with him and his wife fell through.

In the most recent search warrant affidavit submitted Dec. 8 and obtained The Florida Trident, Sarasota police seek to obtain copies of all files and communications contained within his Instagram account, including instant messages and vanish mode messages  in which content automatically disappears once someone leaves the chat.

On Oct. 27, police monitored a series of messages between Christian Ziegler and the woman in which he asked her to message him on Instagram, a platform she claimed he liked to use because he conceals the messages using vanish mode.

Ziegler admitted to investigators that a sexual encounter with the woman occurred, but claimed it was consensual. He also stated that he took a video of the encounter but later deleted it.

However, in the latest affidavit, detectives detail an interview conducted Nov. 2, during which Christian Ziegler showed them a video, lasting under three minutes, of the Oct. 2 sexual encounter with the woman.

During the same interview, Zieglers attorney claimed the woman sent a message on Instagram vanish mode to Ziegler in which she asked him if he showed his wife the video  intimating the complainant knew the video was made.

However, the woman told detectives she did not know the video existed, never consented to allowing Christian Ziegler to take the video, and never sent him a message about a video.

Bridget Ziegler also told detectives she had no knowledge about the video.

Detective spoke with both the victim and Zieglers wife. The victim did not give Ziegler consent to take this video of them having sex, Detective Megan Buck wrote in the affidavit. Neither  Zieglers wife nor the victim knew anything about the video that had been taken of the sexual encounter, and neither had seen the video of the sexual encounter.

Buck went on to state she believes that valuable evidence will be located within the suspects Instagram account which will provide additional information about his criminal activity.

Christian Ziegler has not been charged criminally and continues to deny any wrongdoing. However, amid the ongoing investigation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state Republican leaders have asked the party chairman to step down from his post.

In December, the Florida Republican Party voted to formally censure Ziegler by stripping him of authority, rescinding his expense account and reducing his salary to $1.

Bridget Ziegler, who is not accused of any wrongdoing in the womans complaint, did admit to having a consensual sexual encounter with her husband and the woman one time, a year ago. In December she was officially asked for her voluntary resignation from the Sarasota County School Board  a request she declined.
A series of polarizing bills affecting Louisiana residents have gone into effect starting Jan. 1, 2024 - following a third straight year of population decline for the state.

One of the most controversial laws implemented on New Years day was House Bill 648, which bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Louisiana.

House Bill 648 bars those under 18 in Louisiana from receiving puberty blocking medications, hormone treatments and surgeries. It also punishes health care professionals who provide such care by revoking their licenses for a minimum of two years.

Last July, the Louisiana Legislature overrode Gov. John Bel Edwards veto of the bill, in a move he slammed as needlessly harm(ing) a very small population of vulnerable children, their families and their health care professionals.

Below is a complete list of state laws that go into effect on Jan. 1:

HB648: Prohibits certain procedures to alter the sex of a minor child. (Act 466)

HB337: Eliminates the minimum child support award in the child support guidelines. (Act 24)

HB447: Requires agency referrals of debt to the office of debt recovery for collection to include specific information. (Act 87)

HB579: Requires a pet insurer to disclose policy limits, coverage exclusions, changes to coverage and other contractual specifics. (Act 94)

HB279: Retailers who do business in multiple parishes will now file with the Louisiana Uniform Local Sales Tax Board, instead of sending money to various different tax collecting agencies across the state. (Act 161)

HB398: Requires people being transported offshore by aircraft to wear life jackets equipped with personal locator beacons. (Act 168)

HB89: Removes an exception for Louisiana State Police, in which they were previously exempt from reporting certain data on traffic stops - including race, gender, age and the number of people stopped. (Act 217)

SB84: Requires the Louisiana Board of Ethics to send certain communications electronically. (Act 241)

SB186: Allows Louisiana to join a multi-state compact for occupational therapists and assistants, in order to obtain multi-state license privileges and improve public access to occupational therapy services. (Act 263)

HB186: Requires health insurers to cover fertility preservation services - such as egg and sperm extraction - for people diagnosed with cancer. (Act 299)

HB411: Expands the types of investments eligible for the insurance premium tax credit. (Act 310)

HB468: Requires review standards and approval procedures for healthcare service claims submitted by healthcare providers. (Act 312)

SB66: Requires that healthcare providers be more transparent on their website regarding how to receive tele-health care. Also bans requirements for an in-person physical examination before tele-health services, unless a controlled dangerous substance is being prescribed. (Act 322)

HB558: Allows for the collection and remittance of state and local sales and use taxes. (Act 375)

HB631: Provides with respect to the sourcing of sales for purposes of calculating Louisiana income. (Act 430)

HB160: Makes the release of information from the district attorney or court to victims of alleged delinquent acts, their legal representative or a designated family member mandatory. (Act 448)

These laws are scheduled to go into effect later on in the year:

HB221: (Goes into effect on Jan. 8, 2024) Allows each presiding officer of the legislature to establish a select committee on oversight for their house of the legislature. (Act 442)

SB103: (Goes into effect on Jan. 10, 2024) Renames the Department of Natural Resources to The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources. (Act 150)

SB98: (Goes into effect on July 1, 2024) Adds bone marrow donorship to the list of medical donation options offered during application for renewal of a state-issued drivers license. (Act 42)

HB336: (Goes into effect on July 1, 2024) Makes changes to the capital outlay process and reporting requirements. (Act 82)

SB162: (Goes into effect on July 1, 2024) Creates the Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act. This allows for the restriction of social media access for minors under 16, and limits the collection and use of minors data. (Act 456)

SB217: (Goes into effect on July 1, 2024) Creates a statewide database for individuals convicted of child abuse/neglect. (Act 460)

HB376: (Goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2024) Requires that protective orders shall be sent to judges no later than the end of the next calendar day. (Act 309)
For the third year in a row, Florida was the second top relocation destination for people moving to a U.S. state, according to the U-Haul Growth Index.

U-Haul released its annual migration trends report on Tuesday. It calculates states growth based on their net gain or loss of one-way equipment from customer transactions in a calendar year.

Southern states, with Texas and Florida leading the pack, have consistently held the top five ranks in U-Hauls top growth states list in recent years.

While one-way transactions in 2023 remained below the record-breaking levels we witnessed immediately following the pandemic, we continued to see many of the same geographical trends from U-Haul customers moving between states, John Taylor, U-Haul International president, said in a news release.

Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced. Demand for one-way equipment out of certain markets in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast mirrors what we have seen during recent moving cycles, he added.

Florida ranked second behind Texas for the third time in three years This was also the Sunshine States ninth consecutive year ranking in the top four. Florida topped the list in 2019.

Texas has ranked in the top two of the U-Haul Growth Index every year for the past eight years  six times in first and twice in second.

The 2023 top five was rounded out with North Carolina in third, followed by South Carolina and Tennessee.

U-Haul noted in its release that its report does not correlate directly to population or economic growth but serves as an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.

The Phoenix-based moving company has 23,000 truck- and trailer-sharing locations across all 50 states, as well as 10 Canadian provinces.

Southern states lead nations population growth

U-Hauls Growth Index, in fact, reflects patterns of state population growth demonstrated in U.S. Census Bureau data.

Texas, Florida and North Carolina had the highest numeric population growths between 2022 and 2023, according to the Census Vintage 2023 population estimates report.

Texas saw a net growth of 473,453 people, while Florida saw a net increase of 365,205 and North Carolina had a net growth of 139,526 people.

South Carolina experienced the highest rate of growth at 1.7%, followed by Florida and Texas, which tied at 1.6%.

The South is leading the nations population growth. With more than 1.4 million residents added, the region accounted for 87% of the U.S. growth in 2023 and seven of the top 10 state ranks by numeric growth, according to the Census Vintage report.

Here are the top 10 states by numeric growth between 2022 and 2023:

1. Texas: 473,453

2. Florida: 365,205

3. North Carolina: 139,526

4. Georgia: 116,077

5. South Carolina: 90,600

6. Tennessee: 77,513

7. Arizona: 65,660

8. Virginia: 36,599

9. Colorado: 36,571

10. Utah: 36,498




iciHaiti - Training : Towards a new generation of refrigeration technicians in Haiti





The Ministry of the Environment (MoE) through the National Ozone Office (BNO) welcomed a cohort of refrigeration and air conditioning students last month with a view to carrying out an internship on good practices in air conditioning and refrigeration and on the use of new refrigeration technologies.



These internships, which take place in the MdE's new cold technologies laboratory, aim on the one hand to help students have a good understanding of the ozone problem and, on the other hand, to familiarize themselves with new methodologies in the cold field.



Through this continuing education program, technicians from the BNO new cold technologies laboratory supported a first group of 9 students coming from two institutions : ACAM and Hi-Tech.



According to Lourdes Maura, the coordinator of the BNO, this strategy constitutes for the moment, the surest way to reach refrigeration technicians at the grassroots and ensure the entry into the job market of a new generation of refrigeration technicians. Because, she explains, the objective of the BNO is to be able to integrate the problem of ozone and new cold technologies into the curriculum of technical schools.



It should be noted that Haiti is a party to the Montreal Protocol relating to substances that deplete the ozone layer, as well as its amendments since 2000. Haiti's first step in the implementation of this agreement was the development and adoption in 2002 of the Country Program, a basic document reporting an in-depth analysis of the use of substances that deplete the ozone layer in the country and defining the national strategy aimed at their elimination.



According to the Country program, 98% of substances that deplete ozone in Haiti are found in the refrigeration sector.



IH/ iciHaiti


















Council hears complaint about police mental health training

At the year's first meeting of the Havre City Council Tuesday, Havre Police Department Animal Control Officer Pete Federspiel and Havreite Matt Boucher were presented the Lifesaving Award for saving a woman from a burning vehicle last year, and the council heard complaints about insufficient training on mental health issues for city police officers.

Havre Chief of Police Gabe Matosich presented Federspiel and Boucher the award for "their heroism and extraordinary courage, quick thinking and selfless actions."

Matosich said that in November of last year, Federspiel had stopped at the site of a car that had driven off the road into a ditch on Eighth Avenue and saw white smoke rising from the vehicle with a dazed and disoriented woman still inside.

He said Federspiel called the fire department but the vehicle caught fire while the woman was still heavily disoriented inside.

He said Federspiel attempted to get the woman out of the vehicle, but because it was still in gear the door was locked.

He tried to punch out the glass until Boucher, who was passing through the area, came to help him, Matosich said.

Eventually they got through the glass and managed to take the woman from the vehicle, seconds before fire spread to the cab of the vehicle.

The woman, who had suffered a medical event while driving, causing the crash, was treated on the scene before being taken to Northern Montana Hospital.

Matosich said Federspiel and Boucher disregarded their own safety for the sake of someone who was in trouble, and their actions deserve recognition.

Havre Mayor Doug Kaercher thanked them both for what they did and said he applauds their bravery.

During the meeting Kaecher also administered the oath of office to council member Chris Partin, who was elected last year, but was not there to take the oath with the other four incoming members at the last meeting.

Members of the council also elected Lindsey Ratliff to be the body's president.

Council member Dave Brewer nominated Wade Bitz, who joined the council in October of last year, but Bitz quickly asked that his name be removed from consideration for the position, as he didn't believe he was ready for something like that.

The council also heard briefly from Havre Public Works Director Trevor Mork who said he'd received a request from Montana Department of Transportation that the city consider regulating the operations of food trucks on First Street, part of U.S. Highway 2.

Kaercher said he would pass that request on to the council's Streets and Sidewalks Committee.

During public comments, Havre resident Cheryl Lynn Tatum said she's seen a number of interactions between the police department and people in her neighborhood over the past year that she feels indicate a need for better mental health training for officers.

Tatum gave council members copies of a list of incidents she observed and accompanying suggestions regarding how things at the department could be improved.

She said the way she's seen officers interact with people in crisis was unhelpful and demonstrated that they didn't know how to properly deal with situations like this, and they need to be better-equipped, especially for the sake of young people who are struggling with mental illness.

Council member Dave Brewer asked why the hospital wasn't contacted to deal with these incidents.

Tatum said when she sees an emergency she calls 911 and talks to the dispatcher and police show up.

Brewer said the hospital should have been contacted in these cases, not necessarily the police.

"Should I be the one screening the calls as a citizen?" Tatum said in response.

National Alliance on Mental Illness Havre President Crystal Laufer also spoke about the issue, saying the system being used to deal with people in crisis is insufficient on both the law enforcement and health care sides.

Laufer encouraged law enforcement to consider implementing better training within their own departments, or look into organizations like hers which can provide some insights into how mental illness works, and how to respond to people in crisis.

She said incidents like these aren't necessarily an indication of failure on the part of the officer, but of a lack of education on the subject of mental illness.

Tatum's list had other suggestions about improving police navigation software and addressing disparities between the service they provide in different neighborhoods.

Kaercher said they would take their advice under advisement.

After the meeting, Matosich said they would consider what was brought to them and how to address it.
Joy "Sug" Kathleen Hokanson joined her husband of 55 years in heaven December 31, 2023, arriving in time for them to celebrate the New Year the way they always had, dancing the night away.

She was born March 15, 1946, to Ernest and Bernice Peterson, living west of Big Sandy on the farm owned now by her brother, Bruce and Evelyn Peterson. She attended North Star Country School until she was 9 years old, when her dad, Ernest finished building their home in Big Sandy. Sug continued schooling in Big Sandy until graduating in 1964. After graduation, she attended the Billings Business School and received a certificate in accounting, and then moved to Havre, Montana and worked at Northern Tire.

In 1967, Sug moved back to Big Sandy and began keeping books for Denny's ENCO Service. During that time, Sug met Arnold. They began dating, were engaged, then married August 25, 1968. They lived on the ranch near Warrick, Montana for 46 years raising their prized Hereford cattle. Along with caring for their herd, Sug enjoyed days of strolling in the mountains and bluffs, collecting elk and deer sheds. She loved watching the pheasants, bunnies, and fawns that wandered into her yard. And she loved the friends that would travel the rustic trail to their home for a visit.

Arnold became involved in the many Cowboy Poetry Gatherings across the west and Sug always accompanied him. Sug was so proud of his writing and reciting ability and loved listening to him. They travelled everywhere together, never without the other by their side. Arnold said he went once without Sug. The whole night everyone asked where Sug was, so that was the only time he went anywhere without her.

In 2014, they sold the ranch and moved to their beautiful home on the bluffs above the Milk River northeast of Havre. Sug loved her new home and always wished her mom could have seen it.

Sug was preceded in death by her husband, Arnold Hokanson; her parents, Ernest and Bernice Peterson; and brother-in-law, Gary Geyer.

She is survived by a brother, Bruce (and Evelyn) Peterson; a sister, Sharon Geyer; nieces, Connie Malone, Karen Lockhart, Kim Geyer, Kari Evans, Kathi Rasmussen and Michelle Wisby; nephew, Lance Peterson; and very special friends, Kyle and Charla Terry and Don and Dolly Weaver.

Memorials in her honor can be sent to Dedman Animal Shelter in Fort Benton, Montana, or Montana State University-Northern Nursing Program in Havre, Montana.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Please visit Sug's online memorial page to send a card or leave a message of condolence for her family at https://www.hollandbonine.com .
Orpo has stated that the government will explore all options at its disposal, including look into the possibility of sending people back without processing their asylum claims in some circumstances.

THE GOVERNMENT of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) is scrambling to identify means to respond to various scenarios as it prepares to re-open border-crossing points on the border between Finland and Russia.

YLE on Tuesday reported that legal experts have rejected the idea he floated before the holidays of adopting a so-called push-back procedure on the border. Martti Koskenniemi, a professor emeritus of international law at the University of Helsinki, stated to the public broadcaster that the procedure would explicitly constitute a violation of international treaties.

I can only think that Orpo doesnt know what hes talking about. Surely the prime minister cant be proposing something like that. Its no use using the English term. Its a proposal to violate treaties, he retorted.

Lithuania and Poland, for example, adopted a similar procedure in response to a hybrid campaign carried out by Belarus in 2021. Poland was later ruled to have violated the law by the European Court of Human Rights.

Koskenniemi on Tuesday reminded that international treaties have been regarded as beneficial for small countries like Finland. Violating the treaties would be devastating for our foreign policy.

Jaana Palander, a research assistant at Abo Akademi University, similarly characterised the push-back procedure as a violation of human rights obligations.

Legislative reforms proposed to EU law would make the border procedure lighter, and yet you could continue to interview asylum seekers and refugees. Pushback means that people wouldnt necessarily be met or heard at all, she said to YLE.

Politicians in Finland have recently discussed the possibility of revisiting international treaties. President Sauli Niinisto, for example, has repeatedly commented on the applicability of existing refugee conventions in the current situation.

Few, though, appear to have tried to take the discussion further, highlighted Koskenniemi. While he viewed that it is acceptable to call for amendments or updates to the conventions, doing so repeatedly without taking action creates the impression that politicians are simply preparing the ground for violating international treaties.

And thats my concern when it comes to this discussion.

He admitted that the international conventions that define the statuses of refugees and asylum seekers are not necessarily compatible with the hybrid campaigns witnessed on the external borders of the EU. In addition to taking such campaigns better into consideration, it could be necessary to re-define the term refugee and revise the asylum procedure.

Palander is not convinced that amending or supplementing the refugee convention would solve the problems on the eastern border and other external borders of the EU. While it is theoretically possible to embark on a campaign to amend the current system of refugee laws, it would be difficult and time-consuming  if not altogether impossible.

Amendments to the treaties, she added, would likely lead to an up-tick in the number of vulnerable people in need of assistance.

If the entire system of international protection is torn down, itd be quite a dystopia, she said.

With the Finnish government set to re-open border crossing points on the eastern border next week, there are concerns that hundreds of migrants could, yet again, arrive at the border from Russia.

Palander believes the situation can be tackled with a combination of diplomatic and political means, along with a reform of the immigration laws of the EU. Koskenniemi, in turn, encouraged the government to seek common ground between the various relevant viewpoints.

On the one hand, we have human rights, refugee rights and the treaty system that we have to promote and try to reform. On the other hand, Russias politics are something we have to respond to clearly and resolutely, he said to YLE.

One option, he added, could be to only open one border-crossing point on the border and implement some sort of slow asylum procedure. How long itd be worthwhile for Russia to continue the operation when people couldnt get here because of the slowness of the procedure and because the number of people at the border would increase.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
First Methodist awards $43,000 in grants to local nonprofits

First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville continued its annual grant program by providing a total of $43,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations in the local community, the church announced.

We believe this is an opportunity to build strategic partnerships that help us extend the reach and witness of our church into the community," said the Rev. Jeremy Morris, the church's associate pastor. "This granting process has helped us to empower individuals in need of assistance, helped address larger systemic issues and root causes, and build new pathways for members of our church to be involved in service throughout our community.

This grant program has helped address gaps in services within our local community, and makes FUMC a vital resource, partner and advocate for both local nonprofit agencies and for those they serve. Past grant recipients include True Ridge, Children and Family Resource Center, Bruce Drysdale School, Safelight, The Community Storehouse, Crossnore, Thrive, and the Boys and Girls Club.

This year, the Missions Council focused its attention on projects that are empowering to those served, funding projects that offer individuals the tools needed to better themselves, to regain independence and grow in self-sufficiency. Out of 14 applicants, the Missions Council, with the blessing of the FUMC Church Board, made the following awards:

Street Dog Coalition - $3,000. Street Dog Coalition cares for the pets of unhoused neighbors by ensuring that individuals are able to keep their pets and maintain the mutually beneficial human-animal bond they share with them, and have access to alternatives besides economic euthanasia and pet surrender, and 3) decrease the risk of infectious and zoonotic disease spread in their communities. These funds will create a local Hendersonville chapter of Street Dog and provide greater access to care for pets and their owners.

Deep Time - $5,000. Deep Time is a New Church Start of the United Methodist Church whose mission is to celebrate, employ, and create spiritual communities with people impacted by incarceration. Deep Time is utilizing training in specialty coffee roasting as a way to empower formerly incarcerated individuals as they return into society to find spiritual community, holistic healing, and access to workforce development resources.

Housing Assistance Corporation - $5,000. The Housing Assistance Corporation of Henderson County is receiving funding for the completion of 4 sweat equity homes in Henderson County. These homes are built involving homeowner labor in 65% of the overall process under the eye of professional contractors. This model provides affordable housing options to potential homeowners while also allowing them to work their own job and earn their own income.

Hope Coalition - $5,000. Hope Coalition (HC) is committed to preventing substance misuse among youth and focusing on long term recovery for anyone impacted by alcohol and drug addiction. They are receiving funding to support the purchase of a youth center in Hendersonville and expand youth programming. With our assistance, they aim to create a space that will house and amplify youth programs facilitated by the Hope Coalition.

Thrive - $5,000. Thrive is receiving funds to purchase updated video equipment, technology, and art supplies for members of Thrives Clubhouse Day Program.The Clubhouse is a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program which serves adults with severe and persistent mental illness and at least two other forms of impairment in their lives. The Clubhouse currently serves 46 members per month and members learn coping skills, improve relationship skills, daily living skills, and vocational skills.

Pisgah Legal - $5,000. Pisgah Legal Services is receiving $5,000 to provide free civil legal aid to lowincome survivors of domestic, sexual violence, and child abuse in Henderson County to help them safely live apart from their abusers and gain economic independence.

Safelight - $5,000. Safelight is receiving funds to offset the cost of tuition for Camp Hope. This is a camp based program for children who have been exposed to trauma, focusing on character and resilience development, empowerment, and mentorship opportunities. Research shows that a week of Camp Hope time is equivalent to six months of trauma therapy.

Hope United Methodist Church - $10,000. Hope United Methodist Church is a local congregation in East Flat Rock. They offer many community focused ministries including a Bear Closet and a Weekly Welcome Table Meal that is free to the community. These funds will assist Hope in expanding their ministries to increase their capacity to serve meals, and offer free laundry services to individuals in need.

Chaired by Dr. Anne Smith and comprised of church members, te Missions Council is committed to empowering those most in need in Hendersonville, Henderson County, North Carolina and around the world. For more information visit https://fumchvlnc.org.
THE Goring and Streatley torchlight procession returned on Christmas Eve after five years.

Residents and their families from the two villages carried lights and flaming torches as they walked to Streatley Meadow where they sang carols and Christmas songs around a bonfire.

About 3,000 people took part with Goring residents, led by a drummer, assembling near Cleeve Road, and Streatley residents assembling near the traffic lights.

As it was windy, organisers didnt finally decide the event could go ahead until the day as they had to consider peoples safety and security.

Colin Smith, chairman of Streatley Parish Council, said: The weather forecast is notoriously not spot on, so we didnt make the decision until 2pm. At 6pm we decided the bonfire would be lit.

It would have been a great disappointment if we had cancelled it but we have to consider safety. We will probably leave the bonfire until 6pm again next year.

Barbara Karayi, 55, a solicitor, who lives in Manor Road, Goring, said: It was a wonderful experience, a nice countdown to Christmas.

We live in a quietish part of the village so werent sure how many would turn up and there were hundreds of people.

There was a young drummer who led the procession, which I didnt expect and made it very atmospheric. The rain held off for a bit, just by chance.

I attended with my partner and my son and his girlfriend who had arrived for Christmas.

The event was very well-organised and safe. Roads had to be officially closed and a fire engine stood by. There were marshals in several places.

Ms Karayi said she would be very disappointed if the event wasnt repeated next year.

Her partner suggested having a refreshments tent at the meadow to encourage people to stay on longer.

David Rodgers, 74, from Elloughton in Yorkshire attended the event for the first time with his son, who lives in Goring.

He said: For the last 15 years, my son has lived outside the UK but he moved to Goring from Singapore in August.

It was our first event and I was really impressed by it. Goring is not much smaller than where we live and the turnout was amazing.

The event was just spectacular. We marched through Goring over the bridge to the bonfire. The organisers did an amazing job.

There were plenty of people there to help in case there was an accident. We didnt know anyone but a lot of people stopped to talk to us. It was a fabulous evening, like nothing we have experienced before.

In 2018, the previous organising committee cancelled the procession as it felt it was getting too large and dangerous, with a minimum of 8,000 attendees.

This was partly due to publicity in national publications that attracted people.

Heather Miller, 50, from Upper Basildon, who attended this year, said: It had got so massive when it was supposed to be low key and quiet.

It was still fantastic and really well-organised. It still felt safe and there was plenty of space.

The proceeds will go to a number of local organisations.

The organisers will review the success of this years event before deciding whether to hold the procession again next year.

Picture credit: Dougal Thornton
Operation Bazooka is a story of many firsts. The first use of an AK-47 for a crime in Lucknow, the setting up of Indias first electronic surveillance unit and the creation of UPs first Special Task Force (STF). An aerial view of a part of Lucknow in a picture dated 24 February 1999. (HT Photo by Subhamkar)

In the late 1990s, Shriprakash Shukla was a name that evoked terror in the streets of Lucknow and later in the northern heartland. Shukla was a young, flamboyant and fearless killer, always attacking in broad daylight, on busy streets, pumping 60 to 100 bullets into a single victim from his AK-47. He was smart, paranoid and always a step ahead of the police. In many ways, Shukla was a maverick; he never allowed himself to be photographed and stole government vehicles with official red lights so that he would never be stopped at a barricade. He exclusively used public phone booths and cell phones to communicate so that he wouldnt be tapped or tracked and kept changing his base in India and Nepal, never staying put in a single location for long.

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189pp, 245; Srishti Publishers and Distributors

Operation Bazooka was the name coined by former IPS Ajay Raj Sharma, the creator and leader of UPs first STF, a unit created with the sole aim of hunting down Shukla. A unit of which the author Rajesh Pandey is a founding member. This is the true story of Shuklas short yet bloody reign in UP and the police hunt that finally succeeded in bringing him down.

The birth of Shriprakash Shukla as a crime lord can be traced to the Northeastern Railways in Gorakhpur. High-value railway tenders had been the subject of gang violence since the 1970s. Two gangs had emerged victorious, one under Virendra Pratap Shahi and the other under Hari Shankar Tiwari. Dissatisfied with this equation Surajbhan Singh, the leader of the Bihar gang, had been trying to get a piece of the tender pie for years but had failed. He was on the lookout for an assassin who could make a statement on his behalf. Enter, Shriprakash Shukla, who assassinated Shahi in broad daylight in a posh Lucknow locality. Jumping off a motorcycle, he and his 2 friends riddled Shahis body with 112 bullets in the presence of his wife, daughter and several others. This level of brutality, violence and utter contempt for the law had never been seen before. It immediately catapulted Shukla to fame. Shukla on his part, loved the infamy, often calling up reporters and threatening them into writing about him while claiming responsibility for several attacks.

The birth of Shriprakash Shukla as a crime lord can be traced to the Northeastern Railways in Gorakhpur. High-value railway tenders had been the subject of gang violence since the 1970s. (Wikimedia Commons)

A string of high-profile murders and kidnappings later, the name Shukla became the scourge of the police and the business community in UP who were often kidnapped and held ransom for crores of rupees. The media and the powers that be reigned holy fire upon the police to deliver results and yet for the longest time the police had no idea who they were looking for. Finally, the former UP CM, Kalyan Singh asked for the formation of a Special Task Force that was given carte blanche in terms of resources to bring Shukla down.

UP Chief minister Kalyan Singh in a picture dated 16 November 1997. The former UP CM, Kalyan Singh asked for the formation of a Special Task Force that was given carte blanche in terms of resources to bring Shriprakash Shukla down. (HT Photo by S Burmaula)

In Operation Bazooka one of the key obstacles to overcome is to tap and track phone calls made from cellphones, a technology that is so new in India, that few have ever used it. This is where the author makes fundamental contributions in setting up devices that tap into and track cell phone calls made by Shukla and his gang which finally allowed the STF to track down his various haunts both in India and Nepal.

Coauthor Rajesh Pandey (Courtesy the subject)

In many ways, Operation Bazooka does justice to the police procedural format often delving deep into various chains of command and due processes. While the writing is a bit sparse on the atmospheric front and at times heavy on jargon it still makes for a compelling read. Pandey and Goswami keep a tight pace and the easy prose makes for a quick read.

Coauthor Rakesh Goswami (Courtesy the subject)

Operation Bazooka serves as a fine introduction to crime in 1990s north India. The authors present precise links between gang lords, the police, the informant system, the government machinery and the public. They do a fine job of tracing the criminal web that connects all of them while repeatedly demonstrating how it takes an entire village to catch a criminal. For those looking for a fast-paced thriller, this book does not disappoint.

Percy Bharucha is a freelance writer and illustrator with two biweekly comics, The Adult Manual and Cats Over Coffee. Instagram: @percybharucha
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], January 3: In a groundbreaking strategic move, CLEAR Premium Water, proudly announces undertaking a majority stake in KELZAI Volcanic Water, celebrated for its distinctive natural mineral water sourced from volcanic springs.

This acquisition marks a momentous milestone for CLEAR Premium Water as it boldly charts its course toward expanding its product portfolio and pioneering innovation in the bottled water industry.

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KELZAI Volcanic water is a testament to the ancient tale of a million years ago when the supercontinent of Pangaea tore itself apart, which led to the formation of the mighty Indian subcontinent. The interaction of the rigid lithospheric plates led to volcanic activity, that led to lava oozing out and creating layers of mineral-rich volcanic rock basalt. This basalt then pilled into sheets giving rise to the mighty Sahyadri ranges, even older than the Himalayas. The rainwater that penetrates the mountains and the rocks gets naturally purified drop-by-drop embodying the purity of essential minerals like magnesium, calcium, and sodium. This process along the way balances the PH levels ranging from 7.5 to 8.2.

Nayan Shah, the visionary Founder & CEO of CLEAR Premium Water, expresses his excitement, stating, Our association with KELZAI Volcanic Water underscores our dedication to meeting the increasing demand for natural mineral water. With the strategic plant location, we aim to reach a broader audience, leveraging Clear's expertise, extensive network, and KELZAIs established brand identity. This alliance is set to transform KELZAIs market presence, ensuring remarkable growth and establishing dominance in the luxury water segment. This partnership enhances our natural mineral water offerings, positioning us to deliver exceptional value and impeccable service to our customers.

In recent years, the surge in fine dining and the emergence of niche culinary experiences have heightened the demand for natural mineral water. KELZAI is poised to seamlessly elevate the overall dining experience in these establishments, while also meeting the needs of a broader luxury audience in various settings such as cafes, restaurants, institutions, multiplexes, hotels, and more.

Under the terms of this acquisition, KELZAI Volcanic Water will be exclusively distributed and marketed by CLEAR Premium Waters parent company, Energy Beverages Private Limited, leveraging its robust network and Pan India Presence. This association underscores a shared dedication to delivering the highest quality natural mineral water, promising exceptional service, and an augmented market share for both CLEAR Premium Water and KELZAI Volcanic Water.

The synergy between CLEAR Premium Water and KELZAI Volcanic Water heralds a new era in the industry, promising a dynamic combination of expertise, innovation, and unwavering commitment to sustainability and quality. This strategic alliance is set to captivate the market and reinforce CLEAR Premium Waters position as a prominent player in the bottled water industry.

KELZAI Volcanic Water is available in 200 ml, 500 ml, and 1 litre biodegradable PET bottles, as well as available in 300 ml, 500 ml, and 750 ml glass bottles (Still & Sparkling).

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
In recent years, the concept of food and lounge culinary bars has taken the culinary world by storm.

Recently opened one such out of the box culinary lounge bar with rooftop by Dynamic duos

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Ajay Rajpal & Karan Aggarwal named

Sukoon by AKRA combine the best of gourmet cuisine with a relaxed lounging ambience, creating an unforgettable dining experience. A fusion of flavors, top-notch mixology, and an inviting atmosphere are the key ingredients that make food and lounge culinary bars an emerging trend. In this article, we delve into the world of this innovative establishment names *Sukoon by Akra* opened at the heart of South Delhi, exploring their concept, offerings, and the appeal they hold for food enthusiasts.

Sukoon by Akra food and lounge culinary bar with rooftop is a hybrid establishment that combines fine dining with a laid-back lounge experience. It brings together the craftsmanship of gourmet chefs and the creativity of mixologists, resulting in a harmonious blend of culinary delights and handcrafted cocktails. This bar prioritize not only exceptional food but also a relaxing atmosphere, often featuring cozy seating areas, stylish decor, and ambient lighting that sets the mood for an enjoyable evening.

Curated Menu

Further Ajay Rajpal one of the director added that

Sukoon by Akra comes with an extensive menu that caters to diverse palates. From small plates and tapas-style offerings to full-course meals, this establishment offer a variety of options to please every diner. The focus is on using high-quality ingredients to create dishes that are both aesthetically pleasing and tantalizing to the taste buds. With a frequently evolving menu, this bar often showcase seasonal ingredients and utilize innovative cooking techniques to elevate familiar flavors.

Mixology Masterpieces:

A highlight of Sukoon by Akra food and lounge culinary bars is their exceptional mixology programs. Talented bartenders take center stage, crafting exquisite cocktails that perfectly complement the culinary creations. These mixology experts experiment with a range of spirits, house-made syrups, fresh herbs, and unique flavor profiles to craft cocktails that surprise and delight. The result is a beverage menu that is as noteworthy as the food offerings.

Ambience and Experience:

Unlike traditional restaurants, Sukoon by Akra offer a more relaxed and social setting. The ambiance is carefully curated to create an atmosphere that is inviting, cozy, and conducive to both intimate conversations and group gatherings. With comfortable seating arrangements, soft background music, and attentive service, patrons can unwind and enjoy their culinary journey at a leisurely pace.

The Appeal:

Karan Aggarwal speaks that

Sukoon by Akra have gained popularity due to their ability to cater to the evolving preferences of modern diners. The fusion of fine dining cuisine with a laid-back environment allows patrons to savor top-notch food without the formality of traditional fine dining establishments. This bar provide an opportunity for people to enjoy delicious meals together while also engaging in conversations and socializing. Additionally, the attention to detail in terms of aesthetics, music, and ambiance adds to the overall appeal of these establishments.

So, if you're looking for an exceptional dining experience that marries food and leisure, Sukoon by Akra a food and lounge culinary bar with rooftop is undoubtedly worth a visit.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
DELHI - E-Status Presents Tiska Pageants - Tiska Mrs. India 2023, Season 4, powered by Forever India Events and supported by Kosmo- Plast Super Speciality Hospital and Runway Fashion Management this 4 days long gala show was organised at Hotel Leela Ambience, New Delhi in which 73 women contestants from different corners of the country and abroad participated, the show was organised by Prashant Chaudhary and Swati Dixit . It was established with the aim of promoting women and providing them National and International platform where they can show their beauty and talent. All the 73 contestants have showcased their talent on the ramp and won the hearts of everyone who attended the show. 5000 women participants from different parts of the country and abroad participated in the auditions for this platform , out these all only 73 women were selected for the Grand Finale. In this show, Miss Universe India Shweta Sharda, who was present as a celebrity guest and Eminent jury member, the rest of the esteemed jury members were Celebrity Rishi Raj, Model & Fashion Photographer Montu Tomar,Entrepreneur Payal Singh, Prashant Chaudhary, Hida S Kaula,Entrepreneur Piyusha Sharma,Celebrity Designer Wricky Angrish,Entrepreneur Srishti Sehgal,Dr Kaiynat Ansari( Director Kosmo -Plast Super Speciality Hospital & Purnima Padmasana( Motivational Speaker ,Writer and Banker ),Stylist Seitu Kumar.

Wing Commander Seema Sharma is the winner of Tiska Mrs India 2023 in the Platinum category, the 1st runner up is Dr Vandita Dsouza, and the 2nd runner up is Shweta Rao. Pooja Singh Thakur is the winner of Tiska Miss India 2023, Astha Chauhan is the 1st runner-up, and Vismaya is the 2nd runner-up. All these six winners first thanked the organisers of the show, who provided them with a great platform to showcase their talent at a National Level.

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In the Platinum category Grand Finale, Seema Sharma opened with her introduction in the Denim round. In the Ethnic round, she showcased Label Casadori & Crystal Design couture, and in the Gala Grand Finale, she wore a royal blue cocktail gown from label Lulu & Sky.

Wing Commander Seema Sharma (Retd) from Panchkula, Haryana, is an Indian Air Force veteran who served the nation for 14 years. She is a law graduate (BA LLB) from the Army Institute of Law Mohali. She holds a Master's in Human Resources Management from Jamia Milia Islamia University and has completed the Executive Business Management Course from the prestigious IIM Indore. Before joining the Indian Air Force, she was a practising lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In the Indian Air Force, she has represented her country in the United States. She was also a part of the first All Women Marching Contingent at the Republic Day Parade 2015. Seema has won various awards, medals and commendations while in service for her professionalism and dedication to duty. These include medals for Operation Suraksha in Northeast India and the Thar desert, Operation Rhino, and long service, primarily consisting of active military in bases next to China and Pakistan Borders. After retirement, she joined the corporate world with one of the Big Four Firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is currently a Manager in Supply Chain and Operations Consulting at PwC. She is married to a Keralite who, too, is a retired Indian Air Force Officer and a Fighter Pilot. Seema is a proud mother of 2 kids, aged 10 and 3 years. Seema is an athlete who has won Best Athlete at the Air Force Academy. Apart from being a soldier and a mother, Seema is a lawyer, a management consultant with one of the Big 4 and now a beauty pageant winner. Seemas journey has been a story of dedication, determination and, most of all, representation of women. Seema believes that Participating in beauty pageants is not only a way to showcase your talent but also a chance to reinforce your individuality and positively impact society. Walking the ramp or standing at a podium is all about self-belief and the pursuit to achieve success! The experience of walking on stage before a large audience and judges motivates women to believe in themselves despite what others may think! This gives a significant boost in building self-confidence and makes them prepared to conquer the challenges of life.

With the Tiska Mrs India 2023 Platinum title, she aims to highlight once again that one can achieve whatever they set their sight on with dedication and hard work, regardless of gender and age. She hopes her story will inspire many young women to pursue their dreams and passions regardless of the field they are passionate about.

Coming once again to the show, both the show organisers, Prashant Chaudhary and Swati Dixit, thanked the Founder Director of Tiska Pageant Title sponsor E-Status, Ms Payal Srivastava, for supporting this National event with wholehearted efforts. They congratulated all the winners and said all the team members had given their best support in making this show successful. They also thanked all the groomers whose names are Mansi Mehta, Dr Kaiynat Ansari and Purnima Padmasana, Show Director Pranav Hamal, UK International Makeup Academy as makeup and hair partner, and Kamini Makeovers, the official celebrity makeup artist for Shweta Sharda. All of them contributed significantly to making this show a great success. Website: www.tiskapageants.com

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Wednesday deliver its judgment on a bundle of petitions, demanding investigation into allegations of accounting fraud and stock manipulation against Adani group companies, published in a research report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research in January 2023. The SC on March 2, 2023, set up a six-member panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge AM Sapre, to look into regulatory failure by Sebi and alleged breach of laws by the Adani group.(HT Photo/ Sonu Mehta)

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will also rule on the steps that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) ought to take to protect investors by keeping extreme market volatility in check and the tightening of pertinent regulations. According to the list of business published on the court website, the CJI will pronounce the judgment in the case that was reserved on November 24 after conclusion of the arguments.

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Hindenburg's report, published in January 2023, claimed "brazen accounting fraud" and "stock manipulation" by the Gautam Adani-led group. Though the conglomerate rejected the report as "unresearched" and "maliciously mischievous", it triggered a massive rout of Adani group stocks, which lost over $140 billion in days and forced the cancellation of a 20,000 crore share sale.

The SC on March 2, 2023, set up a six-member panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge AM Sapre, to look into regulatory failure by Sebi and alleged breach of laws by the Adani group. In its report submit- ted in May, the committee said the allegations of stock price manipulation or violation of MPS norms by Adani group companies cannot be proved "at this stage".

At the same time, the panel raised certain red flags regarding the current Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) regulations, contending that Sebi, in its legislative capacity, had itself done away with the prohibition against any FPI having an "opaque structure" in 2018 and 2019, which could be a reason why Sebi's probe to look into possible violation of the MPS norms by Adani companies using 13 overseas entities has "drawn a blank so far".

On November 24 when the judgment was reserved, the bench observed that it will not be proper for the court to appoint an SIT to look into alleged violations of MPS norms by Adani group companies without there being evidence of lapses on part of the Sebi, which is already investigating the matter. The court said hat it cannot order a probe based only on media reports and without hearing the entities impacted by its orders. adding that a statutory regulator like Sebi cannot be expected to start issuing show-cause notices on the basis of reports published by Hindenburg or by a news organisation such as Financial Times.
For the first time since April 2022, cryptocurrency Bitcoin crossed the $45,000 mark on Tuesday, touching its 21 month high. Bitcoin, which is the world's largest cryptocurrency, recorded a hike of 6 percent on Tuesday, January 6. Bitcoin continues to rally forward amid the $45,000 mark break (Reuters)(REUTERS)

Bitcoin was up by a total of 6.43% on Tuesday, touching its all time high since 2022 at $45,317.67. A day after breaching the historic mark, Bitcoin continues to go strong, up by a little less than one percent on Wednesday.

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On January 3, the Bitcoin rates were recorded at $45,257.70, not close to dipping below its 21-month high. The rates were 0.70 percent higher than the closing price of the cryptocurrency. This also led to an overall surge in the cryptocurrency market in the first few days of January.

With the Bitcoin prices surging above $45,000 for the first time in months, the rates of the cryptocurrency in India were recorded at 37,66,766.47 on Wednesday, up by 22,454 after the sudden price surge.

Other tokens in the crypto market traded higher on January 2-3 due to Bitcoin, with Ethereum surging by 3.8%, Solana (SOL) gaining over 7% while Cardano up over 5%. It is expected that the surge in cryptocurrency will continue during the week.

Reason behind Bitcoin price surge

The prime reason behind the hike in the prices of Bitcoin is the expectation that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will approve the launch of a spot bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF).

The decision of the SEC will be finalised by January 10, when it will either approve or reject the Ark/21Shares ETF, reported Reuters. However, the decision regarding the same can come this week, by Wednesday or Thursday.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has rejected multiple applications to launch spot bitcoin ETFs in recent years, arguing that the cryptocurrency market is vulnerable to manipulation.

As per past trends, Bitcoin often rallied forward during the US Election season, which means that the crypto markets will continue to buzz for the next few months. However, the rise and fall of crypto in the United States will primarily be determined by the decision of the SEC.

(With inputs from Reuters)
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Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], January 3: Clay Craft India Private Limited, the nation's foremost manufacturer of ceramic tableware products, announces significant retail partnerships with leading brands like Home Centre, Myntra, D Mart, Nykaa, AJIO among others. With a contribution of 15% approx from the modern retail and 8% from online retail adding to the total turnover, these collaborations mark a pivotal moment for Clay Craft, further helping the brand to penetrate further and be available where the consumer is purchasing.

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Headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the company has earned a reputation for innovation, quality, and affordability in the ceramic tableware market, establishing a robust presence both in India and globally. With a legacy dating back to 1994, Clay Craft has consistently delivered high-quality ceramic products that meet the diverse needs of consumers.

The retail partnerships with Home Centre, D Mart and other brands represent a strategic move by Clay Craft to expand its reach and make its premium ceramic tableware products more accessible to a broader audience. The modern and online retailers offer extended reach to the Indian consumer paired with convenience and modern way for merchandising and selling the products. It has helped Clay Craft to be available extensively due to increased reach making them one-step closer to being a recognized and leading brand in the industry. One notable collaboration stands out - a strategic tie-up with Godrej-owned brand India Circus. This collaboration has resulted in limited edition collections exclusively created for India Circus, displaying a fusion of design and functionality that resonates with modern aesthetics.

Deepak Agarwal, Director of Clay Craft India Private Limited, expressed enthusiasm about these collaborations, stating, "We are thrilled to announce our partnerships. We always aim to bring the best of products and offers with various modern retailers as per market's demand. These alliances are a testament to Clay Craft's commitment to delivering quality and innovation to consumers across diverse retail channels."

As an initiator with a legacy dating back to three decades, Clay Craft has remained at the forefront of delivering unparalleled quality in ceramic products, catering to the diverse needs of discerning consumers. The brand's commitment to excellence has resulted in significant benefits for consumers, including access to accurate product information, enticing discount offers, product bundling, complimentary samplers, and more. Over the years, Clay Craft has consistently elevated the consumer experience by not only providing top-notch ceramic tableware but also by creating opportunities for consumers to make informed choices and enjoy added value through various promotional initiatives. The brand's dedication to quality and innovation continues to redefine the standards in the ceramic tableware industry.

Clay Craft's product range caters to various sectors, including Retail, Gifting, Horeca (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes), and Corporate segments. These partnerships align with Clay Craft's mission to make high-quality ceramic tableware a part of households and businesses across the country.

Clay Craft India Private Limited is India's largest manufacturer of ceramic tableware products, boasting a rich heritage dating back to 1994. The company is headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and is recognized for its dedication to innovation, quality, and affordability. Clay Craft offers a diverse range of ceramic tableware products for Retail, Gifting, HoReCa (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes), and Corporate sectors.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) on Wednesday elevated chief executive officer (CEO) Karan Adani as the company's new managing director. His father Gautam Adani has been re-designated as the company's executive chairman. Gautam Adani's son Karan Adani(Bloomberg file photo)

"APSEZ, India's largest ports and logistics company, has elevated CEO Mr Karan Adani to the role of Managing Director, a position which was held by Mr Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group," PTI quoted a statement released by the Adani Group firm.

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The company further said its board has also approved the appointment of Ashwani Gupta, former global Chief Operating Officer at Nissan Motors, as the new Chief Executive Officer of APSEZ.



ALSO READ: At 35.65 MMT, Adani Ports sees 42% rise in cargo volume handling



Karan Adani had joined his father's business conglomerate in 2009 at the Mundra Port and rose to become its CEO in 2016.

In another development, the APSEZ said it will raise up to $600.6 million by selling non-convertible debentures. However, the company did not specify how it will use the proceeds.

Last December, Adani Ports had raised $600 million by issuing bonds and then used the proceeds to refinance its debt. The company's cash and cash equivalents were 72.90 billion rupees as of Sept. 30, 2023, while its net debt was roughly 387 billion rupees.

Adani Group companies have been raising funds for capital expenditure since early 2023, and have plans to spend seven trillion rupees over the next decade on infrastructure projects.

Big Supreme Court relief to Adani Group

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations against the Adani Group. The apex court said that Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will continue its probe as there is no ground to prove that the market regulator was lackadaisical.



ALSO READ: Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports among top 5 gainers of today after Supreme Court's Hindenburg verdict

The court said it can't enter into the domain of the regulatory regime and the report of US-based firm Hindenburg or anything like that can't become the basis of ordering a separate probe.
Nikesh Arora has a track record of securing substantial compensation packages throughout his career. As the current CEO of Palo Alto Networks Inc, a cybersecurity firm, his role has catapulted him into the billionaire ranks. Nikesh Arora(File photo)

Arora's overall net worth now stands at $1.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This remarkable achievement distinguishes him as a rare example of a non-founder tech CEO who has achieved billionaire status.

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Arora was granted a significant compensation package, including $125 million in stock and options upon joining Palo Alto Networks in 2018.

In 2023, Arora leveraged his position and exercised some of his stock options, selling almost $300 million worth of shares. Despite this substantial divestment, Arora remains well-positioned to continue accumulating wealth at Palo Alto Networks.

Arora's 2023 compensation package comprises a potential maximum of 750,000 stock awards, subject to specific performance criteria. Currently valued at over $220 million, the company justifies this substantial award by citing Arora's impressive performance in his initial five years, averaging "$102 million of value each year."

Acknowledging Arora's substantial vested ownership and the anticipated vesting of additional amounts in the coming years, the company's Board of Directors deemed it necessary to grant a meaningful equity award. This decision aims to ensure that the award remains a significant incentive for Arora, recognising his pivotal role in the company's success.

In 2014, Nikesh Arora was recruited by Masayoshi Son of SoftBank Group Corp., with the expectation that he could be Son's successor. In his first year at SoftBank, Arora received an extraordinary compensation package of $135 million, setting a record in Japan and making him the world's highest-paid executive at that time.

Notably, during his tenure at Google, Arora earned the title of the company's highest-paid executive in 2012, with a compensation package valued at around $51 million. His time at Google also saw him accumulate stock awards totalling at least $200 million by the time he left.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)
The BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday launched a protest in several parts of the state against the arrest of a Hindu activist in connection with the commotion that ensued during the agitation for a Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya in 1992. BJP protests against arrest of K'taka Hindu activist in three decades old case

Srikant Poojari (51) was arrested four days ago by the Hubballi-Dharwad police while disposing off pending cases.

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Also Read - BJP to hold stir over mans arrest in 31-yr-old post-Babri riots case

Poojari had allegedly taken part in the agitation 31 years ago.

Recently, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara directed the police to pursue pending cases.

In this connection, police arrested Poojari in connection with the commotion in Hubballi in 1992.

The BJP state president B Y Vijayendra gave a call for protest on Tuesday alleging that the ruling Congress is repeatedly trying to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus in Karnataka.

Condemning the arrest, Vijayendra said it clearly showed the state government's intent behind reopening a 31-year-old case just days before the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

He said the BJP will expose the Congress government before the people of Karnataka and the country.

In Hubballi, the BJP staged a demonstration by taking out a march holding party flags, posters and banners demanding the immediate release of Srikant Poojari.

In Bengaluru, the party leaders staged a demonstration at Freedom Park.

Besides Vijayendra, former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, MPs, former ministers Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Byrathi Basavaraj, K Gopalaiah, MP P C Mohan and a large number of party activists took part.
Terror threats in Jammu and Kashmir, cyber frauds and activities of pro-Khalistan groups are among the key issues to be discussed at the three-day conference of DGPs and IGPs in Jaipur, beginning January 5, officials said on Wednesday. Terror threats in Jammu and Kashmir, cyber frauds and activities of pro-Khalistan groups are among the key issues to be discussed at the three-day conference of DGPs and IGPs in Jaipur, beginning January 5.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the countrys top police officers before addressing them at a formal session. Union home minister Amit Shah will be present throughout the conference that will span several sessions.

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Also read: S Jaishankar on what is damaging India-Canada ties: These Khalistani forces

Implementation of the recently-enacted three criminal laws, the Maoist problem, inter-state police coordination and issues to be handled during the general elections are some of the other major issues expected to be discussed during the meeting, a Union home ministry official said.

About 250 officers in the rank of directors generals of police (DGPs) and inspectors generals of police (IGPs) will physically attend the conference while more than 200 others are likely to attend virtually.

Many officers have been tasked with delivering presentations on specific subjects such as counterterrorism, online fraud, cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, activities of pro-Khalistan groups and Left Wing Extremism, among others, the official said.

There will be detailed deliberations on how to face all these emerging internal security challenges.

Till 2013, the annual meet had been held in New Delhi.

The following year, after the Modi government came to power, it was decided to hold the event, organised by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Intelligence Bureau, outside the national capital.

Accordingly, it was first held in Guwahati in 2014, Rann of Kutch in 2015, the National Police Academy in Hyderabad in 2016, the BSF Academy at Tekanpur in 2017, Pune in 2019.In 2020, the meet was held virtually during the Covid pandemic and in hybrid mode in Lucknow in 2021. The conference was held in New Delhi in January 2023.

Decisions made in the past few conferences brought in significant policy changes, leading to improvement of policing, including setting higher standards for effective policing in rural and urban areas and improved methods of modern policing based on smart parameters, the official added.
To mark the eight death anniversary of J&K chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the party will be holding a power show in south Kashmirs Bijbhera town, where Mufti is buried at the historical Dara Shoka Park, on January 7. The party workers and leaders from across J&K will be attending the function that will be chaired by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. (AP file)

The party workers and leaders from across J&K will be attending the function that will be chaired by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. The party leadership has been utilising its cadres to make the programme a big success especially when the PDP is preparing for Lok Sabha polls. On Sunday, the programme will be a part of partys first new year programme to remember its founders message and vision, said party youth president Waheed ur Rehman Parra.

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He said the PDP emerged as a process and platform in times of uncertainty and hopelessness. The party created space for dignity in democracy when people wont relate to democratic process, he said. Para said its most futuristic and compassionate idea to address the security of Kashmir residents and pain of decades. Our party stands for hope in despairing times and thats what Mehbooba Mufti is trying to ignite.

PDP spokesman Mohit Bhan said people and party workers from across the Valley will attend the programme.

District president Baramulla Peer Jaluludin said this year, the party is organising big show at Bijbhera. A large number of workers are preparing to travel to south Kashmir on Sunday from different parts of Baramulla. We hope party president Mehbooba Mufti will deliver some important message on the occasion.

After the abrogation of Article 370, the PDP faced a lot of pressure from the Centre and dozens of senior leaders, including founding members left the party especially in north and central Kashmir, the party saw desertion by top leaders that weakened the part.

However, now the PDP is again on its revival mode especially in north Kashmir as many former legislators and ministers who had left the party had again approached the party leadership for their rejoining.

Sources within the PDP claim that over a dozen big leaders could join the party in coming weeks. The PDP which is a part of the INDIA bloc had already constituted its Parliamentary Board comprising senior leaders that had been traveling different parts of J&K to check the pulse on ground ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

PDP was formed in 1998 by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as regional party and four years later the party formed first coalition government with Congress in 2003. The party emerged as single largest party in 2014 assembly polls and formed coalition government with BJP. However, in 2018 the BJP withdrew its support from the party forcing then J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to resign.
In a relief to senior IPS officer Sanjay Kundu, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Himachal Pradesh High Court order asking the state government to remove him from the post of the Director General of Police (DGP) over allegations that he tried to pressure a businessman who claimed he received threat to his life from his partners. The apex courts order will ensure that Kundu remains the state police chief till the high court decides his plea for recall of its direction. (ANI)

Following the high courts direction of December 26, 2023, an order transferring Kundu as the states Ayush department principal secretary was issued by the Himachal Pradesh governor on Tuesday.The apex courts order will ensure that Kundu remains the state police chief till the high court decides his plea for recall of its direction. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also stayed the subsequent transfer order of the state government.

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Liberty is granted to the petitioner (Kundu) to move the high court when the proceedings are taken up tomorrow (Thursday) with an application for the recall of the order dated December 26, 2023, the bench ordered.

We request the high court to dispose of the recall application within a period of two weeks, it said, making it clear that if the recall application is decided in favour of the IPS officer, then he will continue as the DGP.

The top court also directed that pending disposal of the recall application of Kundu, no steps shall be taken to enforce the order dated December 26 of the high court.

Disposing of the plea, the CJI made it clear that all rights and contentions of the parties are kept open as the apex court has not made any observations of the merits of the case.

The protection, which has been granted to the petitioner by this order, is passed on the ground that he was not heard by the high court, the CJI said.

Asking Kundu to approach the high court, the bench took note of the submissions of senior laywer Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Kundu, that he has no objection if the investigation in the case involving threat to the businessman is transferred to the CBI.

At the outset, Rohatgi said the high court passed the order without hearing the officer who has an unblemished service record.

The high court order causes serious prejudice to the petitioner who is on the verge of retirement, he added.

On the other hand, the counsel for the businessman said it was a serious case of glaring procedural failure as the DGP was being probed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

He said 15 calls were made to the businessman from the office of the DGP.

Rohatgi contended the 15 missed calls were made from the office landline number and not the DGPs mobile phone.

On Tuesday, the top court had agreed to hear a petition filed by Kundu challenging his removal as the Himachal Pradesh DGP following a high court order over allegations that he tried to pressure a businessman who alleged he received threat to his life from his partners.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court had on December 26 directed the state government to shift the state police chief and the Kangra superintendent of police so they dont influence a probe into the businessmans complaint about threat to his life.

In its order, the high court also said it was intervening due to exceptional circumstances, more particularly when the respondent Home Secretary had chosen to turn a blind eye to material presented in the case.

In his complaint filed on October 28, Palampur-based businessman Nishant Sharma alleged threat to him, his family and property from his business partners.

He had also questioned the conduct of Kundu, alleging that the officer made phone calls to him and asked him to come over to Shimla.

The HC had, on November 10, taken cognisance of another complaint by Sharma lodged with the Shimla superintendent of police, two days after the DGP filed a defamation case against the businessman.

The businessman alleged in the October 28 complaint that he was attacked by his business partners in Gurugram on August 25, and that two influential persons from Himachal Pradesh, including a former IPS officer, were also involved.

He claimed, after the attack, he came to Palampur in Kangra district, but the DGP called him up from his official phone number and forced me to come to Shimla.

On the same day two criminals stopped me at Mcleodganj in Dharamshala and threatened to harm my two-and-half-year old kid and wife, the businessman alleged.

I drove to the house of the Superintendent of Police, Kangra (Shalini Agnihotri) at Dharamshala and narrated the plight to her and gave her my complaint but nothing has been done so far, he claimed in his complaint.

He said he wanted an independent and unbiased investigation and FIR against everyone involved, including the DGP.

This is the only way you would be able to apprehend this whole gang of extortionists, he said, marking the complaint to many people, including the chief justice of the high court.

The DGP filed a defamation case against the businessman on November 4, accusing him of harming his reputation and attempting to malign his image.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where five soldiers were killed by terrorists in an ambush in Poonch district a fortnight ago. (From left) NSA Ajit Doval, Union home minister Amit Shah, J&K L-G Manij Sinha and Army Chief General Manoj Pande at the meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI)

A day after the December 21 terror attack, three civilians, aged between 27 and 42, were found dead after they were allegedly picked up by the Army for questioning, sparking outrage. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and army chief Pande had visited Poonch in the wake of these incidents.

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Officials said lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, national security adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Army staff (CoAS) General Manoj Pande and top officials of intelligence and other security agencies attended the meeting on Tuesday.

The home minister has been briefed about the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir administration had announced compensation and jobs to the families of the dead civilians and said legal action on the matter has been initiated. Sporadic violence continued in Jammu and Kashmir since the beginning of 2023.

Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a series of encounters last year that left 54 persons, including 28 terrorists and 19 security personnel, dead, officials said.

The officials have ascribed the uptick in violence to desperate attempts from across the border to revive terrorism in the region.

While 31 persons, including 10 terrorists and 14 security personnel, were killed in Rajouri, 15 terrorists and five security personnel were killed in Poonch district. Three terrorists were killed in the Reasi district.

Most of the terrorists were killed while attempting to sneak into this side of the border, the officials said.

In May last year, five Army personnel were killed and a major-rank officer was injured in Chamrer forest during an anti-terrorist operation. A foreign terrorist was also killed in the operation.
New Delhi [India], January 3 (ANI): The National Cadet Corp has recorded the highest number of girl cadets in the Republic Day Camp 2024. A total of 2,274 cadets from all 28 states and eight Union Territories will participate in the month-long National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp 2024. With 907 girls, this year's camp will see the largest participation of girl's cadets. HT Image

Speaking on the occasion, Director General NCC, Lt. General Gurbirpal Singh ( AVSM, VSM), listed the achievements and assessment of the organization in the last year.

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"In this year's Republic Day parade, NCC Girls Cadets will participate. Their training and drill standard are excellent. For the first time, there will be a women's contingent participating in the parade. Earlier, there used to be a mixed contingent, "said DG NCC Lt. Gen Gurbirpal Singh.

"The NCC now boasts a 39% participation rate of girls actively and enthusiastically engaging in various activities. I am very pleased, as their capability for training and enthusiasm are of a very high standard," he added.

As part of the Youth Exchange Programme, the camp will also witness the participation of cadets and officers from 25 friendly countries: Argentina, Botswana, Bhutan, Brazil, Czech Republic, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Tajikistan, UK, Venezuela, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Nigeria, Mauritius and Mozambique.

According to the DG NCC "Representatives from 25 countries will attend, akin to the National Cadet Corps."

French President Emanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest at this year's Republic Day Parade.

The Republic Day Camp holds the fundamental aim of instilling a sense of patriotism, discipline, and leadership qualities among the cadets. This annual event serves as a platform to offer cadets valuable opportunities for training, engaging in cultural activities, and participating in social service initiatives, thereby nurturing unity and pride.

As the Republic Day Camp approaches, the nation eagerly waits for the exceptional performance of the women's contingent, which is poised to leave an indelible mark on the grand stage of the Republic Day celebrations. (ANI)
Confusion has prevailed after Professor Buddhadeb Sau was removed from the post of officiating VC by West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on December 23, a day before the annual convocation of the varsity. HT Image

Sau, who was allowed to host the convocation by the states higher education department, was not present in his office on Tuesday as the university reopened after the winter break, a JU official told PTI.

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The mathematics professor, however, interacted with students and faculty, he said.

Unhappy with the "disruption" in academic and administrative work due to the impasse, the SFI, an influential students' union of the varsity and the Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA), have warned of launching an agitation if the matter was not resolved soon.

This prolonged uncertainty caused by the governors action has to come to an end We are now worried over reports questioning the validity of the certificates awarded to students signed by Professor Sau at the convocation. We demand the immediate appointment of a regular VC, Students' Federation of India (SFI) leader Tisa Bhandari said.

She said the SFI would stage demonstrations in a few days once the semester exams of different departments conclude.

The future of students cannot be sacrificed due to this impasse. We will not sit idle if the situation doesnt change, Bhandari added.

Partha Pratim Roy, the general secretary of JUTA, also said it would start a movement if a full-time VC was not appointed soon.

We are all worried as Mr Sau has not been attending office after December 24, barring one occasion. There are several important documents to be signed by the VCs office and this impasse is disrupting administrative work, Roy said.

Sau could not be contacted for comments.

Governor Bose had earlier told journalists that the JU convocation was unauthorised and unlawful.

The education department, meanwhile, has maintained that since the matter of appointment of full-time VCs of state universities is currently pending with the Supreme Court, Sau cannot be removed by the governor.

Bose, who is also the chancellor of state-run universities, had said he was trying to find a legally acceptable solution, protecting the interests of students.
Agra The Mainpuri police arrested seven people on Wednesday and a case against 19 named and several unidentified people for creating ruckus on Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Tuesday during protest against new hit-and-run laws, now held in abeyance. Police officials informed on Wednesday that Safai Bypass in Karhal area of Mainpuri district was blocked by the truck drivers and locals on Tuesday leading to road jam (Pic for representation)

To recall, the protestors, mostly drivers, resorted to stone pelting on Agra-Lucknow Expressway under Karhal police station limits in Mainpuri district. Police used force to disperse the unruly mob and restored traffic on the 302-kilometre- long Expressway connecting Agra and Lucknow .

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Police officials informed on Wednesday that Safai Bypass in Karhal area of Mainpuri district was blocked by the truck drivers and locals on Tuesday leading to road jam . Various passenger vehicles and some of the ambulances were stuck in the jam.

The case was registered under sections 143/147/149/188/336/341/352/504/ 506/332/ 353/427 of Indian Penal Code besides 7 Criminal Law Amendment and Section 2/3 Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 1984 and Section 8B of The National Highways Act against Akhilesh Yadav, Ramu, Lalu, Sachin, Krishna, Ansari, Phoolan, Anshul, Anuj, Daroga, Pintu, Ankit, Rajveer, Ravi, Raju, Geetam Singh, Sanoj, Rang Lal apart from 15 to 20 unidentified accused .

Vinod Kumar, superintendent of police, Mainpuri informed that seven people, namely Aman, Rajveer, Ankit, Saurav, Anshul, Shivam and Ravi were arrested on Wednesday .
Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said here on Wednesday that green areas should be reserved in the Master Plan of all the cities and new colonies should not be set up in the green belts. All types of basic facilities like roads, sewer, electricity and water should be available in the newly developed residential colonies, he said. Yogi said a comprehensive study should be conducted in view of the present situation and future needs of Aligarh, Meerut, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur and Mathura-Vrindavan districts. (HT FILE)

The chief minister reviewed the Master Plan 2031 for Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Meerut, Aligarh and Mathura-Vrindavan districts in a high level meeting held at his official residence . Clusters should be developed in cities to encourage local crafts and traditional products, he said.

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Yogi said a comprehensive study should be conducted in view of the present situation and future needs of Aligarh, Meerut, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur and Mathura-Vrindavan districts.

Inner ring roads should be developed in all the cities. Facilities should be developed on various link roads next to this inner ring road. To remove the congestion within the cities, it was necessary to provide facilities for the development of different business activities on different routes outside the ring road, he said.

Arrangements should be made to build warehouses for textile and pharmaceutical markets at different places. Similarly, an education hub should be developed on some other route. This work would also promote healthy competition, he said.

The chief minister said while planning in urban areas, there should be a provision for generating income from ones own sources. Bus stations should be established as far outside the city as possible. People should be provided electric bus facility to come to the city.

Traffic management in cities is an important matter. We need to make concerted efforts to streamline the movement of traffic. Preference shoiuld be given to electric buses in the city. Conventional fuel buses should be kept out of the city as much as possible. Multilevel parking should be constructed with suitable space, he said.

A logistics hub should also be established near Transport Nagar. Rehabilitation of the people affected due to various development projects should be carried out on priority, he said.

Uttar Pradesh was hosting big national and international events. To ensure that every city of the state got such opportunities, development of infrastructure facilities was necessary. International level convention centres should be developed in all the development authorities. The development authorities/local bodies should ensure that illegal settlements/illegal residential colonies were not established anywhere under any circumstances. All the residential colonies should have all the necessary facilities, he said.

The development authorities should explore new possibilities for development of public facilities The areas outside the municipal corporations should be also developed. The local bodies should create new sources of income, he said.

The officers should ensure that the catchment areas of rivers and ponds were not encroached upon and an action plan for solid waste management should be prepared, he said.
The Allahabadi Surkha variety of guava, known for its deep pink pulp and an apple-red skin and fewer seeds has always been in demand. Now, this fruit will serve the palate in the Gulf kingdom of Oman. Allahabad Surkha on sale (HT File Photo)

In a move that could provide a fillip to farmers growing these guavas in Prayagraj and Kaushambi districts, for the first time, the state government has started exporting the fruit. The first batch of Allahabadi Surkha along with its cousin Allahabadi Safeda small and spherical shape with an extremely delicate skin, white flesh and few seedshas been dispatched by air for Oman from Lucknow recently.

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The first batch of the guavas have been sent on January 1, 2024 to Oman from Lucknow, as part of our efforts to export farmers produce and help increase the earning of Uttar Pradesh farmers, said Dinesh Pratap Singh, UPs minister of state (independent charge) for horticulture agriculture marketing, agriculture foreign trade and agriculture export.

He said that in the first batch, 6,000 kg of the fruit had been sent from Lucknow after directly being procured by the export firm from farmers at prices much above the Indian market price. More batches will follow, he added.

It is the only product from Prayagraj region which has a geographical indication (GI) tag.

CEO of Mais Overseas Export Ltd (the private firm exporting the fruit) Akhilendra Singh said that Surkha guavas of Prayagraj are liked in Oman. Seeing the high demand there, we have sent its first consignment to Oman. Two more consignments will also be sent from here to Oman and other countries in the coming days, he added.

The government sent a team of agricultural scientists from Lucknow to Prayagraj which held discussions with local horticulture officials. After discussions to increase the export of Surkha guavas, first of all emphasis was laid on increasing the size and shine of the fruits. Therefore, the scientists here started a campaign to teach farmers the art of bagging guava fruits.

Deputy Director (Horticulture) Krishna Mohan Chaudhary explained that bagging is a method of covering guava fruits with a special kind of a bag. When guavas start transforming from flowers to fruits, they are placed inside a paper bag of a special shape and tied while still on the tree. With this special packing, the guava fruit not only gets an adequate amount of light but also the fruit can be protected from external pollution and insects, he added.
The RESQ Charitable Trusts latest annual report has revealed that out of the 5,734 wild animals that were provided aid in both Pune and Nashik districts last year, as many as 3,457 (61%) were birds. Most of these birds suffered manjha injuries, accidental injuries or electrocution. Changes in land use patterns, encroachment on animal habitats, and a few other factors, too, were responsible for the increase in man-animal conflicts in both districts, the report revealed. Most of these birds suffered manjha injuries, accidental injuries or electrocution. (HT PHOTO)

Last year, as many as 4,936 wild animals in Pune district were provided help including rescue, medical treatment, reunion and lifetime care whereas 798 wild animals in Nashik district were provided help. The animals included birds, mammals and reptiles however the majority of animals attended to were birds. Kingfishers, owls and Brahminy Kites were some of the birds admitted for treatment.

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Animals in distress are usually reported on the helpline numbers provided by the forest department and RESQ. They are also reported by various departments including the police, fire brigade, customs and other government bodies. Many of these animals are rescued in on-ground operations. Sometimes, the animals are directly brought for treatment by individuals. All these animals are admitted to the treatment facility at Bavdhan and taken care of by the RESQ team with the consent of the forest department.

The director, wildlife management, RESQ CT, said that distress scenarios included road accidents, orphaned animals, animals entering human settlements, man-animal conflicts, wild or stray animal attacks, animals falling into wells or getting stuck to glue traps that are often used to catch rats in urban areas. According to the latest annual report, 1,086 mammals and 1,191 reptiles were admitted to the RESQ facility apart from birds. While some of these animals were re-released into the wild after being kept under observation for a short duration of time, some are still receiving treatment.

The comparative data also highlighted that in the last two years, the number of wild animals reported in the RESQ facility has increased. In 2021, there were 1,868 wild animals provided with help whereas in 2022, 3,011 wild animals needed intervention. However, birds were among the most distressed category over the past two years.

Aditya Paranjape, wildlife warden, Pune Forest Department, said, Last year, there were several incidents where entire bird colonies were destroyed by tree-cutting. Earlier, facilities at Katraj and Chinchwad used to get calls about animal distress situations. But these facilities have stopped getting such calls which is why the animals are being directly reported to the RESQ facility. As a result, we have seen an increase in the number of incidents reported. Since we are now getting real-time data on such incidents, it will help us to get a clear picture of distress scenarios. In future, it will not only help in research but also in making policy decisions.

Number of animal distress incidents reported in the last two years in Pune district
The Southern Commands defence estates department has ordered the Defence Estates Officer (DEO) Pune to take over the New Club (Poona) Ltd in the cantonment area due to non-payment of 17 crores and lease expiry. According to the defence estate office, the club management has been sitting over the property for the past five years despite the expiry of the lease without paying a single pie to the government and earning huge money from wedding venue membership. (SHANKAR NARAYAN/ HT PHOTO)

The club located at bungalow number 2 on Rajendrasinhji Road is known for hosting several social events.

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The order issued by Saurav Ray, Director of Defence Estates, Southern Command, during December last week, stated, Immediate action be initiated under Public Premise Eviction Act 1971 for taking over possession of the premises and recovery of damage charges.

According to the defence estate office, the club management has been sitting over the property for the past five years despite the expiry of the lease without paying a single pie to the government and earning huge money from wedding venue membership.

As per the recent directions, the said office has been asked to take immediate eviction action, impose damage charges, file a First Information Report (FIR) and further seal the property.

Meanwhile, the DEO has swung into action and started PPE Act proceedings of eviction and served a notice to the club.

The amount of 17 crores is due to be recovered from the club as a fine after the management failed to comply with directives issued by DEO from time to time, said a senior official from defence estates, requesting anonymity.

When contacted, Ajit Singh Rajpal, president, New Club (Poona) Ltd, said, We have approached a court in Pune and the hearing is scheduled on January 9.

Rajpal also questioned the amount of 17 crores that DEO has arrived at while issuing the fine.

The DEO, Pune office which is located just opposite the new Poona Club had regularly sent communication to the club to pay the dues but no action was taken under the PPE Act.

Earlier last year, former members of the club in their complaint to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had stated that the club was a bungalow property given on lease to the New Club (Poona).

The lease expired six years ago and the club is illegally occupying the premises, stated the former members in their communication to the Ministry of Defence.

The club spread over approximately one lakh square feet of land has a 10,000 square feet structure on it.

The club had asked for a renewal of the lease which was rejected by Southern Command headquarters and sub-area office.

The letter pointed out that the new club was running a restaurant, liquor bar and a marriage and party lawn illegally.

Though the army has objected to the renewal of the club lease, no action was being taken by the principal Director, Southern Command and the club management was still collecting 2,50,000 from new members despite the lease expiry.

The club website states that New Club was conceived in 1918. The birth of the club was in the form of an unregistered association of members somewhere in March 1918, on September 4, 1948. The New Club (Poona) Ltd was incorporated amidst celebrations of a new born India, the website states.

Pune Cantonment has approximately about 300 bungalows, a few schools and clubs like Turf Club, New Poona Club etc, both leased out by MoD to private persons or educational institutes mainly on long lease.

These bungalows are located on MG Road, East Street, Prince of Wales Road, Stavely Road and Cross Road.
Madhukar Yadav Thote, who played a crucial role in bringing the colour TV transmission to India, passed away, family members said on Wednesday. After retiring as a chief engineer of Doordarshan and AIR in 1988, Thote was associated with the Savitribai Phule Pune University for 22 years as head of the department for communication studies, and director of the Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC). (HT PHOTO)

Thote (93) died in Pune on December 28 due to old age.

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He was posted as the engineer-in-charge of Doordarshan, Delhi, in 1980 when the broadcasting was in black and white. He then worked on colour transmission technology.

After two years of research, experiments and trials, the era of colour TV transmission started in 1982 in India with technical support offered by a team led by Thote.

The first official colour transmission was of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhis address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, 1982.

Apart from the major contribution, Thote was instrumental in setting up transmission centres for All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan across the country.

He was on deputation to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) from 1976 to 1978.

He worked with the United Nations as a project director in Africa in 1979 for the establishment of a telecommunication institute.

After retiring as a chief engineer of Doordarshan and AIR in 1988, Thote was associated with the Savitribai Phule Pune University for 22 years as head of the department for communication studies, and director of the Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC).

He also served as the chairman of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication (IETE), Pune Chapter.

Thote is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Thote is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
China's Cabinet sets air pollution control targets for next year to push green transition The latest measures outlined by China to curb air pollution and promote its green transition by next year will pave the way for bluer skies and healthier lives while further propelling the nation's response to climate change, officials and analysts said. An action plan aimed at improving air quality published by the State Council, China's Cabinet, last month included key targets to reduce the density of air pollutants in cities and shore up green industrial shifts, build a cleaner energy mix and develop a low-carbon transport system. The action plan also mapped out key regions for air quality improvement, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta region and the Fenwei Plain, an area that comprises parts of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces. According to the plan, the nation is targeting a 10 percent reduction in the density of PM2.5  particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less  in prefecture-level cities next year when compared with levels in 2020. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to PM2.5 can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The density of PM2.5 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas will be reduced by 20 percent, and that in the Fenwei Plain by 15 percent. Emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds will be cut by over 10 percent. Liu Bingjiang, chief engineer with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, told a news briefing last month that China was the nation that saw the quickest improvement in air quality over the past decade. "However, the nation is still yet to witness a turning point from quantitative change to qualitative change in terms of air quality," he said. He said severe pollution still occurs frequently, with the petrochemical sector making up a significant proportion of China's industrial structure and coal still dominating its energy mix. China rolled out a national plan targeting pollutants including PM2.5 in September 2013 that included a raft of measures to renovate or close coal-fired boilers and power plants and promote green transport methods. The use of natural gas across the nation doubled from 2013 to 2020, while steel production capacity was reduced by 250 million metric tons and coal production capacity by 1 billion tons, according to the ministry. Liu said the containment of PM2.5 remained the priority in the latest national plan, which also emphasized the need to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of transportation to reduce emissions of nitric oxide and volatile organic compounds. Based on years of meteorological monitoring and scientific research, the national plan now covers more cities in the area surrounding the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Liu added. According to the plan, the nation will resolutely curb the launch of new projects with high energy consumption and carbon emissions, including steps to ban new steel production capacity, accelerate the removal of outdated capacity in key sectors and foster green industries. More will be done to develop new and clean energy to ensure that non-fossil energy will account for 20 percent of the country's total energy consumption by next year. The nation's total consumption of coal will be strictly contained, with the plan targeting a 10 percent cut in coal consumption  compared with 2020 levels  in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, and a 5 percent cut in the Yangtze River Delta region. The development of a green transport system will be another policy priority, with the plan looking to increase cargo transportation via railways by 10 percent and waterways by 12 percent by next year compared with 2020. New energy vehicles will account for no less than 80 percent of new or updated buses, taxis and other urban public transport vehicles in key areas, the plan said. He Kebin, dean of Tsinghua University's Institute for Carbon Neutrality, said the action plan pointed the way forward in the battle to protect blue skies and promote high-quality economic growth through the continuous improvement of air quality. He said China's air quality is still below the requirements for protecting human health, despite its remarkable pace of improvement. He cited data that showed the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in 339 cities at or above the prefecture level in China was still 5.8 times higher than the World Health Organization's air quality guideline levels for 2022, while there was also a significant difference between PM2.5 concentration levels in those cities and cities in Western countries. Meanwhile, he said the nation's fight against air pollution was facing different challenges than a decade ago. "It is now even more challenging for the nation to explore the space for reducing pollutants while continuing with rapid economic and social development, advancing industrialization and urbanization, and improving air quality to narrow the environmental gap with developed countries," he said. He said putting structural measures in place to cut carbon emissions will be the key for China to achieve sustained improvement in air quality. "The essence of China's ecological and environmental problems lies in its high-carbon energy structure and the high-energy, high-carbon industrial structure. Green and low-carbon development is the fundamental solution," he said, adding that it is an inevitable choice for China to synergize its efforts toward pollution reduction and carbon reduction to realize green and low-carbon development. Wang Jinnan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former head of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, said reducing PM2.5 concentrations will continue to be the primary focus and core objective of China's air pollution prevention and control. To ensure the full implementation of the national action plan, Wang said local authorities must come up with their own plans while putting in place effective mechanisms to meet air quality standards and respond to weather conditions conducive to severe pollution. Businesses must be encouraged to play a leading role in cutting emissions, proactively phase out outdated production procedures and equipment, improve production processes and expedite green upgrades, he added. Chai Fahe, a researcher on air pollution at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, highlighted the significance of adopting targeted, scientific and lawful measures for air pollution control. He said key sectors such as coal-fired power, steel and cement and the use of automobiles contributed over 80 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions, while sectors including industrial coatings and petrochemicals accounted for over 70 percent of volatile organic compound emissions. "Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize upgrades in industrial, energy and transportation structures and strengthen the in-depth governance of pollution sources," he said. xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn


GATE 2024 Admit Card Live Updates: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has released admit cards or hall tickets of the Graduate Aptitude Test In Engineering or GATE 2024 today, January 4, on the website gate2024.iisc.ac.in. Direct link to download GATE 2024 Admit Card ...Read More

The exam will take place on February 3, 4, 10 and 11. There will be two shifts  from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

On GATE admit cards, candidates can check details of their exam centres, cities, paper timing, reporting time and exam day guidelines. Follow this live blog for all the latest updates.
GATE 2024, a national-level exam that assesses a candidate's understanding in various undergraduate-level subjects in Engineering, Technology, Science, Architecture, and Humanities, will be organised by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) this year. While the GATE score is used by candidates to seek admission into postgraduate and doctoral programmes at universities, various other opportunities can be explored with the GATE score.(HT file)

The exam will take place on February 3, 4, 10 and 11. There will be two shifts  from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. The admit cards for GATE 2024 will be released today by IISc Bengaluru.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Also Read: GATE 2024 Admit Card Live Updates: IISc Bangalore to issue hall tickets today on gate2024.iisc.ac.in

There will be a total of 30 test papers comprising full papers and sectional papers. According to IISc Bengaluru, candidates have the option to appear for one or two test papers from the allowed two-paper combinations. The GATE score obtained will remain valid for three years from the date of announcement of results.

While the GATE score is used by candidates to seek admission into postgraduate and doctoral programmes at universities, various other opportunities can be explored with the GATE score.

Admission

According to IISc, candidates with a valid GATE score can seek admission to:

(i) Masters programs and direct Doctoral programs in Engineering/ Technology/ Science/ Architecture/ Humanities; and

(ii) Doctoral programs in relevant branches of Engineering/ Technology/ Science/ Architecture/ Humanities,

in the institutions supported by the MoE and other Government agencies.

Financial Assistance

Candidates with valid GATE scores and seeking admission to Master's or Doctoral programs can also seek financial assistance towards their respective programmes.

Financial Assistance given to M.Tech students is Rs. 12,400 per month and is generally paid for 22 months.

Financial Assistance is also given for Ph.D. programs (Direct Ph.D. after B.E./B.Tech/M.Sc equivalent with a valid GATE score) which amounts to Rs. 37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs. 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year.

Recruitment

Candidates with a valid score can not only seek admission or financial education but can also try their hand at getting recruited in various public sector undertakings (PSUs) that consider the GATE score in the recruitment process.

According to IISc, the following are some of the PSUs that have been using the GATE score to recruit candidates:

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Coal India Limited (CIL) Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL) Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) Engineers India Limited (EIL) Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL) National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) NLC India Limited (NLCIL) National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore will release admit cards or hall tickets of the Graduate Aptitude Test In Engineering or GATE 2024 today, January 3, on the website gate2024.iisc.ac.in.
Indian students are increasingly diversifying their study abroad options beyond the traditional destinations of the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. This shift can be attributed to several factors including evolving policies and initiatives in various countries. Destinations such as Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore, New Zealand, and Malta, are becoming attractive due to streamlined visa processes, increased accessibility to information, and rising incomes, making global education more feasible for Indian students.(Unsplash)

Which are the new emerging destinations and what are the big advantages? In an exclusive interview, Saurabh Arora, Founder & CEO, University Living, a global student housing marketplace, talks about the top 5 emerging destinations as well as the dos & donts of choosing a study abroad destination.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

What are the emerging study destinations for Indian students?

France is actively welcoming Indian students, aiming to host 30,000 by 2030. Similarly, Germany's affordability and excellent education system have contributed to a remarkable 107% increase in Indian students in the past four years.

Also Read: Study Abroad: Check out the scholarships offered by the government & other institutions in Ireland

Spain has experienced an approximately 12% spurt in international student numbers within three years. In Singapore, the Indian student population has grown from 1,500 to 10,000 between July 2021 and March 2022. Additionally, Dubai's Indian student population is on the rise, particularly in primary and secondary education.

Ireland has tripled its international student population from 2010 to 2020, hosting over 25,000 students in 2021. Malta's English language training sector is rebounding, with a 103% increase in enrolments over 2021.

What are the big reasons for this shift?

Destinations such as Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Dubai, Singapore, New Zealand, and Malta, are becoming attractive due to streamlined visa processes, increased accessibility to information, and rising incomes, making global education more feasible for Indian students.

What are the dos and donts of selecting an emerging study-abroad destination?

 Start by evaluating the visa processes and prioritise countries with streamlined and student-friendly visa procedures.

 Affordability is another key factor, considering the overall cost of education, including tuition fees, living expenses, and other costs, as emerging destinations often offer more budget-friendly options compared to traditional choices.

 Assess the language requirements for courses, as some countries may offer programs in English while others may demand proficiency in a specific language.

 Seek out institutions with strong reputations and accreditation.

 Research about the often overlooked aspects including support services like student housing, post-arrival settling-in services, and ongoing cost-of-living expenses.

Also Read: Here are the top higher education trends to look out for in 2024

What are the five emerging destinations & what are the advantages?

Germany: With its affordability and excellent education system offers numerous benefits, such as low-cost or free education, easy visa procedures, and a variety of English-taught programs.

Language requirements differ depending on the program. The cost of living is affordable with a monthly average for furnished accommodation being Euro 500-550 for sharing rooms and Euro 700-800 for private rooms.

Top Universities: BSBI, Arden University, Gisma, SRH Hochschule Berlin, the Technical University of Munich, and Ludwig Maximilian University, which offer highly regarded courses in engineering, computer science, and business administration.

Spain: Studying in Spain provides an enriching cultural experience, with popular fields of study such as tourism, architecture, and international business. The visa process usually takes between 30 and 60 days, and the cost of living is generally reasonable.

Cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Pamplona, and Valencia are renowned for their programs in law, arts and humanities, marketing and finance, STEM degrees, as well as Spanish language courses for international students.

Top Universities: The University of Barcelona is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world. Other top universities include the Autonomous University of Madrid, Pompeu Fabra University, Complutense University of Madrid, University of Valencia, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, University of Granada, IE University, Universidad de Sevilla, and University of Salamanca.

France: Among the many advantages of studying in France is the streamlined visa process, including the 5-year short-stay Schengen visa for postgraduates. The visa process is relatively straightforward, with short-term visas taking around 6 days and long-term visas up to 1 month, with moderate fees.

France offers many globally recognised degrees, with popular courses to study in Paris in engineering, fashion, hospitality, dessert making, MBA, data analytics, marketing and arts. The official and mandatory language of instruction in France is French. Most academic programs at universities and educational institutions are conducted in French. However, there are also English-taught programs available, especially at the postgraduate level. The cost of living, including accommodation, is a bit high compared to its immediate neighbour Germany.

Top Universities: Universite PSL, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Sorbonne University, Universite Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, HEC Paris and Sciences Po University.

Malta: Malta is becoming popular because of its reasonable living expenses, and the use of English as a predominant language. Commonly pursued courses include business, tourism, and information technology. The visa application procedures are typically uncomplicated and take 7 to 15 days minimum. Accommodation options are very affordable.

Top University: Most famous is the University of Malta which offers a wide range of programs in fields such as finance, hospitality, and computer science, as well as Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Film Studies, and Performing Arts.

Dubai: Dubai is a popular choice for international students due to its cosmopolitan environment. The Dubai visa processing time for Indian students takes around 15 to 20 working days. Accommodation options include on-campus accommodation; shared apartments are more economical.

Top course options: Engineering, financial accounting, applied logistics management, architecture, management, MBA, etc.

Top universities: University of Wollongong in Dubai, American University in Dubai (AUD), The British University in Dubai (BUiD), Middlesex University Dubai, American University in the Emirates, Institute of Management Technology - Dubai (IMTD), Canadian University Dubai, Zayed University UAE, and Murdoch University Dubai.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail has been receiving acclaim. Actor Vikrant Massey is also getting praise for his performance as Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame poverty to become an IPS officer. Now, the actor has responded to a person on X (formerly Twitter), who shared a screenshot of real-life IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and his wife, IRS officer Shraddha Joshi, in the background of a scene. Also read: Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail shows love doesn't come in the way of ambition, lack of self-love does Vikrant Massey has confirmed a wholesome Easter Egg in 12th Fail.

Vikrant confirms appearances of real-life officers

Vikrant, who played the role of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, was quick to confirm his presence in the 12th Fail scene. The X user wrote, "Did anyone notice in the background, the real Manoj and Shraddha in this scene? What attention to detail! 12th Fail."

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Vikrant Massey responded, Haha!!! So I finally found someone who noticed this. True, its them. A small @VVCFilms tribute to them. Another trivia it happened at the same place, which is Delhi Haat.

About 12th Fail

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail starring Vikrant Massey is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. The film has been sent to Oscars 2024 as an independent nomination. The film has been praised by several celebs, such as, veteran actor Kamal Haasan, actor-filmmaker Rishabh Shetty, actor Sanjay Dutt, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, and actor Anil Kapoor, among others.

Helmed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Vikrant-starrer 12th Fail revolves around UPSC aspirants and is based on real-life experiences. The film showcases the struggles of millions of students, who attempt the UPSC entrance exam. It chronicles the life of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame poverty to become an IPS officer. Based on a novel by Anurag Pathak, Vikrant is seen as a young boy from Chambal, who wants to join the police force.

In a recent interview with India Today, Vikrant spoke about how he prepared for the film, "A lot of weight loss! I had just semi-liquid and mashed food for almost 20 days before the shoot and also had to regain my weight by the end of the shoot. Its only Vinod Sir (Vidhu Vinod Chopra, director) who can do this because almost 80 per cent of the film was shot in sequence, so I had to regain the weight. It is a daunting and challenging film.

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 3 (ANI): Actor Bobby Deol is currently enjoying the success of his recent release 'Animal, in which he plays the antagonist. HT Image

On Wednesday, Bobby treated fans with a series of pictures with his son Aryaman Deol on Instagram.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The father-son duo looked handsome and can be seen twinning in black pantsuits.

He captioned the post, "Outfit by the coolest & dearest @raghavendra.rathore #dharamdeol."

Soon after she uploaded the post, fans and industry friends swamped the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons

Actor Preity Zinta dropped heart and fire emojis.

A fan commented, "All handsome genes in one family."

Another wrote, "Two gorgeous boys!"

Talking about Bobby's recent release in which he played the role of the antagonist Abrar Haque, 'Animal' is one of the most successful films of 2023.

Released on December 1, the film left many fans excited as it had a post-credits scene, teasing a sequel titled 'Animal Park', in which Ranbir would potentially have a double role.

And now makers have officially confirmed the film's sequel with an Instagram post on T-Series' handle.

T-Series announced that they are collaborating with Sandeep Reddy Vanga for three films -- 'Animal Park', Prabhas-starrer 'Spirit' and one film with Allu Arjun.

"It's a partnership built on trust, fueled by creative freedom, and fortified by an unbreakable bond. Producer Bhushan Kumar and Director #SandeepReddyVanga unveil the next cinematic wonders--Prabhas' Spirit, Animal Park, and an Allu Arjun saga--the chapters that follow the monumental success of Kabir Singh and #Animal," the post read.

Meanwhile, Bobby is all set to star in superstar Nandamuri Balakrishna's next film tentatively titled 'NBK109'. (ANI)
Makers of the upcoming crime series 'Killer Soup' on Wednesday unveiled the series' trailer. Taking to Instagram, the OTT platform Netflix shared the video which they captioned, Umesh and Swathi are stirring up the most bizarre crime thriller of the year- and the secrets are about to boil over! KILLER SOUP TRAILER OUT NOW!!. Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma in Killer Soup.

The series revolves around Swathi Shetty a budding cook who wishes for the entire world to enjoy her soup. One mishap kicks off a chain reaction of accidents and frantic cover-ups that find her and her partner in hot water.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who will be playing the role of Swathi's lover Umesh, said, "For the first time in my career, I will be playing a double role, both starkly different from each other. I trusted Abhishek Chaubey's directorial prowess, Netflix as collaborators, and a stellar cast that breathed life into characters to create a surreal pot-boiler unlike any other stemming from an accidental crime. At its heart, Killer Soup is a crime thriller that blends multiple genres, making it a delicious serving that everyone can enjoy."

Playing the role of Swathi Shetty, actor Konkana Sensharma said, "Stepping into Swathi Shetty's shoes was a unique experience for me as the character has depth, darkness and packs a lot of punch. Working on the series with long-time collaborators Netflix and Abhishek Chaubey and a talented set of actors was a delight. The trailer offers a glimpse into the quirky world we've created set against the background of a sleepy town. With hints of suspense peppered through the series, it makes you wonder, 'Will she or won't she get caught and will the soup boil over?' I eagerly await the audience's reaction when they watch Killer Soup."

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey the series stars Manoj Bajpayee, Konkona Sensharma, Nasser, Sayaji Shinde, Lal, Anbuthasan, Anula Navlekar and Kani Kusruti in pivotal roles.

Produced by Chetana Kowshik and Honey Trehan, 'Killer Soup' will be released on Netflix on 11 January 2024. (ANI)
What are the chances that fans can get to see Ranbir Kapoor in a Rohit Shetty cop film? The actor surprised fans dressed in a cop uniform and sporting a moustache as he shot for an advertisement with the director. Ranbir's look has impressed fans, who commented on the possibility of him doing a film where he plays a police officer. (Also read: Manoj Bajpayee, Arshad Warsi defend Ranbir's Animal: 'If films could change society, we would be living in heaven') Ranbir Kapoor and Rohit Shetty shot an ad together.

Ranbir shoots for an ad in police uniform

Several pictures of Ranbir dressed as a police officer emerged on social media, which were posted by his fan accounts on X (formerly Twitter). In one of the pictures, he was seen sitting on a chair waiting for a shot. In one shot, the actor looked handsome as he was seen walking towards the set in a pair of black shades. A third picture saw Ranbir do a fist bump with director Rohit Shetty. The caption of the post read: "RK and Rohit Shetty for an ad shoot."

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Fan reactions

Reacting to the pictures, a fan said: "Man he should do cop film in this banger look!" An eagle-eyed fan spotted the name tag on his uniform and added, "His name tag says chingum (laughing face emoticon)" Another fan said, We want a movie with this look of RK!

Ranbir in an ad with Konkona Sen Sharma

Ranbir Kapoor was also seen in what appears to be another ad, which was shared by filmmaker Karan Johar on his Instagram. It starred his Wake Up Sid co-star Konkona Sensharma. In the caption, Karan Johar said: "Is this really happening? All I know is something exciting is brewing and I couldnt have woken up to a better piece of news."

Upcoming projects

Meanwhile, Rohit Shetty recently unveiled the much-awaited teaser for Indian Police Force season 1. It is a Prime Video India original series, starring Sidharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty and Vivek Oberoi. It will be release on January 19.

Ranbir was last seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, which became the highest grossing film of his career. The 3-hour-21-minute-long film was released in 5 languages: Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. It stands at a worldwide gross collection of 887.69 crore.

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Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput, along with their children Misha Kapoor and Zain Kapoor and Shahid's brother and actor Ishaan Khatter, were on a New Year vacation in Bhutan. Mira has been documenting their serene getaway on Instagram. On Wednesday, Mira shared another peek inside their holiday as she posted photos of herself meeting the queen of Bhutan, Jetsun Pema. Mira also shared a group photo featuring Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the king of Bhutan. Also read: Shahid Kapoor and other celebs give glimpse of how they celebrated New Year Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput along with their family met the royal family of Bhutan during their recent holiday.

Shahid Kapoor and family meet the royals in Bhutan

In the picture, Mira was seen with actor-husband Shahid Kapoor as well as her brother-in-law Ishaan Khatter. Also joining them were Mira's parents Bela and Vikramaditya Rajput. Shahid, Mira and family were dressed in casual winter clothes as they posed with the king and queen of Bhutan.

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Mira Rajput's pictures with the queen

In a couple of other pictures, Mira was seen in an ethnic outfit as she posed with the queen of Bhutan, Jetsun Pema, who was dressed in a traditional Bhutanese outfit. The two smiled wide for the camera in another picture, seemingly taken at Dechencholing Palace, located in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

In her caption, Mira Rajput gushed about Bhutan's royal family as well as the country, writing, Bhutan: The Peoples Kingdom. So grateful to have met His Majesty The King @kingjigmekhesar and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen of Bhutan and spent time on many occasions during our stay. Their warmth, humility and generosity envelopes one into the comfort of chatting and interacting candidly. Yet their pride for the country, their people and its heritage reminds one of their innate regality.

More holiday pics from Bhutan

Over the last couple of days, Shahid, Ishaan and Mira have been sharing pictures and videos from their Bhutan vacation. Before ringing in 2024, Mira had also shared a bunch of solo pictures from the Bhutan trip on Instagram.

She had written in the caption, "Taking off to 2024. Better and brighter. Be yourself, real and happy! So while we leave behind the baggage that slows us down, lets never forget to check-in the one package we should load in kilos... fun! Have fun guys. Life is too short to be serious... Happy New Year."

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Shreyas Talpade was hospitalised earlier this month after he had a heart attack and underwent an angioplasty. In an interview with The Times of India, the actor has opened up about his health scare for the first time and revealed that he was 'clinically dead' for a few minutes on that day. He also revealed that his family has a history of heart-related conditions. (Also read: Shreyas Talpade discharged from hospital days after heart attack, wife Deepti recalls 'drastic event' of their lives) Shreyas Talpade talked about his recent health scare.

Shreyas recounts what happened on December 14

Talking to The Times of India, Shreyas said that for last few months, he was feeling extremely fatigued after work and since he has a family history of heart ailments, he has been taking medications and precautions. The actor then went on to detail what happened on December 14, when he was rushed to hospital by his wife Deepti. He said: Suddenly, I felt breathless and my left hand started paining. I could barely walk to my vanity van and change my clothes. I thought it was a muscle pull since we were shooting action sequences. You dont think of the worst-case scenario, right ? 'I had never experienced this kind of fatigue.' As soon as I got into the car, I felt I should head straight to the hospital, but thought I should go home first. My wife, Deepti, saw me in that state and within 10 minutes, we were on our way to the hospital." Shreyas revealed that by the time he could enter the hospsital from the gate his face went numb and he suffered a cardiac arrest.

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'Jaan hai toh jahaan hai'

After he regained consciousness, Shreyas said sorry to his wife for putting her through this ordeal. He further added how such an experience has completely changed his perspective towards life. "I was clinically dead for a couple of minutes I was never hospitalised before in my life, not even for a fracture so I didn't see this coming. Don't take your health for granted. Times are so uncertain that you must give extreme importance to your health. If that falls apart, nothing else matters. Jaan hai toh jahaan hai. An experience like this changes your perspective towards life," he added.

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 3 (ANI): Actor Sonali Bendre visited Neelkanth to start her year on a good note. HT Image

Sonali took to Instagram to share pictures from her visit.

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She captioned the post, "Started the year with a visit to the Neelkanth... I hope the poison of negative thoughts and actions can be overcome this year with his blessings! #HarHarMahadev PS: @geeta_kapurofficial thought of you.#Neelkanth #NeelkanthMahadev #Shiva #NewYear2024 #SwitchOnTheSunshine #PositiveThoughts #GoodVibesOnly #NewBeginnings."

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1l3iPigz2s/?hl=en

She wore a full-length purple jacket and light-coloured pants. She also added an off-white muffler with white sneakers.

Sonali also mentioned choreographer Geeta Kapur, with whom she shared the screen as one of the judged in the reality show 'India's Best Dancer 3.' Apart from, Geeta and Sonali, 'India's Best Dancer 3' was judged by Terence Lewis.

Sonali also took rickshaw rides, and cable car rides with her family in Haridwar on her birthday, that was on January 1. She also attended the Ganga Aarti. She shared the image of her to Haridwar visit on Instagram and wrote, "E-rickshaw, cable car rides, what a day in Haridwar with the most amazing Gangaji Aarti... Thank you @pilibhithouseharidwar (for sneaking us in and out so smoothly!!!!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1hnBxiiicp/?hl=en&img_index=1

Meanwhile, on the work front, she recently made her OTT debut with ZEE5's series, 'Broken News'. In the show, she played the role of a journalist named Amina Qureshi.

She made her acting debut with the 1994 film 'Aag', which also starred Govinda, Shilpa Shetty and Shakti Kapoor. Her first big hit was the action romance 'Diljale' which was released in 1996 and later she was also part of movies such as 'Major Saab', 'Sarfarosh', 'Duplicate', Zakhm', 'Chori Chori'and 'Hum Saath Saath Hain', among others.

In 2018, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment in the USA. After undergoing treatment for months, she finally defeated the disease and came out victorious, and since then she has been raising awareness about cancer. (ANI)
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front-row taxi ride.
Amid all the actors, directors roundtables and yearender lists, Deepika Padukone has given her own verdict on the best acting performance of year (or perhaps multiple recent years). She took to Instagram to share a scene from Bradley Cooper's Maestro and called it one of the greatest of recent times. Deepika Padukone posted a scene from Maestro on Instagram.

Deepika's post

Sharing the viral London Symphony Orchestra scene from the Leonard Bernstein biopic on her IG stories, posted by a cinephile account. She wrote, Aah this scene! Probably one of the greatest performances I've experienced in recent years.

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Watch the scene here:

The scene took six years of prep

Bradley Coopers follow-up to A Star Is Born, Maestro takes a loving look at the life of Leonard Bernstein and wife Felicia Montealegre. Bradley co-writes, directs and stars opposite Carey Mulligan in a portrait of the public and private side of the legendary composer and conductor.

Bradley also shared his concerns about filming the viral scene. He mentioned during a Los Angeles screening of the movie, "That scene I was so worried about because we did it live... I was recorded live. I had to conduct them. And I spent six years learning how to conduct six minutes and 21 seconds of music. I was able to get the raw take where I just watched Leonard Bernstein [conduct] at Ely Cathedral... And so I had that to study."

The film, now streaming on Netflix, is expected to be a big contender through awards season, especially for Mulligans lived-in, decades-spanning portrayal of an artist living in the shadow of a genius and a wife grappling with the compromises shes made to support him.

What's next for Deepika?

Deepika was seen last year in two blockbusters, Pathaan and Jawan. Her next films up for release include Fighter and Kalki AD 2898. She stars opposite Hrithik Roshan in Fighter and with Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan in Kalki AD 2898.
During a recent appearance on a chat show, Florence Pugh rued having her birthday fall on January 3rd. She complained how fresh off the New Year and Christmas fever, no one wants to party, get drunk or eat any more sinful food, spoiling all the fun for her birthday celebrations. At this, the host suggested that January 3rd should henceforth be celebrated as Florence Pugh day and we could not agree more! Florence Pugh has already starred in an array of great works at her young age.

On her 28th birthday and the inaugural FPD, we bring you five films of the talented star that you must-watch:

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Little Women

Greta Gerwig's predecessor to Barbie was a far superior film, called Little Women. Based on the seminal work of American author Louisa M Alcott, it starred Pugh as Amy March, the youngest and sassiest of the March sisters.

The film charted the stories of the March sisters as young girls in an America struck by the Civil War, to becoming women with their own share of social, personal and emotional journeys through the female experience.

As Amy, Pugh was wondrously convincing as a 12 year old. She threw a tantrum, tore her sister's books in jealous rage, ogled at the neighbourhood boy, threw her feet on the ground with all the innocence and insufferable qualities of a child. On the flipside, she was equally stunning as a pragmatic young adult woman, teaching you the perks of a convenient, if loveless marriage.

Though she shared the screen and credits with the likes of Soairse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet, she towered over the both of them as the shiniest performance in a film sparkling with them.

Midsommar

It's been years since I watched Midsommar and I still get regular flashbacks of Florence Pugh surrounded by women, howling her lungs out while splashed on the floor. Ari Aster's very A24-esque horror film is also among the strangest, wildest to come out of Hollywood.

Midsommar shows a young woman who attends the fairly innocent on paper Midsommar festival in a distant village in Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends. The boyfriend is contemplating dumping her while she suffers far worse demons of her own. The horrors manifest themselves throughout their holiday, each worse than the one it follows.

While Ari Aster's writing and direction makes the film a hypnotising albeit an uneasy watch, it is Florence who takes it beyond the realm of good to all time greats. Her screams are blood-curdling, her sinister smiles the most upsetting. She is frustrated at one moment and elated the next and you feel all of it with her.

The Wonder

Spanish filmmaker Sebastian Lelio's adaptation of Emma Donoghue novel is stellar in every frame. From the gloomy hills of Irish Midlands to the darkest corners of a hut that houses a miracle. It is 1862, shortly after the brutal famine, and a nurse and a nun have been invited to a village to witness a little girl survive without eating for days.

While the nun is ready to believe what her eyes see, the nurse, played by Pugh, isn't so trusting. Skeptical but kind, stern but caring, Pugh plays the role to a perfect pitch. She is our eyes and often times, also our mind through this story. We learn secrets with her and recoil from them just like her.

Don't Worry Darling

Everyone seems to remember the never-ending backstage drama surrounding the press tour of this Olivia Wilde directorial. But lest one forgets, Don't Worry Darling had a winning performance from Florence Pugh at the centre.

The actor played Alice, whose life in an idyllic midcentury-designed neighborhood with her husband Jack (Harry Styles) slowly begins to disintegrate. An egg turns out to be nothing but an empty shell. She finds herself trapped between the wall of her house and the window. Something is terribly amiss.

Despite the disjointed narrative, Pugh commands the scenes with a full-throttle and confrontational energy. The actor provides curiosity, anger and rage- grounding the mystery all along the way. Even if the film doesn't know where its headed, Pugh more or less rescues it with her performance.

Lady Macbeth

Florence Pugh gave a breakout central performance in William Oldroyd's 2017 film, one that announced the arrival of a blazing new talent. Pugh plays Katherine, who has been married off to Alexander (Paul Hilton). She finds herself into a stifling Victorian domestic household, but her spirit refuses to be locked indoors.

Katherine begins an affair with one of her husbands workers, and soon gets caught. From thereon, things take a twisted, darker turn. Pugh is mesmerizing to watch, her seething rage and cunning for survival offering momentum to the intoxicating narrative.

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This year, the 33rd Seoul Music Awards was held on January 2 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It marks the first time in history that the prestigious South Korean award ceremony took place in a foreign country. The big winners for the night were BTS stars Jungkook, Jimin, and V, who all clinched Bonsang, the main award. Additionally, Kim Tae-hyung, a.k.a. V, also won the Fan Choice of the Year award. BTS at Grammy Awards: V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope's first Grammy appearance.

Full list of winners at the 33rd Seoul Music Awards

The boy band NCT DREAM won Daesang, the grand prize, for the second year in a row. Other big winners on Tuesday night were NewJeans, SEVENTEEN, and Stray Kids. Moreover, the famous K-pop girl group BLACKPINK won big as they clinched the World Best Artist Award. Apart from Jungkook, Jimin, and V's individual victories, BTS won the World Trend Artist Award as a group.

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Here's the full list of winners at the 2024 award show:

Daesang (Grand Prize)

NCT DREAM

Best Album Award

SEVENTEEN

Best Song Award

NewJeans

Bonsang (Main Award)

aespa, (G)I-DLE, IVE, Jimin (BTS), Jungkook (BTS), Kang Daniel, Lim Young Woong, NCT DREAM, NewJeans, NMIXX, RIIZE, SEVENTEEN, STAYC, Stray Kids, Sunmi, V (BTS), Young Tak, and ZEROBASEONE

World Best Artist Award

BLACKPINK

World Trend Artist Award

BTS

Rookie of the Year

RIIZE and ZEROBASEONE

Best Performance Award

Billie

Fan Choice of the Year

BTSs V

OST Award

EXOs Baekhyun for Hello from Dr. Romantic 3

Ballad Award

DAY6s Young K

Band Award

Xdinary Heroes

Trot Award

Young Tak

R&B/Hip Hop Award

Dynamic Duo

Discovery of the Year

FIFTY FIFTY

K-Pop Special Award

Sandara Park

Global Producer Award

GOT7s Mark, Youngjae, and BamBam

New Wave Star Award

KISS OF LIFE, PLAVE, and Yuju

Y Global Special Award

n.SSign

Popularity Award

Kim Ho Joong

Best Thai Artist

Fourth, Gemini, NuNew, and Zee Pruk
Tamil actor Ajith Kumar celebrated New Year's Eve in Dubai along with his family. A new video of the actor dancing with a member of a hotel staff has gone viral on social media. Fans reacted enthusiastically to the video of the Thunivu star and shared their reactions in the comments. (Also read: Rajinikanth invited to Ram Temple inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya, BJP leader Ra.Arjunamurthy shares pics) Ajith Kumar shook a leg with a hotel staff during New Year celebrations.

Ajith Kumar's latest video

Ajith Kumar seemed to be in a light mood in the latest video, which is now being shared on the actor's fan account on X. The actor put his guard down and danced with a female member of the hotel staff. The actor was seen in a white shirt and jeans, and sported black shades. As he grooved along, many fans captured the moment on their mobiles and cheered along. His wife Shalini was also seen in the video.

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Fan reactions

Reacting to the video, a fan said: "I love this version. Ajith anna is on fire!!" Another wrote: "Man requested for not taking video but now he caught red-handed (laughing face emoticon)." A second fan said, "His dance moves looks wow, enjoying his life happily in his own way!" "Love this dance of Ajith sir, happy new year to him and his family," read another comment.

Another video of Ajith also appeared on X, where he was seen coming down from a cruise ship in Dubai. He also interacted with some fans and requested them not to click pictures.

Upcoming projects

Ajith was last seen in Thunivu. A heist thriller, it marked the third consecutive collaboration between Ajith, director H. Vinoth and producer Boney Kapoor. The film also starred Manju Warrier in a key role. Set mostly inside a bank, the film revolves around financial scams and how it affects the general public.

Ajith will be next seen in Magizh Thirumeni's Vidaa Muyarchi. The filming took place in Azerbaijan recently. It also stars Trisha, Arjun Sarja, and Regina Cassandra.

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The writer-director said in the world of his show, no crime will go unpunished, which is why they were careful about how they depict violence. The producer also answered whether 'Aarya' will return for another run

"We are very careful about making sure that the violence is not gratuitous or just for the sake of it. She (Aarya) is doing certain things because she wants to protect her children. She is going to get justice at the end of it," Madhvani told PTI in an interview.

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"What used to happen in the climax of Hindi films... At the end, you would see the shot of the Central Jail... the hero would have to suffer punishment and so would Aarya. That's the value system for the family audience that we put into the show. You can't do bad things and get away with it. Even though there are tropes of thriller, crime, noir, I'm interested in family dynamics," he added.

According to Madhvani, it's fitting that Sen's Aarya gets shot at by an unseen assailant in the trailer of the third season, the first part of which started streaming on Disney Hotstar in November.

The first season of the show, which is the official Hindi adaptation of the Dutch series "Penoza", co-created by Sandeep Modi, released in 2020 and followed the journey of the titular character getting pulled into the world of crime and drugs after her husband Tej Sareen (Chadrachud Singh) is murdered.

Aarya was full of laughter and joy but in season two, she wanted to run away and in season three, she doesn't laugh, observed the director.

"She's not doing it because she wants to, or wants revenge, or likes bloodshed. She's doing this because that's the only way to protect the children. What we are looking at is not violence, we are looking at a story about a character. In this case, Aarya is doing certain things for a greater reason and unfortunately, nothing is going right," Madhvani added.

According to the creator, the moral choices the characters in "Aarya" are being forced to make is what keeps the viewers interested in the drama.

"You need to put your character through all of this. The conversation is not that she is enjoying the violence, it's about is she right or wrong? Should she be doing this or not? Was she forced into this? That's what keeps you interested."

What also keeps fans hooked is the catchphrase "Apne panje baahar nikalo". This one-liner is spoken by Daulat, Aarya's confidant played by Sikandar Kher, in every season of the show each time in a different context.

Madhvani, whose roots lie in advertising, described the popular dialogue as a "war cry".

"We all need this kind of a slogan. Coming from advertising, it's very important to have a baseline. A lot of times we are in the room because we are also such Hindi film fans from Manmohan Desai to Mukul Anand.

"We are fans of dialogue 'baazi'. When we are writing, we put a dialogue 'baazi' audit, that every episode should at least have such two-three lines which we can also use in the trailers. Not all lines hit you, but those that do are called 'T-shirt slogans'," he explained.

Like her character, Sen too went through a lot while working on the third season of "Aarya". The actor suffered a massive heart attack and underwent angioplasty last March.

The director, a self-confessed Sen fan, said he has huge respect for her.

"Just to have spent time with her, hung out with her, chatted with her has been one of the milestones of my life. I'm grateful she's back, she's healthy. She was on the ramp two weeks after what she went through. Hats off to her energy and strength."

Madhvani said many fans of the show, including his friends, were not happy when the makers premiered only the first four episodes of the series. The decision, he said, was made by Disney Hotstar.

"Even my eye doctor said 'What is this? Why have you only released four episodes?' I had a chat with Gaurav Banerjee (from Disney Hotstar) and some people felt that we should have released all eight. They have done it in the past and found that it helps in sustaining interest and longevity."

Asked if "Aarya" will return for another run, the producer said the greenlighting power of more seasons rests with the audience.

"Please love the show. Please ask for more and as you ask for more, we are hoping that Disney Hotstar will come to us and say 'Hey, listen. The audience wants more'," he said.
India is known for its rich cuisine and myriad landscapes. Hiroshi Suzuki, the Japanese Ambassador to India, often shares his insights about his domestic and international travel experiences. Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki

His latest expedition lead him to the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India and the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. The ambassador posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, January 3, a photo of himself dipping his feet in the icy waters of the Ganges River.

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He captioned the photo, "I'm in Rishikesh!" It was followed by another glimpse, a video from Rishikesh, the center of the yoga world showing him stretching, warming up and practicing yoga poses. He captioned the video: I am learning yoga in Rishikesh!!!

Earlier this week, Japanese Ambassador to India Hiroshi Suzuki visited Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, with his wife Eiko Suzuki, where they sampled a variety of authentic culinary delights.

He shared a video of himself enjoying the heavenly kachori and jalebi and also described his aroma and taste. "I'm enjoying kachori in Varanasi, he said, and took a pause to savour the dish, and then said, "Very good!"
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday took a sharp dig at Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal for not appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and skipping the summons for the third time saying that he is absconding like a criminal as there is something to hide. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.(HT_PRINT)

Party's national spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla dubbed him as a criminal and said that Kejriwal is playing the victim card despite the courts establishing that there is a money trail.

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Read here: Kejriwal to skip ED summons; calls notice illegal in written reply

"Today, once again Arvind Kejriwal has skipped the third summon. This shows that there is something to hide, and that is why he is absconding like a criminal...Courts have not given bail to Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, and the courts have established that there is a money trail, despite all this they are playing the same victim card," he said to news agency ANI.

Poonawalla further asked the AAP leader why is he afraid if he has done nothing wrong. "If there's nothing wrong, why is he afraid to go to the agency? When he used to conduct the campaign against corruption with Anna Hazare, he kept saying that first resignation then the investigation would be done and now he's not ready to go for the investigation," he asked.

On the other hand, Congress supported the AAP leader saying that the agencies are not doing their work but putting pressure on the opposition leaders.

"ED is carrying out raids at the associates of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. ED notices were sent to former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel right before the elections and false allegations were put on him. Arvind Kejriwal is also a part of the opposition alliance...It is true that these agencies are not doing their work but putting pressure on the opposition leaders," Congress leader Udit Raj said.

The ED issued a third summons to Kejriwal on December 22 last year, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3. However, he declined to appear before the probe agency and sent a written reply , asserting his willingness to cooperate while citing the notice as illegal.

Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agency's notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from election campaign, ANI quoted an AAP official as saying.

This is the third time Kejriwal has refused to appear before the probe agency. The two earlier summonses were for November 2 and December 21.

Earlier on Tuesday, AAP's national spokesperson, Priyanka Kakkar, said that the party will act according to the law over the ED's summons to Kejriwal.

"Our legal team will be better equipped to answer this question. We will act as per the law," she said.

Read here: AAP to begin phase 2 of Main Bhi Kejriwal rally in Delhi from Jan 4

In February 2023, then Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementing the now-scrapped excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh was also arrested in the same case in October 2023.

At least 14 people have been arrested by the agency, and ED has approached the court seeking permission to investigate AAP as a beneficiary of the proceeds of crime.

(With inputs from agencies)
Adani Hindenburg Case Updates: The Supreme Court today delivered its judgment on a bunch of petitions seeking an investigation into allegations of accounting fraud and stock manipulation against Adani group companies, published in a research report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research in January 2023. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud pronounced the verdict in the case that was reserved on November 24 after the conclusion of the arguments....Read More

The top court said that cannot enter into the domain of the regulatory regime and that the report by Hindenburg or anything like that cannot become the basis of a separate probe.

It also directed the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to go ahead and continue its probe as per the law.

Here's more on the Adani-Hindenburg case:
In a major relief to the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) and the Adani Group, the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to form an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to probe the allegations against the Adani Group and said SEBI will continue its investigation as there is no ground to prove that SEBI was lackadaisical. The Supreme Court said it can't enter into the domain of the regulatory regime and the report of Hindenburg or anything like that can't become the basis of ordering a separate probe. The SEBI will go ahead and continue its probe as per the law, the apex court said ordering SEBI to finish its investigation within three months. There will be no SIT to probe into the stock manipulation allegations against Adani Group. SEBI will continue its investigation, the Supreme Court said. (REUTERS)

Supreme Court verdict on Adani probe: Follow LIVE updates

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A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra delivered the judgment on as many as four petitions. The petitions were filed by lawyers Vishal Tiwari, ML Sharma and Congress leaders Jaya Thakur and Anamika Jaiswal.

Gautam Adani says 'Satyameva Jayate' after Supreme Court verdict: 'Grateful'

Reading out the verdict, the court said the power of the apex court to enter the regulatory framework of SEBI is limited. No valid grounds were raised to direct SEBI to revoke its amendments on FPI and LODR regulations. SEBI has completed investigation in 20 out of 22 matters. It will complete the investigation in the other two cases within three months, the order said.

The report of OCCPR cannot be taken into account to doubt SEBI investigation, the order said. The reliance on OCCPR report is rejected and reliance on a third-party organisation report without any verification cannot be relied upon as a proof, it said.

"Reliance on newspaper reports and third-party organisations to question the statutory regulator does not inspire confidence. They can be treated as inputs but not conclusive evidence to doubt SEBI probe," the order said.

What was the SEBI-Adani-Hindenburg case?

The petitioners said SEBI which was investigating the charges against the Adani Group provided a shield for the Adani Group's regulatory contraventions and market manipulations. The Supreme Court then asked SEBI to independently investigate the matter and constituted a committee of experts headed by former SC judge Justice AM Sapre.

During the hearing of the case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the SEBI, told the bench that there was "a growing tendency of planting stories outside India to influence things and policies inside India".

Hindenburg Research levelled a series of allegations against the Adani Group accusing it of fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation. The Adani Group dismissed the charges as lies.
New Delhi: Reacting to a report saying the Citizenship (Amendment) Act's rules would be notified before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, AIMIM chief Asadduddin Owaisi said on Wednesday that it will be a grave injustice to the marginalised communities, especially Muslims. He also said that the law that was passed in 2019 was "anti-constitutional" as it was formulated on the basis of religion. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi.(ANI file photo)

"CAA is anti-constitution. It is a law which has been made on the basis of religion. CAA must be read with and understood with NPR-NRC which will lay down the conditions to prove your citizenship in this country. If that happens it will be a grave injustice, especially to the Muslims, Dalits and the poor of India irrespective of the caste or religion they belong to," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

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CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury claimed the Centre was attempting to foment communal polarization ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

"Now it is clear. For all these years...these rules(CAA) were not notified...Clearly, they want to notify these rules just before the elections to use this as a political weapon to gain in the elections through sharpening communal polarisation. This is the clear-cut aim. This is utilising the rules, and declarations as a tool for some electoral gains," he said.

Also read: We have lost our masjid, now: Asaduddin Owaisi's warning; BJP hits back

On Tuesday, news agency PTI, quoting an anonymous official, said the CAA rules will be notified much before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, due later this year.

The law makes it easier for non-Muslims -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to get Indian citizenship if they had migrated to India before December 31, 2014.

"We are going to issue the rules for the CAA soon. Once the rules are issued, the law can be implemented and those eligible can be granted Indian citizenship," the functionary told PTI.

The passage of the law in 2019 prompted a massive protest in the national capital's Shaheen Bagh area. The protest went on for months.

"The rules are ready and the online portal is also in place and the entire process will be online. The applicants will have to declare the year when they entered India without travel documents. No document will be sought from the applicants," the functionary said.

Last month, union minister Amit Shah said no one would be able to stop the Centre from implementing CAA. He also accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the masses on the law.

Also read: 'UTs of Mumbai...': How Asaduddin Owaisi, J&K leaders reacted to SC verdict

The rules for any law must be framed within six months of presidential assent. The government can also secure extension from the Parliament's Committees on Subordinate Legislation. Since 2020, the home ministry has been seeking this extension.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan said the BJP was raising these issues as it had failed to resolve the problem of the masses.

"The BJP has failed to fulfil their promises of providing employment, increasing farmers' income, and ensuring women's safety. And that's why it is raising topics such as temples and mosques, CAA, and NRC," he said.

With inputs from agencies




non-traditional goods, exports might have amounted to US$18.012 billion, while traditional shipments might have totaled US$45.463 billion, according to a report published in the In the case of, exports might have amounted to US$18.012 billion, while traditionalmight have totaled US$45.463 billion, according to a report published in the Official Gazette El Peruano





Even though total exports might have experienced a drop of 0.3% compared to 2022, it is also necessary to bear in mind the international environment, which includes a permanent threat that influenced the contraction of various markets.





In 2022, Peruvian exports totaled US$63.645 billion, which meant a recovery of 4.5% over those recorded in 2021.





Climate change





In this scenario, Mincetur also recognizes the climate change recorded in 2023, which affected important businesses such as the production of fish meal and oil, as well as of blueberries and lemons.





Moreover, in the first half of 2023, the production of some export crops led to drops or standstill.





Cacao posted a contraction of 4.8%, quinoa dropped 18.5%, while the production of parchment coffee recorded a growth of 0%, among others.





However, the government agency estimates that the figures might have improved by the end of last year.





Until October 2023, Peruvian exports amounted to US$5.646 billion, up 6.4% compared to September.





In this case, shipments accumulated two months of positive growth rates.





According to the Mincetur head, Juan Carlos Mathews , the fact that foreign sales have seen a growth for second month in a row is important news.





(END) DOP/WRR/RMB/MVB

At the end of 2023, sales of Peruvian products might have reached US$63.475 billion, according to estimates by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) Publicado: 3/1/2024
The bodies of a 14-year-old girl and a 38-year-old private school bus driver, who had allegedly been pursuing the minor, were found near a railway track, in a suspected case of suicide, in Ajjampura area of Chikmagalur district in Karnataka, said police on Tuesday, adding that a case has been registered against the private school for failing to take action against the driver despite the girls family flagging the issue with them. Arsikere railway police inspector Manju said that a case has been registered against the school management for failing to take action against the driver (Getty Images)

According to a police official familiar with the matter, the girl who was studying in Class 8 at a private school in Giriyapura near Ajjampura had earlier told her parents about the bus driver making romantic advances towards her. Following this, the victims father filed a complaint with the school stating that his daughter is being harassed by the driver, said police.

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As per the fathers complaint, the driver who was married has been subjecting the student to harassment...initial investigation suggests that he sought romantic involvement with her, said the official quoted above. Despite the minors father filing a complaint with the school principal, the management failed to take any substantive action against the accused driver, said the official.

The girls father had complained to the school management in October, stating that the driver had been harassing his daughter for some time. However, the school management did not inquire nor take action against the driver. The management did not even inform the police or the child protection unit, said the official quoted earlier.

On the night of December 31, the minor informed her parents that she is going to collect notes from a friends house, said police, adding, she, however, did not return back at night. In the morning, the girls father filed a missing complaint with the police. During investigation, the police found the minor and the drivers bodies near the railway track.

Arsikere railway police inspector Manju said that a case has been registered against the school management for failing to take action against the driver despite complaint by the girls parents. We have registered a case against the school management and the bus driver under Section 305 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and the investigation into the matter is ongoing, said the inspector.

He mentioned that the case was filed based on a complaint by the girls father. The autopsy of the bodies was conducted at Mallegowda district hospital, and later the bodies were handed over to their family members, said police. Repeated phone calls to the school principal for a comment on the issue remained unanswered.
The Central government is ready with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 rules and is likely to implement them "much before" the Lok Sabha elections slated to take place this year, a senior government official told news agency PTI on Tuesday. Protests against NPR, NRC and CAA in New Delhi(File)

"We are going to issue the rules for the CAA soon. Once the rules are issued, the law can be implemented and those eligible can be granted Indian citizenship," the official said.

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The CAA regulations, which were introduced and passed four years ago by the Narendra Modi-led union government, aim to confer Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India till December 31, 2014.

The official said that the rules are likely to be notified much before the announcement of general elections. "The rules are ready and the online portal is also in place and the entire process will be online. The applicants will have to declare the year when they entered India without travel documents. No document will be sought from the applicants," the official said.

Last month, Union home minister Amit Shah reiterated that no one can stop the implementation of the CAA as it is the law of the land.

While addressing a gathering in Kolkata, Shah emphasised that the BJP is committed to implementing the CAA. He had also accused West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading people on the issue. The TMC leader has been opposing the law since its introduction.

The assurance of implementing the much-anticipated CAA was a significant electoral agenda for the BJP during the previous Lok Sabha elections.

Since 2020, the home ministry has often been seeking extensions from the parliamentary committees to continue the process of framing the rules associated with the legislation.

The passage of the bill triggered massive protests in the country as a particular section of citizens objected to the exclusion of Muslim migrants in the bill. The protestors called the bill discriminatory" and an attack on the secularism of India. Over a hundred individuals lost their lives either during the protests or due to police action

The protesters claimed that the government is working with the assumption that Muslims can't be persecuted, if they are the majority in a country, whereas that is not true for communities like Ahmadiyya in Pakistan or Hazaras in Afghanistan, who face religious persecution in their countries.

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs annual report for 2021-22, between April 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, as many as 1,414 individuals from non-Muslim minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan were granted Indian nationality through registration or naturalisation under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Under the 1955 Act, Indian citizenship by registration or naturalisation is granted to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in nine states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
A video of an interaction between a collector in Madhya Pradesh's Shajapur district and a driver at a meeting went viral as collector Kishor Kanyal lost his cool and asked the driver, 'Kya karoge tum? Kya aukat hoga tumhari? (What will you do? What's even your status/worth?)" the collector said. To this, the driver said this is the reason they are fighting for that they don't have any aukat (status). According to a PTI report, the man was then moved away from the spot. The district collector said to the driver, "Kya karoge tum? Kya aukat hoga tumhari?"

The video was widely shared on social media with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor condemning how the collector spoke to the man.

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The collector's office issued a clarification and said the man at the meeting was threatening again and again to scale up the protest to any level after January 3. The collection used a harsh tone to restrain the man, not to hurt anyone, the clarification said.

"The meeting was held to tell them to raise their issues democratically but one of them was trying to incite others and threatening to intensify the stir, because of which I used these words. I express regret if anyone is hurt by my words," the collector said. The meeting was held on Tuesday with around 250 truck and bus owners after they created a ruckus on Monday.

The truckers called off their protest after two days on Tuesday night after Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla said the decision to invoke the new hit-and-run case-related penal provision would be taken only after consultation with the All India Motor Transport Congress.

Truck drivers across India started a three-day strike on Monday against the new penal provision in the new law in any hit-and-run case. In the earlier Indian Penal Code, the punishment for hit-and-run cases for two years in jail. In the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, imprisonment in such a case can extend to ten years if such a death is not immediately reported to the police -- or a fine of 7 lakh.

The strike on its second day triggered concerns as about 2,000 petrol pumps in western and northern India ran out of fuel stock. There were concerns that vegetables, fruits and milk supply might get affected.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday hit out at external affairs minister S Jaishankar for his comments on Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, accusing him of indulging in Nehru-bashing to gain favour with the current Prime Minister. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.(PTI)

"Every time I read statements made by the erudite and dapper External Affairs Minister on Nehru, I can only recall the numerous parikramas he would make around Nehruvians for his plum postings," said Ramesh in a social media post on X.

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"I can understand that he is a neo-convert who has to indulge in Nehru-bashing to ingratiate himself even more with the Prime Minister. But in doing so, he has lost all intellectual honesty and objectivity. He was expected to bend. He is now crawling. People with integrity are cringing. Very sad."

The criticism from Jairam Ramesh comes in response to an interview Jaishankar gave to ANI, where he discussed India's approach to engaging with China. Jaishankar advocated for a realistic approach, aligning with the strain of realism that he believes extends from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to Narendra Modi.

Jaishankar underlined the difference in the approaches of Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, particularly regarding the UN Security Council seat, saying Nehru's stance prioritised China's interests, which he found peculiar.

"Even when it came, for example to the UN Security Council seat, it's not my case that we should have necessarily taken the seat, it's a different debate, but to say that we should first let China -- China's interest should come first, it's a very peculiar statement to make," said Jaishankar while dealing with the approach of Nehru and Sardar Patel's realism.

When asked whether the two nations will bury the hatchet in 2024, the external affairs minister said, It takes two hands to clap. I pose the issue in this manner if you look at the last 75 plus years of our foreign policy, they have a strain of realism about China and have a strain of idealism, romanticism, non-realism. It begins right from day one, there is a sharp difference of opinion -- how to respond to China between Nehru and Sardar Patel.

(With ANI inputs)
New York: The deaths of a wealthy Indian-origin couple and their daughter in the US state of Massachusetts last week have been ruled a murder-suicide by medical authorities after autopsy. Police found the bodies of Rakesh Kamal, 57, his wife, Teena, 54, and their 18-year-old daughter, Ariana, at their residence in the town of Dover, 24km southwest of the state capital Boston, at around 7.30pm on Thursday night. (Getty Images)

Rakesh Kamal, 57, his wife Teena Kamal, 54 and their college-going daughter Arianna Kamal, 18 were found dead in their USD 5 million mansion in Dover, Massachusetts on December 28, 2023.

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A firearm was found near Rakesh Kamal.

A press release issued by the office of Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey on Tuesday said that autopsy results issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirm that Teena and her daughter Arianna were victims of homicide by gunshot.

Rakesh died from a gunshot wound consistent with being self-inflicted. The final autopsy report is likely to be completed in the coming weeks.

The release further said that while full forensic and ballistics testing of the gun has not been finalised, the firearm found with Rakesh is consistent with a .40 calibre Glock 22.

However, the firearm was not registered in Rakeshs name and he was not licensed to possess it, the release added.

Massachusetts State Police have contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for assistance in determining the origin of the firearm. The incident remains under investigation by Dover and Massachusetts State Police.

Last week, Morrissey said that the initial investigation indicated the incident was a case of domestic violence and did not indicate the involvement of outside parties.

Dover Police received a 911 call requesting a response to the Kamal residence at approximately 7:24 p.m. on December 28 by a family member who had stopped by to check on the family.

The police found the Kamal family dead when it arrived on the scene. Investigators had worked the crime scene through much of the night.

Also Read: US police still probing death of Indian-origin family in Massachusetts

Dover is about 32 kilometres southwest of downtown Boston, the capital of Massachusetts.

Morrissey has said that there had been no prior police reports or domestic incidents tied to the home.

The familys sprawling mansion, estimated to be worth $ 5.45 million, went into foreclosure a year ago and was sold for $ 3 million, according to a report in The New York Post.

The Kamals purchased the 19,000-square-foot estate, which boasts 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, for $ 4 million in 2019, according to the records, and media reports.

The slain family members were the only ones living in the mansion at the time, the DA said, adding that the area, one of the richest in the state, was a nice neighbourhood and a safe community.

Teena and her husband, who also went by Rick, had previously run a now-defunct education systems company called EduNova. The couple appeared to have faced financial problems in recent years, online records show. Their company was launched in 2016 but was dissolved in December 2021, state records show.

Teena was listed on EduNovas website as the chief operating officer of the company, describing her as an alum of Harvard University and Delhi University in India.

According to his biography on the EduNova website, Kamal was an alumnus of Boston University and MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as Stanford University. Before working at EduNova, he held many executive-level positions in the education-consulting field, the biography added.

EduNova marketed a student success system designed to improve the grades of students in middle school, high school and college, The Boston Globe newspaper reported.

Teena filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in September 2022 listing between USD 1 million and USD 10 million in liabilities, filings show. The case, however, was dismissed two months later due to insufficient documentation. She was listed as one of the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts.

Her online bio noted her more than three decades of working in the education and technology industries.

Meanwhile, the couples daughter was a student at Middlebury College, a $64,800-a-year private liberal arts school in Vermont, where she was studying neuroscience, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Morrissey also said that a homicide had not been reported in Dover since 2020, and he has never worked a homicide case from that neighbourhood since he started his position as District Attorney 12 years ago.

Morrissey had said that it was very rare to have this kind of a violent situation almost in any community in Norfolk County, particularly Dover. Its a small, well-run community, but like everybody else, there are problems out there that can affect no matter where one lives, he had said.
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a Delhi resident Nitin Gaur in connection with its money laundering probe linked to proceeds of crime from a bitcoin-based ponzi scheme operated by the Singapore-based Variable Tech Pte Ltd, people familiar with the matter said. ED initiated an investigation into the ponzi scheme in 2018, based on multiple cases registered by Maharashtra and Delhi police. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Gaur was arrested in Delhi on December 29, and brought to Mumbai on a transit remand. A city court on December 30 remanded him in ED custody till January 6.

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An ED official said Nitin Gaur is the brother-in-law of Ajay Bhardwaj, who along with Mahender Bhardwaj, are the main accused in the case and on the run. Ajay Bhardwajs wife Simpy was arrested by ED on December 17.

The federal agency initiated an investigation into the ponzi scheme in 2018, based on multiple cases registered by Maharashtra and Delhi police against Variable Tech, late Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Mahender Bhardwaj and other multi-level marketing agents.

According to the agency, Variable Tech allegedly lured gullible investors by promising them high returns in the form of cryptocurrency developed by the company. No returns were ever paid back to investors.

ED filed the first chargesheet in the case in 2019,

An agency official said the agency was also investigating the role of many crypto traders after its probe indicated that many of them accepted cryptocurrency from wallets under the control of the Bhardwaj family and converted them into Indian currency without any accounting trail.

The agency has carried out searches at the premises of some hawala operators suspected to be associated with the firms promoters and asked them to explain the suspicious transactions. According to ED, Nitin Gaur was alleged to have received a part of the proceeds of crime in the case.

EDs investigation, leveraging cryptocurrencys public ledger, that is blockchain, revealed that Gaur has knowingly and willingly received proceeds of crime in his cryptocurrency account opened on Binance exchange from a wallet operated by his brother-in-law and prime accused, Ajay Bhardwaj,  a second ED official said. He alleged that Gaur helped Bhardwaj to conceal and layer the proceeds of the crime.

It is alleged that the accused collected bitcoins from gullible investors, who were promised a return of 10% per month. The collected bitcoins were allegedly supposed to be utilised for bitcoin mining and investors were supposed to get huge returns in crypto assets. But the promoters cheated the investors and concealed the ill-gotten bitcoins in obscure online wallets,  the ED official said.

ED has attached assets worth 69 crore and has sought assistance of some countries to conclude its probe
The family of four men shot dead by militants in Manipurs Thoubal district on Monday refused to take the bodies on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to the state government with a list of demands, people aware of the development said. The violence began in Manipur on May 3 last year. (PTI)

The memorandum submitted by a joint action committee (JAC) of Meitei Pangals urged the government to allow forming village protection forces in all areas where the Meitei Muslim community reside in the state. The committee also demanded that the probe of the Monday killings be handled by the National Investigation Agency.

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In an order, the state government ordered the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Manipur Police sub-divisional police officer Mohd Riyajuddin Shah, to probe the killings, which the statement said was suspected to have been carried out by valley-based UGs [under grounds].

The widespread ethnic violence in the northeastern state since May 3 has led to creation of community-based armed village defence volunteers as the fault lines have deepened beyond the Meitei -Kuki divide, pitting different communities and groups against each other.

The demands should be fulfilled by the government of Manipur within 48 hours, and if the demands are not fulfilled, the dead bodies shall not be taken by the relatives and the JAC, the memorandum said.

On Monday evening, four Meitei Pangal men were killed while 18 were injured (five sustained bullet injuries) in Thoubal. Around 20-25 militants had come to a local traders house in Lilong Chingjao area to extort money. When a crowd gathered at the mans house, the militants fired at them and fled, area residents said.

The incident was not linked to the ethnic clashes, police said. Pangals are Meitei Muslims who have not been involved in the ethnic clashes between Meiteis and Kukis. On Tuesday, various Meitei Pangal groups held community meetings as part of their peace keeping talks to ensure that they were not dragged into the ethnic clashes.

Meitei Pangal groups held joint meetings with local Meitei groups and state government representatives. Mondays killing should not be seen as a fallout of ethnic clashes, said Raees Ahmad, spokesperson of the United Meitei Pangal Committee. We have urged our community members to maintain peace. Meitei Pangals are not involved in the clashes at all.

Chief minister Biren Singh visited the families of the injured in Lilong, Ahmad said. The JAC has submitted the memorandum to the chief minister, he said. The situation is peaceful now.

Meanwhile, the banned Revolutionary Peoples Front reportedly issued a statement on social media groups, claiming responsibility of the shooting. Members of the front had gone to a drug dealers house in Lilong when some of his gunmen fired at them, forcing them to return fire, the statement said. HT could not independently verify that authenticity of the statement.

CBI files charge sheets in missing students case

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday filed two charge sheets in the case of two Meitei students, who were kidnapped and murdered in Manipur last year. The agency filed the two cases in a Guwahati court based on separate complaints of the families of the man, P Hemanjit Singh and the girl.

The agency is yet to recover the bodies of the two. The charge sheets were filed against five arrested accused, Nohgin Baitekuki, Paolunmang, Smalsawn Haokip, Paominlun Haokip and Lhingneichang, a CBI official said, declining to be named.

On the morning of July 6, the boy went to the tuition class of minor girl and picked her up on his bike as a pillion rider and proceeded towards Bishnupur side and from there to Thas View Point Area on old Cachar Road. At that spot, the boy and girl were intercepted and held captive by the accused, who forcibly put the victims in a vehicle. They were taken to an undisclosed location and later on, were suspectedly killed, the federal agency said in a statement.

Phijam Hemanjit Singh (20) and the 17-year-old-girl were abducted by Kuki militants on July 6. For more than two months, until their photos surfaced on social media, their families believed their children were missing but were alive somewhere. On September 25, photos of the students surfaced on social media. One showed them sitting on the ground in what appeared to be a forest, with two armed men in the background.

Another photo showed them apparently lying dead on the ground. The mans head appeared to be missing in the photograph and the girls face is not visible. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the photographs.

The CBI is looking for the other accused who know the location where the bodies are buried, officials said.
Haryana minister Anil Vij on Wednesday reacted to Enforcement Directorate's summons to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Haryana minister Anil Vij (HT File)

Vij said that Kejriwal used to criticise other political leaders for not appearing before the ED despite receiving a summon but is now doing the same. "A chameleon doesn't change its colours as many times as Kejriwal has. 6-7 years ago he tweeted that his head hangs in shame when political leaders don't appear for ED summons. What does he have to say today? Doesn't he feel ashamed now? He wants ED should catch him so that they earn TRPs."

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Commenting on the ED summons to Kejriwal earlier, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia had said, "Gone are the days when corrupt leaders used to rule over the honest citizenry of the country. The only place for the corrupt leaders is behind bars and it is our firm resolve that every corrupt leader will be punished as per law.

Bhatia further said that the Modi government had zero tolerance for corruption and that the probe agencies were given a "free hand" to work independently and take action against graft without any bias.

READ | Kejriwal to skip ED summons; calls notice illegal in written reply

"Such dramas will not help because Kejriwal knows that handcuffs are coming closer to him," Bhatia said.

On Wednesday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal opted not to attend the third summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Instead, he submitted a written response, asserting that the notice was illegal.

Kejriwal also raised concerns about the timing of the notice, suggesting that it was strategically timed to impede his campaign activities leading up to the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The initial summons for the Delhi chief minister were issued by the central agency on November 2, but he did not appear, contending that the notice was "ambiguous, biased, and legally unsustainable." He further asserted that the summons seemed to have political motivations and were issued for external considerations.

Subsequently, Kejriwal received a second summons from the Enforcement Directorate on December 18, instructing him to appear at the federal agency's office on December 21. However, the chief minister chose not to attend even then.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday morning raided the premises of some close associates of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren in Ranchi as part of a money laundering probe into alleged illegal mining in the state. Abhishek Prasad, the man under ED raids, is Hemant's press advisor. Searches are being carried out at 12 locations including Abhishek Prasad's residence and the residence of Sahebganj deputy commissioner, ANI reported. The raids come as the chief minister ignored the summons issued by the ED and said he already provided the agency with all the details of his properties and the summons are illegal. Hemant Soren has skipped all the summons sent to him so far by the ED in the alleged money laundering case.(PTI)

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Hemant Soren was sent the 7th summons in which the ED asked him to decide the date, time and place for questioning. The chief minister skipped the deadline for responding to this latest summons which was Sunday and then sent the reply after two days. In his reply, he said the agency was conducting a biased investigation.

The ED said it was the last opportunity provided to Hemant Soren. "Since you have not come to the office of the Directorate of Enforcement in obedience to the summonses issued to you, we are giving you this last opportunity to record your statement under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, at the place, date and time, mutually convenient to you as well as the undersigned (ED), which should be within 7 days of receipt of this notice/Summons," said the ED in its 7th summons.

CM Soren was first summoned by the ED earlier in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case. He was asked again to appear on August 24 and September 9. The next summons were on September 23, October 4 and December 12.

Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana to be chief minister?

Speculations were rife that there were preparations inside the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to make Hemant's wife Kalpana Soren the chief minister. The chief minister said there was not an iota of truth in these speculations -- result of BJP's imagination. "Possibility of my wife contesting in the near future is a complete imagination of the BJP... Speculations about handing over reins to her is a fabric woven by the BJP to build a false narrative," Hemant Soren said.
An encounter with a Cambridge mathematician at a Bengaluru dinner party led software engineer Bahata Ansumali Mukhopadhyay to decode the arcane script of the Harappan civilization, shedding light on the mercantile culture during this Bronze Age civilization. That was almost a decade ago, and it is thanks to that chance meeting that the world now knows about the commercial activities of the ancient race.

Across the ancient world, all writing systems were invented from the needs of accounting and commercial administration. (HT PHOTO)(HT_PRINT)
Mas policias patrullan nuestras calles! ?????????



? Hoy se incorporan 5190 agentes de la @PoliciaPeru al patrullaje de las principales ciudades del pais para estar mas cerca al ciudadano y brindar un mejor servicio.



? La presidenta de la republica, Dina Boluarte, participo de pic.twitter.com/4lx8nTjgJc
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday once again invoked Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, saying there would have been a 'less rosy' view of India's relationship with China if the country would have been more Bharat.



 Regarding the three countries Pakistan, China and US which were actually three debated relationships in our early years...If we had been more 'Bharat', we would have had a less rosy view of our relationship with China. This is not my fantasy. There is a kind of record in form of an exchange of letters between Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru on China and they had a starkly differing views about it, Jaishankar said during the launch of his latest book Why Bharat Matters.



ALSO READ: Why China has permanent adversarial attitude towards India



If we look at the whole UN Security Council issue, this is not something which today someone is saying. There is a letter written by Nehru to Chief Ministers saying 'First let China take its plays in the security council' even when the 1962 conflict war was taking place, the minister said. External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar.(ANI)

Jaishankar said Nehru had written to then US president John F Kennedy asking for help during war with China.



Nehru actually wrote to Kennedy saying look I need your help but am hesitating as how it would be looked. What happens is in a sense there is a certain, I would say, a kind of left-wing ideology which was strong in that period which...in China and similarly there is very ingrained hostility towards the United States, he added.



On Tuesday, Jaishankar had hit out at India's first prime minister, criticising his romanticism in dealing with the Communist nation. The alternative strain which starts with Nehru's China first policy, which says first let China take the security council seat... from China first policy ends up as Chindia policy, the minister had said in an interview.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the previous governments at the Centre of neglecting the development of border areas and islands. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lakshadweep's Kavaratti.(X/BJP)

In an address at a function in Lakshadweep's Kavaratti, Modi pointed out that his government has given priority to the development of border areas, islands and coastal regions.

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After independence, the only priority of governments that remained at the Centre for decades was the development of their own political parties. Far-off states, border areas or those in the middle of the ocean were not given any attention, the prime minister said.

He added: Notably, in the last 10 years, our government has made border areas and areas at the edge of the sea its priority.

Modi reached Lakshadweep on Tuesday and chaired a review meeting on aspects relating to Lakshadweep.

PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation for various projects worth 1,150 crore in the Union Territory.

These included the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Connection (KLI - SOFC) project. The initiative aims to overcome the challenge of slow internet speed on Lakshadweep Island. It was announced by the prime minister in his Independence Day speech in August 2020.

In 2020, I gave you a guarantee that high-speed internet will be provided to you (people of Lakshadweep) within 1,000 days. Kochi-Lakshadweep submarine optical fibre project has been inaugurated today, and this will provide high-speed internet here, Modi said.

He also launched the solar power plant at Kavaratti, the first-ever battery-backed solar power project in Lakshadweep.

Our government is committed to sustainable development of Lakshadweep; the Solar Power Plant present here, which is based on the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), is one such example. Notably, this is Lakshadweep's first battery-backed Solar Project. This project will usher in lesser pollution and lesser impact on the ocean ecosystem of the State.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the primary health care facility in Kalpeni and the construction of five model Anganwadi centres (Nand Ghars) in the five islands of Androth, Chetlat, Kadmat, Agatti and Minicoy.
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday discussed the conflict in Ukraine and ways to take forward cooperation between the two sides during their first formal contact in several months. Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba dialed foreign minister S Jaishankar (AFP FILE PHOTO)

The two foreign ministers agreed to hold the first meeting of the India-Ukraine inter-governmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical, industrial and cultural cooperation in almost six years. The body last met in Kyiv in February 2018.

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A useful conversation with FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine today. Discussed advancing our bilateral cooperation in the year ahead. Exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Jaishankar said in a post on X without giving details.

Kuleba said in a post on X that he made his first call in 2024 to Jaishankar to discuss bilateral ties. We agreed to hold the first meeting of the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission since 2018 in the near future. The rejuvenation of this primary mechanism of our bilateral ties will allow us to jointly move forward in a comprehensive manner, he said.

I informed my counterpart of Russias recent escalation of terror and mass air attacks, which caused civilian suffering and destruction, he added.

The two ministers also discussed further cooperation on the Peace Formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kuleba said. In this regard, I informed my counterpart of Ukraines vision for the Global Peace Summit of leaders, he said.

Ukraine says Zelenskyys 10-point peace formula has been endorsed by 80 countries. Kyiv had plans to hold a global peace summit for Ukraine in 2023 but could not go ahead with the move as the focus of the West shifted to the Israel-Hamas conflict towards the end of the year. Ukraine has organised a series of talks attended by dozens of countries without Russia in the run-up to the summit, which Ukrainian officials have said may now be held in February.

The peace formula envisages the withdrawal of Russian troops, restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, protection of food and energy supplies, safety of nuclear installations, and release of all prisoners.

India has consistently pushed for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict while refraining from any public criticism of the Russian invasion. Ukraine also did not get a positive response to its push for India to invite Zelenskyy to the G20 Summit held in New Delhi last September.

Jaishankars conversation with Kuleba came less than a week after the external affairs ministers visit to Russia for consultations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. During the visit, Jaishankar described Russia as a very valued and time-tested partner for India and the two sides agreed to explore ways to expand the export of Russian energy, including oil and coal, to Indian markets.

Former minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar led the Indian delegation for the last meeting of the India-Ukraine inter-governmental commission in Kyiv in February 2018.
New Delhi: India should deal with China on the basis of realism and bilateral relations should be based on mutual understandings in respect, sensitivity and interest, external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said in an assessment of New Delhis approach to engage with Beijing. External affairs minister, S Jaishankar. (PTI)

Jaishankar lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his pragmatic approach towards China in an interview with ANI to mark the release of his new book Why Bharat Matters. He criticised the approach towards China during the tenure of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

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I argue for dealing with China from a basis of realism  that strain of realism, which I feel strains all the way from [former home minister] Sardar [Vallabhbhai] Patel to Narendra Modi. That is the strain of realism which I feel should allow us to have a certain approach, he said.

I would say the Modi government has been very much morein conformity with a strain of realism, which originated from Sardar Patel.

Jaishankars remarks came against the backdrop of a military standoff between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that is set to enter its fourth year and has taken ties to an all-time low. India has insisted China should restore normalcy on the LAC in order to normalise the overall bilateral relationship.

Jaishankar highlighted the difference of opinion between Indias first home minister, Sardar Patel, and the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on China. Even when it came...to the UN Security Council seat, its not my case that we should have necessarily taken the seat, its a different debate, but to say that we should first let China  Chinas interest should come first, its a very peculiar statement to make, he said, referring to the process for entry into the UN Security Council in past decades.

He added, I pose the issue in this manner, if you look at the last 75 plus years of our foreign policy, they have a strain of realism about China and a strain of idealism, romanticism, non-realism. It begins right from day one, there is a sharp difference of opinion [on] how to respond to China between Nehru and Sardar Patel.

Jaishankar dwelt on the Chindia policy, promoted by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh almost a decade ago to project the joint rise of China and India, and said, The alternative strain, which starts from Nehrus first [China] policy  first let China take the seat [at the UN Security Council], then we will see for India. From [this] first policy, it ends up as Chindia policy.

Indias current engagement with China is less about making a pivot and more about constructing a relationship based on the three mutuals of respect, sensitivity and interest, and it will be very difficult for bilateral relations to progress if this mutuality is not recognised, he said.

Today, part of our problem is [that] because in 2020, agreements were disregarded and the mutuality on which this whole relationship is predicated has not been followed, we have the situation. So, when you ask me where will it go, I would say a lot of it will depend on what is the Chinese policy, he said.

Also Read: India, Russia talk small modular reactors, pushes for Kudankulam completion

The Indian side was eyeing a proposal to hold the Quad Summit on January 27 if Biden had agreed to be the chief guest at the Republic Day function. US Ambassador Eric Garcetti had said in September that Biden was invited to India for Republic Day by Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Following Bidens decision, French President Emmanuel Macron will be the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations.

Jaishankar also criticised elements that talked about the slide of democracy indicators in India and said there is no need to take what appears in the foreign media at face value. He said one of the chapters in his new book refers to Modi feeling the need for a new construct after the BJP-led government came to power in 2014.

Asked about foreign media reports about an assertive India and sliding of democracy indicators, Jaishankar referred to the democracy narrative that is a mind game.

He said, There are people who apparently feel more confident of their support outside India, and inside India, they get support from outside India. So, we have this constant barrage. Weve had this from 2014, it increased up to 2019. Im sure it will become very shrill as we lead up to the summer of 2024...

He made it clear he wasnt saying there is no room for improvement in Indias democracy. Im not saying were perfect...But I would say, please look at their motive and their agenda. They are not agenda-less, they are not motive-less, they are trying to push a certain line because they have a certain interest, he said.

Jaishankar referred to the governments initiatives to expand relations with countries in West Asia and said this was an area where Modi felt the need for a new construct after coming to power. India has an extended zone that includes Southeast Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and the Indian Ocean. You look at the Gulf, it is a region so near us, so many Indians living there, so much oil imported from there...yet politically very, very neglected, he said.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) didnt have a prime ministerial visit before Modi went there after a trip by former premier Indira Gandhi in 1981.

Describing Indias relations with Russia as important and steady, Jaishankar said these ties have proved beneficial. Responding to the Western medias reaction to his visit to Russia and the camaraderie between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Jaishankar said, I see no reason that people should take...what was happening other than at face value because we have always maintained that the Russia relationship is a very important one, very steady one.

India has maintained a neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and backed dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the issue.

In response to another question on Canadas allegation about the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Jaishankar said Canadian politics has given space to Khalistani forces and this is not in the interest of either country.

The issue at heart is the fact that in Canadian politics, these Khalistani forces have been given a lot of space and have been allowed to indulge in activities which are damaging to the relationship, clearly not in Indias interest, and not in Canadas interest either. But unfortunately, that is the state of their politics, he said.

Jaishankar also noted that India has made irrelevant Pakistans policy of using cross-border terrorism to force a bilateral dialogue and said New Delhi will not deal with the neighbour on terms whereby the practice of terrorism is deemed as legitimate.

India is not unwilling to deal with Pakistan but has made it clear that Islamabad has to create an environment free of terror and hostility for this. Referring to the governments approach towards Pakistan, he said India wont tolerate cross-border terror.

What Pakistan was trying to do, not now but over multiple decades, was really to use cross-border terrorism to bring India to the table. That, in essence, was its core policy. We have made that irrelevant by not playing that game now, he said.

Jaishankar underscored the significance of Indias G20 presidency in the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, particularly amid polarisation on the Ukraine conflict and the concerns of the Global South. He said India brought everyone to the table at the G20, thanks to its relations with each country, amid speculation that the G20 members would fail to issue a joint statement.

At the G20, not even 12 hours before the G20 declaration was finalised, there were people publicly predicting that we will fail...There was a North-South divide, there was the East-West polarisation, every country was pulling in a different direction and yet the fact was, eventually, we got everybody to come to the table and I accept when they all came to the table, they deserve the credit, he said.

The truth is they came to the table because everybody ultimately had relations with India. The other 19 countries said this matters for India, this is something which is right. The fact is everybody made a compromise and that is how it happened.

Jaishankar also mentioned Indias growing stature at the global level and said in the past 10 years, the country has become more relevant and visible, and is seen as influencing many more outcomes.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar will make his first foreign visit of the year to Nepal during January 4-5 to co-chair a meeting of the bilateral joint commission and to hold talks with the leadership in Kathmandu to take forward ties in areas ranging from connectivity to development cooperation. Jaishankar to co-chair India-Nepal 7th joint commission meet during 2-day visit

Jaishankar is visiting Nepal at the invitation of foreign minister NP Saud, who will join him to co-chair the seventh meeting of the joint commission, which was established in 1987 and acts as a platform for both foreign ministers to review all aspects of the bilateral partnership.

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During the visit, Jaishankar will call on the leadership of Nepal and meet prominent political figures, the external affairs ministry said in a statement announcing the visit on Wednesday.

Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The visit is in keeping with the tradition of high-level exchanges between two close and friendly neighbours, the statement said.

People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that among the issues that are expected to figure in Jaishankars talks with the Nepalese leadership are ways to take forward an agreement on India purchasing 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal within the next 10 years, bolstering connectivity by road, rail and rivers, and trade.

During Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahals visit to India in June 2023, the two sides had agreed that New Delhi will ramp up the import of hydropower from the neighbouring country. India has also agreed to allow the export of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh via its territory and the three countries have finalised a draft agreement that is awaiting ratification.

Some development projects completed with Indian assistance are expected to be inaugurated during Jaishankars visit. He is also expected to meet Dahal, also known as Prachanda, and other Nepalese leaders, the people said.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday mounted a concerted and savage attack on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for ignoring the Enforcement Directorate's summons for the third time, saying the Delhi chief minister thinks he is above law. The party also called him 'kattar beimaan' (staunchly corrupt). Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal(HT_PRINT)

"'Kattar beimaan' Arvind Kejriwal, who once used to say that we have to eradicate corruption from India, has now become such a corrupt person who thinks he is above the law," BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said today.

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He also alleged that Kejriwal didn't appear before the agency out of nervousness stemming from his involvement in corruption.

Also read: 'Your obstinacy...': Arvind Kejriwal cites Rajya Sabha polls, Republic Day for skipping ED summons

"Arvind Kejriwal wrote a letter to ED to take back the summons. He also said that there are elections in 5 states and that I am a star campaigner so I will not follow the summon...Whereas the data says that AAP got fewer votes than NOTA in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh," he said.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla called Kejriwal an absconder.

"If there's nothing wrong, why is he afraid to go to the agency? When he used to conduct the campaign against corruption with Anna Hazare, he kept saying that first resignation then the investigation would be done and now he's not ready to go for the investigation," he added.

Also read: Kejriwal to skip ED summons; calls notice illegal in written reply

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit reminded Kejriwal about his fight against corruption and called him a cheater of his own ideology.

"When the Lokpal Bill was under discussions, I used to discuss the same with him. We told him that the Lokpal you're trying to make may be misused if the wrong person becomes a Lokpal; and the government could misuse it. He said that a political leader should be transparent. If there is any allegation against them, they should resign...and they should also surrender if they get arrested and if one is innocent then it will be proved...He should at least stick to his words. I believe he's become the biggest cheater of his own ideology," he added.

AAP defends Arvind Kejriwal

Defending Kejriwal, Delhi minister Atishi said the agency hadn't answered questions sent to it by the Delhi chief minister.

"After getting summons twice, Arvind Kejriwal wrote a letter to ED and asked why was he called by the agency? ED has not answered Arvind Kejriwal's questions so far. ED officials also know that the summon is illegal, they cannot tell the truth that they have received orders from the BJP office," she said.

Talking about the liquor policy case, she said no cash trail had been found in the case.

"Today only people from the INDIA bloc are summoned. Despite an investigation of one and a half years, no evidence of even a single rupee has been found...This summon is only because of the Lok Sabha elections. All the parties are coming together for the Lok Sabha elections and hence BJP wants to eliminate the Opposition through ED," she claimed.

AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the ED wants to arrest Kejriwal to prevent him from campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections.

"This is a completely political issue. ED wants to arrest Arvind Kejriwal so that he cannot campaign for Lok Sabha elections. Manish Sisodia has been under arrest for 1 year. They have not been able to gather any evidence against Manish Sisodia. We are not being informed in what capacity they are calling Arvind Kejriwal, he is neither a witness nor an accused," he said.

With inputs from PTI, ANI
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has declined to appear for questioning for a third time in the money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy 2021-22 while pledging cooperation in the Enforcement Directorate (ED)s probe into the matter, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (HT PHOTO)

The investigators received Kejriwals reply on WhatsApp, maintaining the summons to him was illegal. Officials said the investigators will now discuss the reply with the agencys brass and legal experts for the next steps to be taken in the matter.

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The agency has said that it wants to question Kejriwal on the formulation of policy, meetings held before it was finalised, and allegations of bribery.

A ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) functionary said the intention is to arrest Kejriwal to stop him from the 2024 national election campaign. Why has the notice been sent before the elections?

Kejriwal ignored two previous summons on November 2 and on December 22, calling them illegal and politically motivated.

In his response to the earlier summons, Kejriwal wrote to the ED on December 22 calling himself a conscientious law-abiding ordinary citizen. I do not shirk away from complying with any summons issued in compliance with law, but your summons is (I am advised) not in consonance with law. The fact that you have deliberately sought my appearance only in person without specifying any reason or necessity...when the said Act itself provides for appearance through authorised persons, is indicative of the motive to harass and embarrass me.

The ED has alleged the AAP received kickbacks of 100 crore to finalise the excise policy and that a chunk of this was used in the Goa election campaign. The alleged kickbacks were received from the South Group and transferred to former AAP communications in-charge Vijay Nair with the help of accused Abhishek Boinpally and Dinesh Arora, the agency claimed. The ED has maintained AAP volunteers were paid in cash during the campaign.

The AAP has been seeking public feedback on whether Kejriwal should resign if he is arrested, or should he continue to run the government from jail. It has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to implicate Kejriwal in the case to weaken AAP.

AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh remain in jail in the case in which the agency has arrested 14 people. The ED has approached a court seeking permission to investigate AAP as a beneficiary of the proceeds of crime.

The AAP has denied all charges and called the case a witch-hunt and political vendetta at the behest of the Union government.

BJP lawmaker Ramvir Singh Bidhuri asked Kejriwal to respect the law and participate in the investigation. Kejriwal has always tried to portray that the law is trapping him and his colleagues in fake cases, which is not true. Kejriwal has received three notices from the ED, but he is ignoring these notices and refusing to participate in the investigation. He should participate in the investigation of the liquor scam while respecting the law.

He added if Kejriwal thinks the case is fake, then he does not need to worry. But the way he is trying to escape the law, it seems that there is something fishy. He is continuously doing things that are tarnishing his image in the public and raising questions about the credibility of the chief ministers position.

In one of its five charge sheets, ED claimed that the excise policy was Kejriwals brainchild. Kejriwal has also been mentioned in remand papers with references to alleged meetings, commissions for private players, and the entry of political players and businesspeople from the south into Delhis liquor business.

ED in its charge sheet filed in January last year claimed that Kejriwal told businessman Sameer Mahendru that Nair is his boy and that he should trust him.

The agency cited the December 2022 statement of Sisodias then secretary C Arvind and claimed he was informed of the decision for a 12% profit margin for wholesale private entities at Kejriwals residence in March 2021.

Arvind told ED that there were no discussions about handing the wholesale liquor business to private players in meetings of the group of ministers (GoM) which comprised Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and Kailash Gahlot before mid-March 2021.

An ED charge sheet said that in mid-March 2021 Arvind was called to Kejriwals residence, where former health minister Satyendar Jain was also present. It added Sisodia handed over to Arvind a draft GoM report there proposing the wholesale business should go to private entities. Arvind was asked to prepare the draft GoM report based on the document. He said it was the first time that he saw this proposal as the same was never discussed in any GoM meetings.

The excise policy was aimed to revitalise the citys flagging liquor business and replace a sales-volume-based regime with a license fee for traders. It promised swankier stores and a better buying experience. The policy introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor for the first time in Delhi.

Lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxenas move to order a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime prompted the scrapping of the policy. The AAP has accused Saxenas predecessor, Anil Baijal, of sabotaging the move with a few last-minute changes that resulted in lower-than-expected revenues.
The Kerala high court has rejected a petition seeking termination of pregnancy of a 12-year-old girl, allegedly arising out of incestuous relations with her minor brother, as it noted that the foetus had already reached 34 weeks of gestation and is fully developed. The 12-year-old girls minor brother is the accused of impregnating her. (PTI)

A bench of justice Devan Ramachandran, on December 22, also said that the girl shall be in the custody and comfort of her parents until her delivery, and ordered that her brother is not allowed anywhere near her or has access to her in any manner.

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The directives came on a writ petition filed by the girls parents, who said continuation of her pregnancy could result in cataclysmic consequences to her physiological and psychological condition. They also said that they were not aware of their daughters pregnancy until very recently.

The foetus has already reached 34 weeks of gestation and is now fully developed, preparing for its life outside the womb, the bench said.

Termination of pregnancy at this point is not tenable, if not impossible; and obviously, therefore, the child will have to be allowed to be born, either through a caesarean section, or a normal delivery. This of course is a matter of choice for the experts and cannot be fully left to the petitioners, particularly, taking note of the rather young age of the victim-mother, it added.

The court also said that the petitioners brother, against whom the allegation has been made, is not allowed anywhere near her, or to have access to her in any manner whatsoever. This shall also be ensured by the competent authorities, it said.

The court also ruled that the girl shall be in the custody and comfort of her parents until her delivery, and subsequently she is at liberty to approach the court or the hospital superintendent for any assistance.

In its initial hearing, the court had asked for a report from the medical board of the hospital after the girls examination. After the report was submitted, the court opined that it was insufficient and asked for a reevaluation of the girl and the foetus.

The review medical board told the court that it had decided that the continuation of pregnancy for another 1-2 weeks, till 36 weeks, is unlikely to seriously affect the psychological well-being of the mother. We recommend to continue the pregnancy and deliver by 36 weeks, provided no other obstetric emergency develops before that, it said.
A group of unidentified youths who were armed and wearing masks attacked a village in Belagavi district of Karnataka, said police on Tuesday. Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar visited the affected village soon after the incident (Arunkumar Rao)

According to officials familiar with the matter, the armed gang from Badarwad village barged into Navage village, pelted stones at houses and damaged the property in the early hours of Tuesday.

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The attackers, reportedly minors, hail from Belagavi rural constituency, according to women and child development minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar. Soon after the incident, the minister visited the affected village.

After her visit, the minister while talking to the reporters said, The attackers are said to be minors. I asked the police department to deal with the case as per the law.

The incident comes in the backdrop of the recent criticism of the police department by the Karnataka high court for their handling of a case where a woman was allegedly assaulted, paraded naked and tied to an electric pole in the district. A police official said: An alleged affair involving three people, a boy from Navage village, a Class 10 girl from Karle village, and a 17-year-old boy from Badarwad village allegedly triggered the attack.

According to initial probe, the Badarwad youth accompanied by a group of friends had confronted the Navage boy last Sunday over the girl, said the official. A village meeting ensued, advising the boys to focus on their studies. However, tensions escalated when one of the elders slapped the Badarwad youth triggering the subsequent attack, said a police officer in the know of the development. In the early hours of Tuesday, the armed gang from Badarwad barged into Navage village, pelting stones at houses, damaging property, and instigating fear, said the officer on the condition of anonymity.

After getting the information, deputy commissioner of police Rohan Jagadish, rushed to the village with additional force. The DCP said that the attackers pelted stones at four houses, damaged six cars, and a few two-wheelers.

Based on the information shared by the villagers, we are checking if the gang brought a pistol or not, DCP Jagadish said, adding that it was a serious matter if a pistol was indeed brought.

We have recorded statements of the villagers and have launched a probe into the matter, said the officer, adding, that all the accused would be rounded up soon, and cases would be framed according to the law. There is no chance of considering the accused sympathetically over their age. The act they did is not a trivial crime, the DCP said.

In a separate incident in the same constituency, a few people burned a Kannada flag on the night of the year-end celebration in Sulaga village. The police have identified the culprits and they will be arrested soon, said Hebbalkar. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike meanwhile condemned the incident and warned of a state-wide movement if strict action was not taken against the accused.
ON BOARD INS IMPHAL: Manipur has been in the throes of violence over the past many months and while the concern for their families back home is real, the crew from the north-eastern state on board Indias latest stealth destroyer INS Imphal continue to hold a steady course at the helm, with nothing coming in the way of their dedication and duty to the nation. Sailor Sunshine Meetei who is from the navys anti-submarine warfare stream. (HT photo/Rahul Singh)

And as they prepare to deploy on the high seas, combat ready and primed to take on any challenge, they see hope for enduring peace back home.

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INS Imphal, commissioned into service by defence minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on December 26, takes on an extra special meaning for the five sailors serving on board the countrys first warship named after a city in the north-east and whose crest is also inspired by the state of Manipur ---Sunshine Meetei, Boris Laishram, Oinam Deepak Singh, SR Sheikh and Simon Singh.

We are combat ready, but whats better than peace. Here, there, everywhere, said 23-year-old Meetei, who is from the navys anti-submarine warfare stream.

Theres no denying that things are bad back home. Its not the Manipur I grew up in. It hurts. I pray peace returns. But here, I am focused on my job and nothing else, said Meetei.

Ethnic violence began in Manipur in early May as clashes erupted between the Meiteis, the most populous community in the state, and the tribal Kukis. Attacks between communities have continued intermittently ever since.

The blood bath has seen 197 lives lost, according to official data, and more than 50,000 people from both communities have been displaced from their homes, with Meiteis from the Kuki dominated hills fleeing for their lives, and Kukis from the Meitei dominated Imphal valley chased out of their homes.

His family is safe, but friends have borne the brunt of violence, said Laishram, 30, who is from the engineering department.

As a sailor, I am trained to be mission ready. And I am, like the rest of us on the warship. The commissioning of INS Imphal was the finest moment of my life. And the next best thing will be Manipur turning towards normalcy, he said as he escorted this correspondent around the warships decks, compartments, alleyways and steep stairways.

This guided missile destroyer will enable the Indian Navy confront challenges in distant seas including Chinas carefully calculated power play for influence in the Indo-Pacific, defending the rules-based international order, the Arabian Sea emerging as a new front with Red Sea tensions escalating and counterpiracy in the Gulf of Aden.

A warship being named after a city in the north-east is definitely a moment of celebration, said the commanding officer Captain Kamal Kumar Choudhury.

But once you are in the white uniform, your identity is by your name, rank and service number. As far as I am concerned, I have 30 officers and 330 sailors and all of them are from India. We dont identify with any other affiliations. When we leave Mumbai harbour... when we sail on the ship, we are out of the territorial sea after 12 nautical miles, said Choudhury, calling the warship a fortress that is a a piece of sovereign Indian territory.

Also Read: Missile specialist to navigation expert: The crew of INS Imphal

The destroyers crest depicts Imphals iconic Kangla Fort in the background, alongside the mythical guardian animal Kangla-Sa, with blue and white waves in the foreground. For centuries, the fort has remained the traditional seat of power of the kingdom of Manipur. Having weathered invasions, conflicts, transformations and vagaries of history, the monument stands resilient through the epochs and bears testament to the indomitable spirit of the Manipuri people, said a navy handout.

Kangla-Sa, the mythical guardian and also the states emblem, has a lions body and a dragons head with horns.

The warships crest, depicting the fort and Kangla-Sa atop the waves, symbolises the navys commitment to protect the nation and its interests in the maritime domain, while paying homage to the rich cultural and historical heritage of Manipur, the handout said.

Beneath the crest, a ribbon presents the ships motto in Sanskrit --- Sadaiv Tatpar or Always Ready.

Also, the destroyers logo depicts INS Imphal rising symbolically with the sun in the background, flanked by a pair of horses, underlined by the inscription Invincible Imphal. The frontal silhouette riding the waves defines the warships destiny to rule the oceans, while meeting all challenges head-on, the handout said.

The rising sun symbolises infinite energy, characteristic of the powerful destroyer. It aptly denotes the warships linkage with the north-east, Indias land of rising sun. The horses epitomise the ships martial character: speed, strength, stamina, agility and valour. The inscription Invincible Imphal embodies the ships ethos and the crews indomitable spirit, it added.

The destroyer is equipped with weapons and systems that can take down any kind of aerial threat, has the capability to carry out long-range surveillance and engagement of surface and land targets, and can attack submarines with torpedoes and rockets.

As Laishram said: Mission ready.




In his opinion, with the organization of these meetings, Peru "is emerging as a top-level player on the stage of the major decision-making process."





"we cannot miss the opportunity" in the face of said possibility in the country. In statements to Andina news agency, Velit noted thatin the face of said possibility in the country.









meetings with the two main world leaders. Thus, he said, the government of President Dina Boluarte would have the exceptional opportunity to hold





a sign of the confidence in the country. The fact that Peru has assumed the Presidency of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum , being in charge of the organization of the Leaders' Summit, is





Moreover, Velit welcomed the direction of the Peruvian foreign policy adopted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs





"In recent months, Peru has begun to pursue a path in line with the international concert of nations; that is, with the international community," he said.





From his perspective, Peru's Foreign Affairs Minister is aware of the historical, political, and strategic value of the country.





Furthermore, Velit remarked that this conviction means having a confidence in the future of the country's international relations.





(END) FGM/CVC/RMB/MVB

International relations expert Juan Velit affirmed that the holding of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) meetings in Peru throughout 2024 provides an unavoidable opportunity for the country to regain prominence in the international community.Published: 1/2/2024
 The idea of a developed India includes both economic and cultural progress, and this growth is incomplete without Tamil Nadu which is an icon of social and cultural legacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, as he opened a new airport and addressed a university convocation in the southern state. HT Image

The PM also said that he was deeply moved by the lives lost during the torrential rain and flooding in Tamil Nadu in December, and that the central government stood with the people of the state in this time of crisis.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Modi made the comments in two separate functions in Tiruchirapalli, first at the convocation of the Bharatidasan University, and then at the inauguration of the new 1,100-crore Tiruchirapalli International Airport. On the first day of a two-day trip to southern India that will include travel to Kerala and Lakshwadeep, Modi also inaugurated projects worth over 20,000 crore in Tamil Nadu, including several railway, roads, port, and petroleum and natural gas projects.

Speaking at the inauguration of the international airport, Modi said the Amrit Kaal, or the next 25 years leading up to the centenary of independence, will be a period to make India a developed nation.

When I talk of a developed India, there are both economic and cultural aspects to that development. That is why I see a special role for Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is an icon of Indias social and cultural legacy. It has an ancient treasure trove of language and knowledge.

He said that the Union government made it its constant endeavour to highlight Tamil Nadus legacy in key development projects, and that India could progress only if Tamil Nadu progresses. You have seen that in the new building of the Parliament in Delhi, there is the holy sengol. This is an attempt to harness that model of good governance that the Tamil culture has given to India. The efforts of the Kashi-Tamil sangamam, Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam also underline this. These programmes have given new energy to the enthusiasm of Tamil language and culture, he said.

Modi said that he was aware that the last few weeks of 2023, which saw heavy rain and flooding that cost 35 lives, were difficult for the state. We lost many of our fellow citizens due to heavy rains. There has also been significant loss of property. I was deeply moved at the condition of the affected families. The central government stands with the people of Tamil Nadu in this time of crisis. We are providing every possible support to the state government.

He also condoled the death of iconic actor-turned-politician Captain Vijaykanth and scientist MS Swaminathan. He was a captain not only in the world of cinema but also in politics. He won the hearts of the people through his work in films. As a politician, he always put national interest above everything. I pay my tributes to him. I also express my condolences to his family and admirers. Today, when I am here, I also remember another son of Tamil Nadu, Dr MS Swaminathan Ji. He played an important role in ensuring food security for our country. We lost him last year as well, the PM said.

Speaking at the same event, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, who received the PM at the airport, urged him to declare the floods as a national calamity and send more central funds for relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The floods in Chennai and our southern districts have not only destroyed public infrastructure but have also thrown countless lives haywire. I would request the central government to declare the floods as a national disaster, Stalin said.

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that airports were emerging as centres of employment for the country. The one big change that has taken place over the last nine-and-a-half years of this government is that PM Modi, through his leadership, has democratised civil aviation for every single citizen of this country. Everyone who wears a hawai chappal (slippers) can also travel in a hawai jahaaz (aircraft). This has been the PMs dream for the people of our country, Scindia said.

Earlier in the day, talking to an audience of students of the Bharatidasan university, Modi said that Indias civilisation was always centered around knowledge.

Some of the ancient universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila are well known. Similarly, there are references of places like Kanchipuram housing great universities. Gangai-Cholapuram and Madurai were also great seats of learning. Students from across the world used to come to these places. Similarly, even the concept of a convocation is very ancient and well known to us. For example, take the ancient Tamil Sangam meeting of poets and intellectuals. In Sangams, poetry and literature were presented for the analysis of others. After analysis, the poet and their work were recognised by larger society. This is the same logic used in academia and higher education even today. So, my young friends, you are part of a great historical tradition of knowledge, he said.

The PM said that India was now setting records in economic growth as the fastest growing major economy, its universities were entering global rankings in record numbers, and that the government was working to match the speed and scale of Indias young.

Young scientists helped us ship vaccines to the world during Covid-19. Indian science is on the world map through missions like Chandrayaan. Our innovators took the number of patents from around 4,000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 now. Our humanities scholars are showcasing the India story to the world like never before. Our musicians and artists are continuously bringing international awards to our country. Our athletes won a record number of medals in Asian Games, Asian Para Games and other tournaments, he said.

The PM said that in the decade before 2014, states were given 30 lakh crore; whereas in the last 10 years, states were given 120 lakh crore.Tamil Nadu too got 2.5 times more in this period as compared to the 10 years preceding 2014, he added.
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a key accused and recovered a huge cache of weapons during raids at multiple locations in Rajasthan and Haryana in connection with the murder of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena (SRRKS) chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi last month. A team of NIA during a raid in connection with Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedis murder in Rajasthans Tonk on Wednesday. (PTI)

The arrested accused, Ashok Kumar, is closely associated with gangster Rohit Godara, who took responsibility through social media for the murder of Gogamedi. Godara is linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

With Kumars arrest, the total number of people arrested in the murder stands at nine. Previous eight arrests were made by the Rajasthan police.

Gogamedi was killed along with another person, Naveen Shekhawat, while two persons were injured in the sensational daylight shootout at Karni Sena chiefs Shyam Nagar residence in Jaipur on December 5, 2023. The shooters were identified as Rohit Rathore, a resident of Jhotwara in Jaipur, and Nitin Fauji from Mahendragarh, Haryana. The murder sparked widespread protests across the state. One of the injured persons, Ajeet Singh, later succumbed in the hospital.

The federal anti-terror probe agency took over the probe from the police on December 11 and had since then questioned several suspects based on which Wednesdays raids at 31 locations were planned.

As part of its ongoing investigations, the NIA today raided a total of 31 locations, including the houses of the accused persons and several suspects, in Rajasthan and the neighbouring state of Haryana. NIA teams made exhaustive searches of the premises and seized a large number of pistols, ammunition, digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards and DVRs etc, as well as incriminating documents related to financial transactions, NIA said in a statement.

A key suspect, Ashok Kumar, was arrested from one of the locations following the recovery of several arms and ammunition from his premises in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, it added.

Kumars questioning, the statement said, exposed his suspicious role in the case and revealed his association with the notorious gangster Rohit Godara, who had allegedly motivated the two shooters to murder Gogamedi, president of SRRKS.

The federal agency said that sustained interrogation of the arrested accused and suspects revealed the involvement of hardcore criminals and members of organised criminal gangs, based out of Haryana and Rajasthan in the murder.

All the accused and suspects were found to have been associated with the accused persons before and after the murder of Gogamedi, as per the NIA investigations, which are still continuing, it added.

Lawrence Bishnoi, in custody since 2015, has been operating his terror-crime syndicate from jails in different states. NIA is already investigating activities of Bishnoi gang in various parts of the country and abroad including his association with pro-Khalistan elements (PKEs).
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a key suspect in the killing of Hindu right-wing group Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena (SRRKS) chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, as it conducted raids in 31 locations in Rajasthan and Haryana, the agency said. Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead at his Jaipur residence by two people (ANI)

The accused, Ashok Kumar, is closely associated with gangster Rohit Godara, an associate of imprisoned criminal Lawrence Bishnoi who claimed responsibility for Gogamedis murder, it added.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Kumar is the ninth person to be arrested in the case. Earlier, eight people were arrested by Rajasthan Police in connection with the murder on December 5 that triggered fierce protests by Rajputs across Rajasthan.

In its statement, NIA, which took over the probe from the state police on December 11, said: As part of its ongoing investigations, NIA today raided a total of 31 locations, including the houses of the accused persons and several suspects, in Rajasthan and the neighbouring state of Haryana. NIA teams made exhaustive searches of the premises and seized a large number of pistols, ammunition, digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards and DVRs etc, as well as incriminating documents related to financial transactions.

It added: A key suspect, Ashok Kumar, was arrested from one of the locations following the recovery of several arms and ammunition from his premises in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.

Kumars questioning, NIA said, revealed his suspicious role in the case and his association with Godara, who allegedly motivated the two shooters to murder Gogamedi.

Sustained interrogation of the arrested accused and suspects revealed the involvement of hardcore criminals and members of organised criminal gangs, based out of Haryana and Rajasthan in the murder, the federal agency said.

Gogamedi was shot dead at his Jaipur residence by two people, who are among those arrested.
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday launched raids at 31 locations in Rajasthan and Haryana in connection with the murder of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi last month, people familiar with the development said. hri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead in December. (ANI)

Gogamedi was shot dead at his residence by three assailants on December 5, 2023, sparking protests in Rajasthan. Gangster Rohit Godara who is linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took responsibility for the murder on a social media post, saying Gogamedi was backing his enemies.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) had asked the NIA to take over the probe to look into the possible angle of a larger conspiracy.

The federal agency is learnt to have questioned few suspects after registering a case and the searches on Wednesday are being carried out based on their interrogation, said an official, who didnt want to be named.

Also Read: Gangsters partner under lens for Rajput Karni Sena chiefs murder

Jaipur Police had arrested two shooters involved in Gogamedis killing from Chandigarh, five days after the incident.

Gangster Bishnoi, in custody since 2015, has been operating his terror-crime syndicate from jails in different states.

NIA is already investigating activities of the Bishnoi gang in various parts of the country and abroad including association with pro-Khalistan elements.
PATNA: The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday named its candidate for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency in a sign that the differences within the Opposition INDIA bloc are far from over. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar after the National Executive meeting in Delhi last week where he was appointed JD9U) chief (HT File Photo/Raj K Raj)

Ruhi Tangung, who heads the Arunachal Pradesh unit of the JD (U), will be the partys candidate from the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat, said JD(U) general secretary Afaque Ahmad in a statement.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

This announcement is being made as directed by party president Nitish Kumar, he said in a release issued on Wednesday.

Arunachal Pradesh has two Lok Sabha seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won both seats. Earth sciences minister Kiren Rijiju represents the Arunachal West seat in the Lok Sabha while his party colleague Tapir Gao represents the East seat.

The Congress, the largest among the 28 parties that comprise the opposition alliance, was second in both seats in 2019.

To be sure, the JD(U) won 7 seats in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections held in June 2019 against the BJPs 41. But in December 2020, 6 JD-U MLAs and the lone legislator from the Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) joined the BJP. The seventh JD(U) MLA also quit the party and joined the BJP in August 2022 after Nitish Kumar walked out of the NDA in Bihar and teamed up with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress.

Bosiram Siram, working president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress committee, said the Congress was ready with its candidates too. I have no idea about the JD (U) announcement or about any seat sharing agreement. The partys high command has also not informed us of any such thing. As of now we have candidates for both the Lok Sabha seats from Arunachal Pradesh and will wait for a green signal from the party leadership on who would contest from them, Siram said.

JD (U) leaders also indicated that Bihar Legislative Council chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur could be the partys candidate from the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat in place of Sunil Kumar Pintu, the sitting MP, who is likely to join BJP. Thakur, during the partys national executive meeting in Delhi, is reported to have said that his name had been cleared by the party chief.

RJD leader and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said discussions were on among leaders of the INDIA bloc on the next meeting of the coalition, where some key decisions were expected. There are discussions about the date and the modalities. It will be made known to all when a decision is made, he told reporters on Wednesday. JD(U) leaders said Nitish Kumar was expected to be given a formal role at the next meeting. There is speculation that Kumar could be appointed convenor of grouping.

Bosiram Siram, working president of Arunachal Pradesh Congress committee, said the Congress was ready with its candidates too. I have no idea about the JD (U) announcement or about any seat sharing agreement. The partys high command has also not informed us of any such thing. As of now we have candidates for both the Lok Sabha seats from Arunachal Pradesh and will wait for a green signal from the party leadership on who would contest from them, Siram said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Meera Majhi, the Ujjwala Yojana beneficiary whom he met during his visit to Ayodhya on December 30.



The prime minister also sent gifts to Majhi and her family. The gift package comprised a tea set, a drawing book filled with a vibrant assortment of colours, and other items. Ujjwala beneficiary Meera Manjhi and family holding the letter written to them by the PM.(ANI)

After coming from Ayodhya, I watched your interviews on various TV channels. I am touched by the humility and confidence shown by you and your family members while sharing the experiences. The happiness of yours and crores of Indians is my wealth. It infuses me with more energy to work for the country, the prime minister wrote in his letter.



As the 100 millionth beneficiary of the Ujjwala Yojana, you are not just a statistic for me. I view it as an example of the fulfilment of dreams of crores of Indians, he added.



During his Ayodhya visit, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated several significant development projects. Meera Manjhi, who has benefited from the Ujjawala scheme, was one of the individuals with whom he engaged during this visit.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

A heartwarming video shared by news agency ANI captured PM Modi entering Meera's house. Despite family members attempting to touch his feet, the PM humbly urged them not to. His visit was aimed at connecting with the family which was the 100 millionth beneficiary of the gas cylinder distribution scheme.

During the visit, Majhi expressed gratitude for the PM Awas scheme, highlighting that her family now had a home. She emphasised the positive impact of the Ujjawala scheme, citing the convenience it brought to her life. Manjhi told Modi how cooking on a gas stove saved time and provided more quality time to spend with her children.

Sharing details of the prime minister's visit to her home, Meera Manjhi revealed that she had no prior knowledge of PM Modi's arrival. Just an hour before the visit, she was informed that a political leader would be coming to her residence.

"He came, he spoke to my family members. He asked about the benefits that we are getting in the Ujjawala scheme. Then he asked me what I had cooked. I said rice, daal and vegetables...and also tea. He asked me for tea saying thhandi me chai toh pilana chahiye na. He said it was a little sweeter. I told him this was how I make tea," Meera Manjhi said.
Thrissur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Opposition's INDIA bloc of hurting our faith. Addressing an event in Kerala, he said the alliance was against the Centre's development in the state and wanted freedom for looting the masses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a mass gathering of women at the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mahila Conference, in Thrissur on Wednesday. (ANI)

INDI alliance only knows one thing, INDI alliance keeps hurting our faith, they made our temples and festivals, mediums for loot. The kind of politics that is being played with 'Thrissur Pooram' is unfortunate. The kind of mismanagement that has come to light in Sabarimala, devotees are facing a lot of inconvenience. This is the proof of disability of the state government here, he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

"Today in the country, big roads are being made, modern airports are being made but the government of INDIA alliance doesn't let any work happen here because they oppose Modi. INDI alliance want full freedom in Kerala for looting. Here, the play that is happening due to the gold smuggling, is not hidden from anyone. They don't want anybody to question them regarding the funds that are being received from the Central govt for poor people and infrastructure so they try to hinder the schemes by the central government," he added.

He also attacked previous LDF and UDF governments.

Also read: Priyanka Gandhi's 'advertisements enough...' attack on PM Modi over Manipur

"After independence, LDF and UDF governments considered 'Nari Shakti' as weak and they put on hold the law that could give reservation to women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha, for so long but Modi gave you the guarantee to give you your rights and I fulfilled it...till Congress and Left alliance govt were there in the country, Muslim sisters were suffering because of triple talaq but Modi gave the guarantee to give freedom from it and fulfilled it sincerely," he added.

Currently, CPI(M) is ruling Kerala.

The Congress and the CPI(M) are part of the alliance against the BJP. However, it isn't clear what shape the alliance would take in Kerala as they are bitter rivals in the state. In the 2024 general elections, the BJP is hoping to get a foothold in the state where Congress and Left-led alliances have dominated politics.

The remarks come amid a war of words between the Opposition and the ruling BJP over the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram Temple.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury recently said he had received the invitation for the ceremony on January 22, but he won't attend as the BJP was mixing religion with politics.

The Congress hasn't revealed if its leaders would attend the event or not.

The Left government in Kerala accuses BJP of using Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to stall development.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday struck an emotional chord with the voters in his constituency Budhni, saying sometimes a person has to go on a vanvas (exile) after coronation.



"I will not go anywhere. I will live here and die here," the BJP leader said when a couple of women sitting in the audience shouted "bhaiyya (brother), don't go anywhere leaving us alone." Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.(ANI file)

Chouhan, who served as the chief minister for four terms, said,"Our govt will work, and the promises that are given to farmers will be fulfilled. Schemes like 'Ladli Behena Awas Yojana' will taken forward by the new govt. There will be some bigger objectives, 'Kai baar Raj Tilak hone ke baad vanvas ho jata hai' but it happens for the completion of some objectives".



Chouhan named his house, a government bungalow in Bhopal, as "Mama Ka Ghar" and said its doors were open for everyone. His government accommodation is located off Link Road No. 1 in the posh 74 Bungalows locality in the state capital where he moved after vacating the CM's house on relinquishing the top post last month.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Chouhan had won from his bastion Budhni by a margin of 1.04 lakh votes in the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh assembly election. The Bharatiya Janata Party registered a landslide victory by winning 163 out of 230 seats, successfully ducking anti-incumbency in the state where it has been in power for two decades.



The Congress was relegated to a distant second spot with victory in 66 assembly segments, while one seat was won by the Bharat Adivasi Party.



ALSO READ: 'Ab vida..': What Shivraj Singh Chouhan said before Mohan Yadav's oath-taking



The BJP chose Mohan Yadav, a three-time MLA from Ujjain South who had served as the education minister in Chouhan's government, as the next chief minister. Yadav an OBC face, cut his political teeth with the RSS's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the early 1980s. He became a legislator for the first time in 2013 and then won two more times including the 2023 polls.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday called summoning government officials repeatedly for contempt contrary to the Constitutions scheme and issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) about summons for their presence in courts. The Supreme Court reserved orders in the matter in August. (ANI)

A bench of Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra laid down the dos and donts for judges. It said officials should not be summoned arbitrarily and as a matter of routine. The bench said they should be issued only in cases where the presence of officials is necessary for examining evidence, assistance in complex issues of policy, and if any fact has been suppressed.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The order came on the Union governments appeal against an April 2023 Allahabad high court order directing the state finance secretary and another official to be taken into custody for non-compliance to an order related to post-retirement benefits to retired high court judges.

The SOP asks judges to refrain from commenting on dress or making observations that may humiliate officials while they are summoned for contempt or otherwise. It requires judges to summon officials only in exceptional cases and to rely on statements of law officers and affidavits.

The bench said the SOP has been formulated for consistency and to prevent frequent summoning while directing the high courts to frame guidelines taking note of the procedure. It set aside the Allahabad high courts order saying it was not right to order the arrest of the officials for contempt. The Supreme Court said the action of officials did not amount to civil or criminal contempt. It added the high court chief justice did not have the power to enforce the rules framed for the benefit of retired judges in a judicial proceeding.

The Supreme Court reserved orders on the Union governments appeal in the matter in August. Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta earlier circulated a draft SOP requesting the court to lay down uniform rules to ensure the presence of officials only in cases where compliance with orders is lacking. He added it should not be a matter of routine as it affects administrative functioning.

The courts SOP accepted provisions from the draft and requires advance notice for appearance so that officials can prepare while giving them the first option to appear through videoconferencing.

Mehta submitted that a dress code should also be fixed as officers generally appear in shirts and trousers and still face the ire of judges. He referred to insults in courts for inappropriate dressing despite decent clothing. Comments on the dress or physical appearance or educational and social background of the government official appearing before of the Court should be refrained, said the draft. It added appearance of officers in a decent work dress should be permitted.

The draft said such a protocol would create a more congenial and conducive environment between judiciary and government, improve the quality of compliance with judicial orders, and minimize the scope for contempt of court. It added an SOP would save time and resources for both the court and the government. The draft said the work of the government gets affected when officers are summoned to courts.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and 11 states on a public interest litigation (PIL) which alleged caste-based discrimination and segregation of prisoners in jails and sought a direction to repeal provisions that mandate such practices under the state prison manuals. (Representative Photo)

The petition filed by journalist Sukanya Shantha, was based on a report compiled by the petitioner in 2020 alleging caste-based discrimination being perpetrated through jail manuals.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said, This raises an important issue, as it asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta to assist the Court on behalf of the Centre.

Senior advocate S Muralidhar, who argued the petition along with advocate S Prasanna, showed how work was allocated in prisons depending on the prisoners caste.

The petition highlighted a few instances from Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Tamil Nadu jails, where cooking was undertaken by dominant castes while sweeping and other menial jobs such as cleaning toilets were to be undertaken by specific lower castes.

Also Read: Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports among top 5 gainers of today after Supreme Courts Hindenburg verdict

The caste realities of the carceral system in India entail a range of discriminatory practices, including the division of labour determined based on caste hierarchy and caste-based segregation of barracks. The prison manuals of various states sanction such discrimination and forced labour on the ground of caste, the petition said.

It also pointed out the separation of Thevars, Nadars, and Pallars, who are allotted different sections in Palayamkottai Central Jail in Tamil Nadu, as a glaring instance of caste-based segregation of barracks.

The inmates face such discrimination soon after they walk inside the prison, Murlidhar said.

Caste-based labour distribution in the prisons is a relic of colonial India...Since allotment of caste-based labour is humiliating and unhealthy, it goes against prisoners right to life with dignity, said the petition.

It is most untenable that a prisoners caste identity and social status are used to burden them with degrading labour and unequal treatment in a free and democratic country, the petitioner submitted.

The petition further says that the 2003 Model Prison Manual clearly states that classification should be done based on security, discipline and institutionalised program. Additionally, no classification based on socio-economic status, caste or class may be attempted.

SG Mehta told the Court that he had heard about segregation in jails based on convicts and undertrials. ...But if this (caste-based segregation) is there, this cannot be accepted.

The bench, also comprising Justice JB Pardhiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra after hearing the case, issued notice to 11 states UP, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, besides the Centre in this regard and also sought response.
?? Iniciamos el 2024 con la emocion y expectativa por las actividades del ano #APECPeru2024 tras asumir, por 3. vez, la presidencia pro tempore de @APEC.



Calentemos motores repasando momentos del ISOM que se llevo a cabo en Lima, una de las ciudades sede.https://t.co/8sEJy0WFcH
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the response of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Bhima Koregaon violence case on a petition by former Delhi University professor Hany Babu, who is accused of having links with the banned naxal outfit, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) or CPI (Maoist). The Supreme Court of India. (File)

A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol issued a notice on Babus plea challenging an order of the Bombay high court on September 19, 2022, refusing him bail in the case where he is alleged to have been part of the conspiracy behind the Bhima Koregaon violence of 2018 in Pune.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Advocate Payoshi Roy who appeared for the former professor told the court that the petitioner has been in jail for past four years and requested for a short date. The court posted the matter after three weeks directing NIA and the Maharashtra government to file their responses.

Roy told the court that there was no evidence against him except some code names found in his laptop. The bench went through the record and found that the high court had discussed in detail the role attributed to Babu while denying him bail.

Babu is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and was accused by NIA of indulging in anti-national activities. In February 2022, the special NIA court had rejected his bail plea making out a prima facie case on his involvement in promoting the agenda of CPI(Maoist) outfit.

The HC in its September 2022 verdict went through the entire record produced by NIA and said, The appellant (Babu) is not just a passive member but an active member and the material on record clearly shows his involvement in the larger conspiracy. In pursuance of this conspiracy, the court noticed several activities of the outfit targeting members of police, armed forces and constitutional functionaries.

It held, The appellant is not merely a sympathiser with the organisation but is given substantial responsibility, including conducting activities of the Revolutionary Democratic Front, a frontal organisation of the CPI(Maoist). The HC also noted that Babu developed code structure for the outfit that was vital for secret communication and evidence was available to show his role in party building and mass mobilisation as part of the outfits larger objective of creating terror.
Replies to all RTI applications need to be approved by the general manager of the zone or divisional railway manager of the division and responses to appeals also need their clearance, the Railways said in a recent notification, stressing on stricter compliance with the provisions of the law. Railways stresses on stricter compliance with RTI laws after controversy over selfie booths at stations featuring PM Modi. (AFP)

The notification, issued on December 28, came days after a controversy broke out over the railways response to a RTI application on the cost of selfie booths featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi at railway stations within the Central Railway zone.

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On December 29, the Central Railways zone board also transferred its chief public relations officer (CPRO), replacing Shivraj Manaspure with Swapnil D Nila, who previously served as the divisional office manager of the Pune division. Manaspure, who served in the position for eight months against the official tenure of three years. The RTI was signed by deputy general manager/public information officer of the central railway Abhay Mishra.

Secretary of the railway board Milind K Deouskar issued a directive on December 28, urging adherence to the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005, in a notice to the general managers of zonal railways, production units, and divisional managers across all divisions.

Replies to all RTI applications shall be approved respectively at the level of General Manager(GM) on the zonal railways and Divisional Railways Manager(DRM) in the divisions. Similarly, replies to first appeals received under the RTI Act need to be shown to the concerned GM and DRM.

The Central Railways zone covers five divisions  Mumbai, Nagpur, Solapur, Pune, and Bhusawal  across a significant portion of Maharashtra, along with smaller areas in Southern Madhya Pradesh and Northeastern Karnataka.

An appeal is filed when the RTI applicant is unhappy with the decision to not provide a particular tranche of information, or with insufficient or incomplete responses.

A spokesperson for the ministry of railways denied a link between the notification and the controversy. These conversations are internal to the railway board, the board is allowed to have internal instructions and the fresh instructions are for conveniencethe directive is unrelated to the transfer and the RTI response made by the officer.

But activists rejected this explanation. The CPRO has been removed because he has given the rates of the selfie booths. He had completed only eight months in the position the tenure for which is three years. How can he be abruptly transferred like this? There must be a strong reason for that, said Mumbai-based RTI activist Ajay Bose, who had filed the original application.

The RTI reply onDecember 21 had said that 1.63 crore was spent on installing 3D selfie points and booths featuring Modi across the central railways network. Thirty such temporary selfie points cost 1.25 Lakhs each, and 20 permanent selfie booths cost 6.25 lakhs each.

There are 19 zones in the Indian railways and selfie points have been set up in all of them, in accordance with September27notification. But the RTI response limited itself to the central railway zone headquartered at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai.

Commenting on the directive, former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said, There is nothing in the RTI law specifying this. The public information officer is somebody whos taking responsibility for the information. The RTIs can be refused only if it falls under the sections of eight or nine. Some agencies such as the RBI had such overseeing practices earlier. It is usually termed as a matter of administrative convenience.

The numbers sparked a controversy with the Opposition calling it a waste of money.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, Fares for every class of Garibo Ki Sawaari, Indian Railways have been increased. Even the fare concession given to the elderly was withdrawn. Platform ticket prices were increased and the door for privatisation was opened.

Was this money, which is being squeezed out of the publics hard-earned money, for making a selfie stand? What do the people of India want? Cheap gas cylinders and easy rail travel? Or Picture with shahenshahs statue? he added.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Tom Vadakkan, however, said, I dont think theres been as popular a leader as our prime minister Modi. The huge rush for selfies with him especially wherever he goes has created a situation where theres a huge pressure to have photographs with him. If Rahul Gandhi wants selfies, he can set it up who is stopping him? The opposition is worried and getting into smaller issues because Modi is going to be elected as the PM in 2024

The railway boards director of information and publicity issued a directive on September 27 which urged all 19 zonal railways and general managers to urgently install selfie booths at multiple stations. These booths, designed with durable 3D fibre sculptures, acrylic boards, glass, and integrated lighting, showcase 3D sculptures crafted from materials such as fibre, clay, or Plaster of Paris (PoP). The installations highlight central government initiatives such as Skill India, Ujjwala Yojana, and Chandrayaan Mission, among others, and are being implemented months ahead of the 2024 general elections.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Lok Sabha secretary general over Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra's petition against her expulsion from the House last month. The court has asked the official to file a reply within three weeks. Mahua Moitra was expelled over her direct involvement in cash-for-query charges and unethical conduct (PTI)(HT_PRINT)

The court, however, refused to allow her to participate in Lok Sabha's proceedings.

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Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the ethics panel found her guilty of sharing her parliamentary login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for bribes.

The former MP had said she shared her login credentials with the businessman to have his staff type out her queries on the Lok Sabha portal. She had denied any exchange of bribes between the two.

Days after being ousted from the House, Moitra had moved the Supreme Court against her expulsion.

Also read: Mahua Moitra moves Supreme Court against expulsion from Lok Sabha: Report

In her first reaction to her expulsion last month, Mahua Moitra had said the ethics panel didn't have the power to expel her and there wasn't a shred of evidence of her accepting cash from Hiranandani. She had also pointed out that she wasn't allowed by the panel to cross-examine Hiranandani and her former partner Jai Anant Dehadrai, who is the original complainant.

Darshan Hiranandani had written an affidavit to the panel claiming Moitra has accepted gifts from him in return for allowing him to post questions on the Adani Group in the Parliament.

Also read: Mahua Moitra expelled from Lok Sabha: What next for TMC leader? Options before her

After her expulsion, Moitra had vowed to keep fighting the BJP.

"Ramesh Biduri stands up in Parliament and makes objectionable remarks against Danish Ali, one of the few Muslim MPs.... the BJP has sent 303 MPs but hasn't sent one Muslim MP to Parliament. No action has been taken against Biduri for abusing AliYou hate minorities, you hate women, you hate nari shakti," she had said.

"I am 49 years old, I will fight you for the next 30 years, inside parliament, outside parliament, in the gutter, on the street," she added.

Meanwhile, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai has accused Moitra of conducting surveillance on him. He said he has filed a complaint with the CBI.

"I have given my complaint to CBI. This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not back down," he told ANI today.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to order a separate probe into the allegations of accounting fraud and stock manipulation against Adani group companies, first aired in a report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research in January 2023, holding that there was no material to show glaring, willful or deliberate inaction by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in carrying out its investigation nor anything to suggest regulatory failure by the market regulator. Adani-Hindenburg case: The Supreme Court directed Sebi to complete the two pending investigations into the Gautam Adani-led group expeditiously, preferably within three months (REUTERS FILE PHOTO)

Noting that the Hindenburg report or any other unsubstantiated news report cannot be treated as conclusive proof of the inadequacy of Sebis probe, the top court shot down a plea jointly made in a bundle of petitions seeking the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate Hindenburgs allegations and maintained that the reliance on newspaper articles or reports by third party organisations as the basis for questioning a comprehensive investigation by a specialised regulator does not make sense.

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Apart from the Hindenburg report, reports by the Financial Times and OCCRP (a network of journalists) in August mentioned the alleged violation of Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) and other regulations by Adani group companies, using 13 overseas entities to effect transactions in stock. Indian stock market laws require a listed company to have a minimum public shareholding of 25% with the objective of keeping a free float available for price discovery of stocks.

The petitioners cannot assert that an unsubstantiated report in the newspapers should have precedence over an investigation by a statutory regulator whose investigation has not been cast into doubt on the basis of cogent material or evidence...In fact, to the contrary, the course of conduct by Sebi inspires confidence that Sebi is conducting a comprehensive investigation, held a bench, led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, adding that petitions that lack adequate research and rely on unverified and unrelated material tend to be counterproductive to the public interest jurisprudence.

The bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that Sebi has completed its investigations in 22 out of the 24 allegations levelled against the Adani group. We direct Sebi to complete the two pending investigations expeditiously, preferably within three months. This court is not inclined to interfere with the outcome of the investigations by Sebi, which should take its investigations to their logical conclusion in accordance with law.

The court, in its judgment, recorded the statement of solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who represented Sebi, that 22 final investigation reports and one interim investigation report have been approved by the competent authority. With respect to the interim investigation report, Sebi has submitted that it has sought information from external agencies and entities and upon receipt of such information, it will determine the future course of action, stated the judgment.

Rejecting the allegation that the Sebi was lackadaisical in conducting the investigations, the court said that the threshold for the transfer of investigation from Sebi to a SIT or CBI was not met in this case.

At the same time, the bench directed that the investigative agencies of the Union government should probe whether the loss suffered by Indian investors due to the conduct of the Hindenburg Research and other entities in taking short positions involved any infraction of law, and if so, suitable action shall be taken.

Hindenburgs report, published in January 2023, claimed brazen accounting fraud and stock manipulation by the Gautam Adani-led group. Though the conglomerate rejected the report as unresearched and maliciously mischievous, it triggered a massive rout of Adani group stocks, which lost over $140 billion in days and forced the cancellation of a planned 20,000 crore share sale.

A set of petitions, filed separately by lawyers and activists last year, demanded a court-monitored probe into the matter by setting up a SIT, under the supervision of a retired judge. Some of the petitioners also questioned the legislative amendments carried out by Sebi in 2018 and 2019 to tweak the Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) regulations, contending that these amendments diluted the requirement of disclosure of beneficial owners (BOs) and listing disclosures by doing away with the prohibition against an FPI having an opaque structure.

But the court judgment on Wednesday rejected the petitioners contentions, ruling that the impugned amendments had in fact tightened the norms on disclosure of BOs under the FPI and LODR (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) and therefore, no valid grounds have been raised for the court to direct Sebi to revoke its amendments. It added that the procedure followed in arriving at the current state of the negotiations is not tainted with illegality nor has it been argued that the regulations are unreasonable, capricious, arbitrary or violative of the Constitution.

The amendments, far from diluting, have tightened the regulatory framework by making the disclosure requirements mandatory and removing the requirement of it being disclosed only when sought. The disclosure requirement, therefore, is now at par with the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act)...The power of this court to enter the regulatory domain of Sebi in framing delegated legislation is limited. The court must refrain from substituting its own wisdom over the regulatory policies of Sebi. The scope of judicial review when examining a policy frame by specialized regulator is to scrutinize whether it violates fundamental rights, any provision of the Constitution, any statutory provision, or is manifestly arbitrary, said the bench.

On the petitioners plea seeking the transfer of investigation from Sebi to a court-appointed SIT, the court underlined that a court must exercise this power sparingly and in extraordinary circumstances.

Such powers must not be exercised by the court in the absence of cogent justification indicative of a likely failure of justice, said the bench, pointing out that the petitioners have failed to portray inadequacy in the investigation or show a prima facie bias on Sebis part.

Referring to a slew of reforms suggested by a six-member panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge AM Sapre, that was set up by the court in March 2023 to look into regulatory failure by Sebi and alleged breach of laws by the Adani group, the bench directed that the Union Government and Sebi shall constructively consider the suggestions.

In its report submitted in May, the committee said the allegations of stock price manipulation or violation of MPS norms by Adani group companies cannot be proved at this stage. At the same time, the panel raised certain red flags regarding the current FPI regulations and the 2018 and 2019 amendments by the Sebi, which were approved by the court on Wednesday in its judgment. Following the panels report, Sebis Board had in July approved a proposal mandating additional granular disclosures to the last investor for certain categories of FPIs.

Simultaneously, the panel had in its report suggested a slew of structural reforms in Sebi, which included initiation of prosecution only in a few large and complex cases, a firm timeline for completion of investigations, robust settlement mechanism, separation of power between its quasi-judicial arm and the enforcement arm, creation of financial redress agency to handle investor grievances across sectors, mechanism for recovery of unclaimed properties and observance of judicial discipline by its adjudicating officers.

In its judgment, the bench also nixed the allegations of conflict of interest against members of the expert committee, calling these unsubstantial and unsubstantiated. In September, one of the petitioners in the case, Anamika Jaiswal, urged the Supreme Court to reconstitute the panel of experts to investigate the accusations against the Adani group, alleging conflict of interest of three of the six-member panel. Jaiswal claimed that inclusion of OP Bhatt (former State Bank of India chairman), KV Kamath (veteran banker) and senior advocate (now a Bombay high court judge) Somasekhar Sundaresan in the expert panel was not appropriate, considering their possible conflict of interest in the outcome of the probe.

On the aspect of a probe initiated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2014 about a potential stock market manipulation by the Adani group through overvaluation of the import of power equipment from a UAE-based subsidiary, the court noted that the issue that has already been settled by concurrent findings of the DRIs Additional Director General, the CESTAT and the Supreme Court in favour of the conglomerate.

The verdict signals there will not be increased regulatory or legal risk on the Adani group beyond the current Sebi investigation. Reflecting that view, shares of various Adani Group companies rose, with Adani Energy Solutions up 9.1%, Adani Total Gas surging 7.1%, Adani Green Energy jumping 5.5% and the flagship business Adani Enterprises rising 2.6%.

The combined market valuation of all the 10 group firms stood at 15,11,073.97 crore. The group firms together added 64,189.16 crore in market valuation from yesterdays close.

In the equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 535.88 points or 0.75% lower at 71,356.60, and the Nifty declined 148.45 points or 0.69% to 21,517.35.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday wrote to all vice-chancellors of universities and principals of institutions, asking them to get their students to pledge against drugs and substance abuse. UGC office in New Delhi. (HT File Photo)

The directive is in line with the objectives of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan of the ministry of social justice and empowerment, which focuses on preventing drug possession and substance abuse within campuses and colleges.

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It is evident that students and youth are particularly vulnerable to the menace of substance use, thus making them primary stakeholders for this Abhiyaan. HEIs can take action at the institutional level to sensitise the campus and other possible surrounding locations through their faculty, NSS volunteers, student clubs, etc., through regular interventions and activities on substance use prevention, UGC secretary Manish Joshi wrote in the letter.

UGC advised universities and colleges to establish common clubs focused on activities related to ragging prevention, promoting a substance-free environment, and adhering to safety measures. The directive also included a web link for list of suggested activities to spread awareness and information, education and communication (IEC) material along with best practices.

Additionally, a proposal to solicit a commitment from students towards responsible behaviour during their academic tenure was also advised, along with a guiding proforma attached with the letter to be duly signed by all students.

Acknowledging the harmful nature of substance use, the students pledge read, I am aware that the possession, use, sale, and distribution of alcohol, tobacco, or any psychoactive substances are wrong and harmful. I shall refrain from using, possessing, distributing, or being in the chain of sale of these substances. I shall report observed irregularities to institution authorities. I shall support and engage in such educational initiatives. I shall cooperate with authorities and prevent substance presence in or around my institution.

The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan aims at combating substance abuse and creating a drug-free environment in the country. The initiative focuses on various aspects, including assessment, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and public awareness related to substance abuse. It involves coordinated efforts to address the challenges posed by drug addiction, with specific emphasis on reaching out to different sections of society, including educational institutions, communities, and individuals, to prevent and treat substance abuse.
Divya Pahuja, a model in Gurugram who was one of the accused in a gangster's murder in an alleged fake police encounter in Mumbai, was shot dead in a hotel. She was out on bail. Divya Pahuja

On Tuesday night, five people took Divya Pahuja to a hotel and shot her in the head. The Gurugram police arrested three of them as they were taking her body in a car to dump it, police said.

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Who was Divya Pahuja?

Divya Pahuja was a former model. She was one of the accused in the murder of gangster Sandeep Gadoli. The gangster was murder in a Mumbai hotel on February 7, 2016.

In June last year, the Bombay High Court had granted her bail, seven years after she was arrested in connection with the murder.

Divya Pahuja, her mother and five police officers had been arrested for the murder of the gangster.

The Mumbai Police had said that Gadoli was lured by the policemen in the hotel with the help of his girlfriend Pahuja. He was later allegedly killed in a fake encounter.

The police had also said that Virendra Kumar alias Binder Gujjar ran a rival gang and allegedly conspired with Haryana Police officials to eliminate Gadoli.

The police had said Pahuja was used as a honey trap by Gujjar, who was in prison at the time of the encounter, PTI reported.

Also read: HC grants bail to ex-model Divya Pahuja in Sandeep Gadoli fake encounter case

The police are investigating the case.

Divya Pahuja had applied for bail on the ground that she had been incarcerated for around seven years. Pahuja was only 18 years old when she was arrested and put behind bars.

Who was Sandeep Gadoli?

Sandeep Gadoli, a dreaded gangster from Gurugram was charged with a string of murders and had kept the police on their toes for over two decades. He was seriously injured in a shootout in Mumbai on February 6, 2016. Gadoli opened fire at two Gurgaon Police constables when they arrived at a hotel in Mumbais Andheri around 11 am to arrest him. Gadoli carried a cash reward of 1.25 lakh and was wanted in connection with several murders, including the killing of municipal councillor Binder Gujjars driver in October 2015. Gadoli had 36 cases registered against him. His aide, Sonu, was arrested in Mumbai in 2015 for sexually harassing a model in Bandra.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a show cause notice to private airline IndiGo following a passenger's claim of finding a live worm in its sandwich, Live Hindustan reported on Wednesday. The image is taken from a video by a woman who shared she found a worm in food ordered on an IndiGo flight. (Instagram/@little__curves)

According to the notice, the food served to the passenger aboard an IndiGo flight on December 29, 2023, was "unsafe for human consumption."

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 As per Section 3 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, unsafe food means an article of food whose nature, substance or quality is so affected as to render it injurious to health....by the article having been infected or infested with worms, weevils or insects, the FSSAI, Northern Region noted.

IndiGo responded, saying that it is in receipt of a show cause notice from FSSAI with regard to a food item served on flight 6E 6107 from Delhi to Mumbai and that it will be responding to the notice.

The incident occurred on a Delhi-Mumbai IndiGo flight on December 29, 2023. During the journey, a passenger named Kushboo Gupta reported discovering live worms in a vegetarian sandwich. Gupta brought this to the attention of the cabin crew, urging them to inspect other sandwiches as well. However, she claimed that the cabin crew responded nonchalantly, treating the incident with apparent casualness.

In her post on social media, Gupta said, Despite informing the airline staff about worms in the sandwich, the cabin crew continued to serve these sandwiches to other passengers.

The parent company of the low-cost airline was given a seven-day deadline by FSSAI to respond to the issue. "You are directed to show cause within seven days....as to why not your license should be considered for suspension or cancellation and action be initiated against you as per the FSS Act, 2006 and rules and Regulations made under, the FSSAI order stated.
Hyderabad: YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddys sister, YS Sharmila, is set to merge her party with the Congress on January 4, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The decision follows months of speculation over such a move. The YSRTP did not contest the state elections in Telangana later last year, and chose to support the Congress, which stormed to power in the state. YS Sharmila held a meeting with her followers and party leaders at her Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad on Tuesday. (PTI)

Sharmila held a meeting with her followers and party leaders at her Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad on Tuesday. People familiar with the discussions said that she told the meeting that she would leave for New Delhi on Wednesday evening and join the Congress in the national capital on Thursday in the presence of the partys top leadership including president Mallikarjun Kharge and former chiefs Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

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Speaking to reporters in Kaada district, Sharmila confirmed her meeting with Congress leadership. I am going to meet the top leaders of the Congress high command on January 4 and join the party. I shall give clarity on my role by Wednesday evening, she said.

On Sharmilas role in the party, YSRTP general secretary Tudi Devender Reddy said: She is going to play an important role in the Congress. She has assured all those who had been supporting her all these days that they will also get important positions in the party.

Another party leader said the that the Congress has asked Sharmila to take up the reins of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) and lead the party from the front in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections. She was also offered a Rajya Sabha ticket from Karnataka besides an important position in the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), he said.

Congress leaders were yet to confirm the details of their talks or the role planned for Sharmila.

To be sure, the Congress has been struggling in Andhra Pradesh in recent years and could not win a single seat in the 2019 assembly polls. While Jagans YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is in power, the Telugu Desam Party, led by former CM N Chandrababu Nadu, is the principal opposition in the state.

Speculation over the merger were fuelled in recent weeks by some disgruntled YSRCP MLAs suggested they may switch to the Congress if Sharmila gets a prominent role in the partys state unit.

YSRCP MLA from Mangalagiri Alla, Ramakrishna Reddy, who resigned from the party recently, announced that he would go with Sharmila if she takes up a senior responsibility in the Congress. Around a dozen MLAs who left the Congress during the 2014 assembly elections and joined the YSRCP are in touch with the Congress. They might join the party soon if Sharmila joins the party, APCC president Gidugu Rudraraju said.

On Tuesday, Sharmila thanked Ramakrishna Reddy for deciding to continue his political journey with her.

Sharmila and Jagans father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy, or YSR, was a prominent Congress leader who served as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2004 to 2009. He will killed in a helicopter crash while still in office.

Sharmila floated YSRTP on July 8, 2021 over differences with her brother. Her party has, therefore, never been tested electorally.

When contacted, senior YSRCP leader YV Subba Reddy, was is also related to Jagan and Sharmila, said: During the Telangana elections itself, there was a talk that she would be joining the Congress. So, there is nothing surprising about it. He added that the move will not dent Jagan, who will return to power for a second term riding on the welfare and developmental programmes being implemented in the state.
Bad Ischl, a town in the Austrian region of Salzkammergut near the border with Germany's Bavaria, is a popular tourist spot. Hundreds of thousands of people come here every year to enjoy the region's scenic mountainous views, with crystal-clear lakes and lush green meadows in the summer or snow-covered peaks in the winter. (Also Read | Year-end Travel: Have 1 lakh? Go to Qatar) Bad Ischl is a famous spa town in Austria. (DW/Joerg Hackemann/Panther Media/picture alliance)

This had also attracted the Austrian nobility to the town. Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Sisi spent many summers in Bad Ischl. They also got engaged there in 1853.

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In 2024, Bad Ischl and 22 surrounding communities will become one of the three European Capitals of Culture of the year  alongside Tartu in Estonia and Bodo in Norway.

Climate change, history and Conchita Wurst

Bad Ischl and the other communities want to realize more than 300 projects together in order to show there's more to the region than its idyllic landscapes. The program will explore, among others, the consequences of overtourism and climate change as well as the region's historically burdened past.

The goal is to "shed light on the positive and negative sides of this entire region and not to turn it [the European Cultural Capital year] into a fireworks display or a festival," program curator Elisabeth Schweeger told the German press agency, DPA.

The program will nevertheless kick off with a bang on January 20 in Bad Ischl. Tom Neuwirth, who is better known as Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst and who hails from the Salzkammergut region, will take part in the opening concert together with rappers and a thousand-strong yodeling choir.

Shaped by salt mining

Salt has been mined in the Salzkammergut area for at least 7,000 years, and this "white gold" shaped the region.

"It developed because of salt, became rich through salt  and with salt it will face its future," said Schweeger. "Now it's time to add another essential element: culture. It is the engine for sustainability in Salzkammergut and far beyond."

Projects for the European Capital of Culture include an exhibition by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, which will also explore the tradition of salt mining.

Other exhibitions deal with looted art by the Nazis. The Nazi regime stashed looted art and art treasures in a mountain tunnel in Bad Ischl during World War II. A show in Bad Aussee will also shed light on the life of the art dealer Wolfgang Gurlitt, whose collection included artworks looted by the Nazis.

Concerts with music by Arnold Schonberg and an operetta by Oscar Straus also highlight the many Jewish artists and art lovers who were closely connected to Salzkammergut.

Another project will deal with the history of the Habsburg monarchy. Salzkammergut was originally the private property of the Habsburgs.

A critical reflection on the past

Bad Ischl only has around 14,000 residents. The other communities in the region that have come together to form the European Cultural Capital have, in some cases, a population of just a few hundred.

The region, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, already has to cope with an influx of visitors every year. Historian Michael Kurz from Bad Goisern, who knows the region well, notes there was a certain unease during the European Cultural Capital campaign. Locals would often ask, "Do we need this?"

On the other hand, as curator Elisabeth Schweeger pointed out, more than 85% of events are held by local and regional project sponsors. And getting an outside perspective on the region is an opportunity for the community to reflect critically on its own history and culture, she added.

Tartu: Heart and soul of Estonia

The city of Tartu, in eastern Estonia, is much less well known. With close to 100,000 inhabitants, it's the second largest city in the country after the capital, Tallinn.

Economically, it's clearly in the shadow of Estonia's capital. But culturally, the old university and Hanseatic city is at least on par with it. Tartu has traditionally been seen as the heart and soul of the small Baltic state in northeastern Europe.

"Tartu has always been a center for science, education and culture in Estonia," said Mayor Urmas Klaas.

Tartu was once the cradle of Estonian national awakening and the birthplace of the Estonian song festival, Estonian theater and even of the Estonian state itself.

The Peace Treaty of Dorpat  the old German name for Tartu  was signed in Tartu on February 2, 1920, in which Soviet Russia recognized the sovereignty of Estonia, which had become independent in 1918.

Through an artistic concept titled "Arts of Survival," the European Cultural Capital of Tartu will offer more than 1,000 events. Its program will be launched on January 26, with an anthem specially composed to celebrate the university city as the "Young Blood City."

Highlights include "Kissing Tartu," a mass kissing event; "Naked Truth," an opinion festival where discussions are held in saunas; as well as the play "Business as Usual," inspired by the money laundering scandals that rocked Estonian banking.

Tartu Pride will take place from August 12-18, an occasion to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in Estonia, a new law that comes into force on January 1, 2024.

Bodo focuses on sustainability

Bodo is the third European Cultural Capital of 2024. It's located high in the north, on the west coast of Norway, making it the first European Cultural Capital north of the Arctic Circle.

With more than 1,000 events, Bodo and the surrounding Nordland region want to show that they not only have breathtaking Arctic nature, but also an engaging culture. Organizers hope to attract more than 500,000 people throughout the year.

The region is huge: A drive through Nordland from north to south will cover a good 800 kilometers (500 miles).

"Bodo2024" is the largest cultural project to take place in northern Norway to date.

Bodo aims to be the most sustainable European Capital of Culture. In the spring, it will host what organizers call "the world's most sustainable concert," titled "Pure Music."

The culture of the Sami, the region's Indigenous people, will also receive a special focus, including with a multi-part musical theater production.

Several events have a connection to Germany, including the opening ceremony on February 3. It will be celebrated with a spectacular harbor event with the Berlin artist collective Phase7, on a specially built floating stage.

An important open-air event is planned for Midsummer Eve on June 22, when the midnight sun can be admired. And the first Nordland Light Festival will be held in November and December when the days get shorter again.
The official website of the 2023 G20 Summit  the event was hosted by India  witnessed 16 lakh cyberattacks per minute even as the 2-day conference was on, on September 9 and 10, the Centre's cybercrime body said on Wednesday. A shot from the time when Prime Minister Modi hosted the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023. The Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.

During G20, in one minute, on the G20 website, on the day of the summit, we had around 16 lakh attacks coming. If you put a figure on that, we will say that one minute, 16 lakh attacks coming, Rajesh Kumar, CEO, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) told reporters at the agency's annual press conference.

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The nature of the attack was DDoS (distributed denial-of-service), Kumar further stated, adding that this was being done in an attempt to bring down the website. The attempts, however, failed as relevant agencies worked together to prevent such an attack, he added.

Also, Kumar said that malicious activities began the moment the G20 portal went up months of the actual event, and peaked during the event. He categorised these as a security incident.

2023 G20 Summit

The first-ever Group of Twenty conference to be held in India, the summit took place at New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre, with prime minister Narendra Modi serving as the host. The 17th G20 Summit was held in Indonesia in November 2022, and the 19th one will take place in Brazil in November this year.
"I wish to reaffirm my Government's commitment to continue contributing to the strengthening of the Judiciary in its task of ensuring inclusive and reliable justice at the full service of citizens," she stated.

During her speech, the top official expressed her "absolute respect for the separation and independence of powers" as these are "fundamental pillars of democracy."

Similarly, the Head of State underscored the work carried out by judges and officials from this Peruvian State branch.

"Preserving the autonomy of the Judiciary is essential to ensure impartial justice, without any external influences, and in the safeguard of the fundamental rights of all Peruvians," she underlined.

? El Gobierno ha presupuestado este 2024 mas de S/ 3600 millones para que el @Poder_Judicial_ cuente con recursos y asi pueda avanzar en su modernizacion y mayor eficiencia, manteniendo su autonomia, afirmo la presidenta Dina Boluarte en la ceremonia de Apertura del pic.twitter.com/pdO87KU8Xv
IAS officer Supriya Sahu took to X to share an incredible picture that captures a love-filled moment between a baby elephant and its mom. The image shows the baby peacefully sleeping on its mom after being rescued by forest officials at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Pollachi. The image shows a baby elephant sleeping next to its mother. (X/@supriyasahuias)

When a picture is worth a million words, the rescued baby elephant after uniting with the mother takes an afternoon nap in her mother's comforting arms before moving again with the big herd. Picture taken by Forest field staff somewhere in Anamalai Tiger reserve who are keeping a watch to ensure their safety, Sahu wrote as she shared the picture.

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Earlier, she also shared a series of videos that capture glimpses of a rescue operation by Tamil Nadu forest officials that ended in the baby elephant reuniting with its mom and herd. The post also received a shoutout from business tycoon Anand Mahindra who expressed his desire to see a short film based on the rescue story by Sahu.

Take a look at the heartwarming picture here:

The tweet was shared a day ago. Since then, it has collected more than 9.5 lakh views. The post has also accumulated over 10,000 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the picture.

Take a look at what X users said about this picture of the elephants:

Credit to each and every TN forest department staff and volunteers who managed to reunite this calf with its mother. This picture is something that they will carry for generations. What a noble deed they have accomplished, posted an X user. Heartwarming picture, added another.

This one is very comforting to even watch! I could imagine how that calf must be feeling! Great work is happening in India. Kudos, posted a third. A baby elephant sleeping peacefully with its mother - a heartwarming reminder of the gentle, strong bond in the animal kingdom, joined a fourth. Fantabulous efforts. Kudos to everyone involved, wrote a fifth.
A Made in France paper envelope is being sold at an exorbitant price by Hermes International, the French luxury design house. Priced at 100 (approximately 10,500), this reusable envelope is uniquely wrapped in silk. It is a part of the Petit H collection, where designers upcycle materials from the brands workshops to create unique items. This envelope by Hermes is being sold at over  10,000. (Hermes)

Where is the best place to leave an important message? asked Hermes on its website. The following line even answered it: Inside this signature orange Hermes paper envelope.

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The luxury brand also shared a description of the product. It reads, Wrapped in silk, reusable, and coming in two different sizes (A4 and A5), this keepsake can be sent as a special invitation or even a declaration of love. A long-lasting way to turn your records into beautiful memories.

Take a look at the envelope listed for over  10,000 here:

A5 envelope being sold on Hermes. (Screengrab)

The website further mentions that each envelope differs in patterns, colours, and even dimensions. The pricey envelope can be used to store travel documents, tickets, or notes.

What are your thoughts on this envelope? Would you spend money on it?

Earlier, luxury brand Louis Vuitton made headlines for selling earphones at $1,660 (approximately 1.3 lakh). The earphones that hit the markets in March 2023 boast an array of features, such as a battery life of 28 hours and hybrid active noise reduction technology.
All 379 Japan Airlines passengers and crew escaped as flames were about to engulf their jet at Tokyo's Haneda Airport after a collision between the jet and a coast guard plane that killed five people aboard the latter craft. This was indeed a miracle, experts have said praising the quick evacuation. Japan Plane Accident: The burn-out Japan Airlines plane is seen at Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan.(AP)

Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UKs Cranfield University, said, From what I saw on the footage, I was surprised and relieved that everyone got out."

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A look at three other heroic air evacuations:

2005: Toronto crash

On August 2, 2005, an Air France Airbus A340 arriving from Paris overshot the runway and landed in a ravine just outside Toronto International Airport. All 297 passengers and 12 crew members were able to evacuate and the recue operation took under two minutes. Around 40 people suffered only minor injuries. The co-pilot of the plane was praised for checking the plane before exiting last and aiding the rescue operation.

2009: Hudson miracle

Pilot Chesley Sullenberger was hailed as a hero in 2009 for saving all 155 passengers and crew on US Airways flight by conducting a soft landing in the Hudson River. When the Airbus had taken off from New York's LaGuardia airport for North Carolina both engines stopped after a collision with birds. After the landing, all passengers scrambled out of the plane.

2019: Air hostess saves 43

On June 27, 2019, a small Antonov An-24 aircraft overshot the runway at Nizhneangarsk in eastern Siberia and crashing into a building before catching fire. The only female member of the cabin crew, Elena Laputskaya, evacuated the 43 passengers of the flight. She was praised by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Canberra [Australia], January 3 (ANI): Following the collision of a Japan Airlines aircraft and a Japan Coast Guard plane, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese clarified that the 12 Australians on board the Japan Airlines flight are safe. HT Image

In a video posted on X, the Australian PM stated that Canberra is ready to provide all the support required by Japan in this crisis.

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"There were 12 Australians on the Japan Airlines flight. All of them are safe. And all of them have been accounted for," Albanese said.

"Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan, both for the impact of the earthquake that has seen a considerable loss of life, as well, of course we know that there are ongoing issues as a result of that major earthquake, including the potential for Tsunamis and other activity there," the Australian PM said.

"And we will provide and have offered whatever support is requested by our friends in Japan," he went on to say.

https://x.com/AlboMP/status/1742342425568588154?s=20

Airbus, the European multinational aerospace corporation, has expressed regret over the collision of Japan Airlines aircraft and a Japan Coast Guard plane, which claimed five lives.

Airbus also assured to provide technical assistance to the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA) of France and to the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), the agencies in charge of the investigation.

"Airbus regrets to confirm that an A350-900 operated by Japan Airlines was involved in an accident during flight JAL516 from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to Haneda International Airport shortly after 17:47 (local time) on January 2, 2024. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on-board evacuated the aircraft," a statement from Airbus read.

"The A350 collided with a DHC-8 aircraft at landing in Haneda. The Japanese authorities have since confirmed that sadly five of the six people on board the DHC-8 did not survive. The exact circumstances of the event are still unknown," the statement added.

The tragic incident occurred at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday. All 379 passengers aboard the JAL flight from Sapporo, including eight children, escaped without life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the accident remains unknown, prompting the transport ministry to initiate an investigation into the aircraft's communications with flight control, according to Kyodo News.

Tragically, five of the six coast guard members on the plane, aged 27 to 56, lost their lives in the crash. The captain, however, managed to escape, according to police reports.

The immediate response of the airport was to close all four runways, causing significant disruptions to air traffic during one of the busiest travel seasons. Subsequently, three of the four runways, excluding the one where the collision occurred, were reopened around 9:30 pm, according to the transport ministry. (ANI)
Authorities in Bangladesh on Wednesday deployed Armed forces to assist the administration in holding the January 7 national election in a free, fair, and peaceful manner as tensions spiked in the country ahead of the polls being boycotted by the main Opposition BNP. Bangladesh Elections 2024: Election campaign posters of Awami League hang on a road as traffic moves past ahead of the general election, in Dhaka.(Reuters)

Members of the armed forces will be stationed at nodal points and other places in every district, sub-district, and metropolitan area, said a statement of the Inter-Service Public Relations, the media wing of the military.

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The Army was deployed in several districts on Tuesday, but they began work in Dhaka at 8 am on Wednesday at the Zia Colony and Sainik Club neighbourhoods in the Dhaka Cantonment. They will assist the Election Commission and the local administration to ensure peace and discipline from January 3 to 10.

Apart from the armed forces, members of the Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will also be on election duty.

The Bangladesh Navy will operate in 19 districts, including Bhola and Barguna, while the Border Guard Bangladesh will take on the sole responsibility in 45 bordering upazilas.

The BGB and Army will work in 47 bordering upazilas and coordinate with the Coast Guard in four coastal upazilas, the ISPR said.

The Bangladesh Air Force will provide helicopter support to the polling centres in the Hill Tracts. They have already prepared enough of them to meet the needs of the election.

The Armed Forces Division has formed a combined cell, including law enforcers and representatives from different ministries, which will be active until January 10.

The January 7 polls are being boycotted by the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khalida Zia, as its demand for an interim non-party neutral government to organise the voting was rejected by the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina is also the president of the ruling Awami League.

The BNP boycotted the 2014 election but took part in the 2018 polls, which party leaders later said was a mistake, alleging that the voting was marred with widespread rigging and intimidation. Meanwhile, the BNP and its allies were criticised by ruling Awami League's General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday, who said that the January 7 polls will be participatory, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Calling the BNP's leaflet distribution mysterious, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said that the activists of the main opposition party might carry out an attack anytime. "But they will not be able to thwart the election no matter how hard they try," he was quoted as saying in the report.

On Monday, Prime Minister Hasina said the BNP is boycotting Sunday's general election because they found no scope to rig the polls.

Claiming that the BNP had tried to foil the 2014 parliamentary election through violence but failed, Hasina said, "Now they are out to thwart the 12th parliamentary election slated for January 7 for which they are once again burning people to death through arson violence and subversive acts."

The BNP has called for civil disobedience against the Hasina-led dispensation, urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills to press its demand for a non-party interim government for election oversight by amending the country's Constitution.

It is also carrying out an anti-election street campaign, calling for intermittent strikes and transport blockades, saying no election under the incumbent government led by Hasina would be fair or neutral.

According to a media tally, 11 people died, 386 vehicles were torched, and four trains were derailed from tracks in the past two months in political violence.

The US and other major Western countries called for dialogue between the ruling Awami League and particularly with the BNP to ensure an inclusive and credible election, which, however, saw no headway due to reluctance from both sides. With the BNP boycotting the election and no other credible opposition party against it, Hasina's Awami

League is likely to gain the upper hand and will likely form the government for the fourth consecutive term.

Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun is visiting the divisional headquarters of the police and holding meetings with local police high-ups.

He has already visited Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions and will visit Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Barishal within a day or two.

Following a meeting with local police in Jessore, the police chief affirmed that law enforcement will be on standby to maintain a conducive atmosphere for smooth voting and is ready to handle any situation for fair and festive elections.

During the electoral campaign from December 18 to December 30, a total of 213 cases related to pre-poll violence were filed, leading to the arrest of 235 individuals across the country, as per police statistics.

According to law enforcers, at least 100 pre-poll violence incidents have taken place in the last 13 days.

Besides, the law-and-order coordination cell of the public security division under the Home Ministry has received around 501 election-related complaints in 14 days. Among the complaints, approximately 30 were serious incidents such as attacks on polling booths, tearing posters, or clashes.
A Chinese TV host was suspended over his comments about a deadly earthquake in Japan on New Years Day. Xiao Chenghao, an anchor with the regional Hainan Broadcasting Group, posted a video titled A comeuppance arrived? A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Japan after the temblor hit the country. Japan Earthquake: Residents clean debris in Anamizu town, Ishikawa prefecture after a major quake hit Japan.(AFP)

It is surprising that on the first day of 2024, such a powerful earthquake occurred in Japan, he said in the video that went viral on Chinese social media.

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With such a large-scale natural disaster happening on the first day of the year, Im afraid Japan will be shrouded by gloomy clouds for all of 2024. Perhaps [Japan should] do some deeds less, and should not have discharged nuclear water into the sea," he said.

Xiao Chenghao's inappropriate comments prompted the company to suspend him, the broadcaster said in a statement as per South China Morning Post. Xiao Chenghao has not apologised for his comments.

Hate speech on Chinese social media has also surfaced over Israel-Gaza war that prompted a surge of antisemitic views online, it was reported.

Chinese premier Li Qiang expressed condolences on behalf of Beijing to Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida. China is willing to provide necessary assistance to Japans earthquake relief efforts, he said in a phone call to Kishida as per news agency Reuters as t least 64 people were killed in the massive earthquake of 7.5 magnitude that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan.

The earthquake caused structural damage and fires in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of potential mudslides as intermittent rain is expected through the week in disaster-stricken regions of the prefecture.
Four people are believed to have been stabbed on a train stopping at Akihabara station in Japan's capital city of Tokyo and taken to hospital, public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday citing local police. A Yamanote Line train conductor sits in a control room as another Yamanote Line train approaches.(Representational)

The train on the Yamanote loop line, one of Tokyo's most used routes, was suspended due to "trouble on the train" at Akihabara station at around 1356 GMT Wednesday, East Japan Railway Company said on X formerly known as Twitter.

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NHK said a report was made that a woman was wielding a knife on a train at Akihabara Station. The person believed to have been carrying the knife has been taken into custody, and the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating.
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told the relatives of hostages held in Gaza that Hamas' leadership could be exiled from the enclave. At a meeting with the families, Benjamin Netanyahu said there is talk of the "possibility" of exiling the Hamas officials. This would include Gaza's ruler Yahya Sinwar and the head of the Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades Muhammad Deif, Sky News reported. Israel-Hamas War: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen. (AFP)

Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said Israel was "considering making public an Israel outline for a deal".

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During the meeting, news broke of the death of Hamas's deputy leader Saleh al Arouri in an airstrike in Lebanon.

The comments from Israel's premier come after a senior Hamas leader was killed in an explosion in Beirut raising concerns of regional escalation of the war in Gaza. Saleh Al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas' politburo, was known as the mastermind behind its armed wing in the West Bank.

Lebanons caretaker premier blamed Israel saying that the attack was meant to drag Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation" while Lebanons state-run National News Agency said that Israeli drone struck the apartment building housing a Hamas office in Beiruts southern suburbs. In the attack, six people included Saleh Arouri were killed.

Who was Saleh Arouri

Saleh Arouri is the most senior Hamas leader killed since the group attacked Israel on October 7 and killed almost 1,200 people. Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip has so far killed more than 22,000 Palestinians. Israel arrested Saleh Arouri in 1992 and sentenced him for 15 years in prison. He was released in 2007. Later he was detained for three more years before Israel eventually exiled him in 2010.

What about Hezbollah's position on Saleh Arouri's killing

Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israel along the border with Lebanon but the clashes have been limited to fighting in Lebanese areas that Hezbollah considers occupied.
The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Wednesday it "cannot be silent" after the killing of Hamas' deputy leader in Beirut and warned that his heavily armed forces would fight to the finish if Israel chose to extend war from Gaza to Lebanon. People watch the televised speech of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah.(AFP)

Israeli forces meanwhile kept up their aerial and ground blitz against Hamas militants in Gaza and told civilians to leave a refugee camp in the north of the Palestinian enclave.

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Israel, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip in an onslaught to wipe out its ruling Hamas group, has neither confirmed nor denied that it assassinated Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday.

But its military spokesperson said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario.

Arouri's killing was a further sign that the nearly three-month-old Israel-Hamas war was spreading well beyond Gaza, drawing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border and even Red Sea shipping lanes.

Arouri, 57, who lived in Beirut, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated outside Palestinian territories since Israel began its offensive against the Palestinian Islamist group in response to its deadly rampage from Gaza into Israeli towns on Oct. 7.

In a televised speech in Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed that his powerful Iran-backed Shi'ite militia "cannot be silent" in the wake of Arouri's killing, which he called "a major dangerous crime", though he made no concrete threats of action against Israel.

Nasrallah said there would be "no ceilings" and "no rules" to Hezbollah's fighting if Israel launched full war on Lebanon.

"Whoever thinks of war with us, in one word, he will regret it. If war is launched against Lebanon, then Lebanon's national interests require that we take the war to the end."

Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been embroiled in nearly daily exchanges of shelling with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the Gaza war began. More than 120 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel.

Hezbollah and Israel last fought a major war in 2006 and it ended in essentially a stalemate. Analysts say Hezbollah has become a more formidable fighting force since with thousands of rockets, missiles and other heavy weaponry.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon warned that any escalation "could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the border".

Arouri's death removes a big name from Israels most-wanted list of top Islamist foes, but could drive Hamas' exiled leaders deeper into hiding, hampering efforts to negotiate further Gaza ceasefires and hostage releases.

Hamas politburo member Hossam Badran said in a eulogy for Arouri: "We say to the criminal occupation (Israel) that the battle between us is open."

Israel had long accused him of orchestrating attacks on its citizens. But a Hamas official said he was also "at the heart of negotiations" conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages.

Nasrallah also said Hamas' lightning incursion on Oct. 7 dealt a severe and deliberate blow to a process of normalisation between Israel and various U.S.-backed Arab governments unfolding since 2020, even after the collapse of talks on a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory.

Nasrallah spoke to commemorate four years since the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guards top commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. Two explosions on Wednesday during a memorial ceremony at a cemetery in southeastern Iran where Soleimani is buried killed over 100 people, at a time of high tension between arch-enemies Iran and Israel.

REFUGEE CAMP UNDER FIRE

The total recorded Palestinian death toll from Israel's offensive had reached 22,313 by Wednesday - almost 1% of its 2.3 million population, 128 of them in the past 24 hours, the Gaza health ministry said.

The war was triggered by a cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 hostages taken back to Gaza.

Since then Israeli bombardments have flattened much of the densely populated enclave, wreaking a humanitarian disaster in which most Gazans have been left homeless, crammed into shrinking areas in hope of rudimentary shelter, and threatened by famine due to food shortages.

In its daily briefing on Wednesday, the Israeli military said that "intensive battles" with militants continued in the main southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. It has said previously it is trying to flush out Hamas leaders in the area.

Residents and Palestinian media said Israeli forces bombed Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in the northern part of the Hamas-run enclave overnight and into Wednesday, destroying several multi-floor buildings.

Israeli planes also dropped leaflets on Al-Nusseirat ordering people to leave seven districts.

"You are in a dangerous combat area. The IDF is operating heavily in your area of residence. For your safety the IDF urges you to immediately evacuate this area," the leaflets said.

Israeli war planes and tanks also stepped up attacks on the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Residents said tanks that advanced from the east and north besieged two schools and soldiers took prisoner several people sheltering inside.

They also said snipers commandeering rooftops were firing from time to time against residents moving around.

In Rafah near south Gaza's border with Egypt, medics said an Israeli missile strike on a house killed three people. The Gaza health ministry also said an Israeli air strike killed and wounded dozens in north Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp.

The Israeli military says it tries to avoid harm to civilians but blames Hamas for embedding fighters within residential areas, something the group denies.

Hamas' armed wing said it had killed 10 Israeli soldiers in fighting in Al-Bureij and hit five tanks and troop carriers. The Israeli military said the number of its soldiers killed since its first incursion into Gaza on Oct. 20 had reached 177.
Toronto: Less than 45 days since it normalised issuing to visas in Canada, India has expanded its footprint for such services in the country, adding three new centres. Passengers wait for their flights at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, in Montreal, Canada, on Monday. (AFP)

While the firm BLS International Services Canada Inc, to which India outsourced several visa services, had nine centres operating in the country, it has now increased to a dozen, with the opening of facilities in Regina, capital of the province of Saskatchewan, Halifax, capital of Nova Scotia and the town of Mississauga in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These new centres became functional on January 1.

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These centres will accept passport, visa, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card and attestation applications through appointments or walk-ins.

In the new visa and consular service outsourcing contract, there are three new centres, which have become functional, in addition to the 9 which existed earlier. The outsourcing contract also provides for taking a decision on a later date to have a new centre at any other city in Canada, depending on stable demands for visa and consular services, Indias High Commissioner to Sanjay Kumar Verma said.

Premium services offered by the outsourcing centres, including seasonal visit to a Canadian city, as per its terms and conditions, are also a part of the contract, he added.

Demand for these services have increased along with the population of Indo-Canadians, which grew from about 1.8 million five years back to approximately 2.4 million now.

With considerable increase of immigrants from India into Canada, the demand for consular services is on an increase, Verma said, adding, Similarly, demand for Indian visa is also displaying a healthy trend.

Visa services were only normalised on November 22 when India India restored e-visas for Canadian citizens across all categories.

The opening of e-visas, which can be applied for online, was the latest relaxation in visa issuance for Canadian citizens after they were temporarily suspended on September 21, in the aftermath of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

On October 26, India resumed visa services in four categories: entry, business, medical and conference visas.

In a release prior to that relaxation, the High Commission of India had said that it, along with the Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 3, ARMENPRESS/BTA.Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeikov, who spoke on the Bulgarian National Television on Wednesday morning, said that he hopes that Bulgaria will become a full member of Schengen with removed land internal border controls at the end of 2024. Gvozdeikov said that all EU Member States offered an assessment, according to which both Bulgaria and Romania are ready for Schengen membership.

The Minister pointed out that this was the first assessment, and a second stage is upcoming.

Gvozdeikov said: "The capacity of the borders is extremely busy at the moment. What needs to be done is to ease the control regime itself, but to implement it strictly".

Gvozdeikov also spoke about the Bulgarian-owned Malta-flagged bulk carrier Verila, which had six members of her crew detained by Irish authorities shortly before Christmas. He said: "The information available is that the rest of the crew have been released. The ship is still detained. After the completion of the investigation, the ship should return to Bulgaria".

Another Bulgarian-owned ship, Ruen, is in Somali territorial waters. The crew is in good health, there is no threat to their lives, and negotiations are underway for their release, the Minister reported.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)
Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed ally United States over its criticism of his push for the transfer of Gazans out of the Palestinian territory amid Hamas war. The Israeli national security minister posted on X (formerly Twitter), The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the (Israeli) residents of the envelope to return home and live in security and will protect the IDF (Israeli) soldiers. Israel-Hamas War: Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.(AP)

"I deeply appreciate the United States of America, but with all due respect, we are not just another star on the American flag," he added.

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What Israel's finance minister said

Israel's finance minister also defended the displacement of Gazans by saying two million Palestinians have a "desire to slaughter, rape and murder Jews".

Two million people wake up every morning with a desire to destroy the state of Israel and slaughter, rape and murder Jews, he said.

What US said on the population transfer calls

The US State Department called their call for a population transfer as inflammatory and irresponsible after both ministers called for Israeli settlers to return to Gaza and for the territory's Palestinian inhabitants to leave.

"Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land," the US State Department said as per news agency AFP.

What's happening in Gaza

Gaza's 2.4 million residents have been forced out of their homes by nearly three months of fighting between Hamas and Israel after the group's October 7 attack. The health ministry in Hamas- ruled Gaza said at least 22,185 people have been killed in the war, mostly civilians. The fighting killed around 1,140 people, most of them civilians as well.
Israel's spy chief vowed to make Hamas pay for its attacks on Israel after a drone strike killed the group's deputy chief Saleh al-Aruri in Lebanon. The strike has been attributed to Israel although Tel Aviv has not claimed responsibility. Israel-Hamas War: David Barnea, the head of the Israeli Mossad is seen.(Reuters)

What David Barnea said on Hamas amid Gaza war

The Mossad spy agency is committed to settling the score with the murderers who descended upon the Gaza envelope on October 7, David Barnea said.

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It will take time, just like after the Munich massacre, but we will lay our hands on them wherever they will be, he asserted.

The spy boss made the comments at the funeral of former Mossad chief Zvi Zamir, who oversaw Israel's retaliation against Palestinian militant groups in 1972. David Barnea's remarks come a day after Saleh al-Aruri, the deputy political chief of Hamas, was killed in a southern Beirut suburb. Senior Lebanese officials including the country's caretaker prime minister accused Israel of carrying out the strike. Israel remained on high alert for an escalation with Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah after the strike.

Hezbollah vowed response and punishment for the strike while Israeli military said forces were on high readiness for any scenario.

"Every Arab mother ought know that if her son participated, directly or indirectly, in the slaughter of October 7, his blood shall be upon his own head," David Barnea said.

What's happening in Gaza

Israel has waged a nearly three-month-long war against Hamas after the Palestinian group launched the October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of at least 1,140 people. Israel's retaliation has claimed the lives of at least 22,313 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel contends that at least 8,000 Hamas fighters are among the dead.
The toll due to a series of powerful earthquakes in Japan, including one with a magnitude of 7.5, has now risen to 62, NHK World reported, citing officials from the hard-hit Ishikawa prefecture. Most of the fatalities have been confirmed in Wajima and Suzu on the Noto Peninsula. Firefighters inspect collapsed wooden houses in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture on January 2, 2024.(AFP)

Over 20 people are reported to be seriously injured as authorities seek to confirm how many people remain missing, according to Bloomberg. Many are feared trapped under collapsed houses.

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The earthquakes jolted the Noto Peninsula in the central prefecture of Ishikawa on Monday, causing buildings to collapse and tsunami warnings to be sent as far away as eastern Russia.

According to the country's meteorological office, a total of 155 earthquakes were reported on that day in the country.

On Tuesday, rescuers battled aftershocks and poor weather to comb through rubble.

Bystanders look at damages somewhere near Noto town in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.(AP)

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has warned of heavy rainfall in Noto. "Be on the lookout for landslides until the evening of Wednesday," the agency said, according to AFP.

The rescue and relief mission also suffered a devastating blow on Tuesday after an aircraft packed with emergency supplies caught fire after a runway collision at Haneda airport. Five coastguard crew members were killed in the incident.

On Tuesday night, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated that "it's a race against time" given how many people may have been caught in the collapsed buildings, according to NHK.

Kishida's government will also hold a meeting of an emergency task force on Wednesday morning to discuss relief and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, in the coastal city of Suzu, mayor Masuhiro Izumiya said there were "almost no houses standing".

"About 90% of the houses (in the town) are completely or almost completely destroyed... the situation is really catastrophic," he said according to broadcaster TBS.

Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and the vast majority cause no damage. The Island nation is haunted by a massive 9.0 magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan in 2011 which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

(Inputs from agencies)
A Japan Airlines passenger plane was hit by a Coast Guard aircraft in a fiery collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport. All 379 passengers and crew on board the passenger plane which burst into flames were safely evacuated, miraculously but five of six crew on the Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 plane it struck during landing have died. Experts said that the successful evacuation was possible because of Japan Airlines rigorous safety culture. Japan Plane Accident: This aerial photo shows the burn-out Japanese coast guard aircraft at Haneda airport.(AP)

Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UKs Cranfield University, said, From what I saw on the footage, I was surprised and relieved that everyone got out. Its such a severe impact for any aircraft to have to withstand. But knowing what I know about that airline, and how much effort they put into safety and into crew training, the fact that they did do such a good job shouldnt be such a surprise.

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But Japan Airlines ensured safety after a catastrophic accident nearly 40 years ago when on August 12, 1985, JAL flight 123 from Tokyo to Osaka crashed, killing 520 out of the 524 onboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history.

Graham Braithwaite said, Clearly the effect was profound on the airline. In a culture like Japans, they took that responsibility as a group and wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. So when things go wrong, they see it in terms of how they can learn. Everything is an opportunity to improve.

The feeling was, there are people whove joined our business who dont know what its like to go wrong. Everyone has to understand how much effort goes into safety, he said.

The professor said that there are called runway incursions, and are rare but can be catastrophic."

But JAL employees know all too well that aviations safety records are written in the blood of others who havent been so fortunate", a European pilot told CNN, explaining that accidents become lessons which are shared across the industry so crew can all be better at their jobs.

Steven Erhlich, chair of PilotsTogether, said, Its too soon to comment on the specifics of the incident, but whats clear is that the crew performed in an exemplary fashion. The safety training that airlines - in this case JAL - put the crews through on a continuous basis paid off allowing for evacuation within 90 seconds."
A 30-year-old man from the United States was found dead inside an airplane engine on Monday night at Salt Lake City International Airport, the Associated Press reported. Image for representation.(AP)

Kyler Efinger, of Park City, was found unconscious inside an engine mounted to the wing of a commercial aircraft loaded with passengers.

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According to the police, Efinger breached an emergency exit door, walked onto the tarmac and climbed inside the engine. The plane had been sitting on a de-icing pad, and its engines were rotating.

Efinger was carrying a ticket and a boarding pass to Denver, the police said. His cause of death remains unclear, according to The Guardian.

The manager of a store inside the airport had reported a disturbance just before 10 pm. He told dispatchers with the Airport Control Center that he saw a passenger pass through an emergency exit.

As the search for Efinger began, officers found clothing, shoes and other personal items on one of the runways.

After locating him, the officers told air traffic controllers to notify the pilot to shut down the aircraft's engines.

Efinger was pulled out of the engine intake cowling, which directs airflow to the engine fan. Life-saving measures, such as CPR, were performed, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The police said that passengers were removed from the plane when Efinger was found, but overall airport operations were not interrupted. The initial investigation indicates the man accessed the airports ramp area from the emergency exit and climbed inside the nearby engine.

On Tuesday, Efinger's father, Judd Efinger, told FOX 13 that his son struggled with mental health for nearly a decade.

He said that Kyler was doing well last week when the family met for Christmas and that he was flying to visit his sick grandparents. He added that he wonders if his son had a mental health episode.
Meghan Markle "wants answers" from King Charles about use of her royal title, a royal expert claimed. Commentator Neil Sean claimed that both Meghan Markle and Prince Harry "don't understand why" they have been subjected to different rules than other members of the royal family. Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle is seen. (Getty Images)

Meghan Markle wants to meet King Charles and has even tried to arrange a meeting with him to discuss key issues she has found prominent, the royal expert said.

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Meghan Markle wants some answers from His Majesty the King. She tried to set up a meeting with him, she sent him a letter and wanted a one to one to explain exactly the problems she's encountered ever since becoming a member of the British monarchy," he said, adding, "The thing that really riles Meghan is that Fergie pops up on things like the ITV daytime show This Morning, Loose Women and billing herself as the Duchess of York, selling books and possibly doing adverts all under the Royal Family. Meghan and Harry seemingly don't understand why it's a different rule for her."

This comes after it was reported that Meghan Markle plans to write a book about her life which will cover her life in Hollywood as well as her time in the royal family. The book may be a part of a four-book deal Meghan Markle and Prince Harry signed with Penguin Random House, it was reported. Under the same deal, Prince Harry released his memoir Spare in 2023.

A Hollywood agent said as per the Mirror, "I would find it surprising if Meghan didn't publish her own story, to be honest. Spare is clearly Prince Harry's chance to tell his, but hers is equally compelling. I mean, how many actresses end up marrying a Prince? If she's harbouring political ambitions it would make even more sense."
Her statement on Tuesday came as a response to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's New Year's Day address, in which he said he would bolster South Korea's military capability and enhance its alliance with the US to cope with North Korea's evolving nuclear threats. HT Image

Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has made such comments numerous times. Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, used Yoon's latest remarks as an opportunity to fire off derisive rhetoric against him.

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Since his inauguration he's been clamouring for the strengthening of the South Korea-US extended deterrence and focusing on their joint military drills, bringing the fate of South Korea to the brink, Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. She said that Yoon's ability to think and reason are questionable".

Kim Yo Jong said that Yoon's foolishly brave stance and fanatical military confrontation posture have given North Korea a golden opportunity to beef up its military programmes. She said Yoon's New Year's Day speech once again provided North Korea with a reason and a justification to obtain more overwhelming nuclear capability".

Later she compared Yoon with his liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in, calling the former South Korean president smart and cunning.

She said that Moon's appeasement policy left North Korea wasting time and failing to press forward with its arms build-up programmes. She said Moon solicited North Korea to halt missile and nuclear tests while beefing up South Korea's own national security by procuring advanced US fighter jets and winning US consent in acquiring more powerful missiles.

Her praise of Moon lacks sincerity, because she and her government have previously berated him severely. Some observers say Kim Yo Jong may be seeking to boost anti-Yoon sentiments in South Korea among those opposing his North Korea policy ahead of April's parliamentary elections.

In 2021, she called Moon a parrot raised by America after he criticised North Korean missile tests. In 2019, in one of the most disdainful insults directed at Moon, an unidentified North Korean government committee spokesperson said that Moon's comments hoping for better ties would make even the boiled head of a cow break out into side-splitting laughter.

Moon, who governed South Korea from 2017-2022, was a champion of inter-Korean rapprochement. He met Kim Jong Un three times in 2018, touching off a flurry of short-lived exchange programs between the rivals and helping arrange the first North Korea-US summit held between Kim and then US President Donald Trump. But North Korea turned a cold shoulder on Moon and cut off ties, after its diplomacy with the United States fell apart in 2019.

Moon's engagement policy has drawn both praise and criticism. His supporters credited him with achieving cooperation with North Korea and avoiding major armed clashes, but opponents say he was a naive North Korea sympathizer who ended up helping the North buy time to advance its nuclear programme in the face of international sanctions and pressure.

Since the collapse of the nuclear diplomacy with the US, North Korea has been pushing hard to modernise its nuclear arsenal.

Many experts say Kim Jong Un likely believes he can revive high-stakes diplomacy with the US to get major concessions like sanctions relief if Trump returns to the White House. They say Kim will likely subsequently intensify his weapons tests ahead of the US presidential election in November to try to increase his leverage in future diplomacy with the Americans.

South Korea's spy agency said last week that North Korea will likely launch military provocations and cyberattacks ahead of South Korean parliamentary elections in April and the US presidential election in November. (AP) PY PY
The US said that it was "confident" Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad used Gaza's biggest hospital to hold "at least a few" hostages that were seized on 7 October following the group's attack in Israel which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza killed over 22,000. Israel-Hamas War: An Israeli soldier secures a tunnel underneath Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.(Reuters)

What US intelligence assessment said?

American intelligence assessment finds backed Israeli claims about the Al Shifa hospital complex which it believes the groups "used the al Shifa hospital and sites beneath it to house command infrastructure, exercise certain command and control activities, store some weapons, and hold at least a few hostages".

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The US said that the hospital was then evacuated by Hamas and sensitive documents destroyed.

What about raids in Al Shifa?

The hospital was raided by Israeli forces in November. The move was heavily criticised by global humanitarian organisations. Before the raid, the Israeli military unveiled a detailed 3D model of the hospital showing what it claimed was a series of underground installations that were part of an elaborate Hamas command-and-control centre. This was said to be underneath the hospital by Israel. The step was controversial as hospitals typically come under protected status under the international laws of war. Although, they can lose that status if they are used for military purposes. The World Health Organisation last month described the emergency department in the health facility as resembling a "bloodbath."

Has US shared the intelligence evidence?

US intelligence agencies have not disclosed the evidence on which they based their assessment but they said that the information was independently confirmed. The assessment was reported first by the New York Times which said that the classified version of the assessment was sent to lawmakers in the US Congress as well.
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik is being criticised for celebrating Harvard president Claudine Gays resignation while having backed Donald Trump in the past. Trump is known for associating with antisemites like Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, who he had even invited for dinner. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP)

Elise Stefaniks statement on Claudine Gays resignation

In a statement after Gays resignation, Stefanik said, I will always deliver results. The resignation of Harvards antisemitic plagiarist president is long overdue. Claudine Gays morally bankrupt answers to my questions made history as the most viewed Congressional testimony in the history of the U.S. Congress. Her answers were absolutely pathetic and devoid of the moral leadership and academic integrity required of the President of Harvard. This is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.

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Our robust Congressional investigation will continue to move forward to expose the rot in our most prestigious higher education institutions and deliver accountability to the American people, she added.

Elise Stefaniks support for Donald Trump

A Harvard graduate, Stefanik in 2022 publicly backed Trump even asother Republicans widely criticised him for his failures in the midterm elections. Its very clear President Trump is the leader of the Republican party, Stefanik said in a statement at the time.

I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President in 2024, she said. It is time for Republicans to unite around the most popular Republican in America, who has a proven track record of conservative governance.

Jamie Raskin questions Elise Stefanik

After former President of University of Pennsylvania Elizabeth Magill resigned in the past after the Capitol Hill testimony, Stefanik shared a post on X, saying, One down. Two to go. This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most prestigious higher education institutions in America, she wrote, in part.

In response, the Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin asked on MSNBC, Where does Elise Stefanik get off lecturing anybody about antisemitism when shes the hugest supporter of Donald Trump, who traffics in antisemitism all the time?

She didnt utter a peep of protest when he had Kanye West and Nick Fuentes over for dinner, said Raskin, who is Jewish. Nick Fuentes, who doubts whether 7 October [the Hamas attacks which killed about 1,200 people in Israel] even took place because he thinks it was some kind of suspicious propaganda move by the Israelis. The Republican party is filled with people who are entangled with antisemitism like that and yet somehow [Stefanik] gets on [her] high horse and lectures a Jewish college president from MIT.

Social media reacts

Stefanik is being blasted on social media for celebrating Gays resignation despite having supported Trump. Heres a look at some reactions:
Three days after three members of an Indian-origin family were found dead in their Dover mansion in Massachusetts, US their death mystery has been solved. Indian couple found dead in their Dover mansion in Massachusetts, US(X/@nikethehat, RickKamal)

Dead bodies of the Kamal family, Rakesh (57), Teena (54) and Arianna (18) and were discovered by a relative late Thursday at their lavish and festively decorated home on Wilson's Way. Now Norfolk District Attorney's Office has announced that Rakesh Kamal was found to have fatally shot his wife and daughter before killing himself.

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How did Indian-origin family die in US?

The investigators have made initial conclusion of murder and suicide post preliminary results of autopsies conducted on the family members. The final autopsy report was expected to take several weeks to complete.

"There was no sign of any kind of a break in," he said, adding, "Im led to believe that it's safe to tell you it's probably a domestic issue incident."

DA Office revealed that an unregistered gun found next to Rakesh Kamal had no license. The investigators are probing the murder weapon, which appears to be a .40-caliber Glock 22. How and where did Rakesh Kamal acquire the gun from is under investigation. The investigators are speaking to federal gun expert to analyse the weapon.

The reason behind Rakesh Kamal's alleged murder and suicide is yet not confirmed by the authorities. And, amidst the lack of official motive for the killings speculations are strong about domestic violence being the main intention.

"Its such a tragedy and each time we hear about a homicide and a homicide followed by a suicide, our hearts just go out to this entire community and to all of their loved ones impacted, said Hema Sarang-Sieminski, the deputy director of Jane Doe Inc., a group specializing in domestic abuse and safety for all.

"Around holidays certainly as families come together, tensions rise, there certainly can be these kinds of trends that we see," she says. "In Massachusetts there have been I believe now up to four homicides in the month of December related to domestic violence.

Indian-Origin family's death in US: The Background

On December 29, 2023 the Indian-origin family was found dead in their luxurious mansion in Dover, Massachusetts. The local reports strongly indicate that it was a case of domestic violence. Dover police reached the residence after receiving a 7:24 p.m. 911 call from a family member who had stopped by to check on Kamals. They hadn't heard from the Kamals in one or two days.

On 30th December, the authorities revealed that Rakesh Kamal's 18-year-old daughter, Arianna, studied at the Middlebury College. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey identified the girl as a "sweet, smart, kind young woman who was just beginning to realize her full potential."

Arianna's mother, Teena, served as head of the upper school's parents association, and was a committed and caring advocate for both parents and students at Milton.

According to local media reports, Kamals don't have other members living in the region but they had relatives both in the area and abroad.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 2, ARMENPRESS/BTA. The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (NAVAL RSV 421) took part in an operation to assist the distressed yacht El Doblon near the Drake Passage on New Years Eve, Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna, on the Black Sea, reported on its Facebook page on January 1.

The events took place as follows:

0145 hrs: A Mayday distress signal was received on the VHF emergency radio channel.

0150 hrs: The Chilean Coast Guard called the same channel to request assistance on behalf of a vessel in distress. RSV 421 was placed on a higher state of alert.

The coordinates of the vessel in distress were soon received  about eight nautical miles away from the Bulgarian ship and 12 nautical miles south of Nueva Island near the Drake Passage.

RSV 421 immediately headed for El Doblon  a 25-metre yacht flying a Canadian flag with a 13-member crew.

Shortly after 2 a.m. RSV 421 was assigned as On Scene Commander by the Chilean Coast Guard in accordance with the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual.

0210 hrs: Communication with the vessel in distress was established. El Doblon reported that there was a breach in the forward keel section with incoming water.

0215 hrs: RSV 421 prepared a rescue speedboat with a crew of three, equipped with life-saving gear and thermal suits, as well as mooring lines for towing the distressed vessel.

Meanwhile, arrangements had been made on board the RSV 421 to provide first aid to people in distress.

At around 2.30 a.m. the Bulgarian ship began to converge with El Doblon, with the rescue speed boat ready to launch. At 2.50 a.m. RSV 421 was 0.4 nautical miles away from El Doblon, at which point El Doblon reported that the incoming water was stopped.

0258 hrs: The yacht was found to be listing hard to starboard and making 1.5 knots. The Bulgarian crew reported to the Chilean Coast Guard the condition of the yacht and commenced escorting her to the Beagle Channel and the port of Puerto Williams, Chile.

0405 hrs: The Bulgarian vessel was relieved of responsibility as On Scene Commander by the Chilean Coast Guard after entering calmer waters. RSV 421 proceeded to sail to Livingston Island as scheduled.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)
A lawsuit has been filed against Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry, seeking to remove him from the 2024 primary ballots using the same insurrection argument that disqualified Donald Trump in two states. FILE - Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., chair of the House Freedom Caucus, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 14, 2023. A liberal activist wants a Pennsylvania court to bar U.S. Rep. Scott Perry from the state's primary ballot, arguing that Perry engaged in insurrectionist activity and cannot appear on the state's ballot under the Constitution's insurrection clause. The seven-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court.(AP)

Activist Gene Stilp alleges Perry violated the U.S. Constitution's insurrection clause by supporting Trump's false 2020 election fraud claims. Perry, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, is accused of involvement in discussions and schemes related to overturning the 2020 election results.

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Section 3 of the 14th Amendment

The lawsuit cites Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, stating that individuals who "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" after taking an oath of office cannot run for office again. This constitutional section has been successfully used in Colorado and Maine to disqualify Trump from running.

Perry's connection to January 6

The lawsuit claims Perry played a leading role in disrupting the Congressional presidential election certification process on January 6, 2021, aiming to hinder the transfer of power from Trump to Biden.

Perry's lawyer's response and confidence in dismissal

Perry's lawyer, John P. Rowley, dismisses the lawsuit as an effort by a partisan activist. He expresses confidence that the Supreme Court will reject the legal challenge, calling it an extremist attempt to disqualify an elected official.

Also Read | Trump appeals Maine ruling blocking ballot access over insurrection clause

Similar cases: Trump and other Republicans

Similar lawsuits using the 14th Amendment to bar Trump from running have been dismissed in states like Florida, New Hampshire, and Michigan. The legal battle surrounding Trump's eligibility continues with ongoing appeals.

The 14th Amendment has been invoked in legal challenges against other Republican figures, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene. While it led to the rejection of Greene's disqualification in Georgia, the amendment remains a tool for those seeking accountability.

No formal charges against Perry:

Perry has not been formally accused of any crime related to investigations into attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The legal process is unfolding, and Perry has not faced criminal charges.

In December, a judge ruled that around 1,600 communications from Perry, including texts and emails, could be handed to federal prosecutors. This decision bypasses the "speech or debate" clause, allowing scrutiny in matters not directly related to legislative duties.
The corruption scandal surrounding New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has taken a new turn with the revelation of a superseding indictment on Tuesday. (FILES) US Senator Bob Menendez faces corruption-related charges in the same case, which he has denied, including conspiring to act as an agent of Egypt and taking bribes and influence peddling for Cairo. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP)(AFP)

The indictment adds more details to the existing charges against Menendez, who is accused of accepting illegal gifts and favours from foreign interests, including Egypt and Qatar.

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Menendez, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, was already facing a trial in May for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for the Egyptian government, which led him to resign as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year. He has also refused to give up his seat or his re-election bid, despite the mounting evidence against him.

The new indictment, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims that Menendez also received cash, gold bars, tickets to motor racing events, and luxury watches from a Qatari royal family member, who was a principal of the Qatari Investment Co.

ALSO READ| HBO adapts former Congressman George Santos' Gatsby-esque journey to big screen

What is this indictment all about?

The indictment does not name the Qatari investor, but says that Menendez tried to persuade him to invest in a real estate project run by Fred Daibes, a businessman and a co-defendant in the case.

According to the indictment, Menendez used his influence to support the Qatari government in exchange for the gifts, and shared his public statements with Daibes, who then forwarded them to the Qatari investor and a Qatari official. The indictment says that the Qatari gifts were part of a larger scheme that involved Menendez receiving almost $500,000 in cash, 13 gold bars, and a Mercedez-Benz convertible from various sources. These items were discovered by federal agents when they raided Menendezs home in 2022.

The indictment also charges Menendezs wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and another businessman, along with Daibes, for their roles in the conspiracy. All of them have pleaded not guilty and have not commented on the new indictment. Tim Donohue, a lawyer for Daibes, told the Associated Press that he had no immediate comment.

ALSO READ| US Senator John Fetterman calls to oust Senator Bob Menendez following the expulsion of George Santos

The indictment covers the period from 2021 to 2023, when Menendez allegedly engaged in corrupt activities. Menendez had previously survived a corruption trial in 2017, when a jury failed to reach a verdict on charges that he accepted bribes from a Florida eye doctor. However, his chances of acquittal may be slim this time, as the prosecution has amassed over 6.7m documents as evidence.
Tens of thousands of migrants are bidding farewell to New York City in pursuit of opportunities elsewhere. According to data from New York City Hall, Illinois emerges as the top destination for migrants leaving the city, with 2,369 plane tickets issued. The second spot is not a different state but elsewhere within New York. FILE - Migrants queue in the cold as they look for a shelter outside a migrant assistance center at St. Brigid Elementary School on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in New York. Nervous officials in suburbs and outlying cities near Chicago and New York are giving migrants arriving from the southern border a cold shoulder. Edison, New Jersey, the mayor warned he would send people back to the border if they came to his city in buses. The moves come amid attempts to circumvent new limits on dropping migrants in the two cities, opening a new front in response to efforts led by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to pay for migrants to leave his state. (AP)

Texas holds the third position, indicating that over 1,800 migrants are returning to the state. Florida follows closely, with nearly 1,200 migrants choosing the Sunshine State as their new destination.

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Mayor Eric Adams' offer

Mayor Eric Adams has been proactive, offering migrants voluntary travel out of the city. However, only about 13 percent of migrants have taken up this offer, representing 19,000 individuals who opted for relocation. A "reticketing centre" aids migrants in moving forward with their journeys, potentially saving costs compared to extended shelter stays.

Operation Lone Star

Operation Lone Star, initiated by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, has added to New York City's challenges. Since August 2022, Texas has bused over 33,600 migrants to New York City, exacerbating the strain on resources.

NYC is struggling to accommodate the migrant influx, prompting Mayor Adams to limit shelter stays for adults to 30 days and 60 days for migrant families with children. New orders also restrict the arrival times of buses carrying migrants.

The cost of accommodating migrants

To address the surge, Adams' administration spent over $4.6 million on one-way plane tickets for more than 150,000 migrants who arrived since the spring of 2022. The financial burden is estimated to reach $12 billion over the next three years.

Migrant departures: Top 10 destinations

Despite hurdles, migrants are departing to various destinations. Here are the top 10:

Illinois  2,369

Elsewhere in New York  2,261

Texas  1,847

Florida  1,189

Minnesota  1,177

Colorado  1,147

Georgia  925

California  823

Virginia  664

Ohio  615

Migrants, determined to reach New York City, bypass Mayor Adams' orders. Despite efforts to control migrant arrivals, unexpected challenges emerge. Loopholes in Mayor Adams' latest order result in migrants showing up at transit points in New Jersey, leading to concerns about the efficacy of the measures in place.
United States is working towards ushering in huge immigration reforms for the new year. 2024 is expected to witness new policies on H-1B visas and green card backlogs. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved 335,000 H-1B visas in 2018.(Reters File Photo)

Here are H-1B visa reforms expected in 2024

H-1B Lottery changes expected

From March 2024 onwards the H-1B selection process is expected to be changed after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced policy changes on October 23, 2023.

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USCIS has stated that registrations for FY24 have increased largely due to multiple submissions by the same individual. This happens as under the current policy USCIS uses a lottery when companies file more H-1B applications than the annual limit of 85,000. Due to high volume of these submissions USCIS rejected over 75% of H-1B registrations for FY 2024. Now, it has proposed selecting H-1B registrations by selecting unique beneficiaries. It will use passport information to identify beneficiaries to weed out duplicate entries.

Under the proposed update to the random selection process, registrants would continue to submit registrations on behalf of beneficiaries and beneficiaries would continue to be able to have more than one registration submitted on their behalf, according to USCIS. Selection would be based on each unique beneficiary identified in the registration pool, rather than each registration. Each unique beneficiary would be entered in the selection process once, regardless of how many registrations were submitted on their behalf.

Special visa for AI

Many experts have opposed Biden government's rule according to which to qualify as a specialty occupation the position must require A U.S. baccalaureate or higher degree in a directly related specific specialty or its equivalent for entering the occupation. Attorneys hav warned that language of the interim final rule would stop many talented foreign-born professionals from working in America.

Another provision has labelled business administration as a general degree and would not be sufficient to qualify someone for a specialty occupation without further specialization. Again, critics feel this language could discourage foreign individuals with masters in business from attending MBA programs in the United States.

The restrictions in the proposed rule appear incompatible with attracting AI talent and President Bidens AI executive order issued on October 30, 2023.

H-1B visa and immigration fee increases

USCIS has proposed to raise fees substantially. It would include an Asylum Program Fee of $600 to be paid by employers who file either Form I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) or Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker).

USCIS/DHS also proposed to increase the H-1B Electronic Registration Fee for each beneficiary for H-1B petitions by 2050% from $10, established in 2019, to $215. Employers will be expected to pay 70% more for beneficiaries on H-1B petitions, 201% more for employees on L-1 petitions and 129% more for individuals on O-1 petitions. The final rule is expected to be published in April 2024 or later.

Domestic Visa Renewal Pilot Program

The much anticipated pilot program from Indians and Canadian nationals for H-1B visa renewal program will begin from January 29, 2024 onward. Only 20,000 visa holders will be eligible for the program and will not include the dependents of H-1B professionals.

Other DHS Regulatory Actions

DHS stated in its regulatory agenda it would publish a proposed rule on employment-based immigration in August 2024. The proposed rule would, if finalized . . . modernize outdated provisions for individuals of extraordinary ability and outstanding professors and researchers; clarify evidentiary requirements for first preference classifications, second preference national interest waiver (NIW) classifications, and physicians of national and international renown, among other changes.
Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy received the endorsement of former Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King known for his controversial and racist remarks, on Tuesday. Republican presidential candidate and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy gestures while speaking during an election campaign event in Bettendorf, Iowa, U.S., January 2, 2024. REUTERS/Cheney Orr(REUTERS)

King praised Ramaswamy in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Indian American businessman is wicked, smart, and principled and ideal for the next US President.

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Today, I heartily endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for President. He is wicked smart and as principled. Vivek knows and understands the Constitution and will refurbish the Pillars of American Exceptionalism, he wrote.

Later that day Vivek replied back on the platform saying, This isnt an endorsement from a politician. Its from a true patriot.

Vivek Ramaswamy is going to shock the world: King

Earlier POLITICO reported that the former Iowa Congressman believes the biotech entrepreneur was the only candidate who had the guts to stand up against the CO2 pipelines in Iowa, the climate change agenda, the Jan. 6 prosecution, and the birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants.

ALSO READ| Not once does she apologize': Bill Ackman, Vivek Ramaswamy and more react after Claudine Gay's resignation

Vivek Ramaswamy is going to shock the world at the Iowa caucus because he is the only candidate in this race whos had the courage to oppose the CO2 pipelines here in Iowa, to publicly oppose the climate change cult, to commit to pardon peaceful Jan 6 protestors on day 1, and to end birthright citizenship for kids of illegals in this country, King said.

Ramaswamy, who has been campaigning across the state, will announce Kings endorsement at Tanglewood Hills Pavilion in Bettendorf. His campaign claimed that he was the first presidential candidate ever to visit all 99 counties in Iowa twice in one year.

The Presidential candidate expressed his respect for King, who he said was not a follower but a leader of the America First movement. He also said that he and King agreed on many issues that other Republicans were too scared to address.

The likes of Steve King & Pat Buchanan were the OGs

Most people are sheep when it comes to making endorsements, but Steve doesnt do what hes supposed to. He votes his conscience and thats why I respect him. Steve King was America First before it was cool. The likes of Steve King & Pat Buchanan were the OGs, Ramaswamy said.

He added: Weve found common cause on countless issues where other Republicans are too afraid to speak up  opposing the CO2 Pipelines here in Iowa, ending birthright citizenship, making English the national language, or shutting down the deep state. I expect well make Steve look prescient on Jan 15.

ALSO READ| 'It's anti-racism,' Vivek Ramaswamy calls out Bank of America's bias for Black, Hispanic communities

King, who represented the most conservative district in Iowa for nine terms, lost his seat in 2020 to then-state Sen. Randy Feenstra. Before that, he had faced criticism and censure from his own party for making offensive statements, especially on race. He was removed from his committee assignments before losing his re-election bid.

Ramaswamy, meanwhile, has also made some extreme and conspiratorial claims, such as calling Jan. 6 an inside job and saying at the December debate that the Great Replacement Theory, which asserts that Democrats are replacing white voters with immigrants and minorities, is not some grand right-wing conspiracy theory, but a basic statement of the Democratic Partys platform.
Shortly after a federal judge ordered that the identities of more than 150 people connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell be publicly disclosed, an alleged victim of the paedophile urged the judge to keep her identity secret. Identified as Doe 107, the person filed the request through her attorney in front of Manhattan Federal Judge Loretta Preska. Jeffrey Epstein appears in court, July 30, 2008, in West Palm Beach, Fla (Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post via AP, File)

She lives outside the United States in a culturally conservative country and lives in fear of her name being released," her attorney reportedly said. The lawyer added that Doe 107 "faces risks of physical harm".

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Wion reported that the judge had asked Doe 107 to hand over an affidavit supporting claims that she is in danger in her country and the fact that she had received hate mail. However, the alleged victim did not provide the document by the deadline, which was November 22 last year. It is said that she later switched attorneys.

People on social media have been speculating who Doe 107 could possibly be. Some posts even claimed that the court has announced that the full Epstein list will not be released until January 22, but there has been no official confirmation on the same.

The people whose names are to be disclosed includesex abuse victims, litigation witnesses, Epsteins employees, and people with just a passing connection to the scandal. All of these people were reportedly allowed to appeal the order, signed by Judge Preska, by January 1, 2024. The names were mentioned in Epsteins lawsuit. In the past, several other records related to the lawsuit were publicly revealed.

Preska has said that some portions of the records will be kept confidential, like those that name people who were sexually assaulted by Epstein when they were minors, and had wanted to maintain their privacy, according to NBC News.

Epstein allegedly sexually assaulted multiple teenage girls. Some of his victims were as young as 14 years old, prosecutors have said. He committed the crimes at his homes in Manhattan; Palm Beach, Florida; and his private island near St. Thomas. Epstein died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell about a month after being arrested in 2019.
A list of names from politics, arts, Hollywood and business that could reveal the associates of Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious sex trafficker who died by suicide in jail in 2019, is expected to be made public soon. FILE - On Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, a federal judge ordered the public disclosure of the identities of more than 150 people mentioned in a mountain of court documents related to the late Jeffrey Epstein, saying that most of the names were already public and that many had not objected to the release. (Uma Sanghvi/The Palm Beach Post via AP, File)(AP)

The list is part of hundreds of court documents that were sealed for years. They relate to a defamation case filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epsteins victims, against his former girlfriend and partner in crime, Ghislaine Maxwell.

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The documents may contain the names of influential people, such as Prince Andrew and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who had ties to Epstein and Maxwell.

ALSO READ| Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years for helping Jeffery Epstein

What is this Epstein list?

The list is a collection of more than 150 names that appear in the court documents. They could shed light on who continued to socialize with Epstein and Maxwell after Epstein was convicted in 2008 in Florida of soliciting sex from a minor.

The documents were kept secret until a U.S. District Judge, Loretta Preska, ordered them to be unsealed after Jan. 1. They could be released anytime in the next few days or weeks.

Epstein and Maxwell were connected to many powerful and wealthy people, such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers.

A Gates spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that Gates only met Epstein for philanthropic purposes, which he regrets. Summers said through a spokesman that he deeply regrets having any contact with Epstein.

ALSO READ| United States to close New York jail where Jeffrey Epstein was found dead

Names have emerged over the years

Epstein was also acquainted with Donald Trump before he became president; there is no evidence that Trumps name is in the documents.

Clinton and Trump were among the passengers on Epsteins private jet, according to Epsteins former pilot, Larry Visoski, who testified in 2021. Other notable people who flew with Epstein were Prince Andrew, violinist Itzhak Perlman, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, the late Ohio Sen. John Glenn and actor Kevin Spacey, he said.

Transparency is always a good thing

Political analyst Charlotte Clymer said the list would only be a cause for concern if our nations leaders and political media attempt to downplay the Epstein list and cover up any crimes against innocents. Clymer, a Democrat, added, When it comes to matters of sexual abuse and human trafficking, transparency is always a good thing.

Giuffre alleged that Epstein and Maxwell forced her to have sex with powerful men, including Prince Andrew, when she was a teenager. She settled her lawsuit with Andrew, who denied her claims. She also accused eminent lawyer Alan Dershowitz, but withdrew her allegations in late 2022. Epstein hanged himself while awaiting trial at a federal prison in New York.

Maxwell, a former socialite who became a convicted sex trafficker, is serving a 20-year sentence for helping Epstein abuse underage girls.

ALSO READ| 3 women sue Jeffrey Epsteins estate, citing rape, other sex acts

Giuffre did not make any accusations against Clinton

The plaintiff said in her lawsuit that she met Clinton on Epsteins private island in the Caribbean, but Clinton denied ever going there.

Clinton has not been accused of any illegal activity yet.

Clintons office issued a statement in 2019, saying the former president knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.

The statement also said that Clinton flew on Epsteins plane, but he has not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade.
Harvard Universitys president Claudine Gay announced on Tuesday, January 2, that she has resigned from her position amid mounting pressure after anti-Semitism and plagiarism controversies. She will now reportedly return to a position as a regular faculty member. Claudine Gay listens during Harvard Universitys 372nd Commencement Exercises in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., May 25, 2023 (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo)(REUTERS)

Who, then, will replace her now?

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Alan M. Garber is Harvard's interim president after Gays resignation. Garber joined Harvard, his alma mater, as many as 12 years ago. He serves multiple roles at the institution.

Who is Alan M. Garber?

The Harvard Corporation welcomed Garber in an online statement. We are also grateful to Alan M. Garber, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, who has served with distinction in that role for the past twelve years  and who has agreed to serve as Interim President until a new leader for Harvard is identified and takes office. An economist and a physician, he is a distinguished and wide-ranging scholar with appointments at Harvard Medical School, Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, it wrote.

Alan Garber applauds during commencement exercises, Thursday, May 28, 2015, in Cambridge, Mass (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)(AP)

We are fortunate to have someone of Alans broad and deep experience, incisive judgment, collaborative style, and extraordinary institutional knowledge to carry forward key priorities and to guide the university through this interim period, it added.

Our goal is to ensure that our community is safe

Back in November, Garber had expressed his regret over Harvards statement on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Our goal is to ensure that our community is safe, secure, and feels well supported  and that first statement did not succeed in that regard, he told the Harvard Crimson.

Garber added that the current anti-Semtism on the campus is the most serious one that he faced since he joined the institution. In my view, none has been as serious for the University as this one  and Im even including Covid in that, he said.

The community was immediately divided, and that is not true of every crisis that we face, Garber said of the ongoing conflict sparked by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. It is a combustible situation, and one in which many people are grieving.
Russian president Vladimir Putin's close ally Sergei Markov said that a new civil war in the United States would be good for the world. The pro-Kremlin political scientist and former adviser to the Russian leader, suggested during a recent broadcast that the outbreak of a civil war in the US would be beneficial to Russia and would end Ukraine conflict as well. Russian president Vladimir Putin(AFP)

Sergei Markov said explained Russia's symbol for the new year, the Wood Dragon saying, "I think this means there will be a civil war in America. I think it's logical...Yes, the dragon will get them, that's good for the world.

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Russia does not "wish war on anyone, even Americans," he said, continuing as per Newsweek, "No, we do wish it. We know if something really starts in America, civil war in Ukraine will stop one week later. [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky and [Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii] Zaluzhny will race all the way over here...They would go to mediators and say, 'Let's immediately put an end to all this.' Because this regime is a typical junta, I would say, a colonial junta. We wish ourselves peace in the new year, and for those living in Ukraine to get rid of this colonial junta America forced upon them.

The comments come as deadly strikes hit residential buildings in Ukraine and a Russian border region amid an escalation of aerial attacks. Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed to step up strikes following an unprecedented Ukrainian attack on Belgorod while Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said, The enemy has planned their trajectories to cause as much damage as possible. This is an utterly premeditated terror.

Since December 29, Russia has launched nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 drones against Ukraine, he added while a new Ukrainian strike on Russia's Belgorod region killed at least one person and wounded five, the local governor said as per news agency AFP.
Russian president Vladimir Putin's key ally Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov called for the execution of family members of suspected criminals who cannot be found. The comments were made by the Chechen leader at a meeting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic where Ramzan Kadyrov told security commanders that relatives are acceptable recipients of punishment for criminal suspects if they are not apprehended. Head of Russia's Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov attends a meeting.(Reuters)

"If someone infringes on public safety, an officer or a tourist, and if we don't even find the offender, we won't keep looking for them, but we will definitely find their relatives," Ramzan Kadyrov said as per Newsweek.

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As is customary from time immemorial, if one of the relatives has done wrong and the criminal cannot be found, their brother, their father would be killed, he said, adding, "Thus, our blood feud will be repaid very quickly. Otherwise, a person kills someone and lives with impunity, and their relatives start renouncing them. No relatives' renunciation is effective until we kill someone from their family and take the right of blood feud."

A person commits murder and walks away free without punishment, while their relatives begin renouncing them, he said, adding, No renouncements will work until we kill someone from their family and claim the right of blood vengeance. Well get rid of a person the way we know how [unless they are extradited to Russia].

Who is Ramzan Kadyrov?

Ramzan Kadyrov is a close ally of Vladimir Putin who governs Chechnya since 2007- a Muslim-majority republic which has fought alongside Russia in Ukraine war. He was seen accompanying Vladimir Putin to meetings with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates and Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, rumours regarding his health were widespread as it was reported that he was suffering from persistent kidney problems.
YEREVAN, 3 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 3 January, USD exchange rate up by 0.49 drams to 405.28 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 5.05 drams to 442.85 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.07 drams to 4.43 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.71 drams to 511.67 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 108.63 drams to 26940.29 drams. Silver price down by 3.66 drams to 312.00 drams.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday expressed his condolences over twin blasts that killed at least 103 people in Iran near the grave of the slain general Qasem Soleimani. Russian President Vladimir Putin(AFP)

"The killing of peaceful people visiting the cemetery is shocking in its cruelty and cynicism," Putin said in a letter to Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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The European Union demanded on Wednesday that the perpetrators of twin blasts that killed at least 103 people in a crowd gathered to mark the killing of general Qasem Soleimani be brought to justice.

"The EU condemns in the strongest terms today's bombing in the city of Kerman in Iran. The EU expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people. This act of terror has exacted a shocking toll of civilian deaths and injuries," an EU foreign affairs spokesperson said in a statement.

"Our thoughts now are with the victims and their families. Perpetrators must be held accountable."
Two rapid explosions near the burial site of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani resulted in the death of at least 103 individuals. The incident unfolded as Iran commemorated the anniversary of Soleimani's killing in a US drone strike. Qassem Soleimani (AFP File)

Iranian state TV confirmed that the explosions occurred in the vicinity of Qasem Soleimani's grave but provided no specifics regarding the cause of the blasts.

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Who was Qasem Soleimani?

Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, helmed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 1998 until his assassination by the U.S. in 2020.

He held the position of commander of the Quds Force, an IRGC division primarily tasked with extraterritorial and covert military operations. In his later years, some analysts considered him the right-hand man of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and regarded him as the second-most powerful figure in Iran behind Khamenei.

Throughout the Iraq War, the Quds Force was responsible for overseeing the production and large-scale smuggling of improvised explosively formed penetrator (EFP) roadside bombs into Iraq. According to US estimates, these EFPs were utilised by the Iraqi insurgency, resulting in 500 deaths and over 21,000 injuries to American soldiers. Furthermore, the Quds Force played a coordinating role in Hezbollah's defense against Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War, with Soleimani personally involved in these operations.

Soleimani, Iran's shadow commander

Referred to as Iran's shadow commander, Soleimani, had been at the helm of the Quds Force since 1998, and had served as the architect behind Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria.

The US had been actively pursuing him for many years, as his operations within Iraq since 2003 were disclosed by the US State Department to have resulted in the deaths of over 600 American personnel.

After the September 11 attacks in the US in 2001, he directed Iranian diplomats to cooperate with US forces in Afghanistan against the Taliban, India Today reported.

Soleimani supported Hezbollah in Lebanon and assisted Kurdish Peshmerga and Shia militia forces in Iraq following the rise of the Islamic State in 2014. Iranians credited him with the intervention in Iraq against the Islamic State.

In 2012, amid the Syrian Civil War, Soleimani had aided the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad, playing a key role in Iran's operations and organizing the Russian military intervention in Syria, Time magazine reports.

During the 2010s, Soleimani and the Quds Force contributed significantly to Iraq's government defeating the Islamic State (2014-17) and assisted Assad's Syrian government in major victories in the Syrian Civil War. He played a crucial role in securing Russian intervention in Syria in 2015 and led a commando operation rescuing a Russian pilot.

Senior Hamas officials credited Soleimani, along with Hezbollah's Imad Mughniyeh, with masterminding the creation and maintenance of Hamas' extensive tunnel warfare network in the Gaza Strip.

(With inputs from AP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong called South Koreas president foolishly brave while terming his predecessor very smart". The remarks came as a response to South Korean presidents New Year address, in which Yoon Suk Yeol said that he would bolster South Koreas military capability and enhance its alliance with the United States amid North Korea's threats. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, is seen. (AP)

What Kim Jong Un's suster said on South Korea

Kim Yo Jong retorted, This person  has persistently called for peace by force and got hell-bent on the beefing up of the extended deterrence and the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, thus putting the destiny of (South Korea) on the last extremity."

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She added that Yoon Suk Yeols foolishly brave stance and fanatical military confrontation posture have led to North Korea increasing its military programs. The speech once again provided North Korea with a justification to obtain more overwhelming nuclear fighting capability", she said, comparing the South Korean president with his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, calling the latter very smart and crafty.

Her praise contradicts earlier statements in which she berated him. In 2021, she called Moon Jae-in a parrot raised by America after he criticized North Korean missile tests.

What South Korea said on her comments

South Korea called Kim Yo Jong's statement an irrational claim and sophistry that makes no sense", adding that country's military will strongly and swiftly punish any provocations by North Korea.

Earlier, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned that his country will not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if provoked with nukes while South Korea and its allies called for "dialogue without preconditions".

Kim Jong Un told his military's missile bureau not to hesitate (launching) even a nuclear attack when the enemy provokes it with nukes.
Earlier Wednesday, former Democrat, now Independent, presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, has collected the necessary signatures to appear on the 2024 presidential election ballot in Utah.

As reported by the Associated Press, Kennedy's campaign spokesperson, Stefanie Spear spoke on the development, revealing that "Utah is the first state where Kennedy's campaign submitted signatures and qualified for ballot access". Spear did not specify the day on which Kennedy would submit his candidacy.

Kennedy as a candidate gained significant notoriety during the COVID-19 epidemic as he adopted various conspiracy theories that cooked up doubts surrounding the COVID-19 vaccination. He even has a published book,which would become a New York Times best-seller, titled "The Real Anthony Fauci".

Another article from the Associated Press discussed how some of Kennedy's supporters had "bought multiple copies to drive sales ". Conversely, despite this Kennedy's book was successful in securing the title of being a bestseller with the book's Amazon page also touting "Over 1,000,000 copies sold despite censorship, boycotts from bookstores and libraries, and hit pieces against the author."

On the matter of censorship, one of Kennedy's videos on YouTube was removed from the platform for breaking vaccine policy. In addition to this Kennedy's organization titled "Children's Health Defense" has a pending lawsuit filed against various news outlets including the Associated Press, "Accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations.

What's Next For Kennedy?

His recent victory in being able to appear on the 2024 presidential election ballot has great potential, even if it's only one state, to cause a big shake-up in the upcoming election as independent candidates have the potential to pull voters away from the two major parties.

It also does not help that many voters today may not be particularly enthusiastic about either Biden or Trump. Given the escalating political polarization in America, the circumstances seem to present fertile ground for a centrist figure like Kennedy to rise up and potentially seize the presidency.
In 2023, reports revealed that traffic congestion in the U.S. worsened in 2022. Experts said that although traffic levels in the United States are below the pre-pandemic period, millions of Americans are still negatively affected.

In 2022, it was estimated that U.S. drivers lost an average of 51 hours a year because of traffic congestion, which is almost 1 hour per week.

This is why many tech companies are making efforts to help the U.S. reduce its traffic congestion and here's how Google is doing its part.

Project Green Light: Google to Use AI to Help Reduce US Traffic

According to CBS News' latest report, traffic congestion not only affects the daily lives of people, but it is also harmful to the environment.

Now, Google wants to help solve this issue using its new Project Green Light system. This new program relies on artificial intelligence and vast map databases.

The Project Green Light system is designed by Google to effectively optimize traffic lights around the world. As of writing, Google is already using the new system in one U.S. city: Seattle.

Google explained that the new anti-traffic project can provide suggestions to city engineers, which they can decide to implement or reject.

"We had one case where we moved four seconds from a north-south street to an east-west street for a particular time of day, so then that can help reduce some of that stop-and-go traffic," said Seattle Department of Transportation Engr. Laura Wojcicki, one of the experts that used the Project Green Light.

Read Also: China Crash: 17 Killed, 22 Injured During Road Traffic Accident as the Country Opens Up Back Following Intense COVID-19 Chaos

How effective is Google's Project Green Light?

New Atlas reported that Google's Project Green Light is quite efficient; being able to reduce stop-and-go traffic by up to 30%. Aside from this, the new system can also help lessen intersection emissions by 10%.

Right now, Google is already partnering with more than 12 cities across the world. It's using Project Green Light to time recommendations on 70 different intersections.

What's great about this new service is that Google offers it for free. Road engineers can use the Project Green Light system via a web interface.

"It means a lot for drivers and it also means a lot for emissions," said Engr. Wojcicki. She also said that solving traffic congestion in intersections not only saves people time, but doing so can also help tackle the worsening climate crisis.

Related Article: Will US Parking Fees Be Removed? Some Cities Already Ditching Them-Here's Why
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed and admitted that 25-year-old Israeli hostage Sahar Baruch was killed in Gaza during an attempt to rescue him from Hamas in early December.

Local media reported on Wednesday, January 3 that they notified Baruch's family this week, but said it remained unclear whether he was killed by Israeli forces or by Hamas, which was a reversal of its December 9 statement that he was "murdered" by Hamas.

Even then, however, the IDF noted that they were "still verifying and investigating the details regarding the place of his murder."

According to The Times of Israel, two IDF personnel were severely injured during the failed rescue attempt.

Read Also: Israel Expects Hezbollah Response After Killing Senior Hamas Leader in Beirut

Bringing Sahar Baruch's Body Home

Israeli officials believe that over 130 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, including the corpses of those who have since died such as Baruch.

However, US officials cautioned that there was no way to be sure how many of them remained alive.

Israel, the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas were still in negotiations surrounding another truce and a potential second wave of hostage exchanges, though little progress has been made.

So far, no concrete developments have been secured as of writing.

Baruch was abducted by Hamas on October 7 while he was at Kibbutz Be'eri.

"It is with great sadness and a broken heart that we announce the murder of Sahar Baruch who was kidnapped from his home by Hamas terrorists to Gaza and was murdered there," Kibbutz Be'eri and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a joint statement. "We share in the unbearable grief of his parents, Tami and Roni, his brothers, Guy and Niv, his family and all his loved ones."

Related Article: Gaza Hospital Served as Command Center for Hamas Before Israel Raid, US Claims
Yemen's Houthi movement has come forward claiming they had "targeted" a container ship bound for Israel.

This comes a day after the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the militant group had fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea, according to Reuters. When asked about the Houthis' claim, the French shipping firm CMA CGM told Reuters the vessel was unharmed and had suffered no incident. The company also said the ship had been headed for Egypt, not Israel.

The Houthi's military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, announced in a televised speech that the group had "targeted" the CMA CGM Tage Container Ship withholding any other details. Sarea did not elaborate on when or where the incident took place. He continued to say the Houthis had sent out warning messages to the targeted ship and that its crew chose to pay it no mind. During Sarea's speech, he issued a warning to the United States and doubled down on the Houthi's stance that these attacks will continue until aid is allowed to enter Gaza.

"No U.S. attack will pass without a response or punishment," he added.

Following the announcement, Al-Jazeera reported that the Pentagon indicated a US warship and multiple commercial ships faced an assault in the Red Sea . "We are aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available," the Pentagon stated. However, it was reported last week that missiles landed near a US warship after it helped an Israeli vessel that had been briefly seized by gunmen. Last month, the Houthis also seized a vehicle transport ship linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The group still holds the vessel near the port city of Hodeida.

Multiple commercial ships have felt the impact of the missiles in surrounding waters. According to the same Reuters article, The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Authority had also reported up to three explosions one to five nautical miles from a merchant vessel in the Bab al-Mandab strait, 33 nautical miles east of Eritrea's Assab, adding there were no reports of damage. The Reuters article also revealed that several shipping lines have suspended operations through the Red Sea waterway in connection to the attacks, resulting in a longer journey around Africa.
Kenneth Smith, 58, was convicted for a murder-for-hire committed in 1988, and sentenced to death. He is now scheduled for execution in the state of Alabama on Jan. 25. This would be the first execution by nitrogen gas in the United States.

Most U.S. executions are performed using lethal doses of a barbiturate. Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are prescribed to treat headaches, insomnia, and seizures. In Smith's case, the procedure is intended to deprive him of oxygen by using a face mask connected to a cylinder of nitrogen.

In a statement obtained by Reuters, four U.N. Special Rapporteurs said the method could cause "grave suffering" and likely be at odds with the prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. "We are concerned that nitrogen hypoxia would result in a painful and humiliating death," they warned.

The United Nations experts have pressed the U.S. to halt its plans to use nitrogen hypoxia to kill inmate, Kenneth Smith. The Independent noted Smith's legal team also share similar concerns, specifically pointing to the US ban on "cruel and unusual punishments" as reason enough not to go ahead with the execution. After a mishandled execution involving Smith in 2022, any attempt to end his life should be deemed unconstitutional, said the legal team.

The same Reuters article went on to reveal that Smith is one of two people alive in the U.S. who has survived an execution attempt via lethal injection. Officials tried and failed to administer the drugs despite there being a court order in place to block the execution.

States that continue to authorize capital punishment have struggled in recent years to access the chemicals needed to effectively carry out lethal injection executions. This mainly stems from an agreement implemented by the European Union that bans the sale, as The Independent also revealed, of the required chemicals to the U.S. if they are intended for executions. Nitrogen hypoxia has not been tested as a method of execution. According to Forbes, experts have warned that there is "no scientific evidence" proving it will not cause "grave suffering."

A federal judge is weighing whether to permit Smith's execution to proceed after hearing arguments from Alabama and Smith. Lawyers for the state dismissed Smith's concerns of distress and suffering, also touching on the potential of Smith falling into a vegetative state from the drug. They shut down such concerns citing the bans on cruel or unusual punishments do not prohibit all pain.

It is not clear when the judge will rule on the case.
US aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co announced a complete return of its B737 MAX aircraft to commercial services in China, saying the model is operational across multiple regional and international routes, indicating that technical and safety issues of the past have been tackled in China.

"In 2023, the Chinese B737 MAX fleet that consists of nearly 100 aircraft were fully back in service with higher efficiencies," said Liu Qing, president of Boeing China, on the company's official WeChat account in late December.

The development marks a milestone for Boeing's operations in China, as orders and deliveries of Boeing aircraft to Chinese carriers were largely suspended after two fatal crashes of the single-aisle B737 MAX in 2018 and 2019, which led to the grounding of the aircraft model worldwide.

Since late 2020, the model was allowed to resume flights in many parts of the world. In January 2023, China Southern Airlines resumed the operation of B737 MAX for commercial domestic flights, marking the model's return to the skies in China.

"Chinese carriers' full resumption of operations of the B737 MAX shows that technical problems have been dealt with, and corresponding market issues have been tackled. But it doesn't signify that China has completely opened the door to introduce new planes of the model," said Zou Jianjun, a professor at the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China.

China is Boeing's second-largest market and the largest for its European rival Airbus in terms of the number of aircraft delivered, according to the two jet makers.

Currently, China's 13 domestic carriers operate 97 B737 MAX planes in their fleet. China Southern, Air China and Hainan Airlines each own 24, 16 and 11 aircraft, respectively. Shanghai Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Shandong Airlines also own some B737 MAX planes.

China's air travel market has been on a steady track of recovery since the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures in late 2022.

The country is expected to handle about 620 million air passenger trips in full year 2023, including international and domestic flights, which are foreseen to rebound to 93.8 percent of the pre-pandemic level seen in 2019, according to a projection by Flight Master, a travel services platform in China.

In December, Boeing delivered a new B787 aircraft to Chinese private carrier Juneyao Airlines, its first widebody aircraft for a Chinese mainland carrier in nearly three years, indicating gradual recovery in China's international air travel market.

In addition, the company said the third-phase expansion project of Tianjin Boeing Composite Material Co Ltd, a joint venture of Boeing and Aviation Industry Corp of China, was completed in 2023, or the 50th anniversary of Boeing's entry into China. The new factory is expected to be operational soon.

In addition, Boeing's B737 completion and delivery center in Zhoushan, in East China's Zhejiang province, organized competitions of aircraft painting and maintenance skills in 2023, which further enhanced the capabilities of local employees and prepared for future aircraft deliveries, the company said.

The center was put into operation in 2018 and suspended the actual completion and delivery of aircraft after the B737 MAX was grounded.

Meanwhile, Airbus said China is expected to become the largest commercial aircraft services market globally by 2042, exceeding North America and Europe, and it will continue to increase investments in the country.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS/BTA.The Bulgarian authorities detained 18,008 citizens of non-EU countries between January and November 2023, up by 15.4% compared with a year earlier, according to the Interior Ministry's latest data about the migration situation in Bulgaria.

Law enforcers detected 14,599 migrants staying illegally in the country's interior over the 11-month period, which implies an increase by 31.5% year on year. Syrians accounted for the largest share (50.1%), followed by people from Afghanistan (32.7%) and Morocco (11%).

The same period saw the arrest of 1,560 inbound and 1,849 unregistered outbound migrants at the Bulgarian national border, the Interior Ministry said.

On December 24 Interior Ministry Secretary General Zhivko Kotsev described unregulated migration and trafficking in migrants as huge challenges. On December 22, the holiday of the Border Police, its Director Anton Zlatanov said that 2023 has been tough and dynamic, but also rewarding. He noted that Bulgaria received a wonderful report from 14 EU member states which ended a border security review mission in late November.

Border Police data show that about 176,000 attempts by non-EU citizens to enter Bulgaria illegally were foiled between January and November 2023, which was 13% more than in the like period in 2022. These people went back into the interior of the neighbouring countries by themselves after they saw Bulgarian patrols and guards on the border.

Bulgaria's border with Turkiye presents the greatest challenge. It takes more than 99% of the migrant pressure on the entire Bulgarian border. The authorities have thwarted 175,500 border trespassing attempts from Turkiye since January. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry has stopped over 193,000 illegal migrants from getting to the heart of Europe this year.

The Interior Ministry has reported the disruption of several groups trafficking in migrants in 2023. In August the Interior Ministry and the prosecution service set up a special unit to assist the investigation of human trafficking and illegal migration. At the end of that month the National Assembly approved more severe punishments for trafficking in illegal migrants.

The outgoing year has also been marked by traffic accidents and other incidents related to migrant trafficking. People have been killed or injured in such cases.

Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov estimates that over 90% of the members of migrant trafficking rings in Bulgaria are not Bulgarian citizens. Most of the proceeds from such criminal activity are generated outside Bulgaria, Stoyanov said.

(This information is being published according to an agreement between Armenpress and BTA.)
YEREVAN, JANUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. At least 73 people were killed and 171 injured on Wednesday in the Iranian city of Kerman after twin blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani, in what local officials called a terror attack, according to state media.

The first explosion was 700 meters away from Soleimanis grave, and the second was a kilometer (0.6 miles) away as pilgrims visited the site, according to IRNA.

Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike ordered by then-President Donald Trump at Baghdad International Airport four years ago Wednesday.

The Lieutenant Governor of Kerman Province said the blasts were terror attacks, according to IRIB news agency.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Lori Province and got acquainted with the progress of the projects implemented in communities funded by the Government, the PM's Office said.

Nikol Pashinyan's first stop was at Vardablur secondary school, where a new gymnasium was built. The Government allocated more than 237 million AMD for the project. The construction works started in May 2022.

Next, the Prime Minister got acquainted with the construction works of the new gymnasium of Stepanavan N1 school, for which more than 173 million AMD were allocated. During the tour, the Prime Minister recorded various problems and instructed the officials to rectify them in a short period of time.

The Head of the Government visited the Medovka settlement, where during the tour he got acquainted with the works carried out in the newly built modular primary school. Here too, Nikol Pashinyan recorded numerous problems. The Prime Minister made a speech here, in which he specifically stated:

"Dear students,

I'm glad to see you, but I don't congratulate you on the occasion of the new school yet, because I see quality problems.

As of now, we have been to three places and we have quality issues in all three. I can't imagine compromising on quality. And these objects also cannot be accepted and paid for until they meet our standard. Besides, what do we do? We visit a place for just 10-15 minutes, look, if something is visible at the first visual glance, it means that there are bigger problems deep down.

Mr. Ghularyan, here I see a problem related to the management of our programs. Wherever I look, there is a problem. We cannot stand in front of the children, look them in the eyes, and say: we built the school, congratulations, and leave. We have not built the school. This is a half-done job. And I don't see any reason to say anything else at this point. The quality issue should be resolved.

Is there no one from the government, no one from the governor's office, no one from the Urban Development Committee, no one supervises the works? Let's assume we didn't come, we weren't consistent, in what condition this school would be handed over to the children? Wherever I look, it seems that the builder wanted to steal 1000 drams from everywhere. You can't work like that. This is not an attitude. Do we want a kickback from the builder, does he give us money? Why are these people not doing their job? I am dissatisfied. And this is the responsibility of the Urban Development Committee, the responsibility of the construction inspector."

The school has more than 50 students, but it is designed for 144 students. Construction works started in November 2020. In Tashir, the Prime Minister got acquainted with the construction process of the medical center. The government allocated 1 billion 697 million AMD for the construction of a medical center with a capacity of 30 beds. Construction works started in October 2022, scheduled for completion in 2025.

Nikol Pashinyan also visited Hagvi settlement, where the modular building of the primary school was built. The cost of building the school designed for 144 students was more than 780 million AMD. The construction works started in November 2020. The school has a furnished playground, a solar photovoltaic station. Improvement and fencing works were also carried out.

The Prime Minister congratulated the students and teachers on the occasion of the new school. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the students will attend the newly built school from Monday, but the Government will not consider that the work has been completed.

"I think that in our lives in general, and especially in schools, we need to tone down the pathos a little and focus on the task and the work, because sometimes we don't even notice that the pathos is used to cover up the work that has not been done. And we need to focus on work and get out of this half-done mode, because half-doing seems to be our main mode of operation. This building is built for children and teachers, and everything should be adapted to them. It matters what happens in the classrooms. This building is still unfinished, has defects, the property is on the way, we still have to give it a life. We just gave you the cultivated or semi-cultivated land, you must sow, you must cultivate, you must harvest, and of course, the country and the state must also harvest the product.

Compared to the Medovka school, the impression from here is a little better, but there are many shortcomings. Are we underfunded? If we fund less, let's know we fund less. 780 million AMD have been allocated for this school. We must leave this mode of half-doing, this pathos must be overcome. The New Year ended yesterday, the toasts are over, now we need to get down to business," the Prime Minister emphasized.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, inspections are being carried out now and it is visible that the conditions of learning in schools is not so good. Of course, it also has to do with building conditions. "We should give our children the right message. First of all, the child should feel respect for himself. When we put the right architecture in terms of urban development, content, and education, the child will learn well whether he wants it or not. An appropriate environment must be formed.

I really want to address our teachers as well. The role of the teacher is fundamental. In other words, if the teacher is not within this logic, we will have problems."

The Prime Minister demanded from those in charge to be consistent and to provide appropriate solutions to all problems.

The Head of the Government got acquainted with the conditions of the new gymnasiums of primary schools named after Ghevond Alishan No. 27 and Admiral Isakov No. 23 of Vanadzor. The construction works were started in June 2022. The cost of construction of the gymnasium of school No. 27 was 83 million AMD, and for the gymnasium of school no. 23, 251 million 802 thousand AMD, which were allocated from the state budget.

The Prime Minister laid flowers in Vanadzor at the monument dedicated to the memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.
Grand Mercure Yichang Waitan has an enviable location overlooking the Yangtze River, with close proximity to the Yichang's Three Gorges Dam tourist area. Yichang is keeping up with the modern economy by building a modern logistics center, while focusing on the growth of its service sector and high value-added industries.

With 306 guestrooms, Grand Mercure Yichang Waitan is ideally located to support the region's growing industry, while sharing Yichang's commitment to environmental responsibility and care for its communities. Guests and visitors to the new Grand Mercure hotel will admire the sparkling lights of the Yangtze River at night, encouraging them to explore the rich heritage and natural beauty of the historic Western Hubei region by day.

Hotel website
Grand Mercure Chengdu East is located in the Western Financial Innovation Center, right in the core downtown of the Eastern New District of Chengdu. This is a gathering area for visitors and professionals in the area's centers of expertise in finance, commerce, art and technology. This new Grand Mercure hotel will be a beacon of hospitality among this thriving community, providing the brand's signature journey of the senses and fresh cultural perspectives.

With 346 guestrooms including 42 serviced residences, Grand Mercure Chengdu East is the brand's first hotel to introduce its new Living concept. This extended stay option offers spacious serviced apartments, fully equipped with laundry and kitchenettes. Overall, the hotel's stylish and elegant interior design, modern amenities, and diverse dining options will attract locals as well as tourists, creating an energetic mix of visitors.

Grand Mercure's new Living concept, now available at Grand Mercure Chengdu East, marks the brand's entry into the fast-growing extended stay market. Leisure and business travelers are increasingly looking for opportunities to stay a little longer and get to know their destinations more authentically, particularly younger generations of travelers who enjoy mixing their business trips with leisure pursuits. The apartment-style living accommodations at Grand Mercure Chengdu East invite travelers to settle in and live as a local among Chengdu, while enjoying the high quality of services and amenities for which Grand Mercure is known.

Hotel website
FCS Solutions, global leading provider of hospitality technology, has unveiled its strategic expansion across Europe, marked by the establishment of two new offices. This move comes in direct response to the accelerating adoption of its comprehensive cloud-based solution, FCS1, by hotels in the region.

With fast adoption in hotels across 22 countries and counting, FCS1 is an integrated intuitive solution designed to simplify workflows, automate processes, and optimize operations across various hotel departments, including housekeeping, guest services, maintenance, and more.

The decision to open two new offices confirms the company's commitment to providing tailored solutions and localized support for its expanding customer base. With these two new additions, FCS Solutions now has 24 offices worldwide providing amplified and localized coverage to their customers.

Driving the efforts to strengthen FCS Solutions' presence in Turkey and France are Serkan Ertem and Antonii Plakhov.

Serkan, a seasoned hotelier, is set to champion the adoption of FCS1 among hotels in Turkey. Drawing from his own experiences and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by hotels in Turkey, Serkan is set to bring the benefits of FCS1 to a broad array of hotels in need of innovative solutions. He aims to leverage FCS1s powerful technology to help hotels streamline and automate their operations, effectively bridging the gaps faced by hoteliers.

Antonii, equipped with vast experience in the global travel industry, is strategically positioned to introduce the innovative FCS1 to French hoteliers. His international insights from diverse markets globally uniquely position him to grasp the intricacies of the hotel industry. By leveraging this wealth of experience in France and beyond, Antonii aims to offer hoteliers a solution that addresses their unique challenges.

As these professionals take charge of their respective territories, FCS Solutions anticipates strengthened relationships, a deeper understanding of local dynamics, and an even more robust global presence in the ever-evolving hospitality industry.

Over the past few years, FCS1 has rapidly established itself as a standard in the landscape of hotel operations technology. Given the increasing demand from hotels across Europe, primarily due to staffing shortages and a greater reliance on technology to address their operational challenges, the decision to establish our 2nd and 3rd offices in Europe was as strategic as it was logical. Our focus on user-centric innovation aims to ensure that hotels in the region are provided with the tools they need to run smooth, efficient operations - with technology that works for people, not the other way around. Karen Bey, Vice President of Global Sales & Channels at FCS Solutions

With an increasing number of hotels recognizing the transformative impact of FCS1, the company is well-positioned to help hotels across Europe streamline operational efficiency and effectively address their ongoing challenges.

Launched in 2021, FCS1 has quickly become the go-to platform for optimizing hotel operations by digitalizing their workflows  essentially empowering hotels to put their operations on autopilot.

About FCS Solutions

FCS Solutions is a leading global hospitality technology solutions provider with more than 40 years of experience, offering an extensive portfolio of integrated products used by over 2,000 hotels in 56 countries.

Their latest product, FCS1, is the ultimate cloud-based solution for the modern hotelier, combining the best of FCS' hospitality solutions into one easy-to-use solution covering cleaning and service delivery, incidents and complaints, and facility maintenance.

FCS1 enables hotels to create an operational management solution unique to their needs, and seamlessly integrates with their preferred PMS or third-party solution via open API - allowing hotels to optimize their daily workflow, stay on top of all tasks, and make data-driven decisions to utilize resources effectively.

Major hotel chains across the world, as well as independent properties of different sizes, have approved and implemented FCS1 as their preferred solution, demonstrating the wide adoption and effectiveness of FCS1 in meeting the diverse needs of the hospitality industry. For more information, visit www.fcshub.com.

FCS Marketing and Communications
Can AI transform travel in 2024? From deepfake invites to Insta-generated itineraries

Excerpt from AOL

Here are six ways Gen AI will change the way we plan, book and experience travel in 2024

Conversational ideation

Usually, holiday planning starts with typing something like Best winter sun destinations into Google, and then clicking various links to articles that are often behind a paywall. Gen AI is changing that with the emergence of conversational ideation. Companies such as Expedia and Kayak have already embedded ChatGPT windows into their websites so you can chat with the bot as you would a friend on WhatsApp. You can type in a full paragraph for your brief and go from there - you dont have to worry about key words and you can keep asking follow up questions. On Expedia it will then automatically save hotels that have been suggested to a dedicated trip in the app ready for you to compare and book if you so choose.

Custom itineraries

Putting together an itinerary can take hours of cross-referencing and planning but Tripadvisors new ChatGPT integration can do it in seconds. You can input your destination, dates, people you are travelling with and interests, and it will come up with a stream of hour-by-hour suggestions for each day you are there, complete with photos. Whats really clever is that makes these recommendations based on a database of more than a billion user reviews. The itinerary can then easily be modified, saved and shared.

Curated inspiration

Many people get an initial idea of where they might want to go on holiday from social media or a friend, but when it comes to deciding on where to stay it canbecome trickier, unless you have a specific hotel in mind. Closing the gap between inspiration and reservations, Booking.com's new ChatGPT-powered AI Trip Planner generates a visual list properties and prices based on whatever parameters you want to provide (such as near the sea or in a place thats not too touristy), with deep-links to view the hotels in more detail. Users can go back and forth between their chatbot conversation and the Booking.com app interface until they make up their mind. When they are ready, a single tap will complete the reservation.

Deepfake invitations

Most people associate deepfakes with nefarious practises such as disrupting geo-politics with fake videos of presidential speeches (this happened in 2023 when hackers used AI to create a convincing simulacrum of President Putin that aired on Russian TV). But what about deepfake Tom Cruise? Hes hilarious. Taking inspiration from this widely shared TikTok meme is Virgin Voyages, which has turned its official brand ambassador Jennifer Lopez into a benevolent deepfake called Jen AI who will appear in a customisable video travel invitation that you can send to friends or family. Just input your names, the occasion, how you like to celebrate and where you want to cruise to. How can you say no to J-Lo?

Social bookings

Bridging the gap between short-form video content on social media and holiday bookings, Layla is an gen-AI powered start-up that features an Instagram Travel Planner that is activated by direct messaging. Co-founder Saad Saeed said in a statement: Visual search is the future of travel for younger consumers. Our product gives users exactly what they want, in a medium they like to consume and on platforms where they spend most of their time. With a few simple swipes of your finger, you can ask Layla to find Maldives-like beaches in a destination that is more affordable and is not inundated with tourists. From a few simple Instagram DM exchanges, Layla will suggest the best flights, accommodation and activities in line with your budget and interests, alongside accompanying video content.

Virtual guides

Another innovator is Tailbox, which wants to bring together interactive maps, custom experiences, social meet-ups, and local knowledge in one user-friendlyapplication. Co-founder Bayazid Maliko said in a statement: Imagine walking through Rome and receiving a real-time, AI-generated narrative about the Colosseum tailored specifically to your interest in ancient history, while someone else might get a story focusing on the architectural marvels of the same monument. AI holds the key to unlocking them. One could even imagine listening to the voices of long-dead heroes come to life as you walk around say, Paris, with the late French singer Edith Piaf as your guide (after all, Warner Music Group is using AI to recreate her voice to narrate its forthcoming movie Piaf).

Click here to read complete article at AOL.
Rendering of the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, North

Rendering of the Beijing Marriott Marquis Hotel

Marriott International, Inc., recently announced that it has signed an agreement with Beijing North Star Company Limited to open the third The Ritz-Carlton and the first Marriott Marquis Hotel in Beijing. Expected to open in 2026, The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, North will provide its legendary service and elegant design to travelers in and abroad, while Beijing Marriott Marquis Hotel will deliver a perfect blend of heartfelt service and modern style at China National Convention Center Phase II, a large complex with hotels, retails, offices, leisure facilities, and spacious venues for high-level conferences, exhibitions, and events.

"We are excited to be working with Beijing North Star Company Limited on this landmark agreement," said Gavin Yu, Chief Development Officer, Greater China, Marriott International.  Guided by the Brand + Destination development strategy, the signing is a testimony of our continued growth in Greater China in key cities. We look forward to bringing a broad portfolio of our best brands and experiences to where travelers are desired to be."

China National Convention Center Phase II is a large complex with a total of approximately 780,000 square meters that includes hotels, retails, offices, leisure facilities, as well as extensive spaces for high-level conferences, exhibitions, and events. As a key component of China National Convention Center Phase II, the hotels are approximately 20 kilometers away from Beijing Capital International Airport. Leisure and cultural attractions such as the National Stadium (Bird's Nest), the National Aquatics Center (Water Cube), and China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum are within walking distance.

Designed by the internationally acclaimed interior design firm Yabu Pushlberg Inc., The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, North is expected to feature 282 elegantly appointed guestrooms and suites. Guests will be able to enjoy refined dining experiences across its six distinct venues. Reactional facilities are expected to include an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, as well as The Ritz-Carlton Spa. Additionally, the hotel will offer well-equipped conference and event facilities totaling 968 square meters.

Beijing Marriott Marquis Hotel is anticipated to offer 671 guestrooms and suites, together with a range of culinary venues including an all-day dining restaurant, specialty restaurant and a relaxed lobby bar and lobby lounge (The Greatroom). Planned facilities also include a swimming pool and fitness center, as well as 3,207-square meters of conference and event spaces including a Grand Ballroom, two Junior Ballrooms, three meeting rooms, and an executive club lounge  M Club. Guests can expect Marriott Hotels signature heartfelt service, with modern design, comfortable spaces and enriching experiences that blends leisure and business.

"We are delighted to collaborate with Marriott International, bringing their two prestigious brands to China National Convention Center Phase II, " said Weidong Li, Chairman of the Board, Beijing North Star Company Limited. "The project is a stepping stone in our journey to drive innovation through strategic signing. We look forward to delivering an unprecedented level of accommodation and service to visitors and local residents. "
All issues of the region must be resolved through dialogue, the territorial integrity of all countries must be preserved, and the rights of the inhabitants of the respective countries must be respected within the framework of the national sovereignty of each country.

January 3, 2024, 14:38 Sobhani: Iran, Russia, Turkey support for Armenia-Azerbaijan agreements will be best guarantee of peace

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 3, ARTSAKHPRESS: Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, stated this in an interview with the Public Television of Armeniaand addressing the matter of Tehran's position regarding the forcible deportation of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh by Azerbaijan, news.am informs.

According to the Iranian diplomat, military operations cannot solve regional root problems, the roots of the conflict must be identified to solve these problems, and this can be done through dialogue and peaceful communication.

Sobhani recalled that several months ago he met with some of the aforesaid displaced Armenians in Kapan, Armenia to understand why and under what conditions they left their homes in Artsakh.

"The message they asked me to convey was that they want necessary conditions to be created in Karabakh to return to their homes. I asked them why they left their homes, they said they had to because they did not feel physically safe," said Sobhani.

According to the Iranian ambassador, Armenia and Azerbaijan should talk to each other in order to reach a common understanding on all issues.

"This is a package within the framework of which they should be able to reach a mutual understanding that will ensure the establishment of a stable peace. The guarantee of this can be the participation of the countries of the region, a vivid example of which is the holding of a meeting in the 3+3 format in Tehran. When the [other] countries of the region [i.e. Iran, Russia, and Turkey] support the agreements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it can be the biggest guarantee for achieving permanent and stable peace in the region," said Sobhani.
Chicago, IL (60637)

Today

Cloudy skies. A few flurries are possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 29F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Cloudy. High near 45F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 31F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
New Year's financial resolutions

Now that we've reached 2024, you might be thinking about your goals and hopes for the new year. But in addition to whatever personal resolutions you might make  volunteering, going to the gym more, learning a new language and others  why not make some financial resolutions, too?

Here are a few to consider:

Boost your retirement savings. If you can afford it, try to increase your contributions to your IRA and 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. The more you put away in these accounts, the greater your chances of reaching your retirement goals. At a minimum, contribute enough to your 401(k) to earn your employer's match, if one is offered. And whenever your salary goes up, consider raising the amount you put in to your 401(k).

Reduce your debts. It's not always easy to reduce your debts  but it's worth the effort. The lower your debt load, the greater your monthly cash flow. So, look for ways to consolidate debts or find other, possibly more productive, ways of using credit. And if you truly can't afford something that's nonessential, don't go into debt for it. "Live within your means" is an old piece of advice, but it's just as valid now as ever.

Build an emergency fund. If you suddenly needed a major home or car repair, or received a large medical bill not fully covered by insurance, would you have the funds available? If not, you might be forced to dip into your retirement accounts or other long-term investments. To avoid this possibility, try to build an emergency fund containing several months' worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid, low-risk account that's separate from the ones you use to meet your daily expenses. It can take a while to build such a fund, but if you make it a priority and contribute regular amounts each month, you can make good progress.

Avoid emotional decisions. Too many people overreact to events in the financial markets because they let their emotions get the better of them. If the market is temporarily down, it doesn't mean you need to sell investments to "cut your losses"  especially if these investments still have good fundamentals and are still appropriate for your portfolio. It can be hard to ignore market volatility, but you'll be better off if you focus on the long term and continue following an investment strategy that's designed to meet your needs.

Review your goals. Over time, your goals may have changed. For example, while you once might have wanted to retire early, and planned for it, you may now find that you'd like to work a few more years. If that's the case, you may also need to adjust your financial and investment strategies.

Revisit your estate plans. If you've married, divorced, remarried or added children to your family within the past few years, you may need to review the account titling and beneficiary designations on your 401(k) and other retirement assets, along with your estate-planning documents, such as your will or living trust. You might also need to revise these documents in other ways.

Of course, you may not be able to tackle all these resolutions at one time, but if you can work at them throughout the year, you can potentially brighten your financial outlook in 2024  and beyond.
Mayor Peter Marchetti was escorted by councilors into a packed crowd at City Hall to be sworn in along with the City Council, School Committee, and City Clerk. The school committee was sworn in. Outgoing Mayor Linda Tyer was acknowledged at the event. Councilor Pete White was elected president. Gov. Maura Healey attended the inauguration. PreviousNext

Pittsfield Swears in Mayor Peter Marchetti

The city clerk swears in the new city council.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A new administration was welcomed with open arms on Tuesday.

Mayor Peter Marchetti was escorted by councilors into a packed crowd at City Hall to be sworn in along with the City Council, School Committee, and City Clerk.

Over the next four years, the new mayor pledged to fight for current generations while building a city for new generations.

"There are many people working hard for Pittsfield, and I will continue to work hard for our city and our community. It is time to come together as one and work to expand upon the foundation that was built before us," he said.

"Communication and collaboration will be the key. Together we will tackle our problems and work towards one Pittsfield because I know our city is filled with hope for a prosperous future. Today I begin a journey, and I will be a mayor for this generation and implement new ideas that will help future generations."

Marchetti pointed out that he is the city's first openly gay mayor. He was joined by Gov. Maura Healey, the state's first openly lesbian governor.

"You do know that I do not consider myself a trailblazer, but I am honored to be Pittsfield's first openly gay mayor," he said before a roaring of applause.

"Combined with the diversity of this city council speaks volumes to the community that Pittsfield is."

Councilor At Large Pete White was elected as president in a 9-2 vote with Councilor At Large Kathy Amuso voting in opposition and Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey absent. Councilor At Large Earl Persip was elected as vice chair.

White said he is ready to get to work and is optimistic about the administration, council, and school committee.

"We probably have one of the greatest councils I've ever seen," he said.

For this term, White, Persip, Amuso, and Alisa Costa will serve At Large, Kenneth Warren will return as the Ward 1 Councilor, Brittany Bandani will represent Ward 2, Matthew Wrinn will represent Ward 3, James Conant will return as the Ward 4 Councilor, Patrick Kavey will return as the Ward 5 Councilor, Dina Lampiasi will return as the Ward 6 Councilor, and Rhonda Serre will represent Ward 7.

School Committee members include incumbents William Cameron, Daniel Elias, and Sarah Hathaway and newcomers William Garrity, Diana Belair, and Dominick Sacco.

It was an emotional day for former mayor Linda Tyer, who did not seek re-election and has taken a position at Berkshire Community College as the Executive Director of Workforce Development and Community Education. During his address, Marchetti spoke of his and Tyer's long and collaborative working relationship.

"It was certainly emotional when Mayor Marchetti acknowledged my time in office. He and I have known each other a really long time so it was really special to have those kind words and it certainly brought the whole 20 years to a special moment for me," she said.

"And I'm also very excited for the city of Pittsfield. Mayor Marchetti is going to be an amazing mayor. I'm thrilled with the members of the city council. It's a very exciting time and I hope that everyone in our city joins together in supporting this new administration and we strengthen our bonds through these kinds of partnerships."

Healey said that this was a "particularly moving" ceremony and that Pittsfield is a special place.

"It's an important part of our state's history, of who we are, our identity. It's the hub of regional activity and economy. Most importantly, Pittsfield has always struck me as a place where people work really hard and they care for one another," she said.

"And times may be challenging, times may be difficult but it's about resilience and it's about perseverance and it's about evolution and I think that whenever we go to the Berkshire Museum and you see what this region has done and produced, not just for decades but for centuries, it is special. Pittsfield is special."

She said that local government is where people either develop faith, confidence, or something else while observing it and it is especially meaningful to have Marchetti's leadership after serving the city in an official capacity for 16 years, as "he knows better than anyone else what government can and must deliver for people."

"Pittsfield is a place that is very, very special to me. Know and let this be known that this administration at the state level cares very much for Pittsfield, cares very much for Berkshire County," she said.

Marchetti thanked his supporters and family, some of whom were not present physically but in spirit, and made their presence known throughout the campaign, adding "I love you and miss you." At one point he joked, "Will you people in the front row stop crying," as loved ones shed tears.

"I promised to be a mayor for everyone. A mayor who fights for the current generations while building a city for future generations. We are a city built on strong connections, a stable foundation, and people who are committed to the city's success," he said.

The mayor outlined several initiatives that he will bring to the city, including the addition of a bi-weekly show on Pittsfield Community Television to interact with the community, a mental health and substance use disorder task force in the first 90 days, a transparent process in the selection of the next police chief, a $500,000 proposal for the small business trust fund, housing creation and facilitation efforts, and a business roundtable that meets quarterly.

As a former teaching assistant at Berkshire Community College's math lab, Marchetti said that he knows how crucial a robust education is and will work to ensure that teachers and paraprofessionals have the support and resources required to provide a quality education that produces quality results.

"Our teachers and paraprofessionals have the first-hand perspective and their input should be used to develop solutions to address educational problems," Marchetti said. "I will meet with them routinely and use my voice as a member of the school committee to achieve this success."

Marchetti also vowed to improve government efficiency, engage in a complete review of the city departments, engage every neighborhood, and promote the city's recreational facilities.

This includes the historic Wahconah Park, which is looking at a $30 million revitalization.

"Having a year-round stadium will benefit our city but also the entire Berkshires economically," Marchetti explained.

"All cultural organizations provide a destination for both our residents and tourists to enjoy top-notch events without leaving the Berkshires. We know the impact that tourism has on our city and we must continue to create and accomplish for all to flourish. In 2024, let's leave here today and take our challenges and make them opportunities."

The pledge of allegiance was led by the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusettes Troop 64912, the invocation was led by Rabbi David Weiner of Knesset Isreal, and the benediction was led by Father John Salatino of St. Mary's Parish in Westfield. The ceremony also included a special performance from 413 Cheer.

Afterward, the public was invited to a reception at Hot Plate Brewing Co.
Gun Safety Resolution OK'd in North Adams Schools

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The School Committee on Tuesday reorganized for the new term, heard updates on a number of issues and approved a gun safety resolution promoted by the Be SMART campaign.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey is the chair of the committee because of her office but the vice chair is elected by the committee members.

David Sookey was unanimously elected vice chair on the nomination of Richard Alcombright.

Sookey had nominated Alcombright and Emily Daunis nominated herself; all nominations were seconded. Tara Jacobs was absent.

Daunis said she was interested in expanding her role but recognized Sookey was nominated by Alcombright, who has been vice chair. Sookey said he wanted to be more involved after the mentoring he'd received. Alcombright, who served last term as vice president and formerly as chair when he was mayor, asked that no one vote for him.

"I very much appreciate the nomination and your faith in me from them," he said."But I also think that it's always good that we grow and that we grow the people in our leadership roles."

Daunis was elected secretary unanimously on Sookey's nomination and the committee approved committee appointments made by Macksey.

Negotiations for Professional Staff subcommittee: Daunis, as chair, Sookey and Macksey

Negotiations for Non-Professional Staff Subcommittee: Alcombright, as chair, Daunis and Cody Chamberlain

Finance and Facilities subcommittee: Macksey, as chair, Tara Jacobs and Alcombright

Policy subcommittee: Sookey, as chair, Chamberlain and Alyssa Tomkowitz

Endowment subcommittee: Jacobs and Tomkowicz

Superintendent Barbara Malkas said work as already begun on the fiscal 2025 budget in looking at enrollment and cost projections, including special education costs for out-of-district placements. This topic had also come up early in the meeting in looking at the balance sheet.

"I had mentioned earlier that we've all been monitoring the increases to out-of-district placement tuitions, which have increased substantially in the last year and are scheduled for a second increase in the coming year," she said.

The superintendent reminded the committee that the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER III funds, will expire in September. The first two ESSER allotments were part of the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the third and final from the American Rescue Plan Act.

"That has been a great opportunity for the district to have additional funds to support these kinds of expenses such as special education, tuition and transportation for out-of-district placements," said Malkas.

The governor's budget is expected by the end of the month, which will give the district some idea of funding. Malkas anticipicated a draft budget to present to the Finance & Facilities subcommittee in March and for the School Committee to have its initial review in April or May.

Macksey also pointed out that unknowns in Greylock School could have an impact on the budget. The 60-year-old school is proposed to be replaced by a new building but that won't happen for several years.

"We still really worry about the mechanics going on at Greylock School  the electrical, the furnace, those kinds of things that could turn into some big-ticket items if something fails," she said. "So just be reminded that we are cognizant of that and trying to keep the school open as long as we can."

In other business:

 The committee heard a presentation on arts integration into the district curriculum by Leslie Appleget, the district arts integration specialist.

 The committee heard updates on a number of policies, including bullying, and voted to approve a Be SMART Safe Storage of Firearms Resolution. SMART stands for secure, model, ask, recognize and tell regarding unsecured firearms.

Massachusetts law states that a firearm should be locked and unloaded while in a home and vehicle and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends storing ammunition separately.

Resolutions have been adopted by several Berkshire County districts, and the document presented to the School Committee was developed and approved in Pittsfield

Malkas said the Policy subcommittee had declined to make a recommendation because it was not within the purview of the district as a policy.

"But it can be something that the School Committee elects to support as a resolution, encouraging our families to reduce incidence of gun violence through the safe storage of firearms," said Malkas.

The resolution warrants communications to parents, guardians, and students on the importance of secure firearm storage as soon as possible, distributed to each school at least once annually, and included in the district website and student registration materials.

"Unfortunately, we're in a position now where the schools have to do this stuff but it's way outside the purview of what needs to be happening in our schools," said Alcombright. "But I think it's necessary. Certainly support it."

He asked if public safety had been involved and if the police chief had signed off on it.

Be Smart organization has provided workshops for parents and professional development for teachers through a grant, said the superintendent. "Our school resource officer, Stephanie Mirante, has been very actively involved in ensuring that parents are getting this message and being that representative of local law enforcement."




iciHaiti - Ouanaminthe : We can build as many channels as needed dixit Guy Philippe





Tuesday January 2nd, 2024, Guy Philippe visiting the border town of Ouanaminthe, an area where his compatriots are building a canal with water intake on the Massacre River to irrigate the Maribaroux plain, at the origin of the crisis between Haiti and Dominican Republic, in front of a crowd of supporters declared 'We can build as many canals as we deem necessary."



The former coup leader also declared "I came to salute the determination, the courage of these women and men who said that we are independent and sovereign in our country."



During an interview in Ouanamitnthe Philippe attributed the responsibility for Haiti's difficulties to the "American Embassy" He affirmed that Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry was supported by the United States "That's why I say that people who die in neighborhoods because of gangs are the fault of the American Embassy."



He assured that 2024 will be a year when respect will be restored in Haiti and where there will be a "revolution" for the people.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41326-haiti-petit-goaveguy-philippe-on-the-place-d-armes-dalivered-a-revolutionary-speech.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41325-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41184-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41138-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41116-haiti-flash-the-dcpj-releases-guy-philippe.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41106-haiti-flash-former-senator-elect-guy-philippe-returns-to-the-country.html



Also read about the Guy Philippe affair :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40447-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40234-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26598-icihaiti-usa-guy-philippe-loses-his-appeal-but-will-challenge-the-decision.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21301-haiti-flash-9-years-in-prison-for-guy-philippe.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20754-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-confesses-and-risks-20-years-imprisonment.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20736-haiti-flash-rebound-in-the-case-of-guy-philippe.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20457-haiti-flash-trial-of-guy-philippe-postponed.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20400-haiti-flash-minister-edouard-speaks-on-the-case-guy-philippe.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20155-haiti-flash-extradition-of-guy-philippe-is-illegal-according-to-mirlande-manigat.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20036-haiti-flash-trial-of-guy-philippe-in-the-united-states.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19799-haiti-politics-demonstration-of-support-to-guy-philippe-front-us-embassy.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19796-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-pleads-not-guilty.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19790-haiti-security-all-closed-schools-in-the-department-of-grande-anse.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19774-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-was-extradited-on-what-legal-basis.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19767-haiti-flash-americans-attacked-houses-burned-down.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19757-haiti-flash-violent-reprisals-of-guy-philippe-s-supporters.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19731-haiti-flash-guy-philippe-the-charges-are-known-appearing-on-january-13-2017.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19730-haiti-justice-guy-philippe-appeared-the-minister-of-justice-convened.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19720-haiti-flash-arrest-of-senator-guy-philippe.html



S/ iciHaiti


















OPINION

Squashed bugs on your windscreen and roadkill strewn along the highway used to be familiar sights during any road trip on mainland Australia.

But after driving from Sydney to Victorias south via the coast and back up through the Princess Highway over the summer holidays, my windscreen was clean and apart from a 70km stretch in NSW between Yass and Goulburn, there were few roos, wombats, or possums dead or alive to be seen.

You cant always be guaranteed to see live animals  thats always dependent on the weather and time of day. Roadkill was sad to witness, but it was seen as a rough guide to the abundance of wildlife in the area.

South of Albury, there were plenty of warning signs but very little wildlife to be seen. Source: Michael Dahlstrom

I'm not saying kangaroos have vanished from everywhere  after I posted about the lack of road kill to X, formerly Twitter, many people around Queensland reported seeing them in abundance, and the same can be said of parts of Western Australia.

But during my regular road trips out of Sydney over the last 15 years, I've noticed wildlife has disappeared from the major roads down to Melbourne.

Why did NSW kangaroo populations drop by 2.2 million?

A couple of days after I returned home to Sydney, the NSW government released its modelling on how many commercially targeted kangaroos and wallaroos live across the state. It found the number had dropped by over 2.2 million, attributing the decline from 11.88 million to 9.63 million in part to environmental and climatic factors.

Flooding may have impacted populations indirectly - by impacting the availability of vegetation in some areas - and directly - some animals may have died, it added.

While the official NSW response did not touch upon the impact of sprawling new housing developments, or culling and harvesting, some wildlife advocates believe these issues pose a problem.

During my drive down the coast from Sydney, I didn't see a single living kangaroo. Source: Michael Dahlstrom

While the kangaroo harvesting industry maintains its operations are world's best practice and shooters only kill between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of populations, opponents don't believe the practice is sustainable.

Story continues

Governments in each state where harvesting is permitted release shooting quotas designed to ensure animal numbers continue to be stable, but the modelling used to create population estimates remains contentious and is disputed by some kangaroo advocates.

Officially, kangaroo numbers are now steady in Victoria and South Australia and have risen in Queensland.

Discover more of our environment coverage.

Wildlife expert recalls disappearance of outback kangaroos

Its not just in southern NSW and Victoria where declines in kangaroo numbers have been anecdotally observed. During her regular road trips across the outback, Emeritus Professor Gisela Kaplan in Animal Behaviour at the University of New England has noticed they have disappeared from regions where they were once plentiful.

While they still remain plentiful in some isolated pockets, the impression she got from her last few trips, including in 2022, is that something is wrong across much of the country.

We used to see a corpse just about every five metres, she said. I think in the whole of our 2022 trip we saw three kangaroos and that was at billabongs and nicely shaded areas where there is food available.

Kaplan acknowledges all Australian animals who live in arid regions show boom and bust breeding behaviour and this can cause their populations to fluctuate, but she is concerned she hasnt seen any large mobs for years when driving from Coffs Harbour, through Northern NSW, Central Queensland, onto Mount Isa, and then to Darwin.

I think its important to alert people to the fact that there are silent deaths happening and its uncontrolled, she said. I remember my first trip into the Outback was in the 1980s.

"I was surrounded by a mob and I got out of the car. A male got out of the car and he was well over two metres. There was assertiveness and a functioning group. There were pregnant females and some with joeys. That something I dont see now.

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Amazing footage of a beautiful sea creature rarely seen by people has stunned thousands around the world after going viral.

The lengthy clip shows the technicolour deep sea animal gliding at the surface of the ocean in between a jetty and a row of kayaks. It is unknown where the footage was captured, but a group of witnesses speaking Spanish can be seen walking alongside the long creature as it approaches them.

Incredible footage of the blanket octopus swimming on the ocean's surface has gone viral. Source: Facebook

Two people then crouch down to get a closer look, causing the marine animal to dart away from the pier. Is it squid or what? one of the men says, to which the other responds something similar to. Its in a hurry. I have never seen something like this before. It is the cousin of a squid I think, he continued.

The video of the creepy but cool find quickly went viral after being posted to a US radio hosts Facebook page on Monday, gaining more than 500,000 views in just days and being re-posted to other pages, including one group dedicated to Australian nature and wildlife.

Can someone tell me what sea monster this is? the caption says.

Creature revealed to be a blanket octopus

While some people social media users thought the creature was an oarfish or giant squid, several others identified it as a blanket octopus  which gets its name from its female counterparts long, fleshy cape enclosing its tentacles, according to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Aquatic biology lecturer Dr Benjamin Mos told Yahoo News Australia the mollusc seen in the clip does appear to be a blanket octopus. There are four species of blanket octopus, all of which are rarely seen by humans, he explained. This is because they tend to live in the open ocean and move around a lot searching for prey (typically fish).

Story continues

Some viewers expressed concern for the octopus given it was filmed swimming at the surface during the day  which Dr Mos agreed is generally an atypical behaviour for most marine animals.

In comparison to other images and videos of blanket octopus that I have seen, the mantle (the bulbous head part) appears overly large or inflated, he said. This might explain why the animal appears to be swimming at the surface in the daylight.

In 2022, a blanket octopus was spotted for only the fourth time off Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Source: The ABC/Jacinta Shackleton

The female blanket octopus grows to around 2 metres in length, but in comparison, the male octopus measures a mere 2.4cm  smaller than a walnut. They are found in both subtropical and tropical oceans, living amongst coral reefs.

In 2022, a blanket octopus  which is immune to deadly jellyfish stings was spotted for only the fourth time off Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef. I was really, really excited and couldnt stop screaming into my snorkel, biologist Jacinta Shackleton, who made the discovery, told the ABC at the time.

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Coles' new security gates have once again been criticised by frustrated shoppers, but this time over fears they could pose a risk during an emergency, such as a fire.

The supermarket gates  designed to remain closed when detecting unscanned items at the self-checkout  were introduced in multiple stores last year in an attempt to eliminate theft, but the prospect of being "locked in" has left many customers "horrified".

Last month, one frustrated shopper said they were "kind of triggered" after being imprisoned behind the gates during his recent shop. But that's just one concern Aussie shoppers have when it comes to the "extreme" security measures that, in some cases, are causing customers to shop elsewhere.

Coles has introduced security gates in some stores which are designed to help stop theft. Source: Coles

New safety fears over Coles' security gates

Taking aim at the "barriers that stop you from getting out at Coles," one customer took to TikTok. The woman suggested the security gates, which Woolworths has also introduced, could be dangerous and once again questioned the supermarket's decision to have them in the first place.

"Doesn't this increase risk as a fire hazard? What if they malfunction in the event of a fire?" she said in the video on social media. And many others echoed her fears.

In a separate video, another Coles shopper pointed out that the smart gate technology "locks you in" as she filmed an elderly couple waiting with their trolley to be let out. A sign on the inside says, "Please wait for gate to open".

Some customers have slammed the gates which are designed to 'lock' customers inside until staff open the gates. Source: TikTok/cocobod

"You have to wait till it opens," said the woman named Coco on Tiktok who also feared they "wont let us out in an emergency".

"What if there is a fire and it slows down evacuation," one said in the comments. "I wonder if it would be a fire hazard or if they open automatically in the event of a fire," chimed in another. Meanwhile, a third said they "have questions about [whether] these things meet workplace health and safety".

Story continues

Expert weighs in on 'fire hazard' claim

However, building fire safety expert Associate Professor Kate Nguyen said that while she doesn't know specifics about how the system works, Coles' security gates likely operate in the same way as other gate systems commonly seen in buildings  which are not known fire hazards.

"If in case of an emergency, and if the alarm goes off, the gate is automatically deactivated, or it could easily be opened by a member of staff," the RMIT professor told Yahoo News Australia. "It is also very rare for them to malfunction," she added.

Coles gate security hazard

Generally speaking, there should always be a member of staff that's specifically trained for emergencies, such as a fire. "Often they have some kind of a manual mechanism to unlock the gate in an emergency," Professor Nguyen said.

Yahoo News Australia understands that Coles' security gates are designed to open easily in the case of an emergency. Additionally, there's usually more than one path for evacuating the store in an emergency, Professor Nguyen added.

Coles security gates now in over 100 stores

The security gates are just one of many new measures implemented in stores. Yahoo understands there are more than 100 stores nationwide that now have the security gates installed, with Coles saying the gates have corresponded with a reduction in theft at those locations.

"We know that retail crime is on the increase across all retailers, and we have a range of security measures in place to reduce theft from our stores," a Coles spokesperson recently told Yahoo.

Coles also recently announced staff would begin to wear body cams in select stores as another measure to reduce the behaviour. Other new security features include overhead cameras which will follow shoppers' movements around the store, and a lock mechanism on shopping trolleys which prevents customers from taking them away from the supermarket.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
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Taylor Swift has unexpectedly become a major talking point in the imminent Taiwanese elections after a politician alleged that the pop sensation refused to perform on the self-governed island, fearing a war would break out with China.

Jaw Shaw-kong, a member of the opposition party The Kuomintang (KMT), claimed that as the chair of the Broadcasting Corp of China, he extended an invitation to Swift to hold a concert at the recently inaugurated Taipei Dome.

Swift initially agreed to the performance but later declined due to geopolitical risks, Mr Jaw said during a televised debate on Monday.

Taiwan is on edge ahead of the 13 January presidential and parliamentary elections, which China has heavily targeted in state media propaganda as a choice between war and peace.

The island is self-governed and has a democratically-elected administration, but is claimed as a breakaway province by Beijing. Chinese president Xi Jinping pledged again in his New Years address to bring about reunification with the island  and has previously threatened to do so by force if necessary.

Taiwan's culture ministry has responded to Mr Jaws allegations, saying that several high-profile international artists had performed in the southern city of Kaohsiung.

However, the ministry did not directly confirm or deny Mr Jaw's claims about Swift.

Instead, the ministry in a statement cited the past year's performances by Coldplay, the Backstreet Boys and K-Pop band Blackpink as evidence that the island could still attract famous acts to perform there.

"These all serve as the best proof to show that what the KMT vice presidential candidate said was not true, the statement read.

Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai on Tuesday said Mr Jaw's claim was "self-defeating" and made in an attempt to manipulate voters.

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Swift will kick off her Asia leg of the "Eras Tour" in February with performances in Japan and Singapore, giving both Taiwan and mainland China a miss.

The Independent has reached out to Swifts representatives for comment.

Taiwan has said it is bracing for both domestic and foreign political manipulation ahead of the 13 January elections, amid increased Chinese military activity around and in the skies above the island.

Beijing, which maintains that the island is part of its territory, has directed its anger toward Lai Ching-te, the ruling Democratic Progressive Partys (DPP) presidential candidate, calling him a separatist and rebuffing his calls for talks with Beijing.

Taiwan's defence ministry on Tuesday said four Chinese balloons flew across the island and near an air base for the first time since such balloons were spotted crossing the Taiwan Strait.

Chinese balloons became a concern for Western democracies after the US shot down what it said was a surveillance balloon from China last February. Beijing has since argued that the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray.

Taiwan on Wednesday said three balloons flew 105 nautical miles, 160 nautical miles and 159 nautical miles respectively to the southwest of Ching Chuan Kang, the location of an important Taiwan air force base. One balloon flew 78 nautical miles northwest of Keelung.

The balloons then disappeared at various points, added the ministry, which has previously said it believed they were mostly for weather monitoring.

It closely monitors and appropriately responds to balloons and gathers information about their path for judgement and analysis, the ministry said.

Chinese president Xi Jinping last week claimed that Chinas reunification with Taiwan was inevitable.

The realisation of the complete reunification with the motherland is an inevitable course of development, is righteous and what the people want, Mr Xi said in his address.
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Chinese state media have unveiled the latest pictures of the countrys new domestically manufactured aircraft carrier, including next-generation launch tracks.

Yet to be commissioned, the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) officially launched Fujian  designated a Type 003 carrier  in June 2022. It commenced testing of its state-of-the-art electromagnetic catapults for launching jet fighters in November last year.

President Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for improvements to the Chinese militarys combat-readiness and technological capabilities to be completed ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in 2027.

Some senior US military officers have said they believe China is preparing to launch a military takeover of Taiwan by that year.

Capable of carrying 80,000 tonnes, the domestically designed and built warship measures approximately 316m in length and can carry 70 aircraft including J-15 fighters and Z-9C anti-submarine helicopters.

Yet to conduct its first sea trials, the aircraft carrier is larger and technologically more advanced than the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, and the Liaoning, which China bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted domestically

On state television late on Tuesday, the Fujian was seen being towed by a smaller vessel with all of the three tracks of its electro-magnetic catapult system visible on its deck.

In the new year, we will seize every minute, work with determination, and strive for combat readiness as soon as possible, state television cited a Fujian officer as saying.

Other than Ford-class aircraft carriers, a new class of nuclear-powered carriers being developed for the US Navy, the Fujian will be the only aircraft carrier in the world equipped with the latest Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (Emals).

A significant upgrade from traditional steam catapults, Chinas version of Emals can launch more kinds of aircraft, including fighter jets carrying more fuels and weapons, meaning it represents a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Chinese military.

Meanwhile, in the run-up to its 13 January presidential and parliamentary elections, Taiwan says China is continuing with its daily military activities in the Taiwan Strait and around the democratically governed island.

Chinese observation balloons crossed Taiwans main island for the first time on Tuesday, while in recent weeks Chinese fighter jets have also on occasion crossed the Taiwan Straits median line, which previously served as an unofficial barrier but which Beijing says it does not recognise.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Hong Kong rights activists based in Britain and the US have responded to being named as so-called co-conspirators in the national security trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai.

Mr Lai, 76, who was a leading critic of Xi Jinpings Chinese Communist Party, is facing life imprisonment on two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces  including calling for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials  under the draconian new national security laws.

The founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily is also charged with conspiracy to publish seditious publications.

On Tuesday, lead prosecutor Anthony Chau accused a number of foreign nationals, including British and Hong Kong activists and several senior Washington officials, of colluding with Mr Lai, outlining details including WhatsApp records for the first time in the trial.

Mr Chau said at least seven people acted as Mr Lais agents or intermediaries either by helping him, receiving information, or working under his instructions.

Those named included British rights campaigner Luke de Pulford, Benedict Rogers, founder of the UK-based Hong Kong Watch group, exiled activist Finn Lau, Japanese politician Shiori Yamao, former US deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz and financier Bill Browder among others.

Luke de Pulford, the head of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, rejected the allegations as fabricated and redolent of a legal system which he said has become a tool of mainland China.

Beijing has pushed red line after red line, and got away with it again and again, Mr De Pulford said in a video statement and demanded sanctions against Hong Kong chief John Lee.

Speaking to The Independent, Mr De Pulford said calls for sanctions against Mr Lee and the Hong Kong Police Force for their disproportionate use of force against protesters were long overdue, as Beijing now believes they can threaten foreign nationals with impunity.

The broad message from Beijing is we dare you to do something about this. By dragging foreign nationals into the sham trial of Jimmy Lai, Beijing is crossing another rubicon and posing a direct challenge to the governments of those citizens, he said.

Asked about his interactions with Mr Lai, Mr De Pulford said he met him a couple of times, both through a mutual friend.

I admire him greatly, but never worked with him directly on anything, and certainly not Hong Kong.

The British government abstaining from sanctioning individuals in Hong Kong like the US, which has sanctioned over a dozen city officials, has made a mockery of the UKs commitment to its values, he said.

Jimmys case shows that confidence in the rule of law has all but evaporated. Yet foreign businesses want to continue making money in the city as if nothing has happened. Its time the UK advised them accurately on business risk. The UK should be doing all this as a minimum, he said.

IPAC, a group of more than 300 lawmakers in 33 countries, condemned attempts to implicate several of its members in the sham trial and said in a statement it was an unacceptable infringement of the rights of foreign citizens.

Former Tory leader and UK co-chair of IPAC Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the trial relies on coerced testimony from Mr Lai and demanded sanctions.

Words are cheap. Its time we took the action necessary to show Beijing that we are willing to pay more than lip service to our values, he said.

Former US consul general to Hong Kong James Blair Cunningham, who was also named, said: The idea that it is a crime for him [Lai] to speak to politicians, business leaders, international media and activists, as well as myself as a former diplomat, is ludicrous in the extreme.

Mr Lai next to a copy of Apple Daily before his arrest (AP)

Benedict Rogers said that Mr Lais alleged criminal interactions with various foreigners ought to be regarded as entirely normal legitimate activity for a newspaper publisher. The trial demonstrated just how dramatically and extensively Hong Kongs basic freedoms and the rule of law have been dismantled, he added.

The prosecutors presented a diagram in court illustrating Mr Lais purported political influence on the international stage, involving interactions with officials in the US including Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Mike Pompeo  serving as president, vice-president, and secretary of state at the time.

These figures were part of a group of 27 foreign individuals and three Taiwanese collaborators identified as contributing to Mr Lais pro-democracy ambitions.

The prosecution presented Mr Lais private WhatsApp group chats with Mark Simon, a former US intelligence agent, former deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Mr Cunningham, who were seeking sanctions against Chinese officials.

Police stop activist Alexandra Wong (centre), also known as Grandma Wong, as she carries a British flag outside the court (Getty)

I think the [best] sanction at this initial stage is to freeze the bank [accounts] of China officials corrupted money in US and Europe, Mr Lai allegedly said in a message dated May 2020, according to the South China Morning Post.

Mr Chau this week cited a total of 161 Apple Daily articles as examples of seditious publications ... with a view to polluting the minds of the impressionable ones.

Under the guise of fighting for freedom and democracy, Mr Chau said, the media tycoon had since June 2019 made requests for foreign countries, in particular the US, to impose sanctions against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.

Mr Lai entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday to three charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces.

On Wednesday Mr Lai again appeared for the hearing as the prosecutor cited multiple Apple Daily news articles, advertisements and commentaries written by Mr Lai as well as his WhatsApp communications with his management team at the paper.

Around 31 examples of alleged seditious content published by the newspaper between June 2019 and January 2020 were presented. All of them relate to the period of citywide unrest before Beijing imposed the national security law on 30 June 2020.
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The Gujarat state government in India has revoked the security protection provided to witnesses, lawyers and a former judge in some of the most significant legal cases emerging from the countrys 2002 religious riots .

The Gujarat riots took place over 20 years ago after 59 people, mostly volunteers of Hindu organisations, were burnt alive inside a train that was set on fire at Godhra station by a suspected Muslim mob.

The Sabarmati Express massacre on 27 February 2002 led to retaliatory violence across the state on an unprecedented scale with deep social and political ramifications, irreversibly altering relations between Indias majority Hindu and minority Muslim communities.

While government figures state over 1,000 people were killed in the riots that followed, unofficial estimates indicate at least 2,000 people  mostly Muslims  were massacred, alonside scores of cases of rape and widespread looting and destruction of homes and properties.

Police and government officials were accused of directing the rioters and giving them a list of Muslim-owned properties, while Indias prime minister Narendra Modi  who was chief minister of Gujarat at the time  was accused of condoning the violence.

Suspicions that Mr Modi quietly supported the riots led the US, UK and EU to deny him a visa at the time, moves that were later reversed, while a committee appointed by Indias Supreme Court found there was no prosecutable evidence of complicity involving either Mr Modi or senior officials from his state government. Mr Modi has always denied any wrongdoing.

This picture taken 28 February 2002 shows a Bajranj Dal activist armed with a iron stick during the attacks on Muslim residences at Sahapur in Ahmedabad (Getty Images)

Nonetheless, the riots have remained a flashpoint for controversy in the years since, and more than 130 witnesses, lawyers and judges have been under police protection for more than 15 years on the reccommendation of the Supreme Court investigative committee.

They were involved in some of the most significant cases arising out of the riots, including the Naroda Patiya massacre in which 97 Muslims were killed by a mob of approximately 5,000 people, organised by the Bajrang Dal, a wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and allegedly supported by Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party.

In another massacre at Gulbarg Society, a Muslim neighbourhood near Ahmedabad, many houses were razed to the ground and at least 35 people, including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, were burnt alive. At least 31 others went missing after the incident and were later presumed dead, bringing the total deaths to 69.

"We have removed the security from witnesses after reviewing that there was no threat perception. None of them faced intimidation or assault," A K Malhotra from the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) told the Deccan Herald.

An Indian policeman shoot tear gas at rioters in Ahmedabad, 5 April 2002 (AFP via Getty Images)

The only exception has been made for Zakia Jafri, the widow of parliamentarian Jafri , belonging to the opposing Congress party, who will continue to receive witness protection.

She had filed a high-profile complaint against Mr Modi personally, which was finally rejected by the Supreme Court in 2022.

Among those losing their police protection was sessions judge Jyotsna Yagnik, who had convicted 32 people in the Naroda Patiya massacre. She received two layers of security cover after receiving threats on 18 separate occasions, reported The Times of India.

Indian widow Zakia Jafri looks on during a press interaction outside a court in Ahmedabad on 26 December 2013, following a judgement in favour of then-chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi over his role in the 2002 religious riots (AFP via Getty Images)

Expressing her distress over losing police protection, Farida Shaikh, 54, a witness in the Naroda Patiya riot case, says that she was informed about the withdrawal of her security cover on 26 December. No reason was given to me," Ms Shaikh told the Press Trust of India.

"It has happened with many other witnesses. We are living in fear because many accused are still out and they can still harm us.

The move comes as a series of cases pertaining to the riots collapsed in the Indian courts.

In April last year, a special court in Gujarat acquitted 68 people accused of being involved in the Naroda Patiya massacre . This followed the acquittal of 27 people accused of targeting 11 victims , burning them alive and raping a survivor.

Indian rape survivor Bilkis Bano reacts during a press conference in Delhi on 8 May 2017 (AFP via Getty Images)

The court in its order noted that 190 witnesses examined during the trial either turned hostile, had not supported the prosecutions case or were unable to recall facts or identify the accused.

In January, 22 suspects accused of killing 17 people were acquitted due to lack of evidence in another city, Halol.

And in August 2022, 11 convicts serving life sentences for the gang-rape of pregnant Muslim woman Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 riots were released by the state government  sparking widespread furore .

In January last year, the BBC released a documentary examining Mr Modis alleged role in the 2002 riots.
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Thousands of fuel stations ran dry in parts of India as truck drivers began the new year with a nationwide protest against changes to the country's hit-and-run laws.

Huge traffic snarls and sporadic incidents of violence were reported from northern and western states of India on Tuesday as the truck drivers blocked roads in protest.

Under the new law, hit-and-run cases where drivers flee the scene without informing authorities after causing serious road accidents would face punishment of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs700,000 (6,648).

The agitation, which began on Monday, has disrupted many supply chains, leading to a shortage of gas cylinders and increased prices for vegetables and other essential commodities.

People with their vehicles wait to refill fuel tanks at a fuel station in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (AFP via Getty Images)

The changes to punishments for hit-and-run cases are listed under the countrys new criminal code, the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code. It was signed into law in December 2023 after being cleared by both houses of the Indian parliament, although many of the countrys opposition MPs were suspended at the time.

Over 2,000 fuel stations ran out of petrol as people rushed to fill up in anticipation of an expected truckers' strike, according to PTI news agency.

The state government in Maharashtra urged the local police to ensure an uninterrupted supply of petrol and diesel.

"Don't believe in rumours. There [is] enough stock available in Mumbai and we are providing adequate security to the tankers supplying petroleum products," the Mumbai city police said in a post on social media.

Dhramveer Chauhan, the owner of a fuel station in Uttar Pradesh told the Times of India that the station had sold over 12,000 litres of fuel in 12 hours on Tuesday compared to the daily average of 10,000 litres.

Commuters braved heavy traffic in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh while a temporary restriction was imposed on the sale of fuel in Chhattisgarh state.

The agitation turned violent in Rajasthan, where a mob set a police vehicle ablaze and pelted stones at security personnel, injuring three people.

Police in the western state of Gujarat reportedly arrested 23 people for attacking a constable, who was clearing a road blockade. Video from the incident showed the police constable being chased and assaulted by the protesting mob.

People with their vehicles wait in queues to refill fuel tanks at a fuel station in Amritsar on 2 January (AFP via Getty Images)

The nationwide protest was called off after two days on Tuesday evening following an assurance from the federal home ministry to consult the representative of the truckers before implementing the law.

The home ministry in a statement said the government had taken notice of the concerns of the truckers regarding the provision of 10 years of imprisonment and held detailed discussions with the representatives of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).

"The government wants to point out that these new laws and provisions have not yet come into force. We would also like to point out that the decision to invoke Section 106 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita will be taken only after consultation with the All India Motor Transport Congress," the statement read.

Bal Malkit Singh, chair of the core committee of the AIMTC, urged the protesting truckers to return to their jobs. "We have conveyed your concerns to the government. The law has not been put into force yet and I assure you that we will not let this law come into force.

"We appeal to you to go back to your vehicles and start driving without any fears," he added.
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Passengers on board the Japanese Airlines (JAL) flight which caught fire on landing in Tokyo on Tuesday have recalled the scenes of chaos that unfolded, as well as the successful evacuation that saved the lives of all 379 people on board.

While the airline crew has been widely praised for the textbook evacuation of passengers, those on board flight JAL-516 compared the situation inside the aircraft to "hell".

The Japan Airlines-operated Airbus-A350 and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday evening and both burst into flames, killing five out of six people aboard the military plane.

The Coast Guard team had been preparing for liftoff to deliver aid to those hit by the powerful earthquake that killed 62 people in Ishinaka on New Years Day.

(JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

Television footage showed an orange fireball erupting from the plane as it collided while landing. Passengers were instructed to leave their belongings inside and get away from the aircraft as soon as they hit the ground, moments before a loud explosion was heard.

Soon, the entire aircraft was ablaze.

Yet despite the severity of the fire, all 379 people including 12 crew members got out safely before the Airbus was fully engulfed in flames, transport minister Tetsuo Saito said.

Videos shot by passengers from inside the aircraft showed smoke quickly spreading inside the cabin as crew tried to explain the evacuation process.

Anton Deibe, a 17-year-old passenger from Sweden said "the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes.

We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

"The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos," the passenger told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.

(Reuters)

Aviation analyst Alex Macheras told the BBC that the crew were able to initiate a textbook evacuation in just a few minutes after impact. He praised the crew for successfully identifying which emergency exits were away from the fire, which was isolated to one area for around 90 seconds, allowing the briefest of windows for everyone to get out.

Safety consultant John Cox told the Associated Press that the cabin crew did a remarkably great job getting passengers out of the plane.

It shows good training, Mr Cox said. And if you look at the video, people are not trying to get stuff out of the overheads. They are concentrating on getting out of the airplane.

Pilot and aviation correspondet Pete Muntean said the incident represented a massive failure of Japans safety first culture, but added that what followed was a textbook evacuation by Japan Airlines crew.

A woman described the cabin being dark and hot as the fire intensified after landing. "It was getting hot inside the plane, and I thought, to be honest, I wouldn't survive," she told state broadcaster NHK.

A 28-year-old man returning from a trip to Hokkaido bounced off his seat from the impact upon landing. "We made it just in the nick of time. It's a miracle we survived," he told Nikkei Asia.

The crew repeatedly asked the passengers to stay calm and in their seats, while covering their noses and mouths with oxygen masks.

(AP)

Once the emergency exit was opened, passengers were seen panicking, with some shouting: "Get us out of here". All passengers and crew members eventually slid down the escape chutes to escape the fire.

Another passenger in his 50s said: "I think everyone was able to escape in about five minutes."

Passenger William Manzione shared a photo on social media moments after the evacuation, saying they were all safe and being taken to the terminal.

We got home safe and sound. Kids and family have been amazing enduring this emotional stress, he said in a follow-up post.

So sorry to hear about the Coast Guard crew. Couldnt figure out that another plane was involved, Ive just witnessed the amazing work of the JAL crew taking everyone onboard to safey,

At least four people were taken to a medical facility after the incident, the Japanese Airlines said.

Twelve Australian nationals were on board the passenger plane and managed to escape unhurt, Australian foreign minister Penny Wong confirmed on Tuesday.

The burn-out wreckage of Japan Airlines plane is seen at Haneda airport (AP)

Prime minister Anthony Albanese offered condolences adding: "Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan."

JAL managing executive officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told a news conference late Tuesday that the A350 was making "normal entry and landing" on the runway, without specifying how it collided with the Coast Guard plane.

The airline maintains that the flight had received permission to land from aviation officials.

Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver earthquake relief goods.

n this aerial image, the debris of MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8, Japan Coast Guard (JCG) aircraft is seen a day after the collision with a Japan Airlines Flight 516 at Haneda Airport (The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag)

Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Haneda's four runways where the Coast Guard aircraft was preparing to take off.

Japan's transport authorities on Wednesday said they were investigating the cause of the collison and analysing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft. Police have also opened an investigation into possible negligence.

All runways were shut after the incident on Tuesday evening, and JAL announced the cancellation of more than 40 domestic flights to and from Haneda airport on Wednesday.
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Rescue workers and canine units are racing against the clock to find people buried under the rubble by powerful earthquakes in Japan ahead of falling temperatures and heavy rain, with the crucial 72-hour window that gives the best chance of survival closing.

At least 65 people have died in the wake of Mondays 7.6-magnitude tremor, centred on the Noto peninsula in western Japan. It has been followed by scores of aftershocks, including one measuring 4.9 on the Japanese seismic scale on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, nearly 130 requests for the rescue of people trapped under collapsed buildings had been recorded, according to local media, with many unreported cases also expected.

There continue to be many reports of people who need rescue, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday. We must keep in mind that this is a race against time and continue to put all our labour into rescue efforts, with lifesaving as our top priority.

I feel that we are at a critical moment, he added.

The weather forecast in Ishikawa prefecture  one of the worst-hit regions in Japan  predicts heavy rain, leading to fears of landslides and further damage to the collapsed homes, impeding rescue attempts.

Firefighters work at the scene where a building toppled over and crushed a house in the city of Wajima (JIJI Press/AFP via Getty)

In Suzu, a town of about 13,000 people near the quake's epicentre, 90 per cent of houses may have been destroyed. "Hardly any of the homes are standing. They are either partially or totally destroyed," said Suzus mayor Masuhiro Izumiya.

Yasuhiro Kano, a resident of Suzus Horyu district, evacuated his mother just as his house was collapsing. Since New Years Day, he has moved to two shelters but now worries about food and rescue.

At first I thought the shaking was the usual 4 or 5 on the Japanese seismic scale, but soon the vertical shaking came, and the house collapsed, he told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

My house has completely collapsed. I dont know what will happen now. I dont even know how long it will take to recover. I have nothing but anxiety, he added.

A devastated neighbourhood in Suzu (AFP via Getty)

Ishikawa prefecture has confirmed 65 deaths, up from 55 late on Tuesday, making the earthquake the deadliest in Japan since at least 2016. Some cities have reported additional deaths, putting the total number of fatalities at 73, according to a tally collated by Kyodo News. More than 300 people have been injured, at least 25 of them seriously.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), more than 400 aftershocks have struck the country, with officials warning these could continue for up to a week.

Satellite images showed extensive damage in coastal areas, revealing destroyed buildings and capsized boats.

Thousands lost their homes in the earthquake, with at least 33,000 staying at evacuation centres. Temperatures are expected to drop overnight for the thousands of survivors who are currently in makeshift shelters.

Shigeru Sakaguchi, mayor of Wajima, said he was grateful for the government's efforts but had received only 2,000 meals for some 10,000 evacuees so far.

"Some people are very cold because there are areas that have no access to electricity and therefore heating," he said.

Firefighters search a collapsed house for survivors (JIJI Press/AFP via Getty)

Ishikawa governor, Hiroshi Hase urged those who are sheltering together to use face masks, as well as antiseptic and soap, to guard against any infectious diseases.

In some of the earthquake-hit regions, power, water and cell phone service were still down.

In hard-hit Wajima, firefighters pressed on, despite the rain and aftershocks, searching for a woman trapped in a wooden structure squashed by a seven-storey building that toppled over in the quake and landed on its side. The rescuers were removing rubble to try to reach the woman, who was not showing any vital signs, a firefighter said.

A collapsed house in Anamizu Town, Ishikawa prefecture (AFP via Getty)

According to a report from the Japanese government last year, there has been a consistent rise in the frequency of earthquakes in the Noto peninsula region since 2018.

The 7.6-magnitude quake triggering tsunami warnings, but they were later lifted and Japans nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan coastline remained largely unscathed. However, Japan Times reported, the incident could renew public concerns about the safety of nuclear power in an earthquake-prone country.

Additional reporting with agencies
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Police in Japan are investigating whether negligence caused the deadly crash between a Japan Airlines flight and a smaller Japan Coast Guard aircraft in Tokyo on Tuesday that left five people dead.

All 379 people on board the Japan Airlines plane miraculously escaped as it was engulfed by a massive fire upon landing at Tokyos Haneda Airport on Tuesday evening.

The passenger plane had collided with the Japan Coast Guards De Havilland Dash-8 plane as it prepared to take off, officials said.

The crash killed five out of six of the Coast Guard crew on the plane, which was involved in delivering aid to earthquake victims in north-central Japan, prime minister Fumio Kishida said during a news conference.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) have launched an investigation into the accident with participation from agencies in France and Britain, which were involved in the manufacturing of the Airbus jet.

Tokyo police sources told Kyodo and other Japanese news agencies that they are looking into the possibility professional negligence led to the deaths.

According to a police spokesperson, a special investigation unit has been established at the airport and they are investigating the runway as well as interviewing people who were involved. However, the spokesperson refrained from commenting on whether they are exploring potential professional negligence.

Officials look at the burnt wreckage of a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane on the tarmac at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda (AFP via Getty Images)

JTSB has recovered flight and voice recorders from the Coast Guard aircraft, Kyodo news agency reported, citing the agency.

The passenger plane that took off from Sapporo for Tokyo for a 90-minute flight had landing permission from the Haneda airport air traffic control before its approach, Japan Airlines said.

Audio of the incident posted on LiveATC.net, which tracks airport communications, showed that minutes before 6pm local time an unidentified voice can be heard saying: We have a fire on runway 34R.

The jetliner appeared to be a blazing ball of fire as it skidded down the runway and an orange glow lit up the runway, videos aired by broadcasters showed.

The plane continued to burn for more than six hours but not before all 367 passengers and 12 crew members were evacuated within 20 minutes of the crash, the airline said.

An aerial view shows burnt Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 plane after a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo (via REUTERS)

Japan Airlines plane on fire on a runway of Tokyos Haneda Airport (JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

Aviation analysts have echoed the possibility that human error may have resulted in the runway collision, adding that such incidents have become far less frequent with modern ground tracking technology and procedures.

The root cause of this accident is not known yet, said Japans transport minister Tetsuo Saito.

Yoshio Seguchi, deputy director of the Japan Coast Guard, issued an apology to the families of victims of the crash but shared little details of the incident.

Mr Kishida also lamented the deaths and said: They were filled with a determined sense of mission, and it is extremely regrettable and distressing what has happened to them.
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Ladbrokes owner Entain has appointed an activist investor to its board who has previously called for the group to sell off some or all of its stake in a major US joint venture.

The business said that Ricky Sandler would sit on its capital allocation committee as well as its people and governance committee.

The company will also work with his outfit, Eminence Capital, to find another director who can sit on Entains board.

It is a move which will give some hope for those wanting Entain to change its practices. In a letter to the board in June, Mr Sandler criticised the decision of the betting giant to sell new shares in order to raise money for takeovers.

Entain is a robust business with market-leading brands, a unique technology platform, and enviable positions in key geographies around the world Ricky Sandler

Entain said last summer that it would buy STS Holding, a Polish sports-betting company, for around 750 million.

To get the cash to do so, it issued new shares, about 8% of the company, something which Mr Sandler said he did not understand.

In June, he said: This approach is perplexing on many levels. While we can support the company pursuing seemingly rational acquisitions, funding them with highly undervalued equity is an empire building, shareholder value destroying strategy.

In the last year, Entain shares are down around a quarter, and chief executive Jette Nygaard-Andersen announced last month that she would leave the business.

On Wednesday, chairman Barry Gibson said: I am pleased to welcome Ricky to the board of Entain.

Ricky has a deep knowledge of our business and a firm belief in the quality of our operations and substantial growth opportunities.

We look forward to benefiting from his perspectives and expertise as we work to drive value for all Entain shareholders.

Mr Sandler said: Entain is a robust business with market-leading brands, a unique technology platform, and enviable positions in key geographies around the world.

I look forward to working with my fellow directors to help Entain achieve long-term success and create lasting value for its shareholders.
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Ryanair has cautioned over a hit from the move by a raft of online travel agents to remove the Irish airline from their websites.

The group said that, since early December, many of the larger sites such as Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak have taken Ryanair off their sites.

It said the sudden removal from what it claimed were online travel agent pirates was welcome, but added that it would impact its so-called load factor, a key measure of how well airlines fill their planes, by 1% or 2% throughout December and January.

Revenues from tickets will also be affected in the short-term as Ryanair said it would respond by lowering fares for passengers booking directly through its own website.

But it said the move was unlikely to materially affect its full-year passenger numbers or profit expectations.

Its latest update showed it flew 9% more passengers in December, at 12.5 million, but its load factor fell to 91% from 92% a year ago.

More than another 900 Ryanair flights were cancelled last month due to the war between Israel and Hamas and the ongoing suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jordan.

The update comes amid a long-running dispute between Ryanair and online booking sites, with the airline having launched legal action in the US against Booking.com owner Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries including Kayak, Agoda and Priceline.

Ryanair said it was not clear what the reason was behind its removal from the sites, but said it may be down to a recent Irish High Court ruling, which it said granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox from unlawfully scraping Ryanair.com content for online travel agents.

Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airlines website and often offering the carriers fares to its own customers via its own site.

Ryanair said: Ryanair will respond to this welcome removal of our flights from OTA (online travel agent) pirate websites, by lowering fares where necessary to encourage all passengers to book directly on Ryanair.com where they are guaranteed to always get the lowest air fares without OTA Pirate overcharges, fake contact info, or other pricing/refund scams.

In the meantime, Ryanair continues to make its fares available to honest/transparent OTAs such as Google Flights, who do not add hidden mark ups to Ryanair prices and who direct passengers to make their bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website.

Booking.com and Kiwi were approached for comment.
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Strike action is the only thing the Government listens to, junior doctors have said, as they embarked on the longest walkout in NHS history.

Junior doctors in England are staging industrial action for six consecutive days in a major escalation of their bitter dispute with the Government over pay.

Medics said that they still have support of the public as they described having tea, coffee and even a lemon drizzle cake delivered to picket lines.

Ministers and the British Medical Association (BMA) were locked in talks for five weeks last year in a bid to try and break the deadlock.

But strikes were called after talks broke down.

Medics insisted that Health Secretary Victoria Atkins had pushed them out of the negotiation room.

Speaking from a picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London, Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chair of the BMAs junior doctors committee, said there was no good time to strike, but added that we need to recognise that we have a massive workforce crisis.

He told the PA news agency the strikes were necessary because they are the only thing that the Government understands with regards to being able to work with a workforce.

Dr Laurenson added: The only reason the Government will even entertain talks with us is because we have strike action.

He said the BMA was happy to negotiate anytime, anywhere, adding: Im happy to negotiate right now. Ill walk down to Westminster, Ill sit down with Victoria Atkins if she wants to sit down with us, but she doesnt. Shes pushed us out of the negotiation room.

The public are shocked at how little we are paid - qualified doctors, including on New Years Day, working for 15.53 an hour for literally life-saving work. Dr Emma Runswick

Speaking from a picket line in Manchester, Dr Emma Runswick, deputy chair of council at the BMA and junior doctor, told PA: We really hoped that we would have an offer on the table at this point to restore doctors pay, to make steps to restoring doctors pay.

Unfortunately, Victoria Atkins is holding back some final offer, causing us to be in this position yet again.

We didnt want to be here, but unless we take action weve got absolutely no chance of restoring doctors pay, keeping staff in the NHS and making our service decent again for patients.

She added: Its a real shame that the Government feels that it can treat us so, so poorly: year-on-year, real-terms pay cuts  were now down 26% against what we were paid in 2008. The work is not easier, the work is not less busy, weve got a worse service with fewer colleagues, and were really struggling.

If were going to reverse that crisis, we need to restore pay and keep people in the service.

Dr Runswick said that the public were supportive of the strike and people had donated tea and coffee to striking doctors, and one person had even delivered a lemon drizzle cake to the picket line outside Manchester Royal Infirmary.

They are shocked at how little we are paid  qualified doctors, including on New Years Day, working for 15.53 an hour for literally life-saving work, she added.

We want doctors to be paid about 20 an hour, we dont think thats unreasonable, nor do patients, nor do the public.

A junior doctor at a picket line in London has said more NHS workers will consider moving overseas unless pay is improved.

Dr Georgia Blackwell, 28, said she thought that junior doctors moving to other countries was increasingly an issue.

Speaking from a picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in central London, she told the PA news agency: A lot of doctors are moving to Australia  not just because of the pay, but also the work-life balance is better.

Junior doctors had gathered outside St Thomas on Wednesday morning to take part in the strike and cheered when vehicles driving across Westminster Bridge beeped their horns in support of those on the picket line.

Doctors were on strike outside Bristol Royal Infirmary in central Bristol, with many holding signs calling for pay restoration and stating that 15 per hour is not a fair wage for a junior doctor.

Dr Fareed Al Qusous told the PA news agency: No doctor wants to take industrial action, it is a form of last resort, but this government has forced our hand.

All were asking for is a credible offer from the government that we can give to our memberships and this strike will be called off immediately.

Our door is open whenever to negotiate with the government.
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Blake Lively has joked about squeezing into one of her outfits a bit too soon after she gave birth to her fourth child.

The 36-year-old actor took to Instagram earlier this week to make a quip about her Michael Kors outfit, while praising the look that she wore in 2023. Lively noted that she wore the outfit after she welcomed her and husband Ryan Reynolds baby, whose name has not yet been publicly revealed. The beloved Hollywood couple are also parents to three daughters: James, eight, Inez, six, and Betty, three.

In the recent photos shared to her Instagram, Lively could be seen wearing a gold sequin jumpsuit, which she paired with a beige belt and matching-coloured purse. She also had her long blond hair curled and was wearing two green rings, as she wore the look to Micheal Kors 2024 runway show in September 2023. The post also included a snap of her posing with Kors while at the event.

As Lively praised the designer in the caption of her post, she also made a joke about how he convinced her to wear the jumpsuit shortly after she gave birth to her fourth child.

2023 Memories: Only @michaelkors could get me to squeeze into gold sequins way too soon after having a baby. Love you MK, she wrote.

The Gossip Girl star then continued her caption by referring to the layout of her home, as she was seen posing in one of her photos. More specifically, she quipped about the design of her rustic-style bedroom, bathroom, and hallway,

And yes I low-key moonlight as an interior designer but please dont tell bc I definitely dont want the world to know that I have a hidden talent which I require external validation on, she added.

In the comments of her post, many fans didnt hesitate to praise the actor how she looked in the Michael Kors outfit.

Its not too soon, babe. You are BREATHTAKING! one wrote, while another added: I dont know a single person that DOESNT have a crush on Blake Lively.

So beautiful. How do you look this good after [four] kids!!?? I look like I ate mine, a third quipped.

In February 2023, Lively first appeared to confirm the birth of her fourth child, as she shared a photo of herself on Instagram, in which she could be seen without her baby bump. In the caption of the photo, where she posed with Reynolds and his mother, Tammy, Lively wrote: Puppy Bowl Sunday 2023. Been busy.

Two months later, Reynolds gave some rare insight into his family life with Lively, noting that the transition from three to four children was as difficult as expected.

You know, two to three was a huge jumpthree to four less so, he told ET Canada in April 2023. I cannot speak for my wife, but its just from what Ive observed. But, we love it. You know, we would be idiots to do this again if we didnt love it.

The Free Guy star also explained that he and his wife have always wanted a big family, having both come from big families themselves. Yeah, I come from four, Blake comes from five. Both of us are the youngest, he added.

While recently reflecting on some of her memories from 2023 on Instagram, Lively shared a separate post about the realities of motherhood, as she could be seen posing in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris. However, The Age of Adaline star was also seen sporting an accessory that many new mothers could relate to: her breast pump.

2023 Highlights: Pumping at @disneylandparis. Cheers Remy, she wrote in the caption, as one of her pictures included her posing with a crew member who was dressed up as the iconic rat from Ratatouille.
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Starbucks has made a major upgrade to one of its store policies: allowing customers to use their own cups when placing mobile and drive-thru orders.

On 3 January, the coffee chain announced that its policy is now in effect, giving customers the opportunity to use their own clean, personal cup every time they visit stores in the US and Canada. As noted in the press release, the update is part of Starbucks plan to cut the companys waste by 50 per cent by 2030.

At Starbucks, we envision a future where every beverage can be served in a reusable cup, chief sustainability officer, Michael Kobori, said in a statement. Offering customers more options to use a personal cup when they visit Starbucks marks tangible progress towards the future. We know our customers are passionate about the planet, and now, they can join us in our efforts to give more than we take, no matter how they order.

In the press release, Starbucks also noted that the company is leaning away from disposable, single-use cups in general, with hopes of making it easier for customers to use personal cups each time they go to stores.

There are now three different ways to use personal cups when going to Starbucks stores. For example, when placing an order through the Starbucks app, customers can first hit the customisation button, before selecting personal cup in the customisation menu. From there, they can then order their drink as they usually would.

Once they get to the store, customers will hand their clean, personal cups to the barista, before the Starbucks worker hands the beverage back in a contactless vessel.

When going to Starbucks drive-thru, customers can start by ordering their drink and letting the barista know they brought a personal cup. Once they get to the pick-up window, the Starbucks worker will take the cup without the lid using a contactless vessel to ensure hygiene and safety. The cup, with the beverage in it, will be returned to the customer and the drive-thru window.

While ordering drinks in the stores, customers will tell Starbucks workers at the register that they have a personal cup. After handing the cup to the barista, the personal cup will be returned to customers with the beverage in it.

As part of the policy, Starbucks customers will receive a $0.10 discount when using a personal cup in stores. In addition, Starbucks Rewards members with their own cups with also get 25 bonus stars on the app.

In March 2022, Starbucks released its plan to work towards eliminating single-use cups. At the time, the coffee chain announced that it was testing new technologies to help eliminate waste sent to landfill from its stores and operation sites.

Innovation is how we will build our next chapter, advance our planets positive impact, and boldly reimagine our future together, Kobori said in the 2022 press release.

The company noted that its goal is to create a cultural movement by 2025 where customers can easily access their personal or Starbucks-provided reusable cups during each visit to the store.
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Gypsy Rose Blanchard has defended her husband Ryan Anderson against negative comments on social media.

The 32-year-old woman - who was released from prison on 28 December after serving eight years of her sentence for the second-degree murder of her mother, Clauddine Dee Dee Blanchard - took to Instagram on 2 January to call out the jealous trolls commenting on her relationship with Anderson. Blanchard pleaded guilty in 2016 after an investigation found that she was abused by her mother, who forced her to pretend she was suffering from leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and other serious illnesses.

Underneath a selfie posted by Anderson on his Instagram account, she wrote: Ryan, dont listen to the haters. I love you, and you love me. We do not owe anyone anything. Our family is who matters.

If you get likes and good comments great, if you get hate then whatever because THEY DONT MATTER. I love you, Blanchard continued. Besides they jealous because you are rocking my world every night yeah I said it, the D is fire.

She added: Happy wife happy life.

In response to his wifes supportive message, the 37-year-old commented: Who said I gave a damn about what these jealous people say anyway, haha...now come get it Baby

The couple were married in July 2022 during a small ceremony at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri, where Blanchard was released on parole after serving 85 per cent of her sentence. She met the special education teacher in 2020 after he sent her letters while in prison. Just days after Blanchards release, she shared her first selfie to Instagram with the caption: First selfie of freedom!

Blanchard could be seen posing in a pair of jeans and an ombre blue and white long-sleeved shirt, as she smiled for the mirror selfie. She appeared to have taken the picture in a hotel room, as two of her suitcases were opened on the floor.

In a following Instagram post, Blanchard spoke out for the first time since her release from prison in a video shared on New Years Eve. Hey everyone, this is Gypsy, she began the video. Im finally free!

Blanchard explained that she was celebrating the holiday with her father, stepmother and her husband. Were looking to ring in the New Year together, and its gonna be really awesome to have some family time after so long, she added.

She also took the opportunity to promote her new documentary series premiering on 5 January and her e-book: Released: Confessions on the Eve of Freedom. Its not a rehashing of everything that happened. Its more of my reflection of everything that I have learned and experienced in the last eight and a half years, she said of the book.

Prosecutors said Blanchards mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy - a psychological disorder where parents fabricate their childs illness, according to the National Institutes of Health - and subjected her daughter to unnecessary medical treatments over two decades.

Blanchard testified in court that Dee Dee had falsely claimed she suffered from conditions such as leukemia and muscular dystrophy. In a 2017 interview with Dr Phil, she claimed that her mother also shaved her head and forced her to eat through a feeding tube.

In 2015, Blanchards boyfriend at the time, Nicholas Godejohn, stabbed Dee Dee at least 17 times at her home in Springfield, Missouri, as Blanchard hid in a bathroom during the assault. Blanchard and Godejohn then stole money from Dee Dee and travelled to Wisconsin by bus.

Authorities were alerted to a post on Dee Dees Facebook page - which read, That B*** is dead! - and found her body on 14 June 2015. Blanchard and Godejohn were later arrested and charged with murder. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016, while Godejohn was eventually found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for murder and 25 years for armed criminal action.

Blanchard recently told People in an interview published on the day of her release that shes remaining focused on her family and her husband. My husband Ryan has been an emotional backbone for the last three years, she said. We met when the pandemic was really, really strong and I had a lot of emotional ups and downs because of Covid.

Ryan has seen me through some really good times, some really hard times. I would say that he is probably the most compassionate soul that Ive ever met, and the most patient, Blanchard told the outlet. God knows, hes so patient with me, because I could be a lot to handle. I could be an emotional handful.

Blanchard noted that she and her husband are planning on starting a family of their own, and discussed some of the difficult conversations she may have with her children about Dee Dee one day.

Were in love, she said. Its hard because Im going into a new life and Im newly married, and Im going to have kids one day, and Im going to have to explain to my kids why their grandmother on mommys side isnt around. And thats going to be a really hard conversation.
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This past fall, the Princess of Wales decided to change up her hairstyle by adding curtain bangs, which are known for being high maintenance as they require styling on a regular basis.

However, despite the finicky hairstyle, Kate Middletons bangs have remained perfectly in place during each of her latest outings. As a result, a hairstylist decided to take to TikTok to explain her theory behind what keeps the royals locks in place.

Watch her hair. The wind blows, her hair doesnt move at all, a TikToker by the username @Bekah_and_co commented as footage rolled of Kate visiting a fathers group in November 2023.

She uses tons of hairspray to keep her hair in place, to keep her bangs in place, Bekah said. So if you want bangs, and you live in a windy city or humid city, you have to use product in order to keep them still.

To further prove her point, the hairstylist posted a second video of her own curtain bangs as she put a blow dryer directly on her bangs both without and then with hairspray. Without hairspray they were blowing all over the place while hairspray largely prevented them from budging.

After posting the video, it went on to receive over three million views. Many people ended up taking to the comments section, where some agreed with Bekahs point about hairspray, while others werent convinced Kate was wearing her natural hair during the royal outings.

Also looks like she has on a halo hair extension, one commenter wrote, referencing the hair extensions that specifically go around the crown area of the head.

Looks like a hairpiece, another commenter agreed.

However, many viewers pointed out that, even if the royal was wearing a wig or hair extensions, those would likely need hairspray too in order to stay in place. To anyone saying its a wig: a wig would still need the hairspray for the bangs to sit still. Please think, one commenter wrote.

Southern women have been doing this for decades a la Dolly Parton, another commenter joked.

This isnt the first time Kates hair has gained public attention. This autumn, Kate stepped out in a departure from her usual hairstyle. Instead of her long, wavy tresses, the princess donned a low bun with face-framing curtain bangs while joining a family portage session in Sittingbourne, England.

However, as some fans remember, Meghan Markle received backlash for sporting a very similar hairstyle just six years ago.

In a viral video posted to TikTok, royal commentator Amanda Matta (@matta_of_fact) compared several headlines discussing Kate and Meghans similar hairstyles, pointing out the double standards faced by the Duchess of Sussex.

Set to the song all-american b**** by Olivia Rodrigo, Amanda shared screenshots of articles from Glamour, Allure, and People - each one claiming that Meghan broke royal protocol by wearing her hair in a low bun with strands in the front. The articles stated that the royal family prefers members to have their hair perfectly sleek and smooth, with no stray hairs peeking out of a bun or falling over the face.

But as Kate seemed to prove, members of the royal family can indeed wear messy buns and curtain bangs without being accused of breaking protocol.

Spot the difference, Amanda captioned her TikTok, which showed a headline praising Kates latest hairstyle. As always, its not about someone owning a style - its the double standards that are the issue.
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The statistics watchdog is investigating Rishi Sunaks claims that the government have cleared the asylum backlog, The Independent understands.

The Office for Statistics Regulation has decided to examine the announcements made by Mr Sunak and the Home Office on Tuesday that the government had cut the number of outstanding asylum cases.

The prime minister was accused of a barefaced lie after figures revealed that nearly 100,000 migrants are still waiting for a decision.

The government had said that it had met Mr Sunaks pledge to clear all so-called legacy asylum claims  counted as those submitted before June 2022. But official statistics confirmed that 4,500 of these cases had still to be processed.

The prime minister then suggested on Tuesday that he had cleared the entire backlog, despite data showing that 98,599 claims were still languishing in the system.

Rishi Sunak was accused of lying about clearing the asylum backlog (PA)

He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: I said that this government would clear the backlog of asylum decisions by the end of 2023. Thats exactly what weve done.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said that claims made by Mr Sunak and her Tory counterpart James Cleverly were just not true. Shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock accused the prime minister of promoting a barefaced lie that was an insult to the publics intelligence.

Mr Cleverly had said that every single legacy application had been processed, despite thousands remaining unresolved. He told the BBC that the government had committed to processing all those applications not completing them. He added: Our commitment was to process them and weve done that.

He also admitted that it would be impossible to say how long it would take to get through the outstanding asylum cases.

CEO of Care4Calais, Steve Smith, said the government was attempting to cook the books, adding: They decided to create a so-called legacy backlog to set a political target and it has not been met.

Data shows that the government have also processed around 25,300 newer asylum claims, in addition to some 86,800 legacy cases, taking the total number of decisions made in the past year to over 112,000, the highest figure in two decades. Of these, 67 per cent were granted asylum.

James Cleverly said all legacy asylum backlog claims have been processed (PA)

Government data published on Tuesday showed that the legacy backlog was drastically cut in the last few months of last year. There were 33,253 decisions left to make in October, but this fell to 4,537 by 28 December.

Thirty-five thousand non-substantive decisions were also made in 2023  up from 13,093 in 2022  which includes applications that are withdrawn, void or paused and therefore removed from the official backlog.

The total asylum backlog now stands at 98,599. This is a decrease on record high levels in early 2023 when the backlog stood at nearly 140,000, but it is still historically high. In March 2020, the backlog stood at 40,000 and in 2013 the backlog was down at 9,500.

The Home Office also revealed that 348 hotels were still being used to house asylum seekers in December, a slight decrease from 398 in October.
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The Independents Christmas appeal to buy 500 beds for children forced to sleep on the floor or share with family members has nearly doubled its target thanks to the staggering response from our generous readers and donors.

In just four weeks, Leeds-based charity Zarach received enough money to provide 931 beds over Christmas for children who, until now, had nowhere to sleep.

Our appeal came in the wake of a recent Barnardos report, which found that nearly a million children across the UK living in bed poverty were forced to sleep on the floor or sofa or to share with family members.

Among those backing the appeal last month was the Dean of St Pauls, who penned a touching article speaking of the tragedy of the bed poverty crisis, writing that every child should have a crib for a bed, in a reference to the humble beginnings of Jesus Christ.

Zarach provides single beds and bunk beds to impoverished children (William Lailey SWNS)

A donation from the CEO of Nationwide, Debbie Crosbie, also helped us hit our goal in less than two weeks, with the building society providing funds for almost 150 beds.

Costing 180, each bed bundle from Zarach comes with a bed, a mattress, duvet, pillows, pyjamas, toiletries, chocolate treats and a reading book for young children. It also included a 30 food voucher, helping families to buy a Christmas meal.

Bex Wilson, a primary teacher who founded Zarach after witnessing bed poverty at her school, said the donations would make such a difference to the lives of children.

She said: Were absolutely thrilled to have partnered with The Independent and even more delighted to have achieved our Christmas appeal aim to raise funds needed to deliver 500 brand new beds and bed bundles to children experiencing bed poverty before Christmas.

Were incredibly proud to be able to make such a difference to the lives of children, giving them the best opportunity to engage at school. Thank you to everyone who has supported our appeal.

Founder Bex Wilson said the charity was absolutely thrilled to reach the 500 beds target (Zarach)

One child who received a bed from Zarach said they were overwhelmed by the generosity of the charity and what their family had received.

Another family said they had never had anything new before, while others were left in tears at the prospect of having their own bedding and bedclothes.

Founded in 2017, Zarach aims to eradicate bed poverty and has hubs throughout the North West of England. However, after witnessing a huge surge in demand for beds over the last 12 months, it launched its first national appeal.

Years of austerity cuts and the impact of the cost of living crisis have caused bed poverty figures to increase, with research showing it has a severe impact on childrens mental wellbeing and performance in school.

Statistics taken from the last 12 months show that 31 per cent of children it supports have fallen on hard times due to the mental health of either one or both of their parents.

Volunteers deliver beds after schools refer a family to Zarach for support (William Lailey SWNS)

Meanwhile, domestic abuse is the cause behind 23 per cent of Zarachs referrals, with debt concerns listed at 28 per cent and issues with benefits at 18 per cent.

To identify families in need, Zarach has partnered with more than 500 schools that provide the charity with referrals, with volunteers then delivering the beds within eight days.

A headteacher at a school in south Leeds, which deals with pupils with behavioural issues, said the impact of the charity had been game changing. In order to track each childs progress, Zarach maintains contact with the school, with 76 per cent reporting a positive change as a result of their intervention.

The Independents editor-in-chief Geordie Greig said: It has been beyond inspiring to see so much generosity help those most in need of the most basic of requirements: a bed for children.

We have hit a chord across the nation with this terrible blight affecting so many families. I am delighted we have highlighted this injustice in our society, and done a small bit to help alleviate it through the generosity of Independent readers.

Nearly a million children in the UK are currently without a proper place to sleep (Zarach)

Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, said: The work by the Zarach charity and The Independent to provide 500 beds to the most vulnerable children in society is a huge contribution to those who need it most.

This homelessness crisis has left thousands in need of homes, and almost a million children living without a bed of their own. Sleeping in your own bed shouldnt be a luxury, but so many children are going without.

Zarachs CEO Andy Peers said: Our mission is to end child bed poverty in England, but theres a reason we want to do so: its to give children the opportunity to engage at school. Everybody recognises that education is a really clear way to break that future cycle of poverty.
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A man has been hailed a hero after he jumped into a freezing river to save a woman he at first thought was a mannequin.

Colin McGarva, 31, was taking his dog for a New Years Day walk along the River Severn in Worcester when he noticed a woman floating down the stream.

The business owner initially thought it was a mannequin lying motionless in the water, but as he looked closer he realised it was a real person.

Despite the flood warnings in place and the imminent arrival of Storm Henk, Mr McGarva dived into the water to rescue her.

I looked closer and realised it was a real person, the father told Worcester News. I thought she was dead. I was shouting hello! But there was no response. I saw her move slightly. Her eyes opened.

Thats when I realised shes not dead. I looked around but nobody was around. I tried to flag down a car. It didnt stop.

He promptly removed his coat and grabbed a safety ring while flagging down a fellow dog walker who also fell as her dog pulled her.

Swans in Worcester after the river Severn burst its banks on Tuesday (PA)

Describing the rescue, he told the local paper: The water was freezing. I just had to do it. There was no second thought. I am absolutely fine though Im getting a bit emotional talking about it now.

He said another dog walker helped him get the woman out of the water near the bridge before the emergency services arrived on the scene.

West Mercia Police said they were called to the area following reports of a person in the river but the person had already been helped out of the water.

Flood defences were deployed to protect businesses and homes along the river severn on tuesday (Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service also said that by the time they arrived at the scene, the woman had been helped out of the water.

A spokesperson said: [the woman] was assessed by ambulance staff and conveyed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for further assessment. A second woman who was a bystander had sustained minor injuries, she received self care advice from ambulance staff before being discharged at the scene.

The UK went into the New Year overwhelmed by Met Office-issued weather warnings for both rain and wind.

Pictures showed towns along the River Severn deploying flood defenes as the river burst its banks on Tuesday.

There are currently still over 600 flood warnings and alerts in place across Britain as of Wednesday morning as Storm Henk battered areas on Tuesday.

A severe flood alert, meaning a danger to life, was in place for the River Nene in Northampton, which warned of deep and fast-flowing water at the Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks
Tourists flocking to popular camping hotspots over the holiday period have been warned not to drive recklessly on the beach as police officers come out in full force.

Cops on Queenslands north coast will be increasing beachside patrols at Noosa North Shore, Teewah Beach and the Cooloola Coast to target campers and visitors that engage in risk taking behaviour with their vehicles.

Queensland police will be increasing beachside patrols at Noosa North Shore, Teewah Beach and the Cooloola Coast. Source: Queensland Police

From December 27 to December 30, officers in the area issued 118 traffic infringements for an array of offences like speeding, unsecured loads and failing to wear a helmet, police announced on Wednesday.

The safety blitz comes just days after holidaymakers trying to get onto Goolwa Beach, in South Australia, on New Years Day caused major traffic jams. The state was forced to introduce new speed limit rules for beaches  40km/h for drivers on the sand and 25km/h when travelling within 50 metres of a person  after irresponsible four-wheel driving at Goolwa Beach on Christmas Day in 2022 left sand dunes severely damaged.

Driving on beaches 'hazardous and dangerous'

Driving on beaches can be hazardous and dangerous, Wide Bay District Superintendent Paul Algie said. The surfaces are different from what most of us are used to and require drivers to take additional care.

Vehicle standards are safety standards. Defective or unroadworthy vehicles will be intercepted and drivers issued with infringement notices, and we make no apology for that. Every decision you make behind the wheel counts. We want to ensure everyone is going home to their loved ones this Christmas.

A collision on the sand and strong winds were said to be responsible for the standstill on Goolwa Beach on New Year's Day. Source: Facebook/7News

Queensland Police said they had issued an infringement notice to a 17-year-old boy for hanging out of the passenger side window of a car travelling 80km/h. A man, 23, was also charged with drink driving after allegedly returning a blood alcohol concentration of 0.051%.

Story continues

Five drivers allegedly tested positive to a relevant drug over the three days. Tragically, 277 people lost their lives on Queensland roads in 2023.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
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Doctors leaders hinted at an end to a damaging series of NHS walkouts on Wednesday as junior medics began the longest-ever strike in the history of the health service. The number of operations and appointments axed because of the action is expected to top a million this week, and comes on the heels of more than a year of disputes involving nurses and consultants.

But the union representing junior doctors signalled a softening in its position at the start of six days of industrial action, as NHS bosses called for light at the end of the tunnel.

Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the British Medical Associations junior doctors committee, said he was happy to spread out his unions demand for a 35 per cent pay rise over a number of years, as he indicated a willingness to get back around the negotiating table.

He also told the government a credible offer that the union could build on could halt this weeks strike.

An end to the strike would be a boon to millions stuck on growing NHS waiting lists and boost Rishi Sunaks efforts to meet one of his key pre-election pledges.

But the sign of hope came as millions of commuters braced themselves for another damaging strike next week.

Walkouts planned by London Underground staff belonging to the RMT union are set to cause huge disruption in the capital for four days. Tube passengers have already been advised to use the service only if their journey is essential.

As the lengthiest strike in NHS history got under way, health service leaders warned its impact would be felt for weeks and months as appointments are rescheduled and the NHS works to make up for lost time.

One hospital has declared a critical incident while others reported significant waits in A&E departments  with one warning patients they faced waits of up to 11 hours.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for the NHS in England, warned the strike coincided with one of the busiest and most challenging weeks of the year, when the NHS was already battling a surge in demand for treatment.

Hospitals have reported being very busy as junior doctors stage the longest strike in NHS history (Getty)

Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS Trusts, called on both sides to restart negotiations.

He told The Independent: While there feels as though there is a basis for talks to resume, neither side has made the first move and I would urge both sides to meet now. This dispute is having a huge effect on patients and could further jeopardise efforts to recover services and tackle waiting lists.

He added: If an agreement is not reached there is the risk that further strikes will result in more appointments and operations cancelled, with more patients facing even longer waits.

Sir Julian Hartley, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents trust leaders, said: We cant go on like this. Industrial action dragging on for months doesnt bear thinking about.

Trust leaders are desperate for the government and unions to break the deadlock and stave off more walkouts. We need to see fresh efforts to find a resolution to this dispute, especially as the threat of even more stoppages from other NHS workers hasnt gone away.

The effects of more than a year of strikes on patients, staff morale and NHS finances have been massive and will only get worse the longer this goes on. We need to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

The government insists it is willing to talk to striking doctors but not with the threat of industrial action looming.

The health secretary Victoria Atkins had called on the BMA to call off the strikes, and start 2024 right.

In an interview with the BBC, Dr Trivedi said: Anyone from the government could still come to us today and if we thought that offer was credible, and if we can resume talks and build on that, then we can stop our strike action for the rest of the week.

He also said the BMAs demand of a 35 per cent pay increase did not necessarily have to be delivered in one go.

Were not even saying it has to happen in one year. We are very happy to look over details that would span a number of years  but what we need to do is to start a way towards that and not further that pay erosion," he said.

Dr Trivedi said that while he hoped ministers came back to the negotiating table immediately, from all of the signals they are sending, it wont be until our strike action finishes. And I hope at that point we can come to a resolution.

Government sources indicated they believed there had been a significant change in tone from the BMA. However, they accused doctors leaders of walking away from previous talks and signalled the two sides could still struggle to find a resolution.

Medical staff stand on a picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in central London on 3 January (AFP/Getty)

The BMA argues that junior doctors pay has been cut by more than a quarter since 2008.

Last summer, they were awarded an average rise of 8.8 per cent. But medics said the increase was not enough.

Late last year, both sides entered talks but after five weeks of negotiations, these broke down and more strikes were called.

Consultants have agreed a deal with ministers, which is currently being put to members.

Shadow health minister Andrew Gwynne said: Its time for the Conservatives to stop playing games with our NHS, get around the table with junior doctors, and negotiate an end to these long-running strikes today.

Lib Dem health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: This Conservative government is putting peoples health at risk by failing to bring these strikes to an end.
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Lee Anderson has warned that Nigel Farages Reform UK could pick off a lot of Conservative MPs and open the door for a Labour landslide.

The Tory deputy chairman said Mr Farages party, formerly the Brexit Party, is a threat, adding that they are a bigger threat to the country at the moment than the Labour Party.

Reform, which will set out its stall to voters at a press conference in London on Wednesday, could split the vote in tens of Tory seats, adding the scale of a potential Labour election win.

Lee Anderson compared the government to the band on the Titanic, leaked WhatsApps revealed last year (CHP)

It has vowed to fight the Tories across the country and leader Richard Tice, who took the reins from Mr Farage in 2021, has vowed to have a massive impact on the coming election.

It has already helped to derail two key Tory by-election campaigns, with its share of the vote in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth bigger than Labours majorities in the seats.

And in a sign of growing Tory unease at the partys growth, with a 9 per cent poll rating, outspoken deputy chairman Mr Anderson said: They are a threat.

He told GB News: Ive got a lot of time for Nigel [Farage]hes doing fantastic things but Reform are a threat.

Nigel Farage returning from a stint on Im a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here (PA)

If Reform do pick off a lot of us Conservative MPs at the next election, then whats going to happen is were going to end up with a Labour government, and a Labour government is the last thing I want.

Mr Anderson went on to claim that a Labour government would drag Britain back into the European Union despite Sir Keir Starmer having ruled out rejoining the bloc.

Reforms much-vaunted press conference could bring clarity on Mr Farages role in the party ahead of an election later this year.

It is not known whether he will return as the leader of the party, which he set up and controls, or whether he may return in a campaigning role.

There is also speculation Mr Farage could make his eighth run for a seat in parliament.

Any return to frontline politics by Mr Farage would be seen as a further blow to the Tories electoral hopes. Growing discontent among voters about soaring net migration and Rishi Sunaks failure to stop the boats has opened the door for Mr Farage to attack the Tories from the right.

On Tuesday Mr Farage responded to the governments attempts to rush through the backlog of asylum seekers by saying: The Conservatives have failed us all.

A week earlier he attacked home secretary James Cleverly, branding him a moron for celebrating the lack of small boat crossings on Christmas day.

He added that the Conservatives all deserve to lose your seats at the election.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice rejected the claim by Lee Anderson (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Archive)

Mr Anderson said he failed to see where Reform could win any seats, but accepted voters frustrated with the Tories over migration could flock to the party in their millions.

He added: I will say this, its - Im not saying theyre a one-man party, but he is the figurehead is Nigel, he does a great job but I think if they want any inroads, then he has to stand.

He has to be the leader of the party. He has to stand in the election, because I mean, Richard Tice, Ive got a lot of time for Richard, but knock on doors in Ashfield and nobodys ever heard of him.
 Close Farage returns to GB News after jungle appearance

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Reform UK leader Richard Tice said Nigel Farage was still assessing his political return but was very confident the partys founder would play some role in the general election campaign.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning to launch Reforms election campaign, Mr Tice also claimed a Labour government would usher in Starmergeddon.

He claimed Sir Keir Starmer would drag Britain back toward the EU as he branded the opposition and the Tories as both part of the same socialist coin.

Earlier, there was speculation over whether Nigel Farage would appear at the press conference. Mr Farage recently took part in Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and rumours about his return to frontline politics have abounded ever since.

In the end, Mr Farage did not appear but Mr Tice said he was very confident that his predecessors would play some role in the general election campaign in the future.
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The former boss of the Post Office should hand back her CBE over the scandal which saw postmasters wrongly jailed, a Tory minister has said.

Paula Vennells, who was chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, should give up the honour voluntarily, Kevin Hollinrake told ITVs Good Morning Britain.

The business minister, whose brief includes postal services, said: Paula Vennells got a CBE for services to the Post Office.

Ultimately youve got responsibility for what happened here, youre the chief executive, if I was Paula Vennells I would seriously consider handing that back voluntarily at this point in time.

Errors made by Horizon software, which was made by tech firm Fujitsu and used by the Post Office, led to the wrongful conviction of more than 700 people over false accounting and theft between 1999 and 2015.

Amid a grilling over the scandal, Mr Hollinrake said he absolutely supported criminal prosecutions for those responsible where there is evidence of criminality.

He added that an ongoing inquiry should determine who is responsible in the Post Office and Fujitsu and wherever possible those people should be held to account.

Retired high court judge Sir Wyn Williams is chairing an inquiry into the Post Office scandal, considered the worst miscarriage of justice in recent British history.

The renewed focus on the scandal comes amid a new ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office.

Alan Bates, played by Toby Jones, has spent two decades of his life fighting for justice after hundreds of fellow postmasters and postmistresses were accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting due to faulty computers.

In 1999, Horizon, a defective Fujitsu IT system, began incorrectly reporting cash shortfalls at branches across the country. The accusations tore peoples lives apart, with many losing their jobs and homes.

Several people took their own lives due to the stress.

To this day, not a single Post Office or Fujitsu employee has been held to account over the scandal, much less faced criminal investigation. Sixty of the victims have died before finding any justice at all.

Ms Vennells was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the Post Office and to charity in the 2019 new year honours list.

Previous calls for her to be stripped of the title include from the Communication Workers Union.
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Reform UK has categorically ruled out a deal with the Tories at the 2024 general election as Nigel Farage appears to have ducked an eighth bid to become an MP.

In a move that piles yet more pressure on Rishi Sunak, Reform leader Richard Tice vowed to field candidates in every constituency in England, Wales and Scotland.

Speaking at the partys election campaign launch on Wednesday, he insisted Reform would not do a deal with the Conservatives under any circumstances. In 2019, the group  called the Brexit Party at the time  stood down hundreds of candidates to help Boris Johnson secure a majority.

Richard Tice setting out Reform UKs stall ahead of the general election (PA)

Mr Tice gave the strongest hint yet that his predecessor Mr Farage will take on a frontline role in the election campaign, though the latter was notably absent from the launch.

He is still assessing that a good poker player does not show their hand too early, Mr Tice told reporters. Discussions are ongoing about what role Mr Farage may take, he said, though it looks increasingly unlikely he will make an eighth bid to become an MP. Mr Tice told GB News Mr Farage standing as a candidate was the least likely thing.

The Conservatives have been warned they risk losing tens of seats if Reform stands across the country in the election, due to take place sometime this year. The return of Mr Farage, back in Britain after a stint on Im a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here could provide a significant poll boost for Reform, adding to Tory losses.

Nigel Farage after returning from a stint on Im a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here (PA)

The upstart party is hoping to capitalise on growing anger at record levels of legal migration and Mr Sunaks failure to deliver on a pledge to stop the boats of migrants crossing the English Channel.

At a conference setting out Reforms stall to voters, leader Mr Tice laid into Mr Sunak as a failure and said the Tories have broken Britain.

Channelling Mr Farages Brexit victory speech to the European parliament, Mr Tice said that when he launched Reform, the Tories laughed at me. He added: Theyre not laughing now.

Luke Tryl, director at pollsters More in Common, has said Reforms campaign could see the Tories lose more than 30 additional seats.

He told The Independent: Reform could well be the difference between a hung parliament and a Labour majority.

The party is currently polling at around 9 per cent and has already helped to derail two key Tory by-election campaigns, with its share of the vote in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth bigger than Labours majorities in the seats.

On Tuesday, outspoken Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson admitted he fears Reform picking off scores of Conservative MPs, opening the door to a Labour landslide.

He warned that Mr Farages party is a threat, adding that they are a bigger threat to the country at the moment than the Labour Party.

Rishi Sunaks woes could be further exacerbated if Farage were to return to frontline politics (PA)

Mr Tice said his Tory rival is a nice guy, but is terrified we are going to put him out of a job. He urged the top Tory to ditch the toxic party and come on over to Reform.

And Mr Tice revealed that Tory party figures from councillors to donors are in talks with Reform about defecting to the party ahead of the general election. A lot of very disgruntled former Tory donors are picking up the phone and saying: How can I help? he added.

Responding after Mr Tices press conference, Tory chair Richard Holden said a vote for Reform will only strengthen Labours hand and he defended the Conservatives as focused on long-term decisions for the country.

Elsewhere in the conference, Mr Tice confirmed that his deputy leader Ben Habib would contest the Wellingborough by-election for the party following the recall of scandal-hit MP Peter Bone.

Reform claimed a Labour win would be Starmaggedon, channeling the late 1990s action movie poster (Reform UK)

Mr Bone held the Northamptonshire seat for the Tories in 2019 with 18,540 more votes than second-placed Labour.

Mr Habib told the conference: The reason I am standing in Wellingborough is because it is not sufficient to simply beat the Tories we have to lead the way and get seats in Parliament.

He set out a target for the party to win a dozen or more seats at the next general election, adding that people are extremely upset with the current government. Reform said it will announce its candidates for the general election next month.

The party also took aim at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, branding Starmergeddon a threat near you in 2024. Reform is seeking to attack Labour as well as the Tories amid fears it risks handing Sir Keir the keys to Downing Street.
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Scandal-hit Tory peer Shaun Bailey has been accused of misogyny for telling Carol Vorderman she cannot talk about politics while posting pictures of her bum and her boobs on Instagram.

The failed London mayoral candidate, who attended a lockdown-breaking jingle and mingle Christmas party, said she cant be both.

Speaking to GB News about the former countdown star, Lord Bailey said: On one hand shes a serious political commentator, and then if you look at her Instagram its all pictures of her bum and of her boobs. So what is it here? She cant be both.

Ms Vorderman shared the clip on X, adding: Tory Shaun Bailey is a misogynist.

Lord Bailey was handed a peerage last summer in Boris Johnsons resignation honours list. He came under intense pressure to turn it down after it emerged he had attended a mid-lockdown Christmas party at Conservative headquarters thrown by his mayoral campaign.

The event, invitations for which revealed it was called jingle and mingle, led to a total of 24 police fines.

Carol Vorderman dubbed Shaun Bailey a misogynist (Getty Images)

He has previously apologised "unreservedly" for the event organised by his campaign team, and described it as a "serious error of judgment".

But Labour said Rishi Sunak should have blocked him from entering the upper chamber.

After his latest controversial outburst on Wednesday, Ms Vorderman said: So Shaun thinks that women who wear lycra in the gym shouldnt be allowed a political opinion....

Or I assume a vote Failed Mayoral candidate Sexist Shaun was made a Lord last year. Yet another Tory honour for dishonour.

Shaun Bailey took his seat in the House of Lords seat during a police investigation into a lockdown party he attended (Parliament TV)

He is only the latest high profile Tory to publicly attack Ms Vorderman, who has become an outspoken critic of the party since Covid.

In a recent interview, she vowed to fight the party until it is removed from office. If our kids are to have a future, we must kick them out, she told The Times.

If I can make a difference Ill do everything I can to make that difference, she added.

Tory veterans minister Johnny Mercer came under fire last month for saying Ms Vorderman has a s*** lonely life. And she has faced criticism from former Tory chairman Greg Hands, ex-MP Edwina Currie and energy minister Andrew Bowie.
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Disgraced Los Angeles celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi has been found competent to stand trial on charges that he stole more than $15 million from his clients.

A federal judge filed a notice of the brief order Tuesday under seal. Lawyers for both sides were given five days to identify any information in it that they would like the judge to keep confidential.

Girardi, 84, is the estranged husband of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.

Girardi pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles last year to wire fraud on charges that he embezzled from clients, including an Arizona widow whose husband was killed in a boat accident; a Los Angeles couple injured in a car wreck that paralyzed their son; and a man who was severely burned in the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to decades in federal prison.

The Associated Press sent messages to his public defenders seeking comment.

At issue in the competency hearing was whether Girardi understood the charges and proceedings against him and could help with his own defense. His lawyers argued that he was unable to take part in the trial because he has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, which they said has left him confused and with memory problems. He currently is staying in the memory care unit of a nursing home.

Prosecutors contended that Girardi was exaggerating his symptoms.

As one of the nations most prominent plaintiffs attorneys, Girardi took on powerful corporations, movie studios and Pacific Gas and Electric in a case that led to a $333 million settlement, which was portrayed in the 2000 Julia Roberts film Erin Brockovich.

But his law empire collapsed, he was disbarred in California in 2022 over client thefts, and he faces mounting legal problems.

Girardi also faces federal wire fraud charges in Chicago, where he is accused of stealing about $3 million from family members of victims of a 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people.

The Chicago court is expected to follow the competency decision in California.
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Billionaire Bill Ackman has blasted Harvards policy on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in a new online essay, which argues that it is the root cause of antisemitism at the prestigious institution.

The Pershing Square CEO and Havard alumnus posted a 4,000 missive on X on Tuesday, in which he called for an overhaul of the universitys board.

It comes shortly after Harvard president Claudine Gay resigned in the wake of a string of plagiarism accusations and the high-profile antisemitism row on the Ivy League campus.

Mr Ackman had previously been a vocal critic of Dr Gays leadership, having recently called for her and two other university presidents to resign in disgrace.

In his lengthy post on X on Tuesday  hours after Ms Gays resignation  the 57-year-old hedge fund manager claimed that Havards DEI is racist.

The E for equity in DEI is about equality of outcome, not equality of opportunity, he said.

DEI is racist because reverse racism is racism, even if it is against white people (and it is remarkable that I even need to point this out).

Under DEI, ones degree of oppression is determined based upon where one resides on a so-called intersectional pyramid of oppression where whites, Jews and Asians are deemed oppressors, and a subset of people of color, LGBTQ people and/or women are deemed to be oppressed.

Mr Ackman also claimed that under DEI ideology... there is no such thing as being non racist.

Any policy, program, educational system, economic system, grading system, admission policy, (and even climate change due its disparate impact on geographies and the people that live there), etc. that leads to unequal outcomes among people of different skin colors is deemed racist, he said.

As a result, according to DEI, capitalism is racist, Advanced Placement exams are racist, IQ tests are racist, corporations are racist, or in other words, any merit-based program, system or organization which has or generates outcomes for different races that are at variance with the proportion these different races represent in the population at large is by definition racist under DEIs ideology.

He continued: All of the above said, it is one thing to give disadvantaged people the opportunities and resources so that they can help themselves. It is another to select a candidate for admission or for a leadership role when they are not qualified to serve in that role.

The Pershing Square CEO posted a 4,000 missive on X on Tuesday, in which he called for an overhaul of the universitys board (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for The New York Times )

This appears to have been the case with former President Gays selection.

Dr Gay, Harvards first Black president, quit just six months and two days into the job. Her period in charge of the university, which was founded in September 1636, is the shortest in its illustrious history.

The announcement came following her disastrous appearance before Congress on 5 December to defend the universitys response to antisemitism following the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel and the countrys military response in Gaza.

Dr Gay has also been hit by around 40 accusations of plagiarism accusations, the latest of which was reported by The Washington Free Beacon on Monday.

Despite this, she was given a vote of confidence from Harvards Corporation, the universitys governing body, on 12 December. Following her resignation it was announced she would resume her faculty position at the university.

Mr Ackman concluded his X post on Tuesday by criticising the board members who had backed Dr Gay and also calling for their resignations.

These are the minimum changes necessary to begin to repair the damage that has been done, he said.
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A convicted killer made a deathbed confession days before he died of lung cancer that he murdered 11 women.

Garry Artman told detectives that he murdered a woman in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1996, a woman whose body was found in Maryland and nine other slayings he was never charged with.

Artman, a long-distance truck driver, made the confessions from a Michigan prison hospital and told investigators that 10 of the 11 murders took place in Grand Rapids.

Our investigative team met with him three times prior to his death to see if theres any information or case facts they could glean to help solve some of these unsolved murders and missing people, Kent County Sheriffs Office Lt Eric Brunner told WOOD-TV.

What we can say is just that those three times were fruitful, to an extent. And were trying to further help bring closure to these families that potentially have been impacted over these last many years by these unsolved cases. So that is our hope, but theres still a handful of work to be done.

Artman was convicted of the 1996 murder of Sharon Hammack and admitted to the murder of 24-year-old Dusty Shuck.

Shuck was found stabbed and beaten to death near a truck stop in Maryland on 4 May 2006. Artman had been linked to the killing through DNA, but his terminal cancer diagnosis ruled out a trial.

She was an amazing soul. She was good inside and out, Shucks mother Lori Kreutzer told the outlet.

She said that Artmann had been in a coma and was expected to die in mid-December. But he came out of the coma and admitted to the murders before dying at the age of 66 on 28 December.

It was a miracle.  divine intervention. So at least he did that, she added.

Both victims were among 17 women who were found dead or went missing in Grand Rapids between 1993 and 1996.

Investigators are now comparing details Artman gave them before he died to the cold cases.

Any time we investigate these cases, we cannot forget the impact that has on a victims family, added Lt Brunner.

Someone thats had a loved one go missing or murdered a long time ago its just a huge loss and then to not have answers on top of that. So, our investigators feel that burden as well when they look into these cases to try to help bring closure to these families.

Obviously, Mr. Artman has passed away, so some people are going to have differing emotions about that. But, to bring closure to these families even beyond his death, that is their goal.
Two Auburn venues will begin the new year with stand-up comedy.

Prison City Brewing will host another edition of Homebrewed Comedy at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4, at its 251 North St. urban farm in Auburn.

Headlining will be Paul Kozlowski, a Cortland native who has performed in Boston, New York City and Los Angeles. He has also appeared on "The Chris Rock Show," "Mr. Show with Bob and David" and more.

Also performing will be Rochester comedian Cindy Arena, who was named the funniest person in the city in 2018 and has made the semifinals of the Buffalo's Funniest contest as well.

The show's host, Mike Peters, of Binghamton, is the founder of Homebrewed Comedy and a contributor to Funny or Die. He has opened for Gilbert Gottfried and Erik Stolhanske of Broken Lizard.

Tickets are $10 and are available online and at the door. Seating will begin at 6 p.m., with a full dinner menu available.

For more information, or tickets, visit prisoncitybrewing.com.

Also this week, comedian Raanan Hershberg will return to Auburn Public Theater for a performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6.

Described in his biography as "a loud, neurotic comedian from Lousiville, Kentucky," Hershberg has performed on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" and regularly opens for Kathleen Madigan across the country. He was also a finalist in the 2018 Boston Comedy Festival and his first album, "Self-Helpless," reached the top of the iTunes comedy charts. He last performed in Auburn in April.

Opening the show will be Ben Moore and Abe Gatling.

Tickets to the show are $15.

For more information, call (315) 253-6669 or visit auburnpublictheater.org.
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A retired New York Police Department captain allegedly shot a man in the leg during a road rage incident in Brooklyn on New Years Eve.

According to the New York Post, the former official left his post in October after serving 18 years, due to a disability pension. The outlet did not reveal the retired officers identity or the identity of the motorist he allegedly shot.

The newspaper reported that the former official had been driving a Toyota Corolla on Coney Island Avenue near Brighton Beach around 2.15pm on Sunday, when he crashed into a 22-year-old driving a Mercedes Benz.

According to the outlet, both the retired captain and the man he crashed into emerged from their vehicles and engaged in an argument. At one point, the former officer allegedly pulled out a gun and discharged a round, striking the motorist in the left leg.

The man was later transported to NYU Langone HospitalBrooklyn, where he was reportedly listed as being in a stable condition.

According to The Post, the retired captain was taken to the same facility. It remains unclear if the former official will face charges.

The Independent has reached out to the New York City Police Department for comment.
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The two victims killed in the horror New Years Eve attack in Rochester, New York, have now been identified.

Justina Hughes, 28, of Geneva and Joshua Orr, 29, of Webster, spent their last night seeing in 2024 together at a rock concert at the Kodak Center.

At around 12.52am on New Years Day, they had just left the event and were riding as passengers in an Uber leaving the venue.

But, as the Mitsubishi left the parking lot, a Ford SUV driven by 35-year-old suspect Michael Avery smashed into the vehicle, before ploughing through a crowd of pedestrians on a crosswalk.

Not even an hour into 2024, the two concertgoers had lost their lives.

Avery died hours later from his injuries. The Uber driver was also taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

At least nine pedestrians were also injured in the intentional crash, Rochester Police Chief David Smith said on Tuesday.

At least one victim has been left with life-altering injuries while all others should make a full recovery.

Hughes family confirmed her death in a statement to local outlet WHAM.

The family said that she and Orr were best friends and so they were taking peace from the fact that the pair had spent their last moments together enjoying their passion and friendship.

The best friends attended a Grateful Dead tribute concert together to ring in 2024 (Provided photo/WHAM)

The pair will forever be heroes as many other lives were saved because they became, albeit unaware, a shield for others, when the Ford SUV struck their car first before the crowd, the family said.

Orrs family echoed this, saying in a statement to the outlet that he is a hero and saved countless lives from being taken away from our community.

His family are also taking comfort in the knowledge that he spent his final moments enjoying live music  something he loved most.

On New Years Eve, Josh was doing his favourite thing in the world, attending a Grateful Dead tribute band when he was taken from us, they said.

Orrs partner Brit Abbott described him as the kindest man as she said she will miss him for the rest of my life.

Avery was named as the suspect in the intentional crash that killed the two victims on Tuesday.

Their car was struck by a speeding Ford, killing them both in the early hours of the morning (WHAM)

Investigators are still unsure as to what motivated him to drive at speed towards the crowd.

Police said in a press conference on Tuesday that there was no evidence of terrorism or any political or social motives.

The suspects family believed he had a possible undiagnosed mental health issue, police said.

The crash caused a huge blaze that took firefighters almost one hour to extinguish, Chief Smith said.

Michael Avery, 35, who drove the Ford with gas canisters inside died on Monday night (Rochester Police Department/X)

Once the fire was contained and put out, first responders at the scene found an unusual amount of gasoline canisters in and around the striking vehicle.

In total, police said there were at least half a dozen gasoline canisters found lying on the street and in the vehicle.

On Tuesday, Chief Smith confirmed that Avery had bought these gasoline products from various stores in the Ontario area on 30 December.

The Independent has contacted the Rochester Police Department for further information.
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The man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie is facing a potential delay to his trial due to the authors plans to publish a book about the attempt on his life.

Hadi Matar, the man charged with repeatedly stabbing Mr Rushdie on stage in New York in 2022, is entitled to the manuscript and related material from the book as part of his trial preparation, Chautauqua County Judge David Foley ruled in a pretrial conference.

The decision means the trial, which was due to begin on 8 January, may now be delayed until Mr Matar and his attorney receive a copy of the books manuscript  either in advance from the publisher or once the book has been publicly released in April.

The judge gave Mr Matar and his attorney until Wednesday to decide if they want to go ahead with the delay.

Defence attorney Nathaniel Barone said he favoured the delay but would consult with Mr Matar.

Its not just the book, Mr Barone said after court.

Every little note Rushdie wrote down, I get, Im entitled to. Every discussion, every recording, anything he did in regard to this book.

The trial of the man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie may be delayed (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Representatives for Mr Rushdie, 75, previously denied a request from prosecutors to obtain for a copy of the manuscript, citing intellectual property rights, district attorney Jason Schmidt said.

There were recordings of it, he said.

Mr Rushdie, who was left blinded in his right eye and with a damaged left hand following the 2022 attack, announced in October that he had written about the attack in an upcoming book: Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.

Speaking about the memoir at the time, he said it was a necessary book for me to write: a way to take charge of what happened, and to answer violence with art.

Trial preparations were reportedly already under way when the defence and prosecution learned about the book.

The attack on Mr Rushdie came after he had spent years in hiding following the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses.

Hadi Matar, the man charged with repeatedly stabbing Salman Rushdie (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

After the books release, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 edict, a fatwa, calling for his death and condemning the book as blasphemous due to its passages referring to the Prophet Muhammad.

Since then, Mr Rushdie has received death threats and has been the target of several other failed assassination attempts.

The motive for the 2022 attack remains unknown, however Mr Matar previously toldThe New York Post in a jailhouse interview that Mr Rushdie had attacked Islam.

Mr Matar was charged with attempted murder and pleaded not guilty. He is being held in jail without bond.
 Close Young Thug criticises Andre 3000

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The hotly-anticipated trial of the rapper Young Thug is back under way in a courtroom in Atlanta, Georgia, after being derailed when a codefendant was stabbed in jail.

In May 2022, Young Thug, real name Jeffery Williams, was arrested and charged in a sprawling RICO indictment along with 27 other defendants.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis  who is using the same law to prosecute Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case  accused the suspects of being part of a criminal street gang named YSL or Young Slime Life.

According to prosecutors, the gang is responsible for multiple violent crimes, including murders, shootings, carjackings and racketeering. Young Thug denies the accusations and insists YSL is simply his record label  Young Stoner Life.

The trial has been undoubtedly rocky. Shannon Stillwell, a YSL co-defendant, was stabbed multiple times in jail by a fellow inmate in December. The incident led to the trials postponement until 2 January.

When the trial resumed on Tuesday, Young Thug instantly sparked speculation online around what he was wearing under his shirt.
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Alan Dershowitz has said that he wants every last document and piece of paper relating to late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to be publicly released  asserting that it will prove that he did nothing wrong.

Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre previously accused the former Donald Trump attorney and Harvard Law School professor of sexual abuse, claiming that she was trafficked by Epstein to Mr Dershowitz for sex.

Following the accusations, contentious legal battles between Mr Dershowitz and Ms Giuffre rumbled on for the next three years.

Then, in November 2022, Ms Giuffre admitted that she may have made a mistake in identifying Mr Dershowitz as one of her abusers. Lawsuits were then dismissed on both sides.

Now, up to 200 Epstein associates are set to be unmasked after a judge ordered the unsealing of court documents in a now-settled lawsuit brought by Ms Giuffre against Epsteins accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

Many of the documents have previously been publicly released  though hundreds of names were redacted in the filings.

The filings are poised to be released any day now, after the judge ruled that they could be unsealed after 1 January.

Speaking on NewsNation on Tuesday, Mr Dershowitz said he wants all documents released in the case  accusing the judge of holding back some filings.

The reason I wanted everything put out and I dont think the judge put everything out, I think she was selective in what she put out and thats unfair, he said.

I want everything out, every document, every piece of paper, half-truths or lies, and I wanted them out for personal reasons because I know that they would prove what Ive said from day one  that I did nothing wrong.

Mr Dershowitz pointed out that the woman who accused me later admitted that she may have misidentified me, confused me with someone else.

Alan Dershowitz has always denied any wrongdoing in connection to Jeffrey Epstein (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

So I wanted everything out right from the beginning because I have nothing to hide, he added.

The Harvard professor  who represented Mr Trump in his first impeachment trial and OJ Simpson in his infamous murder trial  went on to defend the Epstein associates whose names will soon be released.

He said that individuals might be ashamed about their association with the serial abuser and sex trafficker but that it does not mean they are guilty of wrongdoing.

You could judge them for having shown bad judgement, but you cant conclude that any accusations against them are true without hearing the evidence, he said.

He later added: There are some people who may be ashamed of the fact that they hung out with Epstein but remember a lot of people hung out with Epstein before he was convicted.

Presidents of Harvard, deans, Nobel quality scientists, he was very well thought of in the beginning.

Mr Dershowitzs name could be one such name on the list, Fox News Sean Hannity speculated this week.

But, as Mr Dershowitz stated, an individual being named in the documents does not necessarily mean they are accused of any wrongdoing.

Ms Giuffre filed the defamation lawsuit against Maxwell in 2015, after the woman who would later be convicted as a sex offender accused her of lying about the abuse she suffered at Epsteins hands.

The suit was settled in 2017 but was placed under a protective seal  with the identities of those named in the filings kept under lock and key.

Jeffrey Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell (AP)

Following some legal wrangling  after The Miami Herald sued for the documents to be released and Maxwells legal team sought to block it  US District Judge Loretta Preska ruled last month that the trove of documents could be released and the names unsealed in full.

While the federal judge ordered the names of several Epstein victims to remain anonymous, she said that there was no legal justification to keep the names of Epsteins associates redacted as John and Jane Does.

This has now paved the way for several famous figures to find themselves tied to the notorious disgraced financier.

While Mr Dershowitz has always denied any wrongdoing, he did know Epstein.

Flight logs have previously revealed that he flew on Epsteins private jet  nicknamed the Lolita Express  multiple times between 1998 and 2005.

In 2015, he admitted that he had once received a massage at Epsteins home.

Since then, he has repeatedly defended the massage, saying that there was nothing untoward about the encounter  telling The Hill TVs Rising show that it was carried out by a middle-aged woman named Olga.

Mr Dershowitz also represented Epstein in his first criminal trial in Florida, where he was handed a widely-condemned sweetheart deal.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.

Maxwell was convicted of child sex trafficking in 2021 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
 Close Which big names are on Epsteins list?

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Over the past week thousands of pages of court documents relating to late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, have been made public after US judge Loretta Preska ordered the release of filings in a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.

The documents named scores of prominent figures including, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Victorias Secret boss Les Wexner. Being identified through the court documents does not mean that the individual was involved in or aware of any wrongdoing by Epstein.

The final batch of documents, released on Tuesday, included depositions from Ms Giuffre, Maxwell and Epstein.

In Epsteins deposition, he was questioned about his campaign of abuse of young and underage girls. He pleaded the Fifth over 1,000 times.

In Maxwells deposition, she was confronted with disturbing messages left for Epstein  one of which referenced what appeared to be code for procuring an underage Russian girl for Epstein. She is two times eight years old. Not blond. Lessons are free and you can have your first today if you call, it read.
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Multiple state capitol buildings across the country have reopened after they were evacuated Wednesday morning following a series of bomb threats.

The warnings were sent via email to the offices of several secretaries of state.

In Kentucky, state legislators were evacuated one day after the start of their legislative session, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

It appeared that state officials received the same email that was distributed to other secretaries of state. The email reportedly stated that bombs had been placed in state capitols throughout the US, though the contents of the message have not been revealed by authorities.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a statement calling the threats a hoax.

The agency said it had no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, adding that it would be working with state and local partners to investigate the incident.

The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk, the agency concluded. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.

In a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Gov Andy Beshear, confirmed that everyone inside the building was safe but noted that Kentucky State Police had ordered the evacuation of all individuals. He later announced that the building had reopened following a sweep of the premises.

He said the agency is aware of similar threats made to other officers across the country. Michigan, Connecticut, Georgia, Mississippi, Minnesota, Hawaii, Maine and Montana also issued evacuations at their state capitols or government buildings on Wednesday morning.

However, its not clear how many state offices received the threats. State capitols in Montana, Hawaii, Connecticut, Georgia and Mississippi had reopened by Wednesday afternoon, while Michigans will remain closed for the remainder of Wednesday.

Mr Beshear added: We thank our first responders for their quick response and we will provide more updates. Kentucky lawmakers began their legislative session on Tuesday January 2, as did lawmakers in Mississippi.

In Connecticut, the state capitol in Hartford was briefly shut for an inspection and then reopened after officials determined the building to be safe, according to the Greenwich Time. Lawmakers were not in session when the threat was received. The Connecticut Capitol is currently undergoing a $54m renovation project.

The newspaper reported that the state is working with federal partners to investigate the matter.
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After a string of domestic violence-related shootings over the holidays, a gun safety group underscored the need for the Supreme Court to uphold a federal law in a case concerning domestic abusers ability to possess firearms.

The group, Everytown for Gun Safety, sent out a release on Tuesday highlighting a series of fatal shootings stemming from domestic violence across the country.

In New York, a police sergeant shot and killed his wife and two sons before taking his own life over the holiday weekend. In Chicago, on 31 December a woman was fatally shot by a man whom she had a protective order against, ABC7 reported. In Baltimore, a woman was shot by her boyfriend in a parking garage on New Years Day, according to CBS News.

Although not mentioned by Everytown, in Dover, Massachusetts a married couple and their daughter were found dead in their luxurious mansion on 28 December. Investigators later found that the father shot his wife and daughter before turning the gun on himself.

Everytowns release stated, Gun violence and domestic violence are inextricably linked. The gun safety group then turned to United States v Rahimi, which the nations highest court heard arguments for in November.

The case centres on the constitutionality of a federal law that prohibits a person who is subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a gun.

Currently, 32 states have laws on the books that prohibit firearm possession by individuals under a domestic violence restraining order and 22 states have laws that require individuals subject to a domestic violence restraining order to surrender their firearms, Everytown wrote, if the Supreme Court sides with abusers over survivors, each of these state-level laws could also be put on the chopping block.

This year all eyes are on the Supreme Court to overturn the Fifth Circuits deadly decision and protect domestic violence survivors, the group added.

In 2019, a court forced Zackey Rahimi to relinquish his gun after his then-girlfriend obtained a two-year restraining order against him; despite the courts ruling, Rahimi was involved in five separate shootings across a two-month period.

He was charged with violating the federal restraining order gun law, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to prison. However, Rahimi then argued that the law infringed on his Second Amendment rights. Although the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals initially upheld the courts decision, after the Bruen decision, the Fifth Circuit reversed its ruling.

After hearing oral arguments, the justices seemed inclined to uphold the federal law banning firearms from identified dangerous individuals. The decision is expected in late June.
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The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling in Texas that allows the state to ban emergency abortions, saying the current federal statute in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) does not preempt the state law that outlaws the procedure.

In a ruling on Tuesday, the conservative-majority appeals court said the US Department of Human Health Services (HHS) erred in their interpretation of the EMTALA when the agency issued guidance in May 2023 to all hospitals participating in Medicare.

The decision is a blow to abortion rights activists in Texas who have been fighting to expand abortion access in the state.

The HHSs guidance told hospitals they were obligated under EMTALA to offer stabilizing care to patients who need emergency care and that the federal statute overrode any anti-abortion state laws that did not include exceptions that met EMTALAs emergency medical condition definition.

However, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged the guidance saying no part of the law authorised the federal government to compel healthcare providers to perform abortions.

The Fifth Circuit agreed with Mr Paxton and the district court, adding, EMTALA does not provide an unqualified right for the pregnant mother to abort her child.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (AP)

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, Texas enacted a strict anti-abortion law that criminalises nearly all abortions before a fetal heartbeat is detectable except in some vaguely-described situations.

However, due to the laws unspecific nature, doctors have been unable to confidently provide the necessary care for pregnant patients who seemingly meet the laws exceptions. Last month, Mr Paxton sent letters threatening legal action to hospitals where Kate Cox, a woman seeking a medically necessary abortion, could have obtained care.

The HHSs guidance, issued shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, was an attempt to persuade states to allow for medically necessary abortions to continue in order to prevent death or health risks.

Under the 1986 law, EMTALA, hospitals that receive federal funding must treat or stabilise a patient regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. However, the law does not explicitly mandate which medical treatments are necessary.

The Fifth Circuit said the HHSs guidance goes beyond EMTALA by mandating abortion.

Rochelle Garza, the President of the Texas Civil Rights Project and current Democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General, called the ruling deeply disturbing.

Hospitals and doctors should not have their hands tied when attempting to provide life-saving care for their patients. This cruelty, spearheaded by AG Paxton, puts women in life-threatening danger, Ms Garza wrote on X.
The fourth C919, China's first self-developed narrow-body jet, was delivered to its first global customer China Eastern Airlines on Tuesday morning in Shanghai.

Taking off from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 9:44 am and landing at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 10:02 am, the jet coded as B-919E officially joined China Eastern's aircraft fleet, according to the Shanghai-based carrier.

In 2024, China Eastern is expected to receive the C919 aircraft from the jet's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) in accordance with the schedule.

After a successful maiden commercial flight conducted between Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and the Beijing Capital International Airport on May 28, the C919 aircraft is currently serving travelers between Shanghai and Chengdu since May 29, 2023.

In addition to the first five C919 jets purchased in 2021, China Eastern on September 28, 2023 inked a deal with COMAC to buy another 100 C919 aircraft, which is the largest single order in the history of the homegrown jet C919.
City

 Bennie J. Cooper, 35, of Auburn, was charged Feb. 6 with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

 Connor M. Donovan, 39, of Owasco, was charged Feb. 6 with driving while intoxicated first offense and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle property damage accident.

 Matthew S. Elmore, 47, of Auburn, was charged with Feb. 6 with possession of a mislabeled dangerous drug.

 Sarah E. Kirkey, 40, of Groton, was charged Feb. 6 with aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger first offense, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level of at least 0.08 of 1% first offense, driving while intoxicated first time and endangering the welfare of a child.

 Thomas F. Poirer II, 22, of Mentz, was charged Feb. 6 with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

 Phillip J. Rhim Sr., 40, of Auburn, was charged Feb. 6 with second-degree burglary and petit larceny.

 Vell K. Smithers Jr., 24, of Auburn, was charged Feb. 6 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

 Alissa M. Dean, 22, of Gobles, Michigan, was charged Feb. 7 with third-degree assault and petit larceny.

 Heather M. Farrell, 47, of Auburn, was charged Feb. 7 with endangering the welfare of a child.

 James O. Hamilton, 23, of Gobles, Michigan, was charged Feb. 7 with third-degree assault.

County

 Ashlie M. Britton, 36, of Sterling, was charged Feb. 6 with third-degree menacing.

The records page: Police blotter, restaurant inspections and more Visit the records page of auburnpub.com to see The Citizen's latest police blotter, restaurant inspections, property transfers and building permits.
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One year from now, President Joe Biden will either be a victorious first-term president preparing for his second and final four years in office, or a defeated one-termer presiding over a transition for a man who tried to prevent him from taking office four years earlier and spent the last four years undermining him and denying his very legitimacy, all with the aim of reshaping the American government into an instrument of personal revenge.

At the moment, its not clear at all which of those outcomes will come to pass. But with the days until next years general election passing with what seems to be increasing speed each month, Mr Bidens team appears confident in their plan to win the coming rematch which their putative opponent  former president Donald Trump  has called the final battle for the country itself.

And despite the more than 90 felony charges he faces as he runs to be the first ex-president to reclaim the White House since Grover Cleveland accomplished that unprecedented feat more than a century ago, the team behind Mr Trump has reason to smile as the year comes to a close.

According to RealClearPolitics aggregation of prominent opinion polls, the disgraced former president holds a 2.3 per cent lead over Mr Biden in the sites average of surveys, with Mr Trump garnering as much as a 10-point advantage in some polls. And in the weeks since Israel began its military response to the 7 October terrorist attacks by Hamas, Mr Bidens support among Muslim and Arab-Americans  two key voting blocs in must-win swing states such as Michigan  has plummeted.

With a GOP structural advantage in the US electoral college that essentially forces any Democratic presidential candidate to overperform in terms of turnout and a popular vote advantage if he or she harbours any hope of winning the presidency, one might think Mr Bidens inner circle would be alarmed, particularly given Mr Trumps designs on using the executive branch as a cudgel against his real or perceived enemies  and their families.

But Mr Bidens camp isnt wringing their hands just yet.

In public, the presidents most visible lieutenants have made a point to avoid invoking this years election or crossing the line into partisan politics, lest they run afoul of a New Deal-era law known as the Hatch Act.

But in private conversations with The Independent and in publicly released documents, both the Biden White House and the Biden re-election campaign are confident that next year will bring a reversal of fortune in the 46th presidents poll results, particularly since it is almost certain that Mr Trump, the man who Mr Biden bested nearly four years ago, will once again be his opponent next November.

A memorandum from Mr Bidens campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, lays out what Mr Bidens political apparatus views as the stakes for next years contest.

Ms Rodriguez writes: The choice for the American people in November 2024 will be about protecting American democracy and the very individual freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Continuing, she says Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will use next year to draw contrasts between them and Mr Trump, who she describes as an existential threat to democracy who is currently running a campaign on revenge and retribution  and at the expense of Americans freedoms.

There are deep fears about our freedoms being eroded and our democracy being dismantled  election denialism, efforts to undermine our countrys democratic institutions, and forces that aim to restrict the right to vote itself. All at the direction of Donald Trump, who remains a real and credible threat to our democracy, she writes, adding later that Americans should expect to hear more from President Biden, Vice President Harris, and our campaign drawing this important and sharp contrast  but also about how this fundamental difference between the candidates impacts our future.

And in a conference call with reporters held on Tuesday, the Biden-Harris campaign manager made even more clear that the presidents brain trust believes this years campaign will be about protecting our democracy and every American's fundamental freedoms rather than a contest between competing philosophies of governing.

When Joe Biden ran for president four years ago, he said we are in the battle for the soul of America. And as we look towards November 2024, we still are, she said. The threat Donald Trump posed in 2020 to American democracy has only grown more dire.

Another top Biden campaign aide, deputy campaign manager Quinton Fulks, told reporters that Mr Biden will use upcoming appearances this month  including one on the anniversary of the January 6 attack on the Capitol  to highlight the threat posed by Mr Trump and hammer home how the defeated former president has become yet more dangerous as a challenger to the sitting president.

Mr Biden, he said, will mark that grim anniversary at the Valley Forge historical site in Pennsylvania, by contrasting Mr Trumps refusal to accept defeat and relinquish power nearly four years ago to the example of George Washington, the Revolutionary War commander turned first President of the United States, who voluntarily gave up the immense power bestowed on him and set a precedent that would hold for more than two centuries.

President Biden will lay out the stakes of this election near Valley Forge the same spot where nearly 250 years ago, our nation's forefathers transformed a disorganized alliance of colonial militias to a cohesive coalition united in their fight for our democracy, where General Washington united American willpower and went on to lead this nation as commander and as president before relinquishing power, the ultimate precedent in the experiment of American democracy, he said.

Mr Fulks also said the president would make the case directly that democracy and freedom, two powerful ideas that united the 13 colonies and that generations throughout our nation's history fought and died for ... remain central to the fight we are in today.

Every single day Donald Trump tells us point blank if he wins a second term, he will do everything he can to dismantle American democracy and strip Americans of their ... fundamental freedoms. He's promised to be a dictator on day one ... we should take him at his word, he added.

The shift in the tempo of Mr Bidens thus-far sleepy re-election bid comes as Mr Trump appears poised to lock up more than a majoritys share of support from his party, and for some in the presidents orbit, the new pace is coming not a moment too soon.

Donald Trump has called the next election the final battle for America itself (AFP via Getty Images)

While many of the veterans of Bidenworld in his inner circle have willingly submitted to his desire to spend the last three years being seen as a president at work, rather than as a candidate for re-election, others in his employ have privately chafed at the 46th chief executives reluctance to go on offence, either by more directly going after Mr Trump over the multiple criminal cases against him, or by using his successes on the world stage to draw contrasts between himself and his anti-Nato, pro-authoritarian opponent.

One ex-Biden 2020 staffer pointed to Mr Bidens performance at the November Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he served as host and successfully rolled out a new trade framework and supply-chain agreement encompassing 15 Indo-Pacific nations, as well as a host of other international engagements that have ended with positive results for the US, as the sort of thing his re-election campaign should have been crowing about from the start.

Trump will spend the next year screaming America first, lying about his record on trade and Nato, and bragging about raising taxes on Americans through tariffs like a complete ignoramus. Our guy hasnt shoved a single world leader, but people see Trump as strong because he brags non-stop. He needs to start bragging, the staffer said.

Indeed, as the year drew to a close, the White House press operation began sending out releases touting the presidents successes here and abroad, while hitting out at the GOP for hurting US national security by leaving town for the holidays without having passed the supplemental defence funding bill Mr Biden asked for months ago.

One memo from Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates released just before Christmas spelled out the stakes and slammed House and Senate Republicans for actively undermining our national security interests both domestically and the world  because theyd rather go on vacation than do their jobs.

Months ago, President Biden released a concrete plan to address critical national security issues  including standing with Israel against the Hamas terrorists that just committed the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, continuing to help Ukraine defend its freedom and democracy against Russian tyranny, protecting our interests in the Indo-Pacific, and making our border more secure, he wrote, adding later that the GOP is blocking those national security proposals, all of which will make American families safer  and all of which are infinitely more affordable than the cost of dithering because theyd rather have a 3-week vacation than buckle down and meet the moment.

One Democratic operative with experience over the last few presidential cycles said Mr Bates memo hit all the right notes. But the veteran campaign hand wondered why Mr Bidens staff is spitting fire in written form instead of putting their boss out there to throw hands on the stump.

One reason Trump is polling better than he should be is because the president isnt getting seen. Hes not campaigning, and if he doesnt get out there, the cake is going to get baked without him.

But other operatives close to Mr Bidens campaign told The Independent that the hand-wringing and bedwetting being exhibited in some Democratic circles is overblown and premature.

They noted that Mr Bidens strategy since he took office has been to build up Democratic National Committee infrastructure and bolster the various state Democratic parties, rather than keep his own organisation in place.

And while they acknowledged that some of Mr Bidens polling has been lacklustre in the face of a resurgent campaign by Mr Trump, multiple Bidenworlders pointed to unprecedented successes in multiple elections since the 2022 midterms, including special elections and referenda in key states, as well as off-year results showing Democratic voters turning out in support of reproductive rights.

The result, they say, is a show of strength for the party in power that portends a positive result in next years general, as long as Mr Biden and his team do the work.

One Democratic strategist who has been an evangelist for this positive view, Simon Rosenberg, recently expressed this exact brand of optimism in an MSNBC op-ed.

He wrote that key economic indicators, including consumer sentiment, wage growth, labour force participation rates and new business formation have been at historically elevated levels, while gas prices, rent rates and crime rates are dropping.

He also pointed out that the Democratic Party prevented the historical down ballot struggle of the party in power and had two remarkably successful elections over the last two years, and garnered margins in statewide elections in last years midterms that exceeded Mr Bidens margins of victory in the last presidential contest.

Mr Rosenberg summed up his thoughts on the state of the race during an appearance on MSNBC when asked about his column.

I would much rather be us than them, he said.
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Ohio GOP Rep Bill Johnsons early resignation from the House has further narrowed the Republicans already slim majority in Congress.

Mr Johnsons office said on Tuesday that his last day in office will be 21 January ahead of him becoming the president of Youngstown State University by March.

He said in a resignation letter to Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine and Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson that his district is proud and patriotic, but added that it has been disregarded by Americas elites.

These blue-collar communities, like countless others in flyover county were critical in building our great nation and will play a pivotal role in Americas future. I am extremely humbled to have been repeatedly elected to serve them, he said, according to WFMJ.

Following Mr Johnsons departure, the House will have 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats and three vacancies, which means that the GOP will only be able to lose two votes on any party-line issues if theres full attendance.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy left the chamber on 31 December and New York GOP Rep George Santos was expelled last month.

The now even slimmer majority could make things difficult as the House must pass spending bills to keep the government open. Other sensitive issues for the lower chamber to deal with include funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia and for Israel as its operations in Gaza continue following the 7 October attack by Hamas.

The legislation for government funding has been set up to run out in two tiers, with part of the funding expiring on 19 January and the second part having a deadline of 2 February  after Mr Johnsons planned departure.

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) talks to reporters following a GOP conference meeting at the Republican National Committee offices on Capitol Hill on February 28, 2023 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

A special election to replace Mr Santos in New Yorks third Congressional District has been set for 13 February, where former Democratic Rep Tom Souzzi has been nominated by his party to try to take back his old seat that he left to run for governor.

The Republicans have nominated Mazi Melesa Pilip who serves in the Nassau County Legislature. Born in Ethiopia, she immigrated to Israel at the age of 12 before moving to the US in 2005.

The race has been labelled a tossup, with one poll showing Mr Souzzi three points ahead of Ms Pilip.

New York Democratic Rep Brian Higgins is set to leave the House next month, giving the GOP some breathing room.

Ive always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community, the 64-year-old said in a statement, according to The Hill. But the pace in Washington, DC can be slow and frustrating, especially this year.

Therefore, after thoughtful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave Congress and explore other ways I can build up and serve Buffalo and Western New York, he added.

It was nineteen years ago this month that I was first elected to serve in Congress and doing this work has truly been the honor of a lifetime, Mr Higgins said.

Ive never lingered on Capitol Hill, I go there on a mission to change my community and return home on the first flight each week because being in Western New York, talking to people here, provides an urgent reminder of what I was sent to Washington to do, he added.
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Chris Christie has said that the notion that hes set to drop out of the race for the 2024 presidential nomination is crazy despite his dwindling poll numbers and his failure to qualify for the next Republican debate.

The former New Jersey governor and Trump ally turned top critic of the former president appeared on MSNBCs Morning Joe, saying that anybody thinks Im getting out of this race, theyre crazy.

Mr Christie argued that Mr Trumps mounting legal woes will lead to President Joe Biden winning re-election, adding that he wasnt ending his campaign in the face of calls from other Republicans that he call it quits, The Hill noted. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who has endorsed former Trump UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, appeared on CNN on Sunday arguing that the Christie campaign is at a dead end.

Eventually, I think a large number of Republican voters are gonna say, This is destined to reelect Joe Biden, Mr Christie said on MSNBC. Thats something that I think one of the only things that unites most Republicans is that they dont want to reelect Joe Biden. And so Im gonna continue to fight this as the only person whos taking him on directly, and [Nikki Haley] can play for his vice presidential nomination.

Mr Christie rejected concerns that he didnt qualify for the Iowa debate on CNN set for 10 January between Ms Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, noting that he hasnt campaigned in the Hawkeye State.

Ive hit every mark that you needed to make that have been artificially set either by the [Republican National Committee] or by some of the networks, and the only place where I didnt mean it was a place like Iowa where I hadnt campaigned, run one TV commercial or even showed up, he said.

In FiveThirtyEights polling average of New Hampshire as of 3 January, Mr Christie was at just over 11 per cent, compared to Ms Haley at 25.7 per cent and Mr Trump at just over 44 per cent.

In national polling, Mr Christie is at 3.4 per cent, compared to Ms Haley at 11.2 per cent, Mr DeSantis at 12.1 per cent, and Mr Trump at 61.8 per cent.

I view this as a fight for not only the soul of my party, but for the soul of our country, and who were going to be, what kind of government do we want? And so, why should that fight be determined by polls? Id rather have people vote, Mr Christie said on MSNBC.

And if I lose, then Im gonna have to reevaluate, you know, all of this, but I havent lost anything yet, he argued.

Mr Christie also slammed his competitors for committing to pardoning Mr Trump if hes convicted and theyre elected president.

Appearing on The View on Wednesday, Mr Christie said no repeatedly before host Joy Behar was even finished asking if he would pardon the former president.

As a governor, I issued pardons, he noted. And one of the things you have to do is look at the person. The person has to accept responsibility for what they did. Do you think Donald Trump will ever accept responsibility for anything he did?

Itd be really the easiest pardon decision I would ever have to make as president, he added. You dont accept responsibility? Too bad. Go to jail.

On CNN, commenting on Ms Haley saying she would pardon Mr Trump, Mr Christie said: As a governor, you cant make these decisions on pardons before you hear what the trial is, what the evidence is.

He said that for a pardon to be issued, there needs to be acceptance of responsibility. Hell never accept responsibility. He never has, never will. So look, shes pandering.
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A federal judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit against Donald Trump brought by the partner of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died a day after being attacked by rioters during the 6 January 2021 insurrection.

US District Court Judge Amit Mehta on Tuesday ruled that Sicknicks partner, Sandra Garza, lacked statutory standing to file a claim against Mr Trump as she was not his spouse or domestic partner under Washington DC law.

[Garzas] contention that a domestic partnership was established simply by Officer Sicknick having identified Garza as his domestic partner in his will finds no basis in the plain text of the statute, Mr Mehta wrote. Garza therefore cannot recover the damages she personally seeks under the Act.

But the judge permitted other parts of the lawsuit on two counts in his split decision, including the allegation that the former president and two men, Julian Khater and George Tanios, who were accused of attacking the officer, were engaged in a conspiracy to violate civil rights.

The judge also dismissed the wrongful death claim in the lawsuit against the two men.

But he rejected Mr Trumps claim of immunity in this case, pointing out that the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has previously determined that he lacks presidential immunity regarding lawsuits related to his actions during the riots.

An attorney for Ms Garza said they were pleased with the judgement and considering the next steps.

Sandra Garza, the long-time partner of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, center, as a video of the Jan 6 attack on the US Capitol is played during a public hearing of the House select committee investigating the attack is held on Capitol Hill (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

We are pleased to see that our lawsuit in pursuit of justice for the late Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection, has been permitted to continue. We are now considering our next step options, to include deposing former President Trump, Mark S Zaid, one of the attorneys, said.

Ms Garza filed the lawsuit against Mr Trump and two others, seeking $10m in damages from each defendant.

The police officers partner, who earlier said they both voted for Mr Trump in the election, said she holds Donald Trump 100 per cent responsible for what happened on January 6 and all of the people that have enabled him, enabled him that day, and continue to enable him now.

Following Sicknicks death, a medical examiner said that the officer, who died a day after the riots, had suffered two strokes caused by a blood clot at the base of the brain stem.

The autopsy said he died of natural causes and found no evidence that he suffered any reaction to sprays used by the two rioters named in the lawsuit.

Charles Sicknick, the father of fallen US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Khater admitted to spraying Sicknick with a chemical irritant and pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting the officer. He was sentenced to 80 months in prison.

Tanios admitted to buying the spray and pleaded guilty on two lesser misdemeanor counts and was sentenced to time served.

In his judgment, Mr Mehta said that he didnt have to determine whether Ms Garza adequately claimed that Khater caused officer Sicknicks death. This is because at a minimum, Officer Sicknicks estate can recover for any pain and suffering that he experienced before his death, and the complaint sufficiently pleads that Khaters actions caused such harm, he said.

Ms Garza, however, took issue with anyone claiming that the police officers death was unrelated to the tragic events that unfolded almost exactly a year ago in the nations capital.

Brian was running from one end of the Capitol to the other end of the Capitol. He was exerting himself. And he was attacked, she said in an interview last year to PBS. All of those factors combined, and being highly stressed, producing a lot of adrenaline and cortisol in the body... [he was] worrying about his colleagues, as well as himself.
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Republican representative Elise Stefanik claimed credit for the resignation of Harvard University president Claudine Gay on Tuesday, after she quit in the wake of a string of plagiarism accusations and an antisemitism row on the campus of the exclusive Ivy League university.

I will always deliver results, Ms Stefanik said in a press statement. The resignation of Harvards antisemitic plagiarist president is long overdue. Claudine Gays morally bankrupt answers to my questions made history as the most viewed Congressional testimony in the history of the US Congress.

Ms Stefanik was part of the committee that questioned the presidents of top US universities, including Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) about campus antisemitism and free speech.

At the time, her grilling of the university leaders mostly centred on protest chants referencing the Palestinian intifada and the slogan from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, which Ms Stefanik interpreted as a call for genocide against Jews.

In a series of heated questions, the New York congresswoman had asked whether students who uttered the phrase would qualify as violating the universities code of conduct on bullying and harassment.

That type of hateful speech is personally abhorrent to me, Ms Gay had said but later emphasised that disciplinary action would depend on the context and that students words need to cross over into conduct targeted at an individual to qualify as bullying and harassment.

The first Black president of Harvard, Ms Gay quit on Tuesday just six months and two days into the job. It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president. This is not a decision I came to easily, she said in a statement.

Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries.

But, after consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.

Meanwhile, appearing on Fox News, Ms Stefanik vowed to continue a congressional probe into colleges.

I think the investigation is going to uncover much, much more, she said. These colleges get billions of taxpayer dollars.

She also took to X to celebrate Ms Gays resignation, and to criticise the university.

TWO DOWN, she wrote. Harvard knows that this long overdue forced resignation of the antisemitic plagiarist president is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.
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Fox News will host a town hall with former President Donald Trump on the same night as his challengers for the Republican presidential nomination appear on stage for a debate just days before the Iowa caucuses.

Both the debate and the town hall will take place in the Hawkeye state on 10 January ahead of the caucuses on the 15th.

Anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will moderate the Des Moines debate set for 9pm ET next Wednesday. The network noted that its the first time that Mr Trump will sit with both of them since May 2020.

Mr Trump last took part in a sit down with Mr Baier in June, speaking about his handling of classified documents for which he was indicted in Florida. He also commented on former members of his Cabinet speaking out against him returning as president, in addition to Russias war in Ukraine.

Both anchors also moderated the first GOP primary debate in Milwaukee in August, which drew 13 million viewers. The viewership for the subsequent three debates has steadily decreased. Mr Trump has so far declined to take part in any of the debates.

The debate next week looks set to be a one-on-one between former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The upcoming caucuses may reveal whos likely to come out as the main alternative to Mr Trump, the overwhelming favourite to win the nomination.

Both Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis are on average more than 30 points behind Mr Trump among Iowa voters, meaning that someone has to emerge as the clear alternative early in the race to even have the slightest chance of beating Mr Trump to the nomination.

No other candidates had qualified for the debate by the Tuesday deadline. At least 10 per cent support in three national or Iowa polls that met the criteria for the host network CNN was required, including at least one poll being of likely participants in the caucuses.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson all failed to meet the requirements.

In a lengthy post on X, Mr Ramaswamy shared his frustration with CNN after he was fact-checked during a town hall regarding the many conspiracy theories he has been pushing on the campaign trail and in the previous debates. He also criticised the negative comments about him from CNN anchors and commentators.
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The White House is hitting out at Republicans failure to approve needed border security funding and their plan to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as House Speaker Mike Johnson and the House GOP continue to blame President Joe Biden and his administration for continuing record migrant arrivals along the US-Mexico border.

It has been more than two months since Mr Biden asked Congress to enact a supplemental appropriations bill to fund critical national defence and security needs, including billions for stepped-up border enforcement and processing of asylum seekers.

The president again called on Congress to act upon his return to the White House on Tuesday when he was asked what he planned to do about the continued glut of migrant crossings.

Mr Biden, who had just alighted from Marine One after a weeklong sojourn in St Croix, told reporters: Weve got to do something. They ought to give me the money I need to protect the border.

Yet despite the presidents repeated entreaties, the supplemental funding bill  including provisions to continue defence assistance to Ukraine and Israel  remains at an impasse over the GOPs demand that Mr Biden agree to draconian changes to US immigration policies meant to make it more difficult  if not impossible  for largely non-white immigrants from South and Central America and other countries to claim asylum at the US-Mexico border or receive protection from removal from the country.

The GOP hostage-taking, which is reminiscent of other Republican-induced crises over funding for the US government and the federal debt ceiling, has held up funding for multiple US defence priorities in recent weeks. But the failure to advance the legislation hasnt stopped the GOP from blaming Mr Biden for record migrant arrivals, and Mr Johnson is continuing the same pattern with a trip leading roughly 60 of his GOP colleagues to the border region on Wednesday.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates panned the Louisiana Republicans inaction in a statement noting that in blocking the funding bill, the GOP had essentially voted to eliminate over 2,000 Border Patrol agents and erode our capacity to seize fentanyl and skip town amid negotiations over a bipartisan compromise bill between Senate Republicans, Democrats and the White House.

In fact, right now, instead of joining the Biden Administration and members of both parties in the Senate to find common ground, Speaker Johnson is continuing to block President Bidens proposed funding to hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents, hire more asylum officers and immigration judges, provide local communities hosting migrants additional grant funding, and invest in cutting edge technology that is critical to stopping deadly fentanyl from entering our country, he said.

He added later that the GOP had obstructed [Mr Bidens] reform proposal and consistently voted against his unprecedented border security funding year after year, hamstringing our border security in the name of extreme, partisan demands.

In addition to Mr Johnsons excursion to the US-Mexico border this week, many of his colleagues in the House of Representatives are planning to launch impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas when they return to Washington next week.

In a statement first reported by CNN, the GOP-led panel announced the completion of what it described as a comprehensive investigation into Secretary Mayorkas handling of, and role in, the unprecedented crisis at the Southwest border.

Following the bipartisan vote in the House to refer articles of impeachment against the secretary to our Committee, we will be conducting hearings and taking up those articles in the coming weeks, the statement said.

Republicans have long accused Mr Mayorkas and Mr Biden of allowing for migrant crossings at the US-Mexico border to reach high levels without enforcing the law.

The Committee will ensure that the public is aware of the scope of Secretary Mayorkas egregious misconduct and refusal to enforce the law, but also that this process is completed promptly and accountability is achieved swiftlyas the American people have demanded, the statement read.

For his part, Mr Johnson said the purpose of his trip on Wednesday is to highlight what he and his colleagues have called a national crisis of undocumented immigrants crossing into the country.

This situation requires significant policy changes and House Republicans will continue advocating for real solutions that actually secure our border, he posted on social media.

Efforts to impeach Mr Mayorkas come as Senate Republicans have demanded that Democrats agree to drastic restrictions to immigration in exchange for providing additional support to Ukraine. Mr Mayorkas has taken part in the immigration-Ukraine negotiations.

Mr Mayorkas pointed that out when he responded to the hearing news on Morning Joe on Wednesday.

I was on the Hill to provide technical advice in those ongoing negotiations, he said. Before I headed to the Hill, I was in the office working on solutions. After my visit to the Hill, I was back in my office working on solutions. Thats what we do working in the Department of Homeland Security.

Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, the right-wing conspiracy theorist congresswoman from Georgia, has long pushed for Mr Mayorkass impeachment.

Ms Greene claimed victory in a statement on X formerly known as Twitter.

I reintroduced my resolution the very next week and pulled it only once I was guaranteed we would impeach Mayorkas in January, she said. Well, Im happy to report that the first official impeachment hearing for Secretary Mayorkas will be taking place next Wednesday!
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Nikki Haley is reporting her strongest fundraising quarter so far as the former governor and ambassador storms into January ascendant in polling, money and attention.

The Haley campaign reported on Wednesday that it had taken in a stunning $24m in contributions in the final quarter of 2023. The total, campaign officials said in a press release, was more than double any previous quarters fundraising sum.

Her impressive haul is indicative of one thing: She is heading into the beginning of primary and caucus season with serious momentum behind her campaign, and may very well now be the Republican with the most credible chance of dethroning Donald Trump as the frontrunner for her partys nomination. Mr Trump remains far ahead of Ms Haley in national polling of the Republican field, but has seen his former representative to the UN close the gap in New Hampshire. She has simultaneously pulled ahead of Ron DeSantis in some Iowa polling, too.

Now, her campaign faces the prospect of delivering an embarrassing rout to Mr DeSantis in the first-in-the-nation contest in Iowa this month; such a victory would propel her into the second state, New Hampshire, with a winners mentality (even if she remains far behind Mr Trump).

Her Q4 fundraising haul is actually only a few million more than the haul Mr DeSantis drew in the immediate wake of his much-hyped campaign announcement last year. The Florida governor, however, has sagged in polling since his entrance into the race and faces continued criticism for robotic-seeming interactions with voters. Her fundraising also lags far behind Mr Trumps Q3 total, though donations to his aligned Save America PAC are also contributing to the former presidents legal defence fund.

Officials with the Trump and DeSantis campaigns have yet to announce their respective Q4 totals.

Next week, Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis are set for a one-on-one debate in Iowa, five days ahead of the caucuses. The two are understood to be battling for second place in the state, while frontrunner Donald Trump continues to refuse to even participate in the traditional practice of debating his opponents live, on camera. Next weeks matchup will be the first debate solely between the two would-be runners-up; CNNs polling and fundraising benchmarks for participation in the contest have excluded lower-performing challengers Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Iowa polling, while sparse, has indicated that Ms Haley is rising in support there too; such a dynamic is devastating news for Mr DeSantis, who had poured much of his campaigns focus and resources into the state while his rival did the same in New Hampshire. He remains the only 2024 Republican candidate (so far) to complete the Full Grassley  a tour of Iowas 99 counties named after the states senior Republican senator. He also enjoys the endorsement of Kim Reynolds, Iowas governor; Ms Haley, in contrast, has won the support of New Hampshires Gov Chris Sununu.

A statement from the Haley campaign on Thursday touting the news of her surge in donations tried to ice Mr DeSantis out of the conversation entirely, suggesting that the collapse in support for his campaign was more pronounced than statewide polling has yet indicated.

This is a two-person race between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, stated Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney in the press release. Nikki is the only Trump alternative with the voter support, the operation, and the resources to go the distance. Our momentum continues to build as we head into 2024.
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The man at the centre of a right-wing conspiracy theory alleging a federal agent incited the January 6 attack could face up to six months in prison after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of disorderly conduct.

Federal prosecutors told a judge on Tuesday that Ray Epps helped inspire and gather a crowd outside the US Capitol, where a mob of Donald Trumps supporters breached the halls of Congress and blocked the certification of 2020 presidential election results.

In an attached letter to the judge, Epps outlined the overwhelming and unbearable waves of guilt, remorse and humiliation that followed, after conspiracy theories amplified across social media and Fox News forced his family into hiding.

I take full responsibility for knowingly trespassing on restricted grounds and as a result unlawfully engaging in disorderly conduct, he wrote. By doing so, not only have I put my wife and family through an ongoing nightmare, but it has also left friends and hundreds of youths I taught and led with serious questions. I have let each of them as well as myself down.

Federal law enforcement officials have repeatedly denied conspiracy theories surrounding Epps, who is suing Fox News and Tucker Carlson for defamation after the now-former network host suggested that he was a government agent who provoked rioters in an attempt to entrap Mr Trumps supporters.

Epps  who supported the former president in 2016 and 2020 and was a loyal Fox viewer at the time  says he has since learned not to put my trust in politicians, Fox News and some other media and social media outlets, only to have them betray me and other American citizens with election lies.

When the lies were exposed, they created a conspiracy to shift the entire blame for the insurrection on the FBI and myself as I became the face of J6, he wrote. The blame for the insurrection is not on the FBI. It is on those who were at the Capitol and engaged in insurrectionist activities and those who misled Americans like myself into believing the election had been stolen.

In his plea for leniency, Epps said the resulting harassment has fragmented our families, taken our livelihood and negatively impacted our health, both physically and mentally.

I am regretful, remorseful, deeply sorry, and angry at myself for attending the protest, he wrote.

Donald Trumps supporters overwhelmed the US Capitol before breaching the halls of Congress to stop the certification of the 2020 election on 6 January, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

In a separate letter to the judge, his wife Robyn Epps wrote that Fox News was the couples exclusive news channel.

After Fox and others spread what she called the Ray Epps conspiracy theory, the couple endured death threats and harassment that put our lives at risk, she wrote.

Their phones were bombarded with threatening messages and frightening voicemails. People drove by their homes waving guns. Bullet casings were found on their property. Couples posed as potential customers for their wedding business only to corner them with questions about Epps. The threats, intruders and fear became so overwhelming they eventually sold their home and business to go into hiding, Ms Epps wrote.

We have suffered under the attacks of Fox News, politicians and social media and have learned how conspiracy theories can grow so quickly, she wrote. They did so because the media and people who are trusted lie, distort the truth and outright make up information for their own benefit or edification.

Another letter from Epps family members said he was thrown under the bus by Fox, Trump and so many other news media for doing what he thought he should to support them.

On his Tucker Carlson Tonight programme, Carlson claimed there is no rational explanation why this mysterious figure who helped stage-manage the insurrection was not criminally charged at the time. They are among two dozen statements cited in Eppss lawsuit, which notes that the claims were not isolated to Carlsons prime-time programme.

Fox repeatedly published defamatory falsehoods about Epps, including by broadcasting and rebroadcasting defamatory statements by Tucker Carlson who devoted over two dozen segments to Epps and by republishing those falsehoods across Fox platforms, according to the lawsuit.

Members of Congress and Mr Trump himself have also platformed bogus claims about Epps and his family on social media and in congressional hearings. In a post that linked to a false claim that Ms Epps worked for Dominion Voting Systems, the voting machine company that has also been subjected to a flood of bogus statements from Trump allies, the former president wrote: Is this really true?

In their sentencing memo, federal prosecutors once again shot down conspiracy theories surrounding the Epps family.

Other than his four years in the Marines, Epps has never been a federal agent, they wrote.

Ms Epps said that when the couple is in a healthier state, they wish to devote themselves to educating people how to know whats true and whats false, how to research information for themselves and how to respond.

We think it is the main reason the [January 6] insurrection occurred, she wrote. We and others were deceived by those same entities and if we can be a small part in reducing its [effect], we want to do so.
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CNN has announced which Republican 2024 candidates have qualified for the next GOP primary debate  and its bad news for some of the presidential hopefuls.

Former president Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley were the only three candidates to make the cut.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie failed to pass the threshold to appear on the debate stage this time round, marking the first time they wont be taking part.

Asa Hutchinson  who didnt meet the requirements for the last debate, yet has so far declined to bow out of the race  also failed to qualify.

Both Mr DeSantis and Ms Haley have already confirmed plans to participate in the 10 January Iowa debate, paving the way for the two candidates to go head-to-head as they vy to take on the clear GOP frontrunner Mr Trump.

The former president meanwhile has refused to take part in any of the primary debates so far, hosting rival rallies and interviews instead.

And this time will be no different.

Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis face off at the last GOP debate (REUTERS)

On the night of 10 January, Mr Trump will take part in a town hall on Fox News  also in the Hawkeye state.

To qualify for the 10 January debate in Iowa, hosted by CNN, the candidates were required to receive at least 10 per cent of votes in three separate national polls and/or Iowa polls of Republican primary voters or caucusgoers.

At least one of the three polls must be a poll of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers approved by the network.

The candidates had until midday on Tuesday to qualify.

As the window of time closed in  and his hopes of meeting the threshold dwindled  Mr Ramaswamy quickly announced that he was dropping out of the debate.

Forget @CNNs fake Iowa debate on Jan 10 which will be the most boring in modern history, he posted on X.

Instead, he said he will be doing a live-audience show that night in Des Moines with @Timcast instead.

While pitching it as his own choice, a mere few hours later it was announced he had not reached the threshold anyway.

The debate comes just five days before the Iowa caucuses, offering a final opportunity for the candidates to impress voters before the GOP primary race really kick off.

The debate will take place at 9pm ET on 10 January at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will act as moderators.
AUBURN  Ian Phillips, who has served as president of the city school board for three years, is running for higher office.

Phillips, of Auburn, is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Assemblyman John Lemondes, a Republican, in the 126th Assembly District. The district includes parts of Cayuga and Onondaga counties.

In an interview with The Citizen/auburnpub.com, Phillips said there two key moments that led to his decision to run for state Assembly.

He recalled traveling to Albany with a group of educators and students to meet with state leaders about education funding for the Auburn Enlarged City School District. There were meetings with state Sen. Rachel May, who represents all of Cayuga County, and members of Gov. Kathy Hochul's staff.

There was also a meeting with Lemondes. Phillips didn't think the assemblyman listened to the district's concerns about state funding.

"He was focused on other issues that were important to him and maybe were important to other people," Phillips said. "Walking out of that meeting, it made me feel like we needed better representation."

The other factor was seeing press releases sent by Lemondes' office. Phillips thinks those statements did not focus on issues of local importance.

"I have this strong belief that the problems that we face, while significant, can be overcome by the solutions within us if we work together," he said. "I feel like extremism and divisiveness and kind of placing the blame on marginalized groups is getting in the way of solving real issues."

Phillips, an Alfred University graduate, began his career as a community organizer in Philadelphia. While there, he was drawn to teaching after seeing students struggle with math. They were three or four years behind, he said, and it was because they didn't have a certified math teacher.

He joined Teach for America, a two-year program that encourages educators to teach in low-income areas. He taught middle school English and social studies in Detroit. He also taught summer school on Chicago's South Side.

"It is very eye-opening," he said. "You take for granted what you have growing up here. I tried to get through to the students that I had and build a rapport with them. I definitely feel like I learned as much from those students as they learned from me."

When Phillips returned to Auburn, he worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei and ran the congressman's district office in the city. He has been active in local politics  he is a past chair of the Cayuga County Democratic Committee. Now, he works as a regional political organizer for New York State United Teachers, one of the most influential unions in the state.

Phillips was elected to the Auburn school board in 2018. He was reelected to another three-year term in 2021. His final term expires at the end of this school year. Instead of seeking a third term, he opted to run for Assembly.

Education is his "bread and butter," he said. It's one of the top issues on his platform as he campaigns for state Assembly.

"I believe education is our investment in the future and making sure we do that in a smart way is really the most critical thing to me," Phillips said.

His other priorities include protecting the lakes and advocating for an affordable economy in central New York.

Republicans have an enrollment edge in the 126th district, but it's not as large as it has been in the past. Active GOP voters outnumber Democrats by about 4,400.

Lemondes, who was elected to succeed the late Gary Finch in 2020, hasn't faced any difficulties in winning the past two elections. In 2022, he won reelection by a 9,000-vote margin. When he was first elected nearly four years ago, he won by a similar total.

Despite Lemondes' past success, Phillips sees a path to victory.

"I think that there's a hunger for somebody who is willing to get things done, who is not going to be an extremist, who wants to hear everybody out, collaborate with each other and try to find solutions to our problems and not talk about the national topic of the day," he said.
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Independent 2024 candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has garnered enough signatures to qualify for the Utah presidential ballot.

This is the first state in which Mr Kennedy has qualified, the Associated Press reported, after meeting the 1,000-signature threshold.

The scion of Americas most famous political family announced in October that he was switching from running for the Democratic nomination to running as an independent candidate.

The third-party candidate is perhaps most known for his anti-vaxx stance  a position that he claims has been constantly misrepresented.

While he made headlines for his anti-vaxx views during the Covid-19 pandemic, he contested at a Congressional hearing that he is not, underscoring that he has taken every vaccine except for the Covid-19 shot.

At the same time, he is suing Google and YouTube  deemed state actors  for censoring his views on vaccinations.

Voters seem divided; FiveThirtyEight polls show Mr Kennedy with 38.5 per cent favourable opinion and 33.6 per cent unfavourable. Meanwhile, his own family has warned against supporting him.

In October, his sister Kerry Kennedy issued a statement, labelling his candidacy as perilous to the country. She wrote, Bobby might share the same name as our father, but he does not share the same values, vision or judgment.

Jack Schlossberg, John F Kennedy Jrs grandson, posted a scathing Instagram video about his cousins candidacy: Ive listened to him, I know him. I have no idea why anyone thinks he should be president. What I do know is his candidacy is an embarrassment.

Despite warnings from his family, as voters become increasingly disenchanted with the two major parties frontrunners  Donald Trump and Joe Biden  the door opens wider for third-party candidates.

A November Quinnipiac University poll showed that Mr Kennedy polled higher than both Mr Biden and Donald Trump among those aged 18 to 29.

Similarly, last month, the Wall Street Journal asked registered voters who they would support in a hypothetical seven-way race: Mr Kennedy came in third, with eight per cent.
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Maines Secretary of State was the target of a swatting just one day after she announced Donald Trump has been disqualified from Maines 2024 ballot.

Police received a call from a man claiming to have broken into Shenna Bellowss Manchester, Maine home, according to a statement from Maine State Police. Ms Bellows was not home on 29 December, and police found nothing suspicious in or around the home when they searched.

The incident remains under investigation, police said.

A swatting incident refers to fake calls to 911 that can lead to heavily armed and armoured law enforcement teams being dispatched.

The day prior, Ms Bellows announced that Mr Trump was ineligible to appear on the states 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment, which bars any person who has engaged in an insurrection from holding office.

The Colorado Supreme Court cited the same amendment when they barred Mr Trump from Colorados 2024 ballot. On 2 January, Mr Trump appealed Ms Bellowss decision in state court.

Several other politicians were also the victims of swatting during the holiday season.

On Christmas Day, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said her familys home was swatted, and that she had received a death threat on social media just days beforehand.

That same day, Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Michelle Wu said she experienced a swatting, local outlet WBUR reported. She told the outlet she is used to it after several previous incidents. On 27 December, US Senator Rick Scott said his home in Naples, Florida was swatted while he and his wife were out eating dinner.
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The White House has condemned South Africas decision to formally accuse Israel of genocide in charges filed at the International Court of Justice, calling the allegations brought by Pretoria meritless.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby slammed South Africas case as being without merit in response to a question at Wednesdays White House press briefing.

Mr Kirby also said that the court submission was counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.

South Africa brought the charges to the United Nationss top court at The Hague on 29 December, citing prohibitions against genocide under international law banning killings or other actions committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

The case accuses Israel of acting in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention while conducting the war against Hamas it has been prosecuting since the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks by the militant group killed more than 1,000 Israelis.

In the intervening months, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said more than 21,000 Gaza residents have been killed, including more than 300 killed in UN-run shelters.

According to the ICJ, Israel is specifically accused of acts and omissions that are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent  to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.

In response, Israel said the South African court action amounts to the country calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.

Israel is committed to international law and acts in accordance with it, and directs its military efforts only against the Hamas terrorist organization and the other terrorist organisations cooperating with Hamas, the Israeli government said in a statement, adding later that Israel Defence Forces make every effort to limit harm to the non-involved and to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
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Donald Trumps attorneys have appealed a decision from Maines top elections official to remove him from 2024 presidential ballots for his actions surrounding the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Last weeks decision from Maines secretary of state Shenna Bellows challenges his eligibility under a provision of the 14th Amendment, which bars any person who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office.

The attack, fuelled by the former presidents false narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, was an attack not only upon the Capitol and government officials, but also an attack on the rule of law, she wrote.

The evidence here demonstrates that they occurred at the behest of, and with the knowledge and support of, the outgoing president, according to her order. The US Constitution does not tolerate an assault on the foundation of our government.

Her decision followed last months historic ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, which similarly disqualified the former president from appearing on the states 2024 presidential ballots, the first court ruling to do so amid a wave of lawsuits challenging his eligibility under the scope of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Mr Trumps appeal now heads to Maines superior court.

His attorneys also are imminently expected to formally appeal the Colorado decision directly to the US Supreme Court, teeing up a politically explosive case at the nations highest court that could have resounding impacts across Mr Trumps campaign and 2024 elections.

The Supreme Court has never issued a decision related to Section 3.

Last week, attorneys for Colorado Republicans pressed the Supreme Court to reverse the Colorado decision, arguing that the state justices interpretation of Section 3 will open the door for anyone to challenge candidates eligibility, and that there is a real risk that the flawed and unprecedented analysis will be borrowed, and the resulting grave legal error repeated.

The nonpartisan watchdog group that launched the Colorado challenge asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to resolve the case on an expedited timetable ahead of the states 5 March elections, so that voters in Colorado and elsewhere will know whether Trump is indeed constitutionally ineligible when they cast their primary ballots.

The decision from Maines top elections official followed three separate challenges to Mr Trumps eligibility from Maine residents and a group of elected officials. State protocol obligates the secretary of state to hear such challenges first.

After reviewing arguments last month, she invited Mr Trump and the plaintiffs to file briefs addressing the impact of the case. She also extended a timeline for a decision to give the parties additional time to submit briefs and review them.

But in Mr Trumps notice of appeal on Tuesday, his attorneys claimed that the process was infected by bias and pervasive lack of due process and is arbitrary, capricious, and characterized by abuse of discretion and unsupported by substantial evidence on the record.

Ms Bellows did not give Mr Trump adequate time and opportunity to present a defense, according to his attorneys.

Disqualifying a presidential candidate from public office, they argue, presents a political question reserved for the Electoral College and Congress.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is not self-executing and requires congressional legislation  of which there presently is none  to give it effect, leaving no role for state officials to play in its enforcement, according to Mr Trumps attorneys.

Last year, Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in New Mexico who was convicted for his role in the 6 January attack, was permanently removed from office under a similar Section 3 insurrection challenge, marking the first successful attempt to disqualify a public official from holding office in more than 100 years.

Mr Trumps attorneys also argue that the section would not apply to him anyway, as he has never served as an officer of the United States, as per the amendment, and has never taken an oath to support the Constitution.

In her filing last week, Ms Bellows said she did not reach this conclusion lightly.

Mr Trump was aware of the likelihood for violence and at least initially supported its use given he both encouraged it with incendiary rhetoric and took no timely action to stop it, according to Ms Bellows.

The weight of the evidence makes clear that Mr Trump was aware of the tinder laid by his multi-month effort to delegitimise a democratic election, and then chose to light a match, she wrote.

Additional reporting by Ariana Baio
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A late-night filing from lawyers for Donald Trump made one final written request to a federal appeals court to grant him immunity from charges stemming from his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The 41-page filing is likely the last step before three-judge panel in Washington DC hears arguments from Mr Trumps attorneys and federal prosecutors on 9 January before making a final decision on whether the former president is immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.

Mr Trumps trial on conspiracy charges surrounding efforts to reverse his 2020 loss is scheduled for 4 March, but the case has effectively been put on hold while the former president appeals. The US Supreme Court declined to fast-track an appeal, letting the immunity question play out as scheduled at the appellate level.

Whatever the outcome of that decision, the immunity question is likely to land right back at the US Supreme Court in the weeks to come, in the middle of Mr Trumps campaign for the Republican nomination for president.

The latest argument from Mr Trumps attorneys cites a lengthy report he posted on Truth Social on Tuesday that revives debunked and unverified allegations of election fraud, relying on reports from fake, far-right and conspiracy theory-driven websites that have amplified Mr Trumps narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from and rigged against him.

Lawyers revived familiar arguments, insisting that the case should be thrown out altogether, and that Mr Trumps acquittal in his second impeachment for inciting the attacks on the US Capitol on January 6 means that he cannot be tried in court for similar crimes.

Impeachment, not criminal prosecution, provides the principal check against alleged presidential malfeasance, attorneys wrote in Wednesdays brief.

His attorneys have long contended that Mr Trumps actions constituted official acts under his presidency, and that prosecuting such actions now would compromise a 234-year unbroken tradition.

The likelihood of mushrooming politically motivated prosecutions, and future cycles of recrimination, are far more menacing and crippling to the presidency than the threat of civil liability, they wrote.

Therefore, the scope of criminal immunity has to be at least as broad as for civil immunity, i.e., the outer perimeter of the presidents official responsibilities, according to Mr Trumps attorneys. All five classes of conduct charged in the indictment fall within that broad scope.

On 1 December, the federal judge overseeing the case ruled that Mr Trumps one term in office did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade criminal accountability.

The United States has only one Chief Executive at a time, and that position does not confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass, wrote US District Judge Tanya Chutkan. A former Presidents exposure to federal criminal liability is essential to fulfilling our constitutional promise of equal justice under the law.

A final filing from attorneys with special counsel Jack Smiths office has urged the appeals court to reject Mr Trumps immunity defence, arguing that no such claim exists in the Constitution or in case law, and that Mr Trumps desperate attempts to cling to power did not constitute official presidential acts.

For the first time in our nations history, a grand jury has charged a former President with committing crimes while in office to overturn an election that he lost. In response, the defendant claims that to protect the institution of the presidency, he must be cloaked with absolute immunity from criminal prosecution unless the House impeached and the Senate convicted him for the same conduct. He is wrong, prosecutors wrote on 30 December.

Separation-of- powers principles, constitutional text, history, and precedent all make clear that a former president may be prosecuted for criminal acts he committed while in office  including, most critically here, illegal acts to remain in power despite losing an election, they added.

Mr Trumps defence implies that a president may use any means necessary to remain in power and evade federal criminal liability for his conduct unless first impeached and convicted, according to the filing from Mr Smiths team.

And his invocation of double-jeopardy principles implies that a Senate acquittal of a former president because he is no longer in office forever insulates him from criminal accountability, they added. Those claims draw no support from our constitutional heritage and, if accepted, would damage bedrock principles of equality before the law. The court should affirm.

The appeals court battle over his immunity claim is among a mountain of legal challenges facing the former president as he campaigns for the White House a third time.

Though the Supreme Court declined to hear Mr Smiths request for its decision on the presidential immunity claim, the question is expected to return to the nations highest court. If the appeals court rules against Mr Trump, his team is likely to appeal. If Mr Smiths argument is rejected, and Mr Trumps immunity defence survives, prosecutors will likely ask the justices to weigh in.

The Supreme Court also is imminently expected to consider whether Mr Trump is even eligible for holding public office under the text of the 14th Amendment, which bars any person who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office.

Colorados Republican Party has appealed a decision from Colorado Supreme Court justices to the high court, which is facing a request to keep his name on the states 2024 ballots.

The former president also has appealed a second state-level decision that finds him ineligible for the presidency to Maines superior court. The states top elections official determined last week that he is disqualified from ballots because of his actions during the Capitol attack on January 6.
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Maine Republican Party chair Joel Stetkis endured a car crash interview with CNN on Tuesday where he repeatedly refused to offer any explanation as to why he objects to Donald Trump being removed from the states GOP primary ballot.

The Pine Tree State is scheduled to vote on who it wants as the Republican nominee to challenge President Joe Biden on Super Tuesday on 5 March.

But, currently, Mr Trump is out of the running in the state.

Maines secretary of state Shenna Bellows ruled on 28 December that Mr Trump would be blocked from the ballot in her state, as he has been in Colorado, under Section Three of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits anyone who has violated their oath of office by engaging in an insurrection from running for office.

Maine Republicans reacted angrily to Ms Bellows decision and immediately vowed to challenge it, as has the Trump campaign, which filed its appeal on Tuesday.

But when asked repeatedly by CNN anchor Boris Sanchez to explain the specific legal basis for his objection to the secretary of states ruling, Mr Stetkis was unable to provide an answer  other than to claim the move was anti-democratic in principle.

Speaking to the networks News Central show from his home in Augusta via Skype, Mr Stetkis said: I think the simplest way we can put this really is you know, weve got an unelected bureaucrat who likes to pretend that shes a lawyer, and shes literally taking away the voters choices in Maine.

You know, here in Maine and across the country, regardless of you know whether they like Donald Trump or not, you know, Bellows is wrong on so many levels, and its getting to the point of really being embarrassing.

Pushed by Mr Sanchez  who remained patient and amused throughout  to elaborate on the precise nature of his opposition, Mr Stetkis insisted: Her decision process was just wrong.

Pressed again, he added: Well, this has so much more to do with the, you know, the suppression of the vote as opposed to Donald Trump. We would  we would oppose this decision, regardless of what Republican [was running].

Asked by Mr Sanchez why he considered Ms Bellows ruling arbitrary, Mr Stetkis continued: Were just opposed to her taking away the rights of the voters to be able to choose the leader that they want to vote for or not.

Boris Sanchez interviews Joel Stetkis on CNNs News Central (CNN)

Eventually wearying of the anchors persistence, the state GOP chair fell back to arguing: No matter how many times, no matter how youre asked, her decision is completely wrong.

He even added that numerous conservative lawyers had already given plenty of legal argument on why shes wrong, implying that it was therefore unnecessary for him to do so.

Finally relenting, Mr Sanchez wrapped up the segment, pointing out that the GOP chair had failed to offer any reasoning for his argument.

I think theres a legal argument to be made. It doesnt seem like you have articulated the exact legal argument and the flaw that you see in her decision, the CNN anchor said.

Nevertheless, Joel, were grateful to have you and get your perspective. Thank you so much for being with us. And happy new year.

In announcing her verdict on Mr Trumps candidacy last week, Ms Bellows wrote: I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.

I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.

She has since reported receiving threatening communications from voters loyal to Mr Trump.
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Watch as Republicans travel to Eagle Pass, Texas, where migrants are arriving at the US-Mexico border to seek asylum.

Speaker Mike Johnson, representatives Tony Gonzales, Mark Green, Jim Jordan, and other House Republicans are expected to attend on Wednesday 3 January.

More than 60 Republicans are to make the trip to the remote border town located 140 miles southwest of San Antonio, where thousands of immigrants have crossed over the past several years.

Im hosting @SpeakerJohnson and my @HouseGOP colleagues in San Antonio tonight and Eagle Pass tomorrow, Mr Gonzales tweeted on Monday.

Well hear from Border Patrol, law enforcement, and stakeholders on the ground.

During an interview with CNN, Mr Gonzales added that the goal is for House Republicans to be focused on solutions towards the border in 2024.

Solving our border crisis needs to be priority number one this Congress, he said, just hours ahead of the visit.
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Vladimir Putins forces have fired at least 500 missiles and drones at Ukraine in just the past five days, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday night, as he updated prime minister Rishi Sunak on Russias attacks against his country.

I spoke with UK prime minister @RishiSunak on Russias continued air terror against Ukrainian cities. Over the previous five days, the enemy has launched at least 500 missiles and drones toward Ukraine, Mr Zelensky said on Tuesday night as he thanked the UK for substantial and comprehensive aid in bolstering Ukraines air defence, particularly with radars, advanced anti-drone systems, and missiles.

The Ukrainian president said he and Mr Sunak spoke about further defence cooperation with a particular focus on air defence and long-range capabilities.

In his nightly video address to the nation, Mr Zelensky said the Russian bombardment was intended to cause maximum destruction to his countrys infrastructure.

Russia is believed to have restocked its aerial weaponry with support from allies Iran and North Korea. On 29 December Putin launched his largest air attack of the war so far, killing at least 39 people.

Speaking shortly after that attack on Ukraine last week, Mr Sunak spoke out to condemn the Russian presidents actions.

These widespread attacks on Ukraines cities show Putin will stop at nothing to achieve his aim of eradicating freedom and democracy. We will not let him win. We must continue to stand with Ukraine  for as long as it takes, he said.

Officials in Kyiv had warned for weeks that Russia appeared to be stockpiling missiles for a big attack.

Mr Zelensky added that on his call with Mr Sunak, the two spoke about productive work on the bilateral agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine following the G7 Vilnius Declaration, which said that while Kyiv will not be given Nato membership, it will be offered some reasonable security protections. We should finalise it as quickly as feasible, Mr Zelensky said.

We also coordinated steps ahead of the fourth Peace Formula meeting of advisers in Davos, discussed the preparation of the leaders Global Peace Summit, and discussed our joint work on specific Peace Formula points, he said.

At least 135 people were injured in the latest missile and drone attacks, including 61 in and around Kharkiv, Ukraines second city in the northeast, and 17 in and around the capital Kyiv, officials from the interior ministry said.

The attack on Tuesday was among the biggest strikes from Russia on Ukraine this winter, with Kyivs defence forces shooting down scores of missiles and rockets in the early hours of the morning.
Coming face-to-face with your newborn baby for the first time is a big moment for a mother, but when Ashley Palmer saw her up close Monday morning, she was surprised at how tiny her child was.

Brooklynn Leigh Smith, who entered the world at 7:24 a.m., is the first child born at Auburn Community Hospital in 2024. Her parents, Palmer and fiance Joseph Smith, who live in the town of Granby in Oswego County, spoke to The Citizen over the phone Tuesday morning. Brooklynn's cries could occasionally be heard in the background as Palmer and Smith tended to her.

The birth went well, Palmer said, though it was stressful at the time.

"Women get through it," she said.

Smith said meeting Brooklynn was a powerful experience.

"It was very overwhelming, at first, considering she's my firstborn," he said.

Brooklynn is Palmer's third child. Preston Pickering, 5 and Willow Pickering, 3, have not met their sibling yet, but Palmer is excited to introduce them.

Palmer, who was hoping to get out of the hospital with Brooklynn later Tuesday or Wednesday, said she was happy to spend time with Smith and their child.

"I was overjoyed with happiness," she said.
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Russia has fired more than 450 missiles and drones at Ukrainian civilian areas over the past week, killing more than 60 civilians and injuring hundreds more. Ukraine has fired dozens of drones and missiles over the Russian border and in Moscow-occupied Crimea in return, as the aerial duel between the two escalates while the frontlines on the ground remain deadlocked.

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD), in its latest intelligence update, suggested that Russia had committed a significant proportion of its stockpiled weapons to carry out the aerial attacks. It added that Russia appears to have transitioned from targeting critical energy infrastructure to Ukraines defence industry  seeking to reduce Kyivs ability to fire missiles and drones. That is an acknowldgement that the Kremlin is expecting a long war of attrition both in the air and on the ground.

Russian planners almost certainly recognise the growing importance of relative defence industrial capacity as they prepare for a long war, the MoD said.

The exponential increase in long-range assaults on Ukraine, much of which has hit the capital of Kyiv, underscores a pressing need for more Western military support at a time when both the US and the European Union have failed to push through additional packages.

A woman carries belongings rescued from an apartment that was destroyed as a result of Russias attack on 2 January (AP)

On Wednesday, Russia said it shot down 12 missiles fired at one of its southern regions bordering Ukraine, as Kyivs forces seek to embarrass the Kremlin and puncture president Vladimir Putin's argument that life is going on as normal despite the 22-month war.

At least 120 towns and cities across Ukraine have been targeted in the last six days, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, the countrys second largest city, which is located in the east, and Odesa and Kherson in the south.

On 28 December, a Russian long-range assault, considered the most aggressive since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February, kicked off what has since been a brutal war in the sky between the two nations. Russia launched 158 missiles and drones on cities and towns across Ukraine, killing 39 people and injuring a further 159.

Ukraine is said to have fired 45 missiles and drones, as well as an undisclosed number Vampire MLRS rockets since the same date. Russian officials say that the Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod, a region that borders northeast Ukraine, have killed at least 26 people and injured more than 110 since the Russian attack on 28 December.

The most significant attack, the Kremlin claims, happened on 30 December, killing at least 25 people. Another person was allegedly killed on Tuesday.

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a rocket attack on a civilian factory in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine (EPA)

Mr Putin has claimed that he is boiling with rage over the attacks on the border from Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have accused the Kremlin of deliberately targeting civilians.

Mykhailo Podolyak, one of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskys top advisors, wrote on Twitter/X this week: Russia continues to massively terrorise the centres of large Ukrainian cities with all types of weapons: ballistics, drones, hypersonic, cruise missiles.

Dozens, hundreds of missiles. Every night. For one purpose only  to kill as many civilians as possible, to terrify them, to drive them underground.

Nato announced on Wednesday that it would help to buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles so that allies can better protect their territory as Russia ramps up its air assault on Ukraine.

Natos Support and Procurement Agency said it will support a group of nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, in buying the Patriots, which are used to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles as well as enemy aircraft.

According to industry sources, the contract could be worth around $5.5bn (4.3bn). The purchase could help allies free up more of their own defence systems for Ukraine.

Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns show how important modern air defences are, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.

Scaling up ammunition production is key for Ukraines security and for ours.

Despite the aerial warfare, Ukraine and Russia announced their first exchange of prisoners of war for nearly five months on Wednesday, with more than 200 freed by each side after what Moscow said was a complex negotiation involving mediation by the United Arab Emirates.

Russias defence ministry said 248 military personnel had been handed over by Ukraine. Kyiv said it had brought home 230 people  224 soldiers and six civilians  in what it said had been the largest documented swap of troops so far. Ukraine also acknowledged the UAEs role in the exchange, without giving details.

Kyiv and Moscow have held many prisoner swaps since the early months of Russias invasion in February 2022. But the rate of the exchanges dropped in 2023 and the last one took place in early August.

Reuters contributed to this report
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The assassination in Lebanon of one of the highest-ranking officials in Hamas followed by devastating bombings in Iran 24 hours later, killing 103 people during memorial ceremonies for Irans most powerful military chief, have heightened fears of bloody conflict spreading across the Middle East.

Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of the Hamas politburo and one of the founders of the groups military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, is the most high-profile adversary to be killed by Israel since the start of the latest Gaza war.

The massacre in Iran, with reports of up to four explosions in a synchronised attack using remote-controlled bombs, took place at the birthplace of Commander Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who died in a targeted drone attack by the US  under the Trump administration  four years ago.

The Iranian government called the attack in the city of Kerman, in which dozens were also injured an act of terrorism without immediately apportioning blame. However, officials were quick to point out that it took place the day after an Iranian opposition figure had appeared at Israels parliament urging the targeting of Iran.

Vahid Beheshti, who had been on hunger strike in London in a campaign to pressure the British government to designate the IRGC as a national security threat, told the Knesset that direct military action was the only answer.

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The apartment building struck by a drone to kill top Hamas political leader Saleh al-Arouri (Getty)

He said: Do not be afraid to attack the heads of the Iranian leadership in Iran  this is the only language they understand. Help us overthrow the government. Try to imagine what the Middle East would look like without the Iranian government.

Beheshti, who is based in the UK, had camped outside the Foreign Office in London in pursuit of his demand that the government proscribe the IRGC as a threat to the UK. He claims that the group has been responsible for ten death threats in the past seven months in the UK. The British-Iranian dual national ended his hunger strike after five months.

Israel has been suspected of carrying out killings of scientists involved in Irans nuclear programme. Last week Tehran said a senior commander of the IRGC, Seyyed Razi Mousavi, was killed during Israeli air strikes in Syria at Sayyida Zeinab, south-east of Damascus. The IRGC declared that the death of Mousavi, who had been an aide to General Suleimani, would be avenged ... Israel will pay for this crime.

Previous bombings causing large-scale casualties in predominantly Shia Iran have been claimed by Arab separatist, and extremist Sunni groups, including Isis. Tehran has, at times, claimed Western and Israeli collusion, without providing evidence.

The killing of Aurori, in a drone strike in Beirut, led to threats of retribution from Hamas and the Lebanese Shia militia, Hezbollah, as well as from Iran, the ally and sponsor of the two groups and others across the region. The Iranian warning had come before the Suleimani memorial explosions.

Top Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri, pictured in 2017, died in a blast outside of Beirut, Hezbollahs TV station says (Reuters)

Arouri was the chief Hamas emissary to Hezbollah and travelled to Tehran a number of times to strengthen ties with the Iranian government. Washington regarded him as a key player in the militant axis against the US and Israel, and had offered a $5m (4m) reward for information about his whereabouts.

In reality, however, Arouris presence in the Lebanese capital for the last five years was long known to Western and Israeli intelligence services : it would not have been difficult to track him down. He was not assassinated in a hidden underground bunker, but at Hamas offices in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh where he was attending a meeting. Five others present also died in the attack.

Israel had accused Arouri of serious acts of violence and plotting upheaval in the past. Nine years ago he allegedly organised the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. The same year he was blamed for planning a coup to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. More recently he was said to have been responsible for an operation last spring in which a salvo of missiles fired from southern Lebanon into Israel.

Arouri had already, by then, spent more than a dozen years in Israeli prison. He had gone into exile in Turkey after being released in 2010 before moving to Lebanon.

In October, after the Hamas raid into Israel which killed more than 1,200 people and took around 240 people hostage, Arouri held talks with the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Ziad Nakhale, the secretary general of Islamic Jihad, another jihadist group based in Gaza to plan resistance.

Emergency services at the site of the bombings in Kerman, Iran (Getty)

The meeting was hardly secret. It was highlighted by Al-Manar, Hezbollahs official broadcaster, which explained that discussions had taken place for consultation in order to achieve an all-out victory and to stop the brutal attack on the oppressed people of Gaza and the West Bank.

So why did the Israelis choose to wait until now to eliminate Arouri, and what effect will this have on the war and geopolitics?

One cannot downplay what has happened. By carrying out the extrajudicial killing in a foreign state of such a major figure, Israel has taken the calculated step of crossing a red line. It is ready, it says, for the consequences.

The Lebanese prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the new Israeli crime intended to spur a new phase of conflict, following daily attacks in the south of Lebanon. His country will present a complaint to the UN security council over the blatant strike on its territory

Hezbollah said the assassination was a serious assault on Lebanon and a dangerous development in the course of war between enemy and axis of resistance  that will not go without a response or punishment. The resistance has its finger on the trigger. Nasrallah, in a speech in Beirut, said that the killing of Aurori was a major crime and that people who died in the Iran attacks were martyrs who died on the same road, cause and battle that was led by Suleimani. He added that if Israel wages war on Lebanon there will be no ceiling and no rules to Hezbollahs fighting.

Thousand of buildings have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the central Gaza Strip (Getty)

One immediate effect of Arouris removal will be on hostage negotiations. He had been one of the main figures in the negotiation to release the batches of those held in Gaza in return for prisoner exchanges, limited periods of ceasefire and aid getting into the territory.

It was this role in the hostage crisis which, according to some Israeli and Western officials, which had made the Israeli intelligence services and the military decide that, for the time being, Arouri was more useful alive than dead.

Hamas announced in the aftermath of the assassination that there will be no more hostage talks. Egypt, one of the main conduits for the negotiations, said it was suspending mediation. An ongoing visit by an Israeli team to Cairo for fresh talks on the issue was cut short.

The Israeli government, and in particular prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been attacked by families of the hostages for its failure in freeing all the hostages, with some dying in the fighting and more than a hundred still held captive.

The latest setback on talks is likely to add to that fierce criticism, and fuel charges from opponents that Netanyahu, facing public inquiries into the massive intelligence and security failures which allowed the Hamas massacre to take place, as well facing separate criminal charges, wants to prolong the conflict out of self-interest.

It is also the case, however, that the Netanyahu government is in need of symbolic victories. The ground offensive in Gaza is grinding on after three months. The Israeli military say that around 8,000 Hamas fighters have been killed, with the groups total strength estimated to be around 30,000. At the same time, the huge toll of Palestinian civilian deaths, more than 22,000 according to Palestinian health authorities, has led to rising international condemnation of Israels conduct.

Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader most identified by the Israeli government and media as the orchestrator of the Hamas atrocities, remains free and alive in Gaza, as does Mohammed Deif, the other senior commander cited for organising the attacks.

The elimination of Saleh al-Arouri was a display of Israels lethal ability to strike its enemies. Others have been similarly targeted successfully in the past.

But this killing, followed by the bombings in Iran, adds greatly to the sense of foreboding about what lies ahead, with no sign of an end to the bloody strife.
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Israel's army says it is prepared for any scenario after the assassination of the deputy leader of Hamas in a strike in Beirut  a killing which has stoked fear of an escalation of the war in Gaza.

While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the drone attack that killed Saleh al-Arouri it called it a "surgical strike against the Hamas leadership". The assassination is a further sign that the nearly three-month war between Israel and Hamas is spreading across the region, drawing in the occupied West Bank, Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, and even Red Sea shipping lanes with container ships between targeting by the Yemen-based Houthis.

Arouri, 57, is the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel began its offensive against Hamas in response to a deadly rampage into Israeli towns on 7 October that killed 1,200 people and saw another 240 people taken hostage. Hamas ally Hezbollah said it was an assault on Lebanese sovereignty.

The Iran-backed, heavily-armed Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the Gaza war began. More than 100 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel. Hezbollah is the largest political and military force in Lebanon and has ministers in the country's government, with fears that a response to the killing of al-Arouri could push Israel's war in Gaza into a wider regional conflict.

"The IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defence and offence," spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari told a briefing. "The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas," he added. Israel had long accused al-Arouri of orchestrating attacks on its citizens

Israeli government adviser Mark Regev also stopped short of confirming Israel had carried out the attack, but he told MSNBC: "Whoever did it, it must be clear that this was not an attack on the Lebanese state.

"It was not an attack even on Hezbollah, the terrorist organisation... Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership. Whoever did this has a gripe with Hamas. That is very clear."

Hezbollah says it has its "finger on the trigger" in response to the killing of al-Arouri. Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is due to make a speech in Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Previously he had warned Israel against carrying out assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a "severe reaction". However, Hezbollah has so far steered clear of increasing its clashes with Israel on the Lebanese border, despite the increasing death toll inside Gaza.

Since the Hamas attack on 7 October Israeli bombardments have laid waste to much of Gaza. Health officials in the Hamas-run territory say more than 22,000 people have killed. Gaza's 2.3 million residents are also engulfed in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute, crammed into shrinking areas in the hope they are safe and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies.

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the occupied West Bank to condemn al-Arouri's killing, chanting, "Revenge, revenge".

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said al-Arouri's killing would "ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers..."

Shortly before al-Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal for Gaza.

He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed "a complete cessation" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages.

Following al-Arouri's killing, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has said it us deeply concerned about the possibility of an escalation "that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the border".

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
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A young Palestinian woman who has lost more than 60 members of her family in Israeli bombardments has said the world is failing Gaza.

Speaking from a cramped house in the southernmost part of the enclave, 26-year-old Aseel Mousa said her home had been destroyed and her family decimated.

While the whole world was celebrating New Year, we were being targeted and killed by Israel, Ms Mousa told the BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

I [have been] waiting for the world to stand for its responsibility and I was waiting for the international community to intervene to help Gaza and to stop this genocide. Actually the whole world has failed Gaza, has failed the children of Gaza.

Ms Mousa is one of hundreds of thousands of people who have lost relatives before fleeing to Rafah, which borders Egypt in southern Gaza, as they look to escape the Israeli air strikes and ground operations.

Israel started the bombardment of Gaza in the wake of a Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October that killed 1,200 people and saw 240 others taken hostage. Air strikes have been backed up by a ground assault and a blockade that has left food, water, fuel and medical supplies running short inside the besieged territory.

As the war nears its fourth month, international pressure on Israel to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians has failed to significantly slow the death toll, while Israel maintains that it is the fault of Hamas for using its own people as human shields.

Humanitarian organisations are now warning that the mass displacement of people is leading to the spread of dangerous diseases.

Israel has recently withdraw some troops from Gaza but officials have said the war will not stop until Hamas is destroyed (via REUTERS)

Health officials in hamas-run Gaza say israeli strikes has killed at least 22,313 people and injured more than 57,000. In the new year, the death toll has already risen by several hundred; some 491 Palestinians have been killed since 31 December, according to the ministry.

Ms Mousa said the majority of her family, many of whom were women and children, were killed during Israeli airstrikes on al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

It was the second place to which they had moved to escape the bombing, having fled their home in the northwest after Israels bombing campaign destroyed tens of thousands of homes in that region. She has since fled to Rafah.

More than 1.9 million of the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced by Israels aerial assault and subsequent three-stage ground offensive in the region, according to the United Nations. Most of those that have fled are from the north, where Israel began its offensive. They have since moved into the south of the Strip and, more recently, the centre.

The Israeli military said in its daily briefing that intensive battles with militants were continuing in Gaza on Wednesday in the southern city of Khan Younis.
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Pornhub, one of the worlds most popular adult websites, has gone offline in some US states.

The site is now inaccessible in Montana and North Carolina. Visitors will instead see a warning about changes that Pornhub warned would leave visitors unsafe.

The outage is a reaction to new laws in those states that will require adult websites to verify users identification to ensure they are over 18. Pornhub appears to have taken itself offline in those states instead.

Visitors will see a warning informing them that elected officials [...] are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk, the site warns.

Visitors to other websites that are owned by Pornhub parent company Aylo also saw a similar message, alongside a video from adult performer Cherie DeVille.

Pornhub has said that it prefers device-based verification. Such a system could see device makers such as Apple verify that a person is an adult and then let adult websites verify that device, for instance, though privacy experts have warned that could hand more power over to large technology companies.

Some users have found they are able to get online using virtual private networks, or VPNs, which allow them to pose as if they are in a different state or country entirely. But otherwise the site is blocked to users in those locations.

Security expert Matthew Green suggested that the change could allow for new kinds of censorship on the internet. The move to add age verification to websites at the state level is pretty worrying, and is functionally pretty close to a complete ban on certain websites, he wrote.

He said that the ban likely wouldnt affect pornography but that he is worried about what these laws get used for *after* theyre tested and allowed by the courts. I think thats going to be very unpleasant, he wrote on Twitter.

The new laws in Montana and North Carolina are part of a broader crackdown on adult material across the internet. The UK has been looking to introduce its own age verification system, for instance, which might also require users to show a identification if they want to access those websites.
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A teenage boy from Florida suffered a scare this Christmas after he accidentally boarded the wrong flight and ended up in Puerto Rico rather than Cleveland, Ohio, where he had intended to join his mother for the holiday season.

Logan Lose, 16, waved farewell to his family at Tampa International Airport on the evening of Friday 22 December as he set out nervously for his first solo trip to Cleveland before mistakenly being allowed onto a Frontier Airlines flight to San Juan when a boarding agent failed to look closely at his ticket.

He went up there and asked the lady if the flight was boarding, and they said, yes, and they also checked his bag to make sure it fit, the boys father Ryan Lose told CNN.

But Logan said they never scanned his ticket. Logan said they just glanced at it and said, Yes, youre on the right flight, and then he boarded.

If they had scanned his boarding pass, they wouldve known my son was on the wrong plane.

The confusion appears to have arisen because the Puerto Rico flight left from the same departure gate as the Cleveland plane Lose had intended to catch, albeit two hours earlier.

The family first became aware of their sons predicament when his mother called from Cleveland to let them know he had safely boarded, which they assumed must be a mistake given that it was too early for his scheduled flight to have taken off.

Thats when my nine-year-old son looked up the flight status and realised that a flight to Puerto Rico had just taken off from the same gate Logans Ohio flight was taking off from, Mr Lose said.

Unable to access his alarmed familys voicemail messages, Logan realised what was happening too late and was flown 1,200 miles out of his way.

Arriving in Puerto Rico, he texted his family to alert them to the situation, writing: Help me please. Im so scared. They told me it was Ohio.

My first reaction was panic, Mr Lose said. Hes panicking, hes scared, and I cant be there to keep him safe.

All they had to do was scan the boarding pass and he never boards. Or if they did a head count they wouldve noticed he was not in a seat assigned to that flight.

Jennifer de la Cruz, Frontiers director of corporate communications, said: He was able to board as a result of an error on the part of the boarding agent.

He was immediately flown back to Tampa on the same aircraft and accommodated on a flight to Cleveland the following day.

Ms De La Cruz said the airline extended its sincere apologies to the family for the error and that Lose had been offered a $200 travel voucher by way of compensation.

But the boys father has said he feels the gesture is not sufficient to cover the stress his family endured.

They offered me a voucher to an airline that just lost my son, Mr Lose said. I want accountability. These airlines are not being held accountable.

The Independent has reached out to Frontier Airlines for further comment.

In a similar incident over the same weekend, an unaccompanied six-year-old boy was placed on the wrong Spirit Airlines flight out of Philadelphia, jetting out to visit his grandmother in Fort Myers, Florida, but ending up in Orlando instead.
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Last week, United Airlines highlighted an exciting opportunity  a flight that would allow passengers to celebrate New Years Eve twice.

The flight, UA200, was set to depart Guam at 7.35am local time on 1 January 2024 and arrive in Honolulu at 6:50pm on 31 December 2024.

You only live once, but you can celebrate New Years Eve twice, United Airlines wrote on X.

Passengers, however, only got one New Years Eve party this year: The flight departed Guam at 2pm, landing passengers in Hawaii just a few minutes past midnight, according to tracker FlightRadar24.

Great idea, too bad it got delayed! I was supposed to be on this flight, one passenger wrote on X. Double new year isnt happening anymore. Maye next year?

United Airlines responded with rebooking assistance information.

Im sure rebooking is exactly what this person wants, unless the next flight travels back in time, another X user wrote on the thread.

A handful of time travelling New Years Eve flights happen each year when planes travel across the international date line. Some even happen by chance: In 2017, a plane was set to depart from Auckland at 11.55pm on New Years Eve, and land in Honolulu at 9.45am on the same day. However, thanks to a short delay, passengers got to ring in 2018 twice  once on the plane and once in Hawaii.

United Airlines declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.
This is the moment a group of subpostmasters first discovered how their accounts were being fiddled in ITVs Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

The four-part drama series is based on a true story, where hundreds of postal workers were accused of fraud and theft after the Post Offices IT system (Horizon, by Fujitsu) incorrectly reported cash shortfalls in branches across the country.

During episode two, a former executive officer from the National Federation of Subpostmasters revealed how Fujitsus covert operations team could manually adjust live accounts on Horizon without a trace.

British actor Toby Jones portrays Alan Bates, who has spent twenty years fighting for justice for his fellow postal workers.
A heart transplant recipient sobbed as she met the mother of her organ donor for the first time.

Sandra Diehl, 60, from Kansas City, Missouri, was told by doctors in 2022 that she wouldn't make it to Christmas if a heart donor couldnt be found in time.

She was able to continue her life after organ donor Cori, 50, passed away.

Diehl wanted to express how grateful she was to her donor's family and met Cori's mother Elaine after her transplant coordinator helped her send a letter.

Emotional footage shows the pair's first meeting at a donor's celebration in Wisconsin in August 2023.
Former missing teenager Alex Batty has revealed his last words to his mother before he made his return to the UK.

Alex disappeared six years ago after an alleged abduction by his mother and grandfather during a holiday to Spain.

The 17-year-old, who was found in France, has now returned to normal life in Oldham with his grandmother Susan Caruana.

Speaking in his first live TV interview with Good Morning Britain on Wednesday (3 January), Alex revealed he left his mother a note on the side, explaining why he was leaving home to return to the UK.

Alex also detailed his journey from France to the UK.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinese LiDAR maker Hesai Technology announced on Tuesday an unprecedented achievement that its monthly LiDAR delivery volume exceeded 50,000 units in December 2023, establishing itself as the first company in the automotive LiDAR industry to realize this figure.

Photo credit: Hesai Technology

Having surpassed the 100,000-unit cumulative delivery milestone, Hesai's LiDAR has undergone over a year of rigorous real-world user validation. The leap between "delivering 100,000 LiDAR units to clients" and "100,000 units in constant use on vehicles for over a year" is substantial, said Hesai.

In September 2022, Hesai successfully delivered over 10,000 LiDAR units in a single month, becoming the first company to achieve this feat in the automotive LiDAR domain. By December of the same year, Hesai completed the delivery of its 100,000th LiDAR unit, securing the crown as the annual champion in global LiDAR mass production. A year later, Hesai saw its cumulative LiDAR delivery surpass 300,000 units.

Fueled by exceptional product quality and the reliability of in-house manufacturing, Hesai ensures a 100% on-time delivery rate for all orders, enabling customers to swiftly integrate LiDAR products onto their vehicle models. Its product quality and delivery capabilities have gained widespread recognition from esteemed automakers such as Li Auto, HiPhi, Lotus, Leapmotor, and Polestones.
Residents in Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire, were prepared for potential flooding on Wednesday 3 January as the River Wye was swollen by Storm Henk.

Water surged close to the arches of the villages Sheepwash Bridge after the storm battered the UK with torrential rain and winds of up to 90mph.

Meanwhile, several major roads in England were closed due to flooding with rail companies also reporting disruption.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said a man in his 50s was killed by a falling tree while driving near Kemble, while a separate incident saw a woman in Orpington, southeast London, injured.
Japans prime minister Fumio Kishida has offered his condolences after five people died in a plane disaster.

A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyos Haneda Airport on Tuesday 2 January and burst into flames, killing five people on the smaller plane.

These people who have died all carried out their jobs with a strong sense of duty and responsibility for the disaster-stricken areas and victims, Mr Kishida said.

This is a very unfortunate incident, and I would like to offer my sincere condolences while expressing my respect and gratitude for their sense of duty.
Scaffolding collapsed onto a road in Greenwich, southeast London, as Storm Henk battered the capital on Tuesday 2 January.

Winds of up to 69mph were registered at Heathrow airport, while strong gusts also downed trees and blew over sheds elsewhere in the capital.

Footage shared on social media shows the aftermath of the scaffolding collapse in Greenwich, with debris blocking traffic on Creek Road.

Storm Henk causing chaos in Greenwich - this is the building that burned down in 2022! Creek Road is cursed, X user Catherine Woodhouse wrote, posting the video.
A fallen tree blocked the road to a popular cafe in Oxleas Woods, London, on Tuesday 2 January.

Storm Henk brought strong winds and heavy rain across much of southern England and Wales, with the Met Office issuing amber and yellow warnings.

Ben Spiteri (@Benspiteri) captured footage of the fallen tree on Crown Woods Lane, Greenwich, at around 3:15pm on Tuesday.

He told The Independent that eight other cars were in the car park at the time, with people trying to keep warm at the cafe, and anybody walking in the woods needing to find an alternative route out.

Mr Spiteris footage also showed tree surgeons working to clear the debris on Tuesday afternoon.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has expressed her concern about how the six-day junior doctors strike will affect the NHS and patients in the coming weeks.

The Tory cabinet minister was on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday, 3 January, as the Government stood firm on not negotiating as junior doctors began striking.

They picked this week, which we all know is one of the busiest weeks in the NHS diary, Mrs Atkins said.

Were very concerned about the consequences it will have, not just for this week of industrial action, the six days, but also the consequences in the weeks following.
(back l-r) Kyna Brady from Co. Meath, KYNA MAREE, Zeila Madigan from Dublin CONSCIOUS CONVERT, Bex Shelford from Dun Laoghaire, Bex Shelford Prints and Hannah Backmo from Co. Cork, Hanna's Bees with (front l-r) Nina Shelton and Gillian White from Co. Wexford, Sully & Juno, Tony Hoynes from Co. Clare, Palm Free Irish Soap Ltd, Kim Whyte from Co. Waterford, Pawpear and Kerry Quinlan from Co. Galway, SKETCHICO at the announcement of the shortlisted businesses in the Business of Craft Awards as part of this years Local Enterprise Showcase at Showcase 2024. This is the first year of the Local Enterprise Office Awards, which is part of Showcase at the RDS from the 21st  23rd January. The inaugural awards will go to Best Newcomer, One to Watch and Sustainability Champion. Further information on Local Enterprise Office supports and initiatives can be found at LocalEnterprise.ie. Picture Andres Poveda

Nine finalists have made it though to the final round of the inaugural Business of Craft Awards being run as part of Showcase 2024.

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) awards are open to all the LEO clients who are exhibiting at the event which runs from January 21 to 23.

The awards aim to celebrate business behind Irish craft and design products and have been broken into three categories: Best Newcomer, One to Watch and Sustainability Champion.

Showcase, held annually at the RDS in Dublin is Irelands biggest craft expo and one of the countrys largest international trade shows drawing buyers from Ireland, the UK, USA, mainland Europe, Asia and Africa.

More than 300 Irish brands are exhibited at the fair, including emerging Irish businesses supported by their Local Enterprise Offices. Showcase is for trade attendance only.

The awards will take place Monday, January 22 at Showcase in the RDS as part of the overall event.

The shortlisted companies were selected from the 105 Local Enterprise clients who will be exhibiting to national and international buyers across the three days.

Tom Rooney, head of craft and design, Local Enterprise Offices, said: The addition of the Business of Craft Awards to this years Local Enterprise Showcase at Showcase 2024 is a significant boost for the companies.

"It helps to highlight some of the best-in-class businesses from the design and craft sector across the country and we are doing that in front of key buyers both nationally and internationally. It gives businesses that extra competitive advantage as we look forward to the event.

Pictured, from back l-r: Kyna Brady from Co Meath of Kyna Maree; Zeila Madigan of Conscious Convert from Dublin; Bex Shelford, Bex Shelford Prints, from Dun Laoghaire, and Hannah Backmo of Hannas Bees, from Co Cork. Front l-r: Nina Shelton and Gillian White of Sully & Juno from Co Wexford; Tony Hoynes of Palm Free Irish Soap from Co. Clare; Pawpears Kim Whyte from Co Waterford; and Kerry Quinlan of Sketchico from Co Galway. Photo: Andres Poveda
The former managing partner of PwC, Feargal ORourke, has been confirmed as the new chairman of the IDA. He succeeds Frank Ryan, who held the role for 10 years.

Mr ORourke stepped down as managing partner of PwC in October last year after 37 years with the firm. He was managing partner for the final eight years of his tenure there.

His appointment to the IDA was confirmed by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney.

A tax expert, Mr ORourke was involved in assisting client companies navigate the new global minimum tax rate rules, and liaising with the government agencies and the OECD.

The Minister also confirmed that Marian Corcoran, an existing IDA board member, has been appointed deputy chair. Dr Leisha Daly and Dr Denis Doyle have also been named IDA board members.

As well as being on the IDA board, Ms Corcoran currently serves on the boards of HP International Bank and Permanent TSB. She is also the chair of DCU Educational Support Services and a member of the governing authority at DCU.

Dr Daly is former head of government affairs and policy for Johnson & Johnson Supply Chain in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. For the previous 10 years, she was country director of Janssen, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson.

Dr Doyle is currently board chair of The Tyndall National Institute, a European research centre in ICT, based at University College, Cork. The institute employs 600 researchers, engineers and support staff, including over 150 full-time graduate students.

He is the former vice president of internal silicon manufacturing for Analog Devices, heading up the companys four silicon chip fabrication facilities, including its plant in Limerick.

With over 300,000 people directly employed in IDA-client companies, and a further 240,000 indirectly employed, its vital that that organisation remains dynamic in what is a very competitive global market, said Mr Coveney.

Last month, the IDA said that the number of investments it secured was up 2.5pc in 2023 compared to 2022, but that they delivered fewer new jobs.

The total number of jobs at IDA supported companies was also down.

It was the first time since 2009 that the number of net new jobs was negative, with 1,014 fewer people hired than let go.

There were just over 16,800 job gains and 17,800 job losses between October 2022 and October 2023, IDA Ireland said.
Iarlaith Smyth, the former head of Kerrygold owner Ornuas North American business, has been appointed the chief executive of US group Henry Broch Foods.

The Illinois-based firm, founded in 1941, is an international food ingredient, processing and co-packaging provider.

Last summer, the company agreed to merge with UK-based garlic and ginger specialist JDM Food Group to create a business with combined revenues of more than $150m (137m) and more than 750 staff.

The two companies are roughly equal in size in terms of annual revenues and staff numbers.

JDM was founded in 1999 and is the largest supplier of ginger and garlic into the UK.

The two entities continue to operate independently, but under a newly formed parent group called Jardins and Broch.

Jardins and Broch is backed by Londons Sunridge Partners, a specialist food, beverage and agribusiness investment group.

Mr Smyth is one of a number of executives who decided to leave Ornua during 2023, sparking speculation from industry insiders that the 3.4bn dairy company could become a takeover target.

Ornua chief executive John Jordan left in August to join Florida-based Arbor Investments as its chief operating officer. He started that role last month.

Arbor Investments acquired a major US Ornua subsidiary, DPI Speciality Foods, in 2015 when Mr Jordan was chief executive of that Ornua division.

The managing director of Ornuas global foods division, Roisin Hennerty, is expected to depart this year, having announced her intention to leave last year.

She had returned to Ireland in recent years after spending most of her career in the US with Ornua.

As the former CEO of its North America unit and its global marketing director, she played a key role in accelerating the growth of the Kerrygold brand in the United States.

Ken Maguire, the head of global operations at Ornuas ingredients division, also left the group last year. He has since been appointed the managing director of the Wicklow-based family-owned Glenhaven Foods business.

Mr Maguire was in his role at Ornua for nearly five years. He was also chief operating officer at Ornua Ingredients UK.

Ornua reported revenues of 3.4bn in 2022 and made a 127m operating profit. It had net assets of 728m.

Donal Buggy has continued to serve as Ornuas interim chief executive since Mr Jordans departure.

Mr Buggy was Ornuas chief financial officer prior to that appointment.
The European Investment Bank said most of the solar PV projects are expected to be small/medium size ones. Photo: Getty

A unit of Greek conglomerate Mytilineos has secured 400m in funding from the European Investment Bank to develop 1bn worth of solar energy farms in European countries including Ireland.

It will help cement the groups presence here after it made a foray into renewables in Ireland in 2021.

That year, it bought 14MW of solar energy projects from Elgin Energy through its renewables and storage development division. The projects would generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of up to 4,000 homes.

In 2022, Mytilineos secured a contract in conjunction with GE with the ESB to provide 200MW of emergency power capacity through a new gas-fired plant in Dublins North Wall.

The financing just secured from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will help the Greek company to advance a total of almost one gigawatt of solar projects in Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Ireland and Bulgaria.

It will also be used to develop 265 megawatt hours of battery storage facilities in Greece and Italy.

Most of the solar PV projects under the present operation are expected to be small/medium size projects, said the EIB.

The projects in the pipeline of the promoter in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Spain and Ireland are expected to represent a small share of the present operation and concern projects below 50MW with the majority below 25MW.

Mytilineos has renewable energy assets across the world.

A subsidiary recently acquired a large solar energy farm in Alberta, Canada, while it has just officially opened a new solar farm in Chile. It also has solar energy plants in Australia.

This week, the Irish Independent reported that an Irish subsidiary of German firm GP Joule aims to build a 190MW solar energy farm in Co Meath.

It will likely cost around 200m to develop and will be one of the largest solar energy farms in the country when completed.

The project will provide a renewable electricity source for approximately 30,000 average Irish homes and will displace approximately 80,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions per annum, according to planning documents lodged by GP Joule with the local council.

The proposed development will be a reliable, benign, sustainable source of electricity generation energy, which is not dependent on the use of fossil fuels and will contribute to both local and national renewable energy targets.

Renewable energy operators are building more large-scale solar farms in Ireland amid a push for more electricity from renewables.

In 2021, Norways Statkraft began construction of the 200MW Ballmacarney solar farm, also in Co Meath. That project was set for completion last year.

Statkraft Ireland is also working on a number of other solar and wind farm projects in Ireland.

The country has a target of generating 80pc of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

In the recent onshore Renewables Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auction, 20 solar farm projects totalling 497MW were awarded support. More onshore RESS auctions will be held this year.
An artists rendering of the assisted living units on land beside Mount Anville school in Goatstown, Co Dublin

Plans by property investment group Tetrarch to build 114 residential units for assisted living on land owned by the Society of Sacred Heart order of nuns beside Mount Anville Secondary School in Goatstown, Dublin, are facing local opposition.

Last November, Tetrarch lodged its Large-Scale Residential Development (LRD) plans with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to build 100 apartments across seven blocks and 14 houses on a 2.9-acre site known as the old farm, on the grounds of Mount Anville in south Dublin.

Two of the blocks will rise to five storeys and the scheme is to include facilities such as a gym and wellness centre, a barista bar, small cinema, library and a communal dining area.

In a submission lodged with the application, planning consultants, Manahan Planners said it is the design teams vision to provide a leading example of suitable, adaptable living and delivering a specialised tenure option that supports localised downsizing or rightsizing.

Manahan Planners stated that the applicants legal advice was that Part V Social Housing provision requirements dont apply to assisted living proposals, but Tetrarch Residential is willing to volunteer an agreed level of supply of social and affordable housing within the proposal and is continuing to liaise with the relevant bodies in seeking to ensure that this is provided.

However, the submission reveals that this came after discussions with the housing department at the council, in which the council made clear that they would not be in a position to afford the level of internal fit-out which is proposed in this development.

However, in one submission, 49 residents of the Old Lower Kilmacud Road state that while they support mixed tenure age-friendly housing, they are objecting to the proposal in its current form. The residents state the scheme represents a premature development of the Mount Anville estate, arguing that the development of any part of the estate, including the Old Farm, should not be permitted in the absence of plan for the lands.

In their submission, Adrian and Aisling Eccles said they object strongly to the application as it currently stands, though in principle support the nature of the scheme.

Highlighting road safety concerns, they say the planned scheme will add to an already dangerous situation unless action is taken.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- SENIOR, a global all-scenario unmanned logistics solution provider, has recently concluded its Series B funding round, which raised hundreds of millions of yuan, according to the companys announcement on January 2.

Photo credit: SENIOR

The fresh financing round, led jointly by Leaguer Capital and a fund managed by Zhejiang Provincial Financial Holdings, marks the inaugural investment in the autonomous driving sector for 2024 and stands as SENIOR's sixth funding round since its inception, the company remarked.

Amid a return to rationalized investments, capital focus has intensified on enterprises boasting mature products and scalable delivery capabilities, a trend conspicuously evident in the autonomous driving sector. SENIOR notably secured strategic investments from NWS Holdings Limited in June 2023. The subsequent successive capital infusions over six rounds underscore capital markets' favor towards SENIOR.

In 2023, SENIOR introduced its scenario-based unmanned logistics business domain, encompassing ports, bulk cargo distribution centers, logistics parks, and intra-terminal shuttles. While consolidating its dominance in core port scenarios, the company has accelerated the productization of closed and semi-open logistics transport scenarios.

Since its establishment in 2020, SENIOR's fleet of unmanned transport vehicles has been deployed successively in ports along China's coasts and inland rivers. Having validated its products in ports with high levels of informatization and robust automation, SENIOR swiftly progressed into the replication phase for large-scaled unmanned logistics deployment.

Over six months of initiating logistics scenario deployment, SENIOR has successfully conducted testing operations for dry bulk cargo, miscellaneous cargo, and bundled cargo such as iron ore, coal, grains, steel coils, and pulp packages.

By the end of 2023, SENIOR had deployed an accumulated fleet of 220 unmanned transport vehicles across its entire logistics scenario business sector, securing commercial orders from eight ports.
Argentina's president Javier Milei looks on as he attends a Hanukkah celebration in Buenos Aires, on December 12. Photo: Reuters

International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials are expected in Argentina this week to start negotiating with the new government of president Javier Milei on a $44bn (40bn) programme that went off track during the previous administration.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) has admitted it did not inform all local politicians about plans for a former pub, which was burned down over the weekend, to be used as a homeless hub for families.
Ex-detective was nicknamed The Sheriff and led some the countrys most high-profile investigations

Former detective Gerry OCarroll (pictured), who has died, helped solve the case of English serial killers and rapists, Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw

Gerry OCarroll, the detective nicknamed The Sheriff for his role in the garda unit known as the murder squad, has died.

The Kerry native had a long career in An Garda Siochana which saw him involved in some of the most high-profile cases in the States history.

This included helping to solve the case of English serial killers and rapists, Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw.

Most notably, he had a central role in the investigation into the so-called Kerry Babies case.

A death notice said he died peacefully on January 2 at the Palliative Care Unit in University Hospital, Kerry.

The Dublin-based detective was a proponent of the highly controversial theory that Joanne Hayes was the mother of two dead babies found in Kerry in April 1984.

He was one of the detectives who had interviewed Ms Hayes following her arrest.

Ms Hayes had always insisted to gardai that she was the mother of a deceased baby found at her family farm. She explained the infant was delivered stillborn.

However, she had vehemently denied being the mother of another baby, subsequently called Baby John, who was found washed up on White's Strand outside Cahersiveen.

Baby John had been stabbed 28 times and suffered severe injuries to his neck and spine.

Thirty-seven years after he was first discovered, the infant was exhumed in September 2021 from Holy Cross Cemetery in Cahersiveen. Subsequent DNA testing proved that Ms Hayes, as she had always maintained, was not his mother.

A major garda cold case review, based on the DNA evidence, led to a Kerry-based couple being arrested for questioning last year.

The Kerry woman had been wrongly charged with the murder of Baby John

Both were released without charge and gardai hope to have a file submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the coming months.

Ms Hayes and her family subsequently received a formal apology from the State and the payment of damages for what they had endured at the hands of State agencies.

In the 2020 apology, the State acknowledged "the appalling hurt and distress caused" to Ms Hayes and her family.

The Kerry woman had been wrongly charged with the murder of Baby John.

When it was confirmed that Ms Hayes was not the mother of Baby John, Mr O'Carroll issued a brief statement.

"The DNA, I have to accept, is finite proof. I was never happy with the blood grouping  but DNA? I have to accept that is finite proof," he said.

However, Mr O'Carroll said his sympathies were with the two deceased infants  and he did not formally apologise to Ms Hayes.

"I have only sympathy for two creatures on this  the babies. That is my final word on that.

Mr O'Carroll had vehemently denied over the years any question of garda wrongdoing during the original Kerry Babies investigation.

In 2006, he wrote a memoir entitled 'The Sheriff' which became a No 1 bestseller following his retirement as detective inspector.

It outlined his three decade career in the gardai and his role in some of the highest profile murder investigations of the 1970s and 1980s.

He is also credited with bringing an end to the terror being spread by Evans and Shaw.

Evans had vowed to murder a woman a week  and their killing spree across Ireland in 1976 left the country horrified.

Famously, Mr O'Carroll realised that Shaw had been brought up a Catholic and the detective recited the Rosary during the interrogation.

Shaw, who until then had refused to co-operate with gardai, was taken aback by the prayer and minutes later offered the detective a detailed confession.

Evans and Shaw had gone on the run from the British police in 1974

In a 2012 interview, Mr O'Carroll said it remained one of the most horrific cases he had ever worked on.

To this day, I think of the torture Evans and Shaw subjected these women to. They kept the second victim, Mary Duffy, alive, in unimaginable circumstances, for 24 hours.

"Geoffrey Evans and his mate Shaw were natural-born killers. Their total lack of any morality or scruples ensure they stand out in long line of Irish killers over the years since then.

Evans and Shaw had gone on the run from the British police in 1974, who wanted them for questioning in relation to a series of rapes.

The pair needed cash, so they first carried out a series of burglaries in Wicklow but were caught and jailed for 18 months.

When they were released, they went on a rape and murder spree across Ireland.

Elizabeth Plunkett (23), a clerk from Ringsend, Dublin, was kidnapped in Brittas Bay in Wicklow and then raped and strangled.

Her body washed ashore a month afterwards in Ballyteigue Bay in Co Wexford.

A short time later, the pair drove to Castlebar, Co Mayo and kidnapped Mary Duffy (23), a cook who was walking home after work.

She was also raped and strangled before her body was dumped in Lough Inagh.

Both men were arrested in Galway and, after their trial, sentenced to life imprisonment.

They became the longest serving inmates in Ireland, with Evans dying in 2012 and Shaw only granted day release in 2022.

Mr O'Carroll was a native of Listowel in Kerry and came from a family of 15.

Having joined the gardai, he graduated from Templemore and was assigned to Rathfarnham in Dublin.

Gerry O'Carroll was asked to help prepare Hollywood star Jon Voight for his role as a senior garda

He was quickly promoted to detective and found himself involved in the investigation of high-profile murders as well as Dublin's emerging gangland scene.

Over his career, he was involved in numerous investigations targeting Martin 'The General' Cahill.

When director John Boorman decided to make a film called The General on the life of the notorious Dublin crime lord, Gerry O'Carroll was asked to help prepare Hollywood star Jon Voight for his role as a senior garda trying to bring the gangster to justice.

Irish actor Brendan Gleeson played Martin Cahill in the film.

Mr O'Carroll, following his retirement and the publication of his book, became a high-profile figure within the Irish media, often interviewed about his opinions on law-and-order matters.

He wrote a column for many years for The Herald and regularly appeared on RTE.

He is survived by his wife Kathleen, sons Conor, Philip and Brian, daughters Margaret and Eleanor. A notice said he would be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by them and his extended family and friends.

His remains will repose at Lyons Funeral Home in Listowel on Thursday evening from 5pm to 6.30pm. A Cremation service will take place on Saturday at 12.15 pm at Mount Jerome Crematorium, Dublin.
Catherine Martin could still lead the Green Party, according to current leader Eamon Ryan.

The Dublin Rathdown TD narrowly lost out to Mr Ryan in a leadership contest in 2020, shortly after the last general election.

Green Party constitution states a leadership contest must be held six months after a general election, party councillors said at the time.

Ms Martin currently serves as the deputy leader of the party and is the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Minister.

However, she has been criticised for how she handled the crisis at RTE last June over 345,000 of hidden payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he doesnt think that precludes Ms Martin having another shot at becoming leader of the Greens.

I think shes done a really good job in managing her portfolio, he said.

I think the RTE issue was one that no one could have easily managed and I think she actually took the right approach. You could have had a minister wade in there the first day and say, Oh, Im going to be in charge of everything here. I think she did the correct thing.

She relied on the RTE chair and board and new chief executive to deliver the reports and the analysis we need to make sure we position RTE for the future.

Mr Ryan has been leader of the Green Party for 12 years and said he is as energised as he was when he became a councillor in 1997.

Im probably more energised now than I was then, he said.

Mr Ryan added he doesnt accept that Ms Martin cannot be leader of the party.

However, some big decisions still loom for the minister as she has vowed to make a decision on reform of the TV licence.

Speaking in September, Ms Martin did not rule out another future bid for the leadership.

I went for the leadership of the Green Party and got close, and Eamon has done a great job in leading at the moment, she told presenter and journalist Dearbhail McDonald at the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation conference in Athlone.

I suppose when you talk about leadership in the future, as a woman in politics, Im not going to rule that out, because what message would that give to young women? Because I didnt get it the last time, would I never do it again? If I lose a seat in an election, [would I] never do it again? Even if I just think of the message to my two sons and my daughter.

If I fall, I get up, brush myself down and get on with it. So never say never.

But its not where my focus is now. I know people will say that when these sort of questions are asked, but its just not my focus at all. My focus is my job and my family, Ms Martin added.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said a merger with the Social Democrats is possible, as she claimed there were no ideological differences between the two parties.

In an interview with the PA news agency, Ms Back said Labour would be fighting the next general election with a focus on its own values  but added that the party always worked collaboratively with others.

Her predecessor Alan Kelly also said a merger was a possibility, while party leader between 2016 and 2020 Brendan Howlin said the assimilation should happen.

Ms Bacik, who became party leader in 20222, said there was no ideological difference between Labour and the Social Democrats, adding: Just as theres no ideological difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Perhaps the call for a merger, maybe, between those two centre right parties may be the call after the next election.

Asked if she could countenance a possible merger in the future, Ms Bacik replied: Everything is possible in politics.

However, in a separate interview with PA yesterday, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said she believes Labours approach to government is not compatible with her party.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns (Brian Lawless/PA)

Ms Cairns said Labours previous record in government supported the privatisation of Bord Gais and penalised lone-parent families, adding: Its all well and good to say: Oh they think they have the same policies as us. They dont have the same practices.

Thats the overall difference between us.

Separately, Ms Bacik said Labour was very concerned about the rise of the far right.

Ms Bacik, whose Czech grandfather moved to Waterford after being imprisoned by the Nazis during the Second World War, called for the introduction of a national communication campaign on the benefits of immigration and integration.

She said: This is a very scary and worrying development to see how the far right are orchestrating hate in different communities. Its not unique to Ireland but were certainly seeing it here as well.

The remains of a camp in Sandwith Street which was burned following a protest (Niall Carson/PA)

She condemned arson attacks against centres earmarked for use by asylum seekers, adding it was distressing to see the burning of tents at a makeshift migrant camp on Sandwith Street in her own constituency.

She said: It is really distressing to see and unfortunately is becoming predictable.

The reality is across the country, communities are broadly welcoming and weve seen amazing integration.

Asked how Labour would have handled protests and opposition to accommodation for refugees differently, Ms Bacik said Government and the Taoiseach should have had a more coordinated approach on integration, including the appointment of a specific minister for immigration.

Roderic OGorman (Niall Carson/PA)

She said Minister Roderic OGormans department, which also has responsibility for children, equality, disability and youth as well as integration, has been left isolated in providing accommodation for refugees.

Ms Bacik welcomed that Government is seeking to increase the level of State-owned accommodation for asylum seekers, but further called for the purposing of vacant buildings such as barracks and Baggot Street Hospital.

She said: That would have been the Labour difference. We are, though, very supportive of Government efforts to provide accommodation and we dont underestimate the scale of the challenge for Government.

Ms Bacik called on Leo Varadkar to make a national address on the benefits of inward migration and the need for communities to show welcome.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (Niall Carson/PA)

She added: That coordinated approach from Government is needed and a Taoiseachs address, I think, will be really helpful.

Asked how she believed the far right would react to an address on migration from Mr Varadkar as the son of an immigrant, Ms Bacik said it was imperative for the Taoiseach to show leadership on the issue.

In the wake of the Dublin riot in November, Sinn Fein called for the resignation of Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Labour did not immediately make the same call, but ultimately voted no confidence in the minister.

A bus on fire during a riot on OConnell Street in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

Asked if her party had been outflanked on the issue, she said Labour never had confidence in the Governments handling of policing, but she did not feel it appropriate to call for heads to roll during a time of uncertainty after the violent attack and riot.

On the subject of vacancy and dereliction, she said Labour has been successful in calling on local communities to inform councils about buildings which are available for compulsory purchase orders to be repurposed for housing.

At the partys annual conference last March, Ms Bacik said Labour would aim to deliver one million homes in 10 years.

However, the headline figure includes retrofitting properties that are already built and occupied.

Ivana Bacik (Niall Carson/PA)

Asked if she still stands by that messaging, Ms Bacik said the party had been vindicated over its target for 50,000 new builds and 50,000 refurbished homes a year for the next decade.

She said she anticipates Government to revise its Housing for All targets up to 50,000 and that up to 90,000 homes per year were being built during the Celtic Tiger.

She added: It is doable with the right level of ambition and urgency from Government.

Ms Bacik said the party wanted to help and work constructively with Government but added there had been delay in delivery for far too long.

Eyeing elections this year, Ms Bacik said she is very confident the party will hold existing seats.

Labour is polling at around 4pc and recognisable names in the party like Mr Howlin and Sean Sherlock are not seeking re-election, while Aodhan O Riordan has said he is seeking to join the European Parliament.

Ms Bacik said: Obviously, Im sorry to see Brendan and Sean not contesting next time, theyve been super representatives at local and national level but we have really strong local representation in those constituencies.

Asked if Mr Kelly had expressed an interest in going to Europe, she said: Thats a matter for Alan and myself.

Ms Bacik also said it will be a tough battle in her own constituency of Dublin Bay South.
Gardai seized more than 80,000 in cash

Gardai have arrested a man on money laundering offences after finding more than 80,000 at a property in Co Dublin.

The Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT) carried out a search of a residence in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 on Wednesday morning, with assistance from the Detective Units in Blanchardstown and Finglas Garda Stations.

More than 80,000 in cash was seized alongside small sums of Albanian Lek and British pounds.

A man in his 50s was arrested for money laundering offences and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Dublin.

Investigations are ongoing.
Sinn Fein has said tax cuts for landlords will do nothing to keep them in the market.

The partys housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin said comments in the Irish Independent by the Housing Minister that further tax cuts for landlords could be implemented in Budget 2025 will not stop landlords leaving the market.

Landlords will be in line for hundreds of euro in tax cuts this year as a portion of their rental income will be taxed at a lower rate due to measures signed off by Government under Budget 2024.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said this tax cut can be further strengthened if it is found to be working after 12 months.

He said good landlords should be encouraged to stay in the market to stop the shrinking number of rental properties. The Government is due to publish its review of the rental sector in the first three months of the year and Mr OBrien said small landlords are leaving the rental market as they are fearful of Sinn Fein getting into government.

Mr O Broin said landlords are not leaving due to high taxes.

There is a significant exit of single property landlords from the private rental sector, he said.

This is due to a variety of reasons including landlords wanting the property for their own use, high house prices, landlords approaching pension age and landlords availing of capital gains tax reliefs introduced by the last government.

The fact that Darragh OBrien is suggesting increasing the new landlords tax relief before it has even run its first year shows how out of touch he is with the crisis in the private rental sector.

Sinn Fein has been pushing for a ban on rent hikes for three years as well as a months rent back into tenants pockets.

Rather than floating increased tax breaks for landlords, Government should be standing up for renters, Mr O Broin said. They should also be increasing and accelerating the delivery of genuinely affordable cost rental homes to provide renters with an alternative to an insecure and volatile private rental sector.

Renters were given increased tax credits from 500 to 750 under Budget 2024 and Mr OBrien was previously pushing for tax cuts for landlords under Budget 2023 negotiations.

However, a specific measure was not agreed and the Government instead said last year they would put in provisions under Budget 2024 for landlords.

The new tax cuts can now be strengthened for landlords, Mr OBrien said. He also said the Government will have a look at landlords who set low rents before rent pressure zones (RPZs) kicked in and who are stuck charging very low rents. However, he promised to keep the necessary protections for renters.

The Government will this year make a decision as to whether RPZ laws should be extended or amended in some way as the sunset clause on current laws expires.
Gardai have arrested a teenager in relation to the alleged murder of a gangland gunman who shot up a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve.

Tristan Sherry (26) died after opening fire with a sub-machine gun inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown shortly after 8pm on December 24.

During the shooting, a 48-year-old man was struck in the head and seriously injured before being brought to James Connolly Memorial Hospital. The victim's condition has deteriorated in recent days and he has been moved to another hospital in the capital as a result.

After the shooting, Sherry was disarmed by associates of the gun victim and killed. One man has already been charged in connection with his death.

Today detectives made a second arrest as part of the investigation which is being assisted by members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

An 18-year-old male was arrested in relation to the alleged murder and is currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

He can be held for up to 24 hours before he must either be charged or released from custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

A garda spokesperson said: "Gardai have arrested a male in relation to the investigation into the murder of Tristan Sherry that occurred at a premises on the Main Street in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 at approximately 8pm on Sunday, 24th December 2023.

"He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in West Dublin.

"The male is the second arrest made as part of this investigation."

Tristan Sherry

Funeral details for Tristan Sherry have yet to be announced with a detailed security operation expected for the event.

The Christmas Eve gun attack made international headlines and more arrests are expected as part of the garda investigation into it.

There has also been an increase in armed garda patrols in the locality because of concerns of revenge attacks.

Sources said machine-gun wielding attacker Tristan Sherry had been the target of a series of attacks over the past year.

A gangland criminal who was a known associate of the criminal nicknamed Mr. Flashy, the 26-year-old was said to have been set upon by a gang during an incident in Blanchardstown earlier this year and stabbed multiple times with one source describing him as having been butchered.

On another occasion, it was alleged a car was reversed into a property where he was staying while another property housing a relative was set ablaze.

Detectives believe the shooting is linked to a dispute between two criminal gangs in west Dublin and that close associates of the 48-year-old gun victim were the primary targets.
A man from Kilkenny has died while on holiday in Australia.

John Holland (63) from Ballyragget got into difficulty while sea swimming on New Years Day in Melbourne.

The parish priest from Ballyragget, Fr Eamonn OGorman, said Mr Holland was on holiday in Australia with a friend, visiting his daughter who had recently moved there.

Mr Holland was a well-known member of the Ballyragget community and operated a grain business in the village.

Speaking to Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One this morning, Fr OGorman said his death marked a great loss for his family and the local community in Kilkenny.

Both his daughter and the paramedics at the scene tried to help Mr Holland, Fr OGorman said.

"The paramedics tried to work on him for a good while and the result was that he had died which was very, very sad for the family and many, many friends and parishioners here and around the country. He really had lots of friends in many different places.

Fr OGorman told how Mr Hollands wife died in May 2022 following a battle with cancer.

"I got to know him and Marie very, very well and the family very well through that time and the friendship remained and he was so saddened in his bereavement and continued on, he said.

They remained friends, having lunch together just two days before Mr Holland left for Australia. He described him as a man of faith.

"Half-past six every morning, hed be there at the church, lighting a candle and saying his prayers.

"Its just so hard to see, really, for the whole community and for the family particularly for their great loss and the loss of the community here in Ballyragget as well.

Fr OGorman said the post-mortem has taken place and plans will be made for the repatriation of his remains.

"Were looking through and having the chat about the places he visited and he seemed extremely happy. He sent me and others  just counting up the number of photographs from Australia  132 between video clips and photos, he said.

Fr OGorman said his friend was a great man to send photos of his travels but, instead of welcoming him home from his trip, they must instead make arrangements for his funeral.

"Its very, very sad indeed.

Mr Holland is deeply regretted by his heartbroken family, son John, daughters Emma and Kate, sister Mai, Johns fiancee Deirdre Phelan and Kates fiance Kevin Kelly, grandchildren Andy and Nell, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and a wide circle of friends, a notice on RIP.ie said.

Predeceased by his loving wife Marie. May John rest in peace.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the case and providing consular assistance.

"As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of individual cases," a spokesperson said.
Keith Higginbotham (27) and Gary Murphy (48), who died in two separate road crashes

A father-of-two has been named as the first road fatality of 2024.

Keith Higginbotham (27) of Blackditch, Nurney, Co Kildare, was a passenger in a car involved in a single vehicle fatal road traffic crash between Kildare town and Newbridge on the M7 at Curraghfarm at 8.45pm on New Years Day.

The driver of the car, a man also aged in his 20s, was taken to Tallaght University Hospital, where his injuries were described by gardai as not life threatening. Two additional passengers, both also men in their 20s, did not require immediate hospital treatment.

Mr Higginbotham was a father of two young girls, Lauryn and Cali, and is also survived by his partner Lauren, his father Tommy, brothers Andrew, Derek, David and Christopher, and wider circle of family, relatives and friends. He is predeceased by his mother Theresa.

People paying tribute to him on the Rip.ie site include Ceann Comhairle and local Kildare South TD Sean O Fearghail, who said: Sincere sympathy to the entire Higginbotham family in your tragic loss. May Keith have eternal rest reunited with all the loved ones gone before him.

Others described him as one of the best, a lovely fella, a true gentleman, and a very good person and described his death as a horrendous tragedy.

Meanwhile, the daughter of a motorcyclist who was killed outside Cavan town yesterday afternoon has paid tribute to him.

Gary Murphy (48) was originally from Ballinagh, Cavan. Locals described him as an absolute gentleman and a pleasure to know. They said he absolutely loved motorbikes.

In a moving post on social media his daughter wrote: love you so much dad. I hope youre at peace now.

Pictured: Gary Murphy

His cousin John Murphy wrote: Everyone has that one cousin who is more like a brother. Gary was that one. My heart is broken. Love to you and all the family. Rest easy now.

Local Fine Gael Cllr Winston Bennett said the local community of Ballinagh and surrounding areas had been left reeling by news of the tragedy.

Theres a deep sense of shock, its just tragic, he said.

The local politician, in paying his respects to the late Mr Murphy, said the road was one which had been the scene of a string of road traffic accidents in the recent past.

It is a dangerous stretch in that it is just where you turn off for the Kilnaleck road from the Cavan to Ballinagh road. There has been several accidents on it and is one we as councillors have all highlighted.

Mr Murphy is survived by his parents Kitty and Denis and four adult children. No funeral arrangements have been made as yet.

Mr Murphy died following a collision involving a car and his motorcycle that occurred at approximately 3:10pm yesterday on the main N55 Cavan to Ballinagh road at Corlurgan in County Cavan.

He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The road was closed for a time so that Forensic Collision Investigators could conduct a technical examination of the scene.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

And a woman, also aged in her forties, became the third person to lose their lives in a road tragedy this year so far yesterday.

Two children were also hospitalised following the crash between a car and a van in Co Kildare yesterday evening.

The collision took place at about 6.15pm on the R148 at Cloncurry in Enfield.

The driver of the car, a woman aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two young children who were also travelling in this vehicle have been taken to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin where their conditions are currently described as serious but stable.

The male driver of the van was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
SAN FRANCISCONakedSword is starting the new year by debuting the erotic French short film Enter on NakedSword.com.

NakedSword Film Works (NSFW) has long been a passion of mine, and Enter, a stunning French short, is a quality project that reiterates our commitment to showcasing gay independent cinema, said Falcon|NakedSword president and CEO Tim Valenti. Following the January 2nd premiere of Enter, fans can look forward to a highly curated selection of artful and edgy films that are sexy, thought-provoking and buzz-worthy.

The film is the first of many LGBTQ+ short films to be featured under the sites NakedSword Film Works (NSFW) banner this year, the company said. Directed by Manuel Billi and Benjamin Bodi, Enter features Felix Maritaud, Nicolas Fournier, Manuel Billi and Pavel Danko. The film tells the story of a gay man who, during a night of drinking, finds himself arriving at an apartment where an orgy is taking place. Embarrassed, he locks himself in the bathroom where he finds a sleeping gentleman whom he knows well.

Webmasters interested in promotion opportunities for Enter through NakeSwordCash.com may email Cameron Greer at [email protected] for additional details.

For more information, visit NakedSword.com.
There is no peace in the Middle East because there is no effective peace process.

This isnt because the Palestinians and Israelis do not know how to make peace. They do. The Good Friday agreement which brought peace to Northern Ireland a quarter of a century ago, provided a clear guide. They have to do what the negotiating teams, of which I was a part, did in Northern Ireland.

The problem is Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his ally, the United States of America, who have failed to apply the lessons of Northern Ireland to Middle East peacemaking.

To fully understand the tragedy this represents, its necessary to go back in time to the negotiations that achieved the Good Friday agreement in 1997. At the time I was working, together with two other Northern Ireland-based academics, Fred Boal and Tom Hadden, developing a range of public polls to gauge opinion about how to achieve peace.

As the principal investigator on the Peace Building and Public Policy in Northern Ireland project  independent of government and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation  my role was to develop relations with all the parties to the Northern Ireland peace process and act as an informal negotiator and manager of public opinion and public diplomacy. The public was kept informed through reports and articles in the local newspaper, the Belfast Telegraph. It was key to the process that people of all shades of political opinion were not only involved, but were fully informed at all times.

Critically, all the parties to the conflict in Northern Ireland were democratically elected to participate in the peace negotiations there, including the Irish Republican Army represented by Sinn Fein, and the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Freedom Fighters represented by their political leaderships, the Progressive Unionist Party and Ulster Democratic Party, respectively.

In all, I had to work with eight political parties negotiating and agreeing questions for public opinion polls designed to resolve issues in the formal negotiations that had yet to be settled.

How peace polls work

These peace polls were unlike partisan polls designed to underline the publics support for a particular policy favoured by one party or another (most commonly a government). Instead, the polls  which I developed with a partner from each of the eight political parties elected to the formal negotiations  aimed to fairly and objectively measure the publics support, from both sides, for every possible policy option across the political spectrum. The objective was to determine the precise points of common ground, where they existed, or effective compromise where it was needed for peacemaking.

Public opinion polls are an American invention and, fortunately for me, Bill Clintons special envoy to Northern Ireland and the talks chairman, Senator George Mitchell, took the polls very seriously and gave me every possible support.

When the British offered to run the polling project for the parties, the parties rebelled and insisted on working with me with funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. So I always made a point of hand delivering the reports to Mitchell and the parties the day before they were published. And each time the polling reports were published, deals got done until we reached an agreement that we knew could pass a referendum, which was eventually held on May 22 1998.

The legitimacy of the Good Friday agreement was ensured by the full democratic participation of all the parties to the agreement and the people of Northern Ireland. Through public opinion polls the people gained a seat at the negotiating table, and through a referendum the deal was made.

Tragically, the peoples of Israel and Palestine have been prevented from learning and applying these same peace lessons to the resolution of their conflict.

When it all went wrong

In January 2009, the newly elected US president, Barack Obama, appointed Mitchell as his special envoy for Middle East peace, in the hope he could bring the success of the Good Friday agreement peace process to Israel and Palestine. Expecting Obama to appoint Mitchell to this post following his successful election in 2008, I was invited to run a peace poll in Israel and Palestine.

I was flown to Washington in June 2009 along with my Israeli and Palestinian polling team. Presentations were arranged for us in the US House of Representatives and Senate, and various thinktanks to brief all the politicians and experts with an interest in Middle East peace.

I had been in touch with Mitchell and met him in his office at the State Department. At that time I had also been running peace polls in Sri Lanka with support from the Norwegians. They were a generous and reliable funder and had indicated they would be willing to support my work in Israel and Palestine if Mitchell wanted them to.

Mitchell welcomed the Norwegian offer, arrangements were made to take it up, but it all fell through  my gut feel was that the State Department wanted to have control of the research to meet their own agenda. So I did not get the funding and Mitchell eventually resigned his post without achieving peace in May 2011.

Of course, it can be argued that even if I had brought the lessons of the Northern Ireland peace process to Israel and Palestine I would have failed. But I had made all necessary preparations and contacts with all the parties to the conflict to make it work. I knew what I was doing  as did Mitchell when he accepted his appointment from Obama.

Over a period of two months of interviews to develop the questionnaire in November and December 2008 I had private meetings with all the relevant stakeholders including the then Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and president, Shimon Peres, on the Israeli side. My pollster Mina Zemach was a good friend of Peres and had been his pollster when he led the Labour party.

On the Palestinian side, the non-governmental organisation organising the project, OneVoice, had close connections with Fatah, the political party founded by Yassir Arafat and others in the 1950s, which was at that stage dominant within the Palestinian Authority. So I arranged to meet with Hamas via an introduction from Ghassan Khatib, an independent Palestinian politician and director of the Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre.

Speaking with Hamas was like speaking with Sinn Fein. They had an extreme negotiating position but that is all it was: a negotiating position. Like Sinn Fein they had a legitimate grievance and said they would be happy to cooperate with the peace polls. Of course the impact of the Hamas attack of October 7 and Israels assault on Gaza has profoundly reshaped public opinion on all sides.

Violence on both sides of the Troubles that continued even as the talks were progressing meant that at times many thought we would never achieve a peace agreement in Northern Ireland. But such tragedies can either doom negotiations or inspire renewed effort. People have a choice. We carried on.

Significantly, the one key interlocutor who refused to meet with me in December 2008 was Netanyahu. He only consented to send his chief of staff. Zemach said this was because he would refuse to compromise on sharing Jerusalem as part of any peace agreement. And when he became Israels prime minister in March 2009 he also refused to include Hamas in any peace negotiations.

My experience told me that excluding Sinn Fein and the other paramilitary organisations from peace negotiations in Northern Ireland had only brought failure, while their inclusion had enabled the peace settlement.

Other parties essential to the success of the Northern Ireland peace process had been the centre Alliance Party and Womens Coalition.

The politically equivalent party in Israel was Meretz, a left-wing socialist party and strong supporter of the Peace Now movement. When I met with them, like Alliance, they told me they would be pleased to be part of a fully inclusive peace process but they were excluded from negotiations as they were not part of Netanyahus coalition government.

The establishment in Washington did not have a problem with my contacts with Hamas. In 2009, I had also been working on a project in Sudan with the US Institute of Peace. Although Hamas was a proscribed terrorist organisation, the Institute for Peace lawyers said it was OK for me to meet and talk with them providing I did not give them any assistance. They advised me not to even buy them a coffee. I took this advice. Hamas provided the coffee.

But without inclusive negotiations that also drew on the publics desire for an end to the bloodshed, peace was not achieved.

In 2013, when I was in New York for meetings at the UN I took the opportunity to visit Mitchell at his law office and asked him why he had resigned. He said it was because he was not getting sufficient support from the State Department. I had planned to reveal this in a book I was writing. But a trusted colleague and friend advised me against it, as it could reflect badly on the former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, when she was campaigning to be president in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Accordingly, I watered down the quote to saying something about the lack of sufficient support in Washington. It was not untrue, but it was not the whole truth.

Misplaced optimism

In my optimism at the time, I thought perhaps that Clinton  if she became president  would send her husband to the Middle East as her special envoy. Bill Clinton had got very close to making an agreement some years earlier with the Clinton parameters, but he ran out of time. And then Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump  and so we are where we are.

It is just as likely that my optimism was misplaced and that Clinton and possibly Joe Biden  who has always been a very strong supporter of Israel  did not want to oppose Netanyahu for domestic political reasons.

When the Good Friday agreement was struck 25 years ago, both Mitchell and I thought Israel and Palestine would be our next challenge. But Al Gore, who we had hoped might set his sights on a peace deal, lost to Bush and then 9/11 happened, and the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq took all the political oxygen out of peacemaking.

Then, 15 years ago, we thought it would happen when Obama was elected. It should have. Another opportunity may well arrive when the present war is over, the Hamas attack on October 7 and Israels response have raised the stakes for peace considerably. Elections in the US, Israel and Palestine may also put the peace process on hold yet again. But this must not prevent people of goodwill from talking peace. And it can work, history tells us as much.

Sadly, Israel and Palestine are not alone in their cycles of violence and grief. All over the world the lessons of the Northern Ireland peace process are ignored. Frozen conflicts remain frozen at best and with increased frequency become unstable and violent. Over centuries, the cost of war has often been measured in blood and treasure. Its fair to say that since 2009 in the Middle East and elsewhere weve seen blood in thousands of lives lost and treasure in billions of dollars wasted, again and again.
We should always extend the hand of friendship to those who need it most. Photo: Getty

There is nothing more socially destructive than the belief that a problem is too big to be grappled with in a single term in office. It is equivalent to the kiss of death, politically.

Once seen to be flatlining, progress is no longer expected. Think health and housing. So long as they are spoken of in generic terms they are amorphous  something no single administration could reasonably be expected to wrap its arms around.

They stop being life-altering problems and instead become issues. As such, they can be transformed into data or statistics.

One might talk about the homeless in the abstract. Once you affix the word people, the discourse must also change as an immediate public and social connection is established.

Immigration has become one of these generic terms to mask the humanitarian dimension. Labels like asylum-seekers, the unvetted or the undocumented have been affixed. Each is loaded in its own way, so it is easier to distance ourselves from them.

Viewed as different, it is easy to stigmatise someone as not belonging. That is why the words of Dublin Archbishop Dermot Farrell should give us serious pause for thought. As news came that there are now 376 international protection applicants on the streets who came here to be looked after by the State, Dr Farrell warned that the rhetoric of polarisation is rampant in our society.

His comments come in the context of the suspected arson attack last weekend in Ringsend, Dublin, on a building wrongly believed to be intended for housing asylum-seekers. The archbishops concern was that anti-immigration interests would dominate debate and poison public discourse.

He appealed for Ireland not to become a cold and harsh place. The concern is that the decency and warmth that are part of our identity could be suppressed by disinformation and the stoking of resentment by outside groups to destabilise and fragment.

We have shown we are generous and have reached out to Ukraine and thousands of asylum-seekers. It would be wrong to say we can have an unmanaged open door for the worlds displaced, but it would be worse to not help those we can within our limitations. As Dr Farrell said, we are a wealthy country and we need to give something back.

Integration Minister Roderic OGorman has said the Cabinet will discuss plans for a large number of state-run reception centres.

Two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, we ought to be beyond the discussion stage. Immigration is not an insurmountable crisis, and nothing has ever been achieved from a starting position of it cant be done.

We need not create an expectation that to arrive in Ireland is to expect to find heaven, but it can never be right to make it feel like a living hell, especially when we have made a commitment to protect and shelter the people concerned.
The strength of global democracy will be seen when more than 40pc of the world goes to the polls this year. The main race  which no one seems to want, yet from which none can escape  will take place in Washington towards the end of the year.

Incumbent Joe Biden is likely to once again go head to head with a resurgent Donald Trump.

Despite proof that Mr Trump lost the 2020 election  and instead of conceding defeat, tried to reverse the results to remain in office  he is by far the favourite to secure the Republican nomination.

Mr Bidens age, and the fact he is being held responsible for financial pressures many American families are feeling, are contributing to his low popularity ratings. His unequivocal standing side by side with Israel, despite the enormous human cost of the war in terms of Palestinian civilians, has also dented his ratings.

Many feel Mr Trump should be removed from state ballots because of his role in the January 6, 2021, attack, and that the four legal cases he is embroiled in render him unsuitable.

The pair will be making history as the oldest candidates to ever go head to head. President Biden will be 81, Mr Trump 78.

Those outside the US are at a loss to comprehend how tens of millions of people are prepared to endorse a candidate who tried to overturn an election that another had clearly won.

Respect for basic democratic principles, and the preferences of citizens, was once revered.

It was accepted that politics turned on the tenet that a losing candidate would concede.

Whatever about the virtues of the candidates, as befits all democracies, the right of the people to choose is sacrosanct. Americans will have their say.

According to Norman Mailer: A modern democracy is a tyranny whose borders are undefined, one discovers how far one can go only by travelling in a straight line until one is stopped.

And yet, there must be guard-rails, for as Abraham Lincoln warned: No man is good enough to govern another man without the others consent.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin is a case in point. As incumbent, his re-election is guaranteed.

Opponents of the war in Ukraine have no meaningful opportunity to campaign, removing any prospect of a contest. As befits an autocrat, he also exerts iron control over the media.

Yet although a charade, it is nonetheless something of a back-handed compliment to western norms that even in Moscow, it is obliquely acknowledged that democracy is the gold standard for legitimate politics.

Only an endorsement by the people can confer the seal of a leader, even  as in this case  if it is a sham.

That so much of the world can hold elections this year is a validation of the efforts of so many over centuries to secure the vote. The challenge for the year ahead is to ensure such struggles continue, and more people around the world have a say in their governance.
For some time now, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip have raised innumerable questions on the Irish Independent Letters pages.

Yesterday, two letters, from Edward Horgan (Slow, painful genocide of Palestinians is a reminder of how powerless we are) and Michael Gannon (Putins hubris reminds us of his trump card  he can rule however he wants), illustrated the lack of nous and integrity that is rampant in political leadership today.

Irrespective of what nation you read about today, be it Ireland, the UK, Australia or US, the operative word is mundanity. 

In the 1980s, it took musician Bob Geldof to awaken politicians worldwide to the inhumanity of starvation and curable disease that afflicted so many people in Africa. Noticing how much media access Geldof was afforded, selfish politicians soon jumped on the proverbial and literal bandwagon. Swift action followed.

There have been so many missteps internationally regarding the establishment of Israel and the subsequent failure to recognise Palestinian rights.

As regards Vladimir Putin, thats another failure of Western politicians, who should be careful what they wish for  the destruction of unionised power (formerly backed financially by the USSR) would lower wages, increase profit and keep the working people in modern bondage.

What we see today is not just a failure of political systems worldwide, but of academia and sections of the media that deliberately distort and obfuscate for profit.

Neither prayer nor moral lectures, nor riotous demonstrations (which play into the hands of those being demonstrated against), make even a dent in the actions of todays hand-washing Pontius Pilates.

In his poem The Second Coming, WB Yeats wrote that the centre cannot hold. The centre can hold, but only if it is filled by a centrist and peaceful peoples power.

Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia

Most world leaders are narcissists, so we must judge by achievements

Its good to begin the new year on a conciliatory note, so I thank Tom McElligott for his complimentary  I think  comments (Journalists no longer rely on the facts  Vincent Browne bucks this trend, Irish Independent, Letters, January 2).

Just to note, it seems to me that narcissism, to varying degrees, is probably common to most politicians. But we should judge them, even Donald Trump, on their achievements. And his were considerable, particularly in the Middle East. Its hard to see a Trump presidency being any worse than the present rudderless regime. Only time will tell.

As to the important social issues referred to by Mr McElligott, as witnessed by our referendums on same, there are sincerely held views on both sides.

Eric Conway, Navan, Co Meath

Trump slogan would make more sense if it was Make America Grimace Again

The world is in such a bad shape at present, Donald Trump wont help by threatening to be a dictator for one day, if he is re-elected, according to Rozina Saburs analysis (How Trump plans to gut Washington in second White House stint, Irish Independent, January 1)

Trumps slogan would make more sense if it read Make America Grimace Again.

Vladimir Putin has decided he will re-elect himself, again. So it looks like there is no turning point on this craggy road of life during this leap year.

Leo Gormley, Dundalk, Co Louth

Humanitarian laws on armed conflict were not made to be bent or broken

Who is actually in charge of the Geneva Conventions? Why are they not enforcing the rules?

Ian Walkden, Maynooth, Co Kildare

We all must make effort to work towards a peaceful resolution to this conflict

As the new year dawns on a troubled world, could we make a resolution to do all in our power to contribute to peaceful methods of conflict resolution?

More fighting will only result in yet more heartbreak and more recruits to the armed forces on both sides. It is important to recognise that people are not the enemy  it is the forces of greed, hatred and delusion that we must address. We need to work for a peaceful resolution, including an immediate ceasefire, the return of hostages and humanitarian aid.

As a first step, could we allow planes carrying humanitarian aid to pass through Shannon, but desist from supporting US military planes by allowing them to refuel there?

Elizabeth Cullen, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny

It is Hamas, not Israel, that deliberately targets children for acts of terror

Dr Hampson cant seriously accuse Israeli soldiers of deliberately targeting children (There is a special place in hell for those who wilfully maim or kill children, Irish Independent, Letters, January 1).

Its Hamas, not Israelis, that forces civilians to remain in areas they have chosen to fire on Israeli troops from. Its Hamas that hides guns, explosives and ammunition in homes, mosques and even hospitals.

Hamas picks children every year to undergo training in camps where they learn to fire AK-47s and listen to Islamists glorifying suicide bombers.

Karl Martin, Dublin 13

Exemptions from Irish a positive move for many children in our schools

As a Gaeilgeoir and mother of a child among the nearly 60,000 who received an exemption from the study of Irish this past year, I was disappointed by the negative tone and lack of balance in the article by Laura Lynott (Irish-language teaching system out of control, says expert, as almost 60,000 schoolchildren receive exemptions, Irish Independent, December 29).

This article framed the rising number of exemptions from the study of Irish as a negative outcome, when in fact we should applaud school principals for making reasonable accommodations for students who meet the exacting criteria for the granting of exemptions. In reality, only a limited set of eligible children have the option to apply for an exemption.

It is to be celebrated when a child is supported and their backgrounds, needs and abilities are addressed by their school community. Such perspectives would have been a welcome addition to the article.

Sinead Prunty, Cnoc an Linsigh, Co na Mi
How do you solve a problem like Gerard Depardieu? Probably the most famous French screen actor in the world, he has been garlanded with prizes, honours and awards and is immensely rich  he owns a 50m property in Pariss lovely 6th arrondissement. And yet he has been repeatedly accused of rape, sexual assault and gross misconduct against women.
Two Clare towns have been listed by Airbnb among the most trending destinations for 2024.

For anyone already planning their holidays and staycations, Airbnb has unveiled the top ten trending destinations for Irish guests in 2024.

Airbnb has revealed the top ten trending domestic destinations for this year based on searches by users living in Ireland, from 1st of January 1 2023 to September 30 2023 for future travel during the full 2024 year.

For those planning a staycation, the west of Ireland is one of the top choices as Airbnb explained that the coastal Clare town of Miltown Malbay is third on the list while the popular town of Ennis is seventh.

Miltown Malbay followed the scenic town of Wexford and the small Galway island of Inisheer.

The list also included quiet towns and villages such as Killorglin, Adare, Letterkenny and Carlingford, but also busy cities like Limerick and Dublin.

While internationally, Greece and Spain, with their sun-soaked landscapes, are leading the pack for short-haul summer getaways.

However, the allure of Europe extends beyond these borders, with countries like Sweden, Poland, France, and Italy witnessing a surge in popularity.

Venturing even further, Philadelphia in the United States, a city with a significant Irish diaspora, is also emerging as a favoured destination.
A search operation for a missing man in Cork came to end on Tuesday, January, 2, following the recovery of a body from in Cobh, Co. Cork.

An Garda Siochana confirmed the deceased as 41-year-old Jamie Hannigan.

Jamie Hannigan had been reported missing since Saturday, December 16, 2023 and was known to frequent Cork city and Kinsale areas.

Across Christmas and the New year Gardai and volunteer recovery crews from Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery and the Mallow Search and Rescue carried out numerous searches, during treacherous weather conditions.

The discovery made on Tuesday afternoon when a body was spotted in the water in Cobh and the alarm was raised.

A statement was given on Wednesday, January, 3, from a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana.

Following the discovery of a body of man in Cobh, Co. Cork on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 2, the missing person appeal in respect of 41-year-old Jamie Hannigan, has now been stood down. An Garda Siochana would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance.
Deputy Moynihan said the new income tax package will make a real difference for working individuals and families in Cork.

The measures that came into effect include a reduction of the 4.5% USC rate to 4%, an extension of the reduced rate of USC concession for medical card holders to the end of December 2025, an increase of 2,000 in income tax standard rate cut-off point to 42,000, an increase of the Rent Tax Credit to 750, and an increase of 100 in the Personal Tax Credit to 1,875.

The new measures also include an increase of 100 in the Employee Tax Credit to 1,875, an increase of 100 in the Earned Income Credit to 1,875, an increase of 100 in the Home Carer Tax Credit to 1,800, an increase of 100 in the Single Person Child Carer Tax Credit to 1,750 and an increase of 200 in the Incapacitated Child Tax Credit to 3,500.

Deputy Moynihan said the various measures will be a huge help to individuals and families in Cork. The 1.3 billion income tax package announced in the Budget by Minister Michael McGrath, last October has now come into effect and I know it will be a huge help to taxpayers in Cork. The changes include increases to the main tax credits and the first USC cut in five years, which means taxpayers will see an increase in take home pay.

As an example, if you're earning the average full-time wage of around 47,000, you can expect to see an increase in take home pay of 780 in 2024. This year, we are giving 1.3 billion back to workers, pensioners and the self-employed with this package, he added.
A County Donegal town has been listed among Airbnbs top 10 trending Irish destinations for holidays in 2024.

New data from Airbnb has revealed some of the top trending domestic and international destinations, as well as some interesting insights about how people are travelling.

Letterkenny in County Donegal has been listed as the ninth most popular destination in Ireland for guests planning staycations in 2024.

Letterkenny offers a busy town centre atmosphere with lots of restaurants, shopping and pubs, while it is also in a great location with many beaches and coastal towns just a short drive away.

The data is based on Airbnb searches by users living in Ireland, from January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023 for future travel during the full 2024 year.

For those looking further afield, Irish travellers are setting their sights on an array of enchanting destinations.

Greece and Spain, with their sun-soaked landscapes, are leading the pack for short-haul summer getaways.

The report reads, However, the allure of Europe extends beyond these borders, with countries like Sweden, Poland, France, and Italy witnessing a surge in popularity.

"These destinations, steeped in rich cultural heritage, are becoming the go-to choice for Irish guests in search of immersive holiday experiences.

"Venturing even further, Philadelphia in the United States, a city with a significant Irish diaspora, is also emerging as a favoured destination.
The further delay in the Metrolink project is having a major impact on local people who have been continually disappointed, according to a TD.

When completed, passengers will be able travel from Swords to Dublin city centre in approximately 25 minutes and it is estimated that MetroLink will carry up to 53 million passengers annually.

The underground plan for 16 new stations running from Swords to Charlemont that will link Dublin Airport, Ballymun, the Mater Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin City University (DCU) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD), has been once again delayed due to the need for an oral hearing.

Fingal TD Alan Farrell believes that this is a further blow for all the capitals commuters. He highlighted that the delays "cannot be ignored, as the consequences of more delays are too significant to turn a blind eye to.

I am disappointed in this further delay to the process which will have a very detrimental impact on North Dublin, and particularly Swords.

This delay will have a major impact on local people, who have hoped to see progress on Metrolink for decades and who have been continually disappointed. Over time this disappointment has been replaced with disbelief, and I fear that as a result of this further delay, residents of North Dublin and Fingal will lose all faith that this project will ever come to fruition.

An Bord Pleanala has said that they have yet to receive the inspector's report which is needed to hold the oral hearing. This will add at least several months before the board can start to deliberate.

An Bord Pleanala had previously said that a decision was to be made by 2023, their website indicated a decision would be made by December 21st.

I believe An Bord Pleanala should clarify the timeframe for the completion of this application and further clarify why this latest delay has occurred, concluded Deputy Farrell.

A spokesperson from An Bord Pleanala says that the time frame for the decision has been extended due to the complexity of the application and the volume of submissions that have been received from those making observations on the application, and that its expected that the hearing is likely to commence in February 2024.

They added: Having regard to the specific complexity of the case, international consultants have also been commissioned by An Bord Pleanala.

It has now been decided to hold an oral hearing into the application. Participants will be notified once a date and venue for the hearing has been confirmed.

"At this point it is anticipated that the hearing is likely to commence in February 2024. An inspectors report is typically completed after an oral hearing is held. Once the inspectors report is completed the case will proceed to the Board for consideration.

The Department of Transport have also been contacted by the Irish Independent for comment.

Speaking in late December, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he believes the long-promised MetroLink will begin to operate in the early 2030s.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is facing a race against time to ready a case taken against a man charged in connection to an alleged car ramming incident in a Longford housing estate that left another man in hospital.

Tommy McGinley (41) of 10 Palace Drive, Ardnacassa, Co Longford appeared at a sitting of Longford District Court charged with dangerous driving at Legion Terrace, Longford on September 16 last year.

A man in his 20s was taken to Tullamore's Midland Regional Hospital for treatment to non-life threatening injuries as a result of the incident.

Mr McGinley initially appeared in court last October and was remanded on bail subject to strict conditions.

When the case came before Judge Bernadette Owens, Sgt Enda Daly said a file relating to the matter had been sent before Christmas, adding he remained hopeful directions would be returned by the end of January.

Defence solicitor Fiona Baxter, meanwhile, said conditions linked to her clients bail terms which required him to reside in Co Tipperary was putting considerable strain on Mr McGinleys relationship with his wife who was at home taking care of their young family.

In light of those difficulties, she applied for the case to be marked peremptory against the State, meaning that the case was likely to be struck out unless progress was made the next time the case came before the courts.

Sgt Daly, in response, said he couldnt argue with the argument put forward by Ms Baxter, causing Judge Owens to accede to that request.

Mr McGinley was remanded on continuing bail to a sitting of Longford District Court on February 6.
Take That were on top of the charts in Ireland this week 30 years ago.

1 Babe Take That

2 Its Alright East 17

3 Stay (Faraway So Close) U2

4 All For Love Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting

5 Daughter Pearl Jam

6 For Whom The Bell Tolls The Bee Gees

7 Id Do Anything For Love (But I Wont Do That) Meat Loaf

8 Perfect Year Dina Carroll

9 Please Forgive Me Bryan Adams

10 Crazy World Aslan

After two near-misses with Pray and Relight My Fire - both of which reached No. 2 - Take That finally landed their first Irish number one with Babe.

Released on December 6, 1993, the song shot straight to number one in the UK, knocking Mr Blobbys self-titled novelty single from the top spot in the process. However, Take That failed to hang on for the Christmas Number One, with the Mr Blobby single climbing back to the top to take the coveted festive chart crown.

Written by Gary Barlow, Babe was the bands first single to feature Mark Owen on lead vocal. In his autobiography, My Take, Barlow explained that the song was written for Owen at the request of Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith. Before we left England, Nigel said to me, I think its really important for Mark to have a song on the album. He gets the most mail and hes never had a track to sing. It was in Japan that I started work on Babe.

Babe was also the first Take That song to feature Jason Orange on guitar. Gary Barlow again: Besides being Marks song, Babe was an important song in the history of the band for another reason  it was the song that got Jason into playing the guitar. Jay had always felt that musically he didnt contribute to the band like the rest of us, which is what prompted him to take up the guitar.

Eventually Mark, whose voice was getting better, and Jay, who had totally cracked the chords for the chorus, had the song down pat; it was time for the middle eight. The trouble was I didnt want Jay to have to learn any more chords, so I wrote the rest of the song around the ones he already knew. There was one other complication in that Mark was at the top of his range, so it couldnt go any higher. Its a hell of a way to write a hit.

The single was Take Thats third song in a row to reach number one in the UK - making them the first band to have three consecutive singles debut at the top of the charts. As well as reaching number one in the UK and Ireland, Babe was a top ten hit in many other countries around Europe and in Israel.

The fourth single from Take Thats multi-platinum second album, Everything Changes, the hit had a production team led by David Clayton who would later spend a decade playing keyboards and singing backing vocals with Simply Red.

The video for Babe, directed by Gregg Masuak, won the International Viewers Choice Award for MTV Europe at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards held in New York
A centuries-old tradition took place today (New Years Day) at the 800-year-old Hook Lighthouse as the Dunbrody Archers took part in a traditional arrow ceremony - an ancient tradition which dates back to 1687. New Ross and District Pipe Band lead the Dunbrody Archers to the ceremony. Picture: Patrick Browne.

01/01/2024. A centuries-old tradition took place today (New Years Day) at the 800-year-old Hook Lighthouse, Co. Wexford as the Dunbrody Archers take part in a traditional arrow ceremony an ancient tradition which dates back to 1687. Members of the Dunbrody Archers with Cllr. Anthony Connick Cathaoirleach, New Ross Municipal District fire arrows into the sea . Picture: Patrick Browne.

Council officials and people attending the annual arrow shooting ceremony at Hook Head on New Years Day had a wet start to their year as a huge downpour rained down for the entirety of the age-old event.

New Ross Municipal District Cathaoirleach, Cllr Anthony Connick said: As we started the parade, which was led by New Ross & District Pipe Band, the rain blew in behind us.

Cllr Connick said notwithstanding the weather a huge crowd attended again this year to see arrows shot into the Irish Sea. The ancient tradition dates back to 1687 when the Mayor and the corporation of New Ross Town Council claimed their authority over the Tower and waters by travelling to the point of the Hook and shooting an arrow into the sea from Hook Head Lighthouse.

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At 1 p.m., the Dunbrody Archers joined New Ross Municipal District chairperson, Cllr Anthony Connick to participate in the ceremony and councillors John Fleming, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council and Cllr Michael Whelan, Chairman and Wexford County Councils representative on the board of Hook Lighthouse and Heritage Centre.

It was an honour to do it. We had a massive crowd and everyone was in good form, said Cllr Connick.

He said the event brings people to one of the countys most historic areas and is a boost to Hook Lighthouse revenue.

Cllr Connick thanked Hook Lighthouse manager Lorraine Waters and her team for hosting council officials afterwards for food and refreshments and the New Ross & District Pipe Band for performing on the day.

He said the tradition was revived about 20 years ago and has become a popular New Years Day activity, one he and his fellow councillors and council officials always enjoy attending.
With music from a number of Trad House groups and New Ross and District Pipe Band, everyone enjoyed a fantastic concert. Trad House musicians played a variety of classic Christmas songs including Jingle Bells, Fairytale of New York, and a very special rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town by the groups youngest member who only turned four a couple of months ago.

All of the Trad House musicians that took part were absolutely fantastic and a few of them were only playing for a couple of months. They really put on a great show for everyone and all of our teachers and volunteers couldnt be prouder of them all, said Trad House leader Ellie Walsh.

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The atmosphere was absolutely bursting at the seams with happiness and Christmas joy. Our MCs for the evening really got the crowd going and were fantastic in getting the audience to participate and get involved with the singing for the singalong concert.

Some of the stand out moments were getting all the kids  who were taking part in the concert and who just came to watch the concert  up to play and sing the last couple of songs with members of the New Ross Special Olympic group. It was just so enjoyable to be a part of.

Hands down the best moment for the kids was when Santa and Mrs Claus paid a visit and helped close the concert by singing Jingle Bells, along with everyone. Afterwards they stayed around to take photos and give out selection boxes which we had been so kindly donated. We also had a raffle with and amazing 17 prizes in total. All prizes were donated by local businesses and parents and members from Trad House and we want to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated.

Ellie thanked everyone for coming and participating, all the local businesses who contributed with raffle prizes, the guest musicians, Mr &Mrs Claus and St Marys Church of Ireland for the beautiful venue.

We hope to make this a yearly event in collaboration with the New Ross Special Olympics and hope that people will join us next year. We had so many lovely messages congratulating everyone on a beautiful evening, where everyone in the audience was asked to participate. One of the messages commented on how the concert highlighted the importance of music and how it is inclusive for all, which is exactly what Trad House is trying to achieve.

For details on Trad House and lessons for all ages and abilities contact Ellie on 086 4528226.
The R733 outside Wexford town remains closed after a man was struck by a passing car this (Wednesday) evening.

A main road outside of Wexford town remains closed to traffic with diversions in place tonight (Wednesday) after a pedestrian was struck by a passing car.

The incident took place just before 6 p.m. on the R733, better known as the Duncannon Line.

Its understood that a man, aged in his 30s, may have been directing another car out onto the road, when he was struck by a passing vehicle.

Emergency Service rushed to the scene and gardai closed off the road to traffic while paramedics from the national ambulance service administered medical attention at the roadside.

The man was eventually rushed to University Hospital Waterford for further treatment. While serious, thankfully his injuries have been described as non life-threatening.

Meanwhile, in the past hour Wexford Gardai confirmed that the R733 remains closed to traffic with diversions in place as a full technical examination of the scene is carried out.

The road is closed from The Mountain Bar to the crossroads at Redshire Road and they are hopeful of re-opening the stretch as soon as possible.
Meet the single mum flying high after being given Wicklow dream home

Deusa de Assis was among those selected for Wicklow County Councils forever homes in Kilruddery Glen and is now going to start her own business

Deusa de Assis at her home in Kilruddery Glen, Bray.

Tom Galvin  Bray People Wed 3 Jan 2024 at 06:00

A lone parent who received the keys to one of the new forever homes, at Kilruddery Glen, in Bray, has spoken of her joy at being able to give her daughter the things she needs for a good life  a good education and a secure home  as she plans to launch her own business.
Politician (59) stabbed in neck and bled a lot, witness said

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is seen after he was injured in Busan. Photo: AP

South Koreas tough-speaking liberal opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, was stabbed in the neck by an unidentified knife-wielding man who attempted to kill him during his visit to the southeastern city of Busan, police said.
Police and the national guard in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on New Year's Eve. Photo: AP Photo

Vladimir Putin took advantage of New Years Eve celebrations to round up suspected illegal immigrants and force them to immediately enlist in his war against Ukraine, according to multiple local media reports.
Photo Courtesy: Motorola Mobility India

In line with its focus on the Indian smartphone market and the vision to be among the top 3 smartphone brands, Motorola has strengthened its India leadership team by appointing T.M. Narasimhan, to lead the India business; reporting to Prashanth Mani who will continue to be the head of Motorolas Asia Pacific business, the company said in a press release.

T.M. Narasimhan comes with extensive experience in sales operations, business & financial planning and P&L Management, having held various roles in FMCG, and consumer tech organizations like PepsiCo, Britannia & Samsung.

With a proven track record of building & nurturing teams, he has consistently delivered business results while balancing short-term & long-term goals, according to the release.

Commenting on the new appointment Executive Director - Motorola Asia Pacific Prashanth Mani said, As we continue our growth story in India, we are excited to welcome T.M. Narasimhan on board. India is a focus market for us in Asia Pacific and has been seeing exponential growth over the past few years. We are confident that Narasimhan will play a pivotal role in leading the India team & elevating the business to even greater success.

On his appointment, Managing Director, Mobile Business Group - India T.M Narasimhan said: Motorola has been a pioneer in innovation and has been disrupting the smartphone market in India with its exceptional product strategy, innovative business model and brand prowess. I look forward to building upon the solid foundation that has been laid and taking the India business to new heights while consistently delivering on consumer experience and satisfaction.

Motorola in India has been consistently growing at a double-digit premium to market over the last year and has grown at 37% Premium to Market in Q2 FY23 despite a flat to declining market, which implies that the brand is acquiring market share rapidly, according to the press release.

Motorola was also recognized as Indias best 5G smartphone brand of 2023 and has seen exponential growth YoY in its 5G smartphone activations, the release stated.

Further, Motorola is committed to the vision of Making in India and Making for the World, having successfully partnered with Dixon Technologies for manufacturing in India and was amongst the first participants of the PLI scheme by the Government of India, for mobile phones, stated the release.

Local manufacturing is not only enhancing Motorolas ability to serve Indian customers better but also enabling exports from India to multiple other markets, including the USA, it said.

Motorolas strategic emphasis on innovation, design and colours through its exclusive partnership with Pantone, distinctive software experiences, uncompromised 5G and its commitment to making products for India, in India uniquely positions the brand for accelerated growth.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

New Delhi: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) Wednesday signed contracts for 10 blocks awarded under Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bid round-VIII and three Coal Bed Methane (CBM) blocks awarded under Special CBM bid round-SCBM 2022.

The contracts were signed in the presence of the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), a government-owned entity, along with the Reliance Industries-BP consortium, Oil India, and Sun Petrochemicals Pvt. Ltd, led by Dilip Shanghvi, successfully secured oil and gas exploration blocks in the eighth round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP-VIII).

In this round, a total of 10 blocks were offered, and five companiesONGC, Vedanta Ltd, Oil India Ltd (OIL), Sun Petrochemicals Pvt Ltd, and Reliance-BP Exploration (Alpha) Ltdsubmitted 13 bids, according to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).

ONGC was the exclusive bidder for six blocks, while Reliance-BP secured the ultradeep sea block in the Krishna Godavari basin on its own. ONGC bid for nine out of the 10 blocks, winning seven of them, excluding the block bid by Reliance-BP.

OALP-IX Bid Round was also launched at the event. In this bid round, 28 blocks, with an area of approximately 1,36,596 Sq. Km., are on offer for bidding.

Addressing the event, Minister Puri noted that signing for OALP-VIII & SCBM-2022 and the launch of the OALP-IX Bid Round was a crucial step in ensuring Indias energy security.

He mentioned that vast offshore acreage of more than 1 million sq. km. has been made available in the recent past for E&P operations which were earlier so-called No-Go areas.

He said that currently, only 10% of the Indian Sedimentary Basin Area is under active exploration, however, with the initiatives of the government, more areas will come under exploration and it is estimated that after the awarding of blocks under the forthcoming OALP-IX and X Bid Rounds, about 5,60,000 sq. km. area (16%) will come under exploration by end of the year 2024.

MoPNG Secretary Pankaj Jain said that the size of bidding round IX is expected to be much bigger.

Speaking at the event, DG, DGH, Dr. Pallavi Jain Govil said that OALP -IX Bid Round bears a special significance as many of the offshore blocks on offer are in hydrocarbon rich basin areas which were earlier out of bound for E & P activities due to restrictions posed by different agencies.

In the OALP VIII Bid Round, a total of 10 blocks covering an area of 34,364 square kilometers were available for bidding. These blocks are located across 9 Sedimentary Basins and include 2 Onland blocks, 4 Shallow Water blocks, 2 Deep Water blocks, and 2 Ultra Deep-Water blocks. There was a total of 13 bids submitted for all 10 blocks, and they were awarded to 4 companies. The anticipated investments for committed exploration work programs in these awarded blocks amount to approximately USD 233 Million.

Under Special CBM Round-2022, a total of 16 CBM blocks were offered for bidding which spread across 7 States covering an area of 5817 sq. km. A total of 6 bids were received for 3 blocks with an area of 717 Sq. Km. These 3 blocks were awarded to 2 Companies. Estimated investments in awarded blocks for the committed exploration work program are to the tune of USD 7.4 Million.

As a major reform in the E&P sector, the Hydrocarbon Exploration & Licensing Policy (HELP) was approved in March 2016.

In continuation of its determination to reduce import dependency on oil and gas and accelerate E&P activities, the government notified further policy reforms in the upstream sector in February 2019 and again in May 2023 with a focus on shifting from revenue to production maximization.

There is also a continued focus on greater transparency and streamlined procedures.

The first seven OALP Bid Rounds led to an award of 134 blocks, covering an area of about 2,07,691 sq. km. to leading E&P companies.

Now, with the award of 10 more blocks under Round VIII, a total of 144 exploratory blocks have been awarded under the HELP regime covering an area of 2,42,055 sq. km.
Image Credit: Image posted on X by @byadavbjp

New Delhi: Union Minister Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday shared the news of the birth of three cubs by Namibian Cheetah Aasha at the Kuno National Park located in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district.

The minister said he was thrilled to announce that the Namibian Cheetah Aasha gave birth to the cubs and called the addition of the new members to the national park a roaring success for Project Cheetah.

Yadav congratulated all experts involved in the project, the Kuno wildlife officials, and wildlife enthusiasts across India.

Purrs in the wild!



Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha.



This is a roaring success for Project Cheetah, envisioned by PM Shri @narendramodi ji to restore ecological balance.



My big congrats pic.twitter.com/c1fXvVJN4C  Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) January 3, 2024

More than a year has passed since the relocation of 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022. Unfortunately, six of them have succumbed since March 2023.

On September 17, 2022, the cheetah arrived at Kuno National Park in a crate labeled "Aasha  The Hope."

According to an Indian Express report, this cheetah has exhibited resilience and is reported to be a confident animal, having covered a distance of over 200 km since being reintroduced into the wild in March of the previous year.

At the project's outset, wildlife officials suspected that Aasha might be pregnant following an encounter with a male cheetah named Pawan on February 1 of the preceding year. Although both Aasha and Pawan were together until March 11, officials reported that she did not give birth to any cubs, according to the report.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Aseem Shrivastava told The Indian Express, Aasha is currently in a larger enclosure and is being monitored by a team. She is totally wild in nature and is taking care of the cubs. We had our suspicions that she may have been pregnant; it was confirmed today after photographic evidence.
Photo Courtesy: NNIA India X page

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a key suspect connected with the murder of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena (SRRKS) chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi last month.

NIA said a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from Ashok Kumar.

NIA Raids 31 Locations in Haryana & Rajasthan, Arrests Another Suspect in Karni Sena Chief Murder Case pic.twitter.com/Da9WQ3Dq31  NIA India (@NIA_India) January 3, 2024

NIA, earlier, conducted raids in Haryana and Rajasthan in connection with the murder case.

The total number of people arrested in connection with the case now stands at nine.

As part of its ongoing investigations, the NIA today raided a total of 31 locations, including the houses of the accused persons and several suspects, in Rajasthan and the neighbouring state of Haryana. NIA teams made exhaustive searches of the premises and seized a large number of pistols, ammunition, digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards and DVRs etc, as well as incriminating documents related to financial transactions, read a statement issued by the NIA.

A key suspect, Ashok Kumar, was arrested from one of the locations following the recovery of several arms and ammunition from his premises in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, the statement said.
Image Credit: Image tweeted by S Jaishankar

New Delhi/IBNS: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Wednesday reflected on India's relationship with China and provided a perspective on how a more Bharat-centric approach could have shaped the nation's view of its ties with China differently.

"If we had been more Bharat, we would have had a less rosy view of our relationship with China," said Jaishankar delving into India's historical perspectives on its relationships with China.

In an address at the launch event of his book 'Why Bharat Matters' in the national capital, Jaishankar said, "Regarding the three countries that I posited, Pakistan, China, and the US, were actually three very debated relationships in our early years."

Delighted to join my friend and colleague @PiyushGoyal ji today at Bharat Mandapam for the inauguration of #AtmanirbharBharatUtsav and #ODOP awards. #ODOP is a very unique and tangible expression of Indias diversity and its progress towards Atmanirbharata. Not only districts, pic.twitter.com/7Gi4vT1lkP  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 3, 2024

The foreign minister referred to historical records, citing exchanges of notes and letters between the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on China.

He shared that the two leaders had starkly differing views about India's relationship with China.

"This is not something which is my fantasy. There is a kind of a record out there. There's an exchange of notes, letters between Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru on China, and they have very starkly differing views about it," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar highlighted Nehru's correspondence with Chief Ministers on the issue of China's place in the UN Security Council, emphasising that this historical context provided insights into the nuanced dynamics of India's diplomatic relations.

"If one looks at even the whole UN Security Council issue, this is not something which someone is saying today. There is a letter which Nehru has written to Chief Ministers saying, first let China take its place in the Security Council," Jaishankar said.

Even during the 1962 conflict, Jaishankar pointed out that Nehru sought assistance from the United States, acknowledging the hesitancy in seeking aid during a time when India was under attack.

"When the 1962 conflict war was taking place, Nehru actually wrote to Kennedy saying, 'Look, I need your help'...I'm not putting his exact words...but more or less 'I was hesitating to ask you because I was not sure how it would look overall when your country is actually under attack'," the External Affairs Minister also said.

The External Affairs Minister delved into the ideological landscape of that period, noting a strong left-wing influence in China and an ingrained hostility towards the United States.

"What happens is, in a sense there is a certain, I would say a kind of a left wing ideology which was very strong in that period, in China and similarly there's very ingrained hostility towards the United States the Americans did a lot to deserve it. But the fact is that the things which the Americans did we probably didn't deserve," he added.
Photo courtesy: Instagram/Ira Khan

Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood top actor Aamir Khan's daughter Ira Khan is set to tie her knot with her long-term boyfriend Nupur Shikhare on Wednesday.

As per reports, the two will get married in Udaipur this week. Aamir will host a grand ceremony in Mumbai next week.

Who is Nupur Shikhare?

Nupur, the would-be son-in-law of Aamir Khan, is an athlete and fitness trainer.

Born in 1985 in Pune, Shikhare went to school in his home, then moved to Mumbai for college.

Nupur, a fitness enthusiast, became an athlete and a trainer.

The athlete, who founded martial arts training academy Fitnessism, even trained Aamir and actress Sushmita.

Nupur, who moved to endurance training, participated in triathlon twice. He even featured in the Netflix show 'Ultimate Beastmaster'.

In 2019, he caught the people's glare with a nude photoshoot where he was seen running, jumping without any cloth.

Nupur and Ira made their relationship public in 2021.
Photo Courtesy: Carrie Bernans Instagram page

The Color Purple and Black Panther actor and stuntwoman Carrie Bernans was injured and rushed to hospital after a hit-and-run incident in New York City, media reports said on Wednesday.

Carrie Bernans, 29, was left critically injured after a driver crashed into an outdoor dining area at the Chirp restaurant in Manhattan at around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, her representative told People.

Bernans, who is a new mother, suffered several broken bones in the crash and is currently in a stable condition in the hospital, said her representative who confirmed that her child was not present at the time of the crash.

The incident occurred amid a police foot chase after officers were informed of a physical assault involving the 44-year-old male driver of a black Mercedes and a 34-year-old female passenger in the area of 33rd Street and 6th Avenue, police confirmed to the magazine.

"Officers on foot attempted to de-escalate the situation and ordered the male operator of the vehicle to put the vehicle into park. The male failed to obey the officers' orders and fled westbound on 33rd Street before making a right turn onto 7th Avenue counter flow to traffic," the police statement added.

"The Mercedes then turned onto westbound West 34th Street where he mounted the sidewalk and began traveling westbound. The male then struck a food cart and two 39-year-old female pedestrians, a 31-year-old female pedestrian, and a 29-year-old female pedestrian," read the statement as quoted by People.

Patricia Lee, Bernans' mother, posted on the Instagram page of the actor: "#grateful #psGraphicPhotos posted by Carries mom @777patricialee . Shes still in so much pain and cant answer calls at this time, but appreciate the messages. This was a traumatic incident."

"Please keep Carrie in your thoughts and prayers. Shes in so much pain but healing. She was involved in a traumatic incident in NYC where a man, early 40s was trying to escape a hit and run and ran into multiple cars before hitting a food stand that her friend & her were walking near. It ended up knocking her unconscious and pended her under the stand. She was under it unaware of what was happening," read the post.

"She have a few broken bones, fractures, & chipped teeth but thanking God that shes alive. Nine people were injured in his attempted escape from the hit & run, including 3 police officers. Police caught him shortly after and arrested him. Amidst the chaos of the New Year's incident, shes holding onto an immense sense of gratitude for life itself," the post said.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Canberra/UNI: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has launched an inquiry into missing documents relating to the former government's decision to join the Iraq War.

Anthony Albanese said, in his first press conference of 2024 on Wednesday, that Australians have a right to know why the country joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and ordered an investigation into why some records relating to the decision were kept secret.

Each year on Jan. 1 the National Archives of Australia (NAA) unseals classified documents from the innermost sanctum of the government - the cabinet - from 20 years earlier.

However, the latest release on Monday omitted 78 documents relating to deliberations by the cabinet's National Security Committee (NSC) on whether to join the conflict in Iraq.

Albanese said on Wednesday that the documents were not handed to the NAA when the then-government was required to do so in 2020 but were found in the final days of 2023 and will be released after being vetted for ongoing national security concerns.

He attributed the missing documents to administrative oversight but announced that former senior public servant Dennis Richardson would conduct an inquiry into whether they were intentionally covered up.

The Labor Party, which Albanese now leads, in 2003 strongly opposed the government's decision to commit Australia to the war, with then-party leader Simon Crean describing the invasion as illegal and unjust.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Sao Paulo/UNI: One person died, and three others were injured after the helicopter they were riding crashed into a lake in the city of Capitolio, located in the Brazilian southeastern state of Minas Gerais, local media reported on Wednesday.

Citing a preliminary report from the local Fire Department, the victims included a group of sightseers visiting Lake Furnas whose helicopter appeared to have technical problems on takeoff, leading the aircraft to crash into the water.

Videos and images released on social media captured the moment of the accident when thousands of people were strolling around the lake during the summer holidays.

According to the Brazilian Air Force, inspectors from the country's Aeronautical Accident Research and Prevention Center were called to investigate the incident.
UK teen says she was virtually gang raped in metaverse. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

British Police have started investigating the alleged gangrape of a girl's 'avatar' in a virtual reality game, media reports said.

This is believed to be the first case of this kind to be probed that involves Metaverse.

The alleged victim, identified only as a girl under 16, was wearing a virtual reality headset in an immersive game when her avatar, an animated representation of her, was raped by those of several men, New York Post reported quoting Daily Mail.

Although the accuser did not sustain any physical injuries, she suffered mental trauma, police sources told the outlet.

There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer-term than any physical injuries, a senior officer familiar with the case told the newspaper.

However, authorities fear it would be impossible to prosecute the suspects under the existing laws.

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly voices concern

Reacting to the development, Home Secretary James Cleverly told LBCs Nick Ferrari at Breakfast program: "I know it is easy to dismiss this as being not real, but the whole point of these virtual environments is they are incredibly immersive."

"And we're talking about a child here, and a child has gone through sexual trauma," he said.

"It will have had a very significant psychological effect and we should be very, very careful about being dismissive of this," he added.

Alerting people, he said: "It's also worth realising that somebody who is willing to put a child through a trauma like that digitally may well be someone that could go on to do terrible things in the physical realm."

He said the incident should be treated 'seriously'.

He said: "I think we have a duty to take issues like this seriously. It might seem strange to some, but I do think this is something well worth looking into."

A senior officer who is familiar with the case told LBC the child went through psychological trauma.

"There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer term than any physical injuries," he said.

Ian Critchley, the lead for child protection and abuse investigation at the National Police Chiefs Council, echoed Cleverlys words, telling the Mail as quoted by New York Post that the metaverse creates a gateway for predators to victimize children.

In 2022, researcher Nina Jane Patel said her online avatar was abused in a Meta-operated virtual world platform named Horizon Venues.

Recalling the experience, Patel told BBC that she was "surrounded by three to four male-sounding and male-representing avatars, who started sexually harassing me in a verbal sense and then sexually assaulting my avatar".

Meta reacts

In a statement, Meta said: "The kind of behaviour described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you don't know a few feet away from you."
Photo Caption: IDF shares video of a tunnel located under Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Photo Courtesy: twitter.com/@IDF (video grab)

Washington: The US intelligence community is "confident" that after the Oct 7 incident, Hamas and other Palestinian military factions utilised Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital as a command hub for their operations against Israel and to detain some of the hostages, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing a new intelligence assessment.

While the assessment supports Tel Avivs claims that the Shifa hospital complex served as a base for anti-Israel activities, the released information does not provide any proof that it was the central node for military operations by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the report said.

The US Intelligence Community is confident in its judgement on this topic and has independently corroborated information on HAMAS and PIJs use of the hospital complex for a variety of purposes related to its campaign against Israel, the report cited the assessment as stating.

Moreover, the assessment believes that the militant groups used the al-Shifa hospital complex and sites beneath it to house command infrastructure, exercise certain command and control activities, store some weapons, and hold at least a few hostages, but evacuated several days before Israeli forces raided the hospital complex on Nov 15 and destroyed sensitive documents and electronics.

On Oct 7, the Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip while its fighters breached the border, opening fire on the military and civilians.

As a result, over 1,200 people in Israel were killed, and some 240 others were abducted. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and launched a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.

Over 22,000 people have been killed so far in Gaza as a result of Israeli strikes, local authorities said.

On Nov 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1.

(With UNI/Sputnik inputs)
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Geneva: With 140 journalists killed, 2023 was the deadliest year for media workers in ten years, the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) announced here on Wednesday.

On an average, one journalist has been killed in Gaza during the war since Oct 7, accounting for about two-thirds of the deaths in the Middle East, according to the PEC report.

At least 81 of the 140 media professionals across 28 nations died in the Gaza Strip (106, according to the Gaza Media Office).

The majority of Palestinian journalists were employed by many media outlets, including international ones. Along with members of their families, they perished in indiscriminate Israeli strikes, frequently in their homes, according to the report.

"We condemn these indiscriminate strikes, which do not distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters. While it is difficult to verify whether journalists were intentionally targeted or not, the Israeli army has systematically destroyed the Palestinian media in Gaza by bombing their offices and facilities," said PEC President Blaise Lempen.

This is the highest media death toll during a conflict in such a short space of time.

Gaza remains impracticable for the foreign media to carry out their independent reporting due to the security conditions, according to the report.

Death beyond Middle East

At least 59 journaliss were killed outside of the Gaza Strip in 27 other nations.

The situation worsened in Guatemala, where five journalists were killed while in Mexico, nine journalists had died, the report said.

In the conflict in Ukraine, four journalists lost their livestwo Italian, one French, and two Russianwhile in Israel, four perished in the October 7 Hamas attack.

In Pakistan, India, Lebanon, and Cameroon, three victims were reported. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Haiti, Nigeria, the Philippines, and the United States of America were among the nations where two victims were reported each.

Finally, one journalist was reported dead in each of the following nations: Egypt, Honduras, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Paraguay, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria, according to the PEC.

With 64% of cases and 90 deaths, the Middle East was the most affected region. Asia came in second with 12, Africa came in first with 11, Europe came in fourth with 4, and North America came in third with 3.
PIO couple Rakesh Kamal and Teena Kamal (and their daughter) were found dead in their lavish Massachusetts mansion. Photo courtesy: X/@RickKamal and Redcross.org

The deaths of a wealthy Indian-origin couple and their daughter in the US last week have been ruled as murder-suicide, as per medical authorities who conducted his autopsy.

An autopsy indicates that the father and husband of the home, Rakesh Kamal, 57, shot his wife, Teena Kamal, 54, and his daughter, Arianna Kamal, 18, before turning the pistol on himself, according to findings from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Massachusetts, reported Boston Herald.

A final autopsy report should be completed in the coming weeks, according to the Norfolk District Attorneys office.

Rakesh Kamal did not have a license nor registration for the .40 caliber Glock 22 found near his body at the crime scene at 8 Wilsons Way, a private street in Dover, the newspaper reported.

According to reports, the family was facing financial problems in recent times.

The familys sprawling mansion went into foreclosure a year ago and was sold to the Massachusetts-based Wilsondale Associates LLC for $3 million, according to property records obtained by The New York Post.

The slain family members were the only ones living in the mansion at the time, the DA said, adding that the area, one of the richest in the state, was a nice neighborhood, a safe community.

Teena and her husband previously ran a Massachusetts-based education systems company called EduNova.

According to reports, the company, which started its journey in 2016, was dissolved in 2021.

Teena was a Harvard alumnus.

She was reportedly listed as one of the board of directors for the American Red Cross of Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, the couples daughter was a student at Middlebury College.
Image Credit: Wikimedia commons

Washington/IBNS/UNI: Several US state capitol buildings were evacuated due to threats against officials, including the Kentucky capitol building, Governor Andy Beshear said on Wednesday.

While everyone is safe, Kentucky State Police has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of States Office. We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country, Beshear said in a statement via social media platform X.

While everyone is safe, KSP has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of States Office. We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country. 1/2  Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 3, 2024

Besides, Mississippi, Michigan, Georgia, and Connecticut Capitols also received threats that led to evacuations as well, local media reports said.

The incidents may have involved bomb threats, the reports said.

The threat to the Georgia capitol was deemed a hoax and the building was reopened, reports said.
Recently, Vikrant Massey has been on a roll; the actor is getting a lot of praise for 12th Fail. We have repeatedly witnessed the actor playing incredible parts in his OTT series and films. The actor has gone a long way, from TV series to now being the talk of the town thanks to his poignant film.

If you enjoyed watching him in 12th Fail, you should consider seeing him in some of his other movies and series.

1. Mirzapur

After making millions from carpet exports, Akhandanand Tripathi rose to prominence as the Mirzapur mafia's chief. Munna, his ungrateful and power-hungry son, will do whatever it takes to carry on his father's legacy.

Imdb

Where To Watch: Prime Video

2. Dil Dhadakne Do

Kamal and Neelam are taking their family and friends on a cruise in celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary. On the other hand, kids improve and pick up many life lessons along the way.

Netflix

Where To Watch: Netflix

3. Love Hostel

When Jyothi and Ashu elope together and her family employs a vicious mercenary to assassinate the couple, a string of murders, escapes, and lies follow.

Imdb

Where To Watch: Zee5

4. Broken But Beautiful

When Sameera's partner leaves, Veer, a widower, and she decides to buy her house, their paths meet. But they quickly develop a strange friendship and are given another opportunity at love.

Imdb

Where To Watch: Jio Cinema

5. Gaslight

In her ancestral home, a young woman searching for her father has discovered a scheme involving everyone she knows and trusts.

Imdb

Where To Watch: Prime Video

6. Criminal Justice

Sanaya, a passenger of Aditya's taxi, is the object of his one-night obsession. But when he awakens in a pool of her blood with her dead next to him, things go wrong for him.

imdb

Where To Watch: Hotstar

7. Haseen Dilruba

While investigating police officers search for clues to arrest her, a woman suspected of killing her husband tells an intriguing account about her marriage.

imdb

Where To Watch: Netflix

(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)


A military enthusiast from England named Nick Mead made a fascinating discovery in 2018 after purchasing a tank online from eBay  he found five hidden gold bars inside. Now, six years later, Mead expresses regret over his decision to return the treasure to authorities, citing a lack of a finder's fee and no compensation from the government.

tank-gold

What happened?

Mead, a 62-year-old military history enthusiast, runs Tanks-a-lot farm in Helmdon, Northamptonshire. In 2018, he came across an old tank on eBay, a Chinese version of the Soviet T-55 tank, later known as the Type 69 tank used by the Iraqi Army during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers inadvertently abandoned the tank, unknowingly leaving behind a fortune in gold.



Purchasing the tank for approximately Rs 31 lakh, Mead was astonished to find five gold ingots hidden inside, valued at around Rs 21 crore. Although he handed over the gold bars to authorities, Mead now expresses regret, lamenting the absence of any finder's fee. In an interview with Daily Mail, he mentioned, "When we found the gold bars, we didn't know what to do with them. It's not like you can take five gold bars down to the pawn shop. So we called the police."





Gold bars' origin in Kuwait

According to Mead, the gold bars bore fingerprints identifying their origin in Kuwait. He believes the gold is undoubtedly from Kuwait, further confirming the tank's historical connection to the Iraqi invasion.

The tank, which was purchased for Rs 31 lakh from a seller named Heeves on eBay, had undergone a complete rebuild. Mead, who owns 300 military vehicles, revealed that each gold bar weighed 5 kg.

The Daily Mail report sheds light on Mead's disappointment over the lack of compensation or acknowledgement for the substantial value he handed over to authorities. Despite his regret, Mead's story adds a unique chapter to the unusual discoveries made by enthusiasts in the realm of military memorabilia.
A 62-year-old woman was recently allowed by the Supreme Court of Western Australia to harvest her late husband's sperm after convincing a judge that the couple had planned to have a child before he died.

Why did the woman want the late husband's sperm?

Pexels

According to judicial documents unsealed Wednesday, the couple began considering having another child after their 31-year-old son was killed in a car accident in 2019. Their 29-year-old daughter had drowned on a fishing trip six years before that.

Following these tragic occurrences, the couple began researching whether the 61-year-old husband's sperm might be used to impregnate a surrogate.

Who is the woman who fought the legal battle?

After the man died at home on December 17, his wife, who cannot be named for legal reasons, requested that his sperm be collected and stored in the hospital morgue.

Pexels

According to legal filings, the hospital dragged its feet, causing the woman to seek an urgent order in the Supreme Court of Western Australia. She did so since reproductive tissue reportedly needs to be taken between one and two days following death.



When did the court approve her request?

Judge Fiona Seaward decided that the sperm could be retrieved and stored, but that it would require other court approvals before it could be used for fertilization. The order was issued on December 21, but it was just recently made public.

Although odd, sperm from deceased lovers is not unheard of in Australia. An Australian woman was granted permission in June 2023 to extract sperm from her 29-year-old husband, who allegedly died after slicing an artery on a shattered window pane.



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In a shocking turn of events, two college dropouts in Gujarat pulled off a massive scam. They committed a Rs 60 crore fraud in just three months, or 90 days by tricking people with fake online jobs and investment promises, offering big salaries and profits.

Who Are The Two College Dropouts?

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The Mumbai Police caught 33-year-old Rupesh Pravikumar Thakkar and 34-year-old Pankajbhai Govardhan Oad, after a teenager who had lost Rs 2.45 lakh to the scam reported them, as per ET.



How Did The Rs 60 Crore Scam Take Place?

The scam began when a 19-year-old student named Krish fell into the scam after seeing an online job ad, thinking he could make money by writing restaurant reviews. They promised him a weekly salary of Rs 10,000 and daily bonuses of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000. Krish also got lured into investing money by a woman named Maria, who promised him even more profits.



Additionally, Krish told the police that Maria asked him to invest Rs 1,000, for which she said he would get a profit of Rs 300. She apparently said if he invested Rs 2,000, he would earn Rs 600, and on an investment of Rs 3,000, he would earn Rs 900.

As per the police report, Krish invested Rs 1,000 and got messages saying he earned Rs 1,650, but when he tried to get his money back, he couldn't. The Mumbai police, with help from cybercrime experts, tracked down and arrested the two criminals.

dailytrust

Also Read: Usain Bolt Loses Nearly $10 Million In Investment Fraud

What Did The Police Find?

The police found Rs 1.1 crore in their bank accounts, blocked the funds, and after looking into it more, they learned that these guys cheated many others, totalling Rs 60 crore. But even though they caught these two, the main person behind the scam is still not caught, and the police think he might be hiding in London, as per the report.

"Krish invested Rs 1,000 and after the completion of the task, he received a message that he had earned a sum of Rs 1,650 against his investment. In various instalments, Krish invested Rs 2.45 lakh, and he got messages of his earnings, but when he tried to withdraw his earnings he was unable to do so," senior inspector Deepak Chavan of the Matunga police station reportedly told the publication. The police sought help from cybercrime officials before nabbing the two accused.

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
A big paycheck received even once in our lifetime is enough to change our fortunes, right? But for Google's former highest-paid employee Nikesh Arora, winning big paychecks has been no big deal.

Who Is Nikesh Arora?

getty

55-year-old Nikesh Arora is the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks. He has held that position since June 2018.



When Did He Work At Google?

Back in 2012, at Google, Arora became the tech giants highest-paid executive after getting a compensation package worth about $51 million. Moreover, he went on to collect stock awards worth at least $200 million by the time he left Google in 2014 when he was poached by SoftBank Group Corp.s Masayoshi Son.

forbes

Arora was at that time touted as Masayoshi Son's likely successor, and he amassed a $135 million first-year compensation package that broke Japanese records and made him the worlds best-paid executive, as per Bloomberg.



Arora worked at Google from December 2004 to September 2014, and then at Softbank from September 2014 to June 2016.

Also Read: How Elon Musk Had Almost Sold Tesla To Google For $6 Billion

How He Turned Into A Billionaire?

et

But it is Aroras latest stint at cybersecurity giant Palo that has catapulted him into the billionaire club. Combined with massive pay awards he secured earlier in his career, Aroras net worth stands at $1.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That makes him a rare non-founder billionaire tech CEO.



The majority of Aroras stake in Palo Alto Networks relates to more than 3.4 million stock options he was awarded upon joining the company.

Where Did Arora Get Graduated From?

As per his LinkedIn profile, Arora completed his BE (Bachelor's in Electrical and Electronics Engineering) from IIT Varanasi in 1929, then an MBA in Marketing from Northeastern University in 1992, followed by an MS in Finance from Boston College in 1994. Arora also completed his PhD in Business/Commerce from Northeastern University in 2013.

Also Read: Why Warren Buffett Never Invested In Elon Musk's Tesla

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
Among those reforms, according to government spokeperson, Mr Marinakis, are postal voting, allowing private, non-profit universities to be founded in Greece, as well as changes in justice and health , among others.
Motor accident involving a truck and an 18-passenger bus along the Jebba-Ilorin Expressway in Kwara State, on Tuesday, resulted in the loss of 11 lives.

According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, the horrible incident occurred at Aiyere village along the Bode-Saadu-Ilorin route at about 4.50 am.

FRSC said that the crash occurred as a result of wrongful overtaking and speed violation by one of the vehicles.

However, in a statement made available by the FRSC Public Relations Officer, Kwara Sector Command, Basambo Olayinka, disclosed that the command received the report of the accident in the early morning of Tuesday.

The statement reads: On receipt of the report of the crash, our operatives at the Help and Rescue Camp were immediately mobilised to the crash scene for the rescue operation, which was carried out in conjunction with men of the Nigerian Police Force, Divisional Headquarter, Bode Saadu.

READ MORE: Shops, Viewing Centre Destroyed In Kwara Tanker Fire

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Toyota Hiace bus coming from Gombe enroute to Lagos wrongfully overtook another vehicle resulting in a head-on collision with an oncoming DAF Truck.

A total of 18 people (male adult) were involved, 11 of them sadly lost their lives while Seven others were rescued with varying degrees of injury and have been taken to Ifeoluwa Hospital, Bode Saadu, where they are currently receiving treatment.
Zack Orji, an experienced Nollywood actor, had brain surgery after collapsing at home on New Years Eve.

Information Nigeria reported earlier that Zack Orji is currently battling for his life and is in critical condition in the ICU of the National Hospital in Abuja.

According to friends of the sick actor who talked to Linda Ikejis blog, Orji is incapable of speaking or walking. They claim that every test has been carried out to determine the issue.

The source disclosed that two days prior, he slumped in the bathroom and was taken to the hospital.

It was also stated that he had been complaining of weakness for weeks before the incident.

Following the news, the Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa visited him. Even the First Lady of Nigeria, Remi Tinubu paid the veteran actor a visit at the hospital.

Giving an update on his health, Musawa revealed that the actor had undergone brain surgery after being transferred to a private hospital in Abuja on Tuesday. She appealed to Nigerians to show their support for the veteran, who she described as a national asset.

READ MORE: First Lady, VPs Wife, Others Visit Ailing Actor Zack Orji, Hours After He Was Mocked Online For Supporting APC

God will heal him and he will be well. We will do all we can to support him. We solicit the collective prayers of Nigerians because he is like a part of our families. We have watched him entertain us and we see him as a national treasure. So the best we can do is to ensure that we support him to have the best treatment.

We will reach out to other well-meaning Nigerians to support Zack Orji through prayers and other means available to ensure that he survives this ailment.

This is not only about the ministry which I am representing. You know that Zack Orji has been in the industry for decades. This is a man who has given his time and effort to entertain Nigerians.

He is one of the individuals who laid the foundation for Nollywood and the film industry in Nigeria but now he is sick and the least we can do as an administration is to give him all the necessary support through prayers and otherwise to ensure that we save his life.

This will also propel the administration to look at the welfare of artists and others in the industry who have not only given their time and energy but people like Zack Orji who have become national treasures.
A chieftain of the Labour Party, Professor Pat Utomi, has revealed that the former Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, was a dogged fighter who stood for truth.

Speaking on Tuesday during a condolence visit to Akeredolus family in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Utomi said that Akeredolu never kept quiet in the face of oppression.

The LP chieftain, who visited the residence of the late governor, said that he never compromised on justice and equity

In his condolence message, Utomi, who was Akeredolus classmate at Loyola College, Ibadan, in the 60s, disclosed that his late colleague had that leadership trait in him since secondary school.

Utomi said: Akeredolu was not one who would keep quiet in the face of oppression and he never compromised on justice and equity.
The leader of Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said that the memory of late the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, will linger on for standing against the domination and dictatorial power of the former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The elder statesman led this out while paying a condolence visit to the residence of the former governor at Jericho Quarters, Ibadan.

He explained that he paid the visit not because he was a former Governor of Ondo, but because he stood firm against the invasion of Fulani herders when they attempted to take over the West.

Adebanjo said: Afenifere came here not because he was a former governor of Ondo State. But because of what he stood for and the kind of progressive politics he was involved in.

READ MORE: Akeredolu Was A Weakling, Mismanaged His Health  Ex-Aide

He was a great patriot and nationalist who believed in what he said. Hes a very courageous and consistent man particularly when there was the invasion of Fulani herders in the West.

He stood firm and called a spade a spade. He said Fulani should get out of the forest where they were hiding to perpetrate evil despite the domination and dictatorial power of Buhari. Thats my man.

Thats what made me lead a delegation here. I could have sent anybody but I said no, not for Rotimi, a fantastic and a great son of Oduduwa, the czar of the Nigerian progressive governors.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has disclosed that he nearly turned down ex-President Muhammdu Buharis ministerial appointment in 2015.

Fayemi served as Minister for Solid Minerals from 2015  2018.

In an interview published by ThisDay on Tuesday, Fayemi said the announcement came to him as a surprise, adding that he thought he was going to be appointed Foreign Affairs Minister.

The former Ekiti governor said he had made up his mind to inform Buhari that he would not take up the appointment because he was not prepared to mess himself up as he knew nothing about the ministry.

He however revealed that Niyi Adebayo, the former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, along with his wife, persuaded him not to tell Buhari that he would not accept the appointment.

Before I became a minister, I was director of policy for the presidential campaign and also worked in the transition committee, so I had a comprehensive view of what was going on in the Jonathan administration, but I was not prepared to go to the ministry I was assigned to.

When I was announced as the minister for solid minerals, I must confess, I was surprised. I honestly thought I was going to be minister of foreign affairs, an area in which I was a frontline adviser for President Buhari during the period leading up to the election and before ministers were announced.

In fact, I was with President Buhari on his last assignment at the United Nations before the ministerial list was released on the day we returned from the United Nations.

READ ALSO: FG Relying On Revenue Than Borrowing  Wale Edun On 2024 Budget

I got home after we were sworn in and portfolios assigned and told my wife and our leader, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, that I was going to inform President Buhari that I could not take the appointment.

What do I know about the ministry? It was not even about being a dry or juicy ministry. I was not prepared to mess myself up, after coming this far.

I thought the ministry should go to a subject matter expert. So, I decided I was not going to take it. But Otunba said, no, that would be selfish and that I must put our people into my consideration.

I must take it. He added: Kayode, your strength is in managing people and resources, and you are going to take it and make a statement. Having managed a whole state, you can manage anything. And my wife aligned with him.

I was still not convinced but at least, they stopped me from going to tell President Buhari I was opting out of the cabinet, he detailed.

The former Ekiti governor stated that Buhari later explained to him that he deliberately appointed him as Minister for Solid Minerals, adding that he took the appointment as a challenge and grew into the job.

Eventually, President Buhari explained to me that he was deliberate in sending me to the ministry because he had three priorities  infrastructure, agriculture and solid minerals development and he wanted excellent hands in the three areas.

I took it up as a challenge and I believe I grew into the job.

In my three years there, we grew the contribution of solid minerals as a percentage of GDP, developed a comprehensive road map for the sector, started the aero-magnetic survey of the country, which was completed during Architect Adegbites tenure, and also conducted the national minerals exploration project amongst many other initiatives, Fayemi added.
A former governor of Ogun state, and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Party, Olusegun Osoba, has described the visitation of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to some affected areas of terrorists attack in Plateau state as a token appearance.

Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA earlier reported that Obi visited the displaced people of Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of the State, which was recently attacked by armed bandits on Dec 24, 2023.

However, Osoba, in his reaction on Tuesday, during an interview on Arise TV, said that Obis visit would aid the ruling party in examining their remarks and declarations to determine whether any information uncovered would be advantageous.

READ MORE: Election Is Over, Lets Work Together  Tinubu Begs Atiku, Obi, Others

He said: For the opposition parties, that is their role. There must be robust engagements. If they dont engage us robustly, how would we know some of our shortcomings and challenges? When Obi went to Plateau for a token appearance, it was part of the robust engagement.

When we were in ACN we robustly engaged Goodluck Jonathan heavily. So, they are playing the role expected of the opposition. What do you expect of them? We are in government and they throw punches. We would defend the punches and where necessary, we give a little brushing of their faces too.

But I agree that they are within the barns of opposition in a way that they are being critical and we analyze their statements, and reactions and see if whatever we find will be useful.
Former Sierra Leone President, Ernest Bai Koroma, will on Thursday move to Nigeria in return for treason charges against him to be dropped, Information Nigeria understands.

Koroma is being charged with four counts of treason in connection with an attempted and foiled coup.

Gunmen on November 26, 2023,attacked military barracks, a prison and other locations in Sierra Leone (Freetown), freeing about 2,200 inmates and killing more than 20 people.

However, he denied any involvement in the attack.

Meanwhile, going on exile in Nigeria, is a deal the West African leaders are trying to broker, for charges against him to be dropped.

In a letter sighted online, Koroma has agreed to the deal, brokered by the regional group, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that as part of the agreement reached during the mission, the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has agreed to host His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of Sierra Leone, in Abuja, on a temporary basis. The former president has accepted the offer to be hosted in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Edo: Obaseki Against Gods Plan, My Governorship Ambition Divine  Shaibu

Subject to your approval, arrangments will be made to fly former President Koroma out of Freetown on Thursday 4, January 2024. He will be accompanied by his office manager and personal assistant, the letter read in part.

The letter also stresses the necessity of continued payments for Koromas allowances and entitlements as a former Head of State.

Though he has not commented publicly, he will travel to Nigeria , subject to the approval of Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio.

On Tuesday, 12 other people were charged over the attempted coup, including one of Koromas former bodyguards.

Koromas charges, which also include misprision of treason and two counts of harbouring, were read out while he stood in the dock and some of his supporters cried in the courtroom.

A dangerous precedent has been set We are dragging a former head of state  democratically elected  on trumped up charges under a political vendetta, Koromas lawyer, Joseph Kamara, told Reuters.

According to Sierra Leones penal code, a person found guilty of treason could face imprisonment for life.
Tiwi, the wife of Nollywood star Kunle Remi, has warned Nigerian women who still have feelings for her husband to avoid him.

During a banter between the black beauty and Kunle Remis friend shortly after their wedding, Tiwi said her husband is off the market because hes all hers.

Tiwi prayed that God will send lovely partners for those crushing on her husband because Kunle Remi is now gone and he is officially hers.

READ MORE: Rita Edochie Appreciates Nigerians For Supporting May

Her statement was boldly supported by her husbands friends who joined her in the banter.

Listen, lock him in, this guy is all mine, all the ladies stay in prayers, I pray God send you yours, stay away from mine she said.

SEE POST:
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists in military uniform have killed no fewer than 12 persons and abducted one in Gatamarwa and Tsiha communities in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the incident came barely two weeks after the gunmen perpetrated a similar attack in the local government, where they killed two persons and looted food stuff in some houses before settling them ablaze.

Confirming the incident to newsmen on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State command, Nahum Daso Kenneth, said that 12 corpses were recovered.

Daso said: The gunmen shot sporadically at the people in the two communities. So far, 12 corpses were recovered and two were injured.

READ MORE: I Was Forced To Marry Three Boko Haram Terrorists  Chibok Girl Narrates

Meanwhile, a source who spoke with Daily Trust, yesterday, revealed that the insurgents carrying weapons stormed the communities in large number.

He said: The insurgents who were heavily armed with AK-47 rifles, came on motorcycles, in Hilux vans and opened fire on mourners returning from Gatamarwa.

They later attacked another Tsiha community near Shikarkir and killed three people and abducted a young lady. They burnt houses after looting their foodstuffs.
Some yet to be identified gunmen have reportedly killed a Chief Imam of Jummaat Mosque of Ndun village of Tangur District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Malam Muhammad Sani Idris, including an okada rider, Muhammad Gambo.

According to Daily Trust, the Chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), Garba Abdullahi, confirmed the incident on Wednesday.

The chairman stated that the incident had been reported to local security agencies for prompt action.

Recall that this is coming barely few days days after attacks on over 20 villages in Bokkos LGA, which claimed lives of more than 150 people.

However, GAFDAN chairman, while narrating the horrible event to newsmen today, said: The chief Imam and his younger were attacked on Monday, after arriving at the community to collect some of their belongings left from the recent attacks where houses of our members were burned down.
The United Kingdom (UK) has initiated the enforcement of its policy prohibiting Nigerian and other foreign students in the country from sponsoring family members through the study visa route.

In an announcement via X, the UK Home Office confirmed that only postgraduate research or government-sponsored scholarship students would be exceptions to this new regulation.

The Home Office announced that We are fully committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK. Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt.

Also, the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, in a post on X on Monday confirmed the ban on foreign students from bringing in dependents to the country.

From today, the majority of foreign university students cannot bring family members to the UK. In 2024, were already delivering for the British people, Sunak posted.

The United Kingdom had in May 2023 implemented a law preventing Nigerian students and others studying in the UK from bringing family members as dependents, except under specific circumstances.

This decision aligns with the UK governments objective to decrease immigration into the country, which currently stands at about one million.

Under the new rule, the UK will revoke permission for international students to switch from the student route to work routes before completing their studies, aiming to prevent misuse of the visa system.
In response to growing concerns over the deteriorating state of the Great Wall, China's cultural heritage authorities issued a circular recently outlining enhanced measures to safeguard the iconic structure. The Great Wall faces multifaceted threats from human factors such as improper protection methods, illegal industrial projects and disorderly tourism development, as well as the impact of natural weathering. The National Cultural Heritage Administration has directed lower-level authorities to collaborate with other local government departments in conducting comprehensive surveys, categorizing Great Wall resources and devising specific coordinated protection plans. Emphasizing the preservation of sections that still feature buildings, the directive urges efforts to maintain their structural integrity and preserve historical information. For areas where buildings have collapsed or disappeared, the focus should be on preserving the site as it stands, clearly marked, with strict prohibitions on rebuilding or large-scale restoration. Concerning tourism development, the administration calls for cautious planning, discouraging haphazard infrastructure projects like footpaths, parking lots, tourist centers and museums. Ticket revenues generated from Great Wall tourism should be dedicated entirely to preservation efforts, ensuring a sustainable approach. The administration has ordered more management efforts, including increased monitoring, patrolling and stringent project approval processes. Timely reporting of actions that may jeopardize the Great Wall is compulsory, and those responsible for damage should be held accountable. Sections of the Great Wall have suffered damage recently, with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment uncovering five cases during ecological inspections. In one of the cases, the government of Xinxiang in Henan province was accused of inadequate oversight of sand and stone mining, resulting in damage to sections of the Zhao Great Wall, dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The Zhao Great Wall, believed to be the oldest existing section  predating Emperor Qinshihuang's large-scale construction in 214 BC-holds significant historical value despite its current state of ruin. However, only 855 meters of a 3-kilometer section remained standing in Weihui, Xinxiang, due to illegal mining, according to a report by China Environment News, which is managed by the ministry. Investigations revealed that the local government had approved the mining without consulting cultural heritage departments, and the company involved had failed to report that the location included the important historical site. In a similar case in 2018, an illegal wind power project damaged 756 meters of the Zhao Great Wall in Huixian, another city in Xinxiang. More than 20 local officials were punished, and four people were given prison terms. In September, two people were detained in Shanxi province for damaging a section of the Great Wall with an excavator. A man and a woman used the excavator to widen a gap in a section of the No 32 Great Wall in Youyu county in late August. The wall, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was damaged beyond repair. The duo, who had been contracted to work on a construction project nearby, admitted to using the excavator to make it easier to pass through the wall. They have been charged with destroying a cultural relic.


Some of the Billings utility ratepayers who prevailed in a class action lawsuit against the city over illegally collected fees have started receiving their reimbursements.

At least 924 former utility customers will receive a check for around $80. As many as 35,000 current customers will receive a credit of about the same amount on their utility bills.

That credit should appear on bills before Feb. 15. And, checks to former customers should be received before the same date. Those who dont receive their reimbursement by that date should contact the class administrator at 833-513-0862 before April 1.

Former residents who receive a check should cash it within 160 days or it will be voided.

The suit was filed in early 2018, claiming the city had collected a franchise fee since 1992 on water and wastewater services. The suit called the fees an illegal sales tax. Typically, a franchise fee is charged by a utility or other entity and paid to the city as a sort of rent for using public property to run its pipes, poles or wires. In this case, it was the city providing the services, not a third party.

All along, the city insisted the fees were legal, but stopped collecting them within a month of being sued.

Last January, the City of Billings settled the lawsuit for $3.6 million. On top of that the city paid $960,000 to a private law firm to defend the lawsuit.

Of the settlement amount, $925,000 went to plaintiffs attorneys, and $130,000 went to a private company to administer the rebates. The remainder, just over $2.5 million is being split among current and former utility customers.

The class action suit had its critics. Because the settlement and attorneys fees would be paid for by taxpayers, those taxpayers were essentially suing themselves. Some argued that more than $3.6 million should have been recovered. Plaintiff attorneys had claimed the city had collected more than $50 million in illegal fees over several decades.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says reforms being carried out in the ministry would enable Nigerians change the data on their international passport online.

Speaking at a dinner with members of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) media centre, the Minister said subjecting newly-wedded women to travelling to Abuja, the nations capital, for a change in their data is inhumane and absurd.

There is one stupid thing I have seen and it is that a woman gets married, changes her name, and then she has to come to Abuja from say Kaura Namoda or Enugu just to come and effect a change of name in her passport. It is absurd.

I cant just figure it that you want to change just your name and you have to be in Abuja.

READ ALSO: Passport Application Automation To Begin Jan 8  Tunji-Ojo

I have asked the immigration people, if is it that immigration people in Abuja have more than one head than those in the states.

With the new reforms, you dont need to travel to Abuja to change your data. Everything will be online.

From March, once you have ever enrolled for your passport and you are coming to renew, please dont come to my office, stay in your house and do it.

We have contactless biometrics and this can be done in five minutes. We dont need to keep taking your biometrics every five years. Who does that in the world? he queried.
Microsoft announced that it will retire its Visual Studio 2013 IDE in April. The company is urging Visual Studio 2013 users to upgrade to Visual Studio 2022.

In a blog post on January 2, 2024, Microsoft said that extended support for Visual Studio 2013 will end on April 9. After that date, Visual Studio 2013 editions, associated products, and components will no longer receive security fixes (or any other updates). Mainstream support for Visual Studio 2013 ended April 2019. With extended support, Microsoft only provides fixes for security issues.

Microsoft also announced that Visual Studio 2019 will transition from mainstream to extended support on April 9. The company reiterated a few other key support dates:

Visual Studio 2015 remains in extended support through October 14, 2025.

Visual Studio 2017 is in extended support until April 13, 2027.

Visual Studio 2019 Preview Channel no longer receives updates. Microsoft recommends that users migrate to either Visual Studio 2019 Release Channel (version 16.11) or Visual Studio 2022 Preview to stay secure and receive feature updates.

Microsoft referred to Visual Studio 2022 as its most productive IDE ever and recommends it for all customers. There are three channels for Visual Studio 2022: Preview, which previews new features for early feedback; Current, which provides new features when theyre ready for widespread use; and Long-Term Servicing, which gives development teams control over their adoption of new feature releases.
When consumers have complaints about a product or service, such as air travel, the trick is to complain competently, and to diligently follow up. The first step is to make sure the companys owner or manager knows you are dissatisfied. Read more

It happens even to the savviest consumers. Despite thorough research and careful planning, things go wrong.

The supposedly repaired washing machine is again inoperative, and the repair person says its a new problem (its not). The crown falls out of your tooth after only four months of chewing. Most of us gripe about service headaches to people we know, but we seldom complain to the company that dropped the ball  studies show its as few as one out of four consumers. And many who do complain to businesses do so ineffectively.

A lot of consumers remain silent because it seems like too much trouble to complain or they want to avoid a confrontation. Others dont complain because they think it wont help  the warranty expired a week ago so the store wont do anything. But telling a company, especially a reputable company, that things didnt go well usually produces good results. The trick is to complain competently, and to diligently follow up.

The first step is to make sure the companys owner or manager knows you are dissatisfied. Even if the employees you dealt with know youre unhappy, that information might not reach someone who has the authority  and cares enough about customer service  to put things right.

Make reasonable requests

When you complain, state the facts as you view them, why you feel entitled to relief, and how the company can make amends. Make your request reasonable. For example, dont ask for a full refund on a home improvement project if four out of five tasks were performed correctly.

Use firm language but avoid threats; no one responds well to hostility. Even if you believe you were intentionally cheated, dont utter words such as crook, criminal, incompetent, or worse.

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If your complaint involves a product that you bought or was installed, contact the manufacturer. Even if your problem did not result from a manufacturing defect, the company may want to settle your claim rather than risk your ill will. Call the company and obtain an email address or phone number for the companys CEO or president. Although the companys top executive is unlikely to handle your complaint personally, his or her staff is likely to get it to someone in the company who can help you and who is more likely to respond to a request that comes from the top.

Another option is to post your complaint and your desired resolution on Facebook or X and tag the company. This forces the company to decide whether it wants to gain good or bad publicity from your dispute. Many companies, particularly national ones, have staff who monitor social media websites to resolve complaints quickly and show that the company is responsive to its customers.

Still no favorable resolution? Third-party programs can help

If you paid using a credit card, the federal Fair Credit Billing Act and the policies of credit-card issuers provide enormous leverage by allowing you to withhold payment for goods and services you believe are defective or not delivered as promised. After youve tried unsuccessfully to resolve the matter with the service provider, contact your credit-card bank to dispute the charge (you usually can do this even if youve already paid the bill).

Once youve requested this charge-back, your credit-card bank will place a hold on the disputed charge and investigate. The service provider can protest the charge-back, but sellers rarely successfully reverse charge-backs if the customer has returned (or tried to return) the goods or can document the service defect.

Another option is to file a complaint with a government consumer agency. Consumer protection offices in each state have legal authority over many types of businesses. In Delaware, contact the Fraud and Consumer Protection Division (302-577-8600); in New Jersey, contact the Division of Consumer Affairs (800-242-5846); and in Pennsylvania contact its Bureau of Consumer Protection (800-441-2555).

The matter might be resolved via phone or email, but the office may also perform inspections, gather evidence from third parties, do legal or technical research, or mediate the dispute. Staff might do more than resolve your complaint; they might get the merchant to agree to change business practices and/or provide relief to additional aggrieved consumers, or they might force the business to pay penalties.

Private agencies such as the Better Business Bureau might also help you. But government agencies have the force of law behind them. Governments can conduct formal investigations and use law enforcement tools such as subpoena power to obtain the facts that will help them negotiate a settlement on your behalf. Government consumer offices can pursue legal action if evidence shows the merchant has violated the law. And the staff of government agencies are more likely to negotiate on your behalf than are mediators with private and voluntary programs.

If you still cant resolve your complaint, you may be able to bring an action in small claims court. Most courts have legal advisers to help you prepare your case.

Delaware Valley Consumers Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate. Through special arrangement, Inquirer readers can access all of Checkbooks ratings and advice free through Feb. 5 via Checkbook.org/Inquirer/Complain.
Former West Chester Area School District superintendent Jim Scanlon (right), pictured in this 2018 photo, is expected to be named interim superintendent in Central Bucks. Read more

The new Central Bucks school board is tapping a veteran superintendent from West Chester to lead the district following the sudden resignation of former superintendent Abram Lucabaugh, the district said.

Jim Scanlon, who retired as superintendent of the West Chester Area School District in 2021, is expected to be approved to a six-month term as interim superintendent of Central Bucks during the boards meeting next Tuesday.

Scanlon, 65, was superintendent of the West Chester dictrict for 12 years. He will be paid $135,000 for his six months in Central Bucks, the district said in a statement Wednesday, describing the pay as commensurate with industry-standard superintendent salaries in districts the size of Central Bucks, Pennsylvanias third-largest.

We felt that it was really important to be fully staffed at this point, board president Karen Smith said. The current acting superintendent, Charles Malone, continues to also serve as assistant superintendent for secondary education, while covering for other positions, as well, Smith said.

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Smith said that Scanlon would provide an experienced eye, maybe someone who can share some key observations while hes here, while affording the board time to conduct a search for a permanent superintendent.

Scanlons arrival comes a month after the school board changed hands from Republican to Democratic control  a power shift that spurred the departure of Lucabaugh, who resigned a week after the high-profile board election.

Lucabaugh  who was seen as an ally of the former board and had his salary increased to $315,000 over the summer  was awarded a $700,000 separation agreement, drawing intense backlash. The new school board majority last month authorized a potential legal challenge to the payout.

Scanlon was selected for the role following a search by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. The IUs executive director, Mark Hoffman, said in a statement that Scanlon  who also served as superintendent in the Quakertown Area School District and in the Brandywine School District in Wilmington  has a strong track record of being a very collaborative educator and an honest, caring communicator.

Scanlon also has a history in the district. He graduated from Central Bucks East and once served as principal of Doyle Elementary School; he also has a child who graduated from the district.

Following his retirement from West Chester, Scanlon spent seven months as interim principal of Lower Merion High School after the death of principal Sean Hughes, as well as three months as interim superintendent in the Octorara School District. He works as a consultant and leads an American Association of School Administrators superintendent certification program in Pennsylvania.
The three dozen stainless-steel exhaust tubes extending above the cooking tables, to the ceiling, create a modern-factory look at Mr. Pig, a spacious Korean barbecue restaurant, which opened last week on the edge of Chinatown.

Theres even more metal rolling around the floor  carts filled with platters of bulgogi, steak, pork belly, and bowls of banchan such as kimchi and cabbage salad.

Staffers do the cooking at Mr. Pig, owned by Vietnamese-born Dan Ngo and his wife, South Korean-born Eun Park. They had been in the restaurant business a decade ago in Virginia, and when their boys expressed interest in attending college in the Philadelphia area, they decided to relocate and dive back in.

A planned location nearby didnt pan out, but they found a larger space at The Crane, a new apartment building at 10th and Vine Streets.

This is an experience best shared with friends. You can order kitchen items, such as soups and stews, dumplings, cheese tteokbokki, bibimbap, stir-fried squid, and buckwheat cold noodles, but most patrons opt for the tabletop experience and supplement with shared dishes. The grill menu is based on pork (pork belly, pork ribs, and spicy stir-fried pork) and beef (sliced beef brisket, bulgogi, ribeye, strip loin). Grab what you like when its cooked, and add a splash of ssamjang.

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Its open for lunch and dinner. Figure on $50 a person or so for the tabletop cooking, plus extras. Right now, theyre extending a 20% discount as its BYOB pending the liquor license.

Ngo is fond of bourbons, so hell offer them as well as beer, wine, and soju.

Mr. Pig, 1001 Vine St. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. ADA accessible. On-street parking can be scarce in the immediate area; theres a pay lot next door.
File photo of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J during a hearing on Capitol Hill, June 8, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) Read more

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday filed a new superseding indictment against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), accusing the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of providing favorable statements for Qatar to help a New Jersey real estate developer as part of an ongoing bribery scheme.

In the superseding indictment filed in Manhattan, prosecutors alleged that Menendez, 70, abused his office to help developer Fred Daibes secure funding from a Qatari company with ties to that Gulf nation for a project in New Jersey. Daibes has been charged in the case with other bribery allegations involving Menendez.

Prosecutors wrote that Menendez agreed to and did accept payment from Daibes knowing that Daibes expected Menendez in exchange to use his influence and power and breach his official duty to assist Daibes, who was seeking millions of dollars in investment from a fund with ties to the Government of Qatar, by performing acts to benefit the Government of Qatar.

Menendez has pleaded not guilty in the case.

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Adam Fee, one of his lawyers, said in a statement Tuesday: The governments new allegations stink of desperation. Despite what theyve touted in press releases, the government does not have the proof to back up any of the old or new allegations against Senator Menendez. What they have instead is a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents or foreign officials. They are turning this into a persecution, not a prosecution.

Fee continued: At all times, Senator Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with. Those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot. This latest Indictment only exposes the lengths to which these hostile prosecutors will go to poison the public before a trial even begins. But these new allegations dont change a thing, and their theories wont survive the scrutiny of the court or a jury.

Menendez survived a prior bribery case in 2017. With his current case pending, he stepped down in September as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The new superseding indictment describes multiple messages and meetings to further the goal of helping Daibes with Qatari investors. Soon after Menendez and Daibes attended a private event in Manhattan hosted in 2021 by the Qatari government, Daibes used an encrypted messaging application to ask Menendez a question.

Daibes sent photos of a computer monitor with images of wristwatches with prices ranging from $9,990 to $23,990 and asked the senator: How about one of these.

The indictment states that Qatari investment company signed a letter of intent with Daibes, and in 2023 entered a joint venture with a company controlled by Daibes to invest tens of millions of dollars in the New Jersey project.

The New York Times reported that the project was a residential high-rise in Edgewater, N.J. In 2023, Daibes finalized a $45 million shared-ownership agreement for the Edgewater project with a company founded by a member of Qatars royal family, the Times reported.

Last September, federal prosecutors filed their original indictment accusing Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, of accepting bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from three New Jersey businessmen between 2018 and 2022 in exchange for using his power and influence to protect and enrich them.

 READ MORE: From gold bars to a pricey car: All the bribes Sen. Bob Menendez has been accused of accepting over the years

Prosecutors alleged that many of Menendezs positions toward Egypt were bought with gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars  including gold bars, cash-stuffed envelopes, and a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000.

Then, in October, Menendez was accused in the prosecutions first superseding indictment of taking bribes in exchange for providing sensitive U.S. government information that made its way into the hands of Egyptian military and intelligence officials.

The October superseding indictment also accused Menendez of taking other steps to secretly aid the countrys government, including ghostwriting a 2018 letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in aid.
Republican Doug Mastriano and his wife Rebbie pray with supporters on election night in 2022 when Mastriano lost the race for Pennsylvania governor by double digits. Read more

HARRISBURG  State Sen. Doug Mastriano is facing an ethics complaint from a Philadelphia-area Democrat who alleges the right-wing lawmaker violated the U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions when he used his prominent role as a state senator to try to overturn the 2020 election results.

Sen. Art Haywood, a Democrat representing parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties and an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trumps, announced Tuesday that he will file an ethics complaint this week asking the state Senates ethics committee to investigate Mastrianos role in trying to overturn Pennsylvanias 2020 election.

Haywoods complaint is based on an April 2023 report from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a left-leaning watchdog group which has called for Trumps disqualification from holding office. The report details Mastrianos role in trying to overturn Pennsylvanias 2020 election results, including hosting a November 2020 Pennsylvania Senate hearing with unsworn testimony from Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and other advisers, his presence on Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and more.

The Senate is a place of integrity, and this complaint is to uphold that integrity, Haywood said. The Senate as an institution should be continued to be respected, and this is an investigation where the conclusions havent been reached.

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In a statement released Tuesday night, Mastriano said Haywood was unethical to use his public office to attack the freedom of speech of those he disagrees with.

I do not need a lecture on the U.S. Constitution, Mastriano said. I volunteered to defend it while serving our nation for over 30 years as an officer in the U.S. Army. This stunt will not intimidate or silence me.

Mastriano (R., Franklin) first rose to popularity in Pennsylvania in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a leader of resistance efforts to government shutdowns to slow the spread. That popularity continued to grow heading into the 2020 election, as he stepped into the role as one of then-President Donald Trumps top advocates in the battleground state, asking that the states election results be overturned because of disproven fraud claims.

Mastriano has remained a fixture in Pennsylvanias Republican Party since then, which helped him receive the partys nomination as its gubernatorial nominee in 2022. He lost that election by about 14 percentage points, and briefly considered running for U.S. Senate. He continues to have a national following, particularly among Christian nationalists.

The Senate ethics committee is rarely used or even formed, Haywood said in an interview after his announcement. But the seriousness of Mastrianos actions requires the state Senate to take action, he added.

Haywood said he chose to use this rare and serious mechanism over other options, such as impeachment, because multiple outcomes can be reached  the most serious of which is expulsion. Other possible outcomes include reprimand or censure that Haywood said he believes should be considered.

Brie Sparkman, policy counsel at CREW, said Mastrianos continued service in the state Senate threatens the peoples continued faith in democracy.

Once the complaint is officially filed, the president pro tempore of the Senate  the top lawmaker of the chamber  will be responsible for appointing three members from each party to serve on the committee. A spokesperson for President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland) declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said in a statement that any ethics complaints will be reviewed thoroughly under Senate rules, adding, It is unfortunate we are seeing the new year start with political gamesmanship.

According to Senate rules, once the committee is formed, the members will review the complaint within 30 days and decide whether a preliminary investigation is necessary.
Upper Darby police say Marson Weh is also accused of attacking a pregnant woman with a knife in February in a carjacking outside her apartment in Secane. Read more

A Clifton Heights man has been arrested and charged in connection with two stabbings last year in Delaware County, investigators said Wednesday, including a fatal attack on a 15-year-old boy that rocked the Drexel Hill community and resulted in urgent calls for information from the victims friends and loved ones.

Marson Weh, 24, was charged with first- and third-degree murder in the death of Michael Garr, a 10th grader at Upper Darby High School who was killed in April as he was walking home from his girlfriends house. At the time of his arrest, days later, Weh was wearing thermal underwear still stained with Garrs blood, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for Wehs arrest.

Despite identifying Weh as a suspect early on, police could not charge him with Garrs murder until December, when DNA testing helped connect him to the killing, according to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt.

In a statement, Garrs family said they are very grateful for all the hours the police and detectives worked on this case.

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How could our family ever repay them? they said. Its a sad day, but we are happy for this development.

Through investigating Garrs death, Upper Darby police connected Weh to another knife attack in February, in which he slashed the throat of and stabbed a pregnant woman during a carjacking outside of her apartment. In that case, Weh has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, robbery and related offenses.

Weh remains in custody in Ohio, where he had been extradited in the spring on an outstanding warrant after police took him in for questioning days after Garrs death. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

Bernhardt said Wednesday that the motive for the stabbing remained unclear. There was no connection between Weh and Garr.

He credited technology and dogged policework in being able to piece together the crime, particularly the departments new real-time crime center that relies on surveillance feeds and other technology.

The ability to bring him to justice for this heinous crime is a huge opportunity for crime fighting and data analysis, Bernhardt said.

Weh was seen in surveillance footage shadowing Garr for an extended period on the day of the fatal stabbing, at some points sprinting to catch up with him, the affidavit said.

As the two approached Brunswick Avenue near Bridge Street in Drexel Hill, Weh attacked Garr, stabbing him multiple times, including in his neck, according to police. Garr tried to flee, flagging down a passerby before collapsing.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the passerby holding a towel over Garrs neck wound in an attempt to stop the blood flow, the affidavit said. Garr went into cardiac arrest and died at the scene.

That same surveillance footage that recorded Weh pursuing Garr helped investigators identify him through facial recognition software, according to the affidavit. Officers then conducted surveillance on Wehs home over the next few days and observed him at various times wearing clothing matching what was seen in the video.

On May 2, officers stopped Weh as he left his home, taking him into custody in connection with his active Ohio warrant for assault and stealing a car. During an interview, Weh admitted to having gone out for a walk on the day of Garrs murder to clear his head after an argument with his girlfriend, the affidavit said. He denied any involvement in the teens death.

But in processing Weh, officers noticed a large, dried bloodstain on the thermal underwear he was wearing. It later tested positive for Garrs DNA.

Wehs DNA, submitted for testing in Garrs death, came back as a match for a Feb. 7 stabbing and carjacking at the Bishop Hill Apartments in Secane, the affidavit said.

In that case, a pregnant woman was approached from behind by a masked man after parking her car and walking toward the building. The man slashed the victims throat with a knife, causing her to turn to face her attacker, according to the affidavit.

The attacker then stabbed the woman multiple times in the abdomen before stealing the keys to her Lexus ES350 and driving away.

That Lexus was later recovered in Clifton Heights, with the victims credit card still inside. Dried blood from inside the car was later tested and was a positive match for Weh, police said.

Weh was sentenced in Ohio to 9 years for the incident there, prosecutors said, and will be returned to Delaware County in the coming weeks to face his cases here.
Mohammad Rahman was killed during a carjacking outside of the Masjid Al Madinah Upper Darby Islamic Center in October, police said. His alleged killer has been arrested and charged with his murder. Read more

A West Philadelphia man has been charged with murder, police announced Wednesday, for carjacking a man outside of a mosque in Upper Darby last year, and leading police on a long, protracted chase as he attempted to flee.

Herman Stigall, 20, has been charged with first- and third-degree murder, as well as robbery and related offenses in the Oct. 29 killing of Mohammad Rahman, 65, of Philadelphia, who was shot outside the Masjid Al Madinah Upper Darby Islamic Center during a carjacking.

Stigall remains in custody at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility and was denied bail. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, in announcing the arrest Wednesday, said it was the result of dogged police work by Upper Darby officers and other local agencies.

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Two months ago, I said wed bring this man to justice in the bloodthirsty murder of Mr. Rahman, and weve done just that, Stollsteimer said, calling the killing one of the most heinous murders in Delaware County.

Stigall was taken into custody Dec. 29 by Upper Darby Police after months of investigating with assistance from the FBI and Philadelphia Police. He had been seen driving a different stolen vehicle, and attempted to run down an officer who tried to pull him over on 69th Street near Market, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for his arrest.

He continued to drive erratically for about five miles, investigators said, speeding and crashing into other cars as officers continued to pursue him. When he crashed the stolen car on I-76 near Lincoln Drive, Stigall bailed out of the vehicle holding a gun, and jumped over a concrete barrier onto train tracks below.

Police later spotted him near the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, and arrested him after he waded into the Schuylkill River in an attempt to escape, the affidavit said. He was carrying a ghost gun, an unregistered firearm assembled from a kit purchased online.

Investigators believe that was the gun used in the mosque shooting, the affidavit said. Clothing found in the car is being tested to see if its a match for what Stigall was seen wearing on the night of the shooting, police said.

Sheikh Siddique, the president-elect of Masjid Al Madinah and a longtime friend of Rahmans, said Wednesday that he was a loving father of four and a dedicated member of his community. News of Stigalls arrest was bittersweet for those who knew Rahman well.

The family is very happy, but lost is lost, Siddique said. His kids cannot get their father back. His wife cannot get her husband back. But they are happy, because there will be justice.

At the time of his capture, Stigall had an active arrest warrant out of Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County for using a gun to rob someone the day after Rahmans death at the King of Prussia Mall, according to Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt.

Upper Darby officers had linked Stigall to the mosque killing through surveillance footage, which captured him walking throughout the borough and approaching Rahman as he parked his Toyota Rav4 in the religious centers parking lot, according to the affidavit.

Stigall is seen approaching the victim as he exits the car and attacking him. Rahman then falls to the ground, clutching his chest, as Stigall gets into the car and drives away. Further surveillance footage captured the vehicle as it drove back toward Philadelphia.

Rahman, a corrections officer at Riverside Correctional Facility and Detention Center in Philadelphia, was later pronounced dead at Crozer-Chester Medical Center.

Rahmans son was able to help police track the car through his cellphone, which had been left inside the Rav4. Investigators found the phone abandoned in a storm drain in West Philadelphia, not far from Stigalls home, the affidavit said. Days later, the stolen car was discovered two blocks away.

Stigall was already known to law enforcement: At the time of the shooting, he was under supervision by the Philadelphia Juvenile Probation Department for an aggravated assault case. Detectives noticed posts on his Instagram account in which he was wearing clothing matching the outfit worn by the shooting suspect.

A search of his cellphone records showed he was in the area of the mosque at the time the shooting took place.
A screenshot of a racist tirade filmed at Amy's Family Pizzeria in Hatboro. Rita Bellew, 56, of Hatboro  who was recorded berating pizza shop staff for playing Spanish-language television  was sentenced to 90 days probation and community service in December 2023. Read more

The Hatboro woman who went viral in 2023 for her racist rant against a Montgomery County pizzeria owner was sentenced to 90 days of probation and eight hours of community service as part of a plea agreement.

Judge Risa Vetri Ferman sentenced Rita Bellew, 56, on Dec. 14 in connection with Bellews actions in February at Amys Family Pizzeria in Hatboro.

The episode, which was caught in a since-deleted TikTok video, has been reposted and viewed upward of 400,000 times across X, formerly known as Twitter, and Reddit. The video depicts Bellew, who identified herself as a certified public accountant, berating pizzeria owner Omar Quinonez for playing Spanish-language television in his restaurant.

 READ MORE: Womans racist tirade captured at a Hatboro pizzeria is going viral on TikTok and Reddit

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In the expletive-fueled rant, Bellew questioned Quinonezs immigration status before asking for a refund. Bellew then called Quinonez an un-American ignoramus while threatening to get [him] out of town. Police were called.

According to a criminal complaint, Bellew shrugged after learning she was barred from the restaurant, saying, Im white, Im white, Im racist.

Ferman also ordered Bellew to stay away from the pizzeria and write an apology to Quinonez and his staff.

A misdemeanor ethnic intimidation (hate crime) charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Bellews summary harassment charge  which means she admitted to engaging in conduct that served no legitimate purpose with an intent to harass or alarm  is similar to a traffic violation.

I think the plea agreement is appropriate under the circumstances, said Bellews lawyer, Patrick J. McMenamin. We never felt that her conduct rose to the level of misdemeanor ethnic intimidation.

McMenamin said that Bellew was in the final stages of writing her apology to Quinonez and his staff. She told The Inquirer 10 days after the episode that she was profoundly sorry.

I dont want to make excuses, Bellew said.

Bellew said her rant was precipitated by a breast cancer diagnosis and a tough week of managing her fathers health issues.

Whatever happened in there was a combination of everything going on, Bellew said. It was a pressure cooker.

 READ MORE: Woman whose racist pizza shop rant went viral says she is profoundly sorry after charges are announced

A motion from Bellew to transfer her case to Montgomery Countys Behavioral Health Court, which services people with severe mental health problems, was denied after officials determined her psychological evaluation didnt indicate a severe mental illness, the Pottstown Mercury reported.

She has some stressors in her life, McMenamin Jr. said of Bellew, who is undergoing counseling. But shes learning how to cope with those issues.

Bellews viral rant had some unintended consequences: Internet vigilantes looking to identify Bellew after the video went viral ended up doxing and harassing three innocent women who happened to be blond accountants at Philadelphia-area firms.

 READ MORE: A woman went on a racist rant in a Montco pizza shop. TikTok vigilantes went after three innocent accountants.

In the weeks after the video went viral, Amys Pizzeria received a deluge of positive attention.

The shops Yelp and Google accounts were inundated with five-star reviews, Quinonez told WHYY at the time, and people drove from out of state to try the pizza.

Nonetheless, the episode was frustrating.

I feel bad, angry, sad  . And the more that I think about it now, its getting worse, Quinonez said.
A Langdon native serving as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot is in stable condition after a Christmas drone attack in Iraq left him hospitalized.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Garrett Illerbrunn is undergoing treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, friends and family members said. He was one of three soldiers injured in a drone attack against U.S. troops at Irbil Air Base in northern Iraq, and he was struck in the head with shrapnel.

Illerbrunn has been heavily sedated, but he has presented some signs of movement and is now breathing on his own. His parents, Brad and Dana Illerbrunn of Grand Forks, told the Tribune that he briefly opened his eyes on Wednesday. Illerbrunn's wife has joined him in Germany, and Illerbrunn is scheduled for transport Friday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland to continue his recovery, his parents said.

In the days since the attack, community members and leaders have rallied around Illerbrunn and his family. A GoFundMe account looking to defray the family's expenses had brought in more than $60,000 just four days after it launched, coming close to the stated goal of $75,000.

And North Dakota politicians have expressed their support for Illerbrunn and his family, who are based at Fort Liberty in North Carolina. Illerbrunn's parents said all members of the state's congressional delegation and the governor have been in contact with the family. Gov. Doug Burgum said in a Dec. 27 post on X that he had "shared gratitude" with Illerbrunn's father.

U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said in a post on X that he and his wife are praying "for a quick and full recovery for US Army pilot and ND native Garrett Illerbrunn, who was one of the three service members injured by a drone attack on the Erbil Air undefined in Iraq. His valor and service to our country does not go unnoticed."

Illerbrunn graduated from Langdon High School in 2001 and left to join the Army soon after, his parents said. He has spent more than 18 years in the military, a period of service that's included five tours in the Middle East, they added. He also has family in the Beulah area.

Illerbrunn and his wife, Lorna, met while serving together in Afghanistan. They have been married for eight years, and have a 7-year-old son named Tucker.

The Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the strike, and the United States launched three retaliatory strikes less than a day after the attack.
The outside of Frankford High School, which closed due to asbestos in the building, on Tuesday, Sept., 12, 2023. Read more

Last month, one of my second graders was agitated and upset. Like many children with autism, she thrives on consistency. When she saw that I got new stickers for her behavior chart and that her new sticker wasnt the sparkly flower she was used to, she started to cry.

To calm her down, I showed her the empty sticker sheet, explaining that there were no more sparkly flower stickers and that it was time to open a new pack of the smiley-faced ones. She squeezed a stress ball and took deep breaths with me until she was ready to learn again.

Next time, I will warn her when the sticker pack gets low so she is prepared for this change. In my years as a special education teacher in Philadelphias public school system, Ive learned that every tiny change can be a trigger for my students, and I have to be prepared.

Later that day, I got a notification about the School Districts Swing Space plan, which calls for specific schools to be ready at a moments notice to accept all students whose school buildings have closed because of a range of building hazards such as asbestos, water leaks, or lack of heat.

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All I could think was, If my students have a hard time changing stickers, how would they react to changing their whole school at the last minute? Routine is especially important to students with disabilities, which is why I prepare them carefully for any type of change; a field trip, a teachers absence, or an assembly can all cause distress. I cannot imagine what it would be like for me to properly prepare my students with autism for changing schools at the last minute.

Unfortunately, the Swing Space plan is necessary. Already this school year, an elementary school in South Philadelphia closed because of asbestos, and a high school near Temple Universitys campus was forced to relocate because of a broken heating system.

Last year, 74 schools closed early on the first day because of a lack of air-conditioning, and since March, seven schools have closed because of asbestos.

It is criminal how often the lack of funding and operational infrastructure compels us to close schools.

 READ MORE: My school is closed until 2024. It feels like we have been forgotten. | Opinion

While it is a bleak reality, it doesnt have to be this way. Fully funding our schools, as was mandated in the recent school funding lawsuit, would provide Philadelphias schools with the resources to upgrade their infrastructure.

To some, fixing buildings may feel secondary to fixing test scores, but the issues are intertwined: safe buildings lead to healthier students and staff, which means better attendance. Safe schools also lead to the most basic need, which is schools staying open.

The School District of Philadelphia is one of the more than 80% of Pennsylvania districts that are underfunded. According to a recent analysis, we are underfunded by an estimated $7,926 per student. Just think about that.

To make matters more dire, the cost to fix Philadelphias school infrastructure could run in the billions, and the district is facing a $407 million deficit in the 2024-25 school year.

I do not blame the district for making a Swing Space plan; it is good to have a backup. However, transferring kids to safer buildings at the last minute shouldnt be the new normal, especially for our most vulnerable students. The district should be investing an equal amount of resources into finding ways for them to flourish where they are.

The Basic Education Funding Commission, tasked with fixing our unconstitutional school funding system, must commit to closing the $6.2 billion adequacy shortfall over the next five years, and Gov. Josh Shapiro must include a $2 billion (the amount recommended by the lawyers representing underfunded districts in the trial) down payment in this years budget proposal. The state must also commit specific funding for facilities, with an investment of at least $400 million next year.

The state has starved Philadelphias schools and other underfunded districts across the state, forcing us to roll out an entire plan for when  not if  our schools close. This is not adequate, and it certainly is not fair.

This is not adequate, and it certainly is not fair.

The entire premise of the Swing Spaces plan has me wondering: How many properly funded schools have plans for if their schools end up being toxic? What do those students look like? How much money do their parents make?

Philadelphias students  especially those with special needs, such as autism  deserve better. All students in the commonwealth deserve a safe and routine place to learn, no matter their zip code.

Nicole Wyglendowski is a Teach Plus Pennsylvania senior policy fellow and a special education teacher in the School District of Philadelphia.
PORTLAND, Maine  Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday appealed a ruling by Maines secretary of state barring him from the states primary ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump, the early front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, appealed the Maine decision by Democrat Shenna Bellows, who became the first secretary of state in history to bar someone from running for the presidency under the rarely used Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That provision prohibits those who engaged in insurrection from holding office.

The former president is expected to soon appeal a similar ban by the Colorado Supreme Court. That appeal would go to the U.S. Supreme Court, while Bellows action is being appealed to a Maine Superior Court.

Trumps appeal on Tuesday asks that Bellows be required to place him on the March 5 primary ballot. The appeal argues that she abused her discretion and relied on untrustworthy evidence.

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The secretary should have recused herself due to her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by a documented history of prior statements prejudging the issue presented, Trumps attorneys wrote.

Bellows reiterated to The Associated Press on Tuesday that her ruling was on pause pending the outcome of the appeal, which had been expected.

This is part of the process. I have confidence in my decision and confidence in the rule of law. This is Maines process and its really important that first and foremost every single one of us who serves in government uphold the Constitution and the laws of the state, she said.

Trumps critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him in multiple states.

None succeeded until a slim majority of Colorados seven justices  all of whom were appointed by Democratic governors  ruled against Trump last month. The Colorado courts 4-3 decision was the first time in history the provision was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

Trump lost Colorado in 2020, and he doesnt need to win it again to garner an Electoral College majority next year. But he earned one of Maines four Electoral College votes in 2020 by winning the states 2nd Congressional District, so Bellows decision could have an impact next November.

Critics warned that it was an overreach and that the court could not simply declare that the Jan. 6 attack was an insurrection without a more established judicial process.

A week after Colorados ruling, Bellows issued her own. Critics warned it was even more perilous because it could pave the way for partisan election officials to simply disqualify candidates they oppose. Bellows, a former head of Maines branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, has previously criticized Trump and his behavior on Jan. 6.

The Constitutions Section 3 has been barely used since the years after the Civil War, when it kept defeated Confederates from returning to their former government positions. The two-sentence clause says that anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection cannot hold office unless a two-thirds vote of Congress allows it.

Trumps lawyers argue the provision isnt intended to apply to the president, contending that the oath for the top office in the land isnt to support the Constitution but instead to preserve, protect and defend it. They also argue that the presidency isnt explicitly mentioned in the amendment, only any officer of the United States  a legal term they contend doesnt apply to the president.

Trump made the opposite argument defending against his prosecution for fraud by the Manhattan District Attorneys office, contending the case should move to federal court because the president is an officer of the United States. The prosecutors argued that language only applies to presidential appointees  Trumps position here.

The contention that Section 3 doesnt apply to the president drew a scathing response from the Colorado Supreme Court last month.

President Trump asks us to hold that Section 3 disqualifies every oathbreaking insurrectionist except the most powerful one and that it bars oathbreakers from virtually every office, both state and federal, except the highest one in the land, the courts majority opinion said. Both results are inconsistent with the plain language and history of Section 3.

As for history, Congress granted amnesty to most former Confederates in 1872, and Section 3 fell into disuse. Legal scholars believe its only application in the 20th century was being cited by Congress in 1919 to block the seating of a socialist who opposed U.S. involvement in World War I and was elected to the House of Representatives.

But it returned to use after Jan. 6, 2021. In 2022, a judge used it to remove a rural New Mexico county commissioner from office after he was convicted of a misdemeanor for entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Liberal groups sued to block Republican Reps. Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for reelection because of their roles on that day. Cawthorns case became moot when he lost his primary in 2022, and a judge ruled to keep Greene on the ballot.

Some conservatives warn that, if Trump is removed, political groups will routinely use Section 3 against opponents in unexpected ways. They have suggested it could be used to remove Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, because she raised bail money for people arrested after George Floyds murder at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.

Trump and his allies have attacked the cases against him as antidemocratic and sought to tie them to President Joe Biden because the Colorado case and some others are funded by liberal groups who share prominent donors with the Democratic president. But Bidens administration has noted that the president has no role in the litigation.

Those who support using the provision against Trump counter that the Jan. 6 attack was unprecedented in American history and that there will be few cases so ripe for Section 3. If the high court lets Trump stay on the ballot, theyve contended, it will be another example of the former president bending the legal system to excuse his extreme behavior.
President Biden speaks at Independence Hall Sept. 1, 2022, on his second visit to Pennsylvania in three days. He's delivering a speech near Valley Forge on Saturday that will strike a similar theme, warning of threats former President Donald Trump poses to democracy. Read more

Call it the fight for the soul of America, part deux.

President Joe Bidens first major campaign speech of 2024 will be near Valley Forge on Friday, where he will mark the three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection by warning voters that his leading GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump, presents an existential threat to American democracy.

Fridays speech, initially scheduled for Saturday but moved due to a forecasted winter storm, comes two weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses and as Trump continues to dominate the GOP primary field. Its the clearest signal of how Biden, who has struggled to boost his own popularity, is trying to motivate voters through fear of what a second term for Trump  who has ramped up dictator-like rhetoric on the campaign trail  could look like.

The choice for voters next year will not simply be between competing philosophies of governing, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said on a call with reporters Tuesday. The choice for the American people in November 2024 will be about protecting our democracy and every Americans fundamental freedoms.

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The selection of Pennsylvanias bluest suburban county as the location for Fridays speech shows how winning the critical swing state continues to be a focus for Biden. He has visited the state frequently as president, and he held the first rally for his reelection campaign in Philadelphia.

The campaign wouldnt specify exactly where Biden is speaking but an invited guest with knowledge of the planning said at least part of Bidens day would be at Montgomery County Community College, located in Blue Bell about 10 miles from Valley Forge.

Montgomery Countys continued leftward swing helped propel Biden in 2020. He won the county with a margin 50% larger than Hillary Clintons in 2016 and double President Barack Obamas in 2012. And as Philadelphias share of the Democratic vote has slipped, the suburban slice of the vote has grown.

On Monday, Biden will head to Charleston, S.C., to speak at the church where nine people were killed in an anti-Black mass shooting in 2015. The back-to-back campaign events echo 2020, when Biden cast himself as the best line of defense against Trump, even as polls show that Americans are less engaged and frustrated with the likely rematch.

Trump, who faces several criminal indictments, is also challenging decisions in Maine and Colorado that removed him from the primary ballot. He has characterized those efforts and the legal cases against him as anti-democratic. In a campaign memo released this week, Trumps campaign indicated that it also sees democracy as a winning message  the former president makes that case by alleging hes the victim of an anti-democratic effort to stop him from running for office.

Make no mistake, these are not just indictments against Donald Trump. They are indictments against millions of freedom-loving, hardworking Americans across this country, Trump campaign staffers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a campaign memo this week. A handful of corrupt political bureaucrats decided to flex their political muscle and dared anyone to challenge them. They have weaponized a revered ten[e]t of our federal system against a political opponent, just as is done in third-world nations. They think they have the system wired and that nobody can stop them.

Well, they have met their match in President Donald Trump and the tens of millions of his supporters saying, Enough is enough!

From Valley Forge to Charleston

Bidens speech on Friday will likely echo a prime-time speech he delivered outside Independence Hall in September 2022 about the soul of the nation, as he sought to reframe the stakes and consequences of that falls midterm elections.

As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise, Biden said to open a searing 25-minute address then. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the foundations of our very republic.

Bidens campaign said it intentionally chose the backdrop of Valley Forge, where 250 years ago George Washington united a disorganized alliance of militias to fight for democracy.

There the president will make the case directly that democracy and freedom  two powerful ideas that united the 13 colonies and that generations throughout our nations history have fought and died for, a stones throw from where hell be Friday, remains central to the fight were in today, deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks said.

Bidens message in 2020 similarly focused on defending the nation from Trump. He did not have high popularity ratings then, either, but formed a coalition of voters to narrowly win states such as Pennsylvania and deliver him the White House. In recent swing state polls, Biden now trails Trump narrowly.

Trump has a commanding lead in the GOP field and has long been running a general election campaign against Biden. Bidens campaign made no mention of other opponents in the briefing until asked by reporters.

The South Carolina visit will be Bidens fourth this year. Vice President Kamala Harris will make her seventh visit to the state on Saturday.

At Mother Emanuel AME in Charleston next week, Biden is expected to call out white supremacy along with the assault on the nations Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Hell make an appeal to Black voters, whose support for Biden had decreased in polls compared with 2020. Biden is also losing support among Hispanic and young voters, polls show.

Were not going to wait and parachute into these communities at the last minute and ask them for their vote, Fulks said. Were going to earn their vote.  We know that we have to communicate to these constituencies about what this administration has done. We have to communicate with these constituencies about the dangers that the other side poses.

The campaign said it will hire staff in key states such as Pennsylvania in the coming months, and plans to have thousands of staffers doing voter outreach by early summer.

Biden and Harris are expected to ramp up their campaign efforts this winter, including events to bring attention to the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court on Jan. 22, and Bidens State of the Union address in early February.
A former Pennsylvania congressional candidate filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to remove Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry from the state primary ballot, arguing that Perrys role challenging the results of the 2020 election should make him ineligible to run for office.

Gene Stilp filed the suit as a voter in Perrys 10th District, calling on Secretary of State Al Schmidt to remove Perry from the ballot for engaging in insurrection. The lawsuit mimics challenges to former President Donald Trumps candidacy in several states, including in Colorado, where the state Supreme Court last month removed Trump from the ballot.

The Colorado case will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court for an unprecedented decision in a presidential election thats been defined by Trumps legal troubles.

Stilp argued Perrys efforts to overturn the certification of Pennsylvanias election and participation in Trumps fake elector scheme amounts to insurrection under the U.S. Constitution. Article 3 of the 14th Amendment says that people who engage in insurrection are unable to hold public office.

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Perry, whose district includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York Counties, was part of Trumps inner circle devising attempts to overturn the 2020 election. He spoke on the House floor hours after rioters ransacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, seeking to have Pennsylvanias electoral votes thrown out.

Perry has not been charged with a crime in connection to the Jan. 6 attack or the efforts to overturn the election results. Stilp noted in the filing that the Constitution doesnt require someone to have been convicted of insurrection to be ineligible for the ballot.

It is not necessary for an insurrection to be violent and have people taking over buildings, Stilp said in a statement. Attempts at insurrection can be nonviolent and quietly orchestrated as in the attempt to overturn the certification process using false certification certificates from false sets of electors. Actions of insurrection and support of insurrections bring down the full force of the Fourteenth Amendment, Section Three.

Perry refused to be interviewed by the House committee investigating that attack, calling it an illegitimate body. A Trump White House staffer testified to that committee that Perry spoke to her after the Jan. 6 riot about a request to receive a presidential pardon, a claim Perry has denied.

A federal judge last summer ordered Perry to turn over more than 1,600 texts and emails to FBI agents investigating efforts to keep Trump in office after his 2020 election loss and illegally block the transfer of power to Biden.

Stilp, a Democrat who unsuccessfully challenged former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta in 2012, is known for his public advocacy campaigns, including in 2005 when he used a large inflatable pink pig to protest wage increases for state legislators.

A campaign spokesperson for Perry called the lawsuit frivolous, filed by a fringe activist whose claim to fame is an inflatable pink pig.

Congressman Perry is focused on critical problems facing south-central Pennsylvania and our nation, which is why hes traveling with the speaker of the house today to examine the ongoing crisis at our Southern border, campaign spokesman Matt Beynon said.

The lawsuit also requests a referral of information of any possible criminal activity by Scott Perry or any other party discovered in this case to the Pennsylvania attorney general for prosecution.

The Pennsylvania Department of State declined to comment Tuesday.

Last month, State Sen. Art Haywood held a news conference and called on Schmidt to remove Trump from the ballot, citing the 14th Amendment and the Colorado courts decision.

Schmidt said then: Pennsylvanias Election Code does not give me, as secretary of the commonwealth, the authority to reject a nomination petition on the grounds that a potential candidate does not meet an offices eligibility criteria. In Pennsylvania, that is a question that can be answered only by the courts.

Perry, who has been in office since 2013, is one of the few potentially vulnerable Republican members of Congress up for reelection in Pennsylvania this year.

He easily won reelection in a politically split district last year. This year, Democrats are hoping to capitalize on Perrys ties to Trumps failed effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Four Democrats hoping to challenge Perry will face off in the April primary.
Cyclists on sidewalk outside federal courthouse during a brief snowfall over Center City Philadelphia in November. An incoming weather system is most likely to yield a rain-snow mix in Philadelphia and its suburbs, starting with a chance for some snow Saturday before changing over into rain. Read more

If your New Years resolutions include spending more time outside, this weekend in the Philadelphia region may not be the best time to start. Wet, windy, and wintry weather is expected beginning Saturday afternoon and lingering into Sunday, with a possibility of flakes and a likelihood of rain.

But snow lovers and sledding enthusiasts alike could once again be left yearning, as hopes for significant snowfall in the Philly area may flake out, said Joe DeSilva, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly.

While the incoming system could blanket New England and Phillys neighbors to the north, its more likely to yield a rain-snow mix in Philadelphia and its suburbs, starting with a chance for some snow Saturday before likely shifting into yet another rainy weekend in the region, DeSilva said. It was still too early to discuss any possible snowfall totals, he said Wednesday, as much of the developing low-pressure systems calculus is still up in the air  specifically, over the Pacific Ocean.

Once the primary wave of that system hits the West Coast mainland in the next day or two, forecasters will have a better outlook on how it will affect the eastern side of the country. Last week, the incoming system looked to be more intense, DeSilva said, but recent models show that intensity trending downward.

Its still a ways away, he said. Even subtle differences in the storms path, forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center noted, could have big implications for the amount and type of precipitation along the East Coast, and plenty of uncertainty remains.

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Still, chances of snow this weekend are better in higher elevations north and west of the I-78 corridor, toward the Poconos and Lehigh Valley, where one to three inches could fall Saturday as high temperatures are only expected to hover in the 30s, DeSilva said. The anticipated winter storm led President Joe Biden to move his speech at Valley Forge from Saturday to Friday.

In snow-starved Philadelphia  which has seen traces of snow this winter but officially hasnt recorded an inch since Jan. 29, 2022  afternoon temperatures Saturday are expected to reach a high around 40 degrees, with evening lows around the freezing mark. Down the Shore, highs could reach the upper 40s.

The region could see wind gusts around 20 to 30 miles per hour, and up to 40 miles per hour along the coast, he said.

Ballpark rainfall estimates are around an inch or less for the region, which just experienced its third-rainiest December on record.

By Sunday night and into Monday, things are expected to clear off just in time for another, warmer, more intense rainy system entering the region Tuesday, DeSilva said.

And while thats unlikely to bring about wintry precipitation, the National Weather Service says, concerns for widespread heavy rainfall and flooding will return.
Candy Murnion remembers vividly the event that pushed her to open her first day care business in Jordan, a town of fewer than 400 residents in a sea of grassland in eastern Montana.

Garfield Countys public health nurse, one of few public health officials serving the town and nearly 5,000 square miles that surround it, had quit because she had given birth to her second child and couldnt find day care.

My primary goal was to give families a safe place to take their children so they could work if they needed to, said Murnion, 63. She started in 2015 with eight slots, the maximum she could cover herself, and slowly grew. Then, during the covid-19 pandemic, a surge in federal aid to child care programs helped her raise wages for her workers and expand to a second facility.

Today, her day care programs, the only ones in Jordan, can serve up to 30 children, ranging from 6 weeks old to school age. But after that pandemic-era funding support ended in September, Murnion began to wonder how long she could sustain her expanded capacity, or whether shed need to raise prices or lower enrollment.

And she isnt alone.

Data collected prior to the pandemic shows that more than half of Americans lived in neighborhoods classified as child care deserts, areas that have no child care providers or where there are more than three children in the community for every available licensed care slot. Other research shows parents and child care providers in rural areas face unique barriers. Access to quality child care programs and early education is linked to better educational and behavioral outcomes for kids and can also help link families and children to immunizations, health screenings, and greater food security by providing meals and snacks.

Policymakers and researchers now fear that inequitable child care access threatens the sustainability and longevity of rural communities.

If we want to keep rural parts of this country alive and thriving, we need to address this, said Linda Smith, director of the Early Childhood Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

According to an October report that Smith co-authored, there is a 35% gap between the need for and availability of child care programs in rural areas, compared with 29% in urban areas, based on data from 35 states.

The report echoed concerns local, state, and national experts have raised for a number of years.

A report published last year by the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services found that, per capita, more parents rely on family members or friends for child care in rural areas than in urban areas. This isnt sustainable for parents, said Cara James, CEO and president of Grantmakers in Health, a nonprofit that helps guide health philanthropy.

Right now, we have a system thats very expensive for people who can afford it and for people who can access it, not necessarily available to all those who need it, James said. Thats leading us to rely on other workarounds that are not ideal or ones that are giving the children the best support that they need to grow into healthy adults.

For example, according to a state report, Montanas total child care capacity met 44% of estimated demand in 2021 and infant care capacity met only 34% of estimated demand. Garfield County had only 23% of potential demand for children under six. Nationally, the rural health advisory committee has found, child care deserts are most likely to be located in low-income rural census tracts.

The dearth of child care in many rural communities exacerbates workforce shortages by forcing parents, including those who work in health care locally, to stay home as full-time caregivers, and by preventing younger workers and families from putting down roots there.

Eighty-six percent of parents in rural areas who are not working or whose partner is not working said in a 2021 Bipartisan Policy Center survey that child care responsibilities were a reason why, while 45% said they or their spouse cared for at least their youngest child. Staying home to care for children is a responsibility that disproportionately falls on women, affecting their ability to participate in the workforce and make an independent living.

A report from the rural health advisory committee shows that when center-based care is readily available in a community, the percentage of mothers who use that type of care and are employed doubles from 11% to 22%.

According to the Biden administration, pandemic emergency funding increased maternal labor workforce participation, stabilized employment and increased wages for child care workers, tempered costs for families, and helped providers afford their facilities.

That funding included $52 billion in emergency aid allocated by Congress for child care program owners and low-income families. Murnions day care was one of an estimated 30,000 in rural counties that received federal grants.

She said the roughly $100,000 she received in federal aid allowed her to raise wages for her workers to $13 an hour and expand her facility space. She said she doesnt take a paycheck from the business and instead relies on income from a family ranch and trucking business.

Now that the federal aid programs have expired, Murnion and other child care operators nationwide are wrestling with how to sustain those wages without hiking the cost of care for parents.

The Biden administration requested congressional approval of $16 billion to extend the pandemic-era child care stabilization program but doesnt have enough support to continue the funding, despite nearly 80% of voters supporting increasing federal funding for states to expand their child care programs.

According to the administration, the funding would support more than 220,000 child care providers in the U.S. that collectively serve more than 10 million kids. Montana would receive an estimated additional $46 million if Congress approved the request.

Although federal aid helped Murnion get through the pandemic, she said she doesnt want to rely on the government forever. She charges parents $30 a day for one child and $22 a day each for siblings. And she doesnt charge parents for days their children dont attend. If she does need to raise prices, Murnion said, shell increase the per-sibling cost.

The pandemic provided some meaningful lessons, said Smith of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Those stabilization grants were, I think, a key to what we actually need to do with child care down the road.

The number of child care programs has grown since before the pandemic in most states, but the employee count per facility has decreased. The federal cash infusion helped child care employment rebound after a 35% dip at the beginning of the pandemic. By November 2022, the number of workers in child care jobs had climbed to 92% of the pre-pandemic level.

In the best circumstances, Smith said, parents would pay more for child care, and the corresponding supply or availability of programs would increase. But because parents are struggling to keep up with the rising costs, which in some places can be more than in-state college tuition, supply is stagnant.

Smith said the end of federal aid programs kicked the issue back to state and local governments. I think most people would agree that what we need is some type of funding that goes to the programs to keep it so that they can do what they need to do and not charge the parents for it, she said.

Some state and local governments are doing so. In Alabama, lawmakers approved $42 million last year in the state budget for child care. The Missouri state legislature approved $160 million for child care. Voters in rural Warren, Minnesota, narrowly approved a half-percent sales tax to support a child care center that was struggling to stay open.

During last years legislative session, Montana lawmakers and Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte approved new laws to improve child care access, including removing state licensing requirements for small in-home day cares and expanding a program that helps lower-income families pay for child care.

You cant sit here in Washington, D.C., and figure out how youre going to get child care out in eastern Montana, Smith said. It just doesnt work.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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According to AM Best, the top 10 insurers by NPW were dominated by health insurers, with US-based health companies accounting for four of the top five. Centene Health retained its number-two position, with NPW rising 13.2%. Elevance Health, at number three, also retained its position with NPW rising 13.5%. Kaiser Foundation Group of Health Plans rose to number four, while Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China held steady at number five. The only insurer in the top 25 that saw its NPW fall was China Life Insurance (Group) Co., which slid from fourth to sixth place.
Our employees are the most valuable assets of AXA and we continue to strive for a more diverse and inclusive corporate culture. By further enhancing a series of employee benefits, we are able to provide better care for our employees overall well-being and create a more friendly working environment to promote work-life balance, which also helps in attracting and retaining talents, AXA Greater China CEO Sally Wan said.
The volume and intensity of the storms that have impacted three states prior to Christmas has caused substantial damage, said ICA CEO Andrew Hall. These severe storms have caused significant stress and uncertainty to those impacted, and insurers are already assisting customers with claims and the recovery process.
Maintaining security for court users is our highest priority. Our current efforts are focused on ensuring our systems are safe and making sure we notify people in hearings where recordings may have been accessed, said CSV CEO Louise Anderson. We understand this will be unsettling for those who have been part of a hearing. We recognise and apologise for the distress that this may cause people.
My Home Hospital uses home health technology that is easy to use. It allows our nurses and doctors to stay in touch with the patient at any time and to review their pulse, temperature, and blood pressure as soon as the patient takes them, she said. I congratulate the My Home Hospital team on this milestone and am proud of the choice it offers to South Australians who are suitable to receive their care at home.
During the hearing, Teneo stated that the available funds were insufficient to cover payments, as Horizon was still in the process of being wound up. Despite Horizons failure to present a defense and the receivers claim of inadequate funds, Barkwell proceeded to file papers with the Supreme Court in September to enforce the tribunals judgment. Horizon was served with the Supreme Court documents but did not respond.
Every agency has a management system  these are complex systems that require constant maintenance and investment, yet only a small set of power users get the most out of them, said Dan Epstein, CEO of ReSource Pro. Adding Helix expertise to our service offerings will enable our clients to realize greater return on investment from both their staff and their technology investments.
As Japan Airlines Co. Flight 516 approached Tokyos Haneda Airport late on Tuesday afternoon, all signs pointed to an uneventful conclusion to the routine one-and-a-half hour journey from Sapporo in northern Japan.

At 5:43 p.m. local time, control-tower staff told pilots of the Airbus SE A350-900 jet to continue their approach into Haneda. A minute-and-a-half later, the flight was given clearance to land, according to audio posted on LiveATC.net, which tracks airport communications.

Less than three minutes after that, the jetliner with 379 people aboard was in flames, having struck a much smaller De Havilland Canada Dash 8 operated by the Japanese coast guard just as it touched down.

Tokyo Airport Collision Leaves 5 Dead, Japan Airlines Aircraft in Flames

We have a fire on runway 34R, an unidentified speaker said.

The collision on 34R, also known as Runway C, set off a fireball at the point of impact, with video of the incident showing the JAL widebody bursting into flames as it skidded down the runway to a stop. Quick rescue work allowed all 367 passengers and 12 crew members to escape, even as smoke filled the A350s cabin.

Five of the six crew on the coast guard plane that was preparing to deliver emergency aid to victims of the Jan. 1 earthquake in northwestern Japan died. The victims were co-pilot Nobuyuki Tahara, 41; radio operator Yoshiki Ishida, 27; radar operator Wataru Tatewaki, 39; and mechanics Makoto Uno, 47, and 56-year-old Shigeaki Kato, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The pilot, 39-year-old Genki Miyamoto, survived.

At a press conference Tuesday night, JAL officials said they believed Flight 516 had permission to land, though they werent yet drawing conclusions. It wasnt clear whether the coast guard plane was also given clearance to be on the runway  instructions were garbled on the ATC recording.

Human error on the part of the airline, the coast guard or the controllers is possible, said Kotaro Toriumi, a Japanese travel and aviation analyst.

Disruptions continue into Wednesday, with dozens of flights canceled, according to Haneda Airports website. A livestream of the airport showed the charred remains of one of the planes strewn across the runway.

Japanese transport ministry and coast guard officials said Tuesday evening they were investigating the cause of the incident and how it could have been prevented. The ministrys transport safety board will seek to determine whether any miscommunication occurred in the air traffic control operation.

Airbus said it will provide technical assistance to French and Japanese authorities investigating the crash, while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, already contending with the major new year earthquake, ordered aid to the possible victims.

JL516 took off from New Chitose airport near Sapporo at 4:27 p.m. local time, according to FlightRadar24. The two-year-old A350 landed at 5:47 p.m. and was quickly thrown into an emergency.

Footage posted on social media by fleeing passengers showed emergency slides deployed at exits on both sides of the aircraft, which could be seen tilted forward with a collapsed front landing gear, flames licking its windows and smoke billowing over the fuselage as fire services battled the blaze.

Later footage showed the entire plane engulfed in a massive blaze, damaging the aircraft beyond repair. NHK said that at least 17 people on the JAL flight were injured.

Modern aircraft need to be able to completely evacuate in no more than 90 seconds, using only half the number of their available emergency slides. To gain certification, manufacturers conduct drills with fully loaded aircraft under simulated chaotic conditions. Even the giant Airbus A380 has managed to empty out in that time window, with a few seconds to spare.

Japan Airlines flight JL516, an Airbus A350-941, collided with a Coast Guard plane at Haneda Airport:pic.twitter.com/60DlACUDJc

 Aviation Safety Network (ASN) (@AviationSafety) Jan. 2, 2024

The aircraft is the first A350 hull to be destroyed by an accident. Japan Airlines operates a fleet of 16 A350-900s, seating either 369 or 391 passengers in a so-called high density domestic configuration. The carrier has been flying the type since 2019.

On-ground impacts between aircraft are rare and damage is typically minor because collisions tend to happen during slower taxiing. The worst disaster in aviation history, however, happened during a ground collision in 1977, when two Boeing 747 jumbo jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport on the Spanish island of Tenerife, killing 583 people.

Haneda Airport hasnt suffered a fatal aircraft accident since February 1982, when a McDonnell Douglas operated by JAL crashed near the airfield into Tokyo Bay, resulting in the death of 24 of the 174 people on board, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

Unaffected runways at Haneda were re-opened late on Tuesday, while some incoming flights were diverted to other airports.

We aim to revive flight operations at Haneda as soon as possible Tetsuo Saito, minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, said Tuesday evening at a briefing.

Photograph: A Japan Airlines plane with several hundred passengers caught fire on landing at Haneda airport in Tokyo after it collided with another plane on Tuesday, national broadcaster NHK reported, adding it appeared all aboard had safely evacuated. Photo credit: Bloomberg

Related:

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Aviation Japan
The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement to resolve litigation following a March 2022 investigation at a work site in Wheeling that resulted in a dozen citations issued against an Ohio-based contractor with an extensive history of exposing workers to deadly falls.

The settlement agreement between the departments Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Charm Builders Ltd. affirms 12 citations issued by OSHA  six egregious-willful, five repeat and one serious  and the corresponding $730,000 in penalties that the company must pay along with enhanced compliance measures.

The citations followed an inspection on March 29, 2022, after OSHA received a complaint that alleged Charm Builders did not provide fall protection to workers replacing a roof atop a two-story office building in Wheeling. OSHA cited the contractor for failing to ensure the use of fall protection and safety glasses, allowing unsafe use of portable ladders and failing to provide training to employees on fall hazards.

This marks the 12th time that the agency has cited Charm Builders since 2009 for violations related to fall hazards. OSHA placed the contractor on its severe violators list in 2022.

This employers history of defying federal safety standards and continuously jeopardizing workers safety is simply unacceptable, said OSHA Area Director Blake McEnany in Charleston, West Virginia.

As part of the settlement agreement, Charm Builders Ltd. must also employ enhanced abatement measures that include the following:

Hire a safety consultant to evaluate the companys safety program and then submit the plan to OSHA.

Make all improvements recommended in the report.

Accept unannounced monthly audits conducted by the safety consultant at the companys work sites and written reports submitted to the employer which the employer must retain.

Inform OSHA of all its current and future work sites and allow entry for investigators.

Not oppose the entry of a Section 11(b) order of enforcement.

The litigation and settlement agreement demonstrates the Department of Labors commitment to holding employers legally accountable who egregiously expose workers to the risks of serious injury or worse from deadly falls hazards, said Acting Regional Solicitor of Labor Samantha Thomas in Philadelphia.

Based in Millersburg, Ohio, Charm Builders Ltd. is a roofing and siding contractor that works throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Source: OSHA

Topics Workers' Compensation Ohio Contractors
McKinsey & Co. is poised to pay $78 million to health insurers and company benefit plans, in its latest settlement of lawsuits over its role advising opioid makers in their sales of the painkillers.

The proposed accord, filed in federal court in San Francisco on Friday, would resolve allegations that the management consulting firm helped fuel the US opioid epidemic by providing sales analysis and marketing advice to manufacturers of the highly addictive painkillers, including Purdue Pharma LP and Johnson & Johnson.

More than 3,000 state and local governments have sued opioid makers, distributors and sellers, seeking compensation for billions of tax dollars spent battling the public health crisis spawned by the painkillers. Total recoveries across the US are expected to exceed $50 billion once all payments are made.

McKinsey has previously paid more than $600 million to resolve opioid lawsuits by state attorneys general and agreed in September to pay $230 million over claims by local governments and school districts.

Related: McKinsey Agrees to Pay $230 Million to Settle More Opioid Suits

Fridays accord resolves claims against McKinsey by so-called third-party payers. They include private benefit plans, multi-employer pension plans and commercial insurers that provide health and welfare benefits.

The plaintiffs alleged they were harmed by paying for prescription opioids rather than safer, non-addictive and lower-cost prescription drugs (including over-the-counter pain relievers) that would have been used otherwise, and further paid for opioid addiction-related treatment that followed, according to the filing.

McKinsey has said that its consulting for opioid manufacturers, while lawful, nonetheless fell short of its high standards. The company didnt adequately acknowledge the epidemic unfolding across the US, it said previously, deciding more than four years ago to end all work on opioid-specific business. It said it undertook corporate governance reforms to align its work with its values and social responsibility.

US District Judge Charles Breyer must approve the settlement.

The case is McKinsey & Co. Inc. National Prescription Opiate Consultant Litigation, 21-md-02996, US District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).

Photo: Photographer: Bloomberg Creative Photos/Bloomberg

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Carriers Claims
Two men from Detroit and one from Bismarck entered not guilty pleas Wednesday in two separate cases involving alleged fentanyl delivery.

Richard Mallard, 19, of Detroit, and Kyle Berg, 31, of Bismarck, pleaded not guilty to conspiring to deliver a controlled substance -- more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Mallard also pleaded not guilty to a charge of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.

Each of the charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Mallard remained in custody on a $50,000 cash bond. Berg also remained in custody, with a $20,000 cash bond.

Mallard and Berg were arrested on Nov. 29 at Berg's residence on 93rd Street Southeast in Bismarck after officers executed a search warrant, according to an affidavit. The document states Berg was discovered hiding behind a false wall in the basement, while Mallard was found in a basement closet.

During the search a backpack containing roughly 150 grams of fentanyl pills was reportedly discovered. The affidavit states nearly $4,100 in cash was also found.

During Wednesday's hearing, Bismarck Police Detective Jerry Stein testified that Berg admitted to facilitating local drug sales by Mallard and a third man identified as James Washington in return for a discounted price on fentanyl pills that Berg himself used.

Washington, 20, also of Detroit, is also charged in the case, but did not appear in court Wednesday. His preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 12.

Trials for Berg and Mallard are scheduled for March 27.

Davis hearing

Reginald Davis, also of Detroit, at a separate hearing pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance - fentanyl. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Casey Uhler, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, testified that officers had developed intelligence during November that Davis was living in a Bismarck hotel and selling drugs in multiple locations. Uhler said a search warrant was executed on Davis's hotel room revealing a large amount of currency. Officers found more cash and fentanyl on his person after taking him into custody, according to the testimony.

Following the hearing, Davis's attorney, Joshua Weatherspoon, petitioned the court for a reduction of Davis' $250,000 cash bond.

Assistant Burleigh County State's Attorney Dennis Ingold opposed the request, citing Davis' criminal history in Michigan and expressing doubts Davis would return for subsequent court appearances if he did make bond.

Weatherspoon's request was denied. Davis is scheduled for trial beginning March 27.
U.S. property/casualty insurance carriers led layoffs in the insurance industry last year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis.

Nearly 20 companies reduced staff in 2023, cutting at least 6,800 jobs, said the authors of the report, Tyler Hammel and Rozelle Alyssa Javier.

Farmers Group Inc. laid off the largest number of employees in 2023, they wrote. The company announced in August it was reducing its workforce by about 11% of its employees2,400 people across all business lines.

GEICO announced layoffs in October, affecting nearly 2,000 people, about 6% of its workforce.

In October, Liberty Mutual Holding Co. Inc. announced it was laying off approximately 850 employees, in addition to the approximately 370 layoffs announced in July.

United Services Automobile Association (USAA) and American International Group Inc. also announced layoffs last year.

Editors Note: Layoff announcements like the one below (as well as new return-to-work requirements), were among the top story topics of 2023.

GEICO Lays Off 6% of Workforce and Will Require More In-Office Time

We chose this popular headline because it included two big 2023 topics: layoffs and adjustments to work-from-home arrangements. American Family Insurance this year confirmed staff reductions, and Farmers Insurance announced that it would let go 11% of its workforce. Liberty Mutual announced some job cuts due to organizational changes. Insurtechs were not immune: Hippo laid off 20%, and Branch Insurance, Corvus Insurance and Pie Insurance also announced layoffs in 2023. In the meantime, more employees were told to come to work more often. Farmers CEO Raul Vargas told workers mid-year that the insurer would institute a hybrid work schedule.

See the whole list HERE.

Topics Carriers Property Casualty
The Travelers Cos. completed its previously announced acquisition of Corvus Insurance Holdings Inc., a cyber insurance managing general underwriter.

The $435 million acquisition was first announced in November 2023, which Travelers said would boost its middle-market excess and surplus lines presence.

We have forged a strong strategic partnership with the talented team at Corvus over the past year, and we are pleased to officially welcome them to the Travelers family, said Alan Schnitzer, chairman and CEO of Travelers. With a proven platform and deep cyber underwriting and risk management expertise, Corvus brings to Travelers important cyber capabilities.

Travelers, which funded the acquisition through internal resources, has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $37 billion in 2022.

Corvus artificial intelligence-driven platform identifies vulnerabilities throughout the policy period to reduce customers exposure to cyber events, and it delivers distribution efficiencies to insurance agents and brokers. Late last year, Corvus released a report that found ransomware attacks are up globally more than 95%.

The move comes following a September 2023 announcement that Travelers would serve as a capacity provider for Corvus products in the U.S. starting Oct. 1. The companies reached a similar agreement in 2022 for the European market.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
A former attorney for McClenny Moseley & Associates, who was accused of dishonesty while participating in his law firms filing of hundreds of hurricane-damage lawsuits, agreed last month to a nine-month suspension of his law license in a settlement with the Louisiana Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

In the meantime, a Texas judge approved a temporary restraining order against MMA that prohibits the law firm from spending or wasting funds that were pledged as collateral for a $30 million loan from a Florida hedge fund.

The Louisiana Supreme Court voted 4-3 to approve a consent discipline that the office negotiated with Snowden. Justice Scott J. Crichton dissented because he felt the discipline was too lenient. Justice Jefferson Hughes dissented, saying the sanction was too harsh and Justice Jay B. McCallum dissented without stating a reason.

Snowden admitted to violating Louisiana State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct that:

Require attorneys to be diligent. Require attorneys to consult with clients and keep them reasonably informed. Prohibit acts of dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. Prohibit conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel has also indefinitely suspended the law license of Snowdens former boss, R. William Huye, who was once the managing partner of MMAs New Orleans office. The offices investigation had not been completed as of Friday. The New Orleans office has been closed.

Insurance defense attorney Matthew Monson posted notice of both developments last week on his LinkedIn page, which has become the go-to source of information for anyone interested in the latest developments in the MMA saga. Monsons wife has filed a lawsuit that alleges MMA improperly solicited clients by hiring a marketing firm to send mass emails and text messages  some which were sent to her cell phone. Monson said in his post about Snowden that he filed four complaints against MMA attorneys with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel on behalf of clients.

I would like to congratulate Mr. Snowden for coming clean and taking responsibility and accepting the consequences of his actions, Monson said. He has previously done so on the record in open court and I wish him well in his future endeavors. He did not design the MMA scheme.

The restraining order in Texas was requested by a pair of hedge funds:Equal Access to Justice and the EAJF ESQ Fund, which are both managed by B.E. Blank & Co. in West Palm Beach. Each of the funds loaned $15 million to MMA. The order says MMA pledged as collateral fees earned for legal actions involving Zantac, Tylenol, Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Roundup and weather damage.

Monson said in his LinkedIn post that the pledge of funds for lawsuits involving weather damage is interesting. In a previous interview with the Claims Journal, Monson said it is not appropriate for investors to loan money to law firms for the purpose of soliciting clients. He questioned whether MMA had used the hedge fund money to pay Velawcity, a marketing firm that managed its email and text message blasts to potential hurricane-damage clients.

So does this mean that these two hedge funds judicially admit they invested in MMAs weather damage schemes that are subject to serious scrutiny and have been reported on and investigated extensively? Monson said on LinkedIn. If so, does that open some other legal doors? That is not for me to decide.

A hearing on the hedge funds request for a temporary injunction is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 in the Harris County District Court.

Topics Texas Legislation Louisiana
VALLEY, Ala. (AP)  A man faces murder charges after two people were killed in a head-on collision during a police chase, state law enforcement officials said Friday.

The fatal crash occurred Thursday morning in Valley, a small city near the Georgia-Alabama border. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the driver of one of the cars, Wesley T. McKinnon, was arrested by state troopers after he was released from the hospital and charged with two counts of reckless murder.

State troopers said McKinnon, 20, was attempting to elude officers when the crash occurred. Court records were not available to show if McKinnon has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Officials said a Kia Forte driven by McKinnon struck another car, killing 98-year-old Aron C. Haynes. An 18-year-old passenger in the car driven by McKinnon was also killed. State officials did not name the teen.

Court records indicate that McKinnon was out on bond on similar charges in Barbour County at the time of the accident. He is charged with manslaughter and attempting to elude law enforcement in connection to a 2021 accident that killed a woman.

His listed defense attorneys in the Barbour County case did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The district attorney on Friday moved to revoke his bond in the Barbour County case.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement Alabama
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has given approval to a $32 million plan to renourish much of the critically eroded beaches near Jacksonville, a project that could throw a lifeline to tourism and insured properties in the area.

The Corps announced late last week that shorelines in Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach will part of the massive renourishment project, which will pump sand from offshore to rebuild beaches, dunes and berms. The program is 100% federally funded, the Corps said in a news release.

The contract was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., of Houston. Operations are expected to begin soon.

Coastal communities in Floridas northeast corner have been requesting the renourishment since 2017, after they were hit by Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, which produced record flooding, storm surge and loss of beach sand, Florida Politics reported.

While beach renourishment has been criticized by some as a losing battle, costly to taxpayers, it has continued around the country for decades.

Photo: A beach renourishment project in Panama City Beach, Florida, in 2021, similar to the one approved for the Jacksonville area. (Mike Fender/News Herald via AP)

Topics Florida
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  A judge temporarily blocked Alabama from issuing licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries amid an ongoing legal battle over how the state selected the winning companies.

Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson issued a temporary restraining order late Thursday to stop the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing licenses to the four dispensaries. The licenses will be on hold while he hears a challenge to the selection process.

The court order is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle that has plagued the start of Alabama`s medical marijuana program. Alabama lawmakers voted to allow medical marijuana in the state in 2021. Commission officials are aiming to make the products available in 2024 after a series of delays.

The ruling affects only the dispensaries. Brittany Peters, a spokeswoman for the commission, said Friday that the commission has issued licenses to other companies that were selected to cultivate, transport, and test marijuana.

The commission next month is set to issue the coveted integrated licenses for multifunctional companies that grow, transport and sell medical marijuana. Anderson has not yet ruled on a request to block the issuance of the integrated licenses.

Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries had sought the pause on the dispensary licenses. Yellowhammer was selected in the commission`s first two attempts to award the licenses this summer, but the commission rescinded the awards amid disputes about the selection process. Yellowhammer was not selected in the latest round.

Patrick Dungan, a lawyer representing Yellowhammer, said the company is pleased to see the court intervene.

Dungan said Yellowhammer had unsuccessfully urged the commission to allow two dispensary licenses to go forward and withhold a decision on the final two. He said the company is only looking for a fair opportunity to be heard on how we were denied a license after achieving the second-highest score and being awarded a license twice.

Anderson said he is sympathetic to concerns about delaying the availability of medical marijuana but said a pause on the licenses is merited.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Alabama Cannabis
The restaurant where Katie Austin was a server burned in the wildfire that devastated Hawaii`s historic town of Lahaina this summer.

Two months later, as travelers began to trickle back to nearby beach resorts, she went to work at a different eatery. But she soon quit, worn down by constant questions from diners: Was she affected by the fire? Did she know anyone who died?

Youre at work for eight hours and every 15 minutes you have a new stranger ask you about the most traumatic day of your life, Austin said. It was soul- sucking.

Hawaii`s governor and mayor invited tourists back to the west side of Maui months after the Aug. 8 fire killed at least 100 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings. They wanted the economic boost tourists would bring, particularly heading into the year-end holidays.

But some residents are struggling with the return of an industry requiring workers to be attentive and hospitable even though they are trying to care for themselves after losing their loved ones, friends, homes and community.

Maui is a large island. Many parts, like the ritzy resorts in Wailea, 30 miles south of Lahaina where the first season of the HBO hit The White Lotus was filmed  are eagerly welcoming travelers and their dollars.

Things are more complicated in west Maui. Lahaina is still a mess of charred rubble. Efforts to clean up toxic debris are painstakingly slow. Its off-limits to everyone except residents.

Tensions are peaking over the lack of long-term, affordable housing for wildfire evacuees, many of whom work in tourism. Dozens have been camping out in protest around the clock on a popular tourist beach at Kaanapali, a few miles north of Lahaina. Last week, hundreds marched between two large hotels waving signs reading, We need housing now! and Short-term rentals gotta go!

Hotels at Kaanapali are still housing about 6,000 fire evacuees unable to find long-term shelter in Maui`s tight and expensive housing market. But some have started to bring back tourists, and owners of timeshare condos have returned. At a shopping mall, visitors stroll past shops and dine at at open-air oceanfront restaurants.

Austin took a job at a restaurant in Kaanapali after the fire, but quit after five weeks. It was a strain to serve mai tais to people staying in a hotel or vacation rental while her friends were leaving the island because they lacked housing, she said.

Servers and many others in the tourism industry often work for tips, which puts them in a difficult position when a customer prods them with questions they dont want to answer. Even after Austin`s restaurant posted a sign asking customers to respect employees` privacy, the queries continued.

I started telling people, Unless youre a therapist, I dont want to talk to you about it,' she said.

Austin now plans to work for a nonprofit organization that advocates for housing.

Erin Kelley didn`t lose her home or workplace but has been laid off as a bartender at Sheraton Maui Resort since the fire. The hotel reopened to visitors in late December, but she doesn`t expect to get called back to work until business picks up.

She has mixed feelings. Workers should have a place to live before tourists are welcome in west Maui, she said, but residents are so dependent on the industry that many will remain jobless without those same visitors.

Im really sad for friends and empathetic towards their situation, she said. But we also need to make money,

When she does return to work, Kelley said she won`t want to talk about anything that happened for the past few months.

More travel destinations will likely have to navigate these dilemmas as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of natural disasters.

There is no manual for doing so, said Chekitan Dev, a tourism professor at Cornell University. Handling disasters  natural and manmade  will have to be part of their business planning.

Andreas Neef, a development professor and tourism researcher at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, suggested one solution might be to promote organized voluntourism. Instead of sunbathing, tourists could visit part of west Maui that didnt burn and enlist in an effort to help the community.

Bringing tourists for relaxation back is just at this time a little bit unrealistic, Neef said. I couldnt imagine relaxing in a place where you still feel the trauma that has affected the place overall.

Many travelers have been canceling holiday trips to Maui out of respect, said Lisa Paulson, the executive director of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association. Visitation is down about 20% from December of 2022, according to state data.

Cancellations are affecting hotels all over the island, not just in west Maui.

Paulson attributes some of this to confusing messages in national and social media about whether visitors should come. Many people dont understand the islands geography or that there are places people can visit outside west Maui, she said.

One way visitors can help is to remember theyre traveling to a place that recently experienced significant trauma, said Amory Mowrey, the executive director of Maui Recovery, a mental health and substance abuse residential treatment center.

Am I being driven by compassion and empathy or am I just here to take, take, take? he said.

That`s the approach honeymooners Jordan and Carter Prechel of Phoenix adopted. They kept their reservations in Kihei, about 25 miles south of Lahaina, vowing to be respectful and to support local businesses.

Dont bombard them with questions, Jordan said recently while eating an afternoon snack in Kaanapali with her husband. Be conscious of what theyve gone through.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire
January 3, 2024 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mining / Metals / Green Energy Stock news- Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V:DEFN / OTCQB:DFMTF/ 35D: FSE), a mineral exploration and development company focused on the development of its 100% owned Wicheeda Rare Earth Element project, was recently featured in Canadian Mining Report in the article , A Massive Catalyst for This "Tech Defense" Play.

Read the full article

https://www.canadianminingreport.com/news/custom/a-massive-catalyst-for-this-tech-defense-play

Excerpt

A global war for critical minerals is underway.

China has just escalated its export restrictions for a technology used to produce magnets for high-technology, biotech, and defense industries. .

These magnets are made of a critical group of minerals called rare earth elements (or REEs)... .

Before that, China banned technologies to extract and separate REEs....

It's one technology ban after another... and it concerns one of the most critical yet overlooked groups of minerals. .

China is home to about 70% of the global REE supply, and that's a problem for the rest of the world. .

The country's government can single-handedly halt the output of REEs. And it looks like it has been taking steps in that direction.

China Chokes the Global REE Supply Chain

On December 21, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Commerce updated their catalog of technologies subject to export bans and restrictions.

It was a Christmas "gift" for the West and an escalation in a trade war that few investors are aware of.

This "war" has been going on for months. Back in July, China imposed restrictions on gallium and germanium. (Gallium is used to produce heat-resistant semiconductor wafers; germanium is used as a semiconductor.)

In November, China introduced restrictions on the export of graphite , a mineral widely used in electric vehicle batteries.

And now rare earths are on the list...

It could only get worse in the future. The geopolitical tensions between China and the West are at their multi-decade highs. And the looming war in Taiwan makes both parties worried about advanced military technologies and the components they need.

The global rare-earth-element supply chain could crumble under the weight of this global confrontation.

REEs Are Critical for the Modern War Technology

If you have been following the latest conflicts, you have noticed that drones have become a critical weapon for both surveillance and attack.

From Ukraine to Iran and Gaza, drones are used to detect targets and direct precision-guided munitions.

They are cheap to manufacture and expensive to take down... they are a perfect weapon.

There is only one problem. Drones need rare earth elements for navigation and flight control, as well as path planning and obstacle avoidance.

Rare earth elements are also a critical element of magnets used in all sorts of high-tech applications, from electric vehicle motors to fighter jets. For example, an F-35 fighter jet is estimated to contain about 920 pounds of REEs.

The magnets made from REEs are powerful and light. And there is no direct and economically viable substitute for them available yet.

By some estimates, the U.S. military needs about 3,000 tons of REE-based magnets per year.

Including other uses, the country may need up to 15,000 tons of REE magnets per year.

And there is no robust domestic supply chain for this important technology yet.

However, this massive need for REE technology has started a revolution in the North American mining industry

Read the full article

https://www.canadianminingreport.com/news/custom/a-massive-catalyst-for-this-tech-defense-play

About Defense Metals Corp.

Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the development of its 100% owned Wicheeda Rare Earth Element project located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB, and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D".

Defense Metals is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit:

http://www.discoverygroup.ca/

For further information, please visit www.defensemetals.com or contact:

Todd Hanas, Bluesky Corporate Communications Ltd.

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: (778) 994 8072

Email: todd@blueskycorp.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to completion of the PFS and the expected timelines, advancing the Wicheeda REE Project, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the anticipated costs and expenditures, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of exploration and metallurgical results, risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration and development and cost estimates, the potential for unexpected costs and expenses and those other risks filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather and climate conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of personnel, materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters), risks relating to inaccurate geological, metallurgical and engineering assumptions, decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, an inability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to, the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains, loss of key employees, consultants, or directors, increase in costs, delayed results, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure this DEFN news is a paid news release on investorideas.com - learn more about costs and services https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/

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The number of passengers using Cork Airport will grow by double digits this year, with numbers expected to reach more than 3m, the Daas chief executive Kenny Jacobs has said.

It follows one of the busiest years ever recorded by the airport in 2023 when 2.8m passengers passed through the terminal, one of the busiest years since the end of domestic flights from Cork, highlighting the strong return to business and tourist travel following the covid restrictions.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Jacobs said Cork would grow again this year on the back of extra routes added by the main airlines Ryanair and Aer Lingus.

We would be looking at double-digit growth through Cork this year, he said. Traffic for 2023 will be over 2.8m and we will definitely be over 3m this year. Flights to places like La Rochelle, Paris, Bristol, and Barcelona all did well in 2023.

As head of the Daa, which operates Dublin and Cork airports, Jacobs said a range of major infrastructure upgrades are planned for both airports to increase capacity. The Daa lodged a 5,000-page planning application with Fingal County Council before Christmas for upgrades at Dublin Airport, to increase its capacity to 40m.

The airport is currently capped at 32m, which means restrictions will be in place for new flights. However, he said Cork was unlikely to benefit from any displaced routes from Dublin.

We would urge airlines to consider Cork anyway, but it is not a case of them moving a route from Dublin to Cork, but they will have that option, he said. In general, Cork sells itself.

Mr Jacobs said work would commence this year on what would be the largest upgrade to Cork Airports terminal since it opened in 2006.

The old terminal building at Cork Airport. Has been empty since 2006. Pic: Larry Cummins

It is planned to extend the mezzanine over the check-in desks to expand the footprint of the security section and allow the installation of new C3 security scanners.

It will also allow us to expand the duty-free area and add new food and beverage facilities, he said.

These upgrades are needed. Based on Corks planned population growth, it needs a terminal with a capacity for 5m passengers per year.

Capital funding of 6m has been made available to Cork Airport from the Government this year to support the security screening project.

With plans to increase both business and tourist passenger numbers, Mr Jacobs said it was important that the countrys tourism infrastructure is further developed.

He said concerns about the large number of tourism beds being used to house refugees were understandable, but said he was confident that capacity would

increase to meet demand.

I would not be worried in the long term, he said.

There are a lot of new hotels under construction in Cork and elsewhere, and more beds will come on stream.

The Daa chief said that in the longer term they are looking at adding extra gates and airside piers to accommodate more aircraft.

The old terminal is slated to be demolished, he said. There is no specific timeline yet for its demolition but we have plans for new aircraft stands in that area.

Mr Jacobs said a strong focus remains on sustainability, with a huge global focus on the carbon footprint of air travel.

Ireland is in a strong position because we have two big carriers with modern fleets of aircraft and the carbon footprint per passenger will continue to come down, he said.
Ryanair fell more than 5% in the first stumble for the shares after a relentless rise in recent weeks, as uncertainties clouded the industry's outlook despite the airline posting an upift in passenger numbers over Christmas.

However, the company cited the "sudden removal" early last month by online booking platforms, including Booking.com, Kiwi, and Kayak, of Ryanair flights for an estimated fall of up to 2% of its yields, or the proportion of seats it fills on its planes, in the Christmas and new year period.
Farmers, farm organisations, and agricultural co-ops have been advised to take a key role in developing anaerobic digestion (AD) in Ireland.

We can sit on our hands and do nothing, and let someone else come in and build these plants, or farmers can get active, said Dr Maurice Deasy, researcher on Teagasc's FLEET evaluation of the potential of AD for farmers.

In a recent episode of the Signpost Series podcasts, he said if AD plants are built and operated by farmers, they will benefit farmers.

As part of its climate plan, the Irish Government has set a target of producing 5.7 terawatt-hours of biomethane by 2030, which is the equivalent of 10% of Ireland's current demand for natural gas. There is an interim target of 1 TWh by 2025.

Biogas from AD plants can be upgraded to biomethane, which can then be used as a direct replacement for natural gas. Biomethane can also be used as CNG fuel for trucks. The carbon dioxide by-product can be used in the food and beverage industry.

The government is due to announce a National Biomethane Strategy for the agriculture sector to deliver on its sectoral emissions reduction target, for businesses to decarbonise, and Ireland to meet its EU renewable heat targets.

Biomethane can help farmers on the double to reach their obligation to reduce emissions 25% by 2030 (relative to 2018).

Our slurry tanks and slatted sheds contribute to our emissions of methane. If we were taking that slurry out of agriculture and digesting it, capturing that methane, that would help reduce our emissions, said Dr Deasy.

Typically in Germany, a lot of maize is used, in the UK youve got beet and wholecrop, but also grass. In an Irish context, were talking a lot more about grass, because 90% of the agricultural area is grassland and equally, we think we can produce grass without chemical nitrogen which is important in terms of sustainability, explained the FLEET researcher (Farm Level Economic, Environmental and Transport Modelling of AD).

Teagasc is investigating the use of red-clover silage and multispecies swards for AD plants. Ireland is unique across Europe in producing high yields from grass silage, and the use of legumes such as clover would reduce or eliminate the requirement for nitrogen fertiliser. Some of the current issues with clover swards around rotational grazing, longer rest periods, higher residuals, or fear of bloating, do not arise if the clover sward is being produced as an AD feedstock.

If contrast, if chemical nitrogen is used to grow silage for an AD plant, it reduces the environmental sustainability of the biomethane. Chemical nitrogen has a huge emission that needs to be accounted for in RED 2, Dr Deasy explained. RED 2 is the Renewable Energy Directive which requires all EU Member State fuel suppliers to supply at least 14% renewable transport fuels by 2030.

Under this Directive, animal slurries are given a manure credit for the capture of methane that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere.

Biogas from AD plants is usually converted to heat and power. The electricity can be sold to the grid, and the heat can be used, for instance, to heat a poultry unit, or a cheese processor. In Germany, AD plants often supply district heating systems. An AD plant is running 24 hours a day, the bugs are always making gas. That creates a power that you can actually store and use when you want it, which is a big difference from solar and wind, said Dr Deasy. Hence, AD power could be sold at a premium, when demand is highest. However, there are no schemes as yet set up in the Republic of Ireland to sell AD power to the grid.

And how willing might Irish farmers be to supply silage to an AD plant? Finding the answers to that question was part of the FLEET research.

Most farmers, nearly 65%, were saying no, I wouldnt supply silage to an AD plant said Dr Deasy. I think a lot of that is down to awareness. If you dont know what AD is, and youre asked would you supply an AD plant, youd say, well, no, because I dont know what an AD plant is.

On the other hand, 15% of farmers indicated that they would consider it, if the market price was right. Thats actually probably enough farmers to supply 5.7 TWh, and 10% of the gas grid. We dont need every farmer to do this in terms of supplying grass. We need a small amount of farmers to supply grass.

There was general readiness among farmers to receive the digestate organic fertiliser by-product from AD plants.

But slurry would be needed from many more than 15% of farmers. Usually, AD plants use a a 50/50 blend on a fresh weight basis of silage and slurry.

Eighty percent of the power would be coming from the silage, 20% coming from the slurry, or even less said Dr Deasy. If RED 2 targets are to be met, silage cannot be used 100% in a AD plant, because of the associated emissions, such as from diesel for harvesting. Using the slurry offsets those emissions, because of the extra bonus of capturing the slurry methane otherwise lost to the atmosphere. An AD plant will not want watery slurry, advised Dr Deasy.

Fibre doesnt make biogas either, so those big, high yields of lignocellulose silage which is very good for feeding a suckler cow, very good for the rumen health, thats not what an AD plant wants, he added.

The FLEET researchers assessed the profitability of selling silage for 30 to 40 per tonne. Dairy would always be more profitable. But at 40 a tonne, one could possibly make more from AD silage than from tillage. On average, its not very likely that a tillage farmer would go towards growing grass for AD, Dr Deasy said.

For your sheep and cattle enterprises, once the price of the AD silage gets to 40 a tonne, then it does look to be more economically viable to sell grass for AD compared to your existing system. There has to be increased profitability, to make a farmer shift over from one system to another, otherwise why change, why take the risk? he said.

I think AD has a role in achieving some of our greenhouse gas emission savings, particularly from our slurry from ruminants, Dr Deasy said. If a farmer has too many cows, heres an opportunity. You could sell your artic load of slurry, you can get your certificate. Now youve reduced your organic loading.

On a dairy farm, about 10% of emissions would typically be associated with the slurry tank, which is emitting methane.

The advantage of AD is that if you are taking that slurry out of the farm, exporting it to an AD plant, capturing that methane, now we can use that as an energy source.

The slurry would be collected as fresh as possible.

Dr Deasy favours a system which would incentivise farmers to produce both food and energy. If farmers can grow more grass than they can feed to cows, the excess could be used to supply AD plants, diversifying farm income. AD also will create considerable rural employment, since it involves three or four cuts of silage, managing slurry, distributing digestate, etc.

The digestate fertiliser from AD plants is typically 6-8% dry matter, like livestock slurry. However, the fertiliser value is increased, particularly the plant-available nitrogen. And digestate has a verified nutrient content.

You have more nitrogen and its more available, so you get a much better crop response, Dr Deasy said.

If a farmer supplying feedstock doesnt need the digestate back, they can receive a credit instead, and someone else will use the digestate. Arable farms, in particular, will greatly value this fertiliser.

Northern Ireland and the UK already have many AD plants. Pig slurry, food waste, industrial waste, are all very good feedstocks, but they are limited resources. The big potential in terms of reaching the big numbers is in cattle slurry and grass silage, said Dr Deasy.

Teagasc Grange is the site of a pilot AD plant. Per day, it will need about 10 tonnes of grass silage at 25% dry matter and nearly 15 tonnes of slurry. It will need silage from about 70ha, and the winter slurry from 1,000 cattle.

The plant will produce about 3.2 Gigawatt hours of energy per year. However, much larger (20 to 30 GWh) plants, fed primarily on agricultural materials, are expected. Such a plant would need about 100 tonnes of silage a day, and 150 tonnes of slurry.
Irish Farmers' Association president Tim Cullinan has said that farmers would be "very sceptical" of retailers "claiming to champion consumers with lower prices".

Mr Cullinan has warned that if retailers "want to engage in combat for customers, it cannot be at the expense of farmers and producers".

"The idea that primary producers can afford to take a lower price flies in the face of higher input costs. The food chain cannot survive if relentless pressure is piled on those who produce the food," he said.

It costs money to deliver quality food to supermarket shelves.

"This has to be recognised by giving a fair margin to those who put in the work and investment on the ground. Pretending that it can be done for less is not serving anybody."

'Too easy an option'

Mr Cullinan said that targeting fresh food is "just too easy an option" that retailers must avoid.

"Retailers know that consumers go shopping for food, but farmers and producers cannot be in the frontline of another retail war," he said.

Retailers cannot use their dominant position in the food chain to reduce farmers' margins while protecting their own.

"This imbalance in power in our food supply chain is something that the new Agri-Food Regulator must investigate and act upon."

Aldi has today announced reductions in the prices of several goods, including meat products and yoghurts.

In December, it also cut the prices of 170 seasonal products, but said at the time this would have "no impact" on the prices paid to producers and suppliers.

Margins

The president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association Denis Drennan has said that the "onus is firmly on the newly established food price regulatory office to verify absolutely that any reductions in price introduced by supermarkets are funded out of their own margin".

Mr Drennan said that farmers have "absolutely no issue with supermarkets reducing their own margins".

However - farmers "would not and could not accept a situation" where they are "manoeuvred into having their margins cut so that they ended up subsidising rounds of competing price cuts by retail corporations".
Many of us are back to work and have the January blues. Need a morale boost? The next long weekend is sooner than you think.

Monday, February 5, 2024

2024 is the second year we have a bank holiday in February, to mark St Brigids Day. Introduced in 2023, the new annual public holiday is the first Monday in February, except where February 1 happens to fall on a Friday, in which case Friday 1 February will be a public holiday. Midterm breaks also take place this month, but not this week. Primary schools will close on February 15 and 16, with some opting to use three discretionary days to extend this to a five-day break. Secondary schools will close for five days from February 12.

Monday, March 18, 2024

St Patricks Day falls on a Sunday this year so the next day will be a public holiday, allowing you to recover from the previous days parades and festivities.

Monday, April 1, 2024

Its not to mark April Fools Day. Easter Monday falls on April 1 this year. Good Friday is on March 29 but it is not a public holiday. However, some schools and businesses choose to close on that day. All schools finish up on Friday, March 22 for the Easter holidays and re-open on Monday, April 8.

Monday, May 6, 2024

The May bank holiday takes place six days into the month this year.

Monday, June 3, 2024

The first bank holiday of summer comes in early June  and for exam students, the Junior and Leaving Cert starts on Wednesday, June 5. Secondary schools usually close for summer before the bank holiday while primary schools usually close in the last week of June.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Fingers crossed for sunshine on the last bank holiday of summer. for any back-to-school prep, the school year normally starts in the week in which September 1 falls.

Monday, October 28, 2024

The October Bank Holiday always coincides with the Jazz Festival in Cork, so make sure to keep your schedule clear for lots of jazzing and socialising. Halloween, while not a public holiday, follows on Thursday, October 31. This is also the week of the midterm in schools, with primary and secondary schools closed from Monday, October 28 to Friday, November 1  meaning you might need to have a Halloween costume ready for the last day of school on Friday, October 25.

Wednesday, December 25 and Thursday, December 26, 2024

Christmas Day and St Stephens Day fall midweek this year  if you want the full week off work youll need to book Monday, Tuesday and Friday off (unless your employer treats Christmas Eve as a company day). December 20 is the final day of the school term and all schools re-open on Monday, January 6, 2025.
Dublin-born guitarist Gerry Leonard returns to the city of his birth in February for a special performance with the RTE Concert Orchestra along with two fellow Bowie alumni, Mark Plati and Sterling Campbell. The show is part of this year's annual Dublin Bowie Festival and has been in the making for several years.

A version of the show was broadcast on RTE One during the pandemic but now fans near and far have the opportunity to be part of a live audience. "It's going to be dynamite," says Leonard down the line shortly before Christmas, his enthusiasm tangible at a very early hour of the day in New York. "It's something we've been trying to do for many years; it's almost alarming. When the pandemic hit, we turned it into a television show, it was all anyone could do. The concert orchestra had approached me about doing a set of Bowie songs and I immediately thought it was a great idea."

With connections to other alumni in New York, Leonard set about contacting musicians handpicked by Bowie and re-connected one of the most notable rhythm sections from his later career. "We have this beautiful hybrid of a rock band with an orchestra and some really great guest vocalists. We're finally getting to do this!"

Leonard was first introduced into the Bowie universe by Plati who co-produced his 1997 album Earthling. Plati, whose various roles would later include musical director and guitarist with Bowie, was producing the Toy album (canned from an official release until 2021) when the Dubliner was invited to record. The new century brought massive shifts for Bowie with the birth of his daughter Lexi in the summer of 2000, and his mother would also be laid to rest the following April. It was around that time he would begin work on Heathen, the album that would be released in 2002.

Heathen was one of three David Bowie albums that Gerry Leonard played on.

"It seemed like another tumultuous time for David and I think he got some of his frustration out on that record," says Leonard. "I had come on board with Toy, the next thing we heard David was coming down the mountain with Heathen. I got involved and played on a bunch of tracks when I met him during those sessions. He was in full-on David work mode, when you listen to the material there's a huge depth to that record that he hadn't touched on before with some beautiful songs; lyrically they are like mini-novels."

The Clontarf-born guitarist cut his teeth playing in bands from the age of 12. "Hopefully I got better through my teens and early 20s!" he adds of his time developing. "I was steeped in the culture of bands during punk and new-wave. One minute I was learning epic solos from progressive rock albums and then there was none of that; no bending strings or anything."

During a stint at Lombard Sound Studios (later renamed Westland Studios), he would experience working with a variety of Irish luminaries. "I was very passionate about recording and recording techniques, I was working as a tape operator and this was pre-Windmill Lane. Phil Lynott came in and produced some stuff, it was a very creative time, he recalls.

After signing to Island Records during the late 1980s as one half of Hinterland, with Donal Coghlan, and then touring and releasing an album, Leonard moved to New York in late 1993. While there, he reinvented himself with the solo project Spooky Ghost.

"There are so many amazing players and musicians of a high pedigree, Spooky Ghost was my way of figuring out my own identity in a much stronger way and asking 'How do I express myselfWhat am I good at?. It became a distillation of my style when playing live shows and releasing some records. At that time, it was more unusual for people to make records on an independent basis, it was more of a niche thing but it served me well. David came to a solo show and saw me play and that was one of his auditions for me if you like. It turned out to be a really important thing in my career.

Bowie described Leonard's album The Light Machine as "the most beautiful and moving piece of work I have possessed in a long time". Says Leonard: "I was being creative as a guitar player as opposed to a band member. I had established myself with people like Laurie Anderson and Suzanne Vega. David called me up and asked if I would play on a couple of songs. He would bring you in to do what you did and trust your sense of creativity rather than micro-manage. We hit it off and that relationship began to grow over the years".

The guitarist would receive a co-writing credit on Bowie's penultimate album The Next Day, with I'll Take You There and Boss Of Me.

Bowies 25th long-player arrived after a long period of silence during which the star had largely disappeared from public view for almost a decade. Love Is Lost, one of the album's most arresting tracks, found Bowie looking for inspiration from his late Spiders From Mars guitarist Mick Ronson.

Leonard recalls those sessions: "He had pictures of the house [Haddon Hall] where he lived and rehearsed during the early 1970s. In one photograph, Mick's guitar was set up with a 100-watt Marshal amp and eight-by-ten cabinet. Someone had come across a new version of the Tone Bender pedal that Ronson used and we brought that in. It was so loud I had to hide behind a chair! At the time I was listening to a lot of Peter Green and we came up with this part based on all of that. Someone had one idea and that would lead to another. I loved that song and the guitar parts David came up with on the demo, he told me just to make it my own. He called me up and said: 'Just bring your favourite guitar.' It was a special track; very powerful."

It was during Bowie's performance at the Point Theatre in Dublin, at the end of Rebel Rebel, that he gave out the call Tiocfaidh ar la!, the Our day will come phrase usually associated with the IRA. Leonard suggests Bowie had a fondness for the lively audiences on this island and in Scotland. He deliberately picked Dublin for the live recording of the Reality tour [which turned out to be Bowie's last]. David loved the participatory element and he got that especially during the performance of Life On Mars when the whole of the Point is singing with just him and the piano."

Bowie also conferred with his musical director that night for the phrase used at the start of the set. "He was mining me for a few Irish phrases so I conferred with my brother-in-law who had a good Christian Brothers education. We came up with a few but Tiocfaidh ar la was the one he went for. I cautioned him that it had some deeper meaning but he was very mischievous; he opened the show with it and made a pretty good impression."

Camille OSullivan and Gerry Leonard with the RTE Concert Orchestra performing on The Late Late NYE Show recently. Picture: Andres Poveda

Bowie's birthday and the eighth anniversary of his death will be honoured in New York on January 8 and 10, respectively. Leonard will appear with various alumni at The Sound And Vision of David Bowie before heading back to Dublin. "It's a busy time, I'm playing a series of live shows in tribute to David at the Cutting Room. We're also putting a show together for Sinead O'Connor and we will probably include a tribute to Shane [MacGowan] for that as well. I've been recording the soundtrack for an Irish film coming out next year and I'm also working on a new Suzanne Vega record. There's a lot going on, New York is such a great melting pot of musicians; I have a full deck."
Ann Lovett was not the first young woman to be brutalised by our misogynistic hierarchies, writes Rosita Sweetman.

1984 was another year when history was scrawled across the bodies of women. Of four young women, in particular.

But it was the pitiful deaths of 15-year-old schoolgirl Ann Lovett and her baby, Patrick, in January, that dominated.

Her death, from haemorrhage and shock, his, from strangulation by the umbilical cord as his mother, still in her school uniform, struggled to give birth, alone, in freezing wind and rain, in a grotto in Granard, Co Longford, came to symbolise everything that was wrong here: A country that had swapped centuries of brutal colonialism for rule by the celibate, clerical elite of the Catholic Church, where sex was the sin. Women were responsible.

She made me eat that apple, Lord.

Repression of normal bodily joys, denial, secrecy, religiosity, and hypocrisy made damaged cowboys of us all. If we couldnt have fun, then sure as hell our wives, children, siblings, neighbours, employees, couldnt have fun, either.

And if the powerful among us decided to go ahead and have fun anyway, it was stolen, abusive, violent. Girls and women the victims.

Ann Lovetts death blew this Ireland apart.

Emotionally in turmoil after a furiously divisive battle over the 8th Amendment, we were confronted with the brutal consequences of zero sex education, zero access to contraception for those most in need of it, i.e, the young, and a culture that denied the reality of sex, never mind sexual abuse, rape, and incest.

Astonishingly, in response to Ann Lovetts tragic end, the town she lived in, closed like a fist. An enforced silence descended. Because, apparently, nobody knew she was pregnant. Nobody.

Anyone who questioned the narrative was run out of town. The media were locusts, barbarians.

The news broke. Gay Byrne, reviewing the papers, read: "Young girl dies after giving birth in field. Goodness me." Throwing the paper aside, he added: "Nothing terribly exciting there."

He couldnt have been more wrong. Over the following weeks, thousands of women wrote in to RTE.

They knew exactly the extremes to which Ann Lovett had been driven: Pregnant, unmarried, young, innocent, shamed, blamed, and alone, alone, alone.

Ann Lovett

Her death was the beginning of our coming to terms with how we treated unmarried girls and women. And their babies.

Mary Rafterys documentaries exposing violence and sexual abuse within religious-run institutions were a decade away, Catherine Corlesss grim discovery of 800 little bodies buried in sewer pits at Tuams Mother and Baby Home was 30 years away, but the imposed seal of silence, the gag on truth, was fatally weakened.

Weakened, but not demolished. Shamefully, the repression of truth wasnt just one towns omerta. It went to the highest levels of Church and state.

And still holds.

Another young woman of 1984, who didnt lose her life, but lost her "son, her personhood, her job, her freedom, everything I possessed", was a 22-year-old Garda Majella Moynihan.

Put into an orphanage at 18 months after the death of her mother, later an institution where beatings were routine, she became pregnant with a fellow Garda.

The top brass went apeshit. But only at her. Under unrelenting pressure by gardai, and Church, she gave up her son, was not even allowed hold him, then, alone and deeply traumatised, faced a Garda tribunal.

Her lover denied responsibility, suggested shed had other men, was given a 90 fine, and ran.

She was "torn apart by misogynistic bastards".

The gardai  forced by the Machiavellian intervention of a bishop: "If you fire her, it will open the gates to England" ie. abortion  kept her, but on sufferance.

They degraded me so low, she wrote, I dont know how I ever got back up.

Sexually assaulted  well, she was obviously a fallen woman so why not?  never promoted, isolated, and shamed, she began drinking heavily and tried to take her own life on five occasions.

A documentary about her mistreatment, and a hugely successful book written with documentarian Aoife Kelleher, brought an apology: 37 years later. The legal bosses promised a swift result for her legal case.

No prizes for guessing the outcome. Yup, it still drags on. And on.

Oh, Ireland.

Another young woman torn apart by misogynistic bastards made 1984 headlines for weeks: Joanne Hayes.

Joanne gave birth to a stillborn baby boy.

The gardai walloped a confession out of Joanne and members of her family that theyd strangled and hidden the baby; then the gardai decided she was also the mother, and killer, of a dead baby found 80 miles away on a beach in Cahirciveen. Heteropaternal superfecundation, dont you know?.

Their treatment of Joanne and her family was so off the wall that a tribunal of inquiry was set up.

Carloads of senior counsel, barristers, solicitors, and experts descended on Tralee.

Far from inquiring into the savage treatment meted out to Joanne and her vulnerable family, the legal bigwigs put this "slip of a girl" through weeks of questions: What size was her vagina dilated to during birth?

Where had she had sex with her lover? Was she "in love" or did she just love what men were prepared to do with her?

A misogynists feast. It took the State 36 years to apologise.

All of these crucifixions in an Ireland where there was no divorce, no abortion, no sex education. Where contraception, even basic condoms, could only be purchased, with a doctors prescription and from a chemist, for bona fide family planning reasons.

Where marital rape was not a crime, homosexuality was a crime, where single mums and their babies could be chucked out of council houses just because they were single mums, where a husband could still sell the marital home and keep the money, where the newly opened Rape Crisis Centre in Cork was considered "too extreme" and raided by the Special Branch, where pregnant, unmarried women were pushed into mother-and-baby homes, 97% of them forced to give up their babies for adoption. A Church where the pope exhorted priests everywhere to become eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.

An Ireland where beating up your wife signalled she was "a nag" Beating and raping a stranger signalled she, or he, was "asking for it". Where making an unmarried girl pregnant meant she was a "slag".

Where schoolgirl contemporaries of Ann Lovett said they wouldnt dare use contraceptives. It would make them seem too calculating.

Ah, yes, the good old days.

Of course, there were some jolly happenings, too.

Bob Dylan played at Slane. So did Van the Man. A Womans Peace Camp in the Phoenix Park, and 10,000 noisy lefties, protested Ronald Reagans visit here.

Not one single bishop, including Eamon Casey, attended Reagans official knees-up, in protest at his support for US-backed murders in Central America. Michael D Higgins and Tomas MacGiolla walked out of the Dail during his address. And the brilliant, young Dunnes Stores workers continued their strike against apartheid South Africa by boycotting South African goods.

A new Ireland was coming alive. Most important of all, my darling daughter was born: On Valentines Day 1984. A gift direct from Cupid.

And not a misogynistic bastard in sight.

Hurray! HURRAY!
A spike in money laundering cases involving students in Kerry has prompted Gardai to roll out an awareness campaign in schools and colleges on the dangers of becoming money mules for criminal gangs.

Gardai and community groups have enlisted some young people, who have been prosecuted before the courts, to form part of the campaign in Kerry secondary schools and colleges to warn of the consequences.

At the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee, 30 prosecutions have been initiated in recent times, with 20 convictions so far, mostly involving people between the ages of 17 and 21.

Circuit Court Judge Sinead Behan expressed concern about the rising number of cases, saying young people don't realise the far-reaching consequences of helping criminals.

"Money mules are getting younger so we have to start hitting them younger," said Sergeant Michael Quirke, from the Kerry garda divisions crime prevention office.

Gardai say young people are being increasingly approached by criminals seeking clean bank accounts to lodge and transfer money.

The consequences of a conviction, however, will affect a young person's travel options and visa applications in the future.

Recruiters

Typically, criminals use a recruiter, often someone in the friendship network of a prospective mule, who sells the idea of "easy money".

Social media sites such as Snapchat are also frequently used by recruiters, with fake job offers of big money for working from home.

"Be cautious about offers of easy money. Easy money is dangerous money," Sgt Quirke said.

Mules normally get paid small "commissions", as little as 50, to transfer thousands for criminal organisations.

Most of the money going through the accounts in Ireland originates from fraudulent activities within the country, gardai say.

The fraudulent schemes include fake texts to pay road tolls and other phishing schemes  including the Hi Mom, I lost my phone text tactic  all used by criminal gangs to take money from individuals.

Fake invoicing of small businesses is another method commonly used.

"Money laundering is not a victimless crime, and it is growing throughout the country," said Sgt Quirke.

In the first six months of 2023, some 17.5m was laundered, up from 12m in the same period in 2022 and from 5m in the first six months of 2021.

The awareness campaign in Kerry also involves community talks to parents, and a campus watch campaign to highlight the steps to take if approached to be a mule.
The body of a missing Irishman has been identified and returned from the Isle of Man to his family in Wicklow after 10 years, thanks to DNA testing.

John Roches remains were left unidentified for a decade after they were recovered by a fishing vessel near the Isle of Man in April 2013.

However, DNA material resulted in the formal identification of Mr Roche, from Killiney, in south Dublin, who was born in 1972.

Following the breakthrough, his family in Ireland was contacted and church authorities gave permission for his remains to be exhumed from Lonan Churchyard on the Isle of Man and brought home to Ireland.

Funeral service

A funeral service was held for him in Arklow, Co Wicklow, on December 18.

A death notice on Rip.ie said: Roche, Griffith Street, Arklow, Co. Wicklow missing since 20th December 2012, brought home December 2023.

John (Tayto) beloved son of the late John (Jackie) and Elizabeth (Lizzie) (nee Strahan), loving daddy of Ross, dearly loved brother of Lil, Paddy, Marie, Martina, and the late Tom and Kathleen.

He is sadly missed by his loving son, brother, sisters, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives, friends, and neighbours.

According to the Isle of Man Today newspaper, the fishing vessel, The Anzac, recovered Mr Roches remains more than a decade ago.

While his identity was a mystery for 10 years, the community of Lonan on the Isle of Man came together to bury him.

Up to 20 mourners are believed to have attended the service after Methodist minister DeeDee Haine invited locals to the ceremony and a headstone was provided by a local charity.

Following a DNA match, Mr Roches remains were formally identified.

It is reported that Mr Roche's partner petitioned the church authorities to allow his body to be exhumed and returned home for reburial at St Gabriels Catholic Cemetery in Arklow and permission was granted for this.

Howard Connell, vicar general and chancellor of the diocese, told the Isle of Man publication: "This is clearly a case where the discretion to authorise exhumation should be exercised."

He noted that the petition related to a "very sad set of facts".

The other members of Mr Roches family had also given their permission to exhume his remains.

An inquest was held into Mr Roches death after his body was discovered; however, a new inquest is now expected to take place on January 11.
Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan has praised Media Minister Catherine Martins handling of the RTE crisis.

Mr Ryan also said addressing the funding of media in Ireland would be the most critical decision taken by the Government in the first quarter of 2024.

Ms Martin, who is the Greens deputy leader, was at the forefront of the political response when the national broadcaster RTE became embroiled in a financial crisis initially stemming from incorrectly declared fees to its then-highest-paid earner, Ryan Tubridy.

In the aftermath of the fallout over Tubridys pay, a string of other financial and governance issues emerged that led to the resignation of a number of senior figures, and a multimillion-euro drop in TV licence payments.

Catherine Martin has won praise from her party leader (PA)

Mr Ryan said Ms Martin had done a really good job managing her portfolio as Media Minister.

I think RTE  no-one could have easily managed that, and I think actually she took the right approach, he said.

I think you could have had a minister waded in there on the first day and said Im going to be in charge of everything here, and I think she did the correct thing.

She relied on her chair and board and new chief executive to deliver the reports we need and the analysis we need to make sure we position RTE for the future. I think that approach has been fully supported in Government.

I think it is critical, if I look forward into next year, what is the most important thing Government have to do? I think probably one of the very top of that list is addressing future funding of broadcast and media in Ireland.

It isnt just RTE, it is requirement for funding which will go into other broadcasters and other media.

Eamon Ryan said Catherine Martin took the right approach to the RTE row (PA)

In November, the Government agreed to provide a total of 56 million in additional funding to help RTE cover budget shortfalls after the organisation published plans to reduce its workforce.

Ms Martin said a dedicated unit would be established in her department to oversee the allocation of 40 million euro of that funding in 2024.

Mr Ryan said the future funding model for broadcasters would be a top Government priority in the beginning of the new year.

The first most important thing is  can we get an agreed approach to fund our broadcasters given what I was saying earlier, that one of the biggest challenges to stage is disinformation, he said.

AI creates all sorts of weird material that who knows whats true, whats not true.

Thats a real risk to democratic system and strength of the country, decency. So I think the funding of broadcasting media in that environment is probably the most critical decision we need to make in the first quarter of the year.

RTE director-general Kevin Bakhursts plan to cut costs at the organisation included a salary price cap of 250,000 and cuts of up to 400 staff members over four years.
A local parish priest has paid tribute to a Kilkenny man who died in Australia on New Year's Day.

John Holland, a 63-year-old grain business owner, had been visiting his daughter in Melbourne when he got into difficulty while sea swimming and drowned.

Fr Eamonn OGorman told RTE's Morning Ireland how he had been eagerly awaiting the return of his friend from the trip and instead he was helping to plan his friends funeral.

Fr OGorman said that he heard from another friend who had accompanied Mr Holland, that he had gone for a swim and had been swept out to sea despite efforts by his daughter Emma to bring him back to shore.

Mr Hollands wife Marie died in May 2022 and during her illness Fr OGorman got to know the couple very well. He had lunch with Mr Holland two days before his trip when he gave him rosary beads to bring as a gift to Emma.

The death of Mr Holland was a huge shock to the community and a great loss to his two other children in Ballyragget John Junior and Kate, he said.

Fr O Gorman said he understood that an autopsy had been carried out and that the Department of Foreign Affairs was assisting with repatriation plans.

Mr Holland is survived by his son John, daughters Emma and Kate, sister Mai as well as his grandchildren, mother-in-Law, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and a wide circle of friends.

In condolences on RIP.ie, Mr Holland was remembered as "a gentleman" who had been "a great sportsman".
Ireland lies in the bottom half of the table for murder rates in Europe, UN figures show.

Broken down by gender, Ireland has the third lowest murder rate where the victim is a woman.

Based on data from 2022, including both male and female victims, Ireland is below the average rate per head of population across 29 European countries.

The rate in 2022 was the highest recorded in Ireland in recent years, at 0.88 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.46 in 2021.

In 2021, only one European country  Italy  had a lower rate than Ireland, and two had effectively the same rate.

Because there were more murders in 2022, Ireland rose up the table to just below the half way mark  with its rate of 0.88 per 100,000 less than the average of 0.96.

The countries included 26 of the 27 EU countries (no data for Cyprus) along with Britain, Norway, and Switzerland.

The figures are contained in the Global Study on Homicide 2023, compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The homicide study uses figures for murders and the figures it cites for Ireland (23 murders in 2021 and 44 in 2022) reflect the statistics for murder produced by the CSO.

The relevant data for Europe shows:

Highest rates are in Latvia (3.62 per 100,000) and Lithuania (2.44), followed by Estonia (1.96), Romania (1.26), and Finland (1.21);

There is a large group just above the one per 100,000 mark  Britain/England and Wales (1.17), France (1.14), Greece (1.13), Bulgaria (1.12), Sweden (1.10), and Belgium (1.08);

Below that is a group under the one per 100,000 mark  Denmark (0.99), Hungary (0.94), Ireland (0.88), Austria (0.88), Czech Republic (0.83), Germany (0.83), and the Netherlands (0.81);

The bottom of the table is led by Croatia (0.77), followed by Slovakia (0.73), Poland (0.68), Spain (0.68), Slovenia (0.61), Norway (0.55), Italy (0.55), Switzerland (0.49), and Malta (0.38).

Over the last eight years, Latvia and Lithuania have consistently topped the table.

A large number of countries fluctuate within a small range over the period.

This includes Ireland  where the rate rose from 0.66 in 2015 to 0.82 in 2017, before dropping over the subsequent years to a low of 0.46 in 2021, before rising again to 0.86 in 2022.

Some countries have seen a significant reduction since 2015, including Bulgaria, Hungary, and Estonia.

In terms of gender, Ireland had the third lowest rate (0.39) across the 29 countries for female victims of murder in 2022. Only Belgium (0.19) and Malta (0) had a lower rate.

The Nordic countries all had a higher rate than Ireland: Sweden (0.44), Norway (0.52), Denmark (0.78), and Finland (0.82).

There were 10 murders of women in Ireland in 2022  compared to seven in 2021 and six in 2020. There were 15 such murders in 2017.

While there are no official murder figures yet for all of 2023, an annual analysis compiled by the Star indicates there were 31 homicides  murders and manslaughters  in Ireland last year, a sharp drop on 2022.

There were only two gun killings in 2023. It said charges of murder have been brought in 21 cases, with assault charges in four separate cases.
A 35-year-old woman faces charges of putting her ex-partner in fear on a number of occasions, including one day when she allegedly sent him over 200 texts, voice messages and pictures.

One photograph referred to on the charge allegedly shows the accused woman pointing an apparent firearm at the camera, thereby putting her ex-partner in fear.

The accused appeared at Cork District Court by video link from prison as she was previously remanded in custody on the Domestic Violence Act charges.

Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said the accused previously indicated she was pleading guilty to the charges but then changed her plea and said in court, just before Christmas, that she was pleading not guilty.

Judge Mary Dorgan addressed the accused at the in camera hearing of the court today where the parties cannot be identified because of the nature of the case: Are you pleading not guilty? The accused replied: Of course, not guilty.

Mr Kelleher said that in taking instructions from the defendant there were times when she had lucid intervals but that there were other occasions when she was not lucid.

Psychiatric report

Judge Dorgan previously requested a psychiatric report to be prepared on the accused in prison. Such a report was not available to the court today.

The judge remanded the accused in continuing custody until January 9 for the purpose of having a psychiatric report prepared. Judge Dorgan asked her registrar to write to the prison governor indicating that all appropriate pressure should be brought to bear to have such a report prepared. It is outstanding for quite some time, Judge Dorgan added.

The domestic charges were brought against the 35-year-old woman by Garda Eoghan OMahony following complaints from her ex-partner.

One charge states that on October 20, 2023, the accused sent her ex-partner over 80 text messages in a short period of time, in contravention of a protection order.

A second states that on November 2, 2023, she contravened this order by allegedly sending him over 200 text, voice, and picture messages over a short period, including the picture of her allegedly pointing an apparent firearm at the camera.

The third alleged breach refers to an incident the following day at a fast food outlet in Cork. It states that she approached him, put her arms around him, kissed the back of his head, and followed him a distance as he attempted to get away from her.
A judge and jury will hear the case later in 2024 against a 35-year-old woman charged with robbing a 15-year-old girl of a 300 Confirmation necklace at the skate park in the Mardyke.

The book of evidence has been served on Michelle Harrington in this case. On the application of Sergeant John Kelleher at Cork District Court, Judge Mary Dorgan sent the case forward for trial at the sessions of Cork Circuit Criminal Court commencing on January 29.

Judge Mary Dorgan gave the 35-year-old an alibi warning, whereby she must provide the State with notice of any witnesses she might rely upon if availing of an alibi defence.

It is anticipated the case may be further adjourned on January 29 for a trial by judge and jury at the circuit court.

Michelle Harrington, of Ravensdale Road, Mahon, Cork, appeared in court in person. She was granted bail on appeal at the High Court.

It is alleged she carried out the robbery on a 15-year-old girl at about 4pm on September 3, 2023. Michelle Harrington said she spoke with the teenager and her two friends but had nothing to do with any attack or robbery.

Garda Conor Cronin testified during a bail objection on an earlier date: At approximately 4pm, two females aged 15 and 16 and a male aged 18 were together in an area beside the skate park at Mardyke Walk, talking and enjoying the sun

"She [the 15-year-old] was boxed in the face and body numerous times and kicked into the back [Ms Harrington] caught the injured party in a head-lock and removed a chain from around her neck. She had gotten this for her Confirmation.

Arising out of these allegations, the accused is charged with robbery of the three teenagers.
An investigation into the death of Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick after a 12-hour delay in her care will examine management of the hospital as well as the circumstances of her death.

Terms of reference for the independent investigation were announced on Tuesday and indicate the review process will take only eight weeks. It is to be led by retired Chief Justice Frank Clarke.

This investigation was announced after HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster received a systems analysis review (SAR) on Ms Johnstons death which had been commissioned by the hospitals chief clinical director.

Ms Johnston, 16, died of bacterial meningitis on December 19, 2022, some two days after she presented at the hospital.

The review specifically said national guidelines for sepsis care were not followed, and that this led to a delay in sepsis care of 12 hours.

It said that despite high levels of overcrowding with patients on trolleys numbering between 42 and 55, the hospitals escalation policy to deal with this was not followed.

Overall the review indicated: There is little apparent understanding of the risks and inefficiencies caused to patient care by a crowded environment by the Hospital System.

It said this refers to a lack of understanding of the impact on doctors ability to assess patients and the impact on nurses ability to provide safe care.

The report said there are insufficient consultants in emergency medicine and nurses to care for the number of patients attending the ED.

It notes specific shortages including only having one consultant on call over a full weekend and only one clinical nurse facilitator for nurse training despite having a high turnover of nurses.

It also said despite staff expressing sorrow and describing the gravity of this death to the review team, that no evidence" was found of management seeking to identify and support staff.

Having received this systems analysis review, the HSE then decided an independent investigation was needed.

Mr Gloster said: The scope of the independent investigation is to provide an evidence-based report on the circumstances surrounding the death of Aoife and the clinical and corporate governance of University Hospital Limerick which led to the conclusions set out in the previous systems analysis report.

The judge has been asked to make any recommendations as he sees fit and to report directly to me. Under the terms of reference, published on Tuesday, Chief Justice Clarke will report on the direct circumstances surrounding Ms Johnstons death.

However, he will also report on the clinical and corporate governance of University Hospital Limerick". He is expected to make recommendations on change.

Solicitor for the Johnston family, Damien Tansey, senior counsel and senior partner at Damien Tansey Solicitors, welcomed the HSE investigation when it was announced.

He told the Irish Examiner at the time the SAR undoubtedly indicated a further investigation was needed.

The family felt this report left "a lot of unanswered questions" which need to be addressed, he said.
One of Corks most-loved radio shows has been slashed in half to make way for Ryan Tubridys new weekend show.

From this Sunday, the Oldies and Irish programme on Corks 96FM  which had an audience reach of 60,000 people on Sundays in the most recent JNLR figures, making it one of Cork's most popular shows  will be broadcast for two hours only, instead of four as has been the case for over three decades.

Presented by veteran broadcaster Derry OCallaghan, the show features a mix of opera and Irish favourites, and has had a regular slot on the radio stations Sunday morning schedule since 1991.

It is regarded by many as an integral part of Sunday mornings and is viewed by many as an institution.

In 2018, Mr O'Callaghan was honoured with a civic and community award by then lord mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald for his work hosting the show since the early 1990s, with Mr O'Callaghan specifically recognised for the special connection he has with his listeners, both at home and overseas.

The 10am to 12pm slot will feature a new show presented by Ryan Tubridy.

But Corks 96FM has confirmed that from this Sunday, the show which has been broadcast for years between 10am and 2pm will now be broadcast between 12noon and 2pm.

The 10am to 12pm slot will feature a new show presented by Ryan Tubridy, who made his Virgin Radio UK debut on Tuesday with his new weekday show, which is being broadcast from London and simulcast on Dublins Q102.

Virgin Radio UK, Q102 and Corks 96FM are all owned by the same company  the Wireless Group.

Part of Tubridys deal includes a two-hour Sunday morning show across the Wireless Ireland radio group of stations, which includes Q102, Corks 96FM, Live 95 in Limerick and LMFM in Louth.

Mr O'Callaghan thanked people for their kind comments, and also said he realises that his show "isn't everyone's cup of tea" but pointed out that it was number one in its slot ahead of all local, national and quasi national stations.

"And that is due entirely to the EPLs, the ever present listeners, the FTLs, the forced to listen, and the occasional listeners," he said.

"I look forward to continuing that relationship from 12.05pm on Sunday  after I have an extra lie-in."

Wireless has been asked to comment.

Chief executive and station director of Corks 96FM and C103, Kieran McGeary, confirmed the schedule change.

I can confirm that Oldies and Irish, presented by the brilliant Derry O'Callaghan, moves to a new time slot from 12noon to 2pm every Sunday, he said in a statement.

At the same time, we're delighted to welcome the inimitable Ryan Tubridy to our schedule and our listeners' ears in a brand new show from 10am to 12pm.

With The Arts House broadcasting from 8am to 10am, 96FM is starting 2024 with the must-listen soundtrack for Cork's Sunday morning.

Lord mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald presenting his civic award to Derry O'Callaghan of 96FM with Cork City council chief executive Ann Doherty at the Lord Mayor's Civics Award in 2018. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The changes will not affect the C103 schedule.

Sinn Fein Cork city councillor Mick Nugent expressed disappointment at the decision to slash the Oldies and Irish show airtime and said many of his constituents were angry at the decision.

Its a much loved show, its a Cork institution, at home and abroad, and I think there is a lot of upset about the decision to cut it in half," he said.

I dont think the arrival of Ryan Tubridy on 96FM will sweeten the pill.

I think someone has underestimated or overlooked the value and draw of Oldies and Irish but this shows what happens when local media becomes part of a wider conglomerate.

It is understood Mr Tubridys new weekend show will be a mix of live and pre-recorded material tailored specifically for Irish listeners, and that it will not be an edited highlights package of material from his UK weekday show.
The housing minister has hit out at his Sinn Fein counterpart, saying that Eoin O Broin "comes around like a snake oil salesman".

In an interview with The Irish Examiner, Darragh O'Brien criticised the opposition's approach to housing, while saying that housing delivery "has turned a corner" in Ireland, adding that it's "not about being sexy, it's about delivering". He said that Sinn Fein is guilty of showing people "what they're voting against, not what they're voting for".

Mr O'Brien accepted, however, that the pace of delivery is not fast enough across the board.

"I think in fairness, it's not about being sexy. It's about delivering. And I think by any fair assessment, people will see progress. There's still frustration because people want to see that happen quicker, and I get that. But Eoin and others will come around like a snake oil salesman, like 'I've got a cure for all your ills here and it can be cured like that'.

"Most people know that's not the case. And particularly with the lack of any plans or alternatives that they have, people will park that for a minute, but we've got to continue to present progress.

"What I'm determined to do is to show people  whenever the next election is, in the locals and Europeans this year or the general election the year after that is  here's what you're voting for. What Sinn Fein just come forward with is  here's what you're voting against."

The minister said he believes that Sinn Fein is "losing credibility" on the housing argument and that there is a "lethargy" in the party's approach to the issue. "It's the same stuff without a plan," he said.

Mr O'Brien said he believes proposals like abolishing the Help To Buy scheme would mean that average workers would not be able to purchase homes and that there is "no alternative" coming from the opposition.

"I don't know what Sinn Fein's affordable housing plan looks like because they haven't published it," he said.

The pair have been long-running adversaries and Mr O'Brien last month wrote to Mr O Broin and his party's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty to say that it would be "superficial and irresponsible" for the opposition party to propose amendments to the legislation underpinning Budget 2024.

In the letter, seen by the Irish Examiner, Mr O'Brien criticises Sinn Fein's alternative budget provisions on housing, which call for the scrapping of the Help To Buy scheme.

Homelessness

While Mr O'Brien is adamant that overall housing delivery is better, some 13,179 people were homeless at the end of October, hitting a new record level after an increase of 352 from September.

The number of people who accessed emergency accommodation in October included 9,188 adults and 3,991 children.

Mr O'Brien said this figure remains his "absolute priority".

He said that while more people exited homelessness in 2023 than since the Government was formed, there was still more presentations to homeless services, a situation he said was "complex".

Mr O'Brien added that the tenant-in-situ scheme, which allows councils to purchase homes being sold by landlords, would allow 2,500 families and renters to stay in their homes.
Thank God Christmas is over, a time of falsely high expectations, families crammed together striving for perfection only achievable on Hallmark cards.

January is a time of possibility, of renewed purpose, its a clean slate with the chance to have a lash at life again. Its not a time to feel penitent because self-reproach is overrated. January is the time to write a new story, it is never too late to dream a dream. So, what if the new you project is ultimately doomed, its the striving that counts.

Nina Simones cover of Feeling Good with lyrics like Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me, yeah seems apposite for this time of year. Its an exhilarating track, originally written for a musical by British songwriters Leslie Bricusse and Antony Newley. Although many different artists have covered it, Simones vocal power gives this big band-accompanied showstopper its oomph.

The song was originally written about racial inequality in Britain and Simone recorded her cover during the civil rights protests, firmly contextualising the song in the struggle for black freedom. However, at a simpler level, Feeling Good also invokes the joys of nature and the gift of being alive.

Its a great soundtrack to put on when slinging out the tree with gusto or making new resolutions.

From articles Ive read making new resolutions seems to be out of fashion broadly speaking on the basis that being good enough is better than perfection or that theres no point because youre a lost cause and you should accept that fact.

Im still backing resolutions although I accept that part of making new resolutions is paradoxically attempting to exert control over certain aspects of our behaviour while accepting that so much is outside our control.

Was there ever a year like 2023 to make you feel that you were a cork bobbing on lifes rough seas? Maybe this was why as Christmas approached every second person seemed to be burnt out, laid low with virulent viruses.

Being one of the fallen, I had plenty of time from a sick bed to mull over new resolutions. I decided that 2024 would be about managing energy rather than time. Stuck back in that manage-your-time mentality popular in noughties office culture, a shift in mentality seemed necessary. This means understanding that our energy comes from four sources: the body, emotions, mind, and spirit. And to recognise the costs of energy-depleting behaviours while identifying small achievable low-cost rituals for building and renewing energy. Were talking low-stakes stuff here.

Gut instinct says that 2024 could shape up to be another blockbuster year with a hang-onto-your-hat quality.

At the very least there will be an American election that is being described as being potentially seismic.

This brings us from the macro to the micro because there is a connection between the two, perhaps more than we think with world events having the capacity to sap our energy.

One of the most proximate problems we face is our connectivity and the fact that our phones have conditioned us to seek out stimulation and news on an almost non-stop basis.

Following the news cycle can become addictive. A study carried out by the University of Toronto last year and published by the American Psychological Association found that incessantly following politics damages our mental health. The political becomes the personal. When we constantly consume political news, it leads to increased stress and deterioration of our emotional well-being because theres an intersection between political awareness and personal well-being.

According to the study, political events personally impact the average citizen, including their psychological and physical health. The conundrum is that the study found that while the more politically informed are infinitely more anxious and emotionally burdened, they also have increased motivation to act politically, including volunteering.

Former President Donald Trump could return to the White House.

Presumably, the solution therefore is not to cut off entirely and become ill-informed, politically apathetic troglodytes who dont care about anything except their own backyard, but to selectively consume news and take emotional breathers, especially maybe before turning in at night. As Ive come to realise lying awake in bed at night fretting about what will happen if the orange one gets elected and the attendant cost to democracy wont change anything, and certainly wont lead to mental well-being.

Accordingly, a resolution of mine this year is to inform myself and seek out the news because its part of the job to know things and because I want to be informed, but not to consume political noise obsessively and passively. Its easier said than done, but all habits can be broken at least for a while before the inevitable backsliding happens.

Another resolution is to get outside in the morning, even just for fifteen minutes, to turn the face up to the sky to get some light and recharge. A friend started doing this in November. She said it set her up for the day. Initially, I strenuously argued against the possibility, saying that it just didnt seem realistic when faced with a mound of work to which she replied: Just work later in the day when the light has gone.

If you have a what if my boss sees me mentality (guilty as charged), it seems counterintuitive to head out for a brief walk in the morning. However, research backs up the idea that getting daylight is extremely important. The worlds largest study on light exposure from the Monash School of Psychological Sciences in Melbourne published last October suggested that increased exposure to daylight reduced anxiety and the risk of depression by 20%.

Conversely, too much time indoors under artificial light and in front of the blue glow of our screens increases the risk of anxiety and depression, messing with our circadian rhythms. Weve turned our biological systems upside down. From an evolutionary standpoint, we are meant to maximise our exposure to daylight and minimise our exposure to light at night. Thanks to modern lifestyles most of us do the opposite.

Naturally, its one thing writing about this stuff, its another actioning it. Ill probably end the year, a frazzled wreck, in fight-or-flight mode but in the meantime, its ear pods in, Nina Simone on, and one foot in front of the other with face turned upwards to the light.

Meanwhile, a very Happy New Year to you all.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the former prime minister of Portugal and former head of the European Commission, used to say that Europeans were in love with the intellectual glamour of pessimism.

When I first heard him say that in 2005, I had just started as a correspondent in Brussels after a few years living in the US, and his words rang especially true. There was a stark contrast between the deeply rooted American cultural belief that things could only get better, and the routinely bleak view that prevailed in many European countries, even the wealthiest and most privileged ones. France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy consistently rank high in global surveys of pessimism.

Americans have become more pessimistic since then too, especially over partisan divisions. But in Europe, negative, defeatist thinking is often thought to be more intellectually credible, regardless of actual events.

Take 2019, which can now, with hindsight, be viewed as a relatively positive year for Europeans: post-financial crisis, pre-pandemic, pre-Ukraine war. In that year, a YouGov global survey showed Europeans were the gloomiest in the developed world.

There were certainly reasons to have been pessimistic in 2023.

So far this decade has been full of tragedy, uncertainty, persistent poverty, and rising authoritarianism, even in established democracies. Ukraine continues to be assaulted by death and destruction while military and economic support is waning and Vladimir Putins aggression seems unrelenting.

The lack of effective European leverage in the Middle East has been painfully evident as the war in Gaza has caused an unprecedented, horrific level of civilian casualties. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have reemerged in Europe, reminders of a dark and not-so-distant past.

Thousands of people have died trying to reach European shores. Educational performance across the continent has declined as poverty and remote learning have taken a toll on school-goers. Heatwaves and extreme weather are disrupting communities and even the Mediterranean diet as Europe suffers from the climate crisis.

Reasons to be hopeful

And yet I can still find reasons to be hopeful for Europe in 2024.

The new year will bring the start of EU membership talks for Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova. This is at least a glimmer of hope for stability and perhaps even peace. The formal negotiations will take time, but this pathway, once begun, is generally successful in terms of growth and integration. On the 25th anniversary of the end of the Kosovo war, there is also an opportunity to accelerate the prospect of EU membership for the western Balkans, where negotiations have stalled for decades amid rising tensions.

Internal EU decision-making will need reform to avoid continuous stalemate as the club grows in size, but the prospect of a bigger, more peaceful European community is good news regardless of the many long nights of negotiations we can expect from more seats around the table. Hungary is a cause of constant worry, as Viktor Orbans grip on power only gets stronger and suffocates democratic institutions and a shrinking free press. But we have a new force for good in Donald Tusks Poland, a country that has given a lesson to European cynics about how younger generations have the agency to fight back when civil liberties are in peril.

The new year will usher in more train travel across Europe, a symbol of sustainable growth, opportunity, and cultural exchange. There will be more competition on routes across Europe and new services connecting Paris and Berlin, Munich and Warsaw, and, hopefully, Milan and Ljubljana.

Britain remains an exception, as competition for Eurostar seems unlikely and the service has been reduced due to the burden of Brexit border formalities. But political change may be on the horizon too for Britain. It seems very likely that Labour will come to power, and will hopefully be ready for constructive ties with natural friends, allies, and trade partners.

All eyes will be on the far rights performance in the European elections that take place in June 2024. But we should not forget that this in itself is one of the largest exercises in democracy in the world. Just watch out for turnout and engagement. According to an EU survey, more interest is being noted than there was in the last European elections, in 2019.

The Olympic Games in Paris will test the citys infrastructure, but they will also be an opportunity to showcase a more walkable metropolis. And sport has the power to bring people together, in a much-needed celebration of human perseverance and excellence.

I can think of multiple other sources of joy. A new park in Antwerp with 30,000 plants. Forest restoration projects in Germany, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, and Croatia. New trams in Tallinn, Florence, and Barcelona. A new museum dedicated exclusively to female artists in the south of France. The 100th anniversary of Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillidas birth at Chillida Leku, a heavenly museum and former studio in Hernani, in the Basque country. The centenary of Frank Kafkas death in Prague, which will be an opportunity to celebrate his writing, so relevant today. A single charger that will save money and reduce waste.

A single charger, a museum, or a park may seem like small achievements in the big picture of war, inequality, and populism, but they exemplify how routine progress also keeps happening no matter what big crisis we bring upon ourselves by action or inaction.

A new year is, of course, a convention, but one that we collectively identify as an opportunity for a new, better start. Maybe in 2024 those of us who share this continent could approach challenges with a less gloomy outlook. Hope, after all, can be glamorous too.
Former US president Donald Trump on Tuesday appealed against a ruling by Maines Democratic secretary of state barring him from the ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

He was expected to also ask the US Supreme Court to rule on his eligibility to return to the presidency in a related Colorado case.

The Republican candidate appealed against the Maine decision by Shenna Bellows, who became the first secretary of state in history to bar someone from running for the presidency under the rarely used Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That provision prohibits those who engaged in insurrection from holding office.

The appeal now goes to Maines Superior Court.

Mr Trump was also expected to appeal against a similar ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court directly to the US Supreme Court.

The nations highest court has never issued a decision on Section 3, and the Colorado courts 4-3 ruling that it applied to Mr Trump was the first time in history the provision was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

Mr Trumps critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him from the ballot in multiple states.

None succeeded until a slim majority of Colorados seven justices  all of whom were appointed by Democratic governors  ruled against Mr Trump.

Critics warned that it was an overreach and that the court could not simply declare that the January 6 attack was an insurrection without a more established judicial process.

A week after Colorados ruling, Ms Bellows issued her own. Critics warned it was even more perilous because it could pave the way for partisan election officials to simply disqualify candidates they oppose.

Demonstrators loyal to Donald Trump riot outside the Capitol in Washington in January 2021 (John Minchillo/AP)

Ms Bellows, a former head of Maines branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, has previously criticised Mr Trump and his behaviour on January 6.

Ms Bellows said her own views had nothing to do with her ruling, which sought to apply the law.

She acknowledged the Supreme Court would probably have the final say after the Colorado case but said she still had a responsibility to act. She was the first top election official to do so.

This is part of the process. I have confidence in my decision and confidence in the rule of law. This is Maines process and its really important that first and foremost every single one of us who serves in government uphold the Constitution and the laws of the state, she said.

Many others, Democrats and Republicans had told activists urging them to strike Mr Trump from the ballot that they did not have that power.

Section 3 is novel legal territory in the past century, barely used since the years after the Civil War, when it kept defeated Confederates from returning to their former government positions.

The two-sentence clause says that anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection cannot hold office unless a two-thirds vote of Congress allows it.

Congress granted amnesty to most former Confederates in 1872, and Section 3 fell into disuse. Legal scholars believe its only application in the 20th century was being cited by Congress in 1919 to block the seating of a socialist who opposed US involvement in the First World War and was elected to the House of Representatives.

But it returned to use after January 6, 2021. In 2022, a judge used it to remove a rural New Mexico county commissioner from office after he was convicted of a misdemeanour for entering the US Capitol on January 6.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (Robert F Bukaty/AP)

Liberal groups sued to block Republican Representatives Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for re-election because of their roles on that day. Mr Cawthorns case became moot when he lost his primary in 2022, and a judge ruled to keep Ms Greene on the ballot.

Some conservatives warn that, if Mr Trump is removed, political groups will routinely use Section 3 against opponents in unexpected ways. They have suggested it could be used to remove Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, because she raised bail money for people arrested after George Floyds murder at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.

Mr Trump and his allies have attacked the cases against him as anti-democratic and sought to tie them to President Joe Biden because the Colorado case and some others are funded by liberal groups who share prominent donors with the Democratic president. But Mr Bidens administration has noted that the president has no role in the litigation.

Mr Trumps appeal to the Maine Supreme Court declares that Bellows had no jurisdiction in the matter and asks that she be required to place Mr Trump on the March 5 primary ballot. The appeal argues that she abused her discretion and relied on untrustworthy evidence.

The secretary should have recused herself due to her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by a documented history of prior statements prejudging the issue presented, Mr Trumps lawyers wrote.

They argue the provision is not intended to apply to the president, contending that the oath for the top office in the land is not to support the Constitution but instead to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.

They also argue that the presidency is not explicitly mentioned in the amendment, only any officer of the United States  a legal term they contend does not apply to the president.

Mr Trump made the opposite argument defending against his prosecution for fraud by the Manhattan District Attorneys office, contending the case should move to federal court because the president is an officer of the United States. The prosecutors argued that language only applies to presidential appointees  Trumps position here.

The contention that Section 3 does not apply to the president drew a scathing response from the Colorado Supreme Court last month.

President Trump asks us to hold that Section 3 disqualifies every oathbreaking insurrectionist except the most powerful one and that it bars oathbreakers from virtually every office, both state and federal, except the highest one in the land, the courts majority opinion said. Both results are inconsistent with the plain language and history of Section 3.

Those who support using the provision against Mr Trump counter that the January 6 attack was unprecedented in American history and that there will be few cases so ripe for Section 3.

If the high court lets Mr Trump stay on the ballot, they have contended, it will be another example of the former president bending the legal system to excuse his extreme behaviour.

Sidebars 19:28 2 Jan 2024 424 words USTrump Cohen Appeal court says Michael Cohen cannot hold Trump liable for his imprisonment Michael Cohen cannot hold his former boss, ex-US president Donald Trump, liable for allegedly jailing him in retaliation for writing a tell-all memoir, an appeals court said on Tuesday.
Japanese investigators are preparing to probe the collision of two airplanes at Tokyo's Haneda airport, weeks after the global airline industry heard fresh warnings about runway safety.

All 379 people aboard a Japan Airlines (9201.T) Airbus A350 escaped after a collision with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop that killed five of six crew on the smaller aircraft.

People familiar with the investigation said the Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) would lead the probe with participation from agencies in France, where the airplane was built, and Britain where its two Rolls-Royce engines were manufactured.

Experts have cautioned it is too early to pinpoint a cause and stress most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors.

But investigators are widely expected to explore what instructions were given by controllers to the two aircraft, alongside a detailed examination of plane and airport systems.

A ministry official told reporters in Japan on Tuesday that the A350 was attempting to land normally when it collided with the Coast Guard plane, also known as a Bombardier Dash-8.

One of the first tasks will be to recover black box recorders with flight data and cockpit voice recordings.

Experts said the location of the accident means physical evidence, radar data and witness accounts or camera footage are likely to be readily available, easing the huge forensic task.

"One obvious question is whether the coastguard plane was on the runway and if so why," said Paul Hayes, director of aviation safety at UK-based consultancy Ascend by Cirium.

The crash is the first significant accident involving the Airbus A350, Europe's premier twin-engined long-haul jet, in service since 2015.

And according to preliminary 2023 data, the collision of the Coast Guard plane with a two-year-old jetliner three times its length follows one of the safest years in aviation.

But it also comes after a U.S.-based safety group warned last month about the risk of runway collisions or "incursions".

The Flight Safety Foundation called for global action to prevent a new uptick in runway incursions as skies become more congested.

"Despite efforts over the years to prevent incursions, they still happen," CEO Hassan Shahidi said in a statement.

"The risk of runway incursions is a global concern, and the potential consequences of an incursion are severe."

Although ground collisions involving injury or damage have become rare, their potential for loss of life is among the highest of any category and near-misses are more common.

'TECHNOLOGY GAP'

The Washington-based foundation has found that breakdowns in communication and coordination can play a role in runway crashes or near misses.

But a shortage of electronics to avoid collisions on the ground, rather than in the air where software to trigger avoidance has been available since the 1980s, is also a concern.

"Many of the serious incidents could have been avoided through better situational awareness technologies that can help air traffic controllers and pilots detect potential runway conflicts," Shahidi said.

The Federal Aviation Administration says some three dozen U.S. airports are fitted with a system called ASDE-X that uses radar, satellites and a navigation tool called multilateration to track ground movements.

But National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said in November the U.S. aviation network - a bellwether for airports worldwide - lacks sufficient technology to prevent runway incursions.

In 2018, Airbus said it was working with Honeywell on a system called SURF-A or Surface-Alert designed to help prevent runway collisions by giving pilots visual and audio warnings about approaching hazards on the runway.

Honeywell Aerospace Technologies expects SURF-A, which is operational on its experimental test aircraft, to be certified and available to airlines gradually over the next few years, division CEO Jim Currier said by email.

Far-reaching reforms of European and U.S. air traffic networks that could accelerate the use of such computerised systems have faced chronic delays.

Airbus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Steve Creamer, a former senior director at the International Civil Aviation Organization, said preventing a landing aircraft striking a plane is among the top five global safety priorities.

Although automated landings are increasing, experts say much still depends on visual checks by pilots who may be distracted by a high workload or the blur of a night-time runway.

"I think the investigation will focus a lot on the clearances ... and then also what the (JAL) crew could see. Could they physically see that airplane on the runway," said former U.S. air accident investigator John Cox.

Lighting was an issue in a 1991 collision between a USAir plane and SkyWest Airlines aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport in California, for example.

"One of the things that came out of that was that the USAir crew physically could not see the SkyWest Metroliner there. Although it was on the runway, the lighting was such that you  physically couldnt see it," he said.
Two explosions minutes apart at a commemoration in Iran for a prominent general who died in a US drone strike in 2020 killed at least 103 people and injured more than 140 others on Wednesday.

The blasts came as the Middle East remains on edge over Israels war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a terroristic attack shortly after the explosions in Kerman, about 510 miles (820km) south-east of the capital, Tehran.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear programme, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings.

Sunni extremist groups, including Islamic State, have carried out large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

People flee after explosions at an event honouring a prominent Iranian general (Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari/AP)

Iranian state television quoted Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for the countrys emergency services, as the source of the casualty figures.

The blasts struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary of the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020.

Wednesdays explosions occurred near his grave site in Kerman, and authorities said some people were injured while fleeing afterwards.

Footage suggested that the second blast occurred some 15 minutes after the first. A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to target emergency personnel responding to the scene and inflict more casualties.

People could be heard screaming in state TV footage.

Kermans deputy governor, Rahman Jalali, called the attack terroristic, without elaborating.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organisations and state actors. Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels.

Crowds after an explosion in Kerman (Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari/Mehr News Agency via AP)

Gen Soleimani was the architect of Irans regional military activities and is hailed as a national hero among supporters of Irans theocracy.

He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assads government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

Relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Gen Soleimanis popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops.

A decade and a half later, he had become Irans most recognisable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership.

Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed Americas 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers.

Gen Soleimanis death has drawn large processions in the past.

At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.
Jaime F. Perez Upegui, born in 1931 in Medellin, Colombia, passed away of natural causes on December 28.

A dedicated teacher and university professor of French and Spanish Literature, Perez Upeguis studies took him to Louvain, Belgium, and Toulouse, France, where he obtained his Doctorate degree in French Literature. He met his wife, Oria, while he was a professor at Georgetown University.

After getting married in Washington, DC, the couple traveled to Cali, Colombia, where he was the Department Chair at La Universidad del Valle. His beloved teaching career eventually took him to Chicago, where he taught for years before retiring in Key Biscayne in 2000.

A perfect gentleman, always proud of his Colombian roots, Perez Upegui will be remembered for his eternal optimism, unwavering sense of gratitude, and infectious love of life.

He is survived by his wife, Oria, his daughter, Cristina, his son, Jorge, his granddaughter, Sofia, and his brother, Luis Alberto, as well as his extended family members in Colombia and worldwide.

A mass will be celebrated in his honor at a date yet to be determined in St. Agnes Catholic Church.
Wednesday, Jan 3rd, 2024 (1:24 pm) - Score 1,760

Broadband network operator FullFibre Limited (Fibre Heroes), which is in the process of merging with follow operator Digital Infrastructure (BeFibre), has announced that their combined Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network now covers 300,000 UK premises (RFS) and theyve just appointed James Warner as Interim CEO.

Until recently, FF and DI were both separately expanding their alternative gigabit-capable broadband networks across different parts of England. But that changed in early October 2023 when they became the latest two operators to announce a merger (here)  creating a single wholesale company and a single wholesale platform.

NOTE: Both FullFibre Ltd (FF) and Digital Infrastructure (DI) have historically been backed by investment from the same source  Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP.

The deal created a combined network that covered over 250,000 homes and businesses (Ready for Service), with an ambition to deliver 1 million live premises through a wholesale business model. At the time, a total of 67 towns across 17 counties were said to be actively in build or nearing completion and their goal was to reach 300,000 premises by the end of 2023.

The good news today is that theyve officially hit the 300,000 premises mark, which reflects a build rate of c.16,666 premises per month since October 2023. At the same time, FullFibre has announced that their existing CEO, Oliver Helm, is stepping down from the role to support the strategic growth of the business at Board level.

Helm has been replaced by James Warner as Interim CEO, effective from 1st January 2024. James will take on leadership of the newly merged entity that includes the two alternative network operators Full Fibre Ltd and Digital Infrastructure Ltd, as well as the in-group Retail ISP BeFibre. James has been with FullFibre as a member of the board and management team since the investment by Basalt Partners in 2020.

James told ISPreview: The fibre industry, and in turn our business, are transitioning from entrepreneurial startups in an emerging space to more stable, mature SMEs. Ive loved every minute of the start-up era we have been in and I am just as excited to see the next phase of our journey and what we can achieve.

FullFibre is now actively building its wholesale full fibre network to more than 130 market towns across the UK and claims to prioritise towns that have been previously overlooked by larger corporations who have deemed these areas unprofitable, although in fairness quite a few of their builds are occurring in areas where gigabit-capable rivals already exist or are planning to deploy.


Leading IoT company provides insight to attendees at Fort Lauderdale, Florida Event





Shelton, CT  January 3, 2024  TMC and Crossfire Media today announced that Zipit Wireless has signed on as a Platinum sponsor for IoT Evolution Conference and Expo, which is held February 13-15, 2024 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward Country Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. IoT Evolution is the leading event for education on the technologies, solutions and impact that the IoT will have on the enterprise, smart cities, healthcare and manufacturing. The Future of IoT is in intelligence. IoT Evolution Expo will show you how to implement the Thinking IoT to move your business and your customers into the new Connected World.

Zipit is thrilled to be expanding its presence in this years IoT Evolution Conference and Expo, said Jim Greco, CRO at Zipit. We look forward to speaking with companies across the entire IoT ecosystem and learning about key initiatives within their organizations, exploring collaboration opportunities and sharing some exciting details on new solutions coming from Zipit.



About Zipit Wireless

Zipit Wireless (Zipit) is a multi-carrier IoT connectivity and subscription billing solutions provider empowering businesses to deploy and monetize cellular IoT solutions around the world. Zipit technologies and services eliminate the complexities of cellular activation, global connectivity management and downstream billing to end-users and third-party dealer networks.

A vanguard of the IoT Industry, Zipit has played a critical role in enabling the shift to cellular subscriptions and IoT Platform-as-a-Service business models for more than a decade. For more information, visit us at www.zipitwireless.com.

View keynotes, speakers, special events, exhibitors and the entire IoT Evolution Expo conference program here. Sign up for IoT Evolutions newsletter to receive updates on the event and industry news.

Registration for IoT Evolution Expo is now open. For more information, contact Scott Kargman. For media registration, contact Michelle Connolly. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages should contact Dave Rodriguez at 203.852.6800 ext. 146 or Maureen Gambino 203-852-6800 x 109.

For the latest IoT Evolution Expo news, updates and information, follow the event on Twitter at @IoTEvolution.

About TMC

Through our news and solutions-focused editorial platforms, live events, webinars, and online advertising, TMC provides global buyers with valuable insights for making informed technology purchase decisions and successfully navigating markets.

In turn, leading technology vendors rely on TMC, TMCnet and our family of sites and events for exceptional branding, thought leadership, and lead generation opportunities.

Our live events, including the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW, offer unparalleled visibility and sales prospects for all participants. With our customized lead generation programs, including a turnkey webinar program, we consistently deliver a steady stream of leads that translate into sales opportunities and database growth.

In addition, display advertising on respected news sites and newsletters generates millions of impressions, bolstering brand reputations.

TMC offers a comprehensive 360-degree marketing solution, with services such as event and road show management, as well as expertly crafted content creation including blogs, press releases, articles, and marketing collateral. These efforts contribute to SEO, branding, and overall marketing success.

To discover more about how TMC can assist you in achieving your marketing goals through our events and online advertising, please visit www.tmcnet.com. Stay connected with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X by following @tmcnet.

About Crossfire Media

Crossfire Media is an integrated marketing company with a core focus on future trends in technology. We service communities of interest with conferences, tradeshows, webinars and newsletters. Crossfire Media has a partnership with Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) to produce events and websites related to disruptive technologies. Crossfire Media is a division of Crossfire Consulting, a full service Information Technology company based in New York.

Media and Analyst Contact:

Michelle Connolly

Senior Marketing Manager

203.852.6800 ext.262

[email protected]

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Shelton, CT  January 3, 2024  As the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW (one of the largest and longest-running business technology events) fast approaches, we are pleased to announce the addition of Crown Castle to the already impressive lineup of exhibitors and sponsors.

ITEXPO, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2024, once again projects total attendance of more than 7,000 business and technology professionals.

Crown Castle will showcase their innovations and contribute to the dynamic discussions shaping the future of business technology.

Details:

Event Name: ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW

Dates: February 13-15, 2024

Location: Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Event Website: https://www.itexpo.com

Exhibitor Company: Crown Castle

Exhibitor Booth Number: #727A

Exhibitor Website: www.crowncastle.com

Media Opportunities at the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW:

Explore innovations and new releases from more than 400 exhibitors.

Conduct interviews with company representatives.

Gain insights into the latest business technology trends, including AI, automation and new contact center technologies.

For Media Inquiries or Press Passes:

Michelle Connolly

Senior Marketing Manager

[email protected]

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Edited by Alex Passett
1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Yanmar Europe has landed the Deshima 2023 Award in the Well-Established category. The award was presented at the end of 2023 by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and the Dutch-Japanese Trade Federation DUJAT.

Yanmar Europes recognition for the Deshima Award stems from its initiatives promoting sustainable solutions and contributing to Social Corporate Responsibility within the Netherlands. According to the Deshima Awards jury report: Yanmar has proven to be of great value to the city of Almere, the province of Flevoland, and the Netherlands through its unique economic, social, and cultural contributions.

We are incredibly grateful to have received the esteemed Deshima Award, said Samir Laoukili, president & CEO at Yanmar Europe. This recognition is a testament to the many years of dedication and the collaborative spirit of the entire team, and the unwavering support of the city of Almere and the province of Flevoland. Together, we are shaping a sustainable and socially responsible future.

Commitment to sustainability

The jury considered that at the core of all Yanmars corporate activities is a commitment to sustainability: Achieving Maximum Prosperity with Minimum Resources. This is reflected in Yanmars pursuit of decarbonisation and its striving to become an ecologically footprint-free, GHG-free corporation with its Green Challenge strategy. But also, through the companys electrification and ultra-high fuel efficiency solutions and its close collaboration with the municipality of Almere in the citys energy transition efforts.

Ambitious electrification objectives

In 2022, Yanmar acquired a majority stake in ELEO Technologies, a fast-growing Dutch battery technology company, further underpinning Yanmars dedicated initiatives towards sustainability. ELEO focuses on pioneering battery technology, enabling the most challenging machines and vehicles to go electric.
Northernmost province works to greet tourists with icy yet warm experience Despite the extremely cold weather, northernmost Heilongjiang province has become one of the top domestic travel destinations this winter. On Sunday  the last day of 2023  the province released a "New Year's Thank-You Letter to Domestic and Overseas Tourists" via local media to express their gratitude. "Thanks for your enthusiastic visits to magnificent and beautiful Heilongjiang," the letter said. "Tourists' tracks in the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the Snow Town, the Yabuli Ski Resort and China's northernmost city Mohe have created a beautiful landscape in the province." The opening of the 25th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin in mid-December continues to fuel tourism in the provincial capital. In the 810,000-square-meter amusement park, visitors are attracted by the dazzling world after dark. They can appreciate more than 1,000 artworks made of more than 250,000 cubic meters of ice and snow. According to homestay platform Tujia, Harbin was China's top homestay destination for winter this year for the first time. The letter urged travelers to venture beyond the icy allure of Harbin. It beckoned them to the barbecues of Qiqihar, the hot springs of Daqing, the dawn in China's easternmost city Fuyuan, and the border city Heihe "where you can enjoy the urban customs of the integration of Europe and Asia". Acknowledging the importance of feedback, the letter vowed to cherish tourists' suggestions, promising improvements through the 12345 hotline and social media platforms. This commitment was mirrored by government departments, which the letter assured were fortifying market supervision and problem-solving mechanisms. The letter also recognized the power of user-generated content. "All the short videos and travel articles you post online are the best promotion of Heilongjiang. Your likes and comments are also the greatest encouragement to Heilongjiang, which can increase awareness of the province's unique scenery, high-quality products and its warmhearted residents," the letter said. During the cold winter, tourists felt the full enthusiasm of local people in the northeast, especially those tourists from southern regions. "My friends and I spent New Year's Eve at the Harbin Ice and Snow World," said Liu Yuanqi, a visitor from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. "It's really one of the most unbelievable things I have ever seen as the dazzling fireworks burst in the sky, turning the park into a fairy-tale world. "However, due to the late time we left the park, we found it difficult to find a taxi," she said. "At that time, a private car emblazoned with the words 'Welcome southern guests, I'll give you a ride for free' stopped in front of us and the driver told us he could take us to the hotel. "The driver refused our payment," she said. "He told me that he felt happy that he could do something for his hometown, which also made me feel quite warm." To meet the needs of passengers, the Harbin Metro extended its operating hours. It also issued a free subway ferry ticket, which can be used between the two stations of the Sun Island to the Ice and Snow World, where the 36th China Harbin Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo and the 25th Harbin Ice and Snow World are held. On Saturday, Xu Qin, Party secretary of Heilongjiang, and Liang Huiling, governor of the province, inspected Harbin to check the work of holiday duty and safety production, tourism services and market guarantee, Heilongjiang Daily reported. Among tourists on the frozen Songhua River, where a series of ice and snow experience programs have been built at the Harbin Ice and Snow Carnival, Xu required related departments to adhere to safety first, provide warm service, and well manage the ice amusement projects to ensure the safe operation of amusement facilities, and the orderly management of ice activities.


Sworn in Tuesday as Erie Countys newest Family Court judge, Shannon M. Filbert called the moment the culmination of 25 years of breaking down barriers and facing obstacles headfirst.

Filbert, 41, took office as the only quadriplegic elected to a full-time judgeship in New York State.

Shes been on a remarkable path of accomplishment since her spine snapped in a car accident when she was a 16-year-old high school junior in West Seneca.

I realize I wouldnt be here today if it wasnt for the love and support of so many people from so many different walks of life, she said in the ceremonial courtroom at Erie County Hall.

As most of you know, I love Broadway musicals, and since every great speech has quotes, my quotes will be from some of my favorite musicals, Filbert told her family, friends and colleagues. Ill first start with Wicked  Everyone Deserves a Chance to Fly  and I feel like I am flying right now. This is my defying gravity moment!

For those who have appeared before her previously in West Seneca Town Court or will do so in Family Court, her wheelchair is a sign she has faced her own challenges.

And that has helped shape her as a judge who will deal with difficult family cases.

You have to remember that people have a lot of trauma in their life that they have gone through, so you never really know whos coming in your courtroom, Filbert told The Buffalo News before her swearing-in ceremony. So I feel Im empathetic. And I know the obstacles and how difficult some issues in life are. So I think its important to recognize that I had my own, and everyone else has their own. Sometimes its not as visual as mine  being in a wheelchair  but you just have to be cognizant of that.

She hopes to inspire those facing difficult challenges.

Theres always going to be a stigma attached to a disability, she said. Its unfortunate, but its true. I just think Im proving that that stigma may be incorrect. And that just because someone has a disability doesnt mean theyre not capable of doing the job, just as good as an able-bodied person. So I think I can prove that to people and hopefully will inspire some people who might not think they could move up in the world or get somewhere with a job. We can do it.

Family Court judges deal with some of the most difficult legal cases involving families that have been torn apart by violence or neglect, and the effect on the children can be heartbreaking. Judges also face the ire of parents who lost custody of their children.

Given her experience at the Western New York Law Centers Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Legal Aid Bureau and then as a Family Court law clerk, she comes into the new assignment prepared.

While she has aspired to be a judge since law school, it hasnt hit me just yet, she said of donning a Family Court judges robe. But I do feel prepared and looking forward to getting started.

Heres what those appearing before her can expect, she said.

I will treat everyone with dignity and respect and understand the trauma that a lot of these families have faced, she said. Ill be kind, and Ill be patient with everyone.

Filbert served two four-year terms as the West Seneca town justice.

I will miss the court staff and officers ... but I wont miss being on call every other week, she said. The Wicked Witch of West Seneca is no longer on the bench  which is what I heard my nickname was over the years.

Filbert credited her mother, Patricia, for teaching her perseverance.

She sacrificed everything for me without a second thought, Filbert said in her prepared remarks. I cant thank her enough for her unwavering support.

Her father, Glenn, one of her biggest supporters, kept her grounded. By sometimes throwing out the worst possible scenarios, he encouraged her to fight harder and prove him wrong, she said.

She also thanked judges Sheila DiTullio, Kelly Brinkworth, Lynn Keane and Lisa Bloch Rodwin for their support.

Her life experience, intellect, knowledge will serve our community well, said Rodwin, a retired Family Court judge.

Its hard to think of anyone better prepared by experience to sit on the Family Court bench right now and handle some of the toughest and most heartbreaking cases coming forward, with huge implications for individuals, their families and our community, said Erie County Democratic Committee Chairman Jeremy Zellner. And no one knows that better than Judge Filbert. Shes done it all with unquestionable and unblemished integrity, character, experience  exactly what our justice system needs and demands, especially in a time like this when so many institutions are under the shadow of a doubt.

I cannot begin to express how invaluable her knowledge about Family Court and its intricacies was to me, said Brinkworth, a Family Court judge for whom Filbert was a law clerk.

Quite frankly, shes extraordinarily dedicated and diligent, said Eighth Judicial District Administrative Judge Kevin M. Carter. I have absolutely no doubt that her transition to serving as a Family Court judge will be seamless.

Filbert said a priority for her will be to keep cases proceeding at a timely pace, so families are not kept waiting.

Justice delayed is justice denied, she told The News. Youre dealing with high emotions, and I think the cases need to move forward to disposition at a quicker rate than sometimes they do.

I understand a judge can make a difference, not only in the life of a particular individual, but also in our society, and beyond, she said in her remarks after she was sworn into office. While it is a great gift to have the ability to change lives, it is also a great responsibility that I promise to take seriously.
Weather Alert

...INCREASED FIRE DANGER FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... After coordination with local land managers, a Fire Danger Statement has been issued for Alleghany, Surry and Wilkes Counties in northwest North Carolina, as well as Virginia Counties along and east of the Blue Ridge, and parts of the southern Shenandoah Valley. In these affected areas, gusty winds will coincide with low humidity and dry fuels. Fires will have an easier time starting and spreading. Refer to your local burn-permitting authority on whether you may burn today. If you do burn, exercise extreme caution.
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  The chief characteristic of the current Israeli government of PM Binyamin Netanyahu is the inclusion in it of elements that were shunned in Israeli politics until recently  the Kahanaists, who are militant racists and Greater Israel expansionists and who, unlike most other right wing forces in Israel, openly proclaim their allegiance to fascist principles. The group was on the State Department terrorism list not so long ago.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of Religious Zionism and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir of Jewish Power have enormous influence because the Netanyahu government would fall if they pulled out of the governing coalition. Moreover, their demands for the most part are things that anyway suit Netanyahu, a more pragmatic and wily right-winger, and he is glad to have the cover of his political partners forcing him to carry out policies that the rest of the world sees as abhorrent.

Watching what Ben-Gvir and Smotrich say about Gaza is therefore important, both because they have a lever on policy and because they have very big mouths and say things openly that savvier figures on the Israeli far right keep to themselves.

The radio station of the Israeli army broadcast remarks of Bezalel Smotrich: The correct solution for the Gaza Strip is to encourage voluntary emigration to the states that agree to take the refugees.

The leader of the extremist Religious Zionism bloc said, Israel will rule permanently to guarantee security through the permanent presence of armed forces on the land and the establishment of Jewish settlements.

According to The Times of Israel, Smotrich said in the interview with Army Radio, We need to encourage immigration from there. If there were 100,000-200,000 Arabs in the Strip and not two million, the whole conversation about the day after [the war] would be completely different.

He went on to ventrioloquize the Palestinians: They want to leave. They have been living in a ghetto for 75 years and are in need.



Bezalel Smotrich. Courtesy Israeli Government/ Wikipedia.

Journalist Masha Gessen in a New Yorker article said that the Israeli mass bombardment of Gaza resembled the liquidation of a ghetto by Nazi forces, and the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Germany withdrew its support for the award to Gessen of the Hannah Arendt Prize. Yet here is a cabinet minister of the Israeli government saying much the same thing. Those in Germany and elsewhere who tried to cancel Gessen should apologize to them.

Ben Gvir, for his part, said on X, as reported by the Gulf Arabic press, We must reinforce the solution of encouraging the emigration of the residents of Gaza, since it is correct and just and moral and humane.

Yes, and no doubt that is how Stalin saw the forced migration of millions of Soviet subjects that he imposed. The Soviet expulsion of 1 million Poles at the end of WW II was no doubt also a very humane policy.

Ben-Gvir added, We have partners around the world whom we can help with absorbing the emigrants. He did not say who these partners were, and they dont appear actually to exist.

He added, Encouraging the emigration of the inhabitants of Gaza will allow us to return to Gaza the residents [settlers] in its envelope and the residents of Gush Katif to their homeland.

Note that Ben Gvir only dignifies the Palestinians of Gaza as residents, whereas the mainly European Israeli settlers who tried to colonize the Strip after 1967 are described as yearning to return to their homeland.

Although the Gaza strip is the densest habitation on earth, and the Israelis had chased thousands of Palestinians there from their homes in what became southern Israel, after Tel Aviv seized the Strip in 1967 it began establishing squatter-settlements in Gaza for Israelis. Some 8,000 ended up living there, stealing resources from the already impoverished Palestinian refugees. In 2005 right wing leader Ariel Sharon assessed that these squatters could not be effectively protected by the Israeli army, and so he withdrew from the interior of Gaza and brought the squatters out. Smotrich and others on the extremist right wing were apoplectic. But Sharon was clearly correct: October 7 showed that even Israeli settlements near Gaza on the Israeli side of the fence were not safe.

Israel did not cease occupying Gaza in 2005, since it retained control of the Strips air and sea and controlled what went in and out of the territory. From 2007 it has imposed a severe economic embargo.

In contrast, the announced plan of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant is to ethnically cleanse northern Gaza, which has largely been reduced to rubble by concerted Israeli aerial bombardment of civilian buildings and infrastructure. The north, he thinks, will then serve as a buffer zone between the Palestinian population and the Israeli. Obviously, putting Israelis into northern Gaza would remove the barrier and so spoil Galants plan.

Ethnically cleansing northern Gaza is a war crime. Moving Israelis from the metropole into a militarily occupied territory is a war crime.

The Biden administration, which abetted the ethnic cleansing, has made noises about not wanting to see a complete expulsion of the Palestinians from Gaza. But it seems clear by now that the Israelis can do as they please, and Biden will pat them on the heads and say, Well done.
North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 2, 2024) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") announces that the Company has entered into an agreement to amend certain terms and drawn down a further USD $8 million of its Senior Secured Financing Facility provided by Nebari Gold Fund 1, LP, Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund I, LP, and Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund II, LP (collectively, "Nebari"), previously announced on Jan. 13, 2023. Proceeds from the Financing Facility have facilitated the completion of construction and recent commissioning of the Company's 100% owned Tuvatu Gold Mine operations in Fiji.

The Company has now drawn down a total of USD $31 million out of USD $35 million available in the Financing Facility. Concurrently with drawing down Tranche 2 under the Financing Facility, the Company amended certain reporting covenants under the facility agreement and agreed to re-price the 15,333,087 warrants (the "Warrants") issued at a price of CAD $1.49 to CAD $1.15 with the expiry date extended from August 9, 2026 to February 9, 2027. The amendments to the Warrant terms are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Interest on the first USD $23 million drawn in Tranche 1 of the Facility is 8% (plus three-month SOFR), and amortization is on the Maturity Date 42 months from the original closing date, with no closing fees payable. Tranches 2 (and 3) funding is subject to an 8% original issue discount and interest is 10% plus SOFR, with progressive amortization over 42 months from the Tranche 2 funding date, with closing fees equal to 2% of the amounts funded.

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer based in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Gold Deposit, Gold Mine, Pilot Plant, and Assay Lab, with an extensive exploration license area hosting multiple mineralized zones in the surrounding Navilawa Caldera.

As disclosed in its "Technical Report and PEA Update for the Tuvatu Gold Project" dated April 29, 2022, the 2018 Tuvatu resource estimate comprises 1,007,000 tonnes indicated at 8.50 g/t Au (274,600 oz. Au) and 1,325,000 tonnes inferred at 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and under the Lion One profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Lion One Metals Limited

"Walter Berukoff", Chairman and CEO

Contact Investor Relations

Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Stratabound Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SB) (OTCQB: SBMIF) ("Stratabound" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered financing for $1,500,000 by issuing 60,000,000 units at $0.025 per unit.

Each $0.025 unit shall consist of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant shall entitle the holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.05 per common share for a period of two years following the date of closing. The Company may accelerate the expiry date if the shares trade at $0.30 or more for a period of 10 days, including days where no trading occurs. The closing of the offering is expected to occur one business day following receipt of all required regulatory approvals. The offering may be closed in one or more tranches. The total number of units issued in connection with the offering may be changed at the Company's sole discretion.

The exchange rules require all warrants to be issued at $0.05 or higher. In the context of the current market for the Company's securities, the Company would have liked to offer a warrant at $0.035. The warrants offered herein will contain price adjustment provisions to adjust pricing to $0.035 if circumstances change so as to allow that.

The Company will pay finders' fees to eligible arm's-length persons with respect to subscriptions accepted by the Company.

Hashim Ahmed, Chairman of Stratabound commented: "We are pleased to announce a financing round supported with lead orders from our current major shareholders and new strategic investors. In this market, it is important to have sponsors and we currently have two; we are seeking a third. We have a portfolio of high-potential assets with concrete restructuring and growth plans in the works. There are key initiatives and catalysts planned for 2024. With historic high gold prices, and a newly strengthened management team - addition of Wendy T. Chan (who has successfully completed many strategic reorganization, marketing, and corporate development initiatives at mining companies) as Interim CEO, Buddy Dole (who has a proven track record in exploration and discoveries) as VP Exploration, and Marty Stratte (who previously was on the team that permitted Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain in California) as a recently appointed Director, we now have the leadership and execution team to successfully take the Company to the new levels."

The proceeds raised from the offering will go towards high resolution magnetics and drill targeting at our McIntyre Brook property (New Brunswick), data review and targeting to leverage a new RIRGS exploration model at Golden Culvert and Win projects (Southern Tombstone Gold Belt, Yukon), and drill target generation testing a large, high-grade conceptual model at our Fremont Gold project (Mother Lode Gold Belt, California).

ABOUT STRATABOUND MINERALS

Stratabound Minerals Corp. is a Canadian exploration and development company with grassroots and advanced exploration properties in highly prospective and safe mining jurisdictions.

Its Golden Culvert and Win Projects, Yukon, covering 99.5 km2 across a 27-km strike length, are situated in a district-scale, high-grade-gold-mineralized trend within the southern portion of the Tombstone Gold Belt. Gold deposits and occurrences within the Belt include Fort Knox, Pogo, Brewery Creek and Dublin Gulch, and Snowline Gold's Valley target on its Rogue property in the Selwyn Basin.

Its McIntyre Brook Project, New Brunswick, covering 120 km2 and a 17-km strike length in the emerging Triple Fault Gold Belt, is surrounded by Puma Exploration's Williams Brook Project (5.55 g/t Au over 50m) and is hosted by orogenic rocks of similar age and structure as New Found Gold's Queensway Project.

The Company is also advancing its Fremont Gold development project in the historic Mother Lode Gold Belt of California where 50,000,000 oz of gold has been produced. Fremont, located 500km north of Equinox Gold's Castle Mountain and Mesquite mines, has a PEA with an after-tax NPV of USD $217MM, a 21% IRR, 11-year LOM, averaging 118k ounces per annum at USD $1,750 gold. The project hosts an NI 43-101 resource of 1.16 MMoz at 1.90 g/t Au within 19.0 MMt Indicated, and 2.02 MMoz at 2.22 g/t Au within 28.3 MMt Inferred. The MRE evaluates only 1.4 km of the 4 km strike length of the Fremont property that features four gold-mineralized zones. Significantly, three step-out holes at depth hit structure, typical of orogenic deposits that often occur at depth. Fremont is located on private land in Mariposa, the original gold rush county and is 1.5 hours from Fresno, California. The property has year-round road access and is close to airports and rail. Please refer to the Fremont Gold project PEA dated Apr. 4, 2023 under NI 43-101 guidelines. The technical report has been reviewed and approved by independent "Qualified Persons" Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, and Andrew Bradfield, P.Eng. both of P&E, and Travis Manning, P.E. of KCA.

The Company also holds a pipeline of early-stage exploration projects including the critical mineral Captain Cobalt-Copper-Gold Deposit in New Brunswick and the Dingman Gold Project, Ontario.

QUALIFED PERSON STATEMENT

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Jonathan Victor Hill, Director, BSc (Hons) (Economic Geology - UCT), FAusIMM, and who is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.stratabound.com or contact:

Gary Nassif

Senior Vice President, Director

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+1 (416) 915-4157

Kevin Shum

Investor Relations

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+1 (647) 725-3888 ext 702

Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

WARNING: The Company relies upon litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements. The information in this release may contain forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. This forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, changes in laws or regulations, failure to obtain regulatory, exchange or shareholder approval, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this forward-looking information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
TORONTO, Jan. 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Orford Mining Corporation ("Orford") (TSXV: ORM) is pleased to announce that it has identified 12 new exploration targets for lithium, cesium, and tantalum bearing pegmatites ("LCT pegmatites") on its Nunavik lithium properties based on newly reported glacial till geochemistry results. These results also generated two potential exploration targets within the properties for gold. Till sampling as a geochemical targeting tool has been successful in generating successful exploration targets and making discoveries in the Nunavik region of Northern Quebec and globally.

Results from the 2023 till sampling program have confirmed the prospectivity of the area with the identification of 12 new target areas that are anomalous in lithium, cesium, and tantalum on the Nunavik lithium properties, which are 100% owned by Orford and have never previously been explored for economic minerals, including lithium.

and have never previously been explored for economic minerals, including lithium. Till prospectivity mapping, along with anomalous grab samples have also highlighted the potential for gold on both the kWatt and Wire properties with two exploration target areas identified.

Survey lines were planned in areas known to host strong positive lithium lake bottom sediment anomalies and associated pathfinder elements for LCT pegmatites based on previous regional government surveys. 550 widely spaced till samples were collected for the purpose of detecting anomalies typical of LCT pegmatites on the Radiant, kWatt and Wire properties (Figure 1). These anomalies may reflect LCT pegmatites covered by glacial till deposits that would therefore not be exposed at surface.

Follow-up of the results will be a high priority for the 2024 field mapping and prospecting program (Figures 2 and 3).

David Christie, President and CEO of Orford commented, "Orford's lithium exploration efforts in Nunavik are in their infancy but have already yielded very promising results. The target areas recently identified by the glacial till samples together with the previously reported LCT pegmatite discoveries will drive exploration efforts in the upcoming 2024 field season on our Nunavik lithium properties. The new gold in-till anomalies on the kWatt property are also significant targets in this unexplored terrain and will be part of the 2024 exploration program."

Radiant



146 glacial till samples were collected (100 m x 1.5 km) over the western half of the Radiant property (~50 km2). Of these samples, 11 were anomalous in lithium and indicated enrichment in cesium and tantalum (Figure 2, Table 1). The results have delineated five new prospective target areas, some of which are proximal to known enriched pegmatites that were discovered during the 2023 field program.

kWatt



352 glacial till samples were collected in the northern part of kWatt. Sites were sampled every 80 m at 800 m-line spacing covering ~35 km2 of the property. Initial results identified 15 samples with elevated values in lithium, cesium and tantalum (Figure 3, Table 1) with six new prospective target areas outlined that are locally spatially associated with enriched pegmatites.

Wire



52 glacial till samples were collected on the Wire property. Of these samples, one sample was anomalous in lithium (Figure 3, Table 1). The survey has identified one new prospective target area.

Table 1: Summary of Till Anomalies for LCT Elements of Interest

Property # Samples Li Max (ppm) # Anomalies Li Cs Max (ppm) Ta Max (ppm) Radiant 146 43 11 4.14 1.03 Kwatt 352 33.3 15 2.96 0.98 Wire 52 28.9 1 2.28 0.75

1 Ice directions as determined by Daigneault, R.A, 2008. Geologie du Quaternaire du Nord de Peninsule d'Ungava, Quebec. Commission Geologique du Canada Bulletin 533. 2 The vectoring anomalies identified are based on the classifications proposed by A. Muller et al. 2022, taking into consideration potential for anatectic and granitic derived chemical signatures. The samples classified as "High" are greater than 3 standard deviations from the mean (> 98th percentile), and those classified as "Moderate" are between 2 and 3 standard deviations from the mean (94th to 98th percentile) where n = 640.

Gold



The glacial till results indicate gold prospectivity at kWatt with samples returning significant values (e.g., 0.18 and 0.2 g/t Au) that are spatially associated with a larger, lower-grade, multi-sample anomalies including a subcrop grab sample of quartz vein in metasediment that returned 0.7 g/t Au (Figure 4). Till geochemistry specifically for gold has been very successful in the region based on Orford's previous work on its camp scale Qiqavik gold property and has led to several discoveries across the Qiqavik Belt. The magnitude of the gold values obtained in till on Kwatt and Wire are in the 99.5th percentile of Orford's regional till database of 5,650 till samples that have been analyzed for gold. The location of the higher-grade till samples on kWatt appear to be coincident with a regional NNW-trending structure previously identified by government mapping. Orford's next field season will aim to map and prospect all newly generated gold targets.

3 Ice directions for Wire as determined by Daigneault, R.A, 2008. Geologie du Quaternaire du Nord de Peninsule d'Ungava, Quebec. Commission Geologique du Canada Bulletin 533. Ice Directions for KWatt as measured by Orford Geologists in 2023. 4 The vectoring anomalies identified are based on the classifications proposed by A. Muller et al. 2022, taking into consideration potential for anatectic and granitic derived chemical signatures. The samples classified as "High" are greater than 3 standard deviations from the mean (> 98th percentile), and those classified as "Moderate" are between 2 and 3 standard deviations from the mean (94th to 98th percentile) where n = 640.

About Orford Mining Corporation



Orford Mining is a gold and critical mineral explorer focused on highly prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. Orford's principal assets are the Qiqavik, West Raglan and lithium exploration projects comprising a land package totaling over 111,000 hectares in the Cape Smith Belt of Northern Quebec. The Qiqavik Project hosts several new high-grade gold discoveries along a mineralized trend in excess of 40 km. The West Raglan Project hosts a number of high-grade Raglan-style nickel/copper/platinum group metal discoveries along a 55 km mineralized trend. In early 2023 Orford acquired large claim blocks targeting lithium in the Nunavik Region. These lithium claim blocks have been carefully selected as having promising lithium potential after an exhaustive compilation of available data. Orford also has four property positions in the Joutel region of the Abitibi District of Northern Quebec, which hosts historical deposits such as the Eagle/Telbel, Joutel Copper, Poirier Copper, and Vezza deposits. Orford continually seeks new gold exploration opportunities in North America. Orford's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ORM. This information from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on Orford Mining's properties.

To view further details about Orford's exploration projects please visit Orford's website, www.orfordmining.com.

Qualified Person



The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist of Orford, a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. The technical information presented in this release which was obtained from historical work reports filed with the Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

Sample shipments were sealed and shipped to AGAT Laboratories, Val-d'Or, Quebec. All assays reported for till samples were obtained by standard fire assay method with an atomic absorption spectrometry finish on a nominal 30g sample weight for the gold analysis (method 202-051) and by standard 4-acid digestion method with an ICP-OES/ICP-MS finish for the multi-element analysis (method 201-071) at AGAT Laboratories, Mississauga, Ontario. Standards were inserted at a minimum rate of 3% for till samples for QA/QC purposes in addition to those inserted by the lab. A subset of samples has not yet been sent for a verification assay at another lab. Nine grab samples were selected during the lithium exploration program to be analyzed for gold by standard fire assay method with an atomic absorption spectrometry finish on a nominal 30g sample weight (method 202-051). No internal standards were inserted for grab samples. AGAT Laboratories are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and found to comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:201.

Cautionary Statement Concerning 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 news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the liquidity and capital resources of Orford and potential of one or more of the Qiqavik, and West Raglan, properties.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Orford to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Orford's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although Orford has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward- looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Orford disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.
Historical Drill Results include 7.86 g/t Au over 12.09m and 3.07 g/t Au & 0.74% Cu over 76.18m(1)

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Prospector Metals Corp. (TSXV: PPP) (OTCQB: ETHOF) (FSE: 1ET) ("Prospector" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a property purchase agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the ML Property (also known as the Mike Lake Property) from Troilus Gold Corporation. The ML Property encompasses 4,757 hectares within the prolific Tintina Gold Belt, and is located approximately 80 km from Dawson City, Yukon Territory, and 25 km northeast of the former Brewery Creek Gold Mine. The ML Property will be acquired from Troilus Gold Corp through a shares-only purchase agreement. Troilus will become a keystone shareholder and is expected to own 19.9% of the issued shares of Prospector on closing of the transaction.

Highlights:

The ML Property hosts multiple known prospects over 13.5km trend associated with four identified intrusions and related dike/sill swarms. Target types include intrusion related gold, gold-copper-tungsten skarn, high grade vein, and replacement Au-Ag mineralization associated with a series of Tombstone Suite granitic intrusives.

Work completed up to 2008 included airborne-ground geophysics, satellite imagery, geologic mapping, extensive rock and soil sampling, and diamond drilling (+16,700m over 117 holes). No significant work has been conducted on the property since 2008. Most of the historic work focused on the Skarn Ridge and North Vein targets. Highlight drill results include:

Skarn Ridge: SK07-001: 1.38 g/t Au & 0.61% Cu over 89.31m (1) SK08-019: 3.07 g/t Au & 0.74% Cu over 76.18m, including 3.56 g/t Au & 0.9% Cu over 56.58m (1)



North Vein: NV05-12: 7.86 g/t Au over 12.09m (1) NV05-02: 7.67 g/t Au over 18.43m (1)



Importantly historical drill efforts focused on only a very small portion on the claim block, and the ML Property is host to dozens of high-grade Au, and Au-Cu surface occurrences identified in historical work that to date have not been drill tested.

Initial field work at the ML Property will begin in summer 2024 and will consist of a Phase 1 ground evaluation followed by a contingent Phase 2 drill program.

Prospector is also planning to complete a VTEM geophysical survey on its Devon Ni-Cu property in H1 2024 and remains committed to its portfolio of Ni-Cu properties in Ontario and Quebec.

Dr. Rob Carpenter, P. Geo, CEO of Prospector, expressed, "The ML Property stands out as an exceptional opportunity for multiple reasons. Firstly, it's rare to have a property host so many high-grade, undrilled surface occurrences within such a fertile environment. Secondly, our knowledge base of gold deposits in Yukon has grown so much since the last time the ML Property was worked in 2008. Large deposits like Golden Saddle, Coffee and Snowline were discovered after 2008 and our technical team is eager to view the ML Property through a more modern exploration lens."

"I am also delighted to welcome Andrew Rockandel to the Prospector Board. Andrew has a long history with Discovery Group and brings experience and a complementary skill set to Prospector that I am confident will help propel the Company forward."

Stated John Robins, Strategic Advisor to Prospector and Principal of Discovery Group, "Yukon's mineral potential is truly World-class, and few companies are as well positioned as the Prospector team to capitalize on this. Led by Dr. Robert Carpenter, Prospector boasts one of the best technical teams in Canada. Rob has been a key part of Discovery Group since its inception, having co-founded Kaminak Gold Corp. in 2005. In 2010, his team discovered the five million oz Coffee gold deposit which ultimately resulted in the $520M sale to Newmont (Goldcorp)."

Figure 1. ML Property Location and Geology Map

ML Property Overview

The ML Property includes at least four Mid-Cretaceous Tombstone suite intrusions and associated dike/sill swarms hosted within sequences of calcareous-clastic sediments and limestone. The area has undergone intense structural deformation including numerous generations of faulting, fracturing, shearing, and localized folding. These structures appear to have played a key role in the localization of intrusive activity and, subsequently, gold-silver-copper mineralization. Several styles of mineralization are observed on the property with 34 currently known prospects and occurrences occurring over a 13.5km trend. Mineralization styles include Au-Cu bearing sheeted quartz veins within intrusive stocks; adjacent zones of disseminated and vein-controlled Au-Cu+/- Ag mineralization in clastic sediments and/or skarn-replacement bodies in calcareous units; and structurally controlled high-grade Au-Ag (+/- base metal) veins. The mineralization is generally associated with intrusive dike swarms (including lamprophyres) and areas with intense structural deformation.

The ML Property has seen intermittent exploration since the late 1960's by both Senior and Junior exploration companies. The property has an impressive technical data base which includes property wide airborne geophysics, satellite imagery, extensive soil and rock sampling, prospecting, selective ground geophysics, and diamond drilling (+16,700m over 117 holes). Most of this exploration took place from 2004 to 2008, a period when most drilling was focussed on two specific skarn/replacement type targets: Skarn Ridge (71 drillholes) and North Vein (23 drillholes). No significant work has been carried out since 2008, and there remain large parts of the property that have received little or no exploration and evaluation. Several of the mineralized areas have undergone only cursory assessment by previous operators, and present very attractive targets.

ML Property Acquisition Agreement

Prospector has entered into a property purchase agreement with Troilus Gold Corporation ("Troilus") to acquire the ML Property with the following key terms:

100% interest in the ML Property, Yukon Territory

Prospector to issue Troilus shares such that Troilus will hold a 19.9% interest in Prospector, on an undiluted basis following closing of the Private Placement Offering (see below)

Prospector has granted Troilus a Participation Right to maintain its ownership interest should Prospector propose to sell additional securities (Participation Right expires if Troilus falls below 5% interest)

Troilus has the right to nominate one person to the Board of Directors of Prospector

Prospector to provide Troilus with a Milestone Payment within 30 days of the completion of a mineral resource estimate, payable in cash or shares (with certain limitations should this result in Troilus holding over 20% of the issued and outstanding shares of Prospector). The Milestone payment shall be $1 million, if Prospector's Market Capitalization is less than $20 million, or $2 million if Prospector's Market Capitalization is greater than $20 million.



The transaction with Troilus is subject to Prospector completing a concurrent equity financing for gross proceeds of not less than $1,000,000 (the "Private Placement Offering").

Consolidation

The board of directors of Prospector has approved the Consolidation of all of Prospector's outstanding Common Shares on the basis of three (3) pre-Consolidation Common Shares for one post-Consolidation Common Share. The reasons for the Consolidation are to increase Prospector's flexibility in the marketplace and to make the Company's securities more attractive to a wider audience of potential investors. Subject to approval by the TSXV.

Prospector currently has 63,462,472 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Assuming no changes in the number of the Common Shares outstanding, after giving effect to the Consolidation (prior to taking into account the Common Shares issued in the Private Placement Offering described below), the Company would have approximately 21,154,157 Common Shares issued and outstanding.

Any fractional interest in Common Shares resulting from the Consolidation will be rounded down to the nearest whole Common Share. Registered shareholders will receive a letter of transmittal from TSX Trust Company, Prospector's transfer agent, with information on how to replace their old share certificates with the new share certificates. Brokerage firms will handle the replacement of share certificates on behalf of their shareholder's accounts. If approved by the TSXV, the Consolidation will occur immediately prior to the closing of the Private Placement Offering (as defined above).

The exercise price and number of Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of Prospector's outstanding stock options and warrants will be proportionately adjusted to reflect the Consolidation in accordance with the terms of such securities.

Private Placement Offering

On a post-Consolidation basis, Prospector announces a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to $1.5 million consisting of units (the "Units") offered at a price of $0.11 per Unit and (the "Offering").

Each Unit will be comprised of one post-Consolidation common share (a "Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable at a price of $0.30 into one post-Consolidated common share for a period of two years from the date of issuance.

If the closing price of the Common Shares is at a price equal to or greater than $0.50 for a period of 10 consecutive trading days, Prospector will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants by giving notice, via a news release, to the holders of the Warrants that the Warrants will expire on the date that is 30 days after the issuance of said news release.

Prospector intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement Offering to complete a detailed geophysical survey at its Devon Ni-Cu Project in Ontario, preliminary assessment work and prospecting of the ML Property in Yukon Territory, and for working capital needs.

The Private Placement Offering is subject to certain closing conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the conditional listing approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Company may pay finders' fees under the offering in accordance with applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued under the Private Placement Offering will be subject to a hold period under applicable securities laws in Canada expiring four months and one day from the closing date of the Private Placement Offering.

Members of the Company's management team may participate in the Private Placement Offering including subscriptions from related parties of the Company as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The participation of management in the Private Placement Offering is exempt from formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements pursuant to exemptions contained in sections 5.5(c) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Andrew Rockandel Joins as Executive Director

Prospector is please to announce that it has appointed Andrew Rockandel as Executive Director of the Company.

Mr. Rockandel is an accomplished entrepreneur whose four decades of business experience span mineral resources, renewable energy, forestry, and specialized chemicals. Involved in the junior mining market for over 25 years, he has helped found multiple junior companies, bringing together management teams, assets, and financing.

(1) Historical Data and References

The drill results reported herein are historical in nature. The Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work to verify the results. The Company considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration programs. The Company also considers the data to be reliable for these purposes, however, the Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through drilling. Specific references regarding the historical data include:

- N.I.43-101 Technical Review of the Mike Lake Property by Micheal Moore, P.Geo. dated July 15, 2011. Filed August 31, 2011 by Inform Resources Corp. Available on SEDAR.

- Yukon Assessment Report 095119: Assessment Report describing Geology, Mineralization, and Diamond Drilling at the Mike Lake Property by William A. Wengzynowski, P.Eng. dated February 2009. Available from the Yukon Geological Survey.

- Yukon Assessment Report 095029: Assessment Report describing Geology, Mineralization, and Diamond Drilling at the Mike Lake Property by William A. Wengzynowski, P.Eng. dated March 2008. Available from the Yukon Geological Survey.

- Yukon Assessment Report 094916: Assessment Report describing Geology, Geophysics, and Diamond Drilling of the Mike Lake Property by William A. Wengzynowski, P.Eng. and Martin W. Nunez, B.Sc. dated May 2007. Available from the Yukon Geological Survey.

- Yukon Assessment Report 094614: Assessment Report describing Geology, Geophysics, and Diamond Drilling of the Mike Lake Property by William A. Wengzynowski, P.Eng. and Rick J. Zuran, B.Sc. dated February 2006. Available from the Yukon Geological Survey.

Qualified Person

The technical content disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Jodie Gibson, P.Geo. Advisor to Prospector, and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument NI 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About Prospector Metals Corp.

Prospector Metals Corp., a member of Discovery Group, is focused on district scale, early-stage exploration of gold and base metal prospects. Creating shareholder value through new discoveries, the Company identifies underexplored or overlooked mineral districts displaying important structural and mineralogical occurrences similar to more established mining operations. Prospector is led by an experienced technical and corporate team that has a proven track record of making world-class mineral discoveries. Prospector establishes and maintains relationships with local and Indigenous rightsholders, and seeking to develop partnerships and agreements that are mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Prospector Metals Corp.

Dr. Rob Carpenter, Ph.D., P.Geo.

President & CEO

For further information about Prospector Metals Corp. or this news release, please visit our website at prospectormetalscorp.com or contact Alex Heath at 604-354-2491 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Prospector Metals Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: discoverygroup.ca

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to the Company's projects and the timing related thereto, the merits of the Company's projects, the Company's objectives, plans and strategies, and other project opportunities. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective,", "strategy", "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other agency or governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) (FSE: PQWN) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has exercised its option to acquire a 100% interest in the RDP copper-gold project ("RDP" or the "Project"). RDP is located in northcentral British Columbia, 40 km west of the Company's 100% owned flagship Kliyul copper-gold project ("Kliyul") (see Figure 1).

In May 2021, the Company announced the option to acquire a 100% interest in RDP by making cash payments of $125,000, issuing 1,200,000 shares, and spending $810,000 on exploration by December 15, 2023 (see the news release dated May 4, 2021, for further information). Subsequently, Pacific Ridge optioned the Project to Antofagasta Minerals S.A. ("Antofagasta"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Antofagasta PLC, who can earn a 75% interest in RDP by making cash payments to the Company totaling $1,350,000, plus a success payment of $800,000 upon exercise of the option, spending $10,000,000 on exploration over eight years, and delivering a NI 43-101 compliant preliminary economic assessment report (see the news release dated February 8, 2022, for further information).

Since 2022, Antofagasta has funded 3,288 metres of diamond drilling in nine holes with drill hole RDP-22-005 intersecting 107.2 m of 1.39% copper equivalent* ("CuEq") or 2.06 g/t gold equivalent**("AuEq") (0.63% copper, 1.10 g/t gold, and 2.91 g/t silver) within 497.2 m of 0.66% CuEq or 0.97 g/t AuEq (0.37% copper, 0.40 g/t gold, and 1.60 g/t silver) at the Day target (see the news release dated October 25, 2022 for further information) (see Figure 2). In addition to diamond drilling, Antofagasta also funded 16 line-km of IP surveys, rock sampling, and soil sampling at RDP.

"Pacific Ridge has come a long way since making the strategic decision to focus on porphyry copper-gold projects in 2020," said Blaine Monaghan, President & CEO of Pacific Ridge. "With the acquisition of RDP, we now own four highly prospective copper-gold projects 100%, including our flagship Kliyul, and are one of B.C.'s leading copper-gold exploration companies. Pivoting to copper-gold projects in 2020 couldn't have come at a better time as the forecasted demand for copper coupled with heightened political risk in Central and South America has led to senior mining companies becoming much more active in B.C. In 2024, we will continue to advance Kliyul and launch our inaugural drill program at the Chuchi copper-gold project."

Figure 1. Location of RDP

Figure 2. RDP Target Areas

About RDP

Located 40 km west of the Company's 100% owned flagship Kliyul, RDP is greater than 10,000 hectares in size and lies within the Stikine Terrane, which is host to numerous significant porphyry deposits in northern British Columbia, including Kemess, Red Chris, Kerr-Sulphurets and Galore Creek. The eastern margin of Stikine Terrane in this part of northcentral BC has been underexplored historically and has seen increased exploration activity since its coverage in the 2017 Geoscience BC Search Phase III airborne magnetic and radiometric survey.

RDP contains several porphyry copper-gold targets (Roy, Day, Porcupine, and Bird) that have been explored intermittently since the early 1970's, including prospecting and mapping, various geochemical surveys, ground- and airborne geophysical surveys, trenching and a limited amount of drilling. The Project is underlain by lower Hazelton Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks (Lower Jurassic) of andesitic and dacitic composition and the Gyr rhyolite porphyry; and by Late Triassic to Early Jurassic plutonic rocks including the Fir gabbro and Roy plutonic suite with porphyritic plugs, sills, and stocks of monzodiorite composition.

About Pacific Ridge

Our goal is to become British Columbia's leading copper-gold exploration company. Pacific Ridge's flagship asset is its 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel Terrane close to existing infrastructure. In addition to Kliyul, the Company's project portfolio includes the RDP copper-gold project (optioned to Antofagasta Minerals S.A.), the Chuchi copper-gold project, the Onjo copper-gold project, and the Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge would like to acknowledge that its B.C. projects are located in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Gitxsan Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak'azdli Whut'en, Takla Nation, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Blaine Monaghan"

Blaine Monaghan

President & CEO

Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd.

Investor Relations:

Tel: (604) 687-4951

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.pacificridgeexploration.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-ridge-exploration-ltd-pex-/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PacRidge_PEX

*CuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x AuR/CuR x $Au x 0.032151) + (Ag(g/t) x AgR/CuR x $Ag x 0.032151)) / ($Cu x 22.0462).

**AuEq = ((Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151) + ((Cu%) x CuR/AuR x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Ag(g/t) x AgR/CuR x $Ag x 0.032151)) / ($Au x 0.032151).

Commodity prices: $Cu = US$3.25/lb, $Au = US$1,800/oz., and Ag = US$20.00/oz.

There has been no metallurgical testing on RDP mineralization. The Company estimates copper recoveries (CuR) of 84%, gold recoveries (AuR) of 70%, and silver recoveries (AgR) of 65% based on the average recoveries from Kemess Underground, Mount Milligan, and Red Chris.)

Factors: 22.0462 = Cu% to lbs per tonne, 0.032151 = Au g/t to troy oz per tonne, and 0.032151 = Ag g/t to troy oz per tonne.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., Executive Chairman of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy.

Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, which address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include continuing to advance Kliyul and launching an inaugural drill program at the Chuchi copper-gold project. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
January 2, 2023  Vancouver, British Columbia  TheNewswire -- Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE:WSR) (Western Star or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has secured its previously announced equity drawdown facility from Crescita Capital LLC (Crescita Capital) in the aggregate amount of up to $5,000,000 (the Equity Investment Facility), representing major institutional backing for Western Star.

Blake Morgan, CEO of Western Star, states We are thrilled to be receiving this level of institutional backing in our first year of listing. The plan is simple - explore and drill. Our Western Star Property has drill permits in place and 6 kms of surface mineralisation with some bonanza grades. Our Yukon Property has multiple discoveries, impressive high-grade zones and is road accessible, keeping drilling costs low. We now have the funding to aggressively attack these assets that we feel are world class and under-explored.

The Equity Investment Facility is in the aggregate amount of $5 million and Western Star will have three years to utilize the $5 million to expand and develop its assets.

Western Star can draw down funds from the Equity Investment Facility from time to time during the three-year term at its discretion by providing a notice to Crescita Capital (a Drawdown Notice) and issuing common shares to Crescita Capital in exchange (each drawdown, a Private Placement). The shares issued in connection with any Private Placement will be priced at 85% of the average closing bid price resulting from the following ten days of trading after the Drawdown Notice (the Pricing Period), subject to the pricing requirements of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE). The Drawdown Notice amount requested by Western Star cannot exceed 500% of the average daily trading volume of the Pricing Period.

The Equity Investment Facility is being made available pursuant to an amended and restated investment and advisory agreement (the Agreement) between the Company and Crescita Capital, pursuant to which Crescita Capital will also provide certain advisory services to the Company (the Services). Pursuant to the Agreement, in consideration for making the Equity Investment Facility available to the Company, the Company paid a commitment fee to Crescita Capital by issuing (i) 1,666,666 common shares at a deemed price of $0.15 per share (the Fee Shares) and (ii) 942,800 transferrable warrants of the Company, each warrant to be exercisable at $0.15, subject to adjustment, for three years (the Fee Warrants and, together with the Fee Shares, the Commitment Fee). The Fee Warrants will vest and become exercisable on a one-to-one basis with each common share issued to Crescita Capital under Private Placements from time to time. In addition, the Company paid an initial $2,500 consulting fee to Crescita Capital in consideration for the Services provided to date, which was satisfied through the issuance of 16,666 common shares at a deemed price of $0.15 per share (the Consulting Fee Shares).

All securities issued to Crescita Capital pursuant to the Agreement will not be subject resale restrictions under applicable securities laws. The Company has obtained a waiver from the CSE in respect of s. 6.1(4)(a) of the CSEs policies, which would otherwise have required the application of a 4-month hold period on the Fee Shares and the Consulting Fee Shares. The Company intends to seek similar waivers for all other securities issued under the Equity Investment Facility from time to time.

The Company obtained written approval for the Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereunder from shareholders holding more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company, as required by the policies of the CSE.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Crescita Capital LLC

Crescita Capital is an investment and consultancy group that provides financing and corporate development services for growth-stage companies in markets around the world (www.crescitacapital.com)

Additional Information

Western Star Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company. The Company's objective is to increase shareholder value through the development of exploration properties using cost-effective exploration practices, acquiring further exploration properties, and seeking partnerships by either joint venture or sale with industry leaders. The Company currently owns the Western Star Property group, composed of nine non-surveyed contiguous mineral claims totalling 2,797 hectares, located within the Revelstoke mining division of British Columbia, approximately 50 kilometres southeast of Revelstoke, B.C. and roughly 10 kilometres north of the abandoned community of Camborne. Access to the Camborne area is via paved highway from either Revelstoke or Nakusp. Access to the property area is best via helicopter from Revelstoke or Nakusp.

Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under the Company's profile.

Contact Information:

Blake Morgan, CEO and Director

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information." In particular, references to the Agreement, future drawdowns under the Agreement, benefits to the Company of the Agreement, the Services, application of the CSE 4-month hold period to securities issued pursuant to the Agreement, and future work programs of the Company are subject to risks associated with operations on the property, exploration activity generally, equipment limitations and availability, as well as other risks that we may not be currently aware of. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.




Police release identity of bicyclist killed in Cuba hit-and-run

Cuba police have identified the bicyclist killed Saturday in a hit-and-run crash as 44-year-old Kevin J. Green.

Green was found unresponsive on an embankment on the side of Route 305, near Youngs Road, at about 11:45 p.m., Cuba police said Wednesday in a news release.

Police on Monday announced two arrests in the case: Dustin S. Cowles, 22, of Cuba, and Kameron M. Mills, 22, of Hornell, were charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Cowles, who is being held on $50,000 bail, is accused of driving the vehicle that struck Green and fled the scene. His charges also include second-degree manslaughter, tampering with evidence and reckless driving.

Mills, who was released from custody, also was charged with evidence tampering and obstruction of governmental administration.

- Aaron Besecker
VANCOUVER, British Columbia , Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anfield Energy Inc. (TSX.V: AEC; OTCQB: ANLDF; FRANKFURT: 0AD) (Anfield or the Company) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Highbury Resources, Inc. (Highbury) has entered into a definitive agreement with Gold Eagle Mining Inc. (GEM) and Golden Eagle Uranium LLC (GEU) (collectively, the Sellers) to acquire a 100% interest in twelve Department of Energy (DOE) leases (DOE Leases) and associated data in various Counties in Colorado. The acquisition meets Anfields strategic objective of securing additional uranium and vanadium prospects as the Company prepares for an increase in production capacity throughput at Shootaring to 1,000 tons per day from 750 tons per day as part of its mill restart plan. Crucially, it provides Anfield with control over 21 of the 31 DOE leases in existence in Colorado, further strengthening the Companys long-term strategic production position in the State.

Corey Dias, Anfields CEO commented: We are quite pleased to acquire these twelve additional DOE Leases which we believe are complementary to both our Slick Rock project and the nine DOE leases we currently hold in Colorado and underscores our commitment to uranium and vanadium production coming from this state. The strategic value of these Leases cannot be overstated, as many of them are contiguous to Anfields current Colorado holdings and could, therefore, be combined to create improved production economies of scale. Moreover, given that the stated uranium resource associated with each Lease has been determined by the DOE and its predecessor agencies, and when married to the historical production at each Lease site, we are confident that these uranium pounds will serve as an established base from which these resources could grow. Finally, the securing of these Leases provides the Company with the flexibility to categorize all of our DOE Leases within our DOE Lease portfolio in order to identify those we would consider the most prospective and prioritize their advancement to production.

We will continue to seek out prospective uranium and vanadium assets which align with our two-fold production strategy. The near-term strategy centers on our advanced Utah and Colorado uranium and vanadium projects  Velvet Wood, West Slope, Slick Rock and our newly-acquired DOE leases  underpinned by our wholly-owned Shootaring Canyon mill, one of only 3 licensed, permitted and constructed conventional mills in the U.S. The long-term production strategy remains focused on the acquisition of complementary assets with the potential to feed additional uranium and vanadium resources to our Shootaring Canyon mill. The uranium and vanadium pounds associated with these DOE leases may serve as near-term feed under either the mills current throughput capacity of 750 tons per day or the proposed expanded throughput capacity of 1,000 tons per day. Finally, the Company will continue to pursue an expanded annual licensed uranium production capacity of up to 3 million pounds.

DOE leases

There has been historical uranium and vanadium production on 10 of the 12 acquired DOE Leases, as shown below:

Historical Production - acquired leases Tons U grade U pounds V grade V pounds JD-5 100,308 0.21 % 410,951 0.86 % 1,732,466 SR-13 86,164 0.22 % 372,748 1.60 % 2,765,681 SR-15 67,004 0.28 % 381,652 1.66 % 2,219,856 JD-5A - - - SR-10 194,570 0.25 % 988,597 1.91 % 7,426,751 SR-11A 1,315 0.19 % 5,110 1.62 % 42,713 SR-15A 14,202 0.18 % 50,091 1.11 % 314,727 SR-16 148,438 0.32 % 954,080 1.46 % 4,342,039 WM-17 - - - LP-22A 98,922 0.29 % 572,742 1.49 % 2,950,255 LP-22 33,781 0.27 % 181,055 1.29 % 871,539 LP-23 46,384 0.27 % 245,944 1.59 % 1,476,359 Total historical production 791,088 0.26 % 4,162,970 1.39 % 24,142,386

Source: DOE ULP PEIS, March 2014

According to the DOE Uranium Lease Program, there remains significant uranium pounds associated with many of the acquired leases, as shown below. Please note that the bid amount, that is, the stated uranium pounds as determined by DOE and its predecessor agencies such as the Atomic Energy Corporation, is a function of the historical permitted ore from a DOE Lease minus the historical production from that Lease. The Company is providing this information to assist readers in assessing the scope of the DOE Leases. Readers are cautioned that these amounts are not necessarily indicative of mineral resources which may exist on the DOE Leases, nor is the Company treating them as current mineral resources.

Stated Uranium Resource U pounds JD-5 230,000 JD-5A 30,000 SR-10 undefined SR-11A 300,000 SR-13 330,000 SR-15 84,000 SR-15A 250,000 SR-16 44,000 WM-17 75,000 LP-22A undefined LP-22 140,000 LP-23 550,000 Total 2,033,000

Source: DOE ULP PEIS, March 2014

As consideration for the DOE Leases and associated data, the Sellers will receive:

At Closing, US$500,000 in cash and US$1,250,000 in common shares of the Company (the Consideration Shares) valued at the volume weighted average trading price of the Companys common shares as traded on the TSX Venture Exchange for the ten trading days ending on the last trading day prior to the closing date (the  Share Price ) subject to a minimum issue price of C$0.05 per share;

) subject to a minimum issue price of C$0.05 per share; US$750,000 in cash at the one-year anniversary of Closing;

US$1,000,000 in cash at the two-year anniversary of Closing;

US$1,000,000 in cash at the three-year anniversary of Closing; and

US$1,500,000 in cash at the four-year anniversary of Closing.

Completion of the acquisition of the DOE Leases, and the issuance of the Consideration Shares, remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Following issuance, the Consideration Shares will be subject to statutory restrictions on resale for a period of four-months-and-one-day. No finders fees or commissions are owing by the Company in connection with the acquisition of the DOE Leases.

Qualified Persons

Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G., principal engineer at BRS Inc., is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

About Anfield

Anfield is a uranium and vanadium development and near-term production company that is committed to becoming a top-tier energy-related fuels supplier by creating value through sustainable, efficient growth in its assets. Anfield is a publicly traded corporation listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange (AEC-V), the OTCQB Marketplace (ANLDF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (0AD). Anfield is focused on its conventional asset centre, as summarized below:

Arizona/Utah/Colorado  Shootaring Canyon Mill

A key asset in Anfields portfolio is the Shootaring Canyon Mill in Garfield County, Utah. The Shootaring Canyon Mill is strategically located within one of the historically most prolific uranium production areas in the United States, and is one of only three licensed uranium mills in the United States.

Anfields conventional uranium assets consist of mining claims and state leases in southeastern Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, targeting areas where past uranium mining or prospecting occurred. Anfields conventional uranium assets include the Velvet-Wood Project, the Frank M Uranium Project, the West Slope Project, as well as the Findlay Tank breccia pipe. A NI 43-101 PEA has been completed for the Velvet-Wood Project. The PEA is preliminary in nature, and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and, resultantly, there is no certainty that the included preliminary economic assessment would be realized. All conventional uranium assets are situated within a 200-mile radius of the Shootaring Mill.

Technical Disclosure

Table 1. Anfields existing conventional uranium-vanadium project portfolio resources.

Project Location Classification Tons (kt) Uranium

Grade

(% U 3 O 8 ) Contained

Uranium

(Mlbs U 3 O 8 ) Vanadium

Grade

(% V 2 O 5 ) Contained

Vanadium

(Mlbs V 2 O 5 ) Velvet-Wood Utah M & I 811 0.29% 4.6 - - Inferred 87 0.32% 0.6 0.404% 7.3 West Slope Colorado Indicated 1,367 0.197% 5.4 - - Inferred 1,367 - - 0.984% 26.9 Historic* 630 0.31% 3.9 1.59% 20.0 Slick Rock Colorado Inferred 1,760 0.224% 7.9 1.35% 47.1 Frank M Utah Historic* 1,137 0.101% 2.3 - - Findlay Tank Arizona Historic* 211 0.226% 1.0 - - Date Creek/Artillery Peak Arizona Historic* 2,602 0.054% 2.8 Marquez-Juan Tafoya New Mexico Historic* 7,100 0.127% 18.1



* The Companys Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify these historic estimates as current mineral resources and Anfield is not treating such historical resources as current mineral resources.

Velvet-Wood: The PEA for Velvet-Wood/Slick Rock was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer, of BRS Inc., Harold H. Hutson, P.E., P.G., Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G., and Terence P. (Terry) McNulty, P.E., D. Sc., of T.P. McNulty and Associates Inc. (May 6, 2023). Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability in accordance with CIM standards. GT cut-off varies by locality from 0.25%-0.50%.

West Slope: NI 43-101 resource estimate for the JD-6, JD-7, JD-8 and JD-9 properties, completed by BRS Inc. (effective March 2022); Historic resource estimate for the SR-11, SR-13A, SM-18 N, SM-18 S, LP-21 and CM-25 properties, completed by Behre Dolbear for Cotter Corporation (August 2007). Indicated and Inferred resources using GT cut-off of 0.1 ft% eU 3 O 8 ; historic resources using cut-off of 0.05% U 3 O 8 .

Slick Rock: The PEA for Velvet-Wood/Slick Rock was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer, of BRS Inc., Harold H. Hutson, P.E., P.G., Carl D. Warren, P.E., P.G., and Terence P. (Terry) McNulty, P.E., D. Sc., of T.P. McNulty and Associates Inc. (May 6, 2023). Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability in accordance with CIM standards. GT cut-off varies by locality from 0.25%-0.50%.

Frank M: Historic Technical Report for Frank M, prepared for Uranium One Americas, was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer of BRS Inc., and Andrew C. Anderson, P.E., P.G. Senior Engineer/Geologist of BRS Inc., dated June 10, 2008. Frank M historic resource used a GT cut-off of 0.25%.

Findlay Tank: Historic Technical Report for Findlay Tank, prepared for Uranium One Americas, was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. Principal Engineer of BRS Inc., dated October 2, 2008. Findlay Tank historic resource used a grade cut-off of 0.05% eU 3 O 8 .

Artillery Peak: Artillery Peak Exploration Project, Mohave County, Arizona, 43-101 Technical Report, authored by Dr. Karen Wenrich, October 12, 2010. GT cut-off varies by locality from 0.01%-0.05%.

Marquez-Juan Tafoya: The Historical Technical Report, Preliminary Economic Assessment, for Marquez-Juan Tafoya, prepared for Uranium Energy Corporation, was authored by Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G., Principal Engineer of BRS Inc., and Terence P. McNulty, P.E., PhD, McNulty & Associates, dated June 9, 2021. The mineral resources are reported at a 0.60 GT cut-off..

On behalf of the Board of Directors

ANFIELD ENERGY INC.

Corey Dias, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact:

Anfield Energy, Inc.

Clive Mostert

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Lee Dong Wook talked about his hair transformation as the actor opted for a major switch.

In a video uploaded by his agency, King Kong by Starship, a video, titled "20231217: Remember... The guilty man Lee Dong-wook of that day...", revealed the reason behind the star's silver hair.

Lee Dong Wook Explains Hair Transformation

The public often sees Lee Dong Wook in dapper and sleek looks - from high-end clothing to black and tie outfits to casual looks. However, the "Bad and Crazy" star usually maintains a dark hair color.

As 2023 closed, the South Korean heartthrob chose to spice things up and went from black to silver hair color.

In one scene from the video, a staff member asked the actor the reason behind his huge hair transformation.

READ MORE: Lee Dong Wook's Fan Service at 'Single In Seoul' Gives Off Cillian Murphy Vibes According to Netizens

But for Lee Dong Wook, he just got tired of his old 'do.

"I just did it without any particular reason. I just did it. I'm tired of black hair."

He then explained that he finds the color mysterious and did it for a change.

"This hair color is very mysterious. Silver, gold, and blue are all mixed together. The color keeps changing depending on the light."

Prior to the video being released by Lee Dong Wook's agency, the actor posted a sneak peek of this on social media.

On his Instagram, he shared a series of Polaroid photos flaunting his silver hair, along with a message thanking the audience for joining the fan meeting and showing huge support for him.

However, Lee Dong Wook's hair transformation gained mixed reactions from the public.

While some see this as his way of embracing his K-pop idol era, others seemed unimpressed with how the actor opted for a change in hairstyle.

The comments section on Lee Dong Wook's Instagram also featured opinions from his followers, saying that the silver hair doesn't suit him or that it makes him look old, while others trolled the actor and said that it reminds them of the character in "Flower of Evil."

Lee Dong Wook's K-dramas This 2024

Lee Dong Wook is set to return to the small screen with two new series this year.

Starting 2024 with a bang, the actor headlines the soon-to-be released K-drama "A Shop for Killers."

Based on the movie "Sarinjaui Syopingmol," it is an action-thriller-mystery series that depicts the story of a woman who receives a phone call from authorities informing her about her uncle's "suicide."

Slated to premiere on January 17, Lee Dong Wook's new drama also stars Kim Hye Joon and is directed by Lee Kwon of "Save Me" season 2.

In addition to the actor's upcoming K-dramas, he will also star in the thriller rom-com "The Good Man."

Lee Dong Wook teams up with Lee Sung Kyung as he transforms into a gangster.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Dong Wook Reveals First Impression of Im Soo Jung: 'Arrogant but...'

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above houses in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023. Nearly 200 homes were destroyed in the fire, Kelowna's top news story of the year.
Countries aligned with Israel are warning the country's right-wing government against contemplating a forced displacement of Gaza residents, as officials repeatedly suggest Canada should take in Palestinians. Palestinians walk past the building destroyed in the Israeli Bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Gaza City, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mohammed Hajjar
A Chautauqua County judge on Wednesday postponed next weeks trial of the man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie at Chautauqua Institution in 2022 so the mans defense attorney can subpoena materials related to the manuscript of Rushdies upcoming book about the attempt on his life.

Judge David W. Foley pushed back the start of jury selection, which had been scheduled to begin Monday, in the case against Hadi Matar, 26, of New Jersey, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said in a news release.

Rushdie was stabbed on stage Aug. 12, 2022, near the start of an event about protections for writers in exile and freedom of expression. The attack left him blind in his right eye, and he also suffered wounds to the stomach, chest, hand and thigh.

The delay will allow Matars defense attorneys to subpoena certain materials underlying the planned publication of Mr. Rushdies book, Schmidt announced.

Defense attorney Nathaniel Ned Barone raised the issue in a court appearance Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, who quoted Barone saying, Its not just the book. Every little note Rushdie wrote down, I get, Im entitled to. Every discussion, every recording, anything he did in regard to this book.

The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini put a $3 million bounty on Rushdies head after the publication of his 1988 book, The Satanic Verses, which depicted the prophet Muhammad in ways that the hardline leader found offensive.

In October, Rushdie announced a memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, which will be released in April, according to the Associated Press.

Matar, who remains in custody, has been charged with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault. Another man on stage who was to interview Rushdie suffered minor injuries in the attack.

Schmidt said he didnt believe the trial delay would alter the outcome.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that some Ugandans have been battling another wave of flu, for the last four months.

Dr Allan Muruta Niyonzima, Commissioner of Integrated Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Public Health Emergencies in the Ministry of Health, says the current wave hit the country in September last year, but is almost coming to an end.

Dr Muruta advised the public to embrace the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including wearing masks and sanitizing, to minimize transmission.

According to the World Health Organisation, seasonal influenza (flu) is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. It is common in all parts of the world.

There are around a billion cases of seasonal influenza annually, including 35 million cases of severe illness.

Influenza spreads easily between people when they cough or sneeze and vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease.

Symptoms of influenza include acute onset of fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue.

Experts say treatment should aim to relieve symptoms and that people with the flu should rest and drink plenty of liquids. Additionally, health experts say most people will recover on their own within a week.
More than 10 speakers of parliament from the commonwealth countries have arrived for the 27th three-day Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers (CSPOC) organised at the refurbished Monyonyo Commonwealth Hotel in Kampala.

The arrivals started on Tuesday afternoon with delegates from Mauritius, Malaysia, Samao, Kiribati, Tonga, Ghana and Kenya forming part of the 43 member states that confirmed attendance out the 73.

Members of the CSPOCstanding committee which is responsible for overseeing the activities of the association will hold a meeting later this afternoon preceding the official opening on Thursday by President Yoweri Museveni.

CSPOC precedes the Non-Aligned Movement meeting and the G-77+China summit to be held within the month.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa says it is unprecedented for Kampala to host the three huge events.

It is a very huge vote of confidence in our county, in our government [and] in our people, said Tayebwa adding that I hope we can build on this momentum as a country with the world recovering from the effects of covid-19, the wars around the globe to see that visitors are flocking this country in this magnitude is very critical and we thank God for that.

Tayebwa accompanied the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among in receiving the delegates at Entebbe International Airport.

The conference is themed around environment and climate change with a focus on the roles parliaments can play to mitigate the danger presented to humanity.

Mr. Moses Wetangula, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya will deliver a keynote address on the topic on climate change.

Electric vehicles from Kira Motors a local automobile manufacturing plant owned by the government will be used by the delegates to tour Uganda Wildlife Centre, and the religious sites at Namugongo as a measure to curb carbon emission.

NEMA is going to calculate for us and say you emitted this much carbon during this conference then we shall offset it through planting of trees stated Tayebwa.

CSPOC is an independent group with no formal affiliation with Common wealth Parliamentary Association or Commonwealth Heads of Government. It was created in 1969 as an initiative of then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada Lucien Lamoureux and its activities through a secretariat are provided by Canada.

The conferences are held every 2 years in early January.
Unknown assailants opened fire on a vehicle belonging to Pastor Alloysious Bugingo of the House of Prayer Ministry on Tuesday night, leaving his bodyguard, Muhumuza Richard, dead and the pastor injured, police have confirmed.

According to a statement issued by Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, the shooting occurred around 9pm on Tuesday (January 2, 2024) at Bwalakata junction along National Housing Road in Namungona, Rubaga division, Kampala

Pastor Bugingo reportedly drove himself to Mulago hospital, where Muhumuza was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Currently, Pastor Bugingo is undergoing medical treatment and is under close monitoring, the police statement reads in part.

Upon an immediate response to the incident, the police discovered that the scene had been tampered with, statements from eyewitnesses have been diligently recorded, and the deceaseds body has been conveyed to the City Mortuary at Mulago for a thorough postmortem examination, the statement reads further.

Police say they are reviewing CCTV footage in hopes of identifying the attackers, who fled the scene on a motorcycle. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and authorities have assured continuous updates as more information comes to light.
The Buffalo Common Council kicked off 2024 on Tuesday with a new slate of leaders and two new members  one of whom clinched a leadership post.

South Council Member Christopher P. Scanlon, who has been on the Council for 11 years, was elevated to president by a vote of 8 to 1. University Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt, who was appointed chairman of the Councils Civil Service Committee, voted no.

Scanlon succeeded Darius G. Pridgen, the Ellicott District Council member whose term ended Monday after he did not run for re-election.

Tuesdays reorganizational meeting marked the first time in a decade the Council elected a new president.

To my colleagues on the Council, I cannot thank you enough for bestowing this honor upon me. I do not take this privilege  lightly, and I want each of you to know that I will work every day to live up to the awesome responsibility that youve entrusted me with, Scanlon said. As we all know there are challenges ahead of us. As days become weeks and weeks become months, well have disagreements. There will be contentious debate and discussion, but I think at the end of the day well be better off for it, and I know that because we have everything we need right here on this floor sitting here to take Buffalo to the next level, to make Buffalo the cleanest, the safest and the best city possible to live, work and raise a family in.

There is nothing that can stop this body from delivering for Buffalo and for all of its residents in an inclusive and equitable manner, he added.

Scanlon, who had served as president pro tempore of the Council, edged out three other Council members who told The Buffalo News last November they also were interested in the post, including Fillmore Council Member Mitchell P. Nowakowski; Niagara Council Member David A. Rivera, who had served as majority leader since 2015; and Wyatt. Nowakowski announced plans last month to run for State Senate.

Scanlon, whose father was an aide to former Mayor James D. Griffin, is generally supportive of Mayor Byron W. Brown and he delivered vote-rich South Buffalo for the mayor in his defeat of India Walton in the 2021 mayors race.

Along with North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. and Ulysees O. Wingo Sr., who did not seek re-election to represent the Masten District, Scanlon often voted in favor of administration policies over the last few years. But Scanlon has also demonstrated some independence at times, especially when it involved police officers, firefighters and city employees, many of whom live in South Buffalo. He often draws the ire of left-leaning activists for his strong support of the police.

Interest in the Council presidents post was high this year because of the potential to impact who would become the next mayor of Buffalo if Brown left office early.

Article 4 of Buffalos charter states that when a mayor resigns, such powers and duties shall devolve upon the president of the Common Council who shall fill the vacancy in the office of the mayor until the first day of January following the next general election at which a mayor may, pursuant to law, be elected for the balance of the term.

That means that if Brown left office early to run for Congress  he is weighing whether to seek the Democratic Party nomination to replace Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo  Scanlon will become acting mayor.

The acting mayor would also be on a political fast track to the Mayors Office, especially in a city that has historically favored incumbents.

Women on Council

Freshmen Council Members Zeneta B. Everhart and Leah Halton-Pope shook up the Council roster as the first women to win election to the body in 10 years.

On Tuesday, Halton-Pope, who represents the Ellicott District, was appointed majority leader by unanimous vote. She is the second woman to serve as majority leader and the first woman of color to serve in the role in the citys nearly 200-year history, said Delaware Council Member Joel P. Feroleto, who nominated Halton-Pope.

Everhart was appointed chairperson of the Councils Education Committee.

Lovejoy Council Member Bryan J. Bollman was unanimously voted president pro tempore.
September was a month to remember with unforgettable highs and lows from the first to the final day of the month.

The month saw another change in the local political landscape as one Fine Gael councillor bowed out of office while another is looking to broaden his horizons.

Bennettsbridge based councillor Patrick ONeill confirmed he wont be seeking re-election in the next set of local elections in 2024.

The Fine Gael representative, first elected to Kilkenny County Council in 2014, has held a number of high-profile positions within the local authority, including roles as Mayor of Kilkenny City in 2016 and Chairman of the Callan Thomastown Municipal District in 2019. In 2020, Cllr O'Neill was selected as a Fine Gael candidate for the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency but missed out on election to the Dail.

Meanwhile, fellow Fine Gael councillor, David FitzGerald confirmed he would seek nomination to be the Fine Gael candidate for the next General Election.

First elected to Kilkenny County Council in 2009, Mr Fitzgerald said, he was 'committed to representing the people of the constituency.'

It was a month to remember for Kilkenny based influencer, Niamh De de Brun who had her car stolen on the final Friday of the month. Niamh's white Range Rover, as well as her mother's black BMW, were both stolen from outside their home on the Ennis Road on the northside of the Limerick City. The car was later re-located much to the relief of De Brun.

The development of the Tesco site at the Old Mart in Kilkenny City took a step closer this month with retail giants inviting residential developers to submit expressions of interest to partner with them to provide a residential element at the location.

The Kilkenny People were told by Tesco sources that they continue to 'work closely with the local council'.

Butler Handcrafted Hurleys, located just outside the parish of Ballycallan in Co Kilkenny, welcomed a gathering of hurling fans and past players from the parish and further afield at the beginning of September, as the county's newest GAA museum opened its doors. The museum stores a vast quantity of GAA memorabilia, gifts, and handcrafted hurleys for all ages.

Christy's Bar, Upper Patrick Street in Kilkenny claimed a prestigious award at the end of September, scooping the 2023 South East Regional Winner for the Best Outdoor Space in the Irish Pub Awards.

There was also success for Xtreme Beauty in Ballyragget who were crowned South Leinster's 'Beauty Saloon of the Year' at the Irish Hair & Beauty Awards.

Meanwhile, September marked the end of an era for O'Donnells Bar in Inistioge who closed their doors after 60 years in business.

"Our time has now come to an end and I cant thank everyone enough for all their help, over support, kind words and love given to me over the last year. A special mention to all my phenomenal staff and those who helped behind the scenes," a statement read.
A woman in her 40s has died and two children have been seriously injured in a crash in Co Kildare this Tuesday evening.

Gardai remain at the scene of the fatal road crash involving a car and a van on the R148 at Cloncurry near Enfield.

The crashoccurred at approximately 6:15pm on Tuesday, January 2.



The driver of the car, a woman aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene, gardai confirmed.

Two young children who were also travelling in this vehicle have been taken to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin where their conditions are currently described as serious but stable.



The male driver of the van was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.



The R148 at Cloncurry in between Enfield and Kilcock is currently closed. Local diversions are in place. Garda Forensic Collision Investigators will conduct a technical examination of the scene on the morning of Wednesday 3rd January 2024.



Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.



Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the R148 in between Enfield and Kilcock between 6pm and 6:30pm on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Leixlip Garda station on 01 666 7800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Ryanair has cautioned over a hit from the move by a raft of online travel agents to remove the Irish airline from their websites.

The group said that, since early December, many of the larger travel and fare comparison sites have taken Ryanair off their sites.

It said the sudden removal from what it claimed were online travel agent pirates was welcome, but added that it would impact its so-called load factor, a key measure of how well airlines fill their planes, by 1% or 2% throughout December and January.

Revenues from tickets will also be affected in the short-term as Ryanair said it would respond by lowering fares for passengers booking directly through its own website.

But it said the move was unlikely to materially affect its full-year passenger numbers or profit expectations.

Its latest update showed it flew 9% more passengers in December, at 12.5 million, but its load factor fell to 91% from 92% a year ago.

More than another 900 Ryanair flights were cancelled last month due to the war between Israel and Hamas and the ongoing suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jordan.

The update comes amid a long-running dispute between Ryanair and online booking sites, with the airline having launched legal action in the US against Booking.com owner Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries including Kayak, Agoda and Priceline.

Ryanair said it was not clear what the reason was behind its removal from the sites, but said it may be down to a recent Irish High Court ruling, which it said granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox from unlawfully scraping Ryanair.com content for online travel agents.

Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airlines website and often offering the carriers fares to its own customers via its own site.

Ryanair said: Ryanair will respond to this welcome removal of our flights from OTA (online travel agent) pirate websites, by lowering fares where necessary to encourage all passengers to book directly on Ryanair.com where they are guaranteed to always get the lowest air fares without OTA Pirate overcharges, fake contact info, or other pricing/refund scams.

In the meantime, Ryanair continues to make its fares available to honest/transparent OTAs such as Google Flights, who do not add hidden mark ups to Ryanair prices and who direct passengers to make their bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website.

Booking.com and Kiwi were approached for comment.
Callan firefighters responded to a 999 call to attend a serious collision on Saturday despite an escalation in industrial action in recent days.

The collision involved a lorry and a car at Cuffesgrange between Kilkenny City and Callan and the driver of the car was taken to St Lukes General Hospital in Kilkenny with serious injuries.

The firefighters who attended the scene have been lauded on social media for their actions.

Community activist, Derek Devoy said:

I think it needs to be mentioned that the Callan Fire Crew left their picket to try their best to save a life! They received a call reporting an incident involving a truck and a car and a person was reported trapped.

I asked myself the question, why did they leave their picket in the middle of industrial action when they are fighting to be recognised for the amazing work they do?

I answered it very quickly! These group of men would do everything in their power to try and save a life and ensure that their local community both far and wide are safe.

The crews involved have been commended for their actions locally which happened just days after an escalation in industrial action.

On Friday a document circulated to businesses in the city stated that the nearest fire station that will respond to any fire or emergency at your premises will be approximately 30 minutes away and advised that the impacts on existing insurance cover, if any, should be considered due to the unavoidable increase in Fire Service response times on the above dates.

However a retained firefighter, working in Kilkenny, confirmed to the Kilkenny People that when there is a threat to life the retained firefighters will respond.

The escalation in strike action will result in Kilkenny City Fire Station closing for 24 hours from 8am on August 16 to 8am on August 17, from 8am on August 18 to 8am on August 19, from 8am on August 20 to 8am on August 21 and for 48 hours from August 24 to 8am on August 26. The seven fire stations across the city and county will also be closed on certain dates over the coming weeks due to the strike action.

The statement issued to Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce also states that Kilkenny County Council is responsible for providing Fire and Rescue services to your business and adds that if local businesses are unhappy with this situation they should contact info@kilkennycoco.ie and mark your email for the attention of the Chief Fire Officer.

Retained fire fighters across the country are seeking better terms and conditions and commenced industrial action in June.

Meanwhile President of The Association of Irish Local Government, Councillor Pat Fitzpatrick has pledged his support for retained fire fighters.

Retained firefighters are on call 24/7. They make huge personal and family sacrifices by doing this job as they have to be available constantly especially with the low staffing numbers. They can never stray too far from home and often miss family holidays, school plays, and family trips  things that the rest of us take for granted, he said.

I was speaking to a local retained firefighter lately in Kilkenny who told me that one Sunday morning he was having breakfast with his family when his pager went off and within 15 minutes he was helping a family evacuate from their home after a major flood. It is only fair, right and proper that the pay and condition of the people that provide this vital service to the public is addressed to the satisfaction of the retained fighters, said Cllr Fitzpatrick.

In a statement Kilkenny County Council stated that their priority throughout this process is to ensure employee and public safety.

 It is understood that all emergency calls will be responded to during the dispute, though some calls may have a delayed response due to the industrial action, a council spokesperson said.
The SUNY system had its first uptick in enrollment in a decade last year, but a report issued Tuesday recommends a broad series of moves to expand the systems research initiatives and increase its potential economic impact across the state, while reaching out to groups of potential students that typically drew little attention in the past.

The report calls for investing in more faculty and research to strengthen programs in areas of projected growth  namely artificial intelligence, biotechnology, the production of semiconductors and their packaging, sustainability and renewable energy.

At UB, a historic hiring push to bolster research and diversity The idea is that more university-based research can help turn UB into a powerful force that can help grow the Buffalo Niagara economy.

It recommends that SUNY do more to recruit students from populations not traditionally sought after, such as those from high adversity neighborhoods who need more support, but whose success would pay off in generational wealth and upward mobility.

And it calls for the most financially challenged schools within the system  including Buffalo State University and SUNY Fredonia  to implement cost-savings plans to erase deficits running in the millions of dollars and balance their budgets, rather than rely on bailouts.

The SUNY Report on Long-Term Enrollment and Financial Sustainability comes the year after Gov. Kathy Hochul provided the biggest injection of state aid for the State University of New York system  $163 million  with the requirement that SUNY follow up with an extensive summary of how its 64 campuses are faring and a roadmap for the future.

ECC gets big boost from federal, state grants for student support SUNY Erie Community College made a big effort to go after state and federal grants this year, and it paid off with nearly $6 million in grants awarded for workforce development and student support initiatives.

The 72-page report celebrates a 1.1% gain in total enrollment while calling for a variety of new strategies to make a SUNY education accessible to all New Yorkers and retooling programs to reflect todays students and their needs.

The report called the increase a small annual jump that also represents a huge leap in reversing long-standing trends.

It also called a 4.3% increase in undergraduate first-time enrollment  a critical metric for forecasting future overall enrollment  an even more encouraging development that signals a renewed interest and confidence in the value of SUNYs educational offerings.

The report also addressed how SUNY can continue to grow and maintain enrollment, while also outlining strategies for long-term financial sustainability. It cites several SUNY schools that it tasked with devising their own sustainability plans to combat big deficits, including SUNY Fredonia, Buffalo State and SUNY Potsdam.

Fredonia recently announced it would cut 13 low-performing degree programs, most in humanities subjects such as philosophy and languages, to address a $10 million shortfall, while Buffalo State imposed a hiring freeze to start reducing a $16 million deficit before a new president takes over in July.

Fredonia to cut 13 degree programs to address $10M deficit Fredonia President Stephan H. Kolison Jr. on Wednesday presented a road map for the future  including discontinuing 13 low-performing degree programs that currently serve 74 students.

Fiscal health is everyones job, and SUNY is ensuring campuses have the resources they need to succeed and the support to make the tough decisions fiscal sustainability requires, the report says.

Key enrollment targets for SUNY include scaling strategies for retention and completion that were developed and tested at City University of New York campuses and are being implemented at 25 more SUNY schools, including the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State and SUNY Erie Community College.

The initiatives  Advancing Success in Associate Pathways for two-year community colleges and Advancing Completion through Engagement for four-year bachelors programs  target students eligible for federal Pell grants for high financial need. They also provide a slate of resources including additional tuition and fee support, travel and textbook expenses, personalized advisement, academic support and career development activities.

Hochuls 2023-24 SUNY Transformation Fund provided $75 million for campuses to improve their support services using these programs.

Students who need more support to succeed are now being viewed as investments in the states workforce and economic growth, rather than beneficiaries of charitable aid.

4 SUNY takeaways from Hochuls State of the State 2023 Gov. Kathy Hochul didnt spend much time talking about the SUNY system in this year's State of the State address, but she did include a passel of SUNY proposals in the accompanying 277-page book of 147 initiatives for a better New York.

Its fundamental to both SUNYs goals and its mission that we work aggressively to help all New Yorkers understand we have a place for them, and help them claim that place, SUNY Chancellor John B. King said.

Its particularly crucial to expand our outreach to historically underserved populations, from first-generation college students to older students to those hailing from urban and rural communities where college attendance has historically been low, he said. Equally important is to provide the supports students need to succeed once they enroll.

The SUNY report lists 14 groups it will target for recruitment, including Pell-eligible students, first-generation college students, adults in the workforce, students with some college credit but no degree, veterans, student parents, formerly incarcerated students and students from high schools and neighborhoods with high levels of adversity.

The report says 25 SUNY campuses are currently using Landscape, a free online tool provided by the College Board to assist colleges in targeting and assisting students from low-income backgrounds, high-crime areas, substandard housing and other barriers to stability that prevent them from completing their degrees.

Besides supporting students through the ASAP and ACE programs, Hochuls budget directed $10 million in state aid to provide more mental health services this year. SUNY has expanded its Student Tele-Psychiatry Network to provide students at 56 campuses with free tele-psychiatry sessions.

UB president announces $40 million gift for engineering school The donation will help UB build an engineering school building and support engineering research and education, University at Buffalo President Satish Tripathi said.

Hochul devoted $1 million in operating funds to support food pantries and other strategies, such as helping students apply for SNAP benefits, at its state-run schools for the first time, the report says.

SUNY schools will be looking to ensure that individual students have access to childcare, public transportation and other basic needs, as well as beefing up programs serving students with disabilities, the report says.

To help fund the new initiatives, SUNY schools are directed to revisit their academic portfolios to ensure they are offering desirable programs that will help fuel workforce needs, including more short-term microcredentials for specific careers offered in partnership with business and industry pipelines.

Soon, SUNY will have microcredential programs at 57 of its 64 campuses, and a catalogue of over 600 microcredentials, the report says.

The largest number of new microcredential programs over the next decade are expected in business, management, and public administration (41% of campuses); health and related fields (32% of campuses); math, computer science, and information sciences (31% of campuses), and visual and performing arts and communications technologies (31% of campuses).

UB welcomes 154 new faculty as it bulks up on research This semester, UB welcomed 154 new faculty from across the nation and around the world, in what it believes is the largest cohort of new faculty at UB since it joined the SUNY system in the 1960s.

King recently formed four task forces to develop strategies for pursuing growth in the skyrocketing fields of AI, semiconductor packaging, biotechnology and sustainability/renewable energy, with an eye to identifying gaps that need to be filled for future economic growth.

SUNY is also committed to Hochuls goal to increase the states health care workforce by 20% in 2027 through the combined efforts of SUNY academic programs and medical centers, the report says.

SUNY also wants to be in the forefront of climate change action. In September, it launched a cross-campus Sustainability Advisory Council to devise a climate action plan that includes green workforce development.

Hochul has also challenged SUNY and its two flagships, UB and Stony Brook, to double their research funding by 2030, including such strategies as investing in new and diverse faculty bringing existing research and grants.

The report said the SUNY system is on track to increase its total research funding from $776 million this year to $1.5 billion by 2033.

SUNY also wants to increase incentives for students to stay or go back to school, by offering credit for completed non-credit courses that could be built on to complete a degree.

And SUNY schools will also make it easier for students to transfer credits for advanced placement classes they take in high school to college, and to move credits from community colleges to baccalaureate programs  a move 20 campuses have initiated via the SUNY Transformation Fund, the report says.

SUNY students of the future will also have more opportunities to participate in research internships, and eventually every student will experience an internship or other hands-on learning opportunity to better prepare them for the workforce, the report says.

While 60% percent of employers prefer to hire graduates and workers with internship experience, a 2021 national survey found that only 35% of first-generation college seniors reported participating in an internship  far lower than their peers, the report states.

Many SUNY campuses are already investing additional state and federal aid into retention support, as well as applying for and getting more research grants. UB has increased its research spending by 20% in the past decade, to more than $425 million last year, and the university hired 154 new faculty in 2023  the campuss largest cohort in over 40 years, the report noted.

In addition to last years aid infusion, commitments in the State Financial Plan for $54 million in SUNY funding in each of the next two years will fuel growth and stability across SUNYs state-operated campuses, the report says.

Community colleges will benefit from a guarantee that they will receive at least the same amount of aid they received the previous year, after decades of underfunding in prior state administrations.

The full report is available at SUNY.edu.
BEIRUT  An apparent Israeli strike in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killed Hamas' No. 2 political leader Tuesday, marking a potentially significant escalation of Israel's war against the militant group and heightening the risk of a wider Middle East conflict.

Saleh Arouri, who was the most senior Hamas figure killed since the war with Israel began, was also a founder of the group's military wing. His death could provoke major retaliation by Lebanons powerful Hezbollah militia.

The strike hit an apartment in a building in a Shiite district of Beirut that is a Hezbollah stronghold, and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to strike back against Israeli targeting of Palestinian officials in Lebanon.

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since Israels military campaign in Gaza began Oct. 7. But so far the Lebanese group has appeared reluctant to dramatically escalate the fighting. A significant response now could send the conflict spiraling into all-out war on Israels northern border.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency said the strike was carried out by an Israeli drone, and Israeli officials declined to comment. Speaking to reporters, Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari did not directly mention Arouri's death but said, We are focused and remain focused on fighting against Hamas.

We are on high readiness for any scenario, he added.

The killing comes ahead of a visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, even as the United States has tried to prevent the conflict from spreading, warning Hezbollah  and its regional supporter, Iran  not to escalate the violence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the assault in Gaza until Hamas is crushed and the more than 100 hostages still held by the militant group in Gaza are freed, which he has said could take several more months. At the same time, Israeli officials have increasingly warned in recent days of stepped-up action against Hezbollah unless its cross-border fire stops.

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. The group's Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

Scavenging for water, medicines: A day in the life of displaced Gazans As its population of displaced people grows, life in the south of Gaza is becoming more desperate by the hour. Israels assault, now in its 13

Israel claims to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders in Gaza, but this would be the first time it has reached into another country to target top leaders, many of whom live in exile around the region.

Arouri was the deputy of Hamas supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and headed the groups presence in the West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah.

Tuesdays blast shook a residential building in the Beirut suburb of Musharafieh, killing four people, according to the Lebanese news agency. Hamas confirmed that Arouri was killed along with six other members of the group, including two military commanders.

Hamas leader, Haniyeh Ismail, said the movement was more powerful and determined following the attack. They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them, he said of those killed.

Hezbollah called the strike a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.

We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment, it said.

Israel's air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 21,900 people in Gaza, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The campaign has driven some 85% of Gazas population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. Israel's siege of the territory has left a quarter of Gaza residents facing starvation, according to the United Nations.

Israel announced Monday that it would withdraw five brigades, or several thousand troops, from Gaza in the coming weeks. Still, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said it would be a mistake to think that Israel is planning on halting the war.

The feeling that we will stop soon is incorrect, he said Tuesday. Without a clear victory, we will not be able to live in the Middle East.

Also on Tuesday, officials said Israel will defend itself before the United Nations top court against charges that it has engaged in genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The announcement set the stage for what is likely to be a landmark case in international law.

South Africa launched the case Friday at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands, saying the Israeli military campaign targeting Hamas has resulted in enough death, destruction and humanitarian crisis in Gaza to meet the threshold of genocide under international law. South Africa asked the court to order Israel to halt its attacks in Gaza.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a bill to ban horse slaughter into law, which means we are one giant step closer to finishing off Americas dirty little secret of horse slaughter for human consumption.

Horses belong in the stable, not on the table. New Yorks comprehensive new law adds momentum to robust efforts to secure a national ban on the slaughter of American horses, including live exports to Canada and Mexico. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are steadfast backers of this measure.

Last year, 22,000 American equines were butchered in Canada and Mexico and sent to China, Russia and some other parts of the Old World for meat slabs that come with a very ugly and inhumane backstory.

Horses from throughout the eastern U.S. typically passed through New York on their way to the Viande Richelieu slaughter plant in Quebec. Thousands of horses, especially off-track racehorses and discarded Amish work horses, have historically been moved through the state from origin points that include sale barns, auctions and kill pens in eastern states.

An investigation earlier this year by Center for a Humane Economy and Animals Angels, revealed terrible mistreatment of equines destined for slaughter.

The good news is that horse slaughter is an enterprise in decline, with the annual toll of 400,000 slaughter horses in 1990 dropping to 20,000 in 2022. No one can argue with any credibility any longer that horse slaughter is either lucrative or it plays a role as a safety valve in dealing with unwanted horses.

A 2022 poll found strong opposition among 83% of all Americans to the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

The New York law is one more unmistakable message to Congress to pass the Save Americas Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, H.R. 3475/S. 2037, a bill that will codify a ban on slaughter in the United States and forbid live export of U.S. equines for slaughter to Canada and Mexico. The House and Senate versions of the SAFE Act have more than 225 co-sponsors.

It is backed by every animal welfare group in the state, as well as by the Jockey Club, the New York Racing Association, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemens Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders.

Horses played a crucial role in settling our nation and play critical roles in transportation, sport, show and companionship. Its a small payback to these remarkable animals who served us so faithfully to make sure that no horses ever again fall into the clutches of people who would butcher them for minimal and fleeting profit.
Columbia detects 'forever chemicals' in its water supply for the first time
NRG Energy should stop fighting the Town of Tonawandas efforts to take over the former Huntley power plant. The owners of this blighted site have gone to court twice, both times unsuccessfully, in their attempts to retain a property that they seem unwilling to either sell or redevelop. After New Yorks highest court declined to hear their appeal, the only recourse now is to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

They should desist and let the Town of Tonawanda take steps that could finally resolve this problem.

After operating as a coal-fired power plant for 100 years, the former Huntley Generating Station closed in 2016. It had once been the largest taxpayer in the town. It was also Erie Countys largest air and water polluter. But after it was taken over by NRG in 1999, a combination of factors, including the availability of cheap natural gas, led to a staggered closure of its generating units.

When the plant fully closed, through an unusual agreement involving the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, area labor unions and other community groups, New York State stepped in to create a mitigation fund to offset the loss of the tax revenue from the plant. The program, which pays the Town of Tonawanda $447,000 annually, was recently renewed, but it wont continue indefinitely.

After more than seven years of inaction by NRG, the town is justified in this eminent domain effort  its second  to take control of the site so that it can be cleaned up and transformed into a mixed-use waterfront development. The town has demonstrated patience. It first initiated eminent domain proceedings in 2018, after seemingly sluggish efforts from NRG to sell the property. At that point, NRG successfully convinced the town that it was on the brink of a sale and, in 2019, the town stopped its legal action. In 2020, NRG announced the sale was off.

If these sound like stalling tactics, they should. A possible reason for such tactics could be that NRG is still making money from selling unrated water from the Niagara River to nearby industrial customers. NRG denies this.

But other than denying a profit motivation, fighting the eminent domain case and saying it is evaluating its options, NRG offers little to no justification for sitting on waterfront property that could be reused to substantial community benefit.

Indeed, it threatens that if the Town of Tonawanda is successful in assuming control of the property, NRG will not pay for cleanup costs necessary to mitigate a site thats had coal burned on it for 100 years.

For its part, the town is already talking to prospective developers, with a view to bringing housing, commercial space and publicly accessible waterfront parkland to this site. One of the possible developers is Michael Ullian, who is still interested after NRG walked away from a potential deal with him three years ago.

Of the two parties here, NRG and the Town of Tonawanda, its obvious which is serious about mitigation and redevelopment of this 65-acre waterfront parcel. NRG has done little more than frustrate potential buyers.

With seven years elapsed and a long road of cleanup and development ahead, its time for NRG to step aside, and if that takes place through successful eminent domain proceedings so be it.

The residents of the Town of Tonawanda have waited too long.
Al Arouri was considered one of the founding members of Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and was based in Beirut.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Cloudy with snow. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Angola, IN (46703)

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Occasional snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%..

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
THE BOYZ member Eric revealed that he was almost arrested in Japan. Want to know what led to the crazy event? Keep on reading for all the details.

THE BOYZ Eric Reveals He Was Almost Arrested in Japan

Recently, in various online communities, a video titled "The performance master THE BOYZ! K-wild idols go shirtless on air," which was posted on the YouTube channel Diggle in August 2023, has been going viral.



IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: THIS Popular K-pop Male Idol Faces Backlash Due to 'Scandalous' Nightclub Visit Amid 2023 MBC Gayo Daejejeon

In the video, THE BOYZ members Younghoon, Eric, and Sunoo appeared on the show "Neighborhood Star K3," hosted by popular entertainer Jonathan. There, Eric recalled the time he was almost arrested in Japan.

He recounted that in January 2023, Eric and fellow THE BOYZ member Juyeon were in Japan. The two entered a convenience store to buy a charge since Eric's cell phone was almost out of battery.

ALSO READ: 10 K-Pop Idols You Had No Idea Use Stage Names

After buying the charger, Juyeon told Eric that they should go and test it to see if it works. The idols decided to plug the charger into a nearby outlet.

Eric revealed that they were shocked to see the owner of the convenience store running towards them and yelling at them just as they were able to unplug their phones after confirming that the charger was working.

FOR YOU: Top 20 K-pop Albums in 2023 According to Oricon Charts

Eric, who does not speak nor understand Japanese, had to use a translator app to discover what they were being told. There, they discovered the store owner was accusing him of being an "electricity thief" and threatened to report the idol to the police.

In Japan, using electrical outlets without permission in places such as restaurants, cafes, or convenience stores is punishable by law, as it is seen as theft.

READ THIS: Top Male K-Pop Groups of 2023 According to Japanese Teens- Stray Kids, BTS, MORE!

In response, Eric apologized, saying he did not know because he was from Korea. Eventually, he was able to avoid going to the police station.

Internet users who heard the story sympathized with Eric, saying that they encountered similar issues while traveling to Japan and almost ended up in the police station.

MORE K-POP NEWS: 2023 MBC Gayo Daejejeon Highlights: SHINee, SNSD Hyoyeon, IVE, More Steal the Show in Year-End Music Festival!

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

THE BOYZ Recent Activities

THE BOYZ released their eighth EP, Be Awake, on February 20, 2023. "Roar," the lead single off the six-track EP, has been dubbed an R&B pop dance track.

The group revealed on July 25 the release date of "Phantasy," their second Korean studio album. The album will be released in three parts, with the first part, "Christmas in August," being available on August 7.

The group revealed "Sixth Sense," the follow-up to "Phantasy," on October 25. It was released on November 20.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - Two juvenile escapees from group homes, Jordan Cannon and Anthony Mandigo, Jr., are back behind bars and moving through the 
Ganderbal (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 3 (ANI): The Ganderbal Police has attached orchard land measuring 10 marlas belonging to a terror accused, officials said in a press release.

The decisive step is part of ongoing efforts to address activities falling under the purview of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), police said.

Also Read | Kendriya Vidyalaya Admissions: Centre Apt for Setting Income Threshold To Determine EWS Category Eligibility, Says Delhi High Court.

The police have attached the orchard land located at Revenue Estate Wakoora belonging to one Lateef Ahmad Kambay, son of Gh Mohd Kambay, resident of Wakoora, in pursuance to orders passed by Honorable Court of Additional Session Judge (Special Judge designated under National Investigation Agency Act).

The accused is currently under trail and is lodged at Central Jail Srinagar. The property has been attached under section 33 (1) of the UAPA, the release said.

Also Read | Republic Day 2024: Two All-Women Marching Contingents To Take Part in 26 January Parade (Watch Videos).

The land has been attached under section 353 of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 13, 18, 23, 38, 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act, registered at Ganderbal Police Station, it added.

The press release highlighted that Ganderbal Police continues its vigilant stance against elements involved in activities detrimental to public safety and national security.

It said that this operation underscores the commitment of Ganderbal Police to curb unlawful activities, particularly those with potential connections to acts against the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Such measures play a crucial role in maintaining law and order, contributing to the larger goal of ensuring the safety and security of the area, the release said adding that the action sends a strong message about the zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism that pose threats to peace and harmony in the area. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Augusta (US), Jan 3 (AP) The father of one of 18 people killed in Maine's deadliest mass shooting delivered an impassioned plea for action on Wednesday as state lawmakers convened for the first time since the tragedy, taking time to read the name of each victim aloud.

Honoring victims, survivors and first responders was the first order of business for lawmakers who'll be taking up gun control proposals and potential changes to the state's so-called yellow flag law, which allows a judge to remove guns from someone in a mental health crisis.

Also Read | Omicron BA.5 More Deadlier COVID-19 Variants and Flu, Says US Centers for Disease Control.

His hands shaking and his voice raw with emotion, Arthur Barnard told a rally of gun control activists that it was time to fix careless laws, stop playing the blame game and work together to prevent future tragedies.

This is not about taking guns, OK? This is about doing the right thing. And finding the right politicians who are willing to do the right thing more than they're afraid of losing their job, said Barnard, whose son Arthur Strout was gunned down while playing billiards with friends.

Also Read | Brazil Shocker: YouTuber Carlos Medeiros Allegedly Dies While Having Sex, Found Buried in Neighbours Backyard; Probe Launched.

Eighteen were killed and 13 injured when an Army reservist with deteriorating mental health opened fire October 25 at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston.

The shootings happened little more than a month after a deputy tried to check on the reservist, the first step to putting someone in protective custody under the state's yellow flag law. But the man didn't open the door, and the deputy didn't have authority to force his way in, a sheriff said.

Legislative leaders including Senate President Troy Jackson have talked about updating Maine's gun laws, but have not publicly revealed details. Aides have said they want to get stakeholders together to try to build support before offering specific language.

On Wednesday, lawmakers devoted time to acknowledging the loss in both the Senate and House chambers.

In the Senate, a chorus from Lewiston High School sang the national anthem and Democratic Sen. Peggy Rotundo of Lewiston warned her colleagues against forgetting what happened in her hometown.

The world may have moved on but for the people of Lewiston, the surrounding communities and many others in Maine, the healing is just beginning. The pain, the trauma and the anguish remain, she said.

In the House, Democratic Rep. Kristen Cloutier of Lewiston told her colleagues that she remains overcome with sadness. Nothing has been the same since that night. And nothing will ever been the same again, she said.

The remembrances and tributes set a collective tone for the session, but gun control remains a divisive issue. Second Amendment supporters made their presence known on Wednesday, mingling in the Hall of Flags as Barnard and others spoke at a rally hosted by the Maine Gun Safety Coalition.

Holding a leatherbound copy of the US Constitution, Robert Duhaime, a boatbuilder from Surry who also owns a gun range, said was extremely sceptical that lawmakers can do anything to prevent gun violence.

"Show me what laws would have done anything to prevent this tragedy in Lewiston. Show me one," he said. We already have so many laws on the books."

Also on the future agenda was a request by state Rep. John Andrews, who sits on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, to impeach Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who denied Republican former President Donald Trump a spot on the state's primary ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The proposal faced long odds in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, the first hurdle being securing enough votes to proceed, followed by an impeachment vote in the House and a trial in the Maine Senate.

Several GOP lawmakers tried to raise the issue from the floor but were rebuffed by Democratic House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross.

Lawmakers also planned to consider bills carried over from the last session, including a proposal to give greater sovereignty to Native American tribes in the state and another to amend the Maine Constitution to enshrine the right to an abortion, along with hundreds of other old and new bills.

Lawmakers also will have to decide how to deal with a supplemental budget that's expected to top USD 100 million.

As for gun control, Max Zachau, a lifelong Maine hunter, urged fellow hunters to join him in standing up for better laws.

Shotguns used by waterfowl hunters are limited to a maximum of three rounds, even as some assault rifles carry high-capacity magazines, he noted.

The fact that we give a flock of ducks a better chance to escape than what we give to a classroom full of school kids tells me that our regulatory system is woefully inadequate, Zachau said. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
On 2 January Nicaraguas Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) government led by Presidentreleased a communique which included photos of Bishopwho has been imprisoned for 500 days.

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On 2 January, governor of Brazils most populous state, Sao Paulo, declared that his administration would not procure more body cameras to be installed on state police uniforms.

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On 2 January Argentinas government led by Presidentpublished a series of decrees enacting an overhaul of the military top brass.

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The Zapatista Rebels, or the Zapatista Army for National Liberation, have been waging war in Southern Mexico against capitalism for over 30 years. However, as the group mark their 30th anniversary, the government has largely ignored them and have instead turned their attention more against drug cartels.

Known as EZLN, they were once the biggest threat to Mexico but have since been overshadowed by the drug cartels which have been indiscriminate in killing civilians, authorities, and rival gangs.

Hundreds of these Zapatista rebels gathered in the remote community of Dolores Hidalgo in the days before the 30th anniversary of their uprising in the southern regions of Mexico. It was marked by long speeches that called more to fight for their cause and continue their opposition to capitalism and globalism.

According to the Associated Press, around 1,500 young members of the Zapatista rebel group were present during that gathering, all donning their black balaclavas, green caps, and red kerchiefs, as they listened to one of their leaders, Subcommander Moises, deliver his speech.

"We're alone, like 30 years ago, because alone we have found the new path that we are going to follow," he told his fellow rebels and called for the group to "defend" themselves. We don't need to kill soldiers and bad governments, but if they come we're going to defend ourselves."

These days, the group has found itself fighting encroachment from the drug cartels which have used the state of Chiapas to traffic not just drugs, but illegal immigrants from Guatemala.

What is the Zapatista Rebel Group?

The armed rebellion by the Zapatista Army for National Liberation began in 1994 in the southern state of Chiapas, which remains the poorest state in all of Mexico. The rebel group declared war against the Mexican government in opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with the group declaring their rebellion on the day Mexico's borders opened for free trade.

READ MORE: Mexico: 6 Dead, Dozens Wounded After Gunmen Open Fire at a Party in Sonora

According to Reuters, the rebel group was named after Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata and was led by Captain Insurgent Marcos, formerly known as Sub Commander Marcos, who made an appearance during the celebration.

During their rebellion, they sparked a bloody 12-day conflict with the federal government which left dozens dead. However, most who died were mostly Zapatistas. These days, the rebel group has remained in the mountains where they have their own autonomous health and education systems.

Zapatista Rebels and the Threat of Drug Cartels

The Zapatista rebellion is now contained mostly in the mountains and their fame has mostly faded, with many Mexicans thinking the group has already been disbanded. They still hold some territories, but recently, they have been encountering the threat that the Mexican government is treating more urgently than them, the drug cartels.

In November, the rebels announced that they had ended their autonomous civil systems and the indefinite closure of their cultural centers and denounced the "complete chaos" in Chiapas due to the threat of "disorganized crime."

According to France 24, the group has admitted suffering from "blockades, assaults, kidnappings, extortions, forced recruitment, shootings" from these criminal groups, which are the usual modus of the drug cartels. Currently, the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels are fighting to control the region.

READ NEXT: Mexico Police Found Dismembered Body After Spotting a Dog Carrying Human Arm in Its Mouth

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: The Zapatista Uprising (20 Years Later) - VICE NEWS
A federal grand jury has issued a second superseding indictment against Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), building on previous accusations of bribery, NBC News reports.

The fresh charges assert that Menendez made favorable statements about Qatar, aiming to facilitate a multimillion-dollar Qatari investment deal for a New Jersey developer tied to the country.

The indicted developer, Fred Daibes, is implicated in the case alongside Menendez.

During discussions for the investment in late 2021 through 2022, Menendez allegedly expressed support for Qatar.

The indictment claims Menendez provided Daibes with these statements to share with a Qatari investor and a government official linked to the Qatari Investment Company.

Prosecutors allege that Daibes and Menendez exchanged text messages regarding the scheme.

In September 2021, Daibes reportedly sent Menendez photos of luxury watches valued between $9,990 and $23,990, inquiring if Menendez was interested.

Following Menendez's trip to Qatar in October 2021, he allegedly searched for the value of one kilogram of gold, per CBS News.

Meanwhile, Daibes was texting Menendez about a Senate resolution supportive of Qatar, according to prosecutors.

Months later, as Daibes prepared to meet the Qatari investor in London, Menendez allegedly texted both parties, expressing hope for a favorable agreement.

The indictment reveals a private meeting between Menendez, Daibes, and the Qataris in March 2022.

Subsequently, the Qataris signed a letter of intent to engage in business with Daibes, who purportedly gifted Menendez at least one gold bar.

The indictment contends that Menendez continued to receive valuable items from the Qataris, including tickets for relatives to the Formula One Grand Prix race in Miami.

READ NEXT: Bob Menendez Bribery Scandal

Bob Menendez's Legal Battles and Past Controversies

Senator Menendez, previously charged with acting as an unregistered agent for Egypt, resigned as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year, according to The Guardian.

Despite ongoing legal challenges, he has not resigned or committed to not seeking re-election this year.

Senator Bob Menendez has previously overcome a corruption investigation, as a jury deadlocked in 2017 in a case involving connections between the senator and a Florida eye doctor.

His next trial is scheduled for May.

Amidst recent controversies, Menendez has been linked to George Santos, a former Republican congressman expelled after an ethics committee report.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman paid Santos to record a supportive message for Menendez, sparking further scrutiny.

"Hey, Bobby!" Santos said. "I don't think I need to tell you, but these people who want to make you get in trouble and want to kick you out and make you run away, you make them put up or shut up. You stand your ground, sir, and don't get bogged down by all the haters out there."

In response, Menendez said he did not believe Fetterman's donors would appreciate him financially supporting George Santos.

Judge Denies Bob Menendez's Request for Trial Delay

Bob Menendez's legal team sought a trial delay from May to July, citing the extensive evidence provided by the prosecution, totaling over 6.7 million documents.

However, Judge Sidney H. Stein denied the request, maintaining the May 5 trial date, AP noted.

The recent indictment does not necessitate the provision of additional evidence to the defense, according to prosecutors.

Former Assistant US Attorney Chris Grammicioni noted the government's apparent eagerness to proceed quickly, emphasizing the court's agreement with this stance, as per NJ Spotlight News.

"Two months is not much of a delay, considering the number of documents and discoveries I think were in the millions [of pages]," Grammicioni commented. "I was surprised that the continuance wasn't granted."

He added, "The government must have a strong position of wanting to go forward at the earliest possible date, and the court agreed."

READ MORE: Donald Trump Could Be Disqualified by Constitution

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WATCH: BREAKING: Sen. Bob Menendez faces new allegations of aiding Qatari government - From NBC News
Mexico's security services successfully liberated five Venezuelans who were kidnapped by gunmen over the weekend, according to local authorities on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

This rescue effort is part of an ongoing operation to locate another 26 individuals who were abducted from a bus traveling to the border city of Matamoros.

The incident unfolded on Saturday when the bus, en route from Reynosa to Matamoros in the northern state of Tamaulipas, was intercepted by gunmen.

Out of the 36 people on board, 31 were kidnapped, as reported by an anonymous spokesman from the state's security office to Reuters.

Details concerning the five individuals who were not kidnapped and the motive behind the crime have not been disclosed.

In many cases, however, kidnappers demand ransoms from the families of their victims.

Members of Mexico's National Guard successfully freed the five kidnapped migrants from Venezuela after the kidnappers abandoned the vehicle transporting the Venezuelans, as stated by the state's security body in an official statement.

The rescued kidnapped migrants confirmed their participation in the group that was kidnapped over the weekend.

Authorities are currently conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Lagos de Moreno Kidnapping

The Mexico Kidnapping

In a distressing turn of events, 31 migrants, including men, women, and children from Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, were forcibly abducted while en route to the US border in Tamaulipas, Mexico, BNN noted.

This organized crime occurred on Saturday, as regional security spokesperson Jorge Cuellar reported on Milenio television.

The bus, intercepted by five vehicles, saw its passengers forcibly taken off by Gulf Cartel gunmen.

Shockingly, only five passengers were permitted to continue their journey to Matamoros, while the rest became hostages of the criminal group.

Tamaulipas, known for its history of violence, has witnessed similar incidents in the past, emphasizing the dangers migrants face on their journey.

Mexican authorities have launched a search operation for the abducted individuals, but the challenging task is compounded by the region's history of violence and the influence of organized crime.

Rescue Operation for Kidnapped Migrants in Mexico

The Tamaulipas state police reported a pursuit involving a white Ford Fusion escaping a Mexican National Guard checkpoint on Monday, according to KTSM.

Inside the car, soldiers and police discovered five migrants who revealed they were Venezuelans abducted from a Senda bus traveling to Matamoros.

The state police are working to clarify if the rescued migrants were part of the Saturday night abduction or if a separate incident involving a second commercial bus is at play.

Matamoros Catholic Diocese Vicar Francisco Gallardo highlighted the prevalence of migrant kidnappings across the border from South Texas.

He emphasized that various groups, including women, children, families, and unaccompanied minors, have been targeted during their journey.

Despite the presence of Mexico immigration agents at major bus stations, criminal groups often target charter buses departing from company parking lots.

The National Migration Institute reported last year that Mexico authorities had freed 2,115 migrants of different nationalities who were kidnapped by organized criminal groups seeking ransom.

READ MORE: US-Mexico Border: Migrants Pretending To Be Minors

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 31 migrants abducted from bus near US border - From KTSM 9 NEWS
Nicolas Maduro, the dictator and president of Venezuela, sat down for an interview and claimed that Guyana and the UK are mocking him as the Essequibo territorial dispute continues, and the two countries are holding military exercises amid fears that Venezuela would try and annex the oil-rich Essequibo region.

Maduro also claimed that Guyana President Ifraan Ali was not just mocking Venezuela but also the other regional multilateral organizations who sponsored the meeting the two countries had over at St Vincent and the Grenadines, where both sides agreed to settle the Essequibo dispute peacefully.

"We are going through a moment of turbulence," he said in the interview, accusing Guyana of "not acting as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana" but "as 'British Guyana', [when] accepting that a warship goes to its coasts and from its coasts threatens Venezuela," in addition to "impertinent, insolent statements of the British Foreign Ministry."

He blasted Ali further, saying that the Guyanese president "acts like a president of a colonial British Guyana" and that "He is acting like a country that is in bondage, subjugated. I do not accept his excuses, I do not accept them!"

The Venezuelan strongman has been raging against the UK's sending of warship HMS Trent to Guyana for some military exercises with its former colony. Despite the two sides agreeing to settle the dispute peacefully, Venezuelan troops are still at the border with Guyana, stoking fears of annexation.

Nicolas Maduro Also Accuses Former Colombia President of Trying To Assassinate Key Ally

Nicolas Maduro did not just rant about Guyana and the United Kingdom, but also a former Colombian president as he accused Ivan Duque of ordering the death of former Colombian diplomat and close friend of Maduro, Alex Saab, who was recently freed by the United States in a prisoner swap.

READ MORE: Latin America Politics 2023: Election, Conflicts, Other Major Issues in the Region

"Two days before they had tried to kill him. That has never been said. Two days before, a group of criminals hired by Ivan Duque from Colombia tried to kill Alex Saab in his house in Caracas. He miraculously saved his life," Maduro claimed in an interview with Le Monde Diplomatique.

"Then he, with the drive that carries him, because he is an enterprising man, of drive, of initiative, I would say reckless, I would tell you that Alex Saab has the temerity of a Che Guevara to face risks and dangers, he was. He was going to Iran. Why was he going to Iran? To guarantee gasoline for a year for Venezuela, 2020, 2021, while we recovered the refinery," he continued. "Why was he going to Iran? To get triangulated medicines from Iran. And on the way they capture him, they kidnap him without any type of element."

Guyana Gets UN Security Council Seat as Venezuela Territorial Row Simmers

As Maduro continues his rants, Guyana, meanwhile, has received a seat at the UN Security Council. The South American country, officially recognized as the true owner of the Essequibo region by the UN itself, will serve in the Security Council for two years as a non-permanent member, according to News Source.

"Guyana will be constructive in our approach to the work of the Council, fully committed to the partnerships for the peace and prosperity of the world's people. We will seek a people-centered approach, including the involvement of women and youth in the search for solutions," said Guyana Ambassador to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

Guyana joins Algeria, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia as the new non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.

READ MORE: Guyana Culture: Essequibo Identifies More as Guyanase and Not With Venezuela

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: GUYANA/VENEZUELA PEACE TALKS CONTINUE THIS YEAR - News Room Guyana
As his attorneys are trying to appeal his disqualification in Maine, former President Donald Trump once again spread false information that has previously been debunked.

He was disqualified on the grounds of the 14th Amendment, which bars anybody who has engaged in an insurrection from taking office.

Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to rant about former Republican Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, Democratic California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Jack Smith. There, he repeated a debunked claim.

"Why did American Disaster Liz Cheney, who suffers from TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome), and was defeated for Congress by the largest margin for a sitting Congressman or Congresswoman in the history of our Country, ILLEGALLY DELETE & DESTROY most of the evidence, and related items, from the January 6th Committee of Political Thugs and Misfits," he write on social media.

"THIS ACT OF EXTREME SABOTAGE MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY LAWYERS TO PROPERLY PREPARE FOR, AND PRESENT, A PROPER DEFENSE OF THEIR CLIENT, ME. All of the information on Crazy Nancy Pelosi turning down 10,000 soldiers that I offered to guard the Capitol Building, and beyond, is gone," he continued in his rant.

This claim that Trump offered 10,000 soldiers was debunked by the Washington Post, which found that the number was just an estimate of how many troops it would take to control the crowd and Trump himself may have inflated the number.

Trump's own Department of Defense also debunked the claim, noting they took it as an offhand comment and did not regard it as a "direct order," with his own Chief of Staff Mark Meadows even confirming this statement from the Defense Department.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Tried To Spread Fake News About New York Judge Overseeing Fraud Trial But Gets Exposed

Donald Trump Continues Attacking Jack Smith

In his rant on New Year's Day, Trump also targeted Jack Smith and once again claimed he has immunity.

"The ridiculous Deranged Jack Smith case on Immunity, which the most respected legal minds in the Country say I am fully entitled to, is now completely compromised and should be thrown out and terminated, JUST LIKE THE RADICAL LEFT LUNATICS DID TO THE EVIDENCE," he wrote.

However, while the claim has yet to be decided on, legal experts have agreed that a president does not have absolute immunity, as seen by the Nixon case.

In regards to his falling to conspiracy theories to convince his supporters he is in the right, Yahoo! News pointed out that he has "resorted to the 'they lost my homework' legal strategy, which may reveal just how desperate he actually is."

Donald Trump Challenges Maine's Decision To Disqualify Him From State's Ballot

Meanwhile, as Trump rants, his attorneys have appealed the ruling by Maine's secretary of state which bars him from the state's 2024 ballot as stated in the 14th Amendment.

According to the Associated Press, Trump's attorneys argued that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had no authority, that he incited no riot, never swore to "support" the Constitution, and was not a government officer.

Trump and his attorneys are also expected to appeal a similar ban by the Colorado Supreme Court by using the same argument.

READ MORE: Donald Trump is Confused Why Co-Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro Pleaded Guilty

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Big Lie bombshell: Man Trump hired to prove election fraud says he debunked it to Trump and Meadows - MSNBC
In a disturbing turn of events, a man was apprehended early Tuesday after breaking into the Colorado Supreme Court overnight and firing shots inside the building, as reported by state police in a news release.

The preliminary investigation conducted by the Colorado State Patrol suggests that the incident is not related to recent threats against the Colorado Supreme Court Justices, according to CNN.

The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Brandon Olsen, is now in custody and faces investigation for robbery, burglary, and arson, pending charging decisions by the Denver District Attorney's Office.

It remains unclear if Olsen has legal representation, and inquiries to the public defender's office, following their policy of not commenting on criminal cases, have not yielded information.

READ NEXT: Trump Allies Appeal Colorado Disqualification

Colorado Man Surrenders After the Incident

The sequence of events leading to the arrest began with a two-vehicle crash at 13th Street and Lincoln Street, where one individual reportedly brandished a handgun at another driver around 1:15 AM on Tuesday, according to the Colorado State Patrol, per CBS News.

Shortly after the crash, the suspect, identified by Denver police as an adult male, shot out a window on the east side of the Colorado Supreme Court building and entered.

Upon encountering an unarmed security guard from the Colorado State Patrol Capitol Security Unit, he held the guard at gunpoint, confiscated their keys, and proceeded to navigate different sections of the building.

The suspect eventually reached the 7th floor, where he discharged additional shots.

Law enforcement swiftly established a perimeter around the building, and at approximately 3 AM, the suspect dialed 911 to surrender.

He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for medical clearance. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among building occupants, the suspect, or law enforcement.

The Denver Fire Department responded to a fire spotted by law enforcement during the incident, quickly bringing it under control.

However, significant and extensive damage occurred to the Colorado Supreme Court building, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Colorado Supreme Court Shooting Under Investigation

The motive behind Tuesday's incident is unknown, and the case remains under investigation by Colorado and Denver police, as per USA Today.

Authorities emphasize that, based on preliminary findings, there is no apparent connection to earlier threats against the Colorado court's justices.

This incident unfolded two weeks after Colorado's Supreme Court decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 presidential primary ballot, citing his ineligibility under the 14th Amendment's "insurrectionist ban," HuffPost noted.

While the FBI had been collaborating with local law enforcement to address threats against the justices following the decision, it is asserted that the break-in is not linked to the ruling or the reported threats, according to state police and the ongoing preliminary investigation led by the Denver Police Department.

READ MORE: Bob Menendez Reportedly Accepts Gifts To Help Qatari Investment Deal

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Man breaks into Colorado Supreme Court overnight and opens fire, police say - From CNN
Alvaro Cordoba, the brother of a powerful senator back in Colombia, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, admitting to federal narcotics charges as he tried to help smuggle illegal narcotics to New York. He was captured in a sting operation.

Cordoba entered the guilty plea inside a Manhattan federal court to a single count of conspiring to send 500 grams (17 ounces) or more of cocaine into the US. He is the brother of Pieded Cordoba, who is a powerful leftist senator and allied to Colombia President Gustavo Petro.

According to the Associated Press, he is set to serve a mandatory five years in prison. However, Cordoba could also face more than two decades in prison, according to federal sentencing laws. It was noted that his plea did not contain any promise to cooperate with law enforcement.

"I knew that the cocaine would end up in the United States and I knew what I was doing was wrong," he told judge Lewis J. Liman after pleading guilty. Cordoba is scheduled to be sentenced in the US sometime in April of this year.

His sister, Piedad Cordoba, had been a very harsh critic of the US and has promoted closer ties to Venezuela's socialist government. She also helped Petro win the presidency but sparked controversy after it was Petro himself who extradited her brother to the US. She was not accused of having ties to the illegal drug trade, just her brother.

Alvaro Cordoba reportedly offered to introduce undercover US drug informants to dissident guerrillas who could help smuggle huge quantities of cocaine to New York. This was enough for authorities to arrest him.

READ MORE: Colombia Government Issues Apology Over Extrajudicial Killings of 19 Civilians Falsely Accused as Rebels

Powerful Colombia Senator Claims She Was Set Up After Brother Was Arrested for Drug Trafficking

Piedad Cordova was part of Colombia President Gustavo Petro's coalition when both of them won during the 2022 election. She supported the president's "Absolute Peace" initiative in promoting peace talks with rebel groups but has since been complaining of "political persecution."

The Colombian senator claims that she and Alvaro are the targets of a set-up that is comparable to the manhunt that brought down Medellin cartel boss Pablo Escobar decades ago. However, President Petro himself suggested that she take a break from politics before extraditing her brother to the US.

Alvaro himself is also a politician, once running for the city council of Medellin back in 2011. He initially claimed he was innocent and appealed his extradition, but this was rejected by Colombia's Supreme Court.

Extradition of Alvaro Cordoba Proves Gustavo Petro Willing To Work With US Despite Leftist Leaning

When Gustavo Petro, who was known to be a former communist rebel, won the presidency, the US was worried that Colombia would not work with the country anymore in clamping down on illegal drug smuggling. However, when Colombia extradited Cordoba, the US breathed a sigh of relief.

According to BNN, the extradition came after former Minister of the Interior Alfonso Prada met with the principal director of the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere of the United States, Juan Gonzalez, last year. The two countries vowed to "respect many of those ongoing extradition processes."

READ NEXT: Colombia Vice President Francia Marquez Targeted With Roadside Bomb

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: National Geographic's 'Trafficked' explores world of cocaine trafficking in Colombia - ABC News
Easton Mayor Salvatore Sal Panto Jr. made his plans for the next four years plain as paper during his fifth and final inauguration on Tuesday night.

The homegrown Easton son welcomed his final term (and seventh overall) by contrasting the merits of his tenure against the goals he says will become the hallmark of the citys next chapter and legacy.
Newly elected officials took their seats on Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday.

November election winners Colleen Laird and Bryan Callahan were sworn in and took their positions at Tuesdays council meeting.

Council also honored outgoing council members Wandalyn Enix and Paige Van Wirt.

In her parting words, Enix urged city residents to attend council meetings. She also reminded council that its an equal branch of government with the city administration and the council members should understand their strength.

Recently retired treasurer Kaija Farber also received praise from council for her work for over 30 years for the city. Kathy Fox is the new city treasurer.

Mayor J. William Reynolds thanked Farber for her years of dedicated work.

I think you are definitely one of the longest running elected officials the City of Bethlehem has had, Reynolds said.  I dont know anybody that could possibly say one negative thing about you,

Council member Michael Colon, who won reelection for his third term, also was sworn in. Council voted to keep Colon as council president.

Laird, a lifelong Bethlehem resident, works at and is a graduate from Moravian University. She is co-founder of the Bethlehem Food Co-Op, a community-owned grocery store.

Callahan, who has previously served on council, is a 1980 graduate of Liberty High School. He was an educator at Freedom High School and he now owns Callahans Driving School and Testing Center.

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John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com.

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Portlaoise pedestrians walking under a railway bridge in the Laois town are nervous and terrified of the traffic, but no fast solution is in sight to make it safer.

The narrow footpath under the Mountrath road rail bridge has no railing, unlike the bridge on the Mountmellick road.

However the footpath is too narrow to take a rail.

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald describes the fear it is causing for people walking under the bridge.

Elderly people are very nervous. It's very narrow. Big lorries are passing, you'd be nearly shaking, she said.

The Mountrath road is very busy now with cars because of all the new houses, she said.

She tabled a motion to the December meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District, asking Laois County Council to install railings.

In reply, engineer Wes Wilkinson said that the office will liaise with Irish Rail regarding a proposal to widen the footpaths where possible beneath the bridge.

That's not really what I asked for, Cllr Fitzgerald replied.

She added that she has been contacted by residents who are nervous on the footpath.

He explained further.

The footpath is under 1m wide at pinchpoints. Rails would further narrow it.

That would give rise to people maybe stepping out if someone was coming towards them. So we are contacting Irish Rail to see if we can do work to widen the path, the engineer said.

Cllr Fitzgerald still maintained that rails would work now.

On the Mountmellick road you stop and let people pass. I still would prefer a railing. We'd be a long time waiting to get the path widened.

I've just seen two lorries hitting that bridge lately, its getting common again, she added.

Cllr John Joe Fennelly seconded her motion, noting that it could be a long time waiting for the new path.

Two people passing there is unlikely. Walking with a buggy would be very tight, he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said people are terrified.

With the amount of lorries hitting bridges, I'm not surprised that people are terrified of walking under them, she said.

The engineer dismissed another suggestion by a councillor to take away the path on one side so the other could be widened.

He said this would create another traffic danger as people would have to cross the road to the footpath.

I'd be hopeful of a quick response from Irish Rail.

I feel there is potential to widen the path because of the span of the bridge, Mr Wilkinson said.
A 27-year-old father of two has been named as the man killed in the tragic road crash on the M7 motorway near Newbridge on New Year's Day.

Keith Higginbotham was a passenger in a car that left the road and struck a grass verge between junction 12 Newbridge and 13 Kildare on the M7 around 8.45pm on Monday.

Keith, known affectionately as Higgy, of Copperbeech House, Blackditch, Nurney, Co Kildare, was the beloved son of the late Theresa and is sadly missed by his heartbroken family, daughters Lauryn and Cali, his father Tommy, nanny Maureen, brothers Andrew, Derek, David and Christopher, partner Lauren, sisters-in-law Rose, Martina, Niamh and Karen, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, extended family, relatives and friends, his RIP.ie death notice reads.

Family and friends have been paying tributes to Keith who becomes the first fatality of Irish roads in 2024.

"Rip Higgy lad, fly high In heaven. I hope you get the best bed up there in heaven. My condolences to the families and friends," one friend said.

Another wrote: "Heartbreaking news, you were a sound fella. Will miss the craic we used to have and the chats we used to have on Snapchat, pity we never got around to that meet up. Rest in peace man."

A third added: "Sincere sympathy to Keith's extended family on his tragic passing. He is so young to be deceased

and now forever young. May Keith Rest in Eternal Peace. Go suifidh se ar dheis lamh De anois gan aon triobloid aris."

The tributes come as news emerges of another fatal crash in Co Kildare on Tuesday.

A woman in her 40s died and two children were seriously injured in a crash involving a car and a van on the R148 at Cloncurry, between Kilcock and Enfield, Co Kildare at around 6:15pm on Tuesday, January 2.

The driver of the car, a woman aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene, gardai confirmed.

Two young children who were also travelling in this vehicle have been taken to Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin where their conditions are currently described as serious but stable.



The male driver of the van was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said a merger with the Social Democrats is possible, as she claimed there were no ideological differences between the two parties.

In an interview with the PA news agency, Ms Back said Labour would be fighting the next general election with a focus on its own values  but added that the party always worked collaboratively with others.

Her predecessor Alan Kelly also said a merger was a possibility, while party leader between 2016 and 2020 Brendan Howlin said the assimilation should happen.

Ms Bacik, who became party leader in 20222, said there was no ideological difference between Labour and the Social Democrats, adding: Just as theres no ideological difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Perhaps the call for a merger, maybe, between those two centre right parties may be the call after the next election.

Asked if she could countenance a possible merger in the future, Ms Bacik replied: Everything is possible in politics.

However, in a separate recent interview with PA, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said she believes Labours approach to government is not compatible with her party.

Ms Cairns said Labours previous record in government supported the privatisation of Bord Gais and penalised lone-parent families, adding: Its all well and good to say: Oh they think they have the same policies as us. They dont have the same practices.

Thats the overall difference between us.

Separately, Ms Bacik said Labour was very concerned about the rise of the far right.

Ms Bacik, whose Czech grandfather moved to Waterford after being imprisoned by the Nazis during the Second World War, called for the introduction of a national communication campaign on the benefits of immigration and integration.

She said: This is a very scary and worrying development to see how the far right are orchestrating hate in different communities. Its not unique to Ireland but were certainly seeing it here as well.

She condemned arson attacks against centres earmarked for use by asylum seekers, adding it was distressing to see the burning of tents at a makeshift migrant camp on Sandwith Street in her own constituency.

She said: It is really distressing to see and unfortunately is becoming predictable.

She added: The reality is across the country, communities are broadly welcoming and weve seen amazing integration.

Asked how Labour would have handled protests and opposition to accommodation for refugees differently, Ms Bacik said Government and the Taoiseach should have had a more coordinated approach on integration, including the appointment of a specific minister for immigration.

She said Minister Roderic OGormans department, which also has responsibility for children, equality, disability and youth as well as integration, has been left isolated in providing accommodation for refugees.

Ms Bacik welcomed that Government is seeking to increase the level of State-owned accommodation for asylum seekers, but further called for the purposing of vacant buildings such as barracks and Baggot Street Hospital.

She said: That would have been the Labour difference. We are, though, very supportive of Government efforts to provide accommodation and we dont underestimate the scale of the challenge for Government.

Ms Bacik called on Leo Varadkar to make a national address on the benefits of inward migration and the need for communities to show welcome.

She added: That coordinated approach from Government is needed and a Taoiseachs address, I think, will be really helpful.

Asked how she believed the far right would react to an address on migration from Mr Varadkar as the son of an immigrant, Ms Bacik said it was imperative for the Taoiseach to show leadership on the issue.

In the wake of the Dublin riot in November, Sinn Fein called for the resignation of Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Labour did not immediately make the same call, but ultimately voted no confidence in the minister.

Asked if her party had been outflanked on the issue, she said Labour never had confidence in the Governments handling of policing, but she did not feel it appropriate to call for heads to roll during a time of uncertainty after the violent attack and riot.

On the subject of vacancy and dereliction, she said Labour has been successful in calling on local communities to inform councils about buildings which are available for compulsory purchase orders to be repurposed for housing.

At the partys annual conference last March, Ms Bacik said Labour would aim to deliver one million homes in 10 years.

However, the headline figure includes retrofitting properties that are already built and occupied.

Asked if she still stands by that messaging, Ms Bacik said the party had been vindicated over its target for 50,000 new builds and 50,000 refurbished homes a year for the next decade.

She said she anticipates Government to revise its Housing for All targets up to 50,000 and that up to 90,000 homes per year were being built during the Celtic Tiger.

She added: It is doable with the right level of ambition and urgency from Government.

Ms Bacik said the party wanted to help and work constructively with Government but added there had been delay in delivery for far too long.

Eyeing elections this year, Ms Bacik said she is very confident the party will hold existing seats.

Labour is polling at around 4% and recognisable names in the party like Mr Howlin and Sean Sherlock are not seeking re-election, while Aodhan O Riordan has said he is seeking to join the European Parliament.

Ms Bacik said: Obviously, Im sorry to see Brendan and Sean not contesting next time, theyve been super representatives at local and national level but we have really strong local representation in those constituencies.

Asked if Mr Kelly had expressed an interest in going to Europe, she said: Thats a matter for Alan and myself.

Ms Bacik also said it will be a tough battle in her own constituency of Dublin Bay South.
Applications are now open for the latest cycle of a free government programme that helps returned or returning Kildare emigrants start and develop businesses in Ireland.

Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Back for Business was created to foster and support entrepreneurial activity among emigrants returning to live in Ireland.

Back for Business is for those who have returned  or are considering returning  to Ireland and plan to start a business here. This is the seventh year of the programme and there are up to 50 places available.

Applications are invited from those who have recently returned to Co. Kildare or are still living abroad but thinking of returning to Co. Kildare in the near future.

Back for Business 7 will run from February to June 2024. There is no charge for those selected to participate and the closing date for submitting completed applications is 5pm on Monday, January 15th, 2024. Those interested can register their interest in receiving an application form on www.backforbusiness.com.

Back for Business is aimed at those who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned in the last three years or those planning to return soon. It addresses challenges that all early-stage entrepreneurs encounter, but also focuses on the additional barriers faced by those who have been living outside Ireland for some years.

Participants on last years programme increased their combined workforce by 17 employees and those that were trading almost tripled their combined turnover from 632,000 to 1.7 million.

Early stage entrepreneurs who have started a business in the last three years or who are about to start a business are being sought. Strong preference will be given to those who have returned to Ireland and who expect to become an employer of others within three years. There is no restriction on the sector in which the new business is focussed.

Those selected to join Back for Business 7 will take part in round table sessions, focused on goals and milestones, which are facilitated by voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs who have experience of successfully starting and growing a business.

This years Lead Entrepreneurs are serial entrepreneurs Hannah Wrixon and Paul Coyle; Morgan Browne, CEO of Milner Browne and Enterpryze; Paul Duggan of The Gardiner Group; Seamus Reilly, co-founder and formerly of Critical Healthcare; and Thomas Ennis, founder of the Thomas Ennis Group.

Former participants from Co. Kildare include Gabrielle Malone of Gabrielle Malone Design and Michelle Lawlor of The Nude Wine Company. Having experienced at first hand the benefits of participation in Back for Business, they both encourage others to apply for the programme.

Gabrielle says: After arriving back from New York, I set up my business Gabrielle Malone and began selling my hand knits online. During the course of Back for Business, I expanded my range and hired three freelance knitters to help with the demand of my products. I have learnt an immense amount about operating a business with Back for Business.

Michelle was a participant on Back for Business 3. She says: While the programme occurred during the Covid pandemic, our Lead Entrepreneur proved a great source of guidance in this very difficult period. We were lucky to have their advice and guidance. I highly recommend this programme to returning emigrants to meet other like-minded businesspeople.

Sean Fleming, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for International Development and Diaspora said:

Since 2018, Back for Business has helped large numbers of returning emigrants to seed and nurture their business ideas. I would encourage people with a business idea who might be thinking of coming home  or have returned recently - to apply for selection.

Back for Business has been designed and is being implemented by Fitzsimons Consulting, specialists in areas related to entrepreneurship and growth.

The deadline for submitting completed applications for Back to Business is 5pm on Monday, January 15th, 2024.

For more information or to register your interest in receiving an application form, please see www.backforbusiness.com
Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan has praised Media Minister Catherine Martins handling of the RTE crisis.

Mr Ryan also said addressing the funding of media in Ireland would be the most critical decision taken by the Government in the first quarter of 2024.

Ms Martin, who is the Greens deputy leader, was at the forefront of the political response when the national broadcaster RTE became embroiled in a financial crisis initially stemming from incorrectly declared fees to its then-highest-paid earner, Ryan Tubridy.

In the aftermath of the fallout over Tubridys pay, a string of other financial and governance issues emerged that led to the resignation of a number of senior figures, and a multimillion-euro drop in TV licence payments.

Mr Ryan said Ms Martin had done a really good job managing her portfolio as Media Minister.

I think RTE  no-one could have easily managed that, and I think actually she took the right approach, he said.

I think you could have had a minister waded in there on the first day and said Im going to be in charge of everything here, and I think she did the correct thing.

She relied on her chair and board and new chief executive to deliver the reports we need and the analysis we need to make sure we position RTE for the future. I think that approach has been fully supported in Government.

I think it is critical, if I look forward into next year, what is the most important thing Government have to do? I think probably one of the very top of that list is addressing future funding of broadcast and media in Ireland.

It isnt just RTE, it is requirement for funding which will go into other broadcasters and other media.

In November, the Government agreed to provide a total of 56 million euro in additional funding to help RTE cover budget shortfalls after the organisation published plans to reduce its workforce.

Ms Martin said a dedicated unit would be established in her department to oversee the allocation of 40 million euro of that funding in 2024.

Mr Ryan said the future funding model for broadcasters would be a top Government priority in the beginning of the new year.

The first most important thing is  can we get an agreed approach to fund our broadcasters given what I was saying earlier, that one of the biggest challenges to stage is disinformation, he said.

AI creates all sorts of weird material that who knows whats true, whats not true.

Thats a real risk to democratic system and strength of the country, decency. So I think the funding of broadcasting media in that environment is probably the most critical decision we need to make in the first quarter of the year.

RTE director-general Kevin Bakhursts plan to cut costs at the organisation included a salary price cap of 250,000 euro and cuts of up to 400 staff members over four years.
Sinn Fein spokesperson on Transport and Communications, Martin Kenny TD, has expressed his sorrow at fatalities which have occurred on Irish roads in the first days of the New Year.

This follows a number of serious collisions since New Year's Day resulting in the death of a man in Kildare, a man in Cavan, a woman in Kildare and a woman in Belfast.



Speaking today, Teachta Kenny said:

My thoughts and sympathies are with the families and communities who are coming to terms with the loss of their loved ones on Irish roads in the first three days of 2024.



It is my understanding that two children were also injured in one of the collisions and I am sure the nation's thoughts are with them as they recover.



In four separate collisions, one driver, one passenger, a motorcyclist and a pedestrian have lost their lives. We cannot lose sight of the devastation their loss will have on those around them.



Last year saw almost a 20% rise in road fatalities in this state, and we must do better to improve the safety of our roads this year. In my opinion, we are now in an epidemic of road fatalities.



This must include a commitment from the government to prioritise resourcing of the Roads Policing Unit within An Garda Siochana to ensure that enforcement of road safety is being maintained. The unit lost almost 50 members in 2023 alone, and this must be rectified immediately.



It is also vital that the 150m cut from the road maintenance budget is immediately restored in order for upgrades and maintenance to be carried out, particularly on secondary roads and collision black-spots.



Improvements in road safety will unfortunately come too late for the families and communities affected by the loss of 184 people last year, but we must do better to avoid this devastation for others.
Lancaster Resources Announces Spin-Off Agreement with Subsidiary and Record Date





VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE:LCR | OTCQB:LANRF | FRA:6UF0) (the "Company") announces entry into a Spin-Off Agreement with Lancaster's wholly owned subsidiary Nelson Lake Copper Corp. ("Nelson Lake") to spin off a majority of its interest in Nelson Lake Copper to Lancaster Resources shareholders. Incorporated on December 15, 2023, and extra-provincially registered in Saskatchewan, Nelson Lake has a 100% interest in the Nelson Lake Copper property in Saskatchewan, Canada.



The Nelson Lake Copper property is adjacent to notable copper exploration projects, such as Cosa Resources Heron Property and Rio Tinto's Janice Lake (optioned from Forum Energy). The 5,722-hectare property targets sedimentary hosted copper in the Wollaston Domain copperbelt offers a unique copper exploration opportunity.

Share Distribution Details

Pursuant to the Spin-Off Agreement, the parties shall enter into an Arrangement Agreement and a Plan of Arrangement whereby Lancaster will issue 550,000 Lancaster common shares with a deemed value of $0.06 each to Nelson Lake in exchange for 1,600,000 Nelson Lake shares at a deemed value of $0.02 each. Approximately 1,000,000 common shares of Nelson Lake (the "Dividend Shares") will be distributed to Lancaster shareholders at the closing of the transaction.

The record date to determine voting rights and the rights to receive Dividend Shares is January 9, 2024 (the "Record Date"). Shareholders of Lancaster as of January 9, 2024, will be eligible to receive Dividend Shares at a distribution ratio of one Dividend Share for every 50 Lancaster shares held. Shares of Lancaster Resources purchased in the market require 3 business days before ownership is established, so shares purchased after the close of trading on Thursday, January 4, 2023, will not be eligible to receive Dividend Shares. Completion of the spin-off transaction is conditional upon the parties entering into an Arrangement Agreement and a Plan of Arrangement, completing an audit of the financial statements of Nelson Lake, completing a 43-101 Technical Report of the Nelson Lake Copper Project and obtaining approvals of the British Columbia Supreme Court and of the shareholders of Lancaster. The spin-off transaction will not affect the shareholdings of Lancaster common shares and there will be no change in the corporate structure of Lancaster. Lancaster Shareholders holding shares as of the Record Date will receive shares in Nelson Lake Copper Corp. in addition to shares held in Lancaster Resources.

Executive Comments

Penny White, President & CEO of Lancaster Resources, stated: "We are thrilled to unlock shareholder value through this strategic spin-off, enabling Nelson Lake to independently exploit its copper project to its full potential."

Lancaster's Ongoing Commitment

Lancaster Resources remains committed to exploring and developing critical metals, including the Alkali Flat Lithium Brine Project in New Mexico and the Trans-Taiga Lithium Property in Quebec.

The spin-off transaction will be a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The transaction will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction will not exceed 25% of Lancaster's market capitalization.

About Lancaster Resources Inc.

Lancaster Resources (CSE:LCR | OTCQB:LANRF | FRA:6UF0) is engaged in exploring battery and critical metals to take advantage of the global shift towards decarbonization and electrification. Lancaster has rights to acquire 100% of the Alkali Flat Lithium Brine Project, near Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA, a set of claims approximately 5,200 acres (8.1 square miles) in size that Lancaster is exploring for concentrated sub-surface lithium brine deposits. Lancaster's vision is to produce Net Zero Lithium using direct lithium extraction technology powered by solar or geothermal energy.

Lancaster holds the rights to a 100% interest in the Trans-Taiga Lithium Property located within the James Bay lithium district of Quebec and lying on the same geological trend as significant lithium discoveries, including Patriot Metals' Corvette Property. Similarities of the Trans-Taiga Lithium Project to the Corvette Property do not guarantee exploration success at the Trans-Taiga Lithium Project. Lancaster's wholly owned subsidiary Nelson Lake Copper Corp., owns the Nelson Lake Copper property in Saskatchewan, Canada. Guiding Lancaster Resources' journey is a skilled management and technical team with collective involvement in over 15 commercial mineral discoveries and endowed with extensive experience in the creation of lithium brine targets and the exploration and development of Lithium projects across Canada, the American West, Mexico, and South America.

Penny White, President & Chief Executive Officer

Lancaster Resources Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 604 923 6100

Website: www.lancaster-resources.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or Lancaster's future performance. The use of any of the words "could," "expect," "believe," "will," "projected," "estimated," and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Lancaster's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, the ability of Lancaster to execute its exploration plans, obtain exploration and drilling permits, raise capital, retain key personnel, identify, acquire, explore, and develop high-quality mineral-rich properties, and integrate sustainable energy sources and innovative technologies for climate-positive resource production constitute forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Lancaster disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

3 january 2024 at 06:00

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Click Therapeutics To Present at the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference





Click Therapeutics, Inc. ("Click"), a leader in Digital Therapeuticstm as prescription medical treatments, today announced that David Benshoof Klein, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Thursday, January 11th at 10:00 am PST.

Representatives from Click's investor relations and business development teams will also be available for meetings during the conference, which is being held from January 8-11th, 2024 in San Francisco, California.

About Click Therapeutics

Click Therapeutics, Inc., develops, validates, and commercializes software as prescription medical treatments for people with unmet medical needs. As a leading innovator of Digital Therapeuticstm, Click delivers accessible, clinically proven, FDA-regulated prescription treatments to the smartphone in your hand. Click's treatments are defined by a commitment to applying technical and scientific rigor and patient-centric design to the development process. This results in uniquely engaging experiences that achieve compelling clinical outcomes for patients seeking new treatment options. Click Therapeutics continuously expands and refines its platform with novel cognitive, behavioral, and neuromodulatory mechanisms of action and advanced data-driven tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The digital therapeutics under development on Click's platform address diverse areas of therapeutic need, including indications in psychiatry, neurology, oncology, cardiology, and immunology. Consistently named a best place to work, Click fosters an inclusive, diverse workforce of innovators, clinicians, scientists, researchers, designers, technologists, engineers, and more, united in a common mission to provide patients everywhere access to safe and effective prescription digital therapeutics.

For more information, visit www.clicktherapeutics.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

3 january 2024 at 07:00

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Global Times: China practices wise foreign policy in managing relations





BEIJING, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Editor's Note:

In 2023, the world continued to witness significant changes and turbulence. As we have entered into 2024, we conducted in-depth interviews with leading strategists from various countries and regions to gather their perspectives on the prominent global issues of 2023 and China's role in addressing them as well as their expectations for China in 2024.

Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia and President of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid

The year of 2023 was very active for China. It started with a paper stating its position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in February, which was a very good and valuable document. That was a conceptual framework within which a proper peace plan can be developed gradually.

And then China [this year] was active on the Middle East issue. For example, it helped to bring together an important movement in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In June, while receiving the visiting Palestinian president, Chinese President Xi Jinping reemphasized the principle of the two-state solution, something that people didn't really notice at the time, but something that has subsequently become quite central.

Now, when one talks about Gaza, one has to know that the political solution is the only solution that is necessary. Everything else is just temporary. The solution would require a full state of sovereignty for Palestine as well as full membership in the United Nations (UN). In the meantime, we have seen that during China's presidency in November, the UN Security Council first enabled the adoption of a resolution on Gaza. It was not a very strong resolution, but still, it was the first step.

So, if we look at the year 2023, we can see that China was not only very active, but also very successful. Many things are not yet final, but in diplomacy, you don't come to the finality with haste. Being persistent is key, and I believe that the avenues that China opened are healthy and will lead to success.

Chas Freeman, former senior US diplomat

In San Francisco in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that "for China and the US, turning their back on each other is not an option, it is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other." He also stressed that "the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, the vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels."

I thought Xi's statements and performance in San Francisco were exemplary. That is good diplomacy. I think there's a long tradition in China of seeking common ground while reserving differences, and this is a sound approach to managing difficult relations. I think he's absolutely correct that the basic support for the relationship is people-to-people relations. I think he was successful in reassuring many Americans who are favorable to China in the business community. China also values their friendship and wishes to continue to cooperate with them. I think he also wanted to reassure Chinese domestic private sector that he could manage the relationship with the US, and I think he succeeded in that.

As for the Middle East, I think China and the US should be working together to solve these two wars and to end them. China has been very careful to avoid becoming entangled in the quarrels of countries in the Middle East. I think that's been a wise policy. We should be looking to China for help.

John Menadue, former Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser

I think China has done a very good performance. The progress of the Belt and Road Initiative, the expansion of BRICS, and the role of China in bridging the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran have all been very substantial achievements.

The credit goes to China. Its diplomatic clout has been improved. China is taking a great interest and is assisting the Global South. The Global South is watching what America has done in Ukraine and now in Gaza.

China has clearly stepped up in the areas that I mentioned. China should be quite pleased with the progress it has been making. But obviously there are major concerns about what's happening in the South China Sea, continuing provocations over Taiwan question. There's a lot of diplomacy still required from China.

Koh King Kee, president of Center for New Inclusive Asia, a non-government Malaysian think tank

The Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing on October 17 and 18, 2023, commemorating the 10th anniversary of BRI is without question the most important diplomatic event of the year for China. Over the last decade, the BRI has evolved from a connectivity project, based on the concept and spirit of the ancient Silk Road, into an inclusive global cooperation partnership led and driven by China, but shared and owned by all partner countries. The BRI has become a platform through which China shares its technology, development experience, contributing to the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is a concrete manifestation of China's peaceful rise.

China's successful mediation of the Saudi-Iran detente in March 2023 is another notable diplomatic achievement that tacitly reflects China's growing influence on the global stage. This diplomatic feat will foster the collective rise of the Muslim world and potentially change the global power dynamics in the post-Ukraine war era.

Peace is the foundation of humanity's persistent pursuit of development. There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. China believes that security is the most important global public good, and development is the shared responsibility of all countries.

China advocates coexistence, exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations, as no civilization is more superior than any other. All countries should uphold common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom.

The global challenges we face today impose an urgent need for a new paradigm of global governance beyond just optimizing the self-interests of nation-states. China's three global initiatives are its answers to the world that is now at the crossroads of history.

SOURCE Global Times

3 january 2024 at 07:01

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WESTERN AIR APPOINTS FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT & CEO, SHERREXCIA "REXY" ROLLE; APPOINTS REX ROLLE AS CHAIRMAN.





NASSAU, Bahamas, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Air, the largest privately owned airline in The Bahamas, names Sherrexcia "Rexy" Rolle, Esq. as President, CEO & Accountable Manager of Western Air, effective January 1st, 2024. Rexy joins the small, 8% of airline CEOs, that are women. She brings 15+ years of airline experience and served as VP of Operations & General Counsel for the past 9+ years. As an Aviation & Corporate Attorney with a focus in airline operations, she has led Western Air's transition from turboprop to a uniform fleet of 9 Embraer ERJ 145- 50 seater jets and launched new routes including the airline's first US route, between Nassau & Fort Lauderdale. Rexy spearheaded the opening of the Western Air Freeport Passenger Terminal in 2015 and reopened the rebuilt facility, this year, after navigating the airline through the challenges of Hurricane Dorian and the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Rexy is deeply committed to the service we offer passengers. She's hands on. For years, her role has been all encompassing, overseeing the day-to-day operations and the legal & regulatory affairs of the airline. We know she will continue to work hard to enhance and develop the Western Air experience for passengers."- Chairman Rex Rolle stated.

The President & CEO position was previously held by Capt. Rex Rolle, since the airline's inception over 23 years ago. Capt. Rolle is the newly appointed Chairman of the Board. He has over 41+ years of aviation experience and will remain involved in the overall direction of the company. Capt. Rolle co-founded Western Air in September 2000 with his wife, Co- Founder & COO, Shandrice Woodside.

Rexy expressed that she's focused on the customer, the operation and the mission. Uniquely, witnessing the start of the airline, she's aware of where it came from and amidst its success, she sees greater potential yet to be unlocked. She says, "Customers matter most and we are here to serve from check-in to landing and beyond. Passengers motivate our growth and innovation. However, our core mission remains the same; to provide safe, quality, affordable, efficient air service. We believe travel should be easy & no pressure. Hence, our tickets are usable for one year with no change or cancellation fees, ever." She speaks on her new role, "I thank God and I thank our hard working, talented team for their commitment to the service we provide. Each person plays a part. And as a family business, it's truly an honor to step into the role that my Dad served for so long."

Leadership evolution is an integral part of future company progression and Western Air looks forward to taking its passengers' to new heights.

ABOUT WESTERN AIR

Founded in September 2000, Western Air is the largest privately owned airline in The Bahamas operating daily jet service between Nassau and Freeport, Marsh Harbour, Exuma, Cat Island, Bimini, Congo Town, San Andros and Fort Lauderdale, as well as on demand charters throughout the Caribbean, Central & South America & the United States. With a fleet of EMB145LR & XR 50 seater jets and 230+ employees, the airline holds the best on-time record in the region. Western Air operates its own passenger terminals & maintenance facilities located in San Andros and Grand Bahama. For general information visit www.westernairbahamas.com .

SOURCE Western Air Limited

3 january 2024 at 08:00

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MILWAUKEE  A Milwaukee police officer was shot and injured during an hourslong standoff Tuesday with a man holed up in a house, the citys police chief said.

The injured officer, a 38-year-old man with more than 16 years of experience, was shot when the suspect opened fire on police at the rear of the home, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said during a news briefing.

His injuries were nonfatal and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment, Norman said.

A second officer sustained a minor injury but did not require treatment, Norman said. The officers names havent been released.

The suspect, a 25-year-old man, eventually surrendered and was taken into custody, the chief said. Charges will be referred to prosecutors. The suspects name wasnt immediately released.

A gun was recovered at the scene, Norman said.

The officers were among those responding to a domestic violence call that evolved into the suspect firing shots at police, first at the front of the home and then at the rear, he said.

No one was struck by police gunfire, he said.

Four children were in the home at the time and were released by the suspect before his surrender, Norman said.
TAG Oil Provides Update on BED4-T100 Well





VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - TAG Oil Ltd. (TSXV: TAO) (OTCQX: TAOIF) ("TAG Oil" or the "Company") would like to provide the following update on drilling progress of the BED4-T100 ("T100") horizontal well in the Badr Oil Field ("BED-1") in the Western Desert of Egypt.

As reported in the November 15 update, drilling continued from the intermediate cased section of the well and reached a measured depth of 3,312 meters in the Abu-Roash "F" ("ARF") at hole angle of 90 degrees. However, geo-mechanical hole stability concerns in the upper section of the hole in the Abu-Roash "E" ("ARE"), an over-pressured formation with layered carbonate and shale lithology changes, was coupled with mechanical issues with the drilling rig mud system. This provided challenges to condition the build section of the hole past 3,200 meters to be able to run the casing liner, and multiple attempts to drill out past this point and continue into the ARF target reservoir were encumbered.

The Company elected to plug back this hole section, initiate repairs of the drilling rig shale-shakers and tanks on the rig mud system, and review drilling procedures to isolate the ARE zone of the hole and landing the casing liner in the ARF carbonate reservoir zone prior to proceeding with drilling the lateral.

Next steps include re-drilling from the intermediate cased section of the T100 well at approximately 2,650 meters with an oil-based mud system and adjusting the directional drilling services and tools with the goal of drilling a smoother, stable build section in the ARE and isolating it prior to drilling the ARF lateral section.

As previously disclosed, the ARF target reservoir in the T100 vertical pilot well and in the initial lateral section encountered very good oil shows with high hydrocarbon gas readings and good indications of primary porosity. These drilling challenges are not projected to impact the prospect of the ARF resource oil play.

Repairs on the drilling rig and planning for the next leg are underway and completion of the drilling phase is projected to be done next month. The drilling rig will then be released and a rig-less well completion phase with fracture stimulation of the ARF will start immediately after. TAG Oil will continue to provide regular drilling updates, as necessary.

The Company will be hosting a live conference call on Thursday, January 4, 2024, at 7:00 AM PST / 10:00 AM EST to discuss this drilling update. Interested parties will be able to access the conference call via live teleconference in listen-only mode by dialling:

Canada / USA Toll Free: 1-800-319-4610; or

/ Toll Free: 1-800-319-4610; or International Toll: +1-604-638-5340.

Callers should dial in 5 to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time on January 4, 2024, at 7:00 AM PST / 10:00 AM EST.

A replay of the conference call will be available on demand following the conclusion of the live event at http://www.tagoil.com/. In addition, questions can be forwarded by e-mail in advance of the conference call to [email protected].

About TAG Oil Ltd.

TAG Oil (http://www.tagoil.com/) is a Canadian based international oil and gas exploration company with a focus on operations and opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of TAG Oil. All estimates and statements that describe the Company's operations are forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary materially from the information provided in this release, and there is no representation by TAG Oil that the actual results realized in the future will be the same in whole or in part as those presented herein. TAG Oil undertakes no obligation, except as otherwise required by law, to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors change.

Exploration for hydrocarbons is a speculative venture necessarily involving substantial risk. The Company's future success in exploiting and increasing its current resource base will depend on its ability to develop its current properties and on its ability to discover and acquire properties or prospects that are capable of commercial production. However, there is no assurance that the Company's future exploration and development efforts will result in the discovery or development of additional commercial accumulations of oil and natural gas. In addition, even if further hydrocarbons are discovered, the costs of extracting and delivering the hydrocarbons to market and variations in the market price may render uneconomic any discovered deposit. Geological conditions are variable and unpredictable. Even if production is commenced from a well, the quantity of hydrocarbons produced inevitably will decline over time, and production may be adversely affected or may have to be terminated altogether if the Company encounters unforeseen geological conditions. The Company is subject to uncertainties related to the proximity of any resources that it may discover to pipelines and processing facilities. It expects that its operational costs will increase proportionally to the remoteness of, and any restrictions on access to, the properties on which any such resources may be found. Adverse climatic conditions at such properties may also hinder the Company's ability to carry on exploration or production activities continuously throughout any given year.

References to "oil" in this press release include crude oil and field condensate.

SOURCE TAG Oil Ltd.

3 january 2024 at 09:00

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Thailand has approved the second phase of EV subsidy measures for the 4-year period (2024 - 2027)





LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Electric Vehicle Policy Board (EV Board) meeting, which was chaired by Mr. Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister, continued the commitment to propel Thailand into a prominent regional hub for the Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing aligning closely with the 30@30 policy. Thailand aspires to manufacture Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) at least 30% of the total motor vehicle production by the year 2030, or 725,000 cars and 675,000 motorcycles.

The EV Board has approved the second phase of EV Package, known as EV 3.5, for 4 years (2024-2027) to promote EV industry's continuous growth and to facilitate investment opportunities in EV manufacturing in Thailand for new players. The package aims to support investment covering the entire EV industry ecosystem. Companies who have already participated in EV 3 are eligible to apply these measures complying with the conditions and regulations.

As part of the EV 3.5 package, the government will provide subsidies for the purchase of electric cars, electric pickup trucks, and electric motorcycles based on the vehicle types and battery capacities. The subsidies will be provided in range as follows:

For electric passenger cars priced not exceeding $58,000 USD , with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between $1,450 - $2,900 USD per unit. And those with battery capacity less than 50 kWh will be subsidized $580 - $1,450 USD per unit.

, with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between - per unit. And those with battery capacity less than 50 kWh will be subsidized - per unit. For electric pickup trucks priced not exceeding $58,000 USD , with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between $1,450 - $2,900 USD per unit.

, with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between - per unit. For electric motorcycles cars priced not exceeding $4,350 USD , with battery capacity not less than 3 kWh will be subsidized in range between $145 - $290 USD per unit.

The relevant agencies will discuss further to stipulate the subsidy rate as appropriate and propose to the cabinet's approval.

As part of the EV 3.5 package, those electrical passenger cars priced not exceeding $200,000 USD will be incentivized with the reduction of excise tax from 8% to 2%. While electrical passenger cars priced not exceeding $58,000 USD, importing EVs as Completely Built-Up Units (CBUs) during the first two years (2024-2025) will benefit additionally a reduction in import duties up to 40%.

Those companies applying to this package will be contingent on the condition of EV production offset domestically for CBUs imported at 1:2 ratio by 2026 and 1:3 by 2027. Both imported and domestically manufactured electric cars, the batteries must acquire the Industrial Product Standards (TIS) and pass testing based on international standards at the Automotive and Tire Testing National Center (ATTRIC).

In addition, the Board has approved an extension deadline for EV registration under EV 3 package from December 31, 2023, to January 31, 2024 in order to enable consumers planning to purchase EVs at the Thailand International Motor Expo and to complete the registration process.

"The EV 3.5 package reaffirm the Thai government's unwavering commitment, emphasizing a consistent policy that supports Thailand as a prominent hub for electric vehicles in the region. The strategic initiative involves attracting new players to establish production bases and encouraging existing investors to transition to the electric vehicle industry. These efforts will foster sustainable development for Thailand's automotive manufacturing sector, where currently Thailand holds the top position in ASEAN and ranks among the top 10 globally. Furthermore, these measures support Thailand's goal to move towards carbon neutrality by 2050," said Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, the Secretary General of Thailand Board of investment and the Executive Committee Secretariat of EV Board.

In the first phase of the Electric Vehicle supporting program or EV 3 started from 2022, a total of 15 companies have participated, including electric passenger cars, electric pickup trucks, and electric motorcycles. The program has effectively invigorated the growth of the electric vehicle industry in Thailand. The first nine months of the program (January- September 2023) recorded new EV registrations for 50,340 units, marking 7.6 times higher compared to the same period last year. Thailand's continuous EV promotion package since 2017 have resulted in investment in the EV industry worth $1.8 billion USD in manufacturing battery electric vehicles (BEVs), battery electric motorcycles, EV's parts and components, and charging stations.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Suttida Tongdee

1-323-960-1199

[email protected].th

SOURCE Thailand Board of Investment

3 january 2024 at 16:48

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The building where an alleged Israeli strike targeted Hamas political bureau number 2, Saleh al-Arouri, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, January 2, 2024. BILAL HUSSEIN / AP

A gaping hole ripped open the facade of a building in a residential area of Beirut's southern suburb. In this Hezbollah stronghold, members of the Shiite movement's security force have erected cordons to secure access around the site. In the late afternoon of Tuesday, January 2, a very precise drone strike  that has been attributed to Israel  targeted the third-floor apartment where Saleh al-Arouri, the second-in-command of Hamas's political bureau, had been living. This 57-year-old Palestinian man, one of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's most credible successors to head the movement, was killed along with six other people, including two commanders from Hamas's military wing.

This targeted assassination is the biggest blow to Hamas since the war in the Gaza Strip started. Close to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in the Palestinian enclave, and to the organization's military wing  which had planned the bloody October 7 attack responsible for the deaths of 1,200 people in Israel and the capture of over 240 hostages  al-Arouri had been a priority target for the Jewish state. Until then, the Israeli army had claimed responsibility for eliminating middle-ranking Hamas officials in Gaza. This operation is therefore the first to target the movement's leaders in exile. It is a slap in the face for Hezbollah, whose stronghold in Beirut has been targeted by Israel for the first time since the 2006 war in Lebanon.

"His assassination is a turning point in the history of Hamas. He was a historic figure, highly respected in the West Bank and by all those involved in the axis of resistance in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq," said Leila Seurat, a researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Political Studies in Paris (CAREP Paris). He was one of the most active architects of reconciliation with Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah and a proponent of unity between the Palestinian factions, hopes which Israel had eliminated. His death came  symbolically  on the eve of the commemoration of the assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani, killed on January 3, 2020 in a US drone strike in Baghdad. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has nevertheless vowed that his movement "will never be defeated." "This is the history of the resistance and the movement: Following the assassination of its leaders, it becomes even stronger and more determined," he added.

Radical and unifying figure

Born in 1966 in Aroura, a small West Bank village near Ramallah, al-Arouri joined Hamas in 1987 during his Islamic studies at Hebron University. He was involved in setting up the movement's military infrastructure in the West Bank, and has been accused of having had a hand in the 2014 abduction of three young boys  which sparked off a war in Gaza  and had been arrested by Israel several times. He was released in April 2010, on the condition that he leave the West Bank. He joined Hamas's political bureau in exile  from Damascus to Istanbul, and then to Beirut  becoming its number-two figure in 2017.

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THE man charged in connection to the death of Maciej Nowak at a property close to the Limerick/Tipperary border over Christmas has been remanded in custody until later this month.

Tomasz Rozpeda, aged 27, of no fixed abode, appeared before Judge Philip OLeary at a sitting of Tipperary Town District Court in Nenagh this Wednesday.

Sergeant Cathal Godfrey, of Tipperary Town garda station, told the court that the defendant is charged with assault causing harm, contrary to section three of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act and applied to court for the defendant to be further remanded in custody.

Solicitor for the accused, Vincent McCormack, told the court that Mr Rozpeda did not wish to make a bail application and he asked for the matter to be put back for his client to appear in person.

Judge O'Leary noted this and he adjourned the case back to January 24.

Maciej Nowak, 32, was found dead at a house in Ballycrana, Kilross, on Wednesday, December 27, following what is believed to be an assault.

The property is located close to Galbally in Co. Limerick, where Mr Nowak was known to socialise.
THE operator of a holiday castle in west Limerick has secured development funding worth more than 10,000.

Located at Ballysteen, Askeaton, Beagh Castle has been chosen as one of Three Irelands recipients of small business grants.

Funded by Three Ireland and managed by the small business network and support provider, Enterprise Nation, the bursary comprises 5,000 cash, 5,000 for device and connectivity solutions, as well as mentoring from Three Irelands in-house experts.

Beagh Castle is a holiday cottage located on an 18-acre site close to the Shannon Estuary.

The grounds are home to donkeys, ponies, goats and rabbits.

The hugely-popular Iverus Cafe is also located on the grounds.

Padraig Sheerin, Head of small to medium sized enterprises at Three Ireland commented: The grant for small businesses is one of Three Irelands flagship initiatives each year and it is a programme that we take great pride in.

"For the third year running, Three has partnered with Enterprise Nation on this which will assist these businesses with their continuous growth and development.

"We are delighted with the volume of applications we received this year which is testament to the high regard that small firms have for this initiative and the appetite for growth amongst Irelands entrepreneurs.
The number of electric cars sold across Ireland last year increased by more than 45% compared to the number sold during the previous 12 months.

According to new data from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), 15,678 new electric cars were registered between January and December 2023 - representing 18.70% of all new cars sold.

Almost a third (30.7%) of new cars sold last year were petrol-fuelled, 22.16% were diesel models and 18.54% were classed as hybrid.

Meanwhile, the latest figures show that sales of new cars, across all categories, increased by almost 15% when compared to the previous year.

According to SIMI, a total of 121,850 new cars were registered nationally last year - up from 105,398 in 2022.

The five most popular make of model of car sold in Ireland during 2023 were: Hyundai Tucson (5,238), Kia Sportage (3,652), Toyota Corolla (3,197), Toyota Yaris Cross (3,048), and Volkswagen ID.4 (2,922)

Grey (37%), black (20%) and blue (15%) were the most-popular colour choices for those who bought new cars during 2023.

Commenting on the latest figures, Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General said: "2023 was a year of progress for the Irish Motor Industry, both in terms of new vehicle registrations and electric vehicle sales. New car registrations finished at 121,850 units, up 16% on 2022 and 4% ahead of pre-Covid 2019. We do expect to see some growth in EV sales again in 2024, but key to this will be the ongoing Government support, both in terms of vehicle and taxation incentives and investment in a fit for purpose charging infrastructure."

Mr Cooke added: "The mix in the new car market however, from electric to hybrid to more traditional engine types, highlights the diverse nature of Irish motorists driving requirements, and reducing the age of the national fleet, as well as moving to zero emission vehicles, will be vital if we want to get close to Irelands climate goals."
Environmental group Just Forests kickstarted their nationwide Ban Tractor Runs campaign in Tullamore, Co Offaly on Thursday last with a protest in the town centre at the start of the annual charity Tullamore Tractor Run.

The campaign will run through 2024 at randomly selected towns and villages from Malin Head to Roches Point, said Just Forests founder, Tom Roche.

The environmentalists said: The current practice of hosting tractor runs, or receiving funds generated by tractor runs by schools and charities in Ireland is as outdated as tobacco sponsorship would be to lung cancer patients. Tractor runs show a total disregard for education for sustainable development (ESD), much needed Climate Action and unquestionable health science.

Regardless of how hard pressed the schools and the charities in question are for funding, tractor runs and the resulting carcinogenic emissions that ensues is seriously damaging to our personal and public health, claimed the Rhode based campaigner,

Participating schools are not helping their pupils to think outside the box and prepare them for the challenging future that awaits them. They are in fact going against any hope of a just transition to a world where renewable energy becomes the norm. Furthermore, the ever-increasing decline in air quality because of fossil fuel emissions is a source of eco-anxiety and confusion for many school children.

He said: "Local charities must ask themselves if they really want to be associated with an activity that perpetuates the very illness, they so desperately try to help people cope with. School boards of management have an obligation to prepare their pupils for challenging times ahead through education for sustainable development.

Sports clubs must also ask themselves why they would want to receive sponsorship from fossil fuel companies who are responsible for causing such havoc to sporting fixtures as a result of fossil fuel related weather conditions  from extreme heat to devastating floods never experienced before in this country, continued Mr Roche.
Wisconsin election officials can accept absentee ballots whose envelopes contain partial witness addresses as long as the witnesses correct addresses are discernable, a Dane County judge ruled in two separate lawsuits Tuesday.

In handing down the orders, Dane County Judge Ryan Nilsestuen rejected the Wisconsin Elections Commissions proposed definition of an address as including a street number, street name and the name of the municipality.

Instead, he ruled, a witness address can omit municipalities and ZIP codes, or simply say same or ditto if the witness lives with the voter  as long as clerks can figure out where the witness lives.

The decisions could allow more votes to be counted in upcoming elections. A Waukesha County judge in September 2022 ruled that clerks cannot correct address errors on absentee ballot certificates  typically contained on the back of the envelopes containing the ballots  leaving some clerks to reject ballots missing witnesses ZIP codes or municipality.

That led Rise Inc., a liberal group that mobilizes young voters, and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin to file two separate lawsuits arguing voters shouldnt be disenfranchised because of immaterial errors on ballot envelopes that clerks can no longer fix.

Nilsestuen agreed with the plaintiffs, saying tossing ballots over those errors would violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibition on disenfranchising voters over mistakes on forms that arent key to determining a voters eligibility.

All voters deserve to have their votes counted regardless of whether they vote in person or absentee, League of Women Voters executive director Debra Cronmiller said Tuesday. Small errors or omissions on the absentee certificate envelope should not prevent voters from exercising their constitutional rights.

The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau in 2021 reviewed 14,710 absentee ballot certificates in 29 municipalities and found that 1,022 certificates, or 6.9%, were missing parts of witness addresses; 15, or 0.1%, did not have any witness address at all; eight, or less than 0.1%, did not have a witness signature; and three, or less than 0.1%, did not have a voter signature. Clerks corrected 66, or about 0.4%, of those certificates.
A new report has revealed over 8,000 abortions took place in Ireland in 2022.

The Annual Report on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 found that 8,156 medical procedures were carried out under the Act between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

According to the report - which has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas as required under section 20 of the Act - 22 procedures were carried out due to a risk to the life or health of the woman, and four were due to a risk to the life or health of the woman in an emergency situation.

Eighty eight procedures were performed due to a fatal foetal anomaly, amounting to just over 1% of the number of terminations in 2022.

A total of 8,042 terminations in early pregnancy (up to twelve weeks) were recorded in the same time period.

This is almost double the number of terminations which occurred between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021, when 4,577 procedures were carried out.

The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act requires the date on which the termination of pregnancy was carried out (and place of residence of the pregnant woman) to be notified to the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly.

Data indicates January, March and December were the months with the highest number of terminations in 2022, with 783, 751 and 752 respectively, while July was listed as the month with the fewest notifications to the minister (487).

The county with the highest number of terminations recorded was Dublin, where 3,005 terminations took place. This is followed by Cork (734 terminations) and Limerick (377 terminations).

Leitrim was noted as the county with the fewest number of terminations (48).

A full list of terminations by county in 2022 is available below:

Additionally, 12 pregnant women listed Northern Ireland as their place of residence, while five other women were reportedly from a location outside of Ireland.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has also submitted a report on reviews carried out in 2022.

According to the Department of Health, the report shows that four applications for review were received in 2022, with two withdrawn; one application was found to have met the requirements for a lawful termination of pregnancy and one did not meet the requirements.

Minister Donnelly recently announced the provision of termination of pregnancy services in five additional maternity hospital sites, including Kilkenny, Portiuncula, Letterkenny, Wexford and Portlaoise hospitals.

It brings the total number of maternity hospitals providing early (under 12 weeks) termination services to seventeen.

Announcing the news at the time, Minister Donnelly said, "This expansion is a significant step towards the provision of full termination services for women in all nineteen Maternity hospitals. I would like to acknowledge the work of the HSE National Women and Infant Health Programme, the hospitals and the service providers who have contributed to this important milestone in termination of pregnancy services in Ireland.

"I look forward to further expansion of services in 2024 and the reality of safe, equitable access to this service for all women."

Currently in Ireland, a pregnant woman seeking termination services must wait at least three days between being certified and having the abortion procedure.

Women's groups and activists are among those who have called for an end to this waiting period.

However, concerns on removing this reflection period have also been expressed, most recently in a Joint Committee on Health debate in October 2023 by Deputy Peadar Toibin and Senator Ronan Mullen.
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences as part of an investigation into the supply of illegal drugs linked to the East Belfast UVF.

Detectives from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force arrested the boy following the search of a property in south Belfast on Wednesday.

He was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class C controlled drugs with intent to supply as well as possessing and transferring criminal property.

The arrest follows an operation in March last year in which drugs estimated to be worth more than 130,000 were seized in east Belfast.

Two men, aged in their 30s, were charged with drug offences in relation to that operation.

Detective Inspector Maguire said: This demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force to protecting communities and dismantling the supply of illegal drugs linked to East Belfast UVF.

During the search today a further significant quantity of cash has been seized.

Those involved in the so-called drugs trade are putting money straight into the hands of paramilitaries, whose only concern is financial gain and control. They care nothing about those lives and relationships that get ruined along the way.

The fact that young or vulnerable people may be groomed and recruited, over months and years, into criminal behaviours is hugely concerning.

The solution requires collective efforts, and Im keen to reiterate an appeal to anyone with information, or concerns, to please speak up.

Members of the public can contact police on the non-emergency number 101, or contact Crimestoppers, with 100% anonymity, on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

The Paramilitary Crime Task Force is a multi-agency task force set up in Northern Ireland to protect communities by tackling all forms of criminality linked to paramilitarism.

It consists of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs.
Abbey Tauchen |

On Friday, December 15, Lincoln University of Missouri held its Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony at Pawley Theatre, where two students  Cadet Yolanda Martin from Jefferson City, Missouri, and Cadet Justin Martinez from OFallon, Missouri  officially became United States Army officers. The commissioning ceremony marks the transformation from cadet to second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

LU President Dr. John Moseley congratulates newly commisioned ROTC Officer Justin Martinez.

Distinguished scholar, military officer and spiritual leader, Chaplain (Colonel) Khallid M. Shabazz, Ph.D., D. Min., served as the commissioning ceremony guest speaker. With 31 years of experience, he provided the newly commissioned officers with invaluable advice as they prepare to become leaders in the U.S. Army.

You are the soldiers future standing in their presence, says Chaplain Shabazz. You are the one that has the power that can change the outcomes of human lives. You see, young leader, you are so powerful, you can also be the leader that with mere words changes peoples existence.

Joe and Pamela Martin pin newly commisioned ROTC officer Yolanda Martin

Martins pinning of the rank was performed by Joe and Pamela Martin, and Martinezs pinning of the rank was performed by Jose and Cynthia Martinez. The first salute to both new officers was given by Sergeant First Class Joshua Crisostomo, USA (Ret).

Congratulations, new officers!

Learn more about ROTC at Lincoln University of Missouri.
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On the verge of finding the top 5 most effective essay writing websites for proven results in 2024, the list was curated through authentic websites like Trustpilot and SiteJabber. While going through all essay writers' reviews 2023, it was noticed that some legit essay writers' websites are giving tough competition to other companies.

The key features of these top essay helpers were skilled writers, affordable prices, easy ordering processes, user-friendly interface and helpful customer support agents.

Here are the top five picks of websites for essay writing:

The Academic Papers UK  Undoubtedly the Best essay writing service in the UK for university students 9.9/10 Affordable Dissertation UK The best college paper writing service 9.7/10 Cheap Essay Writing UK  The best service for affordable essay help  9.6/10 Dissertation Writers UK The best choice for expert essay writers online  9.6/10 Cheap Dissertation Writing UK  The fastest service for quick delivery  9.5/10

Lets discuss in detail what makes theseUK-based essay writing services popular among students. The prominent features of these companies have been covered here as well.

Best Essay Writing Services UK in 2024

1. The Academic Papers UK

View Full Image The Academic Papers UK

The Academic Papers UK tops the list of top-notch essay writing services online in the UK. The writers in this company have a wealth of experience in academic writing, and they write excellent essays. The company enjoys a stellar reputation in the world of best essay help services in London.

You can count on the expert writers of this company to write custom essays for you. It is the best of essay writing services in all domains, such as essay quality, quick delivery, helpful customer support team, and professional writers.

Features:

The Academic Papers UK has native British essay writers to write high-quality standard essays.

The writers of this essay website ensure 100% client satisfaction.

This company also provides free work samples to clients before they order their essays.

The Academic Papers UK is 100% safe and secure to use for ordering papers and buying custom essays online.

Being one of the legit essay writing services, it does not share the client data with the 3rd parties.

The customer support team is always present on this website to respond to queries of clients.

Price:

The Academic Papers UK offers the most budget-friendly pricing options in the market, and it caters to needs of students with limited financial sources. It charges 9.95 per page/250 words for an A/O levels essay when you select a deadline of 15+ days. You can also get 5% discount on each order. The Christmas Special 50% off is live on this website now.

Customer Review:

The Academic Papers UK enjoys a rating of 4.7/5 stars on TrustPilot. The company has satisfied thousands of clients with the quality of work they provide. One of the pleased customers, Elisa, shared, I highly recommend The Academic Papers UK to other students who are looking for the best college essay writing service online. The customer service is supportive and loyal, and the writer is skilled and knowledgeable. They go above and beyond to deliver the highest standard piece of work. Many Thanks.

In conclusion, The Academic Papers UK is one of the best reputable essay writing services that can provide you with the reliable essay help at cheapest price.

2. Affordable Dissertation UK

View Full Image Affordable Dissertation UK

Per the genuine customer reviews, Affordable Dissertation UK stands number second on our list of best essay writing services online in the UK. This genuine essay writing service caters to students' academic writing needs at all educational levels.

Features:

Unlike other cheap essay services, the expert essay helpers here craft fully customised papers as per clients requirements.

The personalised approach of their essay writers helps you meet your academic goals.

The unlimited revision policy of Affordable Dissertation UK makes it the best of all quality essay writing services online.

It has a record of 1 million+ completed orders.

A team of 800+ expert writers of Affordable Dissertation UK make it one of the premier essay writing services online in UK.

It has a 99.99% distinction rate overall in all subjects and academic papers.

Price:

The budget-friendly pricing range of Affordable Dissertation UK has been appreciated by their client base. The company charges 9.95 per page for an O-level essay when you select a deadline of 15+ days. You can also get 5% discount on each order.

Customer Review:

A satisfied reviewer of the company, Jay, shared his experience of ordering his academic essays from Affordable Dissertation UK. He remarked, If I could give Affordable Dissertation UK more than five stars, I would really. I am beyond satisfied with the essays delivered. Pricing is reasonable compared to the quality of work. The customer service is so polite and patient. Writers understand straight away what I need and get to work on it. Thank you guys for everything."

In conclusion, the dedication of Affordable Dissertation UK to providing quality custom essay help to students has made it an attractive choice for them. You can buy essay online from UK-based top writers to get academic success.

3. Cheap Essay Writing UK

View Full Image Cheap Essay Writing UK

If you want help with writing up-to-the-mark essays, Cheap Essay Writing UK shall be the best bet for you. It is an affordable essay writing service that allows clients to buy essays in a matter of a few hours instead of spending a substantial amount of money, and valuable time.

The PhD qualified writers at this fastest essay writing service leave no stone unturned to make your experience the best for you. They treat your good grades and positive experience with their company as their top priority.

Features:

The Essay Help Comes with 100% plagiarism-free work guarantee. They scan your papers through Turnitin before submission.

The delivery rate of this company is exceptionally good. You always get all the orders on time.

Cheap Essay Writing UK has an order tracking facility for clients.

The website offers freebie options to prove that it provides the cheapest essay help in UK to students.

It has a flexible pricing plan and gives several discounts to the clients.

Price:

Cheap Essay Writing UK offers competitive pricing options to students in the essay writing niche. The website charges 12.95 per page for a university level essay when you select a deadline of 15+ days. You can also get additional 10% discount on each order.

Customer Review:

Hannah from England rated Cheap Essay Writing UK in the following words: I highly recommend the British essay writers of Cheap Essay Writing UK for their academic essays. The writers are friendly and can support you 24/7 hours. It is a wonderful online university essay writing service. Also, writers do their job with high quality and professionalism. I highly appreciate their help."

In conclusion, Cheap Essay Writing UK is a top-rated essay help service that provides high achieving essay papers to students at cheap rates. You can get your custom essays written by their English writers, and rest assured that you shall secure your desired grades in your papers.

4. Dissertation Writers UK

View Full Image Dissertation Writers UK

Dissertation Writers UK is the 4th on the essay writing services reviewed by our professionals. It stands above the rest of other top essay writing services in London. Whether you want a short essay or a detailed research paper, you will receive a top-class essay within the predefined deadline from this service.

The writers on this service go above and beyond to ensure that clients get well-written papers that meet their requirements. They meet the deadlines of the students. Even if you set a minimal delivery time of three hours for your order, the writing team of this company shall provide you with work on time.

Features:

Dissertation Writers UK provides 100% original essays to the clients.

The writers of this website are available 24/7 to cater to the needs of students.

The safety and confidentiality of clients' personal information is the top priority of the Dissertation Writers UK team.

It ensures a continuous communication process between the writers and the clients.

The essays written by the writers of this company are always research-based and factually accurate.

Price:

Dissertation Writers UK provides help from the best essay writers to clients at affordable prices. You can buy high quality essays from this company at fairly cheaper rates than the industry. The company charges 12.95 per page for an undergraduate essay when you select a deadline of 15+ days. To have additional discount, you can contact with the customer support.

Customer Review:

Nana from London remarked about her experience with Dissertation Writers UK and gave a detailed review. She said, Dissertation Writers UK is a professional, responsive, and custom essay writing service online. The native English writers always deliver on time, and all their work is of top quality. I have never been disappointed with them and will wholeheartedly recommend them."

In conclusion, Dissertation Writers UK is the cheapest essay writing service that does not compromise on the quality of essay help it provides to the clients. The senior essays writers of this company have a penchant for writing quality essays and boast the experience of years in this field.

5. Cheap Dissertation Writing UK

View Full Image Cheap Dissertation Writing UK

In our list of top essay websites for the year 2024, Cheap Dissertation Writing UK stands number 5th. This company has a reputation for easy ordering process, urgent delivery and quick customer support. The essays are always non-plagiarised, and the writers send a free plagiarism report with each completed order.

The price charged by this company is the same that is mentioned in the order form. There are no additional charges. The writers are cooperative and well-versed in writing high-quality academic standards.

Features:

Cheap Dissertation Writing UK is one of the best and affordable essay writing services online.

It provides a 100% risk-free, money back guarantee to the clients.

The writers ensure the timely delivery of essays and meet the students' deadlines.

The ordering process of the website is simple.

The customer support agents of this company stay available round the clock to address the clients' queries.

Price:

The discounts and promo offers given by the British essay writers of Cheap Dissertation Writing UK are unbeatable. You can buy essays online from this website with a 100% money back guarantee. The company charges 13.95 per page for a masters essay when you select a deadline of 15+ days. You can also get up to 15% discount on each order.

Customer Review:

Sarah from Manchester reviewed Cheap Dissertation Writing UK as the best online essay writing service. She remarked that she was happy with the business and economics essays she received from this website. Her words are mentioned here: Very good pro essay writing service. Everything was on time, and I am very grateful for their help in these stressful times. Will recommend it to others."

In conclusion, Cheap Dissertation Writing UK is the best place to get custom essay writing help online. It offers quality academic support to students who are struggling with balancing their social lives and academic tasks altogether.

How do you Choose the Best Essay Writing Services in 2024?

When choosing premium essay writing services, you should always consider the rating of such websites. Besides, rating, there are several key features that you can consider such as:

The availability of the customer support service.

The quality of work produced by websites

The professional behaviour of the writers

The after-care service and guarantees.

The most important thing to consider is the ratings and customer reviews about the websites. The reviews offer insights into the personal experiences of other users and help you see the reliability of the services. The 5 best websites that have been mentioned above are all professional and highly popular among students.

Conclusion:

With the overall analysis of the cost, reliability, quality, and customer feedback, these 5 writing companies are the best and recommended essay writing services in the UK. The most impressive key features witnessed by clients is the availability of native British essay writers, guarantee to first class essays and on time delivery as well as 24/7 customer support.

Furthermore, the writers at these top-rated essay writing services are well-versed in the expectations of UK universities, and they meet the academic standards of these institutions. They have been trained to conduct thorough research and produce plagiarism free papers. The writers adhere to the provided deadlines and guidelines of the clients.

The bottom line is that you can safely get help from experienced and knowledgeable writers of these companies. Further, the above essay writing help services are legal to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Essay Writing Services Any Good?

Yes, legitimate essay writing services in UK provide best essay help to students worldwide. The 5 best cheap essay writing services we mentioned in this article are registered in the UK and can help students writing their essays.

What Is The Best Essay Writing Service UK?

The Academic Papers UK is a cheap and reliable essay writing service online that has professional essay writers on board who craft excellent essays for the students. It has a stellar online rating and is known in London for quality essay help. You shall never be disappointed by the work of its essay writers.

What Is The Best Platform To Get The Reviews Of Essay Writing Services?

The best platform to get the reviews of essay writing services is Trustpilot with millions of reviews by genuine clients. The Academic Papers UK is the top ranked essay writing service per this platform as it provides exceptional essay help to clients across the globe and has the best reviews.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.

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Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], January 2: HunyHuny, a distinguished brand in the premium baby and parenting products sector, joyfully announced its expansion in Ahmedabad with the grand opening of its newest store. The inauguration ceremony, graced by the presence of renowned celebrity and actress Shraddha Dangar, highlighted the brand's dedication to becoming the ultimate destination for families seeking top-notch cots https://hunyhuny.com/44-buy-best-baby-cot-in-india ), cribs, strollers https://hunyhuny.com/14-baby-transport and prams for their little ones.

HunyHuny provides a comprehensive omnichannel experience, boasting a vast network of mother-and-baby stores. It has garnered positive reception in areas such as Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Pune, and Jaipur, with eminent plans for extending its footprint to more cities in the near future.

Specializing in a diverse array of baby and parenting products, HunyHuny has consistently stood out in its commitment to alleviating parental worries across all stagesfrom pregnancy through postpartum and beyond. Renowned among celebrity parents, HunyHuny's unique distinction lies in its steadfast dedication to delivering affordability without compromising quality. Every product from HunyHuny meets rigorous international standards and is the outcome of thorough research by a dedicated team of experts, ensuring excellence in every facet.

"We are excited to introduce HunyHuny to the lively city of Ahmedabad.," remarked Mr Shrikhanth Komarla, Operations Head, HunyHuny."Our goal is to provide more than just products; we aspire to offer an experience that aligns with the parenting journey. Every parent desires the best for their baby, preferring to physically interact with and assess the products before introducing them to their little ones. We also recognize the significance of delivering excellence for your child without burdening your budget, and that is exactly what HunyHuny embodies  a blend of quality, affordability, and care.

Shraddha Dangar, a renowned celebrity stated- The arrival of HunyHuny into Ahmedabad marks a significant milestone for families of Gujarat who are in search of high-quality baby and parenting products. Their admirable commitment to maintaining excellence while ensuring affordability is truly noteworthy. The brand's dedication to delivering top-notch quality aligns with my belief that every child deserves the best. Congratulations to HunyHuny for extending their compassionate and quality-driven approach to the dynamic city of Ahmedabad.

The opening of the Ahmedabad store is a thrilling achievement for HunyHuny as it endeavours to further its dedication to families in the area. Those who visit the store can anticipate a thoughtfully curated array of high-quality baby and parenting products. This collection spans from deluxe baby cots and stroller prams, along with accessories and clothing, to essential care items, addressing the varied requirements of contemporary parents.

For latest updates Follow on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/hunyhuny_india?igsh=ODA1NTc5OTg5Nw==

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.

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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will rise in the Parliament to present the Interim Budget for fiscal year 2024-25 on February 1. Till a few years back, the budget was presented every year at the end of February. But why the parliamentary tradition was changed in 2017, and the Union Budget presented on February 1 instead of the month's end?

In 2017, then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the Union Budget would no longer be tabled on the last working day of February as it used to be in the colonial era.

Why the budget date was changed?

Besides getting rid of this colonial era tradition there was also a special reason behind this change. As the budget used to be presented on the last date of February, it was practically making it difficult to implement the provisions of the budget for the next financial year which begins the next day i.e April 1.

Also Read | Budget 2024: A quick guide on how to read the Budget document

To solve this problem then Finance Minister Jaitley suggested changing the budget date and in 2017 the Union Budget was presented at the beginning of February instead of the month end.

Not only the budget date, Jaitley also ended the 92-year-old British tradition to present a separate budget for Railways, he merged the Railways Budget with the Union Budget in 2017.

Why and when the budget timing was changed to 11 am?

Till 1999, the Union Budget was used to be presented at 5 pm on the last day of February. It was a British-India tradition, which was not changed even after independence.

Also Read | Budget 2024: Interesting facts about the Budget presentation

It is also very interesting to know, from where the 5 pm budget presentation came. During the colonial period, the budget was presented in Britain at 11 am (local time) which was at 5 pm in India as the Indian time zone is 4.5 hours ahead of British Summer Time.

In 1999, Yashwant Sinha, then Finance Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, suggested that the Union Budget should be presented at 11 am. The idea behind the change was that it would give ample time for better analysis of numbers resulting in more informed debate and discussions.

After the approval, Sinha breaking the British traditionpresented the 1999 Union Budget at 11 am, for the first time in the history of Independent India and since then the Union Budget has been presented every year at 11 am.

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One of Bracken Darrells first stops as CEO of the company that owns Vans was a visit to the son of its co-founder.

Darrell inspected the memorabilia in the office of Steve Van Doren, who is the brands ambassador, including photos of Warped Tour, a music festival Vans used to sponsor that helped burnish its counterculture status. Since the company stopped sponsoring the tour and similar events, it has lost more young people than any other age group. Darrell thought he had hit on a clue to help answer how the shoe brand lost its cool.

It is a question a lot of people are asking about the Southern California company, which is dragging down owner VF after years of being its engine of growth. The 60-year-old Darrell, who joined VF in July, is trying to resuscitate the $11.6 billion owner of brands that also include the North Face and Timberland.

He doesnt have much time. Activist investors are urging him to cut costs and jettison brands.

Key to fixing VF is turning around Vans, which is its largest brand and accounts for nearly a third of total revenue. Vanss performance has been hurt by a shift in the way VF operates, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former employees as well as industry executives.

The secret to VFs success for decades was a hands-off approach that kept corporate expenses low and allowed its brands to retain autonomy over key functions such as product development and marketing. In recent years, it chipped away brand independence and consolidated more power at the corporate level.

People running the brands started to feel like they had to ask permission to do everything," Darrell said in an interview, explaining that the corporate entity had become a gatekeeper of resources rather than a facilitator.

At Vans, innovation stalled as the company remained focused on selling shoes designed in the 1970s while many consumers gravitated to more comfortable alternatives.

VFs net income in the most recent fiscal year declined more than 90% from a year earlier, partly because of the devaluation of its streetwear brand Supreme. VF shares are down about 75% since the end of 2021, making it one of the worst performing stocks in the S&P 500 index over that period. Debt has ballooned to $6.7 billion.

It has put three luggage and backpack brandsKipling, Eastpak and JanSportup for sale. In October, it cut its dividend by 70%. And at the height of its critical holiday season, the company disclosed in December that a cyberattack had disrupted its ability to fulfill orders and would likely have a material impact on its business.

Darrell spends much of his time at Vanss Costa Mesa, Calif., campus trying to diagnose its problems and figure out how to fix them.

He visits stores to talk to customers and works in the company cafeteria, where he shares his mobile number with employees. He plans to steer more investment into the brand and is pushing executives to develop new products faster. He is urging Vans employees to recapture the outsider mindset that many current and former employees say has slipped away as the brand has gone more mainstream. As one senior executive has told staff, bring back the f you attitude."

VF got its start as a glove and mitten factory in 1899 in Reading, Pa. It went public in 1951 and later became a conglomerate of clothing brands, spending billions to swallow Wrangler and Lee jeans among others.

Many of the companies VF owned retained their headquarterseach with a unique identity. Employees skateboarded down the halls of Vanss offices. At North Faces headquarters, conference rooms were named for mountains such as Alaskas Denali peak.

From 2000 through 2016, VFs revenue more than doubled, while profits more than quadrupled. Our results demonstrate the strength of VFs business model," former VF CEO Eric Wiseman told analysts in 2015.

Things began to change when VF spun off its jeans business in 2019, and moved its corporate headquarters from Greensboro, N.C., to Denver.

For the first time, several brands were brought under one roof, including North Face, JanSport, Eagle Creek and Icebreaker. The goal was to boost innovation and collaboration.

Rather than relocate, employees quit. North Face lost more than three quarters of its staff and had to hire hundreds of people to fill vacancies. A VF spokesman said that while the move to Denver resulted in meaningful attrition," it was able to retain key talent.

As the center became more bloated, resources were diverted from the brands, according to a slide deck prepared by the activist investor Engaged Capital, which built a stake in VF. According to Engaged, corporate expenses grew 34% from 2020 to 2023.

Vans was further hamstrung because its parent company relied on its profits to fund other parts of the empire, including smaller labels.

VF tried to impose innovations on its brands that they didnt always want, and sometimes declined to fund those that the brands deemed important, according to former employees.

It tried to get Vans to make wool sneakers, even though Vans executives said their customers didnt want them. VF declined to provide more resources for a popular program that allowed Vans customers to design their own shoes, because its other brands werent interested in customization.

Darrells management philosophy was shaped by childhood trauma.

He grew up in the small town of Owensboro, Ky. On Christmas Eve when he was nine years old, his father left a note on the fireplace mantel telling his family that he was leaving and wouldnt be coming back.

After his parents divorced, his mother had four car wrecks and a nervous breakdown. Darrell told her to imagine she was on a beach and to draw a line in the sand behind her feet. Everything behind her was the past. She couldnt change it, but she could learn from it, he told her.

Thats how I feel at VF," Darrell said. The past is something to learn from."

Over a career in which he revived Old Spice deodorant at Procter & Gamble and steered a turnaround at computer keyboard and webcam maker Logitech, Darrell said he developed a healthy fear of the pitfalls of success. Once you have it, you start taking fewer risks," he said.

While at Logitech, which he ran for a decade, he penned a Dr. Seuss-like poem titled The Secret to Success: Avoid it."

It reads in part:

SUCCESS makes you fearful, Of losing your place, Of gambling with stature, Of losing your face."

Darrell said Vans, which was founded in 1966, had become too reliant on five classic styles that it has sold since its infancyincluding the checkerboard slip-ons worn in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High" by Sean Penn.

The classics are made much the way they were at inception, by gluing the upper part of the shoe to a flat rubber sole. That method still resonates with the skate crowd, who like the way the shoes grip the boards. But non-skaters complain on websites such as Redditwhere one thread is titled Dont your feet hurt after wearing Vans"about the shoes flat footbeds that have little arch support.

Darrell is pushing executives to move faster to churn out new styles that are more in tune with current trends and has examined the designs for every product that Vans plans to introduce over the next three seasons.

Another move is to free up all of VFs brand presidents from some of the daily minutia so they can spend more time on product innovation. And hes outlined $300 million in cost cuts, including the elimination of 500 jobs globally, a portion of which will be reinvested into the brands.

So far he has the support of the activists. Bracken is doing a diligent job in understanding what made VF special for more than 100 years and hes moving with urgency to fix the damage from the last five years," said Glenn Welling, Engageds founder.

Vans caught a wave," Darrell said, referring to the brands turbocharged growth of recent decades when everyone from Rihanna to David Beckham was wearing its sneakers. Thats a dream, but if youve misdiagnosed why it grew, it can be a nightmare on the way down."

Write to Suzanne Kapner at suzanne.kapner@wsj.com

View Full Image He Revived Old Spice. Can This CEO Save a Sneaker That Lost Its Cool?

View Full Image He Revived Old Spice. Can This CEO Save a Sneaker That Lost Its Cool?
Indian exporters may continue to witness a rise in shipping costs as normalcy eludes the Red Sea region and freight companies continue to avoid the Suez Canal, opting for the longer route around Africa to reach the West.

The longer route around the Cape of Good Hope is adding 12-15 days of voyage and freight charges have gone up by 80-100%, experts said.

These companies have been looking to increase the freight charges for the past six to eight months, but due to low import-export volumes (India), the vessels have not been full. This has helped to keep the cost low. But now with the escalating situation in the Red Sea, these companies are imposing charges that are making the cost rise by 80-100%," said Nilesh Thadani, director, Alltrans Shipping and Logistics LLP.

Shipping major MSC in a client advisory announced that it will implement a contingency surcharge of $1,500 per container on all shipments from the Indian sub-continent to Europe and Black Sea destinations. CMA CGM announced a similar Red Sea surcharge of $1,575 for 20-foot dry containers and up to $3,000 for reefer containers and special equipment. Other major shipping lines too have announced such surcharges.

Exporters say that these charges are in addition to an escalation in the base charges.

Given the increasing involvement of countries like USA and Iran in the Red Sea, the situation is likely to escalate further, which the freight companies are looking to exploit. They have started to impose various charges in addition to the increasing base price. These charges are now higher by two to three times, during a time in which exports are being given a firm push by the government," said Khalid Khan, board member of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

The situation in the Red Sea flared up again after Houthi militia attacked a Maersk container vessel. The company temporarily suspended all cargo movement through the Red Sea, rerouting them around the Cape of Good Hope.

Following the 30 December incident involving our vessel, Maersk Hangzhou, we have decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until further notice... In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope," said Maersk in a client advisory.

Other major shippers have announced similar measures, rerouting some of their vessels. Experts believe this will result in further price hikes.

Thadani expects prices to settle at around 50-60% higher rates post the de-escalation in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea, a crucial maritime route to the Suez Canal, an artificial sea-level waterway connecting Asia and Europe, is facing heightened concerns as Houthi militia continue attacking and disrupting commercial ships navigating through the region.

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With its ambitious energy transition and electric mobility targets in sight, India has been scouting for minerals for battery manufacturing both within the country and abroad. Although sourcing of lithium from countries like Australia and Argentina have gained momentum in the past few years, efforts are also underway to diversify battery manufacturing technologies and chemicals away from lithium-based chemistries. Here is a look at the need for such diversification and what options India has on this front.

Why is there a need to look for minerals other than lithium for battery manufacturing?

Although lithium is the most commonly used mineral used for manufacturing batteries, known as Li-Ion (lithium ion) batteries, there are concerns of low availability of the mineral going ahead given the high demand it attracts amid its requirement in electric vehicles and grid scale energy storage. A report by, BMI, a Fitch Solutions research unit, showed that the world may face a supply deficit of the mineral by 2025 given its increasing demand across the globe. India has no domestic lithium supplies as of now. Although reserves have of late been found in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, the commercial availability of the mineral would take time.

What is India's lithium import bill?

As of now, India imports all its lithium requirement. In FY23, India imported lithium worth $33.05 million, higher by 49% from $22.16 million in the previous fiscal, according to data from the commerce ministry. The import of lithium-ion batteries increased 56.84% to $2.87 billion in FY23. Although lithium imports do not form a significant chunk of India's import bill, the imports are likely to grow further.

What are the other minerals and chemistries explored?

A key mineral being explored for manufacturing of batteries is sodium. Sodium ion batteries have come into the play, although not in a mass scale. Given the limited availability of lithium and the global race to acquire lithium mines in countries like Chile, Argentina and Australia, sodium-ion batteries may prove to be game changer. Other technologies being explored include aluminium air batteries and vanadium batteries and flow butteries.

What are the efforts India taking to diversify and boost its battery sector?

Along with looking for lithium sourcing and exploring domestic reserves, the Centre is at the same time looking for alternative minerals and chemistries. A production linked incentive scheme for 'niche' batteries is already in the works wherein newer chemistries would be explored and research and development would be promoted. Battery companies are also looking at rolling out batteries with newer chemistries.
In a few weeks from now, Ill be interviewing the Critical Animal Studies scholar Yamini Narayanan on the show to discuss her 2023 book, Mother Cow, Mother India, which offers a critical vegan analysis of the politics of cow protectionism in India. Yamini is an Associate Professor of International and Community Development at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. On air this week, Id like to share a short clip of Yamini speaking on The Animal Turn podcast with interviewer and scholar Claudia Hirtenfelder in 2021. In this clip, Yamini describes how her involvement in feminist urban planning led her to begin to become aware of the experiences of other-than-human animals in Indian cities. Afterwards, well hear a brief explanation of the philosophy of animal rights by Professor Tom Regan. In this audio clip, which was recorded at a public debate in 1989, Tom describes the philosophy of animal rights. Tom Regan was the author of the groundbreaking 1983 book, The Case for Animal Rights. Throughout the episode, we'll also hear some songs by vegan musicians!

Wild and Free

Maria Daines - EarthRise

Will Tuttle - The Call Bad Habit

Vox Vegana - What If...

Gulce Ozen Gurkan - Six Songs for the Six Principles of the Abolitionist Approach Song of the Caring Earth

Will Tuttle - Islands of Light
NEW DELHI : The Congress on Wednesday said the Supreme Court judgment on certain matters relating to transactions by the Adani Group has proven to be "extraordinarily generous" to SEBI and asserted that the party's fight against crony capitalism and its ill-effects on prices, employment and inequalities will continue.

In a relief to the Adani Group, the Supreme Court refused to transfer the probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Indian corporate giant to a special investigation team and directed market regulator SEBI to complete its probe into two pending cases within three months.

Reacting to the judgement, billionaire Gautam Adani said, "The Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgement shows that: Truth has prevailed. Satyameva Jayate."

In a statement on the judgement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh hit out at Adani, saying "truth dies a thousand deaths when we hear Satyameva Jayate from those who have gamed, manipulated and subverted the system this past decade".

Ramesh said the Supreme Court judgment on certain matters relating to transactions by the Adani Group has proven "extraordinarily generous" to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), not least by extending its original investigation deadline of August 14, 2023 by another three months to April 3, 2024.

It is noteworthy that SEBI has "failed" to complete its investigation into the violation of securities laws and stock manipulation by the Adani Group and its associates ten months after the Supreme Court's expert committee asked it to do so, Ramesh said.

"It is unclear what will change in the next three months other than the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections coming into effect," he said.

Meanwhile, a series of exposes from credible news sources has turned the glare on the Adani Group's "illicit activities" conducted under SEBI's "benign gaze", Ramesh said.

In his statement, the Congress leader pointed out that the most recent revelations include the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealing the actual ownership of two of the 13 benami shell companies that SEBI has failed to identify despite years of "investigation".

Chang Chung-Ling and Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli held 8-14% of benami holdings in Adani Enterprises, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Power and Adani Transmission, he alleged.

This was via shell companies in Mauritius, UAE and British Virgin Islands in blatant violation of SEBI's minimum shareholding laws, Ramesh claimed.

On October 12, 2023, the Financial Times reported how coal trading firms controlled by Chang Chung-Ling and Mohamed Ali Shaban Ahli siphoned out 12,000 crore by over-invoicing coal imported by the Adani Group to Mundra Port in Gujarat, Ramesh said.

"The two exposes established a clear link between money flowing out from the pockets of Indian coal utilities and electricity consumers and the funds flowing into Adani Group companies, in complete violation of SEBI rules relating to minimum ownership as well as stock manipulation," Ramesh claimed.

He said that the court is right to observe that news reports are not a substitute for a proper SEBI investigation.

However, it is concerning that SEBI has asked for extension after extension while the media has produced expose after expose, he said.

"Those describing this judgement as a 'clean chit' are the same as those who described the Expert Committee report as a 'clean chit'," Ramesh said.

The Expert Committee had pointed out that SEBI had in 2018 diluted and subsequently, in 2019, entirely deleted the reporting requirements relating to the ultimate beneficial (i.e. actual) ownership of foreign funds, he said.

"It is also worth noting that, regarding the Modani MegaScam, SEBI's mandate is limited to violations of securities regulations. It will not, for instance, look into how the Modi government manipulating bidding conditions over the objections of the NITI Aayog and Finance Ministry to hand Adani a complete airports monopoly, and has misused the ED and CBI to force critical national assets into the hands of the PM's cronies," he alleged.

"Or whether the PM forced the State Bank of India to sign an MoU to lend Adani USD 1 billion over a lunch meeting, or how the Modi government has forced important neighbouring countries to hand over critical projects to the PM's favourite businessman," Ramesh said.

He stressed that it will not investigate how the Maharashtra government "moved heaven and earth to hand over" the Dharavi Redevelopment Project to Adani at very favourable terms or how Adani has been allowed to inflate consumers' electricity bills.

"To get to the bottom of the Modani MegaScam, nothing less than a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) will do," Ramesh said.

"None of the hundred pointed questions asked in our Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun series last year stand answered after today's judgment. Our fight for NYAY against crony capitalism and its ill-effects on prices, employment and inequalities will continue even more forcefully," the Congress leader said in his statement.

ADANI TRANSMISSION More Information

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Bengaluru: A Bengaluru city civil court on Wednesday asked Wipro Ltd and its former chief financial officer Jatin Dalal to resolve the issue of alleged violation of non-compete clause in the latters employment contract before arbitration.

Wipro announced Dalals resignation on 21 September, with 30 November being his last working day with the Bengaluru-based software company. A week later, Cognizant announced that Dalal would start as the companys CFO.

But even before Dalal could complete his term with Wipro, the countrys fourth-largest IT services company filed a complaint in the city court in Bengaluru, alleging that Dalal had not adhere to the employment contract that restricted him from working with Wipros rivals for a period of up to one year.

Arbitration is a legal dispute resolution process in which an impartial third party settles the dispute between the aggrieved parties, without having to go to court.

Wipros complaint also sought an order restraining its former CFO and anyone under him from using or sharing company-sensitive information to a third party.

Wipro, citing the alleged contract breach, has sought 25.1 crore in damages from Dalal, who earned 8.9 crore in the year ended March 2023.

Wipro has not shared the reason behind Dalals exit. But chief executive Delaporte told Mint in an interview on 21 September that the former CFO wanted to progress" and do something different". Nonetheless, Mint learned that Dalals departure was in the works since the beginning of last year, as he was unhappy with the CEOs leadership style.

Dalal, 49, joined Wipro in 2002 and took over as the CFO in 2015, and continued in the position until he decided to move out last year.

Dalal is among the 22 top-tier executives ranked senior vice president (SVP) and above to have moved out of Wipro since Delaporte took over as chief executive officer in July 2020.

Wipro is represented by Lomesh Kiran Nidumuri, head-disputes (south India) at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, while Dalal has appointed Karan Joseph, partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, to defend him.
AHMEDABAD : India's Gujarat state on Wednesday signed initial investment agreements worth 7.17 trillion ($86.07 billion) with 58 companies operating in sectors such as energy, oil and gas, and chemicals, its government said.

The home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat has been signing these agreements ahead of its biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which is scheduled to take place in state capital Gandhinagar from Jan. 10 to Jan. 12.

Also Read | Federal Reserve Minutes may elaborate on coming rate cut debate

The companies that signed the pacts included NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, which proposed an investment of 900 billion ($10.80 billion) to create 15 gigawatt (GW) renewable energy parks and projects to meet the agricultural sector's power needs, a senior Industries Department official said.

NTPC also proposed a further investment of 700 billion ($8.40 billion) for fuel cell electric vehicle mobility, hydrogen blending with natural gas, production of green chemicals such as ammonia and methanol, and 5GW hydrogen-based energy storage projects, the official added.

Torrent Power similarly signed an agreement to invest 474 billion ($5.69 billion) to create solar power projects with 3,450 MW and 7,000 MW capacity, green hydrogen and ammonia manufacturing plants, and distribution networks in cities including Ahmedabad and Surat.

Both NTPC and Torrent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The summit is expected to draw a record number of foreign and domestic investors to the western state this month in what is being seen as Modi's big push to promote investment in the South Asian nation just months ahead of its national election, where he will seek a third term.

The state government had signed similar investment agreements totalling $18.75 billion last month.

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Google is mulling a change to its app store pricing model in response to backlash and a possible regulatory crackdown. The development comes amid growing protests from a task-force of leading Indian startups --- mere days after the tech giant lost a suit against the makers of Fortnite. Google has repeatedly defended its efforts to compete against Apple and insists that it is working to address developer complaints. Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal however believes that efforts to colonise the Indian economy" will end badly for the company.

Google charges us 30% under Google Play Billing System  which comes into effect if we use their payment system. If you were to use an alternative payment system you would still have to pay the company 26%. Which effectively kills every business because we are already paying anywhere between 20% and 50% to Google for advertising on their app store. If you are somebody with under a million dollars in revenue then 15% will apply. But most of the value comes from 20% of developers who deliver around 80% of the value," he explained to Livemint recently.

The new program  called User Choice Billing  was rolled out in 2022 and allows app developers to process payments on their own. However they are still compelled to give the tech giant a slightly lower fee of 26% or 11% on subscriptions.

Mittal is one of the leading members of a 40-company task force formed to counter the Google Play Billing System. The Shark Tank judge also lashed out at digital East India companies for their attempts to confuse, misinform and use treachery" in order to maintain their monopoly.

Google has faced numerous legal battles over its Play Store policies  with Fortnite maker Epic Games recently winning its anti-trust trial. This came mere weeks after it settled anti-trust allegations brought by US state attorneys general and days after it resolved a case being pursued by Match Group. The company which owns Tinder and other online dating services is now receiving a refund of $40 million in fees and adopting Google's user choice billing system as part of its settlement.

We are currently paying 4% as an interim measure following a Madras High Court order. This says GPBS or UCB cannot be implemented till the HC delivers its final verdict. Until that is resolved we are paying 4% as an interim arrangement. Im fairly confident that either this judgement or CCI (or both) will rule in our favour. And either way that 4% will have to be returned to us," added Mittal.

He hailed the recent verdict as truly epic" in many ways for recognising Googles complete abuse of monopolistic power".

Documents accessed last month by Bloomberg indicate that Google created Project Everest in 2021 to reconsider its Play Store billing model. The proposal to charge a set fee per app was eventually abandoned after it became clear that the move could cost Google billions of dollars. Data indicates that the Play Store brought in $14.66 billion in revenue, with gross profits of $11.44 billion in 2020 --- numbers that the company insists does not account for costs associated with improvements to Android.

Use of the popular operating service  seen in 70% of smartphones around the world --- is given away for free by Google. Smartphone makers and carriers however sign an all-or-nothing deal to pre-install a bundle of Google programs in order to use its Play Store. The agreement requires the app to be installed on the home screen, and blocks users from deleting it.

Companies are already paying a big chunk of their revenue to Google because of all the underhanded stuff it does. And now you will pay up to 30% and mess up the user experienceeffectively you wont be able to compete. All your margin is gone there. It is the equivalent of the British lagaan where the local domestic population or companies cannot prosper and whatever is generatedmost of it goes to the coloniser. Thats effectively the long term-outcome if we allow this to continue," the Shaadi.com CEO reiterates.

Several countries  including Korea  now require the company to open its app stores to other payment systems. New European Union rules set to come into effect in March will also require Google and Apple to open up their stores.

ALSO READ: Big Tech Braces for Wave of Antitrust Rulings in 2024

Mittal believes that it is only a matter of time" before the tech giant finds itself paying millions of dollars in fines. He also bats for provisions that would essentially block Google usage within the country if they continue to abuse Indian laws.

The reason it has become so large is network effects and misuse of power. If Google is not hereit will be a matter of weeks before alternative services come up. And you will not even miss it. If we can build an ONDC for ecommercewhy cant we build an ONDC for apps? Just look at Indian entrepreneurs! Complexity does not equate to difficult or impossible," he assures.

Similar concerns have also been voiced about Apple, with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordering a detailed probe in 2021 over its allegedly anti-competitive App Store policies. The other company however holds a significantly smaller market share of 6% at present. Mittal also notes that Apple polices are imposed within its own device ecosystem".

While some aspects of the current case will apply to the Applethere are certain differences. Google is imposing these things while licensing the Android operating system to other device manufacturers. So, it is effectively engineering its own monopoly by undertaking deals that ensure competition cannot enter," he said.

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Mumbai: Private equity firm InvAscent is preparing to list five portfolio companies across health and pharmaceuticals segments over the next 2436 months, as the firms achieve scale, chairman and managing director Hari Buggana said in an interview.

These portfolio firms include drug companies Symbiotec Pharmalab Ltd and Malladi Drugs, women and child focused Ankura Hospital, healthcare devices business Accumax Lab Devices Pvt. Ltd, and digital healthtech platform MediBuddy, he said.

The public listing of these portfolio firms will open up exit opportunities for the healthcare and pharmaceuticals focused investor.

An additional exit opportunity has opened up for us through the capital marketsthis is a shift in our strategy. In the past, our exits have been to other financial investors or strategics," Buggana said.

InvAscent is invested in these five portfolio firms from India Life Sciences Fund III, which was sized at around $250 million.

Buggana said that the portfolio firms should have scaled to 150 crore in Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) when they listwhich is typically the expectation that capital market investors have for listed companies.

We are seeing strong institutional investor interest in scaled healthcare delivery and pharmaceuticals assets in the capital markets. Many of these listed entities are trading at huge premiums, which is a reflection of demand and supply in this space," Buggana said.

So far, InvAscent has exited by selling its stakes to larger PE firms or other companies.

In 2023, InvAscent exited at least five portfolio companies. It sold its stake in Oliva Skin & Hair Clinic and Oasis Fertility to Kedaara Capital, and disposed of its holding in Comprehensive Prosthetics and Orthotics (CPO) to other PE firms NorthCreek and Parkway Partners. It also sold its stake in Biorad Medisys back to the company promoters, and in Stericon Pharma to Nirma Group.

It has lined up other exits as well, including in Inventia Healthcare. Mint reported on 2 January that InvAscent is looking to exit its stake in Aizant Drugs, an asset which is likely to be looked at by larger PE firms.

InvAscent has raised over $500 million across three funds. It has fully returned its first fundsized at $107 millionback to its investors. Our DPI (distributed paid-in capital) for Fund 2 is 1.5, with four investments yet to exit," he said. DPI is the ratio of the capital returned to limited partners or investors compared to the contributions received. InvAscents second fund was sized at $146 million, which means the firm has so far returned $219 million to its investors.

InvAscent, which operates as InvAscent Advisory Services India LLP, has invested in over 35 companies across pharma, healthcare delivery, healthtech, medical devices, and animal health industries, according to its website. The PE firm is currently deploying from its fourth fund (India Life Sciences Fund IV). In December, it made twin investments through India Life Sciences Fund IVinvesting in Hyderabad-based active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) firm Fleming Laboratories and in Bengaluru-based healthtech firm ABI Health Technologies Pvt. Ltd (ABI).

The public listing will open up exit opportunities for the healthcare-focused investor

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Residents of Hyderabad witnessed a sight this morning: a Zomato delivery rider galloping through the streets on a majestic black horse to deliver the food on time, on January 3, 2023. Why? The delivery executive delivered food on horseback because petrol and diesel supplies were hit across parts of the country due to the truckers' strike that entered the second day on Tuesday.

Drivers of trucks, buses, and tankers had launched a three-day strike to protest against new laws for hit-and-run accidents. When petrol bunks ran out of fuel in Hyderabad, Zomato delivery arrived on horseback ... at Chanchalguda, next to Imperial Hotel... after long, long queues & closure of petrol pumps as a fallout of Truckers Strike over NewLaw on hit-and-run accidents," said a user sharing a video on social media platform X.

Approximately 2,000 petrol pumps, primarily located in western and northern India, faced fuel shortages as a result of a truckers' strike, PTI reported. Despite state-owned oil companies proactively replenishing fuel reserves at numerous petrol pumps nationwide in anticipation of the strike, certain stations in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Punjab experienced depleted stocks due to heightened demand, as reported by industry officials.

According to the new BNS provision, Whoever causes the death of any person by rash and negligent driving of vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide, and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."

The updated provisions now entail a potential 10-year jail term or a fine of 7 lakh if a truck driver leaves the scene of an accident without reporting it to the authorities.

This marked a significant increase compared to the previous Indian Penal Code (IPC), where the punishment for such offenses was limited to 2-year imprisonment.

As the protest continued, AIMTC Chairman-organising committee Bal Mankit Singh said, Ye kanoon abhi tak laagu nahi hai (This law has not been implemented yet) ... Ham ye kanoon laagu nahi hone denge (We will not allow these laws to be implemented)."

ZOMATO More Information

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Employers finished 2023 with far fewer open positions than at the start of the year, according to private-sector estimates, as businesses filled more jobs and decided not to hire for others.

Total job postings as of the end of 2023 declined more than 15% from a year earlier, according to data from job-listing site Indeed through Dec. 29. The pace of descent seems to have leveled off a bit in the second half of the year," said Nick Bunker, an economist at the jobs site.

Job postings are still up by more than a quarter from their prepandemic levels, Indeeds data show. But the frenzied hiring and worker shortages that marked an earlier phase of the pandemic recovery are fading, even as unemployment remains low, boosting economists hopes of a so-called soft landing" for the U.S. economy.

Much of the strength in hiring in 2023 was for in-person positions, such as in nursing, child care, food service and bars, the Indeed data show. Some of those areas were still playing catch-up from the pandemic. Employers looked for fewer new hires for traditional office jobs such as in software development, marketing, banking and finance.

Though postings for child-care workers declined over the past year, there were still 46% more at the end of 2023 than in February 2020. Similarly, postings for food preparation and service roles dropped over the year but were up 23% from prepandemic levels, according to Indeed.

In other sectors, demand for workers slowed sharply. Human resources job postings fell by nearly a third in 2023, according to Indeed, and are now slightly lower than their prepandemic level. Job seekers in marketing face even tougher competition, with postings 20% lower than their prepandemic level.

The private data show a similar trend as federal data that found the number of available jobs falling last year, though still higher than before the pandemic began. The Labor Department is scheduled to release November job openings and labor turnover data on Wednesday morning, and it will publish the December jobs report on Friday.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate that employers added 170,000 jobs in December, with more than 2.7 million added over the entire yeararound 40% higher than the 2019 gain.

Persistent demand for in-person workers has led to faster wage gains at the lower end of the pay scale, but a slower economy and belt-tightening from consumers could put a damper on those gains this year.

If there is a downturn [in 2024], the sectors mostly likely to decline are those more closely tied to discretionary spending like retail, food service and hospitality," Bunker said.

As employment growth has cooled, workers have shown more reluctance to quit their jobs, after a surge in resignations earlier in the pandemic recovery. Economists see a declining rate of quitting as a sign workers are less certain about the labor market or that they are more satisfied with their current roles.

The era of this frantic labor shortage [is] behind us," Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in December. He listed a variety of indicators showing the labor market had come back into balance: numbers of job openings, labor-force participation rates and the rate at which workers are quitting jobs.

In October, the quits rate held steady from the prior month at 2.3%, but it has trended down since touching 3% in April 2022, according to the latest available Labor Department data. Layoffs have also been low, indicating that while workers may not be confident of finding another job elsewhere, employers are willing to hold on to employees after a period during which they struggled to find and keep them. Overall wage growth, another indicator of worker leverage, has slowed.

Nonetheless, continuing unemployment claims, a proxy for the total number of ongoing benefits payments, rose 15% over the year through Dec. 9, a possible sign that some people are struggling to find new jobs quickly.

Write to Gabriel T. Rubin at gabriel.rubin@wsj.com and Harriet Torry at harriet.torry@wsj.com
Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said that there was no discussion with oil companies on the issue of fuel prices, as reported by Business Today .

According to the report, Puri said there's no proposal to cut fuel prices. He rubbished several media reports on "cut in the prices of petrol, diesel" as speculative", it added.

Following the report on Puri's remark, stock prices of oil marketing companies increased sharply with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) rising over 3%, BPCL and IOCL gaining 1.6% and 2%, respectively, it said.

"We are in a situation where we are using crude oil 5 million barrels/ per day. And it is increasing every day. If Venezuela oil comes to market we will welcome it," Puri was quoted as saying in the report.

Speaking about gas prices and supply amid the attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, Puri said, I see overall price also not going up." He said the gas prices would be affected if crude supply is impacted.

He said, "If there's a major disruption in supply route... 6 to 8 to 12 percent barrels transit through this route (Red Sea) keep your fingers crossed."

Puri said that India has diversified its sources of supply of crude oil. "Our primary responsibility is to ensure that there's availability and affordability. And that availability does not come at a slightly enhanced price...," he said in a press conference on Wednesday.

"The price of crude has gone up to 80+, but they have now come down...but in a highly volatile situation, our primary responsibility is to ensure availability and affordability...," he said.

He added that India is the only country in the world where fuel prices were cut. "...if you think that prices will rise in future, then pray to God that there's no turbulence and things are normal," he added.

Puri said in South Asian countries, the prices of petrol and diesel increased by around 40-80 percent. "...but here (India) prices have come down. We are able to do it because of far-sighted and visionary leadership. The central excise duty reduction was done on two occasions, November 2021, and May 2022 and we carried that into 2023," Puri added.

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Veteran investor Mark Mobius recently concluded his month-long journey in India. The star investor shared his experience of visiting nine different cities in the country and tried to answer the most asked question related to the Indian stock market, What is the right time to invest ?"

Sharing his latest blog about his visit to India on X, Mobius wrote, India is sweeping investors off their feet with its allure and promises of great rewards. I too am fascinated by its huge growth potential. But its crucial to get a solid grasp of the market's nuances before going all in. Read my latest blog post: https://bit.ly/4aK."

Apart from participating in interviews and programmes related to stock markets and investments, Mark Mobius didn't miss the chance to explore India's diversity. During his visit to India, he spent time in nine cities including Jaipur, Udaipur, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kochi.

To fully understand a country youve got to be there in person  roam its streets, chat with the locals, and soak up everything around you. That's exactly what I did during my recent month-long journey, where I got to visit nine amazing cities across India," wrote Mobius in his blog.

Right time to invest in the Indian market

After showering applauses for India's rich diversity and culture, Mobius mentioned that most people ask him about the right time to invest in the Indian market."

Giving his opinion on the question, Mobius underlined that conventional stock valuation metrics like price/earnings ratios are not enough to understand the growth potential of major Indian companies. He said that current P/E ratios primarily reflect the past performance of the company and don't fully capture the prospective rapid growth in earnings, potentially making Indian stocks more attractive in the long term."

He suggested investors focus on solidly growing companies" that manage to excel regardless of the market's overall state.

Investment timing should focus on solidly growing companies, as there are always opportunities to find firms that excel regardless of the market's overall state," he said.

For newcomers to the investing world, particularly those unable to research individual stocks, I would recommend choosing a well-diversified mutual fund managed by experienced and reputable investment professionals. This approach offers a balanced entry point into the Indian market," he added.

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As we know, investment is regulating ones cash flow to get fruitful returns in the future. Depending on your financial goals, the right investment method will help create wealth.

An individuals financial goal is set right by properly planning his/her financial transactions. Once the planning is done, only a systematic investment approach will help them achieve their goals.

What are those systematic ways to reap the benefits of your investment? These are the three mantras of investing in mutual funds.

1. SIP

2. STP

3. SWP

Let us discuss each in detail.

SIP

SIP is known as a systematic investment plan. To invest in a mutual fund through SIP an investor doesnt need to have fundamental or technical knowledge of the market. He can invest regardless of how the market condition is. Let us understand SIP with an example.

If person A wishes to invest 5000 per month let us take two scenarios.

Monthly investment NAV for that month No. of units Rs.5000 Rs.30 =Rs.5000/30= 167 units Rs.5000 Rs.20 =Rs.5000/20= 250 units

So through SIP one can buy a higher quantity of units when the market is down, while the value of investment increases when the market is in a rally. So, an SIP makes investing easy. The performance of the fund can also be tracked through ones smartphone and he/she can build a huge corpus through the power of compounding.

STP

STP is known as a systematic transfer plan. STP allows an investor to transfer the investment from one mutual fund to another mutual fund. STP can be done between the same fund houses or from one fund house to another. Let us understand STP with an example.

If person A has initially invested 5,00,000 in an equity large-cap fund. We know that large-cap funds are less volatile and provide stability in investment.

View Full Image systematic transfer plan example

If equity markets are facing a bearish run, then the investor can choose to transfer his investment from a large-cap equity fund to any of the debt funds till the equity market turns bullish.

This helps the investor generate returns from his existing large-cap fund and use the market conditions in his favour to avoid any losses and generate higher returns. On the other hand, if the market is bullish, the investor can return his investment to an equity fund to make use of the market conditions and maximize the profit.

SWP

SWP is known as a systematic withdrawal plan. SWP is the direct opposite of SIP as here the investor redeems a fixed amount through withdrawal at regular intervals.

For example, if a person invests 10,00,000 in a mutual fund, this helps him/her generate returns when the fund performs well and he/she can withdraw the returns or any amount of money needed regularly.

If an investor wishes to withdraw 5000 per month, the NAV of 1 unit is 20, then the AMC redeems 5000/20 = 250 units that month. The number of units redeemed changes depending on NAV at that point of redemption.

The advantages of SWP are that it provides regular income, can receive regular income postretirement, and can generate higher returns based on market conditions. Let's see how an SWP performs efficiently to enable monthly withdrawal in addition to providing a capital appreciation for the investors.

Fund name Lumpsum invested Withdrawal period No. of installments Withdrawal amount Current value Return percentage Blue chip funds Rs.10,00,000 10 years 120  8,10,000  2498787 13.96% Hybrid: Aggressive Rs.10,00,000 10 years 120  8,10,000  21,89,228 14.62% Hybrid: Conservative Rs.10,00,000 10 years 120  8,10,000  10,97,364 9 9.05% Balanced advantage Rs.10,00,000 10 years 120  8,10,000  19,02,748 13.25%

From the table, we can see various mutual funds. They vary based on equity, debt, and fixed instrument allocations. They cater to the needs of various investors based on their return and risk profiles.

The return generated by investing in SWP is higher compared to any fixed-income instruments such as FDs. Thus, SWPs provide high capital appreciation in addition to a regular monthly withdrawal facility.



S Sridharan, Founder of Wealth Ladder Direct



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On the morning of New Year's Day, Mayelin Dominguez Tamayo welcomed not just a new year, but a new life, as her baby boy Angel Tadeo was delivered as Columbus Community Hospital's first baby of 2024.

Angel came into the world at 8:04 a.m. on Jan. 1 at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 18.75 inches long. Everything went well with Angel, her second child, Dominguez Tamayo said through a translator.

"I feel safe with the professional care around me," Dominguez Tamayo said.

Right now, her priority after delivery is finding a place to rent in the area as she just moved here recently, she said. She has only been in Columbus a month and moved to town to be close to friends in the area. Once she and Angel are settled, she'll make the rounds to introduce him to everyone.

His name, Angel, is in reference to his father, Dominguez Tamayo said, and Tadeo is in reference to St. Jude of Thaddeus.

In addition to the honor of having the first baby of 2024, Dominguez Tamayo also received an Owlet baby monitoring device, a "2024 Baby" onesie and a year's supply of diapers from the hospital as a congratulations for the new little one. In 2023, CCH delivered approximately 600 babies and has celebrated the first baby each year for quite some time.

"I feel really proud to have my baby here because I can notice how professional all the stuff is around  doctors, nurses," Dominguez Tamayo said. "everyone around me has treated me so well; I feel comfortable and safe."

Dominguez Tamayo said that the community support for her as a new resident and expecting mom has been great and she is very appreciative.

"I've had a lot of support from people in the community because I'm new in town," she said. "They've been helping me with a lot of stuff for my baby, the Simon Church (sic) (Simon House Ministries) has been helping me and I'm really grateful for all the help."
In personal finance, taxes are a significant part of our financial lives, and it is crucial that we explore every avenue to minimise our tax liability. While investment tools like mutual funds , PPFs, FDs, and NPS are some of the mediums to save tax, insurance too can be a tax-saving medium. It is not just a protective shield, but a strategic instrument for tax optimization.

Following the budget announcement in FY 2023-2024, there have been some minor adjustments in the tax framework concerning insurance. Nevertheless, the strategic selection of insurance products can offer consumers not only a financial safety net but also potential tax-saving benefits.

Tax deductions for life insurance premiums

In case of life insurance plans, individuals can claim a tax deduction of up to 1.5 lakh on premiums paid, falling under Section 80C. This deduction is usually applicable to life insurance policies covering the individual, their spouse, and children. It is crucial to note that the life insurance policy must have a minimum term of five years to qualify for this tax benefit.

There have been revisions in tax regulations concerning ULIPs as well, where the tax-exempt status of ULIP proceeds will be impacted if the total premiums across all ULIP policies held by an individual exceed 2.5 lakh yearly, under Section 80C.

Deductions for health insurance premiums

In health insurance, there's a scope for tax savings under Section 80D. Individuals can claim deductions up to 25,000 for their health insurance, covering themselves, their spouse, and children. Moreover, for parents aged 60 and above, this limit extends to 50,000, whereas for parents below 60, the deduction limit is 25,000.

Under Section 80D, Hindu Unified Family policyholders supporting a disabled family member can claim exemptions up to 1.25 lakh. Additionally, there's a provision for tax exemptions up to 5,000 for preventive health check-ups. This exemption can be claimed for the policyholder, spouse, children, and even parents.

Tax benefits and phases of pension plans

Pension plans or annuity plans represent a distinct facet of life insurance, aiming for a different outcome. Life insurance safeguards the family in case of the insured's demise, a pension plan aims to provide financial security for the individual and their family during the individual's lifetime. The pension process is typically divided into two key phases: accumulation and withdrawal.

In the accumulation phase, individuals set aside funds during their earning years. Once retirement sets in, the withdrawal phase commences. Tax benefits primarily apply during the accumulation phase of pension plans. The key advantage of a deferred annuity lies in its ability to enable tax-free growth of income during this accumulation phase.

This means that the money set aside during premium payments accrues without tax implications, providing a tax advantage to the consumer. There is also the option of withdrawal during vesting, where 1/3rd of the accumulated fund can be withdrawn and does not attract any taxes.

Consumers should understand that life and health insurance should not be solely seen as a means for tax-saving. They serve as crucial financial instruments offering life coverage, shielding against unforeseen events, and at times, doubling as savings vehicles or income supplements.

Consequently, obtaining these insurances at a young age is a prudent choice. However, it is imperative to conduct extensive research and compare plans thoroughly before making any decisions on buying any insurance plan.

Aftab Chaz, Associate Director and Business Head at Elephant.in (Alliance Insurance Brokers)

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KFin Technologies, also known as KFintech, has introduced XAlt, a groundbreaking integrated fund administration platform specifically crafted for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in India. This platform provides a seamless solution, simplifying the challenges faced by fund managers and investors in dealing with the intricacies of AIFs.

Over the last decade, commitments to AIFs have experienced an astonishing surge, skyrocketing from 1,437 crore in 2013 to 8,33,774 crore in March 2023an extraordinary 580x increase. This upward trend in AIFs is projected to continue, growing at a 26% CAGR, fueled by the substantial rise in high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), ultra-HNIs, and foreign investors seeking diverse investment opportunities in the Indian domestic markets. With the alternative investment landscape in India witnessing unprecedented expansion, KFintechs XAlt emerges as a transformative solution. The platform simplifies and streamlines fund administration, catering to the needs of investors, fund managers, distributors, and regulators.

XAlt provides a smooth and integrated approach to managing investor services, leveraging its connection with KFintechs proprietary Fund Accounting platform, mPower. This in turn automates critical processes like valuations, income recognition, and compliance management, contributing to a more streamlined fund administration. This integration significantly improves operational efficiency, ensuring an outstanding user experience.

Additional notable features of the platform include:

Tailored portals for different users: XAlt provides personalised portals for various user roles such as investors, distributors, and fund managers, offering them relevant dashboard information and detailed transaction insights.

Digital onboarding for investors and distributors: The platform facilitates easy and digital sign-up processes for investors and distributors, streamlining their integration into the system.

Smooth system integration: XAlt ensures seamless interaction between different internal and external systems, enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Innovative commission processing: The platform introduces unique features for processing commissions in AIF funds, marking a pioneering advancement in the industry.

Regular AML/KYC checks: XAlt conducts daily Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to ensure ongoing compliance and security.

Robust security measures: Particularly for high-value investors, XAlt provides robust security measures, including complete encryption, virtualization, and tokenization.

Sreekanth Nadella, MD & CEO, KFintech, said, XAlt signifies KFintechs commitment to providing innovative solutions that meet the growing demands of investors, fund managers, distributors, and regulators in the rapidly expanding AIF market in India. With the introduction of XAlt, KFintech aims to set new standards in the AIF fund administration space, offering a fully automated system that aligns with the industrys evolving requirements."

The platform is set to have a substantial influence on fund management and the expansion of the AIF sector in India. It simplifies intricate procedures for both fund managers and investors, promoting a more efficient and secure fund administration. With its integrated approach, the platform is anticipated to draw increased investments into the AIF sector, thanks to its user-friendly and secure environment for fund administration.

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed SEBI and the Centre to complete the probe in two pending cases out of 24 in the Adani-Hindenburg issue within three months.

The government and SEBI are considering to act on the recommendations made by the court-appointed panel, reported ANI. In its hearing of the case on January 3, the apex court refused to transfer the probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Indian corporate giant to a special investigation team. It also directed market regulator SEBI to finish its investigation into two pending cases related to the Adani-Hindenburg case within three months.

Adani-Hindenburg case: Top 5 updates

-A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud rejected one of the petitions that mentioned the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) report to suggest that SEBI was lackadaisical in conducting the investigation.

"A report by a third party organisation without any attempt to verify the authenticity of its allegations cannot be regarded as conclusive proof," the bench said.

-The SC rejected pleas to transfer the investigation to a special investigation team.

-The court also said that it must refrain from substituting its wisdom for the regulatory policies of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the facts of the case do not warrant a transfer of investigation from SEBI.

-After the announcement of the Supreme Court verdict in the case, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani welcomed the ruling.
Adani-Hindenburg Case Verdict: The Supreme Court of India rejected key demands of petitioners seeking to derail the ongoing SEBI investigation into allegations raised by Hindenburg Research . The apex court dismissed reliance on a third-party report and affirmed faith in SEBI's handling of the case.

The Government of India and the Sebi are to look into whether there is any infraction of law by the Hindenburg report on short selling and if so, take action by the law, according to the judgment.

The top court pronounced its verdict today i.e. on 3 January, on a batch of petitions seeking examination of allegations of fraud made against Adani Group of companies in the Hindenburg Research report. The pleas claimed the allegations that the Adani Group, considered close to the Modi government, inflated its share prices and, after the report of the short seller Hindenburg Research, the share value of various group entities fell sharply.

Adani-Hindenburg Case Verdict: Chronology of events

January 24: Hindenburg Research releases a report on the Adani Group companies claiming that it was "engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud". This came a few days before the flagship Adani Enterprises company of the Adani group will make a 20,000 crore follow-on public offer (FPO). The conglomerate has responded by calling the report "malicious" and "baseless," claiming it was created with the malicious intent to sabotage its share sale.

January 26: Adani Group says it is considering legal action against Hindenburg Research. The short seller maintains its position and declares that it will request disclosures from the business in legal proceedings.

January 27: Adani Enterprises' FPO opens for subscription. While a 1% subscription is seen in the Adani Enterprises FPO on the first day, Abu Dhabis International Holding contributed $400 million to the FPO in support of Adani.

January 31: The FPO was fully subscribed.

February 1: Credit Suisse's private bank halted margin loans on Adani Bonds. The Swiss lenders private banking arm assigned a zero lending value for notes sold by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Green Energy, and Adani Electricity Mumbai. The same day, Adani Group stocks lost $86 billion, forcing the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to launch a probe. Later that night, Adani Group called off the Adani Enterprises FPO.

February 2: It was revealed that the State Bank of India (SBI) had given $2.6 billion to companies in the Adani conglomerate. SBIs exposure included $200 million from its overseas units. Also, opposition parties created an uproar in the Parliament and asked for a constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the alleged irregularities by the Adani group of companies.

February 3: While maintaining the rating, S&P Global Ratings changed the outlook for Adani Ports and Adani Electricity from stable to negative. Effective from this day, three Adani group companies, including Adani Enterprises, came under the short-term additional surveillance measure (ASM) framework of the National Stock Exchange (NSE). LIC revealed that it held a 4.23% stake in Adani Enterprises while it held a 9.14% stake in Adani Ports and 5.96% in Adani Total Gas.

February 6: Reports suggested that bonds issued by companies in the Adani Group were no longer accepted by Standard Chartered as security for margin lending.

February 10: The Supreme Court said a strong system is needed to safeguard investor interests. It requests opinions on arguments claiming investor exploitation and "artificial crashing" of the Adani Group's stock value from both the Centre and Sebi. It also aims to form a committee of experts.

February 13: The Central government agreed with the Supreme Court's proposal to set up an expert panel to look into strengthening the regulatory mechanisms for the Indian equity market.

February 14: Sebi informs the Supreme Court that it is looking into the claims made in the Hindeburg report against the Adani group. Additionally, it states that it is keeping an eye on market activity both before and after the report's release.

March 2: The top court orders the formation of a committee to look into the Adani Group and recommend ways to improve the legal framework that safeguards Indian investors. AM Sapre, a former SC judge, was named the committee's head. Other members of it include Somasekharan Sundaresan, KV Kamath, and Nandan Nilakeni.

April 29: To finish its investigation into the claims of stock price manipulation, Sebi petitions the Supreme Court for a six-month extension.

May 17: The Supreme Court grants time Sebi until August 14 to turn in its report regarding the Adani-Hindenburg case.

May 19: According to the Supreme Court-appointed panel, identifying the regulatory shortcomings in the Adani-Hindenburg scheme will prove to be challenging. The panel claims that it was unable to identify any repeated patterns of fictitious trading between the same parties.

Also Read: Live updates on Adani-Hindenburg case verdict

July 11: The SC bench headed by CJI Chandrachud asks Sebi about the state of the investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg case. It says the probe has to be concluded by August 14.

August 14: Sebi wants to extend the investigation by 15 days. It claims to have looked into and looked into 24 case-related issues. "Out of the said 24 investigations/examinations, 17 are final and complete and approved by the competent authority by Sebi's extant practice and procedures," the regulator said.

August 31: Another report is released by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). It claims that "hundreds of millions" of dollars were invested through "opaque" investment funds based in Mauritius and run by partners in the promoter family in publicly traded group stocks of the Adani group companies.

November 24: In the Adani-Hindenburg case, the Supreme Court has indicated that it may issue additional directives to Sebi while holding over its decision. Sebi informs the court that it will not ask for more time to finish the investigation.

December 7: The stock market regulator has issued show-cause notices to about a dozen foreign investors that owned big chunks of Adani group companies as it seeks to lift the veil on their true ownership, two people aware of the matter said.

January 3: The Supreme Court directs the SEBI to complete its probe into two pending cases relating to allegations against the Adani group within three months. Holding that it cannot regulate SEBI's power of investigation, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud noted that SEBI has completed its probe in 22 out of 24 cases relating to allegations against the Adani group.

ADANI ENTERPRISES More Information

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday, questioning the intent of the summons served to him by the investigative agency in connection with the Excise Policy case. He even sought a questionnaire from the ED. I would be happy to respond to any questionnaire if you seek any information/ document which are in my knowledge/possession," the chief minister said in the letter.

Kejriwal, who skipped ED summons thrice, said the Rajya Sabha elections are to take place on January 19 and he also has to participate in the Republic Day programme on January 26 as Delhi's chief minister.

ALSO READ: 'Law will decide if Arvind Kejriwal can..': BJP Delhi chief hits out at CM over ED summons in excise case

"Being the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), I am held up in the process and run up to these critical elections..."Being the Chief Minister of Delhi, I am also quite occupied in planning and preparations for several programmes and functions for the Republic Day," Kejriwal said.

ED maintaining secrecy

The Delhi chief minister accused the ED of maintaining secrecy" and not responding to his earlier replies. He said the ED issued the summons "in the same format as before" without giving any response to his earlier replies. "Therefore, I assume that you do not have any valid reason or justification for issuance of this summons," he said.

Kejriwal said the ED refused to "even acknowledge" the receipt of the details submissions made in response to the summons issued to him. "I am in the know of several cases where the Directorate of Enforcement has given details explanation and\or response to any of the queries raised or apprehensions nursed by a person who may have been issued summons...."

"Your silence on the aforementioned critical aspects leads me to infer that you are maintaining unwarranted secrecy and are being opaque and arbitrary in the present matter," Kejriwal said.

Further, he urged the ED to respond to his earlier replies and "clarify the position so as to enable me to understand the real intent, ambit, nature, sweep and scope of the purported inquiry/investigation for which I am being called," he wrote in the letter shared by news agency ANI.

ALSO READ: Arvind Kejriwal faces three legal challenges at once. Details here

'Act as per law'

Kejriwal then hoped that the ED would act as per the law". He said, "In such circumstances, I hope that you shall act as per law by transparently and fairly, considering my objections as raised and indicated in my earlier responses dated" November 2, 2023 and December 20, 2023.

Arvind Kejriwal did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case, the Aam Aadmi Party sources said on Wednesday.

The ED had issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal earlier on December 22 last year, in connection with the excise policy case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3.

The Delhi CM was first called by the central agency to appear on November 2, but he did not depose, alleging that the notice was "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law." Kejriwal was issued the second summons by the ED on December 18, asking him to depose at the federal agency's office on December 21, which the chief minister skipped.

Kejriwal was not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI on August 17 last year.

In February 2023, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi's new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the Opposition. AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh was also arrested in the same scam in October 2023.

ARVIND More Information

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A bus and a truck collided in Golaghat district, resulting in the death of 12 people and injuring 25 others. The accident took place in the Balijan area near Dergaon.

Assam: A bus, carrying passengers, collided with a truck on Wednesday morning resulting in the death of at least 12 lives and leaving 25 others injured in the Balijan area near Dergaon in Golaghat district of Assam. Rajen Singh, Superintendent of Police of Golaghat district told ANI that, the accident occurred at around 5 am on Wednesday. Also Read: Lorry carrying train coach meets with accident in Bihar, days after plane loaded truck got stuck under bridge | Watch "The bus carrying a team was going towards Tilinga Mandir from the Kamarbandha area of Golaghat district. The bus collided with a truck in the Balijan area and the truck was coming in the opposite direction from Jorhat's side. 10 bodies were recovered from the site and sent to Dergaon CHC. 27 injured persons were referred to Jorhat Medical College & Hospital where two people succumbed to their injuries," Rajen Singh said. Furthermore, CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote in a post on X, HCM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed his deep anguish at the horrific bus accident in Dergaon and offers his condolences to the bereaved families. The local administration is providing all necessary support to the injured in this difficult hour. Prayers for their swift recovery."

Meanwhile, PMO said, Pained by the loss of lives due to a road mishap in Golaghat, Assam. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000."

Also Read: Road accidents claimed 19 lives in India every hour in 2022, govt report says 1.68 lakh killed last year

After the incident, residents promptly responded by rushing to the scene and actively participating in rescue operations.

"Our investigation is on and we will take action as per law," Rajen Singh said.

(This is a developing story)

(With inputs from ANI)

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BJP leaders on Wednesday staged a protest against the Karnataka government after the arrest of a person in Hubballi for alleged involvement in the riots after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar has defended the state government's decision to arrest the person in this case. The Home Minister has already clarified that we have not arrested innocents, we don't do hate politics. Law is taking action against those who disturb the peace...We never broke the law in the way BJP did and booked cases on Congress workers and MLAs," Shivakumar told media persons. Congress leader Jagadish Shettar also said the case was not intentionally opened for harassment purposes and the cops took action after looking at all the aspects of the case. It is a 30-year-old case and even BJP ruled the state for so many years, I think 7-8 years but at that time why they did not think about withdrawing of all these cases against the Hindu activists...It (the case) is not intentionally opened for harassment purposes," he said.

Karnataka police on Monday arrested a 50-year-old man, who was allegedly involved in rioting in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya. The police arrested Poojary from the Hubballi district in what was dubbed as a long-pending" case.

The arrest comes 30 years after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 and the accused, Poojary, was 20 years old at that time. It triggered a political furor in the state with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that the Congress government in Karnataka is terrorizing Hindu activists.

"The Congress government in Karnataka is reopening the 31-year-old case. Two workers in Hubballi who had taken part in the Ram temple agitation were arrested and jailed. It gives an impression that they are being hounded for taking part in the Ram temple agitation at a time when people are eagerly waiting for the historic occasion of the consecration of the grand temple in Ayodhya," former minister R Ashoka alleged.

On the other hand, Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra on Tuesday accused the Congress-led state government of being "anti-Hindu".

"Karnataka government is proving again and again that it is an anti-Hindu government. Yesterday in Hubballi, they reopened a 31-year-old case, and Hindu worker Srikant Poojari was arrested; we strongly condemn this," Vijayendra said.

"We are going to hold a huge protest throughout the state, mainly in Freedom Park tomorrow, against the anti-Hindu government and anti-Hindu CM," he added.

The Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute was one of the oldest legal cases in India which started in 1885 and went through several ups and downs before 2019, when the Supreme Court ordered the construction of Ram Temple on the disputed 2.77 acres of land and gave alternative 5 acres of land to Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, for building the mosque.

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The Supreme Court (SC) has laid down Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) in order to guide High Courts across the country in directing the personal appearance of government officials in the courts.

The apex court noted courts must refrain from making demeaning remarks against government officers based on their appearance, dress etc. unless there is a violation of the dress code.

Additionally, SC stated that said the personal presence of officers may be required in evidence, summary proceedings etc. and apart from this if issues can be sorted out by affidavit then such personal presence may not be called for.

Further adding, it said that the officers should not be made to stand during the entire proceeding unless needed or asked.

The top court ruled that government personnel must be summoned with advance notice for adequate preparation and the first option for such appearance must be through video conferencing.

Earlier in August 2023, the apex court said that it would lay down guidelines for courts on summoning government officers in pending cases.

The verdict came on an appeal against an Allahabad High Court decision which had summoned two UP government officers who were taken into custody for not complying with its directions.

Earlier, the apex court had stayed the operation of the orders of the High Court. The High Court had taken two officers into custody who were present in the court. It had also issued bailable warrants to the Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, and Prashant Trivedi, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance).

The High Court was dealing with the plea of the Association of Retired Supreme Court and High Court Judges and it had observed that the matter pertaining to providing domestic help and other facilities to the former Chief Justices and former Judges of the High Court was kept pending on one pretext or another.

(With inputs from ANI)

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday placed its trust in the market regulator and dismissed petitions seeking a separate investigation into Hindenburg Researchs allegations against the Adani group, lifting a year-long cloud over the ports-to-cement conglomerate.

The top court also directed the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to complete its investigation in three months, and asked both Sebi and the government to examine if the Hindenburg report itself involves potential legal violations, and take necessary action.

A person close to the Adani group said the legal tangle had made the conglomerate untouchable" for private banks and sovereign funds, whose boards turned wary of its proposals. This will change after the Supreme Court verdict and will make fund availability easier for us," the person said on condition of anonymity.

An industry insider concurred that the favourable SC order will encourage more foreign investors to put money into the conglomerate. This assumes significance as the Adani group has plans to tap into international debt markets to aid its expansion plans.

Investors took the development favourably, with Adani Enterprises Ltd, the groups flagship company, rising 2.45% to close at 3,003.95 on BSE on Wednesday, while the benchmark Sensex index fell 0.75%.

The judgement evoked mixed reactions from experts. I dont necessarily see this as a win for the Adani group. I dont actually see this as a win for anybody," said Sharmila Gopinath, specialist advisor, India, Asian Corporate Governance Association. I think the Supreme Court has basically told the market that the regulator needs to finish what it started (investigations). And whatever Sebi comes out with at the end of it is what we will have to live with..."

Gopinath added that the petitioners went too early to the apex court, because a court anywhere in the world will not step on regulators toes before they have even finished their investigations."

InGovern Research founder and managing director Shriram Subramanian said that beyond the SC scrutiny going off, there is no impact on the Adani group. They continued to make acquisitions and raise funds...the depressed prices after the Hindenburg report helped them raise funds from Rajiv Jains GQG Partners instead. They even secured Haifa Port in Israel and bagged the Dharavi project while the case was going on."

Tushar Agarwal, an advocate at the SC, said the court reposed trust in Sebis investigation to protect investors interest. Also, this order is indicative of the basic fabric of the Constitution of India; in terms of separation of powers, the judiciary is not supposed to interfere with legislative and executive functions," he said.

Meanwhile, the three-judge bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra directed Sebi to complete investigations into the remaining two out of the total 24 cases within three months.

The regulator had earlier informed the court that it had completed investigations in 22 cases, with information awaited from foreign regulators for the last two. The two cases aim to establish the ownership of 12 foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) owning stakes in Adani group companies, and short sellers in Adani shares around the time of the release of the Hindenburg report.

The SC noted that the petitioners did not present valid grounds to direct Sebi to revoke its amendments to FPI regulations and listing obligations and disclosure requirements (LODR) regulations. The regulations do not suffer from any infirmities," the bench stated. The petitioners had contended that these amendments had helped some foreign investors hide their ultimate owners.

Additionally, the court dismissed the reliability of various third-party reports and news articles, including one from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, as credible sources of proof. Investigative reports could be inputs for Sebi, but they cannot be considered credible evidence or proof of regulatory failure, the court said.

The Hindenburg report released on 24 January last year had alleged various malpractices at Adani group companies, hammering its shares and forcing its flagship firm to cancel a $2.4 billion share sale. The Adani group denied the allegations in a 413-page response.

Subsequently, public interest litigations (PILs) were filed in the SC by advocates Vishal Tiwari, M.L. Sharma, Congress leader Jaya Thakur and activist Anamika Jaiswal, prompting the court to form a committee, headed by former SC judge Justice A.M. Sapre, to investigate the matter. The committee included former State Bank of India chairman O.P. Bhatt, retired Justice J.P. Devadhar, K.V. Kamath, Nandan Nilekani and Somasekhar Sundaresan. The committees findings had raised concerns about the removal of restrictions on FPIs with an opaque structure" by Sebi in 2018 and 2019.

Prior to 2019, FPIs were required to provide beneficial ownership (BO) information only when requested by Sebi, and there was a prohibition on opaque FPI structures. However, in 2018 and 2019, Sebi tweaked these rules, making it mandatory for all FPIs excluding sovereign funds to submit their BO information upfront. The specific prohibition on opaque structures became redundant, and it was removed. The petitioners contended that this change helped some FPIs hide their beneficial owners, a charge that SC dismissed on Tuesday.

Sebi informed the SC in August that it is investigating the economic interest shareholders" of 12 FPIs that are public shareholders of Adani companies. In its status report filed in the SC, Sebi mentioned the challenges in identifying the economic interest shareholders of these FPIs due to their connections to entities in tax havens. The regulator has said that it is working to gather details from five foreign jurisdictions.

In December, Mint reported that Sebi had issued show-cause notices to foreign investors owning a big chunk of Adani companies in an attempt to unveil their true ownership.
My heart aches at this heinous crime in Vizag, Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the Vizag gang rape incident in which a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by eight men in the port city.

He lamented the utter law and order failure in the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh while emphasizing the distressing reality faced by the daughters and sisters of the state. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Naidu wrote, My head hangs in shame. Criminals continue to hurt our daughters and sisters without fearing the law because they know there is no law and order in a YSRCP-ruled Andhra Pradesh. Forget women empowerment, YS Jagan's vision seems to only empower criminals who prey on women."

A Jharkhand-based migrant labourer took the girl to a room where she was raped under the pretext of celebrating her birthday on December 17, 2023, said Visakhapatnam Zone-1 Deputy Commissioner of Police K Srinivas Rao, adding that he brought his friend who also sexually assaulted the girl, PTI reported.

The official said the victim went to RK Beach in the port city to end her life. However, a local man who ekes out a living taking photographs of tourists entered into a conversation with her.

He then took her to a lodge and sexually assaulted her. Later, she was taken to another room, where eight to nine of the photographer's friends raped her, the cop said.

The girl managed to escape from their (photographer and friends) clutches and left the city. Following a missing complaint lodged by the girl's parents, she was found in Odisha and was brought back to the city here on December 25.

Police said that the girl was raped by the photographer and his friends on December 20, 21 and 22. They are also probing whether she was sexually assaulted on December 18 and 19.

Rao said police altered the missing case into a rape (IPC Section 376) and added the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO).

Police on Monday said eleven men were arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl hailing from Odisha on different occasions in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. A case has been registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A man died Saturday morning after a car drove in Bowling Lake in northwest Lincoln Saturday morning, the Lincoln Police Department said.

Around 5:15 a.m. Saturday, police received a call of a car found at Bowling Lake, which is near the Lincoln Airport. When Lincoln police and Lincoln Fire & Rescue personnel arrived, they located vehicle tracks leading into the southeast portion of the lake and observed that the top layer of ice on the lake had been disturbed, LPD said in a news release.

A rescue boat and dive team entered the lake to be sure there were no occupants of the vehicle. They initially located the unoccupied car, but after an additional search of the lake with assistance from Nebraska Game & Parks officers, they located a dead man in the water at about 11:40 a.m.

Police said they have identified the dead man but are not releasing his name pending the notification of family members. He is believed to be the same person who called 911 about the car.

Police said they do not believe there are any other victims, but the investigation is continuing.

Top Journal Star photos for December 2023
Excise Policy Case: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to abstain from appearing for ED's summons in the excise case.

The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is opting to once again abstain from appearing for the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons for questioning in the Delhi excise case on Wednesday. As reported by PTI, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stated that Arvind Kejriwal is willing to cooperate with the ED, but they argue that the intent behind the summons is to facilitate his arrest. Ready to cooperate in ED investigation but the agency's notice is illegal. Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from the election campaign," said AAP. Also Read: 'Law will decide if Arvind Kejriwal can..': BJP Delhi chief hits out at CM over ED summons in excise case Kejriwal was summoned on January 3 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 3 concerning a money laundering case associated with the excise policy. Earlier, the ED had previously issued summonses to Kejriwal on November 2 and December 21, 2023, but he refused to appear before the federal agency on both occasions. Also Read: Punjab's R-Day parade tableau rejected; BJP defends move, cites photos of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that Manish Sisodia has been under arrest for one year and they have not been able to gather any evidence against Manish Sisodia, and now preparations are on to arrest Arvind Kejriwal." He added, "Efforts are being made continuously to arrest the opposition leaders of the country. Many cases come up against BJP leaders but no action is being taken against them. BJP was running a campaign against everyone from Suvendhu Adhikari to Mukul Roy, Pema Khandu, Ajit Pawar, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and then they joined BJP." Meanwhile, Congress leader Udit Raj told ANI, ED is carrying out raids at the associates of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. ED notices were sent to former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel right before the elections and false allegations were put on him. Arvind Kejriwal is also a part of the opposition alliance...It is true that these agencies are not doing their work but putting pressure on the opposition leaders."

Kejriwal, in response to the second summons, accused the ED of acting on behalf of political rivals who aim to stifle the opposition's voice in the lead-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He claimed that the summonses were politically motivated.

Instead of attending the second summons, Kejriwal reportedly went on a 10-day 'Vipassana' meditation course at an undisclosed location and returned on December 30.

Also Read: Delhi excise policy case: ED searches AAP MP Sanjay Singh residence

It's worth noting that during the first summons on November 2, Kejriwal also skipped the questioning, alleging that the notice was "illegal" and politically motivated."

The repeated issuance of summons and Kejriwal's refusal to comply suggest an ongoing legal and political confrontation between the Delhi Chief Minister and the Enforcement Directorate.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Afghanistan's Fayzabad experienced seismic activity on January 3, with two earthquakes shaking the region, as reported by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS). The initial quake occurred at 00:28:52 IST, registering a magnitude of 4.4 at a depth of 80 km. It was located 126 km east of Fayzabad.

Subsequently, a second earthquake struck at 00:55:55 IST, 100 km east-southeast of Fayzabad, with a magnitude of 4.8 and a recorded depth of 140 km. The NCS shared the details, stating, "Earthquake of Magnitude:4.8, Occurred on 03-01-2024, 00:55:55 IST, Lat: 36.90 & Long: 71.65, Depth: 140 Km, Location: 100km ESE of Fayzabad, Afghanistan," ANI reported. Despite the seismic activity, there have been no reports of property damage in Afghanistan. Also Read | Tremors of another quake should prompt preparedness Meanwhile, Western Japan was struck by a sequence of formidable earthquakes, resulting in a tragic toll of at least 57 lives lost and widespread destruction of numerous buildings, vehicles, and boats. On January 2, officials issued warnings that additional seismic activity might occur in the region, as reported by the Associated Press.

Also Read | Japan earthquake: India issues emergency contact for its citizens after tsunami alerts | Details here

Even a day after a powerful magnitude 7.6 temblor rocked Ishikawa prefecture, aftershocks persisted, continuing to shake the affected area. The magnitude of the damage was so extensive that an immediate assessment proved challenging. According to Japanese media reports, tens of thousands of homes succumbed to the devastation, the report added.

Also Read | 4.8 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia's West Java Island

Compounding the crisis, essential services such as water, power, and cell phone connectivity remained disrupted in certain areas. The aftermath left residents grappling with uncertainty, expressing profound sorrow about their futures as they faced the challenges posed by the aftermath of the earthquakes in western Japan.

(With Inputs from agencies)

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Explosions at an event honouring a prominent Iranian general Qasem Soleimani slain in a US airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 103 people and wounded 141 others, state-run media in Iran reported on Wednesday, as officials have called it a terrorist attack.

Mohammad Saberi  the head of Kermans emergency services  has confirmed to state media that more of the critically injured in the blasts have now died, bringing the total number of dead to 103, according to Al Jazeera. The current number of the injured is 141, some of whom are critically injured," he said. ALSO READ: Iran terror attack LIVE The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Dr Mohammad Saberi, the head of Kerman emergency services, for the figure. Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for Iran's emergency service, gave the casualty figure to state media.

According to reports, two explosions were heard in quick succession near the grave of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, as the country marked the anniversary of his killing in a US drone strike in Iraq.

Irans Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that the initial explosion took place at 3.00 pm local time, with a subsequent explosion occurring after people had assembled to assist in the aftermath of the first incident, adding, the majority of casualties resulted from the second explosion.

The blasts struck an event marking the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. who died in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020.

ALSO READ: US Navy destroys boats controlled by Iran-backed militias in Red Sea

The explosions occurred near his gravesite in Kerman, about 820 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran.

Kermans deputy governor, Rahman Jalali, called the attack terroristic," without elaborating. However, no group immediately claimed responsibility.

Though it is still unclear who who behind the attack, Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault. These may include exile groups, militant organizations, and state actors. Earlier, Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels.

Who was Soleimani?

Considered the architect of Iran's regional military activities, Soleimani is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Iran's theocracy.

He had helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assad's government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

His popularity and mystique grew following American officials calling for his killing over his help arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops.

But in January 2020, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general. A stampede broke out and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.

With agency inputs.

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More than 100 people were killed and nearly 200 others injured on Wednesday after twin blasts rocked Kerman on Wednesday. The incident  dubbed a terroristic" attack took place during a ceremony honouring slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The former head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force had been killed in a January 2020 US drone strike  a move that Iran has repeatedly vowed to avenge. The development also comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The blasts struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary Soleimani's death near his grave site in Kernan. Footage shared by the Iranian state media suggests that the second blast occurred some 15 minutes after the initial explosion. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far.

Two explosive devices planted along the road leading to Kerman's Martyrs' Cemetery were detonated remotely by terrorists," Reuters quoted an official as telling the state news agency IRNA.

Last week, Iran accused Israel of killing another senior IRGC officer  and Soleimanis former colleague  Seyyed Razi Mousavi, in Syria. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it had no comment after the Kerman attack.

The assassination of Qassem Soleimani had left the US and Iran on the brink of a full-blown conflict in 2020. Tehran had retaliated by attacking two Iraq military bases that housed US troops and repeatedly vowed to avenge the top military officer. Soleimani is still hailed as a national icon among supporters of Irans theocracy and considered the architect of the country's regional military activities.

Soleimani had been one of Iran's most powerful generals and helped project the country's power abroad through a network of proxy militias opposed to Israel including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. However he remained relatively unknown until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Soleimani's popularity and mystique had grown after American officials called for his killing over his help arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops. He eventually became one of the country's most recognisable battlefield commanders  ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership.

(With inputs from agencies)

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BEIRUT : Israel was on high alert for an escalation with Hezbollah on Wednesday after one of the top leaders of the Palestinian Hamas was killed in a strike in Beirut that was widely blamed on Israel and heightened the risk of a broader Middle East conflict.

The killing of Saleh Arouri, the most senior Hamas member slain since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago, provided a morale boost for Israelis still reeling from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as the militants put up stiff resistance in Gaza and continue to hold scores of hostages.

Also Read | Bajaj Auto board to mull share buyback on January 8; stock hits record high

But its implications for the war remain unclear. Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders over the years, only to see them quickly replaced. And the strike in Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold could cause the low-intensity fighting along the Lebanon border to boil over into all-out war.

Much depends on how Hassan Nasrallah  who has led Hezbollah since an Israeli strike killed his predecessor in 1992  chooses to respond. He has previously vowed to retaliate for any Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in Lebanon, and was expected to deliver a speech at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since the war in Gaza began, but Nasrallah has appeared reluctant to escalate it further, perhaps fearing a repeat of the monthlong 2006 war, in which Israel heavily bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials have not commented on the strike that killed Arouri, but Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said we are on high readiness for any scenario."

The United States has sought to prevent any widening of the conflict, including by deploying two aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected in the region this week.

A high-profile target

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. The group's Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

Israel claims to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders in Gaza, but this would be the first time since the war that it has reached into another country to target the group's top leaders, many of whom live in exile around the region.

Arouri was the deputy of Hamas supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and headed the groups presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department had listed him as a terrorist and offered a $5 million reward for information about him.

Haniyeh said Hamas was more powerful and determined" following the attack, which killed six other members of the group, including two military commanders. They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them," he said of those killed.

Hezbollah called the strike a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance."

We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment," it said.

Israel seeks a clear victory in Gaza

The focus of the war remains on Gaza, where Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is seeking a clear victory" over Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.

Israel's air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,300 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Also Read | If Google is not there': Anupam Mittal weighs in on Play Store billing row

The campaign has driven some 85% of Gazas population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. A quarter of Gaza's population face starvation, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.

The unprecedented death and destruction has led South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice, allegations Israel has strongly denied and vowed to contest.

Still, Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and returning the estimated 129 hostages still held by the group after more than 100 were released in a cease-fire deal in November.

Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling militants for over two months and where entire neighborhoods have been blasted into rubble.

Heavy fighting is also underway in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamas' military structure is still largely intact. Yehya Sinwar, Hamas' top leader in Gaza, and his deputies have thus far eluded Israeli forces.

Egypt, which along with Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan for ending the war in which all hostages would eventually be released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel would withdraw from Gaza and a government of Palestinian technocrats would govern Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank until elections are held.

Neither Israel nor Hamas have accepted the plan in its entirety, but neither has rejected it outright.

An Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the killing of Arouri was likely to hamper the negotiations for a couple days.lso

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Something about scanning that boarding pass and stepping into an aluminum tube for a few hours turns some of us into miscreants.

We fight about the exact centimeter it is OK and not OK to lower our seat back. Never mind middle-seat armrest tussles or the occasional food faux pas.

Last year at this time, I resolved to get out of expense-report jail. Im happy to report my release. I filed my final 2023 expense report just three days after a reporting trip to Florida and made a tight column deadline to boot.

This year, Ive got resolutions for all of us. We should all aim to get back to basics and make some collective promises as fliers.

1. Dont abuse preboarding privileges.

You dont get to bring everyone in the family along with you. On Southwest Airlines, you risk side-eye and ire from fellow passengers, since seating is first come, first served.

2. Do keep your fancy airline status to yourself.

The perks of being a road warrior (or prolific credit-card spender) are enviable. But dont broadcast your precious gembe it silver, gold, platinum or diamond statusas you shove your way to the front of the priority-boarding line when youre running late or griping about flight troubles. Were all trying to get to the same place. That seat upgrade will still be there.

3. Dont bonk other passengers with your backpack.

Be mindful of smacking others as you trudge down the aisle to your seat. Diane Zeligman, who lives in Toronto, says shes tired of being whacked every time people wearing them turn around on a flight. Many have no awareness of people behind them," she says.

4. Do stow your bags in the right section.

Airlines are making a mint on those pricey extra-legroom seats. One perk they promise is dedicated overhead bin space. It isnt always well-marked, especially when other bags are already up there, but if you see a sticker that says reserved for Comfort Plus or Main Cabin Extra or Economy Plus, be courteous and move on. (I started to put my bag in a bin on a Delta flight and stopped when I realized it was above a Comfort Plus seat.)

5. Dont be a bin hog.

Heed those flight-attendant announcements about only putting your bigger carry-ons in the overhead bins so theres enough room for everyones bags. You dont want your carry-on checked at the last minute. If theres room after everyone has boarded, go ahead and throw those backpacks, coats, scarves, umbrellas and souvenirs in there.

6. Do sit down as quickly as possible.

No one wants to stand behind you as you pull your electronics, headphones, book, snacks, wipes and other stuff out of your backpack. You can reorganize your stuff before or after takeoff.

7. Do think twice before asking another passenger to switch seats.

Many of us are understanding when airlines ask for last-minute help accommodating families. But to simply sit next to your spouse or partner or best friend? Thats asking a lot in this era of airline fees to reserve regular old aisle and window seats.

8. Dont watch in-flight movies, TV or play videogames without headphones. Ever.

Your seatmates dont need a play-by-play of the Vikings-Bears game. This applies to the kids in your group, too. Your toddlers may love YouTube sensation Ms. Rachel, but the rest of us dont need to listen to Wheels on the Bus." And think about your neighbors before you decide on something extra saucy or scary to watch on your laptop. Save that Saw" sequel for your destination.

9. Do warn people when you are about to recline your seat.

Whether you are on Team Recline or not, its the polite thing to do. Wendy MacKinnon, who lives on Prince Edward Island, says she almost broke her wrist in October when the passenger in front of her abruptly reclined her seat. My hand just happened to be in the wrong place," she says.

10. Dont backtrack to get your bag.

Wait in your seat until deplaning is done or theres an unexpected break in the action. If theres someone in the aisle and your bag is five rows behind you, why hold up the whole plane?" says Michael Mayer. The management consultant from outside Philadelphia says hes seen too many cases of passengers swimming from the bulkhead to the back" of the plane. And whatever you do, dont ask someone in 32C to pass your carry-on bag over other passengers heads.

11. Do wait your turn to get off the plane.

Unless a flight attendant makes an announcement to let passengers with super-tight connections off, deplaning etiquette dictates an orderly, row-by-row exit from the plane. On a nonstop from Boston to Phoenix last week, a hulking passenger plowed ahead of me and others when the plane landed. He didnt care that others, including me, suggested it wasnt his turn. Leave your impatience and entitlement at home.

Write to Dawn Gilbertson at dawn.gilbertson@wsj.com
Aluminium has successfully replaced timber in house construction, significantly contributing to the prevention of tree cutting. It is used in aircraft making for its light-weight tensile strength, and the same applies to renewable energy projects.

As India witnesses increased government spending on infrastructure, our challenge lies in finding the extent to which aluminium usage can be expanded in these projects. In applications like home window and door frames, as with aircraft making, the metal faces little competition. In infrastructure, it often competes with steel or stainless steel, but it can excel in such niches as architectural structures, electric charging stations, etc. Timber must completely be replaced with aluminium, given its recyclability and cost-effectiveness over time, thanks to very low maintenance costs.

Empirical evidence points to infrastructure as a growth propellant. Its creation has salutary and multiplier effects on multiple sectors of the economy. Apart from raising market demand and peoples incomes, and facilitating trade and connectivity, it promotes financial inclusion and enhances societal equality. Indias build-up partly explains why the country is a rare bright spot in the world economy. At $3.75 trillion, India is among the top five major economies, and could reach $5 trillion in the next few years. Infrastructure growth has been instrumental in Indias rise in the international order, even though much more is needed.

The time has come to create infrastructure of the future: it should be advanced, energy-efficient and thus environment-friendly, cost-effective, aesthetic and easy to assemble. If it is to be climate-resilient and climate-resistant, we need to use more aluminium. Infinitely recyclable, the metal is more eco-friendly than steel, plastic and other materials. It is also corrosion-resistant and highly malleable. According to the Indian Minerals Yearbook 2020, the electrical sector consumes around 48% of all aluminium in India, followed by the automobile and transport sector (15%), construction (13%), consumer durables (7%), machinery and equipment (7%), packaging (4%) and others (6%). However, Indias per capita consumption is one-fourth the world average.

Aluminium production is energy intensive, but clean power can be used for electrolysis. Importantly, this metal has no scalable substitute today for India to reach net zero emissions by 2070, towards which an energy transition is already underway.

Aluminium is embedded in all parts of the modern economy, from construction to cars and cans. While a global energy transition alone is expected to drive up aluminium demand manifold, growing demand from the infrastructure sector will require capacity addition back home.

China is the worlds top producer and consumer of the metal, but a shift in Western sourcing interest towards India could give Indian aluminium makers a chance to make up for a Chinese void in the global arena, while also supporting the governments Make in India initiative. As of now, Indias imports of aluminium, mainly low-quality scrap, have remained consistently high even though domestic output has risen.

Rating agency ICRA recently noted that the Centres massive infrastructure development plans, growing urbanization levels, housing schemes, investments in metro rail networks and aluminium-bodied Vande Bharat trains bode well for domestic aluminium demand. While global consumption of the metal would remain tepid, with an increase of around 1% in 2023, Indian demand growth is placed at 9% in 2023-24 as well as 2024-25.

It is supply that needs to increase in response, for which we need a steady supply of high-quality raw materials as well as efficient processing and distribution networks, while the entire value chain of extraction and production is decarbonized. Alumina comes from bauxite. About one tonne of alumina is made from 3-3.5 tonnes of bauxite, and about one tonne of aluminium is produced from about 2 tonnes of alumina. India does have bauxite reserves, but challenges of access to mineral-bearing areas, land acquisition and environmental and forest clearances should be sorted out for more of it to be mined. Seamless allocation of bauxite mines and incentivizing producers to produce more high-quality, climate-resilient aluminium are the order of the day.

Increasing low-quality imports in recent years have caused concern for the domestic aluminium industry and investment in the sector. There is a need to stem the increased flow of imports by aiding the efforts of domestic producers; else, Indias production capacity will not keep pace with demand and our import dependency will increase. On its part, the domestic industry needs to adopt new technologies to decarbonize production. To incentivize this energy-intensive sector to use green energy for aluminium making, the government could introduce a Production-Linked Incentive scheme for it.

A parliamentary standing committee summed up the need thus: Having a holistic view of the performance of the aluminium sector, which could not achieve production to the desired level of installed capacity, the Committee feels that the Ministry should step up the extra efforts for overall improvement in its physical performance to make the country self-reliant for aluminium metal."

Aluminium, with its many advantages, needs support. We should not depend on imports, but use indigenous products even as we identify new niche usages.
The government has sought to diffuse the truckers strike against new provisions raising the penalty for hit-and-run crimes from a two-year jail term and fines to a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and fines. The provisions are included in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaces the Indian Penal Code.

Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla has assured the All India Motor Transport Congressone of the unions representing truck driversthat the new rules related to hit-and-run accidents would be implemented only after consultation with the transporters body.

There can be no fundamental right to hit and run. The government cannot yield to unreasonable protests even when they are by truckers, the lifeblood of the economys supply systems. It must, however, address the truck drivers concerns over lynch-mob justice, in case they do tarry at the accident site, and of extortion by the police.

India has one of the worst road fatality figures in the world. In 2022, the latest year for which data is available, 461,312 road accidents occurred, injuring 443,366 people and claiming 168,491 lives, according to a government report released in October.

While the design, structural engineering and upkeep of roads are vital factors, responsible driving is key when it comes to reducing road mishaps and fatalities. Laws and penalties are meant to incentivise responsible driving.

The crime of hit and run accounts for a larger proportion of road fatalities in India than in countries where the rule of law prevails. There are several reasons for this. One is the tendency for people of the locality where an accident happens to deliver mob justice to the driver involved. The expectation that the perpetrator of an accident would receive punishment fit for his crime is so low that people take the law into their own hands to deliver instant punishment, which normally takes the form of violent beatings. This deters drivers from staying on at the site of an accident.

Another is the total lack of accountability of the police in most parts of India. If an accident is reported to the police, under what section of law the person responsible for the accident is charged depends on the police.

If a driver is guilty only of rash and negligent driving, he could get away with six months imprisonment, under the IPC (which would increase to 5 years in jail under the BNS). If a driver is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and running away following an accident without reporting the crime to police, he can be sent to jail for 10 years under BNS and made to pay a heavy fine, or even face more serious charges.

Truck drivers complain of demand for bribes by the police to be charged with offences that call for lighter penalties. The heavier the punishment prescribed by the law, the larger the bribe that can be extracted to alter the nature of the charge.

The enhancement of the penalty for the crime of hit and run has caused such a furore among truck drivers precisely because of this reason: it increases the scale of extortion they can be subjected to in case they happen to be involved in an accident, whether they are culpable or not.

This is not something that can be addressed by changing the law. It calls for drastic reform of the police and the system of administration to remove the arbitrary power the police wield over ordinary citizens.

Should vehicles mandatorily mount cameras in front and at the back to record accidents? How should such data be stored and accessed? Can the police be made accountable to a committee of the legislature, apart from to the Executive? Should the police be routinely made accountable to human rights watchdogs?

Such issues also need to be looked into to address the concerns over the enhancement of penalties unaccompanied by measures to erode arbitrary powers of the state over the citizenry.

Giving in to disruptive agitations to dilute laws without addressing basic issues involved in raising apprehensions about the law, in the first place, is to feed the dynamic of mob rule.
TAIPEINearly a year after the appearance of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. sent relations between Beijing and Washington into free fall, high-altitude balloons from China have again been spotted floating over sensitive territory.

This time, it is the main island of self-ruled Taiwan, which is days away from holding a presidential election with ramifications for the future of U.S.-China relations.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense said it detected a Chinese balloon flying over the island on Monday, followed by three more balloons on Tuesday. The ministry has previously noted Chinese balloons floating near the island, but this is the first time authorities have reported the balloons crossing over it.

Maj. Gen. Sun Li-fang, a spokesman for the ministry, said Tuesday that the balloons appeared to be the kind designed to collect atmospheric data.

As for whether they have other purposes," he said, the ministry is closely monitoring and controlling the situation, taking appropriate measures, and summarizing their flight paths for judgment and analysis."

The ministry didnt respond to a question about whether it considered the balloons flight paths a violation of Taiwanese airspace.

The appearance of a Chinese balloon over the U.S. in late January last year ignited a furor in Washington and torpedoed diplomatic efforts to stabilize ties with Beijing. Chinas government described it as a weather balloon that had been blown off course and slammed President Bidens decision to shoot it down. A preliminary analysis of the debris by U.S. defense and intelligence agencies found the balloon carried a mix of off-the-shelf and specialized equipment to collect photos, video and other information, American officials said.

Taiwan is gearing up for a volatile three-way presidential election on Jan. 13, when some 19 million voters will pick a new leader to replace President Tsai Ing-wen, who is stepping down due to term limits. Both opposition candidates say they would pursue a friendlier approach to Beijing than the ruling party candidate, Vice President William Lai, who has said he would maintain the status quo established by Tsai.

The close timing with the election makes the balloon overflights especially noteworthy, according to Ben Lewis, an independent military analyst based in Washington who closely tracks the activities of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army.

I think this represents an attempt at election interference using gray-zone tactics," Lewis said, referring to Chinese activity that falls below the threshold of military confrontation but is designed to test and intimidate Taiwan.

Taiwanese authorities have accused China of using a range of tactics aimed at influencing the election, such as spreading disinformation on social media, using subsidized trips to Chinese cities to sway Taiwans voters and, more recently, launching an investigation into alleged lip syncing by a popular Taiwanese rock band that officials in Taipei said is intended to pressure the band into publicly backing Chinas claims over Taiwan.

Despite never ruling it, Communist leaders in Beijing have vowed to absorb the island democracyby force if necessary. In his latest remarks, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said what he called a reunification" with Taiwan was inevitable, according to a videotaped New Years address released on Sunday.

Chinas senior leader in charge of Taiwan affairs, Wang Huning, convened a meeting in Beijing in early December to discuss ways for Beijing to influence the Taiwan election in discreet ways that wouldnt derail a recent calming of tensions between Washington and Beijing, a senior Taiwanese security official said, citing unspecified intelligence.

Chinas Ministry of Defense and Taiwan Affairs Office didnt respond to requests for comment.

Beijing has previously denied that it is trying to influence Taiwans elections. A spokesman for the Chinese military told a news conference last week that it would take all necessary measures to resolutely defend" its territory, accusing Taiwans ruling party of deliberately exaggerating the so-called military threat" from China to hype up tensions to gain political advantage.

China has intensified military activity around Taiwan ahead of previous elections on the islands, with the effect of galvanizing support for candidates that favor a tougher line on relations with Beijing.

Taiwanese military officials have said they plan to stay on high alert for Chinese military moves around polling day, though Sun, the defense ministry spokesman, said there werent any indications that the PLA plans any significant action.

Taiwans military began including balloons in its daily reports on PLA activity on Dec. 8. It reported detecting seven such balloons crossing the halfway point of the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait separating the two sides in December.

Taiwanese security officials, who declined to be named, said they also detected Chinese balloons crossing the halfway point over the course of two days in November, without specifying how many there were or their flight paths.

Write to Joyu Wang at joyu.wang@wsj.com
NEW DELHI : The new BJP government in Rajasthan has sought the union health ministrys approval to integrate the previous administrations Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme with the Centres Ayushman Bharat programme, two officials privy to the matter said.

The scheme, to be named Ayushman Bharat Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, is expected to retain the existing benefits of the state scheme, including a 25 lakh insurance cover in both private and government hospitals, the officials said.

The Chiranjeevi scheme, introduced by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot of the Congress party, offers higher coverage compared to Ayushman Bharats 5 lakh.

The scheme will continue, and the amount of the package is also going to be same, there wont be any deduction," said a state government official.

Queries sent to the union health ministry and the chief ministers office remained unanswered at the time of publication.

Gehlot had previously urged the Prime Minister to retain his flagship schemes regardless of the election outcome. He had raised concerns during the poll campaign that the BJP might discontinue the Chiranjeevi scheme.

Currently, over 14 million families are drawing benefits from the Chiranjeevi scheme.

The state government has directed districts to issue new health insurance cards by 26 January, aligning with national efforts to cover all targeted Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries before the Lok Sabha elections, Mint had earlier reported.

The state government official quoted above said some private hospitals had stopped accepting Chiranjeevi cards even before the election results were out. The hospitals had already flagged that if the government changes, there are high chances that the BJP govt would discontinue the scheme, and hence they had already stopped," added the official.

Since its launch in May 2021, the Chiranjeevi scheme has provided universal health coverage to all Rajasthani families. Its coverage was recently increased from 10 lakh to 25 lakh, with an additional 10 lakh for accident coverage, as per the Rajasthan Budget 2023-2024.

So far, more than 100 million families have at least one Ayushman card, with Uttar Pradesh leading in the number of beneficiaries at 46 million. Madhya Pradesh follows with 37 million, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh with 20 million each and Maharashtra with 19 million beneficiaries.
A Washington County leader has died following a car crash near Arlington Thursday night.

Jordan Rishel, executive director of the Washington County Community Foundation, died after the Jeep Wrangler she was driving crashed into another vehicle on U.S. 30 at County Road 15, known as Marshall Nursery Road, according to a county press release.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, officers with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol were called to the crash site, which is southwest of Blair, the State Patrol said.

Preliminary investigation showed that Rishel's Jeep was westbound on U.S. 30 in slick driving conditions when it lost control, entered the eastbound lane and struck a Ford F-150 pickup.

Rishel, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene. The two occupants of the Ford were transported to the hospital in Fremont with injuries that appeared not to be life-threatening, according to the State Patrol. The crash remains under investigation.

Rishel served as director for the Blair Chamber of Commerce for 11 years before becoming the executive director of the county foundation. She also was a member of the Washington County Board of Supervisors from 2018 to 2022.

"She was a trusted and valued board member during her four-year term," the board said in the press release. "The county has lost a true servant, leader and more importantly a friend. The board expresses our deepest condolences to the Rishel family."

In a statement Friday morning, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said Rishel was a dedicated member of the community who made a positive impact.

"Losing someone so involved and dedicated to the betterment of the community is truly a loss for everyone who knew her. Jordan was a light and a leader and she will be greatly missed by all," the office said. "Washington County Sheriff's Office sends our deepest sympathy, prayers and thoughts of strength and love to Jordan's children, family and friends and the extended community she touched."

The Journal Star's most memorable photos of 2023
On January 3, the Supreme Court is going to hear TMC MP Mahua Moitras plea challenging her recent expulsion from the Lok Sabha over allegations of unethical conduct, LiveLaw reported. The bench comprises Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.

Moitra lost her Lok Sabha position after the Ethics Committee had found her guilty of the charges. Also Read: IIT-BHU sexual assault case: Mahua Moitra asks Yogi Adityanath 'is baar bulldozer chalaane mein itni der kyon? Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai earlier accused the TMC MP of conducting surveillance on him. In a letter sent on December 29 to CBI Director Praveen Sood and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Advocate Dehadrai expressed concern that the TMC leader might be using his phone number to find out his physical location.

"I have given my complaint to CBI. This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not get back..." ANI quoted Dehadrai as saying.

Home Minister Amit Shah earlier accused her, without taking names, of giving her Parliament portal password to businesspeople for gifts. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has supported her, he alleged.

Mahua Moitra on truck drivers' protest

Moitra earlier tweeted about long queues in Petrol pumps across the country. According to her, the "nationwide chaos" is created because of PM Modi's hasty decision". Her post comes in reference to the truck drivers' protest against the new hit-and-run law under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
Claudine Gays resignation Tuesday from the presidency of Harvard is a measure of accountability amid scandals on campus antisemitism and plagiarism. Her leadership had clearly become a drain on the schools reputation. The question is whether the Harvard Corporation that chose her and presided over this debacle will rebalance by installing an educator who isnt afraid to challenge the schools dominant and censorious progressive factions.

In the months since Hamas brutally murdered Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, the atmosphere on Harvards campus has been hostile to Jewish students. During one rally, the Crimson newspaper reported, a student led the crowd in a chant of Long live Palestine; long live the intifada; intifada, intifada; globalize the intifada." Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi of Harvard Chabad said Dec. 13 that a menorah couldnt be left outside on campus overnight, because theres fear that itll be vandalized." Sen. Dan Sullivan described on these pages the intimidating scene inside the schools Widener Library.

That was only days after Ms. Gays disastrous testimony to the House, which also prompted the University of Pennsylvanias president to quit. Asked about chants to globalize the intifada," Ms. Gay said such calls were hateful," abhorrent," and at odds with the values of Harvard," but she would not say that they violated the code of conduct.

Ms. Gays focus was what constitutes actionable bullying or harassment under First Amendment principles. But the double standard on her campus is obvious, and the presidents struck many Americans as smugly dismissive. Ms. Gay soon apologized, saying she failed to convey what is my truth," a thoroughly modern thing to say at an institution whose venerable motto is Veritas. Her" truth, as opposed to the truth, which is what veritas is supposed to stand for.

Then came allegations that passages of text in Ms. Gays academic papers had been duplicated, sometimes almost verbatim, from other scholars. Harvard initially told the New York Post that plagiarism claims were demonstrably false," via a letter from a law firm with experience in defamation lawsuits, before admitting inadequate citation" after stories about the allegations broke.

The Harvard Corporation has embarrassed itself throughout these controversies, declaring as recently as Dec. 12: Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing." The process of finding a new president, it said Tuesday, will begin in due course." In the interim, the role will be filled by Provost Alan Garber.

The prescription should be clear, at Harvard and beyond. What has been happening on college campuses results from the failure of leaders to support traditional liberal values of free inquiry and debate. Prestigious institutions are racked with ideological protest from a contingent of students and many faculty who seem to care more about activism than learning. Despite the distraction, or worse, that this poses to good academic work, administrators keep flinching instead of drawing hard lines.

Its time to try the opposite. Perhaps Larry Summers is available to give it another go.

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According to a recent report in the Washington Post, troops on the front line are running out of ammunition. Artillery shells are being rationed, forcing the Ukrainians to cancel planned assaults and making it hard to hold defensive positions against Russian attacks. A press officer for a Ukrainian battalion recently said that ammunition shortages had forced his unit to reduce its rate of firing by 90% since the summer. We lack everything," a member of another unit said. Although his comrades are highly motivated, he added, You cant win a war only on motivation." He doubted they could hold their position much longer.

As Ukraine struggles, its allies dither. Congress went home for the holiday without resolving the legislative impasse over continuing U.S. aid for Ukraine. Hungarys pro-Russian leader vetoed the European Unions proposed $52 billion assistance package. If these logjams arent broken soon, Ukraines ability to sustain the war, its economy, and the basic functions of its government will be jeopardized.

This is an all-hands-on-deck emergency. If negotiators cant reach a deal by the time the Senate reconvenes, President Biden must get directly involved. There is little doubt that an agreement would include provisions on immigration that many Democrats wont like, but thats the price he must pay for allowing the situation at the southern border to spin out of control. Meanwhile, European nations must muster the political will to provide Kyiv with country-to-country aid if bribes and threats cant force Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to end his opposition to the EU plan.

The West also must seize frozen Russian central-bank assets in Western financial institutions and use them for Ukraines benefit. In November, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a measure to do this by a vote of 40-2, and a similar proposal received unanimous support from a European Parliament committee. Until recently, senior Biden administration officials had expressed concerns that seizing Russian assets would set a precedent with unpredictable consequences. But as Ukraines plight has worsened, the administration has intensified discussions with European allies about a coordinated strategy to redeploy Russian assets on Ukraines behalf, with a target date of Feb. 24the second anniversary of the Russian invasionto reach an agreement. Mr. Biden should spare no effort to ensure the success of these talks.

Even if aid for Ukraine is renewed, it is essential to consider a realistic ending for the war. Ukraines insistence on regaining all the territory Russia has seized since 2014 is understandable and legally impeccable, but events over the past year have made it clear that this goal cant be achieved anytime soon. Ukraines vaunted counteroffensive failed as Russias reinforced defenses held. Russias economy has proved more resilient than expected, and it is ramping up military production much faster than Ukraine and its allies. The conflict has exposed the hollowing out of the Wests defense industrial base, in Europe especially and to a considerable extent in the U.S. The Wests collective inability to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells it needs is evidence of neglect that will take years to remedy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently disclosed that Ukraines military leaders wanted to mobilize an additional 500,000 troops, which would require unpopular changes to Ukraines draft laws and additional outlays of $13 billion. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been mindful of political considerations, Russias manpower pool is about four times the size of Ukraines, and its economy is nine times as large.

Recent reports, which Mr. Putin hasnt denied, suggest that he is ready to agree to a cease-fire along the current battle lines. Although he is unwilling to retreat, these reports indicate that he had shelved his aim to dominate all of Ukraine.

There are good reasons to be skeptical that Mr. Putin has pared his ambitions in Ukraine, which are part of his plan to reconstitute the Soviet empire, the collapse of which he has termed the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century. Still, Western leaders should explore whether he is serious about ending the fighting. It would be unwise to assume that public opinion in the West will indefinitely support an open-ended commitment to a conflict that has settled into a stalemate.

A cease-fire wouldnt imply recognition of Russias territorial claims, and it would open the door to measures that would anchor Ukraine to the West, including eventual membership in the EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In the meantime, Russias frozen assets could be used to reconstruct Ukraine.

This arrangement would be a bitter pill both for the Ukrainians, who are passionate about regaining all their territory, and for Mr. Putin, who fears the prospect of a new power linked to the West on Russias border. But it is the only realistic path to a lasting peace in Europe.
Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday with the first set of Starlink satellites that can beam phone signals from space directly to smartphones. "Falcon 9 launches 21 Starlink satellites to orbit from California, including six with Direct to Cell capabilities," said SpaceX, while tweeting the video of the launch.

As per SpaceX, "Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities enable ubiquitous access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters."

Also Read: US military's secretive X-37B robot spaceplane launched atop SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket | 5 key facts to know

"Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capability have an advanced eNodeB modem onboard that acts like a cellphone tower in space, allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner," it explains further.

The first set of Starlink satellites that has been launched on Falcon 9 rocket, can beam phone signals from space directly to smartphones. The Starlink satellite network will also help in providing network access to some parts of the United States. The satellite network will be used by the US wireless carrier, the companies had announced in August 2022.

AlsO Read: Elon Musk's SpaceX to sell insider shares at $97 each in tender offer, say reports

Starlink, Direct to-Cell capability

Starlink Satellites with Direct Cell capability will ensure wider access to texting, calling, and browsing in remote areas be it on land, lakes, or coastal areas.

The technology will also connect IoT devices with common LTE standards. The text service with the help of DtC will begin in 2024, whereas, voice data connectivity and IOT services with the help of Starlink satellites will begin in 2025, according to the Starlink website. People wouldn't require any special installation of an application, hardware, or firmware to avail of these services even in remote corners of the world.

Also Read: Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX explores insider share sale, valued at over $175 billion

SpaceX will also collaborate with other wireless providers across the world, like Japan's KDDI, Australia's Optus, New Zealand's One NZ, and Canada's Rogers will collaborate with SpaceX to launch direct-to-cell technology.

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Who said you can't enjoy top-notch smartphone features without breaking the bank? Today, getting your hands on a device that balances price and performance is more achievable than ever. The market is brimming with options that offer a premium experience at a budget-friendly cost, especially in the under 20,000 category. This segment, often regarded as the sweet spot in the smartphone market, is where you find the best deals on smartphones under 20000, offering a blend of advanced features and affordability.

These smartphones are not just about basic functionality anymore. They come equipped with features that were once exclusive to high-end models: think AI-powered cameras, long-lasting batteries, crisp displays, and sleek designs. Manufacturers have been continuously pushing the boundaries, packing these budget-friendly devices with innovations that enhance your daily tech experience. The challenge, however, lies in choosing the right one. With so many brands and models vying for your attention, how do you decide which smartphone under 20,000 is the best for you? That's where our guide comes in. We've scoured the market, analyzed user feedback, and considered expert opinions to compile a list of the Top 10 Choices in this category. From camera enthusiasts and gaming aficionados to those who prioritize battery life or overall performance, our list caters to a wide range of preferences.

Moreover, this segment has seen a significant surge in features like fast charging, higher screen refresh rates, and improved software experiences, making these smartphones not just affordable, but also technologically competitive. Our selection includes options that excel in specific areas while offering a balanced overall performance. So, whether you're looking for the best camera in the segment, the most robust battery life, or a phone that can handle heavy gaming without a hitch, our list has got you covered.

In the following sections, we delve deeper into each of these top 10 smartphones under 20,000. We'll explore their specifications, features, and the unique aspects that make each of them stand out. By the end of this guide, you'll have a clearer understanding of which smartphone fits your needs and budget, making your decision-making process a breeze. Let's dive in and discover the best deals on smartphones under 20,000.

Also read: Best camera smartphones under 25,000 this November 2023: Samsung Galaxy M34 5G, iQOO Z7 Pro 5G and more

1. Poco X5 5G (Jaguar Black, 256 GB) (8 GB RAM)

The smartphone has a 6.67-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display. It comes with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass protection on the top. The screen has a refresh rate of 120Hz and offers up to 240Hz touch sampling rate. The smartphone comes with sunlight mode and has a peak brightness of 1200 nits. This handset packs up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage capacity. It is equipped with a triple camera setup on the back. There is a 48MP main camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. HDR, Night mode, and AI scene detection are some of the features available on the phone. For selfies, Poco X5 5G handset boasts of a 13MP camera at the front. The smartphone comes with IP53 rating. There is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on it. It houses a 5,000mAh battery and is paired with a 33 watt fast charging adapter. The company says that the device can juice up from 0 to 100% in just 22 minutes.

Specification of Poco X5 5G (Jaguar Black, 256 GB) (8 GB RAM)

RAM/Storage: 8GB RAM, 256GB internal storage

Other Features: 5G support

Pros Cons High RAM and storage capacity 5G support

2. Motorola G73 5G (Lucent White, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage) | 16.51 cm (6.5 inch) Full HD+ Display | 50MP + 8MP | 16MP Front Camera | Mediatek Dimensity 930 Processor | Sleek, Stylish, Premium Design

The Motorola G73 5G boasts a 6.5-inch display with Full-HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. A small hole-punch at the center accommodates the selfie camera. In terms of dimensions, the Moto G73 measures 8.29mm in thickness and weighs 181 grams. On the rear, you will find a 50-megapixel primary camera sensor alongside an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens that also serves as a macro camera. Motorola dubs the 50-megapixel primary camera with "Ultra Pixel" technology, which appears to utilize pixel-binning to merge multiple pixels into larger ones. This results in enhanced detail capture and improved photo quality. Additionally, the primary camera can shoot Full-HD videos at 60fps. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel primary camera designed for selfies and video calls. The Moto G73 5G is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery. The battery supports 30W TurboPower charging, and you will find the charger conveniently included in the box.

Specification of Motorola G73 5G (Lucent White, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage) | 16.51 cm (6.5 inch) Full HD+ Display | 50MP + 8MP | 16MP Front Camera | Mediatek Dimensity 930 Processor | Sleek, Stylish, Premium Design

RAM/Storage: 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Other Features: 5G support

Pros Cons 8GB RAM good for multitasking 128GB storage 5G capability

3. Samsung Galaxy M34 5G (Waterfall Blue,6GB,128GB)|120Hz sAMOLED Display|50MP Triple No Shake Cam|6000 mAh Battery|4 Gen OS Upgrade & 5 Year Security Update|12GB RAM with RAM+|Android 13|Without Charger

The handset comes with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, full-HD+ resolution (1,080x2,408 pixels), and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a 5nm Exynos 1280 SoC, paired with up to 8GB of RAM. For camera duties, there is a triple camera setup on the back which consists of a 50-megapixel primary camera that incorporates optical image stabilization (OIS) for steady shots. The camera module also includes an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens with a wide 120-degree field of view, along with a third sensor. Samsung is offering up to five years of security updates and four years of operating system upgrades for the phone.

Specification of Samsung Galaxy M34 5G (Waterfall Blue,6GB,128GB)|120Hz sAMOLED Display|50MP Triple No Shake Cam|6000 mAh Battery|4 Gen OS Upgrade & 5 Year Security Update|12GB RAM with RAM+|Android 13|Without Charger

RAM/Storage: 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Display: 120Hz sAMOLED Display

Camera: 50MP Triple No Shake Camera

Battery: 6000mAh

Other Features: Android 13, 4 Gen OS Upgrade & 5 Year Security Update, 12GB RAM with RAM+, Without Charger

Pros Cons 120Hz sAMOLED Display for crisp visuals Comes without a charger Large 6000mAh battery 4 Gen OS Upgrade & 5 Year Security Update

4. Redmi Note 12 5G Frosted Green 4GB RAM 128GB ROM | 1st Phone with 120Hz Super AMOLED and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 | 48MP AI Triple Camera

The Redmi Note 12 5G in Frosted Green boasts a set of features that rival its higher-priced counterparts. It's the first phone to combine a 120Hz Super AMOLED display with the efficient Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor, making it a standout choice for tech enthusiasts on a budget. The display is a visual treat with its Super AMOLED technology, offering a 1080x2400 resolution and an impressive 1200 nits peak brightness. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and a responsive touch experience, further enhanced by a 240Hz touch sampling rate, making it perfect for gaming and video playback. Under the hood, the Snapdragon 4 Gen1 6nm Octa-core 5G processor, paired with the Adreno 619 GPU, delivers high performance and efficiency, clocking up to 2.0GHz. This makes the Redmi Note 12 5G capable of handling demanding applications and multitasking with ease.

Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the 48MP AI Triple camera setup, including an 8MP Ultra Wide sensor and a 2MP Macro camera. The 13MP front camera ensures high-quality selfies and video calls. A substantial 5000mAh battery powers the device, supported by a 33W fast charger, ensuring prolonged usage and quick recharging times. The phone also offers ample storage with 4GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage, expandable up to 1TB. Dual SIM (nano+nano) with Dual 5G (5G+5G) capability ensures you stay connected at the fastest speeds available.

Specification of Redmi Note 12 5G Frosted Green 4GB RAM 128GB ROM | 1st Phone with 120Hz Super AMOLED and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 | 48MP AI Triple Camera

RAM/Storage: 4GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Display: 120Hz Super AMOLED

Camera: 48MP AI Triple Camera

Battery: [Specification needed]

Processor: Snapdragon 4 Gen 1

Other Features: [Additional features if available]

Pros Cons 120Hz Super AMOLED display Lower RAM (4GB) might limit heavy multitasking Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor 48MP AI Triple Camera

5. realme narzo 60 5G (Mars Orange,8GB+256GB) | 90Hz Super AMOLED Display | Ultra Premium Vegan Leather Design | with 33W SUPERVOOC Charger

The realme narzo 60 5G, in its striking Mars Orange color and boasting a substantial 8GB+256GB configuration, is a powerhouse of innovation and style. With its 90Hz Super AMOLED display, every visual springs to life with stunning clarity and vibrant colors. This high refresh rate ensures a buttery-smooth experience, whether you're immersed in the latest mobile games or scrolling through your social media feed. The Ultra Premium Vegan Leather Design sets it apart, giving it a sophisticated look and a luxurious feel. This unique material choice is not only environmentally conscious but also lends an elegant texture and grip, making the device a pleasure to hold and use.

The realme narzo 60 5G comes equipped with a 33W SUPERVOOC charger, ensuring that your phone is powered up quickly and ready to go when you are. This fast-charging capability is perfect for those who are always on the move and can't afford to be tethered to a charging port. It's a device that not only meets the demands of the modern smartphone user but does so with style and sophistication.

Specification of realme narzo 60 5G (Mars Orange,8GB+256GB) | 90Hz Super AMOLED Display | Ultra Premium Vegan Leather Design | with 33W SUPERVOOC Charger

RAM/Storage: 8GB RAM, 256GB internal storage

Display: 90Hz Super AMOLED Display

Other Features: Ultra Premium Vegan Leather Design, 33W SUPERVOOC Charger

Pros Cons 8GB+256GB: High storage and RAM 90Hz Super AMOLED Display Premium Vegan Leather Design

6. realme narzo 60X 5GStellar Green, 4GB, 128GB Storage Up to 2TB External Memory | 50 MP AI Primary Camera | Segments only 33W Supervooc Charge

Equipped with a powerful 33W SUPERVOOC Charge, this phone promises to revolutionize your charging experience. Just 30 minutes plugged in boosts the battery to 50%, and in merely 70 minutes, you can enjoy a full charge. Its 5000mAh massive battery ensures that you can go about your day without worrying about running out of power. Photography enthusiasts will be thrilled with the 50MP Primary Camera, designed to capture high-quality street photography images. Every snapshot you take brims with incredible detail and clarity, transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary memories.

The realme narzo boasts a superior visual experience on its expansive 17.07 cm (6.72) screen. With a 90Hz ultra-high refresh rate and a 91.4% screen-to-body ratio, this punch-hole display brings content to life with screen brightness up to 680 nits, ensuring clarity even under bright sunlight. Multitasking is a breeze on this device, thanks to up to 12 GB of dynamic RAM. Whether you're streaming high-definition videos or playing graphics-intensive games, expect a fluid and responsive user experience. The phone features a side fingerprint sensor, providing a more comfortable and convenient unlocking option than the traditional back fingerprint sensor.

Specification of realme narzo 60X 5GStellar Green, 4GB, 128GB Storage Up to 2TB External Memory | 50 MP AI Primary Camera | Segments only 33W Supervooc Charge

RAM/Storage: 4GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Camera: 50 MP AI Primary Camera

Other Features: Up to 2TB External Memory, 33W Supervooc Charge

Pros Cons 50 MP AI Primary Camera 4GB RAM may be limited for some users Up to 2TB External Memory support Battery and processor details missing

7. Samsung Galaxy M14 5G (Berry Blue,6GB,128GB)|50MP Triple Cam|Segment's Only 6000 mAh 5G SP|5nm Processor|2 Gen. OS Upgrade & 4 Year Security Update|12GB RAM with RAM Plus|Android 13|Without Charger

The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is a standout choice in the smartphone market. The device is powered by the potent Exynos 1330 Octa-Core 2.4GHz processor built on an efficient 5nm architecture. This cutting-edge processor ensures smooth performance. Coupled with the latest Android 13 operating system and Samsung's intuitive One UI 5.0 interface, the Galaxy M14 5G delivers a seamless and user-friendly experience.

The True 50MP main camera captures stunningly detailed images, complemented by two 2MP sensors for depth and macro shots. Selfie lovers aren't left out either, thanks to a sharp 13MP front camera. The phone's large 6.6-inch LCD screen, boasting FHD+ resolution and a pixel density of 401 PPI, provides vibrant visuals for all your media. Battery life is a significant highlight, with a robust 6000mAh lithium-ion battery ensuring long-lasting performance. The Galaxy M14 5G is future-proofed, offering up to two major Android updates and four years of security updates, ensuring your device stays current and secure. While it comes without a charger, the phone's impressive specs and the manufacturer's one-year warranty on the device (plus a six-month warranty on accessories) make the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G an excellent investment for those seeking a powerful, long-lasting, and feature-rich smartphone.

Specification of Samsung Galaxy M14 5G (Berry Blue,6GB,128GB)|50MP Triple Cam|Segment's Only 6000 mAh 5G SP|5nm Processor|2 Gen. OS Upgrade & 4 Year Security Update|12GB RAM with RAM Plus|Android 13|Without Charger

RAM/Storage: 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Display: [Specification needed]

Camera: 50MP Triple Camera

Battery: 6000mAh

Processor: 5nm Processor

Other Features: 2 Gen. OS Upgrade & 4 Year Security Update, 12GB RAM with RAM Plus, Android 13, Without Charger

Pros Cons Large 6000mAh battery Comes without charger Efficient 5nm Processor 50MP Triple Camera setup

Also read: 10 best phones under 25,000: Say hello to performance in budget

8. Oppo A78 5G (Glowing Black, 8GB RAM, 128 Storage) | 5000 mAh Battery with 33W SUPERVOOC Charger| 50MP AI Camera | 90Hz Refresh Rate | with No Cost EMI/Additional Exchange Offers

The Oppo A78 5G, in its striking Glowing Black color, is a blend of style and substance, designed for those who seek both performance and aesthetics in their smartphone. At its core lies a robust 5000 mAh battery, supported by the 33W SUPERVOOC charging technology, ensuring you stay powered throughout the day with rapid charging capabilities. Underneath its sleek exterior, the Oppo A78 5G is powered by ColorOS 13 and comes equipped with 8GB of RAM, which can be expanded up to an additional 8GB, ensuring smooth, lag-free performance. The internal storage of 128GB, expandable up to 1TB, provides ample space for all your apps, photos, and media. This makes the device ideal for multitaskers and power users who demand quick and responsive software experiences.

To enhance the multimedia experience, the Oppo A78 5G features Dual Ultra Linear Stereo Speakers with ROST and flagship hardware. This technology produces an immersive sound effect, elevating your audio experience during gaming sessions or while enjoying your favorite tracks. The phone's OPPO Glow Design adds a touch of elegance, making it a device that not only performs well but also looks luxurious.

Specification of Oppo A78 5G (Glowing Black, 8GB RAM, 128 Storage) | 5000 mAh Battery with 33W SUPERVOOC Charger| 50MP AI Camera | 90Hz Refresh Rate | with No Cost EMI/Additional Exchange Offers

RAM/Storage: 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Display: [Specification needed]

Camera: 50MP AI Camera

Battery: 5000mAh with 33W SUPERVOOC Charger

Other Features: 90Hz Refresh Rate, No Cost EMI/Additional Exchange Offers

Pros Cons 5000mAh Battery with fast charging 50MP AI Camera 8GB RAM for smooth performance

9. Pova 5 Pro 5G (Dark Illusion, 8GB RAM,128GB Storage)| Segment 1st 68W Ultra Fast Charging | 50MP AI Dual Camera | India's 1st Multi-Colored Backlit ARC Interface | 6.78"FHD+ Dot-in Display

The Pova 5 Pro 5G, presented in a stunning Dark Illusion color, boasts an impressive 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. A standout feature of the Pova 5 Pro 5G is its segment-first 68W Ultra Fast Charging, which allows the phone's 5000mAh battery to reach 50% charge in just 15 minutes. This is a game-changer for users who are always on the move and need quick power boosts. Additionally, the device supports Bypass Charging, perfect for uninterrupted gaming sessions, and offers 10W Reverse Charging, adding versatility to its power management.

What sets the Pova 5 Pro 5G apart is India's first Multi-Colored Backlit ARC Interface, which allows users to personalize light effects for notifications, calls, gaming, and music, enhancing the overall user experience. The phone is powered by the Dimensity 6080, a highly efficient 6nm 5G processor, boasting a 2.4GHz octa-core processor with a notable 390K Antutu score. This, combined with 10 5G bands support, HyperEngine 3.0 Lite, and Panther Game Engine 3.0, ensures a seamless and responsive gaming experience. The device also features up to 16GB expandable RAM with memory fusion technology and a dedicated SD card slot, catering to extensive storage needs. The 6.78" FHD+ dot-in display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate offers a buttery smooth visual experience. The camera setup is equally impressive, with a 50MP high-resolution dual rear camera equipped with an F1.6 large aperture and PDAF, alongside a 16MP selfie camera.

Specification of Pova 5 Pro 5G (Dark Illusion, 8GB RAM,128GB Storage)| Segment 1st 68W Ultra Fast Charging | 50MP AI Dual Camera | India's 1st Multi-Colored Backlit ARC Interface | 6.78"FHD+ Dot-in Display

RAM/Storage: 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage

Display: 6.78" FHD+ Dot-in Display

Camera: 50MP AI Dual Camera

Other Features: 68W Ultra Fast Charging, Multi-Colored Backlit ARC Interface

Pros Cons Segment's first 68W Ultra Fast Charging Battery life details not provided 6.78 FHD+ Display Processor details not available 50MP AI Dual Camera

10. Nokia G42 5G | Snapdragon 480+ 5G | 50MP Triple AI Camera | 11GB RAM (6GB RAM + 5GB Virtual RAM) | 128GB Storage | 5000mAh Battery | 2 Years Android Upgrades | 20W Charger Included | So Grey

Nokia G42 5G is a smartphone that redefines efficiency and versatility in the modern tech era. With an innovative combination of 6GB RAM and an additional 5GB of Virtual RAM, the Nokia G42 5G promises unparalleled multitasking and fluid performance. Switch between apps, stream content, or play games without any lag, ensuring a user experience that is as smooth as it is efficient. Photography enthusiasts will revel in its 'So Clear' feature  a 50MP Triple AI camera that captures stunning, high-quality images. Whether it's detailed portraits, expansive landscapes, or vibrant night scenes, the camera setup is designed to deliver clarity and color accuracy, making every shot Instagram-worthy.

Longevity is another hallmark of the Nokia G42 5G, aptly described as 'So Reliable'. Its 5000mAh battery ensures prolonged usage, keeping you connected longer without the constant need for recharging. Equipped with Android 13 and up to 3 years of monthly security updates, it offers peace of mind, ensuring your device stays protected against the latest digital threats. The phone comes with a 20W charger included, ensuring quick and efficient charging. The elegant 'So Grey' color adds a touch of sophistication to its design, making it not just a gadget but a style statement.

Specification of Nokia G42 5G | Snapdragon 480+ 5G | 50MP Triple AI Camera | 11GB RAM (6GB RAM + 5GB Virtual RAM) | 128GB Storage | 5000mAh Battery | 2 Years Android Upgrades | 20W Charger Included | So Grey

RAM/Storage: 11GB RAM (6GB RAM + 5GB Virtual RAM), 128GB Storage

Camera: 50MP Triple AI Camera

Battery: 5000mAh with 20W Charger

Processor: Snapdragon 480+ 5G

Other Features: 2 Years Android Upgrades, So Grey color

Pros Cons 11GB RAM for enhanced performance 50MP Triple AI Camera 2 Years Android Upgrades

Top 3 features for you

Product Feature 1 Feature 2 Feature 3 Poco X5 5G 8GB RAM 5G Support 256GB Storage Motorola G73 5G 8GB RAM 5G Capability 128GB Storage Samsung Galaxy M34 5G 120Hz sAMOLED Display 6000mAh Battery 4 Gen OS Upgrade & 5 Year Security Update Redmi Note 12 5G 120Hz Super AMOLED Display Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 Processor 48MP AI Triple Camera realme narzo 60 5G 8GB+256GB Storage 90Hz Super AMOLED Display Ultra Premium Vegan Leather Design realme narzo 60X 5G 50 MP AI Primary Camera Up to 2TB External Memory Support 33W Supervooc Charge Samsung Galaxy M14 5G 6000mAh Battery Efficient 5nm Processor 50MP Triple Camera Setup Oppo A78 5G 5000mAh Battery with 33W SUPERVOOC Charge 50MP AI Camera 8GB RAM Pova 5 Pro 5G 68W Ultra Fast Charging 6.78 FHD+ Display 50MP AI Dual Camera Nokia G42 5G 11GB RAM (6GB + 5GB Virtual RAM) 50MP Triple AI Camera 2 Years Android Upgrades

Best overall product

The Poco X5 5G in Jaguar Black is a stunning blend of style and performance. With an ample 8 GB of RAM and a massive 256 GB of internal storage, this smartphone is designed for seamless multitasking and abundant storage space. The storage is even expandable up to 1 TB. The device boasts a 16.94 cm (6.67 inch) Full HD+ Display, offering vivid and crisp visuals, making it a delight for streaming content, gaming, or just browsing. Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the versatile triple camera setup, featuring a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP secondary lens, and a 2MP tertiary lens. This combination allows for stunning photos and videos in various settings. The 13MP front camera ensures your selfies are just as impressive.

Powering the Poco X5 5G is the robust Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 Processor, which provides a smooth and efficient performance, whether you're gaming, streaming, or working. The 5000 mAh battery ensures that your phone keeps up with your busy lifestyle, offering extended usage on a single charge.

Best value for money

Samsung Galaxy M34 5G is a perfect blend of performance and elegance, designed for those who seek both efficiency and aesthetics in their devices. The Galaxy M34 5G boasts a 16.42 centimeters (6.5-inch) Super AMOLED display, offering a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The True 50MP No Shake Cam (F1.8) main camera, combined with an 8MP (F2.2) and 2MP (F2.4) secondary cameras, captures stunning, shake-free photos with exceptional detail. The 13MP (F2.0) front camera is perfect for high-quality selfies and video calls.

Samsungs commitment to long-term performance is evident in the 4 generations of OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates, keeping your device up-to-date and secure. The Exynos 1280 Octa-Core 2.4GHz processor, complemented with 12 Band support, offers a true 5G experience, ensuring fast and efficient connectivity. With 6GB RAM and an innovative RAM+ feature, expandable up to 12GB, multitasking is smoother than ever. The device runs on Android 13, offering the latest in Android technology. Note that the Galaxy M34 5G is sold without a charger, emphasizing Samsungs commitment to environmental sustainability.

How to find the best deals on smartphones under  20000?

Finding the best deals on smartphones under 20,000 involves a mix of research, comparison, and staying alert for special offers. Here's a 200-word guide to help you navigate the process:

Research and List Your Priorities: Start by identifying your must-have features. Do you prioritize camera quality, battery life, display, or processing power? Knowing what matters most to you will streamline your search.

Read Reviews and Watch Comparisons: Check out expert reviews and comparison videos online. They provide insights into performance, camera quality, battery life, and user experience, which might not be evident from specifications alone.

Compare Prices Across Platforms: Once you have a few models in mind, compare their prices across different online retail platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and the official websites of smartphone brands. Prices can vary significantly.

Look for Sales and Discounts: E-commerce platforms often have sales events where smartphones are available at discounted prices. Festive sales, end-of-season sales, and special promotion days are ideal times to find good deals.

Check for Bank Offers and EMI Options: Many online retailers tie-up with banks to offer additional discounts, cashback, or no-cost EMI options. These can bring down the effective cost of the smartphone.

Consider Older Flagship Models: Sometimes, previous years flagship models drop into this price range when new models are released. They can be great value for money.

Sign Up for Price Alerts: Many price comparison websites and apps allow you to set price alerts for specific models. This way, youre notified when the price drops to your desired level.

FAQs

Question : What features can I expect in smartphones under 20,000?

Ans : In this price range, you can expect features like high-resolution multi-camera setups, Full HD+ displays, powerful processors suitable for gaming, long-lasting batteries with fast charging, and the latest operating systems with regular updates. Many also offer fingerprint sensors and face unlock for added security.

Question : Are these smartphones good for gaming and photography?

Ans : Yes, many smartphones under 20,000 are equipped with capable processors and GPUs that support smooth gaming experiences. They also come with advanced camera setups, including wide, ultra-wide, and sometimes macro lenses, offering versatility in photography.

Question : How long can I expect the battery to last in these phones?

Ans : Most smartphones in this segment come with batteries ranging from 4,000 to 5,000mAh, offering a full day of usage on a single charge. Some models also support fast charging, allowing quick top-ups.

Question : Will I get software updates and support?

Ans : Yes, most reputed brands offer regular software updates for their smartphones, including security patches and Android version updates for a certain period post-purchase.

Question : Can I find good display quality in this budget?

Ans : Several smartphones under 20,000 feature Full HD+ displays, with some offering higher refresh rates like 90Hz or 120Hz, which result in smoother scrolling and better viewing experiences.

Disclaimer: At Livemint, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Mint has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.

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IN OCTOBER CYBER-CRIMINALS hacked into the British Library, a storied institution in the heart of London, encrypted its data and demanded money in exchange for the key. Months later the library and its catalogue of 14m books remain offline, with no end in sight. Similar ransomware attacksin which criminals encrypt or steal data and demand a ransom to decrypt or refrain from leaking itare not only undermining business and sapping prosperity across North America and Europe. Financially motivated attacks on infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals and power utilities, also pose a large and growing threat to national security. Western countries now face what a British parliamentary committee described on December 13th as a high risk [of] a catastrophic ransomware attack at any moment".

The scale of the problem is not easy to measure. Companies that are hacked or pay a ransom are reluctant to own up to it. Rising numbers can reflect better detection rather than more attacks. But what is clear is that, after a lull in 2022, caused in part by a split between Russian and Ukrainian hackers, ransomware attacks are back at their peak. Officials expect that 2023 will turn out to be the worst year on record.

The number of victims is troubling (see chart). In the four months to October the number listed on leak sites", where attackers name victims who refuse to pay, was the highest ever recorded, according to Secureworks, a cyber-security firm. Sophos, another such firm, estimates that on average individual ransom payments doubled from around $800,000 in 2022 to more than $1.5m in the first three months of 2023. And Chainalysis, a data company, estimates that ransom payments between January and June 2023 added up to $449m, compared with about $559m for the entirety of 2022. These numbers might reflect just the tip of the problem.

The growing threat from ransomware is occurring amid a shift in the nature of the business. An activity once dominated by a few large criminal groups is giving way to a mosaic of smaller attackers, many of them based in Russia or other ex-Soviet states, who can buy the necessary hacking tools. Western countries are striking back with sanctions and cyber-attacks of their own. Yet this does not seem to have stopped the wave of ransom payments, which is enriching criminal groupsand so potentially exacerbating the problem for years to come.

Ransomware has been mainly a Western problem but it is spreading globally. America, Australia, Britain, Canada and Germany are the most affected countries, but Brazil and India are not far behind them. Victims span the public and private sectorsin recent weeks attacks have hit an Italian cloud-service provider that hosts government data, Germanys energy agency and a Chinese bank in New York, among others. An attack on Christmas Eve disrupted emergency care at a German hospital network, and attacks on the education sector are rising. This adds up to a slow-burning but serious national-security crisis. It is the one serious organised crime that could bring the country to a standstill," warned Graeme Biggar, the director of Britains National Crime Agency (NCA), recently.

That risk is relatively new. Ransomware, says Will Lyne, the NCAs head of cyber-intelligence, was once a niche cyber-crime problem" which attracted little attention in government. That began changing five to ten years ago with the rise of cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. The hardest part of a ransomware attack was once cashing out and laundering the ransom. Attackers would have to buy high-end goods using stolen banking credentials and sell them on the black market in Russia, losing perhaps 60-70% of the profit along the way. Cryptocurrency has enabled them to cash out immediately with little risk.

But the bigger shift has been the growth of ransomware-as-a-service, or RaaS. Large organised criminal groups, like the delightfully named Evil Corp in Russia, once developed their own tools and infrastructure, such as malware and servers, as a vertically integrated corporation might do. Some continue to do this. A few of these big beasts are still active: LockBit, the leading group, probably based in Russia, was involved in more than a quarter of ransomware and related extortion attacks between January 2022 and September 2023, according to ZeroFox, a cyber-security company.

What has changed is that smaller criminal affiliates" can now buy advanced services from specialised providers: everything from malware to professional copywriting for the phishing emails that help hackers get a foothold in a business. That trade is lubricated by online marketplaces that did not exist five years ago. One such, Genesis Market, which was shut down in April, illicitly offered for sale 80m credentials, stolen from 2m people. The cost of buying a credential, such as an employees log-in details for a company network, was typically less than $100, with some going for as little as a dollar. It has become easier and cheaper than ever before to mount a ransomware attack.

One consequence of this increasing division of labour is a shift towards smaller groups. Many new ones consist of just four to five people. Another is that the threat keeps changing. When we first started looking into the ransomware problem, we were tracking maybe a dozen different ransomware variants at a time," says Mr Lyne, referring to the different types of malicious code used in attacks. The figure is now closer to 100, he says.

Moreover the median dwell time"the time between an attacker getting access to a network and executing their ransomwarehas fallen from 5.5 days in 2021, to 4.5 days in 2022 and to just under 24 hours in 2023, according to Secureworks. In a tenth of cases ransomware was deployed within five hours of the initial intrusion. Most attacks are not sophisticatedI have not seen an interesting ransomware attack in many years," says one officialbut they are swift. That gives defenders less time to spot attacks in progress.

At the same time, ransomwares business model is also changing. In the past hackers demanded a ransom in exchange for decrypting a victims data. But scrambling data is usually the most technically demanding part of an attack, and the part most liable to alert a victim. Now attackers almost always exfiltrate the data and threaten to publish it online; in a growing minority of attacks they do not even bother encrypting it. Some cases also involve triple extortion", with criminals identifying for extortion prominent individuals within a company, such as a CEO.

Search for vulnerabilities

Stopping all this is fiendishly hard. Most attacks are not aimed at a specific business. Attackers, much like car thieves testing for unlocked doors, tend to spray phishing emails at a wide range of organisations in a particular sector or hunt for cyber vulnerabilities in enterprise products, like the VPN networks, which allow employees remote access to their workplace. Basic cyber-hygiene, including backing up data, changing passwords and patching software, would fix much of the problem. Human nature being what it is, though, defences will always have holes.

The normal response of law enforcementinvestigate, arrest and prosecuterarely works. Although some attackers are based in jurisdictions, like Romania and Ukraine, where co-operation or extradition are feasible, most are in places like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, beyond the reach of Western courts. There is, says Mr Biggar, a spectrum of state complicity", with some Russia-based groups closely tied to the countrys intelligence services and others there merely tolerated.

The relationship is probably symbiotic. Russian state hackers, whose priority is to steal foreign secrets, can use malware that looks like ransomware to disguise their espionage as criminal activity. They can also draw on ransomware talent directly. Maksim Yakubets, a member of Evil Corp, worked for the FSB, Russias domestic security service, and was tasked to work on projects for the Russian state", according to an American indictment.

And ransomware can be deployed, or at least encouraged, in line with foreign-policy aims. A recent paper by Karen Nershi and Shelby Grossman of Stanford University, analysing more than 4,000 victims between 2019 and 2022, found that several Russia-based groups tended to increase attacks in the weeks before elections in major democracies. Moreover, companies that had pulled out of Russia in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine were more likely to be targeted.

The flipside is that these murky connections between the Russian state and cyber-criminals provide an opening for diplomacy. In June 2021, shortly after a Russia-based group attacked Colonial Pipeline, an American firm that transports 45% of the petrol and diesel used on the east coast, Joe Biden, Americas president, warned Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, against attacks on critical infrastructure. Russia later arrested hackers associated with the REvil group, including one linked to the pipeline attack. But countless others were left untouched and continue to operate unhindered.

Increasingly, Western governments are resorting to attacking the hackers directly. The first public attack came in 2021, when the Pentagons Cyber Command hacked REvils servers and blocked its website, causing the group to panic and shut down. This year alone America and its allies have hacked Hive, which had extorted more than $100m from victims, Qakbot, prolific malware used to steal credentials, and, on December 19th, the Blackcat ransomware group, which had hacked more than 1,000 organisations, collecting $300m out of some $500m in ransom demands. Meanwhile, covert activities against ransomware groups aim to sow distrust among their members, as occurred in 2022 at Conti, the most profitable ransomware outfit of recent times. Its Russian and Ukrainian members began feuding, hastening its decline.

Rachel Noble, director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate, which has responsibility for offensive cyber-action, told the countrys Senate in October that her agency conducted formal battle-damage assessment[s]" to judge whether operations had had a real effect by degrading a criminal syndicate or hurting its reputation. There had been 30 to 50 individual activities against cyber-criminals in the previous year, she said. The conclusion was that these had been very effective". Other Western officials concur, though they say that the evidence for this is classified.

There are some indications that Western operations have also had a wider deterrent effect. Since the Colonial Pipeline episode in 2021, ransomware groups have tended to avoid high-profile targets liable to put them in the crosshairs of Western intelligence agencies. One consequence of that, according to Joseph Jarnecki and Jamie MacColl, both of the Royal United Services Institute, a think-tank in London, has been a growing number of attacks on softer targets in low- and middle-income countries, which have poorer defences and are less likely to strike back.

Despite this displacement effect, offensive operations are not a silver bullet. Big take-downs like those against Hive and Qakbot are rare, says an official familiar with the issue, because the process is long, painstaking and incredibly resource-intensive", with many dead ends along the way. Moreover, the effects can be dramatic but short-lived, akin to the consequences of killing the leaders of terrorist groups.

Striking back through the courts

A second prong of the fightback has involved legal measures. America and Britain have imposed sanctions on dozens of cyber-criminals, most recently in September against 11 members of Trickbot, a cyber-crime group, and Conti. Sanctions work in part by targeting ransomware bigwigs and preventing them from travelling or spending their money abroad. But they also exploit a unique aspect of the criminals business model.

The paradox of ransomware, says Max Smeets of the Centre for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, a university, is that it works only if victims trust their attackers, a dynamic that distinguishes ransomware from cyber-espionage or even other sorts of cybercrime, like straight-up fraud. Victims must have confidence that their extortionists will decrypt data or refrain from publishing it if a ransom is paid. So attackers need a reputation for honesty and competence. They aim to build brands that embody those virtues. Although state hackers generally want to pass unnoticed, ransomware attackers want publicity. LockBit, for instance, has offered $1,000 to people who tattoo the groups logo onto their body.

This gives rise to curious dynamics. Some attackers create multiple brands, says Mr Smeets, in order to extort money from previous victims under a new logo without sullying the reputation of the originalnot unlike big car companies releasing cheap models under a lower-end marque. And much as high-end designer handbags drive an industry of knock-offs, so too have smaller groups sought to piggyback on the reputation of bigger firms. When Conti imploded last year a new group, Monti, promptly repurposed its code and sought to trade off its name.

Sanctionstravel bans, asset freezes and other financial restrictionshave the potential to disrupt this model because they make it illegal for victims to pay ransoms to blacklisted groups. The result is that such groups might have to abandon a brand they have spent years building up. Allan Liska of Recorded Future, a cyber-security company, notes that after Evil Corp was subjected to American sanctions in 2019 it began obscuring its hand in attacks by using other groups ransomware variants. The long-term effect of sanctions could be to make it harder for attackers to build the brands and trust that their business model relies on.

Many would like to ban ransom payments altogether. We have normalised ransom payments, big and small," laments Ciaran Martin, a former chief of Britains National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). In June 2021 JBS, a meat processor, paid $11m to REvil simply to prevent the exfiltration of its data, even though its business was largely unaffected. If what happened at JBS happens at scale, continuously," says Mr Martin, then were stuffed." Governments have shied away from a ban for two reasons. One is the fear that firms would stop reporting attacks and pay in secret. The other is that ransom payment is often a last resort to keep a business or vital service afloat.

For Mr Martin the more pressing task is to break the narrative that paying a ransom is the only way out. Decryption keys, he points out, often work imperfectly (and in 5% of cases not at all). Some research shows that 80% of organisations that pay up get hit again and that 29% of victims of data extortion end up with data leaked anyway. He urges more focus on cases where victims refuse to pay, as in the attack on the Irish health-care system in May 2021, where attackers eventually gave up and handed over the decryption key without payment, perhaps chastened by the political fallout of what they had done.

It is also important to keep data leaks in perspective. When attackers stole data from Australias Medibank health insurer in November 2022 and demanded a $10m ransom to not release it, the firm refused to pay. Its decision was helped by two things. One was that Australian spooks made assiduous efforts to remove leaked data from the dark web and track who was buying it. The other was the Australian medias decision to avoid publishing any of it, diminishing the impact of the leak. Australias experience was a masterclass in how to neutralise the value of a dataset", concludes Mr Martin.

A growing number of firms also avail themselves of insurance against ransomware attacks. The global cyber-insurance market was worth $12bn in 2022 and is expected to grow to $23bn by 2025. In theory, the usual problems of moral hazard apply: if an attacker knows that a firm has insurance that covers ransom paymentsor worse still, has stolen details of the policyhe is likely to drive up his demand. In practice, however, insurance can have a beneficial effect. Insurers are incentivised to encourage policyholders to improve their cyber-security standards. They also cover alternatives to ransom payment, such as data recovery, that can be less costly. Perhaps most important, they provide access to specialist cyber-security advice, which eases the pressure on victims, buys them time and helps them negotiate more effectively. That can drive down payments.

At present, the fight against ransomware is impeded by uncertainty. The true extent of the threat is poorly understood, argues Megan Stifel of the Ransomware Task Force, a coalition of experts. Better data is a priority. British firms are obliged to report data breaches, but the law is full of loopholesif data is encrypted but not stolen, for instance, lawyers can argue that no data has been compromised. A new American law, CIRCIA, will soon require firms to report major cyber incidents and ransomware payments to the countrys cyber-security agency within 72 hours, but it applies only to critical-infrastructure organisations, such as firms in the energy, food and transportation sectors.

In general, the cumulative impact of sanctions, take-downs and other activity has been quite limited. Technology is giving a fresh boost to attackers. Generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are helping improve everything from the quality of English in phishing emails to the potency of malware, says Mr Lyne. He points out that the online forums used by cyber-criminals already have dedicated AI sections. Ransomware syndicates remain well-resourced, adaptable and [are] growing bolder", says Mr MacColl, despite all the disruptive efforts of the past three years. Im fairly confident in saying theyre still doing as much harm to UK national security as anything Russia, China, Iran or North Korea does in cyberspace."
Samsung has officially issued invitations for the Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for January 17, 2024, in San Jose, California. The event is anticipated to showcase the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, accompanied by the introduction of new AI initiatives. Samsung, in the invitation, hints at presenting a "fresh mobile experience driven by AI."

However, prior to the official launch, leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra design surfaced, showcased on a poster in a Brazilian store. Discover the anticipated features of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 series and get insights into the expected pricing.

As per information from a post by DontMatterToYou on the X platform, the design of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra was exposed through leaked images when a store in Brazil displayed a poster of the smartphone. The images reveal a design closely resembling its predecessor, featuring five metal-ringed rear sensors along with a flashlight.

Noteworthy elements include the presence of a built-in stylus, a gray color option, and the incorporation of new titanium side rails, contributing to an overall premium and stylish appearance of the smartphone.

Furthermore, there are hints suggesting that Samsung will unveil novel Galaxy AI features alongside the launch of the Galaxy S24 series. This suggests a potential scenario where these high-end Samsung smartphones could pose formidable competition to the Apple iPhone 15 series and Google Pixel 8 series. Anticipated AI functionalities include tools for image creation and editing, real-time translation, and even voice recording.

According to a report from TechRadar, there is a possibility that Samsung will keep the pricing unchanged for the Galaxy S24 series, maintaining the current rates. As a result, the anticipated starting price for the Samsung Galaxy S24 could be $799.99. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is expected to be priced at $999.99, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra may start at $1,199.99.

As of the current moment, Samsung has not disclosed specific pricing or details regarding the Galaxy S24 series. Nonetheless, it is understood that the smartphone will boast enhanced features in terms of integrated AI. It is important to note that the aforementioned design and pricing details are derived from leaks, and the official information is slated to be revealed by Samsung on January 17, 2024.

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The information contained on this website shall not be construed as (i) an offer to purchase or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell, any securities or services, (ii) investment, legal, business or tax advice or an offer to provide such advice, or (iii) a basis for making any investment decision. An offering may only be made upon a qualified investors receipt not via this website of formal materials from the Knightsbridge an offering memorandum and subscription documentation (offering materials). In the case of any inconsistency between the information on this website and any such offering materials, the offering materials shall control. Securities shall not be offered or sold in any jurisdiction in which such offer or sale would be unlawful unless the requirements of the applicable laws of such jurisdiction have been satisfied. Any decision to invest in securities must be based solely upon the information set forth in the applicable offering materials, which should be read carefully by qualified investors prior to investing. An investment with Knightsbridge is not suitable or desirable for all investors; investors may lose all or a portion of the capital invested. Investors may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment for an indefinite period of time. Qualified investors are urged to consult with their own legal, financial and tax advisors before making any investment. Knightsbridge is a private investment firm that offers investment services to Qualified Investors, Members and Institutions ONLY. Qualified Investors are defined as individuals who have met those Qualifications in the relevant jurisdictions. Members are defined as individuals who have been accepted into the Knightsbridge membership program. Institutions are defined as entities such as banks, pension funds, and hedge funds. If you are not a Qualified Investor, Member or Institution, you are not eligible to invest with Knightsbridge. All investments involve risk, and there is no guarantee of profit. You may lose some or all of your investment. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Knightsbridge is not a registered investment advisor, and this disclaimer should not be construed as investment advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. By accessing this website, you agree to the terms of this disclaimer. Thank you for your interest in Knightsbridge.
The recent revelation that the U.S. government debt has surpassed $34 trillion is a stark indicator of the nations precarious fiscal position. With this debt figure exceeding that of China, the worlds next-largest borrower, by a significant margin, investors are right to question the sustainability of the U.S. dollars strength. As economic tides shift and the debt burden looms large, Knightsbridge stands ready to guide investors towards securing their assets in these uncertain times.

A Looming Fiscal Crisis

The U.S. Treasury Departments recent disclosure paints a concerning picture, with the debt escalating by $90 billion in a single day as of December 29, 2023. This staggering figure translates to an approximate debt of $102,000 for every U.S. individual or nearly $260,000 per household. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation underscores the gravity of the situation by highlighting that the U.S. federal debt rivals the combined economies of major global players such as China, Germany, Japan, India, and the UK.

The unrelenting printing of US Dollars, US debt levels are now terminal, dont look for the Politicians to save you, save yourself. Dr. Shayne Heffernan, of the Knightsbridge Group

U.S. Debt in Global Perspective

Contrasting the U.S. debt with global counterparts underscores its magnitude. While Chinas government debt stands at approximately $14 trillion as per IMF estimates, the U.S. debt eclipses the combined totals of major borrowers including China, Japan, the UK, France, and Italy. Alarmingly, the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio surpasses 123%, dwarfing Chinas 83% and marking Japans 255% as the highest globally.

Accelerated Debt Accumulation

The acceleration in U.S. debt accumulation is concerning. Under President Joe Bidens tenure, debt surged by $6.25 trillion, a 23% increase, in merely three years. To contextualize this, it took approximately 225 years from the nations inception to accumulate the first $6 trillion in public debt. The trajectory of debt escalation is undeniable, having surged by $9 trillion during Barack Obamas presidency and $7.8 trillion during Donald Trumps term.

Interest Costs: A Growing Burden

The burgeoning debt also amplifies interest costs. With interest payments soaring to $659 billion in the previous fiscal year, the figure surpasses Russias entire federal budget. Projections indicate that interest payments could escalate to an overwhelming $750 billion this year, translating to over $2 billion daily.

Navigating the Economic Landscape with Knightsbridge

Amid these fiscal challenges, investors seek refuge in assets resilient to economic volatility. Knightsbridge emerges as the beacon for investors, offering strategic insights to navigate this tumultuous economic terrain. As the U.S. grapples with mounting debt and shifting economic dynamics, Knightsbridge facilitates investment avenues in assets like gold, bitcoin, and other scarce commodities, ensuring investors safeguard their wealth amidst this fiscal uncertainty.

In summary, as the U.S. debt milestone underscores growing fiscal vulnerabilities, proactive measures are paramount. Knightsbridge remains steadfast in guiding investors towards securing their assets in tangible and resilient avenues, mitigating risks associated with potential economic downturns.

Shayne Heffernan
As Im writing this early, Hanukkah ended a week ago, and it is just before Christmas.

And I am sitting here wondering what to write about.

I had a lovely, quiet Hanukkah celebration. I had a little mini party with a dear friend on the second night of Hanukkah. We made potato latkes and lit the Hanukkiyah (menorah) and had a wonderful visit. After that I lit the candles every night by myself and enjoyed the beauty of the candles.

I am happy to share that my three cats, while fascinated with the candles, did not set their tails on fire, as happened 3 years ago, when my male kitty got too curious (the tail was quickly doused and kitty was unharmed). Arlo Pussyfoot has gotten wiser as he has gotten older.

Have we human beings, the human species, gotten wiser? I find it hard to be optimistic about our species. We have destroyed so much of the world, caused extinctions of so many species of plants and animals. We have caused the climate to change in just a couple of centuries. We still resort to violence to solve problems with other people. Will we never learn?

Ever since Oct. 7, Simchat Torah attack by Hamas terrorists, I have been depressed and worried and in pain about Israel and Gaza. Clearly, we humans are just continuing the same, stupid cycles of violence that never solve anything. Why cannot we just accept that we are all human and we all feel pain and loss and fear? Why cant we learn to listen fully to each other? We are all human, and we need each other. We need to learn to live together.

I remember when I was a child, we worried all the time that someone would Press the Button and start a nuclear war that would kill off much of the world. Over time that threat has become a bit more remote (though still a possibility). Now the major threat we worry about is human-caused climate change. I guess that a lot of people are feeling pessimistic about the future.

This is the time of year when people feel a lot of darkness. This is the time of the Winter Solstice, with the shortest days and longest nights of the year. But after the solstice, the days will gradually get longer and the nights shorter. And we know that spring will come again, and new life will emerge again.

Knowing that brings to my mind the next holiday in the Jewish calendar, Tu Bishvat, the New Year of Trees. This year it will start Wednesday, Jan. 24 and run through Jan. 25. Here in South Central PA, we will be in the middle of winter, but in the Land of Israel there will be stirrings of new life, with the blossoming of the almond trees.

When I think about Tu Bishvat, I feel a bit of optimism. In spite of all the stupid and horrible things that human beings are doing to each other, life does continue. Trees will start to blossom, leaves will grow, new life will emerge as the ground warms. I think that having a New Year for Trees is how Judaism reminds us that life will go on. No matter the current darkness, life continues despite us humans. And that should help us remember that we humans can still change and grow and become better, and a better protector of all life.

We all feel fear and loss, and that is often what drives the violence. Yet the trees wake up and start to grow again each year, in spite of us and our human stupidity. Perhaps we can learn to plant trees and to sow seeds together, even if we cannot agree on many things. We all live on this beautiful planet, and we all need to breathe the air created by plants. I pray that we will continue to reach out to strangers and  the Other and start listening to each other, so we can start living together.

May the One who made the universe and this beautiful planet, bring lasting peace to us, to Israel, to all humans and to all inhabitants of the Earth. And may we humans all find a way to make that happen, soon and in our days!
The fire department confirmed there was a fire in the boiler room, but they quickly got the fire under control. The previous fire was on the roof area of the facility.
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After another busy year on the water having responded to 38 calls for assistance Lough Ree RNLI begin the New Year with a fund-raising table quiz on Thursday, January 4, 2024 in The Bounty at Buccaneers Rugby Club, Athlone.

Now in its 200th year the charity will celebrate its birthday on 4 March 2024 with many events planned throughout the year.

At a local level the requirement for financial support is as important as ever.

All crew boat crew go through intensive training throughout the year, facilities and equipment is in constant need of renewal and the demand for the emergency service continues to grow on Lough Ree and the River Shannon.

The average cost of training a crew member is over 1,500 and to provide a drysuit, lifejacket and helmet adds another 2,000 to the bill.

Around 140 people die by accident in Irish and UK waters every year. The volunteer RNLI crews remain on call to respond to any emergency. In 2022 there were 1,387 people aided, 30 of which were categorised as lives saved.

The treasurer of Lough Ree RNLI, Vincent Rafter said: the charity values the brilliant support it receives from the community around Lough Ree and visitors to the midlands. We look forward to meeting all our friends and supporters at the table quiz. This is one of the most significant fund-raising events for Lough Ree RNLI and makes a great contribution to safety on our waters.

The 7th annual RNLI Table Quiz takes place on January 4, 2024 at 8pm in The Bounty at Buccaneers Rugby Club. A table of 4 costs 40. A great way to start the new year!
Cumberland County commissioners recently hired an Allentown company to conduct a series of security probes of the countys computer systems.

The commissioners agreed to pay IntegraOne $29,125 for internal, external and wireless probes. With its main office in Lehigh County, the company has branch locations in Camp Hill and Wormleysburg.

Its just to test the defenses that we have in place, said Darin Baish, IT manager in the countys Information Management Technology Office.

Each test will scan the inside of the countys network to make sure that safeguards are in place and to detect any vulnerabilities that staff would need to fix, he said.

The last time the county hired a contractor to conduct a series of probes was in 2021, Baish said. This is something we would like to do on a fairly regular basis. The recommended cybersecurity practice is to do it annually.

When the commissioners last addressed this, there was talk of rotating the contractors so that the county could have a different set of eyes analyzing its systems, Commissioner Gary Eichelberger said.

Baish agreed, saying its crucial for the county to rotate companies to conduct the probes so that there are different technicians looking at the results. As part of its contract, IntegraOne will provide the county with a report and, if needed, have representatives available for follow-up presentations.

In other action, the commissioners recently accepted a $177,062 statewide interconnectivity grant from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

The money will be used to transfer all the phone lines and connections from the countys current phone system to the new Next Generation 911 system, said Bob Shively, director of the county department of public safety.

The commissioners also:

Accepted a $227,310 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to improve and maintain adult probation services.

Agreed to pay Motorola Vesta $144,410 to extend for one-year the maintenance contract on the

countys current 911 phone system while the transition takes place to the new system.

Approved an agreement with Shippensburg Borough to lease land for the construction of the Timber Hill P25 radio tower site. The lease amount is $12 annually for five years, with an annual renewal after that, Shively said.
FBI: Second New York Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Over $200,000 in Products from Home Depot and Lowes

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: January 03 2024

Deshun Jackson, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 13 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.

A New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for transporting stolen goods from Home Depot and Lowes across state lines, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

Deshun Jackson, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 13 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Jackson was also ordered to pay $204,969.02 in restitution, of which $179,606.25 is payable to Lowes and $25,362.77 is payable to Home Depot. On September 15, 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty to Transportation of Stolen Goods. Jacksons co-defendant, Jalil McIntyre, pled guilty on July 31, 2023, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on November 6, 2023.

Organized retail thefts have a significant impact on consumers by causing both financial loss and safety risks, said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. Todays sentence demonstrates that federal law enforcement will continue to protect retail industry and consumers from this increasingly widespread problem by investigating, prosecuting and incarcerating offenders like the defendants.

What DeShun Jackson did in stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-end merchandise from home improvement retailers all over New England - drives up costs for consumers and businesses everywhere, said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. Todays sentence should be a warning to others that if you engage in organized retail theft and transport stolen goods across state lines like Mr. Jackson did, you too will face serious consequences for your criminal conduct.

Jackson and McIntyre traveled to Lowes and Home Depots across the northeastern United States, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. They stole high-value commercial items, such as circuit breakers. They were seen on surveillance footage grabbing products off shelves, placing them into large plastic bags, and walking out of the stores. In total, they stole $204,969.02 worth of products across 24 separate thefts. They also attempted to steal another $46,619.07 worth of products during 11 additional unsuccessful thefts. The stolen products were brought back to New York, where both defendants lived.
Long Islands First Baby Born in 2024 at South Shore University Hospital

Local News

By Lon Cohen Published: January 02 2024

The first baby born on Long Island in 2024 was welcomed into the world at South Shore University Hospital just minutes after midnight.

The first newborn on Long Island in 2024 arrived at South Shore University Hospital just moments past midnight, marking a joyous start to the year, according to a press release by Northwell Health.

A healthy baby girl named Kelsy Janel Reyes made her entrance at 12:10 a.m. in the Bay Shore facility.

Dora Lilian Mendez Henriquez, a first-time mother, endured a 10-hour labor. Rudy Reyes, Kelsy's father, recalled the hospital staff counting down to the new year in the delivery room. Shortly thereafter, weighing 6 pounds and 12 ounces, Kelsy came into the world.

Both 23-year-old Henriquez and 33-year-old Rudy originally hail from El Salvador and now reside in Central Islip.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: January 03 2024

Keeping the holiday spirit alive, Sheriffs Offices START Resource Center to distribute hundreds of toys and PJs to deserving children.

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. is working to keep the holiday cheer in the air by holding the Second Annual START Resource Center Toy and PJ Giveaway on Wednesday, January 3 from 4:30PM to 7PM.

The free event, held in collaboration with EJs PJs, Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers, Helping Makes you Happy and Toys for Tots, aims to give out hundreds of new toys and pajamas to deserving children and families in Suffolk County. All are welcome, while supplies last.

The Suffolk County Sheriffs Office START Resource Center worked with service providers to identify children and families in need throughout Suffolk County, including children of incarcerated individuals. Additional toys and pajamas will be donated to those who attend on a first come, first serve basis. Free hot chocolate will be served courtesy of Starbucks.

DATE/TIME: January 3 from 4:30pm to 7:00pm
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: January 03 2024

To Help Students and Support Teachers, $10 Million State Investment Will Train 20,000 Teachers in Science of Reading Instruction.

Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled her Back to Basics plan to improve reading proficiency in New York as a part of her 2024 State of the State. To transition New York to reading instruction that teaches students the foundational skills they need to become proficient readers, Governor Hochul will introduce legislation that ensures evidence-based best practices are used throughout New York. The Governor will also propose $10 million in state investments to train 20,000 teachers in Science of Reading instructional best practices, and announced an expansion of SUNY and CUNYs microcredentialing programs for teachers focused on the Science of Reading, to ensure our current and future teachers seeking advanced education are best prepared.

Reading is the foundation of our education system, but New York State is currently not meeting basic reading proficiency levels, Governor Hochul said. We cannot continue to allow our kids to fall further behind by utilizing outdated and discredited approaches to reading comprehension. Our Back to Basics initiative will reset how schools approach reading, returning to scientifically proven techniques. Along with investments in teacher training programs, we are tackling this issue head on to make sure our teachers and kids are set up for success.

The ability to read by third grade is an important indicator of a students future success. Students who do not achieve proficiency by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school, with dropout rates even more pronounced for students of color and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, failure to ensure reading proficiency at an early age has a cascading effect, potentially derailing a students academic trajectory, impacting future earning potential, health, and wellbeing. Recognizing the urgent need to improve reading proficiency and ensure student success, more than 30 states have transitioned to a back-to-basics approach.

As a part of her 2024 State of the State, Governor Hochul is announcing several initiatives to get New York kids back on track.

Governor Hochuls Back to Basics reading plan takes statewide action to ensure that every school district utilizes instructional best practices grounded in the Science of Reading. Governor Hochul will seek passage this year of legislation to require that the State Education Department (SED) promulgate instructional best practices in reading instruction, and that school districts adopt those practices. This approach includes teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. By September of 2025, all school districts will need to certify with SED that their curriculum, instructional strategies, and teacher professional development align with all elements of the instructional best practices.

Governor Hochul also announced $10 million for teacher training programs to ensure teachers are prepared to utilize evidence-based standards in the classroom. The New York State United Teachers and the United Federation Teachers have already begun training thousands of teachers in the Science of Reading, and this funding would support the training of 20,000 additional teachers and elementary school teaching assistants.

To prepare New Yorks current and future teachers seeking advanced education, Governor Hochuls Back to Basics plan also includes enhancing and expanding the SUNY and CUNY Microcredential Program for Teachers focused on the Science of Reading.

New York State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, Fostering literacy excellence and empowering young minds are paramount to nurturing the educational journey of our states youngest learners. Drawing from evidence-based literacy instruction methods, our educators are able to provide a comprehensive approach that enhances literacy skills and equips learners with the tools needed for effective communication and lifelong learning. The State Education Department is working to ensure all students have the resources they need to be successful in literacy and life, no matter their learning differences. All students deserve the opportunity of a high-quality education that allows them to thrive.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said, "Governor Hochuls proposed $10 million investment to support thousands of teachers in implementing the Science of Reading will enable generations of students to be strong readers, and successful citizens. SUNY is the largest training ground for and educator of New Yorks teachers. Were proud of the Science of Reading microcredential now in place at SUNY New Paltz, and we look forward to growing the program, the skills of our teachers, and the success of our students, further.

CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez said, We are pleased to support Governor Hochuls Back to Basics plan to elevate early literacy in New York schools by incorporating the science of reading in teacher education and ensuring that all students gain the fundamental skills they need to be proficient readers. CUNY prepares nearly a quarter of New York States classroom teachers, and we are committed to equipping them with the best practices to improve reading instruction, advancing educational equity in our city and state.

NYSUT President Melinda Person said, We know that reading unlocks worlds for children, and educators know it is a key to academic success. This is an investment in our students futures. By providing our educators with access to new resources and professional development, we are giving every student the opportunity to become a strong reader.

State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, "Reading proficiency is the cornerstone of a successful education, but most children in New York don't meet basic reading standards by third grade. Outcomes are especially dire for the thousands of students with dyslexia, like my own daughter, who wasn't even diagnosed until fourth grade. Countless children are not diagnosed with dyslexia until it's too late, if they ever learn of their status. Last month, Governor Hochul took a stand for children throughout the state by signing my legislation to establish a Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Task Force, and I'm proud to stand with her today to support the transition to evidence-based reading instruction in every school. This legislation and funding will be transformational for kids throughout our great state."

Assemblymember Robert Carroll said, I commend Governor Hochul for this important proposal to help improve teacher training with regard to how reading is taught in our state. She correctly names and identifies one of the root causes of our states literacy crisis  the use of curricula and approaches to teaching literacy not grounded in the science of reading. I have been a staunch advocate for following the science of reading and as person with dyslexia know first-hand how important the use of evidence-based methods are. The research is clear that all students do better when teachers are trained on the science of reading and evidence-based practices are implemented with fidelity and I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor to make this the reality in New York State.

New York State Council of School Superintendents Executive Director Charles Dedrick said, Our State Constitution promises all our children an education that can prepare them for success in adult life. To deliver on that promise, our young readers need the best prepared teachers and strongest support the state can provide. Reading builds a foundation for all other learning. We thank Governor Hochul for once again making a commitment to support our work.

New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Robert S. Schneider said, Strong literacy skills provide the foundation for future learning and workplace success. We applaud Governor Hochul for her efforts to ensure that our teachers use proven techniques for reading instruction, and for providing funding to support these professional development opportunities. The governors initiatives to improve effective reading instruction will help better prepare our students for the future.

School Administrators Association of New York State Executive Director Kevin Casey said, The Governors initiative to improve reading instruction, through the science of reading and evidence- based practices, continues New Yorks strong commitment to educational excellence. This work takes strong leadership, resources, and sustained commitments. The Governors announcement of a $10 million investment to improve reading instruction is a strong start to support schools undertaking this work.

New York State PTA President Helen Hoffman said, NYS PTA is excited that Governor Hochul is supporting our great educators, schools, families and children in this important work. The science of reading instruction has certainly changed over the years, and with this new infusion of resources, support for the important work classroom teachers do each day will be expanded. We also thank the State Education Department for their continued support of literacy, and critical work they do Supporting Kids, Raising Awareness.

New York State PTA Executive Director and Parent of a School-Aged Child Kyle Belokopitsky, Esq. said, Parents agree - literacy support, especially early literacy support, is a key component to student success. Parents, families, educators and schools work each day to support childrens reading and literacy goals, and the dedication of our educators in instilling the love of reading in our children is unparalleled. We thank Governor Hochul for this proposal and look forward to working collectively to make every childs potential a reality.
The IDFs multidimensional unit uses small drones to carry out missions, one of many units working closely with drones and UAVs while fighting in Gaza. (Seth J. Frantzman)

The Israel Defense Forces were on a high state of readiness in all arenas, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on the evening of January 2, after deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in Beirut that day. Even though Arouri  a key leader of Hamas  resided abroad, he has been described as an architect of the October 7 attack on Israel.

Israel did not take responsibility for eliminating Arouri, and Hezbollah said the killing of Arouri would not go unpunished. We are highly prepared for any scenario. The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas, Hagari said in the wake of the killing.

Arouri spent years in the spotlight due to his involvement in attacks on Israel. He resided in Beirut where he was killed, after having previously lived in Turkey and Qatar. Born in 1966 near Ramallah, he spent many years in Israeli prison for terrorist activities before being released in 2010. In early September 2023, he met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah in Lebanon, a symbol of his coordination with other Iran-backed groups. In August, Arouris support for terrorism was highlighted at a cabinet meeting when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, whoever backs terrorism will pay the full price.

As Israel prepared for escalation on other borders, the IDF continued to operate in Gaza on January 2 and 3. This included fighting in Khan Yunis and also in the area of Khirbet Khuzaa near the Israeli border. The IDF said on January 3 that forces encountered terrorists in Khirbet Khuzaa who had tried to plant an explosive on a tank. The IDF said troops called in an airstrike to eliminate the threat. During searches in a school, the troops located a tunnel shaft and photos of weapons. Furthermore, IDF troops struck terror targets, including observation posts and anti-tank launch posts, the IDF said.

As part of the operations in Gaza, the IDF also sought to highlight the role drones have played in the recent war. IDF units coordinate closely with the air force which operates medium-size and larger UAVs. These are used for reconnaissance and can be used to carry out airstrikes. Indirect assistance is achieved through UAV operators communication with brigade forces and Israel Air Force ground control, the IDF said on January 3. The UAV Array carries out various missions including strikes, intelligence gathering, air cover for troops, and rapid support of ground forces. The UAVs accompany the forces from the air, striking terrorists who hide inside civilian buildings and urban areas to approach and attack IDF troops, the IDF said. Israel uses a variety of drones and UAVs, including the Hermes 450, also known as the Zik. Units such as the new IDF multi-dimensional unit also use smaller quadcopter style drones to carry out missions.

Despite concerns of escalation on January 3, there was relative quiet in terms of rocket threats from Gaza. Nevertheless, there were several incidents on other fronts. In the afternoon, sirens sounded in Dovev and other communities near the Mediterranean following several rocket launches from Lebanon. IDF artillery returned fire. The IDF said that the Israel Air Force also struck a Hezbollah site.

In the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Houthis carried out an attack on the evening of January 2. According to US Central Command, Iranian-backed Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen into the Southern Red Sea. Multiple commercial ships in the area reported the impact of the ASBMs into the surrounding water though none have reported any damage. The Houthis also claimed on January 3 that they targeted another ship. Threats in the Red Sea now also include an Iranian destroyer which recently entered the area.

Taken together, the fighting in Gaza, rocket launches from Lebanon, Iran-backed threats to US forces in Syria and Iraq, and Red Sea tensions showcase the Iranian attempt to inflame various arenas in the region. Israel has said it is prepared for escalation on any of these fronts.

In total, 509 IDF soldiers have been killed in fighting since the Hamas attack on October 7.

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the acting news editor and senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post.
The ABC store at Barracks Road Shopping Center in Charlottesville is preparing to relocate to a new space  roughly 500 feet away on the other side of Emmet Street.

The move, scheduled to take place next week, will sandwich the state-run liquor store between fast-casual Mediterranean eatery Cava and a Verizon store in a strip mall that Ohio-based landlord Site Centers has christened Emmet Street Station.

The decision to move was made at least in part because the well-trafficked Barracks ABC, one of three within Charlottesville city limits, could not expand at its current 3,000-square-foot, end-cap location, with a Kroger grocery store on one side and a roadway on the other.

The new Emmet Street Station location boasts 5,377 square feet of space, according to Site Centers property manager Shannon Hancock, and includes both the unit once occupied by fitness studio Spenga and an adjacent empty unit. Spenga closed in 2022.

The new space is larger than the existing store in Barracks Road Shopping Center, to better serve customers, Virginia ABC spokesman Pat Kane told The Daily Progress via email on Tuesday.

The marketing material for the Emmet Street Station real estate, constructed in 2018, highlights many of the same attributes that made Barracks Road a good business decision when ABC leased its space there: proximity to the University of Virginia (and its 22,000 students) as well as downtown Charlottesville (and its dozens of restaurants and bars) and a prominent location off a busy thoroughfare (Emmet Street sees an average of 42,000 vehicles daily).

While the new ABC will have more room inside, there is less space for parking outside. Emmet Street Stations parking lot offers only 56 spots for the three tenants there, compared to the nearly 2,000 spaces at Barracks Road across the street.

Maryland-based Federal Realty, which owns Barracks Road Shopping Center, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Daily Progress regarding future leasing of the old ABC space.
Delicatessen shop in Rue du Fosse the latest in a growing list of businesses shutting their doors in the capital over the past 12 months

Vero and Pit Wanderscheid announced on social media that they were closing their delicatessen after five years

Vero and Pit Wanderscheid announced on social media that they were closing their delicatessen after five years  Photo credit: DR/Facebook Wanderscheid

Vero and Pit Wanderscheid announced on social media that they were closing their delicatessen after five years  Photo credit: DR/Facebook Wanderscheid

Vero and Pit Wanderscheid of the eponymous delicatessen shop in Luxembourg City on Monday announced that they would close their business, the latest in a string of stores shutting in the capital.

Shops and restaurants in the upper city to close their doors include Boucherie Goedert, which cited staffing problems as a reason to close in November. Brasserie Aubergine in Rue des Bains closed in October. The Am Tiirmschen restaurant and the Dean & David city centre location (in Rue Notre Dame) also closed in 2023.

Also read:

Business behind Strogoff restaurant declared bankrupt

The business behind the popular Strogoff restaurant in Place de Paris, was declared bankrupt earlier in the year, although the restaurant has since been replaced by a new eatery.

The delicatessen in the Rue du Fosse will open again after a short holiday on Thursday and remain open throughout January before it closes for good. The Atelier Wanderscheid in nearby Rue du Cure has already shut down, with equipment and decor up for sale.

Lack of motivated staff

After five years in business, were closing our shops. This was a very difficult decision to take, but the lack of motivated staff in a complicated economic situation cannot be ignored, the Wanderscheids wrote on social media.

The couple, who met at hotel school in 2006 before working in various establishments in Luxembourg and abroad, had opened their shop in the city centre in November 2019.

Other businesses in the city say they have struggled to cope with successive disruption caused by construction of the tram network and the Covid-19 pandemic.

(This article first appeared in Virgule and has been translated and edited by Duncan Roberts)
MANCHESTER  The Manchester Music Festival announces its upcoming 50th anniversary season, set to take place in Summer 2024, under the direction of its new artistic director, Philip Setzer, founding member of the Emerson String Quartet.

The five-week festival runs from July 11 to Aug. 8, and plays a significant role in the cultural enrichment of the southwestern Vermont community.

The theme of our 2024 Festival is called The Romantic Journey, said Setzer. I have always thought of a series of thematically linked concerts and events, as a journey  one that both increases our knowledge and deepens our enjoyment of these great works of Art.

The 2024 Festival season will include over 30 events: concerts, masterclasses, lectures, and outreach programs all focused on The Romantic Journey theme. Collectively, they will explore the definition and roots of Romanticism, taking audiences on a musical odyssey from Beethoven to Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms and onward to Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Debussy and more.

This journey will take audiences all the way to a newly commissioned work by Sarah Kirkland Snider, exploring Romanticism from the viewpoint of today. Snider has been hailed as one of today's most compelling composers for the human voice by NPR, who possesses an unerring knack for breathtaking beauty, according to The New Yorker.

Featured artists in the 2024 season include: Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic Directors Wu Han and David Finckel; pianists Gilles Vonsattel, Jeewon Park, Jenny Lin, and Vassily Primakov; celebrated clarinetist David Shifrin; Emerson String Quartet members violist Lawrence Dutton and Philip Setzer; cellists Ed Aaron and Colin Carr; violist Matthew Lipman; Calidore String Quartet cellist Estelle Choi; New York Philharmonic principal harpist Nancy Allen; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra violinist Sarah Crocker Vonsattel; Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist alum Sara Couden; and Metropolitan Opera star soprano Christine Goerke.

In addition to these performances and events, the Manchester Music Festival offers a full-scholarship Young Artists Program for string players and pianists ages 18 to 26 during the festival season.

This year marks the inaugural two-year Young Artists program. Previously a one-year program, the new extension will allow young musicians the opportunity to further engage with a faculty of world-renowned artists, intensively studying and performing chamber music at a high level to enhance their craft. The festival will also present concerts featuring these Young Artists in a special program called Given a Chance romantic works of underrepresented composers who have struggled to have their voices heard.

The full festival schedule will be announced at a later date. For more information about the Manchester Music Festival and updates on the 2024 season, visit mmfvt.org.
Less than a year after its return, Charlottesvilles airport will be losing its daily direct flight to Philadelphia.

The last plane to Philadelphia International Airport will take off Sunday.

Philadelphia-bound planes leaving Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport were 90% full on most flights, according to airport spokeswoman Stewart Key. Nevertheless, American Airlines decided to terminate the service.

American Airlines did not immediately respond to a Daily Progress inquiry asking why the service had been suspended.

They have so many factors that go into these types of decisions that we just dont have our finger on, Key said.

When contacted by The Daily Progress, Charlottesville airport CEO Jason Burch gave no explanation for the service suspension either. Burch, instead, highlighted the addition of another United Airlines Chicago route coming later this year.

While it is disappointing to see an airline end a commercial route at CHO, its also great to see route improvements, he told The Daily Progress in an email. We are losing the Philadelphia connection with American Airlines again but gaining a second Chicago route in May with United Airlines. We will continue working with our airline partners to provide the best air service to our community.

This is not the first time American has cut its CHO-PHL service.

The airline suspended Philadelphia service from Charlottesville in November 2021 due to the pandemic, which caused air travel to crater internationally. American reinstated the service in April 2023.

Not long after, low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines introduced a direct flight to Orlando International Airport. That service lasted less than 100 days; Avelo suspended service in September citing low demand.

After the loss of Orlando service, Burch, then the airports chief operating officer, emphasized the services that remained at CHO.

The end of Avelos service in Charlottesville is by no means a negative reflection on the community, he said. Our existing services are performing great, and we will continue to work diligently with our airline partners on other expansion opportunities.

Despite the recent service suspensions, Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport is still planning on increasings its footprint in the coming years. The airport has plans for a new terminal that will include an additional TSA screening area, bag belt and gate area with up to four new gates, as well as a three- to four-story parking garage. The project is expected to be completed in phases over the next six years in the location of the current short-term parking lot.

Charlottesville residents eager to get to the City of Brotherly Love can still reach Philadelphia by 4 1/2-hour car ride or five-hour train ride; Amtraks Cardinal, Crescent and Northeast Regional lines all run between Charlottesville and Philadelphia.

American will continue to offer Charlottesville travelers seven daily flights to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and two daily flights to New Yorks LaGuardia Airport, according to airport officials.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Generally cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Occasional snow showers. Low 26F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Gordon Hayward recently made headlines when he talked about the 2018-19 version of the Celtics. While the Cs were extremely talented that season, things never meshed as they bowed out in the second round. There were some title hopes that year, but the Cs never meshed to the sum of their parts.

Hayward said the Celtics back then didnt fit because there were different guys at different points in their careers. Hayward and Kyrie Irving were trying to establish themselves as the teams stars coming off injury. But the Cs went to the East Finals partly because of guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, among other young players who were looking to make their mark on the league.

Ultimately, the Celtics were a disappointment that season all things considered, and the vibes werent always right. Tatum said he agreed with Hayward that season just didnt fit together by the end of it all.

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That (expletive) was terrible, Tatum said, per the Boston Globes Adam Himmelsbach. You guys saw it. Weve all talked about it. It didnt work out how we wanted it to, and we were a very talented team but it just didnt mesh the way we wanted it to. And thats all right. Guys learned and everybodys moved on from it.

But what Gordon said was kind of right. Guys would come back from injury, guys were trying to prove themselves, like myself. I was trying to be better than I was last year, and it was just kind of a tough year.

The Celtics eventually saw some changes from that team as different players got the roles they wanted. The Cs in present day are the opposite of that 2018-19 squad in a sense. Theyve been all about sacrifice and have backed it up with their play instead of just talking about it. So while Tatum didnt enjoy playing on that squad, it appeared to be at least a learning lesson.

Everybody wanted to do more, Tatum said. And we didnt quite understand how we all could coexist with each other. And you just learn from that. No matter how talented a team is, it still has to work together and figure it out. And like Gordon said, we still made it to the second round. Like, it could have been worse.
JetBlue Airways is kicking off the New Year offering its 2024 Big Winter Sale to travelers for one week.

Starting Jan. 3 through Jan. 10, those wanting to fly the airline with deals to select destinations can do so through the sale. Travel dates for the winter sale include dates of Jan. 17 through March 27 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only.

JetBlue is offering flights out of Boston starting at $44 during the airlines sale.

Read more: Gingerbread person surprises travelers with candy canes at Boston Logan Airport

If youre looking to fly out of Boston, flyers can book flights to New York for $44. Baltimore, Detroit and Philadelphia flights are also running for $49.

Other cheap flights through the winter sale include destinations like San Francisco, San Antonio and Denver for $99. See the rest of domestic flight deals here.

But if youre looking to go beyond the our borders, the airline is offering flights to Amsterdam for $299, Dublin and London for $339 and Paris for $399. See the rest of the transatlantic flight deals here.

The prices listed above include one way and roundtrip flights.

You can view the full Big Winter Sale with additional low fares and bundled deals here.
Massachusetts State Police pursued a vehicle they learned was racing cars on Interstate-95 on Tuesday afternoon, but the vehicle fled out of sight of police, then crashed into the woods and those inside abandoned it, according to police.

Massachusetts State Trooper Zachary Bolcome radioed police shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday that he was chasing a vehicle  a green Dodge Charger  on I-95 in Boxford that appeared to be racing vehicles, but that after he pursued them for three minutes, lost sight of the vehicle.

Shortly after the chase, police got calls of a crash on the ramp from I-95 to Route 133 in Georgetown. Police officers found a green Charger abandoned in the woods, then set up a perimeter around the vehicle to find those who had been inside, police said.

Police got a 911 call around 3:20 p.m. from a Georgetown resident that people were in the woods behind their home. Numerous cruisers went to the property, and arrested three people believed to be associated with the crash.

The 21-year-old driver of Lynn, was charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle, street racing, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of property damage, failure to stop for police, marked lanes violation, breakdown lane violation, speeding, disorderly conduct and trespassing.

The two passengers, ages 20 and 21 and also of Lynn, were also charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Read more: Harvard President Claudine Gay resigns amid antisemitism and plagiarism claims

All three will appear in Haverhill District Court, according to police.
Charlottesville police are investigating a Saturday night shooting in the citys Rose Hill neighborhood.

There were no injuries reported in the wake of the gunfire, which police have described as a disturbance among neighbors.

Officers were dispatched to Charlton Avenue around 8 p.m. Saturday after a report of shots fired in the area. At the scene, police said they found five shell casings.

Police have not been able to identify a suspect at this time.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at (434) 977-4000.

We ask that residents check their home camera footage for any evidence, the Charlottesville Police Department posted to Facebook.

Charlottesville police did not immediately respond to a Daily Progress request for more details Tuesday afternoon.
This article mentions sexual abuse. Survivors of sexual abuse can find resources for support here.

Three brothers who were students at Saint Johns High School in the 1960s came forward Wednesday accusing a teacher formerly at the private boys school of sexually abusing them. They claim the Shrewsbury school and its sponsors have ignored them and call for a change in statute-of-limitation laws.

Represented by Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, two of the three brothers spoke during a press conference facilitated by Robert Hoatson, president of the New Jersey-based nonprofit Road to Recovery, Inc.. Hoatson stood outside the school in Shrewsbury with reporters, while Garabedian and the two brothers called in on Zoom.

Garabedian  who has represented many sexual abuse victims over the years, including in the Boston area during the Catholic priest sexual abuse scandal  said the claims stem from several encounters the three men say they had with lay religion teacher Richard Dick Doyle, who they allege sexually abused them between the mid- to late-1960s when the men were 15, 16 and 9 years old.

Doyle knew no bounds, Garabedian said. Where were the Xaverian Brothers (the schools founders and sponsors) and why didnt they protect (the brothers) from this sexual predator?

Two of the brothers spoke on the condition of anonymity. They said they are in their 70s. One of the brothers said he called the schools headmaster on July 15, 2019 after speaking with a therapist. His therapist told him he had developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression in the years since, along with having sleep disturbances, becoming self-destructive and feeling shameful.

I called the headmaster and asked if anyone filed complaints against Richard Doyle, the man said. I was not given a satisfying answer to my question.

He said he called for validation and if other people were abused by Doyle. The headmaster told him he was deeply sorry to read this email and that this happened at Saint Johns, the man said.

Garabedian added later in the press conference that any apology from the headmaster rings hollow, as theres been no decisiveness over the years.

The man said the headmaster told him to contact the Worcester County District Attorneys office, which he did. The office told him the statute of limitations was up so a criminal case could not be opened against Doyle.

Read more: Archdiocese of Boston priest falsely claims children are identifying as cats

The man said Doyle worked his way to become close friends with the brothers father and was allowed into the family. Doyle presented himself as Mr. Good Guy, the man said, and he groomed the brothers into believing they were friends and wanted them to open up to him to talk about their feelings.

The man claimed Doyle sexually abused him and one other brother in his car and in their home, making his way into one brothers bedroom. He said he was sexually abused by Doyle 25 times over a two-year period. The youngest of the three brothers was sexually abused by Doyle only when he came over to the house, Garabedian said.

It did a job on me all my life, and I didnt even realize it, the man said.

Read more: Springfield diocese settles with man raped in 1960s by late Bishop Weldon

The second brother said Doyle would touch him inappropriately, recounting at least 12 times he was sexually abused. After these incidents, he told his parents he didnt want to go back to school but did not say it was because of Doyle.

I would not allow it, the second brother said. I wanted to go home right away ... I did not tell anyone, I kept it hidden over the years. Anger and guilt were bothering me through the years, and I had no therapy like my brother.

No lawsuit against the school has been filed due to the statute of limitations issue, Garabedian said.

In 2014, Massachusetts extended the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual assault to bring civil claims against their abusers until they turn 53 years old. Hoatson said this cutoff was a result of lobbyists in the Catholic Church.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian speaks at a news conference in 2017. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes)AP

Garabedian, Hoatson and the brothers said they were unsure where Doyle is now and if he is still alive. In a statement to MassLive Wednesday, the school acknowledged the first brothers call in 2019 about Doyle, adding Doyle worked as a teacher from 1962 until his death in 1976.

Immediately upon receiving this information, the schools headmaster reached out to the alumnus who communicated the allegation and began a dialogue of compassion and support that included the schools strong recommendation that he reach out to the District Attorney and also facilitated a conversation with the Xaverian Brothers, the school said. Since then, the schools attorney has remained in contact with his legal counsel on the matter.

Saint John's High School on Jan. 3, 2024. Ryan Mancini/MassLiveRyan Mancini

The school added that it was not aware of other allegations against Doyle, encouraging anyone with more information, including instances of sexual abuse, to call Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.s office, to the Diocese of Worcester and to headmaster Alex Zequeira if it involves a member of our community.

We recognize this is difficult information to share, but we as a school community are committed to transparency as we believe it is the only way that survivors of abuse and the larger Catholic community can process and begin to heal from these egregious violations of a sacred trust, the school said, adding that it has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual misconduct and abuse of any kind and that any allegations are investigated thoroughly and immediately.

Given the age of the two men, Garabedian said they are being ignored and reforms should be made to the legislation so the brothers and other sexual abuse victims lawsuits can go forward. Following such reforms, Garabedian hopes the brothers receive a formal apology from the school and a financial settlement.

Instead, Garabedian said, my clients are being ignored.

Hoatson called the sexual abuse of children soul murder, and that if there is no statute of limitations for murder, why is there one on murder of the soul? Its practically the same. People are almost killed when they are sexually abused as a child because they dont know where their lives are going or what even their next thought is going to be.

Hoatson spoke to reporters about his work representing sexual abuse victims. In his 23 years as a child and a priest in the Catholic Church, he said he was a victim of sexual abuse, turning this into the formation of a nonprofit to support and represent sexually abused people in a non-legal way. Through his group, two of the brothers came forward while the third is still too fragile, Hoatson said.

The Xaverian Brothers should be embracing these three men, but they dont, he said Theyre worried about their asses and their assets. That quote came from a priest who was doing a movie at Boston College and it makes sense. Theyre worried about their wallets and theyre worried about their image. No, youre worried about the person who is practically at deaths door.
A Boston man was met with several assault charges after he attacked and injured a woman in her apartment in front of her children on Monday, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Haydens office announced Tuesday.

Erick Arevalo, 23, was charged with armed assault with attempt to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife), assault and battery and assault and battery on a family or household member, Haydens office said in a statement.

At around 12:21 a.m., Boston police received a domestic violence call at an apartment on Princeton Street, Haydens office said. Officers found a woman with multiple lacerations to her head, neck and one of her hands.

She gave officers a description of her attacker, who left the apartment in her car, Haydens office added. Officers found that the attacker, Arevalo, struck a stone wall and three parked cars, left the vehicle and punched another person who yelled at him for striking the driveway.

Police called Arevalo on his cell phone and arrested him in Brighton at around 1:40 a.m.

This was a brutal assault, made even worse by the fact that it occurred while the victims children were present in the apartment. The quick work by investigators with help from those with knowledge of what happened helped make for a quick arrest, Hayden said in the statement.

Judge Shelley Joseph ordered he be held on $5,000 bail. He is due to return in court on Feb. 12 for a probable cause hearing.
SPRINGFIELD  A group of Black pastors, politicians and others plan to follow through on threats to boycott an alternative African-American newspaper after the owner did not retract an article that referred to some as Black Judases and sycophants to white leaders.

Outraged over an editorial in Point of View titled The Worst Article I Ever Wrote in which author Frederick Hurst took multiple leaders to task for failing to publicly support his son, then-Councilor Justin Hurst, in his run to become the first Black mayor in Springfield, leaders gathered last month and demanded a retraction or an apology in the next months edition. They swore they would boycott the paper in its absence.

The Point of View shouldnt be allowed to be trafficking in hate and extreme points of view as a voice for the Black community, said Rev. Talbert Swan, long-term president of the Springfield regional chapter of the NAACP and bishop of the Vermont Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, which covers five Eastern states.

The Dec. 1 article called some Uncle Toms and criticized Black leaders who were conspicuously absent when Hurst was campaigning against Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who won reelection to his sixth term by 12,077 to 8,945 votes in November.

It described a deep division between the Black masses and called out leaders who were conspicuously absent when Justin Hurst was campaigning against Sarno, who is white and the citys longest-serving mayor.

A list of people  Police Commissioner Robert C. Jackson, state Rep. Bud L. Williams, Rev. Jay Griffin and Rev. George Bruce, the father of City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce  were accused of having long ago been compromised by money and the mere illusion of personal and political power and their obsessive love of white people, Hurst wrote in the editorial.

The fact that Hurst did not back down in his Jan. 1 edition was not a surprise, multiple leaders said on Monday. Last month, Hurst publicly said he said if he had to defend every article he wrote he would do nothing else. Hurst did not return requests seeking comment.

The front-page story in this months edition of the Point of View was a commentary on the difference between Black leaders and Black communicators by Rev. Atu White, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, called The Truth Hurts.

It did not specifically name anyone but called communicators public-facing emperors with no clothes and said they suffer from their lack of follow-through and vision. Leaders he said are those who have visions to encompass the next generation and are more concerned to with seeing those ideas advance than getting credit for them.

Instead of all unity, he called for the diverse Black community to come together to work toward common causes such as addressing food insecurity, quelling violence and improving the economy.

Swan called the article a veiled shot at the people who Rick Hurst called out.

Swan said the group is in the process of writing a letter that will be signed by multiple people and sent to advertisers asking them to boycott the paper.

The list of 28 advertisers for the January edition was nearly identical to those from the previous edition. Because ads are often taken out weeks and sometimes months in advance, Swan said the campaign will likely not see any results until March.

We have supported it for years. Ive written a monthly column for 15 years and my church and NAACP has advertised in it but we dont like the ugly turn it has taken, Swan said.

A lot of pastors said they will no longer allow the free paper to be distributed in their churches and the group is now planning to also ask local stores and others to stop making it available at their businesses, Swan said.

We want to send a message you dont speak for the Black community by slandering upstanding members of the Black community just because you couldnt get them to support your son, he said.

The Point of View is also available online.

Archbishop Timothy Paul Baymon, pastor of Christian Cathedral and president of the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield, said he was hoping the outcry from the Black community as well as that from those of Irish and Italian ethnicity who were also slammed in the writing, would prompt Hurst to make some concessions.

Our goal is that this effort will silence that kind of divisive and non-ethical journalism, he said.

The group is also talking about creating its own publication that would at least start as an online paper, he said.

City Council Vice President Melvin Edwards, who was one of three Black councilors to be criticized in the article, said he will sign the letter that is being sent to advertisers but is mostly washing his hands of the controversy and concentrating his efforts on doing the work he was elected to do.

I dont plan to be a leader for any place but Ward 3 where I represent everyone regardless of race, ethnicity and economic status, he said.

Edwards said everyone has the right to free speech but they do not have the right to free speech without consequences.

Hes educated, he is knowledgeable, he knows what he is doing, Edwards said. What is the value of arguing with a fool?
CHICOPEE  Though construction at Chicopees first-ever dog park is substantially complete, a ribbon-cutting ceremony wont take place until the parks nearly three dozen interpretive signs arrive, city officials say.

The new Western Massachusetts Post-9/11 and Service Dog Memorial Park will function not only as a dog park but as a monument to those who served and lost their lives in war, while also educating people about service dogs.

The park will include two enclosed areas for small and large dogs. Walking trails, playgrounds, fitness equipment, a wheelchair-accessible path, and a service member monument will also be included in the 7 acres of wooded land off Westover Road, according to Lee Pouliot, director of Planning and Development.

The $2.4 million project has been funded with a $500,000 state Land and Water grant; a $500,000 state earmark; $1.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds; and a $350,000 grant match from the city, a previous report states.

City officials, state legislators and veterans, among others, broke ground at the park last February. The park, in the planning since 2018, was originally slated to have an official opening ceremony within eight months of the groundbreaking.

The missing elements are 35 interpretive signs that will be spread throughout the park that detail what military members experienced post-9/11, Pouliot said.

Staff

Without the signage, the park doesnt make sense, he said.

The signs range in size. Smaller ones will be about 16 x 24 inches, according to the planning director. One of the larger signs will describe the rank structure of each military branch.

Mayor John Vieau, who has kept tabs on the progress of the park, believes it will be a destination for field trips from across Western Massachusetts.

(Theres) nothing like it in the world, and were excited about cutting that ribbon very soon, he said.

Stephanie Shaw, the citys director of veterans services, said the signs contribute to the memorial element of the park. She is hoping they arrive within the next few weeks.

Shaw said she is looking forward to people enjoying different elements of the park, whether it be considering history or simply walking.

Theres dedication(s) to service throughout the whole space, including the fitness areas, playground area and canine dog park area, Shaw said. I think thats what Im excited about  the unique elements. Its not just a park, its an educational experience.
WESTFIELD  Seven weeks after losing his race for a seat on the Westfield School Committee, Jeffrey L. Gosselin filed suit against the Westfield Democratic City Committee, claiming it refused to fund his campaign.

In the page-long, handwritten complaint that he filed to the Hampden District Superior Court the day after Christmas, Gosselin said the organizations bylaws state that all Democratic candidates must receive financial support in elections for municipal, state and federal office.

The lawsuit, in which he is representing himself, asks for court fees and $20  the amount of his dues to be a member of the Westfield Democratic City Committee in 2023.

Gosselin and the Westfield Democratic City Committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gosselin came in fifth place in a six-way race for three seats on the Westfield School Committee, according to The Westfield News. In the November election, he received 1,829 votes.

Gosselin is a former member of the School Committee. He previously said he was first unanimously appointed to the body in September 2007 following the death of his mother, who sat on the committee for three terms.

Gosselins complaint says that he requested financial assistance and was denied at two committee meetings, one on Sept. 14 and the other on Oct. 12.

In his campaign finance report, Gosselin lists himself and three other individuals as financial contributors to his campaign. Much like Gosselins report, the campaign finance reports of the three election winners  Bo Sullivan, Michael Tirrell and Jeffrey Gunther  do not list any financial contribution from the committee.

The school committee in Westfield is nonpartisan.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday following backlash over claims of antisemitism and plagiarism, and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Saratoga, has already stepped forward to take the credit.

Stefanik, a Harvard graduate, began calling for Gay to resign even before the pair faced off during a contentious congressional hearing last month.

I will always deliver results. The resignation of Harvards antisemitic plagiarist president is long overdue. Claudine Gays morally bankrupt answers to my questions made history as the most viewed Congressional testimony in the history of the U.S. Congress, Stefanik said in a statement. Her answers were absolutely pathetic and devoid of the moral leadership and academic integrity required of the President of Harvard. This is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history. Our robust Congressional investigation will continue to move forward to expose the rot in our most prestigious higher education institutions and deliver accountability to the American people.

Gays announcement follows criticism over her testimony at the December hearing of the House Committee on Education when she appeared to refuse to say unequivocally that calls on Harvards campus for genocide of Jewish people would violate the schools conduct policy. Gay has also come under scrutiny after online conservative activists unearthed what they claim are several instances of plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation.

Stefanik began to call for Gay to step down in early December. The representative grilled several college presidents over their responses to instances of antisemitism on campus during the hearing. Ahead of the proceedings, Stefanik said on the Fox News program Fox and Friends that the hearing was important to hold universities accountable.

Im very focused on whats been allowed to fester at Harvard [and] the fact that President Claudine Gay  thats the president of Harvard University  was silent after over 30 student groups blamed Israel for the Hamas terrorist attacks that slaughtered over 1,000 Israeli, Stefanik said. The fact that the university was silent is unacceptable.

Stefanik also called for the resignation of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, due to similar antisemitism claims. Magill resigned on Dec. 9, but Kornbluth remains in her position.

Many campuses have experienced a dramatic increase in Islamophobia and antisemitic rhetoric since the breakout of the Israel-Hamas war in October. Gov. Kathy Hochul has directed New York State Police to track any threats posted on social media. The governor also allocated at least $3 million to expand the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) Terrorism Prevention Units Threat Assessment and Management training (TAM) to all colleges and universities in the state.

The funding followed the arrest of a 21-year-old man who made a series of threats against Jewish people at Cornell University.

___

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Visit The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, N.Y. at www.dailygazette.com
Four suspects were identified by authorities on Wednesday in a previously unsolved homicide in Fall River, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinns Office.

A manhunt is underway for one of the men charged in the killing.

Authorities said that Diamonte Odom, 23, of Fall River, was killed on May 13, 2023, and following a long-term grand jury investigation, four Fall River men are charged in Odoms killing.

At about 10:44 p.m. on May 13, Fall River police were called to shots fired in the area of 275 County Street where Odom was found with a gunshot wound to his face. He was pronounced dead the following morning at Rhode Island Hospital, according to the Bristol County district attorneys office.

The four suspects indicted are as follows:

Tajon Saxon, 26, was indicted on charges of murder, carrying a loaded illegal firearm and carrying an illegal firearm.

Quanif Johnson, 26, was indicted on charges of murder, carrying a loaded illegal firearm and carrying an illegal firearm.

Dioni Tavarez-Leonirio, 25, was indicted on a charge of accessory to murder after the fact.

Devin Alves, 18, was indicted on charges of trafficking fentanyl, trafficking cocaine, and two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition in connection with the homicide investigation.

Saxon remains at large and is the subject of an intensive manhunt, according to Bristol district attorney spokesperson Gregg Miliote. Saxon is also wanted in connection with a May 2021 Fall River double-homicide of Jovaughn Mills and Miguel Sanjurjo where he is charged with two counts of accessory to murder after the fact.

Following the investigation into Odoms killing, authorities are also charging Johnson with trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a Class B drug, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding device, unlawful possession of a machine gun, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Johnson is in custody in Rhode Island on charges connection to another homicide in that state, according to Miliote. It is unclear when he will be brought to Massachusetts for arraignment on the indictments in Fall River Superior Court.

Tavarez-Leonirio was arraigned on his charge in Fall River Superior Court on Dec. 22 and bail was set at $5,000, Miliote said.

Alves was arraigned on Wednesday and held on $7,500 bail, according to Miliote.

Due to the fact that the two defendants indicted for murder have yet to be arraigned in open court, no further details about the investigation can be publicly disseminated at this time, Miliote said.

If anyone has any information about Mr. Saxons whereabouts, they are urged to call (855) MA-SOLVE (855-627-6583), email mspunresolved@pol.state.ma.us or take advantage of District Attorney Quinns anonymous text-a-tip program by texting the word Bristol to the phone number CRIMES (274637).
Several Massachusetts animal welfare organizations from Boston to Springfield have chosen to combine forces this weekend in an effort to find homes for more than 100 guinea pigs available for adoption  at no cost to adopt for new owners.

The groups taking part in the free guinea pig adoptions from Friday, Jan. 5 through Sunday, Jan. 7 are:

The Animal Rescue League of Boston ( ARL ), with locations in Boston, Dedham and East Brewster

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( MSPCA ), with locations in Boston, Methuen, Salem and Centerville

The Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts ( APCSM ), located in Brockton

The Dakin Humane Society , located in Springfield

The Lowell Humane Society , located in Lowell

Notably, the Dakin Humane Society will only hold its event from Friday, Jan. 5 through Saturday, Jan. 6, with adopters welcome to visit its 171 Union St. location Springfield from 12:30 p.m. through 3 p.m. either day, the group said in a news release.

Pets can also be adopted online through the Dakin Humane Societys website, with guinea pig adoption fees waived during those two days, the group said.

The MSPCA-Angell said in a post on X that guinea pigs usually cost $30 to adopt from its shelters, but that, like other participating shelters, this fee will be waived during the adopt-a-thon event this weekend.

According to ARL in a new release, guinea pig populations at animal shelters across the state have increased drastically in recent years.

As recently as last week, ARL took in 55 guinea pigs from a home, with the MSPCA taking in 20 others, it said.

Hashbrown and McGriddle, two guinea pigs currently available for adoption at Dakin Humane Society in Springfield, are shown enjoying a treat. Photo courtesy of the Dakin Humane Society.Dakin Humane Society

The guinea pigs were very well cared for, but the owners purchased the animals from pet store where they were incorrectly sexed, resulting in many litters, ARL added.

Meg Talbert, the executive director at Dakin, echoed similar sentiment to ARL saying Our own guinea pig population is quite high at this time, and we have had situations when a large number of guinea pigs have been brought to Dakin from one home because people became overwhelmed with an increasing number of litters being born.

Read more: Guinea pigs left in shoe box in Walmart parking lot in Massachusetts

The City of Boston recently passed a ban on the sale of guinea pigs in pet stores unless the stores are partnered with rescue organizations, according to ARL.

With many pet stores acquiring guinea pigs from out-of-state breeding facilities, the ban will help promote the larger number of guinea pigs available for adoption in surrounding shelters and cut down on the rising numbers of abandoned and stray guinea pigs being found in the city, ARL said.

ARL said that guinea pigs make for amazing pets, and that anyone interested in adopting is welcome to visit a participating shelter this weekend to add them into their home.
The family of the four children who died in a house fire in Somers on Wednesday night, which left a fifth sibling with severe burns and injured two others, are accepting donations to help them try to recover.

To help the family recover after such catastrophic loss, monetary donations can be made to the towns Angel Fund, Somers Fire Chief John Roache said, and can be mailed to 619 Main St. in Somers, Conn.

The fire broke out before 10:20 p.m. at 44 Quality Ave., located about 20 minutes over the Connecticut and Massachusetts border. A total of 11 people were in the house at the time; the four people who lived on the right side were able to escape without injury.

But the family who lived on the left side were cut off from an escape route as the fire spread rapidly from the first floor, then to the staircase and to the second story, according to Roache.

Eight people lived on that side of the home, including six children and their adult sibling who was watching them, the fire chief said.

Read more: Neighbors tried to save 4 children killed in Somers fire on Tuesday night

Two children were brought out of the house quickly, the chief said, but one was pronounced dead at the scene. The other child was rushed to Johnson Memorial Hospital, where they also later died, the chief said.

Two more children were found dead inside the home by firefighters a short time later, Roache said.

The adult sibling and two other children survived; the chief confirmed the older sibling had jumped from the second floor window to escape the flames. One of the survivors had serious burns, while the other two had minor injuries, the chief said.

A litter of puppies also died in the fire, though three of the familys dogs were saved, the chief said.
SPRINGFIELD  A class action lawsuit alleging that an at-home Lyme disease test is faulty was voluntarily dismissed last week in U.S. District Court in Springfield after a settlement.

Moira Kerans, a Dalton woman, and TruthCures, a Kansas-based nonprofit group, filed a lawsuit in June against LetsGetChecked, arguing the companys home Lyme disease tests are deceptive and inaccurate.

On Dec. 28, the plaintiffs filed to voluntarily dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it cant be brought again.

The terms of the settlement agreement are confidential, said Leo Oppenheimer, an attorney for Kerans and TruthCures.

While he could not say exactly what was agreed to, he said the company will never ever again sell Lyme diagnosis tests directly to consumers.

The LetsGetChecked tests are currently listed as out of stock on the online store. The company has headquarters in New York, New York, and Dublin, Ireland.

Anthony Pierce, an attorney for LetsGetChecked, declined to comment on the case on Wednesday. Likewise, a spokesperson for the company did not immediately reply to an email requesting comment. In October, LetsGetChecked spokesperson Emily Ryan said in an email that the company strongly disputed the lawsuits claims.

Lyme disease, spread by infected ticks, affects more than 450,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People using the $119 LetsGetChecked Lyme disease test send a blood sample from a finger prick for testing and get online results days later. The test looks for antibodies that can indicate the presence of Lyme disease, and physicians review the results, its website says. It also instructs people to see a doctor if they experience certain symptoms.

But there are no FDA-approved Lyme disease tests for people that take a sample at home, according to the agency.

Most Lyme cases are treatable with antibiotics, but some people experience long-term symptoms. If not treated, Lyme disease can cause neurological problems.

The plaintiffs argued that the inaccurate test will prevent people from detecting their illness.

Deceptively marketing diagnostic devices directly to regular people has dire consequences: People trust (the) defendants test and miss their chance for early diagnosis and treatment, the complaint says.

The complaint asked for $5 million in damages and a jury trial. In the end, each side paid its own costs and attorneys fees, according to the voluntary dismissal paperwork.

The amount of money in the agreement was minimal, Oppenheimer said, adding that his clients are still pleased.

We never cared about the money, he said.
In a reversal of an earlier decision, the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled last month that an officers stop of two Black men in a Waynesboro neighborhood on suspicion of involvement in a home invasion that had just occurred had not violated one mans rights against unreasonable seizure.

In a majority opinion, Judge Lisa Lorish wrote that the officer possessed a reasonable, articulable suspicion of criminal activity to briefly detain one of the men until other officers arrived within several minutes to provide additional information.

Judges Dominique Callins and Vernida Chaney both dissented, with Chaney writing in a sharply worded opinion that today, while purporting to make no new law, the majority grants police license to seize a Black man at gunpoint for merely walking late at night within the wide general area of a recent crime and matching the race and gender of the suspects.

The case stems from a home invasion and pistol-whipping in Waynesboro that was reported by the victims around 11 p.m on a night in February 2020. After police responded to the residence, officers issued a be on the lookout dispatch for three armed Black men wearing black sweatshirts.

The dispatch was heard by Augusta County Sheriffs Deputy C. Stroop, who went by the house, spoke to officers there and then began to drive around the neighborhood to look for the perpetrators. Within what the court later determined were six to 10 blocks from the crime scene, he saw two Black men, Arun Rashid Turay and Justice Ahmed Carr, walking and stopped them at gunpoint.

Roughly 1 1/2 to two minutes later, other Waynesboro officers arrived. One of the responding officers confirmed Turays clothing matched security video footage but said Carrs did not. When the men were searched, officers found credit cards belonging to one of the victims in Carrs pocket and a victims keys and bloody clothes and shoes in a bookbag on Turay. Both men were arrested and later pleaded guilty to armed burglary and other charges after the court decided that the evidence found as a result of Stroops stop could be considered in the case.

In different cases, Turay and Carr each appealed the Waynesboro judges decision not to suppress that evidence. Turays challenges have sparked a string of different rulings from the Virginia Court of Appeals, which has flip-flopped on whether the stop was constitutional, ruling first against Turay, then in his favor and, most recently, against him once more.

Turay had argued that the evidence from the searches shouldnt be allowed to be used because Stroops stop was an unconstitutional seizure not supported by reasonable suspicion that he was involved in the robbery.

U.S. and Virginia courts have dealt at length with the thorny question of what constitutes reasonable suspicion. In Virginia, the courts have assessed, among other tests, whether an officers reasonable suspicion is based on specific and articulable facts as well as an assessment of the totality of the circumstances.

In the case of a stop related to a specific crime, the appeals court on Tuesday wrote that an officer could consider factors such as a persons distance from where a crime is committed, the amount of time that has elapsed between the crime and the stop, the degree to which a person matches a description of a suspect, the suspects behavior and how many other people matching a description might be present.

In her opinion, Lorish conceded that the vague description of the suspects in the be-on-the-lookout dispatch was too general to give rise to reasonable suspicion to detain any person.

Without more, this vague description could not allow police to reasonably detain any Black male wearing dark clothing as a suspect in the crime, she wrote.

But, she continued, other circumstances were relevant: Turay and Carr were seen within 10 blocks of the crime scene and within roughly 30 minutes of the police report; they were on foot; and they were the only people walking in the neighborhood late on a cold February night.

These factors all increase the relevance of Turay matching what would otherwise be a vague or general description, the court found. Ultimately, it determined, we cannot say Deputy Stroop lacked reasonable suspicion under the totality of the circumstances.

The dissenting judges, however, argued the ruling disregards the well-established protections of the Fourth Amendment and, in effect, authorizes race-based seizures of persons who appear to be engaged in innocent, lawful activity.

Chaney contended that at the time of the seizure, there was no particularized, objective basis for suspecting Turay of criminal activity. Instead of the black sweatshirt described in the be-on-the-lookout announcement, she noted, Turay was wearing a long-sleeved black top with a wide red stripe down each sleeve and a wide blue panel on each side, while Carr was wearing a long-sleeved white top. Neither appeared to be armed. Only two men were walking, rather than the three described in the dispatch. And, the judge maintained, the deputy only testified that not a lot of people were around rather than saying definitively he had seen no one else.

The totality of the facts and circumstances known at the time of the seizure does not give rise to reasonable, articulable suspicion that Turay participated in the robbery even if no other people were observed out on the street when the deputy first observed Turay, she wrote.

Similarly, Callins said the majority ruling would be akin to holding that, when a Black man commits a crime and flees, any Black man in the vicinity is inherently a suspect.

Racially motivated stops are a pervasive problem in our society, and we must examine whether a stop could be justified by any information available to the officer before determining that the stop was illegal, she wrote. But I cannot say, given the totality of the circumstances, that this stop justified as particularized.

This story first appeared in the Virginia Mercury.
Ballot questions scrapping the MCAS exam as a high school graduation requirement; legalizing psychedelic mushrooms; boosting the minimum wage for tipped workers, and letting Massachusetts elected auditor audit her former colleagues in the Legislature, moved one step closer to the voters on Wednesday.

Secretary of State William L. Galvin sent the first batch of 10 ballot questions to lawmakers, an important procedural hurdle that has to be cleared before voters can weigh in on the issues as soon as this Novembers general election.

Galvins office sent seven ballot questions to lawmakers, including the MCAS language, the wage hike for tipped workers, the psychedelics proposal, and the politically charged audit sought by state Auditor Diana Dizoglio to lawmakers, ruling that each had received the minimum of 74,574 signatures needed to advance to the Legislature.

Language that would allow app-based drivers to unionize and engage in collective bargaining also cleared the minimum signature threshold, Galvins office said in a statement, adding that he expects to send lawmakers three more related ballot questions on the issue to lawmakers later this month.

In a brief interview on Wednesday, state House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, told MassLive that he hadnt reviewed the questions that Galvin had sent to lawmakers, but he did express reservations about changes to the MCAS exam and the tipped wage.

Auditor Diana DiZoglio tells reporters Wednesday she wants to pursue litigation against the House and Senate, where top Democrats have stonewalled her attempts to audit them. (CHRIS LISINSKI / STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE)

Few ballot questions came as politically freighted as DiZoglios push to force the Legislature to open its books. She nabbed 94,404 signatures for her petition push, putting it well above the minimum threshold to advance.

DiZoglio announced in March that she planned to audit the Legislature. Almost immediately, the onetime state senator found herself butting heads with her ex-colleagues, MassLive previously reported.

In November, state Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell dealt DiZoglios effort a damaging blow, ruling that her fellow Democrat didnt have the legal authority to force lawmakers to throw open their books. And nor could DiZoglio try to take the Legislature to make them comply, Campbell found.

(MassLive file)Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the states largest teachers union, threw its considerable political clout behind the MCAS reform language. The union has been a fierce opponent of the states standardized test requirement, citing its racial and economic inequities.

Read More: 3 things to know about the ballot questions

The union has gone as far as backing educators who choose not to administer the exam and has also taught parents how to exempt their children from the MCAS, MassLive previously reported.

Mariano, a former teacher, told MassLive Wednesday that hed never been a big MCAS reformer, adding that lawmakers pumped an awful lot of money into the educational system ... with the understanding that there had to be some degree of accountability.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)AP

And with wage hike victories under their belts across the nation, and minimum wage increases taking effect in two dozen states, advocates for service workers in Massachusetts and elsewhere are turning their focus to one of the pivotal economic fights of 2024: Raises for hundreds of thousands of tipped workers.

Advocates collected 84,804 toward the effort, Galvins office said Wednesday.

Supporters of the increase have has cast the fight as one of both economic fairness and racial justice, pointing out that nearly 30% of Massachusetts restaurant workers are people of color and the majority are women largely employed in casual restaurants where wages and tips are limited.

And despite omnipresent tip jars  both physical and virtual  restaurant workers across the Bay State have reported that their tips have declined by 50% to 70%, according to Cambridge-based One Fair Wage, which has been among its most vocal proponents.

Asked about the tipped wage increase, Mariano called it a real sticky issue. And its its a difficult issue for both sides.

Under state law, the Legislature has until April 30 to pass the proposed ballot measures, which would clear the path to their being put before the voters. If lawmakers fail to pass any of them, petitioners can gather an additional 12,429 voter signatures to put the question on the November ballot on their own.

Ballot questions for the November ballot will be finalized in July of this year, after the July 3, 2024 deadline for submit additional petitions to Galvins office.
Parts of Central and Western Massachusetts currently have a strong chance of receiving more than three inches of snow this weekend, according to forecasters. But meteorologists also caution against the certainty of such forecasts this far out.

Current snow predictions

National Weather Service Forecaster Bryce Williams said Wednesday morning that, if the weather system keeps on its current path, the higher elevations in Central and Western Massachusetts have a 60% to 70% chance of getting more than three inches of snow this weekend. Additionally, those areas currently have a 40% to 50% chance of receiving more than 6 inches.

Other areas of the state have a small chance of getting a significant amount of snow, Williams said. The Boston area currently has a 20% to 40% chance of receiving more than three inches, and the South Coast has around a 20% chance.

Right now, meteorologists predict that the system will hit Massachusetts from the southwest, coming into Western Massachusetts first overnight Saturday and traveling across the region overnight and through Sunday. But Williams said that timeline is not at all certain.

Were far enough out that it could shift and come in earlier Saturday, as early as Saturday morning, or it could slow down and come in as late as Sunday afternoon, he said.

The uncertainty of predicting snow several days out

Current weather predictions are all dependent on weather patterns keeping their current course, Williams said. Its very possible that temperatures could stay high enough over the weekend to turn snow to rain, especially along the South Shore and Cape Cod.

But even the prediction that this weather system will come to our area is not a certainty. Three days out from a storm, a system could move as far as 150 miles off its current course, Williams said. When predictions are made even further out from when the storm is expected to hit, the systems change of course can be even more dramatic.

Williams shared an example of this on social media Wednesday morning to illustrate how far from current predictions a storm system could end up between now and Saturday when the weather system is expected to hit Massachusetts.

In the image, you can see that a storm system that begins off the coast of Long Island could move north into the interior of Massachusetts in three days, or as far south Delaware. With more time, that same storm system could reach as far north as the top of Vermont and New Hampshire, or as far south as North Carolina.

[Weekend Forecast] #Snow is in the forecast for late Sat into Sun. Although, still 3+ days away, lots of uncertainty. For example, the average model error at day 3 is over 150 miles on storm track. This impacts forecasting the rain/snow line. Stay tuned to later forecasts. #MAwx pic.twitter.com/fA4x2hr9oY  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) January 3, 2024

Weather the rest of the week

Most of Massachusetts is not expected to see precipitation until Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The Berkshires have a 20% chance of snow on Thursday before 1 p.m.

Highs this week are expected to be in the low 40s in most of the state on Wednesday and Thursday before shifting into the mid 30s on Friday and Saturday, according to the weather service. Lows overnight should be in the 20s most nights, except for Thursday night when they are expected to dip into the teens.

Bay Staters should see some clouds on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by a clear day on Friday, according to the weather service. The skies are expected to be mostly cloudy on Saturday.
Harrowing details of what happened during the fire that ripped through a home full of children in Somers, Conn. on Tuesday night, killing four trapped upstairs, were shared in a press conference at the Somers Fire Station on Wednesday afternoon.

It was around 10:20 p.m. when state police were called to the scene of a raging fire at a two family home on 44 Quality Ave. in Somers, which is located about 20 minutes from the Massachusetts and Connecticut border.
A Quincy man was arrested after police say he tried to light a raccoon on fire, according to a report.

Police arrived at the backyard of a home on Royal Street in Quincy on Dec. 30, according to NBC Boston. Police told the outlet that, upon arrival, they saw two people arguing and a raccoon in a cage that appeared to have burn injuries.

Police got video of a 63-year-old Quincy man making a fire in a tin can, then placing the cage with the raccoon inside on top of the burning trash can, according to NBC Boston.

The man was charged with animal cruelty and was arraigned on Tuesday, while the raccoon was taken to an animal hospital, where it survived, but the severity of the injuries was unknown, NBC Boston said.
Nearly half of the TGI Fridays locations in Massachusetts closed permanently on Tuesday with no warning.

MassLive confirmed the closure of the Mansfield, North Attleboro, Seekonk, Dedham, Danvers and Marlborough locations with the restaurant chain Wednesday afternoon.

TGI Fridays offered no explanation for the abrupt closures until Wednesday afternoon when it issued a press release explaining that it closed 36 underperforming locations across the U.S., including the six in Massachusetts. Other affected locations include those in Fresno, California, and in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to local news stations.

Paper messages posted on the doors of the Mansfield and North Attleboro TGI Fridays locations had the same message:

We regret to inform you that as of January 2, 2024, this Fridays location has closed. We are extremely grateful to our loyal Guests and to the staff. We invite you to visit our other Fridays locations in Stoughton and Braintree. We look forward to serving you there.

As part of the closures, TGI Fridays is offering more than 1,000 transfer opportunities, which represents over 80% of total impacted employees, the restaurant chain said in the press release. It is unclear what percentage of Massachusetts employees have been offered transfer opportunities, or what, if anything, the company is doing for workers who cannot transfer.

Our top priority has always been delivering a superior experience for each and every TGI Fridays guest, TGI Fridays U.S. President and Chief Operating Officer Ray Risely said in the release.  ... By strengthening our franchise model and closing underperforming stores, we are creating an unprecedented opportunity for Fridays to drive forward its vision for the future.

TGI Fridays is still operating its Massachusetts locations in Methuen, Millbury, North Dartmouth, Stoughton, Braintree, Boston and Everett.
SPRINGFIELD  A man with ties to the Hells Angels pleaded guilty in Springfield federal court today to gun and meth charges stemming from a car stop in December 2021.

Jeffrey Baird, 43, from Springfield, Vermont, admitted to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and one count of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Baird was taken into custody in December 2021 after he was stopped by law enforcement for having a fake paper license plate taped to his back window.

After officers searched his vehicle, they found a revolver and five rounds of ammunition, along with 207 grams of methamphetamine  worth $6,000 to $10,000 on the street  in a Ziploc bag. Bairds Hells Angels vest contained an additional three rounds of ammunition.

Baird has prior convictions for firearm offenses that bar him from possessing firearms and ammunition.

His sentencing is scheduled for April 4.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition comes with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine includes a sentence up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.
The Red Sox have other free agent signings theyd like to make, but the team has conveyed the idea that they need to further cut payroll before adding another contract.

Toward that end, Kenley Jansen is the most likely veteran to be moved. Jansen is owed $16 million for 2024 and dealing his contract would provide them with some financial flexibility.

Jansen was an All-Star last year and performed well, earning an All-Star selection to go with 29 saves.

Which clubs might have a need for the closer? The ones that make the most sense are contenders with the ability to spend. Yes, there are clubs without established closers, but unless they have designs on competing for the postseason, Jansen doesnt really make sense.

Some teams may want to wait for the free agent picture to clarify. Josh Hader, among others, remains on the market. But here are a half dozen teams that could represent good trade partners with the Red Sox.

1) Los Angeles Dodgers. What do you get for the team that has everything? How about a reunion with the guy who notched 350 saves with them over a dozen years in Dodger Blue?

Jansen retains some hard feelings about how the Dodgers treated him in free agency after 2021, when he left to sign a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves. But Jansen has no power to veto a trade, and despite some lingering ill will, would probably welcome a trade that allows him to pitch in LA, where he still lives in the offseason.

The Dodgers had Evan Phillips close out games for him last year, but could use Jansen in either his former role, or to set up Phillips.

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2) Chicago Cubs. The Cubs made a big splash with the hiring of Craig Counsell. Other than that, however, theyve been strangely quiet, without a single major league transaction recorded.

The Cubs turned to Adbert Azlzolay last year, who saved 22 games for them. But they can use another trustworthy arm at the back end of their bullpen.

3) Texas Rangers. The defending world champs have a ton of uncertainty surrounding their pitching staff. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer wont be healthy at the start of the year and in the bullpen, free agent Will Smith has already signed elsewhere (Kansas City) and Aroldis Chapman is likely to leave, too.

The Rangers arent behaving like a one-and-done team; they want to win again. Dealing for an experienced closer like Jansen would make some sense, especially with the short-term commitment,

4) Philadelphia Phillies. Craig Kimbrell left as a free agent and signed with Baltimore and the Phillies still see themselves as World Series contenders.

The Phils have some other hard-throwers in the back end (Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto), but none has Jansens credentials or postseason experience.

Dave Dombrowski may not be thrilled about making a deal with the Red Sox, but if he sees Jansen as a good fit, hed be willing to make a deal.

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5) Los Angeles Angels. Few would identify the Angels are legitimate contenders in the AL West, and there are bigger, more obvious needs such as starting pitching and a run-producing bat to replace Shohei Ohtani.

Still, you never know with Arte Moreno. And who knows? The Angels owner loves to mess with the Dodgers and perhaps he sees a trade for a former Dodger icon as an opportunity to do so.

6) New York Mets. In theory, the Mets should be set at the back end of their bullpen with Edwin Diaz expected back following knee surgery after last springs WBC. But Diazs injury is a reminder of how important bullpen depth can be and it wouldnt be the worst thing to have an alternative on hand should Diaz run into complications.

And if theres a team that isnt concerned with payroll issues or the luxury tax, its the Mets.
The Future Minerals Forum (FMF) has made waves with the announcement that its upcoming Ministerial Roundtable, scheduled for January 9, 2024, is set to shatter attendance records, drawing participation from 80 countries. A remarkable 45 of these nations will dispatch ministers to engage in discussions with stakeholders, accompanied by 20 international organizations, 30 non-governmental organizations, and 13 business associations.

As the paramount global assembly on minerals, the Ministerial Roundtable marks a historic juncture for the mining and metals sector worldwide. It underscores the pivotal role of the Super Region, spanning from Africa to West and Central Asia, and highlights the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias leadership in this domain.

Initiated by Saudi Arabia, the Ministerial Roundtable is a government-driven, multi-stakeholder endeavor aimed at fostering international collaboration on the production of critical minerals vital for the energy sectors transformation. This significant meeting comes at a time when the mineral sector grapples with unprecedented challenges spurred by the escalating demand for energy transition minerals and metals, prompting countries globally to fortify their supply chains.

In addition to addressing the anticipated global challenges, the Ministerial Roundtable emphasizes the need for collaboration to navigate the complex landscape of the minerals industry. H.E. Vice-Minister for Mining Affairs, Khalid Al-Mudaifer, lauded the substantial attendance of ministers, attributing it to the Kingdoms political and economic influence. Al-Mudaifer expressed,  High-level government representation, from both mineral-producing and consuming nations, underscores global awareness of the critical role minerals play. It reflects the urgency with which countries seek to secure reliable supply chains, particularly for strategic minerals essential to energy transformation initiatives and related industries. 

The Roundtables agenda encompasses discussions on the intense international competition within the metals market. Participants will deliberate on strategies to create a collaborative space for nations amid this competition, aiming to foster agreements that benefit all involved parties.

As the countdown to the Ministerial Roundtable begins, the global stage is set for a diplomatic and strategic exchange that could reshape the dynamics of the minerals industry and consolidate the Future Minerals Forums position as a premier global platform shaping the future of minerals.
Mayo University Hospital is seeing serious overcrowding issues, today, Wednesday, January 3. 36 patients are on trolleys according to figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

22 of those patients are in the Emergency Department, and 14 others are on trolleys in wards. 532 patients are on trolleys nationally. Sligo University Hospital and University Hospital Galway have also seen a spike in figures, with 33 and 35 patients on trolleys respectively.

The rise in trolleys numbers was expected by the HSE, who warned that an increase in Covid and flu cases was likely early in the new year.

Dr Colm Henry, HSE Chief Clinical Officer said on Thursday, December 28: Rates of Covid and flu are rising now and over next few weeks, which will put significant pressure on hospitals and Residential Care Facilities in the short term. Our Emergency Departments are expected to encounter significant pressures as a result and we know from experience that a delayed peak in flu season such as we are seeing now, will inevitably lead to further pressures throughout the healthcare system with heightened risk of outbreaks in all facilities and delays discharging patients to nursing homes or step down facilities if they have flu or Covid.

This increase in viruses circulating obliges anyone with respiratory symptoms to avoid visiting hospitals and nursing homes if we have respiratory symptoms. Every healthcare setting is assessing the risks locally and monitoring their own local risks, and this may lead them to take additional measures in certain settings, such as the wearing of masks if deemed necessary. Such measures will help protect those who may be more vulnerable to the effects of these infections and avoid impact on services at a very busy time of year. There is no room for complacency and I urge people to follow public health advice - stay at home if you have symptoms and get vaccinated - before we reach the peak of flu season in the very near future.
A residents association has been formed to advocate for residents of a pyrite-stricken housing estate in Westport.

Padraic Marrey, chairperson of the newly formed Pairc na Coille Residents Association, has called on Mayo County Council to take responsibility for the rebuilding of more than 30 houses in the estate and the rehousing of affected homeowners.

At least 32 of 54 houses in the estate have been confirmed to contain pyrite, a contaminant that causes many buildings to weaken and ultimately collapse.

The entire estate was built as an affordable housing scheme through a partnership between Mayo County Council and Respond.

The local authority has denied accusations that it approved the sale of four houses in the estate between 2018 and 2021 while suspecting there was pyrite in the estates homes.

The Pairc na Coille Residents Association committee is currently taking legal advice regarding Mayo County Councils stake in the estate.

At least one homeowner contacted Mayo County Council in 2017 regarding the possible presence of pyrite in their home.

Repair works costing 93,000 were also carried out on the nearby Sharkey Community Centre in the same year. The building subsequently tested positive for pyrite.

Our role is to get that across, that there are anomalies, with the whole estate and with the council not taking ownership of the estate. Theres a lot of different issues, Mr Marrey told The Mayo News.

Really its the council that should be coming in here, closing down the whole estate, rehousing everybody, rebuild the whole estate and we all go back to living our lives, because no one bought into this when they were taking out the mortgages, said Mr Marrey, whose house will require total demolition.



Challenges to rebuilding

In addition to an ongoing dispute over the ownership of the estate, Mr Marrey said homeowners in Pairc na Coille are dealing with various issues regarding the rebuilding of their homes.

He explained that the hillside topography of the estate, coupled with many of the affected houses being semi-detached, means that their reconstruction is not quite as straightforward as rebuilding a detached house.

Thats a non-goer for any builder to come in to even price it, look at it, do anything with it. The foundations are connected, the roofs are connected, the site is on an unlevel playing field as if it's on the side of a hill. So its not going to be an easy solution for anybody.

Pairc na Coille residents who have not converted their attic into additional floorspace are also facing considerable shortfalls in the pyrite redress scheme.

Under the Defective Concrete Block Scheme, homeowners with pyrite are entitled to up to 420,000 in compensation to rebuild their homes.

Compensation rates are calculated at 2,045 per square metre for the first 180 square meters of floor space. For each meter above 180 square meters, a rate of 1,250 applies.

Anyone that didnt [convert their attic], it means their square metres of liveable space is obviously quite a bit smaller, explained Mr Marrey, who estimated the nearly 70 percent of properties in Pairc na Coille are semi-detached or terraced houses.

If you work that out by the price that theyve given you on the ground which is 2,045 per square meter of liveable space and you have 94 square meters, thats less than 200,000. You will not rebuild a house anywhere in the west of Ireland for less than 200,000.



Circus

Minister of State, Dara Calleary TD, previously told this newspaper that the Government would continue to review the provisions of the enhanced pyrite and mica redress scheme, which came into effect in 2022.

Representatives from Pairc na Coille Residents Association, county council officials and local county councillors will meet to discuss the issue on January 9. All four Mayo TDs have also been invited to attend.

Mr Marrey described a previous special meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District on the matter as a bit like a circus which gave no answers.

He described the pyrite issue as an injustice to the local people, based on inadequacies in the Government at the time.



MORE

See News Analysis in this week's print edition of The Mayo News on pages 12 and 13.
Charlottesville has a new mayor.

City councilor Juandiego Wade was elected to the largely ceremonial post Tuesday night in a 5-0 unanimous vote by Charlottesvilles all-Democrat City Council. The vote kicked off the first council meeting of the new year.

Wade, who served four terms on Charlottesvilles school board, was first elected to City Council in 2021. For the past two years, he has served as the citys vice mayor under Mayor Lloyd Snook.

Snook, a Charlottesville attorney who was elected to City Council in 2019, was named mayor after a much more divided 3-2 vote in 2022 over fellow councilor Michael Payne.

Wades vice mayor is to be councilor Brian Pinkston, who was the first to nominate Wade on Tuesday night, a motion that was seconded by Snook.

There was clear support for Wade, as no other councilor was nominated.

Before the vote, Pinkston spoke highly of Wades character and dedication to the city.

Ive had the privilege of working with Juandiego Wade for a number of years now. Obviously, prior to him joining council hes served this community in so many different ways. I think that hes taken the last two years to sort of learn the ropes of whats involved and sort of keeping an eye on Mr. Snook and what he can learn from him. I think that hes brought his trademark kindness, compassion but also willingness to really roll up his sleeves and get good work done over the course of the last two years, Pinkston said.

Pinkston cited not only Wades two years on council but his decades of experience working within the community. Wade has worked for Charlottesvilles neighboring locality, Albemarle County, since 1991, first as a transportation planner and later as a career coordinator for the Albemarle County Career Center. He serves or has served on the boards of ReadyKids, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, Cultivate Charlottesville and ChildHealth Partnership, among others. He also has volunteered and served on the board of directors for United Way of Greater Charlottesville since 1992.

On Tuesday night, Wade thanked Pinkston for his nomination and Snook for his two years of leadership.

Wade went on to call himself a humble public servant.

Im going to use my position to continue to move this city forward. Im looking forward to whatever we have to encounter. I know that we have a lot of important things we want to accomplish over the next few years. I want to lean on my councilors, and staff, to assist me. Just like I tell people, Im a practicing Christian, because I have so much to learn and Im still learning; Im going to be a practicing councilor, because I have a lot to learn and will willingly admit when Im wrong and move forward and learn from it.

The mayor in Charlottesville is a largely symbolic executive, considered a first among equals on council.

In the citys council-manager system of government, it is the city manager who has the real power, implementing the policies that are voted on by City Council. While the mayor presides over council meetings, they are but one of five votes on council. The mayor must use influence more than official power in order to drive the citys policy agenda.

Outgoing Mayor Snook said the city had made great strides over the past two years of his leadership: approving the citys new far-reaching zoning ordinance which is aimed at densifying Charlottesvilles neighborhoods; moving the city closer to its goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050; investing in affordable and public housing from Kindlewood to South First Street to Crescent Hall; and stabilizing turnover at City Hall, hiring a new city attorney, fire chief, police chief and city manager.

Though she was never mentioned by name, Snook characterized his term in sharp relief to the tenure of his predecessor, former councilor Nikuyah Walker, under whom many of those key government positions were vacated and council struggled to find a permanent city manager to execute its policies.

We are rebuilding our capacity to govern, which a couple of years ago was, I think, seriously in question, Snook said at Tuesday nights council meeting. We had some discussions where we said, Whos going to be around to turn off the lights when we leave the room?

Pinkston, who serves as associate director for renewal and renovation within the University of Virginias facilities management department, was nominated by Wade Tuesday night before he too was elected by a unanimous vote.

The last two years have been really eventful and momentous in terms of what weve done, said Pinkston after the vote was tallied. Turning to Snook, Payne told him, A lot of that is due to your leadership, sir, thank you for that.

When Tuesday nights meeting kicked off, City Manager Sam Sanders sat in the center seat in council chambers presiding over the session. After votes were tallied and council returned from closed session, it was Wade who assumed the center seat at 6:30 p.m., the new mayor.

Tuesday marked another change on council: It was Natalie Oschrins first vote after being elected to the body in November.

Oschrin, a wedding sales manager at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards outside the city, replaces interim councilor Leah Puryear, who was appointed after the sudden resignation of councilor Sena Magill. Magill stepped down in January of last year citing the needs of my family.
A Charlottesville-based nonprofit agency that advocates for children in the foster care system is expanding its services into Madison County.

Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates, more commonly known a Piedmon CASA, said it hopes to be up and running by this spring  but it will need the support and assistance of local volunteers to make that possible.

Piedmont CASA has a long history in Central Virginia recruiting, training and supervising volunteers to advocate for children who live in foster care. Since 1995, Piedmont CASA has trained nearly 800 people who have advocated for more than 2,400 children. During fiscal year 2023 alone, the group advocated on behalf of 191 children. Most of those children it has assisted came from households surviving at or below the federal poverty line.

For 28 years, the organization has been at work in the city of Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Greene, Louisa and Fluvanna counties. Now, the group will be expanding northward into Madison County.

According to a 2022 report by the Department of Social Services, there are an average of 20 children in foster care in Madison County each month. The average time in care for a child in Madison County is 29 months, above the commonwealth average. For children who are adopted out, which amounts to 60% of children leaving foster care in 2022, the time in care was longer, nearly 42 months. The work of a Piedmont CASA volunteer can help to reduce that time, according to the organization.

Judge Edward Berry captured the mission best when he said that Piedmont CASA volunteers are the eyes, ears and heart of the court for these children, Piedmont CASA President Kate Duvall said.

A community meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 at Antioch Baptist Church to discuss Piedmont CASAs expansion into Madison. Topics will include plans for a local advisory board as well as opportunities for Madison County volunteers.

Our plan is to start taking cases in Madison County in the spring of 2024, but we need local volunteers to be able to do that, Duvall said. Were so grateful for the support our expansion has already received and I look forward to meeting even more folks in Madison on Jan. 11, perhaps even some future Piedmont CASA volunteers.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 3, 2024

Montana officials on Tuesday appealed an order blocking enforcement of a law banning the app TikTok.

The law, which was passed last year, would have prohibited app stores from offering TikTok to users in Montana, and largely prohibited people from accessing the app in the state (with some exceptions, including for law enforcement).

The law was slated to take effect January 1, but was blocked last year by U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula on the grounds that it likely violates the First Amendment and represents an unconstitutional attempt to regulate interstate commerce.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen on Tuesday initiated an appeal of that ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. His office hasn't yet made substantive arguments to that court.

Montana lawmakers who passed the bill expressed concerns that ByteDance shares data about U.S. users with the Chinese government. State lawmakers also accused TikTok of failing to remove dangerous content that allegedly encourages young users to engage in risky activity, such as throwing objects at moving automobiles, inducing unconsciousness through oxygen deprivation, and cooking chicken in NyQuil.

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While the law wouldn't have penalized users, it called for for sanctions starting at $10,000 per violation against TikTok and mobile app marketplaces.

Molly's injunction came in response to two lawsuits challenging the ban -- one by a coalition of TikTok users, and a second by TikTok, owned by the Chinese-company ByteDance.

TikTok had argued that the law, if allowed to take effect, would shut down a platform that hundreds of thousands of individuals in Montana use to engage in constitutionally protected speech.

The company also said there was no evidence the app had been used for espionage on behalf of a foreign government.

Molloy said in a written ruling that the law wasn't narrowly tailored to either preventing China from accessing data about U.S. residents, or protecting minors from accessing dangerous material.

It is well-established that other social media companies, such as Meta, collect similar data as TikTok, and sell that data to undisclosed third parties, which harms consumers, he wrote.

He also said the bill wouldn't reasonably prevent minors from accessing dangerous content.

Other states have banned the app from government-owned devices or networks, but Montana alone attempted to prohibit use of the app on personal smartphones.
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Harold "Hal" Brauner was getting a college degree in political science while working at a sawmill in Eugene when a personnel director advised him to go into public service.

Brauner had told the director the reason he was getting a degree was to run for Legislature or something and make a difference.

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As he told an interviewer for the People and the Land: An Oral History of Oregons Statewide Land Use Planning Program in 2015, the director told him he had better chances of influence in public service rather than soliciting funds to run for elections and becoming duty-bound to his funders.

That kicked off Brauners long career in public service on both state and city levels, beginning in 1963 when he was only 24.

On Sunday, Dec. 17, Brauner, aged 84, passed away at his Corvallis home.

Brauner's public service in Corvallis spans nine tenures as Ward 9 councilor. He chaired the sustainable budget task force that extensively deliberated revenue-generating initiatives for Corvallis, including the 911 emergency dispatch service taxing district which voters approved in November 2019.

I will miss him! said Jacque Schreck, a former Corvallis councilor and secretary of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library Foundation board.

Schreck's and Brauners paths first crossed in the early 1980s when he was the business manager for the Corvallis School District, she said.

Both served on the city budget commission for about two decades and were members of the Library Advisory Board as well as colleagues on the library foundation until he resigned this past November due to health reasons.

Hal was even-tempered, prepared, dedicated, invaluable. It was my privilege to serve with him, Schreck said.

Hal was a good person to work with, an easy person to work with, said Curtis Wright, vice president of the library foundation board.

Wright and Brauner worked on the budget commission from 2010 to 2018 and on the sustainable budget task force.

If memory serves me right, I think Hal said that over his nine terms on the City Council, he thought that was one of the most significant things he accomplished  and I agree with him, Wright said.

Brauner did. In a 2018 interview with the Gazette-Times, Brauner counted the work he did chairing the budget taskforce, as well as the city's rental housing livability code, as two of the projects of which he was most proud.

Brauner devoted 18 years of his life to the city of Corvallis as a councilor. He retired in 2018.

On the council, he was well-versed in budget matters, transportation and tax laws. He brought a wealth of knowledge from his time in state government and the school district to the council and was well versed in parliamentary proceedings.

Brauner was inclined to consider issues from an overall, greater-good perspective.

When there were differences, he seemed to be able to find a solution, not quite through compromise, but by seeking what was the better path to solving issues at hand, Wright said.

Hal seemed to be good at crafting better paths to solve a problem, he said.

Brauner was also very attentive. He listened intently to community members who made it to the hundreds of council meetings he sat on while not alienating the voices of the thousands of community members who did not attend but whose voices most certainly counted in city government, according to Wright.

I never got the impression that he was a city councilor who had a particular agenda in mind, Wright said.

If he ever did, it was always finding solutions that served the greater good and had long lasting impact, friends and colleagues said.

He underlined the importance of listening, problem-solving, and remaining respectful, Schreck said, adding that his regard for people was a trait of his that she emulated.

For Wright, one of the enduring lessons from more than two decades of working with Brauner was to make decisions with sights set on long-term success.

Brauner helped shape Corvallis into a special place that values its citizens needs and desires, Schreck said, adding: Our community and I were so fortunate!

Brauner was predeceased by both of his parents, brothers Ken, Ray and Don, and daughter-in-law Ramona. He is survived by his brother Ed, ex-wife Helene, and his five children: Mike, Debi (and husband Sean) Davis, Steve (and wife Wendi), Kevin, and Sarah, also grandchildren Luke and Allie Davis, and his wife Lida.

A memorial service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Corvallis on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m.

[This article was updated with details of Brauner's surviving family members and memorial service arrangement]

Related stories:

Remembering late Corvallis mayor, Charlie Vars His memorial is scheduled for Sunday at the place he's credited with expanding.

Corvallis Democratic statesman Clifford Trow dies at 94 He was one of the longest-serving state senators. In 2002, Corvallis declared a "Cliff Trow Day.
Highlights: Age-related decline in the sense of smell can be related to a decline in the cognitive function of the brain

Sleeping with soothing aromatherapies can enhance the brain's cognitive performance in elderly people

This therapy could be an effective non-invasive intervention to enhance memory and even prevent dementia in older adults

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Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults



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Overnight aromatherapy is a great way to exercise the mind at night. #aromatherapy #brainhealth #seniorpopulation #medindia

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The Nasal Link to Brain Health

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Results of the Innovative Trial

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Benefits of Aromatherapy on Geriatric Brain Health

Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults - (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448/full)

Among our cherished senses, the sense of smell is frequently overlooked; however, the appropriate aromas might be exactly what your brain requires to remain active as you age.Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have explored the neural mechanisms that connect scents to emotional and episodic memories, and they have found compelling evidence of a key relationship between scent and memory ().As people grow older, a typical decrease in odor sensitivity often occurs, potentially linked to conditions like dementia , cognitive weakening, and depression . It's crucial to keep the brain engaged as we age to maintain strong cognitive health.The physiological decline in our ability to smell typically happens before cognitive decline sets in. This indicates a correlation between the loss of smell and a reduction in brain cells, suggesting a significant link between olfaction and neurological function. The brain's processing of scent data in the"All the other senses are routed first through the thalamus. Everyone has experienced how powerful aromas are in evoking recollections, even from very long ago. However, unlike with vision changes that we treat with glasses and hearing aids for hearing impairment, there has been no intervention for the loss of smell," said neurobiologist Michael Yassa, the lead author of the study.Study participants included 43 adults aged 60 to 85 with no prior cognitive impairment or dementia diagnosis. Among them, 20 participants received full-strength fragrance cartridges, while 23 had cartridges with trace amounts of odorant as a control group and the study was conducted for two hours every night over six months.Seven distinct essential oil cartridgesrose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary , and lavenderwere presented to the study participants through aroma diffusers.The participants were then asked to compare their language learning, planning, memory, and attention-switching abilities before and after the six-month study using a battery of neuropsychological tests.Remarkably, there wasAn MRI scan demonstratedThe results of the study demonstrate that smell can be used as a non-invasive intervention to improve memory and possibly prevent dementia in older adults. Frequent exposure to a variety of scents can improve overall brain function in older persons as well as bring back specific memories.An anticipated fall 2024 product based on the trial is intended for usage at home, exhibiting the practical application of this research.In conclusion, the study indicates an evident connection between smell and memory, providing a possible path for enhancing cognitive performance in older adults through a simple and accessible intervention.Source-Medindia
Veteran actor and filmmaker Tinnu Anand who was recently seen in Salaar shares a close association with Amitabh Bachchan as he directed him in 4 cult hits - Kaalia (1981), Shahenshah (1988), Main Azad Hoon (1989) and Major Saab (1998). In a recent interview with News 18, Tinnu Anand opened up about the time when he first directed Bachchan in Kaalia and recalled how the megastar was once scolded by his father Inder Raj Anand, a noted screenwriter Aag (1948), CID (1956), Anari (1959) and Sangam (1964) among others.

 Bobby Enterprises When asked if he had any disagreement with Amitabh while working with him on Kaalia, Tinnu stated, The disagreements were mainly about dialogue. My father was the strength of Urdu; no one could argue with him. He was nowhere around the set, but there was a party scene, in which Pran saab says, Youve made a grand success of your life, but the road youve taken is made of gold, and that will lead you straight to my prison, or to the gallows. Kaalia, that is your future. And Kaalia says, Kya naza ki takleefon mein maza, jab maut na aaye jawaani mein. Kya lutf janaaza uthne ka, hargaam pe jab maatam na hoga. I told my father when he wrote the line, I said, Dad, what does this mean?'

Inder Raj Anand told Tinnu, Tell him, I wrote this with Sanjay Gandhi in mind'. He died very young, and at every street corner, there were people mourning his death. But as Tinnu anticipated, Amitabh found it difficult to mouth the line with ease. He continued, Second or third time during his rehearsal, I heard a voice, Theek se kahiye janaab, theek se. We all looked behind, it was my father. Amit looked at me and said, B**tard, you called your dad here or what?'

 X/Moses Sapir The legendary screenwriter then took over the directorial reins from Tinnu and scolded Amitabh saying, Beta, yeh Urdu hai, isme wazan hota hai Laanat hai tumpe. Harivansh Rai Bachchan ke bete ho tum. Unke chhaon mein pale ho, aur tum keh rahe ho ke zubaan nahi hai yeh tumhari? Laanat hai tumpe (Son, this is Urdu, it must be said with force You are Harivansh Rai Bachchans son, shame on you).

Tinnu continued, There were 200 people, pin-drop silence. Amit said, Uncle, give me 10 minutes, and walked off. The filmmaker assumed that Amitabh got offended and walked off the set, I went to my father and said, What have you done? My hero has walked out of the film. He said, No, if hes Harivansh Rai Bachchans son, he wont run away.
A water main break in a dormitory at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota has pushed dozens of airmen off base and into hotels -- leaving some to pay the cost up-front.

On Tuesday, a "water main failure flooded the first floor of Eielson Hall" causing damage to airmen's personal belongings and stopping all water usage. Another dormitory, Kollinger Hall, also had water shut off due to the incident.

"Effective immediately, all residents of Eielson and Kollinger Halls are authorized and encouraged to vacate their dormitories and secure commercial lodging off base," the base said in a Tuesday Facebook post. "Airmen should make reservations for two nights as repairs are expected to be completed in 48 hours."

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But those displaced airmen will have to pay for those hotels up-front with their own money or use a Government Travel Card, and follow-up to their chain of command with documentation and paperwork, to secure an off-base room at nearby hotels.

"Airmen will pay for lodging using personal funds or their Government Travel Card. Airmen will be reimbursed after completing a SF 1164, [a] claim for reimbursement for expenses on official business, following their checkout date," the base said in the Facebook post.

Master Sgt. BreeAnn Sachs, a Grand Forks Air Force Base spokesperson, told Military.com approximately 100 airmen were impacted and offered off-base lodging due to the incident.

Sachs added that repairs are scheduled to be finished on Wednesday, and airmen will return to their rooms "following successful repairs and water tests." No additional information on the extent of the damaged property due to the flooding was provided.

"At this time, there is not an estimated cost of damage to personal property," Sachs said. "Detailed instructions for filing personal property claims will be communicated to all affected airmen this week through their respective chains of command."

The woes at Grand Forks Air Force Base's dormitories are just the latest examples of issues with military barracks that were put under scrutiny by a government watchdog late last year.

A 100-page Government Accountability Office report issued in September, based on visits to 12 military installations in an effort to examine the living conditions of troops in base housing, detailed horrid examples such as sewage issues that made entire buildings smell like methane, tap water with a brown tint, and insect infestations.

Pests such as bedbugs and cockroaches were a common issue at six of the bases that the GAO visited. Several bases had severe issues with security in the buildings, to the point that service members said that they were unable to lock their doors at night and squatters had moved in.

The plumbing problems and water considered unsafe to drink sparked a rebuke from Congress. Lawmakers quickly voiced frustration with the services over the conditions, Military.com reported.

The issues with barracks, cafeterias and dorms have been known for decades to those in uniform. Military.com has also been diligently reporting on the issues.

While lawmakers have said they're planning to focus this year on military quality-of-life issues, including persistent problems with barracks, it could be caught in the crossfire of a political fight over the federal budget.

Related: Barracks Repairs, Other Military Quality-of-Life Improvements Slam Into Congress' Upcoming Budget Fight
What is the global response to the dramatic rise in energy poverty?

Last year, Europe managed to survive a worrying winter without large-scale energy shortages or power cuts. Although this came at a cost, it demonstrated Europes considerable resilience.

Between September 2021 and March 2023, EU member states reportedly allocated 646 billion to protect consumers from rising energy costs.

Now that winter is coming to Europe, on November 20, the European Commission adopted an amendment to the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for State Aid. According to the bill, EU member states can maintain their subsidy programs until June 30, 2024, to cope with the winter heating season.

The European Commission also allowed an increase in the subsidy ceiling, which was raised from 250,000 to 280,000 for the agriculture sector, from 300,000 to 335,000 for the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and from 2 million to 2.25 million for all other sectors.

To analysts, the EUs move shows that it is still worried about current energy supplies. Despite the EUs efforts to cut costs over the past year, it is feared that it will take longer to achieve energy self-sufficiency.

Source: Eurostat Graphic: Household Consumer Electricity Prices in the EU (taxed and untaxed)

Despite government subsidies, it is still not possible for European residents to pay high energy bills. In the UK, for example, the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war will lead to a spike in gas prices, with the average UK citizen paying 3,549 per household per year, leaving up to 7 million households in energy poverty.

Outside of the UK, 9.3% of EU citizens will be in energy poverty, i.e., unable to afford a comfortable indoor temperature, in 2022, up from 6.9% in 2021.

Energy poverty refers to the inability of an individual or household to access or pay for the energy services they need to meet their basic living needs, such as cooking, heating and lighting.

In fact, energy poverty is a problem in Europe and other countries or regions. In the United States, it is estimated that 16% of the region experiences energy poverty, including 5.2 million households considered to be above the federal poverty line. In China, it is estimated that 24-27% of middle-aged and older adults live in energy poverty.

Therefore, in the context of the global net-zero transition, the importance of this should not be limited to technological development but also to ensure that all groups in society can meet their energy needs without impacting their daily lives.

Energy poverty jeopardizes physical and mental health.

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Report 2022, in 2020, 733 million people worldwide will still lack access to stable electricity. The term energy also covers electricity, transportation, and household fuels.

In fact, energy poverty is not just about not being able to pay the electricity bill but is intertwined with the characteristics of women, income, age, health factors, etc. The multiple dilemmas that make energy poverty are not only about energy but also related to various social factors such as health and the right to housing.

For example, living in a house that lacks insulation and warmth means relying on heating to get through the winter, but the rising cost of electricity makes it even more burdensome for energy-poor households to endure the cold and not use the heating as much as possible.

Scientific studies have shown that cold houses are harmful and sometimes fatal to their occupants. People are at higher risk of stroke, respiratory infections and, falls or other injuries due to reduced strength and flexibility in cold temperatures. A cold home can have both short- and long-term effects on a persons health, well-being, and even life chances.

A 2018 long-term study of 30 European countries, from 1980 to 2013, noted that people in the UK had the sixth highest excess winter mortality rate; and the UK was second highest in deaths related to whether or not heating was supplied to the family home. If the energy crisis does not improve, cold-induced deaths will create a significant demand for healthcare.

Information released by the Office for National Statistics in December 2022 suggests that more people will die in the UK from cold in 2022 than from heat in the summer compared to the previous year.

How is the world responding?

In response, many countries and cities have introduced different measures aimed at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions in an attempt to tackle energy poverty while moving towards net-zero carbon emissions. In many cases, energy-saving and energy-efficient home appliances are being used to help these already poor households reduce their electricity bills.

01Belgium: Appliance Sharing for Low-Income Households

The Belgian government, in cooperation with home appliance manufacturers, has launched a home appliance sharing program, in which low-income eligible people can participate. With a monthly expenditure of just 7 euros, they can use appliances with the highest energy efficiency of A+++ for a period of up to 10 years, and maintenance and repair services are also provided.

02Kumagaya City, Japan: Air-conditioning Rental Program for the Elderly

Kumagaya City in Japan, where middle-aged and elderly people account for 60% of summer heatstroke cases, is promoting the Air Conditioning Rental Program for the Elderly from 2021, which offers air conditioning rentals without installation fees for 1,900 yen per month, and the air conditioning will be returned to the user after five years of use.

03Ithaca, New York: Decarbonizing homes to save on energy costs

Ithaca, New York, USA, where about 40% of the population is at the energy poverty line, has partnered with start-up BlocPower in 2022 to replace existing heating and cooling systems in buildings with technologies such as heat pumps or solar panels to improve the citys energy efficiency. With the improved equipment, residents will no longer have to worry about increased heating costs due to changes in oil prices and can save between 20 and 40 percent on energy costs over a year.
Indian coal production to cross 1 billion tons by 2024

According to the Indian media on December 24, Indias Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday that Indias coal production will break through 1 billion tons in the current financial year (FY 2023-24), and he is confident about it.

India has set a coal production target of 1,012.14 million tons for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

At the launch of the ninth round of commercial coal auctions, the minister said: This year, we will cross 1 billion tons of coal production.

In the current financial year, India expects coal demand to be 1,196.6 million tons. He said that Indias power demand will double and increase twofold by 2030, so coal production will have to increase accordingly to meet the countrys power demand for coal supply.

Thirty-one coal mines will be sold in the ninth round of commercial coal auctions. The auctioned coal mines are in four states  Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and the southern state of Telangana. With the completion of the ninth round of auctions, the sale of 100 coal blocks will end.

Indias coal production is said to be 893 million tons in the fiscal year 2022-23. The Indian government has set ambitious growth targets for coal production, which it plans to increase to 1.4 billion tons per annum by 2027 and further increase total annual coal production to 1.58 billion tons by 2030.

Indias coal industry to buck the trend

While the growth in global coal production is gradually slowing down, India is setting itself apart from other countries by ambitiously and significantly increasing its production.

India is the worlds second-largest coal producer, producing 893 million tons in the fiscal year 2022-23 (ending March 31, 2023), up 14.8% from the previous year, which was up 8.7%. India accounts for over 10% of global coal production, second only to China.

Coal imports are critical for India, and they have been growing steadily. The Indian government has been working hard to reduce its dependence on coal imports and to realize a self-reliant India. Coal imports will account for 24% of Indias coal consumption in 2022, up from 12% in 2010. To achieve self-reliance, the government aims to increase domestic coal production to more than 1 billion tons by the fiscal year 2023-24 and to more than 1.5 billion tons by 2029-2030.

Coal-fired power generation remains a key element of Indias electricity production mix. Coal-fired power generation in India is projected to account for 72% of total power generation in 2023, which is likely to decrease slightly to 64% by 2030. In contrast, the global share of coal-fired generation in total power generation will likely be only 27% by that time.

Although India pledged to phase down coal at the COP26 Global Climate Forum in Glasgow in 2021, this does not mean that overall coal demand will decrease. Indias total coal demand is projected to rise from around 1.1 billion tons in 2022-23 to more than 1.6 billion tons in 2029-30, with power generation accounting for two-thirds of the total. By 2030, Indias share in global coal-fired power generation is expected to jump to 18% from 13% in 2023.

Coal use in Indias steel sector is also growing and, like the power sector, is more dependent on imports.

Indias metallurgical coal production in 2022-23 was 60.77 million tons or 7% of total coal production. The demand for metallurgical coal is almost double this figure. Indias steel industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world. It has become the second-largest steel producer after China, with Indias crude steel production reaching 124.7 million tons in 2022, according to the World Steel Association (WSA). It is also the only one of the worlds top nine steel producers to achieve growth in 2022, up 5.5% from the previous year. It also plans to increase its steel production capacity from 150 million tons in 2023 to 300 million tons by 2030.
Vodafone Idea denied Elon Musks SpaceX was looking to buy a stake in the operator as a move to deploy Starlink in India.

The company replied to a request from the Bombay Stock Exchange for clarification on media reports claiming a tie-up was being discussed, which then increased the operators stock price.

Vodafone Idea said in a statement: We would like to submit that the Company is not in any such discussion with the named party. We are not aware of the basis of the said news item.

Shares jumped 21% on Friday upon publishing of a report from TheBusinessWorld, and grew a further 6% on Monday, reported Reuters.

Vodafone Idea has struggled in India since entering the market in 2018 having never made a profit.

Starlink recently gained a five year licence to operate in Papua New Guinea.
Its been nearly eight years since Madonna played her home state of Michigan, but shes headed back to Detroit this month.

Stubhub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, and Ticketmaster have tickets available for Madonnas Jan. 15 show at Little Caesars Arena for under $100.

Madonnas 78-date Celebration Tour which includes Canada and Mexico, kicked off in London for six sold-out shows in November after being postponed due to illness.

The Detroit show was originally set for August but was postponed after Madonna was hospitalized for a serious bacterial infection.

Tickets are now available for rescheduled tour stops including Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and Toronto.

The Bay City native, who made local news last year when a former classmate put up a high school yearbook with a racy note from Madonna, is the top-grossing solo touring artist of all time.

Madonnas tours have earned her more than a billion dollars. Madonna won two Guinness World Records including Most Successful Female Solo Artist of All Time in 2000; she has sold more than 300 million albums.

Madonna has been named Best-Selling Female Rock Artist of the 20th Century. Popular songs include, Like a Virgin, Borderline, Crazy for You, Papa Dont Preach, Erotica, Vogue, and Dont Cry for Me Argentina. (Stubhub)

Related topics:

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Madonna left a racy poem in this high school yearbook - and you could buy it

Get tickets to Madonnas Celebration Tour at Stubhub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and Ticketmaster.

Detroit - Jan. 15, Little Caesars Arena, (Rescheduled from 8/5/2023)

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Toronto -Jan. 11, Scotiabank Arena, (Rescheduled from 8/13/2023)

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Toronto - Jan. 12, Scotiabank Arena, (Rescheduled from 8/14/2023)

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Chicago - Feb. 1, United Center (Rescheduled from 8/9/2023)

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Chicago - Feb. 2, United Center (Rescheduled from 8/10/2023)

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Cleveland - Feb. 8, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Rescheduled from 8/2/2023)

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ALCONA COUNTY, MI  A Michigan man is accused of secretly taking nude photos of a woman while she changed into a swimsuit over the summer, police said.

Brendan James Ryan, 33, of Swartz Creek, turned himself in at Alcona County Jail on Friday, Dec. 29, after the local prosecutors office issued a warrant for his arrest, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police.

Ryan allegedly took photos of a woman he knew while she was changing, without her knowledge or consent. The victim alleges that she found the suspects phone while she was changing and saw a nude photo of herself on the phone. She reported it to the MSP Houghton Lake Post. Several more photos of her were later discovered.

Ryan was arraigned Friday in the 81st District Court in Alcona County on charges of surveilling an unclothed person and using a computer to commit a crime. His personal recognizance bond was set at $10,000.
Police are investigating after a man was found dead inside an airplane engine.

The Salt Lake City Police Department said 30-year-old Kyler Efinger of Park City passed through an emergency exit door at Salt Lake City International Airport, walked onto the tarmac and climbed inside the jets engine just before 10 p.m. on New Years Day.

He was later found unconscious inside an engine mounted to the wing of a commercial aircraft loaded with passengers at 10:08 p.m., police said.

The plane had been sitting on a de-icing pad, and its engines were rotating. Efinger was a ticketed passenger with a boarding pass to Denver, police said.

Police began investigating after a store manager inside the airport contacted dispatchers with the Airport Control Center to report a disturbance in the terminal.

A pilot reported seeing the man just after 10 p.m. and his personal items including clothing and shoes were located on one of the airports runways.

Lifesaving efforts, including CPR and the administration of naloxone, were attempted after the man was located, but he was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m.

SLCPD officers will work with the medical examiners office to confirm the cause and manner of death, which may include a toxicology report. The incident did not impact the overall operation to the airport, police said.
The Michigan Capitol closed for the day Wednesday morning, less than two hours after opening, as officials investigated a bomb threat that evacuated the building.

A bomb threat was emailed around 7:45 a.m. to a general account for the Michigan State Capitol Commission, Michigan State Police spokesperson Lori Dougovito told MLive. The Capitol was evacuated, the building was searched, and canine teams were still sweeping the building just before noon.

The Michigan Legislature does not return to session until Wednesday, Jan. 10, which means fewer people were inside the building.

MSP is aware of similar threats sent to government agencies across the country. Capitols in at least five other states  Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Montana  saw bomb threats Wednesday, according to news outlets in those states.

In some of those states, threats were sent to the Secretary of States office. Michigans Secretary of State did not receive a threat, spokesperson Cheri Hardmon told MLive.

The Michigan Capitol will be closed for the remainder of the day, the buildings account on X (formerly Twitter) announced Wednesday. This is out of an abundance of caution, Dougovito said.
The chairman of Thailands National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, has outlined some urgent policies that will be accelerated in 2024, including a number aimed at supporting the launch of new MVNOs in the market.

The MVNO-focused policies includes the acceleration and implementation of a scheme called One Region, One Mobile Virtual Network Operator. This aims to add at least seven regional MVNOs (one for each region in Thailand) to the market by 2026.

With this in mind, plans have been announced for the creation and promotion of an easy-to-connect MVNA/MVNE platform to enable and support the introduction of new MVNOs in Thailand.

The hope is that this move will increase options and services for the countrys people and, over time, reduce the rates of the regional MVNOs by at least 20% compared to the plans of the True Corporation and Advanced Info Service (AIS) duopoly. There is a third mobile network operator, National Telecom (NT), but it only has a very small presence in the mobile market.

The NBTC is also aiming for out-of-area rates and interregional fees that suit the cost of living in such areas. Its conditions will make sure the two large mobile network operators cannot own more than 25% of shares in a regional MVNO.

Will the market sustain these new entrants against AIS and True Corp, which, the Bangkok Post points out, together represent more than 96% of total subscribers in the market? And will the major operators want to rent their network capacity to MVNOs at a low fee? The NBTC's proposed regulations seem to imply they may have little choice.

As for opportunities, MVNOs may have trouble competing with larger rivals in the mass market but there could be business opportunities in the private 5G market.

All of this remains to be seen, however. So far the existing MVNOs in Thailand have an estimated combined subscriber base of under 40,000 in a country of nearly 70 million people.
MELVINDALE, MI  Police officers are being recognized for saving an infant in Metro Detroit.

According to the Melvindale Police Department, officers responded to a home on Outer Drive around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 after a woman called 911 to report her infant was not breathing.

Police rushed to the scene where they noted the infants eyes were open, but it was not breathing.

Officers conducted rescue pats on the babys back, and before long, the infant was breathing and responding, police said.

The mother said she will take the baby to the hospital and refused further police assistance.
A new report indicates that Michigan ranks near the bottom when it comes to people moving to the state.

Released annually by the moving truck, trailer, and self-storage rental company U-Haul, the Growth Index aims to track migration trends by examining 2.5 million one-way rentals across the U.S. and Canada.

Specifically, the index is compiled by examining each states net gain (or loss) of one-way equipment from customer transactions in a calendar year.

According to the 2023 numbers, Michigan is the No. 46 growth state in the U.S. And while thats near dead-last, its an improvement from 2022 when it was No. 48.

U-Haul says one-way customers arriving in Michigan rose 1% from 2022 while departures remained about the same year-over-year.

While minimal, Michigans notable net-gain markets include Grand Rapids, Farmington Hills, Sterling Heights, Hamtramck, Muskegon, Walker, Saginaw, Holland, Wyoming, Brighton, Rockford, Kalamazoo, Flint and St. Claire Shores.

Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee account for the top five growth states, according to U-Haul, while California ranks 50th for the fourth year in a row with the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers.

While one-way transactions in 2023 remained below the record-breaking levels we witnessed immediately following the pandemic, we continued to see many of the same geographical trends from U-Haul customers moving between states, said John J.T. Taylor, U-Haul International president.

Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced. Demand for one-way equipment out of certain markets in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast mirrors what we have seen during recent moving cycles.

And while U-Haul notes that its migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, it notes the index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.

The hard numbers are in line with the U-Haul data, too. For Michigan at least.

Between April 2020 and July 2022, the state lost an estimated 43,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 40% of cities, townships and villages saw estimated population declines during that stretch, including 3% dips in major cities like Detroit and Ann Arbor.

And while some Northern Michigan communities are growing, nine of Michigans 10 most-populated towns saw estimated population declines between 2020 and 2022.
YPSILANTI, MI -- A man was injured when he was struck by an Amtrak train in Ypsilanti on the morning of Dec. 24, Ypsilanti fire Chief Ken Hobbs confirmed on Wednesday, Jan. 3.

First responders arrived around 7:10 a.m on Christmas Eve., Hobbs said.

The man was hit after he crossed onto the train tracks near the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, according to Hobbs, and the incident seemed to be accidental.

The man suffered severe injuries to his limbs, Hobbs said. He was transported to a nearby hospital.

The train was traveling from Pontiac to Chicago.

There were no reported injuries to the 76 passengers or crew onboard, according to Amtrak spokesperson Kyle Anderson.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Grand Rapids firefighters responded to a fire above the Web Bar at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Firefighters arrived at the two-story building, at 644 Richmond St. NW, where crews saw heavy smoke coming from the second floor, a Facebook post by Grand Rapids Professional Firefighters Local 366 states.

Crews entering the building encountered heavy fire conditions and command requested a second alarm.

One firefighter was transported by paramedics to a local hospital with minor burn injuries, the post states.

All residents were able to safely evacuate the upstairs and all bar patrons in the first-floor business also made it out safely, firefighters said. The fire was reported to be out by 5:20 p.m.

Crews were later seen boarding up broken-out windows by an MLive reporter on scene at around 6:45. Crews also worked to patch holes that had been cut in the roof for ventilation during the blaze.

The majority of the damage appeared to be the roof.

Grand Rapids Fire Capt. William Smith told MLive/Grand Rapids Press Wednesday afternoon that the second floor of the building incurred heavy fire and smoke damage. Smith said the investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to continue over the next few days and that fire investigators remain at the scene.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A former worker at Gun Lake Casino was sentenced to four months in prison for stealing nearly $85,000 from the casinos cash-out machines.

Jordan Lewis Cook, 26, was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 3, by U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering. The judge also ordered Cook to spend two years on supervised release and pay $84,564 in restitution.

Cook, who took cash while clearing jams in cash-out machines, earlier pleaded guilty to theft from an Indian Tribal Organization, a potential five-year felony.

The thefts occurred between Sept. 2021 and November 2022. Cooks job responsibilities included clearing jams  caused by crinkled or misfed bills - on cash-out machines.

Related: Casino worker swiped $85K while clearing jams from cash-out machines

He took cash at least 32 times, in amounts ranging from $272 to $9,040, court records said. At one point, he bought a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe with $19,618.80 in cash and $4,000 trade-in credit.

The defendant was in a position of trust, Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Lane wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

His attorney, Jessica LaFond, said he had no previous criminal record. He grew up on a farm and has a strong work ethic  and had consistent employment until he was fired by the casino.

Mr. Cook enjoys significant support from both of his parents and his girlfriend, the attorney wrote. Mr. Cook has goals in his life to continue bettering himself and to, of course, never put himself in a situation like he has here ever again.

She said he has been actively seeking employment.

The judge said Cook can self-surrender to prison at the direction of the U.S. Marshals Service or federal Bureau of Prisons.

Read more:

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KENT COUNTY, MI  A Muslim woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Kent County Sheriffs Department after she says he was forced to remove a religious head covering for a booking photo.

Jannah Hague filed the lawsuit Wednesday, Jan. 3, in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.

She was arrested in April in her home while wearing a hijab. She was forced to remove the covering for a booking photo at Kent County Correctional Facility, the lawsuit said. She was later released without being charged, her lawsuit said.

The lawsuit contends that the sheriffs booking policy violates the First Amendment as well as other federal and state law.

Related: Kent County sheriff disputes womans claim about disrespectful hijab removal at jail

The policy requires those whose wear religious head coverings to remove them for a booking photo, even where doing so violates the arrestees sincerely-held religious beliefs. This practice alienates and oppresses faith communities throughout Kent County. It lacks justification and must be changed, attorney Amy Doukoure wrote in the lawsuit.

She is a staff attorney for the Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations. CAIR-MI had earlier issued a notice of a claim for alleged civil-rights violations and requested compensation.

CAIR-MI said that Hagues photo without her hajib is in police databases and is a permanent public record.

The filing of todays federal lawsuit on behalf of Ms. Hague is an attempt to protect her from further harm should her image be once again publicly released, Doukoure said in a statement.

The Sheriffs Department said in an earlier statement that female corrections officers asked Hague to remove her head covering, outside the view of men, so deputies could look for weapons or restricted materials. She then was allowed to put it back on.

She was required to remove her hijab for a booking photo but outside of the view of men.

We do take (her) concern very seriously and look to assist in upholding religious practices while maintaining a safe and secure jail for our community, the sheriffs statement said.

The lawsuit said other law-enforcement agencies allow religious head coverings for booking photos.

Kent County, the Sheriffs Department and Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young are named as defendants.

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Former top Michigan legislative staffers arraigned on embezzlement charges

Michigan Capitol among multiple evacuated after bomb threats

Woman crashes into salon after mistaking gas pedal for brakes
JACKSON, MI -- Sikander Sonny Khans penchant for altruism and community service has been well-known in the Jackson community for years. Now, others nationwide are taking notice.

Khan, 25, was named in December as one of 2024s nominees for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the category of marketing and advertising.

The Jackson High School and University of Michigan graduate was recognized by Forbes for his role in creating and executing marketing strategies for Microsofts Bing search engine -- particularly the engines AI-powered chatbot Copilot. Khans work has been instrumental in helping the search engine reach up to 100 million daily active users, officials said.

As the technology landscape evolves, being at the forefront of developments in AI -- particularly with the rise of ChatGPT -- has been both exciting and rewarding, Khan said. I find genuine fulfillment in working on projects like Copilot -- where the potential for generational change is tangible. The ability to play a part in shaping tools that make the world more productive fuels my passion for this field.

Khan joined Microsoft shortly after he graduated from the University of Michigans Ross School of Business in 2020, where he earned a bachelors degree in business administration.

While at college, Khan founded the Paani Project, a nonprofit committed to addressing the critical need for clean water in underserved communities across rural Pakistan -- the home-country of Khans parents before they immigrated to the U.S. The name Paani translates to water in Urdu -- symbolizing the nonprofits mission, Khan said.

Since its founding in 2017, the nonprofit has completed more than 20,000 projects -- including the construction of more than 15,000 wells -- benefiting more than 1 million disadvantaged people in Pakistan, Khan said.

The impact extends beyond water, encompassing initiatives like aiding local clinics, building schools for refugees and empowering women and children through improved sanitation and educational support, Khan said. With over $6 million raised, the Paani Project stands as a testament to the collective power of community-driven initiatives.

The project had humble beginnings, with early projects including bake sales on the University of Michigan campus with the aim of raising money to fund the building of wells in Pakistan. What started as a simple initiative has since evolved into a global organization, Khan said.

Khan said his experiences growing up in poverty and engaging in volunteer projects while attending Jackson High laid the groundwork for many of his personal values, and instilled in him a commitment to use any privilege or platform he had to create positive change.

During that time, the intention for my service became clear  to go beyond short-term impact and work on projects with lasting, generational significance, Khan said. This mindset carried forward as I entered college and still exists. But it was in my young experiences volunteering across Jackson that I learned the importance of driving impact, and those lessons continue to guide my endeavors.

Khans community service started in 2014 with the Allegiance Health Summer Youth Program. Throughout his time in high school, Khan served in several volunteer positions at the hospital his father was taken to after he suffered a stroke. He also spent several hours ever week at Jacksons RidgeCrest Health Campus setting up technology for senior citizen residents to use, and was a peer mentor for Jackson Public Schools students making the transition from middle to high school.

Khan -- the son of Murad and Mujahida Khan of Jackson -- has been recognized on several occasions for his drive to help those around him. In 2016, Khan was named the MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot 2016 Youth Citizen of the Year for the persistence and strength he demonstrated through his volunteer service.

Youth Citizen of the Year: His desire to help comes directly from his heart

Later that year, Khan was the recipient of the good-through-graduation Gates Millennium Scholarship, as well as the prestigious Horatio Alger National Scholarship. His philanthropic activities also earned him the title of 2019 Student of the Year from The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigans student newspaper.

If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools.

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Congressman Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, has drawn backlash in some circles after video surfaced of Walberg urging Ugandan leaders to stand firm in the face of international pressure and condemnation after they passed a law providing the death penalty for acts of aggravated homosexuality.

Walberg was speaking at the countrys national prayer breakfast at the presidents residence in Kampala. Walbergs office told MLive the congressman doesnt support the criminalization of homosexuality.

The country has faced widespread condemnation after establishing a law in May 2023 that outlaws gay marriage in Uganda and punishes same-sex acts with life imprisonment. It threatens capital punishment for acts of aggravated homosexuality, defined as same-sex intercourse with anyone over the age of 75, under the age of 18, HIV-positive or disabled.

At the October event, Walberg heaped praise on the countrys 79-year-old president, Yoweri Museveni, an authoritarian ruler who has been president for close to 30 years.

Your esteemed president, his excellency (Yoweri) Museveni, he needs a nation that stands with him, and says though the rest of the world is pushing back on you, though there are other major countries that are trying to get into you and ultimately change you, stand firm, Walberg said.

Walberg said Museveni has many allies, even congressmen like me who will say we stand with you. ... This will probably get back to the national media in the United States, and I expect some pushback, but Im not going to give in to them, he said.

When contacted by MLive, Walbergs office appeared to qualify his support, and distanced himself from the discriminatory laws.

Despite inaccurate reports circulating, the transcript clearly shows that Congressman Walberg never endorsed any Ugandan legislation or law, and he does not support the criminalization of homosexuality, Walbergs office said in a statement. He did call out the World Bank for repeatedly holding Uganda, a Christian nation, to a different standard than much of the rest of the world.

Financial aid to Uganda had been cut off by the World Bank for the new law in August, but resumed later in October with anti-discrimination safeguards in place, Reuters reported.

Ugandas Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Groups values, the organization said in a statement after the laws passage. We believe our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed if it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender or sexuality.

Museveni was appreciative

I want to thank the Congressman from Michigan because you have seen that we have got the Western people you see here are not the only ones, there are others also, the ones who come to tell you about homosexuals, about abortion, Museveni said. You now know that there are other Americans, other Western people, who think like us.

Michigan Democrats criticized Walbergs comments, Michigan Democratic Party chair Lavora Barnes said this kind of hateful rhetoric has no place coming from a member of Congress, and Rep. Walberg is deeply out of step with the values of Michiganders.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, who is running for U.S. Senate, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, said this kind of bigotry is disturbing  especially since it comes from someone with a platform as a Congressman.
Former Detroit Tigers catcher Tucker Barnhart has signed a minor-league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The news was reported on Wednesday by FanSided.com.

Barnhart signed a two-year, $6.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs before last season but was released after appearing in only 47 games. The fact that the Cubs are still paying his salary (except for the league minimum for which Arizona would be responsible) could make Barnhart an attractive and cheap backup option.

Gabriel Moreno, the Dbacks starting catcher, is only 23.

Barnhart, who turns 33 this week, was acquired by the Tigers before the 2022 season in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. The two-time Gold Glove winner had always been an adequate hitter for a catcher, but his offensive production and his power dropped off dramatically in 2022. He couldnt stop the decline with the Cubs, posting just a .541 OPS (48 OPS) in 123 plate appearances.

Another former catcher signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers last week.

Andrew Knapp, 32, came to spring training with the Tigers and spent part of last season with Triple-A Toledo before being released. He finished the year with the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate.

Knapp has spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues, including four seasons as the semi-regular backup catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2017-2021.

But he hit just .128 (5-for-39) in limited action with three separate teams in 2022 and has not yet made it back to the big leagues.

Knapp is likely slated for Triple-A Round Rock with the Rangers, although its possible he could compete with Sam Huff for the backup job behind Jonah Heim.

Knapps departure from the Tigers organization was hastened by the impending arrival of Dillon Dinger at Triple-A Toledo. Dingler, now added to the 40-man roster, will likely be the Tigers third catcher in Toledo while Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly handle duties in Detroit. Dingler could be paired with veteran Anthony Bemboom, who signed a minor-league deal last month.

The Tigers also recently signed former University of Michigan catcher Christian Molfetta, who could be a candidate for Double-A Erie.

Molfetta, 27, began his career at Stanford before transferring to Ann Arbor. Hes spent most of the last three seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Three Vietnamese banks have reportedly changed their SMS notification policies in a bid to encourage customers to switch to digital banking apps, as SMS charges from telcos are too expensive.

According to Vietnam News Agency, starting this week, Vietcombank will charge customers VND 10,000 (US$0.42) per phone number for 20 SMSs per month. After 20 SMS notifications, the bank will charge VND 700 per message, excluding VAT. Previously, Vietcombank charged a monthly flat fee of VND 10,000. Vietcombank will also stop sending SMS balance notifications for transactions below VND 50,000.

Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) has announced similar changes, now charging VND 15,000 per month for the first 20 messages and VND 700 for each message after that. Meanwhile, the Cooperative Bank of Vietnam (Co-opBank) raised its SMS fee to VND 16,500 per month (including VAT) and has stopped sending SMSs for transactions below VND 20,000.

According to the report, Vietcombank, ACB and Co-opBank encouraged customers to use their digital banking apps when notifying them of the fee changes, saying that the apps offer notifications at no extra charge.

Vietcombank, ACB and Co-opBank arent the only banks to make such a move. In September last year, Sacombank, VPBank and VietinBank also adjusted their SMS fees.

According to media reports, the Vietnam Banking Association has long complained that many banks are losing money from SMS banking services. Nguyen Quoc Hung, General Secretary of the Vietnam Banking Association, has said that banks pay hundreds of billions of ong per month in telecoms service fees, in large part because telcos charge banks three times more per SMS than consumer SMSs.

Last November, United Overseas Banks ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study found that digital banking is gaining traction in Vietnam, with 54% of respondents increasing their use of mobile banking apps over the past year. Meanwhile, four out of five consumers in Vietnam use e-wallets at least once a week.
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Childhood dreams and a passion for life-saving service has inspired three medical evacuation pilots at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Commands Aeromedical Research Laboratory to become what they longed for as young soldiersmentors for aeromedical evacuation officers, which the Army designates as 67 Juliets, or 67Js.

Lt. Col. Jason Yellman, USAARLs deputy commander, Capt. Danielle McDermott and Capt. Zachary Herbert-Burns, both research pilots in USAARLs Flight Systems Branch, are bringing their years of expertise and experiences to help USAARL bridge the mentorship gap for junior 67Js.

Yellmans desire to lead 67Js comes after two decades as a MEDEVAC officer and multiple years spent deployed supporting combat operations saving lives. Looking back on a moment that influenced the rest of his career, Yellman recalled the time he sought mentorship from the only 67J medevac aviator on Fort Riley, where he was stationed at the time.

I called and explained, Sir, Im a lieutenant interested in pursuing this career field, says Yellman. Would you have a few minutes or hours to sit down and talk with a young bright-eyed officer on what the 67J career means?

Yellman wondered, as do many aspiring to be Army aviators, what is a 67J? 67Js are Medical Service Corps officers fully equipped to perform a spectrum of tactical, operational and strategic air medical evacuation tasks within a theater of operations. 67Js can also perform key roles instructing at service schools or training centers, aviation maintenance management, staff section support, safety protocol development and research and development positions, all of which contribute to the advancement of aviation modernization and flight medicine.

Becoming a 67J begins with the MSC basic officer leader course and then flight school at the Armys home of aviation, Fort Novosel. During periodic pauses in training, officers spend time conducting career development and building professional relationships through a mentorship program sponsored by the Medical Evaluation Concepts and Capabilities Division. Officers receive these opportunities through long-standing partnerships with MECCD, the Department of Aviation Medicine and the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence. It is with the support of these three organizations that USAARL can shape and guide the natural development of 67Js while training.

Stories like Herbert-Burns provide soldiers with an authentic perspective of what it takes to become a medevac officer. However, some of those stories are inspired by real-life experiences, like McDermott who formed her attachment to the medevac mission in between growing up around her parents who served as officers in aviation units, and as a teenager, experiencing life-saving care in a medevac helicopter to get the rapid treatment she needed. Today, she is furthering her passion to help others along their path in aviation medicine.

I absolutely love the medevac mission and love to explain to people how to get there, said McDermott. Its a very unique opportunity, but only a few dozen every year get selected.

While the 67J field is unique, McDermott says there is uneven information across commissioning sources about the field. She clarifies that information typically begins with an Army data call when officers can decide to branch into medical services. If accepted, they can apply for the Armys flight program with letters of recommendation, a flight physical and additional administrative information that gets decided on by a review board. For community building, officers can follow the 67J Facebook group to learn about command changes across Army aviation, promotion information, individual leader highlights and board information releases.

Whether inspiring future 67Js with their own stories or guiding them through the phases of a 67J career, USAARLs medevac pilots are impacting the lives of young officers every day.

We want to leverage those natural lulls in training and provide maximum opportunity for those young lieutenants to get an understanding of what the research spaces are or what the medevac career can offer them as they are getting ready to step off to the very first unit of assignment and provide more depth and insight for them, says Yellman.

Another mentoring initiative underway at USAARL is peer-to-peer engagement. Herbert-Burns, who teaches at the Black Hawk training program a few times a month, says that these are rare opportunities that not many commissioned officers have, let alone the chance to instruct and speak directly to 67Js.

I really enjoy the opportunity, says Herbert-Burns. It helps me in my current job and helps future 67Js who are attending flight school see all the possibilities available to them when they are 5-10 years into their careers.

Herbert-Burns often uses his own story to mentor future 67Js. His passions have always been emergency medicine and a career in flying. While attending the University of Colorado Boulder as an ROTC cadet, he learned about possibilities as a medevac pilot in the Army. Though he initially looked at reserve opportunities, he persevered and was selected for active duty as a medical service officer, eventually earning the MOS of 67J.

I was not too keen on the idea of being in the combat arms professions in the Army, says Herbert-Burns. I thought, What better way, if I dont necessarily want to jump into medical school, than to apply my interests in saving peoples lives and do that in a helicopter?

Stories like Herbert-Burns provide Soldiers with an authentic perspective of what it takes to become a medevac officer. However, some of those stories are inspired by real-life experiences, like McDermott who formed her attachment to the medevac mission in between growing up around her parents who served as officers in aviation units, and as a teenager, experiencing life-saving care in a medevac helicopter to get the rapid treatment she needed. Today, she is furthering her passion to help others along their path in aviation medicine.

I absolutely love the medevac mission and love to explain to people how to get there, said McDermott. Its a very unique opportunity, but only a few dozen every year get selected.

While the 67J field is unique, McDermott says there is uneven information across commissioning sources about the field. She clarifies that information typically begins with an Army data call when officers can decide to branch into medical services. If accepted, they can apply for the Armys flight program with letters of recommendation, a flight physical and additional administrative information that gets decided on by a review board. For community building, officers can follow the 67J Facebook group to learn about command changes across Army aviation, promotion information, individual leader highlights and board information releases.

Whether inspiring future 67Js with their own stories or guiding them through the phases of a 67J career, USAARLs medevac pilots are impacting the lives of young officers every day.
Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.
Lovisha Darad Lovisha is passionate about domestic and global equity market development. She writes stories exclusively on equities from a fundamental perspective, gathering insights from niche market gurus.
Get ready for an unparalleled showcase of cutting-edge technology as the countdown to CES 2024 begins.

This year, the spotlight is firmly fixed on Artificial Intelligence (AI), promising a transformative experience set to unfold in Las Vegas starting January 9.

Unlike previous years where AI technology simmered beneath the surface, CES 2024 is gearing up to be a game-changer. The unveiling of OpenAIs ChatGPT in November 2022 has ignited an AI arms race, reaching its zenith at CES 2024. AI will be all over CES  in cars, scooters, headphones, cameras, speakers, and TVs.

Some gadgets will chat with you, like ChatGPT-style, for voice commands. Big companies like Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD will unveil chips making devices smarter with on-device AI services.

This means things like recognising images and turning speech into text will happen faster and feel more powerful.

LGs Smart Home AI

LGs smart home AI agent

LG is set to unveil a revolutionary AI agent as the centerpiece of its Smart Home exhibit. This two-legged robot serves as an interactive assistant, managing smart home appliances and IoT devices with voice and visual interfaces. Beyond mere functionality, it acts as a robotic companion, monitoring environmental conditions and ensuring household security.

LG AI TV

LGs stunning 98-inch Mini LED TV set to debut at CES 2024

Rumors suggest LG will introduce a 98-inch QNED TV featuring AI-driven picture enhancements. Powered by an A8 AI processor, it promises a superior visual experience through precise HDR optimization and detailed image processing.

Samsungs AI Family Hub

Image of food list generated by AI Vision Inside on Family Hub+

Samsung plans to debut the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub, featuring AI-driven cameras that assess available ingredients and suggest personalized recipes. This innovative appliance can recognize various food items, actively monitor the water filter status, and issue timely alerts.

Nvidias AI Advancements

Nvidia is set to showcase groundbreaking AI advancements, with hints at a generative AI and the potential debut of the companys first AI chatbot. The sessions at the event will delve into AI gaming, robotics, and enterprise tools powered by artificial intelligence.

AI Across the Board

CES 2024 will witness an AI takeover, with AI finding its way into various products, from cars and scooters to headphones and televisions. The event will showcase the evolution of ChatGPT-style question-and-response services, offering seamless interaction. Expect companies like Intel, Qualcomm, and AMD to unveil chips supporting on-device AI services, enhancing tasks like computer vision and voice-to-text services.

As AI dominates CES 2024, Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, predicts that, like the internet, AI will become an inherent ingredient, eventually fading into the background as it becomes commonplace.

While AI takes the spotlight, CES 2024 promises to be the epicenter of innovation, where industry trends are shaped, and the future unfolds before our eyes.

About CES

CES, the largest annual gathering in the US for the consumer electronics industry, is making its grand return to Las Vegas on January 9. Brace yourself for a colossal four-day spectacle, a bustling bazaar of tech wonders, where expo halls will overflow with new gadgets, ambitious startups, and prototypes reaching for the stars.

Stay tuned, as well be unveiling more incredible products across various categories in the coming days.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Souptik Datta Reports real estate, infra and city in Bengaluru. Btw, curiosity never kills the cat.
Ashwin Mohan is Editor (Deals) at Moneycontrol and leads the M&A, private equity and equity capital market transactions coverage. He anchors the video show 'Deal Central ' and tweets at @ashwinmohansays. He has previously worked with ET NOW, CNBC TV-18 and The Times of India.
The logo of McDonald's is seen on a container of French fries. Photo by Pexels

McDonald's Malaysia has filed a lawsuit seeking US$1.31 million in damages from a movement promoting boycotts against Israel for false and defamatory statements.

Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd (GAR), which is the licensee of McDonald's in Malaysia, is suing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia movement, claiming that BDS had made a series of social media posts linking the fast-food franchise with Israels military offensive in Gaza, according to Reuters.

It said the BDS campaign has encouraged a public boycott of McDonald's Malaysia, resulting in financial losses, employment reductions and other adverse effects due to the shutdown and reduced operational hours of its establishments.

In response, BDS Malaysia said it "categorically denies" defaming the fast-food company and would leave the matter to the court.

"Boycotting companies like these is a personal choice and it is up to that individual consumer," the South China Morning Post quoted social media user Sheryl Ho as saying.

"That being said, anyone in their right frame of mind who wasnt boycotting [McDonalds] before this, sure would be doing it now.

"They terminated their staff to save cost and they are making other people pay for it?" X user Syafiq Fadli asked.
Jitendra Nath Misra is a former ambassador and the author of Radhaland and Worlds Beyond. He is Professor of Diplomatic Practice at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat. Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication
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Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_
Vietnams distributors of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Hermes posted VND3.8 trillion ($156.57 million) in 2022 profits, up 270% year-on-year, according to latest data from a market research company.

The combined revenues of 12 companies that distribute 34 luxury brands surged 67% to VND25 trillion, Vietdata announced in a report. The groupings other notable brands included Rolex, Calvin Klein, Charles & Keith, Zara.

Of the companies that distribute a variety of brands, Tam Son ranked top with a VND4.75 trillion revenue and a profit of VND849 billion.

The company distributes the largest number of top-tier brands brands in Vietnam, including Hermes, Kenzo, Boss, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.

Other brands such as H&M, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior and Adidas all have direct legal entities distribute their products in Vietnam.

Among them, Louis Vuitton ranked top in revenue at VND2.36 trillion, while Dior secured the first place in profit at VND558 billion.

Vietdata said that the number of ultra rich people in Vietnam surged in the 2017-2022 period, with 1,059 people now having a net worth of over $30 million, according to data from U.K. based property consultancy Knight Frank.

The Vietnamese population is considered young with an average age of 32, which translates to high demand for luxury products, Vietdata added.

Another market research platform, Germany-based Statista, said that Vietnams luxury market is estimated to be over $957 million last year and is set to grow more than 3% annually by 2028.

Nick Bradstreet, Asia Pacific Retail Director of Savills, said in a report that the economic recession in China made brands realize that they cannot just rely on one country but need to diversify.

Southeast Asia is a natural choice with prominent markets including Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, he added.
Venezuela has agreed to give oil to ONGC Videsh to help the Indian public sector company recover its $600 million dues as dividend for the stake that it holds in an oilfield in the Latin American country, Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain said on Wednesday.

ONGC Videsh (OVL), the overseas investment arm of ONGC, holds a 40 per cent stake in the San Cristobal field in eastern Venezuela's Orinoco Heavy Oil belt, in which Venezuela's state oil company PdVSA holds the majority share.

"They have agreed to give us some oil in lieu of OVL's dues. We are waiting for the lifting dates from them," Jain told journalists.

India will purchase oil from Venezuela as the sanctions against the Latin American country have been lifted, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said recently.

The minister also said some Indian money is locked up in Venezuela, referring to ONGCs pending $600 million in dividends since 2014 as the returns on its stake in Venezuelan oil and gas projects.

Indian refining companies such as Indian Oil and Reliance Industries have already started buying oil from Venezuela after the US lifted sanctions in October as part of Washingtons strategy to squeeze out Russian oil from the market.

Indian oil companies have been making large purchases of Russian oil after the Ukraine war broke out as it is available at a discounted price. In fact, Russia accounts for over one-third of Indias oil imports.

Indian refineries, including Indian Oils Paradip unit, are capable of using the heavy Venezuelan oil.

India imports more than 80% of its crude oil requirement and is currently the third largest consumer in the world. Buying oil from diversified sources helps oil companies to get it at a lower price.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
HCMC firm wants to build $10B high-speed rail to Can Tho

A section of My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway which has shortened the time to travel between HCMC and Can Tho by half to two hours. Photo by VnExpress/Huy Phong

CT Group has proposed to invest US$9.98 billion in a high-speed railway between Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta's capital Can Tho City.

In a proposal sent to the government, the HCMC-based multi-sector corporation said it wants to implement the project under the public-private partnership format.

The railway would use double rails of 1.435 mm gauge, the standard for high-speed rails. It will run 174 km long through HCMC, Binh Duong, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Can Tho.

The corporation has yet to mention the designed speeds of trains on the railway.

For the investment fund, it plans to collaborate with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and China Power Engineering Consulting Group (CPECC) to form a joint venture to borrow from world's leading financial institutions.

The joint-venture will cover 85% of the cost of the project and the rest will come from Vietnams state fund.

CT Group also proposed building 12 urban areas along the railway under the transit-oriented development (TOD) model, which maximizes the residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport, to boost the development of localities where the railway runs through.

If approved, the company promises to finish the pre-feasibility report within the first half of this year and complete the entire project before 2032.

It predicts that the railway will serve 16.4 million passengers and 19.1 million tons of cargo each year by 2035 and 42 million passengers and 81 million tons of cargo by 2050.

CT Group said it has studied this project in a decade and that the joint-venture of CPECC and CRBC have had experiences in building the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train in Indonesia.

The government has approved in principle to study a high-speed railway to connect the two biggest cities of southern Vietnam, HCMC and Can Tho, since 2013, but a final plan has yet been reached.

Experts say the route will link the economic zones of southern Vietnam and the Mekong Delta, while also meeting cargo and passenger transportation needs and reducing traffic congestion.

Vietnam currently has over 3,000 kilometers of railway tracks, none of them high-speed. Railway accounts for just 1.9% of the transportation sector in the country, according to the Vietnam Railway Authority.
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper shared his insights on how Vietnam and the U.S.'s diplomatic elevation in 2023 will open up opportunities for both countries in the years to come.

How do you evaluate the Vietnam-U.S. relations and cooperation prospects, especially after they elevate the ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership?

Ambassador Marc Knapper: It has been a spectacular year for the U.S.Vietnam relationship. Starting off in the beginning of the year, we were very much looking forward to celebrating the 10-year anniversary of our comprehensive partnership, of course with the hope that we would be able to upgrade our relationship to the next level over the course of the year. We had so many visitors from Washington, with a quarter of the U.S. cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and USAID Administrator Samatha Power. Besides, we welcomed several high-level congressional delegations, and aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan over the summer. I think all of these visits are significant, which really did reflect the importance with which Washington looks at Vietnam, and the importance with which Washington evaluates the U.S.-Vietnam relationship.

But of course, the big news of the year was President Joe Biden's visit and then the double upgrade from Comprehensive Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. And this was really significant, I think for two reasons. One, it was a reflection of where the U.S. and Vietnam, frankly, already were, you know, our partnership was already comprehensive already strategic. When you look at the activities and the efforts the U.S. and Vietnam make together in so many different areas, whether it's health cooperation, energy cooperation, or security cooperation, youve already known these are fundamental sort of strategic issues in which Vietnam and the US plan together and work together and cooperate together. So really, the upgrade, I think, was significant in that it was a very public acknowledgement of how far our relationship had come in the 28 years of normalisation but it is also significant in what it said about our hopes for the future.

The visit by the president was a public and resounding statement of hope by the U.S. and by Vietnam, about where we want this relationship to go. It was a very public statement that our two countries' futures are now inextricably linked to the fact that the success of the U.S. is Vietnam's success, and Vietnams success will be the U.S.' success, whether it's in terms of promoting prosperity, promoting security, promoting the health of our peoples. Right now, the U.S. and Vietnam are partners whose paths are aligned and whose paths going forward are shared between our two peoples or two countries. I think we saw for example, the pledges the U.S. made to work with Vietnam on semiconductors, and help create a high-tech, innovation-led economy were extremely significant because it's all about promoting U.S. high-tech investment. It is also about workforce development and training and education so that Vietnam can have the engineers and computer scientists and IT workers. The country needs up to 80,000 over the next several years, and the U.S. is a part of this story. We want to be part of this shared effort with Vietnam.

So I think what we're seeing now in terms of semiconductors is just the beginning. I think we are going to see a lot more in terms of the Vietnam-U.S. cooperation in high-tech industries going forward. Looking at just how much and how far we've come in just four months, weve done to get to where we are now, it didn't happen overnight. It took years of hard work, and dedication and commitment to this relationship by friends in both Vietnam and the U.S. I'm very excited about what we look forward to.

U.S.'s Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper addresses a press conference in Hanoi, April 20, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Obviously, trade, economy and education are among key players in the bilateral ties; however, cultural exchange and tourism have not been tapped to the fullest level. So what are your recommendations for the two countries to enhance cooperation in these areas? And please share your plan to promote cooperation in general in 2024?

Well, I think education is a great example already. Our education ties are very strong. We have 30,000 Vietnamese students in the U.S., which makes Vietnam the No.5 source country of foreign students in the U.S. That's something we're very proud of. And we hope we can raise that to No.4. But it's really significant if you look at who are No.1, 2, 3 and 4. It's India, China, the Republic of Korea, Canada and then Vietnam. And I think it reflects greatly the confidence that Vietnamese students and Vietnamese families have in American education. But even though we have 30,000 Vietnamese students, physically present in the US, if you count online courses, summer camps or short-term exchange programs, homestays, the number actually jumps to 300,000 Vietnamese every year. 300,000 Vietnamese every year have some kind of interaction with American education programs. Thats just an amazing testament, as I said, not just to the strength of our two countries ties but also it pretends great things for the future.

The one thing I would like to see is more American young people coming this way to study and to teach English. I think if we can get more Americans here, we can continue even more strongly the process of building bridges to promote understanding between our two countries. We already have a Peace Corps program here which Americans come to teach English in the past year in Hanoi, we will have another group of Americans starting very soon in HCMC as well. We've got the Fulbright University of Vietnam in HCMC, which has become a real hub of learning with the American style education, and we hope that that will continue to grow thanks to the support of the Vietnamese government but also the Ho Chi Minh City authorities. We look forward to other American institutions partnering with counterparts here in Vietnam, whether it's with other partners or with VinUni, which has been very active particularly in high tech areas. And so I fully expect that as we continue to deepen and accelerate our efforts to work with Vietnam on building a high-tech, innovation economy, we're going to see many more American universities, American research institutions coming here to Vietnam, either establishing their own sort of independent facility or partnering with an existing one here. So that's going to be a very exciting story this year and in the years to come.

Could you please share your impressions on Vietnam? As Tet (Lunar New Year) is approaching, what is the message youd like to send to the Vietnamese people?

It's my third Tet here, my third year here, and it's been an incredible journey. As you may know, I've served here before from 2004 to 2007 and the changes between when I left in 2007 and to the time I returned in 2022, have been stunning. But I always say the one thing that didn't change was the warmth and the hospitality of the Vietnamese people. I think the sense of friendship with the U.S., I mean, it's changed only because it's gotten deeper in the 15 years since I left. And of course, just the amount and the breadth of bilateral cooperative activities that we undertake is just amazing, compared to what I was here in 2007. And so my message is thank you to the people of Vietnam for all the warmth and the hospitality and the commitment to the relationship with the U.S. Please know that in Washington and throughout the US, we have a similar strong commitment to Vietnam and to the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. We want Vietnam to succeed. And we're eager to work with Vietnam, whether it's trade, investment, health, security, and education. We want to be Vietnam's partner.
Reporter

Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post.
Incoming President of Harvard University and current Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay listens during Harvard Universitys 372nd Commencement Exercises in Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 25, 2023.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) walks out of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, oncSeptember 28, 2023.
Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC is crowded in January 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Air carriers said they are prepared for busy end-of-year holiday travel as the 2024 Lunar New Year (Tet) is approaching.

Vietnam Airlines Group, comprising Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), plans to fly up to 2.1 million passengers between Jan. 25 and Feb. 24, with nearly 550 flights added during the period.

The increased flights mainly connect Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with Da Nang, Hai Phong, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Hue, Da Lat, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Phu Yen and Phu Quoc.

Bamboo Airways has leased two more Airbus A320/A321 aircraft, raising its capacity by over 20% from Jan. 1.

Vietravel Airlines said it has considered appropriate airfares during the holiday, while coordinating with aviation authorities to increase the frequency of flights with high travel demand.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) issued a document allowing night flights during the Tet holiday, and asking air carriers to take actions to minimize flight delays and cancelations, and intensify control to ensure aviation safety.

The CAAV also urged ground and aviation service providers to develop specific plans and measures to ensure the capacity to provide services during the holiday, and ensure sufficient resources and equipment to serve flights in accordance with airlines' operation plans.

The government approved a seven-day Lunar New Year holiday break from Feb. 8 to 14, 2024.

Tet often sees millions of migrant workers from major cities and industrial hubs return to their hometowns for family reunions, as well as holiday-goers flocking to tourist hotspots.
A migrant waits for others after crossing the Rio Grande and getting over the razor wire in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S., September 29, 2023.
Chief Justice Robert J. Torres is interviewed at the Guam Judicial Center in Hagatna on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, Iran has again increased its rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60% at its Natanz and Fordow facilities. That is the level of purity close to weapons grade. In mid-2023, Iran had slowed its enrichment production. Now that slow-down has been reversed.

A joint statement by the Governments of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said, These findings represent a backwards step by Iran and will result in Iran tripling its monthly production rate of uranium enriched up to 60%.

The reversal by Iran of its previous output reduction, comes as its proxies in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, militia in Iraq and Syria, as well as Houthi militants, are engaging in attacks on Israel, U.S. forces, and international shipping.

"Irans nuclear escalation is all the more concerning at a time when Iran-backed proxies continue their dangerous and destabilizing activities in the region, including the recent deadly drone attack and other attempted attacks in Iraq and Syria and the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea," said a White House National Security Council spokesperson.

In their joint statement about the IAEAs findings, the U.S., France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said, The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification and the reported production at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant carries significant proliferation-related risks. We also take note of Irans decision to revert to the same cascade configuration as the one discovered by the IAEA in Fordow earlier this year. Irans delay in declaring this change in January 2023 cast serious doubts on Irans willingness to cooperate with the IAEA in full transparency. These decisions demonstrate Irans lack of good will towards de-escalation and represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context.

The four countries urged Iran to reverse the steps it has taken and de-escalate its nuclear program. They called on Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA to enable it to provide assurances that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, and to re-designate the inspectors [Iran] suspended in September 2023.

We remain committed to a diplomatic solution, the four countries declared, and reaffirm our determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.
The Education Minister, Botcha Satyanarayana, announced that the State government is currently in discussions with industry representatives to ensure that graduating students can secure paid internships. He made this statement while officially launching a '' specifically designed for students in various disciplines within the higher education sector by the(APSCHE). The Minister commended the Council's commendable efforts and highlighted the distinctive feature of this toolkit, emphasizing its proactive approach to guiding and supporting students from the beginning of their undergraduate program until graduation. Unlike the conventional practice of providing career guidance only in the penultimate or final year, this toolkit aims to actively assist and mentor young learners throughout their academic journey.It provides students with semester-wise action plans, elucidates the essential skills required to acquire domain expertise, and underscores the importance of cultivating soft skills", he said. APSCHE officials explained that the career toolkit equips students with the necessary resources, skills and strategies to effectively navigate their academic and professional journey, helps them identify their strengths, weaknesses, interests and values and facilitates self-discovery helping the students in the selection of suitable career path.The toolkit equips students with interview preparation skills, enabling them to confidently express their experiences, skills, and goals during job interviews. Additionally, it nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset by offering tools to students who are keen on launching their ventures or making contributions to innovative projects within established organizations.Principal Secretary J. Syamala Rao from the Department of Higher Education , along with APSCHE Chairman K. Hemachandra Reddy, Vice-Chairman K. Rama Mohan Rao, Vice-Chairperson P. Uma Maheswara Devi, Secretary Y. Nazeer Ahammed, and other officials were in attendance.
Sonora, CA California lawmakers have enacted a new bill, AB 2188, effective January 1st, aimed at preventing employers from penalizing workers who fail drug tests for marijuana use. The legislation is an amendment to Californias Fair Employment and Housing Act. California becomes the seventh state with this type of legislation joining Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Montana, and Rhode Island.

Under the new bill, companies are prohibited from punishing employees solely for testing positive for marijuana use, especially when the tests dont determine current impairment. However, exceptions exist for construction workers and businesses mandated by federal contracts to conduct drug tests. AB 2188 does not undermine employers authority to restrict marijuana use during working hours. The bill explicitly states that employees are not allowed to possess, be impaired by, or use cannabis while on the clock.

The bill was opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce because it would create a protected status for marijuana use in state law.
The South Fork is about 75% covered in very unsafe ice while Wildhorse is completely covered in ice that ranges from questionable to barely safe. Ice thicknesses at Wildhorse this past week ranged from between 3 and 6 inches, depending upon location.

For those anglers new to ice fishing, you are in for a surprise. It is relaxing, quite easy and much more social than its warm-weather cousin. Contrary to popular myth, ice anglers can use much of the same gear that they use during the summer, with just a few minor exceptions.

To get started in ice fishing, you need a rod, terminal tackle, a way cut a hole through the ice and something to skim the ice off of the water in the hole. Anything else, as far as fishing gear goes, is a bonus.

Ice fishing rods are generally between 18 to 30 inches in length and have a small reel loaded with fishing line developed to stay limp even in cold weather. The lighter rods are for fish like perch, while a little stouter rod can handle the strength of the fight that a 20-inch trout puts up. Ice fishing combos start around $25 and go up from there.

In Nevada, for the purposes of ice fishing, the maximum size hole you can cut in the ice is 10 inches. There are two types of hand augers, the spoon and the blade auger. Most prefer the blade, as it seems to cut the ice faster and with less effort and is easily sharpened. The trick is to keep the blades sharp and rust free.

NOW WHAT?

The next question is, where should the hole in the ice be cut? If you are unfamiliar with a lake, the best bet is to either ask someone who knows the lake or look for areas where lots of holes have already been cut. Chances are those holes are there for a reason.

So the hole is cut in the ice. Now what?

To target trout, fish in water 6 to 15 feet deep and suspend a hook tipped with PowerBait, worms, corn or marshmallows several feet below the ice about halfway between the ice and the bottom. Place a small sinker about 8 to 10 inches above the hook to help get the presentation down in the water column.

While perch fishing at Wildhorse is expected to range from poor to fair this year, if you want to target perch, head for deeper water. Generally, 25 to 35 feet deep and fish right off the bottom. Using a small soft plastic jig tipped with a piece of worm, place the presentation within a foot of the bottom. Perch bites are very light. Holding the rod will give an advantage in sensing the bite and being able to react while the fish is still on.

LADLE THE WATER

The water in the ice fishing hole will soon start to freeze over. Anglers will use a specially made ladle with holes in it to clear the slush from the hole. You can also use an inexpensive slotted vegetable spoon with the same results.

Other considerations for ice fishing include the very important act of staying warm. Well-insulated waterproof boots are a must. For those on a budget, many department stores carry snow boots with a felt liner that are reasonably priced. These are not great for hiking, but they work well when standing or sitting on the ice waiting for a strike. Obviously, a good coat and wool gloves are also a must. Your hands are going to get wet, and wool will still hold warmth when it is wet.

A plastic sled to carry your gear onto the ice makes life easier. Sun block and sunglasses are especially important on sunny days, as your face will get a double whammy of sun as it reflects off of the snow or ice.

The great thing about taking your family ice fishing is that its simple, there are generally other families around and if the kids get bored fishing they can play in the snow, go sledding or build a snowman.

Heres a look at conditions:

WILDHORSE

With ice ranging from 3 to 6 inches in thickness this past weekend, anglers should use caution when heading onto the ice. Colder weather this week should help with ice thickness and hopefully by this weekend it will have improved.

Ice anglers have been fishing primarily in the Hendrix Arm and report fair to good fishing for trout and poor fishing for perch. Both PowerBait and worms have been working and the fish seem to be holding 4 to 6 feet below the ice. Small jigs tipped with a piece of worm have also been productive.

SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR

South Fork is approximately 75% covered in very unsafe ice with plenty of open water along Jet Ski Beach for fishing.

On New Years Day, boaters were even launching small boats on the gravel boat launch at the north end of South Fork!

The week between Christmas and New Years was productive for trout ranging between 14 and 20 inches. Fishing on New Years Day was slow, with few anglers reporting fish though those who did were having luck with rainbow or chartreuse PowerBait.

No reports of trout on worms or spinners. Fly fishing was also slow and, while fly rodders were doing well last week with small black/bruised or black/blood leeches and chironomids, few report catching any fish on New Years. With the colder weather forecast for this week, expect the open water along Jet Ski Beach to start freezing over.

JIGGS RESERVOIR

This lake is mostly covered in unsafe ice and anglers should stay off the ice.

With the colder weather forecast this week, it may get enough thickness to venture upon. Be sure to drill test holes if you are going onto the ice. If the ice gets safe enough, expect fair to good fishing through the ice for 10- to 12-inch trout.

WILSON RESERVOIR

At last report the week of Christmas, this lake was open water. It should have some unsafe ice on it now, and, with the cold weather forecast for the next 10 days, should become completely ice covered if it already hasnt. Expect 4WD conditions with the weather this week.

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR

No recent report. Expect it to be ice covered, but few catchable sized fish. Not worth the trip.

RUBY LAKE NWR

Travel over Harrison Pass is not recommended at this time and anglers should plan on taking Secret Pass to Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

The Ruby Valley Road was graded the week before Christmas and should be in good shape. At last report, the ice in the south marsh was unsafe. The collection ditch may have some ice, but there should be plenty of open water for fishing.

Fishing in the collection ditch has been good for trout averaging 14 to 20 inches, with some fish over 20 inches. Water clarity and levels continue to be good.

Fly anglers have had luck stripping wooly buggers, leeches or small streamers. Chironomids, pheasant tail nymphs and gold ribbed hares ear nymphs have also been working.

Spin fishermen should be using spinners, Kastmasters, panther Martins and other small lures. It is artificial presentations only in the collection ditch and wading is not allowed there.

JAKES CREEK/BOIES RESERVOIR

No recent report but expect Jakes Creek Reservoir to be covered in unsafe ice. It may be safe after this weeks cold weather, but be sure to drill test holes as you venture upon the ice.

COLD CREEK RESERVOIR

No recent report, but expect it to be mostly covered in unsafe ice.

CAVE LAKE

Cave Lake is lowered to minimum pool and unfishable. Cave Lake is closed to fishing due to shorelines that are very soft and dangerous due to the complete saturation of the soil.

Dam construction is fully underway. Fish stocking will resume once the construction is completed and the lake starts to fill. For more information on Cave Lake, please contact the NDOW Ely Field Office.

COMINS LAKE

As of last Friday, ice cover at Comins Lakes varied widely throughout the lake.

The north lake was mostly covered with ice; however, 200 yards of open water was available to shoreline fishing along the western shoreline. As of the writing of this report, ice on the north lake should be considered unsafe.

In areas measured of the south lake, from the narrows south, ice ranges from 6 to 8 inches. With unseasonably warm temperatures over New Years weekend, the quality of the ice is poor and anglers should use caution when fishing.

Anglers are strongly encouraged to use safety equipment while ice fishing (e.g. ice cleats, picks and bring along a long rope). Portions of the south lake had open water and anglers are encouraged to stay away from the edges of the open water.

During early ice fishing, anglers were catching nice rainbow trout around 17 inches and several pounds. Prior to ice up, surveys showed rainbow trout ranging 16 to 24 inches and upwards of 5 pounds.

Anglers should do well fishing for trout by using nightcrawlers, spoons and jigs. Anglers pursuing northern pike will do well on hard and soft plastic baits, as well as flashy spoons and jigs. Fall stocking was completed with 8,246 rainbow trout averaging 8.2 inches. Anglers are catching northern pike ranging from 18 inches to 30+ inches.

ILLIPAH

Illipah Reservoir is ice covered with 3 to 5 inches in the areas sampled in the reservoir. The middle of the reservoir has the thickest ice, while the south end has the thinnest. The ice throughout is poor quality and anglers should use caution while ice fishing.

Anglers should fish with caution and use safety equipment. The water elevation has increased in the last two weeks, therefore anglers should not fish near the spillway until ice is thick enough to be safe.

Fall stocking was completed with 9,862 rainbow trout averaging 9.4 inches. Anglers should do well using nightcrawlers, PowerBait, as well as small jigs and spoons.

STREAMS

Fishing streams has been a bit slow and with colder temperatures forecast for the next 10 days should remain slow. Many streams will be 4WD only to get to after this weeks forecast snowfall.

The only area reporting good fishing was the tailwater below South Fork, but that was primarily in the big pool below the dam. There was good fishing for both large catfish and trout for anglers who fished it.

With colder water temperatures, presentations need to be slowed down and stretches of stream should be fished much more thoroughly than when warmer as the presentation needs to be put right in front of the fish.

Flows in the East Fork of the Owyhee below Wildhorse Reservoir are above normal for this time of year and very fishable, though there is snow and ice on the rocks that makes wading and walking difficult.

Access to the Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers is through Idaho. As of Jan. 3, the East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 14.0 cfs below the dam and 36.6 cfs at Mountain City; the Jarbidge River at 4.65 cfs; the Bruneau River at 25.8 cfs; Salmon Falls Creek at 55.1 cfs; Lamoille Creek at 6.75 cfs; the South Fork of the Humboldt at 21.7 cfs; Cleve Creek at 7.78 cfs; Steptoe Creek at 4.21 cfs; and Kingston Creek at 6.96 cfs.
With U.S. democracy facing extremism, polarization and a growing disconnect between voters and lawmakers, a set of reforms that could dramatically upend how Americans vote is gaining momentum at surprising speed in Western states.

Ranked choice voting, which asks voters to rank multiple candidates in order of preference, has seen its profile steadily expand since 2016, when Maine became the first state to adopt it.

But increasingly, RCV is being paired with a new system for primaries known as Final Five  or in some cases, Final Four  that advances multiple candidates, regardless of party, to the general election.

Together, proponents argue, these twin reforms deliver outcomes that are more fair and better reflect the will of voters while disempowering the extremes and encouraging candidates and elected officials to prioritize conciliation and compromise.

Ultimately, they say, the new system can help create a government focused not on partisan point-scoring but on delivering tangible results that improve voters lives.

Alaska, the only state now using RCV-plus-Final Four or Final-Five, appears to show benefits to its political culture already: After years of partisan rancor, both legislative chambers are now controlled by bipartisan majorities eager to find common ground and respond to the needs of voters, say lawmakers in the state who have embraced the new system.

A slew of other states could soon follow in Alaskas footsteps.

Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 that would create an RCV-plus-Final-Five system  for the measure to take effect, voters must approve it again this year.

Efforts also are underway to get RCV-plus-Final-Five on Arizonas 2024 ballot, and RCV-plus-Final-Four in Colorado and Idaho  where organizers have announced theyve gathered 50,000 signatures (they need around 63,000 to qualify). Even Wisconsin Republicans, who in the redistricting sphere have fought reform efforts tooth and nail, in December held a hearing for bipartisan legislation that would create RCV-plus-Final-Five, though its prospects appear dim.

Meanwhile, Oregon voters will decide this year whether to adopt RCV alone. And last year, Minnesota and Illinois lawmakers passed bills to study RCV, while Connecticut approved a measure that allows local governments to use it.

There are even flickers of interest at the national level. In December alone, two leading Washington, D.C., think tanks that often find themselves on opposite sides  the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Center for American Progress  each held separate panel discussions that considered RCV-plus-Final-Four/Five.

Katherine Gehl, the founder of the Institute for Political Innovation, and the designer of the Final Four/Five system, calls RCV-plus-Final-Five transformational. (Her organization now says advancing five candidates to the general works best, by giving voters more choices.)

Theres a huge pressure on reformers to say, this is not a silver bullet, Gehl said. And OK, I get that.

But, she added, I think its as close to a silver bullet as you can come.

Meanwhile, a backlash to reform is brewing, with several Republican-led states banning RCV in recent years. A coalition of national conservative election groups in November warned Wisconsins legislative leaders that RCV and Final Five are intended to dramatically push our politics to the Left.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS

Heres how RCV-plus-Final-Four/Five works.

In the primary election, candidates from all parties compete against each other, with voters picking only their top choice, as in a conventional election. The top four or five finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general.

In the general, voters use RCV to pick the winner. They fill out their ballot by ranking as many of the candidates as they want, by order of preference.

If no candidate wins a majority of first-place votes, the candidate who finished last is eliminated, and his or her supporters second-place votes are allocated. If theres still no candidate with a majority, the process is repeated with the next-to-last candidate. This continues until someone gains a majority and is declared the winner.

Supporters of the system say the Final Four/Five primary gives a voice to a broader share of voters, while the use of RCV in the general helps ensure a fairer result. Under the current system, two similar candidates together may win a clear majority but split voters between them, allowing a third candidate to win with a minority of votes.

But even more important, many advocates argue, is how the two reforms together can change how candidates and elected officials of all stripes approach their jobs, by adjusting the incentive structure they operate under.

Increasingly, many states and districts are solidly red or blue, meaning the general election is uncompetitive, and the key race takes place in the primary. Thats a problem, because the primary electorate is by and large smaller, more partisan and more extreme than the general electorate.

Right now, with politicians worrying more about the primary than the general, theyre more focused on playing to their base than on reaching beyond it and solving problems, critics argue. It isnt hard to find evidence for this lately, both in Washington and in state capitals across the country.

By allowing multiple candidates to advance, Final Four/Five shifts the crucial election from the primary to the general. And RCV means the votes of Democrats in red districts and Republicans in blue ones still matter, even if their top choice remains unlikely to win.

Together, it means candidates are rewarded for paying attention to the entire general electorate, not just a small slice of staunch supporters. As a result, it encourages candidates  and elected officials, once in office  toward moderation and problem-solving, and away from extremism.

People do what it takes to get and keep their jobs, said Gehl, the Final Four/Five designer. So if you change who hires and fires, which is to say, November voters instead of primary voters, and you change the system so that theres real competition in November every time, even once youre an incumbent, that forces accountability.

SUCCESS STORY

The experience of Alaska, whose voters passed an RCV-plus-Final-Four system in 2020, offers an illustration.

At its first use in 2022, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an independent-minded Republican distrusted by the partys conservative wing, was reelected. Mary Peltola, a moderate Democrat who kept in place her Republican predecessors chief of staff, was elected to the U.S. House, defeating Sarah Palin, the conservative Republican former governor. (Murkowski and Peltola endorsed each other).

Meanwhile, voters reelected Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a conservative Republican  suggesting, reformers say, that the system can produce a wide range of outcomes.

And more women ran in 2022 than in the five previous cycles combined  highlighting how allowing anyone to run, regardless of party, can boost opportunities for under-represented groups.

But the effect on how candidates and lawmakers have approached their jobs has been more dramatic still, advocates say.

Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, a Republican, told the Center for American Progress event that, after angering GOP voters by working collaboratively with Democrats, she lost her 2020 primary, held under the old election system, to a staunch conservative. Giessel had been in office since 2011.

Giessel said that when she ran again in 2022 under RCV-plus-Final-Four, her campaign didnt even buy the database showing voters party affiliations that most candidates rely on to identify supporters, because she needed to target voters of all stripes. Helped by being the second choice of many Democratic voters in the general election, Giessel won back her seat.

Youre requiring us as candidates to be much more authentic, Giessel said of the new system. Were not speaking to a party platform anymore. Were speaking to the citizens.

Giessel now leads a bipartisan majority coalition, formed within days of the election. Members have focused on consensus issues that are priorities for voters, including boosting education funding, lowering the cost of energy and passing a balanced budget.

We have seen much more collaboration on the budget, Giessel said. Theres a much more open process now, understanding that everyone needs to have input.

WHERE NEVADA FITS IN

An analysis by the R Street Institute, a center-right Washington, D.C., think tank, found Alaskas new election system gave citizens greater choice and elevated the most broadly appealing candidates, in turn improving representation.

Reformers in Nevada  gearing up for this years campaign to pass RCV-plus-Final-Five a second time after it won with 53% of the vote in 2022  have noticed Alaskas early success.

Over 40% of all registered voters in the Silver State arent affiliated with a major party, and the figure is growing. It was these voters frustration over being denied a voice in the states taxpayer-funded closed primaries that initially drove the push for reform, said Mike Draper, the communications director for Nevada Voters First, a political action committee that organized the ballot measure.

As in Alaska and elsewhere, there was also a related concern about politicians playing only to their base.

Candidates and electeds, through no fault of their own, are not incentivized to  work to solve problems, said Draper. The primary incentive is to make sure they stay in the good graces either of the party, or of that fringe group thats active in the primaries.

Top figures in both major parties, including Nevadas Republican governor and its two Democratic U.S. senators, oppose reform. A lawsuit brought by Democratic super-lawyer Marc Elias that aimed to keep the measure off the 2022 ballot was rejected by a judge.

SCHEME OF THE LEFT?

Though elected Democrats in Nevada and some other blue states have come out against reform, the most vocal opponents have been red-state Republicans and national conservative groups. They argue it would confuse voters and further reduce confidence in election results.

Some even see a progressive plot. An October analysis by the conservative Foundation for Government Accountability called RCV a scheme of the Left to disenfranchise voters and elect more Democrats.

Florida, Tennessee, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota  all Republican-controlled states  have passed legislation in recent years to ban RCV. Arizonas GOP-controlled legislature also passed an RCV ban, but it was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat.

In Alaska, conservatives have launched a campaign to advance a ballot measure repealing their states reform. Palin, who has blamed the system for her loss to Peltola last year, calling it wack, is playing a prominent role in the effort.

Still, advocates say there are also signs of emerging interest among some Republicans in other states.

In 2022, the GOP lost several winnable statewide races after primary voters nominated extremists like Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania and Kari Lake in Arizona. Now, some in the party think reform could allow them to advance more electable candidates.

Even among Republicans, Ive had my fair share of conversations where they are starting to recognize that the system isnt putting forward candidates who are necessarily the best general election winners, said Matt Germer, an associate director and elections fellow at the R Street Institute.

So theres even some growing interest among Republican electeds to say, hey, what were doing now is not growing our party. And if we really want to change our country, were going to need to grow our party, and that means appealing to enough voters to win elections.
Zimdancehall star Freeman under police investigation for suspected connections to armed robbery suspects

In a surprising turn of events, popular Zimdancehall artist Freeman, real name Energy Chizanga, finds himself at the center of a police investigation over alleged connections to armed robbery suspects. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the development in a statement posted on X (Twitter) Tuesday afternoon.

According to the official police statement, Freeman, aged 34, is currently being interviewed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Homicide unit as part of an ongoing investigation into criminal allegations and his alleged association with individuals involved in armed robbery cases.

The ZRP confirms that musician Energy Chizanga (34) aka Freeman is currently being interviewed by CID Homicide in connection with ongoing investigations into criminal allegations and association with armed robbery suspects. More details to be availed, said police on X.

This recent development comes shortly after Freeman distanced himself from any involvement in armed robbery activities following the death of his close acquaintance and music promoter, Godknows Machingura, during a shootout with law enforcement agents. Machingura, along with South African national Jabulani Ngobeni, was tragically shot dead, while four others were apprehended by the authorities.

Freeman had reportedly collaborated with Machingura in promoting his show in South Africa, yet the artist has vehemently denied any association with criminal activities.

As news of the police investigation spreads, the Zimdancehall community and the public at large are left in anticipation of further updates regarding the ongoing probe. Freemans fans, who have ardently supported his music career, are particularly concerned and await the conclusion of the investigation to ascertain the artists innocence.

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CARSON CITY  Over 80 laws passed by the Legislature in 2023 went into effect on Monday with the start of 2024. Among them are measures that restrict the use of solitary confinement in Nevada prisons and expand Medicaid coverage for postpartum care and adults with autism.

The group of the roughly 540 bills signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo after last years 120-day legislative session also include measures implementing higher penalties for selling tobacco products to people younger than 21 and expanding voting access for people in Nevada jails.

Over 300 laws went into effect in July and October.

Heres a look at some of the new bills going into effect:

HEALTH CARE

AB169: Labeling feminine hygiene products

Beginning this year, manufacturers of feminine hygiene products sold in Nevada must list all of the products ingredients.

Groups that lobbied for the legislation  including the Nevada Womens Lobby and the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence  said listing all ingredients is important for consumers so that they are aware of any potential allergens or toxins.

Any violation of the law is a gross misdemeanor.

SB132: Prohibiting discrimination against living donors

Insurance companies will soon be prohibited from discriminating against a person based on their status as a living donor  defined as a person who has donated an organ or portion of an organ to someone whose organ is no longer functioning.

Under the law, living donors cannot be denied health insurance because of their donor status, and their premiums cannot increase because of their decision to donate an organ.

SB161: Paying for menstrual products, contraceptive access

Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women Infants and Children (WIC) initiatives will now be able to use those benefits to pay for menstrual products, as long as there are sufficient federal funds available.

The legislation sponsored by Sen. Melanie Scheible (D-Las Vegas) also included a complex 60-page amendment that loosens certain regulations regarding the dispensing of a 12-month supply of contraceptives.

Under the amendment, which was adopted in the final hours of the Legislatures final day, if someone trying out a new type of birth control decides to change it within the first three months, they would be allowed to receive the remaining supply for the plan year of a different type of contraceptive. Previously, people who changed their birth control method within the first three months would not be entitled to a years worth of contraception of another type.

However, if someone has already received a years supply of contraception and they dont want to continue using that type of birth control, they are required to pay for the new type of contraceptive.

The amendment also allows someone who changes insurance to continue receiving their preferred contraception and receive a full years supply without a trial period. Nevada law previously required those changing insurance to restart their birth control supply and receive a trial three-month supply before being dispensed the full 12-month supply.

The bill also states that pharmacists can be paid the same as an OB-GYN while providing certain contraceptive services typically performed by an OB-GYN. During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill that allows women to receive birth control through a pharmacist, bypassing a doctors visit.

SB191: Expanding Medicaid eligibility for autism care

Nevada Medicaid will now cover autism care for adults who are up to 27 years old, an eligibility expansion expected to help nearly 130 Nevadans.

The covered care  applied behavior analysis  helps people with social interaction and communication skills, as well as reducing repetitive actions. Nevada Medicaid previously only covered this type of care for people with autism who are 21 and younger.

Supporters of the legislation said it is crucial because adults with autism also need support with learning how to maintain a job and living independently. Advocates have called it a positive step, but are pushing for lifelong insurance coverage of autism care.

SB232 and SB280: Expansion of postpartum care

Under SB232, Nevada Medicaid is expanding postpartum care to one year after the end of a pregnancy.

Previously, Medicaid only covered health care services through 60 days after the end of a pregnancy, which is required under federal law. This expansion aligns postpartum Medicaid coverage with newborns, who already received a years worth of Medicaid coverage.

The bill was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas), who gave birth during the 2023 legislative session.

Parts of SB280, another law relating to postpartum care, also went into effect Jan. 1. The law requires hospitals to provide for the insertion or injection of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)  which includes intrauterine devices (IUDs) or arm implants that prevent pregnancy for a certain number of years after a patient gives birth.

Hospitals have been required to provide those contraceptives since October. Beginning in January, insurers are prohibited from refusing to cover LARC injections after giving birth.

ELECTIONS

AB286: Expanding access to voting in jails

Eligible voters held in local jails on misdemeanor charges or awaiting trial will now be granted greater access to vote by requiring jails to develop policies for allowing voting to take place. Those policies must include plans to provide people in jail a reasonable amount of privacy to fill out their ballot, materials to fill out a ballot and plans to ensure the safety of election workers.

While state law bars those convicted of a felony who are serving time in prison from voting  with the right to vote automatically restored upon release from prison  people convicted of a misdemeanor who are serving time in a local jail are still legally allowed to vote.

SB216: Electronic voting for tribal members

Under this law, which was also spelled out in state regulations approved this fall, tribal members who reside on a reservation will be able to vote using the states Effective Absentee System for Elections (EASE), an online system typically used by overseas and military voters to cast their ballot. Its meant to expand voting access for tribal members who have historically faced difficulties in accessing polling locations.

PRISONS

SB307: Regulating use of solitary confinement

After years of efforts by Sen. Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas), this law will restrict the use of solitary confinement in Nevada prisons to 15 days, unless correctional officers believe it is necessary to keep the person in confinement for their safety or the safety of others.

The bill also requires the Nevada Department of Corrections to adopt regulations deeming use of solitary confinement to only be used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible.

In 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada published a report based on anonymous testimonies of 281 Nevada prisoners, who detailed the physical and psychological trauma of solitary confinement.

AB452: Prison visitation rules

NDOC must now implement policies that specify why a prisoners visitation may be canceled, as well as procedures for notifying people of a visitation cancellation and a new process for appeals to visitation rules.

The bill passed despite opposition from all Assembly Republicans and a majority of Senate Republicans.

The law also establishes a new Office of the Ombudsperson for Offenders within the attorney generals office, which will investigate complaints of abuse, neglect, confinement conditions and violations of state or NDOC policy. The ombudsperson is able to recommend policy changes to the Board of Prison Commissioners, which is chaired by the governor.

Advocates and families of incarcerated people pushed strongly for the bill and creation of an ombudsperson. A volunteer for Return Strong, an inmate advocacy group that helped present the bill, testified the organization has received thousands of complaints about prison conditions.

STATE GOVERNMENT

AB376: Paid family leave for state workers

State workers who take leave to care for seriously ill immediate family members or a new baby have typically not been guaranteed any pay during that time off, but starting this year, employees of the states executive branch will be granted eight weeks of paid family leave (at half their normal rate of pay).

Federal law already entitles state workers to 12 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave, but this bill, as part of an effort to retain staff, will provide paid leave to state workers if theyve met certain qualifications including being on the job for at least 12 consecutive months and having accrued at least 40 hours of sick leave.

AB139: Expanding demographic data collection

Starting this year, state government agencies that collect demographic data will be required to include a separate category for people of Middle Eastern or North African descent. The requirement does not extend to criminal justice agencies, but allows them to include such a category. Bill supporters have said the goal of the change is to capture more accurate data about those groups, such as Arab Americans, many of whom are typically identified as white under existing categories.

HOUSING

AB310: New supportive housing fund

This law establishes the Nevada Supportive Housing Development Fund and seeds the account with $30 million in state dollars to develop supportive housing units for people who are at risk or experiencing homelessness. That includes a broad range of housing options, such as affordable housing for people on fixed incomes and subsidized housing. The Nevada Housing Division will award grants from that fund for supportive housing projects.

EDUCATION

AB332: Regulating student loan servicers

Companies that handle the billing process for federal student loans and private student loan lenders will soon face more regulations.

AB332, sponsored by Assemblywoman Sarah Peters (D-Reno), adds a chapter to Nevada law that places the regulation of student loans under the jurisdiction of the states commissioner of financial institutions. The commissioner already regulates entities including banks and credit unions.

Under the regulations, any student loan servicer must receive a license approved by the commissioner.

OTHER

SB277: Increasing THC purchase amount

SB277, also dubbed the cannabis Christmas tree law, includes a lengthy list of changes to Nevadas cannabis industry.

Under the law, Nevadans can purchase up to 2 ounces of THC daily, an increase from the previous 1 ounce limit. People with felonies will also no longer be prohibited from serving on the boards of cannabis companies and from being owners in the cannabis marketplace or cannabis agent cardholders.

The bill also officially classifies medical cannabis dispensaries to be adult-use facilities and lowers licensing and renewal fees for certain establishments.

The bill passed mostly along party lines, with Democrats in support and Sen. Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas) the only legislative Republican in support.

AB53: Increasing penalties for selling tobacco to minors

Under this law, establishments that illegally sell tobacco or nicotine products to people younger than 21 will face steeper penalties. A first and second violation within a two-year period will be punishable by fines of $2,500 and $5,000, rather than the past punishment of a warning. The penalty for a third violation will increase from $500 to $7,500, with even greater penalties for further violations.

AB289: Composting human remains

This bill allows for the natural organic reduction of human remains, a process also known as human composting that accelerates the transformation of remains into nutrient-rich soil through decomposing in a container with biodegradable materials. The soil can then be returned to the deceased persons loved ones or donated for use in conservation land or restoration projects.

AB161: Identifying drivers with communications needs

Under this law, drivers will be able to voluntarily indicate to the DMV if they have special communication needs  a category that includes someone who is deaf, has a speech disorder or is neurodivergent. The DMV will be required to put a designation on the drivers license of that person, though the law provides that any person with a communication need is not required to disclose it to the DMV.

SB222: More money for jury duty

Nevadans called on to serve in juries can expect to see some additional funds.

This law increases the daily allotment from $40 to $65 for jurors who are still in attendance after the second day of jury selection.
Tragedy Strikes Zimbabwe: Seven lives lost in new years incidents

In a heartbreaking start to the new year, Zimbabwe experienced a series of unfortunate incidents resulting in the loss of seven lives across the country. The incidents, involving murder, drowning, and freak accidents, have left communities in mourning and authorities working tirelessly to establish the circumstances surrounding each case, according to a statement by national police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

One of the incidents occurred in Harare, where police are currently conducting investigations into the deaths of two women. Their lifeless bodies were discovered in the early hours of New Years Day outside Kasi Kasi Bar in Tafara. Initially, law enforcement was called to the area to restore order due to reports of a road blockade caused by a large crowd and haphazardly parked vehicles. However, their efforts were impeded by poor lighting conditions.

At approximately 3 a.m., authorities were alerted to a rowdy crowd, and within the vicinity of Kasi Kasi Bar and the main road connecting Mabvuku and Tafara, they found three women lying motionless. The victims were immediately rushed to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, but tragically, two of them were pronounced dead upon arrival.

Assistant Commissioner Nyathi cautioned the public and the media against jumping to conclusions, urging them to allow the police to conduct thorough investigations. The circumstances surrounding the womens deaths are yet to be determined, pending the completion of investigations and a post-mortem examination.

Expressing concern over the chaotic behavioUr witnessed during New Years Eve celebrations in Mabvuku, Assistant Commissioner Nyathi condemned the unruly conduct exhibited by motorists and the general public. He called upon liquor outlet operators to implement measures that ensure adequate parking space for patrons, aiming to prevent chaos and stampedes during major events.

Another devastating incident unfolded in Sunrise Township, Sanyati, Kadoma, where a 43-year-old man named Sifiso Bhebhe and his 8-year-old son, Devine Musandipa, lost their lives in a tragic drowning accident. The young boy fell into a 2-meter-deep pool when the edge he was sitting on gave way. In a desperate attempt to save his son, Mr. Bhebhe jumped into the pool but sadly drowned himself.

In a shocking turn of events, a female police officer lost her life in a freak accident along the Harare-Mutare road. The officer was struck by a dislodged wheel from a haulage trailer while she was standing by the roadside. Despite being rushed to Borradaile Hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.

Lastly, in Chipinge, a suspected mental patient identified as Benjamin Sithole, aged 28, was apprehended in connection with the murder of three-year-old Agnes Sigauke. The horrific crime allegedly occurred at Mwatsaka Village when Sithole, after being denied vegetables by the victims 20-year-old mother, fatally struck the childs head with a hoe.

As Zimbabwe grapples with these devastating incidents, communities are left in shock and grief. Authorities are working diligently to uncover the truth behind each tragedy, providing a glimmer of hope for justice and closure. The nation mourns the loss of these precious lives and renews its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.

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POLICE have issued a stern warning to insurgents, following various social media campaigns by known individuals and organisations that are threatening to compromise the countrys stability.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi assured the nation that the security situation in the country is peaceful and conducive for all socio-economic activities.

However, the police are aware of efforts by certain individuals and groups to engage in nefarious social and economic destabilising activities through unsanctioned gatherings, economic sabotage, and sending alarming messages to the public through social media and some activists, said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He said the police have a constitutional obligation to maintain law and order in the country and ensure that the Second Republics developmental projects under the National Development Strategy 1 take place in a conducive environment.

Therefore, any criminal inclination by individuals or groups will be decisively dealt with by the police. May I therefore reiterate and assure Zimbabweans that the Zimbabwe Republic Police is ready to deal with any malcontent and unruly elements bent on causing chaos, disorder, and despondency among Zimbabweans in the year 2024. The police urges Zimbabweans to continue with their normal day-to-day activities as the safety and security of everyone is guaranteed in the country, Asst Comm Nyathi said.

He said members of the public are free to report any acts of disturbance at any police station or the National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp number 0712 800 197.

Once again, the police assure Zimbabweans of a peaceful environment in the year 2024 as the enforcement of law will be conducted without fear or favour, said Asst Comm Nyathi.

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In a devastating incident this afternoon, a medical doctor stationed at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital lost his life after being struck by a dislodged wheel from a haulage truck near Orange Grove along the Harare-Chirundu Highway.

The doctor, whose identity has been withheld, was tragically hit during the lunch hour as he made his way to collect his child from a daycare center located along the same highway. The incident has sent shockwaves through the medical community, leaving hospital staff and colleagues grief-stricken.

Efforts by The Herald to get a comment from provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Ian Kohwera were futile this afternoon although hospital staff confirmed the sad incident.

This comes a few days after a female police officer lost her life when a wheel dislodged from a moving truck and struck her while she stood by the roadside. The unfortunate accident occurred in a moment of tragic misfortune, leaving the police force and the community in mourning.

According to the police, the dedicated officer tragically passed away upon admission to the hospital. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the incident on Tuesday, shedding light on the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the officers untimely demise.

Web design in Zimbabwe

The incident unfolded at the 51-kilometer peg along the Harare-Mutare Road when a haulage truck, registered as ACZ 3265 and owned by Shereni Transport, experienced a wheel dislodgement from its trailer. The wheel, propelled by the trucks momentum, struck the female police officer who was standing on the left side of the road. Despite immediate medical attention at Borradaile Hospital, her injuries proved fatal, leaving the entire police force and the community in shock and sorrow.

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Cute but lethal! Worlds most dangerous CAT arrives at Utah zoo: Black-footed feline looks similar to a house cat  but is a killing machine that scores prey in six out of ten hunts Daily Mail (Li)

The Healing Power of Tango Counterpunch

Flipped coins found not to be as fair as thought PhysOrg (Dr. Kevin)

Almost Half of British Teens Feel Addicted To Social Media, Study Says Guardian

Reclaim Your Brain Guardian (Kevin W)

#COVID-19

A raging inferno of COVID is surging nationwide35 states now report HIGH or VERY HIGH COVID levels and this doesnt even include the new post-holiday gathering wave from Xmas/NYE. And even if many are mildLong COVID is not and affects 10-33% of milder cases. #CovidIsNotOver https://t.co/F2MNbO3kzJ  Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) January 3, 2024 "[According to recent studies,] People who received 2 or more shots of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have been reported to have unusually elevated concentrations of IgG4 antibodies.. which has been related to decreased protection against infections..

The described rise in IgG4  Hiroshi Yasuda () (@Yash25571056) January 3, 2024

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US feeling the pain of slow-motion decoupling Asia Times (Kevin W)

What might global LNG trade look like in 2024? EnergyFlux (Micael T)

The Bezzle

Driverless Cars Immune From Traffic Tickets In California Under Current Laws NBC Saving the Panama Canal Will Take Years and Cost Billions, If Its Even Possible Bloomberg. Here because one of the leading live overseas newsletters has been pushing Panama hard for years, in part because they look to have serious conflicts of interest (they promote real estate projects). Panama is having to look at big-time desalination because there is not enough water for the canal and farming.

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour:

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Yves here. Les Leopold gives a layperson-friendly, high-level overview of how health cares high costs, particularly those draining the cash cow of Medicare, are due to corporate profiteering.

I have a wee quibble about the framing. The rentierism has very deep roots. The privatization of Medicare via Medicare Advantage is a health insurer initiative, turbo charged by ideological appeal. And even though private equity price gouging and service crapification is growing by leaps and bounds, they have been fairly late to the party, as in the big uptick in their participation is in the last ten years or so.

However, the flip side is private equity firms are enormously influential. Not only are the principals in their firms lavish political donors, but they are rumored to pressure the executives at investee companies to donate too. And they generate over half of Wall Street fees and are estimated to generate a similar level of top consulting firm and top law firm billings. So now that they have their tentacles deep into health care, they will be extremely difficult to dislodge.

By Les Leopold, the executive director of the Labor Institute and author of the forthcoming book Wall Streets War on Worker s: How Mass Layoffs and Greed Are Destroying the Working Class and What to Do About It. Originally published at Common Dreams

Creating a sane healthcare system will depend on building a massive common movement to free our economy from Wall Streets wealth extraction.

The United States health care system more costly than any on earthwill become ever more so as Wall Street increasingly extracts money from it.

Private equity funds own approximately 9% of all private hospitals and 30% of all proprietary for-profit hospitals, including 34% that serve rural populations. Theyve also bought up nursing homes and doctors practices and are investing more year by year. The net impact? Medical costs to the government and to patients have gone up while patients have suffered more adverse medical results, according to two current studies.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published a paper which found:

Private equity acquisition was associated with increased hospital-acquired adverse events, including falls and central lineassociated bloodstream infections, along with a larger but less statistically precise increase in surgical site infections.

This should not come as a surprise. Private equity firms in general operate as follows: They raise funds from investors to purchase enterprises using as much borrowed money as possible. That debt does not fall on the private equity firm or its investors, however. Instead, all of it is placed on the books of the purchased entity. If a private equity firm borrows money and buys up a nursing home or hospital chain, the debt goes on the books of these healthcare facilities in what is called a leveraged buyout.

To service the debt, the enterprises management, directed by their private equity ownership, must reduce costs, and increase its cash flow. The first and easiest way to reduce costs is by reducing the number of staff and by decreasing services. Of course, the quality of care then suffers. Meanwhile, the private equity firm charges the company fees in order to secure its own profits.

An even larger study of private equity and health was completed this summer and published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). After reviewing 1,778 studies it concluded that after private equity firms purchased healthcare facilities, health outcomes deteriorated, costs to patients or payers increased, and overall quality declined.

One former executive at a private equity firm that owns an assisted-living facility near Boulder, Colorado, candidly described why the firm was refusing to hire and retain high-quality caregivers: Their position was: We are trying to increase our profitability. Care is an ancillary part of the conversation.

Medicare Advantage Creates Wall Street Advantages

Congress passed the Medicare Advantage program in 2003. Its proponents claimed it would encourage competition and greater efficiency in the provision of health insurance for seniors. At the time, privatization was all the rage as the Democratic and Republican parties competed to please Wall Street donors. It was argued that Medicare, which was actually much more efficient than private insurance companies, needed the iron fist of profit-making to improve its services. These new private plans were permitted to compete with Medicare Part C (Medigap) supplemental insurance.

In 2007, 19% of Medicare recipients enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. By 2023 enrollment had risen to 51% . These heavily marketed plans are attractive because many dont charge additional monthly premiums, and they often include dental, vision, and hearing coverage, which Medicare does not. And in some plans, other perks get thrown in, like gym memberships and preloaded over-the-counter debit cards for use in pharmacies for health items.

How is it possible for Medical Advantage to do all this and still make a profit?

According to a report by the Physicians for a National Health Program , its very simplethey overcharge the government, that is we, the taxpayers, by a minimum of $88 billion per year. The report says it could be as much as $140 billion.

In addition to inflating their bills to the government, these HMO plans dont pay doctors outside of their networks, deny or slow needed coverage to patients, and delay legitimate payments. As Dr. Kenneth Williams, CEO of Alliance HealthCare, said of Medicare Advantage plans, They dont want to reimburse for anything  deny, deny, deny. They are taking over Medicare and they are taking advantage of elderly patients.

Enter Hedge Funds

With so much taxpayer money sloshing around in the system, hedge funds also are cashing in. They have bought large quantities of stock in the healthcare companies that are milking the government through their Medicare Advantage programs. They then insist that these healthcare companies initiate stock buybacks, inflating the price of their stock and the financial return to the hedge funds. Stock buybacks are a simple way to transfer corporate money to the largest stock-sellers.

(A stock buyback is when a corporation repurchases its own stock. The stock price invariably goes up because the companys earnings are spread over a smaller number of shares. Until they were deregulated in 1982, stock buybacks were essentially outlawed because they were considered a form of stock price manipulation.)

United Healthcare, for example, is the largest player in the Medicare Advantage market, accounting for 29% of all enrollments in 2023. It also has handsomely rewarded its hedge fund stock-sellers to the tune of $45 billion in stock buybacks since 2007, with a third of that coming since March 2020. Cigna, another big Medicare Advantage player, just announced a $10 billion stock buyback .

These repurchases are also extremely lucrative for United Healthcares top executives, who receive most of their compensation through stock incentives. CEO Andrew Witty, for example, hauled in $20.9 million in 2022 compensation , of which $16.4 million came from stock and stock option awards.

A look at the pharmaceutical industry shows where all this is heading. Between 2012 and 2021, fourteen of the largest publicly traded pharmaceutical companies spent $747 billion on stock buybacks and dividends, more than the $660 billion they spent on research and development, according to a report by economists William Lazonick and Oner Tulum. Little wonder that drug prices are astronomically high in the U.S.

And so, the gravy train is loaded and rolling, delivering our tax dollars via Medicare Advantage reimbursements to companies like United Healthcare and Big Pharma, which pass it on to Wall Street private equity firms and hedge funds.

Its Not Just Healthcare

In researching my book, Wall Streets War on Workers , we found that private equity firms and hedge funds are undermining the working class through leveraged buyouts and stock buybacks. When private equity moves in, mass layoffs (just like healthcare staff cuts and shortages) almost always follow so that the companies can service their debt and private equity can extract profits. When hedge funds insist on stock repurchases, mass layoffs are used to free up cash in order to buy back their shares. As a result, between 1996 and today, we estimate that more than 30 million workers have gone through mass layoffs.

Meanwhile, stock buybacks have metastasized throughout the economy. In 1982, before deregulation, only about 2% of all corporate profits went to stock buybacks. Today, it is nearly 70%.

Those of us fighting for Medicare for All, therefore, have much in common with every worker who is losing his or her job as a result of leveraged buyouts and stock buybacks. Every fight to stop a mass layoff is a fight against the same Wall Street forces that are attacking Medicare and trying to privatize it. Creating a sane healthcare system, therefore, will depend on building a massive common movement to free our economy from Wall Streets wealth extraction.

To take the wind out of Medicare Advantage and Wall Streets rapacious sail through our healthcare system, we dont need more studies. Its time to outlaw leveraged buyouts and stock buybacks.
NATOs Support and Procurement Agency will support a coalition of Allies, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain to procure up to 1,000 Patriot missiles to strengthen their air defences amid Russias war against Ukraine. The contract will expand the European production of the missiles, enhancing supply and ensuring the replenishment of Allied stockpiles.

I welcome Allies timely announcement to invest in up to 1,000 new Patriot air defence missiles to bolster the Alliances security, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. This investment shows the strength of transatlantic defence cooperation and NATOs commitment to keeping our people safe. Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns show how important modern air defences are. Scaling-up ammunition production is key for Ukraines security and for ours.

The $5.5 billion contract has been awarded to COMLOG, a joint venture between the US company Raytheon and German company MBDA, located in Schrobenhausen, Germany. The large volume of the order will support the set up of a production facility for Patriot missiles in Germany. Patriot air defense systems can be used to defend against aircraft, helicopters and missiles, intercepting them at great distances. In the wake of Russias war against Ukraine, NATO has deployed Patriot missile batteries to protect its Allies on its eastern flank. NATO Allies have also delivered Patriot systems to Ukraine and are committed to further bolstering Ukraines defences.
California to give illegals taxpayer-funded healthcare

The Peoples Republic of California will soon be offering lawless illegal aliens healthcare, courtesy of the states taxpayers.

(Article by Catherine Salgado republished from PJMedia.com)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom loves nothing more than tyrannizing American citizens and rewarding criminals  naturally, since hes a Democrat. The latest news from the land of fruits and nuts is that illegal aliens there will, as of Jan. 1, 2024, have access to free healthcare. In other words, citizens will be forced to pay for non-citizens to receive healthcare in a country where they shouldnt be in the first place.

Western Journal reported on Dec. 30:

In 2015, the state legislature allowed for children to be entered into Medi-Cal. Then in 2019, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law allowing illegals up to ages 25 to gain access to Medi-Cal. On the heels of that expansion, Medi-Cal was then opened up to illegals aged 50 and up. According to California Democrat State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, the expansion set to go into effect on Monday will allow the remainder of the illegal alien population, an additional 700,000 illegals, to enter Medi-Cal.

Mind you, California doesnt even have the money to pay for its current programs, let alone 700,000 more illegal aliens healthcare. Earlier in December, it was reported that the state of California faces a $68 billion deficit. How on earth is Democrat government spending sustainable?

Durazo made the outrageous claim that healthcare is a human right, a claim which would have astounded the Founding Fathers. This historic investment speaks to Californias commitment to health care as a human right, Durazo pontificated. Except that healthcare as a right implies that someone is obligated to provide you his labor, regardless of compensation or choice, which is the definition of slavery.

Western Journal noted that Gov. Newsom is very proud of the legislation. In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage  regardless of income or immigration status, Newsoms office said in comments to ABC News. Through this expansion, were making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it. This from the governor who forced the injurious COVID-19 vaccines on Californians of all ages, regardless of evidence that they did not protect people from COVID-19.

Ultimately, this isnt about compassion and ensuring high quality healthcare for residents of California. Its about destroying society as we know it, undermining the Constitution, and erasing the concept of nations with distinct borders. Thats really the goal of the Democrats, including Gov. Hair-Do Newsom and the other leftists running California into the ground.

Read more at: PJMedia.com
Hoi An is named among worlds top 7 trending destinations for 2024 by TripAdvisor

(Source: https://baoquangnam.vn)

The US website shared that Vietnam is swiftly becoming more popular among American tourists thanks to its breathtaking natural beauty, vibrant culture, delicious food, affordable prices, and great cities.

Hoi An is one of the best cities in Vietnam, famous for its well-preserved Ancient Town and its unique blend of multiple cultural influences, from Chinese to French, says Travel Off Path.

Hoi An ancient town (Source: Travel + Leisure.)

The city was also listed among the nine best city destinations with beaches by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) of Hong Kong (China). It also was among the 25 most beautiful cities in the world as named by Travel + Leisure.

Rounding off the list of TripAdvisors top 7 trending destinations for this year is Cuba, Mauritius, Siem Reap of Cambodia, Chiang Mai of Thailand, Grand Cayman of Cayman Islands, and Fes of Morocco.

Cruise ship brings over 2,000 foreign tourists to Da Nang

The cruise ship Westerdam brought over 2,000 tourists and 781 crew members, mostly from the Netherlands, docked at Tien Sa Port in the central city of Da Nang on January 2, reported VNA.

Foreign tourists are welcomed at Tien Sa Port in the central city of Da Nang on January 2 (Photo: VNA)

There are also British, French, Italian, Danish, Hungarian, Australian, Canadian, US and Japan tourists on board.

This marks the first international cruise to visit the central city during the New Year.

Upon their arrival, the tourists were given flowers and gifts and treated to lion dance performances.

During their stay in Da Nang, they were scheduled to visit some tourist destinations, including Ngu Hanh Son Mountain, Linh Ung Pagoda, and the Cham Sculpture Museum.

The city received 22 international cruise ships with 18,000 passengers last year. It is expected to welcome 45 more ships with more than 40,000 travellers this year.

Koreans, Chinese top foreign arrivals in Vietnam

According to VNA, Vietnam welcomed 12.6 million international arrivals in 2023, with the Republic of Korea (RoK) and China being the largest source markets, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

Foreign visitors touring the Hanoi Old Quarter on cyclos (Photo: VNA)

The biggest group of visitors came from the RoK with 3.6 million, while a further 1.7 million arrived from China.

The VNAT said that the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam accounted for 70% of the figure recorded in 2019  the time before the COVID-19 outbreak.

A good recovery was seen in the US, the RoK, Taiwan (China), Thailand and Indonesia, while upbeat signs came from the Europe, especially Spain, Germany, the UK and France.

China  a traditional tourism feeder market of Vietnam had a slow recovery rate of 30%, and Russia only 19%.

Foreign visitors at Ha Long International Cruise Port (Photo: VNA)

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecast that the global tourism is on track of full recovery in 2024, reaching the pre-COVID level.

International visitors demand continues to revolve, requiring countries to improve the quality of the tourism offerings and experience, they said, adding advanced technologies such as AI and digital transformation will speed up the formation of new challenges for the tourism sector.

This year, Vietnam eyes to welcome 17-18 million international visitors, and serve 110 million domestic ones. Total tourism revenue is targeted at around 840 trillion VND (34.6 billion USD).

Especially, the Visit Vietnam Year  Dien Bien 2024 with 169 national and provincial programmes and events is expected to bring new experience to visitors.

Last year, the country gained some 678 trillion VND in tourism revenue, surpassing 4.3% of the set target./.
Court ruling means full extent of secret CIA plot against Julian Assange might be uncovered

A federal court in New York has ruled that the CIA and UC Global violated the privacy and constitutional rights of four U.S. citizens  two lawyers and two journalists  during their meetings with the whistleblower and founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The four plaintiffs sued the CIA and former director Mike Pompeo, along with a former Spanish Special Forces soldier, David Morales, who owned a surveillance firm contracted to provide the embassy with security known as UC Global.

The ruling means the lawsuit will advance in federal court after the judge rejected an appeal by the CIA to throw the case out. Judge John G. Koeltl has acknowledged the plaintiffs rights were violated when UC Global employees unlawfully photographed the passwords and content of their mobile phones while they visited Assange.

Visitors were routinely required to hand over their phones, passports and other forms of identity on the pretense of security. While they visited Assange, the security employees photographed visitors' documents and opened their phones, taking photos of everything on the devices. This information was allegedly shared with the CIA by the UC Global Security Company.

What information will come to light about the CIA?

The suit is not just a major win for the plaintiffs; it also has the CIA on edge as the plaintiffs are now going to seek full declassification of CIA documents related to the covert operation as part of the legal discovery process in the case.

An investigation by the Spanish newspaper El Pais found numerous video and audio recordings, along with emails and other documents that the plaintiffs presented in court. The judge determined they had sufficient evidence supporting their claim that Morales was collaborating or serving as an agent for the CIA under Pompeo.

The CIA reportedly wanted to spy on Assanges conversations while his team was preparing to fight against an extradition request for him to face charges in the U.S. related to the revelation of secret information about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, even going so far as to place hidden microphones in the bathrooms used by Assanges lawyers.

Many observers are expecting big revelations about the CIA in the discovery process. Speaking on The Hill TVs Rising, Assanges brother, Gabriel Shipton, said: I think this will be very, very revealing. A lot should come out in court during these proceedings that will affect Julians case as well, but also the American citizens who seem to be, these days, more and more spied on. You know, freedom of speech is being curtailed all over the place, whether its social media or the national security-style investigative reporting that Julian was involved in.

Information about the CIAs activities in the UKs Ecuadorian embassy came to light thanks to a Yahoo News investigation in September 2021 citing dozens of former and current intelligence sources in the Trump White House and Pompeo's CIA exposing the clandestine operation.

The four plaintiffs are lawyers for Assange, Deborah Hrbek and Margaret Ratner Kunstler, along with journalists Charles Glass and John Goetz, who specialize in national security matters. However, these four individuals aren't the only ones who were subjected to CIA-ordered surveillance; more than 100 American citizens were victims; even Assanges meetings with doctors were recorded.

They had the whole place bugged. Essentially, it was a CIA black site running in the middle of London, Shipton noted.

He added: Whats happened to Julian and the people around him and these journalists is just its just growing and growing. Its becoming this huge, huge scandal. A scandal for the Trump administration but now a scandal for the Biden administration as they continue to pursue Julian with this unprecedented Espionage Act prosecution.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

TheHill.com

ElPais.com
Fight this information war with KISSes

I believe in the KISS principle: keep it simple, stupid. I do my best to boil events down to their essential truths and then hammer those truths again and again. Repetition is my weapon of choice.

(Article by J.B. Shurk republished from AmericanThinker.com)

The reason I stick to this strategy has nothing to do with who is reading. It has to do with the nature of the war we are already fighting. Never before in human history have people been so bombarded by lies and propaganda from their own political leaders. The information warfare that the U.S. government and other Western nations use against their own peoples is meant to conquer minds with direct programming instead of directed bullets.

How do you counter-program people who have been indoctrinated for years, if not decades? You KISS them, so that theyll KISS others, and a steady flow of simple truths can begin to crack the glass of our invisible cage. The whole thing sounds quite dirty and promiscuous, but constantly reminding ourselves what is actually true in a blizzard of lies is an admirable pursuit. Crafty French diplomat Talleyrand, who managed to keep his head through both the French Revolution and the reign of Napoleon, observed, Speech was given to man to conceal his thoughts. The Marxist globalists who use censorship and propaganda as shield and sword are Talleyrands ardent disciples.

The size of the information war being conducted against us is astounding, and because the formerly free press has been conquered and conditioned to support the State, news outlets willing to report the truth are few. When the corporate news cartel controls 95% of the information flow and the Department of Homeland Security is effectively censoring the remaining 5%, it becomes essential for those of us who see this war as it really is to sound a little like broken records. Using labels such as Deep State, Uniparty, Marxist globalists, ruling class, and elites is a form of subversive branding meant to align us against a common enemy. Make American Great Again is more than a jingle or campaign slogan; it is an attempt to cut through artificial political divisions so that abused citizens can find common purpose. Rejecting woke dogma, political correctness, and other Marxist distortions of truth is a form of mental armor that defends against the governments unabating propaganda. Repetition of simple truths must meet the repetition of outrageous lies head-on.

Why do I bring this up? Because the information warfare leveled against us is going to become much worse. A Canadian court recently ruled that describing drag queens who perform in front of children as groomers is not protected speech. Western governments war against moral virtue has become so obscene that those who abuse children have become a legally protected class. Hate speech laws  that novel approach by Marxist globalists to criminalize all dissent  are silencing people throughout the West.

Read more at: AmericanThinker.com
Intramuscular vaccines (i.e., COVID jabs) CANNOT produce mucosal immunity in respiratory airways immunity promises were ALWAYS A HOAX

New research published in the peer-reviewed journal reveals that the so-called "vaccines" created for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) were never intended to stop the spread of the so-called "virus"  so what are theyfor?

The paper states in no uncertain terms that currently available Wuhan Flu jabs "are unable to induce robust immunity in the mucosal tissues lining the airways," the reason being that intramuscular vaccines cannot, by their very nature, produce mucosal immunity in respiratory airways period.

Authored by Zhou Xing and Mangalakumari Jeyanathan, the paper makes a case for a new "next-wave inhalable dry powder COVID vaccine" to replace existing injectable vaccines, which Xing and Jeyanathan say do not work.

According to the paper, injectable vaccines lack the ability to induce respiratory mucosal immunity following local lung delivery. In other words, even if a person gets jabbed for COVID or, say, seasonal influenza, he or she can still get sick upon inhaling these diseases since the shots they previously received provide no true immunity.

That such an admission is so blatant made in the study, and that nobody else seems to be talking about it, illustrates how truly unscientific vaccines, and especially COVID vaccines, are in terms of failing to do what they are advertised as doing.

"Intramuscularly injected vaccines cannot induce immunity in the mucosal tissues of the airways, which is the site of SARS-CoV-2 entry," the paper clearly states.

There's a scandal of epic proportions brewing here. A new study in Nature now asserts that mRNA "vaccines" were by their very nature never able to stop the spread. Impossible in theory and practice. Yet that was the excuse used to force everyone to get injected with this stuff. https://t.co/UD6OjBxvYy pic.twitter.com/5AHOKYbxmE  Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) December 13, 2023

(Related: A former health official in Italy faces murder charges for concealing deaths caused by COVID injections.)

Inhaled or injectable, no vaccine is safe

It would seem as though the plan now is to start replacing old-generation injectable vaccines with new, next-generation inhalable vaccines. This is probably why even mainstream science and media is starting to admit that actual needle jab vaccines provide no protection against respiratory diseases like COVID.

Up until now, as you may recall, injectable vaccines were already "settled science." Anyone who questioned the safety and effectiveness of vaccines was immediately dubbed an "anti-vaxxer" for promoting "anti-science conspiracy theories."

Now, the vaccine industry itself seems to be pivoting away from injectable vaccines as well by finally admitting that they never worked in the first place. Then, once public confidence in injectable vaccines has considerably waned, Big Pharma will unleash next-generation inhalable vaccines to create another windfall profit stream.

"The jab was designed to destroy your immune system and kill you," one commenter wrote about what she thinks about the true purpose of COVID injections. "Now we have turbo cancers."

"The poisonous spike protein will induce auto immune diseases. Anyone STUPID enough to take the next poison they roll out is a MORON. All this for a virus with a 99+% survival rate? IV vitamin C at therapeutic levels cures every viral thing, but Goldman Sachs says cheap, effective cures aren't a good business model. Systemic 10-pass ozone will cure even Ebola. Nuremberg trials and executions are in order."

Another wrote that he is surprised anyone still trusts doctors after all that has come to light since the "pandemic."

"I am constantly at odds with my GP," said another about his relationship with his general practitioner. "She keeps pushing various vaccinations and BP medication. I'm healthy as a horse at age 75. Why does she keep pushing medicines that I really dont want any part of at the moment?"

To learn more about the dangers and ineffectiveness of vaccines, visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

Nature.com

NaturalNews.com
Israel expects war in Gaza to continue for many more months  so the IDF can slaughter yet more innocent civilians while claiming self-defense

Israel's top military commander, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, has cautioned that the protracted war in Gaza is anticipated to extend for "many more months." The rationale behind this prolonged timeline, as articulated by Halevi, lies in the comprehensive and determined effort required to thoroughly dismantle the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Since the conflict erupted on October 7, the toll on human lives has been substantial, with close to 21,000 casualties reported in Gaza, according to local health officials. The war was triggered by surprise attacks from Hamas on southern Israel, resulting in significant loss of life and the taking of hundreds of hostages.

Halevi stressed that there are no quick fixes or shortcuts in the process, underscoring the importance of steadfastness and determination in the fight against terrorism. (Related: Israels GENOCIDE in Gaza leads to rising global pro-Palestine sentiment.)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed these sentiments, asserting that the war with Hamas is far from concluded. Netanyahu emphasized the necessity of destroying Hamas, demilitarizing Gaza and deradicalizing Palestinian society to establish conditions conducive to lasting peace.

The prime minister's remarks underscore the gravity of the objectives pursued by Israel in the conflict.

Halevi shared insights into the strategic approach of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), mentioning the expansion of operations into central and southern Gaza following the successful dismantling of most Hamas battalions in the northern part of the Palestinian enclave.

He outlined the achievements of the IDF, including the elimination of numerous terrorists and commanders, the surrender of some to Israeli forces, and the capture of hundreds of prisoners. Additionally, the IDF has successfully destroyed numerous underground infrastructures and weapons.

Acknowledging the complexity of the territory in which the war is waged, Halevi emphasized the necessity of employing diverse methods to ensure that the goals achieved will be sustained for an extended period. This recognition of the intricate nature of the conflict underscores the challenges and strategic considerations driving the prolonged timeline for the war.

Israel shifts focus on southern Gaza

Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft conducted overnight airstrikes on the southern Gaza Strip, indicating potential preparations for an expansion of the military's ground offensive.

Despite growing international pressure to de-escalate the conflict and domestic calls for a deal to free hostages held in Gaza, Netanyahu and other leaders vowed to continue the fight.

The military appeared ready for an intensified push into the central and southern parts of the Strip.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, addressing Knesset lawmakers, characterized the conflict as a "long, tough war" with heavy costs but emphasized its justification.

He stated that Israel would continue to punish Hamas for its October 7 attack, whether it takes months or years. Gallant also mentioned that Israel was engaged on "seven fronts" and had retaliated on six of them.

The overnight airstrikes targeted over 100 Hamas sites in the southern Gaza Strip, serving as support for ground forces, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Residents of central Gaza reported a night of shelling and airstrikes in areas like Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij, where many people had fled from the north.

The military is believed to be shifting its offensive toward Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, where leaders of the Hamas militant group are suspected to have fled.

Visit WWIII.news for the latest updates about the Israel-Hamas war.

Watch this footage from Shejaiya, east of the city center in Gaza.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

UNRWA warns of growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid continued Israeli bombings.

U.S. denounces Israels expanded military operations amid rising civilian deaths in Gaza.

Israel wants U.S. and Western allies to take in Gaza refugees.

Sources include:

SHTFPlan.com

TimesOfIsrael.com

Brighteon.com
Olathe Northwest High School in Kansas has approved the establishment of "High School Satan Club" as part of its extracurricular offerings despite strong opposition from students and parents.

Drew McDonald, an Olathe Northwest student, initiated a petition and gathered over 7,800 signatures against the establishment of the satanic club on campus. "Recently, I discovered that there are plans to establish a Satan Worship/Satan Templist Club at Olathe Northwest High School. This deeply troubles me and many others in our community, as we believe that schools should be places of education and growth, not platforms for satanic indoctrination or controversial practices," McDonald wrote.

But Erin Schulte, the assistant director of communications for Olathe Public Schools, defended the decision. She explained that the club was approved after meeting all necessary criteria through a demonstration of support from at least 10 interested students, outlining its difference from other existing clubs and an explanation of the unique contributions it would bring to the school. (Related: Connecticut school under fire for hosting December launch of After-School Satan Club.)

Schulte pointed to the federal Equal Access Act as the legal basis for the decision. She emphasized that schools are prohibited from denying students equal access to extracurricular groups based on religious, political, philosophical or other speech. The Act mandates that if a school allows one non-academic group to meet on school premises outside regular hours, it must also permit other similar groups. Olathe Northwest High School already has a Christian club, AWAKE, which meets after school.

"There are a wide variety of different extracurricular clubs at the secondary level that are centered around religions, philosophies, politics, and values. These clubs are voluntarily attended by students and occur outside of the regular school day. As a school district, Olathe Public Schools follows both state and federal laws related to student groups," Schulte said.

The signatories cited different reasons for their opposition, including Christian beliefs, general moral concerns and unease about the potential impact of the club on the school atmosphere. However, some acknowledged that the club is likely protected under the First Amendment.

"[It] seems we lost this round and I don't agree with it, but consider this: Its within their First Amendment rights in our own Constitution for them to assemble. Other school districts have lost this battle in court. I think its better to have no religious groups on school property than this," wrote a local parent named Gregory Austin.

ASSC claims are DECEPTIVE
Marc Crispin Miller decries COVID as a global propaganda masterpiece

A renowned propaganda expert from New York University (NYU) says the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" was a global "propaganda masterpiece" from infection to injection.

Prof. Mark Crispin Miller believes that what happened during COVID is unlike anything that has ever happened in human history, basically describing it as a propaganda effort on steroids.

"The media has been crucial to this entire operation, and I would take that a little further," Miller is quoted as saying. "I would say since the beginning of 2020, we have been subjected to a 'Rolling Thunder of Propaganda' drives one after another."

It all started with the so-called "virus," which the government and media used to drum up the world into a frenzy. Then, while everyone was stuck at home on lockdown, the George Floyd false flag was unleashed on Minneapolis and the world.

Much of the world missed it, but just like many had warned, the George Floyd incident was a psychological operation (psy-op) in that he was not murdered as claimed. All of this and more is discussed in the new documentary "The Fall of Minneapolis."

"There was the 2020 election," Miller further said about the next piece of propaganda to emerge after COVID and George Floyd. "There was the so-called 'insurrection.' That was a wave of crackpot hysteria ... because it was not an insurrection ... or coup attempt."

"Then there was Ukraine, and the entire back story of Russia's invasion was completely missing from all the coverage ... This is all the result of the media doing the opposite of what it is supposed to do."

(Related: The latest COVID "booster" shot is not a booster at all, but rather an entire new and untested "vaccine" injection.)

Founding Fathers warned America wouldn't last without a free press

While the United States supposedly, at least on paper, enshrines freedom of the press in the Constitution, in practice there is very little truth being told by today's media.

Over the past three or so years especially, we watched as the media spread lie after lie after lie as part of a divide-and-conquer strategy of taking down the country through carefully curated propaganda.

"The 'framers' (of the Constitution) realized the absolute necessity of having a free press," Miller said. "This was before the corporate media cartels, which is what we have now."

"The framers knew ... to offer a counterforce to federal power, we absolutely had to have a free press. The reason why the press has First Amendment protections is it ... tells truths the federal authorities do not want us to know."

Were it not for the corrupt, lying press, America would not be nearly as bad off as it currently is. There never would have been a "pandemic" at all had the media not pumped the population with nonstop COVID propaganda day after day, week after week and year after year in accordance with government mandates and decrees.

A truly free press would have questioned just about everything the government fomented and pushed on the nation as "solutions" to the so-called "virus" rather than promote it all as "scientific."

"To say the press has failed abysmally is actually giving them too much credit," Miller maintains.

"They have been instrumental throughout this nightmare, whose aim is radical depopulation and destruction of democracy ... if you just tell the other side of the story, you are public enemy No. 1."

Except for perhaps a global thermal nuclear exchange, nothing has successfully depopulated the planet to the degree that COVID has. More than 700 million mRNA (modRNA) bioweapon injections were administered in the U.S. alone, along with 13 billion elsewhere around the globe.

More of the latest news about the COVID "pandemic" can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
San Francisco boasted they would hire thousands of sacked Twitter employees  It didnt happen

One of the biggest shock events in the history of digital communications took place in April of 2022 when Elon Musk followed through on his promise to purchase Twitter (now known as X). The buyout took place amid the chaos of covid hype and in the middle of a full spectrum mass censorship campaign organized by Big Tech companies and multiple government agencies and officials.

(Article by Tyler Durden republished from ZeroHedge.com)

In early 2022, it was nearly impossible to make statements regarding certain hot button issues; any information contrary to the establishment narrative about covid vaccines, gender ideology, Hunter Biden's laptop, the war in Ukraine, or the events of January 6th were treated as radioactive. Tens of thousands of people lost their social media accounts merely for reprinting the facts.

Musk reactivated many of these accounts (including Zero Hedge's account) after taking control of the company, and then targeted the root of the censorship regime: The far-left management as well as the incredible number of activist moderators employed by the website to monitor and silence dissent.

Not surprisingly, this action triggered a mob of journalists as well as government bureaucrats who threatened investigations into Musk's takeover while entertaining the possibility of shutting the company down completely. The government's collusion with Big Tech to violate the 1st Amendment rights of Americans was exposed and leftists lost one of their biggest online echo chambers. Their veritable monopoly was broken. Musk also proved that Twitter was a bloated farce after firing over 80% of Twitter staff (more than 6000 people), only for the platform to function just fine without them.

The woke regime was not done posturing yet, though. In November of 2022 San Francisco Mayor London Breed attempted to stick it to Musk when she announced that the city would offer 4800 vacant positions to the fired Tweeps (Twitter employees).

It's not surprising that the city government believed thousands of activist managers and censors would find easy homes within the local bureaucracy, but the purpose of the Mayor's offer was more likely to send a message. What was the message? That leftists will be protected from the consequences of their decisions and behavior. If they are ever made to reap the whirlwind, the hive will respond and ensure that they fail upwards; that they are granted more favors and more benefits to offset what few punishments they might endure.

It's the ever present reward for fealty to the leftist cause; no failure is left behind. At least, in theory...

Breed had recently attacked Musk in a Bloomberg interview as the person who got a ton of tax breaks in California and decided to take that money and run," after he moved Tesla out of California and set up shop in Texas. Her hostility to the mogul's business efforts was no secret.

Riding the wave of anti-Musk sentiment in CA might have seemed valuable at the time and giving reassurance to activists that no one would really suffer consequences made the woke movement feel at ease, but following through on bold claims is not something leftists are known for.

As it turned out, the mass job offer for fired Tweeps was nothing more than a virtue signal.

It's been over a year since the San Francisco Mayor claimed that the city could use 4800 tech workers in civic roles, yet, only 16 people have been hired by the city so far for those positions. It is unknown if any of these people actually worked at Twitter previously.

Most critics suggest that the city's notoriously slow hiring process is to blame for the tiny hiring pool, with many people waiting up to 260 days after the application process to find out if they have a position.

Then there is the issue of spoiled and delusional tech workers. The city noted when making the offer that they could not compete with the lavish perks Big Tech companies were famous for (no more smoothie bars, yoga rooms and two hours of actual work per day). Working for mother government would be a step down in terms of image and prestige, turning many Tweeps off to the opportunity.

Then again, many Twitter employees might have discovered they were completely unqualified for any work outside of the cushy Big Tech sphere. What skill sets do these people have beyond the very narrow requirements of a social media conglomerate?

In any case, San Francisco's attempt to white knight for overpaid Twitter execs and commissars ended up a miserable mess and they are still struggling to fill thousands of empty city positions. Surely, some of these people ended up at other tech companies, but with so many web based corporations also instituting extensive job cuts it would seem Elon Musk was simply ahead of the curve when it came to trimming the fat that's clogging the arteries of the social media landscape.

Read more at: ZeroHedge.com
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accuses West of sowing chaos globally to advance interests

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has leveled accusations against the West, asserting that it is intentionally sowing chaos globally by fueling conflicts to advance its interests, often at the expense of other nations.

Lavrov's remarks come amid a growing chorus from countries like Russia, China and India, advocating for a reshaped global political model that prioritizes fairness and equity.

In an interview published by TASS news agency, Lavrov said: "The world remains in a turbulent state. And one of the reasons for that is the ruling class in the West, which is provoking crises thousands of kilometers away from their own borders in order to achieve their own goals at the expense of other nations."

As the West grapples with its diminishing dominance, Lavrov emphasized that no one is immune to its geopolitical maneuvers. He pointed out that this realization is gaining traction globally, with more nations acknowledging the consequences of Western actions.

Lavrov anticipates that Western countries will eventually need to come to terms with the realities of a multipolar world. In such a scenario, he envisions issues being resolved based on a balance of interests rather than unilateral dominance.

The Russian official specifically blamed the West for instigating the Russia-Ukraine conflict, citing the enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the transformation of Ukraine into an anti-Russian bulwark as contributing factors. He also held the West responsible for the "escalation" between Israel and Palestine.

In the context of the Israel-Gaza conflict, Russia has advocated for an immediate ceasefire, a stance aligned with several United Nations Security Council resolutions.

However, the U.S. has consistently blocked these resolutions, arguing that a ceasefire at this point would primarily benefit the militant group Hamas. (Related: Lawless in Gaza: Why Britain and the West back Israel's crimes.)

Despite UN warnings about the escalating death toll in Gaza, Israel and the U.S. maintain their position against an immediate cessation of hostilities.

History of Western interventions

The Middle East has been a theater for various Western military interventions since the aftermath of the First World War.

Two recent interventions, the Iraq War and the Libya intervention during the Arab Spring, offer significant lessons for the future. The Iraq-Iran War, which spanned eight years starting in 1980, was followed by Saddam Hussein's ill-fated invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

The subsequent U.S.-led military campaign forced Iraq to withdraw, subjecting the Iraqi people to decades of suffering under sanctions.

In 2003, the U.S., supported by the U.K. and coalition allies, invaded Iraq, leading to the collapse of the Ba'athist government and the Iraqi state.

Allegations of launching the invasion under false premises persisted, and a British public inquiry in 2016 concluded that judgments about the threat from Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were unjustified, and the planning for post-Saddam Hussein Iraq was wholly inadequate.

The Arab Spring brought upheaval, and Libya witnessed an uprising in 2011. Despite the West's initial support for democratic aspirations, concerns arose over measures taken by governments to suppress revolts.

Libya became a target for a "UN-sanctioned" intervention, with the U.S., U.K. and France leading air operations.

However, the intervention went beyond the scope of UN Resolution 1973, resulting in regime change. The lack of a determined effort for a political solution led to a failed state in Libya.

The tragic outcomes in Iraq and Libya raise questions about the efficacy of Western interventions in promoting democracy. The aftermath suggests that military interventions, despite toppling tyrants, do not necessarily lead to improved conditions for the affected populations.

The overarching question remains whether these interventions should be deemed failures or achievements, a perspective influenced by one's vantage point.

However, the evident conclusion is that military interventions are not the optimal means to promote democracy and raise substantial queries about their underlying motives.

Watch this report about the West going to its own destruction.

This video is from the The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

PROXY WAR: RFK Jr. says the West provoked Putin to invade Ukraine.

500-year dominance of the West is coming to an end, Russian FM warns.

Martin Armstrong tells Mike Adams: The West basks in its DELUSION of being mega-powerful.

Sources include:

RT.com

Edam.org.tr

Brighteon.com
South Africa accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention

South Africa has filed a plea before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, alleging that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide" and asking for "provisional measures" to stop it, the top United Nations (UN) court announced on Friday, December 29.

The appeal claims "acts and omissions by Israel are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent ... to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group," the ICJ said in a statement.

The government in Pretoria said Israel's action toward the Palestinians in Gaza "is in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention." (Related: Turkey files lawsuit against Netanyahu, accusing him and Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.)

They also charged Israel of having "failed to prevent genocide" and "failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide" since October 7.

South Africa also requested the ICJ to "indicate provisional measures" to "protect against further, severe and irreparable harm" to Palestinians under the Genocide Convention.

The ICJ also released the 84-page document that records these measures in detail. The first of them is for Israel to "immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza."

Pretoria also requires West Jerusalem to halt all assaults on Palestinians and to cancel any orders whose objective is "the expulsion and forced displacement from their homes" or denial of access to food, water, fuel, shelter, medical supplies and other humanitarian needs.

The appeal asserts that anyone who deals with "direct and public incitement" to genocide or conspiracy to do it must be brought to justice.

South Africa required Israel to provide a report agreeing with all these demands within one week.

South Africa wants to charge Israel with war crimes

Per the ICJ's rules, South Africa's appeal has priority over all other cases because of the demand for provisional measures. South Africa had earlier wanted to charge Israel with war crimes before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Both South Africa and Israel are signatories of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which was first adopted in 1948, in answer to the Nazi mass murder of Jews during World War II.

South Africa has been a huge critic of Israel's military operation in Gaza. Many in the country led by President Cyril Ramaphosa have compared Israel's policies concerning Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank with South Africa's apartheid government in the past.

Nonetheless, Israel has denied the allegations.

South Africa requested The Hague-based court to issue a provisional order for Israel to stop right away its military operations in Gaza. A hearing into that request is possible in the coming days or weeks. The case, if it gets going, will take years, but an interim order could be issued within weeks.

The Israeli government dismissed "with disgust" the genocide allegations, calling it a "blood libel."

A statement from Israel's foreign ministry said South Africa's case lacks a legal foundation and represents a "despicable and contemptuous exploitation" of the court. Israel also charged South Africa of collaborating with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group behind the bloody Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that provoked the ongoing war.

The statement also said Israel acts based on international law and concentrates its military actions alone against Hamas, adding that the people of Gaza are not an enemy. It claimed that it takes steps to diminish harm to civilians and to permit humanitarian aid to enter the territory.

While the court's orders are legally binding, they are not always observed. In March 2022, the court ordered Russia to cease hostilities in Ukraine, a binding legal ruling that Moscow defied as it moved ahead with its assaults.

South Africa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the nation is "gravely concerned with the plight of civilians caught in the present Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip due to the indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants."

The ministry went on to say that there are "ongoing reports of international crimes, such as crimes against humanity and war crimes, being committed as well as reports that acts meeting the threshold of genocide or related crimes as defined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, have been and may still be committed in the context of the ongoing massacres in Gaza."

Ramaphosa previously charged Israel with war crimes and acts "tantamount to genocide."

Follow Genocide.news for news about the relentless Israeli bombings in Gaza.

Watch the video below about why the ongoing Gaza genocide shows the pure character of the Israeli government.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Russia condemns Israel's genocide in Gaza: "Innocent people are being killed indiscriminately."

Israel's GENOCIDE in Gaza leads to rising global pro-Palestine sentiment.

Israel admits willingness to inflict "mass civilian casualties" in Gaza - GENOCIDE is the endgame.

Sources include:

RT.com

APNews.com

Brighteon.com
WATER WARS: Water is emerging as a focal point of conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East

Six months ago, a tragic explosion destroyed the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, claiming the lives of 58 people. It wreaked havoc on the picturesque landscape along the Dnipro River and severed water access to once-productive farmland.

Shockingly, this incident marked just one in a series of attacks on water infrastructure occurring amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite the dam being under Russian control, Ukrainian officials and the European Parliament attribute its destruction to Russia.

This incident serves as a microcosm of a global phenomenon, where water-related conflicts are escalating, leaving experts and policymakers grappling with the consequences.

The Pacific Institute's Water Conflict Chronology, a comprehensive effort to catalog and analyze water-related conflicts, reported a staggering 344 instances globally during 2022 and the first half of 2023.

The Water Conflict Chronology sheds light on the complex landscape of water-related conflicts, revealing a major upswing in violent incidents. This surge is attributed in part to the deliberate targeting of dams and water systems in Ukraine and an overall increase in water-related violence across the Middle East and other regions.

A noteworthy concern highlighted by Peter Gleick, co-founder and senior fellow at the Pacific Institute, is the rising trend of attacks on civilian water infrastructure.

Instances of such attacks are disturbingly on the rise, sparking worries about the ramifications for communities already grappling with water scarcity worsened by drought, climate disruptions, growing populations and heightened competition for water resources.

Tracking water-related conflicts for over three decades, Gleick has observed a troubling escalation, with the database now documenting over 1,630 conflicts. This upward trajectory underscores the urgency of addressing the root causes of water-related violence.

The Pacific Institute's meticulous classification of incidents into three categories  those where water or water systems trigger violence, instances where water is used as a "weapon," and situations where water infrastructure becomes a "casualty" of violence  provides a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted nature of these conflicts.

While not every case results in injuries or fatalities, many do, and the impact on communities is profound.

Beyond the Russia-Ukraine war, water-related conflicts have flared up in various regions worldwide.

Disputes over water resources have led to bloodshed in different parts of the world

In countries such as India, Kenya and Yemen, disputes over water resources have led to bloodshed. The Iran-Afghanistan border has witnessed deadly clashes centered on the Helmand River, illustrating the far-reaching consequences of water-related disputes.

A detailed analysis of the Middle East reveals a troubling scenario, with 107 reported conflicts over water since the beginning of 2022.

Approximately 60 percent of these conflicts involve incidents between Israelis and Palestinians. Instances of Israeli military forces destroying Palestinian-owned wells and water systems, clashes over water sources and the demolition of Palestinian infrastructure contribute significantly to the escalating tensions in the region. (Related: Prepping tips: How to survive with a limited water supply.)

In Latin America, environmental activists have become victims of violence. The motives behind these conflicts often involve protecting water sources, forests and rivers from destruction by government-backed corporate entities. The case of Honduran Indigenous activist Berta Caceres, who was tragically killed in 2016, serves as a stark reminder of the lethal consequences of advocating for water protection.

As the world grapples with the surge in water-related conflicts, Peter Gleick's book, "The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present and a Hope for the Future," provides a comprehensive historical perspective.

Gleick traces the roots of water-related conflicts back to ancient Mesopotamia, highlighting the evolution of these issues over centuries.

The rise in violence triggered by water scarcity is a symptom of broader water crises, influenced by weak or corrupt governance, uneven access to water, inequitable distribution of water rights and extreme droughts.

Gleick emphasizes that understanding the driving forces behind these events is crucial for developing effective strategies to reduce the risk of violence over water.

Is the world on the brink of a catastrophic water crisis? Watch this video.

This video is from the channel Mike Martins Channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Peter Koenig: Israel wants CONTROL of water, hydrocarbons in the Middle East.

World Economic Forum globalists want to leverage water crisis to form world government.

Survival 101: What to do when your water supply is disrupted.

Sources include:

LATimes.com

Brighteon.com
A cultural exchange activity is held in Da Nang city to promote tourism linkage with the RoK. (Photo: VNA)

Destinations including Phu Quoc, Da Lat, and Nha Trang are favoured by Korean travelers thanks to reasonable costs and diverse tourism activities.

According to the ministry, during the period, more than 1 million Korean people traveled from the Incheon to Nha Trang  Vietnams coastal resort city. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the city attracted more than 735,400 Korean visitors.

Meanwhile, the number of Korean visitors to Phu Quoc Island - which is considered "Vietnam's Jeju island", also increased sharply. In the first 11 months of this year, nearly 300,000 Koreans traveled on the Incheon-Phu Quoc route and more than 61,000 others on the Incheon-Da Lat route.

Hon Thom cable car serves tourists in Phu Quoc. (Photo: VNA)

Korean and Vietnamese airlines also quickly expanded flight networks to meet the demand for travel to emerging destinations in Vietnam.

On December 24, the RoK's Jin Air launched its Phu Quoc-Incheon flights. Earlier this month, Vietnamese budget airline VietJet Air launched a new route from Busan to Phu Quoc island. Low-cost airline Jeju Air has also opened Icheon-Da Lat flights from December 20 with a frequency of seven flights per week, becomingthe first RoK domestic airline operating regular flights to the famous resort city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Flight connecting Cambodia to Khanh Hoa via China debuts

According to VOV, Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa province, central Vietnam, on December 29 welcomed the first flight conducted by Cambodia Airways, transiting China.

Welcoming ceremony for Cambodia Airways' first flight to Cam Ranh airport.

(Source: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Flight KR9737 departed from Haikou Meilan International Airport and subsequently landed at Cam Ranh International Airport on December 29, carrying a total of 156 passengers on board.

Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa province welcomes the first flight conducted by Cambodia Airways, transiting China. (Photo: Hanoimoi.vn)

The Cambodian flag carrier will operate the Cambodia-Haikou-Cam Ranh route with a frequency of three flights per week.

Passengers will be able to fly directly from Cambodia or from China to Khanh Hoa and vice versa.

Vietnam serves 12.6 million international tourists in 2023

About 12.6 million international tourists have visited Vietnam this year, a 3.4-fold rise from 2022, surpassing the target of 8 million set earlier, VNA reported the data from General Statistics Office (GSO) on December 29.

About 12.6 million international tourists visit Vietnam this year. (Photo: VNA)

The yearly figure, however, is equivalent to only 70% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019, the agency said, adding that in December alone, it stood at nearly 1.4 million, up 11.2% month-on-month, and 93.9% year-on-year.

Meanwhile, some 5 million Vietnamese travelled abroad in the year, two times that in 2022. During the final month of 2023, the number was estimated at 352,100, a rise of 23.2% from the same period last year.

Revenue from lodging and catering services this year reached 673.5 trillion VND (27.77 billion USD), accounting for 10.8% of the total value and expanding by 14.7% compared to the previous year.

The agency attributed the hikes to efforts by localities in developing tourism products, and cultural and sport activities, with Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Can Tho among those reporting increases in tourism revenue.

The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said the 2023 National Tourism Year, hosted by the central coastal province of Binh Thuan under the theme of Green convergence, has wrapped up successfully, featuring more than 200 national and international events.

Binh Thuan welcomed a record number of 8.5 million holidaymakers in the year, and raked in 23 trillion VND from the sector, doubling that in 2022. It has been among the nine localities nationwide posting the highest tourism revenue, contributing to boosting the countrys tourism recovery and promoting the land and people of Vietnam to international friends.

The 2024 National Tourism Year will be hosted by the northern province of Dien Bien, marking the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory which played a decisive role in ending the resistance war against French colonialists.

With nine UNESCO-recognised heritage sites, including five cultural, three natural, and one complex heritage, Vietnam has won the Worlds Leading Heritage Destination 2023 title of the World Travel Awards.

This is the 4th time that Vietnam has obtained the title, as it did in 2019, 2020, and 2022./.
Western countries continue to enforce OPPRESSIVE MEASURES to silence free speech

Many civilizations used free speech as a crucial measure to keep overreaching centralized power in check for centuries. However, the West is now working to censor citizens online

One man was arrested and could go to prison for months just for sharing memes. In March, a Brooklyn jury convicted Douglass Mackey, who goes by Ricky Vaughn on X (formerly Twitter), of scheming to "trick voters out of casting a ballot" during the 2016 presidential election.

However, he only shared memes that made fun of Hillary Clinton. The fake memes Mackey posted told people to vote from home via text messages.

In court, he claimed that he didn't think anyone would believe his posts. However, the federal government did not find Mackey's memes funny. On Oct. 23, he was sentenced to seven months in prison. (Related: 4th Branch with Tony and Sofia: Robert Stone discusses the CENSORSHIP of Trump and RFK Jr.)

On Nov. 23, a man in his 50s stabbed five people, including three schoolchildren. One of the children was wounded seriously. The man was an Algerian who had been in Ireland for more than 20 years and had previous brushes with the law.

Public anger over the shocking incident resulted in an outburst of rage in Dublin. At least 500 people participated in riots that involved looting, vandalism and burning police vehicles. Reports showed that 34 people were arrested.

But instead of voicing dismay over the violent stabbing, Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced that the riots were proof that Irelands hate speech laws needed updating. Varadkar said Ireland is only weeks away from passing the proposed hate speech legislation.

He was referring to the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence and Hatred or Hate Offenses) Bill 2022.

According to Section 10 (1) (a) of the bill, a person will be found guilty of an offense if he "prepares or possesses material that is likely to incite violence or hatred against a person or a group of persons on account of their protected characteristics or any of those characteristics with a view to the material being communicated to the public or a section of the public, whether by himself or herself or another person."

The vague and potentially broad offenses can result in jail time and hefty fines. The police will also have the authority to search homes and confiscate devices under the new law. This means they could search citizens' devices for offensive memes. The ridiculous law is already being processed through the Irish legislature, but it has been facing some resistance from the public.

Irish senators have also been hearing about it from their constituents. There had been some hope that the law would be heavily amended or retracted, but that was before the Dublin riots.

Western governments are working overtime to attack political dissidents

It seems like the West is at war with free speech. Western governments are now trying harder to attack political dissidents as far-right, racist conspiracy theorists.

In an allegedly free country like America, this extreme crackdown on inconvenient speech is alarming. Average citizens should be able to discuss their opinions on harmful immigration policies without being automatically labeled racist.

However, the crackdown on free speech is proof of the weakness of the governments trying to implement these speech laws.

But there is hope. In the U.S., people are fighting back.

The State of Texas, Consortium News, The Daily Wire and The Federalist are all suing the U.S. Department of State for conspiring with outlets like X, Newsguard and GDI to silence conservative and libertarian opinions in America.

Visit Censorship.news for more stories about the dangers free speech faces worldwide.

Watch the video below to learn more about the censorship law being pushed in Ireland.

This video is from the Dissident7 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Thug cops arrest man for reading Bible in public to protest drag event targeting children.

Leaked documents: Socialist Spain wants the EU to ban all end-to-end encryption.

Censorship of maverick thinking during pandemic backfired, expert tells UK lawmakers.

Sources include:

TheOrganicPrepper.com

NYDailyNews.com

Gript.ie

Newsweek.com

Oireachtas.ie

Brighteon.com
Over 1,000 children in Gaza were amputated mostly WITHOUT ANESTHESIA

Since the Israeli offensive on Gaza commenced on October 7, more than 1,000 children in the besieged region have undergone amputation of one or more limbs, according to revelations from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Many of these surgeries occurred without the use of anesthetic, as the blockade imposed by Israel has led to shortages of essential medical supplies, including painkillers.

James Elder, a spokesperson for UNICEF, described the harrowing conditions faced by children in Gaza, stating that they were enduring "10 weeks of hell with no escape."

The limited remaining hospitals in the region are reportedly overwhelmed, with both children and their parents bearing the "ghastly wounds of war," including a significant number of child amputees. (Related: 40 percent of Palestinians killed in Gaza are children.)

Due to the severe blockade, a lack of anesthetic, electricity and running water, health workers in Gaza are compelled to perform amputation surgeries in unsanitary conditions and without pain relief.

Steve Sosebee, the founder of the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), expressed disbelief that such conditions persist in the modern world, emphasizing the unimaginable nature of the situation. Sosebee also warned that the number of child amputees could continue to rise as many children with significant injuries may require amputations in the coming weeks and months.

Before the current conflict in Gaza, 12 percent of Palestinian children aged two to 17 were already facing one or more functional difficulties, with 21 percent of households in Gaza having at least one member with physical or mental disabilities.

"Amputee crisis" existed in Gaza even before recent hostilities

The PCRF also highlighted the existing "amputee crisis" in Gaza even before the recent hostilities. In the aftermath of the Great March of Return protests in 2018-19, where Israeli forces fired at thousands of Palestinians, including children, there were over 7,000 limb injuries that required amputations in 156 cases.

The barriers to healthcare access are so formidable that the UN has identified "individuals in need of medical referrals" as a vulnerable group within the Palestinian population. PCRF noted that many Palestinians in Gaza are susceptible to osteomyelitis (bone infection) following injuries if medical treatment is delayed.

The scarcity of medical resources and restrictions on movement in the besieged strip means that numerous treatable injuries end up necessitating amputation. The current conflict exacerbates these challenges, adding a layer of urgency and complexity to an already dire healthcare situation in Gaza.

Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, a London-based surgeon who traveled to Gaza to treat patients during the Israeli onslaught, reported that approximately half of his operating list comprised children, some of whom underwent amputations without anesthesia in a swift manner.

The challenging circumstances in Gaza are further compounded by the ongoing Israeli siege, restricting the movement of people and medical supplies. The blockade hindered the timely evacuation of the wounded to better-equipped hospitals in the occupied West Bank.

Access to specialized treatment in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israeli hospitals was denied to many injured protesters, exacerbating the challenges faced by amputees in Gaza.

As the confirmed death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza rises to 21,110, with 70 percent of the casualties being women and children, the region continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of conflict and limited access to essential medical care.

Visit WWIII.news for more news related to the war in Gaza.

Watch this video about innocent children in Gaza getting bombed by Israeli forces.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Psychiatrist: Children in Gaza developing symptoms of SEVERE TRAUMA

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Israel PURPOSELY targeting innocent women and children in Gaza to level fertility playing field: the plan is to kill the children

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

Brighteon.com
COVID-19 mask mandates RETURN in U.S. hospitals amid spread of JN.1 variant

Hospitals across the U.S. are reinstating Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mask mandates as the JN.1 variant becomes the dominant strain spreading throughout the country.

Medical facilities in some East Coast states  Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Delaware  have all reinstated face covering rules, mandating that people wear them in certain medical settings.

In one example, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (NYC Health + Hospitals) announced the return of mask mandates at its hospitals. "Due to an uptick in respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, flu & RSV in our communities & our hospital, we must return to mandatory masking," the hospital operator wrote on X. "Please wear a mask when you visit us."

A separate NYC Health + Hospitals post also announced the return of "mandatory masking" at the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. The mask mandate was brought about by "the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities," the post added.

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts also confirmed that mask mandates for staff members would return on Jan. 2 and last for a month. However, patients and visitors won't be mandated to mask up. A spokesperson for the hospital said after the month-long mandate, the necessity of masks in the hospital "will be reevaluated based on current trends."

The Mass General Brigham health system in the Bay State also announced the return of mask mandates, saying in a statement that the policies "are based on the current respiratory illness rates in our communities." (Related: Study: Mask mandates made no difference to COVID-19 transmission rates in hospitals.)

Over at Delaware, TidalHealth announced on Dec. 28 that all hospital visitors who enter patients' rooms need to mask up. Hospitals under the UW Health system in both Illinois and Wisconsin also reinstated mask mandates to varying degrees. Meanwhile in Indiana, the Beacon Health System said two hospitals under its wing  Memorial Hospital and Elkhart General, both in South Bend  are re-implementing masking requirements for visitors, patients and staff members.

West Coast hospitals follow suit

Hospitals at the West Coast have followed suit and reinstated mask mandates in response to the fast-spreading JN.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2. In Washington state, Kaiser Permanente confirmed to local media that employees working closely with patients have to wear masks. Linnae Riesen, a spokeswoman for the hospital system, clarified that face coverings are required for workers  but not for patients and visitors.

Over in California, many counties across the Bay Area region have already imposed a mask mandate for staff. The mandate began in November and will run until the end of spring due to a predicted rise in respiratory illness, according to the Epoch Times.

In an update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it recorded a 10.4 percent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations across the U.S. during the week leading up to Dec. 16. It also recorded an increase of 3.4 percent in COVID-19 deaths over the same period.

According to the CDC, the JN.1 variant now makes up between 39 percent and 50 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S.  from about 15 percent to 29 percent of all cases two weeks prior. The public health agency said the new strain is "now the most widely circulating variant in the U.S," and is continuing "to cause an increasing share of infections."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed the JN.1 strain as a "variant of interest." The global health body said in December that the spread of the said variant "will unlikely increase the burden on national public health systems compared to other [B11529] omicron sub-lineages. However, countries approaching the winter season should be aware that, altogether, SARS-CoV-2 and co-circulating pathogens may exacerbate the respiratory disease burden."

Visit Pandemic.news for more stories about COVID-19 mask mandates.

Watch this video that touches on mask mandates in hospitals.

This video is from the Midwest Information Network channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

New wave of COVID-19 infections driven by omicron sub-variants hits China.

Trump: FEARMONGERING about new COVID-19 variants a lunatic ploy to rig 2024 elections.

INJECTION REJECTION: HHS data reveals only 2% of Americans have received COVID-19 vaccines for new variants.

WSJ latest to suggest COVID vaccines may be fueling new variants.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Brighteon.com
Maine Democrat who pushed to remove Trump from 2024 ballot met twice with Biden, referred to Electoral College as relic of white supremacy

The government official in Maine who led the charge to remove Donald Trump from the state's 2024 ballot is a Democrat agitator who personally met with President Joe Biden at least twice this year, and is also on record as having called the Electoral College a "relic of white supremacy."

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was personally invited to the White House on two separate occasions this past year, according to White House visitor logs. The first trip was so Bellows could attend a Women's History Month event held on March 22, at which she appeared alongside Biden for a photo shoot.

During the event, Bellows took to social media to brag about her time with Biden, calling it "amazing."

"Birthday jaunt to D.C. for a Women's History Month event at the White House yesterday and walking around today," Bellows wrote on her Facebook timeline as the event was still taking place.

The Maine secretary of state's office also issued a press release in which Bellows wrote that it was "an honor to join" Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and various other female leaders across the country.

"It was an honor to join President Biden, Vice President Harris and amazing female leaders from around the country to celebrate Women's History Month at the White House yesterday," Bellows said at the time.

"I hope to someday see the last of the 'firsts' like myself, but as we continue to see these groundbreaking leaders in new positions of power, I look forward to celebrating them as part of our nation's history."

(Related: Did you catch what happened to Project Veritas concerning the Ashley Biden diary scandal?)

When they say bipartisan, what they really mean is far-left

Bellows' second known trip to the White House occurred on June 6 when she, along with more than a dozen others, traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with Justin Vail, Biden's special assistant. Based on social media posts from Bellows and others around that time, the event appears to have been organized by a group called Issue One Reform, which describes itself as "the leading crosspartisan political reform group" in D.C. working to "unite Republicans, Democrats and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone."

Two days after the event, Dustin Czarny, a Democrat who attended the event and who also serves as the Onondaga County elections commissioner as well as the Democratic Caucus chair of the New York State Elections Commissioner Association, tweeted a message on X about it to which Bellows responded with:

"Yes! That was such a powerful part of our trip to D.C. Democrats, Republicans and nonpartisan elections officials united on issues of protecting election workers and finding critical election infrastructure."

Shortly after taking office as the Secretary of State for Maine in 2021, Bellows, who for four years represented Maine's 14th district in the state Senate, wrote an op-ed for a leftist platform called Democracy Docket in which she touted her efforts to make "voting more accessible." In that same piece, Bellows wrote that she initially decided to seek the position of secretary of state in Maine after the 2020 presidential election outcome, which she says made her "truly frightened for our democracy."

It was in that same op-ed that Bellows would proceed to blast the legitimacy of the Electoral College, stating that she believes the process to be rooted in white supremacy. Bellows, like some other Democrats, also believes that Trump is now disqualified from running for office again in 2024 because of his involvement in the January 6 "insurrection."

The latest news about Trump's run for the presidency in 2024 can be found at Trump.news.

Sources for this article include:

MSN.com

NaturalNews.com
Ohio governor who vetoed bill protecting children from transgender interventions received $40,000 from hospitals that provide sex changes

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine took an unusual stance for a Republican lawmaker when he vetoed a bill that would have protected children from sex change treatments and operations. But once you follow the money, its clear why he took such a stance.

On Friday, DeWine vetoed House Bill 68, which would have banned doctors from prescribing dangerous cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers to minors, in addition to prohibiting boys from participating in girls sports. The veto was handed down just hours before the deadline.

According to the Daily Caller News Foundation, donation records from 2018 to 2023 indicate that Governor DeWine received more than $40,000 from children's hospitals that support and profit from transgender medical care. For example, the Ohio Children's Hospital Association donated $10,000 to DeWine in 2018 and a further $10,000 in 2022, while ProMedica donated $10,000 to him in 2018. ProMedica set up an LGBTQ+ Patient and Family Advisory Council that aims to educate healthcare providers on how to be more inclusive of members of this community as part of a broader objective to help transgender patients receive medical care.

Nationwide Children's Hospital, meanwhile, donated $5,000 in 2018 and a further $5,000 in 2023. This hospital is the home to the THRIVE Gender Development Program, which offers a range of services that include management of gender-affirming medications, inclusive sexual and reproductive health care, menstrual management and other affirming interventions.

One of the affiliates of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association who donated to DeWine, Cincinnati Children's, operates a transgender health center that works with patients whose ages range from just 5 to 24. The hospital's website indicates that it provides children with cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers with consent from their family and does not list an age limit.

The president of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, Nick Lashutka, testified against the bill and accused it of taking away the rights of transgender children and their parents. He thanked the governor following the veto.

We are thankful for Governor DeWines thoughtful approach in thoroughly researching the issue of gender-affirming care and vetoing Sub HB 68 today. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Governor, the Ohio General Assembly and relevant state agencies to ensure Ohios youth have access to the critical care they need while also addressing concerns raised during debate on HB 68, he said in a statement.

DeWine is one of a few Republicans unwilling to protect children from risky transgender interventions

DeWine is one of a very short list of Republicans who have taken measures that support risky sex changes in children. In April 2021, the governor of Arkansas at the time, Asa Hutchinson, vetoed a similar bill and then lost his post to Sarah Huckabee Sanders in the next Republican primary. The Republican governor of Nevada, Joe Lombardo, signed a bill last year forcing insurance companies to cover sex change operations for minors when the procedure is recommended by a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist and a physician.

The senior counsel for the nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom, Matt Sharp, characterized DeWines move as a betrayal to children, families and women throughout Ohio, noting that there are other ways that children who experience gender dysphoria can be helped without resorting to dangerous medicalization."

He said that psychology, counseling and other methods that do not have physical side effects should be prioritized in helping children get through gender dysphoria.

According to the American College of Pediatricians, there are no long-term studies demonstrating that surgeries, cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers are safe or effective for children, and many of these interventions have been associated with serious physical and mental health problems.

Sources for this article include:

ThePostMillennial.com

DailyCaller.com

WLWT.com

ACPeds.org
The Palestinians were right all along: Netanyahu wants them completely expelled from the region

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now searching for countries willing to "absorb" Palestinians forcibly displaced by the Israeli Defense Forces. Netanyahu made this remark during a meeting with the extremist Likud Party on Christmas Day.

"Our problem is countries that are ready to absorb them, and we are working on it," Netanyahu said. "The world is already discussing the possibilities of voluntary immigration."

He added that a team must be set up to "ensure that those who want to leave Gaza to a third country can do so." Netanyahu further claimed that Gaza "needs to be settled" with Israelis due to the region's "strategic importance."

Netanyahu's latest statements regarding the aftermath of the current conflict in Gaza align with statements made by other senior Likud figures, such as former Minister of Science Danny Denon, who has publicly called on both the Middle Eastern countries and Western nations to accept refugees from Gaza.

The prime minister's statements also proved correct the claims of Palestinians, who have long said that Israel's current campaign in Gaza is aimed at securing their permanent expulsion from the region. (Related: Netanyahu promises to turn Gaza into "rubble" following Hamas attack  they will pay "unprecedented price.")

Egypt, Jordan have ruled out accepting Palestinians into their borders

Israel's main neighbors, Egypt and Jordan, have categorically ruled out accepting Palestinians en masse into their borders. Jordanian King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed their complete rejection of all attempts by Israel to "liquidate" the Palestinian issue.

Abdullah and Sisi met in the Al Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, with the former reaffirming Jordan's support for the Egyptian position against any attempts to forcibly displace Gazans and Israeli attempts to preoccupy parts of Gaza, build up buffer zones within the Strip or politically separate it from the West Bank.

The two also noted their desire for the entire world to pressure Israel into agreeing to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the delivery of sufficient and sustainable amounts of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in the Strip.

The Jordanian king and Egyptian president also called on the international community to recognize the immense political and ethical responsibility they have on their shoulders toward enforcing the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions concerning Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank. Doing so, they argue, is the only way for the Security Council and the General Assembly to maintain their integrity.

Finally, Abdullah and Sisi warned that if the conflict in Gaza were to continue indefinitely, it could plunge the entirety of the region into a catastrophe, the price of which the entire world will have to pay. They stress the need for the international community to exert enough pressure to prevent the spillover of the conflict.

Follow IsraelCollapse.com for more news about the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Watch the video below discussing the nearly 1.8 million Palestinians who have been displaced from across the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

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Brighteon.com
NGOs carefully planned mass migration INVASION of America, report reveals

America's porous southern border is not an accident

A vast network of non-governmental organizations, also known as NGOs, is behind the large-scale illegal alien invasion occurring day in and day out at Mexican entry points into the United States.

As you will see in the maps below, illegal alien migrants are receiving maps, or "mass migration blueprints," that show them how to break into America via Mexico using the most likely to be effective border crossings known to exist.

"The collapse of the U.S. southern border is the result of a carefully planned and deliberately executed industrial mass migration program," reported Muckraker, the source claiming responsibility for uncovering the blueprints.

Illegal Alien Invasion Maps Exposed - CRITICAL THREAD EXPOSING NUMEROUS MASS MIGRATION BLUEPRINTS Muckraker has obtained multiple maps, handed out by non-government organizations across South and Central America, that detail the routes to take to the U.S. and where to cross the pic.twitter.com/wt0DDslM4w  Muckraker.com (@realmuckraker) December 23, 2023

(Related: Will all of this unfettered illegal immigration be part of the excuse for imposing full-scale medical martial law in 2024?)

Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross fueling illegal immigration into America

One of the better-known NGOs that is helping illegal aliens to break the law by entering the U.S. without permission is Doctors Without Borders, which is known as Medicos Sin Fronteras in Spanish.

Doctors Without Borders is handing out said blueprints or maps to the caravans full of illegals who are marching upwards from Central and South America in search of a new American home.

Another NGO working alongside Doctors Without Borders to fuel the illegal invasion into America is The United Nations International Organization of Migration (IOM). IOM's version of the blueprints contains a map and listing of all the commissions and consulates across Mexico that are available to help the migrants along their journey.

Another Mexican NGO called Amigos Del Tren, known as Friends of the Train in English, is aiding illegals marching towards the southern border by providing them with maps of all the train routes that can take them there more quickly than walking.

The Red Cross is distributing maps similar to those being distributed by Amigos Del Tren, but a step further reaching all the way down into Panama.

"The back gives advice on navigating the mass migration trail," one media source reported about the Red Cross maps. "One piece of advice given is how to safely ride a freight train. It is advised to avoid riding a freight train if "... you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication that can make you drowsy.'"

Keep in mind that many of these NGOs receive U.S. taxpayer dollars. This means that hard-working American taxpayers are funding their own demise by inadvertently paying for their own country to be invaded by foreigners with no regard for immigration law.

According to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, these and other NGOs "may be engaged in unlawfully orchestrating other border crossings through activities on both sides of the border, including in sectors other than El Paso."

Check out the following video to see how another NGO known as "Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona Inc" is also aiding migrants from Guinea in illegally entering the U.S. by airplane.

Just ran into a group of African migrants from Guinea heading to New York City. They had documents from Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona Inc Im seeing migrants ALL over the place here at the airport this is insane. Thank you to @CurrentRevolt for filming and pic.twitter.com/RAwmDPm5QV  Nuance Bro (@NuanceBro) December 19, 2023

With the way things are going, there may as well not even be a southern border. Learn more at InvasionUSA.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Report: EU nations threw away MILLIONS of unused COVID-19 vaccines in landfills

Several countries in the European Union have thrown away millions of unused Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in landfills across the continent, according to a report.

The report by POLITICO looked at data from 19 EU member nations; 15 of them provided direct figures, while numbers for four other nations came from local media reports. Collectively, the 19 nations received 1.5 billion doses  amounting to more than three doses for every person in Europe  since the COVID-19 injections were first approved in late 2020.

The report found that EU countries have discarded an average of 0.7 vaccine doses for every member of their population, amounting to at least 215 million doses in all. POLITICO estimated the cost of these unused and discarded doses at 4 billion ($4.4 billion). If this average waste rate is projected across the entire EU, it could translate to over 312 million vaccines being destroyed.

Estonia took the No. 1 spot, disposing of more than one dose per resident. Germany closely followed at No. 2, recording the highest raw volume of discarded doses. The amount of wasted vaccines generally corresponds to the size of the countries, with Germany accounting for 83 million discarded doses and Luxembourg disposing of just under half a million.

However, insiders suggest the actual number may be higher, with the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) not providing a comprehensive account for the second quarter of 2023. "Accordingly, a total volume of total disposed COVID-19 vaccine doses acquired by the Federal Republic of Germany cannot be quantified," the BMG stated to POLITICO in an email in July. The ministry further explained that private healthcare providers and state-level health authorities are not obligated to report vaccine waste.

POLITICO based the 4 billion ($4.4 billion) estimated value of the 215 million wasted vaccines on the vaccine prices reported in the media, as the actual prices have not been disclosed. The study used a weighted average price of 19.39 ($21.37) for countries that only reported the total number of vaccines destroyed, without breaking it down by vaccine type.

However, uncovering the exact number of discarded vaccines has proven challenging, as several governments have been hesitant to disclose the full scale of their waste. In short, this figure from the study could be higher than the estimated results.

Germany and Switzerland discarded millions of COVID-19 vaccines due to diminished demand

Germany boasts one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe, with 228.68 doses administered per 100 individuals. But the situation has taken a dramatic turn as the German population's willingness to get injected with the COVID-19 boosters has plummeted significantly.

Switzerland is also in the same situation.

Back in October 2022, Reuters reported on Bern's decision to discard nine million expired mRNA vaccine doses from Moderna. An additional 5.1 millions doses were destroyed in February 2023. (Related: Switzerland stops recommending COVID-19 vaccines, citing populations high immunity.)

"With this deliberately chosen strategy, it was accepted that too much vaccine would be procured and that some of the procured doses would have to be sold, passed or possibly destroyed," the Swiss government said in a statement at that time. Bern justified the wastage by citing a deliberate strategy of over-ordering vaccines to ensure an ample supply for its population of approximately 8.7 million, even in the face of potential supply bottlenecks or quality issues.

Switzerland's health authorities revealed that the country had obtained 31.9 million vaccine doses from Moderna and other suppliers. Of this total, 16.1 million were utilized domestically, while 3.2 million were distributed to other recipients. Despite the vaccine surplus, just under 70 percent of the Swiss population and neighboring Liechtenstein have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, a comparatively low rate in Western Europe.

This marks the second time Switzerland has been forced to destroy Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine doses, with 10.3 million doses destroyed in September 2022. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health estimated the value of the discarded doses at about 280 million Swiss francs ($280.56 million).

Visit Vaccines.news for more stories about the COVID-19 injections.

Watch the video below about Australians seeking compensation for COVID-19 vaccine-related injuries.

This video is from The Talking Hedge channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Waste of money: Germany to discard $4.5 BILLION of unused COVID-19 vaccines.

States stuck with large stockpiles of unused covid "vaccines" as plandemic fiasco comes to an end.

Switzerland to destroy 9M expired doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine after consumer demand plummets.

Sources include:

100PercentFedup.com

POLITICO.eu.1

POLITICO.eu 2

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
Reuters blames CLIMATE CHANGE for Christmas Day massacre of Christians by Muslims in Nigeria

Reuters has blamed climate change , not violent Muslims, for the Christmas Day massacre in Nigeria that killed almost 200 Christians.

According to a Dec. 28 report by the outlet, the Dec. 25 massacre was the "bloodiest violence since 2018" in the West African country. It then went the whole nine yards to justify that "climate change" is to blame for the massacre. "Experts and politicians say climate change and expanding agriculture are creating competition for land, pushing farmers and herders into conflict," Reuters noted.

The culprits of the harrowing massacre were allegedly nomadic Muslim Fulani herdsmen using machetes and guns. They made their way through the villages in the central Plateau State housing generally Christian farmers, trying to kill anyone in their path.

According to Reuters, climate change has made northern Nigeria  where the Fulani hail from  more susceptible to both drought and floods. This, the outlet said, has "forced" the herdsmen to kill Christian farmers and take their land.

Nevertheless, Plateau State Gov. Caleb Mutfwang denounced the "unprovoked" attacks and described the damage that went much beyond what would make up a seizure of land. Houses, cars and properties were left burned from arson, he said. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also condemned the "primitive and cruel" attacks.

Local officials confirmed the attacks on Dec. 25, adding that at least 160 were killed. Monday Kassah, head of the Bokkos local government area (LGA) in Plateau state, said 113 people have been killed there in "well-coordinated raids in at least 20 villages." He added that more than 300 wounded people were rushed to hospitals in the Bokkos, Jos and Barkin Ladi LGAs.

Violence in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria between the two ethno-religious groups is not unusual. In 2018, an assault left more than 200 people dead.

Separate outlet paints Christian churches and pastors as victims

Meanwhile, the Christian Daily International/Morning Star News (CDI/MSN) depicts a completely different picture than Reuters. It has described much of the violence by the Fulani herdsmen as being conducted against Christian churches and pastors. (Related: Murder threats now explode against Christians for holding LGBT, abortion views.)

"Some pastors were killed, and another pastor and his wife and five children were killed during these attacks," recounted villager Dawzino Mallau. " These terrorists who attacked these Christian communities were in the hundreds, and they carried out the attacks as the hapless Christians were preparing for Christmas programs lined up by their pastors."

"About 160 Christians in these villages were killed by the terrorists," said Alfred Mashat, another villager. "We believe they are carrying out these attacks alongside armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen."

French politician and writer Eric Zemmour posted about the massacre on Dec. 27 on the X platform. "More than 130 Christians massacred in Nigeria  by mercenary groups linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State, in 20 coordinated attacks in villages. Among the victims were a large number of women, children and Protestant pastors and their families. They were preparing for Christmas celebrations," he wrote.

"The most extraordinary thing is that this horror is nothing extraordinary: more than 5,000 Nigerian Christians have been murdered in 2022 because of their faith, and thousands of Nigerian Christian women have been raped and kidnapped. Never in all of human history has the number of persecuted Christians around the world been so high, and no other religion is so persecuted today."

Zemmour concluded his post by condemning the West's "deafening silence on this planetary catastrophe."

Follow Genocide.news for more news about the massacre of Christians around the world.

Watch the video below about the genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

This video is from the LaraLogan channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

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Sources include:

HumanEvents.com

Reuters.com

ChristianPost.com

Brighteon.com
MORE VIOLENCE: Senator Lindsey Graham wants Biden to bomb Irans IRGC headquarters

Sen. Lindsey Graham has called for a swift and harsh answer to Tehran's support of militant groups, urging the U.S. government to blow parts of Iran "off the map."

The South Carolina Republican senator sat down with "Fox & Friends" hosts and insisted that President Joe Biden's administration bomb Iranian oil fields and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, arguing that Tehran was behind both the attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria and the harassment of Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea.

"I have been saying for six months now: Hit Iran," Graham said. "They have oil fields out in the open, they have the Revolutionary Guard headquarters you can see from space. Blow it off the map." He claimed that the Yemeni Houthis are "completely backed" by Tehran and without Iran, "there are no Houthis," he declared.

Houthi has openly sided with the Palestinians in the Israel-Gaza conflict and reportedly began targeting merchant ships owned by or headed for Israel in late October. Major shipping companies have already rerouted their vessels around Africa, which only caused prices to hike. (Related: Moscow wins again as Houthi rebels attack Western vessels, while Russian oil tankers freely navigate.)

The solon who is a member of the influential Senate Armed Services Committee further asserted that Biden has been failing U.S. troops in the field. "If you really want to protect American soldiers, make it real to the Ayatollah, you attack a soldier through a proxy, we're coming after you," he said.

If the President wants to protect American soldiers, make it clear to the Ayatollah, if you attack a soldier through a proxy, were coming after you. pic.twitter.com/RKIzREJxi9  Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 27, 2023

Graham further accused Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of showing "weakness" and "failing our troops in the field" by not retaliating more forcefully despite the launch of airstrikes against three targets in Iraq on Monday. "I asked him a couple of months ago: Is there a red line? Would you tell our enemies publicly that if you kill an American, we are coming after you?" the senator noted. "If you really want to protect American soldiers, make it real to the ayatollah, you attack a soldier through a proxy, were coming after you." During CNNs "State of the Union" earlier in December, Graham said Austin is so naive and he has lost all confidence in the Pentagon secretary because he alleged that the latter is telling Israel things that are impossible to achieve.

Back in the 2007 presidential campaign, former Arizona Senator John McCain infamously sang "Bomb Iran." Graham and McCain have had a long history of promoting the use of force abroad. The former, who is also a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force, carried the torch after McCain died in 2018.

Delusional Graham tags Republicans as tolerant

Senator Graham has been commenting about a lot of issues lately including one where he tagged conservatives as "tolerant." "The bottom line is, we are kind of get out of your business, you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone," he claimed elsewhere in the said Fox interview, where he complained about a new bill being considered by the New York state legislature that would require the restaurants located in the state's highway rest areas to be open seven days a week.

Graham: The bottom line is Conservatives are tolerant, we are kind of get out of your business, you leave me alone, Ill leave you alone pic.twitter.com/AuzfBkKYVC  Acyn (@Acyn) December 27, 2023

The only firm that runs afoul of this law appears to be Chick-fil-A, which is closed on Sundays as an extension of its founder's conservative Christian values. Graham made a specific demand for the Democrats seated in the Empire State legislature to do as conservatives do and just leave the food chain well enough alone. He also posted on X, declaring "war" while warning: "Hands off our Chick-fil-A!" "The founders of Chick-fil-A made a decision early on to close on Sunday, consistent with their faith," he said in the social media post. "For any government to try to reverse this decision flies in the face of who we are as Americans."

Critics were quick to point out how wrong it is for Graham to generalize that Republicans and conservatives are "tolerant." It would be gross misinformation to put it out there that the right "tolerates" left-cult ideologies.

Check out Violence.news to read more stories on governments inciting violent actions toward one another.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

IranIntl.com

Politico.com

Huffpost.com
People gather outside an apartment belonging to the Hamas movement destroyed by an Israeli attack on the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

"Obviously, the developments are extremely worrying. And I think this just really highlights what the secretary-general had just said about the dangers of the spillover of this (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict in the wider region," said a UN spokesperson.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sees the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut as a worrying development, said a UN spokesperson on Tuesday.

"Obviously, the developments are extremely worrying. And I think this just really highlights what the secretary-general had just said about the dangers of the spillover of this (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict in the wider region," said Florencia Soto Nino, associate spokesperson for Guterres.

"The secretary-general urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions in the region," she said.

Guterres has mentioned that this continued fighting has the risk of a great miscalculation by multiple actors, she said. "And I think this is what we've been seeing in different parts of the region, sadly. So we again appeal to all members of the international community to do everything in their power to prevent an escalation to the situation there."

She said the world body did not have all the details of the attack.

A Hamas source told Xinhua that the movement's deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed on Tuesday evening in an Israeli attack on the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The source added that several aides of al-Arouri were also killed in the attack targeting a Hamas office. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident.

Editor: ZAD
Health freedom TRAVESTY: Supreme Court nullifies all lawsuits against Biden for damage caused by vaccine mandates

While most Americans were celebrating the holidays, the Supreme Court quietly ruled to throw out all lower appellate district court rulings challenging President Joe Biden's Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccine" mandates for public employees and the Armed Forces, effectively stripping away all precedent for Americans to challenge future vaccine mandates.

What this means is that, should the federal government ever again decide that government workers need to get injected with pharmaceutical chemicals in order to stymie another "pandemic" or other such "health emergency," there will be no legal precedent in place to protect those who decide that the jabs are not for them.

In other words, because of the new SCOTUS ruling, the chances of ever again repealing a government-imposed jab mandate for public employees is nil or next to nil.

On December 11, SCOTUS decided to render "moot" the following three lower court rulings pertaining to public employee jab mandates:

Payne v. Biden, U.S., No. 22-1225

Biden v. Feds for Medical Freedom, U.S., No. 23-60

Kendall v. Doster, U.S., No. 23-154

The same day that SCOTUS struck down all three of these cases as moot, Bloomberg Law reported that "the justices vacated decisions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Sixth and D.C. Circuits on whether federal employees can challenge the vaccine requirement in district court under the Civil Service Reform Act."

"The law set administrative procedures that employees must follow when challenging an adverse employment action, like a firing or suspension, and gave the Federal Circuit exclusive authority to hear appeals."

(Related: Did you know that getting jabbed for COVID is linked to psoriatic arthritis?)

Trump's packed SCOTUS agreed to issue "Munsingwear vacatur" discarding lower court legal challenges

None of this would have happened had the Biden regime, with the help of a lone federal employee plaintiff who lost one of the aforementioned cases at the Appellate level, not petitioned the Supreme Court to issue a "Munsingwear vacatur," which basically sponged the lower court rulings due to the cases being rendered moot.

"Vacatur," by the way, is a Latin phrase that means "to set aside a judgment," which is what SCOTUS ultimately did to the three cases.

"The justices undid the rulings under the so-called Munsingwear doctrine, in which the court vacates adverse rulings that the losing party no longer has the ability to challenge," Bloomberg further reported.

Ironically, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone SCOTUS justice who dissented in two of the cases. Justices John G. Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan; including all three of Donald Trumps appointees, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, all ruled to throw out the cases.

Jackson is a Supreme Court appointee of "the big guy" himself who was placed there in 2022. Jackson infamously made headlines for refusing to define what a "woman" is, even though she was the lone dissenter on this particular issue in support of We the People's right to sue the government for trying to force us to take unwanted vaccine injections.

"In my view, the party seeking vacatur has not established equitable entitlement to that remedy," Justice Jackson wrote in dissent against throwing out the case of Biden v. Feds for Medical Freedom.

"In my view, the party seeking vacatur has not established equitable entitlement to that remedy," Justice Jackson also wrote in dissent against throwing out the case of Secretary of the Air Force v. Doster.

"As a general matter, I believe that a party who claims equitable entitlement to vacatur must explain what harm  other than having to accept the law as the lower court stated it  flows from the inability to appeal the lower court decision."

What do you think will happen to everyone who got jabbed for COVID once the dust settles? Find out more at VaccineWars.com.

Sources for this article include:

WinePressNews.com

NaturalNews.com
WHISTLEBLOWER: CIA bribed its own agents to change their position regarding COVID-19 origins

A Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) whistleblower has made serious allegations that the agency bought off employees to obstruct efforts in finding the origins of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

According to the whistleblower, the CIA assigned seven officers with significant scientific expertise to the COVID Discovery Team. (Related: Fauci-supported British virologist linked to Wuhan lab leak supports woke scientist who claims China is being bullied over Wuhan.)

Six of the seven members of the team believed the intelligence and science were sufficient to make a low-confidence assessment that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. The seventh member of the team, who happened to be the most senior, was the lone officer to believe that the virus was first transmitted from an animal to human.

The whistleblower said the six members were given a significant monetary incentive to change their position.

The CIA has confirmed that it is looking into accusations that several members of an agency working on the COVID-19 pandemic analysis were paid "significant hush money" to shift their position on the origins of the virus.

"At the CIA, we are committed to the highest standards of analytic rigor, integrity and objectivity. We do not pay analysts to reach specific conclusions," CIA spokesperson Tammy Kupperman Thorp said. "We take these allegations extremely seriously and are looking into them. We will keep our Congressional oversight committees appropriately informed."

CIA sued for allegedly hiding records of bribery within the agency

In a related development, the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project filed a lawsuit against the CIA, alleging that the agency didn't comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request related to its investigation of the COVID-19 lab leak theory. The Oversight Project uses FOIA requests and other means to make government more transparent to the public and to allow Congress to use its oversight authorities with maximum effectiveness.

"The Biden Administration has refused to be transparent with Congress and the American people over the origins of (COVID-19)," said Kyle Brosnan, chief counsel for the Oversight Project.

"A CIA whistleblower has made serious allegations that the agency bought off employees of the agency to further obstruct efforts to get to the truth of the virus's origins. This obstruction cannot stand and we're fighting in federal court to get to the bottom of this."

According to the lawsuit, the CIA's COVID Discovery Team received bribes to bury its findings about the origins of COVID-19.

"This is an action under the FOIA, to compel the production of CIA records relating to allegations that members of the CIA's COVID Discovery Team, a group of employees tasked with analyzing the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, received monetary incentives to change their position on the origins of the virus," the complaint stated.

The entire intelligence community, including the CIA and FBI, claimed in a 10-page report in June 2023 that SARS-CoV-2 was not genetically engineered, but admitted that "genetic engineering" was taking place at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) that raised "biosafety concerns."

That risky gain-of-function research at the WIV was funded with $2 million U.S. taxpayer money via grants provided by the National Institutes of Health, including Dr. Anthony Fauci's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

Visit Lies.news for more stories like this.

Watch the video below discussing the overwhelming evidence that COVID is a bioweapon that escaped from Wuhan lab.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Fauci conspired with virologists to TRICK world in Wuhan COVER-UP.

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'Follow the money': CBS wakes up to Wuhan labs 'high-risk research.'

Energy Department now admits COVID-19 most likely originated in Wuhan lab.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

Brighteon.com
Xfinity notifies customers of data breach due to software vulnerability

Xfinity, the Comcast-owned telecommunications business, announced in December that hackers accessed customers' personal information by exploiting a vulnerability in software used by the company.

In a notice to customers, Xfinity announced that there was unauthorized access to internal systems because of this vulnerability between Oct. 16 and 19, 2023.

The alleged software vulnerability was previously announced by software provider Citrix.

Xfinity discovered the "suspicious activity on Oct. 25 and in the succeeding months concluded that the hackers "likely acquired" data.

On Dec. 6, Xfinity said the accessed information included customer usernames and hashed passwords. The hackers also acquired data such as the last four digits of Social Security numbers, account security questions, birthdates and contact information of some customers.

An investigation on the breach is still ongoing, but in a statement, Xfinity claimed that it is "not aware of any customer data being leaked anywhere, nor of any attacks on our customers."

Xfinity also advised customers to reset their passwords and strongly recommended two-factor or multifactor authentication to boost account security.

A filing with Maine's office of the Attorney General revealed that at least 35.9 million people were affected by the breach. The company declined to confirm a specific number, but it said that the filing's figure represents user IDs.

According to a recent earnings release, Philadelphia-based Comcast has more than 32 million broadband customers.

Aside from Xfinity, Citrix provides software to thousands of companies around the world. The vulnerability, named "Citrix Bleed," has also been associated with other hacks targeting the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's New York arm and a Boeing subsidiary, among others.

Under new rules, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) now requires public companies to disclose all cybersecurity breaches that could affect their bottom lines at least within four days of determining a breach is material.

As of Dec. 19, there were no SEC filings from Comcast about the data breach and the company did not immediately address it. (Related: Apple releases emergency software update after Pegasus spyware breach.)

Internet safety tips

As technology advances and hackers become more determined, data breaches have become more common. Follow the internet safety tips below to help improve your account security and protect your account information:

Use unique passwords for all accounts

Hackers often have a great success rate even if they only steal a batch of username and password combinations from one source because they can then steal information by trying those same combinations on other accounts.

For example, hackers can get your username and password by hacking an email provider. They will then try to log into banking sites or major online stores using the same username and password combination.

The best way to prevent one data breach from having a catastrophic domino effect is to always use a strong and unique password for all your online accounts.

Turn on multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication adds one more step to account log-ins, but it can help make your accounts more secure. Multi-factor authentication means you need to pass another layer of authentication, not just a username and password, to access your accounts.

If the data or personal information in your account is sensitive or valuable, and the account offers multi-factor authentication, it's best to enable it. Online services like Gmail and Dropbox offer multi-factor authentication.

Multi-factor authentication verifies your identity using at least two out of three different forms of authentication:

Something you know is your password.

is your password. Something you are could mean authentication using your fingerprint, or through facial recognition.

could mean authentication using your fingerprint, or through facial recognition. Something you have could be your smartphone. Alternatively, you might be asked to enter a code sent via text or tap a confirmation button on a mobile app. It could also be a physical Security Key; both Google and Microsoft have announced the move push toward this kind of authentication.

Visit CyberWar.news for similar stories about hacking and cyber attacks.

Watch the video below discussing the truth about the New Zealand vaccine data breach.

This video is from the Tammy Cuthbert Garcia channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

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Sources include:

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Flash flooding has submerged some parts of southeast Queensland, Australia, following heavy rainfall events that occurred in the region from late December into the new year. These events have been called locally as the "Christmas storms" which even affected the southeastern Gold Coast city, located south of the state capital of Brisbane.

While the drenching weather event seems over for Queensland, the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a warning that the flash flooding risk will continue across the state until Wednesday morning, January 3. During this period, localized intense rainfall is expected over the next 24 hours.

Australia Christmas Storms

The series of flooding in Queensland started when Cyclone Jasper made landfall in Northeast Australia (Queensland) before mid-December 2023, leaving thousands of people without electricity along with life-threatening risks associated with a Category 2 tropical cyclone such as powerful winds.

Although Jasper eventually left the Australian territory, renewed flooding persisted in different towns across Queensland, with hundreds of people evacuated and crocodiles were even reported lurking in floodwaters.

This situation was followed by inclement weather which brought heavy rain and large hailstones not only in Queensland but also to the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria during the Christmas storms of December 25 and December 26.

Between December 18 and December 30, the BOM issued almost regular Australia weather forecasts regarding Christmas storms that impacted both residential and business establishments.

Severe weather forecasts were issued by the bureau during the last weekend of 2023, which was marked by persisting flooding rain, and severe thunderstorms.

Also Read: Australia Weather: Heavy Rain Forces Flood Evacuations in Queensland

Queensland Flooding 2024

The continued flash flooding risk is due to the shift of the heavy rainfall threat from southeast to northeast Queensland, according to reports. BOM senior forecaster David Grant reportedly confirmed that the flood risk will remain into Tuesday night and possible into Wednesday morning, as mentioned earlier.

This means that the renewed Queensland flooding in 2024 is a continuation of the severe weather-driven torrential rain and flooding from late December 2023. On Monday, January 1, the BOM issued a severe weather warning on X (formerly Twitter) as seen below:

Severe Weather Warning: HEAVY to INTENSE rain likely in #SEQld today & into Tuesday, includes #GoldCoast, #Brisbane, #SunshineCoast. This may lead to dangerous, potentially life-threatening FLASH FLOODING and risk of landslips around steeper terrain.https://t.co/CinugnxqkN pic.twitter.com/96v4opS8Aw  Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 1, 2024

The weather alert highlights the continued threat of heavy to intense rain in multiple areas, including the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and the Sunshine Coast. These conditions that persisted at the start of the week can lead to dangerous and potentially life-threatening flash flooding and the "risk of landslips" around steeper slopes or terrain.

Meanwhile, similar adverse weather conditions have been reported in northern New South Wales, which also experienced a wet start to the new year. Since the border between southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales are the hotspot areas of the wet weather, some residents within this area have been ordered to evacuate by local authorities, according to local sources.

Australia is currently in its wet season that spans between November and April. This is also the period when thunderstorms occur.

Related Article: Heavy Rain Bombards Queensland's Central Coast with Flooding; Severe Weather Warning Issued [BoM]
Crocodile-infested waters, including rivers, lakes, and ponds in the wild, are typically sites filled with ambush predators like crocodiles that wait for their next prey. However, uninvited meals such as humans are also welcome in this reptile territory if one is not careful. One such recent case is a British safari guide who spent the whole night clinging to his truck to avoid being eaten by crocodiles.

The British guide reportedly took a "wrong turn" into a crocodile-infested river in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The incident occurred when the 56-year-old British man followed directions from Google Maps, leading him into a flooded bridge, where there were potentially hungry reptiles waiting for him to fall below him. The incident also occurred following heavy rain in the area.

British Man Almost Eaten by Crocodiles

The British safari guide, Mike Turner, moved to Mozambique in 2011 before becoming the wildlife adventurer he is today. According to reports on Monday, January 1, Turner's ordeal involved a grueling 15 hours, all of which he exerted effort to hang on for his life until a rescue helicopter reached the currents he was stuck into.

A footage of the incident reportedly showed that the trained diver was winched back to safety last Friday, December 29. The currents formed where the Komati and Crocodile Rivers meet near Kruger National Park, which is home to Africa's largest crocodile species, the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). This colossal reptilian can be found in freshwater habitats across Africa.

Also Read: Crocodile Mauls 8-Year-Old Boy to Death in Front of His Parents Before Dragging Him Into River

Crocodile Infested Waters

Aside from the Nile River, which is the most crocodile-infested waters in Africa, other freshwater habitats in the continent are home to one of the world's deadly predators. Apart from Gustave, a large male Nile crocodile in Burundi that killed 200 to 300 people in its lifetime, there have been multiple reports of deadly crocodile attacks on humans.

In Mozambique, a crocodile problem has been reported for decades, which is also a factor for it to be distinguished as a ground zero for crocodile attacks, as explained by Rowan Moore Gerety, a journalist based in Miami and a former Fullbright fellow in Mozambique. In 2009 alone, at least 15 people died from crocodile attacks within three months, according to Relief Web.

In South Africa, 185 crocodile attacks have been recorded from 1949 to 2016, according to a research article published by Cambridge University Press. The data is based on the study conducted by researchers in South Africa and the United Kingdom, who analyzed Nile crocodiles in the country.

While Nile crocodiles are ferocious predators, the only wild animal of the same kind that surpasses it in terms of power and size is the saltwater crocodile, which is the largest crocodile species in the world, based on existing records.

Related Article: Crocodile Match: Australian Man Survives Attack by Biting Back at 10-Foot Reptile
Speculations were raised as regards the sighting of a rare ''doomsday fish'' prior to the powerful earthquake that hit Japan.

Some people have been connecting this sighting to the natural disaster that claimed the lives of many individuals in Japan.

Omen of Earthquakes?

People believed that the sighting of the rare six-foot "earthquake fish,'' officially called the Russell's oarfish, could be regarded as a sign of a forthcoming bad news. To recall, divers had spotted an oarfish off the coast of Taiwan early this year.

Due to their size and shape, oarfish often resemble sea serpents and they are also considered as harbingers of earthquakes and misfortune in the Japanese mythology.

The myth was rekindled in 2011 following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Shortly before the disaster, at least a dozen of the rarely-seen fish was washed ashore in Japan during the late 2009 and 2010.

The serpent-like oarfish has long been considered as an omen of natural disaster, however, scientists are not buying that old superstition.

Oarfish usually live in deep water, at depths of up to 3,300 feet.

According to Japanese legend, the sight of them in shallow waters is an omen of earthquakes. The belief even dates back to the 17th century wherein the ghostly fish became known as ryugu no tsukai, or the "messenger from the sea god's palace.''

In 2011, the largely forgotten "earthquake fish" legend surfaced after 20 oarfish was washed ashore in the months leading up to Japan's most powerful recorded earthquake that later caused a devastating tsunami.

Since then, oarfish found on beaches or in shallow water have caused concern among residents from the Philippines to California. So far, the fears of residents as regards coming earthquakes were proved to be far from the truth.

However, some scientists have hypothesized that there could be a connection. Ecological seismologist Kiyoshi Wadatsumi expressed belief that deep-sea fish living near the sea bottom are more sensitive to the movements of active faults than those near the surface of the sea.

Meanwhile, Mark Benfield, an oceanographer and ecologist at Louisiana State University, believed that any link between seismic activity and oarfish spotted along coasts could be deemed as coincidental.

He said that oarfish, like many deep-sea creatures, migrate vertically toward the surface at night to follow one of their favorite meals, which is the krill.

Sometimes a shift in currents may also pull the fish onto the continental shelf and prevent them from returning to the depths. He said that the oarfish washed ashore or in the shallows are typically dead, dying, or injured.

Read Also: Doomsday Omen 6-Foot Oarfish Seen Dying with Cookiecutter Shark Bites Off Taiwan Coasts

Death Toll Rising

Authorities said that the death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan on New Year's Day rose to 64.

Rescue teams rushed to bring aid to survivors facing freezing temperatures and heavy rains.

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck the Noto peninsula on Monday afternoon, levelling houses and cutting off remote areas from aid.

Heavy rains were forecasted in the quake-hit areas on Wednesday, raising fears that it may result in landslides that could further hinder efforts to rescue more people who have been trapped under rubble.

Related Article: A 16-Foot Oarfish Has Been Found in Chile: Sign of Impending Earthquake?
A polar bear that was believed to be scavenging on carcasses of birds inflicted by bird flu had died.

Authorities said that the polar bear was found dead on Alaska's North Slope.

They said that it was the first of the species known to have been killed by the highly pathogenic avian influenza that is circulating among animal populations around the world.

First Polar Bear Case

The polar bear was found dead in October near Utqiagvik, the nation's northernmost community, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

The discovery of the virus in the animal's body tissue, a process that required sampling and study by the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management and other agencies, confirmed in December that highly pathogenic avian influenza was the cause of the polar bear's death.

Dr. Bob Gerlach, Alaska's state veterinarian, said that this was the first polar bear case reported for anywhere.

Due to this, it was reported to the World Organization for Animal Health and the incident has gotten attention in other Arctic nations that have polar bears.

Authorities said that this was also the first Endangered Species Act-listed animal in Alaska known to fall victim to bird flu.

Polar bears, which are considered as dependent on sea ice that is diminishing because of climate change, have already been listed as threatened in 2008.

Polar bears are known to eat seals that they hunt from sea ice. However,

While polar bears normally eat seals that they hunt from the sea ice, it appears that the polar bear that died was scavenging on dead birds and ingested the influenza virus, Gerlach said.

Numerous birds on the North Slope of various species have died from this avian influenza, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Read Also: Bird Flu Detected in Antarctica for the First Time Raises Risk of Catastrophic Breeding Failure Among Isolated Penguins

Lethal To Wild Population

Officials noted that the death of the polar bear death was a sign of the unusually persistent and lethal hold that this strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza has on wild animal populations two years after it arrived in North America.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza spreads rapidly in flocks of domestic poultry, often requiring massive culls to control the contagions.

Experts noted that such outbreaks have been of concern in the past because of their economic consequences for global agriculture.

Until recently, wild birds were afterthoughts. Though they were known to carry the viruses, wild birds are still largely unaffected even they were used to ferry between domestic poultry populations.

Experts noted that the phenomenon has changed dramatically.

The prior US outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza during 2014 to 2015 has already resulted in some wild bird infections, and some influenza-caused bird die-offs occurred in Europe shortly thereafter.

However, experts said that the current version is considered unprecedented in its effect on wild birds and other wildlife.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza of 2014 and 2015 was introduced from Asia to North America by wild birds migrating through Alaska, which is a catchall area for birds from North America or the Americas, as well as from Asia.

The current influenza is also crossing continents through Alaska, though from multiple directions.

Related Article: 37,000 Birds on Chicken Farm Slaughtered in Peru to Control Bird Flu Disease Outbreak
BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged relevant countries to fully respect the fact that Hong Kong has already returned to China and abandon their colonial mentality.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a Hong Kong-related statement recently issued by countries including the United Kingdom and the United States in the name of "Media Freedom Coalition".

Noting this is a smear against press freedom in Hong Kong, an attack on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's legitimate law enforcement and a move to embolden those who are anti-China and engaged in destabilizing Hong Kong such as Jimmy Lai, Wang said China deplores and firmly rejects this so-called statement from a handful of countries in the name of "Media Freedom Coalition".

The cases of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden have already shown the world that the so-called "freedom of press" is just a tool some countries use to attack and smear others, Wang said.

"These countries care little about the freedom of press when their selfish interests are involved. They made irresponsible remarks on matters concerning Hong Kong in the name of freedom of press only because they are not happy that Hong Kong is prospering, and they still hope to keep their past privileges and influence in Hong Kong but to no avail," Wang said.

Wang said Hong Kong follows the rule of law, and all laws in Hong Kong must be observed and those who break the law must be held accountable.

"Since the national security law entered into effect in Hong Kong, Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive. The rule of law has been upheld and justice served. The lawful rights and freedoms including the freedom of press and freedom of speech of Hong Kong residents have been protected in a safe and stable environment under the rule of law," Wang said.

The spokesperson said that the number of international media outlets and journalists in Hong Kong has increased from before the national security law was introduced. "This is a fact that could not be denied by any unbiased person," he added.

"In recent years, over 100 countries spoke up in multilateral fora, including the third committee of UNGA and Human Rights Council, to voice their support for China in various ways on matters concerning Hong Kong. This fully shows that the world is not blind to the truth," Wang said.

"Any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong affairs in the name of the freedom of press is doomed to fail," he said.

Editor: WXL
The petitioners had moved the court and alleged that Adani had inflated its share prices. After these allegations (part of a report by short-seller Hindenburg Research) were brought to light and also published, after that there was a sharp fall in share value of Adani Group of companies, reportedly to the tune of $100 billion.
Some of the injured said they were rescued by the locals. A girl, who escaped with minor injuries, told journalists the impact of the accident was more on the right side of the bus. She said many passengers seated on the right side were thrown away.
In his order, dated January 2, 2024, which was uploaded on Wednesday, the civil judge said that levelling baseless and frivolous charges against leaders of rival political parties had become a habit of Sanjay Singh. He could not present evidence to support his allegations whereas the plaintiff was a responsible leader of the BJP and he had the image of a respected leader.
The first batch of tourists visiting the eastern artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge pose for a photo in south China, Dec. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

GUANGZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than 16.3 million inbound and outbound passengers and 3.26 million vehicles passed through Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) in 2023, 1.29 times and 3.8 times that of 2019, respectively, official data shows.

Tour groups drove the main passenger flow last year via the bridge, the longest bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing in the world, according to the bridge's border inspection station on Tuesday.

Data shows that in 2023, more than 45,000 mainland tour groups traveled to and from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Macao SAR via the bridge. In the meantime, residents in Hong Kong and Macao paid a record high of almost 10 million visits to the mainland via the bridge.

In 2023, the highest single-day passenger flow via the bridge reached 115,000, hitting a new high since the bridge entered into operation, noted a staffer at the station.

The 55-km HZMB links China's Hong Kong SAR, the city of Zhuhai in the southern Guangdong Province, and Macao SAR. It has brought tremendous opportunities and benefits to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Editor: WJH
However, while reserving the verdict, the bench had said it had no reason to "discredit" SEBI, which probed allegations against the Adani group, considered close to the Modi government, as there was no material before it to doubt what the market regulator had done.
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to be in Kathmandu on Thursday for the 7th India Nepal Joint Commission meeting. The meeting is taking place after two years as the last meeting was held on January 14, 2021 in New Delhi.Jaishankar and his counterpart from Nepal, NP Saud will be at the helm of the meeting. Energy cooperation, and increasing the funding of development projects in Nepal would be discussed, a source said.
Sharing the 'SOP on Picnic' on X, the Assam Police said there should not be overcrowding in vehicles. "No loud music on the vehicles to be allowed. There should not be any movement of picnic parties before sunrise and after sunset," it said.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Maharashtra government and the NIA on a plea by Delhi University's associate professor and Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case accused Hany Babu against an order of the Bombay High Court which rejected his bail plea.
The CM said reinforcements had been sent to Moreh while a search operation was going on widely. He said it was being carried out jointly by state and central forces. We suspect the involvement of foreign mercenaries from Myanmar side in the incident. Multiple sources have told us this. The involvement of KNA-B is highly possible, Singh said. Kuki National Army operates two armed wings, one in India while the other in Myanmar, known as KNA-B.
"This is not hide and seek, let us be clear about this. If the list (of victims) was there, you have to give at least this much explanation as to why you have not paid them, the reason has to be there," the Chief Justice observed.
NEW DELHI: For the first time, the government has issued guidelines for hospitals on ICU admissions, directing that critically ill patients cannot be admitted to the intensive care unit if there is refusal by the patients and their relatives. The guidelines on ICU admission and discharge criteria further clarify that the requirements for admitting a patient to the ICU should be based on organ failure, the need for organ support, or in anticipation of deterioration in the medical condition.
Senior Congress leaders including Salman Khurshid were in touch with Nitish and other alliance partners also backed the idea of making the Bihar leader the convenor of the bloc. Last week, Rahul Gandhi had also reached out to Nitish, said a party leader. When asked if the convener will become an automatic candidate for prime minister, the leader said, There is no precondition that the convener will become the PM. The party with more seats can claim the post.
Arguing there is a violation of her fundamental rights, the counsel further said, she was not allowed to get the legal help of a lawyer. "I was not allowed to talk to my lawyer. They restrained me from talking to the lawyer. It is an admitted fact, it's in the status report," it was argued.
The new terminal building has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1100 crore. The two-level new international terminal can serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3,500 during peak hours, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed earlier through an official release.
Workers assemble tractors in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Zhang Yixi/Xinhua)

Workers are busy at the construction site of an expressway bridge in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Xiong Pingxiang/Xinhua)

A family doctor measures a villager's blood pressure in Gangbian Village of Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Luo Jinglai/Xinhua)

A staff member gestures as a car passes an expressway toll gate in east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Long Wei/Xinhua)

Workers are busy at a smart production line in a tech company in Ruichang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Wei Dongsheng/Xinhua)

A worker performs a welding task at a workshop in Qingzhou City, east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Wang Jilin/Xinhua)

A medical worker tends a newborn baby at a hospital in Yuping Dong Autonomous County of Tongren City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Workers around China have returned to their respective posts after the New Year holiday. (Photo by Hu Panxue/Xinhua)

Editor: WJH
"The area of Lakshadweep may be small, but its heart is huge. I am overwhelmed by the love and blessings I am receiving here. I express my gratitude to you all," said the Prime Minister who reached the islands on Tuesday.
Sources said that the rallies have been planned in areas considered to be weak for the saffron party in the wake of the upcoming general election. The seats are mostly held by JD(U), which is now a part of the opposition grand alliance.
According to an official statement, Shah advised the security agencies to deploy appropriately in vulnerable areas, working with the Modi governments zero-tolerance approach against terrorism. We have to eliminate the terror system through comprehensive and intensified security approaches, said Shah. Emphasising the necessity of adhering to due procedures in counter-terror operations, he highlighted the importance of further strengthening local intelligence networks across J&K. He appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the administration of the UT, noting the significant decline in terror-related incidents, infiltration, and improvements in the law and order situation.
"The court should not direct the presence of an official solely because the official's stance in the affidavit differs from the court's view. In such cases, if the matter can be resolved based on existing records, it should be decided on merits accordingly," the bench said.
The chakka jam by truck drivers in various parts of the country had crippled transportation of essential commodities and led to panic buying. Under the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is set to replace the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing authorities face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
According to the letter, the transport commissioner has also said in the letter sent to the transport officials that Shuchita Chaturvedi, a member of the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, had written a letter on December 15 last year informing that many accidents are taking place due to vehicles driven by children below the age of 18 years.
Would have savoured this historic moment: Congress MP

Congress MP Vivek Tankha has welcomed the move of the meeting in his home city. He said that if he had not been abroad, he would have savoured this historic moment in Jabalpur on January 3. Tankha had in June at a Congresss poll rally in Jabalpur raised the issue of interests of Vindhya, Mahakoshal and Bundelkhand regions being ignored
The attack sparked fears of a broader conflagration because Aruri is the most high-profile figure to be killed since fighting in Gaza began in October, and his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities started.
Congress government has always put hurdles on the construction of Ram Mandir at every step from the beginning. As if that was not enough, instead of making amends, even now it is trying to stop Ram bhakts from celebrating during this joyous occasion. Minority appeasement policies of Congress have always been a threat to Hindus and their religious customs, and traditions. Unfortunately, Congress prefers politics over religion, he said.
"If any BJP leaders have a little wisdom, they should please read out the list of charges against this person from Hubballi and then decide whether to fight for him. Since Hindus are the majority in the population, they are also the majority in prisons. Does that mean BJP should fight for all of them because they belong to the Hindu religion?", he asked.
Rose Queen and Princesses ride on their float along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Southern California, the United States, during the 135th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2024. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets Monday to watch the 135th Rose Parade, the annual celebration event for the New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Members of a marching band perform along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Southern California, the United States, during the 135th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2024. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets Monday to watch the 135th Rose Parade, the annual celebration event for the New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

A float moves along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Southern California, the United States, during the 135th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2024. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets Monday to watch the 135th Rose Parade, the annual celebration event for the New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Editor: JYZ
"The Act came into effect in 2013 and the SC order prohibiting manual scavenging came in 2014. No human should clean human excreta. But the government is not serious. It has done no campaigns. Today a person residing in the smallest villages in Karnataka is aware of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, but people still say they know nothing of the manual scavenging Act. What happened in Kolar is a crime. The government should stop the caste drama. The Constitution also says there should be no discrimination. Malur was only a representation of what was happening on the ground. In 2023 alone, there have been 93 deaths of manual scavengers across India," Wilson had said.
Speaking about the trend, Fr James, who serves in Australia, says, Though I came to the country to do my doctorate, I had to return to Rajagiri due to the unavailability of supervisors in my area of specialization. While teaching in Rajagiri I was asked by the bishop whether I could serve in Australia since I was familiar with the diocese. There was a dire need for priests in the diocese. It was a huge decision for me to shift from teaching or administration to full-time pastoral ministry. I have been for the past 14 years serving in the archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, in the capital of Australia.
VinFast was initially planning to take over the Ford plant in Chennai but the deal fell through as Ford was not willing to part with the land. Sources said that the Chief Minister was keen to bring the investment to Thoothukudi, which has access to the sea as well as an airport to help generate jobs for the youth who have been migrating from the southern district to Chennai and other regions.
A senior Supreme Court registry official said that their SLP would likely to come up for a hearing before the Apex Court, most likely in two or three weeks, depending upon the importance and sensitivity of the case.
Iraqis light candles marking the fourth anniversary of the death of General Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's Quds Force, who was killed in a US air strike in Baghdad in 2020. (Photo| AP)

AFP TEHRAN: At least 103 people were killed in Iran Wednesday, as two bombs in quick succession struck a crowd commemorating slain general Qasem Soleimani on the anniversary of his killing, state media reported. "The number of people killed rose to 103 following the death of people injured during the terrorist explosions," the official IRNA news agency said. The blasts, which state television called a "terrorist attack", came with tensions running high in the Middle East a day after Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri -- an Iran ally -- was killed in a Beirut drone strike which Lebanese officials blamed on Israel. The blasts stuck near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani's southern hometown where he is buried, as supporters gathered to mark the fourth anniversary of his death in a US drone strike just outside Baghdad airport. Kerman's deputy governor said the explosions were a "terrorist attack". At least 141 people were also wounded in the bombings, state media said. Iran's Tasnim news agency, quoting informed sources, said "two bags carrying bombs went off" at the site. "The perpetrators ... of this incident apparently detonated the bombs by remote control," Tasnim added. The ISNA news agency quoted Kerman mayor Saeed Tabrizi as saying the bombs exploded 10 minutes apart. Online footage showed crowds scrambling to flee as security personnel cordoned off the area. Images on state television showed several ambulances and rescue personnel in the area. Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, overseeing military operations across the Middle East. Declared a "living martyr" by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while still alive, Soleimani was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State jihadist group in both Iraq and Syria. In the eyes of many Iranians, his military and strategic prowess were instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighboring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq. Long seen as a deadly adversary by the US and its allies, Soleimani was one of the most important powerbrokers across the region, setting Iran's political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. On days after his death in 2020 and leading up to his funeral in Kerman, millions turned out to mourn in a show of national unity. A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland found Soleimani had a popularity rating in Iran of 83 percent, ahead of then-president Hassan Rouhani and then-foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
NATO announced Wednesday that it would help member nations buy up to 1,000 surface-to-air Patriot-guided missiles in a deal possibly costing about $5.5 billion. That could allow alliance members to send more of their own defence systems to Ukraine.
Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows four giant pandas Qinghua, Qinglu, Qiaoyue, and Ailian from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda are playing in the panda house at an animal theme park in Yongchuan District of southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality. It is understood that the four pandas officially arrived in Yongchuan District on Dec. 30 last year, and have come to the indoor playground for the first time since Jan. 1 this year to adapt to their new home. The photo shows the giant panda Qiaoyue taking a walk outside the panda house. (Chen Shichuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows four giant pandas Qinghua, Qinglu, Qiaoyue, and Ailian from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda are playing in the panda house at an animal theme park in Yongchuan District of southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality. It is understood that the four pandas officially arrived in Yongchuan District on Dec. 30 last year, and have come to the indoor playground for the first time since Jan. 1 this year to adapt to their new home. The photo shows the giant panda Qinglu tasting food at the panda house. (Chen Shichuan/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows four giant pandas Qinghua, Qinglu, Qiaoyue, and Ailian from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda are playing in the panda house at an animal theme park in Yongchuan District of southwest Chinas Chongqing Municipality. It is understood that the four pandas officially arrived in Yongchuan District on Dec. 30 last year, and have come to the indoor playground for the first time since Jan. 1 this year to adapt to their new home. The photo shows the giant panda Qinghua enjoying winter sleep in the panda house. (Chen Shichuan/Guangming Picture)

Editor: JYZ
Perspective Shifts  A Guide to Understanding Diverse Political Viewpoints

New York, Jan 3

Navigating the intricate landscape of political ideologies can be challenging, yet it is crucial for fostering a society that values diverse perspectives.

The Mosaic of U.S. Political Landscape

Overview of Political Diversity

The United States boasts a political landscape as diverse as its population. From the progressive ideals of liberalism to the traditional values of conservatism, the spectrum is broad and nuanced. Understanding this diversity is the first step towards appreciating the rich tapestry that shapes American politics.

Key Political Ideologies

Understanding the Spectrum

Liberalism:Rooted in the pursuit of equality and social justice, liberals advocate for government intervention to address societal inequalities. Key issues include civil rights, environmental protection, and healthcare reform.

Conservatism:Embracing traditional values and limited government intervention, conservatives focus on preserving established institutions. Their priorities often include free-market capitalism, strong national defense, and individual liberties.

Libertarianism:Libertarians advocate for minimal government involvement in both economic and social matters. Personal freedoms, free-market capitalism, and non-interventionist foreign policies are central tenets.

Socialism:Socialists champion collective ownership of the means of production to address economic inequalities. Priorities include wealth redistribution, universal healthcare, and social safety nets.

Understanding the nuances within these ideologies provides a foundation for meaningful discussions.

Navigating Political Discourse

Effective Communication Strategies

Engaging in constructive political discourse requires more than just understanding ideologies; it involves effective communication strategies:

Active Listening:Actively listen to different perspectives without immediate judgment. This fosters an environment where individuals feel heard and respected.

Empathy: Understand that people's political beliefs are often shaped by their experiences. Approach discussions with empathy to bridge gaps and find common ground.

Find Common Ground: Despite ideological differences, finding shared values can lead to productive conversations. Focus on areas of agreement to build understanding.

Respectful Disagreement: Disagreements are inevitable, but maintaining respect ensures that discussions remain constructive. Avoid personal attacks and focus on the issues at hand.

(TINN - Posted on 03 January 2024)

Perspective Shifts  A Guide to Understanding Diverse Political Viewpoints

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Crypto Trends 2024 - Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Digital Currencies

New York, Jan 3

The world of digital currencies is in a perpetual state of evolution, and as we step into 2024, the crypto landscape is poised for significant changes.

In this article, we will delve into the key crypto trends for 2024, exploring the innovations, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) 2.0: Unleashing the Next Wave of Financial Innovation

Decentralized Finance, or DeFi, has been a driving force in the crypto space, providing users with financial services without traditional intermediaries. In 2024, we can expect the emergence of DeFi 2.0, marked by improved scalability, interoperability, and user experience. Layer 2 solutions and cross-chain compatibility will play a pivotal role in addressing the current challenges of high transaction fees and slow confirmation times associated with many DeFi platforms.

NFTs Beyond Art: The Expansion of Non-Fungible Tokens

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) gained immense popularity in recent years, primarily in the art and gaming sectors. However, 2024 is likely to witness the expansion of NFT use cases beyond these domains. Expect to see NFTs being utilized in real estate, music, and even education, as blockchain technology continues to demonstrate its versatility. The development of eco-friendly NFT solutions to address environmental concerns will also be a key focus.

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs): Shaping the Future of Money

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are gaining momentum globally, with several countries actively exploring or piloting their own digital currencies. In 2024, we anticipate more countries making significant strides in the development and implementation of CBDCs. This shift could redefine the way people use and perceive traditional fiat currencies, posing both challenges and opportunities for the existing financial system.

Privacy Coins and Regulatory Scrutiny: Striking a Balance

The demand for privacy in transactions has led to the rise of privacy-focused cryptocurrencies. However, regulatory bodies are increasingly scrutinizing these coins due to concerns about their potential use in illegal activities. Striking a balance between user privacy and regulatory compliance will be a crucial challenge for privacy coins in 2024. Innovations in privacy-preserving technologies, such as zero-knowledge proofs, will play a pivotal role in addressing these concerns.

Smart Contracts and Automation: The Backbone of Decentralized Applications

Smart contracts, self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code, are the backbone of decentralized applications (DApps). In 2024, we anticipate a surge in the adoption of smart contracts across various industries, including supply chain management, healthcare, and legal services. The automation capabilities offered by smart contracts can enhance efficiency and reduce costs, driving mainstream acceptance of blockchain technology.

Environmental Sustainability: Green Crypto Initiatives

The environmental impact of blockchain and cryptocurrency mining has been a growing concern. In 2024, the crypto community is expected to prioritize sustainability through the development of green initiatives. More environmentally friendly consensus mechanisms and energy-efficient mining practices will likely gain traction, aligning the industry with global efforts to combat climate change.

Conclusion

As we venture into 2024, the crypto space is poised for transformative changes. From the evolution of DeFi to the widespread adoption of CBDCs, the crypto landscape is becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. Navigating these trends requires a keen understanding of the technology, regulatory developments, and the ever-changing market dynamics. Whether you are an investor, developer, or simply curious about the future of digital currencies, staying informed and adapting to these trends will be essential for success in the dynamic world of cryptocurrency.

(TINN - Posted on 03 January 2024)

Crypto Trends 2024 - Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Digital Currencies

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KJo opens up on his fanboy moment with Sridevi

Mumbai, Jan 2

Bollywood producer-director Karan Johar (KJo), who hosts the popular streaming chat show Koffee With Karan has shared his fanboy moment with the late actress Sridevi, on the show.

He also talks about the first time he met Sridevi in person and was simply mesmerised by her aura.

I have to say one thing you do know and I've said this time and again about how crazy and madly in love I was with your mother. I was her biggest fan.

You all have lived through different beats of technology. But for me, the video phase was the cinema halls. Nobody in the side of town that I lived in used to go and watch Hindi movies. That was the phase where your mom and Jeetu ji did movies. I've seen all of them, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil director said.

The time when I saw her finally, in Mr. India, it was a premiere and the next time in cinema, and I was like, Oh God, I think I'm obsessed. So the first time I met her was actually in 1993 when she did a film for my dad, called Gumrah and I went to this photoshoot that Rakesh Shreshtha was shooting and my knees were rattling, because I was so nervous. My dad introduced me and I don't know what I said or what I have done and that's also the first day I met Manish Malhotra in my entire life.

I thought he was really snooty and snobbish because I said, she's looking fabulous. He was like go, tell her and I was like, I can't just walk up to Sridevi and you're looking great. I couldn't do it, KJo added.

Koffee with Karan streams on Disney+ Hotstar.

(IANS - Posted on 03 January 2024)

KJo opens up on his fanboy moment with Sridevi

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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partly cloudy. A few flurries are possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 26F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
In a recent preprint* study posted to the medRxiv server, a team of researchers evaluated the impact of hybrid immunity (combining vaccination and recovery from infection) on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody levels in Canadian adults.

Study: Hybrid immunity from SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in Canadian adults: cohort study. Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock

*Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

Background

In late 2021 and early 2022, the Omicron BA.1/1.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 spread globally. During this period, hybrid immunity significantly reduced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) morbidity and mortality compared to previous years. Hybrid immunity offers partial protection against reinfection and a more robust defense against severe outcomes. However, most studies focus on hospitalized patients or those tested via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), not reflecting the general population. This gap hinders understanding the longevity and effectiveness of hybrid immunity.

Further research is needed to understand the long-term dynamics and effectiveness of hybrid immunity at a population level, especially considering varying infection and vaccination histories for transitioning from pandemic to endemic management of COVID-19.

About the study

The present study, conducted between May 2020 and December 2022, involved serial assessments of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a cohort of mostly vaccinated Canadian adults recruited from a national online polling platform. Participants reported their viral testconfirmed infections and sent self-collected dried blood spots to a central laboratory for analysis. The study focused on estimating the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 before and during the Omicron BA.1/1.1 and BA.2/5 waves, along with changes in antibody levels and age-specific immunity levels.

Highly sensitive and specific antibody assays were used to detect spike and nucleocapsid protein antigens, the latter being indicative of infection. The study evaluated the decay of spike protein antibodies post-vaccination and post-infection, noting that recent vaccination mitigated the decline in spike levels from older infections. The research team also correlated spike antibody and cellular responses in a convenience sample.

By the end of 2022, approximately 35% of adults over 60 had their last vaccine dose more than six months prior, and about 25% had not been infected. The cumulative incidence of infection rose significantly by December 2022, suggesting a role for hybrid immunity in reducing COVID-19 severity and mortality.

Study results

In the study, people who previously had SARS-CoV-2 infection showed more spike protein than those who did not, regardless of the number of vaccination doses received. This pattern was consistent among various demographics, including age groups, sex, and ethnicities. Particularly notable was finding out that adults who had received at least three shots from the vaccine and were sick more than half a year earlier had spike levels that went down quickly and kept going lower for nine months after getting vaccinated. On the other hand, adults who got sick in less than six months saw a slower decrease in spike amounts.

Cumulative incidence in each stratum of infection and vaccination in the pre-omicron wave, during the omicron BA.1/1.1 wave, and during the BA.2 and BA.5 waves by age group. *Including uninfected and infected cases. The first column in each age group represents the antibody and viral test positivity for the entire period prior to omicron, whereas the second column represents the values during the omicron BA.1/1.1 wave and the third during the BA.2/5 waves. By the last time period studied, the numbers of participants aged 15-59 who were N-positive, viral testpositive, and positive to both were 675 (41%), 37 (2%), and 699 (43%). The comparable numbers for participants aged 60 or more were 763 (44%), 35 (2%), and 500 (29%).

The research also showed that new vaccines helped stop the drop in spike levels from older sicknesses. In some people, the level of spike antibodies was linked to how their cells reacted. By the end of 2022, about 35% of adults over the age of 60 had their last vaccine dosage more than six months ago, and approximately 25% had not been infected.

The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the studied population increased dramatically from 13% before the emergence of the Omicron variant to 78% by December 2022, which equated to around 25 million infected adults. Despite this high incidence rate, the COVID-19 weekly death rate during the Omicron BA.2/5 waves was significantly lower than during the BA.1/1.1 wave, suggesting a protective effect of hybrid immunity.

Furthermore, the study found significant increases in infection rates among younger, i.e., 18-59 years, and older i.e., 60+ years adults, most of whom were vaccinated. By December 2022, the cumulative incidence rates in these age groups were approximately 86% and 75%, respectively. However, a significant proportion of older adults, who are most at risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, either had not been vaccinated in over six months or remained uninfected.

Conclusions

The study highlights the protective nature of hybrid immunity against SARS-CoV-2 at a population level, with a focus on Canadian adults. By December 2022, nearly 80% of Canadian adults were infected, predominantly with Omicron variants, leading to significant morbidity and mortality but also contributing to hybrid immunity. Despite the high infection rate, death rates during Omicron BA.2 and BA.5 were significantly lower than during BA.1/1.1, suggesting hybrid immunity's role in reducing severe disease. Hospitalizations have decreased since summer 2022, especially in intensive care units. The study also found that recent vaccination helped maintain spike protein levels, indicating its importance in sustaining immunity. This research underscores the need for continuous high vaccination coverage, including booster doses for older adults, to maintain this hybrid immunity and manage COVID-19 effectively.

*Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A recent PLOS ONE study reports the prevalence of dental pathologies and anatomical variations in a Swedish Viking Age population using radiographic techniques.

Study: Caries prevalence and other dental pathological conditions in Vikings from Varnhem, Sweden. Image Credit: Quality Stock Arts / Shutterstock.com

Background

Osteoarchaeological dental examinations provide unique information about general health, oral discomfort, infections of the jaws, dental wear, nutritional composition, and frequency of the samples. Therefore, these findings provide a greater understanding of the everyday life of an ancient population.

Several studies have documented the prevalence of dental caries from prehistoric times to the 19th century. This dental condition surged during the early and mid-20th century due to the availability of white sugar and processed foods.

Previous studies on Icelandic Vikings revealed a high degree of tooth wear with a few carious lesions. Another osteoarcheological study of Danish Viking remains indicated the prevalence of dental caries in around 30% of the study population, along with a significant number of jaw infections.

To date, few studies have documented the dental health of Swedish Vikings. The dental remains of the Viking Age population excavated around the Varnhem stone church were well preserved, which could provide greater insights into the everyday life of these people.

About the study

The current study involved an osteoarcheological analysis of the Viking population from the Swedish Varnhem settlement to better understand their oral conditions.

A total of 300 individuals were previously assessed by Vastergotlands Museums archaeologists. Among these, 171 individuals with partial and complete dentitions were selected for further experiments in this study. The age and sex of the individuals were already determined.

Key selection criteria included the presence of complete or fragmented mandibulae, maxillae, or both. Based on the presence of permanent or deciduous/mixed dentition, the study cohort was divided into two groups.

A total of 133 individuals, 46 female, were present in the permanent dentition group, while 38 individuals were placed in the deciduous/mixed dentition group. The mean age of death of individuals in the permanent dentition group was 35 years and ranged between 14 and 50 years of age. However, the age of deaths ranged between less than one year and 12 years for the deciduous/mixed dentition group.

Clinical examinations of all dental samples were conducted under a strong light source using a dental probe. A dentist and undergraduate dental students examined teeth and jaws.

The clinical findings were validated using radiographic examination. To this end, a total of 18 individuals were randomly selected for radiographic analysis using the bitewing technique.

Study findings

A total of 3,293 teeth were examined in the permanent dentition group. About 50% of the study population exhibited at least one carious lesion; however, all juvenile individuals were caries-free.

The prevalence of caries was found to have a similar pattern to that of other European populations from the same time period from previous studies. The dental root surface was the most susceptible region to dental caries because of the higher retention of the bacterial biofilm.

The two common factors that cause gum recession are periodontal disease and abrasive brushing. In the case of the Viking population, a higher prevalence of root caries was linked to periodontal disease. The higher root caries occurrence in this population was attributed to poor oral hygiene.

Other than occasional toothpicking, no other oral hygiene measures were practiced during this time. As a result, bacterial biofilm remained on the root surface for a prolonged period.

Although most individuals in the study population were caries-free or developed one or a couple of lesions, a smaller section exhibited significant numbers of carious lesions.

Most large cavitated lesions were easily detected through clinical examinations. However, several lost teeth and a few initial carious lesions were identified through X-rays.

Dental infections were found in 4% of the teeth. A heavy abrasion to a maxillary incisor with an apical infection was observed in radiography. Some Vikings filed their teeth; however, the reason for this practice remains unknown.

The disproportionate gender in the excavation site could be attributed to the early Christian customs where men were buried in the south side of the churches and women in the north.

A positive correlation between age and tooth loss/caries prevalence was consistent with previous studies. The presence of fluoride in drinking water might have influenced the prevalence of caries.

Conclusions

The current study presents an extraordinary glimpse into the early life of the Swedish Viking settlement. The prevalence of tooth pain and tooth loss due to the development of dental caries was noted, in addition to some Vikings' habitual use of toothpicks and tooth filing.
Despite the fact that the latest Russian missile strike caused damage to energy facilities in Kyiv region, the defeat is not critical. The Ukrainian energy sector is once again standing the test of strength, said Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.

"The power system remains balanced, there is no shortage of power, and scheduled outages are not applied. Electricity supply in Kyiv region has been resumed for all families," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Wednesday.

He also noted that the authorities will make every effort to ensure that the victims of the Russian attacks have the opportunity to repair their homes, and if necessary, purchase a new one.

"There are effective tools for this. In particular, the e-Recovery (e-Vidnovlennia) program," the Prime Minister recalled.

He pointed out that the state paid UAH 2.2 billion to citizens for housing repairs last year.

"Now the possibility of using housing certificates for the purchase of real estate is open. This is an option for people whose apartments have been completely destroyed. This year, Ukrainians will also be able to receive funds for repairs that they have already done before," he added.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines recently approved for people 60 and older would dramatically reduce the disease's significant burden of illness and death in the United States if they were widely adopted like annual influenza vaccines, a new study has found.

A high level of RSV vaccination would not only potentially reduce millions of dollars in annual outpatient and hospitalization costs but would also produce an economy of scale with individual shots being delivered at a relatively modest cost of between $117 and $245 per dose, the study said.

The vaccines are currently covered by most private insurers without a patient copay because they are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Some Medicare beneficiaries can also obtain the shots at no cost, but only if they are enrolled in Part D of the program, which deals with drug benefits.

RSV causes substantial morbidity and mortality among the elderly in the U.S. and globally, but this is the first time that RSV vaccines have been available. We wanted to understand the potential impact of RSV vaccination in terms of averting illness, medical costs, hospitalizations, and deaths." Alison Galvani, senior author, the Burnett and Stender Families Professor of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) at the Yale School of Public Health

RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes mild cold-like symptoms in most people, who usually recover in one or two weeks. But older adults and infants are more likely to develop serious RSV, which can be life-threatening. The current study looked only at the potential impact and cost of RSV vaccines for older adults.

Two RSV vaccines, Arexy and Abrysvo, were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. RSV disease causes an estimated 60,000 to160,000 hospitalizations and 6,000 to 10,000 deaths annually in adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of Dec. 1, just 14.8% of people 60 or older in the U.S. said they had obtained an RSV vaccine, CDC records show.

In conducting their study, the researchers created a model for RSV outcomes based on characteristics of the U.S. population 60 or older. Measured outcomes included the annual incidence of cases per 100,000 people requiring outpatient, inpatient, and intensive care, and the death rate for hospitalized patients. The researchers then calculated the medical care costs for these outcomes and lost productivity.

The researchers analyzed how these outcomes would be reduced if 66% of adults 60 and older received an RSV vaccine. That is the typical influenza vaccination coverage for adults 65 years or older in the U.S.

"It would be great if we could achieve even higher levels," said Galvani, who also serves as the director of Yale's Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis. "But if we can achieve that for flu, it makes sense that would be feasible for RSV vaccination as well."

For comparison, the researchers also analyzed the impact of 100% RSV vaccination coverage. In each scenario, they factored in the efficacy of the vaccine at preventing the need for medical care and death. They looked at the impact of these levels of RSV vaccination over one year and then over two years.

They found that 66% vaccination coverage in the first year reduced outpatient care by 41.4% to 53.6%, hospitalizations by 57.6% to 60.5%, and RSV-related deaths by 58.5% to 60.4%.

Increasing vaccination coverage to 100% reduced outpatient care by 62.9% to 81.2%, hospitalizations by 87.4% to 91.7%, and deaths by 87.6% to 91.3%.

Based on these numbers, the maximum cost-effective price per dose for one season at 66% coverage was $118 to $127. The difference was small -; $1 to $3 -; for 100% coverage.

With the annual cost savings achieved from vaccination, a program where 66% of adults 60 and older are vaccinated for RSV would cost the U.S. health care system $6.4 to $7.1 billion for one season, and $9.7 to $10.7 billion at 100% vaccination, the researchers found.

The vaccines are intended to protect people over two RSV seasons, as clinical trials for the vaccine showed efficacy for that time. But the researchers felt that until real-world efficacy data are available, a one-season analysis was more appropriate.

"Within the next year or two years, as these vaccines are rolled out, we will get a lot of data on effectiveness and better analysis," said Seyed Moghadas, the paper's first author and professor of applied mathematics and computational epidemiology at York University. "This new data will help us better inform vaccination strategies for improved impact against RSV disease."

If real-world data show strong efficacy over two seasons, Arexvy could be cost effective up to $235 per dose and Abrysvo up to $245 per dose, the researchers found.

These are important issues to understand, Galvani said. Some private insurers have not decided if they will cover the vaccines, and whether Medicare does depends on the plan, she said. People 60 to 64 are not eligible for Medicare and may not have health coverage, she added.

"Accessibility and cost are definitely concerns in the American health care system," she said. "We hope that our results will inform decision-makers about the health and economic benefits of vaccination, as our results demonstrate the importance of making these vaccines accessible to everyone over 60 years to realize their full benefit."

The research was published Nov. 30 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Growth hormone (GH) acts on many tissues throughout the body, helping build bones and muscles, among other functions. It is also a powerful anxiolytic. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil has produced a deeper understanding of the role of GH in mitigating anxiety and, for the first time, identified the population of neurons responsible for modulating the influence of GH on the development of neuropsychiatric disorders involving anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. An article on the study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

In the study, which was supported by FAPESP, the researchers found that male mice lacking the GH receptor in a group of somatostatin-expressing neurons displayed increased anxiety. Somatostatin is a peptide that regulates several physiological processes, including the release of GH and other hormones, such as insulin.

On the other hand, they also found that the absence of the GH receptor in somatostatin-expressing neurons decreased fear memory, a key feature of post-traumatic stress disorder, in males and females. The discovery could contribute to the future development of novel classes of anxiolytic drug.

Our discovery of the mechanism involving anxiolytic effects of GH offers a possible, merely chemical, explanation for these disorders, suggesting why patients with more or less GH secretion are more or less susceptible to them." Jose Donato Junior, last author of the article and professor at the university's Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP)

In the study, the researchers conducted three types of experiment involving mice (open field, elevated plus maze, and light/dark box) to test the animals' capacity to explore the environment and take risks. "These are well-established experiments to analyze behavior similar to anxiety and memory of fear, which is an element in post-traumatic stress. As a result, we were able to explore the role of GH in these animals," Donato explained.

The results of the study did not point to any reasons for the lack of increased anxiety-like behavior in female mice. "We believe it may be related to sexual dimorphism. We know the brain region containing the neurons we studied is a bit different in males and females. Some neurological disorders are also different in men and women, probably not by chance," he said.

Chemistry

Thousands of people suffer from neuropsychiatric disorders all over the world. Although anxiety and depression are the most common, their causes have yet to be fully elucidated. Scientists think they may be due to multiple factors, such as stress, genetics, social pressures, economic difficulties and/or gender issues, among others.

There is also growing evidence that hormones play an important role in regulating various neurological processes and influencing susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Alterations in levels of sex hormones such as estradiol affect anxiety, depression and fear memory in rodents and humans, for example. Preliminary results of other studies suggest that glucocorticoids (steroid hormones such as cortisol as well as synthetic forms such as prednisone and dexamethasone) may be involved in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders.

In the case of GH, the regulatory mechanism in neurons associated with such disorders had not yet been discovered. "We demonstrated that GH changes the synapses and structurally alters the neurons that secrete somatostatin," Donato said.

The study also showed that anxiety, post-traumatic stress and fear memory are different facets of the same neuronal circuit. According to Donato, anxiety can be defined as excessive fear or distrust, while fear memory relates to an adverse past event that produced a brain alteration, which triggers an exacerbated response whenever the subject is exposed to a similar stimulus. This response may range from weeping to tremors and even paralysis.

"All this happens in the same neuron population, which expresses the GH receptor. In our experiment, fear memory was reduced in mice when we switched the GH receptor off. This means the capacity to form fear memory is impaired. It may be the case that GH contributes to the development of post-traumatic stress," he said.

Another type of evidence for this is that chronic stress raises the level of a hormone called ghrelin, a powerful trigger of GH secretion. "The role of ghrelin in post-traumatic stress has been studied for some time. Research has shown that ghrelin-induced GH secretion increases in chronic stress, favoring the development of fear memory and post-traumatic stress in the animal's brain," he said.

How GH affects neurological disorders

In humans, GH is secreted by the pituitary gland into the bloodstream, promoting tissue growth throughout the body by means of protein formation, cell multiplication and cell differentiation. GH is indispensable during childhood, adolescence and pregnancy, when its secretion peaks. In old age, it naturally declines.

GH deficiency can lead to dwarfism, which is mostly manifested from 2 years of age, preventing growth during childhood and adolescence. "Previous research involving patients with GH deficiency showed a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression in these individuals, but the cause hadn't yet been established. Some authors blame it on problems of self-image and bullying due to short stature," Donato said.

The study involving mice demonstrated the key role played by GH in these disorders without the presence of potential confounders such as body image issues. "We were able to find out how much is due directly to the effects of GH or the indirect effects of growth deficit. Because we were able to identify the mechanism involving GH, we know it's a direct cause of anxiety disorder, and this knowledge can facilitate the development of therapies," Donato said.

Next steps for the research group include an investigation of the role played by GH during pregnancy. "We know one of the peaks in GH production occurs during pregnancy. We also know that the prevalence of depression rises in this period owing to post-partum depression. Of course, these disorders also reflect social, economic and other kinds of pressure, but we mustn't forget that the rise in hormone secretion during and after pregnancy can dysregulate brain functioning, also leading to this kind of mental illness," he said.
A beta blocker typically used to treat heart problems, hemangioma, migraines and anxiety could be a new therapeutic for patients with sickle cell disease. Researchers led by Ankit A. Desai, MD, associate professor of medicine at the Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center (KCVRC) at Indiana University School of Medicine, have been awarded a $3 million grant by the U.S. Department of Defense to evaluate the efficacy of this drug.

Patients with sickle cell disease, a red blood cell disorder that can cause harm to multiple organs when red blood vessels are blocked or when the cells break down, are at risk of major complications when they also develop heart damage. The median age of death is 43 years old.

Cardiomyopathy or heart damage can predispose patients to a fatal rhythm disturbance called ventricular tachycardia. We believe that inflammation plays a key role in both, creating this injurious heart and exacerbating it. We are deeply interested in translating this potential therapeutic to patients, developing a clinical trial and trying to understand the impact R-propranolol, given that propranolol appears to be well tolerated in patients otherwise." Ankit A. Desai, MD, associate professor of medicine, Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center (KCVRC), Indiana University School of Medicine

Propranolol is a mixture of two chemical formulations  R-prop and S-Propranolol, which are similar in composition. The only difference is that R-prop does not demonstrate as much beta blocker activity. The team also plans to evaluate potential for toxicity before introducing R-prop in a clinical trial.

"Evaluating a therapeutic that has already been consumed by millions for other diseases could help accelerate the potential use in patients with sickle cell more quickly," said Desai, principal investigator of the study, a cardiologist at IU Health and leader of KCVRC's Cardiopulmonary Research Program. "This grant will allow us to study heart injury as well as rhythm disturbance impact in preclinical models of sickle cell disease. The study funds a disease that is underrecognized and underrepresented and supports a broader goal at closing health care gaps."

Desai will collaborate with Bum-Rak Choi, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University. He will work closely with Choi on data related to the development of fatal arrhythmias in sickle cell disease.

"While new therapies are being explored, cleverly repurposed drugs that have already had human exposure with strong safety profile, such as R-propranolol, stand to make major headway in solving a long-standing health issue affecting the heart and cardiovascular system in the United States and abroad," said Rohan Dharmakumar, PhD, executive director of the KCVRC.
In a recent study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers investigated the association between pet ownership and cognitive decline in the elderly. Analyses of more than 7,900 adults above the age of 50 years revealed that pet ownership, while insignificant in adults living with others, significantly alleviated verbal cognitive declines in adults living alone.

This research suggests that owning a pet can slow verbal memory, cognition, and fluency aging in the elderly living in solitude and forms the basis for future research into the benefits of pet ownership in aging adults.

Can we fight cognitive aging? Can our furry friends help?

Growing old is often associated with stark declines in memory and cognition and has been found to significantly correlate with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. Modern medicine has substantially increased humanity's average life expectancy, but evolutionary theory dictates that natural selection is blind to fitness reductions temporally following reproductive age.

The aforementioned medical advances, in tandem with poor life- and health behavioral choices, have resulted in an alarming surge of neurodegenerative disorder prevalence. Estimates predict an almost 3-fold growth in the number of dementia patients in 2050 (153 million) compared to today's prevalence (57 million), exposing patients, caregivers, and national healthcare systems to significant financial and psychological stress.

Unfortunately, there is currently no effective therapy to reverse the effects of cognitive or neurodegenerative disorders, making interventions aimed at identifying high-risk populations and slowing these natural reductions the best hope that current and future patients have. Studies aimed at exploring the benefits of modifiable risk factors may elucidate the best steps for healthy aging.

Recent research has explored the associations between routine isolation and cognitive decline and has highlighted two concerning trends  firstly, today's fast-paced, mobile lifestyles and the increased subscription of families to the nuclear family structure (parents living with their children until the children reach adulthood, at which points they leave their 'nest' to establish their own nuclear families) has drastically increased the number of single-person households. The United States of America (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) are estimated to have 28.5% and 29.4% of all their elderly citizens living alone, respectively.

Secondly, cognitive research has revealed that aged adults living alone are at substantially higher risk of neurodegenerative decline and dementia development (9%) than those living with family.

Loneliness has been underscored as the primary culprit in these observations, with some authors suggesting pet ownership as a potential intervention to alleviate these risks. While some cross-sectional studies have aimed to unravel the associations between pet ownership and neurodegeneration, their results remain confounding.

Establishing the benefits of owning a furry friend (or several pets) would present a relatively cost-effective long-term solution to promote healthy aging among the growing population of lonely elderly.

About the study

In the present study, researchers utilized the cohort-based approach to elucidate pet ownership's cognitive pros and cons among aged English adults. The study follows the recommendations of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guidelines.

The sample population was derived from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a UK-wide, long-term database of community-dwelling adults over 50. ELSA was established in March 2002, with participants biennially followed up in 'waves' through July 2019 (wave 9). Data collection on pet ownership was included as a follow-up requirement during wave 5 (June 2010), thereby making wave 5 the baseline for this study. Of the 10,095 English adults included during wave 5, 7,945 participants provided informed written consent and were included in the current study dataset.

Community versus alone living was defined as the participant living with any other human (former) as opposed to the participant's household comprising only the participant (latter). Participants' cognitive function was assessed using the immediate and delayed recall of 10 unrelated words (verbal memory) and the fluent listing of common animal names (verbal fluency). Demographic characteristics, specifically race/ethnicity (White versus others), were used as covariates during statistical analyses.

Analyses comprised independent 2-sample t tests, and Pearson 2 tests with variables listed as mean and standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables, and frequencies for categorical variables. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the independent and combined effects of living alone and pet ownership on cognitive decline across measured waves (5 through 9).

Study findings

Of the 7,945 participants included in the study, 56% (4,446) were women, and 97.5% (7,746) were White. More than 35% of participants (2,791) were pet owners, and almost 27% (2,139) lived alone. Cognitive analyses revealed that pet owners displayed significantly reduced rates of cognitive decline compared to participants living alone without pets. Composite verbal cognition ( coefficient = 0.008), verbal memory ( coefficient = 0.006), and verbal fluency ( coefficient = 0.007) all showed improvements in the presence of pets.

Analyses revealed that living alone resulted in a significantly increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia onset, making it the most significant modifiable risk factor across verbal cognition, memory, and fluency. Notably, no statistically significant improvements were noted in participants who did not own pets but lived with others. This suggests that pet ownership alleviates the loneliness-induced cognitive demerits of living in isolation.

"compared with individuals living with others those living alone showed a faster decline in composite verbal cognition ( coefficient, 0.021 [95% CI, 0.027 to 0.014] SD/y), verbal memory ( coefficient, 0.018 [95% CI, 0.025 to 0.011] SD/y), and verbal fluency ( coefficient, 0.015 [95% CI, 0.022 to 0.008] SD/y)."

Conclusions

The present study highlights the cognitive demerits of living in isolation during old age  individuals above the age of 50 are at significantly higher risk of mental and neurodegenerative decline than those living with others. From previous research, loneliness is the most probable reason for these observations.

Encouragingly, pet ownership was found to completely alleviate the demerits of living alone, resulting in improved decline rates comparable to individuals living with family.

The study was unable to find synergistic benefits to living in human and pet company, with no additional improvements recorded when combining these interventions. This suggests that the benefits of pet ownership are greatest in individuals living alone.
Diffuse gliomas are malignant brain tumors that cannot be optimally examined by means of conventional MRI imaging. So-called amino acid PET scans are better able to image the activity and spread of gliomas. An international team of researchers (RANO Working Group), led by scientists from LMU and the Medical University of Vienna, has now drawn up the first ever international criteria for the standardized imaging of gliomas using amino acid PET. It has published its results in the prestigious journal The Lancet Oncology.

Under the joint leadership of nuclear physician Nathalie Albert from LMU and oncologist Professor Matthias Preusser from the Medical University of Vienna, the RANO group has developed new criteria for assessing the success of therapies for diffuse gliomas. These malignant brain tumors develop out of glial cells in the brain. Tumors of this kind are generally aggressive and difficult to treat. The RANO group has developed criteria that permit evaluation of the success of treatment using positron emission tomography (PET). Called PET RANO 1.0, these PET-based criteria open up new possibilities for the standardized assessment of diffuse gliomas.

Comparable criteria now available for interpreting PET images

PET is an imaging technique that uses a radioactive tracer to measure metabolic processes in the body. Amino acid PET is used in the diagnosis of diffuse gliomas, with tracers that work on a protein basis (amino acids) and accumulate in brain tumors.

PET imaging with radioactively labeled amino acids has proven extremely valuable in neuro-oncology and permits reliable representation of the activity and extension of gliomas. Although amino acid PET has been used for years, it had not been evaluated in a structured manner before now. In contrast to MRI-based diagnostics, there have been no criteria for interpreting these PET images." Nathalie Albert from LMU

According to the researchers, the new criteria allow PET to be used in clinical studies and everyday clinical practice and create a foundation for future research and the comparison of treatments for improved therapies.

The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group is an international, multidisciplinary consortium founded to develop standardized new response criteria for clinical studies relating to brain tumors. Comprising experts from various fields, the group has been developing criteria to serve as standard references for assessing various clinically relevant aspects for more than a decade.
Nina Shand couldn't stay awake.

She had taken afternoon naps since she was a teenager to accommodate her "work hard, play hard" attitude, but when she was in her mid-20s the sleepiness became more severe.

Menial computer tasks put her to sleep, and a 20-minute drive across her city, St. Petersburg, Florida, brought on a drowsiness so intense that her eyelids would flutter, forcing her to pull over. She knew something was really wrong when she no longer felt safe behind the wheel.

In 2021, she received a diagnosis: narcolepsy, a rare disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness.

Her doctor prescribed her Adderall, the brand-name version of the amphetamine-powered medication commonly known for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

It worked. For the first time in years, Shand, now 28, felt energized. She was no longer struggling at work, sneaking naps, or downing coffees to trick her body into staying awake. She felt hope.

But by 2022, a national Adderall shortage meant pharmacies were no longer able to fill her prescription. Shand and countless others across the country were being turned away, left to piece together a new  and often less effective  treatment plan with doctors scrambling to meet their needs.

More than a year later, the shortage continues. In October, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives implored the FDA and Drug Enforcement Administration to work with drug manufacturers to ensure better supply.

"We cannot allow this to be the continuing reality for Americans," read their letter, led by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.).

But for now, it is.

Each month is accompanied by familiar anxieties as patients navigate a web of messy logistics and uncertainty while trying to get the medication they need to live normally.

Media coverage of the shortage  and even the House Democrats' letter  has focused primarily on the harms to people with ADHD. But for those with sleep disorders, like Shand, the effects may be even more consequential.

Basic tasks  like driving  become dangerous or impossible without medication. Job and school performances are threatened by the onset of sudden sleep and sometimes even paralysis. Hobbies and social lives can fall by the wayside, too.

"Adderall gave me my life back," said Shand. "Going from having a medication to not, it's like a roller coaster you desperately want to get off."

The resulting challenges, she said, have made particularly clear the loneliness of living with a rare and misunderstood disorder.

What is narcolepsy?

An estimated 1 in 2,000 people in the United States live with narcolepsy  more than 160,000 people nationwide. The disorder is part of a broader group known as hypersomnolence disorders, or conditions characterized by difficulty staying awake during the day.

There are two major types of narcolepsy.

Both types affect one's ability to stay awake, but Type 2 is typically less severe. In addition to sleep disturbance, most people with Type 1 narcolepsy experience sudden, temporary loss of muscle control or paralysis, called cataplexy.

Cataplexy attacks are typically triggered by emotion  like laughter or surprise. For one person living with narcolepsy, an attack might look like a slack jaw or limp hand. For another, it could trigger full-body paralysis.

Causes of Type 1 narcolepsy can include autoimmune disorders and brain injuries, but the underlying issue is believed to be low levels of hypocretin, a hormone that is thought to affect REM sleep  the dream state.

"Narcolepsy is due to a faulty switch in the brain for REM sleep," said Muhammad Ali Syed, a physician and the medical director of the University of Florida Health Sleep Center.

People with narcolepsy go into REM extremely quickly, Syed said. A person without a sleep disorder will enter REM around an hour or 90 minutes after falling asleep. But a person with narcolepsy may go into REM almost immediately and could have a fully fleshed-out dream in just minutes, Syed said.

In some circumstances, symptoms can also include sleep paralysis and hallucinations.

Increased demand

Every week since the Adderall shortage began, Fareeha Hussaini, a sleep medicine specialist at University of South Florida Health, has had calls to her office from patients struggling to access their medication.

College students are worried about plummeting grades and final exams. Patients in their 70s, who have managed symptoms with Adderall for decades, are now forced to switch to other medications, like Ritalin.

Hussaini and her staff at USF Health have worked to help patients adjust treatment plans, but there's no denying the added stress. Some patients worry what a new plan may mean for their quality of life as shortages continue.

Drug shortages in the U.S. aren't new, but the past couple of years have brought an all-time high, said Michael Ganio, who directs pharmacy practice and quality for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which represents pharmacists nationwide.

The Adderall shortage, Ganio said, is linked to increased demand.

The covid-19 pandemic brought on a flood of new ADHD diagnoses. Studies have found absence of routine and increased screen time may have played a role. With those diagnoses came an increase in stimulant prescriptions, Ganio said  often via telehealth.

Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance. It's highly regulated because of the potential for being diverted for recreational use. Prior to the pandemic, patients were required to have an in-person doctor appointment to get a prescription. But that requirement was waived during the public health emergency, and telehealth appointments were allowed. The telehealth allowance has since been extended.

"There's a broad group of patients who never had access, or suddenly have easier access, to providers who can make that diagnosis and prescribe," Ganio said.

Another reason for the shortage are production limitations put in place by the DEA. Each drug manufacturer is effectively given quotas of how much of the drug they can produce. But because manufacturers are shielded by trade secret protections, it can be hard to know whether the DEA quotas are too low or if the manufacturers just aren't producing to full capacity.

In a joint letter in August, the leaders of the FDA and DEA called on manufacturers to work together to increase production and confirm they are working to produce up to their quotas.

A logistical nightmare

From the parking lot of a Pinellas County, Florida, Walgreens in November, Nadine Dixon, 50, waited anxiously to have her Adderall prescription filled. It was the third time she'd sat in a pharmacy parking lot that day.

For Dixon, who gets her prescription through monthly in-person visits with a neurologist, the past year has been a logistical nightmare. The effects of the shortage, she said, have been compounded by the layers of red tape around Schedule II drugs.

Unlike, say, blood pressure medication  which can be dispensed to patients in a 90-day supply  Dixon can get enough Adderall only for 30 days, and automatic refills are not allowed.

As the end of each month approaches and her pill bottle empties, her anxiety spikes.

At her doctor appointment, she picks up her prescription, commencing a cumbersome routine.

Some months, she has had to drive to upward of 10 pharmacies to find her medication. Sometimes she calls in advance to ask if they have it, but she rarely gets answers.

When she finds a pharmacy that has Adderall, a new challenge hits. Minuscule details  like a number written with numerals instead of being spelled out, or a doctor's signature that looks slightly different than it did the month before  can result in the pharmacy turning her away. Her only option then is to drive back to the doctor's office and ask for the paperwork to be adjusted.

Doctors can send electronic prescriptions to a pharmacy to avoid the issues with handwriting, but those pose their own complications: They can be sent to only one pharmacy at a time, and can't be transferred.

If the receiving pharmacy is out of medication, patients have to go back to their doctor to ask that they send the prescription elsewhere. And often only the doctor  not a nurse, nor a physician assistant, nor a staff member  is allowed to address that call for help.

Luis Enrique Ortiz, a sleep medicine specialist at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, said that's put a strain on doctors, who are juggling efforts to rewrite prescriptions, guide patients, and handle appointments and research.

The result is often a delayed response.

"It can be really nerve-wracking," Ortiz said. "Their time is running out, and they need this medication to function normally. When they finally do get it, they don't know what the next month will hold. They have to go through it all again."

Dixon, who was diagnosed with narcolepsy with cataplexy in 2010, estimated she's spent up to eight hours a month trying to get her medication since the shortages began. In three of the past six months, her prescription hasn't been filled on time. She's experienced delays of four or five days.

The results are terrible migraines, mood swings, muscle weakness, and  of course  sudden sleep, she said.

"It feels like you've been awake for four days straight and are trying to keep your eyes open," Dixon said. "The second I sit down, I fall asleep."

Dixon described herself as an energetic person when she's on medication. She's a single mom and a caregiver for an older woman, and she works an online job for extra money. She has a full social life, too.

But without medication, she said, her life comes to a standstill. She can't go have drinks with friends. She can't go for walks. Simple conversations about stressful topics can trigger cataplexy attacks, which cause her limbs to go numb.

"It's really horrible," Dixon said. "Irregularities with the medication are hard on your body."

Almost an hour after she arrived at the pharmacy that November day, she got a phone call asking her to come in from where she'd been waiting in the parking lot. They couldn't fill her prescription, the pharmacist told her. The prescription had an error.

They sent her away with a sticky note spelling out the necessary adjustments.

She drove back to her doctor's office, but when she got there, she learned the doctor had left for the day.

She would have to try again the next day.

Stigma and hope

Adderall isn't the only treatment used for narcolepsy. Other stimulants, as well as newer drugs made specifically for treating sleep disorders, can help, but those can come with hefty price tags and insurance battles.

And when a patient finds a drug that works, any change can be scary, Shand said.

Since her diagnosis, Shand said, she's tried at least three other treatments.

"Adderall has been the only stimulant that really keeps me awake and feeling like I can go through my entire day without having to sleep," she said.

She's been able to get her prescription refilled since fall began, she said, but she's learned not to get comfortable. She never knows what the next month will hold  what stock local pharmacies will have available.

For Shand, who has narcolepsy with cataplexy, the years since her diagnosis have brought waves of frustration and grief but also a sense of loneliness.

In television and movies, narcoleptics are often the butt of a joke, she said. Most people, she's found, don't really know what narcolepsy is.

"It's not actually all that funny," Shand said. "It's genuinely debilitating. It's life-altering."

This article was produced in partnership with the Tampa Bay Times.
Stocks To Watch On January 3: GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded 75.5 points, or 0.35 per cent, lower at 21,676.50, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for negative start on Wednesday. Heres a slew of stocks that will be in focus today for various reasons.

Adani Group: The Supreme Court is expected to announce its verdict in the Adani-Hindenburg case later on Wednesday.

YES Bank: The lenders loans and advances, at the end of Q3FY24, stood at Rs 2.17 trillion, up 11.9 per cent Y-o-Y. The deposits were Rs 2.41 trillion, up 13.2 per cent Y-o-Y.

Maruti Suzuki: The company recorded total production at 1.21 lakh units, down 2.9 per cent Y-o-Y, and passenger car production at 64,802 units, down 3.7 per cent Y-o-Y.

Hero MotoCorp: The company recorded vehicle sales at 393,952 units, down 0.1 per cent Y-o-Y, and motorcycle sales at 354,658 units, down 0.6 per cent Y-o-Y. The companys exports stood at 16,110 units, up 25.7 per cent Y-o-Y.

CSB Bank: The banks gross advances grew 22.6 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 22,863 crore in Q3FY24, while deposits were up 20.65 per cent on year at Rs 27,344 crore.

Punjab National Bank: It has posted a 13.5 per cent growth in advances to Rs 9.72 trillion for the December quarter. Besides, PNBs deposits rose at 9.4 per cent to Rs 13.23 trillion.

Bank of Maharashtra: It saw a 20.28 per cent increase in loan growth to Rs 1.88 trillion, while deposits climbed 18 per cent Y-o-Y to Rs 2.45 trillion.

Avenue Supermarts: Sharing its Q3 business update, DMart said the company recorded a standalone revenue of Rs 13,247 crore, up 17.2 per cent Y-o-Y during the quarter, with the number of stores at 341 as of December 31.

V-Mart Retail: The retail stores revenue from operations grew 14 per cent Y-o-Y in Q3FY24 at Rs 889 crore, including Rs 17 crore from LimeRoad. The same store sales growth (SSSG) stood at over 4 per cent for the quarter.

Shyam Metalics: Shyam Metalics and Energy Ltd. has launched its qualified institutional placement to raise up to Rs 3,600 crore. The floor price has been set at Rs 597.63 apiece, a discount of 7.06 per cent from its previous close on the NSE.

Mahindra EPC Irrigation: The company received four orders worth Rs 13.34 crore from the office of the Assistant Engineer of the Water Users Association for the supply of pressurized micro irrigation systems.

MOIL: The company recorded a production volume of 1.85 lakh MT, up 31 per cent Y-o-Y for December, while sales were at 11.01 lakh MT, up 40 per cent YoY from April to December.

Affle (India): It will buy a 9.03 per cent stake in Explurger for Rs 37.3 crore.

Sudarshan Pharma Industries: The company is taking legal action against Regans International for non-delivery of material despite an advance payment of AED 3599048 six months earlier.

DCB Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed ICICI Prudential AMC and ICICI Ventures to pick 9.95 per cent stake.

Birlasoft: Manjunath Kygonahally has taken over as the chief executive officer of the rest of the world region, effective from January 2.

Exide Industries: The company will increase its corporate guarantee to Exide Energy Solutions from Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 3,000 crore.

Life Insurance Corporation: The company has received a tax demand of Rs 117 crore from Telangana tax authorities for FY17.

Brigade Enterprise: The company has acquired an additional 4.53 per cent stake in BCV Developers.
The admit cards for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2024 exam will be released by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru shortly. The admit cards can be downloaded by the candidates appearing for the exam directly from the official website at gate2024.iisc.ac.in, once out. There has been a delay in releasing the admit cards this year. The hall tickets were initially scheduled to be released on Janaury 3.

The GATE 2024 exam will be conducted on February 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th. The results of the 2024 GATE exam will be declared on March 16, 2024. IISc Bengaluru will be conducting the exam across two sessions. The forenoon session will be held from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, whereas the afternoon session will be conducted from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.

GATE 2024 Admit Card: How to Download

To ensure a smooth admit card download process, here are the steps that you will be required to follow. They include 

Step 1. The foremost step to download the 2024 GATE admit card is to visit the official website at gate2024.iisc.ac.in.

Step 2. The next step is to enter your enrollment number and password to download the IISc GATE exam admit card.

Step 3. Then you will have to click on the GATE login portal.

Step 4. The link for the admit card download should now be visible on your screen. Once you locate it, click on it.

Step 5. Download and save your card in a pdf format.

Step 6. The next step is to save the admit card on your computer and take a printout that you can carry to the exam hall.

The GATE 2024 admit card will contain the candidates name, candidate signature, passport-size photo, exam dates and time, registration number, exam centre address, and the GATE paper/code. Candidates must not forget that they will not be allowed to write their exams if they fail to bring their respective admit cards on the day of the examination. IISc Bangalore activated the mock test link for GATE 2024 on November 27. Candidates can advantage of this opportunity to become acquainted with the exam format, question pattern, and time management strategies.
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has once again demonstrated its proficiency in cutting-edge research and innovation by registering 122 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in 2023, marking a significant milestone. In addition to showcasing the institutes commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and research, this accomplishment marks the third year in a row that the institute has acquired the highest number of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the institutions history.

IIT Kanpurs exceptional record of 1039 registered IPRs attests to its dedication to generating meaningful intellectual contributions that promote positive change. There were 122 IPRs filed in 2023, comprising 108 patents, four design registrations, three copyrights, and one trademark application. In addition, the institution received four US patents and two Chinese patents, solidifying its worldwide position in the field of research and innovation.

Among the noteworthy advances are portable medical suction equipment and a continuous lung health monitoring system. In addition, the institution has developed groundbreaking technologies such as solid-state sodium-ion batteries and a low-cost Braille learning system for the visually impaired.

IIT Kanpurs director, Prof. S. Ganesh, acknowledged his delight in the accomplishment, saying, We are proud to maintain the momentum by filing 122 IPRs, achieving a record of over 100 filings in our institute for the third year in a row. The institutes commitment to pushing the boundaries of research and technology has resulted in this record-breaking number of IPRs .

In 2023, the institution saw a significant rise in the number of IPRs issued, totaling 167 patents. These patents cover ground-breaking technologies such as a gas sensor that detects ammonia at room temperature, a method and equipment for treating industrial wastewater, a tactile watch for the visually handicapped, and a lateral flow immunoassay strip for diagnosing mastitis in bovines.

Prof. Tarun Gupta, Dean of Research and Development at IIT Kanpur, credited the increase in IPRs to a streamlined patent application procedure, a supportive policy framework from the government, and the cooperation of IPR management committee members.

An important factor in this accomplishment was the IP and Technology Transfer Office at IIT Kanpur, which was vital in transferring technology from research and academia to the business sector. Not only did the office file the most IPRs, but it also enabled more technology transfer agreements.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) issued the admit card for the Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET) 2023 on January 2, 2024. The Karnataka State Eligibility Test is being held for the Assistant Professor post. Candidates who have registered for the KSET 2023 can now download their hall tickets from the official website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. To access the KSET 2023 admit card, candidates will have to enter their Application Submitted Department, KEA Application Number and Candidate Name (enter first 4 characters) on the login window.

According to the schedule, the eligibility exam will be conducted on Saturday, January 13, 2024, in two shifts. The KSET 2023 exam has been divided into two papers  Paper I and Paper II. Paper I is scheduled to be held from 10.00 AM to 11.00 AM and Paper 2 will take place from 12.00 noon to 2.00 PM.

The KSET 2023 exam will be conducted at various exam centres across the state. It is important to note that Paper I and Paper II will consist of only objective type Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs). Candidates will have to mark their answers/responses to Paper I and Paper II on the Optical Marks Reader (OMR) sheet that will be provided along with the test booklet. There are no negative markings for wrong answers.

KSET 2023 Admit Card: Steps To Download

Step 1: Go to the official website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in

Step 2: On the homepage, look for and click on the KSET 2023 admit card link.

Step 3: As a new page opens, key in your login details correctly and click on submit.

Step 4: The KSET 2023 admit card will appear on the screen.

Step 5: Check all the details mentioned on it and download the admit card.

KSET 2023: Exam Guidelines

 All appearing candidates are requested to reach the examination centre at least one hour before the KSET 2023 exam.

 Those without the hall ticket/admit card will not be allowed to enter the exam hall or appear for the exam.

 Along with the admit card, candidates must bring a valid identity card as well.

 As Paper II starts at noon, candidates will not be allowed to leave the exam hall after Paper I.

 The OMR answer sheet will not be evaluated if the register number, subject code and centre code are wrongly or not written.

 Candidates should also sign in the given space on the OMR answer sheet.
Ukraine is counting on stable and timely assistance from international partners in 2024, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal has said.

"A total of $42.6 billion of external financing was attracted in 2023. Of this, 27% are grant funds. The leaders of support are unchanged: the European Union, the United States, the IMF, Japan, Canada, the UK, the World Bank. The needs this year are more than $37 billion. We count on rhythmic, stable and timely assistance from our partners," Shmyhal said, citing statistics at a government meeting on Wednesday.

He said that at the same time, Ukraine is steadily increasing its own budget revenues, primarily customs and tax receipts.

"More than UAH 1.1 trillion of taxes, fees and other payments went to the general fund of the state budget last year. We are directing all these funds to security and defense. We plan to spend more than UAH 750 billion this year on payments to military personnel. More than UAH 265 billion  for the purchase, production and repair of weapons," the Prime Minister said.

The key task remains to increase its own military production. The production capacity of the Ukrainian defense industry tripled in 2023. A new goal has been set for the current year  six-fold growth.

"This means more drones, more rounds, more ammunition and armored vehicles for our military. We are entering 2024 with new forces. Confident in our own capabilities and the solidarity of our allies, we are ready for new challenges and firmly believe in our victory," Shmyhal said.
Bollywood actor Anjali Patil, who acted in films like Rajinikanths Kaala, Mirzya and Newton, was duped of Rs 5.79 lakh after she fell prey to Drugs in parcel fraud.

The scamster first posing as a courier staff and later as a Mumbai police official claimed that drugs has been found in the parcel with the actors name in Taiwan. In order to get her name cleared and avoid proceedings, the fraudsters end up taking more than 5 lakhs in two separate payments from the Anjali.

How Was Anjali Patil Duped?

Anjali, a resident of Mumbais Andheri, received a call from one Deepak Sharma who identified himself as an employee of DebEx Courier Company and said that a parcel with her name had drugs on it, according to the FIR.

The parcel, heading to Taiwan, was seized by the customs department with her Aadhaar card, the fraudster told Anjali. He further informed her that it was a matter of identity theft and asked her to go to Mumbai Cyber Police.

Anjali received a Skype call from one Banerjee, who claimed to be an officer with the Mumbai cyber police. Banerjee informed Anjali that her Aadhaar card was linked to three bank accounts which were involved in a money laundering case.

He then demanded Rs 96,525 from Anjali to verify her bank account with the finance department and resolve the matter. After Anjali transferred the money, she was informed by Banerjee that it was a well-organised crime involving her bank officials and he further demanded Rs 4,83,291 from her for further verification and to help her in getting her name cleared.

She deposited the amount in order to close the case and avoid police proceeding. But few days later, she realised that she had fallen for the viral scam when she was talking to her landlord.

How Does the Drugs in Parcel Fraud Work?

The drugs in parcel fraud or commonly known as courier scam is on rise across states and reported in metro cities. In the scam, the courier scammers claim to be customs officials or executives of an international courier company and later as senior police officers and contact their targets over the phone.

They can also pretend to be serving IPS officers, cyber crime cells, anti-narcotics cell, CBI, Enforcement Directorate or RBI officials.

They tell the victims that a parcel booked in their name and sent to places like Dubai or Taiwan contain narcotic drugs or some other banned substances. However, in none of the cases, these victims have sent any parcel or were expecting any parcel.

The victims are told that drugs like MDMA or Mephedrone along with multiple passports and unaccounted foreign currency have been detected in their parcels.

Then they would impersonate an official from a police station to talk to them about possible arrest. The cyber fraudsters then ask the victims to come on a Skype chat and communicate with a profile that has image and emblem of the investigating agency. The fraudsters often use the name of serving IPS officers in Maharashtra Police or another agency.

The victim, who has already been frightened, tries to settle the false case by offering money to avoid arrest, which is transferred to the scamsters.

The scammers use psychological tactics during calls to distress the victims and extract personal identification and bank details. They ask the victim to give their Aadhaar and other identification details apart from the bank information, thus duping money from people. In some cases, they also ask for money on varied pretexts like customs clearance or legal fees.

Rise in Courier Scam

The Cyber Police station of Pune City police is currently investigating a series of drugs in parcel fraud cases in which till now, over two dozen people have lost close to Rs 4 crore in total, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Such cases of courier frauds are on rise across states with cases including in Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Bengaluru. As many as 250 cases involving fake courier fraud was reported in Bengaluru alone in 2023.

In November last year, a Bengaluru resident was duped of Rs 1.52 crore after he fell prey to the courier scam. Debashish Das, 66, received a phone call from a person claiming to be a FedEx employee who said that a case had been registered against Das because a courier sent in his name to Taiwan was found to contain six credit cards, expired passports, and even 950g of MDMA drugs.

With the same modus operandi, the scamsters managed to get all the victims money, including his fixed deposits, worth Rs 1.52 crore transferred to their account.
Amid the ongoing attempt of the Conservative government to crack down on migration levels, Rishi Sunak has limited foreign university students from bringing family members to the UK.

As per the new rule, most international students, including Indians, starting courses at British universities this month will no longer be able to bring family members under tougher UK visa norms effective from Monday.

The UK Home Office said the changes, first announced by former home secretary Suella Braverman in May last year, are aimed at clamping down on people using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK and will see an estimated 140,000 fewer people come to the UK.

What does the new rule say on bringing dependents?

As per the new rule, international students in the UK will no longer be able to bring dependants on their student visa, unless they are studying a postgraduate research programme from January 2024.

Moreover, from 17 July, international students are no longer permitted to switch to work route visas unless they have completed their course.

From today, the majority of foreign university students cannot bring family members to the UK.In 2024, were already delivering for the British people. https://t.co/m0TcSaxK9V  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) January 1, 2024

Today, a major part of that plan comes into effect, ending the unreasonable practice of overseas students bringing their family members to the UK. This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK, Home Secretary James Cleverly said.

Why Has the New Rule Been Imposed?

The UK government wants to reduce the number of dependents entering the country on student visas in order to fulfil its promise to the British people of cutting net migration.

As per reports, there has been an unreasonable practice of overseas students bringing dependants, which have officially risen by more than 930 per cent since 2019.

The UKs Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that in the year ending September 2023, as many as 152,980 visas were issued to dependants of students, a massive rise from the 14,839 in the year ending September 2019.

A UK Minister said that though the country attract brightest students, there as been a surge in the number of dependants and leading to unsustainable levels of migration.

Our world-leading universities rightly attract some of the brightest students from around the world to the UK. But we have seen a surge in the number of dependants being brought by students, which is contributing to unsustainable levels of migration, said UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border Tom Pursglove.

The new rules would also prevent international students from switching to work visas or leaving their studies before completing their courses.

Will It Affect Indians?

Indian students, making up a significant number in the UK, will be affected with the latest move. In the student visa category, Indian nationals represent the largest group of students granted leave to remain on this route, making up 43 per cent of grants.

Diaspora student groups have expressed widespread concerns over this proposed review of the route, which allows for post-study work experience and is the topmost factor behind students from India choosing UK universities.

This package of measures, taken in addition to the measures on student dependants, means that around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not be able to in the future the largest reduction ever.

UK Cutting on Migration

Rishi Sunak-led UK government has committed to bring down levels of migration, both legal and illegal, into the country. Sunak has pledged to reduce new arrivals and has been under pressure ever since statistics released last month showed that net migration to Britain hit a high in 2022.

Last month, Cleverly announced a further set of measures including tightening health and care visas by stopping overseas care workers from bringing dependants and requiring care firms in England to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission to sponsor visas.

(With inputs from PTI)
Davos, the ski resort town of Switzerland, has become famous for its annual summit where it hosts world leaders and top industry leaders from across the globe.

Like every year in January, the Switzerland city will host the worlds rich and powerful for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The meeting will take place from 15 to 19 January where delegates from many sectors converge for talks and meetings to address urgent global issues. WEF this time is focused on rebuilding trust in an era of rapid change and increased fragmentation.

What is the World Economic Forum?

In the early 1970s, the Cold War divided the world into two blocs and there were several challenges facing global politics like the Vietnam war and the oil crisis.

Swiss-German economist and professor Klaus Schwab founded the World Economic Forum in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Government to promote stakeholder capitalism.

It started as the European Management Forum, however, it changed its name to the World Economic Forum in 1987 as it sought to broaden its vision to provide a platform for resolving international conflicts.

For half a century, the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps has brought together executives and policymakers to sing the praises of globalisation, but that process is seen as unwinding as new fault lines harden around the world.

The forum has addressed the key events of world history including the fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise of economic globalization and runaway climate change.

The annual meeting comprises of speeches and sessions on everything from the outlook for the global economy to conflicts. The meeting is also famous for the networking and social interactions that take place in the corridors, side rooms, hotel suites, and restaurants of the Swiss town. It also hosts bilateral meetings between heads of state and business leaders in every available space.

Why It is Held as Davos?

Davos, a city at an altitude of 1,560 meters, with ice-slicked streets and a long train ride to the nearest airport, is not the most obvious location for a major international conference.

However, Professor Klaus Schwab chose Davos as the home for the annual meeting for the escape from the everyday that the mountains represent in Swiss and German culture. The peaceful place also gives a perspective away from the daily challenges of running a business.

Davos was the setting for Thomas Manns novel The Magic Mountain. The book tells the story of a young man who goes to Davos to stay at a sanatorium for three weeks and ends up spending seven years.

Who is coming This Year?

Around 1,000 corporations hold the membership in World Economic Forum and members send a small number of key delegates to the meeting in Davos based on their membership.

This year, over 100 countries, all major international organisations, the Forums 1000 partner companies, civil society leaders, foremost experts, young changemakers and social entrepreneurs are expected to attend the World Economic Forum this year.

In 2023, there were more than 2,000 delegates, including John Kerry, Olaf Scholz, Christine Lagarde, Jens Stoltenberg, Ursula von der Leyen and other prominent names.

What Has Davos Achieved in the Past?

In the past, the World Economic Forum has acted as a peace broker and helped to avert war between Greece and Turkey with the signing of the Davos Declaration in 1988.

It was also in Davos that Gavi, the vaccine alliance, was launched in 2000. Gavi now helps to vaccinate nearly half the worlds children from diseases and played a key role in delivering Covid-19 vaccines to underdeveloped and developing countries.

What Will the Meeting Focus this Year?

The 53rd meeting of the World Economic Forum comes at a time of increasing geopolitical polycrisis, new economic policies shaped by the climate crisis, and rapid advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence. It also comes amid a series of interlinked crises including the Red Sea blockade, Israel-Hamas War and Ukraine War.

This year, the focus will be on exploring the opportunities enabled by new technologies and their implications on decision-making and global partnerships.

The delegates of Davos 2024 will explore themes including reforming multilateral approaches, using AI for the benefit of all members of society, upholding the momentum from COP28 and maintaining an open trade system.

According to a report in McKinsey, the meeting will explore four areas:
In response to the increasing cases of JN1 variant of Covid-19 in Karnataka, the state government launched a vaccination drive to curb the virus transmission. Reports suggest that the government is considering the distribution of Corbevax vaccines from today. Only around 27% of Karnataka residents have received precautionary doses, leading to several Covid-19-related deaths. Over 1.5 crore individuals qualify for the additional vaccine doses. The health department urges those with multiple health issues (comorbidities) to take the third vaccine dose. In the initial phase, the government aims to procure 30,000 Corbevax vaccines for the campaign.

India reported a surge in Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, registering 602 new infections in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The data indicated five deaths, distributed across Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The total active cases decreased by 125 to 4,440, with 722 individuals discharged from hospitals.

The rise in Covid-19 cases is linked to the emergence of the new JN 1 variant and cold weather conditions. In response, the Centre has urged states and Union Territories to stay vigilant and prepare for potential challenges. Kerala and Karnataka are particularly impacted by the JN.1 variant, while Delhi, which reported its initial case of the sub-variant JN.1 last week, now has a total of 16 cases according to the latest data.

The JN.1 sub-variant of the virus has been identified in 11 states and union territories, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, and Odisha, in addition to Kerala, Karnataka, and Delhi. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), as of January 2, a total of 511 cases of the JN.1 series variant have been reported across these regions. INSACOGs data indicates that 239 Covid cases in December and 24 cases in November showed the presence of the JN.1 variant.
Rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 will be notified much before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, news agency PTI quoted its sources in the government as saying. The Bill for the law was cleared by Parliament in December 2019.

Under the CAA brought in by the Narendra Modi government, Indian nationality will be granted to persecuted non-Muslim migrants  Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians  from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had come to India till December 31, 2014.

There were massive protests in some parts of the country after the CAA was passed by Parliament in December 2019 and received the presidential assent subsequently.

We are going to issue the rules for the CAA soon. Once the rules are issued, the law can be implemented and those eligible can be granted Indian citizenship, the functionary was quoted on Tuesday.

Delayed by more than four years, rules for the CAA are a must for its implementation. Asked whether the rules will be notified before the announcement of the next Lok Sabha elections that are likely to be held in April-May, the functionary said, Yes, much before that.

The rules are ready and the online portal is also in place and the entire process will be online. The applicants will have to declare the year when they entered India without travel documents. No document will be sought from the applicants, the functionary said.

On December 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that no one can stop the implementation of the CAA as it is the law of the land and accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading people on the issue. Addressing a party meeting in Kolkata, Shah said it was the BJPs commitment to implement the CAA.

The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been opposing the CAA. The promise of implementing the controversial CAA was a major poll plank of the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in West Bengal. The saffron partys leaders consider it a plausible factor that led to the rise of the BJP in the state.

According to the manual of parliamentary procedures, the rules for any legislation should have been framed within six months of presidential assent or seek an extension from the Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Since 2020, the home ministry has been taking extension in regular interval from the parliamentary committees for framing the rules.

More than a hundred people lost their lives during the protests or police action after Parliament passed the law. Meanwhile, in last two years, more than 30 district magistrates and home secretaries of nine states have been given powers to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan under the Citizenship Act of 1955.

According to the annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2021-22, from April 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, a total of 1,414 foreigners belonging to these non-Muslim minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were given Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

The nine states where Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization is given under the Citizenship Act of 1955 to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra.

Authorities of none of the districts of Assam and West Bengal, where the issue is politically very sensitive, have been given the powers so far.

(With inputs from PTI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case for the third time.

In a letter to Jogender Singh, EDs Assistant Director, Kejriwal cited his busy schedule due to Rajya Sabha elections and Republic Day celebrations as one of the reasons for not appearing before the anti-corruption agency.

It is a matter of concern that despite my comprehensive response(s) bringing to your notice critical dimensions and legal objections involved in issuing summons to me in person, the ED had chosen not to respond, he stated.

The chief minister then goes on to say that he is surprised that the ED has once again sent identically worded summons in the same format without giving any response to his earlier replies. Therefore, I assume that you do not have any valid reason or justification for issuance of these summons, he added.

Kejriwal said the EDs silence confirms his apprehensions about certain vested interests and extraneous as well as malafide considerations prevailing over any objective, rational, fair or impartial inquiry or investigations.

He also questioned the fact that every time the summons reached him, it was already there in the media and asked whether the purpose of the summons was to do any legitimate enquiry or tarnish his reputation.

On the last two occasions that Kejriwal was summoned by the ED, he had cited the assembly elections, festival season and an earlier declared commitment to a meditation retreat.

This time, the chief minister has cited the Rajya Sabha elections for which nominations start on January 3 and voting is scheduled to happen on January 19. The current terms of three AAP Rajya Sabha MPs are coming to an end and the party will nominate members for the next term.

Being the National Convenor of AAP, I am held up in the process and run up to these elections, Kejriwal said. He also said that as chief minister of Delhi, he is quite occupied in planning and preparations for several programmes and functions for the Republic Day.

The Delhi CM said he would be happy to respond to any questionnaire if the ED sought any information/documents which were in his knowledge or possession.

ED Summon Illegal, Kejriwal Ready to Cooperate: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the party chief is ready to cooperate with the investigations, however, the EDs notice is illegal.

The AAP said that the investigating agencys intention is to arrest the party chief. Why has the notice been sent right before elections? The notice is an attempt to stop Kejriwal from campaigning in elections, the party alleged.

Reacting to the ED summons to Kejriwal, AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has said that the timing of ED notice is questionable, especially when Lok Sabha elections coming up.

Saying that the entire nation is discussing the federal agencys summons to the Delhi CM, Bharadwaj added, Even after repeated questions, it is a mystery that ED has not answered as to in which capacity is Kejriwal being summoned.

The AAP leader noted that the investigations have been on for one and a half year and the chargesheet has also been filed. Then Why is Kejriwal being summoned now? Bharadwaj asked, adding that, ED and the Central government must answer this.

Cooperation with investigative agencies does not mean that we will appear before you and you will arrest us, the AAP leader said. The party has given all the information to them, he said, adding that their national treasurer has also appeared for questioning.

Delhi Education Minister Atishi reacted to the ED summons and said that the agency has sent an illegal summon for the third time.

Atishi asked why the ED is not clarifying the reason behind Kejriwal being summoned.

We have told clearly that any question that ED may have may be sent to Kejriwal in the form of a questionnaire, but the ED is not doing it, Atishi said.

What question does it have that it cant write it on a piece of paper, that only summons are needed? she asked, reiterating that, this shows that summons are illegal.

OPPOSITION REACTS

Meanwhile, the Opposition slammed Kejriwal for skipping the ED summons. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia even termed Kejriwal to be a kattar beiman (staunchly corrupt).

Bhatia said that the AAP chief is running away from the EDs investigation, adding that Kejriwal should instead join the probe to prove his innocence.

Only corrupt people have no faith in investigating agencies, the BJP spokesperson.

Bhatia said that Kejriwal is aware that his arrest is inevitable. He also slammed INDIA blocs silence on the issue and said that corruption is the common link that has glued them.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla also reacted to the issue and said that it has been proved that Arvind Kejriwal is an absconder.

AAP is the biggest corrupt party in todays date, said Union Minister Anurag Thakur. He said that the AAP chiefs continuous skipping of ED summons shows that there is something wrong.

Congress leaders also reacted to Kejriwal skipping the ED summon for the third time. Party leader Rashid Alvi told ANI, D cannot be trusted but it would have been better if Arvind Kejriwal had gone before the ED. The country was watching what ED would do with them?

Alvi took note of the fact that if Kejriwal does not appear before the federal agency, then they can arrest him by issuing a warrant from the court.

Congress leader Udit Raj noted that the ED is carrying out raids at the associated of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, adding that the agency also sent notices to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel just before elections. Arvind Kejriwal is also a part of the opposition allianceIt is true that these agencies are not doing their work but putting pressure on the opposition leaders, Raj told ANI.

The third summon, asking Kejriwal to appear before the federal agency on January 3, was issued on December 22.

This notice came after the Delhi CM skipped two earlier summons on November 2 and December 21. Commenting on the fresh summons to Kejriwal, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the summons seem more of political posturing of the Centre than a legal process.

Skipping the December 21 notice, Kejriwal had opted to leave for his Vipassana meditation course. Bharadwaj in a post on X said, Everyone knows that Honble CM Arvind Kejriwal is in Vipassana. The ED knows well that he cant be served summons while he is without any communication during 10 days meditation.

Kejriwal was summoned by the federal agency for questioning in a Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case.

The Delhi CM had responded to the ED summons on December 21, where he mentioned them to be illegal and politically motivated.

ALSO READ | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Responds to ED, Calls Summons Illegal, Politically Motivated

Then again he had said that he was willing to abide by all the legal summons, provided that the illegal ones are withdrawn.

Kejriwal noted that the timing at which he was summoned strengthens his belief that they are not based on any objective criteria but purely for propaganda.

The AAP supremo was first asked to appear before the central agency on November 2, but he skipped it by choosing to campaign in Madhya Pradesh on the same day.
A former model, who was one of the accused in her boyfriend, gangster Sandeep Gadolis murder in an alleged fake police encounter in Mumbai, was shot dead at a Gurugram hotel. The incident comes months after she was granted bail.

The ex-model, identified as Divya Pahuja, was allegedly taken to the hotel on Tuesday night by five people and was shot at her head.

Gurugram Police arrested three of the accused, while they were taking her body from the hotel in a car to dump it, police said.

DCP West, Bhupender Singh Sangwan said, We have arrested three accused involved in the murder of Pahuja. Further probe is underway.

Police are investigating the case and questioning the arrested accused.

Who Was Divya Pahuja?

In June, last year, the Bombay High Court had granted bail to Pahuja, seven years after she was arrested in connection with the murder of gangster Sandeep Gadoli in a Mumbai hotel on February 7, 2016.

Pahuja, her mother and five policemen who were allegedly involved in killing of the gangster was arrested by the Mumbai police.

According to the Mumbai Police, Gadoli was lured into a trap with the help of his girlfriend Pahuja and was killed in a fake encounter.

Virendra Kumar alias Binder Gujjar ran a rival gang and allegedly conspired with Haryana Police officials to eliminate Gadoli, Mumbai Police had said.

As per the Mumbai police, Gujjar was in prison at the time of the encounter, but had hatched the conspiracy with the help of his brother Manoj and roped in Pahuja as honey trap.

(with PTI inputs)
The 31-year-old rioting case that led to the arrest of Hindu activist Srikanth Poojary, a Kar Sevak, once in 1992 and again in 2023 has the ruling Congress and BJP trading barbs at each other in Karnataka, with the saffron party planning a state-wide protest on January 3.

Who is Srikanth Poojary, and what was his involvement in the case registered on December 6, 1992, during the communal clashes in Hubli? To find answers to these questions, News18 spoke to Poojarys family, police officers who were on duty during the 1992 communal riots, as well as political leaders.

Hardline Hindu Activist

Poojary, belonging to the Somavamsha Sahasrarjun Kshatriya (SSK) Samaj, was a hard-line Hindu activist from a young age, his friends tell News18.

At the time, he had a small-time business of wholesale distribution of liquor. In the true spirit of Hindutva and being a Kar Sevak, he would always wear saffron colours, shawl, Hindu topi (cap) and a teeka (vermillion mark) on his forehead, recalled his friend and former mayor of Hubli, Radhabai Sapare.

The case they had filed against him was of rioting in Hubli and was based on false information. Everything was cleared. We do not know why this has come up again. He has been unjustly arrested. Its vindictive politics, she said.

Thirty-one years later, Shrikant is 60 years old and works as an auto driver. With both his hands being operated upon recently due to an accident, he had been confined to his home until December 2023 when he began plying his auto again, she added.

Accused No.3 in 92 FIR

Documents with News18 show that Poojarys arrest in 2023 was based on an ongoing investigation in an arson case.

The first FIR was filed on December 6, 1992, the day the communal riots broke out in Hubli. It was based on a complaint filed by a shop owner, Hajratsab Maliksab Angadi, who had been selling betel nuts and tobacco in the MG market area in the heart of Hubli city. Angadi, in his complaint, claimed that many shops were set on fire and his one was one of them.

He (Angadi) complained that his shop was set on fire in the wake of the Babri Masjid incident. He had also showed how the rioters attacked various places across the market area, said another police official who was also stationed in Hubli on December 6 and had been involved in drawing up the charge sheet.

Why now, asks Poojarys son

Manjunath Poojary, the son of the arrested accused, is seeking legal help to release his father from judicial custody. In an exclusive interview with News18, he said he was in shock when he received a call from his father about the arrest.

I had no knowledge about the case. I was not even born then. When I questioned my father, he told me that on December 6, 1992, there was a curfew imposed in Hubli (now called Huballi) as there were communal clashes through the night. A friend called him to tell him that his wife was pregnant and needed to be shifted to the hospital, Manjunath said.

My father said he reached the place and on his way to the hospital, he had pleaded with the police to allow them to transport the pregnant woman for medical help. That is all that had happened, and he was nowhere near the riots. A case was registered against him, but all investigations had been closed. This is what my father informed me, he said, quoting his fathers version.

Manjunath said his father had recently returned to driving his auto before being taken into custody by the police on December 29 at around 9.30am.

He had passengers in the auto. The police waited for them to alight and then asked him to accompany them to the police station. He called me there, and thats where we were told that he was being arrested in connection with a 1992 rioting case. My father had cleared his name many years ago itself. I do not know why they have raked this up, Manjunath told News18.

Police officers recall Hubli riots

News18 tracked senior police officers who were on duty on December 6 in Hubli to get a sense of the situation on that day.

GB Chebbi, now a retired IPS officer who was deployed as the Deputy Commissioner, Law and Order, in Hubli, recalled that communal clashes broke out in the area on December 6 and the situation soon turned tense as rioters began to torch shops and attack people.

The police imposed curfew for a week to bring the situation under control. If I remember correctly, the riots started around Channapet, Kasba Peth, Gandhi Peth, Fareedi Hakal at midnight and continued for days, said Chebbi.

Another senior police official who was on the scene described how Hubli had become volatile and the commissioner of police himself was standing in the middle of the city with fire trucks to douse the flames from shops that were attacked.

The perpetrators were spreading out and torching places. Many were arrested and the situation was brought under control after strategically implementing curfew and rounding up the troublemakers, the official said.

Routine Drive, Says Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissioner

Hubli-Dharwad City Police Commissioner Renuka K Sukumar called the action a routine drive to clear long-pending cases. She also clarified that the investigations were not based on any external factors.

The case was termed a Long Pending Case (LPC) by the police in 2006 and in an effort to clear it, the department had begun investigations and tracking accused who may have absconded or jumped bail.

The investigations into long-pending cases or LPCs began and we found that Poojary was the one we could categorise under absconding, so he was picked up and arrested, said the official who did not want to be named.

We have cracked 37 such cases, and this is one of them. The accused Poojary has now been sent to judicial custody. He was involved in riots in Hubli after the Babri demolition in Ayodhya, said Sukumar.

Senior police officials agree that the same procedure adopted for long-pending cases has been used in this case as well to dispose it.

Political Slugfest

Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Hubli-Dharwad West MLA Arvind Bellad called it a witch-hunt by the Congress. He criticised the ruling party for releasing members belonging to the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) on one hand and targeting Hindu karyakartas on the other.

A case that is 32 years old, if they are reopening and creating this issue, it shows how malicious their intent is. They are trying to create terror among the karyakartas, Bellad told News18.

In response to the uproar surrounding Poojarys arrest, chief minister Siddaramaiah justified it, stating that wrongdoers will not be spared.

His involvement in the violence after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 in Hubli was found during investigations, and the arrest was not an action that stemmed from vendetta, Siddaramaiah told the media in Koppal.

What do you think should be done to offenders? Can they be allowed to go scot-free? We have asked the police department to dispose of old long-pending cases. They have conducted their investigations based on directions of the court and taken action. We are not the ones to resort to hate politics or arrest innocent people, said the chief minister, justifying the police action.

Political analyst SA Hemanth, meanwhile, said the Congress government is seen as needling Hindu sentiments and activists.

Look at the timing of reopening of the case; it is significant. The entire world is jubilant and excited for January 22, but it looks like the Congress wants to appease minorities, he said.

Adding that the Congress was in power between 2013 and 2018, and Siddaramaiah was the chief minister then as well, he asked: Why did he not clear the backlog of cases then? Why now?
A 47-year-old man in Goa allegedly masturbated on the face of a female passenger on the train on Tuesday while she was sleeping, Following the incident, the accused was arrested, police said.

The incident happened on Tuesday morning at around 7.30 a.m, near Gokarna Railway Station in Karnataka. Inspector Sunil Gudlar of Konkan Railway Police, Goa said that when the woman was sleeping, the accused came near her and started masturbating on her face. When two of her male friends who were travelling with her noticed the act, they dialled an emergency number and the police eventually took action.

The accused person has been identified as Dattatray Chavan from Maharashtras Sangli, who works at Kannur in Kerala.

Commenting on the incident, Inspector Gudlar told IANS that the woman (22) was travelling on Poorna Express along with her two male friends, who also belonged to the same age group.

They are into cinematography and were on their way from Kerala to Goa to shoot some videos, the police officer said.

The woman is from Keralas Kozhikode. We learnt that she was feeling safe after the accused was apprehended. We are further investigating the case, police added.

(with IANS inputs)
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided several locations connected to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Sorens press advisor, officials of Sahibganj district and a former MLA. The searches were part of a money laundering probe into alleged illegal mining in Jharkhand.

Over 10 locations in Jharkhand and Rajasthan, including that of Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu media advisor of state chief minister Hemant Soren are being raided by the central agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Other premises being raided are that of IAS, Sahibganj Deputy Collector Ramnivas Yadav (Rajasthan, Sahibganj), architect Binod Kumar, Khodaniya brothers (Sahibganj), former MLA Pappy Yadav (Deoghar), DSP Rajendra Dubey (Hazaribagh and other places), Abhay Saraogi (Kolkata) and sepoy Awdhesh Kumar.

An armed escort of central security forces went along with the ED officials.

The agency, since 2022, has been probing a trail of Rs 100 crore of proceeds of crime generated from illegal mining operations in the state.

The money laundering probe began after the ED raided Sorens political aide Pankaj Mishra and his alleged associates in July, 2022 and covered 19 locations in Sahibganj, Barhet, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in Jharkhand to investigate alleged irregularities in the operation of toll plaza tenders and instances of illegal mining in the state.

The evidence collected during the investigation, including the statements of various persons, digital evidence and documents, revealed that the funds seized from the accused was derived from illegal mining being rampantly done in the Sahibganj area, including the forest area, the ED had said.

(With PTI Inputs)
Zelenskyy on massive Russian strike on Ukraine: No state has ever repelled such combined missle, done strikes

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that no other state in the world, like Ukraine tonight, had previously repelled such combined strikes by drones, cruise and ballistic missiles that the Russian Federation fired at it.

And just in the last few days  from December 29 till now  Russia has already used nearly 300 missiles and over 200 Shahed drones against Ukraine. No other state has ever repelled such attacks, combined ones: both drones and missiles, including air-launched ballistic missiles. Ten Kinzhal missiles have been shot down today alone, he said in his evening video address.

The Head of State thanked every soldier of the AFU Air Forces, all fighters of mobile fire groups, anti-aircraft gunners who were involved in repelling the attack.

Zelenskyy also said that rescue operations are currently underway, rescue teams will work around the clock.

All those injured, 130 people in total, are receiving, and will continue to receive, the necessary assistance: Kharkiv and the region, Kyiv and the region, Zaporizhia, all affected cities and areas, the President stated.

In addition, he stressed that Ukraine, against the background of massive Russian attacks, critically needs more air defense systems and missiles for air defense.
Uttara Kannada districts (Karnataka) Karwar city is a popular tourist destination that attracts people because of its stunning beaches and green tourism. It lies at the mouth of the river Kali on the Kanara coast of the state. The city has been garnering attention for its annual Narayana Deva Jatra Mahotsava, which has left spectators amused. In the Amdalli village of Karwar, passers-by and others witnessed a large-scale celebration recently, in which there were various huge artworks of animals. People dressed in extravagant costumes entertained everyone. The spectators were amused and recorded the event on their mobile phones.

The Narayana Deva Jatra Mahotsava is held every year with much pomp. It is celebrated by the Halakki tribal society in the month of Karthik and is also known as Dindi Jatra. The community has been organising this festival ever since British rule. During the colonial era, the Halakki community did not know the English language, hence they used to mock the Britishers. This age-old tradition continued and till today attracts the crowd during the Dindi Jatra every year.

The spectators witnessed the performers dressed in traditional attires inspired by the forest people aka the tribal people. They dance and carry sculptures to entertain people. Their unique costumes grabbed many eyeballs. While they entertained the crowd, another major thing which caught the eyes of many and became the highlight of the event was the animal artwork. There were artworks of animals like elephants, tigers, lions and buffaloes. The sculptures were made of different materials like wood, papier-mache and clay. These arts were appreciated by the audience. Apart from this, various idols of Gods were also on display.

This dairy festival in Amdalli village is unique and popular, and attracts crowds from nearby areas and regions as well. It celebrates the local dairy industry, and its culture and ends up being a fun and memorable experience for everyone who gathers to watch it.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested Ashok Kumar, a key suspect in the murder of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, during its extensive raids across Haryana and Rajasthan. The arrest takes the tally to 9.

ALSO READ | Karni Sena Chiefs Murder: Bikaners Most Wanted is the Mastermind, Roped in 2 Shooters | Exclusive

Gogamedi, along with one Naveen Shekhawat, was killed in a shootout at the formers Shyam Nagar residence in Jaipur on December 5. One of the two others who were injured, Ajeet Singh, succumbed later. The case, originally registered by the Rajasthan Police, was taken over by the NIA on December 11, and re-registered as RC-02/2023/NIA/JPR.

Kumar was arrested from one of the locations following the recovery of arms and ammunition, including eight pistols, on his premises in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. His questioning also revealed his association with gangster Rohit Godara, an accused in the case, who had allegedly motivated the two shooters to murder Gogamedi.

As part of its ongoing investigations, the NIA raided a total of 31 locations, including the houses of the accused and several suspects in Rajasthan and the neighbouring state of Haryana.

The NIA teams made exhaustive searches of the premises and seized a large number of pistols, ammunition, digital devices, including mobile phones, SIM cards and DVRs etc, as well as incriminating documents related to financial transactions.

THE GOGAMEDI MURDER

According to the NIA, the two armed assailants were identified as Rohit Rathore, a resident of Jhotwara, Jaipur, and Nitin Fauji of village Dogda Jaat Mahdendragarh, Haryana. The case had triggered widespread protests and outrage in Rajasthan last month. Both Rohit and Nitin were arrested from Chandigarh on December 9.

ALSO READ | Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi Was No Saint: Who Killed Karni Sena Chief & Why Didnt He Get Police Protection?

Sustained interrogation of the arrested accused and suspects revealed the involvement of hardcore criminals and members of organised criminal gangs based out of Haryana and Rajasthan. All the accused and suspects were found to have been associated with the accused before and after the murder of Gogamedi, as per the NIA investigations, which are going on.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday reprimanded a lawyer during an argument over the listing of a petition. It is rare for him to display frustration while in court, but the chief justice asked the advocate to check his tone and warned him against an attempt to intimidate the court.

Please lower your pitch first. If you think you can browbeat us by raising your voice, youre mistaken. It has not happened in 23 years; it will not happen in the last year of my career, CJI Chandrachud told the advocate, according to a report published by NDTV.

The CJI asked the lawyer to maintain decorum inside the courtroom and told him to take a more respectful and measured approach. One second, lower your voice. Youre arguing before the first court of the Supreme Court of India; lower your pitch, otherwise, I will have you removed from the court, he was quoted as saying.

Chief Justice Chandrachud even questioned the advocates usual practices, asking him where he normally appeared and if this is how he behaved in front of other judges. Where do you normally appear? Is this the way you shout at judges every time? he asked.

After the warning, the advocate apologised and made his submissions in a more courteous manner. But, this is not the first time the CJI has lost his cool inside the courtroom or asked other advocates to check their behaviour.

In March last year, CJI Chandrachud had a showdown with senior advocate Vikas Singh and reportedly shouted at the top of his voice. Singh was urging the Supreme Court to push up a case related to land for lawyers of the top court.

Keep quiet. Leave this court right now. You cannot cower us down! the CJI had snapped at Singh.

Another time, the CJI had reprimanded a lawyer talking on his mobile phone while the court was in session. He had demanded for the gadget to be confiscated, saying: Is this a market that you are talking on the phone? Confiscate his mobile phone.
In a major update, the residents of Maharashtra will now have to pay more for electricity bills from January 2024 in the wake of a hike in tariffs by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL).

As per the fresh notification, the power tariff has been hiked by 25 paise to 65 paise per unit through a fuel adjustment charge (FAC).

This implies that residential consumers will end up paying more than up to Rs 300 per month from this month. The decision has been taken on the grounds of an order issued by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC).

In 2020, the MERC approved such a provision to recover the cost of expenditure and costly power purchase, thus prompting MSEDCL to charge a fuel adjustment charge on consumer bills from January 2024 onwards.

As per the approval received by the MERC, the state-owned power firm will charge the fuel adjustment charge on consumer bills declaring it the consumer category-wise FAC.

Notably, MSEDCL serves consumers in several parts of Maharashtra including eastern suburbs, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Vasai-Virar, and other parts of the state.

Power Tariff Hike in Maharashtra

The MSEDCL circular states that residential electricity consumers using up to 100 units of electricity will have to pay an extra 25 paise per unit, while consumers with 101 to 300 units will have to pay an extra 45 paise per unit.

Similarly, consumers with 301 to 500 units per month will have to pay extra Rs 60 paise per unit while those using more than 500 units will have to pay 65 paise per unit.

Apart from residential consumers, the rules have been also applied to small industries which will be required to pay an additional 30 paise to 40 paise per unit. Due to the heavy use of electricity in industry and business establishments, the hike might result in an extra burden of a few thousand rupees.

On the other hand, electric vehicle charging stations will also have to bear the hike in tariff and will be required to pay 40 paise per unit for usage.

he Municipal corporations will also fall under the same and thus will have to pay an extra Rs 40 paise per unit for the electricity used in the street lights.

A report in Hindustan Times quoted Pratap Hogade, the president of the state power consumer organisation, as saying that the hike was always on the cards however it still comes as a burden to consumers. He further hinted that there will be another hike in FAC for coal cost difference repayment.
Months after Namibian Cheetahs were reintroduced in India, a Namibian Cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park (KNP) located in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district, Union minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.

The Union minister also termed the development a roaring success for Project Cheetah envisioned by PM Narendra Modi to restore ecological balance. He further congratulated the project experts, Kuno wildlife officials and wildlife enthusiasts across India on the development.

Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav wrote on X.

Purrs in the wild!Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha. This is a roaring success for Project Cheetah, envisioned by PM Shri @narendramodi ji to restore ecological balance. My big congrats pic.twitter.com/c1fXvVJN4C  Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) January 3, 2024

In March 2023, Siyaya, who was later renamed as Jwala, had given birth to four cubs, but only one of them survived. Jwala was also translocated to Madhya Pradeshs national park from Namibia.

On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday under Project Cheetah released eight Namibian Cheetahs into the Kuno National Park. Notably, female Cheetah Aasha was among the first batch of eight Cheetahs brought to India. The name Aasha was given by the Prime Minister to the Cheetah meaning hope.

Later, in February 2023, 12 more cheetahs arrived at the park from South Africa.

Project Cheetah

With an aim to reintroduce Cheetahs to India, Project Cheetah was launched by the Government of India on September 17, 2022, with the translocation of Cheetahs from South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The goal of Project Cheetah is to establish a viable Cheetah population in the country to improve the health of the ecosystems and boost ecotourism.
Residents of Navi Mumbais Dronagiri, JNPT, Ulwe, Kharghar, and a few other nodes and villages in the Hetawane water supply line will face water cuts on two consecutive days this week.

According to a Mumbai Live report, the water cut will be applicable on the aforementioned nodes and the villages from January 5 to 6.

The call has been taken due to impending maintenance and repair work that is to be carried out on the supply line by the CIDCO. Notably, potable water in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation areas is supplied from the Morbe dam, MIDC, and CIDCO.

12-hour Water Cut in Navi Mumbai

In the meantime, the water supply in Navi Mumbais Dronagiri, JNPT, Ulwe, Kharghar, and Taloja nodes and the villages on the Hetawane water supply line will remain closed from 9 AM on Friday, January 5 to 9 AM on Saturday, January 6.

The water supply is also expected to remain at low pressure for the next 24 hours. Consequently, the CIDCO has appealed to the residents of the affected areas to store adequate water and use it judiciously during the period.

The decision came days after another water cut was announced in a few other NMMC areas such as Belapur, Nerul, Sanpada, Vashi, Ghansoli, Airoli, and others in the wake of repairing and maintenance work by the NMMC water supply department.

It is pertinent to note that the concerns regarding the lack of adequate water are being time and again voiced by the residents on social media. Despite multiple assurances from the civic body, residents believe that the NMMC has minimal regard for the plight of the residents going by the regular maintenance-related shutdowns.

This comes at a time when there have been multiple water cuts in and around Maharashtra. Thereby, residents are precisely encouraged every time to conserve and use their water efficiently.

Water Cut in Thane

A month ago, the Thane Municipal Corporation informed the residents of a 12-hour water supply interruption in certain parts that needed urgent repair work.

Repairs were undertaken at the Katai Naka on Barbie gravity channel to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation which resulted in a 12-hour halt in water supply from MIDC in the Thane municipal areas. Areas like Diva, Mumbra, Kalwa, Rupadevi Pada, Kisan Nagar No. 2., and a few others were impacted by the water cut.
Shilpa Mittals life took a heartbreaking turn when her brother, Siddharth Sharma, (32), fell victim to a hit-and-run involving a juvenile driving a Mercedes in Delhi in April 2016.

ALSO READ | Truck Drivers Protest: What is the New Hit-and-run Law That Has Led to Nationwide Strike?

In 2020, the Supreme Court held that the man, who was then a minor, cant be tried as an adult. Seven years have passed, but the trial is yet to begin. Undeterred, Mittal made a life-altering decision to quit her job a few years ago, dedicating herself to securing justice for Siddharth. The news of a stringent new law against hit-and-run incidents has given her a glimmer of hope.

According to Mittal, the new law would help save lives, making perpetrators the protectors who aid victims, instead of fleeing the scene. The proposed law could bring about a transformative change, provided law enforcement remains sensitive and committed," she told News18, reflecting on Siddharths tragic fate at the hands of a juvenile driver, who fled the spot.

Mittal urged the critics to look at how the new punishments might one day save their loved ones from the devastating impact of a hit-and-run. She sees the legislation as a positive step, bewildered by the opposition it faces.

Mittal feels there is misinformation and political maneuvering surrounding the new law. Those against it might have misinterpreted its provisions, and politics might be influencing their stance," Mittal said, even as she rued the laxity that prolonged her familys suffering.

DASH CAM CAN BE A GAME CHANGER

Sharing an incident in central Delhi where she tried to help a hit-and-run victim, Mittal shed light on the challenges faced by Good Samaritans. After two years of my brothers death, I tried to save a hit-and-run victim in Delhis ITO area. The cops blamed me for the accident and said that I had committed the crime. Thankfully, we have dash cams. We showed the recording and managed to convince the cops," she said.

STRIKES TO BE RELAXED AFTER HOME SECY MEETING

On Tuesday, representatives of All India Motor Transport Congress met Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and had a successful meeting with Home Ministry officials.

The Government and All India Motor Transport Congress appealed to all drivers to return to their respective jobs. The office-bearers were informed that these new laws and provisions have not yet come into force and if they have any concerns about section 106 (2) of BNS, the Government will consider it with an open heart," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Culpable Homicide: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitas Section 106(1) provides for a punishment of 0-5 years and Section 106(2) provides for a punishment of 0-10 years in hit-and-run cases.

The duration of sentences in hit-and-run cases has been increased to 10 years because of the observations made by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has stated in multiple cases that strict action should be taken against reckless drivers who cause accidents resulting in someones death, and flee the scene.

If a person immediately reports to a police officer or magistrate about the accident caused by reckless driving, the individual will not be charged under subsection 106(2)," the law says.

Instead, the person will be charged under subsection 106(1), where the sentence is lower, i.e. up to 5 years. Section 106(1) is still a bailable offence, while Section 106(2) has been made non-bailable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sent a letter to Meera Majhi, the lady from Ayodhya at whose place he stopped for a cup of tea.

PM Modi also sent her gifts for her and her family, which included a tea-set, drawing book with colours and more.

The woman was the 10th crore beneficiary of the PM Ujjwala Yojana under which below poverty line households are provided free LPG connections.

In the letter addressed to Majhi, he wrote, It was a great pleasure to meet you and your family members in Ayodhya, the holy city of Lord Shri Ram, and drink the tea prepared by you.

He further said, Your becoming the 10 croreth beneficiary of Ujjwala Yojana is not just a figure, rather I see it as a link to the fulfillment of big dreams and resolutions of crores of countrymen.

PM Modi also sent her gifts for her and her family, which included a tea-set, drawing book with colours and more.

On Saturday, PM Modi paid a surprise visit at Majhis home near the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk during his visit to Ayodhya ahead of the inauguration of Ram Mandir.

It was a complete surprise. They never told me who was coming. We are poor people. We didnt have much in our home, except some pulses and rice. I made arhar dal, rice and prepared some salad. Before I could finish cooking, I saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi at my doorstep. I was stunned. It all seemed like a dream. I quickly snapped out of it and realised PM Modi had come to my home. I immediately welcomed him inside, Meera Manjhi said.

The Prime Minister spent around 15 minutes with the Manjhi family. Aisa laga bhagwan mere ghar aaye. Maine kabhi sapne mein bhi nahi socha tha ki aisa kuch hoga (It was like God visited my place. I never had thought in my wildest dreams that anything like this would happen), Meera Manjhi said, adding that the visit reminded her of the Shabri Ke Ber story from Ramayana. I am blessed, she said.

Modi, who was in the temple town to unveil a new look old city with an airport, a revamped train station and multiple projects, made a sudden stopover at the house of the woman who holds the distinction of being the 10th-crore beneficiary of the Ujjwala scheme.

The scheme was started in May 2016 to provide LPG connection to women belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Wednesday said that the government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the cases related to paper leaks and cheating in the competitive examinations. Addressing a public meeting organised under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Khinyala, Nagaur, he said that no culprit would be forgiven.

The chief minister said the governments priority is to provide a fear-free environment to the people of the state. For this, as per the promise made in the manifesto, the Anti-Gangster Task Force has been formed against gangsters and organisational criminals, he said.

Sharma said the state government will live up to all the promises made in the manifesto and every guarantee given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be fulfilled. The chief minister said the objective of the yatra is to provide 100 per cent benefits of the Centres public welfare schemes to the beneficiaries.

The Prime Minister has resolved that no eligible person should be deprived of the benefits of the schemes, he said. Sharma appealed to the public to give information about the camps to every deprived person of their village and locality.

Rajasthan is among the leading states in the country in providing benefits of many schemes under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, he said. So far, camps have been organised at more than 5,300 places in the state and more than 65 lakh people of the state have participated in the camps.

He also addressed another meeting in Gram Panchayat Bosana of Sikar and highlighted the achievements of the Modi government.
In a big setback for Mahua Moitra, the Supreme Court has refused to stay her expulsion from Parliament. The Apex Court on Wednesday also sought a response from the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha regarding the Trinamool Congress leaders plea challenging her expulsion from Parliament last month.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta refused to pass any order on an interim prayer of Moitra to let her attend the proceedings of the House, saying, allowing it would be like allowing the main petition.

A bench also dismissed the verbal plea from Mahuas counsel, seeking permission for her to attend Parliament at this juncture.

We will consider your plea for interim relief in March, Justice Khanna told Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Moitra.

The top court also refused to issue any notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Committee on Ethics of Lok Sabha  both were made a party by Moitra in her plea  and said it would only seek a reply from the Lok Sabha secretary general.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Lok Sabha secretary general, requested the court not to issue a formal notice and said that he would file a reply to Moitras petition.

Mehta said the court should not venture into the internal matter of discipline in the sovereign organ of the state. The bench then passed the order and listed the matter for further hearing in the week starting March 11.

Moitras Expultion from Lok Sabha

On December 8, after a heated debate in the Lok Sabha over the panel report, during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to expel the TMC MP from the House for unethical conduct, which was adopted by a voice vote.

The ethics committee found Moitra guilty of unethical conduct and contempt of the House as she shared her Lok Sabha members portal credentials  user ID and password  with unauthorised people, which had an irrepressible impact on national security, Joshi had said.

The committee had also recommended that in view of the highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct of Moitra, an intense legal and institutional inquiry be initiated by the government with a set deadline.

The motion moved by Joshi said Moitras conduct has further been found to be unbecoming as an MP for accepting gifts and illegal gratification from a businessman to further his interest, which is a serious misdemeanour and highly deplorable conduct on her part.

Earlier, ethics committee Chairman Vinod Kumar Sonkar had tabled the first report of the panel on a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey against Moitra.

In October last year, Dubey, on the basis of a complaint submitted by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, alleged that Moitra had asked questions in the Lok Sabha in exchange for cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to mount an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In an affidavit to the ethics committee on October 19, last year, Hiranandani claimed that Moitra had provided him with her login ID and password for the Lok Sabha members website.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has already filed a preliminary FIR in the case.
Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, in the first telephone conversation in 2024 with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, agreed on the importance of strengthening air defense for Ukraine against the background of terrorist attacks by the Russian Federation, the press service of the head of state reported.

"The parties agreed on the need to continue to bolster Ukraine's air defense. The importance of maintaining the necessary level of U.S. support for Ukraine's air defense was emphasized," the message reads.

Yermak informed Sullivan about the consequences of the massive shelling of the territory of Ukraine by Russia on Tuesday night using various types of missile weapons and kamikaze drones of the Shahed type. In particular, he spoke about the results of the work of the air defense forces, which shot down the vast majority of enemy air targets, including Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.

The head of the President's Office thanked the U.S. President's team for their efforts aimed at the early adoption by the U.S. Congress of the necessary assistance package for Ukraine.

The parties also coordinated steps to implement plans for Ukrainian-American cooperation for 2024 in all areas, in particular in the field of national security.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday had a telephonic conversation with Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in what the latter termed the first call in 2024. It comes in the wake of Jaishankars visit to Russia from December 25-29, 2023.

Kuleba briefed Jaishankar on the intensifying Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasising on discussions on cooperation centred around a Peace Formula.

Ukraine is preparing to host a pivotal global peace summit in February 2024, seeking worldwide endorsement for President Volodymyr Zelenskyys 10-point peace plan. The plan includes key provisions such as reinstating Ukraines territorial integrity, complete withdrawal of Russian troops, ensuring vital supplies, nuclear safety, and release of all prisoners.

In the course of their conversation, India and Ukraine agreed to schedule the first meeting of the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission shortly. The last session of this commission was held in Kyiv in February 2018, focusing on trade, economic, scientific, technical, industrial and cultural cooperation between both nations.

A useful conversation with FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine today. Discussed advancing our bilateral cooperation in the year ahead. Exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 3, 2024

Jaishankar tweeted about the dialogue, highlighting that discussions were related to enhancing bilateral cooperation and exchanging perspectives on the conflict in Ukraine. India, advocating for a halt in hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, emphasises the significance of dialogue and diplomacy as the sole pathway to resolving the conflict, which will soon mark its second anniversary.

During his meeting with Jaishankar, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged PM Narendra Modis persistent efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful means. Putin affirmed, I have repeatedly informed him about the situation around this conflict. I know about his striving to resolve this problem through peaceful means.

The EAM, during his recent Russia visit, held a comprehensive exchange of views on bilateral cooperation in trade and economy, energy, defence, connectivity, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. India and Russia also signed three documents relating to the Kudan Kulam Nuclear Power Plants, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare and a Protocol on Foreign Office during the visit.
Bollywood sensation Ananya Panday defied the chill, turning up the heat in a sizzling maroon halter swim set. The actress recently graced her Instagram followers with a jaw-dropping glimpse of her beach-ready look, leaving us all questioning our wardrobe choices for the frosty season. In the snapshot that set social media ablaze, Ananya flaunted a velvety maroon bikini set that featured a strappy plunging neckline bralette paired with matching drawstring thongs, peeking from unbuttoned denim jeans. The actress exuded a chic yet laid-back vibe with a no-makeup face and nude lips. Her beachy OOTD was a perfect blend of glamour and comfort, proving that its never too early to start planning for the summer season.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beauty World (@sexy.hotness9)

Ananya Pandays position in the Bollywood industry extends beyond the silver screen. The young diva consistently leaves an indelible mark with her stunning style choices, be it on red carpets, exclusive soirees, or during her escapades to exotic destinations. During the celebration of her 25th birthday in the Maldives, Ananya chose to make a splash, donning a vibrant orange bikini complemented by a floral scarf cover-up. Embracing a carefree and relaxed aesthetic, her no-makeup look added a touch of authenticity to the ensemble.

Ananya captioned her post, The happiest little Scorpio.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ananya (@ananyapanday)

In another delightful episode from her birthday celebrations, Ananya showcased her love for beachwear by donning a pleated cut-out dress from the luxury resort wear and swimwear label, Shivan & Narresh. The maxi dress was a masterpiece of tropical hues, featuring a knotted front, a sultry cutout on the back, and a bandeau bodice. Ananya chose simplicity in accessories, adorning a pair of understated diamond earrings, and her makeup-free look elevated the dress as the star of the show.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ananya (@ananyapanday)

During her trip to Ibiza island, Ananya showcased her penchant for taking fashion themes to heart. Embracing a vibrant pink theme, Ananya opted for a hot-pink two-piece swimsuit. The ensemble featured a noodle-strap bustier with a wide neckline. A delicate gold pendant and stylish aviator sunglasses served as the perfect accessories to elevate her holiday style. With an effortless updo completing her chic pink avatar, Ananya Panday once again demonstrated her keen fashion sensibilities.

If you could recreate any of her bikini looks for your upcoming beach vacation, which one would it be?
The fashion scene in 2023 was a delightful fusion of past and present, celebrating the timeless appeal of retro styles. The transition from the beloved pink to festive Cherry Red added a festive touch, embraced by both men and women in various fashion elements. Digital content creator Jhanvi Bhatia talks to us about the major fashion evolution that Bollywood saw in the last year.

From plaid on skirts and bows to everything pink, we had a roundup of everything in remembering fashion from the past this year! From Archies to Barbies, from textures and prints to colours, all the style elements had their turn in becoming trendy. Right from getting love from the boomers, nostalgia hitting the millennials and Gen Z being introduced to the trends from the 50s to the 70s, it was a different emotion for all the generations.

Getting deep into the trends, it started with remembering our love for maxi skirts in real life and even projecting tribute to Mr. Karl Lagerfield, a pioneer in contributing to fashion. This generation has always taken inspiration from previous years, moulded it into their version, and reinvented it in their style!

We had our love for the pink transition into the winter Christmas-y colours ~ Cherry Red! Men and women adorned this colour in their makeup, nail polishes, scarves, bows and whatnot!

With Zoya Akhtar releasing Archies, there was a splurge of brands collaborating with the movie in the field of makeup and clothing, and this got into the trend of wearing tights, stockings, headbands and even bold wing liners. Everyone whod read Archies wanted to relive those years, and the ones who hadnt wanted to experience it through their eyes. Bollywood movies are pretty influential in terms of fashion for the audience of India, and a great example of this was also the film Rocky and Rani kii Prem Kahani!

This was the movie where Alias ombre sarees came into the picture. It was again a time where GenZ took inspiration from the pastthe iconic Chiffon sarees in Bollywoodand moulded them into ombre shades and reinvented them in the movie. A style that was loved for months and months, even during festivals like Diwali! Women rocked it, and the designer Manish Malhotra yet again proved himself in setting the trend!

Hence, from every kind of Barbie existing to every kind of Archie gang, theres a place in fashion for all! As the year ends, it excites me as a creator to see what our style definition will be in 2024!
Shanaya Kapoor makes it a point to look stunning in what she opts to wear, whether shes on the red carpet or on vacation. Shanayas outfits have the ability to simply boost your wardrobe. The budding actress excels at bringing sophistication and edge to even the most basic ensemble. For the New Year, Shanaya decided to travel to Milan, Italy and her OOTDs in the faraway land will give you some trendy winter look inspiration.

Shanaya restored our faith in the monochrome trend by donning a slinky black dress. The aspiring actress looked great in the figure-hugging costume, displaying her slender form. She shares a few mirror selfies where she wore an all-black ensemble consisting of a cropped top and a matching skirt. The turtle neckline, full-length sleeves, cropped hem, and fitted design of the top create a contrast with the high-rise waist, figure-hugging fit, rear slit, and floor-length hem of the velvet skirt. Shanaya captioned the photos, Mirror, mirror on the wall.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shanaya Kapoor (@shanayakapoor02)

Shanaya wore no accessories and only went with a minimal look. She applied blush to the cheeks, mascara on the lashes, feathery brows, glossy lips, and contour highlighter. The finishing touch was side-parted and lightly-tousled open wavy tresses.

On another morning in Milan, Shanaya decided to go sightseeing. She opted for a stylish power suit and cardigan ensemble for the outing. She paired an off-white blazer with notch-lapel collars, full-length sleeves, padded shoulders, a relaxed shape, and an open front. She matched the jacket with off-white trousers with a high-rise waist, flared hem, and straight-leg shape. She completed the look with a beige turtleneck sweater with a ribbed design around the neck, full-length sleeves, and a loose style. To enhance her look, Shanaya went with tan boots, gold hoop earrings, a no-makeup look, and center-parted open locks.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shanaya Kapoor (@shanayakapoor02)

Shanaya raised the bar with another outdoor look. She paired loose-fitting denim with a high-neck top. The highlight was the long blue jacket and white sneakers.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shanaya Kapoor (@shanayakapoor02)

Shanaya will soon start her career. She is expected to make her acting debut in Bedhadak alongside Gurfateh Pirzada and Lakshya Lalwani. The film was produced by Karan Johar and directed by Shashank Khaitan. Shanaya will also go on to star in Vrushabha, a pan-India film, alongside Mohanlal. The film will be released in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi.
Sonakshi Sinha has been enjoying her New Years trip to Egypt. The actress is quite active on social media, and her Instagram diary is loaded with her travel snaps and stylish fashion statements during the tour for all of her admirers. Her exquisite Egypt excursions are no exception, and they will undoubtedly inspire your vacation wardrobe.

Sonakshi Sinha gave her followers a sweet surprise as she took to Instagram and uploaded a series of pictures from Egypt accompanied by the caption, Lo and behold, the great Pyramids of Giza (aur saath mein feature karte hue  ship of the desert Camel bhai) Thats one off the bucket list.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona)

Sonakshis latest look is a lesson in layering, with the ideal combination of hues and fabrics for an easy, on-trend ensemble. Sonakshi looked sassy and glamorous in a loose-fitting green jumpsuit with a self-tied belt around the waist. She paired her ensemble with a beige-brown checkered scarf and an oversized black blazer. Sonakshi accessorised her appearance with a pair of black lace-up boots and a pair of oval brown tinted sunglasses, which added a whimsical feel to her trendy look.

Her hair style emanated carefree vibes as she pulled her luxurious locks back and wrapped them up in a high ponytail, which perfectly complemented her desert holiday look. Her makeup is modest, with mascaraed lashes, winged eyeliner, darkened brows, pink cheeks, and a nude lipstick tone.

On one of her expedition days, Sonakshi wore a high-neck grey top with a gathered front look and a loose fit. It was paired with a black long blazer with an open front and baggy fit. She used no accessories with the outfit but styled it long in a sleek, straight look with a middle part. For her make-up, she went with a dash of mascara, eyeliner, a shimmering highlight on her face, and lastly, a nude lip colour. In the caption, she wrote, Being touristy can be so much fun sometimes I visited the oldest oil and essence factory and papyrus store in Egypt.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona)

On the professional front, the actress will appear in filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Heeramandi, which is expected to stream on Netflix. The series will centre on love and betrayal in the lives of courtesans in pre-independence India. Sonakshi will co-star opposite Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh, among others.
HistoryTV18s award-winning docuseries, India: Marvels & Mysteries, returns in a brand new season with noted Indophile and acclaimed author William Dalrymple. The quest to uncover forgotten facts and revisit centuries-old stories lost to time begins anew. The show explores historical sites, revisits cold trails and shines the light on unanswered questions about Indias incredible past and her many wonders, like never before. It also offers new perspectives on mighty empires, characters from Indian history, our ancestors, and their knowledge of complex phenomena. The series comprises half-hour thematic episodes, each with multiple stories that traverse the length and breadth of India, spanning millennia. India: Marvels & Mysteries with William Dalrymple starts on January 4, 2024, with new episodes every Thursday and Friday at 9 p.m., exclusively on HistoryTV18.

The show will take audiences on an immersive exploration of India. Each episode in the seven-part series promises an unforgettable experience. Dramatic recreations with actors in period costumes bring to life amazing stories and untold histories behind Indias enigmatic structures, from jaw-dropping marvels and celebrated monuments to relatively little-known sites across dynasties and periods. The stories engage, inform and entertain, with brilliant visuals filmed all over the country, illustrative graphics and archival images. The fact-rich storytelling strives to distinguish between legend and legacy, supported by a stellar cast of expert commentators led by historian and world-famous author William Dalrymple. The shows ambition is to transport a new generation of viewers into the richness and diversity of Indias past, inspiring a renewed appreciation for the sites, structures and marvels that are Indias incredible heritage.

Speaking ahead of the shows launch, William Dalrymple commented, History provides a road map by which we can understand where we stand in the present and how we got here. Without it, we are lost. It was a huge pleasure to work with HistoryTV18 on this beautifully shot series, and I cant wait to hear peoples astonished reactions to some of the forgotten treasures weve dug up.

Travelling across the country, the show gives an account of some of the countrys grandest architectural wonders as well as of historical locations whose past is shrouded in mystery. Expert insights provide the context and modern-day significance of each story and the historical figures in them, while the dramatisations are sure to keep audiences engaged.

Speaking about the documentary, Arun Thapar, President, Content & Communication, AETN18, says, We are absolutely thrilled to have Mr. William Dalrymple on the show. His perspective and insights have been invaluable. Our association with a writer of Mr. Dalrymples calibre and renown epitomises HistoryTV18s commitment to great storytelling and world-class content produced in India.

The show promises a wondrous trip through time in what is possibly the oldest and most diverse country in the world, whose enduring legacy has been shaped by the confluence of cultures, know-how, and artistic traditions. From Indias temples and forts to entire mediaeval cities and even structures from prehistory, the show packs in a lot.

Temples, for instance, have played a central role in the cultural, social, religious and economic life of communities and regions across India for all of recorded history. The series makes some noteworthy inclusions. The grandeur and complexity of some of these sacred structures are a testament to their significance. It also points to the surprising level of knowledge that existed in the ancient times in which these were built. The show explores what is known and, more interestingly, what is not.

Prepare to be enthralled by the ethereal beauty of the Chaturmukh Jain Temple at Ranakpur, an unrivalled architectural marvel adorned with over a thousand pillars and sculptures. Witness the stunning collection of sculptures from the 16th and 17th centuries in a little-known temple in Thirukurungudi, Tamil Nadu. Be transported to the worlds largest monolithic structure, crafted from a hill to create a temple. Experience the mystical power of gods carved into a rock face in remote Tripura. All this and a lot more is on offer in HistoryTV18s one-of-a-kind original series.

Enter the world of two of Indias charismatic women rulers and the iconic structures they built: Rani Udaymatis stepwell in Gujarat and the elegant mausoleum built by Mughal Empress Noor Jahan. Time travel to mighty Mewar, with its warrior king and its exceptional citadel, and then further south into the Deccan under a tyrant, to encounter tales of tragedy and horror that serve as reminders of the murderous ways of mediaeval times. Visit Bijapur, once the seat of a surprising sultan and home to one of the worlds largest domes. Pass through the highest gateway and lose yourself in the tales of two mediaeval cities. These were once the crown jewels of the dynasties they served, but now they are abandoned and part of world heritage. Venture into the unknown to unearth the stories behind mysterious Hire Bennakal and Narthiang, whose origins have been lost to time and whose secrets may endure forever.

The seven-part documentary series promises viewers an unparalleled experience. Through merging re-enactments, authentic storytelling, an exploration of legends and popular narratives, and an examination of known facts, the show breathes new life into historic places as never before.

Arun Thapar adds, India: Marvels and Mysteries with William Dalrymple is a selection of compelling stories about the creative genius of ancient and mediaeval India, her great wealth of knowledge, and the many wonders that have endured into the present. The show delves into history across empires and dynasties, peopled with remarkable characters who played a part in shaping the story of India.
Women Rock Day, observed on January 3, is a significant occasion dedicated to honouring the trailblazing women in the rock music genre. This day pays tribute to the contributions of female musicians who courageously broke barriers, leaving an enduring impact on the music industry.

In a historically male-dominated field, these women showcased exceptional talent, challenging stereotypes, and creating pathways for future generations of female artists. Women Rock Day serves as a spotlight for these pioneers, aiming to inspire young girls to explore and pursue careers in the music industry.

Lets take a moment on this special day to delve into the rich history of women in rock and celebrate some of the most influential female-led rock bands.

Women Rock Day 2024 Date & History

The importance of Women Rock Day is deeply rooted in history, particularly on January 3, 1987, when Aretha Franklin achieved a historic milestone. On this day, Aretha Franklin made history by becoming the first woman to be inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This momentous occasion not only celebrated Franklins extraordinary contributions to music but also symbolized a groundbreaking moment for women in the rock genre.

Established in 1986, the Hall of Fame embarked on a journey to recognise and celebrate outstanding musicians, including iconic women such as Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, and Joni Mitchell.

While rock & roll history traditionally highlighted male figures like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly, a pivotal shift occurred as trailblazing women like Grace Slick, and Janis Joplin, and female bands like The Runaways challenged the norm. Breaking through gender barriers, they played crucial roles in paving the way for women in rock.

5 All-Female Rock Bands
Sanitation is a vital service that affects the health, dignity and well-being of billions of people worldwide. However, it is also a sector that is often neglected, stigmatised and underfunded. These challenges are even more acute for women sanitation workers, who have to deal with gender-based violence, harassment and discrimination, as well as the double burden of domestic and paid work.

Fortunately, this is changing. Numerous NGOs and grassroots organisations are working hard to dispel these attitudes and mindsets. Harpic, as Indias leading brand in the lavatory care segment has a deep and nuanced understanding of the challenges women sanitation workers face, and particularly so, of those who hail from lower castes. With an aim to lift these women from the morass of poverty, exploitation and stigma, Harpic founded the Harpic World Toilet College (HWTC) in 2016.

HWTC was established with the stated objective of improving the quality of life of sanitation workers through their rehabilitation by linking them with dignified livelihood options. Workers trained by the college are provided placement with various organisations. Following the successful proof of concept in Rishikesh, HWTCs have opened in Maharashtra, Aurangabad, in partnership with Harpic, Jagran Pehel and Maharashtra Government.

In India, organisations like HWTC have been at the forefront of transforming the lives of sanitation workers. Through training, support, and empowerment, these initiatives are driving change and helping these workers break free from the shackles of poverty and discrimination. Lets delve into four inspiring stories from the four corners of India that illustrate the profound impact of organisations like HWTC and the resilience of sanitation workers.

Laxmi Naik: East India

Laxmi Naik, hailing from Cuttack in East India, represents the strength and determination of women sanitation workers. Married at an early age, Laxmi and her husband struggled to make ends meet as they worked as sanitation workers for Cuttack Municipal Corporation. Financial difficulties and the expensive city life took a toll on their family.

In 2020, the Garima Scheme was launched by the state government, aiming to ensure economic safety and social dignity for core sanitation workers. During a survey, officials from Cuttack Municipal Corporation discovered Laxmi earning a modest income from cleaning public toilets. They counselled her and provided training on operating a cesspool vehicle. With newfound skills and determination, Laxmi transitioned from an unskilled manual toilet cleaner to a high-skilled cesspool vehicle operator. She now earns three times more than her previous income, breaking free from the cycle of poverty.

Laxmi Vijay Ghodke: West India

Laxmi Vijay Ghodkes story resonates with countless women sanitation workers in Indias western region. For eight long years, she cleaned public toilets without respite or acknowledgment, all while enduring deplorable conditions and the absence of safety equipment. Her dedication to providing for her family, despite the hardships, was unwavering.

Then came her opportunity for transformation through Harpic World Toilet College. After training, Laxmi secured a position at MGM Hospital, Aurangabad, and her life took a remarkable turn. Her dedication and hard work were quickly recognized, propelling her to the position of supervisorthe first woman to achieve this at the hospital. Her family, especially her children, now proudly boast of her accomplishments. Laxmis journey from a sanitation worker to a hospital supervisor is a testament to the impact of education and opportunity.

Venkatalakshmi: South India

Venkatalakshmi, hailing from Andhra Pradeshs Narsapur, overcame formidable obstacles to become a thriving entrepreneur in the sanitation sector. Her tribal background and gender initially limited her employment opportunities. Her husband, who owned a desludging truck, fell ill due to excessive alcohol consumption, compelling her to take up the family business.

With unwavering determination, Venkatalakshmi took a loan to expand the family business, operating desludging trucks. She defied societal norms and scepticism, ultimately earning respect for her dedication and competence. Today, she owns and operates three desludging trucks, with full support from her family and recognition from the municipal corporation. Venkatalakshmis journey exemplifies the power of determination and the impact of involving women in sanitation businesses.

Usha Chaumar: North India

Usha Chaumars remarkable journey epitomises the resilience of sanitation workers in North India. She began her career as a toilet cleaner in Alwar, Rajasthan, at just seven years old. Despite the challenges of her work being labelled dirty, Ushas unwavering determination and the support of Sulabh International enabled her to become a beacon of change.

Today, Usha leads the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, advocating for better working conditions and pay for sanitation workers. Her efforts have uplifted countless women out of poverty and inspired her own familys advancement. Her son now pursues a postgraduate degreea testament to the choices she made. Ushas journey embodies the transformative power of education, empowerment, and resilience.

Conclusion

The stories of Laxmi Naik, Laxmi Vijay Ghodke, Venkatalakshmi, and Usha Chaumar are just a few examples of the profound impact that organisations like Sulabh International and Harpic World Toilet College have had on the lives of sanitation workers across India.

By empowering women sanitation workers, these initiatives are not only breaking the cycle of poverty but also challenging societal norms and stereotypes. They are paving the way for a brighter, more equitable future where sanitation workers are recognized, respected, and rewarded for their essential contributions to society.

Of course, Harpic is doing much more to amplify the impact of these wins. Joining hands with News18, Harpic created Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement that champions the cause of inclusive sanitation, equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and the strong belief that clean toilets are a shared responsibility.

Mission Swachhta aur Paani leverages News18s vast reach to get these stories of hope and inspiration out to the wider masses. As these initiatives expand their reach and impact, there is hope that many more sanitation workers will have the opportunity to transform their lives, just like Laxmi, Laxmi, Venkatalakshmi, and Usha did. In doing so, they not only elevate themselves but also contribute to the broader goal of improving sanitation and hygiene standards across India.

We need you to be a part of the solution too. Join us here, to learn more about the small, everyday actions you can take to make a difference in the lives of these women. Of course, should you want to go further and take bigger actions, weve got all the information youll need to do so. Together, lets make a Swasth and Swachh Bharat for everyone.
When it comes to drastic life changes, advice is easy to give, and really hard to follow. Perhaps one of the best ways to teach is to do. A person who walks the talk isnt just exemplary for their own accomplishments, but for the trail they blaze for others to follow. Fortunately for India, these trailblazers abound, often in the unlikeliest of places.

In the vast tapestry of India, where the pursuit of cleanliness and equitable sanitation services is a challenging mission, women sanitation workers are the unsung heroes who stand as beacons of hope and catalysts for change. They not only labour tirelessly to keep us and our cities safe, but also silently and surely mould the attitudes and perceptions of the younger generation.

These women, hailing from diverse backgrounds and regions across India, often encounter arduous working conditions, low pay, and societal stigmatisation. Many of them clean public toilets, collect waste from households, or operate sanitation vehicles, all while dealing with issues such as inadequate protective gear, inadequate pay and job insecurity.

Despite these adversities, this resilient group of women goes beyond the demands of work and home to create a better life for themselves and their families, and for their larger community.

Empowering Themselves

As they gain access to training, skills development, and support from organisations like Harpic World Toilet College, their self-esteem soars, and they become influential figures in their communities.

Economic Independence: Better jobs allow these women to provide better living conditions for their families. The next generation is growing up in more financially stable households, which opens up new possibilities and opportunities for them.

Maya Sable, a former sewer worker, completed her training at Harpic World Toilet College. Afterward, she secured a job with Clean and Care Facilities Service in Housekeeping, earning more than double her previous income. This newfound economic stability has transformed her familys living conditions, providing her children with better opportunities for the future.

Shaping Attitudes: Women sanitation workers who receive training on hygiene and sanitation practices pass on their knowledge to their children. This educational exchange contributes to healthier habits and lifestyles within families.

Chhaya Warekar, a determined mother, enrolled in Harpic World Toilet Colleges (HWTC) training program. Her improved knowledge of hygiene and sanitation practices influenced her childrens habits positively. They now lead healthier lives and have access to cleaner sanitation facilities, thanks to her dedication.

Advocates for Change: Empowered women become advocates for change, not only within their households but also at a broader community level. They champion sanitation improvements and promote the importance of cleanliness and hygiene.

Usha Chaumar began her career as a toilet cleaner in Alwar, Rajasthan, at just seven years old. Despite the challenges of her work being labelled dirty, Ushas unwavering determination and the support of Sulabh International enabled her to become a beacon of change. Today, Usha leads the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, advocating for better working conditions and pay for sanitation workers. Her efforts have uplifted countless women out of poverty and inspired her own familys advancement. Her son now pursues a postgraduate degreea testament to the choices she made.

Empowering the Next Generation

One of the most significant ways in which women sanitation workers influence the younger generation is by challenging stereotypes and altering perceptions. Children growing up in communities where these women work witness firsthand the value of hard work, dignity in labour, and the importance of cleanliness.

Women sanitation workers are role models when it comes to embracing cleanliness. Their commitment to maintaining public toilets and streets teaches children about the importance of a clean environment. The younger generation is learning that cleanliness is not just the responsibility of a select few but a collective effort.

Many women sanitation workers are actively engaged in giving their children access to education, a privilege they might not have had themselves. Their determination to break the cycle of limited opportunities is motivating the next generation to aim higher. These women understand the value of education and encourage their children to prioritise learning. As a result, we see more young minds attending schools and aspiring for brighter futures.

The children of women sanitation workers, in turn, often become ambassadors of change within their communities. As they break the shackles of intergenerational poverty, they show by example the transformative power of education and sanitation, effectively carrying forward the legacy of their mothers.

The Right Support At The Right Time

Harpic, as Indias leading brand in the lavatory care segment, has a deep and nuanced understanding of the challenges women sanitation workers face. Channelling these insights into action, Harpic founded the Harpic World Toilet College in 2016.

HWTC was established with the stated objective of improving the quality of life of sanitation workers through their rehabilitation by linking them with dignified livelihood options. Workers trained by the college are provided placement with various organisations. Following the successful proof of concept in Rishikesh, HWTCs have opened in Maharashtra, Aurangabad, in partnership with Harpic, Jagran Pehel and Maharashtra Government.

Beyond the great work it does at HWTC, Harpic is also bringing these problems to the larger masses through its partnership with News18 in Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement that champions the cause of inclusive sanitation, equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and the strong belief that clean toilets are a shared responsibility.

Mission Swachhta aur Paani brings together stakeholders from the govt, local municipal corporations, NGOs, grassroots organisations, self-help groups and the sanitation workers themselves. Bringing these stakeholders together on one platform enables the right conversations, and possibly, solutions that can scale to the national level.

Moreover, Mission Swachhta aur Paani is bringing these stories to you. The more we learn, the more we see our footprint in the shape of the world, the more care we exhibit in our interactions. Society is made up of people like us. What we think is what society thinks. What we think matters, what we talk about matters even more.

Isnt it time we contributed to this national transformation? Join us here, to learn how.
In the vast tapestry of Indias sanitation sector, a group of unsung heroes has emergedwomen sanitation workers. These resilient women are pioneering change, not only transforming their own lives but also catalysing a shift in sanitation practices across the nation. Their stories of determination, perseverance, and triumph are a testament to the power of individual action in creating a cleaner, healthier future for India.

The Unseen Labor

For far too long, sanitation work has been associated with invisibility and societal neglect. Women sanitation workers, often operating in the shadows of society, have shouldered the burden of keeping our communities clean and hygienic. Their unwavering commitment is often met with deplorable conditions, inadequate pay, and a lack of recognition. Yet, they have remained steadfast in their mission to provide a vital service to society.

Maya Sables journey epitomises the strength and resilience of women sanitation workers. After 12 years of toiling in the unorganised sector, she found herself abandoned by her husband, leaving her to fend for herself and her three daughters. However, Maya refused to be defeated. She underwent training at the Harpic World Toilet College and secured a job in housekeeping. Now, she earns more than double her previous salary and enjoys access to essential benefits like PPE kits, Provident Fund, ESI, and insurance. Maya is not just a beneficiary; shes a beacon of hope, actively raising awareness and empowering fellow workers with the knowledge she gained.

Empowerment Through Training

The Harpic World Toilet College plays a pivotal role in the transformation of these womens lives. Harpic, as Indias leading brand in the lavatory care segment, has a deep and nuanced understanding of the specific challenges these women face, and they channelled this understanding into the creation of the Harpic World Toilet College (HWTC) in 2016.

HWTC was established with the stated objective of improving the quality of life of sanitation workers through their rehabilitation by linking them with dignified livelihood options. Workers trained by the college are provided placement with various organisations. Following the successful proof of concept in Rishikesh, HWTCs have opened in Maharashtra, Aurangabad, in partnership with Harpic, Jagran Pehel and Maharashtra Government.

Through training programs, HWTC equips and empowers these women to secure better-paying jobs in the organised sector, transforming their lives and those of their families.

Pinky Vivek Jadhavs story exemplifies this transformation. As the sole breadwinner for her family, she struggled to make ends meet, even having to pull her daughter out of school due to financial constraints. Pinkys life took a turn for the better when she enrolled in the Harpic World Toilet Colleges training program. With newfound skills and determination, she set up a small grocery shop and ensured her familys well-being.

Changing Perceptions

Beyond economic empowerment, women sanitation workers are changing societal perceptions. Laxmi Vijay Ghodke, who spent eight years cleaning public toilets without acknowledgement, now stands proudly as the first lady supervisor at MGM Hospital, Aurangabad. Her dedication and exceptional work ethic led to her rapid promotion, as did the soft skills training she received at HWTC. Laxmis story challenges stereotypes and proves that women can excel in roles traditionally dominated by men.

Chhaya Warekar, another graduate of HWTC, is working diligently to provide her children with the best education possible. She aspires for them to become government officers, breaking the cycle of sanitation work in her family. Chhayas determination showcases the ripple effect of change initiated by women sanitation workers.

Breaking Cultural Barriers

In a society often bound by traditional norms, women sanitation workers like Manisha Sominath Khadke and Archana Sonavane have defied expectations. Manishas family initially resisted her decision to enrol with HWTC. Still, her determination prevailed, and she is now a valued employee at United CIIGMA Hospital, Aurangabad. Her success has challenged her familys perception of gender roles and ignited a change in mindset.

Archana Sonavanes conservative family prohibited her from leaving her home for proper employment or training. However, the digital program offered by HWTC opened doors. Archanas decision has not only transformed her life but also her familys fortunes. During the pandemic, she provided for her family while her husband lost his job, earning both their respect, and a sense of independence.

Financial Independence

After her husbands tragic accident, Varsha Vijay Landge sought a stable, well-paying job to support her family and her daughters education. Her enrollment in HWTCs training program paved the way for a permanent job at Hegdewar Hospital, Aurangabad. Today, Varshas daughter is an engineer, illustrating the power of financial independence in securing a brighter future for families.

When her husband fell ill, Priyanka Jadhav began cleaning toilets to support her family. However, her colleagues introduced her to the online training program at HWTC, which transformed her life. Not only did she acquire new skills, but she also gained newfound respect for her work. Priyankas permanent job at MGM Hospital during the pandemic ensured financial stability for her family and enabled her to save for her childrens future.

Health and Safety

Chitras story underscores the hazardous conditions faced by sanitation workers. For years, she cleaned toilets with bare hands, exposing herself to health risks. However, her encounter with Gramalaya and health educators transformed her understanding of safety and hygiene. With proper training, she now uses safety gear, practises better hygiene, and ensures regular medical check-ups. Chitras story highlights the urgent need for improved safety measures for sanitation workers across India.

Advocacy and Leadership

Some women sanitation workers have transcended their roles to become advocates and leaders in their communities. Priyanka Bharti, for instance, refused to accept a life without a toilet as the norm when she got married. Her activism led to the construction of a toilet in her in-laws village, catalysing change not only for her family but for neighbouring communities as well. Priyankas journey as a sanitation ambassador demonstrates the immense impact that one individual can have on society.

There are many such stories.

Harpic joined hands with News18 in Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement that champions the cause of inclusive sanitation, equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and the strong belief that clean toilets are a shared responsibility. Through Mission Swachhta aur Paani, were bringing you these unsung stories, not just to valorise these women, but also to spark conversations. What we talk about matters.

Join us here, to take part in these conversations that are shaping a Swasth and Swachh Bharat, not just for ourselves, but also for those who are our frontline in this fight.
Bujar Osmani, Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Jan Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta, and Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Secretary General, condemned Russia's massive air attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The joint statement of the OSCE leaders is published on the organization's website. It calls for an end to violence.

Together, we deplore in the strongest possible terms these ongoing attacks and urgently call for an immediate end to the unrelenting violence that does nothing but propagate a vicious cycle of misery and suffering. We call for this war to end now, the message reads.

In particular, Osmani, Borg and Schmid issued a statement in connection with the ongoing and increasing air attacks by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The new year has depressingly begun in the same way that the last one ended. Death and destruction have stolen the lives of women, men, boys and girls and destroyed essential infrastructure, they stated.

The statement says that every day, it is civilians who consistently pay the price in this terrible conflict. They should never be the victims of deadly drone and missile attacks.
Women sanitation workers in India are not a homogeneous group. They belong to different regions, religions, castes and backgrounds. They perform different types of sanitation work, such as cleaning the streets, solid waste management, community toilet management and faecal sludge management. They work in different settings, such as urban slums, rural villages, schools, hospitals and public places. They have different levels of education, skills and experience.

According to a recent report, there are an estimated 5 million sanitation workers in India, out of which more than 50% are women. However, these numbers are likely to be an underestimation, as many women sanitation workers are invisible and unaccounted for in official statistics. Moreover, women sanitation workers face multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion based on their gender, caste, class and occupation. They are often subjected to stigma, harassment, violence, low wages, poor working conditions, lack of social security and legal protection.

Support Networks and Solidarity

However, despite their diversity, these women share a common vision: to improve their lives and the lives of their fellow workers and communities. To achieve this vision, they have formed various forms of collective action, such as self-help groups (SHGs), cooperatives, unions and networks. These collectives provide them with a platform to voice their concerns, demand their rights, access resources and opportunities, and support each other.

Despite these hardships, women sanitation workers have shown remarkable resilience and courage in their work. They have also formed collective platforms to raise their voice and demand their rights. For example:

The Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan (RGA) , a national campaign that works to end sanitation work by hand, and rehabilitation of the sanitation workers involved in such work. The RGA has mobilised thousands of women sanitation workers across 18 states to renounce the practice of cleaning by hand. The RGA also provides them with legal aid, skill training, education, health care and social security.

The All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM) , a network of Dalit women activists that works to end caste-based violence and discrimination against Dalit women. The AIDMAM has supported hundreds of women sanitation workers who have faced atrocities such as rape, murder and harassment by upper-caste men. The AIDMAM also campaigns for the implementation of laws and policies that protect the rights of Dalit women.

The Self-Employed Womens Association (SEWA) , a trade union that represents over 1.5 million informal sector workers in India. SEWA has organised thousands of women waste pickers into cooperatives that provide them with better income, social security and recognition. SEWA also helps them access credit, insurance, health care and education.

The Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), a civil society organisation that works to strengthen democracy and governance. PRIA has facilitated the formation of city-level networks of women sanitation workers who engage with local governments and stakeholders to improve their working conditions and service delivery. PRIA also conducts research and advocacy on the issues and challenges faced by women sanitation workers.

Transforming Sanitation Practices

These collective platforms have enabled women sanitation workers to access information, education, skills, resources and opportunities. They have also empowered them to challenge the social norms and structures that oppress them. They have brought about positive changes in their lives and livelihoods, as well as in the sanitation sector and society at large. Some of the achievements of these collective platforms include:

The enactment of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, which bans the practice of cleaning by hand, and provides for the identification, release and rehabilitation of sanitation workers involved in this practice.

The recognition of waste pickers as essential service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the provision of protective equipment, food kits and financial assistance to them by various state governments.

The inclusion of women sanitation workers in various schemes and programs related to sanitation, such as the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).

The formation of cooperatives and enterprises by women sanitation workers to improve their income generation and service delivery.

The creation of awareness and behaviour change among communities and stakeholders on the importance of sanitation and the rights and dignity of women sanitation workers.

Despite the excellent work these organisations do, they are often strapped for cash. This is where Indias corporates can play an important role.

Going Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR initiatives in this space often collaborate with NGOs and government agencies to create sustainable models for women sanitation workers empowerment. These initiatives encompass financial support, skill development, and awareness campaigns.

As Indias leading brand in the lavatory care segment, Harpic has a deep and nuanced understanding of the challenges that women sanitation workers face. It channelled this understanding into the creation of Harpic World Toilet College (HWTC) in 2016.

HWTC was established with the stated objective of improving the quality of life of sanitation workers through their rehabilitation by linking them with dignified livelihood options. Workers trained by the college are provided placement with various organisations. Following the successful proof of concept in Rishikesh, HWTCs have opened in Maharashtra, Aurangabad, in partnership with Harpic, Jagran Pehel and Maharashtra Government.

For Harpic, the work that began with HWTC took on more breadth with Mission Swachhta aur Paani. Harpic joined hands with News18 in Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement that champions the cause of inclusive sanitation, equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and the strong belief that clean toilets are a shared responsibility.

For 3 years now, Mission Swachhta aur Paani has brought together the right stakeholders on a common platform, so that issues of importance can be discussed, and solutions found. These stakeholders include govt officials, municipalities, NGOs, activists, grassroots organisations and of course, sanitation workers.

Mission Swachhta aur Paani also functions as a repository for information on a vast variety of topics surrounding toilet access, toilet hygiene, and both the work sanitation workers do, and the challenges they face.

There are many Indias in one. There is the one in which we live  in our apartments, our corporate offices, our private cars; insulated from the experiences of the vast number of people that it takes to make our lives of privilege possible. Thats the nature of privilege  those of us who have it, seldom recognise it.

But it is time we did so. Our conversations matter, as do the causes we choose to support. It doesnt take much (or any!) of our time, or money to do so.

Join us here, and be a part of this national transformation.
Ankita Lokhande and her husband Vicky Jains relationship is going through a rough patch in the Bigg Boss 17 house. The two are often seen getting into ugly fights with each other. In the latest episode too, Vicky mocked Ankita which left the actress disappointed.

As reported by E-Times, it all started after Isha Malviya did a headstand following which Vicky joked that Ankita would take three peoples help to do the same. When Ankita talked about her workout routine outside the Bigg Boss house, Vicky interrupted and called it fake. This left Ankita disappointed and furious who hit her husband with a pillow.

Later in the episode, Mannara complimented Ankita saying she is looking hot. However, Vicky disagreed with her and said that he does not find his wife hot. He then clarified that Ankita is not hot but cute. This again left Ankita furious who then made a shocking comment and hinted at their divorce. Mujhe pata hai, you are done with me and I will also take that decision once we are out of the show, she said. When Mannara asked what decision she was talking about, the former Pavitra Rishta actress added, You will see, guys.

This is not the first time that Ankita talked about divorce with Vicky Jain. Previously too, Vicky was heard saying, I can never really say how I feel. This is what married people, especially men go through. They cant really tell what they really go through and what they suffer. To this, Ankita asked him for divorce and said, If you suffer so much then why are you with me? Lets take a divorce, I dont want to go back home with you.

Ankita Lokhande married businessman Vicky Jain in December 2021. The two entered the Bigg Boss 17 house together in October this year. They often rule headlines for their heated arguments and ugly war-of-words with each other.
Sriram Raghavan says his upcoming thriller Merry Christmas, starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, is set in the early 80s and shares a thematic connection with the story of Pinocchio.

Raghavan, regarded as the master of the thriller genre in India, returns to direction with the film after 2016s hit Andhadhun and hopes the audiences engage with the story that unfolds within a span of one night. It will hit the screens on January 12.

The trailer of Merry Christmas shows the two central characters walking past a theatre showing the childrens classic Pinocchio, about the titular wooden puppet whose nose grows longer when he lies.

We have not specified the time but it is set in the early 80s. Pinocchio has many movie versions so we decided to design our own version of the Pinocchio poster. We havent shown the movie on screen, you will only hear the soundtrack. So, thematically its very much like our film because it is about deception. When Pinocchio tells lies, his nose gets longer, Raghavan told PTI in an interview.

The filmmaker said it was challenging to cut the trailer of the Hindi film as he wanted to create intrigue about the plot of the movie, which he shot simultaneously in Tamil.

The Hindi trailer was more fun because its got these quick cuts. The whole aim was to not give away the story and make viewers think of their own stories so that when they come to the cinema hall, theyre surprised. Occasionally, one of them will be right too, he said.

The Hindi trailer of Merry Christmas seems like a time capsule, taking viewers back to the era of weighing machines, landline phones and single-screen theatres. Raghavan, 60, said he decided to include these elements as they are all gone now.

These are iconic things of that era and it has all gone now. I remember I would go to the railway station just to check my weight and get that little card, which had a picture and something written on it. I used to collect those. This is why we chose it for our film, he shared.

The idea to set the film within the span of a night was also by design, said the director, known for cult classics like Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar, Badlapur and his biggest hit, Andhadhun.

Raghavan said one of his earliest memories is watching Yash Chopras 1969 thriller Ittefaq, starring Rajesh Khanna and Nanda, which was also set in the course of a night.

I think one-night stories are a genre in themselves because there can be all kinds of stories. I remember seeing Yash Chopras Ittefaq and I was completely blown away by that movie and performances. Even Die Hard (the 1988 Hollywood hit featuring Bruce Willis) was a one night and a Christmas story, he said.

I like the sub-genre of one-night stories because its tough to hold the attention of the audience. Its exciting to think how you are going to compress time and space, and make the story work, he added.

Merry Christmas, according to the filmmaker, is an intimate story of two mysterious strangers.

You meet them on this particular day. What they were doing before, how much of what they are saying is true or false, it is all left to you to make assumptions as a viewer. These two strangers are meeting each other and the viewer is meeting each of them, and we have to figure out, Okay, whats happening here? It just makes you curious, he teased. Just like his films, chance played an important role in the unique casting of Kaif and Sethupathi.

Kaif had once spoken to Raghavan about doing a film that is out of her comfort zone and that conversation stayed with him.

It is unlike the films she has done so far which largely, and Im saying largely, project her as a very glamorous person. She once met me two years back and said she would love to do something in this sort of a zone. Luckily, I found this story, he recalled.

The director said he was looking for an oddball pairing, but most of the suggestions that came up for the leading man seemed a bit too familiar.

Met Vijay Sethupathi in Melbourne, where he was getting an award for Super Deluxe and Tabu was getting an award for Andhadhun. In the flight, it was fortuitous that I happened to see 96, starring Sethupathi, and then I landed and met the actor. I told him, I just saw your movie and in my mind, I kept thinking, What if this is the guy? Hes a Tamilian who speaks Hindi as he has lived in Dubai for three years. The language is not really alien to him, he said.

Raghavan said he kept thinking about Sethupathi and finally spoke to his team. Later, they also came onboard with the idea.

This casting is so oddball that I hope it will create curiosity. You cant write chemistry on paper. Chemistry has to be performed and enacted. It has to come through. What they have managed is difficult to achieve. For the Tamil version of Merry Christmas, Raghavan said they came up with a gibberish version of Tamil for Kaif, who had to learn the language for the film.

Luckily, she did the Hindi version first and then the Tamil version. So, she had gone through the experience and knew the emotions behind the scene and character, so she managed beautifully, he concluded.
Anurag Dobhal has made some shocking comments against his Bigg Boss 17 co-contestant Munawar Faruqui. The UK Rider 07 was speaking to E-Times recently after his eviction from the controversial reality show when he lashed out at the stand-up comedian and argued that he is aware of his past.

He (Munawar Faruqui) is a stand-up comedian. I know his history. When you hurt somebodys sentiments, you may think that people will forget but I am Anurag Dobhal, I do not forget. I cannot forgive him, Anurag said and further threatened that he would not let the comedian perform in his areas ever. At the same time, several of his shows were cancelled in the past and today, I guarantee that he will not be able to perform at my place, he added.

Anurag alleged that Munawar has been trying to use the emotional card in the show and claimed that he uses women for his benefit. The vlogger argued that Munawar did the same even when he was in Kangana Ranauts Lock Upp.

I cannot support a person who used women as an emotional card on national television. He made fake promises about marriage. For two months, he used Nazilas name. He mentioned that he is in a relationship with Nazila. When Ayesha entered the show, she came with a different story, he said.

You give hope to a woman, use her and when you feel that you have a better option now, you move on, he continued and then added, Ayesha said that there are several women outside with whom Munawar has done several things. Munawar is a beast. He uses women for his benefit.

In another interview, Anurag alleged that Munawar is using Mannara Chopra in the Bigg Boss 17 house. Isha Malviya never lied about her relationship with Abhishek Kumar. But Munawar lied about Nazila, then Ayesha entered, and we got to know that he was lying to her as well. Then, he even hurt the feelings of Mannara. He is just using Mannara, he told DNA. The vlogger also advised Mannara not to fall prey to Munawars love game.
When it comes to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, nothing matters to the Left. Not the tide of evidence, the weight of history or even the stamp of the Supreme Court. The Left will never stop linking the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya to Hindu supremacism.

The latest to yoke the symbol of Hindu ethos to the calumny of communalism is Karnataka senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad who says there is no history of demolishing one religious place to construct another. Let me be clear, this (consecration ceremony) is not a religious programme. Dont exaggerate it. In Karnataka, the government must take all precautionsin Gujarat Kar Sewaks were burnt alive in Godhra. They are attempting to replicate the incident in Karnataka.

Hariprasads attempt to malign Ram bhakts is matched only by the paranoia of Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of the sectarian All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). As the self-appointed grandee of all Indian Muslims, Owaisi has darkly intoned, Youngsters, I am telling you, we have lost our mosque and you are seeing what is being done there. Youngsters, dont you feel any pain in your hearts? The place where we sat, and recited Quran-e-Kareem for 500 years is not in our hands today. Youngsters, dont you see that a conspiracy is taking place regarding three-four more mosques, in which the Sunhari Mosque of Delhi is also there? These forces want to drive you out of here. Want to finish you off.

Hariprasad and Owaisis ominous fulminations are in line with many others on the Left. Political scientist Pratap Bhanu Mehta once put it, the consecration of the Ram temple is an act of brute majoritarianism subordinating others.

But this is an unsubstantiated claim.

The construction of the Ram Mandir is not the denouement of a project to build a Hindu Rashtra, but as once LK Advani, the progenitor of the BJPs Ram temple agitation, said, the beginning of an integral part of the historical process of Hindu self-renewal and self-affirmation.

This article will establish that what is being sought to be renewed is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an othering or majoritarian way of being. Much like after the completion of the construction of the Somnath temple in 1951, even the Hinduism actualized today through the construction of the Ram temple remains very much in sync with the syncretism that is at its civilizational core.

First, it is easy to overlook that the construction of the Ram temple has been complemented by the Indian state with a grant of land measuring five acres to the Muslim community to build a grand mosque.

This compensation is an acknowledgement of the wrong committed upon Muslims. No state machinery with a revanchist predilection would ever acquiesce in any gesture that seeks to make amends for a wrong done to the supposed other.

In Spain, many mosques in the Al-Andalusthe name given to the medieval Muslim-ruled region of the Iberian Peninsula were destroyed or reclaimed and reconverted into churches and cathedrals. Did Spains rulers ever compensate their Muslim minorities by building alternative places of worship? Even the Turks did not compensate their Christian citizens when they converted the church of Santa Sophia into a mosque.

The Indian state has even made the donations for construction of the mosque tax-free. In fact, Hindus have been shouldering a significant share of the costs for constructing a mosque in Ayodhya through donations.

This is not to say that the temptation to exact revenge doesnt exist.

Indeed, awakened Hindus know that the construction of mosques over centuries under Muslim conquest, either through demolitions of temples or building structures over their ruins, was an insult and more than that an act of effacementan attempt to erase any trace of an ancient Hindu civilization, to erase an idea. The idea of a universalist Hindu epitomized by Ram.

Many among the Left ask what is the guarantee that there will not be another Babri Masjid-like demolition.

They will point out that for all the outrage it expressed over the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, the judicial system also failed to punish the vandals behind the egregious violation. While this is truly an appalling omission, the Supreme Court, in its judgment on the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute, has reminded the executive that it has an obligation towards ensuring that a repeat of a Babri Masjid-like demolition at other contested sites never happens. The Supreme Court did this by invoking the instrumentality of a law passed by Parliament in 1991. The law freezes the character of religious buildings as they existed on August 15, 1947.

It is true that as you read this article the Places of Worship Act, 1991, is being challenged in the Supreme Court on the grounds that it places an illegal and arbitrary restriction on the rights of communities to reclaim places of worship that have either been demolished or were converted before 1947.

Some view the legal challenges of a piece with majoritarian vengefulness that led to the destruction of the Babri Masjid. While this opinion is held by one section, it must also be noted that those associated with the Ayodhya movement have themselves urged caution.

And this is a second important fact that cannot be overlooked.

As Hindu groups have moved court seeking to reclaim the Gyanvapi Mosque site in Kashi, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat chimed in with some much-needed advice, One should not raise a new issue every day. Why escalate fights? On Gyanvapi, our faith has been there for generations. What we are doing is fine. But why look for a Shivling in every mosque?We participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement contrary to our nature, due to historical reasons and the needs of the time. We completed that task. We do not want to launch any other movement.

Bhagwats comments here are a reminder that confronting the past need not translate into an exercise in vengefully dispossessing the Muslims of today who cannot be held guilty for the crimes of invaders from the past. The sage exhortation is very much in step with the Upanishadic credo Vasudhaiva Kutumbakamthe world is one family.

Third, even LK Advani, the original BJP mascot of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, had expressed regret on behalf of all Hindus when the Babri Masjid was demolished. This was a signal not just to his party, but all other Hindus that such acts are not in consonance with Hindu Dharma. Advani said, I could not share the sense of elation that some leaders of the movement exhibited. It was the saddest day of my lifeI have seldom felt as dejected and downcast as I felt that dayWe in the BJP had all along declared that our goal was to construct the Ram Temple after respectfully relocating the mosque structure, and that we would like to achieve this either by due process of law or through an amicable settlement between the communities. However, as it turned out, we could not live by our word.

Four, the BJP has also chosen to discard its, famous or infamous, Palampur resolution of 1989 that seemed to advocate the adoption of extra-judicial means to resolve the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. Under Modi, the BJP painfully reiterated that it would wait for the Supreme Court to adjudicate the claim. Why would the party have done so if, as Owaisi claims, it aims to dispossess Muslims?

Fifth, since the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, the Modi government has been on a virtual overdrive to win the confidence of the Muslim community. In Modis Amrit Kaal, Muslims have benefitted from several welfare schemes, too many to list here. At times, theyve cornered a lions share of resources much beyond their numbers.

Finally, the Left has deliberately invoked the fallibility of the Supreme Court thesis to imply that the verdict itself was an act of judicial barbarism.

This is a mischievous, if not slanderous, imputation. Owaisi forgets that the Indian state has often been guilty of minority-ism. The Indian state, especially courts, have with impunity trampled upon the religious freedoms and practices of Hindus much beyond those of any other community. History is replete with such examples.

The Left is free to disregard these arguments. But if it opts to do so it will be risking its credibility at the altar of political expediency.
The controversy revolving around Aurangzeb is an old and seemingly unending one. The same old lines that Aurangzeb was not cruel and did not destroy temples were again repeated recently during the Gyan Vapi case in the Varanasi court, despite historical records clearly stating exactly the opposite. Keeping in mind the constant insistence of the white-left-Islamist academicians that Aurangzeb was not a bigot, in this article, I will look at the nature of the Muslim state, and religious policies of Aurangzeb (which were based on the Muslim state theory) to find if there was any scope for tolerance and secularism in his rulings and policies.

The Muslim State: Its Theory and Character

A Muslim state from its basic ideology of origin is a theocracy, where God is the true king, and the rulers are mere agents who are bound to enforce his law on all. Thus, the ruler, his court, and all civil authorities exist only to spread and enforce the true faith of the true king. Under such an ideology, a state will view infidelity as equal to treason, because the non-believer or kafir does not acknowledge the authority of the true king and instead worships false deities.

Thus, tolerating any sect outside orthodox Islam is almost equivalent to committing a sin, and the worst sin is polytheism. Islamic theology, therefore, tells the true believer that his highest duty is to make exertion (jihad) in the path of God by waging war against infidel lands (dar-u-harb) till they become a part of the realm of Islam (dar-ul-Islam), and their populations convert into true believers. After the conquest, the entire infidel population becomes slaves of the conquering army (Jihad fi sabih ullah -Quran, ix. 29; For Jihad read Hughes, 243-248, 710: Encyclopaedia of Islam, i, 1041).

The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the basic ideology of the Muslim state. If any infidel still exists in the community, it is seen as a necessary evil, and it must be so for a short period only. Political and social disabilities must be imposed on him and bribes offered to him from the public funds to hasten the day of his spiritual enlightenment and the addition of his to the role of true believer (ref: Jadunath Sarkar, A Short History of Aurangzeb).

A non-Muslim thus cannot be a citizen of a Muslim state; he is a member of a depressed class, and his status is at par with a slave. He lives under a contract known as zimma with the state; and for the life and property being spared to him, he must face political and social disabilities, and pay a commutation money known as jizya. He must also pay a tax for his land (kharaj), pay for the maintenance of the army in which he cannot enlist, and he must show humility in dress and behaviour that he belongs to a subject class (non-Muslims cannot wear fine dresses, ride on horseback or carry arms; he must behave respectfully and submissively to all Muslims) [Encyclopaedia of Islam, I, 917 ~ dar-ul-harb].

As the learned Qazi Mughis-ud-din had advised Alauddin Khalji in accordance with the teaching of the books on Canon Law: By these acts of degradation are shown the extreme obedience of the zimmi, the glorification of the true faith of Islam, and the abasement of true faithaccording to all other theologians, the rule for Hindus is Either Islam or death (Sarkar, 119). The zimmi is under certain legal disabilities with regard to testimony in the law courts, protection under the criminal law, and marriage. The Muslim state guarantees him security of life and property and protection in the exercise of his religion as long as he doesnt build new temples, and does not carry out any offensive publicity while exercising his faith.

During Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent, in addition to the poll tax and public degradation of dress and demeanour imposed on them, the non-Muslims were subjected to various hopes and fears. Rewards in the form of money and public employment were offered to converts from Hinduism. The Hindu leaders were systematically repressed, to deprive the sect of spiritual instruction, and their religious gatherings and processions were forbidden to prevent the growth of solidarity and a sense of communal bonding among them. Besides the destruction of temples, no new temples were allowed to be built nor any old ones to be repaired, so the total disappearance of all places of Hindu worship was merely a matter of time (Sarkar, 119).

The destruction of temples, the slaughter of Hindus, and every other war of aggression were sanctified as jihad. Thus, a mind frame was created within the Muslim community, which habitually regarded plunder and homicide as the purest of human acts as exertion (jihad) in the path of God. The murder of infidels (kafir- kushi) is counted as a merit in a Muslim; an act in itself that would raise his soul to heaven (Sarkar, 120).

The settled principle of Islam ended by making the Muslims a privileged class, nourished on state bounties, and naturally prone to indolence. Public office is regarded as the birthright of the faithful, and vast sums spent by the state in maintaining pauper houses and in scattering alms during Ramzan and other holy days and other ceremonies, became a direct premium on laziness, creating a lazy and pampered Muslim class within the Islamic empire. Such is the ideal of the Muslim state as theorised and perceived by Islam.

Aurangzebs Bigotry and Temple Destruction

Aurangzeb began his attack on Hinduism in a gradual manner. In the first year of his reign, in a charter granted to a priest of Banaras, he declared that his religion forbade him to allow the building of new temples. During his viceroyalty of Gujarat (1644), he destroyed the Chintamani Parshvanath Jain temple and slaughtered a cow inside its premises. He later converted it into a mosque. He had at that time also demolished many Hindu temples in the province. An order was issued early in his reign in which all local officers of Odisha were called upon to pull down all temples, built during the last 10 or 12 years, and to allow no old temple to be repaired.

Next, on April 9, 1669, he issued a general order to demolish all the schools and temples of the infidels and to put down their religious teachings and practices (ref: Sarkar, History of Aurangzeb, volume III, appendix 5). His destroying hand then fell on the famous Hindu temples, such as the second temple of Somnath, the Vishwanath temple of Banaras, and the Keshav Rai temple of Mathura.

The holy city of Mathura has always been a special victim of Muslim bigotry. It stood on the kings highway between Agra and Delhi. Aurangzeb appointed a religious man, Abdun Nabi, as faujdar of Mathura, to subjugate the Hindus. On October 14, 1666, learning that there was a stone railing in the temple of Keshav Rai, which Dara Shukoh had presented to it, Aurangzeb ordered it to be removed. Finally, in January 1670, he sent orders to completely destroy the temple and change the name of the city to Islamabad. The destruction of Hindu places of worship was one of the chief duties of the Muhtasibs or Censors of Morals who were appointed in all the sub-divisions and cities of the empire. In June 1680, the temples of Amer, the capital of the loyal State of Jaipur, were broken down. In 1674, he confiscated all the lands held by Hindus as religious grants (wazifa) in Gujarat.

As already mentioned before, to live in an Islamic state, the unbeliever has to pay a tax called jizya, and the tax should be paid in humility (Quran, ix. 29). The tax was thus levied by Muslim rulers in a manner humiliating to the taxpayers: the taxed person had to come on foot and make the payment standing, while the receiver would be seated. Women, children below fourteen. and slaves were exempted from the tax; blind men, cripples and lunatics paid only when they were wealthy; monks were untaxed if they were poor, but if they belonged to rich monasteries, the heads of these religious houses had to pay. The impost was not proportioned to a mans actual income, but the assesses were roughly divided into three classes as their property was estimated at not more than 200 dirhams (the poor), between 200 and 10,000 dirhams (the middle class), and above 10,000 (the rich). Money changers, cloth dealers, landowners, and physicians were placed in the rich class, while tailors, dyers, cobblers, and shoe-makers were counted as poor. This last class paid only when their professional income left a margin above the cost of maintaining themselves and their families. Beggars and paupers naturally escaped the tax. The rates of taxation were fixed at 12, 24 and 48 dirhams a year, and the poorest were hit the hardest by the jizya.

Aurangzeb gave orders in which the jizya was imposed on the unbelievers in all parts of the empire from April 2, 1679, and as the official historian recorded, it was done to spread Islam and put down the practice of infidelity. The Hindus of Delhi gathered together and asked for the withdrawal of the jizya, but Aurangzeb turned a deaf ear to them. Next Friday, the whole road from the gate of the Red Fort to the Jama Masjid was blocked by a crowd of Hindu protestors. They did not disperse despite a warning; and Aurangzeb, after waiting vainly for an hour to go to the public prayer, ordered elephants to be driven through the mass of men, trampling them down and clearing a way for him (Sarkar, 125).

The jizya yielded a huge revenue. In Gujarat, for instance, it was Rs 5 lakh a year; the jizya meant for the Hindus an addition of one-third to every subjects direct contribution to the state; while a Muslim remained free from this tax. The officially avowed policy in imposing the jizya was to increase the number of Muslims by putting pressure on the Hindus. As Manucci noted, Many Hindus who were unable to pay turned Muhammadan, to obtain relief from the insults of the collectors Aurangzeb rejoices.

Besides the religious jizya tax, by an ordinance issued on April 10, 1665, the mahsul (custom duty) on all commodities brought in for sale was fixed at two and a half per cent of the value for Muslims and 5 per cent for Hindu vendors. On May 9, 1667, Aurangzeb abolished the custom duty for Muslim traders, while for the Hindus, it was retained at the old rates. The third instrument of the policy of putting economic pressure on Hindus was the granting of rewards to converts and the offering of posts in the public service, freedom from prison, or succession of disputed property, on condition of turning Muslim.

In 1671, an ordinance was issued that the rent collectors of the Mughal kingdom must be all Muslims and the viceroys and taligdars were ordered to remove their Hindu head clerks (peshkars) and accountants (diwanian) and replace them with Muslims, which however did not yield good results and Aurangzeb was forced to take some Hindus back in their jobs.

Under Aurangzeb, qanungoship on condition of turning Muslim became a famous expression. Many families in Punjab still have his official decree in which this condition of office was unhesitatingly laid down. Some of the converts were, by the Emperors orders, placed on elephants and carried in procession through the city along with bands and flags, while others received daily stipends (Sarkar,125-127).

In March 1695, all Hindus (except the Rajputs), were forbidden to ride palkis, elephants or thoroughbred horses, or to carry arms. In 1668, Aurangzeb passed an order forbidding Hindu gatherings and religious fairs throughout his dominion.

Thus, from the above discussion (which is documented history by court historians and contemporary foreign travellers and historians), it is very clear that Aurangzeb very blatantly implemented the theology of the Muslim/Islamic state throughout his kingdom, with no scope for any kind of secularism or tolerance for his Hindu subjects. Certainly not what one would call a symbol of wisdom or good governance. Understanding Aurangzeb is important for understanding the Islamist psyche currently active across the world.

The author is a well-known travel and heritage writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Around four months ahead of the general elections, the oppositions INDIA bloc seems to be still struggling with various external and internal factors. The deadline of December 31, discussed in the last meeting of the alliance to finalise seats, also passed while the opposition parties failed to reach an electoral-political consensus or a formula for stakeholders.

The Congresss war of words with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal over seat-sharing as well as the Janata Dal (United)s tussle with ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar are exposing the political disputes that hamstring the INDIA bloc. The TMC and JD(U) are also struggling with intra-party conflicts, casting further doubts on the stability of the alliance.

Apart from the crisis over political understanding, a leadership struggle seems to be simmering since Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwals proposal to make Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge the face of the bloc. The pitch purportedly not only irked some senior Congress leaders, including the Gandhis, but also surprised other allies including the JD(U) and DMK who were not consulted.

The actions and summonses of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are also keeping senior opposition leaders such as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren, and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav uncomfortable. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee too has been intermittently appearing before the ED for over two years. The mention of Priyanka Gandhi Vadras name in the charge sheet of an alleged land scam case has added to the consternation. The parties have termed any ED action political vendetta, but many are jittery as some senior opposition politicians arrested earlier are yet to get bail.

So, conflicts within and among parties, summonses by the ED, and seat-sharing tussles are primarily the issues plaguing the INDIA opposition coalition. In the thick of such serious challenges, the Congress has announced its Bharat Nyay Yatra, from the countrys east to west. The yatra is expected to pass through the eastern states of West Bengal, and Bihar where INDIA constituents are in power. However, senior leaders of these parties  JD(U), RJD, and Trinamool Congress  say it was not discussed or planned after consulting them. A senior RJD leader said that the Congress is not budging from its dictatorial traits and that it is trying to gain an upper hand on the alliances agenda and leadership despite losing two states to the BJP in recent polls.

Faction

Comments of senior members of Trinamool Congress including its West Bengal president Subrata Bakshi and state secretary Kunal Ghosh are feeding speculation that chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek are going through a rough patch in their relationship. A series of statements made by Ghosh, believed to be one of the closest associates of Abhishek, and Bakshi, a faithful follower of Mamata, indicate all is not well between the two top leaders of the party.

In the face of speculation over political friction between the two leaders, Bakshi, while addressing colleagues on the TMC foundation day, said that he expected Abhishek Banerjee to fight elections and not step back. He added that the party leaders will fight the BJP together in Bengal. Ghosh reacted to the statement, saying Abhishek is the leader of the party, and theres no reason for him to stay away from elections.

A few days ago, Ghosh reacted to the appointment of Rajiv Kumar, the ex-Kolkata police commissioner, as the acting DGP of the state. Taking to social media, he said that Kumar is an efficient officer, but he should not arrest innocents as he did earlier and those actions wont be forgiven. Incidentally, Kunal Ghosh was arrested in 2013 by the Bidhannagar police commissionerate when Rajiv Kumar was the commissioner there.

Friction

Political observers from Bihar say all is not well in Nitish Kumars JD(U), with its former national president Rajiv Ranjan (also known as Lalan Singh) allegedly veering towards Lalu Prasad Yadav and other senior members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). However, a section of JD(U) and RJD leaders dismisses this as a political hypothesis and rumour-mongering by rivals to create confusion ahead of the seat-sharing process for the Lok Sabha elections. Amid such speculation, Nitish Kumar took over the reins of the party as Lalan Singh stepped down from his position of national president last week.

Kumar, despite being the prime mover for the INDIA front, is yet to get appropriate recognition from alliance partners, which disappointed him, said a senior leader of his party who did not wish to be named. This is also linked to the alleged fissures surfacing between the RJD and JD(U)  both constituents of the opposition alliance.

CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD have not been seen sharing a stage over the past two weeks. Yadav skipped at least three major events, including the states global investors meet in Patna and a dairy meet, though he was supposed to attend all of them.
Days ahead of the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Karnataka Congress MLC BK Hariprasad on Wednesday stoked a fresh row saying that riots like Godhra might take place in the state and asked the central government to provide security to the people going to the holy city in Uttar Pradesh.

There is a possibility of Godhra-like incident in Karnataka in the run up to the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. The Karnataka government should be alert because in Gujarat during the same occasion, the Kar Sevaks were set on fire at Godhra, the Congress leader was quoted as saying.

2002 Godhra train burning case had plunged Gujarat into one of the worst communal riots. So, no room should be given for any untoward incident to happen in Karnataka. All the arrangements should be made for those willing to go to Ayodhya so that we should not see another Godhra happening in Karnataka, he added.

If a Hindu Dharma Guru inaugurates the Ram temple then you and me would have gone there (to Ayodhya) without any invitation, the Congress leader said.

My knowledge tells me that the four Shankaracharyas are the head of the Hindu religion. If the four Shankaracharyas or any religious head had inaugurated the event then I would have attended the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are not Dharma Guru but political leaders. We have to consider this, he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders comments came after the BJP, in response to the arrest of Hindu activist Srikanth Poojary, alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka is reopening old cases related to the demolition of the Babri Masjid that took place in 1992.

BJP Demands Hariprasads apology

Responding to the comments of Karnataka MLC BK Hariprasad, BJP said that the Congress leader should apologise for his disrespectful remarks.

Congress is becoming a worm of communal conspiracy. These are the people who created obstacles in the way of Ram temple, said BJP leader Naqvi Mukhtar in response to Congress leader Hariprasads remark on Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony.

Karnataka BJP leader KS Eshwarappa also slammed Hariprasad for his remarks and said, It is surprising to see leaders like BK Hariprasad speaking this kind of language. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had also supported Ram Mandir. Lord Ram himself will safeguard the devotees who visit Ayodhya.

What does he hinting towards? Is this a threat or does he know something beyond that? A serious investigation is required! BJP Andhra Pradesh Vice President questioned.
Five landmark projects are set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the next two months before the Lok Sabha elections, News18 has learnt.

This will be among a number of mega projects to be inaugurated by the prime minister across the country after he has toured Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu so far to unveil projects worth crores.

The five big projects on the PMs table for inauguration are the worlds highest railway bridge in J&K Chenab Bridge, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, the stretch of Delhi-Mumbai expressway falling in Gujarat, the Dwarka Expressway in Delhi and the Agra Metro to the Taj Mahal.

News18 reported on Tuesday that the next two months are expected to see a bonanza of infrastructure projects being inaugurated by PM Modi across the country, in what government officials are describing as a campaign of Viksit Bharat before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

This will include sectors like road and highway projects, aviation, railways, petroleum and natural gas, and telecom among others. The PM is expected to tour multiple states to unveil these projects before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls comes into force.

A look at the five big projects:

1. Chenab Bridge: The worlds highest rail bridge may be inaugurated soon by the prime minister in J&K, which will also mark the Kashmir Valley being connected with Jammu by a rail link. The bridge falls on the Katra-Banihal line, the only non-functional section in the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. The Chenab Bridge spans 1,315 metres and is 359-metre high, making it the worlds highest rail bridge. It is built over the Chenab River, connecting Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Golden Joint, the last joint in the bridge, was completed in 2022. A track has been laid, and the first-ever track-mounted vehicle trial was conducted last year as well here.

2. Mumbai Trans Harbour Link: Indias longest sea bridge in Mumbai will be inaugurated by the prime minister on January 12. The sea bridge, which connects Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, is being named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The 21.6-km-long bridge will significantly reduce travel time between the mainland and the island city to just 20-25 minutes. Mumbai is an island city known for South-North commute and transportation. With MTHL, East-West connectivity will improve, which will help get labour and raw material from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai city quickly and save costs.

3. Dwarka Expressway: The Gurgaon stretch of the Dwarka Expressway is also slated for inauguration by the prime minister soon. This is a mega project for the Delhi-NCR region and has been designed as Indias first fully access controlled 8-lane elevated expressway on single pier, along with an 8-lane tunnel of 3.8 km and four level interchanges. This project also includes 2.4 km long 6-lane tunnel for seamless connectivity to Delhi International Airport, multiple 3-lavel interchanges for signal free connectivity and 6-lane service road for segregation of local traffic.

4. Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Two more stretches of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway could be inaugurated by the prime minister in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The PM has earlier inaugurated two stretches of the expressway, the Sohna-Dausa-Lalsot section in February last year and the Modak-Jhabua section in Madhya Pradesh in October last year. A particular stretch in Rajasthan and a major stretch in Gujarat between Ankaleshwar and Vadodara could be inaugurated by the PM soon. This will further shorten the journey between Delhi and Mumbai, the two big cities.

5. Agra Metro: A 6-km metro stretch in Agra going to the Taj Mahal could also be inaugurated soon by the prime minister. This is a prestigious project as lot of tourists come to Agra every year and a Metro was planned to ease congestion and increase passenger convenience. The stretch to be inaugurated is a priority corridor which also includes an underground section. This will be the fourth metro project to become operational in Uttar Pradesh after Noida, Lucknow and Kanpur.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals decision to skip the Enforcement Directorates summons for the third time for questioning in a Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case has raised eyebrows in political circles. His party, however, says while the AAP chief is ready to cooperate with the probe, the agencys notice is illegal.

Amid the back-and-forth, News18 caught up with Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj who said the party was not looking for a certificate from the BJP.

Edited Excerpts:

It was a no show for Kejriwal for the third successive time. Why is the chief minister not appearing before the ED? Does it not give rise to speculation that he has something to hide and is afraid of being arrested?

I just want to ask the BJP that when Manish Sisodia appeared before the ED and CBI whenever he was asked to appear and Sanjay Singh complied with the directions of the agencies, were they certified by BJP as being the best citizens of the country?

We are not here to get a certificate from BJPs spokesperson. We are here for our rights. This is a political conspiracy. Everybody in India can see through this. The only game plan is to arrest Kejriwal just before Lok Sabha elections. Because when Kejriwal goes out and campaigns against the BJP, it is going to harm them electorally.

So the plan is to arrest him. For the last one-and-a-half years, there have been investigations by the top agencies of the country. They have probed and questioned thousands of people but found nothing.

Even Manish Sisodia, who is behind bars for the past one-and-a-half years, will be acquitted. They also know it. The only thing is that they think that now there is a case so lets arrest Kejriwal.

Kejriwal asked the agency why he was being summoned. Is he an accused or a witness? The agency has not replied, which gives rise to the apprehension that the plan is to arrest him.

Since Kejriwal has skipped the notice for the third time, will it not increase the risk of his arrest? Will it not weaken the AAP chiefs case in the court of law if and when it goes there? The prosecution will say you are not cooperating with the agencies. It is not just the BJP, even legally speaking, are you not weakening your case?

Is Manish Sisodias case strong enough to get bail? Is Manish Sisodias support to the agencies or cooperation with the agencies helping him? Has court ever said that yes, Sisodia has cooperated with the agencies so let there be bail? There is no flight risk. He is not running away from the country. He does not have any criminal cases. He is not a gangster. He is not part of any organised war against the nation. Then give bail to Manish Sisodia. Has it happened?

Practically, today the country is being run by political conspiracies. Several people who have joined BJP have cases against them  Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mukul Roy, Suvendu Adhikari, Chaggan Bhujbal, Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Pema Khandu, and Narayan Rane. There were so many against whom BJP ran a campaign. After they joined BJP, we do not see any newspaper coming up with a story that Bhujbal has been called or Sarma is facing an enquiry. There is no law. There is no technicality. It is all political conspiracy.

There is a similar story now unfolding in Jharkhand where Hemant Soren has skipped summons and now raids are on in various parts. Do you see that happening here when it comes to Kejriwal?

It keeps happening every day. Yesterday, there were raids in Delhi. There were raids in Punjab. During elections, there were raids in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Now you dont hear about it because there are no elections. So, whenever there are elections, whenever it politically suits the BJP, the central government will unleash the agencies against their political opponents.

So, what next for the AAP? For how long will Kejriwal fend off the ED?

Its about us contesting Lok Sabha elections. We will contest the polls. We will give a hard time to the BJP. We will be a challenger to the BJP. We are preparing for it.
In Kyiv, the death toll from the Russian missile attack on December 29 has increased to 30 people, said head of Kyiv City Military Administration, Serhiy Popko.

Unfortunately, one person died in the hospital from injuries sustained as a result of the shelling on December 29, 2023. In total, as a result of the missile strike that day, 30 people were killed and 29 others were injured," the message published on the Telegram channel on Wednesday morning says.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could win only 29 of the 129 Lok Sabha seats in the five southern states in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and 25 of these seats came from Karnataka, a state that the BJP lost last year in the state elections. The BJP could not open its account in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

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But that is not deterring the party from aiming big in the south, led by the Prime Minister who would be devoting a lot of time campaigning in the five southern states and launch a slew of development schemes there in the coming two months.

The PM was in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday to launch projects worth Rs 20,000 crore, including a new airport. He will be in Kerala on Wednesday, where he will hold a big road show and a public meeting in Thrissur. The public meeting will see presence of nearly two lakh BJP women workers, party sources said. This will be a major statement by the BJP after the Congress said the saffron party has no base in the South.

It is a matter of immense joy that my first public programme of 2024 took place in the great state of Tamil Nadu and that too among our Yuva Shakti. Here are glimpses from the convocation at the Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli. pic.twitter.com/hUi1JYFuUq  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 2, 2024

Our aim is at least 40-50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections from the five southern states. We will retain our seats (25) in Karnataka as people have quickly lost faith in the Siddaramaiah government and we did not lose vote share in the assembly polls despite a loss. The BJP will also perform better than 2019 in Telangana when we won four Lok Sabha seats. We are also hopeful of winning some seats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as well as Andhra Pradesh, a senior BJP leader told News18. He claimed that the rallies by top leaders such as Narendra Modi and Amit Shah during the poll campaign will have a strong South focus and vote will be sought in the name of Modi.

The BJP will be fighting it alone in Tamil Nadu this time as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has broken its alliance with the BJP following the aggressive political posturing by state BJP chief Annamalai. However, the BJP has stuck to its guns and not replaced Annamalai as its state chief on demand of the AIADMK. In Kerala too, the BJP has been aggressively taking on both the Left and the Congress and plans to put up a strong candidate against Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad. In Telangana, the BJP suffered in the assembly elections due to its decision to drop Bandi Sanjay Kumar as its state chief before the polls. But with the collapse of the BRS, the Lok Sabha election is now a direct fight between the Congress and BJP in Telangana, the leader quoted above said.

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The BJP is looking for the South Push to reach the 350-seat target for its Lok Sabha campaign for 2024, and expand its base in the southern states.
In a fresh attack on former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehrus foreign policy, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said if India had been more Bharat, it would have had a less rosy view of relations with China. He said there was an exchange of letters between Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which show that both had starkly differing views about it.

#WATCH | External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says, " Regarding the three countries Pakistan, China and US which were actually three debated relationships in our early yearsIf we had been more 'Bharat', we would have had a less rosy view of our relationship with Chinathis pic.twitter.com/Ji5Nn9pBum ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

Regarding the three countries Pakistan, China and US which were actually three debated relationships in our early years If we had been more Bharat, we would have had a less rosy view of our relationship with Chinathis is not my fantasy, there is a kind of record of that, there is an exchange of letters between Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru on China and they had a starkly differing views about it he said during the launch of his latest book Why Bharat Matters.

The foreign minister further said Nehru wrote to then US president John F Kennedy asking for help during Indias war with China, but there was hesitation as to how it would be looked at. Even when the 1962 conflict war was taking place where Nehru actually wrote to Kennedy saying look I need your help but am hesitating as how it would be looked at. What happens is in a sense there is a certain, I would say, a kind of left-wing ideology which was strong in that period in China and similarly there is very ingrained hostility towards the United States he said.

He echoed his feelings about the topic from a day before when he hit out at Nehrus romaticism in dealing with China. The alternative strain which starts with Nehrus China first policy, which says first let China take the security council seat from China first policy ends up as Chindia policy, the minister said in an interview.
After landing Mahua Moitra in trouble with his cash-for-query complaint, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai has now accused the expelled Lok Sabha MP of carrying out illegal surveillance on her ex-boyfriend with help from senior police officers in West Bengal.

A report in Times of India quoted a complaint by Dehadrai to the CBI and the home ministry alleging that Moitra had illegally obtained call detail records (CDR) of her ex-boyfriend after getting suspicious that he was having an affair with a German woman, a senior functionary of a social media giant.

I was shocked to learn that Moitra, with the assistance of senior Bengal police officers, had the entire CDR history of her ex-boyfriend in which she had precise information about the individuals who had been in contact with her ex-boyfriend as also the precise physical location of his phone for all hours of the day, he said was quoted as saying.

The report stated that Dehadrai attached screenshots of some chats and a purported CDR list with his complaint.

Moitra, responding to the fresh allegations and the demand for a CBI probe, urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to set up a special director CBI to probe all complaints by jilted exes pan-India.

Happy to see Shahenshah of all Peeping Toms ccd on complaint. He honed his surveillance skills covering up for his Sahib in Gujarat. Can get to bottom of this as well. Good luck, she was quoted.

Dehadrai is said to be an estranged partner of Mahua Moitra. He reportedly also has a bitter feud running with the Trinamool Congress leader over the custody of their pet dog.

According to news agency PTI, Moitra had filed multiple police complaints against Dehadrai last year for alleged criminal trespass, theft, vulgar messages and abuse.

In his latest complaint, Dehadrai further wrote that when he questioned her and voiced his disapproval, Moitra simply responded that she had certain rights as a Member of Parliament, including keeping tabs on whoever she pleases.

She categorically stated that certain IPS officials in Bengal police were obligated to her and could not, therefore, turn down her demand, TOI quoted the lawyers complaint.

The report further stated that Dehadrai expresses threat to his life, and said he had very strong reasons to believe that Mahua Moitra was using her contacts with senior officers of Bengal police to carry out illegal surveillance on him.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said there is only one religion, and that is Sanatana Dharma. He said there may be other sects and different forms of worship, but only a singular religion.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says, "There is only one religion and that is Sanatana Dharma which has maintained its vitality in every country, every time, every situationSanatana Dharma continues its journey facing all kinds of circumstances" pic.twitter.com/qHi6I14PlG ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

The chief minister said Sanatana Dharma has endured as the one religion as it has maintained its vitality and continues its journey under different circumstances.

There is only one religion and that is Sanatana Dharma, which has maintained its vitality in every country, every time, every situationSanatana Dharma continues its journey facing all kinds of circumstances he said while addressing a gathering at a religious event in Rajasthans Jodhpur district.

Adityanath has made this statement earlier, too, amid a controversy involving Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalins son Udhayanidhi, who had faced massive backlash on his eradicate Sanatana Dharma comment.

Sanatana Dharma is the only religion, the rest are all sects and methods of worship. Sanatan is the religion of humanity and if it is attacked then there will be a crisis for humanity across the globe, he had said last year.

Udhayanidhis remarks had stoked a nationwide controversy with the BJP attacking him over the issue. He had compared Sanatana Dharma to dengue and malaria and said it should not just be opposed but eradicated. He had also claimed that it was against social justice and equality.

He had said it was unfortunate that people living in India were still insulting Sanatana Dharma, which has been attacked since ancient times.

The Uttar Pradesh CM has time and again stressed on the significance of Sanatana Dharma, also calling it the national religion of Bharat. In fact, he had said Muslims from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are addressed as Hindus when they go to Mecca for performing Haj.
Sometime in mid-2010, YS Vijayalakshmi, popularly known as Vijayamma, the widow of late Andhra Pradesh chief minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, and her daughter YS Sharmila landed in New Delhi from Hyderabad. They directly drove to 10, Janpath, the official residence of then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. They were tense. They were expecting a warm welcome at her house as Dr YSR had a close rapport with her and the late Rajiv Gandhi. But their hopes were shattered the moment they entered the colonial-era building in which Sonia Gandhi resided.

First, they were made to wait for 10-15 minutes. When they were ushered into the drawing room, a stern-faced Sonia welcomed them coldly.

After his fathers shocking demise in a helicopter mishap in September 2009, Jagan Mohan Reddy started a tour of Andhra Pradesh to visit the homes of the people who died after hearing the news of YSRs death. He was in the middle of his tour and Sonia Gandhi wanted him to end it.

A stunned mother tried to explain the reasons behind the Odarpu Yatra but to no avail. An enraged Sonia got up from her chair and asked her to stop. Shocked and humiliated, the mother and daughter quietly left the then Congress presidents house and returned to Hyderabad.

But they swore vengeance. As they say in Rayalaseema, once the Reddys vow to take revenge against someone, they dont rest until they realise it. They either avenge or destroy themselves in the process. Perhaps Sonia Gandhi was not aware of that.

When Jagan heard the news, he was incensed. He categorically told his family and close circles that he was going to quit the Congress to float his own party. He thundered that he would teach a lesson to the ungrateful and cold Gandhi family by destroying the Congress in Andhra Pradesh.

After his fathers death, Jagan was hoping to replace him. Or he was eyeing at least the post of state Congress president. But the coterie around Sonia and Rahul Gandhi advised them not to entertain him. The Gandhis appointed an old family loyalist with no mass base, K Rosaiah, as the new chief minister of the state. The entire party local unit, cabinet, and MLAs, though, were with the YSR family.

Since then, Jagan has destroyed the Congress completely in Andhra Pradesh and made it a Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) versus Telugu Desam Party (TDP) fight after the creation of Telangana. He is now going to test his popularity as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh around April-May, when the state is expected to go to polls along with the Parliament elections.

The decimated Congress is sensing a chance to rebuild itself after its spectacular win in neighbouring Telangana in December.

Sonia Gandhis cold reception has now become warm and Sharmila is embracing her to take on the elder brother who she feels has betrayed her by not sharing power and their fathers legacy.

The AICC knows that YSRCP is nothing but old Congress, and unless it dents or destroys it, the grand old party can never rise from its ashes in AP. Party leaders hope that, exploiting the strained relationship between the brother and sister, they can at least make a decent beginning.

In the past six months, Sharmila has met the Gandhis a few times and her decision to stay away from the Telangana assembly elections helped the Congress humble the mighty KCR. According to insiders, the Gandhis have offered her the Andhra state unit presidents post and a Rajya Sabha membership in return.

It is not yet clear if Sharmila will accept the deal to take on her brother, but her joining the Congress or returning to her late fathers party could enthuse the cadres and even divide the YSRCP.

The Congress is also aware of the fact that Jagan is its main enemy and Nara Chandrababu Naidus TDP will gain at its cost. Unless it dents YSRCP to some extent, even allowing TDP to win, the Congress cant even dream of securing its deposit in some assembly seats. Since Dr YSR is still hugely popular across Andhra Pradesh, Sharmila can hope to whip up sentiments by playing the victim. Jagan is reportedly jittery after the shock defeat of KCR, and the Congress wants to unleash Sharmila on him.

No one is expecting a quick turnaround with Sharmila leading a ragtag Congress in AP, but her return might change the perception regarding the party, which most people dislike for dividing the state close to the general elections in 2014.

Even if she fails to deliver seats, if Sharmila manages to wean away a substantial number of votes and followers, the Congress can hope to stay in the poll ring in the future.

The Congress, which has lost its deposit in all assembly and Lok Sabha seats in Andhra since 2014, has nothing to lose, whether Operation Sharmila works or not.

Both the Gandhis and Sharmila know that. They also know that public memory is short.
Most Indian buyers now prefer to go big rather than spend on a budget smartphone. Latest industry reports even suggest India is one of the fastest growing markets when it comes to the premium segment, which usually looks at the Rs 50,000+ price range. We have seen the trends change in the past 12 to 18 months, and brands like Xiaomi, iQOO and even Samsung have noticed the change in patterns of the Indian consumers.

The premium market in India has mostly focused on Apple and Samsung for obvious reasons but other brands like Vivo, Xiaomi and even Google are giving people more options, with changes expected further in the coming 12 months as well. With the launch of 5G smartphones, the scale of the supposed value-for-money product has gone up.

By that we mean, you probably have to spend Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 to get a quality phone which would have cost you around Rs 15,000 a few years back. Brands believe that with the increasing availability of 5G phones, the budget market will eventually come to fruition but people clearly arent waiting now, and are happy to pay the big bucks to buy the latest flagships.

It also helps that brands have attractive financing schemes, which enables people to buy phones costing over Rs 70,000 with small instalments rather than spending all their money in one go.

We have seen similar trends in the car industry in India in recent years. Latest reports point to an obvious preference for the so-called SUV segment, while the affordable hatchback market loses interest with people happy to pay extra for more features and safety.

Coming back to the subject of smartphones, India is going to be part of the list which also has the Middle East, China, and Latin America among others, who will be heavily involved in the growth of the premium segment in the next few quarters.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 series is launching in India this week, making it the first big launch of 2024 along with one more brand on the same day. Redmi Note has been Xiaomis popular model in the country for years and it will be hoping to continue the trend with the new Redmi Note 13 and Note 13 Pro lineup as well. The new models have been extensively teased on social media in recent weeks and we have seen them launch in China giving us a closer look at the make and build of the devices.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Series Launch: Price In India Expected

Redmi Note 13 series is launching in India on Thursday, January 4, 2024. Xiaomi is expected to bring all the models to the country, which includes the Redmi Note 13, Redmi Note 13 Pro and the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ this year.

As for the pricing, the Redmi Note 13 series could get a starting price of Rs 15,999 for the base model, going to Rs 19,999 for the Redmi Note 13 Pro and Rs 24,999 for the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ models.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 India Launch: Expected Features

Redmi Note 13 models sport an AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate screen. The phones use a mix of Qualcomm and MediaTek Dimensity 5G chipsets, with up to 12GB RAM. It seems Xiaomi will offer the phones with the Android 13-based MIUI 14 version out of the box, which will be disappointing. But the good news is that Xiaomi is bringing its new HyperOS version to the Indian market, which, hopefully will also roll out for the new Redmi Note models.

Once again, the biggest difference between these three phones will be in the cameras. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is likely to feature a 200MP primary rear sensor along with two more versatile sensors. The other two phones could feature a 100MP main rear camera. In addition to this, the Pro+ model could have a 5000mAh battery with support for 120W charging speed out of the box.

You can tune into News18 Tech for all the latest updates on the Redmi Note 13 India launch this week, and get a detailed preview of the new devices.
A military enthusiast from England, Nick Mead, made an intriguing discovery after purchasing a tank online from eBay in 2018  five hidden gold bars. Now, six years later, Mead expresses regret over his decision to return the treasure to authorities, citing a lack of a finders fee and no compensation from the government.

Mead, a 62-year-old with a deep passion for military history, operates a Tanks-a-lot farm in Helmdon, Northamptonshire. In 2018, he spotted an old tank on eBay, a Chinese copy of the Soviet T-55 tank later known as the Type 69 tank used by the Iraqi Army during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers left the tank behind, unintentionally leaving behind a fortune in gold.

Purchasing the tank for approximately Rs 31 lakh, Mead was astonished to find five gold ingots hidden inside, valued at around Rs 21 crore. Although he handed over the gold bars to authorities, Mead now expresses regret, lamenting the absence of any finders fee. In an interview with Daily Mail, he mentioned, When we found the gold bars, we didnt know what to do with them. Its not like you can take five gold bars down to the pawn shop. So we called the police.

According to Mead, the gold bars bore fingerprints identifying their origin in Kuwait. He believes the gold is undoubtedly from Kuwait, further confirming the tanks historical connection to the Iraqi invasion.

The tank, purchased for Rs 31 lakh from a seller named Heeves on eBay, had undergone a complete rebuild. Mead, who owns 300 military vehicles, revealed that each gold bar weighed 5 kg.

The Daily Mail report sheds light on Meads disappointment over the lack of compensation or acknowledgement for the substantial value he handed over to authorities. Despite his regret, Meads story adds a unique chapter to the unusual discoveries made by enthusiasts in the realm of military memorabilia.
Korean man shows how K-Dramas will sound if dubbed in Bhojpuri. A Korean man named Charlie has been endearing netizens for his on-point Bihari accent when it comes to speaking Hindi or Bhojpuri. Charlie has amassed over one lakh followers on Instagram thanks to his effortlessly funny vlogs and skits. In October, he made a promotional video in which he theorized how K-Dramas would sound if they were dubbed in Bhojpuri, and the result was hilarious.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by 40kahani (@40kahani)

Korean man asks for kulhad chai

A travel blogger Yonghee from South Korea recently shared a video in which he documented how he asked for kulhad chai from a tea seller. After getting his cup of tea, he mentions that he always drinks kulhad chai when he is in India. Yonghees cautious but correct Hindi speaking skills earned him over 1 lakh likes. Yonghee traveled across India for six months last year.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yonghee (@hwi_ye_e)

US man complains about overpriced samosas in USA in Hindi

Drew Hicks, who describes himself as an American Hindi Content Creator, made a video last year in which he complained about overpriced samoas in the USA. In the short clip, Hicks says that in India one can get two samosas for Rs 20 but in the USA the same was priced at Rs 500. He then zooms in on the menu that shows the US prices and says, Chal Bihar vapas chalte hai bhai (Lets return back to Bihar, brother).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Drew Hicks (@indiadrew77)

Russian woman currently translates difficult Hindi sentence

Bureaucrat J Sanjay Kumar shared a video in which a Russian woman correctly translates a difficult Hindi sentence into English within seconds. While sharing this clip on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, which falls on September 14, Kumar wrote, Leave translation, many of us will not be even able to understand it. The level of proficiency this Lady from Russia has in Hindi is simply amazing. By the way, how is my Hindi ? Hindi Diwas !!!! IndEmbMoscow Russia.

Leave translation,many of us will not be even able to understand it. The level of proficiency this Lady from Russia have in Hindi is simply amazing. By the way how is my Hindi ? Hindi Diwas !!!! @IndEmbMoscow @Russia pic.twitter.com/t0bMzhg7oj J.Sanjay Kumar,IRTS (@Sanjay_IRTS) September 14, 2023

Japanese woman and US man obsess over Indian naan

Popular Japanese YouTuber Mayo, who is also a trained Odissi dancer, featured in a video with Drew Hicks as they relished butter chicken and naan at an Indian restaurant in Japan. Both content creators ate the dish in a desi style with their hands, without the use of a spoon or fork.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mayo Japan (@mayojapan)

Mayo is known for making content about Indian and Japanese culture. She has over 30 lakh YouTube followers and 4.8 lakh Instagram followers.
A video of Pieter Both, the most iconic mountain in Mauritius, is trending on the internet. The 14-second clip presents a stunning panorama that appears to encompass the entire world. The footage captures verdant valleys, towering mountains, and a vast sky painted in shades with drifting white clouds. This short clip perfectly captures the beauty of nature. The caption of the post reads, Visible from almost all southern, central, and northern routes, Pieter Both is one of the most iconic mountains in Mauritius. #mauritiusnow #FeelOurIslandEnergy. In the video, a woman and a man can be seen climbing the mountain. The footage shows the woman reaching the summit.

Visible from almost all southern, central, and northern routes, Pieter Both is one of the most iconic mountains in Mauritius. #mauritiusnow #FeelOurIslandEnergy : @isabelle.fabre on IG pic.twitter.com/3BoOrczZ9q  Mauritius Tourism (@SeeMauritius) June 16, 2023

Scaling Pieter Both Mountain is extremely challenging. It is Mauritius second-highest peak, overshadowed only by Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire, and is known for its difficult terrain. The steep ascent mandates hikers to use safety harnesses. The tough climb is rewarded with stunning views of Mauritius Island from the summit of Pieter Both Mountain.

According to Holidify.com, Peter Both stands at an elevation of 820 metres (2,690 ft). It is situated in the Moka Mountain Range at the centre of the island.

Named after Peter Both, the first Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, this mountain is renowned globally for its majestic peak, lush green hills, and abundant wildlife. A popular destination for mountain climbers and hikers, it offers a blend of natural beauty and adventure.

Pieter Both Mountain, resembling the form of a human head with shoulders, when seen from a specific angle, is split into two sections for the hike. The first stretch includes the base to the shoulders, while the subsequent part entails ascending from the shoulders to the summit, mirroring the top of the head. The initial leg of the trek, up to the shoulders, is generally less challenging than the latter. Despite this, it involves a series of steep steps, requiring hikers to take regular breaks, even those with outstanding stamina.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called for a response to the massive strikes on Ukraine by tightening sanctions against the Russian Federation and providing Kyiv with long-range missiles.

We should respond to the latest onslaught on Ukraine in language that Putin understands: by tightening sanctions so that he cannot make new weapons with smuggled components and by giving Kyiv long range missiles that will enable it to take out launch sites and command centers, Sikorsky said on Twitter.
French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to avoid escalation, particularly in Lebanon, following a strike in Beirut attributed to Israel that killed Hamass deputy leader, the Elysee Palace said Tuesday.

Macron, who spoke by telephone with Israeli minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz, said it was essential to avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon, and that France would continue to pass on these messages to all players directly or indirectly involved in the area, the presidency said.

Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri was killed in a strike attributed to Israel in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday evening, the Palestinian militant group and Lebanese security officials said.

Israel regularly carries out strikes against the Hamas-allied Hezbollah movement along its shared border with Lebanon, but Aruris killing was the first time since the start of the war in Gaza that it has targeted the Lebanese capital.

After the strike, Hezbollah vowed Aruris death would not go unpunished, calling it a serious assault on Lebanon and a dangerous development in the course of the war.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also condemned the killing and said it aims to draw Lebanon further into the Israel-Hamas war.

In his conversation with Gantz, Macron reiterated his call for a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the presidency said.

He also expressed again his deepest concern at the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza, as well as the humanitarian crisis unfolding inside the Palestinian territory, while at the same time reaffirming Frances commitment to the security of Israel.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamass bloody attack on October 7, which resulted in the death of around 1,140 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

After the attack, Israel launched a relentless bombardment and ground offensive against the group that has killed at least 22,185 people, mostly women and children, according to Gazas health ministry.
Beijing and Washington both announced military deployments in the South China Sea on Wednesday, following heightened tensions between China and the Philippines in the disputed waterway.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said it had organised naval and air forces to conduct routine patrols in the sea from January 3 to 4. The US, meanwhile, announced that a carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson was conducting two days of drills with the Philippine Navy.

The US Navy regularly conducts exercises like these to strengthen ties among allied and partner nations, a statement said.

The moves come after videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard last month showed Chinese ships blasting water at Philippine boats. There was also recently a collision between Philippine and Chinese boats at a flashpoint reef, with both countries trading blame.

The PLA statement did not mention where exactly the patrols would take place or give specific details of their aims. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis. It deploys boats to patrol the busy waterway and has built artificial islands that it has militarised to reinforce its claims.

Troops in the theater remain on high alert at all times to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, the PLA statement said. They remain fully aware of any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create flashpoints.

Beijing has criticised a more aggressive Philippine policy in the area and warned Manila to make the rational choice in response to recent incidents. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has vowed not to give in to coercion, without mentioning China by name.
A 19-year-old man was arrested in Mexico after he was allegedly seen walking holding his sisters decapitated head in the Quiroga region while wielding a gun in his other hand, Mexico-based news outlet AM said in a report.

Passersby horrified by the sight informed the Michoacan State Police. The suspect has been identified only by his first name, Sebastian. He was holding the head of his elder sister, 26-year-old Julieta. He was arrested from a nearby clinic in Quiroga last week. Her naked, lifeless body was lying at a gas station several hundred feet away.

The Michoacan State Police officials arrested Sebastian without any incident and seized the rifle he was carrying, the Michoacan state prosecutors office said. The cops are probing a possible motive for the gruesome crime.

Sebastian was being held by the Michoacan state prosecutors office and it remains unclear what charges he will be facing.

The alleged femicide was reminiscent of the October 2022 Lucero Yazmin Hidalgo murder case where Luceros friend Lev Norman killed her and then decapitated her and took the severed head in a backpack and then tried to flee the crime scene but was arrested by the police.

Lucero and Lev have known each other since high-school, Luceros parents who are awaiting justice told Mexican news outlets. Lucero was a physics student at the Faculty of Sciences of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico.

She was murdered inside her own home by Lev who also stabbed her brother Giovanni.
The United States on Tuesday denounced controversial comments by two Israeli ministers who said Palestinians should be encouraged to emigrate from Gaza and for Jewish settlers to return to the besieged territory.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza.

This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible, added Miller, who reiterated the clear, consistent, and unequivocal US position that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel.

Ben Gvir, Israels firebrand national security minister, had called on Monday for promoting a solution to encourage the emigration of Gazas residents.

Israel unilaterally withdrew the last of its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, ending a presence inside Gaza that began in 1967 but maintaining near complete control over the territorys borders.

The government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not officially suggested it has any plans to evict Gazans or to send Jewish settlers back to the territory since the current war broke out on October 7.

But Ben Gvir argued that the departure of Palestinians and re-establishment of Israeli settlements is a correct, just, moral and humane solution.

This is an opportunity to develop a project to encourage Gazas residents to emigrate to countries around the world, he told a meeting of his ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party.

His comments came the day after Israels far-right Finance Minister Smotrich also called for the return of settlers to Gaza, equally saying Israel should encourage the territorys approximately 2.4 million Palestinians to leave.

The bloodiest ever Gaza war was triggered by Hamass October 7 attacks on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

After the worst attack in its history, Israel began a relentless bombardment and ground offensive that has killed at least 22,185 people, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Hamas-run health ministry.

With heavy combat raging on, 85 percent of people in the besieged Gaza Strip have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations.
Medical authorities in the US state of Massachusetts have ruled the deaths of wealthy Indian-origin couple Rakesh Kamal and Teena Kamal and their daughter Arianna Kamal murder-suicide after conducting their autopsies, news agency PTI said in a report.

The trio were found dead in their $5 million mansion in Dover, Massachusetts on December 28 and a firearm was found near Rakesh Kamals lifeless body. The office of the chief medical examiner confirmed that Teena and her daughter Arianna were victims of homicide by gunshot, Norfolk district attorney Michael Morrissey said in a press release issued by his office.

Rakesh Kamal died from a gunshot wound consistent with being self-inflicted, the press release said. The firearm Rakesh used is presumably a .40 calibre Glock 22, the release said pointing out that full forensic and ballistics testing of the gun is yet to be finalised.

The release pointed out that the gun was not registered in Rakeshs name and he did not have the licence to possess it. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have been asked to determine the origin of the firearm, according to Massachusetts State Police.

Massachusetts State Police have contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for assistance in determining the origin of the firearm. The incident remains under investigation by Dover and Massachusetts State Police.

Authorities earlier said preliminary investigation revealed that the incident was a case of domestic violence and did not initially indicate the involvement of outside parties.

The familys sprawling mansion, estimated to be worth USD 5.45 million, went into foreclosure a year ago and was sold for USD 3 million, according to a report in The New York Post.

The Kamals purchased the 19,000-square-foot estate, which boasts 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, for USD 4 million in 2019, according to the records, and media reports.

The slain family members were the only ones living in the mansion at the time, the DA said, adding that the area, one of the richest in the state, was a nice neighbourhood and a safe community.

Teena and her husband, who also went by Rick, had previously run a now-defunct education systems company called EduNova. The couple appeared to have faced financial problems in recent years, online records show. Their company was launched in 2016 but was dissolved in December 2021, state records show.
At least 103 people were killed and 141 others injured after two blasts struck a crowd marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of General Qasem Soleimani in Irans Kerman.

The explosions occurred near the grave site of Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, in Kerman, about 820 kilometres southeast of the capital, Tehran.

Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province where Soleimani is buried, said the incident was a terrorist attack.

Who Is Qasem Soleimani? Deadly Enemy to US, Slain Iranian General Was Regarded as Hero for Defeating ISIS

The blasts came with tensions running high in the Middle East a day after Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri  an Iran ally  was killed in a Beirut drone strike which Lebanese officials blamed on Israel.

Irans Tasnim news agency, quoting informed sources, said two bags carrying bombs went off at the site. The perpetrators  of this incident apparently detonated the bombs by remote control, Tasnim added.

The ISNA news agency quoted Kerman mayor Saeed Tabrizi as saying the bombs exploded 10 minutes apart.

Irans Khamenei Vows Harsh Response

Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday vowed a harsh response after twin blasts that killed at least 103 people in the countrys south.

The evil and criminal enemies of the Iranian nation once again created a disaster and martyred a large number of dear people in Kerman, said Khamenei in a statement.

This disaster will have a harsh response, God willing.

Who is Qasem Soleimani?

Soleimani was the architect of Irans regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Irans theocracy. He was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. His death has drawn large processions in the past.

At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.

Declared a living martyr by Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while still alive, Soleimani was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State jihadist group in both Iraq and Syria.

In the eyes of many Iranians, his military and strategic prowess were instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq.

Long seen as a deadly adversary by the US and its allies, Soleimani was one of the most important powerbrokers across the region, setting Irans political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland found Soleimani had a popularity rating in Iran of 83 percent, ahead of then-president Hassan Rouhani and then-foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

(With inputs from AP, AFP)
Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group warned that Israels killing Tuesday of the deputy Hamas leader in a Beirut suburb they control will not go unanswered or unpunished.

Hezbollah called it a serious assault on Lebanon.

We, Hezbollah, affirm that this crime will not go unanswered or unpunished, the movement said in a statement that called it a serious assault on Lebanon and a dangerous development in the course of the war, the statement added.

An Israeli strike killed Saleh al-Aruri, deputy head of the Hamas movement, in a southern Beirut stronghold of Hamas ally Hezbollah, two security officials told AFP.

Hamas, at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip for almost three months, later confirmed Aruris death which Lebanese state media said came in an Israeli drone strike that killed a total of six people.

Hezbollah has engaged in near-daily cross-border clashes with Israel since Israels war with Hamas began in October.

Last month, Iranian state media said an Israeli missile strike killed Razi Moussavi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, near the Syrian capital Damascus.

Moussavi was the most senior Quds Force commander to be killed outside Iran in four years.

Hezbollah said the strike that killed Aruri was in continuation with the assassination of commander Razi Moussavi.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is set to give a televised speech on Wednesday.
Japanese investigators on Wednesday probed a near-catastrophic collision at Tokyos Haneda Airport of a coast guard plane and a passenger jet that killed five people, with almost 400 others narrowly escaping a raging inferno.

All but one of the six people on the smaller aircraft were killed, but all 379 Japan Airlines passengers and crew escaped down emergency slides minutes before the Airbus was engulfed in flames late Tuesday.

The blackened husk of the airliner, still sitting on the tarmac Wednesday, bore witness to just how dangerous their escape had been. Several hundred metres (yards) away lay the remains of the coast guards DHC-8 aircraft.

The captain of the coast guard plane  which had been bound for the New Years Day earthquake zone in central Japan  was its lone survivor but suffered serious injuries.

Footage on Tuesday showed a ball of fire erupting from underneath the airliner shortly after landing and coming to a halt on its nose after its front landing gear failed.

As people slid to safety, dozens of fire engines with blue and red flashing lights sprayed the flames, but the entire fuselage was soon ablaze. It took eight hours to finally extinguish the fire.

It was getting hot inside the plane, and I thought, to be honest, I would not survive, one female passenger told broadcaster NHK.

I thought we landed normally. But then I realised I was smelling smoke, a woman with a small child told NHK.

I needed to protect my daughter. That was the only thing in my mind, she added.

Another passenger described surviving the crash as a miracle.

I bounced off my seat from the impact when we landed, the 28-year-old man told Nikkei Asia.

We made it just in the nick of time. Its a miracle we survived.

Landing clearance

Takuya Fujiwara from the Japan Transport Safety Board told reporters that the flight recorder and the voice recorder from the coast guard plane had been found, but those of the passenger jet were still being sought.

We are surveying the situation. Various parts are scattered on the runway, Fujiwara said, adding that the authority planned to interview several people involved.

Asked at a briefing whether the Japan Airlines flight had landing permission, officials at the major carrier said: Our understanding is that it was given.

But JAL and the land ministry declined to comment directly on exchanges between flight controllers and the two planes, citing the ongoing investigation.

In a recording from Hanedas control tower apparently made in the moments before the collision, available on a site that broadcasts live air traffic signals, a voice is heard advising JALs flight to continue approach.

NHK reported that the control tower had instructed the coast guard plane to hold short of the runway.

But the broadcaster also quoted an unnamed coast guard official as saying that the pilot, Genki Miyamoto, 39, said immediately after the accident that he had permission to take off.

Airbus investigators

Dozens of domestic flights were cancelled on Wednesday from Haneda, one of the worlds busiest airports, but international arrivals and departures were little affected.

Airbus said it would send a team of specialists to help investigate.

The passenger plane had arrived from New Chitose Airport serving Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido. Those on board included eight children.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida praised the deceased crew members on their way to help the victims of the quake that killed at least 62 people.

These were employees who had a high sense of mission and responsibility for the affected areas, he said Tuesday.

In 1985, a JAL jumbo jet flying from Tokyo to Osaka crashed, killing 520 passengers and crew, in one of the worlds deadliest crashes involving a single flight.

The worlds worst civil aviation disaster also happened on the ground when two Boeing 747s collided at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife in 1977, killing 583 people.

I cant speculate on what happened here but human error will probably be found as a contributing cause, Doug Drury, aviation expert at Central Queensland University, told AFP.

Airlines are required to be able to empty an airplane of all passengers and crew within 90 seconds. The flight crews train for events quite frequently in simulation and it is a complicated process that as we saw was completed without fail, he said.

A key component here was that no one tried to grab their carry-on bags.
The number of migrants arriving illegally in Spain soared by over 80 percent in 2023, with a record number landing in the Canary Islands. The influx has strained resources in the seven-island Atlantic archipelago and pushed migration to the top of the political agenda in Spain, which along with Italy and Greece is a key entry point for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

According to official figures, a total of 56,852 migrants entered Spain illegally last year, an 82.1 percent jump from 2022 and the most since 2018 when 64,298 migrants entered the country. The bulk of them, 39,910, arrived by boat in the Canaries after making the perilous crossing from Africa, an increase of 154.5 percent over last year and surpassing the record number set in 2006.

More than 7,800 people died or went missing at sea en route to the seven-island archipelago between 2018 and 2022, according to Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, which helps migrant boats in distress and the families of those who have gone missing.

With controls tightening in the Mediterranean, the Canaries route has become a favourite for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa, mostly on overcrowded, barely seaworthy vessels. Boats depart from Morocco, as well as Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal further south.

The journey from Senegal to the Canaries usually takes a week of difficult upwind sailing of around 1,600 km. To avoid controls, smugglers take longer more dangerous journeys, navigating west into the open Atlantic before turning north to the Canaries  a detour that brings many to the tiny westernmost El Hierro island.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last month hailed an agreement to reform the European Unions migration laws, saying it was key to his nations ability to better manage arrivals and its border. The package includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, creating border detention centres and accelerating deportation for rejected asylum applicants.
Police in the UK are probing the alleged gang rape of a girls virtual avatar in a virtual reality game marking the first such investigation of its kind which involves the metaverse.

A report by the UK-based Daily Mail said that the alleged victim, a sixteen-year-old girl, was wearing a virtual reality headset in an immersive game when her avatar was raped by avatars of several men. Avatars are usually animated representations of real-life users on the internet. They are a form of self-representation of a user.

Police officials told the newspaper that even though the accuser did not sustain any physical injuries her trauma may have been similar to someone raped in real life. There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer-term than any physical injuries, the officer was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

Questions were raised if the police in the UK, who have limited resources and are consumed by the load of unresolved real-world crimes, should tackle crimes committed in the metaverse or not but UK home secretary James Cleverly backed the probe and said someone who is committing such crimes in the metaverse could go on to commit such crimes in the real world.

(Someone willing to rape a childs avatar in a video game) may well be someone that could go on to do terrible things in the physical realm. I know it is easy to dismiss this as being not real, but the whole point of these virtual environments is they are incredibly immersive, Cleverly was quoted as saying during LBCs Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.

And were talking about a child here, and a child has gone through sexual trauma. It will have had a very significant psychological effect and we should be very, very careful about being dismissive of this, he further added.

The police, however, fear that it could be hard to prosecute those involved under existing laws because UK laws define sexual assault as physical touching in a sexual manner without consent.

Virtual sex crimes in Horizon Worlds, Metas free VR game, have surged, according to a UK senior police investigator. The metaverse sees various offences, including online sex crimes and virtual thefts, though no prosecutions have occurred in the UK yet, the police officer told the UK-based news outlet.
Russia trying to adapt to capabilities of Ukrainian air defense, so new supplies to Ukraine crucial  ISW

Western provision of air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine remains crucial for Ukraine as Russian forces will likely attempt to adapt to Ukrainian air defense capabilities to learn how to bypass it and inflict maximum destruction and casualties, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The report says that Ukrainian forces notably shot down more Shahed drones and Kinzhal missiles on January 1-2 than on December 29. The analysts suggest that Ukrainian forces may have adapted to the type of strike package Russian forces employed on December 29, likely after months of experimentation and testing Ukrainian air defenses using various weapons systems, strike routes, and air defense mitigation tactics.

The ISW notes that Russian strikes on Ukraine are part of an ongoing tactical and technological offense-defense race wherein both sides are constantly experimenting and adapting to the other, particularly in the realm of long-range strikes and air defense.

Western aid to Ukraine remains crucial as Russian forces will likely continue to experiment and innovate new ways to penetrate Ukrainian air defenses, the analysts note.

In the report they also agreed with the information of analysts published in the British edition of the Telegraph. According to them, Ukraine will probably have to ration its air defense missiles in the face of a reduction in Western aid. It will also be necessary to strengthen the protection of critical targets by redeploying air defense systems from more vulnerable frontline areas.
Declared a living martyr by Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei while still alive, Qasem Soleimani headed the Quds Force  the foreign operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that oversees military operations across the Middle East.

Killed by the US in a drone strike on January 3, 2020, the slain generals name is in the news once again after a blast at his burial site killed at least 103 on his fourth death anniversary on Wednesday. He was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria.

Soleimani was long seen as a deadly adversary by the US and its allies. In fact, Irans Revolutionary Guards recently claimed that a key motivation for the October 7 attacks on Israel by Tehran-backed Hamas was to avenge his death. The Palestinian militant group has, however, denied this.

One of the most important power brokers

Many Iranians saw Soleimani as the man whose military and strategic prowess were instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq. He was one of the most important power brokers across the region, setting Irans political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

In 2020, on the days after the generals death and leading up to his funeral in his hometown of Kerman, millions turned out to mourn him in a show of national unity. A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland found Soleimani had a popularity rating in Iran of 83 percent, ahead of then-president Hassan Rouhani and then-foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Even on the day, supporters had rallied around his grave in Kerman when the blasts struck near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque. He was one of the most popular figures in Iran and wielded his regional clout publicly since 2018 when it was revealed that he had direct involvement in top-level talks over the formation of Iraqs government. In the years leading to his death, Soleimani became an unlikely celebrity in his country, replete with a huge following on Instagram.

He was pushed forward as the public face of Irans intervention in the Syrian conflict from 2013, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries  and even being featured in a music video and animated film. In a rare interview aired on Iranian state television in October, he said he was in Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war to oversee the conflict.

To Middle Eastern Shiites, he is James Bond, Erwin Rommel and Lady Gaga rolled into one, wrote former CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack in a profile for Times 100 most influential people in 2017.

To the West, he is responsible for exporting Irans Islamic revolution, supporting terrorists, subverting pro-Western governments and waging Irans foreign wars, Pollack added.

Spoke on important social issues

While western leaders saw him as central to Irans ties with militia groups, including Lebanons Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas, part of his appeal was the suggestion that he might bridge Irans bitter social divides on issues such as its strict hijab clothing rules.

If we constantly use terms such as bad hijab and good hijab, reformist or conservative then who is left? Soleimani said in a speech to mark World Mosque Day in 2017.

They are all people. Are all your children religious? Is everybody the same? No, but the father attracts all of them, he had said.

Born on March 11, 1957, the shadowy Soleimani, who later turned into a national icon, was only 62 when he was killed in Baghdad. He started working at a young age and joined the Iranian Revolutionary Guards after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and fought in the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88. He was named the head of the Quds force in 1998 for his strategic thinking and leadership abilities.

The warfront is mankinds lost paradise, Soleimani recounted in a 2009 interview. One type of paradise that is portrayed for mankind is streams, beautiful nymphs and greeneries. But there is another kind of paradise The warfront was the lost paradise of human beings, indeed.

Little is known about his childhood, though accounts suggest the generals father was a peasant who received a piece of land under the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi but later became encumbered by debts. By the time he was 13, Soleimani began working in construction, later as an employee of the Kerman Water Organization.

On the battlefield, however, Soleimani was known to voice his opposition to meaningless deaths, weeping at times with fervour when exhorting his men into combat, embracing each individually.

Hamas attack to avenge Soleimanis death?

The Revolutionary Guards recently claimed that the October 7 attacks by Hamas militants were in part a retaliation of the US killing in 2020 of Soleimani. The remarks were made by a Guards spokesman appearing to suggest that a key motivation for the attacks was to avenge the top Iranian commanders death on the countrys behalf.

Iran, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the deadly attacks as a success but denied any direct involvement. Undoubtedly, part of the great historic victory is due to the efforts of General Qasem Soleimani, Ramezan Sharif, spokesman for Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), had said about the Hamas attacks.

One can consider the (Hamas) operations success as part of the resistances revenge against his cowardly assassination, Sharif was quoted by as saying Fars news agency.

He said the 70-year oppression, the occupation, insults to the Al-Aqsa mosque, and the siege and massacre of the defenceless Palestinians were also among the motives for the Hamas attack. Sharif earlier told a news conference in Tehran that the Hamas attacks on October 7 were among acts of revenge for Soleimanis killing carried out by the Americans and with the support of the Zionists (Israel).

Those remarks, which Sharif later said were misunderstood, drew a rare rebuke from Hamas that said there is no truth in them. We have announced on several occasions the motivations and reasons behind Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, namely the dangers facing Al-Aqsa mosque, said Hamas in a statement.

(With agency inputs)
Saleh al-Aruri was among the senior most figures in Hamas leadership hierarchy. He led the terrorist group on both political and military fronts. Aruri was crucial in the establishment of the terror groups military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

2023 Israel-Hamas War: Full Coverage

The 57-year-old leader was killed on Tuesday night during an alleged Israeli drone strike in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beiruts Dahiyeh along with six others who are also believed to be Hamas members. Israel has not claimed responsibility for his death.

Saleh Al-Aruri was a US-designated global terrorist and they also issued a $5 million reward for information that would lead to his arrest. Following Hamas October 7 attacks on Israel, he assumed the role of Hamas spokesperson and told news outlet Al Jazeera that Hamas will not discuss an exchange deal for the hostages the group is holding before the war ends in Gaza.

Saleh al-Aruri was living in exile in Lebanon and spent 15 years in an Israeli jail. He contributed to the Israel-Palestine conflict politically when he acted as a negotiator in a deal which led to the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in return for the freeing of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.

He has been on Israels hit-list for a long time and was known for having close ties to the Iranian government and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He, however, rose to prominence in 2014 when he told reporters in Turkey that Hamas was responsible for the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers from a West Bank settlement.

Israel and the US believed that al-Aruri played a major role in training Hamas terrorists and funding them for the October 7 attacks on Israel that killed over 1,100 and saw over 250 people taken hostage, of which at least 110 have been released.

Israel in retaliation for the attacks have launched a siege on Gaza Strip, pummeling the narrow coastal strip with airstrikes and missile strikes, killing over 22,000 people, two-thirds of whom are women and children.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to eliminate him ahead of the October 7 attacks and the Israeli government razed his West Bank home in October following orders from head of the Israel Defense Force Central Command Yehuda Fox.

Wider War

The killing of Saleh al-Aruri will lead to an anxious wait to see how Hezbollah responds. Hezbollah has blamed Israel for dragging Lebanon into the Gaza war by accusing it of conducting the drone strike which killed Aruri on Lebanese soil.

We, Hezbollah, affirm that this crime will not go unanswered or unpunished, (it is) serious assault on Lebanon, its people, its security and sovereignty and a dangerous development in the course of the war," the terrorist group which is highly influential in Lebanon said.

The killing will also anger Iran who observed the fourth death anniversary of its top general, Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. It follows the death of Razi Moussavi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, near the Syrian capital Damascus who Iran claims was killed in an Israeli missile strike.

Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the act of killing the Hamas deputy leader on Israeli soil was a new war crime and was aimed at dragging the nation into the Gaza war.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to avoid escalation, particularly in Lebanon" when he spoke to Israeli minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz.

(It is) essential to avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon, and that France would continue to pass on these messages to all players directly or indirectly involved in the area", the presidency said.

(with inputs from BBC, Arab News and Al Jazeera)
The Russian invaders continue intensive offensive operations in Kupyansk and Bakhmut directions and are regrouping in Lymany direction, said Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"In particular, intense fighting continues in Bakhmut direction near the settlement of Bohdanivka. The enemy is also trying to advance towards the town of Chasiv Yar. In Kupyansk direction, daily assaults by Russian troops near the village of Synkivka continue to create a bridgehead and a subsequent offensive on the town of Kupyansk," Syrsky wrote on the Telegram channel.

In Lymany direction, the Russian occupiers, after suffering losses, are regrouping and preparing for offensive operations. At the same time, in this direction, the enemy is actively using aviation to strike with guided aerial bombs.

Syrsky noted that in the areas of the offensive, the occupiers have increased the use of equipment with which they are trying to support infantry assault operations. Also, to continue the assault operations, the enemy uses assault units formed from former criminals "storm z" and "storm v". In addition, the enemy continues to overturn reserves in other directions.

"Our soldiers, despite difficult conditions, courageously hold the line and do not allow the enemy to move forward," the commander stressed.

He added that management bodies at all levels are constantly working to develop solutions aimed primarily at anticipating the actions of the enemy, conducting effective counter-battery warfare, destroying the reserves of occupiers on the way to their advancement and saving the lives of Ukrainian servicemen.
Republicans will see their majority in the House of Representatives dip even further when Rep. Bill Johnson resigns earlier than he'd been expected to. The Ohio Republican is taking a job with Youngstown State University and it was known he'd be leaving by mid-March, but his office announced Tuesday that he'll step down this month, on January 21, the Hill reports. Following Kevin McCarthy's resignation and George Santos' expulsion, Republicans currently can afford to lose just three votes on a party-line measure. After Johnson leaves, there will be 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats in the House, plus three vacancies, meaning Republicans will be able to lose just two votes on such measures in a full-attendance scenario.
A second superseding indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez was unsealed Tuesday, accusing the New Jersey Democrat of using his political power to aid the Qatari government in return for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. Federal prosecutors say Menendez helped to arrange a deal between a Jersey developer, Fred Daibes, and a Qatari sheikh investor, the New York Times reports. In return, prosecutors say, Menendez was paid off with cash, gold bars, Formula 1 tickets, and more. The Washington Post explains that the indictment does not add charges, but makes public for the first time new allegations of corruption against Menendez. Daibes is also charged in the case, NBC News reports.

Menendez, who is scheduled to go on trial in May and has also been accused of aiding Egypt, has so far pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him and may still run for reelection (he did, however, step down from leading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee). A spokesperson calls the latest allegations "a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents." Menendez is accused of making public statements praising Qatar and of giving them to Daibes so that Daibes could share them with the Qatari investor (a member of the royal family) as well as a Qatari government official during the time Daibes' deal was in talks. Menendez also allegedly talked to the investor directly, using an encrypted messaging app, to express his support for the deal. (More Bob Menendez stories.)
Andrew Lloyd Webber once had to call on a priest to rid his home of a pesky spirit. In a recent interview with the Telegraph, the Phantom of the Opera composer was asked whether any of the six London theaters he owns are haunted. The Guardian reports the question wasn't an entirely wild one, as ghosts are said to frequent a number of London's theaters. (It gives examples including that of the Adelphi Theatre, where actor William Terriss was fatally stabbed by a "deranged" fellow actor as he entered through the stage door and is said to linger to this day.) As for Webber, he said he had never encountered a ghost at any of his venues, but that he had once dealt with a poltergeist at his 19th-century home in central London.
Israel hasn't confirmed it's responsible for a Tuesday drone strike in Lebanon that took out Saleh al-Arouri, the highest-ranking Hamas figure killed since war erupted in October. But Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has condemned the killing of the 57-year-old founding member of Hamas' military wing and six other alleged Hamas members in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh as a "new Israeli crime" and violation of Lebanese sovereignty, per CNN and EFE . According to a statement from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Mikati also ordered his government to file an "urgent" complaint with the United Nations Security Council, accusing Israel of trying to drag Lebanon into a regional war.

The strike, which has fueled concerns of a wider conflict in the region, was "the first attack on the Lebanese capital area since the 2006 war between the Jewish state and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah," Lebanon's largest political and military force, per EFE. Arouri was "in Lebanon acting as a connection between his group and Hezbollah," a Hamas ally that has been fighting Israeli forces near the Israel-Lebanon border, reports the BBC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said he instructed the country's Mossad spy agency to strike "the heads of Hamas wherever they are," presumably including the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahiyeh, per CNN.

Without confirming or denying that the country was responsible, Israeli government adviser Mark Regev claimed the act was not an attack on Lebanon or Hezbollah, but rather a "surgical strike against the Hamas leadership," per the BBC. Hamas said it was a "terrorist act," while Hezbollah said it was "a serious assault" on Lebanese sovereignty and would "never pass without response and punishment." Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib says his government urged Hezbollah to "not respond themselves." He added neither Lebanon nor Hezbollah "want to be dragged into a regional war" and called on the West to pressure Israel to end its violence, "not only on Lebanon, not only on Beirut, but also in Gaza." (More Lebanon stories.)
A 62-year-old Australian woman has been allowed to remove sperm from her dead husbandbut not use it. The Guardian reports the unnamed woman's husband, 61, died at home on Dec. 17 and his body was transported to a Western Australia hospital. But after Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital declined to hastily assign a "designated officer" to retrieve the sperm while it remained viable, the woman asked a court to force the hospital's hand. As the Australian state doesn't allow "posthumous fertilization," Judge Fiona Seaward said that her order, dated Dec. 21, applied only to the removal of the sperm. The Guardian reports the woman would next need to apply to transfer the sperm to another jurisdiction where the procedure is permitted.

The couple reportedly had two children who died as adults, reports AFP: a 29-year-old daughter who drowned a decade ago while on a fishing trip, and a 31-year-old son who died in a 2019 car crash. The court was told the couple had been discussing having another child together since their son's death. Testing showed the man's sperm was viable, and the court was told that a relative in her 20s who lived in the Philippines had been willing to serve as a surrogate, reports Australia's ABC. But legal regulations there would have required the couple to live in the country for a period of time; the pandemic and a relative's death had reportedly prevented the couple from moving. (This woman had her dead husband's sperm harvested; then things went awry.)
Eight SpaceX employees fired in the summer of 2022 after helping to write and share an open letter criticizing CEO Elon Musk were illegally terminated, federal labor officials said Wednesday. The letterwhich called Musk's tweets and public behavior "a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment"called on the company to "clearly define what exactly is intended by SpaceX's 'no-asshole' and 'zero tolerance' policies and enforce them consistently," and "swiftly and explicitly separate itself from Elon's personal brand." Reuters reports a rep for a regional official of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint that accused SpaceX of violating the workers' rightswhich are protected by federal labor lawto come together and push for improved working conditions.

In its complaint, the labor board described the firings as retaliatory and flagged president and COO Gwynne Shotwell for illegally preventing employees from distributing the letter. It also a described a senior human resources official as illegally giving the impression of surveillance by showing workers who had contributed to the drafting of the letter screenshots of their conversation on a messaging app, reports the New York Times. Reuters reports the complaint also claims SpaceX interrogated employees about the letter, disparaged those involved, and threatened to fire workers who followed suit. The Verge reports the NLRB wants SpaceX to send apology letters to the fired workers. The case will be heard by an administrative judge in March unless SpaceX settles before then. (More SpaceX stories.)
Moon jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) have a bell-shaped whitish body, about 25-40cm across, and have a fringe of short tentacles around the margin of the bell. Lions mane (Cyanea rosea) is New Zealands biggest species of jellyfish, growing up to an impressive two and a half metres in diameter and with tentacles of up to 36 metres in length. Spotted jellyfish (Desmonema gaudichaudi) are dome-shaped with reddish-brown polka dots on the body.



At this time of year they stay close to the surface to chase food and can become stranded on the beach.



"As soon as the days start to get longer and there's more daylight, you get a bloom of more plankton. When there is more plant plankton, there's more animal plankton, which means you get more shrimps and things - and jellyfish feed on those small crustaceans," NIWA emeritus researcher and jellyfish expert Dr Dennis Gordon said.



Large numbers of bluebottle jellyfish were reported at Auckland's west coast beaches recently, more commonly known as Portuguese man o war they are steered towards the shore because they are light and have a gas-filled float, Gordon said.



Dr Gordon warns people to take care if they come across jellyfish this summer.



"Despite being really beautiful, the lion's mane and spotted jellyfish can produce a very painful sting, as can the bluebottle.



"Those who do plan on getting in the water should be cautious and wear a wetsuit if it is known that there may be jellyfish in the area."



Gordon said most jellyfish stings in New Zealand are not serious and victims should first flush the sting area with seawater. He said using urine to relieve the sting is a misconception.



"Jellyfish are enchanting, delicate creatures that should be appreciated, just not too close," Dr Gordon said.


President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova condemned the massive attack by the Russian Federation on cities and towns of Ukraine on January 2.

"Another New Year, another atrocity. Russia has fired a record number of missiles and drones at Ukraines cities and towns to terrorize peaceful civilians. The best way to ensure Moscows aggression does not continue into another year is to provide Ukraine with the means needed to defend itself," she said on X (Twitter).
Activist beauty retailer celebrates global achievement three years in the making

NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, The Body Shop announces its 100% vegan achievement, making it the world's first global beauty brand* to offer 100% vegan product formulations certified by The Vegan Society**across all ranges including skincare, body care, haircare, makeup and fragrance. The trailblazing beauty retailer has reached the ambitious target it set for itself in 2021, when 60% of its products already carried The Vegan Society trademark.

The Body Shop's 100% vegan certified Peppermint range. (CNW Group/The Body Shop North America) The Body Shop's 100% vegan certified Full Flowers fragrance collection, including the new Full Magnolia scent. (CNW Group/The Body Shop North America)

The Body Shop was founded with a fundamental belief that animals should not be harmed in the pursuit of beauty, and in 1989 became the first beauty retailer to campaign against animal testing in cosmetics. Just last June, the activist retailer celebrated a historic win in Canada with the federal government's commitment to prohibit cosmetic animal testing, the sale of cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data to establish product safety and the printing of false or misleading labelling pertaining to cosmetic animal testing nationwide. While the fight continues for a worldwide ban on animal testing in cosmetics, for The Body Shop, a fully vegan product portfolio is the next milestone in cruelty-free beauty.

Throughout 2024, the brand will further expand its breadth of vegan offerings, with new products hitting the shelves as early as January, starting with an addition to its Full Flowers premium fragrance range: Full Magnolia, which will be available for purchase in-store and online on January 15. Fans of the Peppermint range will be pleased to learn the collection is expanding beyond foot-care to include two new body care products too: Peppermint Shower Gel and Peppermint Body Lotion, both of which will be available for purchase in-store and online on February 12.

"This accomplishment is an expression of our changemaking ethos, and goes back to our roots of championing animal welfare," said Hilary Lloyd, VP of Brand and Activism, The Body Shop North America. "Offering a 100% vegan certified product portfolio is an achievement we have been working towards for years, and is not one we take lightly. Our hope is that more global beauty brands follow suit and realise the ways in which natural-origin, vegan, cruelty-free beauty can benefit our people and our planet without compromising product efficacy."

The vegan cosmetics industry is predicted to grow with 6.31% compound annual growth rate between 2023-28 and reach $24 billion by 20281. With over one in ten young people saying that 'vegan' is an important factor in their health and beauty purchase decisions2, this move from The Body Shop also responds to growing customer demands.

Director of Business Development at The Vegan Society, Chantelle Adkins, comments: "Today we are extending a massive congratulations to The Body Shop for achieving 100% of their product formulations being vegan and certified with The Vegan Society's Vegan Trademark. This has been a massive project for them and showcases their commitment and dedication to vegan beauty. We hope that this significant step sets a global standard for other beauty brands to follow and inspires further change to reduce animal use and exploitation across the industry."

The Vegan Society represents the global gold standard in vegan certification across multiple industries, providing a trusted trademark for The Body Shop products. The certification process is thorough, with a meticulous assessment of every supplier and manufacturer of raw materials within the product catalogue. For The Body Shop, this meant over 4000 ingredients had to be validated for over 1000 products to carry the stamp.

Customers may see now discontinued product in store and online as old stock is sold through. Customers looking for 100% vegan certified products should look for the Vegan Trademark stamp or the word Vegan on product packaging when shopping over the next few months. The brand estimates that by Fall 2024 all products on shelf and online will be 100% vegan. For more information, visit www.thebodyshop.com.

About The Body Shop:

Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Dame Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand and a certified B Corp. The Body Shop seeks to make a positive difference in the world by offering high-quality, naturally-inspired skincare, body care, haircare and make-up produced ethically and sustainably. Having pioneered the philosophy that business can be a force for good, this changemaking ethos is still the brand's driving force. The Body Shop operates around 2,500 retail locations in more than 80 countries.

About The Vegan Society

The Vegan Society is the world's oldest vegan society whose co-founder Donald Watson coined the term 'vegan' in 1944. It is a registered educational charity that provides information and guidance on various aspects of veganism, including to existing and potential vegans, caterers, healthcare professionals, educators and the media. The Vegan Society's product registration scheme, the Vegan Trademark, is widely recognised as the global standard for vegan products, ensuring that products are free from animal ingredients and animal testing.

About the Vegan Trademark

The Vegan Trademark has been helping users identify that a product is free from animal ingredients and animal testing since 1990. Registration with the trademark gives brands the confidence to shout about their vegan credentials. Look out for the Vegan Trademark on over 65,000 products worldwide, including cosmetics, clothing, food, drink, household items, and many more.

*As of December 2023, The Vegan Society has named The Body Shop as the first global beauty brand to achieve 100% vegan product formulations, certified by The Vegan Society. **As of December 2023, all of The Body Shop's current product formulas have been certified by The Vegan Society. It is possible that old, discontinued formulations which have not been certified by The Vegan Society are still present in the market, as they are being sold through. 1Research and Markets, Global Vegan Cosmetics Market Outlook, 2028, (May 2023). 2 Data based on a UK nationally representative sample of 1824-year-olds taken on the 12.11.2023 YouGov GB Profiles dataset showing 11% select "suitable for vegans" as an important factor when choosing a make-up or personal care brand.

SOURCE The Body Shop North America

For further information: Media Contact: Grayson Klimek, [email protected], 403-689-5958
The conflict between Israel, US and Iran has not been a direct war. Tehran has increasingly utilized non-state actors to expand its regional influence and achieve its strategic objectives in the Middle East.

However, Iran is vulnerable to minorities and groups inside Iran. More than half of Irans population are non-persian ethnic minoritiesAzerbaijanis, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Baluchs, and dozens more. They dominate vast regions of the country outside the Persian heartland that surrounds Tehran. Most of these minorities live in the border provinces and share ties with co-ethnics in neighboring states, such as Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. Tehran forbids minorities to educate their children or receive government services in their native languages, but even so, according to Iranian government data, 40 percent of the countrys citizens arent even fluent in the Persian language.

In recent years, confrontation between Irans ethnic minorities and the ruling regime has been on the rise. The violence is reciprocal: The regime targets ethnic minorities and vice versa.

It is likely that Israel and the US will provide support to the minorities inside Iran.

There is also the use of assassination. Israel hunted down Nazis after WW2. Israel has used assassination for decades to deal with Iranian nuclear scientists and terrorists. These conflicts and actions are and will increase with the Hamas-Israel war and other regional developments.

The Mossad is an Israeli intelligence agency that gathers information and conducts secret operations to keep Israel safe from terrorists. The Mossads elite assassins are called kidon. Recruits receive two years of training at Mossads training facility near Herzliya.

Wrath of God (began in 1972) was a covert operation directed by Israeli government and Mossad to assassinate individuals alleged to have been directly or indirectly involved in the 1972 Munich massacre. Their targets usually included members of Black September and PLO. Most of the assassinations were carried out by bombings.

There is a list of many dozens of operations that were believed to have been by Mossad.

In the last day or so, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard was killed in Syroia and a leader of Hamas was killed in Lebanon.
In 2024, one of the key tasks of international policy remains the direction of the assets of the Russian Federation frozen in the West for the restoration of Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

"The United States, the European Union and other countries have come very close to solving this issue. There are already the first precedents of changes to legislation providing for mechanisms for the transfer of funds. For now, it is important to bring this into a single clear system, which will involve the EU and G7 countries," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Wednesday.

He stressed that the government, together with diplomats, is constantly working on this issue and expects positive results in 2024.
Norway to send two F-16s to Denmark to train Ukrainian pilots

Norway will send two F-16 fighter jets to Denmark to contribute to the training of Ukrainian pilots in the use of American-made aircraft.

According to Reuters, Norwegian Defence Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said about this on Wednesday.

Norway has already sent 10 instructors to Denmark to aid the education of Ukrainian pilots, the minister said.

The Norwegian air force has replaced its own F-16s with the successor model F-35.
Number of casualties as result of missile attack on Kyiv rises to 54 people  city administration

The number of casualties as a result of Russia's missile attack on Kyiv on January 2 increased to 54 people, as of 13:00 on Wednesday, Kyiv City Military Administration has said.

"Fifty-four people were injured, two were killed. Most of those injured sustained mine blast traumas," it said on the Telegram channel.

Earlier, 50 casualties were reported in Kyiv.




Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has suspended caretaker chairmen of the 18 local government areas, LGAs, and 33 local council development areas, LCDAs, in the state.





Aiyedatiwa said the caretaker chairmen are to remain suspended until a court of law determines the matter.





In a letter signed by Alonge Adewale of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the governor directed the suspended caretaker chairmen to hand over all properties belonging to the LCDC.





The letter read: It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government (LGAS) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State by a Court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals in these former positions are still parading themselves in that posts.





Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all Legal matters relating to this subject.





An Akure High Court presided over by Justice Yemi Fasanmi had granted an interim injunction filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which sought to restrain late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from inaugurating any person or persons not democratically elected as member(s) of caretaker committees to administer the affairs of the local councils and the LCDAs, pending the determination of the interlocutory injunction in the suit.





Justice Fasanmi later barred the caretaker chairmen from operating after they resumed office on the excuse that they had been sworn in before the order was granted.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the New Year message of President Bola Tinubu to Nigerians was sensitive and articulate.

In a statement on Tuesday, Felix Morka, spokesperson of the APC, responded to the PDPs claim that the presidents message was uninspiring and full of empty promises.

Tinubu had in his message to Nigerians promised to implement a new living wage for workers and fast-track power projects.

However, the APC carpeted the opposition party as lacking the capacity to understand the presidents New Year message.

Both in tone and substance, President Tinubus New Year address was measured, sensitive, articulate, highly presidential and an excellent fit for the purpose and occasion it was delivered, the statement reads.

A New Year speech of any President is a goodwill message to the nation in celebration of the new year.

It is a moment for tone-setting of expectations for the year ahead. It is not a policy speech delivered to a think tank. Even that basic understanding of the nature of a New Year speech stands elusive to highly deluded PDP.

The President was forthright in his acknowledgement of the transient tough impact that some of the administrations policies have had on citizens, just as he was categorical in the expression of commitment to do everything under the power of his office to tackle prevailing challenges and secure a safer and stronger country for the benefit of all.

The President addressed Nigerians with candour, sensitivity and attentiveness of a kind unknown to the PDP in its 16 years of reckless, and never again, rule.

The Presidents New Year message struck the right chord with Nigerians, assuring of the administrations commitment to fixing power and energy challenges, locally refining petroleum products, crashing prices of products, creating jobs, enabling a more favourable business environment, tackling insecurity, expanding food security and affordability, implementing new minimum wage for workers, and more.

The ruling party noted that the signing of the 2024 budget on New Years Day was evidence of the president walking the talk.




A Nigerian investigative journalist has revealed that he spent roughly N600,000 to get a Bachelor of Science degree from a Benin Republic institution in two months.





Umar Audu, a journalist from a Nigerian Newspaper, disclosed this during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday.





Audu, who busted a fake certificate mill at Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Cotonou, added that he wondered how the certificate passed through Nigerian authorities without being noticed.





When asked how much he spent to acquire the fake certificate, Umar said, I spent roughly N600,000. I did not go to the border; I only gave an immigration officer to help me get an ECOWAS passport and a backdated stamp of Nigerian Immigration and Benien, which I spent N150,000.





Consequently, on Tuesday, the Federal Government suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republic of Benin and Togo.





The Nigerian government went further to ban 18 foreign universities.




Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has given a ray of hope on the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention.

Recall that the Supreme Court recently ordered the retrial of Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, who has been in detention for a long while now.

His incarceration has generated a lot of agitations, including the sit-at-home being observed on Mondays in the South-East region.

But speaking virtually on the South East political Roundtable, a current affairs radio programme on FLO FM in Umuahia on Tuesday, Kalu said that talks were ongoing to free Kanu.

He, however, advised the youth to ensure that the observance of sit-at-home must stop, emphasizing that it was scaring many investors who want to contribute to the development of the region.

Kalu, who also spoke on the gains of the recently unveiled Peace In South East Project (PISE-P) in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, asked those carrying arms to lay down their weapons and join in the non-kinetic approach being canvassed to end the security challenges and other agitations of the people.

Kalu called for support to enable the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver optimally, saying that the president was interested in the development of the South-East.

He said: We cant put all our programs and plans on social media. Hes my brother. Is he in the mix of what we are trying to do? Yes! Its one of our agenda to ensure hes released. Who wants their brother to be in jail?

We are working underground. Theres a detailed strategy. Its not by violence, you cant coerce the government through violence. It has never worked and wont work. Lets be wiser. The wisdom is in peace. Lets quench the violence.

If its chaotic, it wont work. Lets cool down. Let the man see that youve recognised he didnt contribute to locking him up and that he has not done anything to the South-East.

We should support him and his government and not attack him. Im standing firmly against the voice of violence, preaching peace. That is what Im here for, this voice of peace will echo through the Villa and he will come out. Mr President was happy with what happened in Bende, that the whole country can gather together and support this project.

Our strength does not lie in how many guns we carry, or how many people we threaten not to come out on Monday, that is not the display of the strength of an Igbo man.

Igbo men are not lazy people who like sitting at home from Saturday to Sunday to Monday and go to work only Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, that is not us; we are hard working, we are rebuilders, we are never down and when we are down, we find a way to stand on our feet and raise our shoulders and rebuild again, that is my call to our people.

We can bring you into the rebuilding that we are doing. We can bring you into the reconciliation. We can bring you in for rehabilitation and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is interested in the Igbos.

Look at what he has done by giving us the Chief of Naval Staff which we never got in the last eight years. Did I just mention the Naval Chief, what about the minister of works, Senator Dave Umahi, my good friend?

Mr President gave the minister of works to an Igbo son that proved himself in Ebonyi and he said, come and build what you did in Ebonyi in the entire Nigeria starting from the five states of the South-East and the only way we pay the president back is to say there will be no work on Monday?

Look at what happened for the very first time, 15 billionaires of Igbo extraction gathered in Bende. That is to tell you that they are ready to bring their industry here, they are ready to build factories that will employ you, so why do you scare them away? Government cannot do everything for you.

Our brothers who have money want to bring it back home. Some of them want to do it but you are scaring them away. How long are we going to sell fear to our people?

This is a new year. This is a new era. This is a new dawn and I urge you, come and join hands with us. We will make you the leaders of this project. Dont lead those carrying guns, lets give you responsibility, lets give you a task.

And I call on all of you who are in support of the sit-at-home on Monday, it is time to stop. It is time to stop the sit-at-home on Mondays.

If your agitation is about the release of Nnamdi Kanu; we love our Igbo land and we love our brother and he is my brother. That he is locked up does not make him less of my brother and that you are agitating does not make you less of my brother.

But I am saying that there is a better way to get it done. There are many ways to kill a rat. Let us look for the other ways that we can kill this rat without destroying our home.

Let us come together and unite and I can assure you that once we unite, there is nothing we ask this government that we cannot get, including the one you are asking for our brother, it is also achievable.

Kalu also appreciated the governors of the 5 eastern states for the support they are giving to PISE-P.

The deputy speaker said that there was nothing political about the project, stressing that it was all about community service.

The Governors of the various states of the South-East, you cant do without them. I can assure you they all want peace for the South-East. None of them is against this. They are in full support.

You dont leave the job only for the governors. Let them play from the top, we play from the bottom, then we meet halfway. Then, solve our problems.

The peace in South-East project is not politics, its about a community project anchored on peace. Thats why members of the PISE-P are from different political parties.

I can assure you, through this project the South-East will not remain the same. All the boys who are carrying guns, theres hope for them, because we will get them gainfully employed, they wont be wasted.

Kalu also stated that there was no clash of interest between PISE-P and Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

According to him, the idea of the project was first communicated to the President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, adding that he is in full support of the project.

Which clash of interest? Hes in full support of this project. Hes passionate about the peace and unity of Igbo land. We are partnering with him, Kalu said.
David Latchman, the vice-chancellor of the Birkbeck, University of London, says foreign students are dropping out of UK varsities due to an unfavourable atmosphere created by the government.

In May last year, the UK government announced that it would restrict foreign students from bringing family members with them from 2024.

The Home Office said the decision was intended to stop people from using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK.

But according to The Telegraph, Latchman said Birkbeck varsity saw a 10% drop in overseas students since October after many of them who had accepted their admissions pulled out.

It was gathered the students who pulled out had applied in January last year and accepted places in June but did not show up to the varsity.

Latcheman blamed the development on the new reforms introduced by the UK government.

This has occurred across the sector  I attribute this to the generally unfavourable atmosphere created for international students by the various announcements even though the ban on dependants does not actually begin until January, the VC lamented.

The professor, who will be stepping down as VC this week after 20 years, said the university funding system was unsustainable.

I think theres a total failure to understand that you cant have a business in inverted commas where you say your business has two products  over here, you cant charge more than this, however much the costs increase [for domestic students], he said.

And over here, Im going to do our best to discourage people from taking up your business where you can charge more [for international students].

We cant carry on like this.

It is also understood that there was a decline in the number of accepted international students in 2023.

According to figures by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), for international students from outside the European Union, there were 61,055 acceptances for 2023, down 2% from 62,455 in 2022  but 34% up from 45,455 in 2019.

NIGERIANS AFFECTED THE MOST

The crackdown will affect many Nigerian students hoping to pursue their postgraduate studies in the UK, as they accounted for the highest increase in the number of dependants accompanying persons with study visas in 2022.

Nigerian nationals also accounted for the largest increase in sponsored study grants compared with 2019, rising by 57,545 (+686%) to a record high of 65,929, making them the third largest nationality group.
A former Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties and Strategies to late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, has explained what led to the feud between the new Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and Akeredolu.

Odebowale said in a viral video that the late Akeredolu would not listened to anybody who spoke against Aiyedatiwa, before they fell apart. Aketi will always shut you down, he said.

According to him The mistrust between Aiyedatiwa and Akeredolu started when it was found that a female aide to Akeredolus wife had been sharing confidential information about Akeredolus health with Aiyedatiwa.

The former Special Assistant alleged that the woman was scheming to become deputy governor after the death of Akeredolu.

Where is the woman now, She is with Lucky. What infuriated the First lady at that time that she decided to misbehave was the fact that while this woman was pretending to be with Aketi, she was getting information about the state of health of Aketi and was ingratiating herself towards Lucky.

She was seeing Lucky. She will not talk to Lucky but they were seeing in Abuja.

She was scheming to be deputy governor in case Aketi dies. That was the genesis of the mistrust between Aketi and Lucky. Aketi never listened to anybody who spoke against Lucky.

He will shut you down. Aketi will sit from morning till night signing useless files from these people who are now talking about forgery.

Aketi mismanaged his health. The perfidy of many of his aides was unrivalled. They wont allow him rest, they wont allow him sleep.

He took ill and the next thing is when will he die? People started holding meetings against the man who never offended them. I will talk about Babajide once Aketi is buried.

Aketi rejected many Chieftaincy titles. He stuck to Arakunrin. Those that made allegations of forgery should bring out the documents and show who collected the money.

I was making money for the state and they were spending it. I made doctors to resign because they were collecting double salary. People were retiring but wage bill was still going up.

In the Health Management board, doctors were travelling abroad but the state was unable to employ because they were collecting double salary.

Reacting to the allegations, the state commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Rasaq Obe, denied allegations that he paid momey to be nominated as Commissioner under late governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Obe, in a phone interview, equally denied allegations that he had quarrel with Babjide over supply of diesel in the state.

He said he led the effort for Akeredolu to emerge victorious in Ilara Mokin ward in Ifedore local government area in the 2020 governorship election.

According to him, I supported Akeredolu and gave him all assistance in 2020. I followed him through the campaigns so it is not true to say I was a nobody politically. There was no need to pay the First Lady or her son for me to be made Commissioner.

It is unfortunate that Odebowale is making this vituperations days after the passing of Akeredolu. He was part of the persons that benefitted from the illness of Akeredolu.

There was nothing to quarrel about between Babajide and I. I never supplied diesel to any part of the state.

On the issue of forgery of Akeredolus signature, Engr. Obe said petitions have been sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission adding that the concerned persons would soon be invited.

Engr. Obe stated that the country would be seen as a banana Republic of nobody was prosecuted and punished for forging late Akeredolus signature.

Let us bury Akeredolu. The gate of justice will be opened. The political solution and the advice to unify the party as advised by Tinubu do not include forgery. Forgery of a Governors signature and authorisation of millions of naira are too criminal to be ignored.

The individual doing all the forgery must be produced. Some of us were harassed. They hated me because I punctuated their activities. It is when the new Governor open the books, you will know the extent of damage.
Rescue operations in Shevchenkivsky district of Kyiv after an enemy missile attack on December 29, 2023 have been completed; 30 people were killed as a result of the attack, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has said.

"The work continued from December 29 after a massive enemy attack. During the work, 470 cubic meters of destroyed building structures were moved and removed; 30 people died in Kyiv, of which one person died in the hospital," the department said on its Telegram channel on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of the attack on December 29 across Ukraine, 18 settlements in ten regions were hit, some 170 people were injured, while 53 were killed, and 22 were rescued.




A popular Ugandan pastor and outspoken supporter of President Yoweri Museveni has been shot in a murder attempt.





The pastor was hospitalised after a shooting attack which killed his bodyguard, police said Wednesday.





Aloysius Bugingo was shot on Tuesday evening when unidentified assailants opened fire on (his) vehicle before swiftly escaping the scene on a motorcycle, said Ugandan police, Channels reports.





They said an investigation had been launched into the attempted murder of Pastor Aloysius Bugingo and the unfortunate killing of his bodyguard, Muhumuza Richard.





Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Museveni who is seen as the presidents potential successor, said he had spoken with our strong supporter Bugingo, adding and he is well.





He got slightly wounded in his left shoulder, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, calling the attack heinous.





Bugingo is a controversial figure in Uganda, where he is head of the House of Prayer Ministries  one of the most influential Pentecostal churches in the religious East African country.





He also has his own television and radio channels, which he uses to give unconditional support to Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986.





Despite sustaining injuries during the attack, Pastor Aloysius Bugingo managed to transport the vehicle to Mulago Hospital, police added.





Regrettably, his bodyguard, Muhumuza Richard, succumbed to the assault and was confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital.





They said Bugingo was undergoing medical treatment and is under close monitoring.




The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has commended the Federal Government for suspending the accreditation of degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo.





This was disclosed on Wednesday in a statement by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director, MURIC.





MURIC described the suspension of accreditation of degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo for their irregularities and fraudulent practices as a laudable move.





MURIC lauds FG for banning those fraudulent certificates. The holders of such fake credentials pose grave danger to the lives of Nigerians and the quality of public service too, it said.





The organisation further charged the ministries of education at both federal and state levels to be wary of holders of such certificates.





MURIC insisted that those found to have been employed with them should be shown the way out, charging the security agencies to fish out those behind the fraudulent admissions within Nigeria.





Those are agents of the fake tertiary institutions in faraway Benin and Togo. They should be made to face the full wrath of the law.





We demand investigation into circumstances surrounding the clearance letter issued by the Federal Ministry of Education which confirmed that the university (ESGT) is on the ministrys list of accredited institutions, the statement added.
The former minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouk, is expected to appear before the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, operatives on Wednesday (today) for questioning over alleged N37.1 billion fraud.

The development comes as EFCC arrested the National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, on Tuesday, over alleged N37.1 billion fraud perpetuated in collaboration with the former minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the suspension of Halima Shehu on Tuesday.

Giving insights into the arrest, an official of the EFCC who spoke under anonymity, said Halima Shehu was indicted concerning the alleged 37.1bn fraud as the former National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme under the Ministry, then supervised by Sadiya Umar-Farouq.

Recall also that eight days ago that EFCC summoned a contractor, James Okwete, over alleged fraud during the ministers tenure in office.
The governors of four north-central states have donated N100 million to victims of attacks in Plateau communities.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, said the donation was announced by Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa and chairman of north-central governors forum, during a visit to Jos, the Plateau capital.

Four north-central state governors had visited Plateau to commiserate with Caleb Mutfwang, the governor, over the recent attacks.

Over 100 persons were killed by gunmen who invaded about 17 communities in Bokkos, Barkin-Ladi, and some parts of Mangu LGAs in Plateau on December 24.

Alia expressed concern over the spate of attacks on farming communities in the north-central states.

The problem of incessant unprovoked attacks on farming communities has become common in the four states, there is every need for a united strategy, willpower and to check the borders to checkmate the menace, the governor said.

On his part, Caleb Mutfwang, governor of Plateau, expressed appreciation to the four north-central governors for commiserating with him.

Muftwang said he wished for a time when the entire country would converge on the Plateau for celebrations and not for grieving.
Governors in the six North Central states, on Tuesday, called on the Federal Government to do everything possible to find a permanent solution on the attacks and killings in Plateau State.

Recall that gunmen on Christmas eve, attacked 25 communities in three local government areas of Plateau State, killing over 150 people.

The Governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, Abdullahi Sule, explained that the Plateau killings should not be tagged herder-farmer clashes.

He said what was happening in Plateau was similar to what happened in Rwanda.

Sule led his colleagues on a condolence visit to the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, in Jos.

He was accompanied by governors of Niger and Benue states, Mohammed Bago and Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, respectively.

Sule lamented that the attacks in Plateau had persisted for too long.

He said, We cannot allow a few people for selfish reasons to come in and destroy all of us.

This is not about Fulani. It is about criminals and we are asking the Federal Government to assist us and deal with the problem.

He added that they were in Jos to share the moment of grief with Governor Mutfwang.

Governor Mutfwang, in his remarks, thanked the governors for their concern over the situation in Plateau, noting that the people of the state were desirous of unity and progress.

He stated that the bandits were terrorists, kidnappers and thieves.








Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau) has said that the people of Plateau want permanent solutions to the security challenges bedevilling the state instead of temporary palliatives.





Diket told newsmen on Wednesday in Jos that a permanent solution would save hundreds of lives and end the bloodshed that had become the lot of the north-central state.





He suggested that military bases should be established at identified flashpoints to ward off bandits.





He said: I have raised a motion at the National Assembly towards ensuring that Plateau enjoys enduring peace instead of this reactionary approach. After the motion, we resolved that instead of temporary approaches, we should have a permanent solution to insecurity.





Instead of rushing to the military when bandits come, we should fence off entry points used by criminals in Barkin Ladi and Bokkos. We have other entry and exit points used by criminals in Mangu, Gindiri and Bauchi. If all places are secured, criminals cannot come in and escape so casually.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has called on members of the Christian Association of Nigeria to commit President Bola Tinubus administration in prayers.

Uzodimma made the appeal at the Secretariat of CAN in Owerri, during the flag-off ceremony for the distribution of rice to the five South East States on Tuesday.

The governor thanked God for his mercies that made it possible for the people to overcome the challenges of 2023, noting that 2024 will be a lot better for all.

He recalled that on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu introduced some reforms meant to recover the economy and reduce hardship in the country, strengthen the Naira, grow the economy, create jobs for the unemployed and generally make Nigeria great again.

Though some of those policies came with initial pains, like the high cost of items in the market, the policies are meant to address these pains.

Towards the end of last year, the Federal and state governments distributed palliative materials in Imo state, doing their best to send the materials to the nooks and crannies of the state. 80 per cent of people living in the South East are Christians, and so Christmas celebration is taken as a solemn festival, he said.

The governor, who expressed the Presidents commitment to ensuring the well-being of the people, emphasised the significance of providing relief and other support to citizens, particularly during the festive season.

He explained that of the truck loads of rice that came to flag off the distribution, neither came from the State nor Federal Government. Rather, these are personal donations from President Tinubu to Christians as gifts to the South East.

The governor said that he decided to involve Imo State CAN to ensure seamless distribution since all Christians in the zone are under the umbrella of CAN.

However, he said that the Imo State Government would support CAN with the logistics to convey the truckloads of rice to all the South East States of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo.

In his welcome address, the CAN Chairman in Imo, Rev. Eches Eches, commended President Tinubus efforts in providing for the welfare of the people.

He also described Uzodimma as a caring lover of God and mankind, who promotes the interests of Igbo people on the national stage.

Eches further commended Uzodimmas commitment to uplifting the Christian community within Imo State.

NAN reports that the five CAN Chairmen of the South East States presented him with a gift of an African Study Bible in appreciation of what the Governor had been doing for the people and the Church.

(NAN)




Popular Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has demanded a refund of the bride price paid for his estranged wife, May Edochie.





Yul had on Tuesday in a post on his social media handles accused May of undergoing breast enlargement surgery after the loss of their first son in 2023 without his consent.





However, in a follow up post on his Instagram page on Wednesday, Yul urged May to remove his surname from her name going forward.





He further questioned why Mays family is yet to return the bride price he paid on her after she filed for a divorce.





Yul wrote; You have filed for divorce. Yet you refused to drop my name.





Return the bride price I paid, you and your family refused. I have asked for the return of the bride price a couple of times, you people vehemently refused. I dont understand why.
Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State has explained why Edison Ehie resigned as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Fubara explained that Ehies resignation was aimed at paving the way for peace in the state.

He disclosed this while addressing dignitaries, including the former governor of the state, Peter Odili, and his wife, Mary, in Port Harcourt.

According to Fubara: Therefore, whatever it will take, as seen in our decisions yesterday, most of you were worried why the speaker would resign. It is to tell you what we can do for peace.

It is not about what we want to gain. It is not about the power we want to exercise. But at the end of the day, ask what we are leaving for our people.

Ehie, who is loyal to Fubara, resigned as lawmaker and Speaker of the states assembly amid the crisis between the governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Ehies resignation letter was dated December 29, 2023, and addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
NATO has supported Ukraine's request for an extraordinary NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in response to Russia's mass air strikes, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"One of the key topics will be strengthening Ukraine's air defense. An important sign of Euro-Atlantic unity in the face of Russian terror escalation," he said on X Social Network on Wednesday.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has warned all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) against dealing with phoney diaspora groups.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM director of media, public relations and protocols, said the commission also cautioned embassies and high commissions against such groups.

On Monday, the Nigeria Diaspora Forum (NDF), a non-governmental organisation, announced the opening of its home office in Abuja to establish a support network across the world.

NDF also said it had appointed Chike Amadichi, the chairman of the diaspora committee of the Labour Party (LP), as the country director of the international organisation.

According to the group, the decision to situate a home office in Abuja was necessitated by the need to better advocate for the rights of Nigerians living in the diaspora.

The forum said it would liaise with the different foreign embassies, high commissions, and ambassadors to better the welfare and well-being of Nigerians living in their respective countries of residence outside Nigeria.

But Balogun said NiDCOM frowned at the development, describing it as a sinister attempt to swindle unsuspecting public officials and citizens.

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The so-called Forum, an arm of Labour Party, masquerading as a diaspora group, is not even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, the statement reads.

We are aware that all registered Political parties, including the ruling party, APC, PDP, SDP, NNPP and even LP, etc have diaspora chapters and support groups outside the country and do work to promote and champion their party ideals.

It is equally sinister that an unregistered body with the Corporate Affairs Commission will fraudulently and boldly announce the setting up of an office to oversee the welfare of Nigerians in Diaspora in Abuja.

This is no doubt an attempt to fraudulently hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public, ministries, departments and agencies, embassies, high commissions as well as state and local governments.

He advised all government agencies and the diplomatic community to always check the status of diaspora groups with it, saying it has an active database of all registered diaspora groups.

He also assured citizens that it remained committed to fulfilling its mandate while working with genuine Nigerian diaspora groups and individuals.




Hannatu Musawa, the minister of art, culture, and creative economy, has revealed that Zack Orji, the actor, underwent brain surgery.

Orji slumped on December 29 and was admitted to the intensive care unit of the national hospital in Abuja.

On Tuesday, Musawa, along with Remi Tinubu, the first lady, and Nana Shettima, the wife of the vice president, visited the ailing actor at the hospital.

In a statement shared by Nneka Anibeze, the ministers spokesperson, Musawa prayed for Orjis recovery and called for support for the movie star.

She also hailed the actor for his contributions to the movie industry and described him as a national asset.

God will heal him and he will be well. We will do all we can to support him. We solicit the collective prayers of Nigerians because he is like a part of our families, the statement reads.

We have watched him entertain us and we see him as a national treasure. So the best we can do is to ensure that we support him to have the best treatment.

He is one of the individuals who laid the foundation for Nollywood and the film industry in Nigeria but now he is sick and the least we can do as an administration is to give him all the necessary support through prayers and otherwise to ensure that we save his life.

This will also propel the administration to look at the welfare of artists and others in the industry who have not only given their time and energy but people like Zack Orji who have become national treasures.

Earlier, Abubakar Yakubu, the national secretary of the AGN, disclosed that Orjis condition has improved.
A security guard from North Jersey has been charged with the sexual assault of a child, authorities said Tuesday.

Steven Spence, 52, of Englewood, has been charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact, the Bergen County Prosecutors Office said in a news release.

Prosecutors investigated the alleged incident following a report from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency on Friday. Spence was later arrested in Paramus, officials said. Authorities did not disclose the age of the alleged victim.

Spence is being held in Bergen County Jail pending his first court appearance. Attorney information was not immediately available.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
The leader of a Newark mosque died in the hospital on Wednesday afternoon hours after he was shot, officials confirmed.

Imam Hassan Sharif, of the Masjid Muhammad mosque, died at University Hospital at 2:20 p.m., Mayor Ras Baraka and the Essex County Prosecutors Office confirmed.

The shooting was reported around 6:15 a.m. outside the mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, police said. It was unclear whether a religious service was being held at the time or if anyone was inside Clara Mohammad School-Newark, a K-12 Islamic school attached to the building. It was confirmed that he was shot more than once, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said later Wednesday.

The imam, the title for a leader of a mosque, was listed in critical condition when he was brought to University Hospital on Wednesday morning.

Today we mourn a fellow Newarker and a member of our citys multi-faith clergy community. I am disgusted that a gun has made its way through our community to kill one of us, Baraka said in a statement. I mourn the death of Imam Hassan Sharif and know any expression of condolence and comfort for his family and loved ones is inadequate. Our hearts are broken.

Sharif worked at Masjid Muhammad for the past five years and was known for being a community activist who protested against gun violence, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Frage said. Hed also worked as a transportation security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport since 2006, a TSA spokesperson confirmed.

As of Wednesday afternoon, investigators did not have a suspect and had not found any evidence that suggested the attack was motivated by Muslim bias, authorities said.

We do not yet know the motivation for this crime, and while we are not yet at liberty to discuss the progress of our ongoing investigation, the evidence collected thus far does not indicate this was an act motivated bias or an act of domestic terrorism, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

Earlier in the day, the Attorney General attended an event commemorating Muslim Heritage Month. He added that New Jersey is home to about 320,000 Muslims.

Every member of this community, just as every member in the state of New Jersey, deserves to live and worship however they choose to do so, without fear for their safety, Platkin said.

Platkins office, the Essex County Prosecutors Office and Sheriffs Office are assisting city police with the investigation and working to identify suspects, officials said. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

We will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter how long it takes, and we encourage him to turn himself in through Newarks Safe Surrender program, Baraka added.

While the motivation for the shooting is not yet known, Baraka condemned the shooting and all acts of violence in the community.

We dont yet know all the details, but here is what we do know: Imam Hassan Sharif stood with the people of this city, and we will stand with him and his family, the mayor said. None of us has to know the details about this shooting to condemn it. Any act of violence, any killing or harming of any person, is never okay  no matter what precipitates or motivates such a depraved act.

CAIR-NJ, a Muslim civil rights group, gave its condolences following the news of the Imams death.

Imam Hassan was a beacon of leadership and excellence. We are devastated at the news of his killing, CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Dina Sayedahmed said. We are praying for the Imam, his family and loved ones, and his congregation, and we ask everyone to do the same.

The organization also said mosques should remain vigilant.

While the perpetrators motive remains unknown and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry, Sayedahmed said.

After the shooting Wednesday, about a dozen members of the mosque were gathered inside while police were stationed outside. Several members of the mosque declined to comment on the shooting.

The Newark Police Department is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call its 24-hour tip line at 1-877-695-8477.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
UPDATE: Imam dies after shooting in front of Newark mosque, officials confirm

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A Newark imam was critically wounded in a shooting outside his mosque Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The shooting was reported around 6:15 a.m. outside the Masjid Muhammad Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, police said.

The imam, who serves as one of the leaders of the mosque, was shot and brought to University Hospital in Newark in critical condition, police said.

Gov. Phil Murphy identified the shooting victim as Imam Hassan Sharif.

At this point, we do not have any information about the perpetrators or motivations behind this incident, but I know law enforcement will provide updates as appropriate, Murphy said in a statement.

At a time when the Muslim community is concerned by an increase of bias incidents and crimes, I want to assure the Muslim community and people of all faiths that we will do everything in our power to keep all residents safe, especially in or near our houses of worship, the governor added.

Police did not provide additional information about the incident. It was unclear whether a religious service was being held at the time or if anyone was inside Clara Mohammad School-Newark, a K-12 Islamic school attached to the building.

Every lead will be investigated to bring the perpetrator to justice, said Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said in statement.

Officials at the mosque did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the incident.

State Attorney General Matthew Platkin said there is no information suggesting the crime was motivated by Muslim bias.

My Office is in direct communication with the Essex County Prosecutors Office as they work with the Newark Police Department to identify the person or persons responsible for this act of violence, Platkin said in a statement. At a time when bias incidents against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know that this act of gun violence will heighten fears and concerns in our State.

The investigation is continuing, Platkin said.

Every possible angle will, of course, be explored and every lead will be fully investigated to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice, Platkin said.

At an unrelated event in Newark, Murphy also said he had no information Wednesday afternoon that the shooting was a bias crime.

If theres any evidence  and I dont have this  but if theres any evidence this was anything, broadly speaking, a hate crime, Islamophobia, anything in that lane, it is completely reprehensible, unacceptable in the state of New Jersey, the governor said. And we will take whatever actions we need to take.

But again, thats assuming its the case. I do not have confirmation that it is the case.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nations largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it was gathering information about the shooting.

We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam, the organization said in a statement. The group asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact police.

Dina Sayedahmed, spokesperson for Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the imam a beacon of leadership.

We advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious, especially given the recent spike in ant-Muslim bigotry, Sayedahmed said, speaking outside of the mosque Wednesday afternoon.

After the shooting Wednesday, about a dozen members of the mosque were gathered inside while police were stationed outside. Several members of the mosque declined to comment on the shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Newark Police Department through their 24-hour tip hotline at 1-877-NWK TIPS (1-877-695-8477).

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

Masjid Muhammad Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street on Wednesday. Jan. 3, 2024. Julian Leshay | For NJ Advance Media

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A Pennsylvania man died of his injuries after two vehicles collided head-on in Gloucester County last week.

Monir Lancaster, 38, of Chester, Pennsylvania, was driving an SUV westbound on Stephen M. Sweeney Way in Harrison Township around 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27 when the vehicle veered into the eastbound lane for an unknown reason, according to township police.

The SUV collided head-on with a pickup traveling east.

Lancaster was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, while the Glassboro resident driving the pickup was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that police described as not life-threatening.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
A Mantua Township man will serve 60 days behind bars for his aggressive behavior during some of the fiercest fighting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday also sentenced Ezekiel K. Stecher, 48, to 24 months of supervised release when hes freed from incarceration, federal prosecutors in Washington announced.

Stecher, who is known as Zeke, pleaded guilty last summer to a felony charge of civil disorder. He operates a family farm on Route 45 in Mantuas Sewell section.

His lawyers did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment.

In a presentencing report, a federal prosecutor suggested Stecher serve 90 days incarceration, and three years of supervised release.

The prosecutor reminded that Stecher was present for a pitched battle rioters waged against police officers in the Capitols Lower West Terrace Tunnel.

Stecher was part of the heave ho surge that trapped and crushed some officers in a set of doors, standing just feet away as others assaulted and sprayed chemicals at the police. He left once, then re-entered and again joined the fray, prosecutors have said.

... Stecher went into the tunnel multiple times and actively contributed to the mayhem despite knowing full well that he was going to confront police officers inside and that his actions would subject police officers to a direct risk of harm.., a prosecutor wrote in the report.

After being doused with chemical spray, Stecher left the tunnel for good, and urged other rioters, If we cant push them, drag em! authorities say.

The FBI learned of Stechers presence at the attack from a video that was uploaded to a tip line on Jan. 18, 2021. Someone asks a man, What is your name? Where are you from? and he replies, Zeke Stecher from New Jersey.

A customer of his later identified Stecher to an FBI agent.

After agents arrested him in March 2021, Stecher waived his Miranda rights and talked to an agent, saying he got caught up in it. He said he had no violent intentions, a prosecutor wrote in the report.

And, Stecher stated that he absolutely believed there was voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Summing up their report, a federal prosecutor wrote: Unlike many defendants who have appeared before this Court, Stecher has a stable family life, and did not suffer any childhood trauma or abuse that might explain his decision to engage in criminal conduct. Stecher was 46 at the time of the riot. He has no excuse for his actions on that day.

Stechers presentence defense report was not available in his cases court docket.

Ezekiel 'Zeke' Stecher at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.(Image from federal court documents)

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com
A man and woman with a small child attacked a New Jersey Transit bus driver in Bayonne after he refused to allow them to ride because they did not have a valid bus pass, authorities said.

Isaac Jaquez, 28, of Jersey City, was charged with aggravated assault, burglary, theft and endangering the welfare of a child, Bayonne Capt. Eric Amato said. Elvira L. Salas, 24, of Bayonne, was charged with aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, theft and endangering the welfare of a child.

The bus driver told police that Jaquez and Salas, with a stroller occupied by a toddler, boarded the bus in the area of 48th Street and Kennedy Boulevard just before 3 p.m. on Dec. 27, Amato said. They showed a photo of a bus pass, but they were denied access since the photo was not acceptable as proof of a ticket purchase.
Don Omar is planning to celebrate 25 years in the music industry by heading out on a huge tour.

The Back to Reggaeton tour will begin on March 7 in Reading, Pa. and will wrap up on April 21 in Miami.

While on tour, Don Omar will perform at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on March 9 and at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 10.

This tour will be in support of Omars latest album Forever King, which was released in June 2023.

Tickets for Omars tour are available on Ticketmaster, in addition to secondary market websites, such as StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork, TicketCity and MegaSeats.

The cheapest ticket available at the time of publication for his New Jersey show, before fees, is $80 on StubHub.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

A complete list of Don Omars tour dates is available here.

More massive upcoming 2023-2024 tours

Don Omar is not the only artist heading out on tour.

Here are a few more upcoming tours you wont want to miss.

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Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
A 53-year-old Somerset County man died Tuesday after he suffered a medical episode while driving in the southbound lanes of Interstate 287, authorities said.

New Jersey State Police were called for medical assistance about 5:10 p.m. near milepost 38 in Hanover Township in Morris County.

The driver, who was from Bernardsville, had suffered a medical episode in the drivers seat, according to Detective Jeffrey Lebron, a State Police spokesman.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Additional information about the death was not available Wednesday morning, Lebron said.

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Ukraine and Russia conducted the biggest prisoner swap since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 230 Ukrainians, both men and women, were released from Russian captivity, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has said on Wednesday.

"Some 230 defenders are coming back home. They include 130 representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 14 territorial defense fighters, 14 Navy soldiers), 55  of the National Guard, 38  of the State Border Guard Service, one  of the National Police, and six civilians who were illegally imprisoned," it said.

Those returned include 182 people with the status of prisoner of war confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross and 48 servicemen who were considered missing.

"Most of the released [POWs] are men (225), five women. Some 213 people are privates and sergeants, eleven are officers," the Coordination HQ said.

The aggressor state's defense ministry reported the return of 248 Russian POWs on Wednesday with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.
They dont punch a clock. Their duties arent 9-to-5. They report to no bosses other than the voters.

At City Halls across New Jersey, local elected officials play roles far different from the cop who patrols the street or the public works crew that plows it. So how should the hours they work be calculated?

Thats a question that two Wildwood officials accused of public corruption are now asking a judge to decide.

City Commissioner Steve Mikulski and former Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. are charged with defrauding taxpayers by illegally signing up for government health insurance benefits. Prosecutors say they falsely claimed they worked full-time to qualify for the coverage, though they held other jobs and allegedly only put in part-time hours.

But in a lawsuit filed last week, Mikulski and Troiano insisted they are the victims of bad rulemaking, saying state regulators dropped the ball by failing to specify how an elected officials hours should be calculated and ignoring the unique duties that those roles carry.

The pair want the court to define what constitutes full-time work for a public office holder, saying it is critical not only to their criminal cases, but to whether they can resume collecting benefits. And how the law is interpreted could have wider impact, considering that the Wildwood prosecution caused other towns in New Jersey to reexamine their policies and rein in the benefits they offer.

At issue is a 2010 law that required officials seated after it took effect to work at least 35 hours a week to qualify for coverage under the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP). The law sought to block part-time mayors and council members from receiving full-time perks that can top $35,000 a year for family plans.

State prosecutors charged Troiano, Mikulski and former Mayor Pete Byron in 2022, accusing them of submitting false timesheets to justify their benefits at a cost over a decade of nearly $1 million in insurance claims and taxpayer-funded premiums. The three men are fighting the allegations, claiming they worked the required hours and were eligible for the coverage they received.

In filing their lawsuit, Mikulski and Troiano noted the results of Novembers election. Despite the scandal, Mikulski was re-elected and Troiano, who last held office in 2019, was returned to the board. That would make them eligible for health benefits, provided they meet the 35-hour requirement that is in dispute in their criminal case.

They will be sworn in for their new terms on Wednesday, which means a majority of the resort citys three-member ruling body will be serving this year while under indictment  as was also true for much of 2023 before Byron resigned in September, weeks after being sentenced to probation in an unrelated federal tax fraud case.

Former Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. (left) shakes hands with then-Mayor Pete Bryon during a ceremony on July 1, 2020. In the background is City Commissioner Steve Mikulski. All three are charged with fraudulently signing up for state health insurance benefits.Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The lawsuit names the state Treasury Department and its Division of Pension and Benefits, which administers SHBP, and charges they botched the implementation of the 2010 law by failing to provide guidance to municipalities on the new full-time work requirements. That left varying definitions of how those hours should be calculated, leading to the criminal investigation and charges, the suit said.

Among the things the suit seeks:

An order declaring that full-time elected officials do not have to work a set schedule, as long as they put in 35 hours each week.

An order finding that elected officials duties often fall outside of normal business hours and often occur away from City Hall and that the hours they claim can reflect that.

An order that elected officials do not necessarily have to record their hours in the same way as other employees, as long as they keep an accurate account of the time they worked.

Brian Pelloni, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, did not return a phone call Tuesday.

Darryl Isherwood, a spokesman for the Treasury Department, declined to comment. The Attorney Generals Office, which was also named in the suit, had no comment.

The suits claims echo criticism by some municipal advocates, who say the states rules lack clarity and have created confusion in towns over whether their officials meet the 35-hour threshold.

That comes as an NJ Advance Media investigation published last month found towns throughout New Jersey continue to flout the requirements.

Across the state, at least a dozen municipalities provided potentially questionable coverage to their elected officials over the past decade, documents obtained through public records requests showed. That encompassed 32 current and former officials whose benefits cost taxpayers at least $2.3 million since 2014, including $332,000 in 2023.

Read the investigation: Part-time officials, full-time perks

Of the towns identified by NJ Advance Media, most described their elected boards as part-time in budget documents. And the officials involved largely held jobs beyond their public posts, including as lawyers, business owners, lobbyists and real estate agents.

In some cases, municipalities provided them insurance benefits that were quietly worth double or triple the small salaries their elected positions paid. In others, they cut checks to officials who agreed to waive benefits, paying them as much as $5,000 annually for declining coverage.

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Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com.
A fired Paterson police officer who was recently acquitted of all charges of using excessive force when he hit a man with a flashlight in 2021 wants to get his old job back with two years back pay, his lawyer said.

Spencer Finch, a veteran Paterson patrolman, was accused of using excessive force when he hit a man 14 times with his flashlight and kneed the handcuffed man in the face during a 2021 arrest. But, a jury found the officer not guilty off all criminal charges last month.

The former officer is asking a state administrative law judge overseeing his employment case to reinstate him to the police department with full back pay and lost years of service since his June 9, 2021, termination, said Eric Kleiner, Finchs attorney.

Finch is also asking for reimbursement for his legal fees for his defense.

In a statement provided to NJ Advance Media Friday, Kleiner also blasted Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, calling him corrupt. Kleiner said that Finchs termination violated his due process rights and was a clear violation of the Paterson police departments contract.

Finchs firing was motivated by a corrupt mayor that was pandering for minority votes in an election year using Finch as a pawn to seek minority support, Kleiner said. The mayor should be impeached along with his entire legal staff for their unconstitutional acts.

Sayegh said the city followed the legal process in terminating Finch.

Spencer Finch was terminated after being provided a hearing and all due process after he violated procedures, guidelines, and rules, Sayegh said in a text message to NJ Advance Media on Saturday. That he has not been held criminally liable for his actions does not translate into him being reinstated or him being fit to be a police officer. My administration equipped all police officers with body cameras which captured Officer Finchs actions.

A spokesperson for the Attorney Generals office, which has run the Paterson Police Department since March, declined to comment on the statement by Finchs attorney or the officers attempts to get his job back. Messages sent to a spokesperson for the Paterson Police Department were not returned.

Finch still faces another trial in a separate use-of-force incident from 2018. He was indicted on assault, official misconduct and tampering with records charges after allegedly tackling a robbery suspect in front of a Quicks Food Store in Paterson.

The state Attorney Generals Office took over control of the Paterson police earlier this year after 12 Paterson officers were criminally charged in several cases over the past four years.

Finch was acquitted by a jury on Dec. 21 on charges he used excessive force against Brandon Cosby after responding to a domestic dispute in 2021. The trial lasted four weeks, and the jury deliberated for three hours before returning a unanimous verdict.

During testimony at trial, Finch said he hit Cosby with a flashlight and kneed him in the face because it was the only way to subdue him.

Surveillance video from the scene showed Finchs partner talking to an agitated Cosby in a hallway of an apartment building where the mother of his children lived. Finch and his partner, Edwin Martinez, responded to the apartment for a report of domestic violence on May 26, 2021.

Martinez was seen in the video talking to Cosby, who was visibly upset, when Finch exited an apartment and slapped him with an open hand. Both officers struggled with Cosby before Finch picked up his flashlight from the floor and begins beating Cosby in the head with it, according to the video.

At one point, while laying on top of Cosby, Martinez appeared to stop Finch from hitting Cosby in the head with his flashlight, according to the video. After Cosby was handcuffed and propped up against a wall, Finch kneed Cosby in the face.

The flashlight Finch carried with him that night violated the departments policy, according to testimony at the trial. But, he justified using it because he said it was a better tool for breaking car windows during accidents and resuscitating opioid overdose victims.

Finch testified his actions were necessary because he claimed Cosby was enraged and ready to fight police when they arrived. Finch also said kneeing Cosby while handcuffed and on the floor was necessary because Cosby tried to head-butt him.

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Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X
Dozens of migrants who were sent by bus to New York City by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott and dropped off at New Jersey train stations to evade New York arrival restrictions never made it into the city.

Instead, they were picked up by family members in New Jersey, said Gov. Phil Murphy.
The executive order by New York Mayor Eric Adams sought to bring some order to what officials described as chaos.

He said he acted following declarations by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to bus an additional 25,000 migrants from the southern border seeking asylum up to New York. Not long afterward, 14 buses arrived within a single day  the most, said Adams, ever recorded by officials at the citys intake center.

Within days, in Dec. 27, the mayor signed an executive order. Charter buses transporting migrants, mostly from Texas, had to provide 32-hour notice in advance of showing up in New York City. They could only arrive between 8:30 a.m. and noon, and only drop off passengers in one spot.

But Operation Lone Star, as the Texas governor has called the effort to bus migrants out of Texas, quickly found a work-around. Over the past weekend, charter buses began dropping hundreds of migrants at train stations in New Jersey and had their passengers continue to New York by rail, evading the requirement to give any advance notice. The train stations included Secaucus, Edison, Fanwood, Trenton and Jersey City.

It seems quite clear the bus operators are finding a way to thwart the requirements of the Executive Order by dropping migrants at the train station in Secaucus and having them continue to their final destination, Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli stated Sunday. Perhaps the requirements Mayor Adams put in place are too stringent and are resulting in unexpected consequences as it seems the bus operators have figured out a loophole in the system in order to ensure the migrants reach their final destination, which is New York City.

Indeed, as late as Monday, two additional buses from Texas pulled into the Secaucus Junction station to let out migrants bound for New York, according to Secaucus officials, who have counted at least six chartered buses that dropped off people.

As far as we know, we were told the vast majority got on a train, said town administrator Gary Jeffas. Nobody made their way into town.

A NJ Transit spokesman referred all questions to Gov. Phil Murphys office, which declined additional comment on Tuesday beyond what it said over the holiday weekend, telling reporters that the state was closely coordinating with our federal and local partners on this matter, including our colleagues across the Hudson.

Meanwhile, at a press briefing on Tuesday, Adams accused Abbott of using people as pawns to create chaos, and promised to respond.

He shifted. Were going to shift, he said, calling on other municipalities to impose the same executive order that New York put into play to give adequate notice for the arrival of buses carrying migrants.

What were dealing with is a person who just wants to disrupt. This is not about raising the attention on an issue, the mayor said. This is a mean-spirited way of using people and disrupting municipalities, not only in this region but other areas in the country.

Adams said he will be talking further about the situation with Murphy, adding that the city planned to pivot and shift itself, and send a message to bus operators.

I am dealing with a bully right now and everything is on the table, he said.

New York City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg called Abbotts actions a bad faith effort to change national immigration policy.

What Texas is doing is bonkers. It is financing a state operation to send hundreds and thousands of migrant individuals, recent arrivals to the United States to New York City, she said, pointing out that Texas has not communicated at all regarding the arrival of buses coming north.

We have ghost buses. Buses arriving en masse, any time of day, any time of night, on weekends when we are least able as a city to staff and meet the urgent needs of people coming off the buses, Zornberg said.

A spokeswoman for Abbotts office said only that Texas was organizing and paying for all transportation.

Advocacy groups, noting the reactions of immigration opponents to what happened this past week, fear the growing political fight may be growing out of control.

Amy Torres, executive director of the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, criticized the calls by some elected New Jersey officials to stop migrants or refuse them hotel accommodations based on their immigration status  actions she called unconstitutional.

The real story here is the hysterical reaction she said.

The efforts by charter bus operators to evade New Yorks executive order is ultimately not going to stop migrants, Torres said.

A stop in New Jersey is not going to change anyones wish of where they want to go. Were talking about people who have already undertaken a dangerous journey, she said. You cant monitor where people are going or guessing theyre immigration status.

Alexandra Goncalves Pena, legal services director of the American Friends Service Committees Immigrant Rights Program in Newark, said people are continuing to be used as political pawns.

My hope with a lot of this is that many of our communities and local governments will work together to welcome all individuals, including immigrants that are newly arrived, she said. We need to develop the systems and infrastructure to support people all the time.

__

NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Karin Price Mueller contributed to this report.

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Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL
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Budanov: We managed to carry out complex exchange, which took quite long time to prepare

Ukraine managed to carry out a very complex exchange of prisoners of war, which was prepared for quite a long time, the United Arab Emirates participated in organizing the process, Head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said.

"Another exchange has been carried out, today, finally, after a significant period of time, we managed to carry out a very difficult exchange. Today, 230 of its defenders returned to Ukraine, among whom there is a combat medic and a defender from Zmiiny Island, Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, who were in the early days captured from Azovstal, border guards, police, national guardsmen, Ukrainian Armed Forces  that is, absolutely all categories. This exchange has been prepared for quite a long time," Budanov said after the exchange on Wednesday, a video of the approach was published by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

The head of intelligence said the UAE side also directly took part in organizing this process.

"And with its help, we were able to do this together," he said.

As reported, the largest exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine took place between Ukraine and Russia, as part of which it was possible to free 230 Ukrainian men and women.
Deonte Screven, Alison Reip, and Jason Straight, right, chat on the top floor of the Jones Walker LLP office at Place St. Charles in downtown New Orleans as Kelly Jenkin, left, works at the reception desk on Thursday, June 23, 2022. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Faimon Roberts III covers rural communities in Louisiana. His work is supported by a reporting grant from the Microsoft Journalism Initiative and is administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

He can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.
Ukraine did not submit a request to Turkey to allow two minesweepers into the Black Sea, which the UK is transferring to the Ukrainian side, Spokesman for the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) Dmytro Pletenchuk said.

Answering the question whether Ukraine planned to use these minesweepers until the end of active hostilities, Pletenchuk said: "The Navy did not leave a request for the passage of these ships to the Republic of Turkey, firstly. Secondly, including the operation of the Montreux Convention, there is no other option to expect, in principle, it should not have been done."

"Accordingly, I can only confirm that we had no such intentions," he said during a telethon on Wednesday.

At the same time, the spokesman said Turkey also does not allow Russian warships to enter the Black Sea.

"In this sense, there is absolute parity on Turkey's part. And there are no reasons for 'treason', as we like to say," he said.

Earlier, the Center for Countering Disinformation within the Office of the President of Turkey stated that the statement of some media that "the minesweepers donated to Ukraine by Great Britain were allowed to pass through the Turkish straits into the Black Sea" is not true.
In Verbove area (Zaporizhia region), Ukrainian soldiers have improved their tactical position, there is no big breakthrough, Spokesman for the United Press Center of the Tavria Defense Forces Oleksandr Shtupun said.

"Let's just say this is some improvement in our tactical position. That is, there is no big breakthrough," Shtupun commented on the telethon on the advance of Ukrainian forces in Verbove area.

In Robotyne area (Zaporizhia region), both Ukrainian and enemy units are also actively working, the spokesman said. The enemy is trying to recapture previously lost positions and prevent Ukrainian forces from moving forward.

According to Shtupun, the "global" goal of the Russians is to recapture all lost positions, but they are not succeeding. "As far as we can see, they don't have the strength for this now," he said.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces also said that along the entire line of combat the enemy has become more active, "there are signs that he will continue to attack."

Earlier in the morning, the AFU General Staff said Ukrainian forces had improved the situation southeast of Novobakhmutivka in Avdiivka direction during the day, and in Verbove area they had advanced forward, forcing the enemy to abandon some positions.
With the new year, Oregon health officials are asking people to resolve in 2024 to get vaccinated against respiratory viruses that are on the rise in the state.

Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., health officer, and state epidemiologist at OHA, says vaccination remains the best way for Oregonians to protect themselves against COVID-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)  and its not too late to get any of the vaccines.

While some resolutions require making healthy changes for the rest of your life, were asking you to resolve to make an appointment for a vaccination, Sidelinger said. Were not asking you to change your behavior for the year. Were asking you to change your risk of getting sick.

The renewed push for vaccinations comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the latest edition of its Morbidity and Mortality Week Report (MMWR) on fall 2023 respiratory virus vaccination coverage among adults. The report includes national and jurisdiction-specific estimates for influenza, COVID-19, and RSV vaccination coverage among adults 18 and older from the National Immunization Survey-Adult COVID Module.

According to the report, 25 percent of eligible Oregon adults have received the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine, 40.8 percent have received the influenza vaccine, and 20.3 percent have received the RSV vaccine. Oregon ranks ninth in the nation for COVID-19 vaccine coverage; 35th for flu vaccine coverage; and 16th for RSV vaccine coverage.

Supply is not a problem for most of the vaccines, Sidelinger says. COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are readily available in Oregon, as are the new RSV vaccines for older adults and pregnant people. The RSV antibody immunization for children is still in limited supply across the country and in Oregon, though some doses are available for newborns and prioritized high-risk babies  parents should talk to their health care providers.

It can take a couple weeks for the body to ramp up its immune response following vaccination, but Sidelinger says antibody levels start rising within days of getting a shot and will offer some protection. He said people can think of getting vaccinated as a gift for themselves and loved ones, or as a New Years resolution.

As we make plans to gather with friends and family members over the coming weeks, its a good time to think about who well be spending time with, Sidelinger said. Consider people at higher risk for severe illness, such as young children, older adults, and those with chronic conditions or who are immunocompromised, and what we can do to keep them safe.

That includes staying home if sick, regularly washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and wearing a well-fitting mask, in addition to getting vaccinated.

While COVID-19 community transmission has remained stable this respiratory season  the average percentage of reported positive COVID-19 tests has hovered just above 9 percent since the start of November  community transmission of both influenza and RSV has steadily increased. Percent positivity of influenza tests has increased from 1 percent on November 2 to 6.5 percent as of December 16. For RSV tests, percent positivity has increased from 3.6 percent to 11.5 percent during that same period.

According to health officials, population-level immunity from vaccination and previous infection is leading to decreasing severity of COVID-19 infections over time. CDC forecasting predicts a plateau in COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in Oregon through early January.

Centers for Disease Control forecasting also predicts a steady increase in influenza-associated hospitalizations in Oregon through early January.

On November 11, Oregon met criteria to formally declare RSV season onset, which the CDC defines as the first of two consecutive weeks during which the percentage of specimens testing positive for RSV antigen is at or above 10 percent or the percentage of specimens testing positive for RSV by PCR is at or above 3 percent, whichever occurs first. For influenza, a 5 percent test positivity rate is considered a threshold for significant influenza circulation.

People can get the vaccines by contacting their health plan, health care provider, county public health clinic, or federally qualified health center (FQHC). They can also search for a clinic by ZIP code by visiting http://www.vaccinefinder.org, or by calling 211 or visiting http://www.211info.org.
Winter may not have hit Sisters Country in earnest, but roads can still be icy, especially in the morning. An incident on Highway 20 near Suttle Lake demonstrates the importance of slowing down and adjusting for conditions.

According to Black Butte Ranch Police, on Tuesday morning around 8:26 a.m., Black Butte Ranch Police responded to assist on a crash on Highway 20 near the entrance to Suttle Lake. A vehicle had slid off the road due to icy conditions. Black Butte Ranch Fire Department medics arrived on scene to assess the patient.

A Deschutes County Sheriffs deputy assisted by setting up west of the accident to slow traffic down. An Oregon State Police trooper arrived around 9:06 a.m. to take a report on the crash. Before he was able to even put his vehicle into park on the eastbound shoulder, his SUV was struck by an Isuzu commercial truck that had lost control on the ice due to speed and the icy conditions.

After hitting the OSP SUV, the Isuzu continued forward, hitting the front of the Black Butte Ranch Fire Department ambulance and coming to rest near the back of the ambulance.

Three medics and a patient from the first crash were in the back of the ambulance. No one was injured, and the driver of the Isuzu was cited for careless driving.
With homeowners in Sisters Country  and across Oregon  concerned about keeping their homeowners insurance policies in the face of industry-wide wildfire risk concerns, when the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2024 many new laws immediately take effect. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) reports that Senate Bill (SB) 82 strengthens consumer protections for homeowners dealing with wildfire-related issues. It requires insurance companies to explain, using property-specific characteristics, why a policy might not be getting renewed or why a rate is going up, and to reflect in rating and underwriting plans how that insurer addresses or considers wildfire risk mitigation actions.

These actions could include creation of defensible space, home hardening, and community-based mitigation activities. It also requires insurers to allow up to 36 months to repair, rebuild, or replace damaged or lost property if it was directly related to a fire that was subject of an order under the Emergency Conflagration Act. This bill also prohibits insurance companies from using statewide wildfire risk maps published by the Oregon Department of Forestry as a basis for canceling or declining to renew a policy or increasing premiums.

This is one of several laws taking immediate effect with the turn of the new year.

 SB 192 directs the Oregon Prescription Drug Affordability Board to develop a plan for upper payment limits to contain costs of prescription drugs in the state, requires pharmacy benefit managers to provide price transparency reports to Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), expands health insurance company transparency reporting, and makes other technical changes to strengthen DCBS prescription drug pricing programs. Pharmacy benefit managers will report annually to DCBS about certain rebates, fees, price protection payments, and other payments received from prescription drug manufacturers, shedding more light on the effect of industry practices on the prices Oregonians pay for drugs.

 SB 536 establishes new disclosure and care obligations for the sale of annuities in Oregon and permits the sale of registered index-linked annuities in the state. Producers and brokers must also complete, at a minimum, a four-hour training course with a continuing education provider that has registered with DCBS.

 SB 628 requires health benefit plan coverage of certain treatments for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections.

 SB 797 requires health insurance policies that cover expenses of hospital, medical, or surgical services to cover medically necessary prosthetic and orthotic devices.

 SB 1041 prevents group and individual health benefit plans that cover supplemental and diagnostic breast examinations from imposing deductibles, co-insurance, co-payments, or any other out-of-pocket expenses on those services.

 SB 1529 passed in 2022 with a delayed implementation date and was amended in 2023 by House Bill (HB) 3008. It requires health benefit plan coverage of three primary care or behavioral health visits with a co-pay of no more than $5 and requires health benefit plan issuers to automatically assign members to primary care providers (PCP) if they do not select a PCP after the first 90 days of the plan year.

 HB 2002 establishes a right to make decisions about an individuals reproductive health and allows any person to bring a civil action against a public body to enforce this right. The bill also establishes a statutory requirement for health benefit plans to cover gender-affirming treatment. It also prohibits medical malpractice insurers from taking adverse action against health care providers for providing reproductive health or gender-affirming care services that are legal in Oregon.

 HB 2052 requires data brokers to register with DCBS before collecting, selling, or licensing brokered personal data in Oregon. DFR published a press release on this new law on Dec. 13.

 HB 2282 updates the Oregon state law codification of the Affordable Care Act preventive services coverage requirements to ensure access to this coverage in the event of a successful legal challenge to the ACA requirements.

 HB 2574 prohibits cost sharing for health benefit plan coverage of post-exposure prophylactic drugs for the prevention of HIV. The bill also requires all Oregon hospitals to have policies and procedures in place for the dispensing of post-exposure prophylactic (PEP) drugs and requires the Oregon Health Authority to provide PEP drugs to Type A and B rural hospitals at no cost.

 HB 2982 requires homeowners insurance issuers to offer 70 percent of property contents coverage without requiring policyholders to submit an inventory if a total loss occurs due to a declared disaster.

 HB 2994 expands coverage of bilateral cochlear implants, hearing aids, and hearing assistive technology. Also, the bill requires health benefit plans to reimburse the costs associated with these services if they are prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional, and requires specific information in adverse benefit determination notices related to claims for hearing-related items and services.
Americas oldest trees, most of which are in the West, will get added protection from wildfire and climate change under updated forest plans from the U.S. Forest Service.

In announcements over the past week, officials from the Forest Service said they would begin the process of amending forest management plans affecting all 128 of the agencys forest and grasslands, including the Northwest Forest Plan governing federal forests in northern California, Oregon, and Washington. The amendments, both nationally and in the Northwest, are meant to bolster forest health to combat climate change and to further protect the last of the nations old-growth trees, many of which have been threatened by growing wildfires, drought, and diseases.

While updates would limit timber harvests in old-growth areas, logging would likely be allowed to continue in some mature stands in the Northwest.

Susan Jane Brown, founder and attorney at the Oregon legal nonprofit Silvix Resources, said the idea of leaving mature forests on the table for logging makes conservationists a bit queasy, but she said it is inevitable on federal forestlands managed for multiple uses.

Given that, I want to see that harvests occur in the most ecologically sensitive way, that also honors cultural traditions, and I think we can do that, she said. I think that we can have timber harvests that focus on cutting the right trees in the right places for the right reasons.

Updating these federal forest plans are part of the Biden administrations strategy to ecologically manage the nations forests to be more resilient to wildfires and to better sequester climate-warming carbon dioxide. Living trees suck up and store climate-warming carbon dioxide. When cut or burned, they release it into the atmosphere. Older trees also contribute to the health of the water, soil, and ecosystems, allowing better carbon and water storage for other trees and plants.

The decision to amend rather than revise the plans will allow changes to be adopted more quickly. The Forest Service has set a deadline of 2025 to finalize plans. Environmentalists hope this deadline is met to avoid derailment by any new presidential administration.

The plans will focus on protections for old growth. The more than 20 million acres of federal forestlands protected in the Northwest Forest Plan contain 25 percent of the remaining old growth in all federal forests and grasslands in the lower 48 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. About half of Oregons forests are owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service. This includes 10 national forests spanning 16 million acres.

The term old growth encompasses different ages for different tree species, but in general denotes tree stands and surrounding habitat that has not undergone any major human-caused changes for 100 years. The trees remain part of healthy, diverse ecosystems that are largely unmanipulated. Mature stands are typically close to a century old and characterized by their large size relative to younger trees, multi-layered canopies, and the health of the soil around them.

The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management oversee 72 million hectares, or about 278,000 square miles, of forests  an area about the size of Texas and Vermont combined. A recent inventory from the two agencies found that about 45 percent of those forests are considered mature and about 18 percent are considered old growth.

Most old growth and mature forests are in Western states such as Idaho, California, Montana, and Oregon. Few stands still exist east of the Mississippi River. There are some left in New England, around the Great Lakes, and in Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia, according to the Forest Service.

The announced changes focus on five key updates to the Northwest Forest Plan, which covers 17 national forests across 20 million acres in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. It was approved in 1994 following lawsuits under the Endangered Species Act, alleging unsustainable logging was leading to the decline and loss of critical species, including the Northern spotted owl. These owls rely on old growth and mature forests for nesting. In many ways, the plan succeeded in conserving old growth and improving habitat for land and aquatic species.

But over the last 30 years, growing threats from wildfire as well as drought and invasive pests and disease from climate change warrant an update to the management plan, according to Alexi Lovechio, climate program manager with Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, a nonprofit conservation group based in Ashland:

Since 1994, our environment has changed and new scientific data has emerged, Lovechio said. We didnt know nearly as much about climate change and the impacts it would have on wildfire severity or water quality and wildlife habitat as we do today. So thats why this amendment is so important.

The updates include managing and preserving mature and old growth forests, protecting them from climate change, including tribes in forest management, preventing and suppressing wildfires, and supporting rural economies.

Brown, of Silvix Resources,said when the plan was written it was missing some critical input.

The 1994 plan was written without the government-to-government consultation with tribes, and as a result, there is no language at all in the plan about indigenous stewardship and uses of these lands, she said. I think we will, I hope that we will, make that change in our amendment.

Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, courtesy https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
The breeding male of the Chesnimnus Pack in Wallowa County in December 2018.

State biologists say Oregon's gray wolf population may have reached its ecological limit in the eastern third of the state and that packs will probably spread out to the west and south in greater numbers.

Those comments, made at a meeting of the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, came as Colorado released five wolves trapped from Oregon as part of a historic reintroduction program.

Roblyn Brown, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's wolf coordinator, told ranchers and conservationists last week that about 200 gray wolves in nearly 25 packs call Oregon home. She said their numbers have leveled off in recent years because most wolves live in northeast Oregon, an area that's becoming crowded for the species. Wolves first recolonized their native habitat there in 2009 after hunting and harassment eradicated them from Oregon for 50 years.

The wildlife agency counted 178 wolves in the state in 2022, up from 175 in 2021 and 173 in 2020, though officials say that's an undercount. Their numbers have plateaued in recent years after spiking for a decade. Wolf packs have taken root in central and southwestern Oregon, including a pack in Jackson County that has become notorious for preying on cattle.

"We're going to start seeing a lot more wolves over the next few years in other areas of Oregon," Brown said.

But conservationists are concerned that the agency is killing more wolves as packs prey more and more on livestock.

Illegal kills also continue to plague wolf packs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $26,500 reward for information leading to convictions for two separate wolf slayings in November, including one in Jackson County. Wolf hunting is illegal in Oregon, and the Jackson County wolf was protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, like all others in central and western Oregon.

In the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Brown said nonetheless that a sustained wolf population is "a big accomplishment."

She said that almost 90% of adult wolves survived year-to-year in Oregon  a higher rate than other Western states such as Idaho and Montana that authorize wolf hunts en masse. Both states have much higher numbers of wolves than Oregon.

Derek Broman, the agency's game program manager, said that some environmental challenges expected to plague Oregon wolves haven't been issues after all. Conservationists had been concerned about a lack of genetic diversity among different wolf packs, which could make wolves more susceptible to canine diseases and disruptions in their environment.

"Some of those conservation threats are not what they were five years ago," Broman said.

John Williams of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association said that trust is growing between ranchers and wildlife managers thanks to a more efficient process of investigating kills of livestock - which remain a source of concern for a small group of ranchers who have lost cattle, sheep, and goats. The agency is also streamlining its process for approving the killing of predatory wolves, he said.

"We're encouraged by the direction," he told the commission.

The Oregon Legislature this year also released $1 million more to compensate ranchers for livestock losses, more than in any year since lawmakers created the state program in 2011, according to Capital Press.

After hearing from wildlife officials, ranchers, hunters, and conservationists, the commission decided not to reform the state's wolf management plan, a hard-fought set of rules and regulations that took four years to hammer out due to disagreements about state-approved wolf kills and attacks on livestock.

Instances of both are on the rise. Investigators confirmed that wolves killed 76 privately owned livestock last year, compared to 16 in 2019.

The agency authorized the killing of 16 wolves so far this year, according to agency data compiled by the Western Environmental Law Center, a conservation advocacy group. That's up from an average of less than four wolves each year from 2019 to 2022. The agency killed six gray wolves in six weeks this summer, to the anger of conservationists.

Sristi Kamal, deputy director of the Western Environmental Law Center, said the wildlife agency is over-relying on legal wolf killings to protect livestock.

"They are now choosing very heavily to engage in lethal," she said.

Holly Tuers-Lance, a state wolf biologist, said during the meeting that preying on livestock is a learned skill for some wolves and that two-thirds of wolf packs in Oregon aren't known to do so.

According to the agency's data, just eight livestock producers experienced half of all known livestock predictions. She said that data helps wolf managers be deliberate about where to reduce conflict between wolves and communities.

Fish and wildlife officials say they only authorize the killing of a wolf when a rancher can document at least two incidents of livestock predation within nine months, and after other methods have failed to deter wolves, such as building fencing, enlisting livestock dogs, or guarding cattle.

Plus, wolves are off-limits for lethal removal in most of the state because packs outside eastern Oregon are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.

Tuers-Lance said the federal law is hamstringing the agency's efforts to protect livestock from the Rogue wolf pack in southern Oregon, which has preyed on livestock more than 60 times from 2016 to 2022, according to agency data.

She said experiments with non-lethal deterrents and new technology haven't worked, and ranchers are spending "unsustainable amounts of time trying to prevent conflict."

Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
A few days ago, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley stepped on one of the most explosive landmines in the field of American history. Asked at a New Hampshire town hall what was the cause the American Civil War, the former governor of South Carolina tried to sidestep.

I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms and what people could and couldnt do, Haley said.

I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are. And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesnt need to tell you how to live your life. They dont need to tell you what you can and cant do. They dont need to be a part of your life.

Haley quickly took fire from all directions for neglecting to mention the actual proximate cause of the war: the southern states, particularly her own state of South Carolina, were determined to protect the institution of slavery.

A lot of smoke has been thrown up for more than a century around the causes of the 1861-65 conflict and its enduring fallout, with Confederate apologists eliding the importance of slavery in the decision of the southern states to secede from the union. But the secession declaration of South Carolina  the first state to break the union  makes the matter plain:

[T]he State of South Carolina having resumed her separate and equal place among nations, deems it due to herself, to the remaining United States of America, and to the nations of the world, that she should declare the immediate causes which have led to this act.

[A]n increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitution.

Read the whole declaration for yourself (https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_scarsec.asp). Its not ambiguous. The rights and freedoms at stake for the South Carolina elite was the right and freedom to own other humans and exploit their labor.

Haley did her best to contain the blast:

I want to nip it in the bud, she said a few days later. Yes, we know the Civil War was about slavery. But more than that, whats the lesson in all this? That freedom matters. And individual rights and liberties matter for all people. Thats the blessing of America. That was a stain on America when we had slavery. But what we want is never relive it. Never let anyone take those freedoms away again.

There are those who think that what is past should be left in the past  but even if that were possible, it wouldnt be desirable. The past shapes the present and the future, and understanding that interplay matters.

The brilliant narrative historian of the Middle Ages, Dan Jones, notes that, History is a dialogue, I think, between the past and present Every generation has its own preoccupations, which it seeks to somehow see reflected or see the foundation of them in the past.

Jones believes that we should embrace bringing our own preoccupations and outlook to that dialogue  as long as were honest about it, and recognize that we wont always be comfortable with the complicated answers the past gives to our questions.

Jones, on Dan Carlins Hardcore History podcast, notes that when he was writing his excellent overview of the Middle Ages, Powers and Thrones, he explored contemporary concerns like climate change, mass migration, pandemic disease, technological change, and global networks. All of those elements were important in the Middle Ages and theyre important now. Understanding how they played out hundreds of years ago can help us understand what is happening now  and what might happen in the future.

History is for creating a context for the now, Jones asserts. What are we going to learn from it if its not going to give us context for the now?

Were still struggling with what that context tells us about our now. Just ask Nikki Haley.
In 2023, Ukrainian farmers resumed work on 208,000 hectares of demined land, the capabilities of the State Emergency Service and the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine were improved, the development of domestic mine clearance machinery and equipment production began, a pool of international donors was formed to help Ukraine in mine action, First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who is also the Economy Minister of Ukraine, has said.

"We started the year 2023 with not very comforting numbers: no heavy mine clearance vehicles, six mine action operators, 1,500 deminers. We started the new year with almost 30 vehicles, 26 operators and more than 3,000 deminers. And also, with assurances from partners about their readiness to invest almost half a billion euros in humanitarian demining of Ukraine. Some partner countries and international organizations have already begun to allocate these funds," the press service of the Economy Ministry quoted Svyrydenko, who summed up the work on the country's mine action in 2023.

According to her, if at the beginning of 2023 some 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territories were considered potentially dangerous, today, as a result of mine action operations, some 156,000 square kilometers remain hazardous. That is, 18,000 square kilometers of fields, forests, and water areas have been returned to use thanks to the work of specialists.

Svyrydenko focused on returning priority agricultural land to demining for economic use.

"Over the year, sappers from the State Emergency Service, the State Special Transport Service and private operators examined 274,000 hectares of agricultural land  58% of what was envisaged by the four-year plan. Some 208,000 hectares of them have already been transferred for use to farmers. If we take the national average wheat yield in 2023 as an example, then almost 1 million tonnes grains can be grown on the returned lands," the minister said.

According to her calculations, grain grown in this territory and sold on foreign markets, at prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), can bring the country more than $225 million (UAH 8.4 billion), or approximately 750,000 tonnes of flour if the grain is processed in Ukraine, or about 6 million loaves on store shelves every day throughout the year. If sunflowers were planted on cleared lands, domestic producers could make approximately 266 million 850 milliliter bottles of oil from the harvested seeds.

Svyrydenko also reported that in 2023, farmers were already growing various crops on the lands returned to economic use.

"Last year we again had Kherson watermelons, Mykolaiv tomatoes and peppers on our tables. Priority demining of vegetable growing lands made it possible to ensure domestic consumption of vegetables. And the kutia or crumpets that we ate on Christmas were probably made from wheat grown in mine-free areas lands of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv or Sumy region. First of all, we are grateful for this to the sappers of the State Emergency Service, the State Special Transport Service, Ukrainian and international non-governmental operators," Svyrydenko said.

In addition, the minister announced the goal set by the Cabinet of Ministers  to return 80% of potentially mined areas to use within ten years. For this purpose, the National Mine Action Strategy was developed in 2023 and is at the final stage of approval, and proposals are being developed to update the law on mine action in Ukraine.
Truly, Scotties and all dogs are the best friends we have. Yes, we have loyal families and spouses. But as some find out, even family members and spouses have been known to desert us. But a well-loved dog is devoted to its keeper for life.

It may sound silly to some, but it seems that the many thousands of years that humans and dogs have spent together has made the once mighty wolf into a reflection of the very best that humans can be. Unless trained otherwise, a dog is filled to the point of overflowing with love and boundless devotion.

In recent years, we have used our relationship with dogs to train them to lovingly serve us in ways undreamed of a hundred years ago. Dogs protect us by sensing bombs, drugs, and even an oncoming seizure. They guide the blind, and they fetch things for the disabled. Dogs do all these things and more with love and joy filling them every moment.

How can we live up to this noble example?

One way is to follow the teachings of all the great mystics of the worldpeople who seek by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into Godincluding Jesus of Nazareth, Lao-Tzethe founder of Taoism, the Buddha, and Indias Guru Nanak. All of these people found Gods illumination through meditation.

Jesus brought Gods message to the Western world having obtained a magnificent, raised consciousness. Through constant prayer and meditation, Jesus totally submerged his human ego to the will of God, becoming the true Christ. He is an example of what is possible for any of us (as he told us) when one goes beyond faith and comprehends a full realization that we each are an individualized, unique essence of God at our core.

That core is Spirit, being perfect good and perfect love. When one comes close to the raised consciousness of Jesus, they see only the good in Gods world, and they see only the face of Christ in each human.

Thats a little bit like a dog. Some may recoil at that comment, but dogs are Gods creatures too, and they dont have to wrestle with our negative ego; they accept us as we are, and love us for it.

Yes, humans are special in the sense that we have more godly potential than a dog, but domestic dogs have mastered the basic concept of unconditional love, which each of us can make the centerpiece of our life and our faith.

Think about this: 1 John 4:16  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

The teachings of Jesus Christ were not about how much one attended church, or how many times one went to confession. Jesus shunned ritual and dogma. He taught us that letting the inner Spirit, that godly goodness that is in all of us, shine above our human desire for self-preservation and self-centeredness, can bring us into the presence of Gods love. He showed us that when we rise that high, Divine Love does not judge others. Many people talk about love, but then they stand in judgment over others whom they do not think exhibit the right kind of love.

Divine Love is not boastful. Many people spend a lot of time telling others how generous they are to the poor and needy. Somehow the ego gets in the way of their good works by needing to boast, which is why the Bible talks about helping others by giving anonymously.

Divine Love makes fear disappear. It is the ego that wants us afraidthat and todays news media. When you understand love as Jesus taught it, you dont need fear anymore. You finally begin to see that it is true: this power that created the universe is available to each of us, and we do not have to be afraid of this material world. Spirit is above materiality and we, at the core, are Spirit.

Now lets revisit that loving spirit of the domestic dog. We can, with conviction, raise our consciousness to such a level that we, this year, can master the concept of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Dogs demonstrate that others respond to unconditional love. People are drawn to others who truly love and appreciate them. People forgive your mistakes when love oozes out of your being. Children can quickly see a person filled with real love. Love makes the person genuine, and children adore real people.

Just think about our little community. If every person in this community made a commitment to loving everyone else in this community for just one year, imagine how many problems would disappear. With a commitment to love, we would listen to each other, really listen, without prejudging anothers ideas. We would take our ego out of problem-solving. We could sit down and negotiate our way through the most challenging issues and find the truly best solution, not the one that is newest or most expedient. Even old ideas can become new solutions under a new lens.

We can do this, but dont point your finger at your neighbor and say, You have to do it, too. Everything begins with you and me. (If its going to be, its up to me!) When we become committed to unconditional love, others will follow. Maybe not right away, because egos live in judgment of everything. But when we keep it up, eventually even the doubters will see that it can work.

May God bless your year, and may our unconditional love be as good as our dogs.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Colossians 3:14
Tree poaching

To the Editor:

I live in Crossroads. I wanted to correct the information in The Nugget, Tree poachers strike in Sisters. In this article it stated that Jeremy Fields and Therese Kollerer found the old-growth tree outside Crossroads on a survey of a volunteer clean-up. My husband, myself, and our neighbor were the ones involved in the clean-up of an abandoned homeless camp.

However, it was my husband who discovered the tree on one of his daily runs. He reported the location (using Google coordinates) to the Deschutes National Forest Service (Jeremy Fields), who acted quickly despite it being his day off. When the Forest Service arrived to survey the camp, my husband led them to the tree. Unfortunately, the outcome was tragic and heartbreaking and as the opinion piece by Therese states, an extreme loss to the community, on that we can all agree.

Dena Isbell

Thanks to Sisters community

To the Editor:

Sisters Kiwanis want to give a great big thank-you to the Sisters community for stepping up to help us reach our goals for the Food Bank. Also a big thank-you to the high school and middle school for their food drives. They donated over 1,000 pounds of food. Several of our local merchants have stepped up as well. Wander + NW collected 300 pounds in one day.

Doug Wills

Sisters Kiwanis

Congratulations to Jeremy Fields

To the Editor:

Congratulations to Jeremy Fields, our local Forest Priest as many of us call him, for just another award; hes had many and all well deserved!

Bonnie LaMont Rose

Smith not first

To the Editor:

Just finished reading your wonderful article on the upcoming book Throne of Grace (The great pathfinder, The Nugget, December 27). Cant wait for its release.

But as an avid reader of Western history I was dismayed at your historical error. You referenced Jedediah Smith as the discoverer of South Pass. Actually, thats not true. South Pass was discovered by Robert Smith and six companions trying to find a route back East. To avoid Crow warriors, they followed the advice of a Shoshone, who recommended a southern route over the Rockies.

So, on October 22, 1812, they made the first crossing west to east of South Pass. Hence, discovering South Pass. Jedediah Smith, on the other hand, made the first crossing of South Pass east to west in February, 1824.

Jenny Zimmerman

Israeli savagery

To the Editor:

I would like to respond to Bill Bartletts Call it for what it is commentary re: the Hamas attack, in the December 13 edition. It is very clear to me that Mr. Bartlett has jumped the gun in his condemnation of Hamas atrocities.

He calls their action savagery for their indiscriminate killing of over 1,200 Jewish citizens in a brutal attack from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of a coalition government patched together with far right-wing parties in the Knesset, was unfortunately caught off guard by this Hamas attack, and has decided to use the full might of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) to destroy the Hamas stronghold in the Gaza Strip, and make him appear the hardline leader that Israel needs.

The IDF has been developed to protect Israel from the Arab States that surround it and is a 21st century military with a modern air force, army, and coastal forces. It is not a force to execute surgical strikes in a densely populated urban area. Currently, there are over 2 million people living in Gaza with an area the size of Boston, Massachusetts or Las Vegas, Nevada. So far, close to 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in these surgical attacks. The majority of those killed have been women and children. Included in the death count are 64 journalists (57 Palestinians, three Israelis and one Lebanese) and 137 U.N. aid workers.

The indiscriminate use of air power, artillery, and ground mechanization has decimated a large majority of the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip. Palestinians were told to flee the north of the Strip and congregate in the south of Gaza. In the past week, (as of December 19) these refugee sites have been attacked by IDF, with the death of more innocent women and children.

I hope that most of your readers remember the attack in Las Vegas in 2017. No, it wasnt terrorist, but an American citizen. Sixty innocent persons were killed. Thats a little under half of the number killed by Hamas on October 7. What was the American response? Carpet bomb the Las Vegas Strip? Call out the National Guard and mow down any suspected shooters?

The savagery is now in the hands of the Israelis. They have resorted to tactics we have not seen since World War II. Except they dont have to deport the Palestinians to death camps in some other country. They simply have to shoot fish in a barrel to rid themselves of the pesky Palestinian problem.

For those who want to dig deeper into the Palestinian/Israeli issue, research the Balfour Declaration, where Britain authorized their support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Rob Phelps

Final chapter

To the Editor:

My husband and I moved to Sisters in the fall of 1992. Shortly thereafter, I noticed an ad in The Nugget for a part-time position at the local bookstore, at that time, Paulina Springs Book Company. Diane Campbell and Dick Sandvik had opened the store on Memorial Day of that year.

I thought to myself that, being new to the area, working at the bookstore would be a great way to meet people in the community. And it has been, in spades. Over the past 31 years I have worked part-time, able early on to have some summers off to work in profession as a wildlife biologist, to as little as one day a week for a short while when Brad Smith first took over the reins of the store. That didnt last long!

Ive been a nearly full-time manager/co-manager now for the last 15-20 years. Ive been lucky enough during my time at Paulina Springs Books to have worked for/with some very forward-thinking, community-minded owners, most recently Lane Jacobson, who is taking the store to new heights in Sisters.

I have also had the good fortune to have had some great coworkers over the years. It has indeed been a wonderful way to meet people in my community, with customers who have become friends as well, seeing welcome familiar faces in the store on an almost daily basis. And now, after 31 years, as of January 1, I am stepping away from my book-selling endeavors. While I will still be doing a few store-related tasks, and will come in as need be to do them, my presence will be limited. I will miss the day-to-day, seeing both new and familiar faces, sharing lighthearted as well as deep conversations about books and life in general. Helping customers find just the right book is the joy of the work, and I will miss that. But I will still be reading and sharing those recommendations.

Thank you all for trusting me to help you with your book selections and for becoming the friends I hoped I would find when I answered that ad 31 years ago. I hope to see you around town, and we can still talk books!

Sue Tank
Taurus, the brightest zodiac constellation of the winter season, rides high in the evening sky during January. The celestial Bull is one of only 12 elite constellations that lie along a strip of sky centered about the ecliptic. The sun, moon, and all the major planets are always found somewhere within this belt of the sky.

The arrangement of stars in Taurus does, indeed, resemble the head of a bull. The V-shaped star cluster known as the Hyades depicts the beast's face. From this feature two horns extend in a northeasterly direction. The northern horn terminates at Elnath, the constellation's second brightest star, while Zeta Tauri marks the tip of the southern horn. Aldebaran, a first magnitude reddish-orange star, denotes the Bull's eye. Finally, the celebrated Pleiades star cluster represents Taurus' shoulder.

Aldebaran is the brightest star in the group. It is classified as a red giant star that is 44 times larger than the sun and lies at a distance of only 65 light-years. Interestingly, the NASA space probe Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, will pass by Aldebaran in about two million years.

Lying as close as it does to the Milky Way, Taurus has a long list of deep-sky objects. Two of them are so spectacular that they have no rivals anywhere else in the sky. One of these is M1, first entry in Charles Messier's catalog of non-stellar objects. Dubbed the Crab Nebula, it is the remnant of a supernova that exploded in 1054. Chinese astronomers recorded the event, describing the temporary star as being visible in the daytime for nearly a month. M1 is located 6,500 light-years away.

The other notable object is the famous Pleiades star cluster, sometimes referred to as M45. It is estimated that the cluster contains approximately 3,000 stars, many of them hot, massive blue bodies that will live short lives. The young cluster formed just 100 million years ago.

The Pleiades cluster is an easy naked-eye object. Between 6 to 14 individual stars can be made out, depending on atmospheric transparency, stability, and darkness of night. To many observers the cluster looks like a tiny dipper. It resides about 410 light-years from Earth.

Many cultures have associated this constellation with a bull, including Greek, Egyptian, and Indigenous mythology. Taurus, along with the Pleiades, can even be traced back to an ancient cave painting at Lascaux, dated 15,000 BC. According to Greek sky lore, the god Zeus disguised himself in the figure of a bull to seduce Europa, a princess. Once gaining Europa's attention, Zeus carried her across the sea to the island of Crete, where he removed his disguise. Zeus and Europa ended up having three children together. Zeus honored the Bull by placing him among the stars.

The solar system's three inner planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, will be clustered in the morning sky in January. They will be best seen near the eastern horizon later in the month. Jupiter (in Aries) and Saturn (in Aquarius) will be the only naked-eye planets to occupy the evening sky.

As the new year begins, the moon will be on the wane. It will continue to darken until just after the new moon on January 11-an ideal time to do some dark-sky viewing. In the days that follow, the moon's brightness will wax until the Full Wolf Moon arrives on January 25. The title "Wolf Moon" was coined after the thought that more wolves could be heard howling under a January full moon. The full moon will rise just after 6 p.m. and set just before 6 a.m., allowing plenty of time to view the illuminated night sky.

January's Starry Sky tip is to turn lights off when not in use. If you still have holiday twinkle lights up, make sure you shut them off when you go to bed at night, or even set them on a timer. Otherwise, turn off porch and outside lights when you are not actively using them. The collective glow produced by outdoor lights that are left on at night creates a light dome surrounding Sisters, ultimately making it more difficult to see the beautiful stars in our night sky.
Retired Indiana Dunes National Park Superintendant Paul Labovitz, who helped create the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, will deliver the festivals keynote address this year.

Labovitz will give the Indiana Dunes Birding Festivals keynote presentation at the Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton on Saturday, May 18.

He grew up as a city kid in Philadelphia but got turned onto nature during a hike in New Jersey. He knew at that moment that he would be involved and work in the natural world, the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival said in a press release.

Hes a forest science graduate of Penn State University who earned an MBA at Frostburg State University. Labovitz served in the National Park Service for 35 years, handling river conservation and trail development in more than 25 states.

Paul has significant international experience in National Parks and Protected Areas in Europe, Canada and Central America. He also served as Superintendent at Mississippi National River & Recreation Area and was the first Superintendent at Pullman National Monument in Chicago, the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival said in a press release. Eventually, he ended up at the Indiana Dunes National Park and helped kickstart the birding festival.

The Indiana resident lived on the Redbud Farm in LaPorte County with chickens and the worlds most laid-back black Lab named Teton.

Pauls presentation will focus on his various experiences that led this city kid to his final position as Superintendent at Indiana Dunes National Park. Its hard to imagine the journey given his upbringing, but Paul will be sharing stories that contradict his 7th grade nuns prediction that he wouldnt amount to anything, the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival said in a press release. The evening will be fun, mesmerizing, and leave you with a restoration in faith for public service. Paul has a passion for public lands and making them accessible for everyone, which is evident in his involvement with our own Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. You will enjoy hearing his tale of against all odds, succeeding in a conservation career that has helped millions of others enjoy the great outdoors.

For more information, visit indunesbirdingfestival.com.
GRIFFITH  The Griffith Police Department is conducting active shooter training sessions throughout this week at Griffith High School.

The scenario-based training will be held during various hours of the daytime through Friday, police said. Residents may observe a heightened presence of police squad cars and increased activity in and around the school premises.

Griffith High School is on winter break during this training and no classes will be held.

"It is important to underscore the importance of police officers engaging in active shooter training," Griffith police said in a news release. "This proactive approach equips our law enforcement with the necessary expertise to effectively respond to and mitigate potential threats, fostering a safer environment for all."

All officers are required to attend the training sessions. The police department wants to emphasize there's no need for concern.

"This training is a regular and crucial component of ensuring the safety of our community," police said.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail Jamille Walker Rebecca Strand Jennifer Phillips William Riley Damien Sahagun Jillian Sencaj Lashawntel Mackay Tursena Harris Semaj Irvin Todd Kasperan Imelda Lopez Tinotchy Evans Luke Hardin Lazarius Allison Patrick Colvin Antonio Santana Cameron Smith Primas Sweet Don Wiley Steven Mikel Jr. Jesus Morales Marcus Nash Mark Nicpon Ann Horta Enrique Feliciano Jacoby Gibson Eugene Clay Haley Austin Robert Van Noort Michael Udrow Derrick Keys Richard Morris Larry Newman Jr. Terrane Robinson Christian Saavedra Ibn Jones Donald Elmore III Brian Hawkins Brian Jablonski LaTeshia Adams Nashee Burns Stephanie Crilley Tonya Stevens Joseph Szilagyi Daniel Tyrka Jessica Smith Victor Sandoval Al Sepulveda Paul Slagle Crystal McLain Stuart Roane III Kelly Klapkowski Alyssa Hecker Eve Holt Lori Kikkert Mosell Gordon Jr. David Garcia Luveli Gipson Xavier Binder Jose Cotto Jr. Stephanie Crilley
Days after removing Akilia McCain from the Gary School Board, Mayor Eddie Melton has selected his pick for the board.

On Tuesday, Melton announced he has appointed Glenn Johnson to the school board.

"It's my honor to appoint the final body to a diverse group representing community, business and academics," Melton said in a statement, noting Johnson is a product of Gary public schools.

Johnson is an IT consulting executive and previously served on the Lake Ridge School Board, including nine years as board president.

The new appointee said he hopes his previous school board experience will be beneficial for Gary students.

Last week, the new Gary mayor notified McCain of her removal from the school board. McCain had been selected to serve on the board by former Mayor Jerome Prince last June.

The five-member appointed school board was established by Senate Enrolled Act 327 and signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb last May.

It gives the mayor and Gary Common Council each an appointment, with the Indiana secretary of education getting three picks.

Johnson had been one of the applicants for the common council's appointment to the board last year. Council members ultimately picked Vanessa Allen-McCloud.

Gary schools are now being overseen and operated by the Distressed Unit Appeals Board and MGT Counseling, with the appointed board serving in an advisory role. The school board is expected to take full control of the district in July.

The Gary School Board is currently tasked with searching for a superintendent to take over for emergency manager Mike Raisor next school year.

They are expected to name a search firm at their next meeting on Thursday.
The team of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is interested in investigating the circumstances of the Russian strike on the village of Hroza, Kupiansk district, Kharkiv region, Ukrainian law enforcement officers are identifying the perpetrators of the enemy strike and the officers of the Russian Armed Forces who gave the criminal order, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin said.

On Wednesday evening, on the air of the National Telethon, he said that, together with the ICC team, he was at the scene of one of the largest war crimes  in the village of Hroza where 59 people were killed by a missile attack last October.

"The investigation has already identified the non-humans who directed the enemy to this target. We are working together to identify the perpetrators and Russian officers who gave this criminal order," the Prosecutor General said.

As reported, on October 5, at about 13:25, the occupiers launched a missile attack, presumably with an Iskander-M, on a cafe-shop in the village of Hroza, where a funeral was being held on the occasion of the reburial of a Ukrainian serviceman, a native of this village. According to police, 59 people were killed and five more were wounded as a result of the missile attack.
J's Peapod, a popular Chinese eatery, has closed both its Lansing locations after its owner died.

The restaurant has been an institution in the Calumet Region for more than three decades, serving customers in Lansing, the broader south suburbs and Northwest Indiana. It operated restaurants at 3212 E. 171st St. and 19285 Burnham Ave. that did a bustling takeout and delivery business.

"Due to the sudden passing of J's Peapod's owner, Jeff Lo, we are sorry to inform you that both J's Peapod locations on 171th Street and Burnham Avenue will be closed effective January 1st," the business posed on social media. "J's Peapod is extremely proud of its 32 years of service and would like to express our gratitude to the many loyal customers within the community and your continuous support throughout the years. We wish everyone a Happy 2024."

Lo died at the age of 61 a few weeks ago, according to his obituary.

Many people said J's Peapod was one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area. It boasted using only the finest ingredients such as fresh vegetables, all-white-meat chicken and U.S.D.A. flank steak for its beef dishes.

The menu included combination plates, family-style dinners and house specials like the Kung Po Three, Garlic Delight, Mushroom King, Lobster Sauce Combo, Curry Supreme, Beef and Scallops, Hot Kow Combo and Singapore Noodles.

J's Peapod served Szechwan, beef, pork, chicken, seafood, Egg Foo Young and Chop Suey. It made favorites like sweet and sour chicken, orange chicken, beef and broccoli and shrimp and scallops.

The eateries also offered dine-in, but catered mainly to a takeout business, serving as the go-to place for many people craving Chinese food.
EAST CHICAGO  On Jan. 10, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management will host a public meeting to discuss a proposed air permit renewal for Cleveland-Cliff's Indiana Harbor Works in East Chicago.

According to an Indiana Department of Environmental Management release, the meeting was prompted by public comment. Cleveland-Cliffs is seeking a five-year renewal for the Indiana Harbor air permit. Cleveland-Cliffs acquired the Indiana Harbor steel mills from ArcelorMittal in late 2020, after the permit was last renewed.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management began accepting public comment on the proposed permit renewal Nov. 3. Public comment will close Jan. 16.

The Jan. 10 public meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the East Chicago Central High School cafeteria, located at 1100 West Columbus Drive.

During the meeting, Indiana Department of Environmental Management staff will explain the Cleveland-Cliffs air permit and will answer any questions attendees have. Residents will also be able to submit written comments during the meeting.

Comments can be mailed to Wilfredo de la Rosa, Indiana Department of Environmental Management Office of Air Quality, 100 N. Senate Ave., MC 61-53 IGCN 1003 Indianapolis, IN, or emailed to wdelaros@idem.IN.gov. Members of the public are asked to refer to permit number "T 089-46464-00318" in all written correspondence with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

After the public comment period closes Jan. 16, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management will issue a Notice of Decision stating whether the permit renewal has been approved or denied. The final decision will include a document that summarizes all of the public comment the Indiana Department of Environmental Management received. The Notice of Decision will be available online at in.gov/idem.

Gallery: Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill Cleveland-Cliffs CEO, Mrvan tour Indiana Harbor Works steel mill
The United Steelworkers union met with Nippon, the Japanese steelmaker who's looking to buy U.S. Steel, but continues to have questions and concerns about the deal.

Nippon, now the fourth largest steelmaker in the world, put in a $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel that would let it operate as a subsidiary with the same name and headquarters in Pittsburgh. The USW worries the new owner would continue down the same direction of mill idlings and closings.

"Neither Nippon or USS contacted the union prior to the announcement, which is a violation of many sections of our labor agreement that require USS to provide us information about critical developments," USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap and International President Bruce McCall said in a letter to members. "We all know that USS has a history of broken commitments, including shutting down steelmaking and other operations at both Great Lakes and Granite City. They broke their promise of more than $1 billion in new and updated technology in the Mon Valley, and instead decided to buy Big River. They have shut down the East Chicago Tin Mill, the UPI Tin Mill and other operations and idled tin operations at the Gary plant. In addition, USS has shut down Lone Star Steel, the Lorain Ohio plant and coke batteries at Clairton. This rocky start and lack of communication only deepens our concerns that Nippon would be no better than USS."

Tokyo-based Nippon, which made 44 million tons of steel last year and operates 10 integrated mills in Japan, has pledged that it would accept U.S. Steel's labor agreement with the United Steelworkers union. It guarantees pay, benefits, working conditions and other terms of employment.

"Our contracts include extensive commitments to pensions and retiree health care, promised capital expenditures, Program of Insurance Benefits, local agreements, past practices and more," Millap and McCall said in the letter to members. "We intend to enforce the full measure of our current contracts, and obviously we are also concerned about any buyer making promises to stand behind our benefits."

The union met Friday with Nippon's Hiroshi Ono and his team at its headquarters in Pittsburgh.

"This was an introductory meeting and presentation from Ono. While they promised to give us publicly available information about Nippon, they didnt make any other commitments," Millsap and McCall said. "We asked questions about the future of our operations, and they didnt have any answers. They also told us they would not publicly report financial results for U.S. Steel, which has direct impact on our ability to verify profit-sharing payments. We told them that we would make an information request regarding other aspects of the sale and schedule a follow-up meeting after a review of that information."

After U.S. Steel put itself up for sale in a surprise move back in August, the union backed the offer Cleveland-Cliffs, which put in an unsolicited $7.3 billion bid for U.S. Steel that kick-started the bidding process. The USW has had success and an easy time in negotiation with Cleveland-Cliffs, who pledged that no union member would lose their job during a merger.

"They also committed to continuing to make steel in America and operating blast furnaces. Cliffs further would commit to much-needed capital investment in our facilities and adhere to all our contract provisions, including pensions, health care and profit sharing," Millsap and McCall said.

But Nippon Steel has not made such promises and plans to follow U.S. Steel's current production plan.

"We also have concerns about our existing relationship with Nippon. At a steel plant in Calvert, Alabama, one of their joint ventures refused to honor the union organizing neutrality agreement and hired anti-union lawyers in an attempt to have our contractual rights thrown out," Millsap and McCall said. "We also have contracts with Nippon at Standard Steel in District 10 and Wheeling-Nissan in District 8, and our relationship includes a backlog of grievances and NLRB charges filed by the local unions. Finally, Nippons lack of commitment to capital expenditures coupled with its representatives stated intentions to shift production from USW-represented facilities to non-union Big River and curtail operations at USW facilities are obviously also of grave concern to us, especially given its status as a foreign-owned company."

The union has reached out to elected officials to call for increased scrutiny on how a foreign company buying an American iron like U.S. Steel would impact domestic steelmaking, climate change, domestic steelmaking and supply chain reliability

"For many years, Japanese steel producers have harmed the American industry by dumping their products into the U.S. market at unfair prices," Millsap and McCall said.

The United States currently imposes 12 different antidumping tariffs on steel from Japan. Some have stretched on for 20 years, getting extended over and over every few years due to repeated violations or a threat of continued harm.

"USS has been an active participant in these anti-dumping cases. We should question if Nippon Steel gets control of U.S. Steel, it could use its status as a domestic producer to work against the trade cases from the inside," Millsap and McCall said. "U.S. Steel makes many of the products currently under order, including seamless pipe, tin mill, cold-rolled steel, and hot-rolled steel. In these cases  or any others where U.S. Steel may have an interest  Nippon Steel could order U.S. Steel to change its longstanding position and support revocation of the antidumping order."

The union may call together local presidents for a meeting to share information and discuss next steps.

"Altogether, the proposed sale seems to be bad for workers, our communities and the domestic industry  as well as our national security, critical infrastructure and domestic supply chains," Millsap and McCall said. "Rest assured, we are doing everything we can to get the answers to our outstanding questions and ensure our employment security, economic security and retirement security are protected in any proposed transaction and sale process."
CROWN POINT  Indianas chief elections officer is confident the Hoosier State once again this year will have safe and secure elections with results that can be trusted.

Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales said during a visit to the Lake County Government Center Tuesday that he's working to build partnerships with the bipartisan leaders and staff of all 92 county elections offices to promote voter participation and ensure election integrity.

This spring and summer were going to get ready to register as many eligible Hoosiers and then we can drive them to the polls, Morales said.

As a Guatemalan immigrant and Indianas first Hispanic secretary of state, Morales said hes especially interested in reaching out to Hoosiers from minority communities and encouraging them to take part in the election process.

At the same time, Morales said hes committed to making sure county election officials have the funding and equipment they need to minimize the occasional hassles of voting and to guarantee an accurate count of the results.

The core of our state is at the county level. When our counties are strong, our state is strong, Morales said. My job is to provide them with the tools and resources so they can be ready. As you know, 2024 is going to be a massive election year.

To that end, Morales visited Crown Point and presented the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration a symbolic oversized check for $89,750  part of a distribution of some $2 million in federal Help America Vote Act funds to counties across Indiana, including Porter ($27,000) and Jasper ($5,794).

There was a wide range of options in which the $2 million funding could have been utilized. I was confident the best use of this funding was to invest in local election initiatives, Morales said. Im excited to hand-deliver grant money and learn how my office can further assist with their local election improvement projects.

The Lake County elections office plans to use the funds to prepare and print easy-to-use guides to election law and voting requirements, and to make the guides accessible to the countys 350,000 registered voters and its hundreds of poll workers.

Our project provides for an educational component designed specifically for voters and poll workers to shine a light on the electoral process in Indiana and so all of the stakeholders can understand the process, the rules and their rights, said LeAnn Angerman, assistant Lake County elections director.

Michelle Fajman, Lake County elections director, likewise is eager to deploy the grant funds to bolster election administration and security.

Here in Lake County we strive for transparency and improving the voting process, Fajman said. Having grants like this allows us to think outside our normal budgetary process.

The election guides were jointly developed by Fajman and Angerman as part of their participation in Ball State Universitys certificate program in election administration, technology and security.

Meet the 2024 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Dave Vinzant, D-Hobart State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr. State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
Harvards president, Claudine Gay, announced her resignation on Tuesday, after her presidency had become engulfed in crisis over accusations of plagiarism and what some called her insufficient response to antisemitism on campus after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.

In announcing she would step down immediately, Dr. Gay, Harvards first Black president and the second woman to lead the university, ended a turbulent tenure that began last July. She will have the shortest stint in office of any Harvard president since its founding in 1636.

Alan M. Garber, an economist and physician who is Harvards provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president. Dr. Gay will remain a tenured professor of government and African and African American studies.

Dr. Gay became the second university president to resign in recent weeks, after she and the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and M.I.T. appeared in a Dec. 5 congressional hearing in which they appeared to evade the question of whether students who called for the genocide of Jews should be punished.
This is the beginning of the end for D.E.I. in Americas institutions, said the conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who had helped publicize the plagiarism allegations.

Until last month, conservative-inspired efforts to remake higher education had unfolded primarily at public universities in right-leaning states such as Florida and Texas, where G.O.P. lawmakers and state officials could exercise their legislative and executive powers to ban diversity offices, set up right-leaning academic centers and demand changes to curriculum.
U.S. spy agencies believe that Hamas and another Palestinian group fighting Israel used Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza to command forces and hold some hostages, according to new American intelligence declassified on Tuesday.

The hospital was the focus of a large Israel Defense Forces effort in November to take control of the facility, an operation that came under intense international scrutiny and criticism.

Israeli officials said Hamas had built a vast complex under the hospital, making it a legitimate military target. But critics said the military operation effectively cut off and shut down a crucial part of Gazas medical network with little evidence that Hamas was using the hospital as a command post.

A senior U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday that the American government continued to believe that Hamas used the hospital complex and sites beneath it to exercise command and control activities, store weapons and hold at least a few hostages.
Court documents related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein are expected to be released soon with many names that were previously redacted, and prominent figures on the right are holding up the impending disclosures as evidence of wrongdoing by Democrats despite a lack of concrete information about what they will show.

Most of the names being made public  currently cited in the documents as John Does  have previously been identified in other court documents or in news reports as having been associated with Mr. Epstein.

A longtime friend of powerful people, including politicians, business executives and royalty, Mr. Epstein was accused of preying on girls as young as 14, bringing them to his homes and paying them for sex acts. He died at 66 by suicide in jail in 2019, before he could stand trial in Manhattan on federal sex-trafficking charges, but his associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of conspiring with him and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Mr. Epsteins estate has since paid out about $150 million in settlements to more than 125 women.

It is in connection with a defamation lawsuit against Ms. Maxwell that the documents are being released. That lawsuit was brought by one of Mr. Epsteins and Ms. Maxwells victims, Virginia Giuffre. Previously, many of the names in the documents were sealed, but a New York judge ruled in December that some of them could be unsealed.
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a conservative groups efforts to challenge the eligibility of hundreds of thousands of voters in the Senate runoff elections in Georgia in early 2021 did not violate the Voting Rights Act under a clause outlawing voter suppression.

In a 145-page opinion, the judge, Steve C. Jones of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, wrote that the court maintains its prior concerns regarding how the group, True the Vote, sought to challenge voters eligibility. But he said that Fair Fight, the liberal voting rights group that brought the lawsuit against True the Vote, had failed to show that the efforts were illegal.

The decision was relatively narrow, applying only to Judge Joness district in northern Georgia, and will do little to change the status quo: Right-wing election groups have already tried to help bring thousands of challenges to voter registrations in states across the country.

But the opinion is likely to encourage conservative activists hunting for voter fraud during the 2024 presidential election. Election officials and voting rights groups have expressed worries about these efforts, warning that an expanded campaign to challenge voters en masse could intimidate people away from the ballot box. True the Vote and similar groups, taking a cue from former President Donald J. Trump, have often spread false theories about election fraud.
Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday made their final written request to a federal appeals court to grant Mr. Trump immunity to charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, arguing the indictment should be tossed out because it arose from actions he took while in the White House.

The 41-page filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was the final step before the defense and prosecution debate the issue in front of a three-judge panel next Tuesday.

The dispute over immunity is the single most important aspect of the election interference case, touching not only on new questions of law but also on consequential issues of timing. The case is scheduled to go to trial in Federal District Court in Washington in early March, but has been put on hold until Mr. Trumps efforts to have the charges tossed on immunity grounds are resolved.

In their filing to the appeals court, Mr. Trumps lawyers repeated some of the arguments they had made in earlier submissions. They claimed, for instance, that a long history of presidents not being charged with crimes suggested that they all enjoyed immunity. They also said that prosecuting Mr. Trump now could unleash a chain reaction of other presidents being indicted.
Zelenskyy on exchange of POWs: The more Russians we take prisoner, the more effective exchange talks to be

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the large exchange of prisoners of war with Russia, said that the more Ukraine takes Russian prisoners, the more effective the negotiations in Russia on their exchanges will be.

"We managed to free more than 200 of our people  soldiers and civilians  from Russian captivity. There was a long pause in exchanges, but there was no pause in negotiations on exchanges. We use every opportunity, try all options for mediation. At every international meeting that can be of help, we are raising the topic of returning our prisoners. And we will continue to work to return all of ours. And we will continue to work to return all of ours," Zelenskyy said in a video address.

The head of state thanked his entire team who worked and are working on the exchange of prisoners, as well as military personnel who replenish the exchange fund.

"Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk, Klymenko... And of course, I thank each of our soldiers on the frontline who takes the invaders prisoner and replenishes our exchange fund. The more Russians we take prisoner, the more effective the exchange negotiations will be," he said.

As reported, on Wednesday, January 3, the largest exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion took place between Ukraine and Russia. As part of it, it was possible to free 230 Ukrainian men and women, both military and civilian.
Hamas on Tuesday accused Israel of killing Saleh al-Arouri, a top leader of the group, along with two commanders from its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. Mr. al-Arouri is the senior-most Hamas figure to be killed since Israel vowed to destroy the organization and eliminate its leadership after a deadly Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.

Mr. al-Arouri was assassinated in an explosion in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanons capital, marking the first such assassination of a top Hamas official outside the West Bank and Gaza in recent years. It comes as officials across the region are worried about the war in Gaza igniting a wider conflagration.

Israeli officials would not comment on whether their forces had targeted Mr. al-Arouri, but officials from Lebanon and the United States ascribed the attack to Israel. A senior U.S. official said it was most likely the first of many strikes that Israel would carry out against Hamas operatives connected to the Oct. 7 assault.

No one is safe if they had any hand in planning, raising money for or carrying out these attacks, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal discussions. Citing Israels vow to hunt down the perpetrators of the Oct. 7 attack wherever they are, the official added, This is just the beginning, and itll go on for years.
The Atlanta rapper T.I., born Clifford Harris, was sued on Tuesday, along with his wife, Tameka Harris, known as Tiny, by a woman who accused the couple of drugging and raping her after she met them at a Los Angeles nightclub around 2005.

In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court under Californias Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which extended the statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims, the woman is identified only as Jane Doe, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, who was 22 or 23 years old at the time. She previously gave her account of the alleged assault and its aftermath in an interview with The New York Times in 2021, when she spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her family.

In her lawsuit, the woman accuses Mr. Harris, 43, and Ms. Harris, 48, of sexual battery, battery, sexual assault, negligence, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and is seeking damages.

In a statement provided by a lawyer for the couple, Andrew B. Brettler, Mr. and Ms. Harris denied the accusations, calling the civil suit a shakedown. This plaintiff has been threatening to file this lawsuit for three years, the statement said. For three years, we have emphatically and categorically denied these allegations. For three years we have maintained our innocence and refused to pay these extortionate demands for things we didnt do.
Pat McAfee on Wednesday apologized for airing comments that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made toward Jimmy Kimmel on McAfees ESPN television show a day earlier suggesting the late-night talk show host had a connection to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Some things obviously people get very pissed off about, especially when theyre that serious allegations, McAfee said. So we apologize for being a part of it. I cant wait to hear what Aaron has to say about it. Hopefully those two will just be able to settle this, you know, not court-wise, but be able to chitchat and move along.

Speaking on his weekly Tuesday appearance on McAfees television show on ESPN, Rodgers, a four-time winner of the N.F.L.s Most Valuable Player Award, suggested that Kimmel, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, was acquainted with Epstein, who was accused of having sex with minors and in 2019 died by suicide while in jail. Epstein was a longtime friend to powerful politicians and business executives, and the names of some of his associates are expected to be publicly released soon in court documents.

Theres a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, really hoping that doesnt come out, Rodgers said on McAfees show. Kimmel denied the allegations on X, formerly known as Twitter, and threatened potential legal action against Rodgers.
Blast in Beirut kills senior Hamas leader

The deputy head of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, and two leaders of its armed wing were killed in an explosion in Lebanon that the group attributed to Israel. Israel has refused to discuss the matter, but two senior U.S. officials said that Israel was responsible for the strike.

Hamass leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said that seven members of the group had been killed in the strike in a suburb of Beirut, the Lebanese capital. Videos from the scene show at least one car engulfed in flames in front of a high-rise building as dozens of people gathered in the area.

One U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal conversations, said it was most likely the first of many covert strikes that Israel will carry out against Hamas officials or operatives with any connections to the deadly Oct. 7 assault that killed 1,200 people.

Al-Arouri: A founder of Hamass military wing, the Qassam Brigades, he was elected as the deputy chairman of the groups political bureau in October 2017 and held the official role of head of Hamas in the West Bank. Regional security officials said that al-Arouri was typically in Beirut, where he served as a sort of ambassador to the militant group Hezbollah.
Sidney M. Wolfe, a physician and consumer advocate who for more than 40 years hounded the pharmaceutical industry and the Food and Drug Administration over high prices, dangerous side effects and overlooked health hazards, bringing a new level of transparency and accountability to the world of medical care, died on Monday at his home in Washington. He was 86.

His wife, Suzanne Goldberg, said the cause was a brain tumor.

Along with the consumer advocate Ralph Nader, Dr. Wolfe founded the Health Research Group in 1971, and over the next four decades used it as a base for his relentless campaigns on behalf of health care users. At the door to his office, on the seventh floor of a dingy building near Dupont Circle in Washington, he hung a sign that read Populus iamdudum defutatus est  Latin for, roughly, The people have been screwed long enough.

His strategy, built around what he called research-based advocacy, was to flood the zone with information: news releases, congressional testimonies and interviews in the news media. A visitor to his office would invariably come away with a stack of reports recently issued by the Health Research Group.
Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed on Wednesday a major shift in education policy that could transform the way many schools teach reading across New York, following the lead of other states that have jettisoned methods experts say have left millions of children behind.

The proposal comes as education experts point to increasing evidence that the states approach to literacy is failing. Last year, fewer than half of New Yorks third graders were proficient on state reading tests.

Ms. Hochul called for the state Education Department to require school districts to certify that their curriculums have embraced scientifically proven approaches to literacy by September 2025.

This is a very big deal, because for a long time, people realized what was going on was not working. But nobody stood up and said it needs to change, Ms. Hochul said Wednesday to a room of lawmakers, teachers and fourth graders at a public elementary school in Watervliet, outside Albany.
The I Love My Librarian Award has found Fred Gitner.

Gitner, who has worked in programs to assist migrants at the Queens Public Library for 28 years, is one of 10 librarians nationally whom the American Library Association cited for profound impact on the people in their communities. The recipients were chosen from nearly 1,400 nominees submitted by library users nationwide. Gitner is the assistant director of the Queens Librarys New Americans Program, which coordinates informational workshops on topics like immigration law, parenting and tenants rights.

I view Fred as our international ambassador, said Dennis Walcott, the president and chief executive of the Queens Library. His sensitivity to the asylum seekers who are coming to libraries and what Fred was able to do with his staff to go out and interface with them is off the charts.
On Tuesday, I made the wrenching but necessary decision to resign as Harvards president. For weeks, both I and the institution to which Ive devoted my professional life have been under attack. My character and intelligence have been impugned. My commitment to fighting antisemitism has been questioned. My inbox has been flooded with invective, including death threats. Ive been called the N-word more times than I care to count.

My hope is that by stepping down I will deny demagogues the opportunity to further weaponize my presidency in their campaign to undermine the ideals animating Harvard since its founding: excellence, openness, independence, truth.

As I depart, I must offer a few words of warning. The campaign against me was about more than one university and one leader. This was merely a single skirmish in a broader war to unravel public faith in pillars of American society. Campaigns of this kind often start with attacks on education and expertise, because these are the tools that best equip communities to see through propaganda. But such campaigns dont end there. Trusted institutions of all types  from public health agencies to news organizations  will continue to fall victim to coordinated attempts to undermine their legitimacy and ruin their leaders credibility. For the opportunists driving cynicism about our institutions, no single victory or toppled leader exhausts their zeal.

Yes, I made mistakes. In my initial response to the atrocities of Oct. 7, I should have stated more forcefully what all people of good conscience know: Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks to eradicate the Jewish state. And at a congressional hearing last month, I fell into a well-laid trap. I neglected to clearly articulate that calls for the genocide of Jewish people are abhorrent and unacceptable and that I would use every tool at my disposal to protect students from that kind of hate.
Throughout the weeks that Harvard spent resisting, unsuccessfully, the calls for Claudine Gays resignation, a common line of defense of the embattled Ivy League president was that its essential not to hand any kind of victory, under any circumstances, to conservative critics of higher education.

For instance, a Harvard Law professor, Charles Fried, said that he might give credence to the evidence that Gay was a serial plagiarist if it came from some other quarter. But not, he averred, when its being put forward as part of this extreme right-wing attack on elite institutions.

Such right-wing attacks, argued Issac Bailey, an assistant professor of communications at Davidson College, ultimately have nothing to do with the particulars of any given academic scandal: Right-wingers believe awful things about liberals and colleges because they want to believe awful things about liberals and colleges, and they will always refuse to believe anything else, no matter what liberals and colleges say or do.

Now that Gay has departed, now that the work of conservative activists and journalists has overcome institutional resistance, its worth examining right-of-center beliefs about higher education a bit more closely. The rights writers and activists have indeed spent generations, from Christopher Rufo in the present day going back to William F. Buckley Jr. in the 1950s, critiquing the liberal tilt of academia. And the consistency of that critique could understandably persuade academics that it doesnt really matter where they stand, what they teach or, for that matter, how tough they are on plagiarism. The right will always be against them  and bent on destruction, not reform.
Ukraine has already released 2,828 citizens from enemy captivity during the period of Russia's full-scale invasion, the work will continue, a representative of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Yusov.

"Today is a really important event. In fact, some 2,828 Ukrainians have already been released from enemy captivity during the period of a full-scale invasion. And of course, this work will continue," Yusov said during the telethon.

He said Ukraine is ready to use all tools, "the most unexpected and creative, including international mediation, to save the lives of our defenders, defenders, and civilians."

As reported, the largest exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine took place between Ukraine and Russia, as part of which it was possible to free 230 Ukrainian men and women.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War informed that among them there are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine  130 (including Territorial Defense Forces some 14, Navy some 14), National Guard some 55, State Border Service some 38, National Police  one and six civilians, illegally deprived of freedom.

Among those returned were 182 people who had official prisoner of war status, confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as 48 military personnel who were considered missing and had the status of "identity search." The majority of those released are men (225), five are women. There are 213 privates and sergeants, eleven are officers.

As stated by Head of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said Ukraine managed to carry out a very complex exchange of prisoners of war, which was prepared for quite a long time; the United Arab Emirates participated in organizing the process.
Long before I knew his name, I knew Hendrick Avercamps paintings. They show a merry Christmassy world of funnily dressed people disporting themselves on frozen canals: paintings I knew from jigsaw puzzles and holiday cards. Here was a young couple gliding over the ice, love in their eyes; there were people exercising picturesque professions  a skate sharpener, a bird catcher, a chestnut seller.

But if you kept looking, you found a good-natured scabrousness. Behind that spidery tree was a man defecating, and over there was a woman whod slipped and exposed her red buttocks, and there, beside the village inn, was a drunken fool being fished out of the ice. No other artist ever captured winter fun as well.

These scenes were so iconic, so Dutch, that I felt a bit bereaved, when I moved to the Netherlands more than 20 years ago, to realize that the world they showed was gone  and that thanks to climate change, it wouldnt be coming back. Even the Elfstedentocht, the skating race through the 11 historic cities of Friesland that is one of the countrys most beloved national traditions and has been held 15 times since 1909, was passing from memory. The ice has to reach a certain thickness for it to be safely held, and the ice no longer reaches that thickness. What I found, in place of the sparkling white winters of the old paintings, was month after month of tepid drizzle.

Its hard to overstate how excited the Dutch still get about the Elfstedentocht. Spirits rise as the mercury sinks. There are daily meteorological reports from little towns that are rarely mentioned in any other context. The race has its own vocabulary, in the Frisian language that the non-Frisian Dutch find adorable: It giet oan means the race is on  or, if the ice isnt thick enough, It giet net oan. Since I moved to this country, only the latter has been heard. A whole generation has grown up since the last race, in 1997, though it almost happened in 2012. Every year, when it gets cold, the possibility of the race comes roaring through our screens.
Its striking how much Afghanistan, which has the unfortunate legacy of being the site of Americas longest war, has all but disappeared from public discussion in the United States. But perhaps its understandable. After all, there always seems to be another conflict, another war  which, as it happens, is also Afghanistans history.

Since 1979, Afghans have lived in almost perpetual conflict. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes or their country. Foreign interventions have come and gone, ending in failure, leaving Afghans and their neighbors to live with the consequences.

Today, Americas longest war is over. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul sits empty, a daily reminder of how America has sought to isolate Afghanistan since the U.S. military's withdrawal in 2021. Washington has done so in an effort to pressure the ruling Taliban to moderate its views, including committing to womens rights, expanding the government to non-Taliban members and addressing human rights abuses.

That tactic backfired the first time the group was in power. And vacant Western embassies arent going to get girls back to school or increase womens participation in the work force. Instead, isolating the Taliban has served only to isolate Afghans, leaving many of them feeling alone and, worse, helpless.
Our universe might be chock-full of cosmic wonder, but you can only observe a fraction of astronomical phenomena with your naked eye. Meteor showers, natural fireworks that streak brightly across the night sky, are one of them.

The first meteor shower you can observe this year will be the Quadrantids, which have been active since Dec. 28 and are forecast to continue until Jan. 12. They reach their peak Jan. 3 to 4, or Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

The Quadrantids, which the International Meteor Organization has forecast to be one of the strongest meteor showers this year, are also one of the few caused by debris from an asteroid (others result from comets). Best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the shower is one of the toughest to catch.

The Quadrantids have one of the shortest peak periods, lasting only six hours. And the time of year might mean cloudy skies and frigid temperatures. The moon will be over half full, which may also make meteors harder to spot.
The writer and performer Inua Ellams was born in Nigeria, is based in England and performs internationally. As an immigrant, Im most comfortable when Im not at home, he said during a recent conversation. To go to another country and see if my concepts still stand the test of artistry, thats what I love doing.

Ellams will take that test in early January, at Lincoln Centers Clark Studio Theater, when he performs Search Party, during which the audience curates an evening of his poetry by shouting out words that Ellams enters into the search bar of an iPad already loaded with his works.

Search Party is among the works included in this years Under the Radar Festival, a celebration of experimental performance. Having lost its longtime space at the Public Theater owing to the Publics budget cuts, the 2024 festival will disperse 17 full productions (as well as symposia and a disco) across more than a dozen partner venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Of those full productions, about half of them are created by artists based outside the United States. In a year in which the festival, with its budget halved, had to scramble for new partners and new spaces, and considering the rising costs and difficulties of artists visas, a roster of local artists might have been an easier sell. But that would undercut the ethos of Under the Radar, which has always mingled international artists with local ones in pursuit of what the festivals founder, Mark Russell, refers to as the global downtown.
A remote Arizona border crossing that was shuttered last month to help strained immigration authorities cope with a surge in migrants in the nearby desert will reopen this week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Tuesday evening.

The agency did not explain why it had decided to reopen the crossing, and it did not say whether there had been any recent shift in the daily arrival of hundreds of migrants who unlawfully slip through gaps in the border wall in the deserts before surrendering to immigration authorities.

The crossing in the tiny border town of Lukeville, Ariz., was a legal passage between Mexico and the United States vital to workers, families and businesses. Roughly 2,000 to 3,000 people a day crossed north, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The next-closest crossing is several hours away by car.

The closure of the Lukeville crossing point on Dec. 4 had crippled local economies in Arizona towns that rely on a steady stream of tourists traveling south to the Mexican beach town of Puerto Penasco, and had drawn condemnations from residents and elected officials alike.
Update: The grand jury on Jan. 11 declined to indict Brittany Watts.

A grand jury in Ohio is considering whether to indict a woman who miscarried a nonviable fetus at home and has been charged with abuse of a corpse in what experts say is an extremely rare interpretation of a state law.

The woman, Brittany Watts, 34, of Warren, Ohio, was arrested in October after passing a fetus in her bathroom and trying to flush the remains down the toilet. The case has been before a Trumbull County grand jury since November. If convicted, Ms. Watts could face up to a year in prison. She has pleaded not guilty.

The grand jury was expected to give its report on Wednesday, but Guy M. Vogrin, a spokesman for the Trumbull County prosecutor, said the case had been continued until the next session in a couple weeks. The reason for the postponement was unclear as grand jury proceedings are secret.

Although records show that Ms. Watts spontaneously miscarried, a finding that the state has not challenged, the case has come under scrutiny by lawyers and reproductive health advocates who say that prosecuting her is baseless and may deter other women who miscarry from obtaining medical attention they need.
Mexican authorities said on Wednesday that all 31 migrants seized over the weekend in a mass kidnapping near the border with the United States had been rescued.

The announcement followed days of frantic searching for the migrants, involving Army and National Guard troops, police forces, search-and-rescue dogs and the tracing of mobile phone signals. The abduction, which took place on Saturday night, came amid an intensifying kidnapping crisis in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

Both the presidents spokesman and the secretary of interior confirmed the rescue of the migrants, who came from Venezuela, Honduras, Ecuador and Colombia, as well as Mexico.

The episode underscored how the current spike in migration to the United States is transforming parts of northern Mexico into a minefield for asylum seekers and migrants from around the world.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida takes questions from voters at every campaign stop, so he often faces variations of the same question  sometimes several times in a single day at different events scattered hundreds of miles apart.

And he seems to be growing tired of one frequently asked question in particular: Why doesnt he more directly attack former President Donald J. Trump?

It came up again Wednesday at a community center in Waukee, Iowa, where Christopher Garcia, a 75-year-old retired gas serviceman, pressed Mr. DeSantis in a lengthy back-and-forth.

Mr. DeSantis responded that, well, he does criticize Mr. Trump, who is leading the Republican presidential field by a wide margin.
Eddie Bernice Johnson, who blazed a trail as a Black woman in health care and government, first as a nurse in Dallas, then as the first Black state senator from the city since Reconstruction and then in 15 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, died on Sunday. She was 89.

Her death was confirmed by her son, Dawrence Kirk Johnson Sr., who did not say where she died.

Ms. Johnson, who was raised in segregated Waco, Texas, served in Congress from 1992 through last January, championing legislation on water resources, which encompassed flood control and environmental protection, and on education, which prioritized science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

She was the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in 2001-2003 and the first Black woman to head the House Science Committee. When she decided not to run again in November 2022, she was the dean of the Texas Congressional delegation and the oldest member of the House of Representatives.

In 1998, she helped rally Black support for President Bill Clinton when Republicans impeached him on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. In 2002, she voted against the resolution authorizing the war against Iraq, arguing that the administration had failed to provide evidence of an imminent threat to the United States.
House Republicans threatened on Wednesday to starve the entire federal government of funding if President Biden and Democrats fail to institute a crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border to choke off the flow of migrants streaming into the country.

The warning came as Speaker Mike Johnson led a visit by more than 60 House Republicans to Eagle Pass, Texas, to raise pressure on the president and Democrats to agree to strict new immigration policies.

No more money for this bureaucracy of his government until youve brought this border under control, said Representative Andy Biggs, Republican of Arizona. Shut the border down or shut the government down.

In a news conference Wednesday, Mr. Johnson attacked Mr. Biden for a surge in migrant crossings, demanding that he clamp down by deporting people who try to enter the country illegally and reinstitute a Trump-era policy of keeping migrants in Mexico until their day in immigration court.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Renowned French journalist and editor-in-chief of the La Gazette du Caucase online newspaper based in Paris, Jean-Michel Brun, has strongly criticized the decision to dismantle the monument of Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan in the town of Evian-les-Bains, Trend reports.

"What a tragedy! How did we come to this point? Voltaire and Zola, and especially Alexandre Dumas, who admired Natavan so much, must be turning in their graves!" he wrote on X.

The mayor's office of Evian-les-Bains, which established a cooperation charter with Azerbaijan's Ismayilli back in 2015, is reportedly preparing to demolish the monument dedicated to Azerbaijani poetess Natavan. The statue has been already covered.

Several days ago, the signs indicating Azerbaijani Park, where the statue is located, were also dismantled.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A former top lawyer for the D.C. National Guard has accused Army officials of retaliating against him for asserting to Congress that two top Army officers lied about why deployment of the Guard was delayed during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to a complaint filed with the Defense Department and obtained by The New York Times.

Col. Earl Matthews, who previously served in the Trump administration and was the top lawyer for the D.C. Guard during the Jan. 6 assault, said in the complaint that he was retaliated against after he accused two generals in a report to Congress of making false statements about the delayed deployment, an issue that has produced multiple and often conflicting accounts.

Its textbook whistle-blower retaliation. I wrote that memo because I saw real wrongdoing, Colonel Matthews said in his first interview since the incident. I love the United States Army. To me, this is about Army values.

A copy of the 37-page whistle-blower reprisal complaint was filed with the Pentagons inspector general in October, two months before the third anniversary of the attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob seeking to halt certification of President Bidens 2020 election victory.
Twelve days. Not that were counting.

Thats how much time remains until Caucus Day in Iowa, where the first voting will usher in the 2024 presidential race when Republicans gather on Jan. 15 in school gyms, community centers and churches across the state.

The Republican hopefuls seeking to topple former President Donald J. Trump for the partys nomination have already spent tens of millions of dollars and months campaigning across Iowa. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has at least four events planned on Wednesday, and Vivek Ramaswamy, the wealthy entrepreneur running for office, is keeping up a breakneck pace while his poll numbers barely budge. Mr. Trump, with polling leads that seem insurmountable, has faced considerably less pressure to crisscross the state. But even Mr. Trump is headed to Iowa for campaign events this week.
Former President Donald J. Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to keep him on the primary ballot in Colorado, appealing an explosive ruling from the state Supreme Court declaring him ineligible based on his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

That ruling, Mr. Trumps lawyers wrote, marked the first time in the history of the United States that the judiciary has prevented voters from casting ballots for the leading major-party presidential candidate.

Mr. Trumps appeal adds to the growing pressure on the U.S. Supreme Court to act, given the number of challenges to Mr. Trumps eligibility and the need for a nationwide resolution of the question as the primaries approach.
In the political world, Donald J. Trump is on the cusp of something that eluded him in 2016: a clear victory in the Iowa caucuses this month. His advisers hope it will be the first in a series of early state victories that propel him to collect enough delegates to be the presumptive Republican presidential nominee by late March.

In the legal world, however, the former president is at the same time facing two trials this month that hit on a deeply personal level. One is the wrap-up of the New York attorney generals civil fraud case against him and his company and an expected decision from the judge on the penalties he must pay. The other is the damages trial for defaming E. Jean Carroll, a New York writer who said he raped her in a New York department store in the 1990s. A jury last year said he had sexually abused her.

It is a juxtaposition that Mr. Trump has so far managed to his advantage on the campaign trail, casting himself as the victim of political and legal persecution by a Democratic establishment out to silence him and his supporters. In both trials, he could face substantial financial penalties and a significant change in how  or if, in a worst-case scenario for him  he continues to control his business.

If Mr. Trump has helped himself in court with his methods, it has been hard to discern so far, given how the judges have engaged with him and his arguments. Yet, in the face of this political-legal collision, he considers himself his own best defender and communicator, and in 2024, what the court of Republican public opinion will tolerate is different from what a court of law will allow.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent, will be on the ballot in Utah, his campaign announced on Wednesday at an event in Salt Lake City, capping a weekslong signature-gathering effort.

Utah is the first state to give Mr. Kennedy a spot on its ballot, and he has a lengthy and expensive path ahead to his stated goal of getting on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. He left the Democratic Party in October to pursue an independent bid for the White House.

Mr. Kennedy, who will turn 70 this month, is the scion of American political royalty and an environmental lawyer who has gained prominence in recent years for his promotion of conspiracy theories, including unproven claims about widespread governmental corruption and danger from vaccines.

Mr. Kennedy has drawn support from some disaffected Democrats, Republicans and independents, many of whom are attracted to his anti-establishment message. A poll from The New York Times and Siena College released in November found that unfavorable opinions of President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump could leave an opening for independent candidates like Mr. Kennedy.
Vivek Ramaswamy tore across eastern Iowa on Tuesday at the breakneck pace that has come to define his long-shot presidential campaign.

He stopped just long enough at most of the six restaurants and bars on his itinerary to remind voters hes still in the race, lingering longer at his final stop of the day. He drew praise for his straightforward, bombastic style. And he made humorous quips, promising to finish Donald J. Trumps mission of draining the bureaucratic swamp in Washington by bringing the pesticide to anything that crawls out.

But the day mostly served as a stark reminder of how deeply Mr. Ramaswamy remains mired in a kind of swamp of his own, trailing far behind his rivals for the Republican nomination and stuck in fourth place in most state polls. In Dubuque, a few minutes before Mr. Ramaswamy arrived at a cozy cocktail bar where he was scheduled to speak, one of his campaigns surrogates asked the 50 attendees how many planned to caucus for him. Only about five raised their hands.

Some voters at his six Iowa events Tuesday wondered aloud whether he was simply burnishing his credentials for a 2028 presidential run or for a position in Mr. Trumps cabinet if the former president were to win back the White House.
The massive waves that pounded Californias coast last week washed ashore trash, driftwood and something unexpected: a very old bomb, rusted over and covered with debris.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office bomb squad was called out to inspect the inert military ordnance, which had been found at Pajaro Dunes, about 20 miles southeast of the city of Santa Cruz, at about 2 p.m. on Sunday, Ashley Keehn, a spokeswoman for the sheriffs office, said in an email.

The officers determined that the bomb was inert using X-rays, she said, adding that it was believed to be a military practice bomb from the 1960s. Such bombs were often filled with water or sand and used for target practice.

Because of its size and its degraded condition, personnel from the nearby Travis Air Force Base were called in to remove the bomb, she said. Representatives for the base were not immediately available to comment.
In a mountainous corner of Indonesia lies a hill, dotted with stone terraces, where people come from around the country to hold Islamic and Hindu rituals. Some say the site has a mystical air, or even that it might hold buried treasure.

The partially excavated site, Gunung Padang, is a relaxing place to spend an afternoon. Its also at the center of a raging debate.

Archaeologists say that the hill is a dormant volcano and that ceramics recovered there so far suggest that humans have been using the site for several hundred years or more. But some Indonesians, including an earthquake geologist and a president who left office in 2014, have suggested that the site may have been built far earlier by an as-yet-undiscovered ancient civilization. Their narrative has spread for more than a decade within the country but not very far beyond it  until recently.
The man accused of stabbing Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Koreas main opposition party, in the neck had been stalking him in recent weeks, including attending a political event where Mr. Lee was present on Dec. 13, apparently captured on video there wearing a blue paper crown, the police say.

At a rally on Tuesday, a man wearing a similar paper crown and carrying a message supporting Mr. Lee and his party was also carrying something else: a knife with a five-inch blade and a plastic handle wrapped with duct tape.

The attack, the worst against a South Korean politician in nearly two decades, seriously wounded Mr. Lee, who officials said was recovering in an intensive care unit at Seoul National University on Wednesday after surgery. And it deeply shocked a country that values hard-won years of relative peace after an era of political and military violence before establishing democracy in the 1990s.
The expelled officials included some of the brightest rising stars in President Xi Jinpings military: two generals who oversaw satellite launches and manned space missions; an admiral who helped entrench Beijings presence in the disputed South China Sea; and a missile commander who had honed Chinas ability to respond to a possible nuclear war.

They were among nine high-ranking Chinese military figures who were recently removed as delegates to the countrys Communist Party-run legislature, abruptly and without official explanation.

Experts say the move indicates that Mr. Xis latest offensive to root out alleged corruption and other misconduct in the Peoples Liberation Army, or P.L.A., has been gaining momentum and is focused on the politically sensitive agencies responsible for developing weapons and military installations. In October, China suddenly dismissed the defense minister, who had worked for years in the militarys arms acquisition system. Months earlier, two commanders of the Rocket Force, which controls Chinas nuclear missiles, were replaced.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Negotiations between Baku and Yerevan gained much more breakthrough chances, Azerbaijan's Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Elchin Amirbayov told Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) company, Trend reports.

He reminded that the last meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations took place on November 20, 2023.

"It took place at the provisional border of the two countries because the actual borderline is yet to be determined. These delegations were led by the deputy prime ministers of both sides, who are also responsible for the restoration of communications," Amirbayov said. "Over the last six months, negotiations have not taken place for various reasons, as the parties had questions for the so-called intermediaries, the parties that facilitate the negotiations."

The official expressed hope that another round of negotiations will take place soon, and discussions on the draft of this peace agreement, which was drafted by Azerbaijan and first presented to Armenia just over a year ago, will be resumed.

"In the absence of physical negotiations on the text of the agreement between the two parties, the exchange of drafts continues, meaning each party submits its comments and amendments to the next draft of this agreement. We, and not only us, hope that after Azerbaijan has fully restored its territorial integrity, the chances of a breakthrough through negotiations have become much greater," Amirbayov also said.

He noted that as a result of counter-terrorism operations in Karabakh in September 2023, the main obstacle to peace was eliminated, namely the illegal military presence of the armed forces of Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan.

"Now, with 15,000 military personnel having left our territory, this issue is no longer relevant. Therefore, now we need to finalize the coordination of those parts of the peace agreement that are still open," Amirbayov said.

---

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Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday announced a mutual release of hundreds of prisoners of war, the biggest exchange between the two countries since the start of the conflict nearly two years ago and the first one in months.

Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities said the deal had been made possible through mediation by the United Arab Emirates, which has tried to cast itself as a neutral intermediary between the two countries. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that 248 of its soldiers had returned from Ukrainian captivity, while President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on social media that 224 Ukrainian soldiers and six civilians had come back.

We remember each and every one of our people, Mr. Zelensky said in a post on the platform X. And we must return all of them.

The exchange was a rare example of accord between the governments in Moscow and Kyiv. It came against the unlikely backdrop of an escalating cycle of air assaults between the two countries, as both sides look for ways to inflict damage away from the largely deadlocked front line.
Israel and the surrounding region were on edge Wednesday, a day after the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Lebanon heightened worries that the war in Gaza could spill over into a broader conflict.

Hamas blamed Israel for the death of Saleh al-Arouri, the senior-most official of the group to be killed since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel. Officials with the Israeli military would not comment on whether their forces were behind the explosion that killed him in a suburb of Beirut. Lebanese and U.S. officials also ascribed the attack to Israel.

Mr. al-Arouri was killed in the heart of a neighborhood with the offices of Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group and Hamas ally, likely putting pressure on the group to strike back. Hezbollahs leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned that any assassinations in Lebanon would elicit a strong response.

Image Saleh al-Arouri speaking in Cairo in 2017. Credit... Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli militarys chief spokesman, said in a televised briefing that Israeli forces were on very high alert on all fronts, for defensive and offensive actions. He emphasized that Israel was focused on fighting Hamas, in what some Israeli analysts interpreted as a suggestion that it did not seek a wider war with Hezbollah.

Lebanons state news agency reported that an enemy raid had struck the Hamas office in Beiruts southern suburbs, killing seven people, including Mr. al-Arouri. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamass top political leader, said the strike had killed Mr. al-Arouri, two Hamas military commanders and four other members.

Najib Mikati, Lebanons caretaker prime minister, in blaming Israel for the attack, condemned what he said was an attempt to drag Lebanon into a new phase of the conflict.

Iran also condemned the assassination. Nasser Kanaani, a spokesman for Irans Foreign Ministry, said the killing was a result of Israels desperate and heavy defeat during the Oct. 7 assault and the heroic defiance of Hamas fighters since. After Mr. al-Arouris death was announced, the Iranian news media published photos of Mr. al-Arouri meeting Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mr. al-Arouri had worked with Yahya Sinwar, Hamass chief in Gaza, in recent years to link the groups military wing more closely to Iran, which, regional security officials say, probably helped the group develop some of the capabilities it used in the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has accused Mr. Sinwar of helping to plot the assault, which officials say killed about 1,200 people and saw 240 others abducted to Gaza.
The killing of Saleh al-Arouri, a top Hamas leader, on Tuesday deprives the group of one of its most skilled tacticians, who helped route money and weapons to its operatives in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in the Middle East and integrated Hamas more tightly into Irans network of forces committed to fighting Israel, according to analysts.

But it was far from clear on Wednesday that his death would be a debilitating blow to the organization, which has rebuilt again and again after assassinations of its leaders, and remained agile enough to plot the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in southern Israel.

Still, Mr. al-Arouris killing  in an explosion in a Beirut suburb that senior officials from Hamas, Lebanon and the United States ascribed to Israel  sets Hamas back at a highly vulnerable time, analysts say. Israel has not taken responsibility for his killing.

Israels overwhelming offensive in Gaza has significantly weakened the military strength of Hamas there, including its ability to manufacture rockets and other weapons. Mr. al-Arouris position, as Hamass de facto ambassador to Iran and Hezbollah, meant that he would have had an important role in the groups efforts to rebuild militarily with help from foreign backers.
Just 24 hours before he took to the podium on Wednesday, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanons powerful armed group Hezbollah, was preparing to deliver a speech commemorating another of Israels former arch foes, Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed in a U.S. drone strike four years ago to the day.

But in the wake of the suspected Israeli assassination on Tuesday of Saleh al-Arouri, a top Hamas leader killed in the heart of Hezbollahs stronghold in southern Beirut, Mr. Nasrallah revised his comments to commemorate not just one of his closest allies, but two.

In a highly anticipated speech on Wednesday that gained new significance in the wake of Mr. al-Arouris assassination, Hezbollahs leader denounced the attack in Lebanons capital as a dangerous milestone, pledging revenge for the killing and threatening to meet any wider Israeli conflict with unrestrained warfare.

If the enemy considers waging a war against Lebanon, our battle will be without boundaries or rules, Mr. Nasrallah said. We are not afraid of war. Those who think of going to war with us will regret it. War with us will come at a very, very, very high cost.

Yesterdays crime will not go unpunished, he warned ominously in his closing.

But Mr. Nasrallah refrained from saying exactly how his group would respond to the assassination, adding that he would instead discuss the killing of Mr. al-Arouri at more depth in another speech on Friday. Despite a string of cross-border attacks on Israel by Hezbollah in the wake of Mr. al-Arouris assassination, none so far have signaled a marked escalation.

Israel has not publicly accepted or denied responsibility for the killing, but American and Lebanese officials have said Israel carried it out.
A pair of explosions on Wednesday at a memorial for Irans former top general, Qassim Suleimani, killed at least 103 people and wounded an additional 211, according to Iranian officials, sowing fear in a country where domestic unrest and the prospect of a spiraling regional war have left many on edge.

Iranian officials told state media that a pair of bombs had been placed in bags along the road toward a cemetery in the city of Kerman, and exploded as a vast procession of people made their way there to commemorate the fourth anniversary of General Suleimanis death. The architect of the axis of regional militias backed by Irans hard-line government, he was killed in an American drone strike.

The attack in Iran on Wednesday led to finger-pointing, confusion and speculation after no group took responsibility.



Many Iranians, already disenchanted by their leaders, were outraged that the authorities had failed to provide adequate security for an event attended by thousands of people. Officials in the government blamed the two countries Tehran has long cast as archenemies, Israel and the United States. International intelligence experts and analysts said the attack bore the hallmarks of terrorist groups, not of Israel.
Israel said on Wednesday that in November it had dismantled a tunnel below Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the medical facility that Israel and allies have said Hamas used as a shield for a vast underground militia complex.

The 250-meter tunnel, about 273 yards, was dismantled without damaging the hospital, the Israeli military said in a statement. The tunnel led to a number of significant terrorist centers and was used for carrying out terrorist operations, the military said.

The hospital was the site of an Israeli operation in November to seize control of the facility, drawing international scrutiny and condemnation. It was one of the few remaining medical facilities still operating as thousands of Gazans were killed and injured in Israels aerial bombardment and ground invasion. Israel said it was being used by Hamas as a military site, and to hold hostages.

Israel has long said that Hamas, which led an incursion into Israel on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,200 people, uses hospitals and other civilian facilities to hide fighters and weapons. Hamas also maintains a vast network of underground tunnels and facilities to move freely and plan terror attacks. A Hamas-built facility under the hospital, which Israel had described as a key command post, made it a legitimate military target, Israeli officials argued.

Since its raid on the hospital, Israeli officials have presented what they say is evidence that Hamas used the hospital as a military facility, including the discovery of weapons, underground bunkers and, nearby, the body of an Israeli soldier taken hostage on Oct. 7.

Gazan health officials have denied the hospitals use by Hamas, saying that it has only served as a medical facility. When Israeli troops raided the hospital, hundreds of patients were evacuated and thousands of Gazans, who had been displaced from their homes by Israels bombing campaign and had sought refuge on the hospitals grounds, were forced to flee again.

On Tuesday, newly declassified American intelligence revealed that U.S. spy agencies believe Hamas and another Palestinian group used the hospital to command forces and hold some hostages. A senior intelligence official said American intelligence agencies obtained information that Hamas fighters had evacuated the complex days before the hospital operation, and that the assessment remains firm despite questions from some news organizations about Hamass presence there.

Israel has been criticized for failing to produce evidence of specific claims made in the lead-up to the raid on the hospital, including that it would discover a sophisticated underground command center and access points to the tunnel from inside the hospitals wards. Israel did not provide evidence to back those specific claims, because, the military said, it was unable to fully excavate the tunnel because it was booby-trapped.

Images released by the Israeli military clearly show extensive tunnels, but not how they were used.
Israels Supreme Court on Wednesday delayed the enactment of a new law that makes it harder to remove a prime minister from office  the courts second ruling in three days that impeded attempts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government to gain more power.

The new measure says that a sitting prime minister can be judged unfit for office and removed only by votes of three-quarters of cabinet ministers and two-thirds of the Parliament. Previously, a prime minister could have been ruled unfit for office by the attorney general and the courts.

But the Supreme Court, in a 6-to-5 decision, ruled on Wednesday that the law would not go into effect until the next Parliament is elected  meaning, for now, the old standard still applies. The court found that the bill was intended to serve Mr. Netanyahu, who is on trial for a litany of corruption charges.

On Monday, the Supreme Court overturned a law limiting its own power to block government actions as unreasonable, a decision that has divided the nation.

Critics say that both laws, part of a package pushed by the right-wing government and approved last year by the Parliament, were devised to remove checks and balances on government power and to shield Mr. Netanyahu from oversight and dismissal.

It is very clear that six of the judges think this is a misuse of constitutional power because of the personal nature of the amendment, Amir Fuchs, a constitutional law expert at the Israel Democracy Institute, a nonpartisan research group, said of the ruling on Wednesday. It is their using powerful legislation to benefit one person.

The law was challenged shortly after it was ratified by groups including the Movement for Quality Government, a leading Israeli rights watchdog. On Wednesday, the group called the law crudely tailored to the personal needs of a prime minister accused of crimes.

The courts decision is an important victory for the Israeli public, the Movement for Quality Government said in a statement. The ruling contains an important message, the group added, that the rules of Israeli democracy are not a piece of putty in the hands of the prime minister.

Mr. Netanyahus supporters have criticized both the rulings and the timing of the decisions during the continuing war in Gaza.

This ruling, like the one preceding it, has no validity, as it contradicts basic laws legislated in a democratic process by an elected parliament, Shlomo Karhi, Israels communications minister and a member of Netanyahus Likud party posted on social media.
This is Day 3 of the 6-Day Energy Challenge. To start at the beginning, click here.

When I wake up in the morning, my first thought is usually about what I want to eat  and as soon as Im done with a meal, Im already planning the next one.

This tendency to look ahead is pretty common, said Dr. Nate Wood, a culinary medicine researcher at the Yale School of Medicine and a trained chef. But, he added, rarely do we look back and reflect on how the foods that we eat make us feel, unless maybe our stomach is upset.

Tuning in to how our food affects us, he said, can help us understand which foods give us energy and which make us sluggish. It can also help us eat for better energy going forward. Thats the focus of todays challenge.

Track your energy after you eat.

The task is simple: Notice how the foods you eat make you feel. An hour and a half to two hours after you have a meal or snack, jot down any sensations youre experiencing: Are you satisfied, tired, peckish? Then rate your energy level from one to five.
Tracking Efforts to Remove Trump From the 2024 Ballot

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 4 that former President Donald J. Trump must remain on Colorados primary ballot, saying states have no power to exclude candidates for federal office based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. This page is no longer being updated, and reflects the state of legal challenges on the eve of the court's decision. Read more.

States with challenges to Trumps candidacy Trump disqualified, decision appealed Challenge unresolved Challenge dismissed or rejected Alaska Ariz. Calif. Colo. Conn. Del. Fla. Idaho Ill. Ind. Kan. La. Maine Mass. Mich. Minn. Mont. Nev. N.H. N.J. N.M. N.Y. N.C. Okla. Ore. Pa. R.I. S.C. Texas Utah Vt. Va. Wash. W.Va. Wis. Wyo.

Formal challenges to Donald J. Trumps presidential candidacy have been filed in at least 36 states, according to a New York Times review of court records and other documents.

Mr. Trump has been disqualified from the primary ballots in Colorado, Illinois and Maine, and has appealed those decisions. Because of those appeals, he is still likely to appear on primary ballots in those states, at least for now. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Colorado appeal on Feb. 8 in a case that could determine Mr. Trump's eligibility for the ballot nationally. Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared skeptical of the reasoning used to disqualify Mr. Trump. It is not clear when they will issue a ruling.

The ballot challenges focus on whether Mr. Trumps efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat make him ineligible to hold the presidency again. Those cases are based on a largely untested clause of a constitutional amendment enacted after the Civil War that disqualifies government officials who engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding office.

Of the 36 states where challenges have been filed, President Biden carried 22 in 2020 and Mr. Trump carried 14. Mr. Trump also won a single electoral vote in Maine, which splits its votes by congressional district.

The Colorado Supreme Court and Maines secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, each found Mr. Trump ineligible under that provision. Mr. Trump, who is leading in Republican primary polls, has appealed those decisions, and his campaign has described the attempts to remove him from the ballot as unconstitutional and antidemocratic.

A judge in Maine stayed Mr. Trumps disqualification and ordered Ms. Bellows, a Democrat, to revisit the issue after the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the Colorado case. Ms. Bellows appealed the judges order, but her appeal was dismissed.

Several judges have dismissed cases at the request of Mr. Trump or the request of the person who filed the challenge. The Michigan and Minnesota Supreme Courts have each said Mr. Trump is eligible to appear on the primary ballot in those states.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Azerbaijan doesn't intend to restrict Armenians' passage through its territory, the country's Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Elchin Amirbayov told Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) company, Trend reports.

Amirbayov noted that Azerbaijan has begun discussions with Armenia on the restoration of the Zangezur Corridor to provide citizens of Azerbaijan residing in Nakhchivan or the main part of Azerbaijan with the opportunity for unimpeded passage through this territory.

He explained that this involves a 42-kilometer railway track which, unfortunately, was destroyed as a result of the conflict.

"But it's not just about building the missing section. By the way, from our side, this work is practically completed. I mean, the Horadiz-Aghband section. Unfortunately, work on the technical justification of this project has not even started on the Armenian side," the official said. "However, the main question for us is how the safety of Azerbaijani citizens who want to travel through this 42-kilometer section will be ensured."

"Currently, we are only talking about the railway. In the future, of course, we would like road communication between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, and further to Turkiye and Europe to be coordinated as well," Amirbayov noted. "We have no intention of restricting Armenians' ability to pass through the territory of Azerbaijan in any way, but if we refer to the commitments that the parties undertook under the trilateral statement on a ceasefire, its ninth paragraph clearly outlines this part of the restoration of communications. Globally, this also means the restoration of connectivity between Asia and Europe."

Amirbayov emphasized that, undoubtedly, if citizens of Armenia want to travel through the territory of Azerbaijan, their safety will be ensured by the Azerbaijani side.

"Another matter is that, within the same trilateral statement, the Armenian side committed itself to ensuring the security of the aforementioned railway section with the forces of Russian Federal Security Service, which currently ensure the security of Armenia's external borders with at least two neighboring countries - Turkiye and Iran," he said.

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Jackson Hayes and Ryan Toohey co-authored this article.

In 2023, employees showed they could have influence. Consider the whirlwind Thanksgiving week at OpenAI, where Sam Altman was fired as CEO only to have employees threaten to resign en masse. Instead of Altman leaving, employees influenced investors to sack the entire board of directors instead. Setting aside OpenAIs unique organization, when was the last time employees replaced an entire board?

One of the lessons for communicators and executives is employees can be an assetor a risk if you dont take heed. But if you understand your people and communicate effectively, you can move companies and industries.

The employee power trend

The OpenAI experience is part of a larger pattern of labors powerreal or perceivedthat will need to be managed in 2024 as the U.S. presidential and other elections grip the world.

Auto strikes have long been a classic example of labor power. In 2023, the UAW orchestrated strikes at the Big 3. However, this time President Biden and former President Trump both showed support for workers, sensing a political advantage, showing yet again its not safe to champion traditionally liberal causes in a blue state or conservative ones in red states. Those distinctions arent relevant today with multigenerational employee bases, polarization and changing expectations of ones relationship with work.

This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Jan. '24 Crisis Communications & PR Buyer's Guide Magazine

(view PDF version)

Its not just politics though. In 2023, employee rights issues reached investors as groups representing union interests pushed proxy proposals asking investors to tell many non-unionized companies to adopt neutrality policies restricting companies ability to communicate with their people about certain issues, including labor organizing efforts. These proposals were poorly understood by advisory agencies, with Glass Lewis and ISS recommending in favor of many on the grounds of there being reputational risk to discussing unions.

Enter cause fatigue and backlash

The pandemic produced all sorts of employee activism and brought to light questions regarding the role business should have in shaping societal norms. This led to companies feeling pressured to take on a host of political positions, sometimes in haste and without understanding the implications.

Say youre a global brand with a heavy digital, print and TV advertising footprint. It makes sense that you should have a communications style guide that reflects the best thinking on DE&I norms. But do you need to send that style guide to employees who have nothing to do with communications? Maybe, maybe not.

Some employees have responded to corporate stances by suggesting employers are telling them how to think. (e.g., Were a plastics business. I get that we should talk about reducing pollution, but why do I care what my company thinks about Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine?) The anti-ESG crusade is one face of this backlash, but theres a Main Street reality to it for some: Why cant I just go to work anymore?

Demographics are, of course, part of the story. According to Gallup, Younger adults are more likely than older adults to believe businesses should take a stance: 59 percent of those aged 18 to 29 think as much, compared with 51 percent of those aged 30 to 44, 41 percent of those aged 45 to 59, and 43 percent of those aged 60 and older. Asian and Black adults are the most likely of all racial/ethnic groups to believe businesses should take a public stance on political and social issues. About three-quarters of each group (74 percent and 72 percent, respectively) say businesses should take a public stance, compared with 49 percent of Hispanic adults and 41 percent of White adults.

However, 58 percent of consumers think its inappropriate for companies to take a stand on social issues. So, what are you supposed to do?

The path forward

The first step is getting to know your people. Not the national polls. Not the trends you read about online. Know your customers and your employees.

Here are three options for thinking about how to communicate in 2024 and beyond.

Commit to having a voiceand be okay with being wrong. You may decide you want to shape the narrative. This might mean a busy year, but it could be worth it. Nike, as we know, saw its market cap increase after the decision to sponsor Colin Kaepernick (after an initial dip). Disney, meanwhile, continues to struggle after being labeled woke. AB-InBevs stock price was up on the year despite the backlash against Bud Light. The key may be knowing who you are as a leadership team and employee group and accepting what comes with it over time.

Identify priority issues youll take a stance on. It can be good to take positions, but you need to know what matters to your people. Are you a bank or FinTech? Maybe it makes sense to announce youll be taking stances only on issues related to access to small business loans and providing banking services in underserved communities. If you take this approach, you can focus on listening to your people and identifying, say, between two and five priority issues that the company will be leaders in.

Declare your neutrality. You can come out and state that your business is about the business and nothing more. You wont be taking political stances that arent related to operations. This is an option, but again, you need to know your people well. It could be viewed as a shrewd decision to focus on what you can control. It could also be viewed as abdicating a leadership role in your community. In 2024, youll also need to take a hard look at political causes your business and leaders support or risk appearing disingenuous. Home Depot, for instance, is facing backlash after it was said to have donated to Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election.

Whatever path you choose, each start with a few best practices:

Establish a cross-functional employee relations working group. This isnt just HR. It should have representatives from functional teams, legal, comms., government affairs, etc. The idea is to establish a team that has a holistic view of how your people are thinking and feeling about the business and understand whats coming down the pike. This canand should!be a part-time role. Start with something simplesay 30 minutes a weekand be willing to adapt. Youre likely to find common threads of concern and opportunity.

Set up or refresh employee listening groups to help spot issues. Establish small teams, five to 20 people, placed around the business to give you the real picture. These individuals should be cross-generational and cross-level, but established and mature enough in their career to understand the importance of their role and the confidentiality of their role and discussions. They will inform the employee relations working group.

Train front-line leaders and communicators to see risks and opportunities they may not have seen before. Bring the issue to the attention of the employee relations team, which they should view as a resource, who can then make informed decisions.

***

Jackson Hayes is an Associate Partner and Ryan Toohey is a Partner at Dentons Global Advisors.


AR Seeks PR to Promote Soybeans Mon., Mar. 18, 2024 The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board is looking to hire a PR firm to educate the public about its activities and the health benefits associated with the "miracle bean."
Allison Fouche

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens names Allison Fouche to serve as his administrations new chief of communications. Fouche was most recently chief communications officer for the City of Memphis, having previously served as deputy CCO. She has also served as strategic marketing coordinator for Memphis Light, Gas and Water, and communications coordinator for the National Civil Rights Museum. Among her responsibilities in her new post will be developing long-term communications programming strategies for the city and administration. Allison is a proven civil servant and communications professionalhaving navigated a lot of similar territories in Memphis that we have had in Atlanta, said Mayor Dickens.

Ashish Bhatt, Linzell Harris,

Peter Mirijanian

Dentons Global Advisors adds Ashish Bhatt, Linzell Harris and Peter Mirijanian as senior advisors. Bhatt, who specializes in geopolitical strategic advice, commercial growth, intelligence-led investigations, internal and external engagement strategies, as well as leadership and culture, was most recently managing director at Gatehouse Advisory Partners. He is based in London. Harris previously served as SVP of global supply chain and strategy at both AstraZeneca and TEVA Pharmaceuticals, as well as head of global operations for Godiva Chocolatier. Mirijanian leads his own consulting firm, Peter Mirijanian Public Affairs, with a long career of developing and implementing public affairs campaigns, and offering crisis and litigation communications counsel, on behalf of corporate clients and law firms. Harris and Mirijanian are based in Washington, DC. Their wealth of experience, strategic insights and diverse backgrounds will undoubtedly enhance our capabilities in providing nuanced geopolitical advice and strategic solutions to our clients," said Dentons Global Advisors CEO Edward Reilly.

Emily Campbell

BlackLine, Inc., a group of cloud platform and customer service help companies, brings on Emily Campbell as CMO. Campbell joins the company from Infinite Electronics, where she was also CMO, overseeing global brand marketing strategy, e-commerce, customer experience, communications, inside sales, and technical support. She was previously head of global marketing and digital innovation for Arrow Electronics and spent 14 years in senior marketing and product management positions at Dell Technologies. At BlackLine, Campbell is responsible for driving the companys global marketing strategy, reporting to co-CEO Owen Ryan. "The diversity and success of her past experiences speak to her ability to drive effective results across all facets of marketing," said Ryan.
Shinrone, Dunkerrin and surrounding areas of Offaly and Tipperary were plunged into mourning in mid-December with the passing of Mairead Feighery (nee Flannery), Dunkerrin, Birr and formerly of Cangort Park, Shinrone.

Mairead passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, on Sunday,, December 17 last.

A deeply respected and loved member of the community, she had given a lifetime of dedication to the Health Service Executive and the National Health Service in Britain.

Pre-deceased by her parents Peter and Eileen Flannery and her beloved twin brother, Andrew, Mairead is sadly missed by her loving husband James, (Jim), her son Warren, his fiancee Therese, her beloved grandchildren Chloe, Ella, Ruby and Heidi, her brothers Joe, Michael and Sean, her sisters Anne (Ormond), Frances (Carroll), Mary (Flannery) and Theresa (Cleary), sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, relatives, neighbours, friends and work colleagues, to whom the deepest sympathy is extended.

In a moving eulogy at her Funeral Mass on Tuesday, December 19, in St Mary's Church, Shinrone, her niece, Stephanie Ormond paid tribute to Mairead, or Maudi, as she was affectionately known.

In the eulogy Stephanie said: I spent four hours with Maudi last Thursday night. It was a privilege. It is fair to say that we had quite the conversation. Truthfully, one of the sharpest conversations I have ever had and she knew exactly what she wanted to say. She left very clear instructions, stopping every now and again to double-check that I understood them correctly and then told me that I should be writing them down. And so, I duly did and then she told me to double check them and cross-check them with Warren. We discussed world events, national and local politics, the next local and general elections  she informed me that Peter - her nephew, Cllr Peter Ormond - would be down another vote and should make sure he was adding people to the register at the way things were going. She talked about UK politics, and of course, her beloved family. You won't be surprised to hear that all of the above were delivered style, panache and just a little bit of drama.

Mairead was a woman with many interesting layers to her character. She was interested in people, she loved to visit, chat and have a cup of tea. We didnt really have to go and visit her much because we always met her in all the other houses. And that tea had to be in a proper china teacup with a proper saucer, because that is why they are called teacups, she said. She had a deep knowledge of politics and history and her heritage was very important to her. She loved being a part of the heritage and active retirement groups and played an active role in them. She enjoyed going to the coffee mornings on Thursdays and her aqua aerobics in Birr on Fridays.

Mairead worked in Ely House for many years and she was shop stewart there  this was something that she didnt stop doing, even last Thursday, telling the nurse on the coronary care ward about his entitlements and making sure that he went and asked for them, because they wont just give them to you, you know. She called in to our house in the mornings on her way home from night shifts and always had the cup of tea and the chat. She made great friends in Ely House and always stayed connected to them. Nancy, her friend, spent time with her last week during her final hours. She never missed a count after an election. She loved her style and always wore beautiful earnings and she had her hair done religiously every Saturday morning at 10.30.

Mairead had a deep connection to the UK and to London in particular, where she lived and worked from 1967- 1974. She was partial to a little bit of royalty and never missed the BBC daily news. She was proud of the fact that she received a thank you letter from Windsor Castle, no less, when she sent the Queen a card for her platinum jubilee celebrations. She was of course also very proud of her republican heritage. And she was, of course, an Arsenal fan. She was a voracious reader and we often swapped books and she loved the Irish Independent, this was studied in great detail every single day. She loved to travel and she didnt bat an eyelid at taking off on her own. She said to me one day, I am going to Australia. I asked who she was going with and she said I am going on my own, there is a group going, I will make friends over there and off she went, and of course, whilst there, she went to the Melbourne Cup, as one does. More recently she travelled to Portugal for a family wedding and stayed on with Anne, Breda and Ava to visit Fatima.

Like I said, Mairead loved to talk to people. She had the names, salaries and the life stories of the wonderful staff in the coronary care unit by Thursday afternoon and was able to tell them all. They, of course, were intrigued by her ability to recall facts. One of them commented, isnt she a very interesting and entertaining lady. I think we can all agree that she was that. 'I have great friends, she said, they never let me down. But mind you, I never let them down either.

Mairead adored her husband Jim and her son Warren and his lovely family - Therese, Chloe, Ella, Ruby and Heidi. They were and always will be the light of her life, both on earth and in eternity. She valued her own family and more often than not when you go to Cangort Park, she would be sitting at the top of the table  never at the side mind you  but she would be holding court with her teacup. She will, no doubt, be keeping a watchful eye on us all. She actually told me that she would be doing this.

Mairead had a deep faith and she prayed to Our Lady and said the rosary. I asked her the other evening if she would like to say a decade of the rosary. No, she said, I was told I'm to stop talking. Five minutes later, she said Well just say one decade and well do an extra bit for Andrew. In fact, when my mother asked her about saying a rosary, she said that I have three said already today Anne.

Warren your mother was so proud of you Therese and your gorgeous family. Jim told me that he found your baby photographs inside her pillowcase. She was proud of Therese and your beautiful family. She was proud of Jim, very much so when he received the Offaly Unsung Hero of Offaly award, even though he is a Tipp man, this I assure you is a work in progress. The girls are and always will, continue to be the apple of her eye. She was proud of the 52 years of happy marriage she had with Jim and I know that she cherished these years dearly.

To her siblings, I say this. You have an amazing nurturing family, carry and treasure the memories of family times with Mairead, she was not afraid to speak her mind or to challenge you - either individually or collectively but she loved you all very much. I know that she looked forward to meeting her parents Eileen & Peter & her dear twin Andrew and she told me, on Thursday evening that she was ready to go, but that she was going out on her own terms. I think that sums up Mairead - she was fiercely independent, a straight talker and she just did not put up with any nonsense. Mairead lived a good life and how lucky we are to have been a part of her family and her life. Rest Easy Mairead - ni bheidh a leithead ann aris.
Offaly County Council is due to issue its decision on January 6 on 102 houses and 24 apartments after a plan for a new access road in Tullamore was dropped.

A CONTROVERSIAL plan for further traffic access off a busy road in Tullamore to a new residential development project has been dropped.

Collins Lane Housing Development Ltd, a company controlled by Golden Vale Co-operative Mart Ltd, is awaiting the green light to build 102 houses, 24 apartments and a childcare facility at Collins Lane in the north of Tullamore.

The estate is on a greenfield site between Scally's Centra on the Arden Road and the junction at Ballin Ri and the road into the lands around the Educate Together school.

Residents of the area, especially those living in the many bungalows along the southern side of Collins Lane, were alarmed at a proposal for vehicular access off the road into the new development.

This proposed road would be in addition to the existing access road towards the Educate Together school and the Jehovah Witness hall, where there are two roundabouts.

The development company is also applying for an internal access road to link with the Hawthorns houses.

A number of residents wrote to Offaly County Council opposing the plan for a new road off Collins Lane into the 226-unit residential site.

One said the existing roads should be more than sufficient and others referred to increased congestion on Collins Lane in recent years between the traffic lights at Scally's Centra and the Ballin Ri junction.

There are already 15 access points from individual residences along that stretch of road and the additional one would further impede traffic flow according to residents.

Another submission, made by Liam Walsh, Green Party candidate, referred to concerns about road access from the Hawthorns and its playground where he said rat running is already a problem.

Mr Walsh suggested pedestrian and cycle access off Collins Lane instead of vehicular and also asked for use of the Irish language in naming the new estate.

On November 30 the applicant's agent wrote to the council and said the proposal for vehicular access off Collins Lane had been dropped.

A landscaped pedestrian entrance will be provided instead. There will be a cycle path to the rear of Scally's Centra.

The development company also said apartments which were originally to be located along Collins Lane will instead be built on the western side of the scheme.

The development proposes seven two-storey detached houses, 50 two-storey semi-detached houses, 21 two-storey terraced houses and 24 three-storey (dormer) semi-detached houses. The houses will be a mix of two, three and four-bedroom dwellings.

Apartments will be in two-storey and single-storey buildings, with eight one-bedroom apartments and 16 two-beds.

A decision is due from the council planners this Saturday, January 6.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Claims on the so-called "occupation" of some square kilometers by Azerbaijan are absolutely unfounded, the country's Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Elchin Amirbayov told Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) company, Trend reports.

"Let's look at the history of the issue. For 28 years, the territory that Armenia may consider its own, was occupied by the country's armed forces. If you look at the map, the southern part of our conditional border  from the Azerbaijani side, these are Zangilan, Gubadli, and other districts  was completely under the armed occupation of Armenia," he said. "Accordingly, there was no border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, or what Armenians named the so-called 'Republic of Artsakh'. This is, of course, their assessment  that Azerbaijan allegedly 'invaded' their territory. We have a completely different position."

"On the contrary, we believe that a part of Azerbaijani territory is still under the occupation of Armenia. We are talking about four villages in the Gazakh district north of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which were occupied by Armenia in the early 1990s. We are not talking about enclaves; these are villages in the Gazakh district," the official explained.

Amirbayov mentioned that besides these, there are three Azerbaijani enclaves and one Armenian enclave that are controlled by the opposite side.

"So, before making any unfounded claims that 'someone has occupied my territory', I would advise our Armenian neighbors to take the process of demarcation more seriously, because the only measure of which territory belongs to whom is the agreement that we will reach on the demarcation of our future state border," he noted. "In the absence of such an agreement, talking about someone occupying something is counterproductive. From our side, we have done everything to demonstrate to the Armenian side our sincere interest in completing this work."

"In the last meeting of the delegations of the two countries, which I mentioned, the Azerbaijani side proposed to the Armenian side to consider and agree on normative documents that would lay the foundation for the work of the demarcation commission. This includes regulations, as well as supporting documents, including maps from different periods, which should be accepted by both sides as a starting point," Amirbayov said.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Positions of some EU countries negatively affect peace-building process in South Caucasus, Azerbaijan's Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Elchin Amirbayov told Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) company, Trend reports.

"At a certain stage, the European Union played an important role in bringing together the positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan within the peace process. I would like to appeal to the EU countries to support Azerbaijan's aspiration to conclude the peace process and reach a peace agreement with Armenia as soon as possible," he said. "This will allow turning the page of hostility and enable the entire South Caucasus to gradually start a normal life, with good neighborhood between all three countries."

"I would like to ask for refraining from any actions and statements that could harm this perspective. Unfortunately, the European Union is not yet a fully unified structure, and we see how the positions of individual countries negatively impact the process of achieving a long-term, fair peace in the South Caucasus," the official noted.

Amirbayov pointed out that the European Union would be happy if there were no prospects for new wars in its immediate neighborhood in the South Caucasus.

"To achieve this, we need to reject any attempts of revanchism, which are sometimes voiced in Armenian society, and encourage the goodwill of Azerbaijan and, hopefully, Armenia will complete work on the peace agreement. So, Europe will only benefit if Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a peace treaty in the near future, and if European countries cannot substantially help this process, we expect that, at least, they won't hinder it," he said.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. The mission of observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Azerbaijan's early presidential election will be headed by the CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev, Trend reports via the CIS Executive Committee.

The committee said that his candidacy has been approved by the decision of the Council of Permanent Representatives of the CIS Participating States at the statutory and other bodies of the CIS.

"The CIS observer mission will monitor the electoral campaign at the invitation of the Government of Azerbaijan. The Executive Committee of the CIS has sent invitations to the CIS countries, requesting the submission of candidates for their representatives to the mission," the committee said.

"As in previous campaigns, the mission's work will be based on the principles of political neutrality, non-interference in the electoral process and internal affairs of the state, strictly in accordance with national legislation," the committee added.

On December 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on holding an extraordinary presidential election in Azerbaijan on February 7, 2024.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. The Azerbaijani House in Paris has issued an appeal concerning the decision of the municipal council of Evian-les-Bains regarding the Azerbaijani Park and the potential threat to the renowned Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan's monument, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with Diaspora.

Addressed to the Mayor of Evian-les-Bains, Josiane Ley, on behalf of Azerbaijani House's head Mirvari Fataliyeva, the appeal conveys profound concern about the unfolding situation.

It emphasizes that France is recognized as a country that values all cultures on its territory, but the latest actions, particularly proposals to alter the name of the Azerbaijani Park, go against the principles of justice and respect for cultural diversity.

The appeal underscores Natavan's significance as a leading figure in Azerbaijani literature of the 19th century, portraying her as a symbol of an emancipated woman who significantly contributed to the cultural revival of social ties and life in Azerbaijan.

Highlighting Natavan's unique role, the appeal notes her leadership in literary gatherings in Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan. Additionally, it points out her meeting in 1858 with the renowned French writer Alexandre Dumas, a friendship strengthened by Natavan's husband, Khasay Khan, who was fluent in the French language. Dumas, in his book 'Voyage au Caucase' reminisced about Natavan paving a cobblestone road from Baku to Shikh village.

Expressing concern about the potential disruption of understanding and cooperation crucial for strengthening goodwill between Azerbaijan and France, the appeal calls on France to exhibit respect for diverse cultural heritage and bilateral relations.

In a plea to preserve cultural symbols fostering understanding between the two countries, the appeal urges relevant authorities to reconsider recent decisions.

Azerbaijan House in Paris underscores the role of culture in overcoming obstacles and requests attention to this issue, expressing hope for a resolution in accordance with the values proudly represented by France.

The Azerbaijani Park, established in Evian-les-Bains based on the Charter of Mutual Friendship and Cooperation signed in 2015 between the Azerbaijani city of Ismayilli and Evian-les-Bains town, features a monument to the prominent Azerbaijani poetess Khurshidbanu Natavan, installed in 2017.

The mayor's office of Evian-les-Bains is reportedly preparing to demolish the monument dedicated to Azerbaijani poetess Natavan. The statue has been already covered.

Several days ago, the signs indicating Azerbaijani Park, where the statue is located, were also dismantled.

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Federal labor officials are seeking to force Starbucks to reopen three Portland stores and others across the country that the coffee giant closed in 2022, saying the closures were intended to crack down on union activity.

In a complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board regional director in Seattle in December, the labor regulator accused Starbucks of shuttering stores with the goal of discouraging membership in a labor organization. At the time, Starbucks said it was closing the shops due to safety concerns and crime nearby.

The labor board official wants Starbucks to reopen 23 stores in eight states and Washington, D.C., and reinstate the workers who were forcibly transferred to other stores or lost their jobs as a result of the closures. Regulators also want the coffee chain to bargain in good faith with the eight unionized stores and compensate those workers for lost wages and benefits, and any expenses incurred while searching for new work.

The three Portland Starbucks stores in the complaint are:

401 S.W. Morrison St. in downtown Portland

10112 N.E. Halsey St. at the Gateway Shopping Center

1102 N.W. Lovejoy St. in the Pearl District

The Pearl District Starbucks included in the list had unionized several months before it closed in October 2022; the other two Portland locations were not unionized.

Kayla Blado, press secretary for the National Labor Relations Board, said the complaint filed by the regional director is not a board decision and that the next step is for the two parties to discuss a settlement.

Starbucks, though, posted a response to the labor boards complaint on its website saying the labor boards allegations lack merit and that the company plans to defend its lawful business decisions to an administrative law judge at a hearing scheduled for late August.

The company said it also notified the Workers United union at represented stores before the closures and bargained in good faith over the effects of the closures on union workers.

The store closures  were outcomes of regular business reviews, which assess the health and overall footprint of our store portfolio, the coffee company said. The difficult decision to close any store follows an extensive review process intended to advance the Starbucks experience we deliver for our partners and customers  and is done without regard to union status.

Starbucks said it regularly closes and opens stores for various reasons. In the 2022 fiscal year, the coffee giant opened 437 new stores and closed 116 locations across the country, according to Starbucks.

Each year as a standard course of business, we evaluate the store portfolio to determine where we can best meet our community and customers needs, Sara Trilling, executive vice president of Starbucks North America, said in a statement. This includes opening new locations, identifying stores in need of investment or renovation, exploring locations where an alternative format is needed and, in some instances, re-evaluating our footprint.

This is not the first time Starbucks was accused of illegally closing stores over union activity. A federal labor judge last year ordered Starbucks to reopen a closed store near Buffalo, New York, and reinstate workers who had been fired for union activity. Starbucks was also ordered to reopen a shuttered store in Ithaca, New York, for similar reasons.

--Kristine de Leon; kdeleon@oregonian.com
Crews making annual inspections on Portlands Morrison Bridge will need to make frequent and repeated lifts of the bridge Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 3-4.

Traffic will be delayed at times 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on both days.

The bridge will not be closed, but those who wish to avoid delays may want to choose an alternate Willamette River crossing.

The George Abernethy Bridge carries I-205 over the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn. Oregonian file photo. Dave Killen / The Oregonian

Heads up for delays on Oregon Citys Abernathy Bridge this weekend

Drivers should plan ahead for potential delays on Interstate 205 from 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 to noon Sunday, Jan. 7 when northbound travel on the freeway will be reduced to one lane for bridge work.

The loop on-ramp from OR 43 to northbound I-205 will also close along with the off-ramp from northbound I-205 to OR 99E (Exit 9). Drivers can follow signed detours.

Crews will be working on concrete pours for new columns that will support an earthquake-ready Abernethy Bridge. This work was originally planned for mid-December but was rescheduled.

ODOT closed NW Bridge Avenue through the spring of 2022 to address this rockfall. Photo courtesy of ODOT

Portions of NW Bridge Avenue close for 6 months beginning Monday, Jan. 8

The southern section of Northwest Bridge Avenue leading to the St. Johns Bridge will close on Jan. 8 for six months while crews stabilize the adjacent hillside to prevent future rockfalls.

The road leading to the bridge from westbound U.S. 30 has a history of rockfalls, with five happening in the past five years. The Oregon Department of Transporation completed the most recent emergency repair work in April 2022.

This project aims to stabilize the hillside by removing hazardous vegetation, bringing down loose rock, and installing a pinned mesh system. Construction requires full closure of the southern section of Northwest Bridge Avenue.

During the closure, travelers will be detoured on the northern section of Northwest Bridge Avenue to access U.S. 30 and the St. Johns Bridge.

The closure is expected to remain in place through July 2.

 Rosemarie Stein

503-221-4376, events@oregonian.com; @trafficportland

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A Harney County judge Tuesday denied each of the states objections to his findings that helped form his opinion that Oregons voter-approved gun control Measure 114 violates the state constitutions right to bear arms.

Circuit Judge Robert S. Raschio held a hearing by video to allow the states lawyers to make their arguments, but then systematically rejected their challenges.
A man was shot dead under unclear circumstances at a popular wedding venue off U.S. 26 in the wooded hills north of North Plains.

Detectives with the Washington County Sheriffs Violent Crimes Unit are investigating the fatal shooting reported about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Hornings Hideout, 21277 N.W. Brunswick Canyon Road.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. The decision to demolish Azerbaijani poetess Natavan's statue in Evian demonstrates blind racism, editor-in-chief of the La Gazette du Caucase online newspaper based in Paris, renowned French journalist Jean-Michel Brun wrote in his article.

"In support of Armenian separatists, the city of Evian wants to remove the statue of the poetess Natavan. After almost 30 years, the Azerbaijanis have regained the integrity of their territory. An integrity recognized four times in a row by the UN. Driven by a nationalist far right that dreamed of conquest, the Armenian government had for a time expressed its fear of an extension of the conflict, but finally recognized the legitimacy of the Azerbaijani position. Each side has now recognized the sovereignty of the other. Together, they have now entered a phase of rebuilding peace and re-establishing political, economic and cultural relations," reads the article.

Brun notes that in France, however, the rising Right, followed by a few misguided Socialists, seem deaf to this new perspective.

"Excited by the extremists of a diaspora that is more Armenian than the Armenians of Armenia, this political class displays its ignorance of history, and of a country where it has never set foot, by continuing to stubbornly support the spokesmen of an imaginary "Greater Armenia", but driven by a murderous spirit of conquest. The prize for imbecility undoubtedly goes to the city of Evian, which has just covered with a veil the statue of the princess-poetess Natavan, erected in 2017, before promising to dismantle it. A decision that demonstrates that the blind racism of its mayors is equaled only by their ignorance and lack of culture," says the French journalist.

Who was the poetess Natavan?

"Khurshidbanu Natavan is an Azerbaijani poetess famous for her lyrical poems. She was born in Shusha in 1832, the daughter of the last khan of Karabakh, Khan Javanshir, and the granddaughter of Panah Ali Khan, the town's founder.

The French writer Alexander Dumas recounted his meeting with the princess in his story "Voyage au Caucase". Impressed by the extent of her culture, he was surprised to learn that she had read all his writings in French. They struck up a sincere friendship. Dumas played chess with the poetess, and the result of the match was memorable: Natavan defeated Dumas checkmate. She was only 26, and Dumas 56. To reward her for her victory, and as a sign of admiration for her intelligence, Dumas presented Natavan with a bust of Napoleon that he had brought from Paris and an elegant ivory chess set. The gift symbolized the high esteem in which he held the poetess, both for her chess skills and her brilliant personality," reads the article.

Brun points out that this event was immortalized by the painter Chingiz Mehbaliyev in his painting "Jeu d'echecs de Khurshidbanu Natavan et Alexander Dumas".

"Natavan was also a militant for the emancipation of women, and her castle at Shusha, almost entirely destroyed by the Armenian occupiers but currently being restored, was a cultural center where poets, musicians and painters from all over the Caucasus came to demonstrate their excellence. In his "Voyage au Caucase", Alexander Dumas devoted several chapters to Azerbaijan. In particular, he describes the character traits of the people living there: "When you negotiate something with an Azerbaijani, it is not necessary to ask him for a signed document. If he has promised, then it will be done". His observations on the Armenians living in Azerbaijan are much more nuanced: "always despotic, but always of different religions, but always barbaric, with only their whims as rules, only their wills as law. The result is that, seeing that their wealth was a subject of persecution, they concealed their riches; recognizing that a frank word was an imprudent word, and that their ruin depended on this imprudent word, they became taciturn and false"," reads the article.

Brun notes that one wonders how, if he were alive today, Alexander Dumas, the mulatto, would be received by the obtuse elected representatives of the city of Evian.

"No doubt, alas, in the same way he was received in his day. One day, following a lively discussion about Charles Darwin's recent theory of evolution, one of his opponents said to him:

- "By the way, my dear Master, you must know a lot about negroes, don't you?

- "Most certainly," Dumas replied,

"My father was a mulatto, my grandfather was a negro and my great-grandfather was a monkey. You see, sir, my family begins where yours ends.

Will the city go even further? In 1993, Antoine Riboud, the owner of Danone, which manages Evian water, gave his friend, the famous cellist Mstislav Rostropovitch, a magnificent concert hall, which he had built, all in wood, in the Evian park," says Brun.

He notes that Rostropovich was born in Baku, Azerbaijan (a Soviet state at the time).

"Will the city hall decide to demolish the building, which continues to welcome hundreds of musicians and artists to this day? The question is not so incongruous, given that silliness seems as unalterable as platinum. "I know of only two things that are infinite", said Einstein, "the universe and stupidity. And even then, I'm not sure about the universe...". It seems that ignorance is the prerogative of Azerbaijan's ignorant critics. All you have to do is read the comments made by Internet users, who spill the vomit of their insults all over the net. You only have to listen to the Mayor of Paris who, against all odds, continues to support Armenian extremists, and who is now the laughing stock of the internet. An opposition municipal councillor said to her: "King Midas turned everything he touched into gold. You're the opposite: everything you touch turns to lead", the woman who won 1.7% of the presidential elections replied, "I don't really know what you're referring to, I haven't had a car for a long time". She had just confused the legendary king of Phrygia with the Midas car maintenance company.

So read, you poor elected representatives, the works of Khurshidbanu Natavan, the freedom-loving woman, those of Nizami Ganjavi, the precursor of the Age of Enlightenment, or the Book of Dede Gorgud, which speaks of human rights and the freedom of peoples. It's never too late to receive the light," he concludes.
Police arrested 19 people and issued more than a dozen citations while breaking up multiple street takeovers in Portland over the weekend leading up to New Years Day.

Twenty-one vehicles were towed by police, some of which could be confiscated permanently under an Oregon law signed by Gov. Tina Kotek in June that increased penalties for street racing.

The police bureaus street-takeover missions spanned 10 hours each on the nights of Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, police said. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt joined officers on New Years Eve to observe.

The message is clear: If you engage in illegal street racing and street takeovers, you will face criminal penalties, including the permanent loss of your car, he said in a statement.

Photos shared by the police bureau show damaged cars, vehicles being towed, drivers being arrested and several handguns that were confiscated by officers. Police recovered seven firearms during the missions.

This is the latest in Portland Police Bureaus ongoing efforts to curb street racing. In November, officers arrested seven people in connection to street takeovers that drew more than 300 vehicles in one night.

Police recently lessened bureau restrictions on car chases during planned operations and missions, giving officers more discretion on when to pursue someone fleeing a crime scene in a car.

Street takeovers, usually late at night and on public streets, typically involve drivers spinning their cars wildly in circles and racing each other, with crowds cheering them on. Residents who live nearby streets that have been taken over have reported being threatened by participants. Crashes have killed both drivers and spectators; shootings also have happened at Portland street races.

Portland police reported 71 traffic fatalities in the city in 2023, and seven of those deaths were related to street racing, according to police spokesperson Mike Benner. One person was killed in a fiery crash in North Portland in February, and three women were killed after an 18-year-old driver smashed into another car while racing on Southeast Powell Boulevard in July.

 Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744

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The recent ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court barring former President Donald J. Trump from the primary ballot in Colorado is an unprecedented attempt to take the nominating process out of the hands of Colorado voters and put it into the hands of the judicial elite.

Make no mistake: Former President Donald Trump has neither been charged with nor convicted of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, the crime mentioned in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forms the basis of this ruling. No zeal for constitutional law drives this case and others like it, but rather the fear that American voters might nominate a candidate unacceptable to the plaintiffs.

This is the kind of ruling characteristic of puppet courts in third-world dictatorships. No wonder that upon hearing this ruling, El Salvador president Nayib Bukele said on X, The United States has lost its ability to lecture any other country about democracy.

The same group that filed similar court challenges in Minnesota and Michigan filed a challenge in Oregon last month. Rather than taking their arguments against the candidate to the American people, they want the courts to take the decision away from voters entirely.

Republican National Committee lawyers have successfully argued against this election interference in both Minnesota and Michigan. We will continue to fight for the right of our party members to nominate the candidate of their choosing without interference from judges or non-party-member activists intent on limiting the peoples voices and votes.

Tracy Honl, Astoria

Honl is a Republican National Committeewoman for Oregon.

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
Medford police have launched an investigation after authorities were contacted about a patients death at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford.

Hospital officials confirmed that police are investigating one death at Asante in Medford, although families of two alleged victims have confirmed the loss of loved ones in interviews with the Rogue Valley Times.

Lauren Van Sickle, Asante communications manager, said she was unable to comment on any reported deaths because police are investigating.

We were distressed to learn of this issue. We reported it to law enforcement and are working closely with them, Van Sickle said over the weekend.

Medford police Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick confirmed in a text, We are investigating a case at Asante Rogue Regional. It is in its very preliminary stages and we have no further information we can release.

Multiple hospital sources, who declined to be identified, confirmed dozens of patients injured by medication diversion  the act of replacing a medication with another substance.

Sources allege that a hospital nurse was removing fentanyl from IV bags and replacing it with tap water. Two families shared their stories with the Times, which first learned of the investigation Dec. 23.

Grants Pass resident Garrett Atwood received a Dec. 18 phone call in which he learned that his brothers death  more than a year before on Nov. 11, 2022  was allegedly caused by a central line infection that resulted after a hospital nurse replaced fentanyl with non-sterile tap water, he said.

Atwoods brother, 36-year-old combat veteran Samuel Allison, entered the hospital Oct. 14, 2022, for liver failure. Atwood said his brothers condition had stabilized and his prognosis was good. Shortly after leaving the ICU, he presented with an infection, was transferred to Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and died within days.

Atwood claimed Asante officials informed family members that his brothers pain medication was tampered with. Atwood further claimed that hospital officials said the infection he developed was directly linked to the tap water that the nurse in question was replacing it with.

Atwood said hospital officials told him the employee was no longer working in the medical field, as they were reported to both the medical board and police.

Klamath Falls resident Diane Rogers said she was notified by Asante officials that the July 26 death of her husband, 74-year-old Barry Samsten, had been caused by a bacterial infection after fentanyl was replaced with non-sterile tap water.

Samsten, a retired transportation planner for the Southern California Association of Governments, was being treated for a bedsore. His death certificate lists his cause of death as multiple organ failure and septic shock.

I remember thinking, How does a bedsore go downhill so bad? And to do that in the ICU, its like they were picking the ones who were the worse off or couldnt talk, Rogers said. He kept looking at me and his eyes would roll back. Id say, Hes in pain, and the nurse would say, No, he isnt.

Multiple sources also told the Times that water supplies in the Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit  which are in an older part of the hospital  are unsafe for use on patients, even for face washing. The hospital made numerous public statements during 2023 pertaining to infections and water quality issues.

Central line infections are reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program. Infections are also reported to the Oregon Health Authority on a monthly basis.

According to the Health Authoritys Hospital Healthcare-Associated Infections database, Asante Rogue Regional had low instances of central line infections between 2016 and 2021.

Infection rates were as low as one per year in 2016 and 2018; two per year in 2017 and 2019; and 3 in 2021. Infections in 2020 topped out at 7 during the onset of the pandemic.

Data for 2022 and 2023 is not posted on the state database, but a statement released by Asante July 6, weeks before Samsten died, reported ongoing efforts to reduce hospital-acquired infections.

The statement read, After a spike in CLABSI cases over the winter, ARRMCs clinical and support teams rallied to examine processes, aseptic technique and the environment to break the chain of transmission. ... This diligence brought a drop in central-line-associated blood infections.

The report went on to say that the hospital had engaged the Oregon Health Authority and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for an assessment of Asantes action plans and to solicit feedback on other potential contributors.

Prior to July, the hospital released statements in March and April addressing water quality concerns. A March 2 report indicated 10 central line infections between September 2022 and February 2023 in the Intensive Care Unit, one infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and one in the Coronary Care Unit.

Six weeks later, on April 14, a second statement addressed water quality rumors.

From September through December 2022, several central line infections in the ARRMC critical care units were linked to waterborne bacteria, the statement said. Currently, there is no known water contamination at ARRMC or any of our facilities.

Rogers voiced frustration at a lack of information being released to the public.

The man that called me, he said, You got any questions? And I said, Well, Ive got a lot of questions, but youre not gonna answer any of them for me.

Rogers added, Its shocking that somebody can do this. The least they could have done was use bottled water.
A Montana man faces four counts of first-degree manslaughter after he allegedly caused a crash on U.S. 97 north of Redmond that killed four members of a Troutdale family in mid-October.

Jesse Carl Ross, 43, is also charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving and reckless endangerment. He was indicted in December in Deschutes County Circuit Court.

Ross, of Corvallis, Montana, turned himself in to the Deschutes County Jail on Dec. 26, according to Oregon State Police.

He was being held in the Deschutes County jail with bail set at $2 million.

Ross Chevrolet Silverado veered across the centerline of the highway on the evening of Oct. 12, sideswiping a southbound commercial vehicle and trailer before ultimately colliding head-on with a Toyota Rav4, according to Oregon State Police.

The Rav4 rapidly caught fire. All four family members from Troutdale  Gary Rutledge, 57, Michelle Jean Windsor Rutledge, 53, and their two children, Kate Rutledge, 15, and Ryan Rutledge, 17  were pronounced dead at the scene. The teens were both students at Reynolds High School. The family was on its way to view the solar eclipse in Central Oregon, police said.

Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels stated that evidence indicates that Ross was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol during the car crash.

(The Oregonian-OregonLive contributed to this report.)
A former Multnomah County Animal Services volunteer filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that the county and the animal shelters operations manager retaliated against her after she publicly aired concerns about the shelters plans to euthanize a healthy year-old poodle.

In the suit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Monica Klein alleges that Animal Services Operations Manager Marian Cannell terminated her volunteer service in July after Klein posted on social media about the shelters decision to euthanize a dog named Cloud. Klein resorted to making that plea after shelter leaders rebuffed her request to have a chance to find Cloud a suitable home, the suit says.

The legal action is the latest setback for a shelter that has come under intense scrutiny in the last year. The suit contends that Kleins posts constituted protected free speech under the U.S. Constitution and that the county violated the Oregon Constitution by asking volunteers to agree to curtail their rights to free expression. The lawsuit contends that the countys termination of Klein was intended to chill or had the impact of chilling the free expression of other similarly situated volunteers.

I cant bring Cloud back, but I hope with this lawsuit I can empower other volunteers, Klein told The Oregonian/OregonLive. I think theres a lot of fear among volunteers and also staff in not feeling like you can speak up or being afraid of the repercussions if you worry about a dog or advocate too loudly for a dog.  I think this shelter has really gotten away with a lot and I would like to see them held accountable.

Alicia Mendez, a spokesperson for the county, said in an email that the county does not comment on active litigation.

County officials previously told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Klein was dismissed because she violated the shelters volunteer agreement by posting home and cell phone numbers for Animal Services Division Director Erin Grahek on social media site Nextdoor. The county provided screenshots of those posts, along with a copy of an inflammatory email Klein sent the shelters foster coordinator, after her termination. At least one post Klein published about the poodles likely demise was removed by Nextdoor after it was flagged by the county, the lawsuit states.

Klein said she posted Graheks phone numbers because the shelter director frequently ignored her emails and she wanted Grahek to hear from volunteers and members of the public before the shelter moved forward with euthanizing the dog.

Cannell did not specifically say why she dismissed Klein in the termination letter she sent July 11. But she provided Klein a copy of provisions in the volunteer handbook that say that volunteers should not post private information about employees on social media, should show support of the policies and directives of MCAS staff and must refrain from allowing conflicting personal views to overshadow the expertise and purpose of the county animal shelter.

I think that the letter makes it clear that there are a whole lot of policies, including a policy that volunteers need to support the decisions and accept the decisions of Multnomah County, Kleins lawyer, Alan Kessler, said. If those werent the reasons for her termination, its strange that they included that language in the termination letter.

The shelters decision to euthanize Cloud caused an uproar among volunteers and local animal rights activists. An online petition calling for accountability at the shelter after the white, curly-haired poodle was euthanized received 1,786 signatures.

The shelter allowed a couple to adopt Cloud on July 3, several days after he was returned to the shelter by another adopter who said he wasnt a good fit with their cat. The second adopters returned Cloud to the shelter two days later, county files show. In a letter provided to the shelter following the adoption return, the adopters said that Cloud had lunged at a small dog that barked at him through a patio door. The adopters said Clouds collar came off and he hit the door with force, prompting their landlord to inform them that they could no longer keep Cloud at their apartment complex, according to the letter.

However, the adopters called Cloud a beautiful loving boy. ... He loves to cuddle and will lean against you. He loved jumping on my bed and snuggling his face right against mine. They wrote that they hoped he would find a wonderful loving home with someone who had expertise in larger rescue dogs.

But county documents show that shelter leaders agreed two days later to euthanize Cloud due to behavior. They provided no other notes on their rationale to end his life. Cloud was euthanized July 8.

During her five months as a volunteer, Klein said she learned that the shelter regularly euthanized adoptable or treatable animals despite its status as a no-kill shelter. She said she also observed dogs becoming overheated in a room that wasnt climate controlled, going without water or walks and being left in dirty kennels. She said she felt she had to speak up because the shelter was deceiving the public about its practices.

When I was a volunteer there, I felt like there was a lot of lying to people, having so much of our general public, our community believe it was a no-kill shelter, Klein said. Once Cloud was euthanized, I just wanted to share the stories of all these great dogs with great personalities that had been killed there because I felt like people should know. I felt like people should know what was really going on before dropping off an animal there.

The lawsuit comes as the shelter is undergoing a massive overhaul mandated by Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. Vega Pederson called for an extensive review of the shelter early last year after reports from The Oregonian/OregonLive and other media outlets laid bare longstanding problems of animal neglect, understaffing and a lack of accountability.

The shelters poor record keeping regarding euthanasia decisions is one of its highest profile problems, critics and auditors say. Auditors repeatedly faulted the shelter for failing to keep clear records on its rationales for euthanizing animals, saying the poor record keeping put it at risk of making inconsistent life-ending decisions. Reporting by The Oregonian/OregonLive showed that the shelter failed to correct that problem over seven years.

Under a work plan announced in September, shelter leaders promised to ensure that staff accurately record when an animal is euthanized and provide detailed notes on the reasons for that step.

In her lawsuit, Klein seeks to be reinstated as a volunteer, an injunction to prohibit the county from taking similar action against other volunteers who raise concerns about the shelter and for the shelter to declare that the policies it used to dismiss Klein are invalid. She is also seeking $1 in nominal damages from each defendant and an unspecified amount in actual damages determined by the court.

For management to tell the volunteers to be quiet and make access to animals that the volunteers feel on a deep emotional level are being mistreated conditional on that silence allows perpetuation of a terrible, abusive system, Kessler said. Its important to (my client) that she and other people who are similarly situated are able to speak up and are able to ask the public to take notice.

 Jamie Goldberg; jgoldberg@oregonian.com; 503-221-8228; @jamiebgoldberg

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Central City Concern, one of Portlands largest housing and human services nonprofits, announced Wednesday it and multiple government partners will create 70 new substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment beds by the fall.

As untreated substance abuse and overdose deaths have soared in Oregon, the project represents a milestone in the regions effort to both prioritize behavioral health care and improve multiagency collaboration.

Two days after a large building on the citys inner eastside was put up for auction, Central City Concern bid on it with financial backing from all levels of government on top of $3 million of its own funds. The Oregon Health Authority pitched in $6 million, Multnomah County $6.25 million and the city of Portland $2 million.

This is an incredible opportunity to fill a direct gap in needed treatment options in the central city, Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement. The urgency and collaboration that made this purchase possible is precisely the kind of leadership this moment demands.

It took less than two weeks to finalize the contract to purchase what official documents identify as a hotel at East Burnside Street and 16th Avenue. Until the sale is finalized, state and local officials are not naming the building. But Willamette Week confirmed with the city that its the Lolo Pass Hotel and Hostel.

Its unclear how the projects backers will spend the $17.25 million in collective funding. The Multnomah County Assessors Office estimated the market value of the building as $5.5 million, but officials would not disclose the purchase price until the deal closes. Juliana Lukasik, Central City Concern spokesperson, said about $2 million will be used to renovate the hotel into a treatment center. Neither Lukasik, the governors office nor Multnomah County provided a breakdown Wednesday of how all the money will be used.

The building is near other support service centers and transit. It also already has a commercial kitchen, according to county documents. Central City Concern plans to fund the operations on its own starting in 2025, according to a county budget report.

The purchase comes shortly after Koteks Portland Central City Task Force announced its recommendations, which included expanding addiction recovery and behavioral health care.

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners is slated to officially vote to allocate their portion of the funds Thursday morning. The city is scheduled to follow suit later this month.

Once renovated, the building will have 24-hour staffing with 40 residential treatments beds that are anticipated to serve patients for one to four months, officials said. The site will also have 30 to 35 transitional housing beds that residential patients can transfer to once they need fewer support services. The site will also offer outpatient substance use disorder services.

The project responds to one of the regions most pressing needs.

(Short-term) detox and stabilization centers place only 17% of people needing co-occurring residential treatment into a program upon discharge and discharge approximately 1,000 people every year either back onto the street or to a temporary setting that does not match the clinically recommended level of care, according to Multnomah Countys budget request report that commissioners will review Thursday.

Andy Mendenhall, Central City Concern chief executive officer, said in a statement, This program will provide temporary housing and treatment for people experiencing substance use disorders who will benefit from a more structured level of service.

Nicole Hayden reports on homelessness for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences to Iran over casualties following two blasts in Kerman province, Trend reports.

We express heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the terrorist act in Kerman province of Iran, and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.

As a country deeply suffered from terrorism, Azerbaijan condemns all its forms and manifestations, reads the statement published on the ministrys X account.

Two explosions rocked a procession commemorating the death anniversary of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Kerman province, southeastern Iran.

The blasts resulted in the loss of at least 103 lives, with 211 individuals sustaining injuries, as confirmed by authorities.

Soleimani was killed in a US Air Force airstrike in 2020 in Iraq.
Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Continuing airstrikes were reported across Gaza on Wednesday with intense ground battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in refugee camps in central areas that have reportedly left many dead
Photo: (Photo : Bill Pugliano /Getty Images)

The list of victims in the Michigan house explosion has now been released to the public.

During the holiday season, a house in Michigan blew up, whipping the whole house down. It was first assumed that the family of four was inside the house during the time of the explosion.

Northfield Township Police and Fire Rescue departments quickly responded to the site after receiving a call stating a loud explosion was heard in their neighborhood in the 8200 block of Winters Lane.

The Michigan House Explosion Kills a Family of Four

The press conference, with Lieutenant David Powell of the Northfield Township Police Department speaking to the public, revealed that the explosion occurred on December 30 at approximately four o'clock on Saturday afternoon, which is 14 miles north of Ann Arbor.

Only the house's foundation remained after the explosion completely leveled the surrounding wood and other debris.

After the responders arrived, it was discovered that the Bragg family inside was six people instead of four.

It turns out that all the kids of the Bragg family came home to Michigan to spend the holiday, including their parents and their grandfather, who were all inside the house.

At the same time, the police started searching the house with whatever was left while the firefighters worked to put out the fire.

Rescuers immediately rushed the people rescued to the hospital. Two family members were revealed to be in critical condition, while it was announced that the four others had died.

According to Lutenant Powell, the victims were the couple Hope Bragg, 51, her 53-year-old husband Don Bragg, and two of their children, Kenneth Bragg, 22, and Elizabeth Bragg, 19.

Deputy Lieutenant Powell of the Northfield Township Police Department stated that he was unable to determine whether or not any gas appliances had been recently placed in the residence.

The lieutenant also revealed that there was no evidence of a meth lab inside the residence that others might suspect to be the cause of a house explosion.

It is assumed that the cause of the Michigan house explosion for now is the involvement of fuel and air, as stated in the preliminary findings.

However, there is a possibility that this finding will be revised after additional evidence and interviews have been conducted. At this moment, there is no suspicion of any foul play.

Furthermore, the police department requests that the public refrain from entering the area and give the investigators space to work.

Read Also: Missing Foreign Exchange Student Found in Utah After Cyber Kidnapping Ordeal

Investigation and Community Response

Powell reported that the deceased members of the family were paying a visit to Richard Bragg, Don Bragg's father, who was 72 years old at the time of the devastating explosion.

In a critical state, Richard Bragg, the owner of the house, remained in the hospital for an extended period of time.

At the same time, Steven Bragg, who is 16 years old and the youngest child of Don and Hope Bragg, was taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

Matthew Rooney, a friend of the Bragg family, told the press that he was crying on and off thinking about the Bragg family.

Rooney, who was a coworker and has a son who attends the same school as Stephen, who survived and is currently hospitalized, described the explosion as horrifying.

Rooney had stated that Hope and Don were going to spend the holidays in Michigan. Even though they resided in Arkansas, they frequently spent their vacations in the house, which the police stated was constructed in 1979.

They were in the process of renovating the house and had the intention of retiring there in the future.

Related Article: NYPD Sergeant Kills His Family of Four in Alleged Murder-Suicide in New City Home
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 4. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian stressed the importance of developing cooperation with Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

According to Trend, today the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran received Aziz Mansouri, the new Consul General of Iran appointed to Nakhchivan.

During the reception, the Iranian minister drew attention to the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan within the framework of the neighborhood policy and noted the importance of diplomatic representations in the relations between the two countries.

At the meeting, the new consul general informed about the new work program of the consulate general of Iran in Nakhchivan.

It should be noted that the new consul general of Iran in Nakhchivan worked in the multilateral finance, trade, energy and transport cooperation department of the MFA.
Ive recently shared three or four passages here with you from Hadley Vlahos, The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Lifes Final Moments (New York: Ballantine Books, 2023). Heres another one that I really liked, and that I think you might find interesting, as well:

Ive seen just as many patients who arent religious and dont believe in an afterlife have end-of-life visitations from loved ones as I have those who do believe in a life after this one. Having said that, I dont think that we can explain everything that happens here on Earth, much less what ever comes after we physically leave our bodies. I do believe that our loved ones come to get us when we pass, and I dont believe thats the result of a chemical reaction in our brain in those final hours. Theres a big difference between hallucinations and the sort of visitations described in this book  Ive seen them both, and theyre not the same. While hallucinations can be anything from spiders on the wall to the house morphing around you, visitations are lucid and matter-of-fact to the patient whos describing them. While hallucinations can incite anxiety or fear, visitations bring with them a sense of calm and peace. (250)

At the very end of her book, Ms. Vlahos, who is a registered nurse and a specialist in hospice care, addresses the patients whom she treated at the end of their lives. One of them was an outspokenly atheistic patient that she calls Frank, who, along with his wife, wanted no religion brought into his passing. Nonetheless, at the end, he said, his sister was visiting and conversing with him. And, when his wife bluntly reminded him that his sister was dead, he brushed the objection aside and remarked that his sister was nobody of whom anyone needed to be afraid (233-235). To him, Ms. Vlahos writes,

Your unwavering belief in, well, no beliefs has allowed me to better understand and explain to others that no matter what your beliefs  or lack thereof  your loved ones will still come to get you. (258)

I couldnt help but be reminded in this connection of a passage from the text of one of the lectures contained in Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, On Life after Death (Berkeley and Toronto: Celestial Arts, 2008). Dr. Kubler-Ross, who died herself some years ago, was a Swiss-born physician and psychiatrist who became very famous for her revolutionary work with dying patients, particularly through a hugely influential 1969 book entitled On Death and Dying. This passage is, though, as I say, from On Life after Death:

At the moment of this transition, you are never, ever alone. You are never alone now, but you dont know it. But at the time of transition, your guides, your guardian angels, people whom you have loved and who have passed on before you, will be there to help you. We have verified this beyond a shadow of a doubt, and I say this as a scientist. There will always be someone to help you with this transition. Most of the time it is a mother or father, a grandparent, or a child if you have lost a child. Sometimes it is people you didnt know were on the other side already. We had one case of a child, a twelve year old, who did not want to share with her mother what a beautiful experience it was when she died. No mother likes to hear that her child found a place nicer than home, and thats very understandable. But this child had such a unique experience that she needed desperately to share it with somebody, so one day she confided in her father. She told him that it was such a beautiful experience when she died that she did not want to come back. What made it very special, besides the whole atmosphere and the fantastic love and light that most of them convey, was that her brother was there with her, and held her with great tenderness, love, and compassion. After sharing this she said to her father, The only problem is that I dont have a brother. Her father started to cry, and confessed that she did indeed have a brother who died three months before she was born. They had never told her. Do you understand why I am bringing up examples like this? Many people will say, Well, you know, they were not dead, and at the moment of their dying they naturally think of their loved ones, so they naturally visualize them. But nobody could visualize a brother they never knew about. (27-28)

Here are two stanzas of a hymn that, candidly, I long hated as too treacly, too corny, too sentimental. I dont feel that way anymore:
If youre heavily involved in a church congregation right now, you might soon be asked to attend some kind of strategic planning and goal-setting process for 2024. My advice would be: dont go. Not only that, Id try to convince your leadership not to set goals this year at all, or ever again for that matter. Im convinced that Churches shouldnt have goals, mostly because goal-setting is a practice that comes from our success-obsessed culture. Its what you do when youre chasing all things bigger, better, higher, stronger, and faster, and these arent the things a healthy church chases.

When Im asked to speak on church leadership or to present on my book Shrink, I always ask: How many of you think your main task is to make your ministry a success? Response is usually around 90% yes. Then I ask how many equate success with growth or numbers in some form. The response is usually about the same. Church leadership has become fascinated with success, and success is usually defined as numerical growth. When leaders accept this premise, I think its evidence weve been determined more by our culture than the life and teachings of Christ. Churches that promote their pithy mission statements and yearly goals are not drawing these practices from scripture. Theyre drawing these practices from the American corporation.

Its true, you can come up with some crafty 2024 church goals that will create some excitement. But in the long run, youll just end up shaping your church to look a little more like T-Mobile or Target. Youll end up teaching your folks to worship a capitalistic, growth-obsessed, success-oriented god that looks nothing like the God of the Bible, and youll lose the only thing you truly have to offer your community: a genuine alternative to the failing way of life of our dominate culture.

The drive to be a successful church ruins every church that succumbs to it. This is why the church in America is struggling. We have nothing unique to offer the world around us. Most churches are just agents of consumer culture, high-functioning members of the cult of bigger, better, higher, stronger, faster, and therefore indistinguishable in most ways from society at large. When churches become agents of culture people cease to see any value in belonging, and they opt out.

I know Im messing with a sacred cow. Church leadership culture in America is big business. There are scores of books to buy, conferences to attend, and a bevy of church consultants ready to offer their keys to success. All of it is toxic, and the healthy church knows not to touch this stuff. When church leaders join the throngs of church workers building our tower of Babel, making a name for ourselves, we are participating in a story that is not meant for us, and it becomes our kryptonite. We become just like all the other voices of corporate America, marketing, government, blah, blah, blah We become meaningless.

The entire church leadership culture is a ruse. Its foolishness, if for no other reason than the fact that the most consistent outcome of church growth methods is not church growth, but rather: anxiety. Hard-driving church leaders create anxiety everywhere they go. Their go-to move is to make you like your church is lacking something essential in its current state. Then they sell you some dream of success, and teach you how to cultivate that same sense of lack in your congregation. Refusing to set audacious goals and focusing on faithfulness instead serves to drain the church of anxiety. When the pressure to grow is removed, the people of God become free to absorb the pain and suffering of their neighborhood, to counteract it, allowing it to be transformed into a resurrection-life, involving others in a new story of human flourishing, and loving community.

Im begging you, dont set goals for your church this year. Root out any impulse that you find driving you to come up with goals in the first place. If you want to understand how your church is really doing, look for human flourishing. How is the neighborhood youre situated within doing? Is there flourishing happening everywhere you look? How are those on the margins doing? Because if youre a successful church in a community where those on the margins are suffering, then guess what: your church is failing.

Of course there is a practical side to ministry that needs attention. Theres an inevitable goal setting aspect to any practical endeavor. However, this aspect of our common life as churches shouldnt be raised to the level of an all-important annual meeting. Those practical concerns are mostly about the stewardship of schedules and resources and can happen along the way. At my church we stopped setting yearly goals more than a decade ago. If we meet, we meet to worship, study, fellowship, or serve. Instead of setting goals, were constantly dreaming about and talking about what God might be calling us to do. Then we try to walk faithfully out of a sense of wonder and awe with no expectations of success. We dont force things. We try to be patient and walk through the doors that are open to us. Because of this, I think weve come to actually offer an alternative way of life that stands in stark contrast to the success-obsessed culture.

If you actually have to set yearly goals because your denomination requires it, then try goals like these:
Flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaian youth to remove the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from power to ensure a brighter future.



He raised concerns about the hardships Ghanaians face under the Akufo-Addo-led government but said his return to the presidency will make a change.



According to Mr Mahama, most of the youth were fed up but encouraged them not to give up because Gods plan for Ghana was not over yet.



I want to leave you with a message of hope. Our country Ghana is going through a crisis. And there are many of you, especially the youth, who believe that theres no future. I meet a lot of our youth, and it is like theres no future here for them. And so they wont even bother to vote. Please, I beg you, cast your votes on December 7, 2024, he urged.



The former president was addressing the congregation of the Sanctuary of Wind and Fire Assemblies of God Church in Tamale on New Years Eve.



He pleaded with Ghanaians not to give up on Ghana but to hope for the best if he is elected into power.



Never give up on your country. God is not finished with Ghana yet. We are going through a crisis, but he has not given up on us. There are times when God uses experiences not only to test us but also to give us a learning experience. Sometimes, we go through tribulations, but it does not mean we must throw up our hands in despair and give up. Never give up. We must continue to battle, and work hard until we achieve the objectives we set for ourselves. Lets continue to have hope and believe that Gods plan for Ghana is not over, He said.



Adding that, And that we will have the opportunity to choose in December 2024 and that God will prosper this country, and it will rise again. We are supposed to be the black star of Africa, today, that black star has fallen on the ground. But I can assure you that that black star will rise again.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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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The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has asserted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is making efforts to whitewash the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract.



Dr. Ato Forson said he deems the directive as coming too late and perceives it as a strategy to dissuade parliament from fully exercising its oversight responsibility over the contentious contract.



In a Facebook post on Tuesday, January 2, the Ajumako Enyan Essiam lawmaker emphasized that NDC MPs remain vigilant and will not be misled.



As a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ato Forson assured Ghanaians of the commitment of the NDC MPs at ensuring a thorough investigation into the scandal and holding all those found culpable accountable.



"The President, who should have led this fight in the wake of this scandal, is playing catch-up since Parliament has also directed GRA to suspend all payments to SML."



"This whitewashing attempt by the President in the name of an audit will not dissuade Parliament from looking into this matter to stop the siphoning of state resources into the private pockets of government officials and their crony business partners," he wrote.



Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson's remarks come in the wake of President Akufo-Addo's directive for an audit into the contract between the GRA and SML.



KPMG has been appointed to conduct the audit, with a scheduled duration of two weeks.



A press statement from the presidency, released by Communications Director Eugene Arhin, details the specific terms of reference outlined by President Akufo-Addo for the upcoming KPMG audit.



However, Dr. Ato Forson's comments reflect ongoing concerns and the need for a comprehensive examination of the GRA-SML contract.

Source: Ghanaweb.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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Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on Wednesday, January, 3, 2024 received commendation from the vetting panel of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) when he appeared before them.



They acknowledged Dr. Opoku Prempeh's numerous supports to the NPP across the country.



The vetting is part of the process leading to the selection of parliamentary candidates for constituencies held by the party.



The panel chaired by NPP National Organizer, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye and which included the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, unanimously touted Dr. Opoku Prempehs long-standing support for the party from opposition days to being in government.



For us, the truth is that we really have no questions for you except to say that we want to commend you for being a great anchor for our party not just in the Ashanti Region but in the whole of Ghana. We appreciate you for all you do for the New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye remarked.



Dr. Opoku Prempeh, popularly called 'NAPO', seized the opportunity to reiterate his confidence in Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias ability to lead the NPP to victory in this year's December elections.



The NPP government led by President Nana Akufo-Addo has had external shocks militating against performance and therefore I believe that our victory in December will afford us the full opportunity in His Excellency Bawumia to make a point to Ghanaians that we can do it on a good day, he said.



Other members of the panel included Ashanti Regional Women Organizer, Nana Ama Ampomah, the Regional Nasara Coordinator and a representative from the MMDCEs in the Region.



The NPP primaries to select parliamentary candidates for constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament is slated for Saturday January 27, 2024.













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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The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has brought to an end its investigations into an alleged bribery scandal in Parliament involving a supposed wealthy businessman in Ghana.



According to the OSP, it was compelled to bring the probe to an end because the main accuser in the case, the Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim-North, Andy Appiah Kubi has not been cooperative.



It added that, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who also made a similar claim denied direct knowledge of the matter during the probe.



The OSP in its report dated December 28, 2023, said Mr. Appiah-Kubis refusal to cooperate with the investigation and his refusal to disclose the identity of the suspect are most regrettable. It is quite perplexing for a Member of Parliament to level accusations of attempted bribery on a person (whether certain or uncertain) in a most spectacular and public manner on a network of a major media house and then stage a bizarre volte-face by refusing to cooperate with the investigation and refusing to disclose and/or confirm the identity of the suspect.



The OSP started its investigations in 2023 over allegations that a wealthy businessman tried inducing Members of Parliament on the Majority side to back down on their demands for the dismissal of the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.



Andy Appiah Kubi and over 50 New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs in 2022 called for the removal of the Finance Minister.



The MPs later softened their stance after meeting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the matter.



They kowtowed to the Presidents pleas to have the Minister stay in office to seal Ghanas bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).



The OSP in its report explained that, although it is convinced that a certain well-known wealthy Ghanaian businessman visited Parliament House circa 1 October 2022 and requested a meeting with a section of NPP Members of Parliament and that the businessman in question had attempted to offer them money to influence their demand for the resignation or removal of Mr. Ofori-Atta, and that Mr. [Name withheld by the OSP] is the businessman in question  the rehearsed and choreographed refusal to cooperate and continued refusal to cooperate by the accuser and vital key, Mr. Appiah-Kubi, produced the very unhappy result that there is not enough probative evidence (direct or circumstantial) to sustain the institution of criminal proceedings against the OSPs identified suspect.



On that reckoning, the Special Prosecutor directs the closure of the investigation in respect of allegations that a well-known and wealthy businessman attempted to bribe a section of the majority caucus of Parliament. The Special Prosecutor determines that the institution of criminal proceedings, at this time, against the OSPs identified suspect would serve no useful purpose. The investigation may be re-opened should the circumstances and further facts so dictate, the OSP added in its report.

Source: Citinewsroom









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 Lehigh County coroners office has identified the 44-year-old grandmother and her 1-year-old grandson killed in weekend gunfire that spanned three separate incidents.

Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio identified the victims as Ada Ortiz and Sebastian Serrano, both of Allentown. Ortiz was pronounced dead just before 10 p.m. Friday at her home, Buglio said. An autopsy conducted Tuesday revealed she died from multiple gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide.

The baby was pronounced dead just after 10 p.m. Friday at a home in the citys 100 block of Chestnut Street, Buglio said. The autopsy is ongoing; however, Buglio has already ruled Sebastians death a homicide.

Those victims were part of a violent Friday evening in the city.

That shooting happened shortly after 8:40 p.m. at a home on the 100 block of Chestnut Street, city police said. A 66-year-old male was found at the scene suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds, according to police. Allentown Police Capt. Daniel Gross Jr. told lehighvalleylive.com Tuesday afternoon that the man is expected to survive.

Several blocks away, a second shooting was reported about 9:03 p.m. in the 300 block of Ridge Avenue. A man and a woman were shot and taken to hospitals for treatment of serious gunshot wounds, city police said. The pair were expected to survive, according to police.

Dimitrius Bashir Campbell, 23, of Allentown has been charged in the Ridge Avenue shootings. Campbell is facing felony attempted homicide (two counts); felony conspiracy to commit homicide (two counts); felony aggravated assault (two counts); felony carrying a firearm without a license; and misdemeanor reckless endangerment, as well as other related offenses.

Campbell was arraigned Saturday before District Judge Ronald S. Manescu, who denied bail and sent him to the Lehigh County jail. Holihan said a second unidentified shooter also is being sought by police in the Ridge Avenue incident.

The third shooting happened several hours later, around 2:25 a.m. Saturday.

City police said a man was shot in the 1600 block of Hanover Avenue and was later found by police suffering from serious gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment; two other men also were shot in that incident and arrived at hospitals on their own, according to police.

All three of the victims in the Hanover Avenue incident are expected to survive their injuries, police said.

Authorities said they dont believe the three shootings are connected. Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan told lehighvalleylive.com Tuesday afternoon all three incidents are under investigation.

No further information will be released at this time due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigations, Holihan said.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
By Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun (TNS)

A 20-year-old driver charged in the Baltimore Beltway crash that killed six construction workers in March pleaded guilty Wednesday to six counts of manslaughter.

Melachi Duane Darnell Brown entered a guilty plea to six counts of felony vehicular manslaughter in Baltimore County Circuit Court before Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts.

Baltimore County Assistant States Attorney Felise Kelly said prosecutors are asking for a sentence of 60 years suspending all but 18 months, excluding Browns time in jail before trial. Each of the counts carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Brown was driving a white Volkswagen when another driver, Lisa Lea, struck his car and her gray Acura went through a gap in the construction sites jersey barrier.

Kelly said a crash investigation found Brown was driving at 122 mph five seconds before the two cars collided. At the time of the collision, he was traveling at 111 mph, she said. Witnesses told investigators both drivers were previously going at a very high rate of speed and narrowly missing other cars.

Five employees of Concrete General and one inspector died in the March 22 crash on Interstate 695 north of Security Boulevard in Woodlawn. All of them died at the scene. Brothers Jose Armando Escobar, 52, and Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, 43, of Frederick were killed, along with Mahlon Simmons III, 31; his father, Mahlon Simmons II, of Union Bridge; Rolando Ruiz, 46, of Laurel; and Sybil Lee Dimaggio, 46, of Glen Burnie.

Emergency personnel work at the scene of fatal crash along Interstate 695 near Woodlawn, Md., Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun via AP)AP

Browns sentencing is set for March 28. Leas trial is scheduled for April.

2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Turkiye, which will legally formalize its status as an international gas hub in 2024, has practically been executing these responsibilities in 2023, the country's Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Nevzat Satiroglu told Trend.

"Currently, Turkiye obtains gas from a variety of countries, including pipeline gas (mainly from Russia and Azerbaijan) and liquefied gas from a variety of sources, including the United States. We mix them and utilize what we need. We signed gas supply deals with Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary in 2023, thereby serving as a 'bridge' between gas producers and purchasers in the EU," noted the official.

He added that in 2023, additional gas was transited through Turkiye to Bulgaria (own sales by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan - SOCAR in the autumn, outside the international contract for gas supplies from Shah Deniz), Romania, and Hungary (via swap) to cover the gas deficit in these EU countries.

"We have already provided the necessary conditions for gas supplies to our brethren in Europe, including the direct sale of Azerbaijani gas in the western direction. Although the volume is not significant, the most important fact is that such operations have begun," emphasized Satiroglu.

In 2025, Bulgaria will be able to receive more gas from various sources due to the increased capacity of its infrastructure, and part of the planned volumes will inevitably transit through Turkiye, the deputy minister explained.

Regarding negotiations with Russia on the implementation of its idea of a gas hub in the European part of Turkiye (similar to a gas trading exchange in Istanbul), he pointed out that the process of reaching contractual documents is underway.

"Due to the armed conflict with Ukraine, Russia is forced to seek alternative outlets for its gas. In this matter, the mutual interests of countries, geopolitical issues, and European expectations are important factors that we must consider," Satiroglu stressed.

He also recalled that Turkiye has five LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals through which gas can be received by Turkiye's European neighbors.

The official added that negotiations with Azerbaijan continue on an addition to the transit agreement necessary for the planned doubling of gas supplies to the EU via TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline).

Thus, Turkiye plays a crucial role in ensuring the energy security of Europe.
A Uniontown man police suspect shot and killed his wife was arrested on Tuesday at a Las Vegas resort.

Arthur Eugene Guty Jr., 55, has been charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault.

The body of his wife, Nicole Zambrano, 26, was discovered at their home on Monday. Police believe she had been dead for several days, according to TribLive and WPXI.

Zambranos co-workers had reported her missing after she did not show up for work for several days.

Police said that when initially questioned, Guty told them several different stories about Zambranos location.

First, Miss Zambrano was in Richmond with a friend, in Florida with Mr. Guty to see his father and a dentist, and also in Richmond, Virginia, to meet with Mr. Guty eventually at the Grand Canyon, Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele said to WPXI.

Police were able to track Guty to Las Vegas via his cell phone. He was having breakfast at the Mardi Gras Casino when he was arrested. Aubele told WPXI he had about $100,000 in cash on his person. Authorities believe he was trying to leave the country.

Zambranos family, meanwhile, arrived in Pittsburgh Tuesday to prepare for funeral arrangements later this week.

The family wants answers. They want to know really whats going on, what happened? a family friend, Carlos Ramirez, said to WTAE. [Zambranos aunt] feels that because we are Latin, theres no justice for us.
A York County man killed his wife and son in their home last week and fled the scene before fatally stabbing himself, police said Tuesday.

Rogelio, Arvizu, 50, attacked his son Dylan Arvizu, 17, and his wife Guadalupe Morales, 49, around 10 a.m. Thursday in separate parts of the family home on the 900 block of East Walnut Street. He also seriously wounded his 27-year-old son when he arrived at the home that morning, according to Hanover police.

Dylan and Morales were pronounced dead at the scene from sharp force injuries to their heads and necks. Dylan also suffered blunt force trauma, police said.

The 27-year-old was able to fight his father off and got a bystander to call 911, police said.

When officers arrived, the man was outside, suffering from a neck wound, police said. He told the officers his father was responsible for his injuries and that other family members were hurt inside the home.

The 27-year-old was taken to a hospital, treated for his wounds and later released, according to police.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Arvizu charging him with two counts of homicide and two counts of aggravated assault. He was found about two hours later, lying on the ground behind the 900 block of Broadway with numerous stab wounds and cuts to his body. A bloody knife was found nearby, police said.

Arvizu was taken to WellSpan York Hospital, where he died. Police on Tuesday said Arvizus death was a suicide, and Dylan and Morales were homicides.

A motive for the attacks has not been released.
After four years of marriage and more than six years together, The Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay and husband Bryan Abasolo are joining countless other famous couples in Splitsville.

In an Instagram post, the 43-year-old chiropractor broke the divorce news, telling fans, I wanted you to hear it from the source before the blogs start making up their own reality.

If youve been following me for a while, you know I dont like to put my personal affairs on social media and like to keep a safe space for our family. Many of you know me as a chiropractor, and also as a husband, my proudest role so far, Abasolo wrote on Instagram Tuesday.

After more than 4 years of marriage, Rachel and I have made the difficult decision to part ways and start anew. My parents have been married forever and Im a family man, but sometimes loving yourself and your partner means you must let go, he wrote. Please respect the spaces of our family and friends as we figure out our next steps.

One day before the news broke, 38-year-old Lindsay posted from a fitness studio on her Instagram Story that she was sweating out everything from 2023.

On New Years Day, Lindsay posted her year-end review on Instagram, which featured multiple pictures and videos showcasing a reflection of her entire year.

Definitely one of the hardest years of my life, but choosing to focus on grateful moments and carrying that energy into 2024, she wrote.

On Tuesday, Abasolo filed the petition for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court, a document obtained by both People and CNN, listing Sunday as the date of separation, and citing irreconcilable differences as grounds for the divorce.

He is requesting spousal support and for Lindsey to pay his attorneys fees, CNN reported.

Lindsay has yet to respond to Abasolos petition. They do not share any children.

The former couple met back in 2017 when she starred on season 13 of ABCs reality show The Bachelorette and tied the knot in August 2019. After leaving the show, the couple lived on separate coasts, with the television personality and podcast co-host in Los Angeles, while Abasolo focused on his chiropractor business in Miami, though he also works in Los Angeles.

I didnt move to L.A. because I just love the city, Lindsay said to Abasolo on his Dr. Abs Healthcast podcast. Youre focusing on your practice and building it to a place you want it to be, and I am here in L.A. working for Extra and doing other things, and were doing this to eventually bring ourselves together.

At the time, they revealed that they have a timeline and dont plan to live apart forever.

We know where were going, we know where were headed, and we know what were trying to build as Abasolos, Lindsay said.

At the time of their breakup, the two lived together in Los Angeles, People reported.
January 3, 2024 is International Mind-Body Wellness Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate how a healthy mind and healthy emotions means a healthy body! It is a day dedicated to promoting holistic well-being and emphasizing the interconnectedness of mental and physical health.

We have some tips from Sheona Little, the founder of Siyanda Wellness, a health and wellness company that provides trauma-informed healing spaces to underserved communities in Central PA. Little is also a 200RYT Yoga Instructor, Afro Flow Yoga Teacher, Trauma-Informed Yoga Specialist and Nutrition Specialist.

Siyanda Wellness is a health and wellness company that provides trauma-informed healing spaces to underserved communities in Central PA. TJ Smith

10 Health & Wellness Tips:

Stop and breathe  a quick session of deep breathing can help you feel more relaxed and less anxious. It only takes a quick moment but can relax your body for hours.

Eat out less  when you cook at home, you know whats in your food. Processed restaurant food has added sodium and fats and more calories.

Do yoga  yoga is relaxing and good for your physical self.

Drink more water  even a glass more a day will help. Increasing water intake may boost your energy levels, help you obtain weight and fitness goals, and improve the quality of your skin.

Take a break from social media  Social media can lead to a bad mood, low self-esteem, and anxiety. A break can be a refresher.

Write down your goals  writing down goals makes them more tangible and realistic. Create a vision board for the new year.

Take a walk  walking is a great form of exercise and is good for your health. Do it with a friend, family member or pet for some healthy quality time.

Declutter  Reducing clutter lowers stress and makes life simpler. Organize one space at a time so its not overwhelming.

Do something you love  this can be as small as reading a book, practicing a hobby, or spending time with friends and family. It is a great way to enhance your feel-good hormones.

Get your rest  To be at your best, you have to get your rest. Create and stick to a bedtime and wake-up routine.

The mind, body and soul connection plays an integral role in our overall health and well-being. Our emotions, purpose and goals all have an important impact on our overall health said Little.

That is why we celebrate International Mind-Body Wellness Day at the start of each year, because nothing is more important than creating the best you possible, and what better time than the new year for a new you.

If you would like more tips and information from Sheona Little and Siyanda Wellness you can visit their website at https://www.siyandawellness.com.
A central Pennsylvania grocery store chain is celebrating local farmers and growers at the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

The Giant Company in Carlisle will be offering opportunities for visitors to learn about buying local along with free product samples and a daily raffle for $100 gift cards.

During the eight-day show, attendees can pick up oversized maps and and pop over to a Marty Selfie Station, where they can snap a picture with the chains in-store robot.

The Farm Show runs Jan. 6-13 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg.

More than a dozen of the Giants vendors will join the company throughout the week in the complexs Giant Expo Hall behind the food court. The schedule includes:

Jan. 6

9 a.m.-1 p.m.  Ridgetop Orchards, a multigenerational family farm growing apples, cherries, and peaches, in Bedford County.

2:30-6:30 p.m.  Kunzlers quality meats in Lancaster County.

Jan. 7

9 a.m.-1 p.m.  Painterland Sisters, fourth-generation regenerative dairy farm in Tioga, County and producer of Icelandic skyr, a style of yogurt rich in probiotics and protein.

2:30  6:30 p.m.  Appalachian Brewing Co., Harrisburgs first brewery.

Jan. 8

9 a.m.-1 p.m.  Hess Brothers Fruit Company in Lancaster County.

2:30  6:30 p.m.  Weavers of Wellsville, a fifth-generation specialty smoked meat processor in York County.

Jan. 9

9 a.m.- 1 p.m.  Masser Potato Farms, potato producer in central Pa.

2:30  6:30 p.m.  Buona Foods, third-generation, family-owned, and operated mushroom farm and processor in Chester County.

Jan. 10

9 a.m.  1 p.m. - UTZ, nationwide snack food brand based in York County.

2:30  6:30 p.m.  Little Leaf Farms, a facility featuring the worlds most technologically advanced greenhouse growing system to grow baby leaf leafy greens, in McAdoo.

Jan. 11

9 a.m.  1 p.m.  Bright Farms operates hydroponic greenhouses in Synder, County.

2:30 6:30 p.m.  Berks Foods, third generation, family-owned and operated meat processor in Reading.

Jan. 12

9 a.m.-1 p.m. - The Granola Factory, family owned and operated artisan bakery specializing in health-conscious granola and bars, from Bethlehem.

Jan. 13

9 a.m.- 5 p.m.  Seltzers Smokehouse Meats, leading producer of Pennsylvania Dutch-style sausage, commonly known as Lebanon bologna, in Lebanon.
Plenty of people across the country  and the globe  spend their time hunting ghosts.

Indeed, this teen in Pennsylvania was on the hunt recently, but not of a paranormal sort. She still caught a ghost regardless.

The York Daily Record reports how 13-year-old Alex Eckenrod of Hegins, Schuykill County, was with her grandfather, Andrew Lititiz, in York County last month when she shot her first-ever deer.

But the York Daily Record notes that this wasnt just any deer: It was a mostly white-haired buck nicknamed The Ghost that had been in the crosshairs of many a hunter in the area.

It was very exciting, I was really happy and very surprised, told Eckenrod to the publication.

According to the National Deer Association, a deers white color may be attributed to a rare genetic occurrence known as piebaldism.

The piebald anomaly, says the association, may cause " a range of potential deformities, from coat coloration to skeletal alignment, from mild to severe.

This is due to the fact some of the same genes that code for coat color also code for other physical traits, the association explains. It should also be noted that a piebald deer differs from an albino on as it is not totally white.

But how rare is rare? Less than one percent of the deer population, says the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Department website. Not bad for a first-time kill.

The York Daily Record states how Eckenrod intends to get a should pedestal mount of the piebald that she shot.
A Newark imam was critically wounded in a shooting outside his mosque Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The shooting was reported around 6:15 a.m. outside the Masjid Muhammad Newark mosque at South Orange Avenue and Camden Street, police said.

The imam, who serves as one of the leaders of the mosque, was shot and brought to University Hospital in Newark in critical condition, police said.

Police did not provide additional information about the incident. It was unclear whether a religious service was being held at the time or if students were inside Clara Mohammad School-Newark, a K-12 Islamic school attached to the building.

Officials at the mosque did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the incident.

The Muslim mosque was founded as Temple No. 25 in 1957, according to its website.
The 25-year-old woman killed early New Years Day in a multi-car crash on Route 1 in Plainsboro, N.J., has been identified as a policy analyst in the New Jersey governors office.

Louisa Bradlow Carman, 25, of Princeton, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash shortly before 2 a.m. on Route 1 south near College Road, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office.

She served as a policy analyst in the governors Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency, Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement Monday night.

Louisa will be remembered as a kind and caring colleague who approached her work with grace, integrity, and a deep commitment to making a difference in our world, Murphy said.

Our hearts are broken as we grapple with this devastating news, he added. I, and everyone on our team, will miss her terribly. Our prayers are with her family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.

No other injuries were reported, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. The statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office did not indicate if Carman was a driver or a passenger in the crash, or how many other cars were involved.

After graduating from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, she joined the governors office as an intern in the fall of 2021.

Carman quickly impressed us with her dedication and policy acumen, Murphy said. Within four months, she was hired as a full-time staffer. Although she was just beginning her career, she quickly gained a reputation as someone who could tackle difficult policy topics and develop meaningful solutions  serving as a driving force behind our prescription drug affordability and medical debt relief work.

Parimal Garg, chief counsel to Gov. Murphy, said on X Monday night that Carman was everything you could want in a young policy staffer -- kind, smart, dedicated and deeply committed to the public interest.

She was at only the beginning of a career filled with promise, Garg continued. Everyone at the Governors Office is heartbroken tonight and praying for her family.

The Middlesex County Prosecutors Office asks anyone with with information or surveillance footage to call Detective Justin Kowalczyk of the Plainsboro Police Department at 609-799-2333 ext. 1644 or Detective Jim Alleva of the prosecutors office at 732-745-4011.

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com.
A 65-year-old woman has died of severe burns after a Dauphin County house fire, authorities said.

The Lehigh County coroners office has identified the woman as Brenda L. Cuff of Harrisburg. She was pronounced dead at 4:35 a.m. Tuesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, according to the coroners office.

Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said Cuff died from burns and the cause was ruled accidental.

The fire happened at 6:19 p.m. New Years Day at a row home in the 2300 block of Berryhill Street in Harrisburg, authorities said. Smoking in bed was the cause of the blaze that broke out in a second-floor bedroom of the home, according to the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire.

Cuff was trapped in an upstairs bedroom until firefighters were able to reach her.

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline told PennLive the fire was brought under control in about 10 minutes. Flames were contained in the room where it started, and smoke damaged the second floor. A charred mattress was still lying in the front yard of the Berryhill Street home on Tuesday morning.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
One festive season may be behind us, but another major American holiday is less than two weeks away  MLK Day. PennLive and The Patriot-News (aka PA Media Group) are supporting two Harrisburg-area events designed to help our community better understand why we celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

PennLive and The Patriot-News are supporting two events to honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg

The 2024 International Poetry & Storytelling Festival is a free dinner event slated for 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14 at The Civic Club of Harrisburg. Seats are limited but the community is invited to reserve tickets for the event that is squarely focused on the arts and youth. The 2024 International Poetry & Storytelling Competition for High School Students is designed to inspire the next generation of writers to contemplate the meaning of Dr. Kings words and deeds and their application in the modern world.

Penn State Harrisburg is holding the Second Annual MLK Commemorative Banquet at the Hershey Lodge on Jan. 15.Penn State Harrisburg

Penn State Harrisburgs Second Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Commemorative Banquet is being held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15 at the Hershey Lodge. Tickets for the gala are $100 per person, and the theme is, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

Both events are designed to unite our communities around the legendary civil rights leaders calls for social justice at home and respect for human rights abroad. As we approach what many warn will be another divisive election year, its a call well worth amplifying.

The 2024 International Poetry & Storytelling Festival will feature a diverse retinue of acclaimed local artists dedicated to themes justice and human rights, including poet and playwright Maria James Thiaw, Harrisburgs first Latino Poet-Laureate Rick Kearns, and the Rev. Nathaniel Gadsden, founder of the Writers Wordshop. But the highlight of the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg event will be announcement of winners of the student writing competition, which will provide a platform for young writers to express their views on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Kings life and his ascension to the world stage before his assassination in 1968.

The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg and PennLive are sponsoring a writing competition for high school students as part of the 2024 International Poetry & Storytelling Festival at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Civic Club of Harrisburg.World Affairs Council of Harrisburg

Theres still time for young writers to enter their short stories of under 1000 words and their pithy poetry by sending them to wachrsvp@gmail.com. Deadline is Friday, Jan. 5. Finalists will receive cash prizes and be invited to read their works at the festival.

This years theme for the poetry festival is A Call for Peace: A Time to Break Silence, based on Kings April 4, 1967, speech, Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break the Silence.

The Black Baptist preacher used his pulpit not only to rail against racism in the United States, but to speak out against global atrocities, including the Vietnam War. In his 1967 speech, King called the Vietnam War unjust and undemocratic. He knew thousands of Americans, many of them poor white and Black men, were dying in the jungles of Vietnam for a cause they neither understood nor condoned. He called on U.S. leaders to end the war and the torture of both Americans and Vietnamese.

King knew that when two armies meet in war, people on both sides inevitably suffer, as do their children and grandchildren for generations.

Student winners in the 2023 International Poetry & Storytelling Festival show off their certificates at the event. Winners included India Smith (first place) , Sahiti Kulkarni (second place), Tsion Estifanos (third place) and Janice Baldwin (honorable mention.)World Affairs Council of Harrisburg

Student writers will reflect on what King would say today about the wars raging in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. What would he say about Russian troops pillaging Africa or Americans forced to fight Houthis in the Red Sea?

King boldly stepped onto the international stage to speak on behalf of people suffering war and violence around the world. But he also had faith in the inner goodness of Americans to stand up for justice and human rights when they knew the facts. King knew speaking out would make a difference. Good people in this country and abroad would hear the truth and demand change.

Its fair to ask, who is echoing the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today? Who is speaking the truth on behalf of the worlds suffering masses?

Who has the moral authority to command an end to the carnage terrorizing innocent children from Europe to the Middle East to Africa?

We need the wisdom of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King now more than ever. But who has the courage to pick up his mantle today?

Joyce M. Davis is PennLives Outreach & Opinion Editor. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @byjoycedavis.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. More than 15.5 million MWh have been transported via the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector (IGB) in 2023, the ICGB, the pipeline operator, told Trend.

The gas pipeline currently operates with 3 bcm/y capacity, securing about a half of Bulgarias domestic consumption needs and allowing for gas transport to other countries in the region. Over 20 new network users were registered throughout the year, expanding the pool of companies with access to the interconnectors network. With an additional infrastructure in Kardzhali, IGB already provides a new, diversified source of natural gas to local communities and businesses, said the company.

Reportedly, in 2023, ICGB launched its first yearly auctions and secured over 80 percent booked capacity for the new gas year. Quasi-yearly capacity auctions were also introduced to allow capacity booking at the interconnection point with the Greek national operator, which will enable access to gas quantities from the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis upon its expected launch in 2024. Assessing the growing market interest in this new route, ICGB initiated an incremental capacity process to expand the pipelines technical capacity to 5 bcm/y. Binding phase of the process is planned for the summer of 2024.

The independent transmission system operator also enabled gas deliveries to Moldova and Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, strengthening Europes energy connectivity and diversification of sources. A vital part of the Vertical Gas Corridor (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary) ICGB pioneered the idea of expanding the initiative towards Moldova and Ukraine with the support of adjacent TSOs, as developing energy infrastructure in synergy with neighboring countries and partners is vital for a more sustainable, secure energy sector, said the ICGB company.

The IGB gas pipeline connects with the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and with the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora. The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe - 32'' - and a design capacity of up to 3 billion m3/year in the direction Greece - Bulgaria. Depending on the market interest for larger capacity and the possibilities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the capacity of IGB is designed with the option for increase up to 5 billion m3/year with additional construction of a compressor station.

Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn
By Anna Orso and Sean Collins Walsh, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

PHILADELPHIA  For the first time in its 342-year history, Philadelphia is being led by a woman.

Cherelle L. Parker, the former state lawmaker and City Council member who was the protege of trailblazing Black female politicians, was inaugurated as the 100th mayor of Philadelphia Tuesday.

Parker, 51, a West Oak Lane native who overcame a childhood marked by tragedy, built her political image around uplifting the middle class and has pledged to make Philadelphia the safest, cleanest, greenest city in America, with economic opportunity for all. A centrist Democrat, Parker has promised to curtail crime, introduce year-round school and spur small-business growth.

Sworn in on a Bible held by her 11-year-old son, Langston Mullins, Parker formally took the oath of office in a packed concert hall at the Met Philadelphia, a historic opera house and North Broad Street landmark. The oath was administered by Marcia L. Fudge, the U.S. secretary of housing and urban development.

Moments later, Parker delivered an energetic and free-flowing hour-long inaugural address, during which she retold parts of her personal and political story, named women in government who came before her, and thanked the city for believing in me and my vision for the future of our city.

There will no longer be a tale of two cities in Philadelphia, Parker said. We are going to close the gap between the haves and the have-nots. We are going to put people on a path to self-sufficiency.

It has been decades since a mayor took over the city at such a precarious moment.

Emerging from the turmoil of the global pandemic and the worst gun violence crisis in city history, Philadelphia remains the poorest big city in America, and a majority of residents are most concerned about crime and believe the city is on the wrong track. Parker takes charge during a presidential election year in which Philadelphia, a deep-blue enclave of 1.6 million people in a critical swing state, could prove pivotal to the outcome.

The state of the city and the national attention it is likely to attract also presents an opportunity for Parker, a self-proclaimed cheerleader for the city and a commanding orator whose public image marks a shift from the considerably more subdued Mayor Jim Kenney.

The outgoing mayor, who was barred under city law from seeking a third term, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside former Mayors W. Wilson Goode Sr. and John F. Street.

During her speech, Parker led the crowd of more than 3,000 people in a chant of one Philly and nodded to a renewed sense of energy in the city.

People have said to me, Cherelle, we feel something in the city of Philadelphia that we havent felt in a very, very, very long time, she said.

Parker lays out her vision for the city

While Parker has pledged a new day for Philadelphia, she has signaled that her administration may not be a sharp turn from Kenneys. She has retained some top officials from his administration and said she supports his signature achievements, including his tax on sweetened beverages that helped fund free pre-kindergarten for thousands of children and improvements to parks and recreation centers.

But Parker, who has rejected some progressive policymaking as disconnected from Black communities, is likely to take a different approach to public safety after winning a bitterly contested Democratic primary with a tough-on-crime message.

She embraced controversial tactics such as stop-and-frisk, the use of which dropped precipitously under Kenneys administration. She signed an executive order shortly after her inauguration declaring a public safety emergency, a move that Kenney resisted.

Parkers crime plan hinges on hiring 300 more police officers who will patrol the city on foot and bike, and said she will end the open-air drug market in Kensington, the epicenter of the citys opioid crisis.

I want the world to know that I am fully committed to ending this sense of lawlessness and bringing order back to our city and a sense of lawfulness, Parker said in her inaugural address. We are going to use a holistic approach to end crime in our city, particularly the quality-of-life crimes that we have seen increase.

She blended her public safety vision with a vow of zero tolerance for abuse by police and a promise to mend strained relationships between officers and communities, providing a blueprint for Democrats nationally as they attempt to assuage concerns that the party is soft on crime.

Parker officially became mayor on Monday, and she took the oath of office in private. The public swearing-in ceremony was delayed a day to avoid conflicting with the annual Mummers Parade on New Years Day.

On Tuesday morning, Parkers office released a 100-Day Action Plan to guide the beginning of her administration that included plans to address quality-of-life concerns and eliminate unnecessary business licenses and permits.

Many parts of the action plan were commitments to develop more specific policies, rather than actionable items. The plan to cut licenses, for instance, did not include any examples but instead called on city departments to catalog licenses they oversee within 90 days as part of a new PHL Open for Business initiative.

The plan also calls for the creation of a Working Group on Full-Day and Year-Round Schooling, which will develop a comprehensive strategy to implement that key Parker campaign promise.

In addition, the document calls on the Department of Planning and Development to work toward creating affordable luxury opportunities, described as housing for renters and homeowners with high-quality finishes for low- and moderate-income families.

A new era in Philadelphia leadership

Parker took the helm the same day Council elected Kenyatta Johnson  who served alongside Parker in both City Hall and in the state capital  its new Council president after 12 years under outgoing Council President Darrell L. Clarke.

Their elevation marks a generational shift in City Hall. Both Parker and Johnson, 50, were born in the 1970s, making them the first members of Generation X to hold the citys top two offices. All previous Philly mayors and Council presidents were born in the 1950s or earlier.

Parker has projected unity with Johnson by pledging a strong working relationship with him and City Council, which will be key to advancing her agenda and legislative priorities. After she was sworn in Parker stood on stage with Johnson, their hands raised together in the air.

Johnson pledged to work with Parker on her agenda, acknowledging that at times, my colleagues and I may disagree with Mayor Parker on important issues facing our city.

However, disagreements and compromise are a natural part of the legislative process, he said. I recognize that this moment in the history of Philadelphia is too important to squander it on the politics of personalities and personal agendas.

Mayor Cherelle Parker signs executive orders in her new office on inauguration day at City Hall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Cherelle Parker is the city's 100th mayor and the first woman to hold the office. (Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)TNS

A bevy of elected officials attended the inauguration ceremony, including U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans and Brendan Boyle, and a host of state and local lawmakers.

Parker is the first mayor in decades to have experience as an elected official in both state and local government, a point she emphasized often while campaigning, saying she has the intergovernmental experience necessary to secure support for the city from Harrisburg and Washington.

Among the officials in the room Tuesday was former City Councilmember Marian B. Tasco, a legendary figure in Philadelphia politics who gave Parker her first full-time job as a staff member in City Hall. Parker, who attended Lincoln University and holds a masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania, also worked as an English teacher for one year after college.

She then joined Tascos Council office, rose through the ranks and became a fixture of the powerful Northwest Coalition, going on to serve five terms as a representative in the state House and chairing the Philadelphia delegation.

After Tasco retired in 2015, Parker was elected to replace her mentor and represented the 9th District, which includes parts of Northwest and Northeast Philadelphia. She resigned in 2022 to launch her mayoral bid.

She said Tuesday afternoon during a news conference in the Mayors Office that the weight of the moment was not lost on her.

Im numb right now, she said. But what Im extremely mindful and cognizant of are the number of little girls and boys that Ive seen today who grabbed me and wanted to take a picture with me, who come from neighborhoods and places where they probably never thought somebody like them could ever do something like this.

2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Gov. Josh Shapiro confessed that being governor of the nations fifth most populous state isnt easy.

This is a hard job, right? Theres a lot happening and theres a lot of stuff you go to do every day, he said during an interview with WILKs (Wilkes-Barre) Morning News radio show. Im not complaining about that. Im just acknowledging this is really tough.

During the nearly 12-minute interview, Shapiro added the job he took on nearly one year ago has been made more difficult by having to deal with a divided legislature  with Democrats controlling the House and Republicans, the Senate. On the other hand, he shared that some good comes out of that.

It forces us to compromise, he said. I think were a bit of a bright spot here and that were proving in Pennsylvania, you can actually work together and get stuff done and were really proud of it.

Among the accomplishments he highlighted, the expansion of the property tax and rent rebate program that makes nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvanians eligible for this tax break, a historic increase in funding for public education, the states largest child care tax credit, an increase in public safety funding, and the quick repairs made to the collapsed section of I-95 in Philadelphia.

I think what weve been able to prove this year is our [Get Stuff Done] attitude  works and we can bring people together around getting things done, Shapiro said.

The interview also touched on 2024 being a presidential election year and Shapiro acknowledged he is concerned about lingering issues surrounding mail-in voting, the compressed timeline election officials have for counting those ballots, and a potential rise in misinformation as a result of artificial intelligence, or AI, playing a role in campaigns.

What were going to have to do is just be very, very vigilant as consumers of information, he said. He expressed confidence that Pennsylvania voters will study the issues and candidates carefully knowing that as Pennsylvania goes, so will go the presidency.

With that comes an awesome responsibility that Pennsylvanians feel, to be thoughtful and discerning and careful with the information they consume and even more careful with how they cast their vote, Shapiro said.

He made it clear that he intends to do everything in my power politically to see that President Joe Biden wins a second term in the White House. Shapiro said he plans to join the president on Saturday in Valley Forge where Biden is expected to address the protection of democracy on the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection.

Its an issue that is important to me having defeated Donald Trump over 40 times in court in the last election cycle where he tried to thwart the will of the people of Pennsylvania, the governor said.

Shapiro began the interview talking about how the Philadelphia Eagles chance of winning the division is still alive with an Eagles win and a Dallas Cowboys loss.

Of course, Dallas sucks, Shapiro said.

Radio show host Jason Barsky suggested that comment could come back to haunt the governor should he pursue his much- rumored higher political aspirations.

If you ever run for president, there goes your shot at winning Texas, Barsky quipped.

Shapiro said growing up, his parents taught him to love everything with two exceptions one are the Celtics and the other, the Cowboys.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X at @JanMurphy.
* This story has been updated to include Sen. Doug Mastrianos statement.

A Democratic state senator is making the rare call for an ethics investigation into fellow senator Doug Mastrianos efforts to try to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Sen. Art Haywood, D-Montgomery/Philadelphia counties, said on Tuesday he intends to file a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee to determine whether or not Mastriano, a Republican from Franklin County, should be disciplined for actions taken and statements made that sought to keep former President Donald Trump in office for a second term despite his loss to President Joe Biden.

Mastriano provided a reaction to Haywoods anticipated ethics complaint against him on his Facebook page in a post that concluded: This stunt will not intimidate or silence me.

The call for an investigation met with criticism from a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County.

It is unfortunate we are seeing the new year start with political gamesmanship, said Pittman spokeswoman Kate Flessner.

Haywood, who announced his plans at a Capitol news conference, cited a collection of incidents documented in public record that he believes warrants Mastrianos conduct to be reviewed by the chambers ethics committee.

He said Mastriano needs to be held accountable for organizing and speaking at rallies to promote the idea that votes cast in that election were illegitimate, organizing a hearing at which unsworn testimony proven to be false was offered by Trump advisors, and among other allegations, being present on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol.

All three branches of the federal government have referred to the events of January 6 as an insurrection and the participants in such events as insurrectionists, Haywood said. These are serious actions and conduct and statements, so serious that they require an investigation by the Senate of Pennsylvania to whether these actions violate Senate ethics rules and whether the consequences of such action warrant the highest consequence of expulsion or reprimand or censure.

Mastriano, who previously was criticized by other Democratic senators for being in attendance at the Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C., that day, has said when lawlessness broke out from rioters storming the Capitol, he walked away.

Pointing out that Mastriano swore to uphold the constitution as a member of the military as well as when he took office in the Senate, Brie Sparkman, policy council for the Washington, D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, applauded Haywood for pursuing the investigation into whether Mastriano acted in contravention of those oaths.

Countless courts including every court thats considered this issue have now concluded that [Jan. 6 attack] was in fact an insurrection and Senator Mastriano is instrumental in that effort, Sparkman said. If the very fabric of our democracy is to hold, the constitution must be enforced and accountability must be pursued against those who engage in an insurrection against it.

About that, Mastriano said in his statement, I do not need a lecture on the U.S. Constitution. I volunteered to defend it while serving our nation for over 30 years as an officer in the U.S. Army.

Sparkmans organization, which led the effort to have Trump disqualified from serving as president had barring his name from appearing on Colorados 2024 presidential ballot that is now being challenged, aided Haywood in researching and collecting evidence to present to the ethics committee.

According to Senate rules, the ethics committee comprises six members  three from each party  appointed by the Senate president pro tempore. The committee reviews a complaint and determines within 30 days whether the matter warrants further investigation. Much of this committees work is done in private unless the senator who is the focus of the probe requests it be done publicly.

If the majority of the committee finds the senator committed an ethics violation, a report is presented to the full Senate for a vote to adopt the committees finding and determine whether a sanction should be issued.

Haywood said given the allegations documented in the record he is providing to the ethics committee, Im confident they will come up with a conclusion thats consistent with the facts.

Mastriano responded to the call for an ethics investigation into him by attacking Haywood and Sparkmans organization in his statement.

One would think that the long time senator for the Fourth District of Pennsylvania would start out the New Year by helping people and improving quality of life in his own district which is suffering from record crime rates and an epidemic drug overdose that is cutting down so many of his constituents in the prime of their lives, he stated..

Sadly, the senator is focused on a partisan PR stunt. What is truly unethical is a Senator using his bully pulpit to attack the freedom of speech of those he disagrees with. The Senator should tread carefully with this new precedent. Some could construe that his inflammatory anti-law enforcement rhetoric and actions led to the deadly and destructive riots across our commonwealth during the Summer of 2020.

The senator further embarrassed himself by justifying his specious ethics complaint with a report from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). CREW is a well-documented far left activist organization founded by a Democrat operative and uses a DNC vendor (Act Blue) to solicit donations from left-wing donors.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X at @JanMurphy.
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward looks forward to 2024 as a year that will deliver a seismic change to Pennsylvanias education system, a long-awaited boost in the states minimum wage, and stronger laws against human trafficking.

In remarks made after being re-elected for a second year as the chambers presiding officer on Tuesday, Ward, a Republican from Westmoreland County, called on her Democratic and Republican colleagues to not get bogged down in partisan bickering ever present in Washington, D.C.

She said both parties should continue working together in a divided government with Republicans controlling the Senate and Democrats, the House and governors office to make change for the betterment of people we represent.

She said senators have shown an ability to do that by respecting each other while voting the way they need to vote for their areas and what they believe. What you dont see is a bunch of mud throwing. We dont do that here.

[About half an hour later Democratic Sen. Art Haywood D-Philadelphia, announced he was filing an ethics complaint againt Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, over his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.]

Ward, the first female to serve as the chambers president pro tempore, drew praise from Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, for the numerous glass ceilings she has broken, including being the first female elected from the 39th senatorial district, to being the Senates first female floor leader, to her election as its president pro tempore.

Lets be clear, she did not achieve these remarkable accomplishments because she is a female, Pittman said. She achieved these remarkable accomplishments because she is the most qualified person for the position  and yes, she happens to be a woman.

Ward commended her fellow senators for working last year to pass expanded child care tax credit, make historic investments in education and fund for community colleges along with strengthening the hospital community, supporting EMS providers, and increasing public safety.

While we have taken some solid steps forward. We must continue in helping to provide not only a prosperous path for our commonwealth but one with more certainty and minimal delay for Pennsylvanians, Ward said. Im hopeful that we can together not only put Pennsylvania on a path to greater prosperity, but strengthen our bonds within this chamber to put people first, especially our kids first.

She said the commonwealth has a once in a lifetime opportunity this year to change the trajectory of our children by creating an education system that benefits all children.

Talking to reporters after, Ward made it clear that she sees a taxpayer-supported private school voucher program to be part of the equation to improve Pennsylvanias education funding system as the Commonwealth Court has ordered the General Assembly to do.

Noting Gov. Josh Shapiro continues to be supportive of vouchers despite his House Democratic allies opposition to it, Ward said, We can all give and take a little and do something that really works for everyone and I look forward to it because education is the basis of our economy.

As for minimum wage, Ward told reporters that raising that $7.25 hourly wage is on the table for consideration but declined to say how high she would like to see it go. This year, 25 states are increasing their minimum wage  some are now more than double Pennsylvanias minimum wage, which has remained stagnant since 2009.

Ward said, My own belief is that we will get to a minimum wage this year and get it done.

Ward also said she plans to press forward with legislation on raising the standards for how sexual harassment claims occurring inside state government are handled. In addition, she said she would like to see further action on legislation that cracks down on human trafficking and builds on a 2022 law she championed that expanded the human trafficking offenses that require registration on the sex offenders list.

Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County joined his counterpart in supporting Wards nomination to the chambers top spot. He said Ward has demonstrated that she is balanced, fair, honest and gives consideration to all members views.

Sen. Lynda Culver, R-Northampton County, the newest member of the Senate, highlighted Wards efforts to win passage of a first-of-its-kind breast cancer screening bill into law and said she has a proven track record of delivering results. But above all, she understands and has tremendous respect for this great institution.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on X at @JanMurphy.
An Ontario woman who says she was sickened with a salmonella infection after eating cantaloupe is the lead plaintiff in a proposed class-action lawsuit against three companies linked to outbreaks across the country. Cantaloupe halves are displayed for sale at a supermarket in New York on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mary Conlon
It was easy to love the weather in the Okanagan last month, with temperatures among the warmest on record and almost no snow at the Valley bottom.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Congress to reject any more funding for Netanyahus war in Gaza.

In a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Sen. Sanders (I-VT) said:

The issue we face with Israel-Gaza is not complicated. While we recognize that Hamas barbaric terrorist attack began this war, we must also recognize that Israels military response has been grossly disproportionate, immoral, and in violation of international law. And, most importantly for Americans, we must understand that Israels war against the Palestinian people has been significantly waged with U.S. bombs, artillery shells, and other forms of weaponry. And the results have been catastrophic.

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Since October 7th, over 22,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, two-thirds of these victims have been women and children  and 57,000 have been wounded.

Since the start of the war 1.9 million Palestinian men, women, and children have been driven from their homes  85% of the total population of Gaza. According to an analysis of satellite radar data nearly 70% of the housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged by Israeli bombardment. Today, not only are the vast majority of people in Gaza homeless, they lack food, water, medical supplies, and fuel. A recent UN report indicates that half of the population of about 2.2 million are at risk of starvation and 90% say that they regularly go without food for a whole day. The chief economist at the World Food Program said the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is among the worst he has ever seen. This cannot be allowed to continue.

Congress is working to pass a supplemental funding bill that includes $10 billion of unconditional military aid for the right-wing Netanyahu government to continue its brutal war against the Palestinian people. Enough is enough. Congress must reject that funding. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.

Threading The Needle On A Complex Issue

In the statement above, Sen. Sanders tried to thread the needle between supporting Israels right to defend itself after the Hamas terror attack and opposing the harm that is being inflicted on innocent Palestinians. The Biden administration has been trying to walk the same line by opposing terrorism while at the same time pressuring Israel to minimize civilian casualties and damage.

The issue is not as simple as Republicans make it seem. It is not a matter of whether or not to support Israel. The issue is that turning a blind eye to what Israel is doing in Gaza is as un-American as not supporting an ally who was the victim of a terrorist attack.

There is no easy answer, but Bernie Sanders has taken the position that the United States should not be funding Netanyahus destruction of Gaza.

There are enough Republicans in Congress that support the funding so that Sanders alone cant kill the bill in the Senate, but his opposition is significant, and it is worth watching if more members of Congress speak out against Netanyahus war.

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We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.

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A lawsuit has been filed to disqualify Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) from the ballot in Pennsylvania due to his alleged participation in Trumps insurrection.

Lawsuit Requests That Rep. Scott Perry Be Disqualified From The Ballot

ABC27 in Harrisburg, PA reported:

The lawsuit, which was filed on January 2 by Harrisburg-area activist and former congressional candidate Gene Stilp, calls for Pennsylvanias Secretary of State Al Schmidt to remove Perry from the ballot ahead of the springs 10th Congressional District primary.

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.

The lawsuit alleges Perry helped push conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen and advanced efforts to replace the Attorney General with a Trump loyalist.

Scott Perry was a leading proponent of using the January 6, 2021 Congressional presidential election certification process to disrupt the transfer of presidential administration from Trump to Biden, says the lawsuit, sighting the FBIs seizure of Perrys cellphone records and other accusations made against Perry following the January 6 attack.

The lawsuit also requests a referral of information of any possible criminal activity by Scott Perry or any other party discovered in this case to the Pennsylvania Attorney General for prosecution.

Who Is Rep. Scott Perry?

Rep. Scott Perry is a Republican member of the US House of Representatives who represents Pennsylvanias 10th District. Perry has been a member of the House since 2013 and is currently the chair of the House Freedom Caucus.

Rep. Scott Perry Is The One Member Of Congress Who Has Been Linked To The Coup Plot

As I wrote about Rep. Perry in PoliticusUSAs newsletter, The Daily. Rep. Perry is the one member of Congress who has been directly linked to the coup plot through activities that could not be covered up with the Speech and Debate Clause. Perry was actively working to get Jeffrey Clark named Attorney General by Trump so that Clark could use the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election.

Once the news broke that Jack Smith had Perrys texts and Trump was disqualified from the ballot in Colorado, it was inevitable that voters in Pennsylvania would attempt to disqualify Rep. Perry. There is ample evidence that unlike other Republican members of Congress, Perry was openly working with the Trump White House to overturn the 2020 election.

It is unknown whether the lawsuit will be successful, but the legal action makes it clear that voters arent going to be allowed to forget about 1/6 and those who participated in Trumps coup.

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We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.

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While trying to defend Trump, Christina Bobb argued that the voters should decide whether they want to have an insurrectionist president.

Bobb said, The President is elected by the entire nation, and it should be the entire nation who determines who they want for president, whether theyre guilty of insurrection or not, its up to the people.

Video:

Trump attorney Christina Bobb: The president is elected by the entire nation and it should be the entire nation who determines who they want for president, whether they are guilty of insurrection or not. pic.twitter.com/zz2QXHz1Cx To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 2, 2024

Bobb was trying to say that the voters should decide Trumps fate and that he should not be disqualified from the ballot, but the truth came out of her mouth.

Trump, his legal team, and his campaign want voters not to care that he is potentially going to be a convicted insurrection. If Trump is found guilty of crimes related to illegally attempting to overturn an election, they want voters to shrug and put him back in the White House.

Donald Trump is trying to downplay crimes that he allegedly committed as the President Of The United States.

Trumps big political bet has always been that the American people are stupid and dont care. He will put that theory to the test by dismissing an insurrection.

If the question that Republicans want voters to decide is whether they are okay with an insurrectionist president, it could be a very long and bad election year for the GOP.

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If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here.

We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.

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President Biden isnt letting the anniversary of Trumps insurrection pass unnoticed. The President will be holding a campaign event on the third anniversary of 1/6.

President Biden Will Mark The Anniversary Of Trumps Bloody Insurrection

The Biden campaign announced in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, On Saturday, January 6, President Biden will travel to Pennsylvania near Valley Forge where he will mark the three-year anniversary of whenat the urging of Donald Trumpa violent mob breached our nations Capitol. On Monday, January 8, the President will take the campaigns message to South Carolina where he will deliver remarks at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, a venue that embodies the stakes for the nation at this moment.

How Many People Died Or Were Injured On 1/6?

The nation should never forget that at least seven people lost their lives in relation to the 1/6 attack that evidence points to Trump inciting, according to a bipartisan Senate report. Trumps words and actions got people killed, and the nation needs to be reminded of the lives lost and at least 174 injuries suffered because of the former presidents desire to remain in power illegally.

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Biden Campaign: We Are Campaigning Like Our Democracy Depends On It

Biden Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said during a press call with reporters:

On January 6, 2021, we witnessed a very different vision of America  one defined by revenge, retribution, and a rebuke of our very democracy. This Saturday will mark the three-year anniversary of whenwith encouragement from Donald Trumpa violent mob breached our nations Capitol. It was the first time in our nations history that a president tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Not even during the Civil War did insurrectionists breach our Capitol. But at the urging of Donald Trump, insurrectionists on January 6, 2021, did.

America watched as 2,000 rioters launched a violent attack on the Capitol as our duly elected Congress carried out the sacred ritual of our republic and certified the Electoral College vote. 140 police officers were assaulted by rioters and five people died as a result of the events on January 6  including Capitol police officers. When Joe Biden ran for president four years ago, he said, Were in a battle for the soul of America. And as we look toward November 2024, we still are. The threat Donald Trump posed in 2020 to American democracy has only grown more dire in the years since.



Our message is clear and it is simple: We are running a campaign like the fate of our democracy depends on it. Because it does.

Trumps Attacks On Democracy Will Be A Central 2024 Issue

The move to hold an event marking the 1/6 anniversary is brilliant. It is good politics and the right move to protect democracy. The media rarely links Trumps campaign to his attacks on democracy and illegal efforts to stay in power. The Biden campaign isnt assuming that Americans will inheritanly understand the elections stakes. President Biden and Vice President Harris are defining the election and reminding voters that Trump is more authoritarian thug than a viable democratic option.

A Special Message From PoliticusUSA

If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here.

We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.

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The White House hammered House Republicans for threatening to shut down the government unless the border is closed.

House Republicans: Shut Down The Border, Or Well Shut Down The Government

Fox News reported on the latest MAGA shutdown threat:

NEW: GOP Congressmen @RepAndyBiggsAZ @RepMattGaetz @RepEliCrane @RepBobGood @RepRosendale here in Eagle Pass, TX now, ahead of delegation of nearly 60 others today w/ @SpeakerJohnson . They tell me shut the border down, or well shut the government down. We control the money. pic.twitter.com/mdiCaUWnfa To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.  Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 3, 2024

The border is at least the third issue that Republicans have used as a reason for a government shutdown since they took control of the majority. Previously, Republicans claimed that government spending was the reason why they wanted to shut down the government. Some MAGA House Republicans have also expressed a desire to shut down the government unless the criminal cases against Donald Trump end.

Now, the border is the big issue that Republicans claim they must get their way on to avoid a government shutdown.

The White House Hammers House Republican Border Hypocrisy

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in response to the Republican shutdown threat:

There they go again: well shut the government down. We control the money. After voting to eliminate thousands of Border Patrol agents and undercut our fentanyl crackdown, opposing the record border security funding President Biden delivered, and now blocking his urgently-needed proposal to hire more CBP agents and invest in new fentanyl-detection technology, House Republicans are once more compromising Americas national security and economic growth with shutdown threats.

President Biden submitted his border security funding plans in August and again in October. But after taking the country to the brink of a shutdown in the fall and forcing three weeks of paralysis as they found a new Speaker, the House GOP left Washington in mid-December for an early vacation they still havent returned from. Todays statements are just House Republicans latest admission that as President Biden and both parties in the Senate seek common ground to address the needs of the American people, their conference is instead choosing extreme politics that would subject American families to needless pain.

Shutting Down The Government Wont Fix The Border

The most deranged piece of the House Republican threat is the reality that shutting down the government would be the worst course of action to deal with the immigration issue.

The ideal step that Republicans in the House could take would be to sit down with the Senate and White House to negotiate a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Since House Republicans arent interested in governance, and would rather threaten and hostage take to get their own way, they are proposing a step that will only make the problem that they claim to care so much about worse.

The government shutdown threat is proof that House Republicans have no interest in governing. The House majority is playing politics and trying to score points ahead of an election.

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Before swearing in Julie Stutts as Aiken Countys first register of deeds, Judith Warner reminisced Tuesday morning about her former employee.

When Julie showed up, I thought, Oh no, another young chick, but the young chick turned out to be great, said Warner, who retired as Aiken Countys register of mesne conveyance at the end of 2023.

Even though Stutts has a different title, she will have the same duties as Warner.

Because of action taken by South Carolinas legislature, the elected office held by Warner has been known as register of deeds since January 2018. But those who were serving in the position at the time were allowed to keep the register of mesne conveyance title for the remainder of their tenures.

Warner was the only remaining register of mesne conveyance in the Palmetto State. She held the position for 27 years.

Stutts was Warners deputy and was a member of her staff for more than 20 years.

Last month, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Stutts to serve as Aiken Countys register of deeds and to complete Warners unexpired term.

Warner told the Aiken Standard that she had written a letter to McMaster asking him to name Stutts as her replacement.

Warner most recently was reelected in November 2020 to a four-year term.

Julie has been totally faithful to me and to this office, Warner said. We have been through a lot  and weve learned a lot. Its an honor and a pleasure to give Julie this oath.
The U.N. food agency says famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where 70% of the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger. It says a further escalation of the war could push around half of Gazas total population to the brink of starvation. The alarming report came as Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and open more crossings. The European Unions top diplomat said the impending famine was entirely man-made as starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israeli forces, meanwhile, launched another raid on the Gaza Strips largest hospital, saying it killed a Hamas commander who was hiding there. Read moreUN says 'famine is imminent' in northern Gaza as Israel launches another raid on the main hospital
The states busiest airport saw a significant uptick in holiday traffic this year, ending the already record-breaking year on a high note.

Charleston International saw a 16 percent increase in travelers during peak Christmas travel week compared to the same period of 2022. The numbers from the Charleston County Aviation Authority are based on travel from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1.

The holiday week in 2022 was up 15 percent from the prior year, during the height of the rebound following the coronavirus pandemic.

The airport saw a similar passenger spike during the seven-day Thanksgiving travel holiday period when traffic was up 11 percent from the year prior.

Yearly Christmas week passenger count Holiday travelers passing through Charleston International during the holiday week that extends from the Wednesday before Christmas to the Monday following it. 2023: 105,930

2022: 93,181

2021: 84,155

2020: 47,946

2019: 88,284

More than 504,000 passengers passed through the airport in November, boosting the yearly total to nearly 5.7 million, according to the Charleston County Aviation Authority. CHS officials expect December's passenger count to push the yearly tally to a new record of more than 6.1 million passengers.

Airport CEO Elliott Summey attributed the new record to travel demand being the strongest it has been in years, with more than 105,000 travelers passing through CHS during Christmas week.

Summey said the growing list of airlines offering service to more destinations also played a role.

The airport currently has 65 nonstop flights out of Charleston and is expecting a new service next year when Air Canada begins offering flights to and from Toronto in late March.
Three new places to grab a meal on the go or dine in are opening across the Charleston area over the next week or so and another plans to open by the end of January.

In Mount Pleasant, a Pawleys Island-based business wants customers literally to "get carried away" over a dining venue opening soon.

Get Carried Away, with its well-known Palmetto Cheese pimento cheese brand, will roll into the former Wild Wings Cafe space in Moultrie Plaza Shopping Center at 644 Coleman Blvd. tentatively on Jan. 11 with a soft opening, according to owner Brian Henry.

The cafe and market is awaiting one final inspection before it opens, according to David O'Donnell, part of the management staff overseeing final details. Stocking is expected to take place over the weekend.

The outside area, called The Perch, will be open for casual eating and drinking and will offer full service in late winter or early spring.

The site's prepared to-go food offerings include Lowcountry boils, tomato pies, chicken salad, 18 different casseroles, dips, spreads, appetizers, pies, grab-and-go items, sandwiches, salads, soups, daily specials, steaks, chicken, pork, seafood, bread and everyday grocery items such as milk, eggs, butter and produce, craft beer and wine.

Hours will be 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. When The Perch opens with full service, the business will be open until 9 p.m. Henry also is considering opening on Sundays during the summer.
The Scout Motors factory in Blythewood doesn't plan to start production until 2026, but the public won't have to wait that long to see the electric sport-utility vehicle the Volkswagen subsidiary plans to build at the $2 billion Midlands site.

The automaker released a promotional video this week confirming it plans to introduce the new vehicle at unspecified time this summer.

The video is short on details but ends with a black screen that states: "Revealing Summer 2024."

It's not clear whether the debut will be of a concept vehicle or an actual production example of the EV revival of International Harvester's popular off-road wagon of the 1960s and '70s. Volkswagen acquired the rights to the Scout name in 2020 with its purchase of International Harvester successor Navistar.

The Richland County plant will also produce a Scout-branded pickup truck.

"From the time we ventured out of caves, humanity has been propelled by one simple question: Where do we go from here?" the video states.

"Inevitably, it has been the scouts that answer the call," according to the video. "There is a scout in all of us  it's time to let it fly."

A Scout spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about a more specific date for the debut, where the vehicle will be unveiled and other details.

The company recently opened an outpost in downtown Columbia where its South Carolina-based staff will work while a permanent facility is built. The office "represents another exciting step in our journey to reimagine the iconic Scout brand and vehicles in our future South Carolina manufacturing facility, CEO Scott Keogh said in a written statement.

Keogh added the automaker "is committed to being a part of the vibrant Midlands community, and we look forward to contributing to the continued development of this dynamic region."

Scout will hold a free event Jan. 31 in Columbia for suppliers interested in providing parts, materials and services to the new factory when it starts production.
GREENVILLE  Just months after South Carolina made trafficking fentanyl a crime punishable by decades in prison, state officials have made their first mass application of the law by charging 41 people with dealing large quantities of the deadly opioid.

Officials have also taken the step of charging one man with murder for allegedly dealing the fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose  the first after the state's new trafficking fentanyl law.

A total of 64 people were charged after an extensive county, state and federal investigation into a growing number of overdose deaths across the Upstate, the state Attorney General's Office said at a Jan. 3 news conference in Greenville.

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Sixty people were charged with fentanyl-related crimes, including possession, and four with methamphetamine-related crimes, among other charges, according to indictments shared by the office.

If convicted, several people charged face a minimum of 25 years, and up to 40, in prison for trafficking fentanyl.

Indictments show one man, Dean Morris Wolvington Jr., was charged with murder after authorities said he sold fentanyl to a Pickens County woman who later overdosed and died. Three others were charged with accessory to murder and are accused of selling fentanyl to people who died from an overdose.

Creighton Waters, chief prosecutor of the state's grand jury, said they are confident their legal theory behind charging Wolvington with murder is sound, but acknowledged it is an aggressive strategy.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. During the Security Council meeting in response to the chaos in various regions in January 2022, Kazakhstan officially appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent to restore stability and ensure security, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told local newspaper, Trend reports.

Emphasizing that the appeal was directed to the CSTO, of which Kazakhstan is a member, President Tokayev clarified that the request was not made to Russia specifically. During the appeal, Armenia held the chairmanship of the organization, later passing it to Kazakhstan.

President Tokayev highlighted the peacekeeping role played by the CSTO contingent, which proved instrumental in curbing the unrest during the 2022 Kazakh events. He stressed that the peacekeeping forces, stationed in strategic locations, played a vital role in maintaining order without engaging in any anti-terrorist operations.

By agreement with member countries, the CSTO contingent left the country without any prior conditions or delays. The contingent, consisting of forces from various CSTO nations, was strategically deployed to guard critical infrastructure such as water supply, airfields, power plants, and telecommunication facilities.

President Tokayev underscored that the presence of the peacekeeping contingent helped avert potential terrorist threats to vital facilities, enabling Kazakhstan to allocate its forces effectively for counter-terrorism operations.

In January 2022, mass riots erupted in Kazakhstan, marked by attacks on law enforcement and military personnel. President Tokayev declared the events as an attempted coup. The situation was stabilized by January 7, leading to the lifting of the nationwide state of emergency on January 19.

Official figures report 225 deaths and over 4,500 injuries as a result of these events, as stated by authorities.

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GREENVILLE  The Upstate Preservation Trust is moving forward with plans to purchase and restore the historic Oakland Plantation property near Simpsonville after securing funding for the project earlier this month.

In addition to refurbishing a collection of 19th century buildings, the nonprofit plans to establish a roughly 50-acre park on the surrounding land.

The Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust unanimously approved a $602,500 grant for the project on Dec. 18 which, combined with an equal award from the South Carolina Conservation Bank, will allow the Preservation Fund to buy the property from the YMCA of Greenville in early 2024.

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Restoration of the historic buildings is set to begin soon after the purchase is finalized.

The Preservation Trust has independently raised $250,000 for the project but is still accepting donations to cover the $1.5 million it estimates will be needed to cover the full cost of the rehabilitation.

A plantation house built in the early 1820s stands on the property, along with a two-story building where enslaved people once lived. According to a statement from the Preservation Trust, it is one of only three surviving slave cabins in Greenville County.

There are nine other structures from the 1800s on the site.

The property, situated between Five Forks and Simpsonville, is bordered on all sides by residential development. It, too, would likely have been developed if a portion of the land had not once been used as an illegal chemical dumping ground. But the site has been remediated to make way for the park.

A physician named Thomas Austin built the main house in 1823.

The foundation of his medical practice is still on the property. Austins family remained there for more than 70 years before selling it to Thomas and Ida Vaughn in 1898.

Their daughter Lucille Rice sold the home and surrounding land to the YMCA in 2004, though she continued living there until her death in 2006.
BEAUFORT  Determining who was Beaufort County's first baby of the the new year seemed like a straightforward enough challenge, but our inquiry gave rise to a conundrum:

Were we looking for the first baby born in Beaufort County or the first baby born to residents of Beaufort County?

As it turned out, there were different answers to those questions.

Port Royal residents Jennifer and Kevin Phillips welcomed their daughter, Evelyn Makana Phillips, at 11:23 p.m. on New Year's Day. Evelyn was born at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in, obviously, Beaufort County.

Aurora Zahary Carral Santos was born to Bluffton residents Yenny Santos-Discua and Kevin Carral at 5:35 a.m., arriving some 19 hours before Evelyn.

Here's the rub. Aurora was delivered at Coastal Carolina Hospital  in Hardeeville  in Jasper County.

So, who is Beaufort County's first baby of the new year? Unsurprisingly, neither family was all that concerned about the answer. Their focus was the health of mother and baby, all of whom are doing just fine.

"Everybody's doing good," Kevin Phillips said as Evelyn and Jennifer got some much-needed rest.

Evelyn's holiday birthday holds special significance for the family.

"She was born on Jan. 1, just barely. She made it by 37 minutes. My dad's birthday is also New Year's Day," said Kevin Phillips.

In addition to her birthday, Evelyn's name has special significance for her mother's side of the family. Jennifer Phillips' family on her father's side is of Hawaiian descent. Evelyn's middle name, Makana, is a Hawaiian word meaning "gift from God," explained Kevin Phillips, and the use of a Hawaiian middle name is something of a family tradition.

"It's a tribute to her family and her heritage," he said.

For the Phillips family, 2024 is poised to be a landmark year. In addition to welcoming Evelyn, who is the couple's first child, Kevin Phillips was sworn in as the new mayor of Port Royal just a few weeks ago. Jennifer Phillips stood by his side and held the Bible as he was sworn in on Dec. 13.
On March 5, special agents with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Office of Inspector General, arrested a Dorchester County woman in connection with fraudulently receiving $9,584 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Read moreDSS charges Dorchester County woman with food stamp fraud
Robert Green, age 45, died on a Williamsburg County road last weekend. According to Highway Patrol, on March 16, at approximately 5:35am, a 2013 Dodge Challenger was driving south on County Line Road near the intersection of Country Club Road two miles outside of Andrews. The car struck a p Read morePedestrian killed on County Line Road
Its is time, Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said urging state legislators to pass a hate crime bill. If there ever was a time, the time is now. The mayor and representatives from the NAACP gathered at the Horry County Courthouse to discuss the need for hate crime legislation after a couple was charged with harassment for burning a cross in their yard on Thanksgiving weekend. The White couple, Worden Butler and Alexis Hartnett, are also under investigation for violating the civil rights and allegations of racial discrimination against their Black neighbors. Janet Morgan / staff
Nikki Haleys response to a New Hampshire voters question about the cause of the Civil War was an embarrassment. Even if you want to believe that other issues played an important secondary role  and the men who withdrew South Carolina from the union in 1860 couldnt think of any other issues to include in their 2,182-word explanation of their decision  there is simply no denying that slavery was the driving issue.

Her omission of that simple word, and her attempt to recast the war as a battle over how government was going to run and freedoms and what people could and couldnt do, was actually surprising. Not because this was new language for her: She has relied on this sort of argument throughout her political career  along with her more familiar assurances that the Confederate flag represented heritage, not hate  because she knows thats the sort of thing you have to say to win a Republican primary in South Carolina, where too many voters either believe it or know better but still want to hear it.

It was a surprise because she ought to realize that Republicans in other parts of the country know the war was about slavery. She ought to realize that Republicans in other parts of the country are not ashamed to trace their political lineage to the Republican presidential candidate whose 1860 election prompted South Carolina to secede.

She ought to realize too that What do you want me to say about slavery is never going to come off well in response to someone challenging a no-slavery answer, no matter how innocent and low-key you try to play it.
President Joe Biden plans to deliver a major speech at Charleston's Emanuel AME Church next week as part of a new, invigorated push by the Democratic incumbent to stress the high stakes of the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

Biden campaign officials said the president will speak Jan. 8 at the historic Black church downtown, which became the site of a hate-fueled massacre that stunned and devastated the nation in the summer of 2015.

The campaign described the church as a setting that "embodies the states of our nation at this moment," adding that Biden will focus his remarks on two weighty topics they say are under threat: democracy and freedom.

"Because whether it is White supremacists descending on the historic American city of Charlottesville, the assault on our nation's capitol on Jan. 6 or a white supremacist murdering churchgoers at Mother Emanuel nearly nine years ago, America is worried about the rise in political violence and determined to stand against it," Quentin Fulks, Bidens top deputy campaign manager, said Jan. 2.

Charleston's Emanuel AME, commonly referred to as Mother Emanuel, is considered sacred ground by many. It is where nine Black parishioners were gunned down by white supremacist Dylann Roof during Bible study on the night of June 17, 2015.

It is where Martin Luther King Jr. in 1962 gave a speech in which he urged African Americans to register to vote. It is also the church that saw one of its founders murdered for trying to organize a slave revolt.

And it is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the South, tracing its roots to 1816.

Biden's South Carolina appearance will come just days after he delivers a speech addressing similar themes of freedom and democracy on the three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
FORT MILL  Gui Batista's home is South Carolina.

His backyard view is that of North Carolina.

And that view, if the plans by the town of Pineville on the northern side of the border come to fruition, will feature an acre dedicated to an electric substation municipal leaders say is needed for the growing city.

"We're in an awkward position," Batista said about his family and his neighbors outside Fort Mill city limits. "We're in York County. We won't be getting benefit from this substation, we have no say in the votes, can't vote for anyone on the council, and it will affect us as much as anyone."

Pineville will hold a community meeting on the matter at 6 p.m. Jan. 4 at Town Hall. No firm date has been set for when the Town Council will hear the matter.

Utility officials says it's a classic NIMBY issue  "not in my backyard."

"Nobody wants a substation in their neighborhood," said David Lucore, electric systems manager for Electricities of North Carolina, who is working with Pineville on the project. "We've looked at 10 properties, and this was the one that best fit the criteria we were looking for. It's out of a flood plain, it's near a Duke Power line and would be the least expensive location for the city."

The geography of the diagonal state border complicates the dispute.

State Highway 51, also known as the Rock Hill-Pineville Road, is the east/west thoroughfare connecting Pineville to South Carolina. Near Miller Road, connecting to the south side of 51, is where motorists will see each state's "Welcome To" signs.

The businesses and the homes off Miller on the south side of the highway are in Pineville.

Drive a block south on Miller, and Batista's South Carolina home, where he moved six years ago, is on the west side in a subdivision called McCullough, where about two-thirds of the homes are in North Carolina and the rest are in South Carolina.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Kazakhstan has keen interest in Russia's presidential elections due to the high level of relations between Astana and Moscow, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told a local newspaper, Trend reports.

"As everyone knows, Russia is Kazakhstan's main strategic partner and ally. Over the past 30 years, we have built an impressive architecture of interstate relations, including more than 300 treaties and agreements. Bilateral cooperation mechanisms operate in almost all areas," said the head of state.

According to him, the political dialogue at the highest level is intensively developing.

"We interact within multilateral structures, as well as on issues of ensuring regional stability and international security. One of the key events on the extensive bilateral agenda last year was Vladimir Putin's official visit to Kazakhstan. During the negotiations, we confirmed the consistently friendly nature of the strategic partnership between our states," noted Tokayev.

He emphasized that Russia is one of Kazakhstan's main trade and economic partners.

"The trade turnover between the two countries for the first 10 months of 2023 amounted to $21.4 billion. And this is not surprising, as we have the world's longest continuous land border. Traditionally, special attention is paid to expanding cultural and humanitarian ties and scientific, educational contacts. By the way, this year marks the 225th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. This anniversary is significant not only for Russia but also for Kazakhstan because Pushkin, like our great Abai, is one of the main symbols of the friendship and cultural interaction between the two peoples," Tokayev said.

The presidential election in Russia will be held on March 15-17, 2024.

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Aegis Capital Corp., -Aegis Capital Corp. ( www.aegiscapcorp.com) a full-service wealth management, financial services and investment banking firm is pleased to announce William "Jeffrey" Carlton, CIMA has joined the firm as a Managing DirectorJeff has extensive experience in the financial services industry and managed in excess of $350 million in client assets. Prior to Aegis, Jeff began his career as a financial adviser in 1983 at San Diego Securities in California before moving back to the East Coast in the mid 1980's where he continued to grow his business with Wheat First Securities and later at Smith Barney for 14 years before joining UBS for the last 17 years. Early in his career he saw the importance of building trust with each client. He realized that each relationship he is fortunate to build is what he values most. Jeff strives to provide stellar service while offering best in class products and comprehensive strategies to help clients achieve their financial goals.Jeff graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Business degree and has received the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation from the Wharton School of Business.Jeff previously was on the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Investment Committee at George Mason University. He was also a member of the Board of the College of Business at James Madison University.Robert Eide Aegis' CEO commented:"We are thrilled to welcome Jeff to Aegis. He brings an understanding of industry-leading advisory and investment solutions to help his clients meet their goals through comprehensive wealth planning. We are excited to continually bring in advisors who are client orientated and goal driven." Michael Pata Aegis' Head of Business Development commented: "We are excited to welcome Jeff to Aegis as we continue our expansion with experienced advisers seeking the benefits of Aegis' boutique, client-focused culture. As we begin 2024, Aegis continues to offer a compelling alternative for wire house and independent advisers. We look forward to future recruiting success." About Aegis Capital CorporationAegis Capital Corporation "Aegis" has been in business for over 35 years catering to the needs of private clients, institutions and corporations. Aegis was founded in 1984 and offers its investment representatives a conflict free service platform and is able to provide a full range of products and services including investment banking, wealth management, insurance, retirement planning, structured products, private equity, alternatives, equity research, fixed income and special purpose vehicles.Aegis is able to provide quality service through its primary clearing relationship with RBC Clearing & Custody whose parent company, Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY), is one of the world's leading diversified financial services companies. Member: FINRA / SIPC.Any questions contact:Michael Pata, Head of Business DevelopmentTelephone: 1-212-813-1010 mpata@ aegiscap.comwww.aegiscapcorp.com SOURCE: Aegis Capital Corp.
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PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / The Stock Day Podcast welcomed C-Bond Systems, Inc. (OTC PINK:CBNT)("the Company"), a San Antonio-based nanotechnology company and marketer of the patented C-Bond technology, which is proven to strengthen glass for architectural applications. CEO of the Company, Scott R. Silverman, joined Stock Day host Matthew Dunehoo.Silverman began the interview by discussing the Company's 2023 highlights. "We entered 2023 looking to grow significantly with both our top-line and bottom-line related to the growth of our Patriot Glass subsidiary," shared Silverman, before elaborating on the industry-leading solutions developed by this division, which are designed to delay and prevent break-ins and shootings. "Going into the summer of 2023, we knew there would be a significant opportunity in the school space, particularly in Texas," he said, noting new state mandates and guidelines regarding public schools and window reinforcement solutions. "This is going to continue to expand in 2024 across other parts of the country as well." "All-in-all, 2023 was a very successful year," continued Silverman. "As you know our 3rd quarter was a record revenue quarter, by far, with well over $800,000," he said. "We expect to be led into a very strong 2024 from a revenue growth perspective." "The other highlight of 2023 was the sale of our automotive division, which we sold for $4 million in cash," shared Silverman. "This strengthened our balance sheet, paid off over $2 million in debt, and gave us working capital in order to go out there and grow the Patriot Glass Solutions division," he continued. "2023 was by far the best year that I have been at C-Bond and the best year in C-Bond's history." "What can we expect for catalysts in 2024?", asked Dunehoo. Silverman explained that the Company now has an established pipeline of contracts and projects, including numerous multi-year contracts. "We have active jobs for the 4th quarter, which should yield very strong revenue production, but we also have a backlog going into 2024.""Which catalysts do you believe will be the most inspirational to the investing public at large?", asked Dunehoo. "The revenue growth, as well as our established pipeline within the school, commercial, and government sectors, as well as the strengthening of our balance sheet by paying off our convertible debt in the sale of our automotive division," said Silverman. "Going into 2024, we hope to grow organically and perhaps externally too through partnership or acquisition to lead us into a position where 2024 revenues will be substantially higher than 2023 revenues." To close the interview, Silverman thanked shareholders for their continued support and encouraged listeners to keep up-to-date on the Company's growing portfolio as they continue to expand throughout the school, commercial, and government sectors.To hear Scott Silverman's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8424603-c-bond-systems-inc-discusses-2023-highlights-and-2024-goals-with-the-stock-day-podcast Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About C-BondC-Bond Systems, Inc. (OTC PINK:CBNT) is a San Antonio-based nanotechnology company and marketer of the patented C-Bond technology, which is proven to strengthen glass for architectural applications. The Company's Patriot Glass Solutions subsidiary sells ballistic-resistant glass solutions and forced entry deterrent solutions to private enterprises, schools, and government agencies. For more information, please visit our websites: www.cbondsystems.com www.patriotglasssolutions.com , Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbondsys/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBondSys and https://twitter.com/Patriot_Glass Forward-Looking StatementsStatements in this press release about the Company's future expectations, including the likelihood that school mandates are going to continue to expand in 2024 across other parts of the country as well; the likelihood that we will be led into a very strong 2024 from a revenue growth perspective; the likelihood that the Company will continue to grow and expand across the country; the likelihood that going into 2024, we hope to grow organically and perhaps externally too through partnership or acquisition to lead us into a position where 2024 revenues will be substantially higher than 2023 revenues; constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and our actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize its products; the Company's and its customers' ability to source materials; construction delays; film delays; the Company's ability to raise capital; regulatory risks; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors may be described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") including its Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2023, its Forms 10-Q filed on November 14, 2023, August 14, 2023, and May 15, 2023, and in future filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.Contact: Allison Tomek C-Bond Systems atomek@ cbondsystems.com About The "Stock Day" PodcastFounded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.SOURCE: Stock Day Media
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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Retained executive search firm Caldwell (TSX:CWL)(OTCQX:CWLPF) today announced a major enhancement to its technology leader recruiting capabilities with the addition of Rajiv Lulla as a partner in the firm's Data, Digital & Technology Leaders Practice."We are delighted to welcome Rajiv to our Global Technology team," said Jim Bethmann, managing partner of Caldwell's Technology Practice. "His impressive and distinguished career - as an executive in the digital media industry, as a consultant overseeing digital transformation, big-data analytics, and cognitive computing, and finally recruiting transformational executives into private equity and venture-backed agile tech organizations - will be an invaluable addition to our Practice." Mr. Lulla joins Caldwell from Egon Zehnder, where he led their Global Systems and Engineering practices. In his prior role, Mr. Lulla was Lead Account Partner at IBM's Global Business Services, where he oversaw digital transformation, big-data analytics, and cognitive computing. Previously, he founded and led Sanskrt Ventures; was CEO of NDTV, India's leading cable-news network; and was a Senior Vice President at the Nexstar Media Group. Mr. Lulla began his career in digital media at ViacomCBS (now Paramount).Mr. Lulla holds an MS from Stanford University, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and completed post-MBA studies at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He also has an MTech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi."The escalating importance of technology and transformation leaders is undeniable," said Chris Beck, president of Caldwell. "Rajiv's background expands our functional expertise for technology leaders, our industry expertise in the semiconductor systems and medical device markets, and our network of private equity and venture capital contacts. He is a fantastic addition to our organization, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team." About CaldwellCaldwell is a leading retained executive search firm connecting clients with transformational talent. Together with IQTalent, we are a technology-powered talent acquisition firm specializing in recruitment at all levels. Through the two distinct brands - Caldwell and IQTalent- the firm leverages the latest innovations in AI to offer an integrated spectrum of services delivered by teams with deep knowledge in their respective areas. Services include candidate research and sourcing through to full recruitment at the professional, executive and board levels, as well as a suite of talent strategy and assessment tools that can help clients hire the right people, then manage and inspire them to achieve maximum business results.Caldwell's common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CWL) and trade on the OTCQX Market (OTCQX: CWLPF). Please visit our website at www.caldwell.com for further information.For further information, please contact:Caroline LomotCaldwellclomot@ caldwell.com +1 516 830 3535SOURCE: Caldwell Partners International, Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-03 16:43:07

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QUINCY, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 /Compass Furnished Apartmentsis proud to announce that they have been honored with the prestigious SB100 Award, recognizing them as one of the Top 100 Small to Mid-Sized Businesses in the United States.The SB100 Award is a highly esteemed accolade that celebrates the outstanding achievements of small to mid-sized businesses across various industries. It serves as a testament to the hard work, innovation, and resilience demonstrated by these companies in the face of challenges and uncertainties.Compass Furnished Apartments is thrilled to be recognized among the top businesses in the nation. This award is a reflection of our team's relentless pursuit of excellence and our unwavering dedication to exceeding our client's expectations. We are grateful for the trust and support our clients have placed in us, which has been instrumental in our success.As a leading provider of furnished apartments, Compass has always strived to create a seamless and comfortable living experience for its clients. This recognition further motivates Compass Furnished Apartments to continue raising the bar and setting new standards in the industry. They remain committed to delivering exceptional service, personalized solutions, and unparalleled customer satisfaction."We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our clients, partners, and employees for their unwavering support and trust in our brand. This award would not have been possible without their continued belief in our vision and dedication to excellence." - Chris Fleming, CEOCompass Furnished Apartments invites you to join them in celebrating this milestone and to experience the unparalleled service and comfort that they offer. Whether you are a business traveler, relocating professional, or simply in need of a temporary home, they're here to provide you with a seamless and enjoyable living experience.For more information about Compass Furnished Apartments and their award-winning services, please visit their website atwww.compassfurnishedapartments.com ABOUT COMPASS FURNISHED APARTMENTSCompass Furnished Apartments is a leading provider of both short-term and long-term fully furnished apartments throughout the United States. Our comfortable homes, streamlined reservation process, and "concierge-style" client services enable us to provide our guests with an exceptional experience. Our unwavering commitment to our core values drives our focus and mission. With philanthropy, social responsibility, and environmental consciousness at the forefront of our business practices, we aim to elevate industry standards. Our customer-centric approach, unwavering dedication, and relentless drive enable us to provide an inspiring experience at every opportunity.###CONTACT: Brianna Correia, Senior Marketing Specialist briannac@ compasscorp.com 866-671-1212, ext. 226 www.compasscorp.com SOURCE: Compass Furnished Apartments
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Clean nuclear energy is very important for Kazakhstan, the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told a local newspaper, Trend reports.

He made the remark commenting on possible building of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the country.

"It is a fundamental issue for the future of our economy. We rank first in the world in terms of the volume of extracted natural uranium, and we have our own production of nuclear fuel components," Tokayev said.

"Therefore, I pay special attention to the issue of building a nuclear power plant on our territory. Ultimately, the issue of energy security should be addressed based on real needs and capabilities, and, of course, on the basis of scientific research rather than geopolitical considerations," he explained.

As Tokayev noted, some citizens are critical of the construction of an NPP.

"This is quite understandable; many remember the tragic consequences of tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. There are other complex aspects to consider, such as the project cost and environmental aspects," Tokayev mentioned. "So, understanding the significance of the issue, I proposed to put the issue of building an NPP to a nationwide referendum."

"The commitment to making decisions on the most important issues for the people through referendums was declared in the pre-election platform with which I ran for election in 2019. This is the practical implementation of the concept of a 'listening state' and the principles of a Just Kazakhstan," he said.

Tokayev noted that extensive public hearings await Kazakhstan.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-03 16:17:17

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Criteria updates include those for 19 existing programs; address the elimination of criteria redundancies across several programs as well as enhancements to improve support of FDA RegulationsWASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / DirectTrust, a non-profit healthcare industry alliance, standards development, and accreditation body focused on advancing trust in healthcare, today announced the release of new versions of program criteria for 19 of its accreditation programs, starting January 1, 2024. DirectTrust's accreditation and certification programs are governed by the organization's Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC).In addition to various clarifications and grammatical enhancements, new criteria updates include the elimination of duplicate criteria for programs with the HITRUST security option and ensure consistent alignment of specific criteria within the Accountable Care Organization, Data Registry, Health Information Exchange, and the Outsourced Services Accreditation Programs with their corresponding DirectTrust versions. Last year's completed merger of EHNAC into DirectTrust led to the discontinuation of the EHNAC Privacy and Security Accreditation program, leaving the Privacy and Security Accreditation Program in place.Other key updates for 2024 include the criteria within the DirectTrust Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances Certification Program for Pharmacy Vendors and the DirectTrust Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances Certification Program for Prescribing Vendors which have been enhanced to improve support of FDA Code of Federal Regulations Title 21  1311.Following the standard, 60-day public comment period, DirectTrust's Criteria Council and Commission have incorporated public feedback to finalize and adopt the enhanced and final criteria versions for the following 19 accreditation programs:Accountable Care Organization Accreditation Program (ACOAP) - v4.3* Data Registry Accreditation Program (DRAP) - v4.3* Privacy & Security - v4.3* E-Prescribing Accreditation Program (ePAP-EHN) - v9.3* Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances Certification Program for Pharmacy Vendors (EPCSCP-Pharmacy) - v4.4 Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances Certification Program for Prescribing Vendors (EPCSCP-Prescribing) - v4.4 Financial Services Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks (FSAP-EHN) - v5.3 Financial Services Accreditation Program for Lockbox Services (FSAP-Lockbox) - v5.3* Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP) - v4.3* Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Electronic Health Networks - Includes Payer (HNAP-EHN) - v13.3* Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Medical Billers (HNAP-Medical Biller) - v4.3)* Healthcare Network Accreditation Program for Third Party Administrators (HNAP-TPA) - v4.3* Management Service Organization Accreditation Program (MSOAP) - v4.3* Outsourced Services Accreditation Program (OSAP) 1 - v4.3*1Practice Management System Accreditation Program (PMSAP) - v4.3* Trusted Dynamic Registration & Authentication Accreditation Program Basic (TDRAAP-Basic) - v1.5 Trusted Dynamic Registration & Authentication Accreditation Program Comprehensive - (TDRAAP-Comprehensive) - v1.5* Trusted Network Accreditation Program for Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) Applicants (TNAP-QHIN) - v2.2 Trusted Network Accreditation Program for Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) Participants (TNAP-Participant) - v2.1* Indicates that applicants may select from two distinct sets of security criteria:DirectTrust Security criteria with Privacy based on HIPAA/HITECH, GDPR, CCPA, and Health and Wellness; and Security based on NIST 800-171 and NIST CSF (Cybersecurity Framework) HITRUST CSF Security Criteria, now updated to Version 9.6.2 of the HITRUST CSF 1Outsourced Services includes 10 different accreditation program options tailored for Accountable Care Organization Technology Service Providers; Call Centers; Data Centers; DRP Facilities; Health Information Exchange Technology Service Providers; Media Storage; Network Administrators; Printing; Product Development; and Scanning.Healthcare industry stakeholders are encouraged to regularly visit www.directtrust.org to download and review the latest criteria versions in full detail. Applicant candidates commencing the accreditation or re-accreditation process in 2024 will be required to adhere to these updated criteria versions.About DirectTrust DirectTrust is a non-profit, vendor-neutral alliance dedicated to instilling trust in the exchange of health data. The organization serves as a forum for a consensus-driven community focused on health communication, an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards development organization, an accreditation and certification body through EHNAC (the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission), and a developer of trust frameworks and supportive services for secure information exchange like Direct Secure Messaging and trusted, compliant document submission.The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain privacy, security, and trust for stakeholders across and beyond healthcare. In addition, DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information while promoting quality service, innovation, cooperation, and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit: DirectTrust.org ###Press contact information: Tom TestaAnderson Interactivetom@ andersoni.com SOURCE: DirectTrust
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As the Exclusive Technology Sponsor for the Future Minerals Forum, Ivanhoe Electric will have its Powerful Typhoon Geophysical Surveying System on DisplayPHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Ivanhoe Electric Inc. ("Ivanhoe Electric") (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) is pleased to announce that Mr. Robert Friedland, Executive Chairman of Ivanhoe Electric Inc., will deliver a keynote presentation at the Future Minerals Forum titled "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...Mining with a Greater Purpose and Powering Great Ideas", on January 10th at 12:40 p.m. local time.President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin will participate in a panel discussion titled "Navigating a complex future. Building a robust and resilient mineral supply roadmap", on January 10th at 4:15 p.m. local time.The Future Minerals Forum will take place at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 10th and 11th, 2024.Mr. Friedland and Mr. Melvin join a prestigious group of speakers, including:H.E. Yasir AI-RumayyanGovernor Mining Public Investment Fund (PIF) H.E. Yousef Al BenyanMinister of Education, Saudi Arabia H.E. Saleh Al JasserMinister, Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, Saudi Arabia H.E. Mohammed Al JadaanMinister of Finance, Saudi Arabia H.E. Paul KabusweMinister of Mines and Minerals Development, Zambia H.E. Dele AlakeMinister of Solid Minerals Development, Nigeria Hon. Samuel JinaporMinister of Lands and Natural Resources, Ghana Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa SsentamuMinister of Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda Robert WiltChief Executive Officer, Ma'aden Marna CloetePresident, Ivanhoe Mines Eduardo BartolomeoChief Executive Officer, Vale Mark CutifaniChairman, Vale Base Metals Stuart ChambersChairman, Anglo American Jeremy WeirChief Executive Officer, Trafigura Mark BristowPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Barrick Gold William OplingerChief Executive Officer, AlcoaFor the full list of speakers, please visit: https://www.futuremineralsforum.com/conference-speakers/ Typhoon to be on Display at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in January 2024As the exclusive Technology Sponsor of the 2024 Future Minerals Forum, Ivanhoe Electric is proud to announce that its Typhoon geophysical surveying system will be on display during the Forum. Ivanhoe Electric's booth will be located outside the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center at stand #M05.Following the conference, this TyphoonTM unit will be deployed to support the exploration activities of our joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden on the Al Amar Belt in Saudi Arabia.As announced in November 2023, Ivanhoe Electric and Ma'aden have commenced exploration activities in Saudi Arabia. The strategic 50/50 joint venture will have exclusive access to approximately 48,500 km2 of land in the underexplored Arabian Shield to explore for copper, gold, silver and other metals in support of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.About the Future Minerals ForumConvened by Saudi Arabia, the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) is a platform designed to enable the creation of resilient mineral value chains in the vast resource-rich super region of Africa, Western and Central Asia.Saudi Arabia has all the right ingredients to become a world-class minerals value chain hub for the region. Strategically located at the nexus of Asia, Africa and Europe, with well-developed infrastructure and high domestic demand, the Kingdom has the vision and commitment to develop its mining sector and offers a well-developed economy with high levels of growth and security.Comprising three main components, the Ministerial Roundtable, Conference, and International Exhibition, the Future Minerals Forum serves as a platform where government ministers, global mining CEOs and stakeholders from the region and all over the world can come together and turn talk into action.The inaugural FMF was held in January 2022, attracting more than 140 senior speakers from all over the world. In 2023, FMF attracted 249 speakers who delved deeper into the key issues facing the region and its minerals sector and identified areas for action. For more information please visit: www.futuremineralsforum.com About Ivanhoe ElectricWe are a U.S. company that combines advanced mineral exploration technologies with electric metals exploration projects predominantly located in the United States. We use our accurate and powerful Typhoon geophysical surveying system, together with advanced data analytics provided by our subsidiary, Computational Geosciences Inc., to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as we seek to discover new deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. We believe the United States is significantly underexplored and has the potential to yield major new discoveries of critical metals. Our mineral exploration efforts focus on copper as well as other metals including nickel, vanadium, cobalt, platinum group elements, gold and silver. Through the advancement of our portfolio of electric metals exploration projects, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as other exploration projects in the United States, we intend to support United States supply chain independence by finding and delivering the critical metals necessary for the electrification of the economy. We also operate a 50/50 joint venture with Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden to explore for minerals on ~48,500 km2 of underexplored Arabian Shield in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Website: www.ivanhoeelectric.com Contact InformationInvestors: Valerie Kimball, Director, Investor Relations 720-933-1150Follow us on XIvanhoe Electric's Executive Chairman Robert Friedland: @robert_ivanhoe Ivanhoe Electric: @ivanhoeelectricIvanhoe Electric's investor relations website located at www.ivanhoeelectric.com should be considered Ivanhoe Electric's recognized distribution channel for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation FD.SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc.
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HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NCMI") (TSXV:NMI)(OTCQB:NMREF) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the pilot plant flotation test work for its "Lofdal 2B-4" heavy rare earth project.From October to December 2023, rigorous tests were conducted on a 5-ton representative bulk sample from the Lofdal Area 4 starter pit at SGS Lakefield. Based on preliminary data, the pilot plant program confirms the reproducibility of the grinding and flotation regime for the Lofdal flowsheet and the ability to scale-up the design with confirmation of engineering design criteria.Through an extensive flotation optimization program conducted at SGS in 2023, several adjustments were undertaken to the flotation parameters developed in 2022 (see PEA report "Lofdal 2B-4" on SEDAR). The applied optimization steps aimed at decreasing operating expenditures (OPEX) compared to the PEA "Lofdal 2B-4" and increasing recovery of the heavy rare earth mineral xenotime into the concentrate.Darrin Campbell, President of Namibia Critical Metals, stated:"We are extremely pleased with the completion of the flotation pilot plant test work, which has yielded highly positive results. This groundbreaking achievement of scaling up from bench-scale to pilot-scale marks a significant milestone in the journey toward unlocking the immense potential of the Lofdal deposit. The uniqueness of our Lofdal heavy rare earth deposit, with its complex xenotime mineralization, required us to pioneer novel beneficiation methods. Based on the preliminary data, it appears that the hard work invested by our metallurgy teams over the past months will result in a substantial cumulative reduction in OPEX compared to previous financial estimations.The outstanding work accomplished by our dedicated team in drilling and metallurgical test work has been recognized and validated by our esteemed partner, JOGMEC, whose continued funding commitments demonstrate their confidence in the Lofdal project.This remarkable progress underscores Namibia Critical Metals' commitment to developing the globally significant Lofdal Project, which hosts the highly sought-after heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium. As the demand for these critical metals skyrockets due to their pivotal role in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and various other technological applications, the Lofdal Project stands as a vital solution to meet these growing needs." Pilot-scale Flotation Tests in Q4 2023 Flotation pilot plant test work was conducted at SGS Lakefield from October to November 2023. The flotation flowsheet developed in 2022 by SGS (see PEA report "Lofdal 2B-4" on SEDAR and press release of 22 November 2022) formed the basis of the pilot plant tests. Several adjustments to the flotation parameters were undertaken based on the flotation optimisation program conducted at SGS in 2023. Among the optimization parameters are lower temperature flotation, lower collector dosages and usage of newly developed reagents with high concentrations of active ingredients. The applied optimization parameters aimed to significantly decrease operating expenditures (OPEX) compared to the PEA "Lofdal 2B-4" and increase recovery of the heavy rare earth mineral xenotime into the concentrate.Continuous piloting tests were conducted on a 5-ton representative bulk sample from the Lofdal Area 4 starter pit. The tested material had slightly lower rare earth element grades than the samples used for the bench-scale test work in 2022 and 2023. This is to reflect the potential to process the large amounts of slightly lower grade material referred to as "stockpile" in the PEA "Lofdal 2B-4" which would allow further increased throughput and life of mine. Based on preliminary data, the pilot plant program confirms the reproducibility of the grinding and flotation regime for the Lofdal flowsheet and the ability to scale-up the design with confirmation of engineering design criteria.The flotation tailings produced in the pilot runs provided material for solid/liquid separation testing including filtration to investigate opportunities for dry tailing deposition as well as slurry rheology testing for pumping a thickened tailing. Final reporting from SGS Lakefield is expected in February 2024.The flotation pilot runs produced circa 100 kg of flotation concentrate, which is ready to facilitate effective scale up of the hydrometallurgical testing including acid bake and water leach followed by a thorough investigation into optimising downstream REE recovery steps to produce a mixed rare earth oxide product. This hydrometallurgical scale-up test is planned at SGS Lakefield in Q1 2024.About Namibia Critical Metals Inc.NCMI is developing the Tier-1 Heavy Rare Earth Project, Lofdal, a globally significant deposit of the heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium. Demand for these critical metals used in permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other electronics is driven by innovations linked to energy and technology transformations. The geopolitical risks associated with sourcing many of these metals has become a repeated concern for manufacturers and end users. Namibia is a proven and stable mining jurisdiction.The Lofdal Project is fully permitted with a 25-year Mining License and is under a Joint Venture Agreement with Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC).The Company filed a robust updated PEA for "Lofdal 2B-4" on November 14, 2022, with a post-tax NPV of USD$391 million and an annual IRR of 28% with a capital expenditure of USD$207 million. The project is projected to generate a life of mine nominal cash flow of USD$698 million post-tax over a 16-year mine life.About Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and the JVJOGMEC is a Japanese government independent administrative agency which seeks to secure stable resource supplies for Japan. JOGMEC has a strong reputation as a long term, strategic partner in mineral projects globally. JOGMEC facilitates opportunities with Japanese private companies to secure supplies of natural resources for the benefit of the country's economic development.Rare earth elements are of critical importance to Japanese industrial interests and JOGMEC has extensive experience with all aspects of the sector. JOGMEC provided Lynas with USD$250,000,000 in loans and equity in 2011 to ensure supplies of the Light Rare Earths metals suite to the Japanese industry.Namibia Critical Metals owns a 95% interest in the Lofdal project with the remaining 5% held for the benefit of historically disadvantaged Namibians. The terms of the JOGMEC joint venture agreement with the Company stipulate that JOGMEC provides C$3,000,000 in Term 1 and
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Luxury All-Inclusive Resort Introduces Guided Tasting Journey of Artisanal Mexican Chocolates with MezcalRIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / January 2, 2024 / Grand Velas Riviera Maya, the AAA Five Diamond luxury all-inclusive resort located on Mexico's Caribbean coast, introduces a new culinary experience honoring the country's traditions of artisanal chocolate and mezcal. Guests are invited to embark on a guided tasting journey led by the resort's sommelier, where they will explore a curated selection of dark and white Mexican artisan chocolates from Campeche on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. Each chocolate is expertly paired with a mezcal to elevate the tasting notes of both the spirit and the cacao. Revered by the ancient indigenous Mayan and Aztec civilizations, cacao was declared "the food of the gods," and served a cherished role as an ingredient in ceremonial beverages and also as a form of currency. Similarly, mezcal, distilled from the heart of the agave plant, carries centuries of Mexican heritage and craftsmanship.Menu highlights for the Mezcal and Chocolate Pairing include:Mezcal Gin MG x Passion Fruit Infused White ChocolateFlavor Profile: Mezcal Gin is a small-batch handcrafted spirit that brings together the complex body and flavors of artisanal Mezcal with the freshness and perfume of Gin. The sweetness of the wild Cenizo agave complements the tropical notes and freshness of the passion fruit. Mezcal Montelobos Joven Ensamble x Foie Gras Infused Dark ChocolateFlavor Profile: Montelobos Ensamble is made from a blend of agaves with body and acidity that highlights smoke and fruit. The mezcal's smoky notes of nutmeg and pink pepper provide a flavor explosion that contrasts with the richness of the foie gras. Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal x Raspberry Infused Dark ChocolateFlavor Profile: Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal is matured for approximately six months in charred American oak barrels and filtered through activated charcoal, resulting in a crystal-clear liquid with an elegant blend of aromas and flavors. Citrus and floral notes stand out, harmonizing with the acidity and tropical aromas of the raspberry. Gracias a Dios Reposado x Mole Infused Dark ChocolateFlavor Profile: Gracias a Dios Reposado offers a trifecta of smoke, with charcoal, pipe tobacco and beach barbecue, complemented by herbaceous notes of mint, rosemary, and chive. Spicy and smoky from a barrel-aging, the spirit works in tandem with the toasted notes of the chiles and dried fruits in the mole.The weekly Mezcal and Chocolate Pairing Session is included in the hotel's all-inclusive plan. Rates at Grand Velas Riviera Maya start at $617 USD per adult per night based on double occupancy. All-inclusive rates include luxury suite accommodations, a la carte gourmet meals at a variety of specialty restaurants, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, fitness center, taxes, gratuity and more. For reservations or more information, call 1-888-407-4869, email reservations@ velasresorts.com or visit https://www.velasresorts.com About Grand Velas Riviera Maya:With the finest white sand beach in the Riviera Maya, the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya is an ultra-luxury all-inclusive resort set on 206 acres of pristine jungle and mangroves. Guests can choose accommodations that are oceanfront, ocean view or in a Zen-like tropical setting, embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula's jungle. All 539 designer-like suites are exceptionally spacious, more than 1,100 square feet each, all with balconies, and some with private plunge pools. Eight restaurants, including five gourmet offerings, present a tour through Mexico, Europe and Asia. Cocina de Autor, at the hands of world-renowned celebrity chefs Bruno Oteiza and Mikel Alonso, holds the AAA Five Diamond Award, the first all-inclusive restaurant in the world to win this prestigious distinction. Se Spa is the region's largest spa sanctuary at more than 90,000 square feet, known for its authentic Mexican treatments and signature seven-step water journey. Other features include 24-hour Personal Concierge; 24/7 in-suite service; three swimming pools; two fitness centers; water sports; innovative Kids' Clubs and Teens' Club; baby concierge; Karaoke Bar; Koi Bar; Amat Cafe, and business center. The resort offers more than 91,000 square feet of meeting space and outdoor areas for events inclusive of a 31,000-square-foot Convention Center, able to accommodate up to 2,700 guests. Grand Velas Riviera Maya was built by Eduardo Vela Ruiz, founder and president of Velas Resorts, with brother Juan Vela, vice president of Velas Resorts, by his side. For reservations or additional information please visit rivieramaya.grandvelas.com . Explore tips, recipes, lifestyle and travel trends, and the latest news about Velas Resorts on the digital mag: www.velasmagazine.com ###Media Contact: Melissa WisenbakerKWE Partners903.520.3493melissa@kwepr.com SOURCE: Grand Velas Riviera Maya
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Classes, Teambuilding opportunities and trips to Brazil and ItalyNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / NYJW welcomes the new year with exciting winter class offerings for jazz enthusiasts of all skill levels. These ensemble-based classes, guided by world-renowned instructors, provide a dynamic and nurturing environment for musical development. Whether you're starting your jazz journey or looking to enhance your skills, NYJW has a workshop tailored to your needs.NYJW Teambuilding The winter session includes regular live concert showcases at well-known jazz venues throughout the city, offering students a platform to demonstrate their skills and growth.NYJW's curriculum extends beyond group workshops to include specialized courses in areas like Music Theory, Ear Training, Composition, and Counterpoint. Additionally, the workshop offers Private Lessons customized to the individual goals and interests of each student. NYJW's faculty, comprised of acclaimed jazz professionals, ensures an enriching and insightful educational experience, regardless of the instrument-piano, guitar, vocals, bass, drums, woodwinds, or brass.This year, NYJW continues its global musical exploration with trips to exotic locations. Alongside the annual two-week excursions to Italy for both Instrumentalists and Vocalists, NYJW is excited to announce a new destination: Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. These trips cater to both musicians and non-musicians, offering a diverse array of activities.NYJW is also expanding its offerings with innovative teambuilding programs for corporations. These initiatives demonstrate how musical concepts like leadership and creativity are vital in a corporate setting. NYJW has successfully conducted teambuilding events for major companies like GE, Nike, Thomson Reuters, Blackboard, Google, Five Below, Lookout, and more. Now, more corporations can experience the transformative power of jazz in fostering team unity and productivity.Registration for the winter workshops, specialized courses, private lessons, and corporate teambuilding programs is now open. Discover the enriching world of jazz this winter at NYJW by visiting www.newyorkjazzworkshop.com The New York Jazz Workshop is located at 265 W 37th Street, Manhattan.For more information, contact NYJW at:Email: info@ newyorkjazzworkshop.com Contact InformationMarco CheloCO-Foundermarco@ newyorkjazzworkshop.com 9173400270SOURCE: New York Jazz WorkshopView the original press release on newswire.com
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NewsAnchored's 2024 Vision: Expanding Reach and Empowering BrandsCHEYENNE, WY / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / In 2024,NewsAnchoredis set to undertake a major expansion, aiming to transform the landscape of online branding and visibility. This change is not just about increasing numbers, it's about opening new avenues for individuals and businesses to showcase their talents, products, and services to a broader audience. For anyone looking to enhance their business or elevate their career, this expansion marks an opportunity to gain valuable online exposure.NewsAnchored, already a leader in online branding, plans to extend its influence by partnering with more publications. This move will significantly increase the platforms available for sharing stories and thereby amplifying a brand's reach. The service, which currently boasts a network of 30 publications, has helped numerous businesses and professionals gain visibility. With the upcoming expansion, this impact is expected to multiply, offering new heights of exposure and recognition.At its heart, NewsAnchored excels in creating high-quality, engaging content that provides readers the stories behind the businesses they either work with or are planning to work with and would like a little more information about before taking that crucial next step. Their team of expert content creators specialize in publishing articles that not only educate readers but also enhance online visibility through SEO-friendly practices. This approach ensures that the content doesn't just reach audiences but also makes a lasting impression, thereby building a strong online presence.The 2024 expansion focuses on enhancing these core services by increasing the number of publications in their network. This growth means your content has the potential to be featured in a wider array of online platforms, reaching diverse audiences and creating more opportunities for engagement.The upcoming offerings are still being kept under wraps. But we have been told that the initial publications are likely to fill in some geographical and demographical spots in the roster. "Our clients have asked for news publications that cater to specific areas, specific locations," said a NewsAnchored representative. "We're looking forward to meeting that demand in our initial expansion." Building a Business? Building a Brand?Increasingly, your online presence is your digital footprint - it defines how you are perceived by potential clients, employers, and peers. NewsAnchored's expansion means an increase in opportunities to project your brand's voice across a variety of platforms. This is crucial for building trust, credibility, and recognition in your field. Whether you're a small business owner, an emerging entrepreneur, a corporate leader, or a professional looking to make a mark, this expansion offers you a broader stage to showcase your expertise and achievements.Collaborating with NewsAnchored is designed to be a seamless, effective process. They understand the challenges of building an online presence and are geared to offer a streamlined solution. From the initial stages of content creation to the final steps of publication, their team guides you through each phase, ensuring your message aligns with your brand values and reaches the right audience.This user-friendly approach is beneficial for all types of clients - from those who are new to online branding to seasoned professionals seeking to enhance their digital footprint. NewsAnchored's expansion in 2024 promises to make this process even more impactful by providing a larger platform for clients' content.One of the key strengths of NewsAnchored is its ability to cater to a wide range of clients. Their services are not limited to large corporations or established businesses. Instead, they embrace a diverse clientele, including startups, small businesses, individual entrepreneurs, and professionals from various industries. This inclusivity ensures that anyone, regardless of their size or stage of development, can benefit from their expertise in online branding and content creation.The Anticipated Impact of NewsAnchored's ExpansionNewsAnchored's 2024 expansion is a preparation for an even greater transformative era for digital storytelling in business and professional branding. This growth extends beyond just adding more publications through exclusive partnerships, it represents a shift towards creating more engaging, narrative-driven content. The move away from typical social media posts towards more compelling storytelling allows businesses and professionals to connect with their audiences in a more meaningful way, establishing stronger brand identity and loyalty.With its expanded network, NewsAnchored is positioning itself to elevate the online presence of its clients. The platform's capabilities are designed to amplify narratives across diverse publications, providing clients with the tools and exposure to establish new brands, grow existing businesses, or advance careers. The strategy is for each story to resonate more deeply, and make a greater impact in the digital landscape, than the now aged tactic of posting to the big, and often closed-to-outsiders, social media platforms.Entering 2024, NewsAnchored begins a new chapter in online communication. The emphasis on narrative excellence and strategic storytelling is NewsAnchored's defining approach, according to the company. "We see ourselves as an essential partner for truly anyone looking to make a significant mark in the digital realm," says a representative. The platform's evolution signifies a leap in how digital stories are told and perceived, offering every brand and professional the opportunity to create narratives that drive success.Country: USAMedia Contact Name: Paul DavisCompany: NewsAnchoredEmail: info@ newsanchored.com Phone Number: (323) 746-0050Website: https://newsanchored.com/ SOURCE: NewsAnchored
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / PepcoPepco | The SourceEarlier this year, community leaders, local officials, and stakeholders joined Pepco and our parent company Exelon as we announced $2.7 million in investments for four local minority-owned businesses that will help each business grow and ultimately strengthen under-resourced communities in our region.The funding is provided through the Exelon Community Impact Capital Fund (formerly known as the Racial Equity Capital Fund), which helps expand access to capital for businesses in historically disenfranchised or socio-economically disadvantaged communities in Exelon's service areas so they can create more jobs, grow their companies and reinvest in their neighborhoods. The fund is managed in partnership with RockCreek, one of the world's largest diverse-owned global investment firms, and further delivers on our commitment to drive economic equity and opportunity for our customers and communities.The four funded companies represent the clean energy, IT, workforce development and real estate development industries. They include:Gemini Energy Solutions: $1 Million Equity InvestmentGemini Energy Solutions is a Black-owned and led energy audit and cleantech company that strives to equitably scale energy efficiency to often overlooked small businesses and communities. Gemini uses clean energy hubs' that serve as revenue generating microgrids that includes rooftop and carport solar panels, electric vehicle chargers and HVAC and lighting solutions. The organization is currently working to connect businesses and churches in under-resourced communities with green energy solutions.PS2G (Public Sector Solutions Group): $600,000 debt investmentPS2G is a technology driven Black-owned company providing IT consulting services and innovative solutions to state and local government partners. The PS2G team helps clients achieve their performance goals while ensuring audit compliance and reporting for federally funded agencies. PS2G is also trains residents in the District and Maryland in cybersecurity and information technology through the Walter Reed IT Infrastructure Academy and in partnership with Exelon and Pepco.CJR Development Partners: 600,000 debt investmentCJR is a minority, woman-owned small business firm dedicated to building strong communities and businesses. The CJR development team advises on public private partnerships and specializes in creating mixed use developments and affordable housing communities. They also help build strong businesses by providing solutions for clients' branding, contract management and human resource needs, as well as training services to build strong employee teams.$500,000 equity investment EscalateEscalate is a workforce development platform that brings together educational and artificial intelligence resources to improve retention of frontline workers. Based in Silver Spring, Md. Escalate is a majority Black and woman-owned company. The company's unique platform provides support for frontline workers to drive retention and positive work environments.New applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Businesses interested in funding should contact the fund manager, RockCreek: cicf@ therockcreekgroup.com View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Pepco on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: PepcoWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/pepco Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Pepco
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Rayonier's 2023 summer college interns share what their experiences were like in forestry and non-forestry roles.NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / RayonierOriginally published on Rayonier.com Not every intern gets to present ideas to the senior leadership team of a publicly traded company - but at Rayonier, they do.Rayonier offers internships across our ownership in the United States for both forestry and non-forestry roles. We treat our interns like part of the team, putting them in the center of whatever we're working on, teaching them at every step and ensuring they experience a wide variety of careers. All of our summer interns are also invited to come together in our Wildlight, Florida, headquarters to work on a team project and meet our senior leaders.Our interns share what their experiences were like at Rayonier:Portfolio Management Intern Manisha Parajuli, Auburn UniversityManisha Parajuli stands in a forest between two Rayonier employees, learning to inspect pine trees through the lens of a drone."Want to see how to take a selfie from the air?" asks Sara Bellchamber, a Land Information Systems tech analyst who heads up Rayonier's drone pilots team."Smile!" says Research Biometrician Stephanie Patton, an expert in forest growth and yield modeling.To Manisha, a PhD candidate at Auburn University with a passion for research that solves problems in the forestry industry, this is exactly why she chose Rayonier for her summer internship. She's learning to use new technologies, exploring economic opportunities around forest resources, and supporting sustainable forest management.Over the course of her internship, she has done research for the company; gained firsthand experience in timberland valuation; predicted forest growth and biomass volume; analyzed data; did mapping work in GIS; and delved into various projects with the company's portfolio management team."They make sure you learn something new every day," Manisha says. "I am confident that the new skill set I learned here is truly valuable for my career. Everyone is inspiring in so many ways, and I am glad that I have been able to interact with different business teams in the office. It's a great opportunity to learn and make new connections with people who share the same interests as yours and who will support you beyond your internship." Forestry Intern Lane Harvey, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College"It's amazing how differently you can look at a forest depending on whose truck you're in," Lane Harvey reflects during a ride-along with a Rayonier forester.He had seen the forest through the eyes of a land management forester, who had shown him how to think about replanting and maintaining a forest through decades of growth. Now riding with a timber marketing forester, he's learning how to work through the process of getting the most value for the timber when it's time to harvest.It's exactly the kind of real-life training Lane, a Natural Resource Management major at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, was hoping for when he applied for a Rayonier internship:"I had been told that Rayonier does a good job of diversifying the kind of work that their interns do," he says. "It's not all just cruising, cruising, cruising, doing one thing. They do a really good job of trying to spread you out and get you into different places. They really educate you, too, while they do it." During the course of his internship, he'll work in timber sales, paint streamside management zone boundary lines, build maps and meet all kinds of people. By the end of the summer, he still won't know exactly what he wants to do in forestry, but he'll know where he'd like to do it."I would definitely like to work at Rayonier," he says. "Everyone that I've talked to, everyone I've worked with, they're always super helpful, super nice. Anything you need, they're ready to help you succeed and learn." GIS Intern Erin O'Grodnick, University of North FloridaIt's a beautiful, sunny morning when Erin O'Grodnick laces up her running shoes. She sets out for a jog on the trail system that surrounds Rayonier's headquarters in Wildlight, crossing former tree farms and wetlands that are now part of the Wildlight Community built by Rayonier's real estate team.About 40 members of the Rayonier team are there with the University of North Florida biology major, participating in the annual Wildlight 5K. Wearing the Rayonier team T-shirt, Erin absolutely feels like part of the team."The people at Rayonier are the kindest people you're going to meet," she says. "I was expecting to just kind of talk to the same people every day, but everybody is so open to telling you what they do. I've talked to the executives, I've talked to people who work in the woods every day, people who do real estate, and everybody is just so welcoming and patient to show you what they do, show you how to do it. It's just an awesome culture." For Erin, it's been an eye-opening experience. Before her internship, she didn't know a lot about forestry but she wanted to work with a GIS team. By the end of the internship, she had decided to forgo her plan to be a research biologist and pursue a natural resources career instead."I came here and I learned about this whole new career field. Now I'm really passionate about forestry and the economics of sustainable resources," she says.Asked what she would say to future intern candidates, she advises: "If you're considering applying to Rayonier, you should 100% do it. Once you're here, the people are going to welcome you and foster your growth." How to Apply for a Rayonier Internship"If you're looking for a place where you can make a difference in the world, Rayonier is that place," says HR Specialist Ebony Presha, who manages Rayonier's internship program. "Our interns are directly in the middle of the action. They have an opportunity to really get involved with projects and to really contribute to the company on a day-to-day basis." She notes that many interns go on to become Rayonier employees. In fact, one of Rayonier's top forestry team leaders, Georgia Resource Unit Operations Director Morris Bradford, was an intern in the 1990s! Rayonier offers internships to college students in forestry and research professions as well as support roles such as accounting, IT and communications. To learn more about how the Rayonier internship program works, you can visit https://www.rayonier.com/intern Rayonier employees Sara Bellchamber, left, and Stephanie Patton, far right, teach intern Manisha Parajuli, center, how to fly a drone. View additional multimedi
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Significantly lighter, quicker, and smarter than the original Moonwalkers model introduced in the spring of 2023,Moonwalkers Xhave six wheels instead of 10, provide an order of magnitude of greater control and responsiveness, have a tighter turning radius, utilize softer wheels for a lower impact force, and also accommodate smaller shoe sizes. Innovators and innovative firms interested in experiencing the power and ease-of-use of these robotic shoes at CES 2024 are invited to reserve a Guaranteed VIP Appointment to Test-Walk inMoonwalkers Xat the Shift Robotics' booth at CES - #CP-20 (in the Central Plaza of the Las Vegas Convention Center).AUSTIN, TX and LOS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Shift Robotics'newest model of robotic shoes are calledMoonwalkers X , and they will be unveiled next week at CES 2024, America's largest technology-focused convention and trade show.Moonwalkers X are the newest model of robotic shoes from Shift Robotics, AI-informed shoes that are lighter, quicker, and smarter than their predecessors.These newest robotic shoes from Shift Robotics are notable for several reasons (when compared to the original model ofMoonwalkers ). For example,Moonwalkers XAre significantly lighter - one pound less for each shoe; Incorporate a complete overhaul of the control system, further boosting safety and agility when maneuvering, especially in close quarters; Deliver improved shock absorption to further lower the risk of repetitive injury; and Showcase a fresh new design with modularity and customization in mind.Additionally,Moonwalkers Xwill also fit smaller shoe sizes.Taken in concert,Moonwalkers Xare specifically designed for business/commercial use, particularly those applications where employees walk a lot on-the-job, such as in the distribution, logistics, and warehouse marketplace where individuals might walk as many as 30,000 steps per day.Moonwalkers Xare slated to begin shipping in the first half of 2024, with pricing to be released at that time.Shift Robotics has also reserved a limited quantity ofMoonwalkers Xfor innovative companies interested in guaranteeing priority access to the new model of robotic shoes when they become available. Those interested should contact the company about its CES 2024 Show Special ."WithMoonwalkers X , we've redefined lightweight mobility by trimming nearly a pound from the original design," said Xunjie Zhang, CEO and founder of Shift Robotics, andMoonwalkersinventor. "Imagine the ease of workers' boots but with the power ofMoonwalkers . Our revamped drivetrain, the magnesium alloy based frame, and the new shock-absorbing wheels all come together to offer the smoothest, most efficient warehouse navigation ever."In developingX , our focus was clear: enhancing productivity without compromising safety. By collaborating closely with our 3PL partners, we've tunedMoonwalkers Xto meet the rigors of warehouse environments with an unwavering commitment to worker safety."As such, ShiftOS 2.0 is born from our insights into thousands of existingMoonwalkersusers and our logistics partners - a complete reinvention of our control system. It's packed with tons of safety enhancements, from advanced traction control to more responsive acceleration and braking, plus refined gait detection to eliminate abrupt stops, ensuring every step is secure and smooth." According to the company, its clients have found that warehouse workers responsible for shipping products more than double their productivity by wearingMoonwalkers . Additionally, one Shift Robotics' client projects that itsMoonwalkers -wearing employees will save nearly 400 hours per year in Travel Time, the amount of time associates take to walk from location to location within its facilities during their work days.According to Zhang, Shift Robotics expects to see comparable or better results withMoonwalkers X ."Given these new features, I will not be surprised at all to see our business clients realize even greater results by deployingMoonwalkers Xin their distribution centers, warehouses, logistics facilities, and retail locations," he said.With more than 130,000 individuals expected to participate in CES 2024 next week, Shift Robotics invites innovation executives and innovative organizations interested in improved productivity to schedule an appointment to Test-Walk in Moonwalkers at CES 2024 in the Shift Robotics booth - #CP-20 in the Central Plaza - immediately east of the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.Conversely, for those not attending CES but who are nonetheless interested in exploring how robotic shoes can transform their organizations, Shift Robotics also invites these executive toschedule a time for an initial conversation with the company by clicking on this link .About MoonwalkersNamed recently by TIME as one of the "Best Inventions of 2023,"Moonwalkersare robotic shoes that use AI software to measure a user's stride 100-times-per-second, thus enabling each shoe to adjust to the Gait Cycle of each individual, thereby maximizing safety, enjoyment, and performance while walking.About Shift RoboticsHeadquartered in Austin, Texas, Shift Robotics is the creator of the "Robotic Shoes" category. Its products -Moonwalkers- are nano-mobility devices that allow users to walk up to three times faster. For more information, please visit www.shiftrobotics.io Moonwalkersis a trademark of Shift Robotics, while the various Shift Robotics andMoonwalkerslogos are also trademarks of the company. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.# # #MEDIA CONTACT:David Politis, Shift Robotics, David.Politis@ShiftRobotics.io , C: +1-801-556-8184SOURCE: Shift Robotics
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Snipp Interactive Inc. ("Snipp" or the "Company") (TSX-V:SPN)(OTC PINK:SNIPF), a global provider of digital marketing promotions, rebates and loyalty solutions, announces its financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 along with Q3 2023. All results are reported under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and inUS dollars . A copy of the complete unaudited interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis are available on SEDAR ( www.sedarplus.ca) Highlights(Refer to Non-GAAP Measures, EBITDA and Bookings Backlog discussion below)Revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, increased by 28% compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $22.6 million compared to $17.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.Revenue for Q3 2023 increased by 8% compared to Q3 2022. Revenue for Q3 2023 was $8.6 million compared to $7.9 million for Q3 2022. Q3 2023 is the highest revenue quarter in the Company's history.EBITDA in Q3 2023 was $0.03 million vs Q3 2022 EBITDA of $0.28 million.EBITDA in the nine months ended September 30, 2023, was a loss of $1.94 million vs EBITDA of $0.72 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.Bookings Backlog (programs that have been sold, but whose revenues have not yet been recognized) stood at $14.5 million at September 30, 2023, an increase of 17% compared to September 30, 2022, of $12.4 million."Snipp continued to build on its exceptional 2022 performance during the first nine months of 2023 with new milestones for total revenue, as well as the third quarter boasting its highest quarterly revenue in the Company's history," said Atul Sabharwal, Founder of Snipp. "We look forward to ending the year on a high note and updating investors on our plans for 2024. This momentum reinforces the success of our strategic investments in personnel and new revenue streams such as Gambit Rewards and SnippMedia. As previously mentioned, Snipp made meaningful investments in expanding its team and developing future growth drivers, which resulted in increased expenses in 2023. Despite these investments, the Company still achieved positive EBITDA in the third quarter. We remain confident in our long-term positioning in the marketplace and are excited to reconnect with investors during our upcoming conference call on January 9, 2024, the details of which are forthcoming." Non-GAAP MeasuresSnipp uses certain performance measures throughout this document that are not recognizable under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles or IFRS ("GAAP"). These performance measures include Gross Margin and EBITDA. Management believes that these measures provide supplemental financial information that is useful in the evaluation of the Company's operations.Investors should be cautioned, however, that these measures should not be construed as alternatives to measures determined in accordance with GAAP and IFRS as an indicator of Snipp's performance. The Company's method of calculating these measures may differ from that of other organizations, and accordingly, these may not be comparable.EBITDASnipp defines earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") as revenue minus operating expenses excluding non-cash operating expenses of share-based payments, depreciation and amortization (interest and taxes are not included in the Company's operating expenses).Bookings BacklogSnipp defines Bookings Backlog as future revenue from existing customer contracts to be recognized in future quarters. Bookings get translated into revenues based on IFRS principles and the Bookings Backlog reflects how revenues in future quarters are steadily being booked today.The Following are calculations of EBITDA:ThreeThreeNineNineMonths EndedMonths EndedMonths EndedMonths EndedSepember 30, 2023Sepember 30, 2022Sepember 30, 2023Sepember 30, 2022USDUSDUSDUSDNet loss before interest, foreign exchange and taxes(285,957)(144,751)(3,100,656)(615,814) Amortization of intangibles276,048263,311816,056813,565Depreciation of equipment2,9692,3208,2946,788Share-based payments40,348159,660336,385511,651EBITDA33,408280,540(1,939,921)716,190About Snipp:Snipp Interactive Inc. (TSX-V: SPN; OTCPK: SNIPF) is a leading Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) company in the global loyalty and promotions sector. Snipp's proprietary and modular SnippCARE (Customer Acquisition, Retention & Engagement) Platform allows its marquee list of Fortune 500 clients and world-class agencies and partners to use various modules of the Platform to run long-term and short-term programs and promotions, while continually generating and capturing unique zero party data that is invaluable in providing insights to drive sales. SnippCHECK, the Platform's Receipt Processing Module has established itself as an industry leader and standard by powering a large majority of all receipt-based promotions in North America. SnippLOYALTY, the Platform's full scale modular loyalty engine allows clients the flexibility of deploying any/all aspects of a standard loyalty program on a case-by-case basis. SnippREWARDS, the Platform's modular catalogue of digital and physical rewards provides clients with global and easily deployable access to an extensive catalogue of digital and physical rewards. SnippWIN, the Platform's gaming module solves for the implementation and compliance difficulties of offering games of chance and skill on a global basis and allows for the global deployment and administration of legally compliant games of chance and skill. For more information, visit Snipp's website at www.snipp.com and its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca Snipp is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with a presence across the United States, Canada, Ireland, Europe, and India. Snipp is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada and is also quoted on the OTC Pink marketplace under the symbol SNIPF.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:Snipp Interactive Inc.Jaisun GarchaChief Financial Officer investors@ snipp.com 1-888-99-SNIPPCautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expe
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. The United States was not involved in today's explosions in Iran in any way, US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing on January 3, Trend reports.

"We have been following the reports rather closely. We don't have any independent information to offer on them. We do express our sympathies to the victims and loved ones of those who died in this horrific explosion. As I said it's too early, at least for us to be able to say what might have caused it. But I do want to address some of the irresponsible claims that I have seen circulate and say that, number one, the United States was not involved in any way, and any suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous. And number two, we have no reason to believe that Israel was involved in this explosion," he noted.

Two explosions disrupted a procession commemorating the anniversary of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani's death in Kerman province, southeastern Iran.

The explosions resulted in at least 103 fatalities and 211 injuries.

Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US Air Force airstrike in Iraq in 2020.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-03 16:50:25

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Stillwater Critical Minerals (formerly Group Ten Metals) ( TSX.V:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:5D32) (the "Company" or "SWCM") is pleased to provide an update on upcoming promotional activities including core displays at major trade shows. The Company also announces it has applied for TSX-V approval to extend the expiry date of certain warrants by six months.All core from 2023 resource expansion drilling completed at the Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co+Au project in Montana, as summarized in a news release December 5, 2023, is now in process at the assay lab with results pending.Upcoming EventsStillwater Critical Minerals confirms that senior executives including Michael Rowley, President and CEO, and Dr. Danie Grobler, Vice-President of Exploration, will attend the following upcoming trade shows:1) Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) January 21 - 22. For more information, click here.2) Association of Mineral Exploration of British Columbia's (AMEBC) Roundup Conference in Vancouver, BC, January 22 to 25. For more information, click here.3) Prospector and Developer's Association Conference (PDAC) in Toronto, March 3-6. For more information, click here.Core from the Company's 2023 drill campaign at its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in Montana will be on display at all three shows. Intervals will be presented from multiple new mineralized zones intercepted within and outside of the current resource area, in addition to past intercepts from up to nine kilometers east across the 32-kilometer-long project, in order to relate both the grade and scale of the project.Warrant ExtensionThe Company has applied for TSX-V approval to extend the expiry date of certain warrants that are due to expire January 17, 2024 (the "January Warrants"). Per the application, 21,635,000 January Warrants that were originally issued as part of a financing completed in June 2020 will be extended to a new expiration date of July 17, 2024. Each January Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share at an exercise price of $0.30.About Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp.Stillwater Critical Minerals ( TSX.V:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF) is a mineral exploration company focused on its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in the iconic and famously productive Stillwater mining district in Montana, USA. With the addition of two renowned Bushveld and Platreef geologists to the team and a strategic investment by Glencore, the Company is well positioned to advance the next phase of large-scale critical mineral supply from this world-class American district, building on past production of nickel, copper, and chromium, and the on-going production of platinum group and other metals by neighboring Sibanye-Stillwater. An expanded NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate, released January 2023, delineates a compelling suite of critical minerals contained within five Platreef-style nickel and copper sulphide deposits at Stillwater West, which host a total of 1.6 billion pounds of nickel, copper and cobalt, and 3.8 million ounces of palladium, platinum, rhodium, and gold, and remains open for expansion along trend and at depth. Results are pending from resource expansion drilling completed in 2023.Stillwater also holds the high-grade Black Lake-Drayton Gold project adjacent to Treasury Metals' development-stage Goliath Gold Complex in northwest Ontario, currently under an earn-in agreement with Heritage Mining, and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu-Co critical minerals project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinums Wellgreen deposit in Canadas Yukon Territory.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Michael Rowley, President, CEO & DirectorEmail: info@ criticalminerals.com Phone: (604) 357 4790Web: http://criticalminerals.com Toll Free: (888) 432 0075Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Stillwater Critical Minerals
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CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / As the new year unfolds, businesses and tax professionals are starting the tax season by turning their attention to essential year-end filings. TaxBandits, a leading e-file provider, offers a comprehensive solution for effortless electronic filing of crucial year-end forms, includingW-2 ,1099 ,94x ,1095 , and more.With the IRS, SSA, and state agencies setting a January 31, 2024, deadline for these critical forms, TaxBandits offers a secure and user-friendly platform to meet these requirements efficiently. Businesses and tax professionals can take advantage of TaxBandits' capabilities for Federal and state filing, including but not limited to:-W-2 ,W-2 PR-1099-NEC-1099-MISC-1099-K- 1099-INT- 1099-DIV- 1099-R- 1099-S- 1099-G- 1099-C- 1099-B- 1099-PATR- 1099-OID- 1099-Q- W-2G- 1098- 1098-T- 1098-E-941 , and 941 Schedule R-940 , and 940 Schedule R- 943- 945-1095-B-1095-C- 8809- 3921- 3922TaxBandits Key Filing Features:The TaxBandits application provides a comprehensive e-filing solution for businesses of all sizes.User-Friendly Interface: TaxBandits boasts an intuitive interface for a seamless user experience, making it easy for businesses of all sizes to navigate and complete their filings efficiently.Manual and Bulk Filing: Whether filing individual forms or dealing with large volumes of data, TaxBandits supports both manual and bulk filing options to cater to the diverse needs of businesses.Integration Capabilities: Enhance efficiency by seamlessly integrating TaxBandits with popular accounting software such asQuickBooks ,Freshbooks ,Zoho Books ,Xero , andSage Intacct .TIN Matching: TaxBandits ensures accurate filings withTIN matchingcapabilities, minimizing errors and reducing the risk of penalties. 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TaxBandits implements data validations using the USPS database to verify the accuracy of all recipients' mailing addresses.Record Keeping: TaxBandits securely stores transmitted forms for seven years, simplifying their recordkeeping and compliance responsibilities.W-9 Manager: Clients can effectively manageW-9 formsand stay organized with TaxBandits' dedicatedW-9 managerfeature.Fillable W-9: In case the clients need to fill out and share their own W-9 with their payers, they can use TaxBandits'fillable W9solution for free.Exclusive Features For Tax Professionals:Bulk Upload through Excel and CSV Templates: Tax professionals can expedite the filing process by importing client data in large batches using bulk upload ( 1099 Excel templates ) options.Staff Management: Collaborate seamlessly with team members using TaxBandits' staff management tools, assigning specific roles and access to streamline workflow.Client Management: Offer clients secure access through the client portal for the sharing of form information and files during the e-filing process.Tracking and Reporting Tools: Stay informed with real-time tracking and reporting tools, allowing tax professionals to monitor the status of client forms at a glance.Volume-Based Pricing: Take advantage of volume-based pricing options to maximize savings when filing a large volume of forms.Advance Security Measures:- SOC 2 Certification: TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified company that maintains advanced data safety protocols.- Data Monitoring: Regular monitoring of servers to maintain security and integrity.Dedicated Customer Support:TaxBandits offers industry-leading customer support with extended hours around the January 31st deadline. Clients can reach out via phone, email, and live chat. Additionally, a Knowledge Base, Blog, and YouTube Channel provide valuable, free resources.As the tax season kicks into high gear, CEO and Co-founder Agie Sundaram expressed enthusiasm, stating, "Our team is gearing up for our busiest tax season yet. With the most powerful e-filing application on the market, unbeatable features, and top-notch customer support, TaxBandits is the perfect choice for businesses, CPAs, and service providers." Create a free TaxBandits account and start year-end filing atTaxBandits.com About TaxBandits:TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified, IRS-authorized e-file provider specializing inForm 1099-NEC ,Form W-2 ,Form 1095-C ,1095-B ,Form 940 ,Form 941 , andForm W-9 . Serving businesses, service providers, and tax professionals, TaxBandits offers a comprehensive solution for year-end filings. Software providers and other high-volume filers can take advantage ofTaxBandits API . The integration allows them to add value for their clients and expand monetization efforts. TaxBandits API enables seamless preparation and e-filing of 1099, W-2, 941, 940, and ACA 1095 forms. Software providers can also use the developer-friendly1099 APIto request W-9s andautomate 1099filings efficiently.About SPAN Enterprises:Headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, SPAN Enterprises has been developing industry-leading software tools for e-filing and business management for over a decade. The SPAN Enterprises portfolio includes Tax 990, ACAwise, ExpressExtension, 123PayStubs, and TruckLogics.For media inquiries, please contact:Stephanie GlanvilleContent Writer, SPAN Enterprises stephanie@ spanenterprises.com ###SOURCE: TaxBandits
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Multifamily property sells for $32M despite current economic challengesTULSA, OK / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 /Vesta Capital (Vesta), a fully-integrated real estate investment firm that specializes in the acquisition, renovation, and ongoing management of multifamily communities, today announced it has successfully completed the sale of Waterford, a 344-unity multifamily property located in Tulsa, Okla.Vesta Capital Color LogoThe Waterford property was initially acquired for $23,564,000 ($67,500 per unit) at the end of 2018. The divestment, now at $32,336,000 ($94,000 per unit), results in a total project return of 21.8% for investors and a project equity multiple of 1.92x. This transaction highlights Vesta's adept financial management and reinforces its position as a prominent player in the real estate investment sector."Over the past 5 years, we've achieved remarkable success at the Waterford community, delivering not only for our valued investors but also for the residents who call Waterford home. We take immense pride in what we've accomplished," said Marc Kulick, Founder and CEO of Vesta Capital."Now, as we navigate these uncertain economic times, I am equally proud and excited to secure a win for our investors and provide stellar returns. The sale of Waterford is not just a transaction; it's a testament to our commitment to excellence in the real estate industry." Vesta Capital's current portfolio consists of 10,000+ units across Class A, B, and C+ assets in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Extensive experience in property management allows Vesta to bring operational expertise to their portfolio assets. Vesta is committed to delivering strong returns to investors and providing residents with exceptional living experiences."We are excited for the year ahead," Kulick said. "Throughout 2024 we plan to bring increased liquidity to our investors through sales and refinances, offer several new stable cash-flowing investment opportunities, and continue to grow our property management team for the betterment of our valued residents and investment partners." About Vesta CapitalVesta Capital is a privately held real estate investment firm that focuses on the acquisition and management of multifamily properties in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas. Vesta purchases properties that pass strict underwriting standards and that are positioned to perform well in a variety of market conditions.Since its inception, Vesta has purchased over 9,600 units with a combined value of over $925 million in the Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Little Rock markets. Vesta Capital is constantly working toward identifying assets that will maximize returns for investors.Vesta was founded by Marc Kulick and an experienced team of real estate operators and owners. Unlike many firms that outsource the most critical part of the business, Vesta's deep experience in asset and property management allows them to run the day-to-day management of all their properties. This vertically integrated approach, along with a focus on sourcing off-market deals, gives Vesta a unique advantage in the markets where they operate. For more information, visit www.vestarealproperty.com ###Contact InformationElizabeth KingPrincipalek@ kingprmarketing.com 918-853-6771SOURCE: Vesta CapitalView the original press release on newswire.com
Veteran Nollywood actor Zack Orji has undergone a brain surgery.

The Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, disclosed this after she visited the ailing actor on 2 January at a private hospital in Wuse, Abuja.

Nneka Anibeze, a Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the minister, shared details of the visit on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

The minister expressed sympathy for the actor who underwent neurosurgery on 1 January, and his family, during the visitation.

Ms Musawa urged Nigerians to pray and unite to support the ailing actor, whom she described as a national asset.

She said, We have watched him entertain us, and we see him as a national treasure, so the best we can do is to ensure that we support him to have the best treatment.

This is not only about the Ministry which I am representing. You know that Zack Orji has been in the industry for decades. This man has given his time and effort to entertain Nigerians. He is one of the individuals who laid the foundation for Nollywood and the film industry in Nigeria.

Still, now he is sick and the least we can do as an administration is to give him all the necessary support through prayers and otherwise, to ensure that we save his life. This will also propel the administration to look at the welfare of artists and others in the industry who have not only given their time and energy but people like Zack Orji, who have become national treasures.

The actors wife, Ngozi Orji, appreciated Ms Musawa for her visit. She disclosed that the actor had been moved from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Hospital in Abuja to save his life.

She urged Nigerians to assist as they pray for the actors swift recovery.

Health is improving

Mr Orji was admitted to the ICU at the National Hospital in Abuja on New Years Eve after collapsing in a restroom at his home.

Meanwhile, on 2 January, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) announced that his health was improving.

Abubakar Yakubu, the National Secretary of the AGN, disclosed this information.

Mr Yakubu said the actor, who was initially unable to walk or talk upon admission, had begun speaking.

On 1 January, First Lady Remi Tinubu and the Vice Presidents wife, Nana Shettima, visited the actor at the hospital.

In 2022, during the lead-up to the February 2023 general elections, the actor made headlines when he declared support for President Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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The African Union (AU) is not living up to expectations  and member states are partly to blame, according to AU Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Mahamat. He says they are using their sovereignty to avoid relegating powers to the commission. As the sum of all individual African countries, the AUs strength depends on the power member states give it to implement their decisions.

The AUs weaknesses are evident in its failure to deal with recent crises, including conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan, northern Mozambiques insurgency and coups in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

How can the continental body become more relevant as Africa enters a new year? Can it help citizens experience more stability, or will 2024 be another year of conflict? And how can member states help bring peace to the continent?

This isnt the first time Mr Faki has chided member states for the AUCs failure. At the 2022 Conference on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Malabo, he blamed the continents deteriorating security on insufficient African solidarity and member states failure to honour their AU commitments.

For African countries, pan-Africanism or regional integration has often meant choosing between creating a powerful continental body or safeguarding sovereignty  with the latter usually winning.

As instability and underdevelopment persist, questions have arisen about whether the AU displays the systemic weaknesses of its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

One of the OAUs biggest problems was that the general secretariat, tasked with day-to-day activities, was reduced to clerical functions. It should have implemented the organisations decisions but lacked the required institutional powers and human, financial and material resources  essentially because member states refused to grant it autonomy to function.

A current example is countries procrastination on adopting recommendations dealing with autonomous funding sources, which would reduce the AUCs reliance on states contributions and donations from development partners.

The OAU general secretariat relied entirely on states (and external powers) for funding, recruitment and other basic functions. Many states didnt pay their annual contributions, rendering the organisation increasingly impotent. The secretariat could organise meetings and produce reports but struggled to implement major decisions on advancing continental integration.

The AU, launched in 2002, was meant to correct OAU weaknesses and achieve a more robust, proactive and efficient organisation with its secretariat, the AUC, as the fulcrum of continental integration. But problems that plagued the OAU secretariat seem to be resurfacing with the AU.

African heads of state have apparently abandoned the idea of a powerful AUC and adopted attitudes that precipitated the OAUs fall. Member states appoint the chairperson, deputy and commissioners, and influence directors appointments, leaving the AUC chairperson powerless and unable to hold incompetent senior managers accountable.

Recent reforms have tightened the AUC budget and collapsed or merged some departments  similar to the OAUs structure. For instance, the peace and security, and political affairs departments have merged, reverting to the OAU era. They were separated under the AU to intensify action on armed conflicts and emerging security challenges  regarded as the greatest threats to Africas development.

Merging the two may lead to some issues being overlooked. The current commissioner of the department has made election monitoring a prime focus. But as separate entities, political affairs could prioritise election monitoring while the peace and security department focused on conflict prevention, management, and resolution.

Keeping staff to a bare minimum has also weakened the AUC. The commission has 1,720 staff to service 55 countries. In comparison, the European Union Commission serves 27 countries with 32,000 permanent employees, excluding consultants and short-term staff. Some analysts argue that the quality of staff matters more than the quantity  but the AUC lacks both.

Sixty-one per cent of the AUCs staff are on short-term contracts because recruiting permanent staff hasnt been possible. The commission has just 1,000 permanent staff. This has led to low morale and a drastic decline in productivity. Member states complain that they cannot finance a huge AUC  even though they contribute less than 40 per cent of the AU budget, leaving development partners to cover the bulk of the costs.

Endless transformation and reform projects since 2003 have left the AUC more confused, less productive and fragile. The result is a commission reduced to a mere secretariat, similar to the OAU. Yet the AUC is expected to drive Africas ambitious Agenda 2063 goals and service 55 countries of about 1.4 billion people.

With no overarching continental mechanism to check and complement countries activities, states can act as they please, even when such actions threaten their sovereignty, other member states, or even the AU itself. This has weakened governments and fomented fragmentation. It has undercut state accountability and enabled coups and chronic and institutionalised corruption.

The phrase Plus ca change, plus cest la meme chose has characterised Africas efforts to forge continental integration over the past 60 years. Regionalism has been a delicate balance between states that put their sovereignty first versus those seeing integration as a way to safeguard and protect independence. As a result, continental decision-making has lacked consistency, vision and patronage  to the detriment of creating functional institutions. Regional economic communities and mechanisms exhibit similar weaknesses to the AUC.

No norms guide how African states should conduct their foreign policies or relations. For example, what principles are followed for hosting foreign military bases, especially where they threaten the sovereignty of other states?

A good first step would be to resolve AU funding issues and empower the AUC chairperson to be solely accountable for the commissions work. The AUC should also have autonomy to recruit operational staff and senior managers, except the chairperson and deputy.

In its current state, neither the AU nor its member states can achieve Agenda 2063. Unless these issues are urgently addressed, the AU  like the OAU  risks becoming irrelevant.

Martin Ewi, Southern Africa Regional Organised Crime Observatory Coordinator, ENACT, ISS Pretoria

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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At least 103 people have died from a twin explosion that hit Iran on Wednesday.

According to Iranian news reports, the explosions occurred where people gathered at a cemetery in Kerman, Iran, during a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General, Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone strike.

Quoting an official in Kerman, Iran state media said the blasts were caused by terrorist attacks.

Another 141 people remain critically injured. It is suspected that most people sustained injury from being trampled upon.

Tasnim news agency reported that the two bombs were placed in suitcases, which appear to have been detonated remotely, contradicting earlier reports, which suggested that it was suicide bombers who detonated the explosives.

There has been no official confirmation yet.

Gholam Mohseni-Ejei, Irans head of Judiciary, in a statement, said perpetrators will be punished.

The agents and perpetrators of this grievous crime will undoubtedly be punished, Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.

Responsible intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies are obligated to promptly pursue all the evidence and perpetrators and hand them over to the Judiciary, Mr Mohseni-Ejei said.

The government has declared Thursday a national day of mourning.

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Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has explained the reasons behind the sudden resignation of Edison Ehie as the factional speaker of the State Assembly.

Mr Ehie, who was the speaker of Mr Fubara-backed four-member assembly, in a letter dated 29 December 2023, announced his resignation as speaker and his membership of the assembly.

Speaking at a New Year banquet held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr Fubara said Mr Ehies resignation was a sacrifice for the restoration of peace in the crisis-turned-state, Punch newspaper reported.

The governor, however, stressed that all the actions his government has taken are not borne out of fear but in the interest of peace in the state.

Mr Ehies resignation is one of the steps towards the implementation of a peace deal, midwifed by President Bola Tinubu to end the power tussle between Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the FCT minister.

Mr Ehie, a lawyer and former leader of the state assembly, was removed for declining to endorse the impeachment plot against the governor by some lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike.

Following the crisis which split the assembly into two factions  Mr Ehie secured a court order which paved the way for him and three other lawmakers to take control of the assembly. He then went ahead to declare vacant the seats of 26 pro-Wike lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC.

President Tinubu, to end the Rivers crisis, mediated in a meeting last month where a peace deal was signed by the two principal actors, Messrs Fubara and Wike.

Part of the widely-criticised deal is for Mr Wike-backed lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant to return to the assembly with full restoration of their rights and privileges.

The Wike-backed lawmakers had fulfilled their terms in the deal by withdrawing their impeachment notice against Mr Fubara.

In his Christmas Day broadcast to the people of the state, Mr Fubara promised to implement the peace deal, saying it was not a death sentence

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The Nigerian Government on Wednesday pledged to make education more accessible to Nigerians.

The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, pledged this at the inauguration of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Surulere Campus, Ojuelegba, Lagos.

Mr Sununu said the facility, which was facilitated by the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, is aimed at enhancing access to education in line with President Bola Tinubus eight-point agenda.

He enjoined the university management and prospective students to utilise the facilities provided well.

He said: This centre has added to slots and access to education is going to be established, because you can operate from your neighbourhood, particularly for students who want to pursue their academic career.

As the Federal Ministry of Education, we want to assure all that we are in full compliance with President Tinubus eight-point agenda.

The minister said the government would ensure that its certificate is one to be proud of and reckoned with.

Reps Speaker speaks

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said the programmes offered by the university would equip youth and adult learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in todays competitive environment.

He said: The unique approach to education, focusing on flexibility and open access, is particularly significant in our rapidly changing world.

It caters not just to the traditional students but also to working professionals, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners who seek to enhance their knowledge and skills to meet the evolving demands of the global economy.

Mr Tajudeen said the newly constructed campus is a sign of hope and opportunity, noting that it promises to be a hub of learning and innovation, contributing significantly to the local economy, creating jobs, and fostering community development.

The campus will make higher education more accessible, especially for those who may have faced barriers to pursuing their academic aspirations, he added.

Why I facilitated new campus -Gbajabiamila

Mr Gbajabiamila, who is now the Chief of Staff to the President, said the essence of building the campus was to bring access to quality tertiary education to the doorsteps of people at the grassroots.

He said the idea is to make sure that distance and access to education no longer limit the ability of people to achieve their big dreams and ambitions.

He said: This campus is part of a sustained effort to guarantee education access at all levels and for all the people of Surulere and, indeed, people of Lagos State.

This state is the Centre of Excellence; we must try to be excellent in all things, but more importantly, we must ensure that the generations coming after us have the training and the capacity to sustain excellence and take it to greater heights than we can even imagine.

If we can ensure access to quality healthcare for our people and ensure that everybody who desires a good education gets it, this nation will be unbeatable in every sphere.

READ ALSO:Gbajabiamila denies plans to renovate official residence with N10bn

He said two objectives- ensuring access to world-class education and quality healthcare, are at the heart of the Renewed Hope agenda of President Tinubus administration.

Mr Gbajabiamila said the campus would offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fields accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

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Former President Goodluck Jonathan says he owes no apology to anybody for supporting the re-election of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa in the 11 November 2023 off-cycle governorship poll.

Mr Jonathan said his public support for the governor was in line with the aspirations of the majority of people of the state.

The former president made this known when he received a high-powered delegation led by the governor who visited him at his residence in Yenagoa.

The wife of the former president, Patience Jonathan, was also on hand to receive the governor and his entourage.

According to him, the governor deserved to be re-elected because of his developmental efforts, including ensuring peace and stability in the state.

I did what l did during the governorship election and l have no apologies to anybody because l know that the governor and his team were doing very well, especially in the area of peace and stability of the state.

At a time, l became very worried. I have not said others did not do well. After all, l was also governor for a little less than one and a half years and also had my challenges.

Since Diri came on board, the excesses of cult groups, particularly in Yenagoa, has reduced reasonably. If we must move forward, first and foremost, we must handle the issue of security in order to attract investors.

I saw that the governor and his team have a vision and he needed to be encouraged to do another four-year term, he said.

Mr Jonathan charged the governor to do more to meet the high expectations of the people, adding that to whom much is given, much is expected.

In his response, Mr Diri expressed appreciation to the former president for his support, which contributed to the success of the Peoples Democratic Party at the poll.

Your endorsement of a sitting governor was more than billions of naira. And so having secured that endorsement, we were very sure of victory. We are here to say a big thank you as that has brought stability in the state.

With the kind of peace and security we have in our state, Bayelsa is ready for private investors to come in, the governor added.

He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for ensuring a peaceful, free and credible election in the state.

The governor was accompanied by senators and House of Representatives members from the state, former lawmakers, traditional rulers, political appointees and public servants.

(NAN)

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The University of Ilorin (Unilorin) is set to partner with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) to deliver two Masters degree programmes on Peace and Security Studies.

The partnership, when finalised, would have the universitys Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) work closely with CJID to deliver the programmes in peace and digital studies, early warning and verification, and national security.

The partnership details formed the thrust of a recent meeting between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CJID, Dapo Olorunyomi, and the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Wahab Egbewole, a professor.

Other top officials of the university were also part of the meeting which was held at the vice-chancellors office on the institutions campus in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

Introduction

Speaking, the Director of CPSS, Ibrahim Jawando, a professor, said the centre noticed a gap and saw the need to bring in people with practical experiences in the peace and security sector.

Through the CJID, the centre is establishing relationships with relevant and vital security agencies and necessary stakeholders to work with them and we believe UNILORIN can house everything, he said.

He explained that the planned collaborative programme would be run through digital and physical means when it has finally been codified and approved for commencement by the university.

Gbemisola Animasawun, also a professor, and CPSS staffer, said the essence of the development is to enable frontline responders of conflict to tackle global threats by leveraging digital competence to change the narrative of shortage of skills.

If conflict entrepreneurs and terrorists are doing online radicalisation, we see the need to use the same tools of technology to pursue courses or initiatives that will enhance the security ecosystem, its a common concern by the school and the CJID, he said.

Were trying to build graduates who can think critically, creatively and also act in the same way so we are targeting major players in the media and security areas. This effort will mark a paradigm shift of competence and capacity to protect locals in our society.

Olorunyomi speaks

Speaking on the collaborative effort, Mr Olorunyomi, who doubles as the Publisher of Nigerias leading investigative newspaper- PREMIUM TIMES, said the development is important because information management in the conflict sector is central to conflict management.

He said he believed the development is a step towards creating an avenue for digital tools, conflict resolution, and effective communication to flourish vigorously.

He also stressed the importance of capacity building for practitioners in that sector.

He said: In the conflict sector, a central fulcrum is how communication is either managed or mismanaged and this has become a powerful weapon to understand the concept of conflict and how to use it as a tool to advance world peace.

To make progress as a nation in the area of peace and democracy, its quintessential to build necessary skills among practitioners and reformation of policies and communication can be refined to enable this.

On the global level, most tools are coming from journalists and you will think about fact-checking but how do we determine whats new? At the CJID, we have been working at the intersection of conflict, verification, and others for a while now. So, when the CPSS approached us for this, we believed that this is what the CJID has been doing for years with proven records of expertise.

VC lauds CJID

Also, the VC, Mr Egbewole, expressed optimism about the partnership just as he expressed confidence in CJIDs capacity to deliver on the partnership.

Ive been following your centre [the CJID] for a while and Im conversant with the good work youre doing. On this basis, I am confident that our relationship with the CJID will add greater value to the university, he said.

He added that Nigerias security architecture cannot function efficiently until knowledge, technology, and other processes by way of in-depth research, are deployed in tackling security challenges.

The security agencies might have invested deeply in training but the question is how much of this is of value and impactful in our society, so Im extremely thrilled that the CJID is looking at this, he said.

He added that the collaborative work would expand its reach beyond the citadel of learning, noting that the issue of security challenges like Boko Haram cuts across the West African countries.

The VC said the university would ensure that all institutional frameworks and documentation are fast-tracked to hasten the implementation of the partnership.

Some top officials of the university in attendance at the meeting include a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Suleiman Ambali, a professor; the universitys Bursar, Oba Abdulbaki; the university Librarian, Tunde Omopupa, and AbdulKareem Oloyede, among others.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Two explosions disrupted a procession commemorating the anniversary of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani's death in Kerman province, southeastern Iran,

Trend reports.

The explosions resulted in at least 103 fatalities and 211 injuries.

Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US Air Force airstrike in Iraq in 2020.

16:16 (GMT+4)

During today's procession in Kerman province, two consecutive explosions near General Qassim Soleimani's grave claimed the lives of at least 103 individuals and left 141 injured, Trend reports.

Iran's Kerman province labeled the explosions as a terrorist attack, revealing that two separate bombs were detonated along the route to the cemetery where the late General is buried.

General Qassim Soleimani was killed in Iraq in 2020 as a result of a US air strike.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has announced that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will soon be released from detention.

IPOB is a group seeking to carve out a sovereign state of Biafra from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

The IPOB leader, who is facing trial at the Federal High Court Abuja, has been in detention since June 2021 when he was repatriated from Kenya to Nigeria over terrorism allegations.

Mr Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency at the lower chamber, said talks were already ongoing to free Mr Kanu from detention, according to a statement by the lawmakers spokesperson, Levinus Nwabughiogu, on Tuesday.

The deputy speaker, according to the statement, spoke virtually when he was featured as a guest on the South-east political roundtable, a programme on FLO FM in Umuahia, Abia State capital on Tuesday.

We are working underground. Theres a detailed strategy. Its not by violence. You cant coerce the government through violence. It has never worked and wont work. Lets be wiser. The wisdom is in peace. Lets quench the violence, he said of the strategy to secure the IPOB leaders release.

End sit-at-home order in South-east

An initial sit-at-home order enforced by IPOB every Monday in the South-east to protest the detention of Mr Kanu was later suspended by the separatist group.

But gunmen, believed to be part of a faction of IPOB, have continued to enforce the illegal order in the region.

Mr Kalu, however, advised youths in the South-east to ensure that the observance of the sit-at-home in the region stops, stressing that the illegal action was scaring many investors who want to contribute to the development of the region.

Our strength does not lie in how many guns we carry, nor in how many people we threaten not to come out on Monday. That is not the display of the strength of an Igbo man.

I call on all of you who are in support of the sit-at-home on Monday, it is time to stop, he said.

The federal lawmaker also urged those carrying arms in the region to lay down their weapons and join in the no-kinetic approach being canvassed in the Peace In South-east Project, to end the security challenges and other agitations of the people.

The Peace In South-east Project is an initiative recently inaugurated by the deputy speaker in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, where he hails from.

Mr Kalu, during the radio programme, urged groups agitating for the release of the IPOB leader to support President Bola to solve the issue and not to attack the president.

If its chaotic, it wont work. Lets cool down, he began.

Let the man (Tinubu) see that youve recognised he didnt contribute to locking him up and that he has not done anything to the South-east. We should support him and his government and not attack him.

Im standing firmly against the voice of violence, preaching peace. That is what Im here for, this voice of peace will echo through the Villa and he will come out. Mr President was happy with what happened in Bende LGA. That the whole country can gather together and support this project, the lawmaker stated.

He contended that President Tinubu has shown interest in Igbo affairs, citing the appointment of chief of naval staff and minister of works  all from Igbo-speaking part of the South-east.

Background

Mr Kanu, the IPOB leader, was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 13 October 2022, held that the IPOB leader was extra-ordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a flagrant violation of the countrys extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.

The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the facility of the State Security Service.

But the government refused to release the IPOB leader insisting that he (Kanu) could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from.

The government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, later appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order staying the execution of the court judgment at the Supreme Court.

Delivering judgement on the appeal on 15 December 2023 the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered the continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) on Wednesday said it did not clash with petroleum marketers over the removal of petrol subsidies.

The NNPC Ltd said this in a statement by Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the company.

The NNPC Ltd made this known in reaction to a report that the company on Tuesday clashed with petroleum marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over the removal of subsidy on petrol.

The report noted that petrol will now cost N1,200 per litre due to the cessation of under-recovery of fuel costs.

PUNCH said oil marketers claimed that subsidy on petrol was increasing considering the crash of the naira against the United States dollar and the cost of crude oil.

The report quoted the National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ukadike Chinedu, as saying that subsidy on petrol was rising and that the cost of the commodity should be around N1,200/litre in a free market.

To be pragmatic in this analysis lets consider the cost of petrol today in the United States. For Premium petrol, it is $2.99, while super petrol sells for $3.15 or $3.10 depending on the part of the country where you are making the purchase.

Now, $3 in Nigeria is over N3,000, because a dollar in the parallel market is over N1,000. You can also see the cost of diesel, which is over N1,000/litre, and it is important to state that petrol is usually higher in price than diesel in a free market.

So if you consider the cost of diesel, dollar and other international factors, the price of petrol in Nigeria should be around N1,200/litre, but the government is subsidising it, which to an extent is understandable, Mr Chinedu was quoted by PUNCH report as saying.

But in his reaction, Mr Soneye said that the company has not clashed with any party.

READ ALSO: SERAP sues NNPC over Nigerias oil production figures

NNPC Ltd emphasizes it has not clashed with any party. The Punch headline is deemed unfortunate. The publication sought confirmation on alleged subsidy reduction, to which NNPC responded that subsidy has been entirely removed, Mr Soneye said in the message.

When PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Mr Chinedu, he did not reply to calls and a text message was sent to him as of press time Wednesday afternoon.

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Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma has been charged with treason.

According to a statement shared by the Sierra Leone Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, the former president is being charged for his alleged involvement in the failed coup attempt of November 2023.

Mr Koroma was charged with four offences, including treason and two counts of harbouring fugitives. It was not clear as of press time if he had been arrested.

He was invited for questioning in December following an attack on a military barracks, a prison and other targets in Sierra Leone. The attacks, which the government later called a failed coup, led to the release of over 2,200 prisoners and the death of over 20 people.

President Julius Bios administration claimed that the former presidents bodyguards were largely responsible for the attempted coup. Shortly afterwards, Mr Koroma issued a statement denouncing the attacks.

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Akwa Ibom-based Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company has shut down operations in the state, an official of the company told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

The company, owned by a Turkish national, Onur Kumral is one of the several industries attracted to the state by the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

The company manufacturing plant is in Mr Emmanuels country-home  Awa-Iman, in Onna Local Government Area of the state.

Confirming the development to PREMIUM TIMES in an interview, the Managing Director of the company, Akin Oyediran, said the shutdown was triggered by the harsh economic situation in the country.

I can confirm to you that weve temporarily shut down our operations. We intend to open it back stronger and better.

The economic issues have taken a toll on us as a company. We are working on different forms of financing and reorganisation. So, what we have decided to do is reorganise and then come back in the future, Mr Oyediran said.

Asked how long it would take the company to restore operations, Mr Oyediran said, Well, I dont like to predict time for anything. God makes things work. When the time comes you will hear from us that we are back again.

On the specific challenges that the company is facing Mr Oyediran said, Import duties are high on raw materials, dollars is high, cost of power is high. We are trying to do something to invest in different sources of power to make it better.

When asked if he had sought the intervention of the Akwa Ibom State Government before closing the company, Mr Oyediran said the company is not state-owned and that the state government does not owe them any intervention.

He, however, assured that the company will strategise and come back stronger and bigger.

The shutting down of the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company occurred about two years after the company owner, Mr Kumral said that the company would start exporting syringes to Germany in 2021.

He had said that the company was working on raising its production capacity from 400 million to 800 million and then one billion, a feat he said would be achieved by the end of 2022.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has said there is no imminent increase in the cost of petrol.

A statement by Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the company, also cautioned motorists against panic-buying.

The response came amidst a report that the company on Tuesday clashed with petroleum marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over the removal of subsidy on petrol.

The report noted that petrol will now cost N1,200 per litre due to the cessation of under-recovery of fuel costs.

PUNCH said oil marketers claimed that subsidy on petrol had increased, following the crash of the naira against the United States dollar.

The report quoted the National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ukadike Chinedu, as saying that subsidy on petrol was rising and that the cost of the commodity should be around N1,200/litre in a free market.

But in its reaction, earlier on Wednesday, NNPC Ltd said it did not clash with petroleum marketers over the removal of petrol subsidies.

Again in a statement Wednesday evening, the company urged Nigerians to disregard unfounded rumours and assured that there are no plans for an upward review of the petrol price.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) assures the public that there is no imminent increase in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.

NNPC Ltd urges Nigerians to disregard unfounded rumours and assures them that there are no plans for an upward review of the PMS price.

Motorists nationwide are advised against engaging in panic buying, as there is presently ample availability of PMS across the country, Mr Soneye said in the statement.

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Education should be a beacon of hope rather than a source of financial strain. The youths are not just our future, they are our present strength, and it is our collective interest and responsibility to empower them to shine. In the words of Nelson Mandela, education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Let us wield this weapon wisely and equitably for the betterment of our beloved nation.

Recently the Student Loan Bill was signed into law and to follow up on that a sum of fifty billion naira was allocated in the 2024 national budget for student loans. While the intentions behind the law seem noble, a surface examination reveals a programme that may not serve its purported purpose. A deeper look reveals it as an unfair, ineffective, and detrimental programme to the welfare of Nigerian students and citizens.

Conditions for Access

Three of the conditions for the access of the loan are so stringent that they might limit, rather than empower the prospective applicants. These are: One: A guarantor who is a level 12 civil servant or a reputable person. How many people have level 12 civil servants as their relations or would know a reputable individual who is willing to take on such a responsibility? Two: Students are to sign undertakings to repay the loan within specific time frames. Who is certain of tomorrow, also given the sudden manner in which government makes its policy and programme pronouncements? Three: Students are to abide by any condition which the student loan board will impose. This is shifting the rules of engagement, not to talk of the bureaucratic hurdles associated with every government intervention and Nigerias political landscape.

Challenges to be Faced by Students and Parents

Despite the large sum allocated, the difficulties to be faced in accessing the loan are palpable. Furthermore, the bills fine print indicates that the loan would accrue interest.

Missed Opportunities and Huge Questions

Fifty billion is a huge sum, but is it all for loans or a major part of it is for infrastructure related to the loan board? This raises questions about the governments priorities. If the aim is to assist students in pursuing higher education, why not allocate all the funds as scholarships or grants instead?

Unpatriotic Consequences

As currently structured, the loan raises concerns about its potential to foster an unpatriotic attitude among the youths. Government should invest in their education as a national priority, but sadly government risks creating a generation that perceives education as a transaction, rather than a shared investment in the nations future. The implementation of the student loan law is emblematic of a broader issue as it shows the lack of empathy on the part of government officials. These officials, during their student days, enjoyed the benefits of free scholarships, tuition, and various forms of welfare. The stark contrast between their experiences and the challenges posed by the student loan bill raises questions about the governments commitment to the welfare of its citizens.

The allocation of funds for the student loan stands in stark contrast to questionable expenditures elsewhere in the budget. The significant sums allocated for jeeps, official residences, and personal welfare underscore a misplaced prioritisation that does not align with the principles of governance.

Lets do a Comparison

Equity in Access

Student loans will create a financial barrier for economically disadvantaged students. The need to repay loans, often with interest, looks like perpetuating inequality.

Scholarships/grants directly address financial disparities by providing financial assistance without the burden of repayment. This ensures that all students, regardless of their economic background, have equal access to quality education. Shouldnt this be a more ideal palliative measure?

Efficient Resource Utilisation

A student loan system requires substantial administrative infrastructure, including the creation of mechanisms for loan disbursement, tracking, and collection. This administrative overhead will most certainly divert resources from the primary goal of supporting education.

Scholarships/grants are more streamlined in terms of administration. The funds go directly to the students, thereby reducing bureaucratic complexity and ensuring a more efficient allocation of resources toward educational pursuits.

Economic Empowerment and National Development

Student loans will delay the economic contributions of educated citizens to national development, as the concern will be more on how to repay or avoid repayment.

Scholarships/grants. Debt-free graduates are more likely to contribute to economic development through entrepreneurship, innovation, and timely investments in their communities.

The Way Out

Introduce merit-based scholarships to encourage academic excellence, as this will motivate students to strive for excellence and contribute positively to the nation.

Increase budgetary allocation to education, with part of it directed towards scholarships, grants, and the overall improvement of educational infrastructure.

Explore public-private partnerships with organisations to supplement government efforts by introducing innovative financing models, mentorship programmes, and internship opportunities, thus enhancing the overall educational experience.

In conclusion

Education should be a beacon of hope rather than a source of financial strain. The youths are not just our future, they are our present strength, and it is our collective interest and responsibility to empower them to shine. In the words of Nelson Mandela, education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Let us wield this weapon wisely and equitably for the betterment of our beloved nation.

Adamu Rabiu writes from Kaduna.

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Governor Dauda Lawal, on Wednesday, flagged off the Nigeria Coronavirus (COVID-19) Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) programme with the distributions of farm inputs and agricultural assets. The programme is being implemented under the auspices of Fadama III scheme.

The ceremony for the flag-off of the Fadama III project was held at the Zamfara State Ministry of Agriculture, targeting beneficiaries from 14 local government areas.

A statement by the governors spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, noted that over 700 power tillers and seeds for rice and maize will be distributed to 19,000 farmers.

According to him, Mr Lawals administration is determined to revamp the agricultural sector by providing adequate support to farmers.

In his speech at the kick-off event, Governor Lawal reiterated his administrations commitment to providing social interventions for less privileged and vulnerable individuals in Zamfara.

He said: Through the Fadama III programme, 100,000 farmers will be empowered with the necessary equipment and seeds over the next four years. Coming shortly after the signing of our 2024 Rescue budget, it testifies to our resolve to take the required steps towards realising our targets in the agricultural sector, which is the most vital sector of the economy of our dear state.

As you are aware, the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme is a multi-sectoral programme centred around three critical result areas and is designed to address specific challenges and harness opportunities on our path towards a robust post-pandemic recovery.

Under FADAMA III, the Result area focus is on increasing food security and ensuring the safe functioning of food supply chains for our vulnerable households.

Furthermore, Governor Lawal said the Zamfara State government will provide essential input support and services, construct and rehabilitate access roads, and allocate assets for production and mitigating food loss and waste.

In this third cycle, our key objective is to improve the productivity of 11,760 farmers directly by providing them with vital inputs such as fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides, improved seeds, and seed dressing chemicals. For the upcoming dry season, we have allocated 33,000 bags of fertiliser  comprising 22,000 bags of NPK and 11,000 bags of Urea.

Also, over 700 power tillers and seeds for rice and maize will be distributed to 19,000 farmers. Furthermore, 735 groups of ten farmers each will be empowered with Power tillers, and 2,550 individuals will receive small ruminant animals, he stated.

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Six people were killed while one person was wounded when terrorists attacked a Zamfara community Tuesday night, residents said.

The attack took place in Nahuce, Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The attack occurred a day after another gang of terrorists abducted an unknown number of motorists on the Gusau-Sokoto federal highway.

In the Nahuce attack, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that terrorists invaded the community some minutes to 11:00 p.m. and began shooting indiscriminately.

The attackers faced resistance from security agents in the town but six of our people lost their lives during the attack, Abdulhadi Rabiu, a resident of Nahuce told this newspaper on Wednesday. If not for the security agents and vigilante group members, the number of casualties would have been more than that.

The resident said the terrorists separated themselves into different areas of the town which made it difficult for security agents to arrest or kill any of them.

He, however, said the exchange of fire between them and security agents stopped them from killing or abducting more people.

Weve not heard of any case of abduction. Six people lost their lives while one person was injured. He is now at the hospital. The security agents did well because, in the end, the terrorists had to retreat, Mr Rabiu said.

Motorists abducted

On Monday evening around 7:40 p.m., terrorists blocked the Gusau-Sokoto highway and abducted several motorists going to Gusau.

The attack occurred around Kwanar Sado, a few kilometres from Talata Mafara town.

Rabiatu Shehu, who narrowly escaped the attack, told PREMIUM TIMES that passengers from three vehicles were abducted by the terrorists.

We were driving towards Gusau when suddenly a driver coming from Gusau waved and shouted at our driver to return. But we didnt understand what he meant so we continued moving until when another vehicle also from the Gusau side alerted us to stop.

We stopped there with other vehicles until a military vehicle came from Mafara and cleared the road but the passengers had already been taken. We waited for some minutes before continuing the journey. When we got to the spot, we saw three vehicles with all their doors opened, Ms Shehu said.

A vigilante from Talata Mafara who spoke on condition of anonymity said some motorists had been warned not to ply the road in the evening.

The terrorists were sighted around 04:00 p.m. returning from Sado where they attended the wedding ceremony of another terrorist but we didnt think theyd stay around the area to launch the attack. Perhaps, they hid behind the two quarry sites in the area and waited for evening, the vigilante said.

He said the road has now become one of the most dangerous to ply especially in the evening and early morning.

The vigilante said the terrorists have several camps close to the Bakalori dam in Talata Mafara.

The police spokesperson in the state, Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attacks.

The North-west region, especially Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and a part of Niger State, has witnessed a high rate of attacks by terrorists, locally called bandits, for about a decade.

The terrorists kill and abduct residents from communities, schools, places of worship and highways and demand huge ransom before releasing the abductees.

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Magnus Abe, former Senator representing Rivers South-east District, said that he is returning to his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to support President Bola Tinubus development agenda.

Mr Abe, who was the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers in the 2023 general elections, disclosed this on Wednesday during a meeting in Port Harcourt with some members of the SDP who are loyal to him.

He said that his returning to the APC would enable him to work together with other well-meaning Nigerians to support the administration of President Tinubu and to enable Rivers people be part of the development at the centre.

Mr Abe stated that the responsibility of engendering peace in the party is that of all members of the party regardless of their positions. He urged every member to work for the progress of the party at all times.

He said the Chairperson of the Caretaker Committee of the APC in Rivers, Tony Okocha, was a member of his team when he was in the APC, and that he was okay with the National Working Committees decision to have Mr Okocha as the chairperson of the party.

According to Mr Abe, he and others were not joining the party because of an individual, but they were coming back as the founding members of the party and grassroots supporters of President Tinubu.

We believe that it is proper that we are in the party supporting President Tinubus developmental agenda.

Everybody in the party should have learnt one thing or two as how we can make the party work, we are coming in with an open mind, ready to work with everybody within the party.

We believe that everybody with sincere interest in the progress of the party should be ready to join, Mr Abe said.

He stressed his readiness to work with others in the party as long as they were ready to work on common grounds and goals.

In his reaction, the chairperson of the Caretaker Committee of the APC in Rivers, Mr Okocha welcomed Mr Abe to the party, saying that what makes a party thick is not a single individual but a whole lot of people.

According to Mr Okocha, the beauty of politics is the more the merrier, noting that Mr Abe was counted as the founding member of the APC in Rivers.

I can say that without any fear or contradiction, but whatever that happened is not new, we are on known part against an intransigent government or leadership of the party, but I didnt think that the proper thing is to leave the party.

But he may have left to pursue his visions under SDP, if he is bidding for a retreat, we welcome him with our whole chest and we will work together with him.

I do not think that in this present day politics one head is bigger than 10, every individual from 18 years is eligible to vote, and I am not willing to sacrifice one person for 10, but if any person bidding to return genuinely not to destroy the party, we accept, Mr Okocha said.

(NAN)

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( Read 2401 Times)

Film producer Rajan Luthra's highly anticipated spiritual film, 'Mahayogi Highway to Oneness,' is set to release in Indian cinemas on March 8. The film will be presented in various languages, including English, Hindi, and regional languages. Produced under the banner of Trilok Films, the story of 'Mahayogi Highway to Oneness' revolves around an individual who believes in the goodness of all religions and all living beings, placing firm faith in 'One God.' Inspired by the divine call, he realizes that the current need of the world is unity, peace, and love.

The film narrates the profound transformation from the Kalyug (present era) to the Satyug (Golden Age), symbolizing a change towards truth and righteousness. The second part of the story promises insight into the blissful state of Satyug, where everyone will feel the presence of God within. Directed by Mahayogi, the film is poised to open the gateway to the spiritual revolution of Satyug. It incorporates facts related to harmony in families, friendship, truthfulness, unity for neighboring countries, harmony in politics, and the advent of the Golden Age, highlighting internal awakening and interfaith harmony.

Rajan Luthra, born in Delhi and residing in the United States, is known for his philanthropic nature and has been actively involved in social service. Despite being a successful entrepreneur, his true passion lies in the non-profit Help Foundation Group, where he serves as the founder and chairman since its registration in India in 2014. Filmmaker Rajan Luthra has crafted 'Mahayogi' in three parts, emphasizing the need to establish peace in the world after putting an end to war. The film emphasizes sharing love rather than engaging in conflict.

Today, the world needs to establish peace by putting an end to wars. God has sent us to share love, not to fight. Beyond religious boundaries, the concept of mutual unity should prevail. For the resolution of all problems, we all need to be united. This film will prove to be instrumental in bringing about a significant change in people's perspectives.

Source :
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. A recent phone conversation between Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has drawn attention due to its potential impact on bilateral relations, Trend reports.

The exchange took on a different tone, with Raisi cautioning Pashinyan against turning the Caucasus into a battleground for non-regional countries. He stressed the importance of regional nations independently addressing Caucasus-related issues, free from external interference.

Iran's president highlighted the significance of peace in the Caucasus, defining his country's foreign policy in the region. Moreover, he expressed support for initiatives promoting communication, infrastructure development, and respecting national interests, sovereignty, and territorial integrity as vital steps for peace and regional well-being.

Pashinyan, in response, framed the continued high-level contacts between Iran and Armenia as a mutual commitment to comprehensive bilateral development.

The dialogue hints at potential tensions between Iran and Armenia amid shifts in the geopolitical landscape of the South Caucasus, marked by increased Western influence in Armenia. Iran appears to expect its stance to be considered, urging Armenia to align more with regional partners, particularly Iran and Russia.

As Armenia faces challenges in its relationships with Turkiye and Azerbaijan, coupled with emerging issues with Russia, the country seeks Western support. However, it doesn't align with Iran's interests.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
( Read 3771 Times)

New Delhi: Vasudev Devnani, the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, is set to initiate a tradition of holding an all-party meeting before the commencement of the legislative session, similar to the practice in the Parliament. This meeting is proposed to be held on December 18, a day before the assembly session begins. Devnani, who recently undertook his first official visit to the national capital after assuming the role of the Assembly Speaker, stated in a special interaction that starting the tradition of an all-party meeting would greatly aid in the functioning of the house.

Devnani shared that while the tradition of an all-party meeting exists in the Parliament, this will be the first time it will be introduced in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. He highlighted that a significant number of new legislators have been elected in the 16th Legislative Assembly, and they will be provided with a one-day training on January 16 to familiarize them with the rules, legislative procedures, questioning protocols, and speaking during zero hour, among other parliamentary proceedings. Similar training sessions will be organized periodically.

He emphasized his commitment to ensuring the smooth and orderly functioning of the house, seeking cooperation from legislators of all parties. Devnani expressed confidence that the positive and unanimous election process for the Assembly Speaker position and the warm reception upon assuming the position indicate that all party leaders expect the assembly to be conducted with mutual cooperation.

Devnani also mentioned that he plans to consult with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and leaders of opposition parties to organize more such meetings and introduce innovations in the legislative assembly. He concluded by stating that he is keen on working towards the progress of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly with the support of both ruling and opposition parties.

On Tuesday, Vasudev Devnani, the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, during his visit to New Delhi, extended courtesy meetings with President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Union Minister for Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav.

Source :
( Read 3176 Times)

Udaipur - Doctors at Paras Health, Udaipur, successfully treated a rare brachial plexus schwannoma tumor in a 45-year-old patient named Seema (changed name). The patient had been experiencing a gradually increasing lump in her neck and persistent pain in her right hand. After consulting multiple doctors without finding a suitable treatment, she sought the advice of Dr. Ajit Singh, Senior Neurosurgeon at Paras Health, Udaipur. Following an MRI, it was revealed that the tumor was located between the nerves in the hand, known as brachial plexus nerve cell tumor.

Paras Health, Udaipur, led by Dr. Ajit Singh, performed a complex surgery to remove the tumor, providing a new lease of life to the woman. Dr. Ajit Singh explained that nerve cell tumors are mostly found inside the brain, with only five percent occurring in the neck. Timely treatment is crucial, as these tumors can cause unbearable pain and even lead to a stroke in the hand. Despite potential risks during surgery, the experienced team at Paras Health, Udaipur, successfully removed the tumor with the help of neuro-monitoring and a microscope.

Seema, the patient, expressed her gratitude to Paras Health, Udaipur, and Dr. Ajit Singh, stating that she had lost hope after visiting multiple hospitals. However, Paras Health, Udaipur, performed a miraculous treatment, and she is now completely healthy.

Source :
Anthropic launch partner sees 5x revenue growth with Fortune 500 customers including Pepsico and Yum! Brands

Investment will be used to accelerate US expansion, launch in Asia Pacific and hire more AI engineers

LONDON and NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As demand for generative AI in the legal sector explodes, Robin AI, the AI-powered legal copilot, today announces that it has raised $26 million in new funding. The Series B round is led by Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. Other investors include QuantumLight, Plural and AFG Partners.

Robin AI was founded in 2019 by Richard Robinson, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and James Clough, a machine learning research scientist at Imperial College. It leverages the power of generative AI to automate and speed up the process of drafting and negotiating contracts, as well as extracting information from across entire contract repositories through simple search. Its legal copilot, available as a Microsoft Word add-in, can cut the time it takes to review contracts by 85%, allowing businesses' legal teams to move faster, save money and ultimately invest their time more strategically.

Robin AI places quality and accuracy at the heart of its approach. Earlier this year, it became one of Anthropic's launch partners for the release of their Large Language Model (LLM), Claude - the only such partner applying this technology to legal work. Claude 2.1 allows much longer prompts than other LLMs (around 150,000 words in each prompt), a key benefit for analysing long and complex legal documents. Anthropic is also dedicated to building frontier AI models that are safe and reliable.

Robin AI operates a unique hybrid model that combines the Claude LLM with its own proprietary contract data (from over 2 million contracts) and machine learning techniques to read and understand contracts. An in-house team of legal professionals, or lawyers-in-the-loop, helps to further refine the model to ensure the highest levels of quality and accuracy. Unlike many other legal AI products that are in beta or hidden behind waiting lists, anyone can try out a free version of the copilot at www.robinai.com.

Robin AI has seen significant traction for its contract copilot with customers increasing by 4x in the past year and revenues by 5x. It has seen especially strong demand from the private equity sector where speed is critical to deal closures and where the tracking of obligations to investors can be complex. Robin AI customers include Pepsico, PwC, Yum! Brands, AlbaCore Capital Group, and BlueEarth Capital.

CEO and co-founder Richard Robinson, who has relocated to New York to support the US expansion, said: "We've seen incredible customer traction with what we believe is the smartest AI contract copilot on the market. But this is just the beginning. We are building the AI platform for the legal sector - a service that deeply understands every aspect of the legal function, from drafting contracts, researching case law to explaining legal concepts - our AI will help people tackle every legal task. This will help level the playing field between big and small law firms and help more people access legal services. This investment will help us to realise this vision."

Carina Namih, Partner at Plural, said, "Everyone is wondering how AI lands usefully. Robin is delivering AI products to an astonishing volume and range of customers  serious businesses across sectors that are using it today to transform how they work. And they've only scratched the surface. I have backed this team since inception and couldn't be more bullish about their ability to win the global legal market."

Ilya Kondrashov, CEO at QuantumLight, said, "Robin AI has built a great team and product and have developed an impressive record of acquiring major enterprise accounts in a short period of time. As an AI-driven VC firm, we immediately saw the potential of Robin AI's system to drive tremendous efficiency in the field of legal services. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to come along with Richard, James and the wider team at Robin AI on their exciting journey to realise the potential of AI and build one of the most significant companies in the AI applications space."

Ivan Ong, Partner at AFG Partners, said, "Robin AI is addressing a central issue in the legal industry, and in a short time has positioned itself as a market leader in a space that has significant growth potential. As a global fund backed by investors from financial services, we believe that there should be a better way to manage the growing number of legal contracts between stakeholders. Robin AI is highly applicable across our network of investors and ecosystem partners and we look forward to scaling the company deeper into Asia and globally. We are pleased to join Temasek and other seasoned investors as we support Robin AI on its growth journey."

The funding will allow Robin AI to capitalise on the strong momentum it is seeing in a very fast moving market. This includes expanding its team on the ground in the US where three quarters of its revenue is already derived from; as well as opening an office in Singapore to expand into Asia Pacific. The investment will also be used to expand its existing team of AI and machine learning experts.

Robin AI's contract copilot was recently launched as a Microsoft Word add-in making it even easier for lawyers to incorporate into their day-to-day work (the vast majority of lawyers use MS Word to draft, edit and review contracts). The copilot can be trained with a customer's negotiating playbook and will quickly review a contract, identify clauses and propose edits, which can easily be accepted or rejected - all while ensuring lawyers retain full control. The Robin copilot also allows customers to use natural language search to find information, such as obligations, across all of the contracts they have signed.

About Robin AI

Robin AI serves a diverse range of customers from large multinational corporations to SMEs and scale-ups. For example, our free self-serve software helps SMEs process contracts faster and at significantly lower cost - and bigger businesses can make use of more advanced AI features to edit and query high volume contracts efficiently, alongside specialist support from our 45 in-house legal professionals.

Founded in 2019 by Richard Robinson, a former lawyer at Clifford Chance, and James Clough, a former machine learning research scientist at KCL and Imperial College, Robin AI has a 100+ team of full-time employees, including legal professionals and software engineers. The Robin AI team is based in London and New York but operates globally. 75% of its revenue is derived from the US.

About Temasek

Temasek is a global investment company with a net portfolio value of S$382 billion (US$287b) as at 31 March 2023. Its Purpose "So Every Generation Prospers" guides it to make a difference for today's and future generations. As an active investor, forward looking institution and trusted steward, it is committed to deliver sustainable value over the long term. Temasek has overall corporate credit ratings of Aaa/AAA by rating agencies Moody's Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings respectively. Headquartered in Singapore, it has 13 offices in 9 countries around the world: Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Singapore in Asia; and London, Brussels, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Mexico City outside Asia.

About QuantumLight

QuantumLight is a global AI-driven venture capital and growth equity firm, founded by Nik Storonsky (CEO and founder of Revolut) and managed by Ilya Kondrashov (co-founder of Kriya Finance). QuantumLight relies on 'Aleph', its AI system, to identify and invest in the most promising growth companies, while helping them scale by drawing on Nik's experience in building Revolut into one of the World's most successful fintech companies.

About AFG Partners

AFG Partners is an Asian-based VC fund specialised in investing in global B2B fintech companies that want to grow in Asia and have an interest in partnering or commercializing with financial institutions, emerging challengers and corporates in Asia. With offices across Singapore and Hong Kong, the fund has invested in and has helped scale companies such as Aspire, Sprout, Brankas, Supercede, SESAMm, Necto (fka Finlync) and Tradystream.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2261385/Robin_AI_Logo.jpg
DENTON, Texas, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AcademicInfluence.com is pleased to announce their article, "The 15 Safest Colleges in America". This article features schools that are regionally accredited, deliver a high quality education, and have been known to produce influential alumni. While these schools feature top tier academic programs, they are also known for providing a safe environment to students and staff. All the schools listed in this ranking have provided their campus with many safety resources and a secure learning and work environment.

How Academic Influence Ranks Programs

Academic Influence

Using its proprietary InfluenceRanking Engineinnovative machine-learning technology that objectively measures a school's influence through its students, faculty, staff, and alumniAcademic Influence ranks academic persons, institutions, and disciplinary programs. The schools listed in this article are ranked according to unbiased criteria to create a more accurate and fair ranking. While safety cannot always be objective, Academic Influence ranks the schools using factors such as amount of on-campus safety resources, compliance with safety protocols, and past crime statistics to inform its choices.

Safety as an Important Factor in College Decisions

Academic Influence writes that many students take safety into account when making their college decision, and there are key factors to consider when looking into the safety of a school. All schools listed in this article are in compliance with the Clery Act, an act that strives to provide students and staff with transparent information about campus crime policy and statistics. Because no college is immune to crime, the safest college campuses also offer counseling services to victims of crimes so that students are able to receive the help they need.

The city that the college is located in also plays a key factor in the level of campus safety. For example, Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, noted as one of the safest small towns in the United States. This location helps Virginia Tech report a low number of crimes relative to the student population size. These are just a few of the factors that create a safe environment for students and staff. As students make their college decision, they should be aware of the protocols their options follow, the school's location, and reported crime statistics in recent years.

How Safe are College Campuses?

No campus is 100% crime-free. While institutions cannot guarantee that students will be completely safe, many campuses have a plethora of safety features. On the most secure college campuses, safety features such as security guards, blue light emergency phone stations, surveillance systems, and mental health offices are set in place. Many schools have safety features that are unique to their campus as well, such as a 24/7 hotline at the University of Rhode Island, self-defense classes at Tufts University, and safety escorts at Brigham Young University-Idaho.

For many campuses, alcohol and drug possession make up the majority of crime and safety-related incidents. Forcible sex offenses are also high on the list. Because of the nature of these crimes, many of the safest colleges are in partnership with local police departments to assist in safety measures.

Schools Ranked in Academic Influence's Article

All the schools Academic Influence lists in this ranking are known for their safety, but also their ability to deliver an education that will prepare students for their chosen career. There are many factors to consider when choosing a college or university, such as academic rigor, community life, and networking opportunities. The schools listed in this ranking are known for their academic excellence while understanding that safety can be just as important a factor for many students. The schools and their rankings are listed as follows:

Purdue University University of Idaho Brigham Young University - Idaho Bridgewater State University University of Massachusetts Utah State University Oakland University California State University Northern Kentucky University Princeton University Tufts University Boston College Virginia Tech University of Rhode Island University of New Hampshire

See the full ranking of safest colleges in America .

Media Contact:

Chloe Dembski

502-517-7040

370693@email4pr.com

SOURCE Academic Influence
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) within the Department of Commerce has recently awarded a multi-year contract to AleutianStar JV, LLC (AleutianStar). AleutianStar JV is a joint venture between two distinguished federal contractors, Aleut Information Technology, LLC (Aleut) and MetroStar Systems (MetroStar). Our team has been selected to support and evolve the BIS help desk, with the primary goal of improving customer experience.

We will provide a wide range of technical and end-user support services, including dedicated assistance for VIPs, extended support for export enforcement officers in the field, managing IT assets, video conferencing capabilities, application support, ticketing systems, and ongoing process improvements. The joint venture partners have a track record of exceptional performance on similar managed services projects.

"This contract award marks another milestone in AleutianStar's successful expansion into securing large IT services contracts with federal agencies," said Kim Stull, Aleut Technology Operations Director. The joint venture provides increased capacity to execute and improve major contract opportunities effectively and successfully. This achievement further solidifies AleutianStar's position in the industry and paves the way for continued growth and success.

"We are thrilled to support the BIS mission and to deliver exceptional help desk and IT support services to the Bureau's end users while introducing modern ITSM tools and best practices," Elizabeth Ahrens, MetroStar Vice President of Operations.

About Aleut

Aleut provides information technology (IT) services, leading the industry with innovative solutions for enterprise-level IT infrastructure and communications. A Small Business Administration certified 8(a) program participant and Small Disadvantaged Business, Aleut Information Technology, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aleut Federal, LLC , a holding company for federal subsidiaries of The Aleut Corporation (TAC). TAC was one of 12 original Alaska Native Corporations established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), passed by the U.S. Congress in 1971.

About MetroStar

MetroStar is an IT and digital services and solutions provider with a rich, two-decade legacy of building the brightest teams. As we navigate a new era of technology, our mission is to serve and transform how people, agencies, and tech enthusiasts connect in the digital age. Everything we touch begins and ends with peoplethe civil servants, service members, farmers, and immigrants (to name a few)and our tools empower faster solutions worldwide, supporting dozens of federal agencies, hundreds of thousands of users, and millions of Americans.

SOURCE Aleut Federal, LLC
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - On behalf of the owners and board of directors of Blackcomb Helicopters, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Salisbury as a Director of each of the Blackcomb Helicopters companies effective January 1, 2024. This is Blackcomb's first new director appointment since McLean Group ownership started and reflects both their high regard of Nick and what they see as an inflection point in the company's growth story, requiring outside perspective and experience.

Nick Salisbury - Director, Blackcomb Helicopters (CNW Group/Blackcomb Helicopters) 100% Carbon Offset since 2019 (CNW Group/Blackcomb Helicopters)

With more than 25 years experience in geotechnical drilling and more than 10 years experience in design and construction of specialty foundations, Nick is listed as a primary inventor on five U.S. patents and has two international patents pending. Nick founded Crux Subsurface, a geotechnical exploration and construction company in 1998 and in 2012 sold the business to Quanta Services Company a world-wide leader in Energy related construction. Nick continued as President of Crux, a Quanta Services Company, until 2020. Throughout his tenure at Crux and Quanta, a large percentage of their infrastructure design and construction projects have been completed using helicopter operations. Through much of his career Nick has overseen utility scale electrical transmission construction including, greenfield, congested corridor, and fire hardening projects. He has championed new processes and procedures for helicopter assisted foundation and overhead structure and conductor installation on some of North Americas largest and most critical projects. Through this experience, Nick has developed extensive relationships with helicopter operators in Canada and the USA.

More recently, Nick acquired and serves as Chief Executive Officer of EmpireAir, LLC which is a Spokane-based air charter operator which is pursuing full Part 135 operations with a fleet of turbo prop aircraft primarily serving the Pacific Northwest region.

Jason D.D. McLean

Chair, Blackcomb Helicopters

CEO, McLean Group

SOURCE Blackcomb Helicopters
NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Abell Eskew Landau LLP (AEL), a boutique law firm specializing in white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, commercial litigation, and healthcare regulatory counseling, proudly announces that former Southern District of New York (SDNY) federal prosecutor Jarrod L. Schaeffer and highly regarded commercial litigator Jeffrey L. Braun have joined the firm.

Jarrod L. Schaeffer Jeffrey L. Braun

Schaeffer joins AEL as a partner after serving for more than five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) for the SDNY. As an AUSA, Schaeffer investigated and prosecuted cases involving corruption, fraud, and international money laundering. Most recently, Schaeffer served as a senior member of the SDNY's Public Corruption Unit where he handled some of the office's most sophisticated and sensitive matters, including high-profile investigations and prosecutions of politicians, law enforcement officers, and attorneys. Schaeffer's hire follows AEL's addition of Heather Suchorsky, another former federal prosecutor, last year.

"We are excited to welcome Jarrod to the firm as a partner and senior member of the team," said David Eskew, one of AEL's three founding partners and himself a former AUSA. "Jarrod is a phenomenal criminal and civil litigator, and with his addition, AEL's ever-growing bench of talent now includes five former federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey, further building upon our already well-recognized capability to handle the most sophisticated and difficult white collar criminal cases in this region."

"I'm very excited to join Ken, David, Scott, and the growing team at AEL," said Schaeffer. "In just a few short years, the firm has developed an impressive track record and I look forward to assisting clients in criminal defense and government enforcement matters, as well as in complex commercial and civil litigation."

Braun, who joins AEL as Counsel, is a highly regarded litigator and counselor with broad experience handling commercial and business disputes. Before joining AEL, Braun spent most of his career as a litigation partner at two national law firms. His practice focuses on complex and often high-profile commercial, real estate, land use, and environmental matters for leading developers, corporations, and nonprofit institutions. Chambers & Co. describes him as "a great litigator with deep experience," and he was recently ranked number 13 on the New York City and State's Law Power 100 List honoring lawyers with the biggest impact on New York State.

"Several years ago I had the privilege of working with Jeff on a high-profile land-use case. His skill and expertise handling complex matters led to a resounding victory for our client," said AEL founding partner Scott R. Landau. "We are thrilled that Jeff is making the jump from 'big law' to our boutique law practice, where he will continue to serve clients in high-stakes commercial and real estate matters and will help further grow AEL's civil litigation practice."

"Joining a boutique law firm is an exciting change for me, and I'm thrilled to be here," said Braun. "I was so impressed with Scott when we worked together a few years ago. Ken and David are equally impressive, and AEL has built such a strong team that I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it."

AEL was founded in 2020, just weeks before the global pandemic, by three former federal prosecutors. The firm specializes in white collar criminal defense and government investigations, with a particular focus on federal parallel criminal and civil investigations and cases in the healthcare industry in New York and New Jersey. The firm also handles complex commercial litigation and healthcare regulatory counseling. Since its launch, AEL has achieved consistent growth and has expanded to a team of ten attorneys, including five former federal prosecutors, and focuses on providing practical, no-nonsense, client-centered representation and counsel.

For more information about AEL, please visit aellaw.com

Contact: David Eskew

(646) 970-7342

[email protected]

SOURCE Abell Eskew Landau LLP
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 4. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis carried out minor reshuffles in the government; the heads of the ministries of foreign affairs, national defence, economy and finance remained in place, Trend reports.

The main change concerns the department to which the police and intelligence services are subordinate - the Ministry of Citizen Protection. Its new head is Michalis Chrysochoidis, who is appointed to this post for the fifth time in his career. Chrysochoidis headed this ministry in 1999-2003, 2009-2010, 2012 and 2019-2021. Since June 2023, Chrysochoidis has served as Minister of Health in the Mitsotakis government.

According to Marinakis, who retained his post as government spokesman, Andreas Nikolakopoulos became deputy minister for the protection of citizens. The Ministry of Health was headed by Adonis Georgiadis, who was previously the Minister of Labor and Social Protection. In turn, the post of Minister of Labor and Social Protection passed to Domna Mikhailid. Ioanna Litrivi was appointed Deputy Minister of Education, Religion and Sports.

The new cabinet ministers will be sworn in on Thursday at the presidential palace in the presence of Greek head of state Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
BOSTON, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Burns & Levinson LLP has elected four attorneys  Kelly Kirby Ballentine, Michael DeIulis, Andrea Nelson, and Gregory Paonessa  to the firm's partnership effective January 1. Ballentine, DeIulis and Paonessa are members of the firm's Business Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group and Nelson is a member of the Divorce & Family Law Litigation Group.

"We are proud to elevate these four talented attorneys to partners at our firm and look forward to their continued leadership and contributions," said Paul Mastrocola, managing partner of Burns & Levinson. "This is a major achievement for every lawyer and we celebrate their many accomplishments that have brought them to this important milestone."

Kelly Ballentine focuses her practice on business litigation, employment-related counseling and disputes, and insurance coverage disputes across a wide range of industries. She serves on the firm's Women's Working Group, as a mentor in the Mentorship Program, and as a firm member of the Law Firm Alliance. Ballentine recently completed the WBA of Massachusetts 2023 Women's Leadership Initiative. She was named a Best Lawyers in America 2024 One to Watch in Litigation  Labor and Employment, a 2023 Up & Coming Lawyer by Mass Lawyers Weekly, to the Lawdragon 500  The Next Generation list, and is a seven-time Massachusetts Rising Star. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Boston University, while attending the School of Management Honors Program.

Michael DeIulis concentrates his practice on complex commercial disputes, involving business tort, contract, employment, and securities claims. He was singled out as a 2022 "Client Service All-Stars" by BTI Consulting Group and as one of 25 "Client Service Super All-Stars" who were recognized by more than one client. He was also named a Best Lawyers in America 2024 One to Watch in Alternative Dispute Resolution. He recently completed the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Boston's Future Leaders Program. He received his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.A. from Boston College.

Andrea Nelson is a zealous advocate and litigator who works with a wide range of clients involved in divorce and family law matters. She will continue to focus her practice on divorce, paternity, child custody, support, modification, and contempt matters, and helping clients navigate the complex and nuanced laws of the Probate and Family Court system. She was named a Best Lawyers in America One to Watch in Family Law in 2023 and 2024. She earned her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and her B.A. from Stonehill College.

Gregory Paonessa represents individuals, startups and large corporations in complex business disputes in state and federal courts. He is also skilled in various alternative dispute resolution processes. He regularly counsels clients in the automotive/franchise sector, real estate, construction, employment, and debt-finance disputes and has handled a range of commercial disputes involving claims based on tort and contractual issues. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the New England School of Law and his B.S. from the University of Vermont.

About Burns & Levinson LLP

At Burns & Levinson, we provide high-level, client-centric and results-oriented legal services to our regional, national and international clients. We are a full-service law firm with 125 lawyers in Boston, Providence and London. Our areas of expertise include: business/finance, business litigation, divorce/family law, venture capital/emerging companies, employment, estate planning, government investigations, intellectual property, M&A/private equity, probate/trust litigation, and real estate. We partner with our clients to solve their business and personal legal issues in a collaborative, creative and cost-effective way. For more information, visit Burns & Levinson at www.burnslev.com .

Contact:





















Amy Blumenthal or

Blumenthal & Associates

(617) 879-1511

[email protected]



















Kristen Weller

Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer

(617) 345-3555

[email protected]

SOURCE Burns & Levinson LLP
Patrick Johnson to Serve as Executive Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer

TUSTIN, Calif., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BioPhotas, Inc., the market leader in therapeutic LED Light Therapy devices announced today that its Board of Directors has named Curtis A. Cluff as the Company's CEO. Cluff joined the Company in October 2022 as the President & Chief Financial Officer and brings a 25-year record of building successful biotech and aesthetic medical companies, creating industry leading brands and accelerating global growth. Curtis has previously served in C-level operational, finance and executive roles, including six years as CFO, Interim President and EVP of Operations for Obagi Medical Products, and then later for seven years as CEO of Envy Medical.

Curtis Cluff Patrick Johnson

In this expanded role, Curtis will work closely with founding CEO, Patrick Johnson, who will continue as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, while also serving as the Chief Innovation Officer. "I have been working closely with Curtis for more than a year and I am confident he is the right person to maintain the company's accelerated growth trajectory as the CEO," said Patrick. "The coming year will be an exciting time and I look forward to continuing the collaborative partnership that Curtis and I have developed, while placing greater focus on the product innovations and new indications-for-use. These changes represent the Founder's succession goals to form a strong management team for this next evolution of the Company's growth.

Commenting on the promotion, Curtis said, "It has been a privilege to work with Patrick and I am honored to take on the CEO mantle with the support of such an amazingly talented leader. Celluma is and will continue to be the Light Therapy of choice for professionals and consumers who value FDA-cleared and science-backed treatments for fine-lines and wrinkles, acne, and hair restoration, as well as muscle/joint pain."

With the promotion of Cluff, BioPhotas also announces two additional key management promotions.

Denise Ryan has been promoted to the position of Chief Clinical Affairs Officer. Over her 12-year history with the Company, Denise has served in multiple roles, most recently as Vice President of Brand Management. During this time, Denise has developed a strong network and clinical expertise with respect to the field of light therapy. Her responsibilities will include the oversight of clinical research, Professional and Clinical network development, and the further development of BioPhotas' thought leadership programs.

Wayne (Tony) May has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Tony's responsibilities will include all finance, accounting and information technology activities. Having joined BioPhotas in December 2022, Tony has been serving as the Company's Corporate Controller. He brings extensive financial and accounting expertise, with over seven years of senior management roles in Finance and IT. Prior to joining BioPhotas, those roles include Controller positions for Southern California Technical Arts, and AllFast Systems. Tony maintains his CPA credential and has both a Master of Science in Information Management and a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Arizona State University.

"This is an exciting time in the Company's development, and we have an exceptional team in place," said Patrick. "These promotions reflect the talent and accomplishments of these individuals and will facilitate greater management focus on the company's strategic growth, technology development and partnering initiatives."

Visit www.celluma.com to see the complete line of Celluma devices.

About Biophotas, Inc.

In providing unique devices founded on NASA-developed technology and backed by clinical studies, BioPhotas, manufacturer of the Celluma SERIES of award-winning light therapy devices, is bringing to market safe, effective, and affordable devices that unlock the clinical power of low-level light therapy. BioPhotas develops and markets devices for healthcare providers and consumers that conveniently treat a variety of skin, muscle, and joint conditions. For more information about Celluma, visit www.celluma.com.

Media Contact:

Curtis Cluff, CEO

(714) 978-0080

[email protected]

SOURCE BioPhotas, Inc.
This acquisition adds to Deltek's capabilities for government contracting firms, by providing a best-of-breed pricing solution that helps customers improve market capture and efficiency as they grow their business

HERNDON, Va., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Deltek, a leading global provider of software and solutions for project-based businesses, announced today that it has acquired ProPricer  a leading proposal pricing solution for government contractors and government agencies. With the acquisition, Deltek continues to expand its product portfolio and customer base for the government contracting industry. ProPricer enables proposal and acquisition teams to more quickly and accurately process cost and pricing data for government contract proposals. Together, Deltek and ProPricer will provide unmatched solutions and services to government contractors.

Deltek Acquires ProPricer, Expanding Its Product Portfolio to Offer Unmatched Solutions and Services to Government Contractors

Headquartered in Temecula, California, ProPricer serves organizations including many of the top U.S. defense contractors, as well as firms that are also currently using Deltek products and services. Founded in 1984, ProPricer software maximizes the efficiency and accuracy of the development, submission, evaluation, negotiation, and auditing of proposal pricing. From storing historical proposal data to effortlessly generating a broad range of reports, ProPricer empowers government contractors to build custom proposals, perform what-if analyses, and integrate all proposal data quickly and easilywithin one platform.

In June 2022, ProPricer announced it joined the Deltek Marketplace to provide Costpoint and Cobra customers with direct access to the ProPricer pricing platform. Since then, ProPricer has added a Costpoint integration for a seamless experience for Deltek customers. Together, the two companies will continue to help government contractors increase the speed and accuracy of the estimating cycle, improve bid quality and accuracy and proposal consistency to drive growth.

"This acquisition is the next evolution of ProPricer's partnership with Deltek and will accelerate our momentum as well as create a more effortless way for customers to get access to not only ProPricer, but also the combined benefits of our collective solutions. Joining forces with Deltek is a strategic milestone, and we look forward to maximizing value for customers, employees and partners," said Joe Shurance, CEO and Founder of ProPricer.

"Deltek has long been considered the gold standard in government contracting  and we are continually looking at ways to add more value for our customers. With Deltek's industry-standard offerings for project-based businesses and ProPricer's pricing solution and expertise, we are adding even more capabilities to the most comprehensive solution available for government contractors," said Mike Corkery, President & CEO at Deltek. "We are thrilled to welcome the ProPricer team to Deltek and are committed to continuing the partnerships ProPricer has cultivated the last 40 years. We are extremely excited for the new opportunities this acquisition brings to Deltek Project Nation, including those with ProPricer customers, partners and other ERP providers."

Deltek and ProPricer are working together closely to transition employees, customers, vendors and partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Deltek

Better software means better projects. Deltek is a leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for project-based businesses. More than 30,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek for superior levels of project intelligence, management, and collaboration. Our industry-focused expertise powers project success by helping firms achieve performance that maximizes productivity and revenue. www.deltek.com

About ProPricer

ProPricer is a pinnacle provider of software solutions for government contractors, excelling in cost proposal management and pricing analysis. With an unyielding commitment to excellence and forward-thinking innovation, ProPricer equips government contractors to optimize pricing processes, elevate compliance, and amplify profitability. For over three decades, ProPricer has been a trusted partner of government contractors, delivering cutting-edge solutions that drive success. www.ProPricer.com

Deltek Media Contact:

Deltek Media Relations Team

press@deltek.com

SOURCE Deltek
The brand-new Dry Creek Ranch Arena & Stables, built by Boise Hunter Homes, is one of the best master-planned community amenities in America.

BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dry Creek Ranch Arena & Stables, built by Boise Hunter Homes, has been named a Top 5 finalist at The Nationals 2024 presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The Nationals honors the best in the home building industry, and it is the largest and most prestigious awards show in America.

Dry Creek Ranch, a master-planned community located in the Boise, ID area, has just been nominated for Best Community Amenity in the US.

The Dry Creek Ranch Arena & Stables is a best-in-class, fully managed facility that includes a professional riding arena, practice corral, ten 24x48' partially covered stalls, and it is exclusively available to residents of Dry Creek Ranch. Residents have the opportunity to board their horses at the stables or homeowners with larger acreage (1/2-acre homesites and above) can stable their own horses, if desired. A maintained bridle path currently runs for a few miles throughout the community, and connects to natural foothill trails and Idaho adventure. Not to mention, during Spring and Summer months, residents can enjoy private riding lessons offered by the on-site Equestrian Manager and attend or participate in small events, like the Kids Day and team roping jackpots.

When prospective buyers think about moving to Boise, they have a few very common desires. They are seeking freedom, active lifestyles, and a more balanced life. The Dry Creek Ranch Arena & Stables checks all of those boxes. It very acutely symbolizes and offers freedom to roam, a new and yet traditional way to be active, and a balance to enjoy nature and animals. This is a one-of-a-kind amenity in the Treasure Valley of Idaho, and Boise Hunter Homes is truly honored to be a part of such a distinguished group of award-winning recipients at this year's competition.

Learn more about Dry Creek Ranch and the award-winning Arena & Stables by visiting www.boisehunterhomes.com.

About Boise Hunter Homes

Boise Hunter Homes (BHH) is a luxury homebuilder and developer in the Boise Metro (Treasure Valley) area of Idaho. Family-owned and operated since 2007, BHH has grown to become the largest move-up builder ($800K+) in Idaho. Boise Hunter Homes has distinguished itself with award-winning homes designed by renowned architects, highly desirable amenities, and the best community locations in the Treasure Valley. From the amenity-filled master-planned community of Dry Creek Ranch, to ultra-luxury view homes in Harris North and Harris East, to riverfront living in River Park Estates, BHH offers unprecedented living experiences for Idahoans seeking freedom, adventure, and new memories.

Steven Siwek | Director of Marketing & PR

Boise Hunter Homes

208.577.5508

[email protected]

SOURCE Boise Hunter Homes
DUBLIN, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "European Residential Solar Market (by Accumulated Installation, Accumulated Capacity, & Region): Insights and Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2022-2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The European residential solar market, in terms of accumulated capacity is anticipated to reach 49.73 GW in 2023, progressing at a CAGR of 9.60%, during the forecasted period.

The use of nonrenewable fuels and other sorts of energy resources endangers the environment, making solar power more crucial than ever. Solar energy consumption has expanded considerably in recent years in both industrialized and developing nations. Solar energy is presently one of the most economical and readily available renewable energy sources for European households. Based on current market trends, it may be able to meet up to 20% of the EU's power demands by 2040. The growth of residential solar energy installations is a critical step towards clean energy and climate neutrality.

In terms of accumulated installation, the European residential solar market can be bifurcated into five major regions: Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Rest of Europe. Germany is the largest solar market in Europe as well as the largest solar PV operator, owing to the German government's implementation of a subsidy for residential installations of solar PV panels with battery storage in 2016.

On the basis of accumulated capacity, the European residential solar market can be split into nine primary regions: Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Belgium, the UK, Sweden, Spain, and the Rest of Europe. Due to the removal of the Sun tax on self-consumption in 2020, automated excess recompense, as well as collective and through-the-network facilities, the Spanish residential solar market is believed to be the fastest growing market. Since then, the market for final consumers has steadily gained traction.

Driver: Decline in the Cost Of Solar Power

Solar energy production is divided by lifetime costs to calculate the levelized costs of energy (LCOE). To compare the financial viability of each photovoltaic tracking technology, the Levelized Costs of Energy (LCOE) calculation is used. In Europe, the solar PV levelized cost of electricity is declining.

Costs have decreased dramatically over the past decade, though they are gradually levelling off, mostly due to improvements in photovoltaic (PV) module efficiency. Solar power generation costs have decreased as a result of scaling economies, continuously improved technologies, and competitive supply chains. Solar energy is becoming economically viable at lower scales and at more sites as a result of a significant decrease in cost. The residential solar industry in Europe is therefore driven by people spending more on solar power system installation as the cost of solar energy decreases.

Challenge: Value-chain Disruption

The supply chain for the European residential solar market has recently become more clogged, with inconsistencies in hardware delivery. With few pan-European challenges, this has mostly been witnessed locally.

The inverters are the main source of the hardware supply problems. In recent years, there has also been a dearth of workforce in many countries, linked to mismatches between supply and demand: inactivity, a re-evaluation of work, cross-border mobility of workers and the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and longer lead times to increase supply to keep up with the rapidly increasing demand.

As a result, it apparently takes longer for customers to get residential solar power systems installed once they order them. Therefore, prolonged value chain disruption has been a challenge to the residential solar market in Europe.

Trend: Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, particularly computer systems. A new artificial intelligence tool that analyzes how much power a rooftop system would produce and when customers would see a return on their investment is intended to replace the requirement for human experts to visit houses and provide quotations.

Based on satellite images of the roof and the household's energy usage patterns, the new solar assessment tool uses machine learning to determine the best solar product for a particular home. The solar evaluation tool enables consumers to rapidly determine if solar makes economic sense for them online in light of anticipated increases in retail electricity costs.

Hence, the use artificial intelligence would help the overall growth of residential solar market as it would attract more potential customers.

The COVID-19 Analysis

The COVID-19 brought in many changes in the world, problems with cash flow, recovering payments from distributors, working capital needs, labor shortages, and mostly supply chain interruptions, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the downfall in demand for residential solar products and services, which eventually had a negative impact on its market growth in initial phase, however the demand for solar systems increased as most of the European countries focused on renewable energy sector for recovery from COVID impact on economy.

Despite challenging market conditions on a number of fronts, including the ongoing detrimental effects of COVID-19 on residential solar PV product supply constraints and ensuing solar module price increases, residential solar power in Europe once again shown a stellar performance in 2021 and is expected to perform even better in the post COVID era.

Competitive Landscape

The European residential solar market is highly competitive. In a highly competitive market environment, providers must offer affordable and effective products to thrive.

Market Dynamics

Growth Driver

Decline in the Cost of Solar Power

Surging Demand for Electrification in Society

Higher and More Volatile Electricity Prices

Increased Support from Government

Challenges

Value-chain Disruption

Market Trends

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Short Payback Time for Residential Solar in Europe

European Solar Rooftops Initiative

National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)

Company Profiles

AutoBinck Group (Zelfstroom)

Columbus Energy SA

DZ-4 GmbH

Engie SA (Sungevity Europe)

Enpal GmbH

Hanwha Group (Hanwha Qcells)

Koolen Industries (BonGo Solar)

Luxor Solar GmbH

Otovo ASA

SolarNRG

Svea Solar

Victron Energy

Zolar Gmbh

Zonneplan

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d8k4xa

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EXTON, Pa., Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Frontage Laboratories, Inc. today announced that, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Frontage Europe S.r.l., it has completed the acquisition of the Bioanalytical and Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics businesses of Accelera S.r.l (Accelera).

Accelera is a premier Contract Research Organization located in Nerviano, within the Lombardy region of Italy, part of the well-established NMS Group S.p.A. which has positioned itself as a global niche player in delivering discovery & preclinical studies and clinical bioanalysis to pharma and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and other healthcare stakeholders.

"Today marks a very significant achievement in the 23-year history of Frontage Laboratories, as we establish a base of operations in continental Europe. Accelera has developed a tremendous reputation for high quality R&D services and we look forward to welcoming their Bioanalytical and Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics teams to the Frontage family," said Dr. Abdul Mutlib, CEO of Frontage. "We envision this strategic acquisition as a first step in establishing Frontage's footprint in Europe, with the intent of adding other service areas in the continent. We believe both existing Frontage and Accelera clients stand to benefit greatly by leveraging Frontage's increasingly global platform. In addition, we are looking forward to partnering with the remaining Accelera business on exciting opportunities to service clients across our organizations."

According to Dr. Song Li, Founder and Chairman of Frontage: "It has been a long-standing goal of Frontage to expand our operations in Europe. We consider ourselves fortunate to capitalize on our outstanding relationship with the Accelera team, which has enabled us to bring our plans to fruition. We are very enthusiastic about working together as we further develop the Frontage platform in Europe, starting from a footprint in the Biopark in Nerviano Lombardy, where Accelera and Nerviano Medical Sciences Srl have already established a long-standing and efficient value chain. As always, our ongoing focus will remain on delivering the highest levels of quality, technology and expertise to our clients."

"We are thrilled to join forces with Frontage as part of this strategic acquisition that marks a significant milestone in Accelera's journey," said Luca Leone, CEO of Accelera. "Accelera has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality R&D services through all phases of drug research and development with extensive experience in oncology. This unique occasion opens up new horizons for collaboration and growth. On one hand, we will further focus on offering top-notch In-vivo (end-to-end services) for multiple emerging modalities. At the same time, we look forward to exploring exciting opportunities to serve our clients across continents through our ongoing collaboration. This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing research and providing innovative solutions in the European market and beyond," said Luca Leone, CEO of Accelera S.r.l.

"Having Frontage as part of the growing partners operating from our Biopark is a landmark moment for us. In addition to the endless potential of the Accelera-Frontage collaboration, Nerviano Medical Sciences can leverage Frontage's world-class capabilities to drive breakthrough advancements in our drug discovery and development process. By uniting our strengths, we believe we can accelerate the pace of innovation and make a lasting difference in the field where all companies of this strong alliance operate and thrive here in Nerviano," said Hugues Dolgos, CEO of NMS Group S.p.A and Nerviano Medical Sciences Srl.

About Frontage (www.frontagelab.com)

Frontage Holdings Corp (1521.HK), together with its wholly owned subsidiary Frontage Laboratories, Inc., is a global Contract Research Organization (CRO) which provides integrated, science-driven, product development services from drug discovery to late phase clinical process to enable biopharmaceutical companies to achieve their development goals. Comprehensive services include drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, analytical testing and formulation development, preclinical and clinical trial material manufacturing, bioanalysis, preclinical safety and toxicology assessment and early phase clinical studies. Frontage has enabled many biotechnology companies and leading pharmaceutical companies of varying sizes to advance a myriad of new molecules through development and to successfully file global regulatory submissions. For more details visit: www.frontagelab.com

About NMS Group (https://www.nmsgroup.it/

NMS Group is the largest oncological R&D company in Italy with more than 400 employees, of whom more than half are highly educated individuals dedicated to innovative research, development and manufacturing. The NMS kinase inhibitor discovery platform as well as the antibody-conjugating payload platform are the driving forces of the group's innovation, securing global recognition of NMS in personalized therapy. Recently entrectinib, originally discovered by NMS, which is a targeted kinase inhibitor used to treat NTRK1/2/3 and ROS1 dependent solid tumors that was licensed to Ignyta, now a member of the Roche Group, gained approvals for commercialization in all major markets. This is further evidence of the competitiveness of the drug discovery platform of NMS Group. NMS Group has three subsidiaries. NMS S.r.l. is a FIC / BIC focused drug research and development company with a robust pipeline of more than a dozen anti-cancer projects, and three of the projects are currently in early clinical development.

The other two subsidiaries are Accelera, which is a preclinical CRO company, and NerPharMa which manufactures API and drug product supporting clinical developments and commercialization.

About Accelera (https://www.accelera.org/ )

Accelera is a premium tier Contract Research Organization (CRO), developing and offering new technologies and integrated programs to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies around the world to move forward their innovative drug candidates up to registration

Major services available at Accelera include:

IND/CTA enabling packages, including GLP general toxicology, safety pharmacology and genotoxicity;

Toxicology studies in rodent and non-rodent species

Preclinical development consultancy and preparation of regulatory documentation.

Accelera facilities are fully GLP and AAALAC accredited. Additional info available at: https://www.accelera.org.

Media Contact:

Debra Santolini, (908) 872-8092, [email protected]

SOURCE Frontage Laboratories, Inc.
UPSHUR COUNTY, Texas, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grossman Law Offices, with its principal office in Dallas, Texas, is reporting on a tragic truck accident that occurred in Upshur County, Texas. This incident, which took place on December 8, 2023, just before 6:00 PM along U.S. Highway 271, resulted in one fatality and two injuries.

Details of the Upshur County Truck Accident:

According to Grossman Law Offices' report, an 18-wheeler was traveling northbound on U.S. 271 in the inside lane as it approached the Bear Road intersection. Concurrently, a Jeep Grand Cherokee was stopped in the same lane, waiting to make a left turn onto Bear Road. The 18-wheeler, attempting to avoid a rear-end collision with the Jeep, swerved left into the southbound lanes, colliding with an oncoming Ford F-250. Despite the evasive maneuver, the trailer of the 18-wheeler still struck the Jeep. A southbound Ford Fusion was also involved in the accident.

The 48-year-old driver of the Ford F-250 sustained fatal injuries. Two occupants of the Jeep, a 29-year-old woman and a 3-year-old girl, suffered minor injuries and were transported to local medical facilities for treatment. The incident is under investigation, and charges of criminal negligent homicide are being recommended against the driver of the 18-wheeler.

Related Reading: What Are My Rights if I'm Injured in an 18-Wheeler Accident?

Grossman Law Offices' Commitment to Public Safety:

Grossman Law Offices is dedicated to informing the public about serious road accidents and advocating for road safety. By providing detailed reports on such incidents, the firm aims to highlight the critical need for vigilance and responsible driving, especially in situations involving large vehicles like 18-wheelers.

For More Information:

For additional details about this accident or to learn more about Grossman Law Offices' commitment to those affected by personal injury, please visit Grossman Law Offices or call us at 866-513-3847.

SOURCE Grossman Law Office, P.C.
RICHARDSON, Texas, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stepping into their new respective roles for 2024, Jessica Baker Daily takes the helm as Halff's president and chief executive officer, accompanied by Ben Pylant assuming the role as chief people officer for the firm.

Stepping into their new respective roles for 2024, Jessica Baker Daily takes the helm as Halffs president and chief executive officer, accompanied by Ben Pylant assuming the role as chief people officer for the firm.

Baker Daily starts her historic appointment as the firm's first female president and CEO, placing Halff among a select few of Engineering News-Record's Top 100 design firms with a woman solely in the top leadership position. She is the sixth leader for Halff, joining Albert Halff (1969-1981), Joe Novoa (1981-1996), Martin Molloy (1996-2013), Pat Kunz (2013-2019) and Mark Edwards (2020-2023).

Baker Daily earned her bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and has been at Halff exclusively since joining the firm as an intern in 2003. She served as the chief marketing officer beginning in 2021 before assuming the chief people officer position in early 2023. Baker Daily has also served on Halff's Board of Directors.

Her illustrious career highlights include serving as Halff's liaison on a joint venture contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worth nearly $600 million and leading a team of more than 100 professionals in delivering flood risk identification and disaster response services for FEMA's Region 6. She was named to ENR's national Top 20 Under 40 list in 2018 and received the Outstanding Young Alumna Award at The University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering in 2014.

Additionally, Baker Daily actively contributes to her community by serving on The University of Texas Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering department's External Advisory Committee (EAC), by holding a director position on the board of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Dallas chapter, and by graduating from the Dallas Regional Chamber's Leadership Dallas program.

Pylant takes on the CPO role after serving as senior vice president and Water Resources practice leader. Pylant, who also served on the firm's Board of Directors, has been with Halff his entire career, growing from civil engineer to team leader, director of Water Resources and practice leader. He has focused on the strategic growth of Halff and serving clients with innovative flood mitigation solutions. Additionally, Pylant led Halff's recruiting and retention task force to improve the firm's recruiting efforts during a historically challenging talent market. He serves as the executive sponsor for Halff's nine employee resource groups (ERGs). Pylant is leading Halff's employee engagement initiative to foster and advance Halff's people-focused culture.

Halff's Leadership Team consists of Jessica Baker Daily as president and chief executive officer, Todd Jackson as chief operating officer, Joseph Sagel as chief financial officer, Steven Miller as chief strategy officer and Ben Pylant as chief people officer.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned, diverse and multidiscipline professional engineering firm that improves lives and communities by turning ideas into reality. For nearly 75 years, Halff has provided smart solutions for clients throughout the United States. The people-first firm is committed to continuously investing in its employees and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Halff has 32 offices in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The firm was recognized as the 2023 Texas & Louisiana Design Firm of the Year by the Engineering News-Record. Halff is ranked No. 85 in the latest Top 500 Design Firms rankings by ENR. Halff is the No. 15 Top Workplace nationally in 2023 as ranked by Energage for businesses with 1,000 to 2,499 employees.

For more information about Halff, visit halff.com.

Contact:

Russell Luna

Public Relations Senior Specialist

Halff

214.217.6687

[email protected]

SOURCE Halff
DALLAS, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Experienced plaintiffs trial lawyer Barrett Robin from Dallas' Hamilton Wingo has earned selection as one of the city's leading young lawyers on the 2024 Best Lawyers Under 40 list from the publishers of D Magazine.

Mr. Robin represents Hamilton Wingo's clients in all types of serious personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, including representing individuals and families in insurance coverage disputes to help cover past and future medical bills, property losses, and other financial burdens caused by the negligence of others.

"We are proud to see Barrett named among the city's leading attorneys for people who often need a lawyer the very first time," says Hamilton Wingo's Paul Wingo. "He plays key roles in some of our most significant cases based on his ability to find truth and justice for our clients with the care and respect they deserve."

Mr. Robin was nominated for the Best Young Lawyers honor by other attorneys in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. A blue-ribbon panel of local lawyers assembled by D Magazine vet the panel of nominees to make the final selections in conjunction with the publication's editors. There is no way to buy a spot on the annual list of the city's best.

Earlier this year, Mr. Robin and Hamilton Wingo partner Damian Williams were recognized by TopVerdict.com for winning 2022's largest uninsured motorist verdict in any Texas court. Together, they successfully represented a woman in Denton County District Court in a lawsuit against her insurance company for failing to honor her policy following a wreck caused by the driver of an 18-wheeler who had no insurance.

Hamilton Wingo, based in Dallas, Texas, is one of the country's premier trial law firms, having won billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. The firm's skilled and dedicated attorneys represent people from all walks of life in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving automobile, airline, and other transportation incidents, workplace safety issues, dram shop liability, dangerous products, industrial catastrophes, medical malpractice, premises liability, utility accidents, water contamination, and environmental litigation. To learn more about the firm, visit www.hamiltonwingo.com.

For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 214-763-6226 or [email protected].

SOURCE Hamilton Wingo LLP
ANAHEIM, Calif., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles Cancer Network (LACN) is a trusted and leading provider of cancer and blood disorder care in Los Angeles County. They are proud to announce that Pacific Cancer Medical Center and their team in Anaheim have officially joined its growing network, landing LACN on the map in Orange County. This new addition is located at 1801 W Romneya Dr. Suite 203, Anaheim, CA 92801, being LACN's fourteenth clinic.

Back row from left to right: Maria Ampudia PA-C, Karen Dawson PA-C, Jim Colinco PA-C, Sharon Westerberg PA-C Front row from left to right: Dr. Ajit Maniam, Dr. Veena Charu, Dr. Jayaram Bharadwaj

"We are very grateful to expand into this new region and have these esteemed physicians & their talented team become a part of our network," said Troy Simon, LACN's CEO. "This new addition reflects our mission to bring world-class cancer and blood disorder care close to home. We look forward to getting acquainted with the Anaheim community."

The physicians at LACN are among the best in the nation, receivers of many awards & honors, and participants in groundbreaking clinical research. They offer customized, patient-centered care in an ever-changing oncology environment and have the expertise required to treat various types of cancers and blood disorders.

With this expansion, LACN will be welcoming five oncologists, five advanced practice practitioners and their entire team of skilled professionals. Board-certified hematologist/oncologists Dr. Veena Charu, Dr. Ajit Maniam, Dr. Jayaram Bharadwaj, Dr. Yunfei Wei, and Dr. Thiri Khin will all continue to practice at this location. They have been serving the Anaheim area for more than two decades, and will bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and a shared commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to LACN.

"We believe this transition is the best decision we can make for our community and patients," said Dr. Veena Charu. "LACN believes in value-based care, and we are looking forward to integrating into their practice which will open up more resources while allowing us to continue providing outstanding care to our patients."

The team is excited to join a larger practice that aligns with their values and provides access to more resources, while remaining at the community oncology level to best serve their patients.

The integration of these two practices underscores a shared vision for the future of oncology & hematology care, focused on excellence, compassion, and positive patient outcomes. Together, they will continue to uphold the highest standards of medical care while exploring innovative avenues to advance cancer treatment and research.

To make an appointment, please call (714) 999-1465. For more information, visit lacancernetwork.com.

About Los Angeles Cancer Network:

The mission of Los Angeles Cancer Network is to provide unparalleled care to each patient that comes through our doors. We offer individualized treatment using the most recent and relevant proven advances in cancer care, curated with deliberation and compassion.

SOURCE Los Angeles Cancer Network
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is in a state of very high readiness for any developments on all fronts, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said, Trend reports.

"The IDF is at a very high level of preparation on all fronts, both defensively and offensively. We are ready for any possible scenario in all arenas," he said.

According to Israeli media, Israel has not officially accepted responsibility for the incident that led to the death of Hamas leadership member Saleh al-Arouri.
Outlander and Outlander Plug-in Hybrid both post all-time annual sales records

Total annual sales up year-over-year

Number-one rankings in JD Power CSI and Reputation Customer Experience studies top the list of accolades received in 2023, driving strong annual sales performance

New Mitsubishi Motors Confidence integrated customer-care program launched in 2023

New brand marketing campaign featuring Rashida Jones as the company's first brand-level celebrity spokesperson debuted in December

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) maintained momentum through the year and accelerated into 2024, today reporting fourth-quarter 2023 sales of 19,604 and full-year sales of 87,340. In a year when vehicle availability continued to be a challenge, MMNA ended 2023 up 1.8% over 2022. The sales performance capped a year in which MMNA and its dealer partners ranked number-one among mass market brands in the annual JD Power Customer Service Index (CSI) survey and took top honors in Reputation's Customer Experience rankings as part of their 2023 Automotive Report.

Outlander and Outlander Plug-in Hybrid both post all-time annual sales records

Flagship models Outlander and Outlander Plug-in Hybrid continued to lead sales for the brand annually, with 42,501 gasoline Outlander sales representing an annual increase of 3.8%, as well as an all-time sales-record, the best year since the nameplate launched in 2002. Just one year since launch, the all-new Outlander Plug-in Hybrid also shone over the past 12 months, riding the wave of consumer interest in plug-in hybrids, with sales of 6,681 representing an increase of 240.7% over the previous year. Like Outlander, this performance represents the all-time best full-year sales number since the nameplate's U.S. introduction in 2017.

Highlighting Q3 2023, Mirage and Mirage G4 quarterly sales collectively rose 26.9%, as consumer interest in the subcompact hatch and sedan continued to show strength. Driving the December Mirage sales performance over the same period in 2022 was an increase in vehicle availability that grew throughout the quarter.

News and Notes

MMNA's commitment to world-class customer experience resulted in two wins for the brand and its dealer partners in 2023. For the first time in its more than 40-year history in the U.S., Mitsubishi Motors ranked first among 19 mass-market auto brands in Reputation's annual 2023 Automotive Reputation Report. And in March, Mitsubishi Motors ranked first among mass-market brands in the 2023 JD Power Customer Service Index (CSI) survey.

MMNA launched Mitsubishi Motors Confidence, the brand's integrated customer-care program through a new brand-marketing campaign starring Rashida Jones , MMNA's first-ever brand-level celebrity spokesperson.

, MMNA's first-ever brand-level celebrity spokesperson. Accolades for the company's vehicles continued with Outlander Plug-in Hybrid being named 2023 "Latin Flavor" SUV of the Year by Puros Autos , "Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year" by the Northwest Auto Press association, and for the second consecutive year, "Family Green Car of the Year" by Green Car Journal .

, "Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year" by the Northwest Auto Press association, and for the second consecutive year, "Family Green Car of the Year" by . The new 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander joined the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid (models built after May 2023 ) as a 2023 calendar-year Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP) winner.

) as a 2023 calendar-year Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) (TSP) winner. During 2023, MMNA announced the completion of its 100 th Visual Identity new-design dealership facility. More than 90% of the company's dealer partners nationwide have now either committed to the program or completed renovations.

Visual Identity new-design dealership facility. More than 90% of the company's dealer partners nationwide have now either committed to the program or completed renovations. MMNA added Xtime, Cox Automotive's leading service appointment scheduling solution, to the company's MiCAR customer-service program to further streamline customers' service-scheduling experience.

As part of the Mitsubishi Motors Confidence customer care program, every 2024 Mitsubishi Motors vehicle sold in America includes two years of limited maintenance.1

Individual model sales results:



Q4 2023 Q4 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 MIRAGE 3,875 3,053 13,219 15,816 OUTLANDER SPORT 2,893 4,056 15,015 16,373 OUTLANDER 8,979 10,461 42,501 40,942 OUTLANDER PLUG-IN HYBRID 1,577 829 6,681 1,961 ECLIPSE CROSS 2,280 2,357 9,924 10,718 TOTAL ALL 19,604 20,756 87,340 85,810

For more information on the full lineup of Mitsubishi vehicles, visit MitsubishiCars.com .

For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com .

Disclaimers

Included on 2024 model-year Mitsubishi Motors vehicles sold in the United States . Includes the following services and parts: 1st service (12-months/12,000 miles)  oil and filter changes, tire rotation, and multi-point inspection; 2nd service (24-months/30,000 miles) - oil and filter changes, tire rotation, cabin air filter change, and multi-point inspection; 3rd service (24-months/30,000 miles) - oil and filter changes, tire rotation, and multi-point inspection. Mitsubishi Motors genuine oil and parts only. Services and parts not specified herein are excluded. Valid only for original owner of new, retailed 2024 model-year Mitsubishi Motors vehicle purchased from an authorized Mitsubishi Motors dealer in the United States , and not transferrable to any subsequent owner. Service not redeemed within specified time/mileage window is forfeited.

ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan  "Challenge 2025"  MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV), and pure electrics (BEV).

MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida.

For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com .

Contact

Jeremy Barnes

Senior Director, Communications and Events

[email protected]

Mobile: 714-296-1402

SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Brooke Willson Promoted to SVP of Strategy and Innovation

Jasmine Keating Appointed Director of Strategic Growth

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NABIP proudly announces the establishment of its Strategy and Innovation Department. This pivotal division is dedicated to driving strategic growth and fostering innovation within the health insurance and benefits industry. Its focus will be on identifying rising trends in healthcare, developing new marketing opportunities and expanding NABIP's membership, especially in underrepresented demographics and emerging sectors.

NABIP Creates Department of Strategy and Innovation Post this Brooke Willson SVP of Strategy and Innovation Jasmine Keating Director of Strategic Growth

NABIP CEO Jessica Brooks-Woods expressed her enthusiasm for the new division, stating: "This new division will play a pivotal role in ensuring NABIP's offerings remain at the forefront of healthcare transformation, aligning strategic objectives with industry evolution. The division is tasked with conducting in-depth market analysis, forming strategic partnerships, and developing innovative services and tools to enhance NABIP's influence and meet the changing needs of its members."

Leading this new department will be Brooke Willson as the senior vice president of strategy and innovation. Willson has served NABIP for more than 20 years as senior vice president of leadership services and vice president of chapter relations. With her profound understanding of the association's dynamics and a history of fostering excellence across its chapters, Willson is uniquely positioned to guide the division toward achieving groundbreaking advancements in strategic growth and innovation. Her role in setting the strategic direction and aligning the division's objectives with NABIP's overarching goals is pivotal in driving the association forward.

Jasmine Keating's appointment as the director of strategic growth complements this vision, bringing a fresh perspective and a wealth of experience in the industry. Keating formerly served as director of development for MZQ Consulting in Baltimore, Maryland, for more than 10 years. Her expertise in employee benefits compliance and her proactive involvement with NABIP Maryland's Board of Directors underscore her deep commitment to the industry. Keating's focus on increasing NABIP's visibility in emerging markets and managing new business opportunities is crucial in this era of rapid healthcare transformation. Her skills in market research and analysis, coupled with her ability to establish and nurture key relationships, will enable NABIP to stay ahead of industry trends and competitive landscapes.

"Together, these strategic appointments and the formation of the Office of Strategy and Innovation mark a significant milestone for NABIP," stated NABIP Board President Eric Kohlsdorf. "This strategic move will enhance NABIP's capacity to adapt to the changing needs of its members, drive innovation in services and tools, and solidify its position as the leader in the industry. This new era at NABIP holds the promise of fostering greater connectivity, relevance and impact in the health insurance and benefits industry."

About the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals

NABIP is the preeminent organization for health insurance and employee benefits professionals, working diligently to ensure all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare and related benefits. To meet that vital mission, NABIP advances the interests of its members and advocates for sound public-policy solutions. NABIP represents and provides professional development opportunities for more than 100,000 licensed health insurance agents, brokers, general agents, consultants and benefit professionals through more than 200 chapters across America.

Press Contact:

Kelly Loussedes, SVP of Public Relations

(202) 595-3074 or [email protected]

SOURCE National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals
LONG BEACH, Calif., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare's Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach had 86 physicians named Super Doctors and 11 as Rising Stars by the 2023 Southern California Super Doctors & Rising Stars report The Southern California Super Doctors report lists the most outstanding doctors for more than 40 medical specialties, most of whom are in the top 5% of physicians.

The 2023 Southern California Super Doctors report recognizes the top five percent of active doctors in Los Angeles County with two lists: Super Doctors 2023 and Rising Stars. The selection process relies on 10 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, surveying physicians in Southern California and ensuring the physicians named are the most respected and talented in their fields.

"Having our physicians listed in the Super Doctors and Rising Stars reports highlight the professionalism of our physicians who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement," says Joe Kim, M.D., chief medical officer, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. "When a fellow physician recognizes you as one of the best in the community it is quite humbling, we are proud that so many of those physicians are right here on the same medical campus in Long Beach."

The Super Doctors peer-review-selection process asks doctors to nominate fellow physicians by answering the question, "If you needed medical care, which doctor would you choose?" Candidates were evaluated based on professional achievement, in addition to the Super Doctors' "blue ribbon panel review" process, where physicians in more than 40 medical specialties evaluate the list of nominees.

The physicians at Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach were recognized in areas including urology, orthopedics, cardiology, gynecologic oncology, urogynecology, general surgery, plastic surgery, oncology, neurology, otolaryngology, pediatrics, pediatric surgery, endocrinology, rheumatology, maternal/fetal medicine, enterology, gastroenterology, thoracic surgery, ophthalmology, neonatal/perinatal medicine and more.

"Our physicians consistently offer exceptional, quality-driven, family-centered care to our patients and families," says Graham Tse, M.D., chief medical officer, MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach. "We are proud to have care teams filled with exceptional physicians and are appreciative of the hard work they do daily."

About MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach:

MemorialCare's Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach are members of MemorialCare, a not-for-profit, integrated health care delivery System. Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's are designated with the prestigious Magnet recognition for excellence in nursing. Long Beach Medical Center has been providing compassionate care with the latest state-of-the-art technology for more than 100 years and is the region's first choice for comprehensive care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty. Miller Children's & Women's provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults  as well as maternity care for expectant mothers  under one roof. Since both hospitals share one campus, they are uniquely able to care for patients of all ages, from a newborn to an older adult. Visit memorialcare.org/LongBeach and millerchildrens.org for more information.

SOURCE MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and MemorialCare Miller Childrens & Womens Hospital Long Beach
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today denied a petition for rehearing filed by the City of Berkeley in the landmark decision California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, marking a significant victory for the California Restaurant Association. The denial signifies that the panel's ruling, which found Berkeley's gas ban to be in violation of federal law, will remain binding for Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. This is a critical decision for the chefs and restaurant owners of the Association, who will now be able to use a preferred energy source for their unique cuisines.

Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) filed suit on behalf of the Association in 2019, challenging Berkeley's ban on gas piping in new buildings. The suit sought to invalidate Berkeley's gas ban and block its enforcement, arguing that the federal Energy Policy & Conservation Act (EPCA) preempted the local ban. In a precedent-setting decision in April 2023, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the Association, concluding that Berkeley's ban on gas piping concerned the energy use of appliances covered by the EPCA, thus rendering the ban preempted and unenforceable.

Berkeley petitioned for rehearing in response to this ruling. The Ninth Circuit denied the rehearing petition. The panel issued a modified opinion that retains the reasoning and the result, namely that Berkeley's ban is preempted by EPCA and therefore invalid and unenforceable. The amended opinion notes that its holding is focused on Berkeley's ban and the application of EPCA to building codes, and says nothing about regulation of a utility's gas distribution. Eight active judges dissented from the denial of the petition for rehearing, reading the statute's terms and scope differently, far short of the 15 votes needed to rehear the case.

"With this decision, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed its straightforward reading of the statutory text and structure," said RJLF partner Sarah Jorgensen. "It reinforces that under EPCA, energy policy is a national imperative, demanding unified regulation across the country. State and local governments have regulatory power, but they must comply with federal law."

This landmark ruling underscores the preeminence of federal law in energy policy matters, setting a powerful precedent for future cases. The case is California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, Case No. 21-16278 (9th Cir.).

About The California Restaurant Association

The California Restaurant Association is the largest nonprofit, statewide restaurant trade association in the nation. Representing the restaurant and hospitality industries since 1906, the Association is made up of nearly 22,000 restaurant locations in California.

About Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP

Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) is an elite national trial firm that handles high-stakes commercial, intellectual property, energy, and white collar disputes. The firm is majority women-owned, reinventing the practice of law without the billable hour in favor of fee arrangements that align client interests. RJLF's attorneys are diverse, exceptionally credentialed, and passionate about trial advocacy. From offices in Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, and Atlanta, the firm tries cases and argues appeals throughout the country. For more information, visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com.

Contact

Sarah Jorgensen

[email protected]

(650) 623.1403

SOURCE Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP
MORGANTOWN, W.Va., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnia Medical, a medical device company committed to providing the industry with innovative solutions utilizing proven techniques, announced that a trial date has been set for October 2024 in its ongoing lawsuit with PainTEQ. The trial is part of a pair of consolidated Federal Court cases that underscore Omnia's commitment to ongoing innovation and to safeguarding its intellectual property rights.

One of Omnia's current cases with PainTEQ stems from an initial lawsuit filed by PainTEQ against Omnia in June 2020, alleging certain business-related claims. In December 2020, Omnia responded by answering the allegations and filing counterclaims that included intellectual property infringement not just limited to patent but, also trademark and copyright, as well as various business and contract-related claims. In January 2022, Omnia Medical then filed its own case against PainTEQ and its agents, Sean LaNeve and Charles Girsch. In the suit, Omnia Medical alleged infringement of two additional Omnia patents (Counts VI and VII) and asserted twelve nonpatent claims related to breach of the distribution sales agreement between Omnia Medical and PainTEQ which permitted PainTEQ to sell Omnia's innovative products and services, which was in effect from April 2017 until February 2019.

"As CEO of Omnia Medical, I want to address any confusion in the market regarding the status of our lawsuit with PainTEQ. We want to clarify that the cases are far from being concluded, and that we remain resolutely committed to protecting our intellectual property rights, patent and otherwise" said Troy Schifano, CEO of Omnia Medical.

In March of last year, PainTEQ, LaNeve and Girsch filed a motion to dismiss the complaint Omnia brought against them. While Omnia Medical's business-related claims in the second lawsuit (Counts 1-V and VIII-XIV) were dismissed at that time on largely procedural grounds, the remaining claims for design patent infringement remain active and will be a part of the October 2024 trial together with the trademark and copyright infringement, as well as business and contract-related claims from the first suit, between Omnia Medical and PainTEQ.

For those interested in accessing more information about the above-referenced ongoing case, including court details and case numbers, please visit https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/pacer and reference US District Court  Middle District of Florida case number 8:20-cv-02805-VMC-AAS.

omniamedical.com

About Omnia Medical - Top engineers and industry professionals have come together to form Omnia Medical, an orthopedic implant company located in Morgantown, WV. Omnia Medical's mission is to develop novel products that reduce operative time through safe and reproducible instrumentations while achieving superior surgical outcomes. Ongoing surgeon collaboration helps the company achieve this mission, which leads to critical cost savings for healthcare providers and their patients. For further information visit OmniaMedical.com

SOURCE Omnia Medical
Special edition magazine commemorates 80th anniversary of the Black Sheep Squadron.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington was a Marine Corps fighter pilot and the commanding officer of the VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron in the Pacific during World War II.

Boyington was a leading flying ace, Prisoner of War, and a recipient of both the Navy Cross and Medal of Honor.

Major Gregory Pappy Boyington. Black Sheep Squadron VMF-214 during World War II. Boyington - Black Sheep Leader, special edition magazine commemorating the 80th Anniversary.

The U.S. Marine Corps' Black Sheep squadron has served the nation continuously for 80 years. A new special edition magazine commemorates the milestone and their legacy.

"The WWII Black Sheep were among the most effective combat units and their achievements made them legendary," said Kevin Gonzalez, the magazine's creator. "An ace is a military aviator credited with downing five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat, and there were nine Black Sheep pilots who became aces."

Boyington  Black Sheep Leader is a special edition magazine that features historical articles, archival photographs, and original graphic novel art. A special art section includes a depiction of Pappy's last dogfight, when he and his wingman Captain George Ashmun, were both shot down during a strike mission over Rabaul.

Boyington survived the dogfight and was captured at sea by the crew of a Japanese submarine. He was never officially reported as a prisoner by the Japanese and was secretly held prisoner for 30 months.

Eventually he found his path to military aviation through an aviation cadet program, which then lead to the Marine Corps Reserve in 1937 and flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Boyington was allowed to leave the Marines to join the American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers, where he gained combat experience flying against the Japanese. After the U.S. entered WWII, he returned rejoin to the USMC.

He wrote about his experiences in his best-selling book BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP, published in 1958, which later became the basis for a popular NBC television series for two seasons in the 1970s.

Colonel Gregory Pappy Boyington died on Jan. 11, 1988, in Fresno, Calif., and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 2007, the local airport added the commemorative name Coeur d'Alene Airport/Pappy Boyington Field. In 2019, Boyington was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The modern-day Black Sheep continue the squadrons legacy. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 (VMFA-214) is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, and fly the F-35 B Lightning II, the Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

The special edition magazine is in full color and 68-pages. More information about Boyington at the website: PappyBoyingtonField.com.

"Many of the graphic artists who contributed to this project are military veterans," said Gonzalez. "It's exciting to see their artwork in the pages of this magazine."

Boyington  Black Sheep Leader is a special edition magazine from the creator of the Pappy Boyington Field documentary film.

Source: https://PappyBoyingtonField.com

Media Contact:

Kevin Gonzalez

(208) 651-4479

[email protected]

SOURCE Pappy Boyington
The January promotion gives customers an opportunity to win free weed and an entry toward the coveted grand prize

HARRISON TWP, Mich., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pleasantrees today announces the Mystery Weed contest: an exciting opportunity for loyal customers to test their knowledge of their favorite cannabis strains. Bringing the holiday spirit well into the New Year, Pleasantrees invites consumers to celebrate all month long with the introduction of mystery strains. Everyone who guesses the mystery strains correctly will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a trip for two to Miami, FL.

Throughout January, Pleasantrees will reintroduce four of its most popular cannabis strains anonymously. Only those who guess all four strains are eligible for the grand prize drawing. However, everyone who correctly identifies three will be eligible to redeem a free ounce of Pleasantrees' signature craft cannabis.

Participants must be a member of the Loyaltrees loyalty program at the time of entry to qualify for contest prizes. Consumers can join the Loyaltrees program for free by downloading the Pleasantrees app, texting "JOIN" to (313) 662-2747, or visiting https://www.enjoypleasantrees.com/rewards/ .

Mystery strains will be sold in 1/8th quantities for a limited time only. The Mystery Weed entry form is available via a QR code in-store at the time of purchase. The entry form will include one hint per strain to spark inspiration for guessers, and mystery strains will have a variety of terpene profiles and effects.

The grand prize trip to Miami includes airfare and a two-night hotel stay for the winner and one guest. The Mystery Weed contest ends on January 31st, 2024. Participants must be 21 years of age or older to purchase and enter.

For more information, please visit https://www.enjoypleasantrees.com/ .

ABOUT PLEASANTREES

Pleasantrees is a vertically-integrated, multi-state cannabis company which prides itself on cultivating the highest quality craft cannabis. It is Michigan's leading wholesaler of medical and recreational cannabis and presently operates five retail establishments in Hamtramck (recreational), Houghton Lake (recreational), East Lansing, Michigan (dual-licensed), Lincoln Park (recreational) and Mount Clemens (dual-licensed). Additionally, the company has world-class cultivation and processing facilities in Harrison Township, Michigan. The company is committed to cultivating the highest-quality cannabis utilizing a thoughtful, midwestern approach: Working hard so our community can enjoy more of life's pleasures. For more information visit enjoypleasantrees.com.

SOURCE Pleasantrees
INGELHEIM, Germany, MOLNDAL, Sweden and KUNSHAN, China, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. and Ribocure AB (Ribo) today announced a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop novel treatments for nonalcoholic or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH). The partnership brings together Ribo's leading experience in the discovery and clinical development of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics with Boehringer's commitment to improving the lives of people living with cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases (CRM).

More than 440 million people worldwide are estimated to live with NASH, an inflammatory liver disease that is caused by accumulation of fat in the liver. Over time, NASH causes scar tissue formation, which in many cases leads to liver cirrhosis and related serious complications, including liver failure or liver cancer. Currently there are no approved medicines for NASH and there is an urgent need for new effective treatment options that can prevent NASH progression and maintain and restore liver function.

Ribo's cutting edge RIBO-GalSTAR platform enables the development of RNAi therapeutics targeting disease-causing genes specifically in hepatocytes by silencing their messenger RNAs (mRNAs). This approach has the potential to treat diseases addressing previously inaccessible drug targets.

"We look forward to working with the scientists from Ribo to develop new breakthrough medicines for patients with NASH," said Sren Tullin, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Global Head of Cardiometabolic Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim. "This new partnership is part of our commitment to collaborate with peers worldwide to address the interconnected nature of CRM diseases. Our goal is to develop the next wave of innovative medicines that will lead to a holistic health gain for patients."

Zicai Liang, CEO of Ribo Life Sciences said, "This collaboration represents a strong endorsement of the many years of investment and scientific discovery built into Ribo's platform. We are very pleased about the opportunity to work with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop new solutions for people living with NASH."

Li-Ming Gan, CEO of Ribocure commented: "We look forward to working with Boehringer Ingelheim building on their unmatched experience and understanding of CRM conditions to continue their track record of delivery of breakthrough medicines in this space."

Under the terms of the agreement Ribo will receive an upfront payment. In this multi-target collaboration, Ribo is entitled to receiving success-based milestones for clinical, regulatory, and commercial success and tiered royalties. with an overall deal value that exceeds USD 2 billion.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term, sustainable perspective. More than 53,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the two business units Human Pharma and Animal Health. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

ABOUT SUZHOU RIBO LIFE SCIENCE CO., LTD., and Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB

Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. is an innovative clinical stage R&D company devoted to the development of nucleic acid drugs and related products based on the RNA interference (RNAi) technology. With its innovative R&D capabilities with vertically integrated technological platforms, Ribo has built a strong product pipeline, aiming to make contribution to the treatment of serious diseases with unmet medical needs. As a subsidiary of Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd., Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB is dedicated to globalized development of life-saving oligonucleotide therapies, with focus on development of assets and pipeline as well as new target ideas and on building innovative capacities to conduct clinical trials and developing siRNA drugs to address real unmet medical needs globally. For more information, please visit www.ribolia.com and www.ribocure.com.

SOURCE Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd.
Add a touch of sweetness to your Lunar New Year celebrations with Sugarfina's limited-edition release.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarfina is starting 2024 off on a sweet note! Known as one of the luckiest animals in the Zodiac, the luxury candy boutique is honoring the Year of the Dragon with a special-edition collection filled with celebratory gifts meant for sharing good luck in the year ahead.

Designed and curated in collaboration with Netflix's Bling Empire star and lifestyle influencer Cherie Chan, the exclusive release features gold coin-inspired Sugarfina Candy Cubes, keepsake Candy Bento Boxes, a Zodiac Candy Tasting Collection, and a luxury Candy Trunk. Lucky recipients of the Year of the Dragon Candy Trunk will also receive a limited-edition Dragon Charm to hang on purses, suitcases, or backpacks. New flavors include Yuzu Caramels, Dragon Eggs, Auspicious Stars, Lucky Mandarins, and Good Fortune Truffles. Good health, prosperity, and great fortune were kept in mind while Cherie and the Sugarfina Team created these special candy boxes and flavors!

"Growing up in LA, I've always celebrated Lunar New Year with my family at home. Our access to Lunar New Year items was limited and only available at Chinese markets," says Cherie Chan. "Fast forward to 2024 it's amazing that Sugarfina recognizes our culture and wants to celebrate this important holiday with us." After a year of developing and producing the Lunar New Year Collection, Cherie notes: "While curating these special candy boxes with Sugarfina, we kept in mind three wishesgood health, prosperity, and great fortune. From my home to yours, Happy Lunar New Year and happy Year of the Dragon!"

The collection includes the Lantern 2 Piece Candy Bento Box filled with Lotus Flowers and Good Fortune Truffles and the Year of the Dragon 8 Piece Candy Bento Box filled with Red Apple Caramels, Good Fortune Truffles, Yuzu Caramels, Prosperous Pineapples, Auspicious Stars, Gold Pearls, Lucky Mandarins and Lotus Flowers. New to the assortment is the Zodiac Candy Tasting Collection, an interactive box with a full moon spinner revealing each Chinese zodiac, its birth years, and its corresponding personality traits. Filled with 16 different flavors, discover what candy matches your sign! A gift that keeps on gifting, the Year of the Dragon 9 Piece Candy Trunk comes with 9 festive flavors and is detailed with a limited-edition Dragon Charm. The collection also features Lucky Red Envelopes for sharing sweet prosperity.

"This year's Lunar New Year Collection is truly spectacular," says Scott LaPorta, CEO, and Co-Investor of Sugarfina. "By capturing the essence of the Year of the Dragon, we were able to innovate our flavor offerings and elevate our packaging design for all Lunar New Year gifting occasions.

Start the New Year off on a sweet note! Share good fortune with friends and family with sweets they'll cherish long after the candy is gone. Here's to a year of spreading sweetness!

About Sugarfina USA LLC

Sugarfina USA is a luxury candy brand with stores in gateway locations in the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong. The company also sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce business, specialty retailers, department store shop-in-shops, and corporate gifting. Sugarfina's exclusive and innovative line of products is offered in distinctive and iconic packaging. To learn more about Sugarfina, visit www.sugarfina.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter @sugarfina.

Product Quick Facts:

Press Contact:

[email protected]

www.sugarfina.com

SOURCE Sugarfina USA LLC
Conversation hearts creator drops limited-edition Situationship Boxes for Valentine's Day

BRYAN, Ohio, Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sweethearts, the beloved brand of America's iconic conversation hearts, is leaning into dating trends with a limited-edition release of Situationship Boxes just in time for Valentine's Day. The specially designed boxes contain blurry, misprinted candies that are as hard to read as Gen-Z relationships. Perfect for gifting, Situationship Boxes will be available to purchase at SweetheartsCandies.com starting Monday, January 8 at 9 a.m. ET. The brand is encouraging confused singles everywhere to get them while they last and give the gift as blurry as their relationships.

Sweethearts Candies is leaning into dating trends with a limited-edition release of Situationship Boxes just in time for Valentines Day.

"Singles are taking 'situationships' to the next level this year, and Sweethearts is here for them," said Evan Brock, vice president of marketing for Spangler. "The printing on Sweethearts isn't always perfect. This is our way of embracing those imperfections in a way that taps into pop culture."

According to the Cleveland Clinic, situationships are romantic entanglements where the participants haven't established the nature of their relationship. From a relationship with "that one person you meet up with whenever they happen to be in town" to "your go-to 'plus one' for couple-y events," situationships have no labels, exclusivity or boundaries.

Research from Tinder, the world's most popular dating app, indicates that young singles now consider the situationship to be a legitimate relationship status. The undefined and noncommittal situationship continues to evolve as people are less concerned about relationship outcomes and more interested in enjoying the process, according to Tinder data.

The word "situationship" recently ranked in the top four terms considered for the Oxford University Press' 2023 "Word of the Year." Hence the Situationship Box from Sweethearts, filled entirely with sweet, muddled nothings and literal mixed messages.

The custom candies are available for a limited time, while supplies last, only at SweetheartsCandies.com .

About Spangler Candy Company

Spangler is a family owned and operated candy company founded in 1906 and headquartered in Bryan, Ohio. Its iconic brands, which include Dum-Dums, Sweethearts, Necco Wafers and Bit-O-Honey, make millions of smiles among generations of candy lovers. Spangler is one of the largest lollipop producers in the world, and the only major candy cane manufacturer in the United States. For more information, visit spanglercandy.com .

Media Contact:

Taylor Castillejo, APR

Tombras

[email protected]

865.257.0026

SOURCE Spangler Candy Company
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 1. Fewer than 15 people have been killed this week in northeastern Nigeria in attacks by extremist gangs, Trend reports.

Militants attacked two villages in Borno state on New Years Day, AFP quoted him as saying. According to eyewitness reports, the extremists boarded several trucks and used the uniform of the regular Nigerian army.

The authorities sent to the regional security unit. It is not known which radical group is responsible for the protection.
CHICAGO, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the disinfection robots market will grow at a CAGR of 31.02% from 2022 to 2028. The evolution of automated guided vehicles & automated mobile robots, innovative patented technologies & large supply contracts, funding & investments for developing disinfection robots, advancement of new electric disinfection robots, government & non-government initiatives for environmental protection, demand for energy-efficient disinfection robots are significant trends in the disinfection robots industry.

Disinfection Robots Market Research Report by Arizton (PRNewsfoto/Arizton Advisory & Intelligence)

To Know More, Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/4028

Browse in-depth TOC on "Disinfection Robots Market"

399  Pages

133 - Tables

132 - Figures

Disinfection Robots Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (2028) USD 1.41 Billion Market Size (2022) USD 280 Million CAGR (2022-2028) 31.02 % Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Market Segmentation Product Type, Technology Type, Sensor Type, Controller Type, End User, Distribution Channel, and Geography Geographic Analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa

Evolution of Automated Guided Vehicles & Automated Mobile Robots Uplifting the Market Opportunities

Automated mobile robots (AMR) are used for cleaning and disinfection in distribution centers, hospitality services, grocery stores, hospitals, healthcare facilities, and more. The need for cleanliness and hygiene has become crucial due to COVID-19. AMRs offer a cost-effective way of achieving this by deploying automated cleaning and disinfection equipment wherever needed. An autonomous cleaning robot removes visible dirt and can apply disinfectants for effective sanitization. Some are fitted with spraying devices for disinfection of surfaces above floor level. A UVC disinfection robot is a type of AMR equipped with a UVC emitter suitable to disinfect environments from bacteria and viruses.

Automated guided vehicles (AGV) are being challenged by the more sophisticated, flexible, and cost-effective technology of AMRs. Although an AMR has much more advanced technology than an AGV, it is typically a less expensive solution. An AMR does not need wires, magnetic stripes, or other costly modifications. Therefore, it is faster and less expensive to get AMRs up and running, with no expensive disruption to production during the process. AMRs are highly flexible, which is crucial for modern manufacturing environments requiring agility and flexibility in case of product modifications or production lines. Recently, AMRs have been highly deployed into disinfecting robots, thereby contributing to the market's growth.

Global Surge in Disinfection Robot Adoption Drives Substantial Investments and Innovation for Pandemic Preparedness

The aggressive adoption of disinfection robots has increased demand and new large-scale investments worldwide, propelling the market. Across the board, such robots were deployed widely before the pandemic, followed by existing robotic platforms that can be adapted readily to address the most pressing current needs. Since existing platforms cater to the current demands, making investments will result in developing systems ready for future crises. Also, most companies are focusing on product line expansion to include disinfection robots integrating improved autonomous capabilities compared to existing products. Several companies are investing while supporting the robotic industry, providing greater control in shaping the future. Such investments mainly serve the pandemic response and post-pandemic recovery in various countries. One such investment was made recently by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Tru-D, a UVC disinfection robot that protects patients and staff from harmful pathogens.

Surging Demand for Disinfection Robots Takes Center Stage in Hospitals Across APAC, Middle East, and Africa

The demand for advanced and efficient patient care in major emerging economies is expected to help construct new hospitals. Most hospital management and government facilities have implemented stringent norms to ensure that all hospital premises are microbe-free. The threat of disease and growing deaths, especially due to infectious diseases, has led several emerging economies to increase concerns over installing disinfection robots in each part of the hospital building.

Most countries in APAC and North America have implemented stringent norms to ensure safety in maintaining air quality and made indoor disinfection robot applications mandatory in hospital buildings. Healthcare spending is expected to be bolstered by factors such as growing and aging populations, advances in clinical technology, and market expansion. Major companies offering disinfection robots witnessed massive demand for their products to deploy in healthcare settings. UVD Robots, part of Blue Ocean Robotics, signed an agreement with Sunay Healthcare Supply to ship their disinfection robots to several hospitals in China. A Shanghai enterprise, Taimi Robotics Technology, designed and produced over 30 disinfection robots that entered major hospitals in Wuhan. Shenzhen-based Pudu Technology also deployed its disinfection robots in more than 40 hospitals around China. Xenex Disinfection Service, a leading provider of disinfection robots, has already deployed its robots in more than 500 hospitals across the UK, Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Such instances increase the demand for disinfection robots in healthcare facilities and contribute to market growth.

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Key Company Profiles

Blue Ocean Robotics

Nevoa

Taimi Robotics Technology

XAG

Xenex Disinfection Services

PHILIPS

SIEMENS AG

Altoros

Akara Robotics

ALVO Medical

Amy Robotics

Ava Robotics

Badger Technologies

Bioquell

Bridgeport Magnetics Group

Clearpath Robotics

Corvus Robotics

Engmotion

Fetch Robotics

Finsen Technologies

Geekplus Technology

Grizzly

H-Bots Robotics

imedtac

Keenon Robotics

Mediland

MetraLabs

Nanyang Technological University

OMRON

OTSAW

Pudu Robotics

Rubedo sistemos

SESTO Robotics

Shanghai Huifeng Medical Instrument

Shenzhen EAI Technology

SIEMENS & AuCMA

SIFSOF

Skytron

Techmetics Robotics

Tru-D SmartUVC

UVCLight.co.uk

UVC Solutions

Vanora Robots

TMI Robotics

RobotLAB Inc

A.O. Smith

LG Electronics

VackerGlobal

KENT RO

Market Segmentation

Product Type

Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor Disinfection Robots

UV Disinfection Robots

Disinfection Spray Robots

Combined System Robots

Technology Type

Fully Autonomous Robot

Semi-Autonomous Robot

Sensor Type

Ultrasonic Sensor

Infrared Sensor

Controller Type

Wi-Fi Controller

Bluetooth Controller

End User

Healthcare Facilities

Biopharmaceutical Industry

Transport

Hospitality

Others

Distribution Channel

Offline

Online

Geography

Europe

Germany



Italy



France



The UK



Spain



Russia



Poland

North America

The US



Canada

APAC

China



Japan



India



Australia



South Korea



Singapore

Middle East & Africa

South Africa



Saudi Arabia



Turkey



The UAE



Egypt



Kenya

Latin America

Mexico



Brazil



Argentina



Chile



Colombia

Key Questions Answered in the Report:

How big is the disinfection robots market?

What is the growth rate of the global disinfection robots market?

Which region dominates the global disinfection robots market share?

What are the significant trends in the disinfection robots industry?

Who are the key players in the global disinfection robot market?

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the escalating demands faced by community nonprofits, the U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union (USSFCU) in Alexandria, Virginia, proudly announces its recent distribution of $65,000 to seven deserving nonprofits. These funds are poised to amplify the significant impact these organizations have both locally in the metropolitan Washington region and on a broader national scale.

U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union Demonstrates Commitment to Community with $65,000 in Charitable Contributions Post this Tim Anderson, USSFCU President and CEO pictured with Don DuChateau, SOME EVP and Chief Development Officer USSFCU and SOME EVP and Chief Development Officer

USSFCU President and CEO, Timothy L. Anderson, emphasized the credit union's longstanding commitment to community welfare, stating, "Giving back to the communities in which we live and work has always been integral to our mission. Through these donations, we aim to express our gratitude to these organizations for their tireless efforts in strengthening our communities."

The donations, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, have been strategically allocated to support regional food pantries, shelters, and disaster relief programs. Each beneficiary was carefully chosen by USSFCU's leadership team, reflecting a deep connection to the hearts and minds of credit union staff.

The initiative commenced in mid-December, as Anderson and a select group of USSFCU representatives embarked on a series of check presentations at local locations. During these visits, they gained insights into the impactful work undertaken by each organization and presented them with a symbolic check.

Beneficiary organizations and their respective donations include:

In addition to the monetary contributions, USSFCU actively engaged in hosting holiday donation drives, collecting toys, food, and winter essentials for the mentioned organizations. USSFCU members and staff were encouraged to participate by bringing their donations to the Credit Union's Bowman Branch location. The collected items will be delivered to the respective beneficiaries in the coming weeks, further reinforcing USSFCU's commitment to community support and well-being.

About USSFCU

Since 1935, USSFCU has provided the Senate and Capitol Hill communities with exclusive world-class financial stability, security, and service. Now a $1.4 billion financial institution with 140 plus paths to membership, access to these exclusive financial resources is at your fingertips. Call, click or tap to learn more at www.ussfcu.org.

View this and other press releases from USSFCU at ussfcu.org/press.

SOURCE US Senate Federal Credit Union
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to visit Turkiye. The visit is scheduled for January 4, Trend reports.

In addition to discussing many bilateral and regional issues during the visit, Turkiye and Iran are expected to take steps towards concrete cooperation, especially in the fight against terrorism. On the other hand, trade between the two countries, which reached US$22 billion in 2012, has dropped to around US$6 billion due to sanctions and the pandemic. It is planned to increase this figure to $30 billion.

One of the issues that will be discussed during the visit is the increase in the number of checkpoints between Turkiye and Iran through the construction of three more (Gurbulak, Kapikoy and Esendere). With the consent of the Iranian side, it is planned to open two more such points.

A total of ten memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed between the two countries during the visit.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 4. The official visit of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi to Ankara, planned for January 4, has been postponed, Trend reports.

This was stated by the Turkish presidential administration following telephone conversations between the leaders of the two countries.

"Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, during which he expressed condolences in connection with the terrorist attack in Kerman. Erdogan strongly condemned the terrorist attack against civilians and stated that Turkey is on Iran's side in the fight with terrorism," the message says.

It notes that Erdogan and Raisi agreed to reschedule the visit. Previously, the Iranian president planned to visit Turkey at the end of November, but this visit was also postponed.
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Basti, Jan 3 : After warning villagers of robbery through posters, the group of robbers allegedly looted jewellery and cash from the house of a woman in Uttar Pradesh's Basti district.

According to Nirmala Devi, a resident of Odwara Ragadpurwa village, 8-10 men knocked on her door, entered the house and took away her jewellery and Rs 20,000 in cash.

Later, police were informed about the matter and the womanas son Lalit Mohan filed a complaint about the incident at Munderwa police station.

Police have registered a case under Sections 457 (trespass at night) and 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code, said Basti Superintendent of Police (SP) Gopal Krishna Chaudhary.

"The police Circle Officer (CO) and a Special Investigation Team visited the spot and efforts are on to verify the incident as there are some discrepancies in the victimas allegations," the SP said.

According to locals, posters were found at two places in Vishunpurwa village of Rudhauli police station area on December 21, which said that some select houses will be looted within ten days. Similar posters were found in Kodri village of Walterganj police station area on December 23 and in Chhapia Lutawan village of Munderwa police station area on December 27.

The posters triggered panic among the villagers, and village security committees and residents started keeping a watch. Police had also held a meeting with village heads. The SP and Assistant SP reached the villages on December 30 and advised people to remain alert.

On December 31, on the complaint of a village head, a case was also registered against unknown people in Rudhauli, Walterganj and Munderwa police stations under Section 505 (statement to create public nuisance) of the IPC, police said.
Shimla, Jan 3 : Satwant Atwal Trivedi, a 1996-batch IPS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been given the additional charge of the post of Director General of Police (DGP).

Trivedi is presently holding the post of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, with additional charge of the post of ADGP CID.

Earlier, the government removed IPS officer Sanjay Kundu from the post of DGP following the Himachal Pradesh High Court directive. He has been shifted to the state's Ayush Department as Principal Secretary.

The High Court on December 26 directed the government to shift the state police chief and the Kangra Superintendent of Police so that they don't influence a probe into a businessman's complaint about a threat to his life.
Kiev, Jan 3 : Russia has fired nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 Shahed combat drones against Ukraine since December 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"No other state has ever repelled such attacks, combined ones: both drones and missiles, including air-launched ballistic missiles. Ten Kinzhal missiles have been shot down today alone," Zelensky said in a video address on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Russia launched almost 100 missiles of various types at Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring 130 others, Zelensky was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

Oleksii Kuleba, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, said on Telegram that more than 250 civilian facilities have been damaged in the latest attack, which targeted mostly the Ukrainian capital and the country's second-largest city of Kharkiv.

In Kiev alone, two people were killed and 49 others injured in the air strike, and 43 of them were hospitalized, said the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Meerut, Jan 3 : A court in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district has sentenced a woman to life imprisonment for killing her neighbour by setting her on fire.

The motive behind the crime was to show herself as dead and elope with her lover of another faith.

A testimony by the 13-year-old daughter of victim Zeenat Begum nailed the convict, identified as Afshana Begum (32), said the Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC) Mukesh Kumar Mittal.

The ADGC said on Tuesday that the crime came to light on April 2, 2019, when 48-year-old Zeenat was found dead inside a house in Lisari Gate police station area of Meerut.

"Zeenat was married to one Mohd Ashraf who used to mostly stay outdoors for work. Her friend Afshana, who lived in the same neighbourhood, used to often visit her house. Afshana fell in love with one Pravin Kumar, an auto driver, and both wanted to get married, but faith and the opposition from her kin came in the way," the ADGC said.

Mittal added, "After watching a TV serial on crime she hatched a plot to kill Zeenat in her house. One day when Zeenat came to her house, Afshana set her on fire with a gas cylinder pipe. She thought everyone would take Zeenat's badly burnt body to be hers and she would flee with her lover. But weeks later someone spotted her and the case took a different turn. During court hearings, Zeenat's daughter said her mother would often go to 'Afshana aunty's house' and that one day she did not return."

Soon, a complaint was filed by Zeenat's husband as she was last seen at Afshana's house. The house was reopened and cops found Zeenat's earrings, slippers and Aadhaar, which showed she was burnt to death.

Afshana was charged with murder and the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Pawan Shukla handed her life in jail.
London, Jan 3 : A group of five people, including four Indian-origin men, have been accused of running a fraudulent scheme in Scotland through which they scammed an elderly millionaire out of her fortune.

Mukesh Vippanapelli (41), Vageesan Sunmugaraja (50), Sunil Theyath (39), and Umar Mohammed (39), appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court recently, Scottish TV channel STV news reported.

All of them, including a woman, Hafeeza Samreen (34), face a single charge of being involved with a fraudulent scheme, and were due to appear in the court again.

The report did not mention about the modus operandi of the gang, but said that an elderly millionaire victim from South Lanarkshire had a seven-figure sum stolen between May and August 2023.

The five of them made no plea, and were committed for further examination and remanded in custody, the news channel reported.

They were arrested as part of a joint ongoing probe into "significant fraud" by Police Scotland and policing partners in Essex, London and Eastbourne.

Police Scotland officers were also assisted by partners from the National Crime Agency's National Economic Crime Centre and colleagues from other police forces.

The arrests took place in Eastbourne, Stansted, Dagenham and East Ham in London.

Two other men, aged 23 and 28, were released, and will be appearing at court at a later date.

--IANS

mi/ksk
Tokyo, Jan 3 : More than 300 flights were cancelled after a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 carrying 379 people collided with a second plane while landing at Tokyo's Haneda airport.

The Tuesday evening incident forced the airport to shut down all runways for several hours late into the night, leading to cancellations of 226 flights to and from Haneda, affecting over 40,000 passengers, reports Xinhua news agency.

Despite the reopening of three runways on Wednesday, about 100 flights are still expected to be scrubbed on the day, disrupting the travel plans of 19,000 passengers.

At around 6 p.m.on Tuesday, JAL Flight 516, that had flown into the Tokyo from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido prefecture was landing on Haneda's C-runway when the Coast Guard flight MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8, collided with it, with both aircraft catching fire.

Television footage showed a large burst of fire erupting from the side of the JAL plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire.

The footage seen an hour later showed the blaze engulfed the aircraft.

Five of the six crew members aboard the MA-722 were confirmed dead, while the captain who managed to escape earlier was severely injured.

The Coast Guard plane, which belongs to the Haneda Airport base, was taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas in Niigata prefecture after a series of temblors of up to 7.6 magnitude struck central Japan on Monday afternoon, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima.

Meanwhile, all 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board the JAL flight escaped from the airplane while it was on fire without life-threatening injuries after the collision.

The Tokyo Fire Department said it took more than eight hours to extinguish the fire following the crash.

A Haneda air traffic controller had permitted the passenger plane to land on a runway before the crash took place, and had ordered the Coast Guard aircraft to "hold short of the runway", national broadcaster NHK reported, citing sources with the Transport Ministry.

The Japan Transport Safety Board, the government-affiliated agency in charge of probing serious accidents involving airplanes, trains and ships, on Wednesday started investigating the cause of the accident and examining the aircraft wreckage.
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : The BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday is launching an agitation against the Congress government across the state in support of their demand to release the arrested Kar Sevak.

The BJP workers are planning to lay siege to the police station in Hubballi.

State BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra has said that the Congress government would be responsible for future consequences in the state. He had called on the workers of the party to participate in the protest in large numbers.

Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka will lead the protest in Hubballi in front of Hubballi Shahara police station demanding the release of Kar Sevak Srikanth Poojari. BJP MLAs Arvind Bellad, Mahesh Tenginakayi and M.R. Patil will also participate.

Hubballi police arrested Srikanth Poojari in connection with an alleged case of torching a shop owned by a minority member on December 5, 1992, in Hubballi. Poojari is the third accused in the case and the police are looking for other eight accused in the case. Poojari had been sent to judicial custody.

Sources in BJP said that the party is planning to lay siege to the police station. Besides BJP, the members of the SSK community from which Srikanth Poojari hails are also joining the protest.

Ashoka Katave, former MLA and State President of the SSK Community has urged that the government release the Poojari immediately. "We stand with the family of Srikanth Poojari. No one should be arrested in connection with the case," he stated.

State President Vijayendra had stated that the protest would continue until the release of Kar Sevak Srikanth Poojari. The government is threatening the BJP workers. The party won't bog down to such false threats. The Karnataka Congress government is anti -Hindu and anti-Ram.

"The Congress government only wants the welfare of minorities. To make minorities happy, Hindu activists are being arrested. It is threatening BJP and Hindu workers ahead of the Lok Sabha elections," said Vijayendra.

"The government can't decide who is wrong. When Ram Mandir is being inaugurated, the arrest of Kar Sevak happens. What does it indicate? They enjoy hurting the sentiments of Hindus," he added.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 3. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postpones visit to Israel, Trend reports.

According to information, the visit has been postponed from the end of this week to the beginning of next year.

It is reported that the postponement of Blinken's visit to Israel is not related to the killing of Hamas leadership member Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon.
Denver, Jan 3 : A gunman broke into the Colorado Supreme Court and took a security guard hostage while firing multiple gunshots before being arrested by the local police.

According to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the incident occurred at 1.15 a.m. on Tuesday after the suspect, identified the suspect as 44-year-old Brandon Olsen, broke into the court from a window after being involved in a two-car crash outside the building, reports Xinhua news agency.

The suspect allegedly held an unarmed guard with the CSP's Capitol Security Unit at gunpoint after entering the building, then obtained keys from the hostage and proceeded into other parts of the building.

He then fired multiple shots inside the building before voluntarily surrendering at around 3 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

The suspectas motive is still unclear.

An arrest affidavit provided by police indicated Olsen cooperated with interviews, but all of his statements were redacted.

The break-in was most likely not related to a 4-3 ruling from Colorado's highest court on December 19, 2023 which ordered to remove former President Donald Trump's name from the state's presidential primary ballot, Colorado police said, citing a preliminary investigation led by the Denver Police Department.

The FBI had previously said it was working with Colorado law enforcement to investigate reports of violent threats against the Colorado Supreme Court justices following their ruling to remove Trump from the presidential ballot.
San Francisco, Jan 3 : Online rental platform Frontdesk has become the first tech startup to lay off employees in 2024 -- its entire 200-person workforce -- during a "two-minute Google Meet call".

San Francisco, Jan 3 (IANS) Online rental platform Frontdesk has become the first tech startup to lay off employees in 2024 -- its entire 200-person workforce -- during a "two-minute Google Meet call".

The layoffs included full-time, part-time workers and contractors and the proptech startup is now on the verge of shutting down, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday.

Frontdesk CEO Jesse DePinto apparently told employees that the company would be "filing for a state receivership, an alternative to bankruptcy".

The startup was yet to comment on the report.

Founded in 2017, the startup managed more than 1,000 furnished apartments across the US.

Frontdesk had raised about $26 million from investors such as JetBlue Ventures, Veritas Investments and Sand Hill Angels.

The startup aimed to raise fresh capital but failed in its attempt.

"Frontdesk was apparently still optimistic about its ability to raise more capital; the startup had posted on LinkedIn openings for several jobs, including a chief of staff role, just two months ago," said the report.

Tech companies, including startups, around the world fired more than 425,000 employees in the last two years, with more than 36,000 employees being sacked in India in the same time period.

In 2023, nearly 2.6 lakh employees were laid off in the global technology and startup sector.

Citing the global macroeconomic conditions, Big Tech firms and startups across the spectrum have sacked employees, and layoffs continue to happen.
2 Indian-origin men indicted for kidnapping, murder of aircraft mechanic in US. Image Source: IANS News

New York, Jan 3 : A federal grand jury in the US state of Florida has charged three people, including two Indian-origin men, for the violent kidnapping and murder of an airplane mechanic who went missing last month.

The body of Suren Seetal (36), who worked at Opa-locka Airport and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, was found in Big Cypress National Preserve on November 21, 2023, the US Attorney's Office Southern District of Florida said in a recent release.

Avin "smalls" Seetaram (24), Somjeet Christopher "Lil Chris" Singh (29), and Gavin Hunter (18) from Broward County were charged with murder for hire conspiracy, murder for hire, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping, and obstruction of justice.

According to allegations contained in the previously filed criminal complaint, Seetal was last seen alive on November 2, 2023, when he was leaving work.

After leaving work, his telephone was in the vicinity of Dr HVAC, Singh's air conditioning business, before going off network shortly thereafter.

The Miami-Dade resident was supposed to be running errands before heading out on a trip to Trinidad two days later, but when he never returned home, his family said on a GoFundMe page.

Authorities alleged in a criminal report that Singh owed Seetal approximately $315,000, and Seetal's girlfriend told law enforcement that her partner was "trying to collect his debts", the WPTV news channel reported.

Citing court documents, the news channel said that Seetal and Somjeet knew each other from working in the fireworks business.

The documents further claimed that the three suspects had been communicating until Seetal's phone lost signal the night he disappeared.

It also alleged that Seetaram lured Seetal to Somjeet's business, where Hunter was waiting with a firearm and shot Seetal.

While Seetaram and Hunter's arraignment hearing have already concluded, Somjeet's arraignment hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

If convicted of the charges contained in the federal indictment, Seetaram, Somjeet, and Hunter each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison or the death penalty.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : As Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly declined to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with Delhi excise policy case, the BJP on Wednesday attacked the AAP chief, saying has he abandoned his party leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh.

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) As Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly declined to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with Delhi excise policy case, the BJP on Wednesday attacked the AAP chief, saying has he abandoned his party leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh.

The ED has summoned Kejriwal on January 3 (Wednesday) in connection with the case but he is reportedly not ready to appear before the investigating agency.

Earlier, Kejriwal had ignored two summons on November 2 and December 22, calling them "illegal and politically motivated".

Questioning Kejriwal's behaviour, the BJP posted on X: "What is Arvind Kejriwal afraid of? Has he abandoned Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, who are in jail in the liquor excise scam?"

Attacking Kejriwal as well as other parties in the opposition bloc over corruption, the BJP took a jibe, saying, "Instead of ignoring the ED summons, Kejriwal should learn something from the corruption of the INDI alliance leaders, and enrich him from their experience."
42% of Indian workers likely to switch jobs next year for better pay, promotion: Report. Image Source: IANS News

Berlin, Jan 3 : The German workforce swelled to 45.9 million in 2023, the largest it has been since the country's reunification in 1990, according to provisional figures published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

The previous record, set in 2022, was exceeded by 0.7 per cent, Xinhua news agency quoted Destatis as saying.

Back in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic had ended a continuous 14-year rise in the number of people in employment in Germany.

"The immigration of foreign labor was one of the reasons for the increase in employment in 2023," Destatis said.

The number of people in employment with a German passport also increased.

"These two contributions have offset the dampening effects of demographic change on the labour market, which is expected to lead to a significant decline in the working-age population in the medium term," Destatis added.

Service sectors recorded above-average increases in employment.

However, employment in the manufacturing industry, excluding construction, only rose by 0.3 per cent.

Despite the growing workforce, leading economic institutes expect Germany's economy to contract slightly in the next two years.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has forecast growth of 0.6 per cent and 1.2 per cent for 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Europe's largest economy also suffers from a massive shortage of skilled workers in many professions, making it economically dependent on immigration.

The German government has therefore reformed the country's immigration laws, making it easier for qualified people to stay.

Nevertheless, the trend of rising employment levels may not be sustained.

"We expect that employment will soon reach its peak and then trend downward" over the remainder of the forecast period 2024 and 2025, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) said in mid-December 2023.

"The potential labor force will begin to shrink in the near future due to aging and despite robust levels of immigration," IfW Kiel said.

"The economic recovery in the next two years will counteract this to some extent."
Jaipur, Jan 3 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday was conducting raids in Rajasthan and Haryana in connection with Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi murder case.

After receiving inputs from shooters Rohit Rathod and Nitin Fauji during the investigation, the NIA prepared the raid plan, said sources.

Officials said that there are some more people behind the murder with whom these shooters had been in direct and indirect contact.

At around 5 a.m., NIA teams began the raid.

According to sources, this raid is going on at 15 places in three districts of Rajasthan.

During the operation in Jaipur, the NIA team also interrogated the mother and sister of shooter Rohit Rathod. At the same time, NIA has raided 10 places in Haryana.

Further details were awaited.

Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief, was shot dead on December 5 at his residence in Jaipur by three shooters. Soon after the murder, gangster Rohit Godara, associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for Gogamedi's murder. The two shooters, Rohit Rathore and Nitin Fauji, were arrested on December 9 in Chandigarh.
Hyderabad, Jan 3 : Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to develop the Musi Riverfront in three years.

In the first phase, the Musi Riverfront will be developed on a 55 km stretch in Hyderabad by the new Congress Government.

At a review meeting with officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), the Chief Minister suggested that the officials select an iconic design suitable for people from all walks of life.

Revanth Reddy said that the design should provide all facilities like an amusement park, waterfalls, children water sports, street vendors, business area, shopping malls etc for the convenience of all sections of society.

The officials have been asked to study the designs of such riverfront development projects taken up by other states and also in foreign countries.

Revanth Reddy advised the officials to take necessary steps to start the related works within three months. Measures will also be taken to divert rainwater into Musi to manage flash floods.

As part of the Musi Riverfront project, a tourism circuit will be designed by connecting the historical buildings - Charminar, Taramati Baradari and other tourist places situated along the Musi catchment areas.

Revanth Reddy ordered officials to prepare the plans to undertake this project in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Earlier, at a meeting with NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman Kumar Bery on Tuesday, the Chief Minister sought technical assistance in development of the riverfront on par with the Sabarmati Riverfront and Namami Gange through the PPP mode.

Revanth Reddy also sought support for establishing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) across the Musi Riverfront.

The previous Telangana Government had planned to take up rejuvenation and beautification of Musi River at a cost of Rs.16,600 crore. It also planned to connect the river to Kondapochamma Sagar to make Musi brim with water throughout the year by constructing check dams and bridges.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : Market has turned highly volatile with profit booking triggered by high valuations and even DIIs who have been consistent buyers are booking profits, says V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

Buying on dips also is happening simultaneously. These twin moves of profit booking and dip buying will keep the market highly volatile in the near-term. An important trend in the market is the renewed buying in pharmaceuticals. Further buying can be expected in this segment, he said.

Long-term investors can buy the fairly-valued largecap private banking stocks which have the potential to outperform the Nifty this year, he said.

The Supreme Court judgement on the Adani-Hindenberg issue on Wednesday will have a sentimental impact on the Adani stocks in particular and the overall market in general, he added.

BSE Sensex is down 319 points at 71,572 points on Wednesday. JSW Steel is top loser down more than 3 per cent.

IT stocks are down with Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Infosys down more than 2 per cent. TCS is also down 2 per cent.
Perth, Jan 3 : World No.1 Iga Swiatek propelled Team Poland into the United Cup semifinals for the second straight year by defeating China's Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 6-3 here on Wednesday.

Perth, Jan 3 (IANS) World No.1 Iga Swiatek propelled Team Poland into the United Cup semifinals for the second straight year by defeating Chinaas Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 6-3 here on Wednesday.

Following the win by her fellow Top 10 Pole Hubert Hurkacz in the opening menas singles match, four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek took 1 hour and 34 minutes to beat 21-year-old Zheng and clinch the quarterfinal tie.

Poland, who lost to eventual champion United States in last yearas final four, will now travel from Perth to Sydney to compete in this weekendas semifinals.

In the first match of the tie, Hurkacz moved Poland to the brink of the semifinals when he defeated Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-4 and put his country 1-0 up.
40 companies looking to raise nearly Rs 70,000 cr through IPO let their approval lapse in 2023. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 3 : The IPO pipeline for 2024 continues to remain strong. 27 companies proposing to raise Rs 28,500 crore are presently holding SEBI approval while another 36 companies looking to raise about Rs 40,500 crore are awaiting SEBI approval, as per Prime Database.

According to Pranav Haldea, Managing Director, PRIME Database Group the next couple of months should see several IPOs being launched before a pause on account of the general elections.

2023 saw 87 companies filing their offer document with SEBI for approval (in comparison to 89 in 2022). On the other hand, 2023 also saw 40 companies looking to raise nearly Rs 70,000 crore letting their approval lapse, three companies looking to raise Rs 3,550 crore withdrawing their offer document and SEBI returning the offer document of a further six companies looking to raise Rs 10,800 crore.

According to Haldea, IPO response was further buoyed by strong listing performance. Average listing gain (based on closing price on listing date) increased to 29 per cent, in comparison to 11 per cent in 2022.

Of the 57 IPOs, 40 gave a return of over 10 per cent. Tata Technologies gave a stupendous return of 163 per cent followed by Ideaforge (93 per cent) and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank (92 per cent). 53 of the 57 IPOs are trading above the issue price (closing price of January 1, 2024) with an average return of 46 per cent.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
The octagon made its debut in watchmaking in the 1970s, thanks to the creative genius of Gerald Genta. In 1972 he unveiled the most famous of all octagonal watches, the legendary Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet  the icon that launched an evergreen trend

CHF 2,656 / March LAB

An elegant entry-level model inspired by the vintage aesthetic of the 1950s, created by one of the leading names in French watchmaking. Its octagonal shape is highlighted by the unique positioning of the winding crown at 4 o'clock, at the junction of two of the eight sides. A sapphire case back reveals the Franco-Swiss automatic winding movement.

Mansart Golden Hour in gold-plated steel, 34 x 39 mm, automatic movement with window date, leather strap  March LAB

CHF 3,000 / TAG Heuer

This is a dependable professional tool, and an affordable one, despite being made from titanium from the case to the bracelet, including the bezel. The dial is designed to be exceptionally legible, even in deep water, thanks to its luminescent hands and markers set against a black background. Made for adventure, whether on land or sea, the first version of this watch was launched in 1978 with the reference 844.

Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in titanium, 40 mm diameter, solar-powered movement with window date, titanium bracelet  TAG Heuer

CHF 3,600 / Baume & Mercier

A sport-chic watch featuring a robust steel case with a quick-change mechanism that makes it easy to switch from rubber to alligator leather and back again. The refined dial in smoky blue sapphire features a wave pattern in transparent decals. This exquisite decorative detail is paired with a date disc that is visible through the transparent flange.

Riviera in steel, 39 mm diameter, automatic movement with window date, interchangeable rubber strap  Baume & Mercier

CHF 8,900 / Zenith

Fully embracing the hot trend of the moment, this watch combines an integrated steel bracelet with a steel blue dial. This beautiful contemporary timepiece, suitable for all occasions, is powered by the renowned El Primero automatic movement. Its chronograph version is rightly considered the most powerful in its category.

Defy Skyline in steel, 41 mm diameter, automatic movement with small second and window date display, steel bracelet  Zenith

CHF 25,200 / Bulgari

One of the most successful watches of its time, this model features a unique extra-thin titanium case with a layered construction. It is powered by an in-house movement skeletonised with contemporary flair to make it among the thinnest in the world at just 2.5 mm, offering an 8-day power reserve. A perfect blend of Italian design and Swiss watchmaking expertise.

Octo Finissimo in titanium, 40 mm diameter, manual-winding skeleton movement with small seconds, titanium bracelet  Bulgari

CHF 25,500 / Girard-Perregaux

Since its launch in 1975, the Laureato has consistently reflected the watchmaking spirit of the 1970s. This model continues the trend, using a novel carbon-titanium composite for the entire case. This innovative material provides lightness, durability and a distinctive appearance to this high-tech creation, driven by an in-house movement visible through a sapphire case back.

Laureato Absolute 8Tech in carbon-titanium composite, 44 mm diameter, automatic chronograph movement with window date, textile-effect rubber strap  Girard-Perregaux

CHF 80,800 / Audemars Piguet

The award for the most expensive octagonal watch goes to Audemars Piguet, which debuted the shape in 1972, thanks to the creative genius of Gerald Genta. However, thats not the only reason it commands such a high price: this chronograph version is crafted entirely in gold. Its understated brushed gold dial features an impressive six hands, for hours, minutes, seconds and chronograph functions.
Islamabad, Jan 3 : Pakistan's Interior Ministry has informed the Senate or upper house of Parliament, that more than 500,000 illegal immigrants have already been repatriated from the country as part of the government's deportation drive.

Islamabad, Jan 3 (IANS) Pakistan's Interior Ministry has informed the Senate or upper house of Parliament, that more than 500,000 illegal immigrants have already been repatriated from the country as part of the governmentas deportation drive.

The Ministry revealed the data response to queries raised by Senator Mohsin Aziz regarding the current status of the repatriation and deportation drive.

aAround 1.7 million illegal immigrants are unlawfully living in the country, majority of whom are Afghans. They are living without any legal documentation necessary for staying in the country. Approximately 541,210 people have been sent back after the cabinetas approval of the deportation plan for illegal residents," the Ministry said.

Highlighting that the remaining 1.15 million still present in the country, it added that the remaining ones will also be repatriated as part of the nationwide deportation drive of the government.

aEfforts were underway to identify and deport the remaining people."

Sources confirmed that over 95 per cent of the 500,000 illegal immigrants comprised Afghan nationals, who were deported back to their home country.

Pakistan is targeting the deportation of at least 1.7 million illegal immigrants who have been residing in the country for decades.

Majority of the illegal immigrants are Afghan nationals, who fled their home country due to security and safety concerns.

In October 2023, the government gave an ultimatum to all illegal immigrants to leave the country by October 31, warning of a crackdown, arrests, imprisonment and deportation after the deadline ends.

The Pakistan government formally initiated a crackdown after the given deadline lapsed, taking into custody illegal foreign nationals from across the country.

Majority of the arrested foreign nationals have been Afghans, who have been expressed serious reservations over the limited time given to them to leave the country and demanding that they should be allowed to stay in Pakistan as most of them have nothing to go back to.

But the Pakistan government refused to give any relevance to concerns raised by global human rights organisations or the Afghan government and maintained that it would not review its decision as the illegal immigrants and undocumented inflow of immigrants has been used as an umbrella by terrorist groups and their militants to enter into the country and carry out attacks.

Pakistan has maintained that it cannot afford nor is in a position to compromise its national security to house illegal immigrants.
Toronto, Jan 3 : In one of its first measures to bolster international student programme and prevent abuse, Canadian immigration has launched an online portal to verify letters of acceptance (LOAs) that students submit in support of their visa application.

An LOA, submitted by the student to the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), is an official confirmation that a student has received admission into a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) -- the only schools in Canada authorised to accept international students.

Obtaining an LOA from a DLI, for which the portal has been launched, is the first step in the application for a Canadian study permit.

"Weave developed a solution for designated learning institutions (DLIs) to make sure the letters of acceptance that students submit are genuine," the IRCC said in a statement.

"The goal is to protect vulnerable students and preserve the integrity of the International Student Program," it said.

Under this new system, the DLIs will now be required to verify the LOAs students submit via the online portal, which only their representative(s) to the IRCC will have access to, the CIC news website reported.

There is also a time frame to verify letters of acceptance, up to 10 calendar days, past which the access will be denied.

So, if a DLI fails to validate the LOA within that time frame, or if they validate the letter as fake, the student visa application will be cancelled and returned to the applicant.

In addition to the application, the students will also be returned any fees that they may have paid as processing costs, the CIC report said.

Canada started making massive changes in its student immigration system following the near deportation of 700 Indian students who were duped by a fraud immigration consultant by providing them fake admission acceptance letters.

Indian agent Brijesh Mishra is currently incarcerated in Canada and his trial is set to begin next month.

So far, he has been denied bail. The Canadian authorities arrested Mishra in June and slapped five charges on him, including those for counselling misrepresentation, misrepresentation and unauthorised representation or advice for consideration.

According to one of the Indian student's lawyers, he has denied any involvement in the fraudulent activity despite the fact that there are more than 285 active cases which the Canada Border Services Agency has dug out during their investigation.

A leading destination for international students, Canada welcomed a record 551,405 international students from 184 countries in 2022.

Between January and June 2023, the IRCC issued more than 280,000 new study permits -- a 77 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2022.

Meanwhile, beginning January 1, 2024, the Canadian government doubled the cost-of-living financial requirement for incoming international students.

This means that a single applicant will need to show they have C$20,635 ($15,181) in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a habeas corpus plea filed by Parliament security breach case accused Neelam Azad seeking immediate release from the custody of Delhi Police.

The counsel for Delhi Police opposed the plea's maintainability, stating: "The prayer is not maintainable, whereas this issue is already pending before the trial court."

Azad's counsel argued: "We are challenging the remand order. I was not allowed to talk to my lawyer. They restrained me from talking to the lawyer. It is an admitted fact; it's in the status report."

In response, a division bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain noted: "For the relief sought in the present petition, the petitioner has already moved an application before the trial court...Petition is not maintainable and dismissed accordingly."

Claiming that her arrest was illegal, Azad has said that it was in contravention of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution.

On Tuesday, a local court directed the Delhi Police to file a response to the bail application moved by Neelam Azad, one of the six accused in the December 13, 2023, Parliament security breach case.

Azad, with three other accused persons, was arrested on December 13, 2023.

All the six accused -- Manoranjan D., Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Neelam Devi Azad, Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat -- are in police custody till January 5.

Manoranjan and Sagar had burst yellow smoke canisters on the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack after jumping into the Lok Sabha hall from the visitorsa gallery before they were overpowered by the MPs present in the House.

Azad and Shinde also burst smoke canisters and raised slogans outside Parliament. Jha is believed to be the mastermind of the entire plan, who reportedly also fled with the mobile phones of the four others from Parliament, sources had said.

Azad has challenged the legality of the remand order dated December 21, 2023, on the ground that she wasnat allowed to consult the legal practitioner of her choice to defend her during the proceeding of the remand application dated December 21, 2023, moved by the state.

She has further alleged that she was produced after 29 hours contrary to the law.

The plea reads, "The petitioner has placed reliance on the words 'choice' and 'defended' in Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India to emphasise that it is an admitted fact that the state prevented her from having a legal representation of her choice and when she was produced before the court, although an advocate was indeed appointed by the Ld. Court, she wasnat given the opportunity to choose the most suitable advocate from DLSA."

It says that the court made a fatal error by adjudicating the remand application first and then asking the petitioner if she wanted to be defended by a legal practitioner of her choice.

"Thus, the right guaranteed under Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India was grossly violated making the remand order dated 21.12.2023 unlawful," the plea reads.

The Delhi Police have told a court that the accused in the case were "hardened criminals", consistently altering their statements.

Police have registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused and are investigating the security lapse issue, too.

The police had informed the court that they have included Sections 16 (terrorism) and 18 (conspiracy for terrorism) of the UAPA in the charges against the accused.

The High Court on December 22, 2023, stayed a trial court's order directing Delhi Police to supply Azad a copy of the FIR till the next date of hearing, which is January 4.
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara reacting to the protest launched by the BJP condemning the arrest of an alleged Kar Sevak stated that the man was not a Kar Sevak and has 16 police cases against him.

Speaking to reporters, Home Minister Parameshwara stated that the man, Srikanth Poojari, is not mentioned as a Kar Sevak in the FIR and other documents.

The Home Minister said, "He is in the position of an accused and has 16 cases against him. He has come out with a few cases among them. The BJP is a party that is supporting a person who is not abiding by the law and has 16 cases against him. I don't know what has happened to the BJP.

"Poojari's case came up while digging into older cases as orders were given to clear them. It is natural that a question is raised why after 31 years action is being taken. But, the cases could have been withdrawn during the four-year rule of the BJP Government or when former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was in power. They have also not done anything. The question is who should be blamed."

Reacting to the challenge by former BJP minister V Sunil Kumar that he would give the list of Kar Sevaks and if the Congress Government had the capacity, let them make arrests, Parameshwara said, "There are no individuals. This is a government elected by the people. The strength, capacity and power have been given by the people. The government will function as per the law."

The Hubballi police arrested Poojari in connection with an alleged case of torching of a shop on December 5, 1992, in Hubballi. Poojari is the third accused in the case and the police are looking for other eight accused in connection with the case.

Poojari has been sent to judicial custody and Hubballi police has prepared a list of 300 people wanted in the communal clashes that took place between 1992 and 1996.

Police sources explained that most of the accused are in their early and late 70s now and many of them have gone from the city.

The arrest of Poojari has stirred a huge controversy in the state, bringing the Government and Opposition in confrontation mode.
Assassination of Hamas leader by Israel an act of cowardice: Iran FM. Image Source: IANS News

Tel Aviv, Jan 3 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Wednesday condemned the death of Saleh al-Arouri, the Hamas deputy chief who was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon, and termed it as an act of cowardice by the Jewish nation.

In a statement, the Minister said that al-Arouri's "assassination" in Beirut on Tuesday was a "cowardly terrorist operation".

"This proves that the Zionist regime has not achieved any of its goals after weeks of war crimes, genocide and destruction in Gaza and the West Bank despite the direct support of the US."

Calling Israels a terror state, the Foreign Minister said the country has become a threat to the regional peace and security of people in neighbouring nations.

According to the Hamas, seven of its members, including several aides of al-Arouri, were killed in the attack which targeted an office of the militant group in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident, but Israeli media, citing senior officials, said that the country was on high alert against "a significant retaliation" by Hamas or its Iranian-backed ally, Hezbollah, including the launching of precision weapons at Israeli cities.

In response to the incident, the Hamas also announced a freeze on ceasefire negotiations with Israel.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Hamas leaders in Palestinian territories and beyond, particularly al-Arouri, who was accused by Israel of directly being responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which sparked the raging war in Gaza.

Al-Arouri, 57, is considered one of the prominent Hamas leaders, and a founder of the group's military wing, al-Qassam Brigades and its cells in the West Bank.

He was imprisoned in Israel for more than 18 years and was deported by Israeli authorities from Palestinian territories upon his last release in 2010.

In the same year, he was elected as a Hamas politburo member.

Al-Arouri became the No. 2 in the top Hamas leadership body in 2017.

--IANS

aal-ksk/
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said that the arrest of an alleged Kar Sevak in Hubballi was a law and order issue and not vendetta politics.

Replying to reporters' query on the arrest at his Sadashivanagar residence he said, "We are not doing vendetta politics, but we are doing the job of maintaining law and order. We are a peace-loving state and there is no place for anti-social activities."

"The BJP is trying to politicise this. The Home Minister has already clarified that the government is only trying to clear pending cases. Necessary action will be taken against those who have violated the law and brought disrespect to the state," he noted.

"The BJP could not elect the Leader of the Opposition for seven months. Now that the general elections are coming closer, they are raising these issues to show that they are politically alive. In a democracy, people will give an answer to their actions. We are not filing false cases against party workers of other parties like them. Check the number of cases the BJP has filed against Congress party workers in Bengaluru and Hubballi during their tenure. We haven't done anything like that and we won't do it in the future," he added.

Asked about the Opposition leaders' plan to gherao the police station in Hubballi, Shivakumar said, "Let them do it. They saffronised the khaki uniform of the state police when they were in power, we won't do such things."

Replying to a reporter's observation on Lokayukta resuming its investigation against him, he said, "I haven't received any notice regarding this. I will comment when I receive a notice."
New Delhi, Jan 3 : Venezuela has agreed to give oil to ONGC Videsh to help the Indian public sector company recover its $600 million dues as dividend for the stake that it holds in an oilfield in the Latin American country, Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain said on Wednesday.

ONGC Videsh (OVL), the overseas investment arm of ONGC, holds a 40 per cent stake in the San Cristobal field in eastern Venezuela's Orinoco Heavy Oil belt, in which Venezuela's state oil company PdVSA holds the majority share.

"They have agreed to give us some oil in lieu of OVL's dues. We are waiting for the lifting dates from them," Jain told journalists.

India will purchase oil from Venezuela as the sanctions against the Latin American country have been lifted, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said recently.

The minister also said some Indian money is locked up in Venezuela, referring to ONGCas pending $600 million in dividends since 2014 as the returns on its stake in Venezuelan oil and gas projects.

Indian refining companies such as Indian Oil and Reliance Industries have already started buying oil from Venezuela after the US lifted sanctions in October as part of Washingtonas strategy to squeeze out Russian oil from the market.

Indian oil companies have been making large purchases of Russian oil after the Ukraine war broke out as it is available at a discounted price. In fact, Russia accounts for over one-third of Indiaas oil imports.

Indian refineries, including Indian Oilas Paradip unit, are capable of using the heavy Venezuelan oil.

India imports more than 80 per cent of its crude oil requirement and is currently the third largest consumer in the world. Buying oil from diversified sources helps oil companies to get it at a lower price.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : A video has emerged on social media showing an SUV trying to run over a group of people in Delhi, and as per the police the dispute escalated over the non-payment of Rs 5.

In the video, the SUV can be seen swerving to the side of a road near Delhi's Signature Bridge in an apparent attempt to hit the people.

According to police, the complainant, Ram Chand (a Pakistani Hindu), living in a refugee camp near Signature bridge and running a small eatery near the bridge, had alleged that on Tuesday at around 8:30 a.m., two boys came in the car and asked for two glasses of water.

"He gave it to them and asked for Rs five. They refused to pay, which led to an altercation and assault," said a senior police official.

Chand was taken to the Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, where the doctor examined him but found no visible injuries.

"A case of criminal assault and rash driving was registered against the accused persons on his complaint. The car is registered in the name of Mohd Habib, a resident of Bhajanpura," said the official.

The official further said that the vehicle, a Mahindra Nuvosport SUV and the occupants were being traced.
New York, Jan 3 : A chemical used in the Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-management drug Wegovy is not associated with an increased risk for suicidal thoughts, revealed a new study.

New York, Jan 3 (IANS) A chemical used in the Novo Nordiskas diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-management drug Wegovy is not associated with an increased risk for suicidal thoughts, revealed a new study.

The findings about the chemical -- known as semaglutide -- are particularly significant because this summer the European Medicines Agency (EMA) launched an investigation of its potential dangers.

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP1R) chemical that helps regulate blood sugar in type 2 diabetes and reduces appetite.

After examining about 2 million patients with type 2 diabetes or obesity, the researchers at the Case Western Reserve University found no evidence to support the EMA's concern that semaglutide may cause suicidal ideations.

In fact, the study recently accepted for publication by the journal Nature Medicine found that Ozempic and Wegovy actually reduced the risk for suicidal ideations.

To assess the association between semaglutide and the risk of suicidal ideations, the team began examining the electronic health records of nearly 101 million patients nationally.

They then applied specific inclusion criteria to select 2 million patients further.

The team said that a clinical trial will be necessary to understand the side effects of semaglutide fully.

In the meantime, the group has been able to analyse national data to help patients make educated decisions about the risks of using semaglutide.

In this study, two distinct patient populations were analysed: Those with type 2 diabetes were provided Ozempic, while patients with obesity were prescribed Wegovy.

Patients were tracked for six months to evaluate the occurrence of suicidal ideation as well as any recurrent suicidal thoughts, as recorded in their health records.

The researchers reported that reductions in the risk of suicidal ideation were consistently found across age, ethnicity, and gender.

When compared to non-GLP1R anti-obesity and anti-diabetes drugs, it showed a lower risk for both the first incidence and recurrence of suicidal ideations in patients who were prescribed semaglutide (as Ozempic or Wegovy).

"The exploding popularity of this drug makes it imperative to understand all its potential complications," said Pamela B. Davis, Research Professor at the varsity.

"It's important to know that prior suggestions that the drug might trigger suicidal thoughts is not borne out in this very large and diverse population in the US," Davis added.
Kolkata, Jan 3 : Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Niranjan Jyoti on Wednesday claimed that despite waiting for two-and-half hours at her office at New Delhi in October last year for the Trinamool Congress delegation, it did not turn up.

Jyoti, who was in Kolkata to offer prayers at the Kali Temple at Kalighat on Wednesday, told media persons: "A Trinamool Congress delegation came to my office on that day. I waited at my office from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. First, they said that the delegation of five will meet me. I agreed. Then they said that the delegation will be of 10 members. I even agreed to that. Abhishek Banerjee said that he wanted to meet me. I agreed. Then they demanded that I will have to meet the people and not the delegation."

Jyoti said that she waited for so long since she wanted to engage in a dialogue for the sake of the interest of the common people of West Bengal. "But later I realised that they had no intention to meet. Their only intention was to stage a dharna," she said.

She also rubbished the Trinamool Congress' charge of the Union government "freezing" the flow of Central funds to the the state government under various Centrally-sponsored schemes.

"We have not stopped any payment. Had we done that, the fund flow for all the projects would have been stopped by now," she claimed.

However, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen refuted the claims by the Union minister.

"Let the CCTV footage of her office be made public and the truth will be revealed. In that case, the Union minister should take responsibility for what she said today and apologise," he said.
Kyiv-born comedian Iryna Gatun, who played the role of the "girl from Skadovsk" in the scandalous episode of Kvartal 95, traveled to occupied Crimea in 2019 and wore a Soviet uniform in 2015. She keeps evidence of this on her Facebook page among many hundreds of other photos.

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The photos were noticed by journalist Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaeva. According to the author of the Bez Censored channel, Gatun blocked her after the facts from her biography were published.

"Iryna Gatun, the star of Kvartal 95, loves May 9 and pilots. And in 2018-2019, she had a good time in the occupied Crimea: in Feodosia, Koktebel and Yalta. Can a convinced lover of staples and Pushkin culture make jokes about women who have suffered from the occupation? Obviously not," the journalist wrote.

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If you scroll through the photos on the comedian's page for a very long time, you can find evidence of the journalist's words. For example, photos against the backdrop of Crimean landscapes or shots of "Scarlet Sails" in the Alexander Green Museum, which is located on the now-occupied peninsula.

If you go very far down and scroll through photos from other cities in Ukraine, and again from Crimea, where Gatun, according to Danylyuk-Yarmolaeva, was in 2018 and 2015, you can see a mallet in a Soviet uniform with a pilot's cap and a distinctive star on it.

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By the way, Iryna Gatun is a connoisseur of Russian culture. For example, on her page, you can find a photo of a monument to Russian writer Anton Chekhov, and the Black Square Theater's website contains information about her favorite cultural figures.

The actress's favorites among her colleagues are Russians Oleg Yankovsky and Faina Ranevskaya, and her favorite movie is The Same Munich produced by Mosfilm.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that the scandal around the actress erupted because of a performance where she embodied a "girl from Skadovsk" who speaks poor Ukrainian and does not understand simple words. Another participant in the skit, Yuri Veliky, has already responded to the outrage of Ukrainians.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Houston, Jan 3 : The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Texas can ban emergency abortions, despite President Joe Biden's administration arguing that federal guidance should take priority over state laws banning the procedure.

"The Texas plaintiffs' argument that medical treatment is historically subject to police power of the states, not to be superseded unless that was the clear and manifest purpose of Congress, is convincing," Judge Kurt Engelhardt, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, wrote in his opinion.

Texas had sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over its guidance on the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which says health providers who perform abortions in emergencies are protected under federal law.

A federal judge in Texas blocked the federal agency from enforcing the guidance in Texas in 2022, and the HHS appealed the decision afterward.

Last month, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a pregnant woman, Kate Cox, who was suing the state over its abortion ban, was not permitted to undergo an emergency procedure in the state.

Cox, who learned that her fetus had a fatal diagnosis, ultimately left the state to obtain the necessary procedure.

Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the US.

Abortions in the state are prohibited from the point of conception, except in rare cases where the life of the expectant mother is under threat.

There is no state-wide law prohibiting travel outside of the state for an abortion, but some counties have passed such restrictions in recent months.

In October 2023, Lubbock County became the largest county to enact such a measure, making it illegal for anyone to transport a pregnant woman through the county, or pay for her travel, for the purposes of obtaining an abortion.

Nearly 1 in 5 people who had an abortion in the US in the first half of 2023 a" more than 92,000 people a" traveled across state lines for their care, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organisation focused on sexual and reproductive health that supports abortion rights.
Tokyo, Jan 3 : Japanese transportation authorities on Wednesday started a probe into the cause of a collision between a Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport the previous day, which led to over 300 flight cancellations.

The Japan Transport Safety Board, the government-affiliated agency in charge of probing serious accidents involving airplanes, trains and ships, examined the aircraft wreckage during the day while police also inspected the accident site, reports Xinhua news agency.

The safety board reported that it had retrieved the flight and voice recorders of the Coast Guard aircraft and was still searching for those of the JAL plane, which had flown from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido prefecture, according to local media outlets.

A Haneda air traffic controller had permitted the passenger plane to land on a runway before the crash took place, and had ordered the coast guard aircraft to "hold short of the runway," national broadcaster NHK reported, citing sources with Japan's transport ministry.

The plane's crew members had told the company that they proceeded with the landing after confirming with air traffic control and that there were no abnormalities with the aircraft during the flight, national news agency Kyodo quoted JAL as saying on Wednesday.

The crash forced the airport to shut down all runways for several hours on Tuesday evening, leading to cancellations of 226 flights to and from Haneda, affecting over 40,000 passengers.

Despite the reopening of three runways on Wednesday, about 100 flights are still expected to be scrubbed on Wednesday, disrupting the travel plans of 19,000 passengers.

At around 6 p.m.on Tuesday, JAL Flight 516, an Airbus A-350, was landing on Haneda's C-runway when the Coast Guard flight MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8, collided with it, with both aircraft catching fire.

Television footage on Tuesday showed a large burst of fire erupting from the side of the JAL plane as it taxied on a runway.

The area around the wing then caught fire. The footage seen an hour later showed the blaze engulfed the aircraft.

Five of the six crew members aboard the MA-722 were confirmed dead, while the captain who managed to escape earlier was severely injured.

The Coast Guard plane, which belongs to the Haneda Airport base, was taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas in Niigata Prefecture after a series of temblors of up to 7.6 magnitude struck central Japan on Monday afternoon, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima.

Meanwhile, all 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board the JAL flight escaped from the airplane while it was on fire without life-threatening injuries after the collision.

The Tokyo Fire Department said it took more than eight hours to extinguish the fire following the crash.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that there was no proposal to cut petrol and diesel prices at present as there was "high volatility" in global crude oil prices.

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that there was no proposal to cut petrol and diesel prices at present as there was "high volatility" in global crude oil prices.

The minister dismissed media reports about a fuel price cut as 'speculative', saying the government's top priority is energy availability.

He also said that the oil marketing companies -- Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL, incurred heavy losses when the prices of crude oil had skyrocketed recently.

There are no discussions with oil marketing companies on fuel price cuts and they want a stable and positive forward-looking situation in terms of pricing, the minister added.

The minister pointed out that India was the only country where fuel prices had come down in recent months.

"In the South Asian countries, the prices of petrol and diesel increased by around 40-80 per cent. If you look at the Western industrialized world, the prices have gone up there, but in India prices have come down," Puri said.

"We are able to do it because of far-sighted and visionary leadership. Central excise duty reduction was done on two occasions, November 2021, and May 2022 and we carried that into 2023," he added.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : Budget airline Akasa Air has inducted two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, reaching a fleet size of 22 aircraft within 17 months of commencing operations,

The 22 aircraft includes 21 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and one Boeing 737 MAX 8 200.

"The additions to our fleet will help us bolster the strength of our operations as we expand our footprint and foray into international skies in the coming months. Each addition to our fleet brings us closer to our purpose of connecting people, places, and cultures, and we hope that as we step into the next phase of growth, we will be able to serve millions of satisfied travellers across the globe," said Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air.

"We are grateful to our employees and our partners for their unwavering support that catalysed Akasa Air's unmatched trajectory and look forward to building a world class airline that transcends generations," he said.

The airline spokesperson said that as the airline steps into the next chapter of its growth story with plans to expand its domestic presence and commence international operations in the coming months, the fleet expansion will support seamless and reliable connectivity to travellers across the globe.

"Aligning with the airlineas commitment to sustainability, the 737 MAX family provides greater range and fuel efficiency, reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared to those it replaces. In addition, the 737 MAX is a quieter airplane with a 50 per cent smaller noise footprint than replacement airplanes," said the spokesperson.
Lucknow, Jan 3 : The Uttar Pradesh government has banned those below 18 years of age from driving scooters and cars.

If parents allow children to drive scooty or car, they will be punished with three years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000.

Following the instructions issued by the government regarding this, strictness will be enforced in secondary schools with the help of the Transport Department, said a government spokesman.

For this, the youth will be made aware by running a campaign. Besides, students will also be given information about road safety through various mediums.

The spokesman further said that under this, a road safety club will be formed in every school. One student in all classes will be made Road Safety Captain. A class on road safety information will also be held in the school.

Besides, in every school, one teacher will be made nodal head and will be given online and offline training with the help of the transport department. At the same time, strict action will be taken to ensure that children below 18 years of age do not drive any motor vehicle.

Detailed guidelines have been issued by Transport Commissioner, Chandra Bhushan Singh, in this regard.

The Director of Secondary Education has also been asked to run a campaign in schools for this.

He has said that in the prayer meeting, students should be given information about road safety and they should also be given an oath on it. Wall painting related to road safety rules should be done in schools. Information and suggestions related to this should be shared by creating a WhatsApp group of students. The Director has said that social media platforms should also be used for this.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : Tech Mahindra on Wednesday announced the appointment of Richard Lobo, former Infosys executive vice-president and head of human resources, as its chief people officer.

Lobo's appointment comes as part of Tech Mahindra's ongoing leadership restructuring under Managing Director and CEO Mohit Joshi.

"With over 25 years of experience in HR transformation, employee experience, diversity, and inclusion, Lobo is set to lead the HR charter at Tech_Mahindra," the IT and digital transformation major posted on X.

"Together, we'll continue to scale people processes, drive sustainable growth, and create an unparalleled working environment based on our people-first principles," Tech Mahindra added.

Lobo worked with Infosys for nearly 23 years. He quit Infosys in August to work as an HR consultant and strategic advisor at edtech unicorn Byju's.

Byju's had appointed Lobo as an exclusive advisor to help transform its human resources function.

At Infosys, Lobo held various leadership roles, most recently serving as its EVP and Head of Human Resources.

An active contributor to publications and a frequent speaker at industry events, Lobo also advises academia on trends in business and human resources.

Tech Mahindra recently appointed former LTI chief marketing officer (CMO) Peeyush Dubey as its CMO.
Patna, Jan 3 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday alleged that central investigating agencies ED and CBI are the "alliance partners" of NDA.

Patna, Jan 3 (IANS) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday alleged that central investigating agencies ED and CBI are the "alliance partners" of NDA.

"This is not the first time that our family has received the ED and CBI notice. These notices will continue to be served to us till the Lok Sabha election. The ED and CBI are the strongest alliance partners of NDA who are working under pressure from the Modi government," Tejshwi Yadav said.

He said that there are no major parties in NDA and hence ED and CBI are the "major alliance" partners of NDA.

"They (ED and CBI) have left their real jobs and are doing political work for the NDA," Yadav said.

The Deputy Chief Minister's remarks came after ED summoned Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav in IRCTC land for a job scam which allegedly took place during the UPA government.

Under the land for job case, the ED and CBI have registered FIRs against 16 persons including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, Misa Bharti, Rabri Devi and others.

It is alleged that under the land for job case, many people were given jobs in the Indian Railway on the basis of registering their lands in Bihar.

The ED is investigating the money laundering in this case and have also recently arrested a person namely Amit Katyal who is considered to be close to Lalu Prasad Yadav's family.
Singapore, Jan 3 : A 44-year-old machine operator from Bangladesh was acquitted in Singapore of causing the death of an Indian-origin worker in 2020, a media report said.

Uttom was charged with endangering the safety of workers by committing a negligent act, which led to the death of Karuppaiah Selvaraj, The Straits Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The court heard that Uttom was operating a shear machine at a plant at 11 Shipyard Crescent on February 24, 2020 when the accident occurred.

On January 2, Uttom was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal, meaning he cannot be charged with the same offence again.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a media alert last year that it has fined Kim Hock Corp, a company that processes scrap metal for overseas export, SG$240,000 over Karuppaiah's death.

According to the ministry, Karuppaiah was observing the shear machine before the accident, while Uttom was operating it via a mobile panel.

"When prompted to activate the machine, Uttom wrongly pressed a button that instead caused the machine's door to pin (Mr Karuppaiah) against the machine," the MOM had said in the alert issued in November 2023.

While Karuppaiah was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic, MOM's investigations revealed that Kim Hock Corp failed to establish adequate safe work procedures to control the risks posed to employees.

It also noted that the company failed to ensure that all employees performing maintenance works on the machine were provided with the right training and instructions beforehand.
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : The Karnataka BJP staged a protest across the state on Wednesday condemning the arrest of an alleged Kar Sevak, Srikanth Poojari, in Hubballi in connection with a 31-year-old case of arson during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

The Leader of the Opposition, R Ashoka, led the agitation in Hubballi city and the protest was staged in front of the Hubballi Shehar Police Station in spite of refusal of permission by the authorities.

State BJP President BY Vijayendra led the protest at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru even as the saffron party staged a protest in all district headquarters of the state and urged the Congress Government to immediately release Srikanth Poojari.

Addressing the gathering, R Ashoka stated, "The Congress Government is conspiring to arrest Ram bhakts. There are about 56,000 police cases pending in the state. Why are they focusing on one case in Hubballi? Is it tenable to arrest a Kar Sevak? Why is Congress angry with Lord Ram?"

"The cases are lodged against Hindu activists selectively. Srikanth Poojari should be released from prison immediately. Even I have a case against me, let them initiate arrest proceedings," Ashoka challenged.

"Are you doing this out of fear of losing elections," he taunted the Congress.

Ashoka raised slogans against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar from the stage.

The protestors also raised "mata, mata, Bharat mata" slogans. "We have come here as Ram bhakts, don't compel us to become Lord Hanuman," he warned.

"All across the country people are celebrating the inauguration of the Ram Temple. The Siddaramaiah Government wants to pass on the message to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi that the party is well-placed in the state to be able to arrest Hindu activists and Ram bhakts," Ashoka alleged.

"I had worked as a Home Minister. I can read the developments. The Siddaramaiah Government is instilling fear among Ram bhakts. Through this tactic, the government wants Hindu activists and Ram bhakts to remain indoors at the time of inauguration of the Ram mandir," he claimed.

"What more can be expected from those who make Tipu Sultan, a coward who killed lakhs of Hindus and imprisoned Mysuru kings to take over their kingdoms, their model?" Ashoka charged.

Vijayendra stated that the ruling anti-Ram government was not able to tolerate the construction of the Ram mandir in Ayodhya and was trying to prevent the distribution of 'Mantrakhsate' sacred rice grains by Ram bhakts.

"The Congress ministers are issuing irresponsible statements on Lord Ram. The government is arresting Ram bhakts by reopening 31-year-old cases. This government needs to be taught a befitting lesson for its anti-Hindu stand," he stated.

BJP MLA and General Secretary V Sunil Kumar said that even after the Supreme Court judgment allowing the construction of the Ram mandir in Ayodhya, cases were lodged against Ram bhakts. The anti-Hindu stand of Siddaramaiah is exposed, he added.
New Delhi: Former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar arrive to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Rs 1,875-crore Videocon loan case in New Delhi on May 13, 2019. . Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till January 12 the hearing on the CBI's petition challenging the interim bail granted by the Bombay High Court to former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar in the alleged Videocon loan fraud case.

A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal took note of the fact that the Bombay High Court was due to hear Kochhar's case on January 5, including the application filed by the CBI for vacation of the interim bail order.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, appearing for the central investigative agency, urged the apex court to pass orders requiring Kochhar to not seek adjournment in the High Court.

ASG Raju said, "Let them not ask for time (before the High Court)."

The matter will now be heard by the Supreme Court on January 12.

In the previous hearing, senior advocate Amit Desai, who appeared on Kochhar's behalf via video conferencing, submitted that he was facing connectivity issues and intended to appear physically for making submissions before the apex court.

Thereafter, the top court decided that it will take up the matter for further hearing on January 3, 2024.

In a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court, the CBI had challenged the Bombay HC decision directing release of Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar from judicial custody on the grounds that the arrest made was not in accordance with the law.

Interestingly, the High Court order of January 9 last year, granting interim bail for two weeks only, is still continuing.

Kochhar and her family are alleged to have received kickbacks over her tenure in lieu of loans provided to the Videocon group.
In the New Year's episode of Kvartal 95 , the comedians performed a number dedicated to a "girl from Skadovsk," which is now occupied by the Russians, and a "resident of Zakarpattia." The audience was supposed to be amused by the mistakes of a Russian-speaking Ukrainian woman who is trying to learn to speak the state language competently, but has not yet succeeded.

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The sketch caused a great deal of controversy online. The Kvartal members were accused of making fun of Russian-speaking Ukrainians who confuse words. The show's participant, comedian Yuri Veliky, responded to the scandal on Instagram.

"Many people were outraged by the pun written by the authors, which occurs when saying the phrase 'I'm from Skadovsk'. If a funny pun came out of the name of any other Ukrainian city where people spoke Russian more, it would be the name of that city. Perhaps, in this situation, it was indeed inappropriate to choose Skadovsk, which is currently under enemy occupation, for a joke," the artist commented on the joke "I'm from Skadovsk".

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The comedian emphasized that the "Kvartalists" wanted, on the contrary, to encourage Ukrainians to speak their native language, and not to be afraid to make mistakes. However, it seemed to the audience that the intentions were quite the opposite, as the audience laughed at the confusion in the words.

"We definitely did not aim to offend any Ukrainians, especially those of our people who are currently under occupation. And if this number hurt someone's feelings, we apologize. But we definitely cannot be blamed for not understanding the pain of our fellow citizens from the temporarily occupied territories, especially since some of our actors and authors were born in these cities. Skadovsk is Ukraine. Skadovsk speaks Ukrainian," Yuri Veliky concluded.

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We should add that the image "Skadovsk speaks Ukrainian" was chosen by the comedian for a reason. The flash mob under this title was launched by the mayor of the city, Oleksandr Yakovlev, in response to jokes about "tits from Skadovsk".

The mayor emphasized that the residents of the now-occupied city, although they used to speak Russian, speak their native language at a decent level and understand it well. He invited the residents of Skadovsk to recite Ukrainian poetry and was the first to do so, reciting Hryhoriy Chubay's poem "It's Not Easy to Live in the Twentieth Century."

As OBOZ.UA wrote, Diesel Studio recently got into a scandal by creating a show about Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories. However, instead of apologizing, the editor-in-chief of the Diesel Show, Oleksiy Blanar, said that he himself almost died at the hands of the occupiers and was ready to "communicate very specifically in a clear language" with those who did not like the studio's jokes.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Patna: A Patna-Delhi IndiGo flight which was forced to make an emergency landing at the Patna airport. Image Source: IANS News

Patna, Jan 3 : A Patna-Delhi IndiGo flight (6E2074) on Wednesday made an emergency landing minutes after take-off from the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport here after developing a technical glitch.

The flight was carrying 187 passengers, including rebel JD-U MP Sunil Kumar Pintu and Bihar Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha.

The flight took off from Patna at around 12 noon and soon its front hydraulic wheel got jammed and did not go inside the aircraft.

The pilots contacted ATC Patna and informed them about the technical glitch. The ATC immediately got into action as the aircraft landed safely at the Patna airport.

Following the incident, the passengers were shifted to another IndiGo aircraft, which Sunil Kumar Pintu and Sanjay Jha didn't board.

"I was travelling to Delhi on an IndiGo flight, which had to make emergency landing after developing a technical snag," Pintu said after coming out of the airport.

"All passengers are safe," Jha added.
Chandigarh, Jan 3 : The Haryana Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Wednesday approved a scheme offering monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,750 to persons suffering from rare diseases.

The scheme, Financial Assistance to Persons Suffering from Rare Diseases, comes in the wake of the increasing prevalence of rare diseases affecting families and communities across the state.

The National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 identifies 55 rare diseases, causing undue financial strain and societal impact. With an estimated 1,000 patients currently suffering from these rare diseases in Haryana, the government aims to alleviate the economic burden faced by affected individuals and their families.

This initiative was announced by Chief Minister on May 11, 2023, during the inaugural function at Civil Hospital, Yamunanagar.

Under the scheme, individuals suffering from rare diseases, meeting the eligibility criteria, will receive a financial assistance of Rs 2,750 per month.

The assistance provided under this scheme will be in addition to the benefit being availed under any other social security pension scheme by the applicant, an official statement said.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted one-week to three top executives of Chinese smartphone-maker Vivo's India unit, who were arrested in a money laundering case, to file a reply to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea challenging the trial court order freeing them.

Vacation judge Shirish Agrawal of Patiala House Courts had on December 30 granted the trio -- Vivo India interim CEO Hong Xuquan, Chief Financial Officer Harinder Dahiya, and Consultant Hemant Munjal -- relief after they were produced on expiry of their one-day ED custody.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju argued the trial court order was "totally perverse" and demanded urgent adjudication, while the counsel for the accused requested time to prepare their response.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, presiding over the case, said, "They will need to file a reply. I can't deny them."

The court granted the respondents one week to submit their reply, and posted the next hearing for January 11.

ASG Raju said that one of the respondents, a Chinese national, posed a flight risk.

In response, the defence said that the accused had already surrendered their passports.

Justice Sharma hinted at directing the accused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Fridays and Mondays when she issues a written order.

On Tuesday, the high court had issued notice on ED's plea saying that as they have already been released, no ex parte interim order can be passed at this stage.

The trial court had allowed their application challenging the arrest and subsequent custody, directing their release upon furnishing bail bonds of Rs 2 lakh each. The accused, who were arrested on December 22 last year, contested the legality of their arrest, claiming it exceeded the stipulated 24-hour period before being produced before the court.

Senior counsel Siddharth Agarwal had argued that this delay rendered their arrest and custody illegal, asserting their right to consequential release. Despite the ED's argument that the accused joined voluntarily and without objection, the court sided with the defence.

The ED's plea for judicial custody was rejected, citing the need for adherence to legal protocols.

While the ED insisted on continuing the investigation, the court's order mandates the release of the accused, stressing the importance of legal procedures in handling such cases.

The arrests were made months after four accused -- Lava International MD Hari Om Rai, Chinese national Guangwen alias Andrew Kuang, and chartered accountants Nitin Garg and Rajan Malik -- were arrested on October 10 last year.

On December 20, the court took cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the financial probe agency naming the four accused, and summoned the accused, who are in judicial custody, on February 19.

A source told IANS that the arrests were made after the ED carried out searches at the premises of the four accused and recovered cash to the tune of Rs 10 lakh. The ED action came more than a year after it carried out searches at 48 locations across the country at premises belonging to Vivo Mobiles India Private Ltd and its 23 associated companies, including Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL), and claimed that it has busted a major money laundering racket involving Chinese nationals and multiple Indian firms.

According to the ED, Vivo India was incorporated on August 1, 2014 as a subsidiary of Multi Accord Ltd, a Hong Kong-based company, and was registered at the ROC Delhi. GPICPL was registered on December 3, 2014 at ROC Shimla, with registered addresses of Solan, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu.

The PMLA investigation by the ED was initiated by registering a money laundering case on February 3, 2022 on the basis of an FIR registered at the Kalkaji police station in the national capital by Delhi Police against GPICPL, its director, shareholders and certifying professionals, etc, on the basis of a complaint filed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Gandhinagar, Jan 3 : The Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) signed an MoU with the government of Gujarat on Wednesday for providing comprehensive financial backing to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore for power generation, transmission, and distribution projects in the state.

Apart from facilitating the expansion of power infrastructure, the MoU will also help to create 10,000 jobs in Gujarat, an official statement said.

The MoU was signed by Parminder Chopra, CMD PFC and Jai Prakash Shivhare, MD (GUVNL) in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

This strategic alliance is anticipated to usher in a new era of energy sustainability and efficiency in Gujarat, setting the stage for transformative changes and catalysing the state's vision for a robust and reliable power infrastructure, the statement added.
Patna, Dec 3 : A sub-inspector rank police officer shot at self in Patna on Wednesday, an official said.

The condition of the SI, identified as Rashmi Ranjan, is stated to be critical.

Confirming the incident, Sushil Kumar, SDPO of Sachivalaya, said Ranjan shot himself on the head with his service revolver.

"Ranjan is currently undergoing treatment at the Paras Hospital in Patna where his condition is stated to be critical. Patna SSP Rajiv Mishra and other senior officers have reached the hospital to check on his health status.

"Ranjan is a native of Sri Krishna Colony in Aurangabad who is presently deployed at the civil courts in Patna. His family members have said that he was depressed for the past fortnight after his name came up in an FIR filed in his native place," Kumar said.
Tehran, Jan 3 : At least 73 people were killed and 173 others injured on Wednesday in two blasts near the burial ground of Iran's late commander Qassem Soleimani in the southwestern province of Kerman, reported the semi-official Fars news agency citing Iran's Emergency organisation.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), the blasts occurred in an underpass one kilometer away from the burial ground, with the first one heard at 15:04 local time (1134 GMT) and the second one a few minutes later at 15:17, as people were paying homage to the late commander on his fourth assassination anniversary, the IRINN added, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the report, the cause of the blasts has not been determined yet, and rescue teams have been sent to the scene.

It added most of the injuries had been sustained due to overcrowding and people's panicking.

On January 3, 2020, the U.S. military assassinated Soleimani in a drone strike near the Baghdad International Airport.
Chandigarh, Jan 3 : Punjab's former Chief Secretary, Ramesh Inder Singh's book 'Dukhant Punjab Da', that is an eye-opening account of events before and after 'Operation Bluestar', and throws light on the history of Punjab, was released here on Wednesday.

Ramesh Inder Singh was the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar during Operation Bluestar and he has described the situation as he saw it, in this book.

He was later promoted and retired from the post of Chief Secretary. Ramesh Inder Singh said, "Starting from the year 1978, Punjab went through a volcanic period in which there was endless violence. These few years were to determine the direction of our history. After the country's Independence, perhaps no other domestic crisis would have had such a deep impact."

"But 40 years after the Bluestar incident, we still hear conflicting stories about what happened and how. This book 'Dukhant Punjab Da' is an eye-witness account of the historical event and those years.

"The book gives a detailed description of the past events which shows the situation of insurgency from its beginning to its end," he said.

He further said even in the best of times, people's perception of an event or situation varies. Particularly devastating events blur neutrality, divide people, and often ignore the facts.

"Operation Bluestar and the events that followed were disastrous events of this nature, which led India to go to war among itself. The country lost a Prime Minister, a Chief Minister, a former Army Chief, thousands of innocent civilians and some innocent people. However, nearly four decades later, we still hear different stories about what happened, why it happened, and how it happened.

"Facts are eternal, but whose facts are they? It's one person's truth versus another person's, your interpretation versus their interpretation," Ramesh Inder Singh told the media.

He explains that in June 1984, the Indian Army marched towards Amritsar -- Operation Bluestar was underway. "Some saw it as an attack on the holy site of Sri Harmandir Sahib, while others saw it as a military operation to liberate the holy site from gun-toting terrorists. A few months later, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Street massacres took place in Delhi and elsewhere, in which more than 3,000 innocent Sikhs were killed. It was genocide while others consider it a spontaneous reaction to the assassination of their beloved leader," he said.

"For some, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a martyr, as the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib publicly stated in 2003. However, others hold him responsible for more than two decades of turmoil, suffering and destruction in Punjab," he said.

According to Ramesh Inder Singh, he was an eyewitness, and sometimes a role player, although this is inconsequential at this moment in history.

"What I saw or did, or what I failed to do, needs to be told. My conscience, more than anything else, prompts me to state my interpretation of the facts and events during the decade-and-a-half surrounding Operation Bluestar.

"It would not be fair to history to leave things unsaid. Therefore, I feel the need for an objective and factual description of events and incidents. I try to do just that in the pages of this book.

"Terrorism has been decisively eliminated in Punjab. However, the deep, underlying ethno-socio-religious fault lines that have caused turmoil in the state still persist. History has a strange habit of repeating itself and we must be careful, only those civilizations move forward that learn from their history," he said.

"I do not regret the long gap of time in writing this account as the passage of years has helped clarify the issues and cool tempers. Much has been said and written about Operation Bluestar and the turmoil in Punjab in these 29 years.

"Several history books and documentaries and some eyewitness accounts, mostly hearsay, have been published. However, given the sensitivity of the topic and security requirements, not everything has been said and may not be said for some time.

"However, to the best of my knowledge, I have said and written it honestly. I hope, as the frenzy subsides over time, people inside and outside the government will be more receptive to this work," the writer added.

On this occasion, journalist Baljit Balli and the author were engaged in a discussion about the book. Harish Jain, Publisher Unistar Books, was also present on the occasion.
In a first, girl band from NE to participate in NCC R-Day camp. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 3 : Ministry of Defence (MoD on Wednesday said that a band, comprising of 45 girls from North East (NE), will participate -- for the time -- in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp 2024.

The ministry said that the girls are in the age group of 13-15 and will represent the rich cultural heritage of the North East and showcase the reach of the NCC.

DG NCC, Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh said that a total of 2,274 cadets, including the highest participation of 907 girls, from across the country are taking part in the month-long camp.

The cadets also include 122 from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as well as 177 from the North East. In addition, cadets and officers from 25 friendly countries under the Youth Exchange Programme (YEP) will participate, Singh aded.

The DG NCC said that the aim of the Republic Day Camp is to provide exposure to the rich traditions of the nation and strengthen the value system of the cadets.

"The camp will promote national integration and strengthen unity in diversity through cultural exchange programmes. The camp will be visited by a number of dignitaries including Vice President, Defence Minister, MoS Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and the three Service Chiefs," official added.

The DG NCC said that the training philosophy of the cadets has been refined to accommodate the changing aspirations of the youth.

"The focus is on personality development, inculcating leadership traits and improving the soft skills of cadets to equip them for their future requirements. The idea is to transform them into better citizens and inculcate the spirit of Nation first," he said.
Modi tears into Left, Congress in Kerala, describes them as 'one'. Image Source: IANS News

Kochi, Jan 3 : In what is believed to be the launch of BJP-led NDA's Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed a large public rally of women at Trissur, where he tore into Kerala's ruling CPI-M-led Left and the Congress-led opposition, describing them as 'one' with the same ideology as they both are part of the INDIA bloc.

The Prime Minister arrived at the rally venue where about two lakh women were present after holding a roadshow, with thousands of people lined up on both sides of the road.

Unlike in Kochi recently, where he walked for more than a kilometre, in Trissur he rode on a special vehicle brought from Gujarat, accompanied by state BJP chief, K. Surendran, superstar Suresh Gopi, and Mahila Morcha leader Nivedida.

Addressing the rally, the Prime Minister said the traditional rival political fronts in Kerala have done nothing for the women of the state, as he emphasised on how the 'Modi guarantees' have benefited the women of the country.

"The Left and the Congress never gave importance to women power, while the BJP-led NDA government gives utmost importance to the same. Hence, I request you to support us," Modi said.

The Centre is also giving equal importance to the farmers, youth, and the poor, he said.

"When the development of women takes place, the state and the country progresses. The 'Modi guarantees' are there for you.

"The 'Modi guarantees' were given to numerous projects which benefited women, including subsidised gas connection, water connection, sanitary pads, Mudra loans and several other women-centric schemes," Modi said.

He then said that a strong NDA government at the Centre has helped in bringing back people form the conflict areas, including nurses from Kerala who were stuck in Iraq.

"Would it be possible had it been a weak Congress or Left led government at the Centre," Modi asked.

"The Left and the Congress in Kerala are one and the same, as both indulge in corruption and looting. Infrastructure developments are stalled in the state. Everyone knows through which office gold smuggling took place (referring to the infamous gold smuggling case in which the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office came under scanner after his principal secretary, M. Sivasankar, was arrested for his close ties with the prime accused in the case, Swapna Suresh)."

The Prime Minister also slammed the Vijayan-led state government for not adhering to the rules after getting Central assistance.

"When we ask for the utilisation of funds provided by the Centre, we don't get answers," Modi said.

He also referred to the meeting he had with Christian leaders on Christmas Day last week, terming it as "very fruitful".

"I thanked them for their blessings and they appreciated the works being done by the Centre," Modi said.
Mossad Chief in Doha for fresh talks, will meet CIA Chief for release of more hostages. Image Source: IANS News

Tel Aviv, Jan 3 : Mossad Chief David Barnea on Wednesday said that people who are responsible for the October 7 attack have "signed their own death warrant".

Tel Aviv, Jan 3 (IANS) Mossad Chief David Barnea on Wednesday said that people who are responsible for the October 7 attack have "signed their own death warrant".

"Let every Arab mother know that if her son took part in the October 7 massacre, he has signed his own death warrant," Mossad Chief said.

His quote seems to be loosely-inspired by Israel's first prime minister David Ben Gurion, who in a 1963 speech had said: "Let every Hebrew mother know she has entrusted the fate of her (soldier) son to commanders worthy of it."

Mossad Chief was attending the funeral services of former Mossad chief, Zvi Zamir, who died on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Israel assassinated Hamas Deputy Chief Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut.

Source said that Qatar -- which is one of the major negotiators between Israel and Hamas -- has asked the Israelis not to assassinate the Hamas leaders in Qatar.

Hamas Political Head Ismael Haneyeh along with other top leaders including Khaled Mashel are living in Qatar.
Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, sound engineer of the Piccardian Tertia band Bohdan Stefura passed away at the age of 66. He was also one of the organizers of the Chervona Ruta song festival in 1989.

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The loss was announced by the members of the Piccardian Tertia on the group's official Facebook page. Stefura's colleagues expressed their condolences.

"Our good friend is gone," the post reads. The page notes that hundreds of joint performances, both on the Ukrainian stage and abroad, will remain in the memory of the comrades.

Bohdan Stefura has a long record of works that he created as a sound engineer for such Ukrainian bands as Vatra, Zhayvir, and Medicus.

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In 1989, he joined the organization of the famous Chervona Ruta youth song festival. Later, in the 1990s, Stefura went to work in the United States, but soon returned to Ukraine, founding the Melos recording studio in Lviv.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told how Sophia Rotaru, whose son and grandson fled abroad in disgrace, supported the victims of rocket attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv with her prayers.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and 11 states on a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting caste-based discrimination in state prison manuals.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud sought response from the Union Home Ministry and the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra in the matter.

The bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the matter.

The matter will be next heard after four weeks. In the meantime, the apex court asked senior advocate S. Muralidhar to make a compilation of jail manuals from the states.

The plea, filed through advocate Prasanna S, highlighted that Thevars, Nadars, and Pallars are allotted different sections at the Palayamkottai Central Jail in Tamil Nadu, providing a aglaring instance of caste-based segregation of barracks".

The West Bengal Jail Code lays down that work in the prison should be designated by caste, such as cooking work will be undertaken by dominant castes and sweeping work shall be undertaken by people from a particular caste, the plea said.

The petition sought appropriate directions from the apex court for bringing such manuals and the prison practices in conformity with the Constitution.
New Delhi/Imphal, Jan 3 : Manipur Congress and various other organisations on Wednesday submitted complaints alleging various lapses of both the Central and state government in dealing with the ethnic riot to Commission of Inquiry, which is probing the ethnic violence that broke out on May 3 last year.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Vice-President Hareshwar Goshwami and AICC Member and lawyer Ningombam Bupenda Meitei have submitted the complaint in the Commission's office in New Delhi.

The Congress leaders as per the mandate of the commission refused to disclose the contents of the complaints, submitted through an affidavit.

However, sources said that the complaints were lodged over various lapses of the Central and state governments in dealing with the ethnic riot between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo community for the past around eight months.

Goshwami said that they had submitted the complaint under the guidance of Manipur state Congress President K. Meghachandra, as the party considers the matter with utmost seriousness.

Advocate Bupenda Meitei said that he hoped justice will be done to Manipur and the people of the state.

The Congress has been demanding resignation of the BJP led Manipur government headed by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh alleging its complete failure to tackle the ethnic hostilities.

The affected people of Meitei community of Serou and Sugnu in Sugnu assembly constituency in Manipur have also separately submitted their complaints to the Commission in New Delhi.

Home Minister Amit Shah during his four-day visit to Manipur (May 29-June 1 last year) announced to constitute the Commission of Inquiry to probe the devastating ethnic riot.

Later the Home Ministry constituted the three-member Commission of Inquiry headed by Gauhati High Court's former Chief Justice Ajai Lamba (retd) to probe the ethnic violence in Manipur.

The ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kuk-Zo community people broke out in the northeastern state after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested two wanted sharpshooters of the notorious Himanshu a.k.a. Bahu and Naveen Bali gang following an exchange of fire, an official said on Wednesday, adding both were wanted in an extortion cum attempt to murder case.

The arrested individuals were identified as Kapil a.k.a Mota (22) and Rahul (19), both residents of Rohtak district in Haryana.

An official said that Kapil had fired on the police team and, in retaliation, the police also fired in self-defence. One of the bullets fired by the police hit the right leg of Kapil, who was later taken to a hospital.

Special Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Singh Yadav said: "A trap was laid and a Swift car was intercepted which was coming from Bijwasan Chawla Road, and was signalled to stop by the police personnel. The car, however, did not stop after hitting the barricade and its occupants began firing on the police party."

During the encounter, the police team also fired rounds upon the criminal in self-defence and in order to apprehend him.

During questioning, Kapil said that he was on his way to Dwarka to meet his associate Rahul.

"Further, he disclosed that Rahul is also present in the area of Goyla Dairy, Dwarka. At his instance, Rahul was apprehended," said Yadav.

Kapil also revealed that on December 13, 2023, he along with his associates opened fire on a property dealer of 'Om Properties', near Dwarka Mor.

"After opening fire, the accused persons handed over a slip to the property dealer in which an extortion of Rs 2 crore was demanded by Bahu-Naveen Bali-Cheeta Baland gang," said the Special CP.

While escaping, the shooters fired several rounds in the air to create panic among the property dealers and people in the area.

Kapil also disclosed that Himanshu used to give directions to him over an app, and he had directed him to do a recce of Om Sweets in Faridabad, and of a doctor, who also hails from Rohtak in Haryana.
Patna, Jan 3 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said that he will be pleased if Nitish Kumar will be given the charge of convener of the INDIA bloc.

"Nitish Kumar is an experienced politician and I will be pleased if he is given the charge as convener of the INDIA bloc. It will also be good for Bihar," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He said that the INDIA bloc wants to defeat BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"We came together in August 2022 and formed the government in Bihar. Now, we will unite all parties to contest against BJP in the Lok Sabha election this year," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Reacting on the seat sharing formula, Tejashwi Yadav said that people need not to worry about it as the seat sharing will be finalised soon.

The Deputy Chief Minister is in Bodh Gaya and will also meet the Dalai Lama.
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : Criticising the BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the saffron party has been protesting against the arrest of Kar Sevaks in Hubballi "just for politics".

"Our government will not indulge in the politics of hatred," he said while interacting with the media.

Reacting to the BJP's protest regarding the arrest of Kar Sevakas in Hubballi, the CM said that the BJP is protesting, seeking protection for the culprits and not punishment.

"This question should be asked by the media to the BJP. Action is being taken only against those who have committed the crime. No legal action will be taken against the innocent. I will not answer criticisms and doubts," he said.

Meanwhile, responding to the media's query on the purpose of his visit to Delhi, he said that he would be visiting the national capital as party leaders are likely to hold an important meeting regarding the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"The BJP's protest is not against our government but against the country's law and constitution," he opined.
Hyderabad, Jan 3 : Two leaders of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have approached Telangana High Court challenging Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan rejecting their nominations to the state Legislative Council.

The writ petition by Dasoju Sravan Kumar and Kurra Satyanarayana is slated to come up for hearing on January 5.

The court will first hear arguments on maintainability of the writ.

The previous BRS government had recommended their nominations to the Legislative Council under the Governor's quota.

The recommendation passed by the then state Cabinet in July last year was sent to the Governor.

However, she rejected the nominations on September 19 on the ground that the two were "politically aligned persons". The High Court Registry had raised objections regarding the maintainability of the writ, owing to Article 361, which states that no criminal proceedings can be initiated against the Governor.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, however, directed the Registry to number the matter and it will take up the preliminary issue of maintainability.

According to the petitioners, the Constitution provides that the state government is empowered to nominate persons having special knowledge or practical experience in Literature, Science, Art, Cooperative Movement, and Social Services to fill the vacancies in the Legislative Council under the "Governor Quota".

The Governor while rejecting the recommendation cited lack of 'special achievements' accompanied by 'short tenure' in the respective fields and the absence of methodology adopted for consideration.

The Governor advised the Council to consider 'non-politically affiliated people' as the same "will take away the opportunities to genuine people".

The petitioners vehemently contend that the decision taken by the Governor to reject the recommendations of the Council of Ministers was due to 'lack of personal satisfaction' and not due to any ambiguity in the recommendation itself, which is arbitrary therefore illegal. The petitioners called 'the order passed by the Governor as mala fide, arbitrary, unconstitutional and in excess of her jurisdiction.

BRS had reacted strongly to the Governor's action in September.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao had stated that Tamilisai Soundararajan is unfit to hold the Governor's post.

He had said that the Governor who called the two credible leaders from backward sections of the society as unfit herself was unfit.

The BRS leader pointed out that Dasoju Sravan, who hails from a Backward Classes community, participated in the Telangana movement while Satyanarayana, belonging to a Scheduled Tribes community, has been active in trade union movement at the national level.
Bengaluru Jan 3 : Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday urged Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to intervene "urgently" in the appointment of a full-time MD at the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

Surya met the Union Minister in Delhi and also requested him to visit Bengaluru soon for an inspection of the Namma Metro projects.

Posting about his meeting with Puri on X, Surya said: "Bengaluru Metro needs a full-time MD to lead its operations. Without a full-time leader, most of the critical work, including the Yellow Line, is getting delayed."

Surya accused the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka of not being serious about appointing a full-time MD for the Metro body.

"The state government seems least bothered about the delay and the cost overruns of Namma Metro, despite multiple reminders. Today, I met Hardeep Singh Puri and requested him to intervene in this regard with the state government and ensure the appointment of a full-time MD as soon as possible," Surya said.

He added that the Minister assured him of a visit to Bengaluru soon.

"I also requested him to visit Bengaluru to take stock of the status of all Metro projects, including the all important airport line. He assured me that he would visit our city soon. Will keep you all updated on the progress," he said.

Surya has been addressing the delay in the completion of the Yellow Line continuously.

The Yellow line spans 18.8 km from RV Road to Bommasandra with 16 stations.

It connects the two ends of Bengaluru South Constituency and the important IT-BT and industrial corridors.

The MP inspected the progress of the Yellow Line on October 4, 2023, which revealed supply issues with the rolling stock for the metros.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : A 30-year-old man has been found dead with his body hanging from the ceiling fan at his house in Delhi, the police said on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Rahul Panwar, a resident of Karawal Nagar in Delhi.

The police received a call about spotting a lifeless body hanging at around 7.40 a.m.

On reaching the spot, the police team found a person hanging from the ceiling fan with a muffler.

"The crime and FSL teams visited the spot. The body was shifted to GTB Hospital and post mortem was conducted and the body was handed over to the relatives," said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Joy Trikey.

During the initial probe, the DCP said that no suicide note was found, however, it seems that the deceased had borrowed money from some people and had not been able to return it.

Rahul Panwar was employed as a 'Contractual Collection Manager' by bus operators.

He is survived by his wife and a girl child.

--IANS

ssh/pgh
Amaravati, Jan 3 : A day before joining the Congress, YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) leader Y.S. Sharmila met her brother and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Wednesday to invite him for her son's engagement and wedding.

Accompanied by her husband Anil Kumar, son Raja Reddy and other family members, Sharmila drove to the Chief Minister's official residence at Tadepalli and presented him the first invitation card for Raja Reddy's engagement and wedding.

She spent about half-an-hour with her brother and sister-in-law Bharati.

On January 1, Sharmila had announced that Raja Reddy's engagement with Atluri Priya is set for January 18, while the wedding is scheduled for February 17.

On January 2, she had kept an invitation card at the grave of her father and late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at Idupulapaya in YSR Kadapa district.

Sharmila, along with her family members, reached the Gannavaram Airport at Vijayawada by a special aircraft from Kadapa and then drove to her brother's residence.

Interestingly, Alla Rama Krishna Reddy, who recently resigned from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) headed by Jagan Reddy, and also quit as an MLA, accompanied Sharmila to the Chief Minister's residence.

Rama Krishna Reddy has announced that he will join the Congress once Sharmila returns from Delhi.

Sharmila's meeting with Jagan Reddy came a day before her visit to Delhi where she will join the Congress in the presence of the party's top leadership.

This was Sharmila's first meeting with Jagan Reddy after differences cropped up between the siblings. Sharmila, who had actively campaigned for YSRCP in the 2019 elections, felt sidelined by Jagan Reddy after the party came to power following a landslide victory.

In 2021, she entered politics in Telangana and floated the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP). However, the party did not contest the recent Assembly elections and declared its support for the Congress.

She announced at Idupulapaya on Tuesday that she has decided to work for the Congress.

She claimed that valuing YSRTP's sacrifice in Telangana, the Congress has invited her to join the party.

"I have no objection in working with the Congress. As Congress is the largest secular party in the country, and it is working to provide security to everyone, I have decided to strengthen the party," she said.

The YSRTP will merge with the Congress with Sharmila formally joining the party. It is not clear if she will accept a role in Andhra Pradesh politics, which will put her in direct confrontation with her brother.

"You will get answers to all your queries in a day or two," she had said while declining to answer any queries.
The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia's largest diamond mining company, Alrosa. This was a serious blow to the Russian Federation, as Alrosa is an important part of the economic sector that provides the country with significant revenues. In addition to the company itself, its CEO, Pavel Marynychev, was also subject to restrictions.

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This was reported by the EU Council. They noted that the reason for imposing sanctions against Alrosa and Marynychev was that they are responsible for actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

"Alrosa is the largest diamond mining company in the world, owned by the Russian state and accounting for more than 90% of all Russian diamond production. The company is an important part of the economic sector that generates substantial revenues for the government of the Russian Federation," the statement said.

At the same time, the EU Council emphasized that this decision complements the ban on the import of Russian diamonds included in the 12th package of sanctions. And the ban on Russian diamonds is part of the G7's efforts to "deprive Russia of an important source of revenue."

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The EU has adopted a tough package of sanctions

According to the 12th package of sanctions against Russia adopted by the EU, a ban on the import of non-commercial diamonds mined, processed or produced in Russia came into force on January 1, 2024. And from March 1 to September 1, gradual restrictions on the import of Russian diamonds processed in third countries will be introduced.

In addition, the import of certain metal products from the aggressor country is prohibited. For example, imports of aluminum products, including wire, foil, and pipes, from Russia will be banned. A new ban on the import of liquefied propane is also being introduced with a 12-month transition period, and restrictions on the import of liquefied petroleum gas, cast iron and ferrous metals are being expanded.

However, the restrictions on aluminum cannot yet be considered complete, as the supply of raw aluminum is not prohibited. However, this decision is a decisive first step, given that RUSAL's share in global aluminum production is about 6%, and if China is excluded, it is 14%.

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As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, the United States and Canada expanded sanctions against Russia. Businessmen and about 200 companies were added to the blacklist. Among others, investor Ivan Tavrin and businessman Vladislav Sviblov were subjected to American restrictions.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : Karnataka BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra has given a deadline of 48 hours to the Congress government to release the arrested Kar Sevak.

Addressing a gathering at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Vijayendra said that the tricolor was hoisted at Lal Chowk in Srinagar under the leadership of Murali Manohar Joshi and the BJP will not bog down to the threat of police by the state government.

"We are giving a deadline of 48 hours for the Chief Minister. If arrested Kar Sevak Srikanth Poojari is not released, we will lay siege to the Hubballi Shehar police station through BJP Yuva Morcha. If need arises we will also hit streets to stage a protest," Vijayendra said.

He said that everyone is talking about whether there is a rule of Taliban and Mughals in Karnataka.

"Your policy is to trample Hindus and dominate over the rights of Hindus. You will be taught a lesson," Vijayendra said.

He said that the Congress government has taken the cases back against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and DJ Halli and KG Halli communal violence accused.

"We will give a befitting answer to anti-Hindu, anti-Ram Congress government," Vijayendra said.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, Jan 3 : Karnataka BJP MLA from Udupi, Yashpal Suvarna, on Wednesday alleged that Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad is an "anti-national" and not a "Hindu".

Bengaluru, Jan 3 (IANS) Karnataka BJP MLA from Udupi, Yashpal Suvarna, on Wednesday alleged that Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad is an "anti-national" and not a "Hindu".

He said that if there is anyone who is pushed to the corner in the Congress it is Hariprasad.

Earlier, Hariprasad had questioned the religion of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

"He has been sidelined and does not have any moral authority to speak on Ram Mandir. The call has been given for Ram bhakts and patriots only. Anti-nationals should not visit Ram Mandir. Hariprasad is an anti-national. His statements should not be taken seriously," Suvarna said.

He said that the anti-India mindset of Congress is also responsible for the incident like Godhra.

"Hariprasad had issued statements with mindset of a Pakistani. The devotees will be protected by Lord Ram, Hanuman and Laxman. We don't need police or military," Suvarna said.

Earlier, Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad had said that Godhra-like incident is likely to be repeated in Karnataka and urged the state government to ensure security of those who travel to Ayodhya in coming days.

"As per available information, Godhra-like incident can take place in Karnataka. The government should provide security to those who are travelling to Ayodhya. There should be high vigil in Karnataka state. There are attempts to orchestrate a Godhra-like incident in Karnataka. The security must be tightened. We can't wish to see a development similar to Godhra here," Hariprasad had said.

He said that the Ram Mandir inauguration was not a religious programme but has now become a political one. "If this would have been a religious event, all of us would have attended it. The inauguration of Ram Mandir is being done by any religious guru but it is done by Vishwa Guru," he said indirectly referring to PM Modi.

"We don't know the religion of Vishwa Guru and Home Minister Amit Shah as of now," he said.
Patna, Jan 3 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said that Lord Ram does not need temples or castles.

"Whatever the BJP leaders are saying is just rubbish," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

During his address in Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district, the Deputy Chief Minister brought up the issue of Ram Temple while attacking the BJP.

"PM Modi is talking about Ram temple in Ayodhya. I want to ask people does Lord Ram need Modi. If Lord Ram wants, he can easily make a temple for himself anywhere he wants. However, Modi is showing like he has given a house to Lord Ram," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He said that there are some people who are projecting Modi like Lord Ram.

"I want to ask these people if they become sick, will they go to a temple or hospital. Lord Ram wants prosperity for every section of society and prosperity will come through good health, education, jobs, and removing poverty," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

However he clarified that he has no objection over Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"My mother is doing Chhath Puja for a long time. We also have a temple at our home where Puja takes place every day," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

--IANS

ajk/dan
Jaipur, Jan 3 : National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday raided 31 places in Rajasthan and Haryana regarding the Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi murder case.

Raids were also conducted at the houses of the accused and several other suspects.

NIA said that they have seized a large number of pistols, ammunition, mobile phones, and digital devices including SIM cards and DVRs as well as incriminating documents related to financial transactions.

NIA said that the raids were conducted after receiving inputs from shooters Rohit Rathod and Nitin Fauji.

The central agency said that prime suspect, Ashok Kumar Meghwal, was also arrested from his residence in Jherli village (Jhunjhunu).

"Eight weapons were seized from the accused. The interrogation of the accused revealed his role in the case and also revealed his connection with gangster Rohit Godara, who had allegedly inspired the two shooters to kill Sri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Gogamedi," NIA said.

The agency said that a total of nine accused have been arrested so far in the case.

It said that the NIA team along with Makrana police went to Jusri village and searched the house of shooter Rohit Rathod -- accused of Gogamedi's murder -- and sealed the house.

Rohit and his family have been living in Jaipur for the last 30 years. Recently his house was raised to the ground by a bulldozer.

NIA said that raids were conducted in three districts of Rajasthan and at least 31 places were raided, including Haryana.

In Jaipur, the NIA also interrogated the mother and sister of shooter Rohit Rathod.

In Tonk, NIA interrogated family members of another accused Pooja Saini.

NIA said that it has also interrogated all seven accused in the case lodged in Ajmer jail.
Jaipur, Jan 3 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Wednesday said that the priority of the state government is to provide a fear-free environment to the people of the state.

He said that the government has constituted SIT to investigate the cases related to paper leak and cheating in competitive examinations.

"No culprit who cheats the youth will be forgiven," the Chief Minister said.

He said that Anti-Gangster Task Force has been formed against gangsters and organisational criminals.

The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting organised during the observation of 'Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra' camp organised in Khinyala, Nagaur.

He said that the state government will live up to all the promises made during the elections and every guarantee given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be fulfilled.
Visakhapatnam, Jan 3 : A video of students of a government-run high school consuming liquor in Andhra Pradesh has surfaced.

A group of students of 6th, 7th and 10th standards reportedly escaped from their hostel to celebrate New Year. The incident took place in Chodavaram town in Anakapalle district on the night of December 31, but the video surfaced three days later.

In the video, the boys could be seen enjoying their food with beer bottles kept in front of them. Some of them could be heard warning the person filming the video.

According to locals, about 16 students went out by jumping the hostel wall. They were also joined by two outsiders. The group gathered in an under-construction building, where they had biryani and consumed liquor.

When the boys created a nuisance, two passersby filmed them on their mobile phones. The students also allegedly attacked and injured one of them.

After the video went viral, the local authorities launched a probe into the incident.
Bengaluru, Jan 3 : Karnataka former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the BJP will seek legal action against the Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad for his Godhra remarks.

"Hariprasad's statement about Kar Sevaks shows the mentality of Congress. His Godhra statement is aimed to create fear among those who want to attend the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya," Bommai said.

He said that there is a festive atmosphere all over the country over the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"Out of frustration, the Congress leaders are making unnecessary statements," he said.

He said that Hariprasad's statement was part of the arrest of the Kar Sevak Srikant Pujari of Hubballi.

"Hubballi had been the epicenter of the Ram Temple agitation and Congress has filed cases against the same people," he said.

Earlier, Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad had said that Godhra-like development is likely to be repeated in Karnataka and urged the state government to ensure security of those who travel to Ayodhya in coming days.

"As per available information, Godhra-like incident can take place in Karnataka. The government should provide security to those who are travelling to Ayodhya. There should be high vigil in Karnataka state. There are attempts to orchestrate a Godhra-like incident in Karnataka. The security must be tightened. We can't wish to see a development similar to Godhra here," Hariprasad had said.

Bommai said that Congress was under the impression that Ram Temple would not be constructed in Ayodhya but PM Modi proved everyone wrong.

"Congress has not been able to sit quietly after PM Modi removed Article 370 and Triple Talaq. While the entire country is standing with PM Modi, the Congress leaders are becoming frustrated," he said.

He said that if the Congress government wanted to arrest the culprits, they should have done it in Bengaluru, Mysore and Hubbali-Dharwad where all illegal activities are going on and the sale of illicit liquor is going on unabated.

"Congress only looked at the 31-year old case. What was the need to arrest Srikant Poojari if the case was pending in court? He should have been summoned for questioning and let him off," he said.

He asked why the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is silent on these matters.

Commenting on Yatindra Siddaramaiah's statement that there will be difficulties if the country becomes the Hindu Rashtra, Bommai said the Hindutva means a lifestyle.

He said that the Christians, Muslims and others were living here happily but there is unrest in the Muslim ruled countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.

"Indian Muslims don't wish to go to these nations. BJP wishes Muslims to live here as brothers," he said.
Shillong, Jan 3 : In a setback, outlawed militant outfit Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) in Meghalaya after a few rounds of negotiations withdrew from the tripartite peace talks with the Centre and the state government.

With camps in Bangladesh, the Meghalaya based extremist outfit HNLC in a statement on Wednesday claimed that their core demands for general amnesty to their cadres and lifting of ban were not accepted.

In a letter to Centre's interlocutor A.K. Mishra, outfit's chairman and commander-in-chief Bobby Marwein said: "We deeply regret to inform you that we are reluctantly withdrawing ourselves from the peace talks with your government. This decision has been made due to the unfortunate circumstance that our general demands have not been met."

Mishra, who is also looking after various tribal related issues of Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura, is the advisor to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"It is with a heavy heart that we witness the peace process reaching such a critical point," Marwein stated.

The outfit recently issued a death warning to Gavin Mylliemngap, an MLA of Sohra assembly constituency in East Khasi Hills district, belonging to the ruling National People's Party.

The outfit's general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw had said: "If the government proceeds with the shutdown of Mawmluh Cherra Cements Limited (MCCL), it would be appropriate for Mylliemngap to assume responsibility. Just as you and your government dare to bury MCCL alive, we will hold you accountable by our own actions. Traitors of the people should be punished with death."

The MCCL is a state-operated cement company in the East Khasi Hills district's Sohra area.

The tripartite peace talks between the Center, state government and the HNLC began last year.

The outfit demanded the withdrawal of all cases against its cadres before talks could proceed further.

Earlier NIA in August 2022 had filed a chargesheet against four members of the outlawed organisation including its Chairman-cum-Commander-in-Chief Bobby Marwein for allegedly triggering a bomb blast on the premises of Star Cement Factory in East Jaintia Hills district in December 12, 2020 for their failure to pay ransom.

In August 2021 violent protests broke out in different places in Meghalaya after General Secretary Chesterfield Thangkhiew of HNLC was killed in a police operation.

Chesterfield was a former militant and police have alleged that he was involved in the IED explosion in Shillong.

Two people were injured in that explosion.

The latest development has taken place after the government had in July last year allowed "safe passage" facilitating the leaders of the Khasi insurgent outfit to come to the negotiating process.

While militancy is on the decline in Meghalaya over the last several years, since 2020, the HNLC has been behind a few low-intensity IED blasts in the state.

The HNLC, which has been demanding a sovereign Khasi tribal homeland in Meghalaya, is a breakaway faction of the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council, the first tribal militant outfit of the mountainous state, formed in the mid-1980s.
Tehran, Jan 3 : Two explosions near the burial site of Iran's slain general Qassem Soleimani killed at least 103 people and wounded over 170 others on Wednesday, reported the official IRNA news agency and the semi-official Fars news agency, calling it "terrorist" attacks.

The blasts occurred as many people gathered at the cemetery in Iran's southeastern city of Kerman to mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's death in a U.S. drone strike, Xinhua news agency reported.

The first blast was about 700 meters from Soleimani's tomb and the second was a kilometer away, IRNA said.

Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province for political and security affairs, said the explosions were carried out by "terrorists," the IRNA reported.

Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for Iran's National Medical Emergency Organisation, told the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) that some of the injured were in critical condition and the death toll could rise.

The IRINN said the cause of the blasts was still under investigation and that rescue teams were at the scene. It added that most of the injuries were caused by overcrowding and panic.

Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on Jan. 3, 2020, near Baghdad's international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump.

He was buried in his hometown of Kerman after a funeral that drew millions of mourners across Iran. Iran denounced the assassination as "state terrorism" and vowed revenge.

--IANS

int/dan
Panaji, Jan 3 : A 45-year-old woman from the United Kingdom (UK), who was holidaying in Goa since September last year, was found dead near a beach at Canacona in South Goa, the police said on Wednesday.

Inspector Chandrakant Gawas told IANS from Canacona that the deceased has been identified as Emma Louise.

According to the police, the body was found in a semi-decomposed stage.

"On Tuesday night, we received a call stating that a body was found within a church compound near the beach. The victim regularly visited Canacona where she stayed alone. She was last seen on 31st December night. We are not suspecting any foul play yet, and are waiting for the post-mortem report," Gawas said.

He added that no injury marks were found on the woman's body and her clothes were also intact.

Canacona police have registered a case of unnatural death.
The Polish government wants to prevent the resumption of the blockade of the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint on the border with Ukraine. To this end, they have accepted all the demands of farmers who threaten to block the border again on January 4.

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This was announced by Polish Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michal Kolodziejczak, RMF24 reports. It is noted that we are talking about:

introduction of corn subsidies;

increase in lending to farmers;

maintaining the agricultural tax at the level of 2023.

"The ministry accepts all three requirements of farmers for implementation," he said. Noting that the embargo on Ukrainian grain will continue until strategic programs are developed to implement them:

"either licensing of products coming from Ukraine;

or quotas that will determine this.

At the same time, he expressed the opinion that Ukrainian agriculture is capable of destabilizing food production in every EU country. Specifically, Poland loses a lot from imports of Ukrainian products to the EU.

"This market has been taken away from us by products from Ukraine. We are paying a very high price for this - if there are any price drops on world markets, it will be primarily in Poland," Kolodziejczak said.

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What preceded it

Kolodziejczak's speech was preceded by a statement by farmers from the organization "Deceived Village of Podkarpacie" (Podkarpacka Oszukana Wies) about their intention to resume the blockade of the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint on the border with Ukraine on January 4. At the same time, they threatened to make the blockade tougher than the previous one and allow only one truck per hour.

"We have not received written confirmation that our demands will be met. That is why we continue the protest," the leader of the organization Roman Kondruv said earlier.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, Poland's exports fell due to the blockade of the border with Ukraine at the end of 2023. According to customs officials, in November, it fell by 40%.

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New Delhi, Jan 3 : The IFSO unit of Delhi Police's Special has arrested three men, including the mastermind, involved in a fraudulent two-wheeler financing scheme, an official said.

He said that the arrest has led to the recovery of 13 two-wheelers acquired through forged identities which marks a crucial milestone in the ongoing efforts to preempt monetary losses.

The accused were identified as Ankit, Sameer Manothiya a.k.a Rocky and Nisar.

The arrest came after the police began investigation when OTO Capital -- a leading two-wheeler finance company -- reported that 35 loans issued between February 2023 and May 2023 were secured using forged IDs, photographs, and impersonation during virtual verification.

During the probe, it was revealed that vehicles were handed over to the accused from various dealers through mobile numbers, from which the loans were applied from OTO Capital.

"The call detail records of these numbers were analysed, and it was revealed that these mobile numbers were in regular touch with Ankit and Harsh. It was further revealed that Ankit and Harsh, along with other co-accused, were running a syndicate using forged and fake documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, etc., to get vehicles financed," said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO unit) Hemant Tiwari.

Subsequently, the accused, Ankit was arrested in the case. On interrogation, he revealed that Ankit has a Masters degree in English Hons. from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, and during COVID-19, he started the business of giving loans on an interest basis.

"During that period Ankit started financing Sameer and orchestrated the fraudulent scheme through OTO Capital. Nisar, responsible for selling the financed vehicles, and Sameer, the mastermind behind the conspiracy, were subsequently apprehended," said the DCP.

Ankit started financing Sameer and got 35-40 two-wheelers issued on forged names and further sold them to one Nisar on a profit basis.

"Nisar disclosed that he made arrangements to sell off the financed vehicles while Sameer revealed that he had planned and executed the whole conspiracy with the help of Ankit and Nisar," said the DCP.

All the arrested accused were been previously involved in criminal cases. "A total of 13 two-wheelers, including one Royal Enfield motorcycle, and two mobile phones containing relevant details related to the case have been recovered from the arrested accused," the DCP added.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : The Delhi High Court has said that an accused in a criminal case cannot be compelled to disclose the passwords of their gadgets and digital devices to the investigating agency.

The decision came as the court granted bail to an individual accused of operating call centres in India and defrauding US citizens of approximately $20 million.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee said that while accused individuals are expected to cooperate during investigations, they cannot be coerced to provide self-incriminating evidence, citing protection under Article 20(3) of the Constitution.

Article 20(3) states that no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against themselves.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the bail plea, saying that the accused held crucial information and passwords necessary for the ongoing investigation.

However, the court said the accused's right to protection under Article 20(3) and stated that coercing them to reveal passwords during an ongoing trial is not permissible.

The accused faced charges related to operating scam phone calls from India, defrauding US citizens by impersonating government officials and coercing them to pay through various means.

Granting bail, the court reasoned that keeping the accused in custody would not serve a fruitful purpose, especially since the investigation concerning the individual was complete, and the charge sheet had been filed.
New Delhi, Jan 3 : A special leave petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against a decision of the Allahabad High Court which had dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking recognition of Mathura's Shahi Idgah Mosque site as Krishna Janmabhoomi.

In October last year, a division bench of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava of the high court had dismissed the PIL at the threshold, without entering into the merits of the case.

The high court said: "Since the issues involved in the present writ (PIL) is already engaging attention of the court in appropriate proceedings (i.e., pending suits), we are not inclined to entertain the instant writ petition and the same is accordingly dismissed."

The petitioner  advocate Mehek Maheshwari  had contended that various historical records cite the fact that the disputed site, the Shahi Idgah mosque, is the actual birthplace of Lord Krishna and even the history of Mathura dates back to the Ramayan era while Islam came just 1,500 years ago.

Regarding the bar placed by the Places of Worship Act, 1991, Maheshwari argued that since the land had always been temple land, no question of changing its nature arose.

He prayed that Sections 2, 3, 4 of the Places of Worship Act, 1991 be declared as unconstitutional, saying that these provisions violate the doctrine of Hindu law that temple property is never lost even if enjoyed by strangers for years.

Maheshwari stated that the masjid is not an essential part of Islam, therefore the Shahi Idgah Mosque situated in Mathura should be razed and that land, allegedly the Krishna Janmabhoomi, should be handed over to the Hindus.

Further, he prayed for the formation of a proper trust for Krishna Janmabhoomi to build a temple on the disputed land.

In the Supreme Court, the matter is likely to be taken up on January 5 by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta.
New York, Jan 4 : The Republican Party in Michigan is virtually "imploding" as the GOP there faces fierce in-fighting with a section threatening to convene a meeting to remove the embattled Chairperson Kristina Karamo from her post in less than a year since her election.

A group of Michigan Republicans are planning a Saturday meeting to discuss removing the embattled Michigan GOP Chairperson Karamo from her post, less than a year from when she was elated to the role, media reports said.

Karamo, a staunch supporter of former US President Donald Trump and 2020 election conspiracy theorist, has been accused of not moving forward during a critical time heading into the 2024 elections, as well as failing to liquidate the reported $500,000 debt the Michigan GOP is in. Karamo has accused the meeting of not being called in accordance with the party bylaws, and has indicated she will not recognize the results of any votes, Newsweek reported.

The Michigan Republican Party's state committee are reported to be holding a special meeting on January 6 to discuss an end to the internal fighting that has dogged the GOP in Michigan in recent months. The infighting has already cost the Republican dearly in the November 2022 midterms when Democrats bounced back in the legislature, and if it continued unabated, it could cost Trump votes in a state that's turned into a swing state with a large number of independents set to vote against the former President.

At least 75 per cent of the state committee, which has just over 100 members, would need to back a motion to remove Karamo as chair, although this could be reduced to a two-thirds threshold if such a move was supported in a separate agenda in a two-thirds vote, reports said.

Eight of the state party's 13 congressional district chairs, including state GOP co-chair Melinda Pego, are endorsing the vote to remove Karamo, and signed a letter to that effect.

"You were chosen as chairwoman because the majority of the Republican delegates strongly respected your commitment to a new era of transparency, honesty and meaningful involvement on the part of the State Committee. Regrettably, these policies no longer seem to be a priority in your administration and the Party's financial stability is quickly deteriorating," the letter said.

Karamo told Newsweek in reaction to her possible removal: "I find it interesting that there are reports of a meeting to remove me, without individuals first verifying that the party is in fact an actual Michigan Republican Party State Committee meeting."

"Our bylaws are very clear about the proper procedures to change party bylaws, call meetings, and remove committee members. These individuals have not followed the MIGOP bylaws to call a meeting, change bylaws, or remove any member; they have zero legal authority to conduct business regarding the Michigan Republican Party or its State Committee."

Political observers said that infighting in the Michigan GOP arrives amid a crucial period for the party ahead of the House, Senate and presidential elections this November.

The GOP performed poorly in Michigan's Legislature during the November 2022 midterms, with the Democrats taking control of all levels of the state's government for the first time in nearly 40 years. The Democrats however lost their two-seat majority in the November 2023 elections after two Democratic state representatives, Lori Stone and Kevin Coleman, won their mayoral races. The House is currently tied at 54-54.

The GOP will now be hoping to regain control of the Michigan House, as well as the House of Representatives and the open US Senate seat in Michigan in 2024, as they seek to regain control of the upper chamber.

Michigan is also a key swing state in the presidential election, where Trump, the presumptive Republican 2024 nominee, won in 2016 before President Joe Biden flipped the state in 2020.

Bree Moeggenberg, a Michigan GOP state committee member who has helped organize the meeting where discussions to remove Karamo will take place, said the infighting within the party might be putting voters off. "We are currently in a position where we are pushing Republicans away from the party," Moeggenberg told the news media.

"When the chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party tells those that don't agree with her that they can go pound sand, the party's losing voters," Moggenberg said.

Michigan Republican Party delegates elected Karamo chairwoman last February after she unsuccessfully ran for secretary of state in 2022.
Sanaa, Jan 4 : The Houthi group in Yemen has said it launched missiles targeting a cargo ship in the Red Sea.

The group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea in a live broadcast aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday said that the Houthi forces carried out an operation targeting the ship CMA CGM TAGE, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The operation came after the ship's crew refused to respond to calls from our forces, including fiery warning messages," he said.

The Houthi group confirms that they will continue to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to Israel from navigating in the Red Sea and Arab Sea until food and medicine aid are allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, the spokesman stressed.

Before dawn, residents in the western province of Taiz recorded and shared videos on social media capturing three missiles launched from the western coastal area of al-Barah towards the southern part of the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday that it had received reports of up to three explosions near a merchant vessel in the Bab El-Mandeb.

Earlier that day, the US Central Command verified that the Houthi militia had targeted cargo ships in the Red Sea. It said this was the 24th time the Houthis had attacked such vessels.

The Houthi new attack came nearly three days after a military helicopter of the US Navy forces patrolling the Red Sea shot and killed 10 Houthi militants and sank their three boats while they were trying to approach a merchant ship.

The Houthi militia has escalated their attacks on Israel-linked ships since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, demanding that food and medicine aid be allowed to enter the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi group controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
Lucknow, Jan 4 : The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police late on Wednesday arrested a 24-year-old man from Jhansi for "provocative social media posts" related to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The posts allegedly provoked revenge for the demolition of the Babri mosque and promoted enmity between religious groups.

Director General (DG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said that the accused was identified as Zibran Makrani, a resident of Mukaryana of Jhansi district.

He said that the accused has done the course of Hafiz from a Jhansi madrasa.

The DG said that a post by the accused was noticed by the ATS while scanning social media platforms during intensified cyber patrolling ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram temple on January 22.

He said that the ATS later recovered several objectionable posts and screenshots shared by him with other people, instigating them to take revenge for the demolition of Babri mosque.

The officer further said that an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153-A for promoting enmity between two groups on the grounds of religion and 505(2) for statements promoting hatred and enmity between two classes has been registered against him at ATS police station in Lucknow in the matter.

The ATS is keeping a round-the-clock vigil on posts made on social media platforms and other electronic channels.

He said several posts on social media platforms were found objectionable during the round-the-clock cyber patrolling and were removed as well as the usersa accounts were blocked, while in some cases, users removed the posts after being warned.
Al Dhafra Military Airport, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates [ DHF / ]

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Abu Dhabi Airport IATA Code: DHF Abu Dhabi Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : 24.45 Longitude : 54.3833 City : Abu Dhabi Country : United Arab Emirates World Area Code : 678 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Asia/Dubai Al Dhafra Military Airport Timezone : GMT +04:00 hours Current time and date at Al Dhafra Military Airport is 22:51:39 PM (+04) on Monday, Mar 18, 2024

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While four of the Big Five publishers were involved in actions that will alter how they publish in the future, the two biggest book business stories of 2023 played out across all aspects of the business over the course of the year. In an attempt to stop the surge in book bans and attacks on the freedom to read, various industry members banned together to file lawsuits in Florida, Iowa, and Texas. And debate over the impact of AI on publishing heated up over the course of the year, with the business searching for a path to adopt the technology in order to maximize its benefits and minimize its potential for massive disruptions.

The following are the biggest book business stories of 2023:

10. The Deaths of Adrienne Vaughan and Casey McIntyre

The industry suffered two untimely deaths in the year. Adrienne Vaughan, president of Bloomsbury Publishing USA, died on August 3 in a boating accident off the Amalfi Coast of Italy while vacationing with her husband and two children. She was 45.

Adrienne was a natural business leader with a great future ahead of her, said Bloomsbury chief executive Nigel Newton. She was deeply loved by colleagues due to her combination of great personal warmth with a fierce determination to make the business succeed and grow.

Vaughan had become increasingly active in industry issues, and in 2023, she was elected to the board of the Association of American Publishers. Adrienne was a leader of dazzling talent and infectious passion and had a deep commitment to authors and readers, said AAP board chair Julia Reidhead, who is also chair and president of W.W. Norton, and Maria A. Pallante, AAP president and CEO, in a joint statement. Most of all she was an extraordinary human being, and those of us who had the opportunity to work with her will be forever fortunate.

On November 12, publicist-turned-publisher Casey McIntyre died at home in New York from ovarian cancer. She was 38. McIntyre began her career at Penguin Young Readers as a publicist and, after leaving Penguin for HarperCollins Childrens Books in 2012, she returned to Penguin as associate publisher of the Razorbill imprint, and was named v-p and publisher in 2018. She assumed the new role of v-p and editor-at-large at Putnam Books for Young Readers in 2023.

Casey radiated a quiet confidence that immediately put you at ease, said Shanta Newlin, senior v-p and executive director of publicity at Penguin Young Readers. She truly loved what she did, whether it was shepherding a new book into the world, making fashion statements with her husband, Andrew, or raising her incredible daughter, Grace! I will miss her dearly.

To honor her memory, McIntyres family created a fundraising campaign to help other people pay off their medical debt. The campaign quickly surpassed its initial goal of $20,000, and has since raised more than $1 million.

9. Hachette Livre Combines U.S. and U.K. Operations

In a move that caught the industry by surprise, Hachette Livre, the book publishing arm of Lagardere Group, announced that it would bring the Hachette Book Group and its U.K.-based counterpart, Hachette UK, into what it calls a new English-language management structure. Under the reorganization, HUK CEO David Shelley takes on the CEO role for both HBG and HUK, reporting to Hachette Livre deputy CEO Stephanie Ferran and Hachette Livre chairman and CEO Arnaud Lagardere.

As part of the move, effective January 1, Michael Pietsch retires as HBGs CEO after 11 years, becoming chairman, while HBG COO Joe Mangan also retires. Few operational details on how the new organization will function have been released other than assurances that Shelley will spend most of his time in New York.

8. FTC Files Antitrust Suit Against Amazon

The Federal Trade Commission, supported by 17 state attorneys general, finally filed its long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Amazon on September 26. In a 172-page complaint, the government alleged that the e-tailer uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power. The use of that power, the government continued, allows Amazon to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices, degrade quality for shoppers, overcharge sellers, stifle innovation, and prevent rivals from fairly competing against Amazon.

Although the suit doesnt directly examine Amazons role in the book business, the immediate industry reaction to the news of the suit was uniform: What took so long? Independent booksellers, which were the first physical retailers impacted by Amazon and the steep discounting on books it employed to attract customers, praised the FTCs long-awaited action. The lawsuit, said ABA CEO Allison Hill, is good news for indie bookstores and good news for all small business.

In December, lawyers for Amazon filed a motion urging a federal court to dismiss the suit, calling the case wrong on the facts and the law. A long legal battle is certain to play out before the case is resolved.

7. HarperCollins Downsizes

With sales slumping and costs rising, HarperCollins initiated a 5% workforce reduction in its North American workforce in January. As part of the cuts, HC closed its Harper Design unit in April, moving its titles to other imprints. The reductions, mandated by parent company News Corp., were originally set to be completed by June 30the end of HCs fiscal yearbut the company continued to make changes throughout 2023 in what CEO Brian Murray called a transformation of the company designed "to identify new ways to work smarter and more efficiently.

In July, HC closed YA imprint Inkyard Press and laid off its five-person staff. A broader restructuring occurred in September, when Liate Stehlik, president and publisher of the Morrow Group, was appointed president and publisher of HarperCollins Childrens Books as well, taking over for Suzanne Murphy, who had headed the group since 2015. Two months after assuming the leadership of the childrens group, Stehlik implemented a multi-pronged reorganizing effort that included the appointment of Rich Thomas as executive director of publishing at HCCB. In addition, the childrens groups integrated marketing, marketing design, and rights teams were combined with those of William Morrow.

HC did manage to reach a deal with its union in February, ending a three-month strike.

6. Book Fair Controversy Grips Scholastic

Amid a chorus of criticism from authors, librarians, educators, and freedom to read advocates, Scholastic announced in late October that its book fair group would stop selling the Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice case, which had been designed as an optional collection of diverse books for schools. The company said that it had created the collection as a way to continue providing diverse books as a number of states and localities pursue legislation or other policies around content selection that could put librarians and school officials in jeopardy.

Critics, however, bristled at the idea of having diverse books segregated at book fairs, pointing out that many of the books in the offeringa case of 64 titles amplifying BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, and other diverse perspectiveswere not controversial, and that Scholastic was wrongly treating them as a dispensable option. Scholastic said that the Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice case will be formally discontinued starting in January 2024, and that it will find an alternate way to get a greater range of books into the hands of children.

Scholastics bottom line took a direct hit from the controversy. Profit growth in the second quarter in its school reading division, which includes book fairs and book clubs, was lower than expected. Executives attributed the slower growth to a host of external factors, including a complex school environment. In a conference call, CEO Peter Warwick explained that the more challenging school environment reflected growing polarization in U.S. society and politicized schools and school boards, higher rates of absenteeism, and chronic teacher shortages. Together, these factors have put greater demands on schools and teachers, including through expanded restrictions on educators, parents, and kids ability to choose books.

Scholastic said that it expected challenging conditions to remain for its fiscal year, which ends in May. As a result, the company lowered its sales and earnings for the full year.

5. Court Rules Against Internet Archive

Three years after Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, John Wiley & Sons, and Penguin Random House filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Internet Archive, the case took a number of steps toward an eventual resolution. The most important of these was a March decision by judge John G. Koeltl, which found that the Internet Archive infringed the copyrights of the four publishers by scanning and lending their books under a legally contested practice known as controlled digital lending.

At bottom, IAs fair use defense rests on the notion that lawfully acquiring a copyrighted print book entitles the recipient to make an unauthorized copy and distribute it in place of the print book, so long as it does not simultaneously lend the print book, Koeltl wrote in a March 24 opinion granting the publisher plaintiffs motion for summary judgment and denying the Internet Archives cross-motion. But no case or legal principle supports that notion. Every authority points the other direction.

Lawyers for the Internet Archive filed an appeal in mid-December, arguing that Koeltl misunderstood the facts and misapplied the law and telling the U.S. Court of Appeals for Second Circuit that the decision should be reversed. The core question for every fair use case is whether copyrights goals would be better served by allowing the use than by preventing it. The district court lost sight of that question, the IAs opening appeal brief states.

In terms of the cases timeline going forward, the publishers are expected to file their appeal brief in February, with an IA reply to followmeaning it will likely be at least six months before a hearing date is set.

4. Penguin Random House Gets an Overhaul

The victory by the government, in late 2022, to block Penguin Random Houses purchase of Simon & Schuster and the subsequent resignation of global CEO Markus Dohle guaranteed changes would come to the worlds largest trade publisher. And by any measure, 2023 was a momentous year for PRH. During the year, PRH saw the resignation of PRH CEO Madeline McIntosh, the retirement of Random House Publishing Group head Gina Centrello, and the departure of scores of well-known executives and upper-level employees who took PRHs voluntary severance package, which was offered to employees 60 and older who had been with PRH for at least 15 years. Just some of the editors who left were Ann Close, Rick Kot, Paul Slovak, and Wendy Wolf. The severance package was accompanied by summer layoffs that CEO Nihar Malaviya said were needed to offset rising costs. (In September, Malaviya, who had been interim global CEO, was named the permanent leader of PRH.)

Along with downsizing the company, PRH also made some structural moves, the most significant of which was to divide the Random House Publishing Group into two separate operations, a smaller RHPG and a reconstituted Crown Publishing Group (CPG)albeit with some significant differences from its prior iteration, which was folded into the RH group in 2017. Sanyu Dillon, previously chief marketing officer for PRH, was named president of RHPG, and David Drake was promoted to president of CPG. As part of the restructuring, Malaviya also declined to appoint a single successor to McIntosh, choosing to create a committee composed of various division heads to lead the company.

More streamlining took place in September, when the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group announced that it was ending the Anchor hardcover publishing program gradually moving Anchor paperback titles over to Vintage Books. The changeswhich also saw Suzanne Herz, the executive v-p and publisher of Vintage/Anchor Books and executive director of publishing at Doubleday, take a buyout effectively meant that Anchor, which was founded in 1953 as an imprint of Doubleday, would be phased out.

The revamping of PRH wasnt just about cuts, however. The publisher also upped its stake in Sourcebooks to 53% in the year, funded the Sourcebooks acquisition of the assets of Callisto Media, and, at the end of the year, acquired Hay House.

While PRH executives resisted the idea that the massive changes represented a generational shift at the company, it is impossible to overlook the fact that a new generation is now moving into prominent positions at the publisher.

3. KKR Wins Simon & Schuster

The private equity firm KKR completed its $1.62 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster on October 30. KKR emerged as the winning bidder in early August after Penguin Random Houses acquisition for S&S was blocked by the government in late 2022. The publisher will continue to be led by current CEO Jonathan Karp, who was also appointed to the new S&S board. Among those joining Karp on the board are former PRH US CEO Madeline McIntosh and KKR head of media Richard Sarnoff.

With the support of KKR, S&S is expected to ramp up its growth initiatives, which include broadening its domestic publishing program across various categories, expanding its distribution business, and accelerating growth in international markets. To meet these goals, S&S is expected to make its first meaningful acquisitions in years sometime in 2024.

In its first major hire following completion of the deal, S&S named Little, Brown editor-in-chief Judy Clain senior v-p and publisher of Summit Books, with a mandate to revive and refocus the imprint. During its run from 1976 to 1991, Summit published books by such authors with international appeal as James Baldwin ad Elie Wiesel.

The KKR purchase could also prove to be a boon to S&S employees, who will have the chance take part in an employee ownership programwhich could give employees a substantial payout should S&S be sold at some later date.

2. AI Debate Heats Up

Debate over the impact of generative AI on all aspects of the publishing industry picked up steam throughout 2023, and is certain to be a major flashpoint in 2024. In a September PW webinar, author and publisher Michael Bhaskar called the development of AI an earthquake moment. He pointed to the fundamental AI-related challenge facing publishing: everyone knows it is coming, but there has yet to be any agreement on how to regulate itor monetize it fairly. It is an IP challenge without precedent, he said. Other speakers largely agreed, saying that the key to successfully integrating AI into publishing is to find a way to balance such potential positives as increased efficiency with concerns over job loss and widespread copyright violations.

Worries over copyright led to a wave a lawsuits against creators of large language model AI technology, including a July suit by authors charging that their copyrights had been infringed by companies that used their material in AI training. In early hearings, however, key claims have been dismissed. In December, the AAP hit the copyright theme in comments submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office. In its submission, the AAP insisted that copyright law protects authors, creators, and publishers from the unauthorized appropriation of their works by AI developers, slamming assertions by the tech industry that fair use permits developers to use copyrighted works to train their systems without permission or compensation.

Amazon entered the AI debate through two posts in its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) community platform. In the first, Amazon said that it was requiring KDP users to inform it if AI-generated content was used when you publish a new book or make edits to and republish an existing book through KDP. In a November 1 post, Amazon's self-publishing arm announced that it had begun a beta test on technology allowing KDP authors to produce audiobook versions of their e-books using virtual voice narration. Early indications are that the test has resulted in a flood of new audiobooks.

1. Fighting Book Bans

The instances of book banning and other attacks on the freedom to read continued apace in 2023, with one notable differencethe publishing industry began a concerted effort to fight back.

In May, Penguin Random House joined PEN America, a group of authors, and a group of parents in filing a federal lawsuit against a Florida school district over the unconstitutional removal of books from school libraries. The suit alleges that administrators and school board members in Floridas Escambia County School District are violating the First and 14th Amendments because the books being singled out are disproportionately books by non-white and/or LGBTQ+ authors and often address themes or topics related to race or the LGBTQ community. The suit seeks to have the districts actions declared unconstitutional and the banned books returned to library shelves.

In July, an even bigger coalitioncomprising two Texas bookstores, BookPeople and Blue Willow Bookshop, together with the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fundfiled a lawsuit seeking to strike down a controversial Texas book banning law, HB 900. Among the law's provisions is one mandating that library material vendors, including booksellers and publishers, create and implement a rating system for books sold into Texas schools and school libraries based on the book's sexual content. The group scored what seemed to be a major victory in September, when judge Alan D. Albright issued an opinion officially blocking the law from taking effect.

However, in early October, an appeals court issued a ruling letting HB 900 take effect while an appeals process plays out, despite a district court finding the law to be a web of unconstitutionally vague requirements. In a November 29 hearing, lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the Texas district court was right to issue an order blocking the book rating law and urged the court to immediately lift an administrative stay. A ruling is expected very early in January.

While the industry waits for a decision in the Texas case, on November 30, PRH and the Iowa State Education Association, along with four bestselling authors and five plaintiffs from the state of Iowa, filed a federal lawsuit against Iowa to block the book ban provisions of SF 496, the state's sweeping new law that critics say seeks to silence LGBTQ students and bans books with sexual or LGBTQ content. The suit takes aim solely at the portions of Senate File 496 that require the removal of books from school libraries and classroom collections in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, as per the complaint.
In Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life (FSG, Mar.), Rabbi Shai Held explains that even Jews mistakenly think that Judaism is rooted in law or justice, when actually love is at the center of Jewish theology, spirituality, and ethics. PW recently caught up with Held, who is the president of Manhattans Hadar Institute, a non-denominational educational center for observant and egalitarian Jewish communities, and the author of 2017s The Heart of Torah.

How did Judaism become unassociated with love?

Historian David Nirenberg has this formulation, which is that Christianity had insisted that it came to the world to repair the lovelessness that was endemic to Judaism; that Judaism was about law. Judaism was about action. Judaism had no notion of inwardness, let alone love. And Christianity came to the world in part to heal that, to repair that. And I think it's not a coincidence that so many Jewish thinkers even started acting as if halachah [Jewish law] was the only thing at the heart of Jewish spirituality and the relationship of the Jewish people with God. That feels to me like an internalization of anti-Judaism.

How widespread is that misconception?

What I've been so struck by is when I have taught sources on love, even in traditionally Orthodox Jewish settings, I'll still get people who say, Loveisn't that a Christian idea? It's not just liberal Jews who think this. It's very pervasive. I've even had Jews say, Isn't compassion a Buddhist idea? At which point I'm ready to tear my hair out. I mean, what were you taught Judaism is about?

Grace too is rarely thought of as an essential Jewish concept. How would you explain grace's role in Judaism?

The very fact that we are alive is grace, because, by definition, none of us could have ever done anything to earn it. No one has ever earned the gift of life. It is pure gift. In a similar way, the idea that God loves us because we are created in the image of God, is, on some level, a claim about grace because it means we don't earn God's love. You think about grace as essentially that which is unearned but given anyway. So life and divine love are grace, right? And actually one of the things that I want to argue very strongly in the book is that, even though you could find sources that suggest otherwise, the dominant thrust in the Jewish tradition is the claim that God's love is prior to anything we do, and is unconditional.

What gives you hope, at this latest dark time for the Jewish people?

On a good day, I think the Jewish insistence that, no matter how many times we fail, God refuses to give up on us, is just incredibly movingthe idea that God believes in us. I don't always believe it, but I'm always moved by it.
Glahn Re-ups with IVP Academic

Jon Boyd, academic editorial director at IVP Academic, bought world-rights from Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary Inc., for two books by Sandra Glahn (Nobodys Mother), professor of media arts and worship at Dallas Theological Seminary. The first, slated for publication in spring 2026, is A Womans Place Is in the Story, which provides a view of the role of women in Scripturenot as sidebars or cameo appearances, but as participants in the narrative, according to the publisher. The second book is an untitled work in biblical studies, with a publication date yet to be determined.

Behrman Signs Takes a True Story

In an unagented deal, Dena Neusner at Behrman House/Apples & Honey Press bought world rights to a picture book by filmmaker and playwright Marc Kornblatt. For ages 6-8, Mr. Katz and Me is based on the true story of a young girl who befriends her fathers Bnai Mitzvah studentan elderly Russian immigrant. Nanette Regan, who was represented by Sarah Thomas of the Bright Group U.S. Inc, will illustrate the book.

Zondervan Reflective Walks an Old Path

Kyle Rohane, senior acquisitions editor at Zondervan Reflective, bought world rights from Keely Boeving of WordServe Literary to a new book by Grace Hamman (Jesus through Medieval Eyes). Slated for publication in fall 2025, the book, Ask of Old Paths, explores medieval words and artwork related to the virtues and vices in an effort to increase readers longing and appreciation for the life of love, for our ongoing sanctification, and for individual and communal wholeness, according to the publisher.

Harvest House Nabs a Nurses Debut

Emma Saisslin, associate trade editor at Harvest House Publishers, bought world rights from Blythe Daniel of The Blythe Daniel Agency, Inc., to a debut book by registered nurse Rachel Taylor, tentatively titled After Baby Comes. The book draws on Taylors experience as a childbirth educator and features stories intended to encourage new mothers. Its slated for publication in May 2025.

Zondervan Signs a Double

Zondervan Books senior acquisitions editor Paul Pastor bought world rights from Don Gates of The Gates Group to two books by pastors and podcasters Patrick Miller and Keith Simon. The pair co-host two podcasts, Truth Over Tribe and Ten Minute Bible Talks. The first book, Out of Place, slated for publication in January 2025, seeks to address an increasingly hostile culture with five biblical postures and practices. No details were available on the second book.

IVP Heads for the Wild

Ted Olsen, associate publisher and editorial director for media and trade books at IVP, bought world rights to Hannah Miller Kings tentatively-titled A Table in the Wilderness. King, who is unagented, said in a press release that the book centers on loss, disappointment, and how she was able to find a sense of normalcy and belonging through the sacrament of communion. The book is slated for publication in fall 2025.

Studying the Bibles Judges

Patnacia Goodman, acquisitions editor at Baker Books, bought world rights from Jenaye Merida at WTA Media for a Bible study based on Judges 1-5 by Katie M. Reid (Made Like Martha). Tentatively titled I Have Decided, it is slated for publication in summer 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again said that Russia is allegedly at war with the West in Ukraine, which "seeks to destroy Russian statehood." The Russian dictator presents the full-scale war he has unleashed against a neighboring state as an existential war for a reason: he is creating a rationale for building up the Russian army and justifying significant losses in manpower.

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In addition, such statements demonstrate Putin's categorical unwillingness to negotiate with Ukraine. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have analyzed the Russian dictator's statements and what is really behind his words.

On January 1, the Russian president visited a military hospital in the Moscow region, accompanied by television cameras. There he talked to the wounded occupiers and in a conversation with one of them called the West, not Ukraine, Russia's real "enemy." Western countries allegedly seek to "destroy Russian statehood" and inflict a "strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield."

He reiterated that Western elites are allegedly trying to divide Russia into five parts and are now doing so with the help of Ukraine. But, the dictator added, the situation on the front line is allegedly changing and Russia will "cope with [the West] faster" than the West will defeat Russia on the battlefields of Ukraine.

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So, according to Putin, the problem is not the West's supply of weapons to Ukraine, because the Ukrainian state itself has been "completely destroyed," there is "nothing left of the country," and it "exists only on handouts."

"Putin hinted that Russia is waging an existential war against the West in Ukraine and noted that Western rhetoric has recently shifted to how to 'quickly end the conflict. This phrase implies that Putin sees a conflict and potential negotiations between Russia and the West, not a conflict and potential negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Putin added that Russia also wants to end the conflict between Russia and the West, but only on the Kremlin's terms, and noted that Russia will not give up its positions," ISW noted.

Such rhetoric, according to analysts, indicates a categorical rejection of Ukraine as a subject. That is why Putin is deliberately distorting reality, presenting Russia's invasion to destroy Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity as a confrontation between Russia and the West.

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"Putin's emphasis on changing narratives in the West may indicate that he will perceive and/or present any wavering in Western support for Ukraine and any Ukrainian defeats on the battlefield as a Russian victory in this hypothetical Russian-Western confrontation," ISW believes.

Analysts are convinced that such statements reveal that Putin has no intention of negotiating with Ukraine. Instead, he hopes to use information to push the West to betray Ukraine through negotiations.

It is also possible that making Ukraine a "pawn" in the great "confrontation" between Russia and the West is intended to disguise the dictator's real expansionist and maximalist goals of establishing full effective Russian control over Ukraine.

Putin is going to talk about the future of Ukraine under Russian influence exclusively with the West, and he will only be satisfied with the West's complete abandonment of Ukraine. He is not going to talk to Kyiv as an autonomous player. This position is reminiscent of Russia's position in December 2021, when the Kremlin issued ultimatums to the United States and NATO, which boiled down to a demand to recognize Russia's sphere of influence in Eastern Europe by giving up the main elements of Ukraine's sovereignty in the name of de-escalating the conflict between the West and Russia, which Putin himself had fomented.

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"Any commitment by the West to negotiate Ukraine's future bypassing Ukraine would signal to Russia that it can impose its will on countries it sees as being in its sphere of influence - even countries outside of Ukraine, and potentially including Finland and Moldova: various Russian figures have already begun to create the information prerequisites for future campaigns against them.

In addition, Putin may seek to convince Russians that Russia is at war with the West in order to create conditions for the constant build-up of the Russian army and to justify the significant losses on the battlefield in Ukraine. These losses did not bring Russia any significant gains in 2023, no matter how much Putin tries to say that he only orders an offensive when he is sure that it will not lead to significant losses. In fact, British intelligence has stated that last year Russia lost an average of 300 more soldiers every day than the year before. And by the end of 2024, Russian losses on the battlefield could exceed half a million.

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On December 12, U.S. intelligence provided the U.S. Congress with its own estimate of Russian losses: according to intelligence, they reach 315,000 soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion.

"Such large losses for small territorial gains are likely to encourage Putin to present a strong ideological justification for continuing the long war that he himself started. Ukraine does not need such a distorted justification for the significant loss and suffering that Putin's invasion is causing its people, even if Ukraine's military operations are not producing the desired results. The war is truly existential for Ukraine, not for Russia," the ISW noted.

The analysts concluded that Putin's statements probably indicate that he is preparing a long-term justification to keep his forces mobilized and engaged in combat to "protect Russia's sovereignty from the West" on a permanent basis.

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Earlier, ISW gave a forecast on the course of the war in Ukraine and pointed out the risks in case of a "freeze" on the front. Analysts believe that the Kremlin is not ready to give up its maximalist goals in the war against Ukraine. That is why the idea that Ukraine allegedly has no independent identity and no grounds for further existence as an independent state has been introduced into the Russian political consciousness. And the aggressor will use the respite to restore its lost strength.

The Institute for War Studies also explained why Putin only briefly mentioned the war against Ukraine in his New Year's address.
On the heels of its acquisition of Regnery Publishing, Skyhorse Publishing says it will maintain the conservative publishers dedication to religion books, but it will not acquire new titles for Regnery's Christian imprint, Salem Books. Titles already published under Salem Books will continue to bear the name, but future Christian titles will be published under Skyhorse's Good Books imprint.

Following the December 28 purchase, Regnery Publishing will become an imprint of Skyhorse and maintain its own identity. Skyhorse is retaining Regnery imprints Regnery Publishing, Regnery Faith, Regnery History, Regnery Kids, Gateway Editions, Lifeline Press, and Little Patriot Press. A representative for Skyhorse notes that the company is looking to "grow its Christian publishing footprint" and strengthen relationships to conservative authors.

Skyhorse is committed to continuing the Regnery mission, which has always included Christian titles, the spokesperson tells PW. We are very excited about the upcoming book by Eric Metaxas, Religionless Christianity: Gods Answer to Evil, and hope to form closer ties with both him and similar authors.

Regnery Publishing was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and in 2014, it became a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group, which focuses on content related to Christian values. During an interview last year, Regnery Publishing's president and publisher Thomas Spence described a new strategy that included publishing titles under Regnery's Salem Books imprint that examine a range of cultural issues from a conservative point of view. These titles "will have a longer shelf life at bookstores," Spence said at the time. Salem Books authors include pastor Michael Youssef, comedian and actor Chonda Pierce, radio producer and speaker Jay Payleitner, and radio host Steve Arterburn.

As part of the recent sale, which includes Regnerys roughly 1,550 backlist titles, Skyhorse president and publisher Tony Lyons will be the publisher of Regnery. Some Regnery employees are staying on, but final staffing decisions have not yet been made, according to Skyhorse. Abigail Gehring, associate publisher and editorial director at Skyhorse, is handling all Christian book submissions.

Regnery is the latest addition to Skyhorses 20 imprints, which publish books in a range of categories such as outdoor sports, politics, true crime, and childrens books, among others. Among its authors are controversial figures such as Alex Jones, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Woody Allen. With the purchase of Regnery, Lyons reiterated a commitment to providing a full spectrum of political, theological, cultural, and philosophical viewpoints to counter the increasingly biased environment in mainstream media. The company is based in New York City with a satellite office in Brattleboro, Vt.
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The Sundance Institute has unveiled the jury for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

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The nonprofit organization announced 16 jurors for this year's festival in a press release Wednesday.

The 40th Sundance Film Festival will take place Jan. 18-28 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, along with a selection of films available online Jan. 25-28.

The jury will include Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine and Lena Waithe, who will judge U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris, Nicole Newnham and Rudy Valdez for U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair and Rui Pocas for World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Mandy Chang, Monica Hellstrim and Shaunak Sen for World Cinema Documentary Competition; Christina Oh, Danny Pudi and Charlotte Regan for Short Film Program Competition; and Zal Batmanglij for the NEXT competition section.

In addition, Dr. Mande Holford, Dr. Nia Imara, Matt Johnson, Theresa Park, and Courtney Stephens will present the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize to Love Me, directed by Sam and Andy Zuchero.

"The Sundance Film Festival is known for discovering and platforming visionary emerging artists. We cannot do this without our jury, who so thoughtfully help us recognize and amplify the next generation of independent storytellers," festival director Eugene Hernandez said. "We are thrilled to announce the talented, accomplished artists who comprise this year's jury."

All 16 members of the jury are festival alumni and will announce the awards for feature films at the award ceremony Jan. 26 at Ray Theatre in Park City. The members will also partake in celebratory programming, ranging from talks and panels, to a special 40th edition trivia night, and party for artist alumni.

"For our 40th Festival, the jury members this year are all artists who have had films at prior Festivals. They know what it is to introduce new work to the Sundance community and we are so pleased to be able to welcome them back to Sundance to take in the films our programming team has curated. We can't wait to see what resonates with them," director of programming Kim Yutani said.

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The 40th Sundance Film Festival will feature 91 film and TV series screenings, along with screenings of Napoleon Dynamite, Go Fish, Three Seasons and Dig!
5.45x39mm  the famed poison bullet according to the Mujahadeen who first encountered the round back in the 80s. Only a few short years ago, these rounds could be had by the case for less than $250. Thanks to the ATF and some idiot who allegedly built a pistol in the caliber, it was deemed an armor-piercing pistol round and banned from public sale.

This made the round roughly as expensive as 5.56mm for over a decade before new sanctions stemming from the war in Ukraine drove the final nails into the rounds proverbial coffin. But thats not the end of the story for Russias answer to Americas favorite 5.56mm round.

More and more ammo-makers are tooling up to churn out this round, both foreign and domestic.

So, it makes sense that new companies would start producing firearms in 5.45x39mm again. The Polish gunmakers over at WBP, in conjunction with stateside modifier Atlantic Arms Mfg., have done just that with their new 5.45 Jack carbine.

WHAT IS THE WBP JACK 5.45?

The Jack is a very unusual gun, but at first glance, it doesnt seem that way. The majority of 5.45-caliber AKs on the market today are based on either the AK-74M or the AK-100 series guns. The Jack is totally different; its an AKMN chambered in 5.45. What does this mean?

Essentially, the Jack uses a standard fixed stock, features a left-side optics rail, has a muzzle threaded to 14x1LH, and utilizes a 45-degree gas block. If most of this is meaningless to you, sit tight, well explain.

AK rearsight is bone stock.

But first, lets get into what the Jack is on a mechanical level. As an AKM, or Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernitzhy, the Jack is a semi-automatic, magazine-fed carbine that operates via a long-stroke, piston-driven action.

What does long-stroke mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means that the piston is attached to and travels the same distance as the bolt carrier group. This is unlike the majority of fourth-gen piston guns on the market today, such as the SCAR, the BRN-180, the SA-80, the PSA JAKL, or even the Bren. All of these guns are short-stroke piston guns.

The tabbed selector and extended mag release arent.

With these firearms, the piston is separate from the carrier group and merely impacts or interfaces with the carrier group during the recoil cycle to drive it rearward. Most modern guns dont use a long-stroke action because of weight and recoil.

Long-stroke guns tend to have a more violent recoil impulse because the combined mass of the carrier and piston is greater than just the carrier itself. This matters because that same weight is reciprocating back and forth during the auto-loading process of the gun. In the simplest terms, a big heavy weight slamming into the back of the receiver imparts more force and thus felt recoil on the shooter than a lighter one.

The reason the Soviets went with this design is because its more reliable and tolerates more internal fouling than both direct impingement and short-stroke pistons. And if your primary theatre of operations is Russia, this is critical. And in the wise words of countless rednecks I encounter here in South Carolina, if it aint broke, dont fix it, which is precisely the route WBP took.

They simply used their experience building 7.62x39mm and 5.56mm AKs and applied it to a modified 5.45 gun. The result is a rifle that looks like the classic freedom fighter carbine and runs an incredibly light-kicking round. But before we get too far in, lets start at the muzzle and work our way back to cover all the unique features of the gun.

JACK 5.45 FEATURES

Atop its 14x1LH threaded muzzle, the 5.45 Jack features a two-port brake that looks like early Norinco muzzle devices and those made in the early 2000s by Tapco. While not a proper AK-74 brake, it functions very well on the Jack, cutting the already negligible recoil to laughably light levels, especially when compared to 30-caliber AKs.

The barrel itself measures 16.3 inches, made from 4150 CroMoly steel and treated to a black nitride finish for increased longevity and resistance to corrosion. This is a very welcome addition, given the mildly corrosive nature of the gold-standard 7N6 surplus ammo. It also features a Mil-spec twist rate of 1:7.87.

The 45-degree gas block might offend some purists.

Behind this, the Jack includes an AKM bayonet lug and a fully adjustable front sight tower. Further back, the handguards are made of a very handsome (yet still Mil-spec) blonde laminate wood that, in testing, did an admirable job of keeping a shooters hands from being burned by the barrel as it heats up. However, take care not to touch the steel pin toward the front, as it gets uncomfortably hot after about 150 rounds.

Behind the handguards, the barrel trunnion features the laser-engraved Polish Eagle coat of arms on the left side. Above the eagle, the Jack features the iconic  and optimistic  notch sights adjustable for elevation with pre-zeroed settings for distances ranging from 50 meters out to 800 meters.

The carrier is made of stainless steel, contrasting with the semi-gloss black finish of the rifle. Itd be nice if it were hard-chromed, but the stainless finish is easy enough to clean and means the gun is less expensive.

The first actual departure (other than caliber) the Jack has from your run-of-the-mill AKM is the addition of an oversized safety selector. It does a great job of striking a balance between usability and proper AK aesthetics. The same is true of the magazine release tab. Its substantially larger than Mil-spec but makes extracting spent magazines easier.

The Jack ships with a standard AKM polymer pistol grip and a blonde laminate wooden stock that perfectly matches the handguards. And thats the long and short of it  just a well-made AKM of a different caliber.

However, many companies have tried to put their own spin on the AK-74 with mixed results. Some companies, like one that rhymes with rudimentary, used the wrong bore diameter and twist rate and saw rounds keyhole out of the barrel. Others simply installed selector plates incorrectly, leading to guns that either had dramatically increased recoil or reliability issues. So, how did WBP do?

PERFORMANCE

In testing, we fired around 800 rounds of ammo through the Jack, with the overwhelming majority being surplus 7N6 52-grain FMJ from Russia (RIP bank account). And in all this testing, there was never a single malfunction, regardless of which magazine was used. This includes the translucent polymer WBP mag that ships with the gun and Bulgarian, Russian, Romanian, and Chinese examples. Everything locked up tight and fed flawlessly.

As far as accuracy, the Jack regularly produced groups hovering around and just below two MOA. Not a precision weapon system by any stretch, but more than accurate enough. In fact, while the gun achieved very respectable groups with surplus 7N6, it shot outstandingly well with Hornadys 5.45 SST rounds. Sadly, these are even harder to find than surplus ammo.

The worst-performing ammo of the group was Wolf 55-grain soft point ammo. Something about the consistency of the exposed lead rounds opened up groups to around 2.7 MOA. But since this ammo notoriously  and surprisingly  performs terribly in terms of terminal ballistics, theres no love lost.

VERDICT

Is the new Polish WBP Jack 545 worth its $1,100 MSRP? It really depends. For shooters with a large stash of 5.45 who want a new platform to launch these rounds  yes.

Wed also argue its an excellent buy for collectors and shooters who want to dip their toes in the 5.45 game but dont want to drop over $2,000 on an Arsenal or converted Russian Saiga.

Realistically, if we wanted a low-recoil Polish AK, wed go with the WBP Jack 556 since the ammunition is a little cheaper but vastly more available. Either way, both guns are flawlessly accurate and inarguably handsome additions to any shooters AK collection.

That said, if youve always wanted a Mil-spec AK in 5.45, given the state of the world market at the moment, theres no better option at this price point.
The first footage from the scandalous movie Rust, directed by Joel Souza and starring actor Alec Baldwin, has been posted online. Some of them are shot by the cameraman Halyna Hutchins, a Ukrainian who died during the filming process.

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This was reported by Deadline. Hutchins was killed in the fall of 2021 due to careless behavior with props: Alex Baldwin fired a revolver pistol loaded with live ammunition, fatally wounding the cameraman.

Filming resumed in the spring of 2023, and the Ukrainian actress was replaced by actress Bianca Cline.

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The film revolves around a 13-year-old boy who is left to fend for himself after the death of his parents in the 1880s. The teenager is sentenced to death for the unintentional murder of a local rancher. His grandfather, the legendary outlaw Harland Rust, embarks on a journey across Mexico to rescue his grandson.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you how Alec Baldwin was acquitted of the murder of Ukrainian cinematographer Hutchins and what is the nuance.

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
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If Kejriwal is arrested, it will take very little for Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to summon a meeting of the assembly, direct it to elect a new leader of the House, and, if it doesn't, dissolve it and impose President's Rule, predicts Aditi Phadnis.

IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann at a roadshow for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in Binaganj, Chachoda, November 8, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

In his autobiography, Lalu Prasad describes the events leading to his arrest in the fodder scam. It was July 1997.

A few weeks earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation had announced it had enough evidence to frame charges against him.

M Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu chief minister in 1997, counselled he should resign.

Then Congress president Sitaram Kesri planted the idea that his (Lalu's) wife, Rabri Devi, could become chief minister instead.

A R Kidwai, then Bihar governor, said he needed someone as chief minister: It would be practically impossible for Lalu to function if the court were to refuse bail and order judicial custody.

'Technically, there was no need for me to resign, but I decided to step down to set norms,' Lalu told his biographer.

In September 2014, J Jayalalithaa, who was Tamil Nadu chief minister at that time, was put in jail following her conviction on charges of disproportionate assets. It was a Sunday.

She summoned some of her party colleagues for a meeting over breakfast in jail and advised them to elect a new legislature party leader.

She named O Panneerselvam, who was at the meeting, as her choice.

By contrast, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has let his supporters persuade him that he will -- and can -- run the Delhi government from prison.

Days after the Enforcement Directorate summoned him in the Delhi excise scam, he called a meeting of colleagues who told him he must not quit, thus rendering irrelevant the need to name a successor.

"We will take the court's permission to hold cabinet meetings in jail," said Minister Atishi.

Having already written to the ED that he would not be available for questioning, he travelled to Madhya Pradesh to campaign for Aam Aadmi Party candidates.

In his speech he said: 'I don't know if I will be in (jail) or out when the results come out. You can arrest Kejriwal's body. But how can you arrest Kejriwal's ideas?'

How indeed! But the ED is interested in arresting both the body and the mind and when that happens, it will take very little for Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to summon a meeting of the assembly, direct it to elect a (new) leader of the House, and, if it doesn't, dissolve it and impose President's Rule.

Delhi houses India's capital. It cannot remain chief minister-less, after all...

On the other hand, AAP might decide discretion is the better part of valour and 'nominate' a successor.

It could be Atishi, who has been handling a lot of the work as minister after minister has wound up in jail.

It could also be Environment Minister Gopal Rai, who is credited widely as being among the more political leaders in AAP.

Both Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia would have been possible choices, but they are already in jail.

What is unlikely to happen if Mr Kejriwal joins them is a pan-Indian uprising in AAP's support.

In fact, there's many an officer who will be crowing silently at the fact that AAP -- which tends to treat bureaucrats with disdain and worse -- has got its just deserts.

On the other hand, there is hardly any doubt that once the case is completed and Mr Kejriwal is still in a position to fight elections, he will be able to re-conquer the heart of Delhi that he still holds.

This is what is irritating the Bharatiya Janata Party -- not just that it has lost a state government to AAP, but that AAP got 13 per cent of the vote in the Gujarat Assembly elections, something even veteran BJP leader Keshubhai Patel was not able to achieve when he rebelled from the BJP and formed his own party.

AAP has been going from strength to strength, and when it got the status of a national party last year, Mr Kejriwal rubbed it in.

'Unimaginable,' he said. "It is as if ten-and-a-half years ago, when we formed our party, was just yesterday. At that time, no one even thought that the party would get one MLA. And today, in 10 years, AAP has become a national party.'

There is no doubt about AAP's popularity among a class of Delhi voters. In East Vinod Nagar, French is taught as a second language in a government school, along with options to learn German and Spanish.

Some mohalla clinics don't work. But many do. And air conditioned public buses are full of women and children who get to ride them free.

AAP must be held guilty of equivocation on several ideological issues.

One of its ministers ordered the recitation of the Sundar Kand of the Ramayan, presumably at government cost, every week.

The party continues to sponsor pilgrimages to holy places for the elderly at highly subsidised rates.

It couldn't be bothered explaining to voters how it saw the role of the Gujarat government in the remission to those convicted of the rape of Bilquis Bano: Gopal Italia said the move was reprehensible, but Manish Sisodia brushed it aside, saying the party was more concerned about issues of development.

BJP leaders in Delhi say they want Mr Kejriwal put away for a long time.

Only, it is hard to see how they will become the beneficiaries of this vacuum, given the current state of the BJP, which even lost the municipal corporation elections. Little needs to be said about the Congress.

A fog of another kind is going to descend on Delhi. Watch out for it.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
For that to happen, Moitra's much followed speeches should be heard outside Parliament so that the PR spins of the ruling dispensation are countered with informed debate, argues Shyam G Menon.

IMAGE: Mahua Moitra walks out of the Lok Sabha against the motion to expel Moitra was passed in the House, December 8, 2023. All photographs: ANI Photo

Going by news reports published so far, the recent expulsion of Mahua Moitra from Parliament was based on one established fact -- that she shared her log-in details (for the Lok Sabha portal) with another person.

It is a point to be viewed in conjunction with the fact that the reports also mentioned that no guidelines over access have been laid down yet and several parliamentarians share such details with their staff including due to some of the elected members not being digital-savvy.

Aside from this conduct on Moitra's behalf, which has been construed as a potential threat to national security, the other charges were in the realm of allegations pending proof.

To the extent, the Ethics Committee recommended expulsion on a debatable point it had proof for (while leaving the rest to competent agencies to investigate) and failed to cross examine everyone crucial to the issue, the committee's decision will remain as suspect as the parliamentarian's alleged intentions behind posing questions in parliament.

That Moitra was formally expelled after the committee's report was distributed to members of Parliament with inadequate time for study, very limited time offered for discussion and she denied an opportunity to speak, will go down as an unconvincing exercise.

Remember -- behind every member of Parliament, from the one recommended for expulsion to those approving it, is an electorate, which must be convinced.

No wonder, on the day of her expulsion certainly (and likely for the short term) Moitra's angry outburst of having been tried by a 'kangaroo court' rang true.

The Opposition closed ranks and stood behind her. She spoke of fighting the Bharatiya Janata Party for the next thirty years.

On December 11, 2023, news reports said Moitra had moved the Supreme Court against her expulsion.

Viewed purely as the media image and personality she has been, Moitra doesn't appear the regular sort of politician.

Some of our women parliamentarians have enjoyed the benefit of being born into families that spawned political parties or came from influential circles.

Once into politics, there is the ritual of keeping a patriarchal system happy.

Although things are changing, tolerance (leave alone appreciation) for an independent woman in India is as tough to come by as appreciation for the individual despite our Constitution speaking up for the individual.

Moitra's rise in politics, as we know from profiles in the media, had little of the political privilege some of our women parliamentarians enjoyed.

Educated here and abroad, she traded a career overseas in banking, for politics in India.

In her first tenure in Parliament itself, she was widely noticed for her public speaking and questions posed with homework done.

Moitra's fiery speeches were keenly followed by the public, especially the urban public.

For the depleted and hunted Opposition, she was an asset. For the very same reason, she also became a thorn in the side of the ruling party.

Following her expulsion, she said -- and rightly so -- that parliamentarians are conveyor belts for questions.

A question may be posed in Parliament but its genesis and research lay outside.

As long as favors as inducements haven't been traded, the facts are correct and there is relevance to Parliament in what is being said; it is hard to fault the question because the groundwork was outsourced.

What matters is that the member concerned know the subject thoroughly and be capable of explaining/defending it alone in Parliament, for outsourced debaters have no place there.

However, it must be equally admitted that to the extent outsourcing is the case, the image of independence gracing a member would diminish, which is a diminution s/he shares with most parliamentarians for it is unlikely that anyone is doing their work without some help from outside.

In Moitra's case, the diminution will be acutely felt because she appears to have got caught between two businessmen, instead of shall we say -- the people and big business.

The mistake put a question mark on the intent of her questions even if the questions per se were valid.

IMAGE: TMC MP Mahua Moitra addresses the media after her expulsion from the Lok Sabha, December 8, 2023. Photograph: Sanjay Sharma/ANI Photo

Still, the real quagmire in which her political foes would try to trap Moitra may not be with regard to her professional conduct, but her choice of personality that is so different from what the ruling party and its cohorts, going by their preferred social messaging, approve.

A lot of her private life has already been bandied about. Media reports quoting from submissions to the Ethics Committee by some of the parties involved, have cited descriptions of Moitra as ambitious, which in the Indian social and political milieu valuing humility -- even fake humility -- would be a red flag, particularly when ascribed to a woman.

Reports have spoken of uncomfortable personal questions asked by the panel examining the issue.

To think that at least some sections of the electorate won't factor in these angles when evaluating the Mahua Moitra episode, would be a fallacy.

Not everyone will buy the BJP line. Unfortunately, some don't make all and majoritarianism is what Indian politics has come to be fueled by. And it is a patriarchal majoritarianism; one that prevents us from putting personal rights above the social patterns and behavior one got habituated to.

The BJP represents the deep end of such habituation and in that conservative iconography, it is unlikely that Moitra merits empathy. There will be those drawing satisfaction from her exit.

IMAGE: Mahua Moitra speaks to the media at Parliament House.

Moitra served as a member of the West Bengal assembly, representing Karimpur, from 2016 to 2019 and later as a member of Parliament representing Krishnanagar from 2019 to 2023.

She has been general secretary and national spokesperson of the All India Trinamool Congress.

On November 13, 2023, in the wake of the controversy in Parliament, she was made the Trinamool Congress district president of Krishnanagar (Nadia North).

As mentioned, the gravity of the alleged national security threat in Moitra's conduct and concrete evidence to prove that she asked questions for favours await investigation.

Keeping that aside and assuming that she meant the 30 year battle with the BJP in all seriousness, her future depends on how well her story resonates with the public.

Uniquely, popular support is also what makes the reported target of her questions in Parliament, formidable.

Influential businessmen and their giant companies have selfish interests and questionable styles of operation, including lobbying the government. But they employ thousands of people and in the avatar of publicly listed companies, acquire a shareholder strength that is even bigger.

It is through their capacity to provide jobs and their shareholder base (along with the wealth they generate and distribute) that billionaires launder the inequality in their existence into a benevolent normalcy.

Today, business tycoons and the corporate workforce wield significant influence in Indian politics, particularly as sculptors of aspiration.

The general erosion in respect for freedom and democracy -- they being looked upon as avoidable irritants on a path to regimented higher goals -- is partly due to the rise of this mentality focused primarily on wealth creation with modernity only a distant second or third as priority.

More than any other party, the BJP has successfully tapped this constituency.

Against this how effective can Moitra's claim of a 30 year-long battle with the BJP, be? For that to happen, Moitra's much followed speeches should be heard outside Parliament so that the PR spins of the ruling dispensation and their actions in service of the off-stage patrons they bow to, are countered with informed debate.

In other words, the foreign returned banker-turned-politician must be heard in geographies beyond Parliament and Bengal and in a manner that is not limited to urban liberals.

In a democracy, the right place for a politician and the safest place is with the people. Can she do that? Or will the quagmire she got into -- especially that dissonance with the generally accepted iconography of an ideal Indian existence -- suck her in?

Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
'Our missions do not have any reliable data on the number of Indians staying or working illegally in foreign countries,' the MEA says.

Kindly note the image has been published only for representational purposes.. Photograph: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

Illegal migration from India to the US has increased in recent years.

Last month, French authorities grounded a chartered flight headed to Nicaragua, which originated in Dubai, with 303 Indian passengers. Some of them were suspected victims of human trafficking, while the rest might have planned to travel to Central America to attempt illegal entry into the US or Canada, officials told the news agency AFP.

According to a ministry of external affairs (MEA) reply to a question in Parliament last month, 'There have been reports about Indian nationals trying to enter the US illegally.'

The MEA mentioned that the quoted number has neither been authenticated nor communicated officially by US authorities. However, data published by US Customs and Border Protection on its Web site indicates that the number of illegal Indian immigrants encountered by US authorities in 2023 was 96,917.

In another reply, the MEA stated that most foreign countries do not provide information on illegal stays unless the individuals are under orders of deportation, and travel document or nationality verification is required.

'As such, our missions and posts do not have any reliable data on the number of Indians staying or working illegally in foreign countries,' it added.

The ministry shares details of illegal agents on the eMigrate portal.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The Delhi high court on Wednesday dismissed a petition by Neelam Azad, an accused arrested in the December 13 Parliament security breach case, seeking her release on the grounds that her police remand was illegal.

IMAGE: Smoke-filled Lok Sabha after two intruders released yellow smoke from canisters, December 13, 2023. Photograph: @DrSenthil_MDRD/X

A bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait said the petition, which alleged that Azad was not allowed to consult a lawyer of her choice before the trial court at the time of remand, was not maintainable.

"Petitioner has already moved bail application before the trial court. Present petition is not maintainable and is dismissed accordingly," the bench, also comprising Justice Manoj Jain, said.

Azad's lawyer argued the trial court granted her custody to the police in violation of the provisions of the Constitution as she was not allowed to consult a legal practitioner of her choice to defend her during the trial court proceedings. Also, the order remanding her in police custody was passed without application of mind, he said.

"I am seeking release on the ground that my fundamental right was violated," he argued.

During the hearing, the high court said no case of violation of her fundamental rights was made out.

"This can't be the ground. Whatever (legal aid) lawyer was there, the trial court passed the order... There is no such right violated. Go to the trial court. Your case is pending there," the court told the petitioner's counsel.

The lawyer for the city police said Azad has already filed a bail application seeking her release in the present FIR which concerns offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The lawyer also contended that the petition was not maintainable, and her police custody was already coming to an end on January 5.

In her petition seeking a writ of habeas corpus directing her production before the high court as well as an order to "set her at liberty", Azad said not allowing her to consult a lawyer of her choice amounted to violation of her fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution, making the remand order unlawful. The trial court has remanded her in police custody till January 5.

Under Indian laws, a detainee or a person on their behalf can file a habeas corpus petition in a high court or the Supreme Court for their production if they feel they have been detained illegally. Upon production, if the court concerned concludes that the detention is illegal, it can order their release.

"Upon her arrest, the petitioner's family wasn't informed. It was informed only in the evening of 14.12.2023. Further, she wasn't permitted to meet any person including advocates which is mandatory under Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India. Even at the court a single DLSA (Delhi Legal Services Authority) counsel was appointed to all the accused persons without giving them any choice among counsels," the plea, filed through lawyer Suresh Kumar, alleged.

"The remand order dated 21.12.2023 is illegal and violative of Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India which mandates the accused person to be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice whereas in the present case the petitioner's advocate wasn't permitted to take instructions and defend the petitioner prior to the disposal of the remand application," the plea added.

The petition also said she was produced before the trial court on December 14 "after a period of 29 hours from the time of arrest".

Article 22(2) of the Constitution says every person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced before the nearest magistrate within a period of 24 hours of such arrest excluding the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to the court of the magistrate and no such person shall be detained in custody beyond the said period without the authority of a magistrate.

On December 21, the trial court had extended till January 5 the police custody of four accused, including Azad, arrested in the Parliament security breach case, after the city police said they needed to uncover all those involved in the conspiracy.

While the four were arrested on the day of the incident itself, two others were apprehended later.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack on December 13, 2023, two persons identified as Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by some MPs.

Around the same time, two others -- Amol Shinde and Azad -- also sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting "taanashahi nahi chalegi" outside the Parliament House premises.

Besides the four accused, the police have also arrested Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat in the case. All are being interrogated in police custody.

The high court had recently stayed the trial court's direction to the city police to supply a copy of the FIR to Azad, noting that it is a case of sensitive nature and, according to a judgment of the Supreme Court, the FIRs in sexual offences, offences pertaining to insurgency, terrorism and of that category, and those under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are not to be uploaded on website of the authorities.
Ukraine has returned 17-year-old Oleksandr from Mariupol from Russian deportation. The occupiers took him to Moscow as part of a group of 31 children in April 2022.

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This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. They noted that the vast majority of minors in the group were orphans or deprived of parental care.

Currently, Oleksandr is already in Kyiv. He became the 5th of the group of deported Ukrainian minors. Having been in a foreign country for almost two years, the young man was eager to return to Ukraine.

Earlier, the 12-year-old son of an Armed Forces servicewoman was returned to his native land, who was visiting his father in the Luhansk region at the time of the full-scale Russian invasion. Due to Russian aggression, the child had not seen his mother for 18 months: the boy spent four months in Russia and the rest of the time in the occupied part of the Luhansk region.

However, not all children abducted by Russia are lucky enough to return home. In particular, a 12-year-old girl from the occupied territory of the Luhansk region died on the Tomsk-Adler train in Russia. 124 children were taken off the train and hospitalized in Saratov hospitals, and Rospotrebnadzor announced an outbreak of influenza.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- In early December 2023, Ukraine returned eight children who had previously been abducted by Russia. Four girls and four boys aged 8 to 18 were reunited with their families.

- Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, said that there are currently about 20,000 Ukrainian children who have been illegally deported from Ukraine by Russia. However, there is reason to believe that the true number of children abducted by Russia could be hundreds of thousands.
Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday said he does not need an invitation from anyone to visit the newly-constructed temple in Ayodhya as Lord Ram resides in his heart.

IMAGE: Congress MP Digvijay Singh. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo

He also said that the distrust in the minds of people towards the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was gradually growing.

"I do not need anyone's invitation to have darshan of Lord Ram. Lord Ram is in our hearts," Singh said in response to reporters' query whether he has received an invitation for the idol consecration ceremony being organised on January 22.

The Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the Election Commission has failed to give time to the opposition India bloc since the last six months for a meeting to discuss the issue of EVMs.

"The distrust in the minds of people towards EVMs is gradually growing due to the Election Commission's attitude on the questions being raised regarding the software and chip technology of these machines," he claimed.

Singh also said that a large number of opposition MPs were suspended from Parliament for the 'fault' of seeking Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in the House on the Parliament security breach incident.

"We were suspended from Parliament and important bills were passed without a discussion," he said.

The Congress leader said that if the Election Commission and the Union government continue to have this attitude, then common people will gradually lose faith in democracy.

"What will happen if we lose faith in democracy? No one can stop the path of revolution," he said.

Singh said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders ask that if there is a glitch in the EVMs, then how did the Congress win the last assembly elections in Karnataka and Telangana.

Answering this question himself, he said, "If someone who steals secretly takes away all the goods, he will be caught. That's why he steals slowly. This theft started after the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections."

Taking a dig at the BJP's 'Abki baar 400 paar' (winning 400-plus seats this time) slogan for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Singh said, "In the next elections, BJP will give the slogan of winning all 542 Lok Sabha seats."

He accused the BJP of misusing the administrative machinery in Madhya Pradesh, adding fake names in the voters' list and indulging in bogus voting.

Singh claimed that the BJP was losing the assembly elections held in the state in November last year and all the election surveys were in favour of the Congress.

"...But the election results came out just the opposite," Singh said while expressing doubts over the efficiency of EVMs.
A 59-year-old man from Goa, who was declared 'dead' and whose 'funeral' was conducted by his relatives, returned home after reported missing for more than two months, police said on Wednesday, leaving his family shocked and joyous.

Image used only for representation. Photograph: Pixabay.com

The man, Marcos Milagres, a resident of Agassaim village near the Goa capital Panaji, had gone missing late last year.

Inspector Vikram Naik of the Agassaim police station said the family of Milagres had filed a missing person's complaint with them sometime in October.

Subsequently, the body of a man was found in Panaji on October 7, 2023, which was identified as that of Milagres by his family members, he said.

A post-mortem examination was conducted at the government-run Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji and the body was handed over to the family, said the police officer.

Naik said the family members conducted the last rites of the body.

However, more than two months later, the Goa police received a call from their Mumbai counterparts informing them about a man claiming to be Milagres and a resident of Agassaim.

Naik said the man was brought to the Agassaim police station where his family identified him as Milagres.

He had gone to Mumbai without informing his family, said the police officer.

It was not yet known whose body was handed over to Milagres's family.
Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad on Wednesday claimed that there is a possibility of Godhra-like incident' in Karnataka in the run up to the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Photograph: ANI Photo

The Karnataka government should be alert because in Gujarat during the same occasion, the Kar Sevaks were set on fire at Godhra, the MLC told reporters in Bengaluru.

The 2002 Godhra train burning case had plunged Gujarat into one of the worst communal riots.

The former Rajya Sabha member said: A similar (Godhra-like) situation can be created here also. So, no room should be given for any untoward incident to happen in Karnataka. All the arrangements should be made for those willing to go to Ayodhya so that we should not see another Godhra happening in Karnataka.

There is absolute possibility (for such incident). I can even give information. I can tell you that the head of some organisations went to some states and have instigated some BJP leaders. I cannot say that openly. They are doing it. They are instigating such act, Hariprasad alleged.

On the invitation to Congress leaders for the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Hariprasad said this event should be seen politically and not religiously.

If a Hindu Dharma Guru inaugurates the Rama temple then you and me would have gone there (to Ayodhya) without any invitation", he said.

My knowledge tells me that the four Shankaracharyas are the head of the Hindu religion. If the four Shankaracharyas or any religious head had inaugurated the event then I would have attended the event. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah are not 'Dharma Guru' but political leaders. We have to take this into consideration, he said.
Indian Navy on Wednesday said its ships and aircraft remain 'mission deployed' for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations.

Image used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

'In the last one week, Indian Naval Task Groups deployed in the area have investigated large number of fishing vessel and boarded vessels of interest,' it said.

The Navy substantially enhanced maritime surveillance efforts in view of recent incidents of attacks on commercial ships including that of the drone attack on MV Chem Pluto around 220 nautical miles South West of Porbandar last month.

'Indian Navy continues to monitor maritime security situation in North/ Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden,' the Navy said in a statement.

'Indian Naval ships and aircraft remain mission deployed for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations,' it said.

It said Indian naval maritime patrol aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft are undertaking persistence surveillance over the area.

Indian Navy is also coordinating with Coast Guard for maintaining enhanced surveillance within India's exclusive economic zone.

'Indian Navy is closely monitoring overall situation in coordination with national maritime agencies and remains committed towards ensuring safety of merchant shipping and seafarers in the region,' the Navy said.

Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was the target of a drone attack off India's west coast on December 23 that triggered security concerns in New Delhi as it came amid the Iran-backed Houthi militants launching strikes on several commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Besides MV Chem Pluto, another commercial oil tanker that was on the way to India came under a suspected drone strike in Southern Red Sea on the same day. The vessel had a team of 25 Indian crew.

In another incident, Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen was hijacked on December 14 by pirates.

"IMAC (Information Management and Analysis Centre) and IFC IOR (Information Fusion Centre '? Indian Ocean Region) have been closely monitoring white shipping, especially the Indian Flagged Merchant Vessels plying in the area," Navy said.
Russia attacked Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, with missiles and drones on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Some of Russia's latest weapons were used in the savage attack.

Caution: Graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

IMAGE: A fire burns after a Russian missile strike. Photograph: Vladyslav Musiienko/Reuters

IMAGE: Smoke rises in the sky over Kyiv after the Russian bombardment. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters

IMAGE: Medical workers and police evacuate a wounded resident near an apartment building damaged in the attack. Photograph: Danylo Antoniuk/Reuters

IMAGE: Rescuers carry a body of a person killed in a heavily damaged apartment building. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

IMAGE: A firefighter sprays water on a fire in a residential building. Photograph: Danylo Antoniuk/Reuters

IMAGE: Firefighters work at the site of a residential building. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

IMAGE: Residents carry their belongings from their damaged apartment building. Photograph: Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

IMAGE: A firefighter evacuates a resident from a burning residential building. Photograph: Danylo Antoniuk/Reuters

IMAGE: A missile explodes in the sky over Kyiv, here and below. Photograph: Vladyslav Sodel/Reuters

Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters

IMAGE: Firefighters work at the site of a fire in Kyiv. Photograph: Yevhen Kotenko/Reuters

Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Internal strife within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) showed no signs of abating on Wednesday, with senior leaders continuing to trade verbal jabs, even as the party leadership issued a subtle call for setting aside grievances and focusing on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien attends mid-night mass at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary on the Christmas Eve, in Kolkata on December 24, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The recent controversy unfolded after West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee had in November advocated the need to give due respect to senior members and rejected the notion that elderly leaders should retire from active politics.

Following this, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Mamata Banerjee's nephew, proposed a retirement age in politics, citing declining work efficiency and productivity with advancing age.

The party has since become a battleground for allegations and counter-allegations between senior and young leaders.

The tensions reached a new low when five-time TMC MLA Tapas Ray criticised veteran leader and TMC's Lok Sabha party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, accusing him of compromising the party's interests for personal political gains.

Ray emphasised, "We are loyal soldiers of the TMC. We have given our entire life for the party. We are neither tainted nor have been in prison on corruption charges."

Referring to Bandopadhyay's past arrest in the Rose Valley scam in January 2017, Ray questioned his contributions to the party and accused him of insulting old and tested party workers.

Ray said, "What has he done for the party apart from insulting old and tested party workers? He is now trying to create a division within the party. The kind of insult he has hurled at me for the last 15 years is unacceptable. I want justice."

In response, senior TMC minister Firhad Hakim urged everyone to refrain from making such remarks in public domain and instead address issues through internal discussions within the party.

"Everyone should stop making such remarks in the public domain and sort out issues through discussions within the party," he said.

During a closed-door organisational meeting with the Bankura district unit, TMC leader Subrata Bakshi encouraged party workers to set aside grievances and work unitedly for the party.

The debate gained momentum on the party's foundation day on Monday when TMC state president Subrata Bakshi, known for his loyalty to Mamata Banerjee, expressed hope that Abhishek Banerjee would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election with Mamata Banerjee's photo and not shy away from the field.

He said, "Abhishek Banerjee is our national general secretary. Naturally, if Abhishek fights this election, we are sure that he will not back down from the fray. If he fights, he will fight with the photo of Mamata Banerjee and the party symbol."

Bakshi's statement drew objections from the party's state general secretary Kunal Ghosh who called for a retraction.

Ghosh emphasised, "I respect the state president, but I have objections to his phrasing of words. It is never desired. Abhishek is still in the fray. If the party listens to what he (Abhishek) wants to say, it is good for the party."

In November, Ghosh, who is also the party spokesperson, addressed rumours of a power struggle, asserting that there is no conflict between the old and new factions, emphasising the necessity of both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee for the party.

This ongoing controversy recalls a two-year-old internal struggle within the TMC between the old guard and the younger faction.

Amidst rumours of an alleged power struggle in January 2022, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee dissolved all national office-bearer committees, including the post of national general secretary held by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

Subsequently, a new committee was formed, and Abhishek was reinstated as the party's national general secretary.

Since then, Abhishek has not only gained prominence within the party but is also considered the de facto number two in the state's ruling dispensation.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. High 43F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low near 30F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
In Mariupol, activists of the Ukrainian resistance have slightly reduced the number of Russian occupiers. On New Year's Eve, the invaders, who had gathered to drink in a large company, were poisoned by poisoned alcohol carefully prepared for them by the Mariupol resistance.

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Russian publics went into a frenzy over the nearly two dozen "treacherously killed soldiers," including officers. At the same time, they refuse to believe that Ukrainian partisans were involved in the "denazification" of the Ukrainians.

Russian social media are spreading reports of mass alcohol poisoning by the occupiers in Mariupol on New Year's Eve. According to Russian propagandists, some unknown attackers "put to sleep and treacherously killed" 17 Russian invaders in Mariupol. Among them were two officers of the Russian Armed Forces.

"The military gathered together in a big company and decided to drink on the occasion of the New Year. However, someone added a strong sleeping pill to the alcohol they were drinking. Apparently, when the soldiers fell asleep, they were all killed in their sleep. Some of them were strangled, some were stabbed," the propagandists quote the "embellished" version of events told to them by "sources in the DPR army and police".

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Another source said that the mysterious avengers who "gained the trust of our military and then put them to sleep and killed them" are now being sought. The Russian propagandists also suggest that "saboteurs" may be involved in "denazification" and "saboteurs" who have already killed more than one occupier in Mariupol.

"But this version still needs to be confirmed," the propagandists added.

Instead, the reality turned out to be much more prosaic than the version that was voiced. Mariupol resistance activists were indeed involved in the deaths among the occupiers. And there is no question of any "insidious murders in a dream" and even with the help of slit throats.

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The Telegram channel "Mariupol. Resistance" claimed their involvement in the liquidation of the invaders. Moreover, they warned the occupiers in advance that they would be in for surprises.

"Last week, we delivered a batch of good alcohol to friendly liquor stores. To those who sell by hand for the Russians. We delivered it in the dark, knowing that they definitely make money only on this (Arsen - hello ;)). And it worked. New poisonings among the occupiers in the city. Some unknown disease is killing the orcs. They just need to drink less. Although in our case - more," read the message published on December 29.

However, as further events have shown, the Russian occupiers were not affected by the reports of the sale of poisoned alcohol or the first "victims" in the fight against the "green snake" among the invaders.

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Earlier, a mass pestilence among the occupiers occurred in Mariupol in October. Then, in just a week, 26 invaders mysteriously died, and another 15 were hospitalized due to poisoning . Russian propagandists also wrote about the saboteurs.

In total, during the summer and two months of autumn, the Mariupol resistance eliminated more than 40 invaders in various ways. This data was released in October by Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of Mariupol.
On the morning of January 3, Russian troops launched a missile attack on Avdiivka in Donetsk region. The occupiers launched four missiles and hit a residential area, killing a 51-year-old man on the spot and injuring a 50-year-old woman.

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This was reported by the head of the Donetsk regional military administration Vadym Filashkin on his Telegram channel. He also posted a photo of the aftermath of the strike, which shows destroyed residential buildings and a crater from the rocket's impact.

According to him, Avdiivka came under fire around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 3.

A51-year-old man died on the spot, a 50-year-old woman was hospitalized with injuries.

"Avdiivka suffers from enemy shelling every day, no one can guarantee safety. Be responsible - evacuate!" urged the head of the CMA.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- The situation in the area of Avdiivka remains very tense. The occupants keep trying to completely surround the city and are shelling it with various types of weapons. The head of the city's military administration, Vitaliy Barabash, showed a video from Avdiivka, which shows that there is not a single intact building in the city.

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- At a press conference on December 26, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny suggested that Russia could do to Avdiivka what it did to Bakhmut in a few months. According to him, Ukraine values every piece of its land, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces will defend the city as long as they have the strength to do so.

- An occupier with the "iconic" surname Chernihivsky was captured by Ukrainian troops near Avdiivka. He complained about the heavy losses Russia was suffering in its attempts to capture the city.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A video circulated in Chinese-language posts alongside a claim that Japan had refused to support Taiwans access to the 11-member CPTPP free trade agreement in the latest meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Chairman of Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Mitsuo Ohashi in December.

But the claim is misleading. After the meeting, Ohashi was cited by the Taiwanese presidential offices statement as saying that Japan has always supported Taiwans accession to the CPTPP and he hopes the island will have the opportunity to join the agreement in the near future. A source close to the matter also told AFCL that no conversation about Japan refusing Taiwans access took place during the meeting.

An eight-second clip showing scenes of a meeting between Tsai and Ohashi on Dec. 11 was shared on Dec. 14 on Chinese state-run CCTVs official Douyin channel.

On December 11, Tsai Ing-wens request for Japans support for Taiwans access to the CPTPP was rejected; on the following day, Tsais authorities mentioned the matter at a meeting, which was once again ignored by the Japanese side, reads the title of the clip.

Screenshot of CCTVs official Douyin channel of one of its programs





The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, is a trade agreement between 11 nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Initially called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, and comprising 12 negotiating members, including the United States, the agreement underwent a change after the former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2017. The remaining members agreed to rename it as CPTPP, and it became effective in 2018.

Since 2021, various economies including the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and Ecuador have applied to join the agreement. However, admission is contingent on a unanimous consensus decision. So far, only the U.K. has been allowed entry, while the other applications are still under consideration.

The claim about Japans rejecting Taiwans request for support on CPTPP access has been also shared by other state-run Chinese media outlets.

But the claim is misleading.

After the meeting, Taiwans presidential office released a statement to confirm the remarks made by Ohashi on Japans support for the islands CPTPP access.

Japan has always supported Taiwans accession to the CPTPP, but that membership is approved by consensus, which may require some more time, adding that he hopes Taiwan will have the opportunity to join the CPTPP in the near future, said Ohashi, as cited by the Taiwanese presidential offices statement.

Separately, sources close to the matter told AFCL that the dialogue between Tsai and Mitsuo Ohashi at the meeting was as written in the Taiwan Presidential Offices statement, and that the content of the CCTV video shared on Douyin was inaccurate.

The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, or JTEA, has not responded to AFCLs request for comment.

Tokyos support for Taiwans CPTPP access

Japanese officials have repeatedly stated that they welcome Taiwans application to join CPTPP.

For instance, Kazuyuki Katayama, JTEAs new chief representative in the Taipei office, said at his inaugural tea party on Dec. 14: Taiwan is an extremely important economic partner for Japan. The Japanese government welcomes Taiwans application to join the CPTPP, and we need to continue our cooperation in this regard.

After Taiwan formally applied to join the CPTPP on Sep. 22, 2021, Japans then-Foreign Minister Toshimasa Mochizuki also expressed his welcome.

Translated by RFA Staff. Edited by Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.










During a terrorist missile attack on Kyiv by Russian troops on January 2, Lyudmyla Shevtsova, a scholar who taught at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, was killed. She would have turned 85 on February 2.

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This tragic news was announced by the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on its official Facebook page. The woman lived in Solomianka, where the wreckage of a Russian missile fell.

She died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"Today, on January 2, 2024, as a result of the Russian shelling of Kyiv, a teacher of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Professor of the Department of Ecology Lyudmyla Shevtsova was killed. For many years she was a member of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, where she received her PhD and in 1999 her doctorate in biology with a degree in hydrobiology. Among Ms. Liudmyla's scientific achievements is the development of methods to combat drift in irrigation systems," the university said.

Since 2014, she has been working at the Department of Ecology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. There, she taught the course "Fundamentals of General Biology" for bachelors, "Biodiversity" and "Ecology of Water Systems" for masters, and also conducted classes with graduate students on the development of dissertation projects. Liudmyla Vasylivna was also the curator of the Master's degree program in Ecology and Environmental Protection.

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Earlier it was reported that on the morning of January 2, the terrorist state of Russia took 16 Tu-95MS bombers into the sky and launched missiles at Ukraine, including "Daggers". They constantly changed their vector of movement, but mostly headed for Kyiv region, where they eventually hit and fell.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, in Kyiv, during a large-scale attack on the morning of January 2, the occupiers hit a civilian infrastructure facility in the Podil district. In several districts, the debris of the downed targets fell on residential buildings and open space, fires broke out, and water supply lines and a gas pipe were damaged. There are deaths and dozens of people were injured.

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The arrests follow a request to the Thai government to monitor Cambodian activists in the country.

Thai immigration officials interrogate and deport Cambodian political activists at a workshop on the Paris Peace Agreement, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 29, 2023.

Thai immigration police arrested 10 Cambodians during a civic workshop in Bangkok last week, several activists have told Radio Free Asia.

The arrests on Friday were made several days after nine minor political parties and 15 NGOs aligned with the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, or CPP, urged Thai authorities to monitor opposition activists in Thailand.

Fridays workshop was attended by 30 Cambodian migrant workers and political asylum seekers and included information on Cambodias 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, which formally ended decades of war in the country and paved the way for parliamentary democracy in the country.

Cambodian opposition activists held a separate workshop on democracy and human rights that was attended by nearly 100 people in Bangkok on Dec. 2, seminar organizer Lem Sokha told RFA.

After that workshop, Khmer Unity Great Nation Party President Heang Kimsroeun contacted the office of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. He said in a statement on Thursday that Thailands progressive Move Forward Party had provided space and training for Cambodian political extremists.

The Move Forward Party have acted in support of a group from an anti-government movement in Cambodia and they use Thailand, a neighboring country, as a safe haven for their propaganda against the government, Heang Kimsroeun said in the statement, according to the Khmer Times

Those activities have been an interference in Cambodias internal affairs, which undermines good relations between the two governments, he said.

Seven still detained

Move Forward, which is not part of Thailands coalition government despite winning the largest share of votes in last Mays election, said in a statement last week that it has never organized or supported any activity that is involved with a political group in Cambodia.

Dozens of pro-democracy Cambodian activists have fled to Thailand to seek asylum in recent years as the CPP has used intimidation and the courts to neutralize the political opposition. Thailand is also host to more than 1 million Cambodian migrant workers.

Several Cambodians have said they were attacked in public in Thailand in 2023 because of their activism.

The Dec. 29 civic workshop was allowed to continue after the 10 Cambodians were arrested, environmental activist So Metta told RFA.

Police told the 10 Cambodians they were being detained because they were illegally staying in Thailand, So Metta said. She added that all 10 have refugee or asylum status from the United Nations refugee agency, or UNHCR, that gives them legal protection in Thailand.

Seven of the 10 Cambodians were still being held on Wednesday at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center, according to So Metta and Human Rights Watch.

So Metta told RFA that she and two of her sisters are among the seven still detained.

Am Sam Ath, the director of Cambodian human rights group Licadho, said Thailand must honor its agreement with the UNHCR to allow asylum seekers and refugees to stay in the country.

He added that Thailand was also one of 18 countries that signed the Paris Peace Agreement, so hosting a workshop about the agreement shouldnt be viewed as suspicious by Thai authorities.

Translated by Chandara Yang and Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
New TV footage shows the Fujian with fitted electromagnetic catapults in preparation for sea trial.

Screen shot from Chinese state TV shows Chinas 3rd aircraft carrier Fujian undergoing mooring tests in December 2023. Three catapult tracks were clearly visible on the deck of the carrier.

Chinas third aircraft carrier Fujian appeared to be almost ready for sea trials in a new video released by state broadcaster CCTV.

CCTVs Xinwen Lianbo news program on Tuesday showed training scenes of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), including a short clip featuring the Fujian completing a recent mooring test.

The report did not specify the date of the test but it was most probably done in late December after a catapult test. In the clip, three electromagnetic catapult tracks were clearly visible on the deck of the carrier.

The catapults, used for launching airplanes from the carrier, were tested in the last couple of months, according to open source intelligence.

Unlike the first two aircraft carriers  Liaoning and Shandong  which use a ski jump-style launch system, the Fujian uses a much more advanced Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery, or CATOBAR, system.

Satellite images obtained by Radio Free Asia from the U.S. Earth imaging company Planet Labs show the aircraft carrier was moved at the end of December from the catapult testing berth to a dry dock at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.

As of Wednesday, it is sitting at Jiangnans Dry Dock number 4.

Chinas 3rd aircraft carrier Fujian at a dry dock in Jiangnan Shipyard on Jan. 1, 2024 (Planet Labs)





The Fujian is undergoing mooring tests, as well as final checks and preparations for sea trials, said Andreas Rupprecht, a Chinese military veteran watcher.

If everything goes as planned, the first sea trial could be possible within the next few weeks, Rupprecht told RFA.

Sea trials are an important final step towards commissioning the carrier to the PLA Navy as early as 2025.

Near completion

The 80,000-ton Fujian  also called Type 003  is Chinas third aircraft carrier, built with a fully indigenous design. It is the first PLA carrier equipped with CATOBAR devices similar to the ones on U.S. aircraft carriers.

Currently, only France and the United States are members of the CATOBAR club, and China, having never operated a CATOBAR carrier before, is starting from the ground up in developing one, according to Robert Farley, a senior lecturer at the University of Kentucky.

As a ship, Fujian is only about 80% as large as existing U.S. carriers, and is conventionally propelled rather than nuclear, which makes a big difference for range, endurance, and carrying capacity, Farley told RFA in November last year.

Andreas Rupprecht meanwhile noticed a mock-up Chinese Shenyang J-15 fighter at the rear of the Fujians flight deck. The J-15 already flies from other two carriers, leading observers to believe that it will likely be present in the 3rd carriers airwing, too.

The construction of the Fujian aircraft carrier began during the 2010s and the ship was launched in June 2022.

On Nov. 30, Chinese defense ministrys spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters in Beijing that the Fujian construction steadily advanced as planned.

Aircraft carriers represent Chinas maritime ambitions and the carrier fleet may be expanded to five ships in the next 10 years, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), an independent U.S. think tank specializing in defense policy, planning and budgets.

To compare, the U.S. Navy has 11 aircraft carriers, most of them of the large supercarrier category, which are much more advanced and powerful.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.
Xiao Chenghao is under investigation over 'inappropriate comments' posted to a personal social media account.

An area devastated by a quake-induced fire is seen in the city of Wajima in Japans Ishikawa prefecture on Jan. 3, 2024.

Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Hainan have suspended a local news anchor after he used the word "retribution" in connection with the recent earthquake in Japan's Noto Peninsula.

"Japan has been hit by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake  retribution?" Hainan Radio and Television news anchor Xiao Chenghao wrote in the title of a commentary video on his personal social media account on Monday.

The provincial state broadcaster said in a statement on its official Weibo account on Tuesday that Hao was currently under investigation and was suspended from his job.

"We have set up an investigation into the inappropriate comments made by our presenter Xiao Chenghao on his personal social media account," Hainan Radio and TV said. "He will not be working for the time being."

Xiao Chenghao, a #TV host at #Hainan Broadcasting Group, has been suspended for posting inappropriate remarks on his personal social media account about the magnitude-7.6 #earthquake that struck #Ishikawa Prefecture in #Japan. #earthquakejapan #socialmedia pic.twitter.com/rapxickMlg  Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) January 3, 2024

A powerful 7.6 magnitude quake struck north-central Japan on Monday, killing dozens of people under collapsed buildings and sparking tsunami warnings along the coast. The death toll on Wednesday was 62.

The Japanese government applied the Disaster Relief Act towards 35 cities, 11 towns and 1 village in 4 prefectures including Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui in order to lead the national-level relief operations, the Red Cross reported on Jan. 2.

At least 30,251 people are now living in evacuation centers run by the local authorities in Ishikawa Prefecture, it said.

Members of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions protest outside the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong after Tokyo announced it was going ahead with releasing waste water from its Fukushima nuclear power plant, Aug. 22, 2023. (Peter Parks/AFP)





Xiao's suspension comes after a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment swept China in August, as Beijing criticized the release of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, sparking fears of tainted seafood and environmental damage.

Japanese businesses and public venues from concert halls to aquariums also were targeted by large numbers of nuisance callers from China, who posted videos of themselves to social media making the calls. That prompted Japan's top regional diplomat Hiroyuki Namazu to call on the Chinese Embassy to calm down supporters of the Communist Party dubbed "little pinks."

An official from the station's Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office told Oriental News that Xiao's video would be deleted, and should never have been posted.

Mixed reactions

The news prompted mixed reactions on Chinese social media platforms, with some comments saying Xiao's comments should be viewed in the context of Japanese wartime atrocities in China during the occupation.

"We need to view Japan from a historical perspective, soberly, toughly, and take a stand," blogger Bei_Debt_Optimization commented, adding that the probe into Xiao had "softened the bones of our ancestors."

"You can offer disaster relief to Japan, but you mustn't stop people from commenting," the blogger wrote. "I support Cheng Hao and all who speak out for justice."

Blogger Mr._Yu said Japan's discharge of wastewater had "ignored global opposition, the environment and marine life."

"Do the oceans belong to Japan, or to all of humanity?" the blogger wrote. "They caused irreversible damage to the marine ecology out of selfishness."

But there were signs that those closer to Beijing took a dim view of such nationalism.

Former Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin said Xiao's comment would "damage the image" of a state-run broadcaster, and said he supported the move to suspend him.

A woman is rescued from a collapsed building by firefighters in the city of Suzu in Japans Ishikawa prefecture on Jan. 3, 2024, (Jiji Press/AFP)





Veteran U.S.-based political commentator Hu Ping said that while the ruling Communist Party will tolerate nationalistic comments and anti-Japanese sentiment among ordinary people online, it draws the line at making such comments official in any way.

"It's about his identity [as a state TV anchor]," Hu said. "The Chinese Communist Party won't do anything if it's just ordinary people, nobodies [saying such things]."

"But others will see his statement as coming from an official perspective, because he works for the state media," he said.

"People will wonder whether such remarks represent the official view, and they will naturally believe that they do," Hu said. "He should have been more cautious, coming as he did from an official background."

Independent current affairs commentator Ji Feng said nobody should gloat over natural disasters anyway.

"The Japanese invaded China, but just because they invaded us back then, we can't be full of hatred and gloat  disasters are disasters and war is war," he said.

He said the disciplinary action against Xiao wasn't an act of support for Japan.

"They are trying to suppress his ignorant and negative remarks," Ji said. "They are sending the clear message that if the party and government tell you to shut up, then you shut up."

He said Beijing likes to drum up populist sentiment when it suits its agenda.

"Populism can be rolled out when needed, and suppressed when it's not," he said. "They have no need for anti-Japanese sentiment right now, so they need to suppress it."

Ji said the government could equally decide to allow further Japan-bashing in future, however.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Guangdong employees targeted in a move that could be aimed at those getting paid without turning up for work.

Eight local government officials in the southern province of Guangdong have been named and shamed for "lying flat," a buzzword describing people who have decided it's no longer in their interest to try hard in life.

The Nanshan township government issued a list of eight people targeted for "lying flat" in a document dated Dec. 23, following a meeting earlier in the month.

The move  which officials said could be aimed at fat-trimming unproductive employees  comes as cash-strapped local authorities across China struggle to pay public employees amid a burst property bubble and an increasingly grim outlook for the worlds second-largest economy.

Local officials later confirmed to the media that a photo of the document circulating on social media was genuine, the Yangtze Evening News reported online.

While it has also been used to describe unemployed young people who see no point in trying any more due to the economic downturn, "lying flat" in this context appears to mean officials who simply arent trying very hard.

The eight officials will now be investigated, and placed under "rectification" measures for six months if found to be slacking off, according to Jimu News and Dawan News.

Its complicated

An employee who answered the phone at a government sub-district office in Guangdong's Foshan city who gave only the surname Zeng for fear of reprisals said the issue may not be as simple as it first appears, however.

"Local government personnel matters are  complicated," Zeng said. "Usually, these things come from a specific source [higher up] who is telling everyone under them to do something, or perhaps criticizing them for doing something wrong."

"The orders from higher up are constantly changing," he said.

But he said slackers do exist.

"Some people just rely on the government for their livelihood, but don't even come to work," Zeng said, adding that many such officials get their jobs through personal connections, and aren't asked to do anything.

Residents look out from barriers around the recently locked down Haizhu district in Guangzhou in southern China's Guangdong province, Nov. 11, 2022. Local governments budgets have yet to recover from the costs of rolling lockdowns, mass quarantines and compulsory daily COVID-19 testing. (AP)

Zeng said it's possible that the Nanshan government is targeting such individuals in a bid to cut its costs at a time when local governments are running out of cash.

A retired Guangdong civil servant who gave only the surname Ye agreed, saying many draw official salaries while doing nothing to earn them.

"There are a lot of people who draw free salaries," Ye said. "They can be found all over the country."

"They don't turn up for work, yet they still get paid."

Ye said it remained to be seen if the Nanshan initiative would be effective.

"Maybe the mayor will tell them that if they don't perform better, they'll be transferred to another place to work," he said.

Tiger Army

The move comes after Nanshan Sanshui district party committee member Huang Hengjian said the government is looking to transform civil servants into a "Tiger Army" of crack cadres, putting people on lists and handing out accolades to "star" performers, as well as naming and shaming those who "lie flat."

Huang told Dawan News that the government had done large-scale research into working practices, interviewing more than 170 employees.

Government workers in the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, as well as in Shigatse, Tibet, have previously been "admonished" by the authorities for "lying flat" in recent months, but no punishments have yet been reported, according to Dawan News.

Local governments have been hit by the triple whammy of increased pandemic spending while absorbing tax reductions, exemptions and early tax refunds, as the ongoing downturn in the real estate industry has led to a sharp drop in land transfer fees, which once accounted for 40% of local fiscal revenues, analysts have told Radio Free Asia in recent interviews.

Financial analysts have estimated that around one-third of public expenditure last year went on the rolling lockdowns, mass quarantines and compulsory daily COVID-19 testing programs of ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinpings zero-COVID policy, which ended in December 2022.

The policy left local governments struggling with an ever-mounting debt burden.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
While Xi-Biden summit saw the resumption of some contacts, tensions over Taiwan still dominate the agenda.

U.S. and Chinese flags are seen through broken glass in this illustration taken, January 30, 2023.

U.S.-China ties remained in a prolonged state of crisis at the end of 2023 despite some "candid and constructive" dialogue at the Xi-Biden summit in November, and will likely stay that way throughout 2024 amid ongoing tensions over democratic Taiwan, analysts told Radio Free Asia in recent interviews.

While the Xi-Biden talks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum did result in in the resumption of military-to-military contacts, along with discussion of measures to stem fentanyl exports from China and scientific and technical cooperation, they didn't make close allies out of the two rivals, President Joe Biden said at the time.

Coming as it did after an alleged Chinese spy balloon derailed Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to Beijing in February, the presidential summit gave some cause for cautious optimism.

Yet Sam Zhao, professor of international relations at the University of Denver and director of the Center for U.S.-China Cooperation, described the bilateral relationship as being in a state of "prolonged crisis."

"It's not a cold war like in the past, but a bilateral relationship that has periods of detente, then further retreat," Zhao said. "But they remain in a state of crisis."

China's threat to force "unification" on democratic Taiwan  referenced in a pledge by Chinese leader Xi Jinping at New Year and rebuffed by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen this week  along with its military saber-rattling in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait still looms large over bilateral ties, creating ongoing tension, he said.

"Neither side has room for concessions," Zhao said. "There is no possibility of compromise."

He said moves to cooperate on climate change, transnational crime including fentanyl exports, artificial intelligence and disease control and prevention were ways for Beijing and Washington to "help stabilize bilateral ties and rescue them from a linear decline."

Surely be reunified

Xi said in his New Year message to the nation that the merger of Taiwan and China was a sure thing, ignoring years of opinion polls showing that Taiwan's 23 million people have no wish to be ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.

"China will surely be reunified, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," Xi Jinping said in his Dec. 31 address published in English by state news agency Xinhua.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, in Woodside, Calif., Nov. 15, 2023. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)





Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Monday that the island's future should be decided by its people, democratically.

"This is taking the joint will of Taiwan's people to make a decision, she said. After all, we are a democratic country.

Much depends on the outcome of the Taiwan presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 13, seen as a battle between ruling Democratic Progressive Partys Lai Ching-te and Hou Yu-ih for the Kuomintang.

"If Lai does win in three weeks or so, I imagine that [China], regardless of the state of US-China relations, is going to increase its pressure on Taiwan," said David Sacks of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

"It will increase its military activities in the Taiwan Strait, and economic sanctions on Taiwan, political and diplomatic pressure and the like," he said.

"And so the question then is what the United States would do to respond to try to alleviate pressure on Taiwan and to show that it showed support for Taiwan as well."

Possible outcomes

Lu Yeh-Chung, assistant professor of diplomacy at Taiwan's National Chengchi University, agreed, adding that the U.S. presidential election in November 2024 would also play a role in deciding the direction of future ties.

"The most stable outcome will be a victory for the [opposition] in Taiwan, the re-election of Biden in the U.S.," Lu said. "If Trump won, that would require careful management by all three governments."

"The worst-case scenario would be a Lai Ching-te victory followed by a Trump victory in the U.S., which would be the most unstable outcome," he said.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen [center, left] and Vice President William Lai [center, right] stand with officials at a flag-raising ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Tsai says the island's future should be decided by its people, democratically. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

Zhao said no Taiwanese leader  even the opposition Kuomintang  will dare to get too close to Beijing, however, for fear of losing voters at home.

Meanwhile, a growing bipartisan consensus in Washington over the growing threat to democracies posed by Beijing's overseas activities will likely see more political pressure on the relationship coming from Capitol Hill, Lu said.

"Even if Xi and Biden hold a second face-to-face summit in November 2024, the window of opportunity for improving bilateral ties will actually be very small," he said.

And bipartisan pressure is only likely to get worse as campaigning starts for the U.S. presidential race.

"It's a question of whether Beijing can recognize the difference between campaign trail talk and actual U.S. policy," Lily McElwee, deputy director and fellow in the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told RFA Mandarin.

"I'm not confident that they're making that distinction right now."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
The result would be, for ordinary people, what they buy in the store is more expensive, says International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the possible fragmentation of the world economy into two competing blocs. She is shown at an April 2023 news conference.

Fragmentation of the world economy into two competing blocs supporting the United States and China could reduce global economic output by 7% by increasing the cost of trade, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Tuesday.

In an interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN International, Georgieva warned against governments overcooking national security concerns, even as she acknowledged the dramatic consequences for supply chains caused by COVID and the war in Ukraine.

What it means is that we will see supply chains extended, with more links than are necessary, adding to costs, she said. The result would be, for ordinary people, what they buy in the store is more expensive.

We already see a gravitation of countries towards each other in separate blocs, she said, noting that it is the rivalry between the U.S. and China that is more prominent in economic terms.

IMF simulations showed quite dramatic consequences from the worst-case future scenarios, she said, adding that the world was already bearing some of the costs of trade fragmentation.

Some goods would always be more cheaply produced in one country than others, she said, so if governments go willy-nilly in fragmenting the world economy in pursuit of security, costs were inevitable.

We can get all the way up to losing 7% of global GDP, she said. To put it in context, what is 7% of global GDP? This is like France and Germany disappearing from the economic map of the world.

Solidarity forever

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing opposed the trend away from global free trade, which has been spearheaded by American and European leaders concerned about the economic and national security risks of overreliance on China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin says Beijing opposes the trend away from global free trade. He is shown at a news briefing in April 2023. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in March last year introduced the concept of de-risking supply chains away from China  as opposed to decoupling  and the idea was subsequently adopted with gusto by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Both say that severing trade with China is impossible, but that they cannot risk relying solely on the country for many key goods, given the lessons of the COVID pandemic and Beijings willingness to suddenly cut off trade seemingly due to political grievances.

But Wenbin said such claims were a facade for protectionism.

Whats needed most is solidarity, and what should be avoided most is fragmentation, he said, labeling the concept of de-risking supply chains as no different to trade war, tech war or decoupling.

They are all essentially designed to politicize trade issues and be used as weapons to perpetuate a certain countrys primacy, hold back emerging markets and developing countries in their development efforts, and deprive 7 billion people of the right to a better life.

National security

The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment. However, American officials have for the past year argued that certain small yard, high fence limits on trade with China are necessary.

Besides promoting the de-risking of global supply chains to provide alternative sources of low-cost manufacturing to China, such as India and Vietnam, the Biden administration has over the past 18 months also introduced bans on the sale of advanced microchips to China.

U.S. leaders say the chips are being used to modernize Chinas military with artificial intelligence capabilities and therefore represent threat to national security, while Beijing has responded by accusing Washington of protectionism and a Cold War mentality.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says restrictions on the sale of advanced microchips to China are limited. She is shown at an event in Dec. 2023. (Steven Senne/AP)

But Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has said the restrictions are limited, with most consumer-grade chips unaffected, for example. She also said last year that trade with China in most goods, such as coffee and beauty aids, continues to flourish out of the media limelight.

Georgieva said despite her warning, she remained hopeful 2024 would be less eventful than recent years, and called on world leaders to rationally compete but otherwise edge back toward cooperating.

Edited by Malcolm Foster.
The slogan on the North Korean sign required only a slight tweak to become a major insult to the countys leadership.

A slogan signboard defaced with graffiti created a stir last month in North Korea, and authorities are on the hunt for the culprit.

The sign on a collective farm originally read, Whatever the party orders, we will do!  a widely used slogan on propaganda billboards plastered all over the country to promote patriotism, loyalty and sacrifice for the sake of national prosperity.

Using charcoal, someone added the word fail to the slogan, changing the meaning to something more like, Whatever the party orders, we are screwed!

The Dec. 19 incident in Posong-ri village was perceived as a major insult to the countrys leadership and an embarrassment for the farm in the northern province of Ryanggang, residents told Radio Free Asia.

The graffiti was first discovered by a security guard, who alerted the farm management committee, prompting them to scramble to erase the offending word before police and security officials could see it, a provincial resident said on condition of anonymity for personal safety.

Several officials, including the management committee chairman, chief engineer, and lower-level party secretary, rushed to the scene, he said. Cooperative farm officials immediately erased the charcoal graffiti before anyone else could see it.

But in the process, they inadvertently hampered the subsequent investigation by leaving so many of their own footprints at the scene and no trace of the culprits, he said.

Bold move

After the incident, authorities blocked the major road that connects the area around the farm with the provincial capital Hyesan, and heightened monitoring of people visiting the area from other parts of the country, the resident told RFA Korean.

News of the incident spread throughout the province, and many people were surprised that someone would be so bold as to deface the sign during the 10-day period of national mourning for the late former leader Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un, a second resident told RFA on condition of anonymity for personal safety reasons.

Since his death in 2011, the country has observed the mourning period from Dec. 17-27 each year.

A North Korean woman rides a bicycle at Migok Cooperative Farm in Sariwon, North Hwanghae province, Sept. 23, 2012. The signs read "To fight for harvesting" [left] and "To perform patriotism led by Kim Jong Il." (Vincent Yu/AP)

The slogan on the sign  Whatever the party orders, we will do!  first appeared during one of the bleakest times in North Koreas history, the 1994-1998 famine that killed as many as 2 million people or about 10% of the country by some estimates.

Since then it has become one of the most widely used slogans by the ruling Korean Workers Party.

Major investigation

Authorities have scrutinized people from out of town, the second resident said.

The state security department of Ryanggang Province investigated an out-of-town resident who had stayed in Posong-ri without registering his stay on the night of the 19th which was the day of the incident, she said.

Authorities also investigated the families of people from Posong-ri who were tried publicly at the Hyesan Airfield that day.

RFA reported that the Hyesan Airfield public trial culminated with a public execution of a man who killed a woman while trying to steal some beans from her. Another 12 people, some of whom were residents of Posong-ri and worked at the farm, were given lengthy prison sentences for less serious crimes.

The culprit could not have committed his treasonous act alone, the second resident said.

The slogan board is installed at a height much higher than that of an adult, so it is impossible to scribble [graffiti] without someones help, she said. For this reason, the state security and social security departments of Ryanggang Province are investigating, with the belief that there are at least two culprits.

Posong-ri experienced a similar incident in 2016, when leaflets and graffiti that insulted Kim Jong Un were found at the Posong train station, the second resident said, adding that authorities never found out who was responsible.

Regarding the incident at the farm, she said that copycats would likely deface similar signs in other parts of the country because news would soon spread.

Currently, in Posong-ri, the Nampo City Battalion, who were here constructing houses, are rushing to prepare to go home ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, she said.

When they return home, she predicted, we will see more signs that say Whatever the party orders we are screwed! will appear all over the place.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong.
The move signals a strong response to any future extended deterrence against Pyongyang, expert says.

UPDATED at 1:26 a.m. ET on 2024-01-03

The North Korean leaders powerful sister sent a rare New Year message to the South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, claiming that Seouls hardline policy was only providing justification for Pyongyangs development of its self-defense military capabilities.

I wholeheartedly welcome President Yoons announcement of his commitment to make unique contributions to the rapid advancement of our nations military strength in the new year, said Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un, as cited by the Norths state-run Korean Central News Agency late Tuesday.

In a statement, titled New Year Message to the President of the Republic of Korea, the influential sister said: It is solely due to President Yoon that security instability has become a daily reality in the Republic of Korea, calling Yoon a special contributor for aiding the development of its self-defense military capabilities.

Kim Yo Jongs comments came as Yoon said in his New Year address Monday that Seoul would complete the enhanced extended deterrence system with its ally the United State by June this year.

We will entirely eliminate the nuclear and missile threats posed by North Korea, Yoon said at that time.

Yoons conservative administration has been implementing hardline policy towards Pyongyang, declaring its commitment to proceed reciprocal responses to North Koreas provocations. The administration reinstated the designation of North Korea as the main enemy in its defense documents, a term that had been removed during the tenure of the previous Moon Jae-in administration.

We have also clearly identified who the real enemy is, enabling us to further sharpen our opposition stance, like a frost-covered spear, Kim Yo Jong said, adding: It is a great opportunity for us to have a courageous president who has no worries about the consequences of his actions or words.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul who had advised South Korean administrations, said the message could be interpreted as the Norths response to Yoons New Year speech on strengthening the allies extended deterrence.

North Korea is explicitly arguing for the need and validity of bolstering its nuclear capabilities as a reaction to Yoons hardline approach, Yang said.

This signals a strong response to any forthcoming enactments of extended deterrence against North Korea. The extensive ROK-US joint military drills planned in March, before the general election in April, are anticipated to be a crucial juncture, he added by referring South Korea to its formal name.

In the statement, Kim Yo Jong also made a rare assessment on the Souths former President Moon.

Moon implemented an engagement policy with the North, including having inter-Korean summits in the border village of Panmunjom and Pyongyang in 2018, but North Korea returned to its brinkmanship diplomacy after its high-stake summit with the U.S. collapsed in Hanoi in 2019.

Describing Moon as a brilliant and cunning person, Kim Yo Jong said: It is a significant loss that we squandered a considerable amount of time, unable to fortify our power as we were restrained by Moon Jae-ins desire for peace.

We intend to amplify what was lost during the Moon Jae-in era by tenfold, twentyfold, or even more.

University of North Korean Studies Yang believes the reference to Moon suggests that Pyongyang views the Moon administration as having slowed down the Norths progress in nuclear capabilities through its engagement approach.

The specific reference to Moon also ties in with the rejection of reconciliation and unification policies, a topic of discussion in the partys plenary meeting, Yang said. This tactic seeks to deflect responsibility for their policies rejecting unification onto both conservative or progressive administrations in the South.

Meanwhile, South Koreas Unification Ministry responded to Kim Yo Jongs statement Wednesday, saying that the statement was a reflection of Pyongyangs discomfort with Seouls principled approach.

The ministrys deputy spokesperson stated that Kims statement was merely an attempt to hide its intention of forcible reunification through military means, and to shift the blame for the escalating inter-Korean tensions onto the ROK, referring South Korea to its formal name.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.

Updated to add a response from South Koreas Ministry of Unification.
The 24-year-old was seen leaving a nightclub 5 days before her body was discovered.

The Kings Romans Casino looms along the Mekong River in Laos Golden Triangle Special Economic zone, Jan. 15, 2012.

Police near the notorious Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in northwestern Laos are investigating the cause of death for a 24-year-old woman whose body was discovered five days after surveillance video showed her climbing into a car in front of a nightclub.

The video also showed an unidentified man getting into the car on Dec. 23, according to an official in Bokeo Provinces Ton Pheung District, who like all other sources in this report requested anonymity for safety reasons.

The body of Phanadda Inmaytha was found floating in the Mekong River several kilometers away on Dec. 28, the official said.

We now know only that the woman mustve been drunk at a bar there, the Ton Pheung District official told Radio Free Asia. Then, a large man took her into a car.

The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, or SEZ, is a gambling and tourism hub catering to Chinese citizens that has been described as a lawless, de-facto Chinese colony where Lao police have virtually no control.

It has become a haven for criminal activities, including prostitution, online scamming, money laundering, drug trafficking and human and wildlife trafficking by organized criminal networks.

Similar case from 2022

Authorities took the body from the river to the SEZ, and relatives arrived later to claim it, a member of Bokeo Provinces rescue team said. They havent been able to pinpoint the exact cause of the womans death, he said.

A Bokeo provincial police officer said the case is still under investigation and no other information was available.

A lawyer in Bokeo province told RFA that Phanadda Inmaythas case reminds him of the 2022 discovery of a suitcase in the Mekong River that contained the dismembered body of a 36-year-old businesswoman.

Viphaphone Kongsy was a dual citizen of Laos and China and had been missing for more than two weeks. Soon after, the Lao Ministry of Public Security set up a special committee to investigate, but has never released any statements or information about evidence.

Its been quiet since then, the lawyer said. The authorities swept that case under the rug, and they shouldnt sweep the new case under the rug either.

A close friend of Phanadda Inmaytha said she had lived and worked in Vientiane until recently.

Im calling on the Lao authorities to arrest the suspect as soon as possible, the friend said. This murder is the talk of the town and is affecting family and many friends of hers.

Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
Products in decriminalized Thailand are being sold in Laos, where the substance is still banned.

Bottles of cannabis juice, a so-called happy drink [top shelf, left], are seen recently in a cooler at a shop in Vientiane, Laos.

Thailands easing of laws governing the sale of marijuana last year has led to a proliferation of cannabis products on the market, some of which are ending up in stores in neighboring Laos, where authorities arent laughing.

In June 2022, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to decriminalize marijuana, prompting a proliferation of related shops across the nation where the drug has always been easy to access, but with the risk of stiff penalties.

Among the more popular products being offered for sale in Thailand are so-called happy drinks, or juice and carbonated beverages that under the new law may contain a relatively low dose of up to 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC  the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

The drug, which can produce a sense of relaxation and euphoria, was previously only available for medical use to alleviate a variety of conditions, including stress and depression.

But the new market that has sprung up in Thailand is an exception in Southeast Asia where, in most other countries, the use of cannabis and other drugs is illegal and punishable with lengthy jail terms. Some nations, such as Indonesia and Singapore, execute criminals convicted of sale, possession or consumption.

In neighboring Laos, laws prohibit the production, trade and use of cannabis for recreational purposes.

A police officer in the capital Vientiane, separated by the Mekong River from Thailands Nong Khai province, confirmed to RFA that only cannabis products authorized by the Lao Ministry of Health to be used for medical purposes are permitted for sale in the country.

The sale of cannabis is prohibited, said the officer who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. We regularly inspect shops and stores, and if we see it, well confiscate it.

But residents told RFA that has not stopped happy drinks produced in Thailand from finding their way across the border and onto the shelves of stores in the capital.

One resident of Vientiane told RFA Lao that happy drinks are now on offer at minimarts along the Mekong River  if one knows where to look.

In Laos, the sale of this kind of drink is not legal yet, he said. Some individuals sell the drink secretly and if theyre caught, theyll be arrested.

Another resident of Vientiane, who researches how cannabis can be used for medical purposes, confirmed the availability of the drinks in the city.

This is a new drink and consumers must be careful, he said. Its available but prohibited by law.

RFAs own investigations found happy drinks openly sold at several markets in the capital, including a brand produced by Thai beverage company Srinanaporn Marketing PLC that is marketed as fruit juice with cannabis water. It comes in flavors such as mixed berry, pineapple, lychee and lime.

Growing demand among youth

But while the beverages are increasingly available in Laos, several business owners told RFA that smuggling them into the country isnt worth the trouble, citing tough laws and a clientele largely uninterested in such products.

I dont know whether other stores have cannabis juice, but we dont, said one store owner in Vientiane. We dont import it because its against the law.

A bartender at a nightclub in the capital told RFA that his establishment serves only beer.

Unlike Thailand, Laos still bans cannabis, he said. Besides, the fruit drink containing cannabis juice is not popular among Laotians yet.

They appear to be gaining fashion among members of the countrys younger generation, however.

An officer with Vientianes Saysettha District Police Department told RFA that happy drinks containing cannabis and other banned ingredients are popular among youngsters, who drink them to have fun and dance.

One such drink contains kratom  an herbal substance that can produce stimulant-like effects and is also legal in Thailand.

Oulayvanh Phonesavanh, the deputy head of the emergency department at Vientianes Friendship Hospital, recently told local media that around five patients are admitted to her ward each day due to kratom juice poisoning  most of whom are between the ages of 16 and 35.

A young man from Vientianes Pak Gneum district said that, despite the risks, happy drinks arent going away any time soon.

As their name implies, happy drinks are often drunk at parties, he said. Those who drink them can expect to be happy, excited and having fun all night.

Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
President of Slovakia Zuzana Chaputova called on partner countries to provide Ukraine with weapons. The politician made this appeal against the backdrop of the terror that Russia has unleashed on Ukrainians in recent days.

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On the social network X (exTwitter), Chaputova wrote that another New Year has come, accompanied by Russian atrocities. She noted that the terrorist state had fired a record number of missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities and towns.

"The best way to ensure that Moscow's aggression does not continue for another year is to provide Ukraine with the means necessary for self-defense," the Slovak president said.

In November, the Slovak parliament approved a program presented by the government headed by Prime Minister Robert Fico. It provides for the termination of military assistance to Ukraine from Slovakia. The new prime minister's election program stated that the new government intends to "seek an end to hostilities, while recognizing Ukraine's international borders."

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In December, thousands of protests against Fico's government began in Slovakia because of the executive branch's intentions to amend the criminal code.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Slovakia has changed its mind about Ukraine's accession to the EU and is ready to support the start of negotiations with Kyiv. They noted positive changes in the implementation of reforms in Ukraine.
Cut off from food, medicine and education, children bear the brunt of grown-ups war.

As conflict rages on in Myanmars northwestern Chin state, a mother who lives in the conflict area struggles to find food and medicine for her children.

When there are fights like this, I worry that my children will be harmed, she told RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Even if you have money, you cant buy anything because roads are being blocked. Thats why Im worried that I wont be able to feed my children, she said. Im worried about something that will happen to them because I cant do anything for them.

Their story is common in Myanmar these days as a result of fighting that has raged since the February 2021 coup, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.

Three years on from the military takeover, the humanitarian landscape for 2024 is grim with a third of the population  18.6 million people  now estimated to be in humanitarian need, OCHA said in its recently published Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Myanmar.

Children are bearing the brunt of the crisis with 6 million children in need as a result of displacement, interrupted health-care and education, food insecurity and malnutrition, and protection risks including forced recruitment and mental distress.

Hungry children

For the mother in Chin state, the chaos has meant an interruption in not only regular supplies of food, it has also meant that routine vaccinations have stopped for her children.

Another mother, from Shan state in the east, expressed similar concerns for her three children. They currently live at an internally displaced persons camp in Hseni township.

In terms of food, in the refugee camp, we were only fed two meals a day, and the children were hungry at noon, she said. The situation is like that. And in terms of living, I dont have to stay at home. I feel that it is not safe for the children because we have to live in dormitories or under tarps.

Whenever they hear the sound of airplanes, her children get scared and they have been suffering psychological trauma, she said.

Children take cover in southern Shan states La Ei village on Jan. 10, 2023, as a Myanmar junta military aircraft flies overhead. (Union of Karenni State Youth)

A person helping displaced people in northern Shan state said that children are being affected by the fighting all over the region.

They have difficulties accessing education, the helper said. Children, especially, suffer from severe emotional distress. Some under-aged children were recruited [to fight], and some have even been killed and wounded in the conflict. Nobody can work because battles are raging everywhere. So there is no food security.

He said that he would like to ask armed organizations not to recruit the children, especially minors.

Since malnutrition in a child can affect the mental, emotional, and physical well-being, this problem must be dealt with urgently, Lwan Wai, a Yangon-based member of the Civil Disobedience Movement Medical Network, told RFA.

After the coup, it has become much worse, said Lwan Wai. Malnutrition of children affects both their physical and mental health, and it will hugely affect their brain development and thinking ability when they become adults. Thats why this is an issue that must be dealt with urgently in our country. This is very important.

In UNOCHAs humanitarian fund proposal for 2024 released on Dec. 11, it stated that $994 million in funding is needed to reach Myanmars 5.3 million people with food, water, shelter, health care and protection.

Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
Some of the 151 Myanmar junta soldiers who fled to Indias Mizoram state are seen Jan. 2, 2024.

India has repatriated 151 junta soldiers who entered the country last week to escape ethnic Rakhine fighters during clashes across the border in western Myanmars Chin state, according to residents and media reports.

On Dec. 27, Arakan Army, or AA, troops attacked a military base in Chin states Paletwa township, prompting the junta soldiers to flee across the border into Indias Mizoram state.

A resident of Mizoram told RFA Burmese that the 151 troops surrendered to a unit of Indias Assam Rifles in Lawngtlai districts Tuisentlang village two days later.

From there, they were brought to [Mizorams capital] Aizawl via Lunglei [township], said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing security concerns. I saw a Myanmar plane fly by [on Jan. 2] that appears to have taken the soldiers back. I saw it twice and I believe it made two trips because there were over 150 [soldiers].

Indian media reported that local police sent the soldiers  nine of whom were injured  to Aizawl, where they would be interrogated by Indian officials before being handed over to Myanmars junta.

Additional reports said that the troops would be sent back to Myanmars Rakhine state capital Sittwe after a Myanmar Airlines aircraft landed at Mizorams Lengpui Airport.

Attempts by RFA to reach Aung Cho, the juntas spokesman and secretary of Rakhine state, for comment on the status of the troops went unanswered Wednesday.

Some of the Myanmar junta soldiers who fled to Mizoram state in India are seen Dec. 29, 2023. (Citizen journalist)

The 151 junta soldiers are the latest group of military troops to flee clashes with the AA from Chin state into India.

More than 40 soldiers who entered the country after the AA occupied Chin states Rihkhawdar township were returned to Myanmar on Nov. 14.

Another group of more than 40 soldiers and their family members who fled to India during fighting with anti-junta forces in Sagaing regions Tamu township were also recently repatriated to Myanmar, according to residents.

Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Junta is known to utilize Russian-made military helicopters for both transport and combat purposes, experts say.

A military junta helicopter falls from the sky in Waingmaw township, in Myanmar's northern Kachin state, Jan. 3, 2023.

UPDATED at 3:55 a.m. ET on 2024-01-04

A junta helicopter went down in Waingmaw township of Myanmars northern Kachin State after being fired on by the anti-junta Kachin Independence Army, or KIA, on Wednesday afternoon, according to a KIA spokesperson.

The helicopter was leaving the township after delivering supplies to the Nar Hpawt junta military camp in the area before it went down, and the KIA is currently investigating further details, Col. Naw Bu, KIAs information officer, told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.

I can confirm that the helicopter has crashed, and it was our front line that fired upon it. But it is not fully known whether it crashed due to a technical defect or our attack, said Naw Bu.

Now the reports from the ground said that the junta councils jets are hovering around the site where the helicopter crashed. And the locals said that air strikes are being conducted near the location.

The specifics regarding the type of helicopter that crashed, the number of people on board, and any casualties are still unknown, Naw Bu added.

But the Three Northern Brotherhood Alliance issued a statement on Wednesday evening that indent resulted in the death of six air force personnel. Additionally, Maj. Zaw Myo Thant was apprehended alive. Pro-junta social media platforms have also reported on the fatalities and the arrest.

Local residents in nearby village Nam Sang Yang told RFA that they witnessed a military helicopter descending slowly in an upside-down position, while emitting smoke.

One resident said that he observed a military helicopter plummeting in a burst of smoke near Nam Sang Yang village, shortly before noon on Wednesday.

It [the helicopter] was shot at around 11.50 a.m. Two helicopters came to drop supplies and one was hit when it took off after completing the delivery. It crashed near a hill not far from Nam Sang Yang village, said the resident.

Juntas Nar Hpawt camp is located in the area under the control of the KIA Brigade(5), which is defending KIAs headquarters in nearby Laizar city.

RFA was unable to reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comments about the helicopter.

According to weapons experts, the Myanmar Air Force is utilizing Russian-made military helicopters for both transport and combat purposes.

Activists group Justice For Myanmar revealed that Sky Aviator Company Limited, known for its ties to the military leadership, acquired these helicopters from Russia in 2019.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Elaine Chan.

This story has been updated to reflect that it was unclear whether the helicopter crashed due to a malfunction or was shot down by the KIA and to add a statement from the Three Northern Brotherhood Alliance.
Since the 2021 coup, nearly 20,000 have been detained, rights group says.

A woman is helped by a relative after being released from Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug. 1, 2023.

Myanmars ruling junta arrested and imprisoned thousands of anti-regime activists, members of People Defense Force resistance groups and soldiers from ethnic armies across the country in 2023, a continuation of nearly three years of turmoil since it seized political power and suppressed its opponents.

In all, nearly 25,700 people have been arrested and about 19,900 detained since the Feb. 1, 2021, coup that deposed the democratically elected government, according to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Thailand-based rights group founded by Burmese former political prisoners living in exile.

In 2023 alone, authorities arrested nearly 9,000, with about 6,600 sentenced to prison, according to the group.

The number of inmates sentenced to death last year was 163 as of Dec. 26, compared to 139 who received the death penalty in 2022, AAPP said.

Severe human rights violations against prisoners continued to occur in the most notorious of the countrys dozens of prisons and labor camps. Some inmates in prisons such as Thayarwaddy, Daik-U, Insein, Myingyan prisons died of torture in 2023, according to a report by the Myanmar Political Prisoners Network.

Sixteen prisoners died last year due to a lack of treatment and different kinds of torture, the group said.

Prisoners were brutally beaten, but they did not get access to medicine for their injuries, a spokesman from the group said. It took one or two months to get medical treatment, and our prisoners lost their lives unnecessarily.

Police are seen behind barbed wire outside Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar, Oct. 18, 2021. (AFP)

Among the most serious cases of deaths in prison was the murder of at least 15 political prisoners accused of trying to flee when taken from their cells for transfer to other detention facilities in May and June 2023.

The inmates who were killed included 10 from Daik-U Prison in Bago region, two from Myingyan Prison in Mandalay region, one from Thayarwaddy Prison in Bago region, and two from the interrogation center at Yangons Insein Prison, sources close to the prisoners said.

At the time, their family members told RFA they believed that transfers were an excuse to execute the prisoners without accountability.

Jailbreaks and pardons

Some inmates managed to escape. In May, 10 members of a Peoples Defense Force militia held in Taungoo Prison in the Bago region, seized guns from guards when they were taken from their cells to attend a court hearing and got away on motorcycles.

During the year, the junta released prisoners on several occasions, although most of them were serving time for drug-related offenses and other crimes, such as robbery.

The military council released more than 20,000 prisoners, including about 2,500 political prisoners, during four amnesties in 2023, according to the AAPP.

On last Jan. 4  Myanmars Independence Day  more than 7,000 prisoners were freed. Among the few political prisoners released were writers Than Myint Aung and Htin Lin Oo, both arrested on Feb. 1, 2021, as well as some journalists.

We are active in politics for the interest of our country, but we were arrested, Htin Lin Oo told RFA.

A smuggled sketch shows inmates inside Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar, with a written date of April 28, 2021. (Via Reuters)

In April, just over 3,100 inmates were released under a second amnesty for the Burmese New Year. Kyaw Win, the former finance minister under the previous civilian-led government was the only political prisoner freed.

The junta released 2,153 political prisoners in May, although most of them had less than a year to serve, sources told RFA.

During the fourth amnesty, nearly 7,750 prisoners were pardoned for a religious holiday in August in the Buddhist-majority country.

In December, junta leader Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing released some army deserters serving time so they could be re-deployed to the front lines against rebel forces. But many were jailed again for refusing to rejoin the military.

Aung San Suu Kyi

The military council denied outside medical treatment for jailed former political leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who showed symptoms of low blood pressure and had gingivitis and a severe toothache.

Suu Kyi, the former state counselor in the democratically elected government, is serving multiple sentences for various offenses charges, including corruption, incitement, and breaching the Official Secrets Act. Critics and international observers say they are trumped-up charges to discredit the countrys ousted leadership.

In August, Min Aung Hlaing reduced her original sentence of 33 years to 27 as part of the larger amnesty, while former President Win Myints combined sentence of 12 years was reduced to eight years, after he was pardoned for two offenses.

Suu Kyis banned National League for Democracy issued a statement in September, expressing concern about her health and demanding adequate medical care to no avail. The same month, more than 130 lawmakers in Malaysia signed a petition calling on the junta to allow her immediate access to medical treatment.

Detainees released from Insein Prison celebrate with the crowd amid a prisoner amnesty in Yangon, Myanmar, Oct. 19, 2021. (AFP)

She was reportedly moved to house arrest in 2023, but some doubt that is the case, and her exact whereabouts are unclear.

Kim Aris, Suu Kyis younger son, told RFA that he believes his mother is still in a prison and that the junta has not yet allowed her legal team to meet with her.

As far as Im aware, shes not actually under house arrest, shes in prison somewhere, he said. I have had no contact with her, and the military hasnt responded to any requests I have made for contact or to inform me of her whereabouts.

The ruling junta also decided to resume family visits for prisoners on Oct. 24, after they had been suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because visitors must present their national ID cards, documents from their relevant ward and police station and COVID vaccine certificates, many family members who lacked documents could not be admitted to prisons to see jailed loved ones.

Authorities have prohibited medicine and books from outside the prison since July, according to the prisoner support groups.

Translated by Aung Naing for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
Analysts say the move is symbolic and meant to curry favor with Beijing.

Zin Mar Aung, foreign minister of the National Unity Government, says any country which wants to maintain a good relationship with China expresses their support for the One-China policy." She is shown during a 2022 interview with RFA.

Myanmars shadow government has issued a New Year statement in support of Chinas claim of sovereignty over Taiwan, which analysts say is a symbolic move aimed at currying favor with Beijing as it vies with the ruling junta for recognition as the countrys authority.

On Monday, the National Unity Government, or NUG  made up of former civilian leaders and other anti-junta activists  released a 10-point statement that included a pledge of support for Beijings One China Principle, which holds that the Peoples Republic of China is the only legitimate government of China and that the island of Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

The statement said the NUG remains committed to maintaining friendly relations between Myanmar and its northern neighbor and will work to safeguard Chinese economic interests and combat transnational crime, including online scams and gambling.

Additionally, the NUG vowed to prevent any organization that poses a threat to the security of neighboring countries from establishing a presence within Myanmars territory.

Zin Mar Aung, the NUGs minister for foreign affairs, told RFA that her government issued the statement because China plays a vital role in relationships with neighboring countries, as well as [determining their] credentials at the U.N. Security Council.

The NUG is often misquoted or false assumptions are made in regards to our foreign policy stance as part of a bid to upset our relations with regional countries, she said. So, the [statement was issued] to clarify our policy stance on international relations with regional countries for the purpose of establishing better cooperation.

Zin Mar Aung noted that the NUG only issued its statement after reviewing the Taiwan policies of the U.S., E.U. and ASEAN. The U.S. endorses the One China Policy, which recognizes the government of the Peoples Republic of China but takes no position on sovereignty over Taiwan.

While both the junta and the NUG continue to vie for international recognition as the legitimate government of post-coup Myanmar, the NUG has opened representative offices in several European and Asian countries, while the junta has largely relied on the support of China and Russia, amid sanctions from the West.

Hla Kyaw Zaw, a China-based political observer, told RFA Burmese that the NUGs statement indicates a desire to foster good ties with Beijing, noting that Taiwan is perhaps Chinas most sensitive issue when it comes to foreign relations.

Any country which wants to maintain a good relationship with China expresses their support for [some aspect of] the One China Principle, she said. So, it can be concluded that the NUG needs to issue this policy. However, no other countries will take it seriously.

Scot Marciel, the former U.S. ambassador to Myanmar from 2016 to 2020, agreed in a post on the social media platform X, that the statement should not cause concern.

Instead, he suggested, it makes sense as a means to encourage Beijing to recognize that there is a good alternative to supporting the junta.

China hedges bet

The NUG statement comes amid the most significant gains made by Myanmars armed resistance against the junta since the militarys February 2021 coup detat. An alliance of ethnic armies in Shan state along the border with China launched an offensive in late October that has overrun hundreds of military and police checkpoints, prompting mass surrenders by junta forces.

Myanmar junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing [right] shakes hands with China's Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong during a meeting in Naypyidaw, Oct. 31, 2023. Aung Myo, a former military officer of Myanmar and political analyst, said that although NUG has fawned over China, the latter will always focus on its interest and favor the more powerful side. (Handout/Myanmar Military Information Team/AFP)

Beijing, for its part, has been content to watch the power struggle play out in Shan state and wider Myanmar without throwing its full support behind either of the two sides.

Last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing that China supports the peace process of northern Myanmar and has provided support and facilitation for dialogue and contact between relevant parties, and to realize the soft landing of the situation in the northern part of the country.

Attempts by RFA to contact the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar for comment on the NUGs statement and to clarify its position on the shadow government went unanswered by the time of publishing.

Seeking powerful partners

Yun Sun, a senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington called Mondays statement a clear move to gain Chinas support for its bid to overthrow the junta.

But she questioned how likely such a move would be in swaying China away from its support of the junta, which it was quick to offer in the aftermath of the coup.

China has not favored [the] NUG so far, even though its frustration with the junta is evident, Yun Sun said, referring to the military regimes policies that have arguably contributed to Myanmars instability. For China, the political process in Myanmar will have [to] work itself out organically. It is not something China will interfere [with] or expedite.

Yun added that whatever goodwill the NUG earns from Beijing for its statement, its support of the One China Principle is not going to gain them any friends here [in Washington].

Aung Myo, a former officer in Myanmars military and a political commentator, agreed that nothing short of removing the junta from power would win the NUG support from China.

No matter how much the NUG fawns over China, China will not favor the NUG, he said. Keeping its interests in mind, China will consider which side is more powerful for building a partnership.

In fact, he added, the NUG has come to this realization, which is why it is attempting to court China.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Chinese authorities have forbidden the admission of new monks of all ages into a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Chamdo prefecture in eastern Tibet amid growing restrictions on religious activities in the country, two sources familiar with the development told Radio Free Asia.

This is the first time Chinese authorities have prohibited the enrollment of monks of all ages, though previously only minors, or those below the age of 18, were restricted from joining the monastic order in Tibet, said a source from inside the region.

Now, authorities have issued an order forbidding the intake of any new monks into Khyungbum Lura Monastery in Markham [county], said the source who requested anonymity for safety reasons.

Khyungbum Lura Monastery is one of the largest monasteries of the Gelug, or Yellow Hat, sect of Tibetan Buddhism in the county, historically a part of Tibets Kham region. It currently has more than 80 monks, the sources told RFA.

The monks of the monastery are known to have resisted the Peoples Liberation Army  which marched into Chamdo, Tibet, in 1950  for over six years before soldiers destroyed much of the monastery, save for a lone stupa, the sources said.

Subsequently, local Tibetans and the remaining monks worked to restore parts of the monastery after the so-called liberalization program introduced in Tibet in the early 1980s.

Monks stand near a mural featuring Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Tibet Autonomous Region Buddhist College near Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 31, 2021. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

Chinese authorities have intensified efforts to ensure the enforcement of the Regulations on Religious Affairs  a set of rules on religious activities, personnel and sites being enforced by the National Religious Affairs Administration. It is under the supervision of the United Front Work Department, the Communist Partys agency that oversees religious, ethnic and overseas Chinese campaigns and affairs.

The regulation states that no religious activities can be held in schools or educational bodies and effectively bars Tibetans from enrolling in monasteries before they turn 18.

Local administrator

In a sign of Chinas tightening grip on religious activities, authorities have also installed a local administrator at Khyungbum Lura Monastery to oversee its operations  traditionally run by senior monks  and have threatened to shut down the site for any failure to comply with their rules and regulations, said the two sources.

Tibetan residents of Markham county have expressed grave concerns about the likely long-term implications of the new rule prohibiting the intake of any new monks into Khyungbum Lura Monastery, the sources said.

Without the regular intake of new monks, the move will lead to the eventual decline and closure of the monastery in the future, leaving local Tibetans with no nearby places of worship during important religious ceremonies and nobody to turn to to carry out important prayers and rituals, particularly on the death of loved ones, the sources inside the region said.

Chinese authorities have long sought to restrict the size and influence of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, traditionally a focus of Tibetan cultural and national identity.

More recently, under the Communist Partys Administrative Measures for Religious Clergy regulation, adopted by the State Administration of Religious Affairs in January 2021, religious personnel are required to support President Xi Jinpings plans for the Sinicization of religion, or adaptation of religions to Chinas socialist society and work in accordance with the countrys national interest and ideology.

In July 2018, Chinese authorities removed young monks under the age of 15 from Jowo Ganden Shedrub Palgyeling Monastery in Dzachuka, an area in historic Tibets eastern region of Kham. The move came shortly after Chinas State Council released an updated version of its Regulations on Religious Affairs in November 2017.

Since then, there have been several reports of young Tibetan monks, aged 11 to 15 years, being forced to give up their robes and leave their monasteries in various Tibetan-populated provinces, including in Dhitsa, Jakhyung, and other monasteries in Qinghai province.

Translated by Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
But experts say most of the jobs are forced labor in factories and on farms.

UPDATED at 10:48 A.M. ET on 01-03-2023

China says that 456,000 workers were newly employed during the first 10 months of the year in its far-western Xinjiang region, evidence it said showed that Beijing was successfully promoting economic development to create a happy and harmonious Uyghur society.

Authorities are seeking full employment in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or XUAR, as a key economic strategy to alleviate poverty, the Chinese-controlled Tengritagh Network said on Dec. 25.

Employment signifies a stable source of income, and a stable source of income paves the way for the desire to consume, said the report, which said 456,000 people had been added to the workforce.

But Uyghur experts and activists said many of the jobs amounted to forced labor of Uyghurs and other Muslims who had been detained  or were still detained  in a vast network of re-education camps where their human rights were routinely abused.

Authorities are relying on the forced labor to maintain surveillance of these people, said Ilshat Hesen Kokbore, vice chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress.



This involves ensuring that they are not idle, but engaged in various sectors, he told RFA.

The primary objective of such arrangements is to subject them to Chinese surveillance and control throughout their workday, ultimately aiming at eradicating the Uyghur nation, Kokbore said.

Women apply makeup to a tourist before dressing her in traditional Uyghur attire in the Old Kashgar tourist area in China's northwestern Xinjiang region, July 20, 2023. (Pedro Pardo/AFP)

Individuals compelled to work in factories in Xinjiang or in Chinese provinces are not voluntary participants, he said. Instead, local authorities are using coercive measures, and many receive only a fraction of regular wages  which is internationally recognized as forced labor, he said.

China desperately needs Uyghurs to fill these jobs, which lack technical complexity and are less favored by Chinese workers, experts said.

"We consistently organize farmers and herdsmen for employment based on enterprise needs, said the head of Pichan countys public employment service center, responsible for employing 100 farmers from Lamjin village.

Adrian Zenz, director of China Studies at the U.S.-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and an expert on the Xinjiang region, highlighted the presence of two crucial factors when discussing the origins of this type of forced labor in the Uyghur region.

First, Uyghurs and other Muslims detained in vocational internment camps have been shifted to forced labor either in factories on the camp compound or to plants in nearby locations, he said. They eventually will be moved to other work locations and up in the other labor transfer scheme.

The second scheme, related to Chinas poverty alleviation policy, places Uyghur rural surplus laborers in labor transfer programs that are not directly linked to internment camps.

This course of recruitment, coercive military-style training in closed facilities, is not always consistent, because the training takes place in different forms and shapes, with the goal being to place them in low skilled, labor-intensive manufacturing, Zenz said.

They could end up working in the same factory as internment camp workers, he said.

The Chinese government promotes forced labor in Xinjiang to try to eradicate absolute poverty and maintain social stability, Zenz said.

It's to keep [ethnic] minorities busy, and factories more easily controlled rather than scattered factories, he said. They are also a place of indoctrination and mandatory ongoing training, often times with family separation.

Instead, the CCP becomes the family and the main locus of control in society, he said.

People are also taken out of their communities, Zenz said. Theyre uprooted from communities and live on secure factory compounds, so theres a lot of government intrusion going on here in this scheme.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

The update clarifies that Ilshat Hesen Kokbore is vice chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress.
Hanoi city police arrested Phan Van Bach, a former member of the CHTV YouTube channel, on Dec. 29, 2023. He is still in custody.

Police in Hanoi have detained a former member of a YouTube channel on which videos about those who had suffered injustices were posted, his wife told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.

Authorities apprehended Phan Van Bach, a former member of the CHTV channel, an independent television channel on YouTube specializing in social injustice issues, from his home in the capitals Dong Da district on Dec. 29. They have held him for five days without informing his family, his spouse Nguyen Thi Lieu said.

Bach, 48, was involved in the channel from 2017 to 2019, according to Vu Manh Tuan, another CHTV member who now lives in Nha Trang city.

Bach did not focus on any particular subjects, he told RFA. He used to conduct talks in an improvisational way. He used to talk about the bad things of the regime and society. Then, Bach announced he was quitting CHTV.

It is common for security forces in the one-party communist state to detain activists for days of interrogation before publicly disclosing their arrest warrants and charges.

Lieu said her husband was home alone at the time of his arrest, and before leaving with authorities, gave his house keys to a police officer in charge of the residential area to hand over to his family.

That officer told Lieu that city police searched their home but confiscated nothing.

The neighborhood police officer said that my husband had been invited to a meeting by the city police, Lieu said. I went there [to city police headquarters] the next day to ask about my husband, but the staff said Id better just leave my phone number, and their agency would contact me later.

As of Tuesday, the family had not received any updates from police.

No word

During the past few days, Lieu dropped by city police headquarters multiple times only to receive the same response. She said she didnt know why police were still holding her husband.

Previously, they summoned him for meetings several times but let him return home on the same day, she said. However, this time [is different].

RFA could not reach the neighborhood police officer for comment.

A staffer at the Hanoi police hotline said the service did not have information about Bachs detention.

Bach participated in several peaceful demonstrations in Hanoi, including protests against Chinas aggressive activities in the South China Sea since 2011, tree cutting in 2015, and the environmental disaster caused by a toxic waste spill that affected Vietnams central coastal area in 2016.

He also spoke up against government crackdowns on political dissidents, supported people facing injustice via Facebook, and took part in campaigns demanding the release of detained activists.

Founded by prisoner of conscience Vu Quang Thuan, CHTV covered hot-button socioeconomic issues in Vietnam.

Thuan along with members Le Van Dung and Le Trong Hung are in prison on charges of disseminating anti-state propaganda because of their involvement in CHTV.

Former CHTV member Tuan said police also summoned and questioned him about the YouTube channel, but released him the same day.

When visiting friends and some activists in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong in late December 2018, Bach was injured during a beating by local security forces, and then forced to return to Hanoi, said activist Pham The Luc.

In recent years, Bach worked with a company that sends Vietnamese people abroad as guest workers, according to information on his Facebook account.

Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking China's resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and here's what I'm following right now.

Listen to the Talking China In Eurasia podcast

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | YouTube

What To Watch In 2024

Its that time again. As a new year begins, heres a look ahead at the big things that Im following for the upcoming year for China across Eurasia.

But before unpacking all of that lower down, let's examine two big issues that will shape Chinas year as a whole: its struggling economy and Taiwan.

Finding Perspective: 2023 was mostly bad news for the Chinese economy.

The post-pandemic recovery never really took hold. Adding to that is a property crisis that has real estate giants on the brink of collapse, foreign direct investment leaving the country at an alarming rate, and widespread disillusionment among the population now that the days of uninterrupted high growth are over.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a rare admission about the dire state of the country's economy during his New Years Eve speech.

Acknowledging the headwinds facing the country, Xi admitted in the televised speech that some enterprises had a tough time. Some people had difficulty finding jobs and meeting basic needs.

All these remain at the forefront of my mind, Xi said in his remarks, which were widely circulated by state media. We will consolidate and strengthen the momentum of economic recovery.

The comments were the first time Xi has mentioned economic challenges in his annual New Years messages since he started giving them in 2013.

Xi also used his speech to talk about Taiwan, which Beijing believes should be reunified with the Chinese mainland, ideally peacefully, though it does not rule out force.

The Chinese leader said that Taiwan would surely be reunified with China, which he added was part of the same family as the island nation.

Why It Matters: Those comments from Xi follow a similar line to past remarks, but they hold new weight with Taiwans presidential election set for January 13.

Current Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te, who serves under President Tsai Ing-wen and is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), holds a narrow lead in the polls.

His election could lead to even starker cross-strait tensions. Lai is strongly opposed to the Chinese Communist Party, and while he wont call for formal Taiwanese independence, hes also said that Taiwans sovereignty is a fact. Its for these reasons that Beijing harshly criticizes him as a secessionist.

Beijing has stepped up its rhetoric ahead of the election, and a Lai victory would likely prompt aggressive moves from Beijing, including naval maneuvers and airspace intrusions. How Beijing reacts will shape its year and have an impact on its economy and its relationship with the United States.

Xi and U.S. President Joe Bidens November summit in San Francisco brought a cooling-off period to the relationship, but structural tensions mean that a new crisis could quickly heat things up again.

One school of thought says that, given the internal difficulties facing China, Xi wont look to create new problems.

Xi is hoping to slow U.S. curbs on tech exports that are hurting the economy, while Beijing is in the midst of a charm offensive across Europe aimed at taking advantage of European worries about another Trump presidency. A mini-crisis over Taiwans election could jeopardize that and sour any goodwill for China in the process.

But Taiwan is also an intrinsic issue for Beijing, and Xi may feel that he has no choice but to react strongly in a way that will force the world to take notice.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. Chinas Eurasian Momentum

2023 followed up 2022 as another year of the strengthening of the China-Russia partnership, but 2024 looks to change things further as Chinese exports help fuel the Russian economy and both countries relationships with Central Asia enter a new era.

The Details: Chinas position is becoming increasingly dominant.

Beijing has proven to be a vital partner for Moscow on the global stage, and China has filled a critical import need for Russia after many European and U.S. companies shunned the country after its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This cross-border trade has included many civilian items that have a secondary military use, but also large-quantities of consumer products that have allowed China to corner large sectors of the Russian economy.

One key example is the rise of Chinese car exports to Russia, with sales of both luxury and affordable Chinese vehicles soaring. According to GlobalData Automotive, Chinese carmakers now hold 55 percent of the Russian market, compared to only 8 percent in 2021.

This lends to momentum behind China becoming an even greater force in Eurasia, especially in Central Asia, where the country hosted a landmark summit in 2023 with the regions leaders.

It points to the slow-motion trend that has accelerated due to the war in Ukraine, with Chinas economic and political gravity becoming greater each year.

China has been the trade leader for the region for several years, and that looks set to continue. Year-end data released by Kazakhstans National Statistics Bureau shows China accounting for 21.3 percent of Kazakhstans total foreign trade, while Russia only amounted to 18.6 percent.

2. Don't Count Russia Out Just Yet

But Chinas growing economic dominance and Russias shrinking share doesnt mean that Moscow is getting nudged out of the region or that Central Asia is simply swapping one dependence for another.

What You Need To Know: Theres no denying that Russias war in Ukraine has drawn resources and limited the countrys ability to project power across Central Asia.

The five Central Asian countries  Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan  have found extra breathing space diplomatically by engaging in landmark meetings with Western nations and by deepening their ties with other players, like Turkey.

But Russia still reached new gas deals with Uzbekistan in 2023, and Moscow is expected to be a competitive bidder to build new nuclear plants in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in 2024.

Thats not to mention the important role that Central Asia, specifically Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, have played in helping Russia bust Western sanctions.

Chinese and Russian influence arent zero sum games, and both Beijing and Moscow have shown a willingness to respect one anothers interests when it comes to Central Asia.

All of this points less to a story about Chinas rise and Russias decline but of Central Asia recalibrating its ties with both powers, a trend that will continue to play out in the coming year.

3. Beijing's Electric Vehicle Boom

China has been positioning itself as a leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market, with sales by BYD, the countrys dominant automaker, topping 3 million last year, including 1.6 million fully battery-powered cars.

Looking to 2024, Eurasia looks to be an important part of Chinas push to lead the EV market.

What It Means: Chinese automakers are believed to have sold about 9.4 million electric vehicles and hybrids in 2023, an increase from 6.9 million in 2022, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The organization said it expected sales in 2024 to rise again, this time to 11.5 million.

China rules the supply chain for battery-powered cars and has been aggressively expanding its global factories. In December, BYD announced that it would build an assembly plant in Hungary, its first production facility for battery-powered cars in Europe.

In Uzbekistan, Chinas Henan Suda signed a deal earlier in December with Uzbekistans Energy Ministry to build upwards of 50,000 charging stations for electric vehicles around the country by 2033.

The global competition for the EV market also looks to intensify, with Brussels investigating Chinas state subsidies for its companies, a step that could lead to tariffs imposed by the European Union.

Across The Supercontinent

New Defense Minister: Beijing announced on December 29 that Admiral Dong Jun, a naval commander with experience in the South China Sea, would be its new defense minister.

The appointment comes after the disappearance and removal of the previous defense minister, Li Shangfu, as well as the top two commanders of the Rocket Force, which controls Chinas nuclear missiles, in 2023.

From Movement To Party? Kazakhstan has been a window into Beijings crackdown on Xinjiang since the camp system took hold in 2017. My colleague Chris Rickleton profiles Atazhurt, a civic group in Kazakhstan involved in lobbying for the rights of former detainees and their families, as it tries to become a political party in the Central Asian country.

The Ukraine, Gaza Tightrope: In nearly two years of Russias war in Ukraine, Beijing has pushed to portray itself as a public peacemaker, while channeling the voice of the non-Western world across the Global South.

Heres my report on how the war in Gaza has given it another opportunity.

A History Of Tashkent And Beijing: China has emerged as an increasingly important country for Uzbekistan and an alternative to Russian influence.

Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, traces how relations with Beijing have evolved over the years and where China stands today as the countrys principal investor with a growing footprint in Uzbek media, education, and the arms trade.

One Thing To Watch

China also pulled ahead in the global solar energy market.

According to a new report from the consultancy Wood Mackenzie, China's domestic solar additions in 2023 were double those of the United States and the EU combined. China now holds 80 percent of global manufacturing capacity and will account for over 50 percent of the global power supply by 2050.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every other Wednesday.
When photojournalist Tamas Urban sent a request to document life inside the Aszod juvenile detention center in the early 1970s, he had little hope of gaining access. No one had entered with a camera before and whatever happened behind the high walls of the correctional facility near Budapest was unlikely to fit the image that Hungarys communist government wanted to project to the world.

But the newspaper Urban worked for at the time was the mouthpiece for the local branch of Hungarys communist government. The young photographers moon-shot request was treated as if it was an official request from a member of the party, the Hungarian photographer explained to RFE/RL from his home in Budapest, so doors flew open and everyone showed the greatest cooperation.

Over several months Urban photographed and became close to the young men -- many of whom were locked in the facility for violent crime. Then, after he organized an exhibition of the photos he had made, inside the same detention center, the photographers remarkable run of good luck ended. As a small crowd gathered to look over the stark images, a local communist bureaucrat intervened in a style that did not brook any opposition, Urban recalls.

The official announced the prints needed to be taken down and would not be allowed leave the detention center. I will never forget those minutes, the first exhibition of my life, which Id worked on for several months, that won the praise of visitors and journalists at the opening, this material was simply deemed not fit for publication by an official of the ministry, the 78-year-old recalls. I remember going home heartbroken. I vowed never to set foot in the institute, nor even the town of Aszod again. I was defiant.

Urbans relationship with the Aszod facility stopped dead, but his time spent in detention centers had just begun. Over the following decades, as Hungary headed through various phases of the goulash communism that followed the nightmare years of early Stalinist-style left-wing authoritarianism, Urban built a highly successful photography career. In the 1980s, Urban was an obvious choice to photograph a series of books that were planned by a publishing house to show life inside Hungarys prisons.

The images inside prisons that Urban made are remarkable for accessing not only the impenetrable concrete and steel heart of Hungarys communist state, but in many cases, the very human hearts of the men and boys locked inside.

Urban used a bold psychological technique to gain access to many of the inmates he photographed. After his arrival to a new prison had been announced by guards, he then simply wandered around without doing anything.

I knew that prisoners would never allow me to take their photo if I asked -- not because theyre shy, but because they are part of a system in which they can almost never say no, so when they get the chance, they will, the photographer explained to a Hungarian journalist. Eventually, after confusing the assembled prisoners, as well as his prison guard escort with his aimless wandering, someone invariably piped up. The braver convicts would call me over to take a photo of them, he says. Once it was the prisoners themselves asking to be photographed, Urban says, I had already won them over and they practically lined up to be photographed.

Over the past several years, the award-winning photographer has been scanning and releasing his work to the world, largely through the Hungarian photo archive Fortepan, where thousands of his images are available. Urban is close friends with Fortepans founder, Miklos Tamasi, and Urban says he felt his archival work would be in the best place in his hands.

Thousands more of Urbans images are yet to be released, many of them taken through the 1990s in Hungary, a time of surging crime rates and instability comparable to the turbulence faced by many former communist states through the same decade.

In 2016, Urban was contacted by the managers of the Aszod juvenile detention center, where his journey through communist Hungarys correctional facilities began. Staff at the Aszod site had discovered the pile of "canceled" photos he had made more than 40 years earlier stacked up under the broken leg of a piano.

The discovery of the Aszod images were enough for Urban to break his long boycott of the town and the retired photographer traveled to the detention center with his son, Adam Urban, an acclaimed photographer in his own right. Over a few months, Adam got to know the institute himself. Then, within a couple of years, he made his own photos there, the older Urban told RFE/RL. In 2018, Adam and Tamas Urban held a joint exhibition of their works made inside the Aszod facility.
Russian occupants continue intensive offensive actions at the Kupyansk and Bakhmut directions. The invaders are trying to advance towards the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, and Kupiansk in Kharkiv region is their target.

ADVERTISIMENT

Meanwhile, the invaders are regrouping in the Liman sector: Russia plans to resume attacks there. The situation in the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Joint Forces Operation was described by the commander of the Land Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.

According to him, particularly fierce fighting in the Bakhmut sector is taking place near Bohdanivka. Moreover, Russians are trying to advance in the direction of Chasovyi Yar.

In the Kupyansk sector, daily attacks are taking place near Synkivka. There, the enemy is trying to create a foothold for a further attack on Kupiansk.

ADVERTISIMENT

And in the Liman sector, where the enemy suffered significant losses, Russian troops are regrouping. They are preparing for offensive actions. At the same time, the Russians are actively using aviation in the above-mentioned direction and striking with guided aerial bombs.

Syrsky added that in the areas where Russia is trying to advance, the occupiers are increasing the use of equipment to support infantry assault operations. The invaders are using Storm Z and Storm V assault units, formed mainly of criminals recruited in Russian prisons and colonies, to carry out the attacks. Reserves from other parts of the frontline are being redeployed to the above-mentioned areas.

ADVERTISIMENT

"Despite the difficult conditions, our soldiers are bravely holding the line and preventing the enemy from advancing. The command and control bodies at all levels are constantly working to develop solutions aimed primarily at anticipating the enemy's actions, conducting effective counter-battery combat, destroying the occupiers' reserves on their way to advance and saving the lives of our servicemen," emphasized Syrskyi.

As a reminder, on the morning of January 3, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced in the area of Verbove in Zaporizhzhia, and the enemy was forced to abandon some positions. The occupants are also trying to drive Ukrainian soldiers from a bridgehead on the left bank of the Kherson region.

Meanwhile, in the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian troops slightly "improved the tactical situation" in the area of Novobakhmutivka.

ADVERTISIMENT
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has given a lengthy interview in which he discusses what he sees as the origins of the "Bloody January" protests of 2022 as well as the threat of dual power systems.

Speaking to the state-run Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper, which published the interview on January 3, Toqaev said the protests that began in the southwestern town Zhanaozen on January 2, 2022, following a sharp rise in fuel prices and which quickly spread to other cities, including Almaty, were instigated by an unidentified "rogue group."

Toqaev's shoot-to-kill order to quell the unrest led to the deaths of more than 230 protesters, and the Kazakh president has been criticized for not living up to his promise to the public to answer questions about the incident.

The Kazakh authorities have prosecuted several high-ranking officials on charges that they attempted to seize power during the protests, with some removed from office or sentenced to prison, and others acquitted.

Many were seen to be allies of Toqaev's predecessor, long-serving Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbaev.

When asked what caused the unrest, Toqaev initially cited "socio-economic problems accumulated over the years," which had led to stagnation and undermined faith in the government.

However, Toqaev then suggested that "some influential people" did not like the changes to the country's political scene after he was appointed as acting president by Nazarbaev in 2019 and later that year elected as president.

Toqaev said the unknown people perceived the change "as a threat" to the power structure after decades of rule by Nazarbaev, and then "decided to turn back the face of reform and destroy everything in order to return to the old situation that was convenient for them."

"This group of high-ranking officials had a huge influence on the power structures and the criminal world," Toqaev alleged. "That's why they decided to seize power by force."

Toqaev, citing investigations by the Prosecutor-General's Office, said the unidentified group began "preparations" about six months before the nationwide demonstrations in January 2022, when the government made what he called "an ill-conceived, illegal decision to sharply increase the price of liquefied gas."

From there, Toqaev alleged, "extremists, criminal groups, and religious extremists" worked together to stage a coup. When the protests broke out in January 2022, Toqaev claimed that 20,000 "terrorists" had entered the country.

Experts have widely dismissed suggestions of foreign involvement in the mass protests.

Aside from about 10 members of the fundamentalist Islamic group Yakyn Inkar -- which is considered a banned extremist group in Kazakhstan -- who were arrested in connection with the protests, no religious groups have been singled out for alleged involvement in the protests.

The goal of the alleged coup plotters, Toqaev said, was to set up a dual power structure that would compete with the government.

"I openly told Nazarbaev that the political arrogance of his close associates almost destroyed the country," Toqaev said, without expounding on who the associates might be.

Toqaev had not previously mentioned speaking with Nazarbaev about the mass protests.

Toqaev also suggested that Kazakhstan, which has come under criticism for its imprisonment of journalists and civil and political activists, does not have any political prisoners.

When asked about political prisoners, Toqaev said only that "our legislation does not contain a single decree, a single law, a single regulatory document that provides a basis for prosecuting citizens for their political views."

For there to be political persecution, according to Toqaev, there would need to be "censorship, special laws, and punitive bodies" in place.

Toqaev also appeared to subtly criticize Nazarbaev, who became head of Soviet Kazakhstan in 1990 and became Kazakhstan's first president after the country became independent in 1991.

Nazarbaev served as president until he resigned in 2019, although he held the title of "Leader of the Nation" from 2010 to 2020 and also served as chairman of the Security Council from 1991 to 2022. Nazarbaev has since been stripped of those roles and titles.

While discussing Nazarbaev, Toqaev said that "everyone knows his contribution to the formation of an independent state of Kazakhstan. He is a person who deserves a fair historical evaluation."

But the current Kazakh president also said that "there should be no senior or junior president in the country."

"Go away, don't beg!" Toqaev said. "Citizens who will be in charge of the country in the future should learn from this situation and stay away from such things and think only about the interests of the state and the prosperity of society."
Baluch women marched over 1,000 kilometers from Pakistan's largest province of Balochistan to the capital, Islamabad, protesting alleged extrajudicial killings and disappearances. Pakistani authorities have rejected the allegations. Protest leader Mahrang Baloch spoke to RFE/RL in Islamabad on December 29 about what she called the "genocide" against the Baluch people.
Sammi Deen Baloch recalls growing up happily in remote parts of Pakistans southwestern Balochistan Province.



But her world crumbled in 2009 when she was just 10 years old.



Thats when her father, Deen Muhammad Baloch -- a doctor working in state health clinics providing care to the regions neediest people -- was taken away by intelligence agencies because of his activism. He was a member of the separatist Baloch National Movement.



Traumatic Times



Now 25, Sammi Deen Baloch told RFE/RL that nobody knows what happened to her father. He never appeared in court and there has been no information about his whereabouts since then.



We were a happy family before his disappearance, but our lives were traumatic after his forced disappearance, she said.



In the 14 years since her father disappeared, Sammi Deen Baloch and her sister Mehlab have been relentless in trying to find their father.



I have been to courts, countless protest camps, marched for thousands of kilometers, appeared before government commissions, and met numerous officials, she said of her nonstop efforts.



Yet uncertainty and delays haunt our lives, she added.



Sammi Deen Baloch is part of a protest in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where hundreds of ethnic Baluch activists are demanding that the government put an end to the forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan and provide information to the families about the fate of their loved ones.

They traveled more than 1,000 kilometers last month to demand that the government account for their relatives who were either killed or disappeared amid the 20 years of the nationalist insurrection.



They also want justice.



We want the state to punish all accused after the due process of law, she said.



Simmering Conflict



Balochistan, Pakistans largest province, borders Iran and Afghanistan and is hemmed in by 1,000 kilometers of the Arabian Sea coast. Since 2000, numerous armed Baluch ethnonationalist groups have fought against Islamabad seeking secession.



Pakistan accuses the rebels of attacks on security forces, infrastructure that includes Chinese-funded projects, immigrants from the eastern Punjab Province, and even pro-government Baluch figures.

Baluch political groups, including those seeking greater autonomy through parliamentary politics, accuse Pakistan of engaging in grave rights abuses. They blame Islamabad for exploiting their vast natural resources and seeking to control the province by appointing pro-government figures who lack popular support.



The Baluch people are a majority of their province's estimated 15 million residents but are a relatively small minority in the South Asian country of some 220 million people.



Thousands of Baluch people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in the simmering conflict that began in the early 2000s.



According to Pakistan's Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, it has received nearly 10,000 cases of forced disappearances in Pakistan as of August. Of these, more than 2,700 came from Balochistan.

Baluch activists, however, claim that the number of people missing is many times higher. Mahrang Baloch, a physician who is leading the protest in Islamabad, says forced disappearances in Balochistan continue unabated.

She told RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal that they would only trust the Pakistani government if it acknowledged its involvement in such grave abuses of human rights.



They should admit that they have been involved [in these actions], that their forces have been involved, she said.



Pakistani Counterterrorism



But Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, Anwar ul-Haq Kakar, strongly disagrees.



He told a gathering on January 1 that Islamabad is fighting against separatist groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army, the Baloch Liberation Front, and the Baloch Republican Army.



These groups have killed between 3,000 to 5,000 people, he said, adding that the security forces kill many of the militants involved in the violence.



We do acknowledge the right of protest of the relatives of these terrorists, he said. But we do not acknowledge the right of [those militants] to commit [acts of terror].

Kakar also implied that the legal system has failed to deal with the perpetrators of the attacks that have caused mass casualties among security forces and citizens.



We are being told to present [the disappeared] in courts," he said. "Over 90,000 people have been killed but not even nine perpetrators have been convicted."



Most of the some 90,000 Pakistani victims of militant attacks were ethnic Pashtuns. Their homeland in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became the epicenter of Islamabads domestic war on terrorism after the demise of the Taliban's hard-line government in Afghanistan. Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharrafs government -- which ruled from 2001 to 2008 -- failed to prevent the Taliban and Al-Qaeda from regrouping in his country.



Mahrang Baloch said the main aim of their protest is to confront Islamabads longstanding views that all Baluch people killed extrajudicially or forcefully disappeared are terrorists simply because they were members or supporters of separatist groups.



It is illegal, inhuman, and illogical to detain a person for 14 years in torture cells -- to detain a minor, to detain a woman, and not present them before courts, she said.



Political Problem



Experts see a clear link between Islamabads use of excessive force and the growing protests among the Baluch people for basic human rights protections.



Kiyya Baloch, an exiled journalist who covers Balochistan, says the ongoing protest was prompted by the alleged killing of a young Baluch man in the custody of counterterrorism police in Balochistans remote Turbat district in late November.



"Locals were afraid that, if they failed to protest, it might result in further extrajudicial killings by law enforcement, he said, adding that women played a crucial role in rallying support for the protest.



Kiyya Baloch argues that the core problem in Balochistan is political, not merely a counterterrorism problem, as Islamabad portrays it.



It is a struggle for greater rights, control over resources, and autonomy, he said. "But the mindset within the state's security institutions perceives it as a security issue that must be dealt with by force."



He sees Islamabads approach to quell the nationalist rebellion by empowering loyalist politicians, silencing dissenting voices through violence and disappearances, imposing bans on nationalist political groups, and militarizing Balochistan as failing to address the central issue haunting Balochistan.



The key to resolving this is to recognize it as a genuine indigenous issue that requires a political approach to resolve, he said.

Written and reported by Abubakar Siddique in Prague with additional reporting by RFE/RL Radio Mashaal correspondent Wasim Sajjad in Islamabad.
Vladimir Putin has claimed a fifth presidential term with a landslide victory in a tightly controlled election that has been condemned by the West as neither free nor fair as the Russian leader seeks to prove overwhelming popular support for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and increasingly repressive policies.

With 99.75 percent of ballots counted, Putin won another six-year term with a post-Soviet record of 87.29 percent of the vote, the Central Elections Committee (TsIK) said on March 18, adding that turnout was also at a "record" level, with 77.44 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.

The 71-year old Putin -- who has ruled as either president or prime minister since 2000 -- is now set to surpass Soviet dictator Josef Stalins nearly 30-year reign to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries.

"This election has been based on repression and intimidation," the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists in Brussels on March 18 as the bloc's foreign ministers gathered to discuss the election, among other issues.

The March 15-17 vote is the first for Putin since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that has killed tens of thousands of Russians and led to a clear break in relations with the West. In holding what has widely been viewed as faux elections, Putin wants to show that he has the nations full support, experts said.

The vote was also held in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers are located. Moscow illegally annexed the regions since launching the invasion, though it remains unclear how much of the territory it controls.

The Kremlin's goal "is to get as many people as possible to sign off on Russia's war against Ukraine. The idea is to get millions of Russian citizens to retroactively approve the decision Putin single-handedly made two years ago," Maksim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute, wrote in a note ahead of the vote.

In remarks shortly after he was declared the winner, Putin said the election showed that the nation was "one team."

But Western leaders condemned the vote, with a White House spokesman saying they "are obviously not free nor fair," and EU foreign ministers roundly dismissing them as a sham ahead of agreeing to impose sanctions on individuals linked to the mistreatment and death of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told RFE/RL in an interview in Tbilisi on the second day of a visit to the Caucasus that the Russian election was "not free nor fair." He said those who have had the courage to oppose Putin "are either force to flee, to live abroad, they are jailed, or some of them are killed as we saw with Aleksei Navalny."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, speaking at the start of the EU foreign ministers' meeting, said Russia's election was "an election without choice."

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said the conditions for a "free, pluralistic, and democratic election were not met," and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the election outcome highlighted the "depth of repression" in Russia.

"Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy," Cameron said.

France, Britain, and other countries condemned the fact that Russia had also held its election in occupied regions of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Putin has become "sick with power" and he is just "simulating" elections.

"This imitation of 'elections' has no legitimacy and cannot have any. This person must end up in the dock in The Hague [at the International UN Tribunal for War Crimes]," Zelenskiy said on X.

Putin's allies were quick to heap praise on the Russian leader for his election success.

China, one of Russia's most important allies, congratulated Putin, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian saying President Xi Jinping and the Russian leader "will continue to maintain close exchanges, lead the two countries to continue to uphold long-standing good-neighborly friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called Putin's victory "decisive," the state news agency IRNA reported, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a congratulatory message to Putin quoted by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that Russian voters had shown "unshakeable support and trust in" their president, state media reported.

In the tightly controlled race, Putin was opposed by three relatively unknown, Kremlin-friendly politicians whose campaigns were barely noticeable.

Prior to the election the Kremlin banned anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin from the ballot after tens of thousands of voters lined up in the cold to support his candidacy. Nadezhdin threatened to undermine the narrative of a united nation behind Putin and his war, experts said.



Russias opposition movement suffered a serious blow last month when Navalny, who was Putins fiercest and most popular critic, died in unclear circumstances in a maximum-security prison in the Arctic where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism widely seen as politically motivated.

Russian political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky said in an interview with Current Time that Putin was also frightened by the rebellion staged by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in June when Prigozhin's forces briefly took control of Rostov-on-Don and were greeted by many citizens as heroes.

Prigozhin ended his rebellion before reaching Moscow and was later killed in a plane crash that many believe was retaliation by the Kremlin.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa
KYIV--When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainians lined up to join the armed forces in an outburst of patriotism that both inspired the Western world and defied Moscows expectations.



Now, two years later, amid horrific trench warfare, lack of recent progress on the battlefield, and with tens of thousands of soldiers dead or wounded, the enthusiasm to enlist is clearly waning.



The lack of fresh recruits poses a serious danger to Ukraines war effort as Russia -- which has more than three times the population -- continues to throw men, including convicts, into the fight despite mounting human costs.



Kyiv has proposed addressing the problem by lowering the age limit for new conscripts and cracking down on mobilization evasion. But officials are fearful of backlash and hesitant to publicly defend the measures, seeking instead to place the onus on the military, experts and deputies say.



Christmas Surprise



On Christmas night, the Ukrainian government submitted the long-awaited bill on mobilization to parliament, triggering scorn from some opposition lawmakers.



Solomia Bobrovska, a deputy from the Holos party, said in an interview with RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service on December 27 that the timing was designed to ensure no one would notice, deriding it as a Bolshevik tactic. She also criticized elements of the bill.

The mobilization legislation was submitted in the name of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and not President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is commander in chief. Some experts took that as a sign the president feared his high popularity rating could take a hit.



The president did not behave like a statesman, who should come out and start taking responsibility for himself and explain why this [bill] is necessary, Hennadiy Druzenko, a lawyer and activist, told RFE/RL.



Druzenko said the government may have been assigned the task of submitting the bill and taking any public heat because its trust is already low and probably wont fall much further. According to polling by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), only 26 percent of Ukrainian express trust in the government compared to 52 percent in December 2022.



Zelenskiys popularity shot up following Russias full-scale invasion when he refused to flee Kyiv even as Russian special forces reached the edge of the capital. It was bolstered by Ukraines success in late 2022 in driving back Russian forces, prompting 84 percent of Ukrainians to say at the time that they trusted him, according to KIIS. That has fallen to 62 percent as the war drags on with no end in sight.



While still high, the steady decline in trust could pose problems for Zelenskiy if he seeks reelection. Ukraine was due to hold presidential elections this spring, but it will be postponed under the state of martial law imposed in the wake of Russias invasion.

During a press conference on December 19, days before the mobilization bill was submitted, Zelenskiy said Ukraines military leadership had proposed drafting up to 500,000 more troops, adding he wanted an explanation for such a large request.



Days later, the chief of the general staff, Valeriy Zaluzhniy, told media he needs more men to relieve those who have been fighting for an extended period, as well as to compensate for expected losses in the coming year.



He said the General Staff consulted with the Defense Ministry on the bill, but the final version was the work of the government since the military has no legislative power.



Druzenko predicted that the presidential administration and the military will toss responsibility for the bill toward one another like a hot potato.



In an interview with RFE/RL, Iryna Friz, a parliamentarian from the opposition European Solidarity bloc, also suggested that Zelenskiy is trying to distance himself from the bill to protect his popularity ratings.



Oleksandr Korniyenko, first deputy chairman of the parliament and former head of Servant of the People, rejected the idea that Zelenskiy was trying to duck responsibility, adding that the bill was a joint product with the military.



Nonetheless, Zelenskiy steered clear of ownership of the mobilization legislation, saying on December 26 that it is only right that deputies and the military decide on the troop count and other needs for next year and do so in open hearings. He said his office will be waiting for the final text of the law.



Mobilization Measures



The mobilization bill calls for lowering the age limit of conscripts from 27 to 25, ending the service exclusion for citizens with minor disabilities, legalizing digital draft notices, and restricting the ability of draft dodgers to carry out transactions such as buying or selling property. It also places greater responsibility for mobilization on local governments.



Experts said local officials could drag their feet on implementation out of the same fear of a hit to their popularity. Meanwhile, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov rushed to declare that the government super app, Diia, rolled out under his leadership and downloaded by millions of Ukrainians, will not be used for sending draft notifications.



Opposition deputies have criticized various aspects of the bill, such as the restrictions on financial transactions by draft dodgers, and many parliamentarians expect the final bill to look different.



The first reading is expected to take place before January 14. Some experts say the bill could be adopted as early as the end of the month.



Ukraine has banned most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country, but some continue to do so, paying off border guards or other officials. Some avoid drafts with medical exemptions that can be bought, while others ignore draft notifications.



The struggle to recruit Ukrainian men has prompted police to grab draft dodgers off the street, creating scenes that  when they go viral on social media  generate backlash against the authorities.

While one-third of Ukrainians said they were ready to take up arms to defend their country, according to a summer poll, Yevhen Holovakha, director of the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, told RFE/RL that people may act differently if they actually receive draft notices.



He said pessimism has grown among Ukrainians in recent months following the meager results of the summer counteroffensive. Holovakha said officials and the media had created public expectations of success that were unrealistic.



At the same time, the number of people willing to serve would be greater if the drafting process appeared fair and clear, he said. People want to know why they are being drafted, how long they will be required to serve, how much they will earn, how much their families will receive, and what will happen when they return, he said.



People get sick from uncertainty, Holovakha said. And these stresses, and these illnesses, both physical and psychological, most often arise from the fact that they live in uncertainty.



Dozens of wives and mothers of combatants took to the streets earlier this year on a couple of occasions in rare wartime protests to demand the demobilization of their loved ones and the recruitment of new men. Under martial law imposed following Russias invasion, public protests are banned.

Zelenskiy has sought to address some of the public concerns around mobilization. Earlier this year, he fired the heads of the regional recruitment offices amid corruption allegations. He also said he wants to see the general staffs plan for demobilization.



Holovakha said Zelenskiy is proceeding cautiously because he is in a very difficult situation.



Tensions



The debate over the bill and who takes responsibility for it could exacerbate the reportedly tense relations between Zelenskiy and Zaluzhniy.



The military leader in November told The Economist the war had entered a stalemate, a dour assessment that undermined the presidential administrations more upbeat view of Ukraines progress and complicated efforts to secure U.S. military aid.



Zelenskiy immediately rejected the view the war was in a stalemate, while members of his administration cautioned the military against making such public comments.



Last month, Maryana Bezuhla, deputy head of the parliamentary Defense Committee and a member of Zelenskiys party, publicly criticized Zaluzhniy for allegedly failing to present a 2024 war plan, all the while demanding greater mobilization. She raised the specter of his dismissal, which some took as a message from the administration.



Oleksiy Haran, director of research at the Ilko Kucheriv Foundation for Democratic Initiatives, told RFE/RL that firing Zaluzhniy would backfire on the administration as the military leader enjoys a higher popularity rating than the president.



Holovakha said Ukrainians associate their nations victories in the war with Zaluzhniy, and it would be hard for Zelenskiy to convince the public otherwise.



Haran said firing Zaluzhniy would be a failure, first of all, for Zelenskiy.

Written by RFE/RLs Todd Prince based on reporting from Ukraine by RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service.
Thepersonnel of the 63rd Brigade appealed to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhnyi with a request to keep Petro Skyba as commander. The soldiers also complained about frequent inspections by various authorities, which, in their opinion, were aimed at removing the brigade commander from office.

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The corresponding appeal of the personnel of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Reserve Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was obtained by OBOZ.UA. Thus, the document states that in December alone, the brigade underwent six inspections.

"It seems that the only purpose of these inspections is to frame and dismiss the brigade commander. This state of affairs has a negative impact on the morale of the brigade's personnel," the military wrote.

The soldiers noted that the news of the commander's dismissal had a negative impact on their morale. During the five months that Skiba led the brigade, the soldiers became more motivated and their combat work intensified significantly. Under his command, significant attention was paid to progressive methods of warfare, including the active use of UAVs.

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Since July 2023, despite all the enemy's attempts to break through the defense, the brigade has continued to hold its lines. The military noted that all this is due to the organization of the work of all structures of the brigade by Commander Skiba .

"Mr. General, the personnel of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade ask you to consider leaving Colonel Skiba in the position of the commander of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade. We fully trust him and are confident in the correctness of his decisions, which are aimed exclusively at the interests of our country. We are convinced that if Colonel Skiba continues to be the commander of the brigade, he will be able to make the brigade one of the most combat-ready and most cohesive military teams," the statement reads.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA reported that the servicemen of the 63rd separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to capture a Russian armored personnel carrier "Tiger". Soldiers from the company of strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used FPV drones to cancel out the invaders' equipment along with their personnel.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes.
James Cox

Dublin City Council has been asked to remove threatening graffiti targeting the Taoiseach immediately.

The death threat, which appeared on a wall opposite the Blackhorse Luas Stop near Drimnagh and misspells Mr Varadkar's surname, reads: 'Kill Leo Veradkar, He sold out the Irish.'

Mr Varadkar is also branded an 'EU puppet' in the graffiti.

The Taoiseach said before Christmas he wouldn't change his lifestyle despite being warned of a risk to his safety from far-right extremists.

Local Sinn Fein councillor Daithi Doolan said the graffiti is sinister.

"I live across the road from where that graffiti appeared, and it is very sinister," Mr Doolan told Newstalk.

"It's promoting a death threat on An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

"While I share no politics with Leo Varadkar or the current Government, I think graffiti offers no solution. It's cheap, it's nasty, it's vindictive.

"If people want real change then they should become active in their community and work together and bring about the change we all want.

"This graffiti does none of that and does not represent the good people of Drimnagh and Inchicore."
Bigg Boss 17

Ishas current boyfriend Samarth intervened in between the fight and started mocking Abhisheks mental health.

Bigg Boss 17, Abhishek Kumar Samarth Jurel Slap incident news: The latest episode of 'Bigg Boss 17' witnessed an ugly fight between Abhishek Kumar and Isha Mlaviya that escalated when Samarth Jurel intervened and Abhishek slapped him. In the meanwhile, a lot of people are wondering if Abhishek Kumar and Samarth Jurel's slap incident will lead to the latter's eviction or elimination from the house.

The latest episode of Bigg Boss 17 has left everyone in shock after Abhishek Kumar lost his calm and slapped Samarth Jurel. The incident took place after Samarth constantly provoked and mocked the Udariyaan actors mental health.

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Notably, an ugly fight broke out between Abhishek Kumar, Isha Malviya, and Samarth Jurel during the nomination task as Isha started calling Abhishek 'Boss ke kehne par chalne waale'. When Abhishek asked her why she was poking him, the fight escalated as Samarth intervened.

Ishas current boyfriend Samarth intervened in between the fight and started mocking Abhisheks mental health while Isha also called Abhishek 'mental bhopu'. The latter hit back at her saying, "Tere pyaar mein he mental tha main. Tune mujhe mental karke chod diya. (I was mental in your love. You made me mental and left)." Isha Malviya kept on abusing Abhishek and said that if he ended up abusing her the entire house would go against him.

After coming out of the activity area, Samarth went on to share with Munawar Faruqui that Abhishek was getting treated for his mental condition in Chandigarh and that he left his course in between.

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When Samarth kept poking him on his mental health, Abhishek slapped him hard and the housemates were in a deep shock.



It is pertinent to mention that Abhishek Kumar and Samarth Jurel's slap incident is a violation of Bigg Boss 17 rules and could lead to Abhishek's eviction or elimination. However, it is being reported that Abhishek has been handed over the punishment of not being able to become a captain because of the incident. So far, it is not confirmed exactly what consequences this incident will cause.
COVID-19 Update

Total number of active cases in the country reaches nearly 4400

COVID-19 Update: The specter of the COVID-19 pandemic has once again gripped India as the country reports a surge in cases during the winter season. According to data released by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday, more than 600 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded across the nation in the last 24 hours, accompanied by five reported deaths.

The alarming trend reflects a consistent rise in COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the country to nearly 4400. The update from the Ministry of Health reveals a total of 602 new infections and five fatalities in the past day, pushing the active cases to 4440.

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Since the onset of the pandemic, India has witnessed a staggering total of over 4.5 crore COVID-19 cases, with 533,366 reported deaths. The situation remains dynamic, prompting health authorities to maintain a vigilant stance to curb the spread of the virus.

Contrary to the data reported on Tuesday, where 573 new cases were documented with two reported deaths, the latest figures indicate a slight increase. On January 1, the first day of the new year, the country recorded 636 new cases, and three individuals succumbed to complications related to COVID-19.

To get all the latest updates, join us on Whatsapp Broadcast Channel.

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As the nation navigates through the evolving dynamics of the pandemic, health officials continue their efforts to monitor, contain, and mitigate the spread of the virus. Public adherence to safety protocols and vaccination efforts remain pivotal in managing the ongoing health crisis.

With the continuous rise in COVID-19 cases, authorities urge citizens to exercise caution, adhere to preventive measures, and stay informed about the latest developments. The battle against the pandemic requires collective responsibility and a united effort to protect public health.

(For More News Apart from COVID-19 Update Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Ukrainians may be to some extent involved in the fact that missile and drone attacks by the aggressor country Russia are becoming more and more successful. And in this case, it's not about traitors who leak information to the occupiers, but about banal network ignorance that leads to tragedies and deaths of civilians.

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Ukrainian defense lawyer Pavlo Moiseev (Brown) drew attention to this. According to him, even those who believe that they share their videos exclusively with people they trust can fall into the trap of the enemy.

After the attack on January 2 on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, whose outskirts Brown protects from enemy missiles and drones, he recorded a video in which he criticized Ukrainians for sharing videos of air defense systems.

"The missiles were maneuvering this time... I saw it for the first time. And do you know who maneuvered them? Our own people. If you remember, earlier the missiles flew to the ring road (a highway on the outskirts of Kyiv) and we crushed them there... but thanks to people who send messages, share with each other, even if they send them in Telegram to each other, it is all well detected (by the enemy) and, unfortunately, we have what we have," the military said.

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He explained that our air defense is constantly getting better, but no matter how much air defense there is, "there will always be people who will leak the trajectory of its work," and therefore with each missile and shakedown attack, the enemy is making more and more progress.

Brown explained that even if you send a video to trusted friends on Telegram "under the 'no one else' label," the enemy still has the ability to access it if the account has been hacked unnoticed. That is, the person still has access to his or her account, but the attackers also have access. In this case, it's enemy hackers.

The situation is even worse when ordinary Ukrainians start sending videos of air defense, missile flight or a hit to various Telegram channels.

"It all goes where it shouldn't go. And, unfortunately, we have what we have," said the Ukrainian defense lawyer.

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He also emphasized that even those who shoot a video of a missile flying in an open field and are convinced that they will not hit the enemy are mistaken. The enemy is still able to determine, even with minimal hints, where the video was shot and see that the missile flew freely and was not shot down or attacked by air defense systems. In addition, if you send the video, it still has a geotag that shows where the video or photo was taken.

"As they say, there's no worse enemy than a dumbass ally," the warrior said despondently.

Brown believes that enemy hackers can hack into Ukrainian accounts and enter them without the owners' knowledge and view all the data sent. Thus, he said, he personally discovered that his account had been logged in from a city he was not in at the time. So it's never too late to install extra protection.

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How to check who has logged into Telegram

If you are logged in to Telegram without any passwords, then this check will not hurt you. To do this, you need to do the following:

On your smartphone:

Open Telegram;

Go to Settings ;

Select Devices.

On a computer:

Open Telegram;

Go to the menu and open Settings;

Open Privacy & Security;

Go to Show all sessions.

See which devices have been used to log in to your account, as well as from which cities. If any of the sessions look suspicious or were made from a city you weren't in, select End all sessions. This won't delete anything, but it will close all active sessions using your account. After that, proceed to installing a more sophisticated Telegram login system.

How to protect your Telegram account from hacking

Usually, you log in to Telegram using your mobile operator's SIM card. So if it's somehow cloned, attackers can get access to all your conversations and sent files.

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And even, quite possibly, to those that were deleted at one time. This was hinted at in late December by Russian propagandists on Russia 1 TV channel when they described how Ukrainians trying to enter the Russian Federation are checked.

To complicate the enemy's task, you should enable two-factor authentication. After enabling it, you will not only need to enter a password to log in to Telegram from a new device, but also receive an SMS message with a temporary login code.

To do this, you will need:

On Android.

Go to the menu in the upper left corner and open Settings;

Select Privacy & Security;

Go to Two-step verification;

Open Set an additional password.

Next, you need to enter your password twice. You can also set a hint for it, but don't make obvious passwords and hints to make life easier for the enemy.

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You can also set an email address to reset the password.

On iOS.

Open Settings;

Select Privacy & Security;

Go to Two-step verification;

Set an additional password.

Enter your password twice, and if you wish, you can also set a password hint and an email to reset your password.

After that, your account will be better protected and will not allow the enemy to steal your personal information. However, this is not a reason to continue filming the work of air defense or the Ukrainian military. After all, one day your life may depend on their work, which requires information silence.
Punjab Weather Update

Citizens Urged to Exercise Caution as Smog Hampers Daily Life, Traffic Disrupted on Highways

Punjab Weather Update: In a significant weather update, Punjab is currently grappling with an intensifying cold wave, disrupting normal life across the state. The Meteorological Department has issued alerts, cautioning residents to remain vigilant until at least 5th January.

The ongoing lack of sunshine in the region has exacerbated the cold wave, causing widespread inconvenience for the public. Highways are witnessing disruptions in traffic flow due to smog, while urban areas are experiencing disturbances in routine activities due to the chilling temperatures.

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According to the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of a slight change in the weather pattern after 4-5 January. Yellow alerts have been issued for Pathankot, Ropar, and S.A.S. Nagar, while Fazilka, Muktsar, Faridkot, Sangrur, and other districts are under an orange alert, including Ludhiana, Amritsar, and Patiala. The alerts indicate that the cold wave is expected to persist, warranting increased precautionary measures.

To get all the latest updates, join us on Whatsapp Broadcast Channel.

Residents are advised to take heed of the warnings and make necessary preparations to cope with the harsh weather conditions. The Meteorological Department, Chandigarh, has also issued an advisory, urging people to venture outdoors only when absolutely necessary. The advisory specifically highlights the adverse effects of smog on respiratory health, emphasizing its harmful impact on lungs and eyes.

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(For More News Apart from Punjab Weather Update Latest News, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


Diesel Tanker Explosion in Khanna News

Emergency services are actively engaged in combating the fire

Diesel Tanker Explosion in Khanna News: A Catastrophic incident unfolded in Khanna as an oil tanker carrying a substantial load of diesel caught fire on the National Highway, triggering a widespread blaze. The fire's intensity led to the arrival of fire brigade vehicles at the scene, and as a precautionary measure, the police swiftly closed the highway on both sides. The resultant traffic snarl, due to long queues of vehicles on either side of the highway, has exacerbated the situation.

The unfolding tragedy began with the explosion of the diesel-laden tanker, creating a dangerous and rapidly spreading inferno. The flames engulfed the surroundings, necessitating an urgent response from the fire brigade to contain the blaze and prevent further damage.

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In light of the hazardous situation, authorities took prompt action to close the National Highway on both sides. The closure aimed at preventing any potential risks to commuters and facilitating the firefighting operations. However, the closure has resulted in a significant traffic jam, with long queues of vehicles adding to the challenges faced by emergency responders.

To get all the latest updates, join us on Whatsapp Broadcast Channel.

Emergency services are actively engaged in combating the fire and managing the aftermath of the explosion. Firefighters are working tirelessly to bring the situation under control, while law enforcement officers are directing traffic and ensuring the safety of those in the vicinity. The incident has raised concerns about public safety, prompting authorities to address the immediate consequences of the explosion and implement measures to prevent any further escalation of risks.

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Israel-Hamas War Latest Update

Ongoing Conflict Shows No Signs of Abating as Israeli Prime Minister Declares War at its Peak

Israel-Hamas War Latest Update: In a significant development in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Israel has claimed a major victory with the death of a top Hamas official, Saleh Arori, in an explosive attack south of Beirut. The Israeli strike reportedly targeted a Hamas office in Beirut's southern suburbs, leading to the demise of Arori and his bodyguards, as confirmed by a senior security official speaking to AFP.

Lebanese state media corroborated the attack, highlighting its impact on the Hamas official. The incident raises questions about the duration of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Responding to inquiries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the war is far from over.

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"The war is at its peak. We are fighting on all fronts. It will take time to win. As the (IDF) Chief of Staff has said, the war will continue for months," declared Netanyahu. The statement indicates a prolonged and intensive engagement in the conflict, emphasizing the challenges ahead for both parties involved.

The conflict reached a critical point on October 7 when Hamas terrorists launched a major attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1140 casualties and over 150 people being taken hostage. The continuous escalation of hostilities underscores the complex nature of the geopolitical situation in the region, with no immediate resolution in sight.

(For More News Apart from Israel-Hamas War Latest Update, Stay Tuned to Rozana Spokesman)


What is Cyber Kidnapping?

Zhuang was located on December 31, 2023, in the mountains near Brigham City

What is Cyber Kidnapping? In a dramatic turn of events, Kai Zhuang, the 17-year-old Chinese exchange student who disappeared from his host family's home in Riverdale, Utah, has been found alive after being a victim of an international "cyber kidnapping." Zhuang was located on Sunday, December 31, 2023, in the mountains near Brigham City, where he had been self-isolating in a canyon.

Zhuang's mysterious disappearance on December 27, 2023, led to heightened concerns when his parents in China received a ransom note accompanied by his photograph on December 29, 2023. The virtual kidnappers, engaging in an extortion scheme, coerced the family into paying a ransom of $80,000, threatening the safety of the young exchange student.

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The Cyber Kidnapping

Riverdale City Police Chief Casey Warren revealed that Zhuang fell victim to an intricate cyber kidnapping plot. The perpetrators manipulated him into isolating himself in a remote location, all while monitoring his actions through Facetime calls and/or Skype. The scheme involved threats to both the student and his family, creating a facade of perilous circumstances to extract ransom payments.

What is Cyber Kidnapping?

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This modus operandi aligns with the disturbing trend where virtual kidnappers exploit deception and threats, compelling victims to isolate themselves and participate in the creation of visual evidence, ultimately leading to the extraction of ransom payments from their families. The case underscores the need for heightened awareness and vigilance against evolving cyber threats that pose risks not only to individuals but also to the integrity and security of global communities.

Discovery and Rescue

After eight days under the control of cyber kidnappers, Zhuang was located by detectives who traced unexplained purchases of camping equipment through bank and cell phone records. The investigators uncovered a recent encounter with Provo police when Zhuang attempted to set up a campsite. The culmination of these findings led the police to the remote canyon near Brigham City, where they discovered Zhuang isolating in a tent with minimal provisions and multiple phones assumed to be used in the cyber kidnapping operation.

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Following Zhuang's rescue, Riverdale Police Chief Warren emphasized the importance of foreign exchange students trusting law enforcement to protect them. Zhuang, upon being found, urgently sought to ensure his family's safety and, curiously, requested a warm cheeseburger, which was promptly fulfilled.

To get all the latest updates, join us on Whatsapp Broadcast Channel.

The police have highlighted that the investigation into the cyber kidnapping case is still underway, and the perpetrators remain unidentified. Chief Warren urged foreign exchange students to be vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement to safeguard their safety and that of their families.

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The major European were unable to hold onto early gains on Tuesday, giving ground as the day progressed to finish mixed and fairly flat.

The early support for the markets followed the release of mixed Chinese manufacturing data, but the markets ran out of momentum and were weighed by weakness from the sectors.

For the day, Germany's DAX picked up 17.72 points or 0.11 percent to finish at 16,769.36, while London's FTSE dipped 11.72 points or 0.15 percent to close at 7,721.52 and the CAC 40 in France fell 12.32 points or 0.16 percent to end at 7,530.86.

In Germany, Fresenius surged 3.38 percent, while Zalando tumbled 2.28 percent, Bayer rallied 2.07 percent, Infineon Technologies slumped 1.96 percent, Vonovia retreated 1.72 percent, Deutsche Telekom advanced 0.99 percent, Volkswagen improved 0.97 percent, Siemens Energy lost 0.96 percent, Deutsche Bank collected 0.95 percent and Deutsche Post rose 0.11 percent.

In London, St. James Place plunged 3.63 percent, while Prudential tanked 3.49 percent, Rightmove tumbled 3.20 percent, Auto Trader declined 2.55 percent, Scottish Mortgage skidded 2.48 percent, Rentokil sank 1.88 percent, Vodafone jumped 1.75 percent, British American Tobacco climbed 1.57 percent, Tesco added 0.90 percent, Haleon gained 0.79 percent and Rolls-Royce fell 0.53 percent.

In France, Pernod Ricard tumbled 2.63 percent, while Societe Generale spiked 2.46 percent, Orange advanced 1.82 percent, Credit Agricole rallied 1.65 percent, Sanofi gained 1.26 percent, BNP Paribas collected 1.23 percent, Veolia sank 0.56 percent and Engie improved 0.20 percent.

In economic news, British manufacturing activity contracted at a faster pace in December as output fell sharply amid weaker demand conditions both domestically and internationally, survey results from S&P Global revealed Tuesday.

The euro area manufacturing sector continued to contract at the end of the year with fall in output and job losses, final data from S&P Global showed on Tuesday. The index has remained below the neutral 50.0 mark indicating contraction, although the reading was the highest in seven months.

Growth in the lending to households in the euro area slowed in November, while loans to the non-financial institutions were unchanged, preliminary data from the European Central Bank showed Tuesday.

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The United States has criticized recent statements from two Israeli Ministers calling for resettling Palestinians out of Gaza.

In a statement Tuesday, the U.S. State Department said it rejects the controversial remarks from Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Smotrich, a far-right politician and a settler in the Israeli-occupied West Bank who opposes Palestinian statehood, said on Sunday that Israel should take the initiative to send the majority of the more than 2 million Gazans to Europe.

Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler in the Israeli-occupied West Bank who has faced charges of hate speech against Arabs, favored the idea. In his opinion, such a move would allow Israel to rebuild Jewish settlements in the thickly populated Palestinian enclave.

State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said, "This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible", and "should stop immediately."

He said the Government of Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has told Washington "repeatedly and consistently" that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government.

Miller insisted that the U.S. Government's stand in this issue is "clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel."

"That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world," he added.

It marks the strongest public condemnation of Israel by the Biden administration since the ongoing war erupted on October 7. The Biden administration has been consistent in its stand in favor of a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis.

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Kyler Efinger of Park City, Utah was found dead inside the jet engine of Delta plane at Salt Lake City International airport on Monday night.

The accident happened when a store manager contacted the airport's control centre to report a disturbance by a 30-year old passenger on the secured side of the terminal.

By the time officers came, Efinger exited the airport interior through an emergency door with access to the tarmac. He reportedly ran to the south end of airport's west runway where workers were deicing planes. Police found personal items including clothes and shoes on airport's runways.

An aircraft of Delta Air Lines bound for San Francisco was on the tarmac, preparing to depart. The police called the air traffic controllers to notify the pilot to shut down the plane's engines as they believed Efinger had gone underneath the aircraft.

The flight was forced to return to the gates and was later cancelled. All the passengers were rebooked to other flights.

Eventually, officers found Efinger unconscious and partially inside a wing-mounted engine. Police and airport authorities pulled him from the engine's intake and started lifesaving efforts. They gave him CPR and medicines, but he ultimately died at the scene.

Airport officials and police are currently investigating the case with Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board and the Transportation Security Administration.

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With new features and upgrades, Bajaj Chetak can compete better with rivals like Ola S1 Pro, TVS iQube and Ather 450X

While Chetak is preferred for its reliability and durability, it is not necessarily perceived as a high-tech and high-performance machine. Probably, rivals are offering a more comprehensive range of features. Bajaj is looking to fix that with the new Chetak Premium version, scheduled to be launched on 5th January. Ahead of that, the new e-scooter has been spied at a dealership. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Yash Parate for sharing the exclusive spy shots of the 2024 Chetak.

Bajaj Chetak Premium  Whats new?

Chetak is currently offered in Urbane and Premium variants. However, there arent any major differences between the two. As per the new strategy, the Urbane variant will be positioned as an affordable, entry-level electric scooter. On the other hand, the Premium version will be getting a comprehensive range of updates. As a result, the Premium version will be launched at a higher price point.

One of the key updates is a new TFT instrument display. It is to note that the existing model has an LCD display. The new TFT dash will have features like Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. Users will be able to access functions such as calls, text and music. New Chetak Premium will also have a remote immobilization function and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Riding modes are already available and will be carried forward. Boot space for the new Chetak Premium variant will be increased from 18 litres to 21 litres. This may not be significant, but can still be useful for storing some small stuff.

Bajaj Chetak Premium performance boost

New Chetak Premium variant will have better capabilities in comparison to the existing Urbane variant. One of the key upgrades is a larger 3.2 kWh battery pack. It has a certified range of 127 km, as per IDC standards. The existing model utilizes a 2.9 kWh battery pack, with a certified range of 108 km. True range or real-world range is also expected to improve with the new Chetak Premium variant. Users have reported more than 100 km of real-world range in Eco mode with the existing Chetak model.

With the larger battery, charging time has increased by around 30 minutes. As of now, 0 to 100% charging time for the current model is 4 hours. Another area where Chetak seems to be lagging behind is the top speed. With the likes of Ola S1 Pro offering a top speed of 120 km/h, Chetak has a lot to catch up. With the new Chetak Premium model, the top speed will be increased to 73 km/h. It remains to be seen if changes are made to the electric motor to achieve this higher top speed.

With the updates, the price gap between the Chetak Urbane and the new Chetak Premium variant will increase. Bajaj had recently introduced the 2024 version of Chetak Urbane at a starting price of Rs 1.15 lakh (ex-sh., Delhi). In comparison, the existing Chetak Premium version is available at a starting price of Rs 1.20 lakh.
China has begun supplying Russia with 10 times more computer numerical control machines used in the military industry than before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. In February 2022, Chinese manufacturers sold $6.5 million worth of CNC tools to Russia, and in July 2023, they sold $68 million worth.

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The Financial Times has the relevant data from customs reports. The publication emphasized that this equipment is "vital" for the Russian military-industrial complex.

CNC machines allow for extremely precise milling of metal. American analyst Allen Maggard explained that they can be used to quickly produce complex components from metal and other hard materials "with a constant degree of accuracy," which is especially valuable for defense production. The West tried to limit the aggressor state's access to this equipment through its sanctions.

According to the FT, before the great war, CNC devices of Chinese origin accounted for 12% of Russian imports by value. In July (the latest figures obtained by journalists), it was already 57%.

Moscow probably also continued to import significant amounts of CNC machines made in Taiwan and South Korea.

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The experts noted: It is likely difficult for Russia to smuggle this equipment from the West because it is large.

Michael Raska, an associate professor at the Singapore School of International Studies named after S. Rajaratnam, said that the export of CNC equipment is an example of how China and Russia are deepening their military-industrial partnership.

"China and Russia share the same political interests, which are to challenge and confront the United States. The fact is that Russia is cut off from imports of European equipment, it has no choice but to rely on China," Raska said.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported:

- In December 2023, Prime Minister of the aggressor state of Russia Mikhail Mishustin visited China. There he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

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- It was announced that the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation plan to expand trade and other ties between the countries. Beijing called the maintenance and development of Sino-Russian relations "a strategic choice made by both sides and based on the fundamental interests of the two peoples."

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A huge, naked figure called Cerne Giant was cut into a Dorset hillside not, as many have supposed, in prehistory, nor in the early modern period, but in the early Middle Ages, specifically in the 9th or early 10th century when there was much interest in the Classical hero Hercules, according to a new paper in the journal Speculum. It is likely that he was made to mark a muster station for West Saxon armies meeting on an estate belonging to the ealdorman of the Western Provinces. By the mid-11th century, he had been repurposed by the monastery founded, or refounded, at his feet as an image of Saint Eadwold, a convenient way of erasing Hercules and proclaiming the monasterys rights to the saints relics.

The Cerne Giant is a massive image of a naked man carved into the chalk bedrock of a hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England.

He stands approximately 55 m (180 feet) high, brandishing a club in his right hand, with his left arm outstretched.

His feet are turned towards his right, as if walking. His bald head is tear-drop shaped, with eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth.

On his naked torso are depicted an erect penis, nipples, ribs, a belt, and a belly button; the latter appears to have been incorporated into his phallus in 1908, making it more prominent now than it was originally.

There have been discussions for centuries about when the Cerne Giant was first carved.

Its become clear that the Cerne Giant is just the most visible of a whole cluster of early medieval features in the landscape, said Dr. Helen Gittos, a researcher at the University of Oxford.

Hercules was well-known in the Middle Ages, a flawed hero both revered and reviled, and there was a particular spike of interest in him during the 9th century.

By at least the 10th century, Cerne was in the hands of the ealdormen of the Western Provinces, the kings leading thegns in the south-west.

The topographical location of the Cerne Giant, on a spur jutting out from a ridge, with impressive views and proximity to major routeways, is characteristic of a special type of Anglo-Saxon meeting place.

The attacks by Vikings nearby, the access to copious fresh water and the supplies of the local estate, make this an ideal place for mustering West Saxon armies with Hercules as a back-drop.

In the 11th century, the monks worshipping in the monastery at the bottom of Giant Hill, re-imagined the Cerne Giant as an image of their saint, Eadwold, implicitly referring to the figure in the lessons they read on his feast-day.

This is one of the many ways the Cerne Giant has been reinterpreted through the centuries: from Hercules to hermit.

The Cerne Giants identity was already open to reinterpretation, said Dr. Tom Morcom, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oslo.

The monks of Cerne wouldnt have portrayed their patron saint as naked if they were carving him from scratch, but they were happy to co-opt him as an image of Eadwold for their own purposes.

The Giant has long been loved and looked after and such reidentifications continue into the present day.

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Thomas Morcom & Helen Gittos. 2024. The Cerne Giant in Its Early Medieval Context. Speculum 99 (1): 1-38; doi: 10.1086/727992
C4X Discovery , the AIM-listed drug discovery company, has received a "milestone payment" of $11m from biopharma giant AstraZeneca as part of the progress of its NRF2 Activator programme, causing shares to jump by nearly a half on Wednesday.

Back in November 2022, C4XD signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for the development and commercialisation of NRF2 Activator programme, an oral therapy for the treatment of inflammatory and respiratory diseases with a lead focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

C4XD initially received $2m upfront and is potentially entitled to receive up to $400m in preclinical, clinical development and commercial milestones, and to tiered mid-single digit royalties on future sales.

"This significant preclinical milestone payment marks the progress AstraZeneca has made in driving the NRF2 Activator programme forward," said C4XD chief executive Clive Dix.

"This is a great start to our year and we are confident of seeing further progress across our entire portfolio in 2024."

C4XD reported in December that full-year revenues for the 12 months to 31 July totalled just 1.7m, down from 2.7m the year before, as it recorded a pre-tax loss of 11.1m.

The stock was up 43% at 12.5p by 0826 GMT, hitting an earlier high of 14.5p, compared with Tuesday's close of 8.74p.

Analyst Sean Conroy from Shore Capital said the payment is an "important value inflection which should reinvigorate sentiment in the share".

"Moreover, this serves as timely reminder that C4XD has licensing deals in place with some of the leading developers for its programmes. These agreements serve as strong validation of C4XDs prowess in drug discovery and demonstrate its ability to distil value from assets early in the development process," Conroy said.
Ladbrokes owner Entain rallied on Wednesday as it announced the appointment of Eminence Capital founder Ricky Sandler as a non-executive director with immediate effect.

Sandler is the founder, chief executive and chief investment officer of Eminence Capital, a global investment management organisation.

Entain said Sandler will also become a member of the company's People & Governance and Capital Allocation committees and they will work together to identify an additional non-executive director mutually agreeable to Eminence and the company.

Chairman Barry Gibson said: "I am pleased to welcome Ricky to the Board of Entain. Ricky has a deep knowledge of our business and a firm belief in the quality of our operations and substantial growth opportunities. We look forward to benefiting from his perspectives and expertise as we work to drive value for all Entain shareholders."

At 0925 GMT, the shares were up 1.5% at 1,000.40p.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "Gambling outfit Entain moved higher on news the Ladbrokes owner had appointed a director from one of its four new activist shareholders.

"After the departure of CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen in December, the company needs to find some direction. At least last years conclusion of a HMRC probe into a legacy business in Turkey provides the company with something of a clean slate from which to try and get earnings on an upwards trajectory."

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said: "Last summer, Sandler, an activist investor, criticised the then CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen who then stepped down from the role in December.

"Sanders appointment could pave the way for a divestment of its state in US betting joint venture BetMGM, something he previously suggested. His role could also help to appease other activist investors who were unsure of Nygaard-Andersen. She was criticised for her handling of the takeover of STS Holdings, Polands largest bookmaker and her leadership has been clouded by a Turkish bribery scandal.

"Since becoming CEO in 2021, Entains share price has struggled, another reason for her departure and the need for new voices on the board to help mastermind a turnaround. Over the past year alone, shares are down over 25%.

"Investors are cheering the appointment of Sandler as NED this morning, encouraged by the change in direction. According to Entain, he will also be involved in appointing another board director."
Budget airline Ryanair reported a 9% jump in December passenger numbers on Wednesday as it cautioned that the removal of its flights from online travel agents will dent short-term load factors and soften short-term yields.

The budget airline said traffic rose to 12.54 million from 11.52m in the same month a year earlier, while the load factor - which gauges how full the planes are - ticked down to 91% from 92%.

On a rolling 12-month basis, passenger numbers rose 13% to 181.8m and the load factor increased to 94% from 92%.

Ryanair said it operated more than 72,500 flights in December but over 900 flights were cancelled due to Israel/Gaza conflict.

The airline also noted that early last month, OTAs such as Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak suddenly removed its flights from sale on their websites.

The "welcome" removal may be the result of pressure from Consumer Protection Agencies or a response to the recent Irish High Court ruling, which granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox from unlawfully scraping Ryanair.com content for OTAs, the company said. It could also be in response to Ryanair's Know Your Passenger customer initiatives such as verification, it added.

Ryanair said that while these OTAs only account for a small fraction of its bookings, it expects the move to reduce short term load factors by 1% or 2% in December and January and also to soften short term yields as it responds by making more low fares available directly to consumers.

The airline does not expect the removal to materially affect its FY24 traffic or profit after tax guidance, however.

"Ryanair will respond to this welcome removal of our flights from OTA Pirate websites, by lowering fares where necessary to encourage all passengers to book directly on Ryanair.com where they are guaranteed to always get the lowest air fares without OTA Pirate overcharges, fake contact info, or other pricing/refund scams," it said.

"In the meantime, Ryanair continues to make its fares available to honest/transparent OTAs such as Google Flights, who do not add hidden mark ups to Ryanair prices and who direct passengers to make their bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website."
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has suggested allowing banks with a net non-performing assets (NPAs) ratio below 6 percent to announce dividends. Presently, banks are required to maintain an NNPA ratio of up to 7 percent to be eligible for dividend declaration.

The net NPA ratio, for the financial year for which the dividend is proposed, should be less than six percent, the RBI said in the draft guidelines on dividend declaration. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that the guidelines have been reevaluated in consideration of the implementation of Basel III standards, the modification of the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework, and the introduction of differentiated banks.

The central bank has recommended that the updated guidelines be applicable starting from the fiscal year 2025. According to the RBI, for a commercial bank to be eligible to declare dividends, it should maintain a minimum total capital adequacy of 11.5 percent. Similarly, small finance banks and payment banks are required to maintain a minimum of 15 percent, while local area banks and regional rural banks should maintain a minimum of 9 percent.
The inaugural edition of a two-week military exercise, named 'Desert Cyclone,' has commenced in the Mahajan area of Rajasthan, involving the armies of India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This reflects the increasing defense collaboration between the two nations. The primary objective of the exercise is to improve interoperability in sub-conventional operations within desert and semi-desert terrains, aligning with the broader framework of the UN charter on peacekeeping operations, as stated by the Indian Army.

This marks the inaugural occurrence of a large-scale military exercise between the two armies. The exercise, set to conclude on January 15, features the participation of the UAE contingent represented by troops from the 'Zayed First Brigade'. The Indian Army team, consisting of 45 personnel, is primarily composed of members from the Mechanised Infantry Regiment.

"The aim of the Exercise is to enhance interoperability in Sub-conventional Operations including Fighting in Built-Up Area (FIBUA) in desert/ semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter on Peacekeeping Operations", the Army said in a statement.

It said the exercise will enhance cooperation and interoperability between both sides. "Drills planned to be rehearsed during exercise 'Desert Cyclone include the establishment of a joint surveillance centre, cordon and search operation, domination of built-up area and heliborne operations", the Army said.
In a move to enhance water conservation and management initiatives, the Punjab Government signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a private company. This historic agreement, the first of its kind in Punjab, was formalized between the Department of Soil and Water Conservation and Kuantum Papers Ltd., a paper company headquartered in Hoshiarpur.

In the presence of Chetan Singh Jauramajra, the Minister for Soil and Water Conservation, the event occurred. The minister noted that this collaboration with a private sector organization marked a pioneering development in the state. Jauramajra emphasized that this initiative represented the inaugural engagement of the private sector in the state's water conservation efforts.

"It will significantly boost the governments water conservation programs and lay the groundwork for future public-private collaborations", said the minister. He outlined that under this MoU the company will provide funding for both new and ongoing projects related to water resource conservation and management through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds or specifically allocated funds.
Lyvely, a domestic brand originating from the UAE, has secured an investment from Phoenix Group, a prominent global player in blockchain technology. This strategic investment represents an important step for the company, signaling its entry into the Web3 landscape. Lyvely operates as a platform aiming to revolutionize the dynamics between online creators and consumers, aiming to reshape methods of monetization and interaction. By introducing its proprietary digital currency slated for launch in the first quarter of 2024, Lyvely transcends conventional e-commerce models. It forges direct connections between creators and consumers, amalgamating features from both Web2 and Web3. This approach empowers creators by providing seamless monetization avenues, while simultaneously offering consumers exclusive access and personalized experiences.

Bijan Alizadehfard, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Phoenix Group, expressed that the strategic investment in Lyvely underscores Phoenix's commitment to supporting indigenous tech endeavors, startups, and pioneering innovation in the UAE. This investment signifies more than a mere financial stake; it represents an investment in the future of the digital realm and the burgeoning creator economy, which holds immense potential for exponential growth.
Qure.ai, a prominent player in AI solutions for medical imaging, has reached a noteworthy milestone by acquiring an impressive count of 22 patents within the past 18 months. Within its seven-year existence, the company has garnered a total of 26 patents across different regions, establishing itself as a leading force propelling technological progress in the medical imaging sector.

The fundamental mission of Qure revolves around utilizing AI technology to facilitate accessible, cost-effective, and prompt healthcare services globally. This overarching objective forms the basis for the company's product development, expansion strategies, and collaborative ventures. With a current presence in over 80 countries and 2100+ sites, Qure positively impacts more than 10 million lives annually. The array of innovations within Qure's patent portfolio spans advanced technologies such as image analysis, pattern recognition, workflow optimization, decision support systems, and quality assurance in AI radiology. This diverse spectrum reflects the company's steadfast commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Anushree Saha, General Counsel & Company Secretary at Qure.ai, expressed enthusiasm, stating, "We are excited to achieve this significant milestone in our journey. Qure's unwavering dedication to innovation and excellence has made this accomplishment possible. We also wish to acknowledge the unmatched dedication and creativity of our product, engineering, research & development teams, enabling us to secure a considerable number of patents within a brief timeframe".
Tata Payments, a digital payments application operating under Tata Digital, has obtained a Payment Aggregator (PA) license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This license empowers the company to conduct ecommerce transactions through its platform. This achievement positions Tata Payments in the same league as prominent players such as Razorpay, Cashfree, and Google Pay, providing the capability to efficiently handle funds across its subsidiary entities.

Anonymously, the founder of a digital payment startup remarked, "The Payment Aggregator license obtained by Tata allows the company to handle all ecommerce transactions within its subsidiary businesses, improving its fund management capabilities". Similarly, Bengaluru-based DigiO, a startup focused on identity verification and backed by investment platform Groww, has also secured the PA license effective from January 1. This license enables DigiO to integrate payment services alongside its digital identification solutions.

Tata Group had launched its digital payments application on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in partnership with ICICI Bank in 2022. Despite devising an extensive strategy for financial services, the conglomerate's consumer adoption currently remains limited. This marks Tata's second foray into the payments sector within the group, following its previous acquisition of the license to operate 'white label ATMs' in rural India under Tata Communications, branded as Indicash.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The highly anticipated opening of NYCs first Hobby Lobby store has been delayed until next month, and according to several hiring websites, the craft store is still actively searching for employees to fill its staff.

As one of the first retailers to establish a nationwide minimum hourly wage well above the federal minimum wage, Hobby Lobby has a long track record of taking care of their employees, noted a job listing that was posted on LinkedIn on Dec. 31.

The position, which carries a title of Staten Island co-manager, offers a salary of $70,000 to $75,000, plus an annual bonus. Paid vacation, an employee discount and medical/dental benefits are also part of the package. And its not the only job up for grabs. Retail associates and cashiers are also being sought by the mega craft store retailer.

According to Hobby Lobbys website, the store offers a full-time minimum hourly wage of $18.50 and extends a 15% discount to all of its employees.

Located across from the Staten Island Mall in New Springville, in the space that formerly housed Babies R Us, the store was slated to host its grand opening on New Years Day 2024. But a customer service representative told the Advance/SILive.com that the location is now set to open Feb. 12.

For the uninitiated, Hobby Lobby is more than just a crafters paradise. Offering picture-framing and jewelry-making supplies, plus fabrics, floral and a wedding department, the store also features cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art and holiday merchandise.

The largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world, with over 43,000 employees operating in 47 states, the company was founded in 1970 by David and Barbara Green, who took out a $600 loan to begin making miniature picture frames out of their home. Two years later, the fledgling enterprise opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City. Hobby Lobby was born.

According to the brands website, the Staten Island store will be Hobby Lobbys first New York City location. There are over 900 stores nationwide, but none currently located in the five boroughs.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The NYPD is seeking the publics assistance in identifying an individual sought for questioning in connection to an alleged assault in New Springville.

It was reported that on Friday, Dec. 29, at around 12:40 p.m., a 34-year-old victim was inside a commercial business located 460 Nome Ave. when he was approached by an unknown individual, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Puff Convenience is located at the address provided by police.

According to police, following a verbal dispute that led to a physical altercation, the individual allegedly pulled out a knife and chased the victim. The individual allegedly stabbed the victim in the left abdomen before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction.

The victim was transported by EMS to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze in stable condition.

The individual is described as a male with a medium complexion, approximately six-feet tall, with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a blue hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and black sneakers.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A person was taken to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze from a multi-car crash that blocked Amboy Road in both directions in Bay Terrace during the morning commute on Wednesday.

The crash was called at 7:54 a.m. in the 3400 block of Amboy near its intersection with Bay Terrace, according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS.

Two blue SUVs suffered extensive front-end damage and air bags deployed at the location. Debris from vehicles could be seen scattered on the grass at the side of the road.

A Ford Escape with its hood lifted remained straddling the double-yellow lines in the middle of Amboy Road.

A Honda Pilot was parked just inside the Woodlands townhouse complex near where the crash occurred.

EMS transported a person in an unknown condition to the hospital, the FDNY spokesman said.

Debris from vehicles could be seen at the side of the road at Amboy Road and Bay Terrace after a crash on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Maura Grunlund)Maura Grunlund

The NYPD and the FDNY were on the scene.

This is a developing story and additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

Two cars crash on Amboy Road in Bay Terrace on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. The Ford Escape had significant front-end damage. (Staten Island Advance/Maura Grunlund)Staten Island Advance/Maura Grunlund
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned from her position Tuesday following backlash over testimony she made during a congressional hearing on antisemitism and accusations of plagiarism allegedly found in her academic work, NBC news is reporting.

During the hearing in front of a Republican-led House committee, Gay refused to say whether calling for the genocide of Jews on campus was a breach of Harvards code of conduct.

It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president, Gay said in a letter to the Harvard community. This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries.

Gays resignation comes just six months into her tenure as the schools first African American president, the report said.

Alan M. Garber, the schools provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until a permanent successor is named, the school announced. Gay will return to a faculty position, the report said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New Yorks legal weed industry has struggled to get off the ground, while illegal shops have flourished, but a new piece of state legislation aims to change that.

Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-Queens) introduced the legislation Friday that would give localities more power to crackdown on illegal shops.

Rajkumar estimated there are 1,500 illegal smoke shops in the five boroughs that serve as breeding ground for more serious crimes and pose a threat to the states fledgling legal weed industry.

The vast amount of contraband and loose cash in these smoke shops have made them tantalizing targets for robberies and hotbeds of crime. This has put communities, shop employees and their customers in extreme danger, she wrote in the bills justification. These shops are also unfair competition to licensed dispensaries, who cannot afford to sell their rigorously tested and regulated cannabis at the prices smoke shops offer.

The Stop Marijuana Over-proliferation and Keep Empty Operators of Unlicensed Transactions (SMOKEOUT) Act would grant municipalities the authority to order the closure of unlicensed cannabis retailers and seize their merchandise.

Currently, enforcement against illegal shops is left largely to the state Office of Cannabis Management and the New York City Sheriff in the five boroughs. Both agencies have significantly less funding than the NYPD.

Mayor Eric Adams, a top political ally of Rajkumars, said last month that the city would be able to get rid of illegal smoke shops if given the proper enforcement power.

We have to deal with smoke shops, cannabis. We need the enforcement power, he said. I will clean up our crisis of cannabis in 30 days if they give me the enforcement power.

As the states new legal weed industry gets off the ground, the proliferation of illegal smoke shops has become a major problem for business owners doing things by the book.

Adams has launched a variety of efforts hoping to crackdown on the illegal shops, including sending 50 letters to building owners where shops are located last month threatening that they could be liable for the illegal activity going on in their properties.

During a Queens town hall in December, the mayor said that the city needs the enforcement power, because the state doesnt have the staff to address the illegal shops.

Were hoping this year in Albany that we are now going to get the enforcement power, he said. We will have full enforcement where I can go to the commanding officer and say, Map all your illegal shops and within 30 days were closing them down. I need the power to do that. I dont have the power to do that right now.

Michael Gertelman, head of a soon-to-open delivery service called NugHub, said Tuesday he found efforts so far to crack down on illegal shops unimpressive, but that there might soon be a change in direction.

He said that within a mile of his business Port Richmond headquarters hes seen multiple locations operating illegal smoke shops, challenging his and others business in the legal market.

I believe theyre getting serious about it, he said. I hope they buckle down. Its going to be very important to us, because if those shops are still open, its obviously going to affect our way of doing business.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The new year is kicking off with a major meteor shower, as the Quadrantids will put on a spectacular performance when they peak Wednesday.

The only meteor shower in January, the Quadrantids will peak Wednesday evening into the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning. Under ideal conditions, the shower can spark more than 100 meteors per hour in the night sky, which is why its considered one of the best meteor showers of the year.

The Quadrantids, which peak during early-January each year, are considered to be one of the best annual meteor showers, stated NASA. Most meteor showers have a two-day peak, which makes catching sight of these other meteors much more possible. The Quadrantids peak, on the other hand, is much shorter -- only a few hours.

And the reason the peak is so short is due to the showers thin stream of particles, and the fact that the Earth crosses the stream at a perpendicular angle, NASA explained.

WHEN TO SEE IT

The cosmos annual gift to sky watchers, the Quadrantids, is currently active. Itll reach its peak overnight on Jan. 3-4.

Youll have the best luck seeing the meteors when the sky is completely dark  from 2 to 6 a.m.

During its peak, its worth the wait, as 60 to as many as 200 meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions.

The Quadrantids are also known for their bright fireball meteors. Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor strike. This is because fireballs originate from larger particles of material, and also appear brighter in the sky.

WHERE TO LOOK IN THE SKY

Unlike most meteor showers that originate from comets, the Quadrantids originate from an asteroid called 2003 EH1, which takes 5.52 years to orbit the sun once. NASA said its possible this asteroid is a dead comet or a rock comet.

All meteors associated with a shower have similar orbits, and they all appear to come from the same place in the sky, which is called the radiant. Quadrantids come from an obsolete constellation called Quadrans Muralis, which was discovered by French astronomer Jerome Lalande in 1795. The constellation takes its name from an early astronomical instrument used to observe and plot star positions: a quadrant.

The meteors can be traced back to the radiant point, but you dont need to focus only on this area to see the meteor shower.

Meteors will be visible in all parts of the sky.

You can use timeanddate.coms Interactive Meteor Show Sky Map to find the current direction of a meteor shower in the sky.

The Quadrantids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the night and pre-dawn hours.

HOW TO SEE THE METEORS

To best view them, you should go to the darkest possible location and lean back to observe as much sky as possible directly above you.

You dont need any special equipment or skills to view a meteor shower. Find a secluded viewing spot away from city lights. Dress for the weather, and make sure youre comfortable if you plan to stay out long. Some suggest bringing a blanket or chair, as meteor-watching can be a waiting game.

Its important to let your eyes become adjusted to the dark (it takes about 30 minutes), according to NASA. Youll see more meteors that way. You should also try to stay off your phone as looking at devices with bright screens can negatively affect your night vision and reduce the number of meteors you see.

IF YOU MISS IT

If you miss the meteor shower, youll have to wait a few months to view shooting stars. The next meteor shower, the Lyrids, will peak on April 21-22.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As the newly adjusted parking rates take full effect across New York City, residents quickly realized that the cost of living in the Big Apple extends beyond housing and daily expenses. Navigating city streets comes with a noticeable increase in spending on parking fees.

In a September announcement, the Department of Transportation (DOT) revealed plans to implement new parking meter prices on a borough-by-borough basis, which commenced in mid-October.

New Yorkers can use the NYC DOT Parking Rate Map to view the various designated parking zones across the city and see how much theyll be charged for parking there.

Staten Island predominantly falls under Zone 3, where drivers will now pay $1.50 for the first hour and $2.50 for the second hour.

However, a specific section near the St. George Ferry Terminal, designated as Zone 2, will see first-hour rates of $2 and second-hour rates of $3.

Notably, the initial hour will remain the most affordable, with rates increasing during the second hour, to encourage vehicle turnover.

The new meter rates align with demand, which should mean greater parking availability at metered locations, improving access for Staten Islanders at the St. George Terminal lot,' said Mona Bruno, a DOT spokesperson. This modification is especially significant for Staten Islanders who rely on the Ferry, as it promises to improve access to the St. George Terminal lot.

The DOT implemented these comprehensive adjustments to parking rates, covering both on-street parking meters and off-street metered lots throughout the city. The completion of all rate modifications was finalized for Staten Island on Nov. 28, 2023. All Community Boards and Council Members were notified ahead of the changes.

Hourly parking rates for personal vehicles currently span from $1.25 to $7.50, with those driving commercial vehicles facing rates between $5 to $8, depending on location and duration.

The impending changes will shift to new rates ranging from $1.50 to $9 for personal vehicles and $6 to $13 for commercial vehicles.

New Yorkers can pay for parking at curbside meters using coins and credit cards, or by using the free ParkNYC mobile app. In the latest version, drivers now have the option to either continue using a pre-loaded mobile wallet or opt for a pay-as-you-go approach, allowing greater convenience in managing their parking transactions.
Sign up for Reckons latest newsletter dedicated to the fight for reproductive justice, a weekly repro rundown covering the good, the fair-to-middlin' and the ugly in repro news. Enter your email to subscribe to Reproductive Justice with Reckon.

If one of your new years resolutions is to read more books, Reckon has you covered. Whether youre looking for a way to introduce healthy sex discussions to your children, or learn more about the history of abortion in the U.S., here are 10 sex-positive books to add to your collection in 2024.

Vaginas and Periods 101: A Pop-Up Book by Christian Hoeger and Kristin Lilla

Talking to kids about reproductive anatomy can be intimidating, but experts say that teaching children the correct terms for their genitals prevents shame and promotes bodily autonomy and safety.

This intro to vaginas and periods book is visually interesting, informative, and inclusive. It features a pop up vulva to provide a more realistic idea of anatomy, explaining that varying shapes and colors are normal.

According to the 2023 State of the Period survey, 90% of teens think schools should normalize menstruation and 81% said they wanted more in-depth education about menstrual health. This book provides a platform to introduce these conversations and answer some basic questions even adults may have wrong.

The Book of Radical Answers: Real Questions from Real Kids Just Like You by Sonya Renee Taylor

Award-winning poet and activist Sonya Renee Taylor writes books that make seemingly big topics like puberty and gender approachable for young people, with Taylors idea of radical self love infiltrated through the messaging. This book includes questions asked by real kids between the ages of 10 and 14. Taylor approaches many of these questions using her own life stories to humanize the experience, and answer the questions as a friend, someone the reader knows, rather than an unapproachable health expert.

Red Moon Gang: An Inclusive Guide to Periods by Tara Costello

According to UNICEF, 1.8 billion people around the world menstruate monthly but menstrual health education in the United States is not sufficient. YouGov found that 48% of adults were not very or not at all prepared for their first period, in a March 2023 poll.

In comes Red Moon Gang, which takes an inclusive guide into periods, hormonal fluctuations and what they mean, and how conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome can impact ones cycle. This book goes beyond what is typically taught in schools, explaining how periods can be especially challenging to people experiencing homelessness, as well as people with disabilities.

My Mom Had an Abortion by Beezus B. Murphy

For those who love visuals, this short and sweet graphic novel tells a coming of age story of a protagonist learning about menstruation, her body and abortion as it affected her family. This narrative puts the topic of abortion in context of a real-life situation, making the reader  especially those who have not experienced abortion themselves  question their own preconceived notions about abortion.

Youre the Only One Ive Told by Dr. Meera Shah

Chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic in New York, Dr. Meera Shah, compiled a collection of abortion stories told to her, humanizing the experience and illustrating the wide range of circumstances that contribute to ones decision to have an abortion.

Shah shared an excerpt in Teen Vogue that tells the experience of a genderqueer teen in the Bible belt that needs their dads permission to have the procedure due to abortion restrictions in theri state.

No Choice: The Destruction of Roe v. Wade and the Fight to Protect a Fundamental American Right by Becca Andrews

Reckons very own former reproductive justice reporter Becca Andrews gives an in-depth look at the fight for Roe and the landscape left behind once it was overturned. This is a great read for anyone looking to catch up with how the battle for abortion rights has gone down, or for those looking for insight into the history that got us here.

Countering Abortionsplaining: How People of Color Can Reclaim Our Stories and Right History by Renee Bracey Sherman and Regine Mahone

Abortion and midwifery bans are rooted in white supremacy, as the existence of Black and Indigenous midwives stood in the way of white mens obstetrics and gynecology practices, and enslaved women using cotton root to induce miscarriages threatened future generations for slaveholders to force into labor, according to New Lines Magazine. Abortion restrictions continue to disproportionately impact people of color, with 42% of people receiving abortions in 2021 identifying as Black. Yet, many prominent media abortion portrayals and the reproductive justice movement itself have been accused of being white-washed by women of color.

We spoke with author Renee Bracey Sherman in October about her take on Britney Spears and the importance of sharing abortion stories. Bracey Sherman coauthors this book with journalist Regine Mahone, attempting to provide the full picture of the reproductive justice narrative, providing a history of people of colors experiences with and contributions to the abortion justice movement.

Scheduled to release in October 2024

DIY: The Wonderfully Weird Science and History of Masturbation by Dr. Eric Sprankle

Science says that masturbation is healthy and normal, yet like other aspects of human sexuality, it is surrounded by stigma and shame. Sprankle writes about the history of masturbation suppression, including doctors who run treatment programs for masturbation addiction and pastors who preach believe that masturbation creates mermaids.

On sale March 19, 2024

The Furies: Women, Vengeance and Justice by Elizabeth Flock

This book crosses borders and cultures to explore how power dynamics and gender impact womens safety. Author Elizabeth Flock centers the stories of an Alabama women denied protection of the Stand-Your-Ground law after she killed a man she accused of raping her, a leader of an Indian gang that claims to avenge victims of domestic abuse, and a member of an all-women militia thats battled ISIS in Syria.

According to the book description, each of these women chose to use lethal force to gain power, safety, and freedom when the institutions meant to protect themgovernment, police, courtsutterly failed to do so.

On sale January 9, 2024

The Pregnancy Police: Conceiving Crime, Arresting Personhood by Grace Howard

Fetal personhood and pregnancy criminalization were major issues in 2023, but they arent a new phenomenon. Even before the overturning of Roe, people have been punished for the decisions theyve made regarding their fetuses, with surveillance by healthcare workers contributing to cases against pregnant people.

In this book, Howard analyzes thousands of arrest records documenting the history of pregnancy criminalization from eugenics to the present day.

Scheduled to release in June 2024
Hotels in Edinburgh for valentine's day

What better way to treat the love of you life than a night in a luxury hotel being pampered to the max? Check out our list of three star + hotels, many of which are available from just 50 per room per night. Luxury Hotel offers 

Valentine's restaurant offers

The perfect excuse to dine out in style, without the expensive price tag. Our Edinburgh Valentine's Day restaurant offers including 50% off, buy-1-get-1-free and free wine offers! Valentine's Restaurant offers 

Whats on this valentine's day

Looking for a romantic activity during the day, or perhaps you're lonesome this Valentine's and you're looking for some anti-valentines events to party the night away.. Check out all of Edinburgh's Valentine's Day events here 
From five star hotel stays to meals out in lavish restaurants, via specialist bars and bespoke eateries, clubnights and gigs, our guide to Valentine's Day in Manchester has everything in it to help you make the most of this annual celebration of romance.

There are tonnes more events happening on the weekends before and after the 14th, head below to check those out.
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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 This story is part of the Sydney Festival collection. Here is everything you need to know - reviews, previews and interview - to plan your 2024 festival experience. See all 13 stories . Julie Byrne speaks like she sings, slowly and deliberately. Sometimes, when contemplating a question, shell pause for so long you wonder if shes still on the other end of the phone. The New York-based musician has the same approach to her work  always well-considered, never rushed. Its a quality that complements her languid, limpid songs, probably best described as folk, but approaching something hymnal on her third and latest album, The Greater Wings. Released last July, it came six years after the bucolic, earthy Not Even Happiness. Even by Byrnes unhurried standards, this was a long wait between albums, but there was a tragic reason for the delay. Julie Byrne: They remind me why, they remind me of our purpose in this, so it was worth what it took to find the right words. Eric Littmann, Byrnes one-time boyfriend, long-time musical partner and dear friend, died suddenly a few months into making the album, in June 2021. Byrne and Littmanns family have chosen not to discuss the circumstances surrounding his death. The Greater Wings, inevitably, is an exploration of grief, but its also a celebration of Littmanns generosity and brilliance. He was a talented musician and producer who also worked as a medical researcher at the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Six months after Littmann passed, Byrne summoned the strength to continue working on The Greater Wings, bringing in Alex Somers, (a longtime acquaintance and producer of Sigur Ros and Julianna Barwick) to help complete the record. I had always felt respect and appreciation for his kindness and of course, his skill, and when we resumed writing it was so important to have a soft place to land and a trusted person to enter into that work with and he was a real blessing, both creatively and in terms of who he is as a person, Byrne says.

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Somers respected the vision that Byrne and Littman had for the record while imparting the work with his own expertise and creative flair. There are times where he challenged me or came up with approaches that I never could have conceived of, Byrne says. There are moments  especially in Flare or in Hopes Return  and signatures that I really credit him for. The bridges, especially in both of those songs, could have only come about through his unique approach to what he does. Somers wild but gentle sense of humour also proved a welcome salve to the grief. The first time we ever met to talk about potentially working on this record together he brought out a plate of rainbow gummy worms and Oreo cookies and when we did finally arrange to get into the studio together and went to the Catskills, he brought pink faux fur slippers for everyone in the band to wear as we set about this process of finishing this record under these impossible circumstances, says Byrne. That The Greater Wings was completed at all was an achievement, but to end up with such a transcendent record feels like a testament to Littmanns enormous impact as an artist and person, pushing Byrne and her collaborators towards a worthy, remarkable tribute. The tracks conjure the sky, whether clear, blue and sunny, or as an inky canvas embedded with twinkling stars and a glowing moon. Their centrepiece is as always, Byrnes breathy, low vocals and her delicately finger-picked guitar, but Jake Falbys string arrangements and Somers gentle, ethereal synths suffuse the songs with light, rendering them heavenly. Theyre so gorgeous, the sense of loss is immediate  nothing this beautiful isnt prefaced by profound pain  but present too is a sense of wonder and gratitude at having experienced such a bond in the first place. Byrne says the shimmering Summer Glass was the easiest song on the record to write, fuelled by momentum and joy. There was so much that I wanted to preserve and memorise in the lyrics and it came from this very euphoric feeling of collaboration with Eric, Byrne says. I also feel like what hasnt been written about enough in so many of the reviews of this record is how much love and transformation and uncompromising joy lives in these songs. Thats the real story for us.

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Summer Glass took a few months to write; other songs including the title track and Flare took four or five years. That was the duration of the story, says Byrne. You know, thats what it required and it wouldnt be what it is had I forced those songs to conclude any earlier than they did. The lyrics in the chorus of Flare were written in the final few days of mixing the record:One more hour gorgeous and wild/I could have done better, youre not the only one/I know you, I see your determination/Remember our time for years to come. Julie Byrne performing on stage in Barcelona. Credit: Getty Those words have become so important to me now and I want to sing them on tour night after night, Byrne says. They remind me why, they remind me of our purpose in this, so it was worth what it took to find the right words. I saw Byrne debut The Greater Wings live in Brooklyn in July 2023 and was spellbound not only by her performance and soothing stage presence, but by her magnificent accompanying musicians, with whom Byrne clearly shares a strong kinship. Falby, a composer and violinist who has played for Beyonce and Lauryn Hill and who dazzled at the Brooklyn show, will perform alongside Byrne on her Australian and New Zealand tour. As with Littmann, these musicians are not just Byrnes collaborators but her chosen family, and their closeness is palpable both on the record and in a live setting. Theres such a profound expression of that relationship in the music itself that really gives it its potency, it feels that it wouldnt be what it is without these real relationships behind it, says Byrne. Its a labor of love that has always been about the relationships that have made it all possible, its never been for the money. On her previous record, Not Even Happiness, Byrne sang that she was made for the green, made to be alone. Does she still feel that way? I used to think so but I dont really think so any more, Byrne says. Thats one of the ongoing lessons of grief  it clarifies what is truly important and what are our truest values, and really, relationships are everything.

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The Australian Human Rights Commission has found multiple human rights violations were committed by the Department of Home Affairs against an Afghan refugee who endured over seven years in immigration detention upon arriving in Australia as an unaccompanied child.

Khan Ali Safdary, a 30-year-old member of the persecuted Hazara ethnic group, suffered violations including the departments failure to ensure a safe place of detention, leading to a violent assault by another detainee.

Khan Ali Safdary was viciously beaten on Christmas Island in January, 2017. He has lasting injuries including a fractured eye socket, tinnitus, permanent hearing loss, head pain, and double vision.

The commission also found the department used force when it wasnt a last resort against Khan Ali. Following his assault by a fellow detainee and hospitalisation for a major head injury, Serco officers working for the department applied excessive force against him, the commission found.

A segment of Khan Alis detention was deemed arbitrary, constituting a violation of his rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The commission provided the report to the attorney-general, and it was tabled in parliament on November 23 last year.
Gary Roberts and his wife have had to race over the railway line to hospital more than once since they moved to their South Wagga Wagga home five years ago, including one trip in the back of an ambulance.

The emergency dash usually takes about four minutes, but Roberts fears federal plans to put bigger freight trains on regional tracks could double the length of his hospital run and cost him vital time, should he have to sit and wait for a 3.6-kilometre train to rumble through the level crossing that stands between his home and hospital.

Gary Roberts at his home in South Wagga Wagga.

The increased rail traffic through town will cut the city in half, Roberts said of the federal Inland Rail project, which is seeking state government approval to upgrade the track through Wagga Wagga. It will make the city much less liveable than it is now.

Once completed, Inland Rail will see millions of tonnes of freight taken off the nations roads each year and transported between Melbourne and Brisbane on longer freight trains that will be double-stacked with shipping containers.
Many teenagers love an op shop rummage, but for Penelope Persie Bensted its been more than a place to browse vintage fashion.

In the final two years of her secondary education, she volunteered every Saturday afternoon at Vinnies at Hoppers Crossing in Melbournes west.

Heart and sole: Penelope Persie Bensted at Vinnies op shop in Hoppers Crossing. Credit: Jason South

Bensted, 18, incorporated the unpaid sales role into her studies for the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program at Werribee Secondary College  but she loves it so much she wants to continue.

Its been a really important refuge for me, to be somewhere that isnt so focused on school and academic outcomes, she said.
The Perth man charged over what police allege was a bungled roadside drug deal that left wads of cash strewn across Mitchell Freeway has engaged in a bizarre exchange with journalists outside court, disputing key facts and denying wrongdoing.

Taylor Michael Gorzkos was granted a six-week adjournment during a brief appearance in Joondalup Magistrates Court on Wednesday to allow more time to get legal advice.

Taylor Michael Gorzkos is facing three charges, including possessing cocaine with intent to sell or supply, possession of unlawfully obtained property, and no authority to drive. Credit: Jesinta Burton

The Clarkson man is facing three charges over the suspected drug deal gone wrong, including possessing cocaine with intent to sell or supply, possession of unlawfully obtained property, and no authority to drive.

WA Police were called to Connolly around 9.30pm on December 4 after receiving reports of wads of cash scattered across the freeway, in an incident Commissioner Col Blanch later dubbed a farcical debacle.
Naomi Gonno says she and her children got out of their house just as it came crashing down. But her children were screaming Grandma, and Gonno saw that her mother was trapped under the smashed house, with only her hand visible. Japanese Self Defence Force members inspect a collapsed house hit by earthquakes in Suzu, Ishikawa. Credit: AP She was able to squeeze her way out through a tiny space, Gonno said. I cant believe were still alive, she said. We are living in fear.

Relief officials handed out water, blankets, food and other supplies. Search dogs joined military personnel and firefighters trying to find missing people, although the exact number is unclear. Weather forecasts warned of heavy rain in Ishikawa, leading to worries about landslides and further damage to half-crumbled homes. Temperatures were expected to drop to about 4 degrees overnight.

Of the deaths, 39 were counted in Wajima city, while 23 people died in Suzu, according to Ishikawa prefectural authorities. The other deaths were reported in five neighbouring towns. More than 300 people have been injured, at least 25 of them seriously. Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase encouraged everyone to use masks, antiseptic and soap to guard against the spread of infectious diseases as evacuees shelter together. Ensuring adequate water supplies and toilets for those who were displaced is a priority, he said.

Nearly 33,000 people are staying at evacuation centres, and some said they were hungry and cold, unable to sleep and afraid. Loading When Mondays quake hit, Yasuo Kobatake ran out of his house with just one sock on. The shaking threw him to the ground, and a concrete wall came crashing down, barely missing him, he said. He was eating only rice balls and a few sips of water in paper cups at the elementary school where he and others have been sheltering. They slept on cushions, with no blankets. It was so cold. I thought Id freeze to death, he said.

In the aftermath of the quakes and tsunami, boats lay overturned in the sea, roads were blocked by mounds of dirt, and pillars and walls lay scattered from flattened homes. A large fire turned an entire section of Wajima city into ashes. Officials warned that more major quakes could follow. Japan is prone to earthquakes, with many fault lines and volcanoes. A massive quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in 2011 caused widespread damage in north-eastern Japan. No major problems were reported at nuclear plants after this weeks quake. The Shika nuclear plant in Ishikawa suffered a partial electricity failure, but backup power kicked in, ensuring the critical cooling process continued.

Japan is an organised, conformist and relatively crime-free society where warnings are systematically relayed as a public service. Disaster experts say thats helping save lives. Takako Izumi, a disaster science professor at Tohoku University, said time is needed to figure out logistics because roads are often blocked after an earthquake, and large trucks cant get through to deliver aid. Japanese Self Defence Force members carry an injured person out of a collapsed house, following strong earthquakes in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. Credit: AP If land routes arent accessible, aid may have to be dropped from the sky or brought in by boat. The winter cold adds to health risks, and some people may still have not reached an evacuation centre, she added. We need to accurately assess the damage first. And then a proper response can come, and whats needed can reach the right places, Izumi said.
Winds of change are blowing in the world of cryptocurrencies. The long, cold winter that began in May 2022 and that evaporated more than $2 billion of capitalization in the sector appears to have come to an end. The most noticeable sign of this shift is that the scandals involving companies in the sector no longer affect the price of Bitcoin, which started the year above $40,000, a level it had not reached in the last 20 months. The complaints by U.S. regulators against Binance  the most used platform in the world to buy and sell digital assets  and the departure in November of its founder and CEO, Changpeng Zhao, barely shook the market.

The landscape has changed drastically, but users trust us, Richard Teng, the new CEO of Binance, tells EL PAIS. The man who took the reins of this giant with 167 million registered users across almost 50 countries has the difficult task of finding the right balance between highlighting the companys achievements in its six short but controversial years of existence and turning the page on the turbulence and the scandals to prepare the firm for what it hopes will be an accelerated adoption of cryptocurrencies in a regulated environment.

The controversy is not small. On November 21, the company pleaded guilty to ignoring anti-money laundering regulations while providing services to its clients in the United States. The firm agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines and to appoint a supervisor for the companys activities, and Zhao left the company he founded. The firm still faces an individual lawsuit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

We made mistakes. In terms of compliance, control in those early days [2017] was still inadequate in some areas. As part of the resolution, we acknowledge those mistakes, and we are moving past them. To differentiate it from other high-profile cases, especially that of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Teng insists that U.S. regulators found no instances of fraud in the use of his clients assets. In addition, he points out that users were able to withdraw their investments from the platform at all times, unlike other cases, such as the Luna stablecoin.

Teng is also facing the challenge of shedding the messianic style that prevailed among the major players in the sector until now. [Zhao] has been a very inspirational founder CEO. He has done a lot of things for the industry, he says, hesitating for a moment about which verb tense to use. The profiles of both managers could not be more different: while the previous CEO conducted himself like a great celebrity, a guru on par with other icons in the sector, Teng prefers humility and a discourse clearly modulated by his communication team. With constant references to the staff that accompanies him in the task of maintaining the firm, as well as to his experience in the regulatory sector, working in Abu Dhabi and Singapore before joining Binance in 2021, he makes it clear that the narrative will not be the same.

The change in the discourse of the sector is so radical that it no longer seeks to antagonize traditional financial entities, with which Binance competes by offering payment services, paid deposits and investments. We need institutional adoption. [This will bring] new research, new investments, new products and services and a new pool of liquidity, highlights Teng, who also sees the presence of large banks and fund managers such as BlackRock or Fidelity in the sector as beneficial. The expectation of an upcoming approval of the first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), which the international press expects in January 2024, motivates the CEO, who believes that it will be a net positive for the industry. The United Kingdom banned Binance from operating in the country in 2021, considering that it was carrying out activities without the proper regulatory permission.

The traditional defiant discourse only remains when viewed through the lens of the traditional press, which he criticizes for its coverage of money laundering, stating that the media chooses to report on one aspect. This, according to the leader of Binance, leaves out the fact that blockchain is a traceable technology and that the company receives 50,000 law enforcement requests for cooperation every year. Their core mission of supporting the freedom of money is undoubtedly tied to the future of regulation.

A new sector

In his diagnosis of what happened, Teng is aware that the company walked a fine line where it put its survival at stake. For the first few days, there was a net outflow of funds from the Binance platform. However, that has changed: we have seen very robust inflows, and our user base continues to grow, he states.

This is not exclusive to Binance. Since October, the sector has experienced a streak of 11 consecutive weeks of inflows, according to data from the firm CoinShares, with digital currency exchanges worth $3.6 billion during the previous week. Trading volume on Binance has also increased every month since September, according to information from consulting firm CCData, although its market share has fallen 20 percentage points since the beginning of the year.

Users trust us, Teng repeats like a mantra, despite the problems of the past. He emphasizes that the exchange has always been consistent with its commitment to the users and that their clients have always been able to withdraw their savings at will. He distances himself from the fall of other major players in the sector (whom he avoids naming) by highlighting that their corporate structure remains debt-free while showing profits and their expenses remain low.

One of the first controversies around Tengs leadership has been his refusal to reveal the location of Binances global headquarters, keeping in accordance with Zhaos policy in this regard. We have already announced our regional headquarters. France is our regional headquarters for Europe. Dubai is our regional headquarters for the Middle East-North Africa region. When we are ready to make that announcement, we will do so. But we are a global company. We do global deployment.

The companys global nature and ambition is both a weakness and a strength. Teng notes that Binance is regulated in 18 different jurisdictions, each with a greater or lesser form of regulation. This disparity of rules and requirements make it challenging. The rules are in conflict with one another, he explains. Hopefully, over time we will get some harmonization of standards to make things easier for global exchanges like them.

Teng celebrates the approval of the new European regulation for cryptocurrencies, with which they will be able to avoid the individual permission of each of the 27 member countries, using a single community passport instead. This would prevent new problems, such as those the company faced in the middle of the year, when it was forced to suspend its operations in the Netherlands and Cyprus and to withdraw its license application in Germany and Austria.

The community standard will not come into effect until the end of 2025, but the firm intends to be prepared. Teng insists that in the last two years the platform has invested almost $400 million in its compliance program with the aim of being above any other actor. However, other voices in the sector warn that greater spending does not necessarily translate into more effective policies.

In a sector characterized by speculation and volatility, Teng embraces caution and avoids any type of forecast about what may happen to the prices of the main digital currencies. A bigger pie, he assures, is the recipe to ensure the future of Binance. We have been focusing on building a vibrant ecosystem. You can bring crypto adoption from 5% to 20%. At this point, he goes back to the central nature of the user, which, he says, was the key to the companys strength.

Whether Binance will be able to navigate an industry in full transformation without falling into nostalgia, it remains to be seen. With Zhao away from the company that he founded and awaiting the ruling of the American courts, the firm must come up with a new manual, away from the big events and the controversies that move at the speed of Twitter. Teng, for his part, concludes the conversation emphasizing his optimism. The preponderance of the exchange endows him with another responsibility: it will also be up to him to establish a new model of business leadership for the crypto world.

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When the couple were married in Our Ladys Church, the Copenhagen Cathedral, in 2004, Marys father turned up wearing a Scottish kilt. He stressed her Scottish roots in his speech, claiming his own clan had once helped eject the Norse from the Hebrides, off the north-west coast of Scotland. Loading Mary, who was born and educated in Hobart, Tasmania, made her affinity to the land of her parents and grandparents clear through her official coat of arms, created when she married Frederik in 2004. It features specific heraldic symbols of Scotland (a black boat) and the MacDonald clan (an eagle). Her father married the British crime novelist, Susan Moody, after the death of his wife. He was dean of the University of Tasmania, as well as a visiting professor at Oxford University. Mary renounced her Australian and United Kingdom citizenship, acquired through her Scottish-born parents when she married Frederik.

The Danish media, revelling in the international attention, has made it clear that Mary becomes the first Australian anywhere to become Queen  noting her supporters back home are delighted. End of another royal era If the royal news here in Copenhagen couldnt get any bigger, another bombshell was announced on Tuesday: Marys hairdresser, Sren Hedegaard, will resign after 23 years in the post on January 14  the day she becomes queen. He has followed the couple through thick and thin, travelling with them on official visits abroad, and been behind Marys extravagant gala hairstyles at private and official events at home.

It has been 23 fantastic and unforgettable years with memories and friendships that I will always carry in my heart. My life has always been colourful and changeable and will hopefully continue to be so in the years to come, he wrote. On 14/1 2024 and after 23 years as HRH Crown Princess Marys hairdresser, I pass the baton on to the next generation. The 68-year-old said hed now be investing his energy and passion towards his work as creative director at STUHR, one of Copenhagens premier salons. My craft is my hearts blood. Therefore, my job ... is also the place where I will put all my energy and love for my profession in the future. Bookies not paying out abdicate bets More than 300 Danes have been left grumbling after bookmaker Danske Spil said it would not be paying out for those who punted on Queen Margrethe abdicating on New Years Eve.

In Denmark, it is a tradition in many homes to guess what the queen says in her annual New Years speech, with the gambling company taking bets on hundreds of words or names. The favourite this year was the word peace. The word abdicate was paying 15.00 Danish krone ($3.25) so if a punter had put 100 krone on, they would have received 1500 krone ($325.35) if the queen mentioned the word. The only problem? She didnt say the actual word. We have many words that have had the same meaning, Peter Emmike Rasmussen of Danske Spil (the national lottery) said. And if we start paying out on this one, why shouldnt we pay out on similar words that she came up with?

We included abdicate as one of the words you could play on, but thats not what she said. She said something about wanting to resign. And we didnt have it. What word paid out the most? Zelensky, with the company paying more than 1 million kroner to the 1310 people who tipped it. New ties to be built Mary will also become queen of Greenland and the Faroe Islands on January 14  a role that hasnt always been easy going for the Danish monarchy. Loading Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark located in the North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe, is the worlds largest island and mostly covered with ice, making it the least densely populated country in the world. It is home to fjords, icebergs, and glaciers, making it an attractive destination for tourists.

Greenland relies heavily on Denmark when it comes to finances and defence. A call by its then prime minister Kim Kielsen in 2019 for a new relationship between the two countries  he cited inequality, shipping routes and access to natural resources  led to increased calls for full independence among the people of Greenland. Queen Margrethe maintained a close relationship with both territories, taking annual trips there on the royal yacht. Danish media have noted that her abdication was not mentioned in the Greenlandic or Faroese New Years speech. Poul Krarup, the editor-in-chief of the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, said the islands population was following the transition closely. Coloured houses in Paamiut village, Sermersooq, Greenland. Credit: Alamy The interesting thing is that, no matter how much Denmark has been scolded, it has never gone beyond the queen, he said.
Geosynchronous orbits are crucial to allow satellites to travel in sync with Earth.

A geosynchronous orbit is a special position high above the Earth that allows an object to keep pace with the rotation our planet.

In circular geosynchronous orbits, satellites are in a "sweet spot" in which they stay in the same location by longitude but may drift to the north and south, according to NASA Earth Observatory .

That means for observers on Earth , a satellite in a geosynchronous orbit would, for the most part, appear to be in a fixed position in the sky.

Related: How to see and track the International Space Station (ISS)

Holding the same location over Earth is extremely useful for satellites tasked with monitoring missions, tracking the weather and other remote sensing tasks, as well as being important for communications satellites.

Geosynchronous orbits are often also called "Clarke orbits" or satellites in this orbit are described as being in the "Clarke Belt" in honor of famous science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke.

In a 1945 letter to the publication Wireless World, Clarke described his vision of a machine in orbit that could facilitate communications across the globe.

Clarke's "artificial satellite" would be at the correct distance from the Earth to allow it to make one revolution every 24 hours. This would mean it remaining stationary above the same spot over Earth keeping it within range of optical signals for nearly half the planet's surface.

This was the first suggestion of such a geosynchronous orbit.

How high is a geosynchronous orbit and how does it work?

Geosynchronous orbits are important for Earth-monitoring satellites. This image of lightning over the Midwestern United States was captured on May 9, 2018, by the Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-17 satellite. (Image credit: NOAA)

A satellite in a geosynchronous orbit holds the same position over Earth by matching the duration of its orbit to what is called Earth's sidereal day, the time required for the Earth to rotate once relative to its background stars , which is 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds.

Satellites are in geosynchronous orbits when they are located around 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers), according to the European Space Agency (ESA) . This altitude has to be constant for a satellite to remain in sync with the Earth's sidereal day.

This altitude is also much higher than other orbits meaning satellites in geosynchronous orbits are much further from Earth than those in other types of orbits making them the most distant satellites.

There are three main types of orbit around Earth, low Earth orbits, medium-Earth orbits, and high-Earth orbits. At first engineers and scientists utilized low-Earth orbits believing it would take too much energy to get a satellite to a high-Earth geosynchronous orbit.

Like all satellites, those in geosynchronous orbits remain there because by performing a balancing act between Earth's gravitational influence and their velocity. A satellite has to travel faster enough to "defeat" the downward pull of gravity .

Lower orbits require greater speed to maintain their altitude. This is because gravity follows an "inverse square law" and thus Earth's gravity is much weaker at high orbits.

In a geosynchronous orbit, to stay in sync with sidereal day and to avoid the downward pull of gravity the European Space Agency (ESA) says that satellites have to maintain a speed of around 7,000 miles per hour (11,300 kilometers per hour).

Geosynchronous orbits vs geostationary orbits

A geostationary orbit is a type of geosynchronous orbit. (Image credit: NASA/Robert Lea (created with Canva))

A geostationary orbit is actually a type of geosynchronous orbit. The key difference between a geostationary orbit and a geosynchronous orbit is while the latter can have any inclination, the former orbit sees satellites permanently 'parked' over the plane of Earth's equator.

In fact, NASA says that geostationary orbits are achieved by selecting a geosynchronous orbit that is perfectly circular described as having an eccentricity of 0 and an inclination of 0 right on the equator, or low enough that it can use propulsion to maintain its position over Earth.

Geosynchronous orbits and geostationary orbits are prograde, which refers to a spacecraft moving in the same direction as the planet's motion as opposed to retrograde when a spacecraft moves opposite to the rotation

What objects are in geosynchronous orbits

The fact that geosynchronous allow satellites to maintain a set position over the globe makes them particularly useful for weather monitoring, allowing scientists to continuously observe a specific area to see how weather trends emerge and develop.

An example of weather satellites around Earth in geosynchronous orbits are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system satellites GOES East (GOES-16) and GOES West (GOES-17).

Another common use for geosynchronous orbits is communications. A satellite high above the Earth can cover so much of Earth that the ESA says it only takes 3 equally-spaced satellites to cover the planet.

Another advantage of a geosynchronous orbit is that aerials on Earth don't have to redirect or reposition to stay in touch with geosynchronous satellites that maintain the same position over Earth.

This has led to a wealth of communications satellites at high-Earth orbits from countries ranging from Mexico, the U.S., Canada, the U. K., Spain, and Russia. In addition to civilian communications, the U.S. military use satellites in geosynchronous orbits for communication purposes and to monitor areas of concern.

According to the satellite monitoring website Satellite Signals , as of August 2022, there were 539 active satellites in a geosynchronous orbit.

Because the safe and efficient operation of this multitude of satellites relies on them maintaining an appropriate distance from each other, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is responsible for assigning so-called "parking spots" slots for geosynchronous orbit satellites. The ITU also settles disputes between countries regarding frequency interference which can also arise if satellites get too close to each other.

In a paper published in 2000 in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal , Lawrence Roberts calculated that there are around 1,800 available "parking spaces" in geosynchronous orbit.

This calculation allows satellites to maintain a safe distance of around 2 degrees or around 0.62 miles (1 km) from each other. Though this calculation doesn't take into account the technical and operational requirements of individual satellites.

Additional resources

The stable orbits of satellites would be possible without considering the laws of both Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler . You can read about the life of Keplar and his laws of planetary motion courtesy of NASA . Learn about the different types of orbits in more detail with these resources from the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Aerospace Security Project . See how many satellites are passing overhead right now with this live world map view of satellite positions from skywatching website In the Sky .

Bibliography

Geosynchronous vs Geostationary Orbits, GISGeography, [2022], [ https://gisgeography.com/geosynchronous-geostationary-orbits/ ]

Planetary Orbits, Basics of Spaceflight, NASA, [Accessed 12/16/22], [ https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/chapter5-1/ ]

Types of orbits, ESA, [Accessed 12/16/22], [ https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Types_of_orbits ]

Geosynchronous Orbit, Science Direct, [Accessed 12/16/22], [ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/geosynchronous-orbit ]

S.Q. Kidder, SATELLITES AND SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING | Orbits, Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences (Second Edition) , [2015], Pages 95 -106

Geostationary orbit (GEO), ESA, [Accessed 12/16/22], [ https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Types_of_orbits#GEO ]

Sidereal day, Britannica, [Accessed 12/16/22], [ https://www.britannica.com/science/sidereal-day ]

M.Mills, Arthur C. Clarke and the Global Communications Satellite, "Orbit Wars," The Washington Post Magazine, [1997], pp. 1213.

Why Don't Satellites Fall Out of the Sky?, NESDIS, [Accessed 12/16/22], [ https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/why-dont-satellites-fall-out-of-the-sky ]
Over half of Mexicos employment is informal. Millions of people work by selling in the street and at street markets where one can find anything: food, clothing and footwear, technology, pottery, flowers, perfumes, costume jewelry and shoelaces  anything you can think of and even more if you have a good imagination. Practically all of the vendors are extorted by crime or local bosses, who force them to pay a fee (known locally as the piso) for their commercial activity. In the news, it is common to see that a motorcyclist has approached one of these vendors and, without removing his helmet, pulls out his gun and kills him. Everyone knows why: the victim refused to pay or could not afford to pay the criminal tax collected each week, perhaps by that very same motorcyclist. Recently, chicken vendors have been targeted by gun violence. At the market of Toluca, the capital of the state of Mexico, they have hired private security because they are fed up with extortion and kidnappings that the authorities are unable to stop. Beset for decades by drug trafficking, organized crime has been penetrating other activities and leaving behind its usual trail of murders. From time to time, a market is burned down, merchandise warehouses give off smoke that is visible throughout the city, there are shootings. And people are fed up, which translates into more bullets.

Long ago, organized crime found a lucrative business in these informal taxes that rob the Mexican economy of billions of pesos by extorting the poorest. That problem has only gotten worse. It is an expanding dynamic. Ten or 15 years ago, the collection of fees at the national level was nothing like it is today, says Romain le Cour, a senior Global Initiative (GI-TOC) expert, who has been studying violence in Mexico for years. Far from ending this practice as it promised to do when it was conquering territories, the Familia Michoacana cartel has institutionalized and bureaucratized it. It is no longer just commerce; it has extended to industrial activities, it is their hallmark of territorial domination, he says. Its the same pattern as the mafias in Italy. The criminals force merchants to pay one fee per square meter of business, and another for protecting him or her from other cartels, but they themselves exercise violence if they dont receive their payments.

Of common crimes, extortion ranks third in Mexico, behind fraud and robbery, according to a survey by the countrys statistics institute (INEGI). It accounts for 17% and is the least-reported crime, because of fear of the aggressors or distrust of the police, who, for the most part, are in collusion with crime. Its the Mexican omerta. Ninety-two percent of these crimes go unreported or uninvestigated; this is what is known as the black statistic. In a country of 126 million inhabitants, around 20 million victims of these crimes are reported each year. In 2022, 77,825 people were kidnapped, and 49% of them were only missing for one day, just long enough to put a fright into people and charge what they want.

In Mexico City, there is an area called Tepito, which is governed by a criminal cartel of the same name. Getting into the centrally located Tepito is an adventure. There, dozens of streets have been turned into a flea market; its a fascinating city, a labyrinthine souk of narrow corridors that astounds even the most intrepid tourists, the ones who go to places they are told are dangerous. Thats where those who will later go to sell throughout the city on the streets stock up. Army trucks patrol this impassable ant colony, where the boys with merchandise carts will run over you if you are not careful. The police are also there, but nothing stops the criminals from arriving every Saturday and Sunday, like clockwork, to collect their fees, stall by stall, for all to see. Four or five arrive, one is placed on each corner, and another comes to collect. And we have to hit them back. We are fed up, but the government doesnt do anything, says a clothing shopkeeper, who estimates that she is losing 15% of her potential profits.

This is how it has been for decades. Similar to the movie The Godfather, it all started with their illegal street stalls, which the police wanted to remove. The neighborhood boss negotiated with officers and asked for a fee from merchants to protect their businesses. When thousands of streets were filled with such stalls, the criminal organizations came to claim their share. Today, everyone gets a cut. Normally, its 30 pesos ($1.77) a week per square meter; now at Christmastime, its up to 800 ($47.14), plus another 100 ($5.89) for the supposed protection they give us, says a girl who sells movies. But another group also charges us, 300 pesos ($17.68), and its the same thing; we have to pay them. Later, the leader will come to ask for his share in cleaning the place, and so does the one who rents the little storage place to keep the merchandise at night and the one who rents the stall. So, the poor remain poor and woe to anyone who opens his mouth or gives his name for a story like this. And woe to anyone who does not pay. When the markets burn, they say they are short circuits, but they burn them themselves, says the clothing shopkeeper, who wonders: How can criminal organizations be so well organized while the government is so badly organized?

In fact, those who pursue these taxes have become a parallel administration in which the collection of funds flows as the public coffers only wish they could. The collection of the apartment is born and develops in silence, like the Italian mafias omerta. But citizens are fed up; they see that they cant turn to the authorities and that everything ends in violence, says le Cour. The police? You should see the police greeting those who come to get paid over the weekend; they bump fists in camaraderie, the clothing shopkeeper gestures. She is tired of the fact that they are all the same trash. She adds that the police are more devoted to searching poor kids who are not carrying marijuana. The corruption of poorly paid local officers prevents them from getting out of this economic and criminal hole. Le Cour concurs: Were just seeing the tip of the iceberg, a tiny part of the fee, which has developed as a result of the public authorities neglect or ineffectiveness, or complicity, which sometimes even reaches the prosecutors offices.

The states absence from security matters, as shown by judicial statistics, leaves fertile ground for criminal organizations. If city hall wants to charge a tax for commercial activity on those who sell flowers in Acapulco, to cite a real example, the merchants rebel. If the criminals already charge them and nobody gets rid of them, they are not going to pay another legal tax, as they said at the time. In the face of a stubborn reality, the authorities look the other way.

Criminals are experts at reinventing themselves. If the government strikes a blow somewhere, they go elsewhere. When huachicol [pirated gasoline] was heavily pursued, they began to tax merchants, even those who sell tortillas, argues Raul Benitez Manaut, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The prices of lemons and avocados are also determined by the criminal organizations. When governments attack them in their strongest businesses, [criminal organizations] go to their smaller ones. But that does not happen throughout the country, says the security expert. In Sinaloa, for example, they dont attack the small businesses, they rely on the businessmen to launder money, he explains. Some experts argue that imprisoning criminal organization bosses leaves the hitmen ungoverned, so they devote themselves to their own businesses, which are more on the street level.

Now, Manaut says, migration is big business. The refrigerated trucks that go down with merchandise are loaded with migrants when they come back up. That was at a standstill during the Covid pandemic, but it has now exploded into hundreds of thousands of people crossing Mexico on their way to the United States, and there is a lot of extortion in the process. There are estimates that [trafficking migrants] is a more lucrative and less prosecuted business that also relies on the corruption of local police, he says.

The cartels versatility in combining their businesses has the poorest population fed up. Violence is taking over the streets without the government being able to stop it. The rest of the population remains numb to these crimes, which occur far from their homes. Nevertheless, the entire population contributes to financing drug traffickers with their own purchases, even if they buy a pair of socks or a pound of guavas at a flea market. Everyone pays the fee.

In Tepito, the shopkeeper twists her mouth to say quietly: Dont turn around, that motorcycle that just stopped there in that stall, do you see it? Dont turn around Thats someone whos coming to collect. Without getting off the bike or removing his helmet, the motorcyclist receives his fee and drives off. Just 200 yards away, the policeman is still in his car, staring at his cell phone.

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The first political uproar of the year in Italy for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni concerns a stray bullet that was fired  no one has yet clarified how  from the gun of a lawmaker for the Brothers of Italy, the party she leads. The shot slightly injured the son-in-law of a member of the security team who was with a junior justice minister at a New Years Eve party in northern Italy. The Prosecutors Office is investigating the incident and the opposition wants Meloni to clarify what happened.

Its early morning on January 1st. The place is Rosazza, a mountain village with a population of 90 in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Several people are at a New Years Eve party when, suddenly, a shot is heard and a man is wounded in the leg. The victim is the son-in-law of one of the bodyguards of the Undersecretary of State for Justice, Andrea Delmastro, and the gun is owned by Brothers of Italy lawmaker Emmanuele Pozzolo, although the latter says that he never pulled the trigger. In the first moments of confusion, the partygoers are unsure whether what theyve just heard is a firecracker or a firearm.

The injured man, who is 31 years old, was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital and was discharged a few hours later. According to the first reconstruction of events, the shot came from a 0.22 caliber North American Arms mini-revolver, which Pozzolo legally owns and which he was showing to some other people at the party. The Prosecutors Office has opened an investigation.

I confirm that the shot was accidental, but it was not me who discharged it, said Pozzolo, who has not revealed who did. The newspaper La Repubblica pointed out that the lawmaker has undergone a test to determine if there was gunpowder residue on his hands, but refused to hand over to investigators the clothes he was wearing at the time of the attacks, as requested by the Prosecutors Office, availing himself of his parliamentary immunity. If prosecutors require other types of action such as a search of Pozzolos home or his call records, they will have to request authorization from parliament.

Italian media outlets indicate that responsibility for the incident would fall on Pozzolo, who had the duty to guard the weapon that he was authorized to carry for his personal defense.

Pozzolo was not one of the guests at the party, which included several members of the Brothers of Italy. Among the 30 or so guests there was also Francesca Delmastro, sister of the undersecretary and mayor of Rosazza. Pozzolo, who is originally from a neighboring town, drove by the celebration venue, recognized some of the cars parked at the door and asked for permission to go in to say hello. Shortly after, the shot was heard.

The Undersecretary of Justice has stated that at that precise moment he had gone out to his car to collect something and so was not present when the shot was fired and did not see what happened. My bodyguard wanted me to leave right away, but I told him I wanted to know what had happened to the young man and check how he was doing. They had placed him on the table in the middle of the hallway. He was injured in the leg. He is 31 years old. He told me that he had won the award for best worker of the year and that he hoped to win it again. And he added: Im sorry for you, because youre going to get into trouble and you werent even in the room, explained Delmastro in an interview with La Repubblica. He has also declared himself stunned by the fact that his political colleague went to a party with a loaded weapon. Its a rarity, of course. I told him to come, but I never imagined that he would bring a weapon, he said.

It is currently unclear why Pozzolo was armed. According to local media, Melonis party is trying to clarify whether there are justified reasons for personal security. This is the first term as a lawmaker for Pozzolo, who was known in local politics for his anti-vaccine positions during the pandemic. He has also been a member of the far-right Northern League (when the party was still called that, before becoming simply the League). His pro-gun statements can still be found on social media, such as one from 2015, after a mass shooting at a school in Oregon. For Obama, the blame always lies with the guns. However, I have never seen a gun that fires by itself, he said then.

The incident has roiled politics. The opposition, led by the progressive Democratic Party (PD), has called for Delmastros resignation and Melonis intervention to immediately clarify the incident. These incompetents are a danger to the safety of those around them, not to mention national security. Let Giorgia Meloni clarify what measures she intends to take against Deputy Pozzolo, who goes to parties with a loaded gun in his pocket and ends up injuring people, said the leader of the party, Elly Schlein.

Gunslinging lawmaker

Greens spokesman Angelo Bonelli has also called for Delmastro to resign. And Matteo Renzi, leader of the centrist Italia Viva, has criticized the inability of Melonis government. They are inadequate, incapable, insurpassable. And dangerous, especially to themselves. If this is how they are starting the year, imagine what could happen in 2024. While waiting for the gunman deputys weapons to be taken away, I hope Delmastro will leave the government as soon as possible, the former prime minister wrote on his social media accounts. And he asked himself: What were the security officers doing at the party? And their relatives? And above all: why bring weapons to a New Years Eve party in the presence of lawmakers and members of government? All we were missing was the gunslinging lawmaker, the 5 Star Movement ironically stated.

Brothers of Italy has downplayed an incident that in its opinion has no political relevance. The party has limited itself to saying that the relevant authorities will determine accountability. The party has described as absurd the attempt to transform the incident into a political case to attack the Brothers of Italy.
In 2024, the electoral calendar will be intense. Around 40 national elections are set to be held. Among them, some are decisive for the international scene, such as the United States presidential election in November, or the parliamentary elections in India  the most populated country in the world  between April and May. But it will also be Taiwans turn  a key player in the tensions between China and the United States  along with Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Africa, Algeria, Mali, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and many other countries. Bloomberg estimates that these processes will affect 41% of the global population and that their territories represent 42% of global GDP.

The results will influence the lives of billions of people. And to this, we must add regional elections of varying levels of significance. There will be regional elections in Turkey and Ireland, as well as in certain states and provinces of Germany and Spain. There will also be EU-wide elections, to elect a new European Parliament. And, if you pop over to Wikipedia, the list of electoral processes in 2024 numbers more than 100.

Given this concentration of elections, different specialized groups warn of the risks posed by misinformation and disinformation. In a report with recommendations about how to protect democratic health, the Center for American Progress describes 2024 as high-risk and points out the need for online platforms to dedicate the human and technological resources necessary to deal with problems during the years elections. The geopolitical consulting firm Oxford Analytica has also published a report warning of the risk posed by misinformation in the 2024 elections.

One of the effects of misinformation that experts monitor is distrust in the electoral process itself. Lately, in the various elections in the United States, weve seen many false and misleading claims that take advantage of lapses or confusions around the voting processes, even though these elements have explanations that dont indicate the existence of fraud, explains Sam Howard, a political specialist at the NewsGuard platform, which monitors disinformation and offers tools to combat it. His colleague Chiara Vercellone, an analyst at the same organization, expands on this observation: I would say that the narratives that weve seen spread in the United States are also very common in other countries when there are elections.

The Brookings Institution published an article this year in which it argues that misinformation erodes trust in democracy. However, it could go further. Until recently, the biggest impact of misinformation was simply the crisis of institutional trust. But now, a part of society is so saturated that it has decided to stop consuming information, explains Carme Colomina, a researcher in global politics and disinformation at the Barcelona Center of International Affairs. And what are the consequences of this? If you disconnect from current events, your vote is less informed. Also, to what extent do you feel mobilized? The researcher wonders if this can lead to a political disconnection.

The crisis of confidence in the system materializes in different ways, depending on the scenario at hand. Silvia Majo-Vazquez, a researcher at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, highlights that, in the upcoming European elections, the debate on the very existence of the EU will intensify. I think that the European elections will, once again, revolve around the need to have that supranational organization. Its the eternal debate, which became more acute with Brexit. It has returned to the agenda of several countries, as a result of far-right parties entering national politics.

This symptom is related to another of the main components of misinformation: the tendency to opt for extremes. In India, we see how polarization is fueled by the government itself. [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi deploys a very divisive speech. His supporters use disinformation campaigns to spread rumors, to criminalize the Muslim population, Colomina laments.

Majo-Vazquez agrees with this. Theres a lot of disinformation that comes from the elites. Weve seen it in the United States, with very clear disinformation regarding the validity of the electoral results. Because of political polarization, theres a game in which disseminating information that isnt accurate becomes valid. The researcher adds that this trend is increasingly pronounced. As a reference, a report from the Reuters Institute maintains that the proportion of people concerned about not knowing whats a lie and whats true on the internet amounts to 56%.

The role of AI

Artificial intelligence can add confusion to the scenario. In Bangladesh, whose elections are this month, the pre-campaign has been peppered with disinformation generated with AI. Its the first electoral cycle where well see the effects of artificial intelligence on campaigns, Colomina emphasizes. In previous elections, the impact of misinformation was clearly seen. But now, were at a much higher level of sophistication. The Barcelona-based researcher refers to the attractiveness of the content generated with the new wave of generative AI, which is also available to anyone.

NewsGuard is cautious. They havent yet detected a significant impact of AI on misinformation, although they admit that this may change. They continue to monitor it closely. Weve identified what we call AI-generated news pages. Weve identified more than 600 websites of this type that apparently operate with little or no human supervision, Howard reveals.

In 2023, AI was already being used to tarnish electoral campaigns. In the Chicago mayoral elections, a doctored video with a candidates photograph and an audio recording circulated on social media. It seemed like he was in favor of police violence, resulting in damage to his public image. And, across the ocean, another notorious deepfake took place two days before the elections in Slovakia. An audio recording was published with the voices of the leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, Michal Simecka, and a journalist. The two were debating how to rig the vote. Everything had been generated with AI.

In the recent Argentine presidential campaign, there was also content generated with AI. A video with apocalyptic overtones went viral, making defeated center-left candidate Sergio Massa out to be a savior.

Colomina places emphasis on these types of actions. Youre selling a certain image. This may seem innocuous, but it all feeds perceptions. She introduces an important nuance: Theres a very fine line between whats creative license and whats disinformation. Nor can we label everything as harmful.

Living with misinformation

The main online communication platforms are the channels used to circulate misinformation. But these arent the same throughout the world. The medium through which these narratives are spread depends a lot on the population and the type of platforms they use, explains NewsGuards Vercellone. In the United States, X or the Meta platforms are used, while in Spanish-speaking countries, the dissemination comes through WhatsApp and other messaging services, he adds.

Regarding platforms, theres another important difference between regions. Their moderation teams  including those temporarily set up for electoral processes  arent proportional to the countries needs. Rather, they respond to the legislative pressure that weighs on each territory. In the Global South, platforms havent invested as heavily in moderation and automatic identification. This means that an equal or greater volume of misinformation can be expected in these areas, Majo-Vazquez highlights.

To stop these misleading narratives, users are recommended to know the original source of the information and reflect before sharing it. We have to assume that misinformation is part of this new reality. Whats at stake in the 2024 elections is the quality of democratic systems, which are increasingly questioned. In 2024, we have to see if it will be a moment of resistance, or if [our societies] will be dealt a new blow, Colomina concludes.
The University and College Union (UCU) says about 30 people are at risk of redundancy due to the changes, which will mean students will not be able to start degrees in French, German, Spanish or Gaelic alone.
A pints one thing  but its wine without the wine part that never seems to work. Fair play, then, to Murray Paterson and Ioakeim Goulidis for their brand Muri; the fizz, Passing Clouds, is on the menu at the Mulwray for nine quid a glass (28 Rupert Street, W1D, theblueposts.co.uk). Look, a mix of gooseberry wine, quince kefir, jasmine tea and something I now know is called geranium and woodruff kvass  around since the 1500s, though I hadnt heard of it until about five minutes ago  is never going to mimic the best of Burgundy and Bordeaux. But in the comfort of the bar, theres a lot about it like natural wine, by which I mean theres a waft of funk and flowers and metal. Natural wine isnt really my bag (can you tell?) but this is for the cause, so Ill allow it.
If youre looking for the age-old sofas, gilded walls and tapestry-draped drawing rooms, youve come to the wrong place. Heckfield Place is a gently modern expression of country living: contemporary art and progressive wellbeing philosophies. It's all about thrusting a bygone opulence into the 21st century, without losing any of that glowy warmth or good biscuits. The Bothy (spa) also tows this line, with a new hyper-personalised wellbeing journey Bespoke Paths launching this January. These vary in length, from a day-long reboot to a full week of wellness programmes tailored to each weary, burnt out soul. Leveraging the healing power of the great outdoors (and their show-stopping spa), the Bothys Bespoke Paths runs the gamut from myofascial release to wild swimming and boosting a greater sense of self. The Bothy recommends a 5-night minimum stay, though if a one-day refresh is all the diary has time for, booking require a one-night stay in one of Heckfield Places earthy-luxe rooms.
What we are really concerned about at the Refugee Council is that we simply dont know where those people are, or what has happened to them, and certainly we think that many of those people now will be at risk of exploitation.
The term junior doctor is used to refer to all doctors who are in training. This includes people who are straight out of medical school but also includes doctors who have been working in the NHS for almost a decade. They make up about half of the medical workforce in England.
Calls for reform of the Refugee Convention are not new, but it is likely to prove difficult  especially given the fact that some of Ms Bravermans complaints relate to some of the central principles of the 1951 document.
The AAIB said: The investigation is being led by the Japan Transport Safety Board, and the AAIB as state of manufacture of the Rolls-Royce engines fitted to the Airbus A350 has appointed an accredited representative.
Kremlin forces killed at least five people and more than 100 were injured in the bombardment of Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukraines two largest cities, the Ukrainian government said on Tuesday.
"Being able to inspire and motivate young people is a core part of our mission. The Trusts programmes build confidence and skills among young people who face disadvantage and adversity, supporting them on their pathway to work. By partnering with those who share this goal we can continue our vital work, ultimately helping more young people to reach their potential and live stable and fulfilled lives.
Joe Biden provided a diagnosis of the Israeli governments ability to maneuver in the face of the war in Gaza and its consequences on December 12. The U.S. president said that Benjamin Netanyahu has to change and address his government coalition  the most conservative in Israels history  because this government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move. Almost a month after those statements, the ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist elements of the emergency government forged by the Israeli Prime Minister continue to clash with him over the post-conflict scenario. They openly call for the total occupation of Gaza, the construction of new settlements, and even the expulsion of Palestinians from the Strip, which drastically limits the actions of their head of government. To this scenario is now added the fiasco of the controversial judicial reform promoted by Netanyahu, which the Supreme Court annulled Monday.

The most extremist position is headed by the Minister of the Interior, Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the ultra-right-wing Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power). On Monday he again advocated a post-war scenario of encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza. Ben-Gvir called the proposal a correct, just, moral and humane solution. He then called on the prime minister to coordinate a legal project to push Gazans to emigrate to other countries. Lets be clear: we have partners in the world whose help we can use, he said. Ben-Gvir believes that by encouraging Palestinian emigration, residents of the towns near the Strip that were attacked on October 7 by the Palestinian militia Hamas could return to their homes, but also those in the settlements of Gush Katif, in Gaza itself, which were closed and evacuated in 2005.

A similar position is held by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. On Sunday, in an interview on army radio, he assured that his aspiration was for Gaza to cease being hothouse of 2 million people who want destroy the State of Israel. Unlike Ben-Gvir, Smotrich did not outline a method of driving out the Palestinians residing in the Strip, but favored expelling about 90% of the population. If there are 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not two million, the whole discourse about the day after [the war] will be different, he said. To that end, he advocates that Israel take control of the Strip not only through military presence, but also by installing civilians. Some voices within the conservative Likud, the Prime Ministers party, have also called for facilitating the departure of Gazans on a voluntary basis to countries in Africa or Latin America.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday that Washington rejects the statements of both ministers calling for new Israeli settlements in Gaza. This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible. We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately, he said in a statement. We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel. That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world.

Reduced maneuverability

Under these conditions, Netanyahus ability to maneuver is severely restricted. Washington, the EU, the United Nations, and his Arab allies are exerting increasing pressure on him to design a post-war scenario in which the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which governs in the West Bank, would also have a presence in Gaza. The scenario they suggest is to return to the path of the talks that led to the Oslo Accords, which resulted in the creation of the PNA and divided civil administration and security responsibilities between the new authority and Israel, with an eye toward the creation of a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu has for years refused to resume these negotiations to avoid new territorial concessions to the Palestinians, although after the outbreak of the war and the increase in international and internal pressure to bring back the 129 hostages still held in Gaza, he has made his position more flexible, although always employing trade-offs.

In public, Netanyahu has maintained that he does not want to replace Hamastan for Fatahstan  that is, that he does not want Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to be in charge in Gaza when he hypothetically achieves his goal of eliminating Hamas. However, on December 21, the head of Israels Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, published an article in a Saudi newspaper in which he opened himself to a de-radicalized Palestinian authority in the Strip. At every press conference, Netanyahu emphasizes the idea of fighting to the end to wipe out Hamas. Then, behind the scenes, he makes concessions to Washington, which asks him to reduce the scale of his onslaught and to consider the possibility of withdrawing part of Israels forces. On Monday, five brigades left Gazan territory, although the government and the army stated that the maneuver does not mean a reduction in the intensity of the fighting.

The tensions that are tying Netanyahus hands in this unprecedented crisis are not only coming from the parties to his right, but also from those to his left, albeit with less intensity. The more moderate National Unity Party of Minister Benny Gantz  which, according to the polls, would win the general elections if they were held now  last July rejected the prime ministers big gamble: the judicial reform to remove the Supreme Courts power to paralyze government decisions it considers unreasonable, an initiative that was overturned by the high courts own magistrates on Monday.

Gantz has advocated leaving the Supreme Court tussle for after the war. These are not days for political arguments, there are no winners and losers today, he maintained on social media. " Today we have only one common goal  to win the war together, he added, while recalling the polarization and even hatred generated by the approval of that reform, which was passed with the support of the ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalists who support the prime minister.

The repeal of the judicial reform has, in addition, a derivative that affects the way in which the war is conducted. Several jurists warned Monday that the ruling reinforces the separation of powers and allows Israeli courts to initiate hypothetical independent investigations against political officials and military personnel in the event that international justice brings charges against them for crimes such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity. The possibility of opening a full-fledged case in Israel would prevent the International Criminal Court from doing so and would make it difficult to order the arrest of those under investigation in any other country. If the reform had not been annulled, Israeli justice could have failed to meet international standards, which would have allowed the ICC to act without restrictions.

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Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been embroiled in nearly daily exchanges of shelling with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the Gaza war began. More than 120 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel.
The suspect was detained by police immediately after the attack. Officers said he told investigators he had been attempting to kill Mr Lee and that he had plotted his attack alone, but his motive is unknown.
Our tech reporter Saqib Shah tells the Tech & Science Daily podcast what he thinks the AI on Samsungs new models will likely do, and explains why he thinks their focus on AI is an indication of where things are headed.
The death of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut  in an attack in which even the U.S. sees the hand of Israel, although the Israeli government has not officially confirmed its involvement  represents for Hamas the loss of one of its most skilled cadres in exile, who had led negotiations with other Palestinian factions, with Israeli authorities, and with various international allies, as well as one of those mainly responsible for the Palestinian Islamist organizations finances. He was also a loose cannon who had gone so far as to order armed actions on his own, without consulting the rest of the Hamas leadership.

Instead of a top-down leadership and strict hierarchy, Hamas has several centers of power and decision-making given its dual nature as a political movement and an armed group, and the different geographies and circumstances in which its leaders operate: government in Gaza, clandestine opposition in the West Bank, and more or less public activity in exile depending on the country they are in, and the current status of those countries relations with Israel. Hence, at times, the statements of its leaders seem contradictory and, on many occasions, the left hand of the organization does not know what the right hand is doing. Al-Arouri had acted as both.

Born in Ramallah in 1966, he became involved in the Islamic Resistance Movement in the late 1980s, when he was a student at Hebron University, characterizing himself as a skilled volunteer recruiter and fundraiser. He was also one of the Hamas leaders who contributed to the establishment of the organizations armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in the West Bank, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations think tanks map of Palestinian leaders and organizations.

Al-Arouri was arrested several times by the Israeli authorities and spent lengthy periods in prison, the longest between 1992 and 2007, when he became a spokesman for Palestinian prisoners and an interlocutor with the Israeli prison authorities. Upon his release  during negotiations between Fatah and Hamas over a shared government  al-Arouri stated in an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph that his organization should stop targeting civilians and move from a military-oriented party to a political movement. This did not prevent Israel from imprisoning him again for almost three years, at the end of which he was deported.

Al-Arouri went to Damascus where the political bureau  i.e. the civilian leadership of Hamas, protected by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  was then based, and rose to occupy second place behind the then-political leader of the Palestinian group, Khaled Mashaal. But, in 2012, Hamas  a Sunni Islamist organization  distanced itself from the Shiite Syrian regimes crackdown on the demonstrations that had begun the previous year and sided with the mostly Sunni rebels. Al-Arouri left Syria and as such one of the fundamental pieces of the so-called Axis of Resistance, led by Iran and articulated by Syria, the Lebanese Hezbollah party-militia and the Shiite militias of Iraq, as well as Palestinian Islamist groups, was dismantled.

Refuge in Turkey

Some of the Hamas leaders settled in Qatar; others, such as al-Arouri, ended up in Turkey, where the government of moderate Islamist Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered them refuge. The arrival of Hamas leaders came about, according to local analysts, as part of a pact between Turkish and Israeli authorities following Ankaras mediation in the case of Israeli soldier Guilad Shalit, kidnapped by Hamas in 2006 and released in 2011 in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners (al-Arouri also participated in these negotiations).

In Istanbul, al-Arouri began to amass power. He led the Hamas delegation in successive Turkish-sponsored attempts to reconcile with Fatah and the Palestinian National Authority. It was also around this time that the groundwork began to be laid for Hamas investments in Turkey (recently, the U.S. placed the Turkish construction company Trend GYO, which is accused of being a financing vehicle for the Palestinian organization, on its sanctions list). Although it is unclear what the role of Hamas number two in these dealings was, the U.S. Treasury blacklisted him in 2015 as one of Hamas key economic managers, responsible for sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to the groups cells in the West Bank for the purchase of weapons.

Around that time, al-Arouri also began acting on his own. In June 2014, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank. Israel claimed that the perpetrators were Hamas members, leaked to the press that al-Arouri had masterminded the attack, and launched a bombing campaign on Gaza that left more than 2,000 people dead, mostly civilians. The Hamas leadership in Qatar denied that their group had anything to do with the attack, but, to the surprise of many, al-Arouri called a press conference in Turkey in which he acknowledged responsibility: The popular will [...] culminated in the heroic operation of the al-Qassam Brigades in imprisoning the three settlers in Hebron. A year later, the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated categorically: Al-Arouri is not in Turkey.

After pressure from the United States and Israel  a country with which Turkey was trying to restore diplomatic relations  Ankara decided to expel him. The Hamas number two, however, did not go to Doha, where the other heavyweights of the organization were, but settled in Lebanon.

There, as head of the Hamas office in Beirut, he once again brought out his negotiating skills. In 2017, after successive interviews with Iranian and Lebanese representatives, he appeared with the leader of Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah, to announce the restoration of relations, broken due to differences over the Syrian civil war. A fundamental piece in the puzzle of Iranian influence in the region was thus recomposed.

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The year 2025 might be a turning point in budgetary consolidation through new fiscal/budgetary measures that will help Romania to exit the excessive deficit procedure, even if not immediately, Daniel Daianu, president of the Fiscal Council, told AGERPRES.

"The new pension law aims at correcting blatant inequities in the public pension system and helping its long-term sustainability. The law has benefited from a sound analysis by the World Bank and is included as a milestone in the PNRR [the National Recovery and resilience Plan]. There is, however, the question of budgetary impact in the immediate and medium term. The adoption of the pension law comes in the context of a very complicated budget execution in 2023, which is likely to end with an ESA deficit (including deferrals) of around 6% of GDP. The coming years will be marked by the need to achieve a budgetary correction towards a deficit of 3% of GDP, in order to comply with the requirements of the exit from the excessive deficit procedure in which Romania finds itself. And what matters more, in order to keep the public debt under control and to have an unproblematic financing on the markets," said Daniel Daianu.

The Fiscal Council president said that the pension indexation by 13.8% as of January 1, 2024 has an estimated budgetary impact of about 15.5 billion RON (0.9% of GDP), and the recalculation of pensions in payment as of September 1, 2024 an estimated budgetary impact of about 10 billion RON (0.6% of GDP) in 2024 and about 33 billion RON (1.8% of GDP) in 2025. The new pension law means an increase in permanent public budget expenditure and accentuates the structural deficit, he says."The Fiscal Council (FC) considers it imprudent to compensate this increase in permanent expenditure with a presumed better collection of tax revenues (for example, the increase in revenues from digitisation). The deficit target of 5% of GDP leads one to think of the experience of 2023; the FC assessment stands at around 6.4% based on macroeconomic projections and assuming that no forced spending freezes and cuts (as was done in 2023), some postponed to 2024, will be resorted to. If better collection occurs, the budget rectification will record it. The tax measures announced by the government, which are set to operate in 2024, would, according to MF [Finance Ministry] estimates, bring in around 1% of GDP in additional revenue. Without credible compensatory measures, it is difficult to put the budget deficit on a firm consolidation path in the foreseeable future. Romania needs fiscal space to bring the deficit below 3% of GDP in order to cushion future shocks," Daianu explained.According to the Fiscal Council president, it is difficult to avoid pro-cyclicality in macroeconomic correction when the deficit is so high, however, an intense absorption of European money that mitigates the effects of a contractionary policy could help.He said that if the corrective measures are credible, whether they have effects over time, and the absorption of European funds is intense, there is no risk of deterioration of Romania's rating.According to the FC president, budgetary consolidation is very slow because repeated shocks have shaken the economy - the pandemic, the energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, but also on account of budget construction flaws, with overestimation of revenues and underestimation of expenditures, and of imprudence.He also explained that a clear fiscal consolidation, even if not rapid, can reassure markets, keep the economy attractive to investors and together with reforms under the PNRR and major public and private investments would increase potential GDP and sustain above average economic growth in the EU. It would also bring a significant reduction in the current account deficit.
The Border Police Inspectorate General (IGPF) informs that, on Tuesday, 232,350 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 7,000 Ukrainian citizens.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, approximately 102,354 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, entered Romania on Tuesday, 7,127 of them Ukrainians.

As of 10 February 2022 (pre-conflict period) 7,024,323 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania.In their area of operation - crossing points and "green border" - the border police found 24 illegal acts (eight offences and 16 misdemeanors) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, and the value of the fines imposed amounts to approximately RON 3,200.Goods worth approximately 210,000 lei were seized for confiscation.On Tuesday, 11 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they did not meet the conditions provided for by the law and 18 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
People who like a good bargain may well want to flock to American Fiction. Its two, two, two movies in one.

One is a clever, pointed satire about societys  and especially white societys  assumptions and expectations about Black people. The other is a heartfelt, serious family drama about the ways, when chips are down, that families are unbreakable.

These two halves of American Fiction have nothing structurally to do with each other. They are kind of scrunched together in an uncomfortable mess.

Each, in its own way, is well made and worth seeing. But first-time writer-director Cord Jefferson, working from a book by Percival Everett, should have picked one or the other and stuck with it.

Personally, I prefer the sharp satire, which also skewers the worlds of publishing, academics and Hollywood, though the family drama has its moments, too.

Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious Monk Ellison, an erudite, if somewhat unsuccessful, writer of literary novels based on classic Greek stories. The problem is, the public only wants a certain kind of book from Black authors  real and raw stories from the streets about rappers and crack and characters who hold onto their dignity until the end, when they are shot by the police.

Monk isnt that guy. He comes from a family of doctors with a lovely art-filled home, a live-in housekeeper and a house on the beach. He hates that society wants to impose monolithic stereotypes onto all Blacks.

White people think they want the truth, but they dont. They just want to be absolved, says his agent.

Frustrated and acting out of a sense of rebellion, he strikes back: He writes a meaningless and utterly fake book, My Pafology, that conforms to the publishing worlds expectations. He wants to rub publishers noses in the fact that theyre printing garbage.

Thatll teach them, he figures.

The satire begins to spiral, with ever more outlandish consequences from his decision to write the book. But whenever we start to enjoy the hilarious social commentary, the family drama kicks in and crowds it off the screen.

Monks lively sister (Tracee Ellis Ross) complains he is emotionally distant and reveals that their late father had numerous affairs. His mother (the great Leslie Uggams, in a heartwrenching and finely modulated performance) shows early signs of Alzheimers. His brother (Sterling K. Brown, frequently showing off a better body than a man of 47 should be able to have) is a cokehead and a successful plastic surgeon who enjoys the company of young men. The brother came out at a relatively advanced age and is still at the stage where he wants to tell the audience that he is gay in every single scene.

Only the big-hearted housekeeper (Myra Lucretia Taylor) accepts Monk without judging his many faults. And he is also liked, in a romantic way, by the smart, funny and accomplished woman, Coraline (Erika Alexander), who lives across the street from the beach house.

When Monks mother first meets Coraline, she says, Im happy youre not white.

Me, too, Coraline says.

Jefferson has previously written for television, and his script is frisky like that, but it goes on a half-hour too long. Faced for the first time with the broad sweep of a movie screen, it is as if he couldnt bear to part with any of the satiric material or the dramatic.

American Fiction is an intriguing film and an impressive and promising debut by Jefferson. He pulls solid, natural performances out of all the actors, and knows how to trust the audience to understand what it is seeing without having it explained.

If only he could have trusted the material more as well. If he had jettisoned the family drama and expanded the satire, he might have made something extraordinary.

What American Fiction  Rating 3 stars out of four  Run time 1:57  Rating R for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references and brief violence  Where In theaters Jan. 5
For actor Sterling K. Brown, it is the light hand that the movie American Fiction takes with its satire that makes it easily palatable  and one of the reasons he wanted to make it.

The Emmy award-winning Brown, 47, is best known for playing Randall Pearson on the television show This is Us. In American Fiction, which opens in St. Louis theaters on Jan. 5, he plays Cliff, the brother of the main character, who is portrayed by Jeffrey Wright. Cliff is a recently divorced plastic surgeon.

His life is a bit in shambles right now as hes trying to discover what life looks like now. I also think he has not been able to be his authentic self for the majority of his life, Brown said in a recent phone call.

He is fully intent on being who he is, unapologetically and quite messily, until he is able to find a new equilibrium of sorts.

Made by veteran TV writer, but first-time filmmaker Cord Jefferson, American Fiction tells the satiric story of an erudite writer, played by Wright, who happens to be Black. But in the movie, publishers and mostly white readers are not interested in books by Black writers, they only crave what they consider Black books  books set in ghettoes and filled with drug dealers, crackheads and violent criminals.

Brown, who is Black, sees truth in the satire.

For a long time, the kinds of stories that seemed to be open for mainstream consumption had to deal with Black pain  whether it had to do with inner-city stories of drug dealers or strung-out mothers or single mothers who can barely deal with keeping it together, he says.

Seeing us in anything else felt not as commercially viable.

The family at the films heart is upper-middle class and privileged, with a house on the beach outside of Boston. Though the familys structure is fragile, they live in a good deal of comfort.

Its a story that isnt typically told, populated with Black faces. It made me excited in terms of how it could expand the breadth of representation for our community, Brown says.

Brown himself grew up solidly working class in Olivette, he said. His mother taught in the Ladue School District and his late father was a grocery clerk at Kroger stores. He did, however, go to what was then called Country Day School.

We never lacked for anything. I never wanted for anything. It took my wife telling me when I was a young man that I grew up poor for me to even realize it. I was just happy, he says.

Brown took the role of Cliff mostly because he was impressed by the script, which he thought was new and very funny. But also it gave him the opportunity to explore a character unlike the loving and stable, if anxious, man he played on This is Us.

Its always exciting to zig when people think youre going to zag, he says. I think Cliff was a nice zig to throw up in the gumbo of characters that SKB has played thus far.

He was also glad to be able to work with an impressive group of actors, including Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish), Erika Alexandra (Living Single) and Leslie Uggams (everything from Roots to Deadpool).

But the actor he wanted to work with most was Wright.

Brown saw Wright and Don Cheadle in the original off-Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Topdog/Underdog in 2001, and the experience was life-changing for the young actor.

It was a watershed experience for me, an invitation to what freedom could look like on stage, he says. Someone who owned their artistry and their bodies so fully that they felt comfortable to do anything at any time, and it was exhilarating.

American Fiction is the first time he got to work with Wright, and he was pleased to see that their styles of acting, and attitudes toward it, meshed so well.

Both come prepared, he said. They read the script and try to understand the writers vision, and both memorize the lines  Youd be surprised how many people dont do that, he said.

When you are prepared, you are then giving yourself the freedom to be there in the moment, and life transpires in the moment, Brown says.

Though there was little ad-libbing on the set, even something as small as a different tone of voice or expression by one actor in a scene can provoke a real-time, in-character response by another, he says.

To catch your scene partner off-guard is the greatest gift you can give to them, he says.

Brown was also impressed by Uggams, who plays their mother. At 80, Uggams is a Hollywood legend, and Brown found her to be vibrant, funny and intelligent  something to aspire to when he reaches her age.

How is it to work with Wright and Uggams, actors he has long admired?

Its pretty damned fantastic, he says.

"American Fiction"  come for the drama, stay for the satire One part of the film is a pointed satire about society's assumptions and expectations of Black people. The other is a heartfelt family drama about the ways families are unbreakable.
CLAYTON  Clayton-based Centene Corp. has reached a $26 million settlement agreement in South Carolina, according to that state's attorney general, the latest payout over allegations that the company's subsidiaries overcharged state Medicaid programs.

Under the terms of the agreement, Centene does not admit any wrongdoing. The company has reached similar agreements with at least 17 other states. The first settlements, of $88 million in Ohio and $55 million in Mississippi, were signed in mid-2021. At the time, Centene disclosed that it had reserved an additional $1.1 billion for other potential cases.
Educational exposure of ideas, assumptions or hypotheses, based on proven facts" (which need not be strictly current affairs) Value in judgments are excluded, and the text comes close to an opinion article, without judging or making forecasts , just formulating hypotheses, giving motivated explanations and bringing together a variety of data

We are starting a new year, but the news is discouraging: conflict in Ukraine, bombings in Gaza, fighting in Yemen. Is war really a necessary condition among humans?

In 1986, the Seville Statement on Violence emerged, a document prepared by international experts gathered by UNESCO in the southern Spanish city that concludes that there is no scientific evidence that war is inherent to people. War is not in our genes. What is inevitable is human anger and violence, explains Jorge L. Tizon, a psychiatrist and author of the 2022 book La guerra como campo de batalla. Deconstruyendo mitos y simbolos (War as battlefield. Deconstructing myths and symbols). Tizon reminds us of something that we all experience in our social coexistence: that within us there is anger and violence and sorrow and sadness, but also joy, attachment, desire and the instinct to play.

Sometimes it is difficult for us to see the obvious. In humans, the essential moral rule is to do no harm, and we are ultrasocial beings that manage to live in densely populated urban areas where there is a respectful sociability, where we interact in a trusting way with strangers, with very wide margins for tolerance and cooperation, recalls Adolf Tobena, a professor of psychiatry at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. So how is war possible?

Armed confrontation is what we have been seeing for centuries, nurtured by what Eric Fromm called the school of instinctivism, a cover-up idea to accept war. There are human emotions, and then culture is responsible for stimulating or repressing one or the other, warns Tizon.

In La religion de la guerra (The religion of war), a 2022 compendium of articles written by the philosopher Andre Glucksmann in his youth, it is argued that the West is a society mapped from the wars derived from imperialism, colonialism and nationalism. And that it occupies a preeminent place in Western imagery. War is the backbone of history lessons, paintings, novels, movies, series and video games. It is a multifaceted symbol perceived as destiny, duty, custom, biological call, adventure, an absurdity and, lately, as the worst of crimes.

Camaraderie and necrophilia

Perhaps a custom is very similar to a truth, yet it is not. In 1987, Georgi Arbatov, advisor to Mikhail Gorbachev, warned the West: We are going to do a terrible thing to you: we are going to deprive you of an enemy. If less belligerent identities have to be encouraged, then we will have to deal with our attraction for combat. In War is a Force that Gives us Meaning, Chris Hedges, a veteran war reporter hardened in conflicts like El Salvador and the Balkans (and who decided to leave The New York Times after getting told off for being critical of the invasion of Iraq), warns that the problem is the power of the myth of war, because it has a force that gives meaning to chaos and violent death, and justifies cruelty and human stupidity. War is necrophilia hidden under the cliches of duty and camaraderie, he writes.

The key is that in interaction between human groups, sometimes a higher value can be awarded to it. If it is considered a just cause  whatever that may be  it allows us to exalt morality until we become blinded and confrontational, according to Tobena, co-author together with Jorge Carrasco of La guerra infinita. De las luchas tribales a las contiendas globales (Infinite War: from Tribal Fights to Global Conflicts).

There is also the desire to fight. Humans have the privilege of the absurd: the idea of life is more important than life itself. Civilizations fall or not depending on the vitality of their cultural ideas, their values, explains the anthropologist Scott Atran in a telephone conversation. We have an automatic neuropsychological bias, a psychological trigger that drives us to prefer and defend our own, but this bias does not necessarily lead to confrontation, warns Tobena.

Warring is not in our genes. What cannot be avoided is anger and violence. Jorge L. Tizon, psychiatrist

And when does hostility show up? When competition, the fight for dominance and pro-group favoritism  be it tribalism, unionism, chauvinism or nationalism  are fueled to the point of paroxysm. And when the leadership of individuals who seek to take personal advantage of the conflicts promote contempt and hatred of otherness. When fear is fueled, it short-circuits cognitive processes, which can lead to confrontation, according to Tizon.

Deserters and cowards

In 1795, Kant launched the idea of declaring war illegal on a universal scale, and the Seville document warns: war is born in the mind. Therefore, by acting as if war were not inevitable we can prevent it, reasons Cynthia Enloe, author of Twelve Feminist Lessons of War. For Enloe, claiming that war is inevitable means not holding anyone responsible for destroying peace, a dangerous and deeply militarized assumption, because each and every war has broken out due to specific decisions by specific people, each of whom could have acted differently.

In this dark plot, war propaganda ignores those who flee or those who refuse to shoot. During World War II, the German army killed 30,000 deserters, and in the American Civil War, half of the soldiers did not use their weapons. They are shadows that break into a thousand pieces the orderly, coherent story of war.

According to the three fundamental parameters of wars  frequency, duration and lethality  they are decreasing. When World War I began, more than two million volunteers signed up, something unthinkable now. The British historian Mary Beard argued something similar recently: We have not solved the problem of war or crimes, but we already know that this is not done. We have advanced.

The human species has a capacity for a community mentality capable of the best and the worst. There are people like the Palestinian doctor Mahmoud Abu Nujaila, from Doctors Without Borders, who died in a bombing of the Al Awda hospital in Gaza, for his decision not to abandon the sick and wounded. We did what we could. Remember us, he left written on the board to plan surgeries.

On the other side of the mirror is Adolf Hitler, who in the fall of 1923, at the Burgerbraukeller brewery in Munich, sweaty and angry  they called him the wet poodle for that reason  he inflamed the 50 people present with hatred.

Lets see which path we follow. The Seville declaration of 1986 concluded that biology does not condemn humanity to war, and that humanity can be freed from the bondage of biological pessimism and empowered with confidence to undertake the transformative tasks needed in this International Year of Peace and in the years to come.
CHESTERFIELD  Mercy health system executives pledged this week to shore up a southeast Missouri hospital chain financially, recruit a deeper bench of physicians and expand the medical care for patients.

Mercy leaders, after wrapping up their purchase of Cape Girardeau-based SoutheastHealth, said on Tuesday they see an opportunity to expand medical services in the region, and offer care more efficiently.

We believe more health care can be provided  cost-effectively  in that community, said Mercy CEO Steve Mackin.

SoutheastHealths leaders were drawn to the table for a deal in part because of challenges that have troubled all American hospitals over the past few years  but perhaps hit the hardest for independent facilities and small chains.

I looked at the whole landscape of what was going on in health care  to the independent hospital, said SoutheastHealth President and CEO Kenneth Bateman. Between labor costs, supply costs, retail competition and tech investments, we need to be part of a bigger system.

Both CEOs said that job cuts are not expected.

SoutheastHealth has one hospital in Cape Girardeau and one 50 miles southwest in Dexter, plus dozens of outpatient clinics throughout southeast Missouri. It has a cancer center, a behavioral health hospital, and a nursing school where 171 students were enrolled, as of 2023.

Bateman, who will now serve as CEO of Mercy Southeast, said talks began in early 2022 as the system struggled with labor shortages and spent more money filling in gaps.

Before the pandemic, SoutheastHealth averaged around $7.5 million in annual spending on outside labor  from nurses to technicians to doctors. For 2023, Bateman said, that number will hit $30 million. At the same time, the system lost five providers in money-making service areas like cardiology, orthopedics and obstetrics.

They left for different reasons, over the course of 2022 and 2023, Bateman said, from attractive job offers, to health and life changes, to frustration with the states abortion law. But together, he said, It was the perfect storm, within two years.

SoutheastHealth reported an operating income in 2020 and 2021, which turned to a loss in 2022, according to financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Meanwhile, Bateman was looking ahead at the investments the health system would have to make in order to keep up with the rest of the industry. Its electronic medical record system needed an upgrade. Other hospital systems were investing in artificial intelligence-based platforms that would make information more readily available to patients and doctors.

And as Amazon spent $3.9 billion acquiring a primary care business, One Medical, Bateman said, it became clearer that retail competition was poised to become a significant force in health care.

SoutheastHealths leaders formed a selection committee to review potential buyers. By early 2023, the system had signed a letter of intent to join Mercy.

The deal closed Dec. 20. Mercy assumed SoutheastHealths debt, of around $180 million, according to Mercy spokesman Joe Poelker, and has agreed to make specific investments in the Cape Girardeau-based system.

Bateman said Mercy has committed to carrying out some improvement projects that were already underway, like an upgrade to the emergency department, and renovations in inpatient areas. Mercy also committed to build an ambulatory surgery center there in the coming years.

The hospitals, now known as Mercy Hospital Southeast in Cape Girardeau and Mercy Hospital Stoddard in Dexter, will benefit from Mercys purchasing power, the executives said, and its ability to recruit health care workers. The ambulatory surgery center, Bateman said, will make Southeast more cost competitive.

Long-term, theyre a strong system, with a lot of great capabilities, Mackin said.

The cost of care in Cape Girardeau is high relative to the rest of the state, Mackin said, citing 2022 data from the Rand Corporation.

Part of the reason for that, Bateman said, is that hospitals there are far enough from other large metro areas that they have to provide advanced medicine, but they also have to pay more to recruit doctors.

Mackin said, in his view, too many patients have to travel outside of Cape Girardeau for medical care. They sometimes leave for what he considers essential, basic health care, like cardiac workups and certain cancer services.

We plan to shore up those resources, he said.

Industry experts have cautioned that as health systems combine, they gain more leverage in negotiations with insurers, which can lead to higher costs.

Mackin said thats not Mercys plan.

When you go into a community like Cape Girardeau that has historic high costs, its not fair to keep asking employers to increase their costs another 8% this year, Mackin said. We believe that we can curtail the type of expense for health care that that community has seen.

The acquisition has expanded Mercy into southeast Missouri, where it previously had no operations, and grown its total workforce to upwards of 47,000 people across four states.
ST. LOUIS  Developer Paul McKees NorthSide Regeneration faces a court order to repair and secure a historic Page Boulevard auto dealership it owns, a ruling that could prompt other lawsuits against the controversial north St. Louis landowner.

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer ruled Thursday that the Covenant Blu Grand Center Neighborhood Association had proven that NorthSides building at 3509 Page Boulevard met Missouri laws definition of a nuisance property. The ruling marks the first time the courts have stepped in to compel the citys highest-profile private owner of vacant properties to stabilize one of its many deteriorating buildings.

The neighborhood association filed a lawsuit in October 2022 asking for the court to force NorthSide to address city code violations levied against the building over a nearly 10-year period, including two condemnations  in 2014 and then in 2017  for unsafe conditions.

Stelzers ruling should spur NorthSide to fix up the property or sell it to someone who will, said Peter Hoffman, an attorney with the nonprofit Legal Services of Eastern Missouri who represented the neighborhood association. It wont be able to demolish the structure, the former ABC Auto Sales building built in 1927, without special city approval because it is on the National Register of Historic Places.

If the owners dont abate the nuisance conditions additional penalties will be on the table, Hoffman said. We also hope that this sends a message to these owners that this type of neglect is just not acceptable. Its harmful to the neighborhood and the city and its unlawful. Their inaction has consequences.

Audrey Ellermann, president of the Covenant Blu Grand Center Neighborhood Association, said residents were ecstatic about the ruling. The structure, which sits across from the St. Louis Housing Authoritys headquarters and a PNC Bank branch near North Grand Boulevard, has been deteriorating since NorthSide bought it in 2009. It has gotten so bad in recent years that its crumbling facade has blocked pedestrian use of the sidewalk.

Its right at the main entrance of the neighborhood, Ellermann said. It defines the neighborhood.

McKee and his attorney who handled the case, Joe Dulle of law firm Stone, Leyton and Gershman, did not respond to a question asking whether NorthSide would repair the property or appeal the ruling.

NorthSide could have addressed the property conditions during the lawsuit, Hoffman said, but it argued the lawsuit should be thrown out on legal technicalities, which Stelzer dismissed. James Bax, another Legal Services attorney who is working on the case, noted the neighborhoods lawyers had to ask for court sanctions to even get responses to its April discovery requests.

To say its been a fight would be somewhat of an understatement, Bax said.

Stelzers ruling also awarded the neighborhood attorneys fees for the case. Hoffman said those could already be around six figures.

If they want to further litigate this, the meter will be running, he said.

Legal Services Neighborhood Advocacy division, which Hoffman runs, has filed a handful of lawsuits against absentee landowners on behalf of neighborhood groups as part of its problem property initiative. But the Covenant Blu neighborhoods lawsuit was the first time Legal Services attorneys took aim at NorthSide, which owns over 1,600 properties and has stoked controversy for years.

In November, another neighborhood association, the St. Louis Place Community Association, sued NorthSide to force repairs on four properties in its boundaries near the under-construction National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency headquarters.

Hoffman said he suspects more lawsuits could be filed this year and that other neighborhood groups dealing with neglected NorthSide properties can contact Legal Services.

In the mid-2000s, NorthSide began buying up thousands of properties north of downtown. It had the blessing of City Hall at first, reaching deals to add to its holdings with major purchases of abandoned properties from the citys land bank.

After it amassed land encompassing more than 200 acres in some of the citys most hollowed-out neighborhoods, complaints from remaining residents over property conditions began mounting. Promised developments never materialized.

NorthSide was among the initial proponents of pitching the NGA on a new site in north St. Louis. But after the city got on board with the plan, contentious negotiations to assemble the land for the federal government  including buying back real estate the city had sold to NorthSide just a few years before  further strained the relationship.

Allegations of tax credit fraud sullied the companys reputation further.

By 2018, the city cancelled a development agreement with NorthSide covering much of the area.

But the city has largely been unable to force NorthSide to remedy dangerous property conditions at its properties. It has cited and fined NorthSide dozens of times over conditions at the Page Avenue building and the companys failure to address them.

The Covenant Blu lawsuit, however, contains potential mechanisms to force action, which still need to be litigated. For one, it asks the court to hold McKee personally liable for the repairs to the ABC Auto building, claiming NorthSide is insolvent. It also asks the court to appoint a receiver to take over the building and abate the nuisance conditions, something the neighborhood may pursue if it has to.

This litigation could go on quite a bit longer, Hoffman said. It doesnt have to. If he wants to donate the property Im sure the neighborhood association could help find somebody to take it and redevelop that site. But if he continues to sit on his hands, I think thats when well have to explore these options with the court.
MOLINE ACRES  Police on Wednesday identified a second man found shot dead Tuesday in the small town of Moline Acres.

Police were called for a shooting and found Daijion Miller, 28, in the 2400 block of Chambers Road just after 6:30 p.m. He had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said they believe Miller was shot at a different location and then drove himself to the 2400 block of Chambers Road.

About 12 hours earlier, around 6:30 a.m., police found Stacy Durham, 55, shot dead in a vehicle near Edgefield and Hollis drives.

Moline Acres police asked St. Louis County police detectives to handle both homicide investigations.

Miller lived in the 1200 block of Kilgore Drive in Bellefontaine Neighbors, police said.

Durham lived in the 9800 block of Green Valley Drive in unincorporated St. Louis County.

Moline Acres, just west of Bellefontaine Neighbors and north of Jennings, is home to a little more than 2,000 residents, according to U.S. Census data.

Until Tuesday, its police department had reported one homicide since 2019, according to crime records on the Missouri Highway Patrol's website.
The woman came to St. Louis to be with her then-boyfriend, St. Louis City SC star Indiana Vassilev. But she liked it here and eventually came 
ST. CHARLES COUNTY  A large group of students and teachers in the Francis Howell School District wore black on Wednesday in response to the school boards move to eliminate curriculum for Black History and Black Literature courses.

The protest was planned by Students for Francis Howell, which formed last month to advocate for diverse, equitable and inclusive education for every student.

We as students want to see inclusivity within our district and want to make sure everyone feels heard and seen, said Harper Schneider, a student at Francis Howell North High School who started a petition to reinstate the courses that has gathered more than 3,500 signatures.

The board voted in December to rescind the social justice standards from the Southern Poverty Law Centers Learning for Justice project that were used in developing the curriculum for the elective courses. At the meeting, district administrators said the courses would no longer be offered starting in fall 2024.

Sean Latta, a senior at Francis Howell Central High who served as the boards student representative at the meeting, said he hoped the courses would be offered again.

Im not going to criticize you or put accusations on any of you, Latta told the board. But I do truly hope that you believe in your decision and it wasnt made on a whim, but also that the decision is open to the future possibility of a returning class.

One week after the vote, Adam Bertrand, the boards president, and Superintendent Kenneth Roumpos released a statement saying high school students can enroll in the elective courses next fall as long as the board approves a new curriculum that is rigorous and largely politically neutral.

Jane Puszkar, school board treasurer, said on social media that she was disappointed in Wednesdays protest over a nonexistent issue.

Though freedom of expression is an integral right of any student, I ask that students understand that these elective courses will be available with no interruption in offerings in our course catalog, Puszkar told the Post-Dispatch. Though opinions divide us, we should remember our main focus and that is to provide each student with the quality education they deserve.

In an email to the community Tuesday, Roumpos acknowledged the ongoing frustration, concern and questions surrounding the boards actions.

As someone who has responsibility for leading this District, it pains me that anyone in our community may not feel valued or welcomed because of your race, religion, language you speak, or values you hold, the superintendent wrote. I want to be part of a District where everyone feels they belong, and I am committed to the work and conversations necessary to continue moving toward making that a reality.

The district will host Citizens Roundtable events this semester to help build a welcoming environment, Roumpos said.

Chad Lange, one of two board members who voted against dropping the Black studies curriculum, said he and his grandson wore black to work and school on Wednesday in solidarity with the student protesters.

"I appreciate the practice of democracy our students, staff, and even many members of our community showed today," Lange said. "I am a big supporter and strong advocate for our Black History and Black Literature classes. I am proud that I was a part of getting them implemented to allow more learning opportunities for our students to choose from."

The standards from Learning for Justice used for the courses guide students to join with diverse people to plan and carry out collective action against exclusion, prejudice and discrimination among other goals.

Puszkar, the board treasurer, has said the standards include Marxist rhetoric and told the Post-Dispatch that she objects to teaching any course through a social justice lens and framework where the learning outcome isnt necessarily to learn the history, but to turn students into activists.

But at least one student said its the boards actions, and not the courses, that have inspired activism in the schools. Many students have emailed board members and attended meetings for the first time, said Lauren Chance, a senior at Francis Howell North who took Black History in 10th grade.

I dont see the issue with students becoming activists. I think we should be able to advocate for ourselves and things we believe in, Chance said.

Chance, who turned 18 in December, said the next goal is to register students to vote in the April election, when two seats on the Francis Howell School Board will be up for grabs.
JEFFERSON CITY  One of the newest members of the commission overseeing the states transportation system is a former mayor of St. Louis.

Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday announced former St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay as one of two new members of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

Slay, a Democrat, served as St. Louis mayor for four terms between 2001 and 2017.

Since February 2022, Slay, 68, has been executive director of the St. Louis Regional Crime Commission, a nonprofit that runs the St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers program.

Parson, a Republican, also named former state Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-St. Joseph, to the transportation commission. Hegeman is a former chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Parson ally.

There are six slots on the State Highways and Transportation Commission, and no more than three members may serve as a member of any one political party.

The commissioners serve six-year terms and must receive confirmation from the state Senate, which returns to action Wednesday.
JEFFERSON CITY  Newly released state records show Missouri officials have paid out more than $250,000 as a result of an open records law violation by Republican Josh Hawley.

The payment, which was listed on the states latest legal expense fund report released Wednesday, came in response to a Cole County judges determination last year that the U.S. senator violated the states Sunshine Law when he was attorney general.

The total amount paid in November was $256,238, records show.

In addition, Judge Jon Beetem also fined the office $12,000 for knowingly and purposefully violating public records laws when officials failed to release emails between Hawleys taxpayer-funded staff and his political consultants during his 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate.

Beetem said the records were concealed out of a concern that their release might affect Hawleys bid to move up the political ladder.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which brought the lawsuit in 2019, had sought $306,000 in attorney fees.

The Democrats asked in September 2017 and March 2018 for emails between staffers in Hawleys office and paid campaign operatives.

Hawleys office told the DSCC there were no responsive records.

But, in the closing days of the November 2018 election, the Kansas City Star reported that political consultants Gail Gitcho and Timmy Teepell directed taxpayer-paid staff in Hawleys office.

The article confirmed that there were, in fact, records of communications between political consultants and the attorney generals office. The attorney generals office also produced documents to Secretary of State Jay Ashcrofts office in December that prove there were responsive records, the lawsuit says.

It is now clear that the AGs Office not only possessed the requested documents, but it purposely and knowingly withheld them from DSCC, and it has advanced no argument  nor could it  that the documents are properly closed under the Sunshine Law, the lawsuit says.

Hawley, a Republican, defeated incumbent U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., in the November 2018 election. At the time, a spokeswoman for Hawley called the lawsuit a joke and yet another frivolous political suit.

Hawley is running for a second term in the 2024 election.

Attorney Mark Pedroli, who represented the DSCC, earlier called the decision a big win for transparency, election fairness, and the rule of law.
ST. CHARLES  A St. Charles woman faces a felony assault charge after authorities say she attacked a worker at a nonprofit that assists teens in need.

Treasure D. George, 19, faces one count of first-degree felony assault in an attack Monday that left a Youth In Need residential program worker covered from face to arms in her own blood, according to St. Charles police.

Police say the worker, who is not identified in court documents, went to retrieve a toothbrush that George had requested, and when the worker returned George hit her more than 30 times in the face and stomach.

Security footage shows George continuing to hit the worker even after the worker falls, according to charging documents.

The worker eventually restrained George until the police arrived, then was taken to a hospital with injuries including a broken nose and two other broken facial bones.

Any time any of our staff or clients are injured, its heartbreaking, no matter how rare, and taken very seriously. An employee was assaulted in one of our residential programs, and were making sure they are getting the needed care and support, Youth In Need President and CEO Pat Holterman-Hommes said in a statement Tuesday.

Youth In Need, founded in 1974 in St. Charles, is a nonprofit organization that today provides counseling, emergency housing for teens, and other services to teens and young adults in six counties.

In addition to the assault charge, George has pending criminal charges of motor vehicle theft in St. Louis County and attempted first-degree arson in St. Louis.

She is being held at the St. Charles County Jail on a $200,000 cash-only bond.
BEIRUT  Israel was on high alert for an escalation with Hezbollah on Wednesday after one of the top leaders of the Palestinian Hamas was killed in a strike in Beirut that was widely blamed on Israel and heightened the risk of a broader Middle East conflict.

The killing of Saleh Arouri, the most senior Hamas member slain since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago, provided a morale boost for Israelis still reeling from Hamas Oct. 7 attack as the militants put up stiff resistance in Gaza and continue to hold scores of hostages.

But its implications for the war remain unclear. Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders over the years, only to see them quickly replaced. And the strike in Hezbollahs southern Beirut stronghold could cause the low-intensity fighting along the Lebanon border to boil over into all-out war.

Much depends on how Hassan Nasrallah  who has led Hezbollah since an Israeli strike killed his predecessor in 1992  chooses to respond. He has previously vowed to retaliate for any Israeli targeting of allied militant leaders in Lebanon, and was expected to deliver a speech at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).

Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire almost daily over the Israeli-Lebanese border since the war in Gaza began, but Nasrallah has appeared reluctant to escalate it further, perhaps fearing a repeat of the monthlong 2006 war, in which Israel heavily bombed Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Israeli officials have not commented on the strike that killed Arouri, but Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said we are on high readiness for any scenario.

The United States has sought to prevent any widening of the conflict, including by deploying two aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was expected in the region this week.

A high-profile target

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to kill Hamas leaders wherever they are. The groups Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage.

Israel claims to have killed a number of mid-level Hamas leaders in Gaza, but this would be the first time since the war that it has reached into another country to target the groups top leaders, many of whom live in exile around the region.

Arouri was the deputy of Hamas supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and headed the groups presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He was also a key liaison with Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department had listed him as a terrorist and offered a $5 million reward for information about him.

Haniyeh said Hamas was more powerful and determined following the attack, which killed six other members of the group, including two military commanders. They left behind them strong men who will carry the banner after them, he said of those killed.

Hezbollah called the strike a serious attack on Lebanon, its people, its security, sovereignty and resistance.

We affirm that this crime will never pass without response and punishment, it said.

Israel seeks a clear victory in Gaza

The focus of the war remains on Gaza, where Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is seeking a clear victory over Hamas, which has ruled the territory since 2007.

Israels air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,300 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The campaign has driven some 85% of Gazas population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. A quarter of Gazas population face starvation, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.

The unprecedented death and destruction has led South Africa to accuse Israel of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice, allegations Israel has strongly denied and vowed to contest.

Still, Israel appears far from achieving its goals of crushing Hamas and returning the estimated 129 hostages still held by the group after more than 100 were released in a cease-fire deal in November.

Gallant said several thousand Hamas fighters remain in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops have been battling militants for over two months and where entire neighborhoods have been blasted into rubble.

Heavy fighting is also underway in central Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israeli officials say Hamas military structure is still largely intact. Yehya Sinwar, Hamas top leader in Gaza, and his deputies have thus far eluded Israeli forces.

Egypt, which along with Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan for ending the war in which all hostages would eventually be released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel would withdraw from Gaza and a government of Palestinian technocrats would govern Gaza and parts of the occupied West Bank until elections are held.

Neither Israel nor Hamas have accepted the plan in its entirety, but neither has rejected it outright.

An Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the killing of Arouri was likely to hamper the negotiations for a couple days.

Magdy reported from Cairo.

Updated at 4:30 a.m.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the Missouri woman who persuaded an online boyfriend to kill her mother after she forced her to pretend for years that she suffered from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses, was released Thursday from prison on parole.

Blanchard was released early in the day from the Chillicothe Correctional Center, said Karen Pojmann, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Corrections. Blanchard was granted parole after serving 85% of her original sentence, Pojmann said.

Blanchard's case sparked national tabloid interest after reports emerged that her mother, Clauddine "Dee Dee" Blanchard, who was slain in 2015, essentially kept her daughter prisoner, forcing her to use a wheelchair and feeding tube.

It turned out that Gypsy Blanchard, now 32, was perfectly healthy, not developmentally delayed as her friends always believed. Her mother had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a psychological disorder in which parents or caregivers seek sympathy through the exaggerated or made-up illnesses of their children, said her trial attorney, Michael Stanfield.

"People were constantly telling Dee Dee what a wonderful mother she was, and Dee Dee was getting all of this attention," he said.

Through the ruse, the mother and daughter met country star Miranda Lambert and received charitable donations, a trip to Disney World and even a home near Springfield from Habitat for Humanity.

Stanfield said Gypsy Blanchard's mother was able to dupe doctors by telling them her daughter's medical records were lost in Hurricane Katrina. If they asked too many questions, she just found a new physician, shaving the girl's head to back up her story.

Among the unnecessary procedures Gypsy Blanchard underwent was the removal of her salivary glands. Her mother convinced doctors it was necessary by using topical anesthetic to cause drooling.

Gypsy Blanchard, who had little schooling or contact with anyone but her mother, also was misled, especially when she was younger, Stanfield said.

"The doctors seem to confirm everything that you're being told. The outside world is telling you that your mother is a wonderful, loving, caring person. What other idea can you have?" Stanfield said.

But then the abuse became more physical, Stanfield said. Gypsy testified that her mother beat her and chained her to a bed. Slowly, Gypsy also was beginning to understand that she wasn't as sick as her mom said.

"I wanted to be free of her hold on me," Gypsy testified at the 2018 trial of her former boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn of Big Bend, Wisconsin, who is serving a life sentence in the killing. She went on to add: "I talked him into it."

When she took the stand at his trial, prosecutors already had cut her a deal because of the abuse she endured. In exchange for pleading guilty in 2016 to second-degree murder, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The first-degree murder charge she initially faced would have meant a life term.

"Nick was so in love with her and so obsessed with her that he would do anything," Godejohn's trial attorney Dewayne Perry argued in court, saying his client has autism and was manipulated.

Prosecutors, however, argued that he was motivated by sex and a desire to be with Gypsy Blanchard, whom he met on a Christian dating website.

According to the probable cause statement, Gypsy Blanchard supplied the knife and hid in a bathroom while Godejohn repeatedly stabbed her mother. The two ultimately made their way by bus to Wisconsin, where they were arrested.

"Things are not always as they appear," said Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott as the strange revelations began to emerge.

Even Gypsy's age was a lie. Her mother had said she was younger to make it easier to perpetuate the fraud, and got away with it because Gypsy was so small: just 4 feet, 11 inches tall.

Law enforcement was initially so confused that the original court documents listed three different ages for her, with the youngest being 19. She was 23.

Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson described it as "one of the most extraordinary and unusual cases we have seen."

Stanfield recalled that the first time he met Gypsy, she got out of breath walking the 75 yards from the elevator to the room where he talked to her. He described her as malnourished and physically frail.

"I can honestly say I've rarely had a client who looks exceedingly better after doing a fairly long prison sentence," Stanfield said. "Prison is generally not a place where you become happy and healthy. And I say that because, to me, that's kind of the evidence to the rest of the world as to just how bad what Gypsy was going through really was."

Gypsy Blanchard later said it wasn't until her arrest that she realized how healthy she was. But it took time. Eventually, she got married while behind bars to Ryan Scott Anderson, now 37, of Saint Charles, Louisiana.

The bizarre case was the subject of the 2017 HBO documentary "Mommy Dead and Dearest," the 2019 Hulu miniseries "The Act" and an upcoming Lifetime docuseries "The Prison Confession of Gypsy Rose Blanchard."

Daytime television psychologist "Dr. Phil" McGraw interviewed her from prison. The novel "Darling Rose Gold" draws upon the story for its premise and Blanchard's own account, "Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom" is set for publication next month.

Violent crime is up  and also down, according to new federal data Violent crime is up  and also down, according to new federal data Federal reports show similar long-term trends in violent crime, but diverge significantly on year-over-year changes Despite the long-term trends, the two reports differ more than ever before on the year-over-year change in violent crime. Property crime went up in 2022 One undeniable trend: Violent crimes against young people doubled Still, most crimes are not reported to the police
Opinion articles written in the style of their author." These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. shall feature, along with the author's name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed

Playwright Wajahat Ali, the fastest and most prepared mind on television panels, was discontinued at CNN because he talked about white racism too much. Because whites buy their products, TV reporters and pundits are instructed to refrain from calling the Trump followers racists or anti-Semites, so they give tepid reasoning for why whites are attracted to a man charged with 91 felonies. Though they might spend 24/7 criticizing the former president, they assist him by making excuses for those who support him, millions of deplorables, and thousands who are deranged like the man who attacked Representative Pelosis husband.

On Dec. 26, both media elite members, Chris Matthews, and Tim Miller, appearing on MSNBC, said that Trump followers are rural people who vote for him because the Eastern elites insult and ridicule them. Are they suggesting that if the Eastern elite hadnt mocked them, the insurgency of Jan. 6 would never have happened? Maybe bought them a beer?

Rather than ridicule rural America, American theater, art, television, and other forms of media have romanticized this section of the country, from Thorton Wilders play Our Town to the film Fargo, which draws Midwest states as centers of piety. If this is true, why is a sinner like Trump ahead in Iowa?

Filmmaker Debra Granik shows a more realistic view of rural America in two films, Winters Bone (2010) and Down to the Bone (2004), about hard-pressed rural communities which resort to meth sales to survive. Places where drug addiction and overdoses among the white working class is such that, for the first time, white life expectancy has decreased.

Though some media figures admit that there are more crimes committed in Red Republican states than Blue states, both Fox and MSNBC emphasize crime taking place in cities with large Black populations. Joe Scarborough, whose show Morning Joe has millions of viewers, works himself into conniptions as he blasts crime rates in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. He described San Francisco as a place of madness and chaos. I replied to him in an essay in Counterpunch magazine, where I recounted three visits to San Francisco around the same time he belted out this outburst and found no evidence of chaos and madness. By exaggerating chaos and madness in cities occupied by large Black populations, Scarborough and Fox News provide Trump with talking points. His speeches get a warm reception when he speaks of an American crime so out of control that Black neighborhoods need to be occupied by the army. Under a Trump administration would I have to show an ID in order to leave my neighborhood?

What are the actual crime figures for 2023? According to the FBI, crime decreased in nearly every category.

Facts also counter the argument that Trumps followers are limited to the rural areas inhabited by those left behind. Actual figures show something different. Support for Trump includes members of all social classes, including Eastern elites who received a beautiful tax break from the Trump presidency. According to The New York Times, Trump is dominating Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis among Republican voters of every age and income level, in cities, rural areas and suburbs. The former president is winning 80% of GOP primary voters who do not think he committed serious crimes  and 34 percent of those who think he did, the report adds.

Trump has to be one of the greatest showmen in history. He believes with circus entrepreneur P.T. Barnum that theres a sucker born every minute. Not only is the media Trumps sucker, but the sucker earns money by being taken. Trump knows that if he says outrageous things, it would make round-the-clock news. So the media reacts to his every tweet. He called political opponents vermin, which became a subject in TV panels for days to come, or his desire that President Biden rot in hell. Instead of covering the world like the BBC and Al Jazeera, American media owners involve all-day panels in answering Trumps tweets, something thats entertaining and inexpensive.

Maybe President Bidens poll numbers are low because the media spend so much time on Trump that people think hes the president. This wouldnt be the first time Trump received more time from the media than his opponents.

According to data from the Tyndall Report, which tracks nightly news content, between January and November 2015, Trump alone accounted for more than a quarter of all 2016 election coverage in the evening newscasts of NBC, CBS, and ABC, more than the entire Democratic contest combined. The same thing is happening months before the 2024 election. Trump is the omnipresent trickster that wont go away. He looms over the American experience like a Zeppelin full of hot air.

Ishmael Reed is an American author of essays, novels, plays, and poetry. His latest play, The Conductor, can be viewed here.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Two bombs exploded and killed at least 84 people at a commemoration for a prominent Iranian general slain by the U.S. in a 2020 drone strike, Iranian officials said, as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for what appeared to be the deadliest militant attack to target Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran's leaders vowed to punish those responsible for the blasts, which wounded at least 284 people.

The explosions struck minutes apart on Wednesday, shaking the city of Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. The second blast sprayed shrapnel into a screaming crowd fleeing the first explosion.

An earlier death toll of 103 was twice revised lower after officials realized that some names had been repeated on a list of victims and due to the severity of wounds suffered by some of the dead, health authorities said. Many of the wounded were in critical condition, however, so the death toll could rise.

The gathering marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. The explosions occurred near his grave site as long lines of people gathered for the event.

Iranian state television and officials described the attacks as bombings, without immediately giving clear details of what happened. The attacks came a day after a deputy head of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut.

The first bomb Wednesday was detonated around 3 p.m., and the other went off some 20 minutes later, the Iranian interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, told state television. He said the second blast killed and wounded the most people.

Images and video shared on social media appeared to correspond with the accounts of officials, who said the first blast happened about 700 meters (765 yards) from Soleimani's grave in the Kerman Martyrs Cemetery near a parking lot. The crowd then rushed west along Shohada Street, where the second blast struck about 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) from the grave.

A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to inflict more casualties by targeting emergency personnel responding to an attack.

Iranian state TV and state-run IRNA news agency quoted emergency officials for the casualty figures. Authorities said Thursday would be a national day of mourning.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attackers will face a harsh response, though he didn't name any possible suspect. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi added: "Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organizations and state actors.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass casualty bombings. A U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said American officials had no reason to believe Israel was involved in Wednesday's attack in Iran. That was echoed by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby at the White House, who said our hearts go out to all the innocent victims and their family members.

Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the turmoil surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran itself has been arming militant groups over the decades, including Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels. As Israel wages its devastating war in Gaza after Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, both Hezbollah and the Houthis have launched attacks targeting Israel that they say come on behalf of the Palestinians.

Israel is suspected of launching the attack Tuesday that killed a deputy head of Hamas in Beirut, but that attack caused limited casualties in a densely populated neighborhood of the Lebanese capital. Last week, a suspected Israeli strike killed a Revolutionary Guard commander in Syria.

A Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdel-Salam, sought to link the bombings to Iran's support for the resistance forces in Palestine and Lebanon, though he did not specifically blame anyone for the attack. Some Iranian officials also hinted at Israeli and American involvement without offering evidence, which is common after militant attacks.

In Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the people who died in the attacks martyrs who died on the same road, cause and battle that was led by Soleimani.

The government of neighboring Iraq expressed condolences to the victims, and the European Union issued a statement offering its solidarity with the Iranian people. Even Saudi Arabia, a longtime regional rival which r eached a detente with Iran last year, offered its sympathies.

Soleimani was the architect of Irans regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Irans theocracy. He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assads government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

Soleimani had been relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. His popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help in arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. troops.

A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Irans most recognizable battlefield commander. He ignored calls to enter politics but grew as powerful, if not more so, than its civilian leadership.

Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed Americas 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers.

Soleimanis death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.

Until Wednesday, the deadliest attack to strike Iran since the revolution was the 1981 truck bombing of the Islamic Republican Partys headquarters in Tehran. That attack killed at least 72 people, including the partys leader, four government ministers, eight deputy ministers and 23 parliament members.

In 1978 just ahead of the revolution, an intentionally set fire at the Cinema Rex in Abadan killed hundreds of people.

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jack Jeffery and Emma Burrows in London; and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

Editors note: Revises number of dead and wounded again.

Updated at 12:39 a.m. Thursday
In the wake of their inspiring victory last week, opponents of the Francis Howell school boards latest culture-war assault on racial discourse may be tempted to take the win and move on. But that would be a mistake.

Thats because even as conservative activists on the board backed down from their earlier attempt to scrub Black history and literature course offerings, they kept open a path to come back this year and undermine those courses in furtherance of their political agenda  which has nothing to do with education and everything to do with enforcing academic silence regarding racial issues.

Going forward, parents and students who recognize the toxicity of this project should focus on three goals: flooding this falls Black history and literature course offerings with new enrollees; keeping the public spotlight on the boards majority as it attempts to neuter the content of those courses (which it has telegraphed it will try to do); and, most importantly, removing this klatch of right-wing ideologues from the board as their terms come up in future elections.

The school district in St. Charles County, among the states largest, had a fraught racial history long before five of the seven school board seats were commandeered recently by culture-war activists. Parents in the mostly white district, for example, initially resisted the busing of students from the mostly Black Normandy district starting in 2013.

The ensuing years have seen better developments. Though Francis Howells student population is still less than 8% Black, the all-white school board passed an anti-racism resolution in 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, and had copies of the resolution posted in schools.

A year later, the board approved Black History and Black Literature curricula at the behest of students and others. The elective courses, offered at the districts three high schools, have drawn about 100 students this year.

Who could oppose these benign (and strictly voluntary) nods toward racial inclusion and understanding? Five board members elected in the past two years with the backing of the conservative activist PAC Francis Howell Families, thats who.

The organization bills itself as promoting academic excellence, but its agenda is a familiar culture-war crusade of scrubbing critical race theory from classrooms, scouring school libraries for offensive books and other priorities that are less about academics than ideology.

The newly seated five-member conservative majority on the seven-member board wasted little time in implementing that agenda last year. In July, they rescinded the anti-racism proclamation and took down the anti-racism statements from school hallways. And last month, the same majority voted to do away with the Black history and literature courses.

In both cases, the majority presented its retrograde activism as promoting color-blind racial harmony  which ignores the fact that systemic racism in society today requires frank discussion, not denial.

Its telling that the boards majority has been underhanded about what they were doing. The reversal of the anti-racism proclamation was initially presented as mere procedural housekeeping that wasnt focused on the proclamation itself.

And last months course cancellations were initiated in a rushed, last-minute move that circumvented the usual procedure of going through a curriculum committee before presenting the issue to the full board.

Rushing it through didnt work, though. The course cancellations spurred a student-led petition drive to reinstate the courses, garnering some 3,350 signatures  which, notably, is more than double the entire Black student enrollment in the district.

That helps explain why the boards majority backed off last week (a mere week after the initial cancellation) and announced it would keep the courses on offer for the 2024-2025 school year.

But as the Post-Dispatchs Blythe Bernhard reports, that reversal comes with a caveat: The boards majority intends to offer an updated curriculum standard that is rigorous and largely politically neutral, according to last weeks announcement.

Who will decide what largely politically neutral means? Race is an intrinsically political topic today to begin with  and its already clear that this board majority believes the best way to promote its own political views on that topic is to silence any serious discussion about race at all.

Francis Howell students and parents can press the issue by ensuring an influx of enrollment in the Black literature and history courses that will be offered in the next school year. They must also keep pressure on the school board to leave the content of those courses to professional educators and not the politically driven activists who comprise the boards majority.

Unfortunately, the districts voters wont have the chance to start removing the culture-war caucus from the board until 2025, when the three-year terms of board President Adam Bertrand and Vice President Randy Cook expire. Board members Mark Ponder, Jane Puszkar and Ron Harmon are up the following year.

It could be that the national fever that has elevated this kind of destructive right-wing dogma to school boards around America will have broken by then. Either way, Francis Howell supporters who are serious about an education that engages with American diversity instead of suppressing it should stay mobilized.
Is St. Louis city government so technologically inept that it can no longer provide the kind of detailed crime data that it used to, and that other local governments still do?

Or is the city simply hiding behind that excuse to prevent the public from getting a full accounting of the current crime situation?

The answer is inescapably one of the two  and there are troubling indications its the latter. How else to explain the fact that detailed crime data is being provided to government insiders while the press and the public are being told it doesnt exist?

These are among the questions raised by a Post-Dispatch analysis of the citys failure, for about three years now, to provide detailed public data showing exactly where criminal activity is happening in St. Louis. Its a failure that hobbles efforts to fully assess and address the citys crime, which is at the core of so many of its other problems.

As the Post-Dispatchs Josh Renaud reported last week, St. Louis police used to post detailed data online every month, with geographic coordinates that pinpointed what crimes were happening where.

The value of such data cannot be overstated. Crime researchers use it to study how vacant lots, building projects, government spending and other factors impact criminal activity. Understanding what spurs, inhibits or simply relocates crime is the first step toward combating it.

But those monthly postings abruptly stopped in late 2020  just as the city was facing major spikes in homicides and other crimes.

Police blamed the interruption on a new computer system that was installed to interact with a new federal system designed (ironically enough) to better track crime across the country.

By June of 2021, the problem still hadnt been solved. This has been a challenge and its something we hope to address in the very near future, a police spokesman told the Post-Dispatch at the time.

That was more than two years ago. And yet  mysteriously, maddeningly  the situation persists.

City police have essentially presented it as an intractable technological problem that cant be solved. Never mind that the St. Louis County Police Department and other local entities that faced the same glitches with the new federal system have since worked it out and resumed posting detailed data.

People interested in St. Louis city crime trends, meanwhile, can get only generalized data by neighborhood. The granular data by geographic location that was available until 2020  the kind of data thats crucial for accurately tracking and analyzing crime trends  remains publicly unavailable.

A few Post-Dispatch readers commenting online about the situation have noted the persistent dog ate my homework nature of the citys excuse-making.

But all indications are that its actually worse than that.

The most disturbing revelation in Renauds reporting is the citys claim that it can no longer provide the kind of detailed crime data it used to apparently isnt true.

Even as the police department has declined media Sunshine Law requests for detailed data, claiming it no longer exists under the current computer system, it has provided those kinds of figures to city officials and government contractors.

Washington Universitys Institute for Public Health, for example, needed detailed data for a city-contracted study on the effectiveness of violence interrupters, a favored project of Mayor Tishaura Jones. The institute was able to obtain the data from police, Renauds reporting found.

Yet a police spokesperson told the Post-Dispatch she was unaware of such data being provided to anyone. Other city officials arent commenting.

So which is it? Are city police technologically unable to comply with legally valid requests to produce important crime data? Or does it just depend on whos asking?

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Because the Jones administration and the police department arent explaining this discrepancy, its inevitable that the public will wonder whether the lack of crime-related data is an intentional attempt to obfuscate the true parameters of St. Louis crime crisis. If that sounds like paranoia  well, thats what happens in the vacuum of governmental silence.

Lack of transparency in government, always a bad thing, is especially intolerable when it comes to crime.

Jones and Police Chief Robert Tracy should pledge to do whatever it takes to resume full public access to detailed crime data immediately. And if theyre going to continue claiming that isnt possible, they need to explain why the claim appears to be situational.

St. Louis police have crime data they wont share. Researchers call it embarrassing. Three years ago, the St. Louis police department abruptly turned off its public spigot of detailed geographic crime data. Its left community groups and researchers in the lurch.
Regarding "Francis Howell school board plans to reinstate Black History, Black Literature courses after blowback" (Dec. 29): I was so sorry to see the school board cave in to the outcry when they voted to eliminate Black studies from their curriculum. I applaud those who voted to get rid of Black literature, as fewer than 8% of the district's students are African American.
Regarding the letter to the editor "Northview Village closure is part of a much larger problem" (Dec. 29): While my experience as a hospital social worker with Medicare HMOs completely reinforced the writer's pessimism about them, the letter misses a point about how patients in need of long-term nursing home care are paid for when they are unable to pay for themselves.

That program is Medicaid. And it is also true that Medicaid as a payer for nursing-home care has serious problems. As a primarily state-funded program, Medicaid reimbursement for nursing home care is decided by each state, and as we are all aware, Missouri is never generous when it comes to funding Medicaid.

For many of us, myself included, if we need long-term care in a nursing home, we will not have the resources to pay for it privately, so we will have to depend on Medicaid. And I am very concerned about whether that care will be available at all when I need it, and if it is, what that quality of care will be, given Missouri's stinginess in funding it.

Shari Kelts

Kirkwood
GOLETA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Aeluma, Inc. (OTCQB: ALMU), a semiconductor company specializing in scalable, cost-effective technologies for LiDAR (light detection and ranging), communication, and sensing, announced today that it will host an exhibitor booth and deliver a presentation at the upcoming SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, California.

SPIE Photonics West is the world's premier event for lasers, biomedical optics and biophotonic technologies, quantum, and optoelectronics. In 2023, more than 22,000 registered attendees joined the event, walked three exhibitions to see 1,400+ exhibitors, and watched more than 4,500 technical presentations at the conferences.

Aeluma will host an exhibitor booth at the SPIE Photonics West Exhibition at the Moscone Center during January 30 - February 1, 2024 at Booth 5143 where the company will showcase its scalable, large-diameter wafer technology.

Additionally, the conference invited Aeluma Director of Technology Matthew Dummer, Ph.D., to deliver a presentation titled "Large-Wafer Heterogeneously Integrated InGaAs Photodetector Sensors" at the Technical Conference on January 30, 2024 at 5:00-5:20 PM PST at the Moscone Center, Room 2008 (Level 2 West).

To meet with the Aeluma team at the event, attendees are encouraged to contact the company at [email protected].

Aeluma is working to commercialize its transformative semiconductor chip technology for a variety of markets including automotive LiDAR, mobile, defense and aerospace, AR/VR, AI, and communication. Aeluma has established a unique semiconductor manufacturing capability in Santa Barbara, California. With its proprietary technology that combines compound semiconductor nanomaterials with mass market semiconductor manufacturing, Aeluma is developing products that could offer high-performance and low-cost solutions for emerging markets. Key to Aeluma's disruptive technology is the ability to manufacture its compound semiconductor chips on up to 12-inch Silicon substrates, which can scale and be mass produced, thereby potentially reducing the cost of chips dramatically.

About Aeluma, Inc.

Aeluma (www.aeluma.com) develops novel optoelectronic devices for sensing and communications applications. Aeluma has pioneered a technique to manufacture devices using high performance compound semiconductor materials on large-diameter Silicon substrates that are commonly used for mass market microelectronics. The technology has the potential to enhance performance and provide a path to cost-effective, large-scale manufacturing, both of which are critical for future LiDAR and other sensor applications. Aeluma is developing a streamlined business model from its headquarters in Santa Barbara, California that has a state-of-the-art manufacturing cleanroom.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, statements relating to the Company's expectations regarding its market position and market opportunity, expectations and plans as to its product development, manufacturing and sales, and relations with its partners and investors. These statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding its business, operations and other similar or related factors. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "anticipate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "believe," "estimate," and other similar or related expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult or impossible to predict and, in some cases, beyond the Company's control. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update information in this release to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available.

Company Contact:

Aeluma, Inc.

(805) 351-2707

[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Bishop IR

Mike Bishop

(415) 894-9633

[email protected]

SOURCE: Aeluma, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Albertsons Companies' Shaw's and Star Market Veterans Associate Resource Group (ARG) recently came together with division Community Champions to support Wreaths Across America, an organization dedicated to remembering the fallen, honoring those who serve, and teaching the next generation the value of freedom. Team members volunteered their time displaying wreaths and passing out refreshments to volunteers and members of the military.



Thank you to Rick Joyce, Maine District Manager, Shaw's Veterans ARG leader and Marine Veteran as well as Community Champion, Kathleen Lawrence, for their leadership on our participation in Wreaths Across America.

See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Albertsons Companies on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Albertsons Companies

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/albertsons-companies

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Albertsons Companies

View the original press release on accesswire.com
PHOENIX, AX / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / The Stock Day Podcast welcomed C-Bond Systems, Inc. (OTC PINK:CBNT)("the Company"), a San Antonio-based nanotechnology company and marketer of the patented C-Bond technology, which is proven to strengthen glass for architectural applications. CEO of the Company, Scott R. Silverman, joined Stock Day host Matthew Dunehoo.

Silverman began the interview by discussing the Company's 2023 highlights. "We entered 2023 looking to grow significantly with both our top-line and bottom-line related to the growth of our Patriot Glass subsidiary," shared Silverman, before elaborating on the industry-leading solutions developed by this division, which are designed to delay and prevent break-ins and shootings. "Going into the summer of 2023, we knew there would be a significant opportunity in the school space, particularly in Texas," he said, noting new state mandates and guidelines regarding public schools and window reinforcement solutions. "This is going to continue to expand in 2024 across other parts of the country as well."

"All-in-all, 2023 was a very successful year," continued Silverman. "As you know our 3rd quarter was a record revenue quarter, by far, with well over $800,000," he said. "We expect to be led into a very strong 2024 from a revenue growth perspective."

"The other highlight of 2023 was the sale of our automotive division, which we sold for $4 million in cash," shared Silverman. "This strengthened our balance sheet, paid off over $2 million in debt, and gave us working capital in order to go out there and grow the Patriot Glass Solutions division," he continued. "2023 was by far the best year that I have been at C-Bond and the best year in C-Bond's history."

"What can we expect for catalysts in 2024?", asked Dunehoo. Silverman explained that the Company now has an established pipeline of contracts and projects, including numerous multi-year contracts. "We have active jobs for the 4th quarter, which should yield very strong revenue production, but we also have a backlog going into 2024."

"Which catalysts do you believe will be the most inspirational to the investing public at large?", asked Dunehoo. "The revenue growth, as well as our established pipeline within the school, commercial, and government sectors, as well as the strengthening of our balance sheet by paying off our convertible debt in the sale of our automotive division," said Silverman. "Going into 2024, we hope to grow organically and perhaps externally too through partnership or acquisition to lead us into a position where 2024 revenues will be substantially higher than 2023 revenues."

To close the interview, Silverman thanked shareholders for their continued support and encouraged listeners to keep up-to-date on the Company's growing portfolio as they continue to expand throughout the school, commercial, and government sectors.

To hear Scott Silverman's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8424603-c-bond-systems-inc-discusses-2023-highlights-and-2024-goals-with-the-stock-day-podcast

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/

About C-Bond

C-Bond Systems, Inc. (OTC PINK:CBNT) is a San Antonio-based nanotechnology company and marketer of the patented C-Bond technology, which is proven to strengthen glass for architectural applications. The Company's Patriot Glass Solutions subsidiary sells ballistic-resistant glass solutions and forced entry deterrent solutions to private enterprises, schools, and government agencies. For more information, please visit our websites: www.cbondsystems.com, www.patriotglasssolutions.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbondsys/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBondSys and https://twitter.com/Patriot_Glass.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about the Company's future expectations, including the likelihood that school mandates are going to continue to expand in 2024 across other parts of the country as well; the likelihood that we will be led into a very strong 2024 from a revenue growth perspective; the likelihood that the Company will continue to grow and expand across the country; the likelihood that going into 2024, we hope to grow organically and perhaps externally too through partnership or acquisition to lead us into a position where 2024 revenues will be substantially higher than 2023 revenues; constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and our actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize its products; the Company's and its customers' ability to source materials; construction delays; film delays; the Company's ability to raise capital; regulatory risks; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors may be described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") including its Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2023, its Forms 10-Q filed on November 14, 2023, August 14, 2023, and May 15, 2023, and in future filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Contact:

Allison Tomek

C-Bond Systems

[email protected]

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.

SOURCE: Stock Day Media

View the original press release on accesswire.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Duke Energy:

Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) will see a decrease of $11.29

Company continues to take steps to lower costs while providing the reliable, cleaner energy Florida customers deserve

Duke Energy Florida will reduce customer rates in 2024.

The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) unanimously approved Duke Energy's request to lower rates starting in January 2024. A typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh will see a decrease in their January 2024 bill of $11.29, or about 6%, when compared to December 2023.

Commercial and industrial customers will see a bill decrease between 5.6% and 7.2%, but the specific bill impact will vary depending on several factors.

The bill reduction includes storm recovery costs combined with lower fuel and capacity costs for 2024.

"By combining Hurricane Idalia costs with the remaining balance of prior storms and previously filed bill reductions like lower fuel costs, we are able to provide some much-needed bill relief to our customers," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

"We will continue to take steps to provide the best possible price for our customers, while delivering the reliable, cleaner energy customers deserve," said Seixas.

The company encourages customers to take advantage of the numerous flexible billing and energy savings programs, including free home assessments, budget billing and usage alerts, to help customers save energy and money.

To learn more about these programs, visit duke-energy.com/SeasonalBills or call the Customer Care number listed on your energy bill.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Audrey Stasko

24-Hour: 800.559.3853

Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Duke Energy on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Duke Energy

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/duke-energy

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Duke Energy

View the original press release on accesswire.com
WESTBURY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2023 / FAVO Capital Inc., a rapidly growing alternate finance company, is proud to announce the successful acquisition of three prominent entities: Believe Call Center in the Dominican Republic. Lendtech CRM Solutions, and a related Independent Sales Organization.

Believe Call Center: Enhancing Customer Engagement and Support Capabilities

Favo Capital's acquisition of Believe Call Center, based in the Dominican Republic, marks a strategic move to bolster customer engagement and support services. This expansion into the Caribbean region reinforces Favo Capital's commitment to providing exceptional service to its diverse clientele and expands the back-office capabilities to support growth.

Lendtech CRM Solutions: Advancing Fintech Capabilities

The acquisition of Lendtech CRM Solutions represents a significant step forward in Favo Capital's technological evolution. The innovative CRM and Deal Management for Alternate Lending Originations and Servicing Software aligns with Favo Capital's commitment to Fintech innovation, streamlining lending processes, and delivering unparalleled solutions to current and future clients.

Independent Sales Organization (ISO): Strengthening the Sales and Distribution Network

Complementing these acquisitions is the integration of a related Independent Sales Organization (ISO).

Favo Capital recognizes the strategic importance of expanding its sales and distribution network, and this ISO brings a wealth of experience and expertise in driving sales strategies and market penetration across the United States.

Vincent Napolitano, CEO stated, "These strategic acquisitions bring a positive outlook for 2024 and beyond and solidify our commitment to the growth of the company." He added, "This expands our global footprint and reinforces our dedication to providing world-class financial solutions to our clients."

The acquisition, structured as a comprehensive cash, stock, and profit share buyout is accretive day one and reflects FAVO Capital's commitment to fostering innovation, expanding its service offerings, and strengthening its global presence. The deal positions FAVO Capital as a formidable force with a robust team of over seventy professionals in New York, Florida and Dominican Republic all dedicated to providing exceptional financial solutions and unparalleled customer service.

The Companies President, Shaun Quin added, "We have seen exponential growth for FAVO Capital over the past three years and with this acquisition and the integration of these companies with a staff compliment of over 50 professionals joining the team, will add yet another core pillar of strength to our already solid foundation."

About FAVO Capital Inc.

FAVO CAPITAL is a Direct Funding Company, which provides customized, short-term funding to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide. FAVO Realty is a Real Estate Investment Company which invests in a diversified portfolio of quality commercial real estate properties throughout the United States. "FAVO" is "Honeycomb" in Latin - The Honeycomb (Hexagon) is the most efficient shape in the universe. FAVO intends to be Efficient, Flexible & Durable.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 833.328.6477

Website: www.favocapital.com

Safe Harbor/Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements, estimates, and projections of future trends and of the anticipated future performance constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Series' expectations, beliefs, or future strategies that are signified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," or similar language. These forward-looking statements concern the Company's operations, economic performance and financial condition and are based largely on the Company's beliefs and expectations. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from expected results. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release FAVO Capital, Inc and its Management Team expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, unless specifically required by law or regulation.

SOURCE: FAVO Capital, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
In Edison, New Jersey, the mayor warned he would send people back to the border if they came to his city in buses. In Rockford, Illinois, authorities said 355 migrants who landed on a charter flight wouldnt be staying.

NO MIGRANT BUSES THIS EXIT, signs along Interstate 55 in Grundy County, Illinois, southwest of Chicago said ahead of Christmas weekend.

Nervous officials in suburbs and outlying cities near Chicago and New York are giving migrants arriving from the southern border a cold shoulder amid attempts to circumvent restrictions on buses in those two cities, opening a new front in response to efforts led by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to pay for migrants to leave his state.

The suburban backlash comes amid what the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls unprecedented arrivals, with illegal entries topping 10,000 several days last month. For months, big-city Democratic mayors including Eric Adams of New York and Brandon Johnson of Chicago have pleaded with the Biden administration for help addressing the influx.

A plane carrying 355 migrants from San Antonio landed at Chicago Rockford International Airport at 1 a.m. on New Years Day, with Rockford officials saying none left the airport thats about 85 miles (137 kilometers) from downtown Chicago before boarding buses. The city of Chicago said migrants on the Boeing 777 boarded eight buses chartered by Abbott to be dropped off in various suburbs. Abbott also chartered a flight last month that brought 120 migrants to Chicagos OHare International Airport.

Chicago and New York recently began cracking down on buses making unscheduled drop-offs, with fines and tickets.

Some Chicago suburbs also have adopted or are considering similar regulations. Tinley Parks ordinance vows to cite, impound or take other appropriate measures against buses that make unannounced stops in the town of about 60,000 people. The village of Broadview, a suburb of 8,000 residents west of Chicago, said last week that it had to take action because the unloading of passengers in inclement or severe weather without a coordinated plan poses a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of the people aboard the buses.

In New Jersey, migrants are being dropped off at train stations in Jersey City, Secaucus and Trenton, according to state officials. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphys office has said the state is primarily being used as a transit point and that nearly all of them are headed to New York. Murphys office said the state is working with federal and local authorities, but didnt provide further details.

Murphy said last summer that New Jersey couldnt support the arrivals amid discussion that the Biden administration was considering using the Atlantic City airport as a possible destination. It was a change of tune for Murphy, a self-styled progressive who first ran for governor in 2017 and suggested he would declare New Jersey a sanctuary state, a loose term for a place with immigrant-friendly policies.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said most migrants who arrived in his city have moved on to New York, but 10 people have stayed with family in the area.

We empathize when someone is trying to seek asylum or when someone is trying to take them in. But we dont have the capacity to take them in, he said.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said in a Facebook post that he has instructed our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border.

The mayors of New York and Chicago have blamed Abbott. This is a diabolical plan by this governor and were going to have to respond based on what he is doing, Adams said Tuesday.

Abbott has defended his tactics by saying President Joe Biden needs to do more to secure the border. His spokesperson Renae Eze on Tuesday also renewed attacks on Democratic mayors, saying their hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley said the highway signs south of Chicago were part of an emergency effort to avoid people being dropped off outside in the cold with no money, food or winter clothes during the holiday weekend. No buses have stopped in the county, and the signs have since been removed, Briley said.

About 30 migrants from Venezuela were recently dropped off at 4:30 a.m. at a gas station in Kankakee County, according to Sheriff Mike Downey. The people were left without money, food, adequate clothing, and were under the impression that they had reached their destination.

I dont think this problem is going to stop, said Briley. Were a rural community. We just dont have the same kind of tax base that the city of Chicago does to be able to provide those resources.

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New novel set in Central Virginia on Christmas Eve explores a heavenly message and seeks to find common ground politically.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / What topics dominated your holiday table conversations this year? Abortion? Transgender rights? Climate change? Gene editing? Racial injustice? Income inequality? Artificial intelligence? Unidentified aerial phenomenon?

Those and much more are all on the table for wide-ranging, sometimes contentious discussions among members of Tom Reynolds's family on two Christmas gatherings set 10 years apart in the new, two-part edition of I, Messenger, a novel by Russell J. Marks III.

Intended to stretch the reader's perspective on the scientific, religious, social, and political issues that are dividing the American people today, it is both thought-provoking and disturbing recommended reading for everyone concerned about civility in public and private discourse, the preservation of American democracy, and the very future of the egoistic species Homo sapiens.

Book 1: A Heavenly Mission begins as Tom Reynolds, riding alone on a crisp December morning in the Shenandoah Valley of Central Virginia, suddenly and uncharacteristically curses. For the fifth time in as many rides, Tom's iPhone had delivered the same anonymous message in a clear, emotionless voice-this time ironically following The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." The message simply said:

"Dr. Reynolds, I'm a messenger from God. He has a mission for you. Please meet me at noon on Christmas Day in the videoconference room at your school. Come alone. More will be revealed."

Whether prank, hoax, or divinely inspired, the message sets Tom in search of the truth about the origins of man, the mysteries of UFOs, questions of quantum physics, the nature of religious experience, and the search for meaning-or at least the meaning of search.

Nearly a decade later, in Book 2: Seeking Common Ground, Tom renews the quest in search of common ground in the face of additional fractures in a growing set of ideological debates, including climate change, race relations, abortion, gene editing, identity politics, and a potentially changing world order.

I, Messenger by Russell J Marks III is available now on amazon.com in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions.

Review copies available on request to qualified media reps.

###

Contact Information

Tim Laseter

CEO

[email protected]

(434) 242-4940

Max Russell

Vice President, Editorial Services

[email protected]

(617) 797-4056

Russ Marks

Author

[email protected]

(434) 242-4940



Related Files

I_Messenger_Press_Release 1-3-24.docx

SOURCE: Russell J. Marks III, author

View the original press release on newswire.com.
HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NCMI") (TSXV:NMI)(OTCQB: NMREF) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the pilot plant flotation test work for its "Lofdal 2B-4" heavy rare earth project.

From October to December 2023, rigorous tests were conducted on a 5-ton representative bulk sample from the Lofdal Area 4 starter pit at SGS Lakefield. Based on preliminary data, the pilot plant program confirms the reproducibility of the grinding and flotation regime for the Lofdal flowsheet and the ability to scale-up the design with confirmation of engineering design criteria.

Through an extensive flotation optimization program conducted at SGS in 2023, several adjustments were undertaken to the flotation parameters developed in 2022 (see PEA report "Lofdal 2B-4" on SEDAR). The applied optimization steps aimed at decreasing operating expenditures (OPEX) compared to the PEA "Lofdal 2B-4" and increasing recovery of the heavy rare earth mineral xenotime into the concentrate.

Darrin Campbell, President of Namibia Critical Metals, stated:

"We are extremely pleased with the completion of the flotation pilot plant test work, which has yielded highly positive results. This groundbreaking achievement of scaling up from bench-scale to pilot-scale marks a significant milestone in the journey toward unlocking the immense potential of the Lofdal deposit. The uniqueness of our Lofdal heavy rare earth deposit, with its complex xenotime mineralization, required us to pioneer novel beneficiation methods. Based on the preliminary data, it appears that the hard work invested by our metallurgy teams over the past months will result in a substantial cumulative reduction in OPEX compared to previous financial estimations.

The outstanding work accomplished by our dedicated team in drilling and metallurgical test work has been recognized and validated by our esteemed partner, JOGMEC, whose continued funding commitments demonstrate their confidence in the Lofdal project.

This remarkable progress underscores Namibia Critical Metals' commitment to developing the globally significant Lofdal Project, which hosts the highly sought-after heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium. As the demand for these critical metals skyrockets due to their pivotal role in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and various other technological applications, the Lofdal Project stands as a vital solution to meet these growing needs."

Pilot-scale Flotation Tests in Q4 2023

Flotation pilot plant test work was conducted at SGS Lakefield from October to November 2023. The flotation flowsheet developed in 2022 by SGS (see PEA report "Lofdal 2B-4" on SEDAR and press release of 22 November 2022) formed the basis of the pilot plant tests. Several adjustments to the flotation parameters were undertaken based on the flotation optimisation program conducted at SGS in 2023. Among the optimization parameters are lower temperature flotation, lower collector dosages and usage of newly developed reagents with high concentrations of active ingredients. The applied optimization parameters aimed to significantly decrease operating expenditures (OPEX) compared to the PEA "Lofdal 2B-4" and increase recovery of the heavy rare earth mineral xenotime into the concentrate.

Continuous piloting tests were conducted on a 5-ton representative bulk sample from the Lofdal Area 4 starter pit. The tested material had slightly lower rare earth element grades than the samples used for the bench-scale test work in 2022 and 2023. This is to reflect the potential to process the large amounts of slightly lower grade material referred to as "stockpile" in the PEA "Lofdal 2B-4" which would allow further increased throughput and life of mine. Based on preliminary data, the pilot plant program confirms the reproducibility of the grinding and flotation regime for the Lofdal flowsheet and the ability to scale-up the design with confirmation of engineering design criteria.

The flotation tailings produced in the pilot runs provided material for solid/liquid separation testing including filtration to investigate opportunities for dry tailing deposition as well as slurry rheology testing for pumping a thickened tailing. Final reporting from SGS Lakefield is expected in February 2024.

The flotation pilot runs produced circa 100 kg of flotation concentrate, which is ready to facilitate effective scale up of the hydrometallurgical testing including acid bake and water leach followed by a thorough investigation into optimising downstream REE recovery steps to produce a mixed rare earth oxide product. This hydrometallurgical scale-up test is planned at SGS Lakefield in Q1 2024.

About Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

NCMI is developing the Tier-1 Heavy Rare Earth Project, Lofdal, a globally significant deposit of the heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium. Demand for these critical metals used in permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other electronics is driven by innovations linked to energy and technology transformations. The geopolitical risks associated with sourcing many of these metals has become a repeated concern for manufacturers and end users. Namibia is a proven and stable mining jurisdiction.

The Lofdal Project is fully permitted with a 25-year Mining License and is under a Joint Venture Agreement with Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC).

The Company filed a robust updated PEA for "Lofdal 2B-4" on November 14, 2022, with a post-tax NPV of USD$391 million and an annual IRR of 28% with a capital expenditure of USD$207 million. The project is projected to generate a life of mine nominal cash flow of USD$698 million post-tax over a 16-year mine life.

About Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and the JV

JOGMEC is a Japanese government independent administrative agency which seeks to secure stable resource supplies for Japan. JOGMEC has a strong reputation as a long term, strategic partner in mineral projects globally. JOGMEC facilitates opportunities with Japanese private companies to secure supplies of natural resources for the benefit of the country's economic development.

Rare earth elements are of critical importance to Japanese industrial interests and JOGMEC has extensive experience with all aspects of the sector. JOGMEC provided Lynas with USD$250,000,000 in loans and equity in 2011 to ensure supplies of the Light Rare Earths metals suite to the Japanese industry.

Namibia Critical Metals owns a 95% interest in the Lofdal project with the remaining 5% held for the benefit of historically disadvantaged Namibians. The terms of the JOGMEC joint venture agreement with the Company stipulate that JOGMEC provides C$3,000,000 in Term 1 and C$7,000,000 in Term 2 to earn a 40% interest in the Lofdal project. Term 3 calls for a further C$10,000,000 of expenditures to earn an additional 10% interest. JOGMEC can also purchase another 1% for C$5,000,000 and has first right of refusal to fully fund the project through to commercial production and to purchase all production at market prices. The collective interests of NCMI and historically disadvantaged Namibians cannot be diluted below a 26% carried working interest upon payment of C$5,000,000 to JOGMEC for the dilution protection. NMI may elect to participate up to a maximum of 44% by funding pro rata after the earn in period is completed.

To date, JOGMEC has completed Term 2 and earned a 40% interest by reaching the C$10 million expenditure requirement. JOGMEC has approved an additional C$1,800,000 budget for Term 3 through to March 31, 2024. Total approved project funding to date is C$11,800,000 of the $20,000,000 Earn-In requirement to reach 50% interest.

Other exploration projects: The Company's Exclusive Prospecting Licenses ("EPLs") prospective for gold are located in the Central Namibian Gold Belt which hosts a number of significant orogenic gold deposits including the Navachab Gold Mine, the Otjikoto Gold Mine and the Twin Hills deposit. At the Erongo Gold Project, stratigraphic equivalents to the meta-sediments hosting the Osino gold discovery at Twin Hills have been identified and exploration is progressing over this highly prospective area. The Grootfontein Base Metal and Gold Project has potential for magmatic copper-nickel mineralization, Mississippi Valley-type zinc-lead-vanadium mineralization and Otjikoto-style gold mineralization.

Rainer Ellmies, PhD, MScGeol, EurGeol, AusIMM and Vice President of Namibia Critical Metals Inc., is the Company's Qualified Person and has reviewed and approved this press release.

The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI" and the OTCQB Market under the symbol "NMREF".

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information please contact -

Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

Darrin Campbell, President

Tel: +01 (902) 835-8760

Email: [email protected] Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Namibia Critical Metals Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Newswire, an industry leader in press release distribution services, including content production, strategy, planning, and media technology, created its Press Release Optimizer (PRO) to help companies capitalize on opportunities, develop and distribute compelling narratives, maximize media outreach, earn media mentions and more.

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About Newswire

Newswire is a media technology company that provides its clients with the Press Release Optimizer, which consists of press release distribution, media databases, media monitoring, and online media rooms that power the Media Advantage: greater brand awareness through earned media, increased online visibility through content strategy and planning as well as greater SEO recognition.

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Newswire is a wholly owned subsidiary of Issuer Direct, a leading communications and compliance company, providing solutions for both Public Relations and Investor Relations Professionals. For more information, please visit www.issuerdirect.com

Contact Information

Jennifer Hammers

Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing

[email protected]

919.481.4000

SOURCE: Newswire

View the original press release on newswire.com.
A Senior Member of the Escondida Discovery Team Will Serve as Chair of the Company's Technical Committee

RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Pershing Resources Company, Inc., (OTC PINK:PSGR), is pleased to announce that Patrick J Burns has joined the Company's Board of Directors, as an independent director effective immediately. Mr. Burns joins the Board from the Company's Advisory Board. His move from outside advisor to Board Member follows a recent onsite visit to the Company's New Enterprise copper porphyry property and a technical review of the work done so far on the New Enterprise and related properties in Northern Arizona. He will also serve as Chair of the Technical Committee.

Mr. Burns is a Canadian geologist with over 40 years of experience throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, and was directly involved in the initial exploration and drilling that lead to the discovery of the Escondida porphyry copper deposit, as well as the Escondida Norte and Zaldivar deposits in Northern Chile. The Escondida Mining Complex is the world's largest producer of copper. He is one of five senior discovery team members that authored the history of the discovery of the Escondida Porphyry Deposit, published as a chapter in Mining Latin America, (W.J. Wilkinson et al, copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Dordrecht,1986). Additionally, Mr. Burns was the first Project Manager of all three projects.

Mr. Burns has been involved in management and director roles in numerous publicly traded mining companies in Chile, Canada and, the US throughout his career. He also currently serves on the board of World Copper Ltd, (WCUFF).

Additional information on Mr. Burn's career in exploration and discoveries is available on the Company's website at: https://www.pershingpm.com/about/board-of-directors.

An updated presentation on Pershing Resources and the New Enterprise Project is also available on the Company's website at: https://www.pershingpm.com/news-media/presentations

To receive information on Pershing Resources, sign up for email news alerts at: http://ir.pershingpm.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

The information contained in this press release, as well as the information on the Company's website, is provided solely for the reader's general knowledge. Such information is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all matters pertaining to the Company. Certain statements included herein, and, on the Company's, website , constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current knowledge, assumptions, judgment, and expectations regarding future performance or events. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to the Company's management. When used in this press release and on the Company's website, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possibility," "potential," "predict," "project," "should,'' "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, and/or achievements of the Company or of the mining industry, in general, to be materially different from future results, performance, and/or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include uncertainties related to fluctuations in gold, silver, copper, and other precious and base metals commodity prices, uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology of the Company's properties, uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, the need for cooperation of government agencies in the development of the Company's mineral projects, the need to obtain additional financing to develop the Company's mineral projects, the possibility of delay in development programs or in construction projects, uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for the Company's mineral projects, the risks associated with the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 and its variants, the risks associated with the continuing conflict between the Ukraine and Russia and other risks and uncertainties affecting the Company's business operations and financial condition.

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company has no obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, revise, or correct any of the forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

CONTACT:

Pershing Resources Company, Inc.

200 South Virginia Street, 8th Floor

Reno, NV 89501

Phone: 775-398-3124

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Pershing Resources Company, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Rayonier's 2023 summer college interns share what their experiences were like in forestry and non-forestry roles.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Rayonier

Originally published on Rayonier.com

Not every intern gets to present ideas to the senior leadership team of a publicly traded company - but at Rayonier, they do.

Rayonier offers internships across our ownership in the United States for both forestry and non-forestry roles. We treat our interns like part of the team, putting them in the center of whatever we're working on, teaching them at every step and ensuring they experience a wide variety of careers. All of our summer interns are also invited to come together in our Wildlight, Florida, headquarters to work on a team project and meet our senior leaders.

Our interns share what their experiences were like at Rayonier:

Portfolio Management Intern Manisha Parajuli, Auburn University

Manisha Parajuli stands in a forest between two Rayonier employees, learning to inspect pine trees through the lens of a drone.

"Want to see how to take a selfie from the air?" asks Sara Bellchamber, a Land Information Systems tech analyst who heads up Rayonier's drone pilots team.

"Smile!" says Research Biometrician Stephanie Patton, an expert in forest growth and yield modeling.

To Manisha, a PhD candidate at Auburn University with a passion for research that solves problems in the forestry industry, this is exactly why she chose Rayonier for her summer internship. She's learning to use new technologies, exploring economic opportunities around forest resources, and supporting sustainable forest management.

Over the course of her internship, she has done research for the company; gained firsthand experience in timberland valuation; predicted forest growth and biomass volume; analyzed data; did mapping work in GIS; and delved into various projects with the company's portfolio management team.

"They make sure you learn something new every day," Manisha says. "I am confident that the new skill set I learned here is truly valuable for my career. Everyone is inspiring in so many ways, and I am glad that I have been able to interact with different business teams in the office. It's a great opportunity to learn and make new connections with people who share the same interests as yours and who will support you beyond your internship."

Forestry Intern Lane Harvey, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

"It's amazing how differently you can look at a forest depending on whose truck you're in," Lane Harvey reflects during a ride-along with a Rayonier forester.

He had seen the forest through the eyes of a land management forester, who had shown him how to think about replanting and maintaining a forest through decades of growth. Now riding with a timber marketing forester, he's learning how to work through the process of getting the most value for the timber when it's time to harvest.

It's exactly the kind of real-life training Lane, a Natural Resource Management major at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, was hoping for when he applied for a Rayonier internship:

"I had been told that Rayonier does a good job of diversifying the kind of work that their interns do," he says. "It's not all just cruising, cruising, cruising, doing one thing. They do a really good job of trying to spread you out and get you into different places. They really educate you, too, while they do it."

During the course of his internship, he'll work in timber sales, paint streamside management zone boundary lines, build maps and meet all kinds of people. By the end of the summer, he still won't know exactly what he wants to do in forestry, but he'll know where he'd like to do it.

"I would definitely like to work at Rayonier," he says. "Everyone that I've talked to, everyone I've worked with, they're always super helpful, super nice. Anything you need, they're ready to help you succeed and learn."

GIS Intern Erin O'Grodnick, University of North Florida

It's a beautiful, sunny morning when Erin O'Grodnick laces up her running shoes. She sets out for a jog on the trail system that surrounds Rayonier's headquarters in Wildlight, crossing former tree farms and wetlands that are now part of the Wildlight Community built by Rayonier's real estate team.

About 40 members of the Rayonier team are there with the University of North Florida biology major, participating in the annual Wildlight 5K. Wearing the Rayonier team T-shirt, Erin absolutely feels like part of the team.

"The people at Rayonier are the kindest people you're going to meet," she says. "I was expecting to just kind of talk to the same people every day, but everybody is so open to telling you what they do. I've talked to the executives, I've talked to people who work in the woods every day, people who do real estate, and everybody is just so welcoming and patient to show you what they do, show you how to do it. It's just an awesome culture."

For Erin, it's been an eye-opening experience. Before her internship, she didn't know a lot about forestry but she wanted to work with a GIS team. By the end of the internship, she had decided to forgo her plan to be a research biologist and pursue a natural resources career instead.

"I came here and I learned about this whole new career field. Now I'm really passionate about forestry and the economics of sustainable resources," she says.

Asked what she would say to future intern candidates, she advises: "If you're considering applying to Rayonier, you should 100% do it. Once you're here, the people are going to welcome you and foster your growth."

How to Apply for a Rayonier Internship

"If you're looking for a place where you can make a difference in the world, Rayonier is that place," says HR Specialist Ebony Presha, who manages Rayonier's internship program. "Our interns are directly in the middle of the action. They have an opportunity to really get involved with projects and to really contribute to the company on a day-to-day basis."

She notes that many interns go on to become Rayonier employees. In fact, one of Rayonier's top forestry team leaders, Georgia Resource Unit Operations Director Morris Bradford, was an intern in the 1990s! Rayonier offers internships to college students in forestry and research professions as well as support roles such as accounting, IT and communications. To learn more about how the Rayonier internship program works, you can visit https://www.rayonier.com/intern.

Rayonier employees Sara Bellchamber, left, and Stephanie Patton, far right, teach intern Manisha Parajuli, center, how to fly a drone.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Rayonier on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Rayonier

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/rayonier

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Rayonier

View the original press release on accesswire.com
BOUNTIFUL, UT / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 /

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

We are paving the way for a remarkable year capitalizing on the solid foundation achieved last year. 2023 was an exciting and pivotal year for KwikClick, Inc. (KWIK), marked but many strong significant accomplishments. During 2024, the company is striving to surpass more than one thousand brands (350 already enrolled), with thousands of products, and over a million users on the platform (currently approximately 35,000).

KWIK is committed to becoming the primary platform for providing customized reward programs for brands of any size. Our goal is to do far more than simply offer loyalty points or cash back, but to provide our brands with a program about which their customers can become so enthusiastic that they will want to tell all their friends. By utilizing the KWIK platform companies can create a custom-tailored program that can dramatically increase brand awareness, customer engagement and accelerate sales as a result. As we do this, the analytics we provide with our platform can provide an attractive ROI from lower Customer Acquisition Costs [CAC], an increased Lifetime Value of Customers [LTV], and accelerated adoption rates and social media activity.

For smaller brands, we will do this through an automatic configuration setup, and for larger brands, we offer consulting, implementation, and oversite services to monitor and improve the ROI on their reward program. In 2024, we plan to also offer brands greater exposure on social media platforms and referrals, by exposing them to influencers and part-time sellers affiliated with KWIK. KWIK offers a unique patented technology that not only provides additional exposure for brands, but directly and indirectly provides additional customers, a major difference when compared to other reward platforms, none of which offer compensation through KWIK's patented referral methodology called "Waves of Pay."

During the past year we have leapt forward in dramatic ways toward our objective! Thanks to you, our providers, and numerous others who share our vision, we have successfully launched our platform and feature-rich technology.

In preparation for a rapid revenue ramp anticipated during 2024 the company, we have:

Developed simple ways to integrate KWIK into the brand's own shopping cart through API's - automatically customizing the branding of the platform.

Upgraded the technology to allow brands to connect influencers to their customers and add major functionality.

Increased the Intellection Property (IP) Portfolio by receiving multiple patents on the technology and the methodologies used with several other patents pending.

Landed new international clients with continued expansion across Europe and North America.

Completed negotiations with dozens of additional brands to begin the integration process with the KWIK platform in early 2024.

Completed API's to allow the Kwik platform to be accepted by the most prestigious E-commerce companies in the world, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento.

This year we developed simple ways to unobtrusively introduce customers to brand reward programs. As we create customized rewards tailored specifically for brands, brands are connecting with influencers and their customers are becoming brand ambassadors through our patented brand loyalty and affiliate programs. The result is a KWIK exclusive methodology for effectively converting their customers into a virtual sales force. With our platform, consumers can now share brand recommendations, becoming a micro-influencer, and earn cash-back, online discounts, contest entries and rewards points. Our perpetual waves of commissions, creating the possibility for unlimited commissions based on an individual's true sphere of influence, can be earned from a single referral, has become our most distinguishing feature among major influencers and first-time influencers alike.

Our patented Centralized Commission Engine [CSE] manages all rewards for users across all brands affiliated with KWIK. This means all users of KWIK need only to log into their account to track, redeem, or cash out points, cashback, giveaway entries and commissions in one consolidated account. For the first time, from the user's perspective, they can enroll in multiple rewards programs all managed and consolidated into a single KWIK app, making participation easy to join, monitor, and redeem. Brands and consumers alike are praising our patent-pending buyer's journey which occurs before, during and after the sales process, with enrollment as easy as a single click.

In 2023, our platform has become international with the adoption of KWIK by several major French brands with plans for significant expansion in 2024. Customers, influencers, and brand affiliates from those countries can also become users of KWIK and begin to recommend KWIK to the brands they currently endorse.

We have made significant strides in sharing our mission and powerful business model with the world. 2024 will be the year we step up the onboarding process of brands onto the KWIK platform. We are encouraged about the brands who have joined us and those now expressing interest in our features. Furthermore influencers, affiliates and distributors alike are beginning to reap the benefits of our unique waves of compensation.. They often marvel how easy it is to monetize their followers and get rewarded for their word-of-mouth recommendations. In 2024, we plan to increase integrations into other major shopping platforms and expand our sales efforts to brands on those platforms. Our sales approach will include the use of third party targeted marketing, Google, podcasts, override referral incentives, business recommendation referrals from existing brands, and finally superstar and socialite endorsements resulting on the onboarding of 100's if not thousands of brands over the coming months.

As a result of these sales strategies, our current growth goals include:

Increasing the number of brands on the platform paying a monthly usage fee of $250 (or more based on transactions using rewards) plus a revenue share of up to 4% on new customer acquisitions from referrals made on the KWIK app, (over 350 already enrolled)

Marketing to influencers and the brands they endorse

Increasing the number of Users on the KWIK platform

Achieving the financial metrics demanded by investors such as substantial revenue growth and becoming cash flow positive as quickly as possible.

Securing an additional $1M in funding early in 2024 to enable our strategies as quickly as possible and accelerate our progression toward these goals.

The reward software market was estimated to be $9 billion in 2022 and surpassing $24 billion by 2029. It is our intent to be a leader at the forefront of this market. As many of you may know, I have led public and private companies with billions of dollars in revenue. I am more excited about this company and the advantages of our platform than at any other point in my career. My number one job in 2024 is to increase shareholder value. This year should be a year that distinguishes our company and benefits our investors.

Again, we are grateful for your support, the vision you share for our future, and we remain ever more committed to our goal of becoming the best ecommerce connector worldwide.

Most sincerely,

Fred Cooper Chairman and CEO, Kwik

Contact:

Kwik Click Marketing:

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

[email protected]

SOURCE: KwikClick, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Hole V-23-064 returned 308.8 m averaging 2.15 g/t Au , including 180.3 m of 3.23 g/t Au from surface (with the top 68.3 m averaging 5.03 g/t Au ), showing strong continuity of multiple-gram-per-tonne, near-surface gold mineralization across gap in previous drilling

Hole V-23-062 and V-23-063 show high grades and strong consistency in the northwestern part of the Valley target, returning 417.0 m averaging 1.41 g/t Au ( including 2.25 g/t Au over 110.0 m ) and 342.0 m averaging 1.59 g/t Au ( including 2.00 g/t Au over 189.5 m) respectively, with both intervals beginning from surface

Analytical results pending for 3,850 m from 11 holes (including one metallurgical hole at Valley) across two projects-Rogue and Tosh.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / SNOWLINE GOLD CORP (TSXV:SGD)(OTCQB: SNWGF) (the "Company" or "Snowline") is pleased to announce analytical results from additional exploration holes drilled during its 2023 exploration campaign in Canada's Yukon Territory. Hole V-23-064 returned 2.15 g/t Au over 308.8 m downhole, including 3.23 g/t Au over 180.3 m from surface, demonstrating strong consistency of near-surface, multiple-gram-per-tonne-gold mineralization within a gap in previous drilling at the Rogue Project's Valley target. Holes V-23-062 and V-23-063 were drilled in the northwestern part of the target and add dimensionality and consistency to known mineralization in that direction. Assays for more than 3,850 m of diamond drilling from Snowline's 2023 exploration efforts are forthcoming.

Table 1 -Highlight summary of Snowline's latest assay results. *Interval widths reported; true widths of the system are not yet known.

"The latest results from the Rogue Project's Valley target further emphasize the continuity of strong, near-surface gold mineralization present across a wide area," said Scott Berdahl, CEO & Director of Snowline. "V-23-064 is drilled through one of the largest remaining gaps in the central part of the target, carrying an average grade of >3 g/t Au over a 180 m downhole interval from surface. As is generally the case at Valley-and as seen in holes drilled in every direction around V-23-064-mineralization is remarkably consistent. Every single assay in the first 100 m downhole returned >1.0 g/t Au. On the high side, only three samples in V-23-064 returned >10 g/t Au, so the intervals are not heavily influenced by outliers but are carried instead by consistent grade. Additional holes V-23-062 and 063 bolster the known scale of the northern part of the system, where we are still chasing open boundaries to mineralization. With results for six holes remaining from the 2023 drill program at Valley, we are excited by the large robust mineral system taking shape at the target."

Figure 1 - Plan view of the Rogue Project's Valley target showing analytical results from previous and current drilling, along with drill traces of outstanding holes. Note that to display new results, current holes are plotted above previous holes regardless of relative depths. The system remains open in multiple directions, including to depth. Endpoints for sections A (Figure 3) and B (Figure 2) are indicated on the map.

HOLE V-23-064

Hole V-23-064 is collared in coarse-grained granodiorite within the Valley intrusion roughly 66 m north of the nearest hole, V-22-014 (285.2 m @ 1.45 g/t Au including 128.2 m @ 2.48 g/t Au from surface, see Snowline news release dated November 15, 2022) and 85 m southeast of V-23-039 (553.8 m @ 2.48 g/t Au including 183.3 m @ 4.34 g/t Au from surface, see Snowline news release dated August 3, 2023).

The hole commences in strong, sheeted gold-bearing quartz vein mineralization (Figure 2) from bedrock surface at 3.2 m downhole and continues in predominantly strong mineralization until approximately 188 m downhole, near where the hole intersects a central, valley-parallel fault at 170 m downhole. Quartz vein densities and occurrences of visible gold drop off below the fault, but lower grade mineralization continues until the hole exits the intrusion into hornfels sedimentary rocks 309 m downhole. Multiple gold-bearing quartz vein orientations are present, with a dominant sheeted vein array striking northwest and steeply dipping to the northeast, as

commonly seen in the primary mineralized zone at Valley.

Figure 2 - Cross-section B, showing V-23-064 in the context of adjacent holes along or near to the cross section and a simplified, schematic geological model. The upper part of the hole returned consistently high gold grades, demonstrating continuity of strong mineralization through a gap in previous drilling. View looks northwest. Note that hole V-22-014 is located in the foreground of the section, and it exits the intrusion lower in the hole than suggested by its projection onto the geology of the current section. Similarly, V-23-052 is behind the section. See Figure 1 for collar locations in plan view.

Overall, the top 308.8 m downhole from bedrock surface averages 2.15 g/t Au, with an internal interval of 180.3 m averaging 3.23 g/t Au also beginning from surface. Within this, the highest grades are seen at or near surface, with the top 68.3 m downhole averaging 5.03 g/t Au. The presence of such high and consistent gold grades beginning at surface in a large gap in previous drilling further de-risks the mineral system at Valley, demonstrating strong continuity within the well-mineralized zone.

Table 2 - Summary of significant mineralization returned from current holes at Valley. The consistency of strong mineralization on the target is reinforced by the capped values in the rightmost column, wherein any assay result >10 g/t Au is replaced by 10.0 g/t Au to calculate the average interval grades. *Interval widths reported; true widths of the system are not yet known, with different vein generations, orientations, and grade distributions present within various intervals through the bulk tonnage gold target at Valley.

HOLES V-23-062 & V-23-063

Both V-23-062 and V-23-063 from part of a fence of holes across the northwestern part of the well-mineralized, near-surface corridor within the Valley intrusion (Figures 1 & 3). Both holes are collared in coarse grained granodiorite and continue in coarse grained granodiorite, with minor xenoliths and dikes of finer-grained intrusive rock, until exiting into hornfels sedimentary rocks from the southwestern edge of the intrusion.

The two holes exhibit the strongest mineralized intervals seen thus far within that fence, demonstrating the strength and scale of the system in this area. V-23-062 averages 1.41 g/t Au across 417.0 m downhole from bedrock surface (at 4.5 m downhole), with an internal interval of 2.25 g/t Au over 110.0 m, including 3.0 m averaging 16.83 g/t Au. V-23-063 averages 1.59 g/t Au over 342.0 m from bedrock surface (also at 4.5 m downhole), with an internal interval of 2.00 g/t Au over 189.5 m from 21.0 m downhole. Despite localized higher grades in both holes, mineralized intervals are carried by consistently anomalous gold values, as indicated by the high remainder values (excluding higher grade sub-intervals) along with the high capped values (limiting any assay to a maximum of 10 g/t Au) shown in Table 2.

Both V-23-062 and V-23-063 add breadth to the known extent of near-surface >1 g/t Au and > 2 g/t Au mineralization in the northwest part of the Valley gold system, which remains open.

Figure 3 - Cross-section B, showing V-23-062 & V-23-063 in the context of adjacent holes along section and a simplified, schematic geological model. Both holes, drilled as part of a fence across the northwestern part of the Valley target, demonstrates breadth of consistent mineralization perpendicular to the northwest strike of the system in this area. View looks northwest. See Figure 1 for section location.

REGIONAL DRILLING

Cliff Project, Southwest Yukon

Analytical results have been received for an additional two holes from a Phase I drill program at Snowline Gold's Cliff Project, an orogenic gold project located in the southwestern Yukon. Elevated gold values were present in association with sparse quartz veins in the two holes, but the >1.0 g/t Au assays (up to 6.64 g/t Au over 1.9 m downhole) seen in previous holes from this drill program were not encountered in the current holes. A summary is provided in Table 3.

Table 3 - Summary of mineralization returned from current holes at Snowline's Cliff Project, an early-stage orogenic gold target located in the southwestern Yukon Territory. Various lesser intervals are present but not listed. *Interval widths reported; true widths have not been determined.

QA/QC

On receipt from the drill site NQ2-sized drill core was systematically logged for geological attributes, photographed and sampled at Snowline's 2023 field camp. Sample lengths as small as 0.5 m were used to isolate features of interest, but most samples within moderate to strong mineralization were 1.0 m in length; otherwise, a default 1.5 m downhole sample length was used. Core was cut in half lengthwise along a pre-determined line, with one half (same half, consistently, dictated by orientation line where present or by dominant vein orientation where absent) collected for analysis and one half stored as a record. Field duplicates were collected at regular intervals as  core samples by splitting the  core sent for sampling, leaving a consistent record of half core material from duplicate and non-duplicate samples alike. Standard reference materials and blanks were inserted by Snowline personnel at regular intervals into the sample stream. Bagged samples were sealed with security tags to ensure integrity during transport. They were delivered by expeditor to Bureau Veritas' preparatory facility in Whitehorse, Yukon. Sample preparation was completed in Whitehorse, with analyses completed in Vancouver.

Similar procedures were employed on the Cliff Project, though drill core was transported to Whitehorse in advance of detailed logging and sampling.

Bureau Veritas is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO9001 for quality management. Samples were crushed by BV to >85% passing below 2 mm and split using a riffle splitter. 250 g splits were pulverized to >85% passing below 75 microns. A four-acid digest with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) finish was used for 59-element analysis on 0.25 g sample pulps (BV code: MA250). All samples were analysed for gold content by fire assay with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on 30 g samples (BV code: FA430). Any sample returning >10 g/t Au was reanalysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 30 g sample (BV code: FA530).

For the purposes of this release, mineralized intervals are defined as runs of mineralization with no break >5.0 m assaying

ERRATA

In compiling previously released drill hole information, the Company noticed typographical errors in the drill hole coordinates reported in news release summary tables for two holes from the 2022 field season, V-22-028 (February 3, 2023 release) and V-22-031 (December 2, 2022 release). For correct UTM coordinates for these collar sites, please refer to the Company's June 13, 2023 technical report on the Rogue Project. The typos appeared in the news release summary tables only and did not affect locations shown on plan maps nor the cross sections highlighting accompanying the tables in the same news releases.

ABOUT ROGUE

The Valley target on Snowline's flagship Rogue Project is a newly discovered, bulk tonnage style, reduced intrusion-related gold system (RIRGS), with geological similarities to multi-million-ounce deposits currently in production such as Kinross's Fort Knox Mine in Alaska and Victoria Gold's Eagle Mine in the Yukon. Early drill results demonstrate unusually high gold grades for such a system, present near surface across drill intersections of hundreds of metres. Gold is associated with bismuthinite and telluride minerals hosted in sheeted quartz vein arrays within and along the margins of a one-kilometer-scale, mid-Cretaceous aged Mayo-suite intrusion. Valley is an early-stage exploration project without a resource estimate, and while initial results are encouraging, the presence or absence of an economically viable orebody cannot be determined until additional work is completed.

The Rogue Project area hosts multiple intrusions similar to Valley along with widespread gold anomalism in stream sediment, soil and rock samples. Elsewhere, RIRGS deposits are known to occur in clusters. The Rogue Project is thus considered by the Company to have district-scale potential for additional reduced intrusion-related gold systems.

ABOUT SNOWLINE GOLD CORP.

Snowline Gold Corp. is a Yukon Territory focused gold exploration company with an eight-project portfolio covering >333,000 ha. The Company is exploring its flagship >94,000 ha Rogue gold project in the highly prospective yet underexplored Selwyn Basin. Snowline's project portfolio sits within the prolific Tintina Gold Province, host to multiple million-ounce-plus gold mines and deposits including Kinross's Fort Knox Mine, Newmont's Coffee deposit, and Victoria Gold's Eagle Mine. The Company's first-mover land position and extensive database provide a unique opportunity for investors to be part of multiple discoveries and the creation of a new gold district.

Figure 4 - Project location map for Snowline Gold's eastern Selwyn Basin properties: Rogue, Einarson, Ursa, Cynthia and Olympus. The Valley target is one of several prospective reduced intrusion-related gold targets on the broader 30 x 60 km Rogue Project.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Information in this release has been prepared under supervision of and approved by Thomas K. Branson, M.Sc., P. Geo., VP Exploration of Snowline Gold Corp, as Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Scott Berdahl

CEO & Director

For further information, please contact:

Snowline Gold Corp.

+1 778 650 5485

[email protected]

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the significance of analytical results, the discovery potential within the Valley intrusion, the potential for investors to participate in multiple future discoveries, the Rogue project having district-scale prospectivity, the creation of a new gold district and the Company's future plans and intentions. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things: risks related to uncertainties inherent in drill results and the estimation of mineral resources; and risks associated with executing the Company's plans and intentions. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Snowline Gold Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE: CLF) announced today that it has appointed renowned private equity executive, labor and political advisor Ron Bloom to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. With the addition of Mr. Bloom, the Cleveland-Cliffs Board of Directors is now comprised of eleven members, of which ten are independent directors.

After graduating with Distinction from the Harvard Business School, Ron Bloom started his career as an investment banker at Lazard, a firm he later re-joined as Vice Chairman, U.S. Investment Banking. After his first tenure at Lazard, Mr. Bloom represented the interests of organized labor, including serving as Special Assistant to the President of the United Steelworkers (USW) from 1996 to 2009. In 2002, Mr. Bloom played an active role in the sale of the assets of LTV Steel and Bethlehem Steel to the International Steel Group (ISG), whose assets are now part of Cleveland-Cliffs. Mr. Bloom was also a key player when the USW successfully used the Unions successorship rights in their Basic Labor Agreement to block the sale of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel to a foreign buyer in 2007.

Beginning in 2009, Mr. Bloom served in a number of roles within the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, including Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on President Obama's Task Force on the Automotive Industry from 2009 to 2011, where he helped lead the reorganizations of both General Motors and Chrysler. During 2012, he served as Assistant to the President for Manufacturing Policy, where he provided leadership on policy development and strategic planning for the Administrations agenda to revitalize the manufacturing sector. He was later appointed to the USPS Board of Governors, a position he held from 2019 to 2021, which included the position of Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Bloom is currently a Managing Partner and Vice Chair in Brookfield Asset Managements Private Equity Group, responsible for investment origination, execution and oversight across North America and a Partner at Commonweal Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies.

Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs' Chairman, President, and CEO said: We are honored to welcome Ron Bloom to our Board of Directors. Rons distinguished career represents the Cleveland-Cliffs culture perfectly, which includes fierce negotiating skills, fighting for the resilience of American manufacturing, and a deep appreciation for organized labor and a thriving middle class. We have recently seen a case of stunning disrespect to the wishes of labor in our industry, and Ron Bloom being on our Board will ensure that all stakeholders have a voice. Rons track record at Lazard and Brookfield has also displayed an amazing ability to generate immense value creation, which he will bring to bear on behalf of our shareholders as a member of our Board.

Mr. Bloom will join the Governance & Nominating and Strategy & Sustainability Committees of the Cleveland-Cliffs Board. Mr. Bloom holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a bachelors degree from Wesleyan University.
DOVER, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Clariti is honored to make Government Technologys Govtech 100 list for the third consecutive year. Published annually, the Top 100 is a curation of companies helping to solve governments most complex challenges in new and innovative ways.

Were grateful to be recognized alongside this leading group of companies driving government technology forward, says Clariti Co-CEO, Jake Dancyger. A big thank you to our employees and partners for their relentless efforts in providing our customers with exceptional experiences. And to our customers, thank you for your continued support and trust in our team and products.

In 2023, Clariti established itself as the fastest-growing permitting and licensing software company in North America. Year over year, the company experienced an 83% increase in annual recurring revenue, and added over 100 new customers, an increase of 207% compared to the start of 2023.

Last year, governments like the City of Plano, TX, the City of Garland, TX, and Bakersfield, CA, chose Clariti, adding to the growing list of large and influential local governments who trust its robust and flexible Community Development Platform. The company also saw substantial growth in the mid-market through the Camino Permitting Platform and Permit Guide, welcoming cities like Placerville, CA, Horn Lake, MS, and Manvel, TX.

Speaking about this years list, Government Technologys Chief Innovation Officer, Dustin Haisler, explains that theres been a remarkable surge in innovation across the entire GovTech sector driven by new startups, partnerships, and strategic mergers like Claritis acquisition of Camino Technologies in May 2023.

With the addition of Camino, were doubling down on our shared mission of delivering exceptional permitting and licensing experiences for governments of all sizes across North America, says Clariti Co-CEO Cyrus Symoom. Were committed to product innovation and continuing to provide best-in-class, low-code solutions to solve our customers unique needs.

To continue delivering exceptional customer experiences, Clariti has increased its employee base by 30% since the start of 2023, primarily adding support to its customer experience, professional service, and product teams.

About Clariti

Claritis government software helps governments of all sizes deliver exceptional community development, permitting, and licensing experiences online.

Founded in 2008, Clariti is built as an alternative to code-heavy, non-configurable systems that create technology barriers for governments to meet their communitys evolving needs.

Governments should be able to dictate how their software works. To us, that means providing our customers with a system thats maintained with clicks, not code, to relieve pressure on technical resources and better support citizens and staff.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103666837/en/

Jeremy Bosch

VP Marketing, Clariti

[email protected]

Source: Clariti
Biotech-industry pioneer and ARIAD founder to lead companys efforts to develop a new class of therapies targeting ferroptosis

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kojin Therapeutics, Inc., a pioneer in cell-state and ferroptosis biology and cutting-edge drug discovery, today announced the appointment of Harvey J. Berger, M.D. as its new chairman, president, and chief executive officer. A biotech-industry veteran, Dr. Berger is an experienced physician-scientist and entrepreneur, who brings over 35 years of global research and development (R&D), corporate, and commercial leadership experience to Kojin. He founded ARIAD Pharmaceuticals and led the company from a start-up to a fully integrated global oncology company. In this and other leadership roles, Dr. Berger spearheaded the development and approval of six innovative, breakthrough medicines for patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease, as well as a cancer-diagnostic blood test.

Kojin co-founder Professor Stuart Schreiber stated, We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Berger, a long-time colleague and collaborator, as Kojins new chief executive. Ferroptosis and apoptosis have a yin-yang relationship, and apoptosis biology has had a transformative impact on medicine. As a new area of drug discovery, ferroptosis biology offers a wide-open opportunity for medicine and an area where Kojin has a strong first-mover advantage. Kojin is pioneering a new class of therapeutics that result from a deep mechanistic understanding of the human cellular plasticity that connects these two fundamental cell states.

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, Dr. Eric de La Fortelle, managing partner of Cathay Health, said, "We invested in Kojin because of its first-rate potential to provide novel therapies for patients with chronic diseases based on completely new mechanisms of action. Transforming this cutting-edge science into attractive new medicines requires highly experienced and dedicated drug hunters, which is why we are delighted that Dr. Berger has stepped in to lead the company in its next phases of development."

Dr. Berger added, "I am grateful for the opportunity to take on the leadership of Kojin at this critical time and to collaborate closely again with Stuart Schreiber, our other scientific advisors, and our outstanding team of innovative scientists. I believe the company's deep understanding of ferroptosis and cellular metabolism, coupled with its multi-modality drug-discovery platform, position it for success in bringing life-saving medicines to patients in need of differentiated, first-in-class therapies for chronic diseases. Our priority is to translate stunning basic research discoveries to clinical medicine and make the transition to clinical development as soon as possible."

Dr. Berger started in the biopharmaceutical industry in 1986 at Centocor  one of the first-generation biotech companies dedicated to pursuing the therapeutic and diagnostic applications of monoclonal antibodies  where he oversaw the company's R&D programs as executive vice president and president of research and development. Subsequent to his lengthy stint at ARIAD, he became executive chairman of Medinol, a leading worldwide medical device company dedicated to the science of cardiovascular intervention. Dr. Berger began his career in academic medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Emory School of Medicine, rising to professor with tenure. He received his M.D. from Yale School of Medicine and his B.S. from Colgate University and completed post-graduate training at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

In the past several years, Dr. Berger has devoted his efforts to supporting several not-for-profit organizations, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, whose mission is to defy cancer, as a governing trustee, chair of the trustee science committee, and a member of the executive committee, and The Cameron Boyce Foundation in Los Angeles, whose mission is to cure epilepsy, as a member of the board of directors.

Kojin Co-Founders

The Kojin founding team brings together leadership in chemical biology, genetics, immunology, cancer therapeutics, and drug discovery and development, and includes:

Stuart Schreiber, Ph.D., Morris Loeb Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Emeritus, Harvard University; founding core institute member emeritus, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; and recipient of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry;

Morris Loeb Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Emeritus, Harvard University; founding core institute member emeritus, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; and recipient of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry; Benjamin Cravett, Ph.D., Norton B. Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, and recipient of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry;

Norton B. Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, and recipient of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry; Stephanie Dougan, Ph.D., associate professor of immunology, Harvard Medical School and principal investigator, cancer immunology and virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and

associate professor of immunology, Harvard Medical School and principal investigator, cancer immunology and virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Vasanthi Viswanathan, Ph.D., head of discovery biology, Kojin (formerly Schreiber Lab at The Broad Institute).

Kojin Investors

Kojin's current investor syndicate includes Cathay Health, Polaris Partners, Newpath Partners, Leaps by Bayer, AbbVie Ventures, Dana Farbers Binney Street Capital, Eventide Life Sciences Fund, and Alexandria Venture Investments.

About Ferroptosis

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of programmed cell death that is biochemically and genetically differentiated from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy and is characterized by intra-cellular localization of iron and reactive oxygen species. This leads to iron-dependent accumulation of oxidatively damaged phospholipids within the cell membrane  a process that has been likened to a "grease fire" in the cell membrane, and which can be prevented or reversed by therapeutic interventions.

About Kojin

Based in Boston, Massachusetts and named after the Japanese deity that tamed fire for the good of humanity, Kojin is harnessing groundbreaking discoveries in cell-state and ferroptosis biology to develop first-in-class treatments for use in patients with cancer, and cardiovascular, immunologic, and degenerative diseases. Kojin has developed a drug-discovery platform that integrates computational chemistry, structural biology, chemical biology, target-informed screening, and mechanism-driven pharmacology to discover therapeutics that specifically modulate ferroptosis.

More information about Kojin can be found on its website (www.kojintx.com) and on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).

 2024 Kojin Therapeutics, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Sarah Sutton



Argot Partners

[email protected]

(518) 932-3680

Source: Kojin Therapeutics, Inc.
The Franciscan Friars of California have joined a long list of religious orders and dioceses to file for bankruptcy to face an avalanche of legal cases involving sex abuse against minors committed decades ago. The Roman Catholic organization filed for Chapter 11 on December 31, in a restructuring that allows the organization to meet its financial obligations in the face of 94 claims of sexual abuse against its friars. The alleged crimes occurred between 1940 and 1996. The Franciscans, who announced the move this Tuesday, stated that most of the accused have died and that only six are still alive.

Provincial minister Father David Gaa, the head of the order in the United States, said the decision to file for bankruptcy seeks to ensure that the abuse survivors receive just financial compensation. The care of abuse survivors is our foremost concern and has always been at the core of our response, Gaa said in a statement. After consulting with our legal and financial counsel, we have concluded that litigation costs and potential liability would exceed our limited financial capacity and, therefore, pursuing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy is the only viable path to ensuring just, equitable, and compassionate compensation for all abuse survivors.

Almost all of the claims were filed in California, and nearly all are based on abuse that allegedly occurred at least 27 years ago, with several claims dating back to the 1940s, the organization notes. Most of the friars named in the claims are deceased. Of the six living friars, all have been long-removed permanently from all public ministry and ministerial environments, and are living under strict third-party supervision, the group said in a statement.

In 2019, California expanded the right of abuse victims to go to court to seek justice. A law passed that year set an age limit of 40 for abuse survivors to file a lawsuit. This law replaced a previous one that had set a limit of 26 years. Some psychological studies, however, indicate that it takes some victims up to 50 years to recognize the abuse they were subjected to.

In 2020, the California Legislature created a three-year window for any victim of pedophilia to seek compensation through civil courts. The window closed on December 31, the day the Franciscan Friars filed for Chapter 11. On January 1, a new state regulation came into effect that eliminates the statute of limitations for rape of minors. This regulation, however, cannot be applied to events of the past.

The statement from the Franciscan Friars of Santa Barbara, an order whose territory covers California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington, says that the bankruptcy filing will cover reparations for individuals who were abused in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The statement noted that bankruptcy judges can help force insurers to honor the policies they wrote, generating an overall pool of additional money to fairly compensate abuse survivors, even those whose claims date to the 1940s, 50s or 60s, when little insurance was in place and many policies can no longer be found.

The Franciscan Friars, who are attached to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and have been present in California since at least 1769, have been plagued by cases of abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. They have also taken an active role in prosecuting these crimes. When California expanded victims rights in 2019, the Franciscans provided 18 names, expanding a list of sexual predators that the diocese of Oakland (northern California) had compiled.

The organization claims to be more transparent about clergy sexual abuse cases than other orders. In 1992 it spoke publicly for the first time about the abuses committed by its friars in California, and led the way for religious groups in California by settling the many cases filed in 2003, the first time the California legislature lifted the statute of limitations for filing time-barred sexual abuse claims. Among the measures the group adopted was to make the orders superiors available to meet with the victims and their families and apologize.

I am deeply saddened by the sinful acts committed and the damage caused to abuse survivors  then only children  who put their trust in friars. No apology or any amount of financial compensation can reverse the harm, but perhaps abuse survivors will find some solace in knowing that we are acknowledging their pain and that they are important to us, added Gaa in the statement.

The Archdiocese of San Francisco, responsible for 88 parishes in three California counties, declared bankruptcy in August 2023. As the Franciscans have done now, it argued that it was the only possible way to deal with 500 reports of sexual crimes perpetrated by their members between the 1960s and 1980s. The chapters of the Catholic Church in Oakland and Santa Rosa did the same months before.
Enables acceleration of de novo strategy, co-ownership program for veterinarians, and investments in technology and consumer experience

PHILADELPHIA & NASHVILLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Heart + Paw (H+P or the Company), an innovative veterinary and multi-service pet care company leading the future of pet care in digitally enabled and thoughtfully-designed locations, today announced a significant strategic growth investment from Whistler Capital Partners (Whistler Capital), a leading healthcare-focused private equity firm. Heart + Paw will continue to be led by its existing management team, including Founder and Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. George Melillo, and Chief Executive Officer, Dave Lasus. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2018, Heart + Paw is a differentiated, rapidly growing pet care services platform offering veterinary care, grooming, day care and boarding. Operating a growing network of 28 locations across 10 states, Heart + Paw is focused on modernizing the pet healthcare experience and championing veterinarian ownership through a continuation of its veterinarian joint venture de novo model that places quality medicine, technology enablement and a reimagined experience for pets, pet parents and veterinarians at the core of its operations.

The Company is deploying an innovative partnership program that makes veterinary practice ownership attainable for entrepreneurial-minded veterinarians. Through this model, veterinarians can design, build and co-own a Heart + Paw practice with veterinary-led operational support from Heart + Paws dedicated team that provides expanded business expertise, mentorship, a community of like-minded practice owners and best-in-class operational support.

At Heart + Paw, weve experienced rapid growth by partnering with veterinarians to bring comprehensive, best-in-class care to pets up and down the East Coast, said Dave Lasus. We are thrilled that this partnership with Whistler Capital will enable us to capitalize on the many opportunities to collaborate with entrepreneurial veterinarians seeking to co-own their own Heart + Paw practice tailored to their skill set and expertise.

The founding ethos behind Heart + Paw was to build a veterinary practice that treats everyone as family and recreates the companion animal care experience for pets, their parents, and those dedicated to providing the highest level of care. We pride ourselves on Heart + Paws veterinarian-led operating culture and trusted brand that can meet most clinical and non-clinical needs for discerning pet parents in one familiar destination, said Dr. George Melillo. Weve worked hard to execute on this strategy and look forward to partnering with Whistler Capital to spur our next chapter of growth and further invest in initiatives that drive quality medicine, enhanced operations and value for our veterinary care teams.

Each of Heart + Paws practices are backed by the Companys Support Center, providing innovative client engagement initiatives, including a pet portal and proprietary booking tool, allowing for 24/7 contact between pet parents and veterinarians. The Support Center also handles marketing, accounting, human resources, recruiting and information technology workstreams, enabling each Heart + Paw veterinarian team the freedom to practice the highest level of care and grow a practice  improving and deepening their relationships with pets and their pet parents.

We are excited that Heart + Paw is joining the Whistler Capital portfolio and expect our teams deep expertise assisting founders and management teams to positively transform this business. Over the past decade, members of the Whistler Capital team have partnered with companies in the healthcare industry to improve access, quality and experience and we are pleased to support H+Ps continued growth and aligned mission, said Geoff Clark, Managing Partner at Whistler Capital.

We are delighted to partner with Dave, Dr. Melillo, and the rest of the team to continue Heart + Paws growth and goal to revolutionize the experience for consumers and veterinarians, commented Chris Hardy, Principal at Whistler Capital. We look forward to leveraging our healthcare, technology, and consumer expertise to support de novo growth, empower aligned veterinarians to pursue their passion, and create an unrivaled experience for all stakeholders.

Raymond James served as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Heart + Paw. Citi served as financial advisor and Bass, Berry & Sims served as legal advisor to Whistler Capital.

About Heart + Paw

Founded in 2018, Heart + Paw offers full-service veterinary centers that are reimagining pet care in every way, providing state-of-the-art care that today's pet parents expect. From routine wellness, dental care, radiology, and surgeries to grooming and daycare, all pets are treated with a low stress approach. Now operating in 28 locations across ten states, Heart + Paw care incorporates advanced technologies, top-of-the-line amenities, equipment selected based on years of practice and research, and a fresh philosophy for pets, pet parents and the veterinarian teams. Under the leadership of co-founder and Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. George Melillo, and Chief Executive Officer, Dave Lasus, Heart + Paw leads the way by treating pets and pet parents like family in a way that no one ever has. To learn more, visit Heart + Paw online at heartandpaw.com, or follow Heart + Paw on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About Whistler Capital Partners

Whistler Capital Partners is a Nashville-based private equity firm focused on growth equity and growth buyouts in the healthcare industry and related tech-enabled services verticals. With over $1 billion in assets under management, the firm partners with world class leadership teams, supporting them with strategic resources and capital, with a particular focus on deploying or expanding investments in technology-enabled and data-driven opportunities. To learn more, visit Whistler Capital online at whistlercapital.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240102221844/en/

FGS Global

Hayley Cook / Suzanne Byowitz

[email protected]

Source: Whistler Capital Partners
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Its a Happy New Year for Seatrec CEO and founder Dr. Yi Chao and his team, with the closing of a $1 million loan through American Lending Center (ALC). The loan is guaranteed by the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).

This is the first state loan guarantee for ALC after working with federal programs in the past, according to John Shen, ALCs founder and CEO. (The money for SSBCI originates on the federal level, but is administered by the state.) This infusion of capital signifies a step forward for Seatrecs innovative initiatives as a Climate Tech startup, qualifying for the Climate Tech Finance Program.

In order to be certified as a Climate Tech startup, Seatrec went through a rigorous evaluation process conducted by the Climate Tech Finance Team led by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to quantify the reduction of carbon emissions enabled by Seatrecs clean and renewable energy solution that power subsea robots. BAAQMDs evaluation concluded that Seatrecs solution is both cost-effective and sustainable.

Seatrec is amongst the first startup tech companies to qualify for the Climate Tech Finance loan guarantee program administered by the State of California.

This new funding is a critical piece of our growth operations in 2024. This will support the sales and production of our new product, the infiniTE float, which we launched in 2023, Chao said. The Seatrec team has a fairly aggressive goal for scaling sales and production, and this funding will be used for the advanced purchase of inventory and improvements to our manufacturing process.

Chao founded Seatrec in 2016 after a career with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he developed the core technology for Seatrec. The technology converts temperature differences at different depths in the ocean into electricity, providing energy for subsea robots, especially in remote ocean locations where diesel-powered ships are extremely expensive to use and contribute to carbon emissions. The infiniTE float has broad applications for hurricane forecasting, soundscape monitoring, and seafloor mapping. Shortly after the product launched in 2023, Seatrec signed multiple six-figure purchase orders with researchers from universities and the U.S. Navy, Chao confirmed.

Funds overseen by Sunstone Management began pre-seed investing into Seatrec in late 2020, and have concluded three rounds of funding.

Sunstones Development Department helped connect Seatrec to ALC and the Climate Tech Finance Program, which is part of the State of California Infrastructure and Development Bank (iBank). ALC became a certified lender for the SSBCI program in 2022. The state Small Business Loan Guarantee Program also was part of the finance package.

ALC headquarters are in Irvine and a strategic partnership with the Small Business Development Corporation of Orange County was key to completing the loan guarantee, ALCs vice president and chief lending officer, Scott Thompson, said.

This loan program provides an 80% guarantee through the state iBank. If a borrower ultimately cannot repay the outstanding loan balance, iBank will reimburse up to 80% of the original loan  making it easier to qualify for that loan.

Great partnerships made this capitalization of an exciting startup possible, John Shen said. Were a private company working with the government to support a high-tech entrepreneur  thats a basic tenet for both American Lending Center and Sunstone Management.

Dr. Yi Chao is super excited today. So are we!

For more information about Seatrec, go to seatrec.com; for ALC it is americanlendingcenter.com; and for Sunstone Management, it is sunstoneinvestment.com.

About Seatrec

Seatrec designs and manufactures oceanic robots and energy harvesting platforms that generate electricity from naturally occurring temperature differences in ocean waters. This renewable energy can power oceanographic research equipment such as floats, gliders, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), resulting in the most scalable, cost-effective deep ocean data collection possible. Seatrec originated at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology and was incorporated by CEO Dr. Yi Chao in 2016. Learn more about us at www.seatrec.com and follow us on @seatrecinc.

About American Lending Center: A Financial Times (FT) Americas Fastest Growing Company

American Lending Center (ALC) is a private nonbank lending institution and nationally recognized leader in small business lending. By the end of September 2023, ALC has fully financed senior loan products to 90 qualified EB-5 projects in 13 states, contributing to a combined construction and business expansion budget of over $1.5 billion. ALCs lending practice has successfully created more than 15,000 new jobs nationwide since 2009. In 2022, ALC launched its new rural construction and development fund with capital available for construction of fixed assets of all types in rural areas including manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, hospitality, specialty use, multi-use and other project types.

Follow American Lending Center on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Sunstone Management

Sunstone Management is a diversified private capital management firm with headquarters in Southern California that provides a range of early-stage venture capital, real estate, and fixed income funds to qualified and accredited investors. The firm delivers new and exciting options for economic growth through innovative public-private partnerships, making use of its unique experience across government, education, and private sectors. Identified by Financial Times as one of Americas Fastest Growing Companies three years in a row. In the second quarter of 2023, PitchBook ranked Sunstone the seventh most active early-stage venture capital firm in the country, and 18th overall.

Connect with Sunstone Management at:

LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Crunchbase | Pitchbook

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Scott Thompson

American Lending Center

(562) 449-0139

[email protected]

Source: American Lending Center
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Haug Partners LLP is excited to welcome Jennifer Patterson as a partner in its New York office.

Ms. Patterson has more than 25 years of experience handling antitrust litigation and other complex commercial disputes across a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals, rail freight transportation, publishing, auto parts, aircraft parts, biometric identification, poultry breeding, food additives, pesticides, optical film, flat glass manufacturing, and accounting and audit services.

Ms. Patterson has defended major US and foreign corporations in private antitrust lawsuits and class actions, and in related criminal and civil investigations and enforcement proceedings by the Department of Justice, State Attorneys General, and foreign competition agencies. She has handled internal investigations concerning potential antitrust violations and other illegal activities, and has advised companies with respect to the antitrust implications of mergers and acquisitions. She also advises on distribution and pricing programs and other aspects of competitor and customer relations, as well as on best practices for antitrust training and compliance.

Ed Haug, Chairman of the Firm, had this to say about Jennifers addition: As we start 2024, we are very excited to welcome Jennifer Patterson as partner in our antitrust practice. Jennifer is a well-known practicing lawyer in the antitrust world having spent years at Kaye Scholer and more recently Arnold & Porter representing Fortune 500 companies in complex antitrust disputes with great success. We welcome Jennifer to our already robust and very successful antitrust practice.

In joining the Firm, Ms. Patterson commented: I was drawn to Haug Partners because of its sophisticated antitrust litigation practice and its integrated IP platform. I look forward to adding my experience to the broader expertise of the Firm in order to provide first-class service to our clients.

Ms. Patterson earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

Haug Partners LLP is a national law firm that provides integrated, multidisciplinary legal services in the areas of Intellectual Property, FDA law, and antitrust and commercial transactions. The firm has offices in New York, Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach.

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[email protected]

Source: Haug Partners LLP
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Relation Insurance Services (Relation), one of the largest and fastest-growing national insurance brokerages in the industry, recently announced Kevin Rabinowitz as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Having held previous leadership positions at Hagerty, Integro and Marsh, Kevin joined Relation in January 2022 as its Chief Broking Officer. As COO, he is responsible for overseeing Relations fully integrated operating model, including strategic planning and design, client service, sales operations, carrier management, acquisition integration, business analytics, and marketing and communications. He will continue reporting to Relations CEO, Tim Hall.

Im thrilled to accept this opportunity and continue working alongside the outstanding team at Relation, said Kevin regarding the appointment. Its energizing to be surrounded by such a talented and motivated group of colleagues and Im proud to lead a company with a steadfast commitment to its core mission of delivering exceptional client service and results.

Tim Hall expressed his excitement about Kevins appointment, stating, Kevin has been an integral part of Relations growth story since he joined us. His leadership and industry experience have proven to be invaluable and he fully embodies the culture that makes Relation a destination firm in our industry. Under his expanded leadership, we are confident that Relation will continue to grow and innovate to meet the evolving needs of our clients.

About Relation Insurance Services, Inc.

Relation Insurance Services is an insurance brokerage that offers superior risk management and benefits consulting services across the United States. It is ranked by Insurance Journal within the top 25 largest agencies in the country by revenue and has approximately 1,300 employees across more than 130 locations nationwide. Relation is backed by Aquiline Capital Partners, a private investment firm based in New York and London investing in businesses globally across financial services and technology. Visit http://www.relationinsurance.com for more information.

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Todd McCormack, VP, Marketing & Communications

Relation Insurance Services, Inc.

415-426-6609 / [email protected]

Source: Relation Insurance Services, Inc.
McNally Capital and AMI Management Team to Sell Leading Analyzer and Sensor Manufacturer to Enpro

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- McNally Capital (McNally), a private equity firm, is pleased to announce the firm has entered into a signed purchase agreement for the sale of Advanced Micro Instruments, Inc. (AMI or the Company) to Enpro Inc. (NYSE: NPO). AMI is a leading provider of highly engineered, application-specific analyzers and sensing technologies that monitor critical parameters to maintain infrastructure integrity, enable process efficiency, enhance safety, and facilitate the clean energy transition.

Based in Costa Mesa, California, AMI serves customers in the midstream natural gas, biogas, industrial processing, cryogenics, food processing, laboratory, wastewater, and aerospace markets. The company offers a portfolio of oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, and moisture analyzers and proprietary sensing capabilities that detect contaminants in a variety of processes, including natural gas and biogas streams, which enable operators to avoid flaring and, thereby, reduce CO2 emissions. McNally invested in AMI in partnership with the companys founder, Steven Kirchnavy, in 2014. The investment stemmed from McNallys focus on the industrial products and services industry. It was consistent with the firms strategy of partnering with founders and management owners to promote the continued success and expansion of privately-held businesses.

Under McNallys stewardship, AMI has strengthened in all facets. From facilitating revolutionary product development and organic growth to diversifying our client and distribution base with widespread industry adoption of AMIs products, they have driven tremendous value creation for the Company, said AMI founder and former President and CEO, Steven Kirchnavy.

Adam Lerner, Partner of McNally Capital, stated, The sale of AMI highlights the merits and strength of McNally Capitals value creation process, directly impacting our investors and management teams throughout a full transaction lifecycle. It is also a testament to our differentiated investment strategy of successfully bringing industry expertise to founder-owned businesses to not only support but greatly enhance their growth journey. We are proud to have worked with such a highly accomplished team in providing a solutions-focused approach to accelerate the business.

AMI has experienced meaningful growth through our partnership with McNally Capital, further establishing us as industry leaders. We look forward to continuing our growth trajectory by joining the Enpro family, said Kevin Bates, President and CEO of AMI. We are grateful for the strong positioning McNally has strategically fostered for the Company, and this is an exciting next chapter for AMI.

McNally Capital makes thesis-driven investments in the U.S. and targets founder- and management-owned companies. The firm leverages a deep bench of industry partners who provide incremental industry and operating knowledge and expertise. McNally focuses on investing in lower middle-market businesses with $5 million to $20 million in EBITDA in the Aerospace & Defense/National Security, Industrial Products & Services, and Business Services industries. The firm is currently investing out of its committed buyout fund, McNally Capital Fund II, LP.

The transaction is expected to close in early 2024, subject to limited closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

William Blair served as the sell-side advisor to AMI. Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel supporting the transaction on behalf of the sellers.

About McNally Capital

McNally Capital is a lower middle-market private equity firm targeting thesis-driven investments in the U.S., specifically focused on acquiring founder and management-owned companies. Formed by the McNally family, who owned and operated Rand McNally & Company, McNally Capital is dedicated to upholding a 160+ year legacy as a family-owned and operated company. We look for businesses where we believe we can apply our hands-on experience, institutional capabilities, and proprietary value creation framework to benefit management teams in their next phase of growth and build value for our investors. For more information, please visit www.mcnallycapital.com.

About Advanced Micro Instruments, Inc.

AMI is a majority-owned portfolio company of McNally Capital, LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm. AMI is a leading provider of highly engineered, application-specific analyzers and sensing technologies. Based in Costa Mesa, California, AMI serves customers in the midstream natural gas, biogas, industrial processing, cryogenics, food processing, laboratory, wastewater, and aerospace markets. The company offers a portfolio of oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, and moisture analyzers and proprietary sensing capabilities that detect contaminants in a variety of processes, including natural gas and biogas streams, which enable operators to avoid flaring and, thereby, reduce CO2 emissions. For more information, please visit www.amio2.com.

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Nicole M. Henderson, Head of Fundraising & Investor Relations

(312) 757-5158

[email protected]

Tyler Ashley, Head of Business Development

(312) 767-2511

[email protected]

Source: McNally Capital
The Northern Ireland-based data centre unveils a new website with enhanced services and solutions

BELFAST, Northern Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prescient Data Centres (Prescient DC), Northern Irelands pioneer commercial carrier-neutral data centre, unveils its new website. The newly designed website features a full suite of enhanced services and solutions, bolstering its position as the only neutral colocation operator, with a facility in Northern Ireland, directly serving the region with connectivity and reach beyond.

Prescients new website showcases a comprehensive look at the data centre, providing details regarding the data centres security, safety, building management information, and cooling and power solutions. The website additionally focuses on Prescients services, including colocation, connectivity and support services. It also shares the companys solutions and partners, including details about the leadership team at Prescient.

We are committed to giving our customers, present and future, the best possible experience with Prescient Data Centres, shares Doug Friend, CEO of Prescient. Through our new website, we clearly communicate our industry-leading services for our customers and those who are considering making Northern Ireland a home for their data.

Prescient Data Centres operates Northern Irelands first commercial carrier-neutral data centre. The company offers data centre services in the form of colocation, connectivity and other solutions to assist in reaching local, national and international digital infrastructure. Located within the Atlantic Link Enterprise Campus, Prescient DCs world-class facility offers super-efficient and exceptionally resilient, high-security data storage.

Prescient DCs unique location offers stress-free access to the UK and EU. Its proximity to the GTT transatlantic cable landing station in Northern Ireland enables low latency connections to North America with proximity to the Aqua Comms cable landing, also located in Northern Ireland. This strategic location allows the independent data centre to serve as a pivotal hub for cloud services in the region.

Learn more about Prescient Data Centres and experience their new website at prescientdc.com.

About Prescient Data Centres

Prescient Data Centres operate Northern Irelands first commercial carrier-neutral data centre. We provide colocation, connectivity and other data-centre solutions from a world-class data centre in Coleraine, conveniently located for exceptionally fast UK, EU and North American connectivity. Prescient DCs world-class facility offers super-efficient and exceptionally resilient, high-security data storage. Built to Tier III concurrently maintainable standard, its also impressively reliable, resilient, safe and secure. With flexible solutions for small-scale needs to wholesale requirements, Prescient works with businesses to provide data centre services tailored to fit their needs.

Prescient DC are specialists in developing the most innovative, professional and flexible data-centre solutions. Prescient DC has a reputation for data-centre operation that meets the needs and exceeds the expectations of local, national and international clients.

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Ilissa Miller

iMiller Public Relations

Tel: 1.914.315.6424

Email: [email protected]

Source: Prescient Data Centres
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nicole Stanton has joined Dorsey & Whitney LLP as a Partner in Phoenix, continuing the growth of this successful office.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240102561499/en/

Nicole Stanton has joined Dorsey & Whitney LLP as a Partner in Phoenix, continuing the growth of this successful office. (Photo: Business Wire)

Nicole is a veteran litigation and legal ethics counsel with over 20 years of experience. Most recently, Nicole served as the Vice President and General Counsel for Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a publicly traded company operating in nine states with $1.2 billion in annual revenue. Nicole received the Public Company General Counsel of the Year award by the Arizona Association of Corporate Counsel in April 2021. Prior to serving as General Counsel, Nicole was the Office Managing Partner at Quarles & Brady LLP, where she was responsible for the management of the Phoenix office as well as attorney recruitment and served as the firms assistant general counsel.

Nicoles success as defense counsel has garnered her a great reputation across business practices, including being honored with several notable awards such as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona from AZ Business Magazine and Phoenix Business Journal's Most Admired Leaders. In her career, Nicole has also overseen a wide variety of legal aspects, including securities compliance, labor and employment disputes, regulatory compliance, business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, land use and zoning, and contracts.

Nicole received her J.D. from the University of Arizona, College of Law, and her B.S. from the University of Utah. She has taught legal ethics at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, recently created and co-taught a course on Leadership in Law at the University of Arizonas James E. Rodgers College of Law, and is a member of the prestigious American Law Institute.

I am excited to join such an outstanding and dynamic group of like-minded attorneys who are committed to providing the absolute best legal counsel and services to their clients, said Nicole Stanton. Dorsey has already built an impressive full-service Phoenix office in just under two years, and I am looking forward to helping the office continue to grow and to introducing my client relationships to Dorsey.

We are thrilled that Nicole Stanton has decided to join Dorsey. Nicole is a proven business and community leader and has a wealth of experience in both private practice and as VP and General Counsel of a publicly traded company, said Scott Jenkins, Dorseys Phoenix office head. More than ever, our clients are seeking board-level business-minded counsel as they navigate the complexities of the ever-changing business environment. Nicole will bring additional expertise and leadership to help meet our clients challenges.

About Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Clients have relied on Dorsey as a valued business partner since 1912. With locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, Dorsey provides results-oriented, grounded counsel for its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful companies from a wide range of industries, including banking & financial institutions; development & infrastructure; energy & natural resources; food, beverage & agribusiness; healthcare & life sciences; and technology.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240102561499/en/

Carmen Ramson-Herzing

612.492.5194

[email protected]

Source: Dorsey & Whitney LLP
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

TotalEnergies (Paris: TTE) (LSE: TTE) (NYSE: TTE) has completed today the implementation of the agreements signed in March 2023 with Alimentation Couche-Tard (Couche-Tard). The transaction, based on an enterprise value of 3.1 billion (equivalent to more than 15 years of net cash flow on a post-tax basis), was finalized in two steps, on December 28th, 2023, with the transaction related to the network in Germany and on January 3rd, 2024, with the transactions related to the networks in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

TotalEnergies received a total cash consideration after adjustments and before tax of 3.4 billion (approximately $3.8 billion, including approximately $2.4 billion in December 2023).

As announced, the transaction involved TotalEnergies' retail networks in the following countries:

In Germany and the Netherlands , TotalEnergies sold 100% of its networks to Couche-Tard.

, TotalEnergies sold 100% of its networks to Couche-Tard. In Belgium and Luxembourg, TotalEnergies and Couche-Tard formed a joint venture (TotalEnergies 40%, Couche-Tard 60%).

TotalEnergies will continue to supply fuel to the service stations in these four countries for at least five years, notably from its refineries in Antwerp (Belgium) and Leuna (Germany).

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, more sustainable, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

@TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The terms TotalEnergies, TotalEnergies company or Company in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words we, us and our may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE has no liability for the acts or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103388964/en/

TotalEnergies

Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l [email protected] l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investors Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l [email protected]

Source: TOTALENERGIES SE
WEST HARRISON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Sky Harbour Group Corporation (NYSE: SKYH, SKYH WS) (Sky Harbour or the Company) today announced that Will Whitesell has joined the team as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Outgoing COO, Alex Saltzman, has entered an amicable separation agreement and will assist with transfer of responsibilities in good order. Loren Benedict has joined Sky Harbour subsidiary, RapidBuilt, as chief of operations. The Company has also released an update to its estimated budget at its Dallas-Addison home basing campus project.

Leadership Update

Mr. Whitesell brings more than 20 years of construction, development and senior management experience at Turner Construction, The Related Companies, and Suffolk Construction, most recently serving for five years as Suffolks COO for the New York region.

CEO Tal Keinan commented, As two years of increasingly intensive site acquisition efforts begin to bear fruit, Sky Harbour will face the challenge of dramatically scaling its manufacturing and development capacity, lowering total development cost, and maintaining a decisive qualitative edge in its physical offering. Wills track record in managing parallel large-scale development projects, his deep corporate leadership experience, and his aggressive mission-driven approach, position him powerfully to help lead this next phase of Sky Harbours growth. We are excited to welcome Will to the Sky Harbour team. Alex Saltzmans immeasurable contributions have helped to bring Sky Harbour to todays advantageous position. We are grateful for Alexs dedicated service, and knowing the value he will bring to his future endeavors, wish him great success.

Mr. Benedict brings decades of manufacturing, construction and leadership experience in the pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) space, including at Lefever Building Systems and DCB Construction. He is a US Army veteran with multiple combat and humanitarian deployments.

Tal Keinan commented, As Sky Harbours development activity scales, in-house manufacturing will play an increasingly important role in reducing development time and cost, while increasing build quality. Loren is a seasoned PEMB professional, and will play a leadership role in transforming RapidBuilt from a broad-spectrum PEMB company to a specialized manufacturer, optimized for efficiency, quality, and seamless integration with Sky Harbours design and construction teams. Sky Harbour is thankful to welcome another veteran to the team, and plans to continue growing with the veteran community, one of our societys greatest under-tapped resources.

Construction Update: Addison Phase 1

Sky Harbour also released an update to its development budget for Dallas Addison (ADS) Phase 1, from an estimated range of $25-27 million to an estimated range of $30-32 million. The increase is largely due to owner-initiated improvements intended to enhance the quality and aesthetic of Sky Harbours offering to residents and introduced as a result of learnings at existing Sky Harbour facilities.

In Q1 2024, the Company intends to make cash contributions in the amount necessary to fund these estimated cost increases from unrestricted funds on hand at the corporate level into Sky Harbour Capital and the Obligated Groups construction fund. As in the past, the Company will protect and support the funding sufficiency of the 2021 Sky Harbour Capital LLC Aviation Facilities Project as amended.

About Sky Harbour Group Corporation

Sky Harbour Group Corporation is an aviation infrastructure company developing the first nationwide network of Home-Basing campuses for business aircraft. The company develops, leases, and manages general aviation hangars across the United States. Sky Harbours Home-Basing offering aims to provide private and corporate customers with the best physical infrastructure in business aviation, coupled with dedicated service tailored to based aircraft, offering the shortest time to wheels-up in business aviation. To learn more, visit www.skyharbour.group.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about the financial condition, results of operations, earnings outlook, benefits of the new ground leases, expectations regarding construction costs and timing and prospects of SHG may include statements for the period following the consummation of the business combination. When used in this press release, the words plan, believe, expect, anticipate, intend, outlook, estimate, forecast, project, continue, could, may, might, possible, potential, predict, should, would and other similar words and expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the management of SHG as applicable and are inherently subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances and their potential effects and speak only as of the date of such statement. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed and identified in the public filings made or to be made with the SEC by SHG, including the filings described above, regarding the following: expectations regarding SHGs strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans, expansion plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products and services, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and SHGs ability to invest in growth initiatives; SHGs ability to scale and build the hangars currently under development or planned in a timely and cost-effective manner; the implementation, market acceptance and success of SHGs business model and growth strategy; the success or profitability of SHGs hangar facilities; SHGs future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; SHGs ability to obtain funding for its operations and future growth; developments and projections relating to SHGs competitors and industry; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that SHG may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; operational risk;. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of the assumptions made by the management of SHG prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. SHG undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103157143/en/

[email protected]

Attn: Francisco Gonzalez

Source: Sky Harbour Group Corporation
This proven solution for DMS addresses the new regulatory landscape by satisfying GSR and Euro NCAP requirements for driver safety

GOTHENBURG, Sweden & SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Smart Eye AB, the leading provider of Human Insight AI, and Green Hills Software LLC, the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security, today announced their expanded collaboration focused on delivering integrated DMS platforms for rapid Tier 1 and OEM adoption and use. The two companies have integrated their best-of-breed technologies to meet automakers demands for a DMS platform that allows automakers to efficiently develop and confidently deploy essential safety- and security-critical automotive in-cabin applications in the shortest time possible. This proven DMS solution is road-ready and already in production with several leading OEMs.

As the new regulatory landscape for DMS evolves globally, and GSR and Euro NCAP requirements make advanced sensing features mandatory in new vehicles in Europe, automakers require proven, available safe and secure automotive DMS software solutions running on the latest automotive processors that deliver the required performance with the fastest time to deployment.

The DMS platform offered by Smart Eye and Green Hills Software integrates Smart Eyes core DMS software with the ASIL-certified INTEGRITY RTOS from Green Hills and detects driver distraction and drowsiness by analyzing facial expressions and eye gaze in real time. The joint solution brings together advanced driver monitoring capabilities with a safe, secure automotive-grade real-time operating system. This combination meets the stringent safety and security requirements of the automotive industry, supports regulatory compliance, and offers support on a wide range of automotive processors, while providing scalability for the evolving needs of automotive applications.

At CES 2024, this proven DMS solution will be demonstrated in the Green Hills booth on a Texas Instruments (TI) AM62A Sitara automotive processor, one of the latest cost-effective, performant automotive SoCs from TI in the Sitara family.

The joint solution also includes support for the Green Hills ASIL-certified MULTI integrated development environment (IDE) and C/C++ compilers, which increase developer productivity while enabling developers to shorten the time to find and fix bugs and optimize applications on multicore processors such as the TI AM62A Sitara processor. The MULTI IDEs advanced History event viewer and TimeMachine back-in-time debugger make it easy to quickly find and fix difficult bugs and performance bottlenecks, while preventing future software problems in deployed systems.

We are delighted to collaborate with Green Hills Software and demo our joint solution at CES 2024, said Martin Krantz, Founder and CEO of Smart Eye. By combining our deep expertise in delivering production-ready automotive software, we provide automakers with a proven solution that meets their high safety and security standards for safety-critical applications, such as driver monitoring.

Green Hills, in collaboration with Smart Eye, is enabling customers with highly integrated, and optimized software for developing sophisticated, performant, next generation in-cabin safety systems, said Dan Mender, Vice President, Business Development. The availability of this combination ensures rapid development, efficient debugging and important optimization while enabling cost-effective, timely delivery of solutions for safety-critical DMS solutions."

Green Hills and Smart Eye will demonstrate their solution at CES 2024, January 9-12, in the Green Hills booth #6601 in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Automakers who would like to see a demo at CES can schedule an appointment at: https://www.ghs.com/events/CES_2024_mtg_req.php.

About Green Hills Software

Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software is the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security. In 2008, the Green Hills INTEGRITY-178 RTOS was the first and only operating system to be certified by NIAP (National Information Assurance Partnership, comprised of NSA & NIST) to EAL 6+, High Robustness, the highest level of security ever achieved for any software product. Our open architecture integrated development solutions address deeply embedded, absolute security and high-reliability applications for the military/avionics, medical, industrial, automotive, networking, consumer and other markets that demand industry-certified solutions. Green Hills Software is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, with European headquarters in the United Kingdom. Visit Green Hills Software at https://www.ghs.com.

Green Hills, the Green Hills logo, MULTI, INTEGRITY, History and TimeMachine are trademarks or registered trademarks of Green Hills Software, in the U.S. and/or internationally. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Smart Eye

Smart Eye is the global leader in Human Insight AI, technology that understands, supports, and predicts human behavior in complex environments. We are bridging the gap between humans and machines for a safe and sustainable future. Our multimodal software and hardware solutions provide unprecedented human insight in automotive and behavioral researchsupported also by Affectiva and iMotions, companies we acquired in 2021.

In automotive, we are leading the way towards safer and human-centric mobility through Driver Monitoring Systems and Interior Sensing solutions. Our technology is embedded in next-generation vehicles and available as a standalone aftermarket solution for existing vehicles, fleet, and small-volume OEMs.

Our industry-leading eye tracking systems and iMotions biosensor software enable advanced research and training in academic and commercial sectors. Affectivas Emotion AI provides the worlds largest brands and market researchers with a deeper understanding of how consumers engage with their content, products, and services.

Smart Eye was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Sweden with offices in the US, UK, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Singapore, China, and Japan. A publicly traded company since 2016, our customers include NASA, Nissan, Boeing, Honeywell, Volvo, GM, BMW, Geely, Harvard University, over 1,300 research organizations around the world, 90% of the worlds largest advertisers and 26% of the Fortune Global 500 companies.

Visit www.smarteye.ai for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103837461/en/

Green Hills Software

Christopher Smith

[email protected]

+1-805-965-6044

Smart Eye AB

Hailey Driscoll

Vice President, Public Relations, Walker Sands

[email protected]

Source: Smart Eye AB
This years U.S. presidential election has begun being played out in the courts. Former President and now Republican candidate Donald Trump has appealed to the Maine Superior Court the decision of Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to exclude him from the Republican primary in that state. Trumps lawyers believe that Bellows interpretation that, under the 14th Amendment, he cannot run for having participated in a rebellion or insurrection is incorrect.

In parallel, Trump is preparing his appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision of the highest judicial body of Colorado to prevent him from participating in the primaries in that state, also in application of the 14th Amendment. In both states the primaries are held next March 5, known as Super Tuesday, the date on which more than a third of the delegates who will designate the Republican presidential candidate are chosen.

In the Maine appeal, Trumps defense argues the grounds on which it considers his exclusion unlawful. The lawyers say that the secretary of states decision was the product of a process infected by bias. Trumps lawyers believe that Bellows should have recused himself because of her alleged bias against the former president and that she had no legal authority to make such a decision even if it were true that he had participated in an insurrection.

The letter indicates that it is not the Secretary of State who must apply the 14th Amendment, but that the disqualification of a candidate would correspond to the electoral college and Congress. The third section of the 14th Amendment says: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. It adds that this veto may be lifted by Congress through the vote of two-thirds of each Chamber. It is an amendment passed in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War, that sought to prevent Confederate rebels from occupying positions of power.

Trumps appeal argues that this provision is not self-executing and leaves no role for state officials in its enforcement. The rule, they argue, prohibits certain individuals from holding specific offices, [but] not from running for or being elected to them. They also note that it does not apply to President Trump because he has never served as an official of the United States and has never taken an oath to support the Constitution, but rather the presidents oath is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.

They add that the amendment refers to any official of the United States, a term that, according to their interpretation, does not apply to the president. Curiously, the legal tables have been turned: in the New York fraud case, the former presidents lawyers said that he should be moved to a federal court because Trump was a United States official and the prosecution successfully argued otherwise.

On top of all that, lawyers say Trump did not take part in any insurrection. The public speeches on which Ballows decision was based, including the one he gave on January 6, 2021 before the assault on the Capitol, are protected by freedom of expression, the appeal states.

The Secretary of States decision is on hold pending judicial appeals. The Superior Court must rule before January 17. Its decision will be appealable before the Supreme Court of Maine and the sentence it dictates, in turn, can be appealed before the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, with a supermajority of six conservative judges, three of them appointed by Trump himself.

These judges will also have to resolve the appeal that Trumps lawyers plan to present this week against the ruling of the Colorado Supreme Court that excluded him from the primaries in that state. The highest court in the country has never ruled on the interpretation of section 3 of the 14th Amendment, and its decision will apply in the other states where Trumps eligibility has also been questioned on the same grounds.

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DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Superscapes, a leading commercial landscaping provider in Texas and Arkansas, is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Newman Lawn Care, marking a strategic move to enhance its presence in North Texas. This acquisition reflects Superscapes' commitment to delivering top-notch landscaping services and strengthening its position as an industry leader.

Shawn Clayton, CEO of Superscapes, expressed his excitement about the acquisition, stating, "I am thrilled to welcome my friend, Brandon Newman, to the Superscapes family. For a quarter of a century, we have taken great pride in the award-winning service and satisfaction our customers have grown to expect and appreciate. During that time, Brandon has successfully built his company into a like-minded business focused on excellence and client satisfaction. He is now working alongside our management team as he services his existing clients and helps manage and grow our exciting business in North Texas."

Brandon Newman, the founder of Newman Lawn Care, shared his enthusiasm for the combination, stating, "Joining forces with Superscapes is an exciting chapter for Newman Lawn Care. Our shared values and commitment to delivering outstanding service make this a natural partnership. I am eager to contribute to the continued success of our combined business and provide enhanced landscaping solutions to our clients."

The acquisition of Newman Lawn Care aligns with Superscapes' strategic vision for expansion and reinforces the Company's commitment to delivering outstanding services to clients in North Texas. As Superscapes integrates the expertise and resources of Newman Lawn Care, the combined entity is poised to set new standards of excellence in the landscaping industry.

About Superscapes:

Superscapes is a leading provider of commercial landscaping design, installation, and maintenance services in Texas and Arkansas. Founded in 2000, the company enjoys an unsurpassed reputation for quality, service and execution and serves as the official landscaping company of the Dallas Cowboys. Superscapes clients include many notable owners, general contractors and developers throughout the region. For more information, visit: www.superscapes.net.

About Crux Capital:

Crux Capital, the private equity firm behind Superscapes, is dedicated to investing in and growing small, profitable companies. Focused on a select number of high-quality businesses, Crux Capital collaborates with management teams to build long-term value. The firm works closely with company management, implementing strategies to unlock and maximize value over time. For more information, visit: www.crux-cap.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240102729096/en/

Superscapes

972-712-0353

[email protected]

Crux Capital

469-389-1244

[email protected]

Source: Superscapes
NEWCASTLE & HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TechnipFMC (NYSE: FTI) has been awarded a major(1) integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (iEPCI) contract by Petrobras to deliver the Mero 3 HISEP project, which uses subsea processing to capture carbon dioxide-rich dense gases and then inject them into the reservoir.

TechnipFMC, in partnership with Petrobras, has advanced the qualification of some of the core technologies needed to deliver the HISEP (High Pressure Separation) process entirely subsea, several of which are proprietary and will be used in other subsea applications. These include gas separation systems and dense gas pumps which enable the injection of CO2-rich dense gas.

The Mero 3 project in Brazils pre-salt field will be the first to utilize Petrobrass patented HISEP process subsea. HISEP technologies enable the capture of CO2-rich dense gases directly from the well stream, moving part of the separation process from the topside platform to the sea floor. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity, HISEP technologies increase production capacity by debottlenecking the topside gas processing plant. These technologies are supported by Petrobras and its partners in the Libra Consortium(2).

Luana Duffe, Executive Vice President, New Energy at TechnipFMC, commented: This is an important moment for our Company. With the HISEP project, we will again demonstrate how our leadership in subsea processing, technology innovation, and integrated solutions can deliver real and sustainable benefits to our partners. We are honored to be trusted by Petrobras and its partners in the Libra Consortium to deliver this transformational project.

The contract covers the design, engineering, manufacture, and installation of subsea equipment, including manifolds, flexible and rigid pipes, umbilicals, power distribution, as well as life of field services. The contract follows a tender process and aligns with research and development guidance established by the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP).

(1) For TechnipFMC, a major contract is over $1 billion. This award will be included in first quarter Subsea inbound orders.

(2) The Libra Consortium consists of: Petrobras as operator (38.6%); Shell Brasil Petroleo Ltda. (19.3%); TotalEnergies EP Brasil Ltda. (19.3%); CNOOC Petroleum Brasil Ltda. (9.65%); CNODC Brasil Petroleo e Gas Ltda. (9.65%); and Pre-Sal Petroleo S.A. (3.5%), as the Brazilian government's representative in the non-contracted area.

Important Information for Investors and Securityholders

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words expect, believe, estimated, and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. For information regarding known material factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results, please see our risk factors set forth in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which include our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any of our forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.

About TechnipFMC

TechnipFMC is a leading technology provider to the traditional and new energy industries, delivering fully integrated projects, products, and services.

With our proprietary technologies and comprehensive solutions, we are transforming our clients project economics, helping them unlock new possibilities to develop energy resources while reducing carbon intensity and supporting their energy transition ambitions.

Organized in two business segments  Subsea and Surface Technologies  we will continue to advance the industry with our pioneering integrated ecosystems (such as iEPCI, iFEED and iComplete), technology leadership and digital innovation.

Each of our approximately 21,000 employees is driven by a commitment to our clients success, and a culture of strong execution, purposeful innovation, and challenging industry conventions.

TechnipFMC uses its website as a channel of distribution of material company information. To learn more about how we are driving change in the industry, go to www.TechnipFMC.com and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @TechnipFMC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103059185/en/

Investor relations

Matt Seinsheimer

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Development

Tel: +1 281 260 3665

Email: Matt Seinsheimer

James Davis

Director, Investor Relations

Tel: +1 281 260 3665

Email: James Davis

Media relations

Catie Tuley

Director, Public Relations

Tel: +1 713 876 7296

Email: Catie Tuley

David Willis

Senior Manager, Public Relations

Tel: +44 7841 492988

Email: David Willis

Source: TechnipFMC plc
The 2024 Leap Year Provides More Deals to Book Alaska Awakening Adventures and Beyond

JUNEAU, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UnCruise Adventures, leading small-ship adventure brand, is thrilled to unveil new and exclusive WAVE season offers for the 2024 Alaska cruise season. This leap year, UnCruise Adventures is inviting adventurers to embrace the spirit of exploration with unmatched opportunities.

The Leap into Adventure offers apply to new bookings made January 3rd to February 29th, 2024, and provides opportunity for groups, couples, families, and solo travelers to save more, while adventuring more with all-inclusive fares. All cruise fares include adventure gear, excursions, high end cuisine, all drinks, alcoholic and non, onboard naturalists, experts guides and access to wellness and exercise gear.

Spring in Alaska is one of my favorite times of the year, shares Captain Dan Blanchard, UnCruise Adventures Owner & CEO. Not only are we offering great savings for Springs Alaska Awakening, but the chances for whale and bear sightings increase. Our premium rates and meticulous itineraries really set us apart. I cant wait to welcome our guests back to Alaska in 2024.

The UnCruise Adventures brand is known for its deep commitment to immersive and personal adventure cruises. The carefully crafted adventures are designed to open the doors wider to the wonders of the Alaskan wilderness, making the extraordinary beauty of this pristine region more attainable for every adventurer.

Exceptional Leap into Adventure Savings:

Spring Savings: Enjoy a 15% saving on select spring Alaska departures, with qualified dates in April and May for Alaska Awakening.

Early Summer Special: Secure $500 savings on all Alaska sailings commencing June 1, 2024.

For groups booking the Wilderness Legacy and Safari Endeavour departures, along with select Wilderness Discovery dates, the 'Buy 3, Get the 4th Berth Free' offer is an ideal choice. The free berth applies to the cabin of lesser value.

Group Savings: Groups of 10 or more guests on select departures will receive an incredible 29% savings in honor of the leap year, through February 29th.

Double Kids in Nature (KIN) Savings: Families can benefit from $1,000 savings per child (ages 8-17) on select Kids in Nature family departures. Regularly $500 per child.

Solo Traveler Special: Waived single supplements on select adult-only departures and other sailings on the Wilderness Legacy and Safari Endeavour.

Ultimate Alaska Experience: Combine your cruise with a Denali National Park land package and enjoy a 15% saving on the total package.

Terms and conditions apply, and offers are based on double occupancy.

Don't miss out on these deals. Secure your booking by visiting uncruise.com, contacting our Adventure Specialists at [email protected], 888-862-8881 or contacting your trusted travel advisor to secure your cabin.

About UnCruise Adventures

UnCruise Adventures is a responsible travel and adventure leader in the small boat industry. They operate boutique yachts and small boats carrying 22-86 guests on voyages in Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Mexicos Sea of Cortes, Northern Baja California, Prince William Sound, Aleutian Islands, Coastal Washington, & Galapagos. UnCruise Adventures has been picked as the top adventure cruise line by Cruise Critic, multiple times and Travel & Leisure readers also named UnCruise Adventures in its Worlds Best Awards and its list of top 10 small ship ocean cruise line for multiple years in a row. UnCruise Adventures is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Transformational Travel Council.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103346461/en/

[email protected]

Source: UnCruise Adventures
LURE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Vetoquinol (Paris: VETO) published its calendar of financial communication for 2024.

January 24, 2024: 2023 Annual revenues (after market)

March 20, 2024: 2023 Annual results (confcall after market)

April 29, 2024: 2024 First quarter revenues (after market)

May 28, 2024: Annual shareholders meeting

June 6, 2024: Dividend payment

September 12, 2024: 2024 First semester results (confcall after market)

October 30, 2024: 2024 Third quarter revenues (after market)

Next update: Annual Sales 2023, January 24th, 2024 after market close

ABOUT VETOQUINOL

Vetoquinol is a leading global animal health company that supplies drugs and non-medicinal products for the farm animals (cattle and pigs) and pet (dogs and cats) markets. As an independent pure player, Vetoquinol designs, develops and sells veterinary drugs and non-medicinal products in Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. Since its foundation in 1933, Vetoquinol has pursued a strategy combining innovation with geographical diversification. The Groups hybrid growth is driven by the reinforcement of its product portfolio coupled with acquisitions in high potential growth markets. Vetoquinol employed 2,497 people as of June 30th, 2023.

Vetoquinol has been listed on Euronext Paris since 2006 (symbol: VETO).

The Vetoquinol share is eligible for the French PEA and PEA-PME personal equity plans.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103910180/en/

VETOQUINOL

Investor Relations

Fanny Toillon

Tel.: +33 (0)3 84 62 59 88

[email protected]

KEIMA COMMUNICATION

Investor & Media Relations

Emmanuel Dovergne

Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 43 44 63

[email protected]

Source: Vetoquinol
Ellomay Capital Ltd. (NYSE American: ELLO) today announced that it executed an agreement (the "Agreement") to sell its holdings in the 9 MW solar facility located in Talmei Yosef, Israel (the "Talmei Yosef Facility").

The Agreement provides for the sale of the Company's holdings in the Talmei Yosef Facility to Greenlight Fund Limited Partnership and Doral Group Renewable Energy Resources Ltd., in equal parts, in consideration for NIS 44.75 million (approximately $12.2 million ), with an additional potential payment of up to NIS 4 million in the event the Talmei Yosef Facility will produce more than 18 million Kwh during 2024. The Agreement provides for a cutoff date of June 30, 2023 and the Company will be entitled to all revenues of the Talmei Yosef Facility up to such date, net of expenses for the period.

The Agreement includes customary representations and indemnification undertakings in connection with breaches of representations, which, other than with respect to customary exceptions, are subject to a cap of NIS 9 million and limited to a period of 18 months from the closing date.

The consummation of the sale is subject to various customary conditions to closing, including receipt of regulatory approvals and the consent of the financing entity of the Talmei Yosef Facility. All conditions to closing are required to be fulfilled within a period of 90 days from execution of the Agreement, which can be extended to up to 150 days under certain circumstances.

The Talmei Yosef Facility is located in southern Israel . One of the conditions to closing is the end of the war in southern Israel and that the Talmei Yosef Facility will be physically accessible. In addition, the Agreement provides that in the event that due to the current war and hostilities in Israel the facility will be damaged or its output will decrease, the buyers will have the right not to consummate the acquisition of the facility.

Following consummation of the sale, the Company will maintain the rights to the two projects under development located in the vicinity of the Talmei Yosef Facility: (i) a solar facility intended for 10 solar MW and 22 MW / hour batteries, and (ii) a battery storage facility intended for approximately 400 MW / hour.
FILE PHOTO: Customers enter the Apple store on 5th Avenue beneath an Apple logo in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Apple has agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of knowingly letting scammers exploit its gift cards, and keep stolen funds for itself.

According to a filing on Wednesday in federal court in San Jose, California, Apple and the plaintiffs have agreed on material settlement terms after working with a mediator.

They are drafting a formal settlement to be presented to U.S. District Judge Edward Davila for preliminary approval.

Apple and lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The scam involves fraudsters who instill panic or urgency by insisting by phone that victims buy App Store and iTunes gift cards or Apple Store gift cards in order to pay for taxes, hospital and utility bills, bail and debt collection.

Victims are then told to share the codes on the backs of the cards, despite a warning on the cards that reads: "Do not share your code with anyone you do not know."

According to the complaint, Apple would typically deposit only 70% of the stolen funds into fraudsters' bank accounts, and keep 30% for itself as a "commission" for knowingly converting stolen codes into dollars.

Victims likely lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" in the scam, the complaint said.

The lawsuit covered anyone in the United States who from 2015 through July 31, 2020 bought gift cards redeemable on iTunes or the App Store, provided codes to fraudsters, and did not receive refunds from Apple.

In June 2022, Davila rejected Apple's bid to dismiss the lawsuit.

He said the plaintiffs sufficiently alleged that the Cupertino, California-based company's effort to disclaim liability, even after victims claimed they were scammed, was unconscionable.

The case is Barrett et al v Apple Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-04812.

(This story has been refiled to correct the day to Wednesday, instead of Tuesday, in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Customers Benefit from the New Facility Offering Expanded DLM Capabilities, Data Management, and More

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 2NDGEAR , a leading supplier of new, recertified, and refurbished IT equipment, and Red8 , the industry expert in architecting modern infrastructure, today announced the opening of a new Technology Center in Jacksonville, Florida. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as a hub for IT solutions and services, catering to the needs of businesses and organizations both in the United States and Internationally.



Wholly owned companies of Insight Investments , both 2NDGEAR and Red8 will utilize the facility for service and support. Customers of these organizations will benefit from additional solution offerings, faster response times, and improved overall service levels.

With the new Technology Center in Florida, we now have broader geographic coverage that allows us to provide increased levels of support for domestic as well as international clients in areas like Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean, said Frank Wiacek, President and CEO of 2NDGEAR and Red8. Being in the same or adjacent time zone is especially important when working with clients on dynamic projects like technology refreshes and Windows 11 upgrades. We are excited about bringing new opportunities and benefits to our growing customer base.

The Jacksonville Technology Center will serve as the Eastern hub for:

Device Lifecycle Management (DLM): The Technology Center will serve as a central location for expanding DLM activities, supporting both Work at Home and office-based employees. These include: outbound imaging, kitting, and delivery for employee onboarding as well as a return center for receiving, audit, and inventory management for separations.

The Technology Center will serve as a central location for expanding DLM activities, supporting both Work at Home and office-based employees. These include: outbound imaging, kitting, and delivery for employee onboarding as well as a return center for receiving, audit, and inventory management for separations. Technology Refresh and Windows 11 Upgrade: Fully equipped to support technology refresh initiatives, including seamless upgrades to Windows 11, the Technology Center ensures that clients IT infrastructure stays up-to-date and optimized for the latest advancements.

Fully equipped to support technology refresh initiatives, including seamless upgrades to Windows 11, the Technology Center ensures that clients IT infrastructure stays up-to-date and optimized for the latest advancements. Local Business Support: Insights presence in the East allows the companies to bolster their support for local businesses and organizations. Insight is committed to helping local and regional customers achieve their technology goals in order to foster greater growth and success.



The Technology Center has officially opened and is located at 13949 Alvarez Rd, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32218. This facility represents a significant milestone in the companys mission to provide unmatched technology support and solutions to businesses and organizations in the region. For more information on the Jacksonville Technology Center, please contact Brian Kalch ([email protected]).

About 2NDGEAR

2NDGEAR, a wholly owned company of Insight Investments, Corp., is a leading supplier of new, recertified, and refurbished IT equipment from todays brand name products. Offering IT implementation and support services including data destruction, imaging, deployment, asset liquidation and warehouse outsourcing, 2NDGEAR supports the entire IT lifecycle. An established company respected for its uncommon dedication to service, 2NDGEAR has served thousands of businesses and educational institutions across the U.S. For more information, visit www.2NDGEAR.com.

About Red8

Red8, a wholly owned company of Insight Investments, Corp., is an IT solutions provider dedicated to solving critical business challenges and creating strategic value through modern technology solutions and processes. Recognized for its engineering excellence and consulting leadership, Red8 is a trusted partner to many of the nations largest corporationsdelivering comprehensive technology solutions around security, analytics, cloud and automation, endpoint, device lifecycle services, and data center infrastructure, delivered through consulting and managed services. For more information, visit www.Red8.com.

Media Contact:

Jenna OBrien

[email protected]
Ghent, 3 January 2024, 18:30 CET, press release/non-regulated information

ABO-Group Environment strengthens its surface and groundwater engineering department with 'Eau et Perspectives'

ABO-Group acquires French engineering firm Eau et Perspectives, specialising in hydrology, hydraulics and hydrogeology

Through this acquisition, ABO-Group expands its expertise in a crucial growth segment closely linked to the impact of climate change

Eau & Perspectives, based in Mougins north of Cannes, is the benchmark consultancy firm specialised in groundwater management: engineering and consultancy in urban, river and rainwater hydraulics and hydrogeology. The agency develops insights into the characteristics of surface and groundwater, with special focus on flood prevention and management, groundwater conservation and groundwater quality.

ABO-Group is already active in the region in the field of water from its offices in Nice, Toulon and Marseille and has already worked with Eau et Perspectives experts. Both companies also carried out several assignments in the region regarding the October 2020 storm Alex. The company is staffed by a ten-strong team of experts and has a quarter of a century of experience in this field.

"Water in all its facets is becoming crucial for the future, and the impact of the increasing number of floods and droughts on our land is forcing us to conduct additional and continuous research," explains Frank De Palmenaer, CEO of ABO-Group Environment. "Sustainable water management is crucial to ensure that current and future generations can continue to use this vital natural resource. With the acquisition of Eau & Perspectives, we intend to build a new hydrology department within our environmental branch."

Current director and expert hydrogeologist, Patrick Champagne, will remain at the head of the company during the transition phase. "I was looking for a suitable partner to transfer my knowledge, experience and expertise. In ABO-Group, I see a qualitative partner with a similar corporate culture that will not only continue our business operations, but also further shape the expansion of the agency I created," Patrick says.

About ABO-Group Environment

ABO-Group, founded in 1995, is an engineering and consultancy company specialised in soil, both in geotechnical (stability) and environmental (soil remediation) areas in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Through its two departments consultancy & testing and monitoring, ABO-Group guarantees a sustainable and complete solution for its clients. ABO-Group Environment is listed on the Brussels and Paris stock exchanges. For a more detailed description of the group's activities, please visit the ABO-Group website ( www.abo-group.eu ).

For more information

Frank De Palmenaer

CEO ABO-Group Environment nv

[email protected]

T +32 (0)496 59 88 88

Attachment
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avaap, an Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) Qualified Education Provider (QEP) certified company, announced today the Avaap Change Academy has partnered with Eventbrite to host its change workshop registration. Workshop attendees can now enjoy a more streamlined online registration process to view and sign up for upcoming classes.

Avaap Change Academy, launched in 2021, is an Avaap-developed program offering change workshops dedicated to building knowledge, skills, and ability in organizational change. Avaap Change Academy courses were built by a team of change management experts who bring an average of 12 years of real-world change management experience.

The partnership with Eventbrite improves our ability to bring affordable, valuable, and straightforward change learning to more individuals and teams, said Senior Practice Vice President of Organizational Transformation Solutions, Barbari Griesse. Having a trusted event management platform in place offers interested participants a simple self-service registration experience.

In 2023, Avaap gained the QEP status from ACMP for Avaap Change Academy Exploring Change Management and Change in Practice workshops. The QEP status signals to clients that the course aligns with ACMPs Standard for Change Management (The Standard) and adult education best practices. In addition to QEP workshops, the Avaap Change Academy offers classes on change analytics and becoming an effective change advocate for areas such as change sponsor, people leader, or project manager.

Griesse added, Organizational change grows at an exponential rate. Effectively leading through and helping team members navigate change has real business impact, increasing the importance for organizations to invest in change management as well as their leaders of change. Avaap Change Academys curriculum meets participants where they are in their change journey by leveraging best practices and trending topics, all while delivering exceptional value through experiential learning.

See available courses and sign up for your next change workshop here, https://avaapchangeacademy.eventbrite.com.

About Avaap

Avaap is an industry-focused management and technology consulting firm with experience in Workday, Tableau, and other applications. We offer full life cycle expertise from strategy and system selection through post-production support, including data analytics and a dedicated team with the skills and experience in planning and delivering successful organizational change management programs. Avaaps Change Academy offers change workshops and ACMP QEP courses dedicated to building your knowledge, skills, and ability in organizational change.

Source: Avaap
Toronto, Ontario, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Follow six Canadians on their meaningful and nostalgic journeys to reconnect with people from their school days, as they seek to resolve, relive, and better understand the critical events that shaped their lives in the new TVO Original series YEARBOOK. Narrated by Paula Brancati (Degrassi: The Next Generation), the six-part documentary series premieres Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TVOs broadcast channel in Ontario and nationally on TVO.org and YouTube.

Yearbook opens a window into powerful and relatable stories that will resonate with many in Ontario and beyond, says John Ferri, VP of Programming and Content at TVO. "Nostalgia meets reality in some surprising ways, taking us far beyond the idea of friendship as defined by the likes of Facebook."

Executive produced by Mark Johnston (who also directs and writes) and Amanda Handy (who co-writes and produces) of Nomad Films and Tom Powers of Open Door Co., each episode follows a main subject who is motivated to reconnect with someone from their youth  whether its to rekindle a friendship or seek resolution to an emotional scar  and examines the poignant moments and complicated emotions that resurface when revisiting school years from decades past. YEARBOOK also includes interviews with social workers, counsellors, therapists, and other experts who provide analysis of the circumstances experienced by each subject as they navigate their journey.

Everyone has a story from their school years that they never resolved, said Johnston. This is a show about all of us, and the events that shaped our lives. What if we could find the person who we always wanted to see again, the person who may have wronged us, or inspired us? The person, though, that we could never find.

This series was born out of our nostalgia for our past, Handy adds. Theres value in looking back, not just at the relationships during those years, but with the era that shaped us: the music, the fashion, the politics. Hearing from people and then finding and persuading the person they wanted to reconnect with was a lengthy process, but worth it. Viewers will love these stories and identify with them strongly.

We knew that we couldnt tell these stories without context, said Powers. Whether we were following Joannes journey as a trans woman looking to reconnect with her childhood best friend, or Karens desire to explore the racism she experienced in elementary school, it was important to us to also have experts study the journey of each subject and add their valuable observations along the way.

The series episodes include:

Ep. 1 Reunion | Retired geologist Joanne is searching for her closest childhood friend from Toronto. Joanne has recently transitioned from her previous life as Jeff Whitstock, and as she looks to rekindle this friendship, she hopes she will be accepted.

| Retired geologist Joanne is searching for her closest childhood friend from Toronto. Joanne has recently transitioned from her previous life as Jeff Whitstock, and as she looks to rekindle this friendship, she hopes she will be accepted. Ep. 2 Teacher | Gary is trying to find the teacher he had in Milton, Ont. who helped him overcome his learning disabilities. This teacher remained an influential figure in his life for years, and Gary hopes he can let him know how deeply his life has changed for the better as a result.

| Gary is trying to find the teacher he had in Milton, Ont. who helped him overcome his learning disabilities. This teacher remained an influential figure in his life for years, and Gary hopes he can let him know how deeply his life has changed for the better as a result. Ep. 3 Girlfriends | Melisa is an Indigenous healer seeking an old friend from high school. As a teenager growing up in Maple Grove, B.C., Melisa was abused by her stepfather and her friend helped her get through this traumatic time. Melisa wants to offer a healing ceremony to mark their reunion.

| Melisa is an Indigenous healer seeking an old friend from high school. As a teenager growing up in Maple Grove, B.C., Melisa was abused by her stepfather and her friend helped her get through this traumatic time. Melisa wants to offer a healing ceremony to mark their reunion. Ep. 4 Apology | Victoria is a musician with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Shes trying to reconnect with someone from high school in Orillia, Ont. who could have been a better friend to her. He stood by while others bullied her about her disability. Victoria hopes they can address the past and heal together.

| Victoria is a musician with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Shes trying to reconnect with someone from high school in Orillia, Ont. who could have been a better friend to her. He stood by while others bullied her about her disability. Victoria hopes they can address the past and heal together. Ep. 5 Outsiders | Catherine wants to reconnect with a friend from her hometown of Milton, Ont. who helped her survive the high school bullying that nearly caused her to end her life. This friend took her to prom when no one else would. Over 20 years later, Catherine hopes they can rebuild the friendship that helped them get through such a tough time.

| Catherine wants to reconnect with a friend from her hometown of Milton, Ont. who helped her survive the high school bullying that nearly caused her to end her life. This friend took her to prom when no one else would. Over 20 years later, Catherine hopes they can rebuild the friendship that helped them get through such a tough time. Ep. 6 Besties | Karen wants to reconnect with her old best friend in Westminster, B.C. In school, Karen was the only Black student in her class and the racism she experienced impacted her life. She wants to address the issue with her friend, but she doesnt know how it will go.

Stream all six episodes of TVO Original Yearbook on TVO.org, YouTube and your preferred smart TV service. Watch it on Tuesdays on TVOs broadcast channel in Ontario. A series trailer is available here.

- 30 -

ABOUT TVO MEDIA EDUCATION GROUP TVO Media Education Group inspires learning that changes lives and enriches communities. Founded in 1970, we are a globally recognized digital learning organization that engages Ontarians of all ages with inclusive experiences and diverse perspectives. Through video, audio, games, courses, newsletters and articles, were investing in the transformative potential of education for everyone. Funded primarily by the Province of Ontario, TVO is a registered charity supported by thousands of sponsors and donors. Visit TVO.me for more information. Stream TVO on your favourite device.

ABOUT NOMAD FILMS Nomad Films develops and produces documentary programming for film and television that focuses on a wide range of compelling stories about social and political change, science, the environment, and the arts. We are passionate about social-political films. Known for its international treaty co-production work, Nomad has successfully produced films such as the award-winning In the Shadow of a Saint (CBC, BBC, IKON, and SBS Australia). Director/Writer/Executive Producer Mark Johnston is the Founder of Nomad Films which is run by his partner Amanda Handy. Thirty years in the documentary business, Mark and Amanda have worked in a producer or director capacity on over ninety films. Visit NomadFilms.ca.

ABOUT OPEN DOOR CO. Open Door Co. is in the business of producing, distributing and acquiring Content That Matters for broadcasters that include HBO, A+E, Sundance, CBC/Doc, TVO, Bell Media, Corus/Shaw, SVT, SBS, NHK and Discovery, among others. Credits include TVO Originals Political Blind Date and Margin of Error, feature documentary Cracked Not Broken for HBO, Black Nation for SVT, Pure Intentions for CBC documentary and docuseries Intervention Canada (77x1) for A&E and Blue Ant Media, among others. Visit: OpenDoorCo.com.

Media contacts: Genevieve Grant, TVO [email protected]

Steph Perron, BAE Communications [email protected]

Social: @TVODocs on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube YEARBOOK on social media: Instagram @yearbook_series, TikTok @yearbookseries

Genevieve Grant TVO [email protected]

Source: TVO
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cannabix Technologies Inc. (CSE: BLO) (OTC PINK: BLOZF) (the Company or Cannabix) developer of marijuana and alcohol breath testing devices reports that it has filed a provisional patent application titled, Sample Delivery Systems and Methods for Low Volatility Analytes Obtained from Breath. This provisional patent application covers new innovations and intellectual property related to the detection of low and semi-volatile substances (like delta-9 THC) using its proprietary Mass Spectrometer Breath Sampler (MSBS) technology. The MSBS is an innovative hardware device which allows for direct desorption of human breath samples into a mass spectrometer without the need for any pre-preparation (see Figure 1). The MSBS substantially simplifies laboratory analysis methods, reduces sample turnaround times (within a few minutes), and provides a truly novel method for drug screening using breath.

Highlights and Updates:

The Company has filed a new provisional patent for its MSBS related technology allowing for the rapid analysis of human breath for difficult to detect, non-volatile compounds in breath (like delta-9 THC).

Cannabixs MSBS technology along with the Breath Collection Unit (BCU) (see Figure 2) have been providing consistent results in the detection of delta-9 THC in breath from smoking and THC infused edibles consumption.

Cannabix has been using the MSBS to quantify delta-9 THC in human breath samples. Currently, a limit of detection and limit of quantification have been achieved with human subjects in the low picogram range. This allows detection of THC from smoking and edibles up to 4 hours after consumption.

Cannabix is advancing discussions with industry leading forensic laboratory organizations on how to best integrate its novel MSBS hardware into current forensic testing and analysis methods.

Effective January 1, 2024, new legislative measures, California Assembly Bill 2188 (AB 2188), Senate Bill 700 (SB 700), and Washington State Senate Bill 5123 (SB 5123), now restrict employers from taking adverse actions against job applicants based on their off-duty use of cannabis or on the results of pre-employment drug tests that find non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites (1). Cannabixs marijuana breathalyzer system (using the BCU and MSBS) has been specifically built to detect recent cannabis use  detecting Delta-9 THC, the active, psychoactive compound in cannabis  using breath samples, within 1-4 hours after consumption.

Fig. 1 Cannabix MS Breath Sampler (MSBS) technology coupled with Thermo TSQ Ultra Fig. 2 Cannabix updated Breath Collection Unit (BCU)

The new provisional patent covers various novel aspects for efficient analysis of low volatility analytes from human breath developed by the Company. The patent includes the unique internal geometry of the sampler that has been optimized to maximize the delivery of the analyte. Combined with liquid secondary adsorption (LSA), the concept behind the sample capture and release, the MSBS has repeatedly demonstrated efficient detection of delta-9 THC. This is a unique capability in that current methods focus mostly on volatile analytes in breath, while the non-volatile components can provide much more additional information about the subject  not only marijuana use but also for example health related biomarkers. Cannabix has been continuously improving collection efficiency of the BCU, and sample transfer efficiency of the MSBS such that the results are comparable or better relative to conventional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) forensic methods, which are often time-consuming and expensive.

MSBS Technology and BCU

The Companys mass spectrometer coupled laboratory MS Breath Sampler (Figure 1) and handheld Breath Collection Unit (BCU, Figure 2) are being used together to provide a new method for drug detection that complements gold-standard mass spectrometry with sample collection taking about 2 minutes and the complete sample analysis from start to finish taking less than 5 minutes. This equipment significantly simplifies laboratory analysis methods, reduces sample turnaround times (thus minimizing operating costs), while maintaining sensitive, precise results.

MSBS compared to legacy LCMS methods

The MSBS is a novel method for efficient collection of analytes of low volatility from human breath utilizing LSA technique. The LSA concept has successfully demonstrated efficient capturing and releasing of THC using the breath aerosol as a carrier of viscous liquid particle analytes as well as a secondary adsorbent to prevent sample loss from surface contact deposition. Legacy conventional quantifying methods rely on the use of complex time-consuming liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) research-based methods which require multiple preparation steps (e.g., solvent extraction and preconcentration) that are plagued with sample loss. This type of analysis is complex and can take hours to perform. Using the Cannabix equipment the results of a breath sample can be processed within a fraction of the time without any sample preparation, preconcentration, or derivatisation steps resulting in an efficient and simple workflow.

About Cannabix Technologies Inc.

Cannabix Technologies Inc. is a developer of marijuana and alcohol breathalyzer technologies for law enforcement, workplaces and laboratories. Cannabix is working to develop delta-9 THC and alcohol screening devices. Delta-9 THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes impairment. Breath testing for delta-9 THC would allow employers and law enforcement to identify recent marijuana use that better aligns with impairment. Cannabix is the developer of contactless breath alcohol detection devices for employers and other settings.

We seek Safe Harbor.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Rav Mlait

CEOCannabix Technologies Inc.

For further information, contact the Company at [email protected]

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company, such as final development of a commercial or prototype product(s), successful trial or pilot of company technologies, no assurance that commercial sales of any kind actually materialize; no assurance the Company will have sufficient funds to complete product development. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and the Companys plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information, including: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) risks regarding protection of proprietary technology; (iii) the ability of the Company to complete financings; (iv) the ability of the Company to develop and market its future product; and (v) risks regarding government regulation, managing and maintaining growth, the effect of adverse publicity, litigation, competition and other factors which may be identified from time to time in the Company's public announcements and filings. There is no assurance that its development of breathalyzer technologies will provide any benefit to the Company, and no assurance that any proposed new products will be built, will be successful in beta testing or clinical trials. The is no assurance that the Company will enter into any partnerships to advance any of its corporate initiatives or technologies. There is no assurance that any patent pending or provisional patents technologies licensed by the Company or owned by the Company will receive patent status by regulatory authorities. The Company is not currently selling commercial breathalyzers. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09a48ad5-7051-4820-81ab-964bf85023adhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a974a6aa-5788-4b00-a18f-bd77f972c4ea

Fig. 1 Cannabix MS Breath Sampler (MSBS) technology coupled with Thermo TSQ Ultra Fig. 2 Cannabix updated Breath Collection Unit (BCU)

Source: Cannabix Technologies Inc.
BOSTON, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in greenfield renewable energy investments, and Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced that power from the Vineyard Wind project was delivered to the New England grid for the first time. As part of the initial commissioning process, at 11.52 pm on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, one turbine delivered approximately five megawatts of power, with additional testing expected to happen both on and offshore in the coming weeks. The project expects to have five turbines operating at full capacity early in 2024.

"This is a historic moment for the American offshore wind industry, said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. Soon, Vineyard Wind will be producing power equivalent to over 400,000 Massachusetts households. This is clean, affordable energy made possible by the many advocates, public servants, union workers, and business leaders who worked for decades to accomplish this achievement. As we look ahead, Massachusetts is on a path toward energy independence thanks to our nation-leading work to stand up the offshore wind industry."

This truly is a milestone for offshore wind and the entire renewable industry in North America. For the first time we have power flowing to the American consumers from a commercial-scale wind project, which marks the dawn of a new era for American renewables and the green transition, said Tim Evans, Partner at CIP, and Head of North America. By delivering first power, we have broken new ground and shown a viable path forward with power that is renewable, locally produced, and affordable. Much of the credit for this milestone must go to our local partners, labor leaders and the projects skilled union workforce, and local communities from New Bedford to Barnstable.

2023 was a historic year defined by steel in the water and people at work. Today, we begin a new chapter and welcome 2024 by delivering the first clean offshore wind power to the grid in Massachusetts, said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. Weve arrived at a watershed moment for climate action in the U.S., and a dawn for the American offshore wind industry. As we build on this tremendous progress and work to deliver the full capacity of this historic project, we continue to stand proudly with all the partners that made this achievement possible, including the Biden Administration and the Healey-Driscoll Administration.

Power from the project interconnects to the New England grid in Barnstable, transmitted by underground cables that connect to a substation further inland on Cape Cod. Once completed, the project will consist of 62 wind turbines generating 806 Megawatts, enough to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.

Vineyard Wind 1 is jointly owned by CIP through its flagship fund, CI II and III and Avangrid. The project is being developed and constructed by Avangrid and Vineyard Offshore, CIPs affiliated development company working on U.S. offshore projects. In August 2022, Avangrid signed an agreement to assume responsibility as the operations and maintenance services provider for Vineyard Wind 1 once the project achieves commercial operations.

I congratulate Vineyard Wind on this important, hard-won milestone, demonstrating yet again that offshore wind in America is real, and that the Port of New Bedford is well-suited to support the industry, said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. This is a great way to kick off 2024.

From the outset of this project, Vineyard Wind recognized the importance of building and supporting a workforce of local, highly skilled, and diverse tradespeople. The valuable collaboration with union leadership on this project is a prime example of how this new industry can be a responsive member of the communities it serves, ensuring accessible and family-sustaining careers.

Vineyard Wind began offshore construction in late 2022, achieved steel-in-the-water in June, and completed the nations first offshore substation in July. Construction flows through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. In July 2021, Vineyard Wind signed the first Project Labor Agreement for an offshore wind project in the United States, which outlined the creation of 500 union jobs through the project. On December 14, 2023, project shareholders announced that Vineyard Wind 1 has delivered nearly double of its commitment through the PLA by creating 937 union jobs through two years of construction.

An 806-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, Vineyard Wind will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.

About Copenhagen Infrastructure PartnersFounded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) today is the worlds largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. The funds managed by CIP focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X.

CIP manages 12 funds and has to date raised approximately EUR 26 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 150 international institutional investors. CIP has approximately 500 employees and 12 offices around the world. For more information, visit www.cip.com

About AvangridAvangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States.

Avangrid employs more than 7,500 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies  a ranking of Americas best corporate citizens. In 2023, Avangrid ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the Worlds Most Ethical Companies in 2023 for the fifth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

Media Contacts:

CIPOliver Routhe Skov, Head of Media Relations[email protected]+45 3054 1227

AvangridCraig Gilvarg, Director of External Communications[email protected] +1 (857) 998-1130

Vineyard OffshoreAndrew Doba, Director of Communications[email protected]+1 (617) 362-3872

Investor relations:Thomas Knig, Partner  Investor Relations[email protected]Phone: +45 7070 5151

Charlotte Ancel, Vice President, Investor Relations[email protected]+1 (802) 777-7800

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/603d4051-fc97-4f98-9528-8e810bef1d17

Vineyard Wind 1 Turbine A GE Haliade-X Turbine Stands in the Vineyard Wind 1 Project Area South of Marthas Vineyard. Photo Credit: Worldview Films

Source: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Climate First Bank, the worlds first FDIC-insured community bank founded to combat the climate crisis, today announces its latest Pride Banking Partner, Bliss CARES. By joining forces, these two organizations aim to improve the health and financial wellness of the Central Florida LGBTQ+ community by providing enhanced access to resources and care.

Bliss CARES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization collaborating with BLISS Health to improve medical care in Florida. Bliss CARES mission of creating a safe and welcoming environment and providing comprehensive medical care to Central Florida patients living with or at risk of HIV and STDs complements Climate First Banks efforts to empower LGBTQ+ people and allies with the tools they need to live well and achieve their financial goals. Climate First Bank and Bliss CARES parent company, BLISS Health, are Certified B Corporations, meaning they are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.

With Climate First Banks Pride Banking Program, a $100 donation is made to Bliss CARES each time a qualifying pride checking account is opened from January 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024. Account holders can use their preferred names and pronouns on the account, receive free Pride Banking checks and dont have to worry about a monthly account fee.

Part of being a values-based bank is finding ways to build up the community around you in a way that celebrates your shared values, said CEO and Founder of Climate First Bank, Ken LaRoe. The Pride Banking Program is in its second year at Climate First Bank. We look forward to continuing supporting the LGBTQ+ community through financial options tailored to their needs and through collaboration with like-minded partners such as Bliss CARES.

It is our goal to decrease HIV and STD cases in Central Florida and provide healthcare services that are affordable for everyone. For those who are unable to pay or are uninsured, Bliss will work to find solutions that can help, said Johnida Pena, Executive Director at Bliss CARES. Because Climate First Bank can offer financial education and an inclusive banking experience, we believe this makes a great pairing to set people up for success.

For more information about Climate First Banks Pride Banking Program, please visit www.climatefirstbank.com/pride.

About Climate First BankClimate First Bank is a values-based community bank offering a complete, full-service portfolio of simple and easy-to-use traditional banking products. These products are powered by technology to meet the expectations of todays consumers. In addition to offering standard banking services, the company places a special emphasis on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and businesses committed to sustainability. Eco-conscious customers will find dedicated loan options for solar photovoltaic (PV), energy retrofits and infrastructure to help combat the climate crisis. Member FDIC.

Media Contacts Erica Torres Uproar PR for Climate First Bank [email protected]

Source: Climate First Bank
Alexandria, Va., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cervical cancer: What was once the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S. is now one of the most preventable cancers thanks to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and cervical cancer screening.1 But confusion around the cost of cervical cancer screening is contributing to missed screenings, according to the annual Early Detection Survey from the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Survey participants cited an inability to afford the cost (29%) as the top reason for not being up to date on their cervical cancer screening.

The 2023 survey shows 41% of American women are not up to date on cervical cancer screenings.2 This indicates an urgent need to discuss the cost of cervical cancer screening, as many people may be unaware cervical cancer screenings are covered through Medicaid and most private insurance plans. Increased understanding of the costs could mean fewer people miss out on essential preventive care.

Insurers are required to cover cervical cancer screenings for anyone with a cervix aged 21-65 because the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued it an A grade. Lets break that down:

The USPSTFa group of medical experts who establish recommendations on certain health services, such as cancer screeningsassign a letter grade (A, B, C, D or I) on whether the services should be performed.

Per the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and private insurers are required to cover services, without copay, that are given an "A" or "B" grade.

That means, under current law, if you have health insurance and you have a cervix, your cervical cancer screenings are covered.

In May 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global call for action to eliminate cervical cancer within the next century, with achievable goals to be reached by 2030. While advances towards this goal have been made worldwide, significant disparities exist. The elimination of cervical cancer will be severely hindered without proper education across all populations about screening, insurance coverage and HPV vaccination.

Cervical cancer is most often caused by HPV infection, which can often be prevented with the HPV vaccine. All children should receive the HPV vaccine between ages 9-12. Catch-up vaccination is also recommended for teens and young adults up to age 26. If the HPV vaccine is given as recommended, it can prevent more than 90% of HPV-related cancers, including more than 90% of cervical cancers.3 Anyone with a cervix, regardless of vaccination status, should be screened for cervical cancer per recommendations.

People of average risk should follow these guidelines:

From ages 21 to 29: Have a Pap test every 3 years. (With a Pap test, you can find and remove precancerous cells before cancer develops.)

From ages 30 to 65: Have any of these options:

A Pap test alone every 3 years

A high-risk HPV test alone every 5 years.

A high-risk HPV test with a Pap test (co-testing) every 5 years.

After age 65: Talk with your health care provider about whether you still need to be screened.

If you are at higher risk for cervical cancer because of a suppressed immune system (for example, from HIV infection, organ or stem-cell transplant or long-term steroid use), because you were exposed to DES in utero or because you have had cervical cancer or certain precancerous conditions, you may need to be screened more often. Follow the recommendations of your health care provider.

The cost of screening may still be a concern for those who are uninsured. Fortunately, there are free and low-cost screening options available in many communities. Early Detection = Better Outcomes, and everyone deserves an opportunity to check their health and prevent cancer or detect it early. Information and resources on all cancer types studied in the 2023 Early Detection Surveyincluding information on relevant screeningscan be found at www.preventcancer.org/betteroutcomes. The Prevent Cancer Foundation will release updated results from the 2024 Early Detection Survey in April. For more information about cervical cancer and ways to reduce your risk, visit www.preventcancer.org/cervical.

1National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion 2The cancer screenings studied in this survey were for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, oral cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer and testicular cancer. 3National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

###

About the Prevent Cancer Foundation The Prevent Cancer Foundation is the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection. Through research, education, outreach and advocacy, we have helped countless people avoid a cancer diagnosis or detect their cancer early enough to be successfully treated. We are driven by a vision of a world where cancer is preventable, detectable and beatable for all. The Foundation is rising to meet the challenge of reducing cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. To achieve this, we are committed to investing $20 million for innovative technologies to detect cancer early and advance multi-cancer screening, $10 million to expand cancer screening and vaccination access to medically underserved communities, and $10 million to educate the public about screening and vaccination options. For more information, please visit www.preventcancer.org.

Kyra Meister Prevent Cancer Foundation 703-836-1746 [email protected]

Source: Prevent Cancer Foundation
Vancouver, B.C., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CryptoBlox Technologies Inc. (the Company or CryptoBlox) (CSE: BLOX) wishes everyone a Happy New Year and is pleased to provide a corporate update summarizing the progress and developments in 2023, which focused on CryptoBlox building its diversified Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy (the Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy). This started with the acquisition of Redwater Acquisition Corp. (Redwater), a modular air-cooled data center facility, powered by flared gas in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The Company then acquired a royalty-free worldwide technology license from Crypto Green Tech Inc. (Crypto Green) to develop and distribute products based on Crypto Greens crypto-mining hybrid solar and wind technology. Finally, the Company signed an LOI to acquire the rights to a digital asset license with BFT - Blockchain Fintech Unipessoal LDA (Blockchain Fintech) and hopes to close a definitive agreement with Blockchain Fintech this month, which will in turn serve as the final foundational piece to the Companys Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy.

CryptoBloxs Diversified Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy

Layer 1: Infrastructure & Sustainable Digital Asset Mining

With the acquisition of Redwater, CryptoBlox began rolling out its off-grid mining strategy, which is centered around using alternate energy (such as flare gas, in Redwaters case) to power digital asset mining operations. The Company expects that Electricity generated through alternate energy assets will enable it to eliminate the middlemen within power generation and its subsequent distribution, thereby resulting in significantly lower power pricing, as compared to both commercial and retail market rates. This is evident within the Redwater site, where electricity prices are as low as $0.015/kwh. As the next Bitcoin halving (the Halving) approaches, the Company hopes that being in control of cheap power will allow it to sustainably and profitably mine digital assets like Bitcoin irrespective of market conditions and the reduced rewards from mining that are likely to ensue after the Halving. Using flare/stranded gas as an alternate energy source also aligns with CryptoBloxs vision of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from digital asset mining.

Layer 2: Sustainable Mining Products & Technology

In a bid to expand its focus on off-grid, alternate energy-powered digital asset mining capabilities, and build out its sustainable mining products and technology business, in November 2023, CryptoBlox acquired a four-year license of Crypto Greens crypto-mining hybrid solar and wind technology (the Technology). The Technology enables power generation through renewable sources, which then can be monetized by digital asset mining. The Company hopes that this acquisition will allow it to extend its off-grid mining infrastructure to retail users by enabling users to take advantage of digital asset mining powered by electricity generated through off-grid renewable energy sources. The strategic nature of this acquisition allows CryptoBlox to further align with its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from digital asset mining. It will also allow the Company to develop and manufacture unique renewable mining products and market them under their own brand, which will play a key role in differentiating the Company from its competitors.

Layer 3: Structured Digital Asset Products & Blockchain Payments

In September 2023, the Company signed an LOI with Blockchain Fintech, setting the groundwork for a strategic partnership through which CryptoBlox will acquire the rights to a digital asset license (the Digital Asset License). The Company is expecting to close a definitive agreement respecting the Digital Asset License with Blockchain Fintech this month. The Company believes access to the Digital Asset License will further enable it to develop structured digital asset products enhanced by blockchain-based payments solutions. The Structured Digital Asset Products & Blockchain Payments layer will be developed with a goal to help onboard new incumbents onto the blockchain economy, through easy-to-use non-custodial products and services, allowing users to connect everyday purchases with blockchain-based decentralized finance, while maintaining 100% control over their funds. The Company also plans for its structured digital asset products to be further enabled by strategic partnerships with payment rails providers, financial institutions, and digital asset liquidity providers. In the medium term, the Company intends to develop a robust structured digital asset financial product suite that allows for liquidity (from all self-mining operations) to perpetuate within the CryptoBlox ecosystem while, in the long-term, providing a gateway to launch additional retail focused mining products.

To enhance CryptoBloxs Structured Digital Asset Product suite, the Company also plans to develop its own blockchain-based payments suite, which will look to solve network scalability issues within major blockchain networks while lowering transaction costs and increasing transaction speeds and subsequent throughput. The Company seeks to establish a circular and sustained value capture system by integrating CryptoBlox's Blockchain Payments layer with the Structured Digital Asset Product suite. This integration further extends to both the Sustainable Mining Products & Technology layer and the Company's Infrastructure & Sustainable Digital Asset Mining layer. By integrating all 3 layers together, CryptoBlox aims to enhance operational efficiency and create synergies across various aspects of the company's offerings.

Other Corporate Updates

Over the Summer of 2023, the company welcomed Akshay Sood as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Soods invaluable experience and expertise in blockchain-based economies, focusing on network/product design and rollout, gained from advising and incubating early-stage blockchain/web3-based startups, including having spearheaded multiple early-stage capital raises, has already been leveraged to establish CryptoBloxs Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy.

Prior to Mr. Soods appointment as CEO, he and Rahim Teja were appointed to the Companys board of directors. Mr. Teja brings over 20 years of experience in strategic business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales, along with core specialization in technology software-as-a-service (SaaS) sales, while also having a breadth of experience within the telecom, travel, and recruitment industries. The Company aims to continue to use Mr. Tejas expertise and significant experience in both the B2B and B2C sectors to further the CryptoBloxs Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy execution and growth.

Finally, in a strategic move to remain focused on the Companys new vision and strategy, CryptoBlox has sold all non-blockchain/crypto related assets. In doing so, the Company has sold its remaining interest in Ionix Pro Battery Technologies Inc.

The Companys CEO Mr. Sood, wishes to share this final message to all CryptoBloxs shareholders and stakeholders to wrap up 2023 and kick off 2024:

2023 has been a pivotal year of restructuring and foundational work. We at CryptoBlox are proud to highlight the establishment of our Diversified Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy which consists of the three integral layers that will be guiding our Company going forward.

With these three foundational layers, being 1) Infrastructure and Sustainable Digital Asset Mining, 2) Sustainable Mining Products & Technology, and 3) Structured Digital Asset Products & Blockchain Payments, our strategic reorganization positions us for success as we concentrate on executing on this strategy in 2024. In the immediate short term, we are on track to finalize a definitive agreement with Blockchain Fintech and then, moving forward, our commitment is unwaveringto continue building shareholder value through organic growth in each of the divisions as well as through continued strategic acquisitions. Wishing everyone a joyous New Year and the very best for 2024!.

On behalf of the Company,Akshay Sood,

Chief Executive Officer

About CryptoBlox Technologies Inc.

CryptoBlox Technologies Inc. is a blockchain technology infrastructure company focusing on building out its diversified Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy that consists of Infrastructure & Sustainable Digital Asset Mining, Sustainable Mining Products & Technology, and Structured Digital Asset Products & Blockchain Payments. The Companys Infrastructure will be based on the value chain that stems from off-grid/alternate energy powered digital asset mining, along with a diversified portfolio of sustainable mining and blockchain fintech products and services enabled by both the Sustainable Mining Products & Technology and Structured Digital Asset Products & Blockchain Payments layers. The Company will be focused on providing alternate energy solutions to power digital asset mining operations throughout North America - with the first site being in Redwater, Alberta. By using alternative energy sources and state-of-the-art operations techniques, the Company will be positioned to achieve a high degree of financial optionality and long-term operational certainty, which can result in some of the cleanest and lowest-cost digital asset mining operations in the world.

For further information about the Company, please visit www.cryptoblox.ca or call 236-259-0279.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about managements view of future events, expectations, plans, and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward- looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements respecting: the Companys strategic direction; the Blockchain Ecosystem Strategy, its three constituent layers and the impact of each such layer and the interplay between them; the transaction with Blockchain Fintech and the impact of same in the market and on the Companys business; the Companys plans with respect to future product development and service offerings; the impact of being in control of cheap power following the Halving; the Companys goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions; the Technology and its impact in the market; the Redwater transaction, its impact in the market and the expected benefits to the Company of the acquisition; the Companys sale of its interest in Ionix Pro Battery Technologies Inc.; the Companys development of a digital asset financial product suite; future digital asset adoption; the Halving; energy efficiencies associated with the Technology; the expected contributions of Messrs. Sood and Teja to the Company; the Companys strategic reorganization; the Companys goal of building shareholder value. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements, or otherwise.

The CSE (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

Source: Cryptoblox Technologies Inc.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Andrew Finkelstein, the Chairman of the board of ES Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX: ESBS) today announced the appointment of Tom Thiel to the boards of directors of ES Bancshares Inc. and Empire State Bank with a term expiring at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Mr. Thiel is a principal at JWTT, Inc., a broker dealer that specializes in financial services companies. Mr. Thiel has extensive experience in bank stock investing and trading and investment banking.

According to Mr. Finkelstein, we are thrilled that Tom has agreed to join our board of directors. We believe that Toms very extensive experience investing in the banking industry will add a new dimension to our board deliberations. Phil Guarnieri, the organizations Chief Executive Officer added we believe that the most effective way to compete in todays challenging financial services environment is to stockpile outstanding banking talent. By adding a first-class talent like Tom to the board, we have enhanced our ability to build our organization and increase stockholder value.

Mr. Thiel added, I look forward to joining the boards of directors. I have met with the directors and am impressed with their commitment to building value for all of the ES Bancshares and Empire State Bank constituencies. I have focused on financial services companies for my entire career and feel I can bring important new perspectives to the boards and assist them in building stockholder value.

In connection with his appointment to the boards, Mr. Thiel and JWTT agreed to support the boards through the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and granted ES Bancshares and its directors a right of first refusal to purchase their stock should they desire to sell it prior to the 2025 annual meeting.

About ES Bancshares Inc.

ES Bancshares, Inc. serves as the holding company for Empire State Bank. The Bank offers cutting-edge business and consumer financial services and operates from five banking center locations, a loan production office, and its corporate headquarters. The Banks offices are located throughout Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York. The Companys website address is www.esbna.com. The Companys annual report, quarterly earnings releases and all press releases are available free of charge through its website, as soon as reasonably practicable.

Investor Contact: Philip Guarnieri 845-451-7802

Source: ES Bancshares, Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Higher university subsidies do not necessarily result in a more educated population, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

If there was a positive relationship between higher university spending by provincial governments and an increase in educated populations, we would observe the results in places like Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan where the most is spent on universities, said Alex Whalen, associate director of Atlantic Canada Prosperity at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Educational Attainment, Migration, and Provincial Spending on Universities in Canada.

In 2021/22 (the latest year if available data) universities across Canada educated over 1.0 million full time and 250,000 part time students at a total cost of more than $46-billion. While this funding comes from a variety of sources, the single largest source is provincial governments.

The study finds that high-spending provinces generally do not record higher levels of educational attainment. For example, Newfoundland & Labrador (1st), Saskatchewan (2nd), New Brunswick (4th), and Prince Edward Island (5th) all ranked in the top half of spending on a per-domestic student basis, while these same provinces rankings remain low in terms of educational attainment (10th, 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively).

Further, the study finds that interprovincial migration seems to be a more important factor, allowing university students educated and paid for in one province to move to another after graduation, effectively transferring the provincial investment with them.

For any given province, substantial migration to another province represents a financial loss for the province when recent university graduates leave after completing their studies; a situation were all too familiar with in Atlantic Canada, Whalen said.

MEDIA CONTACT: Alex Whalen, Associate Director, Atlantic Canada Prosperity Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:Drue MacPherson, 604-688-0221 ext. 721, [email protected]

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

Source: Fraser Institute
MULGRAVE, Australia and PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GYDER Surgical, a MedTech company specializing in intuitive, non-invasive orthopaedic navigation solutions, today announced the successful completion of Indias first total hip replacement surgeries using the GYDER Hip Navigation System. The cases were performed in Nov 2023, by Dr. Supreet Bajwa, a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon and a leader in the Anterior Approach for Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Surgeries using the system were performed at two leading hospitals, Narayan Hrudalaya and the Sanjay Gandhi Orthopaedic and Trauma Hospital, in Bengaluru, India. The life changing surgeries showcased the transformative capabilities of the pin-less navigation system. Unlike traditional methods, this cutting-edge patented technology provides surgeons with real-time guidance to correctly position and implant the acetabular cup without the need for invasive metallic pins. Developed by GYDER Surgical, the innovation does not rely on pre-operative or intra-operative imaging such as CT ( Computer Tomography ) or X-ray technology for anatomical landmark registration. One minute calibration and quick registration makes the GYDER Hip Navigation System a fast, easy-to-use, seamlessly integrated computer assisted navigation solution. Improving cup placement accuracy is clinically important and has significant potential to reduce post-surgery complications, thereby improving patient outcomes and lowering health system cost burden.

Dr. Supreet Bajwa expressed excitement about the potential impact of the GYDER Hip Navigation System, "In my practice, the GYDER Hip System represents a significant leap forward in navigated hip surgery and stands as a beacon of precision and positive outcomes. The elimination of invasive pins, and minimizing the need for additional intraoperative imaging, makes this system remarkably efficient, allowing for a quicker and more surgeon and patient friendly surgical experience. Coupled with the Anterior Approach, we embark on a surgical journey where meticulous accuracy, simple workflow, and transformative experience converge, shaping the future of orthopedic excellence in India."

The first successful use of the GYDER Hip System in India represents an important milestone in bringing this solution to a large emerging market that needs accessible technologies to address the growing patient demand for orthopedic surgeries. We believe that the best solutions minimize complexity and do not require surgeons to significantly change their practice. And the GYDER Hip System does exactly that. Sujit Dike, CEO, GYDER Surgical.

GYDER Surgical received Australias TGA regulatory approval in 2023 and has recently been granted human research ethics committee approval to undertake a Post Market Study in Adelaide, Australia. The study is scheduled to commence in January 2024 and is expected to further validate the efficacy of the pin-less navigation system in real world practice. GYDER Surgical plans to submit a 510(K) application to the US FDA in 2024. GYDER Surgical was also recently awarded a Grant Award  GA340141 through the Entrepreneurs Programme  Accelerating Commercialisation under the Australia Department of Industry, Science and Resources to commercialize its product in Australia.

About Gyder Surgical

Gyder Surgical is a MedTech company specializing in intuitive, non-invasive orthopaedic navigation products. We believe that every patient should have access to accurate and precise surgery, no matter where they are. We are building products that work in a wide variety of care settings  Ambulatory / Outpatient Surgery Centers or large ORs in hospitals. The GYDER Hip Navigation System, our first product, is designed to assist surgeons to accurately place the acetabular cup during hip surgery

Website: https://www.gydersurgical.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/gyder-surgical/

For media inquiries or further information, please contact: [email protected]

Source: Gyder Surgical
PLANO, Texas, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integer Holdings Corporation (NYSE: ITGR) today announced participation in the upcoming 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to be held in San Francisco from Jan 8-11, 2024. Joseph Dziedzic, President and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET).

A live webcast of the presentation will be accessible under News & Events on the Investor Relations section of the Integer website at investor.integer.net.

About IntegerInteger Holdings Corporation (NYSE: ITGR) is one of the largest medical device outsource (MDO) manufacturers in the world serving the cardiac, neuromodulation, vascular, portable medical and orthopedics markets. Integer provides innovative, high-quality medical technologies that enhance the lives of patients worldwide. In addition, the Company develops batteries for high-end niche applications in energy, military, and environmental markets. The Company's brands include Greatbatch Medical, Lake Region Medical and Electrochem. Additional information is available at www.integer.net.

Source: Integer Holdings Corporation
New York, United States, Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2023, the landscape for mothers in the United States was fraught with challenges. To begin, fewer than one-third of those employed in the private sector enjoyed the benefit of paid family leave, forcing many moms to juggle a delicate balancing act between their profession and family life, often without the crucial support they need. Yet, that wasn't the sole hurdle, they also came up against steep childcare costs and workplace obstacles, such as inadequate facilities for breastfeeding.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/jItEWiZSoJs

At Momcozy, addressing these issues is at the forefront of our mission. Our endeavors, exemplified by initiatives such as the "Just Be a Cozy Mom" campaign and the Breastfeeding Support Program, are designed to offer tangible support. As this year comes to a close, were not only proud of what weve accomplished; we also feel a profound connection to our role in enhancing the journey of motherhood - making it easier and a lot more joyful. With this in mind, lets take a look back at our years highlights, underscoring our commitment to standing beside moms every step of the way.

"Just Be a Cozy Mom"

One such initiative was our Mother's Day campaign, "Just Be a Cozy Mom," which launched in May as a departure from mere celebration to a global empowerment movement for mothers. A pivotal element of the campaign was our "Cozy Power by Momcozy" TV commercial. This powerful piece brought real mothers' voices and stories to the forefront, sparking a global conversation about the realities of motherhood.

The campaign invited mothers to share their stories across social platforms using the hashtag #CozyPowerbyMomcozy. This not only fostered a sense of global camaraderie but also highlighted the diverse experiences of mothers, creating a space for mutual support, understanding, and empowerment.

A Summer of Support for Breastfeeding Moms

As summer unfolded, our commitment to supporting breastfeeding moms took center stage. In July, we launched the Breastfeeding Support Programa comprehensive initiative crafted to provide mothers with everything they need for a successful breastfeeding journey. This program offered accessible educational resources, convenient shopping solutions tailored for breastfeeding mothers and a community support system to connect moms with others on a similar path.

Continued Momentum in August

Our efforts didn't stop there. In August, our dedication to supporting mothers continued with targeted efforts during Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Recognizing the importance of breastfeeding in the early stages of motherhood and infancy, we collaborated with impactful charities and renowned celebrities. Collaborations went beyond mere awareness-raising; they represented a commitment to fostering broader breastfeeding acceptance and support in society.

To bring moms together, we organized community events providing a platform for shared experiences and learning. Additionally, our product giveaways brought more tangible support to breastfeeding moms to care for breastfeeding moms. We also launched the Cozy Case with a kneading lactation massager, nipple cream, and breastmilk storage bags to care for breastfeeding moms. These activities aimed to destigmatize and normalize breastfeeding, break down barriers and misconceptions while working to make it a more embraced part of motherhood.

A Night of Laughter with Momcozy in November

Then, in November 2023, Momcozy hosted a memorable event in London, "Stand Up for Mums," as part of our commitment to the "Remove Breastfeeding Barriers" campaign. This evening was more than just a comedy show; it was a celebration of motherhood in all its forms.

We brought together talented comedians who shared stories that made us laugh and nod in agreement, reflecting the shared experiences of moms everywhere. It was a night that highlighted the power of humor in bringing together a community of mothers and supporting them in their journey with laughter and camaraderie.

Wrapping Up the Year with a Holiday Cheer

To conclude the year, Momcozy made a grand appearance at the Mini Market in Austin in December. This event, attracting over 1,000 families for a boutique shopping experience with women and/or mom-owned vendors, was a chance for us to branch out from our usual product offerings and create a unique experience for moms.

Recognizing the stress that the holiday season can bring, we transformed elements of the venue into a sanctuary for mothers by hosting a mother's lounge "Cozy Lounge" and the "Cozy Courtyard" complete with festive hot chocolate and treats. Each space gave moms and their families the opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, immersing themselves in a supportive community while gaining valuable cozy holiday tips. Later, Momcozy teamed up with artist mom Victoria Johnson to create illustrations, celebrating the essence of motherhood and the warmth of family. It is also combined with the Momcozy Christmas gift box. The Christmas event encapsulated our year-long effort to support moms, providing a memorable and meaningful conclusion to a year of impactful initiatives.

Momcozy Stands with Moms

As we wrap up 2023, we reflect on how Momcozy has been more than just a brand, but a true companion for moms. The year was all about heartwarming campaigns and supportive programs to bring ease and joy to motherhood.

Entering the new year, our commitment remains rooted in supporting every mom to be their best  a cozy mom. That's Cozy Power by Momcozy!

We wish you a Happy New Year filled with abundant joy and cozy moments. We look forward to joining you for another year of celebrations and supporting the beautiful journey of motherhood!

About Momcozy

Since 2018, Momcozy has been bringing the best in comfort to mothers with wearable breast pumps, nursing bras and other mom caring products. Endorsed by 3 million mothers in over 40 countries, Momcozy is a companion to women from pregnancy to early motherhood. With continuous innovation and a commitment to creating cozy designs born from love, Momcozy is growing in reach and impact to make momslives easier around the world.

Josefine Pan Momcozy pr at momcozy.com

Source: Momcozy
Vancouver, Canada, Jan. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oroco Resource Corp. (TSX-V: OCO, OTC: ORRCF) (Oroco or the Company) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000 (the "Private Placement") through the issuance of up to 2,500,000 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.40 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the equity of the Company (each, a Share) and one share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional Share for $0.65 for a period of 18 months from the closing date.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Private Placement for working capital and for general corporate purposes. The Company may pay finders fees consisting of cash, share purchase warrants and Shares to certain qualified individuals in accordance with the policies of the TSX-V Exchange and applicable securities laws.

Closing of the proposed private placement is subject to obtaining all required approvals, including the approval of the TSX-V and any other regulatory approval. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a hold period of four months from the closing date. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and accordingly may not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

ABOUT OROCO:

The Company holds a net 85.5% interest in those central concessions (the Core Concessions) comprising 1,173 hectares of the Santo Tomas Project located in northwestern Mexico. The Company also holds an 80% interest in an additional 7,861 hectares of mineral concessions surrounding and adjacent to the Core Concessions (for a total Project area of 9,034 hectares, or 22,324 acres). The Project is situated within the Santo Tomas District, which extends up to the Jinchuan Groups Bahuerachi Project, approximately 14 km to the northeast. The Project hosts significant copper porphyry mineralization defined by prior exploration spanning the period from 1968 to 1994. During that time, the Project area was tested by over 100 diamond and reverse circulation drill holes, totalling approximately 30,000 meters. Commencing in 2021, Oroco conducted a drill program (Phase 1) at Santo Tomas, with a resulting total of 48,481 meters drilled in 76 diamond drill holes. In October of 2023, the Company announced a Preliminary Economic Assessment and Updated Mineral Resource for the North and South Zones of the Santo Tomas Project, identifying Indicated and Inferred resources of 561 Mt @ 0.37% CuEq and 549 Mt @ 0.34% CuEq respectively.

The Project is located within 160 km of the Pacific deep-water port at Topolobampo and is serviced via highway and proximal rail (and parallel corridors of trunk grid power lines and natural gas) through the city of Los Mochis to the northern city of Choix. The property is reached, in part, by a 32 km access road originally built to service Goldcorps El Sauzal Mine in Chihuahua State.

Additional information about Oroco can be found on its website at www.orocoresourcecorp.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

For further information, please contact:

Richard Lock, CEOOroco Resource Corp. Tel: 604-688-6200 Email: [email protected]www.orocoresourcecorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to future events or achievements of the Company, are forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in such statements. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these matters. Oroco does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements should they change, except as required by law.

Christy Fabros Oroco Resource Corp. (604) 688-6200 [email protected]

Source: Oroco Resource Corp.
Donor-provided funds will support this once-in-a-generation opportunity

Washington, D. C., Jan. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Catholic University of America announced today that it will serve as a premiere sponsor for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress , which will be held July 17-21, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Catholic University will be serving as the largest college or university sponsor of the event.

The University looks forward to having a major presence at the Congress. Supported by donations from friends of the University, the sponsorship will include developing a program of activities specifically for priests and providing two places where Catholic University can engage with attendees at the Congress.

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. It is the greatest expression of our communion as Catholics and is the wellspring from which all the Churchs works of charity flow, said Peter Kilpatrick, president of Catholic University. And it is my conviction that this University in particularas the national University of the Catholic Church in the United Statesought to be foremost in answering the bishops call for a revival of Eucharistic awareness, communion, and devotion.

The mission of Catholic University is to discover and impart the truth through excellence in teaching and research, all in service to the Church, the nation and the world. As such, Kilpatrick said that it is his deep conviction that the Eucharist is, and ought to be, at the very heart of the Universitys life, identity, work, and mission.

The National Eucharistic Revival is not exclusively or primarily about the Eucharistic Congress and related events. At the heart of these efforts is the desire to encounter Jesus Christ anew in the Eucharist, and for this encounter to encourage a life of discipleship and devotion. At the University, Campus Ministry is already increasing the number of opportunities for students to reverently encounter Jesus in the Eucharist.

The Universitys Celebrate the Eucharist web page provides details on these campus activities that highlight the unique importance of the Eucharist in our campus life. The page will be updated throughout the spring with details about the Universitys activities at the Congress.

This is the revival to which our bishops are calling each and every one of us, Kilpatrick said. He noted that Pope Francis has lent his words of hope and encouragement to this revival, saying:

"It is my hope, then, that the Eucharistic Congress will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord's great gift of himself and to spend time with him in the celeb
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) (OTCQB: CNUCF) ("Canuc" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of a geological mapping and sampling program at the Company's San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The mapping and sampling program will cover an area of interest previously identified as hosting IOCG deposit potential and is designed to provide information relevant for targeting in an upcoming drill program.

The geological mapping and sampling work will begin on an area surrounding the largest magnetic-high anomaly detected during the company's magnetic survey of 2021. This principal magnetic-high anomaly, measuring 800 meters by 400 meters, is manifest approximately 300 meters west of where magnetite silver veining comes to surface and where old artisanal mine workings were tunneled on magnetite veins which sampled high to bonanza grades of silver. The magnetic-high anomaly has dimensions similar to, and is coincident with, an area previously reported where the company sampled elevated silver in soils extending for over 800 meters of strike length and detected over a width of approximately 400 meters.

Sampling and mapping work will also be undertaken on an 800 meter diameter donut shaped anomaly detected south-east of the magnetic-high which has previously evidenced anomalous copper and gold sample results, and which is surrounded by an abundance of artisanal mine workings.

"A program of geological mapping and sampling will provide us with the information necessary to plan for further work and an effective drilling campaign at San Javier. Our objectives remain confirmation of the IOCG thesis for ore genesis at San Javier and the discovery a silver mineral endowment consistent with this deposit type," stated Christopher Berlet, President and CEO of Canuc Resources Corp.

"Structural controls are an important feature of IOCG deposit types. Our next steps at San Javier will enhance our understanding of structural controls and provide us with guidance and vectoring for the drill program we anticipate later this year."

Canuc has assembled 28 contiguous claims in the San Javier mining camp covering key geological features of the San Javier IOCG system. The progressive accumulation of claims in the San Javier area is in keeping with the Company's objectives for value development as a junior exploration and development company.

Seymour M. Sears, B.A., B.Sc., P.Geo. is the Qualified Person for the Company, as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release.

About Canuc

Canuc is a junior resource company focusing on its San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company also generates cash flow from natural gas production at its MidTex Energy Project in Central West Texas, USA where Canuc has an interest in eight (8) producing natural gas wells and has rights for further in field developments.

For further information please contact:

Canuc Resources Corporation.

(416) 525 6869

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance.

When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents.

The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

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 news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/192934
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - To reshape the landscape of the TAO ecosystem, DecentraMind has unveiled its latest innovation-integration with BitAPAI. The strategic integration of robust APIs and tools from $TAO and Bittensor into a user-friendly Telegram bot marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence.





DecentraMind

To address the latest approach, DecentraMind is set to revolutionize the TAO ecosystem with cutting-edge BitAPI integration. The project aims to transcend the limitations of conventional chatbots by emerging as a comprehensive aggregator of artificial intelligence. At the core of this transformative vision lies the integration of BitAPAI, the advanced AI engine developed by Bittensor exclusively for the TAO ecosystem.

In addition, integrating BitAPAI into DecentraMind's Telegram bot opens up a new frontier in AI, offering users an unparalleled experience. By leveraging the unique capabilities of BitAPAI, DecentraMind enables users to interact with a more intelligent, responsive, and sophisticated AI system. The revolutionary integration provides a seamless bridge between the TAO blockchain and the power of Bittensor's AI engine, enhancing the overall functionality of DecentraMind.





DecentraMind

Moreover, the project's integration with BitAPAI is poised to play a pivotal role in driving innovation and efficiency. This collaboration signifies a convergence of cutting-edge technologies, bringing together the strengths of $TAO and Bittensor to create a synergy that promises to redefine the standards of AI integration.

The project is committed to providing user-friendly design and remains a key focal point in this integration. The Telegram bot, powered by BitAPAI, ensures that users can effortlessly tap into the vast potential of the TAO ecosystem without the need for specialized technical knowledge. This accessibility is a testament to DecentraMind's dedication to making advanced AI tools available to a broader audience.





DecentraMind

Furthermore, DecentraMind's innovative approach positions the company at the forefront of the AI revolution, contributing to the continuous evolution of decentralized technologies. The integration of BitAPAI into DecentraMind's Telegram bot emerges as a testament to the company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. This revolutionary step transforms the user experience within the TAO ecosystem as well as sets the stage for a new era in decentralized artificial intelligence.

About DecentraMind:

DecentraMind is an innovative project focused on integrating the powerful APIs and tools of $TAO and Bittensor into a user-friendly Telegram bot. With a vision to evolve into a comprehensive aggregator of artificial intelligence, DecentraMind is committed to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation within the TAO ecosystem.

https://t.me/decentramindeth

https://twitter.com/decentramindeth

Media details:

John Smith

DecentraMind

47 London Road

DUMFRIES

DG33 2WT - UK

https://decentramind.bot

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193063
Perth, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 2, 2024) - Golden Horse Minerals Limited (TSXV: GHML) ("Golden Horse" or the "Company") has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement of common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Shares"), raising aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$1,617,252.88 through the issuance of 16,587,209 Shares at a price of C$0.0975 per Share (the "Offering").

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering to fund gold and lithium exploration efforts on its projects in the Southern Cross region of Western Australia, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Executive Chairman and Interim CEO Graeme Sloan said, "the company has made exceptional progress over the past 12 months and these funds will allow us to maintain this pace. Our focus will be on establishing resources for a number of our gold projects and building on our expanding lithium projects. With the funds now settled, work can start in earnest in both areas, hopefully setting up the Company for another record year of achievements".

The Shares issuable pursuant to the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from today's date in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.

Subject to receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval, the Company will pay an aggregate of C$4,464.00 in cash to Canaccord Genuity Financial Limited in respect of those purchasers under the Offering introduced to the Company. Directors and officers of the Company purchased an aggregate of 1,007,326 Shares under the Offering. As a result, the Offering is considered a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the Offering by such directors and officers did not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom.

About Golden Horse Minerals Limited

Golden Horse is a gold exploration company which has consolidated the rights to a large highly prospective area covering one of Australia's most successful gold provinces in the Southern Cross region of Western Australia. The Golden Horse tenure is more than 900km2 within a large geological phenomenon known as the Southern Cross Greenstone Belt. The Belt spans approximately 400km in length and has produced more than 12 million ounces of gold. It is one of the top precious metals provinces in Western Australia. The Greenstone belt consists of altered intrusive and meta-sedimentary rocks which are supported by two operating gold mills at the Marvel Loch and Edna May processing plants. To learn more about the Company, visit our website at https://goldenhorseminerals.com/.

On behalf of Golden Horse Minerals Limited

For more information contact:

Graeme Sloan

Director / Interim CEO

Email: [email protected]

+61 9322 1788

David Tasker

Chapter One Advisors

Email: [email protected]

+61 433 112 936

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This release contains "forwardlooking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, which may include, but are not limited to statements relating to use of proceeds from the Offering. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development, the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, fluctuations in the prices of gold and other commodities, operating hazards and risks inherent in the resource industry, competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's financial statements and/or management discussion and analysis available on www.sedarplus.ca The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193019
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad" or the "Company") announced today that it has issued an aggregate of 1,425,000 stock options to directors, officers and consultants of the Company. Each option is exercisable for one common share at an exercise price of $0.20 per share for five years from the date of grant.

Certain directors and officers of the Company received stock options, and such issuance of stock options is considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). This is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of such issuance of stock options does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

About Myriad Uranium Corp.

Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the 1,911 acre Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of eU 3 O 8 . Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Rocky Mountain Energy, a subsidiary of Union Pacific, which developed a mine plan and built a leach pad for one of the deposits at Copper Mountain. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the project area has significant exploration upside. Rocky Mountain Energy is estimated to have spent US$74 million (2023 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here.

Myriad also holds 80% ownership of over 1,800 km2 of uranium exploration licenses in the Tim Mersoi Basin, Niger, and the option to earn up to 100%. These licenses are surrounded by many of the most significant uranium deposits in Africa, including Orano's 384 Mlbs eU 3 O 8 Imouraren, Global Atomic's 236 Mlbs Dasa, and Goviex's 100 Mlbs Madaouela, and on the same fault structures. Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc. For further information, please refer to Myriad's disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), contact Myriad by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to Myriad's website at www.myriaduranium.com.

A recent interview with Crux Investors is here. A video overview of the Copper Mountain Project is here. The Company's factsheet is here.

Myriad Contacts:

Thomas Lamb

President and CEO

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

Mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193113
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) ("Pacific Empire", "PEMC" or the "Company"), a British Columbia copper-gold explorer, announces that it has closed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") announced on December 19, 2023. Under the first tranche of the Offering, the Company issued 9,000,000 common shares (the "Shares") at a price of $0.01 per Share, and 10,999,999 "Flow-through" shares (the "FT Shares") at a price of $0.015 per FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $255,000.

The proceeds of the FT Shares portion of the first tranche of the Offering will be used for the exploration of the Company's Trident project, and the proceeds of the Shares portion of the first tranche of the Offering will be used for general corporate purposes and exploration of the Company's properties.

In connection with the Private Placement, the Corporation has agreed to pay to Haywood Securities Inc. (the "Finder") a commission of 7% of the gross proceeds raised from the FT Shares sold to the purchasers by such Finder (the "Finder's Fee") payable in cash and issue to the Finders the number of Common Share purchase warrants (the "Broker Warrants") that equals 7% of the aggregate number of FT Shares placed by each of the Finder. Each Broker Warrant will entitle the Finder to purchase one Common Share Common Share at an exercise price of $0.02 for a period of 12 months from closing and at a price of $0.10 for the period from December 29, 2024 to December 29, 2026.

All securities issued in connection with the first tranche of the Offering (being the Shares, the FT Shares, and the Finder's Warrants, are subject to a statutory hold period expiring April 30, 2024.

Certain officers and directors of the Company participated in the Offering, purchasing in the aggregate 1,333,333 FT Shares for aggregate proceeds of $20,000, which constitutes a "related party transaction" for purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Such participation is exempt from the valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the fact that the Company is not listed on a specified market set out in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 and the value of FT Shares subscribed for by such officers and directors is less than $2,500,000 in accordance with the requirements of section 5.7(b) of MI 61-101.

About Trident

The Trident property is an exploration stage alkalic porphyry copper-gold-silver prospect with district-scale potential that is accessible by vehicle. The property is located approximately 50 km to the southeast of Northwest Copper Corp.'s Kwanika Deposit and 50 km to the northwest of Centrerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Mine. The property covers 6,618 hectares and is accessible by vehicle using well established logging roads.

Copper mineralization on the property was first discovered in 1969, while following up on anomalous stream sediment samples. The following year Falconbridge optioned the property and over the next two years completed IP and magnetic surveys, geological mapping, soil sampling and diamond drilling. This work identified the A Zone.

Additional exploration programs were completed by Kookaburra Gold Corp. from 1988 through 1991, Solomon Resources Ltd., from 2006 through 2008. In 2013 PEMC optioned the property. The following year PEMC optioned the property to Oz Minerals. In 2014 Oz completed a significant IP survey and two diamond drill holes at Trident.

In 2022, Pacific Empire acquired a 100% interest in the property in exchange for granting the vendors a 2% net smelter return royalty ("NSR"). One-half (1%) of the 2% NSR may be purchased for $500,000 by Pacific Empire.

Prior to 2014, mineralization on the property was believed to be associated with fracture and/or shear zones that strike 120 degrees and dip 75 degrees to the northeast. Review of historical drill core by Pacific Empire has led to a much different interpretation with respect to the nature of mineralization on the property. The most important observation was the presence of hornblende-feldspar monzonite porphyry intrusions in drill core from the A Zone. These porphyry intrusions are characterized by sheeted quartz sulphide veins and disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite immediately adjacent to and within the porphyry dikes. The highest grades in historical drilling are directly associated with intervals where such porphyry intrusions occur.





South Hogem Copper-Gold Belt

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/193108_054d0afa64335b0e_002full.jpg

"The gold in the vial in the above image came from the river that divides Trident and Pinnacle projects. It was collected by PEMC by panning over the course of a number of days. I am not sure if it came from Trident or Pinnacle or ideally both," commented Brad Peters, President and CEO of Pacific Empire. "It does suggest though that there is certainly the potential in this area for a significant gold-enriched copper deposit. At a conference when I was young I was told that if I ever find visible gold on a copper property, keep looking. So far I have encountered visible gold at Trident in outcrop, in the river and at Pinnacle in drill core."





Highlights from Historical Drilling at Trident

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5412/193108_054d0afa64335b0e_003full.jpg

About Pinnacle

The Pinnacle project is located 60 km to the west of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan Copper-Gold Mine and 30 km to the southeast of NorthWest Copper's Kwanika Copper-Gold Deposit in a proven copper-gold porphyry district. Access to the Pinnacle is by road including a new and expanding network of logging roads and trails throughout the main target areas. This improved access is a major development and is anticipated to contribute to cost effective drill support and bedrock exposure.

"We are truly excited to have Pinnacle back as it is fully permitted for diamond drilling, in addition work by Teako advanced our understanding of the Aplite Ridge target area. Over the past 2 years significant logging operations have developed a road network that now covers the entirety of the southern half of the property. The 2023 forest fires dramatically affected the property, further opening it up," commented Brad Peters, President and CEO of Pacific Empire.

Qualified Person

Kristian Whitehead, P.Geo., serves as a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed the scientific and technical information in this news release, approving the disclosure herein.

About Pacific Empire

Pacific Empire is a copper exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PEMC. The Company has a district scale land position in north-central British Columbia totaling 22,541 hectares.

British Columbia is a "Green" copper jurisdiction with abundant hydroelectric power, access and infrastructure in close proximity to the end market.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

"Brad Peters"

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp.

Tel: +1-604-356-6246

[email protected]

www.pemcorp.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation: closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or around December 31, 2023, the funds will be used for exploration on its flagship Trident copper-gold-silver project and for general working purposes, are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mineral exploration; fluctuations in commodity prices; title matters; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume and the additional risks identified the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO US NEWSWIRE SERVICES NOR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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To reshape the landscape of the TAO ecosystem, DecentraMind has unveiled its latest innovationintegration with BitAPAI. The strategic integration of robust APIs and tools from $TAO and Bittensor into a user-friendly Telegram bot marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence.



To address the latest approach, DecentraMind is set to revolutionize the TAO ecosystem with cutting-edge BitAPI integration. The project aims to transcend the limitations of conventional chatbots by emerging as a comprehensive aggregator of artificial intelligence. At the core of this transformative vision lies the integration of BitAPAI, the advanced AI engine developed by Bittensor exclusively for the TAO ecosystem.

In addition, integrating BitAPAI into DecentraMind's Telegram bot opens up a new frontier in AI, offering users an unparalleled experience. By leveraging the unique capabilities of BitAPAI, DecentraMind enables users to interact with a more intelligent, responsive, and sophisticated AI system. The revolutionary integration provides a seamless bridge between the TAO blockchain and the power of Bittensor's AI engine, enhancing the overall functionality of DecentraMind.

Moreover, the project's integration with BitAPAI is poised to play a pivotal role in driving innovation and efficiency. This collaboration signifies a convergence of cutting-edge technologies, bringing together the strengths of $TAO and Bittensor to create a synergy that promises to redefine the standards of AI integration.

The project is committed to providing user-friendly design and remains a key focal point in this integration. The Telegram bot, powered by BitAPAI, ensures that users can effortlessly tap into the vast potential of the TAO ecosystem without the need for specialized technical knowledge. This accessibility is a testament to DecentraMind's dedication to making advanced AI tools available to a broader audience.

Furthermore, DecentraMind's innovative approach positions the company at the forefront of the AI revolution, contributing to the continuous evolution of decentralized technologies. The integration of BitAPAI into DecentraMind's Telegram bot emerges as a testament to the company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. This revolutionary step transforms the user experience within the TAO ecosystem as well as sets the stage for a new era in decentralized artificial intelligence.



About DecentraMind:

DecentraMind, an innovative project focused on integrating the powerful APIs and tools of $TAO and Bittensor into a user-friendly Telegram bot. With a vision to evolve into a comprehensive aggregator of artificial intelligence, DecentraMind is committed to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation within the TAO ecosystem.



https://t.me/decentramindeth

https://twitter.com/decentramindeth

Contact Info:

Name: John Smith

Email: Send Email

Organization: DecentraMind

Website: https://decentramind.bot



Release ID: 89117758

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AUSTIN, Texas , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The nurse practitioner (NP) profession is looking ahead to a new year and new opportunities to advance access to high-quality health care for patients. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) has identified five critical health trends that will impact the delivery of patient-centered health care in 2024 and beyond.

"As health care continues to evolve, nurse practitioners are at the forefront of change, consistently adapting to meet the dynamic needs of patients and their communities," said AANP President Stephen A. Ferrara , DNP. "Patients deserve access to high-quality health care nationwide, and NPs are urging other health care leaders and policymakers to prioritize policies that make health care more efficient and effective by making 2024 the Year of Patient-Centered Health Care."

The Top Five Health Care Trends of 2024.

More Than 102 Million People Now Live in Primary Care Shortage Areas  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), more than 102 million Americans across the nation currently lack adequate access to primary care  a 3% jump from one year ago (99 million)  and these shortages exist across urban, suburban and rural areas. NPs are ready to address this challenge, with nearly 90% clinically trained to deliver primary care. NPs represent 1 in 4 primary care providers in rural practices, with an even greater percentage in the states that allow them to practice to the full extent of their education and clinical training.



Wait Times for Health Care Appointments are Growing  A national survey conducted in 2023 found nearly 50% of patients polled waited longer than one month  and 25% waited more than two months  for a health care appointment in the previous 12 months. More than 40% of those polled experienced a 'longer than reasonable' wait for health care  an 8-percentage point jump from the year before. According to the survey, nearly half of those who experienced longer waits gave up before getting the care they needed, ultimately going without care. This situation extends across all major demographics, including age, gender and education, and geographic areas, including rural, suburban and urban settings.



Demand for Senior Care Continues to Rise  As the U.S. population, including the massive baby boom generation of 73 million, ages and requires more care, the health care workforce must also grow to meet demand. By 2030, every baby boomer will be at least 65, with the oldest members closer to 85  meaning 1 out of every 5 Americans will be of retirement age and qualified to enroll in the government's Medicare program. Approximately 40% of Medicare beneficiaries currently receive health care from NPs, the fastest-growing Medicare provider group. Notwithstanding the care provided to this population, barriers still exist within the Medicare program that prevent NPs from practicing to the full extent of their education and clinical training; federal policy changes are needed to make our system work more efficiently.



Primary Care Providers are Screening for Both Physical and Mental Health  NPs and other primary care providers are at the forefront of patient care, screening for both physical and mental health problems. Mental health concerns have increased sharply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and nearly 169 million people live in areas where access to treatment is limited due to provider shortages. Given their focus on whole-patient care, NPs understand the important role mental health plays in the overall well-being of their patients.



Demand for NPs Continues to Grow, as Does the Profession  NPs are in high demand by patients for their exceptional, whole-patient care. America's more than 385,000 licensed NPs conduct more than 1 billion patient visits annually. The NP profession is trending to be the fastest-growing profession of the next decade, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , with the profession projected to grow by nearly 45% by 2032.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 385,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com . For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org .

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SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
IRVINE, Calif. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Motor Corporation (Alpha), reflects on a year filled with groundbreaking milestones and substantial growth, solidifying its position as a leader in the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

"In 2023, we've reached remarkable milestones that stand as testament to our relentless pursuit of innovation. While these achievements are undeniably remarkable, they are just the beginning. We stand at a pivotal moment where the future of mobility is being reshaped, and Alpha is positioned not only to embrace this change but to drive it," said Edward Lee , Founder and CEO of Alpha Motor Corporation.

Alpha's progress has been marked by consistent improvement and an escalating demand for its vehicles year after year. These realities firmly establish Alpha's expanding presence in the market, reflecting the commitment that resulted in notable accomplishments throughout 2023:

December: A Pinnacle of Success

The conclusion of 2023 marked a monumental achievement for Alpha Motor Corporation, as the company secured an astounding 66,830 preorders for its vehicles without any advertising expenditure, a testament to the soaring market interest in its innovative lineup. Simultaneously, the company initiated the production of additional WOLF Electric Truck test vehicles, showcasing a commitment to scaling up operations. Furthermore, Alpha obtained patent approval for the pioneering WOLF Electric Truck and introduced the eagerly awaited WOLF Electric Truck ACTION SERIES, expanding its product range to cater to evolving consumer preferences.

November: Recognizing Excellence

In November, CEO Monthly honored Alpha Motor Corporation's Founder and CEO with the prestigious title of Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Chairperson of the Year ( USA ), affirming the company's exceptional leadership and forward-thinking vision. Furthermore, the successful completion of the initial engineering development for WOLF Electric Truck variantsWOLF Plus and SUPERWOLFunderscored Alpha's readiness to broaden its range of models, leveraging its adaptable modular vehicle platform to streamline expansion efforts.

October: Showcasing Innovation

The company made waves at the 2023 SEMA Show in Los Angeles , captivating over 160,000 attendees with the unveiling of the groundbreaking WOLF Electric Truck. The introduction of NIGHTWOLF and NIGHTWOLF Plus Electric Trucks emphasized Alpha's dedication to providing customizable electric vehicle options, reflecting its adaptability to market demands.

September: Advancing Engineering Capabilities

Alpha Motor Corporation achieved significant engineering milestones by re-engineering the JAX Crossover platform to share with the WOLF model, enabling the development of multiple model variants. Additionally, the CEO's participation at the Herald Design Forum in Seoul, Korea , reinforced Alpha's thought leadership in the global design and innovation landscape.

August: Forming Strategic Collaborations

During August, Alpha Motor Corporation solidified pivotal partnerships with a US-based vehicle manufacturing plant, an e-mobility engineering group, and a leading global supplier of vehicle solutions technology, significantly advancing domestic production capabilities and industry connections.

July: Advancements in Production Capabilities

July marked significant progress for Alpha Motor Corporation in the platform development of WOLF test vehicles. This progression demonstrated the company's commitment to expanding production capabilities and introducing diverse model variants, reaffirming its innovative approach within the electric vehicle sector.

June: Market-Ready Performance

In June, Alpha Motor Corporation successfully conducted comprehensive tests on the WOLF truck, validating its market-ready performance. These tests affirmed the vehicle's functionality and readiness for mass production, highlighting Alpha's commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable electric vehicles.

May: Milestones in Funding and Patents

Alpha achieved substantial funding success by closing Reg CF, raising an impressive US$1.98 million . Additionally, the company secured patent approvals for the ACE Coupe and JAX Crossover electric vehicles, showcasing its dedication to innovation and cutting-edge technology development.

April: Expansion and Exhibition

April saw Alpha Motor Corporation execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for manufacturing a significant volume of vehicles annually, signaling a substantial scale-up in production capacity. The company also showcased its WOLF and WOLF Plus trucks at the Seoul Mobility Show, reaching over 500,000 visitors and garnering significant attention for its innovative electric vehicle offerings.

March: Strategic Partnerships and Production Milestones

Alpha forged a valuable partnership with a prominent EU vehicle distribution group, further expanding its global network and market reach. Concurrently, the company achieved significant vehicle pre-production milestones, completing the WOLF Plus prototype and further developing its EV modular platform, laying the groundwork for future model developments.

February: Industry Recognition

Alpha Motor Corporation earned accolades as California's EV Manufacturer of the Year, validating its commitment to excellence and innovation in sustainable transportation.

January: Congressional Recognition

The company received the Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives, acknowledging its contributions to EV technology patents and dedication to sustainable transportation, reinforcing Alpha's pioneering role in environmentally friendly mobility solutions.

About Alpha Motor Corporation

Alpha Motor Corporation (Alpha) is an award-winning American automobile company focused on manufacturing mobility solutions that Move Humanity. We innovate sustainable transportation for the wellness of people and our environment by implementing advanced automotive technologies and disruptive industrial practices. Based in Irvine, California , Alpha is committed to creating the kinds of electric vehicles we believe the world has always wanted to see but that have not existed  until now.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Related Links

https://www.alphamotorinc.com

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SOURCE Alpha Motor Corporation
INDIANAPOLIS , CHICAGO , and LOS ANGELES , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- American Pain Consortium ("APC" or the "Company"), a market-leading, physician-led provider of advanced Interventional Pain Management ("IPM") services, today announced a strategic growth investment from Cresset Partners, Cedar Pine , and American Discovery Capital. APC's Founder and CEO, Dr. Edward Kowlowitz , along with his APC physician colleagues, remain significant equity holders. As part of the transaction, American Discovery Capital, an existing investor in the business, has made a new equity investment into the Company. In addition to the growth equity capital raised by the Company, J.P. Morgan, the Company's current lender, increased its financial support of the Company.

Founded in 1993, APC is a growing network of Interventional Pain Management practices and pain-focused ambulatory surgical centers ("ASCs") that provides state-of-the-art, patient-focused support services to comprehensive pain management practices in Indiana and Ohio . Providers at APC focus on managing acute and chronic pain with treatments that include interventional procedures such as nerve blocks and neuromodulation, complemented by restorative physical therapy, and behavioral therapy services.

Dr. Edward Kowlowitz , APC Founder and CEO, said, "I am proud that such revered institutions continue to acknowledge APC as the premier Interventional Pain Management platform in the U.S. Their support will enable us to continue to bring together elite physicians focused on exceptional patient care."

Frank V. McMahon , co-founder of American Discovery and current Board Member of APC, said, "We have had a great partnership with Dr. Kowlowitz and his physician group and management team since our investment in February of 2018. We believed APC's model of offering exceptional patient care in conveniently located clinics and ASCs was scalable and needed in the communities they serve. We are delighted to continue our support of APC and to partner with Cresset Partners and Cedar Pine in the next chapter of growth for the Company".

"Cresset is pleased to contribute to APC's growth in an important sector of healthcare that is underserved. We are committed to further building APC's reputation as an industry-leading provider of Interventional Pain Management," said John Geis , Managing Director with Cresset Partners.

"This investment validates our vison to deliver a national platform focused on empowering like-minded Interventional Pain Management physicians." said Sean Hayes , President of American Pain Consortium. "APC is at the frontlines of trail blazing pathways for physicians to practice at the top of their license resulting in the best outcomes for patients. Our new investors have the healthcare expertise and financial resources to support our mission of disrupting Interventional Pain Management services to shift the control back to the physician by shielding them from the complex non-medial distractions of running practices and surgery centers" he added.

The Company has a full suite of procedures available at conveniently located ASCs and clinics across Ohio and Indiana to accurately diagnose and provide the best care for patients through a holistic offering supplemented by requisite ancillary services. Led by an entrepreneurial, industrial-strength management team, APC has established itself as a purpose-built care delivery platform catering to all constituencies (patients, providers, payors, regulators).

Chronic pain is one of the most common chronic conditions in the U.S. , affecting nearly 43 million people, with an additional 15 million people experiencing high-impact chronic pain daily. Interventional Pain Management procedures are centered around minimally invasive techniques such as facet injections and nerve blocks, as well as more advanced procedures such as spinal cord stimulators, intrathecal pumps, and interspinal spacers, all meant to catalyze a shift away from opioid-related treatments.

The transaction closed in November 2023 . Financial terms are not being disclosed.

Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company served as financial advisor and Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP served as legal advisor to APC. McGuire Woods LLP served as legal advisor to Cresset Partners. Bodman PLC served as legal adviser to American Discovery Capital.

About American Pain Consortium

APC provides patient-focused support services to a network of comprehensive pain management clinics and pain-focused ASCs in the Midwest U.S. APC empowered providers offer pain services that help patients seek relief from pain, numbness, and tingling sensations that are often related to neuropathic pain or neuropathy, among many other forms of chronic pain. Such services include Interventional procedures, spinal cord stimulators, intrathecal delivery systems, infusion therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, among others. Visit americanpainconsortium.com to learn more.

About Cresset Partners

Cresset Partners is a private investment firm focused on providing its investors with direct access to investment opportunities in private companies, real estate, and sponsor products. We focus on building outstanding, lasting partnerships by investing permanent capital, resources, and expertise to create sustainable value. We believe that long-term investing creates better alignment and reduces risk and inefficiencies, leading to better outcomes for all shareholders. Cresset Partners was founded in 2018 and has more than $3 billion in commitments across real estate, private equity, private credit, and venture capital. Learn more at https://cressetpartners.com.

About Cedar Pine

Cedar Pine is a private investment firm specializing in strategic, long-term assets. Headquartered near Chicago , Cedar Pine's team strives to create value by applying and building on decades of unique expertise as operators and investors in healthcare, finance, and real estate. Learn more at www.cedarpine.com

About American Discovery Capital

Based in Los Angeles , American Discovery Capital is a leading merchant banking firm focused on providing advisory services and private equity capital to founder-led and family-owned businesses operating in the healthcare, business services, and software sectors. American Discovery Capital targets long-term relationships with founders, entrepreneurs and senior management of companies in search of capital and industry expertise to support organic growth, fund acquisitions, or provide liquidity to owners. Please visit www.americandiscoverycapital.com for more information.

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SOURCE American Pain Consortium
SAN FRANCISCO , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AusperBio Therapeutics, Inc. and Ausper Biopharma Co., Ltd. (Together AusperBio), a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to advancing oligonucleotide therapies, with a primary focus on achieving a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, today announced that Dr. Will Wei has joined the company as Head of CMC, SVP.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Wei to AusperBio's leadership team at this pivotal time for the company," said Dr. Guofeng Cheng , chief executive officer. "Will's depth and breadth of experience in end-to-end CMC operations, strategic insight will be instrumental in executing our plans, propelling our pipeline, and navigating the dynamic landscape of drug development."

Bringing over two decades of outstanding leadership in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Wei has excelled across critical domains in drug development. Previously held key leadership roles at global pharmaceutical companies such as GSK as a Director of CMC, and Roche as a Senior Director of CMC, Dr. Wei spearheaded teams responsible for process development, clinical supply chain management, and successful regulatory submissions for both China and Global markets.

"Joining AusperBio is both an honor and an exciting opportunity. I am inspired by AusperBio's mission, and extremely impressed by the clinical data and the forging-ahead development speed of AHB-137 program," said Dr. Wei. "I'm excited to lead and collaborate with the outstanding team, building upon the Company's robust scientific foundation, to advance HBV cure and beyond and make a meaningful impact on patient care."

Dr. Wei earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland and completed his postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute.

About AusperBio.

AusperBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with operations in the USA and China , dedicated to advancing oligonucleotide and targeted delivery technologies for transformative therapies, with initial focus on curing chronic hepatitis B. The company has developed a proprietary Med-Oligo ASO platform with novel insights into ASO design and optimization to substantially enhance the current ASO therapeutics. Combining with efficient targeted delivery conjugation technologies, the modular Med-Oligos Platform empowers ASO therapeutics to treat broad viral infections, metabolic conditions, genetic disorders, and immune diseases.

Media Contact

Email: [email protected]

Investor Contact

Tel: 650-888-1756 (US)

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE AusperBio Therapeutics Inc.
Jason Bush Appointed Vice President of Marketing and Legislative Affairs

Philip Ward Appointed Vice President of Sales and Branch Management

DALLAS , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ben E. Keith Beverages announced senior leadership changes that will help the company continue to deliver on sales and marketing business goals. The Beverage Division is elevating Jason Bush to Vice President of Marketing & Legislative Affairs and Philip Ward to Vice President of Sales & Branch Management.

Jason has worked for Ben E. Keith for 31 years across multiple branches, accumulating a wealth of knowledge pertaining to every aspect of the beer business. For the past fifteen years, as General Manager for the Dallas Branch, he has been responsible for annual sales of over eleven million case equivalents to over 4,000 retailers. Marketing the brands in the Ben E. Keith portfolio has always been a passion and he has also been a key contributing member of the Beverage Division's legislative team, meeting with national and state representatives on industry issues. In his new role he will be responsible for marketing initiatives, sponsorships, communications, and political affairs. Jason said, "I look forward to working with our suppliers and internal teams to help position and promote our brands for continued growth and market share gain for Ben E. Keith Company."

Philip comes into his new role with over 20 years of experience at Ben E. Keith, getting his start in the warehouse as part of the company Manager In Training program and ascending the ranks through multiple positions in sales and management. Most recently, he has led the Fort Worth Branch as General Manager for the last five years. Philip will be responsible for increasing sales revenue through strategic partnerships with all supplier partners and Ben E. Keith sales teams. "I am excited to have the opportunity to work with each branch around the beverage division and all the great people employed at Ben E. Keith," Philip said. "Our employees have been, and continue to be, the foundation of the company since 1906, and I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to that legacy into the future."

As General Managers both Jason and Philip managed sales, service, and warehouse operations with sophisticated automation and semi-automation technology, leading over 700 team members combined. According to President Flint Prewitt , "Jason is an enthusiastic and effective leader. He has a sharp attention to detail and is very passionate about everything he does. Philip operates at a high level and excels in every role. He brings a practical and balanced approach to the business while always inspiring those around him. I anticipate great results from the fresh perspective each of them brings to these positions."

Current Dallas and Fort Worth Assistant General Managers Jeff Stillwell and Derek Gonzales will replace Jason Bush and Philip Ward , respectively, as the new branch General Managers.

ABOUT BEN E. KEITH BEVERAGES:

Ben E. Keith Company, established in 1906, began selling Anheuser-Busch products in 1928. Today, Ben E. Keith Company's Beverage division is the third largest independent beer wholesaler in the country. With fourteen Sales & Distribution Centers the company operates throughout the state of Texas and distributes import beers, craft beers, seltzers, spirits, wine products, and nonalcoholic beverages. For more information, please visit www.benekeith.com.

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SOURCE Ben E. Keith Beverages
New ENA President Begins 2024 Term

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New Emergency Nurses Association President Chris Dellinger wants people to recognize the emergency nurses around the world who expertly care for patients experiencing some of their worst moments and to understand they often do their work while confronting tremendous obstacles.

"I'm so honored to have been elected, and I am committed to working with the board to shine a light on the challenges emergency nurses face, such as workplace violence and the mental health crisis," Dellinger said. "Years ago, I heard someone at an ENA conference say that we, as emergency nurses, 'show up, stand up and shine.' It's a phrase that has stuck with me. 'Shine' is the perfect theme for my term.

"I also want to shine a light on our profession, the critical and compassionate work emergency nurses do, as ENA continues to expand its engagement globally through education, advocacy and research," Dellinger said.

Dellinger, who is director of emergency, trauma and ICU services at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center, has built a more than 30-year career in emergency nursing. She held numerous active roles within ENA's committee structure, was president of the West Virginia State ENA Council for more than a decade and was elected to her first term on the ENA Board of Directors in 2017. Dellinger also served as ENA secretary/treasurer, and in 2022 ENA members chose her as the 2023 president-elect.

The full 2024 ENA Board of Directors also includes:

President-Elect Ryan Oglesby , PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC of Florida

, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC of Secretary/Treasurer Dustin Bass , DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC of North Carolina

, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC of Immediate Past President Terry Foster , MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, FAEN, of Kentucky

, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, FAEN, of Director Joop Breuer, RN , FAEN, of the Netherlands

, FAEN, of Director Heidi Gilbert , MSN, RN, CEN, SANE-A, TCRN of Oklahoma

, MSN, RN, CEN, SANE-A, TCRN of Director Vanessa Gorman , MSN, RN, CCRN, FAEN, FCENA of Australia

, MSN, RN, CCRN, FAEN, FCENA of Director Chris Parker , MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN, CNL, NRP, TCRN of Virgina

, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CFRN, CNL, NRP, TCRN of Virgina Director Lauren Plaine , MPS, BSN, RN, CEN of Virginia

, MPS, BSN, RN, CEN of Director Jack Rodgers , MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, EMT-P, FAEN of Georgia

, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, EMT-P, FAEN of Director Rachael Smith , MSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CPEN, CNE, TCRN of Connecticut

, MSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CPEN, CNE, TCRN of Emerging Professional Liaison, Robert Adams , BSN, RN, EMT-P, CEN of Texas

, BSN, RN, EMT-P, CEN of Chief Executive Officer Nancy MacRae , MS, of Illinois

About the Emergency Nurses Association

The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.

ENA Media Contact:

Paige Fumo Fox

Communications Specialist

847.460.4042

[email protected]

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SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association
HONG KONG , Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883 (HKD Counter) and 80883 (RMB Counter), SSE: 600938) announces today that Lufeng Oilfields Phase II Development Project has commenced production.

The project is located in the eastern South China Sea , with an average water depth of approximately 136 meters. It consists of Lufeng 8-1 Oilfield, Lufeng 9-2 Oilfield and Lufeng 14-8 Oilfield. One new drilling platform is built, and 14 development wells are planned to be put into production, including 13 production wells and 1 water-injection well. The project is expected to achieve a peak production of approximately 22,600 barrels of crude oil per day in 2025.

CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest in this project and acts as the operator.

 End 

Notes to Editors:

More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com.

*** *** *** ***

This press release includes forward looking information, including statements regarding the likely future developments in the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, such as expected future events, business prospects or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company as of this date in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company currently believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the current expectations and predictions of the Company is uncertain. Actual results, performance and financial condition may differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with macro-political and economic factors, fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industry, climate change and environmental policies, the Company's price forecast, mergers, acquisitions and divestments activities, HSSE and insurance policies and changes in anti-corruption, anti-fraud, anti-money laundering and corporate governance laws and regulations.

Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations.

*** *** *** ***

For further enquiries, please contact:

Ms. Cui Liu

Media & Public Relations

CNOOC Limited

Tel: +86-10-8452-6641

Fax: +86-10-8452-1441

E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Bunny Lee

Porda Havas International Finance Communications Group

Tel: +852 3150 6707

Fax: +852 3150 6728

E-mail: [email protected]

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SOURCE CNOOC Limited
WOONSOCKET, R.I. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today CVS Caremark, a CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) company, announced the continuation of its efforts to expand adoption of biosimilars. Effective April 1, 2024 , Humira will be removed from our major national commercial template formularies and Humira biosimilars will be covered. Humira will continue to be an option for its customers with Choice and Standard Opt Out commercial formularies. Commercial formularies are the drug lists used by employers, unions and health plans for prescription drug coverage.

In much the same way that generic drugs are used as alternatives to branded drugs, biosimilars offer quality, safe, and effective treatment options that have no clinically meaningful difference from their reference products. A vibrant and competitive biosimilar market is essential to driving sustainable cost savings and options for consumers over the long term. The biosimilars market in the U.S. is projected to grow from less than $10 billion in 2022 to more than $100 billion by 2029.

"We are committed to accelerating the adoption of biosimilars and providing customer choice alongside a seamless member experience," said David Joyner , Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President of CVS Caremark. "Our customers want to have choices. By preferring biosimilars that have a significantly lower list price than their reference product, CVS Caremark is putting our customers in the driver's seat to best meet the health care needs of their members and lower drug costs."

The company also announced that AbbVie, as part of its continued commitment to access, has entered into an agreement to supply Cordavis, a CVS Health company, with a committed volume of co-branded Humira. This will provide another treatment option for adalimumab patients and aligns to the CVS Caremark focus on customer choice and seamless member experience. The Cordavis Humira product will be available in the second quarter. Cordavis Humira provides additional options for payors.

For members transitioning to a biosimilar, CVS Caremark will help ensure a seamless experience, including proactive member and prescriber notification of this change 60 days in advance, in addition to follow-up text message reminders and online education. CVS Caremark will meaningfully engage prescribers to guide them through appropriate next steps to help transition plan members. Because current Humira authorizations will be transitioned to the preferred biosimilar products, members and prescribers will not need to obtain a new prior authorization review with this product transition.

Autoimmune conditions, such as those treated by Humira, have been one of the greatest contributors to specialty drug growth over the last decade. CVS Caremark is again leading the market by actively taking advantage of this historic biosimilar opportunity, potentially saving our clients more than 50% on adalimumab in 2024 vs. 2022 when Humira was the sole option.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is the leading health solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach more people and improve the health of communities across America through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000 dedicated colleagues  including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health  whether that's managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system  and their personal health care  by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social media.

Media contact

Phil Blando

[email protected]





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SOURCE CVS Health
World's only AI accelerator that combines low power, high performance, high efficiency, and cost-effectiveness hits new milestone of deployment to over 40 global companies

- DX-M1 AI chip has surpassed 40 global customers who are trialing it as part of DEEPX's Early Engagement Customer Program, which has garnered significant interest from companies across robotics, autonomous vehicles, factory automation, AI-powered security systems, and AI servers.

- With applications for various embedded systems, DX-M1 is the optimal solution for realizing AI of Things, and its vast potential has been recognized with CES innovation Awards 2024 in both Embedded Technology and Robotics.

LAS VEGAS and SEOUL, South Korea , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DEEPX (CEO, Lokwon Kim), an original AI semiconductor technology company, is announcing that it has surpassed 40 customers for its flagship chip solution, DX-M1  the only AI accelerator on the market to combine low power consumption, high efficiency and performance, and cost-effectiveness. The groundbreaking solution has been deployed for a hands-on trial to this customer pool, which spans global companies and domestic Korean enterprises across various sectors.

To experience how DX-M1 promises to revolutionize AI capabilities across industries, join DEEPX at Booth #8953, North Hall during CES 2024

DEEPX is currently running an Early Engagement Customer Program (EECP) to provide customers with early access to its small camera module, a one-chip solution featuring DX-V1; M.2 module featuring DX-M1; and DXNN, the company's developer environment. This allows customers to receive pre-production validation of DEEPX's hardware and software, integrate them into mass-produced products, and realize AI technology innovations with the brand's technical support.

Currently, DEEPX's DX-M1 has been installed for pre-qualification testing in the mass production and development products of more than 40 global companies, covering robotics and smart mobility, AI video security systems, and AI servers. In particular, the robotics and smart mobility sectors increasingly require state-of-the-art, low-power, high-performance AI chips like DX-M1 that can be embedded in small form factors to enable highly advanced technologies such as autonomous driving and cognition.

The physical security market has one of the fastest AI penetration rates, making it essential to realize AI functions at the semiconductor level, such as object detection and intelligent video analysis. In this industry, DEEPX's DX-M1, which uses a 5nm process, is the only one of its kind available, delivering an impressive power-to-performance ratio that far surpasses current market offerings. It supports real-time AI computational processing at over 30 frames-per-second (FPS) for more than 16 channels of multichannel video data on a single chip, and can process multiple AI algorithms simultaneously, such as object recognition and image classification. Moreover, unlike other AI chips, it has a wide spectrum of AI models supported, from the most popular YOLOv5 model for object recognition to the latest YOLOv8 and vision transformer models. Combining these technologies and advantages, DX-M1 leads the market through a blend of high efficiency and performance, low power consumption through its original technology, and cost effectiveness, all of which are critical for customers looking for AI chips.

While competing AI chips in the market currently use 32MB to 50MB of cache memory, DX-M1 only uses approximately one quarter of the cache memory, while also adding the advantages of AI chips such as computational processing power, compute accuracy, and support for a wide range of AI algorithms. (See table below).

Value Added Method Lower manufacturing costs - Reducing the use of higher unit cost SRAMs - Increased manufacturing count per wafer as product size shrinks Low power consumption - Smaller form factors require less energy - Reusing data and memory reduces unnecessary operations High efficiency and

performance - Reducing unnecessary operations with data and memory reuse

also increases processing speeds - Optimized memory usage for faster processing - High computational accuracy - Supports SOTA AI models such as Yolov8 and others

The DX-M1 is also available in a compact M.2 module that can be quickly and easily plugged into existing embedded systems, allowing customers to easily upgrade to low-power, high-performance AI solutions without changing their existing systems.

As a testament to its potential impact on the market, the DX-M1 was honored with CES Innovation Awards 2024 in both the Embedded Technology and Robotics, adding DEEPX to a list of honorees that includes top-tier global brands.

As the company expands globally, DEEPX will showcase DX-M1's full potential and more at Booth #8953, North Hall during CES 2024, January 9-12, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV.

About DEEPX

Founded in anticipation of an era when artificial intelligence will be as ubiquitous as electricity and Wi-Fi, DEEPX develops the underlying technology for high-performance AI semiconductors and computing solutions that can make all electronic devices intelligent. DEEPX's AI semiconductors are optimized for various AI applications, improving the energy efficiency of AI devices and enabling efficient AI functions. Currently, DEEPX is collaborating with customers such as Hyundai Kia Motors Robotics Lab, POSCO DX, and Jahwa Electronics, which joined forces earlier this year on mass production development. The brand is further expanding cooperation with more than 40 global companies in smart cameras, control and security systems, robots, AI medical devices, and AI servers, and is actively conducting global promotions centered on the United States , China , and Taiwan region.

For more information, please visit: https://deepx.ai/

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SOURCE DEEPX
Move will lower costs for Theoria patients; allow for greater focus on quality of care

The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document.

CHICAGO , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Empassion Health and Theoria Medical announced a strategic partnership that will benefit their patients across the nation, providing additional care and services while also lowering out of pocket costs and increasing the number of lives touched by Theoria and Empassion Health's care model.

Empassion Health is thrilled to support the Theoria Medical mission of changing healthcare delivery.

Theoria Medical is a medical group and technology company focused on improving outcomes for patients in the post-acute and long-term care settings, providing a tech-enabled primary care model that includes multispecialty care, telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, chronic care management, and much more. Empassion Health is a managed services organization that uses innovative technology to identify patients with higher needs, provider education on advance care planning and logistics management services of the ACO REACH program.

This partnership will move Theoria from a fee-for-service model to a value-based care (VBC) model with the High Needs ACO REACH program, allowing Theoria to further focus on delivering high quality care while reducing healthcare costs. VBC models reward providers for better patient outcomes, rather than financially incentivizing the volume of services.

Benefits to patients include:

Lower out-of-pocket costs for patients through waived cost sharing for primary care services

Provide care and supportive services not typically covered by Medicare (e.g. free meal delivery, additional visits and social work support)

"Empassion Health is thrilled to support the Theoria Medical mission of changing healthcare delivery. Theoria's commitment to high quality providers, a great care model, and technology innovation will make them successful in their transition into value-based care," said Chase Knight , SVP of Growth at Empassion Health.

We are delighted to announce our partnership with Empassion Health and embark on the journey to further advance high quality care for our patient populations. The High Needs ACO REACH program is the first step in our vision to expand into many more innovative care models." -- Kevin Pezeshkian CSO

For more information visit Empassion's website.

For more information, visit Theoria's website

About Empassion Health: Empassion Health is a purpose-driven organization developed with the goal of delivering more good days for patients living with an advanced illness. Through partnerships with our expansive and curated provider network, we support the complete care needs of patients in 25 states. Empassion Health is the largest ACO REACH participating organization.

About Theoria Medical: Theoria Medical is a comprehensive medical group and technology company dedicated to serving patients across the care continuum with an emphasis on post-acute care and primary care. Theoria serves facilities across the United States with a multitude of services to improve the quality of care delivered, refine facility processes, and enhance critical relationships. We offer a broad scope of services including multispecialty physician services, telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and more.

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SOURCE Empassion Health
SMYRNA, Ga. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Murata is heading to CES 2024 January 9-12 in Las Vegas . Our booth in the Vehicle Technology Pavilion (West Hall Booth #6300) will serve as a showcase for the products that enable innovation throughout the entire electronics industry. With a focus on mobility and connectivity, attendees are invited to meet with our solution experts to get a firsthand look at how Murata is contributing to the shaping of those industries.

Existing and potential customers, partners, and fellow innovators will see an extensive line-up of product demos and technologies, as well as those still under development, including:

Mobility-Based

RFID Tire Tag

Embeddable RAIN RFID Tire Tags add a digital ID to track tires throughout the entire supply chain. Applications include manufacturing, automotive OEM, logistics and transportation, dealer and retail, retread contractor, and end of life.

Gyro Compass

Murata's new Gyro Compass can find true north in less than one minute. The fast and inexpensive solution enhances autonomous cars and make it possible to navigate and position accurately in completely new applications.

Dynamic Headlight Levelling Using MEMS

Our solution helps to develop dynamic headlight leveling with lower cost and less weight by eliminating traditional suspension sensors and wire harnesses, replacing them with an IMU and fusion algorithm.

Phone as a Key

Phone as a Key (PaaK) employs UWB and BLE technology. No internet connectivity is required; it uses a standard system with applications for auto, home, and office. PaaK is also CCC compliant for authentication and sharing.

Ultrasonic Cleaning Device

Our innovative integrated lens cleaning device is designed exclusively for AD/ADAS equipped vehicles. By maintaining pristine optical camera vision, we are contributing to safer roads with clearer vision in adverse weather conditions.

ASA-Based Power Over Cable

This Power-over-Cable (PoC) solution is highly efficient, cost effective, and delivers maximum power in a small footprint.

Connectivity-Based

Next Generation Cellular LPWA Module

The new generation Type 2GD features Sony Altair's advanced ALT1350 chipset with the lowest power consumption in a small, feature-rich solution for IoT applications - including iSIM/NTN.

Matter: Simplified Smart Home Setup

With Matter enabled connectivity modules, Smart Home devices can be seamlessly connected to home networks with greater security - yielding a more streamlined interface with apps.

Wireless Connectivity Cross Connect Platform

When the Murata cross-connect platform is coupled with M.2 Wi-Fi cards, customer design choices are made easier, and time-to-market decreases significantly.

Type 2EG BLE Module

Type 2EG is an ultra-low power, miniaturized, and secure Bluetooth Low Energy 5.2 wireless module for connected IoT edge devices in industrial and medical applications.

UWB Radar and Secure Ranging

Murata's Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology enables secure ranging and short-range radar in a highly integrated, single chip solution with multiple antenna on-board for ease of RF design. The solution allows devices to sense their environment, as well as the range to other enabled devices.

Low Cost & Low Power Network Card Solution

Based on the BK7238 chipset, Murata's latest low-cost IoT WiFi/BT hostless module integrates wireless connectivity and network protocol stacks, making it ideal for IoT applications.

Wearable & Smart Home Solution

Using several of our core sensors, Murata's super low-power and small size module supports GNSS and GPS technology, making it ideal for tracking positioning and health monitoring.

Solid-State H+ (pH) Sensors

Our solution is shaping the future of biotech monitoring and molecular analysis. Murata's disposable pH sensor device uses a solid-state electrode to deliver true innovation.

LF Band Antenna Coil

Murata's LF antennas for LF communication, which leverage our unique material technology and core shape, are ideally suited for automotive smart keys and TPMS.

Ultra-Low Power Communications for Ambient IoT Sensors

Murata is proud to support HaiLa Technologies Inc. as it paves the way for battery-free IoT sensing by repurposing existing wireless infrastructures.

To set a time with meet with Murata during CES 2024, please visit here. To schedule a media briefing, please reach out to Amy Talley (contact information above) to arrange.

About Murata

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components and solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading edge, multi-functional, high-density modules. The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Product specifications are subject to change without notice.

For more information, visit Murata's website at murata.com.

Contact:

Amy Talley

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

T: +1 972-309-9866

E: amy.talley@murata.com

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SOURCE Murata Electronics North America, Inc.
Cutting-edge medical technology company working towards AI analysis of cancer tissue specimens

ITHACA, N.Y. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FormaPath joins with the University at Buffalo Center for Advanced Technology in Big Data and Health Sciences ( UB CAT ) to announce their collaboration to further test and develop AdiPress, an automated lymph node dissection device.

FormaPath joins with UB CAT to announce their collaboration to further test and develop AdiPress

The UB CAT program is a cost-sharing grant program funded by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) program, designed to drive the growth of life and health science businesses in New York State .

FormaPath and Dr. John Tomaszewski , SUNY Distinguished Professor and Chair of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, will use AdiPress to conduct comprehensive analyses of tissue specimens to identify and create lymph node-rich samples. This work will lead to the eventual creation of a digital lymph node database, which will allow FormaPath to explore computational methodsincluding AIthat identify and analyze lymph nodes with metastatic disease.

It is FormaPath's vision that in the future, automated preparation and AI review of tissue will be a fully integrated process. The creation of this database serves as the starting point for assessing the impact of automated preparation on AI-driven diagnostics.

AdiPress automates dissection for specimens where lymph nodes need to be isolated from adipose tissue. AdiPress uses Automated Compressive Filtration  a proprietary process  to precisely compress any fatty specimen to remove a filtrate of liquid fatty fluid, creating a lymph node-rich tissue sample, arranged in square sections using LymFilter containers for further processing and analysis.

"The opportunity to collaborate with leading, academic researchers in the field of cancer pathology is critical to our plans for expanding the utility of AdiPress. Currently validated for colorectal cancer, this project with UB will establish the parameters for automated lymph node dissection in other solid tumor settings where nodal assessment is a key step in assigning the stage to drive downstream therapy planning. We are thrilled to work with Dr. Tomaszewski and his team on this important study", according to Ted Snelgrove , CEO at FormaPath.

About FormaPath:

FormaPath is working to revolutionize the cancer staging process through cutting-edge laboratory automation equipment. We are dedicated to improving patient care by streamlining and automating the diagnostic process. Our equipment minimizes human errors, allowing for rapid and accurate sample processing, reducing turnaround times, and increasing efficiency.

With a commitment to research and innovation, we continuously develop state-of-the-art solutions, empowering healthcare professionals to make informed decisions and provide each cancer patient with their best chance at a positive outcome.

To learn more about FormaPath, visit formapath.com.

About UB CAT

The Center for Advanced Technology in Big Data and Health Sciences ( UB CAT ) advances university-industry collaboration to drive the development of new technologies and grow life and health sciences businesses in New York State . The program is managed by the University at Buffalo's Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships team and funded by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR). Learn more about UB CAT: https://www.buffalo.edu/partnerships/about/programs/ub_cat.html

Contact:

Phil Lonsdale

Commercial Strategy, FormaPath

phil@formapath.com

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SOURCE FormaPath
SAN JOSE, Calif. , SHANGHAI and NANJING , China , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IASO Biotherapeutics ("IASO Bio"), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative cell therapies and antibody products, today announced a new set of collaborations with Umoja Biopharma, Inc. ("Umoja"), a transformative immunotherapy company creating off-the-shelf treatments that aim to extend the reach and effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapies in oncology and autoimmunity, for the development and commercialization of novel ex vivo and in vivo cell and gene therapies.

Under the terms of the collaborations, IASO Bio will receive exclusive access to the rapamycin-activated cytokine receptor (RACR) platform, Umoja's synthetic cytokine receptor technology, for the development of two ex vivo iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-bearing cell therapies. IASO will be responsible for worldwide product development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization of both ex vivo products. In exchange, Umoja will receive exclusive rights to CAR cassettes for two targets for the advancement of two in vivo product candidates incorporating VivoVec, Umoja's proprietary lentiviral in vivo gene delivery technology. Umoja will be responsible for product development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization in territories outside of Greater China , and IASO for the Greater China territory. In addition, each party is entitled to customary development and sales milestones and royalties in the relevant collaborations. Collectively, this set of collaborations seeks to advance off-the-shelf cell and gene therapies that are rooted in innovative scientific advancements with applications in oncology and immunology.

Alan Fu , Chief Financial Officer of IASO Bio, stated, "We are excited to collaborate with Umoja on the investigation and development of our allogeneic cell therapies. By combining Umoja's RACR platform, which aims to improve the patient experience by removing the need for lymphodepletion while also optimizing product development through improved cell differentiation and scalability, with our validated CAR constructs, we aim to bring novel allogeneic treatments to patients globally who are underserved by current therapies. Additionally, Umoja gains access to our clinically validated best-in-class CAR constructs to advance their in vivo CAR-T therapeutics with the potential to fundamentally transform the cell and gene therapy treatment landscape for patients."

"This agreement advances two complementary approaches that embody Umoja and IASO Bio's shared commitment to making cell therapies more accessible to patients. Together, we are pushing beyond traditional development and collaboration approaches to realize the full potential of CAR-T cell therapies," added Umoja's Chief Operating and Chief Business Officer, David Fontana , PhD. "By incorporating IASO's best-in-class CARs with Umoja's VivoVec technology, we have the opportunity to expand the potential reach of our in vivo gene delivery technology to new indications and provide much needed options for patients who need them."

About IASO Bio

IASO Bio is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel cell therapies and biologics for oncology and autoimmune diseases. IASO Bio possesses comprehensive capabilities spanning the entire drug development process, from early discovery to clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercial production.

The pipeline in the company includes a diversified portfolio of over 10 novel products, including Equecabtagene Autoleucel (a fully human BCMA CAR-T injection). Equecabtagene Autoleucel received New Drug Application (NDA) approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and U.S. FDA IND approval for the treatment of RR MM.

Leveraging its strong management team, innovative product pipeline, GMP production, as well as integrated manufactural and clinical capabilities, IASO aims to deliver transformative, curable, and affordable therapies that fulfil unmet medical needs to patients in China as well as around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.iasobio.com or www.linkedin.com/company/iasobiotherapeutics.

About Umoja Biopharma

Umoja Biopharma, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company aiming to develop off-the-shelf therapeutics that improve the reach, effectiveness, and access of CAR T cell therapies in both oncology and autoimmunity. Umoja's VivoVec in vivo gene delivery technology empowers a patient's own immune system to fight disease. Enabling its core technology is the Company's state-of-the-art lentiviral vector development and manufacturing facility in Louisville, Colorado . Umoja believes its approach can provide broader access and improved effectiveness of the most advanced immunotherapies, enabling more patients to live better, fuller lives. To learn more, connect with Umoja on LinkedIn and visit http://umoja-biopharma.com/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about Umoja Biopharma, Inc. (the "Company," "we," "us," or "our"). The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to vary materially, including, among others, the risks inherent in drug development such as those associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of the Company's current and future research and development programs, preclinical and clinical trials, as well as any economic, market and social disruptions. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

IASO Bio Contact:

Alan Fu , JD, PhD

Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

Umoja Media Contact:

Karissa Cross , Ph.D.

LifeSci Communications

[email protected]

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The funding will support the company's continued growth and investment in its workforce, infrastructure, and research and development

WAKARUSA, Ind. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flock Security Consulting, a leading boutique cybersecurity company specializing in penetration testing and ancillary services, today announced the successful completion of its first private funding round, along with two strategic sales executive hires. These milestones mark a pivotal moment in the company's growth trajectory, enabling the firm to reach more customers with its top-tier cybersecurity solutions.

iFlock Security Consulting has established itself as a trusted name in the cybersecurity industry. The company is known for its expertise in penetration testing and a comprehensive suite of services designed to fortify clients' cybersecurity defenses. With a commitment to excellence, cutting-edge technology, and a customer-centric approach, the company has rapidly gained recognition as a preferred partner for organizations seeking robust cybersecurity solutions.

Global cybercrime is on the rise, with damage from cyberattacks growing 15 percent per year over the next three years, reaching $10.5 trillion by 2025. The newly secured private funding represents a significant vote of confidence in iFlock Security Consulting's vision and capabilities in the face of ever-increasing cyber threats.

"Successfully securing our first round of private funding signifies the faith investors have in our capabilities and potential," said Derek Odiorne , President of iFlock Security Consulting. "This funding enables us to elevate our services further and expand our market reach."

In line with a commitment to enhancing its sales program, iFlock Security Consulting is adding two seasoned sales executives to its team. Barbara Butler and Stephany Azar , both formerly of NCC Group, a global cybersecurity company, are joining iFlock Security Consulting to drive forward its business development initiatives.

Butler and Azar bring a wealth of experience and proven track records in cybersecurity sales and client relationship management. Their expertise is expected to significantly bolster iFlock's ability to enhance existing partnerships and forge new ones, ensuring a wider reach and deeper engagement with clients in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.

"The addition of Barbara and Stephany to our team marks a significant step in our journey toward becoming a leader in the cybersecurity space," said Odiorne. "We're confident that their contributions will be pivotal in helping iFlock Security Consulting to not only meet but exceed our clients' expectations, fostering long-lasting relationships and opening new avenues for growth and collaboration."

About iFlock Security Consulting

iFlock Security Consulting is a boutique cybersecurity company specializing in penetration testing and ancillary services that bolster clients' cybersecurity defenses. With a strong commitment to excellence, cutting-edge technology, and a customer-centric approach, iFlock Security Consulting has established itself as a trusted partner for organizations seeking top-tier cybersecurity solutions.

Media Contact:

Derek Odiorne

President

iFlock Security Consulting

[email protected]

1-833-4-HAXORS

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SOURCE iFlock Security Consulting
SEOUL, South Korea , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from AVING Global:

Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ) announced that products and technologies from nine domestic startups supported by Incheon Startup Park secured a total of 11 CES Innovation Awards at CES 2024, the world's largest IT and consumer electronics expo, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, USA, in January next year.

Established in 2003, marking its 20th anniversary, IFEZ has actively supported overseas expansion for local companies and facilitated foreign investment, engaging in various initiatives.

As part of these efforts, in February 2021 , IFEZ collaborated with Incheon Techno Park to establish and currently operate Incheon Startup Park . Branded as Korea's first 'Korean Silicon Valley,' it supports early-stage startups in their validation, investment, and entry into the global market. Significantly expanding extensive support for international expos and exhibitions has yielded remarkable results.

IFEZ, positioning Incheon Startup Park as a prime startup support space domestically, allocated additional funding this year to support the participation of 30 companies at CES 2024. Among these, 16 companies received approval for participation from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizing entity. These companies are set to showcase their exhibits at Eureka Park , the national startup pavilion.

Simultaneously, IFEZ plans to operate a 1423.33-square-feet 'Incheon/IFEZ Promotion Hall' at the main exhibition hall, Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), in the AI & Robotics Zone . Through this exclusive promotional space, they aim to advertise products and technologies from 34 startups nationwide, conduct global media stage online briefings, and widely publicize the achievements of each company.

Regarding the motivation behind supporting a significant presence of Korean startups at CES, Shim Sunok , Director of Smart City at IFEZ, stated, "Presenting Incheon's smart city technological prowess at the world's largest expo is not only crucial but also crucial to establishing our city's international competitive recognition." Further, she explained, "We aim to promote the innovative technologies fostered in Incheon, paving the way for global expansion."

Among the startups participating through the Incheon Startup Park support program at CES this year, nine impressive companies were honored with 11 awards, including one Best of Innovation Award and ten Innovation Award Honorees. The CES Innovation Awards, conferred annually by CTA across various consumer technology product categories, recognized companies showcasing the most innovative technological capabilities. This year, 36 Best of Innovation Awards and 522 Innovation Awards were presented across 29 categories.

Lordsystem (CEO Jang Yang-ho ) won the Best of Innovation Award in Financial Technologies and the Honoree in Cybersecurity & Personal Privacy with its 'Trip Pass Mobile Passport Platform' technology. This digital identity verification-based mobile passport provides services targeting domestic and international tourists, offering convenience in payments, transportation cards, duty-free shopping, facial recognition-based access authentication, and fast hotel check-ins.

Microsystems (CEO Jung Sang -guk) secured the Honoree in Cybersecurity & Personal Privacy with its 'DFS-aided Cyber Security Camera.' It safeguards users' privacy by opening the camera lens only when necessary and swiftly removing contamination caused by rain, moisture, or dust, enabling error-free video surveillance in diverse indoor and outdoor environments.

BANF (CEO Yoo Sung -han) received recognition as the Honoree in the Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility category for its next-generation smart tire technology 'BANF iSensor.' This technology provides real-time analysis of tire and road conditions, preventing accidents and improving fuel efficiency by assessing and adjusting wheel alignment scores in real time.

Gole Robotics (CEO Lee Dong-min ) was honored as the Honoree in the Robotics category with its autonomous driving robot 'AIR-AMR,' designed for efficient material transportation and automation of labor-intensive tasks at construction sites. The product minimizes the need for workforce and management difficulties in construction sites while demonstrating exceptional stability in adverse environments.

K-Rangers (CEO Kim Gyeong-ha) was recognized as the Honoree in the Mobile Devices, Accessories & Apps category for its no-code-based mobile application development and operational service, 'OhMyApp.' OhMyApp enables even non-professionals to build and operate apps within just two weeks, significantly reducing the time and effort typically required in the average 3 to 6-month mobile app development process from planning to launch.

Safeware (CEO Shin Hwan -chul) secured an Innovation Award Honoree in the Human Security for All category with its 'Personal Mobility Airbag Vest.' Equipped with motion sensors, this wearable airbag instantly inflates within 0.2 seconds upon detecting an operator's accident, protecting vulnerable areas from serious injury.

Sheco (CEO Kwon Ki -seong) was acknowledged as the Honoree in the Drones & Unmanned Systems category and Human Security for All category for its 'Sheco ARC-M' platform, integrating underwater drones and crewless movement systems. This platform's purification solution incorporates real-time contamination separation technology, ensuring immediate and efficient water quality purification.

TheLittleCat (CEO Kim Dae-yong ) secured an Innovation Award Honoree in the Digital Health category with its 'InPet (INPET)' platform, centered around monitoring the composition of companion animal bodies. Collecting and acquiring eight different physiological data points using patented sensors and systems and providing users with intuitive smartphone app-based analytical results aids in preventing increasing obesity and other complications among companion animals.

Verses (CEO Lee Seong -wook) received recognition as the Honoree in the AI category for its 'Beat-based AI Music Video Generator.' Using generative AI, its software links multiple music and video sources to an interaction engine, presenting users with different music and video outputs based on their actions, enabling the creation of natural short-form music videos without needing separate tools.

Kim Jin-yong , IFEZ Commissioner, emphasized, "The accolades at CES signify that numerous domestic startups have proven their global standard innovation." He further determined, stating, "We will continue actively supporting Incheon companies in their leap to becoming global enterprises through CES participation and related support initiatives."

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) organizes CES, the world's largest IT exhibition, in Las Vegas every January. AVING News, reporting on CES for 18 consecutive years since 2006, has conducted 'BEST OF CES' and 'BEST OF MADE IN KOREA ,' selecting the finest innovative products, companies, and technologies. Additionally, they've conveyed live CES updates through 'AVING LIVE.'

#incheon, #ifez, #Incheon Seutateueop Park, #ccei.creativekorea.incheon

1. Location : Booth No.9037, LVCC North Hall

2. Contact : [email protected]

https://us.aving.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=50550

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SOURCE AVING Global
ANAHEIM, Calif. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles Cancer Network (LACN) is a trusted and leading provider of cancer and blood disorder care in Los Angeles County . They are proud to announce that Pacific Cancer Medical Center and their team in Anaheim have officially joined its growing network, landing LACN on the map in Orange County . This new addition is located at 1801 W Romneya Dr. Suite 203, Anaheim, CA 92801, being LACN's fourteenth clinic.

"We are very grateful to expand into this new region and have these esteemed physicians & their talented team become a part of our network," said Troy Simon , LACN's CEO. "This new addition reflects our mission to bring world-class cancer and blood disorder care close to home. We look forward to getting acquainted with the Anaheim community."

The physicians at LACN are among the best in the nation, receivers of many awards & honors, and participants in groundbreaking clinical research. They offer customized, patient-centered care in an ever-changing oncology environment and have the expertise required to treat various types of cancers and blood disorders.

With this expansion, LACN will be welcoming five oncologists, five advanced practice practitioners and their entire team of skilled professionals. Board-certified hematologist/oncologists Dr. Veena Charu , Dr. Ajit Maniam , Dr. Jayaram Bharadwaj , Dr. Yunfei Wei , and Dr. Thiri Khin will all continue to practice at this location. They have been serving the Anaheim area for more than two decades, and will bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and a shared commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care to LACN.

"We believe this transition is the best decision we can make for our community and patients," said Dr. Veena Charu . "LACN believes in value-based care, and we are looking forward to integrating into their practice which will open up more resources while allowing us to continue providing outstanding care to our patients."

The team is excited to join a larger practice that aligns with their values and provides access to more resources, while remaining at the community oncology level to best serve their patients.

The integration of these two practices underscores a shared vision for the future of oncology & hematology care, focused on excellence, compassion, and positive patient outcomes. Together, they will continue to uphold the highest standards of medical care while exploring innovative avenues to advance cancer treatment and research.

To make an appointment, please call (714) 999-1465. For more information, visit lacancernetwork.com.

About Los Angeles Cancer Network:

The mission of Los Angeles Cancer Network is to provide unparalleled care to each patient that comes through our doors. We offer individualized treatment using the most recent and relevant proven advances in cancer care, curated with deliberation and compassion.

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SOURCE Los Angeles Cancer Network
VANCOUVER, BC , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Luca Mining Corp. ("Luca" or the "Company") (TSXV: LUCA) (OTCQX: LUCMF) (Frankfurt: Z68) is pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Dea as Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"), effective January 2, 2024 .

Lisa Dea , CPA, CA, is a highly experienced financial executive with over three decades of expertise in finance, securities, and accounting. As the former Chief Financial Officer of Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd., a TSX-V listed mid-tier producing silver company, Ms. Dea played a pivotal role in strategically reactivating past producing silver and gold mines in central Mexico . Her comprehensive skills span corporate and M&A activities, debt and capital markets, operations, financial reporting, and human resources. Ms. Dea has a proven track record of successfully negotiating and completing numerous debt and equity deals, fostering and maintaining banking relationships with international institutions, and leading teams with a focus on collaboration and mentorship. Holding a Chartered Accountant designation earned in 1997 and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, Lisa Dea has been instrumental in overseeing all aspects of finance and legal functions, implementing structural controls, governance, and fiscal policies throughout her career. With a strong foundation built during her eleven-year tenure at Deloitte & Touche LLP, where she achieved the position of Senior Manager, Ms. Dea 's strategic financial management has been evident in her roles as the CFO of several TSX, TSX-v, CSX and ASX listed companies throughout her career in the finance industry.

CEO, Mike Struthers , stated, "I'm very pleased to announce Lisa joining the Luca team. She brings a wealth of experience both corporately and in operations. Her recent experience in Mexican mines is directly relevant and will be invaluable as Luca continues to optimise administrative and accounting functions at the mines and corporately, especially at our new gold mine at Tahuehueto. Lisa will quickly become a valuable leading member of the Vancouver -based team, and her strategic experience will also help shape Luca's future. Welcome Lisa ."

The Company also extends its sincere gratitude to Mr. Omar Garcia Abrego for his dedicated service as the CFO over the last 7 years, significantly contributing to the Company's current success. Mr. Abrego will continue to support Luca Mining Corp. as a consultant over the coming weeks, facilitating a seamless transition.

The Company announces that pursuant to its Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, it has granted incentive stock options to purchase an aggregate 200,000 shares in the capital stock of the Company. The options will be exercisable at a price of $0.35 per share for a period of 5 years.

Board Resignation

The Company also announces the resignation of Ralph Shearing from the Board of Directors. Ralph, the founder of our company, has played an instrumental role in shaping Luca Mining's trajectory from its inception over 30 years ago. His leadership and unwavering commitment have been a cornerstone, guiding the company through challenging times in the public markets, ensuring its survival and growth. While Ralph steps down from the Board, we are pleased to announce that he will continue to contribute to our future growth as an advisor to the company. We extend our heartfelt appreciation for his dedication and tireless efforts and wish him continued success in his future endeavors.

"On behalf of the Company I want to thank Ralph for his dedication to laying the foundations for Luca to become a successful mining company", commented Mike Struthers , CEO. "On a personal note, I also want to thank Ralph for ensuring such a smooth transition when I joined Luca. Ralph is a consummate professional and has always put the interests of the Company and its shareholders first and foremost. I look forwards to continuing to draw on Ralph's knowledge of the projects as we push forwards with our plans for 2024."

About Luca Mining Corp.

Luca Mining Corp. is a Canadian based mining company with two 100% owned Mexican gold, silver, and base metal mining projects. With one mine ramping up, and another going through an optimisation program, the Company expects these operations to achieve consistent positive free cash flow during 2024.

Luca's Tahuehueto Mine is a new underground gold mine in northwestern Durango State, Mexico , located within the prolific Sierra Madre Mineral Belt which hosts numerous producing and historic mines along its trend. Currently in the final stages of construction to the nameplate capacity of 1,000 tonnes per day, Tahuehueto is on track to become a significant and one of Mexico 's newest gold mines to come into production. The Pre-Feasibility Study updated in 2022 contemplates an operation achieving production of 40,000 ounces gold-equivalent per year, with approximately 75% of the revenues from precious metals, and a 10-year mine life.

The Campo Morado Mine , located in Guerrero State, Mexico , is an operating underground base and precious metals mine with a throughput of approximately 600,000 tonnes per year, producing zinc, copper, and lead concentrates with significant precious metals credits. It is currently undergoing an optimisation program which is already generating significant improvements in recoveries and grades, and cashflows.

Visit: www.lucamining.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

(signed) "Mike Struthers"

Mike Struthers , CEO and Director

Cautionary Note Regarding Production Decisions and Forward-Looking Statements

It should be noted that Luca declared commercial production at Campo Morado prior to completing a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, readers should be cautioned that Luca's production decision has been made without a comprehensive feasibility study of established reserves such that there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Campo Morado mine and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make a production decision. Luca has completed a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") mining study on the Campo Morado mine that provides a conceptual life of mine plan and a preliminary economic analysis based on the previously identified mineral resources (see News Release dated November 8, 2017 , and April 4,2018 ).

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure regarding the planned program to improve mining operations at Campo Morado ; and other possible events, conditions or financial performance that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; the timing and costs of future activities on the Company's properties, such as production rates and increases; success of exploration, development and bulk sample processing activities, and timing for processing at its own mineral processing facility on the Tahuehueto project site. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified using words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, that the current exploration, development, environmental and other objectives concerning the Campo Morado Mine and the Tahuehueto Project can be achieved; that the program to improve mining operations at Campo Morado will proceed as planned; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions, and operations. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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SOURCE Luca Mining Corp.
IRVINE, Calif. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Medytox, Inc. is pleased to announce the formation of Luvantas, Inc. (www.luvantas.com) as its wholly-owned North American subsidiary. Luvantas is a new medical aesthetics company committed to bringing innovative solutions to the North American market by keeping the interests of customers, patients, and colleagues at the forefront. Luvantas is working with Medytox to seek approval for the upcoming introduction of NivobotulinumtoxinA to the United States and Canada . A Biological License Application was submitted to the US FDA in December. More information on this state-of-the-art formulation of Botulinum toxin will be provided once regulatory approvals are obtained. Luvantas intends to seek approval to introduce other innovative medical aesthetic offerings from Medytox, as well as partner with emerging companies and inventors to support the commercialization of unique medical aesthetic solutions.

Key Executives Appointed

In connection with the formation of Luvantas, Thomas A. Albright has been appointed its President and CEO and Stephanie A. Yee has been appointed its CFO.

As CEO, Tom brings 40 years of healthcare experience to Luvantas with medical aesthetic leadership roles since 2000. Mr. Albright was previously CEO of Recros Medica since 2017 and of Andrew Technologies from 2011 to 2017. Earlier, he was President of the Topical Aesthetic division of Syneron and before that was VP North American Marketing at Nobel Biocare. Tom initiated his medical aesthetics experience at Allergan in 2000, where he led the worldwide launches of BOTOX Cosmetic. He ended his tenure at Allergan in 2008 as VP of BOTOX Global Strategic Marketing, collaborating with R&D on new therapeutic indications and next-generation biologics. While at Allergan, Tom also led the commercial development of Latisse and served as Alliance Manager for the multi-functional Japan and China collaboration with Glaxo Smithkline. Tom commenced his health science career in 1983 at the Parke Davis division of Warner-Lambert, starting as a sales representative and advancing to Director of Marketing. Mr. Albright has a BS in Biology from The Citadel and an MBA in Marketing from Mercer University.

As CFO, Stephanie brings more than 20 years of accounting and finance experience at high-growth life science and technology companies ranging from start-ups to large global organizations. Prior to joining Luvantas, Stephanie was the VP of Finance of Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC, a biopharmaceutical company in the R&D stage, where she led business development and financing efforts. Stephanie has held Corporate Controller roles at ZO Skin Health, Inc., where she scaled up the accounting and finance organization to support exponential revenue growth, and ClaripHy Communications, Inc., where she facilitated a successful exit through a sale of the company to Inphi Corporation. Prior to that, Stephanie held several management positions at Emulex Corporation, where she played a key role in several M&A projects. Before Emulex, Ms. Yee worked at IntraLase Corporation, where she supported their international expansion and acquisition by Advanced Medical Optics, Inc., now part of Johnson and Johnson. Ms. Yee holds a B. Comm degree in Accounting from the University of British Columbia and is a licensed CPA in Illinois and British Columbia .



About Medytox, Inc.

Medytox is a globally recognized biopharmaceutical company with a rich history of innovation in medical aesthetics. Established in 2000 and headquartered in South Korea , Medytox is the original Korean manufacturer of Botulinum toxin type A and the world's first company to introduce a liquid ready-to-use formulation. Medytox products are marketed in 60 countries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of medical aesthetic solutions including dermal fillers and topical skincare in addition to a wide range of Botulinum toxin products in international markets outside the United States . Medytox is publicly traded on the Korean KOSDAQ exchange (086900.KQ). http://medytox.com

Media Contact :

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Luvantas, Inc
Neotech recognized during National Disability Employment Awareness Month

VALENCIA, Calif. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Neotech was proud to receive two Certificates of Recognition for employing people with disabilities. One from the California State Assembly and one from the California State Senate.

The company and two of its team members were honored during the Santa Clarita Valley Mayor's Committee Luncheon in October. Mayor, Jason Gibbs , served as the Master of Ceremonies for the special gathering celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Neotech President, Craig McCrary , and Product Assembler, Nick Abrahms , were invited to serve on the panel of employers and their special needs employees. Guests, who paid to attend, asked business questions of the panel.

When asked by one guest, "what is your dream job?" Abrahms pointed to McCrary and replied, "my dream job is to have his job," which drew laughs and applause from the audience. He graciously added, "but not until he retires."

Abrahms and McCrary were also awarded Certificates of Recognition.

Nick Abrahms is a full-time employee who celebrated his 16th year of employment at Neotech in 2023. Neotech also employs a part-time team member with Down Syndrome and often teams with local organizations that have work programs for people with disabilities.

About Neotech Products: Neotech Products has been Making a Difference by developing innovative medical products for 35 years. Their unique line of skin friendly products are designed to benefit mothers, babies, children, and clinicians. Neotech Products is a proven leader in the development of neonatal, pediatric, and respiratory products. Neotech is also a Certified B Corporation.

Ernie Cavazos

Neotech Products LLC

661-775-7466

[email protected]

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SOURCE Neotech Products
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. , Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today denied a petition for rehearing filed by the City of Berkeley in the landmark decision California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, marking a significant victory for the California Restaurant Association. The denial signifies that the panel's ruling, which found Berkeley's gas ban to be in violation of federal law, will remain binding for Alaska , Arizona , California , Hawaii , Idaho , Montana , Nevada , Oregon , and Washington . This is a critical decision for the chefs and restaurant owners of the Association, who will now be able to use a preferred energy source for their unique cuisines.

Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) filed suit on behalf of the Association in 2019, challenging Berkeley's ban on gas piping in new buildings. The suit sought to invalidate Berkeley's gas ban and block its enforcement, arguing that the federal Energy Policy & Conservation Act (EPCA) preempted the local ban. In a precedent-setting decision in April 2023 , the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the Association, concluding that Berkeley's ban on gas piping concerned the energy use of appliances covered by the EPCA, thus rendering the ban preempted and unenforceable.

Berkeley petitioned for rehearing in response to this ruling. The Ninth Circuit denied the rehearing petition. The panel issued a modified opinion that retains the reasoning and the result, namely that Berkeley's ban is preempted by EPCA and therefore invalid and unenforceable. The amended opinion notes that its holding is focused on Berkeley's ban and the application of EPCA to building codes, and says nothing about regulation of a utility's gas distribution. Eight active judges dissented from the denial of the petition for rehearing, reading the statute's terms and scope differently, far short of the 15 votes needed to rehear the case.

"With this decision, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed its straightforward reading of the statutory text and structure," said RJLF partner Sarah Jorgensen . "It reinforces that under EPCA, energy policy is a national imperative, demanding unified regulation across the country. State and local governments have regulatory power, but they must comply with federal law."

This landmark ruling underscores the preeminence of federal law in energy policy matters, setting a powerful precedent for future cases. The case is California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, Case No. 21-16278 (9th Cir.).

About The California Restaurant Association

The California Restaurant Association is the largest nonprofit, statewide restaurant trade association in the nation. Representing the restaurant and hospitality industries since 1906, the Association is made up of nearly 22,000 restaurant locations in California .

About Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP

Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) is an elite national trial firm that handles high-stakes commercial, intellectual property, energy, and white collar disputes. The firm is majority women-owned, reinventing the practice of law without the billable hour in favor of fee arrangements that align client interests. RJLF's attorneys are diverse, exceptionally credentialed, and passionate about trial advocacy. From offices in Silicon Valley , New York , Washington, D.C. , Austin , and Atlanta , the firm tries cases and argues appeals throughout the country. For more information, visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com.

Contact

Sarah Jorgensen

[email protected]

(650) 623.1403

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SOURCE Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP
LUXEMBOURG , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon, an RTX business (NYSE: RTX), and MBDA, their first contract under the European Sky Shield Initiative, or ESSI. With a total value of up to $5.6 billion , the NSPA contract supports a coalition of nations, including Germany , the Netherlands , Romania and Spain , with a combined quantity of up to 1,000 Patriot GEM-T missiles, if all options are exercised. The contract includes qualification of updated components, addition of new suppliers, test equipment, and spares to support future sustainment. To support delivery, COMLOG will expand the production capacity of GEM-T missiles in Europe .

GEM-T, the Patriot Advanced Capability 2 (PAC-2) missile interceptor enhanced for defeating tactical ballistic missiles, is a primary effector for the combat-proven Patriot air and missile defense system. The world's battle-proven air and missile defense system, Patriot is relied upon by eight European nations, and Ukraine , for defense against cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and enemy drones and aircraft.

Through this contract, Patriot user nations will realize significant benefits. The bundled procurement, in the spirit of the ESSI, offers economies of scale and supports the expansion of production capacity for new Patriot GEM-T missiles to meet increasing demand. The new production capacity for Patriot GEM-T missiles in Europe enhances security of supply and will contribute to the replenishment of Patriot air defense missile inventories. Finally, the initiative strengthens cooperation among NATO allies in alignment with the ESSI.

Stacy A. Cummings , General Manager NSPA: "This contract demonstrates that NSPA, as a primary enabler of the Alliance, can successfully deliver effective and cost-efficient multinational solutions to nations, while reinforcing European industrial capacities. Through close Euro-Atlantic cooperation between allies and industry, NSPA has enabled the consolidation of requirements through the award of this complex contract. Customer nations have achieved economies of scale, reduced their logistics footprint, and are obtaining capable solutions and support under a proven turnkey legal framework."

Thomas Gottschild , Managing Director MBDA Deutschland: "The contract strengthens industrial and military capabilities in Europe . The order volume will enable MBDA to set up a production facility for Patriot missiles in Germany , as well as major subcomponent production. The COMLOG facility is currently the only one of its kind for the Patriot missile outside the U.S. Overall, the contract supports European Patriot user states, creates workplaces in Germany , and strengthens the supply chain for ammunition."

Thomas Laliberty , President, Raytheon Land & Air Defense Systems: "Raytheon and MBDA have partnered with NSPA, the United States Army and a broad network of suppliers across the region to offer our European partners a GEM-T program which increases NATO's air defense missile inventory, strengthens NATO deterrence, and sustains the operational readiness of Patriot air defense systems across Europe . This bundled procurement strengthens cooperation among European Patriot allies."

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) is NATO's lead organization for multinational acquisition, support and sustainment in all domains. Headquartered in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , with main operational centres in France , Hungary and Italy , the Agency employs over 1,500 staff and oversees more than 500 contractors in support of NATO's missions and exercises.

COMLOG GmbH, is a 50/50 percent joint venture between MBDA Germany and Raytheon, founded in 1987. COMLOG's primary field of activity is the logistic support of Patriot PAC-2 missiles with the aim of maintaining operational capability. Since its founding, the company has performed maintenance for more than 5,000 PAC-2 missiles at the Patriot Missile Facility 3 (PMF-3), located in Schrobenhausen, Germany . COMLOG's main customer is the NSPA, which operates on behalf of the European Patriot user countries and the U.S. Army.

PRESS CONTACT, NSPA:

Francesca De Florio

[email protected]

PRESS CONTACT, COMLOG:

For Raytheon questions, please contact [email protected]

Roland Kuntze , MBDA Germany

Tel: +49 (0) 8252 99 8800

Mobile: +49 (0) 151 14778281

[email protected]

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SOURCE RTX
Nestled high in the rugged terrain of the Sonoran mountains in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico , Rancho El Volteadero , a sprawling 24,000 acre hunting ranch and turn-key business, is set to go up for auction January 31, 2024 .

HERMOSILLO, Mexico , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestled high in the rugged terrain of the Sonoran mountains in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico , Rancho El Volteadero , a sprawling 24,000 acre hunting ranch and turn-key business, is set to go up for auction on January 31 .

This exceptional property presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts and investors to acquire a remarkable ranch and hunting property that offers world-class big game hunting and some of the finest dove hunting experiences in the region. On the weekends of January 18 , you can tour the property and experience first-hand everything it offers.

"With listing and selling over 100,000 acres of land in my career, I can certainly tell you that the Rancho El Volteadero exceeds my understanding of what an exceptional trophy hunting property is. The world-class Mule Deer and Bighorn Sheep are the most incredible I have ever seen. The owner has created a breeding and genetic program second to none," says United Country | Altaterra Realty & Auction broker J.W. Ross

Rancho El Volteadero is a dream destination for those seeking an executive-style lodging hunting business, offering a secluded retreat for private groups. Guests will enjoy exquisite Mexican cuisine prepared by a skilled chef and refreshing beverages at a charming cantina nearby.

This property is a hunting and recreational paradise, with 5,000 acres of high game fence, a highly maintained breeding facility, and pens for Mule Deer and Desert Ram. The remaining 20,000 acres are a free-range territory, offering a glimpse of the wildlife in their natural habitat. The trophy animals that grace El Volteadero include Mule Deer, Javelina, Desert Ram, Turkey , and Dove. Visitors can expect to encounter desert rams scoring over 165+ and mule deer with historical averages of 220-inch-plus, some even reaching scores of 280+. Dove hunts are also being prepared for a fruitful season. In addition to the primary hunting grounds, an additional 100,000 acres of free-range and high-fenced areas are available for lease.

The improvements and infrastructure throughout the property provide everything needed to continue work in the income-producing hunting business and offer the opportunity to expand into livestock operations and other agricultural endeavors.

"What makes Ranch El Volteadero so unique is the abundance of amenities and features that a new owner can utilize. You can continue to operate as a successful and profitable hunting business and even expand operations if desired," says auctioneer Micheal Strunc . "The ability to increase productivity in both agriculture and additional opportunities provides a new buyer a win-win purchase."

Rancho El Volteadero is exclusively offered by United Country | Altaterra Realty & Auction For more information, visit MexicoHuntingRanch.com or contact J.W. Ross at [email protected]

About United Country

United Country Real Estate is the largest ranch real estate company nationwide and a leading, fully integrated network of conventional and auction real estate professionals. The company has been an innovator in lifestyle, ranch, farmland, and country real estate marketing since 1925. United Country supports a combined network of nearly 500 offices across the nation, with a unique, comprehensive marketing program that includes the highest ranked and largest portfolios of specialty property marketing websites, the largest real estate marketing services company, an extensive buyer database of over one million opt-in buyers and exclusive global advertising of properties.

Contact:

J.W. Ross

***@altaterrarealty.com

Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/13000825

Press release distributed by PRLog

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SOURCE United Country | Altaterra Realty & Auction
- Acclaimed Industry Veteran to Lead Market Entry and Global Expansion Initiatives

SEOUL, South Korea , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SEMIFIVE, a leading semiconductor design partner and pioneer of platform-based custom silicon solutions, has announced the appointment of semiconductor specialist, Tatsuo Noguchi . Noguchi previously served as a director at Toshiba and as a general manager at Sony Corporation. With a distinguished career in the technology sector, he is expected to bring a wealth of experience to SEMIFIVE. His advisory role is scheduled to commence in January 2024 .

In his new capacity, Noguchi is poised to introduce SEMIFIVE's proven AI semiconductor design solution, featuring cutting-edge process nodes and technologies, to Japanese semiconductor companies. Leveraging his extensive network and profound industry knowledge, he aims to foster collaborations that will propel SEMIFIVE to the forefront of the Japanese semiconductor market.

Before joining SEMIFIVE, Noguchi initiated his career in R&D for high-performance System LSI at Toshiba, subsequently holding positions as the director of Oita operations and the general manager of the System LSI division and Image Sensor division. In 2016, he joined Sony Corporation as a general manager, establishing the Automotive Imager division. Following that, he contributed to TOPPAN Inc. as an advisor for new business development and organizational improvement at TOPPAN Research Institute.

"I am excited to join SEMIFIVE which continues to progress at an impressive pace in the custom silicon market," said Noguchi. "With my experience and expertise in the semiconductor industry, I will serve as a bridge to enhance our support for the AI semiconductor market in Japan ."

"The appointment of Mr. Noguchi is a strategic move to leverage great expertise and insights in the semiconductor domain, strengthening the company's position as a global leader in advanced technology solutions," said Brandon Cho , CEO and co-founder of SEMIFIVE. "With Mr. Noguchi on board, we look forward to achieving new milestones and strengthening our position as an industry leader."

In October 2023 , SEMIFIVE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Japan -based TeraPixel Technologies, marking its full-scale entry into the Japanese market. Alongside workforce expansion, SEMIFIVE and TeraPixel Technologies are collaboratively engaging in comprehensive semiconductor design, actively seeking potential customers, and providing onsite technical support to deliver SoC design platform services in Japan .

About SEMIFIVE

SEMIFIVE is the pioneer of platform based SoC design, working with customers to implement innovative ideas into custom silicon in the most efficient way. Our SoC platforms offer a powerful springboard for new chip designs and leverage configurable domain-specific architectures and pre-validated key IP pools. We offer comprehensive spec-to-system capabilities with end-to-end solutions so that custom SoCs can be realized faster, with reduced cost and risks for key applications such as data center or AI-enabled IoT. With a strong partnership with Samsung Foundry as a leading SAFETM DSP partner, as well as the larger ecosystem, SEMIFIVE provides a one-stop shop solution for any SoC design needs. For more information, please visit www.semifive.com

Contacts

Maeve Cho

Manager, SEMIFIVE Korea

[email protected]

James Sheldon

Director, SEMIFIVE US Inc.

[email protected]

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SOURCE SEMIFIVE
Anthropic launch partner sees 5x revenue growth with Fortune 500 customers including Pepsico and Yum! Brands

Investment will be used to accelerate US expansion, launch in Asia Pacific and hire more AI engineers

LONDON and NEW YORK , Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As demand for generative AI in the legal sector explodes, Robin AI, the AI-powered legal copilot, today announces that it has raised $26 million in new funding. The Series B round is led by Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore . Other investors include QuantumLight, Plural and AFG Partners.

Robin AI was founded in 2019 by Richard Robinson , a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and James Clough , a machine learning research scientist at Imperial College. It leverages the power of generative AI to automate and speed up the process of drafting and negotiating contracts, as well as extracting information from across entire contract repositories through simple search. Its legal copilot, available as a Microsoft Word add-in, can cut the time it takes to review contracts by 85%, allowing businesses' legal teams to move faster, save money and ultimately invest their time more strategically.

Robin AI places quality and accuracy at the heart of its approach. Earlier this year, it became one of Anthropic's launch partners for the release of their Large Language Model (LLM), Claude - the only such partner applying this technology to legal work. Claude 2.1 allows much longer prompts than other LLMs (around 150,000 words in each prompt), a key benefit for analysing long and complex legal documents. Anthropic is also dedicated to building frontier AI models that are safe and reliable.

Robin AI operates a unique hybrid model that combines the Claude LLM with its own proprietary contract data (from over 2 million contracts) and machine learning techniques to read and understand contracts. An in-house team of legal professionals, or lawyers-in-the-loop, helps to further refine the model to ensure the highest levels of quality and accuracy. Unlike many other legal AI products that are in beta or hidden behind waiting lists, anyone can try out a free version of the copilot at www.robinai.com.

Robin AI has seen significant traction for its contract copilot with customers increasing by 4x in the past year and revenues by 5x. It has seen especially strong demand from the private equity sector where speed is critical to deal closures and where the tracking of obligations to investors can be complex. Robin AI customers include Pepsico, PwC, Yum! Brands, AlbaCore Capital Group, and BlueEarth Capital.

CEO and co-founder Richard Robinson , who has relocated to New York to support the US expansion, said: "We've seen incredible customer traction with what we believe is the smartest AI contract copilot on the market. But this is just the beginning. We are building the AI platform for the legal sector - a service that deeply understands every aspect of the legal function, from drafting contracts, researching case law to explaining legal concepts - our AI will help people tackle every legal task. This will help level the playing field between big and small law firms and help more people access legal services. This investment will help us to realise this vision."

Carina Namih, Partner at Plural, said, "Everyone is wondering how AI lands usefully. Robin is delivering AI products to an astonishing volume and range of customers  serious businesses across sectors that are using it today to transform how they work. And they've only scratched the surface. I have backed this team since inception and couldn't be more bullish about their ability to win the global legal market."

Ilya Kondrashov , CEO at QuantumLight, said, "Robin AI has built a great team and product and have developed an impressive record of acquiring major enterprise accounts in a short period of time. As an AI-driven VC firm, we immediately saw the potential of Robin AI's system to drive tremendous efficiency in the field of legal services. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to come along with Richard, James and the wider team at Robin AI on their exciting journey to realise the potential of AI and build one of the most significant companies in the AI applications space."

Ivan Ong , Partner at AFG Partners, said, "Robin AI is addressing a central issue in the legal industry, and in a short time has positioned itself as a market leader in a space that has significant growth potential. As a global fund backed by investors from financial services, we believe that there should be a better way to manage the growing number of legal contracts between stakeholders. Robin AI is highly applicable across our network of investors and ecosystem partners and we look forward to scaling the company deeper into Asia and globally. We are pleased to join Temasek and other seasoned investors as we support Robin AI on its growth journey."

The funding will allow Robin AI to capitalise on the strong momentum it is seeing in a very fast moving market. This includes expanding its team on the ground in the US where three quarters of its revenue is already derived from; as well as opening an office in Singapore to expand into Asia Pacific . The investment will also be used to expand its existing team of AI and machine learning experts.

Robin AI's contract copilot was recently launched as a Microsoft Word add-in making it even easier for lawyers to incorporate into their day-to-day work (the vast majority of lawyers use MS Word to draft, edit and review contracts). The copilot can be trained with a customer's negotiating playbook and will quickly review a contract, identify clauses and propose edits, which can easily be accepted or rejected - all while ensuring lawyers retain full control. The Robin copilot also allows customers to use natural language search to find information, such as obligations, across all of the contracts they have signed.

About Robin AI

Robin AI serves a diverse range of customers from large multinational corporations to SMEs and scale-ups. For example, our free self-serve software helps SMEs process contracts faster and at significantly lower cost - and bigger businesses can make use of more advanced AI features to edit and query high volume contracts efficiently, alongside specialist support from our 45 in-house legal professionals.

Founded in 2019 by Richard Robinson , a former lawyer at Clifford Chance, and James Clough , a former machine learning research scientist at KCL and Imperial College, Robin AI has a 100+ team of full-time employees, including legal professionals and software engineers. The Robin AI team is based in London and New York but operates globally. 75% of its revenue is derived from the US.

About Temasek

Temasek is a global investment company with a net portfolio value of S$382 billion ( US$287b ) as at 31 March 2023 . Its Purpose "So Every Generation Prospers" guides it to make a difference for today's and future generations. As an active investor, forward looking institution and trusted steward, it is committed to deliver sustainable value over the long term. Temasek has overall corporate credit ratings of Aaa/AAA by rating agencies Moody's Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings respectively. Headquartered in Singapore , it has 13 offices in 9 countries around the world: Beijing , Hanoi , Mumbai , Shanghai , Shenzhen , and Singapore in Asia ; and London , Brussels , Paris, New York , San Francisco , Washington DC , and Mexico City outside Asia.

About QuantumLight

QuantumLight is a global AI-driven venture capital and growth equity firm, founded by Nik Storonsky (CEO and founder of Revolut) and managed by Ilya Kondrashov (co-founder of Kriya Finance). QuantumLight relies on 'Aleph', its AI system, to identify and invest in the most promising growth companies, while helping them scale by drawing on Nik's experience in building Revolut into one of the World's most successful fintech companies.

About AFG Partners

AFG Partners is an Asian-based VC fund specialised in investing in global B2B fintech companies that want to grow in Asia and have an interest in partnering or commercializing with financial institutions, emerging challengers and corporates in Asia . With offices across Singapore and Hong Kong , the fund has invested in and has helped scale companies such as Aspire, Sprout, Brankas, Supercede, SESAMm, Necto (fka Finlync) and Tradystream.

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SOURCE Robin AI
Add a touch of sweetness to your Lunar New Year celebrations with Sugarfina's limited-edition release.

LOS ANGELES , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarfina is starting 2024 off on a sweet note! Known as one of the luckiest animals in the Zodiac, the luxury candy boutique is honoring the Year of the Dragon with a special-edition collection filled with celebratory gifts meant for sharing good luck in the year ahead.

Designed and curated in collaboration with Netflix's Bling Empire star and lifestyle influencer Cherie Chan , the exclusive release features gold coin-inspired Sugarfina Candy Cubes, keepsake Candy Bento Boxes, a Zodiac Candy Tasting Collection, and a luxury Candy Trunk . Lucky recipients of the Year of the Dragon Candy Trunk will also receive a limited-edition Dragon Charm to hang on purses, suitcases, or backpacks. New flavors include Yuzu Caramels, Dragon Eggs, Auspicious Stars, Lucky Mandarins, and Good Fortune Truffles. Good health, prosperity, and great fortune were kept in mind while Cherie and the Sugarfina Team created these special candy boxes and flavors!

"Growing up in LA, I've always celebrated Lunar New Year with my family at home. Our access to Lunar New Year items was limited and only available at Chinese markets," says Cherie Chan . "Fast forward to 2024 it's amazing that Sugarfina recognizes our culture and wants to celebrate this important holiday with us." After a year of developing and producing the Lunar New Year Collection, Cherie notes: "While curating these special candy boxes with Sugarfina, we kept in mind three wishesgood health, prosperity, and great fortune. From my home to yours, Happy Lunar New Year and happy Year of the Dragon!"

The collection includes the Lantern 2 Piece Candy Bento Box filled with Lotus Flowers and Good Fortune Truffles and the Year of the Dragon 8 Piece Candy Bento Box filled with Red Apple Caramels, Good Fortune Truffles, Yuzu Caramels, Prosperous Pineapples, Auspicious Stars, Gold Pearls, Lucky Mandarins and Lotus Flowers. New to the assortment is the Zodiac Candy Tasting Collection, an interactive box with a full moon spinner revealing each Chinese zodiac, its birth years, and its corresponding personality traits. Filled with 16 different flavors, discover what candy matches your sign! A gift that keeps on gifting, the Year of the Dragon 9 Piece Candy Trunk comes with 9 festive flavors and is detailed with a limited-edition Dragon Charm. The collection also features Lucky Red Envelopes for sharing sweet prosperity.

"This year's Lunar New Year Collection is truly spectacular," says Scott LaPorta , CEO, and Co-Investor of Sugarfina. "By capturing the essence of the Year of the Dragon, we were able to innovate our flavor offerings and elevate our packaging design for all Lunar New Year gifting occasions.

Start the New Year off on a sweet note! Share good fortune with friends and family with sweets they'll cherish long after the candy is gone. Here's to a year of spreading sweetness!

About Sugarfina USA LLC

Sugarfina USA is a luxury candy brand with stores in gateway locations in the United States , Canada , and Hong Kong . The company also sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce business, specialty retailers, department store shop-in-shops, and corporate gifting. Sugarfina's exclusive and innovative line of products is offered in distinctive and iconic packaging. To learn more about Sugarfina, visit www.sugarfina.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter @sugarfina.

Product Quick Facts:

Press Contact:

[email protected]

www.sugarfina.com

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SOURCE Sugarfina USA LLC
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Synack has achieved the Moderate "Authorized" designation from the U.S. Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), demonstrating Synack's premier security testing platform meets the cloud compliance framework's rigorous requirements at the Moderate level.

"This achievement is a gamechanger for our federal clients," said Dr. Mark Kuhr , Synack CTO and co-founder.

The milestone approval means additional U.S. agencies can deploy Synack's best-in-class penetration testing and vulnerability management solutions  even in systems that process Controlled Unclassified Information and other official or sensitive data.

"This achievement is a gamechanger for our federal clients," said Dr. Mark Kuhr , Synack CTO and co-founder. "It also sends a clear message to all our customers: You can trust Synack to keep your data secure as we deliver pentesting of the highest caliber."

The Government Accountability Office has warned that "malicious actors are becoming more willing and capable of carrying out cyberattacks" on federal targets, with the potential to seriously harm national security. FedRAMP is a cornerstone of the U.S. government's efforts to realize that vision and combat threats as agencies continue to shift critical data to the cloud. Additionally, White House requirements such as Memorandum 22-09 require agencies to adopt a zero trust architecture strategy by September 2024 .

Operating dedicated application security testing programs is a critical component of a zero trust strategy, and Synack proudly empowers agencies to conduct such services in a FedRAMP Moderate Authorized environment.

"This FedRAMP designation clears the way for Synack's premier security testing platform to protect more government systems," said Synack vice president for public sector Catherine Bowen . "We are doubling down on our goal to improve the security posture of agencies and companies handling mission-critical government applications, internally and externally."

To qualify as Moderate Authorized from FedRAMP, Synack successfully enforced 325 security controls and underwent extensive third-party vetting of its security infrastructure.

Achieving full authorization reflects Synack's ongoing commitment to making the world more secure by providing on-demand access to the Synack security testing platform and the 1,500-plus vetted security researchers who make up the global Synack Red Team.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sponsored Synack's successful bid for FedRAMP authorization. Today's announcement builds on Synack's FedRAMP Moderate "In Process" designation achieved in 2022 , when Synack was first listed on the FedRAMP marketplace .

Synack has worked with HHS and dozens of other federal agencies to test internal assets and elevate their security postures. The company participated in the Defense Department's inaugural "Hack the Pentagon" program in 2016, helping find and fix high-impact vulnerabilities in a range of military networks. DoD would go on to host a follow-up initiative featuring Synack, aimed at normalizing a trusted, crowdsourced approach to security testing.

To find out more about Synack's FedRAMP environment and what it could mean for your own security program, please visit https://www.synack.com/lp/fedramp/ .

ABOUT SYNACK:

Synack's premier on-demand security testing platform harnesses a talented, vetted community of security researchers and smart technology to deliver continuous penetration testing and vulnerability management, with actionable results. We are committed to making the world more secure by closing the cybersecurity skills gap, giving organizations on-demand access to the most trusted security researchers in the world. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with regional teams around the world, Synack protects federal agencies and a growing list of Global 2000 customers, uncovering over 13,000 vulnerabilities for clients in 2023 alone. For more information, please visit www.synack.com .

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SOURCE Synack
LOS ANGELES , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Electric Vehicle Policy Board (EV Board) meeting, which was chaired by Mr. Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister, continued the commitment to propel Thailand into a prominent regional hub for the Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing aligning closely with the 30@30 policy. Thailand aspires to manufacture Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) at least 30% of the total motor vehicle production by the year 2030, or 725,000 cars and 675,000 motorcycles.

The EV Board has approved the second phase of EV Package, known as EV 3.5, for 4 years (2024-2027) to promote EV industry's continuous growth and to facilitate investment opportunities in EV manufacturing in Thailand for new players. The package aims to support investment covering the entire EV industry ecosystem. Companies who have already participated in EV 3 are eligible to apply these measures complying with the conditions and regulations.

As part of the EV 3.5 package, the government will provide subsidies for the purchase of electric cars, electric pickup trucks, and electric motorcycles based on the vehicle types and battery capacities. The subsidies will be provided in range as follows:

For electric passenger cars priced not exceeding $58,000 USD , with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between $1,450 - $2,900 USD per unit. And those with battery capacity less than 50 kWh will be subsidized $580 - $1,450 USD per unit.

, with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between - per unit. And those with battery capacity less than 50 kWh will be subsidized - per unit. For electric pickup trucks priced not exceeding $58,000 USD , with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between $1,450 - $2,900 USD per unit.

, with battery capacity not less than 50 kWh will be subsidized in range between - per unit. For electric motorcycles cars priced not exceeding $4,350 USD , with battery capacity not less than 3 kWh will be subsidized in range between $145 - $290 USD per unit.

The relevant agencies will discuss further to stipulate the subsidy rate as appropriate and propose to the cabinet's approval.

As part of the EV 3.5 package, those electrical passenger cars priced not exceeding $200,000 USD will be incentivized with the reduction of excise tax from 8% to 2%. While electrical passenger cars priced not exceeding $58,000 USD, importing EVs as Completely Built-Up Units (CBUs) during the first two years (2024-2025) will benefit additionally a reduction in import duties up to 40%.

Those companies applying to this package will be contingent on the condition of EV production offset domestically for CBUs imported at 1:2 ratio by 2026 and 1:3 by 2027. Both imported and domestically manufactured electric cars, the batteries must acquire the Industrial Product Standards (TIS) and pass testing based on international standards at the Automotive and Tire Testing National Center (ATTRIC).

In addition, the Board has approved an extension deadline for EV registration under EV 3 package from December 31, 2023 , to January 31, 2024 in order to enable consumers planning to purchase EVs at the Thailand International Motor Expo and to complete the registration process.

"The EV 3.5 package reaffirm the Thai government's unwavering commitment, emphasizing a consistent policy that supports Thailand as a prominent hub for electric vehicles in the region. The strategic initiative involves attracting new players to establish production bases and encouraging existing investors to transition to the electric vehicle industry. These efforts will foster sustainable development for Thailand's automotive manufacturing sector, where currently Thailand holds the top position in ASEAN and ranks among the top 10 globally. Furthermore, these measures support Thailand's goal to move towards carbon neutrality by 2050," said Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi , the Secretary General of Thailand Board of investment and the Executive Committee Secretariat of EV Board.

In the first phase of the Electric Vehicle supporting program or EV 3 started from 2022, a total of 15 companies have participated, including electric passenger cars, electric pickup trucks, and electric motorcycles. The program has effectively invigorated the growth of the electric vehicle industry in Thailand . The first nine months of the program (January- September 2023 ) recorded new EV registrations for 50,340 units, marking 7.6 times higher compared to the same period last year. Thailand's continuous EV promotion package since 2017 have resulted in investment in the EV industry worth $1.8 billion USD in manufacturing battery electric vehicles (BEVs), battery electric motorcycles, EV's parts and components, and charging stations.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Suttida Tongdee

1-323-960-1199

[email protected].th

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Series to Showcase Florida's Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

NEW YORK , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) today announced that a new season of Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin will premiere Saturday, January 6 , as Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin : Expedition Florida. The show, hosted by Emmy-winning conservationist Jeff Corwin , airs weekends on ABC owned and affiliated stations across the country (times vary, check local listings) as part of the "Weekend Adventure" educational/informational programming block.

For the upcoming season, the show has partnered with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, a federally recognized Native American tribe, to showcase the wildlife and conservation efforts focused on Florida's Everglades as the region wrestles with environmental challenges.

Wildlife Nation, which has earned four Daytime Emmy nominations and 11 Telly Awards, highlights spectacular wildlife across North America and the inspiring partners working together to preserve their natural environment.

For centuries, Mikasuki-speaking Native Americans have had a presence in the Everglades region, and in recent decades have been passionate advocates for its preservation. This season of Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin marks the first time the Tribe's environmental efforts have received multi-episode national television exposure.

"Our partnership with the Miccosukee Tribe will continue to raise awareness on the importance of wildlife conservation," said Bryan Curb , HMPG executive vice president and general manager, education/information. " Jeff Corwin has long been an advocate for these efforts, and we know our Wildlife Nation fans will develop an even deeper appreciation of this vitally important region."

"We're thrilled to partner with HMPG to tell the story about Central and South Florida's natural wonders, and what we and others are doing to help preserve the region for future generations," said Talbert Cypress , Chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe.

In addition to Wildlife Nation, HMPG's leadership in the wildlife programming genre includes Earth Odyssey, hosted by Dylan Dreyer ; Wild Child, hosted by Sheinelle Jones ; Oh Baby!, hosted by Janai Norman ; and the newly launched Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, hosted by Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant . HMPG recently announced the acquisition of the library of TV series hosted by legendary wildlife ambassador Jack Hanna . Overall, HMPG's current program portfolio comprises more than 30 original series and hundreds of hours of original content annually on leading broadcast networks and station groups and on connected TV and streaming platforms. It has a library of more than 4,000 hours of programming and its content can be found in 97 countries. HMPG was recently honored with 86 national Telly Awards and named Telly "Company of the Year," recognized as a standout for equity and inclusion programming.

About Hearst Media Production Group

Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG), a business unit of Hearst Television, is an independent producer and distributor of original programming for TV stations, broadcast and cable networks and streaming services. HMPG produces hundreds of hours of programming annually across linear, streaming, digital and social media platforms for domestic and international distribution in nearly 100 countries. Its popular shows include the Emmy Award-winning educational/informational (E/I) programming blocks airing weekends nationwide including "Weekend Adventure," on ABC stations; "CBS WKND," on the CBS Network; "The More You Know," on the NBC Network; "One Magnificent Morning," on The CW Network; "Mi Telemundo" on the Telemundo Network and "Go Time" on independent stations. HMPG also produces and/or distributes a diverse slate of other programming and content including Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien , America's #1 nationally syndicated public affairs news magazine; Consumer Reports TV, and the company's dedicated FAST channels Xplore, The Jack Hanna Channel and Rovr Pets, available on some of the most popular smart TVs and streaming platforms. HMPG has offices in New York , Los Angeles , Washington, D.C. and Charlotte. HMPG is represented by United Talent Agency.

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SOURCE Hearst Media Production Group, LLC
Survey Reveals Most Hit their Moderation Era at 29 Years Old;

Majority State Quality Over Quantity with their Wine Preferences

BOSTON , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As many Americans kick-off their New Year's resolutions, a recent survey revealed that 86% agree that moderation is important when it comes to their alcohol intake.

With the New Year, Americans look to Moderate Alcohol Intake. Survey Reveals Most Hit their Moderation Era at age 29

The survey of 2,000 American wine drinkers aged 21+, commissioned by wine preservation company, Coravin showed that, while the majority focused on dialing back consumption, the months ahead pose a potential challenge with 34% stating they enjoy drinking the most wine in the winter months. Additionally, the survey revealed that rainy weather (19%) and being in a bad mood (31%) influence their wine consumption.

With most respondents hitting their moderation era at 29 years old, they also report becoming choosier with their wine intake with 41% stating that quality is more important than quantity.

"We've all heard the saying, 'everything in moderation.' And the survey proves just that  Americans are focused on cutting back, without going to extremes," said Greg Lambrecht , Founder and Inventor, Coravin Inc. "With a new year before us, it's important to remember that moderation is key while still being able to indulge now and then."

Of those surveyed, almost half (45%) have a favorite bottle they only break out for special occasions. The top three reasons for this include it being a favorite (50%), it was expensive (47%) or it was a gift (41%). Respondents are most likely to open that bottle and share it with a friend (51%), their mom (30%) or a sibling (28%). The least likely to benefit from sharing are grandfathers (9%).

More than half (57%) of respondents said they have a go-to wine for certain seasons while 66% are craving more variety in their wine preferences.

"Adding variety to your wine preferences doesn't need to break the bank," said Lambrecht. "We put care into wine preservation for those who want to enjoy their bottle in longer intervals, without having to worry about wastage. With the ability to keep your wine bottle fresh longer, people can spend time trying new types and flavors."

Coravin's commitment to wine preservation aligns seamlessly with these findings, offering a solution for those seeking to enjoy their bottles at their own pace, without the fear of wastage. Celebrating 10 years of groundbreaking technology, Coravin continues to empower enthusiasts to explore a broader spectrum of new varieties and flavors by extending the freshness of wine, contributing to a more diverse and enjoyable wine experience for all.

AMERICA'S TOP 10 FAVORITE WINES

Rose - 21%

Moscato - 20%

Chardonnay - 12%

Merlot - 8%

Cabernet Sauvignon - 8%

Sauvignon Blanc - 5%

Pinot Noir - 5%

Zinfandel - 4%

Pinot Grigio - 4%

Riesling - 4%

WHAT SCARES AMERICANS THE MOST ABOUT BUYING HIGHER PRICED WINES

I might not like it  47%

I'm on a tight budget  38%

I worry I won't finish the bottle before it goes bad  24%

I haven't had the chance to try higher priced wines before  21%

I've had bad experiences in the past  18%

To learn more about Coravin, visit https://www.coravin.com/

Survey Methodology

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans 21+ who drink wine was commissioned by Coravin between Oct. 12 and Oct. 17, 2023 . It was conducted by market research company OnePoll , whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research ( AAPOR ) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research ( ESOMAR ).

About Coravin Inc.

Coravin, Inc. is the first and only global wine technology company on a mission to change the way the world experiences wine. Through innovation, Coravin empowers wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and trade professionals to re-imagine the way they taste, serve, drink, sell and market wine. Its award-winning Coravin Wine Preservation Systems enable wine lovers to pour any wine, in any amount, and preserve the life of their bottles for weeks, months or even years.

Coravin provides best-in-class products to expand wine-by-the-glass programs. From restaurant Sommeliers to wine store owners, Coravin products are used and trusted by wine professionals around the world to power profitable, unique, and successful wine programs. These award-winning wine-by-the-glass systems allow you to sample, serve, and enjoy any wine, in any amount, at any time. Pour and preserve wines for weeks, months, or even years.

MEDIA CONTACT: Shrutika Snehanath

Gear Communications

[email protected]

Office: 781-279-3250

Cell: 585-981-8125

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SOURCE Coravin
NEW YORK , Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading gynecologic surgeon, Ted T. Lee , MD, has joined NYU Langone Health as director of the Division of Minimally Invasive and Specialty Gynecologic Surgery and chief of surgical innovation for gynecology in NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, effective January 1 .

Also named a professor in the department, Dr. Lee joins the institution from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at Magee Women's Hospital where he served as a clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, and director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery.

" Dr. Lee is a recognized expert in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and has contributed significantly to research and advancements in the field, particularly when it comes to diagnosing and treating endometriosis," said Dana R. Gossett , MD, the Stanley H. Kaplan Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "His appointment underscores NYU Langone's commitment to providing the highest quality of gynecologic care."

In his new roles, Dr. Lee will oversee minimally invasive surgical services that treat common and complex gynecologic conditions at NYU Langone's Manhattan campus and NYU Langone HospitalBrooklyn. He will also oversee the comprehensive care and fertility-sparing surgical programs as part of NYU Langone's Endometriosis Center and the Center for Fibroid Care.

"I am dedicated to advancing the boundaries of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, ensuring world-class, patient-centered care," said Dr. Lee . "This is an exciting chapter and I look forward to contributing to the continued excellence in women's health care at NYU Langone."

Dr. Lee replaces Kathy Huang , MD, who served as the division director since 2015. She recently became the surgical director of perioperative services at NYU Langone. Dr. Huang will continue to serve as director of the Endometriosis Center, working in close collaboration with Dr. Lee and the multidisciplinary team to help treat every patient holistically.

About Dr. Lee

Dr. Lee's clinical expertise is laparoscopic surgery, an alternative to open surgery, for the comprehensive management of endometriosis, including more severe cases involving the bowel, bladder, ureter, and extra-pelvic sites. He also specializes in minimally invasive surgery and treatment of ovarian remnant syndrome, uterine fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding, cervical incompetence, and other complex gynecologic conditions.

He is a former president of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL), the largest gynecologic surgical society in the world, and is the organization's only six-time Golden Laparoscope Award winner for best surgical video. A sought-after lecturer and surgeon, Dr. Lee has taught and performed live surgeries around the world.

In collaboration with patient advocates and other endometriosis experts around the world, Dr. Lee leveraged his role as AAGL liaison to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in revising the endometriosis International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for the first time in 45 years. These new diagnosis codes, established in 2022, include important details such as laterality, location, depth of invasion, volume of disease, and the specific organ involved. The data collected from the revised ICD codes will help with disease tracking and resource allocation while also promoting future endometriosis research.

Dr. Lee earned his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia . He went on to complete a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at the Center for Reproductive Surgery in Atlanta .

Media Inquiries:

Lacy Scarmana

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FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with human rights leaders at the State Department in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will depart on Thursday for the Middle East, including a stop in Israel, as the United States continues diplomatic consultations on the Israel-Gaza conflict, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

The official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said U.S. diplomatic envoy Amos Hochstein will also travel to Israel to work to soothe tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

Blinken leaves Thursday night "for stops in a number of capitals, including Israel," the official said. The official provided no further details.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days as he works to improve access to Gaza for humanitarian aid and gain the release of hostages held by Hamas.

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
BRASILIA (Reuters) - The city of Dourados in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul on Wednesday began the country's first mass vaccination against dengue, the city's government said.

The initiative aims to vaccinate around 150,000 residents of the city between the ages of 4 and 59 using the recently approved Japanese drugmaker Takeda's vaccine QDENGA.

Distribution started on Wednesday of the first batch of 90,000 doses already delivered by the Japanese laboratory as part of an agreement with the city. The vaccination schedule requires a second dose in three months.

The dengue infection, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes a disease that can be mild or have more serious forms, occasionally leading to death. Symptoms include muscle weakness, drowsiness, refusal of food and liquids, vomiting, and diarrhea.

By the end of the first week of December, Brazil had registered 1.6 million cases of dengue in 2023, an increase of 15.8% over the same period last year, according to data from the health ministry. The number of deaths caused by the infection grew 5.4% in the period to 1,053.

Last month, the country's health ministry announced it would include Takeda's shot in the national vaccination program of its public health system, known by its local acronym 'SUS'.

The vaccine will not initially be used in large-scale nationwide, given its limited supply, instead, it will focus on priority groups and regions.

The country expects to receive another 5.08 million doses of the vaccine between February and November.

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing and additional reporting by Peter Frontini; Editing by David Gregorio)
KYODO NEWS - Jan 3, 2024 - 12:33 | All, Japan

False information concerning a powerful earthquake in central Japan on New Year's Day has been spreading on social media platforms, prompting the government on Wednesday to call for the public to exercise caution.

Some posts have attributed the cause of the magnitude-7.6 quake that struck the Noto Peninsula and its vicinity on the Sea of Japan coast on Monday to the use of an "earthquake weapon," while describing the seismic event as an "artificial earthquake."

A woman in her 40s in one of the disaster-hit areas had her address publicly disclosed in a post attributed to her that stated, "My son is trapped and cannot move." She said, "This is false information and my home's location is now known. I want the post to be removed."

Other posts have shared edited videos purporting to depict tsunami caused by the latest quake that use footage of the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 that triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crisis.

False information during disasters can impede rescue operations, endangering lives. After a deadly earthquake in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, in 2016, a man was arrested for spreading a false rumor that a lion had escaped from a zoo.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that the spread of false information is "unacceptable" and the communication ministry has urged people to "carefully judge" whether online posts are true before disseminating them.

Related coverage:

62 dead in Noto earthquake, search operations continue

57 dead in Japan Noto quake, rescue efforts continue amid aftershocks

M7.6 quake rocks central Japan, killing 4, triggering tsunami
FILE PHOTO: The logo for Goldman Sachs is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Asset Management said on Wednesday it had raised $650 million for a new fund that will invest in startups related to the life sciences sector.

The fund, West Street Life Sciences I, will specifically target early to mid-stage therapeutic companies with multi-asset portfolios as well as tools and diagnostics firms.

"Life sciences represents one of the most exciting areas in the private investing landscape, with advances in technology transforming healthcare at an unprecedented pace," said Marc Nachmann, global head of Asset & Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs.

Goldman said Life Sciences I has already committed about $90 million to five companies, including cancer drug maker Nested Therapeutics and precision medicine firm MOMA Therapeutics.

The company had raised about $4 billion for its infrastructure fund, West Street Infrastructure Partners IV, last year.

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
FILE PHOTO: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses lawmakers ahead of a parliament vote on the 2024 budget, in the Greek parliament in Athens, Greece December 17, 2023. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki/File Photo

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appointed a new police minister on Wednesday as part of a mini cabinet reshuffle aimed at boosting his conservative government ahead of expected reforms this year.

A government official earlier said the prime minister, who was re-elected in June 2023 and has a majority of eight seats in the 300-seat parliament, wanted to make "targeted corrective moves".

Mitsotakis left key ministers in place to signal policy continuity for the economy, defence and foreign affairs.

He switched some ministers around including Michalis Chrysohoidis, who was moved from the Health Ministry to the Civil Protection Ministry - that supervises police - replacing Giannis Oikonomou. Adonis Georgiadis was moved from the Labour Ministry to the Health Ministry.

Chrysohoidis has held the civil protection post several times in the past two decades and was overseeing the ministry when Greece dismantled November 17, Greece's most lethal guerrilla group, in 2002.

His reappointment at the job comes after a series of violent incidents, including the death of a 31-year-old police officer who was injured by a flare in clashes that broke out during a volleyball match last month.

Earlier this week, Mitsotakis said that 2024 would be a prelude to a new era for the country that needed "a rushing wave of changes" and that he believed European parliament elections later this year would reaffirm political stability.

Mitsotakis has promised to legalise same-sex marriage and his government is expected to submit a bill which opens the way for the operation of private universities in the country. Both reforms are likely to meet opposition.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters through a screen during a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. attack, in Beirut's southe

By Maya Gebeily

BEIRUT (Reuters) -The head of Lebanon's powerful armed group Hezbollah said on Wednesday that Israel's killing of the deputy chief of allied Palestinian faction Hamas in Beirut was "a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent".

In a televised speech, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah offered his condolences to Hamas for what he called a "flagrant Israeli aggression" on Tuesday night that killed Saleh al-Arouri.

Tuesday's strike hit the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, in what analysts have said could also be a message from Israel to Hezbollah that even its prime stronghold there can be reached.

It was the first strike to hit Beirut following almost three months of near daily fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah that has been confined to the border region.

Hezbollah launched rockets across the border on Oct. 8 in support of Hamas, which had carried out a deadly assault into southern Israel the previous day that prompted a fierce Israeli bombing campaign of the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, is the spearhead of a Tehran-backed alliance hostile to Israel and the United States. It fought a month-long war against Israel in 2006.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah's "quick" action on Oct. 8 and the cross-border shelling since then had prevented a broader bombing campaign by Israel of Lebanon, and had showed that Israel's ability to deter such attacks "had collapsed".

He vowed that there would be "no ceilings" and "no rules" to his group's fighting if Israel chose to launch a war on Lebanon.

"Whoever thinks of war with us - in one word, he will regret it," Nasrallah said.

More than 120 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in the Israeli bombardment, along with nearly two dozen civilians. At least nine Israeli soldiers have also been killed in exchanges of fire.

Arouri was credited with re-establishing Hamas' relationship with Hezbollah after the groups backed opposing sides in the war that erupted in Syria in 2011.

Nasrallah spoke on Wednesday to commemorate four years since the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike on Baghdad.

He said the dozens killed in two explosions at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate Soleimani were "targeted". Iranian officials blamed unspecified "terrorists".

It was Nasrallah's third speech since Oct. 7. In his long-awaited first speech on Nov. 3, Nasrallah warned the United States that preventing a regional conflict was reliant on stopping the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

In his second speech roughly a week later, he said the front against Israel would remain active.

On Wednesday, he said he would speak again on Jan. 5 in more detail about Hezbollah's operations in the south.

(Reporting by Maya GebeilyEditing by Alexandra Hudson and Nick Macfie)
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters through a screen during a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the killing of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. attack, in Beirut's southe

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Arafat Barbakh

CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Europe's senior diplomat Josep Borrell began a new diplomatic push on Friday to stop spillover from the Gaza war into Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Red Sea shipping lanes.

Their Middle East visits came three months since Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israel, triggering an offensive that has devastated the enclave, uprooted 90% of its population, and killed 22,600 people, according to Palestinian officials.

Israel, which says it has killed 8,000 militants since the deaths of 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, has announced a more targeted approach under global pressure to limit civilian casualties.

But Gazans said Israeli planes and tanks had intensified attacks overnight on densely populated Al-Maghazi, Al-Bureij and Al-Nusseirat in the centre of the coastal strip.

Some 162 people were killed in the past 24 hours, Palestinian officials said earlier.

In addition to these, Palestinian officials later said that in the south, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans have moved in response to Israeli warnings, at least 22 people were killed by Israeli strikes on Khan Younis.

One Palestinian health official said these included at least 10 people killed and several wounded by an Israeli air strike on a house belonging to Al-Bayouk family.

Four others were killed in an air strike on a street in Al-Nusseirat, Palestinian officials said, while another three died and seven were injured in Israeli shelling on a house in central Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Separately, medics reported that two more people were killed and others injured in the same central Gaza town after what residents described as fresh Israeli air strikes after dark.

"The Israeli government claims democracy and humanity, but is inhumane," Abdel Razek Abu Sinjar said as he cried over the shrouded bodies of his wife and children killed in a strike on his house in Rafah on the border with Egypt.

In Jabalia in northern Gaza, people picked their way through ruined streets filled with sewage and garbage, video showed. Hunger and deadly diseases are spreading.

WEST BANK DEATHS MOUNT TOO

The military said it had struck more than 100 targets in Gaza in the past 24 hours, killing gunmen who tried to attack a tank in Al-Bureij and others in Khan Younis, where Hamas' military wing said it had killed some troops.

The war in Hamas-run Gaza has stoked violence in the West Bank, which is governed by its rival Fatah and is another territory where Palestinian hopes for statehood have been dashed since the last U.S.-mediated talks on a solution to the decades-long conflict in 2014.

The Palestinian health ministry said a 17-year-old was killed and four other Palestinians wounded by Israeli army gunfire in the West Bank town of Beit Rima. Israel's military said troops shot at Palestinians who threw petrol bombs.

Some 300 Palestinians have died there since the war erupted, the United Nations says.

Blinken is due to visit the West Bank during a week-long tour starting on Friday in Turkey, which has offered to mediate. He will also visit Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

"It is in no one's interest, not Israel's, not the region's, not the world's, for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, was due in Lebanon.

IRANIAN BACKING

Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, is backed by Iran. Other Iranian-backed militants have hit U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and struck Israel from Lebanon in what they call revenge for Israel's avowed attempt to eliminate the Palestinian Islamist movement.

The U.S. offered up to $10 million for information on Hamas sponsors or anything leading to the disruption of the group's financial mechanisms.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the U.S. should focus on ending aggression towards Palestinians and occupation of their land. "We hope that Mr. Blinken learned lessons from the past three months and realized the extent of the mistakes the U.S. has made by blindly supporting the Zionist occupation and believing its lies, which resulted in unprecedented massacres and war crimes against our people in Gaza," he said in a speech.

The leader of Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Friday the militia had conducted around 670 military operations on the border with Israel since Oct. 8, destroying many Israeli military vehicles.

The Iran-aligned Houthis who control much of Yemen have fired on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, forcing them to take longer routes in a blow to global trade.

Israel has listed 175 soldiers as killed in action since its offensive began.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said the next phase would include raids in the north to demolish tunnels and a focus in the south on rescuing some 132 Israeli hostages remaining.

A 25th hostage had been declared dead, a government spokesperson said on Friday.

The World Health Organization said hospitals and other medical infrastructure in Gaza have been attacked nearly 600 times since the conflict erupted. Some 613 people have died within facilities and more than 770 wounded, it said.

France and Jordan air-dropped seven tonnes of aid for a field hospital in Khan Younis.

(Reporting by Mohammad Azakir in Beirut, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Arafat Barbakh in Gaza, Maayan Lubell at the Israel-Gaza border, Dan Williams and Emily Rose in Jerusalem, Enas Alashay and Adam Makary in Cairo, Clauda Tanios in Dubai, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Emma Farge in Geneva, Matthias Williams in London, and Trevor Hunnicutt and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Writing by Philippa Fletcher and Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Angus MacSwan and Diane Craft)
A person holds a smartphone with Tik Tok logo displayed in this picture illustration taken November 7, 2019. Picture taken November 7, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Montana said on Tuesday it was appealing a decision by a U.S. judge in November to block Montana's first-of-its kind state ban on the use of short-video sharing app TikTok.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen filed a notice that the state is appealing the ruling to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Montana's ban had been set to take effect Jan. 1 but U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy on Nov. 30 issued a preliminary injunction to block the ban on the Chinese-owned app, saying Montana's law "violates the Constitution in more ways than one" and "oversteps state power."

TikTok and Knudsen's office did not immediately comment. Molloy had previously said preliminary pretrial statements were due by Jan. 16.

TikTok users in Montana also had filed suit last year to block the ban approved by the state legislature that cited concerns about the personal data of Montana users and potential Chinese spying.

TikTok said in earlier court filings it "has not shared, and would not share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government, and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users."

Molloy said Montana sought to exercise foreign policy authority held by the federal government and the state's action was too sweeping.

TikTok has faced efforts by some in Congress to ban the app or give the Biden administration powers to impose restrictions or bar foreign-owned apps, but those efforts have stalled.

Many states and the U.S. government have barred TikTok on government-owned devices, but only Montana has sought to completely bar the app's use.

Former President Donald Trump in 2020 sought to bar new downloads of TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat, but a series of court decisions blocked the effective ban from taking effect.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stephen Coates)
Newark Police Officers stand guard outside the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque following the shooting of Imam Hassan Sharif in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., January 3, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

(Reuters) - A New Jersey imam has died after being shot outside a Newark mosque early on Wednesday morning, and authorities have yet to identify a suspect or motive for the attack, local prosecutors said.

There is no indication that the shooting was a bias-motivated crime or an act of domestic terrorism based on the evidence collected so far in the investigation, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said at an afternoon briefing.

Platkin's office would not typically reveal that type of information at such an early stage, but he said he was doing so in light of the recent surge in bias incidents against various faiths, especially the Muslim community.

The imam killed on Wednesday, Hassan Sharif, was shot multiple times shortly after 6 a.m. in his vehicle outside Masjid Muhammad mosque in Newark, said Essex County prosecutor Theodore Stephens at Wednesday's press conference. Sharif died from his injuries in a local hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

"There are many in New Jersey right now who are feeling a heightened sense of fear," Platkin said.

Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have surged across the United States since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza. As a consequence, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in December issued security guidance for faith-based communities.

The agency's recommendations included developing a security plan, putting an individual or a committee in charge of security, completing risk assessment, coordinating with local community and identifying available resources.

Since Oct. 7, authorities have beefed up the presence of law enforcement at all houses of worship in New Jersey, but especially mosques and synagogues, Platkin said.

New Jersey Public Safety Director Fritz Frage echoed statements by Platkin and Stephens that nothing so far has indicated that the shooter was motivated by bias, but said investigators were pursuing "all leads" as they continue probing the incident.

(Reporting by Julia Harte; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines and the United States began a two-day joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday, the Philippine military said in a statement, a move that would likely irk China.

Security engagements between the treaty allies soared last year amid growing tensions in the South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have traded blame over a spate of run-ins.

The Philippines and the U.S. first launched joint patrols in November, holding military drills for three days in waters near Taiwan and in the West Philippine Sea, Manila's term for South China Sea waters within its exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine military said their second joint patrol this week involved four vessels from the Philippine navy and four ships from the U.S. Indo-Pacific command that include an aircraft carrier, a cruiser and two destroyers.

Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner said the second such joint military activity this week marked a "significant leap" in Manila's alliance with the U.S. and its interoperability with the American military.

"Our alliance is stronger than ever, sending a message to the world. We are advancing a rules-based international order and a free and open Indo-Pacific region in the face of regional challenges," Brawner said.

The latest patrols would likely irk China amid rising tensions in the South China. Last week, Beijing said it would not turn a blind eye to repeated "provocations and harassment" by the Philippines.

Chinese state media has also accused Manila of relying on U.S. support to continually antagonise China.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores, Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Alex Richardson)
By Tim Hepher, Allison Lampert, David Shepardson and Valerie Insinna

PARIS (Reuters) -A runway collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport has raised concerns over a gap in alerting technology, weeks after the global aviation industry faced new warnings about runway safety.

All 379 people aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) <9201.T> Airbus A350 escaped following a collision with a Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop that killed five of six crew on the smaller aircraft.

Experts have cautioned it is too early to pinpoint a cause and stress most accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors.

Investigators are examining conversations between controllers and pilots and are expected to embark in coming days on a detailed examination of plane and airport systems.

Japanese authorities said on Wednesday the A350 was given permission to land, but the Coast Guard plane was not cleared for take-off, based on control tower transcripts.

The crash marks the first significant accident involving the Airbus A350, in service since 2015, and the first destruction by fire of a new generation of carbon-composite airliner.

It comes weeks after a U.S.-based safety group called for global action to prevent a new uptick in runway collisions or "incursions" as skies become more congested.

"Despite efforts over the years to prevent incursions, they still happen," Flight Safety Foundation CEO Hassan Shahidi said in a statement.

"The risk of runway incursions is a global concern, and the potential consequences of an incursion are severe."

Although ground collisions involving injury or damage have become rare, their potential for loss of life is among the highest of any category and near-misses are more common.

A collision between two Boeing 747s in Tenerife in 1977, killing 583 people, remains aviation's most deadly accident.

In 2016, a China Eastern Airbus A320 getting airborne from Shanghai missed hitting an A330 from the same airline as it taxied across the take-off runway just 19 metres below.

And a rash of near misses in the United States has led to the creation of an expert panel to address controller fatigue.

'TECHNOLOGY GAP'

The Washington-based Flight Safety Foundation says breakdowns in communication often play a role.

But a shortage of electronics to avoid collisions on the ground, rather than in the air where software to trigger avoidance has been available since the 1980s, is also a concern.

"Many of the serious incidents could have been avoided through better situational awareness technologies that can help air traffic controllers and pilots detect potential runway conflicts," Shahidi said.

The Federal Aviation Administration says 35 U.S. airports are fitted with a system called ASDE-X that uses radar, satellites and a navigation tool called multilateration to track ground movements.

But National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said in November the U.S. - a bellwether for airports worldwide - lacks sufficient technology to prevent incursions.

In 2018, Airbus said it was working with Honeywell on a system called SURF-A, or Surface-Alert, to help prevent runway collisions by giving pilots visual and audio warnings.

But no date for implementation has yet been announced and the idea has brushed up against reluctance from some airlines unwilling to bear the extra cost, while underlying reforms in U.S. and European air traffic systems have long been delayed.

"(The) primary concern about SURF is costs," one airline told a U.S. panel on air systems, according to a 2021 report.

Another commented: "Nothing can motivate investment; simply don't see a risk issue or benefit worthy of pursuit."

Airline groups had no immediate comment. Industry experts say flying often involves tricky choices of costs versus safety.

A person familiar with the technology said it had also been delayed by gaps in ADS-B tracking coverage on which it depends.

Development had also proved more challenging than the TCAS cockpit system which has been monitoring the threat of in-air collisions during flight for decades, due to the need to take into account multiple ground obstacles and systems.

In 2022, two firefighters were killed when their untracked vehicle hit a LATAM Airbus A320 during takeoff.

"The system is still under development," an Airbus spokesperson said.

The head of Honeywell's Aerospace Technologies division, Jim Currier, told Reuters the system went through a series of successful tests in December and should be certified and available to airlines "gradually over the next few years".

Although automated landings are increasing, experts say much still depends on visual checks by pilots who may be distracted by a high workload or the blur of a night-time runway.

"I think the investigation will focus a lot on the clearances ... and then also what the (JAL) crew could see. Could they physically see that airplane on the runway," said former U.S. air accident investigator John Cox.

Lighting was an issue in a 1991 collision between a USAir plane and SkyWest Airlines aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport in California, for example.

"One of the things that came out of that was that the USAir crew physically could not see the SkyWest Metroliner there. Although it was on the runway, the lighting was such that you  physically couldnt see it," he said.

(Additional reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Nick Macfie and Nick Zieminski)
LONDON (Reuters) - A Russian regional governor said on Wednesday he had ordered the rebuilding of nine houses in a village that was accidentally bombed by one of Russia's own warplanes.

The incident took place on Tuesday, when the state news agency RIA quoted the defence ministry as reporting an "abnormal discharge of aircraft ammunition" over the village of Petropavlovka in the southern region of Voronezh.

Governor Alexander Gusev said the nine houses would be rebuilt as soon as possible, and there had also been damage to a small local school, an arts centre and an administrative building.

No one had been killed but four people were treated for minor injuries and residents had access to psychological support, he said.

Five cars and a tractor had also been damaged, and the owners would get compensation.

"Not a single resident will be left without help, we will support everyone as much as possible," Gusev said.

Authorities did not say what caused the incident. While the damage was limited, it was embarrassing for Russia's military and came at a time of high alert in its southern regions close to the border with Ukraine.

Over the New Year period, Russia staged some of its heaviest missile and drone strikes on Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. On Saturday, Ukraine's deadliest cross-border attack of the war killed 25 people in Belgorod, near the border, officials said.

(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign town hall in Rye, New Hampshire, U.S., January 2, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/ File Photo

By Nathan Layne and David Morgan

(Reuters) -Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raised $24.5 million between October and December, her campaign said on Wednesday, more than doubling the prior quarter's haul in her latest sign of momentum ahead of the party's primary fight.

The total easily beat the $11 million her campaign brought in during the third quarter and the $7.3 million raised in the second quarter, underscoring growing interest in her bid to unseat former President Donald Trump for the party's nomination.

With less than two weeks before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses on Jan. 15, the former South Carolina governor is trying to overtake Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who himself faces a make-or-break moment in the state and was challenged on Wednesday by one voter to go more directly after Trump.

Both candidates want to be the clear alternative to Trump, the frontrunner in the race to take on President Joe Biden in November's general election.

Haley's campaign said she had $14.5 million cash on hand and had raised money from 83,900 new donors in the October-December period, which it said was nearly equal to the number of unique donors in all the previous quarters combined.

Haley's poll numbers have risen in the past few months on the back of solid performances in Republican debates, but Trump still dominates the contest.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed Haley and DeSantis tied for second place with 11% of Republican support each. Trump towered above them with 61%.

Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador under Trump, came under fire last week for how she responded to a question about the origins of the U.S. Civil War at a New Hampshire town hall, declining to cite slavery as one of the main causes. Haley later corrected that omission but not before drawing rebukes from Democrats and some of her Republican opponents.

On Wednesday, she told Fox News only the media was focused on the issue. "Not one person on the ground in New Hampshire or Iowa are talking about it," she said.

Here are some other takeaways from the campaign trail:

HOUSE REPUBLICANS BEND THE KNEE

Trump won the full support of Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives this week, as Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Tom Emmer, the chamber's No. 3 Republican, issued full-throated endorsements.

The second- and third-ranked House Republicans endorsed the former president just weeks after he opposed their separate bids for House speaker in the aftermath of Republican Kevin McCarthy's ouster from the top congressional job. Trump instead backed conservative leader Jim Jordan's unsuccessful bid.

At a time when Emmer appeared to be the leading Republican candidate for the speakership, Trump blasted him on social media as a "globalist RINO" whose election would be "a tragic mistake," using the acronym for Republican in Name Only.

Wall-to-wall fealty for Trump at the top of the House Republican hierarchy could help shore up support for party incumbents in this year's primary election campaigns, where Trump supporters are often the most active bloc of voters.

But Republican leaders could see the strategy backfire in November, if Trump proves unpopular with swing voters needed to win general elections in congressional districts Republicans must capture to protect their House majority, now at 220-213.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik, the No. 4 House Republican who is viewed as a possible Trump running mate, also have thrown their support behind the former president.

"It's time for Republicans to unite behind our party's clear frontrunner," Emmer said on Wednesday in a post on X, warning that Biden could be reelected unless Republicans are unified.

RFK Jr. QUALIFIES IN UTAH

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed to run as a presidential candidate in Utah on Wednesday, marking the first state where the independent candidate and prominent anti-vaccine activist has qualified to appear on the ballot.

Kennedy, who turns 70 this month, told supporters on Wednesday that he plans to spend $15 million in the upcoming months to get on ballots in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Arizona is likely the next state where Kennedy will qualify, the campaign said.

Kennedy's success at getting on the Utah ballot stokes questions of whether he will play the role of spoiler for Biden or Trump, his likely Republican rival.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Kennedy could draw more support from Biden than Trump. Trump's lead widened to a 5-point advantage nationally when respondents were given an option to vote for Kennedy.

Kennedy criticized the obstacles to ballot access for third-party candidates, saying the requirements in some states make it almost impossible to challenge the chokehold that Republicans and Democrats have over U.S. politics.

This process is forcing us to build our army now, he said. And were going to have a better army on the street and in the trenches in November 2024.

A scion of one of the nations most famous Democratic dynasties, the longtime environmental lawyer veered from the party last fall and announced his independent bid for the White House.

He is a son of former senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and a nephew of Democratic President John F. Kennedy.

FOX NEWS TAROT READING

Fox News host Jesse Watters brought in English psychic Paula Roberts for a tarot card election preview that she said was not a good sign for Trump. "A sense of loss," she said of the Five of Cups card she pulled for the former president. "It's very specific," she said.

What about Biden? His card indicated a lot of money was in his future, Roberts said.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut, David Morgan in Washington, Jarrett Renshaw in Washington and Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Howard Goller and Daniel Wallis)
By Junki Iwasawa, KYODO NEWS - Jan 3, 2024 - 14:06 | Feature, All, Japan

The premature death of a child is the worst thing imaginable to a parent, but a Japanese couple who has been through one of life's great tragedies is dealing with their grief by providing hot meals to people caring for their sick children, reminding them they are not alone in their time of worry.

The couple, whose son died at a pediatric center northwest of Tokyo following a yearlong battle with leukemia, is trying to support distraught and worn-down families by providing them with nutritious and well-balanced homemade meals at the facility.

Keenly aware of their own travails and unhealthy eating habits when caring day and night for their son Kazuma before he died four years ago, Yuta, 40, and Masumi Aoki, 37, now treat families to discounted healthy meals outside the prefectural pediatric center in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture.

The Aokis open their food truck once a week. On an afternoon in late November, families, including children in wheelchairs, waited in line for delicious menu items such as tomato and potato soups and other fare, including tuna fish rice balls with bonito flakes -- all homemade, additive-free and nutritionally balanced.

"We want to warm people's hearts as well as their bodies," said Yuta in a recent interview with Kyodo News.

Tomomi Shimamura, 38, who also lives in the city and whose newborn is hospitalized at the center, said, "I end up putting my own needs on the back burner. I really appreciate the home-cooked food."

Kazuma developed acute lymphatic leukemia at the age of three. The couple would take turns caring for their son, with Masumi nursing him in the daytime and Yuta at night. This led to the couple feeling they lived "completely separate daily lives," consisting of a continual back-and-forth between work and the pediatric center, he said.

After battling the disease for one year, Kazuma died when he was 4 years and 8 months, on Oct. 11, 2019. As a way of showing their gratitude for the support of so many people during their time of grief, the Aokis thought of how they might contribute to other families going through difficult circumstances of their own.

First, they opened a kid's cafeteria that feeds sick children and their siblings at a community center near the facility, and on Oct. 11, 2022, the anniversary of Kazuma's passing, they set up a food truck for the first time, borrowing the vehicle from a friend.

"It probably started out as my mission," recalled Yuta, who had no previous experience in the food industry.

As time went by, he said, he came to feel that interacting with people in similar situations using his experience caring for Kazuma in a hospital helped him process his bereavement.

"It made my bereavement feel more meaningful. I didn't want it to be only about grief," Yuta said.

In an effort to lessen the financial burden on others in the community, the Aokis introduced a discount "support ticket" for family members caring for their loved ones at the pediatric center.

They cost 300 yen each and can be purchased by anyone online or at the food truck window. Users pick up their discount tickets, which have personalized messages written on them by the couple on behalf of the purchaser, or customers can write them directly if they buy them at the food truck. "I want people to feel connected with others even when they're battling illness," Yuta said.

In September, they raised enough money through crowdfunding to purchase their own food truck. Looking ahead to 2024, the Aokis are preparing to provide retort-packaged homemade curry featuring messages to hospitals around the country.

On the couple's aprons are pictures of Ultraman, which was Kazuma's favorite superhero character. "Kazuma's death has become a part of our lives. We hope we can be a place of refuge for someone who comes to the center."

With those thoughts in mind, Yuta and Masumi stand inside their food truck and share the warmth of home cooking with others.

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FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., December 7, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Segar/Pool/File Photo

By Andrew Chung and John Kruzel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene after Colorado's top court disqualified him from the state's Republican primary ballot for engaging in insurrection leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, is contesting the Dec. 19 Colorado Supreme Court decision that disqualified him under a constitutional provision barring anyone who "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding public office.

The state high court had already put its decision on hold until Jan. 4, stating that Trump would remain on the ballot if he appealed.

Trump's filing places a politically explosive case before the nation's highest judicial body, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three of his own appointees. The justices' action will shape a wider effort to disqualify Trump from other state ballots as the 2024 election draws closer.

In the filing, Trump's lawyers asked the justices to "summarily reverse" the Colorado Supreme Court because the question of presidential eligibility is reserved for Congress.

The state court's decision marks "the first time in the history of the United States that the judiciary has prevented voters from casting ballots for the leading major-party presidential candidate," the lawyers said, adding that the ruling "is not and cannot be correct."

The Jan. 6 attack was an attempt by Trump's supporters to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden, which Trump falsely claims was the result of fraud.

The Colorado court's historic ruling marked the first time in history that Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment - the so-called disqualification clause - had been used to deem a presidential candidate ineligible for the White House.

Trump has also appealed to a Maine state court a decision by that state's top election official barring him from the primary ballot under the same constitutional provision at issue in the Colorado case.

DISQUALIFICATION CLAUSE

The Colorado Supreme Court ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Republican and unaffiliated voters, and backed by watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, seeking to bar Trump from the nominating primary and future elections under the disqualification clause.

Section 3 bars from holding office any "officer of the United States" who took an oath "to support the Constitution of the United States" and then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."

The amendment was ratified in the aftermath of the American Civil War of 1861-1865 in which 11 southern states seceded from the union.

The 4-3 Colorado Supreme Court ruling reversed a lower court judge's conclusion that Trump engaged in insurrection by inciting his supporters to violence, but as president, he was not an "officer of the United States" who could be disqualified under the Fourteenth Amendment.

The Colorado court concluded that Trump's role in instigating violence at the Capitol as lawmakers met to certify the results of the 2020 election constituted engaging in insurrection, and that the presidency is covered by the insurrection provision.

"President Trump asks us to hold that Section Three disqualifies every oath-breaking insurrectionist except the most powerful one and that it bars oath-breakers from virtually every office, both state and federal, except the highest one in the land. Both results are inconsistent with the plain language and history of Section Three," the majority wrote.

Acknowledging the magnitude of the case, the majority said, "We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach."

Trump's lawyers argued that his speech to supporters on the day of the riot was protected by his right to free speech, adding that the constitutional amendment does not apply to U.S. presidents and that Congress would need to vote to disqualify a candidate.

Courts have rejected several lawsuits seeking to keep Trump off the primary ballot in other states. Minnesota's top court rebuffed an effort to disqualify Trump from the Republican primary in that state but did not rule on his overall eligibility to serve as president.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York and John Kruzel and Andrew Goudsward in WashingtonEditing by Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker and Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: Newly appointed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks as he attends the cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland December 13, 2023. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel//File Photo

WARSAW (Reuters) - Market confidence has increased in Poland following the election of its new government, the prime minister said on Wednesday, adding that he had discussed with his British counterpart Rishi Sunak a possible trip to London.

Poland's zloty has gained around 4% versus the euro since a broad pro-European Union coalition won a majority in an October election.

The country's budget is under strain, however, from costly legacy items as well as expensive campaign promises, and Warsaw plans to do more to tap international markets to cover its borrowing needs.

"It seems that the change that took place in Poland on Oct. 15 automatically increased the level of trust from one day to the next," Donald Tusk told a news conference. "I have only seen good reactions and full of trust in our intentions."

He said that he had had preliminary talks with Rishi Sunak about a possible visit to Britain and about the UK prime minister visiting Poland.

Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski said in December that higher borrowing needs would be financed by debt and that a larger share of this may go to foreign investors than in previous years.

However, Tusk said the government would try to gradually lower Poland's debt.

"We will use various forms to convince people to follow our strategy of a slow, flexible exit from the obviously too high... public debt," he said "We need a consistent, but a long and peaceful march."

(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki and Karol Badohal; Writing by Alan Charlish and Anna Koper; Editing by Alison Williams and Barbara Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo

By Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Members of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday called on Yemen's Houthis to halt their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they are illegal and threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation and global food supplies.

Addressing the council's first formal meeting of 2024, members also demanded that the Houthis release the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-operated cargo ship linked to an Israeli company, and its crew, which the group seized on Nov. 19.

Some members urged the council to take action to halt the Houthi missile and drone attacks. But the body took no formal steps in the open session before going into closed consultations.

The United States believes the situation has reached an "inflection point," Chris Lu, a U.S. representative to the United Nations, told the council.

"These attacks pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping and commerce, and they undermine the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen," threatening aid deliveries to the war-torn country, Lu said.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have launched drones and missiles at more than 20 ships since Nov. 19, saying that in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, they were targeting vessels with Israeli links or were sailing to Israel.

But many vessels have had no Israeli connection and were not bound for Israeli ports, and major shipping lines have suspended their operations through the Red Sea.

The United States and other countries last month formed a naval task force, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect civilian vessels. U.S. warships have shot down Houthi-fired weapons, and on Sunday sank Houthi speed boats.

Hours before the Security Council met, the United States and 12 other countries warned in a joint statement that the Houthis "will bear the responsibility of the consequences" should the attacks persist.

During the session, the U.S., British and Israeli representatives accused Iran of supporting the Houthi strikes, a charge Tehran has denied.

"The Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels" without Iran's backing, said Lu.

Japanese Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki was among those calling for the council to act to halt the attacks, although he did not specify what steps it should take.

"Japan believes the Security Council should take an appropriate action to deter additional threats by the Houthis and maintain international peace and security," he said.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia urged Houthi leaders to ease any actions posing threats to commercial vessels and their crews.

But, he said, the root of the issue was that it was an extension of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and he criticized Washington for blocking resolutions calling for a ceasefire.

China called the Red Sea an important shipping lane for the international goods and energy trade on Thursday, and said it is of common interest to safeguard its peace and stability.

"China opposes attacks against civilian vessels. I believe all sides need to play a constructive and responsible role in safeguarding the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular news briefing.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis; Additional reporting by Andrew Hayley and Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler and Sonali Paul)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas attends a House Homeland Security Committee hearing examining worldwide threats to the U.S., on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

By Ted Hesson and Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives committee next week will advance an effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over allegations he has been derelict in his duty of managing the U.S.-Mexico border, the committee announced on Wednesday.

The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on Jan. 10 related to the impeachment allegations with witnesses to be announced in the coming days, it said in a press release.

Republicans have slammed Democratic President Joe Biden over border control as record numbers of migrants have been caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, with criticism focused on Mayorkas, Biden's top border official.

Republicans blame Biden for rolling back some restrictive border policies of Republican former President Donald Trump, his party's leading candidate to challenge Biden in the November presidential election.

If the Republican-controlled House impeaches Mayorkas, he is highly unlikely to be convicted in a trial in the Senate, which Democrats control by a slim margin.

Meanwhile, a small, bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday held a two-hour negotiating session on ways to bolster security along the southwestern border with Mexico. Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema left that meeting telling reporters "We're closing in" on a deal.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday near the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, Johnson said the U.S. had reached "a breaking point" with illegal immigration. Video footage showed several migrants, including young children, crossing the Rio Grande into the U.S. as the event took place.

Representative Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and one of more than 60 Republicans on the border trip, said Mayorkas intentionally encouraged illegal immigration through permissive policies.

"The greatest domestic threat to the national security and the safety of the American people is Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas," Green said.

Biden officials point to record levels of migration and forced displacement in the Western Hemisphere and have called on Congress to provide more funding for border security.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing that Biden supports Mayorkas and called the allegations "a political stunt."

The advancing allegations against Mayorkas come after the House voted in December to authorize an impeachment inquiry into whether Biden improperly benefited from his son Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings even though they had yet to find evidence of wrongdoing by the president.

The number of migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally spiked in December, straining resources of U.S. border authorities and receiving communities. The arrivals have receded in the past week, paving the way for the United States to reopen legal border crossings on Thursday.

U.S. and Mexican officials have agreed to strengthen efforts to curb the record migration, with Biden's cabinet scheduled to meet with Mexican leaders in Washington later in January.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson, Susan Heavey and Richard Cowan in Washington; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis, Bill Berkrot and Daniel Wallis)
FILE PHOTO: Migrants, most from Venezuela, stand near razor wire while surrendering to authorities after wading across the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico, in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Texas to challenge an immigration law that gives state officials broad powers to arrest, prosecute and deport people who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The law, known as SB4 or Senate Bill 4, makes it a state crime to illegally enter or re-enter Texas from a foreign country and gives state and local law enforcement authorities the power to arrest and prosecute violators. It also allows state judges to order that individuals be deported, with up to 20-year prison sentences for those who refuse to comply.

The Justice Department's lawsuit comes about two weeks after a lawsuit by civil rights groups that also challenged the new Republican-backed Texas law.

KEY QUOTES

"SB 4 is clearly unconstitutional," said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.

"Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution and longstanding Supreme Court precedent, states cannot adopt immigration laws that interfere with the framework enacted by Congress," Gupta said in a statement released by the U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday.

CONTEXT

The Republican-controlled Texas legislature passed the measure in November. The state's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, signed the law in December.

The Mexican government, whose foreign ministry describes the Texas law as an "anti-immigrant measure," welcomed the Justice Department's lawsuit and said measures like the legislation could foster hate crimes against migrant communities.

Texas is already embroiled in a series of court cases related to Abbott's efforts to deter and punish illegal border crossings.

Record numbers of migrants have been caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border since President Joe Biden, a Democrat, took office in 2021. Abbott and other Republicans blame Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024, for rolling back restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican Party nomination.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; additional reporting by Kylie Madry in Mexico City; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sonali Paul)
FILE PHOTO: Ford Super Duty trucks are seen at the Kentucky Truck assembly plant in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Joseph White/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. manufacturing contracted further in December, though the pace of decline slowed amid a modest rebound in production and improvement in factory employment.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Wednesday that its manufacturing PMI increased to 47.4 last month after being unchanged at 46.7 for two straight months. It was the 14th consecutive month that the PMI stayed below 50, which indicates contraction in manufacturing. That is the longest such stretch since the period from August 2000 to January 2002.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index rising to 47.1. According to the ISM, a PMI reading below 48.7 over a period of time generally indicates a contraction of the overall economy. The ISM and other factory surveys, however, likely overstate the weakness in manufacturing.

The so-called hard data suggest that manufacturing, which accounts for 10.3% of the economy, is plodding along. Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods were up strongly on a year-on-year basis in November. Though factory production has been weak, the magnitude of the drop has gotten smaller in recent months.

The economy continues to expand, growing at a 4.9% annualized rate in the third quarter. Growth estimates for the October-December quarter are currently as high as a 2.0% pace.

The ISM survey's forward-looking new orders sub-index fell to 47.1 last month from 48.3 in November.

Production at factories rebounded, with the sub-index coming in at 50.3 from 48.5 in November. Production could improve further as a measure of customers' inventories fell back below the 50 level after rising in November to what the ISM said was the upper end of "just right."

Several manufacturers in November cited the need to reduce inventory levels.

Subdued demand helped to further depress prices at the factory gate, a sign that goods deflation could prevail for sometime. The survey's measure of prices paid by manufacturers dropped to 45.2 from a seven-month high of 49.9 in November.

The survey's measure of supplier deliveries edged up to 47.0 from 46.2 in the prior month. A reading below 50 indicates faster deliveries.

Factory employment picked up, though it remained weak amid attrition, hiring freezes and layoffs. The survey's gauge of factory employment rose to 48.1 from 45.8 in November. This measure has not been a reliable predictor of manufacturing payrolls in the government's closely watched employment report.

According to a preliminary Reuters survey of economists, manufacturing payrolls likely increased by 5,000 jobs in December as the boost from the return of striking United Auto Workers union members faded. Factory employment rose 28,000 in November.

Overall nonfarm payrolls are expected to have increased by 168,000 jobs last month after surging 199,000 in November, according to the Reuters survey. The unemployment rate is forecast rising to 3.8% from 3.7% in the prior month.

The government is scheduled to publish its closely watched employment report for December on Friday.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the 2023 graduation ceremony at the United States Military Academy (USMA), at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York, U.S., May 27, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) -The U.S. Military Academy at West Point can continue to consider race for now when evaluating who to admit to the elite military school, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, rejecting a bid by the group behind the successful U.S. Supreme Court challenge to race-conscious college admissions policies.

U.S. District Judge Philip Halpern in White Plains, New York, rejected a request for a preliminary injunction sought by Students for Fair Admissions, which was founded by affirmative action opponent Edward Blum.

The judge, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, wrote that he could not at this early stage in the case rule in SFFA's favor without a full factual record to establish whether the use of race in West Point's admissions furthers compelling governmental interests.

Halpern said an injunction at this stage would also disrupt the current admissions cycle that is set to end Jan. 31, requiring "a new policy be applied to the current applicant pool midstream" and the withdrawal of offers to some applicants.

Blum in a statement said his group was "reviewing the opinion and will be taking the next steps to stop the unfair and unconstitutional racial preferences at West Point." SFFA later on Wednesday filed an emergency notice of appeal.

A spokesperson with the U.S. Department of Justice, which was defending West Point's admissions policy, declined to comment.

The ruling came after a federal judge in Maryland on Dec. 14 rejected a similar request by Blum's group to prevent the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis from considering race.

Blum's group had sued both military academies this year with the goal of ending what was essentially an exemption for them tucked into the Supreme Court's ruling on college admissions in June that allowed them to continue to consider race in admissions.

In the ruling by its conservative majority, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected policies long used by American colleges and universities to increase the number of Black, Hispanic and other minority students on U.S. campuses.

In invalidating admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, the Supreme Court did not address race in admissions at military academies, which Chief Justice John Roberts in a footnote said had "potentially distinct interests."

Blum's group in a lawsuit filed in September alleged the West Point, New York-based academy's admissions practices discriminated against white applicants and violated the principle of equal protection in the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment.

President Joe Biden's administration in defending the military academies' policies argued that senior military leaders have long recognized that a scarcity of minority officers can create distrust within the armed forces.

The Justice Department in court filings said the prestigious West Point was a "vital pipeline to the officer corps" and that its race-conscious admissions practices helped the Army achieve its "mission critical" goal of having officers as diverse as its enlisted military personnel.

Although Black people make up 20.2% of the Army's active duty enlisted personnel, only 11% of officers are Black, the Justice Department said. Hispanic people constitute 18% of active personnel but only 9% of officers, the department said.

White people by contrast constitute 51.7% of the Army active duty enlisted corps and 68% of its officers, the Justice Department said.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Josie Kao, Stephen Coates and Michael Perry)
FILE PHOTO: Wipro Ltd's logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

(Reuters) - Indian IT major Wipro will go into arbitration with its former CFO Jatin Dalal after he joined rival Cognizant, according to a civil court order on Wednesday in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.

Wipro in November alleged Dalal's appointment as Cognizant's CFO violated a non-compete clause, which lists 10 of Wipro's competitors and states that he cannot work in any capacity with them for 12 months after his exit.

Dalal joined Cognizant on Dec. 1, the day after his last day of employment with Wipro.

In its petition, Wipro asked for 251.5 million rupees ($3.02 million) plus interest in damages, as well as a permanent injunction on Dalal from being able to share company-sensitive details with Cognizant.

Dalal's agreement with Cognizant has conditions similar to his contract with Wipro.

In response, Dalal said in November that non-compete clauses were in violation of Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act and therefore unenforceable.

He applied for arbitration on the grounds that the agreements he signed allow for dispute resolution via this method.

This is the second such action Wipro has taken against its former senior executives.

Last month, Wipro filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey against the company's former healthcare and medical devices sector head Mohd Haque, who also joined Cognizant.

Wipro, Cognizant and Dalal did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

($1 = 83.2993 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Haripriya Suresh and Sai Ishwarbharath B in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G

Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No. _3_)*

Innovator ETFs Trust

(Name of Issuer)

Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETF - June

(Title of Class of Securities)

45782C730

(CUSIP Number)

December 31, 2023

(Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed:

[X] Rule 13d-1(b)

[_] Rule 13d-1(c)

[_] Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

SCHEDULE 13G

CUSIP No. 45782C730

1 Names of Reporting Persons



Brookstone Capital Management, LLC 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a Group (see instructions)



(a) [ ]

(b) [ ] 3 Sec Use Only



4 Citizenship or Place of Organization



USA Number of

Shares

Beneficially

Owned by Each

Reporting Person

With: 5 Sole Voting Power



None 6 Shared Voting Power



68,220 7 Sole Dispositive Power



None 8 Shared Dispositive Power



68,220 9 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person



68,220 10 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (9) excludes certain shares (See Instructions)



[ ] 11 Percent of class represented by amount in row (9)



3.29% 12 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions)



IA

Item 1.

(a) Name of Issuer: Innovator ETFs Trust

(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 109 North Hale Street Wheaton, IL 60187

Item 2.

(a) Name of Person Filing: Brookstone Capital Management, LLC

(b) Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence: 1745 S. Naperville Rd., Suite 200 Wheaton, IL 60189

(c) Citizenship: Illinois

(d) Title and Class of Securities: Innovator S&P 500 Ultra Buffer ETF - June

(e) CUSIP No.: 45782C730

Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to  240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

(a) [_] Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act;

(b) [_] Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act;

(c) [_] Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act;

(d) [_] Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(e) [X] An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

(f) [_] An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

(g) [_] A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G);

(h) [_] A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);

(i) [_] A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940;

(j) [_] A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J);

(k) [_] Group, in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: ____

Item 4. Ownership

(a) Amount Beneficially Owned: 68,220

(b) Percent of Class: 3.29%

(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:

(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: None

(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 68,220

(iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: None

(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 68,220

**Note 1** Brookstone Capital Management, LLC ("Brookstone"), an investment adviser registered under Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, furnishes investment advice to un-registered accounts (collectively, the "Accounts"). In its role as investment adviser or manager, Brookstone possesses shared voting and investment power over securities of the Issuer described in this schedule that are owned by the Accounts, and may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of such shares of the Issuer held by the Accounts. However, all securities reported in this schedule are owned by the Accounts. Pursuant to Rule 13d-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), Brookstone disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities. In addition, the filing of this schedule shall not be construed as an admission that the reporting person or any of its affiliates is the beneficial owner of any securities covered by this Schedule 13G for any other purposes than Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act.

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following [ X ].

Item 6. Ownership of more than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

The Accounts described in Note 1 above have the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, of the proceeds from the sale of, the securities held in their respective accounts. Brookstone disclaims beneficial ownership of all such securities.

Item 7. Identification and classification of the subsidiary which acquired the security being reported on by the parent holding company or control person.

Not Applicable

Item 8. Identification and classification of members of the group.

Not Applicable

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not Applicable

Item 10. Certifications.

SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated: January 2, 2024

/s/ Matt Lovett

Name/Title

The original statement shall be signed by each person on whose behalf the statement is filed or his authorized representative. If the statement is signed on behalf of a person by his authorized representative (other than an executive officer or general partner of this filing person), evidence of the representative's authority to sign on behalf of such person shall be filed with the statement, provided, however, that a power of attorney for this purpose which is already on file with the Commission may be incorporated by reference. The name and any title of each person who signs the statement shall be typed or printed beneath his signature.

Attention: Intentional misstatements or omissions of fact constitute Federal criminal violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001).
A CV-22B Osprey arrives at Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 5, 2018. (Stars and Stripes)

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan  U.S. forces have recovered at least a portion of the CV-22 Osprey that crashed in November off southwestern Japan, according to Air Force and Marine Corps spokespeople.

The Air Force wreckage was delivered to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, base spokesman 1st Lt. Aaron Ellis told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

The wreckage was raised Dec. 27 from the underwater crash site and arrived at the base on Saturday, according to a Sunday report by Japan Today that cited an anonymous source in the Iwakuni city government.

Lt. Col. Rebecca Heyse, a spokeswoman for Air Force Special Operations, declined Wednesday to verify that information. The command will have additional details of what wreckage was recovered and next steps in the coming days, she told Stars and Stripes in an email.

The investigations  the safety investigation board and the accident investigation board  are both being led by AFSOC general officers, Heyse wrote. The search and recovery operations are still being led by Special Operations Command Pacific.

The recovery comes more than a month after the tiltrotor crashed Nov. 29 off Yakushima, an island just south of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japans four main islands, during a routine training mission.

Since then, U.S. and Japanese crews have carried out continuous search and salvage operations to recover the Osprey and find the remains of the last of its crewmembers. Seven have been recovered and identified, but the body of Maj. Eric Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah, has not been found.

The remains of Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass.; Maj. Luke Unrath, 34, of Riverside, Calif.; Tech Sgt. Zachary Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Fla.; Capt. Terrell Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Jake Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Ga.; Senior Airman Brian Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio; and Maj. Jeff Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minn., were recovered between Nov. 29 and Dec. 10.

The Osprey  callsign Gundam 22  was assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo. It had departed MCAS Iwakuni near Hiroshima that day and was en route to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa when it crashed.

More than 1,100 people had joined in search and recovery efforts since Dec. 12. Teams had already searched the entirety of Yakushimas 55-mile coastline and more than 31,000 square miles of the surrounding ocean surface, Air Force Special Operations Command said in a Dec. 12 news release.

At least 46 U.S. and Japanese aircraft, 11 aerial drones and 23 ships have participated in the search, while 10 underwater unmanned vessels and more than 50 divers conducted the subsurface search efforts, the command said.

Following the crash, the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps grounded their Ospreys under a servicewide stand down until the investigation determines the cause of the crash and recommendations are made to return the aircraft to service. The Japanese military also grounded its fleet of Ospreys.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 3, 2024 - 12:07 | All, Japan

Thirty-two of Japan's 47 prefectures, or 68 percent, are considering the introduction of Level 4 self-driving buses -- vehicles fully automated under certain conditions -- a Kyodo News survey showed, reflecting growing expectations for the new technology as a way to tackle the worsening driver shortage.

The number rose to 36 prefectures when asked if they plan to experiment with or use less autonomous Level 2 buses, which allow human drivers to take their hands off the wheel and get assistance in braking and acceleration.

Japan revised its road traffic law in last April, paving the way for Level 4 driverless vehicles to run on public roads. Preparations are under way for such buses to transport people when Osaka hosts the 2025 World Exposition.

Of the 32 prefectures that are positive about the use of Level 4 buses, Fukui and Fukuoka said decisions have already been made to introduce them for public transportation, while 30 said such plans are "under consideration." The remaining 15 had no such plans.

For those planning the introduction, it will be limited to some areas within a prefecture rather than extending across the entire region.

The survey was conducted between November and December about Level 2 or higher autonomous driving buses. Level 5 means fully autonomous.

A total of 39 prefectures said they believe Level 4 autonomous buses are necessary, citing the need to cope with labor shortages and make transportation accessible to people in remote mountainous areas, among other reasons.

Driver shortages are a pressing issue for the transport sector, which will likely be exacerbated by the planned imposition of a cap on work hours for drivers starting in April.

According to Teikoku Databank, 98 of the 127 private bus operators surveyed in Japan either reduced or abolished some routes in 2023 due to difficulties securing drivers.

The credit research firm pointed to the possibility that even routes in city areas, where the number of users is relatively high, may also be streamlined.

While expectations are high for self-driving buses on public roads, safety concerns remain. In the survey, many prefectures underscored the need to ensure safety and profitability.

A Level 4 autonomous bus transportation service began in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture, in last May. However, a minor collision with a bicycle in October led to the service being suspended.

During a trial run in southwestern Japan's Fukuoka in November, a Level 2 bus had a minor collision with a taxi. No one was injured.

There are also instances in which car-mounted cameras identify rain and snow as obstacles, forcing the vehicles to stop.

Public acceptance is another challenge. In an MM Research Institute survey targeting 3,000 people, 40 percent cited safety worries as demerits of driverless vehicles.

Takashi Hikasa, an expert in autonomous driving, said public understanding and cooperation are critical for introducing self-driving buses.

With self-driving cars, "we can expect the number of accidents caused by human errors to fall. But there are also concerns that they may make basic mistakes that humans would not make," said Hikasa, a lecturer at Tama University.

Related coverage:

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Honda, GM driverless taxi JV to be operational in 2026 in Tokyo
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Garrett Illerbrunn, seen here with his wife, Lorna, and son, Tucker, was critically wounded in a Christmas drone attack in Iraq and is now receiving treatment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, according to hospital officials. (GoFundMe)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  A U.S. soldier who was critically wounded in a drone attack in Iraq on Christmas was able to breathe on his own Tuesday while being treated at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, friends and family members said.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Garrett Illerbrunn, one of three troops injured in a drone attack targeting U.S. troops at Irbil Air Base in northern Iraq, is in stable condition and receiving treatment, the hospital said in a statement Wednesday.

Illerbrunn was in a coma as of Tuesday, said Melissa Young, who is organizing a fundraiser for the soldier and his family, who are based at Fort Liberty, N.C.

During the drone attack, a piece of shrapnel struck Garrett in the head, lodging from about his temple to almost the back end of his ear, Young wrote Tuesday in a GoFundMe post.

After movements in his face and arm, Illerbrunn was taken off sedation and breathing yesterday, Young said. Illerbrunns wife, Lorna, is with him at Landstuhl, Young said.

Illerbrunn is a native of Langdon, N.D., according to North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who said he shared gratitude for the Army pilots service with Illerbrunns father, Brad, in a Dec. 27 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Dec. 25 drone attack has been claimed by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah. Its among 115 rocket and drone strikes launched at U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since the Israel-Hamas war started in October, according to U.S. Central Command figures.

The U.S. launched retaliatory airstrikes some 13 hours later against three sites, and the strikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants, a statement by Central Command said.

Illerbrunn, who wasnt named at the time, was described by Central Command as being in critical condition following the attack.

He arrived at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the militarys largest hospital overseas, on Dec. 26.

On Friday, a U.S. defense official confirmed that the soldier had left the Middle East but referred additional questions to the hospital.

Plans are underway to send Illerbrunn to the U.S. for further treatment, the statement from the hospital said.

Illerbrunn will be transported to Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland for continued recovery, according to the GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $60,000.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, speaks to sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney. Cooper presented combat medals to sailors while the ship was in Bahrain on Jan. 2, 2024. The entire crew also received the Combat Action Ribbon. The Carney on Dec. 16, 2023, shot down 14 Houthi drones in the Red Sea. (Jacob Vernier/U.S. Navy)

Sailors serving on a U.S. warship in the Middle East received commendations on Tuesday for their roles in shooting down more than a dozen drones launched by militants more than two weeks ago, military officials said.

The sailors are serving on the USS Carney. On Dec. 16, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer shot down 14 drones over the Red Sea, which borders Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon said the attack drones were launched by Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of the 5th Fleet, visited the Carney on Tuesday in Bahrain to award medals to several sailors who helped shoot down the Houthi drones. The Navy said the medals recognized the sailors for their exceptional performance. Cooper also recognized the entire crew of the Carney with the Combat Action Ribbon, which is given for active participation in combat.

Houthi rebels, who have been fighting a civil war in Yemen for a decade, have engaged with U.S. forces on multiple occasions in recent months. Apart from sending the drones on Dec. 16, the rebels also have fired missiles across the region, in some cases in the direction of Israel.

Its very important to understand that the Houthis arent attacking just one country. Theyre really attacking the international community, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman. So, in effect, theyve really become bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea.

The USS Carney has shot down many of the Houthis weapons. In mid-October, the warship shot down a barrage of missiles and drones that the Houthis fired and launched toward Israel. That attack came just days after Hamas militants in Gaza launched a surprise attack Oct. 7 on Israel.

In service since 1996, the Carney is armed with several guns, missiles and torpedoes and is part of the militarys Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, a program that provides defense against short- and intermediate-range missiles. The Carney and several other ships were sent to the Middle East in October to provide stability in the region and deter other countries and groups from escalating the conflict.

Last week, U.S. forces again shot down more than a dozen Houthi missiles and drones in the southern Red Sea, a firefight that officials said lasted for 10 hours. Other Iranian-backed militias have also carried out more than 100 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, but none have caused serious injuries to U.S. personnel or major property damage.
American troops move toward shore on D-Day, June 6, 1944. (Robert F. Sargent/National Archives)

Before dawn on June 3, 1944, a postal clerk in Irelands County Mayo checked her weather gauges. A storm was coming fast. The barometer readings were dropping. The wind, pouring off a low-pressure zone in the mid-Atlantic, was slicing through the drizzle in the village of Blacksod.

She double-checked the observations. They then were passed along until finally they reached Britains Met Office, which since 1939 had used the Blacksod post office as one of its weather stations. Blacksod carried particular importance. Its position on Irelands northwestern coast was often an early warning of Atlantic weather systems headed for Britain.

The data collected that morning was the most significant yet. About 7,000 ships and landing craft, 11,000 aircraft and more than 130,000 Allied troops were amassed for Operation Overlord, the invasion into Nazi-occupied France. The only missing puzzle piece was the weather forecast for the English Channel to decide if June 5 would be D-Day.

The storm observations from County Mayo were the first indications of trouble ahead. The invasion was postponed until June 6. And the postal worker  21-year-old Maureen Flavin  became part of World War II lore as a linchpin in the weather team whose work persuaded commanders to hold off for 24 hours the air-and-sea assault that helped change the course the war.

They could arrange everything, but they couldnt prearrange the weather. ... We eventually had the final say, Maureen Flavin Sweeney, who died Dec. 17 at 100, later recalled.

Maureen Flavin Sweeney, who died Dec. 17, 2023, at 100. (Fascinating/X)

Sweeney was one of the many civilian women involved in nearly every facet of the war effort from the factory floor (think Rosie the Riveter) to assisting in military command centers to leading community mobilizations such as organizing scrap drives. Few, however, had moments so directly connected to major decisions as Sweeney on that gloomy June morning.

For a tense few hours, her weather readings and observations were given top priority as they moved up the chain of command to Group Capt. James Martin Stagg, a Met Office meteorologist attached to the Royal Air Force. Stagg also was the chief weather adviser for Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower, who was in charge of D-Day operations.

In the era before satellite imagery, the weather forecast was pieced together based on barometric data, wind patterns, cloud formations, and sometimes just accumulated local knowledge of the skies and seas.

Early June was picked for D-Day because of lower-than-normal tides and a moon cycle that provided darkness during the early stages of the invasion and, on a clear night, a moon glow after rising later on. Missing the window was a scenario too bitter to contemplate, Eisenhower said.

A bad forecast would jeopardize the entire operation, wrote author John Ross in The Forecast for D-Day (2014). If [Eisenhower] gave the word to go, and the weather turned sour, the lives of thousands of men and massive amounts of equipment would be lost.

As Stagg reviewed the incoming information from Sweeney and other weather watchers  nothing looked promising. At 11 a.m. in County Mayo, the phone rang at the Blacksod post office. A lady with a distinct English accent requested me to Please check. Please repeat, Sweeny recounted in an interview with Irelands RTE.

We began to look at the figures again. We checked and rechecked, Sweeney said. (Although Ireland declared itself neutral, the countrys head of government, Eamon de Valera, agreed to share weather intelligence with the Allies.)

Staggs weather map was coming together, with added reports from seagoing vessels.

By the end of the day, it showed two major low-pressure areas  one south of Greenland and the other just north of Scotland. They created a cyclone effect that passed though the Channel from June 4 into June 5, with winds of up to 30 mph and sheets of rain. The conditions effectively nixed the core of the D-Day operations: the massive amphibious landing on Normandy beaches and airdrops of paratroopers behind the German lines.

The invasion would have been a complete disaster, Sweeney told RTE. There they were with thousands of aircraft and they couldnt tolerate low cloud.

The weather cleared sufficiently by June 6, 1944, for the invasion to begin. You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months, Eisenhower wrote in his message to the Allied Expeditionary Force. The eyes of the world are upon you.

For more than a decade, Sweeney was unaware of her part in D-Day. As once-secret war information was unsealed, the connections were made between the D-Day postponement and the weather data, including the early reports from Blacksod.

In 2021, in a ceremony at her nursing facility in Belmullet, Ireland, Sweenys role in the war was cited by the U.S. House of Representatives. A friend, Ruth OHagan, wrote a poem for Sweeney, The Girl Who Changed the World. It begins:

Please check. Please repeat.

The howling winds of Blacksod spoke.

Please check. Please repeat.

Maureen Flavin was born in Knockanure in County Kerry on June 3, 1923. After secondary school, she became a clerk at the post office in Blacksod, a village where her uncle ran a pub. The post office also served as a weather station, sending reports to Dublin that, during World War II, were shared with British officials and Allies forces.

After the war, she married Ted Sweeney, a lighthouse keeper, who had helped check her weather readings in the prelude to D-Day. Sweeney eventually took over operations at the post office, keeping the position for more than six decades.

The couple conducted weather readings until an automatic metrological station was installed in 1956.

Sweeneys husband died in 2001. Survivors include a son, Vincent Sweeney, and a grandson, Fergus Sweeney, who confirmed the death. No cause was given.

Shortly before his inauguration, President-elect John F. Kennedy reportedly asked President Eisenhower for details on why D-Day succeeded.

Because, Eisenhower said, we had better meteorologists than the Germans.
People shop at the exchange at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Hundreds of Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at sites in the Kaiserslautern Military Community voted Dec. 15, 2023, to join the American Federation of Government Employees. (Stars and Stripes)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Nearly 400 Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at sites in the largest overseas U.S. military community have elected to join a federal workers union, which sees the vote as the first step in expanding its presence in Europe.

The new American Federation of Government Employees unit will cover 389 nonappropriated-fund employees who work at 11 AAFES sites in the Kaiserslautern Military Community, union officials said in a statement.

In a Dec. 15 election held by the Federal Labor Relations Authority, eligible employees voted unanimously to be represented by the union, according to the statement.

The newly formed Kaiserslautern unit is affiliated with at-large Local 14. Members will automatically be covered under the master labor agreement between AAFES and the union, officials said.

Shoppers wait in the checkout line at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center exchange at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at sites in the Kaiserslautern area are joining the American Federation of Government Employees after voting Dec. 15, 2023, to unionize. (Stars and Stripes)

We are excited to welcome this new group of employees to the AFGE family, Ottis Johnson Jr., the national vice president for District 14, said in a statement following the vote.

These workers will be in a better position to fight for improvements at the worksite by leveraging the bargaining power of 750,000 federal and D.C. government employees.

The Kaiserslautern vote was the first of several to be held at various locations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, where federal workers lack union representation, according to the statement.

The Defense Health Agency and Defense Logistics Agency are some of the organizations where elections are anticipated, AFGE said.

The Dec. 15 election was the first since an announcement by the union last year that it planned to expand representation to federal employees in Europe.

The headquarters of the American Federation of Government Employees in Washington, D.C. Nearly 400 Army and Air Force Exchange Service employees at sites in the Kaiserslautern Military Community in Germany have elected to join the union, marking the first of what is expected to be a series of elections aimed at expanding its representation in Europe. (AFGE)

The push into Europe was prompted by dozens of complaints from military civilian workers, according to the union.

Among the complaints is a practice known as bait-and-switch, in which civilians move overseas to take a job offer, only to be placed in a different position once they arrive, the union said.

Inconsistencies over contract extensions also are a point of contention for Defense Department workers in Europe.

Federal employees have every right to join a union and bargain collectively for better working conditions, whether they work stateside or overseas, AFGE national president Everett Kelley said in the statement.
The destroyer USS Carney defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and aerial drones in the Red Sea on Oct. 19, 2023. (Aaron Lau/U.S. Navy)

BEIRUT  The Gaza war has given Iran the opportunity to showcase the capacity of its newly restructured network of allied militias, demonstrating Tehrans strategic reach while allowing it to keep a distance from the fight, according to members of the groups and military analysts.

On any given day since the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, one or other of these militias has carried out an attack somewhere in the Middle East  and on some days several in different places. The Houthis in Yemen are targeting ships in the Red Sea; Kataib Hezbollah and other Iraqi groups are hitting U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria; and Lebanons Hezbollah is engaged in daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces across the Israel-Lebanon border.

The attacks can seem random, but they are the fruit of a carefully calibrated strategy forged in the wake of the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, leader of Irans elite Quds Force, to bring cohesion to the loosely formed alliance of militias  designated by Tehran as the axis of resistance.

Although the groups seem unrelated  a rebel organization in Yemen; a guerrilla movement in Lebanon; and militias formed to fight U.S. troops in Iraq  they all have one thing in common: their loyalty to Iran, which arms, finances and inspires them, the members of the groups and analysts said. Together with Hamas, they constitute the main components of the resistance axis.

What these different elements have done, moving forward with these attacks, shows the strength of this proxy network Iran has established throughout the region and how much of a concern it is, said Joseph Votel, the former Centcom commander who oversaw U.S. troops in the region at the time of the U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that killed Soleimani.

In interviews, officials associated with three of the main groups described a level of coordination previously unmatched in the nearly two decades since Iran began cultivating a variety of local allies as a way of extending its regional influence. Representatives of the militias collaborate and consult through a joint operations room that meets regularly, typically but not always, in Beirut, they said.

No one group is in control, the officials said, and each has a degree of autonomy over what attacks to carry out in their area and when, according to their capabilities and local agendas. The Houthis, for example, have taken on the task of attacking shipping, with a view to pressuring the international community to demand Israel adopt a cease-fire in Gaza. The Iraqi groups are targeting the U.S. bases in response to the Biden administrations support for Israel. Hezbollah is firing at Israel to draw Israeli troops away from the Gaza front.

At the same time, officials with the groups said, all of the actions are calibrated to avoid a wider regional war  suggesting that while the militias have autonomy on individual operations, their actions are designed not to conflict with Irans strategic objectives.

During the meetings we discuss updates and progress on all the fronts and how strategically the operations benefit each front, said an official with Kataib Hezbollah, the biggest Iraqi group carrying out attacks. The official, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Iran provides all kinds of support but when it comes to decisions and actions on the ground, the decision is ours.

Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah has played a leading role in cementing the alliance, as the most senior figure commanding the oldest, most successful and battle-hardened group, the officials say.

Soleimanis death had left the axis leadership in disarray. As commander of the international wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Soleimani almost single-handedly cultivated the militias, and in the process achieved a mythical stature that far exceeded his formal rank.

Without Soleimani, rivalries erupted, especially among the Iraqi militias, whose overall leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was assassinated in the same strike as Soleimani.

Nasrallah stepped in to mediate and began implementing a new strategy, which he called unity of fronts, and all the groups pledged to go into action in their respective areas should any one of them be attacked. The Gaza war is the first time the strategy has been put into practice.

Nasrallah has emerged as a first among equals, the officials say. When he gave his first public address following the outbreak of the Gaza war, Iraqi militias gathered in Baghdads Tahrir Square to watch the speech live on giant screens.

We regard Hasan Nasrallah as the official spokesman for the resistance, one of its basic pillars and most important symbols, said the Kataib Hezbollah official. He enjoys the respect and appreciation of all Iraqi sides and we consider him an umbrella for all of us.

Votel recalls being concerned following Soleimanis death that the Iraqi militias would lose the discipline imposed by their Iranian commander. Instead, he said, the restructuring appears to have strengthened their cohesion.

That they have become horizontal rather than vertical seems to be a strength for them, Votel said.

How much of a role Iran plays in directing the overall strategy is the million-dollar question, said Hamidreza Azizi, a former professor of regional studies at Tehrans Shahid Beheshti University who is now a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. In a sense, Iran both is and is not behind these activities.

Soleimanis replacement, Ismail Qaani, has adopted a far lower profile than his predecessor, lacking Soleimanis charisma and his history of personal relationships with the groups.

Iran, as a result, has changed the posture of the Quds Force, to allow greater autonomy to local groups, while remaining their benefactor. But Qaani is very active behind the scenes, shuttling among the capitals of the countries where the militias are based, Azizi said.

Qaani is everywhere. Hes a planner, he said. But they deliberately want him to have a very low profile.

An IRGC official is present at most of the joint operations meetings, according to a person associated with Hezbollah who is familiar with the proceedings. But Iran is only represented as one of all, without playing a leading role, said Nasruddin Amer, a spokesman for the Houthis in Sanaa who heads the Saba News Agency.

The strategy appears to be working well from Irans perspective. It has been able to assert its regional influence through the disparate attacks, without triggering the major conflagration that could put its militia allies at risk and potentially draw Iran directly into the fight, Azizi said.

Iran feels quite comfortable, he said. These groups can come together to defend its interests and have shown their willingness to not allow one of its members, in this case Hamas, to be totally pushed out of the scene without a response.

Whether the strategy will continue to work to Irans advantage is in question as Israel expresses growing anger at Hezbollahs attacks along its northern border. If the world and the Lebanese government dont act to prevent the firing on Israels northern residents, and to distance Hezbollah from the border, the IDF will do it, Israeli minister Benny Gantz said last week, in a warning that Israel might launch a full-scale assault on Lebanon.

Israel has also been stepping up its attacks on Iranian allies and assets in the region. On Dec. 25, an Israeli strike in Syria killed a senior IRGC commander, Razi Mousavi, drawing threats of direct retaliation from Iran.

An outright war, however, would throw Irans strategy into disarray. But the militia officials say they are confident that their attacks are providing sufficient deterrence to both to Israel and the United States without escalating beyond the current level of conflict.

Salim reported from Baghdad and Haidamous from Washington. Ali al-Mujahid in Sanaa, Yemen, contributed to this report.
The seal for the U.S. Central Command. (AP)

Houthi rebels fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles without effect Tuesday at commercial ships in the southern Red Sea, according to the U.S. Central Command.

The Iranian-backed Houthis, fighting to overturn the Yemen government backed by Saudi Arabia, fired their latest missile salvo at 9:30 p.m. from Yemeni territory they control, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Central Command.

Multiple commercial ships in the area reported the impact of the [anti-ship ballistic missiles] into the surrounding water though none have reported any damage, the post said. These illegal actions endangered the lives of dozens of innocent mariners and continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce.

The attack is the first reported since Iran on Monday sent the destroyer Alborz into the Red Sea, a move considered a challenge to a U.S.-led operation to protect commercial shipping there from continuing attacks.

Shipping firms are refusing to transit the Suez Canal into the Red Sea due to the risk involved, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. The most recent, Danish shipping giant Maersk, suspended its cargo traffic in the area that day.

A Houthi missile on Saturday reportedly struck the Maersk Hangzhou, after which the destroyer USS Graveley shot down two more missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas. The next day, the Hangzhou was attacked by four small boats crewed by Houthis, according to CENTCOM.

U.S. helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Graveley fired on the boats, sinking three and killing their crews, the command said.

The Houthis began attacking commercial vessels in November to show solidarity with Hamas, the militant group that killed approximately 1,200 people and captured scores of others in a surprise attack inside Israel on Oct. 7. Subsequently, Israel has mounted a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the Palestinian territory governed by the group, that has so far killed about 21,000 people.

Tuesdays incident is the 24th attack against merchant shipping in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, CENTCOM said.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 3, 2024 - 22:47 | All, Japan

The Japan Coast Guard plane that collided with a Japan Airline jetliner at Tokyo's Haneda airport did not have permission to enter the runway, according to flight control communications released on Wednesday by Japan's transport ministry.

But the coast guard said its aircraft's captain, who survived the previous day's accident that killed all five of his colleagues, gave a conflicting account, telling its investigators that he had been cleared to enter the runway where the collision happened.

"There was nothing that can be regarded as permission to enter the runway (for the coast guard plane) in the transcript of the communications," Toshiyuki Onuma, senior deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Bureau at the transport ministry, told a press briefing.

A coast guard official attending the same press briefing acknowledged a discrepancy between the communications data and what the captain told the investigators, saying the coast guard will fully cooperate with police and the transport authorities in the investigations.

The data released by the ministry showed that the last communications between air traffic controllers and the JAL aircraft took place approximately two minutes before the collision, with them telling the JAL pilot that the runway was clear for landing and the pilot reading back that permission.

The coast guard pilot last contacted the control tower within the same timeframe to say "taxi to holding point" in reading back their instruction, according to the data.

A holding point is a spot where an airplane waits for clearance to enter a runway, according to the transport ministry.

Based on the communications in the transcript, the ministry said air traffic control was conducted appropriately before the collision.

JAL said Wednesday that the plane's crew members told the company they proceeded with landing after clearance from the tower and no abnormalities were detected during aircraft's flight.

"It's up to ongoing investigations to see if we did anything wrong, but we think we did our operations just as usual," JAL Managing Executive Officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told reporters.

On Wednesday, the Japan Transport Safety Board, the government agency in charge of probing serious accidents involving airplanes, trains and ships, examined the aircraft wreckage.

The safety board said earlier in the day it had retrieved the flight and voice recorders of the coast guard aircraft and was still searching for those of the JAL plane that arrived in Tokyo from Sapporo.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has also launched an investigation into the accident on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.

The accident, which occurred around 5:47 p.m., forced the temporary closure of all four runways at Japan's busiest airport. All except the one where the collision occurred were reopened Tuesday after the cancellation of many flights.

JAL canceled more than 40 domestic flights to and from Haneda airport on Wednesday. All Nippon Airways Co. also canceled over 50 domestic flights, with some international flights affected.

All 379 passengers and crew aboard the JAL Airbus A350 escaped with 14 sustaining non-life-threatening injuries despite it catching fire immediately after the collision, the company said. The fire was finally brought under control more than eight hours later.

The escape of all passengers and crew, which took 18 minutes, has been widely praised, with some foreign media describing it as a "miracle." JAL said its training programs paid off.

Airbus SAS, in a statement Tuesday, said it will dispatch a team of specialists "to provide technical assistance" to Japan's safety board. It expressed sadness over the coast guard members' deaths.

The severely damaged JAL plane, equipped with engines produced by Britain's Rolls-Royce plc, was received in November 2021, Airbus said.

Japan's coast guard said its Bombardier DHC8-300 aircraft, based at Haneda airport, was heading to Niigata Prefecture to deliver relief supplies for people hit by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas on the Sea of Japan coast on Monday.

Related coverage:

Escaped passengers recall tense moments in Japan Airlines jet blaze

JAL jet collides with coast guard plane at Tokyo airport, 5 dead

At least 64 dead in Noto earthquake, search operations continue
This photo released by the Hamas Media Office shows deputy Saleh Arouri upon his arrival in in Gaza City from Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018. Arouri was killed Jan. 2, 2024, in an explosion in a southern Beirut suburb. Israel declined to confirm or deny any role in the assassination, but he was on the list. (Mohammad Austaz/Hamas Media Office)

JERUSALEM  When a pair of drone-fired missiles slammed into an apartment building in south Beirut on Tuesday, killing a top militant leader and his lieutenants, it appeared to mark a shift in Israels war against Hamas.

For three months, Israel has pressed a full-scale military invasion of Gaza, leveling much of the strip and killing more than 22,000 people in its pursuit of the militants who planned and carried out the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. To date, it had not acted on another stated war aim: targeting the heads of Hamas wherever they are.

Now, as the conflict enters its fourth month, Israel has apparently made good on that threat, risking a wider war along its border with Lebanon even as it begins to draw down troops in Gaza for the first time.

Military leaders said that the partial withdrawal was possible now that attacks have weakened Hamas in the north and that it would allow thousands of reservists to return home and go back to work. It also comes after months of pressure from Washington to pull back from what President Biden has described as indiscriminate bombing and reduce the devastating civilian death toll.

The events come amid growing concerns about the wars economic toll in Israel and the gradual return of protests and domestic political intrigue. While few analysts see an end to the violence in Gaza, they detect an evolution.

We are on to Stage 3, said Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser, referring to the phase of warfare expected to follow the initial response to the October attacks and the sustained air and ground war inside the enclave. I think were moving into a new mode, something closer to what the U.S. has been advocating from the beginning.

Israels military has said for months it is ready to fight a two-front war, having massed troops and tanks along the Lebanese border and evacuated at least 70,000 residents. IDF units have frequently exchanged fire with Hezbollah, the Iranian-aligned Lebanese militant group, yet the strikes and counterstrikes had never approached Beirut  until Tuesday.

Israel declined to confirm or deny any role in the assassination of Saleh Arouri, an exiled Hamas official who acted as a liaison with Iran and Hezbollah. But he was on their list.

Without doubt, this was the most significant assassination of any senior Hamas official since the war began on Oct. 7, Palestinian affairs expert Avi Issacharoff wrote in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper Wednesday.

While Israel says it has killed a number of Hamas commanders and officials inside of Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks, and other top leaders, are still at large.

Lebanese and international officials scrambled Wednesday to tamp down Hezbollahs expected retaliation. To date, the group has resisted entreaties from Hamas to fully enter the war. Israeli officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said they were hoping Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah would show restraint given that none of his officers were killed in the strike.

There is a carrier there, we hope it is enough, said one of the Israeli officials, referring to the presence of a U.S. carrier group in the eastern Mediterranean.

Nasrallah warned of a response and punishment in a speech Wednesday but gave few clues about how his fighters would respond.

Israeli residents in the northern port city of Haifa were advised to have plans for sheltering during an attack. Military analysts said the drawdown of troops in Gaza would likely allow for more resources to go toward Lebanon.

We are highly prepared for any scenario, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said after Arouris killing.

On Tuesday in Eilon, a kibbutz one mile south of the Lebanese border, Israeli artillery was launched every few minutes toward what the IDF said were terrorist targets. Hezbollah antitank missiles were intercepted  and sometimes fell  in the emptied villages.

Across the north, local security squads have been training for what they believe is an impending war. Dotan Razili, a resident of Eilon who is serving as a reserve soldier there, said the evacuations have allowed the IDF to operate freely in the area, firing from agricultural fields.

We are getting drawn into a war we didnt ask for, he said.

The assassination in Lebanon was widely hailed in Israel, although some advocates for the estimated 133 Israelis still held captive in Gaza said they worried that the attack would derail talks for another hostage exchange.

The [government] is currently motivated by a sense of revenge, Carmit Palti-Katzir, whose brother Elad is being held as a hostage, said in an interview on Israeli radio. But Im saying, for Gods sake, there are living people there.

The IDF said last week it was pulling up to five brigades from the northern Gaza Strip, marking a potential shift from widespread bombing to more targeted raids by troops based outside the enclave. Yet Israeli officials have said repeatedly that the fighting was likely to continue for months.

The sound of bombs and shelling echoed through the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis Wednesday, where eyewitnesses told The Washington Post that fighting remained as intense as ever. Ambulances raced back and forth throughout the day carrying the dead and wounded, according to Hussam Kurdieh, a displaced civilian from Gaza City who is sheltering at Nasser Hospital.

People here have grown accustomed to the grim spectacle of bombardment, he said. However, the daily struggle revolves more around securing food, water, and essential necessities.

In Israel, though, the war no longer feels so all-consuming, and citizens have begun to find room for broader political debates. On Monday, the countrys High Court reversed a vote by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition to strip the court of key judicial review powers, a ruling celebrated by his critics as a win for Israeli democracy.

And the anti-government protests that rocked the country for most of last year, but were put on hold after Oct. 7, have made a return.

On Saturday, crowds in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem chanted for new elections amid pent-up anger at Netanyahu, who is widely blamed for failing to prevent the Hamas attacks and has seen his support plummet in public polling.

Were seeing a new phase, people are coming back onto the streets, said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Hebrew University. Now the people at the front of the protests are the families of hostages, the families of killed soldiers, the reservists.

Splits are increasingly visible within the emergency war cabinet in which Netanyahu shares power with his political rival, former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, among others. Gantz, along with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have declined to appear with Netanyahu at some recent news conferences. Both have expressed more openness to the ideas pushed by Biden for a postwar government in Gaza that relies on a restored Palestinian Authority, a notion that Netanyahu and the more extremist members of his coalition have dismissed.

Gantz, whose popularity has soared, has said that politics and investigations into the failures of Oct. 7 should wait until the war eases. As some troops withdraw from Gaza, political observers are watching closely for any sign that he might be ready to make a move.

Gantz could trigger new elections by persuading five members of the coalition, many of whom have criticized Netanyahu, to join a no-confidence vote.

The minute Gantz felt like he could leave the war cabinet, that snowball would start rolling, Talshir said. That is beginning to feel more possible as the situation in Gaza stabilizing.

Of course, she added, if we have a second front with Hezbollah, it would all change again.

Shira Rubin contributed to this report from Eilon, Israel; Loay Ayyoub from Rafah, Gaza Strip; and Hazem Balousha from Amman.
A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II lands at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Sept. 5, 2023. The U.S. has reportedly reached a deal with Qatar to extend its military presence at Al Udeid for another 10 years. (Leon Redfern/U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. military will continue operating out of its largest base in the Middle East for another 10 years as part of a recent agreement with Qatar, reports said Wednesday.

The deal allows the U.S. to extend its military presence at Al Udeid Air Base, three unnamed defense officials and another person familiar with the agreement said, according to CNN. Reuters later reported the same information, citing an unnamed source.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation Wednesday.

Al Udeid Air Base has been key to American operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria over the past two decades.

The reports follow a visit by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Al Udeid last month, where he thanked Qatar for spending billions on revamping the base.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Qatar Defense Minister Khaled Al Attiyah stand during the playing of the American national anthem at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Dec. 19, 2023. The U.S. has reportedly reached a deal with Qatar to extend its military presence at Al Udeid for another 10 years. (Alexander Cook/U.S. Air Force)

The Gulf countrys spending will support both of our forces for years to come, Austin said in remarks ahead of his meeting with Qatars defense minister Dec. 19.

Qatar has been funding the replacement of temporary buildings on base with lasting structures, U.S. military officers told Stars and Stripes in 2022.

These facilities will be able to last up to 75 years and will have walls hardened to protect against rocket attacks, Col. Anthony Figiera, director of Air Forces Centrals program management office, said at the time.

Qatar was recently designated a major non-NATO ally because of its close ties with the U.S. military. But the country has had a complicated relationship with the base over the years.

Maj. Samuel Richardson, construction management chief at the 9th Air Force program management office, points to the location of two dining facilities  one new and one old  on a future site plan map of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in 2022. The U.S. has reportedly reached a deal with Qatar to extend its military presence at Al Udeid for another 10 years. (J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes)

For a long time, Qatar avoided drawing attention to the large American base not far from the capital of Doha because of sensitivities among citizens about the U.S. military footprint.

But Qatari officials started to tout the American presence in recent years. The country assisted in the U.S. evacuation of more than 124,000 people from Afghanistan in 2021.

It also has played a large role in helping broker the release of some of the approximately 240 hostages taken by Hamas during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Reports of the Al Udeid agreement come amid a rise in conflict between American troops and Iranian-backed militias in the Middle East. Militants have staged more than 100 attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, Syria and off the shore of Yemen since the start of Israel-Hamas war in October.
While many experts agree that marijuana has therapeutic value, they also caution that older adults should consider potential downsides, such as marijuana interfering with other medication or exacerbating chronic conditions. (Pexels)

The 82-year-old dementia patients condition stumped his psychiatrist. His anxiety was overwhelming, she recalled him saying. He had repeatedly gone to the emergency room after intense abdominal pain and vomiting. He insisted he never drank or smoked tobacco.

Then he told her medical assistant how he fell asleep: Two hits of Burmese Kush, and Im good to go. Thats when it clicked: His nightly marijuana habit could be causing problems.

I said, I thought you said you dont use drugs, and he said, I dont. Thats my medicine, said Libby Stuyt, the Colorado psychiatrist who treated the patient three years ago.

Seniors are increasingly embracing cannabis, often for relief from aches and insomnia that come with age. According to a 2022 federal survey, 8 percent of people 65 and older reported having used marijuana in the past year. The rate has roughly doubled in seven years, according to estimates.

While many experts agree that marijuana has therapeutic value, they also caution that older adults should consider potential downsides, such as marijuana interfering with other medication or exacerbating chronic conditions. High-potency products that are far stronger than what older people smoked in their youth can cause nasty surprises with unknown long-term effects.

The dementia patients ailments reflected side effects of daily marijuana use, Stuyt said. When acclimated to marijuana, users can feel anxious when not high. Regular use can lead to cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a rare side effect causing vomiting bouts.

Stuyt, who has publicly criticized cannabis commercialization, said the patient reported feeling better as he reduced use, though she doesnt know his condition today because she lost touch with him during the coronavirus pandemic. The lesson she took from treating him was that doctors should ask patients, especially older ones, about marijuana use and be prepared to talk about side effects and drug interactions.

As marijuana undergoes rapid legalization and cultural acceptance, calls for abstinence are counterproductive, especially for seniors wary of the prescription pills shoveled their way, experts say. Decades of stigma and exaggerated warnings about marijuanas ills have eroded the credibility of medical experts when they raise concerns. Physicians say they can help patients weigh the benefits and the risks through candid, judgment-free conversations.

But such conversations are complicated by the dearth of clinical trials studying the effects of cannabis, available in an increasingly broad range of potency and forms including gummies, oils, vapes and classic joints. The available body of research has raised red flags for older adults and their providers to consider.

Studies on the health effects of cannabis on older adults suggest its use is associated with greater frequencies of mental health issues, cognitive impairment and accidents, according to a sweeping review of literature led by Dianna Wolfe, a senior clinical research associate at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada. The therapeutic effects were inconsistent. The authors cautioned that the review should be interpreted not as definitively concluding that cannabis causes those negative health effects or provides no medical benefits, but rather as underscoring the need for more research. A study presented at an American Heart Association conference in November found that adults older than 65 with cannabis use disorder, which is essentially addiction, and cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure are at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes while hospitalized. The data could be skewed by hospitals having different standards for cannabis use disorder.

Loren Wold, a cardiac specialist at Ohio State Universitys College of Medicine, said the research should give pause to older adults who are prone to irregular heartbeats or have high blood pressure and want to use marijuana.

It really needs to be a cost-benefit analysis, Wold said. Based on your health history, is cannabis likely going to be beneficial or potentially deleterious?

His family confronted the issue when a doctor suggested that his 80-year-old father, Ronald, try cannabis gummies to manage lupus, an autoimmune disorder that had inflicted pain in his joints for decades. Ronald initially thought it was strange to recommend a long-outlawed drug, but medical marijuana is now legal in North Dakota, where he lives. His son, who consulted his fathers doctor to help weigh health risks, concluded that Ronald was not at high risk because he does not have high blood pressure or other chronic conditions.

I tried all kind of pain relievers and everything for over 50 some years, and so far, this is the only one that the first time I tried it, it worked right away, Ronald Wold said. Im one person, though. Its not going to affect every person the same way.

The experience is not always pleasant.

A study published in January 2023 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that cannabis-related emergency department visits for adults 65 and older in California soared from 366 in 2005 to 12,167 in 2019.

The study does not distinguish between life-threatening and benign cases, such as someone panicking at an unfamiliar sensation but recovering without issue after several hours. Some visits could be spurred by patients unwittingly eating a marijuana-laced edible and not realizing theyre high, or older people learning they cant handle the high-potency products flourishing on the market today.

Seemingly mundane cases of older people becoming dizzy and disoriented should not be dismissed, according to Benjamin Han, the studys lead author.

We cant always dismiss these symptoms, especially if they have underlying cardiovascular disease or have a history of an abnormal heart rhythm, Han, a geriatrician at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, wrote in an email. Cannabis may trigger exacerbation of existing chronic diseases that could potentially be a danger to their health.

He added that seniors should be mindful of the risk of developing cannabis use disorder, despite perceptions that people do not get addicted to marijuana.

A 68-year-old Washington state resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his addiction, said he recently decided to stop using cannabis, which he had been using regularly for eight years as a replacement for alcohol. He was spending hundreds of dollars a month on infused cannabis flower, vape cartridges and laced beverages as his tolerance grew and he struggled to stop. He developed a persistent cough and chest pains. No one asked about marijuana during his annual physical.

He said his chest pains and cough ended after he quit using marijuana in November.

Polarized discourse around marijuana frustrates him, he said, leaving him perplexed by one side casting marijuana as a gateway drug that cannot be used responsibly and the other touting it as a natural gift without serious downsides.

Im not going to stand up on a soapbox and lecture everyone about what to do with their body, he said. But dont go into this blindly thinking it has no consequences and marijuana is Gods gift.

Experts say seniors should be mindful that the effects of cannabis can vary widely based on the person and the form the product takes. They often advise to start with low doses.

Peter Ilchuk, a 76-year-old retiree in Tampa, said that a few puffs of a vape pen containing a cartridge with more than 50 percent THC - the main active ingredient of cannabis - helps him fall asleep every night, but that he wishes he had lower-potency options. His memory is not as good as it used to be, and he wonders if its just age or the higher-potency product playing a role.

Gummies dont give him the instant effect hes looking for, and hes leery of Floridas medical marijuana program, which requires paying for what he described as superficial medical consultations that dont address his health questions.

Im hoping they can do more research on the beneficial and negative effects of marijuana, Ilchuk said. If there is a chance it has some effect on my overall health, I would want to reduce it.

Older adults have also embraced products containing CBD, a nonintoxicating component of marijuana, instead of THC, the compound that gets people high. A 2020 review of CBD research found that it is well-tolerated with few serious adverse effects but that interactions with other medications should be monitored closely.

Ken Finn, a pain medicine physician in Colorado, said older patients often ask about CBD products, which are more readily available at stores besides the dispensaries that sell intoxicating weed. He responds by going on Drugs.com while they are in the examination room to look at how the compound can negatively interact with medications commonly used among older patients, such as blood thinners, antidepressants and seizure medication. The enzyme that metabolizes CBD is the same one that metabolizes other drugs, influencing the effectiveness of prescription medication when taken with cannabis.

I tell them [to] proceed with caution but if they want to do it, thats okay, Finn said.

Finn also recalled treating a younger patient with a heart transplant who was getting free CBD products from a friends dispensary. He warned the patient about research suggesting that CBD could reduce the amount of immunosuppressing drugs in his bloodstream, medicine necessary to prevent his body from rejecting the donated organ. The patient ended up needing a second transplant, but its unclear whether that might have happened regardless of his CBD use.

Because the CBD market is loosely regulated and beset with legal loopholes, some products labeled as pure CBD actually contain THC. In Atlanta, a 94-year-old woman showed up at an emergency room disoriented, lethargic and anxious. A chest X-ray and CT scan of her head came back normal, but her urine tested positive for THC, according to a report on her case. Five days into her stay, a relative admitted to giving her brownies laced with what was marketed as pure CBD oil to help her back pain and poor appetite.

Joyce Akwe, a physician and associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine who was involved in the womans care and co-authored the case report, said the episode illustrates the perils of giving elderly relatives cannabis without consulting a medical professional.

While immediate highs are usually short-lived, Akwe said its possible for elderly patients to be confused for days. She said the takeaway isnt to steer clear of cannabis, but to be mindful of risk factors.

People on opioids for chronic pain may need to reduce their dosage if they turn to cannabis for additional relief. Memory impairment caused by cannabis can be especially detrimental for people with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimers disease.

A lot of people think, Well, cannabis is a plant, so its not going to be harmful, Akwe said. We have poisons that come from plants. So people should never ignore the fact that cannabis is something that can be harmful.
The U.S.-Mexico border crossing at Lukeville, Ariz. (Wikimedia Commons)

Biden administration officials said Tuesday they will reopen several southern border crossings this week that have been closed as a result of the record number of migrants arriving to the United States.

The officials, who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said tighter enforcement by Mexico and a holiday lull led to lower numbers of illegal entries over the past several days after weeks of acute strains.

The announcement comes on the eve of a visit to the southern border by dozens of House Republicans led by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). The group is planning to visit Eagle Pass, Texas, where large crowds of migrants waded across the Rio Grande last month, spending chilly nights in an outdoor holding area set up by overstretched Border Patrol agents.

U.S. agents recorded nearly 250,000 illegal crossings along the southern border in December, the highest one-month total ever, according to preliminary Customs and Border Protection data obtained by The Washington Post.

The influx prompted CBP officials to close several legal border crossings in Texas, Arizona and California so customs officers could assist the Border Patrol in processing the unauthorized migrants.

The closures, which sometimes apply to pedestrians and sometimes to vehicles, choke off cross-border travel and trade with Mexico. They have been used by both the Biden and Trump administrations in part to compel Mexican authorities to do more to intercept migrants streaming toward the United States aboard freight trains, buses and trucks.

CBP said it will reopen authorized crossings in Eagle Pass, Texas; San Ysidro, Calif.; Nogales, Ariz.; and Lukeville, Ariz. Lukeville is a remote checkpoint in the same area where thousands of African migrants and families from Central America and Mexico have arrived in recent weeks through gaps in the border barrier opened by Mexican smuggling gangs using power tools.

CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation, the agency said in a statement Tuesday. We continue to assess security situations, adjust our operational plans, and deploy resources to maximize enforcement efforts against those noncitizens who do not use lawful pathways or processes.

Biden administration officials declined to say what specific measures Mexico has taken to reduce crossings, referring reporters to Mexican authorities. An official with Mexicos foreign ministry did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

Last week, Biden sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House homeland security adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall to Mexico City to urge Mexican officials to tighten enforcement.

About 2,500 migrants were taken into custody by U.S. agents on New Years Day, according to one of the Biden officials who spoke to reporters Tuesday night, down from about 10,000 taken into custody per day in December. The official said crossings also dropped abruptly at holiday times during previous years, only to rebound in January.

The White House has asked Congress for nearly $14 billion in supplemental funds for the backlogged U.S. immigration system and emergency border operations, part of a $106 billion request for aid to Ukraine and Israel.

As part of the negotiations over that aid, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has been weighing several measures sought by Republicans to curb border crossings by restricting access to the U.S. asylum system and expanding the governments deportation authority, among other provisions.

Those discussions are due to resume this week after a holiday break, with House Republicans, including Johnson, calling for stricter, more punitive measures that Biden officials and many Democrats say they will not accept.
Republican Minority Leader Mike Lynch, in cowboy hat, joins other Republican Representatives during a protest event on the West steps of the Colorado State Capitol on May 8, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Colorado House Minority Leader Mike Lynch on Wednesday will officially toss his cowboy hat into the ring for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ken Buck.

The second-term state representative and former U.S. Army officer is one of the highest-ranking elected Republicans in Colorado. He joins a crowded field for a rare open seat in Congress  a fray also joined last week by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican whos seeking to switch districts.

The 4th Congressional District covers much of the Eastern Plains and curves around most of metro Denver, though it includes nearly all of Douglas County to the south. Its the most staunchly Republican congressional district in the state.

An opportunity like this doesnt come around in Colorado politics but once in a political lifetime, said Lynch, who lives in Wellington north of Fort Collins, in an interview ahead of his formal announcement. He called it an extension of public service that began when he joined the Army out of high school.

Ive had my eye on that seat for a long time, he said. That is, in essence, why I got involved in (politics) in the first place.

Lynchs candidacy has been widely speculated since Buck announced he would retire at the end of his current term. It adds another dose of intrigue to a race that so far includes state Rep. Richard Holtorf, who is Lynchs No. 3 in the state House and a friend; former state Sens. Ted Harvey and Jerry Sonnenberg, now a Logan County commissioner; radio host Deborah Flora, who ran for the 2022 GOP nomination for U.S. Senate; and now Boebert, the candidate who undeniably has the most name recognition.

In all, there are nine Republicans and several candidates from other parties. The primary is in June.

Boeberts entry is unfortunate because of the political theater she brings to the race, Lynch said. He said he was shocked that anyone would have the hubris to make such a move. To assume that the state needs her so bad that shed switch her constituent bases was shocking.

Still, he added, he doesnt see her entrance as reason to change his approach to the race.

Fentanyl and border security would be among his top priorities in Congress. Lynch draws on his advocacy in the state legislature for policies to combat the fentanyl crisis. And he frames border security not as an immigration issue but as a smuggling issue, with a need to reduce the strain on an overwhelmed border patrol by directing more resources to combat drugs and human trafficking.

2024 MediaNews Group, Inc.

Visit at denverpost.com

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Rafael Abitbul holds his son. (NYC Health + Hospitals/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  When New York Citys first baby of 2024 entered the world at the stroke of midnight Monday morning, the newborn boy immediately took after his father: They were both delivered by the same doctor.

Yet Dr. Sherman Dunn of South Brooklyn Health in Coney Island wasnt aware of the curious twist of fate at the time. It was only later that hed learn he also delivered the babys father, Rafael Abitbol, 23 years earlier at the same facility back when it was known as Coney Island Hospital.

He told me that his mother told him that I delivered him, Dunn told the Daily News. Even though the mother was here, she never approached me and told me that. He told me after the fact.

The coincidence was overshadowed by the excitement over the birth. As the countdown to 2024 began, everyone in the delivery room, from doctors to nurses to the babys parents, were well aware the infant stood a strong chance of being the first birth of the new year in the citys public hospital system.

We had the TV on with the Times Square ball on, so everybodys watching the ball coming down, Dunn said. They were doing the countdown on the TV as well as the mother pushing too.

As the stroke of midnight, the mother gave it all her might, and the babys head delivered, Dunn said.

From left to right: Doctor Sherman Dunn, new dad Rafael Abitbul and nurse Anna Kolodynski. Dunn delivered Abitbuls baby, the first for the NYC public hospital system in the new year, and later learned he had also delivered Abitbul himself, 23 years ago. (NYC Health + Hospitals/TNS)

It was a lot of fun, said third-year resident Betty Varghese. There was a lot of energy and excitement in the delivery room, a lot of anticipation.

It was the fifth year in a row South Brooklyn Health has brought forth the years first baby, according to NYC Health + Hospitals. The citys public health system has 11 hospitals across the five boroughs.

Baby Abitbol, who weighed in at 7 pounds 13 ounces, and his mom were doing well on Monday, the hospital said.

In yet another coincidence, the nurse caring for the new family turned out to have worked for the fathers pediatrician.

I took care of him and his siblings for about 20 years, nurse Anna Kolobynski told the Daily News. Now I am taking care of his child.

2024 New York Daily News.

Visit at nydailynews.com

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A police booking photo shows Jeffrey Epstein. (NY State Sex Offender Registry)

MIAMI (Tribune News Service)  The names of about 150 affiliates of sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell will be revealed as early as Wednesday, possibly in piecemeal fashion over a series of days, the result of a long legal battle waged by the Miami Herald and its parent company, McClatchy.

Judge Loretta Preska issued an order Wednesday afternoon, reiterating that the documents would be unsealed, even though two unidentified people have appealed her decision. One Doe, as in John or Jane Doe, was given a stay until Jan. 22, the other, Doe 110, will be reviewed in due course, the judge said.

Release of the sealed court documents  a highly anticipated list of those in the sex traffickers orbit  could finally bring to rest years of speculation about who among the rich and powerful were participants in the Palm Beach residents sordid world of sexual abuse.

But the records also could fall flat  containing names already known, and including some who were employees who worked for Epstein, investigators who worked on the case called as witnesses, and even people who never knew Epstein.

Epstein, 66, died in August 2019. Found hanging inside a prison cell, Epsteins death was ruled a suicide. His accomplice, Maxwell, 62, is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence in Tallahassee. To date, they were the only people prosecuted in the case, though many influential people are believed to have known about or even participated in their crimes.

Release of the documents capped a five-year court case filed by the Miami Herald in 2019 through its attorneys at Holland & Knight to unseal documents that had been sealed by a prior judge who handled the case. The bulk of the material was unsealed on Aug. 9, 2019  one day before Epstein was found dead. Since then the documents have been released on a rolling basis, as the judge allowed many of the names in the lawsuit to appeal the unsealing. As as result, it has taken years for the case to come this far. The judge did allow for the names of victims to remain sealed.

Three other Does  who are not victims  were also allowed to remain sealed. The Herald intends to appeal that decision.

Senior U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska in mid-December ordered the unsealing, allowing a 14-day window for appeals. The window expired at the end of December.

In so ruling, Judge Preska agreed with the Miami Herald that the documents should be made public. The documents were generated in the course of litigating a defamation lawsuit filed against Epstein accomplice Maxwell by victim Virginia Giuffre.

Giuffres lawsuit was settled out of court in 2016, but much of the evidence remained sealed.

Epstein, who had expensive homes in Manhattan, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in addition to Palm Beach, sexually abused more than 100 young women and girls from 2002 to 2018. Hed largely evaded legal consequence, until the summer of 2019, after a Miami Herald investigative series, Perversion of Justice, brought attention new to his case  and led ultimately to his arrest.

The names in the documents are those of recruiters, associates and affiliates of Epstein and Maxwell.

Preskas ruling allows three people to remain publicly unidentified. Two of them  J. Does 58 and 124  are classic outsiders peripheral to the events at issue who are not associated with Epstein and Maxwell, according to the judges ruling. A third, Doe 133, was mistakenly identified in a photo, according to the judge, who noted that Doe was characterized as an alleged perpetrator by a reporter. The judge did not further elaborate on her decision.

Thirteen others tried unsuccessfully to keep their names hidden. Among them: Leslie Wexner, the former CEO of the Limited and Victorias Secret.

Other names expected to be in the documents include Prince Andrew, financier Glenn Dubin and modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel, a onetime South Beach bon vivant who committed suicide in a French prison; and people who worked as butlers, housekeepers or recruiters for Epstein.

2024 Miami Herald.

Visit at miamiherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 3, 2024 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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73 killed in Noto earthquake, search operations continue

TOKYO - At least 73 people were killed in the powerful earthquake that jolted the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on New Year's Day as rescuers raced against time to find and pull more survivors from collapsed buildings, amid chilling temperatures.

Two days have passed since the magnitude-7.6 quake caused extensive structural damage and fires in the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, but the full extent of the disaster remains unknown.

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Coast guard plane not given OK to enter runway in Tokyo collision

TOKYO - The Japan Coast Guard plane that collided with a Japan Airline jetliner at Tokyo's Haneda airport did not have permission to enter the runway, according to flight control communications released on Wednesday by Japan's transport ministry.

But the coast guard said its aircraft's captain, who survived the previous day's accident that killed all five of his colleagues, gave a conflicting account, telling its investigators that he had been cleared to enter the runway where the collision happened.

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Over 70% of firms expect Japan economy to keep growing in 2024

TOKYO - More than 70 percent of major Japanese companies expect the domestic economy to grow in 2024, believing solid consumer and capital spending are set to overcome the impact of inflation, a Kyodo News survey showed Tuesday, underlining more optimistic corporate sentiment than a year earlier.

In the survey of 113 companies, including Toyota Motor Corp. and SoftBank Group Corp., 72 percent said they expect moderate growth and 1 percent see solid expansion in 2024.

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Chinese balloons fly over Taiwan for 2 days in row

TAIPEI - Chinese balloons flew over Taiwan again for the second day in a row, the island's Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry said four balloons were detected Tuesday crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, southwest of Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung, and three of them flew directly over the island at altitudes between 3,659 and 6,706 meters.

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Tennis: Naomi Osaka bows out in 2nd round in Brisbane comeback

BRISBANE, Australia - Japan's Naomi Osaka lost a close match to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the second round of the Brisbane International tennis tournament on Wednesday.

In the battle of former world No. 1s, Pliskova won 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 to see off Osaka, who was playing her first WTA Tour event in about 15 months after giving birth to her daughter last July.

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Athletics: Aoyama Gakuin University wins Hakone ekiden in record time

TOKYO - Aoyama Gakuin University won the 100th Tokyo-Hakone collegiate ekiden road relay Wednesday in a record total time of 10 hours, 41 minutes, 25 seconds.

Aoyama Gakuin beat the previous record it set in 2022 by more than 2 minutes while claiming its seventh Hakone ekiden victory, all coming in the last 10 years.

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N. Korea reacts sharply to S. Korean leader's vow to boost deterrence

BEIJING - North Korea reacted sharply Tuesday to a New Year's pledge by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to boost deterrence and protect his nation from the threat of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, blaming him for escalating inter-Korean tensions, state-run media reported.

Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said in a statement that the present security situation on the Korean Peninsula, in which a war could break out at any time, is "entirely ascribable" to the "merits" of Yoon, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Video: Aftermath of the Earthquake that struck in Ishikawa prefecture
David Weafer pleaded guilty to public-order offences including threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

A man who drunkenly tried to headbutt a garda in Dublin city centre has been spared jail.

David Weafer (37) became aggressive when gardai found him drinking in a lane way, a court heard.

Judge Bryan Smyth gave him a two-month suspended sentence.

Weafer, with an address at a city-centre hostel, pleaded guilty to public-order offences including threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

Dublin District Court heard gardai found the accused drinking a bottle of cider at Coles Lane last December 8.

He was with a number of other people and became aggressive to gardai, who seized the alcohol and told him to leave the area.

He was helped up by a friend but was unsteady on his feet and gardai feared for his safety.

Weafer became abusive and tried to headbutt a garda in view of members of the public, Sergeant Michelle Lynch said.

He had 126 previous convictions.

The accused appreciated now that he was being helped and apologises for what its worth, his solicitor said.

He did not remember the incident.

Weafer had suffered a head injury a number of years ago and had since found himself living on the streets.
The incident allegedly occurred on the day his son Enoch was involved in a legal dispute before the Court of Appeal (CoA) over transgenderism

JAILED teacher Enoch Burke's father has been accused of assaulting a female garda during an incident at the Four Courts last year.

Sean Burke, of Cloonsunna, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, appeared before Judge Catherine Hayden at Dublin District Court today.

He is accused of assaulting Garda Victoria Fisher at the Four Courts on March 7, 2023.

The incident allegedly occurred on the day his son Enoch was involved in a legal dispute before the Court of Appeal (CoA) over transgenderism and his sacking by Wilson's Hospital School in Co. Westmeath.

Enoch Burke

Sean Burke faces a charge under section two of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, categorised as a minor crime only dealt with at the District Court level.

However, a conviction can result in a fine and a six-month jail sentence.

Mr Burke, representing himself, indicated he would contest the case. However, he will be asked to plead formally at his next hearing.

Gardai had summonsed him to court so he did not have to sign a bail bond.

A summary of prosecution evidence was handed over to Mr Burke in court before the judge ordered him to return in three weeks.

A later hearing date will be then allocated if he denies the charge.

No evidence concerning the events on the date of the alleged offence was heard.

Enoch Burke, who taught history and German, has spent more than 200 days in Mountjoy Prison after the secondary school teacher defied a High Court order to stay away from his former workplace.

Last April, one of his brothers, Simeon Burke, then a barrister at law student in Kings Inns, was fined 300 at Dublin District Court.

He had been convicted of breach of the peace after Enoch Burke's proceedings on March 7. That offence carries a possible three-month sentence.

Simeon Burke, 24, had denied the Public Order Act offence of engaging in threatening, insulting and abusive words and behaviour on or about the Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin.

Finalising the case, the presiding judge had noted he had spent 41 days in custody on remand in the run-up to his hearing after repeatedly refusing to sign a bail bond with a condition to stay away from the Four Courts.

That conviction remains under appeal.
Joshua Mulhall (22) accepted payment for the device before blocking the online buyer in a sneaky, nasty theft, a court heard.

Joshua Mulhall took the money then blocked the buyer on Facebook

A fraudster who conned a man on Facebook into paying for a gaming computer he never got has had his case further adjourned for a restorative justice report.

Joshua Mulhall (22) accepted payment for the device before blocking the online buyer in a sneaky, nasty theft, a court heard.

Mulhall, with an address at Woodbank, Shankill, Dublin pleaded guilty to theft.

The case was heard previously and Judge David McHugh told the accused to take part in a restorative justice programme as a possible alternative to a criminal conviction.

When Mulhall came back before Blanchardstown District Court, the judge was told a report from the programme was not ready and he remanded Mulhall on continuing bail to a date in February.

The court had earlier heard that on July 31, 2022, the victim replied to an online advertisement for a gaming computer priced at 500.

He spoke to the seller and agreed to buy the computer, details were exchanged and the money was then paid over.

After this, however, the seller blocked him on Facebook and he had no other way of contacting him.

The victim never received the goods he had paid for.

Mulhall had no previous convictions of any kind. He brought 700 in compensation to court to cover the cost of the loss and more for the suffering and annoyance caused.

The accused did not know why he committed the offence, it was out of character for him and a moment of madness, his defence said.
Shane McKeever (33) is accused of being one of two muggers who set upon the man and stole his bag.

A professional gambler was robbed of a backpack containing 31,000 of uncashed winning betting slips as he made his way from a bookmakers, it is alleged.

Shane McKeever (33) is accused of being one of two muggers who set upon the man and stole his bag.

Judge Treasa Kelly granted conditional bail and adjourned the case at Dublin District Court for the DPPs directions to be given.

Mr McKeever, of MacUilliam Parade, Tallaght, is charged with robbery.

Objecting to bail, Garda Dave Malone said the incident happened on December 16. He was on patrol when he responded to a report that a man had been mugged while walking at Charleston Road, Ranelagh.

As he made his way to the area he met two men at nearby Richmond Hill.

One fled while the other, the accused, remained at the scene. Mr McKeever was stopped for a drug search and as he was taken into custody, he dropped what the garda thought were two receipts. Garda Malone picked them up and found another 40 behind a railing.

The alleged victim made his way to the garda station and told how, during the alleged robbery, one assailant approached him from behind and the other pulled at his backpack.

He had put up a struggle, suffering cuts to his hands and abrasions to his knees. His jeans were ripped. He was a bit sore afterwards, but did not need medical treatment.

The backpack contained aftershave, a padlock, a mobile phone worth 100 and 42 uncashed Paddy Power winning betting slips worth 31,000.

In CCTV footage gardai saw the alleged victim being followed closely up the road from the betting shop by two men. The garda had found the betting slips and showed them to the man, who described himself as a professional gambler.

The garda maintained Mr McKeevers clothing matched the description and CCTV evidence.

Gda Malone accepted his bail objections did not include any concerns over witness interference as the alleged victim was not known to Mr McKeever.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Aoife McNicholl said CCTV footage did not show the alleged incident and only showed individuals wearing clothing that was widely available. Gda Malone said the combination of clothes was distinctive.

There was no identity parade, the court heard.
The workshop is understood to involve paida lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, who died while attending a slapping therapy workshop at a country hotel (Wiltshire Police/PA)

A 60-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter by gross negligence of a woman who died while attending a slapping therapy workshop at a country hotel in the UK.

Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, where she was taking part in a workshop to help her diabetes on October 20 in 2016.

The workshop is understood to involve paida lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex, was previously said by her family to have embraced alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.

Hongchi Xiao, of Cloudbreak, California, entered a not guilty plea to the manslaughter charge during a short hearing at Winchester Crown Court.

The defendant, who wore a jumper and fleece for the hearing, was charged in November having been extradited to the UK from Australia.

The hearing took place at Winchester Crown Court (Chris Ison/PA)

Jessica Clarke, defending, told the court: The deceased was an avid follower and ran her own courses of the practice.

Judge Timothy Mousley KC adjourned the case for a four-week trial to start on June 26 with a further case management hearing to be held on February 8.

He told the defendant: I have fixed a timetable for your case now and the trial date has been fixed to start on June 26.

There will be a hearing before that on February 8 which you will be required to attend.

In the meantime, at least, you will remain in custody.

Wiltshire Police said in a statement released when the defendant was charged: Hongchi Xiao, 60, of Cloudbreak, California, returned to the United Kingdom from Australia on an extradition warrant and has been taken to Gablecross custody (unit) in Swindon where he was charged.

This relates to the death of Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, at Cleeve House in Seend in October 2016.

Mrs Carr-Gomm, who was born in France and moved to the UK aged 21, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1999 and struggled to inject insulin due to a fear of needles.

Speaking after her death, her son Matthew Carr-Gomm, who lives in New Zealand, said: She was always keen to try and find alternative methods of treating and dealing with her diabetes and was very interested in alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.

I know she was desperate to try and cure herself of this disease.

She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was adamant that nothing would stop her from living a full life.

In recent years, mum was in a great place with a partner, a lovely home, and was travelling the world.

She had a lot of life left in her.

He said the death of Mrs Carr-Gomm had come as a huge shock to the family.
He was due to give evidence against her to the committee

Counsel for the nurse said there are 'inconsistencies' in the way that the complaint was reported to Hiqa. Stock image

A nurses ex-partner reported her to gardai, Hiqa and to the nurses watchdog for taking disused pain medication from her workplace, a fitness to practice inquiry has heard.

A Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) fitness to practice committee heard how the registrant and her ex-partner were undergoing a highly acrimonious break-up when he lodged the complaints against her.

He was due to give evidence against her to the committee but was not called after the committee accepted an undertaking from the nurse to be censured.

The committee requested the registrant not to repeat the conduct subject of the complaint and to undergo courses in medication management and ethics within 12 months.

The committee heard the nurse who suffered ongoing pain from two caesarean sections, admitted taking anti-inflammatory medication

The registrant was accused of a single count that on one or more occasions between January 2010 and January 2019 she had taken medications, intended for residents from the nursing home for her personal use.

The committee heard the nurse who suffered ongoing pain from two caesarean sections, admitted taking anti-inflammatory medication but claimed she had permission from the then director of nursing.

The medication, one being ibuprofen and the other Difene, had been prescribed to a resident in the nursing home but had been discontinued. It was the nurses evidence it was common practice among nursing staff that when a residents medication had been discontinued it would be stored in a press in the office of the former director of nursing.

The committee heard that when this was put to the director of nursing she denied this was the case. However, counsel for the nurse said she would be calling a witness, a clinical nurse manager, who would back up the registrants evidence.

She said she took the medications after she had sought permission from the then director of nursing

The committee heard that following the breakdown of the relationship between the registrant and her ex-partner, he threatened to finish her. The nurse did not understand what the nature of the threat would be until she was called for a meeting with the new director of nursing at the nursing home in January 2019  two months after the relationship broke down.

At the meeting when the allegation was put to her she made immediate admissions. She said she took the medications after she had sought permission from the then director of nursing.

The committee heard the nurse signed a letter outlining the facts and said she would co-operate with any inquiries. She also wrote a letter of resignation. The committee heard that subsequent to her resignation, the Workplace Relations Committee (WRC) found she had been unfairly dismissed and had been induced into resigning. The committee heard the ex-partner then reported the same matter to Hiqa.

Counsel for the nurse said: There are inconsistencies in the way that the complaint was reported to Hiqa and the NMBI inquiry. The committee heard counsel for the nurse intended to challenge the alleged inconsistencies during the ex-partners cross-examination.

The medication was disused and was not actively prescribed for any patient

However, after the facts were outlined, the committee chose not to proceed with the hearing and accepted an undertaking from the registrant not to repeat actions which led to the complaint. The committee heard the former couple had two children together, both of whom were born by caesarean section.

As the nurse worked mainly night duty she found the labour-intensive nature of the work, which included standing almost all night, aggravated her surgical wound and her back. The committee heard that on one occasion she asked the former director of nursing if she could take something from the press for pain and was permitted. She took ibuprofen and Difene.

The committee heard the medication was disused and was not actively prescribed for any patient.

The nurse was horrified by any suggestion she would take medication from a patient which was actively prescribed

The patient it had been prescribed for did not suffer any loss or endure any pain as a result. The committee heard the nurse was horrified by any suggestion she would take medication from a patient which was actively prescribed. The committee also heard the registrant had worked at the nursing home for nine years and had never had any concerns raised over her professionalism.

However, since the complaint, she hasnt worked in nursing and now works in administration. The situation had greatly impacted her ability to support her children, the committee heard.

In a letter to the committee, the nurse said the complaint arose following a complex separation which was a volatile and difficult time for me.

The committee heard the ex-partner of the nurse also reported her to the gardai which saw her interviewed twice under caution.

The resulting investigation did not result in a prosecution but she accepted a caution.
Sherry was disarmed at the scene and was then fatally assaulted.

Tristan Sherry, and gardai at the scene of the attack at Brownes Steakhouse

Gardai investigating the murder of a gunman Tristan Sherry in a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve have made a second arrest.

Sherry (26), a father of one, was killed after opening fire inside Brownes Steakhouse in Blanchardstown on the night of Saturday, December 24.

A 47-year-old man was struck several times after Sherry opened fire with a sub-machine gun.

Tristan Sherry

Sherry was disarmed at the scene and was then fatally assaulted.

Confirming the arrest today, gardai said in a statement today: Gardai have arrested a male in relation to the investigation into the murder of Tristan Sherry that occurred at a premises on the Main Street in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 at approximately 8pm on Sunday, 24th December 2023.

Read more Man accused of Christmas Eve murder of Tristan Sherry further remanded in custody

He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in West Dublin.

The male is the second arrest made as part of this investigation.

Investigations are ongoing, the spokesperson added.

It is the second arrest in the murder investigation.

Michael Andrecut

Michael Andrecut (22), with an address at Sheephill Avenue, Dublin 15 appeared at Dublin District Court last Saturday charged in relation to the case.

He faces a single charge that he murdered Sherry on the evening of December 24.

Mr Andrecut appeared before judge Alan Mitchell via video-link at Cloverhill court yesterday.

He was further remanded in custody to appear again on January 16 for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions and the serving of a book of evidence.
MV Verila was found to be carrying the largest-ever recovered consignment of cocaine in Co Limerick - 21million of the drug

Drug detector dog Harley guards the 300kg illegal cocaine haul seized off a cargo ship at the Port of Foynes in Co Limerick (Pic: @gardainfo)

A cargo ship found to be carrying the largest-ever recovered consignment of cocaine in Co Limerick - 21million of the drug - on December 19 last, remains detained by authorities at Foynes Port.

The MV Verila bulk carrier sailed into Foynes 16 days ago and was subject to a search by Revenue Customs Services officers supported by Gardai.

A Revenue spokesman said that approximately 300kg of cocaine has been seized and removed from the vessel.

The vessel is detained by Revenue under section 33 of the Customs Act 2015.

The Revenue spokesman said that their investigations are continuing, in conjunction with An Garda Siochana.

Drug detector dog Harley guards the 300kg illegal cocaine haul seized off a cargo ship at the Port of Foynes in Co Limerick (Pic: @gardainfo)

Two of the ships crew, Bulgarian nationals, Kamen Petkov, (35), and Nikola Yordanov Penchev, (32), with addresses at care of the 20,000 tonne Maletese registered ship, are before the courts charged in connection with the massive cocaine seizure.

Both men originally appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court, amid tight security, on Christmas Eve last.

They are each charged with possession of cocaine contrary to Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977; and possession of cocaine for sale or supply, contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, at Foynes Port on December 19th, 2023.

Neither of the accused men replied when charged, the court heard.

Both were granted free legal aid after the court heard neither man had any financial means.

They have been remanded to appear before the court again via video-link, on January 9.

Four other men, aged 50, 46, 44, and 41, were arrested in connection with the investigation into the cocaine seizure and released without charge, pending Garda files to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged relevant countries to fully respect the fact that Hong Kong has already returned to China and abandon their colonial mentality.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a Hong Kong-related statement recently issued by countries including the United Kingdom and the United States in the name of "Media Freedom Coalition".

Noting this is a smear against press freedom in Hong Kong, an attack on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's legitimate law enforcement and a move to embolden those who are anti-China and engaged in destabilizing Hong Kong such as Jimmy Lai, Wang said China deplores and firmly rejects this so-called statement from a handful of countries in the name of "Media Freedom Coalition".

The cases of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden have already shown the world that the so-called "freedom of press" is just a tool some countries use to attack and smear others, Wang said.

"These countries care little about the freedom of press when their selfish interests are involved. They made irresponsible remarks on matters concerning Hong Kong in the name of freedom of press only because they are not happy that Hong Kong is prospering, and they still hope to keep their past privileges and influence in Hong Kong but to no avail," Wang said.

Wang said Hong Kong follows the rule of law, and all laws in Hong Kong must be observed and those who break the law must be held accountable.

"Since the national security law entered into effect in Hong Kong, Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive. The rule of law has been upheld and justice served. The lawful rights and freedoms including the freedom of press and freedom of speech of Hong Kong residents have been protected in a safe and stable environment under the rule of law," Wang said.

The spokesperson said that the number of international media outlets and journalists in Hong Kong has increased from before the national security law was introduced. "This is a fact that could not be denied by any unbiased person," he added.

"In recent years, over 100 countries spoke up in multilateral fora, including the third committee of UNGA and Human Rights Council, to voice their support for China in various ways on matters concerning Hong Kong. This fully shows that the world is not blind to the truth," Wang said.

"Any attempt to interfere in Hong Kong affairs in the name of the freedom of press is doomed to fail," he said. 
Images have gone viral on social media reportedly showing smashed glass strewn on the floor and damaged doors following the raid

Gardai in Dublin are investigating an aggravated burglary carried out by a gang on a home in Santry on New Years Eve.

The gang are believed to escaped with a sum of cash after breaking into the property while the family slept.

Images have gone viral on social media reportedly showing smashed glass strewn on the floor and damaged doors following the raid.

In a a statement, gardai confirmed they are investigating the incident.

Gardai are investigating an aggravated burglary that occurred on the 31st December 2023 in the Santry area at approximately 7.30pm.

A sum of cash was taken from the property.

No arrests have been made and no injuries have been reported.

Investigations are ongoing.

More than 9,000 Irish homeowners experienced a burglary in their homes during 2023.

According to most recent CSO crime figures, the national burglary rate for the last 12 months has decreased by 8pc, but some counties have experienced significant increases in the number of reported break-ins.

Sligo and Leitrim had the highest increase in the period from July 2022 to June 2023, compared to the previous 12 months, with a 25pc increase (162 burglaries) in that region.

Mayo had the second highest rate of increase at 17pc (153 burglaries), followed by Louth with an 11pc increase (347 burglaries).

Donegal's burglary rate also had a 9pc increase, with 146 burglaries.
Thai trafficker had hundreds of animals killed

Chumlong made millions for the Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking

Bungling burglars working for The Dead Zoo Gang were up against a bloodthirsty animal trafficker from Thailand in the scramble to cash in on the billion dollar black market for rhino horns.

While the Rathkeale-based gang targeted museums and auction houses all over Europe, the Thai man went straight to the source, killing dozens of the endangered species in South Africa.

Exploiting a loophole that allowed foreign tourists to shoot a single rhino for a trophy, Chumlong Lemtongthai paid young women to pretend to be big-game hunters.

Chumlong made millions for the Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking

A South African fixer identified only as J said in The Great Rhino Robbery documentary that Chumlong used young prostitutes to allow him to export the rhino horns.

The former soldier, who was struggling with debts, said he had never seen so much money in his life and told how the women posed with dead animals as if they had shot them.

However, J turned whistleblower and told the authorities of Chumlongs plans to gather another 50 white rhino horns.

Dead Zoo Gang on CCTV

When arrested as he made another trip to South Africa, Chumlongs laptop was found to contain commercial records and photographs recording the death of hundreds of animals.

Records revealed that during a six-month period, Chumlong paid $1,394,282.40 to a South African hunter carrying out the pseudo-hunts.

Chumlong was paying $6,500 per kilo for the horn, a tenth of the end-user price, so for that six-month period his rhino traffic alone was potentially worth a staggering $13.9 million.

Our Dead Zoo Gang story

He was working for Vixay Keosavang, a Laos national dubbed the Pablo Escobar of wildlife trafficking.

He was trading up to 10 tons of wildlife every week and making more than half a million dollars a week through his business.

This included dead snakes, tigers, bears, dogs, elephant ivory, pangolin scales, rhino horn and lizards  all of which went to the medicine, food, clothing and craft industries.

Chumlong got a 40-year sentence in South Africa despite a plea-deal, which was later reduced to six years on appeal.

His boss, however, who was outed as a wildlife trafficker, has never been prosecuted.

Dead Zoo Gang on CCTV

The series also details how the Irish Dead Zoo Gang were quickly seen as suspects for a Stg52 million robbery of jade artefacts from a museum in Durham.

Irelands man in Europol at the time, John Reid, said he immediately got on to his UK colleagues to inform them of his suspicions, which turned out be true.
Fundamentally, it is, in my mind, an act of terrorism

The fire at the premises that was formerly the Shipwright pub in Ringsend, Dublin

Labour Justice Spokesperson Aodhan O Riordain has described the fire at the former Shipwright pub in Ringsend as terrorism.

Gardai say they are investigating what they described as an incident of criminal damage at the premises on Thorncastle Street Dublin 4 on December 31.

Deputy O Riordain spoke today on Newstalk Breakfast about the incident.

Fundamentally, it is, in my mind, an act of terrorism, he said.

Fundamentally, we do now have a set of people who feel its a legitimate form of political action to set places on fire.

Nothing can exonerate or give context to somebody or a group setting fire to something.

I just want to really emphasise the seriousness of this... theyre going to kill someone.

The politicians comments come after another recent case of suspected arson in Galway in December. A blaze took place at a disused hotel in Rosscahill, where 70 asylum seekers were due to be accommodated.

Mr O Riordain said that the public needs to better informed about what is taking place in the country, in order to prevent further dramatic incidents.

What were saying in the Labour Party is we need to be armed with information so that we can deal with concerns constituents may have and misinformation.

The fire at the premises that was formerly the Shipwright pub in Ringsend, Dublin

Misinformation goes around, and people decide a certain site is going to be housing whatever number of asylum seekers but its completely untrue.

I think it would be of benefit if you are trying to diffuse a situation or give constituents information.

Its not a veto, its not a consultation  it's just information, Deputy O Riordain added.

Meanwhile, the author of book The Making a Detective, ex-detective Pat Marry, said anti-immigrant sentiment is something gardai are informed about and that extra security may be required for buildings in the future.

"Theres a huge awareness now that premises earmarked for renovation to house homeless people - or indeed look after people coming into the country - are premises that are going to be targeted by activists against immigration.

Its a problem for Government and a societal problem. These premises will have to be secured in the process of renovating them, he said.

The majority of Irish people think increased migration has put pressure on housing supply, health, and other public services, according to the results of last years Red C survey for The Business Post.

In a poll of 1,000 voters, some 75% of those polled agreed with the statement I think the number of refugees Ireland is taking in is now too many, while 19% disagreed with the statement.
Investigations are ongoing.

Gardai seized more than 80,000 in cash

Gardai have arrested a man on money laundering offences after finding more than 80,000 at a property in Co Dublin.

The Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT) carried out a search of a residence in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 earlier this morning, Wednesday 3 January, with assistance from the Detective Units in Blanchardstown and Finglas Garda Stations.

More than 80,000 in cash was seized alongside small sums of Albanian Lek and British pounds.

A man in his 50s was arrested for money laundering offences and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Dublin.

Investigations are ongoing.
During the shooting a 48-year-old man was struck in the head and seriously injure

Gardai have arrested a teenager in relation to the alleged murder of a gangland gunman who shot up a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve.

Tristan Sherry (26) died after opening fire with a sub-machine gun inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown shortly after 8pm on December 24.

During the shooting a 48-year-old man was struck in the head and seriously injured before being brought to James Connolly Memorial Hospital. The victim's condition has deteriorated in recent days and he has been moved to another hospital in the capital as a result.

After the shooting Sherry was disarmed by associates of the gun victim and killed. One man has already been charged in connection with his death.

Today detectives made a second arrest as part of the investigation which is being assisted by members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

An 18-year-old man was arrested in relation to the alleged murder and is currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

He can be held for up to 24 hours before he must either be charged or released from custody pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

A garda spokesperson said: "Gardai have arrested a male in relation to the investigation into the murder of Tristan Sherry that occurred at a premises on the Main Street in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 at approximately 8pm on Sunday, 24th December 2023.

"He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in West Dublin.

"The male is the second arrest made as part of this investigation."

Funeral details for Tristan Sherry have yet to be announced with a detailed security operation expected for the event.

The Christmas Eve gun attack made international headlines and more arrests are expected as part of the garda investigation into it.

There has also been an increase in armed garda patrols in the locality because of concerns of revenge attacks.

Sources said machine-gun wielding attacker Tristan Sherry had been the target of a series of attacks over the past year.

A gangland criminal who was a known associate of the criminal nicknamed Mr. Flashy, the 26-year-old was said to have been set upon by a gang during an incident in Blanchardstown earlier this year and stabbed multiple times with one source describing him as having been butchered.

On another occasion, it was alleged a car was reversed into a property where he was staying while another property housing a relative was set ablaze.

Detectives believe the shooting is linked to a dispute between two criminal gangs in west Dublin and that close associates of the 48-year-old gun victim were the primary targets.
The minister said fake news stories about him asking his garda driver to drive his bicycle to Limerick were posted online.

Green party leader Eamon Ryan said he had no evidence that Russia is a threat to Irelands renewable energy supply (Niall Carson/PA)

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has criticised misinformation spread about him and toxic comments made by TDs about his climate action policies.

Mr Ryan said a number of stories had been spread as gospel online about him that were categorically untrue.

Speaking at a media briefing in the Department of the Environment office before Christmas, the minister said fake news stories about him asking his garda driver to drive his bicycle to Limerick were posted online.

He also said another story spread online stated that he was responsible for a business owner losing their bicycle franchise.

It was absolutely accepted as gospel, Mr Ryan said, before adding that the stories were complete and utter nonsense.

There is an issue at the moment in the disinformation, he said.

The Green Party leader said it was hard to know what was true and what was incorrect in the viral world.

Im not going on Twitter and fighting away and battling back against that.

I think you have to invest in good-quality journalism as the antidote to it, but that is a problem like the disinformation and the kind of conspiracy theories that are out there is a real part of the thing we have to challenge, he added.

Mr Ryan said he would not point fingers at any particular TDs but said there was really toxic commentary in the Dail about climate issues.

Thats not reflective of how Irish people are.

I fear it could become so if it continues to dominate, but so you have to counteract that, but I dont think we start out by pointing the finger at other politicians. That wouldnt be our style, he said.

Mr Ryan was forced to issue a statement last year when Limerick TD Richard ODonoghue claimed in the Dail he had used his state car to have his bicycle brought to the county.

In his statement, Mr Ryan pointed out that at the time he did not have a state car.

Separately, the website Gript had to delete a story and issue an apology to Mr Ryan after it inaccurately claimed the ministers nephew won a contract for a bicycle hire business in Offaly.

In the Dail, Mr Ryan has regularly clashed with rural TDs over his climate-action policies.
Fr Eamonn OGorman told how Mr Hollands wife died in May 2022 following a battle with cancer.

Tributes have been pouring in for an Irishman who died in a swimming tragedy while on holiday in Australia.

John Holland (63) from Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, got into difficulty while sea swimming on New Years Day in Melbourne.

Ballyragget Parish Priest, Fr Eamonn OGorman, said Mr Holland was on holiday in Australia with a friend, visiting his daughter who had recently moved there.

Mr Holland was a well-known member of the community and operated a grain business in the village.

Speaking to Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One this morning, Fr OGorman said his death marked a great loss for his family and the local community in Kilkenny.

Both his daughter and the paramedics at the scene tried to help Mr Holland, Fr OGorman said.

"The paramedics tried to work on him for a good while and the result was that he had died which was very, very sad for the family and many, many friends and parishioners here and around the country. He really had lots of friends in many different places.

Fr OGorman told how Mr Hollands wife died in May 2022 following a battle with cancer.

"I got to know him and Marie very, very well and the family very well through that time and the friendship remained and he was so saddened in his bereavement and continued on, he said.

They remained friends, having lunch together just two days before Mr Holland left for Australia. He described him as a man of faith.

"Half-past six every morning, hed be there at the church, lighting a candle and saying his prayers.

"Its just so hard to see, really, for the whole community and for the family particularly for their great loss and the loss of the community here in Ballyragget as well.

Fr OGorman said the post-mortem has taken place and plans will be made for the repatriation of his remains.

"Were looking through and having the chat about the places he visited and he seemed extremely happy. He sent me and others  just counting up the number of photographs from Australia  132 between video clips and photos, he said.

Fr OGorman said his friend was a great man to send photos of his travels but, instead of welcoming him home from his trip, they must instead make arrangements for his funeral.

"Its very, very sad indeed.

Mr Holland is deeply regretted by his heartbroken family, son John, daughters Emma and Kate, sister Mai, Johns fiancee Deirdre Phelan and Kates fiance Kevin Kelly, grandchildren Andy and Nell, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and a wide circle of friends, a notice on RIP.ie said.

Predeceased by his loving wife Marie. May John rest in peace.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the case and providing consular assistance.

"As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of individual cases," a spokesperson said.
Ask Amber Carpenter about dairy farming and youll hear the passion in her voice as she answers.

The South Auckland dairy farmer and Dairy Environment Leaders chair says the sector is incredible, thanks to the opportunities it offers and the people in it.

Farmers always have time to help others, they share ideas and give advice, and you know people are there for you should you need them. It's great to be part of such a positive and engaging sector.

Its quite the endorsement for the sector, and theres plenty more where that came from  Amber was introduced to the sector 17 years ago and says it was love at first sight.

The opportunities are amazing and the people are incredible. They all look after each other and the land and animals. Farmers generally put themselves last.

Farming, Amber says, also offers a great lifestyle and the chance to be at home with the kids. She and husband Fraser have two children  Oliver, six and Noah, three.

She came into farming from a career in corporate fashion. Amber worked for Karen Walker and as a buyer for Farmers Trading Company, among other roles. In 2007 she met Fraser at a 21st birthday party and added part-time farmer to her full-time commitments.

Fast-forward to 2018. Amber was working as a national merchandising manager for Cotton On NZ and had just given birth to Oliver when she committed to farming full-time.

She and Fraser had been equal partners in the sharemilking business they started in 2015  theyre now in their ninth season  and Amber was helping on-farm on weekends or doing the books at night when she got home from town or overseas.

We realised we needed to make a choice  urban life following my career, or rural life following Frasers. Its obvious which path we took, she laughs.

But exchanging high heels for gumboots wasnt easy for Amber: it was one of the hardest transitions shes faced.

I knew it was the right decision, but it wasnt an easy process. I didnt expect to mourn the loss of my old career. It was a big part of who I was, so I suppose I felt like Id lost part of myself. I was constantly worried I wouldnt be welcomed or be told I didnt belong.

The sector welcomed her, though, and she doesnt regret the move for a minute.

Im so grateful we followed our hearts to stay farming and bring our kids up in a rural community.

Shes certainly made an impact across the sector. Amber was appointed chair of DairyNZs Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) network in June 2023, charged with leading other environmentally minded farmers into a sustainable future.

The role appealed, she says, because shes passionate about making a difference and driving change for a better future.

Im aware I am filling very large shoes from the amazing work previous chairs, including Martin Bennett, Tracy Brown and Melissa Slattery, have achieved. Continuing to build on their work is important.

The DEL group involves 400 dairy farmer members nationwide who collaborate with other dairy farmers, communities, and decision-makers to drive positive on-farm environmental progress.

DELs also share with the wider community the great work dairy farmers have been doing nationwide, such as planting, fencing off waterways and creating wetlands to reduce nutrient losses and provide a habitat for native plants and animals.

The dairy sector is committed to improving the environment and DELs vision of a sustainable future aligns with Ambers values.

She and Fraser are dedicated to caring for the land  their goal is to leave the land better than they found it for future generations. They have a plan every season to lower their environmental footprint, such as reducing nitrogen and fertiliser inputs and imported feed.

As sharemilkers we work with what is in our control, says Amber. Understanding our numbers is key, and working with farm owners who value environmental sustainability is important to us.

"We appreciate working with previous and current farm owners on farm environment plans and being involved in the conversations when it comes to planting and fencing off wetlands.

I want to be a part of DEL to help us on this journey, to have the opportunity to connect with like-minded people to share ideas, hear different viewpoints, collaborate and make a positive impact, whether it is on our own farm or in the community, she says.

All the small changes each day and each season help us make a bigger overall impact.

Although we have many challenges ahead of us, there are also so many opportunities. I think the future of the dairy sector is exciting and bright.
The year 2023 was one dominated by extreme weather and where impactful events were unfortunately never far from our minds or our skies.

During the year, MetService issued over 300 Severe Weather Warnings across 61 events  a typical number for any given year.

"Not typical was that for five of these events Red Severe Weather Warnings were issued - with four of them happening in the first half of the year, which played a large part in a few of our weather stations breaking their wettest year record," says a MetService spokesperson.

The year kicked off with a number of tropical deluges, the most notable of which was Cyclone Hale.

A State of Emergency was declared for Tairawhiti/Gisborne from January 10 to 20 in response to the impacts it resulted in. Gisborne Airport recorded 252 mm of rainfall, the wettest January since records began there in 1937.



A street in Gisborne following a storm in 2023. Photo: File.

The last week of January had a sting in the tail, with one of Aucklands most extreme weather events on record.

A State of Emergency was declared over the Auckland Anniversary Weekend, following widespread flooding across the region.

Auckland Airport recorded 419.6 mm of rain over the event, six times its average January rainfall, making January 2023 the wettest month for the station since records began in 1962. One 24-hour period of the event saw 245 mm of rainfall, the wettest day on record for the station.



Northland and Waikato were also placed under States of Emergency during this event, due to heavy rain around the end of the month.

The Coromandel Peninsula also saw significant impacts, where Whitianga Airport recorded 522.6 mm of rain  its wettest January on record as well.



February



Cyclone Gabrielle - February 12 to 15 - was one of New Zealands worst storms in recent memory.

Following a record-breaking wet January, impacts were catastrophic, widespread, and devastating across the northern and eastern North Island.

Tragically, 11 people lost their lives and countless homes and livelihoods where destroyed.



A nationwide State of Emergency was declared on February 14, as Cyclone Gabrielle lashed the North Island  only the third time such a declaration has been made in New Zealands history and the first for a weather event.



Karekare. Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo: David White/Stuff.

Aside from Gabrielle, downpours affected the upper North Island on multiple occasions in February.

A particularly active thunderstorm day on February 24 saw 79 mm fall in one hour, producing further flooding in north Auckland. Another thunderstorm also brought a tornado to Waihi early on February 25.



In contrast, the lower South Island experienced an extremely hot, sunny, and dry February, until a rain maker brought some drought relief from February 21 to 22, followed by an unseasonable cold change that brought summertime snow to the southern ski fields.



March



The final week of March saw an unseasonably early cold snap, which brought sub-zero temperatures to much of the South Island.

This was accompanied by early snowfalls, where parts of Otago and the Canterbury High Country saw measurable snow accumulation, reminding New Zealanders that a change in season is just around the corner.



April



Subtropical lows dominated weather maps during April and brought further northeasterly rain to the upper North Island.

In addition, the general prevailing synoptic weather pattern resulted in recurrent heavy rainfall events for western regions of the country.



A northeasterly flow also brought unusually mild conditions, with temperatures regularly exceeded the April average, including notably mild overnight temperatures.



May



This was another wet month in Auckland, which saw its wettest May on record with 271 mm of rain.

Kerikeri saw 378 mm, the wettest May there since records started in 1978. Kaikohe received a remarkable 585 mm of rain, four times its May normal, its wettest May since observations began in 1956.



A significant part of these totals occurred during the first two weeks. Particularly, on May 9, thunderstorms lashed the upper North Island, delivering torrential falls of 40-50 mm/h from Northland to Waikato and Bay of Plenty. A local State of Emergency was declared in Auckland.



Frequent northerly rainfall events also brought 490 mm of rain to Hokitika, double their May average.



June



A Red Rain Warning was issued on June 22 for Tairawhiti/Gisborne during a week-long rain event, culminating in over 400 mm of rain about the ranges.

Hawkes Bay flooding in early 2023. Photo: Hawkes Bay District Council.

Auckland remained wet through the month, officially eclipsing their average yearly rainfall of 1118.9 mm with 1135 mm of rainfall at the airport in the first 6 months of the year.



In the South Island, parts of Otago experienced persistent freezing fog for days on end.



July



Northeasterly rain events from lows in the north Tasman Sea became less commonplace and were replaced by a more normal west to southwest flow across the country.

Despite this change, a couple of lows from the north still occurred, bringing about slips from heavy rain in the Coromandel Peninsula, Tairawhiti/Gisborne, and flooding in Canterbury.



August



Weather patterns during the final month of winter were characteristic of a developing El Nino.

Auckland experienced its coldest month in over a decade, while the North Island ski fields saw frequent top-ups of snow, leading to the best conditions in recent years.



Not to be outdone, the South Island also saw below average temperatures, with Nelson recording its coldest month since 2004.



September



Severe gales returned to our shores, most notably on September 17 when Wellington saw damaging winds gusting 130-165 km/hr  the strongest gusts recorded there in over a decade.



Extreme precipitation affected the south of the country September 21 to 22, with a State of Emergency declared in the Gore District and Queenstown due to significant flooding.

During this event, heavy snowfall also occurred in the high country of inland Canterbury, Central Otago, and the Queenstown Lakes. It was the fourth wettest September on record for both Queenstown and Invercargill, and the 2nd wettest September on record for Wanaka.



A line of thunderstorms affected the Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti/Gisborne regions late in the month, bringing heavy rain. This led to the wettest September on record for Whakatane.



October



October saw Southern Ocean fronts frequently move across the South Island. These fronts brought about numerous strong wind events, with damaging northwesterlies on election day warranting a Red Wind Warning in Canterbury.



To end the month, an out-of-season Tropical Cyclone (Lola) formed, rapidly weakening as it approached our shores.

The remnants of this system brought heavy rainfall and severe easterly gales from Northland to Coromandel Peninsula, Tairawhiti/Gisborne, and Hawkes Bay.



November



It was another very wet month for the storm-battered regions of Tairawhiti/Gisborne and Hawkes Bay; Gisborne Airport saw its 3rd wettest November on record.

Wetter than normal conditions were also observed from the Bay of Plenty to the Wairarapa, and in exposed pockets around southern Canterbury.



Conversely, the majority of the South Island had a drier than normal November.



December



Christchurchs daily maximum temperatures tells a good story of the changeability that was present along the east coast of the South Island during December.

Christchurch Airport had a maximum temperature of 16.2C on the 1st  up to 28.5C on December 3 and back down to 12.2C on the 4th with a few more similar temperature yo-yos before months end.



A Severe Thunderstorm passed over Wellington on December 12 on an intense southerly change, bringing a burst of heavy rain, a smothering of hail, and even damaging winds (~140 km per hour) through Petone and Lower Hutt.

A slip along State Highway 25 in Coromandel. Photo: Supplied.

Not surprisingly, the year closed with Auckland, Gisborne, and Napier breaking their station yearly rainfall records.



MetService acknowledges the resilience of New Zealand communities in the face of these diverse challenges.

"As we turn the page to 2024, our commitment to providing accurate and timely weather forecasts remains steadfast. MetService operates 24/7, every day of the year, ensuring that New Zealanders stay informed and safe in the face of whatever weather may come."
Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) has released its 2023 National Beach and Coastal Safety Report, revealing a distressing toll of 46 fatal drownings along the coastline between June 2022 and June 2023.

This brings the ten-year total to 424 fatalities, a figure that should be considered a national tragedy," says SLSNZ Head of Coastal Safety and Research Adam Wooler.

"Each loss of life leaves families and communities shattered and highlights our collective responsibility to address this crisis.

The report documents incidents along New Zealands coastline, shedding light on participation trends, behaviours, and perceptions.

This year it highlighted a concerning disparity: New Zealands per capita fatal drowning rate over the past decade is more than double that of Australias.

Adam is stressing urgent need for effective strategies.

While our island nations beaches are beloved playgrounds, theres no justification for our drowning rate to exceed Australias. We must invest in the right areas and empower beachgoers with the right tools to make informed and safe choices.

While the report itself doesnt provide answers, it serves as a critical resource, highlighting issues and guiding potential solutions.

Consistent with previous years, the 2023 National Beach and Coastal Safety Report found Auckland had the highest number of fatalities, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty.

Adam says SLSNZ and Auckland Council are trying to change this narrative.

One of the biggest challenges is encouraging beachgoers to swim between the red and yellow flags, which is proven to be the safest place to swim.

"In 2018 we started working with Auckland Council to develop safeswim.org.nz which provides essential and up-to-date information on lifeguarded beaches, patrol times, safety messages, and warnings.

"Our aim is to have every beach in New Zealand on this platform but that can only be done with help from all Councils.

During the past year, the report found fatal drownings predominantly occurred during swimming/wading (26 per cent) and swimming at surf beaches posed the greatest risk (37 per cent).

It also found rip currents remained the main hazard.

Most New Zealanders know that rip currents are dangerous however research has found it is extremely difficult for people to identify them when standing on the beach," says Adam.

"SLSNZ is working with NIWA to develop AI technology which would help with this. Were also collaborating with the University of Plymouth in the UK to develop a rip current hazard prediction model to warn people when rips are going to be at their most dangerous.

The report found January was the deadliest month, coinciding with warmer weather and summer holidays.

During this busy period, SLSNZ has over 4,500 surf lifeguards from 74 Surf Life Saving Clubs patrol 92 locations around the country.

"Its a massive undertaking, especially for a charity, but its critical to ensuring beachgoers return home safely to their friends and whanau.

Between June 2022 and June 2023 surf lifeguards rescued 1,574 people, performed 31,503 preventative actions to stop people getting into life threatening situations, and carried out 1,226 first aids.

Already this season, surf lifeguards have spent over 50,600 hours on patrol, theyve rescued 73 people, performed over 5,400 preventative actions, and carried out over 300 first aids.

With January, traditionally the deadliest month, still ahead, SLSNZ is urging everyone to visit safeswim.org.nz to find a lifeguarded beach, and swim between the red and yellow flags. However, Adam says more needs to be done and it needs to be come from the top-down.

Were calling for greater investment towards a long-term, evidence-based national beach and coastal safety strategy, driven by the Government. Its only then can we reverse the upward trend in fatal drownings.

For the full report, click here.
TOKYO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Airlines were forced to cancel over 300 flights following the collision between a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday evening.

The crash forced the airport to shut down all runways for several hours on Tuesday evening, leading to cancellations of 226 flights to and from Haneda, affecting over 40,000 passengers.

Despite the reopening of three runways on Wednesday, about 100 flights are still expected to be scrubbed on the day, disrupting the travel plans of 19,000 passengers.

At around 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Japan Airlines (JAL) Flight 516, an Airbus A-350 that had flown from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido Prefecture was landing on Haneda's C-runway when the Coast Guard flight MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8, collided with it, with both aircraft catching fire.

Television footage on Tuesday showed a large burst of fire erupting from the side of the JAL plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire. The footage seen an hour later showed the blaze engulfed the aircraft.

Five of the six crew members aboard the MA-722 were confirmed dead, while the captain who managed to escape earlier was severely injured.

The Coast Guard plane, which belongs to the Haneda Airport base, was taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas in Niigata Prefecture after a series of temblors of up to 7.6 magnitude struck central Japan on Monday afternoon, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima.

Meanwhile, all 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board the JAL flight escaped from the airplane while it was on fire without life-threatening injuries after the collision.

The Tokyo Fire Department said it took more than eight hours to extinguish the fire following the crash.

A Haneda air traffic controller had permitted the passenger plane to land on a runway before the crash took place, and had ordered the coast guard aircraft to "hold short of the runway," national broadcaster NHK reported, citing sources with Japan's transport ministry.

The Japan Transport Safety Board, the government-affiliated agency in charge of probing serious accidents involving airplanes, trains and ships, on Wednesday started investigating the cause of the accident and examining the aircraft wreckage. 
Day, night and in the wee hours of the morning, Makere Sargent is one of PlunketLines registered nurses with a listening ear wholl be on the end of the line this summer holiday period, ready to support parents and caregivers of tamariki under-five across the country.

PlunketLine nurses are a free phone call away 24 hours a day, seven days a week..

Anyone with questions or worries about pepi and tamariki under-five can call Whanau Awhina Plunkets free 24/7 helpline 0800 933 922.

We are here to listen and support whanau with any questions or concerns about pepi or tamariki and we can advise when they should see a GP or go to hospital too.

Mother of six, PlunketLine Nurse Makere Sargent says Christmas is a great time to catch up with whanau and friends, and she has a few tips for travelling with tamariki.

If youre heading away from home, make sure you have a plan for where pepi will sleep and everything they need. Pack snacks for long trips and take regular breaks.

This summer is forecast to be a hot one. Your pepi or child may struggle with the heat so its important that they drink often. Stay out of the sun, find shade outside wherever possible and remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap.

Wherever you go in Aotearoa New Zealand, PlunketLine is there to support you. You dont need to be enrolled with Whanau Awhina Plunket to call PlunketLine, just pick up the phone, calls are free even from your mobile, says Makere.

This year PlunketLine handled more than 96,000 calls, provided more than 1,000 free one-on-one video calls with breastfeeding lactation specialists plus started providing free one-on-one video chat sleep support for whanau needing a little extra help settling pepi.

Call PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 for 24/7 advice and information on parenting issues and your childs health and wellbeing or to book a one-on-one video consult for breastfeeding or sleep support.

About Whanau Awhina Plunket

Pepi, tamariki and whanau are at the heart of Whanau Awhina Plunket. The charity is New Zealands largest health and wellbeing support service for tamariki  seeing around 290,000 under-fives. About 80 per cent of newborns are enrolled with Whanau Awhina Plunket each year.

Plunket nurses provide clinical assessments, and along with Kaiawhina and Community Karitane, support whanau and families, through home and clinic visits, as well as PlunketLine 0800 933 922, a free 24/7 telephone advice service for parents.

The website plunket.org.nz is one of the countrys most widely read digital child health resources, with 1.8 million visits each year. It is available data-free through the Zero Data portal at zero.govt.nz, and you can choose to view it in English or te reo Maori.
Europa Press Malaga Wednesday, 3 January 2024, 09:51 Compartir Copiar enlace

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The arrival of Three Kings delivering presents in Spain this week will be accompanied in the Andalucia region with cloudy skies, but without significant rainfall. However, it will be cold with minimum temperatures down to 3C and the wind will blow, according to the forecast of state weather agency (Aemet).

Aemet's representative for Andalucia, Ceuta and Melilla, Juan de Dios del Pino, said that today (Wednesday, 3 January) there will be an Atlantic storm that will leave a cold front over the Spanish mainland, bringing a little rain, and will reach the Andalucia region in the afternoon, affecting the provinces of Huelva, Seville and Cordoba.

Once this cloudy band has passed, Del Pino has pointed to a second front that will likely arrive on Thursday and "could leave rain, especially from midday onwards, in Seville, Cordoba and Huelva provinces", most likely from seven or eight o'clock in the evening. The wind will blow from midday onwards.

On Friday, the day of the Three Kings parades in many parts of Andalucia, "it will be a cold and windy day", said the Aemet spokesperson. Therefore, on 5 January, maximum temperatures could reach 15C with minimum temperatures around seven degrees.

As for rainfall, "there is a probability of rain in the mountains of Jaen, Granada and Grazalema (Cadiz province), and it could even reach the southern mountains of Seville province", but this "will not be very significant". In addition, there may be snow in the Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Cazorla areas.

However, the cold "will be more accentuated" on Saturday, a day with clear skies in which both daytime and nighttime temperatures "will continue to fall" and will be around 12 or 13C maximum and three degrees minimum. The rest of the weekend will remain clear and with low temperatures, which will stabilise on Sunday.
One of the many doctors' rallies this year in response to the attacks

Ivan Gelibter Malaga Wednesday, 3 January 2024, 16:09 Compartir Copiar enlace

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Assaults on doctors have almost doubled in just one year in Malaga, and its mainly female medics who have been affected, according to new figures.

A total of 38 assaults were recorded in 2023, compared to 22 in the previous year, according to data from the College of Doctors. It is the second worst figure since the professional association started recording annual assaults, which was in 2019 when 45 incidents occurred.

Of the 38 assaults, 30 were against women, according to the data. A total of 31 victims suffered psychological trauma; the rest suffered physical injuries. Four medics took sick leave following assaults. All of the assaults happened in the public health system, according to the College of Doctors. Men aged 35 and over were responsible for 22 of the 38 attacks, the data showed.

However, data from the Medical Union, recorded 29 assaults in 2023, compared to the 14 recorded the year prior. But this only accounted for assaults that occurred between January to November, and not the three attacks that happened in December.

Solutions

Secretary of the medical association and psychiatrist, Dr Jose Miguel Pena Andreu, said the figure is only "the tip of the iceberg". "The number of assaults is increasing and it is to be expected that they will continue to grow," Andreu said.

"The College is using promotional campaigns, it has lawyers on call... and word of mouth is being very effective. Instead of going to the police (or only to the police) they are now coming to the College to report attacks," he added.

"There is a general problem with the crisis in the health system. Among the incidents causing violence, one of the most frequent is the time it takes to receive care, which is increasing because of the crisis," Andreu pointed out. He said improving access to healthcare and reducing waiting times would improve the situation.
Cristina Vallejo Malaga Wednesday, 3 January 2024, 16:34 Compartir Copiar enlace

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Malaga was the fourth-place province in Spain for the creation of new jobs in 2023, latest official figures show. It registered an increase of 22,339 contributors to the Social Security system which represents an increase of 3.34%, to 690,563 - although Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia were all well ahead.

In Spain, the country as a whole experienced a 2.66% increase in employment, with 539,740 new jobs. The figures for Andalucia also lagged behind those of Malaga, with just a 2% increase and 64,358 new jobs.

Economic analyst at Unicaja Banco Group Felisa Becerra said the data is positive for Malaga province as the increase in employment is above the Spanish average. But Social Security records for the last month are not so positive, with 2,662 people falling into unemployment in Malaga province. It is the third largest decline in Spain by province.

More unemployed women than men in the province

By gender, although 60% of the total number of unemployed people in Malaga are women (almost 79,000, compared to 52,122 men), the number of jobless women fell by 3,180 over the course of 2023, compared to a fall of 2,181 in the number of unemployed men. In December, the number of unemployed women fell by 1,406, compared to a decrease of 126 in the number of unemployed men, the latest figures showed.

The number of unemployed people decreased in all but one sector last December, construction, where 266 people lost their jobs. The services sector was the best performer, where 1,355 people lost their jobs, but 95,000 people found work.
Irene Quirante Malaga Wednesday, 3 January 2024, 13:04 Compartir Copiar enlace

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Two men claim they were gagged, beaten and threatened at gunpoint during an alleged kidnapping ordeal that lasted 15 hours in Mijas on the Costa del Sol.

The two Columbian victims reported the crime immediately after it happened and turned up at the Guardia Civil station in Mijas with bruises and wounds on their faces and bodies. They told police they were kidnapped from their rented home by their own flatmate, a man of Spanish nationality and Moroccan origin. He allegedly acted with three other men from Colombia.

According to the victims, they were assaulted in their house and then bound hand and foot. The attackers allegedly started to beat them and threatened to shoot them. The abuse lasted for 15 hours until they allegedly fled with 2,100 pounds sterling, equivalent to about 2,400 euros. The attackers thought the two men had money, but they did not. When they realised that violence and intimidation were no longer working, they released them, according to investigators.

One arrest made

It took police about five hours to locate the roommate who was allegedly involved in the kidnapping. He was arrested at another address in Mijas.

Police raided the property and found the firearm allegedly used to threaten the victims, as well as their passports, which had been stolen by the alleged kidnappers. The investigation is still ongoing to find the other three alleged kidnappers.
Almudena Nogues Malaga Wednesday, 3 January 2024, 14:00 Compartir Copiar enlace

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Malaga is experiencing changing weather patterns and contrasts this week. After several days with thermometers soaring to unseasonable highs (such the 23C degrees this Wednesday), people in the province are looking to the sky in the hope that the successive fronts that will cross the country in the next couple of days will bring an early Epiphany gift: the long-awaited rains.

According to the forecast of Spain's state weather agency (Aemet), at the moment, the probability of rain is 100 per cent in Estepona, inland towns such as Ronda or Antequera and areas on the eastern strip of the Costa del Sol, such as Rincon de la Victoria and Velez-Malaga.

The question is, when? According to Aemet, the greatest chance of needing to open an umbrella will come from 6pm tomorrow (Thursday, 4 January) and will last until 12 noon on Friday. In Malaga city there is a 95 per cent chance of showers from 6pm on Thursday until the early hours of Friday morning, when it will drop to 55 per cent. From midday on the 5th the chance of rain disappears and is now 0%.

Therefore, on Friday, the Three Kings parades in the province should be rain-free but will be cold and windy. At the moment, Aemet forecasts that the mercury will not exceed 18C in Malaga city on 5 January. However, the real drop will be felt on Epiphany, when maximum temperatures of 15C and minimum of 9 degrees are expected in the city. In addition, from tomorrow, wind gusts of up to 30 kilometres per hour are expected in the province.

At the national level, this Wednesday the Atlantic cold front that entered the Spanish mainland yesterday through Galicia will advance to the southeast, which will leave rain in the interior of the country without reaching the Mediterranean area.

On Thursday 4 the cold front of the previous days will continue to leave precipitation in the southern half of the mainland, more intense in western Andalucia and less likely in the extreme southeast. On the other hand, the entry of a new cold front from the northwest accompanied by blasts of polar air will lead to rain in the northwestern third, which will probably spread to the rest of the mainland and the Balearic Islands on Friday, January 5, according to Aemet.

Winds are expected to be predominantly south-westerly or westerly on Thursday, turning north-westerly on Friday, with very strong gusts in the lower Ebro, south-east of the Iberian Peninsula and north-west of Almeria.

Arctic air mass to mark the weekend

For the weekend, an arctic air mass is expected on Saturday 6 January (Epiphany), and Sunday 7 January. This weather phenomenon, which will result in a further drop in temperatures on both days, will be caused by an anticyclone over the British Isles and a storm in the Mediterranean Sea. Rainfall, according to Aemet, will be limited to the Cantabrian Sea and northeast Balearic Islands.

In the case of Malaga, the mercury will remain low during the first weekend of 2024, with values more typical of winter. Therefore, it will go from the 23C during the opening days of the year to the 15-18C maximum forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be around 9 degrees. The arctic air mass will be felt especially in inland areas such as Ronda and Antequera, where maximum temperatures of 10 to 12C and minimum temperatures of 0 degrees are expected.
TOKYO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out near one of the most popular restaurant districts in Kitakyushu city in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, with nearby residents urged to evacuate the area, public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday, citing local authorities.

Local fire department received multiple calls at around 15:10 local time saying that a building near the Torimachi Shokudo-gai caught fire, an area crowded with restaurants, NHK said.

Kono Ichiro, who witnessed the fire, said, "At first, only two houses were on fire and I thought the fire would be extinguished, but it looks like the entire Torimachi Shokudo-gai is on fire."

According to police, there are no reports of injuries so far, but they have asked nearby residents to evacuate.

As of 22:00 local time, about six and a half hours after the outbreak of the fire, firefighters are still working to extinguish the blaze, according to NHK.

Torimachi Shokudo-gai is said to be the first restaurant district built in Kitakyushu city after the war, according to NHK. 
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Dear Annie: Frequently, I read letters in your column from older people complaining that their children, grandchildren and others do not acknowledge gifts or send thank-you notes. I have another take on this. If someone doesnt thank another for a favor done or a gift given, maybe it is because he or she doesnt feel the emotion of gratitude. How sad. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you are important enough to another person for them to give you a gift or a special service. If they dont feel this, they are the ones who are the poorer for it. I have come to realize that the inability to feel gratitude is terribly impoverishing. Maybe gratitude is the modern secular equivalent of the Christian idea of grace. The gift-giver loves me despite my faults, just as Christians believe that God loves and forgives them despite their faults. -- Secular Grace

Dear Secular Grace: In response to your lovely letter, a quote: I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. -- G.K. Chesterton

How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner? is out now! Annie Lanes second anthology -- featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
Mexico, N.Y.  There is no indication of a homicide in the death of an Oswego County woman found dead in a creek last week, troopers said.

Homicide was ruled out in the death of Jordan Novak, 21, but the Onondaga County Medical Examiners Office is still waiting for toxicology results, according to Trooper Jack Keller, a spokesperson for the state police. Toxicology results may take several weeks to return.
The North American Manure Expo is coming to Central New York for the first time.

The 2024 North American Manure Expo (NAME) will be held July 17-18 at Patterson Farms in the Cayuga County town of Springport, N.Y., according to an official announcement. The event will be co-hosted by the Cornell University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences PRO-DAIRY program and the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils program.

According to its official website, the expo features education events, manure technology demonstrations and an industry trade show. Attendees include dairy, livestock and poultry producers; crop consultants and nutrient management specialists; compost managers; agricultural support industry; and professional manure handlers, applicators and brokers.

Patterson Farms, located about 35 miles west of Syracuse, jokingly invited vendors to join us at the Sh!t show in a Facebook post.

But really there will be great vendors and demos to check out! the farm added on a more serious note. Fantastic learning opportunities: How nutrients are utilized on farms to improve soil health, reduce runoff of nutrients and lower commercial fertilizer usage.

According to the NAME website, this will be the first time the manure expo is held in New York state. Past events were held in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Indiana, South Dakota, Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada; more than 900 people reportedly attended 2023s event at the University of Wisconsin  Madison Arlington Research Station.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ManureExpo or manureexpo.com.
By Michael Gartland, Tim Balk, Chris Sommerfeldt | New York Daily News

New York  Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday expressed support for strict limits Mayor Eric Adams has placed on asylum seeker-filled charter buses entering New York City  and called a workaround Texas has apparently used to send city-bound migrants to New Jersey frustrating.

Both she and Adams suggested in separate news briefings that municipalities in New Jersey now serving as drop-off points should consider their own rules to limit when the buses can arrive, with Adams saying those towns could issue executive orders similar to one he introduced last week.

Over the weekend, about a dozen migrant buses arrived in New Jersey, emptying their travelers onto city-bound trains. The arrivals are the latest in a deluge of buses  many of which have been directed north by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott  that has resulted in an estimated 160,000 migrants flowing into New York City since 2022.

The diverting of buses to New Jersey comes after the Adams administration introduced an executive order last week limiting migrant bus arrivals to 210-minute windows on weekday mornings, saying that allowing the buses to show up without warning at any time was injecting chaos into the citys processing of asylum seekers.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphys office declined to comment.

Everyone that has that train line that leads into the city, everyone in the municipalities around us  they should do the same (executive order), Adams said.

Were dealing with a person who just wants to disrupt, he continued in a reference to Abbott. This is not about raising attention on an issue. This is a mean-spirited way of using people and disrupting municipalities  Were dealing with a bully right now.

When asked whether hes exploring the possibility of using the NYPD to help enforce his executive order in New Jersey, Adams didnt deny it, saying that everything is on the table that is in conformity with the law.

A spokeswoman for Abbott, Haley Crow, said in a Tuesday statement that Texas is still only transporting migrants to the final destinations of DC, NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, and LA. She did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the New Jersey buses.

The citys new executive order has drawn criticism from some who say that rather than reducing the chaos, it has inflamed it, leaving aid groups in the dark about the flow of migrants that now could come in large groups on trains from the suburbs.

But Hochul, a political ally of Adams, said, I absolutely support what the mayor did  I thought it made sense.

She also seconded Adams call for New Jersey to follow his lead by issuing its own executive order.

It may be necessary for our neighboring states to do the same, Hochul, a moderate Democrat, said at her own Manhattan news conference. If the governor of Texas is going to spend his nights trying to thwart our rules in our city, then well find other ways to address it.

She said Adams is trying to just manage an extreme situation and called the number of migrants arriving in New York untenable and unsustainable  rhetoric similar to what Adams has been saying for months.

The migrant crisis has proven to put a huge strain on the citys budget. The citys unique right-to-shelter law, which requires the government to provide shelter to anyone who requests it within a proscribed time frame, appears to be pushing many of the migrants to head to the five boroughs.

Both the mayors office and the governors office have pushed to weaken that rule in Manhattan Supreme Court, an effort that has landed the parties in mediation with the Legal Aid Society.

Adams once again criticized the citys right-to-shelter decree Tuesday, saying such a policy is not being utilized for its original purpose.

Adams initially confused the citys right-to-shelter policy with its sanctuary city status  a policy that precludes the city from aiding the federal immigration officials in certain situations  during a TV interview Tuesday morning.

If I said sanctuary city, I want to be clear, Im talking about right to shelter, he said. We dont believe right to shelter should apply to a humanitarian crisis.

Adams chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, said that its that law  not the citys sanctuary city status  that Abbott has attempted to exploit amid a broader debate over U.S. immigration policy. She noted that Abbott has also bused migrants to other northern cities like Chicago and Denver that do not have right-to-shelter laws on the books.

I think theres an intentional conflating of terms, she said. Lets be clear. The state of Texas is purposefully sending thousands of migrants to cold locations who have no system or legal requirement to provide a right to shelter.

Texas has claimed to have bused more than 33,000 migrants to New York since the summer of 2022. It embarked upon the controversial busing effort, in part, to bring attention to an influx of crossings on the southwestern border.

Adams has responded by accusing Texas of mistreating the migrants and failing to communicate on its busing efforts with New York.

Abbotts office said last week that Texas had also sent more than 28,000 migrants to Chicago. The Illinois city, which like New York is led by a Democrat, has also limited when migrant buses can arrive.

In Chicago, buses are permitted to arrive from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. New York Citys window lasts from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The Big Apples order also requires that 32-hours notice be given before incoming busloads of migrants arrive within the five boroughs.

Zornberg said Tuesday that Abbotts efforts to circumvent those terms are bonkers and that so far not one bus from Texas has complied.

She added that the city will continue to explore every possible option when it comes to the current situation and that bus companies are exposing themselves by seeking to evade the citys executive order.

Kayla Mamelak, a spokeswoman for Adams, noted that violating the order could result in fines and buses being impounded.

Some advocates have said the citys executive order is so far doing the opposite of its stated intention.

Power Malu, founder of Artists-Athletes-Activists, a group that has helped welcome migrants to New York City, told the Daily News on Monday that before the order, his group was able to welcome the buses and help transport the migrants safely to the intake center at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown.

Now, he added, families have arrived at the hotel on foot and hungry at all hours of the night.

_____

2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com.
Human remains that were found in a wooded area in Upstate New York have been tentatively identified.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department said Tuesday that a citizen called to report possible human remains found in the area of South Broadway and Adelphi Street on Saturday, Dec. 30. Personal property at the scene identified the victim as Paul Jamison, a 79-year-old man with a last known address in Glens Falls.

Police said an autopsy was conducted on Dec. 31 and preliminary reports show no signs of suspicious activity or a criminal aspect to his death. According to the Times Union, police believe Jamison was homeless at the time of his death.

DNA samples were taken to confirm Jamisons identity.

New York State Police and the Saratoga County Coroners Office assisted Saratoga Springs Police with the investigation.
Milton, N.Y.  Police are investigating the death of a man found dead Tuesday morning in a creek at an Upstate New York nature preserve.

The Saratoga County Sheriffs Office rushed to Axe Factory Preserve at 11:33 a.m. after a caller spotted a body in Kayaderosseras Creek. When deputies arrived, they found a man in the water who was obviously deceased, the sheriffs office said.

The man was identified Wednesday as Adam J. Kramm, of Milton. He was 40 years old.

Kramms cause of death has not yet been confirmed, Capt. Daniel Morley told the Times Union. The investigation is ongoing.

Axe Factory Preserve is on Axe Street just off Maple Avenue. The nature preserve is at the site of the former Isaiah Bloods Axe and Scythe factories and includes walking trails, views of Kayaderosseras Creek and historic ruins from the areas industrial boom era.
SYDNEY, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) said Wednesday that people who had been in the Sydney CBD area in the past 10 days are advised to be on alert for symptoms of Legionnaires' disease.

Seven people who have developed Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia, had spent time in the area in the last three weeks, the NSW Ministry of Health said in a media release.

All seven people have been admitted to the hospital for treatment of pneumonia and have been identified with the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease, which is often associated with contaminated cooling towers of large buildings.

People can be exposed to the bacteria if contaminated water particles from a cooling system are emitted into the air and breathed in, the ministry said.

But Legionnaires' disease cannot be spread from person to person, it added.

Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease can develop up to 10 days from the time of exposure to contaminated water particles in the air and include fever, chills, a cough and shortness of breath and may lead to severe chest infections such as pneumonia.

Local environmental health officers are working closely with the City of Sydney Council to inspect cooling towers, the ministry said. 
Taos County Sheriff Steve Miera, left, and deputy Joseph Apodaca rest during a March, 2023 operation to recover the body of man who jumped to his death from the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge two days earlier.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sees the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut as a worrying development, said a UN spokesperson on Tuesday.

"Obviously, the developments are extremely worrying. And I think this just really highlights what the secretary-general had just said about the dangers of the spillover of this (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict in the wider region," said Florencia Soto Nino, associate spokesperson for Guterres.

"The secretary-general urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take urgent steps to de-escalate tensions in the region," she said.

Guterres has mentioned that this continued fighting has the risk of a great miscalculation by multiple actors, she said. "And I think this is what we've been seeing in different parts of the region, sadly. So we again appeal to all members of the international community to do everything in their power to prevent an escalation to the situation there."

She said the world body did not have all the details of the attack.

A Hamas source told Xinhua that the movement's deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed on Tuesday evening in an Israeli attack on the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The source added that several aides of al-Arouri were also killed in the attack targeting a Hamas office. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident. 
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Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14 Thanked: 65 Times

Re: Toyota Innova Hycross Review My Tale of two Innovas - from Gen 2011 to Hycross - how Lightning became Tony



Happy New Year 2024 everyone. Since I recently upgraded from my 2012 (pre-facelift) model Innova to the Hycross just before Christmas, I thought I would begin the new year with a post on the experience.



The upgrade dilemma



Well, is there ever any reason to upgrade a Toyota Innova? These machines are indestructible and timeless! By October 2023, my Innova was 11 years old and had crossed the 120K kms mark, but did not look or feel old in any way. The interiors were almost as good as new, and the common remark from my friends was that my car did not seem to age at all. It had never let me down and had needed only periodic maintenance, which was always done at Toyota service centers. So, though I had planned not to keep the car beyond 10 years, from a head perspective, there was no reason to change. But what about the heart side? I will confess that the Innova had never tugged at my heart, till Toyota unleashed the Hycross on us. It immediately appealed to me, and started me thinking - well, this may be the perfect balance between head and heart !



One thing that suddenly hit me when I brought up the topic of an upgrade with my family is that a car, when kept long enough, becomes part of the family and creates emotional bonds. Both my daughters had grown from childhood to teenage and adulthood in the capacious interiors of the car, and had innumerable memories of long road trips, the car sometimes accommodating all of their friends. They had even named her Lightning. They were both like - how can you think of selling a member of the family?. Wifey also chimed in with - the car has served us faithfully for so long, it feels like betrayal to let it go. So, you can see that I was in a real quandary.



How Lightning met her twin !



Since I have started telling this story, I have to include an incredible coincidence in 2022 that left me speechless. I had parked the car and gone into a shop and when I stepped out, I stopped and stared at the sight that met me! Wondering what I saw? I will let the picture below do the talking and, as you will notice, even the number plates of the twins matched except for the last number . I had to immediately click a priceless picture. The nearer one on the left is my car.





How the decision was made



The event that tipped the scales came about in Q3 2023, when my company upgraded the car lease policy with even better terms including fuel reimbursement. This greatly strengthened the head factor of the decision. The heart had already been won over, so I finally firmed-up my decision and started the paperwork in Sep 2023.



Other options considered



Even though I had almost decided on the Hycross, since I was planning to keep this too for a long time, I wanted to make sure that I looked at other viable alternatives, so that I would not regret my decision later. The other two cars that really looked promising to me were the Skoda Kodiaq and the Hyundai Tucson. So I did take test drives of both before deciding.



Skoda Kodiaq - this had always been a car that I wanted to own, since it provided the equivalent features and luxury of the big three. I had always liked the looks and of course, the 4x4 capability could come in handy, though it was not a must-have for me. I loved how the car felt and drove. It is truly a wonderful car. However, as soon as my wife tried out the rear seat, I realized how difficult it is to replace an Innova - she felt claustrophobic in the back, and also felt it was much less spacious. In addition to that, the fact that no diesel option was available meant that fuel economy would be a concern - an area that the Hycross Hybrid excelled in. Therefore, I had to take Kodiaq off the list.



Hyundai Tucson - I was skeptical about this from the start, since I knew it was only a 5 seater and was not a real replacement for an Innova, but since it was a CKD and I had read good things about it, I wanted to try it out. Again, the car felt really nice though it was not as fast on the pick-up as I had expected. However, I just could not ignore the fact that after sitting in the captain seats of an Innova, there was no way my family would be happy in the back of the Tucson. And then, when I tried the rear seat myself, I realized that the rear seat was directly over the rear wheel, and hence the ride there was nowhere near the comfort of an Innova. So, Tucson was also struck off the list.



Which model?



I had the 7 seater Innova, and loved it, so that part was settled. I had taken the test drive in the top-end ZXO model, and loved everything except the thin profile tyres, which made the ride feel slightly harsher than my current innova. Also, the Toyota was not taking any fresh bookings for ZXO by this time, and though the leasing company told me they could get my booking upgraded to ZXO later, I knew that the wait time would be higher. Therefore I carefully looked at the options and realized two things. Firstly, I did not really think I would be able to use the Driver Assist systems much in India. I frequently use rental cars with these features during my official travels to the US, and yes, I do find them very handy on the highways there, but I did not think that the experience would be the same in India. Also, I do not want to get out of habits like checking my blind spots, since I often drive my wifes 2016 grand i10, which does not have any of this tech. Secondly - I felt the need to use the power switch to incline the ottoman seats to move to the rear bench was not very practical, manually moving them would be much faster. I felt that the higher sidewall with the 17 inchers of the VXO were more important since they would improve the ride and reduce anxiety about tire and alloy damage. So that was the model I chose, in the blackish ageha color.



Delivery experience



I received the car on 23 Dec, 2023, and the experience was wonderful, with everything going smoothly. The car was ready before the promised time, they showed me that all the accessories I had asked for were in place, and gave a quick demo of the main features (which I did not really need, thanks to all the information I had already gleaned from the tbhp thread !).

My daughters have promptly decided that this one is a he and have named him Tony. So I now have it from the best authorities that the Hycross looks more butch than the old innova





Driving impressions so far



Well, the first thing I will say is that all doubts about the upgrade have disappeared! The two cars feel poles apart - for good reason. One was a diesel and the other is petrol. One was zero tech and the other is full of tech (even without driver assist). The older one used to start with the characteristic big-diesel growl and turbo whine, while this one starts completely silently in electric mode. I have done a couple of 70+ km rides including city and highways, and I can say that driving this car is much more stress-free than my earlier Innova.



The car has amazing road-presence. One interesting thing that I noticed is that some Crysta, XUV and ScorpioN drivers seem to get a bit agitated on seeing this car, and make haste to overtake. Have other owners felt the same? The good part is that I have bought the hybrid for its energy efficiency, and the fact that the display keeps telling me my current and average fuel consumption makes me drive sedately with a light foot, which is what this car needs. Have driven around 500 kms so far, and am already getting an average of around 18 kmpl, which I am hoping will improve over time. By the way, could not find any instructions or references to a running-in period. Do I not need to worry about running-in with these modern engines?



I find that the owners manual is not very helpful for some of the intricate steps for a few settings. The instrument cluster interface is also not very intuitive. I had some trouble figuring out how to get the TPMS to work, and had to resort to some online videos. The wireless Apple carplay system is still a bit confusing when I try to register two phones. The moment I registered the second phone, wireless carplay stopped working for the first phone. I will need some more experimentation to figure that out. Also, could not set the auto lock doors based on position of gear lever feature even after following all steps in the manual.



And finally, a couple of photos to end the post:



Heres Tony, the day after he came home. I have now started turning back for a peek at his profile while walking away, never did that with Lightning.





And, the tbhp COTY has to wear the tbhp badge, right?

Happy New Year 2024 everyone. Since I recently upgraded from my 2012 (pre-facelift) model Innova to the Hycross just before Christmas, I thought I would begin the new year with a post on the experience.Well, is there ever any reason to upgrade a Toyota Innova? These machines are indestructible and timeless! By October 2023, my Innova was 11 years old and had crossed the 120K kms mark, but did not look or feel old in any way. The interiors were almost as good as new, and the common remark from my friends was that my car did not seem to age at all. It had never let me down and had needed only periodic maintenance, which was always done at Toyota service centers. So, though I had planned not to keep the car beyond 10 years, from a head perspective, there was no reason to change. But what about the heart side? I will confess that the Innova had never tugged at my heart, till Toyota unleashed the Hycross on us. It immediately appealed to me, and started me thinking - well, this may be the perfect balance between head and heart !One thing that suddenly hit me when I brought up the topic of an upgrade with my family is that a car, when kept long enough, becomes part of the family and creates emotional bonds. Both my daughters had grown from childhood to teenage and adulthood in the capacious interiors of the car, and had innumerable memories of long road trips, the car sometimes accommodating all of their friends. They had even named her Lightning. They were both like - how can you think of selling a member of the family?. Wifey also chimed in with - the car has served us faithfully for so long, it feels like betrayal to let it go. So, you can see that I was in a real quandary.Since I have started telling this story, I have to include an incredible coincidence in 2022 that left me speechless. I had parked the car and gone into a shop and when I stepped out, I stopped and stared at the sight that met me! Wondering what I saw? I will let the picture below do the talking and, as you will notice, even the number plates of the twins matched except for the last number. I had to immediately click a priceless picture. The nearer one on the left is my car.The event that tipped the scales came about in Q3 2023, when my company upgraded the car lease policy with even better terms including fuel reimbursement. This greatly strengthened the head factor of the decision. The heart had already been won over, so I finally firmed-up my decision and started the paperwork in Sep 2023.Even though I had almost decided on the Hycross, since I was planning to keep this too for a long time, I wanted to make sure that I looked at other viable alternatives, so that I would not regret my decision later. The other two cars that really looked promising to me were the Skoda Kodiaq and the Hyundai Tucson. So I did take test drives of both before deciding.- this had always been a car that I wanted to own, since it provided the equivalent features and luxury of the big three. I had always liked the looks and of course, the 4x4 capability could come in handy, though it was not a must-have for me. I loved how the car felt and drove. It is truly a wonderful car. However, as soon as my wife tried out the rear seat, I realized how difficult it is to replace an Innova - she felt claustrophobic in the back, and also felt it was much less spacious. In addition to that, the fact that no diesel option was available meant that fuel economy would be a concern - an area that the Hycross Hybrid excelled in. Therefore, I had to take Kodiaq off the list.- I was skeptical about this from the start, since I knew it was only a 5 seater and was not a real replacement for an Innova, but since it was a CKD and I had read good things about it, I wanted to try it out. Again, the car felt really nice though it was not as fast on the pick-up as I had expected. However, I just could not ignore the fact that after sitting in the captain seats of an Innova, there was no way my family would be happy in the back of the Tucson. And then, when I tried the rear seat myself, I realized that the rear seat was directly over the rear wheel, and hence the ride there was nowhere near the comfort of an Innova. So, Tucson was also struck off the list.I had the 7 seater Innova, and loved it, so that part was settled. I had taken the test drive in the top-end ZXO model, and loved everything except the thin profile tyres, which made the ride feel slightly harsher than my current innova. Also, the Toyota was not taking any fresh bookings for ZXO by this time, and though the leasing company told me they could get my booking upgraded to ZXO later, I knew that the wait time would be higher. Therefore I carefully looked at the options and realized two things. Firstly, I did not really think I would be able to use the Driver Assist systems much in India. I frequently use rental cars with these features during my official travels to the US, and yes, I do find them very handy on the highways there, but I did not think that the experience would be the same in India. Also, I do not want to get out of habits like checking my blind spots, since I often drive my wifes 2016 grand i10, which does not have any of this tech. Secondly - I felt the need to use the power switch to incline the ottoman seats to move to the rear bench was not very practical, manually moving them would be much faster. I felt that the higher sidewall with the 17 inchers of the VXO were more important since they would improve the ride and reduce anxiety about tire and alloy damage. So that was the model I chose, in the blackish ageha color.I received the car on 23 Dec, 2023, and the experience was wonderful, with everything going smoothly. The car was ready before the promised time, they showed me that all the accessories I had asked for were in place, and gave a quick demo of the main features (which I did not really need, thanks to all the information I had already gleaned from the tbhp thread !).My daughters have promptly decided that this one is a he and have named him Tony. So I now have it from the best authorities that the Hycross looks more butch than the old innovaWell, the first thing I will say is that all doubts about the upgrade have disappeared! The two cars feel poles apart - for good reason. One was a diesel and the other is petrol. One was zero tech and the other is full of tech (even without driver assist). The older one used to start with the characteristic big-diesel growl and turbo whine, while this one starts completely silently in electric mode. I have done a couple of 70+ km rides including city and highways, and I can say that driving this car is much more stress-free than my earlier Innova.The car has amazing road-presence. One interesting thing that I noticed is that some Crysta, XUV and ScorpioN drivers seem to get a bit agitated on seeing this car, and make haste to overtake. Have other owners felt the same? The good part is that I have bought the hybrid for its energy efficiency, and the fact that the display keeps telling me my current and average fuel consumption makes me drive sedately with a light foot, which is what this car needs. Have driven around 500 kms so far, and am already getting an average of around 18 kmpl, which I am hoping will improve over time. By the way, could not find any instructions or references to a running-in period. Do I not need to worry about running-in with these modern engines?I find that the owners manual is not very helpful for some of the intricate steps for a few settings. The instrument cluster interface is also not very intuitive. I had some trouble figuring out how to get the TPMS to work, and had to resort to some online videos. The wireless Apple carplay system is still a bit confusing when I try to register two phones. The moment I registered the second phone, wireless carplay stopped working for the first phone. I will need some more experimentation to figure that out. Also, could not set the auto lock doors based on position of gear lever feature even after following all steps in the manual.Heres Tony, the day after he came home. I have now started turning back for a peek at his profile while walking away, never did that with Lightning.And, the tbhp COTY has to wear the tbhp badge, right?
When LG talked to us in December, it announced it was refocusing on the customer experience rather than just products and tech. Funny. We thought good products and superior tech enhanced the customer experience all on its own. Ah, semantics.

That said, we definitely appreciate LG saying that older models will remain like new for longer stretches, thanks to their upgradeability to the latest versions of LGs continually evolving webOS operating system/user interface. Planned obsolescence and upgrade-itis be damned! we say.

New features for 2024

Philosophy aside, LGs new A11 processor in its LG Signature OLED G4 and M4 OLED series TVs, and the A8 proc in its OLED B4 series, enable quite a few enhancements: Voice recognition (it can differentiate users by the sound of their voice); picture-in-picture mode (with up to four multi-view windows on screen at once); and audio performance (11.2-channel virtual sound and voice remastering to enhance dialog clarity).

LGs 2024 G4 TV and a One Wall thin soundbar.

AI Picture Pro (its not really artificial intelligence) can now process images to direct your focus to the main object on screen (portrait effect), as well as add automatic color correction to more accurately relay the directors intent. With some of the ridiculous color palettes that have come into being since The Lord of the Rings, Im not sure the latter is such a wonderful idea. Heres hoping you can disable it.

LG Channels 3.0 will be onboard, too. That free streaming service was launched last September with an updated interface and more curated content. More choice in content is always welcome.

Big city, brighter lights

LG also touts its brightness booster as producing images that are up to 70 percent brighter overall, with 150 percent brighter highlights. The headroom is certainly nice to have, but the actual usefulness of all that brightness is debatable. Most high-end TVs already have more than enough brightness, and cranking it up can produce disappointing effects, such as the dreaded shot-on-a-60s-British-TV-camera effect.

Which enhancements are available on which TV is complicated; but generally speaking, the more you pay, the more you get.

New screen sizes abound

LGs Signature OLED B4 series will gain a 48-inch model, joining the existing 55-, 65-, and 77-inch SKUs. And where the Signature OLED G4 series was previously available only in 77- and 97-inch flavors, buyers will now also get 55-, 65-, and 83-inch options. And for those deep-pocketed individuals with a passionate hate for wires, LG is expanding the M-series OLED it debuted in 2023: The LG Signature OLED M4 has just one cablefor powerwith audio and video beamed to the screen from LGs Zero Connect Box. It will be available in 65-, 77-, and 97-inch sizes.

Thin for the win

LG is playing up its One Wall concept for 2024, which basically means theyre styling some of their sound bars thin enough to match the depth of their TVs when wall-mounted. We havent heard them yet, but flat doesnt necessarily mean a lack of bassyou can effectively reproduce low-end with side chambers almost as well as back chambers. Well see how well LG has managed to do that soon enough.
Court cases and regulators are stirring up uncertainty among Apple watchers about the prospects for its lucrative US$85 billion services business.

The U.S. governments antitrust lawsuit against Google has produced anxiety about whether Apple will continue to rake in anywhere from $15 billion to $20 billion a year for making Googles search engine the default choice on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly preparing a case that could loosen Apples iron grip on its App Store operations, something it has been forced to do to some extent by the European Unions Digital Markets Act, which has a March deadline for compliance.

To comply with that act, Apple has agreed to allow sideloading in the EU, which allows iPhone users to download apps from outside the App Store.

Apples financial performance has increasingly depended on services and, at some future point, the company may largely become a services company. So services are very important now and likely critically important to Apples anticipated future, explained Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, an advisory services firm in Bend, Ore.

If Google loses the antitrust case, Apple could take a large financial hit, and it may substantially set back Apples apparent plan to transition into more of a services company, he told TechNewsWorld.

One-Trick Pony

With smartphone and other hardware sales slowing over the past few years, services income has played an increasingly crucial role in Apples financial ecosystem, steadily gaining significance alongside hardware sales, added Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in San Jose, Calif.

With offerings like the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, and more, services are contributing significantly to revenue diversification, he told TechNewsWorld. The companys focus on expanding its services portfolio, including Apple TV+ and Arcade, suggests a growing emphasis on this revenue stream.

As the technology landscape evolves, he continued, Apples strategic pivot towards services is likely to intensify, making it increasingly vital for sustained financial success.

Despite Apples financial success  its market capitalization at the turn of the year was $2.89 trillion  the company has been a bit of a one trick pony, maintained Charles King, the principal analyst at Pund-IT, a technology advisory firm, in Hayward, Calif.

While sales of secondary solutions, like the Apple Watch, continue to grow, the lions share of the companys revenues and income still derive from the iPhone, he told TechNewsWorld. So services offerings and revenues have acted to round out Apple as a company, both for its customers and investors. With no new killer Apple solutions on the horizon, successful services are a crucial part of the companys portfolio.

Ross Rubin, the principal analyst with Reticle Research, a consumer technology advisory firm in New York City, pointed out that Apples services business is small compared to its iPhone sales. But its a growing part of the business, which is particularly important since growth in its devices business has been flat or down as the market becomes saturated and moves into a replacement cycle, he told TechNewsWorld.

DOJ Win, Apple Loss?

Because services have become so important to Apple, the outcome of the antitrust lawsuit against Google is casting a shadow on the Cupertino gangs services finances.

Google is responsible for a significant amount of Apples services revenue, and if Apple were to lose control of that default search experience, it might not be able to command the kind of fees it gets from Google now, Rubin reasoned.

However, the ramifications of a Google loss in court could extend beyond the financial relationship between the companies. If Google were to lose the antitrust lawsuit, the potential impacts on Apple could include increased regulatory scrutiny of its own practices, Vena said.

Apple might face a reevaluation of its App Store policies and business practices, potentially leading to changes in its competitive landscape, he continued. It could also influence broader industry dynamics, affecting partnerships and collaborations.

However, he added. The specifics would depend on the nature of the antitrust allegations and the subsequent legal outcomes.

The connections between Apple and Google, and the latters antitrust woes, make close scrutiny of Apple by regulators more or less inevitable, added King. And given the political uncertainties of a presidential election cycle, the DOJ may decide to move as quickly as possible if they determine that action against Apple is warranted.

Rubin pointed out, though, that there could be an upside for Apple in a DOJ win over Google. There have been rumors for many years that Apple has been developing its own search engine as a fallback if its relationship with Google soured, he said. That could have a benefit for Apple because it could collect its own revenue from search and enforce its own privacy standards.

App Store Regulation

Rubin added that if regulators forced Apple to loosen the reins that it has on the distribution of software through its App Store, consumers could see a broader set of offerings, such as cloud-gaming services that offer multiple games through a single app, programs to emulate hardware other than Apple devices, and greater integration with non-Apple services, like Spotify, Peloton, and Netflix.

Regulatory changes to Apples App Store business model could have far-reaching effects, Vena said. Implementing fair competition policies may stimulate innovation and provide users with more choices. Developers, too, may benefit from more equitable terms, fostering a diverse app ecosystem.

However, he continued, alterations might challenge Apples control over app distribution, potentially impacting its revenue model.

Striking the right balance will be crucial to ensuring competition without compromising Apples ability to maintain a secure and user-friendly App Store environment, he added.

Ultimately, though, regulation is likely to be another hit on Apples revenues in the long run. Apple derives substantial financial benefits from the 15% to 30% commission it charges on most App Store in-app purchases and paid downloads, King explained.

The company fought hard against, and lost to, the EUs new Digital Marketing Act, which requires vendors to allow customers to download apps from other companies. If similar regulations were adopted in the U.S., it could substantially reduce Apples App Store commissions over time, he said.

Regulation is a significant threat to Apple services, maintained Vijay Marolia, managing partner and chief investment officer of Regal Point Capital, an investment firm, in Orlando, Fla. Apples services business is a friggin money tree, he declared. Lawyers, regulators, and lobbyists are trying to shake that tree while it keeps getting bigger and the rest of Apples revenues are stagnating.
In context: Back in 1980, Tim Paterson was creating a new operating system he called QDOS or Quick and Dirty Operating System. The system was later renamed 86-DOS, as it was being designed to run on computer kits based on the then-new 8086 CPU from Intel. It was eventually purchased by Microsoft to equip the "secret" project of the original IBM PC.

MS-DOS established the "standard" way to operate personal computers during the Eighties, and the text-based operating system was still playing a significant "startup" role in Windows at least until Windows 2000 and XP arrived on the market. The Microsoft software empire was built on the venerable command prompt, but everything started with 86-DOS.

A new, ancient release of 86-DOS (0.1-C) has now been uploaded on the Internet Archive servers by Archive member "f15sim", who was previously known for uploading version 0.34 of the OS. 86-DOS 0.1-C is likely the oldest known version of the OS that survived until the internet era, f15sim remarked, and the dumped disk can be booted and tested within the multi-platform, multi-system emulator SIMH.

As highlighted by Tiny11 developer NTDEV, who took the OS for a ride in the aforementioned SIMH emulator, 86-DOS 0.1-C is a very bare-bones operating system even by 1980s standards. The bootable disk image provides only 9 files, including the classic command interpreter/shell of the DOS world (Command.com), some utilities and a chess game with documentation.

The IBM x86 PC wasn't the standard computer paradigm yet; therefore, 86-DOS had to provide essential development tools designed to compile programs created in Z80 Assembly language on the Intel 8086, and to "translate" code from Z80 to 8086. Basic commands of the MS-DOS shell such as dir, copy and format are available as well.

After purchasing 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products (SCP), Microsoft persuaded IBM to accept a non-exclusive business partnership to put its new Disk Operating System on every single IBM PC sold in stores. Big Blue licensed the OS as "PC DOS" while Microsoft was still free to provide MS-DOS to other PC manufacturers. Both products were essentially the same system.

MS-DOS and the Command.com prompt are not part of the daily Windows user experience anymore, while Linux and other Unix-like operating systems have always cultivated a very different approach to the text-based shell. But the prompt can still be useful for many advanced tricks even in the Windows 10/11 era.
What just happened? January 1, 2024, was not a good day for porn-loving residents of Montana and North Carolina. That was the date they became the latest states to enact a law requiring people to verify their ages using government IDs to access pornographic material online. Pornhub's parent company responded by blocking people in both states from accessing its websites.

After Louisiana brought in age verification laws in early 2023, Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas introduced similar versions. Montana and North Carolina are the latest to demand websites confirm visitors' ages via ID verification, and Pornhub's parent Aylo  formerly called MindGeek  isn't happy about it.

Aylo has blocked people in Montana and North Carolina from accessing its sites, which include Pornhub, Brazzers, Redtube, and YouPorn, writes 404Media. As is the case in some other states with similar laws, visitors with Montana and North Carolina IPs will see only a video of adult performer Cherie DeVille, a member of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, explaining the reason for the block.

"As you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website," DeVille says. "While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk."

Aylo says that the most effective solution for protecting children is to identify users by their devices and allow access to age-restricted material based on that identification. "Until a real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in your region," DeVille continues, before asking visitors to contact their representatives and demand device-based verification solutions.

Some adult websites in the states have turned to third-party services to verify users' ages. xHamster is using Yoti, a company also used by Meta to verify new Facebook and Instagram account holders' ages.

In Louisiana, visitors can access Pornhub by creating an AllpassTrust account and then verifying their age using LA Wallet, a Louisiana government mobile app that creates a digital version of a Louisiana Driver's License. Aylo says its traffic in the state has declined by 80% since the law came into effect, unsurprisingly.

The UK is also considering using Yoti to confirm visitors to porn sites are over 18. The system could require people to submit a selfie and then use AI to estimate that person's age.

As noted by Engadget, Montana and North Carolina have seen the number of searches for "VPN" climb enormously over the last few days.
Accidents like "runway incursions" pose significant threats, with historical precedents like the tragic collision of two 747s on a foggy Canary Islands runway in 1977, resulting in 583 fatalities among the 644 people on board.

(Photo : STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT - This photo provided by Jiji Press shows a Japan Airlines plane on fire on a runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024.

Japan Airlines Crash

Similarly, the recent incident at Tokyo's Haneda Airport involved a Japan Airlines A350 crashing into a Japan Coast Guard Dash 8.

Considering the potential severity, it's remarkable that there were no fatalities and only 11 injuries on the A350. Unfortunately, the situation on the Dash 8 was more dire, resulting in the loss of five out of six crew members.

The Verge reported that the relatively mild aftermath underscores the strides made in engineering within the latest airliner models and the safety ethos ingrained in premium carriers like Japan Airlines.

The near-miraculous preservation of passengers' lives should not overshadow the systemic issues exposed by the occurrence of the accident itself. Without substantial changes in protocols and technology, a recurrence of such crashes is probable, with potentially graver consequences.

How It Happened

Originating from Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost major island, JAL Flight 512 was approaching Tokyo on a brief two-hour flight.

A350s, typically reserved for long-haul journeys like Hong Kong to Los Angeles in other regions, are utilized by Japan for high-capacity transport to compete with the nation's efficient high-speed rail network.

Despite the standard A350 long-haul configuration accommodating around 300 passengers, JAL 512, configured for shorter routes, carried 367 passengers and 12 crew members.

Approaching Haneda from the southern direction, the airliner made contact with runway 34R upon landing. It seems that the pilots either overlooked or didn't have sufficient time to respond to the De Havilland Canada DHC-8, which had taxied into its path.

The Dash 8, a twin-engine turboprop commonly utilized by feeder airlines for short-distance flights, was reportedly en route to western Japan to aid in relief operations following a significant earthquake the day before.

Also Read: FAA Taps Airline CEOS to Act Quickly Regarding Verizon, AT&T's C-Band 5G

Footage from the Associated Press captured the moment of impact reveals a sudden burst of fire, followed by the A350 emerging from the flames with its nose and engine cowlings scraping along the runway, indicating the potential collapse of its nose landing gear during the collision.

After coming to a stop, passengers swiftly descended on inflatable slides and fled to safety as flames engulfed the rear of the aircraft, gradually spreading to consume the fuselage.

How They Survived

The incident represents the first instance of the destruction of an A350 since its introduction in 2015, making it a pivotal case for studying how this aircraft type withstands extreme stress.

Similar to Boeing's 787, New York Magazine reported that the A350 is predominantly constructed with carbon-fiber composite, distinguishing it from older aluminum-based aircraft.

This composition renders it both lightweight and durable, evidenced by the A350's ability to maintain structural integrity in the forward section despite the collision with the Dash 8.

Notably, carbon fiber, while combustible, burns slowly compared to aluminum. This characteristic afforded passengers ample time to evacuate, exemplified by the largely unscathed cockpit and forward part of the A350 post-collision.

The evacuation process, a critical aspect of the incident's positive outcome, involved the challenge of swiftly disembarking 379 individuals from a burning aircraft.

Video footage shared by passengers on social media revealed flames from the burning engines after the initial impact, emphasizing the importance of a well-trained flight crew in preventing panic and facilitating an orderly evacuation.

Related Article: More Airports Rely on AI to Recover Missing Items of Travelers

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Despite considerable efforts, Vineyard Wind 1, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, faced challenges in meeting its deadline to deliver power to the Massachusetts grid by December 31.

(Photo : Image via Unsplash)

Japan Considers Expanding Offshore Wind Farms to EEZ

Failing to Meet the Year-End Deadline

The inaugural power delivery from the United States' initial large-scale offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind 1, fell short of its anticipated deadline.

Electrek reported that the project, a collaborative venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, missed the target to supply power to the Massachusetts grid by December 31.

On December 6, Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra expressed the team's dedication, working diligently, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to position themselves for the first power delivery from the Vineyard Wind 1 project before the year-end.

Avangrid's spokesperson, Craig Gilvarg, affirmed last month that the project remained on track to deliver power by the end of 2023, emphasizing their determination to meet the year-end deadline.

While the spokesperson did not provide a new specific timeline for the initial power delivery, Worcester Business Journal reported that they are currently undergoing various necessary tests, both internal procedures and in collaboration with ISO New England.

Still, additional testing is necessary before the transmission of wind power to the grid can take place. They are meticulously synchronizing all components to ensure the timely delivery of power to the shore.

Contributing 65MW of Clean Energy

Upon becoming operational, the first five GE Haliade-X turbines of Vineyard Wind 1 are set to contribute approximately 65 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. This substantial output is sufficient to meet the energy needs of around 30,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.

Each of these turbines, boasting a 13 MW capacity, features an impressive 220-meter (722-foot) rotor, and 107-meter (351-foot) blades, and stands at a towering height of 248 meters (814 feet). The remarkable design enables each turbine to supply power to over 6,000 homes and businesses.

Upon its full completion, MV Times reported that the Vineyard Wind 1, with a total capacity of 806 MW, will incorporate 62 turbines. This vast wind farm is anticipated to generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses.

Positioned 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts, the $3.5 billion project is a significant renewable energy initiative.

The Vineyard Wind 1 project is slated to achieve its maximum power potential by mid-2024, a timeline that will be closely monitored to assess the project's impact on the region's energy landscape.

Also Read: Hollandse Kust Noord Hybrid Offshore Wind Farm Installs Its First Turbine

In August, Avangrid provided stakeholders with optimistic projections during a boat tour of the construction site. At that time, they anticipated the construction of six turbines in the fall of 2023, with the first power delivery slated for mid-October.

The broader goal was to have the entire project operational by mid-2024. However, as December rolled around, the power delivery had not materialized, and only five turbines had been constructed.

Related Article: US Plans to Build Offshore Wind Farm to Bolster Renewable Energy Use

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Samsung is shaking up its annual routine with the first Unpacked event of 2024 scheduled for January 17 at 1 PM ET, a departure from its usual early February timing. The event is set to take place at the SAP Center in San Jose and will also be live-streamed across Samsung's various platforms.

(Photo : JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

Attendees walk past the logo of Samsung Galaxy during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event in Seoul on July 26, 2023.

Samsung's Unpacked 2024

While Samsung remains tight-lipped about specific details for this year's Unpacked, speculations abound. The primary expectation is the unveiling of the Galaxy S24 flagship smartphone series, with the possibility of immediate pre-orders opening after the event.

Engadget reported that Samsung has initiated a "pre-reserve" program, allowing users to register their interest with their name and email address ahead of the official announcement.

Although the precise contents of the pre-order remain undisclosed until January 17, participants in the program receive a $50 credit towards their purchase. This move mirrors a similar strategy employed by Samsung in the past, suggesting its effectiveness in generating early interest and engagement with potential consumers.

What to Expect

As the highly awaited event approaches, during which the tech giant traditionally reveals its cutting-edge innovations, camera enthusiasts can anticipate notable improvements to the camera algorithms.

This anticipation is underscored by the prominent inclusion of the "Galaxy AI" theme in the teaser imagery. Another highlight of this year's event is the anticipated debut of Samsung's new ISOCELL Zoom capabilities, signaling another leap in smartphone photography.

Samsung currently holds the lead for the farthest-reaching optical zoom on a mainstream smartphone, and the upcoming Galaxy S24 Ultra is expected to build upon the success of its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, offering even sharper imaging.

Additionally, Gizmodo's report suggests the Ultra model may feature a titanium build, introducing a formidable contender to the design arena alongside competitors like the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max.

Another focal point for tech enthusiasts is the AI segment of the Samsung Unpacked event, as stated in its press release. The introduction of a new bot, reportedly named Gauss, is expected to join Google's Gemini on Samsung's Android devices.

Drawing inspiration from the renowned mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss, this AI bot is poised to bring enhancements similar to those offered by Google's AI technology.

As the Unpacked event unfolds, tech enthusiasts are keen to explore the advancements that Samsung's Galaxy AI and other innovations will bring to the new family of smartphones.

Also Read: Samsung to Unveil Galaxy Z Flip 5, Fold 5 Along with New Generation of Tablets, Watches

Reflecting on the previous year, we were introduced to the impressive Galaxy S23 line, featuring the Galaxy S23 and S23+, although they were relatively modest updates. Considering this trend, there's anticipation that the upcoming Galaxy S24 might bring more significant enhancements.

In 2022, Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 smartphone line, showcasing a pattern where similar to Apple's tradition of announcing new iPhones in September, Samsung unveils its latest Galaxy smartphones at Unpacked.

However, it's not solely about the Galaxy S24 smartphones during the presentation. Samsung has a history of unveiling new iterations of laptops at the first Unpacked event each year, raising the possibility of the introduction of the Galaxy Book4 or a similar device.

Related Article: Samsung Gives $100 Free Credit for Galaxy S23 Pre-Orders

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Melanoma, a severe form of skin cancer characterized by uncontrolled pigment cell growth, poses a significant global health concern.

(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 15: Doctor Antonella Tost, Dermatologist University of Miami School of Medicine, examines Michael Casa Nova,12, for symptoms of skin cancer due to sun exposure on June 15, 2011 in Miami, Florida. The federal Food and Drug Administration announced that sunscreen manufacturers are to change the labels on their products to prohibit the use of certain marketing terms.

Combination Therapy Findings

In a notable development in December, Interesting Engineering reported that Moderna and Merck jointly disclosed promising findings related to a combination therapy involving mRNA-4157 (V940) and Keytruda (Pembrolizumab).

The collaborative study focused on patients who had undergone complete removal of high-risk stage III/IV melanoma. Results from the research demonstrated that the combined use of mRNA-4157 (V940) and Keytruda exhibited more favorable outcomes compared to the sole application of Keytruda.

In the ongoing exploration of the KEYNOTE-942/mRNA-4157-P201 study, the combined therapy has shown noteworthy advancements in pivotal aspects of cancer treatment, specifically, Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS) and Distant Metastasis-Free Survival (DMFS).

Dr. Kyle Holen, Moderna's Senior Vice President and Head of Development, Therapeutics, and Oncology, expressed enthusiasm about the substantial clinical benefits observed with mRNA-4157 (V940) as an adjuvant treatment when combined with KEYTRUDA.

The study focuses on individuals with surgically removed high-risk melanoma, showcasing encouraging developments in the realm of cancer care.

Also Read: Eating Chicken Linked To Higher Cancer Risk, Oxford Study Finds

In 2020, NCBI reported cases worldwide reached 325,000, and within the United States, it stands as a prevalent cancer type with a high mortality rate. Adding to this alarming scenario, Moderna highlighted projections of around 100,000 new cases and 8,000 deaths related to melanoma in 2023.

Promising Results

After a three-year treatment period, individuals subjected to the combination therapy exhibited a decreased likelihood of cancer recurrence or metastasis to distant body regions.

Moderna underscores the promise inherent in these findings, suggesting that the combined treatment holds significant potential for individuals with high-risk melanoma. The comprehensive approach aims to curtail cancer recurrence and hinder its dissemination post-surgery.

The integrated therapy resulted in a substantial 49% reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence or death, coupled with a noteworthy 62% reduction in the risk of cancer spreading to distant body parts or death.

These outcomes underscore the capacity of the combination treatment to profoundly improve post-surgical outcomes for those grappling with high-risk melanoma, offering a promising avenue to mitigate cancer recurrence risks and impede its spread.

Buoyed by these results, Phase 3 trials have been initiated for melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, with plans for broader applications in other tumor types.

Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of late-stage oncology, global clinical development at Merck Research Laboratories, emphasizes the commitment to advancing research in earlier cancer stages.

The collaborative effort harnesses Merck's expertise in immuno-oncology and Moderna's innovative mRNA technology to make a meaningful impact on patient outcomes.

Related Article: 14-Year-Old Innovator Develops Melanoma Treating Soap, Winning 3M Young Scientist's Challenge

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Photo taken in New York, the United States, on Jan. 2, 2024 shows a screen displaying the web page of the Office of the President of Harvard University. Harvard President Claudine Gay said on Tuesday that she will be stepping down as president of the university. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Harvard President Claudine Gay said on Tuesday that she will be stepping down as president of the university.

"It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president," Gay said in a statement.

"This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries," she said.

"But, after consultation with members of the corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual," Gay said.

Alan Garber, Harvard's provost and chief academic officer, will serve as the university's interim president while the Fellows of Harvard College search for a permanent replacement, according to a CNBC report. 
Vietnamese electric vehicle firm VinFast will establish its first production unit in India to strengthen its worldwide reach. Sources said that the facility's location is in Tamil Nadu and would produce EV batteries.



VinFast has kept its growth plans quiet despite being likened to Tesla and BYD. The company's announcement about the new production plant is closely awaited. VinFast intimated that it will divulge its plans at an "appropriate time," in a Wednesday statement. The Tamil Nadu government representative has not responded to inquiries, as reported by Reuters.



Insiders privy to the development have disclosed that VinFast officials have conducted on-site inspections of potential locations in Thoothukudi district. The step underscores the EV manufacturer's concerted efforts to finalize its manufacturing footprint in the burgeoning Indian market.

India: A Key EV Market

It was reported in September that VinFast had started the hiring process for various positions in India, including sales, legal, and back-office roles. The company expressed a predilection for recruits who embody qualities such as daring to think, daring to do, and daring to face difficulties.



The exact size of the investment and the operational commencement date of the VinFast factory in Tamil Nadu remain ambiguous at this juncture. However, in October, VinFast laid out broader plans for assembly factories in both India and Indonesia. These facilities, each envisaged with an annual production capacity of up to 50,000 cars, are slated for an initial capital expenditure of $200 million, with production scheduled to commence in 2026.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin's Unusual New Year's Message Sparks Death Rumors: Is 'AI Putin' Behind the Speech?



Le Thi Thu Thuy, VinFast's CEO, disclosed in October that Green SM, an EV taxi operator predominantly owned by VinFast's founder, also harbors plans to establish a formidable presence in India, recognized as the world's third-largest automotive market.

VinFast seeks to launch e-scooters and e-cars in India's discerning market, demonstrating the manufacturer's dedication to EV diversity. Chennai, the "Detroit of Asia," is the capital of Tamil Nadu, which has numerous major EV players. BYD, Ola Electric, and Ather are notable, as per a report published by XM.

VinFast Expanding in US

In a separate development from Vietnam News, VinFast recently announced pivotal agreements with five dealers in the United States, marking the company's strategic entry into the American market. These dealerships are poised to initiate the sale of VinFast's VF 8 model. Future models will follow similarly when they are offered to discriminating US consumers.



VinFast EV customers in the US will receive a 10-year or 200,000-kilometer vehicle guarantee and a 10-year unlimited mileage battery warranty. VinFast wants 125 US sales points as part of its expansion. Additionally, the corporation has 13 California retail and service outlets.

Related Article: Tesla Surpasses Q4 Delivery Estimates, Achieves Record-Breaking 1.8 Million Vehicles in 2023

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The rapidly growing trend of medical spas and hydration clinics in the United States has caught the attention of federal health officials due to increasing reports of health complications.



These facilities, offering an array of services from vitamin shots to hydrating intravenous infusions, have become a $15 billion industry. Healio reported that there were 7,430 facilities in the US in 2021, each earned $1,722,551 in revenue. The number of medical spas grew In 2022, with 8,841 and each earned $1,982,896 on average.

According to BeautyMatter, social media is significantly influencing perceptions of aesthetic procedures. As consumers increasingly research health matters online before consulting a doctor (nearly 60%), the cosmetic industry sees extensive digital marketing potential.

Questionable Wellness Treatment

However, concerns have been raised about the risks associated with unproven treatments and the lack of oversight leading to potential health hazards. Dr. Richina Bicette-McCain, an emergency medicine physician at Baylor College of Medicine, cautions against the unverified medical benefits promised by so-called wellness treatments. She emphasizes that the purported advantages are not medically proven, urging consumers to exercise caution.



The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued warnings following reports of consumers developing severe infections and skin deformities after receiving unauthorized shots designed to dissolve fat.



Sold online under various names, such as Aqualyx, Lipodissolve, Lipo Lab, and Kabelline, these unapproved products have raised significant health concerns. The FDA highlighted cases where consumers received injections from personnel who might not have been properly licensed, emphasizing the potential dangers associated with such practices.



The only FDA-approved product for breaking down fat under the skin is Kybella, typically administered underneath the chin to address a double chin. The use of unauthorized alternatives raises serious health risks and concerns about the qualifications of personnel administering these treatments.

Read Also: Revolutionizing Colonoscopies: AI Emerges as a Game-Changer in Tumor Detection

Authorities Point Out Serious Risks

Dr. Bicette-McCain has observed a growing number of individuals experiencing adverse reactions after visiting medical spas or hydration clinics. Infections, particularly at the site of intravenous (IV) placement, have become one of the most common complications. Additionally, patients have reported burns from laser treatments and sought assistance following poorly administered Botox injections, per NBC News.



The FDA's warnings extend beyond individual cases, pointing to issues with med spas and IV clinics, including mobile IV infusion services, and mixing products inappropriately without adhering to proper sterilization procedures. Contaminated or poor-quality compounded drug products can lead to severe patient illnesses, including death.



A significant challenge in addressing these concerns lies in the lack of federal health regulations or standard operating procedures for medical spas. Alex Thiersch, the chief executive of the American Med Spa Association, acknowledges the absence of consistent oversight, with each state responsible for regulating these facilities. Unfortunately, enforcement is often lacking due to resource constraints in certain states.

To bridge this regulatory gap, the American Med Spa Association has undertaken efforts to provide legal and business resources to approximately 4,000 med spas across the United States. The aim is to collaborate with these facilities to ensure compliance with state laws and uphold safety standards.



As the FDA warns against unauthorized practices, the call for standardized regulations and increased vigilance becomes imperative to safeguard public health.

Related Article: MIT Developing Vibrating Capsule: Potential Breakthrough in Weight Management?

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Scientists have recently unearthed remnants of a formidable ancient predator lurking beneath Greenland's icy terrain.

Meet Timorebestia koprii (translated to 'terror beasts' in Latin), an enigmatic creature that once ruled the Early Cambrian seas over 518 million years ago.

Giant Worm from the Ancient Seas

Discovered in the Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland, Timorebestia koprii represents a previously unknown group of fearsome ocean predators (via a report shared by Phys.org).

These remarkable findings, detailed in a recent study by researchers from the University of Bristol, shed light on a forgotten dynasty of predators that had long evaded scientific recognition.

The discovered fossils show a creature with impressive proportions, measuring more than 30 centimeters in length.

Timorebestia was a formidable force in the ancient seas, with distinctive fins along its body, a peculiar head with elongated antennae, and hard jaw structures.

Ancient Sea Predator

Dr. Jakob Vinther from the University of Bristol described the significance of this discovery, stating, "We have previously known primitive arthropods as dominant predators during the Cambrian, such as the anomalocaridids. However, Timorebestia, a distant yet close relative of modern arrow worms or chaetognaths, unveils a new chapter in the ocean's predatory history."

Timorebestia's role as a colossal predator of its time places it on par with the significance of today's apex predators, akin to the role of sharks and seals in modern oceans during the Cambrian period.

The excavation of Timorebestia's digestive system revealed remnants of Isoxys, a prevalent swimming arthropod from the same era. Morten Lunde Nielsen, a former Ph.D. student at Bristol and part of the study, highlighted the significance of this finding, stating, "They are very common at Sirius Passet and had long protective spines, pointing both forwards and backwards. However, they clearly didn't completely succeed in avoiding that fate, because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities."

Read Also: Robotics Meets Paleontology: How a 450-Million-Year-Old Organism Is Being Modernized for Softbotics

Ancient Marine Ecosystems

The discovery showcases Timorebestia's predatory nature and establishes a crucial link between ancient marine ecosystems and the evolutionary relationships between different species.

Luke Parry from Oxford University, involved in the study, emphasized, "Timorebestia is a really significant find for understanding where these jawed predators came from. Today, arrow worms have menacing bristles on the outside of their heads for catching prey, whereas Timorebestia has jaws inside its head."

Furthermore, this finding strengthens the connection between Timorebestia and another ancient creature called Amiskwia sagittiformis, firmly situating them within the chaetognath group.

The exceptional preservation in Sirius Passet allowed researchers to unravel intricate anatomical details, unveiling the creature's digestive system, muscle anatomy, and even nervous systems.

Dr. Tae Yoon Park from the Korean Polar Research Institute expressed excitement about these discoveries and hinted at more revelations to come from ongoing expeditions in Greenland's remote reaches.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Giant Ancient Carnivorous Sea Monster Found During Random Beach Stroll

 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Wondering if MS Word 2019 is free to download? Then let us help you to download Microsoft Word on Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 7.

Get it for your computer and start creating and editing important documents with carefully crafted features that help bring out content in a pleasing manner.

You will also learn to install Microsoft Word 2019 through the ISO file by mounting it in Windows 10.

We will go step by step to download the file and then proceed to the installation of MS Word by skipping other programs, thus saving space and time in the process.

Microsoft Word 2019 Free Download for Windows 10 64-Bit/32-Bit

Microsoft Word 2019 Free Download 64-Bit/32-bit



The quickest way to download Word 2019 is by downloading the Office package. It is available for free through the Internets very own digital library, the Internet Archive.

Here are the links to download Office 2019 to get Word 2019.

If this interests you use the above links to download Word 2019 and then also a tutorial to get it from the official website

Once the ISOs are downloaded, here you can mount them in Windows 10 and install Office to get Word 2019 on your PC.

Right-click on the download Office 2019 zip file and click on Extract All...

2. Select the location for extracting the zip file of Office 2019 and click Extract to begin the extraction process.

3. Right-click on the ISO file and select Mount. The file will be mounted like a normal CD or DVD.

4. Install Office in a standard process and you will get Word 2019 installed on the PC along with it.

Microsoft Word 2019 Download via the official site

You can get Word 2019 as a separate product through the official Microsoft site. They only allow it in certain regions.

If you are not qualified, then you can download the entire Office suite and install Word 2019 from it while skipping other programs during installation.

Here is how you can download Word 2019 from official servers by downloading the Office 2019 suite:

1. Sign in to your Microsoft account and then proceed to the next step.

2. Head to services and scroll down to the Free services from the Microsoft section. Click on Office for the web

3. Click on Install Office button given at the right and you will be prompted to download Word 2019 and other apps for offline usage.

Note  Your Microsoft account must have Office 2019 registered on it, or you must have a serial key for the same. That is the only way to download Word 2019 from Microsofts official site.

System Requirements for Word 2019

Operating System: Windows 10 or later

Windows 10 or later Processor: A dual-core processor would be enough

A dual-core processor would be enough RAM: 2GB for x32-bit, and 4 GB for x64-bit.

2GB for x32-bit, and 4 GB for x64-bit. DirectX : DirectX 9 or later

: DirectX 9 or later Disk Space: 4 GB of minimum space for installing the full Office 2019 suite. Under 1 GB is enough if you only install Word 2019 and skip other programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download Microsoft Word 2019 for free?

Yes, you can download Microsoft Word for free from the internet digital library. For downloading it from the official Microsoft servers, you will require a license key.

Is Microsoft Word 2019 free to download? MS Word 2019 is not officially free but there are legal ways to get it without paying anything. If you are an educator or a student, you can get it for free or through the Microsoft 365 plan subscribed by your institution or organization. MS word 2019 is free for Android and iOS so you can use them on mobile without opening your wallet.

Over to You

This is how you can download Microsoft Word 2019 for free and also install it on a Windows computer or laptop in a short time.

Follow the instructions of the tutorial and you can easily download and install MS Word 2019 on your PC or MAC.
KABUL, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has collected more than 25,000 begging children from the streets and provided them with access to education, ministry spokesman Samiullah Ebrahimi said.

"The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs rounded up more than 25,000 children from across the country in the past year," private media outlet Tolonews quoted Ebrahimi as saying on Wednesday.

Although there were no official statistics, numerous children in Afghanistan were seen working on the streets in various fields from shoe polishing and car cleaning to carrying water cans to support their families. 
A business manager suspected of having ordered the attack on an elected official from Saint-Denis

Tigrane Seydoux, the Frenchman behind the fashionable Italians in Madrid in which you always have to visit the bathroom

Energy transition: The experts say so, the Court of Auditors says so

Ticks: How to protect yourself from the increasing tick population when taking a walk in the forest

A member of the Fatwa Council in Britain calls on Western Muslims to adhere to their religion and identity

Death and stuff, the worst series of the week: the copy of a copy of a copy of Agatha Christie

Alaska Airlines passenger about hole in plane wall: "I kept staring into the hole and hoping it wouldn't tear any further"

Alaska Airlines passenger about hole in plane wall: "I kept staring into the hole and hoping it wouldn't tear any further"

La Fievre with Ana Girardot and Nina Meurisse: what is the new event series from Canal+ worth?

Ines Reg criticized for her attitude in Dancing with the Stars: the comedian breaks the silence

Fatal accident in Wesseling: "Don't be a pathetic coward, come clean, turn yourself in to the police"

Trump describes Zelensky as the best salesman and calls for him to loan him money.. How did tweeters comment?

IN PICTURES - Football: discover the new Blues jerseys for Euro 2024 and the Olympics

For the fifth time in a row: Medvedev lost again to Alcaraz in the Masters final in Indian Wells

Badminton Akane Yamaguchi "Shidamatsu" pair and others are guaranteed to participate in the Paris Olympics

Rugby: here is the program of the French XV for the rest of 2024

Jean-Marie Rouart, the writer-academician, looks back on December 19, 1964, the entry of Jean Moulin into the Pantheon

2nd Bundesliga: FC Schalke 04 is in the black  and fears falling into the 3rd league

La Unio denounces the second detection of Moroccan strawberries with hepatitis A in nine days

Without unnecessary risks: the ruble has risen in price on the Moscow Exchange following the results of the presidential elections in Russia

The "wave of rework" after the Spring Festival has driven the rental market in Guangzhou to heat up rapidly

In the first two months, the total foreign trade import and export value of Kashgar, Xinjiang increased by 90% year-on-year.

King Felipe VI presents Isak Andic (Mango) with the VIII Kingdom of Spain Award for Business Achievement: "Thank you for making a better country"

The Government rescues the precedent of Arabic in the UN to defend Catalan in Europe

Garibaldi, Pablo Iglesias' bar in Lavapies, vandalized by anarchists before its opening because of the name of a cocktail

Doing harm while being playful: how fireworks mortars became the weapon of choice for delinquents

The EU supported the use of Russian assets for Ukraine, but the decision was postponed

Haiti in the grip of gangs: in Port-au-Prince, at least ten bodies found

The Russian Guard shot down a UAV that the Ukrainian Armed Forces wanted to attack an enterprise near Belgorod

Trump needs 428 million euros by next Monday or he is exposed to the temporary embargo of part of his empire

Civil servants will have the salary increase after Easter and before the Budgets are approved

Urgent | Al Jazeera obtains exclusive photos showing the Qassam tracking the movements of officer in the Shaldag unit, Yitzhar Hoffman, before he was killed by a snipers bullet.

The central parity rate of RMB against the US dollar increased by 32 basis points to 7.0943 yuan.

Niger: what follow-up after the denunciation of the military agreement between Niamey and Washington?

Putin: all traitors fighting against Russia will be identified by name and they will not be given peace

Operational-tactical aviation and artillery: the Russian Armed Forces struck the site of a meeting of the command staff of the SBU and the Armed Forces of Ukraine

IN PICTURES - Football: discover the new Blues jerseys for Euro 2024 and the Olympics

Operation seduction of the head of Chinese diplomacy in New Zealand and Australia

 Communities 2019 - Privacy

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GAZA/BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Hamas announced a freeze on ceasefire negotiations with Israel after the faction's deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed Tuesday evening in an Israeli attack in Lebanon, a Palestinian source told Xinhua.

"We have informed the brothers in Qatar and Egypt of the freezing of negotiations," the source said on condition of anonymity. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The source added that Hamas, at war with Israel, rejected any talks about reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid escalated Israeli aggression and "assassination schemes" against Palestinian leaders.

Earlier, a Hamas source told Xinhua that several aides of al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas politburo, were also killed in the Israeli attack targeting a Hamas office in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

In a statement, Hamas confirmed that seven of its members were slain in the Israeli attack, slamming it as a "barbaric and heinous" terrorist act, a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, and an expansion of Israeli aggression against Palestine and its people.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said the attack was a serious assault on the Lebanese people, security, and sovereignty.

"This crime will never pass without response and punishment," it said in a statement, warning that the attack signaled "a dangerous development" in the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident, but Israeli media, citing senior officials, said that the country was on high alert against "a significant retaliation" by Hamas or its Iranian-backed ally, Hezbollah, including the launching of precision weapons at Israeli cities.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, both in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario," IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a briefing to reporters.

Iran on Tuesday condemned Israel's "despicable" move of assassinating al-Arouri, as well as two commanders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, in the drone strike in Beirut.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also strongly condemned the Israeli attack that rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

"The explosion is a new Israeli crime aimed at inevitably dragging Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation, following the daily ongoing assaults in the south, resulting in a significant number of martyrs and wounded individuals," Mikati said in a statement.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Hamas leaders in Palestinian territories and beyond, particularly al-Arouri, who was accused by Israel of directly being responsible for the "Al-Aqsa Storm" attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Al-Arouri, 57, is considered one of the prominent Hamas leaders, and a founder of the al-Qassam Brigades and its cells in the West Bank.

He was imprisoned in Israel for more than 18 years and was deported by Israeli authorities from Palestinian territories upon his last release in 2010. In the same year, he was elected as a Hamas politburo member.

Al-Arouri became the No. 2 in the top Hamas leadership body in 2017. 
"I hope there will be more such activities in the future." A just-concluded fair, co-hosted by counties from China and Vietnam, was applauded by businessmen from both countries.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




DHAKA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's total exports in the first half of the current 2023-24 fiscal year (July 2023-June 2024) grew by 0.84 percent year on year to 27.54 billion U.S. dollars, according to the latest official data.

The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data posted on its website showed that Bangladesh earned 27,540.37 million dollars from exports in the July-December period, compared to 27,311.26 million dollars a year earlier.

Of the total earnings, the EPB data showed the country's income from ready-made knitwear and woven garment items increased 1.72 percent to 23.39 billion dollars during the cited period.

In the first half of the current 2023-24 year, the EPB data showed knitwear garment export growth increased 6.48 percent to 13.48 billion dollars while woven garments declined by 4.12 percent to 9.91 billion dollars, compared with the same period of the last fiscal year.

Bangladesh shipped goods worth 5.31 billion dollars in December, which was 1.06 percent lower than the same month a year ago.

Bangladesh set its export target in the 2023-24 fiscal year at 62 billion dollars, including over 52 billion dollars from ready-made garment products. 
Dune 2 (March 14) Timothee Chalamet returns for Dune: Part Two. Credit: Warner Bros A knock-on effect of the Hollywood strikes is a logjam of sequels that will pop up over the course of the year. There were doubts that Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve would get to make the second half of his great adaptation of this sci-fi classic, but the first half did well enough to get the green light. What a magnificent film-maker Villeneuve is. Every set piece is perfectly conceived, the play between characters (Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya being the central warrior couple, and other top names in supporting roles) as important as the spectacle, and if, like me, you often dont know whats going on or which fiendish villain is which, who cares? See also, in order of release: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire , A Quiet Place: Day One, Deadpool 3 (hooray!!) Tim Burtons Beetlejuice 2, Venom 3 and, yes folks, Gladiator 2, with Paul Mescal as the hero and Ridley Scott still at the helm. Were also up to Saw XI. Go figure.

Io Capitano (March 28) Io Capitano is a contemporary Odyssey through the desert. Credit: AP Gritty, grand and seemingly ripped straight from the news, Italian maestro Matteo Garrones account of two Senegalese teenagers punishing journey to Europe  in their minds, the land of milk, honey and imminent pop stardom  is a thrilling watch. Garrone is best known for Gomorrah (2008), which drew on the real-life experiences of boys lured into becoming mafia foot soldiers. In Io Capitano, also based on anecdotes, the boys find themselves crossing the Sahara, weathering hardships culminating in Seydou (the revelatory Seydou Sarr) being forced to drive the boat carrying 250 desperate souls across the Mediterranean. Despite everything, this is fantastically uplifting; youll come out punching the air with glee. And as a bonus, Perfect Days, Wim Wenders empathetic portrait of a dedicated Japanese cleaner of public toilets that was Japans Oscar entry, opens on the same day. Why not take a picnic?

The Fall Guy (May 2) Ryan Gosling as stuntman Colt Seavers. Guilty pleasure time. Ryan Gosling stars as stuntman Colt Seavers working on a film directed by his ex-squeeze Jody, played by the luminous Emily Blunt. She hates him; he still wants her. Yes, that plot. Just watching the trailer, which is also full of stupidly dangerous driving and our favourite Ken leaping through the air to catch the skids of a helicopter, you see how its going to go. But here are two actors who really know how to deliver comic lines, backed up by Ted Lassos Hannah Waddingham, in a film that looks fast and actually funny. Even Lee Majors is in it. I actually watched this trailer for fun and no, Im not even that guilty about it.

Furiosa (May 23) Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa. Nobody can beat George Miller for sheer cinematic brio, which is what we may expect when Anya Taylor-Joy takes the wheel in the newest instalment of the Mad Max franchise, playing a younger version of Charlize Therons character. Yes, this ones a prequel. Early press describes Furiosa being thrown into a biker horde led by Warlord Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth; she has to escape and find her way across the Wasteland back to the Green Land of Many Mothers. Filmed in and around the authentically dusty New South Wales towns of Hay and Silverton, Furiosas production spend in Australia was $A343 million, the biggest of any movie made here to date.

The Bikeriders (June) Austin Butler in The Bikeriders. Credit: 20th Century Studios Jeff Nichols passion project about a 1960s bike gang, with Tom Hardy as the gangs chief, Austin Butler as the kid he nurtures and Jodie Comer as his soulmate on wheels, has been scheduled and rescheduled by Disney until they dropped it altogether, with Focus snapping it up. June is the new US release time, so lets go with that. Reviews out of the Telluride and London film festivals spanned the gamut from ecstatic to sniffy, with the London Telegraphs Robbie Collin describing it as a grubbily glamorous blast of underworld machismo of the sort that Scorsese himself made a mid-career speciality: think wildly charismatic performances, elegant camerawork, regular jabs of barbarous violence, and a skin-fizzingly sharp jukebox soundtrack. Im there, or I will be if it ever opens.

Joker: Folie a Deux (October 2) Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie a Deux. Credit: Alamy Whether a deuxieme Joker will prove a folly remains to be seen but, for those of us who were riveted by Joaquin Phoenixs sinuous, tortured and utterly depraved portrayal of the comic-book villain in Todd Phillips (admittedly divisive) first Joker, this is one sequel that is actually eagerly anticipated. Because knowing Phillips  who manages to combine comic-book motifs with provocative abstract ideas, a rare thing  and Phoenix, an actor who commits so completely to any role you feel he is reaching for it somewhere inside his intestines, this wont be just a rerun of stuff from the first one. Lady Gaga joins him in his madness this time round, playing Harley Quinn. She looks pretty badass in the trailer.

Nosferatu (December) Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen Hutter in director Robert Eggers Nosferatu. Credit: Focus Features Robert Eggers, the singular American stylist whose previous films (The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman) have inhabited a zone between myth, horror and muddy, freezing historical reality, grapples with the greatest of all vampire films, Friedrich Murnaus 1922 silent Nosferatu. Bill Skarsgard plays Count Orlok, the scariest character ever to descend a staircase; Lily-Rose Depp is the object of his toothsome affections. Willem Dafoe, who played the psychotically bullying seaman in The Lighthouse, is a professor here but previously played the actor Max Schreck, the original Nosferatu, in the 2000 film Shadow of a Vampire. Rely on Eggers to extract the bleakness and twisted eroticism and terror from the original, while exploring the ideas and fears that underlie the genre.

More great expectations There are already rumblings about what gems we can expect to be launched at festivals before making their way to our cinemas. Look out for news of the new film from Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, whose new film Mickey 17 features Robert Pattinson as a space traveller, Mark Ruffalo and Tony Collette and is set in an ice world. Even wackier is the concept of French auteur Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, The Prophet) making a film with Disney Channel alumna Selena Gomez, but thats the bare bones of Emilia Gomez, a musical comedy set among the Mexican drug cartels. The central character is a drug lord looking to change his life and his gender. Also new to the world of musicals is Joshua Oppenheimer, who made the astonishing documentary The Act of Killing, about Indonesian death squads. His new one is a fiction called The End, a post-apocalyptic song and dance spectacular about the last human family.
With luxurious packaging and promises of a more youthful appearance, some skincare products can be dismissed as a payday indulgence for the narcissist-adjacent but for many people, cleansers and moisturisers have a serious impact on their quality of life.

You would be surprised that common dermatological conditions can affect the quality of life to the same level as major heart defects, says Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani, director of dermatology at Brisbanes Princess Alexandra Hospital.

A new initiative from La Roche-Posay, owned by LOreal, draws attention to skincare needs during cancer treatment. Credit: Getty

Skincare is not vital to our living but for many people, such as cancer patients, it is vital to their recovery. Over three quarters of cancer patients grapple with severe skin side effects resulting from their treatment.

In the onslaught of information delivered to cancer patients about the potential side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, skincare can take a back seat to the impact on liver and heart performance  but its impact on recovery is important.
Back at the Olympic Village, Zamir telephoned Meir at home in Israel. Golda, Ive got bad news, he said. Im just back from the airport  not one of the Israelis has survived. In a later interview, Zamir said: To see this happen on German soil was a terrible sight. The aftermath of the events at Furstenfeldbruck airfield in 1972, Credit: Fairfax archive Zvi Zamir was born Zvicka Zarzevsky on March 3, 1925 in Poland. When he was seven months old, the Zarzevskys settled in Palestine, then under British Mandate. In 1942, he joined the Palmach, the elite strike force of the Haganah, the clandestine military organisation of the Jewish community in Palestine. In 1946, the British arrested Zamir for his involvement in bringing illegal immigrants to Palestine and imprisoned him at the Latrun jail. On his release a year later, he was made commander of the 6th Palmach battalion and took part in battles against Arabs in and around Jerusalem during the War of Independence. In 1950 Zamir was made commander of the Givati Brigade, and in 1953 he attended the Staff College, Camberley in England. On his return to Israel, he was appointed commander of the infantry school, and during the 1956 Sinai campaign he served as a brigade commander.

In 1957, he took leave and enrolled as a student of geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Upon completing his studies he was promoted to brigadier, and after a stint as IDFs training branch commander, in 1962 he was made OC Southern Command in charge of the Israeli-Egyptian front, which during his tenure was relatively quiet. On July 15, 1966, Zamir was appointed military attache in London, which meant that he missed the June 1967 Six Day War. Zamir in 1966. Credit: Alamy Zamirs appointment to head the Mossad surprised many, and it took him two years before he began to feel and understand the real dimensions of his job. As director, Zamir had a hands-on style of leadership. His reports were voluminous; he never concealed anything from the government and he took responsibility for both successes and failures, typically taking the latter much to heart. Meir would often console him with the words: When trees are felled, the chips will fly. After Munich, as Zamir recalled, Golda wanted very much, that the terrorists [responsible for Munich] will be brought to trial. But she realised that this is impossible. Instead, Zamir asked her for permission to kill them. She instructed him to draw up a list of targets: they did not have to be involved in Munich or even be members of Black September to make the cut, as the objective was to wipe out the entire terrorist network in Europe. A special secret committee, Committee X, chaired by the prime minister, went through Zamirs list and approved what became known as Operation Wrath of God.

The first to die was Abdel Wael Zwaiter, officially a translator at the Libyan Embassy in Italy, but, according to Mossad, a Black September terrorist  he was shot 12 times by Zamirs hit team on October 16, 1972 in Rome. Loading Zamir would often fly to Europe to supervise operations and be with his people. I spoke to [the hit team] before the mission, during the mission and afterwards too, and I knew them all, he said in an interview. Not all went well. On July 21, 1973, Zamirs assassins, tracking a man they believed to be the mastermind of Munich, Ali Hassan Salameh, killed an innocent Moroccan waiter in the town of Lillehammer in Norway. Norwegian police managed to apprehend six of the back-up team, interrogated them and put them on trial. The Lillehammer Affair was an embarrassing failure and Zamir accepted full responsibility, but when he offered his resignation, Meir asked him to stay on: her trust in him was absolute. Over a period of 20 years, even after Zamirs retirement from the Mossad, Israeli agents continued executing Wrath of God, killing dozens of Palestinians, including two of the three terrorists who survived Munich.

This campaign was depicted in Steven Spielbergs 2005 film Munich, which Zamir hated, describing it as a cowboy movie and a fairytale  based on the directors fertile imagination. He was played by the Israeli actor Ami Weinberg. Loading In October 1973, Zamirs attention shifted to preparations by Egypt and Syria to attack Israel. While military intelligence dismissed Arab mobilisation as a false alarm, Zamir  typically  took the threat seriously and warned of the possibility of all-out war. In London on October 5, Zamir met Israels most senior spy, Ashraf Marwan, the son-in-law of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Marwan warned Zamir that war would break out tomorrow and provided him with maps and documents. This was too short a timescale to enable Israel to fully mobilise her forces, but it did provide the Israelis with some extra time to take measures to contain the imminent Arab attack. The Agranat Commission of inquiry into the circumstances leading to the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War praised Zamir for bringing the message from London. Zamir later said: The greatest achievement of Mossad during my time in charge was to provide the warning about the looming war.
Police have arrested the man who allegedly shot and killed former cocaine kingpin and Comanchero bikie boss Alen Moradian in the basement car park of his Bondi Junction apartment.

Task Force Magnus detectives and Tactical Operations Unit officers picked up 24-year-old Dut Deng at a Fairfield Heights home about 3.50am on Wednesday, following a six-month investigation.

A NSW Police photo of the arrest shows officers in bulletproof vests and helmets holding on to Deng, who was wearing a traditional Middle-Eastern thobe and orange slides.

Task Force Magnus commander, Detective acting Superintendent Virginia Gorman, told journalists six people had been arrested in relation to the shooting, but Deng is the only one accused of firing the murder weapon.
A growing number of NSW private school students are opting to sit the International Baccalaureate (IB) instead of the HSC, with a record 739 receiving their final results on Wednesday.

While the candidature has doubled over the past decade, fewer students were expected to receive the so-called perfect score of 45 out of a possible 45 marks on last years exams, after IB authorities stopped granting students hardship adjustments due to the pandemic.

Monte Sant Angelo Mercy College had two students achieve the perfect score of 45 out of 45. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

The change comes after the Universities Admissions Centre last year said it would apply an improved conversion schedule for IB scores for students applying for tertiary study.

That decision was made in part to address the disproportionate number of IB students receiving a university admissions rank equivalent to a top ATAR of 99.95 when compared to those sitting the HSC.
Armadale Detectives have charged a 15-year-old boy following a blaze in Perths south-east on Wednesday that forced the evacuation of residents and came within metres of homes.

Police allege at about 3.10pm, the boy set fire to dry leaves in bushland on the corner of Lake Road and Catalonia Street in Seville Grove, resulting in a large-scale out-of-control bushfire.

It will be further alleged the teenager walked to bushland within the area of Henderson Drive, Riverside Lane, Ranford and Lake Roads in Seville Grove where he again set fire to bushland.

Around five hectares of bushland were destroyed and $10,000 in structural damage was caused to the roof of a fast food outlet in Champion Lakes.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services issued a watch and act alert for those in an area bounded by Tonkin Highway, Champion Drive, Seville Drive and Armadale Road just before 4pm on Wednesday, urging those residents in Champion Lakes, Seville Grove and Forrestdale to leave.
Despite Airbus ceasing production in 2021, the worlds largest passenger aircraft, the A380, still has a legion of fans. Although Etihad and Qatar Airways are planning to retire theirs in the next few years, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of the A380 have been greatly exaggerated.

Thats in large part because the A380s biggest fan, Emirates, which currently flies about 90 of the planes (with 30 mothballed) has now committed $US1.5 billion ($2.234 billion) to getting the most life out of its fleet.

Emirates is the largest operator of Airbus A380 superjumbos. Credit: iStock

Like Qantas, which is eyeing 2032 to begin farewelling its fleet of 12 A380s, Dubai-based Emirates will eventually farewell its superjumbos, albeit later than the Flying Kangaroo. For now, they remain popular and busy.

In 2022, Emirates began a massive program of upgrading the interior cabins of its A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
Harrowing tales have emerged from passengers who were on board Japan Airlines flight 516 when it collided with a coast guard plane in Tokyo and erupted into a fireball, filling the cabin with smoke as sparks and flames shot out of the engine before the entire aircraft was destroyed.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday morning confirmed 12 Australians were among the 379 people on the Airbus A350 aircraft, and were safe and accounted for. Five of the six crew on the smaller plane were killed.

The horrifying runway disaster at 5.46pm (Japan time) on Tuesday came after Japan was rocked by a deadly 7.6-magnitude earthquake on New Years Day. Albanese said the coast guard plane had been on its way to help with the recovery efforts.

Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan, both for the impact of the earthquake that has seen a considerable loss of life, as well of course ongoing issues as a result of that major earthquake including the potential for tsunamis and other activity there, he said.
Iran has in the past blamed Israel for attacks on individual people or places within its borders  claims which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied  but there was no indication of any involvement of a foreign state in the cemetery explosions. The US has seen no indication Israel was behind the blasts, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. People taking care of the injured after an explosion in Kerman, Iran. Credit: AP While the authorities did not publicly assign blame, top commander of Irans Quds force Esmail Qaani claimed the attacks were carried out by the agents of the Zionist regime [Israel] and the United States. Tehran often accuses its two arch enemies of backing anti-Iran militant groups. The government announced that Thursday would be a day of mourning.

Videos aired by Iranian state media showed dozens of bloodied bodies strewn around with some bystanders trying to help survivors and others hurrying to leave the blast area. Loading I heard a very loud sound and then felt pain in my back ... then I could not feel my legs, a wounded woman at a Kerman hospital told state television. Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman Red Crescent Society, told state television the huge crowd was making it hard to get the wounded out. A terrible sound was heard there, despite all the security and safety measures. We are still investigating, Fallah said.

State TV later showed crowds gathered at the cemetery at night, chanting: Death to Israel and Death to America. The US assassination of Soleimani in a drone attack at Baghdad airport and Tehrans retaliation by attacking two Iraq military bases that house US troops brought the United States and Iran close to full-blown conflict in 2020. As chief commander of the elite Quds force, the overseas arm of Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps, Soleimani ran clandestine operations in foreign countries and was a key figure in Irans long-standing campaign to drive US forces out of the Middle East. Tensions between Iran and Israel, along with its ally the United States, have reached a new high over Israels war on Iranian-backed Hamas militants in Gaza in retaliation for their October 7 rampage through southern Israel that killed about 1200 Israelis.

Loading Hezbollah, Israel play down prospect of war Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Israeli army made statements suggesting the two avowed enemies wanted to avoid risking the further spread of war beyond the Gaza Strip after a drone strike killed a Palestinian Hamas deputy leader in Beirut. In a speech in Beirut overnight, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed that his powerful Iran-backed Shiite militia cannot be silent after the killing of Hamas deputy Saleh al-Arouri. Nasrallah said his heavily armed forces would fight to the finish if Israel chose to extend the war to Lebanon, but he made no concrete threats to act against Israel supporting Hamas, Hezbollahs ally also backed by Iran.

Israel neither confirmed nor denied assassinating Arouri but has promised to annihilate Hamas. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari when asked what Israel was doing to prepare for a potential Hezbollah response, said: I wont respond to what you just mentioned. We are focused on the fight against Hamas. White House spokesperson John Kirby, asked about Nasrallahs speech, said: We havent seen Hezbollah jump in with both feet to come to Hamas aid and assistance. Another US official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, suggested neither Hezbollah nor Israel wanted a war. From everything that we can tell, there is no clear desire for Hezbollah to go to war with Israel and vice versa. More than 120 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel.

No respite in Gaza Israeli forces meanwhile kept up their aerial and ground blitz against Hamas militants in Gaza. The total recorded Palestinian death toll from Israels offensive had reached 22,313 by Wednesday  almost 1 per cent of its 2.3 million population, the Gaza Health Ministry said. Israeli bombardments have flattened much of the densely populated enclave, wreaking a humanitarian disaster. Most Gazans have been left homeless, crammed into shrinking areas in hope of rudimentary shelter, with food shortages threatening famine. Loading
Several previously confidential documents related to Jeffrey Epstein have been made public in a New York court after a years-long battle over their release.

The first of what are expected to be hundreds of documents identifying more than 150 individuals were unsealed on Thursday (AEDT) after an order last month by US District Judge Loretta Preska. The documents were filed in redacted form as part of a 2015 lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of participating in Epsteins sex crimes.

Jeffrey Epstein poses for a mugshot in 2013. Credit: AP

While it was speculated the documents would reveal an Epstein client list, many of the names featured in the unsealed documents were widely reported former associates of the late financier, including former US president Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew. The first documents included emails, transcripts of depositions and legal filings.

Ties to Epstein have led to career downfalls for former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley and Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black and have tarnished the reputations of billionaires Bill Gates, Leslie Wexner and many other prominent men. All have denied knowing about or participating in inappropriate conduct with Epstein.
TOKYO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 73 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa as of 6:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the prefecture and the vicinity, the national broadcaster NHK reported.

Meanwhile, local governments in Wajima City, Suzu City and Noto Town of the prefecture are working to evaluate the damage situation as many houses confirmed collapsed there, NHK said.

According to the prefectural government, at least 60 people are now in a state of isolation due to cut-off roads in at least three municipalities, including the severely stricken city of Nanao.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference on Wednesday that the government had decided to double the number of Self-Defense Forces (SDF) members in the disaster-hit region from 1,000 at present.

A series of strong earthquakes, with a major one of 7.6 magnitude, on Monday struck at a shallow depth in the Noto region of Ishikawa prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

The JMA has lifted all tsunami advisories along the Sea of Japan following the quake, but weather officials warned that strong aftershocks may occur in the week, especially over the next two to three days. 
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, learns about development of the laser industry while visiting HGLaser Engineering Co., Ltd. in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 3, 2024. Li made an inspection tour in central China's Hubei Province from Tuesday to Wednesday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

WUHAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for more efforts to foster new productive forces, promote high-quality development, and get this year's economic work off to a good start during his inspection in central China's Hubei Province.

In his tour on Tuesday and Wednesday, Li also stressed the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the implementation of the arrangement made at the Central Economic Work Conference.

In Yichang City, Li visited the Gezhouba Dam to listen to reports on the Yangtze River conservation, the Three Gorges waterway, and the planning of a new canal. He said more should be done to unleash the benefits of the Yangtze River's shipping, water conservancy, ecology, and cultural tourism.

Li urged local enterprises to push forward technological innovation, advance green development, and constantly move up the industrial and value chains.

In Wuhan City, Li inspected the development of the flash memory chip and laser industries and vowed more targeted policy support to translate even more technological achievements into productivity. On a visit to a national mapping and remote sensing lab, Li encouraged researchers to make greater breakthroughs in core technologies and contribute more to China's technological self-reliance.

In Ezhou City, Li pointed out the Ezhou Huahu Airport has clear advantages and favorable conditions to develop into an international air cargo hub and called on the airport to better serve the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the country's building of a new development pattern.

Li also called on Hubei officials to take active and solid steps and make new contributions to national development with new achievements in high-quality development. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits a new factory area of Hubei Xingfa Chemicals Group Co., Ltd., and learns about the company's development and its measures on the Yangtze River conservation, in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Li made an inspection tour in central China's Hubei Province from Tuesday to Wednesday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
The Wyoming Department of Family Services, in partnership with NourishedRx, is excited to announce a comprehensive statewide survey aimed at understanding the food environment in Wyoming. This collaborative initiative seeks to gain valuable insights into the needs and challenges faced by Wyomingites regarding food access and nutrition.

Make your voice heard and participate in the survey here. In addition to the Food Environment Survey open to all Wyomingites, the NourishRx team will be conducting interviews, facilitating focus groups, conducting participatory observation at local food pantries, and creating a Community Advisory Board.

This board will be composed of members of the Wyoming public interested in collaborating with the research team to create a final set of recommendations.

If you are interested in participating in other components of the study, please indicate so on the survey.

In a USDA Household Food Security Study last conducted in 2021, 11.2% of Wyoming residents experience food insecurity, making Wyomings food insecurity rate 7% higher than the national average of 10.4%.

For those familiar with the term food deserts, its no surprise that most of Wyoming meets the criteria.

There are currently several Wyoming initiatives aimed to reduce food insecurity that this project will work alongside. Key highlights of the survey include:

**Gift Card Incentives:** As a token of appreciation for their time and expertise, the first 100 respondents will receive a gift card. The more people that engage, the greater the impact on the survey's accuracy! **Community Centered Approach:** This survey is specifically designed to capture the diverse perspectives and experiences of Wyomingites. By focusing on the unique needs of each community, NourishedRx and the Wyoming Department of Family Services aim to tailor solutions that address local challenges effectively. **Empowering Wyoming Communities:** The information gathered from the survey will empower decision-makers to create initiatives that directly benefit Wyoming communities.

From addressing food deserts to promoting nutritional education, the survey results will be instrumental in shaping policies that prioritize the health and well-being of Wyoming people.

The NourishedRx team is a passionate group of healthcare professionals, food entrepreneurs, data scientists, and researchers united by the belief that nutritious food and social interaction are strong determinants of good health and a life well-lived. The team at NourishedRx builds partnerships with organizations across the country who wish to improve healthy food access for their constituents, and together we develop assessments to understand their challenges, their needs, and their desires around health and food. From there, we work to devise unique, customized solutions for long-term, sustainable healthy food access.

To participate in the survey and make your voice heard, please visit https://bit.ly/WYfood. Your input is crucial in shaping a healthier and more nourished future for Wyoming. This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number [SLFRP0005] awarded to the State of Wyoming by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
TOKYO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has climbed to 73 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa on Wednesday, after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity, with the prime minister pledging continued support for people suffering from the disaster.

Of the deaths, 39 were reported in the worst-hit city of Wajima and 23 in Suzu, while the other deaths were counted in five neighboring towns, public broadcaster NHK said, citing local authorities, noting that people are missing in various parts of Ishikawa Prefecture and efforts are underway to confirm their safety.

Meanwhile, more than 300 people have been injured, at least 25 of them seriously, it added.

In a series of aftershocks experienced by the region, one of a magnitude of 5.6 on Wednesday morning and one of a magnitude of 4.6 on Tuesday evening struck off the Noto Peninsula, both at shallow depths and measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale which peaks at 7, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Many collapsed houses have been confirmed in Wajima city, Suzu city, and Noto town of the prefecture, with the local government working to evaluate the damage situation, NHK said.

The full extent of the disaster remains unknown as rubble and severed roads have added to the challenges in search and rescue operations on Wednesday, two days after the 7.6-magnitude quake on New Year's Day rocked Ishikawa Prefecture and nearby areas and set off tsunami warnings.

The land ministry said areas of at least 100 hectares in Ishikawa Prefecture were flooded by tsunami waves following Monday's earthquake, while the true extent of the flooding will likely be larger.

The first 72 hours are especially critical for rescues because the prospects for survival greatly diminish after that, experts say.

"More than 40 hours have passed since the disaster. This is a race against time, and I feel that we are at a critical moment," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference on Wednesday. "We have received reports many people are still waiting for rescue under collapsed buildings."

Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) were set to use helicopters to deliver supplies to cut-off areas, with local authorities asking the central government to send SDF personnel for disaster relief mission.

Kishida said that the government had decided to double the number of SDF members to be mobilized in the disaster-hit region from 1,000 at present to 2,000, with more rescue dogs also deployed.

Kishida later said 2,000 firefighters and 740 police officers will newly join the search and rescue efforts, noting that transport of relief supplies is crucial as affected people may have to live in temporary shelters for a longer period of time.

In Ishikawa alone, about 33,000 people are staying at evacuation centers, and over 30,000 homes were without power. In Ishikawa and two neighboring prefectures of Toyama and Niigata, 110,000 homes were without water supply, Kyodo News reported Wednesday.

Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase has encouraged everyone to use masks, antiseptic and soap to guard against the spread of infectious diseases as evacuees shelter together. Ensuring adequate water supplies and toilets for those who were displaced is a priority, he said.

"Relief supplies are arriving at an increasing rate from all over the country, and we must make the most of every method possible, including land, sea and air routes, to deliver them to the disaster-stricken areas without any blockages," Hase said.

A series of strong earthquakes, with a major one of 7.6 magnitude, on Monday struck at a shallow depth in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. The JMA has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Centered around 30 km east-northeast of Wajima, the devastating quake registered a maximum intensity of 7, which would make it impossible for people to stand.

The earthquake, categorized as a seismic swarm, had a length of up to 150 kilometers in the epicenter area, leading to unprecedented scale and shaking intensity, said a JMA expert, noting that such a temblor was last recorded in 2018 in Hokkaido.

The JMA has lifted all tsunami advisories along the Sea of Japan following the quake, but weather officials warned that strong aftershocks may occur in the week, especially over the next two to three days. 
MOSCOW/KIEV, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- At the turn of the year, hostilities have mounted between Russia and Ukraine with the latest barrage of missile and drone attacks beginning Friday.

The Russian forces attacked Ukraine on Friday morning with 158 drones and missiles, including at least 90 air-launched cruise missiles and five Kinzhal ballistic missiles, said Valery Zaluzhny, chief commander of the armed forces of Ukraine.

At least 12 people were killed and more than 70 others wounded in the "largest missile and drone attack" on the country since the start of the conflict, said the National Police of Ukraine.

On Saturday, Ukraine's shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod killed more than two dozen people. The assault on Belgorod marked one of the most lethal ones on Russian territory since the beginning of the conflict. Russian officials said the death toll reached 26, including five children, after a barrage of rockets on Tuesday.

Russian air defense systems near Belgorod shot down four missiles on Tuesday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine has carried out at least 50 attacks, including shelling and explosives from drones, said regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow would intensify strikes on military targets in Ukraine, after an unprecedented Ukrainian attack over the weekend on the Russian city of Belgorod.

On Tuesday, Russia launched almost 100 missiles of various types at Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring 130 others, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that Russia has fired nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 Shahed combat drones against Ukraine since Dec. 29, 2023.

"No other state has ever repelled such attacks, combined ones: both drones and missiles, including air-launched ballistic missiles. Ten Kinzhal missiles have been shot down today alone," Zelensky said in a video address.

In his new year's speech, Zelensky vowed to boost drone production to "a million" extra in 2024, saying "the enemy will feel the wrath of domestic production."

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden urged Congress to take "urgent action" to greenlight plans to provide more weapons for Ukraine.

In a statement Friday, Biden said, "unless Congress takes urgent action in the new year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defense systems Ukraine needs to protect its people. Congress must step up and act without any further delay." 
On January 1st, Steamboat Willie, the first-ever rendition of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain. That means Disney no longer owns the copyright to the character and people can do whatever they want with him.
2024: Global Election Fest





By Asad Mirza

A total of more than 3.7 billion inhabitants around 70 countries -- or almost half of the global population -- will head to cast their votes in either presidential or legislative elections in the coming year. On a geopolitical level, this electoral jamboree might have a major impact.

YEAR 2024 will be a historic election year, when democracy will undergo a major test with elections in approximately 70 countries including the US, India, Mexico and South Africa. More than 3.7 billion voters will head to the polls, and their results may have global impact and ramifications. So, the current year will be the greatest year for democracy and democratic institutions worldwide. The greatest power in the world (the US), the most-populous country (India), the biggest trading bloc (the European Union), the largest Muslim country (Indonesia), the largest Spanish-speaking country (Mexico) and the territory that is the most contentious one between the two superpowers of this century (Taiwan), all will hold elections in 2024. A total of more than 3.7 billion inhabitants around 70 countries -- or almost half of the global population -- will head to cast their votes in either presidential or legislative elections in the coming year. The verdict of these polls may have profound consequences on the lives of people and on a world that is going through a turbulent time, with on-going brutal wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as the West seems falling into decline, with no clear alternative. On a geopolitical level, this electoral jamboree might have a major impact.

Major disruptive results include the return of Donald Trump to the White House, a third consecutive victory in Taiwan by candidates that Beijing considers hostile, or a consolidation of the extreme right in the European Union, all of which could lead to far-reaching consequences. In addition to these, other elections to watch out for include the potential presidential elections in Venezuela to those in Ukraine, from Indonesia to South Africa and Mexico, besides the UK -- where a substantial change of course would not be expected regardless of the outcome. TEST FOR DEMOCRACY However, what might be the worrisome aspect of these elections is the litmus test which democracy will undergo. Surveys by different international think tanks and institutes indicate dissatisfaction with the present-day working of democratic institutions -- a sentiment common throughout the nations of the west -- meaning, the US and Europe - even though they see themselves as democracys home ground. A recent Ipsos opinion poll in western countries found a widespread belief that current democratic systems favour the rich and powerful and ignore everyone else. Freedom House, the independent, US-based watchdog concluded in its 2023 report that the Global Freedom Index declined for the 17th consecutive year. The principle of free speech, essential to a fully functioning democracy, is also under attack.

Paradoxically, this unprecedented vote-fest comes at a moment when classic forms of liberal democracy are under existential attack from authoritarians and dictators such as Chinas Xi Jinping and Russias Vladimir Putin, far-right nationalist-populist parties such as in Austria, Hungary and Scandinavia, and military coup plotters and Islamists from Venezuela to Chad. Yet the report said while 35 countries experienced declines in political rights and civil liberties, 34 saw overall gains. Autocrats were neither infallible nor unbeatable. The geopolitical and economic impacts of so many ballot box battles, occurring more or less at once, may combine to further destabilise an unstable world -- for good or bad. RISE OF THE FAR RIGHT The European continent will see elections in Austria, Belgium, Croatia and Finland, as well as for the European Parliament in June. The pervasive fear is that they may accelerate advances by nationalist-populist, anti-migrant, xenophobic parties of the far right, matching those seen recently in Italy, the Netherlands and Slovakia. The results will shape the new chamber, with possible new legislative majorities that will influence the leadership of the EU. One wonders how high the far-right wave may rise. The average of polls compiled by Politico magazine indicates a rise of the two far-right blocs and a decline in support of the traditional European conservatives, social democrats, liberals and greens. Even so, the latter groups might retain a comfortable majority.

The crux of the question is to see if an eventual coalition between populist and far-right groups could form an alternative majority. At the beginning of December, in the seat projection put out by Politico, the distance between extremists and moderates was only about 20 seats, out of a total of 720. INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS: For India, which itself will be holding the general elections, in which the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to score a hat trick, will watch closely elections in its neighbourhood i.e. in Pakistan and Bangladesh which may have a major regional and strategic impact. Pakistan is plagued by a serious economic crisis and high political tensions, including arrests and attempted assassinations of political leaders. Following the dissolution of Parliament, elections should have been held within 90 days, but have been postponed twice. They are now scheduled for February. The country -- with some 240 million inhabitants -- has enormous strategic depth, not only due to its nuclear arsenal, but also due to its close relationship with China.

The Beijing-Islamabad axis is New Delhis biggest concern. The first election of 2024 could be one of the most contentious. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the ruling Awami League have dominated Bangladeshi politics for the past fifteen years. Over that time, they have increasingly eroded Bangladeshs democracy. As Freedom House puts it, the AL has consolidated political power through sustained harassment of the Opposition and those perceived to be allied with it, as well as of critical media and voices in civil society. The US has been pressing Sheikh Hasina for months to hold free-and-fair elections, that pressure has yet to pay off. MAJOR Elections: At the global level the US elections and those of the EU may have a major bearing on Indias foreign and defence policies, with some overlap on its internal politics, too. The US presidential elections next November have immense disruptive potential. The possibility that Trump will be the Republican candidate and return to the White House is still not ruled out. A Trump-return to the White House would represent a major shake-up with associated risks. It would be a step towards American isolationism at a time when rival powers are questioning the world order that Washington has created.

Trump would embody a break with America for the world scenario, his America first doctrine means limiting efforts and expenses in distant horizons. Its doubtful whether he would commit to supporting Taiwan if it comes under attack, or whether he would maintain financing and security guarantees made to Ukraine and NATO. New trade wars would be likely, as would a withdrawal of commitments against climate change. The elections in 2024 will further highlight the manner in which our lives have become slaves to the social media and this will have an impact on the election processes too. As Kay Spencer, programme director of elections at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) puts it, the year 2024 is a big year for social media platforms and it will be important to monitor how they will manage all the elections that are coming up. (IANS) n
Blast in Sunflag Co 3 staffers injured, 5 suffer minor burns





District Correspondent

BHANDARA,

A major blast at Sunflag Iron and Steel Company in Warthi has left three staffers badly burnt while five others sustained minor injuries. The blast took place around 3.15 am. The badly injured have been shifted to Nagpur for treatment. Fortunately, there was no casualty in the incident. The steel-producing Sunflag Company is located at Warthi in Mohadi tehsil of Bhandara. Around 3.15 am on Tuesday, when the workers were busy working in the night shift, there was a sudden blast in the electric arc furnace (EAF).

Hot molten metal splashed out from the furnace.

Three staffers came in direct contact of the extreme heat that came along with the splash and they sustained burns. After primary treatment at the companys facility, they were immediately sent to Suretech Hospital at Nagpur. They staffers include Namdeo Zanzad (57), engineer Sagar Jamane (28) and contractual worker Bhavesh Hatwar (30). The hospital is said to have informed the company officials that the burns were superficial. Also, five other workers who sustained minor burns were given discharge after administering first aid.

Meanwhile, the effect of the blast was so severe that the entire area felt the jitters. People residing in the vicinity woke up from sleep on hearing the loud noise and soon panic spread among them. The company unit has also suffered heavy damage and loss because of the blast. Warathi Police Stations Incharge Abhijit Patil said that since the said incident comes under Industrial Safety. Further investigation will be conducted by Director, Industrial Health and Safety Department. Sources informed that Deputy Director of Industrial Health and Safety Department Dhanvijay visited the spot and gathered information about the incident after discussing with officers, workers and related parties.
Fuel shortage to persist amidst no supply





Business Reporter

Even as the civic administration on Tuesday assured fuel consumers of ample stock of petrol and diesel, the city is likely to see the majority of petrol pumps going dry on Wednesday. The Vidarbha Petroleum Dealers Association (VPDA), a body of petrol pump owners, said that most of the citys outlets have exhausted fuel on Tuesday evening. There are only a few outlets in the city where petrol and diesel were available on Tuesday. But the situation will worsen further on Wednesday as fuel tankers are unable to reach the outlets, said Amit Gupta, President of VPDA while addressing a press conference. The city needs more than 6 lakh liters of petrol and 2 lakh liters of diesel every day and there are about 96 petrol pumps within the municipal limits and about 200 in rural parts of the district. But because of the ongoing agitation of the truck drivers, the authorities could only manage to supply less that 80,000 liters of petrol and diesel to some of the outlets.

Clarifying petrol pump owners stand on the matter, Gupta said the ongoing strike of truck drivers is causing the shortage. There is enough fuel available in the depots of oil companies but it is not reaching the outlets. The fear-gripped drivers (of fuel tankers) are shying away from driving the vehicles in the current scenario and thus there is a fuel shortage all over the city, he said. Gupta further added that it would take more than 24 hours to streamline the fuel supply from the point when the drivers withdraw the protest. It means that the fuel consumers will have to brave the hardship for the next two to three days.
Indias first all-girls sainik school comes up in Mathura





MATHURA,

DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated the first all-girls sainik school at Vrindavan and termed it as a beacon of light for girls who aspire to join the Armed Forces and protect the motherland. According to the Defence Ministry, Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School, the first all-girls sainik school with a strength of about 870 students, has been inaugurated under the initiative of establishing 100 new sainik schools in partnership with NGOs/private/State Government schools in all states/Union territories. These are in addition to the existing 33 sainik schools already functioning under the erstwhile pattern, the Ministry said in a statement.

Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School is a beacon of light for girls who aspire to join the Armed Forces and serve the motherland. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government has given women their rightful place in the Armed Forces, which was neglected for years, the Defence Minister said on the occasion.

They (girls) have the right to protect the nation just like their male counterparts. It was a golden moment in the history of women empowerment when we approved the admission of girls to sainik schools. Today, our women are not only flying fighter jets, they are also securing the borders, he said. Speaking about the importance of Mathura, he said that the sages of India have considered the global society as one family.
Indian youths are creating a brave new world: PM





TIRUCHIRAPPALLI,

INDIAN innovators took the number of patents from around 4,000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Tuesday. Addressing the convocation ceremony of state-run Bharathidasan University here, the Prime Minister quoted the Puthiyathor Ulagam Seivom Tamil verses of poet Bharathidasan, after whom the university had been named, and said it meant creating a brave new world which is also the universitys motto. Modi said the Indian youth were already creating such a world. The Indian scientists are on the world map through missions like Chandrayaan and our innovators took the number of patents from around 4,000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 now. Indias humanity scholars are showcasing the India story to the world like never before. Also, the nations musicians and artists were continuously bringing international awards for the country, he said. Modi underlined that giving back to the people for a better society and country is the true purpose of education. Youth means energy, it means the ability to work with speed, skill and scale. In the last few years, we have worked to match you in speed and scale, so that we can benefit you.

In the last 10 years, the number of airports had doubled from 74 to nearly 150. Tamil Nadu has a vibrant coastline so you would be happy to know that the total cargo handling capacity of major ports in India has doubled since 2014. The speed of road and highway construction in the country has almost doubled in the last 10 years. The number of registered startups in the country has grown to almost one lakh; this was less than 100 in 2014. India has also seen a number of trade deals with important economies and such deals will open up new markets for our goods and services. They also create countless new opportunities for youths. Whether it is institutions like the G-20, fighting against climate change or playing a bigger role in the global supply chain, India is being welcomed as a part of every global solution. In many ways, due to the local and global factors, this is the best time to be young in India. Make the most of this time to take our country to new heights. Underscoring the importance of constant learning, re-skilling and upskilling, he said in a rapidly transforming world, either you drive change or change drives you. Modi is the first Prime Minister to address the convocation ceremony of the varsity, established in 1982.

In a very brief interaction with a group of students, he asked if anyone was interested to go to Delhi, to which two women students raised their hands and smiled. The Prime Minister paid floral tributes to a bust of Bharathidasan (1891-1964), hailed as revolutionary Tamil poet, and he posed for a group-photograph with students, Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday that the objective of universities should be to inculcate social justice and innovation and only such varsities have a bright future. For its part the State Government has created a platform: Naan Mudhalvan scheme aiming to make the Tamil Nadu students emerge successful in education and life, he said in his address at the 38th convocation of the Bharathidasan University here attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor R N Ravi. My dream project Naan Mudhalvan Thittam has in two years ensured skilling to 29 lakh students and 32,000 teachers. Employment opportunities were created for 1.45 lakh youth in a year, he noted.
PM launches Rs 20,000 cr projects in TN





TIRUCHIRAPPAL :

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to the nation completed projects and laid foundation stone for new ones, totally worth Rs 20,140 crore. In his address, the Prime Minister referred to recent rains, floods in December 2023 in the State and the consequent losses and said he was deeply moved by the condition of affected families. The Central Government stands with people of Tamil Nadu in this time of crisis. We are providing every possible support to the State Government.

The PM laid foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation 20 projects related to air and seaports, railway, highway, petroleum and natural gas, atomic energy and higher education in Tamil Nadu. Modi praised Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leader Vijayakanth who passed away days ago as a captain in both cinema and politics. As a leader, in politics, Vijayakanth always placed national interest above everything, the PM recalled. I pay my tributes to him, I also express my condolences to his family and admirers. He also remembered eminent farm scientist M S Swaminathan of Tamil Nadu, who passed away recently andsaid he ensured food securityfor the country. The Prime Minister inaugurated the new terminal building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport.

Developed at a cost of over Rs 1,100 crore, the two-level new international terminal building has the capacity to serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3500 passengers during peak hours. The new terminal hosts state-of-the-art amenities and features for passenger convenience. The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the General Cargo Berth-II (Automobile Export/Import Terminal-II & Capital Dredging Phase-V ) of Kamarajar Port in Chennai. He also laid foundation stones for petroleum and natural gas projects worth more than Rs 9,000 crore. The projects of the petroleum and natural gas sector will be a step towards fulfilling the industrial, domestic and commercial requirements of energy in the region, the Government said.
RAM LALLA CHOSEN Arun Yogiraj among 3 sculptors of idol





MYSURU :

THE idol of Ram Lalla carved by Karnatakas renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj will adore the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP stalwart and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Monday. The Ram temple is set for opening on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharing his happiness on X, Yediyurappa said,The idol of Lord Ram sculpted by the sculptor Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru has been selected for installation in the magnificent Sri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya, which has doubled the pride and happiness of the entire Ram devotees of the State. Heartfelt congratulations to Shilpi @yogiraj_arun. Yediyurappas son and BJP State president B Y Vijayendra too hailed Yogiraj for making the State and Mysuru proud.

It is the pride of Mysuru, the pride of Karnataka that the idol of Ram Lalla carved by the u n p a r a l l e l e d sculpture Arun Yogiraj will be enshrined in Ayodhya on January 22, Vijayendra said. He added that Karnataka has a deep connection with Lord Ram as Kishkindha is located in this State. It is Kishkindha where Rams ardent devotee Hanuman was born. Speaking to PTI, Yogiraj said he has not yet received any official communication about whether the idol he had sculpted has been accepted. However, senior BJP leaders had posted the message on X, which made him believe that his work had been accepted. According to him, he was among the three sculptors selected by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra to carve an idol of Ram Lalla. I am happy that I was among the three sculptors from the country who were selected to carve the idol of Ram Lalla, Yogiraj said. Earlier on Monday, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi confirmed through his social media handle, saying a renowned idolmaker from the land of Hanuman will see his piece of creation find pride of place at the Ram Temple on January 22. Joshi termed the selection of the idol shaped by a sculptor from the State for the Ram Temple as an example of RamHanumans inextricable relationship.

Shri Ram JanmabhoomiTeerth Kshetra is the trust entrusted with the construction and management of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Designs by three sculptors were under consideration by the Trust. Among the figures being considered for the grand installation inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple was a 51-inch-tall idol, depicting a five-yearold Ram Lalla. Earlier, speaking on the selection criteria of the idol of Ram Lalla, the secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Champat Rai, told ANI, The one, which in the estimation of the Trust, has the most divine look about it and bears a distinct impression of Ram Lalla, would be selected for Pran Pratishtha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22. The renowned sculptor who had sculpted the idol of Adi Shankaracharya, which has been placed in Kedarnath and the statue of Subhash Chandra Bose which has been installed near India Gate in Delhi, said the challenge was not easy for him. The idol should be of a child, who is divine too, because it is the statue of the incarnation of God. People who look at the statue should feel the divinity,Yogiraj said. Keeping the divinity aspect along with the childlike face in mind, I started my work about six to seven months ago.

Now I am extremely happy. More than selection, people should appreciate it. Only then, I will be happy, the sculptor said. SCULPTOR YOGIRAJ ARUNS FAMILY EXPRESSES JOY AND PRIDE AFTER IDOL SELECTED FOR AYODHYA CONSECRATION: In an overwhelming moment for the family of sculptor Yogiraj Arun, the idol carved by him was finalised for consecration at the Ram Temple on January 22. Saraswathi, Aruns mother, expressed her joy, stating, Its the happiest moment for us. His father must have been alive to celebrate this happiness. Im happy that the world will witness his art. Highlighting his dedication to the craft, Yogirajs mother said, Hes a simple person. Hes still in Ayodhya, and he made the Ramlalla statue with great interest. He keeps working day and night. Ram Lallas sculpture made by my son will be appreciated by people every time now. His dedication is immense. Vijetha, Aruns wife, expressed her pride and satisfaction, saying, We are speechless and proud. Its a great moment for us. We are happy and confused as my husband didnt inform us.We came to know through the media.

He gives his 100 per cent to his work, dedicating himself to each sculpture and conducting thorough research, Vijetha added. Reflecting on Aruns commitment,Vijetha shared,For research, he works till he feels Gods presence on the stone. We are not invited, but if we get the opportunity, well also go. He worked for six months on this project, pouring his heart into the intricate details. Chethana, Aruns sister, expressed immense happiness, saying,No one in the world has experienced such joy. Its his dream to work in drawing and sculpturing. Even though he did an MBA, his true passion lies in sculpturing. He used to help our father, and his interest in the craft was evident from a young age. We are extremely happy, and if given the chance, well also go to witness this monumental achievement, Chethana said.
Rani Durgavatis sacrifice and Gondwana Kingdoms glorious history





By Dr Mohan Yadav

Jabalpur is the cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh. It occupies a glorious place in history. Jabalpur copiously finds mention in every era. This is the birthplace of sage Jabali in the Vedic period. In the medieval period, Jabalpurs struggle has been unique in many ways. The residents of this region have bravely thwarted every attack. This bravery is expressed in the struggle and supreme sacrifice of great martyr Rani Durgavati. Jabalpur is a sacred land of supreme sacrifices. The brave queen Durgavati fought against Akbars huge army in this region. The martial skills, bravery and diplomacy of formidable Rani Durgavati are expressive in Kalinjar. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has expressed his profound commitment towards welfare and prosperity of scheduled tribes on the occasion of 500th birth anniversary of Rani Durgavati. The Madhya Pradesh Government is marching on with a deep commitment for realising the Prime Ministers vision. Rani Durgavati was known for her good governance and golden era of administration, which is a golden chapter in the history. It is a matter of happiness that the newly formed Cabinet is holding its first meeting at Jabalpur, which witnessed Rani Durgavatis good governance.

Born on October 5, 1524, to Chandela king Kirat Singh Shalivahan of Kalinjar, Rani Durgavati became skilled in weapons and studied scriptures even in her childhood. She grew up listening to heroic tales of war and bravery and watching the practice of weaponry. Sher Shah Suri attacked Kalinjar. Rani was then 20 years old. When the king was injured in war, the brave Durgavati adopted a diplomatic step. She sent a message intending to surrender with a handsome gifts. The gates of the fort were opened. When Sher Shah was about to enter, cannons were opened from the Kalinjar fort. Sher Shah tried to escape but failed and died there. This incident is dated May 21, 1545. With this strategy and fighting skills of the brave Rani Durgavati, the aggressor Sher Shah Suri was killed and the people of India heaved a sigh of relief. This historic event has rarely been mentioned in the public. Chandela Princess of Rath Mahoba came to Jabalpur in 1542 after marrying King Dalpat Shah of Gondwana. The Gondwana kingdom consisted of Seoni, Panna, Chhindwara, Bhopal, Hoshangabad now Narmadapuram, Bilaspur, Dindori, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Katni and Nagpur.

When the king of this huge kingdom, Dalpat Shah, died untimely, the dutious Rani, undisturbed by the loss, took over the administration by enthroning her son Veer Narayan. During her 15 years of rule, the Queen got many construction works done. The Queen was deeply committed to welfare of people. Her works are evident her determination. She gave priority to construction of reservoirs, bridges and roads so that the forest produce from remote forests on the banks of Narmada could be traded easily and farmers could irrigate their fields from the reservoirs. Amazing constructions like Ranital, Cherital, Adhartal in Jabalpur are reflective of the Queens vision and scientific approach. The safety of and respect for women was the firemost priority in the administration of Rani Durgavati. For the security of the kingdom, Rani built many forts and many were renovated. The result of protection for agriculture and business was that Gondwana became a prosperous kingdom. People used to pay taxes with gold coins. Queens representatives lived in 12 thousand villages for justice and social order. Rani herself used to address public issues.
SP hands over 151 lost mobile phones to respective owners at Control Room





Staff Reporter

Superintendent of Police, Aditya Pratap Singh (IPS) handed over returned total 151 lost mobile handsets amounting to Rs. 21 lakhs to owners at police control room, on Tuesday. Besides this, investigating the cyber fraud cases, Jabalpur police have returned the amount of Rs 56.53 lakhs to the owners during year 2023. It may be mentioned that during the year 2023, Jabalpur police had returned total 504 lost mobile handsets amounting to Rs 72.25 lakh to their owners.

Cyber Cell Jabalpur is also organizing cyber awareness workshops in regular intervals for creating public awareness about cyber crime. Till now, cyber awareness workshops were organised in 32 institutions including schools and colleges and students were educated about necessary safety measures to avert the threat of cyber crime.
Water supply has been cut in 16 cities and towns in the quake-hit Noto region in Japan's Ishikawa prefecture. About 1,000 Self-Defense Force officers have arrived at the disaster area to carry out rescue operations. Xinhua visits an emergency shelter in Ishikawa.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








Tragedy at Japan airport





TOKYO :

5 CREW MEMBERS PERISH IN PLANE FIRE; 379 PASSENGERS SAFE; PILOT ESCAPES

A PASSENGER plane collided with a Japanese coast guard aircraft and burst into flames on the runway of Tokyos Haneda Airport on Tuesday, officials said. NHK TV reported that all occupants of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516, believed to total 379 people, got out safely before the plane was entirely engulfed in flames. The Japanese coast guard said the pilot of its plane had escaped. NHK reported that the five other crew members had been found dead. Local TV video showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire. Footage an hour later showed the plane fully on fire. NHKTV said the plane was an Airbus A-350 that had flown from Shin Chitose airport, near the city of Sapporo, to Haneda.

Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima confirmed the collision between the passenger plane and its flight MA-722, a Bombardier Dash-8. Swede Anton Deibe, 17, who was a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them. The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field.

It was chaos, added Deibe, who was travelling with his parents and sister. Kyodo said the coast guard plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday that killed at least 48 people. Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays.
Truckers protest leads to panic buying of fuel; Govt holds talks





NEW DELHI,

PROTESTS were held in many States on the second day of the strike by some truckers associations against stricter punishments in the new law on hit-and-run cases, even as the Government began talks on Tuesday with the agitating groups to end the stir that threatened to impact the supply of essentials and led to panic buying of fuel in several places. Towards the evening, truck drivers in Maharashtras Nashik district called off their strike after local authorities assured them of looking into their demands. However, Rajasthan saw some violence on Monday night as a mob burnt a police vehicle and pelted stones at security personnel, leaving three injured in Kekri district. Some truck, bus and tanker operators began a three-day strike on Monday in several States to protest the stringent punishments. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, set to replace the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing authorities face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.

Referring to the apprehensions, a senior Government functionary said a driver who accidentally hits a person and subsequently informs the police or takes the victim to the nearest hospital will not be prosecuted under the stringent provision of the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Opposition Congress, meanwhile, came out in support of the truckers protest, saying the misuse of the legislation can lead to an extortionist network and organised corruption. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Government of penalising the poor while stalling investment in the infrastructure sector. On the second day of the strike, fuel pumps at many places in Himachal Pradesh turned away motorists, saying they had run out of stock as petrol and diesel were not being transported, while the Chandigarh administration ordered rationing of fuel to two- and four-wheelers.

There were massive queues at fuel stations across Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir as the strike hit supplies and people went on a panic-buying spree. People rushed to petrol pumps in large numbers in some parts of Haryana as well as private bus operators and some auto-rickshaw unions joined the protest. In Maharashtra, truck drivers have been staging protests at various places, including the capital Mumbai, Nagpur, Solapur, Dharashiv, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nagpur, Beed, Hingoli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Gadchiroli and Wardha. The movement of nearly five lakh vehicles in Madhya Pradesh was affected and many passengers were stranded as drivers did not operate the inter-city buses due to the strike. Industry officials said about 2,000 petrol pumps, mostly in western and northern India, have run out of fuel stocks as people resorted to panic buying over fears of stock shortage.
Truckers strike causes fuel shortage in distt





Staff Reporter

The city and district grappled with escalating tension as the truck association and other transporters persisted in their nationwide strike, owing to the amendment to the new hit-and-run law passed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which led to road blockades and tire-burning protests. Two separate offences have been registered against 45 persons in connection with these disruptions. Police successfully thwarted an attempt to block National Highway No 6 at Tarsa in Mauda tehsil after dispersing the agitating mob on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Harssh Poddar stated that Rural Police quickly responded by providing armed police escorts for fuel tankers across district. With 3 fuel depots catering to Nagpur City, Nagpur district, and Wardha district, the risk of potential targeting necessitates armed guards accompanying the tankers, he claimed. Nagpur Rural Police have filed two offences against more than 45 persons for blocking roads during the strike. Groups associated with the truckers association blocked Nagpur-Umred road at Pachgaon, which led to a 45-minute traffic disruption.

Kuhi police arrested 16 persons on charges of arson related to this incident. Another case was registered in Kalmeshwar, where 9 persons blocked the highway during Mondays protest. The traffic movement was blocked for almost one hour here. On Tuesday, attempts to block National Highway No 6 at Tarsa were thwarted by the striking force of Nagpur Rural Police. SP Poddar revealed formation of six special striking forces for a quick response.

Volatile situation at city fuel pumps Fuel pumps in the city witnessed chaotic scenes with long queues and frequent altercations due to the absence of police. Reports of fights arising from queue-jumping incidents at various fuel pumps added to the turmoil. Roads surrounding petrol pumps experienced traffic jams which exacerbated the situation. Despite the volatile conditions, law enforcement agencies struggled to regain control. A senior police official assured collaboration with petroleum companies and relevant departments to ensure the uninterrupted daily supply of essential items. A WhatsApp group has been established between city police and fuel depot owners to facilitate communication and coordination during these challenging times, he said.
"As some media describe it, China is an advanced, very beautiful, and highly civilized country." A Tunisian journalist who has visited China several times recalls his impressions of the country.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








BANGKOK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday proposed his government's fiscal year 2024 budget bill worth 3.48 trillion baht (101 billion U.S. dollars) to parliament for its first reading.

The budget allocation aims to improve people's well-being through six national strategies, covering economic, social and political aspects, with immediate and long-term plans to boost the Southeast Asian country's growth potential, Srettha told parliament.

Around a quarter of the budget is allocated to address social inequality in support of the aging population, education and healthcare, while the remaining is focused on competitiveness, human resources, national security and the environment, he added.

He also noted that exports, private consumption and investment, and the ongoing tourism recovery will all contribute to the kingdom's expected growth of between 2.7 percent and 3.7 percent this year.

The annual budget for the fiscal year ending September 2024 shows a 9.3 percent increase in spending over the previous year, with a deficit of 693 billion baht (about 20 billion dollars).

The three-day debate in the lower House of Representatives is scheduled to conclude on Friday. The bill is required to pass another two rounds of reading in parliament, which are expected in April. 
BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's state-owned assets regulator published a list on Wednesday of all of the mega-projects that were completed or started construction in 2023 by the country's central state-owned enterprises.

Among the projects that exemplified super engineering are the launch of Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship, the operation of China's new-generation "artificial sun" HL-3 in the high-confinement mode under a plasma current of 1 million amperes, and the kickstart of a new nuclear power unit using Hualong One, a domestically designed third-generation nuclear reactor.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, the cross-sea underwater tunnel between the cities of Shenzhen and Zhongshan, the main project of a grid that significantly uplifted the power supply in the Greater Bay Area have been included in the list.

The building of an intelligent computing center and a large ethylene project, the operation of an eco-friendly offshore oil field, and the commercial service that supports the two-way connection between consumer-grade 5G terminals and satellites also made it into the top 10.

The selection, organized by news outlets under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, were based on public opinion poll and expertise. 
TEHRAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Two explosions near the burial site of Iran's slain general Qassem Soleimani killed at least 103 people and wounded over 170 others on Wednesday, reported the official IRNA news agency and the semi-official Fars news agency, calling it "terrorist" attacks.

The blasts occurred as many people gathered at the cemetery in Iran's southeastern city of Kerman to mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's death in a U.S. drone strike.

The first blast was about 700 meters from Soleimani's tomb and the second was a kilometer away, IRNA said.

Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province for political and security affairs, said the explosions were carried out by "terrorists," the IRNA reported.

Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for Iran's National Medical Emergency Organization, told the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) that some of the injured were in critical condition and the death toll could rise.

The IRINN said the cause of the blasts was still under investigation and that rescue teams were at the scene. It added that most of the injuries were caused by overcrowding and panic.

Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on Jan. 3, 2020, near Baghdad's international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump.

He was buried in his hometown of Kerman after a funeral that drew millions of mourners across Iran. Iran denounced the assassination as "state terrorism" and vowed revenge. 
Press Release

January 2, 2024 Bong Go highlights impact of Malasakit Centers, Super Health Centers, and Regional Specialty Centers in bringing public health services closer to Filipinos In an interview with DZRH's "Balansyado" on Tuesday, December 26, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go elaborated on the accomplishments and plans for Malasakit Centers, the establishment of more Super Health Centers, and the newly enacted Regional Specialty Centers Act. Go began by discussing the Malasakit Centers, which he championed since 2018. These centers are one-stop shops for convenient access to medical assistance programs. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. "Batas naman po ito na isinulong natin noong 2019, na-institutionalized po siya. One-stop shop naman po ang Malasakit Center. Nasa loob na ho ng hospital ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno tulad ng PhilHealth, PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office), DOH (Department of Health), at DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development," said Go. "So nakasalalay na po 'yan sa DOH... dahil sila naman po ang may mandato na mag-implementa nito at may pondo kasama ang iba't ibang ahensya ng gobyerno. Ang importante po ay huwag po nating pahirapan ang Pilipino dahil unang-una, pera po ng Pilipino 'yan. Dapat ibalik agad sa kanila sa mabilis na paraan lalo na pagdating sa tulong pangkalusugan. Iyan po ang Malasakit Center," he emphasized. The 159 Malasakit Centers across the country have served around 10 million patients according to DOH. Malasakit Centers are aimed at supporting impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Go also highlighted the role of Super Health Centers, which serve as medium-sized polyclinics, especially beneficial for localities still lacking healthcare facilities. "Hindi lang po sa Malasakit (Center) ang aking isinusulong. 'Yung mga Super Health Centers, iba rin po ito. Ang Super Health Center po is a medium type of a polyclinic. Noon po naisipan natin noong 2021 'yan, dahil sa kakaikot ko sa buong Pilipinas, marami pong mga munisipyo--4th, 5th, 6th class municipalities--ang wala pong sariling health center. 'Yung mga buntis, nanganganak sa tricycle," Go remarked. "Ngayon po, ang ikinaganda po ng Super Health Center, inilapit natin 'yung serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan. Pwede po diyan ang panganganak, dental, laboratory, x-ray. At 'yung mga minor cases, minor operations pwede na po diyan. At pwede pong lagyan ng dialysis machine pagdating ng panahon ng LGUs (local government units). Sa tulong po ito ng mga kasamahan natin sa Kongreso, mga LGUs at sa DOH. Iyan po ang Super Health Center," he added. Super Health Centers are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection, further strengthening the healthcare sector in the country, especially in grassroots communities. Free consultations would be handled by the municipal health offices, local government units, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation through its Konsulta program. Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed. Services offered in Super Health Centers include database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine. Finally, Go also principally sponsored and is one of the authors of RA 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., on August 24. The law mandates the establishment of Regional Specialty Centers within existing DOH regional hospitals. It stands as a testament to the commitment of the government to uplift the nation's health infrastructure. According to Go, these specialty centers in regional hospitals will focus on specialized treatments for conditions like heart, kidney, lung, brain, spine, and orthopedic issues, as well as mental health among other specializations. He cited the need for such facilities outside major cities like Quezon City, stating, "Di ba ang Heart Center nasa Quezon City? 'Di ba ang NKTI (National Kidney and Transplant Institute) nasa Quezon City? Paano po tayong mga nasa probinsya? Kailangan pa nating magbiyahe ng Quezon City..." "Sa nangangailangan po ng mental health services, hindi lang dapat sa Mandaluyong. How about sa ibang lugar sa probinsya? At tandaan po natin, hindi lang po lahat ng mga nasa mental hospital ay admitted. Marami pong mga walk-in, yung mga nakaka-experience ng mga depression, kailangang i-address kaagad," he added. He stressed the importance of bringing medical services closer to the grassroots and to Filipinos who need them the most. "Bakit natin pahirapan ang Pilipino? Ika nga eh, pera po 'yan ng Pilipino. Dapat ibalik po kanila sa pamamagitan ng serbisyong mabilis, naaabot at maaasahan lalo na pagdating sa kanilang kalusugan. Tandaan natin na ang kalusugan ay katumbas ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino," concluded Go.
ANKARA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye said on Tuesday that it will not let two minehunter ships donated by Britain to Ukraine pass through the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea in line with the 1936 Montreux Convention.

"Our pertinent allies have been duly apprised that the minehunter ships donated to Ukraine by Britain will not be allowed to pass through the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea as long as the war continues," the presidential communications directorate said in a statement.

Last month, Britain said it would transfer two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy to help enhance Ukraine's sea operations in its conflict with Russia.

Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkiye has control over the naval transit through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits that connect the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The pact allows Ankara to regulate the transit of naval warships through the straits during wartime and when it is threatened.

Turkiye has maintained good ties with both Russia and Ukraine amid their conflict.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country takes a "fair and balanced stance" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and strengthened ties with both countries. 
HOUSTON, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that Texas can ban emergency abortions, despite the Biden administration arguing that federal guidance should take priority over state laws banning the procedure.

"The Texas plaintiffs' argument that medical treatment is historically subject to police power of the States, not to be superseded unless that was the clear and manifest purpose of Congress, is convincing," Judge Kurt Engelhardt, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, wrote in his opinion.

Texas had sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over its guidance on the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which says health providers who perform abortions in emergencies are protected under federal law.

A federal judge in Texas blocked the federal agency from enforcing the guidance in Texas in 2022, and the HHS appealed the decision afterward.

Last month, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a pregnant woman, Kate Cox, who was suing the state over its abortion ban, was not permitted to undergo an emergency procedure in Texas. Cox, who learned that her fetus had a fatal diagnosis, ultimately left the state to obtain the necessary procedure. 
Tourism minister: No more pushback from cruise lines on new tax
The Bahamas has been fighting back negative publicity after the United States and Canada issued travel advisories to their citizens, because of increased murders and sexual assaults in The Bahamas.
COLOMBO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan navy arrested 343 people engaged in illegal activities and confiscated thousands of kilos of contraband in 2023, the navy said in a statement on Wednesday.

Among the arrested are 187 individuals suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, the navy said, adding that a number of people involved in human smuggling and illegal migration were also arrested.

The navy confiscated over 715 kg of heroin, over 3,711 kg of Kerala cannabis, over 50 kg of local cannabis, more than 140 kg of hashish, and more than 11 kg of crystal methamphetamine, the navy said.

Moreover, 92,572 plants of local cannabis were also destroyed during the navy operations, with a number of illegal cigarettes, prescription drugs and illegal aphrodisiacs being confiscated, the navy said.

The navy also seized smuggled Tendu leaves, tobacco powder, turmeric, cardamom, agrochemicals, and cosmetic products. 
TEHRAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 were killed Wednesday in blasts near the grave of the late Iran's top commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020, Iranian state media reported. 
Brown and Root Construction won the government contract in 1945 to build docks and facilities to house 150 war vessels in reserve for the U.S. Navy in Orange. What became known locally as the "mothball fleet" was a prominent sight in Orange from post-World War II through the 1970s, when the ships were sold or moved.

Probably no one in Orange County today will remember the Ready Reserve Fleet, but many still know of the "mothball fleet."40

The U.S. Navy's "mothball fleet" along the Sabine River was a familiar landmark to those who lived here in the 1950s through 1970s.

It was part of the federal government's post-World War II plan for the national defense to store navy vessels that were no longer needed. The nickname came from the common household chore of putting woolen clothes in storage with mothballs to fend away insects that ate the material.

Though the chemical "mothballs" were not used, the ships prepared to prevent decay so they could quickly be reactivated in case the military needed them.

The Navy called the project "Operation Zipper."

During the war years, the shipyards in Orange were turning out vessels quickly as the city's population grew to an estimated 60,000 people as workers and their families came for the work.

Some of those locally-produced ships came back for storage when the fighting ended. According to an Associated Press story in March 1947, the navy decided to store unused war vessels instead of sinking those vessels like the government did after World War I.

The AP reporter, when writing about the new facility in Orange, probably didn't know that a few of those World War I ships were sunk in Orange. They were wooden ships built here on sites still used in the shipping industry. The wooden ships were taken into the Sabine not far away and then burned. The hulls didn't burn and remnants of those ships from the early 20th Century have been notorious hazards for boaters for a century.

Eventually, about 150 vessels ended up being berthed in special storage on 12 piers built of wood with concrete piers. Remnants of the piers, along with a couple of renovated piers still in use, can be seen today.

The area where the ships were stored is currently part of the city of Orange's Boat Ramp area or it belongs to the Port of Orange.

The local population and industrial booms of the 1940s war years were destined to end sometime. Orange officials expected to lose some population, but were encouraged by the construction plans for the new DuPont petrochemical plant.

More good economic news came in October 1945, two months after the end of the war. The U.S. Navy announced plans to make Orange one of its eight sites to berth war vessels for access to the Atlantic Ocean. Another eight sites were announced for ships to get access to the Pacific Ocean.

The Orange base was to have 5,500 workers and store from 100 to 150 ships. The announcement didn't say whether the estimated number of workers included construction crews, civilian workers, or navy personnel who would be moved in an out.

Records show up to 850 military personnel were assigned to the "mothball fleet," but that information does not include the number of civilians who worked there or the number of construction jobs.

The Brown and Root company got the government contract to built the piers and do dredging to help accommodate the vessels to the berthing site.

The piers were by the Riverside housing project, which was quickly developed during the war years from pre-fabricated houses so that defense workers and their families had a place to live. An estimated 5,000 people lived in the Riverside area, which once had three elementary schools and its own shopping area.

The Associated Press story in 1947 said Orange was chosen as a site because of it had shipyards available. The giant Consolidated Steel shipyard, with metal buildings still being used for ship repairs today, was built before the war under the direction of the Navy.

Also, the story reported Orange's Sabine River was fresh water which helped keep barnacles away. In the 21st century, salt water intrusion up the Sabine may mean that area is not immune to the little metal destroying crustaceans.

Another reason for making Orange the home of a "mothball fleet" was the county had a mild climate and plenty of available housing. That housing included the Riverside development plus Navy Park, which had been built for Navy officers and their families assigned here as the country prepared for war.

The story had one reason that may leave current residents perplexed. The pier site was "protected from hurricanes."

The first ship to be put in "mothballs" arrived in December 1945, according to a 1945 newspaper account. When the story was written a mere three months after the first, 120 ships were docked. They included destroyer tenders, minesweepers, seaplane tenders, ammunition ships, landing craft and a giant floating dry dock.

Some of the ships were "battle scarred" but were being put in "first class condition."

The first step to making a reserve ship ready and in "mothballs" was to make it fully equipped with supplies stored below deck. Then the area was dehumidified and sealed. Once a ship was sealed, no one was allowed below deck. The reporter said no rust could form and nothing would deteriorate in the sealed condition.

The guns and defense mechanisms were covered with plates of steel. The beehive-shaped coverings became a familiar sight in Orange. After the ships left years later, some people acquired the coverings and used them for backyard storage.

The AP story reported it took three months to "inactivate" a ship.

The official name of the berthing complex was the U.S. Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility," according to the Texas State Historical Association Online. The first commander, Captain T.R. Cowie, was assigned in 1945. The yard covered 168 acres with about 150 vessels at the 12 docks.

Historical accounts record that 30 of the vessels stored in Orange, the only time a large number were called into duty.

By the late 1960s, the Navy began selling the stored ships to other countries. Seeing sailors from foreign lands in town were an interesting sight to local residents in the early 1970s. By 1980, all the "mothball" ships were gone.
Texas had 34 new laws go into effect, including a cost of living increase for teachers in the Retired Teachers Fund. The monthly raise will be between 2 to 6 percent and is the first cost of living awarded since 2013.

The teacher pension COLA was one of three measures approved by voters in November after the Texas Legislature passed bills making the proposals law upon voter approval.

Another change approved by voters will allow an estimated 67,000 small businesses to not have state franchise taxes. The new law raises the exemptions allowed for the franchise tax, leading to more businesses not having to pay anything. In addition, businesses that qualify to have no franchise taxes will now not have to filed a yearly "no tax" form.

In 2018, the Texas Department of Health Services teen vaping had reached epidemic proportions. Beginning on January 1, it is now a Class B misdemeanor to create marketing items like T-shirts, or packaging that appeals to minors for e-cigarette supplies.

Youth arrested for a Class C misdemeanor like shoplifting will now have a chance for a city judge or justice of the peace to allow them to have diversion classes rather than convictions.

People who like specialty license plates for their vehicles will have another to choose from. The legislature allowed a "Texas, Our Texas" plate to be designed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the composition that officially became the state song in 1929.

Another new bill approved by voters in November created the Texas University Fund that will expand national research funding to four more state colleges. The additional schools are Texas State University, Texas Tech University, University of Houston, and University of North Texas.

The addition funding for the schools will allow them to become major national research universities and is supposed to help grow the state economy.

State universities will also now be under penalties for any programs known as "DEI," or "diversity, equity, and inclusion." According to the new law, public universities in Texas may no longer have "training programs or activities in reference to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation."
NEP 2020: Leading India into a knowledge revolution

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Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Minister for Education & Skill Development)

Knowledge is power. Indias rich knowledge capacity is evident in the Vedas and Upanishads, serving as vast sources of wisdom for centuries. With our ancient Indian universities such as Nalanda and Takshashila, India has been an International Knowledge hub of the past. Over time, Indias knowledge prowess and wealth attracted many, including the Mughals, Mongols, British, Dutch, and Portuguese, who invaded India in various periods of time in history resulting in a significant destruction of Indias knowledge treasures. But it is well known and accepted, that while the invaders could loot our lands and destroy our universities, they remained defeated by the Gurus and Yogis of our land.

While Britain led the world during the second Industrial Revolution, it was the United States that led in the third. Today, as India surpasses Britain to become the fifth largest economy globally, the time is ripe for it to once again become the epicenter of knowledge and lead the world into the 4th Industrial Revolution marked by exponential growth in new and emerging technologies.

Amidst these expected changes, in 2014, Honble Prime Minister Narendra Modi set forth a vision to transform Indias education system into a global knowledge powerhouse of the 21st century. With over 260 million school- going children and over 40 million students in higher education, Indias education system is one of the largest globally. After extensive discussions with stakeholders, including public, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was launched after a gap of 34 years. As crossed July 29th, 2023, we celebrated NEPs third anniversary with a 2-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagama Maha Kumbh on Education.

Last three years of NEP has seen significant achievements. For the first time in Indias history, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is integrated into the formal schooling system, recognizing the evidence that over 80% of the childs cumulative brain development happens before the age of 8. Additionally, a play-based pedagogy is emphasized in the development of the first National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS), catering to children aged 3-8. This framework incorporates diverse activities like conversations, stories, music, arts, crafts, games, nature field trips, and interactive play with materials and toys. An exemplar of this approach, the Jadui Pitara (Magic box), has been created for schools to adopt.

Textbooks for classes 1 and 2 based on NCF-FS are released, complementing the national NIPUN Bharat Mission to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026. Around 150 new textbooks will be made available, aligning with the upcoming National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE).

These will be the books of the Amrit Kaal and will be developed in at least 22 Indian languages, promoting the vision of multilingual education under NEP 2020. Digital versions of textbooks are being made accessible through PM e-vidya, ensuring equitable and on-demand access. PM SHRI Schools for Rising India representing the true spirit of NEP are also being set up across the country.

NEP 2020 has given special emphasis on vocational education through its integration and mainstreaming with general education. We are creating alignment between Samagra Shiksha and the Skill India Mission to introduce skilling programs at school level. 5000 Skill Hubs are being set up in schools to provide comprehensive skilling and vocational training program to students and dropouts.

Furthermore, a unique National Credit Framework (NCrF) has been introduced that credits formal and informal learning, spanning school, higher, and skill education & training. NCrF enables multiple entry and exit at various levels, allowing students to re-enter the higher education system any time in their life. Credits will accumulate in a students Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) for recognition.

Technology is enabling students to pursue degree programs online, offering increased flexibility to learners and enhancing access to quality education, especially in remote areas.Credits can now also be earned through online courses on the SWAYAM portal and soon, a Digital University- one of its kind will be set up in India.

The digital ecosystem for skilling has also been further strengthened with a unified Skill India Digital platform for enabling demand-based skilling, linking with employers, including MSMEs, and facilitating access to entrepreneurship schemes. We are also working on to facilitate global mobility of skilled candidates. 30 India International Skill Centres are being set up aimed at imparting international standard skill training to the youth and enhancing overseas opportunities for the skilled workforce. Over 330 new age courses specifically tailored to meet the needs of Industry 4.0 have been developed.

To overcome language barriers in learning, many Higher Education institutions are now offering technical programs in many Indian languages. AI translation tools are facilitating the translation of textbooks into different Indian languages. Major entrance exams like JEE, NEET, and CUET are now available in 13 languages.

In the realm of internationalizing education, Indias institutions are setting up campuses overseas. While IIT Madras is going global with its planned campus in Zanzibar-Tanzania, anMoU to set up IIT Delhi in the UAE was also signed in the presence of PM Modi himself earlier this month. Notable foreign universities are also setting up their campuses in GIFT City in Gujarat, and there are ambitious plans to further expand the presence of other Indian institutions, including a school board, overseas in the near future.

The dream of Viksit Bharat under the AmritKaalcan only be achieved by fulfilling the aspirations of the AmritPeedhi. With about 65% of our population in the working age group, we must create frameworks for an age in which lifelong learning and skilling are expected to become the order of the day.

Driven by the spirit of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, India is on its way to becoming a de-facto leader of the 21st century. And NEP plays a vital role in connecting this transformation to the present reality. By emphasizing rootedness in Indias Knowledge Systems with an outlook to make global citizens, it has the potential to be a guiding philosophy for creating a knowledge-based society anywhere globally, especially for the poor and emerging economies that are looking to break free from the shadows of colonization. As NEP enters into its fourth year, its success will mean a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047 and a global world order centered on knowledge sharing and peace.


Gan Xiaxue makes a leather product at "Lotus Cave" in Bishan District, southwest China's Chongqing, Dec. 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Yanxia)

CHONGQING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Jiangjun Village, located in the green hills of Bishan District, in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, was once a dreary place during winter, plagued by poverty and a dwindling population. However, the winter scene is much brighter these days, thanks to an injection of tourism and artistic facilities that have given this little village a new lease of life.

Art galleries, museums, theaters and homestays can now be found nestling among the small cottages, while pigsties and cowsheds have been converted into western-style restaurants and teahouses.

In 2021, the local government, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and several other institutions established an artist rural construction pilot project centred on a dilapidated village courtyard called "Lotus Cave." The project involved the building of 10 core art areas, aiming to integrate the new artistic facilities with the local living environment, village culture and local characteristics.

When the project was first launched, Lotus Cave was very run down, consisting of a collection of residential buildings in a poor state of repair, many of them empty.

"The total population here is 151 people, but only 21 people live here permanently, and most of them are the elderly and left-behind children," said Su Chenghong, the first secretary of the village Party committee. "Seven of the 24 buildings are in a dilapidated condition, and most of the remaining habitable brick houses are empty."

However, according to Su, the Lotus Cave courtyard has been largely transformed by the hard work of artists and local villagers.

The art museum in the center of the village used to be a dilapidated house with collapsed structures and overgrown with weeds, according to villagers. During the renovation work, the original building frame was restored and part of the adobe wall was preserved.

Villager Gan Xiaxue, 50, worked in a leather-shoe factory for nearly 30 years. With the completion of the art courtyard, she chose to stay in her hometown and use her existing skills to become a leather artist.

She now divides her time between making leather handicrafts for the tourists and working as a barista at the new coffee shop.

"I used to be reluctant to buy bags, so I often made leather waste into various bags and pendants. Artists who came to the village encouraged me to combine this craft with art and make leather crafts for sale," said Gan.

"Now I work at home, earning nearly 50,000 yuan (about 7,042 U.S. dollars) a year, which is stable and reassuring," Gan added.

More and more exhibitions and art activities are being held at the Lotus Cave these days, attracting tourists from far afield. Gan said that the new injection of life has also tempted many villagers who moved away to come and take a look.

"Many people can't believe that plays and exhibitions normally only found in big cities can be seen in our hometown, and everyone is very happy," Gan said.

According to Su, the project has brought villagers and artists together to give Jiangjun Village an injection of creative energy.

"Many villagers used to think that art was far away from them. Now, everyone can not only appreciate but also participate in art activities," Su said. 

This photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows artistic facilities in Jiangjun Village of Bishan District, southwest China's Chongqing. (Xinhua/Wu Yanxia)
2023 : A disaster of a year it was Tasks before the Govt

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The silence is loud, very loud and it says so many things. The fire that was lit on May 3 last year continues to rage and there is nothing to suggest that Manipur will see normalcy any time in the near future. On the contrary the days of 2023 and the first three days of 2024 have more than demonstrated that the Kuki militants are getting bolder, even engaging in gun fights with Central security forces, such as the Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force. The belligerence of the Kuki militants is clear and with Chief Minister N Biren more than hinting that armed militants from across the border are behind the renewed offensive against the State at Moreh, this should be raised before Delhi. The situation calls for the Chief Minister to demonstrate his political acumen and approach Delhi with the point that the Suspension of Operation pact signed with the KNF and UPF should be rolled back. Or if this is not possible then a good point should be delivered to get the SoO pact reviewed. It should be more than obvious to Delhi that the encounters or assaults on the security personnel could not be the handiwork of some village volunteers. This much is clear and Imphal should put its best foot forward to present the case of Manipur before New Delhi. Rolling back the SoO pact or at the least get it reviewed and this could go a long way in putting Manipur on the path of normalcy. The Kuki militants need to be defanged and reined in and it is important to remember that the Chief Minister himself has used the term Kuki terrorists to refer to the armed Kuki cadres. Imphal should also apply the right approach and political tactic to get the Prime Minister speak on the crisis, a crisis which has already claimed nearly 200 human lives, rendered thousands homeless and many missing till now. One word of understanding, one word to demonstrate that Delhi is seized of the crisis and realises the grief and pain of the people from the Prime Minister can certainly go a long way in applying the needed balm to the hurt sentiments of the people.

Manipur has bled for too long and there does not seem to any magic formula to deal with the situation. But the critical question is whether Manipur can afford to let the situation continue like this forever. 2023 was a disaster, a disaster for the people and the worrying part is, it seems that the situation will continue like this, with no one really knowing when normalcy will return to the troubled State. As stated, getting the Prime Minister to speak on the issue, getting SoO abrogated or if that is not possible right now then get it reviewed, give the go ahead signal to update the National Register of Citizens in Manipur, with the base year set at 1951, a long standing demand of quite a large number of civil society organisations could be the way forward. It is also more than clear that the designated SoO camps must have been deserted a long time back, and at the beginning of the ongoing unrest there were some reports of the Security Advisor to the Government inspecting the camps, but there have been no further reports of any inspection drive. It is also extremely important to check the incursion of refugees from across the international border and the first step towards this should be to recognise that many have indeed come into Manipur and the best way to keep track of the refugees is to keep them at designated places and not offer any room for them to merge with the local population. Manipur has burnt for far too long and it is only right that some corrective measures are taken now. 2023 was a disaster and this should not be extended into 2024.
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BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The international community needs to work together and support each other in response to the current crisis and work for a better future, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

It was reported that in an interview on Jan. 2, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned against fragmentation of the global economy along geopolitical lines due to increasing national security restrictions, with countries gravitating towards separate blocs led by the United States and China. Allowed to continue, she said this could ultimately reduce global GDP by 7 percent.

When asked for comments about relevant reports, Wang told a daily press briefing that there is only one planet we call home and one common future for humanity.

"What's needed most is solidarity, and what should be avoided most is fragmentation," he said.

Wang said trade war, tech war, or decoupling, severing of industrial and supply chains, and de-risking are all essentially designed to politicize trade issues and be used as weapons to perpetuate certain country's primacy, hold back emerging markets and developing countries in their development efforts and deprives the 7 billion people of the right to a better life.

"This is neither virtuous nor sustainable. Ultimately, it is the overall interest of the international community that will take the toll and no single country can be spared," said Wang.

The spokesperson noted that the world will not retrogress to a state of isolation and exclusiveness, and still less can it be deliberately divided. Any beggar-thy-neighbor move, bloc-confrontation mentality, and arrogant sense of supremacy are doomed to failure.

China would like to work with all parties to champion universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, firmly reject de-globalization and overstretching of security concepts, oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, uphold the equality of rights, opportunities, and rules among all nations, protect the right of all countries to equal development and advance common development and prosperity, Wang said. 
Kamrul Sheikh alias Chota Lalan, one of the key accused in the Bhadu Sheikh murder case in Bagtui village, who had been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) died today, succumbing to oral cancer. The killing of Bhadu Sheikh a Trinamul Congress gram panchayat upa pradhan in Birbhum district has rocked state politics in March 2022 as ten people were burnt to death in retaliation by TMC supporters close to Sheikh. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on the directives of the state chief minister to probe the entire incident and the first arrest was made.

Later the case of the Bagtui massacre and also that of the murder of Bhadu Sheikh were handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation by Calcutta High Court. CBI sleuths set up a temporary camp in Rampurhat to probe both these two cases and started arresting the absconding accused one after another. On 12 December 2022, nine days after his arrest the prime accused Lalan Sheikh was found lying dead in the CBI interrogation camp in Birbhum district. The West Bengal CID has taken over investigations in the unnatural death (UD) case of the accused in the CBI custody.

Another accused, Chota Lalan alias Kamrul Sheikh, was arrested by the CBI and was sent to jail. He has been released only two months ago on bail after he was detected with mouth cancer and he was undergoing treatment in Kolkata. Chota Lalan died today due to oral cancer in his native village of Bagtui, according to Rampurhat police.

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Chota Lalan was also an accused in the murder of his own brother in Birbhum district earlier. Bhadu Sheikh was killed when some people hurled bombs and fired bullets from close range at Bagtui village more in the evening of 21 March 2022. That night his supporters poured kerosene and petrol on the houses of his rivals and torched them, killing ten people. Fire Brigade officials found the charred bodies from the ashes next morning.

A number of flesh samples have been sent for forensic test for DNA test and matching. On the instructions of the chief minister, the TMC anchal pradhan has been arrested. He had allegedly prevented police from rescuing the villagers trapped inside the burning houses in Bagtui village.
The Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, has questioned the appointment of IAS officer Nandini Chakraborty as the home secretary of West Bengal, calling it unlawful. The BJP leader also said he would challenge the appointment in court. The government had on the last day of 2023 notified the appointments of B.P. Gopalika, previously serving as home secretary, as state chief minister after the retirement of Harikrishna Dwivedi, and of Nandini Chakraborty as home secretary.

Mr Adhikari, speaking to the media on Tuesday, said that Ms Chakraborty, who was previously the tourism Secretary, was unexpectedly appointed as the home secretary, superseding several officials who are senior to her. He said that the decision violates established norms and may have legal implications.

Mr Adhikari, in a post on his social media handle a day after the announcement, labeled the appointment as unlawful and said he was ready to challenge it in court. He claimed to have gathered evidence suggesting irregularities in the appointment process, including alleged violations in the selection of other officials under the central government. In a separate post, Mr Adhikari also questioned the appointment of DGP Rajeev Kumar.

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He alleged that 13 additional chief secretaries and 5 principal secretaries were overlooked to appoint Ms Chakraborty as home secretary. He claimed that Chief Minister had a history of making questionable appointments and called for a thorough investigation into the matter.
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur has achieved a remarkable milestone by filing 122 intellectual property rights and achieving an exceptional licensing rate of around 14 per cent to industry partners in 2023.

The accomplishment highlights the institutes strength in cutting-edge research and innovation, and marks its third straight year of securing the most intellectual property rights (IPRs) in its history, taking the numbers to 1,039 IPRs so far.

The 122 IPRs filed include 108 patents, four design registrations, three copyrights, and one trademark application along with four US and two China patents. The year also saw 167 IPRs being granted with 15 technologies licensed.

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The patents for inventions from varied domains such as MedTech and nano technology include innovative healthcare solutions like a portable medical suction device and a continuous lung health monitoring system. Other notable patents include solid-state sodium-ion batteries and an affordable Braille learning device for the visually impaired.

Prof S Ganesh, director, IIT Kanpur expressed his enthusiasm and said, We are proud to maintain the momentum by filing 122 IPRs, achieving a record of over 100 filings in our institute for the third year in a row. The institutes commitment to pushing the boundaries of research and technology has resulted in this record-breaking number of IPRs and positioned the institute as a leader in driving positive change through intellectual contributions.

The collaborative spirit among our researchers and the support from various stakeholders have played a pivotal role in reaching this milestone, he said on Wednesday.

The institute also saw a substantial increase in the number of IPRs granted in the calendar year. The 167 patents include innovations such as a gas sensor for detecting ammonia at room temperature, a method and apparatus for treating industrial wastewater, a tactile watch for the visually impaired, and a lateral flow immunoassay strip for detecting mastitis in bovines.

Prof Tarun Gupta, Dean, Research and Development, IIT Kanpur, said, Inventors are thinking beyond publications; patent filing and technology transfer have become the real accomplishments, proving reproducibility. The increase in the number of IPRs is attributed to a simple process of patent filing, an enabling policy framework by the government, and support from the IPR management committee members.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted permission for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation against two officials of the Department of Forests and Wildlife of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) in an alleged corruption case involving Rs 223 crore, the L-G office said on Wednesday.

In another case, Saxena also gave go ahead to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the GNCTD to conduct investigation against two senior nurses of the Delhi government-run hospital in the alleged bribery case involving Rs 60,000.

In both the cases, Saxena has approved the proposals for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, observing that he is of the considered view that it is in the interest of justice to investigate and conduct enquiry against the accused persons, the LG office said.

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The CBI has registered a case against the then Forest Department officials Parasnath Yadav, and Alam Singh Rawat, who were Senior Account Officer and Assistant Account officer respectively for entering into criminal conspiracy with LA Khan, the then senior Branch Manager of Bank of Baroda, Paharganj Branch, New Delhi and others to transfer Rs 223 crore illegally and unauthorizedly from the sundry account to the fake saving accounts in the name of DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) at the same branch on the basis of forged letter purportedly issued by Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD, it said.

Yadav, who is a Group A officer, is presently posted as Pay and Accounts Officer in Principal Accounts Office of the Delhi government and his file seeking permission under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act for CBI investigation was submitted to the L-G by the Directorate of Vigilance through NCCSA (National Capital Civil Services Authority), as per the L-G office.

Rawat is presently posted as Accounts Officer at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Pitampura, it said.

The Directorate of Vigilance stated that the CBI vide letter July 12,2023, submitted that the investigations conducted so far prima facie brought forth the role of two officials in the case of financial irregularities pertaining to the Forest and Wildlife Department, it added.

In another case, the L-G office said, The bribery case against two women health department officials  Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma, who were then posted at the GB Pant Hospital as Deputy Nursing Superintendent and Nursing officer respectively, the ACB alleged that they demanded Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers for allowing them light duty. One of the nursing officers also alleged that both the accused had already taken Rs 42,000 for exemption of duty from Covid-19 desk.

At present Pisalla is posted at Guru Nanak Eye Centre while Verma has been posted in Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, it said.
The Punjab Police have arrested 11 persons for operating a drug peddling network inside the Ferozepur jail. Those arrested include four former jail staff members, two serving jail staff members and four drug smugglers. The identity of one of the arrested jail staff members could not be ascertained.

An extensive investigation revealed that the group had also been involved in supplying mobile phones inside the Ferozepur jail. Over 40,000 calls were traced back to three of the drug smugglers following which the police acted swiftly and detained them.

A squad headed by AIG J Elanchezhian dismantled the network run by the 11 arrested persons.

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The arrested four former jail staff members have been identified as retired head warder Surjeet Singh, retired head warder Balkar Singh, retired warder Naib Singh and retired assistant superintendent Nirpal Singh. The serving jail staff members have been identified as warder Nachhatar Singh (Malerkotla jail) and assistant superintendent Gurtej Singh (Faridkot jail).

They assisted prisoners in using cell phones inside the jail and took no action when the prisoners phones were found. In place of cash, they also supported the sale and use of drugs inside the facility.

The smugglers involved in this case have been identified as Gaurav Dhingra, Gourav alias Gora, Inderjit aka Indri and Gurwinder Singh aka Cylinder. Gaurav Dhingra, who runs a mobile shop at Delhi Gate, Jail Road, Ferozepur, received money in his account from sale of drugs.

Accused Neeru Bala and Geetanjali, who were previously booked in the case, received the proceeds of the drug sales within the jail via UPI, such as Google Pay and Paytm, into their accounts. Investigations revealed that the jail authorities and the convicts worked in tandem, enabling the latter to access and use cell phones inside the confines of the jail.

No formal complaints were lodged when cell phones were discovered inside the jail. The convicts used to sell drugs like opium and heroin and the authorities overlooked these illegal activities.

The investigating team is looking into the calls made from the jail as well as the bank details where the drug money was parked.

Out of the over 40,000 calls made by smugglers from within the jail, about 38,850 originated from Raj Kumars phone in a single month (March 1 to March 31, 2019). This indicates that the phone was virtually used non-stop.

Between October 9, 2021, and February 14, 2023, the remaining 4,582 phone calls were made. After being questioned by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the use of phones inside the jail, the police launched an investigation on December 22 last year.
In a dazzling revelation on January 2nd, celebrated fashion maestro Manish Malhotra took to his Instagram account to unravel the curtains on his latest cinematic endeavor, Ul Jalool Ishq. This cinematic spectacle will be the third feather in the cap of his burgeoning production house, Stage 5 Productions. Vibhu Puri, an accomplished writer and director, is set to helm this venture, promising an artistic masterpiece in the making.

The film boasts an ensemble cast that reads like a whos who of Bollywood brilliance. It features the venerable Naseeruddin Shah, the versatile Vijay Varma, the charismatic Fatima Sana Shaikh, and the talented Shaarib Hashmi. The announcement was accompanied by a visually captivating carousel of photos showcasing the stars in their element. It exudes an air of elegance that only heightens the anticipation surrounding this upcoming cinematic gem.

Ul Jalool Ishq will commence its production journey on January 9. The movie promises an early kickstart to what is ready to be a cinematic spectacle. Dinesh Malhotra joins the production fray, adding his expertise to the venture. The distinguished banner of Stage 5 will craft the movie.

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The news of this collaboration sent ripples of excitement through the fans. They wasted no time showering the announcement post with praises for the impressive star-studded cast. Manish Malhotra has been making strides in the film industry with Stage 5 Productions. His previous announcements, Train From Chhapraula and Bun Tikki, have already stirred anticipation, featuring the likes of Radhika Apte, Shabana Azmi, Abhay Deol, and the iconic Zeenat Aman.

Not just content with fashion and production, Manish Malhotra is ready to make his directorial debut with a biopic chronicling the life of the legendary Bollywood actor Meena Kumari. The film, featuring the talented Kriti Sanon, is poised to be a milestone in his cinematic journey.

As Ul Jalool Ishq gears up for its maiden voyage, the confluence of talent and creativity promises a cinematic feast for aficionados. With a rich tapestry of projects in the offing, Manish Malhotras foray into film production and direction is shaping up to be a remarkable chapter in the Indian film industrys narrative.
In a recent interview with People, Lily Gladstone, renowned for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, opened up about her decision to embrace she/they pronouns as a means of connecting with her Indigenous heritage. Hailing from Blackfeet and Nez Perce ancestry, Gladstones upbringing on a Native American reservation until the age of 10 profoundly influenced her perspective on gender expression.

The 37-year-old actor reflected on her childhood experiences, recounting moments of dismay as she witnessed her frequently misgendered boy cousins frequently due to their choice to wear long hair. It happens to a lot of kids. I think, especially Native boys  getting teased for it, Gladstone shared. At the tender age of 9, she began contemplating the idea that everyone should simply call themselves they, a sentiment rooted in the cultural context of her Indigenous heritage.

Gladstone highlighted that many Indigenous languages exclusively use they pronouns, emphasizing the rich linguistic diversity that informs her understanding of gender. In the Blackfeet community, she pointed out that individuals often imply their gender through their names. Intriguingly, Gladstone shared a personal anecdote about her grandfather, who bore the name Iron Woman despite his gender. While not strictly nonbinary, he embodied qualities associated with women who carried that name, challenging conventional gender norms within the Indigenous context.

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The actor passionately expressed her commitment to decolonizing gender, framing her pronoun usage as a personal journey of self-discovery and reclamation. In her words, she aims to challenge and reshape societal perceptions surrounding gender roles, drawing from the rich tapestry of Indigenous cultural practices that defy binary categorizations.

Gladstones revelation sheds light on the intersection of cultural heritage and personal identity, offering a glimpse into the diverse perspectives that shape our understanding of gender. As she navigates the intricacies of pronoun use, Lily Gladstone invites us to contemplate the broader implications of language and representation, fostering a more inclusive and nuanced dialogue surrounding gender within the broader cultural landscape.
In a cinematic clash of titans, Telugu superstar Venkatesh Daggubati is set to take on a new challenge in his upcoming action film, Saindhav, where he goes head-to-head with the acclaimed Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the film promises an intense narrative that transcends the typical boundaries of action-packed drama.

As the clock ticks down to its release on January 13, the makers of Saindhav have unveiled a gripping trailer, providing a sneak peek into the riveting storyline. Venkatesh Daggubati assumes the role of a tenacious family man whose life takes an unexpected turn when his daughter is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The emotional rollercoaster begins as they discover that the only lifeline, a vial with a cure costing crores, is in the clutches of a nefarious pharmaceutical racket masterminded by Nawazuddin Siddiquis character.

The trailer unfolds the protagonists journey from domestic bliss to a relentless pursuit of the life-saving vial, setting the stage for a face-off against Nawazuddin and his formidable army. Sailesh Kolanu weaves a tale of desperation, determination, and an unyielding fathers love against the backdrop of a high-stakes pharmaceutical conspiracy.

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Saindhav boasts a stellar cast, including Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shraddha Srinath, Ruhani Sharma, Andrea Jeremiah, Sara, and Jayaprakash. Interestingly, the film marks Nawazuddin Siddiquis debut in Telugu cinema, adding an extra layer of excitement for fans of both actors.

Beyond the realms of Saindhav, Venkatesh Daggubati is set to grace screens with the second season of the adrenaline-pumping action thriller series, Rana Naidu. The first season garnered acclaim not only in India but also on the global stage, further solidifying Venkateshs stature as a versatile and compelling actor.

As the countdown to the Pongal release of Saindhav begins, audiences can anticipate a power-packed cinematic experience, delving into the depths of familial bonds, relentless pursuit, and the clash between good and evil in a gripping narrative brought to life by the formidable duo of Venkatesh Daggubati and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
The Congress high command is learnt to have decided to hold a meeting with the Punjab CLP leaders, Partap Singh Bajwa and the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Amrinder Singh Raja Warring to discuss the possibility of alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Besides All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and partys general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal among others will attend the meeting.

A senior Punjab Congress leader said, Though Congress leaders from other states have also been asked to be present at the meeting, Punjab leaders are expected to hold separate talks amid opposition from within the party to the alliance with AAP.

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The meeting is particularly important in the wake of Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns softening stance on the alliance with INDIA bloc partners in Punjab. Despite the AICC chiefs declaration that victory was crucial for the party, a top Punjab leader said some leaders were doubtful about a clear victory on most seats.

Earlier, on December 26, a meeting was held between the political affairs committee of Punjab with the Central leadership to gather Punjab-specific inputs.

Even though state officials called the coalition suicidal and spoke bluntly during the meeting on December 26, some party members are in favour of the alliance as they believe it would increase their chances of winning should the BJP and SAD ally.

Some of the party leaders are demanding at least eight of the total 13 seats that include the seats of six sitting MPs  Manish Tewari from Anandpur Sahib, GS Aujla from Amritsar, Dr Amar Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohammed Sadiq from Fardikot, JS Gill from Khadoor Sahib and Ravneet Singh Bittu from Ludhiana.
During the G-20 summit held in India last year, its official website faced frequent cyber attacks, governments cyber crime coordination body Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) said on Wednesday.

Addressing the annual press conference of the I4C in New Delhi on Wednesday, I4C CEO Rajesh Kumar, inreply to medias queries over cyber attacks, said the G-20 India website continued to face cyber attacks up to the extent of 16 lakh per minute.

Kumar said that the G20 website was attacked soon after its launch, and they peaked during the summit.

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However, praising the concerned security agencies, he said their efforts kept things under control and problems were kept at bay.

The website, was subjected to a large number of pings regarding large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, as per the official.

The revelations were made by the senior official while addressing questions over cyber- attack attempts on government infrastructure.

Reportedly, a denial-of-service attack is a kind of cyber-attack where the attacker tries to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting services.

Such attacks overloads the websites with unprecedented amounts of traffic, and such attacks are said to be executed by the use of bots.

With the tremendous load due to these on servers of the websites, it becomes difficult to access them, even by the intended users.

I4C is an initiative by the Centre to effectively deal cyber crimes and maintain better coordination amongst multiple agencies dealing with the same as the crimes of this nature were on a rise internationally.

The I4C is affiliated with the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the concept goes back to 2014, when the MHA had constituted a coordination group amongst all states departments and the agencies concerned.
SACRAMENTO, the United States, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A new law in U.S. California that bans the carrying of guns in most public places has been in effect since Jan. 1 of 2024, though legal challenges against it continue through the courts.

The law, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in September last year, took effect on Monday after a U.S. appeals court halted a lower court judge's ruling that had blocked enforcement of the law.

The law prohibits people from carrying concealed guns in 26 categories with various locations, including hospitals, playgrounds, public transportation, stadiums, amusement parks and museums.

The ban applies whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not. One exception would be for privately owned businesses that put up signs saying people are allowed to bring guns on their premises.

Gun-rights organizations have been opposing the law, including the California Rifle and Pistol Association, which brought the case to court.

U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney for the Central District of California ruled on Dec. 20 that the law violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects the right to keep and bear arms.

The judge wrote in the preliminary injunction that the law would "unconstitutionally deprive" concealed carry permit holders of "their constitutional right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense."

California Attorney General Rob Bonta appealed the ruling, arguing in a statement that "guns in sensitive public places do not make our communities safer, but rather the opposite."

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals paused the injunction on Saturday, allowing the law to go into effect while the court takes more time to decide on the constitutionality of the law.

The California Rifle and Pistol Association said the appeals court's ruling was "not really a win" for the state yet, since the court still must judge on the merits of the case.

Newsom applauded the latest ruling in a statement, saying it will "allow our common-sense gun laws to remain in place while we appeal the district court's dangerous ruling."

California has a reputation as a tough place to buy a gun. Its gun laws have been ranked the strongest in the nation by the gun-control advocacy group Giffords.

When Newsom signed the ban on guns in public places into law in September, he also approved a series of gun control measures, including the microstamping of handgun cartridges to help with tracing crimes and an effort to use funds from bullet sales to improve gun violence intervention programs and school safety.

The United States has the highest rate of gun deaths among wealthy countries. Nearly 43,000 people died from gun violence in the country in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the BJP will defeat the INDI Alliance in Kerala and the State knows that if there is one party which can amplify its growth, its the BJP, not any Leftist party or alliance.

Launching a big attack on the CPI (M)-led Left and the Congress at the BJP Mahila Conference in Thrissur, Kerala, he said the Left party and the Congress have been two parties in name only. When it comes to corruption, crime or nepotism, both of them do everything together, he said.

Now by forming the INDI Alliance, they have declared that there is no difference between their ideology and policies, the Prime Minister said.

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He said the whole country is witnessing building of infrastructure like roads, modern railways and airports, but the government of INDI Alliance, just to oppose Modi, doesnt let any work happen here.

He said the INDI Alliance wants full freedom for loot in Kerala. Gold smuggling reported from the State, and from which offices, is not a secret for anyone, he said.

They dont want anybody to question them regarding the funds received from the Central government for poor people and infrastructure and therefore try to hinder implementation of all Central government schemes in the State, he said.

Mr Modi said the INDI Alliance knows only one thing, and that is how to hurt our faith. They have made temples and our festivals mediums for loot. The kind of politics that is being played with Thrissur Pooram is unfortunate.

He said the kind of mismanagement that has come to light in Sabarimala has caused a lot of inconvenience to devotees. This is proof of the incompetence of the State government, the Prime Minister said.

He said the LDF and UDF governments which ruled Kerala after Independence considered women weak. The Left and the Congress kept the law to give reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabhas pending for years.

But Modi made the promise of reservation for women in the legislature and kept the promise. The Nari Shakti Adhiniyam has become a law, he said.

In the last 10 years, we took several steps to make life easier for women, we gave 10 crore Ujjwala gas connections, how did it happen? Modi had given the guarantee, he said. Similarly, 11 crore families women got drinking water connections, 12 crore families women got toilets; the BJP Government provided Re 1 sanitary pad, he said.

It was Modi Guarantee when bank accounts were opened for 60 lakh women in Kerala; Mudra loans were given to 20 crore women in the country, and pregnancy leave increased to 26 weeks.

As long as the country had Left and congress coalition governments, Muslim women suffered triple talaq. Modi gave a guarantee to Muslim women freedom for this and they got it from him with honesty, he said.

He said children of Kerala are contributing to the world and are settled globally. Be it Covid, Sudan, Ukraine, or Gaza, we have seen many crises. No matter how big the trouble is, the BJP govt has rescued all its citizens.

When the nurses of Kerala were stuck in Iraq, it was the BJP which safely brought them back home. Just imagine what would have happened if there were weak governments of the Left or the Congress at the Centre, he said. This is Modis guarantee: whatever be the gravity of the crisis, every Indian will be given protection, the Prime Minister declared.

For the BJP-led NDA government, he said there are four paramount castes. We believe that India will progress when Indias poor, young, farmers and women will progress. These categories have benefited the most from initiatives of the BJP government, he said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid foundation stones of development projects worth more than Rs 1150 crores in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep.
The proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) in Meghalaya has decided to withdraw from the peace talks with the central government due to what they perceive as a lack of attention to their demands.

The rebel outfit insisted on lifting the ban placed on their organisation and the withdrawal of pending cases against their members in courts across the state, particularly in Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills.

Their demands include establishing a safe passage for their leaders and members, appointing authorised representatives for negotiations and releasing HNLC members currently in jail or suspected of association, the rebel outfit said.

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They expressed disappointment on the governments failure to heed their requests, leading to escalated tensions and hindering the peace talks.

Despite their appreciation for intermediaries and support from NGOs and the public, the HNLC criticises the governments dismissive attitude, suggesting that if their voices continue to be ignored, violence might become the only means to prompt a meaningful dialogue. They imply that the government comprehends the language of violence better than peace, which they find regrettable but necessary to bring attention to their concerns.
The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC) procured more than 140 MT of produce like pineapple, avocado, black rice, cashew nut, large cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper, etc. in 2023 under its umbrella brand NE Fresh, said Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) on Wednesday.

The NERAMAC is a PSU under the DoNER Ministry. It supports farmers and producers of the region to obtain remunerative prices for their produce, as well as to enhance the agricultural, procurement, processing, and marketing infrastructure of the region.

The Corporation has a product basket of over 130 products in the retail segment. Around 30 local entrepreneurs and MSMEs associated with it for branding and marketing of their processed products. Retail products are marketed through 12 stalls and retail outlets covering seven cities and towns. They included two, One Station One Product (OSOP) stalls at Kamakhya (Assam) and Dimapur (Nagaland) railway stations, the ministry said.

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It said NERAMAC also launched the brand NERAMAC premium for marketing of GI tagged products.

The ministry said the Corporation has facilitated the user authorization registration of 1,308 farmers of North East Region (NER) for all 13 GI registered Agri-Horti products during the year and added that this is a significant milestone for the development of this sector of the region.

NERAMAC participated in and organised 17 events and covered around 2000 farmers and entrepreneurs. During the year, the cashew processing plant (CPP) of NERAMAC at Agartala (Tripura) revived and started functioning with fund support from the North Eastern Council (NEC) and Integrated Ginger Processing Plant (IGPP) at Byrnihat, Meghalaya revived under PPP mode, it said.

The ministry also informed that the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) completed a plantation of 900 hectares in the three districts of Assam, which covered 3.30 lakh saplings and 750 farmers beneficiaries.

Capacity building, skill updegradation, and training are the main activities of NECBDC. During the period, NECBDC conducted 21 training and skill development training programmes and has trained more than 463 persons in cane and bamboo, it said.

Around 115 occupational health safety kits were also distributed to artisans of NECBDC clusters of Assam and Manipur, it added.
In the Adani-Hindenburg case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said there were no grounds for taking away the investigation of the Adani group of companies in the Hindenburg report from the market regulator.

It granted the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) three months to complete the investigation of two pending matters and also refused to interfere in the agencys matter.

The CJI-led bench refused to nix SEBIs Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) regulations, saying courts cannot enter into the domain of regulatory regime. The apex court also refused to interfere with SEBIs probe into the episode and declined to set up a SIT.

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The apex court said the Centre and SEBI would look into whether Hindenburg Research violated any law on short-selling. If there is a violation, they may take any action in accordance with law.

The power to transfer investigation must be exercised in exceptional circumstances. Such powers cannot be exercised in the absence of cogent justifications, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said.

Advocate and petitioner Vishal Tiwari said, The Supreme Court has very clearly said that whatever report, given by any third party, cannot be taken as a conclusive proof and there must be evidence that may support the case.

Notably in August last year, an investigation conducted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) found that two Mauritius-based funds, namely the Emerging India Focus Fund (EIFF) and the EM Resurgent Fund (EMRF) had invested and traded in large volume of shares of four Adani companies between 2013 and 2018. Two key foreign investors of these funds were Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli from the UAE and Chang Chung-Ling from Taiwan.

On the report, the Supreme Court said that it cannot be taken into account to doubt the investigation and findings by SEBI. The CJI said that a third-party organisation report without any verification cannot be relied upon as a proof.

Moreover, the Court also said that media reports cannot be considered as conclusive evidence but only as inputs in such cases.

In the verdict, the Supreme Court has cautioned that petitions lacking adequate research and relying on unverified materials can be counterproductive to the public interest jurisprudence.

Ahead of the verdict, the market cap of Adani Group crossed the Rs 15 lakh crore milestone climbing from its all-time low of Rs 5.8 lakh crore.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Central and 11 state governments on a plea seeking to curb caste-based discrimination in prisons and the manual work being allocated to them based on their caste hierarchy and some de-notified tribes being categorised as habitual offenders.

Describing it as a serious issue, a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist the court in hearing of the matter.

As CJI Chandrachud told the Solicitor General that this is a very important issue, Mehta said this cannot be accepted and he will look into the issue.

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Solicitor General Mehta, who was present in the court when the matter was called, described the situation as impermissible. He said he knows where prisoners are classified on the basis of being convicts, undertrials or those involved in serious crimes but not the caste-based discrimination.

The court issued the notice to the Centre, Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

Senior advocate S. Murlidhar, appearing for journalist Sukanya Shantha, told the bench that there are cases where Dalits are lodged in separate prison and those from other castes in a different area. He told the bench that Such caste-based discrimination is there from the time one steps into the prison.

The petitioner journalist has challenged various provisions of the Prison Manuals and Rules being violative of the fundamental rights under the Article 14, 15, 17, and 23 of the Constitution of India.

The petitioner scribe has sought issuance of specific guidelines or directions to curb caste  based division of labour in the various State prison manuals.

If we look at the demographic composition of the prison population in India, it is revealed that there is over- representation of the marginalised sections of society in Indian prisons. As these communities are unable to access legal aid, their time in prison is prolonged. When at the prison, they face a cruel and unequal administration tracing its origins to a colonial hangover, the plea added.

It sought direction to repeal all provisions in the prison manuals and rules that either segregate or discriminate prisoners or the work assigned to them on the basis of their caste, or belonging to de-notified tribes or their being categorised as habitual offenders and bring such manuals and Rules in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution of India.

Direct all the Respondents to undertake strong action to prevent the persistence of forced caste-based labour and segregation in prisons, the plea sought.

It further sought direction for States to take steps to ensure proactive disclosure of prison manuals, through greater digitisation of the State prison manual on the website of respective Home departments, and to undertake regular printing of prison manuals to be readily available.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday expressed his emotions after the BJPs decision to replace him with Mohan Yadav as new MP CM, saying that sometimes one ends up in vanvas (exile) before rajtilak (coronation).

Addressing a public gathering in his constituency Budhni, Chouhan said, The new government will take forward all these works. There must be some big objective somewhere, sometimes by the time rajtilak takes place, one even ends up in vanvas (exile). But all this happens to fulfil some or the other objective.

The senior BJP leader, however, said that he wont go anywhere and that he will live and die in Madhya Pradesh

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I will not go anywhere. I will live here and die here, the former MP CM said when some of the women supporters shouted bhaiyya (brother), dont go anywhere leaving us alone.

Chouhan assured the public that even if he is not at the helm, the Mohan Yadav-led MP government will fulfill all the promises and continue the existing schemes, including the Ladli Behna Yojana and the housing scheme for beneficiaries of the Ladli Behna scheme.

In a decision that surprised many, including his political Opponents, BJP didnt choose Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the CM post. Instead, the party went for comparatively inexperienced Ujjain South MLA Mohan Yadav.

After the partys decision, Chouhan had said that he would have chosen death over going to Delhi and asking something for himself.

The BJP has swept the November 2023 assembly elections by winning 163 of the 230 assembly seats.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday met a delegation from the Adani group led by Gautam Adanis son Karan Adani. This sparked a controversy as the Opposition accused the Congress of resorting to hypocrisy.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been quite critical of the Modi governments close association with the Adani group and even Reddy had recently attacked the Prime Minister in Nagpur on the same issue.

The Chief Minister met Karan Adani, the CEO of Adani Ports and SEZ, and Ashish Rajvanshi of Adani Defence and Aerospace at the Secretariat. The Adani group made it clear that they would continue to invest in Telangana despite the change in government.

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The group announced that it was committed to investing in the aerospace sector and set up a data centre. They also sought the new governments support for setting up new projects.

The Chief Minister assured that the state government will provide adequate facilities and subsidies to new industries for industrial development and employment generation in Telangana. State industry and IT minister D Sridhar Babu and other officials were also present during the meeting.

NV Subhash of the BJP said: The hypocrisy of the Congress party has been exposed and Rahul Gandhi must answer this. When Adanis meet chief ministers of non-BJP states like West Bengal, Rajasthan and Telangana nothing happens but when he meets us all issues are raked up. The BRS recalled that K Chandrasekhar Rao had turned down Adanis offer to invest in Telangana.

Since Reddy assumed office, a number of investors, who are currently investing in Telangana, have met the Chief Minister. Key investors among them was Foxconn and its team led by the India head Vincent Lee met the new Chief Minister about its upcoming Apple airpods manufacturing at Kongara Kalan in Ranga Reddy district. Similarly, the Chief Minister also met TDP MP and MD of Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Jaydev Galla on Wednesday over its upcoming factory at Mahabubnagar.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said here on Wednesday that One District One Product (ODOP) from all the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh should be graded and postage stamps issued on them for their global recognition.

Yogi said every countryman is happy to see the progress of Uttar Pradesh while the world is surprised to see the transformation the state has undergone from an atmosphere of despair, frustration, and anarchy to one of hope and aspiration post-2017.

Speaking at MSMEs mega loan distribution programme of Rs 51,000 crore, the chief minister said, UP is fast becoming the largest economy in the country with the highest growth rate and economic development rate.

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Emphasising the importance of teamwork, he said when people work collectively, they achieve desired results. We have entered the year 2024. In these past seven years, the state has jumped from its position of sixth-seventh economy to become the second-largest economy in the country, he said.

At the event, CM Yogi distributed the first installment for the construction of Pledge Parks in Mathura, Amroha, Sitapur, and Meerut under the PLEDGE scheme. He also inaugurated three common facility centers in Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Sambhal under the ODOP scheme. He handed over the approval letter to the CFC team of Kaushambi.

Furthermore, Yogi distributed cheques and tool kits to a dozen beneficiaries of ODOP and Vishwakarma Shram Samman schemes. Under the Mission Shakti, he also handed over e-rickshaw keys to women.

Yogi pointed out that the law and order in the state have improved remarkably, making every individual, including women, daughters, businessmen, and investors, feel safe. This is also reflected in UP emerging as the top destination for investments in the country.

He said the state has received investment proposals of Rs 40 lakh crores in GIS-23, which will directly contribute to generating employment for more than 1 crore 10 lakh youth. UP is the first state to actively support the Vocal for Local campaign initiated by the central government, he pointed out.

Highlighting the contribution of various schemes, he mentioned that the MSME sector has given a new identity to Uttar Pradesh. The ODOP scheme has empowered micro, small, and medium enterprises, providing a new direction to traditional entrepreneurs who used to migrate because of a lack of opportunities in the past. The scheme has made the state an export hub, with exports increasing almost three times.

CM Yogi said the ODOP products should not be confined to coffee table books, adding that postage stamps should be released for the product of each district. Efforts should be made for this because it will provide us with global recognition. Every districts product should also be graded so that information about good products can be conveyed. Combining it with packaging and technology will get the products global recognition, CM Yogi asserted.

He further said that UP is the first state to introduce the ODOP, Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, and PLEDGE Scheme, pointing out that the schemes have led to significant growth in the MSME units in the state as it boasts of having 96 lakh MSME units today.

He urged bankers to provide substantial loans to small capital holders for less risk of loss of capital, adding that it will also boost the investors business and bankers confidence in small capital holders, thereby leading to prosperity in the state.

The result of the foresighted thinking of bankers and the government is that the state, which had a CDO ratio of 43 to 44 percent, has now increased to 56 to 57 percent. It should be our goal to increase it to 60 percent in this financial year and 65 percent in the next financial year, Yogi added.

He said that cheques were distributed during the program to women and men under the ODOP scheme who wanted to work in different sectors. Therefore, we must live up to their expectations. Appropriate platforms should be provided for their training so that happiness comes into the lives of every individual in society, he remarked further.

In the programme, Minister Rakesh Sachan, Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, IIDC Manoj Kumar Singh, and Additional Chief Secretary of MSME Amit Mohan Prasad were present.
The peace accord signed between the Rajkhowa faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Centre emerges as both a ray of hope and a subject of scepticism. The agreement, heralded as a historic moment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, promises to usher in peace and development, yet its contours raise questions that cannot be ignored. The agreement, signed in the presence of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and union home minister Amit Shah, outlines ambitious promises.

A staggering investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore, reserved assembly seats for indigenous people, and the declaration of Assams annual floods as a national priority seem like positive steps toward addressing long standing issues. However, the devil lies in the details yet to be unveiled, leaving Assams populace and observers in a state of cautious optimism. The oppositions cries of political gimmick cannot be dismissed outright. The timing, just ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls, raises eyebrows and fuels scepticism about the sincerity of the accord.

Opposition leader Debabrata Saikias assertion that many clauses appear as routine duties of any elected government resonates with those wary of political posturing overshadowing genuine progress. The omission of any reference to the Assam Accord of 1985 adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. The 1985 accord was a pivotal agreement that sought to address the fallout of the Assam agitation, including the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants. Its absence in the recent pact leaves a void, and one cannot help but wonder about the implications of side-lining a historical document that played a crucial role in shaping Assams trajectory. The promise of reserved assembly seats for indigenous people, while commendable, invites scrutiny. The lack of clarity on the criteria for determining who qualifies as indigenous leaves room for ambiguity and potential discontent. The parameters, aligned with the delimitation exercise carried out in 2023, add another layer of uncertainty, raising questions about the inclusivity of the process. The assurance related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) deserves attention.

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The commitment to withhold its implementation in Assam until the Supreme Courts final judgment on pending petitions reflects a cautious approach. However, this aspect underscores the legal complexities surrounding the CAA and its contentious nature, leaving Assam in a state of suspended anticipation. In the aftermath of the accord, the voices of dissent from opposition leaders, such as Mr Akhil Gogoi, raise pertinent questions about the pacts efficacy in addressing the diverse aspirations of the Assamese people. Mr Gogois characterisation of the agreement as disgusting and more akin to an election manifesto of the BJP highlights the depth of scepticism that persists despite the historic nature of the occasion. As Assam treads the path towards peace and development, it is imperative to balance optimism with a critical lens
As the clock struck midnight ushering in 2024 across the globes time zones, the world painted a diverse canvas of New Years Eve, a tapestry woven with threads of celebration, reflection, and the stark contrasts of human experiences across continents. In Sydney, the golden jubilee celebration of the iconic Opera House was a dazzling spectacle, an ode to creativity and resilience. The silver and gold fireworks mirrored the citys vibrancy, showcasing a fusion of culture and progress.

This jubilation, however, stood in stark relief against the bleak mood in Gaza, where survival eclipsed thoughts of festivities. Residents grappling with the aftermath of a 12-week war were preoccupied with basic necessities, highlighting the harsh realities faced by the community. Russias President Vladimir Putin, facing an election, made a passing reference to the on-going conflict in Ukraine. His emphasis on unity amidst geopolitical complexities hinted at the delicate balance Russia navigates. On the other side, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskky, in a poignant New Year address, underscored the nations resilience during the nearly two-year war. China, in President Xi Jinpings televised speech, outlined a commitment to economic recovery and deeper reforms.

This echoed the global importance of Chinas economic trajectory, impacting the intricate web of international relations. Taiwans President Tsai Ingwen emphasised the shared responsibility for peace in the Taiwan Strait, recognising the geopolitical sensitivities in the region. North Koreas vow to enhance its military capabilities and the claim that US policy was making war inevitable added a layer of tension to the international landscape. In the ecclesiastical realm, Pope Franciss call for peace and prayers revealed the spiritual undercurrents that traverse national boundaries.

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French President Emmanuel Macrons anticipation of 2024 as the year of our French pride signalled hope amid significant events, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. Britains celebration, marked by Big Bens chimes and reflections on King Charles coronation, carried a historical weight, encapsulating both tradition and change. In the United States, President Joe Bidens interview ahead of the ball drop in New Yorks Times Square highlighted the nations global leadership position and its optimism for the future.

Brazils Copacabana beach, ablaze with fireworks and teeming with almost two million people, illustrated the exuberance and unity that transcend cultural differences. India bid adieu to 2023 with a unique blend of celebrations, revelry, and prayers. From the dazzling fireworks in Goa to gatherings at iconic landmarks in Mumbai, Delhi, and various other cities, the nation showcased its diversity and resilience. It is evident that each region, with its unique struggles and triumphs, contributes to the collective narrative of humanity.

The contrasts and complexities underscore our shared journey, reminding us that amidst the diversity, there is a common thread that binds us ~ the pursuit of hope, resilience, and the perpetual dance between celebration and reflection as we navigate the unpredictable waters of the future.
Giant panda cub Katyusha is seen at Moscow Zoo in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 21, 2023. Russia's first giant panda cub born at Moscow Zoo in August was named Katyusha, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Wednesday. (Xinhua)

MOSCOW, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Russia's first giant panda cub born at Moscow Zoo in August was named Katyusha, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Wednesday.

The name was selected among the votes in a name contest which attracted over 380,000 participants, Sobyanin said on social media, adding that the name Katyusha finally won out.

He disclosed that the four-month-old panda cub is in good health.

"Katyusha is now four months old, has a lot of teeth and walks very well. She recently had a routine check-up and weighed 8.67 kilograms and was 79.5 centimeters long including the tail," he said.

Katyusha's father and mother are Ru Yi and Ding Ding, which were sent to Russia in 2019 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. 

Giant panda cub Katyusha (front) and her mother Ding Ding are seen at Moscow Zoo in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 21, 2023. Russia's first giant panda cub born at Moscow Zoo in August was named Katyusha, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Wednesday. (Moscow Zoo/Handout via Xinhua)

This photo taken on Feb. 3, 2024 shows a travel card themed on Russia's first giant panda cub in Moscow, Russia. Local transportation department recently launched a set of travel cards themed on Russia's first giant panda cub. The giant panda cub named Katyusha was born at Moscow Zoo in August 2023. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)

This photo taken on Feb. 3, 2024 shows a travel card themed on Russia's first giant panda cub in Moscow, Russia. Local transportation department recently launched a set of travel cards themed on Russia's first giant panda cub. The giant panda cub named Katyusha was born at Moscow Zoo in August 2023. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
John Pilger, who passed into history on 31 December 2023, remains an iconic personality for those who knew, read and were influenced by him. Millennials unaware of his vast writings and films ~ fiery, forceful, precise, evidencebased on-the-ground reporting ~ may benefit from excerpts from his archives (held at The British Library), exemplifying independent journalism.

On 3 August 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of Hiroshimas atomic bombing, Pilger described reporting from five ground zeros for nuclear weapons ~ from Hiroshima to Bikini, Nevada to Polynesia and Australia. When I first went to Hiroshima in 1967, the shadow on the steps was still there. It was an almost perfect impression of a human being at ease: legs splayed, back bent, one hand by her side as she sat waiting for a bank to open.

At a quarter past eight on the morning of August 6, 1945, she and her silhouette were burned into the granite. I stared at the shadow for an hour or more, then I walked down to the river where the survivors still lived in shanties, he wrote. He met Yukio, whose chest was etched with the pattern of the shirt he was wearing when the bomb was dropped. Yukio described a huge flash over the city, a bluish light, something like an electrical short, after which wind blew like a tornado and black rain fell. I was thrown on the ground. Everything was still and quiet, and when I got up, there were people naked, not saying anything. Some of them had no skin or hair.

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I was certain I was dead. Nine years later when Pilger returned looking for Yukio, he was dead from leukaemia. Pilger wrote, No radioactivity in Hiroshima ruin said The New York Times front page on 13 September 1945, a classic of planted disinformation. General Farrell, reported William H. Lawrence, denied categorically that [the atomic bomb] produced a dangerous, lingering radioactivity.

Only one reporter, Wilfred Burchett, an Australian, braved the perilous journey to Hiroshima in the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombing, in defiance of Allied occupation authorities, which controlled the press pack. I write this as a warning to the world, reported Burchett in the London Daily Express of 5 September 1945. Sitting in the rubble with his Baby Hermes typewriter, he described hospital wards filled with people with no visible injuries who were dying from what he called an atomic plague. For this, his press accreditation was withdrawn, he was pilloried and smeared. His witness to the truth was never forgiven, reported Pilger. Palestine is Still the Issue, wrote Pilger on 10 July 2017. When I first went to Palestine as a young reporter in the 1960s, I stayed on a kibbutz.

The people I met were hard-working, spirited and called themselves socialists. I liked them. One evening at dinner, I asked about the silhouettes of people in the far distance. Arabs, they said, nomads. The words were almost spat out. Israel, they said, meaning Palestine, had been mostly wasteland and one of the great feats of the Zionist enterprise was to turn the desert green. They gave as an example their crop of Jaffa oranges, which was exported to the rest of the world. What a triumph against the odds of nature.

It was the first lie, said Pilger. Most of the orange groves and vineyards belonged to Palestinians who had been tilling the soil and exporting oranges and grapes to Europe since the eighteenth century. The former Palestinian town of Jaffa was known by its previous inhabitants as the place of sad oranges. On the kibbutz, the word Palestinian was never used. Why, I asked. The answer was a troubled silence. All over the colonised world, the true sovereignty of indigenous people is feared by those who can never quite cover the fact, and the crime, that they live on stolen land.

Denying peoples humanity is the next step ~ as the Jewish people know only too well. Defiling peoples dignity, culture and pride follows as logically as violence. In Ramallah, following an invasion of the West Bank by late Ariel Sharon in 2002, I walked through streets of crushed cars and demolished houses, to the Palestinian Cultural Centre. Until that morning, Israeli soldiers had camped there. I was met by the centres director, the novelist Liana Badr, whose original manuscripts lay scattered and torn across the floor.

The hard-drive containing her fiction, and a library of plays and poetry had been taken by Israeli soldiers. Almost everything was smashed, and defiled. Not a single book survived with all its pages; not a single master tape from one of the best collections of Palestinian cinema. Soldiers had urinated and defecated on the floors, on desks, on embroideries and works of art. Liana Badr had tears in her eyes, but she was unbowed.

She said, We will make it right again. Pilger was at the forefront of recording what enrages those who colonise and occupy, steal and oppress, vandalise and defile is the victims refusal to comply. And this is the tribute we all should pay the Palestinians. They refuse to comply. They go on. They wait ~ until they fight again. And they do so even when those governing them collaborate with their oppressors.

In the midst of the 2014 Israeli bombardment of Gaza, the Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer never stopped reporting. He and his family were stricken; he queued for food and water and carried it through the rubble. When I phoned him, I could hear the bombs outside his door. He refused to comply. For more than 40 years, I have recorded the refusal of the people of Palestine to comply with their oppressors: Israel, the United States, Britain, the European Union. Since 2008, Britain alone has granted licences for export to Israel of arms and missiles, drones and sniper rifles, worth 434 million.

Those who have stood up to this, without weapons, those who have refused to comply, are among Palestinians I have been privileged to know, he said. On 21 September 2017, in The Killing of History, wrote Pilger, One of the most hyped events of American television, The Vietnam War, has started on the PBS network. The directors are Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Acclaimed for his documentaries on the Civil War, the Great Depression and the history of jazz, Burns says of his Vietnam films, They will inspire our country to begin to talk and think about the Vietnam war in an entirely new way.

In a society often bereft of historical memory and in thrall to the propaganda of its exceptionalism, Burns entirely new Vietnam war is presented as epic, historic work. Its lavish advertising campaign promotes its biggest backer, Bank of America, which in 1971 was burned down by students in Santa Barbara, California, as a symbol of the hated war in Vietnam. Burns says he is grateful to the entire Bank of America family which has long supported our countrys veterans. Bank of America was a corporate prop to an invasion that killed perhaps as many as four million Vietnamese and ravaged and poisoned a once bountiful land.

More than 58,000 American soldiers were killed, and around the same number are estimated to have taken their own lives. Pilger, viewing the first episode in New York, observed, It leaves you in no doubt of its intentions right from the start. The narrator says the war was begun in good faith by decent people out of fateful misunderstandings, American overconfidence and Cold War misunderstandings. The dishonesty of this statement is not surprising. There was no good faith.

The faith was rotten and cancerous. For me ~ as it must be for many Americans ~ it is difficult to watch the films jumble of red peril maps, unexplained interviewees, ineptly cut archive and maudlin American battlefield sequences. In the series press release in Britain  the BBC will show it  there is no mention of Vietnamese dead, only Americans. We are all searching for some meaning in this terrible tragedy, Novick is quoted as saying.

How very postmodern. Unafraid to share his observations, Pilger said, All this will be familiar to those who have observed how the American media and popular culture behemoth has revised and served up the great crime of the second half of the twentieth century: from The Green Berets and The Deer Hunter to Rambo and, in so doing, has legitimised subsequent wars of aggression. The revisionism never stops and the blood never dries.

The invader is pitied and purged of guilt, while searching for some meaning in this terrible tragedy. Cue Bob Dylan: Oh, where have you been, my blueeyed son?  I thought about the decency and good faith when recalling my own first experiences as a young reporter in Vietnam: watching hypnotically as the skin fell off Napalmed peasant children like old parchment, and the ladders of bombs that left trees petrified and festooned with human flesh. General William Westmoreland, the American commander, referred to people as termites, recorded John Pilger to whom generations are indebted.

(The writer is a writer researcher on history and heritage issues and former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya)
Russia has fired nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 Shahed combat drones against Ukraine since December 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

No other state has ever repelled such attacks, combined ones: both drones and missiles, including air-launched ballistic missiles. Ten Kinzhal missiles have been shot down today alone, Zelensky said in a video address on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Russia launched almost 100 missiles of various types at Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring 130 others, Zelensky was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

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Oleksii Kuleba, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, said on Telegram that more than 250 civilian facilities have been damaged in the latest attack, which targeted mostly the Ukrainian capital and the countrys second-largest city of Kharkiv.

In Kiev alone, two people were killed and 49 others injured in the air strike, and 43 of them were hospitalized, said the citys mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Cloudy with rain and snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the upper 30s. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 26F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com.
This photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows a container ship named "WAN HAI 357" berthing at the Dalian port in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The container ship arrived at the Dalian port on Tuesday, marking a regular container ship route linking the port and the west coast of South America has been launched. (Liaoning Port Group/Handout via Xinhua)

DALIAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- A container ship, named "WAN HAI 357," arrived at the Dalian port in northeast China's Liaoning Province on Tuesday, marking a regular container ship route linking the port and the west coast of South America has been launched.

The ship loaded with 3,000 twenty-foot-equivalent unit (TEU) containers of goods, such as bananas and white prawns, left the Guayaquil port in Ecuador on Dec. 28.

The route links the Dalian port with ports in Colombia and Ecuador as well as other major ports on the west coast of South America. The entire journey now takes only 25 days, saving at least seven days compared to the previous transportation mode via transit shipment service. This will expedite the entry of cold chain goods, such as seafood and fruits, from South America into the northeast China market.

The new route is operated once a week by WAN HAI LINES Ltd., a Taiwan company, with six 3,000-TEU container ships.

According to Li Xiaoguang, general manager of Dalian Container Terminal Co., Ltd. of Liaoning Port Group, which is in charge of Dalian port, there are currently 105 container ship routes from Dalian port, reaching more than 300 ports in over 160 countries and regions around the world. 

This photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows a container being loaded onto a container ship named "WAN HAI 357" at the Dalian port in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The container ship arrived at the Dalian port on Tuesday, marking a regular container ship route linking the port and the west coast of South America has been launched.(Liaoning Port Group/Handout via Xinhua)
Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and a former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
TEHRAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi on Wednesday revised the death toll of two explosions near the burial site of Iran's slain general Qassem Soleimani from 103 to 95.

In a live interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), the minister said the previous higher figures resulted from mistakenly calculating some of the victims' names twice.

Mohammad Saberi, head of Kerman's emergency organization, also confirmed the lower death toll, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.

The blasts occurred with an almost 20-minute difference at around 15:00 local time (1130 GMT) as many people gathered at the cemetery in the southeastern city of Kerman to mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's death in a U.S. drone strike.

The first blast was about 700 meters from Soleimani's tomb, and the second was a kilometer away, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

Rahman Jalali, deputy governor of Kerman province, said the explosions were carried out by "terrorists," the IRNA reported.

The IRINN said the cause of the blasts was still under investigation and that rescue teams were at the scene. It added that most of the injuries were caused by overcrowding and panic.

The Iranian government has declared Thursday a day of national mourning.

Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on Jan. 3, 2020, near Baghdad's international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-U.S. President Donald Trump.

He was buried in his hometown of Kerman after a funeral that drew millions of mourners across Iran. Iran denounced the assassination as "state terrorism" and vowed revenge. 
The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked SEBI to complete its investigations into two pending cases in connection with the allegations against the Adani Group within three months. The allegations pertain to stock price manipulation against Gautam Adani-led group in a report published by US short seller Hindenburg Research in January 2023.

The top court said its power to enter the regulatory framework of SEBI is limited, adding that the markets regulator has completed probe into 22 other cases into allegations against the group.

The bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud declined to order a probe by an SIT or another agency into the Adani-Hindenburg row.

The apex court told the Centre and SEBI to consider the recommendation of an expert committee to strengthen the regulatory framework.

The court was delivering its verdict on a batch of PILs filed by lawyers Vishal Tiwari, M.L. Sharma, Congress leader Jaya Thakur, and Anamika Jaiswal on the Adani-Hindenburg row over allegations of stock price manipulation. The judgment was reserved on November 24.

Reacting to the verdict, Adani posted on X: "The Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgement shows that: Truth has prevailed. Satyameva Jayate. I am grateful to those who stood by us. Our humble contribution to India's growth story will continue. Jai Hind."

Shares of Adani group of companies leaped following the verdict. Adani Energy Solutions soared 17.83 per cent, NDTV climbed 11.39 per cent, Adani Total Gas surged 9.99 per cent, Adani Green Energy rose 9.13 per cent and Adani Enterprises jumped 9.11 per cent on the BSE.



Shares of Adani Wilmar increased by 8.52 per cent, Adani Ports leaped 6 per cent, Adani Power soared 4.99 per cent), Ambuja Cements rose 3.46 per cent and ACC surged 2.96 per cent. Adani Ports and Ambuja Cements also touched their 52-week high levels during the trade.
Vodafone Idea Limited on Wednesday announced that its chief regulatory and corporate affairs officer P. Balaji has filed his resignation

VIL, in a BSE filing, said Balaji's final day at the company will be January 10, 2024.

"I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Vodafone Idea to serve for over 9 years and am proud of the work we have done together to help transform the company," Balaji wrote in his resignation letter, adding that he is pursuing personal and professional goals outside of VIL.

"I would like to resign from the services of the company with immediate effect. I shall be grateful if the company releases me from my responsibilities at the earliest and waives the contractual notice period obligation," he said.

Who is P. Balaji?

Balaji joined Vodafone India nine years ago. He was the the Director - Regulatory, External Affairs and CSR and was responsible for leading the companys Regulatory, Public Policy & Government Relations activities. He also led the External Affairs function overseeing Corporate Communications, Reputation Management and administering Corporate Social Responsibility and the Vodafone Foundation in India.

After the Vodafone-Idea merger on August 31, 2018, he became the Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, heading the companys Regulatory, Public Policy and Government Relations activities along with Industry Advocacy, Corporate Communications, Reputation Management and CSR.

Before joining Vodafone India, he served as the managing director at Nokia India and Sony Mobile. He also held senior leadership positions in startup and turn-around ventures of Tata Group, AT&T, Ericsson, Lucent and Sony.

He graduated in electronics engineering from IIT Roorkee and completed his MBA in marketing, finance and strategy from IIM Ahmedabad.
Beijing Daily: This year marks the 30th anniversary of Chinas entry into the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Can you brief us on Chinas effort to advance international cooperation on patents and global governance of intellectual property?

Wang Wenbin: China attaches high importance to international patent cooperation and intellectual property (IP) protection. In the past three decades since China became a member of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), weve actively participated in the revision and improvement of PCT and other international rules, improved our own legal system on IP and engaged in productive cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization. China has been the top filer of international patent applications through PCT for four consecutive years, making itself one of the worlds leading countries in the area of IP and innovation.

IP protection serves as a major pillar for innovative development. Building on its rich reservoir of patent technologies, China has been enhancing the quality and efficiency of its work on IP to unleash creativity at a faster pace. So far, China has filed 126,400 global patent applications for solar panels, ranking the first in the world. Top 10 NEV makers in China by sales possess over 100,000 global patents in force, leading the green and low-carbon sector and providing a strong impetus for world economic recovery.

China has expanded opening up in IP protection and fostered a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized. More and more foreign applicants are looking to do business and plan their patent portfolios in China. Over the past decade or so, applicants from 115 Belt and Road partner countries filed applications for 253,000 patents in China, an annual increase of 5.4 percent. As of the end of 2022, a total of 861,000 invention patents were in force for overseas applicants in China, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent. This speaks to the foreign-funded companies recognition towards Chinas effort in IP protection.

Looking forward, China will continue to uphold the principle of openness, inclusiveness, balance and benefits for all, strengthen exchanges and cooperation on IP with all countries, and advance a fairer and more just global governance on IP to deliver more benefits of innovation to people around the world and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Reuters: Has China sent any humanitarian aid to Japan since the earthquake on Monday? Or has Japan made any request to China for relief aid? Are there any latest updates on how the disaster is affecting Chinese nationals there?

Wang Wenbin: China expressed sympathies to the Japanese side yesterday over the powerful earthquakes that hit Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan. We are willing to provide necessary help to Japan for its relief and rescue efforts.

To my knowledge, no Chinese casualty has been reported so far. The Foreign Ministry and our embassy and consulates in Japan will continue to follow the situation closely and provide timely and necessary assistance to our nationals in Japan.

Rudaw Media Network: A project which two Chinese companies and the Iraqi government implement will build 30,000 residential housing units in Iraq. Why doesnt the project cover any governorate in the Kurdistan region?

Wang Wenbin: China and Iraq have friendly relations. As a sincere friend of the Iraqi people, China has taken an active part in the economic reconstruction of Iraq and contributed to Iraqs economic and social development, which is widely recognized by the Iraqi government and public. China stands ready to continue working with Iraq for new progress in practical cooperation in various areas.

CCTV: It was reported that in an interview on January 2, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned against fragmentation of the global economy along geopolitical lines due to increasing national security restrictions, with countries gravitating towards separate blocs led by the United States and China. Allowed to continue, she said this could ultimately reduce global GDP by 7 percent. What is your comment?

Wang Wenbin: We noted the reports. There is only one planet we call home and one common future for humanity. The international community needs to work together and support each other in response to current crises and for a better future. Whats needed most is solidarity, and what should be avoided most is fragmentation.

Be it trade war, tech war, or decoupling, severing of industrial and supply chains and de-risking, they are all essentially designed to politicize trade issues and be used as weapons to perpetuate certain countrys primacy, hold back emerging markets and developing countries in their development efforts, and deprive their 7 billion people of the right to a better life. This is neither virtuous nor sustainable. Ultimately, it is the overall interest of the international community that will take the toll and no single country can be spared.

The world will not retrogress to a state of isolation and exclusiveness, still less can it be deliberately divided. Any beggar-thy-neighbor move, bloc confrontation mentality, and arrogant sense of supremacy are doomed to failure. China would like to work with all parties to champion universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, firmly reject de-globalization and overstretching of security concept, oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, uphold the equality of rights, opportunities and rules among all countries, protect the right of all countries to equal development and advance common development and prosperity.

Reuters: We would like to ask the same about the Japan Airlines airport accident yesterday. Has China sent any aid to Japan or any specific organizations there? Or has Japan also made any request for aid in that sense?

Wang Wenbin: We noted the reports. We express our condolences over the loss of lives in the accident and our sympathies to those who have been injured. According to what I have learned, Japan has not made requests for aid.

In the wake of the accident, the Chinese Embassy in Japan immediately contacted local government authorities and the airline for more information. No Chinese national was injured. There were 14 Hong Kong tourists on the plane. The Embassy has got in touch with them and is working to re-issue travel documents for those who have lost theirs. We will follow closely the latest developments and provide timely assistance to Chinese nationals.
TEHRAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei vowed on Wednesday that a "tough response" will be given to those who perpetrated and ordered the deadly "act of terror" in the southeastern city of Kerman.

He made the remarks in a message published on his website, extending condolences over the deaths of at least 103 people, including three police officers, in two "terrorist blasts" earlier in the day that also injured 211 others near the burial site of the assassinated senior Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.

Khamenei stressed that those who killed the innocent people by perpetrating the "act of terror" and those who masterminded and ordered it "will be the definite target of just punishment from now on."

"They should know that they will receive a tough response by creating this disaster," he added.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday also condemned the "criminal act of terror" in a condolence message, vowing that those behind the deadly "terrorist" incident "will soon be punished for their cowardly and heinous move," according to a statement published on the website of his office.

Raisi highlighted the necessity to identify those who had orchestrated and ordered the "inhumane move," calling on all provincial officials to take the necessary measures to alleviate the pains of those harmed in the incident, treat the injured and restore order and calm to the city.

The blasts occurred as many people had gathered at the cemetery in Kerman to mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's death in a U.S. drone strike.

The first blast was about 700 meters from Soleimani's tomb and the second was a kilometer away, said the official news agency IRNA.

Rahman Jalali, the deputy governor of Kerman province for political and security affairs, said the explosions were carried out by "terrorists," the IRNA reported.

Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for Iran's National Medical Emergency Organization, told IRINN that some of the injured were in critical condition and the death toll could rise.

The IRINN said the cause of the blasts was still under investigation and that rescue teams were at the scene. It added that most of the injured people were caused by overcrowding and panicking.

The Iranian government has declared Thursday a day of national mourning.

Soleimani, one of the most powerful military commanders in Iran, was killed on Jan. 3, 2020, near Baghdad's international airport in a drone strike ordered by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. 
Universal Pictures surpasses Disney as the highest-grossing production house with 24 films in 2023. Movies like Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Gerard Johnstones M3GAN contributed to this big win for the film studio.



Most successful studio of 2023

While Disney earned $4.827 billion globally with movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Little Mermaid, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Universal Pictures collected $4.907 billion worldwide. The $80 million difference in the collection of both production houses made Universal surpass Disney in terms of revenue for the first time since 2015.

In 2023, Disney failed to be on the list of top 3 revenue-generating movies. Warner Bros. Barbie topped the list as the movie earned $1.4 billion globally. The second spot in the list was Universal Pictures's The Super Mario Bros. Movie with a collection of $1.36 billion and the third was Oppenheimer with approximately $950 million.

Warner Bros. became the third most lucrative production house of 2023. Movies including Barbie, The Nun II and Wonka helped the studio achieve this success.

What led Universal to surpass Disney?

While Universal Pictures released 24 films, Disney released 19 films including Haunted Mansion and The Marvels last year. The Disney films are highly expensive; to earn profit the film should collect a huge amount.

In 2023, movies from Disney failed to meet the high expectations that the audience holds for Disney movies. Apart from this, two of the blockbusters of the year The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Oppenheimer were from Universal Pictures.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Oppenheimer

The big hits of the year, Oppenheimer and Barbie forced the movie maniacs to watch back-to-back shows as both the films were released on the same day. Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer was based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, an American theoretical physicist popularly known as "the father of the atomic bomb". The movie grossed over $950 million.

Within a week after the release, The Super Mario Bros. Movie became the highest-grossing movie which is based on a video game. It surpassed Minions and became the most lucrative movie released by Illumination. The film was distributed by Universal and was produced by Universal Pictures along with Illumination and Nintendo. The movie earned $1.36 billion worldwide. Both films contributed to the profit made by Universal.
In 2024, as we enter an election year, it is worth noting how the government performed in various areas, most importantly in the crucial area of public health. After the devastating impact of Covid for three years from 2020 to 2022, healthcare has taken center stage in terms of priorities for governments across the world. However, in India, various issues ranging from the budget allocated for health to the implementation of various policies on the ground, the situation continues to remain dismal, say experts.

One of the key issues with the health sector in India has been the low investment in primary healthcare, which encompasses the treatment of common health issues, providing essential drugs, maternal and child care, immunization, and other preventive measures. The lack of public healthcare infrastructure has led people to use private health services more, increasing the financial burden on citizens. Assuring free, comprehensive primary care is a key objective of the National Health Policy as it is effective primary healthcare that can prevent or pre-empt the occurrence of more serious health issues, thereby improving overall health outcomes.

Here are three essential areas that must be addressed:

Performance of PM-JAY - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana under Ayushman Bharat

Affordable healthcare is one of the most essential needs, and India has implemented multiple government-funded health insurance schemes, including the long-running Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the current Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). While PMJAY expanded coverage and addressed some of RSBY's limitations, such as a static financial coverage cap, low enrollment, and gaps in utilization, it has not been completely successful. The PM-JAY, a component under Ayushman Bharat launched to provide health insurance coverage of 5 lakh to about 50 crore beneficiaries, has not achieved the expected reach. In a paper titled "Evolution of Government-funded health insurance for universal health coverage in India," published in The Lancet, researchers argue that PM-Jay still lags behind in crucial areas such as equity in supply and utilization, targeting vulnerable populations, outpatient coverage, and dynamic cost coverage. The inequitable supply and utilization disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups, risking further deprivation among them. Researcher Swati Dubey from the Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR) in Pune writes that PMJAY's supply and utilization across geography, sex, age, social groups, and healthcare sectors are skewed. Kerala and Himachal Pradesh, with low poverty and disease burden, use more services, and males are more likely to seek care under PMJAY than females. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have low service utilization. "Most hospitals providing services are private. Such inequities can lead the most vulnerable populations further into deprivation due to healthcare inaccessibility," notes Dubey.

National Health Mission

In June last year, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took health officials to task for lapses in the implementation of the National Health Mission (NHM) program in the state. He criticised the officials for not filling vacancies of specialist doctors and the lack of essential health infrastructure, including MRI scanning machines and dialysis units, in hospitals in smaller towns. During a review meeting of the health department, he questioned the officials for not utilizing funds under the program and highlighted the acute shortage of specialist doctors, amounting to 52 percent. There was also a 31 percent shortage of MBBS doctors and an 18 percent shortage of nursing staff.

This is not the case in Karnataka alone. Questions about accountability and transparency in the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) - which is one of the two parts of the NHM, the other being the National Urban Health Mission - have been raised in other states as well. The alleged health scam in Uttar Pradesh, centering around the misuse of funds meant for the NHM, is well-known. Since its launch, the NRHM budget has more than tripled from Rs10,040 crore in 2005-06 to Rs30,456 crore in 2011-12. However, increased allocations have done little to improve the average Indian's chances of receiving quality healthcare. According to experts, in order for the NHM to make health interventions effective, it is essential that it further strengthens the primary healthcare system in both rural and urban areas. A joint report by Niti Aayog, the Public Health Foundation of India, and IIM Ahmedabad suggests that the NHM is largely focused on providing comprehensive care to mothers and children. It has framed policies that allow for the design and implementation of programs on newborn care in an inclusive manner. However, considering the increasing burden of Non-Communicable Diseases, Climate-Sensitive Diseases, and emerging infectious diseases, the NHM should also put emphasis on these aspects, as well as on building the capacity of the public health system and allocating finances to emerging areas.

Tackling tuberculosis

India has pledged to eliminate TB by 2025, that is, by next year. However, experts believe that this goal is not only "over-ambitious" but also "unattainable." According to the World Global TB Report 2023, thirty high TB burden countries accounted for 87% of the world's TB cases in 2022, with two-thirds of the global total in eight countries: India (27%), Indonesia (10%), China (7.1%), the Philippines (7.0%), Pakistan (5.7%), Nigeria (4.5%), Bangladesh (3.6%), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.0%). This data shows that India has the highest burden among these eight countries. The report also reveals that in 2022, 81% of the global number of deaths caused by TB among HIV-negative people occurred in the WHO African and South-East Asia regions, with India alone accounting for 29% of such deaths. Additionally, the WHO African and South-East Asia regions accounted for 81% of the combined total number of deaths caused by TB among people with and without HIV, with India contributing to 26% of such deaths. In 2022, three countries accounted for 42% of the estimated global number of people who developed MDR/RR-TB, namely India (27%), the Philippines (7.5%), and the Russian Federation (7.5%).
Advocate Jai Dehadrai has said that he has filed a complaint with the CBI against Mahua Moitra MP for snooping on him, stating that the TMC MP was tracking his physical location using his phone number.

On Wednesday, Dehadrai confirmed that he approached the CBI. "I have given my complaint to CBI. This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not back down," Dehadrai told ANI.



In the letter, Dehadrai alleged that Moitra illegally obtained Call Detail Records (CDR) of her ex-boyfriend after suspicions that he was having an affair with a German woman, a senior functionary of a social media giant.



"I was shocked to learn that Moitra, with the assistance of senior Bengal police officers, had the entire CDR history of her ex-boyfriend in which she had precise information of his phone for all hours of the day," he said. Dehadrai, in his complaint, also attached screenshots of some chats and a purported CDR list.



He addded that the TMC leader was actively "tracking the person named Suhaan Mukerji in 2019". "Moitra informed me orally on multiple occasions in the past as also in writing (on WhatsApp on 26.09.2019) that she had been actively tracking her ex-boyfriend, one Suhaan Mukerji as she suspected him of being in a relationship with a German lady, the letter read.



Dehadrai alleged that Mahua Moitra has made several threats to him in the past. He added that on several occasions he felt that his car was being followed outside his residence in Delhi.



Mahua responded to her complaint, urging the Home Ministry to appoint a Special Director in the CBI for complaints by jilted exes all over India. Urging MHA to set up a special Director CBI to probe a Special Director in the CBI for complaints by jilted exes all over India.



"Urging MHA to set up a special Director CBI to probe all complaints by loser jilted exes pan India. Gratified to see Shahenshah of all Peeping Toms ccd on the complaint.  he honed his surveillance skills covering up for his Sahib in Gujarat and can supervise CBI," she said in a post on X.


The Vishnu Deo Sai led BJP government in Chhattisgarh will be recommending a CBI probe in the state public service commission (PSC) scam as promised prior to assembly polls.

A decision to get the scam related to the 2021 state civil services exam probed by the central agency was taken at a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. A government release said that the decision was taken in view of complaints received from the candidates who had appeared for the exam.

There had been a lot of hue and cry about irregularities in the exam and the BJP had made it a big poll issue, promising a CBI probe. The main allegation was that relatives of the PSC chairman Taman Singh Sonwani, erstwhile secretary to Governor, Amrit Kumar Xalxo, other senior government officials and Congress leaders had been given preference in the selection for the posts like deputy collector and deputy superintendents of police. BJP leader Nankiram Kanwar had filed a petition in the Chhattisgarh High Court and the hearing in the case is continuing.

The CGPSC had conducted the state civil services exam for 170 government posts. The preliminary exam, held in February 2021, was cleared by 2,565 candidates. The mains were conducted in May 2022 and 509 were declared successful. Following the result of personal interviews the same year, a final list of 170 successful candidates was announced.

The Congress has called the decision for a CBI probe a political propaganda.

Isnt the Chhattisgarh police capable enough to conduct an investigation in the matter? Isnt the BJP government confident of its own police force?, Congress chief spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla asked while talking to THE WEEK.

21 quintal paddy procurement at MSP

The Sai cabinet also approved the decision to procure maximum 21 quintal paddy per acre at minimum support price (MSP) during the ongoing procurement process. A government release said with the decision, the BJP election promise to procure 21 quintal of paddy (per acre) has been fulfilled. This promise to procure (21 quintal) paddy was part of guarantees by PM Narnedra Modi.

However, there was no word on the much publicized poll promise of increasing the procurement price to Rs 3,100 per quintal. In the previous Congress regime, farmers would get Rs 2,640 per quintal of paddy, including a state government funded bonus of Rs 600 per quintal.

With the BJP government simply mentioning in the cabinet decision that maximum 21 quintal per acre paddy will be procured at MSP, the feeling is that farmers will get just the central government announced MSP of Rs 2,183 per quintal for paddy common and Rs 2,203 for paddy grade A.

The Congress has accused the BJP government of cheating the farmer by keeping mum about the Rs 3,100 procurement price.

Paddy procurement is going on and the last date is January 31. The failure of the government to announce the increased price has left the farmers very confused and disappointed. Even if they plan to increase the price later in the month, they could have given some indication in the cabinet meeting, Shukla said while talking to THE WEEK.

He also said that the government failed to take any decision on increasing the duration of paddy procurement. Since 21 quintal per acre paddy is to be procured instead of the current 20 quintal, the total procurement will go up to about 150 lakh metric tonnes and it wont be possible to complete the procurement till the last date of January 31, Shukla said.

No decision on Mahtari Vandan scheme

Meanwhile, the BJP government continues to remain silent on another of its much publicized promise of cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to women through Mahtari Vandan Scheme.

This promise is said to have turned the tide significantly towards the BJP during the assembly polls through the women voters. It was expected that the government would be announcing the scheme soon after taking office, but though other poll promises are being fulfilled, there is no word yet on when the cash assistance scheme might be launched.

Shukla said that the BJP is already failing to keep its major promises to the people.

Earlier in December, during its first cabinet meeting, the Sai-led government approved the decision to provide PM Housing for 18 lakh families in keeping with its manifesto.
Gurugram police arrested three persons, including owner of a city hotel, this morning after a 27-year-old woman was killed under mysterious circumstances in the hotel last night.

The victim has been identified as Divya Pahuja, a former model and one of the accused in the murder of gangster Sandeep Gadoli in 2016.

CCTV footage accessed by the police showed Abhijeet, the owner of the hotel, and two others dragging Divyas body wrapped in a sheet out of the hotel and keeping it in the boot of a blue BMW car. The trio later escaped the crime scene in the same car.

A PTI report claimed that Divya, who was allegedly taken to the hotel by five persons on Tuesday night, was shot in the head.

Police suspect that Abhijeet paid Rs 10 lakh to his accomplicesidentified from the CCTV footage as Prakash and Indrajto dispose of Divyas body. Both Prakash and Indraj used to work at the hotel.

An FIR was filed against the three based on a complaint filed by Divyas family.

"We have arrested three accused involved in the murder of Pahuja. Further probe is underway," said Bhupender Singh Sangwan, DCP, West.

Who was Divya Pahuja?

Divya was a former model and an accused in the murder of gangster Sandeep Gadoli in a controversial encounter at a Mumbai hotel on February 7, 2016.

Mumbai Police arrested Divyawho reportedly was also the girlfriend of Gadolialong with her mother and five policemen in connection with the incident.

According to Mumbai Police officials, Virendra Kumar alias Binder Gujjar, who had run a rival gang, allegedly conspired with Haryana Police officials to eliminate Gadoli.

Gujjar was in prison at the time of the encounter, but he hatched a conspiracy and roped in Divya as a honey-trap to kill Gadoli, they had said.

The Bombay High Court granted bail to Divya in June 2023, about seven years after she was arrested.
The stir called by truck, bus and tanker operators on Monday against the provisions in the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) was called off on Tuesday night after the Centre held talks with the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) representatives.

The Union Home Secretary promised to hold talks with stakeholders before implementing the contentious law against hit-and-run. "The issue has been resolved. The new law and its provision have not been implemented yet," sources told reporters.



After the meeting with AIMTC representatives, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said he appealed to the AIMTC and all the agitating drivers to return to work. "The government wants to point out that these new laws and provisions have not yet come into force. We would also like to point out that the decision to invoke Section 106 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita will be taken only after consultation with the AIMTC," he said.



#WATCH | Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla says, " We had a discussion with All India Motor Transport Congress representatives, govt want to say that the new rule has not been implemented yet, we all want to say that before implementing Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 106/2, we will have pic.twitter.com/14QXaVUg7t  ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2024

Following the meeting, the Union Government and the transporters have agreed that transport workers will resume their work immediately, reported ANI.



AIMTC core committee chairman Bal Malkit told reporters that they will not allow the new laws to be implemented. "This law has not been implemented yet. We will not allow these laws to be implemented," Singh said, adding that the truckers have been asked to call off the agitation.



Amrit Lal Madan, president of AIMTC, also urged truck drivers to resume work, stating, "You are not just our drivers; you are our soldiers. We do not want you to face any inconvenience. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has kept the ten years of punishment clause on hold. Until the next meeting of the AIMTC, no laws will be imposed", ANI quoted Madan as saying.



The truckers are protesting against the new BNS provision which says: "Whoever causes death of any person by rash and negligent driving of vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide, and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."



The three-day strike call had triggered panic buying with fuel stations witnessing long queues, resulting in pumps in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab running out of stock due to heavy rush.



There were concerns that essential supplies of vegetables, fruits and milk too might be affected if the three-day strike is extended.


Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday skipped the third summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise policy case. In a letter sent to the ED, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that Kejriwal was ready to cooperate in the investigation but the agency's notice was illegal.

"Their intention is to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. They want to stop him from the election campaign," the AAP alleged in the letter. "Why has the notice been sent right before elections? The notice is an attempt to stop Kejriwal from campaigning in elections," the party alleged.



Kejriwal was summoned on Wednesday for questioning by the ED in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case. This was the third ED notice to Kejriwal after he refused to appear before the federal agency on two earlier summonses for November 2 and December 21. Earlier too, Kejirwal had called the summons "vague, motivated and unsustainable in law."



On Kejriwal's decision, Congress leader Udit Raj said the investigative agencies were putting pressure on Opposition leaders. AAP is part of the Opposition's INDIA bloc.



"The ED is carrying out raids at the associates of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. ED notices were sent to former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel right before the elections and false allegations were put on him. Arvind Kejriwal is also a part of the opposition alliance. It is true that these agencies are not doing their work but putting pressure on the opposition leaders," Raj told ANI.



#WATCH | Visuals from outside the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He has been asked to appear before the Enforcement Directorate today. pic.twitter.com/isTKur2PtR  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

Meanwhile, the BJP alleged that Kejriwal skipped the summons because he had something to hide. "Once again Arvind Kejriwal has skipped the ED summons. He is absconding like a criminal because there is something to hide. The courts have not given bail to Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, and the courts have established that there is a money trail. Despite all this they are playing the same victim card," BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged.


Top Congress leaders will meet here on Thursday to discuss the party's strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and preparations for the Manipur-to-Maharashtra Bharat Nyay Yatra, beginning January 14.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the meeting of party general secretaries, state in-charges, state unit chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders at the party headquarters here.

This will be the first meeting of newly appointed general secretaries and state in-charges after Kharge carried out a reshuffle in December.

Sources said the preparations for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and the Bharat Nyay Yatra are on the agenda of the meeting.

The Congress leadership has held separate meetings with state leaders and discussed the poll preparedness in their respective states in the past few months.

The Bharat Nyay Yatra, the second version of the Bharat Jodo Yatra that was held between September 2022 and January 2023, will be held from Imphal to Mumbai between January 14 and March 20.

The yatra from east to west of India is an attempt by the Congress to reach out to people and connect with them ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, due in April-May.
In a thrilling encounter, Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor Hamish Spencer, a renowned zoologist from the University of Otago, had the privilege of spotting an astonishing half-female, half-male bird while holidaying in Colombia. This captivating avian creature, a wild Green Honeycreeper, exhibited an exquisite plumage, with one half adorned in vibrant green, symbolizing the female, and the other half adorned in striking blue, representing the male.

The rarity of this discovery cannot be overstated, as bilateral gynandromorphs are an exceptionally uncommon occurrence in the avian world. Professor Spencer, who has dedicated his life to studying birds, revealed that this unique phenomenon has never been documented in any bird species found in New Zealand. "Many birdwatchers could go their whole lives without ever catching a glimpse of a bilateral gynandromorph. It is an extraordinary sight, and I consider myself truly privileged to have witnessed it," Professor Spencer shared.

To further accentuate the significance of this find, photographs of the bird have been hailed as the finest examples of a wild bilateral gynandromorphic bird ever captured. These images will undoubtedly contribute to the scientific understanding of this exceptional occurrence. This extraordinary half-female, half-male bird serves as a testament to the intricate and awe-inspiring complexities of nature, reminding us that there is still so much left to discover and understand.

The discovery has prompted the publication of a report in the prestigious Journal of Field Ornithology, making it only the second recorded instance of gynandromorphism in the Green Honeycreeper species in over a century. Professor Spencer emphasized the importance of gynandromorphs in unraveling the mysteries of sex determination and sexual behavior among birds. While this phenomenon is more commonly observed in animal species that exhibit strong sexual dimorphism, such as certain insects, crustaceans, spiders, lizards, and rodents, the bilateral gynandromorph observed in this Green Honeycreeper showcases that either side of the bird can manifest as male or female, as seen in several other species.

Delving into the science behind this extraordinary occurrence, Professor Spencer explained that bilateral gynandromorphs arise from an error during female cell division, resulting in the production of an egg. Following this, double-fertilization by two sperm takes place, creating this captivating combination of male and female characteristics within a single individual.

Eager to inspire others, Professor Spencer expressed his hope that this remarkable discovery would encourage people to appreciate and treasure the exceptionalities found in nature. He urged fellow enthusiasts to remain vigilant and be on the lookout for other extraordinary occurrences within the avian world, encouraging them to seek out the first documented example of a bilateral gynandromorph in a New Zealand bird.
The world watched with bated breath as Japan Airlines JAL flight 516, carrying all 379 people, burst into flame after collision with an earthquake relief aircraft at Tokyos Haneda airport on Tuesday.

Though all five onboard the second aircraft, operated by the Japan Coast Guard, perished, the passengers onboard the JAL aircraft had a miraculous escape. Footages from Haneda show within minutes of the plane turning into an inferno, all passengers slid down emergency chutes to get away from the plane.



Even for a country that prides itself on its aviation safety, the fete was remarkable and showcased the efficiency of modern safety standards, including the crashworthiness of the aircraft, and Japan Airlines own rigorous safety culture. "I think there are a lot of things that come together to allow people to get off an aeroplane like this without dying," Robert Sumwalt, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told CBS News.



Sumwalt added that one factor at play in Tuesday's evacuation was the crash-worthiness of modern jetliners today. "The interiors of newer aeroplane models are built to withstand fire. The side walls don't burn as quickly as they would in previous aeroplanes," he said.



"The aeroplane fuselages made from carbon-composite fibres instead of conventional aluminium skins likely protected the passengers from the fire by not burning through for some time," safety consultant John Cox told AP.



The way the evacuation procedures were carried out also contributed to the successful evacuation of the passengers, which hints at the professionalism of the cabin crew.



Footages from the airport show passengers proceeding quickly but calmly down the inflatable evacuation slides and then jogging away from the plane. "The flight attendants told us to stay calm and instructed us to get off the plane," one passenger, Satoshi Yamake, 59, said to Reuters.



According to Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UKs Cranfield University, the crew training and safety measures were key. "Its such a severe impact for any aircraft to have to withstand. But knowing what I know about that airline, and how much effort they put into safety and into crew training, the fact that they did do such a good job shouldnt be such a surprise," Braithwaite told CNN.



Braithwaite says the successful evacuation is absolutely a positive for Japan Airlines. "If you want to see a reason why you should fly with them, I think this is it," he says.



He believes the Japanese learnt lessons from the 1985 JAL accident which killed 520 out of the 524 onboard. "Clearly the effect was profound on the airline. In a culture like Japans, they took that responsibility as a group and wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. So when things go wrong, they see it in terms of how they can learn. Everything is an opportunity to improve," Braithwaite added.



"They have a very strict culture around standard operating procedures and doing everything properly. Thats one of the reasons in this case I think the crew seems to have performed so well," he says.



Experts believe the reason for the crash was likely a human error.


Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Naqoura, Lebanon, on Jan. 3, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned on Wednesday night to attack Israel "without restraint" if Israel wages a war against Lebanon, local TV channel al-Manar reported. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned on Wednesday night to attack Israel "without restraint" if Israel expands its attacks against Lebanon, local TV channel al-Manar reported.

Nasrallah made the remarks in a televised speech to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the assassination of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack on Jan. 3, 2020.

Meanwhile, Nasrallah said the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas' deputy chief, and other Hamas officials in Beirut a day earlier was "a dangerous crime."

He said the current confrontation on Lebanon's southern border has been limited, considering the priority of protecting Lebanon's stability and security.

However, "if Israel expands its attacks ... all our power will be used to attack Israel; we do not fear the war, and we are not hesitant about it; otherwise, we would have stopped fighting on the southern front," he said.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since Oct. 8 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Naqoura, Lebanon, on Jan. 3, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned on Wednesday night to attack Israel "without restraint" if Israel wages a war against Lebanon, local TV channel al-Manar reported. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Naqoura, Lebanon, on Jan. 3, 2024. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned on Wednesday night to attack Israel "without restraint" if Israel wages a war against Lebanon, local TV channel al-Manar reported. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
On Tuesday, Israeli forces, acting on actionable intelligence, took out Saleh Arouri, the founder of Hamas military wing and the deputy political head, in a big blow to the armed militant group.

A drone strike killed the 57-year-old Hamas leader along with two al Qassem Brigades commanders besides three others in a Hamas office located in a southern Beirut suburb. Arouri had been in Israeli crosshairs for a long time and was the top Hamas commander in the West Bank, who the US Department of the Treasury designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist offering $5 million for any information on him.

The IDF is well into its third phase of the conflict with Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, in which targeted raids are a key component of the warfare as opposed to major combat operations.

Over the course of the conflict, Israel has successfully conducted several precision strike operations where targeted leaders have been killed and key facilities destroyed.

Helping Israel to zero in on the key targets is a key snooping facility just outside Alice Springs in Australia. Called the Pine Gap facility, its mandate is to collect communications and electronic intelligence data from Ground Zero of the Israel-Gaza battlefield and interpret it before transmitting it to the IDF.

Besides widespread surveillance, Pine Gap also provides detailed geo-location intelligence to the US military which can be used to locate precision targets in the battlefield.

Jointly operated by the US and Australia, the sprawling Pine Gap facility is a very important node in the Five Eyes global surveillance network with the main data collection being done by a constellation of about 40 satellites.

Set up in 1941, Five Eyes is an exclusive and secretive club of spy rings of five governmentsAustralia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and USthat collaborate to intercept information within other countries to be used for diplomatic, security, military and economic benefits and gains.

The present conflict began after a Hamas attack on October 7 killed 1,139 people while 250 were abducted. The dead included 695 Israeli civilians including 36 children, 373 security forces and 71 foreigners.

The Israeli counterattack, exhibiting no discrimination, till now has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians with at least 8,000 of them being children.
Two explosions minutes apart on Wednesday in Iran targeted a commemoration for a prominent general slain in a US drone strike in 2020, killing at least 103 people and wounding at least 141 others as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a terroristic" attack shortly after the blasts in Kerman, about 820 kilometres southeast of the capital, Tehran.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear programme, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the turmoil surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The blasts struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force who died in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site in Kerman.

Iranian state television quoted Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for the country's emergency services, for the casualty figure. Authorities said some people were injured while fleeing afterward.

Footage suggested that the second blast occurred some 15 minutes after the first. A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to target emergency personnel responding to the scene and inflict more casualties.

People could be heard screaming in state TV footage.

Kerman's deputy governor, Rahman Jalali, called the attack terroristic, without elaborating. Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organisations and state actors. Iran has supported Hamas as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Soleimani was the architect of Iran's regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Iran's theocracy. He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assad's government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

Relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Soleimani's popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops.

A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Iran's most recognizable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership.

Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed America's 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Soleimani's death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession. Otherwise, Kerman largely has been untouched in the recent unrest and attacks that have struck Iran. The city and province of the same name sits in Iran's central desert plateau.
VADODARA, India, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL), has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vedanta Ltd (Aluminium Business) for exploring various business opportunities in the areas of Caustic-Chlorine and other allied businesses.



The MoU envisages to recognize the potential of adding value to the business of both GACL and Vedanta Aluminium by adopting a collaborative approach based on their complimentary skills, strengths, and common business interests to achieve synergy. Accordingly, both the Companies desire to explore the opportunities for co-operation in greater detail so that the resources could be pooled together in a mutually beneficial manner.



With this MoU, both Companies have, in-principle, agreed to jointly explore the business opportunities either in the form of joint venture project or through contractual arrangements of mutual interest.



About GACL:



Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL) was established in 1973 in Vadodara, Gujarat, to manufacture Caustic Soda and allied products. Promoted by the Government of Gujarat, GACL has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of caustic soda, employing cutting-edge technology, groundbreaking research and development, and strategic diversification. From an initial capacity of 37,425 TPA caustic soda, the organization has enhanced its capacity to 8,52,400 TPA, with manufacturing facilities spread over four complexes, two in Vadodara and two in Dahej. GACL now offers more than 35 products used as raw materials in various industries. By providing quality raw materials used in numerous applications, GACL contributes to the growth of the chemical industry in the country.



About VEDANTA:



Vedanta Limited ("Vedanta"), a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world's leading natural resources companies spanning across India, South Africa, Namibia, Liberia, UAE, Korea, Taiwan and Japan with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, Nickel, Aluminium, Power & Glass Substrate and foraying into semiconductors and display glass. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector, is committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 or sooner and aims to spend $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate this transition.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
While introducing this cutting-edge Italian technology, the brand also brings for the first time lifelong free alterations, a buy-back program, the exclusive Dandy Club. The brand is now available in India with limited slots only.





The Shirt Dandy Unveils AI-Powered 3D Configurator



New Delhi (India), January 3: The Shirt Dandy (TSD), an Austrian brand, is set to make its mark in the Indian market with the launch of a groundbreaking AI-powered 3D configurator. This brand-new Italian technology empowers customers to design their shirts online, providing a curated experience with an array of styles, fabric choices, and detailing options. The Shirt Dandy's entry into the Indian market represents a fusion of Austrian and Indian craftsmanship, European technology, and a commitment to providing a personalized, sustainable, and community-driven fashion experience.



To celebrate this debut, TSD is releasing an exclusive pre-booking opportunity with limited slots. In this innovative move, these inaugural customers will get an opportunity to be the brand ambassadors. Each customer receives an exclusive referral code, unlocking the door for friends to join the waitlist. This strategic approach is poised to establish a community of fashion enthusiasts bound by the excitement of being part of The Shirt Dandy's debut in the Indian market.



Further, TSD seeks to transform shopping into an immersive and enjoyable experience with significantly reduced lead time for the customers. With this revolutionary experience, the brand also provides lifelong free alterations, a forthcoming buy-back program, and the exclusive Dandy Club, an integral part of The Shirt Dandy experience. As a member of the club, individuals can unlock unparalleled networking opportunities, connecting with industry stalwarts and shaping their futures together.



On the launch announcement, Thomas Hebenstreit, CEO & Founder, said, The Shirt Dandy initially served Austrian customers while producing shirts in India. The decision to launch in India is rooted in the recognition of the country's fragmented market and the opportunity to provide an integrated omni-channel experience. Were excited to lift this market potential and make buying a shirt an experience that is fun and engaging while providing high quality garments to the Indian customers.



The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. The Shirt Dandys commitment to sustainability goes beyond styleits a pledge to make a positive impact on the planet. Custom-made shirts, crafted with care and consideration, offer a sustainable alternative to the fast fashion narrative.



Elaborating further about the brand, Aayush Sharma, Co-founder, said, Thomas, representing Austria, and myself, representing India, aspire to intricately blend the finest elements of both cultures into each stitch. This collaboration is not merely a cultural encounter; it's a tribute to meticulous craftsmanship. With a deep appreciation for the heritage of Indian fabrics, we hold in high regard the excellence of their production, harmonizing tradition with innovation. Our shirts narrate a tale of unity, merging Austrian precision with the artistic brilliance of Indian textiles, crafting a sartorial masterpiece that knows no boundaries.



With an existing presence in international markets, the brand plans to open its flagship Digital Signage store in Gurgaon. Meanwhile, the brand will keep hosting pop-up stores across the city. For customers in Delhi NCR, home appointments are available along with a digital option for AI-powered self-measurements.



Founded in Vienna in 2022, The Shirt Dandy is an innovative and customer-centric venture set to revolutionize the Indian apparel industry. The custom-made shirt business offers a unique combination of key differentiators, setting the brand apart from traditional competitors in India and Europe. The Unique Selling Proposition (USP) lies in four core pillars: affordability, rapid lead times, sustainability, and an exceptional omni-channel experience.



For more information, please visit - https://theshirtdandy.com/



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR

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Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 3: KPI Green Energy Ltd. (KPI) and the leading solar panel manufacturer, Emmvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt. Ltd. have finalized a significant deal for supply of 300MWp of Bifacial Monoperc Solar panels.



KPI Green Energy Ltd. will install these panels, particularly for the development of a 240-megawatt solar plant in the Khavda village of Gujarat, India, for supplying power to Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited. The agreement between KPI Green Energy Ltd. and Emmvee was formalized on December 30, 2023. The installation of these panels is crucial for the development of the solar plant in Khavda.



In this context, high-quality international standard solar panels will be supplied by Emmvee. The panels will be utilized for KPI Group's own solar park in Khavda, adding to the company's commitment to the Gujarats dream as well as Honourable Prime Ministers dream of reaching 500GW of renewable power by 2030. Emmvee aims to complete this delivery between June-2024 and May 2025, with some batches being delivered as early as March-2024. The warranty for these panels is set for 30 years.



It's worth noting that KPI Green Energy Ltd., a subsidiary of KP Group and listed on NSE and BSE, has recently secured a significant QIP of Rs. 300 crore. The company has an ongoing project in Khavda, Gujarat, and is making substantial progress. KPI Green Energy Ltd. has already an order book of more than 750MW as on date and aims to achieve a target of 1 gigawatt by 2025.



Commenting on the deal, Dr. Faruk G. Patel, CMD of KP Group., stated that the business relationship with Emmvee has been strong even before this deal primarily due to Emmvees commitment towards a quality product. The decision to purchase 300 megawatts of solar panels reaffirms our commitment of timely completing the Khavda project for supplying power to Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited and advancing towards a green energy revolution.



Mr. Manjunatha D.V., CMD of Emmvee Group., expressed enthusiasm about the agreement, stating that the deal with KPI Green Energy Ltd. in this landmark project of Khavda is exciting as it enhances Emmvees footprint in Gujarat. The commitment of KPI Green Energy Ltd. aligns with the vision of Emmvee to advance towards high-quality, reliable, and sustainable green energy development.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Wednesday said tax authorities have slapped a demand notice of about Rs 663.45 crore on it for short payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The corporation has received communication/demand order for interest and penalty from Office of the Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise, Chennai North Commissionerate on January 1, LIC said in a regulatory filing.

The demand pertains to wrong availment of Input Tax Credit (ITC) and non-payment on tax on turnover wrongly declared as non-GST supply in GSTR-1 for 2017-18, and 2018-19, it said.

The corporation shall file an appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals), Chennai against the said order within the prescribed timelines, it said.

There is no material impact on financials, operations or other activities of the corporation, it added.

On Tuesday, the company received a demand order for interest and penalty of about Rs 116 crore for Telangana state for short payment of GST for 2017-18.

The demand for Telangana came a day after LIC on January 1 received a similar notice demanding about Rs 806 crore for short payment of GST for 2017-18 along with interest and penalty for Maharashtra.
Chandigarh, Jan 3 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said his government is planning to leverage the vast agricultural potential in African countries and will invite farmers willing to travel there for better opportunities.

This ambitious endeavour aims to provide new opportunities for Haryana's hardworking farming community, he told reporters here after a meeting of the state Cabinet.

Khattar said in many African nations land is available in abundance. He said recently he spoke with some ambassadors of African nations and they said they can enter into an agreement with the state in this regard.

Tracts of land will be offered where Haryana farmers can contribute their expertise and offer techniques, he said, adding that discussions in this regard with the ambassadors have been held, and once an agreement is signed, the state government will invite farmers.

"In African nations, land is available in abundance. I spoke with ambassadors of African nations and they said we can enter into MoU for 50,000, 1 lakh...hectares of land. All this discussion was verbal, but once MoU is done, things will be formalised.

"After this, we will invite interested farmers who want to go. The state government can also assist them in this regard," Khattar said.

Khattar also referred to shrinking landholding in Haryana, largely due to industrialisation, and said in a few years many farmers from the state went to Madhya Pradesh where land in several districts was available at cheap rate. Farmers went from here to develop the land there, he said.

Meanwhile, according to an official statement, following discussions with the ambassadors of the African nations, the state government is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will be exchanged shortly to formalise this collaboration.

According to the statement, farmer groups will be formed and sent to African countries where they can contribute their expertise and benefit from the vast agricultural landscapes available.

Before sending them abroad, the government will also provide comprehensive training and necessary assistance to ensure their success in agricultural endeavours abroad, Khattar said.
Tokyo, Jan 3 (AP) Transport officials and police began separate investigations at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Wednesday, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people.

The accident occurred Tuesday evening when the Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 plane landed on one of Haneda's four runways after the coast guard aircraft  a Bombardier Dash-8  had also entered, preparing to take off. Both sides said they received a go-ahead from aviation officials.

An orange fireball erupted from the aircraft, and the JAL plane continued down the runway covered in flames while spewing gray smoke. Within 20 minutes, all 379 passengers and crew members slid down emergency chutes and survived. The pilot of the coast guard plane, which exploded, evacuated with injuries but five crew members aboard the coast guard plane were killed.

Transport safety officials were focusing on communication between air traffic control officials and the two aircraft to determine what led to the collision.

Police began a separate probe into possible professional negligence. On Wednesday, Tokyo police said that investigators examined the debris on the runway and were to interview the involved parties.

The Japan Airlines A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the northern Japanese city of Sapporo, and the coast guard Bombardia was preparing to depart for Niigata to deliver relief supplies to residents in the central Japan regions hit by powerful earthquakes on Monday that killed more than 60 people.

On Wednesday, six experts from the Japan Transport Safety Board examined what remained of the aircraft, the board said. TV footage showed the severely damaged A350's wings among the charred, broken parts of fuselages. The smaller coast guard plane looked like a mound of rubble.

Transport safety investigators plan to interview the pilots and officials from both sides, as well as air traffic control officials to find out how the two planes simultaneously ended up on the runway, JTSB said.

The two sides had different understandings of their permission to use the runway.

JAL Managing Executive Officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told a news conference late Tuesday that the A350 was making a normal entry and landing on the runway. Another JAL executive, Noriyuki Aoki, said the flight had received permission to land from aviation officials.

The air traffic officials gave the JAL airliner landing permission, while telling the coast guard pilot to wait before entering the runway, NHK television reported Wednesday. But the coast guard pilot said he also had been given permission to take off. The coast guard said officials were verifying that claim.

All passengers and crew members left their baggage and slid down the escape chutes within 20 minutes of the landing as smoke filled the cabin of the burning aircraft  an outcome praised by aviation experts. Videos posted by passengers showed people covering their mouths with handkerchiefs as they ducked down and moved toward the exits. Some passengers told news media they felt safe only after reaching a grassy area beyond the tarmac.

The entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them, Swedish passenger Anton Deibe, 17, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. The smoke in the cabin stung like hell.

The fire is likely to be seen as a key test case for airplane fuselages made from carbon-composite fibers  featured on the A350 and the Boeing 787  instead of conventional aluminum skins.

This is the most catastrophic composite-airplane fire that I can think of. On the other hand, that fuselage protected (passengers) from a really horrific fire  it did not burn through for some period of time and let everybody get out, safety consultant John Cox said.

Haneda's three other runways reopened late Tuesday, but some 100 flights have been canceled due to the closure of the accident-hit runway. The airport was packed Wednesday as many holidaymakers wrapped up their New Year travel, including those who who survived the fire and spent the night at the airport or at nearby hotels, trying to change their flights.

Haneda is the busier of the two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international flights, and is favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.

Tuesday's accident was the first severe damage to an Airbus A350, among the industry's newest large passenger planes. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus said in a statement it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French officials investigating the accident, and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.

JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus. (AP) NSA

NSA
Dhaka, Jan 3 (PTI) Authorities in Bangladesh on Wednesday deployed Armed forces to assist the administration in holding the January 7 national election in a free, fair, and peaceful manner as tensions spiked in the country ahead of the polls being boycotted by the main Opposition BNP.

Members of the armed forces will be stationed at nodal points and other places in every district, sub-district, and metropolitan area, said a statement of the Inter-Service Public Relations, the media wing of the military.

The Army was deployed in several districts on Tuesday, but they began work in Dhaka at 8 am on Wednesday at the Zia Colony and Sainik Club neighbourhoods in the Dhaka Cantonment.

They will assist the Election Commission and the local administration to ensure peace and discipline from January 3 to 10.

Apart from the armed forces, members of the Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will also be on election duty.

The Bangladesh Navy will operate in 19 districts, including Bhola and Barguna, while the Border Guard Bangladesh will take on the sole responsibility in 45 bordering upazilas.

The BGB and Army will work in 47 bordering upazilas and coordinate with the Coast Guard in four coastal upazilas, the ISPR said.

The Bangladesh Air Force will provide helicopter support to the polling centres in the Hill Tracts. They have already prepared enough of them to meet the needs of the election.

The Armed Forces Division has formed a combined cell, including law enforcers and representatives from different ministries, which will be active until January 10.

The January 7 polls are being boycotted by the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khalida Zia, as its demand for an interim non-party neutral government to organise the voting was rejected by the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina is also the president of the ruling Awami League.

The BNP boycotted the 2014 election but took part in the 2018 polls, which party leaders later said was a mistake, alleging that the voting was marred with widespread rigging and intimidation.

Meanwhile, the BNP and its allies were criticised by ruling Awami League's General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday, who said that the January 7 polls will be participatory, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Calling the BNP's leaflet distribution mysterious, Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said that the activists of the main opposition party might carry out an attack anytime.

"But they will not be able to thwart the election no matter how hard they try," he was quoted as saying in the report.

On Monday, Prime Minister Hasina said the BNP is boycotting Sunday's general election because they found no scope to rig the polls.

Claiming that the BNP had tried to foil the 2014 parliamentary election through violence but failed, Hasina said, "Now they are out to thwart the 12th parliamentary election slated for January 7 for which they are once again burning people to death through arson violence and subversive acts."

The BNP has called for civil disobedience against the Hasina-led dispensation, urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills to press its demand for a non-party interim government for election oversight by amending the country's Constitution.

It is also carrying out an anti-election street campaign, calling for intermittent strikes and transport blockades, saying no election under the incumbent government led by Hasina would be fair or neutral.

According to a media tally, 11 people died, 386 vehicles were torched, and four trains were derailed from tracks in the past two months in political violence.

The US and other major Western countries called for dialogue between the ruling Awami League and particularly with the BNP to ensure an inclusive and credible election, which, however, saw no headway due to reluctance from both sides.

With the BNP boycotting the election and no other credible opposition party against it, Hasina's Awami League is likely to gain the upper hand and will likely form the government for the fourth consecutive term.

Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun is visiting the divisional headquarters of the police and holding meetings with local police high-ups.

He has already visited Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions and will visit Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Barishal within a day or two.

Following a meeting with local police in Jessore, the police chief affirmed that law enforcement will be on standby to maintain a conducive atmosphere for smooth voting and is ready to handle any situation for fair and festive elections.

During the electoral campaign from December 18 to December 30, a total of 213 cases related to pre-poll violence were filed, leading to the arrest of 235 individuals across the country, as per police statistics.

According to law enforcers, at least 100 pre-poll violence incidents have taken place in the last 13 days.

Besides, the law-and-order coordination cell of the public security division under the Home Ministry has received around 501 election-related complaints in 14 days. Among the complaints, approximately 30 were serious incidents such as attacks on polling booths, tearing posters, or clashes.
Dubai, Jan 3 (AP) Iranian state media said on Wednesday at least 103 people have been killed by explosions minutes apart targeting a commemoration for a prominent general slain in a US drone strike in 2020.

Another 141 were wounded.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a terroristic attack shortly after the blasts in Kerman, about 820 kilometres southeast of the capital, Tehran.

The blasts on Wednesday afternoon struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force. who died in Iraq in January 2020. (AP) GRS

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Gondwana Das Praehistorium (Kat Nickola)

As we rounded a bend at the Gondwana Das Praehistorium, a life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex roared at my family, a half-eaten meal hanging from its lower jaw. Its dead prey, a triceratops, lay gashed open at its feet while the sounds of thunder could be heard in the distance. This was cool!

Situated in the small town of Schiffweiler, Das Praehistorium gives a nod to the former coal-mining economy of the area with its display on the Carboniferous period. It is the first walk-through diorama of the museum and features all the plants and animals, sights and sounds, of the ecosystem that would compress into coal over 300 million years ago.

The scope of Das Praehistorium covers an extreme expanse of time: from primeval to modern. The museum traces the flow of evolution quite broadly from the beginning of life all the way through to the modern era. Its best show of force, however, is in the Mesozoic Era. Thats dinosaur times, for the uninitiated.

A 3D film on evolution started our tour through the past. Then there was a quick walk through four billion years of boring Precambrian evolution. The museum really does the best they can making bacteria interesting. Quickly, however, we moved into the first of many full-immersion geologic time periods. The Permian was especially dramatic as we stood around in a recreated slot canyon waiting with a life-sized Dimetrodon as thunder boomed. Suddenly, a flash flood gushed into the space. It was shocking, loud and such a fun surprise. Even my three-year-old nephew liked that one.

Gondwana Das Praehistorium (Kat Nickola)

Each geologic period had an introduction space with informative displays and signboards to prepare us for entering the re-created space. All of them are in German, but a QR-coded audio guide provides translations. Sadly, we were not able to get it working on my husbands phone. It is a little finicky, so be sure to connect to the museums Wi-Fi when getting tickets and test out the system. There are plenty of employees along the way who can help.

After wandering through the tropical Triassic, seeing the wetlands of the Jurassic and experiencing the perpetual dark cold of the southern Cretaceous, we watched a short 4D movie in German that detailed the extinction of the dinosaurs.

That made a good breaking point, so we popped back out into the modern entry hall. It was lunchtime, so we paused and got some pizza, brats and pommes at the on-site restaurant under the massive Argentinosaurus skeleton that dominates the space.

The second half of the museum took an interesting turn. Instead of continuing the prehistoric trajectory, we were, instead, deposited at the International Space Station. From there, the experiential rooms proceeded back through select moments in human history. We walked through an Industrial Revolution textile factory, past the Mayan jungle, through a medieval castle and into an Egyptian burial chamber before walking through a bronze-age cave replete with cave art and a pre-historic family gathered around a fire. It was caveman times at its finest. Further rooms followed the reverse evolution of humans and through a very well-down recreated wetland until we were, suddenly, back in the Cretaceous. The flow was a bit odd, but perhaps there was something lost in translation.

Gondwana Das Praehistorium (Kat Nickola)

At that point, we entered what the museum claims is the biggest Dinoshow in the world. The nearly life-sized animatronic animals throughout the museum are impressive. Gone are the jittery days of creepy whirring machines. A huge, long-necked dino and its baby were the features of the Dinoshow, and their look and movements are very realistic. The show itself has overly dramatic orchestral background music that falls into old tropes of pegging the carnivores as scary bad guys, but OK, I get it, we all want to love the cute baby dino and hope the mean T-Rex doesnt eat it. The show was enjoyable. It was also quite loud, even more so than the rest of the museum. Anyone sensitive to emotional scenes will want to skip it, as well, since the ending is as expected: The asteroid hits and our Cretaceous scene comes to an end.

Following the Dinoshow masterpiece is a segment of construction. A new display is in the works and is intended for public release in the spring of 2024! Im excited to go see what it entails. The final attraction at Das Praehistorium is the Megalodon 3D show. It was another highlight; prepare to be attacked! It is short, but quite enjoyable for my family of teenagers. Two other kids who I would guess were aged between seven and nine years old didnt make it the whole way through. They ran out scared while a third kid braved the entire show, but not without needing a cry and cuddle from dad on the way out.

Das Praehistorium recommends children be at least six years old to enjoy the museum. My three-year-old nephew, however, found the place enthralling, with some big exceptions. He and his mom skipped the movies, blitzed past the T-Rex, and didnt watch the big Dinoshow or the Megalodon.

Small children are not the primary audience here; the museum is geared toward older kids and adults. My teenagers, at 13 and 16, are over the cutesy kid-focused route paleontology has taken, but they are also not that into reading tiny signs at stuffy fossil museums. Enter Das Praehistorium. This place doesnt hold back from the realism factor; there are guts and gore and naked Australopithecus. There are also loud scenes with special effects and a bunch of fossil replicas and geologic facts thrown in for pacing. Two teenage thumbs up!

Gondwana Das Praehistorium (Kat Nickola)

The museum is named after Gondwana, which was the southern portion of the supercontinent Pangea that held most of Earths landmass throughout much of prehistory. Interestingly, Gondwana was not the precursor to modern Europe, but, instead, it primarily held southern hemisphere continents like Africa and South America.

Gondwana Das Praehistorium is not a cheap museum, but after spending three hours there we felt the cost was warranted for true dino-lovers. Base entry is 23 euros for adults and 17 euros for children aged 4 to 17. Those under four years old are free. However, family discounts are available on the website. In addition, a 10% military discount is available when individual tickets are purchased on-site with a military ID. While the museum has a one-way flow to it, you are welcome to walk through as many times as youd like. Bags and bulky items are not permitted.
Portland (US), Jan 3 (AP) Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday appealed a ruling by Maine's Democratic secretary of state barring him from the ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. He was expected to also ask the US Supreme Court to rule on his eligibility to return to the presidency in a related Colorado case.

The Republican candidate appealed the Maine decision by Shenna Bellows, who became the first secretary of state in history to bar someone from running for the presidency under the rarely used Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That provision prohibits those who "engaged in insurrection from holding office.

Trump's appeal to the Maine Supreme Court declares that Bellows had no jurisdiction in the matter and asks that she be required to place Trump on the March 5 primary ballot. The appeal argues that she abused her discretion and relied on "untrustworthy evidence".

"The secretary should have recused herself due to her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by a documented history of prior statements prejudging the issue presented," Trump's attorneys wrote.

Bellows reiterated to The Associated Press on Tuesday that her ruling was on pause pending the outcome of the appeal, which had been expected.

"This is part of the process. I have confidence in my decision and confidence in the rule of law. This is Maine's process and it is really important that first and foremost every single one of us who serves in government uphold the Constitution and the laws of the state," she said.

Trump on Tuesday was also expected to appeal a similar ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court directly to the US Supreme Court. The nation's highest court has never issued a decision on Section 3, and the Colorado court's 4-3 ruling that it applied to Trump was the first time in history the provision was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

Trump's critics have filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to disqualify him from the ballot in multiple states.

None succeeded until a slim majority of Colorado's seven justices -- all of whom were appointed by Democratic governors -- ruled against Trump. Critics warned that it was an overreach and that the court could not simply declare that the January 6 attack was an "insurrection" without a more established judicial process.

A week after Colorado's ruling, Bellows issued her own. Critics warned it was even more perilous because it could pave the way for partisan election officials to simply disqualify candidates they oppose. Bellows, a former head of Maine's branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, has previously criticised Trump and his behaviour on January 6.

Bellows, who has said her personal views had nothing to do with her ruling, was the first top election official to move to bar Trump from the ballot. Many others, Democrats and Republicans, had told activists urging them to strike Trump from the ballot that they did not have that power.

Section 3 is novel legal territory in the past century, barely used since the years after the Civil War, when it kept defeated Confederates from returning to their former government positions. The two-sentence clause says that anyone who swore an oath to "support" the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection cannot hold office unless a two-thirds vote of Congress allows it.

Trump's lawyers argue the provision is not intended to apply to the president, contending that the oath for the top office in the land is not to "support" the Constitution but instead to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution. They also argue that the presidency is not explicitly mentioned in the amendment, only "offices of the United States" -- a legal term they contend does not apply to the president.

That argument drew a scathing response from the Colorado Supreme Court last month. "President Trump asks us to hold that Section 3 disqualifies every oathbreaking insurrectionist except the most powerful one and that it bars oathbreakers from virtually every office, both state and federal, except the highest one in the land," the court's majority opinion said. "Both results are inconsistent with the plain language and history of Section 3."

As for history, Congress granted amnesty to most former Confederates in 1872, and Section 3 fell into disuse. Legal scholars believe its only application in the 20th century was being cited by Congress in 1919 to block the seating of a socialist who opposed US involvement in World War I and was elected to the House of Representatives.

But it returned to use after January 6, 2021. In 2022, a judge used it to remove a rural New Mexico county commissioner from office after he was convicted of misdemeanour for entering the US Capitol on January 6. Liberal groups sued to block Republican Reps. Madison Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for reelection because of their roles on that day. Cawthorn's case became moot when he lost his primary in 2022, and a judge ruled to keep Greene on the ballot.

Some conservatives warn that, if Trump is removed, political groups will routinely use Section 3 against opponents in unexpected ways. They have suggested it could be used to remove Vice President Kamala Harris, for example, because she raised bail money for people arrested after George Floyd's murder at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020. (AP) RC
Lahore, Jan 3 (PTI) Pakistans jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday challenged the rejection of his nomination papers for two National Assembly seats in Punjab in the run-up to the February 8 polls in the Lahore High Courts tribunal.

The returning officer (RO) Lahore on Saturday rejected the nomination papers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supremo for two National Assembly seats in Lahore and Mianwali districts of Punjab on moral grounds and being convicted in the Toshakhana (national treasury gifts) corruption case.

On Wednesday, Khan, through his counsels, challenged the ROs decision to reject his nomination papers for NA-122 Lahore and NA-89 Mianwali contending the conviction of the Toshakhana case has no link with his disqualification under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution, therefore, his nomination papers cannot be rejected.

Khan said the RO had also raised objections on his proposers and seconders not belonging to the constituencies he is contesting from. Both the proposers and seconders belong to NA-122 and NA-89 (and) this objection of the ROs hold no ground, Khan said and pleaded before the court to set aside the RO's decision and allow him to contest the February 8 polls from those same two constituencies.

Khan, 71, has been languishing in Adiala jail under different cases since August 2023. Wednesday was the last date to challenge the ROs' decisions.

The election body had rejected nomination papers of 90 per cent of important PTI leaders on what the party described as flimsy grounds, mostly in Punjab.

Khans party said more than 3,200 candidates nomination papers, mostly of PTI, were rejected. Almost all such candidates have challenged the ROs' decisions in the tribunals of the high court.

The PTI has alleged that the ROs, who are bureaucrats, have en mass rejected the nomination papers of the PTI leaders from across the country apparently on the direction of the 'military establishment'.
Dubai, Jan 3 (AP) Two bombs exploded minutes apart on Wednesday at a commemoration for a prominent Iranian general slain in a US drone strike in 2020, officials in Iran said, killing at least 103 people and wounding at least 188 as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for what appeared to be the deadliest militant attack to target Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. The blasts shook the city of Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran, and sent shrapnel hurtling into a screaming crowd fleeing the first explosion.

The gathering marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site as long lines of people gathered for the event.

Iranian state television and officials described the attacks as bombings, without immediately giving clear details of what happened. Ahmad Vahidi, the interior minister, told state television that the first bomb detonated around 3 p.m., with the other going off some 20 minutes later.

He said the second blast killed and wounded the most people.

A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to target emergency personnel responding to the scene and inflict more casualties.

Iranian state TV and state-run IRNA news agency quoted emergency officials for the casualty figures, which rose rapidly in the hours after the explosions.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organisations and state actors.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear programme, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass casualty bombings. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the turmoil surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran itself has been arming militant groups over the decades, including Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

As Israel wages its devastating war in Gaza after Hamas' October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel and saw over 200 others taken hostage, both Hezbollah and the Houthis have launched attacks targeting Israel that they say come on behalf of the Palestinians.

Israel is suspected of launching an attack on Tuesday that killed a deputy head of Hamas in Beirut, but that attack saw limited casualties in a densely populated neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital.

Soleimani was the architect of Iran's regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Iran's theocracy. He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assad's government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

Relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Soleimani's popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed US troops.

A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Iran's most recognisable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership.

Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed America's 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Soleimani's death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession. Otherwise, Kerman largely has been untouched in the recent unrest and attacks that have struck Iran. The city and province of the same name sits in Iran's central desert plateau.

Until Wednesday, the deadliest attack to strike Iran since the revolution was the 1981 truck bombing of the Islamic Republican Party's headquarters in Tehran. That attack killed at least 72 people, including the party's leader, four government ministers, eight deputy ministers and 23 parliament members.

In 1978 just ahead of the revolution, an intentionally set fire at the Cinema Rex in Abadan killed hundreds of people. (AP) PY

PY
Pune, Jan 3 (PTI) A man in Pune stabbed his 16-year-old daughter to death after the two fought over his drinking habit, an official said on Wednesday.



Wagholi resident Fakira Dupargude, aged about 45, would often consume alcohol and have arguments with his wife, son and daughter Akshada.

On Wednesday, when Akshadas mother and brother were not at home, she had a dispute with her father over his drinking issue. In a fit of rage, the accused attacked her with a sharp weapon and fled away, said a crime branch official.

Neighbours rushed the teenager to a hospital but she could not be saved. The crime branch arrested Dupargude after three hours when he was trying to flee the city on a bus, he said.
Mumbai, Jan 3 (PTI) Underlining that the Congress' "soul" is Hindu, Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday said leaders of that party should attend the Lord Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya if they have received the special invitation, keeping aside political differences.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is an ally of Congress in Maha Vikas Aghadi and also a member of the INDIA bloc of opposition parties.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) took a dig at the BJP, saying the Babri mosque wouldn't have been brought down if the prime minister at that time was from that party.

P V Narasimha Rao was the prime minister when the structure was razed in December 1992.



"If Congress has received any special invitation for the Ram temple consecration ceremony then it (the leaders) should go to Ayodhya. What is wrong with it?" the editorial asked.



Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi have been invited to the consecration ceremony scheduled to be held on January 22.



The Congress on Friday said it would decide about Kharge and Sonia Gandhi attending the event at an "appropriate time". Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has also been invited.



"The Congress' soul is Hindu. There is nothing to hide in it," the edit said.



It is wrong to say that the BJP is the beholder of Hindutva as claimed by that party. The Congress has equally contributed to the growth of Hindu culture, it added.



"The Congress never opposed the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was of the opinion that Ram temple should be constructed in Ayodhya. It was on the instructions of Rajiv Gandhi that the famous serial Ramayan was telecast on Doordarshan," the edit said.
Kolkata, Jan 2 (PTI) One of the accused in the arson and violence in Bengals Bogtui village, which had claimed at least 10 lives in March 2022, died of cancer at his residence in Rampurhat on Tuesday, police said.

Kamrul Sheikh, alias Choto Lalan, was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the killings.

He was diagnosed with cancer while in custody, and died at his home on Tuesday morning, a senior police officer said.

Sheikh was granted bail a couple of months ago before he was brought to a city hospital where he underwent treatment for cancer for some time, police said.

"He was recently shifted to his Rampurhat residence, where he breathed his last this morning," the officer told PTI.

The main accused in the Bogtui killings, Lalan Sheikh, had died in CBI custody in December 2022.

Lalan died allegedly by hanging himself with a gamcha (thin cotton towel), police had said.

At least 10 people were killed in the arson and violence that followed the murder of local TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh on March 21, 2022.

The central probe agency had registered a case against 22 accused and arrested over 15 people in connection with the killings.
Ranchi, Jan 3 (PTI) Legislators of the ruling JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand will meet here on Wednesday to discuss the present political scenario in the backdrop of the ED's summons to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and to chalk out a strategy.

Soren has been in the eye of a political storm after the Enforcement Directorate summoned him in connection with its probe into an office-of-profit case.

He has skipped six earlier summonses by the ED, accusing the BJP-led union government of using central agencies to destabilise his democratically elected government. The seventh summons was issued last month.

Sources in the Chief Minister's Office told PTI that the timeline for reply to the fresh summons by the ED will end on January 5.

Besides, the Election Commission had sent a letter to the then governor of Jharkhand, Ramesh Bais, in August 2022, which is believed to have recommended his disqualification as an MLA as a mining lease given to him was renewed during his tenure as the states chief minister.

However, neither Bais nor his successor C P Radhakrishnan opened that letter.

"A meeting of the legislators of alliance partners has been convened at 4.30 pm at the chief minister's residence on January 3. Please ensure timely participation in the meeting," Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey wrote to ministers of the alliance parties and legislators on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Soren has dismissed speculations of his wife Kalpana Soren contesting from Gandey assembly constituency in the state and termed it as a "complete imagination" of the BJP.

There is not an iota of truth in the speculations, said Soren who is the executive president of the JMM.

"Possibility of my wife contesting in the near future is a complete imagination of the BJP... The speculation about handing over reins to her is a fabric woven by the BJP to build a false narrative," the chief minister told PTI.

The speculations were triggered by the Enforcement Directorate's recent summons to the chief minister coupled with the sudden resignation by the ruling JMM's MLA from Gandey, Sarfaraz Ahmad, on Monday.

The opposition BJP has claimed that Ahmad was made to quit so that the chief minister's wife Kalpana Soren could contest from the Gandey seat in case of any eventuality in connection with the ED summonses.
Ranchi, Jan 3 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided locations of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's press advisor, officials of Sahibganj district and a former MLA as part of a money laundering probe into alleged illegal mining in the state, official sources said.

About a dozen locations in the state are being raided by the central agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

The premises of Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, collector and SP of Sahibganj district, ex-MLA Pappu Yadav, some jail department officials and a police constable are being searched, the sources said.

The agency, since 2022, has been probing a trail of Rs 100 crore of "proceeds of crime" generated from illegal mining operations in the state.
New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) In a first, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch a 4.7 tonne communications satellite onboard SpaceXs Falcon-9 rocket in the second quarter of this year, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) announced on Wednesday.

The GSAT-20 communications satellite is aimed at meeting the countrys broadband, in-flight and maritime communications (IFMC) and cellular backhaul services needs, the NSIL said.

The GSAT-20, which will be renamed as GSAT-N2, will have Ka-Ka band high throughput satellite (HTS) capacity with 32 beams having pan-India coverage, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

"Bulk of the HTS capacity on-board GSAT-20 satellite has already been secured by Indian service providers," the NSIL said, without specifying the buyer.

ISROs heavy satellite launch rocket GSLV-Mk3 is capable of putting into orbit 4,000 kg payloads in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), forcing the space agency to seek the launch services of Falcon 9 rocket from the SpaceX stable.

"NSIL is realising GSAT-20 satellite through ISRO and will be launched on-board Falcon-9 under a launch service contract between M/s NSIL and M/s SpaceX, USA," the NSIL said in a statement.

SpaceX's Falcon-9 is capable of placing 8,300 kg payloads into GTO.

Till now, ISRO has been using the services of French company Arianespace for launching heavier satellites.

ISRO is now developing the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) which will have the capability to put a 10,000 kg payload in GTO.

"GSAT-20 weighing 4,700 kg offers HTS capacity of nearly 48 gpbs. The satellite has been specifically designed to meet the demanding service needs of remote/unconnected regions," the NSIL said.

As part of space sector reforms announced by the government in June 2020, NSIL was mandated to build, launch, own and operate satellites in "demand-driven mode" for meeting service needs of the user.

As part of this, NSIL successfully undertook its first demand-driven satellite mission  GSAT-24 in June 2022, in which the capacity onboard the satellite was fully secured by M/s TataPlay.

GSAT-24 mission was fully funded by NSIL. Presently, NSIL owns and operates 11 communication satellites in orbit.
New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) Indian Navy on Wednesday said its ships and aircraft remain "mission deployed" for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations.

"In the last one week, Indian Naval Task Groups deployed in the area have investigated large number of fishing vessel and boarded vessels of interest," it said.

The Navy substantially enhanced maritime surveillance efforts in view of recent incidents of attacks on commercial ships including that of the drone attack on MV Chem Pluto around 220 nautical miles South West of Porbandar last month.

"Indian Navy continues to monitor maritime security situation in North/ Central Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden," the Navy said in a statement.

"Indian Naval ships and aircraft remain mission deployed for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations," it said.

It said Indian naval maritime patrol aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft are undertaking persistence surveillance over the area.

Indian Navy is also coordinating with Coast Guard for maintaining enhanced surveillance within India's exclusive economic zone.

"Indian Navy is closely monitoring overall situation in coordination with national maritime agencies and remains committed towards ensuring safety of merchant shipping and seafarers in the region," the Navy said.

Liberian-flagged vessel MV Chem Pluto, with 21 Indian crew members, was the target of a drone attack off India's west coast on December 23 that triggered security concerns in New Delhi as it came amid the Iran-backed Houthi militants launching strikes on several commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Besides MV Chem Pluto, another commercial oil tanker that was on the way to India came under a suspected drone strike in Southern Red Sea on the same day. The vessel had a team of 25 Indian crew.

In another incident, Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen was hijacked on December 14 by pirates.

"IMAC (Information Management and Analysis Centre) and IFC IOR (Information Fusion Centre ' Indian Ocean Region) have been closely monitoring white shipping, especially the Indian Flagged Merchant Vessels plying in the area," Navy said.
The cryptocurrency market climbed about 110% in 2023, driving the price of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) up more than 150% during the year. But certain financial professionals see substantial upside for Bitcoin holders in the future, helped along by the likely approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in 2024.

Read on to learn more.

Bitcoin is backed by a simple investment thesis

Bitcoin is the most popular and the most valuable cryptocurrency. In fact, with a market capitalization of about $845 billion, Bitcoin alone accounts for 50% of the entire cryptocurrency market. One reason for that popularity is its status as a first mover.

The modern cryptocurrency market came into existence on Jan. 3, 2009, the day the first Bitcoin was mined from the blockchain. Simply put, Bitcoin has been around longer than its peers and has therefore cultivated a more extensive following.

Another reason for its popularity is the simple investment thesis. Bitcoin is a finite asset because its source code limits the supply to 21 million coins. Bitcoin is similar to gold in that respect, and just as gold derives much of its value from scarcity, so too does Bitcoin.

Building on that, basic economics says the price of an asset will rise alongside demand when supply is held constant. In other words, whether Bitcoin becomes more or less valuable in the future depends entirely on demand. And investors have good reason to believe demand will increase in the coming years.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs could drive demand for Bitcoin

One catalyst that could boost demand for Bitcoin is the pending approval of several spot Bitcoin ETFs. That is especially true of applications from BlackRock and Fidelity, two of the largest asset managers in the world. A spot Bitcoin ETF would invest in (and track the price of) Bitcoin, providing investors with direct exposure to the cryptocurrency.

Such a product could bring a substantial amount of capital to Bitcoin by removing the complexity of creating, funding, and managing accounts on cryptocurrency platforms. With a spot Bitcoin ETF, investors could effectively add Bitcoin to their existing brokerage accounts.

Story continues

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has rejected such proposals in years past. But a federal appeals court recently rebuked the agency for its flimsy reasoning, raising expectations that some spot Bitcoin ETFs will be approved in early 2024, according to The Wall Street Journal.

SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci believes the BlackRock ETF alone could draw $100 billion in institutional investments to Bitcoin. Such an influx of funds could push the price of Bitcoin to $330,000, according to Scaramucci. That implies 685% upside from its current price.

Even more bullish is MicroStrategy former Chief Executive Officer Michael Saylor. He sees two important catalysts in 2024. First, the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs could attract more funds from retail and institutional investors. Second, the next Bitcoin halving event -- the hardcoded process that cuts mining rewards in half every four years to cap supply at 21 million coins -- will reduce selling pressure, simply because miners will have less Bitcoin to sell. The next halving event will occur in April 2024.

In 2022, Saylor predicted that Bitcoin would reach $500,000 in the next decade. But he recently told CNBC, "If Bitcoin is not going to zero, it's to $1 million." That updated prediction implies 2,280% upside from its current price.

Most bullish of all may be Ark Invest. The asset management company run by Cathie Wood published a valuation model in 2023 that posits a per Bitcoin price of $1.48 million by 2030, implying more than 3,400% upside from its current price.

Bitcoin is worth buying at its current price

Monster price targets are exciting, but readers should remember that no one knows the future. The cryptocurrency market is both volatile and rife with regulatory uncertainty. The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs is by no means a sure thing, and Bitcoin bulls could be wrong about the impact of such a product.

That said, risk tolerant investors should make a place in their portfolios for Bitcoin, and now is a fine time to buy a small position. I would start with a 2% position and build over time. I would probably stop adding when Bitcoin accounted for 5% of my portfolio.

Alternatively, risk averse investors should steer clear of cryptocurrency altogether. There are plenty of other investment options out there.

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Jaipur, Jan 3 (PTI) Rajasthan's newly appointed Chief Secretary Sudhansh Pant and acting Director General of Police (DGP) Utkal Ranjan Sahoo met Governor Kalraj Mishra separately here on Wednesday.

A Raj Bhavan spokesperson described the meetings as courtesy calls.

This was the first meeting of both the officers with the governor after assuming office.

Chief Secretary Pant took charge on Monday, while DGP Sahoo took charge on last Saturday.
New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) Lt Governor VK Saxena has granted permission for a CBI investigation against two officials of the Delhi government's Forests and Wildlife department in an alleged Rs 223-crore corruption case, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

In another case, Saxena has given his go-ahead to the Anti-Corruption Branch to conduct an investigation against two senior nurses of a Delhi government hospital in an alleged bribery case involving Rs 60,000, they added.

In both the cases, Saxena approved the proposals for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act.

He observed that it is in the interest of justice to investigate and conduct inquiries against the accused, the Raj Niwas officials said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Parasnath Yadav and Alam Singh Rawat, the then senior account officer and the assistant account officer, respectively, in the Forests and Wildlife department for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with LA Khan -- the erstwhile senior branch manager of Bank of Baroda's Paharganj branch -- and others.

They were allegedly involved in transferring Rs 223 crore "illegally" and "unauthorisedly" from the 'SUNDRY' account to a fake savings account in the name of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) at the same branch on the basis of a forged letter, purportedly issued by the Forests and Wildlife department, the officials said.

A file seeking permission to investigate Yadav under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act by the CBI was submitted to Saxena by the Directorate of Vigilance through the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA).

The Directorate of Vigilance stated that the CBI, in a letter dated July 12, 2023, submitted that the investigations conducted so far prima facie brought forward the role of two officials in the case of alleged financial irregularities pertaining to the Forest and Wildlife department.

In the alleged bribery case against two women Health department staff, the Anti-Corruption Branch accused them of demanding Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers for allowing them "light duty".

The accused have been identified as Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma, then posted at the GB Pant Hospital as deputy nursing superintendent and nursing officer, respectively.

One of the nursing officers also alleged that both the accused had already taken Rs 42,000 for exemption of duty from the COVID-19 desk.
Jammu, Jan 3 (PTI) The Special Investigation Agency (SIA) has arrested two more persons, including a policeman, for allegedly being part of a cross-border narcotic syndicate involved in terror funding here, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrest of Selection grade constable Saif-ud-din of Jammu and former sarpanch Farooq Ahmad Jungal of Uri in north Kashmirs Baramulla district took the number of accused in the case to 17, they said.

They said the syndicate was unearthed by SIA following investigation in a hawala case involving former minister and chairman of Nature-Mankind Friendly Party Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh.

Singh was arrested in April 2022 after one of his workers Mohammad Shareef Shah, a resident of south Kashmirs Kokernag, was held along with hawala money of Rs 6.90 lakh in Jammu.

The SIA had already filed a charge sheet against 12 accused, including the former minister in the instant case. While nine accused are lodged in Central jail, three absconders are in Pakistan.

A team of SIA raided the house of the policeman in the Belicharana area here on Tuesday and seized some electronic gadgets, the officials said, adding further investigation is in progress to dismantle the ecosystem of narcotics supplies to fund anti-national activities.

Earlier also, the officials said the policeman was booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act when he was arrested with 200 grams of heroin from Shahpur Kandi area of Pathankot.

The role of the policeman and the former sarpanch came to light following the arrest of key accused Mohd Sharief Chechi, also a resident of Uri, in September last year.

After taking over the investigation of the case, the official said SIA unearthed the modus operandi adopted by the accused, including Chechi who used to collect narcotics from across the Line of Control to generate proceeds for terror funding.

The case was initially registered at Police Station Gandhi Nagar in Jammu following arrest of Shah on specific information that he along with the former minister were working under the directions of Pakistans ISI and their agents to fund Jammu-based separatists to carry out subversive activities, the officials said.
Jammu, Jan 2 (PTI) A fake Facebook account claiming to be that of Jammu Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Anand Jain has been detected, with officials saying they have flagged it and urged people not to interact with it.

"It has come to our attention that there is a fake Facebook account circulating on social media platforms, posing as ADGP Jammu Anand Jain. The account is created by one Ashish Kumar," a police spokesperson said.

During initial investigation, it was found that the imposter would send people messages from the fake account, introducing himself as Commandant CRPF Bantalab and a close friend of ADGP.

He would falsely tell people he has been transferred to Telangana and wants to sell household and electronic items for Rs 70,000, the spokesperson said.
Mumbai, Jan 3 (PTI) A special court here has convicted a former chief manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) and an executive director of a firm for cheating the bank nearly two decades back, and said such crimes are "heinous in nature" as they intend to destroy the "economic fabric and financial edifice of the state".

Special CBI court judge D P Shingade convicted V B Mantri, former chief manager of the SBI's Mulund branch, and M P Abraham, executive director, Trinity Greases Private Ltd, on December 21 under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating and criminal conspiracy.

The former banker was also convicted under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The duo was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for two years as per the detailed order made available on Wednesday.

"There cannot be two opinions on the proposition that bank money is public money. These crimes are more heinous in nature as they intend to destroy the economic fabric and financial edifice of the State," the court observed.

It noted that offences are occurring in plenty and have resulted in stultifying overall growth of the nation and also caused tremendous impairment to the economy of the nation.

The offence was registered in 2002, the chargesheet was filed in 2005 and the trial continued till today. There is a long period of more than 18 years, the court said, while sentencing the duo.

The court, however, acquitted five other accused in the case.

The prosecution's case was that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy to defraud the SBI, Mulund (W) branch and to cause wrongful loss to the bank and corresponding gain to them.

To bring home the guilt of the accused persons, the prosecution examined as many as 32 witnesses and adduced the documentary evidence as described in the earlier part of the judgment.
New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) Arbitrary court orders summoning government officials in judicial proceedings run contrary to the scheme envisaged by the Constitution, the Supreme Court held on Wednesday and framed standard operating procedures on the issue.

A bench comprising Chief justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the standard operating procedures (SOP) for courts emphasised that they needed to steer away from arbitrary summoning of officials.

Pronouncing the judgement, the CJI said the courts cannot summon a official only because his view is different from that of the courts.

It also said that courts must refrain from making remarks or observations to humiliate officers during court proceedings.

The top court also set aside the orders of the Allahabad High Court by which two secretaries of the Uttar Pradesh finance department were taken into custody.

Earlier, the bench had said that it will lay down the broad guidelines to be followed by courts across the country while summoning government officials.
New Delhi, Jan 3 (PTI) An accused in a criminal case cannot be coerced to disclose the passwords of his or her gadgets and digital devices to the investigating agency, the Delhi High Court has said.

The court's observation came while granting bail to a person accused of running call centres in the country and defrauding US citizens to the tune of about 20 million USD.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee stated that while any accused is expected to show "high sensitivity, diligence and understanding" during investigation, the agency cannot expect him to "sing in a tune which is music to their ears" in view of protection under Article 20(3) of the Constitution.

Article 20(3) states that no person who is accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.

The CBI opposed the bail plea on the ground that the bail applicant is the real kingpin behind the entire racquet and that it was waiting for him to share the passwords to unlock the gadgets/ digital devices.

"In the opinion of this court, any accused like the applicant herein, is always very much expected to not only join investigation, but also to participate therein, so as not to cause any hindrance to the ongoing investigation," said the court in a recent order.

"At the same time, the concerned Investigating Agency cannot expect anyone who is an accused, like the applicant herein, to sing in a tune which is music to their ears, more so, whence such an accused, like the applicant herein is well and truly protected under Article 20(3) of The Constitution of India. Also, in the present case, as the trial is ongoing, the applicant cannot be coerced to reveal/ disclose the password(s) or any other like details in view of the aforesaid protection guaranteed to him under The Constitution of India," the court said.

According to the FIR, a company, E-Sampark Softech Pvt. Ltd, along with its directors -- including the present applicant -- made millions of scam phone calls to the USA from fraud call centres located in India and defrauded and cheated US Citizens to the tune of about 20 million USD by impersonating various government officials there.

It was stated that the accused persons would threaten the people there with arrest, initiation of criminal case, penalty, fine or seizure of property and coerced them to pay through various means like wire transfers, bank or cash transfers etc.

The court, while granting bail to the present applicant on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of the like amount, observed that keeping him behind bars would serve no fruitful purpose and he was innocent till proven guilty.

It noted that the investigation qua the applicant was complete, charge sheet stood filed and the proceedings primarily revolved around electronic evidences including laptops, mobile phones and such other sophisticated gadgets, which have already been seized.

It added that there are miniscule chances of the applicant influencing the witnesses and the applicant did not misuse the interim bail of 203 days given to him earlier.

"This court cannot forget that though the applicant has been named in the FIR as an accused, however, till the final outcome of the proceedings emanating therefrom, the status of the applicant is merely that of a suspect. The applicant is innocent till proven guilty possession of the Investigating Agency. In view thereof, keeping the applicant behind bars will lead to violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India," the court said.
Ukraines two largest cities came under attack Tuesday from Russian missiles that killed five people and injured more than 100, officials said, as the war approached its two-year mark and the Kremlin stepped up its winter bombardment of urban areas.

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said Tuesday evening that the attack killed five civilians and injured 127 as air defenses downed Russian Kinzhal missiles that can fly at 10 times the speed of sound. The Kremlins forces targeted Kyiv, the capital, and the northeastern Kharkiv region whose provincial capital is also called Kharkiv, authorities said.

There was some confusion over the death toll as Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov initially reported one death there but later said the injured woman thought to have been killed was in a coma. He said 52 people were wounded in Kharkhiv.

Air defenses shot down all 10 of the hypersonic missiles, out of about 100 of various types that were launched, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi claimed. It was the most Kinzhals used by Russia in one attack since the start of the war, air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said.

The barrage extended Russian attacks that began Friday with its largest single assault on Ukraine since the war started, as fighting along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line has subsided into grinding attrition amid winter. At least 41 civilians were killed since the weekend.

At a nine-story Kyiv apartment building where two people were killed, 48-year-old Inna Luhina was getting ready for work when a blast shattered her windows and she and other family members, including her 80-year-old mother, were struck by flying glass.

More than 100 survivors gathered at a school set up as a temporary shelter.

Iryna Dzyhil, a 55-year-old resident of the same building, said the explosion threw her and her husband from their chairs, and a subsequent fire trapped them on the top floor until emergency crews rescued them via the roof.

They say theyre hitting military targets, but theyre hitting people, killing our children and our loved ones, Dzyhil said of the Russians.

Russia fired almost 100 missiles of various types in the attacks, Zelenskyy said on X, formerly Twitter. He claimed at least 70 were shot down, almost all of them in the Kyiv area, noting that Western-supplied air defense systems such as Patriots and NASAMS had saved hundreds of lives.

Russias Defense Ministry said it had launched missile and drone strikes on military industrial facilities in and around Kyiv. Depots storing missiles and munitions supplied by the West also were targeted, it said.

The goal of the strike has been achieved, all the targets have been hit, it said without elaborating.

It was not possible to independently verify either sides claims.

Zelenskyy said that since Sunday, Russian forces have launched about 170 Shahed drones and dozens of missiles, with most aimed at civilian areas.

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile. Russian forces rarely use such expensive missiles against Ukraine, due to their limited stocks.

The attacks created a desolate morning scene in Kyiv, with most cafes and restaurants remaining closed. Many people opted to stay indoors or seek refuge in shelters as powerful blasts shook the city from early morning. Air raid sirens blared for nearly four hours, and the citys subway stations  which function as shelters  were crowded.

After the air force issued warnings about incoming missiles, people wearing pajamas underneath their coats took sleeping bags, mats and their pets to subway stations while loud explosions echoed above. At one of the central stations, called Golden Gates, hundreds of people filled the spacious underground areas while trains continued to run.

Perhaps today was the most frightening because there were so many explosions, said resident Myroslava Shcherba.

On Saturday, shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod killed more than two dozen people. Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack and has struck back repeatedly since then.

The Belgorod attack was one of the deadliest on Russian soil since Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine started more than 22 months ago. Russian officials said the death toll reached 26, including five children, after a new salvo of rockets Tuesday.

Air defense systems near Belgorod shot down four missiles fired Tuesday by a Ukrainian Vilkha multiple rocket launcher, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Over the previous 24 hours, Ukraine has carried out at least 50 attacks, including shelling and explosives from drones, regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Cities in western Russia have regularly come under drone attacks since May, although Ukrainian officials never acknowledge responsibility for strikes on Russian territory or the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty within our country. We will intensify strikes. Not a single crime against our civilian population will go unpunished, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday, describing the barrage of Belgorod as a terrorist act.

He accused Western nations of using Ukraine to try to put Russia in its place. While vowing retribution, he insisted Moscow would only target military infrastructure in Ukraine, but officials in Kyiv report civilian casualties from daily attacks on apartment buildings, shopping centers and residential areas.

In other developments, Russias Defense Ministry said one of its warplanes accidentally released munitions over the southwestern Russian village of Petropavlovka in the Voronezh region Tuesday, damaging six houses but causing no injuries. It said an investigation will determine the cause of the accident but didnt say what type of weapon the warplane dropped.

In April, munitions accidentally released by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast in Belgorod, damaging several cars and slightly injuring two people.

(AP)
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday is expected to appeal rulings from Colorado and Maine that ban him from the states ballots, setting up a high-stakes showdown over a 155-year-old addition to the Constitution that bars from office those who engaged in insurrection.

Trump would appeal the Colorado Supreme Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court and the decision by Maines Democratic secretary of state to that states Superior Court.

It would mark the first time the nations highest court could rule on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, two sentences added to the Constitution after the Civil War to prevent Confederates from returning to their former government offices. The clause says that anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection against it is no longer eligible.

The appeals come as tensions mount over rulings that could keep the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner off ballots, though both the Maine and Colorado rulings are on hold until the appeals end, and Trump technically remains on the primary ballots in both states.

On Tuesday morning, Denver police arrested a man who fled a car crash and ran into the Colorado Supreme Court building. Police said he pointed a gun at an unarmed security officer, getting the guards keys and access to the whole building, and fired his gun several times. No one was injured.

A motive wasnt immediately clear, but the Colorado State Patrol said the shooting didnt appear to be related to previous threats to the justices, all of whom were appointed by Democratic governors.

Dozens of lawsuits citing the constitutional provision were filed against Trump last year in a bid to end his presidential campaign, contending he disqualified himself by inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol to stop Democrat Joe Biden from replacing him as president.

None of the lawsuits succeeded until the Colorado courts ruling last month. Activists similarly asked dozens of top election officials to not place Trump on the ballot due to his alleged violation of Section 3. None acted until Maines Shenna Bellows barred him a week after the Colorado ruling.

If the Supreme Court does not rule on the merits of the cases, legal experts say, states could face the legal chaos that the high court is supposed to dispel.

Advocates of disqualifying Trump argue the matter is simple  Section 3 makes him no longer eligible for the presidency, just as if he somehow didnt meet other constitutional requirements, such as being a natural-born citizen at least 35 years old.

Trumps attorneys contend thats a wild misreading of a vague clause that was rarely used after the 1870s. They contend that Jan. 6 was not legally an insurrection, that the provision doesnt apply to the president and that whether Trump qualifies for the ballot is not a decision for unelected state judges to make.

(AP)
In Edison, New Jersey, the mayor warned he would send people back to the border if they came to his city in buses. In Rockford, Illinois, authorities said 355 migrants who landed on a charter flight wouldnt be staying.

NO MIGRANT BUSES THIS EXIT, signs along Interstate 55 in Grundy County, Illinois, southwest of Chicago said ahead of Christmas weekend.

Nervous officials in suburbs and outlying cities near Chicago and New York are giving migrants arriving from the southern border a cold shoulder amid attempts to circumvent restrictions on buses in those two cities, opening a new front in response to efforts led by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to pay for migrants to leave his state.

The suburban backlash comes amid what the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection calls unprecedented arrivals, with illegal entries topping 10,000 several days last month. For months, big-city Democratic mayors including Eric Adams of New York and Brandon Johnson of Chicago have pleaded with the Biden administration for help addressing the influx.

A plane carrying 355 migrants from San Antonio landed at Chicago Rockford International Airport at 1 a.m. on New Years Day, with Rockford officials saying none left the airport thats about 85 miles (137 kilometers) from downtown Chicago before boarding buses. The city of Chicago said migrants on the Boeing 777 boarded eight buses chartered by Abbott to be dropped off in various suburbs. Abbott also chartered a flight last month that brought 120 migrants to Chicagos OHare International Airport.

Chicago and New York recently began cracking down on buses making unscheduled drop-offs, with fines and tickets.

Some Chicago suburbs also have adopted or are considering similar regulations. Tinley Parks ordinance vows to cite, impound or take other appropriate measures against buses that make unannounced stops in the town of about 60,000 people. The village of Broadview, a suburb of 8,000 residents west of Chicago, said last week that it had to take action because the unloading of passengers in inclement or severe weather without a coordinated plan poses a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of the people aboard the buses.

In New Jersey, migrants are being dropped off at train stations in Jersey City, Secaucus and Trenton, according to state officials. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphys office has said the state is primarily being used as a transit point and that nearly all of them are headed to New York. Murphys office said the state is working with federal and local authorities, but didnt provide further details.

Murphy said last summer that New Jersey couldnt support the arrivals amid discussion that the Biden administration was considering using the Atlantic City airport as a possible destination. It was a change of tune for Murphy, a self-styled progressive who first ran for governor in 2017 and suggested he would declare New Jersey a sanctuary state, a loose term for a place with immigrant-friendly policies.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said most migrants who arrived in his city have moved on to New York, but 10 people have stayed with family in the area.

We empathize when someone is trying to seek asylum or when someone is trying to take them in. But we dont have the capacity to take them in, he said.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said in a Facebook post that he has instructed our law enforcement and emergency management departments to charter a bus to transport the illegal migrants right back to the southern Texas/Mexican border.

The mayors of New York and Chicago have blamed Abbott.

This is a diabolical plan by this governor and were going to have to respond based on what he is doing, Adams said Tuesday.

Abbott has defended his tactics by saying President Joe Biden needs to do more to secure the border. His spokesperson Renae Eze on Tuesday also renewed attacks on Democratic mayors, saying their hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley said the highway signs south of Chicago were part of an emergency effort to avoid people being dropped off outside in the cold with no money, food or winter clothes during the holiday weekend. No buses have stopped in the county, and the signs have since been removed, Briley said.

About 30 migrants from Venezuela were recently dropped off at 4:30 a.m. at a gas station in Kankakee County, according to Sheriff Mike Downey. The people were left without money, food, adequate clothing, and were under the impression that they had reached their destination.

I dont think this problem is going to stop, said Briley. Were a rural community. We just dont have the same kind of tax base that the city of Chicago does to be able to provide those resources. ___

Savage reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Melissa Perez Winder in Morris, Ill., Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

(AP)
Filing and paying taxes can be a hassle each year, but it doesnt have to be expensive too.

Read Next: IRS Increases Gift and Estate Tax Exempt Limits  Heres How Much You Can Give Without Paying

Find Out: Owe Money to the IRS? Most People Dont Realize They Should Do This One Thing

In addition to understanding which tax breaks to claim, make sure to pay attention to these money-saving tips for when youre filing your return this year if you havent already.

RichVintage / Getty Images

Keep Receipts Throughout the Year

It can be hard to remember what you did yesterday, much less what you did throughout the previous year  but thats exactly what youre asked to do when you file your taxes. Forgetting some of your expenses, such as gifts to charity, business expenses or medical costs, could cause you to pay more in taxes than required.

To save the most money when filing taxes, keep records throughout the year of any expenses that qualify for tax deductions and tax credits, so youll have a full list when tax time comes around.

Check Out: Top 7 Countries with Zero Income Tax

Explore More: Billionaires vs. the Middle Class: Who Pays More in Taxes?

Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief.

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Be Prepared To Pay Taxes on Time

When it comes to collecting what its owed, the IRS can be, well, demanding. Even if you file for a tax extension, youre required to pay the amount you owe by the original filing date.

This years deadline is April 15. Failure to do so can trigger a wave of IRS penalties and fees.

Trending Now: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring  How Changes Will Impact Retirees

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Utilize Taxpayer Assistance and Counseling Programs

The IRS has multiple programs to help low-income taxpayers file their income taxes for free. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program has sites that you can visit to have your taxes prepared for free for those whose income is $60,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.

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In addition, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program specializes in providing free tax assistance for taxpayers ages 60 and older.

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Use IRS Free File

You might still qualify to use IRS Free File if your income is too high to qualify you for VITA assistance. When your yearly income is $79,000 or less, you can file your taxes with a company that partners with the IRS to file your federal tax return online for free. Plus, you might also be able to file your state tax returns for free.

When your income is over $79,000, you can use free, fillable forms from the IRS instead, but you have to know how to do taxes yourself, as the instructions on the forms only provide basic guidance.

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Make a Last-Minute IRA Contribution

For most deductions, if you havent qualified by the end of the calendar year, its too late when you file your taxes. The deadline for making IRA contributions, however, is your tax-filing deadline, not including extensions.

When youre looking for a last-minute way to lower your tax bill  and you havent already maxed out your traditional IRA  you can contribute. Tell your financial institution to count the contribution for the prior year, or it will default to a current tax year IRA contribution.

Be Aware: The 7 Worst Things You Can Do If You Owe the IRS

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Defer Income

Your income tax liability is directly tied to the amount of income you report in any given year. Thus, if you can lower the income you generate in a particular tax year, you can also lower the amount of tax you owe. While it doesnt make sense to lower the actual income youre paid just to avoid taxes, you may be able to defer some of your income into the next tax year, thereby avoiding tax on that money until the following year.

For example, if youre paid a year-end bonus, see if you can request that its paid to you in January rather than in December. This way, you wont have to report that income until the next tax year.

SolStock / Getty Images

Give to Charity

No, you shouldnt give all of your money away simply in an effort to avoid taxes. However, if youre a giving individual to begin with, dont forget to claim your monetary reward by claiming those deductions on your taxes.

Granted, youll need to make a lot of donations to generate any additional tax benefit, as those claiming the standard deduction dont enjoy any additional tax benefit from making charitable contributions. However, if youre already itemizing  or if you can make enough charitable contributions to exceed the personal deduction threshold  then you can be financially rewarded for doing your good deeds.

FatCamera / Getty Images

Open a Health Savings Account

A health savings account is a great way to lower your lifelong taxes, because there are so many tax benefits attached to it. In addition to getting a tax deduction on your contributions, your earnings grow tax-deferred, and you can actually withdraw all of your contributions and earnings tax-free if you use the money for qualified health expenses.

Before you contribute, however, be sure you are eligible. Youll need to have a high-deductible health plan to qualify, which means a plan with a deductible of at least $1,500 for individual coverage or $3,000 for family HDHP coverage for tax year 2023.

Fertnig / Getty Images

File for a Tax Extension

When youre pressed for time to get your income tax return done by the April deadline, you can file for an extension to avoid a penalty.

The IRS imposes a failure-to-file penalty equal to 5% of the taxes owed for each month or partial month that the taxes are late, up to a maximum 25% penalty. When your tax bill is $0, however, a penalty will not apply, as the penalty is the smaller of a fixed amount or a percentage of the amount you owe, which is zero.

Try This: You Can Get These 3 Debts Canceled Forever

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Contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan

Are you tucking away savings for your kids future college expenses? Consider a 529 College Savings Plan. While contributions to these plans are not deductible on your federal taxes, some states do offer credits and deductions. But the biggest tax benefit of a 529 plan is that earnings within the plans can be withdrawn tax-free if used for qualifying college expenses. Rather than tucking your college funds into a savings account at a local bank, you can generate immediate tax benefits for yourself by choosing a 529 plan.

Of course, 529 plans arent as flexible as bank savings accounts, as the money is dedicated to school expenses and cant be withdrawn without penalty. However, they can reduce your current income tax liability, so talk with your financial and tax advisors to see if they make sense for you.

katleho Seisa / Getty Images

Dont Be Afraid of Deductions

Some taxpayers are so afraid of audits that they avoid taking certain deductions that they are legitimately entitled to.

The home office deduction is a great example. There have been many articles published about how the home office deduction is a red flag for audits. However, if youre self-employed and legitimately use a home office, you are entitled to take that deduction. Keep in mind, though, that traditional, W-2 filing employees who work remotely or from home cant claim this deduction.

Audits overall remain rare  in 2022, for example, your odds of being audited were 0.3%, or 3 in 1,000. But, even if you are audited, you have nothing to fear if you have the documents to back up your deductions.

AzmanL / Getty Images

Final Thoughts

No matter what your income, you have options to save money when you file your return. From free-file options to helping you maximize your deductions, following these tips minimizes the expense of filing your taxes. Paying what you legally owe is required, but paying a fortune isnt.

Laura Beck and Michael Keenan contributed to the reporting for this article.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 11 Ways To Save Money When Filing Your 2023 Taxes in the 2024 Tax Season
Michael Cohen cant hold his former boss, ex-president Donald Trump, liable because he was jailed for what he claimed was retaliation for writing a tell-all memoir, an appeals court said Tuesday.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said in an order that it would not revive a lawsuit that a lower-court judge had tossed out because the law did not seem to provide a damages remedy for most claims that someone was jailed in retaliation for their criticisms of a president.

A three-judge panel concluded Cohen already obtained relief by getting a judge to order his release from imprisonment to home confinement several weeks after he was abruptly put behind bars when the government claimed he violated severe restrictions on his public communications. It said the law did not provide an outlet for more relief than that.

Cohen served over a year of a three-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2018 to tax evasion, campaign finance charges and lying to Congress, saying Trump directed him to arrange the payment of hush money to a porn actor to fend off damage to his 2016 presidential bid.

Freed early to home confinement as authorities worked to contain the coronavirus outbreak in federal prisons, Cohen was returned to prison weeks later when authorities claimed he failed to accept certain terms of his release.

At the time, Cohen said he had merely sought clarification on a condition forbidding him from speaking with the media and publishing his book.

After serving 16 days in solitary confinement that Cohen said left him with shortness of breath, severe headaches and anxiety, he was eventually freed on the orders of a judge who said hed been jailed in retaliation for his desire to publish a book critical of the president and to discuss it on social media.

Cohen sued Trump and then Attorney General William P. Barr, along with various prison and probation officials.

In a statement, Cohen said Tuesday that hell appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The outcome is wrong if democracy is to prevail. A writ of habeas corpus cannot be the only consequence to stop a rogue president from weaponizing the Department of Justice from locking up his/her critics in prison because they refuse to waive their First Amendment right, he said.

Trumps lawyer, Alina Habba, said in a statement: We are very pleased with todays ruling. Mr. Cohens lawsuit was doomed from its inception. We will continue to fight against any frivolous suits aimed at our client.

(AP)
Two well-connected political consultants provided false information about lobbying work on behalf of a wealthy Persian Gulf country during the Trump administration, according to Justice Department court records unsealed Tuesday.

Charging documents filed in federal court in Washington allege that Barry P. Bennett, an adviser to Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, spearheaded a covert and lucrative lobbying campaign aimed at advancing the interests of a foreign country, including by denigrating a rival nation.

The country for whom the work was done is not named in the documents but it matches the description of Qatar, which in 2017 paid Bennetts company $2.1 million for lobbying work, and was identified in a 2020 Justice Department subpoena that was earlier obtained by The Associated Press and that sought records related to Bennetts foreign lobbying.

Federal prosecutors filed two criminal counts against Bennett in a charging document known as an information, which is typically filed only with a defendants consent and generally signals that the parties have reached a resolution. Prosecutors said the case will be dismissed after he complies with the terms of a deferred prosecution agreement, including the payment of a $100,000 fine.

The Justice Department also reached a similar agreement with Douglas Watts, a New Jersey political consultant who prosecutors say worked alongside Bennett and failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

The law, enacted in 1938 to unmask Nazi propaganda in the United States, requires people to disclose to the Justice Department when they advocate, lobby or perform public relations work in the U.S. on behalf of a foreign government or political entity.

A lawyer for Bennett did not immediately return messages sent to his law firm. Justin Dillon, a lawyer for Watts, declined to comment Tuesday evening. An email to the Qatari embassy was not immediately returned.

According to the Justice Department, Bennett signed a contract in 2017 for his company, Avenue Strategies, to perform lobbying work on behalf of the Qatari embassy. He also registered with the Justice Department that year to lobby for the embassy.

But as part of that strategy, prosecutors said he also covertly operated another company called Yemen Crisis Watch that operated a public relations campaign to denigrate one of Qatars unnamed rivals  both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were engaged in military operations in Yemen that critics say contributed to a humanitarian crisis  and improve Qatars standing with the U.S. government.

That effort included lobbying Congress and Trump, as well as a social media campaign, publishing opinion articles in newspapers and producing a television documentary, according to prosecutors. Yemen Crisis Watch urged the public to contact their lawmakers and urge them to cease supporting the intervention in Yemen by Qatars unnamed rival, prosecutors said.

Robert Schuller, a prominent televangelist, and former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer both helped Yemen Crisis Watchs efforts, according to earlier reporting from the Wall Street Journal and the Topeka Capital-Journal. Neither man has been charged with any wrongdoing and messages sent to them were not immediately returned.

Prosecutors say Bennetts consulting company did not disclose in its FARA filings the creation of Yemen Crisis Watch, and that Watts made false statements during interviews with the FBI about his knowledge of the companys formation and its activities.

The case is among severalprobes by federal law enforcement officials related to Qatars aggressive influence campaign during the Trump administration, when it was the target of a blockade by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors.

(AP)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Jewish Home

Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita, once observed his father, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel ztl, the Mashgiach of BMG in Lakewood in a remarkable state of joy and Simcha. Rav Elya Ber asked him, What is the cause of such elation?

Rav Wachtfogel ztl responded, I am in a state of joy that the famed Mashgiach of the Gateshead Yeshiva, Rav Mattisyahu Solomon will be joining us in the Lakewood Yeshiva. I anticipate great things to come, bezras Hashem, and that is why I am so happy.

And great things did come. Great things that Klal Yisroel will so sorely miss.

Rav Matisyahu ztl clarified matters of Mussar and Torah to thousands and thousands of people and through his insights, knowledge and love influenced us all. What is the inyan of Kavod HaTorah?  he would ask. Among other things, by us showing Kavod to a person or to any other matter of Torah  we are machshir ourselves to become influenced by that person to receive a hashpaah from that person or from that matter of Torah..

What is the idea of Talmud meivi liydei Maaseh  that studying Torah brings us to action? It is only true if we approach it with binas HaLaiv  understanding of the heart. If we approach Torah like we would we would approach any other area of knowledge Chas vshalom, it would have no impact.

Aside from his duties in the Yeshiva, Rav Matisyahu ztl involved himself in communal matters and also with people  with individuals. A number of years ago, there were a number of high school girls in Lakewood who were, unfortunately, not accepted into any school. Rav Matisyahu made a Kol Koreh that no girls high school should open for that semester until these girls were placed. Everyone listened and the girls were placed. Such was the respect and love that the Lakewood community had for the Mashgiach!

He had a unique love of people.

A young man who grew up in Gateshead and now lives in Cherry Hill New Jersey recalls how when his parents were away and the other children were farmed out to homes of their friends, he ended up in the home of the Solomons. He remembers how Rav Mattisyahu held him on his lap and sang zmiros with him. The kesher continued even when both had moved to the United States.

He motivated. He consoled. He stimulated. He inspired. And he advised.

He did it to Talmidei Chachomim. To Kollel wives. To Mechanchim. He did it to tzubrocheneh mentchin, and he did it to everyday regular people.

A father had lost his precious child. He advised him to use his talents and abilities to help bring about greater Emunah to Klal Yisroel. He gave him brachos and encouragement. He told him, I know you have the kochos to implement this project. The man was simultaneously consoled and inspired.

The Mashgiach once asked. The Midrash tells us that Hashem posed the question to all of the other nations whether they wanted the Torah. They all inquired as to what was written in it. And most everyone is familiar Klal Yisroels answer of Naaseh vNishma. But what would have happened if Klal Yisroel did not answer in this manner? What would have happened if we had said, What is written in it?

Rav Matisyahu Solomon ztl answered this question in the name of another one of his Rebbeim Rav Leib Gurvitz. He said that Hashem would have said the laws of Lashon haRah and Rechilus are written in it. But if it was so hard  how then could we have managed to say, Naaseh vNishma? He answered that we knew that Hashem would give us the strength and capacity to overcome the everyday challenges involved. We have that ability within us  all of us have it.

What motivation! What inspiration! This was the Mashgiach.

To Mechanchim, the Mashgiach quoted the Gemorah in Sukkah 49b which explained Toras Chessed al Leshonah. The Gemorah asks and is there a Torah of Chessed and a Torah that is not of Chessed? The Gemorah answers that it is a Torah of Chessed when it is studied Lishma, and not of Chessed when it is studied shelo lishma -with the improper intent. Rav Matisyahu delved further and asked, But the first opinion needs more clarification  why is it still called Toras Chessed just because it is lishma? He answered based upon Rav Chaim Volozhin who says (Nefesh HaChaim 4:11) that if Chalilah the world would be bereft of Torah for one moment  it would be destroyed. You Mechanchim, who teach Torah lishma, and spread it  you are holding up the world!

What chizuk, what encouragement to Mechanchim who teach Torah to Klal Yisroel!

When Rav Matisyahu first arrived in the United States, he spoke at an Agudas Yisroel sponsored a CLE (Continuing Legal Education), which is mandated for lawyers to maintain their credentials. Agudah rented a hotel conference room in Queens, had catered meals, and brought Gedolim and Poskim  making it a simultaneous Torah learning experience as well. Rav Matisyahu, fresh from England, spoke and said the following encouraging words:

It is absolutely remarkable that Baal HaBattim such as yourselves have gathered here for no other purpose other than to learn Torah lishma! I was sitting next to Reb Chaim Dovid Zweibel and had asked him, You didnt tell explain to Rav Solomon that this was CLE?? He answered, I thought he knew! Regardless, we see that Rav Matisyahus very mahus, the very fiber of his being, was to inspire and encourage others. This is true tzidkus and Ahavas Yisroel.

He once told a wealthy Gvir that the true purpose of money  that Hashem made people very wealthy was so that they could be Mekadesh Shaim Shamayim with their money. And then came the chizuk, the inspiration. He informed the Gvir how what he did sanctified Hashems Name immensely.

Rav Matisyahu had a unique ability to explain things with Mosholim. In parshas Bahaloscha, Rashi explains that Aharon HaKohain was deeply saddened that he did not partake in the dedication of the Mishkan like the Nesiim had done. Rav Matisyahu asked, Why was Aharon HaKohain so sad? He had partaken in so many other Mitzvos, even Mitzvos that were uniquely his. And he had done so thousands of times! Why then was he so saddened?

Rav Mattisyahu answered with a Moshol. Imagine a man who had achieved arichas yamim of 100 years. He does not say, Listen, I have lived one hundred years and I have breathed so many times. What do I need to continue breathing for? To Aharon HaKohain each unique Mitzvah was life itself!

This is the inspiration that we must all take from Aharon HaKohains reaction. Each Mitzvah is as precious as life itself. Mitzvos are what powers our lives.

Rav Matisyahu adopted the Kelm Mussar of his Rebbe, Rav Elya Lopian. Kelm, of course, was the Yeshiva where the Alter of Slabodka had studied, and the Yeshiva where the Alter had sent Rav Yeruchem Levovitz. It was the Yeshiva that was founded by Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv ztl, one of the primary students of Rav Yisroel Salanter ztl who had started the Mussar Movement. Rav Matisyahu would explain that Rav Yisroel Salanter had conceived of the idea of Sfasayim Dolkos  Lips Aflame. That the study of Mussar should be done in an emotional manner  with a unique sing-song so that the concepts and ideals of the Mussar of Torah would penetrate the heart.

He himself studied Mussar in this manner and tried to inspire others to do the same. He printed an article to this effect in the 7th volume of Chizzuk that is published by Dirshu (2007).

A number of years ago, at the dedication ceremony of the Matzeivah for the Kedoshim that were murdered at Kelm, there was a gathering of Mashgichim of all of the Yeshivos. Rav Matisyahu sang the Adon Olam in such a tearful dirge  it was so tearful that there was not a dry eye at the gathering. And yet his Adon Olam conveyed such depth of Emunah Bashem that all present were deeply impacted as well. He sang it as well at the rededication of the Matzeivah for Rav Yisroel Salanter zatzal which had been re-found in the city of Koenigsberg which was in the former Germany, but now in Russia.

Rav Matisyahu had once said that whomsoever says, After the holocaust, I stopped believing in Hashem is lying. He never had true Emunah in the first place. Someone asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky ztl about this and asked if it was halachically valid to the degree that his shechita would be pasul for all Shechitas past. Rav Chaim responded that hakol lefi haInyan which apparently meant that Rav Matisyahu did not mean absolutely everyone  it is just that the person is looking for an excuse.

Rav Matisyahu zatzal absorbed and transmitted matters of Mussar and inspiration from wherever he saw it. Even though he was from a thoroughly litvish background, he imbibed yiras Hashem and Ahavas Hashem from other Torah sources as well.

Once, while in Manhattan, he happened to meet the son-in-law of the author of the Nesivos Shalom. Excitedly, he told him, I am not in the position to evaluate what that Sefer has had on our generation, but I do know the incredible influence and effect it has had upon me personally. To this day, I have been thoroughly impacted by that remarkable sefer.

Rav Mattisyahu was not just the Mashgiach of Beis Medrash Gavoah in Lakewood, he was all of Klal Yisroels mashgiach. He was the father, the zeideh, and Mashgiach of us all wrapped in one unique individual and personality all in one. He will be sorely missed.

The author can be reached at [email protected]
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When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is no different than Hitler and that Israeli attacks in Gaza are similar to the Nazi persecution of Jews during the Holocaust, he reflected the sentiments in his country where anti-Semitism is reaching record levels, Ynet reported.

Israeli flags have been placed on the floors of open-air markets throughout Turkey for people to step on as they enter stores. Signs saying Jews Not Allowed were plastered on the windows of stores in Istanbul and a giant poster with an antisemitic depiction of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with a swastika was hung in Ankara and an effigy of the Israeli prime minister was hung on a bridge in Eskisehir.

Signs in supermarkets call to boycott Israeli goods and drawings of gliders used by Hamas to attack southern Israel adorn the walls. The entrances to metro stations in Istanbul boast signs saying Murderer Israel.

Recent headlines in the daily newspaper Yeni Safak newspaper, associated with the ruling party in Turkey, state: There Must Be An End To This Terrorist State, referring to Israel, The World Must Destroy This Virus, and Netanyahu Is The Butcher of Gaza.

Erdogan has also escalated his rhetoric recently, stating that Israels vision of the promised land threatens Turkeys territorial integrity, and therefore, Turkeys defense begins in Gaza.

The Turkish president hinted that if Gaza falls, Israel will have the opportunity to expand its territory. The Sabh newspaper published a map seemingly presenting Israels promised land, which included northern Cyprus under Turkish control. Shortly after the maps were published, a campaign was launched to oppose the sale of land in northern Cyprus to Jews with slogans like So as not to become a second Palestine and Advancing the law restricting the sale of land to Jews and Israelis.

Turkeys Islamist Hezbollah party, the Free Cause party which is part of the ruling coalition, recently proposed a bill to revoke Turkish citizenship from those who also hold Israeli passports and took part in the genocide in Gaza. According to the proposed law, their funds and properties would be frozen and transferred to the government. The proposal states, If and when we can capture those citizens who participated in the genocide in Gaza, we will impose a life sentence on them.

The bill is not expected to advance due to political disputes between the Free Cause party and Erdogan.

There are about 15,000 Jews currently living in Turkey.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari spoke for the first time on Monday evening about the rift in Israeli society, including calls for IDF refusal, prior to the October 7th massacre, acknowledging that it is reasonable to assume a connection between the rift and Hamass decision to attack Israel.

Answering a question by a Ynet reporter whether the IDF identified a connection between the two events, he replied: These things will be clarified in the in-depth investigation that we will carry out but the answer is that it is reasonable to assume that.

The characteristic of a rift, Harel added, the readiness of the army, perhaps in its [Hamass] perception, is one of the characteristics tied to it. This can be appreciated. I think that now we are focused on the battle, and they [Hamas] are encountering a determined and functioning army. Many things that came up before are expressed on the battlefield.

The way we see the reserve system as one system  Air Force, ground, sea, special units  all the things that previously came up in public discourse  all function together, determined against a common enemy.

I think in this sense, it is worthy of appreciation. People endanger their lives and unfortunately, some also fall in battle and it reflects the strength and resilience of Israeli society facing historical challenges and periods, and this is how we operate.

Hagari also spoke about the daily operations of the forces in Gaza and revealed that the IDF recently captured more terrorists who participated in the massacre: Our forces continue to fight mainly in the southern area. During the fighting in Khan Younis, our forces identified suspects who hid among women and children. We took them for interrogation, where it became clear that there were terrorists among them who participated in the October 7th attack.

The IDF spokesperson addressed Israelis who evacuated their homes near Israels northern border: In addition to the difficulty of leaving home, your resilience in recent months is inspiring and greatly appreciated. Your concerns are understandable. We will be attentive to every claim and we will build the process of returning to the yishuvim together with the civilian leadership. Its a long, challenging road and the burden of proof is on us.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The IDF on Tuesday announced the capture of a major Hamas stronghold in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, following fierce battles that saw special forces engage in intense combat with Hamas terrorist within an extensive tunnel network.

The IDF described the stronghold, known as the Eastern Outpost, as comprising 37 buildings situated amid civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, a school, and a hospital. A mosque within the complex was reportedly used as a meeting point for Hamas operatives. The IDF said the stronghold was used by Hamass intelligence division and other units to coordinate activities across the Gaza Strip.

During the raid, the 401st Armored Brigade focused on the strongholds main building, uncovering a 20-meter deep bunker. This facility, according to the IDF, served as a command center for Hamas, equipped with rest areas for commanders and stocked with weapons and other equipment.

The IDF further detailed the discovery of a sophisticated tunnel system by troops of the Givati Brigades Shaked Battalion. The system included five shafts, each extending dozens of meters deep, all interconnected and linked to the main underground bunker.

A critical phase of the operation involved forces from the Air Forces elite Shaldag unit, who entered the tunnels and engaged in combat with Hamas gunmen. At the end of the fighting, all the terrorists were eliminated, the IDF said.

The tunnel network was subsequently destroyed by the Combat Engineering Corps 601st Battalion and the elite Yahalom unit.

In a separate but related encounter, the 401st Brigades 52nd Battalion engaged Hamas gunmen in another building within the Eastern Outpost, which escalated into a wider battle across the stronghold.

The IDF confirmed that all Hamas operatives involved were neutralized in the battle. However, the operation also resulted in the loss of three Israeli soldiers from the Shaked Battalion: Lt. Yaron Eliezer Chitiz, Staff Sgt. Itay Buton, and Staff Sgt. Efraim Jackman.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Turkish authorities said they arrested 33 individuals on Tuesday suspected of espionage activities for Israel, with the news coming amid heightened tensions following Israeli threats to target Hamas members abroad.

The operation, dubbed Operation Mole, was led by Turkeys National Intelligence Organization (MIT), and were carried out across eight provinces, with another 13 suspects reportedly still at large.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya accused the Mossad of planning to surveil and kidnap foreigners on Turkish soil. During the operation, authorities seized 143,830 euros, $23,680, an unlicensed gun, and digital files.

We will never allow espionage activities against the national unity and solidarity of our country! Yerlikaya wrote.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on these arrests.

A Wall Street Journal report last month said that Israels intelligence agencies were targeting Hamas leaders across the Middle East, including in Turkey. Subsequently, Israeli media released statements from Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, indicating Israels determination to target Hamas leaders in every location globally, mentioning Qatar, Turkey, and Lebanon.

Turkeys response was firm, with Ankara warning of serious consequences if Israel attempts to assassinate Hamas members on Turkish soil. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also issued a stark warning to Israel, stating that it would pay a very heavy price for conducting operations against Hamas in Turkey.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The US State Department on Tuesday released a scathing rebuke of Israeli MKs Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich, who have suggested in recent days that Palestinians should be thrown out of the Gaza Strip.

Ben Gvir told members of his Otzma Yehudit party that the war presents an opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza, which he called a correct, just, moral and humane solution.

We cannot withdraw from any territory we are in in the Gaza Strip. Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing, he said.

Similarly, Smotrich said that the correct solution about what to do with Gaza once Hamas is toppled is to encourage the voluntary migration of Gazas residents to countries that will agree to take in the refugees, and ensure that Israel will permanently control the territory of the Gaza Strip.

The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza, State Dept. spokesman Matthew Miller said. This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible. We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately.

He added: We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel. That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The vacancy rate is up, leasing prices are down and employers still aren't demanding everyone be back in the office like it is 2019.

Yet this current state of the downtown Detroit office market did not stop a local real estate firm last month from buying two of the seven Renaissance Center towers, with plans to keep the glassy pair as office space.

Farmington Hills-based Friedman Real Estate said last week that on Dec. 21 it bought the RenCen's 500 and 600 towers from a New Jersey utility company that had owned them for years.

500-600 Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023.

One of the towers is full, the other is mostly empty. The sale price wasn't disclosed.

We are big believers in the Detroit office market," said Jared Friedman, executive managing director of Friedman Real Estate and son of company co-founder David Friedman. "These buildings specifically are very nice buildings  they are beautiful  (and) they have been corporate-occupied and owned since they were built in the '80s. They really have some unique characteristics and they have the best riverfront views in the city."

Both towers, at 21 stories, are smaller than the other five RenCen towers and came several years later as a Phase II, opening in 1981.

The RenCen had its 1977 grand opening with four 39-story office towers surrounding a central 73-story hotel, now a Marriott. All five original towers are owned by General Motors, which remains headquartered in the center.

Friedman's newly purchased Tower 500 is occupied by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Until recently, The Blues also occupied some of Tower 600. Now Tower 600 is mostly vacant and ready to lease to office tenants, Jared Friedman said.

He considers both towers as "Class A-" office space, meaning a slight step below the very best. They each contain over 300,000 square feet and were last renovated in 2011.

Real estate experts describe "Class A" office space in Detroit as typically newer or more recently renovated than Class B or C, with higher quality construction and amenities and fancier lobbies.

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While Friedman Real Estate owns commercial properties across metro Detroit and assists Dan Gilbert's Bedrock firm with leasing its downtown office buildings, the RenCen towers are the only downtown buildings that the company owns.

More: Why Detroit this year has been a tale of 2 downtowns

More: Rehabs, demolitions and reopenings: 10 Detroit building projects of 2023

Friedman Real Estate is relatively upbeat about the future of office space  "we think the pendulum swung way too far in one direction"  but surely has work ahead in filling up that second tower in a post-pandemic world.

Vacancies in Detroit office space, like that in cities nationwide, have been on the rise since COVID-19 and employers' embrace of remote and hybrid work policies.

The downtown vacancy rate was 19% in the third quarter, up from about 14% a year earlier, according to a report by commercial real estate services firm CBRE. The average asking lease price during that period slipped 4% to $23.28 per square foot gross.

A few of the bigger recent moves were the departures of Meridian Health and BMC Compuware from downtown's One Campus Martius building (formerly the Compuware Building), which left 130,000 square feet of office space to fill, according to the CBRE report.

Steve Morris, managing principal at Axis Advisors, a commercial tenant advisory firm, said tenants in downtown have generally been downsizing space when renewing leases, often taking half or even just a third of the space that they previously used.

Other tenants who are still locked in to longer-term leases have been subleasing their unneeded space, sometimes at a 50% discount off the main leasing rate, Morris said.

One Campus Martius building on June 18, 2020.

And there are fewer people downtown during the workday  even though nights and weekends are bustling.

As of October, the number of average daily workers in downtown was 45% of what it was before the pandemic, according to data captured by location analytics firm Placer.ai and compiled by the Downtown Detroit Partnership.

An office renter's market

Real estate insiders say these dynamics have given office space tenants more options and price leverage with landlords.

"You are seeing tenants save money, said Morris of Axis Advisors. Landlords "are not only competing against space on the market, (they) are competing against massive sublease space."

Jared Friedman said they have not determined what asking rents will be in Tower 600, "but it will be a very good value proposition for tenants." He noted how the tower also offers one of downtown's the largest contiguous blocks of available office space, should a large organization wish to move in.

Looking further ahead in 2024, the options for office tenants will expand further.

The large 12-story office building at Dan Gilbert's Hudson's site could be done later this year, bringing an additional 400,000 square feet of new "Class A" office space to the market.

Bedrock has yet to announce an official opening date. However, the CBRE report estimates the office building as being ready to lease by the third quarter. The other Hudson's site building, a 49-story skyscraper with a luxury hotel and condos, also is still under construction.

As for the other RenCen towers, GM has said it is committed to staying in Detroit, even though its daily in-office workforce in Detroit has gone down since the pandemic.

Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Renaissance Center towers in Detroit sold to Friedman Real Estate
The IDF announced the death of a soldier killed amidst the fighting in Gaza, bringing the IDFs ground operation death toll to 175 and 509 since October 7th.

The slain soldier was identified as Sgt. First Class Meiron Moshe Gersch, 21, a soldier in the Yahalom special forces Combat Engineering Unit, killed in battle in northern Gaza.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Marks & Spencer made a bright start to the new year following a bumper 2023.

On the first day of trading of 2024, shares in the High Street stalwart rose 1.3 per cent, or 3.6p, to 276p following an upgrade by analysts at BNP Exane Paribas.

That was the highest level for nearly five years and came after the stock more than doubled last year, jumping 120 per cent.

The rally came amid a major turnaround in its fortunes driven by higher food sales alongside booming demand for its revamped fashion ranges.

BNP Exane Paribas said it is optimistic about the retail sectors prospects this year. Its analysts said M&S is likely to come out as a Christmas winner when the industry publishes festive trading updates.

Five-year high: On the first day of trading of 2024, shares in Marks & Spencer rose 1.3%, or 3.6p, to 276p following an upgrade by analysts at BNP Exane Paribas

M&Ss gains last year were eclipsed only by Rolls-Royce whose shares more than trebled under chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic.

However, shares in the engine maker were slightly off the pace as the stock dipped 0.5 per cent, or 1.6p, to 298.1p.

Another star performer in recent years has been BAE Systems. Britains biggest defence company has cashed in as governments ramp up their military spending amid heightened geopolitical tensions and conflicts around the world.

Shares in BAE have doubled in value over the last two years and edged up another 0.5 per cent, or 5.5p, to 1116p yesterday.

There were also gains for FTSE 250 defence group Babcock. Shares gained 6.3 per cent, or 25p, to 420p as it added to gains of 40 per cent last year.

But overall, it was a sluggish first day of trading, with the FTSE 100 down 0.15 per cent, or 11.72 points, at 7721.52 while the FTSE 250 fell 0.9 per cent, or 177.83 points, to 19,511.80.

Simmering tensions in the Red Sea lifted oil prices.

Stock Watch - Hvivo Hvivo landed a 6.3million contract to test a drug that could treat the common cold. The life sciences group supplies its clients with data on the effectiveness of their potential treatments. Healthy adult volunteers are recruited and given both the virus and antiviral drug. It will test a biotech clients proposed treatment for human rhinoviruses (HRV) in a trial during the second half of this year at its new facilities in Canary Wharf. Shares surged 8.2 per cent, or 1.95p, to 25.7p.

As a result, BP rose 1 per cent, or 4.85p, to 471p and Shell gained 0.2 per cent, or 4p, to 2575.5p.

Airline stocks were flying high following an upgrade from the investment bank Citi.

Wizz Air added 0.2 per cent, or 5p, to 2216p and British Airways owner IAG rose 0.7 per cent, or 1p, to 156p.

AstraZenecas drug Beyfortus has been approved for use in China as a treatment to prevent a common and contagious seasonal virus that affects babies.

Shares in the pharma giant added 1.8 per cent, or 188p, to 10,788p.

US natural gas producer Diversified Energy Company sold some assets to a special purpose vehicle. The deal raked in around 158million, which the firm used to reduce its debt bill.

Last month the firms shares plunged to a record low after four US politicians wrote a letter warning that its strategy risked undermining efforts to fight climate change. The stock increased 7.5 per cent, or 83.5p, to 1198.5p.

There was also good news for Angle after the cancer testing company revealed it will be paid 198,000 to help with a pilot study for the global pharmaceutical company Eisai.

As part of the deal, the London-listed firm will provide analysis to assess a potential treatment for breast cancer.

Shares yesterday rose 2.1 per cent, or 0.25p, to 12p.

French asset manager Syquant Capital has disclosed a 5 per cent stake in the sofa seller ScS.

The investor also owns shares in the tech consultancy Kin And Carta (down 0.2 per cent, or 0.2p, to 132.4p), North Sea producer Ithaca Energy (up 0.8 per cent, or 1.2p, to 145.4p) and the City Pub Group (down 0.7 per cent, or 1p, to 138p). Shares in ScS fell 0.4 per cent, or 1p, to 263p.

Elsewhere, Union Jack Oil gained 3.8 per cent, or 0.75p, to 20.5p after a report revealed that its energy reserves in the Wressle field in Lincolnshire have tripled since 2016.
Activist investor and hedge fund manager Ricky Sandler has been appointed as a non-executive director at Entain.

The appointment comes weeks after Entain's former boss, Jette Nygaard-Andersen, quit the group amid the resolution of a prolonged bribery scandal.

In June 2023, Eminence Capital, an investment firm headed by Sandler, sent a letter to Entain's board of directors criticising Nygaard-Andersen.

Hired: Ricky Sandler has been appointed as a non-executive director at Entain

New York-based Eminence, which holds 4.27 per cent of Entain's equity, also criticised Entain's 594million takeover of STS Holding S.A.

It said it was 'disappointed' Entain issued new stock and was adopting what it deemed a 'shareholder value destroying strategy'.

Entain shares rose 2.5 per cent or 25.60p to 1,010.00p on Wednesday, having fallen over 25 per cent in the last year. The upturn in Entain's share price today suggests investors' nerves may be being calmed by Sandler's appointment.

Eminence, along with other activist investors Sachem Head Capital Management, Dendur Capital and Corvex are reportedly pushing to take board seats with the aim of controlling the hiring process for the new chief executive and any future mergers and acquisitions.

Stella David, previously a non-executive director, is serving as interim chief executive until a permanent replacement is found.

Sandler is being made a member of the FTSE 100 group's capital allocation committee and its people and governance committee, with the latter enabling him to work on identifying an additional non-executive director 'mutually agreeable to Eminence and the company', Entain said.

Entain chairman Barry Gibson said Sandler had a 'deep knowledge of our business and a firm belief in the quality of our operations and substantial growth opportunities'.

Sandler said: 'Entain is a robust business with market-leading brands, a unique technology platform, and enviable positions in key geographies around the world.

'I look forward to working with my fellow directors to help Entain achieve long-term success and create lasting value for its shareholders.'

In November, Entain agreed to pay a penalty of 585million under a deferred prosecution agreement with the UK's Crown Prosecution Service relating to alleged bribery offences at the gambling firm's former Turkish unit.
Ryanair has cautioned over a temporary hit to sales after a raft of online travel agents removed the Irish airline from their websites last month.

The budget airline said on Wednesday that booking sites like Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak had taken Ryanair flights off their websites since early December.

Ryanair said the sudden removal from what it claimed were online travel agent 'pirates' was 'welcome', criticising the sites for charging customers added fees.

But it added that the move would hit its load factor, a key measure of how well airlines fill their planes, by 1 to 2 per cent throughout December and January.

In charge: Michael O'Leary is the boss of budget airline Ryanair

Ryanair accused the booking sites in question of 'overcharges, fake contact info, or other pricing/refund scams'.

MailOnline has contacted Booking.com, Kiwi and Kayak for comment. Booking Holdings operates Booking.com and Kayak, and Kiwi.com.

Revenues from tickets will also be affected in the short-term as Ryanair said it would respond 'where necessary' by lowering fares for passengers booking directly through its own website.

It said the move by the booking sites in question was unlikely to 'materially affect' its full-year passenger numbers or profit expectations.

The update comes amid a long-running dispute between Ryanair and online booking sites, with the airline having launched legal action in the US against Booking.com owner Booking Holdings and its subsidiaries, including Kayak, Agoda and Priceline.

A spokesperson for Booking.com told MailOnline: 'Booking.com will not comment on the ongoing legal proceedings between Booking.com and Ryanair in the United States.'

In a statement, Ryanair said: 'In early Dec, most of the larger OTA Pirates (such as Booking.com, Kiwi, Kayak, etc.) suddenly removed Ryanairs flights from sale on their websites.

Allegations: Ryanair called sites like Kayak and Booking.com 'pirates'

'This welcome removal may be the result of pressure from Consumer Protection Agencies or a response to the recent Irish High Court ruling, which granted Ryanair a permanent injunction against screenscraper Flightbox from unlawfully scraping Ryanair.com content for OTAs, or in response to Ryanairs KYP (Know Your Passenger) customer initiatives such as verification.'

Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airlines website and offering the carriers fares to its own customers via its own site.

Ryanair added: 'In the meantime, Ryanair continues to make its fares available to honest/transparent OTAs such as Google Flights, who do not add hidden mark ups to Ryanair prices and who direct passengers to make their bookings directly on the Ryanair.com website.'

Ryanair's update showed it flew 9 per cent more passengers in December, at 12.5million, but its load factor fell to 91 per cent, down from 92 per cent a year ago.

The average number of empty seats per flight in December increased to 9 per cent, from 8 per cent in the same month last year.

Over 900 Ryanair flights were cancelled last month due to the war between Israel and Hamas, and the ongoing suspension of flights to Tel Aviv and neighbouring Jordan.

Ryanair's fees for optional extras like bags and seat selections vary. A 10kg check-in bag arranged after booking or at the airport can cost between 23.99 to 35.99.

The airline's fee to book extra legroom seats at the time of booking, after booking or at the airport is between 11 to 33 per flight.

According to an analysis by The Telegraph last summer, Ryanair raked in 18billion from add-on fees in the last decade.

In November, Ryanair, which is Europes largest airline, said it would hand its shareholders 350million over the next 12 months through an interim and final dividend.

Ryanair shares were down over 4 per cent on Wednesday.
Wizz Air flew almost 5 million people in December as the low-cost airline benefited from its ambitious expansion plans.

The Hungarian air carrier carried 4.96 million passengers last month, compared to 4.18 million in December 2022, despite widespread cost-of-living pressures affecting Europe and conflict in the Middle East.

While the group's load factor - the share of available seats occupied by customers - dipped by 2.4 percentage points to 82.1 per cent, its total seat capacity climbed by around 1.1 million to 6.04 million.

Flying high: Wizz Air carried 4.96 million passengers last month, compared to 4.18 million in December 2022, despite widespread cost-of-living pressures affecting Europe

It continued to launch more routes or add extra aircraft to its existing bases during 2023, particularly across the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Wizz Air received its 100 millionth passenger in Poland last month after adding a 12th airplane to its Warsaw Chopin Airport base during the summer.

Meanwhile, Wizz Air-Abu Dhabi, a joint venture with UAE-based holding company ADQ, achieved a record year after doubling the volume of flights to 15,000 and carrying over 3 million people.

For the whole of 2023, Wizz Air's passenger numbers rose by nearly a third to 60.3 million, while its load factor increased by 4.1 percentage points to 90.8 per cent.

Ruth Griffin, leisure partner at Gowling WLG, said: 'Shareholders will be assured with the business' position as the cost of living crisis continues and encourages passengers to look for affordable travel options and the opening of new global routes furthers the airline's scope and reach.'

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Wizz Air bought up cheap landing slots with the hope of grabbing a higher share of the aviation market once travel restrictions began loosening.

Under chief executive and founder Joszef Varadi, the London-listed airline plans to have over 500 aircraft in its fleet and fly 170 million customers annually by 2030.

Varadi stands to receive a 100million bonus if the firm's share price reaches 120 sometime before 2028 - which would give it a market value of 12billion.

Wizz Air shares were 4.3 per cent lower at 21.21 on Wednesday afternoon and have slumped by around 26 per cent in the past six months.

Fellow budget airline Ryanair also revealed on Wednesday that it flew 12.5 million passengers in December, 9 per cent up on last year, despite cancelling hundreds of flights to the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas war.

The Irish carrier warned that short-term revenues would be impacted by numerous travel websites, including Kiwi, Kayak, and Booking.com, no longer selling its flights.

Ryanair suggested their removal might be related to a recent Irish High Court ruling prohibiting software tool Flightbox from 'screen-scraping' its website for online travel agents.
Nobody in modern history has had an investing career as long and lucrative as Warren Buffett, which makes him someone many investors look up to. His conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, has grown into one of the world's largest companies, owning dozens of privately held businesses as well as stakes in an array of public corporations.

The Berkshire Hathaway stock portfolio is a great place to start looking for investment ideas. However, Berkshire has built that portfolio over decades, so it's not as simple as just buying what Buffett already owns.

However, a few Buffett stocks are hanging out at attractive valuations right now, making them potential buys to kick off the new year.

1. American Express

Credit card company American Express (NYSE: AXP) is one of Buffett's most significant and longest-tenured stock holdings. He began buying the stock in the early 1990s, and it became a core holding within a handful of years. Credit cards are a booming business in the U.S., where American Express targets a premium audience of business spenders and high earners.

Its long existence has also built brand power. American Express is widely recognized today, and that's proving out as wealth among Americans transfers from older generations to younger ones. American Express has noted that millennial and Gen Z customers are its fastest-growing demographics. In Q3, spending among these groups grew 18% year over year and represented 60% of new global accounts.

Getting traction with the younger consumers, who are becoming the critical pillars of the economy, could ensure long-term growth for the business. Analysts believe American Express's earning will increase by an average of 14% annually. At the stock's forward P/E of about 15, American Express could be considered a bargain for the brand name and expected future growth.

2. Visa

In the payments-processing industry, Visa (NYSE: V) is another top-tier financial company in the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio. Since the stock accounts for only 0.6% of the portfolio's value, one might say Buffett missed out a bit on Visa's tremendous returns. Since Berkshire first began buying shares in 2011, the stock has returned more than 1,500%, easily outpacing the broader market.

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Unlike American Express, Visa doesn't lend money. Instead, it charges merchants fees on each transaction that crosses its payment network. Visa is simply a facilitator of transactions, and as the world's largest payment network (outside of China), and it has flourished as the world shifts away from cash.

Visa has grown into a $530 billion market valuation, and growth on a percentage basis must naturally slow as a company's size increases. But Visa's growth isn't over. Analysts believe the company can generate compound earnings growth of 15% annually. That's a solid deal with the stock trading at 26 times 2023 estimated earnings. Investors may find that Visa still offers some great years of returns.

3. Nu Holdings

Buffett's investments in financial stocks extend into emerging markets, too. Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU), a digital bank that serves Latin America, has fantastic long-term growth opportunities. Berkshire bought the stock shortly after its initial public offering (IPO) in late 2021. It's a low-weight position for the conglomerate, accounting for just 0.2% of the portfolio's value.

Nu Holdings has nearly 90 million customers in Latin America, a region with more than 660 million people. Of those, an estimated 122 million adults don't have bank accounts. Many of those potential customers are up for grabs as the region's economy develops.

Importantly, Nu Holdings is profitable. Based on company forecasts for the completed -- but not yet reported -- Q4, analysts expect to learn that it earned $0.22 per share in 2023. That would give the stock a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 38. Earnings should expand as the company continues growing. Average estimates for 2025 are for EPS of $0.50, giving it a forward P/E of just over 16. Investors willing to hold onto the stock for a few years (or ideally, longer) should see Nu Holdings grow into its valuation and then some. Buffett has proven effective at identifying overlooked market opportunities. Latin America's banking industry could deliver his next win.

Should you invest $1,000 in American Express right now?

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American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Nu. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 Berkshire Hathaway Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist in January was originally published by The Motley Fool
Don't listen to anyone telling you that you need lots of money to start investing. It's simply not true. While some stocks are admittedly priced at levels that the average retail investor would find hard to afford, you can find plenty of great stocks trading for under $50 per share that have offered solid returns for years and showered their investors with dividends.

When building wealth with stocks, getting started is the most important thing. Compounding needs as much time as possible to do its thing and eventually manage the heavy financial lifting for you.

Build wealth brick by brick, share by share. Not sure where to begin? Here are three fabulous dividend stocks that can help jump-start a diversified long-term portfolio.

1. Altria Group

Dividends are central to tobacco companies like Altria Group (NYSE: MO). Despite smoking rates declining in America for decades, Altria, which sells the Marlboro brand of cigarettes in the United States, has managed to offset selling fewer units by increasing its prices. The company has also raised its dividend 58 times over the past 54 years. Today, the stock generates a massive 9.7% dividend yield.

Exceptionally high yields can sometimes be a red flag, a signal that Wall Street doesn't believe the company can afford the payout. But its stable 79% dividend payout ratio offers evidence that investors shouldn't worry too much about a dividend cut from Altria (its payout ratio average over the past decade was 84.5%). Admittedly, you probably won't see much price appreciation from the stock. Analysts believe Altria will grow earnings by just 3% annually over the next three to five years. But with such a high yield, you don't need much else to have a solid investment.

Admittedly, Altria probably won't make you rich. Investors should consider taking Altria's massive dividends and reinvesting them, using them to buy shares of other companies or more shares of Altria if they want. Reinvesting dividends unlocks another level of compounding that can add up over time.

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2. Hormel Foods

Stroll through your local grocery store, and you're likely to walk past several Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) products. The food company specializes in packaged protein brands, including SPAM, Hormel-branded meats, Applegate, Dinty Moore, Jennie-O, and more. Understandably, consumer staples like food make great dividend stocks because people need to eat.

Hormel has a long track record of growing its payout, not missing an annual dividend hike for 57 consecutive years and counting. A 76% payout ratio means the dividend remains financially intact and the company has enough available profits to continue funding (and increasing) the dividend. Combining reliable growth with a solid starting 3.5% dividend yield can add up to solid returns over time.

Analysts believe Hormel will grow earnings by an average of 4.7% annually. That's enough to manage a mid-single-digit dividend raise each year and give investors an average total return between 8% and 9%. You'll find that many dividend stocks like Hormel are slow and steady year in and year out. But don't underestimate long-term consistency. Going back to 1990, Hormel Foods stock has outperformed the S&P 500 when it comes to total returns.

3. Kinder Morgan

The modern economy runs on oil and gas. Whether generating electricity, manufacturing materials, fueling your vehicle, or heating your home, fossil fuels are crucial. Companies like Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) help make these things possible. Kinder Morgan is a midstream oil and gas company. It operates 82,000 miles of pipelines transporting oil and gas throughout North America.

Midstream companies are like toll booths. They don't depend on commodity prices like other energy companies, just that materials flow through their pipes. Kinder Morgan has paid and raised its dividends for the past six years, and the stock yields 6.4% at its current share price. The company cut its dividend six years ago when it fell on hard times, but that's turned around. Today, the dividend payout ratio is an affordable 74%.

Kinder Morgan is another high-yield stock that can generate solid cash for reinvesting. Meanwhile, the medium-term outlook for earnings (and stock price) growth looks solid. Management believes that U.S. natural gas production will grow by 22% by 2030. All this gas will need to be moved to refineries and exports. As a leading gas pipeline, it potentially sets up Kinder Morgan and investors for success.

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SINGAPORE, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AIDA Engineering Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. celebrates Double Accolades at the recent 10th Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability Awards (ACES). The team was honoured in the category of "Asia's Leading SME" & "Green Innovation". After a thorough and unbiased review process, 82 winners emerged across 21 categories from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.

AIDA's commitment to environmental responsibility shines through its efficient production practices and regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, positioning the company as a leader in sustainability across Asian markets.

The leading metalforming company stood out among 580 nominees across 52 industries from 15 nations with its outstanding business resilience in the face of adversities, as well as its efforts in driving sustainable innovation. AIDA's proprietary Direct Servo Formers-DSF Technology was key to the company's efforts in sustainable innovation. Its resource-conserving solution greatly enhances material yield efficiency, subsequently reducing the demand for raw materials and promoting natural resource conservation.

AIDA is dedicated to the efficient utilization of resources in production, key principles: reducing environmental impact, legal compliance, preventing environmental harm, and raising environmental awareness. Operating through its regional headquarters in Singapore, AIDA is actively contributing to the region's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This recognition positions AIDA advantageously to promote sustainability in the markets across Greater Asia. Press equipment users can enhance their ability to minimise carbon footprints and play a part in fostering a sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to manufacturing in partnership with AIDA, leveraging its metal forming know-how. This collective commitment fosters a culture of environmental responsibility and sustainability, underlining the dedication to a greener future.

Mr Yap Teck Meng, CEO of AIDA Greater Asia Region remarked, "We are extremely honored and humbled to be acknowledged as one of Asia's leading SMEs and at the same time driving green innovations for the global business community. Global warming is indeed a real threat to the sustainability of the world, which calls for everyone's full attention towards everything we do, particularly in the corporate aspect. Hence AIDA has long been embarking on the green journey forging a future where every product tells a story of environmental consciousness and social responsibility. Enhancing corporate governance free from conflicts and geopolitical tension and fostering mutual respect for long term business partnership and alliances based on fairness and justice to all stake holders is imperative in cultivating healthy and sustainable business practices. Let's make the world a better place for all and many generations to come."

Story continues

For more info, kindly visit www.aida.com.sg.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aida-engineering-malaysia---asias-leading-sme-that-drives-sustainable-innovation-302023675.html

SOURCE AIDA Engineering Sdn Bhd
iStock.com

When air travel is seamless, it can be a mostly pleasant experience. But when a flight gets delayed  or even worse, canceled  it can throw a wrench in your travel plans and cause added stress to your trip.

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Depending on the airline, you may be able to claim compensation for a delayed or canceled flight, but some airlines handle the claim process better than others. AirHelp scored airlines based on how efficiently they handle compensation claims, including how long it takes them to pay claims out, and ranked them from best to worst.

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Best Airlines for Claim Processing

These airlines scored the highest based on AirHelps analysis:

China Airlines (8.2/10) Brussels Airlines (8.2/10) United Airlines (8.1/10) SAS Scandinavian Airlines (8.1/10) airBaltic (8.1/10) Qatar Airways (8/10) Eurowings (8/10) LOT Polish Airlines (7.9/10) American Airlines (7.9/10) Tap Air Portugal (7.8/10)

Im a Luxury Travel Agent: 10 Destinations My Wealthy Clients Are Booking for 2024

Worst Airlines for Claim Processing

Expect a slow claims process with these airlines:

British Airways (1/10) Gulf Air (1.4/10) Vietnam Airlines (1.7/10) Aircalin (1.7/10) Czech Airlines (1.7/10) Gol (2/10) Frontier Airlines Inc. (2.2/10) Pegasus Airlines (2.2/10) Tunisair (2.2/10) Vueling Airlines (2.3/10)

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: These Airlines Are the Most and Least Likely To Compensate You for Flight Issues
A public meeting on the on the inclusion of the proposed Thurles bypass on the National Development Plan is to take place in Thurles.

The meeting will be held in Hayes Hayes Hotel on Thursday, January 11, at 8pm.

The meeting is being organised by Sinn Fein Local election candidate Dan Harty as a result of a recent indication from Transport Infrastructure Ireland that a mid-term review of the NDP is due to be held in 2025.

Mr Harty said put the spotlight back on the project.

With both local and general elections looming, now is perfect opportunity to put pressure on the current government to deliver for Thurles and have this project included in the plan.

For too long Thurles has been left behind by successive governments, and this can no longer be accepted.

I am calling on all public representatives, business owners, the general public and any other interested parties to attend this meeting.

The aim of the meeting is to give the public updated information on the status of the project and to organise an effective campaign to have this vital piece of infrastructure included on the National Development Plan.

For too long, a fractured approach by various political interests in Thurles has led to a weak approach to secure this vital and lifesaving piece of infrastructure for the town.

I am calling this meeting so that Thurles can produce a focused and concentrated campaign ahead of the NDP review in 2025 and bring together all of our political resources and representatives to deliver for the people of Thurles.

Looking at similar campaigns in other parts of the country which have yielded success.

 I can see that a meeting of this nature is far overdue if we want to launch a successful structured campaign.

Public support for this project will be vital for the success of this campaign, and I would encourage people to attend the meeting itself and future campaign events and initiatives, Mr Harty.
Pro-Armenian US Senator Bob Menendez and his spouse are now facing additional charges, Azernews reports with reference to US media.

The indictment outlines that Menendez assisted a New Jersey entrepreneur in securing investments from a Qatari firm affiliated with the government of a Middle Eastern nation.

Menendez is facing four charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, fraud related to private services, extortion, and acting as a foreign agent.

The senator and his wife, Nadine, stand accused of receiving gold and Formula One race tickets in exchange for supporting businessman Fred Daibes in negotiations for a multimillion-dollar investment in a real estate project in New Jersey.

According to the indictment, in June 2021, Menendez introduced Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family overseeing an investment company.

Prosecutors claim that Menendez publicly endorsed Qatar and, in August 2021, facilitated Daibes' preview of a press release praising the country's government.

In an encrypted message, Menendez reportedly advised Daibes, "You might want to send them a message," according to the indictment.

By May 2022, an undisclosed Qatari company allegedly signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture with Daibes' company, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors further contend that Menendez received rewards, with a Qatari official gifting Nadine Menendez's relative tickets to a Formula One race in Miami in May 2022, and Daibes presenting Menendez with a gold bar.

Later that month, after dining with his wife and Daibes, the senator purportedly conducted a Google search for the "price per kilogram of gold," as asserted by prosecutors.

Daibes and Nadine Menendez also face charges but have entered pleas of not guilty.
Mansfield to provide tailored property and casualty insurance solutions to growing Southeast client base

IRVINE, Calif., January 03, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alliant Insurance Services continues to add strength to its Louisiana brokerage team, hiring Buzz Mansfield as Senior Vice President within its Alliant Americas division. Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, Mansfield will provide property and casualty insurance solutions to a growing Southeast client base.

Mansfield joins Alliant with more than 30 years of experience in commercial insurance and risk management. A veteran of the Louisiana market, Mansfield has provided a breadth of property and casualty insurance solutions to clients in a multitude of industries.

"Buzzs longstanding experience in insurance, risk management, business development, and strategic planning will help us further expand our footprint in the Louisiana market," said Bob Bennetsen, Executive Vice President and Senior Managing Director with Alliant. "He is a service-driven professional who understands the unique risk dynamics facing clients today."

Prior to joining Alliant, Mansfield was Senior Vice President within the Lafayette, Louisiana, office of a regional insurance brokerage and consulting firm. He earned his bachelors degree in insurance and risk management from the University of Mississippi and holds the Transportation Risk Specialist (TRS) designation.

Mansfield can be reached at (337) 303-2314 or Buzz.Mansfield@alliant.com.

About Alliant Insurance Services

Alliant Insurance Services is one of the nations leading distributors of diversified insurance products and services. We operate through a network of specialized national platforms and local offices to offer our clients a comprehensive portfolio of solutions built on innovative thinking and personal service. The business of managing risk is getting more complex, and Alliant is meeting this complexity head-on, not with more layers of management, but with more creativity and agility. Alliant is changing the way our clients approach risk management and benefits, so they can capitalize on new opportunities to grow and protect their organizations. Visit us at alliant.com. #TheMoreRewardingWay

Story continues

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103410189/en/

Contacts

ALLIANT P&C CONTACT

Megan Ford

Communications Manager

Alliant P&C

(213) 406-8755

Megan.Ford@alliant.com

ALLIANT CORPORATE CONTACT

Nick Kopinga

First Vice President

Corporate Marketing and Communications

(949) 260-5004

nkopinga@alliant.com
From what we can see, insiders were net buyers in ASM International NV's (AMS:ASM ) during the past 12 months. That is, insiders acquired the stock in greater numbers than they sold it.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

Check out our latest analysis for ASM International

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ASM International

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CTO & Member of the Management Board Hichem M'Saad for 2.0m worth of shares, at about 341 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of 458. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

Hichem M'Saad bought a total of 9.94k shares over the year at an average price of 343. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

ENXTAM:ASM Insider Trading Volume January 3rd 2024

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. ASM International insiders own about 16m worth of shares. That equates to 0.07% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At ASM International Tell Us?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in ASM International and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that ASM International has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

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Of course ASM International may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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.
Right now we celebrate the enduring legacy of Xtina and check pop culture, community news and top headlines for our most dedicated evening news readers . . .



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Local Sizzle Returns

Suddenly shuttered Big Biscuit locations in Kansas City expected to re-open The news comes months after the two restaurants in Blue Springs and Independence were closed without notice

Beloved BBQ Burns Out

Longtime KC-area barbecue restaurant closing Overland Park location Wyandot Barbecue announced Tuesday will be the last day for its Overland Park location, near 75th Street and Metcalf Avenue.

Rock Chalk Tech Mess Cont'd

Kansas Courts cyberattack impacting both sides of state line The Kansas District Court access portal is back online two and a half months after the system was affected by a cyber attack

Show-Me Legal Weed Aftermath

Legal weed in Missouri is nearly a year old. What can the cannabis industry expect in 2024? After voters legalized recreational marijuana in November 2022, dispensaries licensed to sell medical products began selling to anyone over the age of 21 in February 2023. The state also rolled out the first round of a new social equity license program, which has posed some hurdles.

Meth Town Makes Merry

Lighthearted messages on light polls raising money for a good cause in Independence Next month, you will see over a mile of painted hearts on light poles from Englewood Arts District to The Independence Square

Xtina Styling Sneak Peek

See Christina Aguilera's looks from her 'Burlesque' Las Vegas residency opening Christina Aguilera brought her best bops and served the best looks during the opening night of her Las Vegas residency show Burlesque at Voltaire at the Venetian.

White House Sells Juxtaposition

How the Biden campaign hopes to make 2024 less about Biden and more about a contrast with Trump | CNN Politics The 2024 campaign year for President Joe Biden's inner circle will largely be about carefully ratcheting up the intensity against Donald Trump, wary of voters becoming dulled to what they expect to be the former president's ever wilder rhetoric and promises about what he would do if back in power.

Talker Upsets White House

Trouble with tha God The influential radio host of "The Breakfast Club" is a thorn in the side of Democrats - but he's also representative of one of their biggest problems.

Republican Reductions

House GOP majority to shrink to 2 with Ohio lawmaker's early resignation House Republicans' already-slim majority will dwindle even further later this month when Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) resigns earlier than expected. Johnson's office on Tuesday confirmed the congressman's new official resignation date of Jan. 21, after he was previously expected to resign to take a job as president of Youngstown State University before mid-March.

Dem Deals Earn Indictment

Feds add allegations of Qatari influence against indicted Sen. Bob Menendez The troubles of New Jersey's senior senator continue to deepen.

Ivy League Aftermath

Claudine Gay to resign Harvard presidency: Harvard Crimson | CNN Business Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay will resign today, according to a report from The Harvard Crimson.

Unfriendly Fire From Vlad

Russian warplane accidentally bombed its own side during a massive missile attack on Ukraine Russia's defense ministry claimed there were no casualties after an "emergency aircraft munition release" struck a village inside Russian territory.

Winter Ice Cream Craving Is A "Thing" In Kansas City

Betty Rae's Ice Cream expands to serve up scoops at Northland deli Northlanders will no longer have to travel south of the river to get a scoop from this staple Kansas City.

Even More Chill Ahead . . .

Colder temps and fog will roll in the metro overnight Things are feeling a lot more like January for the rest of the week

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Right now hottie Kylie and her fashion hotness inspires our peek at pop cutlure, community news and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

South Side Shopping Cart Ethics Aptly Demonstrated

Kansas City man collected, returned 81 abandoned shopping carts from Indian Creek Trail Terrence Nash collected 80 shopping carts on the Indian Creek Trail in south Kansas City, Missouri, with hopes of helping to keep the area clean.

The Dotte Prepares To Chill

KCK getting warming stations ready as temperatures start to drop Many Kansas City area shelters are getting ready for an influx of guests trying to get out of the cold.

Kansas Highway Conversation Cont'd

KDOT extends K-10 feedback until Friday Commuters who use K-10 have a few more days to tell the Kansas Department of Transportation how it could be better.

Show-Me Debate Starting

2024 Missouri legislature opens today The new session of the Missouri legislature opens Wednesday.

Help Church Regain Footing

Floor repair project seeks funds Dorri PartainAssistant Editor When Independence Boulevard Christian Church members shelled out thousands of dollars to repair a sagging floor, they [...]

Hottie Sweats It Out

Kylie Jenner bares her washboard abs in Khy looks Kylie Jenner appeared in a new Instagram post shared on her clothing range Khy's account on Tuesday.

Campaigning On Capitol Riot

Biden opens 2024 campaign push with planned January 6 speech near Valley Forge | CNN Politics President Joe Biden will use the backdrop of two historic sites in Pennsylvania and South Carolina in the coming week to lay out some of the central arguments of his 2024 reelection bid, including protecting democracy and personal freedoms, as he prepares for a possible rematch with former President Donald Trump in November.

Backfiring Against MAGA

The Memo: Democrats worry about backlash over Trump ballot bans Decisions that would knock former President Trump off the ballot in two states run a high risk of backfiring on President Biden and his party. Mindful of the dangers, high-profile Democrats in elected office including California Gov. Gavin Newsom - as well as influential commentators such as David Axelrod - have expressed their resistance to...

Eastern Europe Worries Justified

Zelenskyy: West has lost sense of war's urgency, Ukrainians of existential threat President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the West has lost its sense of urgency regarding the war in Ukraine, and that many Ukrainians have lost their sense of an existential threat. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with The Economist Details: According to The Economist, Zelenskyy is exasperated by the hesitations of some of his allies, as well as the detachment among some of his compatriots.

Holy Land Hot Mess Redux

Israel signals shift in Gaza amid US pressure - but war presses on Israel is carrying out a significant shift in its military operation in the Gaza Strip nearly three months into its war to defeat Hamas, as the Biden administration presses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to scale down its campaign. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced this week its decision to withdraw and rotate out military...

Rising Sun Rescue

5 dead, hundreds evacuated after Japan Airlines jet and coast guard plane collide at Tokyo's Haneda Airport All 379 occupants of the Japan Airlines flight got out safely and the pilot of the coast guard plane also escaped, officials said.

For The Love Of Holidaze

Forrest Wright's KMRA Tasting Club opens Valentine's Day bookings to the public Courses are often presented with a vibrant splatter of sauces and a mix of complementary textures. // Photo Courtesy of KMRA Tasting Club KMRA Tasting Club's Chef and Operator Forrest Wright is known for elaborate, exclusive prix fixe dinners that involve his guests as much as possible.

Alleged Boozing Wake Up Call

Being at Chiefs game was last thing accused drunk driver remembered on NYE The Clay County Sheriff's Department said their DWI saturation patrol helped them arrest three drunk drivers on New Year's Eve.

Midweek Fog Emerges

Patches of frost and fog for this morning's commute Areas of frost and fog may impact the morning commute with peeks of sunshine through the clouds later today.

Kurchi Madathapetti is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
People walk near a Baidu logo at the company headquarters in Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Baidu plans to donate a quantum computing laboratory and equipment to the government-backed Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (BAQIS), a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Both parties are currently working out the details, the spokesperson added.

Baidu's move followed that of its peer Alibaba, which in November had said it would wind down its quantum computing laboratory and team within its research arm amid a broader company restructuring, donating both the lab and related experimental equipment to Zhejiang University.

Baidu established its quantum computing research centre in 2018, led by Duan Runyao who received his bachelor's and doctorate degrees from Tsinghua University. The research centre's accomplishments include developing Qian Shi, a quantum computer released in 2022.

The BAQIS was established in December 2017 on the initiative of the Beijing municipal government and with contributions from leading academic institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University.

Baidu and BAQIS had previously cooperated in the field of quantum research. Last March, the two organizations teamed up to jointly launch the first quantum computing industry intellectual property alliance in China.

(Reporting by Yelin Mo and Liz Lee; editing by Jason Neely and Christian Schmollinger)
In some parts of the metro . . . COVID masks never came off . . . Here's a peek at winter flu season protocols amid rising/ongoing fear of disease . . .



Some hospitals are recommending mask mandates again. In light of rising cases . . . Asked the Johnson County Health Department and KU Health System about the potential for another mask mandate for its employees and visitors.



We have some individual patient wards that have gone back to masking for the staff and for patients, and in some cases, the visitors as well, said Dr. Steven Stites of KU Health System. I don't see that we're going to go to general masking across the entire health system in the immediate future.



At the Johnson County Health Department, the only procedure they have in place is for employees who are not vaccinated to wear a mask.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

'Didn't think that I was going to test positive': Health care providers talk outlook as COVID cases rise again COVID-19 cases across the U.S. are on the rise once again. A map recently published by the CDC shows that Region Seven, which includes Missouri and Kansas, is the worst-affected area.

RSV is back on the rise in Kansas City heading into 2024 With now vaccine available, prevention is the best medicine

Developing . . .
Today's follow-up peek at justice Johnson County.



The courtroom vindication deserves just as much attention as allegations . . . Accordingly . . .

FELONY CHARGES AGAINST JACKSON MAHOMES DISMISSED!!! WITNESS REFUSES TO COOPERATE & REPORT SEYZ 'STOLEN KISSES' CONSENSUAL!!!



Here's the word . . .



"Prosecutors filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss three felony charges of aggravated sexual battery against Jackson Mahomes. But he still has one remaining misdemeanor charge, which could go to trial.



"The younger Mahomes appeared in Johnson County court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing where the judge ruled in favor of the motion.



"Court documents say the victim at the center of the case planned to assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if she were compelled to testify."

Worth highlighting and new perspective on allegations . . . That offer CLARIFICATION of events described in media outlets throughout the world . . . Including the New York Post:



"Prosecutors said the woman also said, even if she were granted immunity, she would say she has not been truthful to police and the encounter with Jackson Mahomes was consensual.



"At Wednesdays hearing, however, prosecutors argued just because the witness wont testify doesnt mean it didnt happen. "



And so . . .

TikTok dances might not be as fun . . . But they will likely continue.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Prosecutors move to dismiss all but one of the charges filed against Jackson Mahomes Mahomes still faces a misdemeanor battery charge after a preliminary hearing in the case on Wednesday
Q Yesterday, while leaving a small parking lot that I often frequent, a man in a white van was pulling in, in the most frantic way. I had to jam on my horn just to get him to stop an inch from hitting my car. He started screaming obscenities at me but allowed me the chance to pass him by safely.

There was a woman in a car watching the whole thing, and she stopped me with wide-eyes and said if he hadnt stopped when he did he surely would have hit my car. As I continued around, another car which had just pulled in, rolled down her window and exclaimed, Whoa! That was close!

I was shaken. Why would someone consciously choose to try to hit someone elses car? Its an expensive, time-consuming and annoying disturbance to both parties. Do you have any insight?

Shaken, not scratched

A Though the holiday season is filled with good cheer, spirit, kindness, etc., it can also be a very stressful time even for the most organized, calm person.

I cant tell you exactly what that man was thinking. However, he could have been distracted, thinking about all the things he needed to get done at Christmastime. Perhaps his partner had just left him or maybe someone close to him is ill. Well never know.

Its unfortunate that he responded so angrily. Give him your generosity of spirit and move on.

FEEDBACK: Regarding the woman who admits to being extremely sexually active (Nov. 15):

Reader You told her theres nothing wrong with her. You got it wrong! The woman is a sex addict and, like with any addiction, she needs serious mental help (not just a sex therapist).

She says her husband knows and is not bothered by it. Shes an adulterer and a cheater. Cheaters lie, they minimize, they rationalize, they justify. I suspect the husband is not OK with it but only tolerates it because hes desperate to keep his marriage intact and his family together. He also needs mental help.

Todays Hollywood culture normalizes infidelity, but adultery is not a victimless pursuit!

She says that shes concerned about her kids finding out. If shes that promiscuous they will find out, maybe even at school. There will be rumours that other kids will hear, and her kids will be taunted and bullied until they either graduate or move to a new school.

Also, statistics show that the children of cheaters are much more likely to either cheat on a partner themselves or be betrayed in a relationship. The fallout from adultery can last for generations.

On top of all that, I seriously doubt that all the many adultery partners shes had are all single. She is helping break up other marriages and tear apart other families. People who have never been cheated on have no idea about the extreme trauma that adultery causes to the betrayed spouse and the children.

Lived the trauma, got the emotional scars

A I dont agree there is something wrong with this woman, though you may well be correct that she is an addict. And you are definitely correct in pointing out that her behaviour is wrong in that she is openly cheating on her husband, which is considered adultery and could easily have negative fallout.

Sometimes I hone in on what I understand to be the letter-writers question, and due to space constraints, dont flesh out the bigger picture. Thank you for expanding and allowing me to revisit.

Readers Commentary regarding the neighbour contemplating what to do with the barking dog, and the responses you received to your helpful advice (Oct. 16 and Nov. 15):

Since becoming hard of hearing, Ive not been able to use the phone. As a result, I do everything by email or text. I have come to realize that a lot of people have really poor reading comprehension.

They either completely misconstrue what Ive written, read what they want to hear, or dont read what Ive written and just jump to a conclusion.

I find myself often having to explain what Ive written. On the flip side, Im always saying to myself, No, they didnt say that.

A I agree that the written word, especially email and text, usually lacks in emotion and nuance. Thats why punctuation is so important, and emojis can be so helpful. For example, a simple sentence can be read with sarcasm, changing its tone. Add a smiley face and the simplicity is obvious.

Ellie Tesher and Lisi Tesher are advice columnists for the Star and based in Toronto. Send your relationship questions via email: ellie@thestar.ca or lisi@thestar.ca.
The Gold Coast, Australia's prime tourist destination, is grappling with a significant setback as severe storms disrupt its peak tourist season. The region's key attractions, including renowned beaches and major theme parks like Dreamworld and Movie World, have been forced to close. This unexpected weather turmoil has resulted in millions of dollars in losses, crippling the Gold Coast's tourism industry.

Severe Storms Deal Heavy Blow to Gold Coast Tourism

Tour Collective, a local business offering various activities from snorkeling to jet ski lessons, estimates losses of around $200,000 since Christmas Eve. The adverse weather conditions have reduced their vessel capacity by 35%, impacting their operations significantly. Moreton Island, a popular destination, has lost four revenue days due to the ongoing storms.

Zac Revere, vice president of the Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce, warns that the storms will lead to millions of dollars in cancellations. Airbnb bookings are being canceled at an alarming rate as tourists seek alternative destinations, as reported by The Guardian.

In response, the Queensland and federal governments have announced financial support of up to $250,000 for affected businesses and primary producers. Disaster assistance loans are available to support businesses in the Gold Coast region. The Australian defense force will also step in to aid with the cleanup.

Read Also: North Queensland Calls for Tourist Support Amid Cyclone Recovery, Ready for Holiday Visitors

The situation is further exacerbated by power outages affecting thousands of residents. The extensive damage to power lines has prompted plans to replace the entire grid rather than repair it. This has led to a surge in demand for generators and forced local businesses, like childcare centers, to close temporarily.

Ironically, the Gold Coast tourism industry had expected a strong start to the year. Emma Clarke, spokesperson for Business Chamber Queensland, highlights the profound financial and emotional impact on affected businesses and their workforce. She encourages people to consider visiting these disaster-affected areas to support their recovery.

Despite the gradual return of power and ongoing cleanup efforts, the financial recovery for the Gold Coast is expected to be prolonged. Heavy rainfall and flooding may persist, with the storm gradually moving north of Brisbane.

Severe Storms Claim Lives in Eastern Australia, Gold Coast

Severe storms and floods in eastern Australia during the Christmas holiday period have resulted in the discovery of at least nine casualties, according to authorities. The affected regions are primarily Queensland and Victoria in the eastern states. While rainfall has subsided, search and rescue efforts are ongoing in flood-stricken areas, and power restoration operations are underway for thousands of customers.

Queensland, notably the Gold Coast area, experienced the extreme weather. The New York Times reported that over a 24-hour span ending Wednesday morning, coastal Queensland received over three inches of rain, leading to at least seven storm-related deaths.

These tragedies include a woman killed by a falling tree on the Gold Coast, three men who perished when a motorboat carrying 11 individuals capsized in Moreton Bay, and the discovery of two women's bodies during a river search north of Brisbane. Additionally, a 9-year-old girl who went missing during flooding in a southern suburb of Brisbane was found deceased.

As of Wednesday, over 60,000 electricity customers in southeastern Queensland remained without power. In the Gold Coast, heavy rain and high winds damaged approximately 1,400 homes, toppled trees, disrupted water supply, and caused power outages.

Related Article: Heavy Rain in California Causes Travel Disruptions Ahead of Christmas Holidays
Setting off to Borneo? Get ready for an experience that redefines adventure. This third-largest island in the world is a hotspot of natural wonders, brimming with dense rainforests, extraordinary wildlife, and diverse cultures. Borneo instantly grabs your attention with its greenery and the wild sounds of nature. It Is a place where adventure and discovery are around every corner.

Think about wandering through thick jungles, home to the captivating orangutan and numerous other species you have likely never encountered. The excitement of seeing animals in their natural setting is a refreshing change from typical zoo trips. Borneo's winding rivers offer thrilling boat rides, giving you a glimpse into secluded villages and unspoiled natural beauty.

But there's more to Borneo than just its wildlife. The island is alive with cultural richness. You will have the chance to meet local people, learn about their customs, and even learn a few words in their language. The cuisine here is a delightful mix of local and historical influences, offering your taste buds an unforgettable adventure.

Jungle Trekking

Embark through one of the world's oldest rainforests. Borneo's jungles are home to an incredible variety of plants and animals. As you hike through these ancient forests, you might spot the elusive Bornean orangutan or the rare pygmy elephant. The sounds of the jungle, from the chirping of exotic birds to the rustling of leaves, create an unforgettable experience.

Read Also: Top 5 Reasons For Wildlife Travelers To Visit Borneo

Diving into the Deep of Borneo's Underwater Wonders

Borneo is also a paradise for divers. The seas around the island boast some of the world's most spectacular dive sites. Dive into Sipadan Island's clear waters to see schools of colorful fish, graceful sea turtles, and maybe even a shark. The colorful coral reefs are beautiful, showcasing the ocean's artistry.

Climb Mount Kinabalu

Borneo's Mount Kinabalu, one of Southeast Asia's highest peaks, is a must-try for those who love a physical challenge. The climb to the summit is thrilling and offers panoramic views. As you climb higher, you'll see how the vegetation and climate change add to the adventure. Reaching the top feels like a great achievement.

Cultural Connections

Borneo's beauty is not just in its landscapes and rich cultural heritage. With their unique traditions, the indigenous communities offer a window into Borneo's soul. Visiting a longhouse and meeting the local tribes is an enlightening experience. You will learn about their connection to the land and daily lives, deepening your understanding of Borneo.

River Cruises

A river cruise in Borneo offers a peaceful way to see the island. Traveling along the Kinabatangan River, you will see the rainforest from a new perspective. This is a great chance to spot wildlife, especially in the early morning or late evening. The peacefulness of the river, combined with the sights and sounds of the jungle, creates a memorable experience.

Explore Borneo's Caves

For the more adventurous, Borneo's caves are a must-see. The Mulu Caves, some of the largest in the world, are awe-inspiring. Exploring these large caves is an adventure on its own. You will be amazed by the huge chambers and rock formations. The feeling of discovery as you move through these underground wonders is unique.

Related Article: Thinking of a Unique Travel Experience? Trang An in Vietnam is the Place to Go
A look back at some of the key trucking stories FreightWaves covered in 2023. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

While the August demise of less-than-truckload carrier Yellow Corp. monopolized headlines in both mainstream and industry media in 2023 after the 99-year-old trucking firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection  the largest filing in U.S. trucking history  a number of smaller trucking companies and brokerages also called it quits or sought bankruptcy protection after a brutal year in the freight industry. Other FreightWaves stories focused on fraud investigations and the mysterious disappearance of an Iowa truck driver, who was last seen by his family on Nov. 20.

Matheson Trucking announces shutdown plans

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

In December, U.S. Postal Service contractor Matheson Trucking and wholly owned subsidiaries Matheson Flight Extenders (MFE) and Matheson Postal Services (MPS) of Sacramento, California, announced plans to wind down operations on Jan. 31, 2024, after six decades in business.

Amid an ongoing financial dispute with the Postal Service, the Matheson entities laid off nearly 3,500 workers over a five-month period, a source familiar with the situation told FreightWaves.

MFE and MPS are wholly owned subsidiaries of Matheson Trucking. The family-owned entities, founded by Robert and Carole Matheson in 1962, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2022. MFE has been providing services to the Postal Service since December 1998. Read the story.

Surge Transportation files for bankruptcy protection

After two years of record growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacksonville, Florida-based Surge Transportation, a digital freight brokerage, sought a buyer and slashed its rates and workforce nearly a year before it filed for bankruptcy protection in late July 2023.





While Surge had hoped to avoid bankruptcy, the company said it had no choice but to file its Chapter 11 petition to gain breathing room to allow a new business model  which seeks to raise rates, as well as reduce overhead expenses with fewer employees both in the U.S. and overseas  to become established without the threat of creditor collection actions or being cut off by motor carrier factors. Read the story.

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Elite Transit Solutions ceases operations

Although Pittsburgh-based Elite Transit Solutions is now shuttered after its broker authority was involuntarily revoked by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in late November, many trucking companies that hauled freight for the brokerage had not been paid since May and no ones answering the phones. While a number of laid-off employees were eventually paid, carriers werent so lucky. Read the story.

Meadow Lark Agency, Meadow Lark Transport seek bankruptcy liquidation

Nearly 120 ex-employees were owed about $800,000 in unpaid wages while around 1,300 trucking companies were owed almost $2.7 million after 40-year-old Montana-based Meadow Lark Agency and its affiliate, Meadow Lark Transport, filed for bankruptcy liquidation in early November. Read the story.

Meadow Larks broker authority was involuntarily revoked on Aug. 15, and its contract carrier authority was canceled on Oct. 28.

Since May, motor carriers claimed they had been fighting for months to get paid after hauling brokered loads for Meadow Lark.

On Oct. 12, FreightWaves reported that Meadow Lark Transport had abruptly shuttered operations. At the time, the company had 273 drivers and 337 power units, according to the FMCSAs SAFER website. Meadow Larks broker authority was involuntarily revoked on Aug. 15, and its contract carrier authority was canceled on Oct. 28. Read the story.

Former Slync.io CEO Chris Kirchner indicted on fraud charges

(Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

In May, former Slync.io CEO Chris Kirchner was indicted on federal charges that he defrauded investors out of at least $25 million from the FreightTech startup he helped launch in 2017. Authorities allege he used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a $16 million private jet. Kirchners trial is scheduled to start on Jan. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth. Read the story.

Slync.io winds down operations

While logistics visibility platform provider Slync had hoped that new management and a $24 million cash infusion in February would be enough to save the FreightTech company, the company is proceeding with an alternative option to a traditional bankruptcy and plans to wind down operations and sell off its technology.

The timing of Slyncs filing in October comes nearly three weeks after Kirchner filed suit against his former employer for legal fee advancement and indemnification in Delawares Court of Chancery. Kirchner sought to have Slync pay his legal bills in his ongoing fraud case after his assets were frozen by the feds. Read the story.

Judge rules against TQL on overtime pay

In late September, a federal judge ruled that Total Quality Logistics  the second-largest freight brokerage in the U.S.  violated federal law and owes overtime pay to thousands of former employees who worked more than 40 hours a week.

Judge Michael Barrett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued his ruling almost 18 months after a 12-day bench trial ended in early March 2022. He ordered TQL to pay overtime wages to the employees and an additional amount equal to the actual damages. Barrett also found Ken Oaks, chief executive and co-founder of TQL, personally liable. Read the story.

Iowa trucker still missing

(Submitted image)

Iowa truck driver David Schultz, 53, of Wall Lake, Iowa, has been missing since early Nov. 21. Sarah Schultz told FreightWaves she last saw her husband around 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 when he dropped by the house to grab a change of clothes before heading out to pick up another load of pigs.

What happened next remains a mystery as local, county and state law enforcement agencies are still searching for answers  and Dave. Read the story.

Identify fraud story hits home with carriers, brokers

Owner-operators Toni and Chris Murphy of New Egypt, New Jersey, share their story of a tech-savvy fraudster who stole their trucking companys identity, posted loads using their Department of Transportation number, collected payment for those loads, then disappeared, leaving the Murphys to deal with the fallout. Their story resonated with carriers and brokers, who shared similar tales of dealing with identity fraud in 2023. Read the story.

Trucking co-owner sentenced in bank fraud scheme

In January, former trucking company co-owner Nolan DeWall, 39, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa to a year and a day in federal prison.

DeWall had pleaded guilty seven months earlier to one count of bank fraud for his role in orchestrating an elaborate $250,000 check kiting scheme. He also faced unrelated charges in state court that he allowed more than 800 pigs to starve or freeze to death in his care in December 2021. Read the story.

Trucking fraudster sentenced

A previously convicted fraudster, Franklin Ray, 52, of Canton, Michigan, was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for his role in multiple fraud schemes, including bilking investors out of $40 million in a truck investment venture.

He was sentenced in late November in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York after pleading guilty in March to four counts of wire fraud, including one count while he was released on bail.

Ray admitted that over a 10-month period  June 2021 until April 2022  he defrauded 275 investors in CSA Business Solutions LLC, headquartered in Imlay City, Michigan, telling them he had 4,704 trucks and 4,909 drivers when he only had two trucks and four drivers. He purportedly told investors that he used the $40 million to purchase over 2,000 trucks. That wasnt the case. Read the story.

Do you have a news tip or story to share? Send me an email or message me @cage_writer on X, formerly known as Twitter. Your name will not be used without your permission.

More FreightWaves articles by Clarissa Hawes

The post Bankruptcies, fraud and a missing trucker: Key trucking stories in 2023 appeared first on FreightWaves.
The Poor Man Tyre Shop in Valencia and a nearby apartment building were destroyed by fire 
On January 1, 2024, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia officially became members of the BRICS group, expanding its original lineup of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

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Read More: Saudi Business Women

Originally invited at the 15th BRICS summit in August 2023 in Johannesburg, Argentina had withdrawn its invitation in December. The group, initially formed in 2006, aimed to foster cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries, gaining significance on the global stage. With the new additions, the BRICS now has ten members, including economic powerhouses UAE and Saudi Arabia from the Middle East.

The expansion signals a potential shift in the economic world order, challenging the dominance of the US-led system. The BRICS, seen as an alternative to traditional Western influence, seeks mutual dependence and increased global influence.

The combined population of the expanded BRICS is approximately 3.5 billion, with a total economy valued at over $28.5 trillion, constituting around 28% of the global economy.

While the growth signifies geopolitical changes, some analysts express uncertainty about whether the expansion will enhance or hinder BRICS' overall power.

Concerns include potential differences within the group weakening decision-making. However, the BRICS countries aim for greater representation of emerging economies and reduced dependence on the US dollar. In the pursuit of economic collaboration, Brazil's president proposed a common currency for trade and investment among BRICS nations in August of the previous year.

When was the BRICS founded?

Established in June 2006 during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum as BRIC (before South Africa's inclusion), the organization is a group of associated states involving ministers of economy from Brazil, Russia, India, and China. As of August 2023, approximately 40 nations have shown interest in joining BRICS, with around 20 submitting official membership applications.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Deadline Passes for Last Spot Bitcoin ETF Amendments

As the deadline for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to approve or deny the novel spot bitcoin ETF approaches, prospective issuers are filing final amendments to their regulatory filings after multiple editing rounds.

The agency told issuers, based on confidential sources, that Friday, Dec. 29 was the last day to amend their spot bitcoin S-1 applications for ETFs, according to Reuters. BlackRock, Invesco, Ark, Grayscale, and others filed amendments Friday, with Fidelity and WisdomTree naming Jane Street as the funds broker dealer and Invesco naming JPMorgan and Virtu as their authorized participants.

Issuers that filed new ETF amendments Dec. 29 will likely be included in the first round of launches, which could carry huge first-mover advantages for the novel product.

While various issuers have vied to roll out a spot bitcoin ETF for a decade, the SEC only recently began to seriously work with firms to advance filings toward approval. This began after Grayscale won a watershed lawsuit against the SEC in late August, with a U.S. appeals court ruling that the regulator was wrong to block the companys conversion of their Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into an ETF.

This left the SECs hands tied and opened the door for the debut of ETFs that track physically backed bitcoin.

Spot Bitcoin ETF Race

As crypto specialist issuers such as Bitwise Asset Management and powerful Wall Street players including BlackRock work to woo crypto investors, an unprecedented ETF marketing war has kicked off.

Bitwise broke out of the gate first, releasing their Most Interesting Man spinoff commercial earlier this month. Hashdex and VanEck have also both released TV ads.

It's a marketing game from there, although some people would call it a war, Cathie Wood, who tops ARK, told etf.com in November.

Fees will also inform the competition. Invesco said in their filing that they will waive the funds fee for the first six months and $5 billion in assets. Fidelity currently has listed the lowest fee, 0.39%, yet not all issuers have included fees in their filings.

Story continues

Contact Lucy Brewster at lucy.brewster@etf.com.





Permalink |  Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved
The Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid have condemned Russia's massive aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The joint statement of the OSCE leaders has been published on the website of the organization, Ukrinform reports.

"The new year has depressingly begun in the same way that the last one ended. Death and destruction have stolen the lives of women, men, boys and girls and destroyed essential infrastructure. Every day, it is civilians who consistently pay the price in this terrible conflict. They should never be the victims of deadly drone and missile attacks," reads the statement on the continuing and intensifying aerial attacks by Russia in its war against Ukraine."

The OSCE leaders deplored "in the strongest possible terms" these ongoing attacks and urgently called for "an immediate end to the unrelenting violence that does nothing but propagate a vicious cycle of misery and suffering."

"We call for this war to end now," Borg and Schmid said, without specifying the specific addressee of this call.

On January 2, Russia carried out a large-scale aerial attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. The Kyiv and Kharkiv regions were the main target. Missile strikes killed five people, injured 130 others, and damaged over 250 civilian objects.
Ukraine has managed to free more than 200 of its people from Russian captivity. There was a long pause in the exchanges, but there was no pause in the negotiations regarding the exchanges.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Today, despite everything, despite all the challenges, there is long-awaited good news. We managed to free over 200 of our people from Russian captivity. Warriors and  very importantly  civilians. We remember all Ukrainians held in Russian captivity. There was a long pause in the exchanges, but there was no pause in the negotiations regarding the exchanges. We seize every opportunity, try all mediation options. At every international meeting that can help the cause, we raise the issue of returning our captives. And we will continue this work to return our people All our people, the Head of State said.

In his words, the Ukrainian side brought home warriors of the Armed Forces and the National Guard, border guards and Navy servicemen. Most of them are soldiers and sergeants, but there are also officers.

It is a really good day for Ukraine. Some of these warriors are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. Some of those freed today were not even initially known to be in captivity. They were considered missing. It is very important to keep hope alive, Zelensky noted.

The President of Ukraine thanked the entire team that has worked and is working for the exchanges to continue, namely Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, representative of Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate Andrii Usov, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk and Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko.

And of course, I thank each of our warriors on the front line who take the occupiers prisoner and replenish our exchange fund. The more Russians we take prisoner, the more effective the negotiations on exchanges will be, Zelensky emphasized.

The full text of the speech by the President of Ukraine is provided below:

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, despite everything, despite all the challenges, there is long-awaited good news. We managed to free over 200 of our people from Russian captivity. Warriors and  very importantly  civilians. We remember all Ukrainians held in Russian captivity. There was a long pause in the exchanges, but there was no pause in the negotiations regarding the exchanges. We seize every opportunity, try all mediation options. At every international meeting that can help the cause, we raise the issue of returning our captives. And we will continue this work to return our people All our people.

Now I am glad that we managed to unblock the exchange. We brought home warriors of the Armed Forces and the National Guard, border guards and Navy servicemen. Most of them are soldiers and sergeants. But there are also officers. It is a really good day for Ukraine. Some of these warriors are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. Some of those freed today were not even initially known to be in captivity. They were considered missing. It is very important to keep hope alive.

I thank the entire team that has worked and is working for the exchanges to continue! Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Malyuk, Klymenko. And of course, I thank each of our warriors on the front line who take the occupiers prisoner and replenish our exchange fund. The more Russians we take prisoner, the more effective the negotiations on exchanges will be.

Glory to Ukraine!
CHENGDU, China, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the evening of January 1st, amid the footfalls of the New Year, a dream-like welcoming performance was showcased on Jiaozi Avenue in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone, signifying the official opening of the Metaverse District on Jiaozi Avenue with the full integration of digital technology and consumption scenarios.

At the site of the light show on Jiaozi Avenue, Chengdu Hi-tech Zone

Commencing at 8 o'clock on that evening, the Tianfu Twin Towers, organizers coordinated lights from the building complexes on both sides of Jiaozi Ring and Jiaozi Avenue to stage a 360 degrees immersive and integrated sound-photoelectric themed light show. A total of over 400 New Year wishes from Chengdu citizens were scrolled in turn on the Twin Towers this year, exhibiting the citizens' aspirations of striving and taking great strides towards the future.

It is worth highlighting that the virtual human "Nishang" developed by a local digital technology company in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone also made its debut at this event. Synchronized with the real scene of the on-site light show, and using the "Yuanyou" app, citizens and tourists enjoyed the graceful dancing of "Nishang" under the Twin Towers and the wonderful singing performance through their mobile screens. Captivated by the impressive festival atmosphere, many participants were seen dancing to the rhythm of music. Citizen Mr. Zhang said: "The aesthetically pleasing light show and the technology-driven virtual human performance have complemented the festive atmosphere with a sci-fi experience."

In addition to the wonderful performances brought by the virtual human "Nishang" citizens and tourists on Jiaozi Avenue can see the locality's AR street view in by using the "Yuanyou" app and scanning the surrounding buildings. For instance, visitors can appreciate the huge graffiti creations of young artists by pointing the mobile phone screen at the Jiaozi Ring, where graffiti works and corresponding introductions will automatically change at regular intervals, enabling users to enjoy the appeal and creativity of youth trends and arts while standing in just one spot without the need to move around. While exploring Jiaozi Avenue through AR navigation, one can easily find businesses along the route in an interactive and gamified manner. By taking on and completing "missions", users are naturally guided to visiting the stores and given such rewards as business coupons, so as to boost consumption.

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In this launch event, Chengdu Cultural Equity Exchange has undertaken cooperation with artists in confirming the digital asset rights for onboarding the artistic works. In the future, digital assets of artists can be sold through the Chengdu Cultural Equity Exchange's online platform, and be bound with the interests of physical property (such as merchandises derived from one such property).

A relevant person in charge of the Chengdu Hi-tech Zone explained that the "transformation" of Jiaozi Avenue is an important attempt in leveraging metaverse to empower brick-and-mortar entities. By expanding the digital space based on the traditional commercial space and exploiting the key technologies of metaverse, steps have been taken to give rise to a brand new Jiaozi Avenue while concurrently driving surrounding merchants to form new business exposure and monetization paths, so as to encourage on-site consumption. In the future, by relying on the establishment of Metaverse District, Jiaozi Avenue will continue to hold a diverse range of integrated digital and physical experience activities.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443944

Caption: At the site of the light show on Jiaozi Avenue, Chengdu Hi-tech Zone

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443947

Caption: Tourists amazed by the AR street view of Jiaozi Avenue using their mobile phones

Tourists amazed by the AR street view of Jiaozi Avenue using their mobile phones

Cision

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SOURCE The Chengdu Hi-tech Zone
In a surprising turn of events, Harvard President Claudine Gay has resigned, potentially under pressure from the Harvard Corporation, signaling deeper concerns about the influence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideologies on universities across the nation. While Gay's departure is symbolic, it brings attention to the ongoing transformation of academic institutions from bastions of objective learning to advocates of social justice.

The Rise of DEI Bureaucracy

Claudine Gay's resignation sheds light on the dominance of DEI bureaucracy in universities, a trend that gained momentum after the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Many institutions redirected their mission from fact-based scholarship to a social justice agenda, driven by the DEI narrative. However, this shift has resulted in unintended consequences, creating a zero-sum game where benefits for some groups come at the expense of others.

Universities, once focused on nurturing critical thinking and academic excellence, now find themselves entangled in a web of bureaucracy that prioritizes certain demographics over others. The emphasis on diversity often overshadows the merit-based principles that should guide academic institutions.

READ ALSO: US Education Department Investigates Alleged Discrimination At George Mason University And UNC-Chapel Hill

The Destructive Force of Intersectionality

At the core of DEI ideology lies the concept of "intersectionality," a divisive construct that categorizes individuals as either oppressors or oppressed based solely on identity politics. This approach has led to the marginalization of certain groups, including Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and other minorities. Antisemitism has surged on campuses, illustrating the negative impact of the DEI bureaucracy.

Rather than fostering an inclusive environment, intersectionality has created an atmosphere of suspicion and hostility. The academic community, once a space for open dialogue and intellectual exploration, is now stifled by the fear of saying the wrong thing and facing accusations of perpetuating oppression.

Meritocracy Under Attack

DEI proponents challenge the concept of meritocracy, accusing it of perpetuating oppression. According to this ideology, meritocracy, which evaluates individuals based on hard work and accomplishments, must be dismantled. In its place, they advocate for equity, evaluating individuals based on uncontrollable characteristics such as race and sexual identity.

This assault on meritocracy jeopardizes the very foundation of academic excellence. The principles of hard work and achievement, once celebrated, are now downplayed in favor of a system that undermines individual accomplishments, reducing them to mere markers of privilege or disadvantage.

A Call for Reevaluation

While the Harvard Corporation, largely comprised of DEI supporters, initially appointed President Gay, her forced resignation suggests a growing resistance to the prevailing narrative. This shift is crucial, as universities encompass more than just their current faculty, students, and boards; they also involve alumni, future students, and the general public. The public has a stake in reshaping the trajectory of universities, which represent the future leadership.

The need for a thorough reevaluation of university priorities is evident. The resonance of DEI ideologies within the administration should not overshadow the broader mission of these institutions - to educate, inspire, and prepare the next generation of leaders.

The Need for Systemic Change

Gay's resignation marks a symbolic step, but meaningful change requires a fundamental reconsideration of universities' mission. The next imperative step involves dismantling the DEI bureaucracy, which, while powerful, consists largely of non-tenured individuals without the qualifications to become professors. Courage and resolve are necessary to confront this force and redefine university priorities.

This is not a call to dismiss the importance of diversity and inclusion but a plea for a more nuanced and balanced approach. Universities must actively engage in constructive dialogue that promotes understanding and collaboration rather than fostering an environment of division and distrust.

Embracing Meritocracy and Restoring Balance

To counter the DEI mindset, a return to prioritizing meritocracy is crucial. Meritocracy, broadened beyond grades to include hard work and accomplishment, should guide the evaluation of individuals. Reinstating grades and adopting a comprehensive approach to meritocracy are vital components of this shift.

This isn't about abandoning the principles of diversity and inclusion but rather about ensuring that these principles coexist harmoniously with the fundamental tenets of academic excellence. Striking a balance between recognizing the unique contributions of diverse voices and maintaining high standards of merit-based achievement is essential for the long-term health of academic institutions.

Revisiting Martin Luther King's Dream

The short tenure of President Gay could be a turning point in American academia's history, offering an opportunity to reflect on the mistakes made and reevaluate the trajectory of universities. As we navigate this critical juncture, we must strive to restore a vision where individuals are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, echoing Martin Luther King's dream.

The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. calls for a society that values individuals based on their character and contributions rather than superficial characteristics. It's time for universities to revisit these timeless principles and integrate them into their policies and practices.

Claudine Gay's resignation sparks a larger conversation about the impact of DEI ideologies on universities. It prompts a reevaluation of priorities, advocating for the dismantling of DEI bureaucracy and a return to the principles of meritocracy. This moment in academia's history has the potential to shape a more inclusive and equitable future if universities heed the lessons learned from recent events.

Universities should be beacons of enlightenment, fostering an environment where ideas can be freely exchanged, and individuals can be celebrated for their unique perspectives and achievements. It's time for a recalibration of values and priorities in academia, ensuring that diversity and meritocracy coexist to propel universities towards a brighter, more inclusive future.

RELATED ARTICLE: Harvard President Claudine Gay Faces Plagiarism Allegations, House Committee Demands Answers
In a legal battle unfolding at Rutgers University, law student Yoel Ackerman has filed a lawsuit against the institution, alleging discrimination and retaliation. The case revolves around Ackerman's outspoken stance against antisemitism on campus and the subsequent actions taken against him by Rutgers.

Background: Antisemitic Video Sparks Controversy

Ackerman's ordeal began when a fellow student sent him a video containing false statements that denied Hamas' actions during the October attack in Israel. Concerned about the dissemination of misinformation and the potential promotion of antisemitic views, Ackerman reported the video to the Jewish Law Students' Association, following the instructions he had received.

However, the aftermath of his report took an unexpected turn. Instead of addressing the content of the video, Rutgers University filed charges against Ackerman for sharing it. The severity of the charges puts him at risk of suspension or expulsion, creating a complex situation that intertwines concerns about antisemitism with allegations of retaliation against a student who spoke out.

READ ALSO: California State University Faculty To Strike In January 2024 Due To Compensation Issues

Yoel Ackerman's Perspective

Ackerman believes that the actions taken against him are an attempt by Rutgers, along with some students, to stifle his right to speak out against antisemitism. Expressing it in his terms, he stated, "The aftermath has been an endeavor by Rutgers and peers to mute my anti-antisemitism advocacy."

His legal action aims to shed light on the alleged discrimination and retaliation he has faced, emphasizing the importance of addressing antisemitism on campus without fear of punitive consequences.

Rutgers' Stance on Antisemitism and Bias Claims

Rutgers University, in response to Ackerman's lawsuit, asserts that it takes claims of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bias and intolerance seriously. The institution emphasizes its commitment to investigating such claims thoroughly. This statement reflects Rutgers' dedication to maintaining a campus environment free from discrimination and fostering inclusivity.

However, the discrepancy between the university's commitment to addressing antisemitism and the charges brought against Ackerman raises questions about the handling of the situation and whether the institution is effectively protecting the rights of students who report instances of bias.

Complexities of Free Speech and Antisemitism on Campus

The case at Rutgers underscores the complexities surrounding free speech, academic discourse, and the battle against antisemitism on college campuses. Students have a right to express their views, even when controversial, but concerns arise when the dissemination of misinformation or biased content perpetuates harmful stereotypes and contributes to a hostile environment.

Universities must navigate a delicate balance between promoting open dialogue and addressing instances of discrimination. In Ackerman's case, the question arises whether reporting antisemitic content resulted in unfair consequences for the student who sought to expose and combat such sentiments.

The Larger Conversation: Safeguarding Free Speech and Combating Bias

This lawsuit comes at a time when universities nationwide are grappling with how to safeguard free speech while actively combating bias and discrimination. It raises questions about the effectiveness of current protocols in addressing concerns related to antisemitism and whether reporting mechanisms are fostering an environment where students feel empowered to speak out without fear of retaliation.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the case of Yoel Ackerman versus Rutgers University will likely contribute to a broader conversation about the intersection of free speech, antisemitism, and the responsibilities of academic institutions to create an inclusive and tolerant learning environment.

The lawsuit brought by Yoel Ackerman against Rutgers University highlights the intricate challenges faced by educational institutions in addressing antisemitism on campus. It prompts a reflection on the delicate balance between protecting free speech and combating discrimination. As this case unfolds, it may offer insights into how universities can refine their approaches to handling bias claims, ensuring that students like Ackerman can actively contribute to fostering a more tolerant and respectful academic community.

RELATED ARTICLE: Former Stone Academy Students File Lawsuit Amid Closure Controversy
Former Oxford University vice-chancellor Dame Louise Richardson's departure is under scrutiny as financial reports reveal a 423,407 award, equivalent to a year's salary, in addition to her regular pay. The reports detail a total expenditure of over 1 million on the employment of both Dame Louise and her successor Irene Tracey during the academic year 2022-23.

Dame Louise Richardson's Compensation Details

Dame Louise's annual salary was 422,000, and she received 176,000 for the five months she served between August 2022 and the end of the year. An additional bonus, described as recognition for exceptional leadership during the pandemic, amounted to 23,000. Factoring in benefits, pension costs, and a substantial 423,407 paid in lieu of a sabbatical entitlement, Dame Louise's total remuneration reached 712,000.

READ ALSO: Europe's Higher Education Horizon: A Look Into 2030 Targets And Challenges

Successor Irene Tracey's Compensation

Professor Tracey, who succeeded Dame Louise, opted to forgo an 8.4% pay rise that had been proposed for her predecessor in 2019. Instead, she chose to absorb nationwide pay rises given to all university staff. In the seven months covered by the financial reports for 2022-23, Professor Tracey received a basic salary of 232,000. Additional benefits brought her total remuneration to 336,000.

Oxford University's Expenditure

Oxford University's spending on the two vice-chancellors during the specified academic year totaled 1.05 million. Charles Harman, the independent chair of the committee responsible for setting the Oxford vice-chancellor's salary, defended the figures, emphasizing the complex responsibility of leading one of the world's highest-ranking universities. Harman highlighted the arrival of Irene Tracey as the new vice-chancellor, who chose not to accept her predecessor's pay rise in 2019.

Comparison with Other Russell Group Universities

An analysis of Russell Group universities reveals an average total remuneration of 388,000 for vice-chancellors. This marks an increase from the previous year's average of 377,000 across 21 institutions. The financial reports show varying compensation across different universities, with the London School of Economics spending 574,000 on Dame Minouche Shafik's final year as vice-chancellor.

The University of Cambridge spent 499,000 on the three vice-chancellors it employed during the academic year, while Imperial College London paid 476,000 to Hugh Brady in his first year. At the University of Exeter, vice-chancellor Lisa Roberts received a bonus of 50,750, bringing her total remuneration to 405,000.

Scrutiny and Transparency in Executive Compensation

The disclosure of executive compensation at leading universities continues to spark discussions about fairness, transparency, and the allocation of resources. As institutions grapple with financial challenges and navigate the changing landscape of higher education, scrutiny over such payouts raises questions about the justification for substantial awards and the broader governance of university leadership.

While universities defend the high remuneration for top executives by emphasizing the challenging nature of their roles and the need to attract and retain top talent, critics argue that such payouts contribute to rising tuition fees and exacerbate financial pressures on students. The tension between the need for competitive compensation to attract qualified leaders and the imperative for responsible financial stewardship remains a central concern in higher education.

The financial details surrounding Dame Louise Richardson's exit from Oxford University shed light on the complexities and debates surrounding executive compensation in higher education. As universities strive for financial sustainability and accountability, the transparency of these figures remains crucial for stakeholders, including students, faculty, and the public.

Balancing the competitive nature of leadership compensation with the imperative for responsible financial management is a delicate task for universities. The scrutiny over such payouts underscores the broader need for transparency, fairness, and a nuanced understanding of the intricate challenges faced by academic institutions in the contemporary landscape. As higher education institutions navigate these complexities, the conversations around executive compensation will likely continue to evolve, shaping the future governance and financial practices of universities.

RELATED ARTICLE: Financial Pressures In Edinburgh: Scottish Universities, Local Authorities, And Legal Services Navigate Austerity Measures
In a recent development, the U.S. Education Department has widened its investigations into alleged discrimination, adding the University of Virginia and San Diego State University to the list of institutions facing scrutiny. The investigations revolve around potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, focusing on shared ancestry issues.

Title VI and Discrimination Allegations

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act mandates that federally funded institutions, including colleges and universities, must safeguard students from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights is spearheading the investigations, yet the specific nature of the alleged shared-ancestry violations remains unspecified in the department's public disclosure.

READ ALSO: FTC Sues Grand Canyon University, Alleging Deceptive Practices Targeting Doctoral Students

Growing List of Investigations

The move to include the University of Virginia and San Diego State University comes amid a surge in complaints related to discrimination, particularly in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war in October. The Education Department has witnessed a notable increase in reports alleging antisemitism or Islamophobia on college campuses. This trend prompted the initiation of 41 investigations into K-12 school districts and colleges, with 27 involving institutions of higher education. The department began publicly listing the institutions under investigation in mid-November.

Context of Antisemitism and Islamophobia

The Israel-Hamas conflict, which erupted in early October, has contributed to a heightened sensitivity surrounding issues of discrimination and prejudice on college campuses. The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights is tasked with examining the complaints and determining if there are violations of Title VI in each case. The investigations aim to ensure that federally funded educational institutions maintain an environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.

Previous Additions to the Investigation List

Before the inclusion of the University of Virginia and San Diego State University, George Mason University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were among the institutions added to the list. The expanding roster underscores the department's commitment to thoroughly investigate complaints and address potential violations promptly.

Challenges Faced by Educational Institutions

The investigations place universities under the microscope, requiring them to navigate the complexities of fostering an inclusive and discrimination-free environment. Balancing the need for open discourse and diverse perspectives on campuses with the responsibility to protect students from discrimination poses a significant challenge for educational institutions.

Implications for Higher Education

The growing number of investigations indicates a heightened awareness and scrutiny of potential discrimination issues within educational institutions. Universities must proactively address any concerns and work collaboratively with the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights to ensure compliance with Title VI.

The Role of Education in Promoting Inclusivity

Education plays a pivotal role in shaping societal attitudes, and institutions of higher learning are instrumental in fostering inclusivity, diversity, and understanding among students. The investigations underscore the importance of addressing any incidents of discrimination promptly and implementing measures to create a more tolerant and respectful educational environment.

As the U.S. Education Department expands its investigations into alleged discrimination, universities find themselves at the intersection of promoting free expression and maintaining an inclusive environment. The outcomes of these investigations will not only impact individual institutions but also set precedents for how educational institutions nationwide address and prevent discrimination based on shared ancestry. The ongoing efforts to uphold Title VI of the Civil Rights Act emphasize the imperative of ensuring that educational environments are equitable, respectful, and conducive to the holistic development of all students.

RELATED ARTICLE: US Education Department Investigates Alleged Discrimination At George Mason University And UNC-Chapel Hill
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The ISPR says Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir attended the distinguished ceremony as the Chief Guest.

RAWALPINDI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Jan 3rd, 2024) Induction and Operationalization Ceremony was held at an operational base of Pakistan Air Force.

The ceremony showcased the newly inducted weapon systems and defence assets of PAF.

According to the ISPR, Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir attended the distinguished ceremony as the Chief Guest.

The Army Chief, in his speech, lauded the operational preparedness of Pakistan Air Force in incorporating state-of-the-art weapon systems, substantially contributing in ensuring the balance of power in the region.

While emphasizing the significance of indigenization and human resource development, COAS wholeheartedly endorsed PAF's dedication to technological advancements and operational excellence, reassuring that the Armed Forces of Pakistan are fully prepared to thwart any aggression.

The COAS also appreciated PAF's efforts for transportation of Relief Goods for the victims of Gaza conflict.
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Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to continued engagement and mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan. He also underscored the importance of addressing all issues of concern to harness the full potential for regional trade and connectivity

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to continued engagement and mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan. He also underscored the importance of addressing all issues of concern to harness the full potential for regional trade and connectivity. The foreign minister received a delegation led by Haji Mullah Shirin, Governor of Kandahar and Deputy Head of Military Intelligence and Strategy of Afghanistan, Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.

They exchanged views on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, as well as people-to-people contacts.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan for the generous support extended to millions of Afghans for over four decades and agreed to continue high-level engagements and dialogue to further strengthen the bilateral relations.

Earlier, the Afghan delegation led by Haji Mullah Shirin participated in the 6th session of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Coordination Committee (JCC). In the JCC meeting, the two sides discussed coordination mechanisms to facilitate cross border movement with a view to promote people-to-people contacts. Separately, on X, the foreign minister posted that he had a productive meeting with Mullah Shirin, Governor of Kandahar.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) Dense foggy conditions, continuing in Punjab, plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh in coming days, as per the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD)s forecast, can cause health issues among the citizens.

The PMD in its advisory issued on Wednesday warned that exposure to the foggy environment can cause health issues among the citizens.

Due to the stable atmosphere, prevailing dense foggy conditions will continue over Punjab including Islamabad, plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Sindh.

A rain-bearing westerly system is likely to enter Balochistan on January 04 and may affect parts of Balochistan till January 05.

Under the influence of this weather system, light to moderate rain-wind/thunderstorm with snowfall over hills is expected in Chaghi, Quetta, Chaman, Ziarat, Qilla Abdullah, Qillah Saifullah, Loralai, Pishin, Mastung, Zhob, Kalat, Musa Khel, Kharan, Harnai, Sibbi, Noshki, Khuzdar and Makran coast on January 04 and January 05.

About the impact of foggy conditions, the PMD said that the day temperatures are likely to drop 03-05 celsius degrees in coming days due to the foggy conditions.

Very cold weather conditions are likely to prevail in fog-affected areas. Flights, Railways and Highways/Motorways operations may be disrupted during the foggy conditions.

The travelers have been advised to remain cautious during the foggy days due to the reduced visibility level and avoid unnecessary travelling during the morning and night hours.
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The Senate's Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who represents the Federal Capital in the Senate, held a Christmas-cum-New Years Party in honour of sanitation workers at the E-7 Park on Wednesday, which was attended by about 150 persons

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) The Senate's Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who represents the Federal Capital in the Senate, held a Christmas-cum-New Years Party in honour of sanitation workers at the E-7 Park on Wednesday, which was attended by about 150 persons.

Lauding the hard work, role and contribution of sanitary workers to keep Islamabad clean and green, he said: "You are the real VIPs. Given your honesty, dedication and hardwork, we are proud of you."

He also awarded shields of appreciation to two retiring sanitary workers - Yaqoob Masih, who served for 42 years, and Saifur Rahman, who served for 38 years.

Talking to the media, Senator Mushahid said that Islamabad was a city of the elites, where the 'VIP culture' was prevalent and only VIPs were acknowledged or honoured.

However, he wanted to set a different example, by "honouring our unsung heroes, the poor, underclass belonging to the Christian community, who are the weakest and most oppressed section of Pakistani society".

He said the sanitary workers were the real VIPs, who did not hold any high office but they served selflessly, beyond the call of duty, at meagre salaries, and "it is because of them that our city (Islamabad) is clean and beautiful".

He said,"We must uphold the Quaid-e-Azams vision of equality for all Pakistanis, irrespective of religion, caste or creed and respect the National Flag where the white colour honours non-Muslim Pakistanis."

Last year too, Senator Mushahid arranged a similar function in honour of Manzoor Masih, a retiring sanitary worker and other members of the CDA sanitation staff.

The head of CDA Labour Union, Chaudhry Yasin, and Senator Fawzia Arshad also participated in the function.
Construction in April of new houses in the new development of Pioneer Crossing by Pulte Homes up off of Rt. 42 in Plain City. A Columbus economist said the region is not building enough housing to help job growth.

Central Ohio, for years, outperformed the Ohio and U.S. economies when it came to job creation.

Not any more.

The Columbus region should add just 9,800 jobs this year, a weak growth rate of 0.9%, according to economist Bill LaFayette, owner of the central Ohio economic consulting firm Regionomics. By contrast, LaFayette says forecasts of the national economy are predicting an employment gain of about 1.5%.

In 2023, the region added 10,300 jobs, hitting LaFayette's forecast he made a year ago.

It will be third straight year of underperforming the U.S. rate, LaFayette told the Columbus Metropolitan Club on Wednesday, when he laid out his annual economic forecast for the region.

"I certainly wish this years news could be better  although I guess it could be worse," LaFayette said.

If central Ohio had matched the U.S. rate in '23, the region would have added at least 26,000 jobs. The state also outperformed the Columbus region last year with a growth rate of 1.8%, or 100,000 jobs, according to federal jobs data.

Economist Bill LaFayette

Between the end of 2009 and February 2020, the Columbus metro area gained 23.4% in jobs while the U.S. gained 17.5%.

Why has job creation slowed so much in central Ohio?

LaFayette blames slowing population growth in the region for the slow job creation in recent years.

"We are using up all our workers," LaFayette said. "Our unemployment rate was barely above 3% for most of the year."

From 2010 to 2020, the Columbus metro area added 235,000 people, a growth rate of 1.2% per year and 70% faster than the national average, LaFayette said.

Between 2020 and 2022, population gains slowed to less than a half-percent per year, still faster than the national average, he said.

Foreign migration to Columbus continues to be consistent, but LaFayette said a disturbing trend is emerging: More than 1,400 more people moved out of central Ohio to domestic destinations between 2020 and 2022 than moved in from domestic origins.

"We can hope that the slowdown in population growth is a temporary impact of the pandemic," he said. "But our regions shift from a big net importer of population from domestic origins to a net exporter to domestic destinations is really troubling."

Story continues

Are housing costs slowing population growth?

Home prices and rents have been growing faster in Columbus than nationally, LaFayette said.

"It is quite possible that people have been leaving the area and others havent moved in because they cant afford to live here," he said.

Even though more housing is being built, it's not enough, he said.

The housing total vacancy rate in the metropolitan area has fallen from 10.7% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2022 even as the number of housing units has increased, LaFayette said, citing Census data.

Despite a jump in population, central Ohio building permits have yet to return to the peak of 1999 - 2003.

Since 2020, the region has added about 11,000 housing units per year, well below the 16,000 units per year added a generation ago when the population was 20% smaller than it is now, he said.

He said household growth projections show that the region needs to be building 15,000 to 16,000 units a year now.

"If we dont increase the number of new units soon, price and rent increases will continue, we wont get the population growth that we need, and our current subpar employment growth will continue," he said.

mawilliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio's lack of housing expected to limit job growth in 2024
Buenos Aires, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jan, 2024) Argentine judges on Wednesday suspended labor law changes that formed part of a mega-decree of sweeping economic reforms and deregulation announced by the new libertarian President Javier Milei.

The main trade union federation had challenged the changes, which took effect last Friday, on grounds that they erode basic worker protections such as the right to strike and parental leave.

Judges at Argentina's labor appeals chamber froze labor-related elements of Milei's decree which, among other things, increased the legal worker probation period from three to eight months, reduced certain compensations and cut pregnancy leave.

Judge Alejandro Sudera questioned the "necessity" and "urgency" of the decree and suspended the measures until they can be properly considered by Congress, in a ruling published by the Telam news agency.

Some of the measures, the judge added, appeared to be "repressive or punitive in nature."

Thousands took to the streets last week to protest the reforms of Milei, who won elections late last year with promises of slashing state spending as Argentina deals with an economic crisis.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

At least 103 people were killed in Iran Wednesday as two bombs in quick succession struck a crowd commemorating slain general Qasem Soleimani on the anniversary of his killing, state media reported

Tehran, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) At least 103 people were killed in Iran Wednesday as two bombs in quick succession struck a crowd commemorating slain general Qasem Soleimani on the anniversary of his killing, state media reported.

The blasts, which state television called a "terrorist attack", came with tensions running high in the middle East a day after Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri -- an Iran ally -- was killed in drone attack on a Beirut southern suburb which Lebanese officials blamed on Israel.

The blasts stuck near the Saheb al-Zaman Mosque in Kerman, Soleimani's southern hometown where he is buried, as supporters gathered to mark the fourth anniversary of his killing in a US drone strike just outside Baghdad airport.

Kerman's deputy governor, Rahman Jalali, said the explosions were a "terrorist attack".

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

"The number of people killed rose to 103 following the death of people injured during the terrorist explosions," said official IRNA news agency, which earlier reported 73 deaths.

Another 141 people were wounded in the bombings, IRNA said, adding that some were in "critical condition".

Iran's Tasnim news agency, quoting informed sources, said "two bags carrying bombs went off" at the site.

"The perpetrators... of this incident apparently detonated the bombs by remote control," Tasnim added.

The ISNA news agency quoted Kerman mayor Saeed Tabrizi as saying the bombs exploded 10 minutes apart.

"We were walking towards the cemetery when a car suddenly stopped behind us and a waste bin containing a bomb exploded," an eyewitness was quoted by ISNA as saying.

"We only heard the sound of the explosion and saw people falling. There was a bomb in the trash can," the witness added.

Online footage showed crowds scrambling to flee as security personnel cordoned off the area.

- Deadly adversary -

Images on state television showed several ambulances and rescue personnel in the area.

Among the 73 killed were three paramedics who were dispatched to the area following the first explosion, according to Iran's Red Crescent.

Soleimani headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, overseeing military operations across the Middle East.

Declared a "living martyr" by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while still alive, Soleimani was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State jihadist group in both Iraq and Syria.

In the eyes of many Iranians, his military and strategic prowess was instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq.

Long seen as a deadly adversary by the US and its allies, Soleimani was one of the most important powerbrokers across the region, setting Iran's political and military agenda in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

On days after his death in 2020 and leading up to his funeral in Kerman, millions turned out to mourn in a show of national unity.

A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland found Soleimani had a popularity rating in Iran of 83 percent, ahead of then-president Hassan Rouhani and then-foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
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London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) Hospital doctors in England on Wednesday began their longest consecutive strike in the seven-decade history of Britain's National Health Service (NHS).

Junior doctors -- those below consultant level -- started a six-day walkout, in a major escalation of their long-running pay dispute with the UK government.

The industrial action comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the state-funded NHS, when it faces increased pressure from winter respiratory illnesses.

It also quickly follows a three-day strike held by doctors just before Christmas.

The NHS said the latest stoppage, which could see up to half of the medical workforce on picket lines, would have "a significant impact on almost all routine care".

"This January could be one of the most difficult starts to the year the NHS has ever faced," said its national medical director, Stephen Powis.

The strike is due to end at 0700 GMT next Tuesday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) announced the walkout in December after a breakdown in talks with the government.

The union said junior doctors have been offered a 3.0-percent rise on top of the average 8.8-percent increase they were given earlier this year.

It rejected the offer because the cash would be split unevenly across different doctor grades and would "still amount to pay cuts for many doctors".

Junior doctors have gone on strike at least seven times since March.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hospital leaders have criticised the action.
(@FahadShabbir)

Tylorstown, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) It was nearly four years ago but the memory of the landslip that sent 60,000 tonnes of old mining debris sliding down a Welsh hillside still haunts former miner Jeff Coombes.

First the river he was walking along with his dog in the heart of the Rhondda Valley in south Wales turned brown. Then the water slowed down.

He noticed the coal tip was moving. After that it was the noise that hit him.

"Well it was more of a roar," Coombes, 77, told AFP.

The ever-present danger of disused coal tips, exacerbated by the effects of global warming, looms large in Wales.

On October 21, 1966, a slag heap collapsed onto a village school and houses in the small south Wales mining village of Aberfan.

The disaster killed 28 adults and 116 children. Nearly 60 years later, it still casts a long shadow.

No-one was hurt in the 2020 incident on the hillside at Tylorstown.

But it prompted the Welsh authorities to undertake a comprehensive census of old tips, also known as slag or spoil heaps.

It found more than 2,500 of the mini-mountains of debris from old mine shafts nationwide, a legacy of Wales's mining past.

Of those, 350 were deemed to pose a serious risk of collapse, including 79 located in the Rhondda Cynon Taf region north of Cardiff, according to the latest count.

They will now have to be monitored twice a year.

The heaps can "become destabilised because they comprise of loose (unconsolidated) material" sitting on slopes, said Ashley Patton, a geological engineer at the British Geological Survey.

"The other major triggering factor for destabilising spoil heaps is water," he said, adding that intense rainfall had been implicated in the slippage at Tylorstown.

In 2021, an independent report on climate change risks highlighted the increasing likelihood of future landslides linked to former mining activity, as rains become more frequent and more violent.

Along the road that winds through the Rhondda valley, the slopes on either side are now covered in vegetation, making the danger almost invisible.

"Most of them are covered over by trees (but) it's around you.

"People have become conscious of that after Tylorstown tip slid," said Phil Rowe, a former local councillor in neighbouring Ferndale.

The fear of another disaster had caused "a lot of panic" locally, he said, adding that he didn't believe the authorities were carrying out the necessary surveillance.

Memories of the mining industry that once dominated the valleys of south Wales remain strong among the older generation.
(@FahadShabbir)

Continuing airstrikes were reported across Gaza on Wednesday,with intense ground battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in refugee camps in central areas, that have reportedly left many dead

UJITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) Continuing airstrikes were reported across Gaza on Wednesday,with intense ground battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in refugee camps in central areas, that have reportedly left many dead.

Airstrikes and missiles struck dwellings and public buildings on Tuesday including Al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis killing five, among them a five-day-old baby, reports said.

No child in the world should be killed, let alone one sheltering under the emblem of a humanitarian organization; this has to end, Gemma Connell, a team leader from UN aid coordination office OCHA, said in a video posted on X soon after the attacks.

According to Ms. Connell, the hospital was clearly marked with the logo of the Palestinian Red Crescent.

An estimated 14,000 people were sheltering at the health facility when it was shelled twice, attacks that were also swiftly condemned by UN health agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

I deplore todays strikes on the Al-Amal hospitalwhich severely damaged the Palestine Red Crescent Society training centre located within the hospital complex, Tedros wrote on X.

Adding his voice once again to repeated international calls for an immediate ceasefire, Tedros described the hospital bombardment as unconscionable.

Gazas health system is already on its knees, with health and aid workers continuously stymied in their efforts to save lives due to the hostilities.

Many of those sheltering at Al-Amal when it was shelled had now left, the WHO Director-General said, while those remaining were extremely fearful for their safety and planning to leave a place they had turned to for refuge and protection.

Under international humanitarian law the hospital should be a protected spaceand today it was hit twice, said Dr. Ayadil Saparbekov, WHO Team Lead for Health Emergencies, speaking from the facility in a video posted on X, during a UN assessment mission to the hospital that indicated extensive damage.

The war should stop, the healthcare workers and health facilities should be protected.

The latest humanitarian update from UN aid coordination office OCHA described heavy Israeli bombardment from air, land and seaacross most of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, along with continued rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian armed forces.

Clashes on the ground were also reported in the southern town of Khan Younis, along with heavy strikes in Gaza city to the north.

OCHA also highlighted reports of multiple fatalities in areas where Palestinians had relocated to, following orders from Israeli forces to move from northern Gaza.

Citing Gazas health authority, the UN humanitarian update said that 207 Palestinians had been killed from January 1 to 2, and another 338 people injured.

Between October 7 and January 2, the war has claimed at least 22,185 Palestinian fatalities in Gaza - about 70 per cent of them are believed to be women and children. Up to 7,000 people are missing, with many presumed to be buried under the rubble.

According to the Israeli military, since the start of the ground operation in Gaza, 171 soldiers have been killed, and 983 soldiers injured.
(@FahadShabbir)

Japanese rescuers struggled with heavy rain, blocked roads and aftershocks on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 64 people and left tens of thousands without power or running water

Anamizu, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jan, 2024) Japanese rescuers struggled with heavy rain, blocked roads and aftershocks on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 64 people and left tens of thousands without power or running water.

Throughout the Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu sirens blared as emergency vehicles tried to navigate roads blocked by rocks and fallen trees.

The Noto Peninsula was worst hit by the 7.5-magnitude quake on January 1, with port towns like Wajima and Suzu resembling war zones with roads of mud, flattened homes and sunken boats.

"I can never go back there. It's unlivable now," 75-year-old Yoko Demura said from a shelter in the city of Nanao where she went after her home which was reduced to rubble.

"It makes me sad and I will miss it," she told AFP.

There were "almost no houses standing" in one town in the Suzu area, said municipal mayor Masuhiro Izumiya.

"About 90 percent of the houses (in that town) are completely or almost completely destroyed... the situation is really catastrophic," he said, according to broadcaster TBS.

The regional government confirmed 64 people are dead and more than 300 injured, 20 of them seriously, but the toll was expected to rise.

More than 31,800 people were in shelters, and at least 200 buildings had collapsed.

Around 32,800 households were still without power in Ishikawa prefecture, the local utility said. Many cities were without running water.

"More than 40 hours have passed since the disaster. We have received a lot of information about people in need of rescue and there are people waiting for help," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after an emergency task force meeting.

The number of military personnel sent to the area was doubled, with more rescue dogs also deployed, he added.

Plenty of food and emergency supplies have arrived in the region, but delivery to communities was being hampered, regional authorities said.

"Our lifelines have been cut off," said Yuko Okuda, 30, from an evacuation centre in the town of Anamizu, down the coast from Suzu. "Electricity, water and gas -- everything. And as aftershocks keep happening, our house could collapse any time," she told AFP.

The powerful quake, measured at 7.6 by the Japanese weather office, was one of more than 400 to shake the region through Wednesday morning.

The main jolt triggered waves at least 1.2 metre (four feet) high in Wajima, and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere. Earthquakes have hit the Noto region with intensifying strength and frequency over the past five years. The high number of aftershocks is a result of the "complex" fault systems below the peninsula, Yoshihiro Ito from Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute told AFP.

Japan is haunted by a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing. It also swamped the Fukushima atomic plant, causing one of the world's worst nuclear disasters. Minor damage was also reported at some nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan shoreline after Monday's earthquake and aftershocks -- including leaks of water used to cool nuclear fuel and a partial power shutdown at one plant. The plant operators said there was no danger of damage to the environment or the nuclear power stations themselves.

burs-stu/lb
Home is where the heart is  and apparently where the memories live.

When Ron Moore was a child, he would sit in the backyard of his grandparents Elmwood Park home while his parents were at work, watching his grandmother plant her garden with perennials, tulips and hostas.

On other days, he would steal his grandmothers baking pans  the ones she used to make the worlds best apple pie  and would fill them with dirt, making what he would call his mud pies.

And when his childhood dog died, Moore planted a tree in the backyard with his family, placing a remembrance plaque for the pet they loved so dearly.

Moore lived so much life in that home that when it came time for him and his three older siblings to decide whether to sell the property to pay for their fathers medical care, he knew there was no way he could let it go.

"I still live very close to the house," Moore said. "So it would have really ripped me up if I was driving up the street and saw people walking in and out of the house that I didn't know."

In 2022, Moore officially purchased the Grove Street home for $397,700  $100,000 more than he originally believed he would be able to pay. He has spent 17 months renovating the two-story, single-family home.

Theres a lot of history in that house between our family and my mom and grandparents, he said. The house has been in our family; this is the third generation now.

Story continues below photo gallery.

Built in 1927, the home became a part of the family in 1941. Moores grandparents, Priscilla and Orren DeWitt, bought the property for just $4,800. Moores mother was only 4 years old when the family left its Clifton rental and moved to Elmwood Park.

Moore said his grandparents referred to it as the house on the hill.

It was apparently the only house on the block back then, and it could be seen from the very bottom of the hill, he said.

In 1956, Moores parents, Priscilla and Donald Ron Moore, married at St. Johns Church in Paterson and held their wedding reception at the Elmwood Park home.

Story continues

They had their wedding photos taken in the dining room with the flower wallpaper, Moore said.

The newly married couple continued to live in the Elmwood Park home, sleeping on a mattress in the attic for several years until they were able to buy their own home, just down the street.

Ron Moore shows a photo of his grandparents and parents in the family home. From left, Orren DeWitt, Priscilla DeWitt, Priscilla Moore and Donald "Ron" Moore. Moore is the third generation of his family to own the home on Grove Street in Elmwood Park, NJ. Shown on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Then, in the 1970s, Moores grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer. As a result, his family moved back into that little Elmwood Park house on Grove Street to help take care of him. After his grandparents died, Moore's parents became the home's owners.

When Moore's mother died in 2016 from lung cancer and his father's health began to deteriorate, the fate of the family home was up in the air. Moore's father went into assisted living, with just about eight months' worth of money to afford it. Moore's ability to buy the home not only allowed him to keep the home in the family, but it also ensured his father could continue to fund his stay in assisted living.

Moore said he often picks up his father and takes him past the Elmwood Park home, where his old Jeep still sits outside. His dad does not know he bought the home to keep it in the family while allowing him to pay for his assisted living.

"I get my dad out of the system from time to time and we drive past the house," he said. "I kept his 2005 Jeep Cherokee with the purchase of the house. I put new tires on it and got it shined up, and it just sits there in the driveway so when we pass by, he sees the car and the house, just to comfort him."

Ron Moore is the third generation of his family to own the home on Grove Street in Elmwood Park, NJ. A photograph shows Moore's father, Donald "Ron" Moore, in the home he spent 17 months renovating. Shown on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Besides updating the siding, Moore said, his parents never renovated the home. Not the funky triangular closet and the outdated kitchen cabinets, or the bright pink bathroom tiles or the giant soaking tub without a shower. For Moore, it was bittersweet taking apart the dysfunctional old home in which he grew up.

Suzanne Salamanca, a special friend of Moore's, said she could see the emotions he would experience throughout the renovations. It was tough for him to find new memories, while also taking apart the original features of the place that made up his childhood home.

"Other people thought this was crazy, but I understand it. He just couldn't let it go," Salamanca said. "I've seen him suffer for it. I know it's not easy."

Now, Moore said, everything inside is shiny and new. Among the updates are kitchen tiles in place of the home's old linoleum floors, new cabinets and recessed lighting.

During the renovations, Moore said, he discovered the original hardwood flooring, which his grandparents had covered with carpet. Now the flooring has been refinished and re-stained and remains as a testament to the original interior.

Moore said he also added a bathroom to the first floor of the home, something that would have made it easier for his father to live there.

One of the things that I did was remove a big pantry closet that was off the kitchen and in the hallway, towards the front of the house, and turn that into a half-bathroom, he said. Ideally, it would have been the perfect scenario for him to leave assisted living and come back to live in the house. Hes not well enough to do that, but that would have been the ideal situation.

Ron Moore is the third generation of his family to own the home on Grove Street in Elmwood Park, NJ. Moore spent 17 months renovating the family home. Moore poses for a photo in the recently renovated kitchen on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.

Moore worked with his longtime friend Jose Bottger to renovate the home. Bottger, a carpenter and craftsman, was with Moore for all 17 months of the renovation.

"He has this passion, and he worked with Ron to restore it because it was so old," Salamanca said. "We were saying that there's nobody who cares about this home as much as us besides Jose."

Because of this, Moore said, he decided to rent out the home to Bottger's daughter, Alessandra, and her family. She is recently married and having a baby, and Moore said it's the right situation.

I decided its the perfect use for my childhood home," he said. "It will be providing a new family, who I love, a chance of creating similar memories as I had growing up.

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay , on X @maddiemcgayy , and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How this Elmwood Park home stayed in one family for three generations
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract worth AED278 million ($76 million) for a streetlighting project that will cover 40 districts and streets.

This project is part of the Street Lighting Plan 2023-2026, which aims to enhance the infrastructure of road network facilities to keep up with Dubai's ongoing development and meet the demands of urban expansion and population growth.

As part of the streetlighting plan, RTA began work on designing and implementing streetlighting projects in 2023 for the Al Qusais Industrial Areas 1 to 5, as well as Al Lusaily and Lahbab 1 and 2. The project is almost completed now.

This year, RTA will extend the streetlights installation work to cover roads previously unlit in Mirdif, Al Baraha, Oud Metha, Al Waheda, Al Hudaiba, Al Satwa, Abu Hail, and Al Bada'a.

Additionally, lighting installations will be carried out in Umm Suqeim 1, 2, and 3, Al Safa 1 and 2, Al Manara, Al Mariyal Reserve Street, and the road to Al Minhad Air Base. The plan also includes streets and parking areas in Jumeirah, it stated.

Mattar Al Tayer, the Director-General, and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, said: "The main goal of this plan is to improve traffic safety and security for all road users, including vehicles and pedestrians. The initiative is designed to contribute to residents' and visitors' well-being and satisfaction in the targeted areas."

"The selection of these areas is based on careful consideration of traffic safety and security standards, traffic volumes, and the pace of urban growth," he noted.

In 2025, RTA said its streetlighting works will cover Umm Al Sheif, Al Sufouh 1, Al Quoz Residential Areas 1 and 3, Nad Al Hamar, and Al Awir 2.

In 2026, the project will extend to Al Mamzar, Oud Al Muteena, and various streets and parking lots in Al Garhoud, Al Twar, Hasyan, Al Jafiliya, Al Marmoom, Al Qusais 1 and 2, Nad Al Sheba 1, Al Warsan 2, Hind City, Business Bay, Umm Ramool, Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 1 and 2, and Ras Al Khor Industrial Area 3 Street.

"We have implemented the best energy conservation practices and supported green economy to achieve RTA's strategic objectives. We have utilized the latest smart and sustainable lighting technologies that are specially designed for the UAE's climatic conditions," stated Al Tayer.

"These innovative lighting systems use energy-efficient LED technology, which provides multiple benefits over traditional lighting units. They offer a 55% reduction in energy consumption and a 173% increase in lifespan, which reduces the need for frequent lamp replacements and lowers maintenance and operational costs," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
FILE - A diamond cutter views facets of a diamond in Antwerp, Belgium on Friday, May 4, 2018. The European Union said Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 that it has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia over its war against Ukraine, targeting the lucrative diamonds industry, more than 140 officials and organizations, and closing loopholes that Moscow has used to bypass previous punitive measures. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BRUSSELS (AP)  The European Union imposed sanctions on the worlds biggest diamond mining company and its chief executive officer on Wednesday as part of what it called its unwavering commitment to Ukraine in the war against Russia.

The move targeted Alrosa, which accounts for about 90% of Russias diamond production, and CEO Pavel Marinychev. The EU headquarters said the company constitutes an important part of an economic sector that is providing substantial revenue to Moscow.

It means Alrosas assets in Europe will be frozen and EU citizens and companies will be barred from making funds available to the company. Marinychev, who was appointed CEO last May for three years, also faces a travel ban in Europe.

The EU had already banned the import, purchase or transfer of Russian non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewelry from Jan. 1. The measure applies to diamonds originating in Russia, exported from Russia, transiting through Russia and Russian diamonds processed elsewhere.

The European Council confirmed the EUs unwavering commitment to continue to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes, it said.

The 27-nation bloc has now imposed sanctions on almost 1,950 people and entities, which are often companies, banks or government agencies, over what it says are actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
Data from Project Atlas, which has tracked international student mobility since 2001, shows that more students are resuming studies abroad after the pandemic.

According to University World News, Rebounds of international student numbers in 2022 and 2023, particularly in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, as reported in Project Atlas, indicate that the global total may again accelerate. (February 2024)
China's military will conduct routine patrols with its naval and air forces in the South China Sea from Wednesday to Thursday, the military's Southern Theater Command said, as ongoing tensions simmer in the region over disputed territories.

It said troops in the area will be on high alert at all times, and will defend national sovereignty, security and maritime rights.

The patrols also aim to deter activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create "hot spots," the military said on its Southern Theater Command's Wechat account.

The maneuvers come as China faces rising tensions in the region, especially with the Philippines. Both countries have recently traded numerous accusations over high-profile maritime confrontations.

The Philippines and the United States began a two-day joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a move that likely irked China.

Last week, the Philippines said it was not provoking conflict in the South China Sea, responding to China's accusation that Manila was encroaching on Beijing's territory.

China has repeatedly warned the Philippines of breaching areas of the South China Sea it considers its own territory. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines refers to the part of South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippines Sea.

China said the Philippines has relied on U.S. support to continually provoke China.

The Philippines and the U.S. first launched joint patrols in November, and security engagements between the treaty allies soared last year amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.
Chads military leader has appointed a former opposition leader and pro-democracy figure, Success Masra, as prime minister in a newly-appointed transitional government. Opposition and civil society groups are skeptical that Masra, who recently returned from exile, can convince military ruler Mahamat Idriss Deby to give up power. But Marsa says his appointment does not stop him from making sure Chad carries out elections later this year and returns to civilian rule.

Mahamat Ahmat Alhabo, secretary-general of Chads presidency and a close aide of military ruler General Mahamat Idriss Deby, reads the names of members of a new government.

Alhabo says the new government, who he says will prepare Chad for return to civilian rule, was named after consultation with former opposition leader Success Masra, whom Deby appointed as Chad's transitional prime minister on Monday.

Masra replaced Saleh Kebzabo, a Deby appointment who served as prime minister for 14 months.

On Sunday, Deby said he had accepted Kebzabos resignation following the adoption of a new constitution. Last week, Chad's Supreme Court approved the results of a referendum in which 85% of Chadians voted in favor of the new document.

Neatobei Bidi Valentin is president of the Ndjamena-headquartered African Party for Peace and Justice.

He says he does not believe Mahamat Idriss Deby consulted with Masra before naming and installing a new government of 41 members on Tuesday... Neitobei says before the new prime minister and his government were appointed, civil society and the political opposition, including Masra, asked Deby to reduce Chad's government of transition by half.

Neitobei said a majority of the members of the transitional government appointed by Deby are the military generals family and friends.

Chad's civil society groups say Masra and a few former opposition members in the new government will not be able to stop the military ruler from illegally continuing his family's autocratic rule.

Deby's father, Idriss Deby Itno, ruled Chad for three decades before dying in April 2021 on the frontlines of a fight against northern rebels.

The younger Deby was to head a transitional council but on October 8, 2022, he dissolved the council and declared himself interim president.

Masra led thousands of civilians in street protests against what he called Deby's iron fisted-rule and his attempts to continue his father's dynasty.

Rights groups report that security forces killed 50 people, injured 300 and arrested several hundred during the protests.

Masra fled to the United States through neighboring Cameroon but returned on November 3 after he reached an agreement with Deby. Civil society groups say they were surprised when Masra started urging voters to take part in the constitutional referendum, which opposition groups called a sham to extend Debys rule.

Chad's opposition says by accepting the prime ministers post, Masra has dashed the hopes of a majority of civilians who counted on his popularity to force the military junta to step aside.

Masra says his appointment does not stop him from pressing for democratic elections for a return to constitutional order.

He says his immediate task is to convince teachers who have been refusing to work since October 2023 in protest of difficult working conditions and poor salaries. He says teachers should return to classrooms and work while he prepares a national dialogue with teachers, because children's education is a fundamental human right and Chad's government priority.

Masra said he will make sure living conditions of civilians are improved and the current fuel shortage is eased before the country holds elections in October of this year.

The 40-year-old former opposition leader also says he will work closely with Deby to make sure the general amnesty granted to all civilians and military arrested during the October 2022 protests is fully implemented.
China is increasing pressure on Taiwan ahead of the islands hotly contested presidential and legislative election on Jan. 13, doubling down on the rhetoric that reunification with China is inevitable and conducting military maneuvers in areas around Taiwan.

Some analysts say Chinas efforts to ratchet up pressure on Taiwan reflect Beijings longstanding tactics.

With every election and every period between elections, Beijing uses a combination of carrots and sticks to both woo and coerce the people in Taiwan, J. Michael Cole, senior adviser on Countering Foreign Authoritarian Influence with the International Republican Institute in Taiwan, told VOA in a written response.

In his view, Beijing will adjust the intensity of its strategies to fit the conditions in Taiwan. With [opposition candidates] vocal in their rhetoric that a vote for [the ruling Democratic Progressive Partys presidential candidate Lai Ching-te] is tantamount to a vote for war, it is no surprise that Beijing would weigh in with highly visible reminders of what it can do kinetically, Cole added.

During his New Years address, Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterated that Taiwan and China will surely be reunited.

All Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he said.

In addition to the warning from Xi, the Taiwan Affairs Office, which oversees cross-strait relations in Beijing, also called on Taiwanese people to promote peaceful unification, saying its the common desire of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

We firmly believe that as long as compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are united and join hands, we will be able to create a better future for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we will be able to accomplish the great cause of reunification of the motherland, Song Tao, the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office, said in his new year message released Tuesday.

Cole in Taipei said Beijing wants to underscore the inevitability of the reunification between Taiwan and China and further constrain Taiwanese peoples choices. Beijings messaging on the unification question is contingent on its reading of the mood in Taiwan and what tactical advantages it thinks it may have, he told VOA.

Gray zone tactics around Taiwan with balloons

Apart from repeating and emphasizing the rhetoric of reunification, China continues to conduct gray zone operations around Taiwan, deploying military aircraft, naval vessels, tugboats, and balloons near the island. Gray zone operations refer to the use of military and non-military offensive tactics to intimidate or coerce.

According to Taiwans Ministry of National Defense, China has sent dozens of military aircraft and naval vessels near Taiwan.

In addition, Taiwans defense ministry detected at least six Chinese balloons since Jan. 1 that have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, with four flying directly above Taiwan.

Some experts say the deployment of balloons is a relatively new gray zone tactic that China has adopted since last month.

The deployment of balloons is an intentional move by Beijing to influence Taiwanese voters and showcase their capabilities to intrude Taiwans airspace, Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told VOA by phone.

Su said the defense ministrys information shows that the Chinese balloons generally operate between 12,000 feet to 20,000 feet, approximately the same height as civilian airplanes.

There is a potential flight safety problem and this shows that Beijings approach is irresponsible, he said.

Taiwans coast guard also drove away four Chinese tugboats that were sailing about four nautical miles off the islands southern coast Tuesday.

While Chinas intimidation campaigns have traditionally resulted in election outcomes viewed as unfavorable by Beijing, some experts say Chinese authorities are still trying to test whether its influence campaigns can lead more Taiwanese voters preferring peace across the Taiwan Strait to come out and vote for candidates favoring closer ties with China.

Beijing has noticed that Taiwans 2024 election campaign has focused on corruption scandals rather than cross-strait relations, so they may think if they further increase the pressure on Taiwan, they may at least prevent the ruling Democratic Progressive Party from securing a majority in the legislature, which would be a favorable outcome for the Chinese government, Yao-Yuan Yeh, a political scientist at the University of St. Thomas in Texas, told VOA by phone.

Facing the wide range of Chinese attempts to influence Taiwans election, Taiwanese officials continue to highlight and expose Beijings efforts, hoping to maintain public awareness.

Despite these efforts, Yeh in Texas said that message may be overshadowed by other information related to the election.

[One possible scenario] is that Taiwanese people will be aware of Chinas intimidation campaign but they probably wont track the development of the campaign, he told VOA, adding that it could desensitize Taiwanese people from threats posed by China in the long run.

This would be the goal that China has long been hoping to achieve, he said.


On December 26, The Times of India reported that Pakistan has been deporting Afghan refugees who had been granted resettlement in the United States.



Pakistan deported Afghans waiting for US resettlement: Sources, The Times of India posted on X.

Pakistan has denied targeting Afghan refugees for deportation. In October, Pakistans Foreign Ministry said the countrys deportation policy affects all "illegal refugees no matter their nationality, and that reports associating the deportations with Afghan refugees are the result of misunderstanding or misrepresentation.

However, The Times of India report is true: Pakistan, as international rights watchdogs have documented, continues to deport Afghan refugees en masse, including Afghan refugees waiting for U.S. resettlement.

The situation has become more acute since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with Refugees International, a global network to aid refugees, reporting last September that more than 600,000 Afghans had sought refuge in Pakistan since Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Amnesty International, citing the Pakistani government, reported last November that 49 deportation centers had been set up across Pakistan. The human rights group, again citing the Pakistani government, reported that, at that time, more than 170,000 Afghans, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades, have had to leave the country since 17 September.

For its part, Human Rights Watch reported in November that Pakistani authorities had forced out more than 375,000 Afghans to Afghanistan, deporting 20,000 of them.

On November 1, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad issued protection letters to 25,000 Afghans as a way of proving to the Pakistani authorities that they are part of the ongoing process for U.S. resettlement.

Citing Afghan families, Reuters reported on December 26 that Pakistani authorities had detained and deported family members despite the fact that they had protection letters from the U.S. embassy. Additionally, Afghans in Pakistan, whose visas expired while awaiting refugee resettlement, face prolonged renewal periods and hefty fees, Reuters said.

Last October, Pakistan ordered more than a million undocumented foreigners, predominantly Afghans, to leave the country by November 1, after which those who remained would be expelled.

The United Nations warned Pakistan in October that such forced deportation could lead to severe human rights violations, with families separated and children deported, The Associated Press reported.

Following the November 1 deadline, Pakistani authorities reportedly began rounding up undocumented foreigners.

Reuters, citing the U.N., reported in December that more than 450,000 Afghans have returned home, with many enduring harsh winter conditions near the border.

In December, Shawn VanDiver, president of the U.S.-based NGO #AfghanEvac, told Reuters that Pakistan had deported at least 130 Afghans who were in the process of obtaining U.S. special immigration visas.

Pakistani authorities have also imposed an $830 exit fee on Afghans awaiting resettlement in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries, especially those unable to obtain or renew visas. That fee is not applicable to those returning to Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government has justified the mass expulsions on security grounds, linking a rise in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan with the presence of undocumented Afghan refugees and accusing the Afghan Taliban of harboring members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which shares ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban. The Afghan Taliban has denied the accusation.

Last October, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid urged Pakistan to reconsider the decision to deport the Afghans, insisting that Afghan refugees are not undermining Pakistan's security.

The latest expulsions of Afghan refugees from Pakistan are by no means the first. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Pakistan expelled more than 600,000 Afghan migrants, registered and undocumented, in 2016.

Human Rights Watch described the 2016 deportations as the worlds largest unlawful mass forced return of refugees in recent times. The subsequent years saw continued deportations, with 150,000 Afghans expelled from Pakistan in 2017 and nearly 50,000 more deported in 2018.

Last November 28, Human Rights Watch accused Pakistani authorities of systematic abuses of Afghan refugees designed to force them to return to Afghanistan, including mass detentions, confiscation of property and livestock, and destruction of identity documents.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR, such deportations breach Pakistans commitments under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and the international principle of nonrefoulment, which prohibits the forced return of individuals to places where they face a significant risk of torture or persecution.

The concept of refoulement includes not only direct expulsion but also situations where intense indirect pressure leads individuals to feel they must return to a country where they are at risk.

In November, some Pakistani public figures and celebrities protested the mass deportation of Afghan refugees.

Actress and model Armeena Khan posted the following on X (formerly Twitter): "How can we treat them this way? I cannot talk about Gaza without talking about the Afghans."

Another well-known actress, Sanam Saeed, posted the following on X last November 1  the Pakistani authorities deadline for Afghan refugees to leave: "We need to show more mercy at times like this."

On December 1, Pakistans highest court launched a hearing on a petition to stop the deportation of Afghans who were born in Pakistan and those whose lives could be at risk if they returned to Afghanistan.

On December 14, Pakistan extended the deadline for the Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement in a third country to February 29, 2024.
Russia continues to intensify its missile attacks against Ukraine, capping off 2023 with what a top U.N. official called devastating violence against the people of Ukraine.

Between December 29 and January 2, Russia has launched about 300 missiles and 200 Shaheed drones against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video post on X.

In the last five days, Zelenskyy said, Russia targeted, killed and wounded hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and called Moscows actions a missile terror.

Yet Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to portray Russia as the victim of Ukrainian terrorist attacks  and the protector of civilians there.

Speaking with Denis Shamalyuk, a soldier at a military hospital in the Moscow region, Putin called a presumed Ukrainian attack on the Russian border town of Belgorod on December 30, 2023, an act of terror.

[What has happened in Belgorod] was a targeted strike on the civilian population. Of course, this is a terrorist attack; there is no other way to describe it.

Should we respond in kind? Of course, we can hit squares in Kiev or any other city. But Denis, there are children walking there, mothers with strollers. I understand, because I am quite angry, too, but I want to ask you: do we need to do this, target the squares?

Shamalyuk replied to this rhetorical question by saying Russia should strike military infrastructure, and not the civilian population.

That is what we are doing, Putin replied. We strike with high-precision weapons at locations where they make decisions, where military personnel and mercenaries gather, at other similar centres, and at military facilities, above all.

Putins claim that Russia is targeting military, and not civilian infrastructure, is false.

The attack in Belgorod was precipitated by what President Joe Biden called Russias largest aerial assault on Ukraine since Russia invaded it in February 2022.

Russias aerial attacks, launched on December 29, 2023, reportedly hit a maternity hospital, a shopping mall, and residential areas, killing over 40 civilians  including 30 in Kyiv. Scores more were injured.

That would not justify a deliberate attack on civilian targets. However, it is not established whether Ukraine intended to target civilians in Belgorod, where apparent Ukrainian shelling killed about two dozen people. A senior U.N. political official condemned that attack as a violation of international law.

After the December 30 Belgorod attack, Russia responded with massive attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in Ukraines two largest cities  Kyiv and Kharkiv.

In Kharkiv, a central hotel, a kindergarten, apartment buildings, shops and administrative buildings were damaged, the Associated Press reported, citing the regional prosecutors office.

Mirroring Putins language, Russias Defense Ministry said that it had hit decision-making centers and military facilities in Kharkiv, claiming that Ukrainian military and intelligence figures involved in the Belgorod attack were staying at the Kharkiv Palace Hotel.

Those claims are unsubstantiated. However, Germanys ZDF broadcaster confirmed its television crew were among Western journalists staying at the hotel at the time of the attack.

On January 1, Ukraine struck the Donbas Palace hotel in Donetsk, where unconfirmed reports suggest members of Russias elite in the Russian-occupied city had gathered.

Ukraine says Russia hit residential buildings, a supermarket, a warehouse, and gas infrastructure In Kyiv, depriving some parts of the city of electricity and water.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a VOA sister organization, reported that 11 apartment buildings were damaged in Vyshnevo, a town located just south of Kyiv.

Mykolaiv, Kropyvnytskyi and other settlements were also attacked.

Russia continues to target Ukrainian women, children and the elderly. The objects attacked by the Russian army were exclusively civilian, Ukraines foreign ministry said.

The December 29 attacks also fit into a broader pattern of Russia launching retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian civilian targets after Ukraine successfully attacked Russian military assets.

In this instance, Ukraine destroyed Russias Novocherkassk landing ship, docked at a port in Russia-occupied Crimea on December 26, 2023.

In July 2023, Ukraine struck the Kerch Straight Bridge, which links the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula with the Russian mainland. The bridge serves as a vital logistics route for Russia to supply its war effort in Ukraine.

In response, Russia targeted dozens of buildings and sites of cultural significance in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa. Russia then claimed, without evidence, the civilian buildings it struck were being used to prepare terrorists acts.

The July 23 attack was not the first time Russia targeted civilian infrastructure in retaliation for a strike on the Kerch Strait Bridge. On October 10, 2022, Russia launched dozens of missiles at Ukrainian cities in retaliation for the Ukrainian bombing of the bridge.

In Kyiv, Russia struck museums, an office building, a pedestrian bridge, a park, a busy intersection and other civilian areas.

That same month, Amnesty International said Russian forces were intentionally targeting Ukraines energy infrastructure to deprive civilians in Ukraine of heat, electricity and water as the cold grip of winter approaches.

Russia has not desisted in that wintertime war strategy.

Polygraph.info has documented other Russian attacks (and denials of attacks) on civilian targets, including a June 2023 attack on a Kramatorsk restaurant, an April 2022 attack on the Kramatorsk railway station, the March 16, 2022, airstrike on the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater in Mariupol, and a March 9, 2022, airstrike on a maternity ward in Mariupol.

Mass graves and evidence of atrocities have also been found in Ukrainian towns after Russian forces were driven out.
Israel is on high alert for retaliation following the assassination of a Hamas leader. Rescue teams are still trying to reach parts of Japan devastated by Mondays earthquake. Plus, an update from Kyiv and trouble in the Horn of Africa as Ethiopia and Somalia argue over Somaliland.
Former U.S. National Intelligence Manager for Iran Norman Roule on U.S. and Britain toughening their responses to attacks by Yemens Iran-backed Houthis on Red Sea shipping. Check Point Software Technologies Gil Messing on last months escalation in cyber attacks on infrastructure in Iran and Israel with each side blaming the other. Independent environmental journalist Sanam Mahoozi on how Decembers dangerous air pollution levels in Irans big cities affect health, livelihoods of Iranians.
Prosecutors in Hong Kong alleged on Wednesday that pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai encouraged the citys residents to engage in protests and pushed the United States to take action against China.

The British national, who founded the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was arrested in 2020 and is now standing trial on charges of conspiring to collude with foreign governments and conspiring to publish seditious material.

Lai, 76, rejects the charges against him and has pleaded not guilty.

Western governments and human rights groups are closely watching Lais trial, which began in December, as a test for Hong Kongs judiciary. Lais plight has come to symbolize the downfall of press freedom and other civil liberties in Hong Kong in recent years.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau on Wednesday presented what he said were Lais instructions to top leaders and editors at Apple Daily to come up with ways to urge the Hong Kong public to protest a proposed extradition bill in 2019.

The bill would have permitted suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong for trial in mainland China, but it was withdrawn following protests.

Prosecutors submitted 31 pieces of allegedly seditious content published in Apple Daily, including articles and commentaries urging people to protest.

The prosecution also said Lai instructed Apple Daily to introduce English content to bolster support for Western governments sanctioning China and Hong Kong.

The prosecution Wednesday alleged that Lai sought a comment on the extradition bill from Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, according to Irish lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who is leading Lais international legal team.

This is simply public interest journalism, Gallagher said in a post Wednesday on X, adding that the allegations against Lai are ridiculous.

Western governments and human rights and press freedom groups have widely condemned the charges against Lai as retaliatory and called for his immediate release.

If convicted of the national security charges, Lai faces life in prison. He is already serving a five-year and nine-month prison sentence in a separate fraud case.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.
U.S. officials processed an estimated 300,000 people at the U.S. border with Mexico in December, which would be the highest number ever recorded, according to multiple news organizations.

While the Department of Homeland Security will release the December numbers later this month, Reuters and other news organizations estimate that 300,000 people attempted to cross the border in the final month of 2023, with about 50,000 of them coming through designated points of entry.

Those estimates suggest that the first three months of fiscal 2024, which began in October, will set a record. Experts said multiple factors are causing migrants  many from as far away as Asia, Africa and the Middle East  to come to the U.S. border, either legally, as asylum-seekers, or illegally.

The record-level border encounters come as the U.S. enters a presidential election year in which the topic of immigration is expected to play a major role.

President Joe Biden, expected to receive the Democratic nomination, has repeatedly said that immigrants are one of the country's strengths, even as he has taken steps to curb the current influx. Former President Donald Trump, the prohibitive favorite to win the Republican nomination, has long advocated for tighter control on immigration and has frequently used incendiary language to describe immigrants to the U.S.

'Push' and 'pull' factors

Michelle Mittelstadt, director of communications and public affairs for the Migration Policy Institute, told VOA that multiple factors have contributed to the elevated number of migrants at the southern border.

Mittelstadt said that many migrants arriving at the border have been "pushed" out of their own countries by economic and political upheaval, natural disasters, and other crises. For example, the collapse of the Venezuelan economy over the past decade has driven about 8 million people from that country. While many have found refuge in other South American countries, such as Colombia, hundreds of thousands have made the long and dangerous trek to the U.S.

Other factors contribute to "pull" migrants to the U.S., including the strength of the country's economy, which currently has two open jobs for every American seeking work. Mittelstadt said that what she called the growing professionalization of human smuggling organizations has also made the gamble of migration seem more appealing, and that the possibility that Trump might be reelected in 2024 has encouraged many migrants to attempt to cross the border before stricter immigration measures can be put in place.

Hovering above all these factors is the glaring evidence that the American system for processing asylum-seekers is deeply broken: Individuals admitted to the country while their claims are assessed frequently wait several years before they receive a hearing in an immigration court. More than 3 million cases are pending, more than 1 million of which were added in the past 12 months.

"It's hard to see that any of these factors are going to lessen anytime soon, even were there to be very sharp policy changes by the U.S. government," Mittelstadt said.

Spreading crisis

States along the southern border have long complained about the increased number of migrants crossing into the U.S. On multiple occasions, small border towns have faced sudden influxes of thousands of migrants in the space of a few days.

Leaders of border states, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott, have complained that the federal government's response to the crisis has been insufficient, both in terms of policy responses that would reduce the flow of migrants and in terms of providing assistance in managing the care of the vast numbers who do cross the border.

In the past year Abbott, in particular, has accelerated a program under which Texas transports large groups of migrants, by bus or by plane, to major U.S. cities, typically run by Democratic mayors, such as New York and Chicago.

In recent months, the leaders of cities that have received tens of thousands of immigrants in this fashion have begun trying to stem the flow. In New York, Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order restricting the entry of migrant buses to certain times and drop-off points. In response, many of the buses have simply stopped near mass transit stations in neighboring New Jersey and directing passengers to use public transportation into New York.

Dialogue with Mexico

The Biden administration has taken steps to address the crisis, including disrupting human smuggling organizations, accelerating certain kinds of deportations, deploying military assets to support Border Patrol and immigration officers, and expanding facilities to hold and process asylum-seekers and other migrants.

Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken led a U.S. delegation to Mexico for talks with the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on reducing the flow of migrants.

In a statement, Lopez Obrador said the discussions had led to "important agreements," though no details were released.

Biden criticized

Biden, as a presidential candidate, signaled an openness to asylum-seekers and immigrants.

During a presidential debate in 2020, then-candidate Biden defended the practice of allowing individuals seeking asylum to remain in the U.S. indefinitely while their cases were processed, saying, "You come to the United States and you make your case that, 'I seek asylum based on the following premise, why I deserve it under American law.'"

Conservative organizations in favor of stricter immigration enforcement say the results of the president's policies have been clear and predictable.

"Before even taking office, Biden sent a clear message to would-be illegal immigrants worldwide that they had a high chance of being released into the U.S." said Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation's Center for Border Security and Immigration.

In recent weeks, Republicans in Congress have refused to consider major foreign aid packages to Ukraine and Israel unless they are tied to significant immigration reforms.

In an appearance on CBS on Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham put his position on the matter succinctly: "When you come to our border, we say, 'I'm sorry, we're full.'"

On the same program, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston pushed back against the idea that the country is full, saying cities like his are only asking for orderly arrivals of migrants.

"What we don't want is people arriving at two in the morning at a city and county building with women and children outside in 10-degree weather and no support," he said. "And so, we want buses here to do what every other bus does, which is land at a bus station and a bus stop at hours when we can have staff there to receive them and to direct them toward services."
Pappu Kumar has harvested his first crop of turmeric from the farm that he abandoned many years ago when he migrated to work in the Indian capital. He hopes the spice, which is widely used in Indian cooking, will turn his farm in Hardial village in North India into a lucrative venture.

Traditional crops that we used to plant like corn and wheat often got diseases. Stray animals or even wild animals like deer used to enter the fields and eat the crops. That does not happen with turmeric, said Kumar.

Disheartened with the challenges of tilling their land and the meager income it yielded, he was among thousands who migrated from rural areas to work in towns and cities. Over the years, vast tracts of farmland in Himachal Pradesh state became fallow.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic dried up livelihoods in cities and triggered a wave of reverse migration into villages, Kumar was among hundreds who returned.

Now many of the returnees are exploring alternative farming as they try to rebuild their lives in the countryside.

Kumar was inspired to grow turmeric by a man who had transformed his own farms by planting the spice. I grew turmeric because this is a hardy crop that is not affected by diseases, it itself has antibiotic properties, said former army colonel P.C. Rana who came back to his village after he retired.

Growing turmeric needs less labor and water. Moreover, crops are not attacked by animals such as monkeys, which have become a huge menace for farmers in India. Displaced by shrinking forests, they scour farms for food and destroy crops worth millions of dollars every year.

After studying the cultivation of turmeric in Indian states where it was being grown, Rana planted a variety with a high percentage of the compound curcumin which gives the spice its yellow color and health benefits. The turmeric man of Himachal Pradesh as he is now known, grows it organically, which protects the soil and yields higher profits.

"I follow the principles of natural farming  no tractors should till the fields, no chemicals and pesticides should be used, and weeds and crop stubble should be recycled to fertilize the land, he said.

Ranas success has prompted scores of farmers to cultivate turmeric. Others are growing herbs such as aloe vera and lemongrass, for which demand is increasing and which are also not attacked by animals.

In the hilly state that is crisscrossed by cold water streams, other options to traditional agriculture are also getting attention. Those whose homes lie close to streams have built ponds to breed trout, a fish for which demand is increasing hugely in affluent cities and among tens of thousands of tourists who visit the state.

Since starting his trout farm about three years ago, Arjun Kumar, a former building contractor, has built a successful venture selling trout and setting up a hatchery to produce fertilized fish eggs.

In the last two years I have sold fish seed for $6,000 a year and trout worth about $70 a day, Kumar says.

The hope is that such alternative farming ventures will boost rural economies and create new livelihoods. Nearly half of Indias population relies on agriculture for a living, but over the years, farm incomes have stagnated.

Indias agriculture is dominated by wheat and rice cultivation  a trend the government had encouraged in the 1960s and 1970s due to severe shortages of food grains in the country.

But with India now producing surplus rice and wheat, experts say farmers, who complain of dwindling incomes, need to explore other options.

Moving to growing alternate crops or other farm ventures is a step in the right direction, according to Devendra Sharma, an agriculture expert. I always advise farmers to diversify at least part of their land away from staples such as wheat. This is a trend which even local governments are now encouraging.

The hope is that new farm-based ventures will also boost employment in a country struggling to create jobs for its 1.4 billion people. With two-thirds of the population under 35, joblessness is highest among the young.

Trout fish farming is a good venture for unemployed youth. After the COVID-19 pandemic, so many have come back to their home and are searching for such opportunities, according to Madhu Sharma, head of the fisheries department at the CSK Agricultural University in Palampur.

There are pitfalls ahead  such as global warming which is altering weather patterns.

Water temperature is changing. That impacts the breeding of fish. The water temperature rose by one or two degrees in May and June. That puts stress on the fish, pointed out Sharma.

But despite challenges, many are vowing to persevere in their effort to resettle in the countryside, where they say life is better than in the crowded towns and mega cities where they worked for decades.

Pappu Kumar has made a modest beginning by cultivating turmeric, but he hopes to expand this year.

Rather than search for work outside, I want to turn my farm into a profitable business. I still have a lot to learn about turmeric cultivation, but I will plant it across more land, said the optimistic farmer as he prepared to take the harvested crop to sell in the local market.
In a significant escalation of aggression toward the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, local officials confirmed that two "suicide drone" attacks by suspected Iran-backed Shiite militants late Saturday hit the key headquarters of Peshmerga forces in Pirmam, Irbil.

The district is the de facto stronghold of the ruling Masoud Barzani family and the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

Several sources familiar with the strikes, who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity, said the attack was aimed at the headquarters of Gulan special forces, less than 5 kilometers from the "Barzani Headquarters," where the former Kurdish president resides.

No Kurdish official was willing to comment on the proximity of the attack to the headquarters, but Irbil's governor called the attack "a dangerous development."

"Previously, the militias claimed to target only the coalition forces. But it turns out that they are also targeting the Peshmerga, Irbil and the Kurdistan Region," Governor Omed Khoshnaw told VOA via phone on Tuesday.

"The attack on the Peshmerga is a dangerous development, and we expect the Iraqi government to take a decisive stance. The Kurdistan Regional Government will not stand inert," he said.

Attacks since October

Suspected Shiite militants have staged dozens of drone attacks against targets in Irbil since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. Most of the attacks have been claimed by militias calling themselves "the Islamic Resistance in Iraq."

On Tuesday, Kurdistan's Counter-Terrorism Group, a government agency, said an armed drone fired by "illegal militia" against the Irbil airport was shot down at 9:52 a.m. local time. The statement said the drone was directed at the U.S.-led international coalition forces military base near the airport.

Reactions from Kurdish officials to the Saturday attack in Pirmam were particularly strong.

The Kurdistan Regional Government's spokesperson, Peshawa Hawramani, called it a "terrorist act" that "pushes for war."

In a statement, the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga Ministry said, "The Peshmerga forces have the right to retaliate to protect our land and nation."

On Sunday, the Iraqi Security Media Cell said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has directed the security agencies to open a "comprehensive investigation into the criminal attack."

However, Kurdish officials remain skeptical of the Iraqi state's commitment to stopping such attacks and the ability of al-Sudani to contain the pro-Iran militants.

Speaking to VOA on Tuesday, Babakir Zebari, the military adviser for the Kurdistan Regional president, said al-Sudani "dislikes from his heart" the attacks on Irbil but cannot stop the militants.

"The groups attacking Irbil belong to the Popular Mobilization Forces," Zebari said. "These groups are extremists and do not obey the government, and they have previously attacked the house of the former Iraqi prime minister. Not all of the Popular Mobilization Forces are involved in the attacks, only some of the radical groups within it are responsible."

Khoshnaw said the Iraqi government still had the responsibility to act, because "those groups attacking Irbil get their financing and equipment from Iraq."

This story originated in VOA's Kurdish Service.
Regional experts believe China's recent efforts to mediate between the Myanmar junta and ethnic rebels on its northern border are motivated mainly by self-interest but unlikely to have a significant impact on the conflict.

China's goals in convening the peace talk between the military and the Three Brotherhood Alliance, conducted most recently in Kunming on December 20, is two-fold, according to the experts: to eliminate cyberfraud operations victimizing Chinese citizens and to stabilize trade across the China-Myanmar border.

"So, the economic interest or the border trade is being affected, that is for sure," Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, said in an interview.

"But that is a minor consideration compared to the cyber campaign.  The sooner it can be completed, the sooner the cease-fire is, and the sooner the stability can be restored."

The armed conflict has caused a daily loss in bilateral trade between China and Myanmar of about $10 million, according to Than Soe Naing, a veteran Myanmar domestic political analyst. But he said this loss is more damaging for Myanmar than China.

"The flow of goods from the border region is not much compared to China's international economic relations. Our country suffers more," he said.

Beijing has taken care to be evenhanded in its statements about the talks, in line with its public policy of solving problems and pursuing stability in the region through negotiations and dialogue.

In a formal statement on December 28, China's Foreign Ministry said the country "hopes that relevant parties in Myanmar will exercise maximum restraint, actively ease the situation on the ground, together realize the soft landing of the situation in northern Myanmar and take concrete actions to protect the safety and security of Chinese projects and personnel in Myanmar."

Yun Sun said China's main concern is not to resolve the issue of territorial control between the military council and ethnic forces in Myanmar but to crack down on cyber scams located on the China-Myanmar border.

This has been challenging for China. The anti-junta People's Defense Forces movement has gained momentum since a major offensive in late October known as 1027, taking over significant amounts of territory in the north.

Both analysts believe that the military regime is now on the defensive and more likely to favor a cease-fire. But Than Soe Naing predicted the rebels will continue their offensive and that fighting is likely to intensify throughout northern Shan State.

"China will sit and watch over the issue of who will win between the Military Council versus Spring Revolution forces in Myanmar," he said. Beijng "will come to whoever takes power in Burma. He will cooperate with the ruling entity and continue his plan," including the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Let me give you an example: China is like a tiger sitting on a mountain watching two buffaloes fight. They will cooperate with the forces of whoever wins. However, according to their current practicing international diplomacy position, they will not take sides in this conflict. China will cooperate with whoever is in power. Even if there is a change in power, China will continue to cooperate with the new one in power."

Than Soe Naing also pointed out that China does not want external interference in the Myanmar issue.

"I believe China will continue to prevent the involvement of Western democratic forces in these issues in various ways," he said.
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A senior Hamas leader is killed in an explosion in Beirut. A Japanese passenger plane and Coast Guard aircraft collided on the runway. All 379 people on the jetliner survived. And transforming the way we learn and entertain by making three-dimensional virtual reality videos.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the cause of Tuesday nights collision between a Japanese passenger jet and a Japanese coast guard plane on the runway at Tokyos Haneda airport, killing five coast guard crewmembers.

The Japan Airlines Airbus A-350 jetliner had just arrived from the country's northern Hokkaido island with 379 passengers and crew on board.

Video showed a burst of flames on one side of the plane as it rolled down the runway. The plane eventually became fully engulfed as it came to a stop, with flames shooting out windows and the fuselage as firefighters battled the inferno.

All of the passengers and crew managed to escape the burning plane using inflatable slides just minutes before it was destroyed. Cellphone video taken by passengers showed fire underneath the wing, as well as passengers evacuating as the cabin filled with smoke.

The pilot of the coast guard twin-engine propeller plane, built by aircraft maker de Havilland Canada, was the only crewmember who escaped. The plane was on its way to the Japanese west coast to deliver emergency aid for the survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck Monday.

Investigators with Tokyos Metropolitan Police Department and Japans Safety Transport Board have begun looking into the collision. Japanese news outlets say the police investigation will consider whether the disaster was due to professional negligence. Airbus said it was sending specialists to assist in the investigation.

Experts are also heading to Japan from France, where the Airbus jetliner was built.

A spokesperson for Japan Airlines says the crew had received permission from flight controllers at Haneda to land.

Haneda Airport is one of the busiest in the world, due to its close proximity to central Tokyo.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Presse.
Israel carried out new airstrikes Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, while the Israeli army said it was on high alert for attacks by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, following a drone strike that killed a senior Hamas official in Beirut.

Hamas and security officials in the region attributed the strike that killed Saleh al-Arouri to an Israeli drone, although Israel has not directly acknowledged responsibility.

The chief of Israel's Mossad intelligence service said Wednesday the agency would hunt down every Hamas member involved in the October 7 attack on Israel, no matter where they are.

David Barnea, Mossads head, made a comparison to the aftermath of the 1972 Munich massacre when Mossad agents tracked down and killed a string of Palestinian militants who had killed 11 Israeli athletes at that years Olympic Games.

Speaking at the funeral of former Mossad head Zvi Zamir, Israels spy chief at the time of the Munich attack, Barnea said Israel would pursue everyone involved, "directly or indirectly," including "planners and envoys," involved in the shock attack nearly three months ago that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and allowed Hamas to capture about 240 hostages.

"It'll take time, as it took time after the Munich massacre, but we will put our hands on them wherever they are," Barnea said.

Hezbollah  like Hamas, an Iran-backed militant group designated as a terror organization by the United States  has been firing rockets across Israels northern border since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October.

In a televised speech Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against attacking Lebanon.

"If the enemy thinks of waging a war on Lebanon, we will fight without restraint, without rules, without limits and without restrictions," Nasrallah said.

Arouri was a senior official in Hamas' politburo and one of the founders of its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, that carried out the deadly shock assault in Israeli territory on October 7. The United States last year offered $5 million for information on him as part of its Rewards for Justice program.

The Israeli military declined to comment on Arouris reported death, but such an attack would be in line with Jerusalem's avowed intent to kill key Hamas leaders as the war with Hamas in Gaza nears the three-month mark.

"The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas," Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said when asked about Arouris killing.

Arouri headed the Hamas presence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill him even before the militant group invaded southern Israel in the October attack.

Lebanon's state news agency reported that four people were killed in the attack on the Hamas offices in a crowded neighborhood in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.

In a statement, Hezbollah said, "this crime will not go unanswered or unpunished," calling it a "dangerous development in the course of the war."

Israel has warned that if Hezbollah does not back down, a full-on Lebanon war looms. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, whose militant allies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have also been carrying out longer-range attacks against Israel.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Wednesday the international community must "impose" a solution to the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

"What we have learned over the last 30 years, and what we are learning now with the tragedy experienced in Gaza, is that the solution must be imposed from outside," Borrell told diplomats in Portugal.

"Peace will only be achieved in a lasting manner if the international community gets involved intensely to achieve it and imposes a solution," he said, pointing to the United States, Europe and Arab countries.

Borrell warned that the strike in Beirut that killed Arouri was "an additional factor that can cause an escalation of the conflict."

Post-war governance

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday in a televised address that he is open to a single Palestinian administration to govern war-ravaged Gaza, which has been ruled by Hamas, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority runs some government operations.

Haniyeh's position is similar to that of the United States, which favors eventual control of Gaza and the West Bank by the Palestinian Authority, a stance opposed by Netanyahu. The Israeli leader says the Jewish state must control "overall security" in Gaza after the war but left unclear exactly what that would entail.

The United States has stressed that Palestinians must be part of any postwar administration, but the future role of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority remains unclear.

The Israeli campaign to crush Hamas has left vast parts of the Gaza Strip in ruins. The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said the Israeli offensive has killed more than 22,000 people. The ministry does not differentiate between militants and civilians but says 70% of those killed were women and children.

Israel launched its offensive after the October 7 attack when Israel said about 1,200 people were killed and some 240 captives taken hostage, with 129 believed still held by Hamas or other militants in Gaza. The Israeli military said 174 of its military personnel have been killed so far in the fighting.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and others.

About 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations. The U.N. has warned of the increased risk of hunger and disease, as desperate families shelter in makeshift tents against the winter cold.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Rafah governate, located in southern Gaza next to the Egyptian border, is the main refuge for those who have been displaced by intensified fighting and Israeli evacuation orders. There are more than one million people there, squeezed into an extremely overcrowded space, the U.N. said.

Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Iran said Wednesday that 95 people were killed and dozens more wounded in explosions that rocked a memorial for a prominent Iranian general killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike.

One Iranian official called the blasts a terroristic attack that occurred near the grave site of General Qassem Soleimani, the one-time head of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force.

Initially, Iran said 103 people were killed in the two blasts. Later, officials said some names had been counted twice and lowered the death toll.

The explosions occurred in Kerman, about 820 kilometers southeast of the capital, Tehran. No group immediately claimed responsibility.

Iran has blamed the United States and Israel for the attack.

A U.S. State Department spokesman said Washington expresses our sympathies to the victims and their loved ones who died in this horrific explosion and stressed that the U.S. was not involved.

"The United States was not involved in any way. And the suggestion to the contrary is ridiculous," spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Wednesday. "And No. 2, we have no reason to believe that Israel is involved in this."

Bombs reportedly set off remotely

Iran's Tasnim News Agency, quoting what it called informed sources, said "two bags carrying bombs went off" at the site.

"The perpetrators ... of this incident apparently detonated the bombs by remote control," the agency said.

The ISNA news agency quoted Kerman Mayor Saeed Tabrizi as saying the bombs exploded 10 minutes apart.

Iran has several foes who might have carried out the attack, such as exile groups, militant organizations, and state actors. Iran has supported Hamas in its nearly three-month war with Israel, as well as the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Authorities said some people were injured while fleeing the initial explosion. A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to target emergency personnel responding to the scene, to inflict more casualties. People could be heard screaming on state TV footage.

In early 2020, then-President Donald Trump said he ordered the killing of Suleimani because the Iranian was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him.

The U.S. drone attack at Baghdads airport was assailed at the time by then-Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who called it a brazen violation of Iraqs sovereignty and a blatant attack on the nations dignity.

Soleimani considered national hero

Soleimani was the architect of Iran's regional military activities and is considered a national hero among supporters of Iran's theocracy.

He was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State jihadist group in both Iraq and Syria.

He helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assad's government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional conflict that continues today.

Relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Soleimani's popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing because of his role in arming militants with roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. troops.

In the years before the U.S. killed him, Soleimani had become Iran's most recognizable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but growing as powerful, if not more powerful, than the countrys civilian leadership.

Memorials to Soleimani on the anniversary of his death have drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out, and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.

VOAs Nike Ching contributed to this report. Some of the material came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press.
FILE PHOTO: An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indices at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai

By Summer Zhen

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Global long-only funds offloaded China equities at the fastest pace of 2023 in December as they rushed to meet redemption requests and to diversify away from the world's second-largest economy, according to Morgan Stanley analysts.

China and Hong Kong equities saw a combined net outflow of $3.8 billion from active long-only managers last month, the worst month in 2023 and the third-largest monthly outflow on record, Morgan Stanley's quantitative research team said in a report released to clients on Tuesday.

"Both investors' redemptions from equity funds and portfolio managers' rebalancing to deepen underweight on China contributed to the outflows," the analysts led by Gilbert Wong said.

China and Hong Kong stocks ended 2023 as the worst performers among the world's major indexes, dragged down by geopolitical risks, a sluggish economic recovery and policy uncertainties.

China benchmark blue-chip CSI300 Index slumped 11% in 2023 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tumbled 14%.

While Beijing rolled out a raft of measures aimed at boosting the economy in recent months, analysts have said the moves are not sufficient to restore market confidence.

Morgan Stanley says European fund managers were "catching up to align their underweight on China" with their U.S. peers.

Of the $3.8 billion outflow in December, $2 billion was attributable to investor redemptions from funds, while the rest was driven by fund managers rebalancing out of the country, the investment bank said.

In 2023, Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holdings, Kweichow Moutai and Netease topped the weight additions list, while JD.com, Yum China Holdings and AIA were the most sold, according to Morgan Stanley.

Long-short equity funds, in contrast with their long-only counterparts, appear to have seen more value in Chinese stocks in December.

UBS' prime brokerage team said China equities were well bought by hedge funds over the final few weeks of 2023 because they were betting on a stimulus surprise and actively bought the dips.

(Reporting by Summer Zhen; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Police in South Korea Wednesday raided the home and offices of the suspected attacker who stabbed and seriously wounded opposition leader Lee Jae-myung the day before.

Officers in the southeastern port city of Busan obtained a warrant to search the mans properties in the nearby city of Asan as part of their investigation. South Koreas Yonhap news agency says the suspected attacker has confessed to trying to kill Lee, and that police in Busan will charge the attacker with attempted murder. No motive has been given for the attack.

Yonhap identified the suspect as a 67-year-old man named Kim who operates a real estate agency in Asan, but has been having serious financial difficulties for several months.

Lee, the 59-year-old leader of South Koreas Democratic Party, is recuperating in an intensive care unit at Seoul National University Hospital after undergoing a two-hour surgery to repair the jugular vein in his neck.

Lee was meeting with reporters at the construction site of a new airport when the man, wearing a paper crown with Lees name printed on it, approached him and asked for an autograph. Videos posted online showed Lee smiling shortly before the man plunged a large knife into the left side of Lees neck.

A bystander pressed a handkerchief to Lees neck to stop the bleeding before he was rushed to Pusan National University Hospital. He was later airlifted to Seoul National University Hospital for surgery after doctors expressed concern about potential massive bleeding around his jugular vein.

The liberal lawmaker narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol. A spokesman for President Yoon quoted the president as saying, This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances. The spokesman says President Yoon has ordered an investigation and instructed that Lee be given the best care available.

A spokesman for the Democratic Party called the incident a terrorist attack and a serious threat to democracy.

Police searched the offices of both the Democratic Party and Yoons People Power Party Wednesday to find out if the suspected attacker was affiliated with either group. The attack occurred more than three months before elections in which Yoons party hopes to regain control of the legislature for the first time since 2016.

Lee is a polarizing figure in South Korean politics. In September, he ended a 24-day hunger strike to protest what he saw as the failed policies of his rival, Yoon, and is considered to be a leading candidate to succeed the president when Yoons single term expires in 2027.

Last year, South Korean prosecutors indicted Lee on corruption-related charges, including those related to a property development scandal. He avoided jail after a court rejected a warrant for his arrest.

Lee is known for his populist policies. As a former mayor of Gyeonggi, South Koreas most populous province that surrounds Seoul, Lee advocated a form of universal basic income, in which citizens were to receive regular payments of money from the government.

Political violence in South Korea has been rare in recent decades, although attacks have occasionally occurred.

In 2022, Song Young-gil, then Democratic Party leader, was attacked by an elderly man with a hammer while campaigning just two days before the election.

In 2006, former conservative party leader Park Geun-hye, who would later become president, was attacked by a man with a box cutter at a rally in Seoul.

Her father, authoritarian President Park Chung-hee, was assassinated in 1979 by his own chief of the countrys intelligence agency.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.
A prominent Ugandan LGBTQ activist was stabbed on his way to work on Wednesday by unknown assailants on a motorbike, police and a rights campaigner said.

Steven Kabuye, 25, suffered knife wounds and was left for dead in the assault on the outskirts of the capital Kampala before being found by local residents, police said.

Human rights defenders have been warning about the risk of attacks on members of the LGBTQ community after Uganda last year adopted what is considered one of the harshest anti-gay laws in the world.

Kabuye told detectives investigating the incident that he had been getting death threats, according to a statement issued by police spokesman Patrick Onyango.

"According to Mr. Kabuye, two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle, wearing helmets, approached him. The passenger jumped off and attacked him, specifically targeting his neck with a knife," Onyango said.

"Kabuye managed to shield his neck with his right arm, resulting in a stab wound to his hand. Despite attempting to flee, the assailants chased and stabbed him in the stomach, and left him for dead," he said, adding that local residents found him and took him to a medical clinic.

Richard Lusimbo, the head of community action group Uganda Key Populations Consortium, told AFP that Kabuye was in "critical condition, but Onyango said he was out of danger.

"All our efforts at the moment [are to ensure] that he gets the medical attention he deserves and also the perpetrators of this heinous act are held responsible," said Lusimbo.

Kabuye, who works with the Colored Voices Media Foundation that campaigns for LGBTQ youth, told investigators who visited his hospital bedside that he had been receiving death threats since March 2023.

He had returned to Uganda in December for Christmas after traveling abroad in June.

In May last year, Uganda adopted anti-gay legislation that contains provisions making "aggravated homosexuality" a potentially capital offence and penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison.

"Having laws like the Anti-Homosexuality Act puts lives of the LGBTQ community at risk and empowers hatred," Lusimbo said.

The legislation triggered outrage among rights advocates and Western powers, and it is currently being challenged in Uganda's constitutional court.

President Yoweri Museveni's government has struck a defiant tone, with officials accusing the West of trying to pressure Africa into accepting homosexuality.
Federal authorities are accusing U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of introducing a member of the Qatari royal family to a New Jersey businessman seeking investments in a real estate project, an indictment said Tuesday.

The indictment against the New Jersey Democrat in Manhattan federal court did not identify the member of the Qatari royal family, but it said the individual was a principal of the Qatari Investment Company.

The indictment said the Qatari investor negotiated a multimillion-dollar investment in the real estate project planned by Fred Daibes, one of three businessmen charged in the indictment along with the senator and his wife. All have pleaded not guilty.

Messages left with lawyers and a spokesperson for Menendez were not immediately returned.

Tim Donohue, a lawyer for Daibes, said he had no immediate comment.

The indictment is the latest version of one that already charged Menendez in a bribery conspiracy that allegedly enriched the senator and his wife with cash, gold bars and a luxury car. The charges involving Qatar allegedly occurred from 2021 through 2023, according to the indictment, which did not add any new charges.

After his September arrest, the senator gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has resisted calls to resign from his Senate seat.

According to the indictment, Menendez accepted cash and gold bars in exchange for seeking to induce the Qatari Investment Company to invest with Daibes, including by taking actions favorable to the government of Qatar.

The indictment said that while the Qatari Investment Company was considering its investment in the real estate development owned by Daibes, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar and then provided them to Daibes so he could share them with a Qatari investor and a Qatari government official.

In an earlier version of the indictment, Menendez, his wife and one of the businessmen were charged with conspiring to illegally use the senator as an agent of the Egyptian government.

Judge Sidney H. Stein, who is presiding over the case, refused last week to extend a May 5 trial date after defense lawyers requested more time to prepare for a trial that they said already includes more than 6.7 million documents.
Russia and Ukraine announced Wednesday they have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war.

Ukrainian officials said 230 of their soldiers had been released by Russia.

Russias defense ministry said 248 of its soldiers had returned home from Ukrainian captivity under a deal mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

The two sides have previously exchanged prisoners at various times during the nearly two-year war.

Earlier, Russias defense ministry said Wednesday its air defenses destroyed 12 Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region, days after a Ukrainian attack in the same area killed 24 people and prompted a vow of intensified attacks from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tuesday brought extensive Russian missile attacks that killed at least five people and wounded as many as 130 in Kyiv and Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine's air force said Russian forces used 35 drones and 99 missiles, launched by air and sea, and that Ukrainian air defenses downed all the drones and 72 of the missiles.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Wednesday that in response to the latest onslaught on Ukraine, allies should respond by tightening sanctions on Russia and providing Ukrainian forces with long-range missiles.

Sikorski said on X, formerly Twitter, that the missiles would enable Ukraine to take out launch sites and command centers.

Poland borders Ukraine, and its military dispatched four F-16 fighter jets to protect its own airspace amid Tuesdays Russian attacks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans office issued a statement Tuesday denying that mine-hunting ships donated by Britain to Ukraine were allowed to pass through the Turkish Straits and reach the Black Sea.

Britain said last month it was transferring two Royal Navy Sandown Class mine countermeasures vessels to Ukraine to help counter the threat from Russian mines and allow for Ukrainian export operations through the Black Sea.

Turkey said in its statement that since the start of the war in Ukraine, it has closed the Turkish Straits to warships of Russia and Ukraine and maintains its unwavering determination and principled stance throughout this war to prevent the escalation of tension in the Black Sea.

Turkey said allies were told the mine-hunting ships would not be allowed through the Turkish Straits as long as the war continues.

Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has derided South Korea's conservative president for being "foolishly brave" but called his liberal predecessor "smart"  rhetoric likely meant to help stoke domestic divisions in South Korea.

Her statement Tuesday came as a response to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's New Year's Day address, in which he said he would bolster South Korea's military capability and enhance its alliance with the U.S. to cope with North Korea's evolving nuclear threats.

Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has made such comments numerous times. Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, used Yoon's latest remarks as an opportunity to fire off derisive rhetoric against him.

"Since his inauguration he's been clamoring for the strengthening of the South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence and focusing on their joint military drills, bringing the fate of South Korea to the brink," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. She said that Yoon's "ability to think and reason are questionable."

Kim Yo Jong said that Yoon's "foolishly brave" stance and "fanatical military confrontation posture" have given North Korea a golden opportunity to beef up its military programs. She said Yoon's New Year's Day speech once again provided North Korea with a reason and a justification to obtain "more overwhelming nuclear capability."

Later she compared Yoon with his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, calling the former South Korean president "smart" and "cunning."

She said that Moon's appeasement policy left North Korea wasting time and failing to press forward with its arms build-up programs. She said Moon solicited North Korea to halt missile and nuclear tests while beefing up South Korea's own national security by procuring advanced U.S. fighter jets and winning U.S. consent in acquiring more powerful missiles.

Her praise of Moon lacks sincerity, because she and her government have previously berated him severely. Some observers say Kim Yo Jong may be seeking to boost anti-Yoon sentiments in South Korea among those opposing his North Korea policy ahead of April's parliamentary elections.

In 2021, she called Moon "a parrot raised by America" after he criticized North Korean missile tests. In 2019, in one of the most disdainful insults directed at Moon, an unidentified North Korean government committee spokesperson said that Moon's comments hoping for better ties would make even the "boiled head of a cow break out into side-splitting laughter."

Moon, who governed South Korea from 2017 to 2022, was a champion of inter-Korean rapprochement. He met Kim Jong Un three times in 2018, touching off a flurry of short-lived exchange programs between the rivals and helping arrange the first North Korea-U.S. summit held between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump. But North Korea turned a cold shoulder on Moon and cut off ties after its diplomacy with the United States fell apart in 2019.

Moon's engagement policy has drawn both praise and criticism. His supporters credited him with achieving cooperation with North Korea and avoiding major armed clashes, but opponents say he was a naive North Korea sympathizer who ended up helping the North buy time to advance its nuclear program in the face of international sanctions and pressure.

Since the collapse of the nuclear diplomacy with the U.S., North Korea has been pushing hard to modernize its nuclear arsenal.

Many experts say Kim Jong Un likely believes he can revive high-stakes diplomacy with the U.S. to get major concessions such as sanctions relief if Trump returns to the White House. They say Kim will likely subsequently intensify his weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November to try to increase his leverage in future diplomacy with the Americans.

South Korea's spy agency said last week that North Korea will likely launch military provocations and cyberattacks ahead of South Korean parliamentary elections in April and the U.S. presidential election in November.
Afghanistan's Taliban government is touting major strides in combating drug production and trafficking over the past year.

Acting defense minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid announced at a Kabul press conference on Sunday that 4,472 tons of narcotics had been destroyed, 8,282 individuals involved in production and smuggling were arrested, and 13,904 hectares of poppy crops were cleared.

Smuggling of all contraband has been prevented by 99 percent, Mujahid claimed.

The United States and the United Nations have confirmed a massive reduction in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan since the Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, banned the crop in April 2022.

Afghanistan's poppy cultivation plummeted so dramatically after the Taliban ban that the country no longer holds the title of top global opiate supplier, ceding it to Myanmar, according to a 2023 report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC.

For nearly two decades, despite billions of dollars poured into counter-narcotics by Western donors, Afghanistan remained the world's opium kingpin, supplying more than 80% of the worlds illicit market.

Opium is used to produce heroin, a highly addictive and dangerous drug.

Unsustainable initiative

Eradicating opium cultivation remains a monumental challenge for the Taliban, despite their declared commitment to a permanent, rigorously enforced ban and a drug-free Afghanistan.

Experts say extreme poverty in rural and agricultural communities haunts the Talibans vow, threatening to lure farmers back to poppy cultivation.

Despite the apparent initial impact of the Talibans narcotics ban, farmers will likely again turn to poppy cultivation unless there is a plan to address the potential loss of over 400,000 livelihoods linked to opium cultivation, an official at the U.S. Department of State wrote VOA in emailed comments.

The Taliban's poppy cultivation ban has dealt a harsh blow to Afghanistan's illicit narcotics economy, causing an estimated $1 billion loss for those involved, as reported by the U.N. and independent experts.

In 2023, the farmers income from selling opium to traders declined by 92% from an estimated $1.36 billion in 2022 to $110 million in 2023, the UNODC reported in November.

As the Taliban pursue their counter-narcotics goals, finding sustainable alternative livelihoods for affected communities will be crucial to prevent unbearable hardships and even potential conflicts.

The economic consequences of the ban so far may have been somewhat muted by large existing inventories of opium from previous harvests, but smaller farmers, sharecroppers, and wage laborers suffer the most since they don't have stocks of opium, William Byrd, an expert at the U.S. Institute of Peace, told VOA.

The opium economy in Afghanistan has been a complex and controversial issue, annually pumping between $1.8 billion and $2.7 billion into the Afghan economy, accounting for 6% to 11% of GDP according to the U.N.

US aid

U.S. officials have long argued that the global narcotics trade serves as a shadowy financier, fueling terrorism, organized crime, and corruption across the globe.

From 2003 to 2021, while engaged in counter-insurgency operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the United States also invested upwards of $9 billion in programs aimed at curbing the illicit drug trade.

Following the Taliban takeover, the U.S. cut development aid to Afghanistan, focusing solely on U.N.-administered humanitarian assistance. Alternative livelihood programs for poppy farmers were among the casualties.

While official diplomatic relations remain on hold, U.S. officials have explored avenues for communication with the Taliban on issues like counter-narcotics through occasional, unofficial talks outside Afghanistan.

Sanctions imposed on Taliban leadership and entities currently prevent direct U.S. engagement in their counter-narcotics programs.

Unfortunately, countries and organizations that have huge budgets and resources to prevent the cultivation and smuggling of poppy opiates do not help Afghans with alternative livelihoods, said Mujahid, the Taliban defense minister whose father, Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founding Taliban leader, nearly eliminated poppy cultivation in 2000.

Omars poppy ban was disrupted by the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001.
A high-powered delegation from Afghanistans ruling Taliban held crucial talks with Pakistan officials Wednesday in a bid to ease tensions stemming from a surge in deadly cross-border attacks blamed on terrorists based on Afghan soil.

Officials said Mullah Shirin Akhund, an influential Taliban leader, led his team of defense ministry and intelligence representatives at the meeting convened in Islamabad under what is known as the Joint Coordination Committee, or JCC. The committee was established to address border management and related security issues facing the two countries.

In the JCC meeting, the two sides discussed coordination mechanisms to facilitate cross-border movement with a view to promoting people-to-people contacts, a Pakistani foreign ministry statement said after the meeting. The ministry did not share further details on the delegation-level discussions.

Pakistani officials say that fugitive militants linked to anti-state Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and allied groups have intensified cross-border attacks with greater operational freedom since the Islamist Taliban regained control of Afghanistan more than two years ago.

In 2023, TTP-led bombings and gun attacks killed nearly 1,000 Pakistanis, half of them security forces, nationwide, marking the highest number of fatalities in six years.

Officials in Islamabad maintain TTP leaders moved their operational bases to Afghan border provinces after the Taliban returned to power.

Taliban authorities reject allegations the TTP or any other groups are being allowed to threaten other countries, including Pakistan, from Afghan soil. They have repeatedly advised Islamabad not to blame Afghanistan for Pakistans internal security challenges.

Akhund is the governor of Kandahar province, which borders Pakistan. He is a known close associate of the reclusive Taliban chief, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is also based in and governs the country from Kandahar through his male-only Cabinet in Kabul, the Afghan capital.

Taliban officials recently announced the arrest of dozens of TTP members in Afghanistan. They have also said during recent interactions with visiting senior Pakistani officials that they plan to move TTP members away from Afghan border areas and eventually disarm them.

But Pakistani officials have said they could not ascertain the veracity of the claims by Kabul. They were expected to press Taliban delegates during this weeks talks to hand over TTP leaders to Islamabad.

Evidence about the crackdown on TTP is not visible, a senior Pakistani official told VOA in the run-up to Wednesdays meeting with the Afghan Taliban.

If the Taliban are serious, then they should disarm the TTP cadres and detain their leadership, who are about a dozen persons, said the official, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Pakistan says Afghan Taliban fighters have also participated in or facilitated some of the recent TTP-led attacks.

Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said in a statement last month that at least 16 Afghan nationals have conducted suicide bombings inside his country, while another 65 were killed by Pakistani forces in counterterrorism operations.

In October, Kakar ordered a crackdown on at least 1.7 million undocumented Afghans in the country, forcing more than 500,000 individuals to cross back into Afghanistan.

The TTP, a globally designated terrorist organization, emerged in Pakistans traditionally volatile border areas in 2007 and has since routinely claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on security forces and civilians.

The militant group provided shelter and recruits to fugitive Taliban leaders as they directed years of insurgent attacks on the Afghan side of the border, targeting U.S.-led Western troops until they departed Afghanistan in August 2021.

Pakistans military was also persistently accused of supporting the Taliban insurgency against foreign forces and helping them retake power, accusations Islamabad rejects.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand said Tuesday that his country will permanently grant visa-free entry to Chinese nationals effective March 1.

Thailand has allowed Chinese visitors visa-free entry since last September, but the policy was due to expire on Feb. 29.

Prime Minister Srettha said the decision to make the policy permanent came after negotiations with Beijing to grant the same privilege to Thai nationals visiting China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin would not confirm Sretthas announcement, but told reporters in Beijing that competent authorities on both sides are in close communication on the matter.

The two sides will allow tourists from their respective countries to remain for up to 30 days per visit.

Thailands decision to grant permanent visa-free status to Chinese visitors is aimed at restoring the countrys vital tourism sector. Thailand welcomed 40 million visitors in 2019  11 million from China alone  but the tourism sector was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic the following year.

Tourism has slowly recovered, with 28 million foreign visitors entering Thailand last year, including 3.5 million from China, second only to Malaysia, which sent at least 4.4 million tourists.
Three men were injured on Wednesday in a stabbing incident and taken to hospital after a woman wielded a knife on a train at Akihabara Station in Tokyo, Japanese police said.

The police received an emergency call at just before 11 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) saying the woman had inflicted injuries with a knife on the Yamanote loop line, one of the busiest transport routes in the city, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said.

The woman was taken into custody and the condition of the three injured men was unknown, the spokesperson said.

Kyodo news agency reported that none of the victims had suffered life-threatening injuries.

Public broadcaster NHK initially reported that four people had been stabbed.

East Japan Railway Company said the Yamanote loop line was briefly suspended due to "trouble on the train."

Akihabara, traditionally home to retailers of electronics and gadgets, is a major tourism hotspot in Tokyo and has become synonymous with video games, comic books and outlandish fashion.
The United States and 11 allies on Wednesday jointly warned Yemen's Houthi militants of unspecified consequences unless they halt attacks on cargo vessels sailing through the Red Sea.

"Let our message now be clear: We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews," the countries said in a statement released by the White House.

"The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways," the 12 countries said.

Signatories on the statement include Britain, which on Monday issued its own warning to the Houthis of "direct action," as well as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan.

Shipping companies reroute vessels

At an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday called by the United States and other council members, the head of the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization said 18 shipping companies have decided to reroute their vessels away from the Red Sea and around southern Africa to reduce the risk of attack from the Houthis.

"This adds 10 days to the journey and an increase in freight rates," IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told the council in a video briefing.

Dominguez said about 15% of the international shipping trade passes through the Red Sea, and it is of the "utmost importance" to ensure the safety and security of global supply chains as well as the crews aboard these ships.

The Japanese-operated ship Galaxy Leader and crew of 25 were seized by the Houthis on November 19 and remain in the militant group's custody. Council members called for the crew and ship's immediate and unconditional release.

Attacks target ships bound for Israel

The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched drone, missile and boat attacks since October, targeting what they say are vessels linked with or traveling to Israel. The militants say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel's envoy to the U.N. said the issue is not an Israel problem or a regional one, but a global one. He urged the security council to enforce its own sanctions against the Houthis and those who arm and fund them  namely Iran.

"These are blatant terror attacks against diverse global targets," Gilad Erdan told the council. "This is the epitome of an international terror threat. Council members, today must be far more than a wake-up call. Today we must act."

The United States also called for a united international action.

"It is vital that the council speak  and speak now  on the need to uphold international law, as well as navigational rights and freedoms," U.S. envoy Christopher Lu said.

Lu also pointed at Iran's role, saying it had funded and armed the Houthis for years, enabling their attacks.

Diplomats said after the meeting that the Americans are gauging whether they would have the necessary council support to get a resolution adopted on the issue.

Russia's envoy reiterated his country's condemnation of the attacks and called on the Houthis not to jeopardize vessels in the Red Sea but signaled some reluctance to take any serious action in the council.

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said he preferred a scenario where the council redoubled its efforts to resolve Yemen's lengthy civil war in order to bring stability, over what he warned could be a "catastrophic" option of "pouring gasoline" on the situation by using "forceful methods" with the Houthis.

The attacks have drawn military responses from U.S. and British forces and prompted the United States to set up a coalition of countries to try to protect the shipping lanes.

U.S. Central Command reported a new Houthi attack late Tuesday, saying the militants fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the southern Red Sea.

A CENTCOM statement said multiple commercial ships in the area reported the missiles landed in the water and that there were no reports of damage.

"These illegal actions endangered the lives of dozens of innocent mariners and continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce," CENTCOM said. "This is the 24th attack against merchant shipping in the Southern Red Sea since Nov. 19."

VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.
The crystal balls are cloudy, and the energy sector is difficult to predict for 2024. Conventional wisdom says, Oil is going higher; after all, there is a war in the Middle East. But neither Israel nor Hamas exports oil, and prices are down from a mid-October spike.

The conflicted headwinds of the energy sector, and the oil industry especially, have put heavy pressure on energy stocks in recent months. Even the current war in the Middle East only caused a brief spike in prices, and the OPEC+ groups efforts to pare back production have simply provided a floor in the current environment  they have not pushed prices back toward recent high levels.

The wild card here is a possible US recession. If one hits in 2024, that could crimp oil demand  but we may also see a Fed rate cut, which could in turn goose a call for more oil.

For Goldman analyst Neil Mehta, however, this confused environment equals opportunity. He sees a strong chance for several energy stocks to make a 2024 turnaround. As we make the turn into 2024, we continue to screen for companies with turnaround and mean reversion potential in a mid-cycle $80/b Brent and $3.50/MMBtu Henry Hub environment, the 5-star analyst recently wrote. Amid a tougher year for Energy equities, there has been significant differentiation in stock performance across sub-sectors.

Moving forward, Mehta sees opportunity in specific names and is bullish on the prospects of two major energy stocks that have underperformed over the past year. We ran them through the TipRanks database to see what makes them stand out. Heres the lowdown.

Schlumberger Limited (SLB)

For the first, well look at a leader in the oilfield services sector. The exploration and production companies put their money down finding the oil, siting the wells, and bringing the product to the surface. But, they lack the specific expertise to complete those wells; companies like Schlumberger provide all the particular engineering and technical know-how needed to complete wells and put them into operation. These skills include, among others, drilling, hydraulic engineering, and pollutant control. In 2022, Schlumberger was the worlds largest offshore drilling company, measured by revenue.

Story continues

Drilling and well completion, however, are only part of Schlumbergers operations. The company sees the writing on the wall, and understands that todays fossil fuel energy regime will not last forever, and it is diversifying its operations now, both to expand its revenue base and to prepare the next generation of energy technology. These forays into alternate business models include Schlumbergers business in digital technology, scaled to fit customer needs at any size and capable of tracking and accessing data, developing insights from it, and using that data to elevate performance. The company is also moving into AI technology, to enable autonomous operations on the oil patch.

Schlumbergers operations brought the company solid year-over-year increases in its headline financial results in the third quarter of 2023, the latest reported. The company had a bottom line of 78 cents per share, in non-GAAP measures; this was a full 15 cents per share better than the prior-year result, and came in 1 cent above the forecast. The earnings were based on $8.31 billion in total revenue, a figure that was up 3% from the previous quarter and 11% year-over-year. The companys revenue, however, came up short of the forecasts, missing by $10 million.

Free cash flow in the third quarter was strong, listed as $1.04 billion. This made up the larger part of the companys $1.76 billion FCF for the first nine months of 2023. Schlumberger generated far stronger cash flows in Q1,2, and 3 of 2023 than in the prior year, when the nine-month total came to just $563 million.

While Schlumberger saw sound financial performance, we should note here that the stock price has simply been treading water in 2023. Shares were barely breaking even at the end of trading on December 29, the years last trading day, and the stock was down approximately 16% from the peak it hit in September 2023.

Turning to the Goldman view, we find that analyst Neil Mehta is bullish here, basing his view at least in part on the companys solid performance as an offshore driller and its moves into digital tech. Moreover, the stocks underperformance represents an opportunity. Mehta writes, We believe that at the current price the stock is fundamentally undervalued as international rig count still remains below pre-COVID levels, offshore activity outlook has remained resilient and SLB continues to expand its digital business. We believe that the stock should be positioned to outperform as macro activity indicators continue to grind higher, margin expansion from repricing contract portfolios continue to improve and over time as the company begins to commercialize its newer businesses in new energy.

For Mehta, this provides support for a Buy rating, and his price target, set at $65, suggests a one-year upside potential of 25%. (To watch Mehtas track record, click here)

This stock has a Strong Buy rating from the Street, based on a lopsided split among the 13 recent analyst reviews  12 to Buy and 1 to Hold. The shares are trading for $52.04 and their $70.58 average target price points toward a one-year gain of 36%. (See Schlumberger stock forecast)

Chevron Corporation (CVX)

From oilfield services we can move over now and take a look at a major-name exploration and production company. Chevron is ranked, by market cap, as the worlds third-largest oil company, valued at ~$281 billion by that measure.

The companys business and activities revolve around oil and natural gas exploitation, transport of hydrocarbon products, operation of a maritime shipping line for both crude oil and natural gas products, and a large-scale petroleum refining segment.

Chevron is a major producer and supplier of a wide range of petrochemicals, including fuels, lubricants, and various additives. While not the main thrust of Chevrons business, its probably the most visible in our everyday life  Chevron markets many of these products, including gasoline and diesel fuel, through its nation-wide chain of branded gas stations.

The biggest recent news for Chevron, however, has come from two updates in its oil business. In 2023, in October, the company entered a definitive agreement with Hess Corporation, an independent E&P firm specializing in offshore hydrocarbon extraction. The agreements total value comes to $60 billion, including the $53 billion all-stock acquisition transaction and approximately $7 billion in debt assumption by Chevron. The merger is expected to be completed in 1H24.

The second large piece of news for Chevron comes from Kazakhstan, near the northeastern shores of the Caspian Sea. Chevron is expanding an already significant operation in this area, where it has a 50% interest in Tengizchevroil, or TCO. TCO is the operating firm exploiting the Tengiz oil field, a supergiant field known to be one of the worlds largest single-trap producing reservoirs. The Tengiz has a massive proven reserve, estimated at 25.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Daily production in the field is already averaging 600,000 barrels of crude oil every day, along with 22 million cubic meters of natural gas.

Chevrons last reported financial results on record are from 3Q23, when the company had $54.08 billion at the top line. While this total was more than 18% below the prior-year revenue, it did beat the forecast, by $1.08 billion. The oil giants earnings, the non-GAAP EPS, came to $3.05 per diluted share  and missed the forecast by 64 cents per share. Investors were not too keen on the results, sending shares down in the aftermath. Overall, the stock trended lower in 2023, falling some 17% from the peak seen in January last year.

Laying out the Goldman Sachs view of Chevron, analyst Mehta lists several factors to support optimism, including strong prospects for gains in the HES acquisition and the Tengiz oilfield expansion operations. He writes of CVX, Heading into 2024, we believe (a) improving earnings execution, (b) regular updates on TCO, (c) continued commitment to return of capital through-the-cycle, and (d) attractive balance sheet should drive 2024 outperformance. On capital returns we expect the company to be competitive in return of capital, with GS estimates of ~$29 bn in 2024 (buybacks + dividends), representing ~10% yield, with room for upside on potential HES transaction close, based on company commentary. On Tengiz, we continue to look for updated management commentary surrounding the WPMP and FGP start-ups in 2024 and 2025, where we see the project driving a clear Upstream volume ramp and cash flow inflection in 2025.

Putting this into quantifiable form, Mehta rates CVX as a Buy, and his $180 price target implies the shares will appreciate by 21% through 2024.

For the Street generally, this stock remains a Buy, albeit a Moderate Buy. This consensus rating comes from 18 analyst reviews, breaking down 12 to 6 in favor of Buys over Holds. Chevrons shares have a current average target price of $179.59, suggesting a 20% one-year increase from the last trading price of $149.16. (See Chevron stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
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Armenian Americans in Southern California celebrated their culture with a flowered float in the annual Rose Parade, moving on from a turbulent year that included Armenians' exodus from their former enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inside Azerbaijan's borders. Genia Dulot has our story from Pasadena.
Jet burst into flames after collision with Coast Guard plane

All 379 aboard Japan Airlines plane escaped fire

Aviation expert praises evacuation 'miracle'

Five of six crew on Coast Guard plane killed

Coast Guard plane was due to deliver aid to quake zone

TOKYO (Reuters) - All 379 people aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane escaped the burning airliner after a collision with a Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo's Haneda airport that killed five of six crew on the smaller aircraft on Tuesday.

Live footage on public broadcaster NHK showed the JAL Airbus A350 airliner burst into flames as it skidded down the tarmac shortly before 6 p.m.

Video and images shared on social media showed passengers shouting inside the plane's smoke-filled cabin and running across the tarmac after escaping via an evacuation slide.

At one point a child's voice can be heard shouting: "Let us get out quickly! Let us get out quickly!"

All 367 passengers and 12 crew were evacuated from the blazing airliner, but the fire was not extinguished until shortly after midnight, after burning for more than six hours, broadcaster TBS reported citing the fire department.

"I was wondering what happened and then I felt the airplane tilted to the side at the runway and felt a big bump," said Satoshi Yamake, 59, a telecommunications company worker who was on board. "The flight attendants told us to stay calm and instructed us to get off the plane."

Fourteen people on the passenger plane were injured, according to Japan Airlines, but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that five of the Coast Guard aircraft's crew had died, while the 39-year-old captain of the plane escaped but was injured.

A ministry official told a press briefing the JAL plane was attempting to land normally when it collided with the Coast Guard's Bombardier-built Dash-8 maritime patrol plane on the runway.

There had been no reports of engine or other problems on the airliner before the landing, the official said.

The Coast Guard said its plane was headed to Niigata on Japan's west coast to deliver aid to those caught up in a powerful earthquake that struck on New Year's Day, killing at least 55 people.

A JAL official told a press briefing it was the airline's understanding that the flight had received permission to land, although he added that exchanges with flight control were still under investigation.

'IT WAS A MIRACLE'

Passengers and aviation experts praised the speed of the evacuation.

"I heard an explosion about 10 minutes after everyone and I got off the plane," said 28-year-old passenger Tsubasa Sawada. "I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late."

Paul Hayes, director of air safety at UK-based aviation consultancy Ascend by Cirium, noted that no-one leaving the plane appeared to be carrying hand luggage - safety agencies have warned for years that pausing to collect carry-on bags during an evacuation risks lives.

"The cabin crew must have done an excellent job... It was a miracle that all the passengers got off," he said.

The aircraft's in-flight announcement system did not work during the evacuation, so crew members used megaphones to give instructions, Japan Airlines said in a statement.

Kaoru Ishii, who was waiting outside the arrival gate for her 29-year-old daughter and boyfriend, said she initially thought the flight was delayed until her daughter called to explain.

"She said the plane had caught fire and she exited via a slide," Ishii said. "I was really relieved that she was alright."

A JAL spokesperson said its aircraft had departed from New Chitose airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.

CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION

Based on interviews with the flight crew, the airline said the crew acknowledged landing clearance from air traffic control, repeated it back to confirm and then conducted approach and landing operations.

"There were no issues with the aircraft at the time of departure from the New Chitose Airport and during the flight," the airline said.

It was not immediately possible to determine clearly the sequence of instructions issued in the moments before the crash from multi-channel recordings available on liveatc.net.

The air traffic control monitoring website captured a controller telling all approaching pilots shortly after the impact: "Airport is closed, Haneda airport is closed".

Transport Minister Saito said the cause of the accident was unclear and the Japan Transport Safety Board, police and other departments would continue to investigate.

The JTSB air accident agency has launched an investigation, to be joined by representatives from France, where the airplane was built, and Britain where its two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines were manufactured.

Airbus said it was also sending technical advisers.

Haneda, one of the two main airports serving the Japanese capital Tokyo, was closed for several hours following the accident, but the transport ministry official said three runways had since resumed operations.

JAL's Japanese rival ANA had earlier said it had cancelled 110 domestic flights departing and landing at Haneda for the rest of Tuesday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said authorities were working to ensure the accident did not affect deliveries of earthquake relief supplies, and expressed sorrow over the deaths of the Coast Guard crew.

"This is a great regret as the crew members performed their duties with a strong sense of mission and responsibility for the victims of the disaster area," he said.

Reporting by Sakura Murakami, Maki Shiraki, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kantaro Komiya, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Kaori Kaneko and Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo, Additional reporting by Tim Hepher, Lisa Barrington, Allison Lampert; writing by John Geddie, Alex Richardson and Tomasz Janowski; edited by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Jason Neely and Chizu Nomiyama
The Israeli army has said it is "prepared for any scenario" after a strike in Beirut that killed Hamas's deputy chief, stoking fears the war in the Gaza Strip could boil over into wider regional conflict.

A high-level security official in Lebanon told AFP that Saleh al-Aruri was killed along with his bodyguards in a strike by Israel, which has vowed to destroy Hamas after the movement's shock October 7 attacks.

A second security official confirmed the information, while Hamas TV also reported Israel had killed Aruri in Lebanon.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari did not directly comment on the killing, but said afterwards that the military was in "very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defence and offence. We are highly prepared for any scenario."

Israel has previously announced the deaths in Gaza of Hamas commanders and officials during the war, but Aruri is the most high-profile figure to be killed, and his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities began.

The strike adds to widespread fears that the nearly three-month-old Israel-Hamas war could become a wider regional conflagration.

Hamas said Aruri's death would not lead to its defeat, while its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah vowed the killing would not go unpunished, calling it "a serious assault on Lebanon... and a dangerous development".

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and said it "aims to draw Lebanon" further into the war.

Aruri, who lived in exile, is accused by Israel of masterminding numerous attacks.

Following his death, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said that a movement "whose leaders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our people and our nation will never be defeated".

Hamas's bloody October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took around 250 hostages back to Hamas-ruled Gaza, of whom 129 remain in captivity, according to Israeli figures.

After the attack, the worst in its history, Israel began a relentless bombardment and ground offensive that has killed at least 22,185 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.

- Red Crescent struck -

Israel's army said soldiers in Gaza had killed "dozens of terrorists" in fighting on Tuesday, and had also raided a weapons storage compound in the southern city of Khan Yunis.

In the aftermath of a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinians rushed to rescue victims and retrieve bodies from the rubble.

"There are about 12 martyrs until now, mostly children. What was their fault? Among them my one-month-old son, what did he do to Israel?" asked Ghazi Darwish. "My other son is five years old, he was also martyred."

Further south in Khan Yunis, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said Israel had twice struck its headquarters, resulting in "five casualties and three injuries" among displaced people who had sought refuge there and at a nearby hospital.

"They told us to go to the south, which is safe, but they are liars," shouted Fathi al-Af, pointing to his wounded daughter on a stretcher on the floor of Nasser Hospital after the Red Crescent strike.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) denounced the alleged strikes as "unconscionable".

The strikes in Khan Yunis continued overnight into Wednesday morning, with the Hamas health ministry reporting "numerous" deaths.

United Nations agencies have voiced alarm over Gaza's spiralling humanitarian crisis, which has left 2.4 million people under siege, most of them displaced and crowded into shelters and tents during winter rains.

"Hamas people are hiding in their houses and the tunnels, while we don't find food or drink and are dying of cold," said Wojud Kamal al-Shinbary, who like many Gazans had made her way to Rafah, in the far south.

The WHO has warned of the risk of famine and disease, with only a minimal amount of aid entering.

On Tuesday the UK said a British ship had delivered 87 tonnes of Gaza aid to Egypt from Cyprus, the first shipment via a new maritime corridor from the Mediterranean island.

- 'Risks and consequences' -

In the occupied West Bank, where the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported multiple Israeli operations overnight, AFPTV images showed scores of people in the streets of Ramallah to protest at Aruri's killing.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh also condemned the killing, and warned about the "risks and consequences that could follow", his office said.

Israeli strikes in neighbouring countries on groups acting in support of Hamas have fanned fears of a wider conflict.

In a call with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz after Aruri's killing, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to "avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon".

A strike inside Syria last month that was blamed on Israel killed a senior commander of the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, meanwhile, have also launched attacks at Israel and against cargo ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas, with the US military assembling a multinational task force to protect the vital shipping lane.

The Huthis fired two missiles late Tuesday towards merchant ships travelling in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the US military said, though no ships in the area reported damage.

The French mission to the UN said the Security Council -- of which France and the United States are permanent members -- would discuss the Huthi attacks in a meeting on Wednesday.

burs-smw/mtp
Me and karma vibe like that. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Lifetime, James Devaney/GC Images

Karma is on Gypsy Rose Blanchards mind. Released from prison on December 28 after serving eight years of a ten-year second-degree-murder sentence for the death of her abusive mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, Gypsy Rose told The Hollywood Reporter she has been celebrating her freedom with some Taylor Swift. Among the songs in heavy rotation? Karma, naturally. Blanchard shared that she has been really digging and jamming out to the song, which has lyrics such as Karma is my boyfriend. In case you need a refresher, Blanchards boyfriend at the time of the killing, Nicholas Godejohn, is currently serving life in prison for first-degree murder. Blanchard previously said she wanted to attend a Kansas City Chiefs game to meet Swift, but it didnt pan out, per TMZ, because the Missouri native has been kicked out of the state. Karma really is everywhere.
David Foley has quietly delivered one of this seasons most entertaining performances with his understated work as Danish Graves, fixer to the Lyon family. But until this episode its never been quite clear how much freedom he has in his scheming. Was he just a catspaw for Lorraine, or was he a mastermind she employed to do what he does best? We get an answer this week. Having been told simply to ready his Porsche to deal with Roy in a previous episode, this week Danish shows us why Lorraine puts so much trust in him. Want to defeat Roy Tillman? Your first step should be getting some dupes to change their name. (Of course, if you were named John Sasquatch, it might not take that much persuading.)

The power of names has been something of a running theme this season. Last week we met a community of Lindas, and the final scene of this weeks episode sees the prophecy of Danishs surname fulfilled. But before we get there, the episode begins with Dot in the clutches of both Roy and the name she left behind when she fled him. While Danish signs the name-change paperwork, Roy checks Nadine out of the hospital, where Dot fruitlessly tries to enlist the receptionist by writing Help Me in the name field on her release form. This doesnt work out so well once Roy notices and makes some thinly veiled threats about the receptionists brother, but at least Dot is able to pocket the pen without him seeing.

The arrival of Witt doesnt help matters, either, at least in the short term. Dots cowed into staying with Roy even as Witt offers first to drive her home himself, and then to call in backup for help. That glimmer of hope is quickly snuffed out by Roy and the arrival of Gator and a pair of Tillman henchmen. Time to go, Jay-Z, Gator says, a line thats probably intended as racist but just sounds stupid. But Dot is able to fire off a whispered message to tell Wayne shell be home soon and, more importantly, Witts not one to give up so easily. His next call is to Indira, whos alarmed to hear that Dots with Roy. I left a message with the F.B.I., he tells her, but Indiras skeptical that this will make any difference since, They never return calls.

By now we know Witt well enough to assume hes not going to just sit there and wait for a call back, but in the meantime, he cant do anything about Dot being chained up in a shack on Roys ranch. In some ways, the whole series has been building to the moment when Dot and Roy reunite, and the wait has made it all the more powerful. Weve had seven episodes in which Dots done everything she can to prevent Roy from finding her, and now that he has, its everything shes feared. Beyond the physical violence, Roy dismisses the life shes made for herself with Wayne, a tender man she truly loves and happily reminds to take his Lactaid when he eats cheese. Dot doesnt break, however, vowing to kill Roy, and she obviously means it. But for the moment at least, Roy has every advantage. (That their scenes are shot in a way that emphasizes Jon Hamms hugeness next to Juno Temple just drives this home.) Even Karens not an ally.

Roys violent and domineering, but bad men come in other varieties, too. Where it initially seemed Indira merely married a delusional, freeloading dreamer, Lars has seemed worse with each appearance. Last episode he delivered a lecture on how a wife is supposed to behave, and this week she catches him in bed with another woman. (Or, sort of in bed. Shes topless in the closet.) Hes useless, Indira tells the woman. I dont want him. These feel like words that have been a long time coming, but it doesnt solve Indiras money problems. She walks out to see her car being repossessed.

While Dot attempts to escape from her chains, Roy shows up for what should be a slam dunk of an election debate before an adoring crowd. But hes the one who gets dunked on, thanks to the presence of three freshly minted, identically clad Roy Tillmans (Roys Tillman) who are also running for sheriff. Also, the smiling cupcake of a moderator decides to ask some tough questions about why hes been spending the money on military-grade equipment. The crowd turns on him even before he decks the moderator, a moment those in politics would call bad optics.

As Danishs highly satisfying undermining of Roy unfolds, Dot and Gator get a moment together that tells us more about their complicated relationship, made even more complicated when Dot tells Gator she saw his mother, Linda. Fantasy and reality seem to have blurred for Dot, and Dots revelation confuses Gator, steeling him against her entreaties, but not her insults: When Dot tells him why hes not named Roy, it cuts him, whether its the truth or just Dot being mean. I hope you die in here, Nadine, and never see your daughter again, he replies. Remember last episode when Dots puppet-assisted flashback almost made Gator seem more pitiable than bad? This moment shifts that ratio in the other direction, especially after he chases Witt from the front gate. But given that Oles found his way into the backseat of Gators car, its not clear how long this will matter.

Witt tries another tack when he spots Danish at a gas station. But as Witt tells him Dots been kidnapped and can be found at Roys ranch, he cant realize hes sealing poor Danishs fate. Already mad, Roys driven into a rage by Karens post-debate analysis and takes it out on Dot. (This happens off-screen but is no less disturbing for it.) When its over, Dot does her best to play Princess Leia to Roys Jabba, strangling him with the chain used to bind her. This doesnt work, and it looks like Roys on the verge of killing Dot when hes told Danish has arrived. But Roy has some parting words: Youve always been here, Nadine, he tells her. It was the rest that was just a dream. When she retorts that shell get away, just like Linda, Roy tells her hell bury Dot next to her. Dots fantasy starts to fall apart, a process thats sealed at the end of the episode when she sees what goes into the ground beneath the windmill under which she imagined finding directions to Camp Utopia.

Elsewhere, Indira informs Lorraine of Dots location without realizing that Danish is already there. Today was humiliating to you, Danish tells him before offering to fix the problem for Roy in exchange for Dot. But Roy doesnt really hear anything after the word humiliating. Theres a price for making Roy look like a fool, and Danish pays it. The last words he hears: If youre so smart, then why are you so dead? Like the debate debacle Lorraines fixer so cleverly orchestrated, it would almost be funny if Danish Graves werent, indeed, so dead.

This hasnt been a particularly light season of Fargo. As funny as the show can be, it always goes to some pretty dark places, but this might be its darkest episode yet. Weve seen Dot be fierce and resourceful and she still ended up in this shack with the man she hates and fears more than any other. As extreme a character as Roy is, this season has offered an unblinking depiction of domestic violence and its lasting trauma. Dot got away but she never really escaped, and her fantasy of Linda and a retreat where all can be safe and recover suggests a deep need for security that even life with Wayne cant provide. Each season has been substantive in its own way, but few have felt this real.

Okay Then!

 That said, the Debtors of North Dakota image that opens the episode is pretty funny.

 So is the song that accompanies it, Poor People Store, by Shinyribs.

 RIP Danish. But his departure leaves at least one unanswered question: Howd he lose that eye?

 Everyone in the cast has been quite good, but Temple and Hamm are going above and beyond this season. The terrified look in Dots eye as she tells Witt shes okay? Roys long walk to the shed and the shades of rage Hamm projects? Fantastic stuff.

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Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Publishers, Courtesy of Maura Claire Walz, Andrew Max Levy

As the kids say: new year, new you. After a 2023 defined by layoffs, cancellations, and malaise, the podcast world is looking to turn the page and start the process of rebuilding. It will likely get a jolt from the fact that we have a presidential election coming up, which traditionally drives an uptick of listening among political and news-related podcasts. But for now, our attention is drawn to a raft of upcoming releases that will set the stage for the year to come, which includes a globe-trotting mystery, an interrogation of documentaries, and new projects from Jamie Loftus.

History of Curb Your Enthusiasm

iHeartMedia, January

Curb Your Enthusiasm hasnt even begun airing its final season yet, but thats not going to stop the TV recap podcast economy. Susie Essman and Jeff Garlin lead this one, which intends to tackle every episode in the show. Will Larry David show up at some point? Ehh probably.

Dissident at the Doorstep

Crooked Media, January

A Chinese civil right activist fights against his governments corruption, flees to the United States for asylum, and becomes an election-denying pro-Trump supporter. What exactly happened here, and what does it reflect about the complicated relationship between China and the US? This new Crooked Media documentary is set to get into the thick of it.

White Devil

Campside Media, January

Josh Dean (The Clearing, Hooked) tumbles down a rabbit hole in this audio docuseries tackling the death of a veteran Belizean police superintendent and the privileged Canadian woman arrested for the murder who may or may not have done it. Campside Media has carved out a sizable portfolio of podcasts that draws heavily from the spirit of classic magazine crime features, and White Devils shaping up to be yet another globe-trotting entry into the genre.

Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative

Jess Shane and Radiotopia Presents, January

Jess Shane, a Canadian artist and documentarian, takes a scalpel to the mechanics, power dynamics, and ethics of the hotter-than-ever nonfiction content industry through a conceit that involves a Craigslist ad, auditions, and a handful of subjects willing to talk about why theyd want to be the subject of a documentary.

Fifteen Minutes (Of Fame)

iHeartMedias Cool Zone Media, March

Podcast impresario Jamie Loftus returns with a new weekly program that seems to hail from the Youre Wrong About lineage. In this hybrid nonfiction storytelling and interview show, Loftus revisits various figures who have had the misfortune of becoming the internets main characters  and have been presumably preserved as cartoon villains in the minds of millions. Intent on understanding them within context, Loftus is going for a study in the blurred line of consent that transpires when an internet maelstrom kicks off. This is one of two new podcasts we should expect from Loftus this year; the other is a limited series with details to come.

The Sicilian Inheritance

Kaleidoscope, March

The prolific Jo Piazza (Under the Influence, She Wants More) is bouncing around Southern Italy with her next project. Designed as a nonfiction true crime-ish audio series that serves as a companion to her upcoming novel of the same name, The Sicilian Inheritance sees Piazza trying to solve her great great grandmothers murder, which may or may not be tied to the Sicilian Mafia way back in the day.

The Recipe with Kenji and Deb

Radiotopia, Winter

You might be familiar with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt from his recipes, his cookbooks (The Food Lab, The Wok), and those great YouTube videos where he straps a GoPro on his head while wordlessly cooking up a greasy late-night snack. And you might be familiar with Deb Perelman from her OG recipe blog Smitten Kitchen, her various Smitten Kitchen cookbooks, and her stove-top mac and cheese recipe. Theyre teaming up for a new recipe podcast geared towards the home cook. Given the continued absence of Home Cooking, Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirways glorious pandemic-era pantry project, Im ravenous for more food pods.

A previous version of this piece listed A History of Policing, whose release plans are still in flux.
Photo: Hulu and HBO

This post was originally published on May 3, 2019, to coincide with the release of Hulus The Act. We are republishing it in light of Gypsy Rose Blanchards prison release on December 28, 2023, after she served eight years of her original ten-year sentence.

The Acts trickiest act may just be fighting through the thicket of existing coverage clouding the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. To be brief: In June 2015, Gypsy conspired with her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to murder her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who it turned out had made Gypsy a lifelong victim of her Munchausen syndrome by proxy. It has since become the subject of an HBO documentary, Lifetime TV movie, and unending fascination and speculation. And in March, Hulu premiered The Act, an eight-part dramatic series based on the events leading up to and including Dee Dees murder, sourced from BuzzFeed reporter Michelle Deans 2016 investigative feature.

The Act acknowledges in every episode that some of its events have been dramatized or fictionalized, which can make it even more difficult than it already is to suss out the concrete facts, such as they are, at the heart of this story. And so weve wended our way through The Act via its depiction of the main players in this tangled family tragedy to see how closely it hews to the established trail of truth  and the moments when it may have strayed. (Note: In discussing real-life events, this piece necessarily includes spoilers for later episodes of The Act.)

Clauddine Dee Dee Blanchard (Played by Patricia Arquette)

Photo: Hulu and ABC

Arquette, fresh off her performance as another notorious middle-aged suburban mother in Escape at Dannemora, oozes out her lines in a heightened bayou patois. (Accents are a recurring theme in The Acts portrayals.) The real Dee Dee certainly retained a noticeable Louisiana drawl even after moving Gypsy and herself from their home state to Springfield, Missouri, following Hurricane Katrina  you can judge for yourself if it approximates Arquettes affectation.

More broadly speaking, The Acts presentation of the overarching circumstances of Dee Dees life dating back to the turn of the 1990s largely line up with available biographical information  though in a recent phone interview, Gypsys stepmom, Kristy, took issue with the notion that Gypsy was at any point a conscious co-conspirator in Dee Dees petty crimes, such as shoplifting. (She also says Dee Dees love interest, played in The Act by Dean Norris, was not a real person.) On the other hand, the show appears to have paid attention to some finer points, such as Dee Dee suffering from diabetes toward the end of her life, a fact all but verified through some digging by local Springfield paper News Leader, whose coverage of the Blanchards dating back to 2015 is essential.

As for her roll call of Gypsys supposed maladies, which were certainly myriad as The Act details: We could not confirm a sugar allergy  which the show built quite a bit of narrative tension around  as one of them. (In a separate Facebook Messenger exchange, Kristy Blanchard likewise couldnt say with assurance if a sugar allergy was among Dee Dees conjured concerns.) And while not quite as theatrically wide as The Act makes it seem, Dee Dees medicinal war chest was preposterously overpopulated with prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs.

As for Dee Dees own mother, Emma Lois Pitre: She did pass away in 1997 as depicted. And according to Dee Dees father, Claude, in the 2017 documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, Emma, like her daughter, was prone to shoplifting and petty crime. The film also features commentary from family members covering Dee Dees history of writing fraudulent checks and stealing money from loved ones, in addition to allegations that she withheld food from Emma when she was ill and later tried to poison her stepmother. However, we were unable to authenticate whether Margo Martindales portrayal of Emma as especially controlling and critical is true to life or meant to dramatically mirror Dee Dees eventual tendencies toward Gypsy.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Played by Joey King)

Photo: Hulu and ABC

In Mommy Dead and Dearest, Gypsys father, Rod, affirms that Dee Dee had become paranoid about Gypsy suffering from sleep apnea and other conditions by the time their child was 3 months old. But going back to that sugar allergy, and specifically The Acts dramatization of Gypsy bingeing on soda and candy as an act of rebellion and thus losing all her natural teeth, that skews away from Michelle Deans own source material. Per her BuzzFeed piece, Gypsy did have to have her teeth extracted after they rotted out, but the root cause is unclear. An earlier bit of reporting from News Leader pins the blame on Gypsys seizure medication.

Kings replication of Gypsys precocious, chipper vocal register around Dee Dee and anyone who believed she was sick is a bit less emotive than Arquettes take on Cajun flavor. Theres no comparable side-by-side to determine if Gypsy visibly quaked with repressed anger or lay in bed casting long, hopeless stares, as later episodes of The Act indicate, but evocative facial cues and body language come with the territory of any dramatization. Deans reporting makes the important distinction that the granular bits of fascination surrounding Gypsys life are hard to keep straight even to Gypsy, though The Act is overall faithful to her ongoing misapprehension of her own age and year of birth. Gypsy herself has given court testimony regarding Dee Dees alleged physical abuse, which she says escalated in the early 2010s when Dee Dee would hit her with coat hangers and, after escape attempts, physically chain her. (In The Act, Dee Dee ties her wrists to the bedposts with linen.)

As for the romantic pursuits that flourished outside Dee Dees purview: First we have the older man Gypsy met at the sci-fi convention, who was in fact in his mid-30s. According to Dean, their communication occurred mostly online, not via text as in The Act, though Dee Dee did ultimately confront them at his home. (In her conversation with Vulture, Kristy said details of that courtship were conflated with later events.) Then theres Mr. Godejohn. Apart from what appears to be some manufactured lovers quarreling between Gypsy and Nick in a later episode, when theyre living in his mothers house in Wisconsin after the murder, The Acts depiction of their relationshipfrom meeting through a Christian dating site and acting out kinky cosplay under alter egos to Gypsys planning and Nicks execution of the titular act, on down to Gypsy and Nick hiding out in his bedroom closet when cops arrive to arrest thembears out in Gypsys own retelling of events, supported by evidence from text messages and social-media pages. But The Act is relatively ambiguous about one of the most unsettling aspects of the killing: that, according to Gypsy, she offered herself to Nick that night in lieu of him raping Dee Dee. Gypsy is now three years into her ten-year sentence for second-degree murder at a facility in Missouri. Her father, Rod, has been petitioning the governor for her early release.

Nicholas Godejohn (Played by Calum Worthy)

Photo: Hulu and Shutterstock

Not much is made clear about Nick in The Act. His learning disabilities are referenced fairly obliquely by his mother (Godejohn did live in his stepfathers house, though his name is Charlie and Nicks moms name is Stephanie), and Worthys performance delicately conveys his difficulties processing tasks and compartmentalizing impulses. As the show sympathetically gets across, neither of his parents thought he could so much as hurt a fly. Ultimately, psychologists called by both the defense and prosecution in his trial quibbled over the severity of his autism-spectrum disorder, and he was deemed mentally fit to stand accountable for the crimes hed been charged with.

A big revelation near the series end is that Nick had been arrested a couple years earlier for allegedly masturbating to online porn for several hours while at a Wisconsin McDonalds. The duration of his transgression may have been overstated, but what The Act strangely omits is that he was also caught carrying a concealed switchblade at the time. (Given the role the murder weapon plays in the dramatic arc, the writers may have wanted to avoid knife-related confusion.) The Act also paints a picture of Godejohn as deludedly pining for Gypsy even while behind bars awaiting trial, though as of 2018, he was more inclined to lay blame on her as mastermind and position himself a pawn. This past February, Nick was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Gypsy testified as a witness in his defense.

Aleah Woodmanseee (a.k.a. Lacey) (Played by AnnaSophia Robb)

Photo: Hulu and HBO

Though her name has been changed to Lacey, its apparent that Gypsys across-the-street neighbor and friend in The Act is a stand-in for real-life neighbor and friend Aleah Woodmansee. (Just as Chloe Sevignys character, Mel, is doubtless a doppelganger for Aleahs mother, Amy Pinegar.) The show presents Lacey as a fairly typical teenager, headstrong and defiant at times but also sharp and capable of taking care of herself. She welcomes Gypsy into her circle of friends without judgment. In one scene, Gypsy stares agog as Lacey and her gal pals pass around a smoke and give each other crude DIY tattoos. Woodmansee, who appeared on-camera in Mommy Dead and Dearest, recently told InTouch that alcohol and smoking were things we never discussed and clarified that I do have tattoos, but all have been professionally done. (In the aforementioned conversation with Kristy, she seconds Aleahs criticisms.) She also took issue with the choice to have Robb speak in a twangy accent, adding, Im not a fan of the whole hillbilly tone.

As for Lacey first alerting the police to Gypsy and Nicks ghoulish Facebook posts  and Mel subsequently climbing through the window to check on the mother-daughter duo the night cops found Dee Dees body  it was actually Dee Dees friend Kim and her husband, David, who tipped off law enforcement and surveyed the house.

Gypsys Pretrial Attorney (Played by Molly Ephraim)

Photo: Hulu

Her name is never uttered, nor is it attributed as anything other than Gypsys Lawyer on IMDb, but we can tell you this: The actress who plays her is Molly Ephraim, perhaps recognizable as a regular in both the Paranormal Activity franchise and, paradoxically, Tim Allens Last Man Standing sitcom. Alas, Ephraims portrayal is a bit afield from the real-life public defender who represented Gypsy during her initial not guilty plea in September 2015, and over the ensuing years. His name is Mike Stanfield, and he did, as we see Ephraims character do, move to sever Gypsys trial from Nicks, though that motion occurred in that same September hearing and was initially opposed by the prosecution. (And though The Act introduces a Mr. Rippy as the opposing counsel, the actual prosecuting attorney was named Dan Patterson.) It wasnt until nearly a year later that Gypsy did, under Stanfields advisement, plead guilty to second-degree murder.

Rod Blanchard (Played by Cliff Chamberlain)

Photo: Hulu and Getty Images

Gypsys father has been reluctant to speak with media of late, though with The Act having concluded and his efforts to push for her early release ramping up, he did recently open up to a reporter with A&Es Real Crime, revealing that he speaks with his daughter weekly and makes the trip from Louisiana to Missouri to visit the prison when he can. As for the specific visit depicted in the series finale, it provided both dramatic closure and was efficient exposition, but in truth, it was Stanfield who recovered Gypsys records, and it took months to procure them.

More broadly speaking, The Acts Rod scans as a reasonable facsimile of the real thing, down to the newsboy cap, thin beard, and button-down. And it is true that he was 17 when he impregnated Dee Dee, and that he had documented proof of spending time with Gypsy throughout her youth before DeeDee moved them Missouri, including at the Special Olympics, and of sending regular child support. (Per Deans BuzzFeed piece, he also called on her 18th birthday, though was warned by Dee Dee not to acknowledge that she was, in fact, 18.) Rod currently lives with his wife Kristy in Cut Off, Louisiana.
Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Annenberg Space for Photography

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ex-lawyer Tom Girardi has been deemed competent enough to stand trial, according to Meghann Cuniff. Girardi, who was disbarred from practicing law in California in 2021, has been accused of embezzling $15 million from five clients between 2010-2020 and faces five counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Josephine Statons order is currently unavailable as she has given attorneys five days to determine what parts they think should be sealed. Last September, Girardi allegedly swore at the prosecutor during the mental competency hearing for the trial. Chicago attorney Jay Edelson told Cuniff that the incompetency claims were a part of his decades of defrauding clients and called it a desperate attempt to evade justice.

Girardi, along with attorney David R. Lira and accountant Christopher K. Kamon, was also indicted on fraud in Chicago for allegedly stealing more than $3 million from the families of the victims of the Lion Air Flight JT 610 crash. However, Statons competency verdict does not extend to the Chicago case; U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland will give an update on January 18.
Investors should buy stocks with a long-term mindset. The stock market is irrational. It does silly things and can lift shares of poor businesses while punishing good ones, sometimes for reasons not apparent to the naked eye. It can take time for things to sort themselves out.

But you also have to acknowledge that poor businesses are often bad investments, no matter how much time you give them. U.S. telecom giant Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is a household name.

Yet, it seems investors constantly overlook how bad the stock has been, and for how long. If you had invested $100 into Verizon in 1990, you'd have $780 today from share price growth and dividends. That sounds great -- until you find out that the S&P 500 index would have turned that same $100 into $2,733.

What's the reason for Verizon's shockingly poor performance, and what does it say about its future?

3 reasons for Verizon's troubles

Stocks don't just automatically go up if you wait long enough. A company must grow and create value to justify a higher share price. Verizon has grown over the years, especially over the past two decades, which saw smartphones become a must-have for nearly all Americans. Verizon's revenue has increased more than tenfold since 1990.

But growth alone isn't enough. Verizon's first big problem is that the company has struggled to generate much value over the years. What does that mean, value? Ideally, a business puts resources to work and generates a return -- for example, putting a dollar in and generating two dollars in return.

This can be scored using a company's return on invested capital. Since 1990, Verizon has returned an average of $1.07 back for each dollar it puts into the company. That's not great. It must balance expensive investments in upgrading and maintaining its network with price-conscious customers. It's a tough business.

VZ Return on Invested Capital Chart

A tough business requires top-notch management to stretch every dollar and make strategic decisions that add value to the company. Verizon's whiffed here, too, at times. Management has gradually loaded the balance sheet to roughly three times debt-to-EBITDA, twice as much leverage as Verizon had 10 years ago.

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Expensive acquisitions have also seemingly missed the mark. Verizon bought prepaid phone carrier TracFone Wireless in 2020 for over $6 billion. However, Verizon has been bleeding prepaid customers, losing over a million prepaid customers over the past year. It bought AOL and Yahoo for about $9 billion between 2015 and 2017, only to sell them off at a loss in 2021.

Poor execution in a challenging telecom business has hurt Verizon's earnings growth, and that's the third reason the stock has trailed the market. Despite over 1,000% revenue growth since 1990, earnings per share have grown by just 280%.

Verizon's price tag is cheap. Or is it?

Those optimistic over Verizon stock might point to the stock's hefty dividend and cheap valuation. After all, the current dividend yield is a whopping 7%, and shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of just 8 times 2023 earnings.

But even that can be a bad deal if the business isn't growing. Analysts believe Verizon will have virtually zero earnings growth over the coming years. In other words, Verizon's dividend is about what investors can expect for investment returns. The stock price has only risen 50% since 1990! That won't change dramatically unless Verizon can figure out how to grow its profits.

VZ PE Ratio (Forward) Chart

In other words, investors should expect more of the same. Verizon is a high-yield dividend stock that offers little else to investors. A dividend alone isn't enough, which is why Verizon has severely lagged the broader market over time. Given the muted outlook, a wireless business losing customers, and a bloated balance sheet, investors should consider looking elsewhere.

Should you invest $1,000 in Verizon Communications right now?

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If You Had Invested $100 in Verizon in 1990, This Is How Much You Would Have Today was originally published by The Motley Fool
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Citigroup implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

The top 25 shareholders own 43% of the company

Insiders have sold recently

If you want to know who really controls Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 69% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

And things are looking up for institutional investors after the company gained US$3.0b in market cap last week. One-year return to shareholders is currently 18% and last weeks gain was the icing on the cake.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Citigroup, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Citigroup

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Citigroup?

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.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Citigroup. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Citigroup's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Citigroup. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 8.7% of shares outstanding. BlackRock, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 8.6% of common stock, and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. holds about 4.2% of the company stock.

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A deeper look at our ownership data shows that the top 25 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the register, suggesting a large group of small holders where no single shareholder has a majority.

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 are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Citigroup

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Citigroup Inc.. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own US$218m worth of shares. In this sort of situation, it can be more interesting to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 28% stake in Citigroup. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Citigroup better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Citigroup you should know about.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

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.
The results of the election, widely denounced as neither free nor fair, suggest that the Kremlin is now more focused on creating a cult of personality around Putin as Russias undisputed national patriarch.
But there was a sign in the window that intrigued me: Flown in from New York. I went in and discovered that these were H&H bagels, frozen and overnighted by plane from one of New Yorks most famous bagelries, an upper West Side institution I had visited many times.

I was in my second year of uni in Dublin, a New York transplant who was desperately homesick, when I stumbled upon a small bagel shop on the side of the River Liffey I rarely visited.

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The story of H&H was the most New York of stories: Puerto Rican Helmer Toro and his brother-in-law Hector Hernandez, the eponymous Hs, bought Midtown Bagels in 1972 for $5000 in cash and $50,000 of borrowed money and turned it into a great success, opening further stores across the city and a New Jersey manufacturing plant. Then, in 2009, Toro (who had by then bought out his brother-in-law) was indicted for tax evasion, ended up doing jail time, and the marshals seized and closed their Upper West Side store.

But this was 2003, the halcyon days when Toro still had control, and I was across the Atlantic Ocean and feeling a sharp nostalgia. I entered and bought a toasted plain bagel with a schmear, trying to stop my left eye from twitching when I clocked that they were offering to top kosher bagels with cream cheese and bacon. But, absolute bagel purist I was not. Ill happily admit to being a cinnamon raisin fan, which those more pure of heart than I would consider more doughnut than bagel. But bacon. Bacon and cream cheese, just to add basar bechalav (mixing of milk and meat) to the entirely forbidden pig. On a bagel. Not to be all this would never happen in New York, but, well, this would never happen in New York.

But, I was very much not in New York, and this bagel was the closest thing to it. It had exactly the right texture: chewy and doughy on the inside, with a perfect snap on the outside. This is fantastic! I enthused to the woman behind the counter. Its exactly like in New York! Im going to come here every day! Are you hiring? This last was meant as hyperbolic praise of their bagels, not an invitation for her to pull a job application out from under the counter, but thats what happened.

Not for the first and not for the last time during my five years in Dublin, I gritted my teeth and went with it, rather than trying to cross the cultural impasse and explain, further emphasising what a stranger I was in a strange land.
Alexander Downer, who served as foreign minister during the invasion of Iraq, has backed Anthony Albaneses call for as many cabinet documents as possible relating to the Iraq War to be released as the prime minister backed an investigation into whether a cover-up had taken place.

Albanese slammed the failure to release key documents relating to the lead-up to the war to the National Archives three years ago and the fact the documents were only discovered just before Christmas.

Speaking at his first press conference of the year, Albanese said there was no reason why the documents should not be made public, with the exception of putting people in danger, and vowed a report into the circumstances by former spy chief Dennis Richardson would be released within the fortnight.

Albanese said cabinet documents are provided to the National Archives of Australia three years ahead of their release under the law, meaning the documents went missing under the Morrison government.
Saddle Lookout, Port Campbell, Vic A new viewing platform for the iconic Twelve Apostles. Its always high drama on the coastline along the Great Ocean Road, with crashing waves and views of dramatic sunsets and a dozen-or-so Apostles. Connected to the Port Campbell visitor centre, the $9.2 million Saddle Lookout promises to be as dramatic. Melbourne firm Denton Corker Marshall has designed two clapsticks, long rectangular walkways that hang over the cliffs, looking out to sea. One is white, the other black and red, the colours of the Eastern Marr peoples two main totemic birds, the Ngayook (sulphur crested cockatoo) and Ponponpoorramook (red-tailed black cockatoo). The lookout opens in time for the summer crowds, and in late 2024 will be complemented by a new lookout at the Loch Ard Gorge blowhole. See parks.vic.gov.au KAFD metro station, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The metro station took inspiration from the wind-swept sand dunes. The signature, sinuous curves of a Zaha Hadid design elevate even metro stations into high art. Riyadhs population has doubled in the past 30 years, and the challenge is to stop this car-loving boom town from becoming one giant, sweltering traffic jam.The new Riyadh Metro, to be complete by 2030, will comprise 85 stations including the this interchange (due for completion early in 2024) at the new King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). Sweeping grids emulate mashrabiya, ornate lattice featured in Arabian architecture. The facade took inspiration from the waves of sand dunes moulded by desert winds, and the sweeping grids emulate mashrabiya, ornate lattice featured in Arabian architecture. It is also a temperature regulator; fitting as the Kingdom imposes renewable energy requirements on new architecture as it looks to life after petroleum. See visitsaudi.com Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, Poland

Described by the architect as a white cloud drifting over the city. Lovers of minimalist white have a new hero building in the Polish capital. With its white planes and hard edges, the Museum of Modern Art is the new next-door neighbour to Warsaws Soviet-era skyscraper, the Palace of Culture and Science. New York City architect Thomas Phifer describes his Rationalist architecture as a white cloud drifting over the city, not the first time hes used a cloud metaphor for his white, cuboid architecture. The MOMA is a hot talking point in Poland. Where the so-called Cold War Cathedral shoots vertically, the MOMA sprawls horizontally. It might not be the most beautiful building in the country, but its already a talking point ahead of its opening in late 2024. See artmuseum.pl New Sydney Fish Market, Sydney, NSW

An artist's impression of the eastern entrance of the new Sydney Fish Market to be built on Bridge Road, Blackwattle Bay. Who doesnt love visiting the fishing docks in waterside cities? Sydney is no exception, but its new harbourside fish market, part of the renewal of Blackwattle Bay, plays a slick game. Danish architects 3XN  of the much-awarded Quay Quarter Tower  and Sydney firms BVN and Aspect Studios stay true to its roots as a loading dock for fishing boats, adding restaurants and the working retail and wholesale markets. All is layered beneath undulating waves of roofing, topped by a scaled roof (see what they did there?) With views to the Anzac Bridge and walkways to connect with the city, the new fish market is on track for an October 2024 opening. See sydneyfishmarket.com.au Pier 97, Hudson River Park, New York, US New York Pier 97. New Yorkers have paid $US51 million ($80 million) for about a hectare of waterfront real estate in southern Manhattan with the development of the most northerly pier on the Hudson River, Pier 97. It is now part of the six-kilometre-long Hudson River Park project, which saw its first public beach, Gansevoort Peninsula, open last month. Built in 1921, Pier 97 was a major arrival point for Scandinavian migrants, and starred in the opening of Taxi Driver. This spring, New Yorkers will get parklands, bike and walking trails and a playground with sun lawns, a water play area and solar-powered loos, designed by New York urban design firm !melk. See hudsonriverpark.org

Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, Chengdu, China The futuristic museum is designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. Better known for its pandas, Chengdus other passion  science fiction  has been thrown on the international stage with the opening of this new museum by Zaha Hadid Architects. Described as a star cloud dispersing energy fields, the spaceship-like museum hovers above the shores of the Jingrong Lake. Yet the building is still grounded in its natural environment, with vast, curved light wells and great glass windows looking out over the Xiling Mountain. As well as natural ventilation, it has solar power to earn the highest of Chinas green building standards. See zaha-hadid.com Norwich Castle, Norfolk, UK Set to reopen mid-2024, with improved accessibility. Credit: iStock
Investors are paying attention to the stock market at a securities business hall in Fuyang, China, on December 29, 2023. Costfoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images

A third of respondents to a Bloomberg poll said they plan to increase their Chinese stock holdings.

Some investors say they are tempted by the cheap valuations of Chinese shares after a two-year slump.

There are still considerable headwinds in China's economy, which has been struggling to recover.

China's stock markets have been in a slump since early 2021, losing nearly two-thirds of their value  which is making some investors very, very tempted.

Almost one-third of 417 respondents to Bloomberg's weekly Markets Live Pulse survey said they plan to invest more in Chinese stocks over the next 12 months, the media outlet reported on Tuesday. This is up from one-fifth of respondents in its August survey.

The MSCI China Index  which reflects the performance of large and mid-cap stocks across China  has slumped 60% since peaking in early 2021.

Meanwhile, the CSI 300  which tracks 300 Shanghai and Shenzhen-listed stocks with the largest market capitalizations  is down about 40% over the same period.

The market slump has made China stocks the world's cheapest relative to their profits, prompting some investors to say it's a good time to pick up some bargains, per Bloomberg.

But the two indices haven't had a great start to 2024 either  with the MSCI China Index down 2.5% on Tuesday, the first trading day of the year. The CSI 300 is down about 2% so far this year.

The outlook for China's economy is cloudy as it continues struggling to recover post-pandemic and is facing significant headwinds from a property crisis and record-high youth unemployment rates.

Even Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a rare acknowledgment of China's economic woes on New Year's Eve, saying that some enterprises had a "tough time" and that some people faced "difficulty finding jobs and meeting basic needs."

Economists are not so upbeat about China's economic outlook either.

Nomura economists wrote in a Tuesday note that there may be another "economic dip" this spring due to headwinds, including the property crisis, weakening external demand, and geopolitics.

China hasn't announced its official growth target for 2024, but government advisors told Reuters in November that they would recommend targets in the 4.5% to 5.5% range.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Beirut: Hezbollah have targeted Israeli soldiers with missiles after Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in Lebanons capital by a drone strike that security sources attributed to Israel.

Hezbollah said it had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near Marj with missiles, following Arouris death. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, previously warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a severe reaction.

People search for survivors inside an apartment following a massive explosion in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Lebanon. Credit: AP

The Israeli drone struck a Hamas office in Dahiyeh, a Beirut suburb and Hezbollah stronghold, on Wednesday morning (AEDT) and killed six people, Lebanons state news agency reported. Security sources and medics could not immediately identify the other people killed.

A witness in Dahiyeh saw firefighters and paramedics gathered around a multi-storey building with a gaping hole in what appeared to be the third floor. Limbs and other pieces of flesh could be seen on the roadside.
Ian SAUNDERS

On 24 June 2023, Mr. Ian Saunders was elected Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO). He took office on 1 January 2024.

As WCO Secretary General, he provides leadership and executive management for the global Customs communitys priorities, including developing global Customs instruments, standards and tools; securing and facilitating global trade; protecting revenue collection; building Customs-business partnerships; and delivering capacity building in support of Customs reform and modernization.

Prior to joining the WCO, Mr. Saunders worked as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role, he was responsible for developing programmes, policies and strategies designed to strengthen the United States commercial position in this region of the globe.

Mr. Saunders spent most of his career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where he held several senior positions including Assistant Commissioner for International Affairs, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for International Affairs, and Acting Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for Operations Support. Earlier in his tenure at CBP, he was Director of International Policy and Programs, Director of International Training and Assistance, and held several staff positions working on bilateral, regional and multilateral portfolios. Mr. Saunders entered the U.S. Government Senior Executive Service in 2008.

He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Affairs from Georgetown University in Washington DC, and has attended executive courses at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government and the American University.
A 22-year-old New Jersey man is accused of urinating on the wall of a Bayonne diner, striking three eatery employees and then spitting on a cop called to the scene.

Jeremias Crooke-Henriquez was arrested shortly after 9 a.m. Monday after two groups, possibly intoxicated, became involved in a dispute at the Broadway Diner, according to NJ.com.

Law enforcement reportedly arrived and separated the individuals involved in the confrontation, which began outside the diner but found its way indoors. Thats where Crooke-Henriquez, accompanied by a second man, allegedly struck an employee whod earlier taken issue with him peeing on the buildings exterior wall.

The suspect is also accused of striking two workers who approached him outside the diner, according to local site Tap Into Bayonne.

Bayonne Police said Crooke-Henriquez spit on one officer while being taken to Bayonne Medical Center for an evaluation, then threatened another while being processed. The department hasnt returned a request for comment.
Jim Walenczak, a 13-year Kenworth Truck Co. veteran, was named general manager of the Paccar Inc. brand, succeeding Kevin Baney. (Photo: Kenworth)

Kenworth Truck Co. veteran Jim Walenczak has been named general manager of the Paccar Inc. brand and vice president of the parent company.

Walenczak has worked at Paccar for 13 years. His previous responsibilities included Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. He also served in fleet, region and general sales manager positions at the century-old brand. He also was assistant general manager of operations at Paccar Parts.

Walenczak succeeds Kevin Baney. He will serve as Paccar senior vice president responsible for Kenworth, the Paccar Information Technology Division and Dynacraft, an advanced manufacturing business focused on parts assemblies.

This is a dynamic and exciting time in the transportation industry. And I am honored to step into this new role at Kenworth at a time when we are building on our core values of quality, innovation and technology to create the transportation solutions our customers need and want, Walenczak said in a news release.

Walenczak holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing from Michigan State University. He has a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Washington. He attended the Stanford Executive Program in 2023. Walenczak is based at Kenworth headquarters in Kirkland, Washington.

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Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.

The post Jim Walenczak named Kenworth Truck Co. general manager appeared first on FreightWaves.
North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 3, 2024) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Alex Nichol as Vice President Geology and Exploration and Mr. David Towle as Mill Manager, as well as the hiring of Mr. Melvyn Levrel as Senior Exploration Geologist in Fiji. The Company also announces the retirement of Mr. Sergio Cattalani as Senior Vice President Exploration. Mr Cattalani will remain with Lion One as a Senior Geology Advisor.

Lion One Chairman and CEO Walter Berukoff commented: "As we continue to advance the Tuvatu Gold Project from development towards commercial production we are excited to add key individuals with specialized skill sets to our technical team in Fiji. Together, Alex, David and Melvyn bring over 70 years of experience to the Lion One Team. They are all accomplished veterans with superior leadership skills and extensive experience in their respective fields of expertise; Alex in underground geology and mining, David in mill operations and commissioning, and Melvyn in mineral exploration. We are very fortunate to have them on our team."

"We are also very fortunate to have benefitted from the leadership and expertise of Sergio Cattalani over the past three years while he led the geology and exploration teams at Tuvatu. Sergio has been instrumental in the success of the project and we look forward to continuing to work with him as he transitions into a new role as Senior Geology Advisor with Lion One."

Alex Nichol, MAIG - Biography

Mr. Nichol is a mining professional with over 20 years of progressive experience in underground gold, copper, and zinc mining. He has extensive senior operational experience in underground geology, production, and exploration, specializing in mine start-ups and geology systems development and implementation. Prior to joining Lion One, Mr. Nichol was the Geology Superintendent at the Mt. Colin copper-gold mine in Queensland, and before that he was a Senior Underground Mine Geologist at Barrick Gold's Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea - an analogue deposit for Tuvatu. He has also held Senior Underground Mine Geologist positions at the Dugald River Mine and the Fossey Mine, as well as a Senior Mine Geologist position at Glencore's George Fisher Mine near Mount Isa, Queensland. Mr Nichol's role with Lion One will be to oversee all aspects of the underground development, production, and exploration at Tuvatu, as well as to oversee regional exploration throughout the Navilawa Caldera.

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Mr. Nichol holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Otago and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG).

David Towle - Biography

Mr. Towle has over 35 years of experience in mill operations and production, specializing in mill commissioning. He recently worked with IAMGOLD as a Commissioning Specialist responsible for the planning and execution of all commissioning activities at the Cote Gold Project in Ontario. He has managed all aspects of mill construction and start-up from first ore to nameplate production at numerous mines, including Pure Gold Mining's Madsen Project, Atlantic Gold's (now St. Barbara's) Touquay Mine, and Pretium Resources Brucejack Mine. He has held the roles of Mill Manager and Mill Operations Superintendent on multiple occasions and spent 18 years in mill operations at Goldcorp's (now Newmont's) Musselwhite Mine.

Mr. Towle has also completed extensive managerial and technical training programs throughout his career, including Goldcorp's Supervisory Leadership Program, Harvard Management and Mentorship Program, Refinery Leadership Partners Program, and Placer Dome's Project Management Program. Mr. Towle is an expert in mill start-up and operations and that will be his focus at Lion One.

Melvyn Levrel, MAIG - Biography

Mr. Levrel is an accomplished exploration geologist with 15 years of experience in mineral exploration and mining. He is an expert in Fijian geology and in exploration management in the South Pacific, having spent three years as the Fiji Country Director and Exploration Manager for Alice Queen Limited, and an additional four years managing mineral exploration and geophysics projects throughout Fiji as a Consulting Geologist. He also has six years of experience in exploration and mining in New Caledonia. Mr. Levrel has a wide range of experience in field geology, geophysics, and resource modelling, as well as a unique knowledge of the exploration techniques, history, and regulations in Fiji. As a Senior Exploration Geologist with Lion One, Mr. Levrel will be focused on the advancement of Lion One's regional exploration targets and prospects throughout the Navilawa Caldera.

Mr. Levrel holds a Masters Degree in Georesources from the Polytechnic Institute of Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP) and a Bachelors Degree in Geology from the University of Brest. He is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG).

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer based in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Gold Deposit, Gold Mine, Pilot Plant, and Assay Lab, with an extensive exploration license area hosting multiple mineralized zones in the surrounding Navilawa Caldera.

As disclosed in its "Technical Report and PEA Update for the Tuvatu Gold Project", dated April 29, 2022, the 2018 Tuvatu resource estimate comprises 1,007,000 tonnes indicated at 8.50 g/t Au (274,600 oz. Au) and 1,325,000 tonnes inferred at 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and under the Lion One profile on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca.

On behalf of the board of Lion One Metals Limited,

Walter Berukoff, Chairman & CEO

Patrick Hickey, Chief Operating Officer

Contact Information

Investor inquiries: info@liononemetals.com

Phone: 1-855-805-1250 (toll free North America)

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility or the adequacy or accuracy of this release

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193000
GREENWICH TWP., Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police are searching for a man accused of stealing a car in Berks County after he allegedly stabbed a man near the Philadelphia International Airport.

"We found a GMC Terrain that was wanted for. It's wanted in connection to attempted homicide in Tinicum Township, Delaware County," said Trooper David Beohm of the Pennsylvania State Police.

State police say that stolen SUV was abandoned near the Berks/Lehigh County line and is now at the state police Hamburg barracks.

"The vehicle was found on the interstate," Beohm said. It was on the shoulder of I-78 west, near the New Smithville exit.

It is believed the operator of the GMC was Umar Kimel Presbery, 29. Police confirm there is currently an attempted murder warrant for Presbery out of Tinicum Township, which is near Philadelphia International Airport.

According to court documents, Presbery is wanted in a stabbing.

The victim of that stabbing told police that he and Presbery arrived together to get a hotel room, when Presbery began stabbing him in the SUV.

Authorities say the victim made it to the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express, and Presbery took off in the SUV.

"Our forensics services unit is processing the vehicle to get any evidence related to the attempted homicide from that vehicle," Beohm said.

The victim allegedly tried writing Presbery's name in blood on the floor in the hotel in case he died.

The documents say the victim did not have his phone, and it was believed it was still inside the GMC, which police used to locate that vehicle.

The stabbing victim has a traumatic brain injury, according to court documents.

State police say after the SUV was traced to I-78, they believe Presbery took another car.

A media release says a different vehicle was reported missing on Jan. 2 from a home on Old 22 near Route 737 in Greenwich Township. That vehicle is described as a 2001 Subaru Outback with registration MBR0249.

"We got the report on Old 22 near 737 in Greenwich Township. We got a report of a stolen white Subaru," Beohm said.

Police say the abandoned SUV was discovered approximately four miles away from the location of where the Outback was stolen.

Officials say it is a high probability that the vehicle is being operated by Presbery.

Police are asking anyone who comes in contact with Presbery to use extreme caution and to contact police immediately by calling 911.

Presbery is described as a Black man, 5'9" in height and weighing 130 pounds. Police say he has brown eyes and black hair.
READING, Pa.  Three new members of Reading City Council took the oath of office on Tuesday. They joined Mayor Eddie Moran, who was reelected to a second term, and three returning members of council, as well as the city auditor.

Council representative for District 2, Jaime Baez Jr., is currently a constituent services advisor for state House Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, who is a former City Council member.

"Now, as I take this District 2 council seat, I am filled with purpose and gratitude, and I am humbled by the trust that people have placed in me to represent our communities interest," Baez said.

He said he was inspired to run for council through experiences he encountered in his own life, and he wants to help make the city a better place by connecting people to resources that can help them succeed.

"My No. 1 priority is community engagement," Baez said. "I think that a councilperson should be out in the community, not only advocating but letting the residents know what the city has to offer. We have to create sustainability."

Baez joins District 1 Representative Vanessa Campos, who worked in the Reading School District for many years and wanted to step up in other areas. She says two important focal points for her are quality of life issues and the city budget.

"I think it's important to be accessible and be a part of all these organizations that are in our city and these events, so you can learn more and educate yourself on the needs of the city," Campos said.

District 5 Representative Rafael Nunez said, as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, he had his own challenges, but wants to help others in the city become successful and stay safe.

"Three things," Nunez said. "I want the city of Reading safe, sane and secured; those are the words I can tell you."

Also sworn in for additional terms were District 2 Councilmember Melissa Ventura and District 5 Councilmember Christopher Miller.

Donna Reed was sworn in taking the role as council president. With years of experience on her side, she addressed her new council.

"I hope each of you  as a district representative, as you walk in city hall for whatever meeting it is  you remember you are representing 16,000-plus people in your district, and when you walk in, you're walking in with those 16,000 people," Reed said.

Mayor Eddie Moran raised his hand for the second time for what the presiding judge called "Mayor Eddie Moran, Chapter Two."

In Moran's speech, he highlighted his accomplishments in his first term and described how he hopes to advance them in his second  from education to crime, to the economy and his dream of bringing passenger rail back to Reading.

"It is a vision to reconnect Reading with the historic routes," Moran said. "It will enhance economic opportunities and position our city for unprecedented growth, to say the least."
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  Officials say there's a crisis in Bethlehem, and it has nothing to do with roads, trash or water bills.

Bethlehem City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening  for the second time now  to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits from so-called pet mills.

City officials say they're trying to continue a precedent that has been set by two other cities in the Lehigh Valley and to ease the burden on shelters that are overwhelmed with animals.

The phrase "pet mill" encapsulates the dogs, cats and rabbits mass bred by commercial operations for profit, which animal advocates say tend to house their animals in poor conditions.

Those operations, they say, can cause the animals to have poor health outcomes and put an undue burden on unsuspecting pet owners who thought they purchased healthy animals.

According to the bill, "a significant number of dogs and cats sold at pet stores come from large-scale, commercial breeding facilities where the health and welfare of the animals are not adequately provided for."

"Most of the shelters, locally, are filled at capacity. They can't even accept animals anymore, so it's a real concern," said Bethlehem City Councilperson Grace Crampsie Smith.

The concern caught the attention of Crampsie Smith, who spearheaded the effort to ban pet mill sales.

"I've always been an animal lover. My friends work in the field," she said.

Right now, there are no pet stores within the city's limits; the new law forbids any people looking to open shop in the city from selling pets.

The bill outlines a fine structure of not less than $500 per animal offered for sale, but does not affect residents who purchase animals outside the city.

Such bans have been supported by animal organizations elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and the Bethlehem proposal would encourage rescue groups and retailers to work together: "Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit a pet shop from providing space to either an animal shelter or to an animal rescue organization."

Animal rescuers like Pam Briody say they have witnessed the shelter overcrowding.

"I see it, yes," Briody told WFMZ. "They have to turn lots of animals away, and I see a great need, especially in the cat area."

Crampsie Smith says moving forward, pet stores that want to set up shop in Bethlehem can work with area rescues and nonprofits, but not those pet mills or puppy mills, which she says have long been known to abuse or neglect the animals sold to pet shops.

"Many of the animal experts have said that because of the cruel conditions they [pet mill animals] grow up in, they have psycho-behavioral issues, and it might manifest itself later, not initially, and the owners don't know how to handle the challenges," said Crampsie Smith.

She encourages residents to adopt or to work with reputable breeders.

No city residents spoke out against the law. City Council voted in favor of the ban on sales on Dec. 19. The ordinance required a second vote to become law.

Bethlehem joins Allentown, Easton and Forks Township, which have all banned pet mill sales within their limits.

"I know our furry friends in Bethlehem and throughout the communities, as well as their families, are very grateful, too," said Crampsie Smith.
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  Bethlehem City Council looks a little different after Tuesday's meetings.

The board said goodbye to two of its members, while welcoming two more.

Councilmembers Wandalyn Enix and Paige Van Wirt were offered citations for their contributions to the city and its board.

"Serving the citizens in the city has been one of the best experiences of my life," said Van Wirt, who served on the board from 2018 to 2023.

She thanked the citizenry of Bethlehem for letting her serve and said, "I hope that I did a good job."

Enix said that residents should be "very confident in their leadership."

She also encouraged residents to attend meetings  at least once or twice a year  and pointed out that online options are available for viewing.

To City Council, she also offered words of advice.

"You need to know and keep your strength," Enix said. "You are co-equals with the administration. I want you to understand your strength. This is how the system works."

Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds said Enix and Van Wirt represent the dichotomy of the city  the combining of "what we have been and what we are with new ideas and creativity."

The board also recognized outgoing city treasurer Kaija Farber, who served the city for 30 years.

"I think you're one of the longest-running elected officials the City of Bethlehem has had," said Reynolds, who thanked Farber for her service. Kathy Fox will fill the role.

In a second meeting following the regular business meeting, the board welcomed new members Bryan Callahan and Colleen Laird.

Council leadership

Following the welcome, the board voted to elect a new president and vice president for the 2024-26 term.

The public gave their opinions on who they thought should be elected to the roles.

During the public portion of the meeting, residents gave their opinions on the workings of the board, most leaning towards the positive.

Several residents recommended that board Vice President Grace Crampsie Smith take the reins of president and encouraged board members to elect her to the position.

Others supported Colon as president, while offering support for Crampsie Smith as vice president.

Colon retained the council presidency in a 5-2 vote. Councilmember Rachel Leon was elected as the new council vice president, beating out Crampsie Smith, also in a 5-2 vote.

Colon said that Leon has "shown a willingness to be involved, [which] I think is admirable." He went on to say that Leon had "been a remarkable leader in and outside of council chambers."

"The two of you have led council very ably; always found that both Michael and Grace have been excellent resources," said Cheryl Baker, constituent services adviser with Rep. Steve Samuelson's office.

Year in review

In his yearly report during the regular meeting, Colon reported on council's numbers for 2023. He said the board held 24 regular meetings and 17 committee meetings, adopted 259 resolutions and passed 51 ordinances. He described 2023 as "the time to move on and get back to business" after the impact of the pandemic.

He also reported on initiatives to combat homelessness and affordable housing implemented through community meetings and the hopeful construction of a new homeless shelter.

"The real impact is always beyond the numbers we can report," he said.

Other business

2:29 Bethlehem bans sale of dogs, cats, rabbits from 'pet mills' Bethlehem City Council says it's trying to ease the burden on already crowded pet shelters, while addressing the health concerns over animals bred for profit.

In other news, council voted unanimously to adopt a pet bill sponsored by Crampsie Smith. Designed to combat the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits from "pet mills" at pet stores, the bill also addresses conditions in the facilities where the animals are bred for profit.

The board also scheduled a public hearing for the 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) for 7 p.m. Jan. 16. The grant will provide up to $39,617 to improve computer hardware and software.
Northampton County held a six-minute meeting on Tuesday to "reorganize," which means picking leadership for the year.



Council will get down to business for real on Thursday, although their agenda is light.



The eight-member board (there is one vacancy) will consider a donation to Gracedale, the county nursing home in Upper Nazareth Township, from the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Lehigh Valley Chapter 190, and an anonymous donor.



Council must approve all donations, large and small.



Then, Council has to report a risk manager as required by Pennsylvania law. The risk manager reviews the need for insurance bonding of employees and the safety of facilities, to keep insurance claims low.



At the meeting Tuesday, Council chose Democrat Lori Vargo Heffner as president for 2024. Democrat Ron Heckman continued as vice president. Democrats hold a 5-3 edge on Council.



Council has also put out a notice to county residents that applications to fill the vacancy will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12.



Applicants for the $12,000-per-year post should sending a letter and resume via regular mail to Office of Northampton County Council, c/o Linda Zembo, Northampton County Courthouse, 669 Washington St., Easton PA 18042; by email to lzembo@norcopa.gov or fax to 610-559-3106.



Northampton County residents who have lived in the county for at least a year are eligible. For more information, call the County Council office at 610-829-6596.



The meeting Thursday will start at 6:30 p.m. in Council chambers in Easton. The agenda and a link to the webcast are available on the county website.
EASTON, Pa.  Five newly elected government officials took the oath of office during Easton City Council's reorganization meeting Tuesday night at city hall.

Mayor Sal Panto, Councilwoman Crystal Rose, Councilmen Kenneth Brown and Frank Pintabone, and Controller Christopher Heagele formally took office for the first time or for another term during the ceremony.

Judge Brian Panella administered the oath to Panto and Pintabone, Judge Jack Panella did the honors for Brown, while Panto himself swore in Heagele.

Tuesday night marks the beginning of Panto's fifth and final term as Easton's leader.

"I want to thank the citizens of Easton for this incredible opportunity to serve," Panto said during his inaugural address. "It's humbling and exciting to oversee the renaissance taking place in our city, and turn the tide of people who wanted to write us off many years ago."

"I appreciate the opportunity, and we're going to work hard," said Pintabone, who will be serving his first term on council.

"I've been a longtime volunteer in this community, and I'm really looking forward to taking on this role," Rose, also a newcomer to the legislative body, said.

"We're going to roll our sleeves up, put our heads together, and we're going to keep making Easton better," said Brown, who is serving his sixth four-year term.

Tuesday night's meeting was the final one for Councilmen David O'Connell and Peter Melan.

"It's been a terrific experience serving on council," O'Connell said in his remarks. "...I personally think Easton is just getting better and better."

Easton expands hours for parking meters Drivers in Easton will now have to pay to park at metered spaces in the city for a few hours later.

"Easton is on a path to success," Melan said in his speech.

In other news, City Council approved an ordinance amending vehicle and traffic meter zones, as well as a separate ordinance amending parking restrictions for trash pickup on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
A new year means some new laws for Pennsylvania's 13 million residents.

On the heels of prime porch pirating season, a new Pennsylvania law makes it a felony and increases penalties for repeat offenders.

"I don't know that it's going to be a deterrent to be perfectly honest with you," said Lehigh County's Chief Public Defender Kimberly Makoul.

She adds there's already theft laws and this one may be more for public perception.

"People can have convictions from 20 years ago, and have not committed any offenses in the interim," she said of a new law that seals more criminal records of drug and nonviolent offenders from public view.

"Having a safe, stable housing, and having a job, really is the first step to getting back on their feet," she said of the impact the law can have.

"It's gonna be a huge impact, I think many more cases of cancer will be detected a lot sooner," said State Rep. Jeannie McNeill, describing a new law requiring insurers to cover preventive breast and ovarian cancer screenings for high-risk women at no cost.

Changes to dog licensing laws are new, too. Dogs must be licensed at the time they are bought or adopted. License fees slightly increased as well. The money goes to the state's habitually underfunded Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.

"Anything animal control, yes, there has been a shortage, there hasn't been enough funding to hire more," she said.

Dangerous dogs, those with bite records, must be muzzled, leashed, and under physical restraint. There will be additional penalties and fines for added violations.

And speaking of funding, Pennsylvania seniors can see a higher property tax and rent rebate, with the maximum going from $650 to $1000.

Also, teachers in Pennsylvania can now wear religious garb.

The state is expanding the Child and Dependent Care Enhanced Tax Credit. This means more money for families in need.

These are just some of the new laws added to the books this year.
The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC), a wholly owned unit of the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), has extended its refinancing agreement with Alrajhi Bank, the worlds largest Islamic bank by mortgage assets and market cap, with an additional SAR5.8 billion $1.54 billion).

This brings the total value of refinancing agreements between the two to SAR10.8 billion ($2.8 billion).

The continued collaboration between SRC and Alrajhi Bank, as highlighted by this new agreement, pinpoints SRCs pivotal role in enhancing growth capabilities of banks and financiers through offering liquidity, capital management, and balance sheet de-risking solutions that will lead to an increase in the origination of new home loan assets, making home financing more accessible.

On the tie-up, CEO Majeed Fahad Alabduljabbar said: "The extension of our partnership with Alrajhi Bank speaks volumes about our combined efforts to take part in further growing the kingdom's housing market."

"As we continue to deepen our ties with leading financial institutions, our objective remains clear: to establish a benchmark secondary housing finance market in the kingdom," he stated.

"The extension of this agreement marks a significant stride in advancing the goals of the Vision 2030 Housing Program. This initiative aims to facilitate increased accessibility to home financing, therefore, fostering greater rates of home ownership," he added.

SRC was established in 2017 by the Public Investment Fund after obtaining a license from Saudi Central Bank to operate in the market and as part of the government initiatives to support the Vision 2030 Housing Program, to be a pillar and a major catalyst for the growth and sustainability of housing finance in the Kingdom and establishing a secondary housing finance market.-TradeArabia News Service
Key Insights

The projected fair value for ASML Holding is 566 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of 664 suggests ASML Holding is potentially trading close to its fair value

The 701 analyst price target for ASML is 24% more than our estimate of fair value

How far off is ASML Holding N.V. (AMS:ASML) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. 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. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

See our latest analysis for ASML Holding

Step By Step Through The Calculation

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. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. 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) 6.11b 8.18b 9.95b 11.7b 13.4b 14.5b 15.4b 16.1b 16.7b 17.1b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x18 Analyst x17 Analyst x5 Analyst x4 Analyst x2 Est @ 8.69% Est @ 6.28% Est @ 4.59% Est @ 3.41% Est @ 2.58% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 7.0% 5.7k 7.1k 8.1k 8.9k 9.5k 9.7k 9.6k 9.4k 9.1k 8.7k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 86b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. 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 (0.6%) 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 7.0%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 17b (1 + 0.6%)  (7.0% 0.6%) = 271b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 271b ( 1 + 7.0%)10= 138b

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 223b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 664, the company appears around fair value 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.

ENXTAM:ASML Discounted Cash Flow January 3rd 2024

The Assumptions

We would point out that 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 ASML Holding 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 7.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.272. 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 ASML Holding

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded its 5-year average.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Semiconductor industry.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Semiconductor market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Dutch market.

Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio.

Threat

Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year.

Looking Ahead:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For ASML Holding, we've put together three pertinent items you should explore:

Risks: As an example, we've found 2 warning signs for ASML Holding (1 is concerning!) that you need to consider before investing here. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for ASML'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 ENXTAM 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.
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - St. Lukes is offering advice to parents about preventing and dealing with whooping cough, amid an outbreak among students in the Stroudsburg area.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is tracking a pertussis outbreak, primarily among students in the Stroudsburg area, according to a news release from St. Luke's.

Stroudsburg Area School District sent a message to the community Dec. 20 about several confirmed cases of whooping cough among students attending its schools.

Pertussis, commonly referred to as whooping cough, is a highly contagious upper respiratory disease that is particularly dangerous for young children, especially infants.

Before the availability of a vaccine in the 1940s, pertussis was one of the most common childhood diseases worldwide and a major cause of childhood mortality in the United States, St. Luke's says. Even today, St. Luke's says half of infants with pertussis will be hospitalized.

St. Lukes Pediatrics Chairman Jennifer Janco, MD, offers the following advice to parents:

1. Make sure you and your family are vaccinated. If you are a pregnant mother, get your Tdap vaccine to protect your newborn since he/she wont able to start the pertussis vaccine series until 2 months of age.

2. If you or your child has symptoms compatible with pertussis and/or has been exposed to the contagion at school or elsewhere, contact your primary care doctor or pediatrician before going to a hospital ER or urgent care center, where you could infect others. Your primary care doctor or pediatrician may be able to perform an assessment and prescribe medication by phone or video.

3. If you have pertussis or are awaiting your pertussis test results, isolate at home for five days after starting antibiotics to limit further spread. St. Lukes says it will provide notes for work or school as needed.

Dr. Janco noted that diagnosing upper respiratory illnesses this time of year is challenging.

Pertussis has many similarities with other respiratory infections currently circulating in the community, such as influenza or Covid or the common cold, according to St. Luke's.

St. Luke's says contacting your health care provider for further guidance on your symptoms and risk is the best next step.

However, in cases when a diagnosis of pertussis is confirmed, all contacts living in the household should be treated with antibiotics to prevent further spread. Certain other high-risk contacts may qualify for treatment as well.

Additional information is available on the CDC website.
Heavy fighting raged in central and southern Gaza on Wednesday as fears mounted of a regional escalation following a strike in Beirut that killed one of the top Hamas leaders.

Israel has refused to comment on reports it carried out the killing Saleh Arouri, the most senior Hamas member slain since the war in Gaza erupted nearly three months ago.

But on Wednesday, the chief of Israels Mossad intelligence service vowed that the agency would hunt down every Hamas member involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, no matter where they are.

The comments by David Barnea appeared to be the strongest indication yet it was behind Tuesday's blast. Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promised revenge for Arouri's killing.

Hamas' Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into southern Israel killed around 1,200 people, and some 240 others were taken hostage. Israels air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 22,100 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Israel's campaign has driven some 85% of Gazas population from their homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or teeming tent camps in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. A quarter of Gazas population face starvation, according to the United Nations, as Israeli restrictions and heavy fighting hinder aid delivery.

Currently:

 How might the killing of a top Hamas commander affect the Gaza conflict?

 Israels Supreme Court delays activation of law that makes it harder to remove Netanyahu from office

 A Hamas official killed in a Beirut strike had been on Israels hit list for years.

 US intel confident militant groups used largest Gaza hospital in campaign against Israel: AP source.

 Find more of AP's coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Here's what's happening in the war:

NINE HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS KILLED BY ISRAELI STRIKES, MILITANTS SAY

BEIRUT  The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced nine of its fighters were killed Wednesday in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, among the highest daily death tolls in nearly three months of clashes between its fighters and Israeli forces against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.

Hezbollah also announced that it had launched 11 strikes against Israeli posts along the border Wednesday, including four using heavy warhead Burkan rockets, which the group has rarely fired during the current conflict.

The escalation came a day after the deputy head of Hamas, Saleh Arouri, was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beiruts southern suburbs. The killing raised fears that the so-far limited border clashes could spiral into a full-flown war in Lebanon.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had previously warned that his group would retaliate against any assassinations Israel carried out in Lebanon, whether of Hezbollah figures or those from allied groups like Hamas. In a speech Wednesday evening, Nasrallah promised revenge, warning that this dangerous crime of Arouris killing will not go without response and without punishment, although he did not say when or in what form the retaliation would come.

Amid rising tensions, countries including the U.S., Germany and Canada reiterated Wednesday travel warnings they had issued for Lebanon earlier in the conflict.

U.N. URGED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI'S RED SEA ATTACKS

UNITED NATIONS  The United States is calling on the U.N. Security Council to take urgent action against Yemens Houthi rebels for attacking ships in the key Red Sea trade route, and warning their longtime financier and weapons supplier Iran that it has a choice.

U.S. deputy ambassador Christopher Lu told an emergency council meeting on Wednesday that the Houthis have carried out more than 20 attacks since Nov. 19.

Lu said Iran has enabled these attacks and while the United States does not seek confrontation with Iran Tehran has a choice: It can continue its current course or withhold support from the Houthis which will leave the rebels struggling to track and strike vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The rebels have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea which it says are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. The hardline Shia force are staunch enemies of Israel.

However, the Israeli connections to each ship targeted by rebels have grown increasingly tenuous. In many cases there is no connection at all.

Many shipping companies are now avoiding the Red Sea and have been instead sailing around South Africa to reach ports in Europe and the Mideast, a significantly lengthier and more expensive trip.

U.N. UNABLE TO DELIVER AID TO NORTHERN GAZA

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations and its humanitarian partners have been unable to deliver urgently needed aid to northern Gaza for three days due to conflict and delays and denial of access.

U.N. associate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino told reporters Wednesday that the halt to deliveries north of Wadi Gaza included medicines that would have provided vital support to more than 100,000 people for 30 days, as well as eight trucks of food for people who currently face catastrophic and life-threatening food insecurity.

Elsewhere, she said, U.N. officials from the humanitarian office and World Health Organization on Tuesday witnessed extensive damage at the Al Amal hospital in Khan Younis, which was reportedly struck, killing five people, including a five-day-old baby.

Soto Nino said WHO officials reported that many of the 14,000 civilians sheltering at the hospital have now left and those remaining are terrified and planning to relocate.

The U.N. humanitarian office has warned that Gaza is a public health disaster in the making, and recent mass displacement across southern Gaza is fueling disease outbreaks, she said.

Since Hamas Oct. 7 surprise attacks, more than 400,000 cases of infectious diseases have been reported, Soto Nino said, including some 180,000 people with upper respiratory infections and over 136,000 cases of diarrhea  half among children under 5.

ISRAEL SAYS IT HAS DESTROYED TUNNELS UNDER GAZA HOSPITAL

JERUSALEM  Israels military says it has destroyed tunnels laid out beneath Gazas largest hospital, which forces raided late last year, prompting an international outcry .

The military says the operation to demolish the tunnels has not caused harm to Gazas Shifa Hospital itself. It said the tunnels are 250 meters (270 yards) long.

Video released by the military showed several explosions going off between buildings. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video.

Israel raided the hospital in November, saying Hamas uses it as a command and control center, without providing evidence to directly prove that claim. Israel has discovered what it says is an underground bunker accessible by a narrow tunnel and videos appearing to show Hamas militants dragging hostages through the hospitals hallways.

The militarys announcement Wednesday came after the U.S. said it was confident that Palestinian militant groups used the hospital to hold at least a few hostages seized during their bloody Oct. 7 attack and to house command infrastructure. Critics decried Israels raid as dangerous for patients and an assault on Gazas struggling health care system.

Also Wednesday, Israels chief military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel was using classified and new methods to try to rid Gazas second-largest city Khan Younis of its underground tunnel network, without elaborating. Khan Younis is a focus of the militarys current efforts in Gaza.

HEZBOLLAH LEADER PROMISES REVENGE FOR KILLING OF HAMAS OFFICIAL

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah promised revenge, repeating his groups statement that this dangerous crime of Arouris killing will not go without response and without punishment. But in a speech Wednesday, he left the audience guessing as to when and in what form.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah had so far been careful in its strategic calculus in the conflict, balancing the need to support Gaza and to take into account Lebanese national interests. But if the Israelis launch a war on Lebanon, the group is ready for a fight without limits.

They will regret it, he said. It will be very, very, very costly.

Nasrallah praised Arouri as well as Hamas' Oct. 7, attack, saying it brought light back onto the Palestinian cause after it was nearly forgotten. He said Israel has so far failed in all its objectives in the Gaza war and was suffering damage to its international reputation.

ISRAEL SAYS HOSTAGE WAS KILLED IN FAILED RESCUE ATTEMPT IN GAZA

The Israeli military says a hostage taken captive by Hamas was killed in a failed rescue attempt in Gaza.

The hostage, 25-year-old Sahar Baruch, had been previously reported to have been killed, but Israel initially blamed Hamas, while Hamas said Israeli forces killed him in a raid.

The military said Wednesday it was not possible to determine whether Baruch died from Israeli fire or from Hamas in the rescue mission, which took place in early December.

The announcement about Baruch comes weeks after Israel said its forces accidentally killed three hostages in the Gaza Strip. Some relatives of hostages have said the protracted fighting puts the remaining captives at risk.

Following a hostage release deal in late November, some 129 hostages remain, although about 20 are said to have died in captivity.

U.N. SAYS NO ONE SHOULD BE CALLING FOR MASS DISPLACEMENT

UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations is implicitly criticizing Israels far-right finance minister for his calls encouraging Palestinians in Gaza to leave the territory, reiterating the 193-member world bodys strong opposition to forced displacement.

U.N. associate spokesperson Florencia Soto Nino told reporters Wednesday that no one should be advocating for mass displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza.

She was responding to a post on X, formerly Twitter on Wednesday, by Israels Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who wrote that 70% of Israelis support voluntary migration for Palestinians from Gaza to other countries.

Smotrichs initial call encouraging Palestinians to leave Gaza was met with an international outcry including from Israels closest ally the United States, its top European ally Germany, and neighboring Egypt.

Soto Nino stressed that Palestinian civilians should be safe in Gaza.

Every person has the right to be protected from forced displacement from their home or residence, and so far 85% of this population has been internally displaced and is living in pretty dire conditions, she said. They have the right to return to their homes.

HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S GENOCIDE CASE AGAINST ISRAEL

THE HAGUE, Netherlands  The United Nations top court has scheduled two days of preliminary hearings into a case filed by South Africa alleging that the Israeli military campaign targeting Hamas in Gaza meets the threshold of genocide under international law.

South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice to order Israel to halt its attacks in Gaza.

Israel strongly refutes the genocide allegation. An official in the Israeli prime ministers office, Eylon Levy, on Tuesday said Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at the Hague to dispel South Africas absurd blood libel.

The court announced Wednesday that it will hold hearings on Jan. 11 and 12 into South Africas urgent request for interim orders including that Israel halt its military campaign in Gaza.

If granted, such interim orders, known as provisional measures, would remain in place while the complex genocide case is heard by the court, a process that could take years.

ISRAELI MINISTER DOUBLES DOWN ON GAZA RESETTLEMENT

JERUSALEM  Israels far-right finance minister is doubling down on his calls to encourage Palestinians in Gaza to leave the territory despite an international outcry, including from the United States.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, Bezalel Smotrich wrote that 70% of Israelis support voluntary migration for Palestinians from Gaza to other countries, saying that Israel couldnt allow itself to live so close to a hotbed of hate. He did not say where the figure came from.

Smotrich, a champion of West Bank settlements, drew criticism from the U.S., Egypt, Germany and France after he made similar comments earlier this week while calling on Israel to reestablish settlements in the Gaza Strip. The State Department said his comments were inflammatory and irresponsible.

Talk of mass displacement brings up difficult memories for Palestinians, some 700,000 of whom fled or were forced to flee during the war leading to Israels creation in 1948.

Smotrich is a key partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, Israels most nationalist and conservative. He has largely been sidelined by the War Cabinet that does not include him.
NEW YORK (AP)  U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez used his international clout to help a friend get a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund, partly by taking actions favorable to Qatars government, federal prosecutors said Tuesday in a revised indictment.

The new allegations deepen the legal challenges for Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who already was charged with wielding his political influence to secretly advance Egypts interests.

The superseding indictment in New York said the senator and his wife accepted bribes of gold bars and cash from New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes as a reward for several corrupt acts that included his help securing a major investment from the Qatari fund.

Prosecutors said Menendez introduced Daibes to a member of Qatars royal family who was also a principal in the investment firm, met personally with Qatari officials and made public statements supportive of Qatar while the real estate deal was being negotiated.

The indictment said the Qatari investor eventually invested tens of millions of dollars in Daibes' development project, in a deal finalized in 2023.

Adam Fee, a lawyer for Menendez, said in a statement that prosecutors lacked proof of any wrongdoing.

"What they have instead is a string of baseless assumptions and bizarre conjectures based on routine, lawful contacts between a Senator and his constituents or foreign officials. They are turning this into a persecution, not a prosecution, he said.

At all times, Senator Menendez acted entirely appropriately with respect to Qatar, Egypt, and the many other countries he routinely interacts with. Those interactions were always based on his professional judgment as to the best interests of the United States because he is, and always has been, a patriot."

Tim Donohue, a lawyer for Daibes, said he had no immediate comment.

The indictment did not identify the member of the Qatari royal family involved. Messages left with Qatars consulate in New York and with its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, were not immediately returned.

No new charges were added to the latest version of an indictment that already charged Menendez in a bribery conspiracy that allegedly enriched the senator and his wife with a luxury car besides the cash and gold. The allegations involving Qatar occurred from 2021 through 2023.

Other parts of the indictment accuse Menendez, 70, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, of taking bribes from two other New Jersey businessmen besides Daibes. All have pleaded not guilty.

Among other things, Menendez is accused of ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt.

After his September arrest, the senator gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has resisted calls for him to resign from his Senate seat.

The indictment contains new details about the relationship between Menendez and Daibes, a powerful New Jersey real estate developer.

Daibes has been credited with building out a string of luxury waterfront buildings, known as the gold coast, in the New Jersey town of Edgewater.

Along the way, he has maintained cozy relationships with local officials, which enabled him to chase off rival developers and renege on promises to build affordable housing, according to a report from the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.

Daibes already faced federal fraud charges when he was arrested in September on charges that he paid bribes to Menendez, a longtime friend. He was also accused of attempting to convince a federal prosecutor to go easy on Daibes in his bank fraud case.

The indictment said that while the Qatari investment company was considering its investment in the Daibes real estate development, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar and then provided them to Daibes so he could share them with the Qatari investor and a Qatari government official.

In one August 2021 instance, the indictment said, Menendez used an encrypted messaging application to send Daibes the text of a press release in which he praised the government of Qatar, before texting Daibes: You might want to send to them. I am just about to release.

Two months later, Menendez and his wife returned from a trip to Qatar and Egypt and were picked up at the airport by Daibes' driver, the indictment said. The next day, it added, Menendez performed an internet search for how much is one kilo of gold worth.

The Qatari Investment Co. signed a letter of intent to enter a joint venture with a company controlled by Daibes in May 2022, the indictment said. Thereafter, it added, Daibes gave Menendez at least one gold bar.

A search of Menendez's residence produced two 1-kilogram gold bars and nine 1-ounce gold bars with serial numbers showing they'd previously been possessed by Daibes, along with about 10 envelopes of cash with tens of thousands of dollars bearing the fingerprints or DNA of Daibes, the indictment said.

The revised indictment said a Qatari investment official also sent tickets to a Formula One auto racing event to one of Nadine Menendez's close relatives.

The indictment said Menendez did not report any of the cash or gold received by himself or his spouse as required for a U.S. senator on annual financial disclosure forms.

Judge Sidney H. Stein, who is presiding over the case, refused last week to extend a May 5 trial date after defense lawyers requested more time to prepare.

In a letter to the judge late Tuesday, prosecutors said they would not oppose a delayed arraignment of the defendants or an arraignment by video.

Associated Press writers Jake Offenhartz in New York and Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey contributed to this report.
MIDDLETOWN - Growing up in Coney Island, Brooklyn, and moving to Monmouth County over 50 years ago, Paul DeSaro always enjoyed woodworking in his spare time. And he successfully turned that hobby into a business seven years ago when he launched Exotic Wood Pens, a Middletown-based venture through which he crafts unique pens made from exotic wood from all over the world.

DeSaros early years were spent in the military.

In 1966, a year after I graduated from high school, I joined the Army for four years; I went to Vietnam for the first year, then Oahu, Hawaii, for the rest of my tour, recalled DeSaro, 77, a Middletown resident. Im proud that I was able to do my part to protect my family and others back home.

Following his discharge in 1970, I went to school for computer programming and stayed in that field selling software and ultimately running my own consulting business, Key Data Solutions, for the next several decades, said DeSaro, who sold software for such other companies as ADP along the way. But I eventually retired around 2006 and started doing more woodworking.

Paul DeSaro is shown Tuesday, January 2, 2023, with some of the "Exotic Wood Pens" he has created in his Middletown home. He uses wood sourced from all over the world.

According to DeSaro, working with wood always held special memories for him.

My dad owned a sawmill in Vermont, where my family and I lived for three years when I was growing up, and I can still smell the wood and sawdust, he explained. To this day, that smell brings me back to happy childhood days.

'I love scavenging': Beachwood artist creates eternal beauty out of driftwood

Working in his woodshop during his newfound free time as a retiree, using skills he honed through help from friends and instructional YouTube videos, I enjoyed making things for my four granddaughters, including sleds, rocking horses and desks and other furniture, DeSaro said.

But one day in 2016, a random publication took his interest in a new direction.

I used to get a woodworking catalog from a company that sold materials used to make pens, he said. I wasnt sure why I received that catalog in the first place and I always used to throw it away, until one day I remembered that a friend of mine knew how to make pens. I asked him to show me how he did it and I liked it.

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DeSaro soon launched Exotic Wood Pens, and now this is the only kind of woodworking I do, he said.

Some of Paul DeSaro's "Exotic Wood Pens" are displayed in his Middletown home Tuesday, January 2, 2023. He uses wood sourced from all over the world.

Custom-made creations

If I see wood that I like, Ill make a pen out of it, DeSaro said. I find branches of wood in parks and other locations  I once bought a cutting board in a home goods store to make pens out of because the wood was so beautiful  or people give me wood thats special to them, and I also source wood from all over the world."

"For example, Ive ordered olive wood from Israel, cocobolo, leopardwood and purpleheart wood from Central/South America, zebrawood from Africa, and sheesham wood from India, he said. There are hundreds of different woods out there and I generally work with 25 to 50 types.

In terms of his process, I buy the hardware  the clip, centerpiece, tip/nib and twist mechanism  from outside vendors, then cut the wood to a specific length, position the mechanism in a brass tube, and craft the wood exterior of the pen on a lathe, fabricating everything by eye into whatever shape I want or that fits the hardware, he said.

Ill polish it so that everything is smooth and seamless, let the glue cure overnight, and then, if Ive done everything right, he joked, the pen works!

Raw wood waits to be turned into "Exotic Wood Pens" in the basement of Paul DeSaro's Middletown home Tuesday, January 2, 2023. He uses wood sourced from all over the world.

Love for wood: Jersey Shore filmmaker Kevin Smith among those who love Brick woodcut artist's 'babies'

According to DeSaro, his pens are available in small (7 mm in diameter), medium (8 mm), and large (10 mm) sizes and range in price from $35 to $65, depending on the pen size and type of wood used (from, for example, less-expensive laminated birch to costlier purpleheart wood). I use medium-point ballpoint mechanisms that can be replaced with Parker or Cross refills, and I use black ink, but customers can refill them with any color.

Because he knows that people have different preferences when it comes to pens, I have pads at my display table and let people try out different pens for comfort, he said.

After seven years in business, hes also come to realize how significant his custom-made creations can be to his customers.

In one instance, a woman whose brother had recently passed contacted me; her brother had planted a dogwood tree in the yard of their parents house years earlier and she asked me to make pens from the tree to give to her parents as a memento, DeSaro said. They were so touched by the gift that her mother ended up ordering 10 more pens from me  one to give to each of her grandchildren as they graduated from college as a remembrance of their uncle.

In another instance, I made pens from old planks I sourced from the restoration of the USS New Jersey, the largest and most decorated battleship in U.S. naval history, DeSaro said. People who had been in the Navy or who had relatives that served on that ship found those pens appealing.

Paul DeSaro works in his Middletown home basement shop Tuesday, January 2, 2023. He uses wood sourced from all over the world to create his "Exotic Wood Pens."

'Beautiful and useful'

Though hes been challenged by rising material prices over the years  from the lumber and the interior mechanisms to the special glue he uses  I still want to keep my prices affordable and make these pens as accessible as possible, said DeSaro, who typically sells his creations at Bell Works Fresh Markets in Holmdel from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday from March through December. Customers tell me how much they love my pens, and thats part of the payment.

Art and business: Point Pleasant Beach art gallery sells a sticky secret ingredient  beeswax

Looking ahead, I just hope to continue making these pens, DeSaro said. The wood often comes from global sources and the pens have ended up being gifted to people everywhere from China to France, Spain and other countries, which I feel great about because its a beautiful cycle.

For DeSaro, his venture is a win-win all around.

I love working with wood and I also enjoy the camaraderie with the other vendors at the markets where I sell my products as well as the social interaction I have with my customers, some of whom have become very good friends of mine over the years, he said.

As for his favorite part of his business, I especially love the creative process behind Exotic Wood Pens, he said, and the opportunity to make something that people find both beautiful and useful.

Exotic Wood Pens

Location: Middletown

Phone: 732-241-4799

Owner: Paul DeSaro

Launched: 2016

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Middletown's Exotic Wood Pens carves from trees around the world
Biohacker Bryan Johnson is taking criticism of his $2 million-a-year age-reversing regime on the chineven if it comes from X owner Elon Musk.

Centi-millionaire Johnson may now be used to public scrutiny of his lifestyle: which includes eating his last meal of the day at 11 am, following a strict health 'protocol' and working with a team of 30 scientists to reverse his biological age from 46 to 18.

However, critics of Johnson have recently added a loud voice to their ranks: Tesla CEO, and the world's richest man, Musk.

On Dec. 29 a user on X compared two images of Johnson before and after he began his age-reversing process. "Bryan Johnson looked way better before he started spending $2 million/year on his body," the caption read.

Musk agreed, replying "100" to the post, and has now amassed more than 1,400 likes on his response.

Johnson quipped back to the thread, writing: "Former Bryan didn't get invited to vampire cosplay as himself." Cosplaying is when a person dresses up as a character from popular culture, with Johnson suggesting he can now pass as an ageless vampire thanks to his regime.

On Dec. 31, Johnson, who carries out his research via his company Blueprint, screenshot the thread with Musk and wrote: "The difference between Elon and me: Ill nourish you and drink your blood; hell fire you and leave you to die."

This comment may be another tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Johnson is reportedly aging at a different pace from other people, similar to vampire characters in fictional books.

The difference between Elon and me: Ill nourish you and drink your blood; hell fire you and leave you to die. https://t.co/7ifnDOSomf  Zero (@bryan_johnson) December 31, 2023

Johnson's response also alludes to the backlash Musk faced in 2023 around his actions at X.

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Since taking over the platform in 2022 Musk has shaved the business's headcount by around 80%, saying the process of redundancies was "painful" but necessary to get the platform profitable.

However, that may still not be enough. Just this week Fidelity released a report claiming X is now worth 72% less than its value when Musk purchased it, which was $44 billion in April 2022.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who has recently been focussed on the launch of his x.AI business and bot Grok, has also been open about X's chances of survival.

Late last year Musk told DealBook Summit the platform may not survive and placed the blame squarely at the feet of advertisers who abandoned the platform.

Johnson's rise to fame

Despite launching Blueprint some years prior, 2023 was the year Johnson's work increasingly garnered the attention of global audiences.

The tech entrepreneur had been a relatively unknown individual until then, having sold his company Braintree for $800 million to PayPal.

Over the past 12 months however, Johnson was featured in Fortune conferences, profiled by the New York Times and Time magazine among others, and made numerous appearances on the 'Diary of a CEO' podcast.

2023 also marked the year a woman became a Blueprint subject. Last summer Kate Tolo, who is referred to as Blueprint XX, began her trial of the regimen saying she and Johnson are now two peas in a pod.

It's perhaps no surprise that Johnson is looking into 2024 with wide-spanning goals in mind.

Posting on X, Johnson wrote his aims for this year include building his 'Don't die' community, open-sourcing his research into slowing aging, and making his nutrition program cost-competitive with the launch of fast food.

2024 goals 0. Make historys most nutritious program cost competitive w/ fast food. Scale globally. 1. Build DONT DIE into a planetary community, movement & guiding 21st-century philosophy. 2. Lower .69 speed of aging & clean up aging damage. Open source it all. 3. Troll  Zero (@bryan_johnson) January 2, 2024

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, NuVista Energy fair value estimate is CA$19.22

NuVista Energy's CA$10.83 share price signals that it might be 44% undervalued

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of NuVista Energy Ltd. (TSE:NVA) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

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 still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for NuVista Energy

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. 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.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (CA$, Millions) CA$148.4m CA$271.7m CA$265.9m CA$263.4m CA$263.3m CA$264.7m CA$267.2m CA$270.6m CA$274.5m CA$278.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x3 Est @ -2.13% Est @ -0.91% Est @ -0.06% Est @ 0.54% Est @ 0.95% Est @ 1.25% Est @ 1.45% Est @ 1.60% Present Value (CA$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.7% CA$138 CA$234 CA$213 CA$196 CA$181 CA$169 CA$159 CA$149 CA$140 CA$132

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CA$1.7b

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After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond 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 (1.9%) 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 7.7%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = CA$279m (1 + 1.9%)  (7.7% 1.9%) = CA$4.9b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CA$4.9b ( 1 + 7.7%)10= CA$2.3b

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 CA$4.0b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of CA$10.8, the company appears quite undervalued at a 44% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

TSX:NVA Discounted Cash Flow January 3rd 2024

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. 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 NuVista Energy 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 7.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.160. 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 NuVista Energy

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Canadian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for NVA.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For NuVista Energy, we've compiled three important factors you should explore:

Risks: To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with NuVista Energy (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) . Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for NVA'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. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Canadian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock 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.
Traders work on the floor of the NYSE Thomson Reuters

Goldman Sachs says obesity drugs, AI, and manufacturing will be major market themes this year.

Obesity drugs and generative AI emerged in 2023, but were just in their "infancy."

Strategists shared stock picks for the bank's seven big market themes of 2024.

A handful of trends will be important for markets to watch closely this year, according to Goldman Sachs.

Overall, Goldman notes that the US economy appears to be holding up well after the Federal Reserve's interest-rate hikes, and markets outperformed expectations by a sizable margin in 2023.

Strategists at the bank say they largely expect that to continue in 2024.

"The coast does look clear for the US economy," the bank's strategists said Tuesday. They nodded to lower Treasury yields, an impending Fed pivot toward easier monetary policy, and above-consensus GDP growth expectations.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Goldman is eyeing seven big themes that could shape markets.

Here's a look at the key market trends the Wall Street giant is seeing for the coming 12 months, from artificial intelligence to obesity drugs to green energy.

1. Generative AI

The bank expects AI technology and innovation will ultimately increase productivity and lead to a boost of 0.4% to annual GDP growth.

"AI is likely to be a big boom to the companies that can provide the compute power and platforms to support AI initiatives," the strategists said.

Stocks the bank recommends with exposure to this theme, according to Goldman Sachs, include Amazon and Nvidia.

2. Green energy spending

"The need for the world to respond to climate change is becoming increasingly clear and corporations are responding to the opportunity that is emerging as governments incentivize a wave of new development to help transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources," Goldman Sachs strategists wrote in the note.

Companies in the solar sector, those that can harness methane gas from garbage, and names in nuclear energy could be poised to benefit from the trend.

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Strategists named First Solar, Republic Services, and Southern Company as stocks to watch in the space.

3. Private credit

Investors will look to private debt deals to beat public market returns, and private credit retail products offered by asset managers have gained traction over the last year, Goldman Sachs said.

Strategists noted that "insurance companies are increasingly allocating capital to private markets creating a reliable and big source of funding for this market."

For this theme, the bank says Blue Owl Capital shares could stand to benefit.

4. "The echo-boom of the post-pandemic era"

This theme could be on its final legs as the world adjusts to the new normal of the post-pandemic years.

Various sectors such as transportation and travel are still adjusting after the multi-year anomaly of the COVID-19 era, but the strategists said two notable sectors include financials and technology, which are coming off the regional bank crisis in 2023 and the tech bubble bursting in 2021, respectively.

"[H]eading into 2024, the tone does appear to be changing," strategists said.

Hiring appears to be ramping up in software firms in particular, which is frequently followed by a growth acceleration, they added.

Stocks with exposure to this theme include Amazon, OKTA, JB Hunt, Textron, JPMorgan, and Jefferies Financial Group.

5. Obesity drugs

The stock market got Ozempic'd in 2023, and the craze over weight-loss drugs will be a theme to keep watching this year, the bank says.

Eli Lily gained nearly 60% last year on the popularity of its weight-loss drug. It became the 9th largest company by market cap in the S&P 500, and it's been hailed as one of the key winners of the year.

In 2024, similar drugs will come to market from competitors looking to address a range of issues beyond obesity, Goldman Sachs said, but the strategists expect demand for GLP-1 drugs to remain a key trend to watch.

6. A manufacturing renaissance

Climate change, post-pandemic ripple effects, and deglobalization will all contribute to a manufacturing renaissance in the US, according to Goldman.

New projects are set to come online this year, and Goldman estimates that US industrial trends across semiconductors, EVs, and charging stations could drive as much as $600 billion in incremental capex by 2030.

Stocks with exposure to the theme include Nvidia, Cintas, TE Connectivity, First Solar, JB Hunt, Parker-Hannifin, and PPG Industries.

7. More mature internet growth and blurring business models

Finally, Goldman Sachs said growth for internet companies is maturing compared to a decade ago. Growth is slowing and this is pushing firms to explore new areas and sub-sectors to keep expanding.

That's driving "an exploration that is resulting in the blurring of operating lines between advertising and commerce, consumption habits and aggregated consumer behavior within scaled ecosystems," the strategists said.

Amazon is among the firms positioned to thrive in this landscape, Goldman said, while WW International and Constellation Brands also have exposure to the theme.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Students sing before class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. Quake-affected primary and secondary schools in Qinghai resumed offline classes on Tuesday. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

XINING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua)  All 371 schools in northwest China's earthquake-affected Qinghai Province have resumed offline teaching, bringing 126,300 students back to classrooms, the provincial department of education said on Tuesday.

Students are attending classes not only at their original school sites but also in temporary resettlements and makeshift houses equipped with necessary facilities including heaters.

Schools will continue to enhance campus security, standardize teaching routines, and support students through psychological counseling and safety education, according to the education department.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan in Gansu Province on Dec. 18, leaving more than 150 people dead in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai Province.

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows prefabricated classrooms on the playground at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

Students attend a music class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

Students attend a class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

Students attend a class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

Students are pictured on their way to attend a flag-raising ceremony at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhang Ziqi]

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows prefabricated classrooms on the playground at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

Students attend a class at the central school in Guanting Township of Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Jan. 2, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhang Long]

(Source: Xinhua)
Weather Alert

...Elevated Fire Danger Today and Tuesday... ...Hard Freeze Expected Tonight... The combination of very dry air and northwest winds gusting up to 20 mph will create an elevated risk of uncontrolled fire spread this afternoon. Relative humidity values will fall to 20 to 35%, with the lowest humidity levels over the Ozark Foothills of southeast Missouri. A more substantial fire danger is expected Tuesday, as southwest winds increase significantly, with gusts of 25 to 40 mph forecast Tuesday afternoon. Relative humidity values Tuesday afternoon will fall to 25 to 35%. If you are planning outdoor burning today and Tuesday, use extra caution and have fire suppression equipment ready. Tonight, very cold and dry surface high pressure will allow temperatures to drop into the middle and upper 20s throughout the region. Although the growing season has not officially started, tender vegetation could be impacted by these cold temperatures. Please take necessary actions to protect any tender vegetation tonight.
The repressive forces of federal, state and local police were mobilized on Sunday evening during New Year celebrations in cities across the globe.

Armies of uniformed and plainclothes officers, as well as military personnel, were placed on high alert and stationed in and around crowds gathered to mark the arrival of 2024. Drones were used for fly-overs to study crowd anomalies on the pretext that the surveillance was needed to keep people safe.

NYPD officers check people ahead of the New Years Eve in Times Square celebration, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in New York [AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura]

In many locations, New Years Eve celebrants were confronted with police in riot gear and armed with high-powered assault rifles and other military hardware. In others, celebrations were banned altogether.

On Friday, CNN summed up government justifications for the preparation of mass repression: Authorities across the US are working to ensure New Years revelers security this weekend, particularly in New York, where law enforcement officials say the war in Gaza has contributed to the concern of lone-wolf attacks, though they stress there is no specific reporting regarding any threats.

In other words, even though no specific threats exist, the months-long US-backed genocide of Palestinians by the Israeli militarywhich has killed an estimated 30,000 people, most of whom are women and childrenis being used as a pretext to condition the public for heavily armed police presence whenever and wherever large crowds assemble.

Aware of the widespread anger and opposition to Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the ruling powers internationally are sending a signal that mass expressions of pro-Palestinian sympathy and demands for an end to the genocide will continue to be met with swift attacks on the right to free speech and peaceful assembly in 2024.

The following is a survey of the police presence and actions in select cities around the globe on December 31:

Sydney, Australia: Among the first celebrations in the world took place in Sydney, where the New South Wales (NSW) Police Force launched its largest operation in all of 2023. The mobilization, dubbed Operation New Years Eve 2023, included the participation of multiple police area commands and districts across the State. These forces were to be assisted by Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Police Transport Command, the Public Order and Riot Squad, Operations Support Group, Licensing Police, Mounted and Dog Command, Marine Area Command, and PolAir, according to an official NSW press release.

With more than 1 million people turning out for fireworks that lit up the night sky over the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the police operations commander, Commissioner Anthony Cooke, said hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothed officers were deployed around foreshore areas, targeting those engaging in dangerous and anti-social behavior throughout the night.

Mumbai, India: More than 15,000 policemen, including personnel from the state reserve police force (SRPF) and quick response teams (QRTs), were deployed across the city to prevent any untoward incidents during the New Years Eve celebrations, according to the Hindustan Times. The report also said that 5,000 surveillance cameras installed at strategic points and important junctions will help the officials monitor the streets.

The police set up nakabandi, or checkpoints, where police have the authority of stop and search at 121 crucial points across the city, including the entry and exit points. The report said, Several policemen and women will be in civil clothes around crowded places, to prevent any untoward incidents and for womens safety. Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) officials will keep a watchful eye on suspicious movements and persons in their areas and anti-sabotage measures will be taken against suspicious persons.

Istanbul, Turkey: A statement by the Provincial Police Department said some roads in Istanbuls central district would be closed as part of necessary precautions ahead of New Years Eve. In a post on Twitter/X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote that 38,222 military personnel, 5,552 vehicles and 265 drones would be deployed to meet the New Year with peace and security. He also said the safety presence would include 167,739 personnel, 178 aircraft, 86 marine vessels and 400 detector dogs across the country.

Berlin, Germany: The Associated Press reported 4,500 police officers patrolled the streets on Sunday night, the strongest police presence Berlin witnessed in decades. Police banned the use of traditional firecrackers across the city, the AP report said, and police arrested 390 people near Alexanderplatz for violating the Weapons and Explosives Act. Iris Springer, senator for interior, digitalization and sport in the Berlin state government, posted on Twitter/X that it took months of preparations by the police to be ready for New Years celebrations.

Paris, France: Government officials announced 90,000 law enforcement officers would be deployed across France on New Years Eve, with 6,000 of those in Paris. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that due to a very high terrorist threat because, in part, of what is happening in Israel and Palestine, police would use drones for the first time as part of the security operations that included tens of thousands of firefighters and 5,000 soldiers. No political demonstrations would be allowed, according to Paris police chief Laurent Nunez and people were to be body-searched before being allowed entry to the festivities perimeter around the Champs-Elysees. On Monday, Interior Minister Darmanin reported 380 arrests were made nationwide.

London, UK: Scotland Yard said it would have an extensive policing operation in place during the New Years Eve celebrations in London. A report by the i newspaper said the Metropolitan Police had called on the public to be extra eyes and ears in terms of vigilance to assist officers, although there is understood to be no specific threat and the UK terror threat level remains unchanged at substantialthe third highest on the five-tier alert scale. The report continued, MI5 has warned in recent weeks that the domestic terror threat could rise as a result of the Gaza conflict, although the danger is believed to come from so-called lone actors likely to have been radicalized online.

New York City: On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the area in and around the Times Square ball drop would be surrounded by heightened security measures from the state police force and the New York National Guard. The New York Times reported that police will be monitoring an expanded area in Manhattan with canine units and officers on horseback. Helicopters and boats will be deployed. Drones will hover along the outer perimeter of the security zone to monitor potential protests in real time, Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference on Friday, We will be out here with our canines, on horseback, our helicopters, our boats. The full complement of our public safety apparatus will be on display.

The FBI released a public service announcement earlier in December stating the threat of violence likely heightened throughout winter, without providing any specifics. The alert said that ongoing tensions related to the conflict between Israel and HAMAS likely heighten the threat of lone actor violence targeting large public gatherings throughout the winter, including holiday-related, faith-based, New Year's Eve, and First Amendment protected events related to the conflict.

The statement also said, Although this announcement is not in response to any specific plotting activity, these targets likely remain attractive to lone actors inspired by a range of ideologies due to their accessibility and symbolic nature.
Border police with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency deported more than 142,850 immigrants to 180 countries in Fiscal Year 2023. This is the highest number of deportations carried out by the federal police agency in the last three fiscal years of the Biden administration.

ICE agents conducting an arrest in Philadelphia on February 18, 2020 [Photo: ice.gov]

The figure represents a 97.5 percent increase over the previous year and rivals the more than 185,000 deportations carried out by ICE in the last year of the Trump administration. It should be noted that ICE expelled more than 60,000 noncitizens prior to May 12, 2023 under Title 42, a previously obscure public health provision that was weaponized by the Trump administration on the pretext of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and continued for two years under Biden, in order to block immigrants from claiming asylum in the US.

In its report, ICE noted that Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) increased its pace of removals and returns following the expiration of Title 42 in May 2023, nearly doubling the number of removals between last year and this year.

ICE is one of several federal police agencies under the administration of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Currently, ICE has a yearly budget of over $8 billion, with more than 20,000 employees, including some 6,000 immigration officers located at 400 offices across the US and around the world.



In its Fiscal Year 2023 report, ICE identified a staggering 6.2 million noncitizens slated for deportation, the vast majority of whom are not currently in ICE custody. As of September 30, 2023, 36,845 people were being held in 150 detention facilities across the US. The facilities are a mixture of ICE detention centers, privately owned centers and state and local facilities.



Just over 26,000 of those detained are classified as Final Order Status, meaning they are being prepared for loading onto planes and buses to be expelled from the country.



Some 3.5 million of the non-detained, who are on the deportation docket, are from countries that are suffering under US economic sanctions or have had their governments overthrown in US-backed coups, including Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador. Another 1.9 million migrants are from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Colombia, Haiti and Ecuador.



According to ICE, of those removed in the last year, nearly 18,000 were parents and children traveling as family units. In 2020, the last year of the Trump administration, ICE deported 14,400 members of family units.



In addition to carrying out deportations, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit of the DHS made over 33,100 criminal arrests, while Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) agents carried out 170,590 arrests, an increase of 19.5 percent over the previous year.



Biden has reneged on his campaign promises to enact more humane immigration policies than his fascist predecessor. This includes carrying out mass deportations and expanding Trumps border wall. He is now preparing to tear up the right to asylum and enact a new Title 42-like authority to block refugees from entering the US, in exchange for Republican support for another $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine in Washingtons proxy war against Russia.



Appearing on the CBSs Face the Nation this past Sunday, Trump-aligned South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham confirmed that Senate Republicans were negotiating with the Biden White House to implement a Title 42 type authority. Graham said the new authority would allow border officials to tell desperate migrants seeking to exercise their legal right to asylum that we are full and send them back to Mexico.



After Grahams interview, CBS brought on two Democratic mayorsDenvers Mike Johnston and Chicagos Brandon Johnsonto discuss the so-called immigration crisis. Both called for passage of Bidens $110 billion supplemental funding package, whichin addition to billions for the war in Ukraine, Israels genocide in Gaza and military aid to Taiwanincludes $14 billion for the US border police.



We need federal money to support our work and more support at the border, Denver Mayor Johnston said. Chicago Mayor Johnson, who is supported by the Democratic of Socialists of America and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, said increased number of refugees in Chicago and other Democratic-controlled cities is a federal crisis that is unsustainable.



Appearing on CNN last week, the mayors of New York, Chicago and Denver, all Democrats, criticized the Biden administration for not doing enough to stem the flow of immigrants to their cities, which has been heightened by Texas Governor Greg Abbotts shipping of tens to thousands of migrants to these and other Democratic-run cities.


A powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck along the west coast of central Japan on Monday afternoon while many families gathered to celebrate the new year. As of Wednesday morning, at least 57 people have been killed, though this number may grow as rescuers search the impacted area. It is the deadliest earthquake since 2016 when 273 people died in the Kumamoto earthquakes.

A destroyed road near Noto town in the Noto peninsula facing the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo, on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, following Monday's earthquake. [AP Photo/Hiro Komae]

The epicenter of the quake was located on the Noto Peninsula at a depth of 16 kilometers. The peninsula juts out into the Sea of Japan and is a part of Ishikawa Prefecture. Most of the deaths have taken place in Wajima and Suzu, two cities located close to the epicenter. More than 200 aftershocks have subsequently been recorded, leading the Japan Meteorological Agency to warn that another serious earthquake could be coming over the next week.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, approximately 100,000 people were forced to evacuate due to the widespread destruction and the danger of a tsunami striking the coast. While a large tsunami did not materialize, some waves reaching as high as 1.2 meters struck Wajima Port, sweeping through the city and washing away cars. Trains and flights in the region were also delayed.

The earthquake was one of the strongest for that region of Japan in four decades. Ive never experienced a quake that powerful, Shoichi Kobayashi, a 71-year-old resident of Wajima, stated. Even the aftershocks made it difficult to stand up straight.

Other countries in the region were also affected, though no casualties or significant damage were reported. The Korea Meteorological Administration in South Korea reported tsunamis as high as 85 centimeters striking the countrys east coast. North Korea and Russia also issued their own tsunami warnings.

The Noto earthquake has caused widespread damage, destroying buildings and roads, causing fires, and cutting off power and water to tens of thousands of homes while temperatures drop to freezing levels at night. Evacuees occupied school gymnasiums, community centers and greenhouses converted into shelters. In some cases, people slept in their cars.

The mayor of Suzu, Masuhiro Izumiya, told a meeting of the Ishikawa Prefectural governments disaster response team on Tuesday: We have a feeling that about 1,000 houses have been completely destroyed. He added that thousands more were nearly completely destroyed. The city has 5,857 households, according to government data.

Many people are still unable to return to their homes. Less than half of the evacuees were able to do so as of Tuesday night. An estimated 33,000 homes were without power while 20,000 did not have running water.

The government has so far dispatched about 3,000 rescue personnel, including firefighters, police, and troops from the Self-Defense Forces, the formal name of Japans military. However, search teams have struggled to reach areas stricken by the earthquake, with at least 120 known cases of people awaiting rescue as of Tuesday night.

In response to the disaster, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida released the type of empty statements that come from capitalist governments after such tragedies. Attempting to give the impression that he was in control of the situation, Kishida stated during an emergency meeting, We must rescue [survivors] as quickly as possible, especially those who are trapped under collapsed structures. The prime minister, who is deeply unpopular due in part to an ongoing corruption scandal involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is no doubt sensitive to anything that can further damage his image and ability to remain in power.

While it is not possible to predict the exact moment an earthquake will strike, the damage caused by natural disasters is regularly compounded by the subordination of public safety to the capitalist profit system. This earthquake is no different and there are already indications that a lack of preparation has made things worse.

Suzus Mayor Izumiya has stated that evacuees are lacking basic supplies, saying Tuesday, There is a shortage of everything: water, food, milk, diapers, and feminine hygiene products. Blackouts and water shortages will continue for a while. Other survivors have also stated that they are running out of food.

Hiroko Aoki, a woman in her 70s, told the Japan Times, that she evacuated along with 40 other people to an elementary school that lacked heat. I was really scared, she stated. Since its a gym, it was very cold and there was no radio or TV, so I had no idea what was going on.

Japan is highly susceptible to earthquakes, sitting along fault lines where four tectonic plates meet. Major earthquakes have struck the country in recent years, including the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011 that killed 20,000 people. The tsunami severely damaged the nuclear power plant at Fukushima, leading to a meltdown that was covered up by the plants operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Furthermore, experts have been warning that Japan is likely to experience a major earthquake within the next few decades. The government reported last year that earthquake activity around the Noto Peninsula had been growing since 2018. Seismologists have also stated that the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, is likely to suffer an event similar to the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which reached a magnitude 7.9 and killed as many as 142,000 people.

Despite this, according to the Japanese governments 2022 Disaster Management in Japan white paper, Tokyo spent only 542.716 billion yen ($US3.8 billion) on disaster prevention in 2022, which was the lowest since 2011 and one of the lowest overall since 1986. The government also slashed spending from the previous year when its disaster prevention budget reached 1.108 trillion yen ($US7.8 billion).

By contrast, Tokyo is sharply boosting spending in preparation for a US-led war against China. Last month, Kishidas cabinet approved a new military budget for the 2024 fiscal year, reaching a record high of 7.95 trillion yen ($US56 billion). One of the main pillars of the new budget is the procurement of cruise missiles, giving Japan the ability to launch attacks on China in flagrant violation of the countrys constitution. The increase is part the governments plan for a de facto doubling of its military budget by 2027.

In line with other capitalist governments around the globe, the slashing of the disaster prevention budget also comes as Kishidas government has falsely declared the COVID-19 pandemic to be over. The ruling class is sending the message that workers, the poor and the elderly will all be left on their own as Tokyo pursues remilitarization and its imperialist interests overseas.
Saleh al-Arouri in Cairo, Egypt, October 12, 2017. [AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty]

Israels far-right government carried out the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, on Tuesday. This brazen act of aggression increases the danger of an escalation of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza into a region-wide war, for which US imperialism and its European imperialist allies have long been preparing.

Al-Arouri, reportedly Hamas closest link with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran, was targeted in a suspected drone strike on an apartment building where he was meeting secretly with other senior Hamas officials in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh. Among the seven casualties were two commanders of the Qasem Brigades, Hamas armed wing, Samir Findi and Azzam al-Aqraa. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh announced that the assassination meant a halt to negotiations with Israel over the release of the hostages remaining in Gaza.

Following the common practice in its long list of previous assassinations, Israel did not officially claim responsibility for the strike. An unnamed US Defence Department official speaking to the Washington Post said Israel was responsible for the assassination. The US State Department confirmed that a planned trip by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Israel later this week will be delayed until the beginning of next week, underscoring that Washington intends to determine Israels next steps in the conflict.

Responding to the assassination, Hezbollah reportedly fired missiles towards Israels northern border late Tuesday. Two Israeli soldiers were lightly injured.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated in an August 2023 speech that any Israeli assassination on Lebanese territory would result in a decisive response to prevent Lebanon from becoming a new killing field for Israel. A statement from the militant group following al-Arouris killing vowed that it would not pass without response or punishment.

Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati also denounced the targeted killing of al-Arouri, accusing Israel of dragging Lebanon into a new phase of conflict. In 2006, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched a massive invasion of southern Lebanon, triggering a month-long war in which Israel carried out barbaric war crimes against the civilian population. In 1982, supported by the Christian fascist Falange, Israel directed the bloody massacre of over 3,000 Palestinian refugees in the Sabra neighbourhood of Beirut and the Shatila refugee camp. Israels 1982 invasion of Lebanon claimed the lives of some 18,000 people.

Israels extra-judicial killing of al-Arouri, a violation of international law, provides yet another example of the Zionist regimes utter criminality. Since 7 October, it has flattened hospitals and schools, deliberately targeted journalists and medical workers, and used food, water, and fuel as weapons of war. All of these policies are part of a genocide against the 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza.

This fascistic policy was underscored again in comments calling for the voluntary emigration, i.e., ethnic cleansing, of Gazas residents, by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir earlier this week. Speaking at his Jewish Powers weekly faction meeting, Ben-Gvir stated that the war provides an opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza. He added that a correct, just, moral and humane solution would include the return of Israeli settlements to Gaza, which were abandoned in 2005.

Al-Arouris assassination was timed to prove Israels readiness to escalate and broaden the war. In Gaza, the IDFs savage bombardment continues, with over 200 Palestinians killed over the preceding 24 hours, according to figures released Tuesday by the Gaza Health Ministry. Strikes and fighting on the ground persisted in Khan Younis, where hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped. Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, where over 1 million people are now crammed, was also hit. The ongoing bloodshed underlines how Israel is persisting with its genocidal policy even as it modestly reduces the number of troops deployed in the north of the Gaza Strip.

In Khan Younis, the IDF bombed the al-Amal Hospital, which is used by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for its training programmes. The strike killed five people, including a five-day-old baby. World Health Organisation head Tedros Ghebreyesus criticised the bombing, saying, Todays bombings are unconscionable. Gazas health system is already on its knees, with health and aid workers continuously stymied in their efforts to save lives due to the hostilities. Some 14,000 people are sheltering in and around the hospital.

In the West Bank, an Israeli raid Monday night in the small town of Azzun resulted in the deaths of four Palestinian militants and the arrest of seven. Over 320 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank since 7 October.

The provocative escalation of the war represented by Israels assassination of al-Arouri plays into the hands of the far-right Netanyahu government, which is increasingly unpopular domestically. Its failure to secure the release of over 120 hostages still in Gaza has fuelled popular anger. On Monday, Netanyahu suffered a significant setback when Israels Supreme Court overturned a judicial reform law that would have altered Israels constitutional basic laws to weaken judicial oversight over the government. The authoritarian reform, imposed by Netanyahus right-wing Likud and his fascistic allies, triggered mass protests for a year prior to Hamas 7 October attacks.

Fully confident of American imperialisms unrestrained support, demonstrated with the steady supply of high-powered weaponry for its Gaza onslaught, Israel has repeatedly struck targets in Lebanon and Syria since launching its genocide on the Palestinians. Last week, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant asserted that Israel was engaged in a multi-front war covering Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The assassination of al-Arouri in Beirut came just eight days after the targeted killing in Syria December 25 of Brigadier General Seyed Razi Mousavi, a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

US imperialism has made preparations to wage a wider regional war, whose main target would be Iran. Over the past three decades, it has waged one war after another, from Iraq, to Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria, in the Middle East and Central Asia as it seeks to offset its economic decline by deploying its military might. Washington sees Israels onslaught as an opportunity to consolidate its hegemony over the energy-rich Middle East by defeating its major geostrategic rivals, China and Russia.

The Biden administration has ramped up the deployment of naval and air power to the region, most recently under the guise of protecting the flow of trade through the Red Sea following a series of attacks on merchant ships by the Houthis in Yemen. US troops are also deployed in significant numbers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, and Iraq.

On Sunday, US helicopters associated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group fired on and sunk three boats used by Houthi militants in the Red Sea. A fourth boat fled the scene. The carrier strike group has operated in the Persian Gulf since the Hamas-led uprising against Israel on 7 October. A second carrier strike group led by the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is due to be withdrawn from the eastern Mediterranean this week. A UN Security Council meeting to discuss mounting tensions in the Red Sea is expected to take place Wednesday.

As the smouldering conflicts across the Middle East threaten to ignite in a broader conflagration, the necessity of the independent political mobilisation of the working class against imperialist war is posed with renewed urgency. The mass protests involving millions of workers and young people that swept the world in the last months of 2023 against Israels genocide demonstrated that mass opposition to war exists and is growing. But this opposition must be armed with a clear orientation to the international working class and socialist programme. It must fight to link the struggle against imperialist war with the strikes involving workers in all the major imperialist countries over the past year for improvements to wages and conditions.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Harvard Corporation announced that Harvard President Dr. Claudine Gay would resign, and the New York Times published her letter of resignation. Gay was president of Harvard for only six months.

Claudine Gay, then Edgerley Family Dean of Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, addresses an audience during commencement ceremonies, Thursday, May 25, 2023, on the schools campus, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. [AP Photo/Steven Senne]

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) condemns Gays forced resignation. It marks a milestone in the ongoing campaign by the state, the far right, Zionist forces and the White House to crack down on opposition to the US-Israeli genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. Students and staff at Harvard University and nationwide must oppose this massive attack on academic freedom and democratic rights and demand Gays immediate reinstatement.

Gays resignation comes after the ouster of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill on December 9. Along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth, Gay and Magill had been summoned to a congressional hearing, where Republican Elise Stefanik, an adherent of the antisemitic Great Replacement Theory, ludicrously charged the presidents of three of the most prestigious universities in the world with supporting the genocide of the Jews.

The state-orchestrated witch-hunt was accompanied by a large-scale donor revolt by billionaire donors and alumni of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and other major universities. They threatened to withdraw their funding unless the university administrations completely fall in line and effectively ban opposition to the genocide in Gaza on campus and eliminate free speech.

Unlike Magill, Gay initially refused to step down after the hearing, even as a December 13 bipartisan congressional resolution called for her resignation. Over 700 faculty at Harvard signed an open letter urging the Harvard Corporation, the universitys most powerful governing board, to defend the independence of the university and to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvards commitment to academic freedom, including calls for the removal of President Claudine Gay. The Harvard Corporation subsequently issued a statement of unanimous support for Gay.

It was in response to the overwhelming opposition to her ouster that the charges of plagiarism were widely publicized, above all by the Wall Street Journal. These allegations are baseless. As early as October, Harvard University hired a team of three unaffiliated political scientists to test the validity of claims that Gays work was tainted by plagiarism. By December 10, the team had found that Gays errors did not amount to plagiarism but consisted merely of a number of improper citations.

The fingerprints of fascist forces, the state and the military are all over the conspiracy to bring down Gay.

Christopher F. Rufo, who first published allegations against Gay online in early December and is an adviser to the fascistic Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, said he immediately knew the anonymous file he received that questioned the integrity of Gays work was a weapon of war. Rufo, a proponent of the idea that American universities are advancing Marxist ideology, has stated he and DeSantis are at war with woke universities.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Rufo directly stated his intent. I think the entire corporation needs to resign, as well as President Gay, Rufo said. I would be happy to join the corporation to help turn it around.

On December 17, the Wall Street Journal published a hack piece by the Republican academic Carol M. Swain, a supporter of Donald Trump and a leading figure behind the far-right 1776 Commission, alleging that Gay had made a career based on plagiarism. On December 20, Republican Representative Virginia Foxx, the head of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued a letter to Penny Pritzker, senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation, demanding internal information pertaining to Harvards response to credible allegations of plagiarism by Gay over her 24-year academic career.

Another figure in the campaign who was prominently featured by the Wall Street Journal as a critic of Gay is Avi Loeb, a professor of physics at Harvard University. On his blog, Loeb has backed the genocide of the Palestinians and indicated that he was meeting with General David Petraeus, the former head of the CIA and one of the war criminals-in-chief of US imperialism in the Middle East.

Immediately following Harvards announcement, Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican, took to Twitter/X to declare that the Harvard Corporation members resignations must be forthcoming.

The ruthless campaign to bring down Gay is all the more significant since the Harvard president had tried to take a neutral position on the genocide: While she condemned the doxxing of pro-Palestinian students, she also explicitly opposed their statements against the genocide and apologized profusely for her mistakes in the congressional hearing.

But this neutral position was not enough for the billionaire and state proponents of genocide. Their aim is nothing less than the destruction of the right to free speech on campus and the complete subordination of academia to the interests of US foreign policy and the state apparatus. Under conditions where polls indicate that 66 percent of all American voters and 80 percent of all Democratic voters want an end to Israels war on the Palestinian people, the response of the ruling class to mass popular opposition is a frontal assault on democratic rights.

This campaign has not gone unopposed. At Harvard University itself, there has been growing and principled opposition both to the genocide and the attacks on democratic rights. Hundreds of students who have been doxxed and threatened for opposing the genocide have continued to protest.

Just days before Gay announced her resignation, the student-run newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, published a significant op-ed by Bernie Steinberg, the executive director of the Zionist campus organization Hillel at Harvard from 1993 to 2010. Opposing the campaign against Gay, he denounced the cynical weaponization of antisemitism by powerful forces who seek to intimidate and ultimately silence legitimate criticism of Israel and American policy on Israel.

He continued:

The toppling of the president of the University of Pennsylvania is a sobering example of what can happen when we empower these unscrupulous forces to dictate our path as university leaders. The stakes are as high as theyve ever been. Our vigilance must be up to the task. As a leader in the Jewish community, I am particularly alarmed by todays McCarthyist tactic of manufacturing an antisemitism scare, which, in effect, turns the very real issue of Jewish safety into a pawn in a cynical political game to cover for Israels deeply unpopular policies with regard to PalestineAntisemitism in the U.S. is a real and dangerous phenomenon, most pressingly from the alt-right white-supremacist politics that have become alarmingly mainstream since 2016. To contend against these and other antisemitic forces with clarity and purpose, we must put aside all fabricated and weaponized charges of antisemitism that serve to silence criticism of Israeli policy and its sponsors in the U.S.

Hours after Gays resignation, a Harvard employee submitted a letter to the World Socialist Web Site calling upon their colleagues at the university and beyond to turn to the working class, which is the only social force that is not organically tied to the nation-state, and which has an objective interest in replacing the capitalist system that breeds war, bigotry of all forms and authoritarianism.

The toppling of the president of Harvard University by means of a far-right state conspiracy marks a milestone in the attack on democratic rights in the US, the strengthening of fascist forces and the attempt to criminalize all opposition to the crimes of imperialism and capitalism.

Opposition to this outrage must be organized urgently and as widely as possible. We urge students and employees at Harvard University and elsewhere to contact the World Socialist Web Site and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality: Share information with us about the attacks on free speech on your campus and discuss the organization of meetings and demonstrations to oppose the genocide in Gaza and defend democratic rights.
Harvard President Claudine Gay, left, speaks as University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill listens during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington. [AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein]

The following was sent to the WSWS by a Harvard employee.

Today, January 2, as most Harvard University staff returned to work after the holidays, Harvard President Claudine Gay announced her resignation, effective immediately. Her six-month tenure, the shortest in the universitys history, was cut short by a vicious McCarthyite campaign spearheaded by fascistic politicians and billionaires.

I use McCarthyite here advisedly and not simply as an epithet. What has happened here? After the October 7 military attack by Hamas and the beginning of Israels genocidal campaign against the people of Gaza, Harvard issued a boilerplate statement offering resources to affected students and condemning hate. Concurrently, dozens of student organizations co-signed a Harvard Undergraduate Solidarity Committee statement that held the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.

Even as US-supplied Israeli munitions incinerated hundreds of men, women and children daily in attacks on hospitals, refugee camps and houses of worship and while Israeli politicians began openly proclaiming their genocidal intentions, the students associated with the statement and President Gay were attacked by right-wing donors, politicians and media organizations: the students for puncturing the ahistorical, propagandistic portrayal of the events unfolding, and Gay for not condemning them quickly enough and, presumably, expelling them.

Subsequent statements, in which Gay needlessly and repeatedly stated that Harvard opposes terrorism and antisemitism and Islamophobia, and that student organizations statements do not represent Harvards institutional views, would never have been enough for this crowd.

Instead, she, along with University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth, were invited to testify before the US House Committee on Education & the Workforce on December 5, during which they were treated to an hours-long grilling by such vaunted experts on academia, free speech and antisemitism as Representative Elise Stefanik, the fascistic Republican from New York who has trafficked in the so-called Great Replacement Theory, which posits that Jews are importing non-white immigrants to replace whites in Europe and America.

During said hearing, the university presidents walked into a trap, with Stefanik demanding to know if calling for the genocide of Jews violated their institutions policies. The presidents gave legalistic, correct answers but failed to condemn such calls for genocide. Of course, no such calls are being made, on college campuses or in other protests against the actual, real, ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

The sound bite gotcha is based on the assertion that calling for an intifada or a free Palestine from the river to the sea is actually a call for the extermination of Jews. This is bogus. It brings me no pleasure to say that Gay was to some extent hoisted on her own petard: She had condemned the slogan from the river to the sea repeatedly since October 7, including in an email sent to campus affiliates just days before the hearing.

Gay apologized to the student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, for not having forthrightly condemned, again, hypothetical and non-existent calls for genocide. In another world, she may have apologized for not dismantling the false premise of the question, or pointing out the questioners own antisemitic connections (beyond the Great Replacement Theory, Stefanik is, of course, an acolyte of Donald Trump, who praised the Charlottesville fascists and hosted Hitler-lovers Nick Fuentes and Kanye West for dinner), or simply asking, Have you no sense of decency?

Of course, in Stefaniks case, the question would be as clearly rhetorical as it must have been to Senator Joseph McCarthy.

It appeared that Gay had weathered the storm. As right-wing outlets began trying a different tackthis time focusing on allegations of plagiarismthe Harvard Corporation met on December 12 and issued a unanimous statement the next day supporting Gay while conceding that she had made mistakes during the hearing and had found instances of inadequate citation in some of her work but no sign of research misconduct. Later statements identified additional instances of duplicative language without appropriate attribution.

This, of course, was not enough for the witch-hunters. Magills resignation from the University of Pennsylvania just whetted their appetite. On December 13, the House passed a resolution demanding Gays and MIT President Kornbluths resignations. Eighty-four Democrats voted for the resolution, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

What exactly changed between now and then, and the precise maneuvers behind the scenes, are still unclear. The Crimson reported today that Gay made her decision last week. No doubt the ongoing donor revolt played a major role; 8 percent of Harvards revenue comes from current-use gifts, with another 37 percent coming from the universitys gargantuan endowment. The sums involved are in the millions. In late October I wrote

... the crisis atmosphere is such that the direct report subordinates to Harvard President Claudine Gay are meeting twice daily as they respond to hundreds of angry donors. A previously scheduled meeting of the anodyne-sounding Presidents Advisory Groupwhich consists of dozens of longstanding wealthy donors and donor familieswas devoted to the topic instead of Harvards financial report. I have heard the discussion between the donors and President Gay at that meeting described with euphemisms like challenging.

Senior leadership at Harvard have been in crisis mode since, with my colleagues faced with unprecedented tasks: deciding which donors to stop soliciting for a year, even if they have an ongoing pledge; cataloging the thousands of communications weve received on this subject, from defense of President Gay to vile abuse; and even soberly notifying colleagues that any threats need to be reported to the police.

Far-right politicians, hedge-fund billionaires, committed Zionists and antisemites alike joined hands to force the resignation of a college president. This was no more about plagiarism than it was about protecting Jewish students. Observers from within the Harvard community pointed this out: The Crimson published two thoughtful editorial statements (Harvard and President Gay Must Not Yield on December 12 and President Gay Plagiarized, but She Should Stay. For Now. on December 31) and an op-ed from Bernie Steinberg, Harvard Hillels executive director from 1993 to 2010 (For the Safety of Jews and Palestinians, Stop Weaponizing Antisemitism), to cite but a few.

Hundreds of faculty signed a letter to the Harvard Corporation over the course of less than a day before its early December meeting, which said: We, the undersigned faculty, urge you in the strongest possible terms to defend the independence of the university and to resist political pressures that are at odds with Harvards commitment to academic freedom, including calls for the removal of President Claudine Gay. The critical work of defending a culture of free inquiry in our diverse community cannot proceed if we let its shape be dictated by outside forces.

Such outside forces have taken a scalp. And, predictably, these vandals are out for yet more. Kornbluths ouster is on the horizon, if they get their waynever mind that she is Jewish, the facts are secondary for these layers. Stefanik posted today on X that Harvard Corporation Board Members resignations must be forthcoming.

Gays forced resignation must serve as an alarm for anyone concerned about academic freedom, the right to protest and the rights of the Palestinian people. If the presidents of two Ivy League universities can be forced out for the crime of not having condemned non-existent antisemitic speech enough, who is safe? Will oppositional professors be next? How long until principled artists are hauled before Congress and demanded to say, I am not, nor have I ever been, an anti-Zionist?

On its own, academia is incapable of defeating this neo-McCarthyism. There are principled defenders of democratic rights on the campuses, even on the wealthiest of campuses like Harvard. The editorials and open letters cited above, along with the spirited and uncowed protests by students, testify to this. But to the extent that this war becomes intertwined with the US-NATO proxy war against Russia and machinations for war against Iran and China, it will become impossible for the US ruling class to permit dissent, especially from the universities, which play a key role in what is taken as public opinion.

Those of us in academia who value free inquiry and democratic rights must orient to the working class, which is the only social force that is not organically tied to the nation-state, and which has an objective interest in replacing the capitalist system that breeds war, bigotry of all forms and authoritarianism. Contact the International Youth and Students for Social Equality to take up this fight today.
Academics have joined workers and youth around the world in sending protest letters condemning the violent attack on two members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka by pro-government thugs. Dehin Wasantha is a veteran university worker who is a well-known fighter for workers rights and socialism, and Lakshman Fernando is a full-time SEP party worker.

Dehin Wasantha

The protest letters to the Sri Lankan Attorney General and Vice Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa have demanded the maximum legal action against the culprits.

Fernando and Wasantha were physically assaulted at the University of Moratuwa on November 30 by Indika Perera and Suranga Piyawardenathe president and secretary of the Moratuwa university branch of Podujana Pragathishili Sevaka Sangamaya (PPSS). The PPSS is a trade union affiliated with the ruling Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna party.

The two SEP members were campaigning with other party members near the rear gate of the university for SEP public meetings on the Centenary of Trotskyism addressed by Joseph Kishore, National Secretary of the SEP (US). They were attacked with long wooden clubs causing serious injuries.

Wasantha suffered two fractured fingers and had to take nearly a months medical leave, as his fingers took a considerable period to mend. Lakshman was badly bruised and left with a neck injury. Wasantha reported back to his work at the university only yesterday.

The Moratuwa Magistrates Court is due to hear the case against Perera and Piyawardena on January 8. The Moratuwa university administration has not yet started an inquiry against the culprits.

We are publishing below letters sent by academics from Australia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

Professor Micheal Head from Australia:

As a university educator and socialist, I condemn in the strongest possible manner the vicious assault by supporters of the Sri Lankan government on two members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) on November 30 at Moratuwa University.

Indika Perera and Suranga Piyawardena, the president and secretary of the Podujana Pragathishili Sevaka Sangamaya (PPSS) or Peoples Progressive Employees Union branch in Moratuwa University, violently attacked Dehin Wasantha and Lakshman Fernando, causing severe injuries.

Both the victims are well known members of the SEP internationally.

Wasantha has been a non-academic employee at Moratuwa University for more than 25 years. He is highly regarded among workers and students in the university as a fighter for socialist policies and their rights. Fernando is a full-time SEP party worker.

There is no doubt that this was a politically-motivated assault that represents a fundamental attack on the basic democratic rights of the SEP, all university staff and students and the working class as a whole.

The video of the assault, posted on the World Socialist Web Site, clearly shows the brutal and potentially life-threatening nature of the attack by Perera and Piyawardena, armed with long wooden clubs. The photographs on the WSWS of the injuries sustained by Wasantha and Fernando also testify to the violent character of the assault.

This is all the more serious because the PPSS is a trade union controlled by the right-wing ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), led by former president and prime minister Mahinda Rajapakse, which elected current President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

I support the demand of the SEP that the culprits be punished with the full force of the law.

This is an international political issue.

As the SEPs lawyer told the court hearing when Perera and Piyawardena were produced before an acting magistrate in Moratuwa, the SEP is not only a national political party recognised by the countrys election commission. It is a section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), known worldwide for its principled socialist politics.

This is doubly serious because these trade union officials at the Moratuwa campus are part of the SLPPs goon squads, which operate in many workplaces to silence opposition among workers.

The ruling party is desperate because it is utterly discredited among the masses. The SLPP regime of former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse was ousted last year by a popular upsurge of millions of workers, rural poor and youth for imposing on them the burden of an unprecedented capitalist economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe and the SLPP are ruthlessly implementing an International Monetary Fund (IMF)-dictated austerity program, slashing jobs, wages and pensions, privatising, cutting social programs, including public health and education, and increasing the prices of essentials to unbearable levels.

The Wickremesinghe regime is facing enormous opposition from workers, students and the rural poor as a result. While seeking to block this mass resistance by using the trade union apparatuses to stifle and limit the unrest, it is also unleashing the repressive police-military machinery and thugs to crush the deepening opposition.

I join the SEP and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in denouncing this attack and calling for the defence of their members and the SEPs democratic right to carry on its political activities.

Regards,

Professor Michael Head

Australia

Chris Gordon, Macquarie University in Sydney:

Dear Professor N.D. Gunwaedena,



I am a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.



I wish to condemn, in the strongest terms, the attack on members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), Dehin Wasantha and Lakshman Fernando.



The attack was carried out at Moratuwa University by Indika Perera and Suranga Piyawardena, leading members of the Podujana Pragathishili Sevaka Sangamaya (PPSS)the Peoples Progressive Employees Union. This union is aligned with the IMF agenda of the governmentagainst the interests of workers.



The attack was carried out because the SEP members are principled defenders of the interests of workers and have consistently exposed the sell-outs of the unions. Having no answer to the political analysis of the SEP, the unions can only resort to violence against the SEP.



The SEP is conducting a fight for a socialist perspective among the youth, cutting across rotten nationalistic and communal perspectives; the SEP is seeking to win youth on principles of socialist internationalism. This perspective is the antithesis of that pushed by the unions.



The attack was an attempt to silence the SEP. This attack on the democratic rights to free speech, and to advance a political program, must be opposed.



That the attack against members of the SEP was pre-meditated is clear from the description of events, as explained on the World Socialist Web Site.



The perpetrators of the attack need to be held responsible for their actions and receive a punishment appropriate for a pre-meditated attack which could have had deadly consequences.



Regards,



Chris Gordon

Macquarie University

Australia





Professor Joseph Scalice from Hong Kong:

I am writing to add my voice to the public condemnation of the cowardly and vicious attack carried out by Indika Perera and Suranga Piyawardena, the president and secretary of the PPSS, on Dehin Wasantha and Lakshman Fernando, two members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP).



The attack was premeditated and could quite likely have killed the SEP members who were exercising their free speech rights in building for a public political meeting. Any toleration shown for this attack will set a dangerous precedent for attacks on free speech and basic democratic rights. The culprits must be punished with the full force of the law.

I extend my heartfelt solidarity to Wasantha and Fernando. Their political courage and conviction are inspiring to workers around the world.

Sincerely,

Prof. Joseph Scalice

History Department

Hong Kong Baptist University

Sumudu Walakuluge, a lecturer from Sri Lanka:

Dear Comrades,

And the authorities this may concern,

I unequivocally condemn the brutal and cowardly assault and acts of violence committed against two SEP members by the officials of the PPSS union affiliated with the ruling SLPP government which is in alliance with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. While the government is attempting to build up a Police State in the guise of the establishment of peace and order, unofficial thugs supported by the ruling parties attack the democratic rights of the movements that defend workers rights. All who appreciate democracy should now stand in solidarity with the SEP and the international workers' movement.

This cowardly attack was launched at a moment when the international working class vehemently united all the possible forces that share the same interest in socialist internationalism. While the international bourgeoisie has started brutal wars to attack such developments, their local thugs are launching cowardly attacks against the democratic rights of the growing workers' forces. These thugs should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

State terrorism and the acts of violence against unarmed activists are never justified. I am urging all who love democracy to join me in condemning in the strongest possible terms the acts of violence committed against the SEP members.

Sumudu Walakuluge

Lecturer

Department of Political Science

University of Peradeniya

Sri Lanka.

* * * *

The SEP is calling on all those who are concerned to defend democratic rights of freedom of expression to register their opposition by sending protest letters to the following addresses of relevant authorities with copies to the SEP (wswscmb@sltnet.lk).

Senior Professor N.D. Gunawardena, Vice Chancellor, University of Moratuwa

Email: vc@uom.lk or ndg@uom.lk

Attorney General, Mr. Sanjay Rajaratnam

Email: agdurgentmotions@gmail.com
We are publishing here the tribute to Helen Halyard written by Nancy Hanover, a writer and editor for the World Socialist Web Site and a member of the Trotskyist movement in the US for more than four decades. Comrade Helen, a leader of the Socialist Equality Party (US) and the International Committee of the Fourth International for more than half a century, died suddenly on November 28 at the age of 73.

Comrade Helen was a mentor, a collaborator, a confidant, and a very dear friend to me. We had countless meals and almost every significant holiday together. She was part of our extended family. Looking through my photos, there are hundreds of them with her, our children and comrades from across the country and the world.

Nancy Hanover and Helen Halyard in 2019

She brought a sensitive intellect, a joyful appreciation of lifes beauty (and that legendary laugh), and a wide-ranging appreciation of art and history into our lives. As others have pointed out, she was a jazz lover. But she also loved Motown, contemporary and classical music. What fun we had seeing the Detroit legend Thornetta Davis crowned Queen of the Blues! Helen was so devoted to the arts that she considered relocating to Detroit Midtown just so she could walk to more events at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Most of all, however, Helen exemplified what it means to be a party cadre. Her life expresses the significance of the party history, of which she was a bearer and fearless advocate. In the aftermath of the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, many former socialists abandoned the claim, preached hopelessness and proclaimed the period Midnight in the Century. Helen, on the contrary, was animated by the International Committees fight against the post-Stalinist school of falsification and drew new strength from the vindication of Trotskys warnings and the partys re-doubled ideological struggle against all forms of nationalism.

She bore intense hatred for the upper-middle-class proponents of racialist politics and their promotion of the Democratic Party. Here she also took a stand against historical falsification. Her lecture excoriating the reactionary and divisive notion of Ebonics retains its profound relevance and will educate young people far into the future.

Helen always insisted that race was subordinate to class and on the necessity to unify the working class as a whole against capitalist oppression. In 2015, Helen wrote a tribute to the white civil rights leader Viola Liuzzo, murdered by the KKK in Alabama a half century prior. She met with Liuzzos family and visited her grave. Helen enthusiastically participated in the partys campaign against the falsifications of the New York Timess 1619 Project. She also reached out to, and became friends with, the courageous historian Victoria Bynum, who joined with the party and other principled academics to set the record straight.

Helen devoted over 50 years of her life, her entire adulthood, to the building of a revolutionary, Trotskyist leadership in the working class. She traveled to Dayton, Ohio, to interview Jim Lawrence, formerly an autoworker at General Motors Delco Moraine plant and leader of the Trade Union Alliance for a Labor Party, on his lifelong struggle for Trotskyism within the industrial working class. Helen took the Bulletin, the International Workers Bulletin, and then the Autoworkers Newsletter to thousands of autoworkers in Detroit.

Helen won the respect of tens of thousands and the friendships of many. She took a genuine interest in the lives of everyone she met.

How does one account for the ability to live a life with such internal consistency and principle?

In Comrade David Norths tribute to the life of Tom Henehan, written in 1984 to delineate Trotskyist internationalism from the Workers Revolutionary Partys growing adaptation to nationalism, he wrote:

[Tom Henehans] political development was bound up with the historical struggles that have tempered the Trotskyist movement for nearly six decades and out of which the Workers League itself emerged. The real heart of cadre training is the conscious subordination of all who join the Party to the revolutionary principles through which the historical continuity of the Marxist movement is expressed. By historical continuity, we have in mind the unbroken chain of political and ideological struggle by our international movement against Stalinism, Social Democracy, revisionism, and all other enemies of the working class.

Helen achieved greatness because she chose to fight for this historical continuity from the day she joined at the age of 21 until the day she died. The concept implies no simple carrying the torch; it means a continuous and deepening political and intellectual fight. It lives through the flesh and blood of real people. It requires courage, immense creativity and driveall of which Helen possessed in abundance.

There were so many decisive moments in which Helen played a critical part in fighting for the political continuity of Trotskyism. She was on the Central Committee and voted to suspend Tim Wohlforth as national secretary of the Workers League for his egregious violation of party security. She attended the meeting of the International Committee which launched the historical investigation into the assassination of Leon Trotsky, Security and the Fourth International.

Basing herself on the partys long fight against Stalinism and Pabloite revisionism, Helen supported the immense struggle of the International Committee against the degeneration of the Workers Revolutionary Party. During these years of struggle, we lost not a few party members. Only those, like Helen, who worked through the political and historical issues, could play their part in maintaining the unbroken continuity of Trotskyism.

As part of this struggle, Helen simultaneously played a leading and very active role in mobilizing the working class and fighting for its political independence. As we have said, there were few campaigns during her long years in the party in which Helen did not play a leading role.

We must honor Helens life by deepening the fight for Trotskyism and resolve the crisis of revolutionary leadership. We do so with the full confidence, as she so often proclaimed, that the working class will rise to its historical task and abolish capitalism.
Acquisition enhances the companys manufacturing planning and optimization capabilities to give consumer goods companies synchronized demand, supply, production, and distribution planning, in one platform

HELSINKI, January 03, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, RELEX Solutions, provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions, announced it has acquired Optimity, a supply chain planning and optimization provider. The acquisition will bolster the RELEX retail and supply chain platform with daily production planning, optimization and production scheduling capabilities which are crucial for the end-to-end consumer goods value chain.

"The consumer goods industry is incredibly dynamic and complex. Acquiring Optimity will seamlessly link downstream demand with upstream planning, so consumer goods companies can more accurately predict consumer demand, optimize production plans and schedules, adjust inventory levels, and respond quickly to market changes or unexpected disruptions," said Mikko Karkkainen, co-founder and group CEO, RELEX. "This acquisition also further accelerates our vision towards an adaptive, autonomous and synchronized supply chain unifying demand and supply planning decisions in one platform to minimize all wasted cost and product. We warmly welcome the Optimity team to RELEX."

Optimity, with global headquarters in Sweden and offices around the world, offers a broad supply chain planning and optimization solution specifically for manufacturers and distributors. Optimity enables customers to make optimal supply chain decisions from strategic levels to detailed production scheduling. Their offerings include demand planning, production planning and scheduling, supply planning, distribution planning, inventory optimization, and S&OP. With 80+ customers across the food and beverage, and complex manufacturing industries, Optimitys experience augments RELEXs expertise across retail and consumer goods markets.

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The acquisition brings together a highly complementary offering between the two organizations, enabling RELEX to extend and deepen its production planning and supply chain optimization capabilities, such as synchronized daily production planning, optimization and scheduling in the food & beverage and manufacturing sector.

New or expanded capabilities within the RELEX unified retail and supply chain planning platform from Optimity include:

Production planning: Create optimized production plans from up-to-date forecasts to balance operational costs and flexibility while considering production restrictions, material constraints and business priorities.

Production scheduling: Generate and manage optimized production schedules built around constraints to reduce changeover time and bolster manufacturing efficiency.

Network balancing: Rectify imbalances in complex distribution networks to minimize risks, reduce costs, and boost operational efficiency.

Distribution planning: Gain complete distribution network visibility to make smarter, proactive decisions aligned with business objectives and customer service goals.

Purchase planning: Balance supply-side complexity with end-to-end visibility to pinpoint the most efficient and profitable way to fulfill demand plans and customer obligations.

"Our depth in some of the most complex consumer goods industries like bakery, ready-made meals, protein production and industrial manufacturing complements the vast understanding of consumer demand that RELEX has, based on their impressive expertise managing more than $700 billion of demand in grocery alone," said Christer Liden, CEO, Optimity. "We are thrilled to join the RELEX team and further optimize the consumer goods value chain together."

To learn more about the acquisition, please visit this page.

About RELEX

RELEX Solutions helps retailers and consumer brands drive profitable growth across all sales and distribution channels by maximizing customer satisfaction and minimizing operative costs. Our market-leading, unified supply chain and retail planning platform helps retailers and consumer goods companies align and optimize demand, merchandising, supply chain, and operations planning across the end-to-end value chain. We drive record-high product availability, increased sales, improved sustainability, and the best return on investment in inventory, space, workforce, and capacity. Leading brands like Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, Stokke, Rite Aid, Sprouts Farmers Market, AutoZone, and PetSmart trust RELEX to optimize their supply chain and retail planning. Go to relexsolutions.com for more.

About Optimity

For nearly two decades, Optimity has challenged the supply chain planning space. Optimity has provided companies with user-friendly yet powerful planning software to optimize even the most intricate supply chains. We believe every supply chain can maximize profits effortlessly with the right tools. Optimity delivers a comprehensive solution, covering strategic optimization to detailed production scheduling. Our expert team, boasting years of industry knowledge, ensures success in every project. Supply chain planning is pivotal for manufacturing and distribution, and Optimity excels in delivering solid solutions for complex supply chains. Our integrated planning tool ensures profitability, simplifying processes for sustainable growth.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103171132/en/

Contacts

Jolene Peixoto

Vice President of Communications

RELEX Solutions

Jolene.Peixoto@relexsolutions.com

Essi Savolainen

Communications Manager

RELEX Solutions

essi.savolainen@relexsolutions.com
This is the first part of a multi-part series. Part two was published on January 4, part three on January 5 and part four was published on January 6.

1. New Year 2024 begins under conditions of escalating international crisis. At the dawn of the millennium, there were rosy predictions that world capitalism, under the benevolent and unipolar rule of the United States, was entering a new epoch of universal peace and prosperity. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the demons of the short twentieth centuryabove all, the specters of Marxism and socialist revolutionhad been buried for once and for all. Wall Street cried out to the world: My name is Capitalism, King of Kings. Look on my works ye Mighty and despair! But it has taken less than a quarter-century to dissolve that arrogant boast into a colossal wreck. The new century of triumphant capitalism has proven to be the shortest of all. The fundamental contradictions of the world capitalist system that produced the wars and revolutions of the twentieth century have not been resolved and remain the driving forces of the intensifying economic, social and political upheavals that are sweeping across the globe.

2. The horrors produced by the cataclysms of the past century are being reenacted. Genocide is being openly adopted as an instrument of state policy. The attempt by the Israeli regime to exterminate the Palestinian people in Gaza proceeds with the open endorsement of the United States and its imperialist allies, which have repeatedly proclaimed their opposition to a cease-fire. A densely populated urban area is being subjected to a merciless bombardment that has killed more than 25,000 people, mostly women and children, within the first 10 weeks of the war.

3. The fascist prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared in his New Years message that the onslaught will continue throughout 2024. Israel could not continue the war another week, let alone a year, without the unlimited financial and military support of the United States and its NATO co-criminals. The US president, secretary of state, countless other high government officials and top Pentagon personnel shuttle back and forth between Washington and Tel Aviv, overseeing the Israeli operations and participating in the selection of bombing targets. It is an open secret that US and NATO personnel are directly involved in murderous actions on the ground within Gaza.

A bulldozer unloads the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israel in a mass grave in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. [AP Photo/Fatima Shbair]

4. The sanctioning of and participation in genocide represent more than the imperialist powers usual violations of their invocations of human rights. The Gaza genocide confirms, on a higher level, a tendency first noted by Lenin in the midst of World War I, more than a century ago. He wrote in 1916 that the difference between the democratic-republican and the reactionary-monarchist imperialist bourgeoisie is obliterated because they are both rotting alive Substitute the term fascist for reactionary-monarchist and Lenins analysis is entirely valid as a description of present-day imperialist regimes.

5. The Gaza genocide is not a unique episode, best understood as a product of exceptional circumstances related to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the inherently reactionary character of the Zionist project and its racialist and xenophobic-nationalist ideology. The latter elements play, of course, a significant role in the actions of the Israeli regime. But the unrestrained ferocity of the present war, carried out with the full support of its imperialist paymasters and weapons suppliers, can be understood and explained only in the context of the breakdown of the world imperialist and nation-state system.

6. The fundamental error of the strategists of American imperialism in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union was that the event was explained in purely ideological terms, that is, as the triumph of capitalist free enterprise over socialist dictatorship. But this explanation, based on the false identification of Stalinism with socialism, concealed the real cause of the breakdown of the Soviet Union and its implications for the future development of American and world imperialism.

7. Notwithstanding its tragic consequences, the dissolution of the USSR confirmed the essential Marxist-Trotskyist critique of the Stalinist policy of socialism in one country. The reactionary nationalist utopia of an isolated socialist state fell victim, as Trotsky had predicted, to the reality of world economy.

8. The end of the USSR provided the United States a short-term advantage over its rivals, which its propagandists dubbed the unipolar moment. But the fundamental contradiction that led to the two world wars of the twentieth centurythe conflict between the objective reality of a highly integrated world economy and the persistence of the obsolete nation-state systemhad not been resolved by the demise of the USSR and its satellite regimes in Eastern Europe.

9. The United States sought to exploit its geopolitical advantage to achieve a level of global domination that had been denied to it in the aftermath of World War II as a consequence of the decisive role played by the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany and the post-World War II wave of anti-colonial mass movements. Washington convinced itself that it could finally reorganize the world economy under its control through its military power. US imperialisms favorite pundit, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, proclaimed in 1999 that the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valleys technologies is called the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps[ 1 ]

In this March 21, 2003 file photo, a government building burns during heavy bombardment of Baghdad, Iraq by US-led forces. [AP Photo/Jerome Delay]

10. The endless series of wars launched by the United Statesin the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asiawas a desperate attempt to maintain its dominant position, despite its overall economic decline. The International Committee explained the motivation for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and foresaw the failure of its underlying hegemonic project:

The launching of an aggressive war against Iraq represents a final, climactic attempt to resolve, on the basis of imperialism, the world historic problem of the contradiction between the global character of the productive forces and the archaic nation-state system. America proposes to overcome the problem by establishing itself as the super nation-state, functioning as the ultimate arbiter of the worlds fatedeciding how the resources of the world will be allocated, after it has grabbed for itself the lions share. But this sort of imperialist solution to the underlying contradictions of world capitalism, which was utterly reactionary in 1914, has not improved with age. Indeed, the sheer scale of world economic development in the course of the twentieth century endows such an imperialist project with an element of madness. Any attempt to establish the supremacy of a single national state is incompatible with the extraordinary level of international economic integration. The profoundly reactionary character of such a project is expressed in the barbaric methods that are required for its realization.[ 2 ]

11. The Gaza genocide epitomizes the barbaric methods arising from the increasingly desperate and beleaguered effort of the United States and its NATO allies to sustain their dominant position in the face of the challenge posed to their hegemony by China and recalcitrant national states whose interests conflict with Washingtons rules-based imperialist order. The slaughter of the Palestinians is unfolding in the midst of the bloody US-NATO proxy war against Russia, which has cost since its outbreak in February 2022 approximately a half-million Ukrainian and, at least, 100,000 Russian lives.

12. As the war in Gaza has normalized genocide as an acceptable instrument of imperialist policy, the relentless escalation of the US-NATO war against Russia has been accompanied by the de facto acceptance of a high level of possibility, even probability, that the conflict may lead to the use of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. The Biden administration regularly sanctions and directs military attacks on Russian assets and territory that would have been ruled out during the Cold War as inciting nuclear retaliation. Repeatedly crossing red lines, the Biden administration and its allied NATO governments have asserted that their conduct of military operations will not be constrained by the threat of nuclear war.

Smoke rises from buildings in this aerial view of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 26, 2023. [AP Photo/Libkos]

13. Despite bleeding Ukraine white, US-NATO imperialism has failed thus far to achieve victory on the battlefield. Its much vaunted spring offensive in mid-2023 ended in a debacle. In the final days of 2023, the Ukrainian regime carried out a significant escalation of the war by launching a missile attack on Russian soil, killing at least 22 people in the city of Belgorod. Russia has responded with a new wave of missile attacks on Ukraine, which the Biden administration is exploiting to press its demands for continued unlimited funding of the proxy war.

14. In the final analysis, the US-NATO instigation of the proxy war in Ukraine marks nothing less than preparation for a US war against China, transforming every part of the world into a specific sphere of operations. Nearly 20 years ago, in 2006, the International Committee posed a series of questions related to the global policies of the United States, among which were the following:

Will the United States be prepared to retreat from its hegemonic aspirations and accept a more egalitarian distribution of global power among states? Will it be prepared to yield ground, on the basis of compromise and concessions, to economic and potential military competitors, whether in Europe or in Asia? Will the United States graciously and peacefully accommodate the rising influence of China?[ 3 ]

Responding to these questions, the ICFI replied that those who would answer in the affirmative are placing heavy bets against the lessons of history.

15. Today, the answers to these questions are not of a speculative character. War between the United States and China is viewed not as a possibility, but as an inevitability. This consensus within Washingtons foreign policy establishment is summed up in an essay published in the new January-February 2024 issue of Foreign Affairs. It is ominously titled, The Big One: Preparing for a Long War With China. Its author is Andrew J. Krepinevich, Jr., a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a leading imperialist think tank.

16. The essay assumes that the United States and China will go to war. It is a fact taken for granted, about which one should not waste time debating. The real questions relate to how and where the war will startin the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula, along the Sino-Indian border, or in South Asiaand whether the war will go nuclear. Krepinevich states:

Once a war has broken out, both China and the United States would have to confront the dangers posed by their nuclear arsenals. As in peacetime, the two sides would retain a strong interest in avoiding catastrophic escalation. Even so, in the heat of war, such a possibility cannot be eliminated. Both would confront the challenge of finding the sweet spot in which they could employ the force to gain an advantage without causing total war. Consequently, leaders of both great powers would need to exercise a high degree of self-control. To keep the war limited, both Washington and Beijing would need to recognize each others redlinesspecific actions viewed as escalatory and that could trigger counterescalations.[ 4 ]

17. It is nothing less than delusional to stake ones hope for an avoidance of nuclear Armageddon on the ability to limit escalation in the midst of an existential conflict upon which the fates of the combatants depend. In any case, the US-NATO proxy war against Russia has already established that US imperialism will not be deterred by the threat of nuclear retaliation and will cross all and every red line in order to achieve its objectives.

18. Krepinevich acknowledges that the inevitable US-China war, even without the use of nuclear weapons, will have catastrophic consequences for all of humanity. He writes:

Even if the two sides avoided nuclear catastrophe, and even if the homelands of the United States and its major coalition partners were left partially untouched, the scale and scope of destruction would likely far exceed anything the American people and those of its allies have experienced.[ 5 ]

19. The conclusion drawn by Krepinevich is not that the military cataclysm must be prevented at all costs, but that the United States-led coalitions ability to sustain popular support for the war effort, along with a willingness to sacrifice, would be crucial to its success.[ 6 ]

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in formation during Rim of the Pacific exercises July 28, 2022. [Photo: Canadian Armed Forces photo by Cpl. Djalma Vuong-De Ramos]

20. This nightmarish imperialist scenario of inevitable war must be opposed by the American and international working class. Workers in the imperialist centers of North America, Europe, Asia and Australia and New Zealand have absolutely no interest in defending the global geopolitical and economic interests of their power-mad financial-corporate imperialist ruling class. Nor should the workers of Russia, China and other major capitalist regional powersBrazil, Argentina, Egypt, the Gulf States, Turkey, Nigeria, South Africa, India, Indonesia, to name only the most significantattribute any progressive character to the reactionary efforts to reorganize world geopolitics on the basis of the utopian perspective of multi-polarity.

21. The fact that US imperialism instigated the Russia-Ukraine war does not justify, from the standpoint of the interests of the Russian and international working class, the decision of the Putin government to invade Ukraine. The Putin governments response to the provocations of American and European imperialism was determined not by abstractly defined considerations of national defense, but by the class interests of the parasitical oligarchic-capitalist ruling class that emerged from the breakup of the Soviet Union and the privatization and outright theft of its nationalized assets.

22. In the years preceding the dissolution of the USSR, the political conflict within the ruling bureaucratic apparatus developed along national and ethnic lines. This reactionary tendency had been prepared and facilitated by Stalins repudiation of proletarian internationalism and the promotion of Russian nationalism under the cover of a chauvinistic Soviet patriotism. In the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet Union, the already existing conflicts between nationalistic bureaucratic cliquesof which the Russian and Ukrainian were the most powerfulevolved rapidly into an open struggle for raw materials, markets, and territorial advantages between the new national capitalist ruling elites. In October 1991, less than three months before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the International Committee warned:

In the republics, the nationalists proclaim that the solution to all problems lies in the creation of new independent states. Allow us to ask, independent of whom? Declaring independence from Moscow, the nationalists can do nothing more than place all the vital decisions relating to the future of their new states in the hands of Germany, Britain, France, Japan and the United States.[ 7 ]

23. The ongoing war is a vindication of the warning made 30 years ago by the International Committee. The struggle against the US-NATO war must be conducted not by adapting to the Putin regime, but in implacable opposition to its reactionary nationalist-capitalist agenda. The anti-war policy of Russian and Ukrainian workers must be based on the unity of all sections of the working class of the former Soviet Union against the new capitalist elites. The internationalist policy upheld by Lenin and the Bolsheviks during World War I, of intransigent opposition to the defense of their national capitalist state, must be adopted by the workers of present-day Russia (against the Putin regime) and Ukraine (against the Zelinsky regime).

Lenin addressing a crowd during the Russian Revolution of 1917

24. The same fundamental principles of socialist internationalism determine the attitude of the International Committee toward the conflict between US imperialism and China. The United States strives to limit Chinas economic development, restrict its access to critical resources and technologies, and block the expansion of its global influence. China attempts to counter the relentless pressure exerted by American imperialism through the restructuring of the prevailing geopolitical and economic institutions in which the US dollar functions as the pillar of world trade and financial transactions. But this policy, notwithstanding Chinas attempts to endow it with a progressive and even altruistic veneer (e.g., through the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative), unfolds on a capitalist basis and aims at nothing more than the reorganization of the existing global balance of power.

25. The outbreak of war cannot be averted by counterposing to the hegemony of American imperialism a new multi-polar coalition of capitalist states. The struggle against imperialist war cannot be achieved through a restructuring of the nation-state system, but only on the basis of its destruction. As Rosa Luxemburg insisted on the eve of World War I, the working class must draw the conclusion that imperialism, war, plundering countries, haggling over peoples, breaking the law, and the policy of violence can only be fought against by fighting capitalism, by setting social revolution against global genocide.[ 8 ]
25 years ago: Clinton impeachment trial opens

On January 7, 1999, the Senate trial to impeach US President Bill Clinton began in Washington D.C. The impeachment was the product of a right-wing campaign spearheaded by the Republican Party to remove a sitting president, shifting the entire political establishment to the right.

The proceedings exposed the extent to which the basic foundations of bourgeois democracy had been eroded in the US. A determined group of conspirators was able to leverage what was a purely personal episode in Clintons life into an unprecedented political campaign to overturn the results of two elections.

The profoundly reactionary implications of the entire campaign found expression in the ceremony with which the impeachment spectacle began. Senator Strom Thurmond, who a half century prior ran for president as the candidate of the racist States Rights Party, swore in William Rehnquist, an extreme right-wing Supreme Court justice, who had played a critical role in facilitating the conspiracy to overturn the Clinton administration, as presiding judge.

In spite of the midterm elections, which showed mass opposition to the Republican impeachment drive, and the opinion polls which registered even greater popular anger, neither the Democratic Party leaders nor Clinton appealed to the population for support against the conspiracy. Instead, all of the efforts of the White House and the Congressional Democrats were concentrated on finding a resolution to the crisis without exposing the neo-fascist forces that underlay the impeachment campaign. The Democrats cowardice on Clintons impeachment foretold their prostration before the theft of the 2000 election with the Supreme Courts notorious decision in Bush v. Gore.

Senate in session during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton [Photo: C-span]

The attempt to maintain the pretense that the impeachment trial was a legitimate constitutional process was a criminal fraud against the people. The Democrats knew that the trial was the product of a right-wing conspiracy involving fascistic elements, and that such elements exercised enormous influence within the Republican Party. The goal was not just the destabilization and removal of Clinton. The impeachment drive was ultimately a means of shifting the entire political framework in America much further to the right, and laying the groundwork for a government far more ruthless in its assault on the social conditions and democratic rights of the working class.

50 years ago: Navnirman Andolan protests begin in Indian state of Gujarat

On January 7, 1974, a strike across all universities and colleges in Gujarat, India began. Known as the Navnirman Andola, or reconstruction movement, the school strikes would rapidly move beyond the campuses and build into one of Indias largest social movements. The strikes would eventually force the state government to disband.

In December, students at Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering had begun protests against an increase in food prices and poor living conditions. On January 3 demonstrations with similar demands were called at Gujarat University. After the police intervened to crush the Gujarat University strike, students statewide responded with the mass walkout on January 7.

Though initiated by students and their demands for improvements to the campuses, the demonstrations took on a broader political character against inequality and corruption in the Gujarat state government and the Congress Party. The chief demand became the resignation of Gujarats Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel and the dissolution of the state assembly.

Rally with youth climbing AMTS bus during 1974 navnirman movement. [Photo: Uncertain]

Throughout January, major demonstrations took place in over 40 towns in Gujarat with the largest marches taking place in the states largest city, Ahmedabad. A general strike lasting two days was called in Ahmedabad and Vadodara.

The response by Patel and the state government was massive police violence. Over the course of the Navnirman protests the police would kill over 100 people and injure thousands more. At least 8,000 were reported arrested.

On January 25 a statewide general strike was launched that saw major participation in 33 cities. The government responded by imposing martial law and mobilizing the army to repress the protests.

The Navnirman Andolan movement was one of many examples of the international revolutionary potential that existed in the 1960s and 70s. Like the May 68 general strike in France, the Prague Spring, the British miners strike, the US anti-war movement and many more convulsions, the demonstrations in India disproved the claim by the Pabloites that the international working class was incapable of revolution.

The contradictions of the post-war economic order, chiefly characterized by the breakup of the Bretton Woods system, were compelling the working class into major struggles. The critical issue for the workers, however, was political leadership and perspective.

The Gujarat strikes succeeded in bringing down the state government. On February 9, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi intervened and asked for Patels resignation. The position of Chief Minister was left vacant for over a year, leaving Gujarat to be administered by presidents rule.

However, even in a state of police rule, the Navnirman did not subside with Patels resignation, and major strikes continued periodically until March 16 when the state assembly was dissolved, and new elections planned for June 1975.

Lacking a genuine socialist leadership in the major working class organizations, the middle class radical elements succeeded in electing the Janata Morcha, a Peoples Front coalition of various bourgeois middle class parties. The Janata Morcha government in Gujarat lasted only 268 days until it was undemocratically removed from power during Prime Minister Indira Gandhis reactionary state of emergency declaration.

75 years ago: Dutch troops massacre civilians at Rengat

On January 5, 1949, Dutch troops carried out one of the worst mass murders of their counter-insurgency campaign directed against Indonesian independence. They massacred men, women and children in the Sumatran town of Rengat, in an unprovoked onslaught.

The attack was part of a broader Dutch offensive, launched the previous month. The offensive ended a tenuous power-sharing arrangement with conservative nationalist leaders, including Sukarno, and was aimed at asserting untrammeled Dutch control over the resource-rich and geo-strategically critical archipelago, which before World War II had been a colonial possession of the Netherlands.

The attack on Rengat began with a massive aerial bombardment early in the morning. A young Indonesian soldier later recalled: They dropped bombs on the streets, the market square where people gathered, and on peoples houses. They even shot at people standing on the ground. Shortly after the bombing began, there was an artillery barrage, with Dutch soldiers shooting wildly from their low-flying planes, targeting everyone they could see.

Dutch soldiers in the East Indies [Photo: Fotograaf Onbekend / DLC]

The aerial attack was the prelude to a ground invasion. Dutch troops were airdropped near the town, and then entered it in groups. Some, including Indonesian Ambon forces fighting with the Dutch, wore camouflage.

A later Indonesian account stated: The paratroopers wiped out everything that moved. Soldiers and civilians who were hiding under culverts or waterlogged ditches were shot dead. The murky ditch water turned red.

The Dutch operation appears to have been motivated, in part, by the presence of a strong Indonesian military base near Rengat, as well as a weapons factory. The tactics used, however, pointed to counter-insurgency calculations of terrorizing an entire population to enforce an occupation. The mass murder presaged similar actions, including by US troops in Vietnam.

The Dutch authorities described the massacre as an incident, and claimed that the civilian death toll was around 80. Local Indonesian officials and witnesses stated that as many as 2,000 people may have been killed, with thousands more injured.

100 years ago: Eugenics Committee urges US immigration quotas on southern and eastern Europeans

On January 4, 1924, the Eugenics Committee, an organization with close ties to the political establishment, issued a proposal that quotas on immigration to the United States be set on the basis of the 1890 census, which showed a far lower number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe than the subsequent 1910 census did. The Committee also proposed that selection of immigrants be performed at American consular offices overseas.

Among the targeted groups were Italians, Jews, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Hungarians, Finns, Lithuanians, Greeks, Yugoslavs, Bulgarians and Slovaks. These new immigrants had played a prominent role in the great strike wave of the period and had also demonstrated an attraction to communism and the Russian Revolution. For these reasons, decisive sections of capitalism shifted against Americas relatively open immigration policy toward Europeand elevated the eugenics movement to establishment status.

The proposal, reported in the New York Times and other press outlets said, On the whole, immigrants from Northwestern Europe furnish us the best material for American citizenship and for the future upbuilding of the American race. A percentage limitation based on the census of 1890, would also greatly reduce the number of immigrants of the lower grades of intelligence and of immigrants who are making excessive contribution to our feeble-minded, insane, criminal and other socially inadequate classes.

Cover of Madison Grants 1916 book, The Passing of the Great Race

The chairman of the Eugenics Committee at the time was Madison Grant, a lawyer, conservationist and anthropologist who played a key role in the modern eugenics movement. He viewed the Nordic race potentially as endangered as some species of natural wildlife and was the author of the 1916 racist tract, The Passing of the Great Race: Or, The Racial Basis of European History, which posited the superiority of the Nordic races to other races. He also played a role in the passing in 1924 of Virginias Racial Integrity Act, an anti-miscegenation law.

Another member of the Eugenics Committee was Albert Johnson, a Republican congressman from Washington and chairman of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. Johnson would be one of the authors in May 1924 of the Immigration Act (also known as the Johnson-Reed Act) that put the committees recommendations into practice and severely restricted quotas for immigrants from eastern and southern Europe and shifted selection of immigrants to overseas offices. The act created the Border Patrol and was passed with the Asian Exclusion Act, which completely stopped immigration from east Asia.
The Science Museum of Minnesota announced on Wednesday it received a $6.5 million donation  the largest philanthropic gift in its 117-year history  from the estate of a longstanding donor.

William D. Wells, a globe-trotting pioneer in combining the disciplines of psychology, marketing and research for major consumer brands, authored more than 60 books and academic papers before retiring as a professor of advertising from the University of Minnesotas School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Wells died in September of 2020, leaving behind a sizable estate that has allowed him, posthumously, to continue to encourage others to explore the intersections of scientific research, media and general education.

In 2021, Twin Cities Public Television received a $9 million gift from the Wells estate, the largest philanthropic donation in the downtown St. Paul television stations then-64-year history. Wells had been a contributor to TPT STEM programs like SciGirls and Hero Elementary.

$6.5 million donation

The Science Museum, situated on Kellogg Boulevard overlooking the downtown St. Paul river bluffs, will use the $6.5 million Wells donation to endow the Chair of Science position, which leads the museums Center for Research and Collections. The role oversees some 15 staffers and scientists who conduct active scientific research and outreach in anthropology, biology, paleontology and environmental science while caring for the museums collections.

Wells spent part of his career working on media campaigns advocating for clean water around the world, an issue dear to his heart, said Juliette Francis, vice president of mission advancement for the Science Museum. He visited at least annually with Chair of Science Laurie Fink, who oversees water quality sampling, fossil digs and other scientific research, and he came to value the museums work at its St. Croix Watershed Research Station in Marine on St. Croix.

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Hes been a supporter for quite some time, and when he was thinking about legacy, it was in wanting to make sure science research continued as a focus for the museum, in particular in water research, Francis said. That was a piece that aligned very deeply with the issues that mattered to him.

Fink said she visited Wells and his family in their home and took them on behind-the-scenes tours of the museums collections and research labs. As passionate as he was about educating youth  including a grand-daughter who was interested in becoming a marine biologist  he was even more dedicated to helping everyday adults better understand the world around them through science.

Leading authority on market research

A veteran of World War II, Wells became one of the advertising industrys leading authorities on market research, earning his doctorate from Stanford University. Among dozens of published works, he was a co-author of Advertising: Principles and Practice, a 640-page textbook, as well as numerous papers from the late 1990s and early 2000s on consumer attitudes toward emerging websites and e-commerce ads.

Before joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota, he was a professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Chicago, and also worked for the Chicago-based advertising agency Needham Harper as its director of Corporate Research. In that capacity, he traveled the globe developing marketing strategies for major consumer brands.

Alison Rempel Brown, president and chief executive officer of the Science Museum, said in a written statement, We are proud and honored to be the recipient of Dr. Wells historic gift. At the Science Museum, our work is driven by our mission to create and deliver powerful, bold STEM experiences so more people can use science to improve lives. We are grateful that Dr. Wells recognized our value as a community resource to inspire people we serve to continue learning well beyond the classroom years.

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Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has committed to energy-efficient solutions across the Middle East and beyond.

The latest research report by the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), offering a look into the decarbonisation of the Middle East by 2060.

The report titled Climate Horizon: Opportunities for a greener world in the Middle East  launched in coordination with Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC)  was officially unveiled by Peter Herweck, Chief Executive Officer of Schneider Electric, Vincent Petit, Senior Vice President, Climate and Energy Transition Research, Head of the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute and Dr Nasser H Saidi, Chairman, Clean Energy Business Council, on the sidelines of COP28.

Climate-positive future

Dr Nasser H. Saidi, Chairman, Clean Energy Business Council, said: The report, an outcome of in-depth research on the Middle East energy landscape, outlines two key future scenarios: one emphasising the role of energy services in achieving a radical economic transformation. As we collaborate with Schneider Electric on this initiative, we are excited about steering towards a climate-positive future, aligning with our commitment to sustainable progress."

Vincent Petit, Senior Vice President, Climate and Energy Transition Research, Head of the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute, said: "The findings from this report, offer crucial insights into the unique challenges and opportunities associated with the energy transition in the Middle East, and highlight the balance required between technological advancements and policy development in the pursuit of decarbonisation. This study not only sheds light on the region's evolving energy landscape but also positions Schneider Electric as a thought leader actively contributing to the discourse on sustainable practices and the transition to a low-carbon future.

The Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute continues to be at the forefront of research and thought leadership in sustainability, showcasing Schneider Electric's dedication to spearheading global and local transitions towards a climate-positive future.--TradeArabia News Service
Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

Financial planning when youre single is already hard enough to manage, but add another person and things can get really tricky. In one of her recent episodes for CNBC Television, Women & Money podcast host Suze Orman offers advice on how couples can split their finances successfully without straining their relationship.

People say til death do you part. I dont think so. Its til debt do you part, she said.

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Orman stressed that all too often, the person who makes the most money is the one that feels they have the most power. But money doesnt determine whether youre powerful or not, she was quick to point out.

Below are her suggestions for splitting your finances as a couple.

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Be Your Own Person

Offering her own experience as an example, Orman said she and her partner havent opened one joint bank account in their 20-year relationship. She has her money; I have my money, she explained. And it works just fine.

Orman said the last thing you want to have to do is ask permission. You all should be autonomous human beings, you came into this relationship as an autonomous human being. You have to have money of your own.

She added, You might have a joint account for joint expenses, but you each need your own individual accounts.

More Suze Orman: This Common Financial Choice Is the Biggest Waste of Money Out There

Dont Just Divide by 2

In her interview, Orman offered a hypothetical situation: Lets just say you move in together and your partner or spouse is making $7,000 a month take home. And youre bringing home $3,000 a month take home. But yet your joint expenses are $3,000 a month.

The money expert explained that most people would say, Well, lets just split it. But she disagrees with this notion.

$1,500 a month for you is 50% of what youre bringing in. Versus maybe 25% of what your partner or spouse is bringing in. Thats not how youre going to do it, she said.

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Use Percentages

This is what I want you to do, Orman continued. She suggested combining both incomes of $3,000 and $7,000 to make $10,000. And then divide that into the household expenses which is $3,000. Expenses divided by income should give you a percentage of 30%.

Therefore, 30% of your $3,000 a month take home or $900 goes into your account. 30% of the $7,000 which is $2,100 goes into their account. Thats $3,000, she explained. Equal percentages but not equal amounts of money.

Set Up an Emergency Savings Account

After establishing percentages, Orman reiterated the need for couples to have both a joint and a separate account. The former ensures that youre protected as a couple; the latter is where you find the certainty that youll never be dependent on somebody else, she advised a reader in a story for Oprah.com.

Orman recommended having a personal reserve that equals three months of your living expenses, while the joint account should cover 6-8 months.

I recommend a hefty joint fund so that if one of you were to lose your job or become ill, you would have enough to get by for a while, Orman wrote. At the same time, if the relationship doesnt work out, you will have your own nest egg to fall back on.

In a separate blog post, she expanded on why having up to eight months of living expenses saved in an emergency fund is so important.

I know thats a lot, but I want you and your loved ones to be OK if you were ever laid off or sick for an extended period of time, she noted. Sure, it could take years to reach your eight-month goal. Thats totally OK. The important issue is that you are starting to save today and so every month you will be moving closer to your goal.

Live Within Your Means

As a self-made millionaire, Orman has become one of the most respected voices in finances, and one of her golden rules is to live within your means  whether youre single or in a relationship.

How much you choose to spend on your basic needs is a squishy number dependent on the choices you make, she said. For example, a mortgage lender may tell you that you will qualify for a $250,000 mortgage. But if you can find a great home that meets your familys needs and it costs $195,000 you will save a lot of money that can be used for other important goals. The $195,000 home fits your needs.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How To Split Household Bills, According to Suze Orman
SINGAPORE, January 03, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TDCX Inc. ("TDCX" or the "Company") (NYSE: TDCX), today announced that its board of directors (the "Board") has received a preliminary non-binding proposal letter (the "Proposal Letter"), dated January 2, 2024, from Mr. Laurent Junique, Founder, Executive Chairman, Director, CEO, and ultimate beneficial owner of the Company (the "Founder"), to acquire all of the outstanding ordinary shares of the Company (the "Ordinary Shares"), including the Class A ordinary shares represented by the American Depositary Shares of the Company (the "ADSs", each representing one Class A ordinary share) that are not already held by the Founder for a proposed purchase price of US$6.60 per Ordinary Share or ADS in cash (the "Proposed Transaction"). A copy of the Proposal Letter is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

The Company has formed a special committee of the Board, comprised solely of independent and disinterested directors, to consider the Proposal Letter and the Proposed Transaction and make recommendation to the Board. The Board expects that the special committee will retain independent legal and financial advisors to assist in the review of the Proposed Transaction. The Company cautions that the Board has just received the Proposal Letter and has not made any decisions with respect to the Proposal Letter and the Proposed Transaction. There can be no assurance that the Founder will make any definitive offer to the Company, that any definitive agreement relating to the Proposal Letter will be entered into between the Company and the Founder, or that the Proposed Transaction or any other similar transaction will be approved or consummated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to provide any updates with respect to this or any other transaction, except as required under applicable law.

About TDCX Inc.

Singapore-headquartered TDCX provides transformative digital CX solutions, enabling world-leading and disruptive brands to acquire new customers, to build customer loyalty and to protect their online communities.

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TDCX helps clients achieve their customer experience aspirations by harnessing technology, human intelligence and its global footprint. It serves clients in fintech, gaming, technology, travel and hospitality, digital advertising and social media, streaming and e-commerce. TDCXs expertise and strong footprint in Asia has made it a trusted partner for clients, particularly high-growth, new economy companies, looking to tap the regions growth potential.

TDCXs commitment to delivering positive outcomes for our clients extends to its role as a responsible corporate citizen. Its Corporate Social Responsibility program focuses on positively transforming the lives of its people, its communities and the environment.

TDCX employs more than 17,800 employees across 30 campuses globally, specifically in Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mainland China, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkiye, and Vietnam. For more information, please visit www.tdcx.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "predicts," "intends," "trends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Companys beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the performance of TDCXs largest clients; the successful implementation of its business strategy; the continued service of the Founder and certain of its key employees and management; its ability to compete effectively; its ability to navigate difficulties and successfully expand its operations into countries in which it has no prior operating experience; its ability to maintain its pricing, control costs or continue to grow its business; its ability to attract and retain enough highly trained employees; its compliance with service level and performance requirements by, and contractual obligations with, its clients; its exposure to various risks in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world; its contractual relationship with key clients; clients and prospective clients spending on omnichannel CX solutions and content, trust and safety services; its ability to successfully identify, acquire and integrate companies; its spending on employee salaries and benefits expenses; and its involvement in any disputes, legal, regulatory, and other proceedings arising out of its business operations. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Companys filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in its attachment is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Exhibit A

Preliminary Non-binding Proposal to Acquire the remaining outstanding class A ordinary shares of TDCX Inc.

January 2, 2024

The Board of Directors

TDCX Inc. (the "Company")

750D Chai Chee Road

#06-01/06, ESR BizPark

Singapore 469004

Singapore

Dear Sirs:

I, Laurent Bernard Marie Junique, Founder, Executive Chairman and CEO of TDCX Inc, am pleased to submit this preliminary non-binding proposal (the "Proposal") to acquire all of the outstanding Class A ordinary shares of TDCX Inc. (the "Ordinary Shares"), including the Class A ordinary shares represented by the American Depositary Receipts of the Company (the "ADSs", each representing one Class A ordinary share) that are not already owned by me and my affiliates in a going private transaction (the "Transaction").

I beneficially own approximately 86.1% of all the issued and outstanding shares (including Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares), representing approximately 98.4% of the aggregate voting power of the Company, based on the Companys latest outstanding number of shares as publicly disclosed. It is my firm and reasonable belief that my proposal provides an attractive opportunity to the Companys shareholders.

I am prepared to consummate the Transaction as outlined in the key terms and conditions as set forth below.

1. Buyer. I propose to acquire the outstanding shares of the Company that are not already held by me and my affiliates. I intend to complete such purchase through Transformative Investments Pte Ltd, the principal shareholder of the Company. I am the beneficial owner of all the shares in Transformative Investments Pte Ltd. In considering the Proposal, you should be aware that I am interested only in acquiring the outstanding shares of the Company that I do not already own, and that I do not currently intend to sell my shares in the Company to any third party.

2. Purchase Price. The proposed price for each Ordinary Share or ADS is US$6.60 in cash. This represents a 36% premium to the closing price on the last trading day prior to the date of this proposal and a premium of 39% to the volume-weighted average price during the last 30 trading days.

3. Funding. I will finance the Transaction with a combination of my own existing cash and a debt facility. I expect that the commitments for the required funding to be in place when the Definitive Agreements (as defined below) are signed and the closing of the Transaction will not be conditional on financing.

4. Due Diligence. Parties providing financing will require a timely opportunity to conduct customary due diligence on the Company. I would like to ask the Board to accommodate such due diligence request and approve the provision of confidential information relating to the Company and its business to possible sources of debt financing subject to a customary form of confidentiality agreement.

5. Definitive Agreements. I am prepared to promptly prepare, negotiate and finalize definitive agreements (the "Definitive Agreements") for the Transaction. These documents will provide for representations, warranties, covenants and conditions that are typical, customary and appropriate for transactions of this type.

6. Process. I expect the Board would decide that a special committee be established that comprises independent and disinterested directors of the Company (the "Special Committee"). The Special Committee and its advisors will be exclusively authorized to consider and negotiate the proposed Transaction, including the Definitive Agreements, on behalf of the Company and no other members of management or any other directors other than the members of the Special Committee will participate in any deliberations and decisions related to the Transaction on behalf of the Company unless approved by the Special Committee.

7. Confidentiality. I will, as required by law, timely file a Schedule 13D to disclose this Proposal. I believe it would be in all of our interests to ensure that our discussions relating to the Transaction proceed in a confidential manner, unless otherwise required by law, until we have executed the Definitive Agreements or terminated our discussions.

8. No Binding Commitment. This letter does not contain all matters upon which agreement must be reached in order to consummate the proposed Transaction described above, constitutes only a preliminary indication of my interest, and does not represent any binding commitment with respect to the Transaction. A binding commitment will result only from the execution of Definitive Agreements, and then will be on terms and conditions provided in such documentation. Nothing herein shall obligate any person to engage in or continue discussions regarding the proposed Transaction, and any of us may terminate discussions at any time for any reason or no reason. Nothing in this letter constitutes an offer capable of acceptance to create legally binding obligations. Any actions taken by any person in reliance on this Proposal shall be at that persons own risk and cost.

In conclusion, I would like to express my strong commitment to work together to bring the Transaction to a successful and timely conclusion. If you have any questions regarding this proposal, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

By : /s/ Laurent Bernard Marie Junique Name : Laurent Bernard Marie Junique Title : Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240103887091/en/

Contacts

For enquiries:

Investors / Analysts: Joana Cheong

investors@tdcx.com

Media: Eunice Seow

media@tdcx.com
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Sam Song Li said the series, The Brothers Sun, premiering Thursday on Netflix, reflected his real-life experience as an Asian American Californian.

Li plays Bruce, the younger brother of Charles (Justin Chien), who discovers he actually comes from a notorious crime family. Li related to being the child of a single mother, the setting of Arcadia, Calif. and Bruce's career pursuits.

"Bruce and I have so many similarities in so many shocking ways," Li told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "It was really an extension of myself in a lot of ways."

Michelle Yeoh plays Eileen Sun, who has to take over the business after an assassination attempt on her husband, who remains incapacitated while Eileen leads the family.

Bruce is in college, but spends his tuition money on improv classes instead. Li studied film and acting at University of California at Berkeley, graduating in 2019, but knew his mother also had other ambitions for him. He was raised by a single mother, Amy, in Arcadia and Rosemead, Calif..

Sam Song Li plays Michelle Yeoh's youngest son in "The Brothers Sun." Photo courtesy of Netflix

"My mom's an aerospace engineer," Li said. "She's a literal rocket scientist, so I think she had really high hopes for me to follow in her footsteps and do something just as prestigious.

"Instead, she got an actor," Li joked. "All jokes aside, I think she's very proud of me now."

Charlie Sun (Justin Chien, L) protects his brother, Bruce (Sam Song Li). Photo courtesy of Netflix

Li makes comedy videos on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. He also took improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings.

The Brothers Sun features a scene of Bruce performing with The Groundlings. Li said he got to improvise with actual Groundlings performers in that scene.

Sam Song Li related to his "Brothers Sun" character, Bruce. Photo courtesy of Ziyang Wang

"There was a version of it in the script and it's not the version that we filmed," Li said. "They crushed it -- and it was an everyday show to them."

Li also gets to show his dramatic range in The Brothers Sun. Bruce finds himself in the fray when assassins come after Charles, and he watches Charles violently dispatch them with martial arts.

From left to right, Michelle Yeoh, Sam Song Li and Justin Chien star in "The Brothers Sun." Photo courtesy of Netflix

The stunt team intentionally left Li out of their choreography, he said. Where Chien and the fighters had specific sequences of moves, Li only learned basic blocking to make sure Bruce was on his marks when the fights occurred around him.

"They really wanted me to avoid knowing too much," Li said of the stunt choreographers. "I think they knew it was just way better if I didn't know what the hell was going on."

Witnessing violence and learning his family secrets is traumatic for Bruce. Li said conveying those emotions on a long filming day was a new challenge for him.

"It was pretty exhausting," Li said. "It's not like real life where you just have a moment, you might be frustrated or heartbroken for 10 minutes. On a film set, you have to do it for eight hours."

Li said he also relates to the Suns' Asian American experience, though the details are different. The Suns are Taiwanese and Li was born in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

But, Li said, he spent his childhood in California. He also speaks Mandarin fluently, while Bruce misunderstands Mandarin for comic effect.

"The show is a love letter to the Asian American experience," Li said. "The themes of the show, which is the value of family and the mannerisms of respect, really bled into the culture of our workplace, as well."

The Brothers Sun wrapped before Yeoh won the Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Li said the cast reunited to watch the Oscars in March and cheered when she won.

"We got together to watch it and the energy was insane," Li said. "We were all very excited. We were like, 'We know her! We've worked with her!'"
It seems Madison Cawthorn's love for Dave Chappelle will never die!

The former North Carolina Representative reportedly loves Chappelle's new comedy special even though the stand-up comedian took a swipe at people with disabilities like him. According to United States media, Cawthorn allegedly finds the routine acceptable, humorous and a part of "living in a free society."

Madison Cawthorn Has Nothing Against Dave Chappelle

In his latest Netflix stand-up special, "The Dreamer," Chappelle once again took aim at the transgender community and people with disabilities. For the routine, he declared, "Tonight, I'm doing all handicapped jokes. They're not as organized as the gays, and I love punching down."

Including a bit about meeting Cawthorn, using a wheelchair after a 2014 car crash that left him partially paralyzed, he joked, "I just walked away. I wanted him to see me do something he couldn't do. I skipped."

Instead of being offended by the jokes, the former congressman disclosed that he enjoyed being humorously roasted by Chappelle. He further claimed that he found the jokes about his wheelchair fair game, especially since he is a public figure.

Touching on another topic involving Cawthorn, Chappelle referenced the infamous claim about the politician being invited to an orgy during his term in Congress. Just like the wheelchair jabs, the politician remained unfazed, mentioning that the 50-year-old's joke about sex parties did not bother him.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Madison Cawthorn (@madisoncawthorn)

As it turned out, the 28-year-old was aware beforehand that he would be a target in the special as friends who caught Chappelle's set in Nashville gave him a heads-up. Cawthorn also revealed to TMZ that Chappelle is his favorite comedian, and he attended one of the comedian's shows in Tampa to hear the jokes for himself.

He shared that Chappelle was surprised to see him in the audience and invited him backstage after the show. There, Chappelle introduced Cawthorn to his family and shared some drinks with him.

As for his swipes at the transgender community, The Blast noted that the "Home Improvement" star began by reminiscing about meeting actor Jim Carrey on the set of the 1999 film, "Man on the Moon," where Carrey portrayed the late performer Andy Kaufman.

"I was very disappointed because I wanted to meet Jim Carrey and I had to pretend he was Andy Kaufman all afternoon. It was clearly Jim Carrey. I could look at him and clearly see it was Jim Carrey. I say all that to say that's how trans people make me feel," Chappelle quipped.

After recalling his meeting with Carrey, Chappelle proceeded to address the controversy surrounding his anti-trans jokes, saying:

"If you guys came here to this show tonight thinking that I'm going to make fun of those people again, you've come to the wrong show. I'm not fing with those people anymore. It wasn't worth the trouble. I ain't saying s about them. Maybe three or four times tonight, but that's it. I'm tired of talking about them. And you want to know why I'm tired of talking about them? Because these people acted like I needed them to be funny."

MEGA

He continued, "Well, that's ridiculous. I don't need you. I got a whole new angle coming. You guys will never see this s coming. I ain't doing trans jokes no more."

Disobedient Show Attendee Led Chappelle To Drop His Mic Earlier Than Planned

Meanwhile, The Blast reported that Chappelle walked out on one of his recent shows after an attendee failed to respect his rules. According to the report, during the latter part of Chappelle's December 27 performance, he interacted with an audience member and noticed someone recording near the front row.

He promptly singled out the individual, criticized them for recording, and explained his no-phone policy to the audience. During his tirade, the controversial comedian compared a phone pointed at him to a weapon and alerted security.

Following his speech, Chappelle left the stage visibly shaking his head in frustration. It is no longer news that Chappelle has a strict policy prohibiting cell phones and recording devices during his shows.

Attendees were made aware of the no-phone policy when purchasing tickets, and reminders were prominently displayed throughout Hard Rock Live with signage emphasizing the restriction.

To comply with this policy, attendees had to place their phones in Yondr bags upon entering the venue. These bags were then securely locked and could only be opened at designated areas outside the theater.
ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive clip from Man on the Run, an upcoming documentary about Jho Low that will be released soon on Netflix.

Man on the Run is a new documentary written and directed by Cassius Michael Kim. The film takes a close look at Jho Low, a controversial businessman and playboy who was involved in a major financial scandal in Malaysia during the 2010s.

Check out the exclusive Man on the Run clip below:

You can also watch the Man on the Run trailer and view the poster for the documentary below:

Man on the Run exclusive clip

What is Man on the Run about?

Man on the Run exposes a shocking true story of corruption and betrayal that shook an entire nations financial stability. It follows Jho Low, a mysterious businessman, and playboy, as he masterminds a scheme to exploit a sovereign wealth fund in Malaysia, 1MDB. With the collaboration of Prime Minister Najib Razak, Low funnels billions into global bank accounts to fuel his extravagant lifestyle, including Hollywood parties and even financing The Wolf of Wall Street. Director Cassius Michael Kims meticulous investigation unravels a web of greed and corruption, revealing the profound impact of this colossal financial scandal.

Speaking in a Q+A regarding the film via Evergreen Media and The Smoking Section, Kim discussed his reasons for making Man on the Run and what sparked his interest in the subject matter.

My generation, and those younger than me, have been lied to our entire lives. Whether its the false promise of trickle-down economics, or of a society based on meritocracy, where hard work equals just rewards. We see through the lies told by those who have to those who have not. When a story like this comes along, where so many of the guilty have not been held to account or brought to justice; where, despite abundant coverage of this story on some of the largest platforms of the world, the average person on the street has no idea what 1MDB stands for or represents. How could you not want to tell this story? Anyone with the slightest interest in justice and accountability should want to shed a light on what happened, and more importantly, what hasnt happened.

The post Exclusive Man on the Run Clip Previews Documentary About Scandalous Businessman Playboy Jho Low appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
In 2019, Chicago software company ActiveCampaign decided to open an office in Europe to be closer to international clients. The fast-growing startup did more than half its business internationally, and a new satellite office in Sydney, Australia, was proving to be too far from European markets.

The customer experience automation company opened its second international office  in Dublin, Ireland. What started as an office with 50 employees doubled to 100 in its first year.

In another two years, ActiveCampaign Dublin had become a global business center with more than 300 employees.

Dublin is a good example of where its not just like one function that we set up there, said ActiveCampaign CEO Jason VandeBoom. Its only been growing in terms of the different types of roles that we can do from that hub.

ActiveCampaign is one of more than 50 Chicago businesses that have expanded or relocated to Ireland. Today, about 1,000 American companies employ about 17,000 people in Ireland.

Chicago has been hugely important, said Paul Veale, who represents IDA, the investment and development agency of the Irish government, in the Midwest and the South. (Chicago companies) are very, very huge contributors to both Ireland and the Irish economy.

IDA has about 300 employees worldwide. The agency has a hand in most of the new sites that are opened in Ireland by international corporations. It has nine offices in the United States, including one in Chicago that opened in 1965, and employees help with everything from finding land to boosting public relations.

I always say our job is to eliminate the speed bumps, or the barriers to being successful, Veale said.

Many United States companies in Ireland focus on software and other products that can be transmitted digitally, without having to get into imports and exports. Still, life sciences companies are the biggest players in Irish American commerce, Veale said.

Abbott Laboratories and Horizon Therapeutics, both headquartered in the Chicago area, have operated factories around Ireland for decades. Horizons global headquarters is in Dublin.

Story continues

Other corporations that are headquartered in Illinois and have locations in Ireland include Aon, Illinois Tool Works and Molex. But its the recent migration of Chicago-based tech startups that Veale finds the most exciting.

ActiveCampaign worked closely with the IDA before its Dublin hub opened, VandeBoom said. The IDA set up meetings between ActiveCampaign staff and managers at other American companies in both Cork and Dublin in Ireland.

Its been a constant sort of source of them having a presence there, which felt like far more of a partnership than some of the other regions that we operate with, VandeBoom said. We were able to spend time with actual companies that have started up within the last couple of years in the region. They were able to give us some insights on cities.

Chicago unicorn startup G2, a digital platform for reviewing and comparing software, also started working with the IDA as talks of expanding into Europe grew serious.

After visiting Dublin and meeting with industry peers in the area, G2 Vice President Gordon Tobin and his team felt right at home.

The density of technical talent that exists within Ireland  the English-speaking country within the Eurozone that has access to all the common markets  theres a natural advantage there, Tobin said.

We made a certain decision that Irelands going to be the place we were going to continue to grow from, Tobin said.

Tobin relocated to Dublin in 2021 to begin hiring employees. G2 formally opened its Dublin office in April 2023.

Besides Dublin and Chicago, G2 also operates from London, Singapore and Bangalore. The hardest part of working between cities, Tobin said, is the time difference. For connecting the United States and Ireland, early afternoon calls from Dublin are a favorite, catching Chicago employees in the morning.

Tech companies that move to Ireland tend to recruit heavily from local universities, Veale said, and some even get a say in their curriculum. Telecom giant Ericsson has collaborated with Irish schools on classes up to the Ph.D. level, and cloud computing courses have become popular in the last decade, Veale said.

Particularly if youre based out of Dublin, companies have the opportunity to work with universities to maybe shape the course contents, to ensure that those coming out of universities have the skill sets that youre looking for, Veale said.

As a former student at University College Dublin, Tobin experienced the career-focused Irish university system himself. He said Dublins talent pool made it an attractive site for expansion.

That was always a key piece, that we knew a wealth of talent already existed here, Tobin said. Youve got a very strong educational system in place.  You also have a great pipeline going in from all around the world. 

Membership in the European Union makes it easier for companies in Ireland to headhunt from other European global headquarters, Veale said, while cutting down on visa processing times. Someone who would be an H1-B visa holder in the U.S. might not be approved to work for several months, while an Irish equivalent would take four to six weeks.

Bringing international talent to Ireland on a shorter timeline was a major draw for ActiveCampaign.

f youre building a platform thats going to be so wide, so horizontal, like the platform that weve built, like it would be kind of strange to restrict our talent to like Chicago, VandeBoom said.

Some companies choose to move to Ireland because its an English-speaking country in Europe, Veale said. Europes large population compared with the U.S. makes it a crucial market for G2. The companys activities in Europe  which are largely coordinated by the Dublin office  account for 17% of total revenue.

Veale has also found that Chicago and Ireland share several cultural similarities, including a growing biotechnology sector, a common language and a taste for Irish food and holidays.

On St. Pattys Day, you know, it doesnt take a genius to know the Chicago River turns green, Veale said. Everybody celebrates it, but we always bring a prominent member of the Irish government over.

For some companies, branching out to Ireland also has a financial advantage. Ireland and America have an agreement preventing double income tax on labor, making them attractive business partners for companies of various sizes.

The agreement ensures that American citizens working in Ireland  and American businesses with Irish satellite offices staffed by locals  arent paying income tax to both countries at the same time. Both America and Ireland have similar agreements with several other nations.

The Irish government also offers tax credits to some international businesses as an incentive for setting up shop. Corporations are eligible for a tax cut matching up to 25% of their research and development budget for new projects housed in Ireland, on top of a 12.5% corporate tax deduction.

Veale credits the COVID-19 pandemic with expanding Ireland and Chicagos connection in the startup landscape. People became more comfortable with relocating and with investing in remote work, he said.

People are a bit more intrigued and more willing to say, Can we have a quick 15, 20-minute call? Veale said.

While many Chicago companies in Ireland are based in large university cities such as Dublin and Cork, those with deep roots are starting to expand. Abbott, which came to Ireland in 1946, now operates in 10 locations. Most recently, the medical device giant broke ground on a diabetes care product factory in Kilkenny, opening in 2024.

The IDA hopes that people who move to Ireland for work will build community there, Veale said. Since the whole country is roughly the size of Indiana, new jobs in city centers also bolster the environment in commuter towns.

You can create sustainable employment for people that allows them to stay in Ireland and allow small communities and towns to survive and thrive, Veale said.
Inventing Anna is a miniseries that follows the life of Anna Delvey, a charismatic young woman who infiltrates the New York high society. She claims to be a German heiress with a trust fund and befriends socialites, stays at luxurious hotels, and hosts extravagant events. She does all this while trying to secure loans and funds from unsuspecting individuals. So, is Inventing Anna based on a true story, and are the actions of Anna in the show inspired by any real events and facts?

Is Inventing Anna based on a true story?

Yes, Inventing Anna is based on a true story and it draws inspiration from the life of Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born con artist who posed as a wealthy German heiress. Her story was first brought to attention through the New York Magazine, which published an article about her. The show does take creative liberties and dramatizes certain aspects of her life for effective storytelling.

Inventing Annas real events and facts explained

As sources claim, Anna Sorokin did actually assume the identity of Anna Delvey and claimed to be a German heiress. As portrayed in the series, she seemingly lived a lavish lifestyle, by staying at upscale hotels, dining at exclusive restaurants, and attending high-profile events, all while presenting herself as a wealthy socialite.

Much like the show, the real-life Anna was also involved in the art scene and presented herself as a patron of the arts. She did attempt to secure substantial loans by convincing banks and acquaintances and tried to exploit them through her fictitious wealth and connections. Anna was reportedly exposed and arrested in 2017, facing charges for grand larceny and theft due to her fraudulent activities.

The real people behind Inventing Annas characters

Inventing Anna features characters that have been inspired by real-life individuals, particularly Anna Sorokin. The show incorporates characters based on real people, and most of them interacted with Anna, such as prosecutors and defense attorneys. They were the ones who had an impact on her life and directly influenced it in one way or another.

Is Anna Delvey a real person?

Anna Delvey is Anna Sorokins assumed identity, and she is a real person. She reportedly garnered a lot of media attention due to her schemes and ability to deceive individuals. Anna was born in Russia in 1991 and moved to the U.S. in 2013. She tried her best but couldnt get away with her crimes, and widely became known as the Soho Grifter.

Is Vivian Kent a real person?

No, Vivian Kent is not a real person, but a fictional journalist who is fascinated by Anna in the show. He wants to uncover the truth behind her elaborate schemes, and in the series, he plays a significant role in driving the narrative.

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The post Is Inventing Anna Based on a True Story? Real Events, Facts & People appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Filling in for Chris Hayes on Tuesdays episode of All In, MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson, a professor of global journalism and communication at Morgan State University, said that Harvard has bowed to right wing pressure after the universitys President, Claudine Gay, resigned.

Johnson pointed to the bad faith campaign against Gay and other university leaders, spearheaded by congressional Republicans like Elise Stefanik and right wing activist Christopher Rufo, declaring that Republicans want Americas elite institutions to remain run by conservatives and conservatives that they like. Period. And theyll come up with any phony controversy to achieve that end.

Harvards first black president, a woman named Claudine Gay, resigned her position. The move comes after conservatives and Republicans have been telegraphing their goal to have her fired for weeks, Johnson said. Everything from a bad faith hearing on campus antisemitism to unfounded plagiarism charges were thrown at her.

.@DrJasonJohnson on Claudine Gays resignation from Harvard: It is disappointing that Harvard has bowed to right-wing pressure." pic.twitter.com/lTn3nxTbsS  All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) January 3, 2024

Johnson noted that Gays resignation comes a month after the congressional hearings on antisemitism at American colleges, organized by Stefanik, which already led to the ouster of UPenn President Elizabeth Magill, and that Stefanik celebrated Gays resignation by implying it wouldnt be the last such act.

Johnson also noted, correctly, that Stefanik has a well-documented history of supporting antisemitic politicians. She backed buffalo developer Carl Paladino for a house seat, despite audio of him saying that Adolf Hitler was and I quote, the kind of leader we need today. And Stefanik has also forcefully endorsed Donald Trump, a man who as President of the United States, accused American Jews of being disloyal when they vote for Democrats, and who as a candidate has retweeted antisemitic memes and all but cites Mein Kampf at his 2024 campaign rallies.

Now, heres the thing. If Harvard decided that it no longer wanted Claudine Gay as its president thats the universitys business. It can change presidents as it pleases. But they never found her to have committed plagiarism. And as recently as Christmas, the Harvard Foundation gave their support. It is disappointing that Harvard has bowed to right wing pressure, Johnson continued.

Comparing Republicans to writers from bad 80s teen films who think that the only colleges in America are Harvard, Yale, MIT and a few Ivies, Johnson said they are obsessed with Americas top universities. But I went to University of Virginia, I teach at Morgan State University. America is filled with brilliant qualified people at a Michigan State University of Akron and Spelman and Emory and UC Santa Barbara.

Johnson dismissed claims that Republicans actually care about antisemitism or any other issue, arguing that Republicans want Americas elite institutions to remain run by conservatives and conservatives that they like. Period. And theyll come up with any phony controversy to achieve that end.

Harvard, Johnson continued, definitely damaged [Gays] career by doing the bidding of the American right. Hopefully other colleges will stand more firm in the future.

Gay resigned on Tuesday, just under a month after testifying during Stefaniks antisemitism hearing alongside the presidents of MIT and UPenn. While the hearing was replete with numerous examples of obvious bad faith by congressional Republicans, who quite transparently were attempting to create gotcha moments regardless of context, the three presidents did themselves no favors either.

Their testimony was filled with academic and legalistic jargon that made them sound out of touch  even in response to simple questions about pro-genocide speech. While the three women never once endorsed or defended antisemitism in any way, their responses were criticized even by supporters. Unlike Upenn, where one of the schools largest donors threatened to withdrawl all funding unless they fired Magill, Harvard initially stood by Gay.

However, several mistakes in her 1997 dissertation were publicized by right wing activists who accused her plagiarism. The university later acknowledged there were some issues involving sloppy citations and using cliche phrases contained in other work, though it denied any plagiaristic intention and as recently as Christmas continued to back Gay.

The post MSNBC Contributor Jason Johnson Slams Disappointing Harvard After Claudine Gay Resigns: Bowed to Right Wing Pressure | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Archaeologists in Kazakhstan have discovered two gold ornaments in a 1,500-year-old tomb that feature the earliest known depictions of the great khan, or "khagan," of the Gokturks  a nomadic confederation of Turkic-speaking peoples who occupied the region for around three centuries, according to an archaeologist who excavated the site.

The lavish gold plaques portray "the crowned sovereign, majestically sitting on a throne in a saintly pose and surrounded by servants," Zainolla Samashev , an archaeologist at Kazakhstan's Institute of Archaeology who led the excavation, told Live Science in an email. "This clearly depicts the sacred nature of power in ancient Turkic society."

The finds are from the Eleke Sazy site near Kazakhstan's remote eastern borders with China, Mongolia and Russian Siberia, where Samashev and his colleagues have worked since 2016.

A close-up photo of the face of the ruler on the gold belt buckle.

The sixth-century Gokturk tomb holds the remains of a nobleman, probably a "tegin"  or "prince" in the Old Turkic language  whose burial site had developed by the seventh century into a "cultic memorial complex" that deified the deceased man, Samashev said.

Samashev thinks the prince may have belonged to the royal Ashina clan of khagans  meaning "sovereign" in Old Turkic, and the origin of the word "khan." The Ashina clan founded two Turkic states in the central Eurasian Steppes between the fifth and eighth centuries and ruled until they were conquered by another Turkic group who became the Uyghurs.

Related: Bronze Age hexagonal 'pyramid' not like anything 'found before in the Eurasian steppe'

Golden plaques

Image 1 of 3

The second plaque was badly damaged in the fire but shows more detail on its surface. Both plaques were

Image 2 of 3

Archaeologists say the depiction of the khagan in a formal pose surrounded by his subjects shows the sacred origin of his power.

Image 3 of 3

Many other artifacts have been found at the Eleke Sazy site, including weapons; objects made of gold, silver, iron, and bronze; equipment for horses; and this amulet made from rock crystal.

The two gold plaques were found in the central chamber of the tomb where the prince was cremated; one was badly damaged by the fire of the cremation.

Measuring about 1.5 inches (3.7 centimeters) across, both seem to be a form of belt buckle that would have had two ends of a belt threaded through a hole at its base so they hung down from the waist. Such buckles seem to have been a symbol of power in Turkic society, Samashev said, and may have signified that the wearer was a person of high status.

The khagan is shown in the center of each plaque, wearing an ornate crown and seated on a throne that depicts two horses; he is flanked by two kneeling servants offering food from a plate and a bowl.

These are the earliest verified depictions of a khagan of the Gokturk people, and probably of the great khagan himself, Samashev said.

It's not known if the plaques were worn by the tegin who was buried there. They may have been worn by his aides, who deposited them during the cremation as a way of taking part in the sacred ceremony, he said.

Early Turks

Image 1 of 5

Archaeologists think the temple complex had developed by the seventh century around the tomb of a Gokturk prince who died in the sixth century.

Image 2 of 5

The Gokturk temple complex consists of two parts, each surrounded by a courtyard wall: the tomb itself and a

Image 3 of 5

Gokturk pilgrims visiting the temple entered through the twisting

Image 4 of 5

The tomb itself was a square-shaped pyramid about 165 feet on each side. It was built for a Gokturk prince who was cremated in its central chamber.

Image 5 of 5

The gold plaques portraying the Gokturk khagan were found at the Eleke Sazy site, an ancient temple complex in the east of Kazakhstan.

The Gokturks or "Celestial Turks" of Central Asia may have originated as an ethnic group under the Xiongnu , who ruled the eastern Eurasian Steppe from about the second century B.C. until about the first century A.D.

Many modern Turks are descendants of people who were part of the Western Turkic Khaganate, which formed after civil wars among the Gokturks in the late sixth century; and the Khazar Khaganate  the successor of the Western Turk Khaganate  which survived until the 10th century as an ally of the Byzantine Empire .

The tomb site probably developed as a social and cultural center for people to venerate the tegin and Gokturk beliefs, Serhan Cnar , an Ankara University archaeologist who also worked on the excavations, told the Turkish state-owned television channel TRT Haber . "The memorial complex at Eleke Sazy [is] linked to the entry of the ancient Turks into the historical arena, along with their spiritual and ideological, religious and philosophical orientations," he said.

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Samashev said the complex was made from stone and earth and is about 300 feet (90 meters) long and 165 feet (50 m) wide, with two main parts each surrounded by a courtyard wall.

One part was the square-shaped main temple, which included the central burial chamber. A "labyrinth" for visiting pilgrims was built beside it. A central room of the labyrinth contained a stone sculpture  now broken and headless  which is thought to have represented the occupant of the tomb, Samashev said.

Hundreds of other artifacts have been found at the site. In addition to the gold plaques, archaeologists have unearthed objects of silver, iron and bronze; weapons; the remains of equipment for horses; and an amulet made from rock crystal, Samashev said.
Carhartt was founded in Detroit by Hamilton Carhartt back in 1889. A century later, in 1989, Edwin Faeh launched a European division of Carhartt, tailored to its new audience, which became Carhartt WIP, or Work in Progress, in 1994.

In the 90s, Carhartt became synonymous with hip-hop street style, as it and fellow workwear brand Dickies became the unofficial uniform of West Coast rappers. Carhartt transcended coastal rap rivalry and was also popular among New York rap legends including Nas. In addition to its beloved jackets and other workwear clothing, Carhartt makes work boots, shoes and sneakers.

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In 2010, Carhartt WIP delved into its first capsule collections, which included iconic collaborations with Vetements, Converse, Nike, Vans, A.P.C. and more.

While not every Carhartt WIP collab includes footwear offerings, some of them have, such as the fun floral-print slip-on with Marni. Additionally, some of the collaborations have been with footwear-focused companies, like Vans, Converse, New Balance and Suicoke, bringing Carhartts classic colors and durable construction to the iconic brands shoe designs.

Read on to learn more about Carhartts most iconic shoe collaborations over the years, including New Balance, Nike, Eminem, Marni, Vans, Converse and Suicoke.

Carhartt WIP x New Balance

A model wears the Carhartt WIP x New Balance MADE in USA 990v6 shoes and Carhartt clothes. Carhartt

The Michigan-bred workwear companys most recent shoe collab was with New Balance in October. It was a reimagining of New Balances Made in USA 990v6 sneaker in Carhartts signature Hamilton Brown color, with a green N and contrasting gray mesh underlays. The workwear-inspired walking show was called Sculpture Center.

In 2022, New Balance and Carhartt launched their first collaborations: two different drops/colorways of the Made in USA 990v1.

Carhartt WIP x Nike

Carhartt WIP x Nike Air Force 1 Low Camo shoes. Carhartt

Nike and Carhartt linked up in 2018 on four different kicks in signature Carhartt WIP materials: Air Force 1 Low, Vandal Supreme High, Air Force 1 Low Utility and Air Max 95. The colorways came in black, camo-print and brown. Beyond sturdy canvas and neutral colors synanons with Carhartt, these collaborative Nikes also featured triple-sewn seams and riveted stress points for an extra-sturdy design.

Carhartt WIP x Eminem x Nike

The Eminem x Carhartt WIP x Air Jordan IV shoe.

The Eminem x Carhartt WIP x Air Jordan IV are perhaps the rarest and most sought-after Carhartt shoes of all. They were created in 2015 to raise money for the Detroit-bred rappers Marshall Mathers Foundation, which supports at-risk youth primarily in his hometown. Ten pairs were auctioned on eBay, raising over $220,000 for the organization, while the only other pairs made were given to Eminems family and friends.

The super limited-edition Jordans boasts an all-black Carhartt twill upper and white and gray sole. The details include a Jason mask on one heel and Eminems backward E logo on the other. In 2022, rumors spread in sneakerhead land that another Carhartt x Eminem x Nike collab would drop, but so far its remained a rumor.

Carhartt WIP x Marni

The Carhartt WIP x Marni shoe.

To kick off 2023, Carhartt teamed up with Italian luxury brand Marni for a playful collab featuring two-tone pants and jackets and floral print galore, modeled by funk legend Bootsy Collins. The collab came with one shoe in two colors: a canvas floral print chunky Vans-style slip-on sneaker. The shoe featured 1.75-inch white rubber platforms with Marni in large font across the back in green and white or yellow and black.

Carhartt WIP x Vans

Carhartt WIP x Vans Hickory Stripe hi-top shoes.

Carhartt first linked up with skate brand Vans back in 2008 with Vans Chukka and Half Cab styles. In 2011, the ongoing collab continued with the Carhart x Vans Authentica lace-up low-top in three limited-edition colors. That run came in black, cypress green and light tan, with Carhartt-orange bottoms.

The Michigan brands most recent collab with Vans was back in 2015, with nautical renditions of Vans Chukka and Classic Slip-On. Entitled the Hickory Stripe, the summer-inspired kicks were covered in skinny navy, turquoise and white stripes.

Carhartt WIP x Converse

The Carhartt WIP x Converse Chuck 70 hi-tops in Hamilton Brown. Converse

According to the Converse website, their collab with Carhartt is an ongoing one, so theyll continue to drop new limited-edition styles and colorways from the two iconic brands. In January 2021, they released Chuck 70 hi-tops in Hamilton Brown and camo green, both in sturdy 12-ounce canvas.

A 2020 release featured classic Chuck 70 hi-tops in two-tone brown and black, sourced from upcycled Carhartt fabric.

Carhartt WIP x Suicoke

Carhartt WIP x Suicoke Moto slide in Hamilton Brown. Suicoke

For spring 2022, Carhartt WIP collaborated with Japanese footwear brand Suicoke on two pairs of their classic sandals. The MOTO slide featured Carhartts Dearborn Canvas and corduroy, inspired by their beloved Detroit Jacket. The other shape was the Teva-style DEPA. Both sandals came in Hamilton Brown and black and featured Carhartt emblazoned across the nylon straps.

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Its no secret that theres many cultural differences between living in the United States and living in Europe. From workplace culture to tipping at restaurants, there have been countless debates about how different practices can be across the United Kingdom and European Union, compared to American customs and traditions.

In a viral Reddit post shared to the popular r/AskReddit forum, Reddit user u/cohen5250 recently wondered: What are some things the USA actually does better than Europe? The thread, which was posted on 17 December 2023, unsurprisingly received more than 6,000 comments from both people living in the USA and Europe, who debated which practices and customs were better than others.

A wide consensus seemed to agree that the national parks system was the biggest benefit of living in the states. Every time this is asked the top answer is usually national parks, read the top comment. Final answer. Reserved, protected national parks.

In the US, there are 63 areas that have been designated as national parks, which are protected and operated by the National Park Service. While the National Park System comprises 425 national park sites, only 63 of them have been given the National Park designation in their names, according to the National Park Foundation.

I am not American, but their national and state parks system is f***ing glorious. Services, lands set aside and protected, information, knowledgeable employees, and infrastructure, one person agreed. NO ONE else is even close. I have lived in six countries and travelled to more than 60 - I still dream of American parks."

Another item thats commonplace in the US is how easily you can order ice at a restaurant or cafe. Ice water at restaurants, one Reddit user wrote, while another added: Even, just water. Hydration. Being on a summer vacation outside the US means doing some sweaty activity all day (because of no AC) and then sitting down to lunch with a thimbleful of room-temperature water.

Any American travelling in Europe may have noticed the lack of ice in their drink, compared to the excessive amount of ice Americans put in their water or soda. Its unclear exactly why this difference persists today, but some people on Reddit previously speculated that its because some Europeans prefer their beverages to be served room temperature. Others suggested that Europeans get more bang for their buck if they order a drink without ice, or its because ice will simply water down their beverage.

I am originally from Eastern Europe and have been living in the USA for over 20 years. I was visiting my grandma over there and on a particularly humid day, I ordered an iced latte, one person shared. The barista looked at me mortified. She said they dont have ice, so I asked her not to make my latte hot. She said okay - it was still piping hot.

When it comes to hot summer days in Europe, many Reddit users pointed out how Americans are lucky enough to have access to central air conditioning in practically every home or public establishment. Central air conditioning is something we take for granted in the US. I realised this when I started hearing countries in Europe getting summer heatwaves and people dying by the thousands, one person said.

According to a 2021 report from the UK Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, less than five per cent of homes in England have air-conditioning units installed. A majority of the air-conditioning in UK homes came from portable units, while nearly half of cooling systems in England were located in offices, retail locations, and hospitals.

The difference between salaries in the US and Europe has often been debated over the years, but many people on Reddit claimed that annual salaries for workers is vastly superior in America. Comparing as someone who had lived in France, the USA, and the UK: salaries. They are vastly superior in the USA. Customer service is also notably better, they said.

Seriously, I was dumbfounded at the salaries for my equivalent position when I looked at jobs in Europe, another user wrote.

According to CMD Recruitment, an employment agency in the UK, the average salary in the US was around $58,260 in 2021. In the UK, the average salary was around $38,291 when converted to dollars. While the average salary may be greater in the states, there are many other important factors to consider when comparing salaries across the world.

For example, full-time workers in the UK are entitled to 28 days paid annual leave each year. In the US, its up to individual employers and companies to decide how many days their employees get paid leave. In addition, Europeans are given the benefit of free national healthcare funded by their taxes. Meanwhile in the US, people have to pay for health insurance either individually or through their employer.

Salaries by themselves are great if youre young, childless and healthy, one person reminded others. Once you factor in education, healthcare, access to public transit, food regulations, childcare, and safety it becomes less and less relevant.

This isnt the first time people on Reddit have debated differences between practices in the US and the rest of the world. In 2022, several users compared working in the US and Denmark while Australians and Americans compared their live to work versus work to live cultures.
As 2023s COP28 parley fades into the rear view, we share in four graphs the key findings from our Higher Ground? reports published in September. The work measures the present and future risks of exposure to extreme heat and flooding in some of the worlds most climate-vulnerable countries for apparel workers, suppliers, fashion brands and investors.

Today, fashion focuses its climate change efforts on goals such as increasing use of recycled fabrics, reducing water usage, and cutting down its notable greenhouse gas emissionsfashion ranks third on greenhouse gases behind only global food production and construction.

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But these mitigation efforts by the fashion industry largely ignore the knock-on implications of climate breakdown on the workers, communities and industries producing the worlds garments. This is the problem of adaptation, and it is not part of fashions plan.

In our analyses we aim, first, to understand the industrys exposure to climate risks and the costs of climate adaptation for workers, manufacturers, buyers and investors and governments. Second, we aim to inspire industry actors to formulate adaptation strategies that are large-scale and fit for purpose. We want to see these new measures and costs written into the business plans of the industry, into collective agreements, and into budgets and objectives of regulators.

We calculate that without urgent adaptation measures that cool buildings and people, divert flood waters, the combined apparel export earnings of four key producing countriesBangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan and Vietnamwill come up 22 percent short by 2030 and 68 percent by 2050. These economies will forego nearly 1 million new apparel jobs by 2030 and 8.6 million jobs by 2050. Our analysis of leading global sportswear brands shows that extreme heat and flooding in Cambodia and Vietnam could consume 5 percent of net operating profits after tax per year.

A 5 percent falloff in profits is what brands and investors alike would regard as a material risk. So why are fashion firms not investing in climate adaptation? Fashions business model sees these effects for workers and manufacturers as externalities. In short, theyre someone elses problem.

Our work examined the fashion industrys exposure to physical climate risk illustrates changes in exposure to four key physical risk measures in 32 apparel and footwear production centers in 2030 and 2050. We represent relative heat stress levels using the number of days per year for which the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) readings reach above 30.5C  i.e. exceedance days. This is the threshold above at which an hour of light-to-moderate work should be equal parts effort and rest. Our flooding projections include both coastal or tidal and storm surge flooding, and a combination of river flooding with rainfall flooding. The indicators of flood vulnerability are the percentages of each centers populations that will be inundatedmost of them at less than 0.5 meterin a 10-year flood.

Figure 1. Heat and flood projections by apparel and footwear production center, 2030-2050.

Several production centers stand out for their vulnerability to high heat, humidity and flooding: Colombo, Dhaka and Chattogram (Chittagong), Yangon, Delhi, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and the massive Dongguan-Guangdong-Shenzhen region.

Many of these centers are tropical and sub-tropical hot spots. Are these projected exposures to extreme heat and humidity much higher than recent levels? We compared 20042014 WBGT using the same climate models to our 2030 exceedance days estimates. Among cities in our focus countriesKarachi, Dhaka, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penhthe average number of 30.5C WBGT exceedance days climbs 50.9 percent from 39 days in 2014 to 59 by 2030. Starting from relatively low levels, exceedance days more than double by 2030 in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Phnom Penh. Starting from relatively higher levels, Dhakas exceedance days will be 63 percent higher and Karachis 20 percent.

Using flooding models based on our middle-of-the-road climate scenario we map inundation levels for more than 8,000 apparel and footwear factories in our four focus countries. We estimate annual disruption daysthe production days lost to flooding and recoveryin a non-adaptive scenario for each factory in 2030 and 2050 using the maximum inundation depths from coastal and riverine flooding for two-, 10- and 100-year events, or return periods (RP2, RP10, and RP100). As with heat-productivity impacts, we convert these disruptions into aggregate annual impacts on export earnings and jobs.

Taking one example, Figure 2 illustrates flooding in Vietnam, with coastal flooding represented in gold and riverine flooding in red. Deeper shades signal higher inundation levels at 0.25 meter intervals, up to 1 meter and higher. Apparel and footwear factories are shown in blue.

Figure 2. Coastal and riverine/rainfall inundation levels for 2030 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

How will extreme heat and intense flooding impact apparel production in our four focus countries? Our calculations at macro level considered two growth scenarios: our climate-adaptive scenario presents the growth trajectory of apparel industries that move quickly to reduce heat stress for workers.

Figure 3. Combined heat- and flood-related impacts for apparel export earnings under climate-adaptative and high-heat and flooding scenarios, 2030 and 2050.

As the table here shows, the economic damage associated with failure to adapt to the physical effects of climate change could be profound. Pausing to reflect on the analysis presented above, we can make a couple of observations. The effects of heat become meaningfully worse, according to our analysis, between 2030 and 2050. Workers manufacturing goods for the six brands we focus on in our analyses face a sevenfold increase in exposure to extreme heat in these production centers, on average, between 2030 and 2050.

Flooding risk increases more gradually, however, and is generally a smaller, more isolated issue. The picture here is largely consistent with the findings presented in our first report. As we show, the consequences that these exposures could yield, in terms of value-at-risk or productivity headwinds, are potentially meaningful to brands and suppliers. And they have additional consequences for workers that depend on how their employers and buyers react. While the pervasive and large-scale effects of heat make it a systemically important subject for adaptation, the unpredictability of flooding means it is a potentially idiosyncratic cost, with severe impacts on individual suppliers and their workers, and therefore on brands and their investors.

Taking this assessment a step further, we sought to estimate the financial costs of these productivity risks at brand level. We presented the potential consequences of flood and heat impacts for brands or their suppliers in terms that can be considered proportionate either to the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and operating profits of a brand, or revenues of a supplier. We found that productivity headwinds amounted up to 3 percent of COGS for Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh, or circa 5 percent of our sample brands global net operating profit after tax.

So, where are companies and suppliers in anticipating these risks? We undertook a bottom up analysis of the six focus companies Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) reports to determine the level of sophistication around reporting on physical climate risks. Whilst many brands have developed policies, processes and targets to address climate mitigation (e.g. establishing SBTi targets), we found that adaptation in the context of apparel manufacturing is lacking.

Figure 4. Focus brand reporting on physical risks and supply chain impacts.

What does it mean?

The climate vulnerabilities of workers, manufacturers and of fashions substantial output in tropical and subtropical centers are measurable, and projections show these will only be exacerbated. Climate disruption is already cutting deeply into export earnings, employment, worker health and profits. Without rapid adaptation, these falloffs in earnings and jobs will compound.

Fashion buyers treat many ground-level social and environmental costs as externalities so there is real risk that brands and retailers will stay on the low road when it comes to climate adaption: compliance rituals such as heat measures as part of worker wellness programs and commissioning of flood hazard certifications, for example.

So, where is the higher ground?

It lies in the value chain adapting to climate breakdown: the associated productivity gains, and the additional earnings, income, health and jobs these bring. For workers, the need is clear enough. For manufacturers, the recouping of heat- and flood-related shortfalls in earnings makes adaptation feasible, if not attractive. For buyers and investors, unmeasured risk can mean long-term losses, and adaptation investments can yield both relief and rewards. For COP28 policymakers and private finance, adaptation investments and transfers are a smart and appropriate uses of loss and damage funds. For governments, new jobs and export earnings are crucial. Higher ground is where new rules generate action, accountability and a just transition.



Join Cornell GLIs 2024 Conference on Friday, Feb. 2 in New York City. Registration and further details can be found here.

Jason Judd is the executive director, Cornell University Global Labor Institute. Angus Bauer is the head of sustainable investment research at Schroders, the London-based asset management firm.
The story behind why the Rhino is facing extinction and the race to catch those responsible - Shutterstock

A mortally injured rhino will mewl like a dying kitten, its tiny cry ascending from the great grey vastness of hide and bone. This unpleasant nugget is imparted halfway through The Great Rhino Robbery (Sky Documentaries), a three-part documentary from director Jesse Vile that possesses the furious, hoof-stomping quality of a pachyderm thats had enough.

This is a grippingly angry portrait of the worldwide illicit rhino horn trade  an industrial-scale hustle which, experts say, poses an existential threat to the species. Vile doesnt pull his punches. There is upsetting footage of wounded rhinos, horns clumsily hacked off, lurching about in shock. Meanwhile, in Asia, a playboy reveals ground rhino horn has become the ultimate accessory of the mega-rich. You whip it out at a party to impress your guests when cocaine doesnt cut it.

But while The Great Rhino Robbery offers up a cry of anguish on behalf of these magnificent animals, it also has the swagger of a mid-budget international thriller. In Europe, criminals raid dusty museums, seeking to liberate ancient rhino horns from their display cases  to the bafflement of museum staff astonished to find the horns fetching 150,000 or more at auction. Why would anyone want to come in and wrench a 20-inch rhino horn off Rosy the Rhinoceros? wonders a confused curator.

The other part of the story unfolds in South Africa, where traffickers exploit conservation laws to hunt rhinos and smuggle the horns abroad. Shooting rhinos is legal  provided the animal is too old to reproduce and the objective is to procure a trophy rather than sell the horn.

Thats a loophole and a half for criminals, and they take full advantage. One swizz involves hiring Thai sex workers to ostensibly hunt the animals. They are just window dressing  while the womens names are on the hunting permits, but seasoned poachers carry out the killings. The ultimate aim, says one expert, is to drive all 27,000 rhinos in the world into extinction. Rhino horns will increase in value. Its a futures commodity, explains anti-trafficking campaigner Steve Galster. Species numbers are going down. Theyre getting excited about that. 

Its a tale with many moving parts and some surprises. The importance of rhino horn in Chinese traditional medicine is well known. However, its in Vietnam, where the economy has gone into overdrive in the past 15 years, that the market has truly boomed. Rhino horn lets you drink a lot without getting drunk, says one devotee. It detoxifies the body. Pure urban myth  but it doesnt stop people paying 130 a shot for rhino-infused vodka as a way of avoiding a hangover.

The museum robberies in Europe are traced to an Irish traveller gang based in Rathkeale in Limerick. Meanwhile, in South Africa, whistleblower J helps authorities take down the middleman for an animal dealer in Laos estimated to be making $750,000 a day dealing in contraband critters. He is described, with only a hint of hyperbole, as the Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking.

When a South African judge hands the fixer a 40-year jail sentence, campaigners hail the decision as a landmark. The following year, rhino poaching in South Africa increases 25 per cent. You take a guy out of the equation, if the money is still there, someone else in organised crime is going to take their place very quickly, says Galster.

The depressing message at the end of an absorbing series is that, for all the authoritiess good work, the rhino horn boom shows no sign of ending. For as long as that remains the case, animals will continue to be mutilated, their death whimpers drowned out by the deafening rustle of cash.

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On New Year's Eve, Queen Margrethe surprised the world when she announced she would be abdicating in two weeks, passing the throne to her eldest son, Prince Frederik (who will soon reign as King Frederik X). When she abdicates, the Danish royal family notes, " it will be the first time in nearly 900 years that this has happened in Denmark."

But while abdicationgiving up the thronemay be rare in Denmark, there are a few examples of abdication in the modern era that Margrethe could've looked towards, including Queen Beatrix (2013, the Netherlands), King Juan Carlos I (2014, Spain), and Emperor Akihito (2019, Japan). Here, a guide to abdication in the 21st century:

2024: Queen Margrethe of Denmark

Abdication date: January 14, 2024

Age at abdication: 83 years old

Length of reign: 52 years

Succeeded by: Her son, Prince Frederik, who will become King Frederik X



Queen Margrethe announced her plans to abdicate in her New Year's Eve address, saying, "I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik."

Pictured: Queen Margrethe delivers her New Year's speech, announcing her plans to abdicate in two weeks' time.

KELD NAVNTOFT - Getty Images

2019: Emperor Akihito of Japan

Abdication date: April 30, 2019

Age at abdication: 85 years old

Length of reign: 30 years

Succeeded by: His son, the now-Emperor Naruhito

Emperor Akihito became the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in nearly 200 years. "I am deeply grateful for the people that accepted me as a symbol and supported me," Emperor Akihito said upon his abdication. "I sincerely wish, together with the Empress, that the Reiwa era which begins tomorrow will be a stable and fruitful one. I pray, with all my heart, for peace and happiness for all the people in Japan and around the world."

Pictured: Emperor Akihito attends the abdication ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan.

Handout - Getty Images

2014: King Juan Carlos I of Spain

Abdication date: June 19, 2014

Age at abdication: 85 years old

Length of reign: 39 years

Succeeded by: His son, the now-King Felipe VI

The official reason given was age, but, it came after news of an affair, an elephant hunting safari, and a corruption investigation involving his son-in-law.

Read more: Juan Carlos I and the Spanish Royal Family's Game of Thrones

Juan Naharro Gimenez - Getty Images

2013: King Albert II of Belgium

Abdication date: July 21, 2013

Age at abdication: 75 years old

Length of reign: 20 years

Succeeded by: His son, the now-King Philippe

"I realize that my age and my health are no longer allowing me to carry out my duties as I would like to," he said in his abdication announcement. "Prince Philippe is well prepared to succeed me."

Pictured: King Albert II in front of the Cathedral of St Michael and Saint Gudula prior to the Inauguration of King Philippe.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos - Getty Images

2013: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

Abdication date: April 30, 2013

Age at abdication: 75 years old

Length of reign: 33 years

Succeeded by: Her son, the now-King Willem Alexander



Queen Beatrix followed Dutch tradition, becoming the third monarch in a row to abdicate. (Her mother, Queen Juliana, abdicated on her 71st birthday, and her grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina abdicated at the age of 68.) She's now known as Princess Beatrix, and greeted crowds on the day of her abdication, saying, ""I am happy and grateful to introduce to you your new king, Willem-Alexander."

Pictured: Queen Beatrix and King Willem Alexander appear on the balcony of the Royal Palace to greet the public after her abdication and ahead of the Inauguration of King Willem Alexander.

Pascal Le Segretain - Getty Images

2013: Emir Hamad bin Khalifa of Qatar

Abdication date: June 25, 2013

Age at abdication: 61 years old

Length of reign: 18 years

Succeeded by: His fourth son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani

He deposed his father in a bloodlesss coup in 1995, but the transition to power for his son was much smoother due to the abdication. Sheikh Hamad simply stated, "I declare that I will hand over the reins of power to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and I am fully certain that he is up to the responsibility, deserving the confidence, capable of shouldering the responsibility and fulfilling the mission."

Pictured: Sheikh Hamad days before announcing his abdiccation.

AFP - Getty Images

2006: King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan

Abdication date: December 14, 2006

Age at abdication: 50 years old

Length of reign: 34 years

Succeeded by: His eldest son, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck acceded to the Dragon throne when he was just 16 years old, and stepped down in favor of his 28-year-old son. "The crown prince has much to learn about the responsibilities that go with ruling the country," he said at the time. "I have decided to step down so that the new king will be able to gather experience before the parliamentary elections in 2008."



Pictured: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, left, and his father, former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck during a coronation celebration at the Chang-Lime-Thang stadium on November 8, 2008 in Thimphu

Paula Bronstein - Getty Images

2004: King Nordom Sihanouk of Cambodia

Abdication date: October 7, 2004

Age at abdication: 81 years old

Length of reign: A little complicatedhe reigned from 1941 to 1955, abdicated and was succeeded by his father. He then was prime minister, Chief of State, exiled, reinstated as king in 1993, then abdicated again in 2004. Technically, then, 24 years.

Succeeded by: His eldest son, King Norodom Sihamoni

Pictured: King Norodom Sihamoni (R) and his father, king Norodom Sihanouk (L) and Cambodian people at Phnom Penh airport.

PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL - Getty Images

2000: Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

Abdication date: October 7, 2000

Age at abdication: 79 years old

Length of reign: 36 years

Succeeded by: His son, Grand Duke Henri

Grand Duke Jean took the Luxembourg throne after his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, abdicated in 1964. Decades later, he would abdicate in favor of his eldest son, Prince Henri.

Pictured: Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duke Henri on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace on the day of the abdication.

Raymond Reuter - Getty Images

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Getting fired is never easy but it's even worse when you or someone you know gets fired for an unexpected or sometimes unreasonable reason. This thread where a Redditor asked, "What's the most ridiculous reason you've seen someone get fired for?" is filled with some jaw-dropping responses. Here is what some people had to say.

Anchalee Phanmaha / Getty Images

1."I had a supervisor who I didn't like much but the reason she got fired was insane. She wrote an email to management about an obvious safety hazard, which was probably the only decent thing she ever did in that job, and security escorted her out when she arrived for her shift the next day."

u/ihopeyoulikeapples

2."Not that shocking but still gets me angry to this day. A company I worked at prides itself annoyingly on us learning with a trial-by-fire approach. You just get staffed with another associate and learn as you go. As a more senior associate, I got paired up with new associates to be trained. I got one who when we started, I was told by the VP in charge of professional development to let her know if there were any issues because this guy was known (literally 3 weeks into him starting) for 'not getting it.'"

"The first assignment I worked on with him, he was asking foundational questions. Eventually, I said this should be pretty similar across cases so if you remember from your first case and he told me he had no training on his first case. The other associate assigned to the project with him was on leave for the entirety of the case and whenever he asked the lead on the project for help, he got turned away and was told to 'figure it out.'

I trained him again and he was a solid associate once he knew what he was doing but his reputation was tarnished. They let him go a few weeks later."

u/PhiloPhocion

3."Over-performing. I shit you not. About 15 years ago, my cousin got fired from a call center manager position for this because her team's stats were making the rest of the teams look like lazy slackers (which they apparently were) because her team's stats were so far ahead of everyone else's. Yet they were constantly riding everyone about stats, even to the point of writing up other managers for their low performance, so it was even more confusing that they fired her for over-performing."

"She filed for unemployment, they tried to fight it, and I helped her with the hearing (it was by phone so I was just typing things for her to read or say), where even the hearing officer was shocked, not only because of the reasoning, but because they actually told the truth about it like it was somehow a bad thing and should be a reason to deny her claim. Needless to say, she got unemployment and had a new job about a month later which she's been at ever since." u/ThisAccountIsStolen Miniseries / Getty Images

4."For crying after she got yelled at. Seriously the boss pulled one of the newer employees into his office and started yelling at her about what a bad job she had been doing. Ill admit she wasnt doing great, but the job had a learning curve and she had only been there about a month."

"She started crying. We could hear the whole thing, as we could every time he did this to somebody. He was a real piece of shit, this guy. Anyway, the more she cried, the louder and angrier he got, and eventually he just yelled 'GET OUT OF MY FACE YOU DON'T WORK HERE ANYMORE!'

I quit two days later with no notice. Three more people quit the next week. I was told they had trouble keeping a minimum staff for at least a couple of years after that. I stopped following the drama several years ago because Im trying to not be such a petty asshole anymore."

u/macaroni_3000

5."I saw a girl get fired from the office I worked at because she wanted to use the microwave to heat up her lunch  that was HER FIRST DAY! The office manager hated the smell of food in the office, so everyone had to eat out, even though we had a fully working kitchen."

"So, the new girl got into an argument with the office manager, shouts were shouted, screams were screamed and the newbie was called down by the HR."

u/ChangetheGame20

6."Someone I knew worked for a huge religious 'charity' working security in the homeless shelter they run. The shelter collects donations all year, including food. When people donate food that can cause allergies, they do not include it in their Christmas hampers, they throw it in a dumpster. Perfectly good food thrown in a dumpster instead of gifted to their residents or donated elsewhere. So this guy I knew went dumpster diving after his shift. Got fired over a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates that were in the garbage anyways. They called it 'stealing' and somehow still think they are a good charity doing 'the lords work.'"

u/Cabbage-floss Tim Grist Photography / Getty Images

7."A woman got fired because her daughter was sick too many times. Here in Germany, when you are a parent and your kid gets sick, you are allowed to stay away from work or get a home office, so that you can take care of it. But if your boss gets suspicious because it happens too often, then he can fire you. Her daughter has a heart problem, and that means doctor appointments, hospital visits, and so on. Her boss knew that already because she worked there already over six years (her daughter was already born before she took the job). But he played the asshole and threw her out. She sued his ass off for that."

u/DarknessOfYourSoul

8."I got fired as a long-term temp back in 2002 when the company I worked for didnt have separate logins for the computer, and a coworker accessed porn on the shared login computer we used. He blamed me even though I had caught him looking at it. They fired me because he was permanent and I was temp, even though my stats were also kicking his ass. Ridiculous! I was so pissed."

u/funkcatbrown

9."I got fired from a summer camp I worked for when one of the campers who is autistic was being bullied and no other counselor was stepping in. The boss of the camp said a little bullying never hurt anyone and boy did those words come back to haunt them. I managed to hide a tape recorder in my pocketbook when I went to work the next day. As I had hoped, I was called into the boss' office and was told I was fired for interfering with the problem the other day."

"I had hit record on a tape recorder before going in, and I got the boss again to repeat what they said to me the previous day and it was all the evidence needed for the parents who thanked me for helping their child. In the end, both the boss as well parents of the bully and the camp all paid a hefty price with the camp being shut down and me getting a good share of the money paid to the family as well myself when the court ruled the family was discriminated against and I was wrongfully terminated for doing the right thing."

u/Goddessviking86

10."My boss got fired for posting a YouTube video on Facebook. We had a strict social media policy."

u/1mamapajama Picture Alliance / dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

11."One time someone nearly got fired over using a gift card a customer gave them after using most of it. The gift card had like six cents on it."

u/TrickyPickle1773

12."I was given a different position than I was hired and trained for. This different position barely had any work. I'm saying I'd be done with my entire workload within three hours of clocking in. I kept going to my boss to ask for more work. After a few days of this, I was let go  for asking for more work."

u/3fluffypotatoes

13."I got fired because I wasn't keeping up with others. We were filling pallets to be moved. I was filling fewer pallets than the others. The problem was that I was working by myself, and everyone else was working in pairs. I was doing it more efficiently and getting twice as much stuff on a pallet. So in reality, I was doing as much work as two other people together."

"I think the supervisor just didn't like me. But he wasn't my supervisor, nor did he have the authority to fire anyone. I was supposed to go work in another department after this project was done. This guy ended up getting fired for pulling this."

u/theFooMart

14."This guy was in charge of new employee training and making all their travel arrangements. Instead of giving the hotel meal vouchers to the employees, he proceeds to gorge himself every morning at the breakfast buffet. A couple weeks of that and the hotel staff caught on because of how much food they were going through. I received a picture from the hotel management of the guy mid-bite asking if he was one of our employees. I went to HR and they walked him out of the building not long after."

u/ootenworpin

15."A female employee got a foot tattoo. She worked at a beach restaurant and they could wear sandals. The owner slut shamed her and fired her...over a shamrock on her foot."

u/Gladysfartz Ferrantraite / Getty Images

Have you or a coworker ever gotten fired for something unreasonable or wild? Share it with me in the comments below!
Muay Thai fighter Mia Kang ended 2023 with some much needed R&R, and she celebrated her 35th birthday in style. The two-time SI Swimsuit model, who was captured in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, traveled to Phuket, Thailand with her boyfriend, professional American mixed martial artist Khalil Rountree. She stunned in a figure-hugging, high-neck, ruched white mini dress on the big day, Dec. 30.

The most magical little birthday dinner  @akoya.star.lounge, the Hong Kong native, who is of English and South Korean descent, captioned an Instagram carousel she shared with her 285,000 followers. She accessorized with chunky silver hoop earrings and sipped on a sparkly drink as she was captured in front of a magnificent evening ocean view. Her jet black locks were slicked back into a perfect bun and she opted for a full-glam look, including a glass skin base, feathered brows, rosy blush and a matte mauve lip.

Kang set her location as the V Villas Phuket, and tagged the Akoya Star Lounge, a luxury rooftop bar overlooking the Ao Yon Bay, where she had a fancy birthday dinner with her 33-year-old beau.

Happy birthday, fellow SI Swimsuit model Hailey Clauson commented.

The cutest couple, one fan added.

What an amazing day. Cheers to another year spent, I wish you nothing but love and prosperity in the next! I love you Jr , Rountree sweetly chimed.

He also shared an adorable joint post video montage, set to Tylas hit Water from their vacation, simply including an infinity sign as the caption.

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!
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, long term Deutsche Telekom AG (ETR:DTE) shareholders have enjoyed a 48% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market return of around 5.9% (not including dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 19% in the last year , including dividends .

So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Deutsche Telekom

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 way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During five years of share price growth, Deutsche Telekom achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 7.8% per year. This EPS growth is remarkably close to the 8% average annual increase in the share price. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

XTRA:DTE Earnings Per Share Growth January 3rd 2024

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Deutsche Telekom's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Deutsche Telekom's TSR for the last 5 years was 79%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Deutsche Telekom shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 19% over the last year. That's including the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 12% 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. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Deutsche Telekom you should know about.

Of course Deutsche Telekom may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

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.
It won't cost you a cent to visit some of Arizona's prized natural landmarks on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2024.

National and state parks in Arizona will offer free admission on Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of MLK Day 2024. Fees still apply for camping and other activities.

MLK Day is the first of six free days in 2024 at America's national parks, when admission fees are waived at parks that charge them.

Arizona state parks are free to enter on MLK Day 2024 as well, but only for Arizona residents.

Here's how to visit a state or national park for free on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

MLK Day 2024 events: Honor Dr. King's legacy at these metro Phoenix marches, parades, concerts

Is Grand Canyon free on MLK Day?

Yes. In Arizona, National Park Service sites that charge entry fees are offering free admission on Jan. 15, 2024. These include Grand Canyon, Saguaro and Petrified Forest national parks, as well as national monuments like Sunset Crater Volcano in Flagstaff and Montezuma Castle in Camp Verde, and national recreation areas like Glen Canyon in Page.

Arizona State Parks within 100 miles of metro Phoenix include Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, McFarland State Historic Park in Florence, Oracle State Park in Oracle, Picacho Peak State Park near Eloy and Tonto Natural Bridge State Park near Payson.

How to get free admission to national and state parks on MLK Day 2024

When you go to a national park, you will not need to pay an entry fee at the gate.

Entry fees at Arizona state parks are waived for Arizona residents only. You will need to show an Arizona ID at the gate as proof of residency, according to Arizona State Parks and Trails.

When is MLK Day 2024? What Martin Luther King Jr. is known for and how to honor his civil rights legacy

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @salerno_phx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: National parks freebies for MLK Day 2024: Here's a guide
Editors Note: This CNN Travel series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos within the sponsorship, in compliance with our policy.

In one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, there is a monument carved into sandstone, surrounded by date farms and dusty two-lane roads.

This is Hegra.

Also known as al-Hijr or Madain Saleh, Hegra is the crown jewel of Saudi Arabias archaeological attractions and was the first place in the country inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Built between the first century BCE and the first century CE, this ancient city includes an impressive necropolis, with tombs carved into sandstone set against the sweeping desert landscape of northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Petra, the famous site in Jordan, was the capital of the Nabatean people, while Hegra was the kingdoms southern outpost until it was abandoned in the 12th century.

But while Petra is one of the seven wonders of the modern world and welcomed more than one million visitors per year before the pandemic, Hegra has only been accessible for most international visitors since 2019, when Saudi Arabia first began issuing tourist visas.

Although Hegra doesnt yet have the same widespread name recognition, that is changing thanks to AlUla, the nearby oasis town that has developed into an arts, culture and tourism hub and now boasts a small but well connected airport, with regular flights from Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dubai.

Out of historys shadows

The Nabateans are believed to have traded aromatics, like incense and spices, many of which are used in religious rituals.

Two of those were frankincense and myrrh, which many Westerners will recognize as gifts brought to the infant Jesus in the Christian Bible.

But most of their culture has been lost to history. Now, increased investment in archeology from the Saudi government means that more and more information is coming out of Hegra and other Nabatean sites.

Weve all heard of the Assyrians, weve all heard of the Mesopotamians, says Wayne Bowen, professor of history at the University of Central Florida. But (the Nabateans) stood up to the Romans, they stood up to the Hellenistic Greeks, they had this incredible system of cisterns in the desert, controlled the trade routes. I think they just get absorbed in the story of the growth of the Roman Empire.

"Hinat" greets travelers at the Hegra visitor's center. - Royal Commission for AlUla/Handout/Reuters

Though the Nabateans didnt leave much behind in the way of historical documentation, one of their cultures achievements continues to play a huge role in the region  the Nabatean alphabet laid the foundations of modern Arabic.

Recently, some historians literally put a face to the Nabateans.

In early 2023, they revealed Hinat, the reconstructed face of a Nabatean woman whose remains were found in the desert. Now, travelers can see her in the Hegra visitors center.

On the sandy ground

Upon arriving at the visitors center, guests are welcomed with dates and cups of Saudi coffee, which is very lightly brewed and often mixed with cardamom. Its poured out of a traditional silver urn with a curved spout.

From there, they can jump into a vintage midcentury-style Land Rover (with or without a roof, depending on the weather) with a guide and set off to explore.

Like many places in this sun-soaked part of the world, AlUla and the surrounding region is best to visit early in the morning or evening. That goes even more so at Hegra, which doesnt have trees or structures to block out the scorching midday sun.

The Nabateans were a nomadic people, so theres not much left of their daily lives. What remains, though, are their incredible final resting places.

Though unfinished, Qasr al-Farid is one of the most stunning landmarks at Hegra. - Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

In total, there are around 115 known and numbered tombs.

The most famous of these is Qasr al-Farid (Arabic for the lonely castle) which stands proudly alone, its 72-foot structure dramatically set against an expanse of sand. The contrast makes for an excellent photo backdrop, especially just before sunset as pinkish-orange light sets off the desert tones.

One tomb at a time is open to visitors who want to take a peek inside. These open tombs are rotated through so that no single one gets too much foot traffic.

However, theyre much more intricate and interesting on the outside.

The area around the door frames can show names of the people buried there. Design details give clues about where the residents may have traveled from. Images of phoenixes, eagles, and snakes imply familiarity with cultures as far away as Greece and Egypt.

Expand your search

Many visitors combine their Hegra trip with visits to the smaller nearby historic sites of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah.

In the valley of Jabal Ikmah, which the Saudis refer to as an open-air library, you can see a range of carved inscriptions in Aramaic, Dadanitic, Thamudic, Minaic and Nabataean, all of which provide glimmers of insight into the rich history of this region. Translations are shown in Arabic, English, and sometimes French, as French monks were early visitors to the area.

Dadan, meanwhile, was once home to a key pre-Islamic trading city, where spice vendors mingled with religious pilgrims.

Its most notable site is the Lion Tombs, a group of mausoleums decorated with  as the name indicates  carvings of lions.

At Dadan, tombs are carved into the cliffsides. - Matthew Starling/iStockphoto/Getty Images

Its simple to visit all three of these sites in a single day. The easiest way to book is via the website of the areas official government-run tourism body, Experience AlUla. Travelers in a hurry can book a two-hour tour, but there are also afternoon- and day-long options.

Dont miss the covered outdoor station near the Hegra visitors center, where you can practice using a small chisel to carve your name or initials into pieces of stone.

The amount of effort involved will make you really appreciate how much work the Nabateans put into creating these masterpieces. Miniature versions of Hegras most magnificent structures, made by the women who run this workshop, are available for sale as well.

The future

These days, Petra is focused on preservation and combating over-tourism, which gives Hegra the opportunity to grow and attract more visitors.

According to David Graf, professor emeritus of Middle Eastern History at the University of Miami, many of the archaeologists who formerly led excavations at Petra are relocating to Saudi Arabia, which likely means there will be new discoveries in the years to come.

It also means that more people around the world will learn about the Nabateans and their contributions to history.

The Nabataeans were a very cosmopolitan, sophisticated culture, and Ive been trying to emphasize that, says Graf, who continues to publish articles and give talks in his retirement.

We didnt know a lot about the Nabataeans. Ive been on the mission to see that we know more about them. That we see them as not backward and primitive, but really engaged and involved, and dynamic people who were interacting with Rome and the Greek world and other cultures.

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Anyone who went to the cinema to watch Napoleon towards the latter end of 2023 will have been reminded of the emperors plans to invade Britain. These didnt come to much  plans to invade Britain rarely do  but they did exist. They exemplified a long-standing Gallic conviction that Britain would benefit from being run by the French.

Having lived among the French for decades, I suspect the conviction persists. Not as an actual stated policy. There will be no grande armee glowering across the Channel from Boulogne any time soon. Or ever. Its more an ill-defined sense that the French could manage certain things better. Not everything. Naturally, theyd screw up a lot  pubs, TV, the monarchy, rock n roll, jurisprudence, punctuality  but theyd improve other elements of our national life. I must say, I sort of agree on certain points, including the following.

Seaside towns

The French are good at preserving a veneer of class and savoir-vivre about even the most popular of their seaside resorts, the ones where Mr and Madame Jacques Public take their children on hols, whether on the Atlantic or Mediterranean coasts.

Thanks to the weather, the French flock to the country's many beaches - Getty

Compare and contrast with so many British seaside towns  which seem to have slipped through the time-space continuum to a parallel world of bingo parlours, tack, burger shacks (three for 1), fortune teller cabins embellished with fading photos of Mike and Bernie Winters, and markets which would have Eritrean refugees longing for home.

Id expect French rule to usher in bright seafood restaurants, surfing and diving schools, bars where the clientele didnt look as though theyd been thrown out of every other pub in town, markets for others than the desperate and relaxed sauntering in clothes which fit. The imposition of sunshine would, of course, also help.

Really dreadful food

In the not-too-distant past, Ive been in the Ribble Valley, Yorkshire Dales, the Fylde and Lake District, not to mention South Wales and Hampshire. I ate splendidly most of the time. So I know that, at the top end, and in the middle, of the market, British food holds its own with French. (And, if I didnt know, I am confident that Id soon be told.) Its at the bottom end that things go awry. In France, even if you dont spend much you usually  not always, but usually  get something edible.

You can't go wrong with seafood in France - Getty

In Britain, you might but you also very much might not. In the zones mentioned above, I have also, occasionally, eaten meals so miserable and drunk coffee so unidentifiable that I dont wish to think about them. The French would envisage a military solution, sending in armoured food-trucks and crack squads of caterers. Id pay good money to see them take on certain, especially seaside, cafes, and blow them to smithereens.

Healthcare

By a process too long to go into, France has devised a system where you might consult a real doctor  a flesh and blood person seated behind a desk with you on the other side, just like you see in vintage British films  before the week is out. You might subsequently get the hip replaced, or the leg amputated, before its way too late, you decide to cut out the middle man and go direct to the Last Rites.

Theres more, obviously. A lot more. Including the health benefits of the French mastery of dire television programmes. This urges citizens from the settee towards outdoor pursuits, an enormous advantage in keeping le peuple fat-free. The fact, also, that many might work when they feel like it, and retire whenever that gets too much, eases stress, therefore pressure on the health service. Such measures would work wonders in Britain.

X-rated

Almost certainly, and happily, a French takeover would result in less attention being paid to x-rated matters. This isnt because the French are less active. Theres no evidence for this at all. Really none. Quite the reverse. But somehow the subject isnt considered newsworthy. That some French people are at it like knives raises no eyebrows.

Simply put, the French are not particularly surprised by sex, conceivably because they lack a tabloid press to raise the alarm. Its part of the warp and weft of daily life, like driving, shopping and striking. Why would you devote four pages to a sex-rat from Love Islands dalliance with a voluptuous influencer in Dubai? You wouldnt. The improvement of our nations mental health would ring bells.

City centres

Id very much expect French rulers to enliven British city centres, many of which, at present (as Ive observed before), are overwhelmed by charity shops, estate agents and building societies, all for a pound bazaars, telephone warehouses, fried chicken joints and pop-up greetings cards outlets.

By contrast, French centres  not invariably, but usually  have retained some proper purpose, with shops selling stuff that people need and want (butchers, bakers, greengrocers, jewellers), markets, family-run restaurants, neighbourhood bars, the whole alive with the thrum of urban life withal. It may be because  almost certainly is because  all the citizens havent cleared off to the suburbs. Lots still live in the centres. They need, and generate, life  and, by the same token, dont cede the centres to drink-addled neer-do-wells come evening-tide. Id be happy to spearhead a task force on this one.

French city centres are brimming with markets, butchers and greengrocers - Getty

Heritage

The French preserve their heritage as if their nation depended on it. Which, in their view, it does. This can go to extremes. You occasionally have to stop them sanctifying Johnny Hallyday or slapping an order on any wall more than 30 years old. That aside, however they argue that you cant know where youre going if you dont know where youve been  and where theyve been is embodied in all those churches, chateaux, manors, town houses and industrial sites.Which are consequently preserved with gusto. And without embarrassment.

So we might expect an end to the British hand-wringing because the past didnt observe 21st-century norms. The French dont fall for such tomfoolery. As every nations, their past has dark patches. They recognise the problem. Take Nantes, a city whose grandeur was much financed by the slave trade. Theyve faced this, covered it amid other history in the city museum, installed a magnificent, four-acre planted walk as a memorial to the abolition of slavery, and then got on with life. If transferred to Britain, this might shut up some of our more irritating fellow citizens.

The French are passionate about preserving their heritage - Alamy Stock Photo

Politeness

With a French take-over, Id be looking for increased public formality and politeness. A return to thou and ye would be excessive, but an increase in good-days and a decrease in were-all-mates mateyness would serve the nation well. As would a concomitant improvement in speech and diction. Wed not need to speak French but would be required to speak English correctly as French people  even in vox pops on TV  generally speak their own language correctly.

People saying yeah, well, like, its like whatev, omitting the ts in words like omitting, or failing to express their joy at scoring a hat-trick in proper sentences, would be required to answer for their actions. As would people who split infinitives, misused the words hopefully and decimated or said at the end of the day. And that would be just a start.

Lunches

Having been reduced in scope since the last century, lunches in general could do with re-lengthening beyond sandwiches and pasta bowls, back to four courses, wine and cheese before pud (cheese after pud making no sense at all). I think the French could manage this. Last week, I was in Narbonne where I learned that the lunches of local lad Charles Trenet  the famed warbler  might last anything from six to 12 hours. And he ended up loaded. Theres a lesson there for our country.

Long lunches are an institution in France - Getty

Festivals and fetes

British festivals are great, if muddy. French ones are less muddy and much more widespread, not least because public money gets pumped in. Culture is deemed a priority. Should similar policies be pursued in Britain, Id bank on an annual festival in every village, and good festivals, too.

The open-air theatre of our village (population 2,000) has hosted stars of status equivalent to that of Julie Walters or Simon Callow. (Annie Girardot and Michel Galabru, since you ask.) French villages dont mess about with mediocre. Meanwhile, they wouldnt reckon much to home-made sponge cakes, performing police dogs and wild flower competitions as constituents of a village fete. Their more full-blooded tendency is towards bull-running, water-borne jousting, eating and drinking until the early hours. I doubt wed see much opposition to this in Britain.

General knowledge

A while back, I was in a pub in Reading. It was pouring down outside. A regular came in, dripping. The weathers turned inclement, he said at the bar. The barmaid looked astounded. Christ, whos swallowed the f-----g dictionary, then? she cried. British people are at least as bright as the French. We just dont like to admit it. The French, by contrast, arent at all embarrassed about knowing stuff. They dont colour up if suspected of being acquainted with the work of Voltaire, Victor Hugo or Marie Curie. Or with words like inclement. The disdain of cleverness  the elevation of the thick  never caught on across the Channel. I think we might benefit from a bit of that.

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Norse Atlantic Airways will launch a new route from New York's JFK to Greece in May of this year.

Christine Burroni/Travel +Leisure

It just got easier to visit Greece from the United States.



Norse Atlantic Airways, a low-cost airline based in Oslo, Norway, announced a new route between New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and Athens International Airport in Greece on Wednesday. The flight will operate five times per week from May 30, 2024 through Oct. 26, 2024, the airline shared with Travel + Leisure.



The new flight has a duration of 9 hours and 35 minutes. Currently, the airline operates service between New York and Athens with a stopover in Londons Gatwick airport for a total duration of 18 hours.



This launch underscores our commitment to meeting the evolving travel needs of our passengers," Norse Atlantic Airways CEO and Founder Bjorn Tore Larsen said in a statement shared with T+L. "We believe this route will not only cater to the demand for travel to Greece but will also create opportunities for cultural exchange and business collaborations between these two vibrant destinations,



The airline promotes that tickets on the new route start at $249, which T+L spotted throughout September and October. However, one-way fares during the summer range between $528 through $1,039.

Norse points out that the flight can also be utilized as a connection point where travelers can book separate connection flights to the Greek islands such as Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Naxos, and Milos.

The flight will operate on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which offers two cabin options that include Economy and Norse Premium. Passengers can enhance their ticket by purchasing add-ons such as additional meal services, checked luggage, advance seat assignment, and more.



For travelers interested in visiting Greece, there's no shortage of sights from its capital city to its beautiful beaches. Throughout 2024, several new properties will open in Santorini, which was described as the most Instagrammable island in Greece, including the 37-suite luxury resort Santo Mine Oia Suites and the new The Villas by Santo Collection.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Is this the ultimate proof that kids are growing up way too fast?

Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez / Getty Images

In fourth grade, some of my daughters friends started getting cell phones and wearing makeup. Meanwhile, my kindergartener and toddler already know how to use iPads and navigate through YouTube videos. Sigh.

Kids are growing up way too fast. But perhaps the ultimate proof that we are pushing children to act older than they are earlier and earlier is a Fisher Price activity center that one mom on TikTok is calling "baby's first cubicle.

The creator, who shares content using the handle @stealth_revenger, posted a video reviewing a toy she purchased for her little one that she didnt really take a close look at prior to gifting it. Later, the mom was horrified to see how much the activity center resembled an office space, as it features a computer, a mouse, and even a succulent to provide much-needed serenity after stressful meetings with co-workers.

Also on hand for baby to play with? A coffee cup, tissues, a calendar, a tape dispenser, an iPhone, mock earbuds, and Post-Its. But the most ghastly features of the play center are the messages baby will hear upon pushing the buttons. The toy says things like Per my last email, lets pencil in some playtime. Or how about a song that cheerfully describes eating something yummy, then going back to work with a full tummy.

As the mom explores her babys new toy, she looks increasingly upset. She discovers that the phone in the baby's "office" rings randomly, even when no button is pressedbecause modern society dictates that we are never really unavailable.

The mom dissolves into hysterics at one point, when the toy exclaims, Oops, I was on mute. Then, she hears another song about working from home but wishing to be on vacation. Instead of just using baby's imagination, per the song, the mom sings her own tune of, indoctrination.

Its scary how much the toy seems to push the agenda that work basically sucks. And when better to learn that lesson than before a year old? I was shaking my head already, but then, comments to this moms post are literally the best part of the share.

One person laments, This is a cry for help. Someone check on the Fisher Price office workers. They are not OK.

This is dark, someone else says, while another commenter blasts the toy by exclaiming, If a toddler tells me to circle back to something Im gonna lose it.

Other commenters refuse to believe the toy is even real, while many just digitally shook their heads at how sad the toy is. A much-repeated sentiment expressed that the toy is basically proof of a dystopia.

Its worth noting Fisher Price even admits that its toy encourages babies to be Like a Boss since thats the actual name of the activity center. The description of the learning toy even boasts, Hold their calls because your little CEO will have so much to do in the Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Like a Boss Activity Center. The activity center even eventually transitions into a standing desk, so baby's lifestyle doesn't creep into sedentary territory.

The toy has earned rave reviews on Amazon, with 4.8 stars, and thousands of glowing reviews. So clearly not everyone has a problem with the concept. Over here, Im just left grossed out and wondering whats nextbabys first mortgage payment calculator?



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Read the original article on Parents.
Splashy Starbucks cold drinks come and go, the recent arrivals being a collection of 12 all-new icy Refresher beverages, including the fan-fave Pink Drink. But long before the updated Refreshers were a gleam in the eyes of SBUX drink creators, the much-touted Fizzio handcrafted sodas became the company's effervescent hopefuls. Bubbling up the 2014 summer cold-drink scene at Starbucks, the carbonated sodas were made-to-order rather than presented in cans or streamed from a fountain.

The three Fizzio flavors mimicked old-fashioned retro soda-fountain drinks, including Spiced Root Beer, Golden Ginger Ale, and Lemon Ale  with a modern Starbucks twist, of course. Fizzios had their own dedicated carbonation machine, with baristas hand-making the drinks using real sugar cane rather than high fructose corn syrup. The concentrated flavor base came from premium ingredients rather than sugary sweet syrups, and there were no artificial flavors or ingredients. Customers could add extra fizz and customize to their heart's content. It seems there was even some slight expansion of the line, or at least a secret-menu flavor called an Orange Cream Fizzio.

What could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately, the jazzy new sodas simply disappeared. Only a few dumbfounded reporters bothered to dig up potential reasons, but by that time, Starbucks aficionados had moved on to the next and newest offerings. Here's what we know, or at least what can be surmised.

Read more: 15 Boba Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

The Slow Fizz Out

Starbucks drink

Similar to current Starbucks Refresher drinks, the Fizzio line contained no coffee, no caffeine, and no alcohol, in the same vein as other experimental offerings over the years. Perhaps they were going for afternoon crowds or young consumers to which caffeinated espressos and lattes had diminished appeal. Fizzios also had fewer than 100 calories in a grande size, making them lighter and less indulgent than creamy, syrup-based alternatives. Starbucks gambled fairly big on potential Fizzio success, dropping the drinks onto about one-third of its store menus across the United States.

Within about two years after the big Fizzio launch, the drinks gradually and quietly slid off all those menus. Whether the idea was too ambitious or simply fell too far outside the Starbucks core product line is hard to say. It's no real surprise that Starbucks would expand its line with carbonated beverages in 2014, considering the industry-wide buzz in which house-made sodas topped the 2013 list of beverage trends reported by the National Restaurant Association. But there's always a risk when a food or drink purveyor known for a very specific product branches beyond its roots, similar to how diners go to a pizzeria for pizza, not hamburgers.

There's never been much conversation from Starbucks spokespersons about what happened, though The Motley Fool did obtain a brief statement in October 2016. There was an acknowledgment that Fizzios were no longer part of the menu, but that Starbucks remained committed to the carbonation platform.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.
An abortion rights demonstrator holds a sign near the US Capitol during the annual Women's March to support Women's Rights in Washington, DC, October 8, 2022. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Democrats are scrambling to put state abortion-rights initiatives on the ballot this year in the hope that the measures will drive turnout and boost their candidates in national and local elections.

But those initiatives may not give Democrats the lift they are aiming for, according to a POLITICO analysis of five abortion-related measures that have appeared on the ballot since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

Voters decisively upheld abortion rights in every single case. But those margins were largely driven by Republican voters who also voted for GOP candidates. And Democratic turnout didnt consistently increase in states with abortion referendums compared to those without. Several Democrats who were on the same ballots as abortion measures lost their races. Meanwhile, many Democrats who ran as champions of abortion rights even in states without accompanying referendums outperformed expectations.

It would be unwise for candidates in either party to think that an abortion-rights ballot initiative will automatically determine who wins or loses a race, cautioned John LaBombard, a longtime adviser of swing- and red-state Democrats, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). On the margins, ballot initiatives can help illuminate differences between the candidates  even in deeply red states where voters are increasingly likely to vote based on partisanship. But voters can view them separately from the initiative itself.

Efforts are underway to put abortion rights on the 2024 ballot in around a dozen states, including Arizona, Nevada and Florida, states that could have an outsized impact on control of the Senate and the presidential election.



As President Joe Biden signals he will make abortion a key plank of his reelection bid, and Democrats up and down the ballot work to channel ongoing public outrage over abortion bans, both Republican and Democratic strategists say the issue remains toxic for the GOP and that ballot initiatives could force candidates on both sides to talk about it and provide voters with a clear contrast.

Its not necessarily a death knell for Republicans but it is a net negative, said Stan Barnes, a political consultant and former Republican state senator in Arizona, where progressive groups are working to put an abortion-rights amendment before voters. The ballot measure drives the point and it compels candidates to take a position, and that can be a difficult thing to do for a pro-life candidate because most people want some sort of legal abortion right.



Democrats running in states where abortion-rights initiatives are in the works say they are not relying on the measures themselves  they plan to keep abortion front and center of their campaigns whether or not the issue is literally on the ballot.

In ruby-red Montana, for example, an initiative that would protect abortion rights is underway. But the reelection campaign of Sen. Jon Tester, one of the most vulnerable Democrats in 2024, told POLITICO it plans to emphasize abortion regardless.

2024 is poised to have the most abortion-rights ballot initiatives since Roe was overturned, with campaigns in the works in blue states like Maryland and red havens like Nebraska. Some of the measures would restore abortion access where its banned, while others would add protections and resources where the procedure is legal.

In New York, for example, left-leaning groups are pushing an amendment protecting abortion rights as part of an explicit strategy to boost Democratic turnout and swing key congressional races in 2024. The plan came on the heels of disastrous midterms for New York Democrats that fueled the GOPs success in flipping the House.

And in Florida, progressive groups are scrambling to gather enough signatures by February to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would nullify the states 15-week and 6-week abortion bans.



Those initiatives are likely to draw some support from Republican voters. The POLITICO analysis of data from five states that have held abortion referendums since 2022 shows varied levels of crossover voting, with a decisive share of voters in some states backing both Republican candidates and abortion rights.

That underscores the ambiguity for 2024, when a handful of states will have abortion rights on the same ballot as GOP candidates who support abortion restrictions. And although abortion referendums drew relatively high turnout for off-year elections, 2024 is the first test of the phenomenon in a presidential election year, when millions of voters who sat on the sidelines for the referendums are expected to cast ballots.

In Ohio, Republicans made up a greater share of the vote in the November 2023 abortion referendum than Democrats, according to a POLITICO analysis of voter records showing participation in partisan primaries over the last two years.

The geographic breakdown of votes in other states also did not indicate a surge in Democratic turnout.

In California, for example, 66.9 percent of voters approved a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights in 2022  more than 7 points ahead of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsoms reelection bid.

The measure succeeded in spite of low Democratic turnout: Turnout from 2020 to 2022 dropped the most in strong Democratic counties compared to Republican-inclined ones. Abortion rights still won big, driven by Republican crossover voters, but lower turnout among Democrats contributed to the partys struggles down ballot.



The effect of the ballot measures is even murkier in red states.

In Kentucky, where voters rejected a referendum last year that would have denied constitutional protections for abortion, turnout in the states handful of blue counties was about 2.5 percentage points better than the rest of the state. But that slight bump was not enough to boost Democratic candidates  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) won reelection by 23 points.

The political impact, however, varies from state to state, and Democrats who insist the referendums can make a difference point to Michigan. Voters there enshrined abortion rights in their state constitution in 2022, handed Democrats the majority in both legislative chambers for the first time in decades and reelected Democrats Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Jill Alper, the DNCs former political director and a Michigan-based campaign consultant, pointed in particular to women outpacing men in voter registrations leading up to the vote and the surge in youth turnout  which increased in the state by 3.8 percentage points even as it declined nationwide compared to the 2018 midterms.

There was something real at work there, she said. People are seeing this as an issue of freedom versus government interference, and I think it was pretty important to Whitmers victory.



Still, the effects of the referendum are difficult to parse in Michigan. The states implementation of automatic and same-day voter registration likely also boosted youth turnout. And turnout was strong in both heavily Democratic and heavily Republican areas. Abortion rights outperformed Whitmers 10-point margin the most in heavily Republican areas, suggesting the significance of crossover voters who voted for abortion rights but against Whitmer on the same ballot.

The issue of abortion has also helped Democrats prevail in states that did not directly put the question of access to voters, such as in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

These purple and red states  really showed that voters will come out to protect abortion access, regardless of whether or not it's on the ballot as an initiative or as a legislative action, or if it's a big contrast between the two candidates, said Kate Letzler Moore, who is managing former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powells (D-Fla.) Senate campaign. We believe that the same will be true in Florida.



Abortion messaging didnt stop Florida Democrat Val Demings from losing to Republican Sen. Marco Rubio by double digits in the 2022 Senate race. But Letzler Moore insists that the dynamics are different this year because Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has enacted a six-week ban that is currently blocked by the courts but could take effect anytime. She said the campaign will emphasize abortion rights and target Republican Sen. Rick Scott over his position regardless of whether the initiative moves forward  although it would obviously help if it is on the ballot.

Democrats hope the initiatives make the topic unavoidable for Republicans, many of whom have tried to skirt the issue.

[Abortion] being on the ballot reminds people, it makes it even more salient, said Nichole Johnson, campaign manager for Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running for Senate in Arizona as a Democrat. But regardless, it is going to be important.

Peter Koltak, a Democratic strategist advising Nevadas abortion-rights ballot initiative, said he expects the measure would increase turnout among younger voters, women, and Latino and Black voters  groups that typically support Democrats.



The evidence of that kind of turnout impact is mixed. Youth turnout, for example, did rise in some states with referendums, including Kansas, Michigan and Ohio  but also in some states without such initiatives, like Pennsylvanias 2022 election, where abortion was a key electoral issue but was not on the ballot.

Democratic campaigns are also finding that the abortion-rights messaging long assumed to scare away conservative voters is winning them over, especially if its framed as a fight against government overreach.

In Montana, where Democrats Senate majority could hinge on Testers reelection, his campaign manager, Shelbi Dantic, said he plans to emphasize the issue even if the states abortion-rights initiative doesnt hit its signature goal by June.

They don't want the government telling them what they can and can't do, Dantic said of the states electorate, which rejected an anti-abortion referendum in 2022. Montanans care a lot about personal freedom.

Ohio Democrats are similarly banking on voters remembering their support for last years states abortion-rights measure  confident that its more important for them to be seen as strong advocates for access and to draw a contrast with their opponents than to share the ballot with a referendum.

Once voters realize how out of the mainstream some Republicans are on this issue, it makes it hard for them to win support from one crucial group of voters in particular: suburban women, LaBombard said. We saw that in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, and its amplified in battleground states where control of the House and Senate will be up for grabs.
Carnival cruise passengers returned from the Bahamas to find their cars flooded by a storm on Dec. 11 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Exactly two weeks before Christmas, Brevard's Wesley and Stephanie Royal arrived back at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina following a four-night cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Carnival Cruise Sunshine.

When they got to the parking lot where their vehicle was, they were shocked. A storm had passed through the Charleston area a few days before, dumping over 4 inches of rain, and since the parking lot was so close to the shore, all the cars in the lot received storm damage from the saltwater, Stephanie Royal said.

"Over 400 cars were affected by the damage due to saltwater," she told the Times-News on Dec. 23.

None of the cars would start.

A long way home

Like all of the other passengers who parked in the lot damaged by the storm, the Royals had to scramble to figure out what to do so they could get back home when they encountered the shocking state of their cars at the port.

Stephanie and Wesley Royal of Brevard were on the Carnival cruise where passengers returned from the Bahamas to find their cars flooded by a storm in Charleston, South Carolina.

Stephanie Royal said no one was informed that their cars had received so much damage.

"When we came off the ship, none of the carnival staff informed us that this had occurred. The captain and crew on the ship didn't inform us either. Once we were rushed off the ship after being delayed 6 hours and got back to the lot, the Port Authority didn't inform us either," she said.

The bad weather didn't just affect the cars. The Royals said it was rough weather during most of the cruise, too, which made the return to Charleston delayed.

"We were originally due back at port by 7 a.m., but due to weather, we were delayed six hours, which put us back at port around 1 p.m. From 1-4 p.m. we were stranded," Stephanie Royal said. "We managed to get a rideshare to the airport for a car rental. We returned to the parking lot at 6 p.m. to get our belongings from my car. People were still stranded waiting on help."

She said she and her husband drove back to Brevard that evening and got home after 11 p.m. That was after spending $55 for a rideshare to the airport and an additional $400 for a rental car to get back home.

Who is responsible?

So far, South Carolina Ports Authority has only issued a refund of the parking fee, Stephanie Royal said.

"We got a parking refund but that's it. We're still waiting on final closure of our totaled vehicle from the insurance company.

Carnival cruise passengers returned from the Bahamas to find their cars flooded by a storm on Dec. 11 in Charleston, South Carolina.

According to past reporting by USA TODAY, a spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Lines said in an emailed statement, We regret that some of our guests vehicles parked in the ports lot were impacted by the recent storm.

The cruise line then suggested passengers contact the South Carolina Ports Authority, since the parking lot was not a Carnival facility.

More: Excluding restaurants, businesses that opened, closed in Hendersonville in 2023

According to an article in the Charleston Post and Courier, the South Carolina Ports Authority said it isnt responsible for the hundreds of cars damaged but did provide documentation vehicle owners can use to file insurance claims. The Ports Authority then refunded parking fees and allowed the vehicle owners to leave their cars in the lot for as long as they needed to.

"In my opinion isn't nearly enough to cover the length of getting back home and being stranded in an area we do not know well. I have also issued a complaint to the town of Charleston to make changes in how they handle parking there," Stephanie Royal said.

The Times-News reached out to the South Carolina Ports Authority on Jan. 2 but didn't receive a reply. There is a notice to cruise passengers on the Ports Authority's website, informing them that they are "parking at their own risk."

"SCPA assumes no liability for theft, collision, accidents, fire or other damages of any kind to personal property from any cause whatsoever. SCPA assumes no responsibility or liability for property left in a vehicle,"the website says.

Passengers disembark from the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship Monday, March 16, 2020, in Charleston, S.C.

Stephanie Royal said passengers leaving for the Carnival cruise out of Charleston are forced to park in one of the Ports Authority parking lots, which are at sea level.

"We have no choice as passengers but to park there to board the ship. We even had a rough cruise due to the weather, which didn't make the return any better," she said.

'A mess that could've been prevented'

Stephanie Royal is hoping the incident will cause big changes for the cruise parking in the Charleston area.

"There are a lot of people that do not know how bad this area can flood but the Port Authority doesn't inform the public about it, either. We have been trying to let the public know that this is the way it will be until they close it down in December 2024.

"We feel as though not enough was done, and this mess could have been prevented. They were well informed bad weather was coming but didn't take the necessary parking precautions. The lack of communication between the ship crew and port authorities is beyond terrible."

More: Henderson Co. Health Dept. confirms first flu-related death of the 2023-24 flu season

Royal believes the crew could have informed the passengers what was happening so that they would have information before leaving the ship.

"It's apparent that the Carnival crew at debarkation was informed not to say anything to us because of fear of passengers bombarding them for help and information," she said. "At the very least the Port Authority employees in the parking area could have informed us once we got on their lot. It was up to us to find that our cars were flooded and totaled. We are hoping to share this information to forewarn future passengers boarding the Carnival cruise line and parking in this area."

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Brevard couple on Carnival cruise find parked car totaled by storm
Credit: Scott McIntyre/Bloomberg



Truist Financial has notified customers that it plans to close several dozen branches in March.

The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company said it will shutter about 4% of its branch network, which amounts to roughly 80 locations. As of Dec. 29, 2023, Truist operated 2,006 branches across 17 states and Washington, D.C., according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The closures come amid Truist's $750 million cost-cutting initiative, which was announced four months ago . Under pressure to reset its strategy and reduce its expenses , the $543 billion-asset company has consolidated its commercial and community banking regions from 21 to 14, merged its consumer payments and wholesale payments businesses into a single operation and created a unified commercial real estate business from units that used to overlap.

It has also reduced the size of its board of directors , nearly doubled the size of its executive management team , named a new chief operating officer and hired a new chief legal officer .

Truist, which is chartered in North Carolina, has not responded to requests for a complete rundown of upcoming branch closures. But the most recent list of closure applications filed with the North Carolina Commission of Banks show a smattering of impending shutdowns in multiple states, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia.

In an email, a Truist spokesperson said that nine branches are slated to close in North Carolina and seven are set to close in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In Georgia, Truist will close eight branches, including four in Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle .

The closures reflect declining branch traffic and transaction volume, the Truist spokesperson said. On average, the sites set to close are located about two-and-a-half miles away from another Truist branch. In the D.C. area, the distance is even smaller, with affected branches located, on average, less than a mile away from another branch, the spokesperson said.

Story continues



Post-closures, Truist will operate more than 1,900 branches and 2,900 ATMs, the spokesperson said. The company has not disclosed how many jobs will be cut as a result of the shutdowns.

Truist, which is currently the seventh largest U.S. commercial bank by assets, was formed in December 2019 as a result of a "merger of equals" between BB&T in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and SunTrust Banks in Atlanta. The deal was supposed to produce annual cost savings of $1.6 billion by the end of 2022, but rather than declining, expenses have continued to rise.

In July, executives predicted that full-year 2023 expenses would rise 7% year over year , which was one of the highest projected annual upticks among big banks. For 2024, expenses should rise no more than 1% as a result of the current cost-cutting plan, executives have said.

Truist CEO Bill Rogers has said that the $750 million will be taken out over a 12- to 18-month period, which means the initiative could wrap up around the first quarter of 2025.

The largest portion  about $300 million  is expected to be realized through job cuts, with another $250 million coming out via organizational restructuring and the remaining $200 million removed by spending less on technology, the company has said.
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

Sen. Laphonza Butler earned $700,000 as president of EMILYs List, according to her financial disclosure, which all members of Congress are required to provide. It was first reported by Punchbowl

Butler, Californias first openly LGBTQ senator, served as president of the the organization that supports Democratic women running for office from 2021-2023.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed her to replace late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in October. Butler will serve as California Senator until next January, when a newly elected senator can take office. A few weeks after her appointment, Butler announced that she will not run for the Senate seat, leaving Reps. Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, and Katie Porter to vie for it, as well as Republicans Steve Garvey

WELCOME BACK, LAWMAKERS! NOW, ABOUT THAT DEFICIT...

Via Lindsey Holden....

California lawmakers face a tough balancing act this year, as they attempt to remedy the states precarious financial situation while also advancing policy priorities and potentially running for re-election.

Legislators return to the Capitol in Sacramento on Wednesday for their first floor sessions of 2024. Assembly members and senators returned to a $68 billion budget gap, which they must tackle while pushing bill packages and making themselves look as attractive as possible to voters ahead of the March 5 primary election.

Democrats, especially those in purple districts, must fend off Republican attacks around crime, drugs and cost of living issues. And Gov. Gavin Newsoms priorities and what many see as a shifting political philosophy will, of course, undergird everything.

REP. KEVIN KILEY GOT MARRIED. WHO IS CHELSEE GARDNER?

Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, got married in Auburn on Dec. 30 to Chelsee Gardner, a former childrens pastor at Rocklins controversial Destiny Church.

Gardner, 28, currently works as the Communications and Content Manager for Agape International Missions, a Roseville-based Christian organization whose vision is to join Gods global movement to rescue, heal, and transform those impacted by sex trafficking.

Gardner is the sister of Tiffany Saathoff, president of the Rocklin Unified School District who was also a Destiny Church pastor before stepping down to become Republican Assemblyman Joe Pattersons Chief of Staff. Destiny is known for its political, conservative-leaning sermons and pastors.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Add professionals with advanced degrees to the CA Exodus. This is not going well.

- Assemblyman James Gallagher, Republican Minority Leader, via X.

Best of The Bee:

Democrats wanted higher fast food wages. Prepare for higher prices and automation, via Tom Philp .

State Farm is expected to increase its average rate for homeowner insurance policies in California by 20% next year, under a proposal approved last week by the Department of Insurance, records show, via Stephen Hobbs .

California is ringing in 2024 with a gallon of regular gas priced almost 30 cents higher than it was this time last year via Angela Rodriguez.
Gov. Laura Kelly said she is planning to spend a significant amount of political capital on water during the upcoming legislative session.

The aquifers under several western Kansas towns are depleted beyond the minimum threshold for aquifer density, meaning what remains couldnt support things like center-pivot irrigation. Other areas are luckier, with an estimated 25 to 100 years of water use.

Still, those areas need to change water use to be able to support agriculture long term. Kelly said since the water shortages reached crisis levels, there hasnt been a politician in the unique position shes in as a second-term governor who isn't planning to run for higher office again.

I decided that, should I be reelected, that I would elevate water to be one of my highest priorities because it's sort of an interesting moment in time and one that we've never experienced, where you have a governor in their second term, who never plans to do anything else, never be on the ballot again, Kelly told The Capital-Journal. So, Ive got political capital and I can afford to spend it because it'll be a very political sensitive issue.

Gov. Laura Kelly said she's willing to spend political capital to address water shortages in Western Kansas during her year-end interview with the Capital-Journal.

Kelly said the issue became a top priority while campaigning in western Kansas. It didnt take long for residents to bring up water.

It didn't matter if it was northwestern or southwestern. Even though I thought they were going to be talking about schools and roads and health care, it always went to water almost immediately everywhere, Kelly said.

In November, Kelly created a subcabinet on water that will attempt to formalize systems of cross-agency coordination and planning on the sometimes byzantine approach to water management. Kelly hopes agency and an influx of federal cash could move the needle on water in the coming year.

We've got money  which is another thing that we really have not had in the amount that you need to even begin to approach this  but because of all of the funding that came in, during the pandemic, and some of the funding that's coming in now, through the various infrastructure, programs that have been passed in Congress, we have we have some resources that we can spend, Kelly said.

More: New report shows western Kansas water supply continues to decline, pushing state to act

Money can only go so far, though, and some change will be needed by agricultural producers to conserve water to the point of sustainability. In December, Kellys special adviser on water touted Local Enhanced Management Areas, which is a voluntary association between landowners to meet specific conservation goals.

Some LEMAs saved 30% of their water without losing production.

I think there is more recognition on the part of water users with particularly our producers, Kelly said. All the stars are aligning at this point. If ever we can come up with a plan and implement, it's now.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas water conservation to be top issue in 2024 for Gov. Laura Kelly
North Carolina elementary schools are doing a better job than middle schools in recovering from the pandemic, according to a new state report being released Wednesday.

The state Department of Public Instruction report shows that most North Carolina public schools are showing progress on state exams in the past two years but are still performing below where they should be.

But a bright spot in the report being presented to the State Board of Education is that elementary schools are closer to full post-pandemic academic recovery, particularly in reading.

State leaders say the slower recovery in middle schools shows a need for targeted programs to help older students recover from pandemic learning loss.

New way of calculating recovery

Academic performance dropped sharply statewide and nationally after schools switched to online instruction during the end of the 2019-20 school year and most of the 2020-21 school year.

The state has been working with SAS Institute to quantify how far behind students have fallen and what it will take to declare that theyve fully recovered from pandemic learning loss.

DPI is changing how its defining recovery now. Instead of comparing pre-pandemic and post-pandemic passing rates, DPI says the more robust way to assess how schools are recovering is to compare post-pandemic achievement to overall trends in achievement before the pandemic.

The change, DPI officials say, will let them evaluate trends in average results for specific tests over time instead of creating pre-pandemic expectations for individual students.

The new report compares achievement trends in state reading, math and science exams to both the 2013-19 and the 2017-19 time periods. The achievement rate on exams was largely flat during 2013-19.

Achievement is still largely behind where schools should be in both yardsticks, particularly in math.

With the exception of the English II end-of-course exam given to high school students, the majority of schools saw improvement between 2021 and 2023 in their state exams. For instance, 95% of elementary schools saw an improvement in their third-grade reading and math exams over those two years.

Despite the improvements, most schools still havent met the threshold for post-pandemic academic recovery on their various state exams. The English II exam was the only one where the majority of schools met academic recovery thresholds under both the 2017-19 and 2013-19 yardsticks.

Early literacy gains

DPI says the report shows educators should celebrate the gains shown in early grades literacy and elementary school math.

DPI says last years states third-grade reading end-of-grade reading exam showed achievement had reached the same rate seen between the 2013-19 school years. By that metric, nearly 60% of elementary schools met the academic recovery threshold for third-grade reading.

Performance on fourth- and fifth-grade reading and math in third- through fifth-grades still have not recovered compared to pre-pandemic achievement trends. But the gap is smaller, for the most part, than in middle schools.

Since 2021, North Carolina has spent $114 million in retraining elementary school teachers how to teach literacy skills.

Under LETRS, which stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, teachers are taught to stress phonics when teaching students how to read. The states 44,000 elementary teachers have to complete the 160 hours of LETRS training this year.

Only 48% of third-grade students passed the state end-of-grade reading exam last year. But state leaders say they expect it to rise over time, with more students being taught with LETRS from an early age.

Middle school struggles

The path to academic recovery appears to be harder for middle schools.

State math and reading exam achievement for sixth- through eighth-graders have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In some cases, DPI categorizes those grade levels as statistically having some of the largest gaps to overcome to achieve academic recovery.

For sixth- and seventh-grade, fewer than 20% of middle schools met academic recovery thresholds.

DPI says additional targeted intervention is needed.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will launch three additional military spy satellites, build more nuclear weapons and introduce modern unmanned combat equipment in 2024, as he called for overwhelming war readiness to cope with U.S.-led confrontational moves, state media reported Sunday.

Kims comments, made during a key ruling Workers Party meeting to set state goals for next year, suggest hell continue a run of weapons tests to expand his arsenal amid long-dormant diplomacy with the United States. Observers say Kim would ultimately hope to use his boosted nuclear capability to wrest greater outside concessions if diplomacy resumes.

Massive 1,437-pound great white becomes latest shark to ping near Floridas coast

During the five-day meeting that ended Saturday, Kim said moves by the United States and its followers against North Korea have been unprecedented this year, pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The grave situation requires us to accelerate works to acquire overwhelming war response capabilities and thorough and perfect military readiness to suppress any types of provocations by the enemies at a stroke, Kim said, according to KCNA.

Kim set forth plans to fire three more military spy satellites next year in addition to the countrys first reconnaissance satellite launched in November. He also ordered authorities to press ahead with work to manufacture more nuclear weapons and develop various types of modern unmanned combat equipment such as armed drones and powerful electronic warfare devices, KCNA said.

Kim has been focused on modernizing his nuclear and missile arsenals since his high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump broke down in 2019 due to wrangling over international sanctions on the North. Since last year, Kims military has test-fired more than 100 ballistic missiles, many of them nuclear-capable weapons targeting the mainland U.S. and South Korea, in violation of U.N. bans.

Man arrested after striking 3 cars in Walmart parking lot, forcing deputy to jump out of the way: HCSO

The United States and South Korea responded by expanding their military exercises and deploying U.S. strategic assets such as bombers, aircraft carriers and a nuclear-armored submarine. North Korea calls the moves U.S-.led invasion rehearsals.

South Koreas spy agency said last week that North Korea will likely launch military provocations and cyberattacks ahead of South Korean parliamentary elections in April and the U.S. presidential election in November. The National Intelligence Service said North Korea has conducted nuclear and missile tests and flown a drone across the rivals border ahead of the Souths previous parliamentary elections.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
DOVER  A local man killed his wife and daughter last week before killing himself, according to preliminary autopsy results.

The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's preliminary autopsy results find that the Dec. 28 deaths of Teena Kamal, 54, and her daughter, Arianna Kamal, 18, were each homicides by gunshot, according to a press release from the Norfolk District Attorney's Office.

Rakesh Kamal, Teena Kamal's husband and Arianna Kamal's father, then "died by gunshot wound consistent with being self-inflicted," according to the release.

A final autopsy report has not been completed but should be in coming weeks, the DA said.

Three family members were found dead last Thursday evening inside this home at 8 Wilson's Way in Dover. On Tuesday, the Norfolk District Attorney's Office said the Officer of the Chief Medical Examiner has found that two were homicide victims and the third killed himself.

Earlier: Authorities suspect domestic violence led to deaths of three family members in Dover

Forensic and ballistics testing of a firearm found near Rakesh Kamal's body have not been completed. The handgun, a .40-caliber Glock 22, is not registered to Kamal, who did not have firearms permit, according to the release.

Massachusetts State Police have reached out to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to help determine the origin of the gun, the DA said.

Authorities said the bodies of the Kamal family were discovered about 7:24 p.m. last Thursday inside their 8 Wilson's Way home, after a family member stopped by because they hadn't heard from the family in "a while."

Teena Kamal served on the regional board of directors for the Massachusetts chapter of the American Red Cross.

Arianna Kamal, a graduate of Milton Academy, was a student at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Last week, at a press conference, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said the deaths of three Dover family members are proof that domestic violence occurs at every economic class.

Last week, at a press conference, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said the deaths were further proof that domestic violence occurs at every economic class.

"This is an event to remember the domestic violence crisis crosses all economic and social classes," he said at the time. "For anyone, especially around the holidays, if you feel unsafe in a relationship, I want to remind people that there is help out there, safety planning is available and can talk through your specific situation. This is very unfortunate, and our heart goes out to the entire Kamal family."

The hotline for Mass Safe Link, a national violence hotline, is 877-785-2020.

The DA's Office said the case remains under investigation.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Dover deaths were murder-suicide, medical examiner concludes
The massage license of a Sussex County man charged with touching his clients sexually at an unauthorized massage business has been suspended, according to Delaware Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock.

The order suspending Robert Leech's license was signed by Bullock on Dec. 29, according to a statement from his office Wednesday afternoon.

"In making this determination, Secretary Bullock considered a complaint filed by the Delaware Department of Justice," the statement said. "The complaint states that Mr. Leech used his position to impose unwelcome sexual acts upon numerous clients. Four victims filed reports with the Delaware State Police following the incidents.

"Additionally, Mr. Leech engaged in operating an unlicensed massage establishment."

A Sussex County grand jury indicted the 50-year-old man last month on eight counts of unlawful sexual contact and one count of operating a massage establishment without a license in connection with his business, Fusion Massage & Wellness. The establishment is located at Leech's home on Bookhammer Landing Road near Lewes.

A business photo posted to Google shows a small brown-and-white building with French doors sporting a business logo.

More: Sussex man who ran massage business out of home touched clients inappropriately: Police

According to the Delaware Department of Justice, Leech's charges stem from an investigation by Delaware State Police into reports by four separate people who say Leech touched their breasts and butts. The incidents occurred between 2020 and 2023.

Leech's suspension will remain in effect for 60 days, during which time disciplinary hearings will be held or the final disposition for this individual will take place, according to Bullock.

As the result of a hearing, the Board of Massage and Bodywork has the authority to impose disciplinary sanctions up to and including revocation of a practitioner's license.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Sussex County massage therapist gets license suspended after charges
Migrants cross the Rio Grande into Texas on Tuesday from Juarez. A group of U.S. House Democrats are saying control over immigration belongs to the federal government, which makes Texas' new Senate Bill 4 immigration law unconstitutional.

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, is leading congressional Democrats in a push to block a Texas law that would usurp federal power over immigration  something Democrats say is unconstitutional.

Texas Senate Bill 4, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Dec. 18, authorizes state police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico. The law creates a Class B misdemeanor for crossing the border between legal ports of entry, and it allows magistrate judges to drop the charge if the person suspected of illegally entering Texas agrees to return to Mexico.

U.S. Reps. Greg Casar and Lloyd Doggett, both Democrats from Austin, and all but one Texas Democrat as well as members of the Hispanic Caucus joined Castro in a Dec. 18 letter urging U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to intervene before Senate Bill 4 takes effect March 5.

This bill is set to be the most extreme anti-immigrant state bill in the United States; it is clearly preempted by federal law and when it goes into effect will likely result in racial profiling, significant due process violations, and unlawful arrests of citizens, lawful permanent residents, and others, the lawmakers wrote.

In short, said the Democrats, SB 4 is an unlawful attempt to engage in federal immigration enforcement.

Abbott argues that the border crisis from rising illegal immigration needs empowered state law enforcement and state judges to enforce what have been dubbed by opponents as show me your papers policies.

Tens of thousands of migrants have crossed the border in Texas in recent days, prompting U.S. Customs and Border Protection to shut down international rail crossings for five days in Eagle Pass and El Paso. Migrants have been riding atop freight trains in Mexico north to the U.S. border, and the rail closures slowed bilateral trade.

Abbott has defended SB 4 by saying Texas has had to step up in securing the border amid an overwhelming rise in illegal immigration under the Biden administration, which the governor says, has been inept in regulating immigration.

Democrats want Garland to head off the state law in court, possibly joining a lawsuit the ACLU of Texas filed Dec. 19.

Asking local police to hunt down Texans who look like immigrants doesnt make us more safe: in fact, it takes police away from investigating real crime, Casar told the American-Statesman. The federal government must block these unconstitutional anti-immigrant policies before they take effect.

Casars spokesperson said that the Austin lawmaker has spoken with Garland about blocking SB 4.

Doggett, a former judge on the Texas Supreme Court, said: SB 4 is unconstitutional, just as was previously placing buoys in the Rio Grande. Like his mentor, Donald Trump, with the phony claim of making Mexico pay for a wall, Gov. Abbott believes that stirring up anti-immigrant hysteria with a policy of cruelty represents a pathway to political success.

Still, there wasnt unanimity among Texas Democrats, with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, a conservative Democrat who represents a South Texas district and lives along the border, refusing to sign the letter. He was the only congressman from the 13 Democratic Texans who did not sign.

I did not sign the letter because the language was too strong and seemed anti-law enforcement, Cuellar told the Statesman. Nonetheless, he does not support the new state law.

I have concerns about SB 4," he said. "The state law should be challenged because of the supremacy clause and the U.S. Supreme Court precedent in the Arizona case.

The U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause states that federal laws, rules and regulations trump conflicting state laws, as was upheld in a 2010 Supreme Court case on illegal immigration in Arizona.

Will the Democratic Biden administration strike back?

They did it in Arizona, said Cornell Law School immigration professor Stephen Yale-Loehr, referring to the 2010 Supreme Court case where the Obama administration challenged an Arizona law similar to Texas' SB 4.

It was unconstitutional, Yale-Loehr said the Supreme Courts ruled on that state law. It violated the federal governments obligation to control immigration.

This time, however, activists for immigration controls are looking at a more conservative Supreme Court, with a 63 rightward tilt, buoyed by the three judges former President Donald Trump appointed.

A Justice Department spokesperson acknowledged receipt of the lawmakers' letter but said the department declines to comment further.

A White House spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a decision has not been announced, told the Statesman: This is an extreme law that will make communities in Texas less safe. Generally speaking, the federal government, not individual states  is charged with determining how when to remove noncitizens for violating immigration laws.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate Bill 4 is unconstitutional, Democrats in Congress say
A 50-year-old Texas man who allegedly walked away from a prison camp at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth has been arrested and charged with one count of escaping from custody, according to court documents.

James Thompson, who was serving a sentence for mail fraud, was discovered missing and believed to have escaped from the satellite camp, a minimum security facility adjacent to the prison, on Nov. 9, according to a news release from the prison.

Thompson was present at the camp during the 5 a.m. count, and inmates and staff last reported seeing him about 6 a.m. within the facility, according court documents. Another count was conducted about 4 p.m. and Thompson was allegedly missing.

A criminal complaint was filed five days later in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, accusing Thompson of escaping from custody. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

Thompson was arrested on Nov. 21 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, and was ordered to be returned to Kansas, according to court documents.

A federal grand jury indicted Thompson on Dec. 13 with one count of escaping from custody.

In April 2022, a federal judge in Georgia sentenced both Thompson and his wife, April Thompson, to six years and eight months in prison. They were convicted of mail fraud in the theft of more than $4 million from an Atlanta-based company that provides timberland investment advisory and management services for institutional investors, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Several Republican legislators are proposing bills that would limit undocumented immigrants' access to work and mobility in New Hampshire.

The first bill comes from seven state senators who are pushing to prohibit the use of out-of-state drivers licenses issued specifically for undocumented immigrants. Senate Bill 358 aims to push back on a law passed in Massachusetts earlier this year that allows undocumented immigrants to drive lawfully in that state, issuing them licenses that dont show their immigration status.

Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut have also passed similar legislation.

Diniz and Travis are a couple that has considered moving to Massachusetts, where, as of this summer, undocumented people and asylum seekers are allowed to get a drivers license. But that would mean leaving the home and life theyve built in New Hampshire.

If the New Hampshire bill were to pass, it would be unlawful for an undocumented immigrant who lives in Massachusetts or Vermont to drive in New Hampshire, and that person would face a Class B misdemeanor. The proposal would require the Division of Motor Vehicles to keep an updated list on their website of out-of-state class licenses that are invalid in New Hampshire. A state employee would be paid up to $66,000 to do that work.

In New Hampshire, undocumented residents can't get a drivers license. Legislation to change that has been introduced six times in the House of Representatives, but has been tabled for lack of support.

Republican representatives want to revive the use of E-verify

In New Hampshire when a new employee is hired, the employer has no obligation to report that person's immigration status to any government agency. A group of representatives aims to change that with a bill similar to one that failed to pass two years ago.

House Bill 1110 is supported by six Republican legislators. The bill says employers with 25 or more employees will have to use E-verify, a system that serves to match a persons identity with the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service database.

E-verify is used in at least 22 states and prevents employers from hiring people who are not eligible to work lawfully in the U.S without a resident card, citizenship, or a working visa.

A similar bill, also sponsored by Republican representatives, was tabled in the 2022 legislative session. At the time, advocates said the bill was discriminatory and questioned the accuracy of the system, noting it could throw false results that could wrongfully mark a worker as undocumented.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Two bills could limit work, travel in NH for undocumented immigrants
Long-time human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor is among more than 80 Emiratis facing charges - Bloomberg

The United Arab Emirates has been urged to drop politically motivated terrorism charges levelled against dozens of human rights activists after holding a secret mass trial.

More than 80 Emiratis, including renowned prisoners of conscience, were accused of setting up or supporting and financing a terrorist organisation during the closed-door hearing.

International and regional rights organisations including Amnesty International on Wednesday urged the Gulf state to drop the charges, dismissing them as politically motivated, and immediately release all arbitrarily detained individuals.

An open letter signed by the group said that the moves, which became public during the recent Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, targeted a number of individuals who have peacefully pushed for the promotion of human rights in the country.

Prosecuting these individuals for peaceful advocacy of human rights, while many of them have already been arbitrarily detained for years on similar charges, is a shameful act that reaffirms the UAE authorities desire to continue punishing and intimidating any potential critics into silence, it said.

Among those who have been confirmed so far and are not in exile, are defendants who have been detained for years, most of whom finished their sentences long ago but remain arbitrarily detained, it added.

Defendants living in exile

The organisations went on to condemn what they said was the UAE authorities use of the criminal justice system as a tool to keep these individuals behind bars and suppress peaceful criticism or calls for reform.

The 87 Emiratis facing the new charges include Islamist activists imprisoned in the wake of the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which included calls for democratic elections in the UAE.

Long-time Emirati human rights defenders such as Ahmed Mansoor and Mohamed al-Roken are also among the group. Some of the defendants facing new charges are living in exile.

The UAE, which consists of seven emirates ruled by sheikhs, has long been on the back foot over its human rights record.

It has been accused of regular abuses, including using the notorious Pegasus spyware produced by Israels NSO Group to target activists. It has always denied the claims.

The Telegraph and The Spectator are currently subject to a takeover bid by RedBird IMI, a fund backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the vice president and deputy prime minister of the UAE.

Censorship and foreign state influence fears

In November, Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, intervened to prevent the fund from taking control of The Telegraph amid fears of censorship and foreign state influence.

She issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice to RedBird IMI which will trigger initial investigations by Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority of the planned takeover.

The regulators have been asked to deliver their reports by Jan 26.

Ms Frazers move means that RedBird IMI, led by Jeff Zucker, the former CNN chief, could face legally binding restrictions on how it is allowed to operate The Telegraph, or even that the deal could be blocked.

A series of Tory MPs have raised concerns about the planned takeover, along with the Liberal Democrats and Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6.

Earlier this month it emerged that Mr Zucker had rejected a plan to reduce the share of Abu Dhabi cash behind the takeover and ease concerns over press freedom.

Many of our readers have raised concerns over the potential sale of Telegraph Media Group to the Abu Dhabi-linked Redbird IMI. While Ofcom carries out its investigation we are inviting the submission of comments on the process. Email salecomments@telegraph.co.uk to have your say.

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 car wash is planned at the former Rite Aid site on Route 13 north at White Oak Road in Dover, across from Dunkin' and Race Track Car Wash.

As the fallout from Rite Aid's Chapter 11 bankruptcy continues, two more Delaware locations will close for good this month.

Both stores are in the Newark area. The location at 1602 Capitol Trail will close on Jan. 23, say company officials. The store at 263 S. Main St. in the Park & Shop shopping center, will close Jan. 18.

These won't be the first Delaware stores to shutter.

The pharmacy giant filed for bankruptcy in October, announcing it would close stores across the United States, as it battles falling sales and mounting debt. The chain is also facing state and local lawsuits, as well as a Department of Justice complaint, claiming the company filled thousands of illegal prescriptions for painkillers.

Rite Aid reported in October that it expects to lose as much as $680 million in the year ending this spring.

What's happening?: Rite Aid has filed for bankruptcy. What it means for the pharmacy chain and its customers

Pharmacy closing announcements have come in waves, after an initial October filing announcing that Rite Aid would close 154 underperforming stores as part of the court-supervised Chapter 11 process.

This Rite Aid on Kirkwood Highway in Prices Corner closed in November 2023 as part of the drugstore chain's bankruptcy.

Two of these locations were in Delaware, one at Chestnut Hill Plaza off Route 4, near Newark, and one at 3209 Kirkwood Highway location in Prices Corner. Both are now closed.

The newest closures will leave just four locations in the Newark area, according to Rite Aid's website: one on New London Road, one at 4607 Stanton Ogletown Road, one in Glasgow's Peoples Plaza and one in Pike Creek at Polly Drummond Hill Road.

In a statement, Rite Aid spokespeople wrote that the stores are closing to "further reduce rent expense and strengthen overall financial performance." The chain is not confirming additional closures at this time.

At the time of the bankruptcy filing, Rite Aid said it had more than 2,000 stores. The website now shows a little more than 1,800 in operation. In Delaware, 31 Rite Aids will remain as of February. For a full list of locations, consult Rite Aid's website.

Story continues

Brandon Holveck is a high school sports reporter and a former business and development reporter. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow him on X and Instagram @holveck_brandon. Follow him on TikTok @bholveck.

Matthew Korfhage is business and development reporter in the Delaware region covering all things related to land and money: openings and closings, construction, and the many corporations who call the First State home. Send tips and insults to mkorfhage@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 2 more Delaware Rite Aids will close this month, amid bankruptcy
SpaceX's artist-in-residence trained robot dogs to paint, and now they have their own art exhibition

Agnieszka Pilat is an artist-in-residence at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

She trained robot dogs to paint using 16 symbols she designed, which are part of an exhibition.

Take a look at photos from their show "Heterobota" at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.

Artist Agnieszka Pilat taught robot dogs made by Boston Dynamics to paint and they've been rewarded with a four-month residency at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Engineers at robotics firm Boston Dynamics taught Pilat how to use its robot dogs called Spot.

"For my show 'Heterobota,' the robots are fully autonomous," Pilat told Business Insider. "This was a significant shift in my practice as previously I was always in the studio with the robots, where they felt more like an extension of my arm."

The Polish-born artist worked with engineers and the museum to bring her vision to life. The robots can be seen painting, navigating their environment, and self-charging in the show, which runs until April 7, 2024.

The exhibition includes 36 paintings created over four months, and the theme is generative AI. Pilat said a language is embedded in the 16 symbols featured in the paintings.

"I like to think of these paintings as possibly ancient scrolls or cave drawings  we might be witnessing the birth of a new civilization, and with it, a new language; perhaps the first attempt at communication," she said.



She added that she's asking audiences to consider whether the scrolls would last for centuries and whether future sentient AI might look at them in a similar way to how humans perceive cave drawings.



Take a look at some photographs of the exhibition and the paintings created by the robot dogs.

Pilat was inspired to work with robots because of her love for tech and 'desire to give it a voice'

The work is on display at NGV International, Melbourne until April 7. Sean Fennessy

Growing up in Poland, behind the "Iron Curtain," Pilat said technology was the "only hope" they had.

As an example, she highlighted Radio Free Europe, which gave citizens access to free speech or cars that "offered us freedom to move in privacy."



"When I first landed in the US and in Silicon Valley of all places, I was really surprised by the distrust Americans had for technology. I felt a desire to defend it because my childhood experience with it was so different."

She started by painting portraits of technology such as old machines

Boston Dynamics' robotic dogs were first unveiled in 2015. William West/Getty Images

She then painted a few portraits of Spot before she started actively working with it as her "creative companion." Aside from Spot, Pilat has also collaborated with Agility Robotics and worked with its humanoid robot Digit, which is being trialled by Amazon in its warehouses.

Pilat designed the 16 symbols the robot dogs work with to paint

The robot dogs have their own exhibition space at NGV International, Melbourne. Sean Fennessy

The symbols were designed with the robots' capabilities in mind. She said she never tried to replicate how human-generated paintings look.



"As for the order in which they work and the content of the message, that's all machine-generated, and I don't control or supervise it," she said. "The result has a kind of sweet and innocent quality because it's like a kindergarten for robots."

The exhibition space has cubes with QR codes on it that tell the robots where they are

Pilat's work "Heterobota" on display. Sean Fennessy

It also has docking stations where the robots, named Basia, Vanya, and Bunny, can "sleep" and can charge.



"The National Gallery of Victoria's team has been amazing to work with, and I'm especially grateful for the museum's curator, Ewan Mceoin, for placing such faith in me," Pilat previously told BI. "This has been a great team effort and it's an honor to promote a nuanced future technology can have for humanity."

What surprised Pilat most was how the robots' mistakes became the most important part of the artworks

Agnieszka Pilat with two robot dogs at the NGV in Melbourne, Australia. William West/Getty Images

The artworks created by the robots reminds Pilat of a "child learning to use crayons or fingerpaint" as she feels there is an innocence seen in their mark-making. In her view, it gives the pieces "a sense of spontaneity and playfulness."

Pilat started an informal residency at SpaceX in 2022

Pilat's is an artist-in-residence at SpaceX Pilat Studios

Pilat, who is based in New York and San Francisco, says she works out of SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne and travels there every few weeks. She stays for about a week and creates paintings in a space she shares with the industrial design team. Her paintings hang on the walls of the headquarters.

SpaceX doesn't have an official artist-in-residence program. "It took a bit of convincing, finding the right connections, and presenting a vision that aligned with a mission of space exploration," she told BI.



In her view, her presence at SpaceX is "not only a privilege" but a "responsibility to give technology a voice." She thinks that's because society is concerned with how tech is rapidly advancing and the power it represents.

No other artist has ever been given such unprecedented access, Pilat said

Pilat's artwork from her residency at SpaceX. Pilat Studios

At SpaceX, Pilat created large-scale portrait paintings of the Dragon Hatch, the door on top of its Dragon Capsule in a series titled "Infinite." She toured the entire SpaceX factory with the team and looked at various machinery and parts.

"My first visit was extraordinary, witnessing so many brilliant minds collaboratively crafting technology that once would have seemed miraculous," she said. "It was a divine experience, inspiring me to create divine paintings. Religion and technology share numerous similarities: their power, the promise of a brighter future, and their esoteric nature to those unfamiliar with them. I view engineers as the high priests of technology."

The Infinite series embodies divine iconography and she used gold leaf and halos. The paintings are diptychs  made up of two halves  which she says symbolizes "the duality of sin and redemption."

Robotics hold a special place in her heart because of its cultural impact

Pilat is a Polish-American artist with an interest in tech Kim Landy/Getty Images for NGV

The artist said that with robotics' integration of AI, they represent a crucial juncture in AI's evolution from the digital realm to the physical world.



"Most AI exists in the cloud, but robots make it tangible and present in our daily lives," she said. "This transition from digital to physical is what sparks the most fascinating discussions. Being an artist, being part of these conversations, perhaps even leading them, is incredibly exciting to me."

Pilat has her own robot dog named Basia that she takes for walks

Agnieszka Pilat trained the robot dogs to paint. William West/Getty Images

She says people who meet her and Basia in person are curious, and stop to ask questions and take photos or videos. However, some people online write mean comments under videos of them posted of them online. Sometimes they accuse Pilat of surveillance and warn about robots taking over.



"They even threaten to smash Basia or throw her into a river," she said.





Read the original article on Business Insider
Elon Musks X is worth less than a third of what he paid for it, according to one of the investors who helped him complete the deal.

Mutual fund Fidelity has reduced its valuation of the company formerly known as Twitter by 71.5 per cent than when it was first bought.

The company has drastically downgraded the value of its investment in the wake of a number of controversies, according to Axis, which cited a disclosure from Fidelity.

The drop in value including a 10.7 per cent cut in November. That month saw Elon Musk rage at advertisers on stage during a New York Times event, telling those who had boycotted the site to go f*** yourself.

Other social networks had a much stronger month. Snap gained 38 per cent during the same time, and Facebook parent company Meta saw an increase of 4.9 per cent in the value of its stock.

Fidelity was one of a number of investors who helped provide financing for Elon Musk to buy the company in October 2022, which he did for $44 billion. It started marking down the value of that investment soon after, Axios reported, though it stayed stable earlier in 2023.

While the company is a shareholder in the business, it may not have any inside information on how X is actually performing. Though the company is widely rumoured to have lost a significant amount of advertising business in the wake of Mr Musks controversies, it is no longer obliged to report its financial results as it was when it was a publicly traded company.

As well as his outburst on stage during the New York Times event, Mr Musk has been warned by the European Union about the spread of disinformation on its platforms and he has been personally accused of endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
This photo, taken as part of the project "The Red Chador" by Tacoma-based artist Anida Yoeu Ali  responding to a global rise of Islamophobia, misogyny, and racism  will be on view at the Seattle Asian Art Museum starting in January. The exhibit is the first solo show by a Cambodian American artist in SAMs history. (Courtesy Anida Yoeu Ali and Studio Revolt / Photo by Masahiro Sugano)
(VIDEO) Protest in Cuba pentru lumina si mancare

Protest neobisnuit in al doilea oras ca marime din Cuba, Santiago. Locuitori au iesit in strada scandand lumina si mancare, in timp ce in anumite zone se intrerupe curentul electric timp de de 18 ore sau mai mult pe zi. S-a strigat de asemenea, Libertate! Cuba se afla intr-o criza [citeste mai departe]
Halep si-a aflat adversara de la Miami. Cu cine va juca fostul lider mondial

Simona Halep si-a aflat adversara din primul tur al turneului WTA de la Miami, prima competitie la care sportiva noastra participa de la decizia TAS, care i-a redus suspendarea de la patru ani la doar noua luni. Astfel, fostul lider mondial isi va [citeste mai departe]
AP Photo/Ben Margot

South Korea's exports to the US exceeded those to China in December for the first time in 20 years, per Bloomberg.

South Korean goods sent to the US totaled $11.3 billion in December, versus $10.9 billion to China.

South Korea's exports climbed 5.1% year-over-year on the month.

South Korea exported more goods to the US than China in December for the first time since 2003.

Bloomberg data shows that last month, the US imported $11.3 billion worth of goods from South Korea. Meanwhile, China imported $10.9 billion, according to the country's trade ministry.

While the numbers reflect a change of just one month, and may not indicate lasting trends, they point to shifting trade flows amid changes in the geopolitical landscape and China's ongoing economic hurdles since reopening its economy after the pandemic.

China remains South Korea's largest overall trading partner.

Policymakers in Beijing have been weighing various stimulus measures to prop up the country's economy, and the Conference Board anticipates more economic headwinds to come in 2024.

"So far, the government has refrained from implementing a broad-based stimulus package," the Conference Board's China Center said in its 2024 outlook. "Still, over the past months, the government has been stepping up monetary and fiscal measures to stimulate 'targeted' investment, especially in infrastructure for flood recovery and disaster prevention. As a result, while the strong recovery blip seen in 2023 Q3 will dissipate, growth in 2024 is likely to remain stable."

The US, for its part, saw shipments from South Korea increase for a fifth consecutive month year-over-year, per Bloomberg data.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has been deepening ties with the US amid trips to Washington and meetings with American lawmakers. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration has pushed to reduce dependency on China in business and technology, with an emphasis on semiconductors in particular.

China, in turn, is reportedly ramping up spending on chip production for AI and smartphones.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Hungary has received another 170 billion forints (EUR 445m) in European Union funding, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said on Facebook on Tuesday.

This latest transfer and the 779.5 million euros in recovery funding received last week bring the total funding received by Hungary in recent days to 470 billion forints, Varga said.



The minister said 240 million euros of the funds will go toward Integrated Transport Operational Programme Plus developments, while 205 million is being allocated towards the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme Plus.



Finance Minister Hails Lower Deficit

Hungarys public finance deficit narrowed in 2023 from 2022, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said on Tuesday, after receiving the first aggregates of budget data from last year.



Varga also hailed that revenues in corporate tax totalled 1,013 billion forints (EUR 2.6bn), over the target, which he said was another sign of favourable changes in economic trends.



State debt relative to GDP continued to decline, Varga said, adding that data from the Central Statistical Office were to be received to determine the final figure.



In 2024, we will continue to reduce the deficit and state debt with the start of stronger economic growth, he said.
Home sales in Hungary rose by an annual 21% to 7,813 in December, a monthly estimate by listed real estate broker Duna House shows. For the full year, home sales reached 90,840, down 27% from 2022.

Duna House estimated that mortgage outlays came to 67 billion forints (EUR 174.6m) in December, up 63% from the same month a year earlier.



For the full year, mortgage outlays fell by around 51% to 586 billion forints.



This year, voluntary rate caps at lenders and subsidised credit for borrowers with children could lift outlays to 750-850 billion forints, Duna House said.
The National Bank of Hungary will mark the 100th anniversary of its founding with special events and publications in 2024, the bank said on Tuesday.

The independent NBH is one of the most important symbols of Hungarys sovereignty whose founding was already demanded among the 12 points of the Hungarian Revolutionaries of 1848, the statement said.



Since it was set up in 1924, the central bank regulating and overseeing Hungarys finances has become one of the most important institutions of Hungarys unity, it added.



The law on setting up the central bank came into force on April 26, 1924, the founding general meeting of the shareholders company that owned the bank was held on May 24, and the bank actually started operations on June 24 of the same year.



The memorial year series of events dubbed MNB100 will highlight periods and dates in the past 100 years that demonstrate how the bank fought successfully for enforcing Hungarian interests, while playing a fundamental role in preserving the financial and economic stability of the country, even in years that posed historic challenges, the statement said.
Nebraskans are now able to earn tax credits for making donations to certain scholarship-granting organizations working with private and faith-based schools.

LB753, which passed the Nebraska Legislature earlier in 2023, took effect Monday. The law offers dollar-for-dollar tax credits to individuals and entities that make donations to scholarship funds intended to help students attend private or parochial schools.

Under the law, $25 million will be available for credits in 2024, with the same amount available for the next two years. After that, the limit for credits will grow to a maximum of $100 million per year. Individuals and businesses could not claim more than $100,000 in annual credits, while estates and trusts would be capped at $1 million per year.

The bill fell under heavy scrutiny that has continued after its passage, spawning a new group called Support Our Schools Nebraska that launched a successful petition drive that will let voters decide in November 2024 whether to repeal LB753. Before that happens, however, donations made prior to the general election will still be eligible for the tax credits.

But not all scholarship-granting organizations will earn tax credits for donors. Only organizations that have been certified by the Nebraska Department of Revenue qualify for the program. According to the departments website, three organizations are certified so far: Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, Metro Area Christian Schools SGO, and Assistance Individuals and Families Without Borders.

Both Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska, led by advocates who fought against the petition, and MACS SGO, a coalition between Omaha Christian Academy and Lifegate Christian School, were established in the latter half of 2023 after passage of LB753.

In contrast, AIF-Without Borders formed in 2014, and its executive director Laurent Kondohoma said the group heard about the program through the Department of Revenue. Among other things, the nonprofit helps children from low-income households access education, and Kondohoma said the donations they receive as part of LB753s program will be held in a separate account for those purposes.

Lauren Gage, director of marketing for Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska and former state director of the American Federation for Children  which advocates for programs like LB753  said the group already began accepting donations in 2023. While these donations wont be eligible for tax credits, she said they will earn standard tax deductions as donations to a nonprofit.

Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska plans to make a bigger push for donations at the start of 2024, Gage said, and the amount of scholarships the group can offer will be heavily determined by the donations it receives. While its likely scholarships will not be available until the fall 2024 semester, Gage said the group hopes to provide scholarships earlier if possible.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, who introduced LB753, said shes already heard interest about this program from families and prospective donors, which she said shows the need for such a program. Kondohoma said AIF-Without Borders receives calls about the program every day.

I think the word is out, Linehan said.

Support Our Schools officials see it differently. In a recent social media post, the group highlighted several concerns about the tax credits.

The group contended that the current setup of the program wont help schools or families in rural Nebraska, as all three certified scholarship-granting organizations are located in the Omaha and Lincoln areas. The post also said the funding used for the tax credits removes state revenues that could support public schools.

Linehan said it will be easier to defend LB753 against the repeal effort once the program takes effect in 2024, as people will actually be able to see the benefits. The true tell, she said, will be when the scholarships are eventually handed out, arguing that this will show Nebraskans that the program is critically important.

Omaha World-Herald's top news photos of 2023
The Delhi government has lifted the ban that it has recently imposed on the application of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers, considering the soaring AQI levels in the capital city. The move came after the Centre withdrew anti-pollution curbs under stage-III of GRAP in Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, met on January 1 following improvement in air quality.

In light of the improved air quality in Delhi, Stage-III of the GRAP has been revoked.



Therefore, the restrictions imposed on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (4 wheelers) in Delhi are lifted with immediate effect until further orders. pic.twitter.com/u8tPb5PBcx  Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) January 1, 2024

"In light of the improved air quality in Delhi, Stage-III of the GRAP has been revoked. Therefore, the restrictions imposed on the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (4 wheelers) in Delhi are lifted with immediate effect until further orders," Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said in a post on X.

The sub-committee of CAQM revoked the Stage-III of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in view of the forecasts by the IMD/IITM for meteorological conditions and air quality index of Delhi, officials said.

Also Read - Truck Drivers Strike Against New Hit-And-Run Rule, Causing Long Queues On Petrol Pumps

The CAQM invoked actions under GRAP Stage-III last year on December 22 amid deteriorating air quality in Delhi as the AQI level slipped into the 'Severe' category for several days.

Restrictions were also imposed in the neighboring cities under Stage-III of GRAP. Resultantly, the ban was also imposed on the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Budh Nagar.
The Supreme Court of India will today deliver the much-awaited verdict on the Adani-Hinderburg controversy, months after a batch of pleas were filed seeking a probe into the matter. The apex court has reserved its verdict in the case in November last year. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra were hearing the case.

Chief Justice Chandrachud had conveyed dissatisfaction regarding the petitioners' reliance on information sourced from entities such as the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hindenburg Research. He emphasized the court's necessity to depend on Indian investigative agencies for credible information.

As advocate Prashant Bhushan raised questions on the credibility of investigations undertaken by the SEBI in the matter, the CJI had said: "Where is the material before us to doubt the SEBI's investigation? The SEBI is a statutory body entrusted to investigate stock market violations. Is it proper for the highest court -- without any material -- to reconstitute an SIT of our own?"

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the SEBI, had said that the government is considering "constructively with open mind" the suggestions made by the court-appointed expert committee. "Wherever we found short selling, we will take action and we are taking action," Mehta had apprised the apex court. He had said that 22 out of 24 investigations have already been finalised and in relation to the remaining two cases, the reports are interim in nature, adding that the SEBI has sought information from foreign agencies and has no "control on time limit".

The controversial Hindenburg Research's report, inter alia, alleged that the Adani Group of companies has manipulated its share prices, failed to disclose transactions with related parties and other relevant information concerning related parties in contravention of the regulations framed by the SEBI, and violated other provisions of securities laws, causing the group considerable financial damage.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India delivered the much-awaited verdict on the Adani-Hinderburg controversy, months after a batch of pleas were filed seeking a probe into the matter.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, hearing the case said that there was no ground to transfer the case from Sebi to SIT, and directed Sebi to go ahead with its probe as per the provision of the law. SC added that facts of case do not warrant transfer of probe to SIT or other agency.

The SC has directed the SEBI to complete its probe into two pending cases relating to allegations against the Adani group in three months' time. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud noted that SEBI has completed its probe in 22 out of 24 cases relating to allegations against the Adani group, and held that it cannot regulate SEBI's power of investigation.

Meanwhile, reacting to the court judgement, Billionaire Gautam Adani has reacted saying truth has prevailed - 'Satyameva Jayate'. Adani has also expressed his gratitude towards people who stood by him and the company during the crisis. He wrote on X:

The Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgement shows that:



Truth has prevailed.

Satyameva Jayate.



I am grateful to those who stood by us.



Our humble contribution to India's growth story will continue.



Jai Hind. January 3, 2024

The apex court had reserved its verdict in the case in November last year on PILs, filed by lawyers Vishal Tiwari, M L Sharma, Congress leader Jaya Thakur, and Anamika Jaiswal.

Chief Justice Chandrachud had conveyed dissatisfaction regarding the petitioners' reliance on information sourced from entities such as the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hindenburg Research. He emphasized the court's necessity to depend on Indian investigative agencies for credible information.

The controversial Hindenburg Research's report, had alleged that the Adani Group of companies has manipulated its share prices, involved in fraudulent transactions, leading which the company's stocks witnessed a bloodbath in the Indian stock markets.
New Delhi: WhatsApp, owned by Meta, reported on Monday that it had enforced a record-breaking ban on over 71 lakh problematic accounts in India during November 2023, aligning with the new IT Rules 2021.

The company banned 71,96,000 accounts between November 1 to November 30, 2023. Approximately 19,54,000 accounts were proactively banned before user reports, as disclosed in the monthly compliance report by Whatsapp. (Also Read: 40 Companies Looking To Raise Nearly Rs 70,000 Cr Through IPO Let Their Approval Lapse In 2023)

Whatsapp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in India with over 500 millions users in the country. The platform registered a new high with 8,841 complaint reports in India for November. Only six of these reported issues were addressed by the platform. (Also Read: Adani-Hindenburg Row: SC Says No Ground To Transfer Case From Sebi To SIT; Asks Sebi To Complete Probe In 3 Months)

"Accounts Actioned" refers to reports where WhatsApp took corrective measures following a report, and "taking action" indicates either banning an account or reinstating a previously banned account.

"This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform," according to the company.

The government recently introduced the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC), addressing their content-related concerns and other issues to empower a vast number of Indian social media users.

The newly created panel has been designed to strengthen the country's digital regulations overseeing Big Tech companies. The panel will assess user appeals against decisions made by social media platforms.

"We are an industry leader among end-to-end encrypted messaging services in preventing and combating abuse. In addition to our safety features and controls, we employ a team of engineers, data scientists, analysts, researchers, and experts in law enforcement, online safety, and technology developments to oversee these efforts," said WhatsApp.
NASSAU, Bahamas, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Air, the largest privately owned airline in The Bahamas, names Sherrexcia "Rexy" Rolle, Esq. as President, CEO & Accountable Manager of Western Air, effective January 1st, 2024. Rexy joins the small, 8% of airline CEOs, that are women. She brings 15+ years of airline experience and served as VP of Operations & General Counsel for the past 9+ years. As an Aviation & Corporate Attorney with a focus in airline operations, she has led Western Air's transition from turboprop to a uniform fleet of 9 Embraer ERJ 145- 50 seater jets and launched new routes including the airline's first US route, between Nassau & Fort Lauderdale. Rexy spearheaded the opening of the Western Air Freeport Passenger Terminal in 2015 and reopened the rebuilt facility, this year, after navigating the airline through the challenges of Hurricane Dorian and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Western Air Logo

"Rexy is deeply committed to the service we offer passengers. She's hands on. For years, her role has been all encompassing, overseeing the day-to-day operations and the legal & regulatory affairs of the airline. We know she will continue to work hard to enhance and develop the Western Air experience for passengers."- Chairman Rex Rolle stated.

The President & CEO position was previously held by Capt. Rex Rolle, since the airline's inception over 23 years ago. Capt. Rolle is the newly appointed Chairman of the Board. He has over 41+ years of aviation experience and will remain involved in the overall direction of the company. Capt. Rolle co-founded Western Air in September 2000 with his wife, Co- Founder & COO, Shandrice Woodside.

Rexy expressed that she's focused on the customer, the operation and the mission. Uniquely, witnessing the start of the airline, she's aware of where it came from and amidst its success, she sees greater potential yet to be unlocked. She says, "Customers matter most and we are here to serve from check-in to landing and beyond. Passengers motivate our growth and innovation. However, our core mission remains the same; to provide safe, quality, affordable, efficient air service. We believe travel should be easy & no pressure. Hence, our tickets are usable for one year with no change or cancellation fees, ever." She speaks on her new role, "I thank God and I thank our hard working, talented team for their commitment to the service we provide. Each person plays a part. And as a family business, it's truly an honor to step into the role that my Dad served for so long."

Story continues

Leadership evolution is an integral part of future company progression and Western Air looks forward to taking its passengers' to new heights.

ABOUT WESTERN AIR

Founded in September 2000, Western Air is the largest privately owned airline in The Bahamas operating daily jet service between Nassau and Freeport, Marsh Harbour, Exuma, Cat Island, Bimini, Congo Town, San Andros and Fort Lauderdale, as well as on demand charters throughout the Caribbean, Central & South America & the United States. With a fleet of EMB145LR & XR 50 seater jets and 230+ employees, the airline holds the best on-time record in the region. Western Air operates its own passenger terminals & maintenance facilities located in San Andros and Grand Bahama. For general information visit www.westernairbahamas.com .

Photograph of Sherrexcia Rexy Rolle, President & CEO of Western Air. Rexy previously served as VP of Operations & General Counsel for the past 9 years.

Western Air EMB145LR Jet Cabin. Western Air's average flight times to its 9 destinations, is 25 minutes. The airline operates a uniform fleet of 9, Embraer ERJ145 50 Seater jets, one cabin class.

Western Air operates daily jet flights between Nassau and Fort Lauderdale, Freeport, Abaco, Exuma, San Andros, Congo Town, Bimini, and Cat Island.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/western-air-appoints-first-woman-president--ceo-sherrexcia-rexy-rolle-appoints-rex-rolle-as-chairman-302025305.html

SOURCE Western Air Limited
San Francisco: Nikesh Arora, a SoftBank veteran and now the CEO of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks, has entered the billionaires club after a hefty paycheck he received from the firm.

He had received a $125 million stock and options compensation package from Palo Alto when he was hired in 2018.

Since then, the companys share price has more than quadrupled and Aroras stake is now worth $830 million ($1.1 billion Singapore dollars), reports Bloomberg.

At Google, his compensation package was about $51 million in 2012 and he received stock awards worth at least $200 million by the time he left.

He joined SoftBank Group in 2014 and amassed a $135 million first-year compensation package.

Arora was president and chief operating officer of SoftBank Group from 2014 to 2016 and received a total compensation of over $200 million, a Japanese record at the time.

If we combine the pay awards Arora received in his career, his net worth stands at $1.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

That makes him a rare non-founder billionaire tech chief executive, the report noted.

On June 1, 2018, Arora took on the role of CEO and chairman at Palo Alto Networks.

Arora began his career at Fidelity Investments in 1992, holding a variety of finance and technology management positions, ultimately serving as vice president, finance of Fidelity Technologies.
AP LAWCET 2023: The APSCHE has released the AP LAWCET phase 2 seat allotment result on the official website, lawcet-sche.aptonline.in. Students allocated seats through the Andhra Pradesh Law Common Entrance Test (AP LAWCET 2023) phase 2 are required to report to the assigned colleges from January 3 to 5. AP LAWCET 2023 is conducted for admissions to 105 law colleges in the state. Students securing allotments must bring their AP LAWCET admit card, rank card, Class 10 and 12 marksheets, residence certificate, Aadhar card, income certificate, Physically Handicapped (PH)/Nationals Cadet Corps (NCC)/Children of Armed Personnel (CAP) certificates, transfer certificate, and EWS certificate for the verification process at the college.

AP LAWCET 2023: Steps to download here

Go to the official website, lawcet-sche.aptonline.in.

Provide the login ID, roll number, password, and date of birth in the designated fields.

Enter the displayed security code.

If a seat is assigned, the seat allotment letter can be downloaded.

Open the seat allotment letter in PDF format.

Download and print a copy of the seat allotment letter for reference.

Candidates in AP LAWCET 2023 phase 2 have been assigned seats and programmes based on the preferences they stated throughout the web options entry process.
In the wake of the first reported case of the JN.1 variant of COVID-19 in Kerala, the already complex battle against the virus has taken a new turn. This highly contagious sub-variant presents symptoms akin to the original virus, including fever, sore throat, and runny nose. While certain groups, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, remain particularly vulnerable, the virus itself does not discriminate, emphasizing the need for ongoing vigilance.

Dr Rupkatha Sen, Chief Intensivist - Critical Care at SRV Hospitals  Chembur shares more on COVID preparedness, she adds, "As the festive season approaches, responsible behavior becomes paramount."

1. Stay Informed: Keep yourself updated on the latest developments, especially with the emergence of the JN.1 variant. Knowledge is crucial in making informed decisions to protect yourself and others.

2. Prioritize Basic Precautions: Adhere to foundational precautions, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, and maintaining meticulous hand hygiene. These simple yet effective measures remain our first line of defense against the virus.

3. Be Mindful of Symptoms: Given the similarities between the JN.1 variant and the original virus, pay close attention to symptoms like fever, sore throat, and runny nose. Early detection can help in timely intervention.

4. Protect the Vulnerable: Recognize that certain groups, like the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, are more susceptible. Take extra precautions to ensure their safety and well-being.

5. Celebrate Responsibly: With the festive season approaching, consider restricting gatherings to smaller, close-knit groups. Ensure proper ventilation in indoor settings to minimize the risk of transmission.

6. Embrace Shared Responsibility: Acknowledge that our actions collectively shape the trajectory of the pandemic. Celebrate responsibly, protect the vulnerable, and prioritize public health to contribute to a safer and healthier community.

According to Prof. Dr Rahul Pandit, Chair, Critical Care, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, "Whenever a new variant or sub-lineage comes out, there are four questions which come to your mind.

- First is, is it rapidly transmissible than the current variant which is in circulation?

- Second, is it more lethal?

- Third, does it have an immune escape? That means, the immunity which we have acquired, would it have an immune escape phenomenon so that even people who have taken vaccine over, so-called immune, would have an infection again?

- And the fourth one is, would it have an ability to escape testing also?

So, in this current JL.1 variant, it looks like there is some spike in protein mutation. And there is a possibility, that it may be a little bit more transmissible than the current variant. We dont have clarity yet on how much more and how rapid will that be. The best precaution is masking, especially in public places."
New Delhi: The Middle East is on the brink of a wider conflict after a series of attacks in Lebanon and Iran, and raised fears of a new war between Israel and its enemies. On Tuesday, a suspected Israeli drone strike killed Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in a suburb of Beirut. Hamas confirmed his death and vowed to avenge him. On Wednesday, two explosions rocked a ceremony in the Iranian city of Kerman, where thousands of people had gathered to commemorate the first anniversary of the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the top Iranian general who was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq last year. Iranian state media reported that at least 73 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in the blasts, which were blamed on Israel by some Iranian officials.

The attacks have escalated the tensions that have been simmering in the region since Israel launched a devastating offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip last month, which killed more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. The war also triggered rocket attacks from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group that is allied with Iran and Hamas, and clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Some analysts believe that Israel is pursuing a strategy of targeted killings and covert operations to weaken and deter its adversaries, and to prevent them from acquiring advanced weapons and capabilities that could pose a threat to its security. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the recent attacks, but it has previously acknowledged carrying out hundreds of airstrikes and raids against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria and elsewhere.

Can Israel's Actions Trigger A Regional War?

However, others warn that Israel's actions could backfire and provoke a harsh response from its enemies, who have vowed to retaliate and defend their interests. They point out that the attacks have inflamed the public opinion and the nationalist sentiments in Lebanon and Iran, and have increased the pressure on their governments and leaders to take action.

Some observers also draw parallels between the current situation and the events that led to the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel fought and defeated a coalition of Arab states, including Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, and occupied the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. The war was triggered by a series of miscalculations, provocations, and miscommunications, and had lasting consequences for the region and the world.

What Is The Six-Day War?

The Six-Day War was preceded by a period of rising tensions and hostility, fueled by the Arab nationalist rhetoric of Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who vowed to destroy Israel and mobilized his troops in the Sinai. Israel, feeling threatened and isolated, launched a preemptive strike that destroyed most of the Egyptian air force on the ground, and then proceeded to defeat the other Arab armies and capture their territories.

The war was a stunning military victory for Israel, but also a political and diplomatic challenge. It created the Palestinian refugee problem, the Israeli settlement issue, and the Arab-Israeli conflict that persists to this day. It also reshaped the regional and international balance of power, and brought the United States and the Soviet Union into a direct confrontation.

Some experts fear that history could repeat itself, and that a new war could erupt in the Middle East, with unpredictable and potentially catastrophic consequences. They urge the parties to exercise restraint and diplomacy, and to seek a peaceful resolution of their disputes.

Others, however, hope that the current crisis could also create an opportunity for dialogue and cooperation, and pave the way for a lasting peace in the region. They point out that the Six-Day War also led to some positive developments, such as the Camp David Accords, the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, and the Oslo Accords, which showed that the former enemies could negotiate and coexist.

They argue that the common challenges and threats that the region faces, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis, the environmental degradation, and the rise of extremism, could encourage the parties to find common ground and mutual interests, and to work together for the benefit of their people and the world.
New Delhi: A delegation of BJP leaders on Wednesday met Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot and submitted a memorandum against the Siddaramaiah government for the arrest of a kar sevak (volunteer) in Hubballi. "A memorandum was submitted today to Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Shri @TCGEHLOT ji against the Anti-Hindu @siddaramaiah govt which is pursuing a policy of hatred against Hindu Karyakarthas, reopening a 31 years old case on Karsevak Shrikanth Poojary, while the Nation is celebrating consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya," Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra posted on x.

The kar sevak, Srikanth Poojari, was arrested recently for his alleged involvement in violence after the Babri masjid demolition in 1992. The arrest was made in a long pending case and the police said that it was a routine process to trace accused persons in such cases. However, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for "politicising" the arrest of a kar sevak (volunteer) in Hubballi and said that his government will not indulge in politics of hatred.

"Don't we need to punish those who have done wrong? Are they (BJP) protesting saying that they shouldn't be punished?" Siddaramaiah asked while speaking to reporters at his Home Office Krishna here. The kar sevak, Srikanth Poojari, was arrested recently for his alleged involvement in violence after the Babri masjid demolition in 1992. The arrest was made in a long pending case and the police said that it was a routine process to trace accused persons in such cases.

However, the Opposition BJP protested over the arrest across the state and accused the state government of arresting workers of Hindutva organisations at a time when the Ram temple in Ayodhya is being inaugurated. "You should ask them what is their intention behind protesting now. They (BJP leaders) are only doing politics. We only take action against those who commit crimes," Siddaramaiah said.

Meanwhile, R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, on Wednesday, slammed the Siddaramaiah government for the arrest, saying that the situation in the state is such that one is sent to jail for chanting 'Jai Sri Ram'. "If you chant 'Jai Sri Ram' in Karnataka, you will be sent to jail. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is at the Centre, so we are not afraid of all these," Ashoka said during BJP's protest march in Hubballi against the arrest.

Karnataka LoP also accused the Congress of having opposed the building of Ram temple in Ayodhya. He said that there were 69,000 pending cases in the state, hinting at the arrest of the kar sevak as politically motivated.

"Srikanth Poojari was arrested on the day when the court was on vacation for three days. He is a very poor auto driver. It is not right to arrest such a poor man," Ashoka said. He demanded the suspension of the police officers who ordered the arrest of the kar sevak
NEW DELHI: Days after paying a surprise visit to her home in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now written a letter to Meera Majhi and sent gifts for her family, sources said on Wednesday. The Prime Minister extended his goodwill by sending thoughtful gifts to Meera's family.

Gifts From The Prime Minister

The package included a charming tea set, a drawing book with a vibrant array of colours, and more, adding a personal touch to the Prime Minister's gesture. This act of kindness followed PM Modi's unannounced visit to Meera Manjhi's residence during his tour of Ayodhya.

PM Modi's Ayodhya Tour

During the Ayodhya tour, PM Modi inaugurated several key development projects, setting the stage for the grand inauguration of the Ram temple on January 22. Notably, Meera Manjhi, a beneficiary of the Ujjawala scheme, was among the individuals he interacted with during his visit.

#WATCH | Ujjwala Yojana beneficiary Meera expresses her happiness on meeting PM Modi.



PM Modi had tea at Meera's house, during his Ayodhya tour today. https://t.co/JsgzsOhHZX pic.twitter.com/RUJwRr6Ojz  ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023

Meera Majhi - An Ujjawala Beneficiary In The Spotlight

Meera Manjhi, residing in Ayodhya with her family, was caught by surprise when the Prime Minister graced her home. As a beneficiary of the 10th crore under the Ujjawala scheme, she shared her experience with reporters. Unaware of the visit, she recounted the Prime Minister's interest in the benefits derived from the scheme and even her daily cooking routine.

Warm Exchange At Meera's Home

In a heartwarming video shared by news agency ANI, PM Modi could be seen entering Meera's house. Despite family members attempting to touch his feet, the Prime Minister humbly urged them not to. His visit aimed to connect with the family that represented the monumental 10 crore milestone in gas cylinder distribution.

Inaugurations And Personal Connections

PM Modi's Ayodhya tour included the inauguration of the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and the flagging off of two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat trains. Meera Manjhi's home visit was sandwiched between these official ceremonies, showcasing the Prime Minister's ability to balance formal events with personal connections.

Awas Scheme And Ujjawala Impact

During the visit, Meera expressed her gratitude for the Awas scheme, sharing that her family now had a home. She highlighted the positive impact of the Ujjawala scheme, emphasizing the convenience it brought to her life. Cooking on gas not only saved time but also provided her with more quality time to spend with her children.

In this blend of official duties and personal interactions, PM Modi's visit to Meera Manjhi's home stands as a symbol of leadership connected to the grassroots, making a meaningful impact on individual lives.
NEW DELHI: As India braces itself for a series of significant political events in 2024, including the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, and crucial assembly and general elections next year, the political landscape is rife with anticipation. Several states in India are poised for significant electoral events. States like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim are anticipated to conduct polls concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April-May. Adding to the electoral spectacle, the conclusion of the year will witness Haryana and Maharashtra heading to the hustings. A critical uncertainty looms over the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which were last held approximately a decade ago in 2014. The Supreme Court has directed that these elections must take place by September 30, 2024, leaving the scheduling of the polls under keen observation.

The year 2024 is shaping up to be a political humdinger, featuring a direct face-off between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the I.N.D.I.A bloc, a formidable political alliance comprising 28 parties. Buoyed by its victories in the Hindi heartland, the BJP is gearing up for a robust competition. However, the looming question is whether the BJP can maintain its electoral dominance or if a united Opposition can challenge its formidable election machinery.

The proposal for Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implementation got a big push ever since PM Modi spoke in favour of it at a rally in Bhopal and said that the country cannot run on two laws. The PM further stated that the Uniform Civil Code is in accordance with the founding principles and ideals of the Constitution, which yet again proved that the ruling BJP is determined to implement CAA and UCC at the earliest.

In July, a Parliamentary Standing Committee met to discuss the implementation of the UCC. This also makes clear that the BJP-ruled states will soon start work to implement the UCC and strengthen its vote bank as well. The Law Commission has already initiated fresh consultation on the issue earlier this year and the discussions include various court judgements related to the issue.

Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Takes Center Stage

In a groundbreaking move, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the state assembly is set to discuss and pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), potentially making Uttarakhand the first state in independent India to implement this code. The UCC aims to establish uniform personal laws applicable to all citizens, transcending religious, gender, and sexual orientation boundaries.

BJP's Long-Standing Commitment To UCC Implementation

A five-member panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, has been instrumental in preparing a draft for the UCC in Uttarakhand. This move aligns with the BJP's longstanding commitment to this code, as emphasized by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who underscored the government's determination to implement the UCC.

UCC: Legal Implications & National Impact

Amit Shah's suggestion that implementation by one or two states may trigger legal challenges indicates a potential national impact if courts rule in favor of the UCC. Analogous to the resolutions of Article 370 and Ram Temple disputes, the Modi government might navigate the UCC issue through legal channels.

Citizenship (Amendment) Act

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019, a cornerstone of the BJP's agenda, is set to witness significant progress. A senior government official revealed that rules for the CAA will be notified well before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, anticipated to occur in April-May.

The rules for CAA are ready, and an online portal is established for a streamlined process. Home Minister Amit Shah affirmed the government's commitment to implement the CAA, countering opposition claims. The controversial act played a pivotal role in the BJP's electoral strategy, particularly in West Bengal.

Delayed Rules, Political Sensitivity

Despite a delay of over four years, the rules for CAA's implementation are now imminent. More than a hundred lives were lost during protests against the act, highlighting its contentious nature. The strategic empowerment of district magistrates in certain states for granting citizenship underscores the nuanced political sensitivity of the issue.

BJP's Multi-pronged Approach

As the BJP strategically manoeuvres on crucial issues such as the UCC and CAA, the party positions itself for the 2024 elections. The unfolding events, including the Ram Temple consecration, elections in seven states, and the potential implementation of these key policies, set the stage for a political showdown that will undoubtedly shape India's future.
New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may be appointed as the coordinator of the opposition parties I.N.D.I.A alliance. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday held an important virtual meeting with CM Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. Sources said that discussions on seat-sharing were held during the meeting. On the other hand, sources are claiming that JDU president Nitish Kumar will soon be announced as the coordinator. Along with this, Congress president Kharge may be appointed as the chairman of the coalition.

What Does Congress Want?

Sources have said that at a time when Rahul Gandhi is set to embark on a Bharat Justice Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai for two months from January 14, the Congress party does not want any kind of deadlock in the alliance. In such a situation, the initiative has been taken by the Congress itself to make Nitish the coordinator. Due to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections being very close, the Congress party wants everything to be fine in the alliance.

Speculations are being made that Nitish Kumar is angry and is planning to return to the NDA. Such discussions have made the Congress restless. This is the reason why after the Delhi meeting of the opposition leaders, Rahul Gandhi himself had spoken to Nitish Kumar on the phone. The biggest reason for making Nitish the coordinator is that he himself had taken the initiative to form an anti-BJP front in the 2024 elections. It is being said that the other parties of the alliance have also been taken into confidence. Sources claim that all the leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, have agreed on the name of Nitish Kumar.

Focus Shifts On Seat Sharing

Nitish Kumar had already said emphatically that the seat-sharing process should be completed by January. After that, all the parties will be able to agree on a common minimum program.

No Unity Without Nitish As The Anchor?

In this way, it seems that JDUs strategy of pressure politics in national politics is successful. There was talk of making Nitish the coordinator in the first meeting of the alliance in Patna, but it was not announced in Delhi either. Now again, news of consensus on his name has come. In the Delhi meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed the name of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial candidate, which had angered the JDU.

Even after refusing, the JDU played pressure politics. Nitish took the command of the party in his hands and gave a big message. Now RJD also seems to be in favor of making Nitish the coordinator. RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha says that RJD wants Nitish Kumar to become the coordinator of India.

Some time ago, JDUs national spokesperson KC Tyagi had said that nothing has been said by the Congress on this issue, but we will welcome any such step. Making Nitish Kumar the coordinator is a good idea because he has played an important role in bringing parties of different colors and sizes on one platform. There is no doubt that Nitish has been the biggest anchor of the India coalition.

It will not be easy to keep all the parties together after Nitishs anger. Meanwhile, BJP leader Sushil Modi has said that the post of coordinator in the INDIA bloc is like a clerk and Nitish Kumar is bargaining for it by showing the fear of going with the BJP. He said that after all the possibilities of being made the prime ministerial candidate were over, now they want to save their prestige by getting the lollipop of the coordinator post.

On the other hand, election strategist Prashant Kishor believes that JDU has no importance in national politics. Who is asking JDU and this is like being a self-praising parrot. He said that the politics of the opposition is, the biggest party is Congress, whether it wins or loses is a different matter. The second is TMC and the third is DMK. Who is asking JDU.
Hours after the new road accident law was put on hold, two accidents claimed the lives of 13 people. In one of the cases, the driver fled the spot leaving the victim to die and later surrendered before the police getting bail as per the existing law. Truck drivers from across India were on strike against the new road accident law that provides for 10 years imprisonment if the driver flees the spot after the accident and does not help the victim.

In Assam's Golaghat district, at least 12 people were killed and 25 others injured after a bus collided with a truck this morning. According to police, the accident took place in the Balijan area near Dergaon in Golaghat district.

"The bus carrying a team was going towards Tilinga Mandir from the Kamarbandha area of Golaghat district. The bus collided with a truck in the Balijan area and the truck was coming in the opposite direction from Jorhat's side. 10 bodies were recovered from the site and sent to Dergaon CHC. 27 injured persons were referred to Jorhat Medical College & Hospital where two people succumbed to their injuries," said Rajen Singh, Superintendent of Police of Golaghat.

In another hit-and-run case from Maharashtra's Nagpur, a minibus hit a two-wheeler and dragged the vehicle to flee away from the spot. In the accident, a woman lost her life. The driver later surrendered before the police and was granted bail. He could have helped to take the victim to a hospital but fled from the spot. The family of the victim has alleged that the driver misused the provisions of the weak existing law.

The new road accident law provides for 10 years of jail term if the driver flees from the spot after the accident and does not surrender before the police.
NEW DELHI: In a saga spanning four years since its inception, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has remained in the shadows, its regulations passed in December 2019 lingering in uncertainty. However, optimism arises as sources at news agency PTI reveal that the government is poised to announce the long-awaited CAA rules ahead of the impending 2024 Lok Sabha elections, ushering in a new era of legislative effectuality.

The CAA's transformative potential surfaces with the introduction of an innovative online citizenship-granting process for non-Muslim foreign nationals. A dedicated online portal now streamlines the application procedure, particularly for individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India. This groundbreaking initiative eliminates the cumbersome need for additional documentation, marking a significant leap towards a more streamlined and accessible citizenship process.

The government's quest for accurate demographic data faces challenges, particularly concerning Hindus migrating from Bangladesh, as well as citizens from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sources reveal a visionary solution: citizenship for these individuals will be granted based solely on online information, alleviating the burden of additional paperwork.

The echoes of opposition that resonated in 2019 continue to reverberate, notably in West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, TMC, persist in their protest against the CAA. In response to this dissent, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a resounding rally in Kolkata on December 27, accused Banerjee of misleading the public, assuring that the CAA would soon become a reality in the country.

The upcoming Lok Sabha elections cast a shadow over the political landscape, as the CAA takes centre stage. Opposition parties raise their voices, alleging that the BJP plans to capitalize on the law for electoral gains, accusing them of instigating confusion through the enforcement of the CAA.

In tonight's episode of Zee News prime time show DNA, anchor Sourabh Raaj Jain delves into an in-depth analysis of the delayed implementation of the CAA and the government's efforts to dispel the misconceptions that arose in 2019. Tune in for a comprehensive understanding of the situation and its political implications.
The 13th Yi Beauty & Lifestyle Expo and Global Beauty Summit, organized by Yi Beauty & Lifestyle

Shanghai, China--(Newsfile Corp. - January 2, 2024) - The 13th Yi Beauty & Lifestyle Expo and Global Beauty Summit, organized by Yi Beauty & Lifestyle - Yifei's subsidiary and a professional service platform that has focused on the beauty and fashion industry for over 10 years - has recently concluded in Shanghai. Retailers, brands, manufacturers, celebrities, third-party service providers, and other professionals from the beauty and fashion sector gathered at the event. Over 1,000 high-quality exhibitors from around the world showcased more than 20,000 new products, attracting over 50,000 buyers.





Yifei Group's Yi Beauty & Lifestyle Expo Concludes Successfully

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/192912_0daf3f99c4e02b45_002full.jpg

At the summit, Qian Han, Secretary General of Yi Beauty & Lifestyle, noted that in the post-pandemic era, every sector is becoming more crowded and it is more difficult to attract traffic. Only by returning to consumer needs, deeply mining product strength through systematic content cultivation and refined traffic operations, can new traffic be attracted to complete the next round of "super evolution".

Based on this industry background, Yi Beauty & Lifestyle aims to expand beyond beauty products to related functional food, mother and baby categories for the same consumer groups, while maintaining high product quality standards. It also plans to develop a free certification membership base of 500,000 members in three years to help the brand expand across sectors and connect with more channels and influencers.

At this expo, Yi Beauty & Lifestyle also debuted the industry-first Top 100 Channel Exhibition, with dedicated zones for Taobao, private domain leader, video accounts, Douyin, and offline new retail. Over 300 channels, 10 mainstream platforms, and 3,000 brands participating in the two-day event achieved fruitful results through face-to-face meetings, generating over 10,000 cooperation intentions.

Story continues

Concurrently, over 500 heavyweight awards were presented at the "Beauty Night Yi Beauty & Lifestyle High-End Social Banquet and Award Ceremony" to outstanding enterprises and individuals across the industry.

Notably, the UK Department for International Trade attended with 12 precious UK niche brands covering fragrances, skincare, haircare, body care, and homeware. The UK pavilion booth saw enthusiastic inquiries. Japan, Poland, and Canada have also participated in previous Yi Beauty & Lifestyle Expos.

Yi Beauty & Lifestyle also looks forward to more cooperation with global beauty and fashion brands and e-commerce platforms and completing a new growth cycle together.

For business cooperation inquiries, please contact: xigua@yimeishang.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Tang Biyu

Email: xigua@yimeishang.com

Organization: Yimeishang

Website: https://www.yimeishang.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/192912
RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, issued a 'last opportunity' by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to record his statement in an alleged land scam days ago, has replied to the agency, labelling his summons as 'illegal,' sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the Jharkhand Chief Minister, in his letter to ED, has also said that he has already given the details of his properties. He has so far skipped six summons.

"Soren has written to the ED in response to the summons issued to him, stating that the summons are 'illegal.' He has also accused ED of making the media trial of the whole matter. In his reply, he also said that he had already given the details of the properties. He has also accused ED of trying to destabilise the government," sources said.

Earlier last week, the ED issued the seventh summons to the Jharkhand CM under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, asking him to record his statement. As he had not turned up for ED's six summons, this time the agency stated that it is his last opportunity to record the statement.

"Since you have not come to the office of the Directorate of Enforcement in obedience to the summonses issued to you, we are giving you this last opportunity to record your statement under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, at the place, date and time, mutually convenient to you as well as the undersigned (ED), which should be within 7 days of receipt of this notice/Summons," said the ED in its summon.

The agency has asked him to specify the place, date, and time within two days of receipt of this communication. "Despite the issuance of six summonses, you (Hemant Soren) have not appeared before this office, citing unfounded reasons. This non-appearance is impeding and hindering the progress of the investigation in the present case," ED mentioned in the summons.

The ED issued the sixth summons on December 12 for questioning, but the Chief Minister skipped the proceedings. CM Soren was first summoned by the ED earlier in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case. However, the CM ignored the summons, claiming that he was busy with the state's Independence Day celebrations.

He was asked again to appear on August 24 and September 9, but he skipped the dates, citing preoccupations. The agency then issued its fourth summons to the Jharkhand CM, asking him to report to the agency on September 23. The CM had earlier threatened to move for legal proceedings against the Centre if it did not withdraw the summonses issued against him.

In his letter to the agency, Soren said he had provided all necessary documents and information to the ED. He wrote that if the ED needed any information, it could refer to the documents that he had already shared with the agency. However, he alleged that the ED summoned him on August 14 at the behest of its "political masters.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat: HunyHuny, a distinguished brand in the premium baby and parenting products sector, joyfully announced its expansion in Ahmedabad with the grand opening of its newest store. The inauguration ceremony, graced by the presence of renowned celebrity and actress Shraddha Dangar, highlighted the brand's dedication to becoming the ultimate destination for families seeking top-notch cots (https://hunyhuny.com/44-buy-best-baby-cot-in-india), cribs, strollers (https://hunyhuny.com/14-baby-transport) and prams for their little ones.

HunyHuny provides a comprehensive omnichannel experience, boasting a vast network of mother-and-baby stores. It has garnered positive reception in areas such as Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Pune, and Jaipur, with eminent plans for extending its footprint to more cities shortly.

Specializing in a diverse array of baby and parenting products, HunyHuny has consistently stood out in its commitment to alleviating parental worries across all stagesfrom pregnancy through postpartum and beyond. Renowned among celebrity parents, HunyHuny's unique distinction lies in its steadfast dedication to delivering affordability without compromising quality. Every product from HunyHuny meets rigorous international standards and is the outcome of thorough research by a dedicated team of experts, ensuring excellence in every facet.

"We are excited to introduce HunyHuny to the lively city of Ahmedabad.," remarked Mr Shrikhanth Komarla, Operations Head, HunyHuny."Our goal is to provide more than just products; we aspire to offer an experience that aligns with the parenting journey. Every parent desires the best for their baby, preferring to physically interact with and assess the products before introducing them to their little ones. We also recognize the significance of delivering excellence for your child without burdening your budget, and that is exactly what HunyHuny embodies  a blend of quality, affordability, and care."

Shraddha Dangar, a renowned celebrity stated- The arrival of HunyHuny into Ahmedabad marks a significant milestone for families of Gujarat who are in search of high-quality baby and parenting products. Their admirable commitment to maintaining excellence while ensuring affordability is truly noteworthy. The brand's dedication to delivering top-notch quality aligns with my belief that every child deserves the best. Congratulations to HunyHuny for extending their compassionate and quality-driven approach to the dynamic city of Ahmedabad.

The opening of the Ahmedabad store is a thrilling achievement for HunyHuny as it endeavours to further its dedication to families in the area. Those who visit the store can anticipate a thoughtfully curated array of high-quality baby and parenting products. This collection spans from deluxe baby cots and stroller prams, along with accessories and clothing, to essential care items, addressing the varied requirements of contemporary parents.

For the latest updates, follow on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/hunyhuny_india?igsh=ODA1NTc5OTg5Nw==

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article. The IDPL Editorial team is not responsible for this content.)
New Delhi: A fourth-year female student of Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati was found dead in a hotel here, a police officer said on Tuesday. The deceased, who hailed from Telangana, and three of her batchmates came to Guwahati, which is about 25 kilometres from the institute, on December 31 evening to celebrate the New Year. "They had booked two rooms in a hotel through online mode. Post midnight, they reached the hotel for check-in. According to the hotel staff, they were inebriated. We are investigating that part," the officer added.

The next morning, the girl was found unconscious in the washroom by her friend, who was staying in the same room. She was rushed to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital where doctors pronounced her as brought dead. "We have launched our investigation and are interrogating all her friends. Other people are also being questioned," the officer said.

The deceased has been identified as Aishwarya Pulluri, a B.Tech fourth-year student in the Electronics and Communications department. Besides her, another female and two male students had checked-in in the hotel. Meanwhile, IIT-Guwahati issued a statement expressing condolences to the family of the student.

"It is with deep regret that IIT Guwahati shares the unfortunate news of the death of a student outside the campus on 31st December 2023. The police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident," it added.
NEW DELHI: In a big breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a prime suspect in the murder of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi during extensive raids spanning 31 locations across Haryana and Rajasthan. The arrest is a crucial development in the investigation into the murder of Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi.

Total Tally Reaches Nine In Chilling Daylight Shootout Case

With this fresh arrest, the total number of individuals detained in connection with the chilling daylight shootout at Gogamedi's residence in Shyam Nagar, Jaipur, has now reached nine. The incident, which occurred on December 5, claimed the lives of Gogamedi and another individual, while two others sustained injuries.

NIA Takes Charge: Rajasthan Police Case Transferred O December 11

Originally registered by the Rajasthan Police, the case was transferred to the NIA on December 11. The agency's involvement has brought to light a network of criminals associated with the murder.

NIA Raids Unearth Critical Clues

The extensive raids led to the discovery of a substantial cache of weapons, including pistols and ammunition, at various locations. Additionally, digital devices such as mobile phones, SIM cards, DVRs, and incriminating documents related to financial transactions were seized. These findings provide critical leads in the ongoing investigation.

How Ashok Kumar Was Arrested?

The key suspect, Ashok Kumar, was apprehended from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, following the recovery of arms and ammunition from his premises. Interrogation revealed his suspicious role in the case and his association with the notorious gangster Rohit Godara, an accused who allegedly influenced the two shooters involved in Gogamedi's murder.

Shooters Identified, Motive Exposed

The two armed assailants responsible for Gogamedi's murder were identified as Rohit Rathore and Nitin Fauji. Both were arrested on December 9, 2023, in Chandigarh. Investigations indicate that Rohit Godara played a motivating role in orchestrating the heinous act.

Sustained interrogation of the arrested individuals and suspects has unveiled connections to hardcore criminals and members of organized criminal gangs based in Haryana and Rajasthan. The NIA's ongoing investigations suggest that all the accused and suspects were associated with each other before and after Gogamedi's murder.

The developments in this case underscore the intricate web of criminal activities surrounding the shocking murder, bringing us one step closer to uncovering the truth. The NIA continues its relentless pursuit of justice as the investigations progress.
With several states witnessing the influx of Rohingyas and some like Manipur witnessing tense situations due to insurgents, the Narendra Modi government is planning to end the 'Free Movement Regime' along the India-Myanmar border. The existing Free Movement Regime (FMR) allows residents living near the India-Myanmar border to travel 16km across either side without documentation. According to reports, the Modi government is working to fence the entire border in a bid to curtain insurgent activities, illegal migrants, smuggling and the drug trade.

The Indo-Myanmar border (IMB), spanning 1,643 kilometres and traversing states like Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, is presently governed by the Free Movement Regime (FMR) and protected by the Assam Rifles. This arrangement was established in 2018 under India's Act East policy, intended to invigorate the regional economy by enhancing India's trade relations with ASEAN and other Southeast Asian countries.

Once the FMR ends, anyone travelling on either side of the border will have to carry valid travel documents. The primary objective is to prevent the exploitation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) by insurgent factions who conduct attacks within India and subsequently escape into Myanmar. It will also help curb the flow of illegal immigrants and disrupt the networks engaged in smuggling drugs and gold.

The FMR allowed members of the hill tribes on either side to cross the border on the production of a border pass having one-year validity. They are allowed to stay and engage in trade for up to two weeks per visit. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had also urged the Centre in September 2023 to end the FMR to limit insurgent activities. Manipur shares 390km of border with Myanmar. Mizoram has also recorded an influx of anti-Junta rebels since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021.
NEW DELHI: A massive fire broke out at a factory in Delhi's Bawana industrial area in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said. No casualties or injuries to anyone were reported.

As per Delhi Fire Service Department officials, a call about the fire was received at around 1.40 a.m. The fire incident was reported at a factory in Sector-3 near Sai Dharam Kaanta in Bawana industrial area.

#WATCH | Fire Officer, Ram Gopal Meena says "The fire call was received around 1:30 am. A total of 25 fire tenders were present at the spot to control the fire. There has been a huge loss but no one is injured in the incident. The fire has been brought under control now..." pic.twitter.com/x38DmLLBQp  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

#WATCH | Fire breaks out at a factory in Delhi's Bawana Industrial Area. 25 fire tenders rushed to the site. More details awaited.



(Delhi Fire Service) pic.twitter.com/8rkZTtTSUd  ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2024

Upon receiving information, a total of 25 fire tenders rushed to the spot and started an operation. The fire has been brought under control, officials said.

So far, no injuries or causalities have been reported, they added.
New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has sent a letter in response to the seventh summon by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case related to an alleged land scam in Ranchi. He has asked the agency to first clarify what charges are being levelled against him, for which he is being repeatedly summoned. The ED had given him the last chance to record his statement. Sources said that the CM has termed the summons as illegal.

The Jharkhand Chief Minister has written in his letter that he has already provided complete information about his assets. Soren has ignored the ED summons six times so far. Meanwhile, since speculations have been rife about his position as the CM, peoples interest in Kalpana Soren, the wife of Shibu Soren and Hemants mother-in-law, has been increasing. People are searching a lot on Google about her education and background. First, read Hemants reply to the ED. ED trying to destabilize the government

Soren has alleged in his letter to the ED that the news of the summons reaches the media before him, due to which he has to face media trial. Soren has said that he has already clarified his position in all the cases. Even then, the summons being sent to him seems to be politically motivated and an attempt to tarnish his image. He has also accused the ED of trying to destabilize his government. The ED has summoned the CM for the seventh time under the Money Laundering Act and said that this is the last chance to record his statement.

The agency has also said that he can choose the place, date and time according to his convenience. The ED had given him seven days to respond. The CM has been receiving summons from the ED since August. However, in the letter sent a few hours ago, the CM has not made it clear whether he will appear before the ED or not. So will Kalpana Soren become the CM?

For many days, there have been rumours in Jharkhand that Hemant Soren may give his wife the CM post. However, Soren has called this a wild imagination. Despite belonging to a powerful political family, Kalpana Soren has kept herself away from politics so far. Now, in the changed circumstances, her name is coming up directly for the CM post.

Who Is Kalpana Soren?

Kalpana Soren has often been seen with her husband Hemant Soren in public events. Recently, she was present on the stage at a function to mark the completion of four years of the Soren government.

In 2019, when Soren took oath as the CM, journalists had asked Kalpana Soren about the possibilities of her entry into politics. She had said that she was currently fulfilling her family responsibilities and was happy with it. Kalpana is originally from Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and belongs to a Santhali tribal family like Soren. Indias President Draupadi Murmu is also from Mayurbhanj.

Hemant Soren and Kalpana got married on February 7, 2006. Her fathers name is Ampa Murmu and he has been a captain in the Indian Army. He had told in an interview last year that Kalpana Soren was born in Kapurthala, Punjab in 1976. He was posted there in the army at that time. Kalpana Soren is the mother of two children and also runs a school in the Bariatu area of Ranchi.

Kalpana Soren's Education Qualification

Kalpana is more educated than her husband. Hemant Soren had enrolled for B.Tech after intermediate but had dropped out of his studies in between. Kalpanas father Ampa Murmu had said in an interview that his daughter has done M.Tech and MBA. He had also said that Kalpana is so educated and capable that she can handle any big responsibility if the time comes.

Apart from politics, Kalpana Soren has also participated in various programs related to womens development, but she has never given any statement on political issues.
A number of leading global and regional construction firms have shown interest in building the worlds tallest tower at Saudi port city Jeddah.

The 1,000-metre-plus-tall Jeddah Tower project is poised to be the centrepiece of the Jeddah Economic City development. Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) had sought bids by December 29 from 14 leading construction groups to complete the project, according to reports. However, a Business Korea report said all the three Korean firms invited to bid - Samsung C&T, Hyundai Engineering Construction and Daewoo -- have decided not to take part in the project. MEED had reported in October that the 14 firms included, apart from the Korean heavyweights, European construction majors - Skanska (Sweden) and Strabag (Austria); Chinese groups - China Harbour; China State Construction Engineering Corporation and Powerchina and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC)  Lebanon in addition to top regional players - Egypts Orascom Construction and Kuwait-based Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi & Sons. Prominent players from Saudi Arabia including Bawani; El Seif Engineering Contracting; Nesma & Partners and Saudi Freyssinet were also invited, according to the report. According to the Business Korea report that cited sources in the construction industry, among the three Korean firms, Hyundai and Daewoo E&C reportedly decided early on not to participate in the tender. However, Samsung C&T reportedly took longer to decide since it is a prestige project and "it was not easy for the contractor to give up its title as the construction company that built the worlds tallest building," said the report.

Samsung C&T had built the 828-m-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is the worlds tallest building at the moment, and also the 508-m-tall Taipei Financial Center building in Taiwan, the second tallest in the world, it added. Jeddah Tower will be the first skyscraper in the world to reach a height of 1008 m (168 floors from the ground) with an estimated construction cost of $1.23 billion. It will be taller than Dubais Burj Khalifa by more than 172m.

The construction work for the towers superstructure, which began in the early 2010s with the local Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) as the contractor, is one-third complete. The foundations and piling work for the record-breaking tower are finished. Germanys Bauer completed the piling work for the building, said the report.

The project's architect is US-based Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill, and the project manager is Lebanons Dar Al Handasah (Shair & Partners).

JEC, a joint venture between Kingdom Holding Company (40% stake) and Bakhsh Group (40% stake) and Sharbatly Group (20% share) - commissioned an independent assessment of the structure before the tender was issued.
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  January 3, 2024  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Murphy USA MUSA, Nine Energy Service NINE and Sunoco LP SUN.

Here are highlights from Tuesdays Analyst Blog:

Will Oil Make Progress in 2024 After a Dismal 2023?

The oil market concluded a challenging year with Brent and WTI prices both down by around 10% in 2023, marking the most significant annual drop since 2020. For 2024, market watchers have a subdued outlook, with concerns about weak demand growth and the potential impact of geopolitical factors on oil prices.

In this environment, investors interested in the sector could benefit from having quality stocks like Murphy USA, Nine Energy Service and Sunoco LP in their portfolio.

Oil Suffers Annual Fall

On Friday  the last trading day of the year  the global benchmark settled at $77.04 per barrel, while U.S. crude closed at $71.65 a barrel, leaving them down 10.3% and 10.7%, respectively, in 2023.

Despite several factors traditionally supportive of oil prices, such as OPEC+'s aggressive supply cuts, Middle East conflicts, shipping attacks and production outages, the market struggled to sustain upward momentum.

OPEC, spearheaded by Russia and Saudi Arabia, implemented robust supply cuts to stabilize prices. However, a lack of consensus on demand projections heightened market uncertainty. OPEC had forecast a demand increase of 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) for 2023, while the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated the same to be 2.3 million bpd.

Discordant sentiments also arose from concerns about China and Germany's economic trajectories, along with high-interest environments and diminished consumer confidence. Simultaneously, record non-OPEC production from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Norway, and Guyana, coupled with increased output in Iran, contributed to the supply glut.

Story continues

What's the Outlook for 2024?

Industry experts expect WTI oil prices to remain near $80 per barrel in 2024. Weak global economic growth is predicted to limit the fuel's consumption. Geopolitical tensions could provide support to the commodity but concerns persist about weaker demand growth.

The OPEC+ alliance's ability to sustain supply cuts is also questioned. While the cartel of oil producers has agreed to voluntary output reductions totaling about 2.2 million barrels per day for early 2024 (led by Saudi Arabia), doubts have been raised about the sustainability of these curbs. Record non-OPEC production, including from the United States, Canada, Brazil and others, is another overhang.

Concerns about an economic slump, particularly in China, contribute to a lukewarm sentiment. The rise of the electric vehicle industry is also believed to be a factor affecting oil demand.

A Word for the Investors

The overall outlook for 2024 remains cautious, with expectations of continued volatility. While geopolitical risks and potential supply disruptions are acknowledged, the prevailing sentiment is that demand growth may remain slow.

With crude prices likely to be influenced by a complex interplay of factors this year, stock picking can be tricky for investors interested in the Oil/Energy space. This is where the Zacks Rank, which justifies a company's strong fundamentals, can come in really handy.

We have identified the following three energy stocks that currently covet spots on the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list and look like worthy investments for 2024.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Murphy USA: The company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in two of the trailing four quarters and missed in the other two. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 7%, on average.

Murphy USA is valued at around $7.6 billion. The company has seen its shares gain 30.7% in a year.

Nine Energy Service: Over the past 60 days, NINE saw the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 move up 9%. The oilfield service provider has a Value Score of A.

Nine Energy Services' current market cap is roughly $94.7 million. NINE has seen its shares drop 79% in a year.

Sunoco LP: The 2023 Zacks Consensus Estimate for SUN indicates 10.9% year-over-year earnings per unit growth.

Sunoco is valued at around $6 billion. SUN has seen its units rise 39.7% in a year.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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A 28-year-old King George man was killed early Thursday in a single-vehicle crash in Stafford County, police said.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Brent Coffey said the crash occurred at 2:20 a.m. in the 500 block of State Route 3 (Kings Highway). A 2016 Dodge Journey was heading east on Route 3 when it ran off the left side of the road, overcorrected, then ran off the right side of the road.

Coffey said the car then struck an embankment before overturning and colliding with several trees. The driver and sole occupant, Christopher E. Lash, was ejected from the car and died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, Coffey said.
A man who pleaded guilty last year to stabbing a Cripple Creek man near Barr Trail in Manitou Springs was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday after the plea deal was briefly in jeopardy because of competency concerns.

Million Zimmerman, 24, was accused of attempted murder after he stabbed 60-year-old Eric Snay more than 20 times in May of last year.

According to previous reporting from The Gazette, Snay had offered Zimmerman a ride in his truck on the evening of May 22, 2023, and Zimmerman stabbed Snay in the head, neck, shoulder and chest while he was driving the truck.

The affidavit for Zimmerman's arrest details that he turned himself in the next morning and admitted the stabbing to a detective, stating that he did so because he "felt creeped out" by Snay.

During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Zimmerman added that he felt Snay was going to sexually assault him, and that's why he stabbed him.

Court records show that Zimmerman pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted murder in November and entered Tuesday's sentencing hearing facing up to 35 years in prison, according to Zimmerman's defense attorney, Jessica Briscoe.

Before sentencing, Judge Michael McHenry addressed concerns from Zimmerman's family and the El Paso County jail regarding Zimmerman's mental health that put the plea deal in jeopardy of being dismissed.

McHenry expressed concerns to Zimmerman and his attorney regarding whether Zimmerman proceed to sentencing. Briscoe informed McHenry that she had investigated the competency and mental health issue extensively, that she did not believe should prevent proceeding to sentencing, and that she didn't believe an insanity defense in trial would have been successful.

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Zimmerman also spoke to the court regarding his mental health, acknowledging that he has "problems" but disputed that he is mentally ill.

Part of the concerns over Zimmerman's mental health had been raised because of two incidents in the jail, where Zimmerman was accused of assaulting a peace officer. The incidents led to separate cases where Zimmerman faced the charge of assault against a peace officer, one of which Zimmerman pleaded guilty to on Tuesday afternoon, and the other he pleaded guilty to previously in November.

Zimmerman's adopted mother at one point spoke to the court about his history of mental illness, stating that he had struggled with severe mental illness throughout childhood.

After a long discussion on mental illness, McHenry opted to proceed with the plea agreement and sentencing hearing, stating that he did not find enough evidence presented to determined that Zimmerman was not competent.

Prosecutor Benjamin Hostetter requested the court issue the maximum sentence of 35 years in the Department of Corrections, while Briscoe requested for the minimum possible sentence of 25 years.

McHenry ultimately sided with the prosecution, describing Zimmerman's conduct as "dangerous" and " deeply concerning."

"Even though he (Snay) didn't die from these stab wounds, he easily could have," McHenry said after issuing Zimmerman's sentence.

McHenry also sentenced Zimmerman to six years in the Department of Corrections for each case of assault against a peace officer, each of which will run concurrently to his 35-year sentence.
Police have the public to thank for apprehending a robber at My BargainMart near the 2800 block of East Fountain Boulevard on Tuesday night.

The Colorado Springs Police Department says that around 5 p.m., shoppers and the store cashier confronted a man who attempted to take the cash register. The robber allegedly threatened the Good Samaritans with a knife, stabbing one.

CSPD confirmed that the stab injuries were not serious.

The Good Samaritans detained the robber until police arrived, CSPD said. The suspect has been identified as Latterrious Tanks, who was arrested for several outstanding warrants and on suspicion of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
The shelter-in-place order issued Wednesday morning in a neighborhood south of Fort Carson High School has been lifted, according to the Fountain Police Department.

Just after 9 a.m., the department announced on social media that officers would be conducting a search warrant near the 11000 block of Berry Farm Road in Fountain.

At about 9:25 a.m., a shelter-in-place order was issued for the area.

"There is law enforcement activity in the area of Berry Farm Rd/Marshall Dr. Please secure your home and stay away from the doors and windows," the alert reads.

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By 10:36 a.m., city officials announced through social media the order had been lifted.

"The area is clear for travel now. Thanks for your patience," city officials said.

According to FDP, no arrests were made.
One of the Colorado Springs Police Department's K-9 units has received new gear, thanks to a charitable donation.

According to a Tuesday morning announcement, the department's K-9 Creed has received a new bullet and stab-resistant vest from the nonprofit Vested Interest in K9s Inc.

Creed's new vest, valued at $1,800 was made possible by a donation from a local sponsor David Cozad of Colorado Springs. The vest has been embroidered with the sentiment saying, "Born to Love  Trained to Serve  Loyal Always," the announcement said.

In the past year, Vested Interest in K9s has donated several protective vests to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Since its inception in 2009, the organization has provided over 5,379 vests to working canine units across all 50 states, made possible through both private and corporate donations, officials said.
Epson is set to revolutionise the GCC manufacturing landscape with its advanced label printing solutions, catering to diverse sectors including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food & beverage and logistics.

Showcasing during Gulf Print & Pack from January 9 to 11, 2024, Epson's range of industrial and commercial printers addresses the evolving needs of the region's growing non-energy GDP sector.

Labelling and packaging make a key contribution to some of the regions most dynamic sectors. In Abu Dhabi, the economic department is targeting at least 100 new manufacturing operations in 2024 alone, while Saudi Arabias food and beverage manufacturing and processing sector is projected to reach a size of SR50 billion ($13.3 billion) by 2025. Labelling is also essential for the pharmaceutical and logistics sectors, supporting branding and user safety.

Superior image quality

To compete in a regional and global marketplace, manufacturers across the Mena region require superior image quality as well as label printing options that are flexible, robust, and compact. Epsons solutions have been created to deliver on these needs, said Abderrazek Hakimi, Sales Manager, Business System, Epson Middle East.

Our customers include some of the regions largest and longest-established manufacturers, as well as newer SMEs entering the market, so we have label printing solutions to address every stage of the business with the same reliability and print quality, regardless of the size of the user.

To highlight label printing capabilities across a diverse array of industry sectors, Epson will showcase the SurePress L-4733AW, which delivers high productivity and reduced maintenance for larger clients, as well as the ColorWorks C6500 Series, which prints labels in high resolution on-demand and with a great flexibility. The compact ColorWorks CW-C4000 is an affordable desktop labelling solution that can create labels for smaller manufacturing facilities.

ColourWorks range

Gulf Print & Pack marks the first time that Epson is demonstrating its ColourWorks range since they have been cloud-enabled through a partnership between Epson and Loftware, the worlds largest cloud-based enterprise labelling and artwork management provider. By connecting to the systems of enterprise businesses across multiple locations in the Mena region, Epsons cloud-enabled ColourWorks printers now deliver high-productivity colour labelling solutions across a range of industries, including electronics, automotive, aerospace and retail.

The integration of cloud computing into Epsons label printers have significant benefits for our Mena customers, added Hakimi. They can easily add new label printers as they grow, access and manage label printing tasks across multiple locations, and manage and monitor multiple printers from a single interface to guarantee consistency of label printing across their entire organisation  its a game changer in terms of ease of use and flexibility.--TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Amana Group, a leading construction company, has been selected by Emerson to construct its industrial manufacturing hub at the King Salman Energy Park (SPARK) in Saudi Arabia.

This landmark project represents one of the largest investments by Emerson, a global automation technology and software company, in the Middle East and Africa region and underscores the company's commitment to expanding its presence in the Kingdom.

The new facility, scheduled to be operational by end of 2024, will serve as a hub for industrial customers in the region, offering a comprehensive range of services, including control systems engineering, staging and testing, manufacturing of differential pressure (DP) transmitters and control valves, pressure relief valve assembly, and solenoid valve assembly.

Emerson plans to build an innovation and manufacturing hub at SPARK, aligning with Saudi Arabia's 'Saudi Vision 2030' strategic framework. This visionary framework aims to promote local content, enhance localisation efforts, and reduce the nation's dependence on imports.

The hub will be developed in line with environmental sustainability principles, supporting Emerson's net-zero emission goals and SPARK's standards.

The appointment of Saudi Amana is a significant step toward the realisation of Emerson's vision in Saudi Arabia, said Hussein Zein, Vice-President, Emerson Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Emerson's journey in the kingdom has been marked by strategic investments and expansions in local manufacturing capabilities and we look forward to opening this new innovation and manufacturing hub.

"In undertaking the Emerson Spark Project, Saudi Amana has embraced innovation and quality as our guiding principles and epitomises our commitment to delivering certainty, quality and reliability to our clients, said Group Amana Chief Executive Officer Jihad Bsaibes.

He added: Our unique approach, leveraging modular mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, and technology like Building Information Modeling, demonstrates our resourcefulness and efficiency, reducing waste and time to market. As we embark on this journey, we are proud to partner with Emerson, an industry leader in shaping the future of state-of-the-art production facilities. Together, we pave the way for a sustainable, innovative, and prosperous future." --TradeArabia News Service
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.
Dr. Williams, a native Coloradan, is a conservationist, hunter and reserve sheriffs deputy with degrees in zoology and public health. He is also the founder of Colorado Wolf Tracker, a social media group with over 3,000 members.
Bio Box

Among the hundreds who came to welcome the Chamonix Casino Hotel to Cripple Creek were the hopefuls that the ever-elusive jackpot would be theirs.

Im hoping theyll deal me the first blackjack hand, said John from Woodland Park, who declined to give his last name.

For Brian and Teresa Klein from Colorado Springs, opening day was good for another ride up the hill. We usually go to the Midnight Rose and thought it would be fun to see the Chamonix, said Teresa, who likes the penny machines. My husband is more of a gambler, so well see what they have here.

Sitting at side-by-side slot machines, Justin and Kimberlee Putnam just happened to be in Cripple Creek that day. We are visiting, staying at an Airbnb and stumbled on this opening, Justin said.

For the Putnams, who are from Wisconsin, the day looked pretty good, at least for one of them. An hour after the casino opened, Kimberlee was up $25 on the slots.
Colorado Coffee Merchants, 302 E. Fillmore St., is the spot to go for their new Hump Day Happy Hour, 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. They offer a menu of wine, beer and cocktails at low prices and a selection of appetizers. I enjoyed a delicious baked brie on a recent Wednesday evening. It was prepared in a ramekin topped with honey and baked. Just before serving, a few fat blackberries were added.

Eric Umenhofer, the owner and chef for the shop, adds house-made buttery toast rounds and crackers for scooping the melted cheese from the little dish.

Weve tried several different ways for serving the baked brie, he said. Folded in puff pastry or with pepper jelly instead of honey in the ramekin.

Umenhofer first started staying open later when he introduced his Friday steak dinners 5 to 7:30 p.m. The dinners have grown in popularity. And why not? Its a great deal.

For $44 per person, you get an 8-ounce Callicrate Ranch Food Direct beef filet cooked to your liking and served with carrots. Umenhofer has perfected the roasted carrots to sweet tenderness. He dresses them with a balsamic vinegar. The hot steak and carrots are served on a bed of spinach, which smothers the spinach and seasons it with meat juice and the sweet tang of the balsamic dressing.

Theres a fully loaded baked potato too. Umenhofer seals the deal with the first cocktail, glass of wine or beer on the house.

I have been able to keep the price so a couple can come for dinner out and not pay more that $100, he said. The tax and tip are included too. I just want to have a place for the neighborhood to come relax and have a nice meal and not have to spend so much.

Reservations are highly recommended. The dining area is small with only a handful of high-top tables. There is additional seating at the bar. Details: 719-473-8878, facebook.com/umpireestate.

Indian festival

Monika Celly, owner of Polka Dots and Curry, has organized a themed food festival at Liberty High School, 8720 Scarborough Drive, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 21.

My goal is to introduce the public to the different Indian harvest traditions and the foods served at the events, she said. Many of these harvest festivals are in January. For example Jan. 13 is Lohri celebrated in Northern India, Jan. 15 is Makar Sankranti held in many states of India and Jan. 18 is Pongal, celebrated in Southern India.

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Following are a few of the food vendors at Cellys event:

 Pakwan, serving Northern Indian cuisine including Saag, a harvest special food, butter chicken, kadai paneer (Indian cottage cheese and bell peppers cooked in a spicy sauce) and samosa chana chaat (a fried samosa is broken into bite-sized pieces and served with masala, chutney and spices).

 Garnish Fusion from Denver will bring Southern Indian specialties including idli (savory rice cake), vada (fried snacks like fritters, cutlets, or dumplings), sambhar (vegetable-lentil stew), chicken biryani and sweet pongal a harvest special dessert.

 The Ganesha will serve an Indo Chinese menu including gobi manchurian (fried cauliflower tossed in slightly sour, sweet & hot manchurian sauce) and street-style veggie noodles.

 Polka Dots and Curry will have Indian meal kits (free samples will be available), and serve Bhugga, a harvest special dessert of sesame seed fudge.

 Several Indian-street food vendors will also come from Denver.

There will be Indian folk dances, live music, harvest themed art walk, and Rangoli, Indian floor art competition.

General admission is free but you must register, $7 early access, $14 early access for family of four, and $25 early access for family of six.

General admission check-in is at 12:15 p.m. with entrance at 12:30 p.m.

Early access check in is at 11 a.m., doors open at 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Early access ticket holders get free download of Cellys Indian e-cookbook Vegetarian Surprises with recipe videos, complimentary masala chai and a detailed e-guide for the event, which will be emailed to early access ticket holders a few days before the event. Tickets at tinyurl.com/4erbjm7j.

For more information, email indianharvestfest@gmail.com.

Contact the writer: 636-0271.
After being silenced for two years, the official radio station at the University of Colorado campus in Colorado Springs has been reborn in the post-pandemic era with a new vigor that's headed toward surpassing previous accomplishments.

UCCS Radio is the only college in the state thats up for the title of the nations Best Streaming/Online Only College Radio Station. Its also in the running for Best Student Radio Station Manager.

Awards in these and other competitive radio, television and video categories are given annually by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, a New Windsor, N.Y.-based organization that promotes community and student media outlets.

Finalists were announced last month.

It felt like my hard work was finally paying off, said UCCS Radio Station Manager Caitlyn Branine.

National winners will be announced March 2 at the organizations annual conference in New York City.

The UCCS crew is facing stiff competition for the top-dog spot, Branine said.

Were up against some really tough schools that have a lot more money than us, that have a lot more listeners than us, she said. This award is definitely going to be challenging.

The organizations website lists the University of West Georgia, Arizona State University and DePaul University as other finalists for this years Best Station recognition.

Branine herself is a finalist in the Best Student Station Manager category against five other station managers, including Trie Hall at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, the largest of four campuses in the CU system.

But the Voice of the Mountain Lions has held its own in a mighty way.

The COVID pandemic forced UCCS Radio to completely shut down from March 2020 to the spring semester of 2022, when Branine was hired as the student station manager.

The 22-year-old communications major from Denver, who will graduate from UCCS with a bachelors degree in May, relied on the help of her dad to achieve what seemed like an insurmountable feat.

Everyone who had knowledge of the radio station or how radio worked had already left or graduated, so no one at the school really knew anything about how to rebuild the radio station or how to run it, she said.

No one knew how to use the software, the sound equipment or the large on-campus recording studio, either.

Branine and her father, who had worked at his college radio station and in the industry after graduation, spent the summer of 2022 reconstructing the operation from scratch, with no notes or knowledge from predecessors.

Its crazy, Branine said. We worked so hard.

The father-daughter pair learned how the software works, downloaded music, located programming, did promotions, such as setting up an informational table at campus events, and handled advertising.

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Just people knowing we exist is huge, Branine said. When I would table at events most people would be surprised when they found out we have a radio station.

Available through the web address, radio.uccs.edu, UCCS Radio streams 24/7. The station offers a mixture of music, including from Colorado bands, and 10 unique programs created and presented by students and staff. News, sports, psychology, rap, film talk, geek college info and podcasts of various topics are offered.

The station operates as an independent organization within UCCS Student Life and Leadership program and receives funding from student media fees.

Shows air 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 6-10 p.m. nightly, with music in between. Promotions of on-campus activities and events are featured throughout the broadcast.

Until the fall semester, Branine was the operation's only employee.

The radio station was still in the process of being rebuilt last year, and I didnt have any staff, she said. We were having trouble getting employees, so it was pretty much me doing everything by myself for the first year and a half.

There are now three student employees and an advisor.

UCCS Radio started online in 2003 as a project of computer science students and has remained operated and produced by students. The station struggled but in 2005 obtained official organization status and began receiving campus funding.

In 2015, UCCS Radio garnered its first nominations for Intercollegiate Broadcast System awards, including for Best Online College Radio Station, which it did not win.

Branine thinks UCCS Radio became a Best Station finalist again this year because of its long road back to success, program variety and innovative promotional segments that run every 15 minutes to inform students and the community of whats going on at the school.

The judges probably liked our structure, how everything sounds and how we put it all together, she said. Most stations dont include campus updates at the commercial breaks like we do.

Recognition is building.

Weve got lots of supporters and students who have shows they love doing, so we always have lots of content, Branine said.

After graduation she will look for a job where she can use her skills in promotions, event planning and advertising.

College radio is important is because it teaches students radio broadcasting, software, advertising promotion, and how all of that works for when they get into the workforce, Branine said.

She doesnt plan to let her sweat and tears go to waste. This semester, shell work on naming a student station manager successor. Because radio isnt dead.

Its definitely challenging nowadays because we compete against Spotify and Pandora, and most people dont want to plug in the web address just to listen to the radio when pulling up Spotify is easier, Branine said.

Nonetheless, tuning in to UCCS Radio is a good way to stay updated and support your fellow students, athletes and clubs and organizations.
MIAMI  Pedro Naranjo idolized his father growing up and followed him into the Venezuelan air force to fly helicopters. So deep was their bond that when the older Naranjo feared being jailed for plotting against Nicolas Maduros socialist government, father and son fled to the United States together.

Now the two have been separated by an overstretched U.S. immigration system that has left the retired Gen. Pedro Naranjo in legal limbo in the U.S. His loyal son, a Venezuelan air force lieutenant, sits in a Venezuelan military prison after he was deported by the Biden administration as part of an attempt to discourage asylum-seekers from the turbulent South American country.

We never had a plan B, the older Naranjo said in a phone interview from Houston. He was released after 10 days in U.S. custody and is now awaiting the outcome of his own asylum request. It never crossed our mind that the U.S., as an ally of the Venezuelan opposition and democracies over the world, a defender of human rights and freedom, would do what it did to my son.

The Venezuelan diaspora is one of the most vexing migration challenges facing U.S. officials.

Last year, Mexico ended visa-free travel for Venezuelans, which had been a ticket to those seeking asylum in the United States. Once arriving at a Mexican border city, Venezuelans could walk across the border in broad daylight and surrender to U.S. agents, avoiding the dangers of traversing Mexico and other countries over land.

Restricting flights to Mexico encouraged walking through the perilous Darien Gap. More than a half-million migrants, predominantly Venezuelan, have traversed the jungle at the border of Colombia and Panama this year.

The resumption for the first time in years of U.S. deportation flights to Venezuela  11 since October, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data  have failed to stem the surge. Venezuelans were arrested more than 85,000 times crossing the border illegally in October and November, the second-highest nationality after Mexicans.

Little is known about how those deported fare once they are returned home. However, critics and members of south Florida's close-knit community of Venezuelan exiles have blasted the Biden administration for overlooking the grave dangers faced by deportees like Naranjo.

A group calling itself Independent Venezuelan American Citizens joined Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Jimenez recently to denounce the younger Naranjo's deportation and subsequent arrest at the hands of Maduro. It said it sent a request to the White House on Dec. 12 seeking to block the deportation but received no response. On Dec. 14, after failing to reverse a deportation order by an asylum officer, the younger Naranjo was deported, according to his father.

Ernesto Ackerman, a member of the group, said the deportation was akin to sending a U.S. drug agent into the hands of a drug cartel.

Its like taking a DEA agent and sending him to Chapo Guzman, Ackerman said, referring to the Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. I dont see any difference.

Naranjo's deportation comes against the backdrop of U.S. attempts to improve relations with Caracas after the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign failed to topple Maduro. In November, the White House eased oil sanctions on the OPEC nation to support fledgling negotiations between Maduro and his opponents over guarantees for next year's presidential elections. Biden also announced a presidential pardon releasing from prison of a key Maduro ally held for more than three years on U.S. money-laundering charges.

Neither the White House nor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement commented on the Naranjos' situation.

The father-son saga began in 2018, when Gen. Naranjo was arrested with a handful of other officers for allegedly plotting to assassinate Maduro, sow chaos and disrupt Venezuelas presidential election that year. Naranjo denies his involvement.

In 2021, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, Naranjo was hospitalized after suffering a stroke in prison. Under international pressure, he was allowed to complete his sentence at home.

When the government decided to extend the sentence of his co-defendants, he decided to flee at the end of 2022 and his son joined him to make sure he arrived safely.

The only crime he committed was being a good son, said Maria Elena Machado, who has seen her son twice in prison since his return.

The two first crossed the border into Colombia, then made the perilous trek through the Darien to the U.S. On Oct. 4, they crossed the Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas, and surrendered to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Crossing illegally from Mexico exposed the Naranjos to tougher standards for passing initial asylum screenings.

A rule introduced in May applies the higher standard to anyone who crosses the border illegally after passing through another country, like Mexico, without seeking protection there. Migrants also must use one of the Biden administrations new legal avenues to asylum, such as a new mobile app for appointments at official crossings.

It's not clear why Naranjo's asylum request was rejected. Migration experts warn that other Venezuelans deserving of asylum could suffer the same fate.

This is not a shocker, said Julio Henriquez, a Venezuelan-born immigration attorney in Boston. It was bound to happen at any moment.
A Sheffield woman was jailed on Sunday morning after allegedly being involved in a series of crashes and leading police on a brief chase.

Police reports state that just after 6 a.m. on Dec. 31, 27-year-old Dakota Lynn Nicholson drove her vehicle into the yard of a residence on Fourth Street Southwest in Mason City, crashing her 2012 Nissan Rogue into the house, a bench and a tree on the property.

As Mason City police officers arrived at the scene of the crash, Nicholson allegedly fled, leading police on a brief chase. She was finally stopped near First Street Southwest and South Adams Avenue where authorities say she put her vehicle in reverse and backed into a squad car before putting her vehicle back into drive and crashing head on with another squad car.

According to court documents, damage from the crashes total over $10,000. No injuries were reported.

Nicholson remains in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on felony charges of first-degree criminal mischief and misdemeanor counts of third-degree criminal mischief, fifth-degree criminal mischief and eluding. She's also charged with the traffic violations of failure to maintain control, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and two counts of failing to stop or yield the right of way.

Her bail is set at $10,000. No court date had been set as of Wednesday afternoon.
GREENSBORO  The man charged with murder in the death of police Sgt. Philip Dale Nix bowed his head and said, I know, on God after District Court Judge Tabatha Holliday addressed him on Tuesday, calling the act a horrible offense.

Guilford County District Attorney Chris Parrish told the judge that Jamere Justice Foster gunned down Nix from a car parked in front of a local Sheetz store on Saturday after the off-duty officer saw Foster and another man leave with five cases each of stolen beer.

Foster is charged with first-degree murder in Nixs slaying and could be sentenced to life in prison without parole or death if convicted.

Foster, who is 18 and from Winston-Salem, is being held without bond. He is also charged with misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor conspiracy  charges that each carry 120-day sentences.

The other person allegedly involved in the tragedy  John Walter Morrison, 28, also of Winston-Salem  is charged with misdemeanor larceny and conspiracy. However, his most serious charge is felony accessory after the fact, which carries a maximum sentence of almost 20 years if convicted. He is being held without bond.

Both Morrison and a third defendant  Zquriah LePearce Blackwell, 18, of Winston-Salem  made their first appearances in court with Foster on Tuesday.

Morrison was the only defendant of the three who had prior convictions. Court records show Morrison had multiple counts of breaking and entering, possession of drug paraphernalia, larceny and a charge of resisting a public officer. They also show that an arrest warrant was recently issued for a parole violation.

Blackwell is charged, like Morrison, with accessory after the fact, with a maximum sentence of nearly 20 years upon conviction. Her bond is set at $500,000.

All three defendants made their appearances remotely from holding cells at the Guilford County Jail. Foster, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, bowed his head and looked down at the floor as the judge outlined the charges.

Parrish, the Guilford district attorney, said the three defendants sold their 10 cases of stolen beer  valued at $232.90  to obtain drugs.

Tragedy does not begin to describe the senseless acts here today, Holliday said.

Holliday informed Foster that one of the things she must consider in his case was if you are a danger to the community, and I have determined that you are.

Before the hearing, the hallway outside Courtroom 2C was filled with media, members of Nixs family and Mayor Nancy Vaughan. Also present were a number of police officers, including Chief John Thompson, black tape over their badges as a sign of mourning.

By 2 p.m., the courtroom was packed as the assembled waited for the proceedings to begin.

Parrish said that on the day of the shooting, Nix was sitting at a table outside the Sheetz on Sandy Ridge Road as he liked to do while using his laptop and catching up on work. He wasnt on duty at the time, but was carrying his service weapon.

In the late afternoon, while it was still light, Parrish said, Nix saw a car pull into a handicapped parking space in front of the store entrance.

According to Parrish, Blackwell stayed in the car while the two men entered. They spent less than a minute inside  and emerged with five cases of beer each.

Realizing a crime was in progress, Nix approached the car on the drivers side. Bullets then struck him in multiple places.

According to Parrish, Blackwell then told Foster he needed to get away because he had just killed a cop and to get rid of the gun.

The judge said public defenders would be appointed for Foster and Blackwell. Morrison has his own attorney. Their next court date is set for April 2, 8:30 a.m., in Courtroom 2C.

Holliday thanked the officers in the courtroom for their service and being there in honor of Nix.

We know you put yourselves on the line every day, she said. We appreciate it.
Today, starting at 1 p.m., the Greensboro Police Department and assisting agencies will be escorting the body of Sgt. Philip Dale Nix back to Greensboro from Raleigh.

Sgt. Nix was off duty on Dec. 30 when he was killed while attempting to stop a crime in progress. He served the GPD for 23 years.

The procession of vehicles will enter Guilford County on I-40 and then follow I-85 to the funeral home located at 6000 West Gate City Boulevard.

Multiple federal state, and local agencies will be staged on overpasses along the route.

GPD has asked the community not to park along highways, stop traffic, or put themselves in dangerous situations along the route.

Later, at 5 p.m., the city's office of community safety is inviting residents to a gathering at Phil McDonald Plaza, 220 S. Greene St., in support of the Greensboro Police Department.

This is an opportunity to stand in support with GPD, Sgt. Nixs family and the various community groups he worked with while serving as GPDs family victim unit supervisor, said Latisha McNeil, OCS manager. We are denouncing violence and promoting unity for all.
Editor's note: The following is another installment in a series on the top Independent Record stories of 2023.

The sky in the Big Sky state became a little more crowded in 2023 as a Chinese spy balloon drifting over Montana not only made headlines here but caused reverberations felt around the world.

Working on a tip from Billings sky watcher Chase Doak, Larry Mayer of the the Billings Gazette, a sister publication of the Independent Record, shot a photo Feb. 1 of the balloon that was quickly featured by every significant news outlet in the world.

That balloon was shot down Feb. 4 off the South Carolina coast. Before being destroyed, it floated over the continental U.S. for about seven days, including over nuclear missile sites in Montana.

The photo not only scuttled a diplomatic mission to China, it forced the president of the United States to confess he'd known about the spy balloon but wanted to keep it secret from the public and Congress.

U.S. officials initially declined to discuss whether the balloon could collect sensitive data, but the Wall Street Journal later reported a mashup of gear it contained could gather information. However, U.S. officials said data didnt appear to have been transmitted back to China.

In another incident, on Feb. 11, the airspace over Havre was closed briefly to support Department of Defense activities.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, released a statement that it, along the the Federal Aviation Administration, implemented a temporary flight restriction airspace in central Montana to ensure air traffic safety in the area during NORAD operations and the restriction had been lifted.

The next day, the president ordered an "unidentified object" shot down with a missile by U.S. fighter jets over Lake Huron, and it was believed to be the same one tracked over Montana and monitored by the government beginning the night before, U.S. officials said.

The implications of the balloons discovery are still being grappled with.

As late as Dec. 23, Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines was demanding that Congress finally be briefed on the scandal.

Daines and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, both have demanded more information from the Biden administration about the balloon, the reasons it was carrying American technology, and the Department of Defenses response.
Cafe Zydeco is for sale as its owner looks to move on from his 25-year career bringing Cajun specialties to Montana.

First listed in June, the cafes owner Kevin Carloss and his wife, Laura, hope to sell the property and the business for close to $3 million.

Itll be bittersweetIve been doing this for 25 years, and I need a life, you know, Carloss said, chuckling Friday. Ill miss it, I love doing it (but) my wife and I are tired.

The Carlosses opened a Billings location downtown in 2015 and then sold the restaurant to Melissa and Scott Homer in 2017. The Homers closed the location permanently in 2022 following the pandemic.

The restaurant in Bozeman, a 1930s-era 5,600 sq ft. building on an acre lot located at the intersection of West College Street and Main Street, has an asking price of $2.4 million and $650,000 for the turnkey Cafe Zydeco business.

The restaurant itself needs little introduction to Bozemanites. The Cajun restaurant had already become a staple even before it moved to its current location in 2012.

Cafe Zydecos menu features a variety of Cajun-style items such as the All That Jazz Po boy loaded with shrimp, andouille, ham, turkey, provolone and American cheese. But the gumbo and jambalaya is what most people come for.

Carloss says, he often works in the kitchen due to staffing issues but also partly due to his passion for serving up authentic Cajun food, worried that others cant get it right.

I work here a lot because I cant trust anyone to cook my food  the gumbos and jambalaya, I have to do, he said.

And over the years, Carloss has left his mark when it comes to Cajun food in Montana. Hes opened and sold other restaurants by the same name in Billings, Missoula and Helena  the latter of which still operates today.

Raised in Abbeville, Louisiana in a family of 17 kids, Carloss found his way to Montana in the 1980s. At the time, despite a good salary and enjoying the company he worked for, he was looking for something else, he said.

As his cooking with a Cajun flair gained popularity, he decided to leap into the food industry, despite discouragement from his brother, who owned a restaurant in Whitefish at the time.

Starting with a smaller rendition of his business in a gas station in Four Corners, Carloss eventually moved the cafe into the current Roost Fried Chicken location and then into the old hatchery building in 2012.

Now, Carloss says its time to head south again  at least part-time.

I would like to spend the winters where my roots are. Louisiana, south, southwest, southeast, I dont care, just somewhere. I just want to be down there, Carloss said. I miss all of the activities I used to do as a kid.

Carloss plans to sell the property in Bozeman  which he purchased four years ago  along with the business, but also wonders if it may be best to instead lay Cafe Zydeco to rest out of fear that once he moves on, it wont be the same.

My number one goal is just to sell the building and be free, but if someone is willing to buy the business and the recipes and the equipment I have, thatd be fine, he said, hinting at the difficulties of running a restaurant in Bozeman. To find a place to rent in this town is just very costly, so given that, you can definitely succeed if you buy both  we have a bar thats not being used, beer and wine would kill it. Theres a lot of possibilities.

For now though, until it sells, the cafe doesnt have a set closing date. Carloss and the staff will continue to serve up the restaurants iconic Cajun fare into the new year.
Two new laws passed earlier this year aimed at spurring more affordable housing in the state are temporarily blocked following an order issued Dec. 29 by a Bozeman judge.

The laws would have required cities to allow for the construction of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, and to let duplexes be built in areas zoned for single-family homes. The lawsuit was filed by Montanans Against Irresponsible Densification, made up of homeowners from Whitefish, Bozeman, Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Columbia Falls and Kalispell.

The group argued in its initial court filing that four new laws from the 2023 legislative session aimed at affordable housing constituted "top-down" measures imposed on large communities in place of local control. The two laws stopped by Judge Mike Salvagnis order were set to take effect Jan. 1.

Rather than solving affordable housing issues, the new laws encouraging density "pose a serious irreversible threat to the quality of Montana's core urban neighborhoods and to middle-class property values," plaintiff homeowner Glenn Monahan said in a previous statement.

Salvagni wrote that the group bringing the lawsuit was concerned that, should these challenged measures not be enjoined, they could wake up one morning to find that, without any notice at all, a new duplex or ADU (accessory dwelling unit) is going up next door in their previously peaceful and well-maintained single-family neighborhood. This threatened injury is sufficient to establish the probability of irreparable injury for purposes of issuing interim injunctive relief. The halt issued by Salvagni will be in place until the overall lawsuit is decided, unless it's appealed and overturned.

The judge also cited apparent contradictions and irreconcilable differences among these (laws) and raised constitutional questions.

The effort by the Montana Legislature to write an entirely new review and approval regime for zoning, subdivisions and annexation, may have resulted in pervasive arbitrariness which runs afoul of both the Equal Protection and the Due Process clauses of the Montana Constitution, he wrote.

The judge also said the laws create conflict in the case of if a neighborhood is under a homeowners association agreement that would ban a duplex or ADU, but a nearby neighborhood is not.

One class constitutes those homeowners who are protected by private, restrictive covenants. The other class is those who are absolutely similarly situated, and in fact, live just across the street in some circumstances, and have no such protections. Plaintiff argues that such arbitrary distinction, unrelated to the purported purpose of mitigating the shortage of affordable housing, is arbitrary and cannot stand, Salvagni wrote.

The judge also called into question the population thresholds in the laws. One law challenged in the lawsuit but not blocked by the order applies to cities with populations of more than 5,000 in counties with more than 70,000, while the bill related to duplexes applies to places with more than 5,000 residents, while the ADU bill applies to all cities.

There does not appear to be any reason in public policy or in the professed justification of addressing affordable housing that supports the entirely arbitrary distinctions between these similarly-situated cities. Yet one set is obligated to comply with the burdensome strictures of (one new law), while the other set is not, he wrote.

Jim Goetz, a lawyer for Montanans Against Irresponsible Densification, said Tuesday the group was happy to see the injunction.

We think he made the correct decision, Goetz said.   Generally what theyre trying to do in the name of affordable housing is pack in multi-density units in nice, older neighborhoods. While I think there is an affordable housing problem in Montana, this isnt the solution, particularly in places like Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell. Even if you try to cram in accessory dwelling units or duplexes or multi-units, theyre not going to be affordable so theres got to be a different approach to solving affordable housing.

Legislators and others in the coalition that backed the new laws now under a temporary halt expressed frustration Tuesday.

In an emailed statement, state Sen. Forrest Mandeville, a Republican from Columbus who sponsored Senate Bill 382, the Montana Land Use Planning Act, said the injunction will make the lack of affordable housing even worse.

We took a very methodical approach to addressing Montanas housing needs, passing bills to have both an immediate impact in the short term and also rewriting Montanas land use laws for long-term reform. Its sad to see the courts are making Montanas housing crisis even worse after unprecedented, bipartisan success on housing policy at the Legislature, Mandeville said.

Sen. Greg Hertz, who carried Senate Bill 528, another challenged in the lawsuit, was critical of the judges order.

The judge in this case doesnt seem to understand the legislative process, which features robust public input and debate, as well as compromise. All of these bills passed with huge bipartisan support because they were thoroughly vetted in the normal legislative process.

The bills passed with bipartisan support and on Tuesday former Democrat Rep. Danny Tenenbaum of Missoula also raised concerns about the order.

This ruling will lead to more sprawl, plain and simple. If we cant create more housing within existing cities and towns, our only option will be more subdivisions in rural areas. And that will decimate wildlife populations that are already facing pressure from outward growth, Tenenbaum said in a statement.

 Reporter Seaborn Larson contributed to this story.
HELENA  Reach Higher Montana announced the launch of the "It's Scholarship Time" application for high school and college students across the state in a Wednesday news release.

According to the release, the "It's Scholarship Time" initiative simplifies the application process by offering a single, comprehensive application form that allows students to apply for multiple scholarships simultaneously.

"We understand that the cost of education can be a significant barrier for many students. With 'It's Scholarship Time,' we aim to break down those barriers and empower students to pursue their academic and career goals without the burden of overwhelming financial constraints," said Kelly Cresswell, Executive Director at Reach Higher Montana, in the press release.

Also according to the release, features of the "It's Scholarship Time" application include:

Single application, multiple opportunities: Students can complete one application form to be considered for a variety of scholarships, saving time and effort in the application process. Tailored scholarships for diverse needs: The scholarships available through this initiative cater to a wide range of students, recognizing academic achievement, leadership skills, community involvement and various other criteria. Accessible for high school and college students: Whether a high school senior is planning to pursue higher education or a current college student is seeking financial assistance, the "It's Scholarship Time" application is open to students at different stages of their academic journey. Empowering Montana's future leaders: By offering a range of scholarships, Reach Higher Montana aims to support a diverse group of students, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder the dreams and aspirations of Montana's future leaders.

The application period for "It's Scholarship Time" opened Jan. 1 and closes March 1. Students are encouraged to visit ReachHigherMontana.org to learn more about the available scholarships, eligibility criteria and to access the application form.

For more information, contact Cullen Gilbreath at CGilbreath@ReachHigherMontana.org or 406-285-1107.

Reach Higher Montana is a non-profit organization and describes itself as "committed to providing access to post-secondary education for Montana students. Our vision is that Montana students achieve personal success in education, career and life."
DECATUR  Police are appealing for the publics help in tracking down a Decatur man wanted on animal cruelty charges after two dead puppies were found in his yard.

Decatur police Lt. Scott Rosenbery identified the suspect as 53-year-old Derrick D. Tyus. He is now wanted on three counts of cruel treatment to pets for the two dead pit bull puppies and the suffering of a third puppy which was found alive but starved. That dog is now being cared for by the Macon County Animal Control and Care Center.

Rosenbery said patrol officers who investigated the scene after being called to a yard in the 1200 block of East Whitmer Street on Dec. 11 could locate no source of food or water for the dogs.

This investigation was immediately assigned to a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division, said Rosenbery in a statement released late Tuesday.

As a result of the investigation, the owner of the dogs was identified as Derrick D. Tyus Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Derrick D. Tyus is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 217-424-2734 or Crime Stoppers at (217) 423-8477.

The Decatur Police Department prioritizes addressing animal cruelty and will actively investigate to guarantee animals receive the compassionate care they rightfully deserve.

Rosenbery said the police had consulted with the office of the Macon County States Attorney's Office before a persons wanted warrant for the arrest of Tyus was issued.

2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson Colby J. Park
The man charged with murder in the death of police Sgt. Philip Dale Nix bowed his head and said, I know, on God.

Jamere Justice Foster uttered those words after District Court Judge Tabatha Holliday addressed him on Tuesday, calling the shooting death of the officer a horrible offense.

Guilford County District Attorney Chris Parrish told the judge that Foster gunned down Nix from a car parked in front of a local Sheetz store on Saturday after the off-duty officer saw Foster and another man leave with five cases each of stolen beer.

Foster is charged with first-degree murder in Nixs slaying and could be sentenced to life in prison without parole or death if convicted.

Foster, who is 18 and from Winston-Salem, is being held without bond. He is also charged with misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor conspiracy. Those charges each carry 120-day sentences.

The other person charged is John Walter Morrison, 28, also of Winston-Salem. He is charged with misdemeanor larceny and conspiracy. However, his most serious charge is felony accessory after the fact, which carries a maximum sentence of almost 20 years if convicted. He is being held without bond.

Both Morrison and a third defendant, Zquriah LePearce Blackwell, 18, of Winston-Salem, made their first appearances in court with Foster on Tuesday.

Morrison was the only defendant of the three who had prior convictions. Court records show Morrison had multiple counts of breaking and entering, possession of drug paraphernalia, larceny and a charge of resisting a public officer. Court documents also show that an arrest warrant was recently issued for a parole violation.

Blackwell is charged, like Morrison, with accessory after the fact, with a maximum sentence of nearly 20 years upon conviction. Her bond is set at $500,000.

All three defendants made their appearances remotely from holding cells at the Guilford County Jail. Foster, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, bowed his head and looked down at the floor as the judge outlined the charges.

Parrish, the Guilford district attorney, said the three defendants sold their 10 cases of stolen beer  valued at $232.90  to obtain drugs.

Tragedy does not begin to describe the senseless acts here today, Holliday said.

Holliday informed Foster that one of the things she must consider in his case was if you are a danger to the community, and I have determined that you are.

Before the hearing, the hallway outside Courtroom 2C was filled with media, members of Nixs family and Mayor Nancy Vaughan. Also present were a number of police officers, including Chief John Thompson, with black tape over their badges as a sign of mourning.

By 2 p.m., the courtroom was full as the assembled waited for the proceedings to begin.

Parrish said that on the day of the shooting, Nix was sitting at a table outside the Sheetz on Sandy Ridge Road as he liked to do while using his laptop and catching up on work. He wasnt on duty at the time but was carrying his service weapon.

In the late afternoon, while it was still light, Parrish said, Nix saw a car pull into a handicapped parking space in front of the store entrance.

According to Parrish, Blackwell stayed in the car while the two men entered. They spent less than a minute inside and emerged with five cases of beer each.

Realizing a crime was in progress, Nix approached the car on the drivers side. Bullets then struck him in multiple places.

According to Parrish, Blackwell then told Foster he needed to get away because he had just killed a cop and to get rid of the gun.

The judge said public defenders would be appointed for Foster and Blackwell. Morrison has his own attorney. Their next court date is set for April 2, at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 2C.

Holliday thanked the officers in the courtroom for their service and being there in honor of Nix.

We know you put yourselves on the line every day, she said. We appreciate it.
The Cabarrus Arts Council Director of Operations Lisa McCombs, is the proud recipient of the Unsung Hero award at the Explore Cabarrus Celebrate Cabarrus Award Ceremony. With 15 years of dedicated service to the Cabarrus Arts Council, McCombs organizational prowess is unmatched  her spreadsheets and calendars are works of art in themselves.

Beyond the numbers, McCombs embodies the heart and history of every community member who contributed to our success. She transforms this role from mere figures to genuine connections, ensuring that shared arts experiences guide every decision.

Arts Council members are honored to work alongside McCombs, soaking in her wisdom daily. She truly personifies Cabarrus County hospitality excellence. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding contributions.

Give to the Cabarrus Arts Council: Help keep art alive in our community through a donation of any size. Visit cabarrusartscouncil.org/support/ how-to-donate

This week

(Today  Jan. 7)

Drama Kids  Thursday, Jan. 4, 4:40-5:30 p.m. Find your inner actor and develop your creative thinking skills. Come for a class that will include improvisations, theater games, creative movement, and more. Ages 6-11; free; no registration required; Concord Library; 27 Union St. N.; For more information, visit www.cabarruscounty.us.

Cabarrus Arts Council Family Day  Saturday, Jan. 6, 1-3 p.m. Make crafts at Creation Stations throughout The Galleries, take a tour of the latest exhibition, go on our ISpy Scavenger hunt. Check out the Art Nook. Ideal for preschool and elementary school ages, Family Days are FREE fun for everyone! Enjoy a performance by Opera Express! FREE; For more information, and to RSVP, visit www.cabarrusartscouncil.org.

Self-Care Saturday  Saturday, Jan. 6, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Self-care is about taking care of your mind, body, and soul in ways to reduce stress and enhance your happiness. Join us as we do a brief mindfulness meditation, journal our goals for the new year, work on a coloring page or two, or bring your own self-care projects to work on. Ages 12+; FREE; No Registration Required; Kannapolis Library; 850 Mountain Street; For more information, visit www.cabarruscounty.us.

Call for artists: 2024 Black History and Womens History Month Exhibits at Clearwater Arts Center, Concord  Submission Deadline: Jan. 7. ClearWater Arts Center & Studios is excited to announce a Call for Artists and a new collaboration with local arts consultancy, St. Lawrence-Martin. Jemma L. St. Lawrence-Martin will serve as Guest Curator for production of the 2024 Black History Month and Womens History Month exhibits under the theme, Lets Celebrate!. Both exhibits will be featured from Feb. 1 through March 18, in the ClearWater Arts Main Gallery, at 223 Crowell Drive, NW, in Concord. Black and Afro-Latino artists, and Women artists living in North Carolina and regionally are called and are invited to submit artworks for consideration; Submission instructions and criteria are spelled out within the Call for Submissions, found at the St. Lawrence-Martin website. Information is available on both websites: www.clearwaterartists.com , under Events, and www.stlawrencemartin.org under Announcements. ClearWater Arts Center & Studios has offered working Studio Space for artists, Public Programs, and Galleries for exhibits & event rentals for 13 years in Historic Concord,. With the opening, in fall 2023 of its newly built Ceramics Center; its merge into the Citys Parks & Recreation Department; and new projects & collaborations under way, ClearWater is an up-and-coming Arts Center with a growing profile. Renovated out of 100-year-old City-owned industrial buildings, ClearWater offers a unique vibe and an inspiring setting in its 2200 square foot Main Gallery, ringed with Artist Studios. Offering a Black History Month and Womens History Month-themed Exhibition is a new venture for the Studios. We are looking forward to an outstanding exhibit feature in early 2024, with related receptions and Artist Talk events, that engages the community and is in continuum with the work that we do to support artists. For more information on submitting artworks, email admin@stlawrencemartin.org.

Next Week!

(Jan. 8-14)

Play-Doh Lab  Tuesday, Jan. 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Are you ready to squish, knead, and create new things? Join us for Play-Doh Lab  all you need to bring is your imagination. We provide the suppliesyou provide the fun! Ages 4-12; FREE; No Registration Required; Midland Library; 4297 C Hwy 24/27 E; For more information, visit www.cabarruscounty.us

Preschool Picassos  Friday, Jan. 12, 10:15-11:30 a.m. Does your child love to make messy art? Join us for collaborative, process-based art at the library. You WILL get messy  please wear old clothes! This is a drop-in program; Ages 3-5 with caregiver; FREE; No Registration Required; Harrisburg Library; 201 Sims Parkway; For more information, visit www.cabarruscounty.us

Saturday Surprise!  Saturday, Jan. 13, 3-4 p.m. Come in and discover our surprise activity. Drop in. Ages 6-11; FREE; No Registration Required; Kannapolis Library; 850 Mountain St.; For more information, visit www.cabarruscounty.us

Upcoming!

Art Lab at the Cabarrus Arts Council  Thursday, Jan. 18, 10:30 a.m. to noon. Cabarrus Arts Council takes student ages 6-16 on a guided tour through the current exhibition in The Galleries before heading into the lab to explore the artistic processes and subjects they viewed. Registration and adult supervision are required. Art Labs are limited to 15 students. $5 per participant; Preregistration Required; For more information or to register, visit www.cabarrusartscouncil.org.

Cabarrus Art Guild Class: Build a Book with Cheryl Maney  Saturday, Feb. 10, 9 a.m. to noon. Come Build a Book! In this workshop you will make a 9x6 hardcover artistic journal or sketchbook. Inside pages provided in the workshop will be writing, drawing and 130-pound watercolor paper. The uniqueness of this book lies in your ability to use whatever paper you like and to keep adding pages and pages to your journal. Have fun with three bonus projects! Cheryl Maney, a local bookmaker, has over 30 years in art education, teaching art to kindergarten through adult students. She has taught workshops in a variety of locations around the United States. All supplies are provided although students can bring additional paper for their journal. Class Cost: $50 for members and $60 for non-members; Registration Required; To Register: Send an email to cherylmaney@gmail.com; Advance payment preferred. When you register, Cheryl will send you an address to mail a money order to; or we can arrange for cash payment; For more information, visit www.cabarrusartguild.org/classes.

Cabarrus Art Guild Class: Using Collage in Acrylic Painting with Susan Lackey  Saturday, Feb. 17, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Unleash your creativity as you explore this mixed media technique. You will make your own textured papers to use as collage elements in your painting. You may elect to work in an expressive realistic or slightly abstracted manner. Susan will demonstrate and help you individually. Susan Lackey has been painting and teaching painting for many years. She paints in acrylic and mixed media. She has won numerous awards in local, state, and national exhibitions and juried shows. She is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina. Class cost: $60; Ages 18+; Registration Required; Registration cutoff date is Feb. 12; To register click then scroll down https://secure.rec1.com/NC/concord-nc/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTI3Njc4NzE= Supply list provided upon registration; For questions or more information, email susanlackeyart@gmail.com.

Ongoing

Cabarrus Arts Councils Annual Clay Exhibition showcasing ceramic artists from around the region. The exhibit opened Thursday, Nov. 2, and closes Saturday, Jan. 20. The exhibit is free for all ages. For more information, visit www.cabarrusartscouncil.org.

After School and Adult Art Classes in drawing, painting, pottery, and sculpture. After school classes from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and adult classes from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday one day per week for six weeks. For more information, call 704-786-8570.

North Carolina Music Hall of Fame  The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame Museum is a safe, fun, and touch-free visit for your friends and family! The museum is open to the public Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Reserve your visit at Make A Reservation  North Carolina Music Hall Of Fame, 600 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis.

Open Art Day  Every Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Bring your lunch and drink, bring a project you are working on and your supplies. Or bring work youd like to share and discuss. This is a working, weekly meeting, each Tuesday, to work with and share with artists and like-minded people who appreciate creativity. ClearWater Arts Center & Studios (223 Crowell Drive, NW, Concord)  enter through the double glass doors facing Kerr Street, called the Greenway Gallery). For more information: About Us (cabarrusartguild.org).

Caffeinate with Creatives  Every Second Saturday, 10-11 a.m. The Concord area is filled with artists of all kinds, lets take some time to get to know each other. Join us every second Saturday for coffee and creative conversations. All artists are welcome; no registration; free, coffee for purchase; ClearWater Arts Center & Studios (223 Crowell Drive, NW, Concord). For more information, visit www.clearwaterartists.com.

Plein Air with the CAG  Calling all artists. First timers welcome. Dont worry if you dont have all the things, you think you need, this is a very informal gathering, and your fellow artists are happy to help. Reach out to get on the mailing list for various events. Has the idea or the fun of Plein Air ever fascinated you? Well first off, to explain, Plein air is a French term meaning, denoting or in the manner of a 19th-century style of painting outdoors, or with a strong sense of the open air, that became a central feature of French impressionism. Some famous Plein air painters were amongst the most impressive painters from history including Monet, Homer and Sargent. Within the Cabarrus Art Guild, a group of Plein air painters have banded together to enjoy the lovely North Carolina Piedmont and surrounding sites via Plein air. They have named themselves, Dusty Road Painters and meet to explore the indoors (inclement weather) and outdoors that offer countless opportunities to express ones artistic curiosity and passion. Have questions or interested in joining this free group of adventurous artists? Reach out to Plein Air Chair, OLynda Walker at olynda.walker@gmail.com. Free. For more information, visit www.cabarrusartguild.org.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Course Offerings  Continuing Education courses available with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. In addition to career courses, we also offer personal enrichment courses. Call 702-216-7222 or register online at https://cce.rcc.edu/ The following link is continually updated with new course offerings: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hwaTI5nAM_bMAiQ_XooVkANHnnJOqN63/edit.
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In 2024, democracy will face a test for which it is unready. For the first time since the internet age began, the world's four largest electoral blocs  India, the European Union, the U.S., and Indonesia  will hold general elections in the same year. Almost a billion people may go to the polls in the next 12 months, amid a storm of disinformation and digital manipulation unlike anything the world has yet seen.

The stakes are extraordinarily consequential for the future of democracy itself. In the U.S., the electoral favorite appears to revel in the possibility of becoming a dictator. In the EU, the far right is poised to surge continent-wide. Indonesia's front-runner is a former general once accused of human-rights violations. And in India, a beleaguered opposition faces its last chance to stave off what may otherwise turn into decades of one-party rule.

We have known since 2016 at least that elections in the digital age are unusually vulnerable to manipulation. While officials responsible for election integrity have been working diligently since then, they are fighting the last war. Former President Donald Trump's 2016 victory and other votes around that period were influenced by carefully seeded narratives, bot farms, and so on. In response, a small army of fact-checkers emerged around the world and mechanisms to keep fake news out of the formal press multiplied.

The experience of India  which, given that it has the most voters, is also the world's largest lab for election malpractice  demonstrates the limits of this work. The more scrupulous fact-checkers are, the easier they can be overwhelmed with a flood of fake news. They're also, unfortunately, human  and therefore too easy to discredit, however unfairly.

Some new ideas have begun to emerge. Even Elon Musk's critics appear fond of the community notes he has added to X, formerly known as Twitter, which tag viral tweets with crowd-sourced fact-checks. Because these are crowd-sourced, they respond organically to the amount of fake news in circulation and, because they are not associated with any individual group of fact-checkers, they are harder to dismiss as biased.

Yet technology has moved even faster. AI-based disinformation has already begun to proliferate  and gets harder to spot as fake with every passing month. Oddly, stopping such messages from going viral is harder when they don't immediately come across as offensive or particularly pointed. In Indonesia, for example, a TikTok video that appeared to show defense minister and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto speaking Arabic was viewed millions of times. It was an AI-generated deepfake meant to bolster his diplomatic (and possibly his Islamic) credentials.

Nor can we assume that an increasingly digital-savvy electorate will be able to navigate this new information landscape without help. If there's one thing we have learned from the information war that has accompanied Israel's physical battle against Hamas in Gaza, it's that people who grew up with the internet are not those best-equipped to identify obvious propaganda. In fact, they seem to be least able to tell fact from fiction.

The threat to democracy is transnational. The platforms being used are global; so is the messaging being deployed. Its defense, therefore, cannot be national. For one thing, it is not a task any government can accomplish alone. For another, it is not a task any one government can be trusted to pursue on its own.

But every country has different approaches when it comes to securing its elections, and both would-be manipulators and the platforms they exploit have taken advantage of this disunity. The level of disinformation that will emerge over the coming year will wash away our individual defenses unless we adopt a more strategic and unified approach.

We do not yet know what mechanisms  whether crowd-sourcing, or transnational regulation of platforms, or shared norms on speech and de-platforming  will work best. What we will need, however, is to swiftly share information on what measures do seem to work, as well as unified pressure on platforms to adopt them.

We can learn from each other: India's TikTok ban seems to have been more effective than expected, for example. But we must also share a commitment to transparency. Regulators in India and Indonesia must be convinced that U.S.-based platforms' online norms are designed as much to protect their national cohesion and political integrity as they are to defend northern Californian speech shibboleths.

Above all else, we need to work together. The defense of democracy has always been one of the major reasons for multilateral action. In 2024, that defense must include the protection of our national elections.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
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BEDFORD, Pa.  For nearly two decades, every time the alarm rang out from Bedford Fire Department No. 1, people in town would say a little prayer that the call wasn't for the old Bedford Springs Hotel  a primarily wooden structure built when Thomas Jefferson was president that was sitting abandoned just a mile outside town.

Bedford resident Bette Slayton said, "We would be in town and hear the fire whistle go off and look at each other and just cross our fingers that it wasn't the Springs."

Any time she had to head south along old U.S. 220 past the white-columned hotel, she would gaze at the rows of wooden porches jutting from the building and imagined them waiting for families or couples to host again. The sight of it succumbing to time and neglect hurt her heart. "It was so sad because this hotel is really the heart and soul of the community," said Slayton. "Everybody had a memory of either working there and or going to prom there or a wedding there. Every special event in their life happened right there."

The Bedford Springs Hotel has sat in the south-central Pennsylvania valley since the early frontier days when people first enjoyed the seven mineral springs that flow through this valley; by 1805 she started to become America's first grand resort.

Daniel Webster, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Aaron Burr and Benjamin Franklin all signed her register books, and so did Henry Ford and John Wannamaker, two of the scores of the titans of industry who've stayed here.

As far as presidents of the United States go, several have spent time here, including Taft, McKinley, Bush and Reagan. It was here that James Buchanan  who called the Springs his summer White House  received his first-ever transatlantic cable, when a bellboy delivered a message to him from Britain's Queen Victoria.

The heyday here lasted longer than most: from the beginning of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. But by the 1980s, the oasis for wealthy tycoons was in financial ruin and her beauty was in decay. The economic and emotional impact was immediate: Not only did 400 locals lose their jobs when the 240-room hotel shut its doors, but the borough's fortunes collapsed along with it. The business district, which sits along the historic Lincoln Highway, had more shuttered businesses than open ones.

Several developers made a half-hearted attempt to invest in the old gal in the two decades she sat empty  failing spectacularly each time.

But then something magical  or perhaps lucky  happened.

Dallas-based developer Mark Langdale said he overheard a conversation at a hotelier convention about a dilapidated piece of American history no one wanted anymore.

"I had first heard about the property from Judy Kessler, who had heard about these guys who owned it and had this kind of half-baked idea about redoing it, and she got curious," said Langdale.

He said that Kessler's passion about the place was relentless, but he was less enthusiastic: "In the beginning, I wasn't that interested in coming to Pennsylvania because I'm a Texas guy. But she was very persistent, so I agreed to go, just see it."

When he turned that bend in the road, he was crushed to see the hotel's condition. "It was a mess; they'd been closed for 17 years. It was really run down," he said.

Langdale said the project would never have been done had it not been for former state senate majority leader Robert Jubelirer, U.S. Rep. Bill Schuster and his father the late Bud Shuster  all three Republicans  along with some help from some Democrats like former state house speaker Bill DeWeese making sure the funding needed for the project was available.

Today that's called "pork," and it would have caused such a hailstorm on social media it would have never happened. But projects like this were done with compromise, with legislators from both parties recognizing that saving this building could save the county from becoming the poverty capital of the state.

Jubelirer said he and Bud and Bill Shuster  who both chaired the House Transportation Committee  all worked their butts off to make this project happen: "I made it my number one project in Harrisburg. Bud was really responsible for the roads."

"I certainly also had substantial cordiality and working relationships with the senate leader Jubelirer," recalled DeWeese. "I was very happy to support the project in Bedford County. As a rural legislator, I thought it was only appropriate that a lot of state and federal focus should be given to this magnificent, old grande dame of the hotel world."

DeWeese said he had never visited until after the construction was complete, and what he saw stunned him. "When I rounded the small bend in the road and saw it, I was immediately catapulted back into the Gilded Age, and I thought about those decades between Appomattox and McKinley's assassination in Buffalo," he said.

Slayton, who still runs the county economic development association, says the re-opening has been a game changer: "Our main business district in town is flourishing  every type of shop and restaurant you can think of, all local business, fill up all of the store fronts."

It is impossible to find a shop owner in the bustling town who doesn't tip their hat to the hotel and the people who put it all on the line  from politicians to investors  in bringing her back to life.

Bedford Springs  now owned mostly by Omni with Langdale still owning a small portion  employs over 400 people from the community.

Slayton says Bedford Springs has changed the face of the Bedford community and the entire region. "I so underestimated the impact it would have. In 2019 they brought in over 100,000 visitors; that's an incredible injection of monies  because they partner with the downtown and the community to have people go downtown and shop and dine and experience the outdoors."

The hotel is grand and elegant  yet nothing about it is over the top. Walk through the lobby, the hallways of every floor, in the library or along the long porches, and there is a calm sense that the building itself is thankful to welcome you once again.
Insight Life in tarnished 'Golden State' is bonkers By Michael Reagan Published Jan.3, 2024

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Having a happy New Year this year won't be easy in California.

The state is a fiscal, social and economic train wreck that just keeps on wrecking.

As we roll into 2024, we've learned we're looking at a projected budget deficit of $68 billion.

The Los Angeles Times explained the cause of California's huge shortfall this week in its usual biased way  without pinning blame on the Democrats in Sacramento whose policies are responsible for it.

The deficit is not just because the state's tech economy has cooled, unemployment is up and state income tax revenues are projected to fall by 25 percent. Or because gazillionaires like Elon Musk have taken their big companies and fortunes to Texas.

The experts in the Los Angeles Times pointed to another important contribution to the budget shortfall  more and more well-off, well-educated, ordinary Californians are leaving the state.

The escapees  the middle-class people who average about $150,000 a year  have finally had it with California's higher taxes and permanently higher cost of living.

And, though the Los Angeles Times article does not mention it, the escapees have also had it with the general decline of the California Dream.

The state's $68 billion shortfall is bound to grow even larger next year when a wave of costly new illegal immigrants arrives and a few hundred thousand more Californians flee to income-tax-free states like Florida, Texas and Tennessee.

But don't worry, a mere $68 billion in red ink won't stop California's Democrats from spending more money than they have.

It's the way they roll.

I remember what happened way back in 1966, right after my father became governor after defeating incumbent Pat Brown in a landslide.

On his way out the door after cleaning out his desk, Brown's budget director stuck his head in my father's office.

"By the way," he said, "We're spending a million dollars more a day than we're bringing in." Then he left.

My father just sat there, shocked. He had no idea. No one did.

Ultimately, because the state constitution says the budget has to be balanced, my father

Was forced to do something he never would have done otherwise  raise taxes.

But then he did something else. A few years later, his budget guy came in and said, "Governor, we have an issue."

"What is it," my father said.

"We have a surplus. We need to know what to do with a budget surplus."

My dad simply said, "Well, give it back."

"We don't have a way to do that," the budget guy said. "No one has ever done that before."

My dad told the budget guy to find a way to give the money back to the taxpayers who had overpaid and given the state a surplus, and that's what happened.

If you want to know the difference between a Red State and Blue State, that's a pretty good example.

Of course, what my dad did almost 60 years ago is not how things work in Sacramento today.

We're living in a one-party state run by Democrats who, whenever they get a surplus, yell "Windfall!" and spend and tax us even more.

It's really sad to see what's happened to California.

In the 1960s and 1970s it truly was the Golden State. Everything the Beach Boys said about it was true.

But it wasn't just the sunshine and the beaches that made California a paradise.

Back then it was America's model state. It had a sensible government, the best infrastructure and its economy was wide open, healthy and growing.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans came out to California from dull or dying places like Des Moines and Pittsburgh every year. They lived better, happier, more prosperous lives  and never dreamed of leaving.

Every year I look forward to the New Year. I don't feel too good about what 2024 will bring for my wrecked state. But there's always hope that the people still here will wake up and put California back on track.

Happy New Year, everyone.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation.
PEKIN  Seven bodies were taken from the ruins of the Corn Products Company's starch plant here just before noon today. An eighth man, hurt when a dust explosion destroyed the unit of the $8,000,000 refinery, died in a Pekin hospital. Twenty-seven others were shown in a company check-up to be missing. About 120 men were believed to be in the building when the explosion came. Fire followed the blast and spread to the wet starch room and a warehouse, destroying them and bringing property loss above the half-million mark. Employees said the blaze followed so closely after the explosion that the entire structure was a mass of flames almost instantly, and escape would have been an impossibility for some of the men on the upper floors of the four story structure...MATTOON  At the meeting of the city council on Wednesday evening two paving ordinances were introduced, one providing for the improvement of South Fifteenth street, from Lafayette Avenue to Oklahoma avenue, and Oklahoma Ave. from 15th street to 16th street and the other providing for the improvement of north 15th street extending from DeWitt Ave. to the Big Four tracks. The pavement planned for North Fifteenth street is of concrete, a slab seven-inches in thickness, thirty feet wide, while the pavement planned for South Fifteenth street and Oklahoma Ave. is to be of brick, thirty feet in width...MATTOON  The board of managers of Dodge Grove cemetery was said to be responsible for the introduction of an ordinance, which, if adopted, will be the means of providing greater revenue to meet the general running expenses of the cemetery. It was stated by C.D. Kiger, a member of the board, that the revenue derived under the present ordinance, which has been in effect since 1907, is not sufficient to meet the running expenses of the burial ground due to increased operating expenses, and that as a result the board was now in debt some $3800. Some $2700 of this debt is due, it was stated by Mr. Kiger, to the old system of conducting the cemetery, when cash was not always demanded at the time the transaction was made, as is the case now. The remaining $1100, it was stated, was made following the cyclone of May, 1917, when so much damage was done to shade trees and other havoc wrought to the burial ground.
Q: I just heard about all the cash the State of North Carolina has out there that is unclaimed. I think your column would be a great place to publicize it. I found over $100 that is unclaimed for my mother and I am in the process of helping her claim it.

S.L.S.

Answer: SAM has written several times about NCCash.com, a website created by the N.C. Department of State Treasurer allows people to search for unclaimed money they might be owed.

The money could come from a number of places, including money left from bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds, and contents of safe deposit boxes that typically have been abandoned for one to five years.

Funds become unclaimed because the company loses track of the consumer, due to an incorrect address or other missing information, according to nccash.com, which is part of the N.C. Office of the State Treasurer.

To find out if you have money at the treasurers office, go to NCCash.com, click on Search Now and put your name in the search link.

To claim the cash, you have to provide proof of ownership. Send copies, not the original documents.

You must provide proof of your Social Security number, like a copy of your Social Security card, tax forms, a pay stub or bank statement.

You must also provide proof of address. That can include a copy of your drivers license, a page out of a phone book or church or club directory, property tax bill, bank statement, or an envelope addressed to claimant with a U.S. postmark.

Between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, $108,585,650 of unclaimed property was returned to its owners.

For more information, go to nccash.com.

The office can also be contacted by writing to the N.C. Department of State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 20431, Raleigh, NC 27619-0431, or calling 866-NCCash1 (866-622-2741) or emailing unclaimed.property@nctreasurer.com.

Q: I have a friend who is 81. He still has an active drivers license. He recently was diagnosed with Alzheimers. He also has had some physical problems that result in the need to use a walker. Is he still allowed to drive his car? If an accident occurs, will he be assumed to be responsible based on those physical and cognitive issues?

W.M.

Answer: John Brockwell, a spokesman for the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, explained what people can do if they find themselves in this situation with a family member or friend.

It seems the person in question is a prime candidate for the DMV Medical Review Program, Brockwell said.

The medical review program is comprised of medical professionals who review, statements, medical and driving records for people who have medical conditions that may affect their ability to drive safely. The board will decide what, if any, driving restrictions should be placed on the person.

However, DMV would prefer a family member of the person in question submit the persons name for review, Brockwell said. Your reader should contact a family member; however, anyone can submit a name.

To submit a name, go to www.ncdot.gov and click on License & ID, then click on Medical Review Program.
The top five executives at Insteel Industries Inc. received modest increases in base salary, but lower incentive pay, during fiscal 2023, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday.

The Mount Airy company, as is its pattern, is the first corporation to report annual executive-compensation figures among those based or having major operations in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina.

The total compensation for H.O. Woltz III, Insteels president and chief executive, was listed at $2.15 million, down 14.3% from $2.5 million in 2022.

Woltz base salary rose 2.7% to $700,000, while his incentive pay dropped 38.7% to $654,500.

Woltz also received stock and option awards valued at $700,001 on the date that they were awarded. He received $92,011 in all other compensation: $67,233 in dividends or the equivalent paid on restricted stock units; $17,920 in 401(k) matching payment; and $6,858 in value for a death-benefit program provided to executive officers.

For fiscal 2023, net income was down 74.1% to $32.4 million from a record $125 million in fiscal 2022.

The combination of supply shortages, higher manufacturing costs and a sharp decline in average selling prices continued to be the main factors for the profit decline.

Insteel reported the CEO pay ratio for Woltz was $38 to $1 for an average median employee at $56,481.

An element of the federal Dodd-Frank federal regulatory act that went into effect in 2017 requires corporations to put a number and a dollar-to-dollar ratio to the annual total compensation gap between CEOs and their median employee salary.

Median is defined as the middle value in a list of numbers. Median employee compensation factors in regular pay, overtime, bonuses, incentives, allowances and paid time off.

Richard Wagner, chief operating officer, received a 4.1% increase in base salary to $370,000, a 51.1% decrease in incentive pay to $207,570, and total compensation of $920,007, down 17.6%.

Scott Jafroodi, chief financial officer and treasurer, was listed for the first time in the fiscal 2023 report. He was paid $293,750 in base salary, $153,341 in incentive pay and total compensation of $745,730.

James Petelle, secretary and chief legal officer, received a 7.1% increase in base salary to $275,000, a 50% decrease in incentive pay to $154,275, and total compensation of $559,700, down 26.2%. Petelle retired from Insteel on Dec. 30.

James York, senior vice president of sourcing and logistics, received a 5.7% increase in base salary to $270,000, a 50.5% decrease in incentive pay to $151,470, and total compensation of $629,761, down 16.6%.

Insteel will hold its 2024 shareholders meeting at 9 a.m. Feb. 13 at Cross Creek Country Club, 1129 Greenhill Road in Mount Airy. There are no shareholder proposal on the agenda.
The parent company of Piedmont Federal Savings Bank said Wednesday it has completed the $36.74 million purchase of Wake Forest Bancshares Inc.

Piedmont Federal Holding Co. disclosed that Wake Forest Bancshares minority shareholders will receive $34.34 in cash for each publicly owned share.

Renee Shaw, president and chief executive of Wake Forest Federal, has joined Piedmont Federals board of directors.

Piedmont Federal, which debuted in 1903, has gained $121 million in total assets, lifting it to nearly $1.3 billion. Wake Forest Bancshares was founded in 1922.

The purchase would provide Piedmont Federal with its first Triangle presence and its 11th branch overall. The banks said all Wake Forest Federal employees have been offered work at Piedmont.

The Wake Forest branch is being branded as Wake Forest Federal, a division of Piedmont Federal.

Piedmont Federal has pledged to establish a $500,000 foundation to benefit the community of Wake Forest that the banks believe would be the largest privately sourced community foundation in the area.

This combination brings together two like-minded, historic banking institutions into a stronger franchise that will benefit all of our clients and communities, David Barksdale, Piedmonts president and chief executive, said in a statement.

This is the first step in a broader strategy to extend our member banking experience to the greater Triangle market.

In September 2022, Piedmont completed its transition from a mutual savings bank to a mutual holding company.

According to a blog by the Iowa State Universitys business school, profits from a mutual savings bank are distributed to the depositors, typically in the form of higher rates on deposits and lower borrowing rates.

Piedmonts board of directors filed a legal notice in February 2022 that said by establishing a mutual holding company, it allows the bank more marketplace flexibility.

A mutual holding company is akin to a corporate holding company, otherwise known as a parent company which can have multiple subsidiaries.

Local examples including Reynolds American Inc. for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co., Truist Financial Corp. for Truist Bank and Wells Fargo & Co. for Wells Fargo Bank.

Ginger Salt, Piedmonts chief marketing officer, said the bank could have conducted the acquisition without creating a holding company.

We do believe that scale is starting to matter more with technology costs, Salt said.

The holding company gives us the ability to do further combinations, and this partnership provides a great growth platform. They are a great bank and will add to our business model.

A mutual institution, such as an MSB, may pursue this strategy to, among other reasons, access additional investment capital, expand operations, or be able to attract employees through stock benefits, according to the blog.

Barksdale has said that depositors and some grandfathered loan customers are the owners of the bank in accordance with mutual savings bank regulations.

Our board of directors and bank leadership are committed to the mutual structure because it best protects our customers  who are our owners, Barksdale said. This structure helps protect the mutual status.

Barksdale said one of the motivations for making the transition is that we would have flexibility to raise capital, even though we have no immediate plans to do so because we are so well capitalized.

We would have flexibility to expand lines of business under the holding company vs. the bank.
The man charged with murder in the death of Greensboro police Sgt. Philip Dale Nix bowed his head down and said, I know, on God, when District Court Judge Tabatha Holliday said during his first appearance on Tuesday that he is charged with a horrible offense.

Guilford County District Attorney Chris Parrish told the judge that Jamere Justice Foster gunned down Nix from a car parked in front of the Sheetz store on Sandy Ridge Road on Saturday afternoon, after Nix saw Foster and another man come out of the store with five cases each of stolen beer.

Foster is charged with first degree murder in Nixs death and could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole if he is convicted.

The judge warned Foster not to say anything after his brief remark in response to her comment about the crime.

Foster, who is 18 and from Winston-Salem, is being held without bond on the murder charge. He is also charged with misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor conspiracy, charges that each carry 120-day sentences on conviction.

The district attorney said John Walter Morrison was the other man who with Foster stole beer from the Sandy Ridge Sheetz on Saturday, and who was with Foster during and after the crime.

Morrison, 28, also of Winston-Salem, is charged with misdemeanor larceny and conspiracy, but his most serious charge is felony accessory after the fact, which carries a maximum sentence of almost 20 years on conviction.

Morrison is being held without bond.

Both Morrison and a third defendant, Zquriah LePearce Blackwell, 18, of Winston-Salem made first appearances with Foster on Tuesday.

Blackwell is charged like Morrison with accessory after the fact, with a maximum sentence of nearly 20 years on conviction. Her bond is set at $500,000.

All three defendants made their appearances remotely from holding cells at the Guilford County Jail. All three face their next court appearance on April 2.

Foster, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, bowed his head and looked down at the floor when the judge outlined the charges.

Tragedy does not begin to describe the senseless acts here today, the judge said. My sincere condolences go to the family of Sergeant Nix.

Judge Holliday told Foster that one of the things she must consider in his case was if you are a danger to the community, and I have determined that you are

The courtroom was packed solid with police officers along with Nixs wife and family members. The officers had black tape over their badges as a sign of mourning.

The district attorney said that on the day of the murder Nix was sitting at a table outside of the Sheetz as he liked to do while working on his laptop and catching up on work. He was off duty but had his gun.

In the late afternoon, while it was still light, Parrish said, Nix saw the car with the three defendants inside pull into the handicapped parking space directly in front of the store entrance.

The DA said Blackwell stayed in the car while the two men went inside. They spent only 53 seconds inside, he said, just long enough to emerge with five cases of beer each.

Realizing a crime was in progress, the DA said, Nix got up and approached the car on the drivers side. Foster fired his gun five times, Parrish said.

The shots that rang out struck Nix under his arm, under his left side and in his back, Parrish said.

Parrish said Blackwell told Foster he needed to get away because he had just killed a cop. Parrish said Blackwell also told Foster to get rid of his gun.

Parrish said the three defendants sold their stolen beer to obtain drugs.

The DA said Morrison also told Foster to dispose of his vehicle tag because they are now hot.

Before the hearing, the hallway outside courtroom 2C filled with police officers, TV reporters and members of Nixs family.

At 2 p.m. there was standing room only within the courtroom.

Officers dressed in uniform filled the courtroom benches, and a dozen officers stood against the wall in the back of the courtroom.

The judge offered each defendant a good luck before signing off.

The judge said family members of both Nix and the defendants would be given the chance to speak, but the DA said Nixs wife would not speak.

After each defendants appearance, the judge asked if anyone was present who wanted to speak for the defendant, and a deputy open the door to ask people standing outside if anyone had come for that purpose. No one spoke to the court for the defendants.

The judge said defenders would be appointed for Foster and Blackwell. Morrison has his own lawyer.

Judge Holliday thanked the officers in the courtroom for their service and for turning out in honor of Nix.

We know you put yourselves on the line every day, she said. We appreciate it.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan, who attended the hearing, declined to comment after the hearing ended.

PHOTOS: First court appearance for three charged in death of off-duty Greensboro officer
VinFast, a global electric vehicle manufacturer, has reached an agreement with a Raleigh business to serve as one of its first five U.S. dealers.

The other dealerships are based in Texas, New York and Kansas.

In July, VinFast broke ground on a $4 billion production campus near Sanford. The manufacturer plans to begin production at the plant in 2025 with an annual assembly level of 150,000 vehicles.

VinFast, based in Vietnam, expects to expand its dealer network to 125 points of sale across the US.
A Fairbury man died in a crash on New Year's Day in Jefferson County, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

At roughly 10:10 a.m. Monday, the Jefferson County 911 Center received a report of a one-vehicle crash near the 57000 block of Nebraska 8. Deputies discovered the car had rolled into a nearby ditch, according to the news release.

Wade Lewis, 50, of Fairbury, was the only person inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. He was taken by ambulance to Jefferson Community Health and Life, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation determined Lewis was traveling west on Nebraska 8 toward Fairbury when he crossed into the eastbound lane. The Jeep Wrangler he was driving collided with an embankment near a railroad crossing and rolled into the ditch he was found in, according to the news release.

The sheriff's office said seat belts were not in use during the crash and the investigation is ongoing.
A nonpartisan civic organization has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a case before the Nebraska Supreme Court over the law that added restrictions for abortion and gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth.

The League of Women Voters of Nebraska isnt a party to the case filed by The ACLU of Nebraska on behalf of Planned Parenthood and later appealed when a district judge ruled against them this summer.

But in December, the group that encourages informed and active participation in government and increased public understanding of major policy issues asked for  and got  permission to file a so-called amicus brief in support of Planned Parenthood.

Based on its expertise and experience, the LWVNE believes the legislative single subject rule in Article III, section 14 of the Nebraska Constitution serves important democratic purposes that were failed in the case of LB574, attorney Beth Neitzel wrote.

She said, accordingly, the group seeks to participate in the case to urge the court to vacate the trial courts judgment, reaffirm the single subject rules significance, and invalidate LB574.

Neitzel said the case presents an important constitutional question for the state of Nebraska.

Does the single subject rule in Article III, section 14 of the Nebraska Constitution still serve to check legislative misdeeds and safeguard political transparency? Does it, in other words, still have teeth? she said.

The ACLU of Nebraska, which sued the state on behalf of Planned Parenthood after the new abortion restrictions were signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen in May, raised the same issue unsuccessfully in Lancaster County District Court in May.

Their attorneys argued the Legislature had violated the single-subject rule of the Nebraska State Constitution by jamming together two unrelated provisions into a single bill.

After a six-week abortion ban fell one vote short of advancing in April, senators successfully amended a 12-week abortion ban onto another bill (LB574) prohibiting certain medical procedures for transgender youth in Nebraska late in the legislative session.

The bill passed on a 33-15 vote, just enough to defeat a filibuster.

In August, Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret rejected the argument, siding with the Attorney Generals Office, which said all parts of the bill related to health care.

They are both medical treatments involving surgery or pharmaceuticals, the judge wrote in an order that left in place Nebraskas 12-week abortion ban, which took effect in May, and restrictions related to gender-affirming care that took effect Oct. 1.

Neitzel said that in the mid-20th century the single-subject rule was enshrined in the constitutions of 43 states, including Nebraskas, to prevent proposals from being rolled together into one bill to gain majority support and to facilitate political transparency for both citizens and legislators.

These concerns remain relevant today  as LB574 well illustrates, she said.

In a brief filed last month, Nebraska Solicitor General Eric Hamilton said LB574 did not violate the Constitutions single-subject rule for legislative bills.

The bill had a single subject expressed in its title  public health and welfare. Each provision of the bill was germane and related to public health and welfare. This is sufficient under this courts precedent. Appellants attempt to cast LB574s subject as something other than public health and welfare departs from this courts history of deferring to the Legislatures description of its own bills, he wrote.

The case is not yet set for oral arguments.

Photos and video: Scene at Nebraska Capitol as lawmakers pass LB574
Among the first items on Rep. Mike Floods 2024 agenda is a trip to Eagle Pass, Texas, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border that has become a destination for migrants entering the country illegally  and for mostly-Republican office-holders looking to make a point.

Nebraskas 1st District Congressman will join Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republicans there Wednesday, where the caucus intends to focus the American peoples attention on something that should be remedied, that everyone in the nation wants handled, Flood said.

Floods scheduled trip to the border  his second since he took office in 2022  comes as illegal border crossings reach record highs.

More than 2.4 million migrants were caught crossing the border in the 2023 fiscal year, which ended in September, marking the third record-setting year in a row, according to government data released in October.

Border patrol agents made nearly 220,000 apprehensions in September alone.

Republicans have long blamed the issue on President Joe Biden, who has more recently faced calls from Democrats to do more to control the flow of immigrants into the country, including from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Democrats are calling on President Biden to act as buses are showing up in Denver and Chicago and New York and all these other major cities in America with folks that are crossing our southern border, said Flood, who suggested some of the political climate surrounding the border has changed within the Democratic Party.

Though the issue is less visible in Nebraska, Flood said immigration is the No. 1 issue I hear about from folks in the 1st Congressional District, on a federal level.

Nebraskans are having a hard time understanding why this is so complicated, he said. Why cant we act? Why cant we secure our southern border?

But youve got to remember, Im a federal official, so Im gonna hear more about the federal issues than maybe some of the state issues, he added.

Pointing to an influx of the powerful opioid fentanyl, which he said is entering the country through the U.S.-Mexico border, and to an anecdotal increase of illegal migrants caught in Nebraska traffic stops, Flood said: Whats happening at our southern border has turned every town in Nebraska into a border town.

All of this is occurring because our southern border is porous, he said. It is not being managed.

The Biden administration in October waived a slew of environmental laws to move forward with construction of a roughly 20-mile stretch of new border wall in southern Texas, though the president said he tried to get the money for the construction reappropriated for other uses and that he does not believe the wall will help curb migrant crossings.

Flood was among 219 House Republicans who voted largely along party lines in May to send the Secure the Border Act to the Senate.

The bill, had it been passed by the Senate, would have forced a restart of construction of the border wall, increased Border Patrol funding and strengthened and streamlined the asylum process, among other things.

Senate Republicans in December urged Biden to agree to border security reforms as part of a deal to grant another $61 billion of foreign aid to Ukraine, but the Senate adjourned Dec. 20 without such a deal in place, marking the end to an unproductive legislative session that saw Congress pass 27 bills that Biden signed into law.

Heres the thing  and this is a consistent theme for the 118th Congress, Flood said Tuesday. Weve passed a bill. All right? If youre in the U.S. Senate, pass your bill. Show us what youve got. Show us what youve come to.

We cant negotiate with ourselves, he added. We have to have something that comes over from the Senate and, at this point, we want to see the (Secure the Border Act) text in there.

Nebraskas congressional delegation has faced pressure from the states business industry to support incremental immigration reform as a means for addressing workforce issues in the state, where the unemployment rate has hovered at about 2% for years.

Flood has acknowledged the states workforce shortage and the countrys longtime status as a refuge for migrants but has maintained that reshaping the countrys immigration landscape must start with securing the southern border.

If (it) were happening in Fairbury, and people were coming over our southern Nebraska border  and lets say Kansas was Mexico  wed be up in arms about that, he said. And so I have to try and put myself in the position of these Texas lawmakers that deal with this on a daily basis. Theyre not gonna move an inch on any of these other issues until theres some expectation that the government will police the border.

If you were a landowner and you lived in southern Arizona ... youd wonder, Wheres my government? Wheres the border? Why isnt the wall being built? How come this is happening?

Photos: Mike Flood hosts first Lincoln town hall as congressman Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7 Flood town hall, 8.7
The 109th Nebraska Legislature will convene for its second session Wednesday, a 60-legislative-day meeting during which senators are already looking at more than 100 bills that are ready for consideration by the entire body and hundreds more likely to be introduced in the sessions first 10 days.

The 108th Legislatures first session was marred by contentious battles over culture war issues, most notably medical treatment for transgender youths and abortion, that created 90 largely unproductive days of debate and inaction that respondents to a recent Journal Star online survey rightly described as rancorous, ugly and heinous.

Those respondents, again rightfully, decried the increased partisanship in the technically nonpartisan body. Brian Fuchs, a Lincolnite who described himself as Libertarian, made the point as directly as possible in his response: "Being a unicameral state legislature, it can't be us versus them," he said. "It has to be working together for the good of all Nebraskans regardless of party."

In other words, it can't be "us vs. them," but rather, We, the people, with senators crafting consensus legislation that can be supported by a majority of Nebraskans and staying away from the polarizing extremes that poison the session and create outcomes that divide the state. There are plenty of problems Nebraskans can agree are top priorities.

Avoiding the rancor and ugliness of 2023 can begin next week when legislative rules are set to be debated.

Speaker John Arch and Clerk Brandon Metzler have 21 proposed rules that will offer technical corrections to existing rules, codify precedents and improve the legislative process. Those rules are not controversial and should be quickly adopted.

But Rules Committee chair Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard has nine proposed rules, from perennial ones like eliminating secret balloting for committee chairs and closing executive sessions to the media to removing requirements that the Redistricting Committee have leaders from both political parties, that are sure to be contentious and will generate time-sapping debate.

Frankly, the Legislature cannot afford to repeat 2017, where it spent one-third of the session debating its rules rather than acting on issues of great concern.

That also means that Arch, in his role of scheduling bills for debate, should push the culture-war measures  and the debate that would sour the session  to the back burner, taking them up only after it has addressed true priorities.

Among those priorities, identified by the survey, are continuing to reform the states tax structure, ensuring Nebraskas public schools are adequately funded, addressing current and future impacts of climate change, criminal justice reform and investing in workforce and economic development and affordable housing.

Thats a healthy agenda that, with the right legislation, could truly benefit the state. It's time for the Legislature to focus on solutions to problems faced by all Nebraskans, not ones that play to a political base.

The Journal Star's most memorable photos of 2023
Startup Digest: EasyTap Enters New Markets, Citix and Solva Secure Funding December news digest on Kazakh startups: foreign markets, accelerators, and global investments 4354

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December witnessed an upswing in Kazakhstan's funding landscape, fueled by global investments in prominent ventures like Solva and the first-ever entry of American capital into Kazakh tech startup Citix. As local startups expand into international markets and boost the country's export potential, the startup ecosystem has witnessed dynamic growth in December. Find out more about these and other startup updates in the digest by QazMonitor below. EasyTap expands to Kyrgyz market Kazakh startup EasyTap has entered the Kyrgyz market, introducing its online service for hourly job seekers in the retail and HoReCa sectors. The platform has already attracted over 1,000 Kyrgyz job seekers. Co-founder Magzum Tolesh outlined the startup's strategic regional expansion plan, targeting Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and potential entry into Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Citix secures $1 million investment from Tim Draper Tim Draper, a prominent American venture capital investor and the founder of Draper University, made history with the first-ever American investment in a Kazakh tech startupCitix. The company, excelling in Smart City tech and AdTech, rapidly expanded in Kazakhstan and internationally, contributing to a robust technology and service ecosystem for megacities. With an investment exceeding $1 million, Draper valued Citix at $98 million and secured the option to further increase his stake in the company. Solva attracts $20 million from international investors Kazakhstan-based fintech company Solva secured a $20 million investment led by the owners of the international conglomerate Orascom  the Sawiris family, and ZCP fund partners. This funding will drive Solva's transition from a microfinance organization to a second-tier bank, prioritizing support for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. Solva also plans to use the funds to accelerate its regional expansion in Central Asian countries, with a focus on financial products for business. White Hill Capital invests $200K in AI job platform JobEscape Investment management company White Hill Capital (the company overseeing the Tumar Venture Fund) invested $200,000 in the Kazakh startup JobEscape, specializing in AI-driven solutions for employment and workforce retraining. JobEscape's CEO, Miras Sovetov, envisions revenue hitting $1 million by 2024. CerebraAI expands to Uzbekistan Kazakh startup CerebraAI has launched its AI-powered stroke diagnosis program in Tashkent, backed by investments from Uzbek funds Aloqa Ventures and UC Ventures. Launched in 2020, CerebraAI initially secured $1 million in funding from Freedom Holding Corp in 2021 and gained global recognition in 2022 when StartUs Insights identified it as one of the top five projects worldwide in brain disease diagnostics. Global Outsourcer: 73 contracts worth $158,000 The first batch of Global Outsourcer, a program supporting IT outsourcing companies to enhance Kazakhstan's export potential, recently concluded with notable achievements. Fifteen teams underwent acceleration, securing 73 contracts with a total value of $158,000. The participants' sales reach extends across 27 countries, encompassing the USA, Canada, various European nations, Turkey, Australia, and more.

       Kapital.kz    30%      .       .

   
1. Yes. It will be convenient and the fares are cheap. I plan to use the transit system often.

2. Yes. I have a vehicle, but I may still use the service now and then, especially in bad weather.

3. No. I dont use the current bus service, and I dont plan to use the micro-transit service either.

4. No. It may be fine in town, but it still involves a transfer for longer trips. That wont work.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. It depends on how well the service works once its in place.

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The Williams Bay Village Board on Dec. 18 approved expressing its renewed support for and cooperation with a countywide fire and EMS study to explore ways in which fire and emergency medical services can be made more sustainable across Walworth County.

They would like us to reconfirm our support of the Fire and EMS study ... as initially provided in 2016, said Village President William B. Duncan.

Walworth County first established a Fire/EMS Study Committee in November 2016, with the effort stalling in 2020 with the imact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on both county and local municipal governments. The Walworth County Executive Committee reestablished the Fire/EMS Study Committee in July 2022, with the Walworth County Board approving a resolution appropriating $22,000 of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) resources to fund a study.

In board discussions, Village Administrator David Lothspeich told the board that the reestablished Intergovernmental Cooperation Council of Walworth County study, like its 2016 predecessor, would have no cost to the village.

In an October 2023 letter to Village President Bill Duncan, copied to Village ClerK Tina Kolls and Fire Chief Doug Smith, Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda said it is the intent of the Fire/EMS Study Committee to recommend that Walworth County contract with the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum to conduct a study similar to one conducted in Ozaukee County.

Longer boats OKd for slips

Williams Bay trustees approved the passage of Resolution R-66-23, amending boat slip leases beginning in 2024 to increase maximum watercraft length restrictions for municipal boat slips from 18 feet to 24 feet.

The change was made to meet growing market demand for Geneva Lake boat slips accommodating increasingly popular longer vessels.

With the changes, maximum watercraft length on leased boat slips is increased to 21 feet on Slips 1-13 on the east pier and Slips 14-26 on the west pier; 23 feet on Slips 1-13 on the west pier and Slips 14-26 on the east pier; and 24 feet on Slips 27-39 on both the east and west piers.

Municipal business lease approved

The Bay board approved the passage of Resolution R-90-23, authorizing the renewal of a municipal business lease with Williams Bay-based Dip in the Bay, LLC for the 2024 season.

The lease agreement encompasses three possible lakefront area locations near Geneva Lake for Dip in the Bays stationary cart for the sale of food and non-food items such as t-shirts, souvenirs and sundriesin front of the Beach House entrance, east of the Beach House in front of the gate, and on the east side of the Beach House under the roof.

The monthly rent for the lease is three percent of the Dip in the Bays gross sales for the pyament period.

Certificate of compliance issued

Acting on Plan Commission recommendation, trustees approved a certificate of compliance for the Williams Bay-based Geneva Lake Environmental Agency (GLEA) per Section 390.1211.B(1)(b), which governs new occupancy and use of an existing building when the new use is of a different land use classification.

GLEA is relocating to 105 Elkhorn Rd. (State Hwy. 67) from its former site at George Williams College of Aurora University, 350 Constance Blvd., which closed in December.

The site, located in the Village Center (VC) zoning district, is currently being used as a retail outlet. The space will now be used as office and meeting space for GLEA.

Village opts in for PFAS settlement

Bay trustees on Dec. 18 aproved the passage of Resolution R-89-23, authorizing the Village of Williams Bay to opt in to the DuPont and 3M PFAS (Per-and Polyflourinated Substances) settlement agreements, part of a class action claim in the United States Federal District Court of the District of South Carolina regarding PFAS forever chemicals contamination in public water systems drinking water.

Under the proposed settlement agreement, the settling defendants have agreed to pay a $1,185,000,000 settlement, subject to final approval of the settlement by the court and certain other conditions specified in the settlement agreement.

Meeting schedules approved

Looking ahead to the turn of the calendar to 2024, the Williams Bay Village Board approved setting Village Board and Joint Meeting of the Village Board Committee of the Whole and Committee Meeting schedules for next year.

The approved schedules are as follows:

Village Board  Jan. 2 (Tuesday), Jan. 15, Feb. 5, Feb. 19, March 4, March 18, April 8, April 22, May 6, May 20, June 3, June 17, July 1, July 15, Aug. 5, Aug. 19, Sept. 3 (Tuesday), Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 16.

Joint Meeting of the Village Board Committee of the Whole and Committees  Jan. 2 (Tuesday), Feb. 5, March 4, April 8, May 6, June 3, July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 3 (Tuesday), Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2.

With the exeception of holidays, the Williams Bay Village Board meets on first and third Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m., with the Joint Meeting of the Village Board Committee of the Whole and Committees typically meeting at 6:45 p.m. or immediately after the Village Board of Trustees meeting on first Mondays.

First reading held

Trustees held a first reading on Ordinance 2023-14, regarding shore yard cutbacks.

The proposed ordinance would create Section 390-0822 of the villages code of ordinances to regulate development of shore yard areas by providing standards to owners of properties containing shore yards in order to preserve the natural beauty of the areas adjacent to Geneva Lake and navigable rivers or streams, as well as ensure conditions which effectively retard water runoff that may adversely affect adjoining waterways and properties.

The shore yard standards would apply to all land lying within 150 feet of the ordinary high water mark of lakes and 75 feet of the ordinary high water mark of navigable rivers or streams or the landward side of the flood plain, whichever is greater.

In board discussions, it was noted that there was no public comment at a Building, Zoning and Ordinance Committee public hearing held on the proposed ordinance.

Other news

In other developments at the Dec. 18 meeting, the Williams Bay Village Board approved:

Passage of Resolution R-88-23, setting employee salaries and hourly wages for 2024.

Passage of Resolution R-86-23, establishing salaries and expense reimbursement levels of the village president and village trustees for 2024. Unchanged salaries are $3,750 annually for Village President Bill Duncan and $2,350 annually for Village Trustees Jim DAlessandro, Adam Jaramillo, Steven Russell, Robert Umans, George Vlach and Lowell Wright. Additionally, the village president and trustees will individually receive an annual expense payment of $600 to reimburse them for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

Passage of Resolution R-85-23, a joint resolution between the Williams Bay Village Board of Trustees and the Barrett Memorial Library Board of Trustees governing library reserves. Under the terms of the resolution, any funds remaining at the end of the librarys 2024 fiscal year shall be placed into the librarys reserve account, while any shortfalls shall be drawn from the reserve account.

Passage of Resolution R-87-23, awarding a $155,462 apparent lowest responsible bid tendered by Elkhorn-based Superior Construction Group, LLC for the Clover Street water main extension and loop project. Bids were opened at 10 a.m. on Dec. 14. The villages cost-share for the project is $23,948. Rival bidders for the project included BKS Excavating, Inc. of Edgerton, Globe Contractors, Inc. of Pewaukee, The Wanasek Group of Burlington, Wilkomm Excavating and Grading, Inc. of Union Grove, Odling Construction, Inc. of Delavan, Reesmans Excavating and Grading, Inc. of Burlington, and Musson Brothers, Inc., of Waukesha.

A first reading of Ordinance 2023-15, which, if approved, would increase the village clerk position from the current one-year term to a three-year term, commencing on the day and year of appointment. Should the village president decline to reappoint an incumbent clerk, the village board may reappoint the incumbent clerk to that office. Trustee Jim DAlessandro cast a lone dissenting vote.

Issuance of an operators license for Hitesh Kumar G. Patel of CITGO-branded Bayside Mart, 156 Elkhorn Rd. (State Hwy. 67).

Six photos from the Williams Bay boys and girls basketball games against Big Foot AnnMarie Cates Jack Schultz Elliana Pape Quinn Peyer Kara Rees Samuel Normington-Slay
China vows support for development of private economy

Xinhua) 08:06, January 03, 2024

This photo taken on Jan. 11, 2023 shows employees working at a factory of Lotus Cars in an industrial park of the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

FUZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has announced concrete measures in six areas to enhance support for the private economy, following previous measures rolled out in 2023 that saw private enterprises register high trade and investment growth.

Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, said on Tuesday that more pragmatic measures will be taken in six areas. He made the statement at a themed conference on the private economy's high-quality development, held in Jinjiang, east China's Fujian Province.

The six areas are as follows: accelerating the legislative process of the law on the promotion of the private economy; improving multi-level communications and exchanges and listening to the real voices of private enterprises; strengthening the analysis of the private economy's development; attracting more private capital to participate in major national engineering projects, such as railways and nuclear power, as well as in others covering energy, water facilities, and ecological and environmental protection; promulgating good practices and cases for mutual learning; and improving work mechanisms with a view to better serving the private economy's development.

A series of policies to promote the development of the private economy was introduced in 2023. "With the implementation of these policies and measures, the development of the private economy has shown a general trend of steady progress and steady improvement," Zheng said.

Government data shows that from January to November 2023, the imports and exports of private enterprises increased by 6.1 percent year-on-year. Excluding investment in the real-estate sector, private investment increased by 9.1 percent year-on-year during the same period.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The desert in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan is filled with hundreds of thousands of people. Some live in tents. Others live out in the open after they were forced to leave neighboring Pakistan.

More than 40 years of war, violence and poverty have turned 6 million Afghans into refugees. Another 3.5 million people are displaced within the country of 40 million. Many were driven from their homes by war, earthquakes and drought.

Afghanistans economy collapsed after the Taliban returned to power following the withdrawal of the United States and NATO allies in 2021. Now, two-thirds of its population depends on international aid to survive.

Displaced Afghans live in camps around the country. They do not have enough food or firewood for heat in the winter. Women and children often turn to begging. Others marry off their young daughters to families willing to pay them money.

In May, for example, 15-year-old Shamila was married at a camp for internally displaced people outside Kabul. She stood in a bright-red dress among the women of the family who congratulated her. But the girl was unhappy.

I have no choice. If I dont accept, my family will be hurt, said Shamila, whose father did not give the familys name because he feared the Taliban. The grooms family is giving her father money to pay off debts taken to support his wife and children.

I wanted to study and work, I should have gone to school, Shamila said. I have to forget all my dreamsso at least I can help my father and my family a little and maybe I can take the burden off their shoulders.

Last year, Pakistan decided to deport Afghans who entered the country illegally. Many Afghans lived for years in Pakistan. They were afraid of continuing conflicts at home. When Pakistans order was announced, hundreds of thousands feared arrest and fled back to Afghanistan. The Afghans said Pakistani officials often prevented them from taking anything with them.

Their first stop has been the camp in Torkham, where they might spend days or weeks before Taliban officials send them to another place. With little food and little to protect them from the mountain cold, many in the camp are sick.

In a camp at the foot of a mountain, 55-year-old Farooq Sadiq sat with his wife and children on the ground among some of their belongings. Sadiq said he had been living in the Pakistani city of Peshawar for 30 years and owned a home there. Now they had nothing, not even a tent. He said they had been sleeping on the ground for the past eight nights.

I have nothing in Afghanistan, no house, no place to live, not enough money to buy a house, he said. He hopes to settle somewhere in Afghanistan and get a visa to Pakistan so he can go sell his home there to use the money for his family.

The deportations from Pakistan have greatly increased the large numbers of Afghans who try to migrate into Iran, hoping to find work.

Every month, thousands cross into Iran at the border near Zaranj. At night, with the help of smugglers, they climb over the border wall and jump to the other side.

Mostly young men, from age 12 to their 20s, flee Afghanistan this way. They plan to work in Iran and send money home to their families. Many are caught by Iranian border guards and sent back.

Others take a longer trip by car through mountains and deserts on Afghanistans southwestern border through Pakistan to reach Iran. There is no border wall there. But fighters from the Sunni militant group Jundallah often attack the migrants, killing or kidnapping Shiites among them.

Over several months, Associated Press photographer Ebrahim Noroozi traveled across Afghanistan from its eastern border with Pakistan to its western border with Iran to report their stories.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Ebrahim Noroozi reported this story for the Associated Press. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________

Words in This Story

drought n. a severe lack of rain for an extended period

beg v. to ask people for money or food

groom n. a man about to be married

burden off (ones) shoulders idiom to solve a difficult problem or responsibility

deport v. to legally expel a person, who is not a citizen, from a country

smuggler n. a person who move goods or people from country to country secretly and illegally
A record 520,000 migrants crossed the difficult and dangerous Darien Gap wilderness area between Colombia and Panama in 2023. Panamanian officials say that total is more than double the number recorded the year before.

The Panamanian governments migration agency says most of the migrants in 2023 were from Venezuela, Ecuador, Haiti and China. And, agency chief Samira Gozaine said minors represented about 25 percent of the group traveling through the dense jungle.

"This is a national security problem," she told reporters at a government event. "Unfortunately, we do not have a quick solution to solve it."

The number of migrants crossing the Darien has sharply increased since 2019, when Laurentino Cortizo took office as Panamas president. Officials have called for international assistance to deal with the problem.

A major increase in Venezuelans fleeing the economic and social collapse of their country accounts for some of the migration flow. The United Nations says more than seven million Venezuelans have fled their country in recent years.

Those who cross the Darien risk murder, rape, human trafficking, and other violence. Natural dangers include heavy rains, sudden floods, poisonous snakes and other wildlife. Migrants must cross jungle rivers as well. There are no roads, bridges or services, including police and emergency workers.

In September, Reuters reported that African migrants heading to the United States are flying to Nicaragua to avoid the dangers of the Darien Gap.

The number of migrants from China making the risky journey has increased as well. That is partly due to COVID lockdowns there that slowed the economy. It has also become more difficult for Chinese nationals to get U.S. visas.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters.

_______________________________________________

Words in This Story

jungle  n. a tropical forest where plants and trees grow very thickly

unfortunate  adv. having bad luck
LYONS  Military veterans interested in agriculture are invited to attend a series of on-farm and virtual workshops highlighting farm stores, onsite and off. This course is free for active military service members and military veterans.

Hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs, the 11-session series, Agritourism through Farm Stores, starts Feb. 19 and runs through August. The workshops will rotate between online classroom sessions and on-farm sessions with an online option.

In our classroom sessions, participants will hear from experts, learn business and financial skills, and obtain resources applicable to farm stores, whether it be an actual storefront, online store, or a farm stand, said Kirstin Bailey, senior project associate for the Center. During the on-farm sessions, experienced farmers will go through the ins and outs of on- and off-site farm stores, how they set up their on-farm buying experiences, and challenges they have faced.

Session topics include obtaining proper equipment, maintaining adequate facilities, setting up purchasing systems and more.

Farmer-leaders with experience in various types of agriculture and agritourism (such as poultry, pork, beef, beekeeping) will be available to assist participants throughout the courses online platform.

For more information or to register, contact Bailey at 402-870-2390 or kirstinb@cfra.org.

Participant stipends are available to cover approved expenses such as travel, meals, and childcare. Individuals are welcome to attend with family members. For on-farm events, physical accommodations may be made upon request.

Find a detailed schedule, including dates and times of sessions, at cfra.org/AgVets2024.

Programming is funded through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies are investigating a fatal shooting early Wednesday in northwest Omaha.

Deputies went to a home in the 11100 block of Black Street northeast of Standing Bear Lake about 2:15 a.m. for a 911 call of a disturbance. While deputies were on the way, another call to 911 reported shots had been fired.

Deputies entered the home and found one male deceased in the basement with a gunshot wound to the head. Four females were located in a bathroom of the residence.

Two of the females were injured, one with an injury to her abdomen and another with an injury to her hand. Both females were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center.

A spokesman for the Sheriff's Office said the incident is under investigation.
Nebraska has no need for additional horse racing tracks beyond the ones already licensed, according to a new report.

That finding could chill efforts to license new tracks across the state  and the casinos that would accompany them.

The report prepared for the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission says there is more than sufficient capacity with the states existing six racing licenses to allow for a tripling or quadrupling of racing in Nebraska.

The data do not support the addition of more racing licenses, the report says.

According to the report, the six existing tracks had 53 race days in 2022. Fonner Park in Grand Island is the only track that offers a full racing schedule, with 42 race days this year, it says.

Voters in 2020 approved a ballot initiative linking casino development to racing licenses. That means that anyone who wants to build a casino in Nebraska, other than the six existing racing license holders, must win state approval for a racetrack.

The report looks at the impact of a proposed Bellevue racetrack casino, concluding that opening the facility would boost the projected overall gambling revenue in the state.

However, the Bellevue casino would cut into the revenue of existing Nebraska racetrack casinos. Hardest hit would be WarHorses casino under construction at Horsemens Park in Omaha, says the report, which was prepared by The Innovation Group of New Orleans.

Denny Lee, commission chairman, said Friday that the report is a draft that could be amended or supplemented in the future.

Lee said he had not read the report yet. He anticipated that commissioners will review it, and the report would be placed on the commissions Jan. 19 meeting agenda.

State lawmakers required the commission to study the statewide horse-racing and casino markets and also examine the socioeconomic impact of horse racing and casino gambling statewide.

Under state law, commissioners must consider the impact when approving or denying new licenses. The law requires the commission to deny an application for a racetrack or casino gambling license if approval would be detrimental to the racing or gambling market that exists across the state based on the market studies.

Currently, there are six licensed racetracks eligible for casinos: Legacy Downs in Lincoln, Fonner Park in Grand Island, Horsemens Park in Omaha, Atokad in South Sioux City, FairPlay Park in Hastings and Columbus Exposition and Racing in Columbus.

Additional racetrack casinos have been proposed in Norfolk, York, North Platte, Gering and Kimball. Also proposed is the transfer of the Hastings license to Ogallala.

The report is generating disagreement over how it may impact the Bellevue proposal.

This study kills Bellevue, said Lance Morgan, chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk Inc., the parent company of WarHorse and the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

WarHorse is developing racetrack casinos in Lincoln, Omaha and South Sioux City in partnership with the Nebraska Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association.

Morgan said Bellevues negative impact on existing Nebraska casinos should prevent its licensing.

But the man who applied for the Bellevue license said he disagrees with Morgans reading of the state law. John Hassett believes the commission could approve new licenses if they arent detrimental to the states overall market, regardless of whether they affect a particular casino.

I wonder, too, how much the racing and gaming commission should be picking the winners and losers, he said.

The report appears to clear the way for the transfer of the Hastings Exposition and Racing license to Ogallala as part of a proposed casino development off Interstate 80. Commissioners in November gave conditional approval to that transfer, pending the study results.

Hastings Exposition and Racing is partnering with Elite Casino Resorts on the project, which would include a 5/8-mile racetrack and racing facilities, 180 hotel rooms, an event center, a travel center, an RV park and a casino.

The proposed Bellevue site is located close to WarHorse Omaha as well as other competitors across the border in Council Bluffs.

Yet due to the large population base in the Omaha area, the report says, a Bellevue racetrack casino still would generate more revenue than any of the other proposed new racetrack casinos.

The Bellevue proposal would generate about $60.7 million in revenue, according to the study, of which $38.5 million would come from other operators. The Omaha WarHorse casino would lose $27.4 million of that, with much of the other losses coming from the Lincoln WarHorse casino.

If Bellevue gets a casino, anticipated gaming tax revenue for Douglas County and the City of Omaha would be reduced while Sarpy County and the City of Bellevue would gain. Cities and counties where casinos are located get a portion of the states gaming tax.

Moving the Hastings license to Ogallala would add income to the state  $18 million in gambling revenue  but would not take revenue from any of the other existing licenses.

Morgan said adding new licenses wouldnt be fair to the existing license holders.

The existing tracks are the ones that struggled and survived and put up the money and the time and effort to create the industry, he said.

Nebraska casinos will have to compete with casinos in Council Bluffs run by international corporations like Caesars and Penn, he said.

If we bifurcate the market in Omaha, were going to come out with a weaker product, and that will hurt us, he said.

One reason voters supported the ballot initiative was because it limited casinos to the existing racetracks, he said.

He said the WarHorse casinos in Omaha and Lincoln are a $500 million investment  and before were even open, somebody has the possibility of undermining that investment.

Morgan said he wouldnt be spending as much money in Omaha if Bellevue was coming into the market.

Hassett, the Bellevue racetrack applicant, said hes glad the studys done so that commissioners can now consider applications.

Hassett said the study shows that Bellevue would be the highest-grossing market of any Nebraska city that doesnt currently have an approved casino, he said.

Its the largest city and by far the largest county that doesnt have a racetrack and casino, he said.

While the current Thoroughbred tracks have unused capacity, the state could use another quarter horse track, which is what hes planning, he said.

The Ogallala track, located in the western end of the state, would race quarter horses.

We definitely think we need a good quarter horse track on the eastern part of the state, he said.

His track would be south of Bellevue, along Fairview Road, which is south of where it was originally proposed. The original site proved unworkable, he said.

When he submitted his proposal in 2021, it called for 24 race days a year and $200,000 a day in purses.

A Bellevue racetrack casino would increase overall state revenues and also increase the money that goes to the Nebraska Horsemen for race purses, he said.

Iowa has 19 casinos and a population of 3 million, he said. Nebraska has population of almost 2 million. I dont think the maximum is six. I think theres probably room for several more, a couple out west, and I think theres plenty of room for Bellevue.

It will take more than one casino in Omaha to compete with the Council Bluffs casinos, Hassett said.

The report appears to contain nothing to disrupt the Ogallala casino project from going forward.

According to the report, moving Hastings license to Ogallala  about 175 miles to the west  would improve its market potential and mean less of a market-area overlap with the five other existing licenses.

Mary Wilson, executive director of Keith County Area Development, said the Ogallala community is looking forward to continuing with its proposal.

Theres a lot of great things happening here, she said.

Photos: Opening of the Lincoln Warhorse Casino
The new president of Afghanistan, Babrak Karmal, has made his first public appearance since the Soviet-backed coup last week.

Speaking in Kabul, Karmal told foreign journalists that Soviet troops are defending his country against outside threats.

The former leader of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Afghanistans (PDPA) Parcham faction went on to accuse the US of provocation and lies.

Today, President Carter has announced further US sanctions against the USSR including a reduction of Soviet embassy staff and restricted landing rights for the Russian airline Aeroflot.

Mr Carter has also imposed an embargo on grain sales to the USSR that will see US exports fall from 25 million to eight million tonnes.

The President described the Soviet incursions into Afghanistan as, an extremely serious threat to peace and a callous violation of international law and the United Nations charter.

He warned that, A Soviet occupied Afghanistan threatens both Iran and Pakistan and is a stepping stone to possible control over much of the worlds oil supplies.

Russian forces were airlifted into Afghanistan on Christmas day under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978.

By 27 December 1979 Hafizullah Amin had been executed and replaced as head of state by Karmal.

In Moscow the new Afghan foreign minister, Shah Mohammed Dost, has been in talks with his Soviet counterpart, Andrei Gromyko.

The UN Security Council is expected to meet in New York at the weekend to discuss the situation. UN secretary general, Kurt Waldheim, has returned from the hostage crisis in Iran to attend.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

This was the first Soviet military expedition beyond the Eastern bloc since 1945.

It signalled an end to the period of detente in the Cold War and the SALT II treaty was shelved as the US began to re-arm.

The USSR was under internal and external pressure to act. The US and 12 other members of the UN Security Council defined their actions as an invasion.

Only East Germany and Afghanistan joined with the USSR in favour of their military presence.

Afghanistan became a key battleground of the Cold War as both superpowers flooded the country with arms through their various clients.

The Afghan war lasted until 1989, cost one million lives (out of a total population of 13 million) and produced five million Afghan refugees.
Prominent activist and publisher Jimmy Lai yesterday pleaded not guilty to three charges of sedition and collusion with foreign countries in a landmark national security trial in Hong Kong.

Lai, 76, a media tycoon who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, faces one count of conspiring to print seditious publications to incite hatred against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, as well as two counts of collusion with foreign countries to call for sanctions and other hostile actions against China and Hong Kong.

Lai, flanked by three prison officers, formally pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him, shortly after the court rejected a last-ditch attempt by his counsel to throw out a sedition charge against him. The court began hearing opening statements from the prosecution yesterday.

Lai was arrested in 2019. He faces possible life imprisonment if convicted under the national security law. The trial is expected to last about 80 days without a jury.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau in his opening statements described Lai as a radical political figure and the mastermind behind a conspiracy. Chau also said that Lai had used his media platform to advance his political agenda.

Various clips of interviews that Lai had done with foreign media outlets as well as speeches he had given at events between 2019 and 2020 were also played in court by the prosecution.

In these clips, Lai had called for support from foreign governments and urged U.S. officials as well as then-U.S. President Donald Trump to impose measures on China and Chinese officials in retaliation for imposing the national security law.

His prosecution has drawn criticism from the United States and the United Kingdom. Beijing has called those comments irresponsible, saying they went against international law and the basic norms of international relations.

The case is being closely watched by foreign governments, business professionals and legal scholars. Many view it as a trial of the citys freedoms and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub.

The governments of both Hong Kong and China have hailed the law for bringing back stability to the city.

Hong Kong, once seen as a bastion of media freedom in Asia, ranked 140th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders latest World Press Freedom Index. The group said the city had seen an unprecedented setback since 2020, when the security law was imposed.

ZEN SOO, HONG KONG, MDT/AP
Ukraines two largest cities came under attack from Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles yesterday morning, killing at least four people and injuring almost 100, officials said, as the war approached its two-year milestone and the Kremlins forces stepped up their winter bombardment of urban areas.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel that four civilians were killed and 92 injured in the capital, Kyiv, and in northeastern Kharkiv as hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that can fly at 10 times the speed of sound slammed into city blocks.

Russia fired almost 100 missiles of various types, Zelenskyy said on X, formerly Twitter. He claimed that at least 70 missiles were shot down, almost all of them in the Kyiv area, and said Western-supplied air defense systems such as Patriots and NASAMS had saved hundreds of lives.

Russias Defense Ministry said it had launched missile and drone strikes on military industrial facilities in and around Kyiv. Depots storing missiles and munitions supplied by Ukraines Western allies were also targeted, it said.

The goal of the strike has been achieved, all the targets have been hit, it said without elaborating. It was not possible to independently verify either sides claims.

Since Sunday, Zelenskyy said, Russian forces have launched about 170 Shahed drones and dozens of missiles of various types in an onslaught against Ukrainian targets. Most were aimed at civilian areas, he said.

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile. Russian forces rarely use such expensive missiles against Ukraine due to their limited stocks.

The attacks created a desolate morning scene in the capital, with most cafes and restaurants remaining closed. Many people opted to stay indoors or seek refuge in shelters as powerful explosions shook the city from early morning.

Air raid sirens blared for nearly four hours, and the citys subway stations  which function as shelters  were crowded.

After the Ukrainian air force issued warnings about incoming hypersonic missiles, people wearing pajamas underneath their coats took sleeping bags, mats and their pets to subway stations while loud explosions echoed above the city. At one of the central stations, called Golden Gates, hundreds of people filled the spacious underground areas while trains continued to run.

Perhaps today was the most frightening because there were so many explosions, said resident Myroslava Shcherba.

The barrage extended Russias escalated attacks on Ukraine that began Friday with its largest single assault on Ukraine since the war started, in which at least 41 civilians were killed.

The next day, shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod killed more than two dozen people. Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack and has struck back repeatedly since.

The attack on Belgorod was one of the deadliest to take place on Russian soil since Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine started more than 22 months ago. Russian officials said the death toll stood at 25 as of Monday, including five children.

Cities across western Russia have regularly come under drone attacks since May, although Ukrainian officials never acknowledge responsibility for strikes on Russian territory or the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty within our country. We will intensify strikes. Not a single crime against our civilian population will go unpunished, Putin said Monday, describing the barrage of Belgorod as a terrorist act.

Russia launched about 90 Shahed-type drones across Ukraine on Monday.

Putin accused Western nations of using Ukraine to try to put Russia in its place. While vowing retribution, he insisted Russia would only target military infrastructure in Ukraine. However, Ukraine reports civilian casualties from daily Russian attacks, which have hit apartment buildings, shopping centers and residential areas in small communities.

In other developments, Russias Defense Ministry said one of its warplanes accidentally released munitions over the Russian village of Petropavlovka in the southwestern Voronezh region Tuesday, causing no injuries but damaging six houses. The ministry said a commission has been created to determine the cause of the accident and assess the damage. It didnt say what type of munition the warplane dropped.

In April, munitions accidentally released by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast in the border city of Belgorod, damaging several cars and slightly injuring two people.

Air raid sirens sounded yesterday in Belgorod, which is near the border with Ukraine. Russias Defense Ministry said air defense systems shot down four missiles fired by a Ukrainian Vilkha multiple rocket launcher. ILLIA NOVIKOV & HANNA ARHIROVA, KYIV, MDT/AP
China will ease visa restrictions for people visiting from the United States, the countrys latest effort to attract foreign travelers since reopening its borders earlier this year.

Starting Jan. 1, American tourists will no longer need to submit round-trip air tickets, proof of hotel reservations, itineraries or invitations to China, according to a notice posted online Friday by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

The simplified application process is intended to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, the notice said.

The move comes as China has struggled to rejuvenate its tourism sector after three years of strict pandemic measures, which included mandatory quarantines for all arrivals. While those restrictions were lifted earlier this year, international travelers have been slow to return.

In the first half of this year, China recorded 8.4 million entries and exits by foreigners, down from 977 million for all of 2019, the last year before the pandemic, according to immigration statistics.

In another bid to boost tourism, China announced last month that it would allow visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia for up to 15 days.

The one-year trial program signaled Chinas high-level opening up to the outside world, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing.

But Chinas efforts to entice American tourists may face other headwinds. International flights between the two countries, which are set by a bilateral agreement, remain well below pandemic levels, though they have slowly increased in recent months. MDT/AP
A new mosque is planned for construction this year, according to a report from Portuguese news agency Lusa.

According to the report, local Imam Ding Shaojie confirmed construction will commence as soon as government authorization is received. The new mosque will be erected on the same site as the existing mosque.

Specific details on the construction timeline or the expected completion date are unconfirmed as yet.

The future mosque will cover an area of around 1,250 square meters with the capacity to receive up to 600 worshippers.

In the same report, the local Muslim community leader said the small size and poor conditions of the current prayer space render it unable to meet the communitys needs.

Ding also underscored the importance of providing the religious community with a dignified space.

We have two major holidays, the first of which is Eid. After the fasting of Ramadan we gather here to pray. Every year it rains, but what can we do? We have to pray outside because there are always so many people. So we have two sessions, and each session has about 1,500 participants, he said, as quoted by Lusa.

Currently, there are no official figures on the number of practicing Muslims in Macau in the absence of organized records. However, the Imam estimated that before the Covid-19 pandemic, the community size likely ranged between 5,000 to 10,000 individuals.
South Koreas tough-speaking liberal opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, was stabbed in the neck yesterday by an unidentified knife-wielding man who attempted to kill him during his visit to the southeastern city of Busan, police said.

Lee, 59, the head of the main opposition Democratic Party, was airlifted to a Seoul hospital for surgery after receiving emergency treatment in Busan. Police and emergency officials earlier said he was conscious after the attack and wasnt in critical condition, but his exact status was unknown.

The attack happened as Lee walked through a crowd of journalists and others after a tour of the proposed site of a new airport in Busan. The attacker approached Lee, saying he wanted to get his autograph, and then stabbed him in the left side of his neck with a knife, senior Busan police officer Sohn Jae-han said in a televised briefing.

Sohn said Democratic Party officials near Lee quickly subdued the attacker before police officers detained him. He said 41 police officers had been deployed to the area for crowd control and traffic management.

TV footage showed Lee, his eyes closed, lying on the ground as a person pressed a handkerchief to his neck to stop the bleeding. A witness, Jin Jeong-hwa, told YTN television that Lee had bled a lot. Videos circulated on social media showed the suspect, wearing a paper crown reading Im Lee Jae-myung, being chased and tackled by several people, apparently including plainclothes police officers.

Sohn said the suspect, aged about 67, told investigators that he bought the 18-centimeter knife online. He said police are investigating the motive for the attack. Other officers said police are expected to request that the suspect be formally arrested for alleged attempted murder because he told investigators he intended to kill Lee.

Lees Democratic Party called the incident a terrorist attack on Lee and a serious threat to democracy. It called on police to make a through, swift investigation.

At Pusan National University Hospital in Busan, where Lee received emergency treatment, party spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung said Lees jugular vein was believed to have been damaged and there was concern over the large amount of bleeding. Hospital officials would not comment on Lees condition.

President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed deep concern about Lees health and ordered authorities to investigate the attack, saying such violence would not be tolerated, according to Yoons office.

Lee lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by 0.7 percentage point, the narrowest margin ever recorded in a South Korean presidential election. Recent public surveys indicated Lee and his main conservative rival Han Dong-hoon, a former justice minister, are the two early favorites to succeed Yoon as president when his single five-year term ends in 2027.

Since his election defeat, Lee has been a harsh critic of Yoons major policies. Last year, Lee held a 24-day hunger strike to protest what he called Yoons failure to oppose Japans release of treated radioactive wastewater from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power, his handling of the countrys post-pandemic economy and his hard-line policies on North Korea. HYUNG-JIN KIM & JIWON SONG, SEOUL, MDT/AP
A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 48 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned that more quakes could lie ahead.

Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area on Monday afternoon.

Forty-eight people were confirmed dead in Ishikawa, officials said. Sixteen others were seriously injured, while damage to homes was so great that it could not immediately be assessed, they said.

Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said 17 people were seriously injured and gave a slightly lower death tally, while saying he was aware of the prefectures tally.

Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas, and residents expressed sorrow about their destroyed homes and uncertain futures.

Its not just that its a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I dont think we can live here anymore, Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house.

Their house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said.

Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings, relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have kept at least some of the damage under control.

The rescue efforts that quickly followed from firefighters, police and the military proved a testament to how this nation has repeatedly withstood disasters, which have practically become a part of everyday life.

Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters, said the people were prepared because the area had been hit by quakes in recent years. They had evacuation plans and emergency supplies in stock.

There is probably no people on earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready, he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Katada warned the situation remains precarious and unpredictable. The March 2011 quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan had been preceded by other quakes.

This is far from over, Katada said.

Predictions by scientists have repeatedly been proven wrong, such as with the 2016 quake in southwestern Kumamoto, an area previously seen as relatively quake-free. The only real projection possible is that you cant make projections, Katada added.

Having too much confidence in the power of science is very dangerous. We are dealing with nature.

Japanese media aerial footage showed widespread damage in the hardest-hit spots, with landslides burying roads, boats tossed in the waters and a major fire that had turned an entire section of Wajima city to ashes.

Japans military dispatched 1,000 soldiers to the disaster zones to join rescue efforts, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.

Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time, he said. It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.

A quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook the Ishikawa area as he was speaking. More quakes continued to rock the area, reaching more than 100 aftershocks over the past day.

Nuclear regulators said several nuclear plants in the region were operating normally. The 2011 quake and tsunami caused three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation at a nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.

News videos showed rows of collapsed houses. Some wooden structures were flattened and cars were overturned. Half-sunken ships floated in bays where tsunami waves had rolled in, leaving a muddied coastline.

On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japans main island of Honshu, as well as for the northern island of Hokkaido.

The warning was downgraded several hours later, and all tsunami warnings were lifted as of early yesterday. Waves measuring more than one meter hit some places.

People who were evacuated from their houses huddled in auditoriums, schools and community centers. Bullet trains in the region were halted, but service was mostly restored by Tuesday afternoon. Sections of highways were closed.

Weather forecasters predicted rain, setting off worries about already crumbling buildings and infrastructure.

The region includes tourist spots famous for lacquerware and other traditional crafts, along with designated cultural heritage sites.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration was ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.

Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. HIRO KOMAE & YURI KAGEYAMA, WAJIMA, MDT/AP
Public Bus company operator Transmac is set to reach 100% of buses powered by environmentally-friendly energy sources by the end of 2024, the company said in a statement on its official website.

According to the company, replacing older vehicles with new models over the past two years has reduced emissions 18.15% from 41,801.16 tons of carbon dioxide in 2019 to 34,214.11 tons of carbon dioxide in 2023.

Additionally, Transmac disclosed plans to introduce another 150 extended-range electric vehicles purchased at the end of 2023. These vehicles will enter service in the first quarter of this year, and supplement the 200 buses replaced in the preceding two years.

The companys objective is to further reduce its carbon footprint by approximately 40% compared to 2019 levels.

Simultaneously, the second bus operator TCM also reported an approximately 20% drop in carbon emissions in 2022 compared to 2019, projecting an even further reduction in carbon emissions for 2023 (estimated to be 30% of 2019 levels).

The company said this reduction is the equivalent to planting 16,000 trees.

In a statement also published on its official website, TCM noted its nitrogen oxide emissions have been reduced by up to 70%.

For 2024, the company is aiming for 95% of its fleet to be environmentally friendly.
* All-time highs

 Record visitor numbers wrap 2023, while gaming revenues hit MOP183 billion, spurring increased investment

* New Year greetings | Xi supports prosperity, stability of SARs

* Centaline | Realtor confident in 2024 property market

* Festive events, such as countdown parties, interactive community installations, lightened up celebrations for the citys New Year

* Religion: New mosque planned for local Muslim community

* China eased visa restrictions for people visiting from the United States from Jan. 1, the countrys latest effort to attract foreign travelers

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Wednesday, January 3, 2024  edition no. 4397
A Madison woman was arrested in the early hours of New Year's Day after police say she punched a hotel employee in the face while intoxicated.

Sarah Neindorf, 27, was intoxicated when she punched an employee at the Madison Concourse Hotel who was trying to help her safely to her room there, according to Madison Police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer.

Neindorf was taken to a nearby hospital before being jailed on tentative charges of battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Authorities arent saying what prompted a traffic stop in Monona on Monday night that escalated into a chase after the driver fled police and crashed, killing all three of the vehicles occupants.

Its also not clear if Mononas decision to loosen restrictions on police pursuits over a year ago played any role in the crash.

Monona police and the state Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, which is investigating the incident, said officers tried to pull over the vehicle at about 9 p.m. near the corner of Nichols Road and Monona Drive in Monona.

The vehicle fled, and police pursued. At some point, the Dane County Sheriffs Office deployed a tire-deflation device to stop the vehicle, and it crashed at the corner of Femrite Drive and Buckeye Road in the town of Cottage Grove, DCI said in a statement. The statement did not say whether the driver lost control after running over the device or if the driver was trying to avoid it.

The three people died at the scene. Their names and other identifying information have not been released. No law enforcement personnel were injured, DCI said.

The distance between where the chase started and where it ended is about 5 miles, and neither police nor DCI specified why police initially tried to pull the three over. DCI said police had deemed the vehicle suspicious.

In November 2022, the Monona City Council approved a change to the policy governing when police can engage in vehicle pursuits, removing the requirement that the people being pursued must be suspected of having committed a violent felony or that they were about to commit one.

The new policy includes a dozen factors for officers to consider when deciding whether to pursue a fleeing vehicle, including whether the suspect represents a serious threat to public safety, the safety of the public in the area of the pursuit and whether the person fleeing has been identified and could be safely arrested later.

Monona Police Chief Brian Chaney declined to say Tuesday whether the people fleeing Monday were suspected of a violent felony. Unfortunately, I cannot provide comment on this at this time based on the ongoing DCI investigation, he said.

The officers involved in Mondays chase have been placed on administrative duty, per agency policy, while DCI investigates the incident with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol. Monona police and Dane County Sheriffs Office squad cars are equipped with dashboard cameras, DCI said.

DCI said it will turn over its reports to the Dane County District Attorneys Office when the investigation is concluded.

The Washington, D.C-based Police Executive Research Forum, which conducts research and makes recommendations on police policy, last year released a report showing an increase in the number of fatal crashes involving a police pursuit, from 311 in 2015 to 455 in 2020.

It recommends that departments should adopt restrictive vehicle pursuit philosophies that permit pursuits only for a limited and serious set of circumstances and that pursuits should only be allowed for violent crimes and where failure to immediately apprehend the suspect presents an imminent threat to the public based on the suspects criminal actions.

To engage in a vehicle pursuit, Madison police are required to have probable cause to believe that the vehicle driver and/or occupant(s) has recently committed, is committing, or is about to commit a violent felony, under that departments policies.

Mondays triple fatal crash came two days after a man fleeing Monona police crashed into a tree.

That man, Tyrone K. McClarn, 45, was found to be highly intoxicated and was arrested for felony attempted eluding and felony fifth-offense operating while intoxicated, Chaney said.

McClarn, who has a previous criminal conviction for eluding law enforcement, was not injured in the crash that happened when he lost control going about 40 mph, Chaney said.
BEAVER DAM  A teenager was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries on Monday night after crashing a vehicle into a train in Beaver Dam, authorities reported.

The crash occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Fletcher Road near Burnett Street, Beaver Dam police spokesperson Jeremiah Johnson said in a statement. The initial investigation determined a motor vehicle failed to stop at a marked railroad crossing and collided with a moving train.

The crash remains under investigation, Johnson said.

Because the train contained hazardous materials, the train operator stopped the train immediately, Johnson said. The train blocked all lanes of Highway 151, and traffic was diverted for about an hour, Johnson said.

After railroad employees conducted a safety inspection, the train was able to move away from the scene. No hazardous materials were released, and there was no threat to the public.

The Beaver Dam Police Department was assisted by the Dodge County Sheriffs Office, the Beaver Dam Auxiliary Police Department, the Dodge County Emergency Response Team and the Beaver Dam Fire Department.
Even a minor criminal record can cause major headaches for people looking for jobs or housing.

There are ways to address those mistakes, but for most people, navigating the often-complicated procedures involved can be too difficult.

Thats why the Urban League of Greater Madison offers its monthly Expungement Clinic.

We believe in the proposition that you have to give some people a second chance, because they dont always get it right the first time, said Ruben Anthony, the Urban Leagues president and CEO. There are a lot of people who really need to have their record fixed so they can find employment and housing.

Though theyre called Expungement Clinics, expungement is only available in Wisconsin under narrow circumstances, said Megan Sprecher, an attorney with Legal Action Wisconsin, which works with the Urban League to assist the clinics clients. Attorneys and volunteers also help clients seek pardons or clear old arrests from their records that did not result in charges or convictions, which are not automatically removed once the immediate trouble is past.

The monthly clinics alternate between Urban League facilities on South Park Street and McKenna Boulevard. Registration is required and is done entirely through the Urban Leagues website. The number of available slots at each clinic is limited. The next clinic is on Jan. 25.

A collaboration

Anthony said the clinic was launched in 2019, the idea of Alex Lodge, while he was an attorney with Foley and Lardner in Madison and a member of the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers. The idea reached Nia Trammell, Anthony said, who at the time chaired the Urban Leagues board and is now a Dane County judge. Anthony said the League talked to Lodge about the idea, then to Wisconsin Legal Action and other partners, and the clinic was launched.

When the first clinic drew more than 100 people, Anthony said, it quickly became apparent that smaller clinics were the way to go.

Legal Action Wisconsin, which takes care of recruiting, training and supervising volunteers for the clinics, provides free legal services to low-income people in the southern half of Wisconsin on a variety of civil matters.

We partner with the Urban League on this because they have the trust of the community that we want to be able to serve, Sprecher said.

I really enjoy this area of law and I think its been really amazing to see all of the positive things that our clients are doing in the community, said Sprecher, who has been with Legal Action Wisconsin for three years and was previously with End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin. Its maybe not something I would have heard of otherwise, but theyre really doing so much in the community.

Expungement clinics Registration is mandatory to attend the Urban League Expungement Clinic. To register, visit the Urban League's website at https://ulgm.org. Signups must be done online. The next clinic is on Jan. 25 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Urban League Center for Workforce & Economic Development, 2222 S. Park St. The Feb. 20 clinic, also from 3 to 6 p.m., will be at the Southwest Madison Employment Center, 1233 McKenna Blvd. The March 20 clinic will be at 2222 S. Park St., and the April 25 clinic will be at the McKenna location. Both are also from 3 to 6 p.m.

The process

Legal Action pulls the clients background check from the state Department of Justice, and volunteers go through the information with them, looking to see if anything in the record can be removed or expunged.

State law, however, sharply limits eligibility for expungement. To qualify, Sprecher said, a crime must be nonviolent and not on a specified list of felonies, and committed when a person is under age 25. A judge also must decide at the time of sentencing whether that conviction can be expunged once a persons sentence is completed.

At most clinics, typically just one person out of all those attending may be eligible for expungement, Sprecher said. Sometimes expungement only hangs on finishing paying fines or restitution, which Sprecher said can be challenging for people who have little or no income.

Seeking a pardon, she said is a more intensive process. Clients must say why theyre seeking a pardon and why they need and deserve one.

Pardons and expungements are different in that a pardon by the governor can restore certain civil rights and privileges. It doesnt seal a court record, but the pardon is noted in the record. An expungement is granted by a judge and results in a conviction being sealed from public records.

To qualify for a pardon, clients must have a felony conviction with no open criminal cases and must have finished any supervision at least five years earlier. They also cant be on a sex offender registry.

The governor and his pardon board look at the nature of the conviction, community involvement and what the need for a pardon is, Sprecher said.

We have clients who are not able to chaperone their kids field trip because of a conviction, and we have clients who want a pardon so they can get into their assisted living center of choice, or travel to Canada, all sorts of different reasons, she said.

After the application, Legal Action takes care of the rest, which can involve notifying the district attorney and the clerk of court, in case the judge in the case wants to weigh in.

We ensure that all of that happens, that anything required is submitted and that the client is taking accountability for what happened but also explaining any extenuating circumstances, Sprecher said, such as domestic abuse or mental health.

It takes about 18 months to get a pardon hearing, which is conducted by video, and Legal Action helps prepare the client for the hearing.

Getting results

Beyond expungements and pardons, clients also can ask the state to remove arrests from their background report that did not result in charges or convictions.

People who come to the clinic are shocked to see some arrest thats still on there because its not on CCAP, or maybe theyve forgotten about it, Sprecher said.

The process requires fingerprints, so its harder for people to do it on their own.

In 2022 and 2023 combined, Sprecher said, 25 people obtained pardons through the Urban League clinic. Many more are still pending.

Expungement figures are a lot lower  maybe five to 10 people over the same period, she said. The clinic also has helped amend or remove 400 to 500 arrest records.

Its also really noteworthy that the pardons help people with all these things like employment and housing but its also really personally healing for a lot of our clients, Sprecher said. And they just feel further welcomed back into the community officially. A lot of our clients will get their pardon certificates framed and put it up on their wall. Theyll have a family get-together to celebrate it, and thats been really powerful as well.
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out our state's badly gerrymandered legislative maps. They ruled the maps were unconstitutional because districts were not contiguous -- a word used in the state constitution to describe how district maps should be drawn.

One look at maps around Madison confirms that point. It should be pretty obvious to any person who isn't a lawyer that the districts weren't contiguous. I'm actually surprised that it took so long for someone to bring this case to the Supreme Court and that three of the seven Supreme Court justices would uphold these Swiss cheese maps.
In a recent week, the Michigan Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump to remain on the Republican primary ballot, rejecting the argument that the 14th Amendments ban on holding public office for government officials whod previously engaged in insurrection against the United States disqualified the former president.

While some of the former presidents supporters will tout this as a sign of responsible jurists shooting down a politically motivated effort to remove a legitimate candidate, thats not really what the ruling says. It barely engages with the underlying insurrection ban question, instead pointing out that this is a more relevant question for next years general election, not the GOP primary. The justices certainly didnt hand Trump a victory on the merits of his argument that he did not trip the constitutional prohibition.

This ruling agrees with a similar one out of Minnesota, but runs counter to a Colorado Supreme Court decision that booted Trump off the ballot. The conflict between the state rulings sets this question up for a U.S. Supreme Court clarification, and while those nine have certainly shown themselves in recent years to be no more apolitical than any other branch of government, it is true that the federal arena is the proper venue for this issue. This is not a reflection of a belief that either the Michigan or Colorado high courts was correct or incorrect, but a marker of the national significance of this question.

Those whove pretended like this is an uncomplicated or cut-and-dry issue are kidding themselves. The law isnt a pure expression of moral preference, whether you think that Trump is a clear and present danger to the country whose name shouldnt so much as grace the ballot for dog catcher or a legitimate candidate whose exclusion is itself an antidemocratic hazard.

Strong arguments can be made in either case (though not so for the loony perspective that he was cheated out of his rightful second term by some shadowy cabal). Keeping an otherwise eligible candidate off the ballot through a somewhat subjective decision that he engaged in loosely-defined insurrection is a dead-serious matter no matter how you slice it, and there are very serious implications if thats something that can be done easily, particularly by individual states.

At the same time, its absurd to suggest that this is some sort of totally manufactured attack on Trump. We all watched as the then-president, having been defeated in an election, tried desperately to subvert American democracy, encouraging fake electors, leaning on state officials like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and of course eventually whipping up his supporters to march on the Capitol on Jan. 6. Everything thats come out since then has only made clearer that Trump fully intended to negate the results.

Nothing about the Constitutions language suggests that the ballot ban isnt self-executing or requires a criminal conviction, nor that insurrection is to be construed narrowly as a formal armed rebellion. Whatever anyones definition of the term, its hard to imagine that Trumps conduct plainly doesnt qualify, nor that the amendments framers did not intend it to apply to the highest office in the land. However the U.S. Supreme Court approaches things, it should know this isnt an easy call.
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This 2024, there is a universal desire to start afresh in good health and overall wellness. Revitalizing ones living space by changing its colors can instantly refresh the mood and ambience in the home.

American Standard, a LIXIL power brand, offers a fresh start to everyones daily routine with its Color Collection for the bathroom. Transform your space with three color options  Polished Cool Sunrise, Brushed Hard Graphite, and Matte Black  to elevate the home that perfectly match the personality of those living there.

Whether seeking sophistication or a vibrant touch for the bathroom, the timeless beauty of Polished Cool Sunrise promises to imbue any space with a comforting glow. Its luminous gold polish and glossy finish gracefully play with light, crafting an ambiance of warmth and joy throughout the home.

For those desiring a bathroom transformation, the captivating Brushed Hard Graphite shade presents an opulent grey hue and textured finish. It evokes a tranquil, Zen-like environment when paired with darker or earthy tones. Alternatively, its industrial-inspired charm combines style and functionality, adding a unique character to any space.

The striking elegance of Matte Black offers an escape from the cacophony of daily life within the confines of ones home. This finish holds the power to make a bold statement or exude understated refinement, courtesy of its rugged all-black texture that leaves an enduring impression.

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Imagine the possibilities: a family seeking a bathroom makeover in time, individuals yearning for a space that reflects their evolving taste, or a young couple setting up their new home as another year unfolds. These Color Fittings cater to diverse needs, allowing for personalization and self-expression as they seamlessly create their design aesthetic with selections from American Standards Acacia Evolution faucets, EasySet Concealed Auto Temperature Mixer, and EasySet Exposed Auto Temperature and accessories.

Anyone can experience the joy of designing a bathroom space that truly reflects who they are. In line with LIXILs dedication to making better homes a reality, our focus at American Standard remains on empowering individuals to create homes they truly love. We are delighted to help infuse elegance, character, and tranquility into any room, allowing our customers to curate their sanctuaries with our palette of color possibilities, said Hermie Limbo, Leader, LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) Philippines.

Earlier in 2023, American Standard launched its new brand identity along with the claim LIFE.LOVE.HOME and visual American Standard Red  implying love and passion to evoke a closer emotional affinity with consumers. The American Standard Red boldly unites multiple online and offline consumer touchpoints and product packaging for a seamless multi-dimensional revitalization of the consumer experience.

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For more information, visit American Standards website: https://www.americanstandard.ph/.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday welcomed Vietnams Ambassador, Lai Thai Binh, expressing optimism for enhanced bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations.

The President highlighted the timely arrival of Ambassador Lai, aligning with planned initiatives, and expressed satisfaction with the received letter of credence.

During the presentation of credentials, Ambassador Lai conveyed warm greetings from Vietnams leader, expressing eagerness for President Marcoss guidance in strengthening bilateral relations. Lai underscored Vietnams commitment to international principles.

President Marcos emphasized collaboration potential, referencing discussions with the Vietnamese Prime Minister during ASEAN gatherings.

And I think that there are many, many more things that your PM and I have discussed for many hours during our ASEAN meetings. We have many areas that we can explore. For that, I look forward to doing that, the President said.

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On the same day, President Marcos also met with Ambassador Marciano Octavio Garcia Da Silva of Timor-Leste to the Philippines, accepting his letter of credence on January 2 at Malacanan Palace.

Expressing great pleasure, President Marcos noted the significant moment, emphasizing the growing partnership between the two nations through bilateral and multilateral relationships.

It is a great deal of pleasure that we are here to accept your letters of credence and to welcome you to the Philippines as ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Republic of the Philippines, Mr. Marcos said.

This is indicative of the growing partnership that your country and mine through our bilateral relationships, together with the multilateral relationships, have progressed in the last few years, he added.

The meeting follows President Marcoss engagement with President Jose Ramos-Horta in November 2023 during the Timorese leaders State Visit. President Marcos reaffirmed the Philippines commitment to supporting Timor-Lestes development through South-South Cooperation.
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The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is investigating the cause of the Panay-wide power outage that started at around 2:19 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said a power disturbance hit the Panay Grid and part of Negros and it is closely coordinating with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) and all affected generation plants and distribution utilities (DUs).

We assure the public that power restoration is of priority, DOE said.

NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said that at 12:06 p.m. Tuesday, it monitored multiple power plant tripping in Panay Island.

NGCP monitored the tripping of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) unit 1 due to an internal issue.

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At 2:19 p.m., PEDC Unit 2, Palm Concepcion Power Corp., and other plants tripped in Panay Island, isolating them from the rest of the Visayas grid.

NGCP the cause of the multiple tripping is still unknown.

The entire Panay went out with those units not generating, Alabanza said, adding that they cannot give a timeline on when full restoration will be completed.

About 302 MW was lost to the grid, in addition to 150 on planned maintenance shutdown, including PEDC Unit 3 for a total of 452 MW.

NGCP said it is focusing its efforts on stabilizing voltage and has extended feedback power to Iloilo and PEDC.

It said load restoration will be done conservatively, by matching loads to restored generation, to prevent repeated voltage failure.

At 3:24 p.m. Tuesday, the Negros-Panay interconnection was restored after it tripped at 3:07 p.m.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, NGCP declared a yellow alert from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the Panay grid.

A yellow alert is issued due to the tripping of major plants at Panay resulting in a low operating margin.

NGCP said restoration of affected plants is ongoing.

While NGCP did not implement manual load dropping, distribution utilities may implement load drops due to voltage sensitive loads or manual disconnection to secure voltage levels, it said.
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Commuters must brace for a drastic reduction of public utility vehicles as well as a surge in the minimum fare to as high as P50 in the next five years from the current P13 with the governments PUV Modernization Program.

Even if you tap a local manufacturer, the cheapest modern unit could cost about P900,000 to P1 million, said Julius Dulay, chairperson of the group Commuters of the Philippines.

The expenses would be passed on to the commuters. We have to bear the brunt of it, he added.

Sonny Africa, IBON Foundation executive director, earlier projected a massive fare hike in the coming years, citing the countrys experience following the privatization of water and power services.

Fares will be kept low at maybe P15 to P20 or even P25 for the first three to five years. But we fully expect that in five years or more, it will hit about P45 to P50, he told ANCs Headstart program.

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Our basic computation there was that if its corporatized, you not only have pressure to repay the loans for the higher expense jeeps, but it is also the increased profit motive, premium being added to the fares on top of that, Africa added.

Dulay said their group shared the same concern.

We do not only see fare increases but that there would also be a drastic reduction in the number of PUVs. The number of PUVS could not be able to meet passenger demand, Dulay said.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, for his part, urged IBON Foundation to share its study that was the basis of its fare hike forecast.

Definitely, this (PUV Modernization Program) has an effect on transport fares because the expenses to maintain the new system being proposed would be greater, the senator said.

Its an immediate expense. There will be debt, he added.

The Akbayan party-list, for its part, called for another extension of the Jan. 31 deadline for the consolidation of PUV franchises into a cooperative or corporation, noting that only 40 percent of the traditional jeepneys in Metro Manila have complied.

Rafaela David, the groups president, cited the need for a careful and fair approach to modernization.

Modernity must not create more inequalities. We urge the government to further enhance government subsidies to ease the financial burden on operators and owners upgrading to modern jeepneys. While recognizing the benefits of modernization, rushing the phase-out of traditional PUVs risks disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities, she said.

The current government subsidy for operators who would upgrade to more modern units stands at P180,000, way below the low estimate of at least P900,000 per unit.
The weather pattern continues to stay alive into January. A nor'easter travels from North Carolina up to New York the weekend of Jan. 6-7. An even bigger storm will arrive for mid-next week.

Meteorologists Joe Martucci and Sean Sublette share who sees snow and who rains for the weekend, takes a deep dive into next week's storm and explores how the polar vortex could influence the weather into the month on Snow Search.

ABOUT SNOW SEARCH

For longer range weather forecasts, tune into Snow Search with Meteorologist Joe Martucci of The Press of Atlantic City and Meteorologist Sean Sublette from the Richmond Times Dispatch every Wednesday. The two looks at the weather pattern for the following week, pointing out weather trends that could bring snow and cold to the Mid-Atlantic.
On Sunday, Dec. 10, deputies with the sheriffs office responded to an Old Fort residence for a possible domestic disturbance between Manuel Valdez Jr., 23, and a female victim. After ignoring all commands given by deputies, Valdez assaulted a deputy and attempted to flee the scene. Before being placed under arrest, Valdez again assaulted another deputy, according to a news release.
Ethiopia and Somaliland have signed a historic agreement giving Ethiopia access to the sea via a port on the territory of this breakaway region of Somalia, the authorities in Addis Ababa announced on Tuesday January 2.

The agreement will pave the way for the realization of Ethiopias aspiration to secure its access to the sea and diversify its access to seaports, explains a statement from the office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on X. It also strengthens their security, economic and political partnership, they add, naming the two signatories.

The historic memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland was signed by Mr. Abiy and the separatist regions leader, Muse Bihi Abdi, in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Prime Ministers office added.

The text grants Ethiopia 20 kilometers of access to the Red Sea on Somaliland territory, including the port of Berbera, for a period of 50 years. In exchange, Ethiopia will formally recognize the Republic of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, the leader of this territory never recognized by the international community since it unilaterally proclaimed its independence from Somalia in 1991, welcomed the agreement on Monday.

Ethiopia, Africas second most populous country, found itself without its own access to the sea when it gained independence from Eritrea in 1993, following a long conflict. It enjoyed access to an Eritrean port until the two countries went to war in 1998-2000, and since then Ethiopia has channelled most of its trade through Djibouti.

Addis Ababa had already acquired 19% of the port of Berbera in 2018, according to DP World, a company that manages operations at this Somaliland port. It holds 51%, with Somaliland owning the remaining 30%.

A former British territory, Somaliland unilaterally declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, just as that country was plunging into a state of chaos from which it still hasnt emerged. Although it has its own institutions and currency, Somaliland, which has a population of 4.5 million, has never seen its independence recognized by the international community.
The Sao Tomean Minister for Infrastructure, Adelino Cardoso, resigned from his post on Tuesday January 2, following controversy over the concession of public company services, involving the name of the President of the Republic, and contested by workers.

My resignation is the result of deep reflection and careful consideration, in the full knowledge that, with this action, I am contributing to the resolution of a significant part of a cyclical problem. My decision is immediate and irreversible, said Adelino Cardoso in the press release.

The resigning minister says that the latest events that have been made public, especially as a result of the interventions in public companies under the supervision of the Ministry of Infrastructure take away the comfort needed to continue the work that he intended to carry out.

Adelino Cardoso says that he has always acted loyally and in accordance with the objectives defined in the governments program and accepted by the government and assumes the responsibilities that resulted from his actions.

I understand that public office, especially political office, is not permanent, much less professional. I also understand that holding a political office only makes sense if it is based on consensus and acceptance both by those we lead and those to whom we must be accountable, said Adelino Cardoso, in the statement released on Tuesday.

At issue is a public-private partnership agreement for the operational management of the services of Sao Tomes National Port Administration Company (Enaport), dated December 20, signed between the government, represented by the minister who has now resigned, the director of Enaport, Hamilton de Sousa, and the representative of the company Africa Global Logistics (AGL), Pierre-Francois Pioriou.

According to the contract, contested by Enaport officials, AGL, a simplified joint stock company registered in France, enters into this agreement only as a shareholder of the operating company, which will be incorporated under the laws of Sao Tome and Principe, whose registered office will be in Sao Tome.

The agreement is signed for a period of five years, renewable for the same period or another, and provides that during its term the operator will have the exclusive right to provide services at the terminal, which includes the quay, the yard and the equipment for the purpose of providing services at the port of this island country.
A joint declaration was announced at the end of two days of talks in Addis Ababa between two Sudanese delegations representing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Civil Democratic Forces (Takadum).

The declaration was signed on Tuesday January 2 by Abdallah Hamdok, the former Prime Minister who initiated the meetings, and General Mohamad Hamdane Daglo, also known as Hemedti, commander of the paramilitaries. The meetings are the first between paramilitaries and civilians since the start of the war in Sudan on April 15. Their main aim is to set up mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid.

Its a kind of roadmap aimed at achieving a humanitarian ceasefire that will enable aid to be delivered to millions of Sudanese who are in absolute need and suffering the repercussions of war.

The 4-page document, signed by Abdallah Hamdok and Mohammed Hamdane Daglo, sets out in 9 points the need to establish a framework for resolving the humanitarian crisis, and insists on the principle of giving power to civilians, in order to install a democratic, unified and federal Sudanese state, entirely rid of the caciques of the former regime.

Among the important points on which both parties agreed: the formation of a national committee to investigate abuses committed against civilians. Another committee will determine which party launched the hostilities.

According to the document, the two parties agree on the return of civilians to areas controlled by the FSR, who are expected to release 451 detainees as a sign of goodwill. However, the paramilitaries are accused by international NGOs of committing the most serious abuses against civilians.

Takadum affirms that she has launched an appeal to meet both sides of the struggle. The joint program announced in Addis Ababa seems difficult to implement as long as the army does not adhere to it.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A new study by researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine reveals that a chemical used in the diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-management drug Wegovy is not associated with an increased risk for suicidal thoughts.

The findings about the chemicalknown as semaglutideare particularly significant because this summer, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) launched an investigation of its potential dangers.

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP1R) chemical that helps regulate blood sugar in type 2 diabetes and reduces appetite.

After examining about 2 million patients with type 2 diabetes or obesity, the research teamled by biomedical informatics professor Rong Xufound no evidence to support the EMA's concern that semaglutide may cause suicidal ideations.

In fact, the study recently accepted by the journal Nature Medicine found that Ozempic and Wegovy actually reduced the risk for suicidal ideations.

Xu, also the medical school's Center for AI in Drug Discovery director, was joined by medical school co-author Nathan Berger, the Hanna-Payne Professor of Experimental Medicine, and Pamela B. Davis, the Arline H., and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute for Drug Abuse, also was a co-author.

To assess the association between semaglutide and the risk of suicidal ideations, the team began examining the electronic health records of nearly 101 million patients nationally. They then applied specific inclusion criteria to select 2 million patients further.

"It was similar to how we gathered real-time evidence of COVID-19 infections and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic," Xu said.

Berger added that a clinical trial will be necessary to understand the side effects of semaglutide fully. In the meantime, the group has been able to analyze national data to help patients make educated decisions about the risks of using semaglutide.

In this study, two distinct patient populations were analyzed: Those with type 2 diabetes were provided Ozempic, while patients with obesity were prescribed Wegovy. Patients were tracked for six months to evaluate the occurrence of suicidal ideation as well as any recurrent suicidal thoughts, as recorded in their health records.

Men and women; Black, White, and Hispanic patients; adults under 45; middle-aged adults (4664); and elderly patients (65 years and older) also underwent separate examinations. Once more, the researchers reported that reductions in the risk of suicidal ideation were consistently found across age, ethnicity, and gender.

When compared to non-GLP1R anti-obesity and anti-diabetes drugs, it showed a lower risk for both the first incidence and recurrence of suicidal ideations in patients who were prescribed semaglutide (as Ozempic or Wegovy).

"The exploding popularity of this drug makes it imperative to understand all its potential complications," Davis said. "It's important to know that prior suggestions that the drug might trigger suicidal thoughts is not borne out in this very large and diverse population in the U.S."

More information: Wang W, Volkow ND, Berger NA, Davis PB, Kaelber DC, Xu R etl, Association of semaglutide with risk of suicidal ideations in a real-world cohort. Nature Medicine (2024) DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02672-2 , www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02672-2 Semaglutide and risk of suicidal ideations, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02691-z , www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02691-z Journal information: Nature Medicine
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A health scare has caused falling oyster sales in France.

When Philippe Le Gal brought his oysters to market this weekend, he expected them to sell quickly. It was, after all, New Year's Eve, a day when the delicacies are a crucial ingredient for champagne-soaked celebrations in French homes and restaurants.

But not this time.

"We barely sold 10 percent, almost nothing," the oyster farmer told AFP.

The reason consumers are shunning French oysters is a health scare that hit the industry last week, when local authorities in the Gironde region observed a wave of gastroenteritis cases due to food poisoning.

An investigation identified as the culprit the norovirusa highly contagious virus causing vomiting and diarrheadetected in oysters from the Arcachon Bay west of Bordeaux on France's southwestern Atlantic coast.

The authorities quickly banned the harvesting and sale of oysters from the area, and from two other oyster production sites further north, Calvados and Manche, "until further notice".

They also told producers there to stop selling the oysters already harvested, and consumers to return them urgently.

The contamination was a result of flooding in waste water treatment plants due to high rain water levels, which pushed untreated waste water into the ocean where it contaminated the oysters.

'Crisis without precedent'

Oyster farmers say they're suffering from bad waste water management.

The authorities promised they would lift the ban "as soon as the sanitary quality of the shellfish is completely satisfactory again".

But the local shellfish producer association warned that "an economic crisis without precedent" was descending on the sector fast.

"People are panicking," said Le Gal, who is also president of the National Shellfish Farming Federation.

"They have stopped buying," he said. "It's a catastrophe."

Le Gal said less than 10 percent of France's overall oyster production is affected by contamination, representing around 8,000 tons per year.

But the impact has rippled across the entire industry.

Philippe Morandeau, who runs the regional shellfish producers association in the western region of Charente-Maritime, said he too suffered a collapse in sales although his region has not been affected by any contamination.

"I was on a market in La Pallice, near La Rochelle, and my sales were down by 25 to 30 percent compared with previous years," he told AFP.

Producers point out that the contaminations are not their fault, but down to insufficient waste water treatment capacity which is the responsibility of local authorities.

Sales dropped after a gastroenteritis virus was found in the oysters.

"The biggest factor is indeed investment by local authorities in waste water treatment," acknowledged the French government's junior minister for maritime affairs, Herve Berville.

"The temporary bans are not linked to the work of shellfish farmers. They are linked to viruses, not the quality of the oysters," he told regional daily Ouest France at the weekend.

'Not just a glitch'

Oyster farmers feel they are victims of what they say are decades of under-investment in water water facilities.

"This has happened to us twice in two years. This is not just a glitch," said Olivier Laban, an oyster farmer who also runs the regional shellfish producer association in Arcachon, the main target area for the ban.

"This can't go on," he told AFP.

Berville promised that the government would sit down with local authorities "to accelerate investments where necessary".

The oyster industry's 375 production sites in France make it "an essential sector for the local economy", he said.

"We want to protect consumers as well as reassure French people concerning the unaffected sites," he said.

For French people on New Year's Eve, oysters are a must.

The government was, he added, ready to help offset losses sustained by farmers.

But beyond the devastating financial impact of the health measures and their fallout, oyster producers also worry about the reputational damage they say will be even harder to repair.

"With every announcement they see on television, people cancel their orders," said Morandeau.

"People just see the word 'oyster' in a headline and don't pay attention to any geographical distinction," he said.

Le Gal said what he called "scare-mongering" may even remove oysters from French tables indefinitely.

France is Europe's biggest producer of oysters as well as the continent's biggest consumer.

It is the fifth largest producer in the world, after China, South Korea, Japan and the United States.

 2024 AFP
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A chess piece depicting a berserker biting his shield. Credit: National Museums Scotland/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

My friend Luke used to drink a pint of beer before a game of rugby. I don't know whether he thought that it might reduce pain or improve performance, but the idea of taking drugs before "going into battle" goes back to the beginning of recorded history.

Indeed, we find frequent mentions of mead drinking by the warriors in Edinburgh in the seventh-century epic poem "The Goddodin." These warriors feasted and drank mead for a year before riding out to their certain deaths in a hopelessly one-sided battle in Yorkshire. Similarly, Anglo-Saxon warriors were very fond of their mead-hallsthink Beowolf.

These ancient warriors probably used alcohol to reduce anxiety and blunt the horrors they would face on the battlefield.

Other ancient cultures turned to psychoactive substances before doing battle. The berserkers were a gang of Viking warriors renowned for going into battle in a frenzied state, almost fighting friend and foe indiscriminately. They are believed to have used hallucinogenic mushrooms to achieve this state. Probably the red-capped Amanita muscaria or possibly a plant called Hyoscyamus nigera member of the nightshade family. Although there would undoubtedly also have been a religious or spiritual element to their mental state.

Perhaps the next major advance in psychoactives for warriors was by the Germans in the second world war. Pervitin (methamphetamine) was given almost freely to all arms of the German war machine.

The frontline Nazis called them Panzerschokolade (tank chocolate), due to the feelings of incredible strength and invincibility that the pills gave them. Hitler's doctor gave him daily injections of Eukodol, a stimulant causing euphoria and, clearly, terrible judgment.

Similarly, the US army in the Vietnam war (or the "first pharmacological war") took unprecedented amounts of the amphetamine Dexedrine ("pep pills"). There were army instructions to take 20mg for 48 hours of combat readiness, but veterans report taking the drug "like candy."

Jumping forward 60 years we find the combatants in the Middle East continuing to use amphetamines, this time mostly a stimulant called Captagonthe manufacture of which makes up the bulk of Syria's foreign income.

Behavioral effects

The types of drugs taken by warriors can be lumped into three broad categories: depressants, hallucinogens and stimulants.

Alcohol is a depressant that calms the nerves by reducing brain activity. Psychedelic mushrooms such as Amanita muscaria contain a variety of psychoactive substances. Hyoscyamus niger also has a variety of active compounds that cause hallucinations and, importantly, aggressive and combative behavior.

It would be important for combatants to take the correct dose of these drugs; just enough to take the edge off. Too much might leave the person stupefied. The word "groggy" meaning dazed and unsteady came from British navy sailors exhibiting this behavior after their daily ration of rum and water (grog). Intoxication in the 18th and 19th-century British navy was common.

Methamphetamine, Pervitin, Dexedrine and Captagon are all psychomotor stimulants, that is they increase alertness and cause hyperactivity. Again, the dose of some of these drugs would be critical. Although it would be difficult to take too much nicotine and caffeine, mild stimulants that soldiers often take, it would be quite easy to overdose on the other stimulants.

Taking the correct dose of amphetamines would increase aggression and stamina, but high doses of amphetamines could lead to paranoia and hallucinationshardly beneficial in a battle.

Ultimately, stimulants, if taken at very high doses, could lead to cardiac arrest or stroke. The stimulants, but especially methamphetamine, would also lead to significant weight loss even after only a few days of use. Long-term use, as we saw with the Nazis, would probably lead to emaciated soldiers.

Smart drugs

We have seen that soldiers take drugs before battles to calm nerves, deal with the horrors, reduce pain, tolerate lack of food and sleep and improve alertness. What will the soldiers of the future take? Probably not alcohol or mushrooms, more likely cognitive enhancersknown as "smart drugs" or "nootropics."

The use of cognitive enhancers by students is well known and these might include low-dose stimulants and nootropics.

The stimulants include drugs such as amphetamine salt mixtures, methylphenidate and modafinil, while nootropics include piracetam, caffeine, cobalamin (vitamin B12), guarana, pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and vinpocetine. The pharmacological effects of the nootropics are largely unknown.

The integration of humans, technology and machines is thought to be the future of warfare and drugs that facilitate this are undoubtedly being researched by the military.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

So far, we have discussed drugs taken before or during combat, but what about afterwards?

There is a long history of soldiers taking alcohol and other drugs to deal with the horrors of what they have seen, or the disappointment of life after leaving the army. Think Tom Cruise in Born on the 4th of July.

But there is an emerging new cohort of ex-military drug takers. These veterans are taking MDMA and psilocybin on doctors' orders as part of their treatment for PTSD.

It is thought that these drugs help the veterans open up about their experiences and form a stronger therapeutic alliance with their doctor, critical for psychotherapy to work.

Ketamine is useful for treating depression and LSD is also being tested for various psychiatric disorders.

The relationship between combatants and psychoactive drugs is an old one and looks certain to continue.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Assyrian Pizza in Turkey

Mardin, Turkey -- Kafro (Elbegendi) and (Arkah) Uckoy, villages of Midyat district which were once abandoned due to terrorist incidents, began to be associated with Pizza in many countries of the world, especially in Turkey.

In the rural area of Mardin's Midyat district, Assyrians returning to their villages from European countries are creating wonders. A pizzeria opened by Nail Demir in Elbegendi Village and became famous throughout the country in a short time was followed by another pizza establishment opened in Uckoy. Moris Dal, who has 24 years of pizza experience in Germany, and his jeweler relative Gabriyel Cil, invested 7 million worth of pizza in Uckoy. They made an investment of approximately 20 million Euros, including the stone villas they built in their villages. Gabriel Cil and Moris Dal bring their 24 years of pizza experience in Germany to local and foreign customers in Uckoy, located on Bagok Mountain.

HE RETURNED TO HIS VILLAGE AFTER 40 YEARS AND OPENED A PIZZA SALON

Moris Dal returned to Uckoy, which he left at the age of 12, as a pizza master after 40 years. He realized his dream of turning his 24 years of pizza experience in Germany into service in the village where he was born and raised and for which he longed. Cil and Dal, which revive mountain tourism here, attract many tourism tours from Turkey and the world to the pizza villages.

THEY PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT FOR 14 PEOPLE

Making a statement about the pizza shop, Business Manager Samet Matyaz said that the opening in Uckoy on Bagok Mountain took place one and a half years ago.

Matyaz stated that Moris Dal and Gabriel Cil, who immigrated from Uckoy to Germany 40 years ago, made this investment here when they returned to their hometown where they were born and raised, and said, "With the stone villas and pizza parlor they built in Uckoy, they invested 20 million Euros in their own village." They made an investment of . 14 of us are eating bread here. "We thank them." said.

Stating that this place has received great interest since its opening, Matyaz said, "Both tourism tours in Turkey and foreign tourists from abroad flock here. It was truly an excellent business. Well done to those who made it. We make 14 types of pizza and 7 types of pita here. "We have our own pizzas made from local roasting." he said.

DESSERT PIZZA ATTRACTS ATTENTION

Pointing out that most of the products used in pizza making in pizza facilities are regional and local, Matyaz said, "We use local products in making pizza. These are the additive-free products we use that add flavor to pizza. We make sweet pizza called 'Arkah Pizza' from grapes and fruits grown in the region. We give it to our customers as dessert. "It was very appreciated." he said.
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Four years after the first cases of an unusual pneumonia appeared in Wuhan in December 2019, nearly 7 million people have lost their lives to COVID-19, and some 65 million more continue to struggle with the infection's mystifying aftermatha poorly understood syndrome known as long COVID.

But amid the devastation of the pandemic, physician-scientists have gleaned new insights about the immune system that are reshaping some long-held notions about human immunity.

These insights have been made possible not only by the sheer scale of the contagionhundreds of millions infectedbut also by the unprecedented ability to probe how a virus interacts with its human host using advanced tools not available even some 20 years ago. This new knowledge, scientists say, could inform the way we think about, diagnose, and treat other infectious and non-infectious diseases, some of them perhaps still unknown.

"This might be a golden age for human immunology, which has been relatively understudied because we have had fewer tools to do so," said Shiv Pillai, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and a principal investigator at the Ragon Institute. "It's been a huge effort across the world that's given us new ways to look at disease from an immunological perspective. Of course, we're still learning."

Some of the most intriguing insights include a more nuanced understanding of immune memory, the longevity of immunity, and the post-infectious aftermath of COVID.

Immunity is not binary

One of the key insights emerging from the pandemic is the realization that the gradual waning of the immune response induced by mRNA vaccines may not be unique to these vaccines, said Pillai, who is a lead investigator with the HMS-led Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR). It may also be true of other vaccines previously thought to induce lifelong immunity.

The mRNA vaccine is a completely new way to immunize. It induces a rapid, powerful, yet fleeting response against symptomatic COVID disease. While the protection induced by mRNA vaccines against death and severe illness remains strong over time, protection from symptomatic infection is less durable. This is mainly because the virus keeps mutating to evade the immune system's defensesan evolutionary race between host and pathogen.

However, Pillai adds, it's also because the human immune system needs more time to develop long-term immune memory against the pathogen. This memory strengthens each time the immune system encounters the virus, whether through a vaccine or natural exposure. Something similar likely happens with chicken pox and measles.

"We thought, oh, you get measles or chickenpox, or you get vaccinated, and you are immune for life. But there is emerging evidence to suggest otherwise," Pillai said.

One recent study, for example, found that the rates of shingles (herpes zoster) have grown over the past 60 years for reasons that remain poorly understood. The pathogen that causes shingles, varicella zoster virus, is also the culprit behind the childhood infection varicella, or chickenpox.

One possible explanation could be the relatively low levels in recent years of circulating viruses that, in the past, would have led to subclinical infections and thus naturally "boosted" the immune systems of previously infected or vaccinated individuals.

"The reason we thought this was that, in the past, we'd get vaccinated or recover from infection, but the infection would still be endemic, and we thus may have all gotten reinfected and boosted multiple times, often without knowing it," Pillai said. "Most of us likely got reinfected by many things multiple times and developed really good immunity."

Therefore, the idea that a single encounter with a pathogen leads to lifelong immunity may need to be reconsidered. The same may be true of vaccinesthe protection induced by some vaccines and viral exposures is bound to wane over time.

Pillai emphasized that vaccines, mRNA and others, are lifesaving. However, we may need to dispense with the notion that they provide one-and-done protection. Vaccines, Pillai said, remain the most importantand safesttool to build up our immune defenses. But they are not perfect.

"COVID has taught us that we simply do not fully understand the durability of human immune memory, and that the commonly held views about the durability of immunity may need to be rethought," Pillai said. "Is immunity due to vaccine alone or due to vaccine plus natural boosting from exposure? Can we ever get complete immunity against a very easily transmitted pathogen after it mutates? That's probably never going to happen. But we can prevent significant disease by vaccination."

A new platform for therapies against cancer and more

The COVID mRNA vaccine works by inducing the body to produce its own safe version of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and train the immune system to recognize and disable it, then do the same once it encounters the actual virus.

This approachused successfully for the first time against SARS-CoV-2has become the blueprint for harnessing the body's immune responses to produce its own "therapy" against various infectious diseases as well as multiple types of cancer, several forms of heart disease, rare diseases such as cystic fibrosis, and certain autoimmune conditions.

COVID shines light on other mystifying conditions

The aftermath of SARS-CoV-2 infection can induce a constellation of post-infection symptomssome limited in duration and some prolongedthat have strikingly similar features to syndromes such as Kawasaki disease, fibromyalgia, and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.

Could the overlapping symptoms mean these conditions share a common biological mechanism that is unlocked by the way the virus interacts with various organs and organ systems? This is precisely the question that MassCPR researchers are exploring in their quest to understand the mechanisms that fuel long COVID, a condition that may be, in fact, multiple conditions triggered by a viral infection.

The immune system's 'original sin' may be a virtue

The pandemic has brought about a more nuanced understanding of immune imprinting, a central feature of immunity.

When our bodies first encounter a virus, they form a long-term memory of it. This original encounter shapes subsequent responses not only to the same virus but also to pathogens that may look similar. This form of immune imprinting has been classically described as the "original antigenic sin," a reference to the first encounter with a specific antigen that subsequently biases the immune system toward that pathogen.

When the immune system comes across a new virus, instead of rapidly producing highly specific antibodies against this new virus, it defaults to its first memory of the original lookalikeakin to a person with poor eyesight who sees vaguely familiar faces in the distance and greets them as friends when they are strangers who merely look like an acquaintance.

Immune imprinting can create a protective immune response to viruses that resemble the original antigen because parts of these new viruses will look like the original antigen that created the memory. However, immune imprinting can also interfere with the formation of a rapid immune response against new viruses or to the mutated parts of a previously seen virus. It somewhat blunts the accuracy of the initial defense.

MassCPR researcher Duane Wesemann, an associate professor of medicine at HMS and an immunologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, thinks such a view may be a bit too simplistic.

"We're converging on a more nuanced understanding of immune imprinting, which I think is a nice lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic," Wesemann said. "Of course, a pandemic is terrible, but putting that aside and looking at how our immune system processes information and seeing biology at work is really exciting."

It is true that first-encounter memory will be stronger and could lead to a lifelong bias toward the original strain of the virus, Wesemann said. Indeed, even when subsequent exposures broaden the immune response to encompass newer strains, reactivity toward the original virus remains higher. This could mean that an individual becomes more susceptible to infection when a previously encountered virus mutates sufficiently to become unrecognizable to antibody-producing immune cells.

But, Wesemann notes, early life exposure to a virus also tends to offer long-lasting protection against serious illness caused by similar strains of the virus, even if that later-in-life response may not be strong enough to prevent symptomatic infection. Thus, he said, branding such immune imprinting as either good or bad fails to capture the nuance and complexity of a phenomenon that is anything but binary.

What about COVID-19?

Evidence shows that when individuals who had been infected with or vaccinated against the original Wuhan strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus encountered a later variant, they produced higher levels of antibodies to the original strain and fewer antibodies to the new strain compared with individuals who had not been infected with any form of the virus.

However, research shows that any prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by infection and/or vaccination reduced the disease severity of subsequent infections.

Moreover, research suggests that prior vaccination does not preclude the formation of new responses to mutated parts of the virus. The limits of immune imprinting could be overcome by having a higher antigen dose in a vaccine, by polyvalent vaccines that generate a response to more than one variant, or by augmenting vaccines with adjuvantssubstances that enhance the immune response.

Above all, Wesemann added, antibody production based on immune recall from past exposures is a fast, economical way to create quick protection in the context of uncertainty when a rapid response is more important than a highly precise one.

There is an evolutionary advantage to the immune system maintaining a broad repertoire and a long memory of past exposures; it's a way to hedge its bets for future pathogen encounters. The immune system could free up memory and delete cells bearing memory of previous viral encounters, Wesemann explained, but it doesn't.

Keeping these old "files" increases the likelihood that at least some of these long-lived antibody-producing cells would recognize some parts of a never-before-seen virus. Making new antibodies that are highly attuned to a new virus takes time and energyprecious resources in a high-stakes situation where the speed of response is critical.

So, the immune system deploys two lines of responsea fast but imprecise one that relies on preexisting defenses and a slower, more precise one that gradually hones its arsenal to attack the new virus.

"The immune system is smart enough to know it needs both speed and precision," Wesemann said. "But to do both, it initially gives up a little bit on precision in favor of speed."

Viewed that way, Wesemann said, the original antigenic sin may be, in fact, a virtuean evolutionarily refined optimum of speed, precision, and adaptability in the face of uncertainty.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Since the turn of the century, US suicide rates have ticked up almost every year. Now, deaths by suicide are at their highest in more than 80 years, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2022, the provisional number of deaths by suicide was just under 50,000, or 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people, a 3 percent increase from 2021. That level is unmatched since 1941, when the United States was on the precipice of World War II.

One shimmer of light in the latest numbers was a decline in the suicide rate in young peopleby 18 percent among 10- to 14-year-olds and by 9 percent among 15- to 24-year-olds. But older adults remained at especially high risk, particularly males aged over 75 (43.7 deaths per 100,000 people); American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic people of all ages had the highest suicide rate (26.7 deaths per 100,000 people) of any race group.

To find out why the overall rates are so high and what more the United States could be doing to reduce deaths, The Brink spoke with Sarah Ketchen Lipson, a Boston University School of Public Health associate professor of health law, policy, and management. She's the principal investigator of the Healthy Minds Network, where she leads the nation's largest survey of mental health in higher education.

The Brink: Why have suicide rates been rising steadily this century?

Lipson: There are so many factors to think about. Of course, not everyone who dies by suicide has been experiencing depression or another mental health condition, but these are generally correlated. So, some of the same reasons that we've seen increases in prevalence of depression, anxiety, and other disorders can also be thought of as risk factors for suicide. Some of these include financial stress, uncertaintyaround the economy, the job market, and sociopolitical factorsand loneliness, which has changed dramatically over the last century, even if we take out the years of the pandemic.

And then there's the means: how people die by suicide in this country. We can't discuss suicide and suicide prevention without talking about gun laws. Most deaths by suicide are with firearms and decreasing access to firearms is an important way to prevent folks from dying by suicide.

One standout data point is the decline in deaths by suicide among young people.

I am always hopeful that there will be indications of positive trends in mental health, but I think it might be overstating to say that there's been a significant decrease. For example, the data among females 15 to 24, which went from 6.1 to 5.9 deaths per 100,000 from 2021 to 2022a small change, but a change in the right direction. I think it's important to keep looking at these trends, but not put too much value on just one year of data; I would like to see that trend continue next year. I wouldn't go as far as to say these [CDC] data are good newsthe rates of death by suicide and suicidal ideation are still very high.

Your research has found that mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, have been rising in recent years among college students. How do the latest CDC numbers fit with what you see in your research?

We focus primarily on population level mental health. And regarding suicidality, we focus a lot on suicidal ideation, so the proportion of students who report seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year. It was right around 2016 that we saw that prevalence surpass one in 10 students. Every year, it inched up half a percent or a percentage point until 2022, when we surpassed 15 percent of students reporting suicidal ideation. That is a very alarming statistic.

In our most recent data, 2022, 2023, we saw a very, very slight decrease. So, where we had got to about 15.5 percent of students, that went back down to about 15.1 percent of students. Again, we're really focused on trends and not putting too much weight on just one year of data, and really waiting to have more years of data to say, "Did this trend really shift?" But we also saw in our data from 2022, 2023, slight increases in flourishingit's very good to see positive mental health indicators. We also saw slight decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms. All of these were very small, but statistically significant, because we have such a large sample size.

You mention how alarming that 15 percent statistic is, but it's not an abstract one either, given that the population you study includes the students you work with every day.

Exactly. I have worked in higher education for decades now. I talk a lot with faculty and I tell them, when you start a new class, and you have 100 students, it can be really terrifying to think 15 of those students may have seriously thought about attempting suicide. It's important for everyone on campusstudents, faculty, and staffto be aware of the mental health risk factors, signs and symptoms, because the support is not just going to come from the counseling centers.

How do you hope the work you're doing is shaping policy or change at the local or national levels to help prevent suicide?



I've really shifted to thinking about the inequalities that exist. The biggest inequalities in terms of prevalence are for LGBTQ+ and low-income studentsthose students are significantly more likely to screen positive for a mental health problem. And that is not because of something related to their individual identities, it's because of experiences of discrimination, exclusion, financial stress, things that are mutable at a system level.

I wish that this work were not needed, I wish it were enough to say there are large inequalities that we can see in the data, and we can intuit that there are policies that we could implement that would protect these students from discrimination and allow them to thrive on campus. But as is the case for so many things, we need data to support that, so I'm working on doing national policy tracking around a set of 14 policieslike name change policiesthat we think of as uniquely affecting trans and nonbinary students. We know that policies are shaping student well-being, and we know that schools can change their policies if they want to.

The second outcome in terms of inequality is access to mental health services. There's an enormous unmet need for mental health services, and that is disproportionately among students of color and international students. So, we need to target efforts specifically for those populations.

What message would you have for people who might be struggling or families and friends who are concerned about a loved one?

I'm not a trained mental health professional, but it's widely known that asking someone if they're thinking about suicide or self-harm is not a trigger, it's not going to put that idea in someone's mind. And if the answer is yes, the follow-up questions are about plans, do they have meansreally understanding the level of immediate risk and severity and then knowing what resources exist that you can refer people to. I also think a lot about what we can do before a crisis: normalizing feelings of loneliness and being overwhelmed by the current state of the world, increasing belonging and connectedness. Those are the types of things that I've tried to think about in classrooms, in advising and mentoring.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has resources to support yourself and help others, as well as a chat service to talk with crisis counselors 24/7.
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Normal blood cells next to a sickle-blood cell, colored scanning electron microscope image. Credit: Wikipedia/Illustration from Anatomy & Physiology

Lyric Porter wanted her life back. Born with sickle cell disease, she had a fever at age 5 that scarred her lungs and required her to roll an oxygen tank to school. When she was growing up, clogged blood vessels racked her body with stabbing sensations and forced her to be hospitalized again and again.

When she learned of a new experimental treatment at the University of Chicago Medicine to alter her genes and possibly cure her, she decided to take it. The process itself was an ordeal, but more than a year later, at age 27, Porter is feeling better, has more energy and has stayed out of the hospital.

"I had to take the risk," she said. "I wanted a better quality of life. And I lost so many friends who had sickle cell disease."

Now, other patients may benefit from a similar new treatment. Federal regulators recently approved a groundbreaking protocol that has the potential to relieve some of the 100,000 Americans, most of them Black, who suffer from this lifelong disease.

The University of Chicago is one of just nine medical centers nationwide initially approved to offer the therapy, with the University of Illinois at Chicago expected to do so early in 2024.

Sickle cell causes not only debilitating pain, but also anemia, organ damage, strokes and, often, an early death.

The new Casgevy treatment alters patients' genes to produce healthy round red blood cells, rather than the crescent- or sickle-shaped cells that cause the disease.

The treatment, by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., is the first therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy. CRISPR is a revolutionary tool that can cut and remove, add or replace DNA in targeted areas to address different genetic disorders. Its developers won the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry.

In the case of sickle cell, the process switches a gene to produce fetal hemoglobin, which in effect replaces and dilutes the defective blood cells.

The treatment is not yet being called a cure because the long-term effects are unknown. But in a trial of 44 patients, all the treatments worked, and 29 patients went two years without any severe blood clotting episodes.

While many patients take hydroxyurea pills to try to manage sickle cell symptoms, the only long-lasting treatment previously had been a stem-cell transplant from a well-matched donor, typically a sibling. But the donation required suppression of the immune system that could cause severe complications. And in Porter's case, she didn't have a full sibling match.

While Porter did not use the Casgevy treatment, she used a similar and effective treatment by Novartis.

Casgevy uses fresh stem cells, whereas the Novartis therapy that Porter underwent in a clinical trial used frozen stem cells, which created delays that led to the Novartis trial being closed, said Dr. James LaBelle, director of the Pediatric Stem Cell and Cellular Therapy Program at the U. of C.'s Comer Children's Hospital.

LaBelle is optimistic in the Casgevy treatment's potential to treat genetic disorders.

"This is the future of medicine in some areas," LaBelle said. "We've broken this glass ceiling now of using gene therapy to treat complex and debilitating diseases, which is really revolutionary."

Gene therapy is difficult and time-consuming. In Porter's case, it took three years of testing and procedures from the time she volunteered for a clinical trial until she got her treatment. She had stem cells filtered from her blood and sent away for the gene correction, then sent back and reinfused.

In between, as with donor transplants, the patient must undergo high-dose chemotherapy to kill the faulty stem cells. The chemo made Porter sick, and she was hospitalized with an infection. She also still has chronic problems left over from her years with poor blood supply.

The chemo can also cause infertility, so Porter had her eggs frozen for potential future use, a roughly $60,000 procedure that she said was covered by Medicaid.

In the long run, a big advantage to using one's own stem cells rather than a transplant is that it eliminates the need for immune suppression, which should keep patients healthier.

At the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Damiano Rondelli coauthored a study showing how gene therapy helped patients with sickle cell and another blood disease called beta thalessemia. UIC has some 600 sickle patients in what is believed to be one of the largest such programs in the nation.

Rush University Medical Center officials also said they are closely monitoring the rollout of the new therapy and will strongly consider prescribing it once it becomes available.

One major drawback of the Casgevy treatment is its cost, estimated at $2 million. With millions of sickle cell patients worldwide, many in poor areas of Africa, India and the Middle East, it's likely to have limited availability.

Porter had her treatment costs covered through a clinical trial, though she had to pay some expenses herself. But as with other transplants in the United States, the procedure usually depends on insurance for prior approval.

Most of UIC's sickle cell patients have Medicaid or Medicare, and it remains to be seen how they and other insurers will handle it. Rondelli hopes they will see it as well worth it because it will prevent hospitalizations and treatments that may cost as much or more over time.

Ultimately, Rondelli said, both donated transplants and gene therapy can give patients freedom to live. One donor recipient began searching for a home to buy now that he was finally healthier.

"Patients find a new life they never knew they could have," Rondelli said.

Gene therapy carries unknown long-term effects and potential risks, such as allergic reactions or tissue damage, or some cases of leukemia in the other newly approved treatment for sickle cell, Lyfgenia.

The FDA's Dr. Nicole Verdun said gene therapy holds the promise of delivering more effective treatments, especially for rare diseases where the current treatment options are limited. It's been approved for treating one type of blindness. Eventually, researchers hope gene therapy may be applied to many genetic disorders, from cystic fibrosis to hepatitis B.

2024 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Journal of Clinical Investigation (2023). DOI: 10.1172/JCI174138

Children with the condition aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) are born with the absence of skin along the midline of the scalp. Depending on whether mutations are in the KCTD1 or KCTD15 genes, additional characteristics beyond the scalpsuch as kidney or heart problemsare also present.

When investigators led by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) modeled these mutations in cells and mice using genetic approaches, they found that the defects lead to the impairment of certain cells that are part of the midline cranial sutures and that these cells normally express growth factors that induce skin formation over the skull.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the scientists learned that the ACC-related KCTD1 and KCTD15 mutations result in a lack of function of the KCTD1 and KCTD15 proteins expressed by these genes.

In mice, ACC occurred when these proteins were inactivated in neural crest cells of the cranial midline suturesthe fibrous joints between bones of a baby's skull that remain flexible during infancy to allow the skull to expand as the brain grows.

Without KCTD1 and KCTD15, which interact with each other to form protein complexes within cells, neural crest cells were impaired, resulting in diminished expression of growth factors that normally stimulate the formation of skin.

These findings reveal a previously unknown role of neural crest cells of midline cranial sutures for the formation of the overlying scalp skin. Experiments also revealed important roles of these proteins for the formation of skin appendages, such as hairs, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands.

"We solved a centuries-old enigma, which allows us now to explain why this congenital skin disease affects the midline scalp but not other areas of the skin," says senior author Alexander G. Marneros, MD, Ph.D., a principal investigator at the Cutaneous Biology Research Center of MGH and an associate professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. "In the process of this study, we also uncovered fundamental new insights into mechanisms that orchestrate skin and skin appendage formation."

The findings may be used to develop strategies to target the anomalies associated with ACC; however additional questions remain, and more research is needed. "We are now exploring the downstream molecular mechanisms through which KCTD1 and KCTD15 complexes affect the function of cells in and around the skin during development," says Marneros.

More information: Jackelyn R. Raymundo et al, KCTD1/KCTD15 complexes control ectodermal and neural crest cell functions and their impairment causes aplasia cutis, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2023). DOI: 10.1172/JCI174138 Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation
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Glioma of the left parietal lobe. CT scan with contrast enhancement. Credit: Mikhail Kalinin/CC BY-SA 3.0

Diffuse gliomas are malignant brain tumors and cannot be optimally examined by conventional imaging using MRI. Amino acid PET can better visualize the activity and spread of gliomas. An international research group (RANO Group) led by MedUni Vienna and LMU Munich has now established the first international criteria for standardized imaging of gliomas using amino acid PET. This groundbreaking work has been published in The Lancet Oncology.

Under the joint leadership of oncologist Matthias Preusser from the Medical University of Vienna and nuclear medicine specialist Nathalie Albert from LMU Munich, the RANO group has developed new criteria for assessing the treatment response of diffuse gliomas. Tatjana-Traub Weidinger (Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine) and Maximilian Mair (Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine I) from MedUni Vienna are also involved in the work.

Diffuse gliomas are malignant brain tumors that arise from glial cells in the brain. This type of tumor is usually aggressive and difficult to treat. The RANO group has developed criteria that enable the evaluation of treatment success using positron emission tomography (PET). "These PET-based criteria, called PET RANO 1.0, open up new possibilities for the standardized assessment of diffuse gliomas," says Preusser.

Standardized criteria for interpreting PET images for the first time

PET is an imaging technique that uses radioactively labeled substances to measure metabolic processes in the body. Amino acid PET is used in the diagnosis of diffuse gliomas. Its tracer works on a protein basis (amino acids) and accumulates in brain tumors.

Albert explains, "PET imaging with radioactively labeled amino acids has proven to be extremely valuable in neuro-oncology and enables reliable imaging of the activity and extent of gliomas. Amino acid PET has been used for years, but has not yet been evaluated in a structured way. In contrast to MRI-based diagnostics, there were previously no criteria for interpreting these PET images."

"These new criteria will enable researchers and physicians to use PET in clinical trials and clinical routine," adds Preusser, "they are based on expert consensus and create a basis for future studies and the comparison of treatments for improved therapies."

The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group is an international, multidisciplinary consortium for the development of new standardized response criteria for clinical trials in brain tumors. It is a group of experts from various disciplines that has been developing standard reference criteria for the assessment of various clinically relevant aspects for more than 10 years.

More information: Nathalie L Albert et al, PET-based response assessment criteria for diffuse gliomas (PET RANO 1.0): a report of the RANO group, The Lancet Oncology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00525-9 Journal information: Lancet Oncology
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For children who come out of the mothers womb before week 28 of pregnancy, the chance of brain damage is as high as 50%. At St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim alone, about 300 children are put under anesthesia each year before they turn 1. Credit: Sigrid Dannheim Vik

Ultrasound technology developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) makes it possible to monitor cerebral blood flow in newborn babies, helping prevent brain damage in premature and sick infants who require surgery.

Researchers and neonatal specialists at NTNU and St. Olavs Hospital are behind the first study in which ultrasound is used to monitor cerebral blood flow in newborn babies under general anesthesia.

"We have always believed that this could revolutionize neonatal care. Everything indicates that we are closer to being able to prevent brain damage in premature infants and sick newborns," says pediatrician Sigrid Dannheim Vik, who is doing a Ph.D. on NeoDoppler technology.

Over a two-year period, she has used the equipment to measure cerebral blood flow in 30 newborn babies under general anesthesia. Some of them were born very prematurely. Others came into the world around their due date but were born with congenital defects that had developed in the womb.

Most of the patients had gastrointestinal complications, such as lack of passage through the small intestine. Premature babies often have an immature intestine that is easily perforated in the neonatal period.

"These babies require surgeryoften acutely. There is no other choice," says Vik.

The longest courses of continuous ultrasound measurements lasted 1011 hours, and some of her patients weighed less than 1,000 grams.

Regardless of whether they were born very prematurely or have congenital defects and injuries, these are the health service's smallest and most vulnerable patients.

Babies who are born prematurely are prone to brain damage in the neonatal period and are very vulnerable to blood pressure fluctuations. The risk increases if they have to undergo surgery.

The aim of the NTNU study, now published in BJA Open, has been to use the new ultrasound technology to see how cerebral blood flow changes while the infants are under general anesthesia.

The conclusion is that NeoDoppler provides doctors with access to critical information that has previously been unavailable.

"The equipment provides important additional information compared with today's standard monitoring equipment," Vik said.

Currently, indirect factors such as blood pressure, pulse measurements and general clinical assessments are used to see if the child has adequate blood circulation.

"We don't actually have a reliable measurement method for monitoring the most important organ, namely the brain," says the pediatrician and researcher.

For anesthetists, it is all about keeping the blood circulation stable. NeoDoppler measurements are taken continuously before, during and after surgery. The equipment is able to instantly detect changes in cerebral blood flow. As a result, measures that can prevent brain damage and that are adapted to the individual child can be implemented immediately.

It also helps doctors make individual assessments and tailor treatment, rather than having to rely on general recommendations.

"I am in no doubt that we are now moving closer to preventing brain damage," said Vik.

The researchers believe NeoDoppler can provide a new standard in monitoring newborn babies.

"The problem today is that we don't know what the most favorable blood pressure in newborns is with regard to maintaining stable blood circulation in the brain, and it probably varies from one infant to the next," says Vik.

What she and her colleagues saw, and which they believe gives cause for concern, was that cerebral blood flow speed was more than halved during anesthesia compared with when the patients were awake.

"Our findings indicate that newborns who are placed under general anesthesia should probably have a higher blood pressure than is currently recommended. The current reference range should probably be higher," says Vik.

The NeoDoppler ultrasound probe is the shape of a small button and has a diameter of around 1 centimeter. It can be attached to a cap and placed gently over the fontanelle (the soft spot at the top of a baby's head).

The fontanelle closes towards the end of the first year of life when the bones of the skull fuse together. Ultrasound is not able to pass through bone. Therefore, the fontanelle is like a window that is only open for a limited period of time, through which doctors can directly monitor blood flow.

Adults have a protective mechanism allowing them to maintain stable cerebral circulation even though blood pressure may vary. Infants do not have this protective mechanism, making them particularly vulnerable to variations in blood pressure, which in turn can lead to unstable cerebral blood flow.

This can also result in the brain being starved of oxygen, which may cause brain tissue damage. Vik explains that this can lead to a wide range of brain injuries or delays in development that become noticeable at different ages.

"It can include everything from ADHD and minor developmental disorders to more extensive cognitive and motor difficulties," said Vik.

Every tenth child in the world is born prematurely, which in itself increases the chance of brain damage. For babies born before week 28 of pregnancy, the chance of brain damage is as high as 50%.

At St. Olavs Hospital alone, about 300 children under the age of 1 are placed under general anesthesia each year.

In addition, there are many other children who are born with congenital defects. The researchers believe that children born with congenital heart defects are another patient group that could benefit from NeoDoppler technology.

In addition, there are children who require surgery due to complications in the neonatal period. For example, there may be perforations in the intestines of premature babies and infants who need anesthesia due to less invasive surgery or diagnosis.

"In other words, there is a fairly large and varied patient group that can benefit from this type of monitoring," says Vik.

The pediatrician and doctoral research fellow calls NeoDoppler "a huge advance in neonatal medicine." She compares it to getting information via color TV versus listening to the radio.

Where doctors previously relied on indirect measurements, they now have a direct picture of cerebral blood flow.

"It is an extremely important toolboth for the anesthetist monitoring the child under general anesthesia and for the rest of us involved in neonatal medicine. It will help us make direct assessments and take measures, thereby avoiding both undertreatment and overtreatment."

One possible criticism of NeoDoppler is that it measures speeds, resulting in constantly changing images and graphs. It does not measure the exact amount of blood passing through the blood vessels. If the blood vessels vary in diameter, the speeds will also vary.

However, the researchers refer to studies showing that there is a good correlation between speed measurements and the blood flow itselfas long as the speeds are measured continuously.

More clinical trials are needed before NeoDoppler becomes standard monitoring equipment in neonatal care. These will be accurate with regard to effect, but the children must be followed up over a longer period of time in order to show that it helps prevent brain damage.

Pediatric cardiologist and researcher Siri Ann Nyrnes is behind the invention, together with Professor Hans Torp. She is also Vik's main academic supervisor.

The NeoDoppler system is CE certified and can therefore be used in multiple environments. Nyrnes says that the ultrasound is now being tested by partners at Oslo University Hospital, UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands and at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.

"Commercial sales have recently started, and systems that are not part of our research collaboration have been established at clinics in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. We want to conduct more studies and also collect data that can tell us more about the long-term benefits," says Nyrnes.

More information: Sigrid D. Vik et al, Continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow during general anaesthesia in infants, BJA Open (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.bjao.2023.100144
At 80 pieces, the Missoula Art Museums annual Benefit Art Auction Exhibition presents a roll call of well-known artists alongside others you may not have heard of yet.

The auction includes 60 silent auction items and 20 live auction works by local, regional and national artists, boasting some old favorites and some new ones, but everything came together really well, said Brandon Reintjes, senior curator. People came out with their strongest foot forward."

Its the largest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit art museum, helping to pay for its free admission, year-round exhibitions and educational programs dedicated to contemporary art from Montana and the broader region. As a largely rural state with few commercial galleries for contemporary art, the network of nonprofit museums make up the major venues for exhibitions that arent sales-oriented. The MAM has five main gallery spaces, including a room upstairs dedicated to contemporary Indigenous art. Outside, it has the Missoula Art Park for spring-to-fall exhibitions of large sculpture.

Last year, the MAM held its first normal auction since the pandemic hit, with an online silent line-up and hundreds of attendees in the University Center Ballroom for the live event. They sold more than 70 works and raised $176,800 after expenses, the highest in 10 years with the exception of 2019, when the total was boosted by a matching grant from a foundation.

The auction exhibition opens on Jan. 5 from 5-7 p.m. The silent auction, with a buy-it-now option, opens that night. The auction itself is on Saturday, Feb. 3, in the UC Ballroom. On Thursdays in January starting on the 11th, the MAM is staying open from 5-7 p.m. with a no-host bar. Josh Farmer will be playing on a grand piano, and theyll have artists talk about their auction pieces.

You can see the whole catalog in the MAM or online at missoualartmuseum.org. Like last year, theyve made efforts to make it move at a brisk pace. Instead of a meal, there will be hors d'oeuvres and appetizer stations throughout the evening.

John Calsbeek, associate curator, said the changes were overwhelmingly successful and they helped make it into a reasonably timed event.

Familiar names

Julia Galloway, a University of Montana ceramics professor, donated a work from her Endangered Species Project, a yearslong undertaking to dedicate an urn to each species considered endangered, extinct and recovered in the contiguous United States, according to a list from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

This auction piece is a sturgeon. She carved an entire school of the fish, with its prehistoric visage on the white surface, swirling around all sides. Shes planning on showing the completed project at the MAM in 2027.

This is a master potter working at the top, Reintjes said.

Missoula painter Stephanie Frostad contributed a narrative painting, Against the Current II, from a series of hers, in which a woman wades into frosted-white water, eyes trained downward, clad in a white dress, sending a rippled reflection.

John Hitchcock, an artist based in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed a sculptural print, called _nm puuku 1 (Comanche horse), in which his layered collage of printmaking forms a curving horse mask, complete with billowing fringes in an array of colors.

John Buck, a Bozeman printmaker, returned with one of his massive woodblock prints with mythic imagery. This one, titled Tap to Bottom, stretches to more than 5 tall with intense shades of red.

Corwin Corky Clairmont, the founder of the art program at Salish Kootenai College, donated a splashy print with pinwheel rows of bison silhouettes atop a central charging ungulate. Reintjes said the piece, Bison Dancing Home on the Range No. 2, is a celebration of the Bison Ranges return to tribal management.

R. David Wilson, known for his landscape paintings with thickly applied paint, has lately been working with the subject matter in textiles.

Hes been doing these little stick-poke pieces that are just exquisite, Reintjes said.

Wilson is coming off a multi-year stint on the MAM board that prevented him from participating in the auction, making this a return piece for him.

Cathy Weber, who once filled a MAM gallery with hundreds of ceramic bird sculptures, donated a piece, "Six Bird Narrative," in which the feathered creatures sit in a line on a branch, each of their surfaces painted with a Van Gogh-like scene.

Leslie Van Stavern Millars gouache piece, Hand of Fatima: Good Fortune Series, centers on a motif  a hand with an eye nestled in its palm. The symbol, which shes used for years, has a long history in both Islamic and Jewish cultures.

New faces

Mimi Jung, a sculptural artist, donated a screen print, Pale Blue Live Edge Form Drawing Print on Paper, based on her textile weavings. Her show, Just Between Us opened on Tuesday. Its her first solo U.S. museum exhibition, coming several years after she and her partner relocated from Los Angeles to Helena during the pandemic. Her works, which hang in the lobby and the Aresty Gallery, are composed of polycord meticulously wrapped around long strands of paper, masking an internal frame. Others are metal casts of textiles that yield fragmentary, free-standing grids.

Tessa Heck, a native of the Flathead Valley, moved back to the area and opened a new space, the Good Luck Gallery. Some of her personal work takes the form of paintings that render the landscape, including specific sites in Glacier National Park, in flat planes of vibrant color while still recognizably specific as, say, Grinnell Glacier Overlook or Chief Mountain. For the auction, she contributed a Glacier piece titled, Way Too Fast, Way Too Slow, that likely doesnt resemble any depiction of the park youve seen before.

Shes been really active, working with artists to show and then also getting her work out there, Reintjes said.

Colton Rothwell, a recent graduate of the UM art program, donated a photograph, Threads, centered on shaded rocks on a forest floor, with a cryptic system of thin glowing twine holding the center in place. His work can also be seen in an exhibition of new and recent graduates in the Allez! outdoor art exhibition space.

He's getting lots of national attention, and he's been doing some really great residencies. He's in a show coming up at Bard College, Reintjes said.
The holiday season may impact screening times and titles. Please visit theroxytheater.org for up-to-date screen times.

Opening

Godzilla Minus One

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound, he pulls the spitting high tension wires down. The King of the Monsters returns to his roots as the irradiated behemoth attacks a Japan still reeling from the devastation of World War II. I hope King Caesar shows up at some point to stomp on Douglas MacArthur. Rated PG-13. Stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Yuki Yamada and Minami Hamabe. Opening Friday, Jan. 5.

Continuing

The Boy and the Heron

Happy Hayao-days, everyone! What better gift for your family than a brand new animated film from the master himself, Hayao Miyazaki? In this semi-autobiographical tale, a young man, struggling to fit in after moving to a new town after his mothers death, is informed by a talking bird that his mom might still be alive. So, they venture into a world shared by the living and the dead to find her. Rated PG-13. Playing alternatively with subtitles and English dub.

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos, the auteur behind The Favourite and The Lobster, adapts Alasdair Grays novel about a girl embarking on a journey of self-discovery and sexual liberation after being brought back from the dead by a mad scientist. Im just truly delighted that someone finally made a Charlotte Macorn biopic. Rated R. Stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe.

Ferrari

Its the most prestigious and influential name in automobiles, but before any of the accolades and racing titles, it was just the last name of a carpenter from Italy. The appropriately named Adam Driver stars as Enzo Ferrari in this new biopic from Michael Mann. Rated R. Also stars the likewise appropriately named Penelope Cruz.

Special screenings

Everyone Will Burn (2021)

Following the death of her son years before, a woman, plagued by nightmares and at the end of her rope, meets an enigmatic girl with the power to burn things with her mind. Thats not so bad. Its not like its the end of the world. Oh, wait. Actually, it turns out this is absolutely the end of the world. Rated R. Stars Macarena Gomez, Rodolfo Sancho and Ana Milan. Playing Friday, Jan. 5 as part of Late Night Oddities, the Roxys showcase of contemporary horror and weird cinema played as late as theyll let us.

Met Opera Live: Nabucco

See the worlds greatest contemporary theatrical performances right here in Missoula. This month the Met takes you back in time to ancient Babylon where an imperious king and his vengeful daughter clash when she falls in love. Playing Saturday, Jan 6.

Black Christmas (1974)

The holidays might be over, but the carving is just getting started. Bob Clark, best known for his perennial favorite A Christmas Story, dipped his toes in the holiday waters a decade earlier, and helped inspire and define the emerging slasher subgenre. As winter break approaches, a sorority house begins to receive a series of disturbing phone calls. As this is a horror film, you can guess what happens next. Rated R. Stars Margot Kidder, Olivia Hussey and Keir Dullea. Playing Saturday, Jan. 6.

The Conversation (1974)

I completely disagree with Elvis. If anything, I want a little more Conversation. Gene Hackman stars in Francis Ford Coppolas unmatched paranoid thriller. After being hired to tail a young couple, this surveillance expert finds more than he bargained for after he records a cryptic talk between the two. Rated R. Also stars Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford and cinemas golden boy, John Cazale. See a special 50th anniversary screening as part of Solid Gold: The Films of 74 Wednesday, Jan. 10.

Show times

The Metropolitan Opera: Nabucco

Sat: 10:55 a.m.

Ferrari (R)

Fri-Sun: 5:15, 8 p.m.

Mon: 7:30 p.m.

Tue-Thu: 5:15, 8 p.m.

The Boy and the Heron (PG-13)

Fri: 5:30, 8 p.m.

Sat: 3, 5:30 p.m.

Sun: 3, 5:30, 8 p.m.

Mon-Tue: 5:30, 8 p.m.

Wed: 5:30, 8:15 p.m.

Thu: 5:30, 8 p.m.

Poor Things (R)

Fri: 4:45, 7:45 p.m.

Sat-Sun: 2:15, 5:15, 8:15 p.m.

Mon-Tue: 5:15, 8:15 p.m.

Wed: 5:15, 8 p.m.

Thu: 5:15, 8:15 p.m.

Everyone Will Burn (Y todos arderan)

Fri: 10:30 p.m.

Godzilla Minus One (PG-13)

Fri: 5:00, 7:30 p.m.

Sat-Sun: 2:30, 5, 7:30 p.m.

Mon-Tue: 5, 7:30 p.m.

Wed: 5 p.m.

Thu: 5, 7:30 p.m.

The Conversation (PG)

Wed: 7:30 p.m.

Black Christmas (1974) (NR)

Sat: 8 p.m.
Seeley ruled that the agency had just cause to terminate Miske: For years she often failed to account for expenditures of public funds she made with a state credit card, leading the agency to deactivate the card after multiple unheeded warnings. And, Seeley ruled, Miske was acting in her official capacity as the commission's executive director when she urged two state lawmakers to increase its funding  meaning that her actions were not protected political activity.

Miske also argued in her suit that only the commission, not the DNRC, had authority to make commission personnel decisions. Seeley ruled that, although the commission is able to make its own personnel decisions, the DNRC's administrative oversight of it also includes making personnel decisions.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court concurred that state law, while allowing the commission to make its own personnel decisions, did not preclude the DNRC from also making personnel decisions for the commission.

And, the court pointed out, Miske's free-speech argument differed from some other cases alleging discrimination. While the court has affirmed that employers cannot discriminate against employees for free speech conducted in a personal capacity, Miske in this case was lobbying the Legislature in her official work capacity as executive director and therefore not protected by the First Amendment.

Further, the court determined, Miske's years of financial mismanagement in spite of repeated warnings from the DNRC gave the agency a legitimate reason to fire her.
A Taylorsville man was sentenced to a minimum of four years for helping his wife elude arrest after she shot and killed a Hickory furniture plant employee.

Eric Parker, 64, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in the death of 51-year-old Phelifia Michelle Marlow. Parker received a prison sentence of 48 to 70 months during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday. Parker has already served roughly 2.5 years of the sentence.

His wife, Tangela Parker, 52, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Sept. 28. Tangela Parker was sentenced to 241 to 300 months in prison, which is roughly 20 to 25 years.

Tangela Parker shot and killed Marlow on Jan. 13, 2021. The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. at the TCS Designs building, Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gould said.

TCS Designs is located at 1851 Ninth Ave. NE in Hickory. Both of the Parkers and Marlow were TCS Designs employees at the time, according to court documents.

Officers were able to locate the victim in this case, whose name is Michelle Marlow, lying face down in a large pool of her own blood but barely still alive, Gould said in court. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of her chest with an exit wound to her left arm and another gunshot wound entering the back of her head.

Gould said Tangela Parker walked up to Marlows workstation during the middle of the workday.

After being struck with the first bullet, Michelle turned and tried to run away, Gould said in court on Tuesday. But Tangela wasn't satisfied and shot Michelle in the back of the head as she was trying to run for her life. This caused Michelle to fall to the floor where she laid until the EMS arrived.

Gould said Tangela Parker killed Marlow over a series of petty workplace arguments. Following the shooting, Eric Parker took the gun from Tangela Parker and the pair fled the scene. The Parkers were apprehended six months later in Arizona.

Marlows sister Christina Walker spoke during Eric Parkers plea hearing on Tuesday. She cried as she spoke directly to Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Kuehnert.

(Eric Parker) didnt want (Tangela Parker) being caught, Walker said. He didnt want her to go to jail for her actions, for her murdering my sister for no reason.

Michelle Marlow's husband Justin Marlow has pending lawsuits against Tangela Parker, Eric Parker and TCS Designs.
GAITHERSBURG, Md.  A man who was convicted in 2000 of two Burke County rapes in the mid-1980s is expected to stand trial in Maryland later this month for two other rape charges from offenses in the early 1980s.

Marion Edward Pearson Jr., 66, was indicted in Montgomery County, Maryland, last year on charges of first-degree rape, second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree sex offense, robbery, attempted first-degree rape, attempted second-degree rape, first-degree sex offense, attempted first-degree sex offense, attempted second-degree sex offense and attempted armed robbery from two incidents in 1981, according to Maryland court records.

Those rapes appear to be the first in a string of rapes Pearson is accused of committing in the 1980s.

In a November 2022 release, the Montgomery County Department of Police announced that cold case detectives and forensic specialists submitted evidence to a national DNA database from an open rape case from 1981. In October, a DNA match was made using CODIS, the Combined DNA System, connecting Pearson to what happened.

It was in April 1981 that a woman was assaulted and raped in Silver Springs, Maryland, according to the release. Two months later, a second woman was attacked and sexually assaulted in the town, it says.

That DNA match came after more than 20 years after the Morganton Department of Public Safety charged Pearson with the rapes of three women here in the 1980s.

According to articles in The News Herald from 1998 to 2000, Pearson had long been a suspect in the rapes of three women in 1985 and 1986. When Pearson was questioned in a peeping Tom case in 1986, investigators took DNA samples  but it wasnt until DNA technology advanced in the late 1990s that investigators were able to charge Pearson.

Then, he was charged with a slew of crimes similar to those alleged in Maryland. He ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree rape in 2000, and was sentenced to two consecutive 25-year prison sentences  a total of 50 years in prison.

However, Pearson was released from prison in 2020, just 20 years after the sentences were issued.

John Bull, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, said Pearsons sentencing was adjusted because of the Fair Sentencing Act, which applied to crimes committed from 1981-1994.

That act allowed prisoners to be released early for good behavior, work done while in prison and exemplary acts in prison.

While this offender indeed was sentenced to consecutive prison sentences, he was a model offender and earned the maximum good time permitted, which reduced his sentences in half, and he earned additional gain time and merit time which also advanced his release date, Bull said in an email to The News Herald.

Now in custody in Maryland, Pearson is set to go to trial later this month there for the two 1981 rapes, according to Maryland court records. Pretrial motions are set for Friday.
CHARLOTTE  As the time for making New Years resolutions grows closer, the American Red Cross, North Carolina Region asks you resolve to make a difference and support your community by becoming a volunteer in 2024.

Were seeing both the frequency and intensity of disasters increase due to extreme weather said Allison Taylor, regional executive of the North Carolina region. Across the country, the Red Cross is responding to nearly twice as many large disasters as we did a decade ago to help people. This uptick in responses means we need more volunteers. The need to help has never been greater.

Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to sign up for opportunities with the North Carolina Red Cross. You can help people here in North Carolina or you can sign up to support disaster victims in other parts of the country.

HOW TO HELP

Locally, around 5,300 people volunteer with the Red Cross. In the last year, they responded to more than 2,500 disasters and assisted more than 8,700 people. Our local volunteers are part of the almost 275,000 volunteers across the country whose support enables the Red Cross to provide relief and comfort for disaster victims, lifesaving blood products for patients, emergency support for military families and veterans, and much more. Please resolve to help by volunteering in 2024.

DISASTER VOLUNTEERS

Some of our most needed disaster-related volunteer roles include:

Disaster Action Team: Most of the 60,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to each year are smaller disasters like home fires and these are no less devastating to the families affected. As a Disaster Action Team volunteer, you can help comfort and support people in your community by meeting any immediate needs such as food, shelter, clothing or supplies and connecting them to long term recovery services. We supply all the training you need.

Disaster Recovery Care: Casework volunteers provide support to people after disasters to help them get back on their feet. This can include providing referrals to other organizations, serving as an advocate, and issuing financial assistance through a special online system. Volunteers are needed to help both virtually and onsite after disasters.

Disaster Mental Health: Disaster Mental Health volunteers provide mental health support to those impacted by a disaster. To be qualified, you must hold a masters degree and a current, unencumbered license as a social worker, psychologist, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, psychiatrist, school psychologist or school counselor. Current psychiatric nurses with state license as a registered nurse and at least two years experience in a psychiatric setting are also qualified, as are retired mental health professionals who were licensed and maintained a license or certification in good standing upon retirement.

BIOMEDICAL SERVICES

The Red Cross helps to supply about 40% of the nations blood, and we depend on volunteers to help ensure patients have access to this lifesaving gift.

Blood Donor Ambassador: Volunteer Blood Donor Ambassadors ensure that blood donors have a pleasant and fulfilling experience, from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. They greet donors

, answer questions and thank them for their donation.

Blood Transportation Specialist: Volunteer Transportation Specialists deliver life-saving blood products from Red Cross distribution facilities to hospitals, using a Red Cross-owned vehicle. Typical shifts are about 4 hours. We ask for a commitment of 2-4 shifts per month (or more if you can).

Our volunteers are at the heart of our mission and represent 90% of the Red Cross workforce. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to sign up for opportunities with the North Carolina region. Your time and talent can make a real difference in peoples lives.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nations blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
After the Cataracts

Insider tips for a smooth recovery from surgery

Heidi Godman

Harvard Health Publishing

Replacing a clouded lens inside the eye (a cataract) with an artificial lens is a routine procedure with a low risk for complications. That doesnt mean you can be complacent about recovery; you need to follow the postsurgical plan your doctor prescribes. Here are some extra tips:

Review post-procedure instructions

The day of your procedure isnt the time to become familiar with complicated postsurgical instructions. For example, youll need to use several types of prescription eye drops.

Theres an antibiotic eye drop youll use for a week to prevent infection, says Dr. Nandini Venkateswaran, a cataract surgeon at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear. And for four weeks, youll use a steroid drop to reduce inflammation and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory [NSAID] drop to help with pain and prevent swelling. Some of the drops will have to be tapered off, according to a precise schedule.

Ask about post-procedure instructions well in advance. If possible, pick up medications before the procedure, or arrange for someone to get them afterward and help you use them if necessary.

Ask about a simpler drug regimen

If a complex eye drop regimen sounds challenging, ask your doctor well before the procedure if you can get a compounded eye drop.

It must be made at a special pharmacy that can combine all three eye medications into one. It might cost more money, and your insurance might not cover everything. So you need time to do some legwork, Venkateswaran says.

Learn the right way to use eye drops

Some people have a hard time using eye drops: when they squeeze the little plastic container, the drops dont get into their eyes.

Learn how to use eye drops before the procedure. Practice with artificial tears in front of a mirror, Venkateswaran says. Pull down the lower eyelid, look up, and place the drop in the little pocket thats created when you pull down the eyelid. Dont touch the eye or eyelid with the tip of the dropper; the tip should be just above the eye. If you have trouble doing it, teach a loved one to do it for you. Also, store the drops in a clean environment to reduce infection risk.

Adjust your eyeglasses

If you wear eyeglasses, removing cataracts will change your prescription in the affected eye. That eye might not even need a prescription lens anymore (youll know once your eye heals). If the other eye still needs correction, you can get a clear lens installed on the side of the glasses where the cataract was removed. Ask your doctor whether and when this should be done.

Protect your eye

After the procedure, youll wear a clear plastic shield over the eye for 24 hours (and then at night only, for a week), to protect it from things that can poke into it (like your pillow). When the shield comes off, avoid exposing your eye to elements that can cause infection, such as pool or ocean water, or outdoor environments with dust and debris in the air. Dont hike, bike or swim for a week.

Pause certain activities

To keep your eye incision from reopening, avoid putting pressure on your eye in the days after surgery. Venkateswaran says that means no bending over, lifting objects that are 10 pounds or heavier, cleaning, vacuuming or doing laundry. Its OK to do gentle walking, but dont jump around and get sweat in your eye, which could cause infection. Wait at least a week before resuming normal activities.

Put your eyes to work

Venkateswaran finds that some people are scared to strain their eyes after the procedure. Thats not a problem; for example, its fine to read or work on a computer as long as you choose. Your depth perception might be off initially, so dont drive unless youre sure your vision is at least as good as before the procedure.

Dont stress over differences

If you get a cataract removed from each eye, a few weeks apart, dont worry if you have vision differences. You had natural differences in your eyes before surgery, and you may have some afterward, Venkateswaran says. Give your eyes time to work together and adjust, and enjoy your new vision.

New guidelines open door for blood donation

Manuel Valdes and Claire Rush

Associated Press

VANCOUVER, Wash.  Over the last six years, blood center employee Dylan Smith was often asked how frequently he gave blood himself. His answer was always the same: As a gay man, he couldnt.

That changed this month.

Thanks to new federal guidelines finalized in May, gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can now donate at many blood centers around the country without abstaining from sex.

Bloodworks Northwest, where Smith works as a donor services supervisor, adopted the change on Dec. 6. He and his partner gave blood for the first time the next day.

Its been really emotionally difficult just to explain every single time the reason why, said Smith, 28. To be able to finally step up and support the mission that I really have just believed in since I started here just makes my heart feel so happy.

The new U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines are the latest step in a yearslong effort to reverse restrictions that were designed to protect the blood supply from HIV, but which were increasingly criticized as discriminatory following scientific advances that allowed better detection of the virus.

In 2015, the FDA dropped the lifetime ban on donations from men who have sex with men and replaced it with a one-year abstinence requirement. The agency shortened the abstinence period to three months in 2020 after donations plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Red Cross, which accounts for about 40% of blood and blood component donations in the U.S., began implementing the new guidance in August.

About half of the 16 independent blood bank organizations that are members of the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services have rolled out the new guidelines, with more expected next year, the organization said.

It is going to take time, said Benjamin Prijatel, president of Shepeard Community Blood Center in Augusta, Georgia. Blood centers and health professionals are going to have to put forth the effort to engage and educate this community in order to overcome years of distrust. Thats the only way this rule change will translate into additional donations.

The change puts the emphasis on sexual activity rather than on sexual orientation. All potential donors are screened with a new questionnaire evaluating their HIV risk based on sexual behavior, partners and other factors that can contribute to the spread of blood-borne infections, such as intravenous drug use or recent tattoos or piercings.

Potential donors who report having anal sex with new partners in the last three months are barred from giving until a later date, and anyone who has ever tested positive for HIV will continue to be ineligible.

Those taking pills to prevent HIV through sexual contact are still barred until three months after their last dose; the medications, known as PrEP, can delay the detection of the virus, the FDA said.

Donated blood is then tested for HIV, hepatitis C, syphilis and other infectious diseases.

Bloodworks Northwest, which supplies blood to more than 90 hospitals in the region, isnt keeping track of how many newly eligible donors are coming in, said Dr. Kirsten Alcorn, the nonprofits co-chief medical officer. But workers have heard plenty of stories from people excited to give.

It feels very meaningful to many of them to now be able to contribute to somebodys survival, Alcorn said.

Bloodworks executive Aaron Posey, whose own life was saved by a transfusion when he fell down a set of stairs and broken glass sliced an artery, welcomed the new guidance. He said hospitals and patients need access to a new pool of donors.

Having always witnessed a shortage in the blood supply, it has at times been very frustrating, said Posey, who first donated blood during the pandemic when the abstinence period was cut to three months.

Smith learned of the restrictions on gay men giving blood when he was screened while trying to donate his freshman year of college in 2013. The rules blindsided him, he said. It was a long time to wait before he could finally donate with his partner and other friends.

Just being able to see them donating next to me, smiling next to me  meant so much, Smith said.

Southwest Montana Health Care Directory
Custom wheels get special-needs tots moving

Chevel Johnson Rodrigue and Stephen Smith

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS  At 19 months old, Elijah Jack, born with no femur bone in one leg and a short femur in the other, is unable to walk on his own like most toddlers his age. Another 19-month-old, Freya Baudoin, born prematurely at 28 weeks and delayed in her mobility, has finally taken her first step.

Special needs children like these often take longer than most to become independently mobile, which can be a hardship for parents and others who care for them. Elijah is often carried because of his limb difference and clubfeet, meaning that instead of being straight, his feet are twisted inward and his toes point downward.

As a result, getting around on his own is a challenge.

That was until this past spring. Elijah was one of the first recipients of a specially designed rolling chair built by a team of biomedical engineering students at Tulane University. Today, Elijah has mastered getting around on wheels  turning, stopping and steering all on his own.

He loves his chair, said Crystal Jack, Elijahs mom. So, I get a lot of things done because I know in his chair, hes safe. He know how to go around the house with it and everything, so I get a lot of things done now.

Before the chair, Jack said her son was able to scoot on the floor to get where he needed to go but the chair offers a whole new level of independence.

Like I said we come a long way, but Im blessed to have him, Jack said, smiling warmly as he moved back and forth around the living room of her mothers home in Ventress, Louisiana.

The Tulane students partnered with the nonprofit MakeGood in 2022 to design and produce the chairs to help toddlers (roughly ages 1-4) build independence and strength, and for some, prepare for a real wheelchair. While it remains difficult to access precise numbers for total wheelchair use among children, there were about 2.8 million wheelchair users in the U.S. in 2002, of whom 121,000 were under 15 years of age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

MakeGood is the New Orleans area coordinator for TOM Global, an Israeli nonprofit that combines modern design and digital manufacturing to fulfill neglected needs of people with disabilities and limitations. TOM stands for Tikkun Olam, which is Hebrew for repairing the world.

The students partnered with the nonprofits as part of a service-learning project  a graduation requirement at Tulane. But many say they had no idea when the project started the depth of impact their chairs would make in the lives of children in the community.

Dylan Lucia, a graduate student at Tulane from the San Diego, California area, said he chose the field of biomedical engineering to help people, and this project has manifested that.

The chairs are particularly helpful for families whose children will eventually need wheelchairs. Noam Platt, director of MakeGood, said insurance companies typically dont cover the cost of a wheelchair for a child unless there is sufficient evidence that the child can use it effectively.

These devices are used to create that evidence that their quality of life will be improved so they can get maybe a more durable assistive technology, Platt said.

Freyas chair was one of five made throughout several weekends early this fall at Tulanes Scot Ackerman MakerSpace, an enormous workshop with laser cutters, 3D printers and drilling and sewing equipment.

Students applied padding and safety straps to the chairs, and some required modifications to accommodate the needs of the children receiving them. For instance, Freyas chair needed a wider strap to help secure her torso, and another patient needed a space behind the chair big enough to hold his breathing vent. Freyas chair also had a bar added to the back, so that she could push it like a stroller. She took her first steps in early December after working with her physical therapist and her chair.

Theres no word on how long Freya will have to use the chair but her mother said it has been more than a blessing.

At first, we thought the muscle tone in her ankles wasnt strong enough for her to walk at all, but the neurologists recently told us everything is looking good and she should be walking on her own or with limited assistance soon, said her mom, Heather Hampton, of Metairie, Louisiana.

Elijah has had his chair since the end of March. It was made in the first batch of about 10 chairs delivered to pediatric patients for use in occupational and physical therapy sessions.

His chair shows him that, like, I could be up like other children. You know, he dont let his (being) disabled get in the way, said Jack, who added Elijah will likely need some type of mobility assistance for the rest of his life.

Platt said there have been two rounds, so far, of chair building and 15 chairs have been given away. But, he said theyre aiming for at least 10 to 15 more by spring 2024. Platt said the chairs cost less than $200 each to make, and even though these chairs were donated to patients at no cost, the price is still much lower than most pediatric wheelchairs on the market and electric-powered wheelchairs can run into the thousands.

For the students that I work with, I tell them this is just the beginning, Platt said. Im trying to open their eyes to kind of a lifelong passion that theyll have to solving these problems because once you see the problems, you see the scope of the problems and you cant really ignore them.

More med students going after business degrees

Samantha Liss

KFF Health News

Jasen Gundersen never considered a career in business when he entered medical school nearly three decades ago to become a rural primary care doctor.

But, today, he isnt working in rural America and he doesnt do primary care. In fact, he no longer practices medicine at all.

As CEO of CardioOne, which provides back-office support to cardiologists, Gundersen is part of a growing trend: physicians and medical school students earning advanced business degrees to work the business side of the booming health care industry.

Just over 60% of medical schools now offer dual MD-MBA programs, more than twice the number two decades ago, a recent study shows. And researchers estimate the number of dual-degree graduates has nearly tripled. Still, its difficult to know exactly how many physicians now have business degrees. While the medical school students who simultaneously earned both a medical and business degree represent almost 1% of the roughly 28,000 medical school students who graduate each year, that doesnt include physicians, like Gundersen, who later go back to school to pursue an executive MBA.

For years, some doctors have sought auxiliary degrees, including masters degrees in public health and law degrees. But more and more, doctors want to pair their clinical expertise with management skills and financial literacy as the American health system focuses on maximizing profits. Often thats so they can become business executives, especially as lucrative health tech startups proliferate and hospital systems, pharmacy benefit managers, and insurers have swelled into formidable companies.

However, this pursuit of advanced business degrees begs the question: Whom will these doctors end up serving more, patients or shareholders?

Long gone are the days when nuns ran many local hospitals. Now, many hospitals are part of multibillion-dollar systems, some of which, such as HCA Healthcare Inc. and Tenet Healthcare Corp., outrank some of Americas most recognizable brands on the Fortune 500 list.

Still, its one of the few sectors of the economy where the people who know the most about whats going on in their companies arent the ones running them, said J.B. Silvers, a management professor at Case Western Reserve University who has been teaching business fundamentals to medical students and physicians for decades.

In the past, doctors rarely left medicine to join the ranks of management because they tended to earn more as practicing physicians. But thats changing, Silvers said, especially as new career paths emerge. The MBA can serve as the doorway to those new opportunities  and the potentially lucrative ownership stakes that can come from leading successful medical technology companies.

Physicians earn, on average, $350,000 a year, making them among the highest-paid workers in the U.S. Doctors in primary care tend to make less than that, while the top 1% of physicians can make more than $1.7 million annually.

Theres a lot of other ways to make more money now, said Rich Joseph, who, as an MDMBA graduate from Stanford, is an example of the trend. Joseph, an outspoken critic of how U.S. doctors are trained, is chief medical officer for Restore Hyper Wellness, which offers cryotherapy and IV drips at locations across the country.

Doctors are considered the face of the health care system, but a lot of big decisions are made in the boardroom, said Folawiyo Laditi, a recent graduate of Yales MDMBA program and a urology resident at the University of Pittsburgh.

Laditi wants to leverage his business degree to tackle systemic issues in health care that sometimes dont always feel fixable as a doctor treating a single patient at a time. He hopes to make changes that can affect a lot of patients and a lot of people at once.

Medical schools are selling the power that comes from the dual degree. Ready to pair your clinical expertise with business best practices to transform your organization? Hone your business acumen to assume a greater scope of leadership, touts the website of the University of Tennessees physician executive MBA program.

Harvard University says on its website that its dual-degree program is intended to develop outstanding physician leaders, skilled in both medicine and management, to take positions of influence through which they will contribute substantially to the health and well-being of individuals and society.

Gundersen, the CardioOne CEO, who attended the University of Tennessee program and now lives outside of Denver, found it useful to practice medicine for years after he got his business degree, juggling executive and clinical work. He stopped treating patients nearly four years ago.

It helps to speak the language of physicians, Gundersen said while in Florida during a summer business trip to sell cardiologists on using his companys platform. He pitches alleviating a pain point for most doctors  the nondoctoring work  so they can focus on patient care. Its something he felt as a practicing physician.

Gundersen said the nation needs more doctors, especially ones who remain independent from sprawling health care companies. As he promotes that message to prospective cardiac doctors, Gundersen recognizes the irony. We need more doctors, and here I am the doctor who doesnt doctor anymore, he said.

Southwest Montana Health Care Directory
A district court judge has ruled the governor's advisory councils for vetting judicial candidates cannot close their public meetings without reason.

Judge Mike Menahan ruled on Dec. 28 in favor of two news outlets, the Choteau Acantha and the Montana Free Press. They had challenged a decision by Gov. Greg Gianforte's appointed judicial advisory council to close their public interviews of two attorneys who submitted their names for appointment to the Ninth Judicial District Court bench.

Jennifer Stutz, the Teton County deputy attorney who chaired the commission, told reporters from the two outlets that the council was closing its meeting in case the interview veered into matters covered by the candidates' individual privacy rights.

Menahan's decision turned on that nonspecific reason.

"If government bodies close public meetings any time an individual privacy interest might arise, the open meeting laws would have no meaning," he wrote.

The governor's office told the Montana Free Press this week it plans to appeal the ruling.

Since lawmakers, at Gianforte's request, eliminated the Judicial Nomination Commission in 2021, the governor now has free rein to determine the judicial appointment process in the case of a vacancy. Gianforte's administration has so far appointed localized panels to vet candidates, not unlike the Judicial Nomination Commission, a standing committee, once did.

In this case, the council appointed in the Ninth Judicial District covering Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties put forth two candidates, one of them attorney Greg Bonilla. Gianforte appointed him in April, and the Montana Senate confirmed the appointment later that month during the 2023 legislative session, despite some heartburn by a few lawmakers over the opaque nature of the council's interview process.

Last week's ruling won't impact Bonilla's appointment; Menahan had already shot down the news outlets' request to void any council action taken during the portion they alleged was illegally closed to the public.

Menahan wrote elected officials have been found in previous court rulings to have a lesser, but not nonexistent, expectation of privacy than nonelected state employees when it comes to personnel matters.

"In putting themselves forward to be considered for a public official position, the candidates knowingly and willingly subject themselves to public scrutiny," he wrote. "Thus, there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy for judicial candidates in relation to their ability to perform public duties."

State attorneys argued Stutz was not legally out of bounds in closing the meeting because she could not know whether the interview questions would produce responses that touched on matters of individual privacy.

In her defense of the governor's position at a hearing last month, assistant attorney general Alwyn Lansing proposed a scenario in which someone decided to apply for a judicial vacancy because their family member was a victim of a crime.

"And now this person, this applicant wants to become a judge to vindicate or to oversee and to do justice for future cases like that where a family member suffered," Lansing argued.

"I don't think that's a very good example," Menahan responded, reminding Lansing that judges are required to not measure justice with personal animus.

In a statement on Wednesday, Choteau Acantha editor Melody Martinsen said the local newspaper was thankful for the ruling and hoped Gianforte would continue to appoint local panels to hold public meetings on judicial appointment candidates.

"We went to court because we believe that the publics right to know must be defended, and we believe that it is vital for residents of any judicial district to be able to attend an advisory council meeting, listen to the applicants and understand the reasoning behind the councils recommendation of one applicant over another," she said.
The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to open a half-mile section of road in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument to provide motorized access to thousands of acres of public land in north-central Montana.

In its environmental assessment, the agency called the region one of the wildest areas in the monument that provides habitat for antelope, sage grouse, and wintering elk and mule deer.

"Motorized access into the Bullwhacker area of the Monument has been limited for quite awhile, said Monument manager Zane Fulbright in a statement. We are interested in hearing what the publics ideas and concerns are specific to this action. We need to take those into consideration as we analyze how opening this route and connecting into the larger road network would affect the objects of the Monument."

Agreements

The proposal comes after the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks negotiated access to the region in September through two 10-year Public Access Land Agreements with the Square Butte Grazing Association.

The Square Butte Spencer Cow Camp Upper PALA provides access to 15,500 acres of public land near Hay Coulee as well as access across 1.5 miles of private property to gain access to 83,600 acres of public land.

Both offer year-round access for all recreation, but drivers must stay on the designated routes. The region is about 70 miles southeast of Havre and north of the Missouri River.

Route

It is at the Cow Camp Lower PALA the BLM is proposing to provide additional access. By opening a half-mile section of what the BLM referred to as a primitive, unapproved route that was closed in 2008, the public could access 51 miles of roads on BLM lands in the Bullwhacker Road area.

The existing road network includes a combination of open and limited primitive roads, the BLM noted in its EA. These roads provide access to the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River corridor, Ervin Ridge Wilderness Study Area (WSA) and additional access to the Cow Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).

The half mile of road on BLM land would be closed to motorized use between Dec. 1 and June 15. Improvement to the route would be minimal to assure safety, the agency said, such as water bars, graveling or drainage dips.

The road section connects to the remote Left Coulee Airstrip where a hardened crossing may be added.

Disputed

Bullwhacker Road has been at the center of access disputes for more than a decade. In 2007, the then-Blaine County attorney ruled a 4-mile section of the road through the Anchor Ranch was public. The ranch owners, who had been allowing regulated access, won a 2011 court case suing the county to reverse the ruling.

The next year, the ranch was sold to Wilks Ranch Montana Ltd. In 2014, billionaire Texas brothers Dan and Farris Wilks offered the Bureau of Land Management the Anchor Ranch and other lands in exchange for parcels of BLM land surrounded by their N Bar Ranch in central Montanas Fergus County. Most of the Wilkses 10 parcels were in an area known as the Durfee Hills. While some conservationists praised the deal, some hunters didnt want to lose access to the Durfee Hills, even though the only way to reach the lands is via airplane or helicopter.

The Wilkses attempted to sweeten the deal by including more access but that offer was also rejected. The BLM considered building its own road into the Bullwhacker area, but dismissed the idea as too expensive.

In 2022, the Wilkses offered the Anchor Ranch for sale  22,837 acres of deeded land with grazing leases on 4,400 acres of state and 39,700 acres of BLM land  for $35.96 million. When the property was sold in 2012 it was listed for $15.5 million.

To comment

Public comment on the BLMs proposal to open the section of roadway will be taken through Feb. 1. In a news release, the agency said it is interested in ideas, issues or concerns that could help shape this project or should be addressed in the projects travel plan amendment environmental assessment analysis.

Providing recreational opportunities is central to the BLMs mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Lands within the monument are managed not only for outdoor recreation enthusiasts and other multiple uses within the BLMs mission, but also to preserve landscapes associated with Lewis and Clarks' journey across the United States, the Nez Perce Trail, wilderness study areas, and wild and scenic rivers.

A description of the proposal and maps of the project area are available on the e-Planning website  https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2030427/510.

Comments may be submitted using the following methods: Electronic (preferred): BLM e-Planning  https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2030427/510  click on the green Participate Now button. Comments can be mailed to: Bureau of Land Management, Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, ATTN: Left Coulee Access, 920 NE Main St., Lewistown, MT 59457.
For 2024, Muscatine County supervisor Jeff Sorenson will serve as the chair of the Board of Supervisors, with supervisor Nathan Mather as vice-chair.

On Tuesday, which marked the first meeting of 2024, the board had its organizational meeting. After a slight discussion, it was determined the weekly meetings would continue being at 9 a.m. Mondays. Sorenson commented that in the past one meeting a month was done at night. He also said there was no change in the amount of participation due to the change.

I think Monday mornings at 9 a.m. is engrained in peoples minds, he said.

The board also reviewed its member assignments. A list was given to the supervisors and if any changes are requested, they will be discussed at the next meeting. Mather commented the Muscatine Community Health Association had dissolved.

Dan Freeman was approved as the boards Muscatine County Compensation Board representative.

Also during the meeting, Sorenson asked planning and zoning administrator Eric Furnas to look at the countys ordinances surrounding wind farms. He said that a warning letter had been sent to landowners in the county regarding representatives of two companies exploring the possibility of building a wind farm in the county.

In light of emails we have gotten recently I was wondering if you can look at our ordinances, come back and bounce those off us, he said to Furnas.

Sorenson said that when the supervisors originally looked at creating the ordinance regarding wind farms, turbines were only about 250-feet tall. He said now the turbines are over 600-feet tall. He wondered if the Muscatine County ordinance needed to be modified to address that.

Furnas commented that there were some valid points in the letter. He said the ordinance assumed that that landowners who are considering leasing some of their ground would do some of their own homework regarding wind turbines. He said landowners should hire their own attorneys to learn more about the leases before signing them.

Its always a balancing act, he said. How many specific ordinances do we want to have as opposed to leaving it up to the individual landowner.

Sorenson agreed saying, I believe if you own the land, then it is your land.

Supervisor Danny Chick expressed concern about some of the wind turbines being over 600-feet tall.

The supervisors also approved a request by Muscatine County Community Services to hire a new social worker.
Summit Carbon Solutions has filed a federal lawsuit against Kossuth County for its new ordinance that restricts where the companys proposed carbon dioxide pipeline system can be located.

It is the fourth lawsuit the company has brought against Iowa counties that have sought to impose new restrictions on the project. Summit argues that those provisions are beyond the authority of the counties because federal regulators are charged with governing the safety aspects of such pipelines and the Iowa Utilities Board approves their routes.

Summit seeks to built a pipeline network that would span more than 2,000 miles in five states to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to North Dakota for underground storage. It would traverse about 30 counties in Iowa.

The companys permit process with the IUB  which has been ongoing for more than two years  is in its final throes. Summit says its project would be a boon to ethanol producers by making them eligible for federal tax credits and by reclassifying their products as low-carbon fuels.

Opponents of the project worry about the safety of people and livestock if there is a catastrophic pipeline breach and the damage to farmland from construction. They further argue that the project does not benefit the public sufficiently to merit the use of eminent domain to force unwilling landowners to provide easements for the construction and operation of the pipeline system on their properties.

Summit has so far been successful with its litigation against the counties. A federal judge granted the company permanent injunctions against Shelby and Story counties that bar them from enforcing their ordinances. Those counties recently appealed the judges decisions, according to federal court records.

Those ordinances have minimum distances that a carbon dioxide pipeline can be located near cities, houses and other facilities.

Another lawsuit against Emmet County is pending.

Kossuth County supervisors adopted their ordinance last month despite the judges decisions in favor of Summit, with the expectation that Summit would also file a lawsuit against them.

The ordinance is injuring Summit by preventing it from completing  or even beginning  the portion of the pipeline project in Kossuth County, according to Summits new lawsuit.

The ordinance seeks to limit the safety risks associated with a system breach by keeping carbon dioxide pipelines at least 2-1/2 miles away from cities and about a half mile from houses, schools, medical facilities, animal confinements and certain public areas.

The county has not yet responded to the lawsuit in federal court.

Summit is one of three companies that have proposed carbon dioxide pipelines in Iowa. It has hit setbacks in North and South Dakota where utility regulators rejected its first proposals.

North Dakota is in the process of reconsidering a modified proposal, and Summit has said it will reapply in South Dakota.

Navigator CO2 had planned a more expansive system in Iowa that would have transported carbon dioxide to Illinois, but it abandoned the project in October because of state regulatory processes and potential law changes.

The Iowa House of Representatives approved a bill last year that would restrict the companies ability to use eminent domain to gain land easements until they obtained voluntary easements for 90% of their routes. The Iowa Senate did not consider the bill, but it could during the upcoming legislative session, which starts next week. Summit has voluntary easements for about three-quarters of its 690-mile route in Iowa.

Wolf Carbon Solutions has a pending pipeline permit application for a relatively modest route of about 90 miles in eastern Iowa. It withdrew its application in Illinois and said it will reapply this year.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence.

Photos: Missing children in Iowa Emily Joann Dudney Daquan Nelson Jade Colvin Fredrick Workman Benjamin Roseland Erin Pospisil Marc Allen Eugene Martin John Gosch Kimberly Doss Colleen Simpson
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All issues of the region must be resolved through dialogue, the territorial integrity of all countries must be preserved, and the rights of the inhabitants of the respective countries must be respected within the framework of the national sovereignty of each country. Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, stated this in an interview with the Public Television of Armeniaand addressing the matter of Tehran's position regarding the forcible deportation of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by Azerbaijan.

According to the Iranian diplomat, military operations cannot solve regional root problems, the roots of the conflict must be identified to solve these problems, and this can be done through dialogue and peaceful communication.

Sobhani recalled that several months ago he met with some of the aforesaid displaced Armenians in Kapan, Armenia to understand why and under what conditions they left their homes in Artsakh.

"The message they asked me to convey was that they want necessary conditions to be created in Karabakh to return to their homes. I asked them why they left their homes, they said they had to because they did not feel physically safe," said Sobhani.

According to the Iranian ambassador, Armenia and Azerbaijan should talk to each other in order to reach a common understanding on all issues.

"This is a package within the framework of which they should be able to reach a mutual understanding that will ensure the establishment of a stable peace. The guarantee of this can be the participation of the countries of the region, a vivid example of which is the holding of a meeting in the 3+3 format in Tehran. When the [other] countries of the region [i.e. Iran, Russia, and Turkey] support the agreements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it can be the biggest guarantee for achieving permanent and stable peace in the region," said Sobhani.
Baku hopes to hold another round of negotiations between Azerbaijani and Armenian officials on the draft peace agreement in the near future. Elchin Amirbekov, an Azerbaijani presidential envoy for special assignments, said this in an interview with the Estonian television, reports Sputnik Azerbaijan.

According to him, "the opening of [regional] communication is an integral part of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia."

"The main direction of the negotiations is the agreement on the text of the peace agreement. It notes all the main parameters of future peace, including the restoration of communications. In addition to the main direction, there are two more: the opening of communications, as well as the delimitation and the subsequent demarcation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia," said Amirbekov.

Speaking about the restoration of transport communication in the region, the Azerbaijani presidential envoy for special assignments recalled the initiative of the Azerbaijani side to "restore the Zangazur [(Zangezur)] corridor so that Azerbaijani citizens living in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, or in the main part of the country, have unhindered land communication."

"Its about a 42-kilometer railway line, which, unfortunately, was destroyed as a result of the conflict. It's not just about building the missing section. By the way, this work is almost finished by us. I mean the Horadiz-Agbend section. Unfortunately, the Armenian side has not even started working on the technical rationalization of this project," added the Azerbaijani official.
09:55





In a letter written to CBI Director Praveen Sood and Union Home Minister Amit Shah dated December 29, Advocate Dehadrai said that there might be a possibility that the TMC leader is "tracking" his physical location by using his phone number.





Dehadrai in his letter, also alleged, "Moitra has a demonstrated history of misusing her clout and connections with certain Senior Officers of Bengal Police to obtain the Call Detail Records (CDR) of private individuals to satisfy her personal desire to stalk the precise whereabouts of certain individuals as also the details of the individuals they are in touch with."





Advocate Dehadrai also stated in his complaint that earlier, the TMC leader was actively "tracking a person named Suhaan Mukerji in 2019".





"Moitra informed me orally on multiple occasions in the past as also in writing (on WhatsApp on 26.09.2019) that she had been actively tracking her ex-boyfriend, one Suhaan Mukerji as she suspected him of being in a relationship with a German lady," the letter read.





Jai Anant Dehadrai further alleged that Moitra, with the assistance of "senior Bengal Police Officers", had the entire call records and history of Mukerji's phone in which she had precise information about the individuals who had been "in contact with Mukerji as also the precise physical location of Mukerji's phone for all hours of the day".





The advocate also stated that Mahua Moitra has made several threats to him in the past and also said that on several occasions he felt that his car was being followed outside his residence in Delhi.





Responding to the allegations made in the complaint, Mahua Moitra urged the Home Ministry to appoint a Special Director in the CBI for complaints by 'jilted exes' all over India.





"Urging MHA to set up a special Director CBI to probe all complaints by loser jilted exes pan India. Gratified to see Shahenshah of all Peeping Toms cc'd on the complaint. - he honed his surveillance skills covering up for his Sahib in Gujarat and can supervise CBI," she said. -- ANI

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai on Tuesday alleged that TMC leader Mahua Moitra is carrying out "illegal surveillance on him with her contacts in West Bengal police".
NewsVoir Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 3: As a satellite town of Chennai, Tiruvallur city has been one among the fastest developing real estate markets in Tamil Nadu. However, with Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CDMA) recently including several villages of Thiruvallur District in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, the entire district has emerged as a hotspot for investment in plots and buildings. CMDA is in charge of Chennai's planned development, offering a blueprint for the city's planned growth for decades. It provides construction permissions for various zones, including residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and others. The mission of CMDA is to provide "to improve the quality of life in the Chennai Metropolitan Area by employing management practices that are ecologically sustainable, economically progressive, and technologically creative." With the Government of Tamil Nadu issuing an order last year, the jurisdiction of CMDA is all set to expand nearly five times from 1,189 sq. km to 5,904 sq. km. The Third Master Plan of Chennai is set to cover Tiruvallur, along with other satellite cities and growth centres such as Thirumazhisai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Minjur. These developments will guide the long-term growth of Tiruvallur and will pave the way for balanced urban development of over 550 villages in the Tiruvallur district. Plots and buildings in Tiruvallur can get CMDA approval, which in turn will ensure more price growth over time. Given that the clearance process is more rigorous, CMDA plots and properties also become a safer bet. Tiruvallur and the taluks in the district are also expected to get better integrated commuting options and witness an overall improvement in quality of life. This will help in improving infrastructure such as roads, transportation, water supply, drainage in all added areas. Hence, there is a greater scope for corridor-based development, which is all about the gradual development of urban systems along transport routes which provide linkages between the majo urban hubs for the flow of people and goods. Infrastructure funding and housing loans will also become easier when the area comes under the metropolitan limits. In this context, the real estate activities of taluks of Tiruvallur such as Ambattur, Gummidipoondi, Ponneri, Uthukkottai, Tiruvallur, Poonamallee, Tiruttani, and Pallipattu have already started booming. As the value of the land and properties here, now well within the CMDA limits, can significantly go up, it can benefit early-bird real estate investors and home buyers. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
SRV Media Thane (Maharastra) [India], January 3: BTW Visa Services India Private Limited, a leading travel company specializing in comprehensive visa services, is delighted to announce the launch of its new branch in Thane, Maharashtra. This expansion is a significant milestone for BTW Visa Services, which has been operational since 2011 and has established a strong presence in Pune and Mumbai (Dadar). The new Thane branch, located at Office No. 702, Pranav Building, Shivaji Path Cross Rd., opposite Gaondevi Bus Depot, Naupada, Thane West, was officially inaugurated on December 15, 2023. It marks a strategic step to extend the company's operational arm to the suburbs of Mumbai, covering the Mumbai Sub-Urban, Navi Mumbai, TMC, KDMC, and broader Mumbai horizons. BTW, Visa Services has been a trusted name for more than a decade, offering a wide array of visa-related services, including tourist visas, short-term visas, visitor visas, business visas, and other short-term visa requirements for both leisure and corporate/business travellers across India. The new Thane branch is geared to provide seamless and expert visa consultation, assistance, and facilitation services, backed by an experienced team well-versed in the visa requirements of major countries for Indian travelers. Deep Bhong, the Founder and Managing Director of BTW Visa Services, expressed immense gratitude and excitement during the inauguration. "As we approach our 15th year of excellence in Visa Facilitation in 2025, our goal is to serve nationwide travelers with their visa needs. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our clients, vendors, suppliers, and all stakeholders who have been a part of our journey. Our team remains committed to providing quality and hassle-free visa services," said Bhong. Travelers seeking assistance with visa facilitation can visit the BTW Visa Services website at www.btwvisas.com, contact the Thane office team at 7378841340, 8551805523, or 9172052745, or email visabase@btwvisas.com. About BTW Visa Services India Private Limited: Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Pune, BTW Visa Services India Private Limited is a renowned travel company specializing in a wide range of visa services. BTW Visa Services (India) Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001-2008-certified company. With a decade-long presence in Pune and expanded operations in Dadar, Mumbai, and now Thane, the company is dedicated to facilitating travel for tourists and business travelers nationwide. BTW Visa offers visa facilitation services for UK, USA, Canada, England, China, Australia, Middle East, Australia, Canada, and Schengen visas, including Australia Visa, Armenia Visa, Azerbaijan Visa,Bahrain Visa,Hong Kong Visa, Kenya Visa, Malaysia Visa, Oman Visa, Thailand Visa, Turkey Visa, Taiwan Visa, UAE Visa, Sri Lanka Visa, Vietnam Visa, Schengen Visa, and almost over 200 countries, for various types of visas, including tourist, business, work, study, and others. For further information, please contact: Phone: +91 020 49027000 Email: inquiry@btwvisas.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Taking to Instagram, she shared a video of the snapshots with her mother.

The 'Seeta aur Geeta' actor captioned the post, "Today is so special for me! It is my darling mother's janam din-a day I celebrate every year ever since she left me. I introspect so much on this day, recalling how much she has contributed to my life & career & how I owe her everything I am today, Thank you Amma. My love always."

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1oChn1y3l5/?hl=en

The video starts with a montage of monochrome pictures of Jaya.

The clip also included throwback pictures of Hema with her mother.

Hema shared a very close bond with her mother. In the post, the actor expressed gratitude to her mother, saying she owes her everything.

In response to Hema's post, her daughter and actor Esha Deol dropped the heart and folding hands emoji.

The veteran actor, who is popularly known as Dream Girl, has given numerous hits in Bollywood.

The actress made her acting debut in 1963 with the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam and made her debut in Hindi cinema with the 1968 movie Sapno Ka Saudagar. She was last seen in Shimla Mirchi (2020), starring Rajkummar Rao and Rakul Preet Singh.

Hema is also a politician. She won the Mathura Lok Sabha seat for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019 on a BJP ticket. Before that, she was a member of the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)
The controversial reality show 'Bigg Boss' is synonymous with massive fights. The ongoing season is no exception. In 'Bigg Boss 17', things turned ugly recently when contestant Samarth Jurel mocked actor Abhishek Kumar's mental health. Several clips from the show surfaced online in which Samarth and Isha can be seen passing derogatory remarks about Abhishek's mental health. Isha called Abhishek 'mental bhopu'. To which he said, "Tere pyaar mein he mental tha main. Tune mujhe mental karke chod diya (I was crazy in love with you. You gave me mental health issues)." https://www.instagram.com/p/C1od8y6tQAN/?hl=en Isha also made fun of Abhishek feeling claustrophobic the other day. The comments made by Isha and Samarth irked Abhishek a lot. The constant provocation reached the point where Abhishek got aggressive and slapped Samarth. Amidst all this drama, several stars took social media and extended their support to Abhishek. While Abhishek clearly violated one of the main house rules by slapping Samarth, he received a lot of love on social media as his mental health condition was ridiculed. Actor Riteish Deshmukh took to X and wrote, "Heart goes out to Abhishek... Bigg Boss 17." Bigg Boss 15 fame Rajiv Adatia shared on X, "I urge Big boss to pull Isha up on her behaviour!! This is not done! Everyone gets pulled up their mistakes and so should she!! Mental health is NOT a joke! I don't want to hear "oh she's 19" Dude she's an adult and needs to be responsible for her actions! @ColorsTV #bb17." Actor Ankit Gupta also came out in support of Abhishek. He called Isha a 'liar' and bashed her for bullying Abhishek in Bigg Boss 17. He wrote, "Now her real personality is coming out Isha Malviya and what a liar she is. She knows about Abhishek's claustrophobic condition. Stay strong @aebyborntoshine." Isha and Abhishek were in a relationship during their show Udariyaan. However, the two parted ways due to certain reasons. Isha then went on dating Samarth. (ANI)
American actor Jeremy Renner opened up about his family's reaction to his near-fatal snowplow accident, reported People. A year and a day after the January 1, 2023 incident, the actor, 52, confessed on the Ellen K Morning Show that his mother Valerie "really wanted to burn this snowcat" after his mishap. "I was like, 'No mom we're not, I need that thing to get in and out of the driveway [laughs], or we're getting get stuck there,'" said Renner, adding that he "understands why" his mom felt that way. "But we have the power to shift the narrative to shift it into something else," he continued. "It's our job to change the narrative and perspective on this because otherwise we can sit and be victims and suffer and be insufferable and have January 1st be not a day to celebrate or that the snowcat's a bad thing, but no we need all these things, they're beautiful things." The Marvel star also talked about apologising to his family when his snowplough ran him over while he was helping his nephew get a vehicle out of the snow on his property in Reno, Nevada. "The first thing I said was I was sorry when I woke up because I knew what transpired and damn I know what that might feel like on the other side too, that's pretty harrowing to make someone feel that terror," he said. "I've seen my daughter get hurt or something and I get enraged in all these emotions when you care for somebody and you love somebody, so I couldn't imagine what I made people feel that morning." According to People, Renner, who broke over 30 bones and underwent multiple surgeries following the accident, went on to say that he's "forever sorry" for what happened, adding, "I damaged my family and that's what I'm sorry for. That's something they'll never forget. My poor nephew cannot unsee holding my arm, my eye out of my head and me struggling to breathe my next breath. I put those images in him that he can't unsee and for that I'm so sorry." "My poor mom, and my poor sister, they had to go through a whole lot on that road to recovery back, it was pretty tough on them, but we've all come through," he added. Renner appeared on Ellen K's show to discuss his new EP Love and Titanium, and the presenter played four songs from it ahead of its January 19 release. Renner described the recording process as "healing," adding that he hopes the album "does good things for other people." The following day, Renner also called his daughter Ava Berlin, who he shares with ex Sonni Pacheco, "reason number for my recovery," in a heartfelt post shared on Instagram. "I asked her to 'wait for me' when I first saw her January 14 as I arrived home," he wrote. "As I got better, she got better, less afraid. There is simply no better motivator to recover than to heal your family and friends." "With gratitude always, thank you all for your love and support this last full year," he continued. "I needed every ounce of goodwill and prayer," reported People. (ANI)
Giving a big thrust to the Kerala government's efforts to make Kochi the country's pivotal centre for AI-assisted technology, state Industry Minister P Rajeeve and the Department's Principal Secretary Suman Billa on Tuesday held talks with IBM India, resulting in an agreement in principle to start the IT giant's hub in the city. The state government will host a Global Artificial Intelligence Summit in Kochi in the middle of this year as part of the initiative, Rajeeve said after his discussions with IBM India Senior Vice President (Products) Dinesh Nirmal. "By becoming the AI hub of IBM, Kochi will see an influx of top technology professionals from across the globe," the Minister said, noting that the trend will also imply a reverse migration. "This will particularly benefit the new generation in IT. Also, it can double the number of IBM staff vis-a-vis the prevailing total," Rajeeve said. IBM's making Kochi its AI hub will prompt other players in the industry to follow. Adding to the prospects will be Infopark's entering its second stage of expansion, strengthening the facilities for IBM's initiatives, he said. The proposed Kochi hub will work on the basis of generative AI, beyond just generic AI. Already, IBM is providing AI services to international behemoths such as Boeing. "We are working towards ensuring the participation of Boeing in the upcoming AI Summit," the minister added. The summit will be organised in association with the state's Department of Industry, Billa said. The IT Parks, Kerala Startup Mission, Digital University and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University will collaborate with the event. Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) will make presentations on the preparations to make Kochi the country's principal AI hub. Keltron CMD N Narayana Moorthy also attended the meeting through videoconferencing. The discussions also saw the government considering the scope of collaboration with Samsung on the manufacturing of semiconductors and chip design. (ANI)
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, issued a 'last opportunity' by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to record his statement in an alleged land scam days ago, has replied to the agency, labelling his summons as 'illegal,' sources said on Tuesday. According to sources, the Jharkhand Chief Minister, in his letter to ED, has also said that he has already given the details of his properties. He has so far skipped six summons. "Soren has written to the ED in response to the summons issued to him, stating that the summons are 'illegal.' He has also accused ED of making the media trial of the whole matter. In his reply, he also said that he had already given the details of the properties. He has also accused ED of trying to destabilise the government," sources said. Earlier last week, the ED issued the seventh summons to the Jharkhand CM under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, asking him to record his statement. As he had not turned up for ED's six summons, this time the agency stated that it is his last opportunity to record the statement. "Since you have not come to the office of the Directorate of Enforcement in obedience to the summonses issued to you, we are giving you this last opportunity to record your statement under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, at the place, date and time, mutually convenient to you as well as the undersigned (ED), which should be within 7 days of receipt of this notice/Summons," said the ED in its summon. The agency has asked him to specify the place, date, and time within two days of receipt of this communication. "Despite the issuance of six summonses, you (Hemant Soren) have not appeared before this office, citing unfounded reasons. This non-appearance is impeding and hindering the progress of the investigation in the present case," ED mentioned in the summons. The ED issued the sixth summons on December 12 for questioning, but the Chief Minister skipped the proceedings. CM Soren was first summoned by the ED earlier in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case. However, the CM ignored the summons, claiming that he was busy with the state's Independence Day celebrations. He was asked again to appear on August 24 and September 9, but he skipped the dates, citing preoccupations. The agency then issued its fourth summons to the Jharkhand CM, asking him to report to the agency on September 23. The CM had earlier threatened to move for legal proceedings against the Centre if it did not withdraw the summonses issued against him. In his letter to the agency, Soren said he had provided all necessary documents and information to the ED. He wrote that if the ED needed any information, it could refer to the documents that he had already shared with the agency. However, he alleged that the ED summoned him on August 14 at the behest of its "political masters." (ANI)
The Chhattisgarh government has decided to observe a 'dry day' on January 22 on the occasion of the consecration of Shri Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Tuesday evening. While speaking to reporters in the state capital, CM Sai stated that it is a fortune for Chhattisgarh to be the home of the maternal grandparents of Lord Ram, with Chandkhuri being considered their home. "It is our fortune that Chhattisgarh is the maternal birthplace of Lord Ram, and it is our fortune that the consecration of the Ram temple is going to take place in Ayodhya on January 22. There will be an atmosphere of enthusiasm across the state on that day. Like Diwali, lamps will be lit in homes, and the Chhattisgarh government has decided to declare January 22 as a dry day in the entire state," the CM said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22. Vedic rituals for the ceremony in the temple town will begin on January 16, a week before the event. A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony. A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being set up in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand consecration. According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people. Local authorities are gearing up for the anticipated surge in visitors around the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth and spiritually enriching experience for all attendees. (ANI)
No casualties or injuries to anyone were reported.

As per Delhi Fire Service Department officials, a call about the fire was received at around 1.40 a.m.

The fire incident was reported at a factory in Sector-3 near Sai Dharam Kaanta in Bawana industrial area.

Upon receiving information, a total of 25 fire tenders rushed to the spot and started an operation.

The fire has been brought under control, officials said.

So far, no injuries or causalities have been reported, they added. (ANI)
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh raised questions over the Election Commission of India's transparency, a day after the party's letter to ECI seeking a meeting with the INDIA bloc leaders to discuss the issue of Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). Singh raised concerns over the ECI stonewalling opposition meetings. "Why is ECI stonewalling opposition meeting with them? How do we trust ECI who refuses to meet Principal Opposition Parties?" Singh said in a post on X. Earlier in September last year, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain a PIL seeking an independent audit of the source code of the EVM and placing such reports in the public domain. Amid the top court declining the PIL, the Congress veteran urged the ECI to enhance transparency by making the Source Code on the chip publicly available. He further emphasized the need for assurance regarding the security and invulnerability of the electoral system against hacking or manipulation. "Why can't ECI be more transparent and bring the Source Code on the chip in public domain if it is so safe and secure which no one can hack or manipulate?," his post stated. On Tuesday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in the letter alleged that the ECI put a blind eye to the opposition's several requests for a meeting to discuss Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) - related concerns. The letter stated, "...a request for an opportunity for a 3-4 member team of INDIA party leaders to meet with you and your colleagues and talk a few minutes to put forward our point of view on VVPATs. Surely, this is a perfectly reasonable and legitimate request." The letter added that the delegation sought an appointment again on December 20, 2023, to "discuss and provide suggestions on the use of VVPATs" based on a resolution passed at the meeting of leaders of INDIA parties held on December 19, 2023. "We have been trying to meet with the ECI to hand over a copy of this resolution and have a discussion but have not been successful so far in doing so," the letter stated. (ANI)
The Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP), Abhinav Kumar, on Tuesday outlined a comprehensive plan for the upcoming year, emphasising recruitment, technological advancements, and transparency as key priorities. DGP Abhinav Kumar stressed the importance of transparency and accountability within the police department, announcing a new initiative to showcase the department's work through the media at the beginning of every year, starting on January 2, 2024. "Our efforts will be to fill the vacant posts. There are around 3000 vacancies in our department, and we will try to fill them. If we have adequate manpower, we can easily meet the expectations of the public," he said. The DGP also mentioned that 2024 poses challenges, with the Chardham Yatra, Kanwar Yatra, tourism, and Lok Sabha elections on the horizon. "The year 2024 is going to be challenging and exciting for the Uttarakhand police due to the Char Dham Yatra, Kanwar Yatra, and Lok Sabha elections, but the police will overcome all the challenges... Drones are a new technology, and guidelines for this are being established. Our effort will be to ensure that the police understand the potential of this technology and prevent its misuse," the DGP added. He further highlighted that drones are a new technology, and a plan is being prepared in the Uttarakhand Police Department to comprehend it thoroughly and use it appropriately. (ANI)
After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal skipped the third summon by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday, the BJP criticised the Aam Aadmi Party convenor alleging a "hidden motive." BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Today, once again Arvind Kejriwal has skipped the third summon. This shows that there is something to hide, and that is why he is absconding like a criminal." Drawing parallels to the denial of bail to Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh and emphasizing court-established money trails, Poonwalla said, "Courts have not given bail to Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, and the courts have established that there is a money trail, despite all this they are playing the same victim card." Congress slammed the central agency and alleged it of targeting opposition leaders and "not doing their work". Congress leader Udit Raj said, "ED is carrying out raids at the associates of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. ED notices were sent to former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel right before the elections and false allegations were put on him." "Arvind Kejriwal is also a part of the opposition alliance. Indeed, these agencies are not doing their work but putting pressure on the opposition leaders," the Congress leader said while speaking to ANI. The Delhi CM earlier in the day evaded the Enforcement Directorate summons to appear for questioning in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam case. ED issued a third summons to CM Kejriwal earlier on December 22 last year, in connection with the excise policy case, asking him to appear before the agency on January 3. As per the party sources, Kejriwal in his reply to ED has expressed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation but declined to appear today calling the notice "illegal". Kejriwal further questioned the timing of the notice as a move to stop him from election campaign ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, the party sources said. Kejriwal was not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR) filed by the CBI on August 17, last year. In February 2023, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi's new excise policy. The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. Meanwhile, ED conducted raids at the premises of press advisor to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren earlier in the day in connection to an alleged land mining case linked to money laundering. As per the agency sources, raids were conducted at 12 locations including the residence of CM's press advisor. (ANI)
The local administration is providing all necessary support to the injured in this difficult hour, said the Assam Chief Minister's office.

"HCM Dr @himantabiswa has expressed his deep anguish at the horrific bus accident in Dergaon and offers his condolences to the bereaved families. The local administration is providing all necessary support to the injured in this difficult hour. Prayers for their swift recovery." Assam Chief Minister Office posted on X.

At least 12 people were killed and 25 others injured after a bus in which they were travelling collided with a truck in Assam's Golaghat district on Wednesday morning, police said.

According to police, the accident took place in the Balijan area near Dergaon.

Rajen Singh, Superintendent of Police of Golaghat district told ANI that, the accident occurred at around 5 am on Wednesday.

"The bus carrying a team was going towards Tilinga Mandir from the Kamarbandha area of Golaghat district. The bus collided with a truck in the Balijan area and the truck was coming in the opposite direction from Jorhat's side. 10 bodies were recovered from the site and sent to Dergaon CHC. 27 injured persons were referred to Jorhat Medical College & Hospital where two people succumbed to their injuries," Rajen Singh said.

Following the incident, locals rushed to the site and engaged in rescue operations.

The SP of Golaghat district said that, so far 12 people died in the accident.

"Our investigation is on and we will take action as per law," Rajen Singh said.

More details awaited. (ANI)
For pastry chef Leigh Omilinsky, her most recent creation has a personality. Its particular, stubborn and judgmental. In other words, its quintessential Chicago.

Daisies, a Midwestern pasta restaurant in Logan Square, debuted its newest pastry Tuesday morning  the Chicago-style croissant. The dish, which features a charred Vienna beef hot dog wrapped in a croissant, is a collaboration with The Wieners Circle, a hot dog stand in Lincoln Park known for its viral insults and profanities.

The $8.50 croissant is also stuffed with yellow mustard, diced onions, celery salt and bright green relish. On top, theres poppy seeds and a garnish of a cherry tomato, pickle and sport pepper. Omilinskys nicknamed the creation a glamour weenie or a grown-up pigs in a blanket.

Leigh Omilinsky with her latest creation, a Chicago-style hot dog croissant, served up at Daisies in Chicago.

The promotional videos for the pastry, which racked up thousands of likes on Instagram, showcase the foul-mouthed charm of Wieners Circle. At one point Poochie Jackson, the chief insult artist, contemplates whether she wants to sample Omilinskys little dried up roll or big ass croissant. What the restuarant really needs though, she says, is a hot dog  its definitely not vegan. And dont ask if you can put ketchup on it.

Wieners Circle is Chicago. People come and visit and its like you gotta go there, Omilinsky said, adding that the attention has been overwhelming. Its been cool to see how excited people get for a hot dog.

The partnership seemed perfect for social media virality at its inception. It all started with an Instagram direct message, Omilinsky said. She asked Wieners Circle if theyd want to be part of Daisies monthly crossover croissant series, where they feature recipes inspired by other eateries, and they agreed right away. They settled on a Chicago dog for inspiration.

Past partnerships included pizzeria Paulie Gees, Filipino restaurant and bakery Kasama and GGs Chicken Shop.

Cameron Davis, a barista at Daisies, grabs a Chicago-style hot dog croissant for a customer on Jan. 2, 2024.

Ragen Eggert, social media manager at the hot dog stand, said she was skeptical about the recipe when Omilinsky reached out about the collaboration. I didnt see the vision. I was like what the hell is she talking about, a Chicago-style croissant, she joked. But when she tasted it, Eggert said it came to life.

It was really good. The croissant is perfect. The dog is perfect, she said. Everything goes so well together. I didnt expect it to be as good as it was.

Everything the Weiners Circle does is iconic, Eggert said, so she isnt surprised by the support. But they arent serving subpar food, Eggert noted. She said they also worked hard so the promotional videos would come out well.

We could literally do the bare minimum and people, literally, they love it, she said.

Customer Taras Nebesnyy holds onto his 1-year-old son Nazarii, as he gets ready to eat a Chicago-style hot dog croissant at Daisies on Jan. 2, 2024.

The Chicago-style croissant is available for the rest of January during breakfast and lunch cafe service at Daisies, 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave., which starts at 7 a.m. Omilinsky said theyve ordered lots of cases of hot dogs and butter to prepare.

Daisies is also the first restaurant in Chicago to receive a Michelin Green Star, recognizing its sustainable practices. Chef and owner Joe Frillmans menu includes fresh produce from his brothers 30-acre farm, highlighting his goal to source locally and minimize its carbon footprint.

Everybody who hasnt gotten a Chicago-style croissant needs to get their a down to Daisies and get them one, Eggert said.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar on their birth anniversary acknowledging their inspirational contributions to society. The Prime Minister said that both inspired society with their compassion and courage and their contribution towards our nation is invaluable. "Tributes to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar on their Jayanti. Both of them inspired society with their compassion and courage. Their contribution towards our nation is invaluable. Here is how we paid tributes to them during the recent #MannKiBaat," PM Modi said in a post on X. PM Modi also shared some excerpts from Mann Ki Baat where he expressed his views about Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar. Savitribai Phule was an Indian social reformer, educationalist, and poet from Maharashtra. She is regarded as the first female teacher of India. Along with her husband, Jyotirao Phule, she played an important role in improving women's rights in India. She is regarded as the mother of Indian feminism. Phule and her husband founded one of the first Indian girls' school in Pune, at Bhide wada in 1848. She worked to abolish the discrimination and unfair treatment of people based on caste and gender. She is regarded as an important figure of the social reform movement in Maharashtra. A philanthropist and an educationist, Phule was also a prolific Marathi writer. Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first ever woman from a royal family to have challenged the British Empire. Rani Velu Nachiyar took up arms when her husband and his second wife were killed by combined forces of British soldiers and the son of the Nawab of Arcot. Later, she escaped with her daughter, lived under the protection of Hyder Ali at Virupachi near Dindigul for eight years. During this period she formed an army and formed an alliance with Gopala Nayaker and Hyder Ali with the aim of attacking the British. In 1780 Rani Velu Nachiyar fought the British with military assistance of her allies and won the battle. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mass gathering of two lakh women from various walks of life at the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mahila Conference in Thrissur in Kerala on Wednesday. Banners and hoardings have been put up in Thrissur city to welcome the Prime Minister. He will address road shows and public meetings. Titled 'Sthree Shakthi Modikk Oppam' (Empower Women with Modi), the convention, to be held at the Thekkinkadu ground today is organised by the Kerala unit of the BJP to congratulate PM Modi for successfully passing the Women's Reservation Bill in both Houses of Parliament. Women from diverse backgrounds have been invited to participate in the event. Prior to his Kerala visit the PM will dedicate and lay foundation stones for various development projects in Lakshwadweep today. The PM reached Lakshadweep yesterday and chaired a review meeting on aspects relating to Lakshadweep's progress. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to nation and laid foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crore in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu He dedicated the Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district. Built at a cost of about Rs 400 crore, this groundbreaking facility has the unique distinction of being the world's only industrial-scale plant capable of handling both carbide and oxide spent fuels from fast reactors, a release stated. He also inaugurated the new terminal building of the Tiruchirappalli International Airport -- Tamil Nadu's second-largest terminal in terms of international traffic, after the one in the capital Chennai. The new terminal building has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1100 crore. The two-level new international terminal can serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3,500 during peak hours, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed earlier through an official release. Tiruchirappalli International Airport is the second-largest airport in terms of international passenger traffic after Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Modi also dedicated to the nation multiple railway projects worth crores. These include the doubling of the 41.4 km Salem-Magnesite Junction-Omalur-Mettur Dam section; the doubling of the rail line section of 160 km from Madurai-Tuticorin; and three projects for rail line electrification: Tiruchchirappalli-Manamadurai-Virudhunagar; Virudhunagar-Tenkasi Junction; Sengottai-Tenkasi Junction; Tirunelveli- Tirunelveli- Tiruchendur. The rail projects are tipped to help improve the rail capacity to carry freight and passengers and contribute to economic development and employment generation in Tamil Nadu. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders held a protest against the Congress-led government here following the arrest of a man in Hubballi for his alleged involvement in the riots after Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. The protest was staged in Bengaluru and leaders including state president BY Vijayendra Bhaskar Rao, Sadananda Gowda and CN Ashwath Narayan took part in the protest. BJP leader CN Ashwath Narayan condemned the Congress government's approach on the matter and said there should be no appeasement politics. "There should not be appeasement politics or misuse of the funds. Only vote bank politics is not appreciated by the people. They are trying to politicise the entire thing so that's the reason we are condemning the entire approach of the Congress government in Karnataka. Now they should realize to be nationalist, respect all sections," he said. Senior leader DV Sadananda Gowda alleged the matter was politically motivated at a time when the date of consecration at Ayodhya's Ram Temple is nearing. "Closing the cases, was it within the purview of legal boundaries? The appeasement politics of Siddaramaiah certainly will hit back at him within a very short period. Legal issues which need to be taken care of will be taken care of by BJP legally," he said. "These are all political activities, 100 per cent politically motivated. Now when we are going to inaugurate Ayodhya Ram Mandir, at this juncture why would they do all this? Why this provocation?" he asked. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has dismissed the opposition's allegation of appeasement politics. "What should be done to the wrongdoers? Should we just leave them? We have told the police to dispose of old cases. No innocents have been arrested. We will proceed according to the court's direction," the Chief Minister told reporters on Tuesday. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a habeas corpus plea moved by accused Neelam Azad in connection with the Parliament security breach case. Neelam Azad through plea had sought direction to immediately release her from the custody of Delhi Police. She was arrested along with other accused on December 13. The bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain after noting that the accused has already moved a bail plea in trial court on the same ground, said the habeas corpus is not maintainable. The lawyer who appeared for Neelam Azad submitted that the present plea was filed after the accused was denied her fundamental right to meet with legal counsel when she was arrested. Neelam Azad through Lawyer Advocate Suresh Kumar alleged that her arrest was illegal and in contravention of Article 22(1) of the Consitution. The plea further alleged that though she was arrested in the afternoon, the family was informed in the evening. "There are guidelines by the Supreme Court regarding the arrest of any person. We feel that the guidelines set by the SC were not followed in this case.", submitted the lawyer. She also alleged that she was produced 29 hours contrary to the laws. The plea had further challenged the legality of the remand order passed by the trial court dated December 21 on the ground that she wasn't allowed to consult the legal practitioner of her choice to defend her during the proceeding of the remand application moved by the Delhi Police. The Plea further stated that it is a settled principle of law that the rights enshrined under the provision (1) and (2) of Article 22 of the Constitution of India activate as soon as the arrest is made. The state was under obligation to enable the petitioner to consult a legal practitioner of her choice right after her arrest but the same wasn't complied with rather the state had been opposing the petitioner's right to consult her advocate till December 21. The Delhi High Court has recently also upheld the trial Court order directing Delhi Police to supply an FIR Copy to one of the accused Neelam Azad. Delhi Police had moved to the High Court challenging the trial court order in regards to supplying a copy of the FIR to one of the accused Neelam Azad in connection with the Parliament security breach case. The Bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, after noting the submissions of Delhi Police ordered that the trial court's directions will be stayed till January 4, 2024..Meanwhile, the court also issued notices to the accused Neelam Azad on Delhi Police plea. The Patiala House Court had earlier allowed an application moved by one of the accused Neelam Azad's family seeking a supply of a copy of FIR registration under various sections of IPC and UAPA. The court had also allowed plea seeking court direction to Delhi Police to allow Neelam's Lawyer to meet for legal advice during the custodial remand period. The case involves a security breach that occurred on December 13, when two youths jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour, setting off smoke cans and raising slogans. The probe earlier revealed further that two pairs of shoes were made on a special order in Lucknow, as the accused learned that the shoes of visitors to the new Parliament were not checked and they could hide their smoke cans under their footwear. (ANI)
A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol sought a response from the NIA and asked it to respond in three weeks.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Babu seeking regular bail while challenging a September 2023 order of the Bombay High Court which had rejected his bail plea.

The High Court while rejecting his bail plea had observed that the offences alleged were serious, and that evidence shows that the professor "was an expert in setting up appointments and developing code structure which was vital for secret communication".

A Special NIA court had earlier rejected his bail application after which he had moved to the High Court.

Babu, a former Delhi University professor, was arrested in July 2020 on charges of being a member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and being involved in conspiracy to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NIA had claimed that the letter was found on Babu's computer. However, Babu has contended that the letter was neither written by him nor addressed to him nor did it mention his role in the conspiracy. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre and 11 state governments on a plea seeking directions to curb caste-based discrimination in prisons and manual work being allocated to them based on different castes. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it's a serious issue and sought responses from various governments. The bench issued notice to the Centre, Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Senior advocate S Murlidhar, appearing for journalist Sukanya Shantha, told the bench that there are cases where Dalits are in separate prisons and some other castes are in different areas. "Such caste-based discrimination is there from the time one steps into the prison," he said. "Issue notice to the Union and the State governments. Liberty to serve the standing counsels. Union to entrust a law officer to assist the court," the bench ordered. CJI Chandrachud told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in the courtroom, that this is a very important issue that has been raised. Mehta replied that "this cannot be accepted" and he will look into the issue. The plea filed through advocate Prasanna S sought to challenge the various discriminatory provisions of the Prison Manuals and Rules for being ultra vires to Articles 14, 15, 17, and 23 of the Constitution of India. It sought the issuance of specific guidelines or directions in respect of caste-based division of labour in the various state prison manuals. "If we look at the demographic composition of the prison population in India, it is revealed that there is an over-representation of the marginalised sections of society in Indian prisons. As these communities are unable to access legal aid, their time in prison is prolonged. When at the prison, they face a cruel and unequal administration tracing its origins to a colonial hangover," the plea added. It sought direction to bring the prison manuals and rules administered by them to repeal all provisions that either segregate or discriminate against prisoners or the work assigned to them based on caste, belonging to denotified tribes or being 'habitual offenders' and bring such manuals and rules in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution of India. "Direct all the respondents to undertake strong action to prevent the persistence of forced caste-based labour and segregation in prisons," the plea sought. It further sought direction for states to take steps to ensure proactive disclosure of prison manuals through greater digitization of the state prison manual on the website of respective home departments and to undertake regular printing of prison manuals to be readily available. (ANI)
"Purrs in the wild! Thrilled to share that Kuno National Park has welcomed three new members. The cubs have been born to Namibian Cheetah Aasha. This is a roaring success for Project Cheetah, envisioned by PM Narendra Modi ji to restore ecological balance," posted Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav on X.

The Minister also congratulated the experts involved in Project Cheetah and said, "My big congrats to all experts involved in the project, the Kuno wildlife officials, and wildlife enthusiasts across India."

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also sent out a congratulatory message on the birth of the cubs.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Yadav said, "Three new cubs have been born in Kuno National Park under the Cheetah project started under the leadership of PM Modi and the Madhya Pradesh government. I want to congratulate all the officials of Madhya Pradesh."

Earlier last month, female cheetah named Veera was released in the wild at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district.

The cheetah was released in the Nayagaon forest range, which falls under the Pipalbaori tourist zone, said an official statement.

The release of the cheetahs is part of the 'Cheetah Reintroduction Project' and allows tourists to see the animals in the designated area.

Kuno National Park is situated on the Northern side of the Vidhyachal mountains and has an area of 344.686 sq km. It was named after a tributary of the Chambal River. (ANI)
Delhi's Karkardooma Court on Wednesday convicted two persons accused in a North-East Delhi rioting case of February 2020. This case pertains to an FIR registered at Police Station Khajuri Khas. This alleged incident took place in a workshop where 13 motorcycles were burnt by the rioters. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala on Wednesday convicted Noor Mohammed alias Noora and Nabi Mohammed for the offences related to rioting and arson. ASJ Pramachala said, "I find that charges levelled against both the accused persons in this case are proved beyond reasonable doubt." "Hence, accused Noor Mohammad, alias Noora, is held guilty for offence punishable under sections 148/427/435/436 IPC read with Section 149 IPC. He is further held guilty for offence punishable under Section 392 and 188 IPC. Accused Nabi Mohammad is held guilty for offence punishable under Section 411 IPC, " the court said. Special public prosecutor (SPP) R.C.S. Bhadoria had argued that complainant Dalip proved arson in his building and robbery of his mobile phone. He further argued that Shiv Kumar Raghav was having office in the same building. He was also present at the time of riot. He identified accused Noora, who robbed his mobile phone. SPP further argued that prosecution witness Constable Rohtash and SI Sandeep are witnesses of recovery of mobile phones. Mobile phone of Shiv Kumar Raghav was recovered from accused Nabi Mohammad at the instance of accused Noora. He also argued that accused Noora refused to participate in TIP on 01.04.2020. As per testimony of Shiv Kumar Raghav, he had seen face of Noora, when he was picking the phone from ground. Therefore, case of the prosecution is proved on the record. Delhi police had registered an FIR under Section 147 (Rioting ) 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 392 (Robbery), 427 (Mischief with Fire), 435 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to an amount of 100 rupees or upwards, or in case of agricultural produce, 10 rupees or upwards), 436 (Destruction of property by using fire or explosive substance) IPC read with 149 (Punishment for Unlawful assembly) IPC read with section 188 (Violation of orders passed by a Public servant) IPC and 411 (Keeping property of theft) IPC. It was alleged that On 24.02.2020 at about 2:30 PM, some rioters came from the side of Mustafabad and broke open main gate of Giri automobiles. They set several motorcycles on fire. Two of them robbed the mobile phones and money from the complainants Dalip and Shiv Kumar Raghav, who jumped over the adjacent plot to save their lives. (ANI)
Delhi LG VK Saxena has granted permission for a CBI investigation against two officials of the Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD in a corruption case involving Rs 223 crores, an official statement said. In another case, the LG gave the go-ahead to the Anti-Corruption Branch, GNCTD to investigate two senior nurses of the Delhi Government-run hospital in the bribery case involving Rs 60,000. According to the statement, in both cases Saxena has approved the proposals for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, observing that he is of the considered view that it is in the interest of justice to investigate and conduct enquiry against the accused persons. CBI has registered a case against the then Forest Department officials, Parasnath Yadav, and Alam Singh Rawat, who were Senior Account Officers and Assistant Account officers respectively for entering into a criminal conspiracy with LA Khan, the then-senior Branch Manager of Bank of Baroda, Pharganj Branch, New Delhi and others to transfer Rs 223 crores illegally and unauthorizedly from the 'SUNDRY' account to the fake saving accounts in the name of DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) at the same branch based on a forged letter purportedly issued by Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD. Yadav, who is a Group 'A' officer is presently posted as Pay and Accounts Officer in the Principal Accounts Office, GNCTD and his file seeking permission under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act for CBI investigation was submitted to the LG by the Directorate of Vigilance through NCCSA (National Capital Civil Services Authority). Rawat is presently posted as an Accounts Officer at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Pitampura.The Directorate of Vigilance stated that the CBI vide letter July 12, 2023, submitted that the investigation conducted so far prima facie brought forth the role of two officials in the case of financial irregularities pertaining to the Forest and Wildlife Department of GNCTD. In the bribery case against two women health department officials, Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma, who were then posted at the G.B Pant Hospital as Deputy Nursing Superintendent and Nursing officer respectively, the ACB, GNCTD alleged that they demanded Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers for allowing them 'light duty'. One of the nursing officers also alleged that both the accused had already taken Rs 42,000 for exemption of duty from the COVID-19 desk. At present Pisalla is posted at Guru Nanak Eye Centre while Verma has been posted at Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital. (ANI)
The Master Plan 2031 for Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Meerut, Aligarh and Mathura-Vrindavan districts was presented before Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a high-level meeting held at his official residence on Wednesday. The Chief Minister said that a comprehensive study should be conducted in view of the present situation and future needs of all the districts so that we can take them into account in the Master Plan. Clusters should be developed to encourage local crafts and traditional products. The Chief Minister said that the Inner Ring Road will have to be developed in all the cities. Facilities should be developed on various link roads next to this Inner Ring Road. To remove the congestion within the city, it is necessary to provide facilities for the development of different business activities on different routes outside the Ring Road. "For example, arrangements should be made to build warehouses for the textile market and the pharmaceutical market at different places. Similarly, an education hub should be developed on some other route. This work will also promote healthy competition," he added. CM Yogi said that while planning in urban areas, there should be a provision for generating income from one's sources. Bus stations should be established as far outside the city as possible. People should be provided with an electric bus facility to come to the city. The Chief Minister said, "Traffic management in cities is an important subject. We need to make concerted efforts for this. Give preference to electric buses in the city. Conventional fuel buses should be kept out of the city as much as possible. Determine suitable space for multilevel parking." He said that a logistics hub should also be prepared near Transport Nagar. Rehabilitation of the people affected due to various development projects should be carried out on priority. The Chief Minister said that it should be ensured that green area is reserved in the Master Plan of every city. Wherever there is a green belt, no new colony should be established under any circumstances. Include this instruction in the Master Plan. All types of basic facilities like roads, sewer, electricity, and water should be available in the newly developed colonies. CM Yogi further added that today Uttar Pradesh is hosting big national and international events. To ensure that every city of the state gets such opportunities, the development of infrastructure facilities is necessary. International-level convention centres should be developed by all development authorities. "All authorities/local bodies should ensure that illegal settlements/illegal residential colonies are not established anywhere under any circumstances. Every colony should have all the necessary facilities," he said. The Chief Minister also noted that the development authorities will have to explore new possibilities. The extension will have to take place outside the Municipal Corporation. Expand your scope. Create new sources of income. "The catchment of the river/pond should not be encroached upon. There should be a better action plan for solid waste management," he added. (ANI)
Major earthquake hits central Japan on New Year's Day, causing casualties, widespread structural damage

Xinhua) 08:10, January 03, 2024

TOKYO, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A major earthquake hit the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa and its vicinity on New Year's Day, causing heavy casualties and widespread structural damage. Thousands of people were evacuated following tsunami warnings issued along Japan's western coast.

In the aftermath of the quake that roiled the country's New Year celebrations, the quake-hit and affected regions have been grappling with the immediate impact on infrastructure, transportation systems, and nuclear safety.

A series of strong temblors, with a major one of preliminary 7.6 magnitude, hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture at a shallow depth on Monday. The Japan Meteorological Agency has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

The death toll has been climbing, reaching 48 as of Tuesday afternoon due to building collapses and fires in the most devastated area.

More injuries, damage reports and information about people trapped continued to come in regarding other prefectures including Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, and Gifu, according to local authorities.

Calling the rescue of those impacted by the quakes a battle against time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the press that approximately 1,000 Self-Defense Force members, 634 police officers, and 2,039 firefighters were deployed to provide assistance and conduct rescue operations.

This photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows a road damaged by earthquakes in Hakui, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

WRECKED ROADS HAMPER RESCUE EFFORTS

Disruptions of transport and communication have complicated rescue efforts in the quake-affected areas as roads and telecom facilities suffered damage following the quakes.

Following an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister told the press that a wrecked road had cut off access to the area, and rescuers were still working to reach people trapped under collapsed buildings.

On Tuesday noon, Xinhua reporters, while finding their way to Ishikawa's Wajima city near where the earthquake's epicenter was located, witnessed the road destruction firsthand.

Roads leading to the epicenter suffered severe damage, with visible cracks and large fractures, making travel treacherous. Approximately 34 kilometers from the city center of Wajima, landslides blocked roads completely, forcing reporters to retrace their path.

The earthquake's impact reverberated across the transportation sector, with at least five highways across the country closed, adding to the challenges of navigating the affected areas.

Amid temporary halts in Shinkansen bullet train operations in the Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku regions, the Japan Railways (JR) Group reported disruptions, affecting thousands of passengers during the country's New Year holiday travel rush.

Meanwhile, a total of 122 trains were delayed Monday after the earthquake detection system was activated or power was temporarily cut, affecting about 100,000 people.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, cracks about 10 centimeters deep and over 10 meters long were found in several places on the runway at Noto Airport, leading to its closure. Some sections of expressways were also closed to traffic in various locations.

The road leading to Noto Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture was impassable, and the runway was damaged, leaving about 500 passengers and local residents in an isolated state, the ministry added.

A timetable shows train delays caused by earthquakes at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

Flights were also canceled in succession. All Nippon Airways canceled 16 flights from various airports on Monday, affecting about 1,450 people. Japan Airlines canceled nine flights from both Niigata and Komatsu airports on Monday, affecting about 730 people.

The earthquake also took a toll on vital infrastructure, disrupting the fuel supply, causing gas stations' partial closures, and leading to temporary shutdowns of convenience stores.

Starting Monday, major communication providers including NTT Docomo reported interruptions in mobile and fixed-line services in Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures, affecting emergency communication capabilities.

According to public broadcaster NHK, five of six crew members aboard a Japan Coast Guard aircraft that collided with a passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday were confirmed dead, while the captain who managed to escape earlier is severely injured.

The coast guard plane was taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas in Niigata Prefecture. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board the Japan Airlines airplane that was in flames have evacuated, NHK reported.

A road sign reading "No passing due to earthquakes" is seen in Oyabe City of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, Jan. 1, 2024. (Photo by Sun Jialin/Xinhua)

COLLAPSES, OUTAGES AND SUPPLY SHORTAGES

Since Monday, Japan has been hit by at least 155 quakes, and damage and outages are making life difficult in affected areas.

In Wajima, a seven-story building toppled over sideways while a central area known for its morning market was gutted by a large blaze that broke out Monday, engulfing over 200 structures in the central Wajima area, according to prefectural officials.

According to Japan's Health Ministry, the water supply has been cut off in many areas of quake-affected prefectures. Power outages hit thousands of homes after the quakes, with some 45,700 households suffering power outages in Ishikawa prefecture alone, according to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company on Tuesday.

Several medical institutions in Niigata, Toyama, and Ishikawa experienced power outages and water supply disruptions. Meanwhile, agricultural and fisheries sectors reported damage, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support.

The Monday quakes, which were felt in the capital city of Tokyo, triggered tsunami warnings along the Sea of Japan coast, with tsunamis reported as far away as the northernmost main island of Hokkaido. In areas where tsunami warnings have been issued, residents were evacuated to higher ground and other places of safety.

Residents of an earthquake-affected house transfer daily supplies to a tent in Hakui, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, Jan. 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

A total of over 46,000 people have been evacuated across Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures as of Tuesday morning. Over 160 people evacuated Noto island in the city of Nanao, however, because roads have been closed on the bridge that connects the island to the mainland, supplies are unable to reach the area, the Japan Times reported on Tuesday.

Road closures have also impacted the delivery of goods in the area, with major delays seen in Niigata, Ishikawa, Toyama and Fukui, according to the Japan Post. Major convenience stores in the region, including 100 7-Eleven stores and 160 Family Mart stores, are temporarily closed as well.

This photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows an almost vacant food shelf at a supermarket in Hakui, Ishikawa, Japan. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

NUCLEAR SAFETY CONCERNS AMID TSUNAMI WAVES

Following Monday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake, concerns arose over Japan's nuclear safety, which has been questioned constantly since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant, one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.

The quake triggered a rare major tsunami warning and forecasts that waves of up to 5 meters could strike, but by 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Tuesday, all warnings and advisories had been lifted. The highest tsunami recorded was over 1.2 meters at Wajima Port in Ishikawa.

At the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, water from the fuel pools at the top floors of the No. 7 and No. 2 reactors spilled over due to strong earthquakes, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) announced Monday.

According to TEPCO, about 10 liters spilled from the No. 2 reactor and about 4 liters from the No. 7 reactor. It is measuring the radiation levels, with no damage or leaks confirmed.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) earlier confirmed there were no abnormalities reported at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan after the quake, and no rises in radiation levels were detected at the monitoring posts in the region.

"It has been confirmed that there are no abnormalities at Shika nuclear power plant (in Ishikawa) and other stations as of now," government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Monday afternoon.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the operator of the Shika plant which is the closest to the epicenter, said both of the two reactors at the plant had been offline since before the earthquake, noting that there had been some power outages and oil leaks following Monday's jolt but no radiation leakage.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company also said it has shut down two generators at its Nanao Ota thermal power plant in Nanao city in Ishikawa.

Kansai Electric Power Company confirmed no damage has been detected at the Ohi and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture following Monday's earthquake.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. However, a tsunami warning had not been issued since the March 2011 earthquake in northeastern Japan.

The 9.0-magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing and sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Japan is still haunted by the memory of the country's worst post-war disaster and the world's most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
All of Us Strangers is a lovely way to begin 2024, not because its especially seasonal  though one key scene takes place around Christmastime  but because its just so beautifully acted and tenderly observant. Writer-director Andrew Haighs drama made a lot of Top 10 lists for 2023. I always miss two or three such films around the holiday crunchtime. The upside, now that All of Us Strangers is opening in a wee handful of Chicago theaters this week, is the opportunity to start the year on a high note.

We meet Adam, played by Andrew Scott, alone in a newly built London high-rise, conspicuously light on residents. Hes a writer, accustomed to solitude, and to living a cautious life mostly inside his imagination.

Lately, he has begun a screenplay about his parents, played in Haighs film by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, and an early close-up of a document on Adams laptop reads EXT. (exterior) SUBURBAN HOUSE 1987. As we learn soon enough, that year, 1987, changed then-12-year-old Adams life forever.

In his apartment Adam hears a knock; its Harry, another man who lives in the building, drunk and available. They have spied each other from a distance but never spoken. Played by Paul Mescal, Harry makes a pass at Adam (whos also gay) but Adam declines, politely. In more sober circumstances, some time later after awkward small talk in the elevator, they get together. And across an unfixed, undetermined number of days and nights, their story becomes the love story of All of Us Strangers.

If the film were only about that story, it would serve as a fitting bookend to Haighs excellent second feature, Weekend. But its larger, more mysterious than that. As Adam reveals details about his fraught, long-ago relationship to his parents, who we learn early on (not a spoiler) died in a car crash, Harry becomes his lover, sounding board and romantic possibility.

Numerous times throughout All of Us Strangers, Adam travels by train to revisit the home where he grew up. Its the suburban house referred to in his screenplay, located in Dorking, 21 miles south of London. What he finds there defies explanation; his parents apparently live there still, just as they were in 1987. This is Adams research in supernatural form; hes revisiting not just a place but communing with the memory of his lost parents. Many things between Adam and his parents went unsaid when they were all together. As a child, Adam always knew he was gay and was bullied for being sensitive, different, creative  all the euphemisms and condescending code words for queer. Did his parents know what he was going through? Would they have accepted him for who he was, in the years of the AIDS epidemic? What would they think of him now that hes an adult, coping with so much childhood loss and deeply buried emotions?

There are a couple of different ways to experience All of Us Strangers. It can be watched as a fluid sort of reverie on roads and conversations not taken  heartbreaking ones. It can also be watched as an exercise in subtle visual excellence. Haigh is a rare writer-director indeed, equally skillful on the page and behind his camera. As Adam falls into a trance of aching nostalgia for what he lost, the movie becomes almost liquid in its flow in and out of dreamscapes and reality. (Cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay shot the movie on 35-millimeter film, perfect for the exquisite cross-fades and dissolves Haigh favors.) Haigh used his own boyhood home in South Londons Croydon area as the boyhood home in the movie, unobtrusively color-coding the scenes to reflect Adams states of mind.

Dorking, Adam tells Harry early on, is not for people like me. A couple of decades younger (at least going by the ages of Scott and Mescal), Harry can relate, but he grew up in a less clamped-down, AIDS-ravaged time. Haigh has come up with a personal response, in the best way, to his source material, the Japanese novel Strangers by Taichi Yamada, built around a heterosexual scenario. Haighs adaptation is fully its own creation, and while it does skirt the edge of sentimentality in its final minutes, its true and moving en route.

Like all his first-rate work prior to All of Us Strangers  from Weekend to 45 Years to Lean On Pete  Haighs latest brings out the best in its performers. Scott conveys a wealth of profoundly affecting sadness and resolve; Mescal matches his work with a vital portrayal full of slightly unruly lost-boy charisma. The scenes with Bell and Foy as Adams 1987-era parents are enough to make you weep for all the people in the world who, whether their stories are like Adams story or not, wonder and ruminate about all the unspoken somethings from their childhoods.

We carry those somethings with us, however long we live. Haigh, one of our very best writer-directors, has taken familiar feelings and oft-explored ideas in his own spectral direction with All of Us Strangers. Sad as it is at its core, its an inspiring way to start a new movie year.

Jamie Bell and Claire Foy in the movie All of Us Strangers.

All of Us Strangers  3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for sexual content, drug use and some language)

Running time: 1:45

How to watch: In limited theaters Jan. 5

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune
According to the statement, Indian Naval ships and aircraft remain mission deployed for maintaining enhanced surveillance and undertaking maritime security operations.

In the last week, Indian Naval Task Groups deployed in the area have investigated a large number of fishing vessels and boarded vessels of interest.

Indian Naval Maritime Patrol Aircraft and RPAs are undertaking persistent surveillance over the area.

IMAC and IFC IOR have been closely monitoring white shipping, especially the Indian Flagged Merchant Vessels plying in the area. Indian Navy is also coordinating with the Coast Guard to maintain enhanced surveillance within the EEZ, the statement added.

Indian Navy is closely monitoring the overall situation in coordination with national maritime agencies and remains committed to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping and seafarers in the region. (ANI)
The Communist Party of India-Marxist has termed the Supreme Court verdict on the Adani-Hindenburg issue as "disappointing" and alleged that SEBI has "not been fulfilling its mandate for expeditiously probing" allegations against the Adani group. CPI-M politburo said in a statement that the SEBI had changed its own rules, making them more opaque and the court had not questioned it on "not acting" on complaints it received. "The Supreme Court judgement in the Adani case rejecting petitions for an impartial probe is disappointing and unfortunate on several grounds. A statutory body like the SEBI has not been fulfilling its mandate for expeditiously probing allegations against the Adani group," it said. "In 2014, the DRI had made a reference to SEBI on a direct charge against Adani. In 2021,Parliament had been informed that the SEBI had been probing allegations against Adani but in its affidavit to the Court, the SEBI denied such a probe. It is surprising that the Court took such a denial at its face value without questioning why the SEBI has not acted on the complaints," it added. The statement said SEBI had "changed its own rules, making them more opaque, and toconceal who the ultimate beneficiary is." "The Expert Committee set up by the Supreme Court had itself stated that 'SEBI's pursuit of investigations is based on the premise that it is pursuing the 'spirit of the law', whichflies in the face of the prospective amendments with deferred effect that SEBI has made on the legislative side'. However the Supreme Court has given approval to these amendments, which admittedly act as a wall to conceal identities of the links of foreign investors with the 'ultimatebeneficiary'," CPI(M) said. "It is most unfortunate that the judgement has given an open licence to the government to probe whether Hindenburg Research's allegations 'ignored rules' and to take action accordingly, in other words to shoot the messenger, which would jeopardise all those media outlets which had published the Hindenburg report. The Supreme Court has not enhanced its credibility with this judgement," it added. In a relief to the Adani group of companies, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to transfer the probe from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or CBI into the Adani-Hindenburg issue over allegations of stock price manipulation by the Indian corporate giant. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, PS Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the scope of power of the apex court to enter into the regulatory domain of SEBI is limited. It said the scope of judicial review is only to see whether any fundamental right has been violated. The SC said the facts of the case do not warrant the transfer of the probe to the SIT or other agency. The SC also said there was no material to doubt the investigation carried out by the SEBI. The verdict of the top court came on a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored investigation or CBI probe into the allegations made by US-based firm Hindenburg Research against the Adani group of companies regarding violations of the stock market. The bench said there has been no regulatory failure by SEBI and the market regulator cannot be expected to carry on its functions based on press reports though such reports can act as inputs for SEBI. The top court asked SEBI to complete within three months its probe into two cases pending out of 24 cases. The case is related to the allegations (part of a report by short-seller Hindenberg Research) that Adani had inflated its share prices. After these allegations were published, it led to a sharp fall in the share value of various Adani companies, reportedly to the tune of USD 100 billion. The Adani Group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements. Various petitions were filed alleging that changes to the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act (SEBI) had provided a shield and an excuse for the Adani Group's regulatory contraventions and market manipulations to remain undetected. The apex court then asked SEBI to independently probe the matter and also constituted an expert committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice AM Sapre to look into the matter. (ANI)
Nepal has entrusted Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) with the construction of the 900 megawatt Upper Karnali hydropower project along with the GMR group, which was earlier awarded the construction of this major hydroelectric project. Earlier in 2014, GMR and SJVN signed the Project Development Agreement (PDA) for the construction of the Upper Karnali and Arun-III hydropower projects. Over a decade, the progress in Arun-III has been significant, while Upper Karnali has remained on the backburner. Now, the government of Nepal has brought in SJVN for the construction of the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, which is expected to give a boost to one of the major hydropower plants in the Himalayan nation. "SJVN has received permission to take part in the construction of the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project," the chairman of the company, Nandalal Sharma, confirmed. As per the official, the Upper Karnali hydropower project will now be constructed with the joint investment of SJVN and GMR, with the former taking the lead. As per the earlier agreement with GMR, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will hold a share of 27 per cent. The remaining 73 per cent of the share will be divided between the two companies, with each holding a share of 36.5 per cent. Earlier, during the signing ceremony, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh had promised to build the Upper Karnali and Arun-III by the Indian Government in case both companies failed to do so. As no progress has been made on the 900 MW capacity of Upper Karnali, SJVN took over as a partner. As per the PDA, the estimated cost for the construction of the Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project stood at 1.16 billion Nepali rupees about a decade ago. The Government of Nepal also extended the timeframe three times for GMR to secure funding for the construction of the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project. (ANI)
The United States has strongly rejected the Israeli ministers' statements on the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza and said that the rhetoric is "inflammatory and irresponsible." The US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said in a press statement that the US has always been clear on the fact that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain theirs. "The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible," the statement read. "We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately," it added. He said that the kind of future the US seeks is that in future, no terror groups are able to threaten Israel and Hamas has no control of Gaza. "We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel. That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world," Miller said, according to the press statement. The statement from the US came in response to recent statements of Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who presented the migration of Palestinian civilians as a solution to the long-running conflict and as a prerequisite for securing the stability necessary to allow residents of southern Israel to return to their homes. According to The Times of Israel, two prominent far-right leaders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Monday supported the reconstruction of settlements in the Gaza Strip and the promotion of "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians, while opposition MK Avigdor Liberman, known for his hardline views, demanded that Israel retake southern Lebanon. They spoke during their parties' respective faction meetings in the Knesset. The Israel-Gaza conflict offers an "opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza," Ben Gvir told reporters, calling such a policy "a correct, just, moral and humane solution," according to The Times of Israel. "We cannot withdraw from any territory we are in in the Gaza Strip. Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing," Gvir said. Meanwhile, Smotrich told members of his party and the Knesset that the "correct solution" to the ongoing Gaza conflict is "to encourage the voluntary migration of Gaza's residents to countries that will agree to take in the refugees." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the international community have strongly opposed the "resettlement" of Palestinians from Gaza, a demand made by several parliamentarians, including cabinet members. The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. Israel, since the war began, has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties. Reportedly, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claimed that over 20,000 people have been killed in the Strip during the war, an unverified figure that also does not differentiate between combatants and civilians and does not take into account those killed as a consequence of terror groups' own rocket misfires. Whereas, recently, the Israeli forces identified several launches from Lebanon towards the area of Adamit in northern Israel on Monday. According to Israeli assessments, troops have killed some 8,500 terror operatives since the war began. Moreover, another 1,000 Hamas terrorists were killed in Israel on or in the days after the October 7 attack. (ANI)
Pakistan's caretaker minister for parliamentary affairs, information, and broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, ruled out the possibility that the elections, which are set for February 8 this year, would be postponed, according to ARY News. He restated the date of the country's general elections for February 8, 2024, while expressing confidence in the capacity of law enforcement to face any obstacle. He said that the caretaker administration would support the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to the fullest extent possible so that the nation may have fair, transparent, and peaceful elections. "There is no possibility of postponing the elections, nor is there any challenge that will affect them," the caretaker minister said, according to ARY News. The minister denied that Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Pakistan's caretaker prime minister, had said anything contentious in his most recent media appearance. Rather, he made reference to those who provide assistance to terrorist groups. In response to a follow-up question on Baloch protesters, he stated that no force was applied to the Balochstani demonstrators; they chose to sit in front of the Islamabad Press Club. He said that the prime minister's negotiation group had extremely amicable meetings with them. The minister said that although they had promised to deliver the committee a list of its requests, it was still pending. According to him, all of the demonstrators who were women and children were let free on the first day of talks. A day later, 163 more individuals were set free, and the final 34 people were also set free, ARY News reported. He emphasised that none of the demonstrators were in police custody at the moment and that they ought to be questioned about why their demands were not forwarded to the committee. "There is no restriction on politics in the country since everyone has the right to do politics," he said. Meanwhile, the members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, the organisers of the ongoing Baloch movement, have raised their voice against the persistant harassment by the Islamabad Police and administration while expressing their determination to continue with their protest. The committee's social media post reads, "The Islamabad police and administration are continuously harassing us. We will continue our peaceful protest and request that the international media and institutions to convey our voice to the world." Urging international community to listen to their plight, the committtee said, "Show the oppression of this state to the world; demonstrate that the Baloch people are being subjected to genocide, and we are not even given the right to peacefully protest against these oppressions and genocide." Despite facing oppression, the committee declared their commitment to a peaceful protest, urging international media and institutions to amplify their plight. Accusations of genocide and denial of the right to peaceful protest were emphasised. This declaration comes amidst an ongoing peaceful protest by the Baloch community, which has been encamped outside the National Press Club in Islamabad for over a week. The protestors, organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, demand an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. The situation intensified when the government, according to the committee, attempted to label their long march and sit-in as mere "propaganda." (ANI)
Dr Saveera Parkash, a Hindu woman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Buner district who is running in the upcoming general elections on a ticket from the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), has vowed to improve ties with India if she wins, as reported by Geo News. Saveera Parkash, a 25-year-old physician who completed her medical studies in Abbottabad, has also emphasized support for women's rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a key priority. After securing a ticket from the PPP to contest the elections in the Buner district (PK-25), Dr. Saveera Parkash, a member of the Hindu community, expressed optimism about her candidature. Her father, Om Parkash, a recently retired doctor and long-time PPP member, influenced her decision to run for office with the party. Her family had supported the party for 37 years. She was granted a ticket by the PPP to contest in the next elections, at a time when she was also preparing for the Central Superior Services (CSS) in Pakistan, Geo News reported. The 25-year-old physician said in an interview with Geo News that she had been dubbed the "daughter of Buner" and that the "Muslim brothers" had promised her both their full support and their votes. Her top legislative priority after winning the election would be to advance education and deal with problems like environmental degradation and health. Along with the lack of healthcare education and awareness, she is also concerned about the dearth of healthcare services in her district. She also believes that women have fewer rights and progression possibilities, and resolving these issues is one of her major concerns. "I was proud to be a part of the Pashtun culture, but when I got the party ticket for the general elections and people, including my Muslim brothers, came to know about it, I received several congratulatory and encouraging messages," she said, as reported by Geo News. The politician described Bilawal's visit to Goa (at the time of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting) as a significant step towards promoting Indo-Pak ties. The politician will compete in one of the most important elections in the nation's recent political history, which are slated to take place on February 8. The prospective candidate said she is a patriotic Hindu and that her confidence has grown even more after being named the "daughter of Buner." She said that she will contribute positively to the relations between Islamabad and New Delhi if elected to the provincial parliament, and the Hindu community, both in Pakistan and across the border, will feel free to reach her, according to Geo News. PPP KP's women wing head, Senator Rubina Khalid said that the party is a symbol of federation and doesn't discriminate between women and minorities. "This is the reason why Dr Saveera Parkash got the ticket from Buner and we created a new history in KP, while in Sindh, too, we brought forward people belonging to minorities, not only in the election battle but also in the assembly," the Senator said. General elections are scheduled to be held in Pakistan on February 8, 2024, to elect the members of the 16th National Assembly. (ANI)
The United States Senator from New Jersey, Bob Menendez, is accused by federal prosecutors of accepting racing car tickets and other gifts from Qatar as part of a corruption plot, as reported by CNN. The Gulf State is the second foreign government the Democrat from New Jersey is accused of aiding while in office, along with Egypt. In the new indictment, prosecutors claim that Menendez's extortion and bribery plot continued to persist in 2023 as well. The official charges against a suspect are listed in the amended indictment, which was made public on Tuesday, replacing the earlier one. According to the indictment, one of the new accusations against Menendez is that he took money from his accomplice, Fred Daibes, a real estate developer in New Jersey, in exchange for leveraging his connections to assist Daibes in obtaining millions of dollars from a Qatar-related investment fund. The prosecutors claim the senator went over and beyond to assist Qatar. As part of a bribery plot, Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, Daibes, and two other New Jersey businessmen were indicted as part of a bribery scheme. To the charges, all of them have pleaded not guilty, CNN reported. "Menendez provided Daibes with these statements so that Daibes could share them with the Qatari Investor and a Qatari government officials associated with the Qatari Investment Company," the prosecutors have alleged. Notably, Menendez is accused of failing to disclose on his financial disclosure forms the gifts--gold bars and race tickets--that he received from Qatar and Daibes. Meanwhile, in August 2021, the senator sent Daibes a news statement in which he commended the Qatari government by saying, "You might want to send to them. I am just about to release," the indictment alleges, according to CNN. A few months later, in January 2022, Menendez texted the investor from Qatar, saying, "I understand my friend is going to visit with you on the 15th of the month," in advance of his meeting with Daibes in London to discuss the possible investment. He said, "I hope that this will lead to the favourable and mutually beneficial agreement that you have been engaged in discussing," according to the indictment. According to CNN, a close relative of Nadine Menendez received tickets to the 2022 Formula One Grand Prix from the Qatari official in May of that year at the senator's request. (ANI)
A delegation of the Indian Parliament led by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh departed for Uganda on Wednesday to attend the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), set to be held in Kampala from January 4-6, Parliament Sources told ANI. This conference is held every two years in which the Presiding Officers of more than 30 Commonwealth parliaments discuss issues of common concern and share experiences and best practices for tackling the challenges before their legislatures. "Harivansh as the presiding officer from India will have the honour of addressing the Special Session on "Building Consensus in Parliamentary business". Besides, he will participate in all the 5 discussions to present India's views and suggestions" Parliament Sources told ANI Sources further told ANI that Harivansh will take over from Uganda as the next 28th Conference will be held in India in 2026. Secretary-General Rajya Sabha PC Mody and other senior officials are accompanying the delegation. The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth brings together the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the national parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the Commonwealth. It was created in 1969 as an initiative of the then Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Lucien Lamoureux. Since its inception, Canada has provided CSPOC with a secretariat to support its activities. The Conference is an independent group and has no formal affiliation with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government. CSPOC operates on a two-year cycle, holding a conference of the full membership every two years, usually early in January, and a meeting of the Standing Committee at the same time in the intervening year. The Conference aims to maintain, foster, and encourage impartiality and fairness on the part of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments; Promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy in its various forms; and Develop parliamentary institutions. (ANI)
Police in Utah are carrying out an investigation into the death of a man who crawled into the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet on the ground at Salt Lake City International Airport late Monday (local time), CNN reported. According to the airport, the man got onto the secure ramp area of the airport through a terminal emergency exit, "ran to the south end of the airport's west runway where deicing operations were underway and crawled into an aircraft engine that was not running." The airport said emergency responders found the 30-year-old man "unconscious and were not able to revive him." It further said,"It is unclear at this time what injuries caused the man's death." The man has been identified as Kyler Efinger, a resident of Lake's Park City, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department. The department said Efinger had a boarding pass for a flight to Denver. Delta Air Lines said Flight 2348 was about to leave for San Francisco, however, it returned to the gate, where all 95 passengers deboarded. Later, the flight was cancelled, CNN reported. Police responded to the airport around 10 pm (local time) after a store manager in the airport called 911 to report a disturbance regarding a passenger inside a terminal, police said in a release. The details of the disturbance are being investigator. According to the police, Kyler Efinger, had gone through one of the terminal's emergency exit doors and onto the airport's outdoor ramp area. During the search, a pilot reported seeing the man, according to the release. A few minutes later, officers found personal items on one of the runways, which included clothes and shows, according to CNN report. After searching for about 10 minutes, dispatchers informed the police that the man was at one of the airport's plane de-icing pads. According to the dispatchers, the man went under a plane, assessed the engine, the police said. Police asked air traffic controllers to tell the pilot to close the aircraft's engines. After reaching near the plane, the officers found Efinger unconscious and "partially inside" one of the commercial plane's wing-mounted engines, which were still rotating, according to the police. The police said "the specific stage of engine operation remains under investigation." In a release, the police said, "SLCPD officers and Airport Operations pulled the man from the engine's intake cowling, secured the scene, began lifesaving efforts, and requested emergency medical services. The efforts included CPR and the administration of naloxone, CNN reported. The police said Efinger died on the scene and an autopsy will be carried out to find the cause and manner of his death. According to the depart, medical examiners might carry out a toxicology report. Airport police said that the incident did not affect other operations at the airport. Salt Lake City police said they are carrying out investigation into the matter, as are the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and Transportation Security Administration. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is collecting information regarding the incident. However, it indicated that local police are handling the probe. (ANI)
Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, dismissed the US State Department's condemnation of his statement for urging Palestinians in Gaza to be resettled outside the strip on Tuesday, The Times of Israel reported. "I really admire the United States of America but with all due respect, we are not another star in the American flag," Ben Gvir, who heads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, said in a statement. He added, "The United States is our best friend but before everything else, we will do what is good for the State of Israel: The emigration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow residents [of the border area] to return home and live in security and protect IDF soldiers." Earlier, the United States strongly rejected the Israeli ministers' statements on the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza and said that the rhetoric is "inflammatory and irresponsible." The US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said in a press statement that the US has always been clear on the fact that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain theirs. "The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible," the statement read. "We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the Government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government. They should stop immediately," it added. He said that the kind of future the US seeks is that in the future, no terror groups can threaten Israel and Hamas has no control of Gaza. "We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel. That is the future we seek, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region, and the world," Miller said, according to the press statement. The statement from the US came in response to recent statements of Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who presented the migration of Palestinian civilians as a solution to the long-running conflict and as a prerequisite for securing the stability necessary to allow residents of southern Israel to return to their homes. According to The Times of Israel, two prominent far-right leaders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Monday supported the reconstruction of settlements in the Gaza Strip and the promotion of "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians, while opposition MK Avigdor Liberman, known for his hardline views, demanded that Israel retake southern Lebanon. They spoke during their parties' respective faction meetings in the Knesset. The Israel-Gaza conflict offers an "opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza," Ben Gvir told reporters, calling such a policy "a correct, just, moral and humane solution," according to The Times of Israel. "We cannot withdraw from any territory we are in in the Gaza Strip. Not only do I not rule out Jewish settlement there, I believe it is also an important thing," Gvir said. Meanwhile, Smotrich told members of his party and the Knesset that the "correct solution" to the ongoing Gaza conflict is "to encourage the voluntary migration of Gaza's residents to countries that will agree to take in the refugees. "Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the international community have strongly opposed the "resettlement" of Palestinians from Gaza, a demand made by several parliamentarians, including cabinet members. The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. Israel, since the war began, has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure to eliminate the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties. Reportedly, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claimed that over 20,000 people have been killed in the Strip during the war, an unverified figure that also does not differentiate between combatants and civilians and does not take into account those killed as a consequence of terror groups' own rocket misfires. Whereas, recently, the Israeli forces identified several launches from Lebanon towards the area of Adamit in northern Israel on Monday. According to Israeli assessments, troops have killed some 8,500 terror operatives since the war began. Moreover, another 1,000 Hamas terrorists were killed in Israel on or in the days after the October 7 attack. (ANI)
Coming off our rainy, unfrozen holiday season, what do we want from our midwinter movies? Anything with snowstorms? (Yes!) Big blasts of sequel escapism? (Well, maybe.) The new film from the fiendish auteur behind Parasite? The fourth entry in the Spider-Man cinematic universe?

Any reliable predictions of quality regarding the next three months of moviegoing are such stuff as dreams, and nervous, well-compensated industry executives, are made on. My role in this annual list of 10 is simplicity itself. Based on a time-tested combination of hope, guesswork and trailers, its time to roll the dice and hope for a few surprises  if not in originality, then in execution, and in the spirit of teaching old brand names a few new tricks.

Release dates are subject to change.

Mean Girls (Jan. 12): The 2004 film, written by Tina Fey, was inspired in part by the nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes. Feys script handled the bullying, cliques, insecurity and vicious high school dynamics with a popular blend of humor and pathos. Then came the 2018 Broadway musical version. And now, again with Fey a creative and on-screen force, the musical version of Mean Girls comes to the movies, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.

Lift (Jan. 12): This Netflix-only premieres mission: Steal half-a-bil in gold, midflight, at 40,000 feet. Kevin Hart leads a team featuring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and, as the resident master of disguise, Vincent DOnofrio. With that actor and that shtick, suddenly Lift becomes a must-see. Heist time!

Bebe Wood, Renee Rapp and Avantika Vandanapu in Mean Girls.

The Zone of Interest (Jan. 12): A Tribune top film for 2023, this is a Holocaust movie unlike any other, focusing with clinical calm and horrifying irony on the lives, routines and unearthly moral blindness of Auschwitz camp commander Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel) and his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Huller, of Anatomy of a Fall). After limited runs in 2023, the film is getting around more widely. Directed and written by Jonathan Glazer, who optioned Martin Amis heavily plotted romantic triangle of a novel and then, wisely, tossed it out.

The Teachers Lounge (Jan. 19): Sony Pictures Classics distributes this acclaimed German drama, about a sixth-grade instructors painful education in racial animus, parental interference, surveillance culture and the fault lines of society at large. Think of it as an antidote to all the inspirational, tough-love heartwarmers in the world.

Madame Web (Feb. 14): A spinoff (web joke, inevitable) of the Spider-Man trilogy under the Sony banner, this ones cowritten and directed by S.J. Clarkson and stars Dakota Johnson as Cassie Webb, New York City paramedic whose psychic abilities reveal future events in the Spider-verse that must be stopped. Or else theres no hope for a sequel! Sydney Sweeney and Celeste OConnor co-star as contrasting studies in Spider-Women.

Bob Marley: One Love (Feb. 14): A biographical portrait of the reggae legend and Rastafarian royalty, with Kingsley Ben-Adir playing Marley. Lashana Lynch portrays Rita Marley; the director is Reinaldo Marcus Green, who gave us the Will Smith vehicle King Richard.

Timothee Chalamet in Dune: Part Two.

Dune: Part Two (March 1): A 2023 postponement  blame it on the actors strike; the studios certainly did  arrives to continue the heavy-duty space epic directed by Denis Villeneuve, whose first Dune invested Frank Herberts words (and words, and words) with some truly spellbinding imagery. Timothee Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides, spice hunter.

The American Society of Magical Negroes (March 22): The hugely controversial and potentially backfiring trailer came out for the satirical comedy, and the heat was from both touchy, defensive white folks and from potential Black audiences. Premise: Aren (Justice Smith) is recruited into a magical Negro society, whose mission is to smooth and improve the lives of white people. Hollywood has recycled that trope for a century; its time to mess with it a little bit. Isnt it?

Mickey 17? (March 29): South Korean master Bong Joon-hos Parasite made Oscars history just before the pandemic; now, the writer-director turns his eye to an adaptation of Edward Ashtons science fiction novel, about an interstellar expedition to colonize an ice world. Expect clones, and Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (March 29): One of these Ghostbusters re-dos, theyre gonna get an enormous hit out of it, by gum! This one picks up where the 2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife left off, with Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd and McKenna Grace (oh, and Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd) threatened with a second ice age, which is the last thing Manhattan needs besides another street performer on Times Square.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune
Regional experts believe China's efforts to mediate between the Myanmar junta and ethnic rebels on its northern border are motivated mainly by self-interest. However, Beijing's efforts will unlikely have a significant effect on the conflict, VOA News reported. According to the experts, China's goals in convening the peace talk between the military and the Three Brotherhood Alliance, held most recently in Kunming on December 20, is two-fold. Experts believe China is making efforts to eliminate cyberfraud operations victimising Chinese citizens and to stabilise trade across the China-Myanmar border. In an interview, Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, said, "So, the economic interest or the border trade is being affected, that is for sure." Yun Sun said, "But that is a minor consideration compared to the cyber campaign. ... The sooner it can be completed, the sooner the cease-fire is, and the sooner the stability can be restored." The armed conflict between the Myanmar junta and ethnic groups has caused a daily loss of about USD 10 million in bilateral trade between China and Myanmar, according to veteran Myanmar domestic political analyst Than Soe Naing. He said this loss is more damaging for Myanmar than China. He said, "The flow of goods from the border region is not much compared to China's international economic relations. Our country suffers more." Beijing has taken care to be evenhanded in its statements regarding the talks, as per its public policy of solving problems and pursuing stability in the region through dialogue, VOA News reported. In a statement on December 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing "hopes that relevant parties in Myanmar will exercise maximum restraint, actively ease the situation on the ground, together realize the soft landing of the situation in northern Myanmar and take concrete actions to protect the safety and security of Chinese projects and personnel in Myanmar." Yun Sun said China's main concern is not to address the issue of territorial control between the military council and ethnic forces in Myanmar. However, China wants to crack down on cyber scams located on the China-Myanmar border. It has been challenging for China. The anti-junta People's Defense Forces movement has gained momentum since a major offensive in late October, taking over significant amounts of area in the north, VOA News reported. Both analysts believe that the Myanmar junta is now on the defensive and more likely to support a ceasefire. However, Than Soe Naing said the rebels will continue their offensive and that fighting is likely to intensify throughout northern Shan State. He said, "China will sit and watch over the issue of who will win between the Military Council versus Spring Revolution forces in Myanmar." He noted China will "come to whoever takes power in Burma" and will cooperate with the ruling entity and its plan, including the Belt and Road Initiative, VOA News reported. Than Soe Naing said, "Let me give you an example: China is like a tiger sitting on a mountain watching two buffaloes fight. They will cooperate with the forces of whoever wins. However, according to their current practicing international diplomacy position, they will not take sides in this conflict. China will cooperate with whoever is in power. Even if there is a change in power, China will continue to cooperate with the new one in power," according to the report. He said China does not want external interference in the Myanmar issue. He said, "I believe China will continue to prevent the involvement of Western democratic forces in these issues in various ways." In 2023, an alliance of rebel forces in war-torn Myanmar took several key towns from the Myanmar military regime, The New York Times reported. The early successes of the alliance's campaign, which began in Shan State in October last year, encouraged resistance forces in other parts of Myanmar, which have also taken control of several towns. Notably, Shan State is Myanmar's largest state, covering almost one-fourth of the country. The offensive began on October 27 after three ethnic armies - the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army announced "Operation 1027." The rebels, which call themselves the Brotherhood Alliance, opened fire on the military and captured trucks and weapons, according to videos posted on social media. Earlier in November, the People's Defence Forces said it had taken control of Kawlin, a town in the region of Upper Sagaing, and Khampat, a town in the west. Meanwhile, Karenni resistance forces said they have taken control of three military outposts in Mese, The New York Times reported. For two years, the various armed ethnic groups, which have fought against the army for decades, and the People's Defence Forces have combined forces, and they now control large parts of the countryside, according to The New York Times report. However, these groups have operated autonomously and are fragmented throughout Myanmar. The resistance movement has been encouraged by the successes of the Brotherhood Alliance. (ANI)
Amid the ongoing protests in Islamabad, Baloch protestors have called for a shutterdown strike across Pakistan on January 3, The Balochistan Post reported. The announcement about the shutterdown strike comes at a time when protestors have been voicing their discontent over what they consider a dismissive attitude from state officials. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which has been organising these protests, voiced its dissatisfaction over the government's response in a statement shared on social media, according to The Balochistan Post report. The BYC stated, "The state has consistently shown a half-hearted and uncommitted concern regarding our demands from the beginning," accusing state authorities of calling their movement mere "propaganda." In response to the government's action, the BYC announced the strike and urged people to support the strike. In a statement, the BYC said, "On January 3, we are calling for a shutterdown demonstration across Pakistan. We urge people from all walks of life to support and respect our call for the strike in the name of humanity and the Baloch nation, aiming to preserve our identity," The Balochistan Post reported. On January 2, Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul-haq-Kakar termed the ongoing Baloch protest against alleged extrajudicial killings in the province as 'irresponsible' and 'provocative', Dawn News reported. While addressing a press conference on the issues of Balochistan at Lahore's central business district, Kakar said, "Advocates of terrorists in Balochistan should go and join them if they are convinced on the veracity of their issue and fight the state along with them, so that we know where they stand and how to deal with them," referring to rights activists and journalists standing with the Baloch marchers, The Balochistan Post reported. Responding to the media on the issue of police violence against Baloch protesters in Islamabad, Pakistan caretaker PM said that some of the people, media persons included, were trying to "mislead everyone, turning themselves into fake heroes of human rights and damaging the state". The strike on January 3 is planned to amplify awareness among people in Pakistan about the critical issues faced by Balochistan, particularly enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The strike showcases the growing urgency and intensity of the Baloch people's demands for justice and protecting human rights in Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported. Meanwhile, Mahrang Baloch, the face of the Baloch movement, has vowed to continue the ongoing protest and said that they are ready to make all kinds of sacrifices for the cause. In a social media post shared on X, Mahrang Baloch wrote, "If this state thinks that we will be afraid of Islamabad Police's threatening tone, torture and arrest and end our protest, then this is a childish thinking of the state. We have shouldered the mutilated bodies of our loved ones in Balochistan, we have buried the bodies of ten of our youth together, we have spent our childhood in deep pain and sorrow waiting for our loved ones, we have lost our mothers." She added, "We have seen the suffering that is unspeakable, we have seen the miserable lives of orphans And you are trying to scare us here with torture and arrests, to scare those who are afraid of losing something with torture and arrests. We have lost everything, everything we loved was what you took from us now we have nothing to lose. We will continue this struggle until the complete end of Baloch genocide and are ready to make all kinds of sacrifices for it." https://twitter.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1742286955499360385 Moreover, the protesters also shared that the state administration is prohibiting food, tents, sound systems and other facilities in the cold weather at the protesting site. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee shared on X, "The Islamabad Police is now crossing all limits. Now they are not allowing our foods, tents, sound systems and other facilities. In this cold weather, old Mothers and Sisters are desperately facing harsh difficulties. Anything can happen to their health. We are, from the beginning, saying that they are harassing us. In this video, you can clearly assume how they are threatening us and the mainstream media. We want to make sure, if anything happens to anyone then @ICT_Police and the State administration is totally responsible." https://twitter.com/BYCislamabad/status/1742195610290475370 Earlier on December 28, the protestors issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government. The protesters demanded the release of all detained protesters, a comprehensive investigation into human rights violations in Balochistan, an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, restrictions on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and the dismantling of "state-sponsored death squads." (ANI)
The Dera Ismail Khan police in Pakistan warned former federal minister Maulana Asad Mahmood, the son of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman of a possible terrorist attack and asked him to restrict his movement, Dawn News reported on Wednesday. It reported that an advisory issued by the sub-division police officer (SDPO), Saleem Khan, to former federal minister for communications, Maulana Asad Mahmood, said that there were threats that terrorists might target him while travelling or at his residence. "Under these circumstances, avoid unnecessary travel and appearances at gatherings, while keep your movements secret and keep them under limitations," said the advisory. It said that not only Maulana Asad needed to keep his security on high alert, but he should also inform security agencies about his movement to prevent any untoward incident. A copy of the advisory has been forwarded to the district police officer of Dera Ismail Khan. JUI-F has reacted sharply to the advisory issued by the police and its spokesperson, Aslam Ghori has said that it seems that the key performance of police and district administration is to issue advisories and notices. "Just issuance of notices and advisories does not fulfil the responsibility of administration and police department. Their key responsibility is to the contain terror," he said. Ghori said that such notices were being issued almost daily but the administration, the Election Commission of Pakistan and judiciary did not care about the issues of security. "Politicians have to be in public as elections are approaching. Should we understand that there is some conspiracy behind the news about terrorism? When we talk about peace and law and order issue the chief election commission makes non-serious comments," he said. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman told a news conference last week that district administrations were telling political parties that they faced a dangerous security situation. He had warned that if any worker of JUI-F was harmed in a terror attack during the election process, the chief election commissioner and chief justice would be held responsible. Two days later, his convoy came under attack in Dera Ismail Khan, however, no loss of life was reported. On December 31, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman's convoy, came under attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan, Geo News reported on Sunday. The veteran politician's convoy was fired upon from multiple sides at Yarik interchange, the party's spokesperson, Mufti Abrar confirmed Geo News on Sunday. JUI-F chief was travelling through DI Khan when his convoy came under attack near the toll plaza.In response to a query regarding Fazl's safety, he assured that the veteran politician was safe. Speaking to Geo News, Fazl's brother denied the attack on veteran politician. saying that the JUI-F chief was at home when the incident happened. "Maulana's car stopped for refuelling near the Yarik interchange [when the incident happened," he added. (ANI)
Turkish authorities have detained 33 people on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities on behalf of Israel's foreign intelligence service Mossad, Anadolu Agency reported citing security sources on Tuesday. It reported that the arrests led to an investigation by the Istanbul prosecutor's office's Terrorism and Organised Crimes Investigation Bureau, focusing on espionage. The suspects are alleged to have been involved in activities such as reconnaissance, surveillance, assault, and abduction on behalf of Mossad, Anadolu Agency reported. Simultaneous raids across 57 addresses in eight provinces resulted in the capture of the suspects, while search operations for the remaining 13 suspects are underway. It did not provide information on the suspects or the foreigners who were allegedly targeted. The report came weeks after the head of Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, said in an audio recording that his organisation is prepared to destroy Hamas "in every place," including in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar, Al Jazeera reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Israel of "serious consequences" if it pressed ahead with its threat to attack Hamas officials on Turkish soil. As per an Al Jazeera report, following years of tension, Turkey and Israel moved towards normalising ties in 2022 as they resumed diplomatic ties. But that detente quickly deteriorated during the Israel-Hamas war, with Ankara becoming one of the strongest critics of Israel's military actions in Gaza. Israel initially withdrew its diplomats from Turkey over security concerns and later announced it was recalling its diplomats for political reasons, citing "increasingly harsh statements" from Turkish officials. Turkey also pulled its ambassador from Israel. Earlier last month, hitting out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his "Hitler" remarks against him, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Erdogan is the "last person" to preach morality to Israel. He also accused Erdogan of "committing genocide" against Kurds and imprisoning journalists opposing his regime. Netanyahu further said that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is the "most moral army" in the world and is fighting to eliminate "Hamas-ISIS" whose 'crimes against humanity' were "praised" by Erdogan. "Erdogan, who is committing genocide against the Kurds and who holds the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime, is the last person who can preach morality to us. The IDF, which is the most moral army in the world, is fighting to eliminate the most abhorrent and brutal terrorist organization in the world, Hamas-ISIS, which has committed crimes against humanity, and which Erdogan has praised and whose leaders he hosts," Netanyahu posted on X (formerly Twitter). (ANI)
Venezuela has agreed to supply crude oil to ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) in lieu of the pending dividend, Secretary Petroleum Pankaj Jain said. "They have agreed to give us some oil in lieu of its pending OVL dues. We are waiting for lifting dates," the Petroleum Secretary said. This comes after the US eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector in October. The sanctions were imposed to punish Maduro's government following his 2018 re-election. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India will buy Venezuelan oil, adding that Indian refineries are capable of processing the heavy oil from the South African country. Speaking to reporters at an event, Puri stated that New Delhi is willing to resume oil import with any nation that is not under sanction. "India will buy Venezuelan oil. Many of our refineries including one in Paradip are capable of processing heavy oil from Venezuela. We are willing to resume (oil import) with anyone who is not under sanction," he had said. "We are in a situation where we are using crude oil 5 million barrels/ per day. And it is increasing every day. If Venezuela oil comes to market we will welcome it," he added. India last imported Venezuelan crude in 2020 when the U.S. imposed secondary sanctions on the nation. The U.S. imposed harsh sanctions on Venezuela to punish Maduro's government following his 2018 re-election. The South American country is producing some 850,000 barrels per day (BPD) of crude with a target of soon reaching 1 million BPD. India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, has embarked on a strategic journey to reshape its energy landscape. As a nation heavily reliant on overseas oil, accounting for over 80 per cent of its needs, India aims to curtail its crude import bill and bolster its refining capabilities. This pursuit has led India to explore diverse sources, and one country that has caught its attention is Venezuela. Venezuela, a historical player in the global oil industry, has been producing oil since 1914. With proven oil reserves of 299,953,000,000 barrels, as of 2016, Venezuela stands as one of the world's leading holders of oil reserves, representing about 18.2 per cent of the global total. India, eyeing opportunities to diversify its oil sources and strengthen its refining capabilities, is keenly exploring collaborations and partnerships with Venezuela. (ANI)
Amid the buzz over his new book 'Why Bharat Matters', External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar signed some of the copies of his book. In a video posted on X, Jaishankar smiled as he signed copies of his book. While sharing the video on X, he wrote, "Contributing to a national conversation on foreign policy. Signed some copies of #WhyBharatMatters." Speaking on his book 'Why Bharat Matters' which talks of India's quest to ascend the global hierarchy and New India drawing strength from the country's civilizational heritage, EAM Jaishankar said that he has attempted to take a particular theme and give it "Ramayan-type" relevance. In an interview with ANI, Jaishankar spoke about how Lord Ram carefully constructed a coalition to take on Ravana and how apart from Lord Hanuman, other characters in the Ramayan such as Angad, who practised diplomatic skills in the face of difficult situations. Asked whether his book was by an academician, a diplomat or a politician-turned-academician, Jaishankar said it is a mixture of all of them. "The diplomat in me has, in a sense, you can say, the domain knowledge and the experience which I talk about. The politician in me feels the need to communicate that, as we said, to the everyday world, to the normal, to the 'samanya nagrik' (common citizen), you can say, and in a sense, look, if there are perhaps two sagas, two stories all of us have grown up with, this is really the Ramayan and Mahabharat," he said. The diplomat-turned-politician said people often use a multitude of metaphors, situations and comparisons in normal lives. "If I were to talk to you chatting, I may bring up some reference there. So why I used that was also to remind people, look, we are multiple, sort of millennia-old civilizations. When we discuss the world, can we think about doing it on our terms and in our framework, in our construct. So there was that part of it also, that for me to think of the world as you can see, what I've tried to do is to take a particular theme and to try to give it a Ramayan-type relevance," Jaishankar told ANI. "So say, for example, I've used coalition building, how Lord Ram very carefully constructs a coalition and what it takes to construct a coalition. It doesn't happen by itself or even in diplomacy, you've heard me say before that the two preeminent examples of diplomats are Hanuman and Shri Krishna. But there are others, Angad, for example, or even his mother, Tara. These are people who, in very difficult situations, practice their diplomatic skills," he added. On December 30, Jaishankar presented the first copy of his book 'Why Bharat Matters' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After meeting, Jaishankar on X wrote, "Honoured to present the first copy of my book 'Why Bharat Matters' to PM @narendramodi this evening." Sharing the text of the book, he wrote, "India's quest to ascend the global hierarchy is an endless journey. But as we take stock of the progress made and anticipate the challenges ahead, it is certainly reassuring that this is propelled by such deep national commitment and confidence. Whether it is drawing strength from its heritage and culture or approaching challenges with the optimism of democracy and technology, this is certainly a New India." "The English edition of my new book 'Why Bharat Matters' would be out in early 2024. Do read." Jaishankar had said on X. (ANI)
Massive protests have continued for the eighth day against the Pakistan government despite chilling cold, over the new hike in wheat prices and non-fulfilment of promises, vernacular media Daily K2 reported. The government, keeping the charter of demand of the All-Party Alliance, Awami Action Committee and Grand Jirga at the tip of the plough, started collecting the new price after fixing the price of wheat at Rs 3600 per bag. After this, dozens of protestors gathered at sales points in Skardu in Gilgit Baltistan, which is under the Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) region. They protested and refused to buy flour at the new price and returned home without buying flour from several sales points. People have refused to accept the new prices and said that the government has come up with "anti-poor policies" and wheat and flour have become completely out of the purchasing power of the poor, Daily K2 reported. They have alleged that the announcements of the government have proved to be a lie, the promise of targeted subsidy has not been fulfilled, nor has the government's announcement of giving seven kilos of flour per person been implemented. They have said that by increasing the price of wheat, the people will be affected. "They were cheated, now the government people will have to face severe public protest, they will welcome the ministers in a unique way, now the people who increase the price of wheat will think a hundred times before doing so," the protestors said according to the vernacular media. They asked the workers to protest against the ministers of their party at "every intersection and expose the power grabbers". They added that if people remain silent now, the price of wheat per bag will exceed 10 thousand rupees. Notably, the ongoing public sit-in at Yadgar Chowk has entered the eighth day. Despite chilling cold, people kept chanting about wheat prices. Many old protestors also fell ill after the severe cold, according to the vernacular media. Chairman of All-Party Alliance Ghulam Hussain Athar said that the "anger of the people is for those who increased the price of wheat. And we will not be able to escape from anger. We will not retreat an inch from our demands". On the other hand, opposition leader Kazim Maisam has said that what was being feared has happened. "We had already said that only the price of wheat is being increased. Today, our concerns have been removed. We were with the people and we will continue to raise our voice in the assembly. The people say that we should participate in the sit-in. They are my people, we are not doing politics of negative politics, we are doing politics of values, any decision against public interests will not be acceptable," he said. President of Anjuman Imamiya Baltistan Syed Baqir Al Hussaini has said that people should not worry about flour at the sales points. He has said that everyone should go to Yadgar Chowk and it will be decided there whether people should buy flour under the new price or reject the new price, vernacular media Daily K2 reported. (ANI)
Laying emphasis on the correlation between the country's foreign policy, its foreign economic policy and its foreign commerce policy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the three were not distinct but phases of the same policy. He also lauded the 'One District One Product' initiative, which he said represents the diversity of the country in a very "unique and tangible" way. The External Affairs Minister also felicitated the ODOP winners at the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav Celebration here in the national capital. Addressing the event today, Jaishankar said, "Foreign Policy, Foreign Economic Policy, and Foreign Commerce Policy -- they are all really, three phases of the same thing...Today, there are no two ministers who work more closely with each other than the commerce minister and the foreign minister". "The result of this, you can see in our exports. It is not just as if our exports are at the highest ever," he added. The union minister further emphasized that a lot of credit for India's highest-ever export level goes to the Commerce Ministry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. "I am into my fifth decade into government, but for the first time, I have seen a foreign minister and commerce minister, and the Prime Minister himself actually address all our commercial representatives abroad, all our ambassadors abroad to promote, our exports. So if today there is actually such a strong performance, I think a lot of the credit goes today to the commerce minister and the Commerce Ministry," he further said. Jaishankar added that ODOP played a crucial role in the process of getting "India ready for the world and world ready for India". "ODOP is an economic activity, it is livelihood, employment, tradition...It expresses the diversity of India in a very unique, tangible way...A product is linked to the place and tradition, this was the feeling with which we organised the G20," Jaishankar said. He added, "G20 is taking place for the last 15 years, but the way we organized it by taking it to 60 different cities, each and every state and union territory. This was because Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to present a total India picture in front of the world...The way G20 has helped in ODOP getting recognition across the world is something I appreciate...When I say that G20 was a way of getting India ready for the world and world ready for India, ODOP was one part of it". (ANI)
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday indicted former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and former minister Fawad Chaudhry in a case of contempt against the electoral body and the chief election commissioner, Geo News reported. A four-member bench of the electoral body, headed by Sindh Member Nisar Ahmad Durrani, conducted the hearing of the case in Adiala jail, where both the leaders are incarcerated. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and ex-minister were present in the courtroom during the hearing and denied the allegations mentioned in the charge sheet. The ECP then adjourned the hearing on the contempt case till January 16. The electoral body had initiated contempt proceedings against the fomer PM, former party leader Asad Umar and Chaudhary for insulting the commission and its chief during various public meetings, press conferences and several interviews. According to the notice, politicos face the charges of passing unparliamentary, intemperate, and contemptuous remarks against the ECP on various occasions. The political leaders were asked to either personally appear before the commission bench to clear their position or through their counsel. However, the leaders challenged the commission's jurisdiction in several high courts. However, the Supreme Court in January 2023 allowed the commission to initiate proceedings against them and on June 21, the ECP decided to frame charges against them which was yet to be done. According to the chargesheet, the PTI founder and former minister launched a contemptuous campaign against the ECP under a plan in 2022, Geo News reported. "The accused used non-parliamentary language against the ECP in a public gathering in Bhakkar on July 12, 2022," it stated. The charge sheet further alleged that the accused committed contempt against ECP under the Election Act 2017 and the electoral body has the jurisdiction to take action against the accused as per Supreme Court's observation. The prosecution, in the sheet, called for initiation of a trial against the accused in the light of evidences, videos and documents. During the previous hearing on December 27, the electoral watchdog could not charge the PTI founder and ex-information minister. The hearing and the charge sheeting of the two were adjourned until January 3. Reacting strongly against the verdict, PTI leader Asghar Chaudhry, lamented that "such an Election Commission was never seen even during the martial law era" "You rejected the nomination papers of the candidates and took away the papers from them. Even cruelty has an end," Geo News quoted him as saying. (ANI)
In what seems to be the first of its kind case, the British Police are investigating an alleged gang rape of a girl in a virtual reality game, New York Post reported. The alleged victim, identified only as a girl under 16, was wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset in an immersive game when her avatar -- an animated representation of her -- was raped by several men, New York Post reported citing Daily Mail. "Although she did not sustain any physical injuries, she may have suffered trauma similar to someone who had been raped in real life," police sources told the Daily Mail. "There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer-term than any physical injuries," a senior officer familiar with the case said. The UK authorities fear that it might be impossible to prosecute the accused under existing laws, which define sexual assault as 'physical touching in a sexual manner without consent'. The investigation has also raised questions about whether police should be using time and limited resources to investigate metaverse crimes while struggling with a substantial backlog of in-person rape cases, according to the New York Post. But, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly defended the trailblazing VR rape probe. "I know it is easy to dismiss this as being not real, but the whole point of these virtual environments is they are incredibly immersive," the New York Post quoted Cleverly as saying to the LBC platform. "And we are talking about a child here, and a child has gone through sexual trauma," he added. "It will have had a very significant psychological effect and we should be very, very careful about being dismissive of this." Cleverly also argued that someone willing to rape a child's avatar in a video game "may well be someone that could go on to do terrible things in the physical realm." Ian Critchley, the lead for child protection and abuse investigation at the National Police Chiefs' Council, echoed Cleverly's words, telling the Daily Mail that the metaverse creates a "gateway" for predators to victimize children. Critchley highlighted the need for the continued evolution of policing methods to address crimes being committed online and for the passage of relevant laws, and he also called on tech companies to do more to keep their users safe. Notably, there have been several reports of virtual sex crimes in Horizon Worlds -- a free VR game operated by Facebook's parent company, Meta, the New York Post reported. A senior police investigator told the Daily Mail that the metaverse has become "rife" with online sex crimes and other types of offences, including virtual thefts, but so far there have been no prosecutions in the UK. (ANI)
A clouted cannabis partnership has dropped its controversial plan to open a store at the former Rainforest Cafe in downtown Chicago.

State regulators had rejected a previous proposal by Progressive Treatment Solutions LLC, or PTS Corp., to move its Consume dispensary from Norwood Park to the old Rainforest Cafe at Clark and Ohio streets. The site is within 1,500 feet of three existing dispensaries, in violation of state law.

So PTS formed a partnership with Bio-Pharm LLC, claiming they could locate within the exclusion zone because Bio-Pharm qualified as a social equity licensee, meant to diversify the white-dominated industry. But two lawsuits challenged the legality of the proposal, delaying the business from opening.

In response to recent Tribune inquiries, Mara Georges, an attorney who represented PTS and was the city of Chicagos longtime corporation counsel, wrote, The development of the former Rainforest Cafe site was delayed by litigation and the uncertainty and additional costs it brings. As a result, PTS and Bio-Pharm have decided to forego this site and pursue other options. They remain committed to ensuring the success of their companies and of the cannabis industry.

Nearby resident Robert Brown had filed a lawsuit claiming that the city illegally approved zoning for the site. Brown also objected that the River North neighborhood had so many dispensaries that it was becoming the citys unofficial marijuana district.

GRI Holdings, the owner of the nearby Green Rose dispensary, also filed suit against the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, claiming that by reversing itself and allowing the store to open, it was violating state law.

In response to the news about the Rainforest site, GRI issued a statement that its lawsuit was filed to protect GRI from unfair competition.

We are happy to hear they no longer will pursue a dispensary at this location, GRI stated. We hope this sends a message to others that we will always vigorously defend our business from those who chose to circumvent state law that was set up to protect social equity dispensaries, not thwart them.

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issued this guidance pertaining to the 1,500-foot rule. Department spokesman Chris Slaby wrote to the Tribune, We welcome further legislative clarity on this complex issue, recognizing that zoning matters are generally best enforced by local governments.

People walk past the former Rainforest Cafe in Chicago on Oct. 1, 2023.

State law generally defines social equity businesses as those owned by people from areas with high poverty or high arrest rates for cannabis, or people with prior low-level cannabis arrests. PTS officials said they qualified because its initial majority owner and manager, Michael Munroe Jr., had a marijuana arrest in 1972. His father started the Pickens-Kane Moving & Storage Co. in Chicago.

But the principal officers of PTS, based in Palatine, are now listed in state records as attorney Mitchell Kay and President David Flood, whose family owns the Flood Brothers waste disposal company.

Flood was also the former principal officer of the Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois, which became the Cannabis Business Alliance of Illinois. The alliance represents many of the companies that dominate the industry.

PTS operates a marijuana growing warehouse and five dispensaries in Illinois, as well as outlets in other states.

rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, in a telephonic conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, discussed advancing bilateral cooperation in the upcoming year and exchanging perspectives on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Jaishankar expressed the significance of his conversation with Kuleba, saying, "A useful conversation with FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine today. Discussed advancing our bilateral cooperation in the year ahead. Exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine." Subsequently, Kuleba provided further details on the conversation, saying, "My first call in 2024 was with Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Ukrainian-Indian relations. I informed my counterpart of Russia's recent escalation of terror and mass air attacks, which caused civilian suffering and destruction." The Ukrainian Foreign Minister highlighted the severe impact of these actions, causing civilian suffering and destruction. In response to the challenges, Kuleba outlined a vision for enhanced cooperation on the Peace Formula and proposed the idea of a Global Peace Summit of leaders. "We discussed further cooperation on the Peace Formula. In this regard, I informed my counterpart of Ukraine's vision for the Global Peace Summit of leaders. We agreed to hold the first meeting of the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission since 2018 in the near future," read a handout from the Embassy of Ukraine in India. Moreover, Kuleba disclosed plans to rejuvenate the India-Ukraine Inter-Governmental Commission, scheduling its first meeting since 2018 in the near future. "The rejuvenation of this primary mechanism of our bilateral ties will allow us to jointly move forward in a comprehensive manner," said the Ukrainian Foreign Minister. India and Ukraine have witnessed a series of diplomatic engagements, with Jaishankar assuring Kuleba in a phone conversation back in August 2022 that the next consignment of Indian humanitarian assistance would reach Ukraine soon. The assurance was reiterated in Jaishankar's tweet, where he stated, "Appreciated the conversation today with FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine. Discussed recent developments in the conflict and its continuing global repercussions. Assured that the next consignment of Indian humanitarian assistance will be reaching very soon." In November 2022 too, Jaishankar had a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, during which they discussed the grain initiative and nuclear concerns amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Jaishankar tweeted about the meeting, saying, "Pleasure to meet FM @DmytroKuleba of Ukraine. Our discussions covered recent developments in the conflict, the grain initiative and nuclear concerns." The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has not only raised humanitarian concerns but also global repercussions, prompting nations worldwide to engage in diplomatic efforts to address the escalating crisis. Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow will intensify attacks on military targets in Ukraine after an unprecedented attack over the weekend on the Russian city of Belgorod. The attack left 24 people dead and killed over 100 in Belgorod on Saturday. It came after Moscow launched a large-scale attack on Ukrainian cities. (ANI)
Chief Justice PHC Muhammad Ibrahim denied police permission to detain former minister Zartaj Gul after hearing the application for protective bail.

Additionally, the PTI leader and former minister were mandated by the court to turn in the surety bonds tomorrow.

Zartaj Gul, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, was arrested in August of last year on suspicion of "corruption."

Zartaj Guls was not at home when the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) squad raided her residence in an attempt to apprehend her, ARY News reported.

The PTI leader was allegedly called before the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) multiple times over corruption issues, but she never showed up.

It is important to note that the PTI leader is charged with accepting "bribes" in order to award contracts for different development projects at a reduced cost to her "front men," ARY News reported.

The notice stated that Zartaj Gul and her spouse, Humayun Akhund, had previously accepted a 10 per cent commission in exchange for funding development projects in her district. (ANI)
The two leaders, during their meeting, discussed how the External Affairs Ministry and the Mizoram government could collaborate more closely.

"So glad to meet Chief Minister of Mizoram Shri @Lal_Duhoma ji today. We began Government service at the same time and trained together," Jaishankar wrote on X.

"Discussed how MEA and the State Government could collaborate more closely," he added.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1742601855719571504?s=20

In a significant ceremony held at Mc Donald Hill Aizawl, Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) leader Lalduhoma assumed the office of Mizoram's Chief Minister in December 2023.

It made him the first leader not belonging to either the Mizo National Front (MNF) or the Congress to hold that post.

His journey as an IPS officer started in 1977. Interestingly, he served as a squad leader in Goa, tasked with cracking down on delinquent hippies and smugglers. His achievements were recognised by the national media. Lalduhoma quit his job to join the Congress and was elected from Mizoram's lone Lok Sabha seat in 1984.

Following his service, Lalduhoma founded the ZPM, a party which, in time, found a firm foothold in Mizoram and grew to become a key player in the state's political landscape.

ZPM registered a landslide victory by winning 27 out of 40 assembly constituencies in Mizoram, of which results were declared on December 4.

The ZPM, which was formed six years ago through a merger of six smaller outfits, swept the assembly polls, ending the decades-old trend of power alternating between the MNF and the Congress in the Northeast state. (ANI)
A group of volunteer divers from Sunshine State Sonar said they believe they found the remains of Sandra Lemire on Saturday, Dec 30, 2023, while diving in a small retention pond near Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., apparently solving a 12-year-old mystery about what happened to her. ( Sunshine State Sonar via AP)

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP)  The body of a woman who went missing 12 years ago appears to have been found in a minivan submerged in a central Florida retention pond near Walt Disney World, according to family members and volunteer divers who discovered the remains last week.

The family of Sandra Lemire told local media on Tuesday that they believe that the remains found in the vehicle are the central Florida woman who vanished along with her car in 2012 after leaving a restaurant in Kissimmee, Florida.

Divers with Sunshine State Sonar found the vehicle last Saturday while searching in a small retention pond at the Disney World exit on Interstate 4 in Kissimmee. The group of volunteer divers assists law enforcement in finding missing persons, vehicles or vessels believed to be in Florida waterways. They had been searching for Lemire in 63 bodies of water over the last year and a half.

A video the group posted to its Facebook page showed diver Mike Sullivan resurfacing in the retention pond, pushing up his diving mask and pumping his fist in the air. "We got her! We got her!" he said.

Deep in my heart. I always thought this was a foul play case, and it turned out to be just a bad, terrible car accident, Sullivan later told WESH in Orlando. Im just so proud of our team.

It is not uncommon in Florida for people to vanish and have their remains found in submerged vehicles years later, given the states numerous retention ponds, rivers, lakes and canals, as well as Florida's large numbers of out-of-state visitors who may not be familiar with the terrain. Last September, the remains of an Alabama man were found in a river in Dixie County, Florida, 28 years after he vanished. In 2015, the remains of a young teenage couple were found in a South Florida canal, 37 years after they went missing.

Last week, a tip from an Orlando Police Department detective about the location of a cellphone tower that last received a call from Lemires phone helped the divers narrow the search to the retention pond, the group said in a statement on social media.

We located what appeared to be a minivan submerged in 14 feet of water, the statement said. Our team quickly suited up and dove on the vehicle to make the license plate confirmation.

In a statement to Spectrum News in Orlando, Lemires son, Timothy Lemire, said he never lost hope about finding his mother.

You just cant lose hope and I almost did, Timothy Lemire said Tuesday. But the Sunshine State Sonar did an amazing job solving this case. Without them, none of this would have been possible.

The medical examiner's office in Orlando still needs to confirm the identity of the remains. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.
A teenage boy has died after deputies said he was shot while playing video games inside a home.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

On New Years Day, just after 10:30 p.m., Beaufort County deputies were called to the area of Pulaski Drive in Burton, South Carolina regarding gunfire.

Minutes later, the sheriffs office reportedly received a second call from a nearby home on Castle Rock Road with reports of a gunshot victim.

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When deputies arrived at the Castle Rock Road home, they reportedly found a 14-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound.

First responder performed life-saving measures, but the teen died at the scene.

Beaufort County investigators learned the teen was playing video games inside his home when shots were fired from the roadway, hitting the home and a vehicle parked in the driveaway.

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Deputies said two other people were inside the home when the shooting happened and were not injured.

The teens identity was not released. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact Lance Corporal Petrone at 843-255-3440 or submit a tip online.

IN OTHER NEWS:
As of the morning of 3 January, 50 people are known to have been affected by the Russian large-scale attack on Kyiv on 2 January, with 2 people killed in the strikes.

Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES)

Quote: "In total, 50 people were affected in Kyiv. Two people were killed. 57 individuals were saved, and 134 people were escorted to fresh air [out of burning buildings  ed.]."

Details: Residential buildings, warehouses, private cars, and car dealerships were affected in the Solomianskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Pecherskyi, Desnianskyi, Obolonskyi, and Holosiivskyi districts of the city of Kyiv as a result of the Russian missile attack.

By the morning of 3 January, the fires in warehouse premises in the Podilskyi district, with a total area of 5,000 square metres, were extinguished in Kyiv.

The dismantling and cooling of structures continue.

Background:

On 29 December and 2 January, the Russians launched two large-scale attacks on Ukraine.

On the night and morning of 28-29 December, Russia launched the largest-scale air attack on Ukraine yet. Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities were targeted. In total, air defence managed to destroy 114 out of 158 Russian aerial targets over Ukraine. According to the Air Force, the Russian Federation used almost every type of weaponry available at its disposal.

On the morning of 2 January, Russia launched 99 missiles of various types at Ukraine, 72 of which had been destroyed. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said the Russians attacked civilian and critical infrastructure facilities, as well as industrial and military facilities. They mainly targeted the capital.

As a result of the large-scale attack by the Russian Federation, two people were killed in Kyiv, two people were killed in Kyiv Oblast, and one person was killed in Kharkiv.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A 21-year-old Dell City man was killed in a crash in Hudspeth County on New Years Day, 2024, when his car veered off the roadway, causing the vehicle to rollover, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The crash happened at about 6:30 a.m. along FM 2249, milepost 96, 1.3 miles West of Dell City.

According to DPS, 21-year-old Enrique Eduardo Gonzalez from Dell City was driving eastbound in a 2004 Ford Ranger and, for unknown reasons, veered off the roadway, causing the vehicle to roll over. Gonzalez was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the car.

Authorities responding to this incident declared the victim dead on the scene. The next of kin of the driver was notified of the incident.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
A large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyos Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames, killing five people aboard the coast guard plane, officials said.

All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the Airbus A350 was fully engulfed in flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed.

The pilot of the coast guards Bombardier Dash-8 plane escaped but the five crew members died, Saito said. The aircraft was preparing to take off to deliver aid to an area affected by a major earthquake on Monday, officials said.

Television footage showed an orange fireball erupting from the Japan Airlines plane as it collided while landing, and the airliner then spewed smoke from its side as it continued down the runway. Within 20 minutes, all passengers and crew members slid down emergency chutes to get away.

As firefighters tried to put out the blaze with streams of water, the area around the passenger planes wing caught fire. The flames spread throughout the plane, which eventually collapsed. The fire was extinguished after about six hours.

Tuesdays accident was the first severe damage to an Airbus A350, among the industrys newest large passenger planes. It entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus said in a statement it was sending specialists to help Japanese and French officials investigating the accident, and that the plane was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.

The A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, the transport minister said.

The fire is likely to be seen as a key test case for airplane fuselages made from carbon-composite fibers, such as the A350 and the Boeing 787, instead of conventional aluminum skins.

We dont know that much about how composites burn, said safety consultant John Cox. This is the most catastrophic composite-airplane fire that I can think of. On the other hand, that fuselage protected (passengers) from a really horrific fire  it did not burn through for some period of time and let everybody get out.

JAL Managing Executive Officer Tadayuki Tsutsumi told a news conference late Tuesday that the A350 was making a normal entry and landing on the runway, without specifying how it collided with the coast guard plane. Noriyuki Aoki, also a managing executive officer at JAL, said the airline maintains that the flight had received permission to land from aviation officials.

Police are expected to investigate the accident on suspicion of professional negligence, NHK television reported.

Coast guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima said its Bombardier Dash-8 plane, which is based at Haneda, had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday. The turboprop Dash-8 is widely used on short-haul and commuter flights.

The coast guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi told reporters.

Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, said the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Hanedas four runways where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. Transport safety officials were analyzing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft and planned to interview JAL officials to determine what led to the collision.

Hiraoka praised JAL for taking appropriate procedures to safely evacuate all passengers and crew members.

Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the Japan Airlines plane, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.

The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell. We have no idea where we are going so we just run out into the field. It was chaos, Deibe added.

Another passenger told NHK television that cabin attendants were calm and told everyone to leave their baggage behind, then all lights went off and the temperature inside the cabin started rising. The passenger said she was afraid she might not get off the plane alive.

All passengers and crew members slid down the escape chutes and survived. Some passengers told media interviews that they felt relieved only after reaching a grassy area beyond the tarmac.

JAL said four passengers were taken to a medical facility. NHK said 14 other people were injured.

Cox, the safety consultant, said the cabin crew did a remarkably great job getting passengers out of the plane.

It shows good training,Cox said. And if you look at the video, people are not trying to get stuff out of the overheads. They are concentrating on getting out of the airplane.

The transport minister said officials were doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods to earthquake-hit areas. Transport officials said the airports three other runways had reopened.

Haneda is the busier of two major airports serving the Japanese capital, with many international and transcontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to central parts of the city.

The twin-engine, twin-aisle A350 is used by a number of long-haul international carriers. More than 570 of the aircraft are in operation, according to Airbus.

JAL operates 16 of the A350-900 version aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the newer A350-1000 variant it plans to bring into service, saying it will become the airlines new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years. The first of those planes arrived a few weeks ago, slated for the Haneda-New York JFK route.

The International Air Transport Association trade group said on the X social media platform that its thoughts were with those aboard the two aircraft, saying that the last two days have been difficult for Japan.

Yamaguchi reported from Kyoto, Japan. Adam Schreck in Osaka, Japan, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
224 Ukrainian POWs and six civilians have returned home after a prisoner exchange with Russia, announced President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Jan 3.

Read also: From Azovstal siege to Taganrog hell: Valeria Subotinas journey through captivity

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets later added that the number included defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol more broadly, as well as of Snake Island, whose defiant stand against the Russian Navy has been a rallying cry for Ukrainians since the early weeks of the full-scale invasion.

The Ombudsman further stated that Ukraine strives to exchange all its citizens and continues to work on this issue. This was the 49th official exchange, with 2,828 redeemed prisoners in total.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the return of 248 captured occupiers in exchange. The United Arab Emirates acted as the mediator for the deal.

Read also: Russian military executed three Ukrainian POWs from 82nd Air Assault Brigade, Air Force confirms

Before that, the last public exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia took place at the beginning of August 2023 and returned 22 soldiers.

Read also: Russians who shot Ukrainian prisoners-of-war already eliminated, says Avdiivka municipal administration

On December 19, at a press conference, Zelenskyy stated that the exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and the aggressor country of the Russian Federation has slowed down because of the intransigence of the Russian side. However, currently, the Ukrainian authorities are working on the return of "quite a good number" of Ukrainian prisoners.

Read also: Ukrainian POW rescued by drone in incredible scene out of a Bond film  video

On December 27, Lubinets said that since August 2023, " field" exchanges of prisoners have been taking place between Ukraine and Russia by agreement between military units fighting against each other.

However, according to him, the Russian Federation deliberately chose the tactic of not returning prisoners to create additional tension within Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Over 200 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were returned from Russian captivity in the largest prisoner exchange since the start of Russias full-scale invasion, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported on Jan. 3.

The previous prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia took place in August last year, after which, according to Ukrainian officials, Moscow refused to continue the practices in an alleged effort to turn Ukrainian families of POWs against their own authorities.

The 230 prisoners freed on Jan. 3. included personnel from Ukraines Armed Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, border guards, and a police officer, as well as six civilians, the headquarters wrote.

Among those returned were those who had the official POW status, confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross, and those Ukrainian personnel who were considered missing.

Most returned POWs are privates and sergeants. Five women were freed during this prisoner swap, according to the headquarters.

One of the returned women is a combat medic from Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade.

"While in captivity, she spoke Ukrainian on principle. The Russians took her away several times as if for exchange, but eventually returned her to the place of detention," the organization added.

The freed POWs also reportedly include seven defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, a musician of a military band, a servicewoman who was captured by the Russians while on maternity leave, national guardsmen who were captured while performing their duties at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant a civilian teacher from Luhansk and defenders of Mariupol.

The headquarters thanked the United Arab Emirates for its "active participation in carrying out this exchange."

Read also: What its like to know your loved ones are in Russian captivity

Ukrainian officials said in December that Russia held at the moment at least 3,500 Ukrainian POWs, although the number was thought to be higher. Russia and Ukraine held numerous prisoner exchanges in 2022, but the number decreased in 2023, with the previous instance occurring on Aug. 7.

Ukrainian authorities said that Russia had decided on a freeze on prisoner swaps, possibly to try to destabilize Ukrainian society.

Several families of Ukrainian POWs told Politico that after months of silence, they suddenly received calls from their family members in Russian custody, in which the POWs encouraged their families to protest against the government, claiming that "Kyiv does not want to take us back."

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the Jan. 3 prisoner swap, saying that despite a long halt in the exchanges, "there was no pause in the negotiations."

"At every international meeting that can be of help, we raise the topic of the return of our captives. And we will continue working to bring back all our people," Zelensky said in his evening video address.

The president thanked all those involved in the exchange and "every one of our soldiers on the front lines who take the occupiers prisoner and replenish our exchange fund."

"The more Russians we capture, the more effective the exchange negotiations will be."

Throughout the war, Russia's military has been repeatedly accused of mistreating Ukrainian POWs and violating international humanitarian law. Recent reports indicate that it has conscripted tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens in the occupied regions of Ukraine, forcing them to fight against their own country.

Multiple videos have been published on social media showing tortures and brutal executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian soldiers, prompting investigations by Ukrainian law enforcement.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russian forces also used Ukrainian POWs as human shields during combat near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and it might be a systematic practice among Russian troops.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The number of people killed in the Russian missile attack on Kyiv on 29 December has increased to 30 people, with one more person dying in hospital from their injuries.

Source: Kyiv City Military Administration on Telegram

Quote: "Unfortunately, 1 person has died in hospital from the injuries received in the attack on 29 December 2023."

Details: This means that a total of 30 people were killed, and another 29 were injured in the Russian missile attack that day.

Background:

On the night and morning of 29 December, Russia launched a large-scale air attack on Ukraine. Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities were targeted.

In total, air defence managed to destroy 114 out of 158 Russian air targets over Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had used almost all types of weapons at its disposal.

On the morning of 1 January, rescue workers retrieved five more bodies from under the rubble, meaning that the death toll from the Russian attack on Kyiv on 29 December had risen to 28.

A Day of Mourning was declared in the capital on 1 January.

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3 college heads testified before the House last month. One still has her job

Less than a month after the leaders of three top U.S. colleges testified before the House about antisemitism on their campuses, two of them have been forced to resign, and GOP lawmakers have made clear they are not yet satisfied.

The presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Dec. 5 all declined to say definitively if calls for the genocide of Jews would constitute harassment at their schools.

Penns Liz Magill lasted less than a week afterward.

On Tuesday, Harvard President Claudine Gay, who also faced mounting accusations of plagiarism, announced she was stepping down.

TWO DOWN, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who had first posed the genocide question, posted Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. I will always deliver results, she added in a press release.

Your silence is deafening @MIT, Stefanik tweeted on Wednesday. Not even an apology issued by your school to date. And zero commitment from your school to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students. Accountability is coming.

TWO down, one to go, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) said on X.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth, meanwhile, has stayed in her position, based on little more than the schools immediate response followed by radio silence.

After the House Education Committee hearing, the Harvard and Penn presidents released statements walking back their congressional testimony, with Gay later giving an apologetic interview to The Harvard Crimson.

MIT took a different path. Kornbluth, who also faced the fewest questions from lawmakers, never released a statement about her testimony after it occurred, and the schools board vowed their support early on.

The MIT Corporation chose Sally to be our president for her excellent academic leadership, her judgment, her integrity, her moral compass, and her ability to unite our community around MITs core values, the Executive Committee of the MIT Corporation said.

She has done excellent work in leading our community, including in addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate, all of which we reject utterly at MIT. She has our full and unreserved support, it added.

Kornbluth, 64, was named the 18th president of MIT in October 2022. She previously was the provost for Duke University.

Although she has so far survived by keeping her head down, some advocates say her schools response was the weakest of the three.

I mean, they didnt even they didnt even pretend to evaluate her comments, said Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. The Harvard Corporation at least took me a couple of days to discuss the matter. As far as I know, as soon as Dr. Kornbluth went ahead and gave her testimony, they immediately rallied to her defense.

I think all three university presidents should have resigned after they were unable to articulate a proper answer about the question concerning genocide, Halber added. It required, instead of using lawyerly language to express themselves, what we needed was a clear denunciation of antisemitism towards Jewish students, and that hateful language wont be tolerated on campus

MIT did not respond to The Hills request for comment.

Kornbluth is certain to face further congressional scrutiny, with House Education Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) announcing an official investigation into the three schools in the wake of last months hearing.

The testimony we received earlier this week from Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth about the responses of Harvard, Penn, and MIT to the rampant antisemitism displayed on their campuses by students and faculty was absolutely unacceptable, Foxx said in a statement.

But some say at this point the controversy about Kornbluth is secondary to changes that need to happen on college campuses.

The bigger question is not whether [Kornbluth] should have resigned, that ship has sailed, she has not resigned, or whether she should have been fired right after, that ship has sailed also. The larger issue is that youve got three presidents of three of Americas most premier universities where the presidents were unable to articulate a clear cut vision that would protect their Jewish students on campus, Halber said.

Republicans are looking for systemic change in higher education, with many taking particular aim at diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices.

One of the ways I think colleges and universities have promoted antisemitic speech and behavior is through their DEI offices, Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) said at one hearing.

Higher educations defenders, however, say Republicans are simply using the current controversies as an excuse to unload on one of their favorite targets.

I think its very clear this is part of an agenda that is just trying to politicize higher education, Ryan Enos, professor of government and faculty associate in the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard, previously told The Hill.

Updated at 5:39 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Rochester City Council had the biennial swearing-in ceremony and organizational meeting Tuesday. What do you need to know?

Councilmembers elected in November officially took the oath of office to start their four-year terms:

Michael Patterson (Northeast District)

LaShay Harris (South District)

Mary Lupien (East District)

Bridget Monroe (Northwest District)

Here are three takeaways from the ceremony:

Who are the president and VP of the Rochester City Council?

On Tuesday night, Miguel Melendez Jr. secured re-appointment as City Council president, while Harris was designated vice president.

"I am humbled and honored to continue this role," Melendez said about the position he's held since 2022. "Neighborhood development and building on the great assets of our city is crtitcal. I believe there are opportunities to create more affordable housing units and encourage additional housing rehab."

Melendez said the city's land bank corporation can be a critical component of a housing strategy.

The land bank's objective is to acquire, possess, and get rid of vacant real estate  properties that are either abandoned or underutilized  to restore them to productive use.

Harris assumed the role of council vice president, succeeding Lupien. She emphasized that one of her primary objectives is to bolster ethics in local government by incorporating more robust language and enforcement tools.

Does a lack of collaboration lead to bad policy?

Before being sworn in as council vice president, councilmember Stanley Martin inquired about LaShay Harris's plans for leveraging her new role to foster unity within the council.

"Relationships are key; if we want the full body to work together, that comes down to communication and relationships," Harris said in response to Martin. "These are the things that our constituents don't see; it's very important to government."

Martin countered that improved relationships do not directly tackle other internal challenges within the council, such as procedural matters and the necessity for information sharing.

Martin, Kim Smith and Lupien, representing the council's more progressive faction, frequently disagree with their fellow council members regarding various issues and policies.

In reaction to appeals for increased collaboration, Patterson said that Martin's method of engaging with the council "has precluded and, quite frankly, soured your colleagues."

"3 or 4 of us might not have the answer that you all agree with, but we can contribute something," councilmember Lupien said. "To exclude people because you don't personally like us or like how we interact with you is robbing this city of the collaboration that is good for creating policy."

Must read: Rochester BID change: Mayor's new outreach proposal ditches downtown ambassador program

Melendez wants city residents prepared for the next wave of jobs

During his acceptance speech, Melendez focused on jobs.

In October, it was revealed that Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse may receive billions in federal funding, as the upstate New York region emerged as one of the 31 selections nationwide to be designated as a national Tech Hub.

Formally recognized as the New York Semiconductor Manufacturing and Research Technology Innovation-Corridor Consortium, or NY SMART I-Corridor, this "semiconductor super-highway" along the New York State Thruway aims to propel the region into a semiconductor manufacturing hub.

The Hub hopes to attract companies, support start-ups, and train workers, bringing jobs to Upstate New York.

Melendez wants city residents to be first in line for those opportunities.

"How do we create the pipeline from our communities to the opportunities that will become available," he said. "How do we collectively work to ensure our Rochester residents are prepared for the next wave of Rochester Jobs?"

How-To Topic: Want to speak at a Rochester City Council meeting? Here's how

Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester City Council swearing-in ceremony: Three takeways
New year, new mayor.

Thats the case, at least, for Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.

Three new mayors were chosen Tuesday night as the three city councils gathered for their first regular meeting of the year.

The new figureheads were selected from their respective seven-member councils.

Mayors are elected to run city council meetings and make ceremonial appearances at ribbon cuttings, chamber functions and other events. The city councils also chose new mayors pro tem, who are responsible for executing the mayoral duties in their absence.

West Richland is the exception and elects its mayor directly under a strong mayor form of city government. Mayor Brent Gerry is in the middle of his third four-year term.

Gretl Crawford was selected Kennewicks mayor. The former mayor pro tem stepped into the role after former Mayor Bill McKay resigned in November. Chuck Torelli will serve as Kennewicks mayor pro tem. The vote was unanimous.

Pete Serrano was selected Pascos new mayor, succeeding Blanche Barajas, who was the citys first Latina mayor.

Serrano is the leader of the councils new conservative majority. He also announced this week that he would run as a Republican for the open Washington state attorney general seat.

Councilman David Milne was elected Pascos mayor pro tem.

Theresa Richardson was elevated to Richland mayor. She was formerly mayor pro tem. She succeeds Terry Christensen, who did not run for reelection in 2023.

Sandra Kent, Richlands longest-serving council member, will serve as Richlands mayor pro tem.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  As the year ends, El Paso Police tell KTSM their Crimes Against Persons unit has investigated 38 murders in 2023. Seven of these were crashes involving drivers suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Five murders remain unsolved, according to KTSMs data.

The years first homicide happened January 21 outside Jacks Beach House Bar in the 11200 block of Montwood. Police say a 47-year-old was fatally shot. In total, four people were killed in shootings near bars. Two happened outside the Ditzy Duck in the 1100 block of Airway on July 13, where several other bars are also located. The fourth bar murder happened in October outside El Jaguar on N. Mesa.

This years homicides also included several teenage victims. The first happened at Cielo Vista Mall on February 15, where shots rang out, killing 17-year-old Angeles Zaragoza and injuring several others. A 16-year-old juvenile was charged with that crime.

Just days later, Jasmine Adame, 16, was killed in an apparent drug deal in Far East El Paso. El Paso Police charged 23-year-old Cesar Roa with her murder. Police say Gabriel Martinez, 16, was also killed during a drug deal on June 18 in Far East El Paso. Two teens are charged with Martinezs death.

A pair of teens, Eliel Omar Bultron Hernandez, 19, and Julia Worthington, 14, were killed at a house party at a vacation rental home in Far East El Paso on September 14. Police charged 18-year-old Angel Avila with the double murder in November after several months of investigation.

One of this years most shocking crimes is the murder of Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52. Garcia worked as an Uber driver when he picked up 48-year-old Phoebe Copas to take her to Speaking Rock Casino in June. Garcia was shot and killed while driving near the US-54/Loop 375 interchange. Copas maintains she believed Garcia was kidnapping her to Mexico, and she was in fear for her life.

Unsolved Cases

According to data maintained by KTSM, five of this years murders remain unsolved. They include the shooting death of Daniel Antonio Mergil in April. Mergils vehicle crashed into a home, and police later learned hed been shot before his car crashed. Daniela Woodworth was killed inside her home in the 5600 block of Prince Edward on June 27. El Paso Police have not announced an arrest in her murder.

Christopher Garcia, 29, was shot to death in his apartment in the 9500 block of Dyer in August. Authorities have not announced any arrests in his murder.

Rosario Gonzalez, 21, was killed outside El Jaguar bar in the 5200 block of N. Mesa on October 15. Her murder is still unsolved.

On October 25, the body of a man was found rolled in a blanket along railroad tracks on Happer Street in Central El Paso. The crime has yet to be solved, and police have not released the victims identity in that case.

Anyone with information on unsolved cases should contact Crime Stoppers of El Paso at (915) 566-8477 or online at www.cselpaso.org. You will remain anonymous, and if your tip leads to an arrest, you may qualify for a cash reward.

Fatal Crashes

The inclusion of fatal crashes resulting in seven deaths is unique to 2023. Prior years murder totals did not include intoxication manslaughter cases resulting in murder charges. The most notable crash involves the death of a family of three, including 8-year-old Delilah Madelyn Rodriguez, who was killed in a fiery crash near the Ysleta Port of Entry. El Paso Police allege Carlos Martinez, 21, was fleeing from a traffic stop at the time of the crash, and he had cocaine on him during his arrest.

Murders by Month

Jan: 1

Feb: 3

March: 1

April: 1

May: 5

June: 7

July: 4

August: 2

September: 3

October: 8

November 1

December: 1

According to KTSMs data, the murder numbers in 2023 are higher than the last four years.

In 2019, there were 40 reported murders  23 of which were from the August 3 mass shooting. El Paso Police investigated 28 murders in 2020 and 29 murders in 2021. According to KTSMs record keeping, there were 23 reported murders in 2022.

El Paso's combined murder totals from 1960-2018

KTSMs data from 2019 to 2023 only includes data from inside the El Paso city limits from El Paso Police; it does not include murders investigated by the El Paso County Sheriffs Office outside the city limits.

El Paso County Sheriffs Office assists outlying law enforcement agencies in murder investigations, including Clint, Horizon City, Socorro, San Elizario, Socorro, Anthony and Vinton, and unincorporated parts of the county.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
LUKEVILLE, Ariz. (AP)  A border crossing on the most direct route from Phoenix to the nearest beaches will reopen Thursday, authorities said, one month after it closed in response to a large migrant influx.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was also reopening a pedestrian border crossing in San Diego on Thursday and resuming full operations at a bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, and a crossing in Nogales, Arizona.

The moves reflect a drop in illegal crossings from December highs, authorities said. Troy Miller, acting CBP commissioner, said last month that crossings had reached unprecedented heights, topping 10,000 on several days.

The Lukeville closure on Dec. 4 brought heavy pressure on CBP from Arizonas top elected officials. While remote, it is used to travel to Puerto Penasco, or Rocky Point, a resort area on Mexicos Sea of Cortez. Americans also visit the border community of Sonoyta to eat, shop and get dental and medical care.

Cargo rail crossings in the Texas border cities of Eagle Pass and El Paso closed for five days last month in what U.S. authorities said was a response to large numbers of migrants riding freight trains through Mexico to the U.S. border. Businesses complained of major economic losses.

Lukeville and other crossings closed because CBP said it needed to reassign officials to processing migrants.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Fifty-three people were charged with DUI in the Tampa area over the New Years Eve weekend, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.

Operation Ball Drop saw 544 traffic stops resulting in 64 citations, 493 warnings and 53 DUI arrests.

The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said 25 of those DUI arrests were made by its deputies. The remaining were from the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol, which also assisted in the operation.

Even though New Years Eve is a time to celebrate new beginnings, there is never an excuse to drink and drive, Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. Each arrest signifies preventing a potential tragedy.

Operation Ball Drop took place between Friday and Monday and was conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol.

As we step into the new year, lets make a promise to prioritize responsible choices and shared safety, Chronister said. Lets be selfless, understanding that our decisions behind the wheel impact not only ourselves but also the lives of others.

There were another 40 DUI arrests in the Tampa Police Departments Operation Countdown to Safety. TPD made 693 traffic stops and issued 248 citations and 575 warnings.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Disgraced Los Angeles celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi has been found competent to stand trial on charges that he stole more than $15 million from his clients.

A federal judge filed a notice of the brief order Tuesday under seal. Lawyers for both sides were given five days to identify any information in it that they would like the judge to keep confidential.

Girardi, 84, is the estranged husband of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.

Girardi pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles last year to wire fraud on charges that he embezzled from clients, including an Arizona widow whose husband was killed in a boat accident; a Los Angeles couple injured in a car wreck that paralyzed their son; and a man who was severely burned in the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to decades in federal prison.

The Associated Press sent messages to his public defenders seeking comment.

At issue in the competency hearing was whether Girardi understood the charges and proceedings against him and could help with his own defense. His lawyers argued that he was unable to take part in the trial because he has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, which they said has left him confused and with memory problems. He currently is staying in the memory care unit of a nursing home.

Prosecutors contended that Girardi was exaggerating his symptoms.

As one of the nations most prominent plaintiffs attorneys, Girardi took on powerful corporations, movie studios and Pacific Gas and Electric in a case that led to a $333 million settlement, which was portrayed in the 2000 Julia Roberts film Erin Brockovich.

But his law empire collapsed, he was disbarred in California in 2022 over client thefts, and he faces mounting legal problems.

Girardi also faces federal wire fraud charges in Chicago, where he is accused of stealing about $3 million from family members of victims of a 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people.

The Chicago court is expected to follow the competency decision in California.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  Six teenagers are facing various charges in connection with an alleged armed robbery and vehicle theft that led to a brief police pursuit, the Buffalo Police Department announced.

Buffalo police responded to the scene of the 600 block of Tonawanda Street for a reported armed robbery at approximately 8:20 p.m. Tuesday. Police said a Buffalo man was pumping gas when a male juvenile allegedly approached him with a gun and robbed him of his wallet, cellphone, and car keys. The juvenile allegedly fled the scene after stealing the victims 2019 Nissan.

Wrong-way driver arrested, charged with DWI

During an investigation, police said they discovered that a stolen Ford Escape out of the Town of Tonawanda drove the juvenile to the alleged robbery and followed the stolen Nissan from the scene.

According to police, officers later spotted the stolen Nissan in the Central Park area and a short vehicle pursuit ensued. The vehicle was ultimately stopped and recovered on the 100 block of Winspear Avenue. The robbery suspect and two other juveniles were arrested.

The stolen Ford was later spotted on the first block of Person Street and was recovered without incident, police said. Travon Guilford, 18, and two juveniles were arrested.

After both vehicles were recovered, police said officers retraced the suspects path and recovered a handgun. The handgun was submitted for analysis and additional charges are possible.

The six teens, all from Buffalo, are facing various charges:

16-year-old male

Robbery in the first degree

Criminal use of a firearm in the first degree

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree

Unauthorized use of a vehicle

Travon Guilford, 18

Robbery in the first degree

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree

Obstruction of governmental administration

15-year-old male

Robbery in the first degree

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree

17-year-old male

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree

Unauthorized use of a vehicle

14-year-old male

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree

Unauthorized use of a vehicle

17-year-old female

Criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree

Latest Local News

Emily Miller is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2022. See more of her work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
An 8,000-year-old fort defies expectations, showing that Stone Age societies built protective structures far earlier than we thought

A hunter-gatherer society in Siberia built one of the oldest fortified settlements 8,000 years ago.

The fortress defies expectations because it's one of the oldest found that hunter-gatherers built.

The inhabitants likely had access to abundant fish and game they may have wanted to protect.

A cluster of houses protected by trenches, earthen banks, and wooden stakes baffled archaeologists for decades.

The settlement dates to the Stone Age, a time researchers once considered too unsophisticated for such structures.

Originally, archaeologists believed similar settlements were only about 3,000 years old, Archaeology magazine reported.

But radiocarbon dating from the 1980s showed one was thousands of years older, when hunter-gatherers lived in the taiga, a cold, subarctic forest.

The result was so surprising that some of the researchers doubted their work, archaeologist Tanja Schreiber told Archaeology magazine.

Schreiber and other scientists recently retested objects and mud deposits from the site to confirm the age of a settlement near the Amnya River in western Siberia. They published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Antiquity .

The Neolithic settlement is one of the oldest known fortified structures in the world and was constructed hundreds of years earlier than most other similar structures.

These types of defensive fortifications are usually associated with agricultural societies. Researchers long considered more mobile hunter-gatherers incapable of building such sophisticated structures.

A strategic location near the river

Hunter-gatherers occasionally built fortifications in other parts of the world, "but the very early onset of this phenomenon in inland western Siberia is unparalleled," the authors wrote in the paper.

While there are older Stone Age settlements in other parts of the world, like the Gobekli Tepe in Turkey which is estimated to be 12,000 years old, the Siberian settlement is about 2,000 years older than similar structures in Europe, according to Vice .

The settlement's strategic location allowed its residents to lead "a sophisticated lifestyle based on the abundant resources of the taiga environment," Schreiber said in a statement.

The inhabitants may have had access to large populations of fish, birds, elk, beaver, and reindeer. They may have had goods to store and protect food, such as fish oil and frozen meat. Archaeologists found pottery, slate tools and weapons, and animal bone fragments at the site.

Challenging stereotypes of hunter-gatherers

The rectangular houses were between 140 and 441 square feet  about the size of some NYC apartments  and had fireplaces, suggesting people may have lived in them throughout the winter.

Walls made of earth, ditches, and fences made of wooden stakes surrounded the houses that were built into the ground. These protections may have been an attempt to dissuade other groups from raiding the settlement, according to the authors.

"The discovery challenges stereotypes of such societies as simple and mobile, revealing their ability to create sophisticated structures," Schreiber told Newsweek .

The fortifications may not have always been effective, as there's evidence that the settlement was repeatedly burned. Researchers believe the fires may have been deliberately set as an act of violence.

"The environment of western Siberia now seems to us rather harsh and unfriendly, but for hunter-gatherers and fishers it was a real paradise," Ekaterina Dubovtseva, a co-author of the study, told Archaeology magazine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Police in Deming, New Mexico are asking for the publics help in finding a 90-year-old woman missing since before Thanksgiving.

The Deming Police Department is asking for assistance in locating Wilma Hessler, 90, who was last seen on Nov. 11 at her home in Deming.

She is 4-feet-9, weighs about 100 pounds and has brown eyes and white hair. She may be in Grants, New Mexico, and driving a gold 2009 Ford F350 pickup truck.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Wilma Hessler is asked to contact the Deming Police Department at (575) 546-3011 or dial 911.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
President Biden poses with Students Demand Action in Connecticut in June. In 2020, the youngest American voters were squarely in his corner. Not now, according to polls. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

I almost spit out my Geritol the other day when I read what one young voter in Philadelphia told NBC News about why she is disillusioned about the upcoming presidential election.

I dont think the presidency has too much of an effect on what happens in my day-to-day life, said Pru Carmichael, who supported Biden in 2020 but says she will not vote for president at all this year if she has to choose between the disappointing incumbent and former President Trump.

Seriously?

Maybe she believes she will never have an unintended, unwanted pregnancy. (However, if she does, she is lucky enough to live in Pennsylvania, where abortion is still legal.)

But how can she not appreciate the profound changes the Trump presidency inflicted on this country? Had there been no President Trump, there would be no ultraconservative majority on the Supreme Court, no Dobbs decision overturning nearly half a century of reproductive rights, no outright abortion bans in 13 states and no suffering by people like Kate Cox of Texas, who was forced to seek abortion care in another state after the Texas Supreme Court said she could not abort her severely compromised fetus, who suffered a condition that was incompatible with life.

Read more: Opinion: A Texas case shows how cruel and illusory the latest abortion-ban exceptions can be

In 2020, the youngest American voters were squarely in Bidens corner. According to exit polls, 65% of those 18 to 24 years old chose him, the largest percentage of any age group. And yet, if recent national polls are to be believed, voters up to age 34 have grown disenchanted with the president. Perhaps this is a reflection on the impatience of youth, or, worse, a fundamentally weak grasp on how government operates.

Listen to what younger voters told NBC News theyre upset about: the countrys slow pace on reversing climate change, Bidens failure to fully cancel student loan debt, his inability to federally codify the right to abortion and, perhaps most starkly, his handling of Israels war against Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

I mean, he made a lot of really big promises in his campaign and virtually none of them were followed through on, one poll respondent, Austin Kapp, 25, of Colorado, told NBC News.

Read more: Think Biden's doing badly? Check out the polling for these other Western leaders

Well, hey. The president doesnt operate in a vacuum.

He did try to cancel student loan debt, and managed to erase nearly $132 billion of it, but the Supreme Courts right-wing majority blocked his plan to cancel so much more.

He did try to codify Roe, but was unable to marshal the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by Senate Republicans.

And what has Trump been doing about abortion, besides taking credit for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade? He's urging Republicans to mislead voters: In order to win in 2024, Republicans must learn how to properly talk about abortion, he told a group of Iowa supporters in September. This issue cost us unnecessarily but dearly in the midterms.

Read more: Abcarian: Who will make abortion pill rules? A bunch of right-wing judges, or FDA scientists?

We now know, thanks to the horrific experience of Cox and other women who have brought suit in Texas, that the idea of an exception to abortion bans for cases of rape, incest, fetal anomalies or the health of the pregnant person is nothing more than a shimmering lie, a mirage to make abortion bans slightly more palatable to the majority of Americans who support a womans right to choose.

As for the Middle East crisis, even if you agree that Bidens handling of the situation has been uneven, why would anyone think Trump, an outspoken supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would handle it better, particularly if your sympathies lie more with the Palestinians caught in the violence than the Israeli governments response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack?

On the campaign trail, Trump has signaled a lack of engagement in the conflict, suggesting that he would let this play out. His one concrete suggestion? In an interview with Univision in November, he said that Israel needed to do a better job of public relations, frankly, because the other side is beating them at the public relations front.

Read more: Abcarian: Believe Trump when he vows revenge on the news media. MAGA shock troops are already on the attack

He has also pledged to revoke the student visas of radical anti-American and antisemitic foreigners at our colleges and universities, and we will send them straight back home. (Muslim ban, anyone?) Does that sound like an appealing counter-message for the 70% of voters under 35 who told NBC News pollsters they disapprove of the way Biden has handled the war?

With 2024 upon us, and the first contests of the Republican presidential primaries set to take place on Jan. 15 in Iowa and on Jan. 23 in New Hampshire, barring some unforeseen development it could become clear very quickly that the much-indicted Trump is bound for the November ballot as the Republican presidential nominee.

A Suffolk University/USA Today poll released on New Year's Day showed that Trump is out-polling Biden among groups the pollsters described as stalwarts of the Democratic base, that is, Hispanics and younger voters. Bidens support among Black Americans has also slipped significantly, though he still leads Trump.

Read more: Abcarian: She got fired for condemning Palestinians. He got fired for blaming Israel. Is that right?

This is alarming, not catastrophic. Biden, and Democrats, have time to make their case. I remain skeptical that the Democratic base will not come home by November, particularly as Trump continues to embrace his inner dictator on the campaign trail.

A Republican getting elected isnt the end. It is the beginning of a much larger fight, a 23-year-old Wisconsin Starbucks worker and union organizer who is considering withholding his vote from Biden told NBC News. I want to show the Democratic Party as a young person that you still need to earn our vote and if you dont, the consequences will be your career.

Teach Democrats a lesson by electing a democracy-destroying authoritarian?

My mother used to call that cutting off your nose to spite your face.

@robinkabcarian





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Sheriff Ricky Bishop has been the Taylor County Sheriff since 2013 and announced in 2023 he will be seeking his fourth term later this year. Bishop recently sat down with Abilene Reporter News to discuss his storied career and what he hopes he can bring to Taylor County if re-elected in November.

Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop at a press conference in 2021.

Youngest elected Taylor County Sheriff

Ricky Bishop is the youngest elected Taylor County Sheriff in history and plans to be the longest serving as well. He has now served Taylor County for just over 24 years but got his start as a control clerk in the county jail in December 1999.

He originally handled weekly visitations at the Taylor County Jail, answered phone calls and opened and closed doors, but quickly moved to ascend the ranks. After serving only 6 or 7 months as a control clerk, Bishop transferred to become a corrections officer.

After serving as a corrections officer for several years, in 2003, Bishop received his state licensure. He became a peace officer through the West Central Texas Council of Governments Peace Officer Academy, and the rest is history.

Bishop was first elected to Taylor County Sheriff in 2013 and hopes to be re-elected for a fourth time this fall.

Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop, who is also the chief of the View Volunteer Fire Department, sits on one of their newest engines in their also-new firehouse barn Thursday Dec. 29, 2022.

Fighting fires in his spare time

Throughout his time serving Taylor County, Bishop has also worn a second hat  that of a volunteer firefighter. Bishop credits his grandfather as his inspiration for public service, as his grandfather served as a volunteer firefighter for many years.

He followed in his grandfather's footsteps and became a volunteer firefighter in 1996. Bishop additionally became an arson investigator for the county in 2009.

Currently, he serves as the chief of the View Volunteer Fire Department and has received numerous accolades throughout his career. Most notably, Bishop received the Melvin Martin award for leadership in relation to his role as incident commander during the Mesquite Heat Fire.

The Mesquite Heat Fire from May of 2022 burned almost 11,000 acres in Taylor County. This went on to become one of the largest and most dangerous fires in the history of Taylor County.

Bishop worked so tirelessly that at one point after fighting the fire overnight, his assistant chief from the fire department and his captain had to lock him inside a trailer to force him to take a nap as he hadn't slept in over 36 hours.

Hope for his next term

Bishop hopes to continue his trend of higher salaries for his staff into the next term. When he first took office in 2013, the starting salary for a corrections officer was $25,000 per year. Today, the starting salary at the jail is $50,000 and the starting salary as a patrol officer is $54,000 yearly.

Bishop credits higher salaries as the biggest contribution he has made to the office thus far. He hopes to continue this trend in order to keep the Taylor County Sheriff's office competitive with other Texas agencies.

Additionally, Bishop hopes to continue to bring the office into the 21st century with technology updates. In 2023, after software delay with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), his office was able to add computers to every patrol car.

Bishop also hopes to grow the department this year by adding 16 more staff members. As DPS gets called to the border more often than not these days, Bishop says the sheriff's office has had to make more traffic stops and needs more officers to cover an ever-expanding population.

Bishop hopes that by adding more staff members to his patrol division he can better keep citizens safe, saying he will make Taylor County "a better place to live."

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene sheriff discusses his bid for re-election in 2024
Two bombs exploded and killed at least 95 people Wednesday at a commemoration for a prominent Iranian general slain by the U.S. in a 2020 drone strike, Iranian officials said, as the Middle East remains on edge over Israels war with Hamas in Gaza.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for what appeared to be the deadliest militant attack to target Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Irans leaders vowed to punish those responsible for the blasts, which wounded at least 211 people.

The blasts were minutes apart and shook the city of Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. The second blast sprayed shrapnel into a screaming crowd fleeing the first explosion.

An earlier death toll of 103 was revised lower after officials realized that some names had been repeated on a list of victims, Irans health minister, Bahram Einollahi, told state TV. Many of the wounded were in critical condition, however, so the death toll could rise.

The gathering marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. The explosions occurred near his grave site as long lines of people gathered for the event.

Iranian state television and officials described the attacks as bombings, without immediately giving clear details of what happened. The attacks came a day after a deputy head of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut.

The first bomb Wednesday was detonated around 3 p.m., and the other went off some 20 minutes later, the Iranian interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, told state television. He said the second blast killed and wounded the most people.

Images and video shared on social media appeared to correspond with the accounts of officials, who said the first blast happened about 700 meters (765 yards) from Soleimanis grave in the Kerman Martyrs Cemetery near a parking lot. The crowd then rushed west along Shohada Street, where the second blast struck about 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) from the grave.

A delayed second explosion is often used by militants to inflict more casualties by targeting emergency personnel responding to an attack.

Iranian state TV and state-run IRNA news agency quoted emergency officials for the casualty figures. Authorities said Thursday would be a national day of mourning.

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attackers will face a harsh response, though he didnt name any possible suspect. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi added: Undoubtedly, the perpetrators and leaders of this cowardly act will soon be identified and punished.

Iran has multiple foes who could be behind the assault, including exile groups, militant organizations and state actors.

While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass casualty bombings. A U.S. State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said American officials had no reason to believe Israel was involved in Wednesdays attack in Iran.

Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.

Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has been targeted by exile groups in attacks dating back to the turmoil surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran itself has been arming militant groups over the decades, including Hamas, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and Yemens Houthi rebels. As Israel wages its devastating war in Gaza after Hamas Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 people, both Hezbollah and the Houthis have launched attacks targeting Israel that they say come on behalf of the Palestinians.

Israel is suspected of launching the attack Tuesday that killed a deputy head of Hamas in Beirut, but that attack caused limited casualties in a densely populated neighborhood of the Lebanese capital. Last week, a suspected Israeli strike killed a Revolutionary Guard commander in Syria.

A Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdel-Salam, sought to link the bombings to Irans support for the resistance forces in Palestine and Lebanon, though he did not specifically blame anyone for the attack.

In Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the people who died in the attacks martyrs who died on the same road, cause and battle that was led by Soleimani.

The government of neighboring Iraq expressed condolences to the victims, and the European Union issued a statement offering its solidarity with the Iranian people.

Soleimani was the architect of Irans regional military activities and is hailed as a national icon among supporters of Irans theocracy. He also helped secure Syrian President Bashar Assads government after the 2011 Arab Spring protests against him turned into a civil, and later a regional, war that still rages today.

Soleimani had been relatively unknown in Iran until the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. His popularity and mystique grew after American officials called for his killing over his help in arming militants with penetrating roadside bombs that killed and maimed U.S. troops.

A decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Irans most recognizable battlefield commander. He ignored calls to enter politics but grew as powerful, if not more so, than its civilian leadership.

Ultimately, a drone strike launched by the Trump administration killed the general, part of escalating incidents that followed Americas 2018 unilateral withdrawal from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers.

Soleimanis death has drawn large processions in the past. At his funeral in 2020, a stampede broke out in Kerman and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession.

Until Wednesday, the deadliest attack to strike Iran since the revolution was the 1981 truck bombing of the Islamic Republican Partys headquarters in Tehran. That attack killed at least 72 people, including the partys leader, four government ministers, eight deputy ministers and 23 parliament members.

In 1978 just ahead of the revolution, an intentionally set fire at the Cinema Rex in Abadan killed hundreds of people.

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Jack Jeffery and Emma Burrows in London contributed to this report.
2023 was an inflection point in the evolution of artificial intelligence and its role in society. The year saw the emergence of generative AI, which moved the technology from the shadows to center stage in the public imagination. It also saw boardroom drama in an AI startup dominate the news cycle for several days. And it saw the Biden administration issue an executive order and the European Union pass a law aimed at regulating AI, moves perhaps best described as attempting to bridle a horse thats already galloping along.

Weve assembled a panel of AI scholars to look ahead to 2024 and describe the issues AI developers, regulators and everyday people are likely to face, and to give their hopes and recommendations.

Casey Fiesler, Associate Professor of Information Science, University of Colorado Boulder

2023 was the year of AI hype. Regardless of whether the narrative was that AI was going to save the world or destroy it, it often felt as if visions of what AI might be someday overwhelmed the current reality. And though I think that anticipating future harms is a critical component of overcoming ethical debt in tech, getting too swept up in the hype risks creating a vision of AI that seems more like magic than a technology that can still be shaped by explicit choices. But taking control requires a better understanding of that technology.

One of the major AI debates of 2023 was around the role of ChatGPT and similar chatbots in education. This time last year, most relevant headlines focused on how students might use it to cheat and how educators were scrambling to keep them from doing so  in ways that often do more harm than good.

However, as the year went on, there was a recognition that a failure to teach students about AI might put them at a disadvantage, and many schools rescinded their bans. I dont think we should be revamping education to put AI at the center of everything, but if students dont learn about how AI works, they wont understand its limitations  and therefore how it is useful and appropriate to use and how its not. This isnt just true for students. The more people understand how AI works, the more empowered they are to use it and to critique it.

So my prediction, or perhaps my hope, for 2024 is that there will be a huge push to learn. In 1966, Joseph Weizenbaum, the creator of the ELIZA chatbot, wrote that machines are often sufficient to dazzle even the most experienced observer, but that once their inner workings are explained in language sufficiently plain to induce understanding, its magic crumbles away. The challenge with generative artificial intelligence is that, in contrast to ELIZAs very basic pattern matching and substitution methodology, it is much more difficult to find language sufficiently plain to make the AI magic crumble away.

I think its possible to make this happen. I hope that universities that are rushing to hire more technical AI experts put just as much effort into hiring AI ethicists. I hope that media outlets help cut through the hype. I hope that everyone reflects on their own uses of this technology and its consequences. And I hope that tech companies listen to informed critiques in considering what choices continue to shape the future.

Kentaro Toyama, Professor of Community Information, University of Michigan

In 1970, Marvin Minsky, the AI pioneer and neural network skeptic, told Life magazine, In from three to eight years we will have a machine with the general intelligence of an average human being. With the singularity, the moment artificial intelligence matches and begins to exceed human intelligence  not quite here yet  its safe to say that Minsky was off by at least a factor of 10. Its perilous to make predictions about AI.

Still, making predictions for a year out doesnt seem quite as risky. What can be expected of AI in 2024? First, the race is on! Progress in AI had been steady since the days of Minskys prime, but the public release of ChatGPT in 2022 kicked off an all-out competition for profit, glory and global supremacy. Expect more powerful AI, in addition to a flood of new AI applications.

The big technical question is how soon and how thoroughly AI engineers can address the current Achilles heel of deep learning  what might be called generalized hard reasoning, things like deductive logic. Will quick tweaks to existing neural-net algorithms be sufficient, or will it require a fundamentally different approach, as neuroscientist Gary Marcus suggests? Armies of AI scientists are working on this problem, so I expect some headway in 2024.

Meanwhile, new AI applications are likely to result in new problems, too. You might soon start hearing about AI chatbots and assistants talking to each other, having entire conversations on your behalf but behind your back. Some of it will go haywire  comically, tragically or both. Deepfakes, AI-generated images and videos that are difficult to detect are likely to run rampant despite nascent regulation, causing more sleazy harm to individuals and democracies everywhere. And there are likely to be new classes of AI calamities that wouldnt have been possible even five years ago.

Speaking of problems, the very people sounding the loudest alarms about AI  like Elon Musk and Sam Altman  cant seem to stop themselves from building ever more powerful AI. I expect them to keep doing more of the same. Theyre like arsonists calling in the blaze they stoked themselves, begging the authorities to restrain them. And along those lines, what I most hope for 2024  though it seems slow in coming  is stronger AI regulation, at national and international levels.

Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University

In the year since the unveiling of ChatGPT, the development of generative AI models is continuing at a dizzying pace. In contrast to ChatGPT a year back, which took in textual prompts as inputs and produced textual output, the new class of generative AI models are trained to be multi-modal, meaning the data used to train them comes not only from textual sources such as Wikipedia and Reddit, but also from videos on YouTube, songs on Spotify, and other audio and visual information. With the new generation of multi-modal large language models (LLMs) powering these applications, you can use text inputs to generate not only images and text but also audio and video.

Companies are racing to develop LLMs that can be deployed on a variety of hardware and in a variety of applications, including running an LLM on your smartphone. The emergence of these lightweight LLMs and open source LLMs could usher in a world of autonomous AI agents  a world that society is not necessarily prepared for.

These advanced AI capabilities offer immense transformative power in applications ranging from business to precision medicine. My chief concern is that such advanced capabilities will pose new challenges for distinguishing between human-generated content and AI-generated content, as well as pose new types of algorithmic harms.

The deluge of synthetic content produced by generative AI could unleash a world where malicious people and institutions can manufacture synthetic identities and orchestrate large-scale misinformation. A flood of AI-generated content primed to exploit algorithmic filters and recommendation engines could soon overpower critical functions such as information verification, information literacy and serendipity provided by search engines, social media platforms and digital services.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned about fraud, deception, infringements on privacy and other unfair practices enabled by the ease of AI-assisted content creation. While digital platforms such as YouTube have instituted policy guidelines for disclosure of AI-generated content, theres a need for greater scrutiny of algorithmic harms from agencies like the FTC and lawmakers working on privacy protections such as the American Data Privacy & Protection Act.

A new bipartisan bill introduced in Congress aims to codify algorithmic literacy as a key part of digital literacy. With AI increasingly intertwined with everything people do, it is clear that the time has come to focus not on algorithms as pieces of technology but to consider the contexts the algorithms operate in: people, processes and society.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.

It was written by: Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University; Casey Fiesler, University of Colorado Boulder, and Kentaro Toyama, University of Michigan.

Read more:



Casey Fiesler receives funding from the National Science Foundation, and is currently a funded Visiting Fellow with the Notre Dame-IBM Tech Ethics Lab.

Kentaro Toyama's research is funded in part by the National Science Foundation.
A commercial aircraft contracted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to fly to Honduras was forced to turn around shortly after takeoff and land Wednesday morning back at a southern Texas airport, officials confirmed.

A radio tower at the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, located in the central region of the Rio Grande Valley, received an advisory after 5 a.m. local time that the Boeing 767 airplane was experiencing some sort of trouble, Marv Esterly, the airport's director of aviation, told USA TODAY.

"It had some type of issue and after takeoff it decided to return to the airport," Esterly said.

Deadly plane mishap: Utah man found dead after crawling into plane engine

Plane was operated by ICE

The commercial aircraft was chartered by a company contracted by ICE and was bound for San Pedro, Honduras, Esterly said. Esterly was not able to specify the number of passengers on board.

Data tracked by FlightAware shows that the airplane took off at 5:17 a.m. and reached an altitude of abut 3,000 feet before it had to turn back and land on the same runway at 5:36 a.m.

It was unclear what specific issue caused the plane to be diverted. The aircraft was able to land safely and no injuries were reported, Esterly said.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Plane, operated by ICE, makes emergency landing at Texas airport
Alan Dershowitz has said that he wants every last document and piece of paper relating to late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to be publicly released  asserting that it will prove that he did nothing wrong.

Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre previously accused the former Donald Trump attorney and Harvard Law School professor of sexual abuse, claiming that she was trafficked by Epstein to Mr Dershowitz for sex.

Following the accusations, contentious legal battles between Mr Dershowitz and Ms Giuffre rumbled on for the next three years.

Then, in November 2022, Ms Giuffre admitted that she may have made a mistake in identifying Mr Dershowitz as one of her abusers. Lawsuits were then dismissed on both sides.

Now, up to 200 Epstein associates are set to be unmasked after a judge ordered the unsealing of court documents in a now-settled lawsuit brought by Ms Giuffre against Epsteins accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

Many of the documents have previously been publicly released  though hundreds of names were redacted in the filings.

The filings are poised to be released any day now, after the judge ruled that they could be unsealed after 1 January.

Speaking on NewsNation on Tuesday, Mr Dershowitz said he wants all documents released in the case  accusing the judge of holding back some filings.

The reason I wanted everything put out and I dont think the judge put everything out, I think she was selective in what she put out and thats unfair, he said.

I want everything out, every document, every piece of paper, half-truths or lies, and I wanted them out for personal reasons because I know that they would prove what Ive said from day one  that I did nothing wrong.

Mr Dershowitz pointed out that the woman who accused me later admitted that she may have misidentified me, confused me with someone else.

Alan Dershowitz has always denied any wrongdoing in connection to Jeffrey Epstein (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

So I wanted everything out right from the beginning because I have nothing to hide, he added.

The Harvard professor  who represented Mr Trump in his first impeachment trial and OJ Simpson in his infamous murder trial  went on to defend the Epstein associates whose names will soon be released.

He said that individuals might be ashamed about their association with the serial abuser and sex trafficker but that it does not mean they are guilty of wrongdoing.

You could judge them for having shown bad judgement, but you cant conclude that any accusations against them are true without hearing the evidence, he said.

He later added: There are some people who may be ashamed of the fact that they hung out with Epstein but remember a lot of people hung out with Epstein before he was convicted.

Presidents of Harvard, deans, Nobel quality scientists, he was very well thought of in the beginning.

Mr Dershowitzs name could be one such name on the list, Fox News Sean Hannity speculated this week.

But, as Mr Dershowitz stated, an individual being named in the documents does not necessarily mean they are accused of any wrongdoing.

Ms Giuffre filed the defamation lawsuit against Maxwell in 2015, after the woman who would later be convicted as a sex offender accused her of lying about the abuse she suffered at Epsteins hands.

The suit was settled in 2017 but was placed under a protective seal  with the identities of those named in the filings kept under lock and key.

Jeffrey Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell (AP)

Following some legal wrangling  after The Miami Herald sued for the documents to be released and Maxwells legal team sought to block it  US District Judge Loretta Preska ruled last month that the trove of documents could be released and the names unsealed in full.

While the federal judge ordered the names of several Epstein victims to remain anonymous, she said that there was no legal justification to keep the names of Epsteins associates redacted as John and Jane Does.

This has now paved the way for several famous figures to find themselves tied to the notorious disgraced financier.

While Mr Dershowitz has always denied any wrongdoing, he did know Epstein.

Flight logs have previously revealed that he flew on Epsteins private jet  nicknamed the Lolita Express  multiple times between 1998 and 2005.

In 2015, he admitted that he had once received a massage at Epsteins home.

Since then, he has repeatedly defended the massage, saying that there was nothing untoward about the encounter  telling The Hill TVs Rising show that it was carried out by a middle-aged woman named Olga.

Mr Dershowitz also represented Epstein in his first criminal trial in Florida, where he was handed a widely-condemned sweetheart deal.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.

Maxwell was convicted of child sex trafficking in 2021 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Alex Batty is now back in Oldham with his grandmother and legal guardian, Susan Cuarana - Ken McKay/Shutterstock

Alex Batty said he is unlikely ever to see his mother or grandfather again as he revealed the final moments before he fled the Pyrenees in search of a normal life.

The 17-year-old said he had prepared a final meal for his mother Melanie Batty and grandfather David, before striking out on foot to return to the UK

They had spent six years living in communes across Morocco, Spain and France. Greater Manchester Police has launched a criminal investigation into the alleged abduction of the teenager.

Alexs mother and grandfather have not been since his escape and are believed still to be in France or to have crossed the border. Last week, it was reported that Ms Batty had sent an email to her former landlord in Villefort, a hamlet in the French Pyrenees, saying: Ive got to keep running.

Asked in an interview with Good Morning Britain on Wednesday whether he would ever see his mother, 43, or grandfather, 64 again, Alex replied: Probably not. I dont mind.

Describing the day he decided to leave, Alex said: It was a normal day. It was a very, very quick decision for it to be that day. I realised it was time, just like that. So I made food for everyone, played it chilled of course, and around half 10 I wrote the note, and by 12 oclock I was gone.

Last week, The Telegraph revealed that Alex and his grandfather had been living apart from Ms Batty and her new boyfriend for at least several weeks before he decided to leave.

She had apparently adopted a more comfortable life with an Italian man called Fabrizio, moving into a newly converted stone cowshed,and spending much of her time socialising in cafes and bars in nearby Chalabre.

Local acquaintances of the couple have said she could be being sheltered nearby by one of many cults or have fled ao Spain or Andorra.

Last month, Alex told The Sun that a final row with his mother, who he described as very spiritual and stridently anti-government, had prompted him to escape.

For years, he had worked on construction projects and on the land, receiving no education and only making one friend his own age in six years.

He told Good Morning Britain: Everyone else Ive known has been a lot older than me. So Im very comfortable talking to adults, but with children my age Im completely different.

Alex, who wants to study computer engineering, said he had previously asked his mother whether he could go home but she had ruled it out. His grandfather, however, had been more sympathetic.

We stayed in a lot of caravans and we stayed in a lot of houses, always up mountains hours away from any kind of village or anything, he told GMB. One day I thought: OK, I cant take this any more.

Alex is now back in Oldham, Greater Manchester, with Susan Cuarana, his grandmother and legal guardian. He told GMB his birthday is coming up on Feb 13, and asked about his plans, he said: [Getting] absolutely hammered with my friends.

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Fox News host Sean Hannity has moved to Florida from New York, citing a desire to be in a state with representatives that share his ideologies.

The far-right anchor announced Tuesday that he was already settled in his new home. He had previously recorded his shows out of his home in Long Island and would go to Fox Newss Manhattan headquarters for live shows.

Ive been threatening now to do this for quite a while, but we are now beginning our first broadcast from my new home, and that is in the free state of Florida, Hannity said on his radio show. I am out. I am done. I am finished.

Finally, for the first time that I can think of in my adult life, I actually have representatives in the state that Im living in that share my values.

Floridas Republican Party controls the state legislature and the governors office. This overwhelming amount of power has allowed Governor Ron DeSantis to push through multiple extreme culture-war laws.

Hannity bragged that his new home has warmer weather, law and order, better education, more freedom, [and] better quality of life.

The state also has incredibly high insurance premiums as climate change batters the coastline. It has rules restricting everything from what people can wear in public to what books they can read and what bathroom they can use. It has an education system that tries to argue slavery was just a job training program. And DeSantis has antagonized Disney, one of the biggest job creators in the state, setting off a bizarre legal battle.

The move also puts Hannity much closer to Donald Trump. Despite purporting to be a journalist, Hannity appears to be a close adviser and ally to the former president. Hannity appeared onstage at a Trump rally in 2018. Two years later, Hannity helped write one of Trumps 2020 campaign ads.
Chicago police issued a community alert warning business owners in the Bronzevile neighborhood of an increase of burglaries in recent days.

The break-ins happened on New Years Eve and the following days in the early morning hours and late at night. Four to five robbers smashed the front door of businesses with a brick or rock to enter stores and make off with items and cash from registers, police said.

The thieves then fled in a silver Kia Soul.

On Dec. 31, two burglaries were reported in the 4300 and 4500 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue at 5:25 a.m. and 5:40 a.m., police said.

Jan. 1, burglars struck again in the 600 and 700 block of East 47th Street at about 11:50 p.m. and 11:55 p.m., police said.

Tuesday, two more businesses were burglarized in the 200 block of East 35th Street and the 4200 block of South Cottage Grove shortly before 12:30 a.m., police said.

Police said the culprits were wearing hooded sweatshirts and skull caps.

Anyone with information should contact police.
Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has been hit with a second sexual assault lawsuit by two former contestants of All-American Girl, an all-girl competition show for which Lythgoe was a producer in the early Noughties.

The second lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday (2 January) by anonymous plaintiffs Jane Doe KG and Jane Doe KN, comes days after Lythgoe was accused of sexual assault by former American Idol judge Paula Abdul. Lythgoe said he was shocked by Abduls allegations, and denied abusing her in a statement.

In the new legal filings, seen by The Independent, John Roe NL and Roe Production Company are named as the defendants. The former has been identified as Lythgoe, Deadline confirmed.

The plaintiffs have accused the British producer of sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress for an incident they claim to have occurred in May 2003.

According to Jane Doe KG and Jane Doe KN, Lythgoe would appear from time to time during the filming of the show and interact with the contestants. On one occasion, Lythgoe walked around the set and dressing rooms and openly swatted and groped Plaintiffs and other contestants buttocks, reads the suit.

It goes on to detail a specific incident, which is alleged to have happened after the shows finale party in May 2003 when Lythgoe insisted that Plaintiff KN ride in his car to go back to the studio where everyone else was going.

Plaintiff KG is said to have gone with them to ensure her colleague was not left alone.

Nigel Lythgoe (Invision)

Instead of driving Plaintiffs back to the studio where everybody else was going, [Lythgoe] took Plaintiffs to a home in Los Angeles, the filing continues. There, [Lythgoe] made sexual advances on Plaintiff KG and KN Plaintiffs rejected the advances but [Lythgoe] persisted and continued making advances.

Lythgoe is alleged to have lifted his sweater over Plaintiff KGs head and engulfed her in his sweater, attempting to kiss her and pushing her body close to his. Plaintiff KG is said to have again rejected the kiss and scrambled to release herself from his grasp.

Later that night, [Lythgoe] pinned Plaintiff KN against a grand piano in the house, pushed himself against her body, and forced his mouth and tongue onto her despite her numerous statements telling him not to and attempts to pull her face away from his, the filing adds. When Plaintiff KG saw this and protested, [Lythgoe] finally surrendered.

The plaintiffs are seeking a trial jury and a variety of damages, including past, present and future medical and/or mental health treatment and medications, lost earnings and economic damages.

The Independent has contacted Lythgoes representative for comment.
The News

Its good to know whatll happen in the coming year, and good to be humble about whats unknowable. On this day, four years ago, Joe Biden was running third in Iowa, and would end up doing worse than that  before winning the nomination anyway. Donald Trumps internal polling showed him winning re-election easily. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was alive, limiting the rights ambitions for the Supreme Court. COVID hadnt come to America yet. No-excuse mail-voting was mostly something Republicans did, and one share of Tesla stock cost $29.

What do we know? When things are supposed to start happening. Heres a guide to the coming political year  the primaries, conventions, debates, and ballot deadlines that everyones going to navigate. Its too early to predict most of Donald Trumps trial schedule, or what will happen to legally-challenged congressional maps in New York and Wisconsin. But most of the calendar is set, and here it is.

The Calendar

Jan. 10: CNN will host the years first primary debate, in Des Moines, with a 10% polling threshold. Right now, only Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Donald Trump would make it, and Trump isnt going  hes got a Fox News town hall that starts right when the debate does. (Expect to hear some rumination about Trump skipping the final pre-caucus debate in 2016, when he lost, but was roughly half as popular with GOP voters as he is now.)

Jan. 15: Iowa Republicans will vote in their presidential caucuses, in person, at 7 p.m. central time. Eight years ago, they broke party turnout records  nearly 187,000 Republicans showed up to give Ted Cruz his 3-point victory over Donald Trump.

Three things will become clear quickly: Whether turnout rose or fell, whether any campaign changed the electorate, and whether DeSantis did well enough to stay in the race. Iowa Democrats will start getting preference cards in the mail on Jan. 12, but they wont be tallied until March 5, to get right with their partys new primary calendar.)

Jan. 23: New Hampshire primary day, despite the best efforts of the Democratic National Committee. Well know early in the night whether Haley could upset Trump, and how many non-Republicans have crossed over their primary. Democrats expect low turnout for their own contest, where the president isnt on the ballot against Marianne Williamson and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, and his supporters are running a write-in campaign. Some Republicans expect that to help Haley, by freeing up more crossover votes. (ABC and CNN have more scheduled debates right before the vote, on Thursday and Sunday.)

Feb. 3: South Carolina Democrats will hold their primary, which the national party wants to use as a test of Black voter outreach. Turnout nearly hit 540,000 in 2020, when there was no Republican contest attracting moderate independents; it was closer to 370,000 in 2016, when the Clinton-Sanders race never got competitive in South Carolina.

Feb. 6-8: On a Tuesday, Nevada will hold its presidential primary; two days later, Republicans will ignore the non-binding primary results and vote in their caucuses. Haleys the only active candidate on the Tuesday ballot; she didnt file for the caucuses, but Trump, DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Ramaswamy did. (Democrats are binding their delegates to their primary result, and Phillips entered the race too late to make the ballot.)

Feb. 13: Long Island voters will pick a successor to George Santos  Democrat Tom Suozzi or Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip. Suozzi won the seat by 13 points in 2022, then left to run for governor; Santos flipped the open seat, which had been slightly re-drawn to include more Republican votes.

Feb. 21-24: The 50th annual Conservative Political Action Conference will be held just outside Washington, at a troubled moment for the hosts. Matt Schlapp, who took over the American Conservative Union 10 years ago, has faced months of pressure to quit over a sexual misconduct lawsuit and its costs. (He denies any misconduct.) Last years conference was noticeably smaller, with fewer non-MAGA stars, and this years will be another heat check.

Feb. 24: South Carolina Republicans will hold their primary  possibly a showdown between Nikki Haley and Donald Trump, possibly a Trump walkover if he won New Hampshire one month earlier. Despite Haleys extensive ties to the state as a former governor, there are very few signs of weakness in Trumps armor there.

Feb. 27: Michigan holds its earliest primary in years, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer worked with the DNC and her state legislature to move it up. Two longshots, Christie and Phillips, have talked about making their stands here, a big open primary state where moderate swing voters can determine the winner. (John McCain did it in 2000; Bernie Sanders did it in 2016).

March 2-4: The avalanche of GOP primaries and caucuses gets underway  caucuses in Idaho and Missouri on March 2, a D.C. primary on March 3, and North Dakota caucuses on March 4. There are 134 delegates at play, less than 6% of the total.

March 4: As of now, thats the trial start date for Donald Trumps Jan. 6 cases, which his team is working diligently to change.

March 5: Super Tuesday, which effectively ended the last presidential primary: Votes in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Vermont. A few of those states are holding state primaries, too  House contests on a new Republican-drawn map in North Carolina, Senate and House contests in California.

The California race could determine how tens of millions of Democratic dollars get spent. Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter raised a combined $43 million through September, and if both make the runoff  or Rep. Barbara Lee makes it  two of the partys best fundraisers will be raising to beat each other. But Republican ex-LA Dodger Steve Garvey has moved into 2nd place in some polls, potentially setting up a red/blue race that neither party would spend in.

In two of these states, North Carolina and Utah, its also the final day to submit petitions for an independent presidential candidate  the first test of whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West have built organizations that can qualify them in big states.

March 19: Primary day in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio. Two of those states, Arizona and Ohio, are top U.S. Senate targets for Republicans. In both, Trump has endorsed candidates whove built public personas around their support for him  Kari Lake and Bernie Moreno.

Mid-April: No Labels, which had planned to hold a Dallas convention in this period, will now poll members internally about whether to field a presidential unity ticket in 2024. That decision is contingent on the GOP primary, and whether the major parties have settled on a Biden-Trump rematch.

June 25: New Yorks primaries may be held in new districts, after a commission meets to redraw its map and after appeals in the gerrymandering case are exhausted. In Westchester County, Rep. Jamaal Bowman will face County Executive George Latimer  Bowmans first race since being censured over setting a false fire alarm. Its also the first of several primaries where Israel critics are being targeted for defeat.

July 15-18: The Republican National Convention will be held in Milwaukee, which hosted a ghost DNC four years ago during COVID, but prepped for a real one.

August: Over the month, twenty-three states will close their ballot lines. Its crunch time for Kennedy, Cornel West, Jill Steins Green Party, and anyone else running outside the Democratic and Republican primaries. At this point in 2020, Kanye Wests campaign was being sued off the ballot in swing states.

Aug. 6-13: State primaries in Missouri, Michigan, and Minnesota will settle the fight between the partys left-wing squad and pro-Israel donors. They have challengers lined up against Missouri Rep. Cori Bush on Aug. 6 and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Aug. 13; they are still hunting for a challenger to Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Aug. 6. (The busy schedule has helped the squad in the past. In 2018, Tlaib won her primary, then headed to Minneapolis to campaign for Omar, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez headed to St. Louis to help Bush.)

Aug. 19-22: The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago, which has hosted 11 previous party conventions, but only one became a horror story for modern liberalism. Policing and security around these events has grown since then, but Democrats have already fretted about pro-Gaza ceasefire protests coming to the city and spreading.

Sept. 16: If the Commission on Presidential Debates gets its way, the Democratic and Republican nominees will meet in San Marcos, Tex., joined by any other candidate polling at 15% or higher. This year? Republicans voted to ditch the biased CPD and prevent their nominee from appearing at their events. If they happen, the rest of the CPDs debates are scheduled for Oct. 1, and Oct. 9, and with vice presidential candidates on Sep. 25.

Nov. 5: Election Day.

Dec. 17: The Electoral College meets to submit all 538 votes for president. Usually a formality, it faced intense new political pressure in 2000 and 2016 (from Democratic activists who wanted faithless electors to block the loser of the popular vote) and 2020 (from a Trump campaign that got most Republicans on board with rejecting the result). In a normal political year, you wont care about this date at all.

Notable

In Politico, Steven Shepard counts down 24 numbers thatll matter this year, from Trumps share of white evangelical Christian votes in Iowa to the number of ballots Kennedy can get on.

In Rolling Stone, Asawin Suebsaeng and Andrew Perez preview the tactics Trumps legal team will use.
The conventional wisdom in some quarters is that the charter school movement has run its course. Abandoned by an increasingly progressive Democratic Party for being neo-liberal and by an increasingly populist Republican Party for being technocratic, charter schools (the story goes) are falling into the chasm that has opened up in the political center of our ultra-polarized country.

But the conventional wisdom is wrong.

Yes, the politics around public charter schools have become more challenging, especially in the blue-hued cities where most of the media lives and works. But across vast expanses of urban and semi-urban America, and especially in Black and brown communities where charter schools have proven most popular and effective, theres still plenty of room to grow, and few policy barriers standing in the way.

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Thats one key takeaway from a new analysis by my colleagues David Griffith and Jeanette Luna at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, The Education Competition Index: Quantifying competitive pressure in Americas 125 largest school districts. The median large district in the U.S. still serves upward of 80% of its resident students, with the other kids attending charter schools, private schools or home schools. That means that most large districts, including highly urban ones, are far from being saturated with options  especially for families of color, who generally are poorly served by traditional public schools. This makes them promising locales for further charter expansion.

I say charter expansion for several reasons. First, of the many alternatives to traditional public schools, charter schools have by far the strongest track record when it comes to boosting student achievement, especially for low-income children and students of color. A growing body of research, including a recent study from CREDO at Stanford University, shows charter school students outpacing their traditional public school peers both on test scores and on long-term outcomes such as college completion, especially in urban areas. In contrast, private school choice programs have been markedly less effective in boosting student outcomes, at least as judged by test scores. Recent studies of large-scale voucher programs in Ohio, Indiana and Louisiana all show recipients trailing their public school peers on test score growth, sometimes significantly.

Related

New Study: Charter Students Outperforming Peers at Traditional Public Schools

Second, compared with private-school choice initiatives, the charter movement has proven much more capable of growing its market share. Whereas only about 770,000 students currently receive publicly funded scholarships or savings accounts  many of which cover just part of the price of schooling  more than 3.6 million pupils attend charter schools. And as the study found, during the 2010s, the rising tide of competition that most large school districts faced was almost entirely attributable to charters.

Another recent analysis, this one from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, supplies further evidence of charters staying power and potential for growth. Whereas enrollment in traditional public schools shrank by 3.5% during the pandemic era, charter school enrollment grew by 9%. The increase was particularly explosive among Latinos.

So where do charters have the most growth potential in the years ahead? Our analysis shows that most likely hotspots are in urbanized or rapidly urbanizing areas that are home to many students of color, who tend to be best served by these high-impact schools. More specifically, we believe that moving forward, philanthropists, national charter networks and advocates should consider three key factors:

Policy . Its hard to open charter schools in hostile environments, such as those with paltry funding or strict charter caps. Conversely, new investments in equitable per-pupil funding or facilities are akin to placing a big were open sign at state (or municipal) borders.



Room to grow . In the handful of places where more than half of students already exercise school choice, the market for educational alternatives is arguably saturated. But these are exceptions.



Momentum. While past results are no guarantee of future performance (as mutual funds are required to say), states where charters are growing are likely to see further growth in the coming years  provided the movement can avoid legislative setbacks.

Put those variables together, and the following states emerge as especially promising places where investments in continued charter growth might do the most good:

Texas . The Lone Star State has enjoyed strong charter growth, with enrollment up 7% from a year ago and 20% since before the pandemic. Yet theres still plenty of room to run. While Houston, Dallas and Austin have long hosted lots of great charter schools, its still the case that 70% to 75% of children living in those cities attend district schools. And theres even less school choice in smaller districts like Fort Worth, El Paso and Northside, in San Antonio, all of which have significant and growing Hispanic populations.



North Carolina . The Tarheel State boasts a 19% charter growth rate since 2019 and shows no signs of slowing down, thanks to a new statewide charter authorizer. Yet 85% to 90% of students in the counties that are home to Winston-Salem, Fayetteville and Greensboro attend district schools.



Nevada. The Silver States two large districts, Clark County (Las Vegas) and Washoe (Reno), are among the biggest prizes on the map. Together, they serve almost 400,000 kids, yet just 16% (in Vegas) and 12% (in Reno) attend non-district schools. The legislature just created a new independent charter authorizer, which should supercharge Nevadas charter growth, which is already up 19% since before the pandemic.

Those are just the standouts. Plenty of other states and local communities are good bets, too. Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin all recently enacted major funding increases for charter schools, and have hospitable environments. The suburbs around Denver and Atlanta serve a growing number of students of color and yet offer limited educational options. Population booms and strong charter policies in Florida and Tennessee make them welcoming jurisdictions.

So, to potential supporters who think the charter opportunity has passed them by, I say: Think again. There are lots of students, families and communities that are still in dire need of great educational options. Lets make sure they get them.
A Cook County judge on Wednesday granted pretrial release to a Chicago firefighter accused of opening fire on another motorist during an apparent road rage incident in the Andersonville neighborhood on New Years Eve.

Omotayo Kassim, 34, faces single counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm, according to authorities. Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford confirmed that Kassim, a resident of the Grand Boulevard neighborhood on the South Side, had been with the department since 2019. Following the charge, Kassim was placed on paid administrative suspension, according to Fire Department officials.

During a detention hearing, prosecutors described a road rage incident in the final hours of 2023 that began with a minor collision when Kassim and a second driver ran stop signs at a four-way stop.

Following a collision in which Kassims SUV struck the rear door of the victims vehicle, the victims car fled the scene, leading to a 10-minute chase partially captured on Kassims own dashcam, Assistant States Attorney Anne McCord Rodgers told the court.

During the pursuit, the off-duty firefighter who had a valid firearm owners identification card and concealed carry permit, attempted to use pit maneuvers  a law enforcement tactic forcing a fleeing vehicle to stop  until the victims vehicle spun out in the 1600 block of West Foster Avenue.

After the victim attempted to flee again, McCord said Kassim got out of his vehicle with a weapon drawn and threatened to shoot the victim. Within a second, McCord said that Kassim fired a shot that struck the other driver in the jaw.

The 35-year-old driver was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital in critical condition, police said. As of Wednesday, the victim remained intubated and critically wounded with a bullet lodged in his spine that doctors were unable to remove, according to prosecutors.

Kassim was arrested at the scene and police recovered a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun from his holster, authorities said.

The victims friend, who was a front seat passenger and one of two eyewitnesses identified Kassim as the shooter, authorities said.

Judge Susana Mendoza denied prosecutors request to hold Kassim, granting him release on electronic home monitoring, according to court records. The judge did order Kassim to turn over his firearm owners identification card and any firearms he possesses. She also barred the defendant from speaking with witnesses.

Kassim is expected back in court Monday.
For the second time in two weeks, an accused Aryan Brotherhood member has pleaded guilty in a four-year-old case against the white supremacist California prison gang that is scheduled to go to trial in Sacramento in February.

Patrick Big Pat Brady, 53, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering Wednesday in a Sacramento courtroom and faces a mandatory life sentence.

Bradys plea follows a Dec. 20 court hearing during which fellow Aryan Brotherhood member Brant Daniel, 49, pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering and was immediately sentenced to life.

Brady was charged in 2019 with participating in a racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder in the 2018 slaying of inmate Donald Pequeen at High Desert State Prison near Susanville.

Court records say Brady and fellow Aryan Brotherhood member Jason Corbett repeatedly stabbed Pequeen in the prison yard to increase their position in the prison gang.

A court filing Wednesday says Brady killed Pequeen because Pequeen had falsely claimed to be an AB member and had run up a significant drug debt at his previous prison  both clear violations of the ABs expected codes of conduct.

Brady explained that members of the Aryan Brotherhood wanted to send a message to the rest of the white prison population that a false claim to AB membership would be punished by death, court records say.

Brady was among 16 defendants originally charged in 2019 in a racketeering complaint that federal prosecutors said struck a blow at Aryan Brotherhood leaders orchestrating drug and cellphone sales and slayings from inside California prisons.

Trial in the case is scheduled to begin Feb. 26 and was expected to be a lengthy affair until last October, when federal prosecutors announced they would not seek a death penalty prosecution against Daniel, Brady, Corbett and fellow gang members Ronald Yandell and William Sylvester.

Yandell, Sylvester and inmate Danny Troxell still are scheduled to face trial in the case.

Brady faces sentencing March 25 before U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller.
Ohio GOP Rep Bill Johnsons early resignation from the House has further narrowed the Republicans already slim majority in Congress.

Mr Johnsons office said on Tuesday that his last day in office will be 21 January ahead of him becoming the president of Youngstown State University by March.

He said in a resignation letter to Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine and Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson that his district is proud and patriotic, but added that it has been disregarded by Americas elites.

These blue-collar communities, like countless others in flyover county were critical in building our great nation and will play a pivotal role in Americas future. I am extremely humbled to have been repeatedly elected to serve them, he said, according to WFMJ.

Following Mr Johnsons departure, the House will have 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats and three vacancies, which means that the GOP will only be able to lose two votes on any party-line issues if theres full attendance.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy left the chamber on 31 December and New York GOP Rep George Santos was expelled last month.

The now even slimmer majority could make things difficult as the House must pass spending bills to keep the government open. Other sensitive issues for the lower chamber to deal with include funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia and for Israel as its operations in Gaza continue following the 7 October attack by Hamas.

The legislation for government funding has been set up to run out in two tiers, with part of the funding expiring on 19 January and the second part having a deadline of 2 February  after Mr Johnsons planned departure.

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) talks to reporters following a GOP conference meeting at the Republican National Committee offices on Capitol Hill on February 28, 2023 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

A special election to replace Mr Santos in New Yorks third Congressional District has been set for 13 February, where former Democratic Rep Tom Souzzi has been nominated by his party to try to take back his old seat that he left to run for governor.

The Republicans have nominated Mazi Melesa Pilip who serves in the Nassau County Legislature. Born in Ethiopia, she immigrated to Israel at the age of 12 before moving to the US in 2005.

The race has been labelled a tossup, with one poll showing Mr Souzzi three points ahead of Ms Pilip.

In three hypothetical NY-03 special election matchups, Suozzi, hovering around 44%, would defeat Sapraicone by a margin of 6 points, Pilip by 3 and Curry by 4, according to the full survey shared by Currys campaign. pic.twitter.com/kKqxKN4jta  Matthew Kassel (@matthewkassel) December 6, 2023

New York Democratic Rep Brian Higgins is set to leave the House next month, giving the GOP some breathing room.

Ive always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community, the 64-year-old said in a statement, according to The Hill. But the pace in Washington, DC can be slow and frustrating, especially this year.

Therefore, after thoughtful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave Congress and explore other ways I can build up and serve Buffalo and Western New York, he added.

It was nineteen years ago this month that I was first elected to serve in Congress and doing this work has truly been the honor of a lifetime, Mr Higgins said.

Ive never lingered on Capitol Hill, I go there on a mission to change my community and return home on the first flight each week because being in Western New York, talking to people here, provides an urgent reminder of what I was sent to Washington to do, he added.
A new type of antibiotic is having success against bacteria that has proven highly resistant to previous drugs - RODOLFO PARULAN JR/MOMENT RF

Scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotic that appears to kill one of three bacteria considered to pose the biggest threat to human health.

Zosurabalpin was found to beat highly drug-resistant strains of Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (Crab) in tests on mice.

It is also being tried out in human trials.

Dr Andrew Edwards, a senior lecturer in molecular microbiology at Imperial College London who was not involved in the research, told The Guardian, said: Crab is a significant cause of infection in hospitals, particularly in people who are on ventilators.

While it is not an aggressive pathogen, it is resistant to multiple different antibiotics, making it very difficult to treat.

Unfortunately, development of new treatments against this bacterium has been extremely challenging because it is very adept at keeping antibiotics from getting past its outer cell layer. Therefore, this work is really exciting, and provides confidence that the approaches being used to find new antibiotics can bear fruit.

It has [also] been shown to be active against a bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, suggesting that it may be possible to expand this work to other multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria such as Klebsiella and E. coli, he said.

One of the major threats to human health is posed by a large group of bacteria known as gram-negative bacteria.

The bacteria is protected by an outer shell containing a substance called lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Dr Michael Lobritz, the global head of infectious diseases at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development in Basel, Switzerland, which developed the new drug, said: LPS allows bacteria to live in harsh environments, and it also allows them to evade attack by our immune system.

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.
FILE - People gather outside a damaged building following a massive explosion in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Lebanon, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. The killing of a top Hamas commander in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a Beirut apartment has given Israel an important symbolic achievement in its 3-month-old war against the Islamic militant group. But history has shown that the benefits of such dramatic operations are often short lived, bringing on further violence and equally formidable replacements as leaders of militant groups.(AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  The killing of a top Hamas commander in an apparent Israeli airstrike on a Beirut apartment has given Israel an important symbolic achievement in its 3-month-old war against the Islamic militant group.

But history has shown the benefits of such dramatic operations are often short-lived, bringing on further violence and equally formidable replacements as leaders of militant groups.

The drone strike on Saleh Arouri, the deputy political head of Hamas and a founder of the groups military wing, follows a long line of suspected Israeli killings of senior militant leaders over the years.

While Israel did not claim responsibility for Tuesday's blast, it had all the hallmarks of an Israeli attack. Both Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group immediately blamed Israel and could soon respond.

Here is a look at the strike and Israel's history of suspected killings of militants abroad:

WHAT HAPPENED?

A mysterious blast shook a Beirut neighborhood. Hamas officials confirmed the deaths of Arouri and six other Hamas members, including two military commanders.

A Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the attack appeared to have been carried out by a drone that fired missiles into the building, targeting one specific floor.

Israeli officials declined to comment. Israel has frequently used armed drones for precise targeting of militants in the West Bank and Gaza, including during the current war.

Israel had accused Arouri, 57, of masterminding attacks against it in the West Bank, where he was the groups top commander. He also was believed to be a key figure in Hamas' relations with both Hezbollah and the group's Iranian patrons. In 2015, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Arouri as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, offering $5 million for information about him.

IS ISRAEL BEHIND THE STRIKE?

Israel rarely takes responsibility for targeted assassinations or comments publicly on its forces' forays abroad. It took 25 years for the country to acknowledge its role in killing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafats deputy, Khalil al-Wazir, known as Abu Jihad, in Tunisia in 1988.

The strike that killed Arouri came just over a week after another suspected Israeli airstrike outside of Damascus killed Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria.

Some Israeli politicians were quick to praise Arouri's assassination.

Danny Danon, Israels former representative to the United Nations and a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, congratulated the security forces for the killing on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Israel's Security Cabinet, stopped short of outright acknowledging Israel's involvement. He posted on social media a passage from the biblical book of Judges saying so perish your enemies Israel."

Israel clearly stands to gain from such a strike amid its war against Hamas.

Arouris assassination was a tangible achievement to show Israelis still reeling from the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the war, when more than 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage in Gaza. Arouri was well known in Israel for his role in deadly attacks, especially in the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers that sparked the 2014 Gaza war.

Its important to prop up morale and show Israel that the security and intelligence system is working, because many Israelis lost faith in the security forces after Oct 7, said Danny Orbach, a professor of military history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Still, some in Israel, especially relatives of the 129 hostages still held in Gaza, expressed anger that the assassination could endanger their family members or hostage negotiations.

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE TARGETED KILLINGS?

Targeted assassinations can provide a "temporary advantage, Orbach said, but do not often have a lasting impact because new leaders emerge.

Hezbollah's charismatic leader, Hassan Nasrallah, for instance, took power after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 1992.

Orbach said an example of an impactful strike was the 2004 assassination of Hamas political leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi, just a month after the group's founder and spiritual leader, Ahmed Yassin, was assassinated.

This quick succession of assassinations created a power vacuum in Hamas, leading to infighting and helping contribute to the end of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in the early 2000s, said Harel Chorev, an expert on Palestinian affairs at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University.

He said targeted assassinations are more effective in centralized organizations, where the loss of a strong, central leader upsets the whole organization. But Hamas is decentralized, with strong leaders in both its Gaza base and across the Middle East. Chorev said the removal of a figure like Arouri might have a short-term impact but is less critical to the group's survival.

Its really a question of: What is the pool of operatives that can replace a certain leader whos been assassinated? Chorev said.

Such killings are not unique to Israel. Russia is widely believed to be behind the killings of critics of President Vladimir Putin, and the U.S. has killed leaders of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Among such killings was that of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the former head of Irans elite Quds Force, who was slain in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. Iran says twin bomb blasts on Wednesday killed at least 95 people at an event honoring Soleimani.

WHY SALEH AROURI?

Arouri, the deputy of Hamas supreme political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was known for his charisma and his networking ability.

He was a key figure in promoting the Axis of Resistance, the collection of Irans regional allies, including Hezbollah and Syria. Arouri was also a vital part of Hamas reconciliation with Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2022, after Hamas initially backed the opposition during the Syrian civil war.

Arouris role as a bridge builder means his assassination will reverberate widely within Hamas, said military historian Orbach.

The most impactful assassinations arent necessarily the top leader, who will quickly be replaced, but leaders who are the most connected across the organization. Regional leaders or deputies such as Arouri have often spent years forging personal connections that are not easily replicated.

Arouri was an especially attractive target because he controlled or brokered between disparate networks in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, said Orbach.

___

Associated Press reporters Bassem Mroue, Abby Sewell, and Kareem Chehayeb contributed to this report.

___

Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
The 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid is back  and different.

The new FAFSA soft-launched at the end of 2023, delayed from the usual October launch date, but will only be available periodically while the Office of Federal Student Aid continues to monitor performance and make technical updates.

Its not clear yet how long the soft launch will last or what times the form will be online.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators reported people trying to apply have dealt with glitches and other issues.

Even by soft-launch standards, this weekends rollout was challenging, and students, families, and financial aid administrators who have been waiting for this release for months are understandably frustrated, NASFAA President Justin Draeger said in a statement.

As the soft launch of 2024-25 FAFSA form is underway, the form is available for short periods of time to ensure a better experience for students and families.



We will not share information submitted during this soft launch period with schools, states and scholarship  Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) January 1, 2024

Whats FAFSA?

The FAFSA form puts you in the consideration for federal student aid for the upcoming school year. Plus, states and colleges use the information to award grants, scholarships and loans.

The federal deadline to complete the application is June 30, 2025. But states and schools set their own deadlines  and Californias is this coming April.

If you apply during the soft launch, you wont have to resubmit your form because your information will be saved.

When do you need to apply in California?

In California, for most state financial aid programs, you need to submit or postmark your application by April 2. The Cal Grant requires a school-certified GPA submission by the same date. For additional community college Cal Grants, you need to apply by Sept. 2.

Whats new?

The new form expands eligibility for federal student aid, according to the office.

The application will also be streamlined, with some applicants able to skip up to 26 questions. And some could answer just 18 questions, meaning the application could take less than 10 minutes.

The changes are the result of the FAFSA Simplification Act, which Congress passed in December 2020, as an overhaul of the federal student aid systems and processes.

It replaced the Expected Family Contribution with the Student Aid Index as a measure of a student and their familys ability to pay for college. As part of that change, the number of family members in college, which affected aid eligibility, was removed from the calculation.

With updates to how student aid is calculated, 610,000 new students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible for Pell Grants.

What happens when you apply?

After applying, youll get a confirmation email that will include your estimated Student Aid Index and estimated eligibility for Pell Grants.

Information on your eligibility for federal student aid will be sent to your school and state in late January. Once your school has your information, theyll provide personalized information in the coming weeks, according to the Office of Federal Student Aid, plus youll receive an email from the office.

You will have ample time to fill out the form and do not need to rush to complete the form during the soft launch, the office wrote in the launch announcement.

What is The Sum?

The Sum is your friendly guide to personal finance and economic news.

Were a team of McClatchy journalists cutting through the financial jargon so you know how these issues impact your life. We verify information from diverse sources and keep the facts front-and-center, making finance and economic news add up for you.

Ready to take the first step to getting your finances under control? You can sign up for our five-week budgeting newsletter at thesum.news.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas State Police investigators have identified the man killed after a chase on Interstate 30 led to a shootout with troopers Monday afternoon.

Special agents identified the suspect as 35-year-old Aaron T. Watson of Hot Springs.

Arkansas State Police: Man dead after pursuit ends in PIT maneuver, officer-involved shooting off I-30 in Little Rock

On Monday afternoon, authorities said that deputies in Saline County notified state troopers that they were in pursuit of a vehicle being driven by Watson on the I-30 service road in Benton. ASP officials said that Watson was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service for driving with fake license plates.

Authorities said that a state trooper ended the pursuit by ramming his vehicle into Watsons vehicle on I-30 near the University Avenue exit in Little Rock.

ASP officials said that Watson shot at law enforcement officers, who shot back, striking and killing Watson. He was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Arkansas State Police: Stone County deputy shot, killed in line of duty

Officials with the ASP said that state troopers and Benton police officers involved in the shooting were not injured. Officials have not released the identity of the officers involved.

Authorities said that the prosecuting attorney will determine whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigans landmark racketeering trial was postponed Wednesday pending a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in a Chicago-area bribery case that could fundamentally alter what prosecutors are required to prove.

The new date for the trial was set for Oct. 8. Its expected to last up to three months.

I dont do this lightly, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said. But its better to do it right than to do it twice.

Blakeys ruling came as Madigan, the former leader of the state Democratic Party who holds the nationwide record 36 years as speaker, appeared in court for the first time since his indictment nearly two years ago.

Blakey had allowed both Madigan and his co-defendant, longtime confidant Michael McClain, to appear via video conference, which McClain accepted. Madigan, however, appeared in person instead, walking into the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse with his legal team shortly after 1:30 p.m., noticeably grayer around the temples than when he controlled the House.

While awaiting the start of the proceedings, Madigan nodded hello at lead prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, who shook hands with his attorneys.

The former speaker sat at the defense table for most of the hourlong hearing dressed in a black suit and blue tie, wearing reading glasses and occasionally taking notes on a yellow legal pad. Near the end, Madigan was asked to step forward to the microphone so the judge could confirm he agreed to the trial delay.

Uh, yes I do your honor, Madigan said in a soft voice, marking the first words he has uttered in the courtroom since the indictment came down in March 2022. His previous appearances came by telephone at two different arraignments, and both times he was not asked to speak.

Asked by a Tribune reporter after the hearing if he had any comment, Madigan only smiled. He then strode past a horde of television news cameras in the courthouse lobby and was followed by reporters and cameramen down South Dearborn Street. As they neared his lawyers offices at the Monadnock Building, someone in Madigans entourage said jokingly, Do you feel like Taylor Swift, Mr. Speaker?

At issue Wednesday was whether the April 1 trial date should stand in light of the Supreme Courts decision last month to take up the petition of James Snyder, the former mayor of Portage, Indiana, convicted of taking bribes from a trucking company that had won contracts to supply garbage trucks to the town.

A decision from the high court overturning that conviction could resolve a split among federal circuits over whether rewards and gratuities given to a public official constitute bribes, even in the absence of a distinct quid pro quo.

Where the Supreme Court lands on the issue could reverberate across a number of high-profile public corruption cases in Chicago, where defense attorneys have long complained that prosecutors overreach when it comes to charging public officials under the federal bribery statute with illegally receiving gratuities.

[ Supreme Court agrees to review former Portage Mayor James Snyders public corruption case ]

Soon after the Supreme Courts announcement about the Snyder case in mid-December, defense attorneys in the ComEd Four case, where McClain and three others were convicted last year in a scheme to bribe Madigan to help the utilitys legislative agenda in Springfield, filed motions to delay the sentencings that had been set for this month.

A similar motion was filed a week later in the separate racketeering indictment against Madigan and McClain, which is made up in large part of the same ComEd bribery allegations.

In response Tuesday, Bhachu noted that only a handful of the counts in the Madigan indictment stem from the bribery statute at issue with the high court, and that the public and parties for both sides have a vested interest in getting closure in the high-profile case.

Granting extended delays such as the one sought here contributes to a general sense that the wheels of justice do not move swiftly enough, Bhachu wrote in his filing, adding that there could also be issues with witnesses memories and availability.

In court Wednesday, Madigan attorney Daniel Collins said the effects of a short delay would be minimal because the case largely involves secret recordings, which will not change. Also, Collins said, while the U.S. attorneys office has not confirmed it, all signs are that they are not going to call their (main) cooperator, former Ald. Daniel Solis.

Collins said to go forward with so many unanswered questions would create a tremendous amount of prejudice for Madigan and McClain. He also said both sides could continue to do important work getting ready for trial while awaiting answers from the Supreme Court.

Were not stopping our efforts to prepare for this case, were not putting it on a shelf, he said. In the end were going to have a more efficient trial and a fairer trial for all parties.

Bhachu argued Wednesday that whatever the Supreme Court winds up doing, Theyre not going to delete the word reward from the statute. He also said the legislative history is clear as a bell that the statute is meant to include gratuities.

Blakey, however, sided with the defense, saying it would be fools errand to figure out what the Supreme Courts going to do in the Indiana case, and that holding a trial without knowing what the rules were going to be would be unfair.

It would be like starting a football game and then halfway though announcing were going to play baseball, Blakey said, apologizing for the somewhat shaky analogy.

The judge also said that the Madigan case has proceeded toward trial at a fairly normal pace, even though the public might have the impression from movies and television that a guy gets arrested and the next scene is the trial.

Thats not the case in real life, Blakey said.

Snyder was convicted of accepting $13,000 from a company that had recently won contracts to sell the city garbage trucks. He was originally tried and convicted of one count of bribery and one tax-related offense in 2019, but successfully moved for a new trial on the bribery count. The jury convicted him again following a second trial in 2021.

The question in the case is whether the federal bribery statute criminalizes payments to public officials without a quid pro quo agreement under a section of the statute that bans gratuities.

That section has been used by federal prosecutors in Chicago to go after a number of politicians in recent years, including former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The ComEd Four were found guilty of bribery conspiracy and falsification of business records. In addition to McClain, a former ComEd contract lobbyist, the defendants included former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd executive John Hooker and Jay Doherty, who worked as a contract lobbyist for ComEd for 30 years and served as president of the City Club of Chicago civic forum.

The sentencings for all four were vacated last month, but not because of the Snyder case. Instead, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber was unavailable and asked that they be reset.

Meanwhile, decision to delay Madigans trial came as Blakey had yet to rule on motions to dismiss by Madigans lawyers that tread some of the same legal ground that will be considered by the Supreme Court.

The motion argued that prosecutors were misreading the federal bribery statute to criminalize normal politicking and failing to link any action Madigan took  or didnt take  that was beneficial to ComEd with rewards going to the speaker or his friends.

Currying favor with government officials  even those with the capacity to influence legislation of interest to the employers  is legal, the 75-page motion to dismiss stated, adding that the far-flung indictment impermissibly treats lawful ingratiation as illegal bribery, and stitches together unrelated allegations of purported misconduct into a single scheme.

The motion said that applying the bribery statute to Madigans conduct would expose untold numbers of public officials and their constituents to federal prosecution.

As indicted here, any state or local official who receives (and anyone who gives a state or local official) a thing of value would risk prosecution if the official ever took an action that benefits the giver  even if the thing of value and the act are so attenuated as to permit only the most feeble inference of a causal connection between the two, the motion stated.

In response, prosecutors have argued that Madigan exploited his position as a high-ranking public official to manipulate the levers of state and local government for the purpose of illegally enriching himself and his associates.

Madigan, together with his loyal lieutenant Michael McClain  a self-described soldier and faithful agent for Madigan  arranged for a flood of corrupt payments and perks to be doled out to Madigan and his associates in exchange and as a reward for Madigans abuse of his official powers, the prosecution team wrote in its filing.

Blakey told both sides Wednesday the defense could refile its motion in a different form once the Supreme Court decision is known.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Madigans former chief of staff, Tim Mapes, have also filed a motion to stay his Jan. 31 sentencing on perjury and attempted obstruction of justice charges. A jury convicted Mapes in August of lying to a federal grand jury in a failed attempt to protect his longtime boss from a widening political corruption investigation.

In response, prosecutors called Mapes effort a frivolous litigation strategy in a desperate effort to stall his sentencing.

The judge in that case has yet to rule.

The issue also briefly came up in the trial of former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, who was convicted of racketeering conspiracy on Dec. 21, a case that included several counts under the federal bribery statute.

One the most powerful and longest-serving politicians in state history, Madigan lost the speakership in 2021 when 19 mostly female lawmakers refused to vote to give him the gavel for another two-year term. Shortly after, he resigned the House seat he had held for just over 50 years and also his position as the chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

Madigan was first outed as Public Official A in court records in a deferred prosecution agreement filed in June 2020 where ComEd acknowledged it had showered the speaker with various rewards in exchange for his assistance with its legislative agenda in Springfield.

Among the perks were do-nothing jobs for Madigans top political cronies, college internships for students in his 13th Ward power base, legal business for political ally Victor Reyes and the appointment of his choice for the state-regulated utilitys board of directors, according to the allegations.

In addition to the ComEd conspiracy, the indictment against Madigan accused the former speaker of similar conduct involving AT&T. Hes also charged with trying to pressure developers in Chinatown to steer business to his private law firm with the help of Solis.

Madigan, 81, and McClain, 76, have both pleaded not guilty.

Chicago Tribunes Terrence Antonio James contributed.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

rlong@chicagotribune.com
STONE COUNTY, Ark.  A deputy in north Arkansas was killed in the line of duty Tuesday afternoon.

A release from the Arkansas State Police said a deputy with the Stone County Sheriffs Office was shot and killed in the line of duty around 4:30 p.m. ASP officials said a suspect is in custody.

Police have not released the identity of the officer who was killed or the suspect.

According to the ASP, the Stone County Sheriffs Office has asked the ASP Criminal Investigation Division to conduct an investigation into the incident.

Authorities said no additional information will be released at this time.

The release stated that Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long asks for prayers for the family, friends and colleagues of the officer who was killed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  A man suspected of fatally shooting an 18-year-old woman at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Friendship Heights was arrested by police Tuesday night.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the hotel around 1:20 a.m. on New Years Day. There, 18-year-old Ashlei Hinds, of Clinton, Md., was inside one of the rooms and had been shot. She died there.

DC police release picture of suspect in fatal New Years Day hotel shooting

Hours after releasing a surveillance photo of their suspect, officers arrested 18-year-old Jelani Cousin, of Northeast, D.C. He was charged with second-degree murder while armed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
A Philadelphia man faces a half-dozen felony charges for allegedly setting a fire that left a Bristol Township firefighter injured and caused more than $20,000 in damages to a business.

Shayne Holland, 25, was identified as a suspect in the Nov. 5 arson at the Bucks County Carpet Company later the same month, but he was not arrested until Dec. 28, according to court documents.

Holland was identified after Bristol Township Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito gathered surveillance video from multiple nearby businesses with cameras facing the factory.

More: on arson that injured firefighter Firefighter falls 12 feet fighting arson fire in Croydon. What we know

In multiple videos, authorities allege Holland was seen setting fire to a pile of trash behind a trash can against the Cedar Avenue building, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The fire then spread to the building and extended up an exterior wall and into the attic. Ten residents in an attached building were also evacuated.

A captain with the Croydon Fire Co. was attempting to put the fire out from inside the structure when the catwalk he was on collapsed. The firefighter fell 12 feet from the attic area to the first-floor; a beam then landed on top of him, the affidavit said.

Other firefighters immediately responded and used tools to remove the beam and the man was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released for unspecified injuries.

After setting the fire, authorities said, Holland is seen on cameras walking with another man down State Road. The two eventually go into a gas station on State Road, where a clear camera angle records them, the affidavit said.

Authorities used still photos of the suspect to search social media and positively identify Holland, the affidavit said. Bensalem police also assisted with the identification.

An officer in the department had conducted a traffic stop on Holland earlier last year and his body camera footage from the incident also confirmed Hollands identity.

Court documents did not provide an explanation for why Holland allegedly set the fire.

Holland faces six felony arson-related charges and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. His attorney, John Robert Walker, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on the charges.

As of Tuesday he remains incarcerated in Bucks County Correctional Center on $250,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.

Deeper look into murderer Trinh Nguyen Trinh Nguyen was called a loving, devoted mom in court. What made her kill her two sons?

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Find out how Bristol Township authorities identified suspect in arson.
An Ashland man pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Ashland County Common Pleas Court to charges of cruelty to animals and unlawful possession of a dangerous firearm.

The charges against Christopher Ferrell, 49, 254 1/2 W. Main St., Ashland, were brought after Ashland Police officers found an injured cat in a litter box that had been taped shut and thrown into a dumpster on Dec. 30, according to a news release from the office of Ashland County Prosecutor Christopher Tunnell.

Although the cat was found alive, it was severely injured and eventually had to be euthanized, according to the release.

At a video appearance in Common Pleas Court on Wednesday in front of Paul T. Lange, magistrate, Mansfield attorney Gregory Tarkwosky was appointed to represent Ferrell, who pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Bond for Ferrell previously was set at $25,000, cash or surety. If the bond is posted, Ferrell is forbidden to have possession of animals or weapons, including air rifles, according to the release.

The next hearing on the case is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Jan. 19, according to court records.

Animal suffered blunt force trauma

Ashland Police officers were contacted about the cat Dec. 30 by a concerned citizen. After finding the cat they called in The Cat House Feline Sanctuary, which assists in the care of homeless cats. The nonprofit worked alongside Lisa Schwan of the Spring Meadow Veterinary Clinic to provide emergency medical treatment for the feline.

Schwan determined the animal suffered blunt force trauma and a wound to the head. The injuries were believed to be done by a pellet gun, according to the release.

Tunnell said it was hard to believe anyone would find it necessary to abuse an animal in this manner. He thanked The Cat House Feline Sanctuary and Schwan for springing to action to help the feline.

"This is yet another example of the success that can be found when law enforcement and citizens cooperate," he said. "Many thanks are due those who participated in the investigation of this case."

Ashland Police find pellet rifle, sawed off shotgun

The charges against Ferrell are fifth-degree felonies.

A pellet rifle as well as several firearms were discovered at the property, according to the news release.

Among the firearms was a sawed off shotgun, which was deemed shorter in length than what is allowed under Ohio law, according to the release, which notes the firearm was the basis for the possession of a dangerous ordnance count.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland resident charged with animal cruelty for abusing cat
The Kentucky Department of Corrections has subverted the states Open Records Act by seeking extensive extensions of time before it releases a years worth of internal investigative reports to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the attorney generals office has ruled.

The commonwealths open records law allows public agencies a reasonable period of time to prepare records for release at the earliest possible date. However, agencies undermine the law when they miss their own deadlines, as the Corrections Department did, the attorney generals office said.

In this case, the Corrections Department said it could not produce 900 pages of records in the month that it originally gave itself, the attorney generals office said.

It is not clear why it would take more than 26 business days to gather and review 900 pages of records, Assistant Attorney General Marc Manley wrote.

Even if it took the department six business days to ask its correctional facilities to search for and provide responsive records to it, the department could have achieved its deadline in the next 20 business days by reviewing approximately 45 pages per day, or 6 pages per hour, which is certainly not an insurmountable task, Manley wrote.

Decisions from the attorney generals office carry the weight of law on open records matters.

On Oct. 19, the Herald-Leader requested reports produced over the past year following internal investigations of employees at the Corrections Department, which runs the states prisons and its probation and parole system.

The newspaper in recent years has uncovered employee misconduct inside the Corrections Departments sister agency, the Department of Juvenile Justice, including excessive use of force on youths, improper sexual behavior and neglect of duties.

Juvenile Justice Commissioner Vicki Reed announced her resignation last month. An independent audit of the states juvenile detention centers is due to the General Assembly later this month.

In its written reply to the Herald-Leader, the Corrections Department said it would need until Nov. 30 to locate the responsive records and redact personal or security-related information. The newspaper did not object to the Nov 30 release date.

However, on Nov. 30, the department said it needed more time and provided a new release date of Dec. 21.

On Dec. 21, the department again said it needed more time and provided a new release date of Jan. 4.

The Herald-Leader objected to the initial delay on Nov. 30 and appealed to the attorney generals office.

In recent years, Kentucky public agencies have grown more defiant about delaying the release of records in hopes that people requesting them simply will give up and go away, said Amye Bensenhaver, co-director of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition, a group that advocates for government transparency.

State lawmakers were concerned enough to amend the open records law in 2021 to clarify that public agencies are guilty of subverting the law when they seek extensive extensions of time to comply, Bensenhaver said.

Its particularly disturbing in the context of the (Department of Corrections), she said. Several years ago, Corrections was admonished by the Kentucky Supreme Court that it should not be able to rely on any inefficiency in its own internal record keeping system to thwart an otherwise proper open records request.

Gov. Andy Beshears office declined to comment for this story.

Complying with state law related to the timely release of public documents is not optional, said Richard A. Green, executive editor of the Herald-Leader.

Taxpayers, residents, and, yes, media sites like the Herald-Leader, are given the right by state law to access and obtain those records maintained by public agencies and employees in a state-determined and reasonable period of time, Green said. Thumbing your nose at the law is unacceptable and insulting to taxpayers who fund state agencies and have lofty expectations of their performance..

The Herald-Leader plays a critical role across our commonwealth as a watchdog for its readers and Kentucky taxpayers and ensuring state government operates the way it should, Green added.

We take that responsibility seriously. We encourage Gov. Beshear to heed the attorney generals ruling. Its time he intervenes and instructs that these records be released now.
Editors note: This is Part 2 in a series about cities and sustainability. Read Part 1 here.

Are cities to blame for our climate change quagmire?

In his new book The Earth Transformed: An Untold History, University of Oxford historian Peter Frankopan argues that the intractability of climate change politics comes from the remarkable success of cities in lifting people out of poverty, transforming standards of living and improving human lives. These success stories unfortunately come with an enormous cost: Cities are densely packed creations that require assaults on the natural world.

Frankopans urgent goal is to write a history that can carry us beyond our human-centered focus, reintegrate history and nature, and make the human story a natural history. He is writing history as a cautionary tale that roots our environmental and climate challenges in human overreach.

Civilization, as embodied by cities, is the villain, in other words.

Frankopan writes that civilization is by far the single greatest factor in environmental degradation and the most important cause of anthropogenic climate change  because of the demands that the populations of cities place on energy and on the consumption of natural resources, including food and water.

Cities and civilizations have always been about a competition between humans and nature that has required nature to lose, Frankopan writes. The life of cities has almost always depended upon the death of nature.

Urban ecologist Dickson Despommier, on the other hand, celebrates cities for their economic energy, creative vitality and resilience, which he attributes to their density and their complex organization.

By contrast, Frankopan sees cities as inherently problematic. The population density and scaling properties of cities have allowed rulers to consolidate and project power, mobilize massive armies, subdue surrounding populations, build states and empires, and ravage the environment. These emerging cities and states are parasites living off the labor and natural resources of surrounding territories, he argues.

He also believes that the sheer size of cities makes them uniquely vulnerable to climate events such as drought and flooding and to human-caused events such as wars, triggering labor and food shortages and environmental degradation.

As history shows only too well, he writes, the past has been shaped by  empires forming and then collapsing  usually at speed. Rather than being too big to fail, increasing size and complexity create their own momentum that can lead to a house of cards tumbling down chaotically, quickly and decisively.

The complex social, political, cultural and technological systems that accelerate the growth of cities to unimaginable scale are inherently fragile because they ultimately depend upon the carrying capacity of the surrounding environment, which a citys growth undermines.

In Frankopans telling, the parasitic dynamics of city-building and state-building seem not to have changed much from 5,000 years ago, when the first cities and empires emerged in Mesopotamia, the Nile Valley, the Yellow and Yangtze River regions of China, the Indus Valley in South Asia and the valleys of the Andes.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the economic exchanges that happened across the globe resulting from the Age of Discovery, the colonization of the Americas and the establishment of the African slave trade poured wealth into European urban centers where political and economic elites lived. The process boosted consumption of commodities such as sugar, coffee, tea, tobacco, wood and precious metals extracted from colonized lands.

In this period, European cities grew enormously to accommodate the demand for services and infrastructure on which global trade depended. Large-scale urbanization intensified production and consumption and enabled engagement with other parts of the world, ultimately unleashing the Industrial Revolution. As is the case today, these consumption patterns exacted terrible environmental and human costs in the distant regions where production of these commodities occurred. (Deforestation and depletion of groundwater and topsoil are three of the most notable examples.)

In the 21st century, urbanization has only accelerated across the world. Over four decades, hundreds of millions of Chinese moved from rural areas to cities, with the urban population in China increasing from 18% to 60%. Between 2011 and 2013 alone, China poured more concrete than the United States did throughout the entire 20th century, pumping vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

But China is not alone. Cities are projected to hold 70% of the worlds population by 2050. They directly generate more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. These numbers do not account for the environmental harms of resource extraction on which urban wealth and consumption depend.

And so in The Earth Transformed, Frankopan alerts us to a troubling paradox. Cities offer the promise of a better life for billions of people. But the economic activities and processes required to provide this better life are also the source of climate change. And as prospects for humans improve, the world is heating up more rapidly.

Frankopan thus leaves us with profoundly challenging and worrisome questions about how we might reconcile the choices we may need to make, willingly or not, between population growth and economic prosperity and climate and environmental disaster.

Is it possible for us to reimagine our future so that both humans and nature can flourish together as friends rather than as enemies?

Peter H. Schwartz writes at the broad intersection of philosophy, politics, history and religion. He publishes the Wikidworld newsletter on Substack.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Its January, were past the early-winter festivities, and now were stuck with the prospect of several more months of cold with little in the way of distractions.

But in the distant future, you can almost feel it warm sun kissing your skin, a cold drink in your hands and a sandy beach at your feet.

For many Idahoans, the location they may specifically be thinking of is Costa Rica. At least, thats according to a new study by We Review Resorts, which analyzed Google search results to see which tropical destinations Americans are Googling most.

Costa Rica was the second-most searched-for tropical location among Americans, coming in behind Thailand, which was the most searched-for destination in 22 states.

Idahos top tropical vacation destinations

Here are Idahos top-five searched destinations, with a little bit of information about each one:

1. Costa Rica

Costa Rica is also known for its abundance of national parks and wildlife.

Costa Rica is located in Central America, sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama along the narrow isthmus connecting the North and South American continents. A leader in environmental conservation, Costa Rica is renowned for its low-stress lifestyle that emphasizes quality of life and balance.

The name Costa Rica translates into English as rich coast and can be traced back to Spanish settlers who arrived in the area in the 16th century. It receives about 6,124 Google searches per 100,000 Americans each month.

2. Belize

The view from a thatched-roof cabana at Ramons Village in San Pedro, Belize, with dive boats tied up to the pier in the distance. Ramons is one of the oldest dive companies in Belize; over 40 dive sites are within a 15 minute boat ride.

Belize ranked as Idahos second-most searched location, and a significant reason for that may be the countrys language. Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America, meaning asking for directions or ordering at a restaurant shouldnt be too much of a problem.

Belize shares a border with Mexicos southern edge and is the ancestral home of the ancient Mayan Empire, dating back over 3,500 years. As a result, many Maya ruins can be seen and visited in Belize.

About 5,306 per 100,000 Americans search for Belize vacations monthly, making it Americas third-most searched location.

3. Thailand

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, file photo, monkeys ride on the back of a pickup truck loaded with coconuts after they collecting them from a plantation in Chumphon province, southern Thailand.

On the other side of the world, in southeast Asia, Thailand is Idahos third choice for a tropical vacation. Thailand, also known as The Land of Smiles, receives 6,750 Google searches per 100,000 Americans, making it the most sought-after tropical destination.

Thailands capital, Bangkok, is home to 11.2 million people, making it the 31st-largest city in the world and more populated than any U.S. city.

4. Philippines

Dragon and lion dancers perform before a huge crowd in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 at Manilas Chinatown district in Manila, Philippines.

Idahoans remain looking toward eastern Asia for their fourth-most popular search, with the island nation of the Philippines ranking next. The Philippines comprises more than 7,640 islands and was searched by about 4,717 per 100,000 Americans, making it Americas fifth-highest search tropical country.

Despite being comprised of so many islands, the Philippines can be divided into three regions:

Luzon: The northernmost island is where the countrys capital, Manila, is located. Manila has a population of 14.9 million, making it the 18th-largest city in the world.

The Visayas: A collection of islands in the center of the country. Some of the regions more notable islands include Panay, Cebu, Bohol and Leyte.

Mindanao: The second-largest island in the Philippines and at the countrys southern edge.

5. Brazil

Fireworks light the sky over Copacabana beach during New Years Eve celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)

Famous for being home to the largest portion of the vast Amazon Rainforest and Rio Carnival, Brazil rounds out Idahos top five list. More than 4,750 per 100,000 Americans per month searched for vacations in Brazil in 2023.

For those looking for a true summer vacation by the beach, Rio de Janeiros Copacabana is the most famous beach in the world. Copacabana is a three-mile stretch of beach that runs alongside the densely-populated residential area of Rio de Janeiro, meaning there wont be a dull moment during your stay.
Its January, were past the early-winter festivities, and now were stuck with the prospect of several more months of cold with little in the way of distractions.

But in the distant future, you can almost feel itwarm sun kissing your skin, a cold drink in your hands and a sandy beach at your feet.

Many Washingtonians are thinking specifically of Belize or Costa Rica. At least, thats according to a new study by We Review Resorts, which analyzed Google search results to see which tropical destinations Americans are Googling most.

Costa Rica was the second-most searched-for tropical location among Americans, coming in behind Thailand, which was the most searched-for destination in 22 states.

WAs top tropical vacation destinations

Here are the Evergreen States top-five searched destinations for summer destinations, with a little bit of information about each one:

The view from a thatched-roof cabana at Ramons Village in San Pedro, Belize, with dive boats tied up to the pier in the distance. Ramons is one of the oldest dive companies in Belize; over 40 dive sites are within a 15 minute boat ride.

1. Belize

Belize ranked as Washingtons most searched location, and a significant reason for that may be the countrys language. Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America, meaning asking for directions or ordering at a restaurant shouldnt be too much of a problem.

Belize shares a border with Mexicos southern edge and is the ancestral home of the ancient Mayan Empire, dating back over 3,500 years. As a result, many Maya ruins can be seen and visited in Belize.

About 5,306 per 100,000 Americans search for Belize vacations monthly, making it Americas third-most searched location.

Costa Rica is also known for its abundance of national parks and wildlife. Jeffrey Arguedas Agencia EFE

2. Costa Rica

Costa Rica is located in Central America, sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama along the narrow isthmus connecting the North and South American continents. A leader in environmental conservation, Costa Rica is renowned for its low-stress lifestyle that emphasizes quality of life and balance.

The name Costa Rica translates into English as rich coast and can be traced back to Spanish settlers who arrived in the area in the 16th century. It receives about 6,124 Google searches per 100,000 Americans each month.

3. Thailand

On the other side of the world, in southeast Asia, Thailand is Washingtons third choice for a tropical vacation. Thailand, also known as The Land of Smiles, receives 6,750 Google searches per 100,000 Americans, making it the most sought-after tropical destination.

Thailands capital, Bangkok, is home to 11.2 million people, making it the 31st-largest city in the world and more populated than any U.S. city.

4. Vietnam

Also in southeast Asia, Vietnam came in as the states fourth-most popular search. The country has reportedly been growing as a tourist destination in recent years, with exponential growth in 2023. The U.S. contributed the fourth-most tourists to Vietnam, the top country outside of Asia.

Vietnam has beaches and cities packed with tourist opportunities, and is generally affordable as far as foreign travel goes.

Vietnam was the sixth-most searched destination in the country, averaging about 4,313 searches per 100,000 Americans.

Dragon and lion dancers perform before a huge crowd in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year Monday, Feb. 8, 2016.

5. Philippines

Washingtonians remain looking toward Asia for their fifth-most popular search, with the island nation of the Philippines ranking next. The Philippines comprises more than 7,640 islands and was searched by about 4,717 per 100,000 Americans, making it Americas fifth-highest search tropical country.

The Philippines can be divided into three regions:

Luzon: The northernmost island is where the countrys capital, Manila, is located. Manila has a population of 14.9 million, making it the 18th-largest city in the world.

The Visayas: A collection of islands in the center of the country. Some of the regions more notable islands include Panay, Cebu, Bohol and Leyte.

Mindanao: The second-largest island in the Philippines and at the countrys southern edge.
Concern over the vulnerability of Russian cities to Ukrainian attack is growing inside Russia as exemplified in recent comments by Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

"We experienced two shelling incidents this morning, prompting the activation of our air defense system," he wrote in a Jan. 3 update on Telegram.

Gladkov complained about the challenges Belgorod faced on Jan. 2, when one Russian died and 11 were injured.

Combined with the Dec. 30 shelling of a military base near the city, he claimed that 70 Russians have been hospitalized.

Earlier, Gladkov claimed that Russian air defense intercepted multiple "aerial targets" heading towards Belgorod in the early hours of Jan. 3.

2, Belgorod saw three air raid alarms on Jan. 2, accompanied by evening explosions, the governor alleged.

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
Belleville City Council has approved a special-use permit for a community solar farm on Mount Hope Cemetery land.

The vote doesnt mean the farm will be built, but it signals to zoning officials that aldermen would be open to the idea of buying the 132-acre property in a foreclosure sale; clearing trees from 25 acres of a wooded section in back; leasing the land to a solar vendor; and collecting $75,000 to $80,000 a year in rent.

Under the potential plan, the money would be used to offset the $100,000 a year the citys Public Works Department is spending each year to mow and trim and pick up trash at Mount Hope.

If we decide to bid on this, and were the successful bidder, (a solar farm would give) us an option, a way to try to mitigate some of the costs to the taxpayers in taking over this cemetery, Ward 6 Alderman Chris Rothweiler said.

Aldermen voted 14 to 1 at their Tuesday night meeting to approve a special-use permit for construction and operation of a solar farm in an area now zoned for two-family residential use.

Ward 2 Alderwoman Jamie Eros was absent. Ward 1 Alderwoman Lillian Schneider voted no.

Its a cemetery, she said after the meeting. It doesnt need solar panels. It needs peace and quiet. There shouldnt be any business. Theres a creek down there (at the bottom of a ravine). Leave that for the animals.

Schneider was essentially siding with eight residents who spoke against the solar farm during a public-participation period.

Several had voiced opposition at a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting in December. Their main argument is that 25 acres of solar panels would destroy a beautiful natural area with plentiful wildlife.

This business of cutting down 25 acres of timber thats habitat for all kinds of wildlife to build a solar farm, to me, is totally ridiculous when all Ive heard for the last 10 years is green space and the environment, said resident Stewart Lannert.

Resident Edward Ulkus said he went to look at the Mount Hope site recently and found it laughable that a city official had told the Zoning Board that cemetery visitors wouldnt be able to see the solar farm if it were surrounded by a buffer of trees.

Resident Lisa Griffith said she supports the idea of building solar farms to help the environment, but its also important to protect wetlands, forests and other natural resources.

Belleville Public Works Department has been mowing grass and picking up trash at Mount Hope Cemetery, which is in receivership, for nearly 15 years, despite the fact that the city doesnt own the property.

Clay Bertelsman, who owns and leases property in the vicinity and operates a trucking company that has hauled solar-farm equipment, argued that flat, vacant land would be more suitable for the Belleville project than the steep terrain behind Mount Hope.

Its not rolling hills, he said after the meeting.

Bertelsman revealed that hes considering bidding on the cemetery land. His real-estate agent, Gerry Davidson, had told the Zoning Board about an interested client in December but didnt name him.

Bertelsman said he only recently found out about the foreclosure sale, which is expected to be held this spring as part of a St. Clair County Circuit Court case, so its too early to reveal specifics of his plan for the property.

Lets just say its going to be basically how it is right now, he said. There would be no change in the short term.

One resident, Rick Brown, spoke in favor of building a solar farm at Mount Hope, saying the lease revenue would provide relief to Belleville taxpayers who are paying too much.

The city already owns and operates Walnut Hill Cemetery.

Ward 3 Alderman Kent Randle said he wishes there was some way for the city to get reimbursed for the more than $1 million it has spent to maintain Mount Hope all these years without owning it.

Ward 7 Alderman Phil Elmore assured solar-farm opponents that a yes vote by the City Council on Tuesday night will allow the process to continue but doesnt represent a final decision.

The chainsaws dont start tomorrow, he said.

This diagram shows how solar panels would be positioned in the southeast corner of Mount Hope Cemetery land if the city of Belleville were to buy it and install a 25-acre solar farm.

More than 26,800 people are buried at Mount Hope, which dates back to the late 1800s, according to the St. Clair County Genealogical Society. The most recent owner abandoned it in the mid-2000s while being accused of scamming people on prepaid funeral arrangements.

A county judge appointed a receiver, who was later replaced by an attorney with the Illinois comptrollers office. Problems with tall grass, weeds and trash prompted Public Works to take over maintenance.

Cliff Cross, director of economic development, planning and zoning, told City Council members that any buyer would have to show the state that hes qualified to operate a cemetery; and any development, other than two-family residential, on the back acreage would need a zoning variance.

Whether we get (the land) or not, its still protected, Cross said.

Ward 4 Alderman Raffi Ovian asked if the city is planning to build an alternative-access road for trucks to haul solar panels in and out so as not to disrupt the cemetery, where he has family buried.

Cross told Ovian that special-use-permit approval would simply give city officials reassurance to continue exploring the projects feasibility and that such design questions would be addressed by the Belleville Planning Commission at a later date with public input.

All were trying to do is figure out if we can move from Point A to Point B, Cross said. If we cant, were done.

Ovian said road work and other improvements at Mount Hope might encourage more people to buy plots and arrange burials, resulting in more revenue. Cross told him the city will install walking paths and other areas for reflection if it buys the property.

The Zoning Board voted 5-0 at its Dec. 21 meeting to recommend that the full City Council approve the special-use permit for a solar farm at Mount Hope. Cross told members the plan is contingent on the project receiving up to $2 million in state incentives for installation.

The city is working with a Texas-based solar vendor known as Shine Development Partners, owned by Hover Energy, to apply for incentives through Illinois Shines, a state program implemented by the Illinois Power Agency.

Cross said he expects to find out this spring if the money would be available for the Mount Hope project.

Bertelsman said he has done hauling for a 27-acre solar farm being built on flat, vacant land in East St. Louis, where construction costs have topped $20 million, and he worries that Belleville could get stuck with a bill at Mount Hope. Cross categorically rejected that possibility.

The city of Belleville taxpayers will not pay a dime for this project in terms of building a solar farm, he said.

The lease would be for 25 years, Cross said, and the agreement would contain a provision requiring the vendor to remove the panels if it no longer wanted to operate a solar farm.

More than 26,800 people are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, which dates back to the late 1800s. The most recent owner abandoned it in the mid-2000s while being accused of being accused of scamming people on prepaid funeral arrangements.
Hamas freezes talks with Israel after deputy leader killed in Beirut

Xinhua) 08:14, January 03, 2024

This photo shows the apartment belonging to the Hamas movement targeted by an Israeli drone strike in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Photo by Bilal Jawich/Xinhua)

Hamas freezes truce talks with Israel after the assassination of its deputy chief in an Israeli drone attack in Lebanon, where Hezbollah warned that such crime would be punished.

GAZA/BEIRUT, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Hamas announced a freeze on ceasefire negotiations with Israel after the faction's deputy chief, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed Tuesday evening in an Israeli attack in Lebanon, a Palestinian source told Xinhua.

"We have informed the brothers in Qatar and Egypt of the freezing of negotiations," the source said on condition of anonymity. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The source added that Hamas, at war with Israel, rejected any talks about reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid escalated Israeli aggression and "assassination schemes" against Palestinian leaders.

This photo shows the apartment belonging to the Hamas movement targeted by an Israeli drone strike in Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Photo by Bilal Jawich/Xinhua)

Earlier, a Hamas source told Xinhua that several aides of al-Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas politburo, were also killed in the Israeli attack targeting a Hamas office in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

In a statement, Hamas confirmed that seven of its members were slain in the Israeli attack, slamming it as a "barbaric and heinous" terrorist act, a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, and an expansion of Israeli aggression against Palestine and its people.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said the attack was a serious assault on the Lebanese people, security, and sovereignty.

"This crime will never pass without response and punishment," it said in a statement, warning that the attack signaled "a dangerous development" in the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in Gaza City, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua)

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the incident, but Israeli media, citing senior officials, said that the country was on high alert against "a significant retaliation" by Hamas or its Iranian-backed ally, Hezbollah, including the launching of precision weapons at Israeli cities.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is in a very high state of readiness in all arenas, both in defense and offense. We are highly prepared for any scenario," IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a briefing to reporters.

Iran on Tuesday condemned Israel's "despicable" move of assassinating al-Arouri, as well as two commanders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, in the drone strike in Beirut.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati also strongly condemned the Israeli attack that rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, according to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

"The explosion is a new Israeli crime aimed at inevitably dragging Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation, following the daily ongoing assaults in the south, resulting in a significant number of martyrs and wounded individuals," Mikati said in a statement.

Lebanese mourners attend the funeral of three Hezbollah members who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Kfarkela, Lebanon, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

In recent weeks, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Hamas leaders in Palestinian territories and beyond, particularly al-Arouri, who was accused by Israel of directly being responsible for the "Al-Aqsa Storm" attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, which sparked the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Al-Arouri, 57, is considered one of the prominent Hamas leaders, and a founder of the al-Qassam Brigades and its cells in the West Bank.

He was imprisoned in Israel for more than 18 years and was deported by Israeli authorities from Palestinian territories upon his last release in 2010. In the same year, he was elected as a Hamas politburo member.

Al-Arouri became the No. 2 in the top Hamas leadership body in 2017.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Language is a powerful tool that can be used for good or ill. It can be honest or dishonest or somewhere in between. Words can be used to persuade and inspire but also to distract and evade. And, whether it be in Ukraine or Gaza, we know that the words of politicians and generals can sometimes prompt, or prolong, or even prevent, a war.

Words can and do bring about change. But only if they are taken seriously and acted on with integrity.

In a recent Tribune op-ed addressing the war in Gaza, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten writes that I weep for every civilian killed and every family torn apart and that the United States has a responsibility to do everything in its power to prevent future suffering and allow aid to flow into Gaza to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Casten also mentions that he represents one of the largest Palestinian American communities in the country.

While I appreciate these sentiments, as the war in Gaza rages, how will Casten represent those constituents? What does the responsibility that he alludes to actually require of the U.S. government in terms of action? Though a longtime Casten supporter, I am troubled by his position on the latest war between Israel and Hamas. Thus far, he and President Joe Bidens administration have fully supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus all-out offensive and done little to slow the bombing or diminish the horrific suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

More than 20,000 Palestinian civilians  two-thirds of whom are women and children  have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military in just over two months, according to health officials. And those not killed have been displaced and are on the run  nearly 2 million people desperately fleeing the war. But there is no place to hide. The borders are closed. The only thing harder to find than water and food is medical care.

No one has forgotten that this Israeli offensive was in response to a horrific assault unleashed by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, which brutally killed 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. Hamas viciously attacked Israel, and Israel is still retaliating. And seeking revenge, it would seem, as evidenced by Israel slaughtering more than 15 times as many people. Fifteen times. Violence begets violence.

On Dec. 20, two days before Castens op-ed appeared, I participated in a Zoom call with him and six other constituents to discuss the situation in Gaza and the possibility of a cease-fire. The call was led by a couple of Palestinian doctors who knew the situation in Gaza firsthand and made an eloquent and compelling case for a cease-fire.

Casten listened respectfully but later told us that the situation was complicated and that there were many factors to consider. He reminded us that there is civilian death and collateral damage in any war. And then he claimed that the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza was probably less than was being reported, implying that the numbers from the Gaza Health Ministry were not reliable and that he had access to information that we didnt. He said that 8,000 to 8,500 of the 20,000 killed were likely Hamas soldiers.

Im not a politician, nor a policy specialist, nor a historian, but just a voter. However, the use of such alternative facts is disturbing and dangerous, as they would seem to offer cover for the Israeli military to continue its bombing campaign.

Casten, though, is not the first to question the number of civilian dead in Gaza. Biden made related comments in October. I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using, he said. He later added: Im sure innocents have been killed, and its the price of waging a war.

Whose words are we to believe? The Israeli and U.S. war machines or the civilians? Reaffirming its core commitment to the protection of civilians in war, on Dec. 12, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. Not surprisingly, the U.S. and Israel voted against it. Im left wondering how many more thousands of Palestinian civilians will die before the Biden administration and Congress withdraw support for the Netanyahu offensive and attempt to stop the mindless killing. When will we support a cease-fire?

The war has already decimated Gaza and tens of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian lives. There is nothing left to win. But we might try to stop the spiral of loss, to stanch the open wounds of this beaten and bloody region.

Tom Montgomery Fate is an emeritus professor at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. His most recent book is The Long Way Home, a collection of essays.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Berlin is still not ready to provide Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said, at the same time condemning Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine and calling them a war crime, German Tagesschau reported on Jan. 3.

"There is no new status in this matter," he said while stressing that massive attacks on civilian infrastructure are "absolutely disgusting."

The head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, earlier called for the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine and urged the German government to speed up the supply of ammunition.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters "in irritation" during a visit to Kyiv in November 2023 that Ukraine would not receive Taurus missiles from his country.

Read also: Taurus missiles no game changer for Ukraine, Pistorius says after Germany rejects their transfer

Olaf Scholzs hesitance could be explained by his concern that Ukraine would use the missiles to strike inside Russia, thus drawing Berlin into direct confrontation with Moscow

Read also: No decision on Taurus missiles yet  Chancellor Scholz

Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine in several waves on Jan. 2. In total, Russia used more than 130 munitions: 35 Shahed drones at night and 99 missiles in the morning, including X-101/X-555/X-55 from Tu-95 bombers, Kinzhals from MiG-31K aircraft, Kalibrs from the sea, and Iskander-M/S-300/S-400 missiles from the north

Ukraine's air defense and defense forces destroyed all the Shahed attack UAVs and 72 of the 99 missiles. In total, five people were killed and more than 130 were injured in Russias assault on Ukraine on Jan. 2.

Russia carried out another massive attack before that as on the evening of Dec. 28, 2023, the aggressor state attacked Ukraine with kamikaze drones, and overnight on Dec. 28-29, with missiles.

Air defense systems shot down 114 of the 158 missiles and drones launched by Russia over Ukraine that day, which was the most massive air attack since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022.

NV

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
Berlin is still not ready to provide Taurus cruise missiles to Kyiv, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said, at the same time condemning Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine and calling them a war crime, German Tagesschau reported on Jan. 3.

"There is no new status in this matter," he said while stressing that massive attacks on civilian infrastructure are "absolutely disgusting."

The head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, earlier called for the transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine and urged the German government to speed up the supply of ammunition.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters "in irritation" during a visit to Kyiv in November 2023 that Ukraine would not receive Taurus missiles from his country.

Read also: Bundestag MP calls for immediate transfer of Taurus missiles to Ukraine after massive Russian attacks

Olaf Scholzs hesitance could be explained by his concern that Ukraine would use the missiles to strike inside Russia, thus drawing Berlin into direct confrontation with Moscow.

Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine in several waves on Jan. 2. In total, Russia used more than 130 munitions: 35 Shahed drones at night and 99 missiles in the morning, including X-101/X-555/X-55 from Tu-95 bombers, Kinzhals from MiG-31K aircraft, Kalibrsfrom the sea, and Iskander-M/S-300/S-400 missiles from the north.

Ukraine's air defense and defense forces destroyed all the Shahed attack UAVs and 72 of the 99 missiles. In total, five people were killed and more than 130 were injured in Russias assault on Ukraine on Jan. 2.

Read also: No decision on Taurus missiles yet  Chancellor Scholz

Russia carried out another massive attack before that as on the evening of Dec. 28, 2023, the aggressor state attacked Ukraine with kamikaze drones, and overnight on Dec. 28-29, with missiles.

Air defense systems shot down 114 of the 158 missiles and drones launched by Russia over Ukraine that day, which was the most massive air attack since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022.

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
This article contains affiliate links. The products or services listed have been selected independently by journalists after hands-on testing or sourcing expert opinions. We may earn a commission when you click a link, buy a product or subscribe to a service.

Finding the best car seat for your little one is arguably the most important purchase youll make in the early years (literally, it may be a matter of life or death) but it can also be the trickiest. When I first googled baby car seat, during the last throes of my pregnancy a year ago, I was completely baffled by the options. And along with buying the pram, it was the decision that took the longest to reach.

Millie Poppins, a baby expert and motherhood mentor, tells me: It is important to consider what your day to day lifestyle will look like once your new baby arrives. If you are in and out of the car often, then something with a swivel base is ideal. If youre changing cars regularly or using taxis, then something that doesnt always require a fixed base might work best long term.

When shopping for a new car seat, look out for the R129 safety certificate. Its more rigorous than the old R44 rating (see the FAQ section at the bottom for the differences). Ive found its also worth looking at ADAC ratings. ADAC  the German version of the RAC  is internationally recognised for its stringent approach to crash testing.

With the help of my son Jasper, Ive tested all the latest car seats, not just for safety but for comfort and usability too. You can read my reviews below, followed by some tips from Millie on how to choose and use them. If youre in a hurry, heres a quick look at my top five:

Which are the best car seats in 2024? At a glance

Can I buy a car seat second hand?

Its best not to, Millie says. Car seats are designed to absorb shock and if this has already happened, as in a car accident or with rough treatment, the structural integrity of the seat will have been compromised. So I would err on the side of caution and never buy a second hand seat from someone I did not know, no matter what they may say. If buying from a friend or family member, you can have the peace of mind that they would be honest with you about the history of the car seat.

How I tested the best car seats

I tested them all the way from when Jasper was born until now, as he approaches one. I also spoke to our mums with older children to get their input. As you can see in my TikTok video above, I installed the seats myself to gauge how fiddly they were, resisting the temptation to make my fiance do it. There was, as a result, much huffing, puffing and profanity on my part.

Until Jasper was eight months old, the key criteria was being able to get him in and out of the car without strain or stress. After that I was looking for more features, specifically recline, 360-degree spin and continuing comfort as he grew. Of course, it was Jasper who had the last say on comfort, and there were clear winners on this front.

If you have a new addition to the family, you may also want to read our recent guides to the best prams and pushchairs, the best travel cots and the best high chairs. Ive just tested the best baby monitors, too.

Best car seats

1. Silver Cross Motion All Size 360

Currently 345, Silver Cross

Best overall, 10 out of 10

We like: Comfortable, multi-functional, long-lasting - the only car seat youll need

We dont like: Too bulky to switch between cars regularly

Silver Cross: best looking of the lot

R129 approved

Isofix compatible

Suitable from birth to 12 years / child height 40-145cm

Weighs 14.4kg

Silver Cross, the trusty British brand that has been serving the Royal Family for more than a century, won the contest hands down with its Motion All Size 360 model, which will take your baby all the way from newborn to 12 years of age. Available in four colours, with top quality finishing touches, its the best-looking of the lot, and the one Jasper appeared to find most comfortable on long rides.

It does everything we needed it to do, with an easy to operate 360 swivel base built-in, a gentle three-level recline function, removable newborn inlay and eight headrest options. Its made from soft, breathable bamboo fabric thats easy to wipe down (crafted from recycled plastic bottles) and has plenty of padding. Safety-wise, its top of the range too, and won the 2022 ADAC best baby, toddler and child car seat title.

Most recently, Silver Cross has partnered with rapper Tinie Tempah (a somewhat unlikely pairing) to produce a special edition of the model, the Rise by Tinie Motion All Size, which went down extremely well with the males I consulted thanks to the sleek leatherette accents and bold green straps. Ultimately, this is the car seat we chose to keep over all other contenders  but it is not is compact, so you wouldnt want to take it on holiday with you. Smaller models are easier to switch between cars.

345

Buy now

Price at

Silver Cross

2. Graco SlimFit R129 All-in-One

149.99, Amazon

Best value car seat, 7/10

We like: Covers every stage, good recline function

We dont like: Doesnt spin, fiddly to install

Graco: about half the price of most others

R129 approved

Suitable from birth to 12 years / child height 40-145cm

Weighs 18.7kg

The good news for those on a tight budget is that all car seats, no matter how inexpensive, must go through rigorous testing to be sold. The latest SlimFit, a bestseller for Graco, has been upgraded to meet the latest ECE R129 safety certification. (See the FAQ section at the bottom of this article for more information about safety ratings.)

Its suitable from birth to 12 years so youll only have to buy one car seat for your child, and its about half the price of most others. When fitted rear-facing, which is the safest way for your baby to travel, it has a 5-point harness, and once your little one is big enough, it can be swapped to forward-facing and, ready for booster mode. Impressively, it also has a 6-position recline and 10 headrest settings with side wings that expand outwards as the headrest moves up.

There are, of course, sacrifices to be made for the price. The padding of the baby insert feels a little flimsy and it only comes in grey, which wont be to everyones taste. It doesnt spin and it doesnt use ISOFIX, so fitting it involves threading your cars seat belt through a series of fastenings, which I found to be a bit of an IQ test. Overall though, it packs in a lot of features for such a low price.

149.99

Buy now

Price at

Amazon

3. Cybex Sirona T

319.95, John Lewis

Best 360 car seat, 8/10

We like: Good rotate function, breathable, sun canopy

We dont like: Magnetic clips a bit weak, only lasts until child is four

Cybex: sun canopy is handy for naps

R129 approved

Isofix compatible

Suitable from birth to 4 years / child height 45-105cm

Weight: 18kg

The Silver Cross could have won this category too, but the Cybex scored just as highly and the 360 function was a fraction easier to manage one-handed. Suitable from birth to about the age of four, Cybexs latest version of the popular Sirona model is stylish, modern and high quality, and, unlike most car seats for this age group, boasts a sun canopy, which is handy for naps.

This model really is built for comfort, with a wide design, a one-handed recline setting, and no less than 12 headrest positions. For hot weather, the Plus version of this car seat has a 3D mesh fabric that Cybex claims is six times more breathable than conventional material (Jasper could not confirm or deny this). Its also available in five colours, including baby pink.

One downside is that the magnetic clips for the straps were weaker than on some of the other seats we tested, which doesnt make a difference when fastened, but does make it a bit fiddly to secure. And your child will outgrow it at the age of around four.

319.95

Buy now

Price at

John Lewis

4. Joie i-Level Recline

Currently 175.50, Mamas & Papas

Best car seat for newborn, 8/10

We like: Light, cosy, deep recline

We dont like: Relatively short lifespan in terms of age limit

Joie: specifically for babies, although the base works with their other models

R129 approved

Suitable from birth to 15 months / child height 40-85cm

Weighs 5.2kg

I struggled with the idea of buying any seat that only lasts up to 15 months, but theres a lot to be said for models designed specifically for this age group and if youll be using your car a lot during the newborn stage, its probably worth it.

The Joie i-Level Recline is reasonably priced and ticks all the boxes, chief among them its ability to recline nearly the full 160 degrees, both as a car seat and when mounted on a pram (using adapters). This means small babies will be much more likely to fall asleep in it and you wont have to disturb them when taking them out of the car. When used with the i-Base Encore, it also spins 90 degrees, making it even easier to get in and out.

Its also light, with an ergonomic handle, a retractable sun shade and an adjustable headrest to accommodate your growing baby. The downside is that youll have to replace it once they outgrow it  though the base fits Joies other models that go up to four years old.

175.50

Buy now

Price at

Mamas & Papas

5. Cosatto All in All Rotate i-Size

279.95, Cosatto

Best booster seat, 10/10

We like: Great value, fun designs, every feature youll need

We dont like: Not compact

Cosatto: comes in 12 designs

R129 approved

Isofix-compatible

Suitable from birth to 12 years / child height 40-150cm

Weighs 10.9kg

We absolutely loved this car seat for a multitude of reasons, not least the huge range of lively prints it comes in (we went for the Paloma Faith-designed tiger fabric), and the excellent value for money. Suitable from birth all the way up to 12 years, it could have won several categories, but particularly stands out as one you can use as a booster seat for older kids.

With deep side wing panels, four recline levels and several layers of plush energy-absorbing (in case of a collison) cushions which you remove as your child gets older, it appeared to be super comfortable for Jasper as well as extra safe. Its actually crash-tested beyond the standard R129 requirements.

Its built-in swivel base also enables 360-degree rotation, making it simple to switch from rear to front facing and for getting your child in and out of the car. Also noteworthy is its unique anti-escape harness system, which makes it nigh impossible for toddlers to wriggle out of.

Its not the most compact model and wouldnt be suitable if you regularly need to switch vehicles, due to its weight and bulkiness, but its an excellent choice if you want one unit to take you through every stage of your childs growth.

279.95

Buy now

Price at

Cosatto

6. Inglesina Darwin Infant Recline

289, Inglesina

Best infant car seat, 7/10

We like: Comfortable, good for the smallest cars

We dont like: Expensive, given youll only use it for a year

Inglesina: well-ventilated

R129 approved

Isofix compatible

Suitable from birth to 12 months / child height 40-75cm

Weighs 5.65kg

An infant is defined as a baby up to one year of age, so for this group youll want all the same features as with the newborn category (above). Brand new to the market is the Inglesina Darwin Infant Recline, designed especially for this age range, enabling your baby to safely lie almost flat.

You can install it alone using Isofix or with the Darwin i-Size base, which has a full 360 spin function (unusual for this group) making it considerably easier to click in and out of your vehicle; plus you can use it with the brands next-stage car seats. Its also sized to function even in smaller vehicles, which many are not.

This model is cosy, well ventilated, with a bamboo fibre lining and 3D mesh, and is available in six muted tones. My only criticisms would be that the buckle looks less premium than Id expect for the price and it only suits babies up to about 12 months, which is shorter than most of its competitors.

290

Buy now

Price at

Inglesina

7. Axkid ONE 2

Currently 550, Axkid

Best rear-facing car seat, 9/10

We like: Excellent quality, super safe, great legroom

We dont like: Very expensive, doesnt spin

Axkid: passed one of the world's toughest crash tests

R129 approved

Isofix compatible

Suitable from birth to about 7 years / child height 60-125cm

Weighs 10kg

For absolute maximum safety, this model is special (and was my fiances favourite). Its the only ISOFIX car seat on the market which enables rear-facing travel (five times safer than front-facing) up to the age of seven years old. Most car seats, by comparison, dont allow enough leg room when your child reaches the toddler stage and have to be switched to front-facing.

The Axkid ONE 2 comes from the lesser-known Scandinavian brand which specialises in extra-secure frames, and this model has passed one of the worlds toughest crash tests  the Swedish Plus test. Its also of supreme quality (as it should be, for the price), with an adjustable headrest that feels almost like memory foam and sticky panels on the underside of the shoulder straps that keep them snugly fitted.

Its also surprisingly light, with aluminium that weighs 30 per cent less than the standard steel. Its mounted on rails that allow the unit to recline and be slid back and forth in a way that doesnt require the passenger seat in front to be pushed for space.

It was also easier to install than most of the others (though didnt quite live up to its ambitious 30-sec Installation Guarantee) and is suitable for even the smallest cars. Its only downfall is that it doesnt spin, or cater for children older than about seven.

550

Buy now

Price at

Axkid

8. Doona Infant Car Seat

Currently 279, Doona

Best stroller / car seat hybrid, 9/10

We like: its a car seat on wheels thats a game-changer for travel

We dont like: its not ideal for long car journeys and only lasts up to 15 months

Doona: means you don't need separate car seat and stroller

Isofix base sold separately

Suitable from birth to 15 months / child weight 1.8-13kg

Weighs 7.4kg

Theres a good reason the Doona has such a cult following (every celebrity and high-profile mum-influencer seems to have one, Millie Poppins included). Its the only product of its sort; a car seat that flips Transformers-style into a stroller at the pull of a lever, with no extra frame or chassis to contend with, meaning you dont have to transfer your (often sleeping!) baby from your vehicle into a pram. This was the car seat we used to take Jasper home from the hospital and the one we used constantly until he was about 8 months old.

Indeed, for a certain type of minimalist parent, it could be all you need as a means of transport from birth to about 15 months, provided you only need something for quick trips in and out of the car. Its fantastic for taking on holiday, since its so portable and negates the need for a pushchair.

Safe and practical, with a retractable sunshade, cushy three-layer side impact protection and an adjustable handlebar that also acts as an anti-rebound bar inside the vehicle, this car seat is revolutionary  but with some caveats.

It doesnt recline (so its not suitable for long road trips), and ideally youll need to invest in the base too, which it clicks in and out of at the push of a button, otherwise you have to strap it in and out of the seatbelt every time you want to use it as a stroller.

However, its invaluable for holidays, and if a car seat and occasional pushchair is all you need, this product could buy you at least a year before having to invest in a full pram or travel system. I only wish Jasper wouldnt grow out of it.

279

Buy now

Price at

Doona

9. Nuna PIPA urbn

300, John Lewis

Best infant carrier / car seat hybrid, 8/10

We like: Extremely light and portable, easy to switch between cars

We dont like: Its expensive given its lifespan

Nuna: only weighs 3.3kg

R129 approved

Isofix compatible

Suitable from birth to 15 months / child height 40-75cm

Weighs 3.3kg

Why would you need a car seat if you dont have a car? Good question. Because youll still need one for taxis, or rides in other peoples vehicles, and this is the first baseless infant carrier with integrated ISOFIX connectors.

This means it plugs directly into any car or taxi without the need for adapters and doesnt require the extra adult seatbelt. Why this hasnt been done before beats me. In short, it cuts out a lot of the fuss for those who travel frequently or use multiple vehicles and want to easily switch their car seat between them.

Weighing in at only 3.3kg, its incredibly light too, and theres a UPF 50+ canopy, a flip-out eyeshade and a drape that pulls down for naps. The PIPA Urbn is compatible with all Nunas pushchairs, but its drawback is, like most of its rivals in this group, that its only suitable for babies up to about 15 months.

300

Buy now

Price at

John Lewis

Baby car seat FAQs

How long can a baby be in a car seat?

Research shows that the longer your child is in a car seat the safer they will be when driving, says our expert Millie Poppins. A baby should be in a car seat with a minimum four-point harness for as long as possible. They should also be reverse facing until at least 15 months old. Although they dont technically need to be in a car seat or booster seat right up until the age of 12, it is best practice for optimising your childs safety when travelling.

What is ISOFIX?

ISOFIX cars have metal hoops at the back of each rear passenger seat. ISOFIX baby seats have a metal arm that locks onto these hoops. Its more secure than relying on seatbelts and straps to hold the seat in place.

What is the difference between ECE R44 and R129?

All car seats have to be rigorously tested in accident simulations before they can be sold. ECE R44 was the original European standard. ECE R129 is a more rigorous test, sometimes called i-Size because it takes into account the babys height and not just their weight when classifying car seats.

R129/i-Size seats are easier to fit, provide better protection from side impacts and can keep children rear-facing for longer. Theyre also fully compatible with ISOFIX cars (see above).

From September 2023, retailers in the EU and Northern Ireland will no longer be able to sell R44 car seats. At the moment, there is no agreed end date to R44 sales in the rest of the UK.

What is a group 1, 2 or 3 car seat?

Under R44 regulations, car seats are organised into three groups which indicate what weight a child should be to safely use them. You would buy a group 1 car seat for a newborn, using it reverse-facing for the first 15 months and then forward-facing until your child weighs 18kg  usually around two years old. Group 2 and 3 car seats are made to fit older children who weigh between about 5-36kg, which is around ages 3 to 12.

The new R129/i-Size regulations rank car seats by height, instead of weight. You may see ratings such as 40-80cm (for newborns), 40-105cm, 100-145cm and so on.

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In November, a political group in Arkansas announced it was pursuing a 2024 ballot measure to put a right to abortion in the state constitution. If successful, it would be a huge deal in a state with a total abortion ban.

But theres one big catch: The proposal would offer less protection than Americans had before Roe v. Wade was overturned, because it would codify abortion only through 18 weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions. The previous standard had been about 24 weeks.

The move immediately drew criticism online, but established reproductive rights groups have yet to criticize it publicly because, frankly, its complicated. Theres been a lot of spirited debate in the reproductive rights movement about a related quandary: Should states looking to get abortion rights into their constitutions do so according to the previous standard of allowing abortion access until viability, the point when a fetus could technically survive outside of the uterus, which is typically 24 weeks? Orbecause the past few decades have shown that 24 weeks is a flawed, arbitrary lineshould reproductive rights advocates working at the state level be pushing for unfettered abortion access instead?

So this proposal out of Arkansaswhich would enshrine weaker rights than the ones lost in 2022came as a big surprise and, to some working in the movement, it was a cowardly choice. It was better than what Arkansas residents had at the moment, sure. But was endorsing it its own kind of defeat?

The proposal came from the democracy nonprofit For AR People, which formed a ballot question committee called Arkansans for Limited Government, or AFLG. Gennie Diaz, the groups executive director, said the organization jumped into action after it saw internal polling that showed 51 percent of Arkansas supported a limited right to abortion. Diaz said the poll, which she could not share publicly, showed that 61 percent of Arkansans either think that abortion should be legal in some circumstances, or thats just none of the governments business.

Diaz said the nonprofit chose to advocate for abortions up to 18 weeks instead of until viability because it wanted to speak to those 51 to 61 percent of Arkansans. And that particular gestation marker of 18 weeks, which she said was a reasonable, sensible cutoff, had polling support, whereas people didnt know what viability meant. When you get to a specific week, people go, I know what that means. [They] can say yeah, thats appropriate up until this point in time,  Diaz said. After that [they say], Hmm, I dont feel good about that. 

AFLGs messaging on this ballot initiative is about preventing government involvement in medical decisions, yet their proposal would very clearly allow the state to ban abortion after 18 weeks. When pressed about the apparent contradiction here, Diaz said, Its threading the needle with Arkansas voters on what they view as limited government. She said: Its not meant to be a parlor trick, but rather an invitation for people who consider themselves pro-life to support the measure so it can pass. Honestly, its not palatable to either end of the spectrum, and thats intentional, she said.

Still, some pollsters think that AFLG is jumping to conclusions about how voters really feel about abortion.

Tresa Undem, the co-founder of PerryUndem, a nonpartisan polling firm, has been tracking opinion on abortion for 20 years. She said that most abortion polling is notoriously one-dimensional, often asking voters to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to proposed restrictions with few follow-up questions (or open-ended prompts) that reveal any nuance. So, it gives her pause that a democracy group that doesnt specifically have experience with polling on abortion is choosing ballot language based on what it believes is public sentiment. If youre basing your assumptions on these really one-dimensional questions, you could be getting it wrong, she said.

Undem suggested a poll structure to really robustly test the proposition that 18 weeks is the best path forward. (It would be a big sample where a third of the group gets a question that asks whether they would support an expansive, no-restriction ballot measure; a third gets asked whether they would support a viability restriction; and a third gets asked if they would support abortion up to 18 weeks.) In the post-Dobbs world, I just think anyone whos working on this issue needs to really be careful about assumptions, Undem said. People can die.

Plus, wherever abortion has been on the ballot in the U.S. since the fall of Roe, it has won.

The Supreme Court added fetal viability as a permissible marker in abortion regulation in its 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which modified Roe.

In Casey, the court ruled that states had an interest in protecting potential life and could restrict abortion before viability as long as the restrictions didnt unduly burden abortion seekers. It also ruled that states could ban abortion after viability, too. What went unsaid is that protection for potential life necessarily meant removing rights for pregnant people. Viability is different for every pregnancy, and some pregnancies will never be viable.

Casey ushered in a wave of restrictions, including waiting periods, insurance coverage bans, and clinic shutdown laws, that made it harder and harder for people to get care as soon as they needed it. The longer it takes for a pregnant person to coordinate travel and child care (and pull together the money for those costs and the abortion), the further along the pregnancy gets, and the more the costs of the procedure multiplywhich can add even more delays. Bans at the viability cutoff harm people struggling to make ends meet, in addition to those who discover their pregnancies late or who get devastating diagnoses in the second and third trimesters.

The current ban on abortions in Arkansas, which took effect the day of the Dobbs ruling in 2022, is extreme, with only a narrow exception to save the life of the pregnant person. Earlier this year, Democratic lawmakers in the state tried to add exceptions for incest, health of the pregnant woman, and fatal fetal anomaly, but the bills didnt even make it out of House committees. To AFLG, the group trying to push through a right to abortion up to 18 weeks, this shows how anti-abortion the state is, and why pursuing protections through viability is off the table. (The Arkansas Legislature is among the most gerrymandered in the U.S.)

Because of the harm the states residents are experiencing now, Diaz said the group felt an obligation to pursue what they think could win, and what they thought most Arkansans would consider reasonable.

Erika Christensen of Patient Forward, a group that advocates for expansive abortion protections, said the idea that banning abortion at a specific week is reasonable is willfully ignorant.

She noted that abortion bans at any gestation are dangerous for pregnant people. She herself had to travel to Colorado in 2016 to get an abortion at 32 weeks due to a fetal diagnosis because New York had a criminal ban post-viability. Plus, abortion bans at specific weeks not only create stigma and harm peoples health, they allow the state to surveil and prosecute all pregnancy outcomesnot just abortion. (Look no further than an Ohio woman who was charged with abuse of a corpse after experiencing a stillbirth at home.) Christensen said the Arkansas proposal would ensure the most under-resourced and over-policed members of their communities bear the brunt of their political cowardice.

In other words, though AFLG is messaging their ballot measure with language about keeping the government out of health care, their proposal actually permits a banwith an arbitrary cutoff date. (And if AFLG was hoping the 18-week limit would counter or prevent bad-faith arguments from the other side of the political aisle, it didnt work: The day the proposal was announced, Arkansas Right to Life smeared it as permitting the procedure up to the moment of birth.)

Roe and Casey put viability into federal law, and after those rulings were overturned, Christensen said there was a window to keep viability out of state constitutions. Instead, states have been tripping over themselves to put it back in, she said. This is what happened in Ohio, Christensen explained, because Issue 1, which passed this past November, only codifies abortion through viability. After Issue 1, everyone said, Yay, now the government is going to stay out of pregnancy and abortion. No, maam. You just enshrined the states right to stay in pregnancy, she said. You put it in your state constitution. She said groups claimed they had to write a compromise policy in order to eke out a win in Ohio, but then they won handily, by 13 points.

Worse, introducing what are essentially abortion bans after viability cedes moral ground to anti-abortion forces who exploit the discomfort that mainstream Democrats have with abortions later in pregnancy. You can see it in the policy pushed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America: A ban after 15 weeks, which they say is supported by polling. A test run in Virginia, shepherded by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and boosted by SBA, failed spectacularly. But that doesnt mean theyll stop trying.

A growing body of data suggests that, to counter these attacks, pro-choice groups should embrace a message and ethic of actual zero government involvement in abortion. That is: No bans, at any point. Undem did a national experiment this summer, testing different ballot measure language to see if voters were more likely to support a proposal that included viability over one that didnt. Going in, the pollster didnt think it would make much of a differencebut voters preferred the expansive measure by 15 points. I was kind of blown away, frankly, she said. And in open-ended responses from people who werent sure if theyd vote for the viability measure, she saw the same comment over and over: The government shouldnt be involved in these decisions. In other words, those voters didnt support a viability measure because it wasnt pro-choice enough. Thats a pretty new sentiment, she said, adding that Gallup data also shows growing support for abortion at any point in pregnancy. I think Dobbs is having a huge impact.

It may take longer for Dobbs to have as big of an impact in states as red as Arkansas. Other reproductive rights groups have seen the same private polling AFLG cited showing the strongest support for 18 weeks (which was conducted in spring 2023), and they may have decided not to draw up their own ballot measure because theyre waiting for public sentiment to change.

States typically have one shot at a constitutional amendment of this kind, and if polling for a ballot measure doesnt look promising, its an opportunity to do more organizing and deep canvassing to work on changing public sentiment in advance of the next election cycle. It can be especially challenging to get the necessary signatures and raise enough money to support the effort overall if its just one advocacy group going it alone, versus the coalitions of organizations that succeeded in protecting abortion rights in Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio. Those groups typically included the local affiliates of Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, and other reproductive rights organizations like abortion funds.

The AFLG website makes a point of saying the group is not working with Planned Parenthood, and Diaz said theyre not working with the ACLU of Arkansas. Theyre not supported, publicly, by any abortion providers or OB-GYNs. (The chair of AFLG is a radiation oncologist, and the groups treasurer is a medical malpractice attorney; Diaz said that while there are abortion providers and OB-GYNs who weighed in on the effort, theyre not willing to publicly attach their names for fear of professional retribution.)

One abortion fund, Arkansas Abortion Support Network, said in a statement that it hesitates to support the AFLG measure because, as the treasurer and co-founder Karen Musick put it, the group is not able to support any arbitrary timeline for limits on abortion. And Musick said this was despite the fact that anything better than a total baneven a six-week limitwould help residents, and the work of the fund.

Our group has just been interested citizens, Diaz, of AFLG, said. Its pretty scrappy. And I think were proud of that. Its admirable that people want to help change the status quo, but even she noted that AFLG faces steep obstacles. When the language is approved and we move into the signature phase, and thenprayers upcampaign phase, we are going to need substantial resources, she said, acknowledging that the group would need to raise tens of millions of dollars. Were committed to being scrappy, and I hope that, at one point, we can become a little bit more polished and substantially supported.

But ballot measures arent efforts to undertake on a hope and a prayer. After all, Undem said, peoples lives are on the line.
Betty Boothroyd told the jeweller who found the diamond: 'A diamond can never be too large' - BNPS

Baroness Boothroyds 9-carat diamond ring, which she bought after claiming a diamond can never be too large, is to be sold at auction.

The late Speaker of the House of Commons bought the ring from her favourite Westminster jeweller, who had been tasked with finding a suitable diamond for the baroness.

When the jeweller found the diamond, he telephoned her and she asked him to bring it to The House as soon as possible, telling him: A diamond can never be too large!

The ring is one of a few prized possessions that belonged to Lady Boothroyd set to be auctioned this month.

The items are expected to make 200,000, with the ring alone expected to fetch between 70,000 to 100,000.

Also for sale is her black leather dispatch box bearing the cypher for Elizabeth II and Lady Boothroyd that is expected to sell for 300.

A Lachasse London cotton and silk cocktail suit worn by the baroness at Lord Lloyd-Webbers house party in the summer of 1997 is estimated to sell for between 100 to 200.

Framed photos of her meeting Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela also feature, as well as a bust of the baroness that carries an estimate of 300 to 500.

Lady Boothroyd auctioned off some of her life story treasures in 2021.

At that sale, a box gifted to her by Boris Yeltsin, the late Russian president, was expected to fetch 50 but sold for 2,400.

Other items auctioned off included a limited-edition ceramic figure of Lawrence of Arabia, and personal items including costume jewellery and a mirror from her dressing room.

Other items for sale include her black leather dispatch box, and a bust of the baroness - BNPS

Lady Boothroyd, who died last year at the age of 93, held an auction in 2021 when she downsized from her London home to a smaller country cottage in South Cambridgeshire as she felt she had too many belongings which would not fit in her new house.

She neither married nor had children and so the proceeds of the new auction will be split between six charities.

The sale is being held by Special Auction Services of Newbury, Berkshire.

Thomas Forrester, director at SAS, said: Baroness Boothroyd was an engaging, entertaining and human politician who was respected across the house, she cut a dash of colour through a sea of dark suits with her fabulous outfits, many of these outfits will be sold in this auction.

It is heartwarming to know that the proceeds of the auction will go to many worthwhile and deserving charities.

The auction takes place on January 23.

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Two months after an attack worse than 9/11, with over a hundred Americans still held hostage in underground dungeons, being starved and tortured, nobody anywhere would blink an eye if Washington ordered a bombing that led to the assassination of some of the masterminds of the attack.

And yet after a drone strike yesterday that took out Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy chairman of Hamas political bureau and the commander of the groups military wing, the United States was quietly distancing itself from the bombing in off the record conversations with the media.

Barak Ravid reported, Two US officials told Axios [that] Israel was behind Tuesdays strike but stressed it didnt notify the Biden administration in advance of the attack. Joseph Haboush, Washington Correspondent for the leading Arab news site Al Arabiya reported that US officials were not given prior notice by Israel about its operation to take out Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, but they cautioned against concluding that the assassination would further escalate tensions between Lebanon and Israel.

Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) fumed on X that Israel just killed one of the major architects of October 7. The White House response is a rush to deny any involvement and leak that it advised against such a strike. What a terrible look. No one suspects the US carried it out, but most shocked to learn of disapproval.

Due to his long history of terror, the United States had a $5 million bounty on Arouris head and marked him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2015. Its strange, then, that the Biden administration isnt exactly sending thank you notes to the Israelis for taking him out.

The attacks of October 7 were truly international, taking the lives of foreign nationals including Americans and dual Israeli-American citizens. Over thirty Americans were killed  just last week, we learned of the deaths of two more who had been presumed taken hostage. Following the announcements of the deaths of Gad Haggai and his wife Judy Weinstein Haggai, Biden tweeted he was devastated by the loss, continuing that we will not stop working to bring them home.

So what does that work entail? There are still six American citizens being held in underground tunnels, starved and tortured by Hamas terrorists for almost three months and counting. One has to wonder what exactly the United States is planning on doing about it, if not supporting the actions of the IDF in their attempts to safely recover hostages.

On New Years Day, Rachel Goldberg created a video asking her familys supporters to make a resolution to call the White House every day about her captive son Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The Jewish State cant expect total support from the American government on all of its military strategic decisions, but Americans should expect total support from their government about their own citizens held hostage.

We arent even three months after the attack that took more Jewish lives than any day since the Holocaust, and were already seeing the limits of the United States patience with the Jewish States war on those who were responsible. Unfortunately for Israel, the United States was one of the most patient countries in the world at the outset.

If Biden refuses to show moral leadership, we may witness the same backsliding in the US as was visible from the Spanish and Belgian governments in late Novemeber. Holding a press conference at the Rafah Crossing minutes before the appearance of thirteen hostages, Prime Ministers Alexander De Croo and Pedro Sanchez demanded a permanent ceasefire while drawing attention to the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.

Despite the fact that Belgium and Spain took no part in talks for the hostages release, they inserted themselves into the situation minutes before the exchange was about to take place, risking the entire transfer. Their contemptible bid for attention was more important to them than the safe return of over a dozen hostages. The wider world may have moved on from this stunt  but its one that Israelis will never forget.

The increasing impatience of the Biden administration, compounded by international hostility towards the Jewish State, is an important reminder of why exactly Israel exists in the first place. As international conflict sparks around the globe, it will be easy for those in the State Department and media to turn their attention elsewhere. But Israel, as always, has no choice but to continue their fight.

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The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to allow border patrol agents in Texas to remove the razor wire on southern border  a topic that has been at the center of a legal battle for months.

The Justice Department filed an emergency appeal, asking the high court to pause last months appellate court ruling that forced the federal government to stop removing the razor wire. The federal government claimed Texas does not have the legal standing to install the wire, because it is requiring federal law to yield to Texas law.

Overall, the administration argued immigration policies and enforcement fall underneath the jurisdiction of the federal government instead of the states.

Besides not having the legal authority, Biden officials argued that keeping the razor wire could have serious on-the-ground consequences for border patrol agents, as well as migrants coming into the United States.

Like other law-enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents operating under difficult circumstances at the border must make context-dependent, sometimes split-second decisions about how to enforce federal immigration laws while maintaining public safety, officials argued in the motion.

But the injunction prohibits agents from passing through or moving physical obstacles erected by the State that prevent access to the very border they are charged with patrolling and the individuals they are charged with apprehending and inspecting, the motion reads.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered the installation of terrestrial and floating razor wire barriers as part of the states Operation Lone Star in September. Since then, it has been at odds with the Biden administration, which has maintained that Texas does not have the authority to install such obstacles.

The razor wire is only part of Abbotts larger immigration platform that could face battles in court; last month, Abbott signed a bill that allowed any Texas law enforcement officer to arrest migrants that enter the U.S. illegally and gave local judges the power to order migrants be removed from the country.

The Biden administration has already threatened to sue Texas if it enforces the new law.

The Supreme Court gave the Lone Star State until Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. EST to respond to the administrations motion.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  The Department of Justice is expected to file a lawsuit against Texas and its controversial new border security law on Wednesday, accusing the state of infringing on federal authority and empowering local police to unconstitutionally arrest suspected illegal immigrants.

Last week, federal authorities threatened to sue to block Senate Bill 4 if Gov. Greg Abbott did not assure them the state will not enforce the law by Jan. 3.

SB 4 effectively creates a separate state immigration scheme by imposing criminal penalties for violations of federal provisions on unlawful entry and reentry into the United Statesand by authorizing state judges to order the removal of noncitizens from the United States, the DOJ wrote in a letter sent to Abbott and obtained by Nexstar. SB 4, therefore, intrudes into a field that is occupied by the federal government and is preempted.

US Department of Justice threatens to sue Texas over new border security law

Abbott signed the bill into law last month, telling Nexstar in a border bill signing ceremony in Brownsville that he believes the law is constitutional but would welcome a Supreme Court challenge to test the current balance of power over immigration law.

Texas is prepared to take this fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to protect Texans and Americans from President Bidens open border policies, Abbotts communications director Renae Eze said. President Bidens deliberate and dangerous inaction at our southern border has left Texas to fend for itself.

The looming legal battle comes as Congressional Republicans are forging a stark split-screen with the Biden administration on Wednesday. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is making his first public trip of his tenure as speaker to Eagle Pass, leading more than 50 House Republicans to tour the border and meet with Texas law enforcement.

Speaker Johnson to tour Eagle Pass amid surge at the border

Eagle Pass has been the epicenter of the humanitarian crisis on the southern border  and the political crisis in the White House. Federal immigration authorities encountered more than 300,000 migrants in December, including more than 71,000 in the sector including Eagle Pass. Only 32% of Americans are confident in President Bidens ability to make wise decisions on immigration policy, Pew Research Center reported in December.

Senate Bill 4 is set to go into effect in March unless a federal challenge puts it on pause.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden could, in theory, have Donald Trump abducted from his Mar-a-Lago home, spirited off to St. Helena in the faraway South Atlantic, and secretly kept there indefinitely, or even straight-up killed, without ever having to worry about criminal charges.

Or so says Donald Trumps logic.

As part of his arguments against special counsel Jack Smiths federal case against him for his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, the former president continues to claim that commanders-in-chief can never be charged for anything they do as part of their official duties.

Its a view that has galvanized lawyers from across the political spectrum to urge federal appellate judges to reject Trumps claims.

It would turn the office of the presidency into the office of state-approved lawlessness, said Glenn Kirschner, a federal prosecutor for more than two decades in Washington, D.C.

Ty Cobb, a former Trump White House lawyer and one of the signatories to an amicus brief in the case, said Trumps argument that he should be immune from any prosecution is no more ridiculous than the Biden hypothetical. He said Trumps lawyers have not been able to come up with any sound legal arguments on his behalf because there arent any.

There is no legal support. Thats the reality, he said. Its the same as hes been saying for years: He could kill someone on 5th Avenue.

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago, said that as outlandish as the Biden example sounds, if Trumps view of presidential immunity is correct, Biden could get away with it  as long as he could assert some sort of national security rationale for doing so.

Neither Trumps campaign staff nor his lawyers responded to HuffPosts queries. But his lawyers have repeatedly argued that everything Trump did leading up to and during the assault on the Capitol by a mob of his followers was part of his official duties as president, and therefore cannot be punished via the criminal justice system.

In defending Trumps action, his lawyers in a Tuesday night filing repeated Trumps claims that he was looking into voter fraud, although the only real allegation of fraud was coming from Trump himself with virtually no evidence. President Trump was carrying out his duties as chief executive to investigate the overwhelming reports of widespread election fraud, wrote lawyers John Sauer, John Lauro and Todd Blanche, who then cited one of Trumps own social media posts as proof.

Smith, who is prosecuting Trump on a range of charges including conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding based on the Jan. 6 coup attempt, said in another filing that if Trumps analysis is correct, it would legalize a parade of tyrannical behavior.

The defendants sweeping immunity claim threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office. The founders did not intend and would never have countenanced such a result, Smith wrote in an 82-page brief filed over the New Years weekend.

He then went on to present scenarios even more extreme than the hypothetical of Biden shipping Trump off to the island where Napoleon was ultimately exiled, should Trumps immunity claim be accepted by the courts.

That approach would grant immunity from criminal prosecution to a president who accepts a bribe in exchange for directing a lucrative government contract to the payer; a president who instructs the FBI director to plant incriminating evidence on a political enemy; a president who orders the National Guard to murder his most prominent critics; or a president who sells nuclear secrets to a foreign adversary, because in each of these scenarios, the president could assert that he was simply executing the laws; or communicating with the Department of Justice; or discharging his powers as commander-in-chief; or engaging in foreign diplomacy, Smith wrote.

Under the defendants framework, the nation would have no recourse to deter a president from inciting his supporters during a State of the Union address to kill opposing lawmakers  thereby hamstringing any impeachment proceeding  to ensure that he remains in office unlawfully, he went on.

A White House spokesperson, citing its continuing policy, declined to discuss Trumps legal case but said that Biden had worked to restore the Department of Justices independence.

Former President Donald Trump listens as he speaks with reporters on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023.

Former President Donald Trump listens as he speaks with reporters on his plane after a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023.

Norm Eisen, a White House lawyer during the Obama administration who worked on the House of Representatives legal team during the first Trump impeachment, said Trumps immunity theory would undo the founders goal of avoiding an unaccountable monarchy.

Trumps argument actually turns the American idea on its head, Eisen said. Election to the presidency would become an authorization to go on a non-stop crime spree as long as a president could claim that his actions, however tangentially, were related to his official duties. This cant be right.

Trumps claim of absolute immunity has already been rejected by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case. Smith asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and settle the question immediately, skipping review by the appellate level court, but the high court declined to do so.

The Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has fast-tracked the case and could rule relatively soon after next weeks oral arguments. If it upholds Chutkans December ruling, Trump would have the right to appeal that to the Supreme Court, although that court may choose not to take it.

Chutkan had planned to start Trumps trial on the four-count indictment in early March, a date that may not be possible given the months likely to be lost in the current appeal.

Trump is separately under federal indictment in South Florida for refusing to turn over secret documents he took with him to his Palm Beach country club when he left the White House. He also faces an indictment in Georgia state court based on his attempt to overturn the states 2020 election results, and another indictment in New York state forfalsifying business records to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star.

Notwithstanding all the criminal charges  the most serious of which could land him in prison for decades  he remains the polling leader for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Related...
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. While we already have made advancements in Illinois through the passage of the federal legislation known as Tobacco 21, the use of tobacco products among youths, especially flavored products, remains an ongoing public health problem. Ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will save the lives of many Cook County residents.

The 2020 Illinois Youth Survey found that about 1 in 4 high school seniors in suburban Cook County had used one or more tobacco products, including cigarettes, in the past 30 days. More than 40% of youths who smoke cigarettes use menthol cigarettes, and close to 65% of youths who smoke cigars use flavored cigars. Nicotine exposure from use of flavored tobacco products, such as menthol cigarettes, can cause addiction and significant harm to the developing adolescent brain.

The tobacco industry also has a long history of predatorily targeting the Black community to promote the use of flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes. The deadly effects of these deceptive marketing tactics are staggering. Black individuals are more likely to use tobacco, and more than 81% who reported smoking use menthol cigarettes. In Illinois, Black residents have a significantly higher rate of new lung cancer cases and deaths compared to all other races and ethnicities.

Modeling studies have estimated that upward of 654,000 smoking-attributable deaths would be avoided by the year 2060 if menthol cigarettes were no longer available in the United States.

For these reasons, Cook County Department of Public Health, the nationally accredited and state-certified public health authority for suburban Cook County and affiliate of Cook County Health, is joining the American Lung Association and other health partners to strongly urge the Biden administration to finalize the proposed rules to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

 Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, chief operating officer, Cook County Department of Public Health

There are ways to help families

The op-ed We can make Chicago safer by prioritizing stronger families (Dec. 27) is an interesting commentary.

When I was in elementary school back in the 1950s, there was one student who was a troublemaker. He came from a single-parent family. I wonder how this white kid ended up.

Which brings us to crime described in the commentary.

I also recall taking public transportation several years ago to 87th Street and Damen Avenue to a church event. At 87th and Cicero Avenue, as I waited for a bus, a young woman arrived for the bus too. She just got off work. We talked. She had a toddler. On the bus, I asked her if she ever took her child to the library for story hour. No, she told me, children can learn on their own. As a teacher, I was dismayed by the response. She probably was sleeping during that time and could not take her child to the library. Life is so hard when one lacks a good education from both family and school.

White people have taken the life savings of people of color for ages. It continues to this day, as we have learned that Black farmers do not obtain a saving grace during down years that white farmers obtain easily; they thus lose their farms to white farmers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is being sued over decades of discrimination.

And it was not that long ago that I read in the paper about a successful Black TV commentator who bought a home, and when the seller saw the man, the seller reneged.

Discrimination is alive and well throughout the United States.

So yes, investing in families is strategic, in order to promote two-parent households.

 Janice Gintzler, Crestwood

Keeping Christmas traditions

Thanks to Laura Washington (The Grinch is meddling with my Christmas joy, Dec. 25) for expressing many of my similar feelings regarding the Christmas season, especially the reduction in Christmas cards. The traditions are falling away and, along with them, the joy of receiving a card in the mail with a note or letter catching up with a friend or relative.

Oh! Thats right  Facebook. No need to do Christmas. And who knows penmanship anymore?

Well, just to assure Washington, I sent out my cards with letters and notes, and I did my shopping locally in Lincoln Square, where I purchased the majority of gifts for family in one afternoon, often conferring with a fellow shopper or store clerk as to an appropriate gift. The stollen was bought at our local cafe, where I paused for a fine cup of coffee and chat with a friend.

Mass on Christmas Eve found our now-closed, but used for special occasions, church packed pew to pew with families and friends and seniors who have attended these services for decades, still acknowledging Christ in Christmas.

So, for Washington, although the holiday is not the same and nothing ever stays the same, there are those of us out here who appreciate those traditions that make Christmas so special. She is not alone.

 Lorraine Klabunde, Chicago

I still call it Marshall Fields

I enjoy reading Laura Washingtons columns and especially enjoyed her Christmas one. I, too, refuse to call Marshall Fields Macys, just like I refuse to call the home of the White Sox anything but Comiskey Park!

 Joel Schechter, Chicago

An affectionate goodbye

I was just reading the affectionate obituary for Tom Smothers and thinking, with pleasure, how unlikely it is that a similarly affectionate obituary will ever be written for the CBS censors who bedeviled The Smothers Brothers Show.

 Richard Weiland, Evanston

Hullabaloo over stickers

Regarding the story Pride symbols displayed at elementary in Manhattan cause divide (Dec. 26): Based loosely on the immortal words of Sigmund Freud and, I would imagine, most reasonable 5- to 8-year-olds: Sometimes, a rainbow sticker is just a rainbow sticker.

 Simone Azure, Chicago

Pun potential is red-hot

The custom car used to promote Slim Jim snack beef sticks was recently stolen in California and discovered outside of Chicago.

Is the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile next on the list? Id throw in a bad joke here, but to be frank, Im not in the mood for a hot dog pun.

 Vin Morabito, Scranton, Pennsylvania

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Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
President Biden is slated to hold his first two campaign events of the year in the coming days, as his operation places an emphasis on the threat former President Trump  Bidens likely opponent in November  poses to American democracy.

Biden will travel to Valley Forge, Pa., outside of Philadelphia on Saturday to mark three years since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, using the date as a symbol of what the Biden campaign says is an ongoing fight for democracy. The president will follow that up with a trip to South Carolina on Monday, where he is expected to focus again on the threat to American freedoms.

Campaign officials told reporters Biden plans to lay out the stakes of the 2024 election in Saturdays speech, where he is likely to invoke the images of the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, when Trump supporters violently clashed with law enforcement, stormed the building and tried to halt the certification of the 2020 election results.

Our campaign is running an operation like our democracy depends on it, because it does, Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager, said. The president will make the case directly that democracy and freedom  remains central to the fight were in today.

The Biden campaign is expected to announce a fresh round of paid advertising Saturday as well.

In a year-end memo and on Tuesdays call with reporters, Biden campaign officials have increasingly sought to frame the 2024 race as a battle not just for the soul of the nation, as Biden said in 2020, but for U.S. democracy and basic freedoms.

Campaign officials noted that Trump, who is comfortably leading in GOP primary polls, has taken credit for the end of Roe v. Wade and abortion access, has said he would be a dictator for his first day in office and has called for getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, which covers health care for millions of Americans.

The threat Donald Trump posed in 2020 to American democracy has only grown more dire in the years since, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Bidens campaign manager, told reporters.

Biden will sharpen that message in South Carolina during a Monday visit to the state, which will hold the first Democratic primary on the 2024 calendar next month. Biden will speak at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, where he will discuss the threats facing Americans freedoms.

It will mark Bidens fourth visit to South Carolina as president, a nod to the states role in putting him on track to win the Democratic nomination in 2020.

Bidens travel over the next week reflects how he and Vice President Harris will be increasingly occupied on the campaign trail, with an eye toward Novembers general election.

Harris is set to embark on a nationwide tour focused on the fight over abortion access, beginning Jan. 22 in Wisconsin on the 51st anniversary since the original Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing abortion access.

As we continue to just really build out the campaign and really demonstrate the president, the vice president, other principals traveling, well continue to build that out and continue to make sure they are getting to the key states that we know are going to be so crucial to ensuring that we win in November, Chavez Rodriguez said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden will mark the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by evoking a pivotal moment from the Revolutionary War to make the case that democracy is on the line in this years presidential election.

Bidens campaign said he will lay out the stakes for the election in a campaign speech Saturday near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where nearly 250 years ago the nations forefathers transformed a disorganized alliance of colonial militias into a cohesive coalition in the fight for democracy and independence from England.

Comparisons between Valley Forge and this years election are legitimate, the campaign said. Former President Donald Trump, the likely GOP nominee, has made it clear he will dismantle and destroy democracy if he is re-elected, the campaign told reporters.

The president will make the case directly that democracy and freedom  two powerful ideas that united the 13 colonies and that generations throughout our nations history have fought and died for a stones throw from where he will be  remain central to the fight were in today, said Bidens deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks.

More: Biden is struggling to connect with key Democratic voters. Is Trump enough to fix it?

President Joe Biden will warn that democracy is at stake in this year's election during a campaign speech on the third anniversary of the Jan. 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

Biden will also take his reelection campaign to Charleston, South Carolina, on Monday, when he will deliver a similar message at the Emanuel AME Church, a storied African American house of worship. The church was the site of a deadly mass shooting on June 17, 2015, when the pastor and eight other worshippers gathered for Bible study were killed by a white supremacist shouting racial epithets.

Biden has ramped up his criticism of Trump at a series of campaign fundraisers in recent weeks as polls show a tight race. Iowa voters are gearing up for the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses in just two weeks. A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll released Monday showed Biden narrowly trailing Trump 39% to 37%.

Biden will use his remarks in Pennsylvania on Saturday to remind voters of Trumps efforts to hang onto power after losing the 2020 election and of the violent insurrection in Washington three years ago. A mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to stop Congress from certifying the election results.

A House committee that investigated the insurrection concluded that the central cause of Jan. 6 was one man  Trump. "None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him," the committees report said.

With Trump as the likely GOP nominee in this years election, the choice for voters (this) year will not simply be between competing philosophies of government, Biden campaign manager Julia Chavez Rodriguez said. The choice for the American people in November 2024 will be about protecting our democracy and every Americans fundamental freedoms.

'I'm barely getting by': Why these voters say the economy is their top issue in 2024

Michael Tyler, the Biden campaigns communication director, said Americans must recognize the gravity and significance of the moment we're all living through.

The leading candidate of a major party in the United States is running for president so that he can systematically dismantle and destroy our democracy, Tyler said. Trump is running a campaign of revenge, of retribution.

Vice President Kamala Harris also will hit the road this month to spread the message that fundamental freedoms are in jeopardy.

She will speak Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina, at a retreat for women leaders of an African-American church. She also will travel to Wisconsin for an event focused on reproductive freedom on Jan. 22, the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Courts landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. The Supreme Court reversed that decision in 2022.

Contributing: Joey Garrison

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @mcollinsNEWS.

'We're running out of time': Former Trump aides warn of serious threats if he wins in 2024

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden to argue democracy at stake during campaign speech on Jan. 6.
As more migrants arrive in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, cities and villages in Lake County have begun to pass ordinances to regulate the unscheduled buses chartered from Texas to the Chicago metropolitan area.

More than 24,000 migrants, some seeking asylum, have been transported to Chicago from the southern border since August of 2022. Newcomers must check-in at specified landing sites in Chicago between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A recent Chicago ordinance allows the city to sue rogue bus operators dropping off migrants outside of the set hours and locations.

In Lake County, the cities of Waukegan, North Chicago and Highwood  and villages of Grayslake and Buffalo Grove  approved ordinances Tuesday to regulate unscheduled migrant buses at their respective council meetings.

The ordinances require the bus companies to apply for permits with the municipality prior to the arrival date, and outlines set days and times for bus arrivals. Some municipalities also require a manifest of the passengers on the bus. Various fine amounts will be imposed for not following the ordinances.

Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park, has mixed feelings about cities regulating the buses carrying migrants.

On one hand, she said its a good thing because it ensures more safety and security for the new arrivals. However, Ortiz is concerned ordinances and restrictions on drop-offs could cause the bus companies to act more recklessly.

Its a good thing, but I think its like a double-edged sword, she said. (The bus drivers) are like, If all these cities pass these ordinances, why cant we just cross the state line and drop them off anywhere, like the southern part of the state?'

Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor said the ordinance is for the safety of the bus passengers, after reports of migrants being dropped off late at night at various locations.

Across the suburban area, we have had instances where passengers have been dropped on the sides of the road, like Route 57 down by Kankakee and elsewhere, Taylor said during Tuesdays meeting. Thats not appropriate.

The mayor said the regulations are within the villages scope as the primary authority over the streets of Grayslake, adding that the village has no bus terminals or stations, nor the ability to house people in any temporary fashion.

The approved ordinance will help the village prepare for potential passengers arriving in Grayslake and make the appropriate arrangements for travel to Chicago, according to the mayor.

The Grayslake ordinance requires all chartered buses with one-way passengers to apply for a permit at least seven days prior to the drop-off date. All drivers must maintain insurance, and a list of passengers must be provided to the village beforehand. Passengers can only disembark from the bus during the designated hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, at designated drop-off locations.

Midnight drop-off

After a bus from Texas brought 39 migrants to the Waukegan Metra train station just after midnight on Dec. 21 with no plan for the passengers once they arrived, Mayor Ann Taylor and other officials began a process to legislate regulations for the bus companies.

I believe this is just inhumane to do to people, she said Monday. You were dropping people off without proper clothing, without proper accommodations, or anything like that. Theres no notification to us theres a bus coming.

Taylor, her staff and the citys corporation counsel began crafting work on an ordinance to regulate unscheduled buses, trains or airplanes arriving in Waukegan, which the City Council unanimously approved Tuesday.

A plane landed in Rockford carrying 355 migrants at around 1 a.m. Sunday. Waukegan National Airport accommodates international travelers.

Had Metra not informed Waukegan officials a bus was arriving at the station on Dec. 21, Taylor said it was likely the migrant passengers would have waited outside in the cold until the station opened at 4 a.m.

Since city officials were warned, she said a plan was put in place. It involved an escort of Waukegan police officers and a bus company the city hired to transport the migrants from Waukegan to the Chicago processing center.

Had we not known about it, they would have been dropped off at the Metra station, Taylor said. Those kind of temperatures without adequate clothing, I hate to think what might have happened. I dont think thats the way people should be treated.

As the city was preparing its ordinance for approval at Tuesdays meeting, a second group of migrants arrived Friday at the Waukegan railroad station. Taylor said they had a handler with tickets to put them on a train to the city. It was not perfect, but a better situation, she said.

Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor talks with, from left, Public Works Director Chris Garland, Police Chief Edgar Navarro and Fire Chief Gregg Paiser, in a 2023 file photo.

Waukegans ordinance requires any unscheduled transporter of people to give the chief of police an application five days before arrival containing a manifest of the passengers, a plan for their care and contact information for those involved. They must arrive between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The ordinance allows Waukegan officials to impose a fine of between $25 and $750 a day per passenger, as well as impound the bus or plane. For the Dec. 21 incident, the fine could have been as high as $29,250 per day, officials said.

Kelley Gandurski, an attorney with corporation counsel Elrod Friedman, said the purpose of the ordinance is to hold the transporters accountable, and make sure the passengers arrive at the Chicago processing center where resources are available.

This ordinance does not punish the passengers on the bus, Gandurski said. It targets the bus companies who are making money  lots of money  off of these transports, and trying to skirt around the law by placing these passengers in peril.

Waukegan Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, said she wants the migrants treated well, but municipalities need help from the state and federal governments. She believes Washington needs to take the lead, and not let Texas Gov. Greg Abbott send people to Waukegan at his whim.

This is a debacle, Florian said. Until the federal government gets a handle on this, this is what were left with and its on our backs to figure out what were going to do. Its ridiculous the federal government is not stepping up and solving this problem.

A little more than an hour before Waukegan approved its legislation controlling unscheduled bus traffic related to the current migrant crisis, the North Chicago City Council unanimously approved a similar ordinance.

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. said the legislation allows his city to have, some control over what would otherwise be a totally uncontrollable situation. The goal is holding transport companies accountable, he said.

This ordinance allows the City to protect the interests of the community while at (the) same time expedite meeting the health, legal and shelter needs of the migrants, Rockingham said in a text.

chilles@chicagotribune.com
We often see emergency alerts sent out to cell phones, televisions and radio stations during dangerous situations.

On Dec. 30, people across North Carolina were sent a mass message unlike any other before: a Blue Alert.

The statewide alert was sent Saturday night after an off-duty police officer was shot and killed at a gas station near Greensboro, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The emergency alert, which had never before been activated in North Carolina, was sent to help find the suspects.

NC Blue Alerts popped up on cell phones across the state Saturday.

Aside from Blue Alerts, there are several other emergency alerts that are activated by the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons that are shared on television, radio stations, digital billboards, cell phones and more.

Heres what each alert system means and what to know if you receive an emergency message:

AMBER Alerts, which stands for Americas Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, were originally created in Texas in honor of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and killed in 1996. North Carolinas statewide system, formerly named The North Carolina Child Alert Notification (NC CAN) System, is used to help find criminally abducted children in their area.

The Ashanti Alert system, established in 2018 by President Donald Trump, was created in honor of 19-year-old Ashanti Billie who was abducted and killed in Virginia. Ashanti Alerts are issued to aid in the search for those between the ages of 18 and 64 who are missing.

The Blue Alert system was implemented in 2015 by President Barack Obama in honor of two New York City Police Detectives who were assassinated while sitting in their police patrol car. Modeled after the AMBER and Silver Alerts, Blue Alerts are used to help find suspects who kill or cause serious bodily injury to local, state, or federal law enforcement officers.

What is a Blue Alert and why does North Carolina have it?

In 2007, The North Carolina General Assembly formally established the Missing Endangered Alert system to share information about a missing person who is believed to be suffering from cognitive impairment who may be endangered. The statewide alerts are issued for those that need to be protected from potential abuse or other physical harm, neglect, or exploitation so that anyone in the affected area can let law enforcement know of any information.

North Carolinas Silver Alert program is used to share information to assist in the search for any missing elderly person who may be endangered. Formally established in 2007, Silver alerts are issued for adults 50 and older who are believed to be suffering from dementia or Alzheimers disease that requires protection from physical harm, neglect, or exploitation.

You can find more information about the state emergency alerts charged by The N.C. Center for Missing Persons online at nccmp.ncdps.gov/.
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez is on the hook againthis time for taking bribes from Qatar.

A superseding indictment, filed in a New York district court on Tuesday, accuses Menendez of waxing poetic about Qatar in an attempt to help a New Jersey real estate tycoon, Fred Daibes, secure a multimillion-dollar investment from an investment company tied to the Middle Eastern country, collecting lavish gifts in exchange for his handiwork. The charging documents include screenshots of messages between Menendez and Daibes, sending links to watches valued between $9,990 and $23,990 to the New Jersey politician along with the message, How about one of these?

After the politician returned from one of his trips to Qatar, Menendez googled, How much is one kilo of gold worth, according to the indictment.

Its the third time the Senate Foreign Relations Committee member has been charged with corruption in the last decade.

Menendez was previously indicted in September on corruption-related offenses, in which he was accused of taking $480,000 in cash, numerous gold bars, and luxury vehicles from Egyptian officials in exchange for favors that included sending aid to the Egyptian military and pressuring the Department of Agriculture to protect a business monopoly in the country.

Over $480,000 in cashmuch of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safewas discovered in the home, according to the September indictment.

In 2017, Menendez was investigated after he was accused of taking campaign donations and lavish trips from a south Florida ophthalmologist. That case ultimately ended in a mistrial after the jury voted 10-2 to acquit the New Jersey congressman.
The body of a Benton City teen was discovered in the Yakima River Wednesday, days after he disappeared at an outdoor party.

Gage Mercados body was found about 11:30 a.m. after searching for three days, the Benton County Sheriffs Office confirmed in an afternoon news release.

Benton County sheriffs officials and volunteers had been searching for the 18-year-old since he went missing Saturday night during a party at Horn Rapids Park. He was found in the river near the site of the partys bonfire.

Gage Mercado, 18, disappeared from a party at a Benton County park on Saturday.

More than 60 people, including 40 volunteers, had been conducting a grid search for Mercado on Wednesday over about 8 square miles of the remote county park.

Mercado was one of 50 to 60 people at the bonfire party near Higgins Field, the miniature aircraft airport at the park, Benton County Sgt. Horacio Gonzalez told the Herald.

Detectives have interviewed many of the partys attendees and followed up on tips they received in the past two days, Gonzalez said.

Its still not clear how he ended up in the river.

Members of the Mounted Benton-Franklin Sheriff Posse Search and Rescue team search Wednesday morning by horseback at the Horn Rapids Park along the Yakima River for 18-year-old Gage Mercado.

Sometime around 10:30 p.m. friends noticed Mercado was missing, and investigators initially werent sure if hed left the park.

The park covers more than 800 acres, including five miles of Yakima River waterfront, northeast of the small town of Benton City just west of the Tri-Cities.

Theyd been conducting daily searches including using boats, drones, four-wheelers, four-wheel drive vehicles, horses and people on foot.

A command post for the search and rescue team and volunteers was established at the site of a bonfire party near Higgins Field, the miniature aircraft airport in Horn Rapids Park, along the Yakima River where Gage Mercado went missing Saturday night.

Benton County Fire District 2 brought a boat out to search along the shoreline.

Family and friends used social media to ask for help finding the Kiona-Benton City High School graduate.

One Facebook post said Mercado wasnt the type to just disappear and not contact his family.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety has given the all clear at the Georgia State Capitol after a hoax email about a bomb threat.

Secretary of State Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling posted on X around 8:30 a.m. about a bomb threat delaying the capitol building from opening on Wednesday.

Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol. Delayed opening until the all clear is given. Avoid the area for now, Sterling wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol. Delayed opening until the all clear is given. Avoid the area for now.  Gabriel Sterling (@GabrielSterling) January 3, 2024

The Georgia Department of Public Safety did a search of the building and determined the bomb threat was not credible.

Officials said that it was a hoax email sent to a state employee that prompted the bomb threat response.

The building opened just before 9 a.m.

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The Georgia State Capitol isnt the only building that received threats. ABC News confirmed that offices in Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Oregon, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New York, South Dakota, and South Carolina were also targeted.

I placed multiple explosives inside of your State Capitol, the email sent at 7:45 AM and obtained by ABC News reads. The explosives are well hidden inside and they will go off in a few hours. I will make sure you all end up dead.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that it is aware of the numerous bomb threats at state capitol buildings.

The FBI takes hoax threats very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.

IN OTHER NEWS




Bomb threats forced the evacuation of multiple state Capitols on Wednesday. Law enforcement and state officials in Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Connecticut, Montana, and Michigan confirmed having received threats or reports of suspicious activity. None of the threats have been found to be credible at press time, and several of the complexes have reopened following sweeps for explosives.

Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol, Gabriel Sterling, Georgias chief operating officer in the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State, wrote on X. Sterling later confirmed in a subsequent tweet that the all clear has been given.

Starting 2024 with a bomb threat at the Georgia State Capitol. Delayed opening until the all clear is given. Avoid the area for now.  Gabriel Sterling (@GabrielSterling) January 3, 2024

Kentucky Secretary of State communications director Michon Lindstrom told Kentucky Public Radio that a mass email containing the threat had been sent to lawmakers and state offices in at least 10 states.

It just said there is an explosive in your state Capitol, so it didnt make any references to the secretary of states office specifically, Lindstrom added.

A copy of the email received by the Kentucky Secretary of State was obtained by WLKY and contained the subject line Explosives inside of your State Capitol.

I placed multiple explosives inside of your State Capitol, the email read. The explsoives are well hidden inside and they will go off in a few hours. I will make sure you all end up dead.

#NOW: This is the bomb threat email sent to the Kentucky Secretary of State office this morning that led authorities to evacuate and search the building.



I just confirmed KSP has given the all clear for everyone to enter the building. @WLKY pic.twitter.com/q2XIhmBm1f  Alexis Mathews (@AlexisWLKY) January 3, 2024

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that while everyone is safe, [state police] has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of States Office. An all-clear was issued following a sweep by law enforcement.

While everyone is safe, KSP has asked everyone to evacuate the state Capitol and is investigating a threat received by the Secretary of States Office. We are aware of similar threats made to other offices across the country. 1/2  Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 3, 2024

Officials in Georgia, Michigan, and Connecticut confirmed to local reporters that the evacuations at their Capitols had been triggered by threatening emails sent to lawmakers and government officials.

Earlier this morning, the Connecticut State Capitol Police received complaints from numerous employees about a suspicious email that was received. The email, which apparently was sent to numerous states, claimed to have placed multiple explosives in the Capitol Building, Connecticut State Capitol Police officer Scott Driscoll wrote in an email to Connecticut Capitol staff and lawmakers on Wednesday. The building was cleared and reopened after several hours of lockdown.

In Michigan, lawmakers received a text message alert indicating they must evacuate the building at around 10:16 a.m. local time. Michigan State Police wrote on X that the Capitol was evacuated, the building searched, and the Michigan State Police currently has MSP Canine teams still sweeping the building. Out of an abundance of caution, the Capitol will remain closed for the rest of the day.

In response to a bomb threat made involving the Michigan State Capitol Building in Lansing, we can confirm a threat was emailed to a general account for the Michigan State Capitol Commission around 7:45 a.m. today, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. We are aware of similar threats 1/2  MSP First District (@MSPFirstDist) January 3, 2024

Today a bomb threat was made against our Mississippi Capitol building. Thankfully, the situation is clear, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wrote on X. Im incredibly thankful to the Capitol Police and all the Mississippi law enforcement officers who immediately responded to the incident.

Today a bomb threat was made against our Mississippi Capitol building. Thankfully, the situation is clear.



Im incredibly thankful to the Capitol Police and all the Mississippi law enforcement officers who immediately responded to the incident.  Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) January 3, 2024

Montanas KHQ Local News confirmed that the states Capitol had been evacuated due to a bomb threat and that the threat was found to not be credible following an investigation by law enforcement.

In response to this mornings bomb threat at the Montana State Capitol, Department of Administration General Services has been working closely with local law enforcement officials. A sweep has been completed, and the threat was found to not be credible. The building has been reopened to the public, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Administration told KPAX.

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WASHINGTON  The U.S. Army awarded a contract to Bombardier Defense to provide at least one Global 6500 aircraft to serve as a prototype airframe for a new spy plane program, the service announced Wednesday.

The firm-fixed-price contract, awarded Dec. 12, includes an option to purchase two additional aircraft over a three-year period. The first aircrafts delivery date is set for Oct. 1, the statement noted.

The High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, or HADES, will be the first intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft in the Army that uses a large-cabin business jet with advanced deep-sensing capabilities, according to the service.

The new aircraft will bring increased range, speed, endurance and aerial [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] depth, Col. Joe Minor, the Armys project manager for fixed-wing aircraft, said in the statement.

HADES will operate at higher altitudes than legacy turboprop platforms. Higher altitudes equate to an ability to sense farther and more persistently into areas of interest, he added. Deep sensing is the Armys number-one operational imperative for the Army of 2030.

The Army is revamping its aerial reconnaissance and electronic warfare arsenals as it moves away from its aging Guardrail turboprop planes to better prepare for potential large-scale conflict with Russia and China. The service wants a plane with much greater duration, speed and payload capacity that can see, detect and target threats from farther distances.

Leading up to the HADES program of record, the Army has built and extensively flown technology demonstrators. Those spy planes have logged nearly 1,000 sorties in the European and Indo-Pacific theaters. Two more demonstrator aircraft are expected to deploy in 2024.

The service built and deployed two aerial ISR demonstrators beginning in 2020 known as Artemis and Ares. Artemis has flown more than 600 sorties in support of U.S. European Commands operations; Ares has flown 300 sorties in the Indo-Pacific.

The Pentagon has expressed a need to be able to engage China at a distance. That requires a certain type of asset that can perform the mission at a long range.

Artemis  or Aerial Reconnaissance and Targeting Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence System  uses a Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft. The Army in 2019 awarded a contract to HII, and the company subsequently awarded a subcontract to Leidos to build the aircraft.

Ares  or Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System  uses a Bombardier Global Express 6500 aircraft. Alion Science and Technology, now owned by HII, won a contract to build the aircraft in 2020 and then awarded a subcontract to L3Harris Technologies to execute the work.

The Bombardier Global Express 6500 is bigger than the Challenger 650. The larger platform provides the Army with longer ranges and higher altitudes, both of which are considered key capabilities in the Pacific region.

Two additional Athena aircraft  a radar variant and a signals intelligence version  will join the force and deploy in 2024 ahead of HADES. MAG Aerospace and L3Harris are teaming up to outfit a Bombardier Global 6500 with ISR sensors for the radar variant; Sierra Nevada will provide the signals intellience aircraft with its RAPCON-X sensor package.

When you think of long-range fires, the additional word is precision. Precision implies that you need a target. If youre going to have a target, you need to be able to surveil the area and to identify a target of interest, Steve Patrick, Bombardier Defenses vice president, told Defense News in an interview last month.

The way that we view the problem set is not to have a single solution for a single problem, he added, but have a solution that can satisfy multiple problems, that is redeployable across the globe very quickly, that can be pivoted to where the current crisis is.

The Army said last year that the first phase of the HADES program will include two different aircraft with different sensor packages.

Program Executive Office Aviation is taking the contract lead for the HADES program, while PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors will work to acquire payloads for platforms chosen for the program.

In September 2022, the Army awarded L3Harris and Raytheons Applied Signal Technology contracts to develop sensors for HADES. At least one team has formed ahead of the HADES program competition: L3Harris, Leidos and MAG Aerospace announced in October they were teaming up for the effort.

Colin Demarest contributed to this story.
The following items were taken from Naperville police reports and press releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt:

A 21-year-old man from Aurora was arrested on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle/CM violation and driving on an expired registration at 6:57 p.m. Dec. 26 at South Route 59 and McCoy Drive.

A 26-year-old man from Dolton was arrested on charges of obstructed windshield or front/side window, improper display of license plates or registration, illegal transportation of cannabis and possession of a controlled substance at 10:46 p.m. Dec. 26 at Raymond Drive and West Diehl Road.

A 37-year-old man from Naperville was arrested on a charge of reckless driving at 2:41 p.m. Dec. 27 at South West Street and Aurora Avenue.

A 25-year-old man from Warrenville was arrested on a warrant at 11:12 p.m. Dec. 27 in the 800 block of East Ogden Avenue.

A 21-year-old man from Naperville was arrested on charges of failure to reduce speed/driving too fast for conditions, driving without a valid license/permit, driving without insurance and driving under the influence of alcohol at 12:10 a.m. Dec. 29 in the 900 block of Elderberry Circle.

A 60-year-old man from Forest Park as arrested on a warrant at 2:09 a.m. Dec. 29 in the 1500 block of Naperville Wheaton Road.

A 49-year-old woman from Geneva was arrested on charges of improper parking/stopping/standing in a roadway and driving under the influence of alcohol at 2:50 a.m. Dec. 29 at East Diehl Road and Legacy Circle.

A 42-year-old woman from Chicago was arrested on a peace bond warrant at 11:44 p.m. Dec. 29 at North Route 59 and Liberty Street.

A 46-year-old man from Chicago was arrested on charges of illegal lane usage, speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol at 12:54 a.m. Dec. 30 at North Columbia Street and East Ogden Avenue.

A 30-year-old man from North Aurora was arrested on a peace bond warrant at 1:39 a.m. Dec. 30 at West Chicago Avenue and South Washington Street.
The recent clashes in the south London area of Camberwell, reportedly between people originating from the Horn of Africa, provided a clear illustration of a worrying trend: Britain is bringing the worlds geopolitical tensions and territorial conflicts to its own streets.

Around fifty activists gathered to demonstrate over ongoing tensions between the African nations of Eritrea and Ethiopia. The resulting melee saw eight people arrested for offences including violent disorder, criminal damage, possession of offensive weapons, and assault on an emergency worker. Four police officers were injured, and one sent to hospital.

This was not an isolated incident. Violent clashes between and within the UKs ethnic minority communities have become increasingly common. The 2022 large-scale public disorders in Leicester were a watershed moment in British community relations. The citys reputation as a paragon of multiculturalism  a dubious one considering its dark history of modern slavery and labour exploitation in sweatshops  was left in tatters after subcontinental-style communalism spilled out on its streets. While Mandirs and Hindu religious symbols were vandalised by Islamists, chants of Jai Shri Ram  which has evolved into an intimidating religio-political slogan among Hindutva ideologues in India  were made in marches through neighbourhoods with Muslim and Sikh communities. The riots  primarily between Hindu and Muslim youths but also involved some Christians  have resulted in the region of 150 arrests and interviews under caution along with a series of weapons-related convictions.

Along with the Horn of Africa and South Asia, developments in the Middle East can damage social cohesion in the UK. Believing in Palestinian self-determination and statehood is a perfectly legitimate cause  but chanting antisemitic slogans and displaying pro-terror paraphernalia at pro-Palestine demonstrations is not. The protests have brought with them the proliferation of anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, which are particularly concentrated in lesser-integrated and foreign-born elements of the British Muslim population.

We have also witnessed public skirmishes surrounding the Iranian regime and Pakistani party politics. Collectively, they demonstrate that some of the sharpest social, political, and cultural tensions in modern Britain do not involve the increasingly irreligious white-British mainstream at all. They also highlight the risks to social solidarity posed by industrial-scale legal immigration and a dysfunctional asylum system which has been overrun by male-dominant irregular migration on the English south coast.

Britain has managed to establish itself as a relatively successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy. But without a stronger political emphasis on integration and law and order, complemented with a more selective immigration regime and streamlined asylum system, this could well unravel. Some may argue that it is too late. I disagree and consider this to be defeatist  but systems-level change is required to tackle the importation of communal and sectarian threats to British liberal democracy.

It is high time our political classes truly grasp the complications that come with rising ethnic and religious heterogeneity. Diversity is anything but an unadulterated good.

Dr Rakib Ehsan is the author of Beyond Grievance

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Last year, almost 30,000 people illegally crossed the English channel in small boats. The drop may well be due in part to the fierce winds experienced over the year, and in 2024 the numbers arriving are projected to rise. Thousands of migrants are already waiting in France for their chance to attempt the dangerous crossing.

This ongoing human catastrophe and security failure has been flattened to an issue of party politics by many; the Tories send hundreds of millions of pounds to Rwanda to take deportees who have never arrived, while Labour promises to solve the problem by opening up legal routes and spending more in humanitarian aid.

The simple truth is that both of these discussions show a political class lost in the realm of fantasy and out of touch with the most fundamental duty of the state. Securing our borders, and policing citizenship, are the basic preconditions for a stable nation and a functioning democracy.

It is patently obvious that too many coming are not legitimate refugees, no matter what determination the Home Office reaches. Since those crossing the channel are resident in France, they are not in imminent peril, and are obviously not refugees in the spirit of how the term is intended, or by the standards of common sense.

Some 9 in 10 are men, who apparently are quite content to leave siblings, wives, children and parents in the countries they claim are too dangerous for them to live in. Some of those claiming asylum in the UK have been reported as popping back to their home countries for holidays.

Yet we know that many will be granted asylum here. And while they wait, they are housed and fed from the public purse.

Its hard to blame them. Why wouldnt those who can expect a far better life travel to the UK for work if they could? And why would they bother with a legal migration system that would likely reject them, when they can get free bed and board and a 90 per cent shot of staying by entering illegally and filing a claim?

Theres a concept in civil law called an attractive nuisance. In essence, if a property owner leaves visible and unsecured something likely to lure a child into danger, they may be liable for injury, even if the child was trespassing. Something of the same could be said of British policy towards illegal channel crossings, in which desperate people dreaming of a better life are lured into danger and the hands of people smugglers by the rewards that the state showers on those who make the journey.

So long as we continue as we are now, ever more people will seek to cross the channel. Some of them will die in the attempt. Billions will be spent in housing and feeding them. Trust in the government and the courts will fatally wither. None of these things are small problems, least of all for those whose lives are disrupted or destroyed in the process.

Though improved patrolling of our waters and vastly more help from France are needed, neither is a replacement for removing the perverse incentive structure created by our present policies. Those who enter the country illegally must be ineligible for refugee status, and should be deported on an automatic basis, not to the middle of Africa, but back to their countries of origin.

Safe and legal routes for refugees cannot function when the system rewards opportunists. Instead, as with Syria, Hong Kong and Ukraine, refugee status should be given on the basis of those determined to be in the most need, and with proper debate, agreement and planning by Parliament. In those instances refugees were primarily vulnerable people  like children, women and the elderly  not economic migrants who have begun their life in the UK by breaking our laws.

Its easy for politicians to take the easy way out, for fear of seeming selfish, heartless or cruel. But there is nothing kind about pretending away the need for limits, boundaries and borders. Letting people die in the Channel so that we can feel good about ourselves is not an act of moral heroism. Learning how to say no might just be.

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Park Ridge officials are working on complying with a state law that requires municipalities to offer at least 10% of their housing stock in the affordable price range. The city was scheduled to submit a plan for January 2024 but will not meet that schedule.

The Park Ridge City Council met on Nov. 6 and Dec. 4 for Committee of the Whole meetings to discuss initiatives to create more affordable housing in the city.

According to memos on Committee of the Whole meetings, the Community Preservation and Development staff were going to bring in proposed strategies to the city council at the Dec. 18 meeting to get a consensus on what should be in the citys plan. The Community Preservation and Development department had been scheduled to draft a document before the end of the year and have the council approve and adopt a final housing plan in January.

But at the Dec. 18 Committee of the Whole meeting, the subject of affordable housing did not make it to the agenda. Community Preservation and Development Director Drew Awsumb told Pioneer Press that based on the feedback he received from previous affordable housing discussions with the council, the department will create a draft plan document and publicly distribute it before the Jan. 22 meeting.

Awsumb said the city is legally required to hold an official public hearing on the plan before the council votes on it. He anticipated the vote would take place in February.

The states Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act required all municipalities in the state to have 10% of their housing units at the price point deemed affordable. In Park Ridge, 8% of the citys housing meets those guidelines. Per the conditions of the act, and as stated in a Dec. 4 City of Park Ridge agenda memorandum, Park Ridge officials must adopt a plan that will meet one of three objectives and submit it to the Illinois Housing Development Authority:

15% of all new development or redevelopment in the city meets the guidelines of affordable housing.

A minimum of a 5 percentage point increase in affordable housing within the city.

A minimum requirement of 10% of all housing units to meet affordable housing guidelines.

At COW meetings, the consensus has been that the city council will comply with the third goal, according to memos filed by Awsumb and Village Manager Joe Gilmore.

According to a study discussed at the Feb. 7 Committee of the Whole meeting, about 34% of Park Ridge renters spend more than 30% of their income on monthly living expenses.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect new information in the police investigation.

Bucks County law enforcement are investigating a murder-suicide that occurred last week involving a New Britain Township couple found dead in their home.

On Friday evening, Bucks County Coroner Patti Campi identified the couple as Annette and Richard Andree, and confirmed the deaths as a murder-suicide.

New Britain Township Police Chief Richard Clowser confirmed on Thursday that police conducted a well-being check on Dec. 28 at a home in the 100 block of Ashmont Way in the Chalfont section of the township at the request of an employer. The employer said that Annette Andree, 64, failed to report to work for two days.

police tape

Arrest in arson that injured firefighter Arrest in November arson that left a Bristol Township firefighter injured. What we know.

When police arrived at the home, they found the doors locked and vehicles in the driveway. A neighbor told officers they had not seen the residents, a married couple, for several days, Clowser said.

When officers forced entry into the home, they found Annette dead of apparent blunt force trauma to her head, Clowser said. Her 63-year-old husband, Richard, was found dead in the garage after apparently completing suicide.

A preliminary investigation by New Britain Township police, Bucks County Detectives and the Bucks County Coroners office found the deaths were likely a murder-suicide and no other people were involved. Clowser confirmed police have not had any prior contact with the couple.

Should lawsuit settlement remain secret Officer, township don't want you to see lawsuit settlement, but here's why you might get to

The unraveling of Trinh Nguyen Trinh Nguyen was called a loving, devoted mom in court. What made her kill her two sons?

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County coroner releases names of New Britain couple found dead.
Eyob Derillo, an Ethiopian academic who advised on Harry Potter films, evaluates artefacts in the Kings Own Royal Regiment Museum in Lancaster

A British Army museum has called in an academic to explore the attractions colonial connections and reveal which of its artefacts were looted from Ethiopia.

The Kings Own Royal Regiment Museum in Lancaster is understood to house objects taken during a 19th-century campaign in Abyssinia, now Ethiopia, which have a deep cultural significance for the modern nation.

Eyob Derillo, an Abyssinian specialist and author of histories of magic, has been engaged to establish which objects were seized during the campaign.

He said: This project holds immense potential to shed new light on a historical event that has shaped the regions past.

By fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and academic rigour, the museum aims to contribute to cultural understanding and historical enrichment, ultimately creating a more nuanced and accurate narrative surrounding the Abyssinia Expedition.

The museum, which is dedicated to the disbanded Kings Own regiment, has pledged to establish which of its artefacts were looted by British forces.

Robin Ashworth, chairman of trustees at the museum, said he wanted to bring a "fully rounded perspective to the attractions artefacts

The project comes amid calls from Ethiopia and its supporters in the UK, including a former Archbishop of Canterbury, to return looted treasures seen as sacred by many in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Robin Ashcroft, chair of the museums trustees, said that the venue would aim not only to tell the stories of the experiences of the regiments soldiers but also our adversaries, who we met on the battlefield.

He added: Our ambition is to now work in partnership with stakeholders from Ethiopia in bringing a fully rounded perspective and involvement in what was a truly an extraordinary event.

The event was the 1868 invasion of Abyssinia by British forces, including the Kings Own Royal Regiment, to secure hostages.

The conflict resulted in the sacking of the capital of the fortress of Magdala, the death of Emperor Tewodros II, and the looting of sacred texts and revered objects associated with Abyssinian royalty.

It is understood that the museum may house a piece of shirt used to wipe blood from the body of Tewodros.

A lock of hair belonging to his son Prince Alemayehu, a defeated Abyssinian royal who became acquainted with Queen Victoria after being brought to Britain, was last year returned to Ethiopia

There have been repeated calls, including by Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, to return a set of tabots or sacred tablets held in the British Museum, where they are never studied out of respect for their significance to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

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Authorities have arrested two brothers suspected in a violent purse snatching last fall at a Costco in the City of Industry.

Andrew Morrison, 34, and David Morrison, 38, were arrested by detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Major Crimes Bureau last week.

Andrew and David Morrison were arrested on suspicion of violently robbing a woman at a Costco in the City of Industry on Nov. 26, 2023. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)

The two are suspected of attacking a 37-year-old woman at the Costco on Castleton Street in Industry on Nov. 26.

The woman and two friends were loading items into her car when an SUV suddenly pulled up. An attacker got out of the vehicle and tried to grab her purse.

After she refused to let go, she was punched multiple times in the face while the suspects getaway vehicle drove off, dragging her 50 feet in the process.

The victim suffered injuries to her face and serious head trauma that resulted in life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The 37-year-old victim of a violent purse snatching on Nov. 26, 2023 in the City of Industry speaks from her hospital bed at Pomona Valley Hospital on Nov. 28, 2023. (KTLA)

An extensive investigation was launched by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, which later led to the identification of David and Andrew Morrison as the suspects in the robbery.

Last Thursday, deputies served a search warrant in the city of Diamond Bar and the two brothers were located and arrested for robbery. A search of the property led to the discovery of crucial evidence, including personal property belonging to the victim.

Both men were booked into jail and were being held on $500,000 bail. They were each expected to appear in a West Covina court on Tuesday.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that the brothers may be responsible for other robberies in the San Gabriel Valley. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LASD Major Crimes Bureau at 562-946-7187.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A Broward jail inmate was caught on tape choking his cellmate over his sexuality in a December attack that lasted at least 20 minutes, court records show. Its just one of several incidents in recent years that the public defender says sheds light on the horrid conditions in the countys jails.

Kevin Barnes, 35, is accused of ambushing 29-year-old Janard Geffrard in their shared cell on the seventh floor of the jail on Dec. 16. A Broward Sheriffs Office deputy found Geffrard unresponsive on the floor almost half an hour after the attack.

Otherwise healthy individuals are finding themselves dying or being neglected medically in the jail, Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes told the Miami Herald. It has to come to an end.

Geffrard was transported to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition with sternum and left rib fractures and bruising in his lungs. He was declared brain dead, though he remains on life support until his organs are donated.

BSO spokesperson Carey Codd said the internal affairs unit has launched an administrative investigation into the incident.

Two BSO employees, a detention deputy and a detention technician, are currently on administrative investigative leave with pay, Codd said.

The attack came a month after Barnes was deemed incompetent due to mental illness in a probation violation and grand theft auto case from September. Geffrard was also found incompetent in November in a burglary case from June that was being heard in mental health court.

According to a report, surveillance footage captured Barnes walking into the cell at 4:21 p.m. and heading out of view to the left side where the toilet is located. Three minutes later, Barnes placed Geffrard in a chokehold.

Barnes, deputies say, then paced around the cell for 10 minutes. At 4:36 p.m., he began stomping his feet on Geffrards head and upper torso.

More than 20 minutes into the attack, a deputy headed upstairs and opened the cell door, according to the report. Barnes didnt attempt to notify deputies of Geffrards condition nor did he try to get help.

Barnes later told investigators he choked Geffrard because it upset him that Geffrard is gay. He also said he kicked Geffrard to check if he was alive and decided to stop attacking him to spare his life.

A cycle of neglect?

In a letter sent to Sheriff Gregory Tony on Thursday, Weekes pushed for outside oversight to curb abuse and neglect contributing to the conditions of Browards jails. Weekes, who has written to the sheriff after other incidents, said his suggestion for more crisis intervention training and deputy supervision have fell on deaf ears.

From 1995 to 2017, the jail was under a consent decree that set a population cap and required formal monitoring. As part of the agreement, BSO acknowledged jail conditions were unconstitutional. In 2021, the jail was again placed under a consent decree after the ACLU and BSO came to an agreement that ordered improved conditions to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks.

Somethings going on in the jail that is creating this repeated pattern, Weekes told the Miami Herald.

In the letter, Weekes also demanded greater transparency, including the release of the surveillance footage. Issues with staffing and response times, he said, must be addressed to prevent future incidents.





Video surveillance is intended to protect inmates from the brutality of a beating or to reduce the likelihood of injury, he said. However, for video monitoring to be effective deputies must actually monitor the video feed.... Understaffing and holiday shortages are no excuse for the loss of life.

A troubled history?

Almost 20 inmates have died while in custody since 2021, Weekes said. And that figure doesnt encompass most violent incidents. Some include:

 In 2021, Kevin Lavira Desir, 43, died of brain injuries after a violent altercation with jail officers. Desir, who suffered from mental illness, was awaiting trial on criminal mischief and marijuana possession charges.

 In 2020, Joseph Williams, 26, died in BSO custody after he and his mother repeatedly asked for medical attention. Williams also had a long history of suffering from mental illness.

 In 2019, Sonny Rugani, 17, died by suicide even after he was admitted into the jail on suicide watch. Sonny was facing adult charges as a result of the state deciding to direct file  a practice where prosecutors send juveniles to adult court.

 In 2019, Tammy Jackson, a 34-year-old jailed and pregnant woman struggling with mental health issues, was forced to deliver her child alone in an isolation cell.

 In 2018, a 32-year-old inmate with mental health issues self-mutilated, cutting off his penis and flushing it down the toilet.
Editor's note: The story has been corrected to note Allouez Village Board will not have a primary.

Brown County voters will elect local village board and city council members in the spring elections.

Candidates had to file their nomination papers by 5 p.m. Tuesday to appear on the ballot.

Information about your polling place and registering to vote can be found on the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov/en-us.

Here are the candidates who will be on the ballot for open seats on village boards and for municipal judge offices in Brown County on April 2.

Allouez

Seven people are running for three seats on the Allouez Village Board. The seats are three-year terms.

There will be at least two new voices on the Allouez Village Board after incumbents Sarah Deutsch and Lynn Green opted not to seek reelection.

The candidates on the ballot are:

Incumbent Rob Atwood

Matt Hohner

Will Knaapen

Rich Krieg

Charlie Leiterman

Jean Marsch

Raymond Maxwell

Ashwaubenon

Three Ashwaubenon Village Board seats, representing Wards 7-12, will be on the April ballot for three-year terms. Board members represent specific areas of the village.

Wards 7 and 8: Incumbent Chris Atkinson faces challenger Drew Kuehl

Wards 9 and 10: Incumbent Jay Krueger is unopposed

Wards 11 and 12: Incumbent Tracy Flucke is unopposed

Bellevue

Two incumbents on the Bellevue Village Board will run unopposed in the April election. The seats are two-year terms. The incumbents on the ballot for Village Board are:

Incumbent Jackie Krull

Incumbent John Sinkler

Incumbent Village President Steve Soukup is running unopposed. His seat is a three-year term.

Bellevue Municipal Judge Ron Metzler is running unopposed.

Denmark

Four people are running for three seats on the Denmark Village Board. Incumbent Debra Kralovetz opted not to seek reelection. The candidates on the ballot are:

Incumbent Vince Wertel

Incumbent Jim Steffek

Brandon L Ackley

Jon P Shedlosky

Denmark Municipal Judge Shawn Brady is running unopposed for another two-year term.

De Pere

Four De Pere City Council incumbents will run unopposed for their seats in the April election. The seats are two-year terms. They are:

District 1 (Wards 1-5): Incumbent Shana Defnet Ledvina

District 2 (Wards 6-9): Incumbent Pamela Gantz

District 3 (Wards 10-16): Incumbent Devin Perock

District 4 (Wards 17-23): Incumbent Dan Carpenter

De Pere Mayor James Boyd is seeking reelection unopposed for another two-year term.

Hobart

Two Hobart Village Board incumbents will run unopposed for their seats in the April election. Village Board seats are elected by the entire village and are two-year terms. The incumbents on the ballot are:

Incumbent Vanya Koepke

Incumbent Tammy Zittlow

Hobart-Lawrence judge

Two candidates are running for Hobart-Lawrence Municipal Judge. The seat is a four-year term. The candidates are:

Incumbent Gregg Schreiber

Tara Adolph

More: Here is who's running for Brown County Board, Circuit Court in the spring election

Howard

Four Howard Village Board seats will be up for election on the spring ballot and all four incumbents will run unopposed.

District 3 (Wards 5-6, 19): Incumbent Cathy Hughes

District 4 (Wards 7-8): Incumbent John Muraski

District 5 (Wards 9-10, 15): Incumbent Scott Beyer

District 6 (Wards 11-12, 18): Incumbent Raymond Suennen

Pulaski

There will be a new voice on the Pulaski Village Board this spring after incumbent Gordi Black opted not to seek reelection.

Three candidates have filed paperwork for the three seats on the spring ballot and they will run opposed for the two-year terms. The candidates are:

Incumbent Bruce Brzeczkowski

Incumbent Stephanie Rodgers

Ernie Allen Jr.

Suamico

Three candidates will appear on the ballot for two seats on the Village Board. Incumbent Daniel Roddan is not running for re-election.

Because Roddan did not file a declaration of non-candidacy, residents had until Jan. 5 to submit necessary paperwork to appear on the ballot. No one met the extended deadline.

The candidates who will appear on the ballot for the two seats are:

Incumbent Michelle Eckert

Andy Congdon

Mark D. Stevens

Village of Wrightstown

Three Village Board seats and the Wrightstown municipal judge will be up for election. Three incumbents and one challenger will vie for the three board seats:

Incumbent Terry Schaeuble

Incumbent Julie Sigmund

Incumbent Daniel J. Segerstrom

Ryan Roebke

Wrightstown Municipal Judge Evan Mathu is running unopposed.

Key 2024 Spring Election Dates

Jan. 9: Ballot placement lottery.

Jan. 16: Campaign finance report for period from July to December 2023 due.

Feb. 12: Spring pre-primary campaign finance report due.

Feb. 20: Spring primary election (if needed)

March 13: Last day for voters to register online or by mail.

March 25: Spring pre-election campaign finance reports due.

March 29: Last day to register to vote in the clerk's office.

April 2: Spring general election. People can register to vote at their polling location on election day.

This list will be updated as needed.

Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.

Contact Benita at bmathew@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @benita_mathew.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Brown County spring election 2024 roundup: Here's who's on your ballot
Former "Bachelorette" star Rachel Lindsay and her husband, Bryan Abasolo, have gone their separate ways.

Abasolo announced the news Jan. 2 in a message on Instagram, the same day he filed for divorce.

Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo on Season 13 of

"If you've been following me for a while, you know I don't like to put my personal affairs on social media and like to keep a safe space for our family. Many of you know me as a chiropractor, and also as a husband, my proudest role so far," Abasolo began.

"After more than 4 years of marriage, Rachel and I have made the difficult decision to part ways and start anew. My parents have been married forever and I'm a family man, but sometimes loving yourself and your partner means you must let go," he continued.

"I wanted you to hear it from the source before the blogs start making up their own reality. Please respect the spaces of our family and friends as we figure out our next steps," Abasolo concluded.

TODAY.com has reached out to a rep for Lindsay for comment.

Abasolo's divorce petition, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Jan. 2 and obtained by NBC News, lists the date of separation as Dec. 31 and irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

Abasolo indicated in his petition that he is seeking spousal support.

Lindsay and Abasolo met on Season 13 of "The Bachelorette," which premiered in May 2017. Two years later, the couple tied the knot at the Royalton Suites Cancun in Mexico in August 2019, People magazine reported at the time.

In November 2023, Lindsay opened up to E! News about how she and Abasolo were "trying" to start a family.

Its something that we want, the lawyer and media personality told the outlet. Its been harder than I thought it would be. Were trying. You think, Oh, yeah, when Im ready, Ill make it happen. But its just been a little bit more difficult for us. But were definitely starting the process.

Lindsay also said that she and Abasolo had made a decision early on in their relationship to keep their private life to themselves.

Were always a hot topic, she explained. Whenever theres a rumor about a Bachelor Nation person getting divorced, its my husband and I because we arent public with our relationship and thats the exact reason why were not. Because we realized a long time ago that so many people  the more you give them, the more opinions and judgments that they have.

"And so, we realized we needed to protect ourselves. So for us, we just post when we want to post. Were together all the time. Were just not putting it out there," she added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  The Buffalo Police Department on Tuesday reported a 45% reduction in homicides from 2022, along with shooting homicides going down 57%.

Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the reduction wouldnt be possible without the community and law enforcement working together.

The more we bring these numbers down, the more those community relationships get better, Gramaglia said.

Chris Scanlon voted as Buffalo Common Council president

Pastor James Giles of the Buffalo Peacemakers credited police for their collaborative work with community advocates and violence prevention groups.

That friendship and that partnership has led a lot to intervening and interrupting gun violence on our citys streets, Giles said.

Gramaglia told News 4 that he feels the city made major strides in bringing down gun violence and homicides last year.

There were 39 homicides in 2023, compared to 71 in 2022. Gramaglia says this is partially thanks to his officers being present, visible and engaged.

Our officers are out in certain hotspot areas with the emphasis on community engagement. So, it has proven to be effective, Gramaglia said.

Its been a collaborative effort among all the organizations working together to help reduce gun violence, said violence prevention advocate Lenny Lane, the Co-founder of the Buffalo F.A.T.H.E.R.S. There is not one group or one organization can take the credit for it for anything. But I think when we come together and when we work together, you can see a reduction in gun violence.

Chris Scanlon voted as Buffalo Common Council president

The numbers from the city also show 83 fewer shooting victims in 2023 than in 2022, along with non-fatal shootings going down by 37%.

Giles said he is contributing to dropping these numbers in his daily life, claiming the best way to bring down crime is by working directly with those it affects.

All of us are working toward dealing with some group, some element within the community that we know they either have possessions or access to weapons, Giles said. Working with those groups, pulling them out and redirecting them into very positive programs.

Overall, violent crime fell by 6% year-over-year  a number that leaders say represents an ongoing battle that only teamwork can solve.

I wont be satisfied til we have nobody shot, you know, but were going to keep working with the community, working with our strategies to reduce these numbers, Gramaglia said.

Latest Local News

Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) A building in Alexandria was destroyed after a fire broke out Tuesday night.

Alexandria Fire Department and Fairfax County Fire Rescue responded to the 4000 block of Wheeler Avenue for a 3-alarm fire at a commercial building.

Firefighters spent Wednesday morning monitoring the situation and extinguishing remaining hot spots.

People who work near where the fire happened said that the most important thing was that nobody was hurt.

For my understanding, you know, I dont think nobody was hurt. And thats the main thing. And, you know, thats the most important thing of it all, said Ricky Umana who works at a business next door. You know, its unfortunate, again, that someones business goes up in flames sometimes, but, you know, its just unfortunate.

Crews had to briefly close both directions of Wheeler Avenue as they battled the flames.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
One of my favorite black and white Christmastime films is the 1945 Warner Bros. classic Christmas in Connecticut starring the late Barbara Stanwyck as a popular syndicated magazine columnist who writes as an expert about recipes, cooking and entertaining/host duties.

Gruff Sydney Greenstreet plays Alexander Yardley, her boss and the media mogul, owner of a chain of publications distributing her photo bylined columns. In todays world, the Stanwyck character is akin to Martha Stewart. However, Martha was only 3 years old before this movie hit the screen, long before her own famed homemaker celebrity status.

Instead, the inspiration for Stanwycks character was likely Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976), who wrote her own syndicated column and hosted a popular nationally broadcast radio show, as well as publishing cookbooks and writing for magazines. McBride is referenced in my own published cookbooks.

The iron-fist publisher Mr. Greenstreet is clearly based on media tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

The twist to Christmas in Connecticut is that Stanwycks character is such a good writer, with prose oozing with details and description of her cooking and decorating know-how, that she has been able to fool her readers for years.

In reality, she does not really entertain or host parties in a posh city townhouse (she only has a tiny apartment above a New York City deli/restaurant), nor does she have a sprawling country farm estate in Connecticut where she spends her weekends.

Shes built her career using the help and know-how of her friends who really do embody the practices and lifestyle she purports to recommend to her devoted readers. Of course, comedy and confusion unfolds during the course of the film.

This week, reader Bob Cooley of Crown Point recommended another Christmastime classic black and white film starring Stanwyck which he said hed never seen before, and even Ive not heard of the title, despite my affinity for film favorites of the past.

Remember the Night stars Stanwyck opposite Fred MacMurray and was released five years earlier in 1940 by rival Paramount Pictures on Jan. 19.

Remember the Night was released in January 1940 after the holiday season, even though the film starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray and Beulah Bondi has a story plot which centers around a family Christmas in Indiana.

 Original Credit: UCLA Film & Television Archive

Reader Cooley said he thought the film plot would even be ideal as a remake for a Hallmark Channel holiday movie.

Hadnt seen this Christmas film before, and enjoyed it very much, Cooley said.

Its plot would make for a decent Hallmark movie. Just before the Christmas holiday, bad girl Barbara Stanwyck gets caught stealing a bracelet and trying to pawn it. Prosecutor Fred MacMurray needs a continuance or hell lose his case to the jurys season sympathy, so he contrives to get one. Feeling bad about sticking Babs in jail for the holiday, he has a bail bondsman spring her, and she is mistakenly delivered to his door. Hes going back home from New York City to his familys farm in Indiana, and as it turns out, shes also from Indiana, so a road trip ensues. What separates this from a Hallmark movie, besides all the fine performances, is the script by Preston Sturgess, and its his last to be directed by somebody other than himself. He explores the motivations of the characters and the morality of their actions, while keeping the tone light overall, although there are always dark corners hidden deep in Sturgess work. And its abrupt, ambiguous ending is like nothing youre going to see in a Hallmark movie.

Im grateful to reader Bob for sharing his movie watch suggestion and Im equally fascinated by the movies Indiana references, including some goofs.

In an early nightclub dance scene before the Stanwyck and MacMurray duo start their trip, he tells her that he is from Wabash, Indiana, and she says that she is from Heltonville, Indiana. This prompts him to respond: Thats only 50 miles outside of Wabash, and her saying Yes, sir.

But we know Wabash is near West Lafayette, while Heltonville is well south of Indianapolis, a true distance of about 160 miles!

This film has the added Hollywood Hoosier bonus of having the iconic Beulah Bondi also in the cast, as the warm and kind Indiana farm mom of the MacMurray character, who is pleased to see both her son and his guest join the family for Christmas. Bondi, who also plays Jimmy Stewarts mom in the 1946 holiday hit Its a Wonderful Life, was born and raised in Valparaiso.

Writer, playwright, screenwriter and director Sturgess was born and raised in Chicago, which is why the Indiana references are understandable when he penned the work.

Married four times before his death at age 60 in 1959, Sturgess second wife from his 1930 marriage was wealthy socialite Eleanor Close Hutton, daughter of cereal heiress Majorie Meriwether Post, the latter who was married to financial Wall Street wizard E.F. Hutton.

However, despite that prominent (albeit brief) 2-year marriage to Hutton (she married five more times), another fun fact about this movie is that screenwriter Sturgess said he based the Beulah Bondi mother character on his own mother-in-law at the time, which was the mom of his third wife Louise Sargent Tevis, a farm wife from his wifes hometown of Fort Dodge, Iowa. He even named Bondis mom character Mrs. Sargent, with this last name taken from his third wifes family name.

Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org.
Chief among the campaigners celebrating the resignation of Claudine Gay as president of Harvard University was a man who arguably did the most to push Gay, Harvards first Black president, out the door: Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge-fund manager and Harvard alumnus.

Ackman, who accused Gay of antisemitism and plagiarism, was a major player in what increasingly became a rightwing campaign against the Harvard president  who said many of the attacks against her were fueled by racial animus.

In the past month alone, the 57-year-old has tweeted about Gay, Harvard, or both, more than 100 times to his 1 million followers. On Tuesday, he topped that with a rambling 4,000-word X post about racism against white people; universities efforts to increase diversity; and accusations that student groups were supporting terrorism.

Ackmans campaign came after years of resentment, the New York Times reported, in part because his donations to Harvard did not give him greater influence over the university.

A previous donor to the Democratic party, Ackman has denied he has rightwing politics. But his campaign has been seized upon by conservatives and a Republican party that have long been resentful of an alleged liberal bias, and of affirmative action efforts, on college campuses and elsewhere  something commenters pointed out after Gays resignation.

Related: Racist, vicious: academics decry rightwing attacks on Claudine Gay

Al Sharpton, the civil rights leader and founder of the National Action Network, was among those who blamed Ackman for Gays departure, citing the financiers relentless campaign against President Gay, not because of her leadership or credentials but because he felt she was a DEI hire.

President Gays resignation is about more than a person or a single incident. This is an attack on every Black woman in this country whos put a crack in the glass ceiling, Sharpton said in a statement.

The National Action Network was planning to picket outside Ackmans office in Manhattan, Sharpton said.

If he [Ackman] doesnt think Black Americans belong in the C-suite, the Ivy League, or any other hallowed halls, well make ourselves at home outside his office, Sharpton wrote.

Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at Yale University, wrote on X: Bill Ackman is a pernicious influence on American education. He thinks his money equals wisdom, and even if it doesnt, he thinks it gives him the right to bully at will. Time to stand up to people like him. Hes odious.

Gays departure came after an appearance before Congress in December, during which Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman, quizzed Gay and the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania about alleged antisemitism on their campuses.

The three presidents answered questions regarding allegations of on-campus antisemitism related to the Israel-Gaza war when asked by Stefanik whether calls by students for the genocide of Jews would constitute harassment under the schools codes of conduct. Footage of the hearing quickly went viral.

The clips largely omitted the context that Stefanik had previously conflated intifada, which in Arabic means uprising, with genocide, but the hearing increased the pressure on Gay and her colleagues. The president of UPenn, Elizabeth Magill, resigned four days later.

Stefanik would seem an unlikely hero in the movement against alleged antisemitism: in 2022, she refused to rescind her endorsement of fellow New York Republican Carl Paladino after it emerged he had told a radio interviewer that Adolf Hitler was the kind of leader we need today.

Stefanik has also been criticized for dabbling with the idea of great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy theory that alleges politicians are attempting to replace white Americans with non-white immigrants, something Mehdi Hasan, an MSNBC host, alluded to when he addressed Ackmans conduct.

This is what happens when liberal universities roll over for rightwing, bad-faith bullies. Its what happens when anyone anywhere rolls over to try and appease a bully. They dont get appeased. They just come back for more, Hasan wrote on X in response to Ackmans missives.

Ackman responded that he was not rightwing, and reiterated the claim that there had been calls for genocide against Jews on campuses.

Hasan replied: Nobody was calling for the genocide of the Jews. Youre echoing Stefaniks lies and stunts, which is another reminder of why youre on the right, like she is. Have you ever criticized Stefaniks open antisemitism (great replacement, support for Trump, etc) btw? If not, why not?

In her resignation letter, Gay said it had been frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus, but it seems Ackman may not be ready to leave the academic alone.

After it was reported that Gay would remain on the faculty staff following her resignation, Ackman tweeted: This makes no sense. How can she continue as a member of the faculty?

Despite Ackmans claim that his campaign against Gay was not politically motivated, a glimpse into who had been attracted to his crusade could be seen in those who praised Ackmans screed.

Amid a slew of supportive tweets from rightwing accounts was the Virginia Project, a Republican organization which runs a program on un-American activities targeting critical race theory, queer theory and equity; a Republican activist and close friend of George Santos; and Monica Crowley, a former Fox News contributor and Trump administration staffer who was previously found by CNN to have plagiarized multiple sources in a book she wrote in 2012.
PAINESVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW)  A man who allegedly threatened to kill his estranged wife and stole from her grandmothers home was caught in Willoughby after fleeing deputies at high speeds on state Route 2 and crashing.

Brandon C. Modic, 40, now faces more than a dozen charges in Painesville Municipal Court, including burglary, aggravated menacing and domestic violence as well as other charges related to drugs and traffic citations for the chase, including driving without a license.

I-Team: Local driver fights speed camera ticket, wins

Lake County sheriffs deputies responded the afternoon of Dec. 30 to a home in the township, after a woman told them Modic, her estranged husband came into the home without permission, taking several items, and threatened to kill her, according to a Tuesday Facebook post from the sheriffs department.

It was also reported [Modic] was suicidal and armed with a firearm, reads the post.

Authorities spotted the mans Dodge Charger hours later along state Route 2 and tried to pull him over near the intersection of Fairport Nursery Road  but he fled toward Cleveland, at reckless speeds reaching 110 mph, according to the post.

The vehicle ran over spike sticks thrown by Mentor police, but continued west on state Route 2, getting off the highway at the Lost Nation Road exit in Willoughby, where it crashed. Modic then fled on foot, but deputies caught him a short distance from the scene of the crash, according to the post.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Texts from missing Euclid mans phone say hes being held against his will: police

Deputies found suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia in the car.

Modic was booked into the Lake County jail without bond, due to the severity of the crimes, reads the post.

He was arraigned Tuesday in the municipal court, and hes due back in court on Tuesday, Jan. 9, court records show.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
(BCN)  The driver of a Santa Cruz METRO bus that crashed into a wall on the University of California at Santa Cruz campus last month has died.

In a social media post Saturday, Dan Stevensons union confirmed the long-time driver died Dec. 28 following the Dec. 12 crash.

Study shows CA farmworkers earned less after overtime wage bill passed

Stevenson was a genuinely kind-hearted person dedicated to serving his community. Dan also showed unwavering dedication to his union, advocating for the rights of himself and his colleagues, according to the post from the SMART Transportation Union Local 0023. He played a pivotal role during our 37-day strike in 2005, consistently offering his support wherever it was needed. The METRO family will deeply miss him.

In a message posted to the schools website, UCSC chancellor Cynthia Larive and executive vice chancellor Lori Kletzer also confirmed Stevensons death and offered condolences to his family and friends.

Dan served our community for more than 25 years as both a METRO driver and then a Campus Transit driver. He was a valued employee, their message reads in part. He was well respected by his colleagues and will be deeply missed by so many.

Stevenson was one of two people taken to a hospital with critical injuries after the bus he was driving, which was carrying five students, crashed near the campus main entrance on Coolidge Drive at about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 12.

Officials with campus police didnt immediately respond to a request for comment about what might have led to the crash.

Copyright  2024 Bay City News, Inc.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday shut down the California Assembly on the Legislatures first Capitol floor session of the new year.

Hundreds of demonstrators from Jewish anti-war organizations packed the Rotunda and the Assembly gallery and began chanting, singing and unveiling banners around 1:30 p.m., just as lawmakers reconvened in Sacramento after a months-long recess.

The Assembly was conducting routine business, the usual fare of opening day, and recessed during the protests before adjourning for the day. The Senate, which convened at 2 p.m., met without disruption.

The protesters were from groups that included Jewish Voices for Peace, IfNotNow and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

Demonstrators banners read, Jews say not in our name, Jews say no U.S. funding for Israels genocide in Palestine and Jews say California tax $$$ for healthcare, housing, schools, climate.

Lawmakers had differing reactions to the protest, which Legislative Jewish Caucus leaders said shut down the democratic process.

Some Assembly members on the floor when the demonstration began immediately left the room and looked visibly upset.

The war in Gaza has divided Democrats, with moderates generally supporting Israel and progressives calling for a cease-fire.

Assemblyman Alex Lee, D-San Jose, has been in favor of a cease-fire for months, saying more diplomatic solutions than wartime aggression has proven to be more productive. Like hostages are being freed, prisoners are being swapped.

When asked about the protesters, Lee said they had lovely voices.

I think its a great, effective way to convey that message in a very peaceful manner, he said. No one got hurt, obviously. Nothing was really disrupted. So Im glad they got their point across.

The Capitol demonstration occurred as Assembly Republicans were preparing to introduce a resolution condemning Hamas as one of their first acts of the new legislative year.

Cease-fire now

Protesters sang cease-fire now as lawmakers began leaving the chamber, although a few lingered on the floor and in the back of the room. None of the California Highway Patrol sergeants who provide security at the Capitol removed or arrested any of the demonstrators, who continued singing and chanting to a largely empty room.

They remained even after the lights in the Assembly chamber were shut off after the adjournment, continuing to sing while turning on their cell phone flashlights.

The protesters said, Jewish values bring us here to say no to California money for genocide.

Assembly members, we call on you to join us in calling for cease-fire now, they said in unison.

Assembly members Heath Flora, R-Ripon, and Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach stand on the California Assembly floor as protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war demonstrate in the gallery Wednesday. The demonstration shut down the Legislatures first Capitol floor session of the new year.

More than 22,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war that followed the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

I know that the world abandoned Jewish people during the Holocaust, but our safety is not dependent on oppressing others, said Margot Goldstein, a San Francisco-based teacher taking part in the demonstration.

The fascism that we faced in Nazi Germany and around the world is what leads me to understand that what is happening now is a genocide, and that my history should not be used to excuse that or defend that.

Goldstein said she wants California lawmakers  and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has supported Israel  to listen to progressive Jews.

Rotunda protest

Protesters sat in the Capitol Rotunda after they disrupted the Assembly. Most formed a large circle on the Rotunda floor, tossing handcrafted red poppies into the center to represent the thousands of Palestinians who have died so far in the conflict. Protesters chanted and sang, and some leaders gave speeches.

The demonstration lasted about three hours, and protesters left the Capitol just before 4 p.m.

Sacramento City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela spoke in support of a cease-fire. Her presence in the room drew enormous support in the form of loud cheers and applause.

Valenzuela said she loves her Jewish neighbors and Sacramentos Jewish community.

Its out of love for that community that Im here today, she said. I dont think this (war) is making anybody safe ... I believe the only path forward that includes safety for the Jewish community is one that is peaceful, and that doesnt rely on the suppression of Palestinian neighbors.

She said her support of a cease-fire is not support for Hamas actions on Oct. 7.

I think the actions taken in October in Israel are horrific, and I think the actions taken in Gaza since then are also horrific.

Sacramento City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela speaks at a rally in the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday as a group called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war after disrupting the first legislative session of the year.

One former Israeli Defense Force soldier Meital Yaniv, who lives in Southern California, said their experience in the IDF brought them to the protest.

I joined the IDF when I was 18, and after six months, I disgracefully left, Yaniv told The Bee. Yaniv suffered from panic attacks and suicidal thoughts after sending planes into Gaza.

That started a process of understanding the brainwashing and indoctrination of the way that I was raised, they said. The first thing that we need to do is an immediate cease-fire now, which is what were asking lawmakers (for).

Proponents of a cease-fire are often accused of not acknowledging the victims of Oct. 7, or the hostages Hamas took. Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Republican, posted such sentiments to X, formerly known as Twitter, after the Assembly session was cut short.

200++ people in Assembly Chambers many refusing to stand for pledge and prayer, all wearing masks, now shouting for a ceasefire. Of course, no talk of return of hostages. #caleg pic.twitter.com/Uuh9zgrF2i  Joe Patterson (@Patterdude) January 3, 2024

Mica Amichai, who lives in Oakland and grew up going to Jewish day school, supports a cease-fire and freedom for Palestinians, despite, Amichai said, the toll it has taken on family relationships.

But Amichai continues to support the cause, and went to the Capitol Wednesday with one message: Stop.

Lawmakers react to protest

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher of Yuba City called the protests totally unacceptable.

People have the right to free speech, but impeding important government functions like us coming back into session  we have big important issues to face, Gallagher said. The $68 billion deficit, cost of living is out of control in this state, an insurance crisis, a public safety crisis. We have work to do.

Jewish Caucus co-chairs Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, D-Woodland Hills, emphasized the threats Jewish Californians are experiencing in the wake of the the Oct. 7 attacks and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The protest happened minutes after Wiener released a letter from the Jewish Caucus announcing a legislative package aimed at preventing antisemitic hate. The letter calls for people to join our efforts to confront hate and bigotry and support the Jewish community at this difficult moment in time.

Weve made very clear what our perspective is in the caucus, Wiener said. We have our own criticisms of Israel. We want the war to end. The death that happened in Israel and the death thats happening in Gaza is just horrific.

We also know that the cease-fire resolutions weve seen at the local level have, at times, gone off the rails in terms of dredging up a lot of anti-Jewish hate, he added. And that causes a lot of fear in our community for a non-binding resolution.
Much of the email I get these days is about campaigns and candidates, as Californias 2024 primary election is March 5.

Among the most amusing to read are those by David Giglio, a Republican candidate who wants to replace Kevin McCarthy in Congress.

Giglio is a small business owner from Madera Ranchos. His emails bring chuckles because of the outlandish claims he makes about himself and opponents.

For example, he routinely starts with David Giglio, the only America First Republican running for Congress in Californias 20th District ...

There are 11 candidates certified to run for the 20th District, which stretches from Kern County north to Clovis and includes parts of Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties. Of the 11, seven are Republicans. I am pretty sure all of them would say they are America First.

In another email, Giglio asserts that Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, one of the Republicans running for the seat, is an open border globalist RINO, or Republican in name only.

Opinion

What did Boudreaux do to deserve such labeling? He told a reporter that local law enforcement agencies should not enforce immigration law.

Far from being outside the norm, Boudreaux merely identifies the current state of affairs: County sheriffs and local police are charged with upholding California laws. Federal agencies are in charge of national immigration laws.

Giglio calls Boudreauxs stance a radical position. That is laughable, but predictable hyperbole, as campaigns get underway in the new year.

As for calling the sheriff a globalist, how many people living in the 20th District even know what that means?

There is one accusation Giglio makes that does have some kernel of legitimacy to it, however. He contends the Republican party is pulling the strings to get Assemblymember Vince Fong on the ballot for the 20th District race.

Fong is from Bakersfield, the same as McCarthy, and Fong worked for McCarthy before he entered politics.

When the nomination period opened last month, Fong initially applied for re-election to his 32nd District seat in the Assembly. In a press release Dec. 7 announcing his decision, Fong said After giving it thoughtful and prayerful consideration, my family and I have decided that now is not my time, and I will not be running for Congress in 2024.

Four days later state Sen. Shannon Grove, another Republican from Bakersfield, announced that she would not run to replace McCarthy, even though she would have been a strong contender.

Hours after Groves choice, Fong reversed course and said he would run for Congress after all. In light of recent developments, he said in a news release, and in an attempt to unite our community in this critical moment in our nations history, I have decided to run for Congress in 2024.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, citing state election codes, then determined Fong could not run for Congress because he had already filed nomination papers for the Assembly. Fong sued, and a Sacramento Superior Court judge found in his favor, faulting Weber for applying outdated codes to the current case. Weber has appealed.

Giglio has also said he will sue to keep Fong off the ballot for the 20th District. And he blasted the California GOP for its alleged political string-pulling in favor of Fong.

The GOP does not care about election integrity. Ignoring election laws when they benefit their agenda is evidence that the Washington uni-party is joining forces to keep outsiders from breaking into their club and destroying the status quo.

They call it Permanent Washington for a reason. Kevin McCarthy isnt actually leaving Congress, hes installing a puppet who will do the bidding for him and the corrupt RINO establishment.

Rules for thee and not for me. Thats how the swamp operates.

Uniparty, corrupt RINO establishment, permanent Washington  so many sound-bite references that dont hold up in the real world. But Giglio is right to question what went down from Fongs first announcement to Grove declining to Fong jumping back in.

Courts to decide

Giglio fashions himself as a Make America Great Again candidate after Donald Trump, and they do share one thing in common: The courts will play a major role this year in the ultimate success of their campaigns.

Should Fong remain on the ballot for the congressional 20th, he will be the leading contender and will probably get financial backing from McCarthy, enabling him to buy airtime to introduce himself to voters in the sprawling district.

If judges determine what Weber (no relation to me) was right in her interpretation of election rules and Fong is disqualified, that would open the possibility of a non-Kern County candidate leading the way. That could be good for the Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties parts of the district. The majority of voters are in Kern County, which means they get the most attention of the representative.

However it settles out, it makes for good political theater.
You are here: Business

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 11, 2020 shows the city view of Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]



South China's Guangdong province has 18.07 million registered business entities as of the end of 2023, accounting for one-tenth of the country's total.

Over 1.73 million new business entities were registered in the province last year, showing the highest growth rate in five years.

Gong Xianping, an official with the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation, said Guangdong's development of business entities has reached a new level thanks to the continuous improvement and optimization of the province's business environment in recent years.

Guangdong, a global production base, now has the country's largest number of business entities, Gong explained at a news conference in Guangzhou on Tuesday.

The provincial government has spared no effort to promote the construction of a unified large market in the province, a global production base, to create a fair and competitive market environment for companies from home and abroad to expand.

"Government departments have vigorously promoted soft connectivity among the markets in Guangdong and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions in recent years," Gong said.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has made efforts to accelerate the connection of rules and mechanisms in the field of market supervision in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and deepen the reform of the registration confirmation systems in recent years, he said.

Gong said more than 8,000 Hong Kong and Macao-funded legal entities were registered in Guangdong last year, a significant increase of 64.4 percent year-on-year.

The new registered legal entities from the two SARs have helped bring the province's total number of Hong Kong and Macao-funded legal entities to more than 96,000 by the end of 2023, up year-on-year by 15.5 percent.

And Guangdong's foreign-funded enterprises continue to rank first in the country, added Gong.

As of the end of 2023, Guangdong registered more than 199,000 foreign-funded enterprises, accounting for a quarter of China's total, with a year-on-year increase of 5.1 percent.

Last year, 21,000 new foreign-funded companies were registered, a year-on-year increase of 40.8 percent, Gong added.
Feel like trying your hand at serving on Seattle City Council? You could get your shot this month, as councilmembers work to fill the vacant seat left by Teresa Mosqueda.

Mosqueda formally resigned from her at-large position on Tuesday, having won a seat on the King County Council during the November election. To fill that role, the city will be accepting applications through Tuesday, Jan. 9.

Seattles city charter gives the council 20 days to fill a vacant seat. That process allows members of the public to apply for the job themselves. Then, anyone who qualifies will take part in a public interview forum.

After that, city councilmembers will vote on the appointment during a special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The candidate chosen will serve out the remainder of Mosquedas term, which runs through the end of 2024.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, a registered Seattle voter at least 120 days prior to declaring candidacy, and a qualified Washington state elector. Councilmembers can also set additional qualifications.

An exact date for the public forum has not been set yet, but the city believes that it will be sometime between Jan. 11 and Jan. 16. Anyone who wants to submit feedback or be a part of the forum development process can send that to councilvacancy@seattle.gov by Jan. 9.

To submit for the council seat, youll need to send a resume and cover letter to the city clerks office.

For more on the process, you can head to this link.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  An Orem man has been charged with six first-degree felonies for the alleged kidnapping and murders of three people in March 2022 over a $2,400 drug debt, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office.

Cesar Matias Sevilla-Aleman, 26, faces three first-degree felony counts of aggravated murder and three first-degree first-degree felony counts of aggravated kidnapping. Sevilla-Aleman was previously arrested in September for an unrelated shooting at a Lincoln Beach rodeo in Spanish Fork.

Three bodies found

Rocio Bustamante, Carlos Carlitos Sepulveda, and Zamir Cumbias Sanchez went missing on March 28, 2022. A few months after they were last seen, a relative of Bustamante reportedly got a call telling them to stop looking for her because someone killed her and buried her in the mountains, according to the DAs office.

In April 2023, the bodies of the three missing Utahns were found by a search and rescue team during a training mission with cadaver dogs in the Rush Valley area of Tooele County. Autopsies revealed the three had died from gunshot wounds.

Man dead after entering airplane engine at Salt Lake City International Airport

The DAs office said an acquaintance of Sepulveda had mentioned someone who went by the name of Taliban, whom police identified as Sevilla-Aleman.

Sevilla-Aleman later pleaded guilty to two counts of felony discharge of a firearm in the Lincoln Beach rodeo shooting. He was sentenced to three to 15 years in Utah State Prison for the first count and five years to life for the second count, both of which run consecutively.

Following Sevilla-Alemans arrest for the Lincoln Beach rodeo, investigators say they seized his cell phone. West Valley Police said they later discovered Sevilla-Alemans phone location matched the location of Sepulvedas phone in the Rush Valley area of Tooele County in March 2022.

Detectives also allegedly found a social media conversation between Sepulveda and Sanchez where Supelveda said he needed to pay a debt of $2,400 or they would take him away.

Cheesecake Factory begins work on its first Utah County location

We thank our partners in law enforcement for working with our prosecutors to help solve this case and file these charges, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Several Chicago suburbs are moving to pass policies that would restrict buses seeking to drop off migrants unannounced in their communities as Texas continues to send thousands of undocumented immigrants to the area.

The proposed policies would require bus operators to seek approval before they unload people. Chicago, which has been struggling to house the busloads of people who have arrived over the last year, had established protocols for drop-offs that resulted in some bus companies leaving migrants in suburbs outside the city, instead.

At least four of those communities are taking up the issue at meetings Tuesday evening.

Mayors are looking at this for the same reason the city of Chicago did, which is that the chaotic nature of having buses just coming in and dropping people off at a train station or some other place within the city is not a good solution, said Michael Turner, the mayor of Woodstock.

On Saturday, a bus dropped off about 35 migrants headed for Chicago at a train station in Woodstock, a community of about 25,000 that is around 50 miles from Chicago, Turner said.

Bus companies apparently are looking for other places to drop these people off, and that just adds to the disorganization and the chaos of the situation, he said. Its not something we as a city can manage.

The Woodstock City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit transporting large groups without coordination with the city and an application. As part of the application process, the applicant must state individuals who will be responsible for the care of the people being dropped off, along with giving the City time to verify an applicants ability to care for them, according to a meeting agenda packet on the citys website. Violating the ordinance would lead to a $10,000 fine in addition to $750 per passenger.

Migrants and their belongings outside Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Oak Park, Ill, on Nov. 1, 2023, where they were being given shelter. (Chicago Tribune / Getty Images)

While the 35 migrants dropped off in Woodstock on Saturday already had train tickets to Chicago and a guide, Turner said that if more buses keep coming, it has the potential to be difficult to manage.

As of Tuesday morning, 14,706 residents were in 27 active city-run shelters in Chicago, with 244 more waiting for placement in OHare International Airport, 56 at the city's landing zone and eight at police districts, according to a city census of new arrivals. According to the city, more than 29,000 asylum-seekers and migrants have arrived since August 2022, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts migrant busing program reached Chicago. The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment on nearby municipalities taking up their own ordinances about the buses carrying migrants.

According to Chicago, some of the nearby municipalities where companies have tried to drop off passengers are Rosemont, Cicero and Schiller Park, in addition to a flight with more than 350 migrants into Rockford.

A couple and a young child leave an immigrant shelter in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, on Dec. 19, 2023. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP)

Around 1 a.m. Sunday, a private plane with about 355 migrants landed at Chicago-Rockford International Airport, in Rockford, about 70 miles from Chicago, officials in Rockford and Chicago said.

As many people may know, the City of Chicago recently adopted an ordinance with certain requirements related to the arrival of migrants. As a result, the governor of Texas has redirected buses and planes to other nearby cities, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara and officials from Winnebago County said in a statement.

A Chicago spokesperson said in a statement Sunday that Rockford authorities alerted the city about the flight and that upon landing, the migrant passengers boarded eight buses chartered by Abbott. The buses dropped passengers off in various suburbs, where they made their way to the city by train and other means, Chicago said Sunday. The city added that the buses had not dropped off the migrants in Chicagos official landing zone.

On Tuesday evening, the Joliet City Council will vote on an ordinance that would require operators of unscheduled intercity buses to apply for approval to arrive and drop off passengers at least five days before requested arrival dates, according to an ordinance listed in the meeting agenda. The applications would require proposed passenger lists and background checks on passengers, according to the ordinance.

No more than one application would be approved for a specific date or location, with unscheduled intercity buses permitted to unload passengers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Penalties would include impoundment and fines of $750 per passenger, according to the ordinance.

Were kind of following the lead of some of the other communities around us that have passed ordinances to try and control the buses when they come up from Texas and other places, Joliet Mayor Terry DArcy said.

DArcy said he has been coordinating with Will County and assisting with two recent buses that carried 30 to 40 people each.

Weve been pretty successful at moving the buses that have come through and tried to stop at some of the communities to move them up to the landing zone in Chicago where they process the asylum-seekers, he said.

DArcy said that with the ordinance, were trying to be proactive and make sure that everything flows the way it should.

The villages of Buffalo Grove and Hinsdale will also take up ordinances about regulating unscheduled bus stops Tuesday.

Other communities have already passed similar measures, including the villages of Elburn and Chicago Ridge and recently the cities of Aurora and McHenry.

The McHenry City Council passed an ordinance Friday with a $10,000 penalty for buses dropping off migrants without notice.

And the week before, the Aurora City Council passed an ordinance requiring an approval process, at least five days notice, detailed plans of how migrants will be cared for and fines of up to $1,000 per passenger.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Construction is still underway at the only Chick-fil-A in Arden Arcade, nearly half a year after the Georgia-based fried chicken chain announced the location would close temporarily.

In August, the fast food restaurant at 2101 Alta Arden Expressway shut off its deep fryers and milkshake machines for a complete remodel.

Customers were told that the Sacramento County spot would reopen by the end of 2023, but that date has been pushed back to sometime early this year.

In a Dec. 6 Instagram post, Chick-fil-A shared photos of new fabric patterns and chrome tiles at its Arden Arcade eatery, which occupies more than 4,000 square feet of space.

However, local residents were more concerned about when they would get Chick-fil-A back.

Were dying out here! Reopen already, Instagram user infinitydisney_andbeyond wrote on Tuesday.

Any update on the reopening date? another Instagram user, phresh_prince84, asked. Need my 3 piece with mac !!

Seriously wtf is taking so long? an Instagram user identified as apricot1987 wrote. Canes isnt cutting it.

According to Chick-fil-A, theres no opening date for the Arden Fair location.

However, the restaurant could reopen sometime early this year, the chain said Tuesday via Instagram.

Thanks so much for your patience, Chick-fil-A added.

Why is Chick-fil-A in Arden Arcade under construction?

According to a July 2022 document from Sacramento Countys Planning and Environmental Review, renovations at the Arden Arcade Chick-fil-A will include a dual-lane drive-thru and a 580-square-foot expansion to the original buildings interior.

New signage and parking lot improvements are also in the works, the county wrote.

Chick-fil-A wasnt available for comment on Tuesday.

Joshua Paul, owner and operator of Chick-fil-A in Arden Fair, said in an October email that canopies will be constructed to shade both workers and guests, and the dining area will be completely redesigned.

Were incredibly thankful for the communitys continued support of our restaurant and patience as we undergo construction, he wrote in the email. Were excited to better meet the needs of our guests and team members through these restaurant updates.

How often do fast food restaurants get renovated?

Whats happening at the Arden Arcade location isnt rare.

Chick-fil-A restaurants undergo renovations based on both size and age, according to the chains website.

Updates typically include larger kitchens, additional drive-thru lanes, new counters, awnings and furniture, Chick-fil-A said. Each freestanding location generally undergoes at least one large renovation within its 30-year lifespan.

During temporary Chick-fil-A closures, some employees are placed at other locations while others receive compensation, the company said.

There are eight other freestanding Chick-fil-A locations across the Sacramento area, including restaurants in Delta Shores, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Folsom, Rocklin and Granite Bay.

Chick-fil-A is known for its variety of chicken entrees including grilled and fried sandwiches and nuggets. Also on the menu are breakfast burritos, biscuits, salads, soups, wraps and macaroni and cheese.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
This photo taken on May 28, 2023 shows a C919 large passenger plane at Hongqiao International Airport in east China's Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

The fourth C919, China's first self-developed narrow-body jet, was delivered to its first global customer China Eastern Airlines on Tuesday morning in Shanghai.



Taking off from the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 9:44 am and landing at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 10:02 am, the jet coded as B-919E officially joined China Eastern's aircraft fleet, according to the Shanghai-based carrier.

In 2024, China Eastern is expected to receive the C919 aircraft from the jet's manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) in accordance with the schedule.

After a successful maiden commercial flight conducted between Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and the Beijing Capital International Airport on May 28, the C919 aircraft is currently serving travelers between Shanghai and Chengdu since May 29, 2023.

In addition to the first five C919 jets purchased in 2021, China Eastern on September 28, 2023 inked a deal with COMAC to buy another 100 C919 aircraft, which is the largest single order in the history of the homegrown jet C919.
The parents of a child hit by a train in Columbus in 2023 now face charges months after the incident.

Officers responded on October 30 to the 700 block of Terminal Court to a child being hit by a train.

Police said their investigation revealed the six-year-old child fell underneath the moving train while playing on the active tracks. The incident resulted in the child losing part of a leg, according to police.

Police said the parents of the child, Tony Rogers Jr., 32, and Rahkeisha Willis, 29, have both been charged with Reckless conduct in connection to the incident.

They are scheduled to appear in Columbus Recorders court on March 19 at 8 a.m., according to police.

Columbus Police released this statement in regards to the incident:

This incident underscores the crucial responsibility of parents or guardians in ensuring the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to them. While the child is recovering, this incident could have resulted in loss of life. The Columbus Police Department urges the community to prioritize the safety of children and take proactive measures to prevent similar incidents from happening.
China has fired a top official after proposed video game restrictions unleashed a market meltdown of epic proportions

Feng Shixin had oversight of China's video game regulator.

He was fired last week after the botched crackdown on video games in December, per Reuters.

The proposed restrictions on the sector sparked a massive sell-off in gaming stocks.

A top official in charge of regulating video games in China has lost his job after last month's crackdown on the sector.

Feng Shixin was the head of the publishing unit of the Chinese Communist Party's publicity department. In this position, Feng had oversight of China's video game regulator. Feng was fired last week, according to a Reuters report published Tuesday.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Feng's departure was linked to the slate of proposed video game restrictions announced on December 22.

The planned restrictions were meant to discourage people from playing video games by limiting in-game spending and restricting daily login rewards.

The move, however, rattled markets and sparked a massive sell-off in gaming stocks.

According to Bloomberg, gaming giants Tencent, NetEase, and BiliBili, a video-sharing site popular with gamers, lost over $80 billion in market value on the same day.

Shortly after, Chinese officials quickly walked back the restrictions. The regulator said in a notice on the following day that it would refine the proposed regulations after considering feedback from the industry.

Steven Leung, an executive director at brokerage firm UOB Kay Hian, told Bloomberg that Feng's removal "will reduce the chance of further panic selling" but wouldn't "attract new liquidity buying."

Leung says this is because "the change in such a short period of time means policies remain uncertain."

Representatives for China's State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Firefighters and police officers conduct search and rescue operations at a tsunami-devastated residential area in Suzu

Firefighters and police officers conduct search and rescue operations at a tsunami-devastated residential area in Suzu

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to provide necessary help to Japan on the massive earthquake that struck the country on New Year's Day, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

There have been no Chinese casualties reported from the earthquake, ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing.

Japanese authorities have confirmed 62 deaths so far, making the earthquake the deadliest in Japan since at least 2016.

Asked about the airplanes collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Tuesday, Wang said there were no Chinese citizens injured in the accident, adding that Japan had not made any request for assistance.

There were 14 Hong Kong tourists on the Japan Airlines plane involved, and the Chinese embassy in Japan has gotten in touch with them, Wang said.

The collision, which sparked concerns about runway safety, killed five of six crew on the smaller De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop, while all 379 people aboard the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 survived.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Ethan Wang; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Chinas unsafe interceptions of US military aircraft have dropped off amid signs relations with Beijing are improving, two US defense officials told CNN.

There had been a spike in what the US deemed dangerous incidents in October and the Pentagon publicly condemned Chinas behavior. But in a sign military tensions could be easing, the officials told CNN that there have not been major incidents since.

The last interception occurred on October 24, the officials said, when a Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of a US B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea. US Indo-Pacific Command said the Chinese pilot flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while closing on the larger US aircraft with uncontrolled excessive speed.

The Defense Department had warned only days earlier that Chinese coercive and risky behavior was on the rise. According to the Pentagon, there were more than 180 incidents of such behavior over the previous two years, which was more than the entire previous decade.

Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, called it a centralized campaign to try to force a change in US operational activity in the region.

But in the two months since the unsafe intercept in late-October, the incidents have dropped off, even as the American officials says the Chinese military continues to operate in the South China Sea and the region.

In November, President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California, the first such meeting between the leaders of the two largest militaries in the world. Biden emerged from the four-hour meeting expressing confidence the fraught relationship would improve, calling the talks some of the most constructive and productive discussions weve had.

One month later, the top US and Chinese generals held their first call in more than a year when Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. spoke with Peoples Liberation Army of China Chief of the Joint Staff Department Gen. Liu Zhenli. The two discussed the need for open and direct lines of communication, according to a readout of the call from Browns office.

On Monday, Xi tweeted a congratulatory message to Biden for the New Year in which he said the two countries were moving forward as a whole despite having gone through tough moments, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhau.

However, the decline in aircraft interceptions has done little to diminish broader concerns about the growth in Chinas military power and its expanding nuclear arsenal. The US believes China has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads, surpassing earlier projections, a major Pentagon report said in October. Beijing was also exploring the possibility of developing conventionally-armed long range missiles that could reach the United States as it modernized its military, according to the 2023 China Military Power Report, released just days before the last intercept.

Though Beijing appears to have stopped directing its military to intercept and disrupt US military aircraft, there have been a number of maritime incidents with the Philippines, a close US ally involved in an escalating dispute in the South China Sea. In mid-December, the Philippines accused China of sending its coast guard and maritime vessels to illegally harass and block Philippine ships from reaching the Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, in the Spratly Islands chain. The incident was one of the latest between the two countries that has heightened regional tensions.

The US State Department warned China to desist from its dangerous and destabilizing conduct in which Chinese vessels showed disregard for the safety and livelihoods of Filipinos, but also for international law.

And there are no signs China will back down over the future of Taiwan, a major source of tension with the US.

Last week Xi claimed the reunification of Taiwan with China is inevitable, reiterating Beijings long-held stance on the self-ruled island democracy ahead of a crucial election there this month.

The realization of the complete reunification with the motherland is an inevitable course of development, is righteous and what the people want. The motherland must and will be reunified, Xi said in an address marking the 130th anniversary of Peoples Republic of China founder Mao Zedongs birth.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
BEIJING (Reuters) - A senior Chinese official on Wednesday urged Taiwan's people to make a "correct choice" on the island's upcoming elections, which he described as being about peace and war, prosperity and decline.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly cast the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections as a choice between war and peace.

Top Chinese leaders have generally avoided public comments on the vote. President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's address on Sunday that China's "reunification" with Taiwan is inevitable, but did not mention the election.

In his own New Year's message, Zhang Zhijun, head of China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, a quasi-official body that handles ties with Taiwan, said Taiwanese faced an important choice in the election.

"The two elections coming up in the Taiwan region are important choices between the prospects for peace and war, prosperity and decline," said Zhang, who headed the central government's Taiwan Affairs Office from 2013 to 2018.

"Taiwan compatriots must stand on the right side of history, and make a correct choice to promote cross-strait relations back to the right track of peaceful development," he said.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jamie Freed and Lincoln Feast.)
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said Wednesday that fellow candidate Nikki Haley knew exactly what she was doing when she failed to mention slavery as a cause of the Civil War at a town hall last week  in a moment that prompted broad criticism from Democrats, as well as her GOP primary opponents.

In an interview on The View, Christie said he was confident Haley, the former South Carolina governor, was not a racist but suggested she was trying to be something [shes] not.

After co-host Sunny Hostin said Haleys remarks on the Civil War may have been stupidity, Christie pushed back.

Well, no, Sunny. I have to disagree with you. She knew exactly what she was doing, Christie said.

Even worse, then, Hostin retorted.

Christie suggested he agreed, saying, Oh yes, look. Shes a smart woman. Ive known her for 13 years. Shes smart, and shes not a racist. Theres not a racist bone in Nikki Haleys body. There just isnt.

Fellow co-host Whoopi Goldberg paused at Christies comments and gently pushed back.

Well, I got, I got to tell you. She better start working on that because it really didnt come off that way, Goldberg said. Hostin added, It didnt look good.

It never looks good when youre trying to pretend to be something youre not. OK. So she says that Civil War was about change versus tradition. And look, its pretty clear it was about right versus wrong, Christie said.

But the tradition was to enslave people, Goldberg said.

Thats right, Christie said. And that was a wrong, and our party was founded based on the abolition of slavery. Thats why the Republican Party started.

The Haley campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asked to expand on Christies comments about Haley, a spokesperson for Christies campaign referred to a recent town hall appearance in which Christie similarly said Haley was not a racist but was too concerned about appeasing voters.

Shes smart and she knows better. And she didnt say it because shes a racist. Because shes not  The reason she did it is just as bad, if not worse, and should make everybody concerned about her candidacy: She did it because shes unwilling to offend anyone by telling the truth, Christie said in the remarks provided by a spokesperson.

Christies remarks continued: If she is unwilling to stand up and say that slavery is what caused the Civil War because shes afraid of offending constituents in some other part of the country, if shes afraid to say that Donald Trump is unfit because shes afraid of offending people who support Donald Trump, and because maybe she harbors in the back of her mind being vice president or being secretary of State and since she wont deny it, we have to believe that shes willing to do it  Whats going to happen when she has to stand up against forces in our own party who want to drag this country deeper and deeper into anger and division and exhaustion?

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie said those urging him to drop out of the race are crazy to think he would do so.

Anybody thinks Im getting out of this race, theyre crazy, Christie said on MSNBCs Morning Joe.

Christie suggested that former President Trumps numerous legal battles will result in President Biden being reelected to the White House in 2024. He said he will not step down from his campaign despite calls for him to do so, including from New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who said on CNNs State of the Union this week that Christies campaign was at a dead end.

And eventually, I think a large number of Republican voters are gonna say, This is destined to reelect Joe Biden, Christie said. Thats something that I think one of the only things that unites most Republicans is that they dont want to reelect Joe Biden. And so Im gonna continue to fight this as the only person whos taking him on directly, and [Nikki Haley] can play for his vice presidential nomination.

Calls for Christie to drop out of the race come as the former New Jersey governor failed to qualify for CNNs primary debate in Iowa. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley were the only candidates to do so.

Christie dismissed any concerns that he did not qualify for the Iowa debate, noting that he has not spent any time in the state. He has instead been pooling his resources in the state of New Hampshire, where he is polling at 11 percent, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of the states polls.

Ive hit every mark that you needed to make that have been artificially set either by the [Republican National Committee] or by some of the networks, and the only place where I didnt mean it was a place like Iowa where I hadnt campaigned, run one TV commercial, or even showed up, Christie said.

He also said he would wait until people vote before reevaluating his campaign.

I view this as a fight for not only the soul of my party, but for the soul of our country, and who were going to be, what kind of government do we want? And so, why should that fight be determined by polls? Id rather have people vote, he said.

And if I lose, then Im gonna have to reevaluate, you know, all of this, but I havent lost anything yet, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The idea of a new tax that would buoy Portland Parks and Recreation and the fire bureau is something city hall is considering asking voters to support in a bond measure.

While no plans for a new tax have been finalized, both Parks Commissioner Dan Ryan and Fire Commissioner Rene Gonzalez are exploring the possibilities.

To gauge public interest, the parks department conducted a survey of hundreds of voters to get a sense of what might get support. Results show that the concept of a combined fire and parks bond had support from three out of five respondents.

Portland firefighters use TriMet bus to transport patient amid ambulance shortage

What could this new tax help fund? For the fire department, it would mean a new fire training facility and upgrades for fire truck repair and maintenance facilities. For parks, they would see funding for repairing playgrounds, recreation buildings, trails and parks.

Portland Fire and Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves told KOIN 6 News the bureau could certainly use the financial help.

We could have training and EMS, our medical division, along with our logistics and emergency vehicle technician space. If we could co-locate those in one spot, we could really have a good central heartbeat.

However, Governor Tina Kotek made it clear in her Portland Central City Task Force recommendations that there should be no new taxes until the end of 2026 to help the Rose City get back on its feet.

Portlands top live shows for January: Plain White Ts, Toy Story in Concert and more

We know Portlanders are experiencing significant tax burdens so we need to balance existing taxes with new bond measures. We will use the next few months to determine what is feasible based on the various constraints, Ryan said in a statement.

In a statement from Gonzalezs office, he said hes now considering exploring the idea of using what could be a surplus of up to $1 billion from the Portland Clean Energy Fund rather than pitching a new tax.

I share Governor Koteks concern that Portlanders are overtaxed. At the same time, we have critical services and ailing infrastructure at the City which require urgent attention and substantial investment. In response, I will be exploring the possibility of allocating PCEF dollars coming in above the most optimistic initial projections, the excess is now expected to reach nearly $1 billion by some estimates, to meet critical infrastructure and operational needs either through council action or a referral directly to voters this Fall.

Taxpayers will have plenty of opportunities to weigh in on the issue and can contact Portland city commissioners about it,

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
A bill recently filed in the Florida Legislature that would effectively end civilian oversight of police departments across the state couldnt come at a worse time for Miami-Dades struggling panel, which has been trying to get off the ground for nearly three years.

Florida State Rep. Wyman Duggan (R-Jacksonville) has introduced a bill, HB 601, which seeks to do away with existing boards like Miami-Dades Independent Civilian Panel (ICP) and ban the creation of new ones in the future. If the bill passes, it would deliver a severe blow to law enforcement accountability. The bill was referred to a House criminal justice subcommittee late last year.

Allegations of misconduct against law enforcement personnel or correctional officers would be investigated by their own departments, agencies, or the state. Period. Essentially, the police would police themselves minus public input except for citizen complaints filed with departments.

If the bill passes, 21 local civilian oversight panels across Florida face elimination, including one in Miami and one in Miami-Dade, now empowered to investigate complaints about law enforcement personnel.

For Miami-Dades ICP, this is yet another existential challenge. And it comes after years of trying to reintroduce civilian oversight over the county police department in the wake of the George Floyd murder by Minneapolis police in 2020. The County Commission approved the local ICP in 2020 after several no votes and a former mayors veto.

The panel may also face another threat. After a new Miami-Dade sheriff is elected, the 13-member panel may be disbanded, at the sheriffs behest.

Certainly, the panel has been exceedingly slow to hear cases. It has floundered while facing significant operational challenges. Few in the community even know the ICP exists. However, we strongly believe the ICP should not die at the hands of the Florida Legislature in another assault on county home rule.

The Miami-Dade ICP has a plan to launch a public relations campaign to fight back against the proposed legislation. Thats good news.

For those who dont know, civilian review panels are government-approved bodies that offer the public a venue to air complaints about treatment at the hands of law enforcement. The panels investiagte and then can recommend actions to the police chief or sheriff or to local governments. In Miami-Dade, the members are appointed by the countys 13 commissioners.

Miami-Dades ICP Chairperson Loreal Arscott is pushing back on the proposed law. She sent a letter to a coalition of more than three dozen local organizations that championed the creation of the ICP. (Its predecessor, the Independent Review Panel, died due to budget concerns.) We hope those who demanded the ICPs revival rise up again.

ICP Executive Director Ursula Price is sounding the alarm, too. This bill is not just an attempt to make police accountability investigations faster, Price wrote in a statement sent to the Editorial Board. Its an attempt to limit civilian influence over police departments.

Duggans proposed legislation would be a win for those in the law enforcement community who oppose such boards, often accusing those who serve on them of being anti-police and naive about real-time police work.

But this proposal will seriously erode public trust and accountability at a time when relations between law enforcement and many communities are strained. Removing independent review of police actions is counterproductive and damages community relations.

Civilian review boards give citizens a role in governance and help address any perceived bias when internal police investigations look only at officers perspectives, not residents. Independent boards foster transparency and fairness in the disciplinary process.

Unfortunately, without civilian input, it would be too easy for the acts of problems officers to be swept under the rug or complaints to fall through the cracks.

Ending civilian review removes accountability, breeds distrust and is counterproductive. At a time when building bridges between law enforcement and the communities is paramount, this legislation takes a step in the wrong direction.

The interests of public safety are not served by insulating police from outside review. This bill should die on the vine.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Four new non-voting members on the Clark County school board will take the oath of office during a special meeting scheduled tonight  5:30 p.m., Jan. 2, 2024.

And, for now, a big question about the whole process remains unanswered.

The Clark County School District Board of Trustees will grow from seven members to 11 in accordance with Assembly Bill 175 (AB175), passed in 2023 by the Nevada Legislature.

North Las Vegas initially selected Councilman Isaac Barron to serve on the board, raising a red flag from the school district, which pointed to CCSD policy barring employees from serving on the board. Barron is a teacher at Rancho High School.

AB175 contained no such restriction on who could be a non-voting board member.

Avoiding a larger conflict, North Las Vegas voted last week to name a teachers union representative, Dane Watson, to a six-month stint on the board. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Barron plans to retire at the end of the school year, and will serve the remainder of the four-year term.

The four non-voting members set to take office tonight are:

City of Henderson appointee Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan

City of Las Vegas appointee Adam Johnson

Clark County appointee Lisa Satory

City of North Las Vegas appointee Dane Watson

Watson is a former teacher who worked in CCSD for 30 years, now working for the Clark County Education Association. Esparza-Stoffregan is a former teacher and Valley High School principal. Johnson is a former charter school principal and Satory is a current charter school principal.

Watson talked about his qualifications in an interview with 8 News Nows Joshua Peguero on Politics Now:

AB175 changes the face of the board, but it remains to be seen how it will impact the boards behavior. Its been a source of embarrassment over past years with public squabbles that drew the attention of lawmakers, who even considered legislation that would have broken the district into smaller pieces.

Conflicts involving CCSD and the Legislature continue, with the Democratic leaders continuing to target Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara.

Several teachers ran for positions in the Legislature and won in 2022, and lawmakers were vocal about the boards leadership as they passed AB175.

We cant just keep doing what were doing, Democratic Assemblywoman Bilbray-Axelrod said. She was one of the bills sponsors, along with Republican Toby Yurek. Is this perfect? Probably not.

At least were moving the needle, she said.

A late addition to the picture, Watson comes with an emphasis on teacher recruitment and retention  especially in North Las Vegas, where he said job vacancies are high.

He said the four non-voting members each bring new skill sets to the board.

I think we all have expertise, especially since weve been in the field of education for a number of years  we come with experiences and advantages to sharing, to help, and to serve. And I think thats the main piece, because this is about serving the community, Watson said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Claudia Winkleman has asked fans of The Traitors to lower their expectations as the hit TV show returns for its second series.

First airing in December 2022, The Traitors is a reality TV competition all about deception, sabotage and lying. In it, 22 contestants are split into Traitors, who must get to the end of the game undetected, and Faithfuls, who are trying to catch them.

The show was a huge hit in its first series, with both the series and host Winkleman picking up Baftas at the 2023 TV Awards.

As The Traitors comes back for its second outing, with a new cast of contestants preparing to take on the ultimate social deduction game, Strictly Come Dancing host Winkleman has spoken about how the team were winded by the response to series one.

What happened never happens. It was overwhelming for all of us, she said. When Kathy Burke, who is a hero of mine, and Russell T Davies, when they tweeted, I was amazed with the whole experience.

Of the first series, Winkleman added: It felt like some sort of magical dust and I just dont want peoples expectations to be so high.

The success of the first series had taken Winkleman and the team aback so much that shed initially suggested the BBC leave it with one series.

The cast of The Traitors (PA)

The success of the first series literally winded us, she said. I said to lovely [production company] Studio Lambert and the BBC, Lets just leave it. This thing happened, this magical thing happened. Enough!

The head of the BBC said she wanted to take my temperature. So we went again but Im nervous and weird about it.

As The Traitors returns to the BBC on Wednesday (3 January), the cast of season two has already been revealed.

Among the cast of 2024, youll find ex-military workers, NHS employees, and even a clairvoyant. You can meet all 22 contestants here.

Winkleman won a Bafta for her role hosting The Traitors' (BBC/Studio Lambert/Mark Mainz)

Winkleman is back on the hosting duties, after revealing in a recent interview that she nearly turned down the series when she was first approached in order to spend more time with her family.

I wasnt keen on leaving home for three weeks, so initially I said, I dont think so, but thank you, she said.

They then sent me the original Dutch version. I watched the first four episodes in one sitting, told the kids to make their own tea and then begged the BBC to let me be part of it.

The Traitors returns Wednesday 3 January at 9pm on BBC One. Episodes two and three will be immediately available on iPlayer, and air at 9pm on BBC One the following nights.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay, who has been under intense scrutiny for testimony she gave at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism, as well as allegations of plagiarism in her academic work, will resign.

It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president, Gay said in a letter to the Harvard community. This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries.

But after consulting with the universitys highest governing board, Gay added, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.

Dr. Claudine Gay, president of Harvard University, testifies before a House committee on Dec. 5, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images file)

Gays six-month tenure is the shortest in the universitys 388-year history, according to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper. She was the first Black person and the second woman to lead the institution.

The fellows of Harvard College announced that Alan M. Garber, the schools provost and chief academic officer, would serve as interim president until a permanent successor is named. The fellows said Gay will return to a faculty position.

Gay drew fierce criticism last month after she and her counterparts at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology appeared to sidestep the question of whether students calling for the genocide of Jewish people should be punished. Penn President Liz Magill resigned days after the widely panned hearing.

Gay then faced allegations of plagiarism in her political science scholarship. The Harvard Corporation, the schools highest governing body, ordered an investigation that revealed a few instances of inadequate citation but found no violation of Harvards standards for research misconduct.

Gays job appeared to be secure Dec. 12 after the Harvard Corporation, responding to growing calls for her ouster, released a statement saying its members reaffirm our support for President Gays continued leadership of Harvard University.

But the questions swirling around Gays position did not abate over the holidays.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman, as well as conservative activists such as Christopher Rufo, continued to put pressure on Harvard via posts on social media. The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative publication, published an unsigned complaint Monday that referred to six new allegations of plagiarism, exacerbating the crisis.

Harvards communications office did not have comment on the additional plagiarism accusations.

The root of the outcry

Gay did not answer directly, saying in part: We embrace a commitment to free expression even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful  its when that speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies against bullying, harassment, intimidation.

The answer was met with swift backlash from the White House, lawmakers in both parties and high-profile alumni. NBCs Saturday Night Live parodied the hearing at the start of the Dec. 9 episode.

In an interview with the Harvard Crimson student newspaper after the hearing made national news, Gay apologized for her remarks and said in part: I got caught up in what had become at that point, an extended, combative exchange about policies and procedures.

I failed to convey what is my truth, she said.

Gay attracted more scrutiny after critics such as Ackman and Rufo highlighted instances of alleged plagiarism in her published academic work.

Harvards board said it first learned of the allegations in late October, carried out an independent review of her work and found a few instances of inadequate citation. The board said Gay was proactively requesting four corrections in two articles to insert citations and quotation marks that were omitted from the original publications.

But in the weeks to come, Gay continued to face plagiarism accusations  most recently on Monday, when the Washington Free Beacon reported on an unsigned complaint whose author purported to have found nearly 50 allegations, including over half a dozen examples never seen before. NBC News has not independently verified those claims.

Gay has defended her academic work. I stand by the integrity of my scholarship, she said in a statement on Dec. 12. Throughout my career, I have worked to ensure my scholarship adheres to the highest academic standards.

Stefanik cheered the news of Gays departure, writing in part in a post on X: TWO DOWN.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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This photo taken on Jan. 2, 2024 shows a road damaged by earthquakes in Hakui, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. [Photo/Xinhua]

A major earthquake hit the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa and its vicinity on New Year's Day, causing heavy casualties and widespread structural damage. Thousands of people were evacuated following tsunami warnings issued along Japan's western coast.

In the aftermath of the quake that roiled the country's New Year celebrations, the quake-hit and affected regions have been grappling with the immediate impact on infrastructure, transportation systems, and nuclear safety.

A series of strong temblors, with a major one of preliminary 7.6 magnitude, hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture at a shallow depth on Monday. The Japan Meteorological Agency has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

The death toll has been climbing, reaching 48 as of Tuesday afternoon due to building collapses and fires in the most devastated area.

More injuries, damage reports and information about people trapped continued to come in regarding other prefectures including Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, and Gifu, according to local authorities.

Calling the rescue of those impacted by the quakes a battle against time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the press that approximately 1,000 Self-Defense Force members, 634 police officers, and 2,039 firefighters were deployed to provide assistance and conduct rescue operations.

Wrecked roads hamper rescue efforts

Disruptions of transport and communication have complicated rescue efforts in the quake-affected areas as roads and telecom facilities suffered damage following the quakes.

Following an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister told the press that a wrecked road had cut off access to the area, and rescuers were still working to reach people trapped under collapsed buildings.

On Tuesday noon, Xinhua reporters, while finding their way to Ishikawa's Wajima city near where the earthquake's epicenter was located, witnessed the road destruction firsthand.

Roads leading to the epicenter suffered severe damage, with visible cracks and large fractures, making travel treacherous. Approximately 34 kilometers from the city center of Wajima, landslides blocked roads completely, forcing reporters to retrace their path.

The earthquake's impact reverberated across the transportation sector, with at least five highways across the country closed, adding to the challenges of navigating the affected areas.

Amid temporary halts in Shinkansen bullet train operations in the Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku regions, the Japan Railways (JR) Group reported disruptions, affecting thousands of passengers during the country's New Year holiday travel rush.

Meanwhile, a total of 122 trains were delayed Monday after the earthquake detection system was activated or power was temporarily cut, affecting about 100,000 people.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, cracks about 10 centimeters deep and over 10 meters long were found in several places on the runway at Noto Airport, leading to its closure. Some sections of expressways were also closed to traffic in various locations.

The road leading to Noto Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture was impassable, and the runway was damaged, leaving about 500 passengers and local residents in an isolated state, the ministry added.

Flights were also canceled in succession. All Nippon Airways canceled 16 flights from various airports on Monday, affecting about 1,450 people. Japan Airlines canceled nine flights from both Niigata and Komatsu airports on Monday, affecting about 730 people.

The earthquake also took a toll on vital infrastructure, disrupting the fuel supply, causing gas stations' partial closures, and leading to temporary shutdowns of convenience stores.

Starting Monday, major communication providers including NTT Docomo reported interruptions in mobile and fixed-line services in Ishikawa and Niigata prefectures, affecting emergency communication capabilities.

According to public broadcaster NHK, five of six crew members aboard a Japan Coast Guard aircraft that collided with a passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday were confirmed dead, while the captain who managed to escape earlier is severely injured.

The coast guard plane was taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas in Niigata Prefecture. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board the Japan Airlines airplane that was in flames have evacuated, NHK reported.

Collapses, outages and supply shortages

Since Monday, Japan has been hit by at least 155 quakes, and damage and outages are making life difficult in affected areas.

In Wajima, a seven-story building toppled over sideways while a central area known for its morning market was gutted by a large blaze that broke out Monday, engulfing over 200 structures in the central Wajima area, according to prefectural officials.

According to Japan's Health Ministry, the water supply has been cut off in many areas of quake-affected prefectures. Power outages hit thousands of homes after the quakes, with some 45,700 households suffering power outages in Ishikawa prefecture alone, according to the Hokuriku Electric Power Company on Tuesday.

Several medical institutions in Niigata, Toyama, and Ishikawa experienced power outages and water supply disruptions. Meanwhile, agricultural and fisheries sectors reported damage, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support.

The Monday quakes, which were felt in the capital city of Tokyo, triggered tsunami warnings along the Sea of Japan coast, with tsunamis reported as far away as the northernmost main island of Hokkaido. In areas where tsunami warnings have been issued, residents were evacuated to higher ground and other places of safety.

A total of over 46,000 people have been evacuated across Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures as of Tuesday morning. Over 160 people evacuated Noto island in the city of Nanao, however, because roads have been closed on the bridge that connects the island to the mainland, supplies are unable to reach the area, the Japan Times reported on Tuesday.

Road closures have also impacted the delivery of goods in the area, with major delays seen in Niigata, Ishikawa, Toyama and Fukui, according to the Japan Post. Major convenience stores in the region, including 100 7-Eleven stores and 160 Family Mart stores, are temporarily closed as well.

Nuclear safety concerns amid tsunami waves

Following Monday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake, concerns arose over Japan's nuclear safety, which has been questioned constantly since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant, one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.

The quake triggered a rare major tsunami warning and forecasts that waves of up to 5 meters could strike, but by 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Tuesday, all warnings and advisories had been lifted. The highest tsunami recorded was over 1.2 meters at Wajima Port in Ishikawa.

At the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, water from the fuel pools at the top floors of the No. 7 and No. 2 reactors spilled over due to strong earthquakes, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) announced Monday.

According to TEPCO, about 10 liters spilled from the No. 2 reactor and about 4 liters from the No. 7 reactor. It is measuring the radiation levels, with no damage or leaks confirmed.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) earlier confirmed there were no abnormalities reported at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan after the quake, and no rises in radiation levels were detected at the monitoring posts in the region.

"It has been confirmed that there are no abnormalities at Shika nuclear power plant (in Ishikawa) and other stations as of now," government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Monday afternoon.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the operator of the Shika plant which is the closest to the epicenter, said both of the two reactors at the plant had been offline since before the earthquake, noting that there had been some power outages and oil leaks following Monday's jolt but no radiation leakage.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company also said it has shut down two generators at its Nanao Ota thermal power plant in Nanao city in Ishikawa.

Kansai Electric Power Company confirmed no damage has been detected at the Ohi and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture following Monday's earthquake.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. However, a tsunami warning had not been issued since the March 2011 earthquake in northeastern Japan.

The 9.0-magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing and sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Japan is still haunted by the memory of the country's worst post-war disaster and the world's most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraines Defence Intelligence, has spoken about the preparations for the release of more than 200 Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity.

Source: Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU)

Quote: "After a long period of time, we have been able to conduct a very complex PoW swap.

Preparations for this swap went on for quite a long time. The UAE directly participated in the organisation of this process, and together, with its help, we were able to do it."

Details: Budanov added that the Ukrainians coming home include a combat medic, as well as defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant who were captured in the early days of the full-scale war.

Background:

It was announced this evening that Ukraine has brought back over 200 soldiers and civilians who had been in Russian captivity.

More precisely, 230 Ukrainian defenders are coming home. Among them are 130 soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 14 from the Territorial Defence and 14 from the Navy); 55 from the National Guard; 38 from the State Border Guard Service; one from the National Police, and six civilians who were illegally imprisoned.

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FALL RIVER  Since late November, convicted former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia II has been on the move in the federal prison system going from a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Berlin, New Hampshire, to stopovers in New York City, Philadelphia, and then Oklahoma City for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

And as of Jan. 3, Correia, the citys ex-mayor and self-described entrepreneur, has now been moved to the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta (USP Atlanta), a low-security U.S. federal prison for 1,800 male inmates, according to the online Bureau of Prisons inmate tracker.

According to a BOP website, USP Atlanta was built in 1905 to house male inmates, and is one of BOP's oldest operating institutions.

Jasiel Correia is behind bars Former Fall River mayor reports to federal prison in NH on fraud conviction

Convicted former mayor Jasiel Correia II has been transferred to his 5th prison in two months. He is now in federal prison in Atlanta, one of the country's oldest federal facilities.

Why Correia has been moved around from five facilities in less than two months is unknown since the BOP does not give out that information to the public.

On the move Ex-Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia transferred to federal Philly prison

Correia, who recently turned 32 in December, was convicted in 2021 after a monthlong trial and found guilty of 21 counts of defrauding investors in his SnoOwl app, cheating on his taxes and extorting marijuana vendors. The federal judge presiding over the trial tossed out a number of additional charges, and he was sentenced to six years in federal prison.

Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II talks about SnoOwl and his side of the indictment in this Herald News file photo from his Oct. 16, 2018 press conference.

The citys youngest mayor, having been elected at the age of 23, had been placed in Berlin, New Hampshire, to start serving a six-year sentence for government corruption and defrauding investors in his defunct app company, SnoOwl, in April 2022.

Berlin, 230 miles north of Fall River in the White Mountains with a four-hour drive, was much closer to the city that he was elected to lead for two terms.

Correia look back Ex-mayor entered prison in 2022, welcomed a new son, and had his appeal hopes dashed

By contrast, USP Atlanta is about 1,082 miles away, a little more than a 17-hour drive.

According to the BOP website, Correia is set for release on Oct. 29, 2026.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Convicted Fall River mayor is now in an Atlanta, GA federal prison
Garry Artman told detectives that he murdered a woman in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1996, a woman whose body was found in Maryland and nine other slayings he was never charged with (FOX17)

A convicted killer made a deathbed confession days before he died of lung cancer that he murdered 11 women.

Garry Artman told detectives that he murdered a woman in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1996, a woman whose body was found in Maryland and nine other slayings he was never charged with.

Artman, a long-distance truck driver, made the confessions from a Michigan prison hospital and told investigators that 10 of the 11 murders took place in Grand Rapids.

Our investigative team met with him three times prior to his death to see if theres any information or case facts they could glean to help solve some of these unsolved murders and missing people, Kent County Sheriffs Office Lt Eric Brunner told WOOD-TV.

What we can say is just that those three times were fruitful, to an extent. And were trying to further help bring closure to these families that potentially have been impacted over these last many years by these unsolved cases. So that is our hope, but theres still a handful of work to be done.

Artman was convicted of the 1996 murder of Sharon Hammack and admitted to the murder of 24-year-old Dusty Shuck.

Shuck was found stabbed and beaten to death near a truck stop in Maryland on 4 May 2006. Artman had been linked to the killing through DNA, but his terminal cancer diagnosis ruled out a trial.

She was an amazing soul. She was good inside and out, Shucks mother Lori Kreutzer told the outlet.

She said that Artmann had been in a coma and was expected to die in mid-December. But he came out of the coma and admitted to the murders before dying at the age of 66 on 28 December.

It was a miracle.  divine intervention. So at least he did that, she added.

Both victims were among 17 women who were found dead or went missing in Grand Rapids between 1993 and 1996.

Investigators are now comparing details Artman gave them before he died to the cold cases.

Any time we investigate these cases, we cannot forget the impact that has on a victims family, added Lt Brunner.

Someone thats had a loved one go missing or murdered a long time ago its just a huge loss and then to not have answers on top of that. So, our investigators feel that burden as well when they look into these cases to try to help bring closure to these families.

Obviously, Mr. Artman has passed away, so some people are going to have differing emotions about that. But, to bring closure to these families even beyond his death, that is their goal.
PECKVILLE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  Among the quiet aisles and the turning of pages, a different kind of learning is taking place at a library in Lackawanna County.

The valley community library turns into a sanctuary of sound and solace, offering adults a unique workshop called Healthy Minds in Harmony.

Music is something you hear almost every day.

Just like how your favorite song can brighten your mood music overall can help relieve stress levels.

It just brings you out of yourself enough to be happy, said Mary Bernacki from Jessup.

Secondhand thrift shop seeking donations

Music therapist Cheryl Mozdian shows the class how rhythms and melodies can influence all types of emotions

My idea was to just come up with this protocol that I can share with people so they can go and integrate it into their lives and have better coping skills, said Cheryl Mozdian the owner of Summit Music Therapy.

Mozdian also focuses the workshop on how to breathe deeply and stay mindful so you can learn how to tolerate different moments and feelings that may occur in your life.

Everyone has people that they deal with in their daily lives whether its children or they deal with co-workers or they deal with other adults, family members, their caregivers, this helps everybody with the stress level they have and keeping it focused and keeping them, keeping the stress levels down, explained Mozdian.

The Valley Community Library will host this event every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. until January 31 and possibly into February, you can register on the library website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
Lance Cpl. Anahi Anaya joined the Marine Corps in search of a lifelong sense of family: Once a Marine, always a Marine, the saying goes.

In Cpl. Caleb Williams, who saved her life after she got hit by a car on May 5, Anaya found it.

Williams used his sweatshirt to tie a makeshift tourniquet on Anayas leg, and secured the assistance of a bystander and emergency services. And he served as Anayas lifeline, helping her stay calm through the ordeal.

We went from strangers to pretty much family after that day, Anaya told Marine Corps Times in a Dec. 18 interview.

On Dec. 8, Williams, a rifleman with the Hawaii-based 3rd Littoral Combat Team, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for stepping up to save his fellow Marines life.

Marine lance corporal saves a family after North Carolina car crash

The evening of May 5, Anaya, an administration clerk with 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, was riding her motorcycle toward Honolulu with a group of Marines, including Williams.

Williams was newer to riding motorcycles, Anaya said, so she stayed with him at the back of the pack. When Williams experienced a mechanical issue with his bike, the two of them pulled over so Anaya could check it out.

A car whizzed around the bend, and Anaya felt a rush of heat. Then she felt as if someone had poured water on her leg. It was blood.

This cant be real, Anaya recalled thinking.

The car sped off, according to Anaya, who said local authorities are still investigating the incident.

As soon as I heard the crash, I felt that gut-wrenching feeling, Williams said, quoted in a Marine Corps news release.

Anaya was on the ground, having sustained an open fracture in her right leg and significant trauma in her right calf, according to the release. Williams sprinted to her.

He dragged her to a safer spot, out of the way of traffic. Then he fashioned a tourniquet out of his sweatshirt.

At Anayas urging, he tied it as tightly as he could. It was painful, but she relaxed a little once the tying was over and the bleeding slowed, Anaya said.

All I could think about was keeping her safe, calm and alert, Williams said. I didnt want her to think the worst while it was all happening. I then pulled my phone out and called 911 to give them our location.

A civilian bystander pulled over and tried to help, ultimately fetching a real tourniquet from her truck, Anaya said. All the while, Anaya was squeezing Williams shoulders like a stress ball, she said.

Despite her loss of blood, Anaya remained conscious and, when an ambulance arrived, was able to tell them what had happened. She was taken to a Honolulu hospital that evening.

Several months later, Anaya still doesnt have a lot of feeling in her calf, and she feels a constant pressure in her leg, as if it had fallen asleep and someone was pressing on it.

But she can walk without crutches, and she is back to work. Shes even riding her motorcycle again.

Shes come so far after all the surgeries, Williams said in the news release. Im amazed every day by her willpower and everything shes overcome.

Without Williams, Anaya said, I would not be here today.